A Posie of rare Flowers,
Gathered by a Young-man for his Mistrisse.
To a delectable new tune.
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THe Summers Sunne ore-heating,
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Within a harbour sitting,
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Under a Marble shade,
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For my true Love the fairest,
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And flowres the rarest,
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A Posie thus I made.
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The first and last for trusting,
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Is called Everlasting,
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I pulled from the Bay,
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The blue and crimson Columbine,
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That Dasie and the Woodbine,
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And eke the blooming May.
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The sweetest flowers for posies,
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Pinkes, Gilliflowers and Roses,
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I gathered in their prime:
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The flowers of Musk-millions,
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Come blow me downe sweet-William,
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With Rosemary and Time.
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The Larksheele, and the Lilly,
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The Flag and Daffadilly,
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The Wall-flower sweet of smell:
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The Maidenblush, and Cowslip,
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The Peagle and the Tulip,
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That doth in sweet excell.
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The Violet and Grediline,
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The odoriferous Eglantine,
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With Thrift and Honesty,
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The Muskerose sweet and dainty,
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With others flowers plenty,
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Oxlops and Piony.
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The Gilliflowers variety,
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Of every colour severally,
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The Lady smacke and Pancy:
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The Batchelors button, faire and fine,
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The Primerose and the Sops-in-wine,
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With them the Maidens fancy.
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The time-observing Marigold,
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Most faire and lovely to behold,
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I pluckt amongst the rest,
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The white and red Carnation,
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The senses recreation,
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With other flowers the best.
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The flowers fit for smelling,
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Whose sweet is farre excelling,
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All the perfumes of Art,
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I pulled up each severall,
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And made a Posie therewithall,
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To beare to my Sweet-heart.
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The second part, To the same tune.
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SWeet Basill and sweet Margerum
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The Cowslip of Jerusalem,
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The Crowfoot and Sea-flower,
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The Start-up and kisse me,
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A flower that shall not misse me,
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In my true Lovers bower.
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The Lady of Essex faire,
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A flower passing sweet and rare,
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I in the middest did place,
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Because my Love is fairest,
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And of all maids the rarest,
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In body, and in face.
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These flowers being culled,
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And their branches pulled,
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Did yeeld a fragrant sent:
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Observing their fit places,
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I bound them in bridelaces,
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And to my Love I went.
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In hope she would receive them,
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To th'end that I might give them,
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As pledges of my love,
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To her whose radiant beauty
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Did binde me to this duty,
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Hoping shee'l ne'r remove.
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Her permanent affection
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To me, who by election,
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Am hers while life doth last:
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These flowers did resemble
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My thoughts which ne'r dissemble,
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But hold both smell and taste.
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When I had made this Nose-gay,
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With joyfull heart I tooke my way,
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To finde out my true Love:
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Who for my absence mourned,
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Untill that I returned,
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As doth the Turtle Dove.
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At last I found her sporting,
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With other Maids consorting,
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Close by a River side:
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My posie not refused,
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When she the same perused,
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Upon her arme she tide.
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(Quoth she) although these flowers
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Will wither in few houres,
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Yet take my word, Sweet-heart,
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My love to thee shall ne'r decay,
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Till death doth my life away,
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From thee Ile ne'r depart.
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The like to her I vowed,
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And whilst the time allowed,
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About such things we talked:
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At length because it waxed late,
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We for that time did leave our prate,
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And from each other walked.
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When with a mild behaviour
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She thanks me for my favour,
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And wore it for my sake:
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With enterchanging kisses,
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The rest remaines in wishes,
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Unwilling leave we take.
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