Variety by John Donne

The heavens rejoice in motion; why should I / Abjure my so much loved variety, / And not with many youth and love divide? / Pleasure is none, if not diversified. / The sun that, sitting in the chair of light, / Sheds flame into what else so ever doth seem bright, / Is not contented at one sign to inn, / But ends his year, and with a new begin. / All things do willingly in change delight, / The fruitful mother of our appetite; / Rivers the clearer and more pleasing are, / Where their fair-spreading streams run wide and clear; / And a dead lake, that no strange bark doth greet, / Corrupts itself, and what doth live in it. / Let no man tell me such a one is fair, / And worthy all alone my love to share. / Nature in her hath done the liberal part / Of a kind mistress, and employed her art, / To make her lovable, and I aver / Him not humane, that would turn back from her. / I love her well, and would, if need were, die, / To do her service. But follows it that I / Must serve her only, when I may have choice? / The law is hard, and shall not have my voice. / The last I saw in all extremes is fair, / And holds me in the sunbeams of her hair; / Her nymph-like features such agreements have, / That I could venture with her to the grave. / Another's brown; I like her not the worse; / Her tongue is soft and takes me with discourse. / Others, for that they well descended were, / Do in my love obtain as large a share; / And though they be not fair, 'tis much with me / To win their love only for their degree. / And though I fail of my required ends, / The attempt is glorious and itself commends. / How happy were our sires in ancient time, / Who held plurality of loves no crime. / With them it was accounted charity / To stir up race of all indifferently; / Kindred were not exempted from the bands, / Which with the Persian still in usage stands. / Women were then no sooner ask'd than won, / And what they did was honest and well done. / But since this little Honour hath been used, / Our weak credulity hath been abused; / The golden laws of nature are repeal'd, / Which our first fathers in such reverence held; / Our liberty reversed and charters gone; / And we made servants to Opinion; / A monster in no certain shape attired, / And whose original is much desired, / Formless at first, but growing on its fashions, / And doth prescribe manners and laws to nations. / Here love received immedicable harms, / And was despoiled of his daring arms; / A greater want than is his daring eyes, / He lost those awful wings with which he flies, / His sinewy bow and those immortal darts, / With which he is wont to bruise resisting hearts. / Only some few, strong in themselves and free, / Retain the seeds of ancient liberty, / Following that part of love although depress'd, / Yet make a throne for him within their breast, / In spite of modern censures him avowing / Their sovereign, all service him allowing / Amongst which troop although I am the least, / Yet equal in perfection with the best, / I glory in subjection of his hand, / Nor ever did decline his least command; / For in whatever form the message came / My heart did open and receive the same, / But time will in his course a point descry / When I this lovèd service must deny; / For our allegiance temporary is; / With firmer age returns our liberties. / What time in years and judgment we reposed, / Shall not so easily be to change disposed, / Nor to the art of several eyes obeying, / But beauty with true worth securely weighing; / Which being found assembled in someone / We'll leave her ever, and love her alone.