Good wee must love, and must hate ill,
For ill is ill, and good good still,
But there are things indifferent,
Which wee may neither hate, nor love,
But one, and then another prove,
As wee shall finde our fancy bent.
If then at first wise Nature had
Made women either good or bad,
Then some wee might hate, and some chuse,
But since shee did them so create,
That we may neither love, nor hate,
Onely this rests, All, all may use.
If they were good it would be seene,
Good is as visible as greene,
And to all eyes it selfe betrayes:
If they were bad, they could not last,
Bad doth it selfe, and others wast,
So, they deserve nor blame, nor praise.
But they are ours as fruits are ours,
He that but tasts, he that devours,
And he that leaves all, doth as well:
Chang'd loves are but chang'd sorts of meat,
And when hee hath the kernell eate,
Who doth not fling away the shell?
[Communitie. 1635-69: no title, 1633, A18, B, Cy,
D, H40, H49, JC, L74, Lec, N, O'F, P, S,
S96, TCC, TCD]
[3 there 1635-69, A18, B, N, O'F, S, TC, &c.:
these 1633, D, Cy, H49, Lec]
[7 had Ed: had, 1633-39]
[12 All, all 1633-54: All men 1669]
[15 betrayes: 1650-69: betrayes, 1633-39]
[21 well: Ed: well, 1633-69]