A Selection from the Lyrical Poems of Robert Herrick

63. AN ODE TO SIR CLIPSBY CREW

     Here we securely live, and eat
     The cream of meat;
     And keep eternal fires,
     By which we sit, and do divine,
     As wine
     And rage inspires.

     If full, we charm; then call upon
     Anacreon
     To grace the frantic Thyrse:
     And having drunk, we raise a shout
     Throughout,
     To praise his verse.

     Then cause we Horace to be read,
     Which sung or said,
     A goblet, to the brim,
     Of lyric wine, both swell'd and crown'd,
     Around
     We quaff to him.

     Thus, thus we live, and spend the hours
     In wine and flowers;
     And make the frolic year,
     The month, the week, the instant day
     To stay
     The longer here.

     —Come then, brave Knight, and see the cell
     Wherein I dwell;
     And my enchantments too;
     Which love and noble freedom is:—
     And this
     Shall fetter you.

     Take horse, and come; or be so kind
     To send your mind,
     Though but in numbers few:—
     And I shall think I have the heart
     Or part
     Of Clipsby Crew.