by Thomas Stanley (1625 - 1678)

Fool! take up thy shaft again
Language: English 
Fool! take up thy shaft again.
      If thy store 
Thou profusely spend in vain,
   Who can furnish thee with more?
Throw not then away thy darts 
On impenetrable hearts.

Think not thy pale flame can warm
      Into tears, 
Or dissolve the snowy charm
   Which her frozen bosom wears,
That expos'd unmelted lies 
To the bright suns of her eyes.

But since thou thy power hast lost,
      Nor canst fire
Kindle in that breast, whose frost
   Doth these flames in mine inspire: 
Not to thee but her I'll sue, 
That disdains both me and you!

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Thomas Stanley: his original lyrics, complete, in their collated readings of 1647, 1651, 1657 by Thomas Stanley, edited by Louise Imogen Guiney, J R Tutin, Hull 1907. Page 42.


Text Authorship:

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

  • by John Gamble (d. 1687), no title, published 1657 [ voice and bass continuo ], from Ayres and dialogues, no. 18, Confirmed with Ayres and dialogues (to be sung to the theorbo-lute or bass-viol) by John Gamble. Printed by W. Godbid for Humphry Mosley at the Princes-Arms In St. Paul's Church-yard, London 1657.
        Score: IMSLP [external link]  [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Iain Sneddon [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-12-13
Line count: 18
Word count: 94