Love made the lovely Venus burn
In vain, and for the cold youth[1] mourn,
Who the pursuit of churlish beasts
Preferr’d to sleeping on her breasts.

Love makes so many hearts the prize
Of the bright Carlisle’s conqu’ring eyes,
Which she regards no more than they
The tears of lesser beauties weigh. 
So have I seen the lost clouds pour
Into the sea an useless shower; 20
And the vex’d sailors curse the rain
For which poor shepherds pray’d in vain.

Then, Phyllis, since our passions are
Govern’d by chance, and not the care,
But sport of heaven, which takes delight
To look upon this Parthian fight
Of love, still flying, or in chase,
Never encount’ring face to face;
No more to Love we’ll sacrifice,
But to the best of deities; 30
And let our hearts, which Love disjoin’d,
By his kind mother be combin’d.

[1] ’Cold youth ’:  Adonis.

TO THE QUEEN-MOTHER OF FRANCE, UPON HER LANDING.[1]

Great Queen of Europe! where thy offspring wears
All the chief crowns; where princes are thy heirs;
As welcome thou to sea-girt Britain’s shore,
As erst Latona (who fair Cynthia bore)
To Delos was; here shines a nymph as bright,
By thee disclosed, with like increase of light. 
Why was her joy in Belgia confined? 
Or why did you so much regard the wind? 
Scarce could the ocean, though enraged, have toss’d
Thy sov’reign bark, but where th’obsequious coast 10
Pays tribute to thy bed.  Rome’s conqu’ring hand
More vanquished nations under her command
Never reduced.  Glad Berecynthia so
Among her deathless progeny did go;
A wreath of towers adorn’d her rev’rend head,
Mother of all that on ambrosia fed. 
Thy godlike race must sway the age to come,
As she Olympus peopled with her womb.

Would those commanders of mankind obey
Their honour’d parent, all pretences lay 20
Down at your royal feet, compose their jars,
And on the growing Turk discharge these wars;
The Christian knights that sacred tomb should wrest
From Pagan hands, and triumph o’er the East;
Our England’s Prince, and Gallia’s Dolphin, might
Like young Rinaldo and Tancredi fight;
In single combat by their swords again
The proud Argantes and fierce Soldan slain;
Again might we their valiant deeds recite,
And with your Tuscan Muse[2] exalt the fight. 30

[2] ‘Her landing’:  Mary de Medicis, widow of Henry IV., and mother of
    the King of France, and of the Queens of England and Spain, coming
    to England in 1638, was very ill received by the people, and forced
    ultimately to leave the country.
[2] ‘Tuscan Muse’:  Tasso.

TO VANDYCK.[1]