A Songe Of Contention

BETWEENE FOWRE MAIDS CONCERNINGE THAT WHICH ADDETH MOST PERFECTION TO THAT SEXE.

THE FIRST FOR BEAUTY.

Our fairest Garland, made of Beautye's flowers, Doth of it selfe supplyall other dowers: Women excell the perfects' men in this, And therefore herein theire perfection is: For beautye wee the glorious heauens admire; Faire feilds, faire howses, gold and pearle, desire. Beautye doth alwayes health and youth imploy and doth delight the noblest sense, the eye.

THE SECOND FOR WITTE.

Beautye delights the soule, but witte the Reason: Witte lasts an age, and beautye but a season: The sense is quickly cloyd with beautye's tast; When witt's delight still quicke and fresh doth last: Beautye, weake eyes with her illusion blindes, Witte conquers spirits and triumphs ouer minds: Deade things haue beautye, onely man hath witte, and man's perfection doth consist in it.

THE THIRD FOR WEALTH.

Wealth is a power that passeth nature farre: Makes euery goose a swanne, and sparke a starre: Queene money, bringes and giues with royall hands Freinds, kindred, honour, husband, house and lands; Not a faire face, but fortune faire, I craue, Lett mee want witte soe I fooles' fortune haue.

THE FOURTH FOR VERTUE.

Yet those perfections most imperfect bee, If there bee wantinge vertuous modestye; Vertue's aspect would haue the sweetest grace If wee could see as wee conceaue her face: Vertue guids witte, with well-affected will, Which if witte want, it proues a dangerous ill: Vertue gaines wealth with her good gouerment, If not, sh'is rich, because shee is content.

A MAID'S HYMNE IN PRAISE OF VIRGINITY.

Sacred virginity, vnconquered Queene! Whose kingdome never hath invaded beene; Of whose sweete rosy crowne noe hand hath power Once but to touch, much lesse to plucke a flower:

Gainst whome proud Love--which on the world doth raigne,-- With armies of his passions fights in vaine; In whome gray Winter neuer doth appeare, To whome greene Springtide lasteth all the yeare.

O fresh immortall baye, vntroubled well, Or violett, which vntoucht doest sweetest smell; Faire vine, which without prop doest safely stand, Pure gold, new coynd, which neuer past a hand.

O temperance, in the supreame degree And hiyest pitch that vertue's winges can flee: O more then humane spirit, of Angells' kind: O white, unspotted garment of the mind,

Which first cloathed man, before hee was forlorne; And wherein God Himselfe chose to bee borne. Within my soule, O heavenly vertue rest, Untill my soule with heaven it selfe bee blest.

PART OF AN ELEGIE IN PRAISE OF MARRIAGE.

When the first man from Paradise was driven, Hee did from thence his onely comfort beare: Hee still enioyes his wife, which God had giuen, Though hee from other joyes deuorcèd were.

This cordiall comfort of societye, This trueloue knott, that tyes the heart and will, When man was in th' extremest miserye To keepe his heart from breaking, existed still.

There is a tale then [when] the world beganne, Both sexes in one body did remaine: Till Joue, offended with that double man, Caused Vulcan to diuide him into twayne.

In this diuision, hee the hart did seuer, But cunningly hee did indent the heart, That if they should be reunited euer, Each part might know which was the counterpart:

Since when, all men and women thinke it longe, Each of them their other part haue mett: Sometimes the[y] meete y^{e} right, sometimes y^{e} wrong, This discontent, and that doth ioy begett.

It ioye begetts in there indented harts, When like indentures they are matcht aright: Each part to other mutuall joy imparts, And thus the man which Vulcan did deuide,

Is nowe againe by Hymen made entire, And all the ruine is ræedified; Two beeinge made one by their diuine desire. Sweete marriage is the honny neuer cloyinge;

The tune, which being still plaid, doth euer please, The pleasure which is vertue's in inioyinge. It is the band of peace and yoake of ease, It is a yoake, but sweete [and] light it is;

The fellowship doth take away the trouble, For euery griefe is made halfe lesse by this, And euery ioy is by reflection double. It is a band, but one of Love's sweete bands,

Such as hee binds the world's great parts withall: Whose wonderous frame by there convention stands, But beinge disbanded would to ruine fall.