Great God of Love, why hast thou made A face that can all hearts command, That all religions can invade, And change the laws of every land? Where thou hadst plac’d such power before, Thou shouldst have made her mercy more. When Chloris to the temple comes, Adoring crowds before her fall; She can restore the dead from tombs And every life but mine recall. I only am by Love design’d To be the victim for mankind. CHARLES WEBBE c. 1678 _403._ _Against Indifference_ More love or more disdain I crave, Sweet, be not still indifferent: O send me quickly to my grave, Or else afford me more content! Or love or hate me more or less, For love abhors all lukewarmness. Give me a tempest if ’twill drive Me to the place where I would be; Or if you’ll have me still alive, Confess you will be kind to me. Give hopes of bliss or dig my grave: More love or more disdain I crave. SIR GEORGE ETHEREGE 1635-1691 _404._ _Song_ Ladies, though to your conquering eyes Love owes his chiefest victories, And borrows those bright arms from you With which he does the world subdue, Yet you yourselves are not above The empire nor the griefs of love. Then rack not lovers with disdain, Lest Love on you revenge their pain: You are not free because you’re fair: The Boy did not his Mother spare. Beauty’s but an offensive dart: It is no armour for the heart. _405._ _To a Lady asking him how long he would love her_ It is not, Celia, in our power To say how long our love will last; It may be we within this hour May lose those joys we now do taste; The Blessèd, that immortal be, From change in love are only free. Then since we mortal lovers are, Ask not how long our love will last; But while it does, let us take care Each minute be with pleasure past: Were it not madness to deny To live because we’re sure to die? THOMAS TRAHERNE 1637?-1674 _406._ _News_ News from a foreign country came As if my treasure and my wealth lay there; So much it did my heart inflame, ’Twas wont to call my Soul into mine ear; Which thither went to meet The approaching sweet, And on the threshold stood To entertain the unknown Good. It hover’d there As if ’twould leave mine ear, And was so eager to embrace The joyful tidings as they came, ’Twould almost leave its dwelling-place To entertain that same.