Never believe me if I love

Never believe me if I love, 
Or know what 'tis or mean to prove; 
And yet in faith I lye, I do, 
And she's extremely handsom too: 
  She's fair, she's wondrous fair, 
  But I care not who knows it, 
  Ere I'le die for love, I'le fairly forgo it.

This heat of hope, or cold of fear, 
My foolish heart could never bear: 
One sigh imprison'd ruines more 
Then earthquakes have done heretofore: 
  She's fair, &c.

When I am hungry I do eat, 
And cut no fingers 'stead of meat; 
Nor with much gazing on her face 
Do ere rise hungry from the place: 
  She's fair, &c.

A gentle round fill'd to the brink 
To this and t'other Friend I drink; 
And when tis nam'd anothers health, 
I never make it hers by stealth: 
  She's fair, &c.

Black-Friars to me, and old Whitehall, 
Is even as much as is the fall 
Of fountains on a pathless grove, 
And nourishes as much my love: 
  She's fair, &c.

About the headline (FAQ)

Authorship

• by John Suckling, Sir (1609 - 1642), "The careless lover", appears in The last remains of Sr John Suckling [ author's text checked 1 time]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

• by Seymour Barab (1921 - 2014), "Careless lover" [voice, clarinet, viola, cello, and piano], from Lovers, no. 1, Seesaw [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]

Text added to the website: 2012-02-10 00:00:00.
Last modified: 2014-06-16 10:04:46
Line count: 27
Word count: 165

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