Never Love Thee More

My dear and only love, take heed How thou thyself expose By letting longing lovers feed Upon such looks as those. I’ll marble-wall thee round about, And build without a door; But if thy heart do once break out, I’ll never love thee more.

Let not their oaths, by volleys shot, Make any breach at all, Nor smoothness of their language plot A way to scale the wall; No balls of wildfire love consume The shrine which I adore; For if such smoke about it fume, I’ll never love thee more.

Then if by fraud or by consent To ruin thou shouldst come, I’ll sound no trouble as of wont, Nor march by beat of drum, But fold my arms, like ensigns, up, Thy falsehood to deplore, And after such a bitter cup I’ll never love thee more.