XXI.! As it fell upon a day In the merry month of May, All thy friends are lapp'd in lead, XXII.9 Whilst as fickle fortune smil'd, Words are easy, like the wind; Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend; THE PHENIX AND TURTLE.* Let the bird of loudest lay, On the sole Arabian tree, Herald sad and trumpet be, To whose sound chaste wings obey. But thou shrieking harbinger, To this troop come thou not near. From this session interdict Let the priest in surplice white, And thou, treble-dated crow, Here the anthem doth commence : So they lov'd, as love in twain Had the essence but in one; Two distincts; division none: Number there in love was slain. Hearts remote, yet not asunder; Distance, and no space was seen "Twixt the turtle and his queen: But in them it were a wonder. So between them love did shine, That the turtle saw his right Flaming in the Phoenix' sight: Either was the other's mine. Property was thus appall'd, That the self was not the same; Single nature's double name Neither two nor one was call'd. Reason, in itself confounded, That it cry'd, how true a twain Seemeth this concordant one! Love hath reason, reason none, If what parts can so remain. 1 This poem is contained in R. Barnfield's "Encomion of Lady Pecunia," 1598. It is also inserted in "England's Helicon," 1600, (H. 2) under the signature of Ignoto; but as Barnfield reprinted it as his, in 1605, there can be little doubt that he was the author of it. 26 England's Helicon" here adds this couplet : "Even so, poor bird, like thee, 3 This is the last poem in "The Passionate Pilgrim," 1599. It is a separate production, both in subject and place, with a division between it and Barnfield's poem, which precedes it: nevertheless they have been incautiously coupled in some modern editions. 4 This poem is printed, as we have given it, with the name of Shakespeare, in Robert Chester's "Love's Martyr, or Rosalin's Complaint," 1601. It occurs near the end, among what are called on the title-page, "new Compositions of several modern Writers, whose names are subscribed to their several Works." |