Hear, ye Ladies

by John Fletcher

Hear, ye ladies that despise   What the mighty Love has done; Fear examples and be wise:   Fair Callisto was a nun; Leda, sailing on the stream   To deceive the hopes of man, Love accounting but a dream,   Doted on a silver swan;     Danaë, in a brazen tower,     Where no love was, loved a shower. Hear, ye ladies that are coy,   What the mighty Love can do; Fear the fierceness of the boy:   The chaste Moon he makes to woo; Vesta, kindling holy fires,   Circled round about with spies, Never dreaming loose desires,   Doting at the altar dies;     Ilion, in a short hour, higher     He can build, and once more fire.

More poems by John Fletcher

All poems by John Fletcher →