Iulia.
Harke newes, ô envy, thou shalt heare descry'd
My Iulia; who as yet was ne'r envy'd.
To vomit gall in slander, swell her vaines
With calumny, that hell it selfe disdaines,
Is her continuall practice; does her best,
To teare opinion even out of the brest
Of dearest friends, and (which is worse than vilde)
Sticks jealousie in wedlock; her owne childe
Scapes not the showres of envie, To repeate
The monstrous fashions, how, were, alive, to eate
Deare reputation. Would to God she were
But halfe so loath to act vice, as to heare
My milde reproofe. Liv'd Mantuan now againe,
That fœmall Mastix, to limme with his penne
This she Chymera, that hath eyes of fire,
Burning with anger, anger feeds desire,
Tongued like the night-crow, whose ill boding cries
Give out for nothing but new injuries,
Her breath like to the juice in Tenarus
That blasts the springs, though ne'r so prosperous,
Her hands, I know not how, us'd more to spill
The food of others, then her selfe to fill.
But oh her minde, that Orcus, which includes
Legions of mischiefs, countlesse multitudes
Of formlesse curses, projects unmade up,
Abuses yet unfashion'd, thoughts corrupt,
Mishapen Cavils, palpable untroths,
Inevitable errours, self-accusing oaths:
These, like those Atoms swarming in the Sunne,
Throng in her bosome for creation.
I blush to give her halfe her due; yet say,
No poyson's halfe so bad as Iulia.
[Elegie XIII. &c. Ed: Eleg. XV. &c. 1635-54: Elegie XV.
1669: Iulia. B: Elegy. Iulia. O'F]
[5 practice; Ed: practice, 1635-69]
[7 vilde) Ed: vile) 1635-69: vilde is the regular spelling
of this word in the Donne MSS.]
[8 in wedlock;] in the sheets of wedlock; B]
[10 how, 1635: how; 1639-69]
[That fœmall Mastix, 1635: 1639-69 and Chambers drop
comma. But see note]
[18 injuries, 1635-39: injuries. 1650-69]
[20 prosperous, Ed: prosperous. 1635-69]
[24 mischiefs O'F: mischiefe, 1635-69]
[28 oaths: B, H-K (Grosart): loathes: 1635-69, O'F]
[31 give but half B: give half her O'F
yet say,] only this say, B: but this say O'F]