Nature’s Dessert

¹

Sweet marmalade of kisses newly² gathered;
Preserved children which were never³ fathered;
Sugar of beauty, which melts away⁴ soon;
Marchpane of youth, and childish macaroon;
Sugar-plum words, which fall sweet from⁵ the lips;            5
And wafer promises, which waste into⁶ chips;
Biscuits of love, which crumble⁷ all away;
Jelly of fear that quaking,⁸ quivering lay.
Then was a fresh green-sickness cheese brought in,⁹
And tempting fruit, like that which Eve made sin,¹⁰           10
With cream of honor, which was thick and good;¹¹
Firm nuts of sincere friendship¹² by it stood.
Grapes of delight, dull spirits to revive,
Whose juice, ’tis said, doth Nature keep alive.
All this dessert did Nature might’ly please:¹³                        15
She ate and drank, then went to rest in ease.¹⁴

1. Nature’s Dessert] A Dissert. 1653
2. newly] new 1653
3. which were never] that are not 1653
4. melts away] away Melts 1664; away melts 1668
5. which fall sweet from] most sweet on 1653
6. which waste into] Mould’ring like 1664; mouldring like 1668
7. Biscuits of love, which crumble] Bisket of Love, which crumbles 1653
8. that quaking,] which shak’d, and 1664, 1668
9. was a fresh green-sickness cheese brought in,] came in a fresh Green-sicknesse Cheese, 1653
10. fruit, like that which Eve made sin,] Apples, like those eat by Eve; 1653
11. which was thick and good;] thick, and good, 1653
12. sincere friendship] Friend-ship 1653
13. All this dessert did Nature might’ly please:] Then Nature rose, when eat, and drank her fill, 1653
14. She ate and drank, then went to rest in ease.] To rest her selfe in Ease, she’s pleas’d with still. 1653; She Eat and Drank, then went to rest in Ease. 1664, 1668