by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Where ling'ring fear
Language: English
Where ling'ring fear doth once possess the heart, There is the tongue, First to prolong, And smother up his suit, while that his smart, Like fire supprest, flames more in every part. Who dares not speak deserves not his desire, The Boldest face, Findeth most grace: Though women love that men should them admire, They slily laugh at him dares come no higher. Some think a glance expressed by a sigh, Winning the field, Maketh them yield: But while these glancing fools do roll the eye, They beat the bush, away the bird doth fly. A gentle heart in virtuous breast doth stay, Pity doth dwell, In beauty's cell: A womans heart doth not though tongue say nay Repentance taught me this the other day. Which had I wist I presently had got, The pleasing fruit, Of my long suit: But time hath now beguil'd me of this lot, For that by his foretop I took him not.
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Robert Jones (fl. 1597-1615), "Where ling'ring fear", published 1601, from the collection First Book of Airs, no. 7. [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2014-02-23
Line count: 25
Word count: 158