ELEGIE III.
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Change._ Although thy hand and faith, and good workes too,Have seal'd thy love which nothing should undoe,Yea though thou fall backe, that apostasieConfirme thy love; yet much, much I feare thee.Women are like the Arts, forc'd unto none, 5Open to'all searchers, unpriz'd, if unknowne.If I have caught a bird, and let him flie,Another fouler using these meanes, as I,May catch the same bird; and, as these things bee,Women are made for men, not him, nor mee. 10Foxes and goats; all beasts change when they please,Shall women, more hot, wily, wild then these,Be bound to one man, and did Nature thenIdly make them apter to'endure then men?They'are our clogges, not their owne; if a man bee 15Chain'd to a galley, yet the galley'is free;Who hath a plow-land, casts all his seed corne there,And yet allowes his ground more corne should beare;Though Danuby into the sea must flow,The sea receives the Rhene, Volga, and Po. 20By nature, which gave it, this libertyThou lov'st, but Oh! canst thou love it and mee?Likenesse glues love: and if that thou so doe,To make us like and love, must I change too?More then thy hate, I hate'it, rather let mee 25Allow her change, then change as oft as shee,And soe not teach, but force my'opinionTo love not any one, nor every one.To live in one land, is captivitie,To runne all countries, a wild roguery; 30Waters stincke soone, if in one place they bide,And in the vast sea are more putrifi'd:But when they kisse one banke, and leaving thisNever looke backe, but the next banke doe kisse,Then are they purest; Change'is the nursery 35Of musicke, joy, life, and eternity. [Eleg. III. Change. _1635-54:_ Elegie III. _1633_, _1669:__no title or_ Elegye (_numbered variously_) _A18_, _A25_, _B_,_Cy_, _D_, _H49_, _JC_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_,_S96_, _TCC_, _TCD_, _W_] [1 workes] word _1669_] [4 Confirme] Confirms _1669_, _A25_, _L74_, _P_] [5 Women] Women, _1633_ forc'd unto none] forbid to none _B_] [8 these _1633-54_, _D_, _H49_, _Lec:_ those _1669_, _A18_,_A25_, _B_, _Cy_, _JC_, _L74_, _N_, _P_, _TC_, _W_] [11 Foxes and goats; all beasts _1633-54:_ Foxes, goats andall beasts _1669_] [13 did] bid _1669_] [17 a plow-land] plow-lands _P_] [18 corne] seed _P_] [20 Rhene,] Rhine, _1669_ Po. _1633:_ Po, _1635-69_] [21 liberty _1633:_ libertie. _1635-69_] [23 and ... doe,] then if so thou do, _A18_, _A25_, _B_, _Cy_,_D_, _H49_, _JC_, _L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S96_, _TC_,_W_] [24 like _i.e._ alike _as in A18_, _N_, _TC_] [31 bide] abide _1669_] [32 more putrifi'd _1633-39:_ more purifi'd _1650-54:_ worsepurifi'd _1669:_ worse putrifi'd _A18_, _A25_, _Cy_, _D_,_L74_, _Lec_, _N_, _O'F_, _P_, _S_, _S96_, _TC_, _W:_ worstputrifi'd _B_, _H49_, _JC_]
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