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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE SIEGE, by JOHN SUCKLING Poet's Biography
First Line: Tis now, since I sat down before
Last Line: Only to feed her pride.
Variant Title(s): Loves Siege
First Line: Tis now, since I sat down before
Last Line: Only to feed her pride.
Variant Title(s): Loves Siege
'TIS now, since I sat down before
That foolish fort, a heart,
(Time strangely spent!) a year, and more;
And still I did my part.
Made my approaches, from her hand
Unto her lip did rise;
And did already understand
The language of her eyes.
Proceeding on with no less art,
My tongue was engineer;
I thought to undermine the heart
By whispering in the ear.
When this did nothing, I brought down
Great canon-oaths, and shot
A-thousand thousand to the town,
And still it yielded not.
I then resolved to starve the place,
By cutting off all kisses,
Praising and gazing on her face,
And all such little blisses.
To draw her out, and from her strength,
I drew all batteries in:
And brought myself to lie at length,
As if no siege had been.
When I had done what man could do,
And thought the place my own,
The enemy lay quiet too,
And smiled at all was done.
I sent to know from whence, and where,
These hopes, and this relief?
A spy informed, Honour was there,
And did command in chief.
March, march (quoth I), the word straight give,
Let's lose no time, but leave her:
That giant upon air will live,
And hold it out for ever.
To such a place our camp remove
As will no siege abide;
I hate a fool that starves her love,
Only to feed her pride.
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Other Poems of Interest...
A SUPPLEMENT OF AN IMPERFECT COPY OF VERSES OF MR. WILL. SHAKESPEARE'S by JOHN SUCKLING
UPON MY LADY CARLISLE'S WALKING IN HAMPTON COURT GARDEN by JOHN SUCKLING
A PEDLAR OF SMALL-WARES by JOHN SUCKLING
A PROLOGUE OF THE AUTHOR'S TO A MASQUE AT WHITTON by JOHN SUCKLING