night with vglie face doth frowne And that I am yplaste in quiet bed In hope to be with wished pleasure fed A greater griefe a worser paine ensues My vaporde eies their hoped sléepe refues Then rowle I in my déepe dispayring brest The â—wéete disdaines and pleasant anger past The louely strifes when Stars doe counsell rest Incroching cares renue my griefe as faste And thus desired night in wo I waste And to expresse the harts excessiue paine Mine eies their deawie teares distill amaine And reason why they should be moysted so Is for they bred my hart this bitter bale They were the onely cause of cruell wo Vnto the hart they were the guilefull stale Thus day and night ytost with churlish Gale Of sighes in Sea of surging brine I bide Not knowing how to scape the scowring Tide At last the shining Rayes of Hope to finde Your friendship firme these cloudy thoughts repel â–ª And calmed Skie returnes to mistie minde Which déepe dispaire againe eftsoone compels Too fade and ease by Dolours drift expels That Gods themselues I iudge lament my fate And doe repine to see my wofull state Wherefore to purchace prayse and glorie gaine Do ease your Friend that liues in wretched plight Doe not to death a louing hart constraine But séeke with loue his seruice to requight Doe not exchaunge a Fawcon for a Kite Refuse him not for any friendship nue A worse may chaunce but none more iust and true Let Cressed myrror hée that did forgo Hir former faythfull friend King Priams Sonne And Diomed the Gréeke imbraced so And left the loue so well that was begonne But when hir Cards were tolde and twist ysponne She found hir Troian Friend the best of both For he renounst hir not but kept his oth This don my griping griefs will soÌ„what swage And sorrow cease to grow in pensiue breast Which otherwise will neuer blin to rage And crush the hart within his carefull Cheast Of both for you and mée it were the best To saue my life and win immortall fame And thus my Muse shall blase your noble name For ruine on my wofull case The aunswere of a woman to hir Louer supposing his complaint to be but fayned YOu want no skill to paint or shew your pangues with Pen It is a worlde to sée the craft that is in subtile men You séeme to write of woes and wayle for deadly smart As though there were no griefe but that which gripes your faythlesse hart Though we but Women are and weake by lawe of kinde Yet well we can discerne a Friende we winke but are not blinde Not euery thing that giues a gleame and glittering showe Is to be counted Gold in déede this prouerb well you knowe Nor euery man that beares a faire and fawning cheere Is to be taken for a Friend or chosen for a Feere Not euerie teare declares the troubles of the hart For some doe wéepe that feele no wo some crie that taste no smart The more you séeme to me in wofull wise to playne The sooner I perswade my selfe that you doe nought but fayne The Crocodile by kinde a floud of teares doth shed Yet hath no cause of cruell crie by craft this Fiend is led For when the siely soule that ment no hurt at all Approcheth néere the slipper ground doth giue the beast a fall Which is no sooner done but straight the monster vyle For sorrow that did wéepe so sore for ioy beginnes to smyle Euen so you men are woont by fraude your friends to traine And make in wise you could not sléepe in carefull Couch for paine When you in déede doe nought but take your nightly nap Or hauing slept doe set your snare and tylle your guilefull trap Your braynes as busie bée in thinking how to snare Vs women as your pillowes soft and bowlsters pleasant are As for your dayes delights our selues can witnesse well To sundrie women sundrie tales of sundrie iestes you tell And all to win their loues which when you doe attaine Within a while you shew your kindes and giue them vp in plaine A Fawcon is full hard amongst you men to finde For all your maners more agrée vnto the Kytish kinde For gentle is the one and loues his kéepers hande But thother Busserdlike doth scorne on Fawckners fist to stande For one good turne the one a thousand will requite But vse the other nere so well he shewth himselfe a Kite If Cresyd did amisse the Troian to forsake Then Dyom edes did not well that did the Ladie take Was neuer woman false but man as false as shée And commonly the men doe make that women slipper bée Wherefore leaue off your plaints and take the shéete of shame To shrowde your cloking harts from colde and fayning browes from blame Yf she that reades this rime be wise as I coulde wishe She will auoyde the bayted hooke that takes the biting fishe And shoon the lymed twig the flying Foule that tyes Tis good to feare of crie bush where thréed of thraldome lyes The Louer exhorteth his Ladie to take time while time is THough braue your Beautie be and feature passing faire Such as Apelles to depaint might vtterly dispaire Yet drowsie drouping Age. incroching on apace With pensiue Plough will raze your hue and Beauties beames deface Wherefore in tender yeares how crooked Age doth haste Reuoke to minde so shall you not your minde consume in waste Whilst that you may and youth in you is fresh and gréene Delight your selfe for yeares to fit as fickle flouds are séene For water slipped by may not be callde againe And to reuoke forepassed howres were labour lost in vaine Take time whilst time applies with nimble foote it goes Nor to compare with passed Prime thy after age suppoes The holtes that now are hoare both bud and bloume I sawe I ware a Garlande of the Bryer that puts me now in awe The time will be when thou that doste thy Friends defie A colde and crooked Beldam shalt in lothsome Cabbin lie Nor with such nightlie brawles thy posterne Gate shall sounde Nor Roses strawde afront thy dore in dawning shall be founde How soone are Corpses Lorde with filthie furrowes fild How quickly Beautie braue of late and séemely shape is spild Euen thou that from thy youth to haue bene so wilt sweare With turne of hand in all thy head shalt haue graye powdred heare The Snakes with shifted skinnes their lothsome age dooway The Buck doth hang is head on pale to liue a longer day Your good without recure doth passe receiue the flowre Which if you pluck not from the stalke will fall within this howre The Louer wisheth to be conioyned and fast linckt with his Ladie neuer to sunder J Reade how Salmacis sometime with sight On sodaine looude Cyllenus Sonne and sought Forthwith with all hir powre and forced might Too bring to passe hir close conceyued thought Whome as by hap she saw in open mead She sude vnto in hope to
treade the tylled trap vnwares hath alwayes perill béene Haue Medea still in minde let Circe be in thought And Helen that to vtter sack both Greece and Troie brought Let Creside be in coumpt and number of the mo Who for hir lightnesse may presume with falsest on the row Else would she not haue left a Troian for a Gréeke But what by kinde the Cat will hunt hir Father did the like As wylie are their wits so are their tongues vntrue Vnconstant and aye fleeting mindes that most imbrace the nue When fixed is their fayth it restes on brittle sande And when thou déemste them surste of all they beare thée but in hande Though Argus were aliue whose eies in number were As many as the Peacock proude in painted plume doth beare Yet Women by their wyles and well acquainted drifts Would soone deceiue his waking head and put his eies to shifts Nought haue they néede at all Cyllenus Pipe to blow To forge their fraude their tongues will serue as learned writers show First trie and then tell Where I haue sayd well For without a triall There vailes no deniall Of a Phisition and a Soothsayer MARCKE felt himselfe diseasde the Soothsayer sayd There bée Sixe yet remainder daies of life no mo Friend Marcke to thée Then skilfull Alcon came he felt the pulses beate And out of hande this Marcus dide there Phisick wrought his feate This showes Phisition doth the Soothsayer farre excéede For thone can make a short dispatch when thother makes no spéede A controuersie of a conquest in Loue twixt Fortune and Venus WHilst Fissher kest his line the houering fish to hooke By hap a rich mans daughter on the Fissher kest hir looke Shée fryde with frantick Loue they maride eke at last Thus Fissher was from lowe estate in top of Treasure plast Stoode Fortune by and smylde how say you Dame quoth shée To Venus was this conquest yours or is it due to mée Twas I quoth Vulcans Wife with helpe of Cupids Bowe That made this wanton wench to rage and match hir selfe so lowe Not so twas Fortune I that brought the Trull in place And Fortune was it that the man stoode so in Maydens grace By Fortune fell their loue twas Fortune strake the stroke Then detter is this man to mee that did the match prouoke The Louer voweth how so euer he be guerdoned to loue faithfully VVthankfull though she were and had disdainefull browe Regarding nought my constant hart ne forcing of hir vowe Since sowen is the séede of faithfull friendships lore Vnconstant will I neuer be ne breake my Hest therefore Let Fortune vse hir force so Cupide stande mine ayde And Cyprid laugh with loouely looke I will not be afrayde By mée the Noble kinde of man shall not be shamde Recorde through mée shall neuer force our sequell be defamde Albe that I consume my gréene and growing youth Yea age and all without rewarde yet nill I swarue my truth Eche that shall after come and liue when I am dust This louing hart shall well descrie the Key of perfite trust Hir while my vitall breath these fainting limmes shall mooue Yea after death in hollow Vawte ytombed will I looue Force shée my seruice true I force it not at all Rue she by ruth my dréerie life or it to mercy call In stay my Loue shall stand I will not false my fayth Ne breake my former plighted hest or promise to the death Disdaine shall neuer force my friendship once awrie Ere that I craue immortall Gods that ye will let me die Let Dido still complaine Aeneas broken Hest Of all that came to Carthage Coast the most vnfaythfull guest Vntrustie Theseus eke let Ariadne cléepe Escaping from his friendly Féere yled in slumbring sléepe So let Medea blame the Knight that woon the Flise That forced naught at all in fine hir cleapings and hir cries Haue thou the faythfull hart of thine assured Friend Ere he be of that retchlesse race the Sunne awrie shall wende Where so thou yéelde him grace or as an outcast shoon Expect his former plighted Hest as thou tofore hast doon Loue will hée neuer blame ne Venus lawes forgo Life sooner shall than loue decrease his faith is fixed so He sorrowes the long absence of his Ladie P. NOw once againe my Muse renue the woes Which earst thou hast in doolefull dittie soong For greater cause of sorrow not arose To mée at all than now of late is sproong As you shall heare in sad and solemne Verse A wofull Wight his haplesse hap rehearse Come Clio come with pensiue Pen in hande And cause thy sisters chaunge their chéereful voice Ye furies fell that lurcke in Plutos lande Come skip to Skies and raise a doolefull noice Helpe to lament the Louers wofull chaunce And let Alecto leade the lothsome daunce All ye that Ladies are of Lymbo Lake With hissing haire and Snakie bush bedect Your beddes of stéele and dankish Dennes forsal And Stix with stinking Sulpher all infect Doe what you may to ayde my carefull Quill And helpe to ring a Louers latter knill And time I trow sith she from hence is fled Who was the guide and giuer of my breath By whome I was with wished pleasure fed And haue escapte the ruthlesse hande of death Who was the Key and Cable of my life That made me scape Charybdis carefull clife A Starre whereby to steare my bodies Bark And ship of soule to shoare in safetie bring To quite my Corse from painefull pining cark And fierie force of craftie Cupids sting Euen she that me from Syllas shelfe did shroude That light is lost that Lodestarre vnder cloude Whose absence bréedes the tempest I sustaine And makes my thoughts so cloudie black to bae And brackish teares from swolen eies to raine And churlish gale of surging sighes to flée That Ancor scarce ne harbour I may haue From deepe dispaire my broken Ship to saue The Rubie from the Ring is rest I finde The foile appéeres that vnderneath was set The Saint is gone the Shrine is left behinde The Fish is scapte and here remaines the Net That other choise for me is none but this To waile the want of hir that is my blisse I cursse the Wight that causde hir hence to go I hate the Horse that hence hir Corse conuaide The Bit the Saddle all I cursse aroe And ought that else might this hir iourney staide I cursse the place where she doth now solourne And that whereto she mindes to shape retourne My mouth that kist hir not before she went Mine cies that did not séeke to sée hir face My head that it no matter did inuent My hande that it in Paper did not place My feete that they refusde to trauell tho My legges I cursse that were so loth to go My tongue that it to parle did then procure To vtter all my close and couert minde To hir who long hath had my woundes in cure In whome such ruth and mercie I did
is not quailde by cruell Fo Though Zoyll did his best my Flag to gaine Twas not his hap to haue the Conquest so And since it was my luck to scape his might I here assaile the Beast with nouell fight Thou Sycophant vnsheath thy shamefull blade Pluck out that bloudie Fawchon Dafrard thou Wherewith thou hast full many a skirmish made And scocht the braines of many a learned brow Now doe thy woorst I force not of thy stroke Thou shalt not bring my neck to seruage yoke Though thou affirme with rash railing iawes That I inuita haue Minerua made My other Booke I gaue thée no such cause By any déede of mine to drawe thy blade But since thou hast shot out that shamelesse worde I here gainst thée vncote my cruell sworde I know thou wilt eche worde and sentence wrie That in this slender Booke of me is write And wilt the same vnto thy sense applie Hoping for loue thereby to bréede dispite And looke what I amisse did neuer meane Thou wilt mistake and eke misconster cleane Thou wilt the wylie braine that ought is bent To fowle suspect and spot of fell distrust Perswade that here something of him was ment And Iealous Coales into his bosome thrust Thincking thereby thy purpose to asâ— In setting of his boyling breast a fire But as thou art in all thy other déedes Deseruing no beliefe or trust at all Likewise what so from thy vile Iawes procéedes Is lothsome lie fowle â—itton bitter Gall. Beleue him not but reade the Treatise through He sowes debate with helpe of hatefull Plough The modest mind that meanes but vertues trade And shunnes the shamefull shop of bawdie sect This spitefull Beast will if he may perswade That these are Toyes for that he should reiect And not pervse the meaning of the same Thus Zoyll séekes but blot of black defame But thou that vewste this stile with staid brow Marke crie worde vnioint eche Verse of mine Thy iudgement I and censure will allow Nor once will séeme for rancour to repine Thou art the man whose sentence I expect I scorne the scoffes of Zoylls shamefull sect FINIS The Table IN prayse of the Renowmed Ladie Anne Ladie Cowntesse Warwick fol. 1. The Argument to the whole discourse and Treatise following fol. 3. To a late acquainted Friend fol. 4. The Louer extolleth the singular beautie of his Ladie 6 The Louer declareth howe first he was taken and enamoured by the sight of his Ladie 7 Mayster Googe hys Sonet of the paynes of Loue. 8 Turberuiles Aunswere and Distich to the same 8 ¶ An Epitaph on the death of Dame Elyzabeth Arhundle 9 To Piero of Pride 9 Piero to Turberuile 9 Verse in prayse of Lorde Henry Howarde Earle of Surrey 9 Of Ialousie 10 To his Lady that by hap when he kissed hir and made hir lip bleede controlde him and tooke disdaine 10 Mayster Googe his Sonet 11 Turberuiles aunswere 11 A Comparison of the Louers estate wyth the Souldiars painefull lyfe 11 The Louer against one that compared hys Mistresse with his Ladie 12 The Louer to a Gentlewoman that after great friendship without desart or cause of mislyking refused him 14 The Louer obtaining his wish by all likelyhode yet not able to attaine his desire compares himselfe to Tantalus 16 The Louer to the Thems of London to fauour his Ladie passing thereon 18 To his Ring giuen to his Lady wherin was grauen this Verse My hart is yours 18 The dispairing Louer craues eyther mercy in time at his Ladies handes or cruell death 19 To his Friende to be constant after choyse made 20 Counsell returned by Pyndara to Tymetes of constancie 21 The Louers must not dispaire though their Ladies seeme straunge 21 A Letter sent by Tymetes to his Lady Pyndara at the time of his departure 23 Pyndaras Aunswere to the Letter whiche Tymetes sent hir at the time of his departure 24 To his absent Friende the Louer writes of his vnquiet and restlesse state 29 The aunswere of a Woman to hir Louer supposing his complaint to be but fayned 31 The Louer exhorteth his Ladie to take time while time is 32 The Louer wisheth to bee conioyned and fast linckt with his Ladie neuer to sunder 33 The Louer hoping assuredly of attayning hys purpose after long sute begins to ioy renouncing dolors 35 The Louer to hys carefull Bed declaring his restlesse state 35 ¶ An Epitaph and wofull Verse of the death of Sir Iohn Tregonwell Knight and learned Doctor of both lawes 36 The Louer confesseth himselfe to bee in loue and enamored of Mistresse P. 39 That all things haue release of paine saue the Louer that hoping and dreading neuer taketh ease 39 A poore Ploughman to a Gentleman for whom he had taken a little paines 41 To his Friend P of courting trauailing Dysing and Tenys 41 The louer declares that vnlesse he vtter his sorrowes by sute of force he dyeth 42 The Louer to a Friende that wrote hym this sentence Yours assured to the death 42 Of certaine Flowers sent by his Loue vpon suspicion of chaunge 42 The Aunswere to the same 43 Of a Foxe that would eate no Grapes 43 Of the straunge countenaunce of an aged Gentlewoman 43 To the Rouing Pyrat 44 Of one that had little Wit 44 In commendation of Wit 44 An Aunswere in dispraise of Wit 44 The Louer to Cupid for mercie declaring how first he became his Thrall with the occasion of his defying loue and now at last what caused him to conuert 45 After misaduentures come good haps 55 To his Loue that controlde his Dogge for fawning on hir 55 Vpon the death of the aforenamed Dame Elizabeth Arundle of Cornewall 56 Dispraise of Women that allure and loue not 59 Of a Phisition and a Soothsayer 62 A controuersie of a conquest in loue twixt Fortune and Venus 62 The Louer voweth howsoeuer he be guendoned to loue faithfully 63 He sorrowes the long absence of hys Ladie P. 64 To his Loue long absent declaring hys torments 65 To Browne of light beliefe 67 That death is not so much to be feared as daylie diseases are 68 The Epicures counsell eate drinke and plaie 68 The Aunswere to the vile and canckred counsell of the outragious Epicure 69 Of Homer and his birth 69 That time conquereth all things saue the Louers paine 70 To his Friend ryding to Londonward 71 Of the Rayne and cloudy weather at the time of hys Friendes departure from Troie 71 Of a couetous Niggarde and a needie Mouse 71 A pretie Epigram of a Scholler that hauing read Vergils Aeneidos maried a curst Wyfe 73 To a yong Gentleman of taking a wife 73 The Aunswere for taking a Wyfe 73 Of a deafe Plaintife a deafe Defendant and a deafe Iudge 74 A promise of olde good will to an olde friend at the beginning of New yere 75 A Vow to serue faithfully 75 Funerall Verse vpon the death of Sir Iohn Horsey Knight 75 To his Friende T hauing beene long
haue bene spead With sugred words she wood sparde no speach But bourded him with many a pleasant tale Requesting him of ruth to be hir Leach For whome she had abid such bitter bale But hée repleate with pride and scornefull cheare Disdainde hir earnest sute and songs to heare Away shée went a wofull wretched Wight And shrowded hir not farre from thence a space When that at length the stripling law in sight No creature there but all were out of place Hée shifts his robes and to the riuer ran And there to bath him bare the Boy began The Nymph in hope as then to haue attainde Hir long desired Loue retirde to flood And in hir armes the naked Noorie strainde Whereat the Boy began to striue a good But strugling nought auailed in that plight For why the Nymph surpast the Boy in might O Gods quoth tho the Girle this gift I craue This Boy and I may neuer part againe But so our corpses may conioyned haue As one we may appeare not bodies twaine The Gods agreed the water so it wrought As both were one thy selfe would so haue thought As from a trée we sundrie times espie A twissell grow by Natures subtile might And being two for cause they grow so nie For one are tane and so appeare in sight So was the Nymph and Noorie ioynde yfere As two no more but one selfe thing they were O Ladie mine howe might we seeme ybest How friendly mought we Gods account to bée In semblant sort if they woulde bréede my rest By lincking of my carkasse vnto thée So that we might no more a sunder go But limmes to limmes corse to carkasse grow O where is now become that blessed Lake Wherein those two did bath to both their ioy How might we doe or such prouision make To haue the hap as had the Maiden Boy To alter forme and shape of either kinde And yet in proufe of both a share to finde Then should our limmes w t louely linck be tide And harts of hate no taste sustaine at all But both for aye in perfite league abide And eche to other liue as friendly thrall That thone might feele the pangues the other had And partner be of ought that made him glad O blessed Nymph O. Salmacys I saye Would thy good luck vnto hir lot would light Whome I imbrace and louen shall for aye By force of flood to chaunge hir nature quight And that I might haue hap as had the Boy To neuer part from hir that is my Ioy. I would not striue I would not stirre a whit As did Cyllenus Sunne that stately Wight But well content to be Hermaphrodit Would cling as close to thée as ere I might And laugh to thinke my hap so good to bée As in such sort fast to be linckt with thée The Louer hoping assuredly of attaining his purpose after long sute begins to ioy renouncing dolors BE farre from mée you wofull woonted cries Adue Dispaire that madste my hart agries Ye sobbing sighes farewel pensiue plaint Resigne your roomes to ioy y e long restraint Without desart endurde Reiect those ruthfull Rymes y u quaking Quill Which both declarde my wo and want of skill Mine eies that long haue had my Loue in chase With teares no more imbrue your Mystresse face But to your Springs retyre And thou my Hart that long for lark of Grace Forepinde hast bene and in a doolefull case Lament no more let all such gripings go As bred thy bale and nurst thy cankred wo With milke of mournefull Dug To Venus doe your due you Senses all And to hir Sonne to whome you are in thrall To Cupid bend thy knée and thankes repay That after lingred sute and long delay Hath brought thy ship to shore Let crabbed Fortune now expresse hir might And doe thy worst to mée thou stinging spite My hart is well defenst against your force For she hath vowde on mée to haue remorce Whome I haue looude so long Henceforth exchaunge thy chéere and wofull voice That hast yfounde such matter to reioice With mirrie quill and pen of pleasant plight Thy blisfull haps and fortune to endight Enforce thy barraine Skull The Louer to his carefull bed declaring his restlesse state THou that wert earst a restfull place dost now renue my smart And woonted eake to salue my sore that now increasest wo Vnto my carefull Corse an ease a torment to my hart Once quieter of minde perdie now an vnquiet fo The place sometime of slumbring sléepe wherein I may but wake Drenched in Sea of saltish brine O bed I thée forsake ¶ No Ise of Apenynus top my flaming fire may quent Ne heate of brightest Phoebus beames may bate my chillie colde Nought is of stately strength ynough my sorrowes to relent But such is hap renewed cares are added to the olde Such furious fits and fonde affects in mée my fansies make That bathed all in trickling teares O bed I thée forsake ¶ The dreames that daunt my dazed hed are pleasant for a space Whilst yet I lie in slumbring sléepe my carkasse feeles no wo For cause I séeme with clasped armes my Louer to imbrace But when I wake and finde away that did delight me so Then in comes care to pleasures place that makes my limmes to quake That all besprent with brackish bryne O bed I thee forsake ¶ No sooner stirres Auroras Starre the lightest Lampe of all But they that rousted were in rest not fraught with fearefull dreames Do pack apace to labours left and to their taske doe fall When I awaking all inragde doe baine my breast with streames And make my smokie sighes to Skies their vpwarde way to take Thus with a surge of teares bedewde O bed I thée forsake ¶ Thus hurlde from hungrie Hope by Hap I die yet am aliue From pangues of plaint to fits of fume my restlesse minde doth runne With rage and fansie Reason fights they altogither striue Resistaunce vayleth naught at all for I am quickly wunne Thus séeking rest no ruth I finde that gladsome ioy may make Wherefore consumde with flowing teares O bed I thée forsake ¶ An Epitaph and wofull verse of the death of sir Iohn Tregonwell Knight and learned Doctor of both Lawes ANd can you cease from plaint or kéepe your Conduits drie May saltish brine within your breasts in such a tempest lie Where are your scalding sighes the fittest foode of paine And where are now thy welling teares I aske thée once againe Hast thou not heard of late The losse that hath befell If not my selfe vnhappie Wight will now begin to tell Though griefe perhaps will grutch and stay my foltring tongue From whence this ragged roote of ruth and mourning moode is sprong Was dwelling in this shéere a man of worthie fame A Iusticer for his desart Tregonwell was his name A Doctor at the Lawes a Knight among the mo A Cato for good counsell callde as he in yeares did grow A Patrone to the poore
might procure but note ye well his fall In Sommer time as Fortune would his Fortune was to bee In open fielde where no man could his blazing beautie see At length in raunging to and fro his fortune was to finde A Fountaine freshe that there did flow as Gods I think assignde He thought forthwith his thirst to quent by pleasant trauaile gote But there he found or ere he went a greater drougth God wote In stooping downe to take the taste of Christall waters theare Vnhappie Boy had spide at last a little Boy appeare Whose beautie braue and liking looke his fansie pleasde so well That there himselfe the Boy forsooke and to a frensie fell He had that he so fondly looude and yet it was not so And from himselfe he was remooude that thence did neuer go He was the Boy that tooke the vewe he was the Boy espide And being both he neither knewe such was the ende of pride Then gan he shed his teares a downe then gan he make his plaint And then at length he fell to grounde sore féebled all with faint His spirite that earst so prowde was séene conuerted into winde But of his Corps a flower gréene still there abode behinde Narcissus callde as Poets tell as Narcisse was before In token that to Narcisse fell this most vnhappie lore I could recite the histories of many other moe Whome pieuish pride the miseries of Fortune forst to knowe But I of purpose will let passe Apollos Bastard Sonne Who Phaeton ycleped was when first his fame begonne I minde not to rehearse at all the charge he tooke in hande I wittingly omit his fall into Eridan sande But this I say assuredly had it not béene for pride The Charret had not gone awrie though Phaeton were guide But glorie vaine and want of skill enforste his haughtie hart Of Phoebe to craue to worke his will in ruling Phaebus Cart. The like attempt tooke Icarus from Creta that did flie By wings of War with Dedalus when Icar slue to hie His Fathers words preuailed not nor lesson taught before Till fained fethers were so whot as he could flie no more For want of wings then gan he clap his breast with open armes Till downe he fell such was his hap whose pride procurde his harmes When wrastling windes from Aeole sent befight themselues so long That East against the West is bent and North puts South to wrong Then may you heare the Pine to crack that beares his hed so hie And loftie lugs go then to wrack which seeme to touch the Skie When Ioue flings downe his thundring bolts our vices to redresse They batter downe the highest holts and touch not once the lesse The Cotte is surer then the Hall in proofe we daylie see For highest things doe soonest fall from their felicitee What makes the Phaenix flame with fire a Birde so rare in sight What causeth him not to retire from Phaebus burning light In faith if he woulde liue belowe as Birds Dame Nature tought The Esterlings should neuer knowe their Phoenix burnt so oft All ye therefore that suretie looue and would not haue a fall From you the Peacocks pride remooue and trust not Fortunes Ball. Let Phaetons fate be fearde of you and Icars lot also Remember that the Pine doth rue that he so high doth grow Of the Clock and the Cock. GOod reason thou allow one letter more to mée Than to the Cock For Cocks doe sléept when Clocks doe wake for thée Of a Tayler THough Tayler cut thy garment out of frame And strie thy stuffe by sowing it arms Yet must we say the Tayler makes the Iame To make and marre is one with themywis The Louer finding his Loue flitted from wonted troth leaues to write in prayse of hir THough cleane contrarie be my Verse to those I wrote before Yet let not retchlesse doome accuse my wandring wits the more As time doth shape and shew they say so ought our stile to frame In Sommer Sunne we néede no fire yet winter asketh flame So I that earst found cause of sport and matter to reioyce Of force by fansie was procurde to vse a gladsome voyce And now since déepe dispaire hath drencht my hope I will assay To turne my tune and chaunge my chéere and leaue my woonted lay Not farre vnlike the chirping Foule in Sommer that doth sing And during Winter hides his head till next returne of Spring They say when altred is the cause of force effect doth sue As new repaire of better bloud doth cause a Hawke to mue Though Aetna burne by kindly course and belke out fire with fume When Sulpher vaine is cleane extinct the fire will consume Whereby I may conclude aright that eche Effect must bée As is his Cause so fruite ensues the nature of the Trée Then I of force must shape my stile as matter is I write Vnlesse I would be thought to match a Fawcon with a Kite When winde and waue at Sea doe rore that Barck is in distresse Then time requires that shipmen should their Tackles all addresse Then crooked Ancors must be cast the shaken Ship to stay From sincking Sands and ruthlesse Rocks that Shipmen oft affray No sooner Triton blowes his Trumpe and swolen waters quailes And Aeole makes his windes retire but hoyse they vp the sailes Then fléete they forward in the floud then cut they waues in twaine Then launch they on as earst they did with all their might and maine So I hereafter must assay my woonted tune to chaunge As time requires and I in loue shall finde my Ladie straunge If she be one of Cresids crue and swarue hir former Hest No Lucrece must I terme hir then for that were but a iest Or if she false hir fixed fayth Vlysses wiues renowne Vnsitting is for hir whose loue endureth but a stowne Wherefore I will as time shall shape and she hir loue prolong Applie my Pen and tell the troth as best I may in Song He sorrowes other to haue the fruites of his seruice SOme men would looke to haue a recompence of paine And Reason wills it so to be vnlesse we list to faine Some would expect for loue to haue vnfained hart And think it but a fit reward for such a good defart But I vnhappie Wight that spend my loue in vaine Doe séeke for succour at hir hands while other get the gaine As thirstie ground doth gape to swallow in the shoure Euen so fare I poore Harpalus whome Cupids paines deuoure I holde the Hiue in hande and paine my selfe thereby While other eate the hidden foods that are not halfe so dry I plough the soyle with paine and cast my seede thereon And other come that sheare the sheaues and laugh when I am gon Mine is the Winters toile and theirs the Sommers gaine The Haruest falles out too their share that felt no part of paine I beare the pinching yoke and burden on my back And other driue when I must draw and thus I go
to wrack I fast when other féede I thirst when other drinck I mourne when they triumph for ioy they swim when I must sinck They haue the hoped gaine whiles I the losse indure They whole at hart whilst I my griefe by no meanes can recure They shrowd themselues in shade I sit in open Sunne They leape as Lambes in lustie Leaze I lie as one vndunne They taste their nightly rest my troubled head doth wake I tosse and turne from side to side while they their pleasure take I would but they enioy I craue that is debard They haue what will you more I say their seruice is prefard Thus I procure my woe by framing them their ioy In séeking how to salue my sore I bréede my chiefe annoy So shéepe with wooll are clad their Maisters haue the gaine So Birds doe builde their Nests on Brakes and put themselues to paine But other taste the fruite when so their broode is hatcht The Nest remaines the Birds are gone the Chickens are dispatcht So Bées for Honnie toile in fléeing too and fro And sillie wretches take great paines for whome they little know I think it is procurde by griesly Gods aboue That some should gape and other gaine the fruit of others loue But sure if Womans will be forger of my wo And not the mightie Gods ordaine my destnie to be so Then must I néedes complaine and cursse their cruell kinde That in requitall of good will doe shew themselues vnkinde But whether be the cause hereafter I intende To fawne on them that force on mée and bowe when other bende This one abuse shall make me take the better héede On whome I fixe my fansie fast or make a friend in déede The Louer seeing himselfe abusde renounceth Loue. THough men account it shame and folly to repent Or grutcht good will that was bestowde when nought saue faith was ment Yet can they not denie but if the knot be burst Then may we shew our selues vnkinde that friendly were at furst He runnes an endlesse race that neuer turnes againe And he a fonded Louer is that wastes his loue in vaine Nought can he iudge of hues that can not sée when Guile In place of friendship cloakes hir selfe in forme of forged wile And he that plainely sées the Trap before his eie And will not shun from perill tis no matter though he die I tell my tale by proufe I speake it not by rot To loue a subtile Lasse of late was fallen to my lot On whome I set such store such comfort and delight As life it was to sée hir face a death to want hir sight So I might doe the thing that might abridge hir smart And bannish all annoy that grue by froward fortunes Art What daunger would I dread or perill séeme to shun None that is here bylow on earth or subiect to the Sun To shew my selfe a Friend to hir I was my Foe She was the onely Idoll whome I honorde here belowe This is thought I the same that was Vlysses wife Who in the absence of hir Make did leade a dolefull life Or else tis she at least whome Tarquyn did enforce By beastly rape with piercing sworde so to for doe hir Corse But such is hir abuse so frowarde eke hir grace As loue it may no longer last since friendship hides his face I did not well aduise I built on sincking Sande And when I thought she looude me best shee bore me but in hande Where I had thought a Porte and Hauen sure to bée There founde I hap and dreadfull death as gazers on may sée As Mouse that treades the trap in hope to finde repast And bites the bread that bréedes his bane and is intrapped fast Like was my dolefull case that fed vpon my wo Till now Repentance willes mée all such fansies to forgo And thanked be good hap now once againe I fleete And swim aloft that sanck of late fast hampred by the féete Now is my fortune good so Fortune graunt it last And I as happie as the best now stormie cloudes are past I finde the bottom firme and stable where I passe There are no haughtie Rocks at hande ne yet no ground of Glasse Good Ancor holde I haue so I may vse it still I am no more a bounden Thrall but frée I liue at will But that which most torments my minde and reaues my ioy Is for I serude a fickle Wench that bred mée this annoy But Gods forgiue my guilt and time mispent before And I will be a sillie Sot of Cupids crue no more Against the Ielous heads that alwayes haue Louers in suspect WHen Ielous Iuno saw hir mightie Make Had Iö turnde into a brutish kinde More couertly of hir his lust to take To work hir will all his frawd to finde She craude the Cowe in gift at Ioue his hande Who could not well his Sisters sute withstande When yéelded was hir boone and Hest fulfillde To Argus charge committed was the Cowe For he could wake so well him Iuno willde To watch the Beast with neuer sléeping browe With hundreth eies that hatefull Hierds hed Was deckt som watcht whē som to sléepe were led So warded he by day so wakte by night And did Dame Iunos will accomplish so As neither Ioue might once delude his sight Nor Iö part hir pointed pasture fro His staring eies on Iö still were bent He markt hir march and sude hir as she went Till Ioue at length to ruth and pittie mooude To sée the spitefull hate that Argus bare To hir whome he so feruently had looude And who for him abode such endlesse care His fethred Sonne Cylenus sent from Skies To reaue the carefull Clowne his watchfull eies Who to fulfill his Lorde and Fathers Hest Tooke charmed Rod in hande and Pipe to playe And gyrt him with a sworde as lykte him best And to the fielde he flue where Argus laye Disguised like a shepherd in his wéede That he his purpose might the better spéede When eche had other salued in his sort To brag vpon his Pipe the Clowne begoon And sayde that for that noyse and gallant sport All other mirthes and maygames he would shoon His only ioy was on his Pipe to playe And then to blow the Rustick did assaye In fine when Argus had his cunning showde And eche to other chatted had a space Of this and that as was befalne abrode Mercurius tooke his Pipe from out his cafe And thereon playde hée so passing well As most of Argus eies to slumber fell And as they slept with charmed Rod he stroke The drowsie Dolt to kéepe him in that plight And playde so long till time he did prouoke All Argus eies to byd the beast God night Whome when he sawe in such a slumber led He stole the Cowe and swapt of Argus hed Such was the fine of his dispitous hate Such was the boone and guerdon of his hire And all the good the carefull Coward gate For seeking to debarre