Going to Bed.
Come, Madam, come, all rest my powers defie,
Until I labour, I in labour lie.
The foe oft-times having the foe in sight,
Is tir'd with standing though he never fight.
Off with that girdle, like heavens Zone glittering,
But a far fairer world incompassing.
Unpin that spangled breastplate which you wear,
That th'eyes of busie fooles may be stopt there.
Unlace your self, for that harmonious chyme,
Tells me from you, that now it is bed time.
Off with that happy busk, which I envie,
That still can be, and still can stand so nigh.
Your gown going off, such beautious state reveals,
As when from flowry meads th'hills shadow steales.
Off with that wyerie Coronet and shew
The haiery Diademe which on you doth grow:
Now off with those shooes, and then safely tread
In this loves hallow'd temple, this soft bed.
In such white robes, heaven's Angels us'd to be
Receavd by men; Thou Angel bringst with thee
A heaven like Mahomets Paradise; and though
Ill spirits walk in white, we easly know,
By this these Angels from an evil sprite,
Those set our hairs, but these our flesh uprigh
Licence my roaving hands, and let them go,
Before, behind, between, above, below.
O my America! my new-found-land,
My kingdome, safliest when with one man man'd,
My Myne of precious stones, My Emperie,
How blest am I in this discovering thee!
To enter in these bonds, is to be free;
Then where my hand is set, my seal shall be.
Full nakedness! All joyes are due to thee,
As souls unbodied, bodies uncloth'd must be,
To taste whole joyes. Gems which you women use
Are like Atlanta's balls, cast in mens views,
That when a fools eye lighteth on a Gem,
His earthly soul may covet theirs, not them.
Like pictures, or like books gay coverings made
For lay-men, are all women thus array'd;
Themselves are mystick books, which only wee
(Whom their imputed grace will dignifie)
Must see reveal'd. Then since that I may know;
As liberally, as to a Midwife, shew
Thy self: cast all, yea, this white lynnen hence,
There is no pennance due to innocence.
To teach thee, I am naked first; why than
What needst thou have more covering then a man.
[Elegie XIX. &c. Ed: in 1669, A18, A25, B, Cy, D,
H49, JC, L74, N, O'F, P, S, S96, TCC, TCD, W
Appeared in 1669 edition after the Elegies, unnumbered but
with the heading To his Mistris going to Bed. The MSS.
include it among the Elegies either with no heading, or
simply Elegye, or numbered according to the scheme adopted:
B gives title which I have adopted as consistent with other
titles]
[4 he 1669: they A18, D, H49, JC, L74, Lec, N,
TC]
[5 glittering] glistering MSS.]
[8 That I may see my shrine that shines so fair. Cy, P]
[10 it is 1669: 'tis your MSS.]
[11 which] whom A18, D, H49, L74, Lec, S, TC,
W]
[14 from MSS.: through 1669
shadow] shadows 1669]
[16 Diademe ... grow: A25, B, Cy, D, H49, JC,
L74, Lec, N, O'F, P, TC: Diadem which on your
head doth grow: 1669: Diadems which on you do grow. S,
Chambers]
[17 Now ... shooes, 1669, JC, W: Off ... shoes A18,
D, H49, Lec, N, TC: Off with those hose and shoes
S
safely A18, A25, B, L74, N, O'F, S, S96, TC,
W: softly 1669, Cy, D, H49, JC, Lec, P]
[20 Receavd by men; Thou all MSS.: Reveal'd to men; thou
[21 Paradise; Ed: Paradice, 1669]
[22 Ill 1669, A18, D, H49, L74, Lec, N, S,
S96, TC, W: All B, O'F, P, and Chambers' conjecture
spirits 1669, A18, B, D, H49, N, S: angels
O'F, S96
white, Ed: white; 1669]
[26 below. Ed: below, 1669]
[28 kingdome, MSS.: Kingdom's 1669
safeliest A18, D, H49, Lec, N, TC: safest, 1669
man'd, Ed: man'd. 1669]
[29 stones, Ed: stones: 1669]
[30 How blest am I all MSS.: How am I blest 1669
this A18, B, Cy, D, H49, JC, Lec, N, O'F,
P, TC, W: thus 1669, A25, L74, S
discovering] discovery B, O'F
thee! Ed: thee? 1669
be.] be, 1669]
[35 Gems] Jems 1669: and so 37]
[36 like 1669: as MSS.
balls, MSS.: ball: 1669]
[38 covet A18, A25, B, D, H49, JC, L74, Lec,
N, TC, W: court 1669, Cy, P, S, S96
theirs, A18, A25, Cy, D, H49, JC, L74, Lec,
N, P, S96, TC, W: those S: that, 1669, B,
O'F
them.] them: 1669]
[39 pictures, Ed: pictures 1669
made Ed: made, 1669]
[40 lay-men, Ed: lay-men 1669
array'd; Ed: arrayed 1669]
[41 Themselves ... only wee A18, Cy, D, H49, JC,
L74, Lec, N, O'F, P, S, S96, TC, W:
Themselves are only mystick books, which we, 1669, B]
[43 see] be A18, A25, D, H49, Lec, N, TC
reveal'd] revealed 1669]
[44 a all MSS.: thy 1669
Midwife, Ed: Midwife 1669]
[45 hence, Ed: hence 1669]
[46 pennance due to innocence. 1669, B, Cy, JC, O'F,
P, S: pennance, much less innocence; A18, A25, D,
H49, L74, Lec, N, S96, W]
[47 thee, Ed: thee 1669
first; Ed: first, 1669]