| Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900. |
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| Charles Cotton. 1630–1687 |
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| 396. To Coelia |
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| WHEN, Coelia, must my old day set, | |
| And my young morning rise | |
| In beams of joy so bright as yet | |
| Ne'er bless'd a lover's eyes? | |
| My state is more advanced than when | 5 |
| I first attempted thee: | |
| I sued to be a servant then, | |
| But now to be made free. | |
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| I've served my time faithful and true, | |
| Expecting to be placed | 10 |
| In happy freedom, as my due, | |
| To all the joys thou hast: | |
| Ill husbandry in love is such | |
| A scandal to love's power, | |
| We ought not to misspend so much | 15 |
| As one poor short-lived hour. | |
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| Yet think not, sweet! I'm weary grown, | |
| That I pretend such haste; | |
| Since none to surfeit e'er was known | |
| Before he had a taste: | 20 |
| My infant love could humbly wait | |
| When, young, it scarce knew how | |
| To plead; but grown to man's estate, | |
| He is impatient now. | |
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