Upon Pink, An Ill-Fac'd Painter. Epig.

To paint the fiend, Pink would the devil see;
And so he may, if he'll be rul'd by me;
Let but Pink's face i' th' looking-glass be shown,
And Pink may paint the devil's by his own.

Robert Herrick

Robert Herrick was a 17th-century English lyric poet and cleric. He is known for his book of poems, "Hesperides," which includes the carpe diem poem "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time." His works are noted for their clarity, simplicity, and musical quality. Herrick was also a vicar of Dean Prior in Devon, despite being ejected during the English Civil War and later reinstated.

Robert Herrick

To Be Merry

Robert Herrick, Simple Poetry

Upon Trigg. Epig.

Robert Herrick, Simple Poetry

Lasciviousness.

Robert Herrick, Simple Poetry

In Praise Of Women.

Robert Herrick, Simple Poetry

English

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Upon A Painted Gentlewoman

Men say you're fair; and fair ye are, 'tis true;
But, hark! we praise the painter now, not you.

Robert Herrick

To The Painter, To Draw Him A Picture.

Come, skilful Lupo, now, and take
Thy bice, thy umber, pink, and lake;
And let it be thy pencil's strife,
To paint a Bridgeman to the life:
Draw him as like too, as you can,
An old, poor, lying, flattering man:
His cheeks bepimpled, red and blue;
His nose and lips of mulberry hue.
Then, for an easy fancy, place
A burling iron for his face:
Next, make his cheeks with breath to swell,
And for to speak, if possible:
But do not so, for fear lest he
Should by his breathing, poison thee.

Robert Herrick

The Eye.

A wanton and lascivious eye
Betrays the heart's adultery.

Robert Herrick

The Unsatisfactory Painter.

        Lest captious men suspect your story,
        Speak modestly its history.
        The traveller, who overleaps the bounds
        Of probability, confounds;
        But though men hear your deeds with phlegm,
        You may with flattery cram them.
        Hyperboles, though ne'er so great,
        Will yet come short of self-conceit.

        A painter drew his portraits truly,
        And marked complexion and mien duly; -
        Really a fellow knew the picture,
        There was nor flattery nor delicture.
        The eyes, and mouth, and faulty nose,
        Were all showed up in grim repose;
        He marked the dates of youth and age -
        But so he lost his clientage:
        The which determined to recover,
        He turned i...

John Gay

To His Conscience

Can I not sin, but thou wilt be
My private protonotary?
Can I not woo thee, to pass by
A short and sweet iniquity?
I'll cast a mist and cloud upon
My delicate transgression,
So utter dark, as that no eye
Shall see the hugg'd impiety.
Gifts blind the wise, and bribes do please
And wind all other witnesses;
And wilt not thou with gold be tied,
To lay thy pen and ink aside,
That in the mirk and tongueless night,
Wanton I may, and thou not write?
It will not be: And therefore, now,
For times to come, I'll make this vow;
From aberrations to live free:
So I'll not fear the judge, or thee.

Robert Herrick

Upon Sibb. Epig.

Sibb, when she saw her face how hard it was,
For anger spat on thee, her looking-glass:
But weep not, crystal; for the same was meant
Not unto thee, but that thou didst present.

Robert Herrick