the fire will wast away And outward cast no flame Unto my self may I compare These coales that so consume Where nought is sene though men 〈◊〉 â—â—areâ— In stede of flame but fume They say also to make them burne Cold water must be cast Or els to ashes will they turne And half to sinder wast As this is wonder for to se Cold water warme the fire So hath your coldnesse caused me To burne in my desire And as this water cold of kinde Can cause both heat and cold And can these coales both breake and binde To burne as I haue told So can your tong of frosen yse From whence cold answers come Both coole the fire and fire entice To burne me all and some Like to the corne that standes on stake Which mowen in winter sunne Full faire without within is black Such heat therin doth runne By force of fire this water cold Hath bred to burne within Euen so am I that heat doth hold which cold did first begyn which heat is stint when I do striue To haue some ease sometime But flame a fresh I do reuiue Wherby I cause to clime In stede of smoke a sighing breath with sparkes of sprinkled teares That I should liue this liuyng death Which wastes and neuer weares The answer YOur borrowd meane to moue your mone of fume â—outen flame Being set from smithy smokyng coale ye seme so by the same To shew what such coales vse is taught by such as haue assayd As I that most do wish you well am so right well apayd That you haue such a lesson learnd how either to maintaine Your fredome of vnkindled coale vpheaped all in vaine Or how most frutefully to frame with worthy workmans art That cunnyng pece may passe there fro by help of heated hart Out of the forge wherin the fume of sighes doth mount aloftâ— That argues present force of fire to make the metall soft To yelde vnto the hammer hed as best the workman likes That thiron glowyâ—g after blast in time and temper strikes Wherin the vse of water is as you do seme to say To quenche no flame ne hinde heat ne yet to wast away But that which better is for youâ— and more deliteth me To saue you from the sodain waste vaine cinderlike to be Which lastyng better liâ—es in loue as you your semble ply Then doth the bauen blase that flames and fleteth by and by Sith then you know eche vse wherin your coale may be applide Either to lie and last on hoord in open ayre to bide wiâ—houten vse to gather fat by fallyng of the raines That makes the pitchy iucye to grow by sokyng in his veines Or lye on fornace in the forge as is his vse of right Wherin the water trough may serue and enteryeld her might By worke of smithes both hand and hed a cuÌ„nyng key to make Or other pece as cause shall craue and bid him vndertake Do as you deme most fit to do and wherupon may grow Such ioy to you as I may ioy your ioyfull case to know An epitaph made by w. G. lying on his death bed to be set vpon his owne tombe LO here lieth G. vnder the ground Among the gredy wormes Which in his life time neuer found But strife and sturdy stormes And namely through a wicked wife As to the worâ—d apperes She was the shortnyng of his life By many dayes and yeres He might haue liued long god wot His yerâ—s they were but yong Of wicked wâ—ues this is the lot To kill with spitefull tong Whoâ— memory shall still remayne In writiâ—g here with me That men may know whom she hath slayne And say this â—ame is she An answer IF that thy wicked wife had spon the thread And were the weauer of thy wo Then art thou double happy to be dead As happely dispatched so If rage did causelesse cause thee to complayne And mad moode mouer of thy mone If frensy forced on thy testy braine Then blist is she to liue alone So whether were the ground of others grefe Because so doutfull was the dome Now death hath brought your payne a right relefe And blessed be ye both become She that she liues no longer bound to beate The rule of such a froward hed Thou that thou liuest no lenger faine to feare The restlesse ramp that thou hadst wed Be thou as glad therfore that thou art gone As she is glad she doth avide For so ye be a sonder all is one A badder match can not betide An epitaph of maister Henry williams FRom worldly wo the mede of misbelefe From â—â—use of care that leadeth to lament From vaine delight the ground of greater grefe From feare for frendes from matter to repent From painefull pangs laâ—t sorowe that is sent From dred of death â—ith death doth set vs free With it the better pleased should we be This lothsome life where likyng we do finde Thencreaser of our crimes doth vs bereue Our blisse that alway ought to be in minde This wily world whiles here we breath aliue And flesh our fayned fo do stifly striue To flatter vs assuryng here the ioy Where we alas do finde but great annoy Untolde heapes though we haue of worldly wealth Though we possesse the sea and frutefull ground Strength beauty knowledge and vnharmed health Though at a wish all pleasure do abound It were but vaine no frendship can be found when death assalteth with his dredfull dart No raunsome can stay the home hastyng hart And sith thou cut the liues line in twaine Of Henry sonne to sir Iohn Williams knight whose manly hart and prowes none could staine Whose godly life to vertue was our light Whose worthy fame shall florish long by right Though in this life so cruell mightest thou be His spirite in heauen shall triumph ouer thee An other of the same STay gentle frend that passest by And learne the lore that leadeth all From whence we come with hast to hye To liue to dye and stand to fall And learne that strength and lusty age That wealth and want of worldly woe Can not withstand the mighty rage Of death our best vnwelcome foe For hopefull youth had hight me health My lust to last till time to dye And fortune found my vertue wealth But yet for all that here I lye Learne also this to ease thy minde when death on corps hath wrought his spite A time of triumph shalt thou finde with me to scorne him in delight For one day shall we mete againe Maugre deathes dart in life to dwell Then will I thanke thee for thy paine Now marke my wordes and fare thou well Against women either good or bad A Man may liue thrise Nestors life Thrise wander out Ulisses race Yet neuer finde Ulisses wife Such change hath chanced in this case Lesse age will serue than Paris had Small pein if none be small inough To finde good store of Helenes trade Such sap the rote doth yelde the bough
the lord Ferres sonne VVHo iustly may reioyce in ought vnder the skye As life or lands as frends or frutes which only liue to dye Or who doth not well know all worldly works are vaine And geueth nought but to the lendes to take the same again For though it lift some vp as we long vpward all Such is the sort of slipper welth all thinges do rise to fall Thuncerteintie is such experience teacheth so That what things men do couer most them sonest they forgo Lo Deuorox where he lieth whose lâ—fe men held so deare That now his death is sorowed so that pitie it is to heare His birth of auncient blood his parents of great fame And yet in vertue farre before the formost of the same His king and countrye both he serued to so great gaine That with the Brutes record doth rest and euer shall remaine No man in warre so mete an enterprise to take No man in peace that pleasurde more of enmies frends to make A Cato for his counsell his hed was surely such Ne Theseus frendship was so great but Deuorox was as much A graffe of so small grothe so much good frute to bring Is seldome heard or neuer sene it is so rare a thing A man sent vs from God his life did well declare And now sent for by God again to teach vs what we are Death and the graue that shall accompany all that liue Hath brought him heueÌ„ though soÌ„what sone which life could neuer giue God graunt well all that shall professe as he profest To liue so well to dye no worse and send his soule good rest They of the meane estate are happiest IF right be rackt and ouerronne And power take part with open wrong If feare my force do yelde to soone The lack is like to last to long If God for goodes shalbe vnplaced If right for riches lose his shape If world for wisdome be embraced The gesse is great much hurt may hap Among good thinges I proue and finde The quiet life doth most abound And sure to the contented minde There is no riches may be found For riches hates to be content Rule is enmy to quietnesse Power is most part impacient And seldom likes to liue in pease I heard a herdman once compare That quiet nightes he had mo slept And had mo mâ—ry dayes to spare Then he which ought the beastes he kept I would not haue it thought hereby The Dolphin swimme I meane to teache Nor yet to learne the Fawcon fly I row not so farre past my reache But as my part aboue the rest Is well to wish and well to will So till my breath shall fail my brest I will not ceasse to wish you still Comparison of life and death THe life is long that lothsomly doth last The dolefull dayes draw slowly to their date The present panges and painfull plages forepast Yelde griefe aye grene to stablish this estate So that I feele in this great storme and strife The death is swete that endeth such a life Yet by the stroke of this strange ouerthrow At which conflict in thraldom I was thrust The Lord be praised I am well taught to know From whence man came and eke whereto he must And by the way vpon how feble force His terme doth stand till death doth end his course The pleasant yeres that seme so swift that runne The mery dayes to end so fast that flete The ioyfull nightes of which day daweth so soone The happy howers which mo domisse then mete Do all consume as snow against the sunne And death makes end of all that life begunneâ— Since death shall dure till all the world be wast what meaneth man to drede death then so sore As man might make that life should alway last Without regard the lord hath led before The daunce of death which all must runne on row Though howâ— or when the Lord alone doth know If man would minde what burdens life doth bring What greuous crimes to Goâ— he doth câ—mmiâ—t what plages what panges what perâ—iles thereby spring With no sure hower in all his daies to â—it He would sure think as with great cause I do The day of death were better of the two Death is a port wherby we passe to ioy Life is a lake that drowneth all in payn Death is so dere it ceaseth all annoy Life is so leude that all it yeldes is vayn And as by life to bondage man is braught Euen so likewise by death was fredome wraught Wherfore with Paul let all men wish and pray To be dissolude of this foule fleshly masse Or at the least be armde against the day That they be found good souldiers prest to passe From life to death from death to life again To such a life as euer shall remain The tale of Pigmalion with conclusion vpon the beautie of his loue IN Grece somtime there dwelt a man of worthy fame To graue in stone his cunning was PygmalioÌ„ was his name To make his fame endure when death had him bereft He thought it good of his own hand some filed worke were left In secrete studie then such worke he gan deuise â—s might his cunning best commend and please the lookers eyesâ— A courser faire he thought to graue barbd for the field And on his back a semely knight well armd with speare shield Or els some foule or fish to graue he did deuise And still within his wandering thoughtes new fansies did arise Thus varied he in minde what enterprise to take Till fansy moued his learned hand a woman fayre to make Wheâ—eon he stayde and thought such parfite fourme to frame Whereby he might amaze all Grece and winne immortall name Of yuorie white he made so faire a woman than That nature scornd her perfitnesse so taught by craft of man Wel shaped were her lims ful comly was her face Ech litle vain most liuely coucht eche part had semely grace Twixt nature Pigmalion there might appere great strife So semely was this ymage wrought it lackt nothing but life His curious eye beheld his own deuised work And gasing oft thereon he found much venome there to lurk For all the featurde shape so did his fansie moue That with his idoll whom he made Pygmalion fell in loue To whom he honour gaue and deckt with garlandes swete And did adourn with iewels rich as is for louers mete Somtimes on it he fawnd somtime in rage would cry It was a wonder to behold how fansy bleard his eye Since that this ymage dum enflamde so wise a man My dere alas since I you loue what wonder is it than In whom hath nature set the glory of her name And brake her moulde in great dispaire your like she coulde not frame The louer sheweth his wofull state and praieth pitie LYke as the Larke within the Marlians foote With piteous tunes doth chirp her yelden lay So sing I now seyng none other boote My rendering song and to your well obey
must them obay And yoke hymself with pacient heart to dryue and draw that wâ—â—â— Yet such as long ago great rulers wer assynde Both liues and lawes are now forgot worne clene out of myndâ— So that by this I see no state on earth may last But as their times appointed be to rise and fall as fast The goodes that gotten be by good and iust desart Yet vse them that so neady handes may help to spend the part For looke what heape thou hordst of rusty gold in store Thine enemies shall waste the same that neuer swat therfore The repentant sinner in durance and aduersitie VNto the liuing Lord for pardon do I pray From whom I graunt euen froÌ„ the wel haue run 〈◊〉 astray And other liues there none my death shall well declare On whom I ought to grate for grace as faulty folkes do fare But thee O Lord alone I haue offended so That this small scourge is much to scant for mine offence I know I ranne without returne the way the world likte best And what I ought most to regard that I respected lest The through wherin I thrust hath throwen me in such case That lord my soule is sore beset without thy greater grace My gyltes are growen so great my power doth so appayre That with great force they argue oft and mercy much dispayre But then with faith I flee to thy prepared store Where there lyeth helpe for euery hurt and saâ—â—e for euery sore My lost time to lament my vayne waies to bewaile No day no night no place no hower no moment I shall fayle My soule shall neuer cease with an assured fayth To knocke to craue to call to crye to thee for helpe which sayth Knock and it shalbe heard but aske and geuen it is And all that lyke to kepe this course of mercy shall not misse For when I call to minde how the one wandring shepe Did bring more ioy with his returne then al the flocke did 〈◊〉 It yeldes ful hope and trust my strayed and wandring ghoâ—â—â— Saâ—he receiued and hâ—ld more dere then those wer neuer lost O Lord my hope behold and for my helpe make haste To pardon the forepassed race that carelesse I haue past And but the day draw neare that death must pay the detâ— For loue of life which thou hast lent and time of payment set From this sharpe showre me shielde which threatned is at hande Wherby thou shalt great power declare I the storme withstande Not my will Lord but thine fulfilde be in eche case To whose gret wil mighty power al powers shal once geue place My faith my hope trust my God and eke my guide Stretch forth thy hande to saue the soule what so the body hide Refuse not to receiue that thou so deare hast bought For but by thee alone I know all safetie in vaine is sought I know and knowledge eke albeit very late That thou it is I ought to loue and dreade in eche estate And with repentant heart dâ—elaude the Lord on hye That hast so gently set me straight that erst walkte so awry Now graunt me grace my God to stande thine strong in sprite And leâ— y e world theÌ„ worke such waies aâ—â—o the world semes metâ— The louer here telleth of his diuers ioyes and aduersities in loue and lastly of his ladies death SYth singyng gladdeth oft the harts Of them that fele the panges of loue And for the while doth ease their smarts My self I shall the same way proue And though that loue hath smit the stroke wherby is lost my libertie Which by no meanes I may reuoke Yet shall I sing how pleasantly Ny twenty yeres of youth I past Which al in libertie I spent And so from first vnto the last Ere aught I knewe what louing ment And after shal I syng the wo The paine the greefe the deadly smart When loue this lyfe did ouerthrowe That hydden lyes within my hart And then the ioyes that I dyd feele When fortune lifted after this And set me hye vpon her whele And changde my wo to pleasant blisse And so the sodeyn fall agayne From all the ioyes that I was in All you that list to heare of payne Geue care for now I doe beginne Lo first of all when loue began With hote desires my heart to burne Me thought his might auailde not than From libertie my heart to turne For I was free and dyd not knowe How much his might mannes hert may greâ—â— I had profest to be his fo His law I thought not to beleue I went vntied in lusty leas I had my wish alwaies at will Ther was no wo might me displease Of pleasant ioyes I had my fill No paynfull thought dyd passe my hart I spilt no teare to wet my brest I knew no sorow sigh nor smart My greatest griefe was quiet rest I brake no slepe I tossed not Nor dyd delite to syt alone I felt no change of colde and hote Nor nought a nightes could make me mone For al was ioy that I did fele And of voide wandering I was free I had no clogge tied at my hele This was my life at libertie That yet me thinkes it is a blisse To thinke vpon that pleasure past But forthwithall I finde the misse For that it might no lenger last Those daies I spent at my desire Without wo or aduersitie Till that my hart was set a fire With loue with wrath and ielousie For on a day alas the while Lo heare my harme how it began The blinded Lord the God of guile Had list to end my fredome than And through mine eye into my hart All sodenly I felt it glide He shot his sharped fiery dart So hard that yet vnder my side The head alas doth still remaine And yet since could I neuer know The way to wring it out againe Yet was it nye three yere ago This soden stroke made me agast And it began to vexe me sore But yet I thought it would haue past As other such had done before But it did not that wo is me So depe imprinted in my thought The stroke abode that yet I see Me thinkes my harme how it was wrought Kinde taught me streight that this was loue And I perceiued it perfectly Yet thought I thus Nought shall me moue I will not thrall my libertie And diuers waies I did assay By flight by force by frend by fo This firie thought to put away I was so lothe for to forgo My libertie that me was leuer Then bondage was where I hard say Who once was bounde was sure neuer Without great paine to scape away But what for that there is no choice For my mishap was shapen so That those my dayes that did reioyce Should turne my blisse to bitter wo. For with that stroke my blisse toke ende In stede wherof forth with I caught Hotte burnyng sighes that sins haue brend My wretched hart almost to naught And sins that day O Lord
my life The misery that it hath felt That nought hath had but wo and strife And hotte desires my hart to melt O Lord how sodaine was the change From such a pleasant liberty The very thraldome semed straunge But yet there was no remedy But I must yeld and geue vp all And make my guide my chefist fo And in this wise became I thrall Lo loue and happe would haue it â—o I suffred wrong and held my peace I gaue my teares good leaue to ronne And neuer would seke for redresse â—ut hept to liue as I begonne For what it was that might me ease He liued not that might it know Thus dranke I all mine owne disease And all alone bewailde my wo. I here was no sight that mighte me pleaseâ— I fled from them that did reioyce And oft alone my 〈◊〉 to â—ase I would bewaile with wofull voyce My life my state my misery And curse my selfe al my daies Thus wrought I with my fantasie And sought my helpe none other waies Saue sometime to my selfe alone When farre of was my helpe God wot Lowde would I crye My life is gone My dere if that ye helpe me not Then wisht I streight that death might end These bitter panges and al this grief For nought methought might it amend Thus in dispaire to haue relief I lingred forth tyl I was brought with pining in so piteous case That al that sawe me sayd methought Lo death is painted in his face I went no where but by the way I saw some sight before mine eyes That made me sigh and oft times sayâ— My life alas I thee despyse This lasted well a yere and more Which no wight knew but onely I So that my life was nere for lore And I dispaired vtterly Til on a day as fortune would For that that shalbe nedes must fal I sat me down as though I should Haue ended then my lyfe and al. And as I sat to write my playnâ— Meanyng to shew my great vnrest With quaking hand and hart full faint Amid my plaintes among the rest I wrote with ynk and bitter teares I am not myne I am not mine Behold my life away that weares And if I dye the losse is thine Herewith a little hope I caught That for a whyle my life did stay But in effect all was for â—â—ught Thus liued I styl tyl on a day As I sat staring on those eyes Those shining eyes that first me bound My inward thought tho cryed Aryse Lo mercy where it may be found And therewithall I drew me nere With feble hart and at a braide But it was softly in her care Mercy Madame was all I sayd But wo was me when it was told For therwithall fainted my breath And I sate still for to beholde And heare the iudgement of my death But Loue nor Hap would not consent To end me then but welaway There gaue me blisse that I repent To thinke I liue to se this day For after this I plained styll So long and in so piteous wise That I my wish had at my will Graunted as I would it deuise But Lord who euer hard or knew Of halfe the ioye that I felt than Or who can thinke it may be true That so much blisse had euer man Lo fortune thus set me aloft And more my sorowes to releue Of pleasant ioyes I tasted oft As much as loue or happe might geue The sorowes old I felt before About my hart were driuen thenceâ— And for ech griefe I felt afore I had a blisse in recompence Then thought I all the time well spentâ— That I in plaint had spent so long So was I with my life content That to my self I sayd amoug Sins thou art ridde of al thine yll To shewe thy ioyes set forth thy voyce And sins thou haste thy wish at willâ— My happy hart reioyce reioyce Thus felt I ioyes a great deale 〈◊〉 Then by my song may well be tolde And thinking on my passed wo My blisse did double many folde Aud thus I thought with mannes blood Such blisse might not be bought to deare In such estate my ioyes then stodeâ— That of a change I had no feare But why sing â— so long of blisse It lasteth not that will away Let me therfore bewaile the misse And sing the cause of my decay Yet all this while there liued none That led his life more pleasantly Nor vnder hap there was not one Me thought so well at ease as I. But O blinde ioye who may thee trust For no estate thou canst assure Thy faithfull vowes proue al vniust Thy faire behestes be full vnsure Good proofe by me that but of late Not fully twenty daies ago Which thought my life was in such state That nought might worke my hart this wo. Yet hath the enemy of myne case Cruell mishappe that wretched wight Now when my life did most me please Deuised me such cruel spight That from the hiest place of all As to the pleasing of my thought Downe to the deepest am I fall And to my helpe auaileth noughâ— Lo thus are all my ioyes quite gone And I am brought from happinesse Continually to wayle and mone Lo such is fortunes stablenesse In welth I thought such suertie That pleasure should haue ended neuer But now alas aduersitie Doth make my singyng cease â—or euer O brittle ioye O welth vnstable O fraile pleasure O slidyng blisse Who feles thee most he shall not misse At length to be made miserable For all must end as doth my blisse There is none other certeintie And at the end the worst is his That most hath knowen prosperitie For he that neuer blisse assaied May well away with wretchednesse But he shall finde that hath it sayd A pain to part from pleasantnesse As I do now for ere I knew What pleasure was I felt no griefe Like vnto this and it is true That blisse hath brought me all this mischiefe But yet I haue not songen how This mischiefe came but I intend With wofull voyce to sing it now And therwithall I make an end But Lord now that it is begoon I fele my sprites are vexed sore Oh geue me breath till this be done And after let me liue no more Alas the enmy of this life The ender of all pleasantnesse Alas he bringeth all this strife And causeth all this wretchednesse For in the middes of all the welth That brought my hart to happinesse This wicked death he came by stelth And robde me of my ioyfulnesse He came when that I litle thought Of ought that might me vexe so sore And sodenly he brought to nought My pleasantnesse for euermore He slew my ioy alas the wretch He slew my ioy or I was ware And now alas no might may stretch To set an end to my great care For by this cursed deadly stroke My blisse is lost and I forlore And no helpe may the losse reuoke For lost it is for euermore And closed vp are those faire eyes That
all thinges VVHat harder is then stoneâ— what more then water soft Yet with soft water dropsâ— hard stones be persâ—d softe What geues so strong impulse That stone ne may withstandâ— What geues more weake repulse Then water pâ—est with hand Yet weke though water be It holowith hardest flint By proofe wherof we see Time geues the greatest dint The beginning of the epistle of Penelope to Vlisles made into verse O Lingring make Ulisses dere thy wife lo sendes to thee Heâ— driry plaint write not againe but come thy selfe to me Our hatefull scourge that womans foe proud Troy now is fordon We bye it derer though Priam slaine and all his kingdome won O that the raging surges great that lechers bane had wrought When first with shâ—p he forowed seas and Lacedemon sought In desert bed my shiuering coarse then shold not haue sought rest Nor take in griefe the cherefull sunne so slowly fall to west And whiles I caâ—t long ruÌ„ning nightes how best I might begile No distaâ—â— should my widowish hand haue weary made the while When dread I not more daungers great then are befall in dede Loue is a carefull thing God wot and passing full of drede The louer asketh pardon of his passed follie in loâ—e YOu that in play peruse my plaint and reade in rime the smart Which in my youth with sighes full cold I harbourd in my hart Know ye that loue in that fraile age draue me to that distresse when I was haâ—fe an other man then I am now to gesse Then for this worke of waueâ—ing words where I now rage now rew Tost in the toyes of troublous loue as care or coÌ„â—ort grew I trust with â—ou that loues affairâ—â— bâ— proofe haue put in vre Not onely pardon in my plaint but pitie to procure For now I wot that in the world a wonder haue I be And where to loÌ„g loue made me blinde to late shame makes mese Thus of my fault shame is the fruite and for my youth thus past Râ—pentance is my recompence and this I learne at last Looke what the world hath most in price as sure it is to kepe As is the dreame which fansie driues while sence and reason slepe The louer sheweth that he was striken by loue on good friday IT was the day on which the sunne depriued of his light To rew Christs death amid his course gaue place vnto y â— night When I amid mine ease did fall to such distemperate fits That for the face that hath my hart I was bereft my wits I had the bayte the hooke and all and wist not loues pretence But farde as one that fearde none yll nor forst for no defence Thus dwelling in most quiet state I fell into this plight And that day gan my secret sighes when all folke wept in sight For loue that vewed me voide of care approcht to take his pray And stept by stelth from eye to hart so open lay the way And straight at eyes brake out in teares so salt that did declare By token of their bitter taste that they were forgde of care Now vaunt thee loue which fleest a maid defenst w t vertues rare And wounded hast a wight vnwise vnweaponed and vnware The louer describeth his whole state vnto his loue and promising her his faithfull good will assureth himself of hers again THe Sunne when he hath spred his raies And shewde his face ten thousand waies Ten thousand thinges do then begin To shew the life that they are in The heauen shewes liuely art and hue Of sundry shapes and colours new And laughes vpon the earth anone The earth as cold as any stone Wet in the teares of her own kinde Gins then to take a ioyfull minde For well she feeles that out and out The sunne doth warme her round about And dries her children tenderly And shewes them forth full orderly The mountaines hye and how they stand The valies and the great maine land The trees the herbes the towers strong The castels and the riuers long And euen for â—oy thus of this heate She sheweth furth her pleasures great And sâ—eepes no more but sendeth sorth Her câ—ergions her own dere worth To mount and flye vp to the ayre Where then they â—ing in order fayre And tell in sung â—â—il merely How they haue slept full quietly That night about their mothers sides And when they haue song more besides Then fall they to their mothers breastes Where els they fede or take their restes The hunter then soundes out his horne And rangeth straite through wood and corne On hilles then shew the Ewe and Lambe And euery yong one with his dambe Then louers walke and tell their tale Both of their blisse and of their bale And how they serue and how they do And how their lady loues them to Then tune the â—irdes their armonie Then flocke the foule in companie Then euery thing doth pleasure fâ—â—de In that that comforâ—es all their kinde No dreames do drench them of the night Of foes that would them sâ—ea or bite As Houndes to hunt them at the taile Or men force them through hill and dale The shepe then dreames not oâ— the Woulf The shipman forces not the goulf The Lambe thinkes not the butchers knife Should then bereue him of his life For when the Sunne doth once run in Then all their gladâ—es doth begin And then their skiâ—s and then their play So falles their sadnes theâ— away And thus all thinges haue comforting In that that doth them comfort bring Saue I alas whom neiâ—her â—unne Nor ought that God hath wrought and don May comfort ought as though I were A thing not made for comfort here For beyng absent from your sighte Which are my ioy and whole delight My comfort and my pleasure to How can I ioy how should I do May sick men laugh that rore for paine Ioy they in song that do complaine Are martirs in their tormentes glad Do pleasures please them that are mad Then how may I in comfort be That lacke the thing should comfort me The blind man oft that lackes his sight Complaines not most the lacke of light But those that knewe their perfectnes And then do misse ther blisfulnes In martirs tunes they syng and waile The want of that which doth them faile And hereof comes that in my braines So many fansies worke my paines For when I wayghe your worthynes Your wisdome and your gentlnes Your vertues and your sundry grace And minde the countenaunce of your face And how that you are she alone To whom I must both plaine and mone whom I do loue and must do still whom I embrace and ay so wil To serue and please you as I can As may a wofull faithful man And finde my selfe so far you fro God knowes what torment and what wo My rufull hart doth then imbrace The blood then chaungeth in my face My synnewes dull in â—ompes I stand No life I fele in foâ—e nor hand As pale as
SONGES AND SONETTES written by the right honorable Lorde Henry Haward late Earle of Surrey and other Apud Ricardum Tottel Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum .1557 To the reder THat to haue wel writteÌ„ in verse yea and in small parcelles deserueth great praise the woorkers of diuers Latines Italians other doe proue sufficiently That our tong is able in that kinde to do as praise worthelye as the rest the honorable stile of the noble earle of Surrey and the weightinesse of the depe witted sir Thomas Wiat the elders verse with seueral graces in sondry good Englishe writers do show abuÌ„dantly It resteth now geÌ„tle reder y t thou thinke it not euil don to publishe to y e honor of the english tong and for prosit of the studious of Englishe eloquence those workes which the vngeÌ„tle horders vp of such tresure haue heretofore enuied the. And for this point good reder thine own profit and pleasure in these presentlye in moe hereafter shal answer for my defeÌ„ce If parhappes some mislike the statelinesse of stile remoued from the rude skil of coÌ„mon earee I aske help of the learned to defende their learned frendes the authors of this woork And I exhort the vnlearned by reding to learne to â—ee more skilfull and to purge that swinelike grossenesse that maketh the swete maierome not to smell to their delight Descripcion of the restlesse state of a louer with sute to his ladie to rue on his diyng hart THe suÌ„ne hath twise brought furth his tender grene Twise clad the earth in liuely lustinesse Ones haue the windes the trees despoiled ciene And ones again begins their cruelnesse Sins I haue hid vnder my brest the harm That neuer shal recouer healthfulnesse The winters hurt recouers with the warm The parched grene restored is with shade What warmth alas may serue for to disarm The frosen hart that mine in flame hath made What cold againe is able to restore My fresh grene yeres that wither thus and fade Alas I see nothing hath hurt so sore But time in time reduceth a returne In time my harm encreaseth more and more And semes to haue my cure alwaies in scorne Strange kindes of death in life that I do trie At hand to melt farre of in flame to burne And like as time list to my cure apply So doth eche place my comfort cleane refuse Al thing aliue that seeth the heauens with eye With cloke of night may couer and excuse It self from trauail of the daies vnrest Saue I alas against all others vse That then stirre vp the tormentes of my brest And curse eche sterre as causer of my fate And when the sunne hath eke the dark opprest And brought the day it doth nothing abate The trauailes of mine endlesse smart and pain For then as one that hath the light in hate I wish for night more couertly to plain And me withdraw from euery haunted place Lest by my chere my chaunce appere to plain And in my minde I measure pace by pace To seke the place where I my self had lost That day that I was tangled in the lace In semyng slack that knitteth euer most But neuer yet the trauaile of my thought Of better state coulde catch a cause to bost For if I found sometime that I haue sought Those sterres by whom I trusted of the port My sailes do fall and I aduance right nought As ankerd fast my sprites do all resort To stand agazed and sink in more and more The deadly harme which she doth take in sport Lo if I seke how I do finde my sore And if I flee I cary with me still The venomd shaft which doth his force restore By haste of flight and I may plaine my fill Unto my self vnlesse this carefull song Print in your hart some parcell of my tene For I alas in silence all to long Of mine old hurt yet fele the wound but grene â–ª Rue on my life or els your cruel wrong Shall well appere and by my death be sene Description of Spring wherin eche thing renewes saue onely the louer THe foote season that bud and blome forth brings With grene hath clad the hill and eke the vale The nightingale with fethers new she sings The turtle to her make hath tolde her tale Somer is come for euery spray now springs The hart hath hong his old hed on the pale The buck in brake his winter coate he flings The fishes flete with new repayred scale The adder all her slough away she slings The swift swallow pursueth the flies smalle The busy bee her hony now she minges Winter is worne that was the flowers bale And thus I see among these pleasant things Eche care decayes and yet my sorow springs Description of the restlesse state of a louer VVHen youth had led me half the race That Cupides scourge had made me runne I loked backe to mete the place From whence my wery course begonne And then I saw how my desire Misguidyng me had led the way Mine eyen to gredy of their hyre Had made me lose a better pray For when in sighes I spent the day And could not cloke my grief with game The boylyng smoke did still bewray The persant heat of secrete flame And when salt teares do bain my brest where loue his pleasant traines hath sowen Her beauty hath the frutes opprest Ere that the buds were sprong and blowne And when mine eyen did styll pursue The fliyng chace of their request Their gredy lokes did oft renew The hidden wound within my brest When euery loke these chekes might staine From deadly pale to glowyng red By outward signes appeared plaine To her for help my hart was fled But all to late loue learneth me To paint all kinde of colors new To blinde their eyes that els should see My specled chekes with Cupides hewe And now the couert brest I claime That worshipt Cupide secretely And nourished his sacred flame From whence no blasyng sparkes do flye Desciption of the fickle affections panges and sleightes of loue SUch waiward waies hath loue that most part in discord Our willes do stand whereby our harts but seldom do accord Deceit in his delight and to begile and mock The simple hartes whom he doth strike w t froward diuers stroke He causeth thone to rage with golden burning dart And doth alay with leaden cold again the other hart Whote glemes of burning fire and easy sparkes of flame In balaunce of vnegal weight he pondereth by aime From easy ford where I might wade and passe ful wel He me withdrawes and doth me driue into a depe dark hel And me withholdes wher I am cald and offred place And willes me that my mortall foe I doe beseke of grace He lettes me to pursue a conquest welnere wonne To folow where my paines were lost ere that my sute begonne So by this meanes I know how soone a hart may turne From warre to peace from truce to strife and so
procure them self to sweat With thoughtes that for the time do much appease my paine But yet they cause a farther feare and brede my woe againe Me thinke within my thought I se right plaine appere My hartes delight my sorowes leche mine earthly goddesse here With euery sondry grace that I haue sene her haue Thus I within my wofull brest her picture paint and graue And in my thought I roll her bewties to and fro Her laughing chere her louely looke my hart that perced so Her strangenes when I sued her seruant for to be And what she said and how she smiled when that she pitied me Then comes a sodaine feare that riueth all my rest Lest absence cause forgetfulnes to sink with in her brest For when I think how far this earth doth vs deuide Alas me seâ—es loue throwes me downe I fele how that I slide But then I think againe why should I thus mistrust So swete a wighte so sad and wise that is so true and iust For loth she was to loue and wauering is she not The farther of the more desirde thus louers tie their knot So in dispaire and hope plonged am I both vp an doune As is the ship with wind and waue when Neptune list to froune But as the watery showers delay the raging winde So doth good hope clene put away dispaire out of my minde And biddes me for to serue and suffer paciently For what wot I the after weale that fortune willes to me For those that care do know and tasted haue of trouble When passed is their wofull paine eche ioy shall seme them double And bitter sendes she now to make me tast the better The plesant swete when that it comes to make it seme the sweter And so determine I to serue vntil my breath Ye rather die a thousand times then once to false my faithe And if my feble corps through weight of woful smart Do faile or faint my wyll it is that still she kepe my hart And when thys carcas here to earth shalbe refarde I do bequeth my weried ghost to serue her afterwarde The meanes to attain happy life MArtial the thinges that do attain The happy life be these I finde The richesse left not got with pain The frutefull ground the quiet minde The egall frend no grudge no strife No charge of rule nor gouernance Without disease the healthful life The houshold of continuance The meane diet no delicate fare Trew wisdom ioyned with simplenesse The night discharged of all care where wine the wit may not oppresse The faithfull wife without debate Such slepes as may begile the night Contented with thine own estate Ne wish for death ne feare his might Praise of meane and constant estate OF thy life Thomas this compasse wel mark Not aye with ful sailes the hye seas to beat Ne by coward dred in shonning stormes dark On shalow shores thy keel in peril freat Who so gladly halseth the golden meane Uoide of daungers aduisdly hath his home Not with lothsome muck as a den vnclean Nor palacelike wherat disdain may glome The lofty pyne the great winde often riues With violenter swey falâ—e turrets stepe Lightnings assault the hie mountains cliues A hart wel stayd in ouerthwartes depe Hopeth amendes in swete doth feare the sowre God that sendeth withdraweth winter sharp Now il not aye thus once Phebus to lowre With bowe vnbent shal cesse and frame to harp His voice In straite estate appere thou stout And so wisely when lucky gale of winde All thy puft sailes shal fill loke wâ—ll about Take in a ryft hast is wast profe doth finde Praise of certaine psalmes of Dauid translated by sir T. w. the elder THe great Macedon that out of Persle chased Darius of whose huge power all Asie rong In the rich ark dan Homers rimes he placed who fayned gestes of heathen princes song What holy graue what worthy sepulture To Wiattes Psalmes should Christians then purchase where he doth paint the liuely faith and pure The stedfast hope the swete returne to grace Of iust Dauid by perfite penitence Where rulers may see in a mirrour clere The bitter frute of false concupiscence How Iewry bought Urias death full dere In princes harts Gods scourge imprinted depe Ought them awake out of their sinfull slepe Of the death of the same sir T. w. DYuers thy death do diuersly bemone Some that in presence of thy liuelyhed Lurked whose brestes enuy with hate had swolne Yeld Ceasars teares vpon Pompeius hed Some that watched with the murdrers knife With eger thirst to drink thy giltlesse blood Whose practise brake by happy end of life With enuious teares to heare thy fame so good But I that knew what harbred in that hed What vertues rare were temperd in that brest Honour the place that such a iewell bred And kisse the ground whereas thy corse doth rest With vapord eyes from whence such streames auaâ—l As Pyramus did on Thisbes brest bewail Of the same VVResteth here that quick could neuer rest Whose heauenly giftes encreased by disdain And vertue sank the deper in his brest Such profit he by enuy could obtain A head where wisdom misteries did frame Whose hammers bet still in that liuely brain As on a stithe where that some work of fame Was dayly wrought to turne to Britaines gaine A visage stâ—rn and mylde where both did grow Uice to contemne in vertue to reioyce Amid great stormes whom grace assured so To liue vpright and smile at fortunes choyce A hand that taught what might be said in rime That reft Chaucer the glory of his wit A mark the which vnparfited for time Some may approch but neuer none shal hit A toung that serued in forein realmes his king whose courteous talke to vertue did enflame Eche noble hart a worthy guide to bring Our English youth by trauail vnto fame An eye whoâ—e iudgement none affect could blinde Frendes to allure and foes to reconcile Whose persing loke did represent a minde With vertue fraught reposed void of gile A hart where dreade was neuer so imprest To hide the thought that might the trouth auance In neither fortune loft nor yet represt To swel in wealth or yeld vnto mischance A valiaunt corps where force and beawty met Happy alas to happy but for foes Liued and ran the race that nature set Of manhodes shape where she the mold did lose But to the heauens that simple soule is fled Which left with such as couet Christ to know Witnesse of faith that neuer shall be ded Sent for our helth but not receiued so Thus for our gilte this iewel haue we lost The earth his bones the heauens possesse his gost Of the same IN the rude age when knowledge was not rife If Ioue in Create and other were that taught â—rtes to conuert to profit of one life wend after death to haue their temples sought If vertue yet no voide vnthankfull time Failed of some to blast her
gaue thee not to do it pain But to preserue lo it to thee was taken I serued thee not that I should be forsaken But that I should receiue reward again I was content thy seruant to remain And not to be repayed on this fashion Now since in thee there is none other reason Displease thee not if that I do refrain Unsaciat of my wo and thy desire Assured by craft for to excuse thy fault But sins it pleaseth thee to fain default Farewell I say departing from the fire For he that doth beleue bearing in hand Ploweth in the water and soweth in the sand The louer describeth his restlesse state THe flaming sighes that boyle within my brest Somtime breake forth and thei can well declare The hartes vnrest and how that it doth fare The pain therof the grief and all the rest The watred eyen from whence the teares do fall Do fele some force or els they would be dry The wasted flesh of colour ded can try And somtime tell what swetenes is in gall And he that lust to see and to disarne How care can force within a weried minde Come he to me I am that place assinde But for all this no force it doth no harme The wound alas happe in some other place From whence no toole away the skar can race But you that of such like haue had your part Can best be iudge Wherfore my friend so deare I thought it good my state should now appeare To you and that there is no great desart And wheras you in weighty matters great Of fortune saw the shadow that you know For trifling thinges I now am striken so That though I fele my hart doth wound and beatâ— I sit alone saue on the second day My feuer comes with whom I spend my time In burning heat while that she list assigne And who hath helth and libertie alway Let him thank God and let him not prouoke To haue the like of this my painfull stroke The louer lamentes the death of his loue THe piller perisht is wherto I lent The strongest stay of mine vnquiet minde The like of it no man again can finde From East to West still seking though he went To mine vnhappe for happe away hath rent Of all my ioy the very bark and rinde And I alas by chance am thus assinde Dayly to moorne till death do it relent But sins that thus it is by desteny What can I more but haue a wofull hart My penne in plaint my voyce in carefull cry My minde in wo my body full of smart And I my self my selfe alwaies to hate Till dreadfull death do ease my dolefull state The louer sendeth sighes to mone his sute GO burning sighes vnto the frosen hart Go breake the yse with pities painfull dart Might neuer perce and if that mortall praier In heauen be heard at lest yet I desire That death or mercy end my wofull smart Take with thee pain wherof I haue my part And eke the flame from which I cannot start And leaue me then in rest I you require Go burning sighes fulfill that I desire I must go worke I see by craft and art For truth and faith in her is laid apart Alas I can not therfore now assaile her With pitefull complaint and scalding fier That from my brest disceiuably doth start Complaint of the absence of his loue SO feble is the threde that doth the burden stay Of my poore life in heauy plight that falleth in decay That but it haue elswhere some ayde or some succours The running spindle of my fate anone shall end his course For sins thunhappy hower that did me to depart From my swete weale one onely hope hath stated my life apart Which doth perswade such wordes vnto my â—ored minde Maintain thy self O wofull wight some better luck to finde For though thou be depriued from thy desired sight Who can thee tell if thy â—eturne be for thy more delight Or who can tell thy losse if thou mayst once recouer Some pleasant hower thy wo may wrap and thee defend couer Thus in this trust as yet it hath my life sustained But now alas I see it faint and I by trust am trayned The time doth flete and I see how the howers do bend So fast that I haue scant the space to marke my comming end Westward the sunne from out the East scant shewes his light When in the West he hies him strayt within the dark of night And comes as fast where he began his path awry From East to West from West to East so doth his iourney lye The life so short so fraile that mortall men liue here So great a weight so heauy charge the bodies that we bere That when I think vpon the distaunce and the space That doth so farre deuide me from my dere desired face I know not how tattain the winges that I require To lift me vp that I might flie to folow my desire Thus of that hope that doth my life some thing sustaine Alas I feare and partly fele full litle doth remain Eche place doth bring me grief where I do not behold Those liuely eyes which of my thoughts wer woÌ„t y e keys to hold Those thoughts wer pleasant swete whilst I enioyed that grace My pleasure past my present pain when I might well embrace And forbecause my want should more my wo encrease In watch and slepe both day and night my will doth neuer cease That thing to wish wherof sins I did lese the sight Was neuer thing that mought in ought my wofull hart delight Thuneasy life I lead doth teach me for to mete The floodes the seas the land the hilles that doth theÌ„ entermete Twene me and those shene lightes that wonted for to clere My darked pangs of cloudy thoughts as bright as Phebus spere It teacheth me also what was my pleasant state The more to fele by such record how that my wealth doth bate If such record alas prouoke thenâ— lamed minde Which sprong that day that I did leaue the best of me behinde If loue â—orget himself by length of absence let Who doth me guyde O wofull wretch vnto this bayted net Where doth encrease my care much better wer for me As dumme as stone all thing forgot still absent for to be Alas the clere christall the bright transplendant glasse Doth not bewray the colours hid which vnderneth it hase As doth thaccumbred sprite the thoughtfull throwes discouer Of feares delite of feruent loue that in our hartes we couer Out by these eyes it sheweth that euermore delight In â—laint and teares to seke redresse and eke both day and night Those kindes of pleasures most wherein men so reioyce To me they do redouble still of stormy sighes the voyce For I am one of them whom plaint doth well content It sâ—ts me well myne absent wealth me semes for to lament And with my teares tassay to charge mine eyes twain Like as my hart aboue the brink is
fraughted full of pain And forbecause thereto that those faire eyes to treate Do me prouoke I will returne my plaint thus to repeate For there is nothing els so toucheth me within Where they rule all and I alone nought but the case or skin Wherefore I shall returne to them as well or spring From whom descendes my mortall wo aboue all other thing So shall mine eyes in pain accompany my hart That were the guides that did it lead of loue to fele the smart The crisped gold that doth surmount Apollos pride The liuely streames of pleasant starres that vnder it doth glide Wherein the beames of loue do still encrease their heate Which yet so farre touch me so nere in cold to make me sweate The wise and pleasant talk so rare or els alone That gaue to me the curteis gift that erst had neuer none Be farre from me alas and euery other thing I might forbeare with better will then this that did me bring With pleasant woord and chere redresse of lingred pain And wonted oft in kindled will to vertue me to train Thus am I forst to heare and harken after newes My comfort scant my large desire in doutfull trust renewes And yet with more delite to mone my wofull case I must complain those hands those armes that firmly do embrace Me from my self and rule the sterne of my poore life The swete disdaines the pleasaÌ„t wrathes and eke the louely strife That wonted well to tune in temper iust and mete The rage that oft did make me erre by furour vndiscrete All this is hid fro me with sharp and ragged hilles At others will my long abode my depe dispaire fulfils And if my hope sometime rise vp by some redresse It stumbleth straite for feable faint my feare hath such excesse Such is the sort of hope the lesse for more desyre And yet I trust ere that I dye to see that I require The resting place of loue where vertue dwelles and growes There I desire my wery life somtime may take repose My song thou shalt attain to finde that pleasant place Where she doth liue by whoÌ„ I liue may chance to haue this grace when she hath red and sene the grief wherin I serue Betwene her brestes she shall thee put there shall she the reserue Then tell her that I come she shall me shortly see And if for waighte the body fayle the soule shall to her fleeâ— The louer blameth his loue for renting of the letter he sent her SUffised not madame that you did teare My woful hart but thus also to rent The weping paper that to you I sent Wherof eche letter was written with a teare Could not my present painesâ— alas suffise Your gredy hart and that my hart doth fele Tormentes that prick more sharper theÌ„ the stele But new and new must to my lot arise Use then my death So shall your cruelty Spite of your spite rid me from all my smart And I no more such tormentes of the hart Fele as I do This shall you gain thereby The louer cuâ—seth the time when first he fell in loue VVHen first mine eyes did view and marke Thy faire beawtie to behold And when mine eares listned to harke The pleasant wordesâ— that thou me told I would as then I had been free From eares to hâ—are and eyes to see And when my lips gan first to moue Wherby my hart to thee was knowne And when my tong did talk of loue To thee that hast true loue down throwne I would my lips and tong also Had then bene dum no deale to go And when my handes haue handled ought That thee hath kept in memorie And when my feete haue gone and soughtâ— To finde and get thee companie I would eche hand a foote had bene And I eche foote a hand had sene And when in minde I did consent To folow this my fansies will And when my hart did first relent To taste such bayt my life to spill I would my hart had bene as thine Or els thy hart had bene as mine The louer determineth to serue faithfully SYnce loue will nedes that I shall loue Of very force I must agree And since no chance may it remoue In wealth and in â—duersitie I shall alway my self apply To serue and suffer paciently Though for good will I finde but hate And cruelty my life to wast And though that still â— wretched state Should pine my dales vnto the last Yet I professe it wâ—llingly To serue and suffer paciently For since my hart is bound to serue And I not ruler of mine owne what so befall till that I sterue By proofe full well it shall be knowne That I shall still my selfe apply To serue and suffer paciently â—ea though my grief finde no redresseâ— But still increase before mine eyes Though my reward be cruelnesse With all the harme happe can deuiseâ— Yet I professe it willingly To serue and suffer paciently Yea though fortune her pleasant â—ace Should shew to set me vp a loft And straight my wealth for to deface Should writhe away as she doth oft Yet would I still my selfe apply To serue and suffer paciently There is no grief no smart no wo That yet I feele or after shall That from this minde may make me go And what so euer me befal I do professe it willingly To serue and suffer paciently The louer suspected blameth yll tonges MYstrustfull mindes be moued To haue me in suspect The troth it shalbe proued Which time shall once detect Though falshed go about Of crime me to accuse At length I do not dout But truth shall me excuse Such sawce as they haue serued To me without desart Euen as they haue deserued Therof God send them part The louer complaineth and his ladie comforteth Louer IT burneth yet alas my hartes desire Ladye What is the thing that hath inflamde thy hâ—rt Louer A certain point as feruent as the fire Ladye The heate shall cease if that thou wilt conuert Louer I cannot stop the feruent raging yre La. What may I do if thy self cause thy smart Lo. Heare my request and rew weying chere La. With right good will say on lo I thee here Lo. That thing would I that maketh two content La. Thou sekest perchance of me that I may not Lo. Would god thou wouldst as thou maist well assent La. That I may not the grief is mine God wot Lo. But I it fele what so thy wordes haue ment La. Suspect me not my wordes be not forgot Lo. Then say alas shall I haue helpe or no. La. I see no time to answer yâ—a but no. Lo. Say ye dere hart and stand no more in doutâ— La. I may not grant a thing that is so dere Lo. Lo with delaies thou drieues me still about La. Thou wouldest my death it plainly doth apperâ— Lo. First may my hart his blood and life blede out La. Then for my sake alas thy will forbere Lo. From day to day thus wastes
the first moouing heauen Three hundred and threscore in partes iustly deuided euen And yet there is another betwene those heauens two Whose mouing is so sly so slack I name it not for now The seuenth heauen or the shell next to the sâ—arry sky All those degrees that gatherth vp with aged pase so sly And doth performe the same as elders count hath bene In nine and twenty yeres complete and daies almost sixtene Doth carry in his bowt the starre of Saturne old A threatner of all liuing things with drought and with his cold The sixt whom this contâ—ins doth stalke with yonger pase And in twelue yere doth somwhat more then thothers vâ—age was And this in it doth beare the starre of Ioue benigne T'wene Saturns malice and vs men frendly defending signe The fift bears bloody Mars that in three hundred daies And twise eleuen with one â—ull yere hath finisht all those waies A yere doth aske the fourth and howers therto sixe And in the same the daies eye the sunne therin he stickes The third that gouernd is by that that gouerns mee And loue for loue and for no loue prouokes as oft we see In like space doth performe that course that did the tother So doth the next vnto the same that second is in order But it doth beare the starre that cald is Mercury That many a crafty secrete steppe doth tread as Calcars try That sky is last and fixt next vsâ— those waies hath gone In seuen and twenty common daies and eke the third of one And â—eareth with his sway the diuers Moone about Now bright now brown now beÌ„t now ful now her light is out Thus haue they of their own two mouinges all these seuen One wherein they be caried still eche in his seuerall heauen An other of them selues where their bodies be layd In by waies and in lesser rowndes as I afore haue sayd Saue of them all the Sunne doth stray lest from the streight The starry sky hath but one course that we haue cald the eight And all these moouinges eight are ment from West to East Although they seme to clime aloft I say from East to west But that is but by force of the first mouing sky In twise twelue houres from east to east that carieth them by by But marke we well also these mouinges of these seuen Be not about the axell tree of the first mouing heuen For they haue their two poles directly tone to the tother c. T. VVYATE the elder Songes and Sonettes of vncertain auctours The complaint of a louer with sute to his loue for pitie IF euer wofull man might moue your hartes to ruthe Good ladies here his woful plaint whose deth shal try his truth And rightfull iudges be on this his true report If he deserue a louers name among the faithfull sort Fiue hundred times the Sunne hath lodged him in the west Since in my hart I harbred first of all the goodlyest gest Whose worthynesse to shewâ— my wits are all to faynt And I lack cunning of the scooles in colours her to paynt But this I briefly say in wordes of egall weight So void of vice was neuer none nor with such vertues freight And for her beauties prayse no wight that with her warres For where she comes she shewes her self as sun among the starres But Lord thou wast to blame to frame such parfitenesse And puttes no pitie in her hart my sorowes to redresse For if ye knew the paines and panges that I haue past A wonder would it be to you how that my life hath last When all the Gods agreed that Cupide with his bow Should shote his arrowes from her eies on me his might to show I knew it was in vain my force to trust vpon And well I wist it was no shame to yelde to â—uch a one Then did I me submit with humble hart and mynde To be her man for euermore as by the Gods assinde And since that day no wo wherwith loue might torment Could moue me from this faithfull band or make me once repent Yet haue I felt full oft the hottest of his fire The bitter teares the scalding sighes the burning hote desireâ— And with a sodain sight the trembling of the hart And how the blood doth come and go to succour euery part When that a pleasant looke hath lift me in the ayer A frowne hath made me fall as fast into a depe despayer And when that I ere this my tale could well by hart And that my tong had learned it so that no word might start The sight of her hath set my wittes in such a stay That to be lord of all the world one word I could not say And many a sodayn cramp my hart hath pinched so That for the time my senses all felt neither weale nor wo. Yet saw I neuer thing that might my minde content But wisht it hers and at her will if she could so consent Nor neuer heard of wo that did her will displease But wisht the same vnto my self so it might do her ease Nor neuer thought that fayre nor neuer liked face Unlesse it did resemble her or some part of her grace No distance yet of place could vs so farre deuide But that my hart and my good will did still with her abide Nor yet it neuer lay in any fortunes powre To put that swete out of my thought one minute of an howre No rage of drenching sea nor woodnesse of the winde Nor cannoÌ„s w t their thundring cracks could put her froÌ„ my minde For when both sea and land asunder had vs set My hole delite was onely then my self alone to get And thitherward to looke as nere as I could gesse Where as I thought that she was theÌ„ that might my wo redresse Full oft it did me good that waies to take my winde So pleasant ayre in no place els me thought I could not finde I saying to my self my life is yonder way And by the winde I haue her sent a thousand sighes a day And sayd vnto the sunne great giftes are geuen thee For thou mayst see mine earthly blisse where euer that she be Thou seest in euery place would God I had thy might And I the ruler of my self then should she know no night And thus from wish to wish my wits haue been at strife And wanting all that I haue wisht thus haue I led my life But long it can not last that in such wo remaines No force for that for death is swete to him that feles such painesâ— Yet most of all me greues when I am in my graue That she shall purchase by my death a cruel name to haue Wherfore all you that heare this plaint or shall it see Wish that it may so perce her hart that she may pitie mee For and it were her will for both it were the best To saue my life to kepe her name and set my hart at rest Of the death of master Deuorox
Your vertue mountes aboue my force so hye And with your beautie seased I am so sure That there auails resistance none in me But paciently your pleasure to endure For on your will my fansy shall attend My life my death I put both in your choyce And rather had this life by you to end Than liue by other alwayes to reioyce And if your crueltie do thirst my blood Then let it forth if it may do you good Vpon consideration of the state of this life he wisheth death THe lenger life the more offence The more offence the greater paine The greater paine the lesse defence The lesse defence the lesser gaine The losse of gaine long yll doth tryâ— Wherfore come death and let me dye The shorter life lesse count I fynde The lesse account the soner made The count soone made the merier mind The merier minde doth thought euade Short life in truth this thing doth trie Wherefore come death and let me dye Come gentle death the ebbe of care The ebbe of care the flood of lyfe The flood of life the ioifull fare The ioyfull faâ—e the end of strife The ende of strife that thing wishe I wherefore come death and let me dye The louer that once disdained loue is now become subiect being canght in his snare TO this my songe geue eare who list And mine â—ntent iudge as ye will The time is come that I haue myste The thing wheron I hoped styll And from the toppe of all my trust Mishap hath throwen me in the dust The time hath bene and that of late My hart and I might leape at large And was not shut within the gate Of looues desire nor toke no charge Of any thing that did pertaine As touching loue in any payn My thought was free my hart was lyght I marked not who lost who saught I playd by day I slept by night I forced not who wept who laught My thought from al such thinges was free And I my self at libertie I toke no hede to tauntes nor toys As leef to see them frowne as smyle where fortune laught I scornde their ioyes I founde their fraudes and euery wyle And to my selfe oft tymes I smiled To see howe loue had them begiled Thus in the net of my conceyt I masked still among the sort Of such as fed vpon the bayte That Cupide laide for his disport And euer as I saw them caught I them beheld and there at laught Tyll at the length when Cupide spied My scornefull wyll and spitefull vse And how I past not who was tyed So that my selfe myght still liue lose He set him self to lye in waite And in my way he threw a baite Such one as nature neuer made I dare well say saue she alone Such one she was as would inuade A hart more hard then marble stone Such â—ne she is I know it right Her nature made to shew her might Then as a man in a mase when vse of reason is away So I began to stare and gase And sodenly without delay Or euer I had the wit to loke I swalowed vp both baiâ— and hoke Whych dayly greues me more and more By sundry sortes of caâ—efull wo And none aliue may salue the sore But onely she tâ—at hurt me so In whom my lyfe doth now consist To saue or slay me as she list But seing now that I am caught And bounde so fast I cannot flee Be ye by myne ensample taught That in your fansies fele you free Despise not them that louers are Lest you be caught within his snare Of Fortune and fame THe plage is great where fortune frounes One mischiefe bringes a thousand woes Where trumpets gâ—ue their warlike sownâ—s The weke susteyne sharp ouerthrowes No better life they take and fele That subiect are to fortunes whele Her happy chaunce may last no time Her pleasure threatneth paines to come She is the fall of those that clime And yet her wheâ—e auanceth â—ome No force where that she hates or loues Her fickle minde so oft remoues She geues uo gift but craues as fast She sone repentes a thankfull dede She turneth after euery blast She helpes them oft that haue no nede Where power dwelles and riches rest False Fortune is a common gest Yet some affirme and proue by sayll Fortune is not a sleing fame She neyther can do good nor yll She hath no fourme yet beares a name Then we but striue against the stremes To frame such ioyes on fansies dreames If she haue shape or name alone Iâ— she do rule or beare no sway If she haue bodie life or none Be she a sprite I can not say But well I wot some cause there is That causeth wo and sendeth blisse The causes of thinges I will not blame Lest I offende the prince of peace But I may chide and braule with â—ame To make her crie and neuer cease To blow the trumpe within her eares That may appease my wofull teares Against wicked tonges O Euill tonges which clap at euery winde Ye slea the quicke and eke the dead defame Those that liue well some faute in them ye finde Ye take no thought in sclaundring their good name Ye put iust men oft times to open shame Ye ryng so loude ye sounde vnto the skyes Aâ—d yet in proofe ye sow nothing but lyâ—s Ye make great warre where peace hath ben of long Ye bring rich realmes to ruine and decay Ye pluck downe right ye enhaunce the wrong Ye turne swete mirth to wo and well away Of mischiefes all ye are the grounde I say Happy is he that liues on such a sort That nedes not feare such tonges of false report Hell tormenteth not the damned gostes so sore as vnkindnesse the louer THe restlesse â—age of depe deuouring hell The blasing brandes that neuer do consume The roring route in Plutoes den that dwell The fiery breath that from those ympes doth fume The dropsy dryeth that Tantale in the flood Endureth ay all hopelesse of reliefe He honger steruen where fruite is ready food So wretchedly his soule doth suffer griefe The liuer gnawne of gylefull Promethus Which Uultures fell with strained talant tire The labour lost of weried Sisiphus These hellish houndes with paines of quenchlesse fire Can not so sore the silly soules torment As her vntruth my hart hath all to rent Of the mutabilitie â—f the worlde BI fortune as I lay in bed my fortune was to finde Such faÌ„sies as my careful thought had brought into my minde And when eche one was gone to rest ful soft in bed to lye I would haue slept but than the watche did folow stil mine eye And sodenly I saw a sea of woful sorowes prest whose wicked wayes of sharpe repulse bred mine vnquiet rest I saw this worlde and how it went eche state in his degree And that from wealth I graunted is both life and libertie I saw how enuy it did raine and beare the greatest price Yet greater poyson is not founde
within the Cockatrice I saw also how that disdaine oft times to forge my wo Gaue me the cup of bitter swette to pledge my mortall foo I saw also how that desire to rest no place coulde finde But still constrainde in endlesse payne to folow natures kinde I saw also most straunge of all how nature did forsake The blood y t in her wombe was wrought as doth y e lothed snake I sawe how fansie would retayne no lenger then her lust And as the winde how she doth chaunge and is not for to trust I saw how stedfastnes did flie with winges of often change A flying bird but seldome seen her nature is so strange I sawe how pleasant times did passe as flowres do in the mede To daye that riseth red as rose to morowe falleth ded I saw my time how it did runne as sand out of the glasse Euen as eche hower appointed is from time and tide to passe I saw the yeres that I had spent and losse of all my game And how the sport of youthfull playes my foly did retaine I saw how that the little Ant in somer stil doth runne To seke her foode wherby to liue in wiuter for to come I saw eke vertue how she sat the threde of life to spinne which sheweth the ende of euery worke before it doth beginne And when all these I thus behelde with many inâ— pardy In me me thought eche one had wrought a perfie propertie And then I sayde vnto my selfe a lesson this shalbe For other that shall afteh come for to beware by me Thus all the night I did deuise which way I might constaine To forme a plot that wit might worke these branches in my brain Harpalus complaint of Phillidaies loue bestowed on Corin who loued her not and denied him that loued her PHyllida was a faire mayde As frâ—sh as any flowre Whom Harpalus the herdman prayde To be his paramour Harpalus and eke Corin were herdmen both yfere and Phyllida could twist and spinne And therto sâ—ng full clere But Phyllida was all to coy For harpalus to winne For Corin was her onely ioy who forst her not a pinne How often wold she flowres twine How often garlandes make Of Cousips and of Columbine And all for Corins sake But Corin he had Haukes to lure And forced more the field Of louers lawe he toke no cure For once he was begilde Harpalus preuailed nought His labour all was lost For he was fardest from her thought And yet he loued her most Therefore waxt he both pale and leane And drye as clod of clay His fleshe it was consumed cleene His colowr gone a way His beard it had not long be shaue His here hong all vnkempt A â—â—n most fit euen for the graue Whom spitefull loue had spent His eyes were red and all forewatched His face besprent with teares It semed vnhap had him long hatched In mids of his despaires His clothes were blacke and also bare As one forlorne was he Upon his head alwaies he ware A wreath of willow tree His beastes he kept vpon the hyll And he saâ—e in the dale And thus with sighes and sorowes shrill â—egan to tell his tale O Harpalus thus would he say Unhappiest vndersunne The cause of thine vnhappy day By loue was first begunne For thou wentst first by sute to seeke A Tigre to make tame That settes not by thy loue a leeke But makes thy griefe her game As easy it were for to couuert The frost into the flame As for to turne a froward hart Whom thou so faine wouldest frameâ— Corin he liueth carelesse He leapes among the leaues He eates the frutes of thy redresse Thou reapes he takes the sheaues My beastes a whyle your foode refraine And harke your heardmans sounde Whom spitefull loue alas hath slaine Through girt with many a wounde O happy be ye beastes wilde That here your pastures takes I see that ye be not begilde Of these your faithfull makes The hart he feedeth by the â—inde The Buck harde by the Do The turtle Doue is not vnkinde To him that loues her so The Ewe she hath by her the Ramme The yong Cow hath the Bull The Calâ—e with many a lusty Lambe Do fede their hungerfull But weâ—away that nature wrought Thee â—hiâ—t day so faire For I may say that I haue boughâ— Thy beauty all to deare What reason is it that crueltie With beautie shoulde haue parte Or els that such great tirany Should dwell in womans hart I see therefore to shappe my death She cruelly is prest To thende that I may waÌ„t my breath My dayes been at the best O Cupâ—de graunt this my request And do not stoppe thine eares That she may feele within her brest The paynes of my dispayres Of Corin that is carelesse That she may craue her fee As I haue done in great distresse That loued her faithfully But sins that I shall die her slaue Her slaue and eke her thrâ—ll Write you my frendes vpon my graue This chaunce that is befall Heâ—e lieth vnhappy Harpelus By cruel loue now slaine Whom Philida vniustly thus Hath murdred with disdayne Vpon sir Iames wilfordes death LO here the end of man the cruell sisters three The web of wilfordes life vneth had halâ—e esponne When rash vppon mildede they all accorded bee To breake of vertues course ere halfe the race were ronne And trip him on his way that els had wonne the game And holden highest place within the house of faine But yet though he be gone though sence with him be past Which trode the euen steppes that leaden to renowne We that remayn aliue ne suffer shall to waste The fame of his desertes so shall he lose but sowne The thing shall aye remayne aye kept as freshe in store As if his eares should ring of that he wrought before Wayle not therfore his want sith he so left the stage Of care and wretched life with ioy and clappe of handes Who playeth lenger partes may well haue greater age But few so well may passe the gulfe of fortunes sandes So tryedly did he treade ay prest at vertues becke That fortune found no place to giue him once a checke The fates haue ryd him hence who shall not after go Though earshed be his corps yet florish shall his fame A gladsome thing it is that ere he stept vs fro Such mirrours he vs left our life therby to frame Wherfore his praise shall last aye freshe in britons sight Tyll sunne shall cease to shine and lend the earth his light Of the wretchednes in this world VVHo list to liue vpright and hold himself content Shal see such wonders in this world as neuer erst was sent Such groping for the swete such tasting of the sower Such wandring here for worldly welth that lost is in one howâ—â— And as the good or badde get vp in hye degree So wades the world in right or wrong it may none other bee And looke what lawes they make eche man
doâ—h count no care To cast his nets to wrack or wast And in reward of eche mans share A gogen gift is much imbrast Should I than grudge it grief or gall That loke at length to whelm a Whall The poore man ploweth his ground for grain And soweth his seede increase to craue And for thexpence of all his pain Oft holdes it hap his seede to saue These pacient paines my part doth show To long for loue ere that I know And take no scorne to scape from skill To spend my sprites to spare my speche To win for welth the want of will And thus for rest to rage I reche Running my race as rect vpright Till teares of truth appease my plight And plant my plaint within her brest Who doutles may restore againe My harmes to helth my ruthe to rest That laced is within her chaine For earst ne are the griefes so gret As is the ioy when loue is met For who couets so high to clim As doth the bird that pitfoll toke Or who delightes so swift to swim As doth the fish that scapes the hoke If these had neuer entred wo How mought they haue reioysed so But yet alas ye louers all That here me ioy thus lesse reioyce Iudge not amis what so befall In me there lieth no power of choyse It is but hope that doth me moue Who standerd bearer is to loue On whose ensigne when I behold I see the shadow of her shape Within my faith so fast I fold Through drede I die through hope I scape Thus ease and wo full oft I finde What will you more she knoweth my minde Of a new maried studient that plaied fast or lose A Studient at his boke so plast That welth he might haue wonne From boke to wife did flete in hast From wealth to wo to runne Now who hath plaied a feater cast Since iugling first begonne In knitting of him self so fast Him selfe he hath vndonne The meane estate is to be accompted the best VVHo craftly castes to stere his boate and safely sâ—oures the flattering flood He cutteth not the greatest waues for why that way wâ—re nothing good Ne fleteth on the crocked shore lest harme him happe awayting lest But wines away betwene them both as who would say the meane is best Who waiteth on the golden meane he put in point of sickernes Hides not his head in sluttish coates ne shroudes himself in filthines Ne sittes aloft in hye estate Where hatefull hartes enuie his chance But wisely walkes betwixt them twaine ne proudly doth himself auance The highest tree in all the wood is rifest rent with blustring windes The higher hall the greater fall such chance haue proude and lofty mindes When Iupiter from hye doth threat with mortall mace and dint of thunder The hyest hilles bene batrid eft when they stand still that stoden vnder The man whose hed with wit is fraught in welth will feare a worser tide When fortune failes dispaireth nought but constantly doth still abide For he that sendeth grisely stormes with whisking windes and bitter blastes And fowlth with hayle the winters face and frotes the soile with hory frostes Euen he adawth the force of cold the spring in sendes with somer hote The same full oft to stormy hartes is cause of bale of ioy the roote Not alwaies yll though so be now when cloudes ben driuen then rides the racke Phebus the fresh ne shooteth still somtime he harpes his muse to wake Stand stif therfore pluck vp thy hart lose not thy port though fortune faile Againe whan winde doth serue at will take hede to hye to hoyse thy saile The louer refused lamenteth his estate I Lent my loue to losse and gaged my life in vaine If hate for loue and death for life of louers be the gaine And curse I may by course the place eke time and howre That nature first in me did forme to be a liues creature Sithe that I must absent my selfe so secretly In place desert where neuer man my secretes shall discry In doling of my dayes among the beastes so brute Who with their tonges may not bewray the secretes of my sute Nor I in like to them may once to moue my minde But gase on them and they on me as beastes are wont of kinde Thus ranging as refusde to reache some place of rest Ill ruff of heareâ— my nayles vnnocht as to such semeth best That wander by their wittes deformed so to be That men may say such one may curse the time he first gan see The beauty of her face her shape in such degree As God himself may not discerne one place mended to be Nor place it in like place my fansy for to please Who would become a heardmans hyre one howre to haue of ease Whereby I might restore to me some stedfastnes That haue mo thoughtes heapt in my hed theÌ„ life may long disges As oft to throw me downe vpon the earth so cold Wheras with teares most rufully my sorowes do vnfold And in beholding them I chiefly call to minde What woman could finde in her hart such bondnge for to binde Then rashly forth I yede to cast me from that care Like as the bird for foode doth flye and lighteth in the snare From whence I may not meue vntill my race be roon So trained is my truth through her y t thinkes my life well woon Thus tosse I to and fro in hope to haue reliefe But in the fine I finde not so it doubleth but my griefe Wherfore I will my want a warning for to be Unto all men wishing that they a myrrour make of me The felicitie of a minde imbracing vertue that beholdeth the wretched desires of the worlde VVHeÌ„ dredful swelling seas through boisterous windy blastes So tosse the ships that all for nought serues ancor sail and masâ—es Who takes not pleasure then safely on shore to rest And see with drede and depe dispaire how shipmen are distrest Not that we pleasure take when others felen smart Our gladnes groweth to see their harmes and yet to fele no part Delight we take also well ranged in aray When armies meete to see the fight yet free be from the fray But yet among the rest no ioy may match with this Taspyre vnto the temple hye where wisdome troned is Defended with the saws of hory heades expert Which clere it kepe from errours mist that might the truth peruert From whence thou mayst loke down and see as vnder foote Mans waÌ„dring wil doutful life froÌ„ wheÌ„ce they take their roote How some by wit contend by prowes some to rise Riches aâ—d rule to gaine and hold is all that men deuise O miserable mindes O hartes in folly drent why see you not what blindnesse in this wretched life is spent Body deuoyde of griefe minde free from care and drede Is all and some that natuâ—e craues wherwith our life to feede So that for natures turne few thinges may well suffice Dolour and
grief clene to expell and some delight surprice Yea and iâ—â—alleth oft that nature more content Is with the lesse then when the more to cause delight is spent All worldly pleasures vade THe winter with his griesly stormes ne lenger dare abide The plesant grasse with lusty grene the earth hath newly dide The trees haue leues the bowes doâ—â—pred new chaÌ„ged is the yere The water brokes are cleane sonk down the plesant banks apere The spring to come the goodly nimphes now dasice in euery place Thus hath the yere most pleasantly of late ychangde his face Hope for no immortalitie for welth will weare away As we may learne by euery yere yea howers of euery day For Zepharus doth molifie the cold and blustering windes The somers drought doth take away the spring out of our mindes And yet the somer cannot last but once must step aside Then â—utumn thinks so kepe his place but Autumn cannot bide For when he hath brought forth his fruits stuft the barns w t corn Then winter eates and empties all and thus is Autumn worn Then hory â—rosts possesse the place then teÌ„pests work much harm Then rage of stormes done make all cold which somer had made so warm Wherfore lâ—t no man put his trust in that that will decay For slipper wealth will not continue pleasure will weare away For when that we haue lost our life and lye vnder a stone What are we then we are but earth then is our pleasure gone No man can tell what God almight of euery wight doth cast No man can say to day I liue till morne my life shall last For when thou shalt before thy iudge stand to receiue thy dome What sentence Minos doth pronounce that must of thee become Then shall not noble stocke and bloud redeme the from his hands Nor sugred talke with eloquence shall lose thee from his bandes Nor yet thy life vprightly lead can help thee out of hell For who descendeth down so depe must there abide and dwell Diana could not thence deliuer chaste Hypolitus Nor Theseus could not call to life his frende Perithous A complaint of the losse of libertie by loue IN seking rest vnrest I finde I finde that welth is cause of wo Wo worth the time that I inclinde To fixe in minde her beauty so That day be darkned as the night Let furious rage it cleane deuour Ne Sunne nor Moone therin giue light But it consume with streame and shower Let no small birds straine forth their voycâ— with pleasant tunes ne yet no beast Finde cause wherat he may reioyce That day when chaunced mine vnrest Wherin alas from me was raught Mine own free choyce and quiet minde My life me death in balance braught And reason rasde through barke and rinde And I as yet in flower of age Both wit and will did still aduance Ay to resist that burning rage But when I darte then did I glaunce Nothing to me did seme so hye In minde I could it straight attaine Fansy perswaded me therby Loue to esteme a thing most vaine But as the bird vpon the brier Doth pricke and proyne her without care Not knowing alas poore foole how nere She is vnto the fowlers snare So I amid disceitfull trust Did not mistrust such wofull happe Till cruell loue ere that I wist Had caught me in his carefull trappe Then did I fele and partly know How litle force in me did raigne So soone to yelde to ouerthrow Do fraile to flit from ioy to paine For when in welth will did me leade Of libertie to hoyse my saile To hale at shete and cast my leade I thought free choyce would still preuaile In whose calme streames I sayld so farre No raging storme had in respect Untill I raysde a goodly starre wherto my course I did direct In whose prospect in doolfull wise My tackle failde my compasse brake Through hote desires such stormes did riseâ— That sterne and top went all to wrake Oh cruell hap oh fatall chaunce O Fortune why were thou vnkinde Without regarde thus in a traunce To reue from me my ioyfull minde Where I was free now must I serue Where I was lose now am I bound In death my life I do preserue As one through girt with many a wound A praise of his Ladye GEue place you Ladies and be gone Boast not your selues at all For here at hand approcheth one Whoâ—e face will staine you all The vertue of her liuely lokes Excels the precious stone I wish to haue none other bokes To read or loke vpon In eche of her two cristall eyes Smileth a naked boye It would you all in hart suffice To see that lampe of ioye I thinke nature hath lost the moulde Where she her shape did take Or els I doubt if nature could So faire a creature make She may be well comparde Unto the Phenix kinde Whose like was neuer sene nor heard That any man can finde In life she is Diana chaâ—t In trouth Penelopey In word and eke in dede stedfast What wil you more we sey If all the world were sought so farre Who could finde such a wight Her beuty twinkleth like a starre Within the frosty night Her rosiall colour comes and goes With such a comely grace More redier to then doth the rose Within her liuely face At Bacchus feast none shall her mete Ne at no wanton play Nor gasyng in an open strete Nor gadding as a stray The modest mirth that she doth vse Is mixt with shamefastnesse All vice she doth wholy refuse And hateth ydlenesse O lord it is a world to see How vertue can repaire And decke in her such honestie Whom nature made so faire Truely she doth as farre excede Our women now adayes As doth the Ielifloure a wede And more a thousand waies How might I do to get a graffe Of this vnspotted tree For al the rest are plaine but chaffe Which seme good corne to be This gift alone I shal her geue When death doth what he can Her honest fame shall euer liue Within the mouth of man The pore estate to be holden for best Experience now doth shew what God vs taught before Desired pompe is vaine and seldome doth it last Who climbes to raigne with kinges may rue his fate full soreâ— Alas the woful ende that â—omes with care full fast Reiect him doth renowne his pompâ— full low is castâ— Deceiued is the birde by swetenesse of the call Expell that pleasant taste wherein is bitter gall Such as with oten cakes in poore estate abides Of care haue they no cure the crab with mirth they rost More ease fele they then those that from their height down slides Excesse doâ—h brede their wo they faile in Scillas cost Remainyng in the stormes tyll shyp and al be lost Serue God therefore thou pore for lo thou liues in rest Eschue the golden hall thy thatched house is besT The complaint of Thestilis amid the desert wodde THestilis a sely man when
to cry aloud There might you heare the cannons rore Eche pece discharged a louers loke Which had the power to rent and tore In any place wheras they toke And euen with the trumpets sowne The scaling ladders were vp set And beauty walked vp and downe with bow in hand and arrowes whet Then first desire began to scale And shrowded him vnder his targe As on the worthiest of them all And aptest for to geue the charge Then pushed souldiers with their pikes And holbarders with handy strokes The hargabushe in flesh it lightes And dims the ayre with misty smokes And as it is the souldiers vse When shot and powder gins to want I hanged vp my flagge of truce And pleaded for my liues graunt When fansy thus had made her breach And beauty entred with her band with bag and baggage seâ—y wretch I yelded into beauties hand Then beauty bad to blow retrete And euery soldiour to retire And mercy wilde with spede to fet Me captiue bound as prisoner Madame quoth I sith that this day Hath serued you at all assaies I yelde to you without delay Here of the fortresse all the kaies And sith that I haue ben the marke At whom you shot at with your eye Nedes must you with your handy warkeâ— Or salue my sore or let me dye The aged louer renounceth loue I Lothe that I did loue In youth that I thought swete As time requires for my bâ—houe Me thinkes they are not mete My lustes they do me leaue My fansies aâ—l be fled And tract of time begins to weaue Gray heares vpon my hed For age with â—teling steps Hath clawed me with his crowch And lusty life away she leapes As there had bene none such My muse doth not delight Me as she did before My hand and pen are not in plight As they haue bene of yore For reason me denies This youthly idle timâ— And day by day to me she cries Leaue of these toyes in time The wrinkles in my brow The furrowes in my face Say limping age will hedge him now Where youth must geue him place The harbinger of death To me I see him ride The cough the cold the gasping breath Doth bid me to prouide A pikeax and a spade And eke a shrowding shete A house of clay for to be made For such a gest most mete Me thinkes I heare the clarke That knoles the carefull knell And bids me leaue my wofull warke Ere nature me compell My kepers knit the knot That youth did laugh to scorne Of me that clene shalbe forgot As I had not bene borne Thus must I youth giue vp Whose badge I long did weare To them I yelde the wanton cup That better may it beare Lo here the bared scull By whose balde signe I know That stouping age away shall pull which youthfull yeres did sow For beauty with her â—and These croked cares hath wrought And shipped me into the land From whence I first was brought And ye that bide behinde Haue ye none other trust As ye of claye were cast by kinde So shall ye waste to dust Of the ladie went worthes death TO liue to dye and dye to liue againe With good renowne of fame well led before Here lieth she that learned had the lore Whom if the parfect vertues wolden daine To be set forth with foile of worldly grace was noble borne and match in noble race Lord Wentworthes wife nor waÌ„ted to attaine In natures giftes her praise among the rest But that that gaue her praise aboue the best Not fame her wedlocks chastnes durst distain Wherein with child deliueryng of her wombe Thuntimely birth hath brought theÌ„ both in tomb So left she life by death to liue againe The louer accusing his loue for her vnfaithfulnesse purposeth to liue in libertie THe smoky sighes the bitter teares That I in vaine haue wasted The broken slepes the wo and feares That long in me haue lasted The loue and all I owe to thee Here I renounce and make me free Which fredome I haue by thy guilt And not by my deseruing Since so vnconstantly thou wilt Not loue but still be swering To leaue me of which was thine owne â—ithout cause why as shalbe knowen The frutes were faire the which did grow Within thy garden planted The leaues were grene of euery bough And moysâ—ure nothing wanted Yet or the blossoms gan fall The caterpiller wasted all Thy body was the garden place And â—ugred wordes it beareth The blossomes all thy faith it was which as the canker wereth The caterpiller is the same That hath wonne thee and lost thy name I meane thy louer loued now By thy pretented folye which will proue like thou shalt finde how Unto a tree of holly That barke and bery beares alwayes The one birdes feedes the other slayes And right well mightest thou haue thy wish Of thy loue new acquaynted For thou art lyke vnto the dishe That Adrianus paynted Wherin were grapes portraid so faire That fowles for foode did there repaireâ— But I am lyke the beaten fowle That from the net escaped And thou art lyke the rauening owle That all the night hath waked For none intent but to betray The slepyng fowle before the day Thus hath thy loue been vnto me As pleasant and commodious As was the fyre made on the sea By Naulus hate so odious Therwith to train the grekish host From Troyes return where they wer lost The louer for want of his desire sheweth his death at hand AS Cypres tree that rent is by the roote As branch or slippe bereft froÌ„ wheÌ„ce it growes As wel sowen seede for drought that can not sprout As gaping ground that raineles can not close As moules that want the earth to do them bote As fishe on land to whom no water flowes As Thameleon that lackes the aier so sote As flowers do fade when Phebus rarest showes As Salamandra repulsed from the fire So wanting my wish I dye for my desire A happy end excedeth all pleasures and riches of the world THe shining season here to some The glory in the worldes sight Renowmed fame through fortune wonne The glitteryng golde the eyes delight The sensuall life that semes so swete The hart with ioyful dayes replete The thyng wherto eche wight is thrall The happy ende exceadeth all Against an vnstedfast woman O Temerous tauntres that delights in toyes Tumbling cockboat totring to and fro Ianglyng iestres deprauers of swete ioyes Groud of the graffe whence al my grief doth grow Sullen serpent enuironned with dispite That yll for good at all times doest requite A praise of Petrarke and of Laura his ladie O Petrarke hed and prince of poets al Whose liuely gift of flowing eloquence Wel may we seke but finde not how or whence So rare a gift with thee did rise and fal Peace to thy bones and glory immortall Be to thy name and to her excellence whose beauty lighted in thy time and sence So to be set forth as none
eares are bayly â—ed In fine I see and proue the riche haue many foes He slepeth best and careth least that little hath to lose As tyme requireth now who woulde auoyde much strife Were better liue in poore estate then leade a princis life To passe those troublesom times I see but littil choyse But helpe to wayle with those that wepe laugh wheÌ„ they reioyce For as we se to day our brother brought in care To morow may we haue such chaunce to fal with him in snare Of this we may be sure who thinkes to sit most fast Shal sonest fal like withered leaues that can not bide a blast Though that the flood be great the ebbe as low doth runne When euery man hath playd his part our pagent wylbe donne Who trustes this wretched world I hold him worse then madde Here is not one that â—eareth God the bâ—st is all to badde For those that seme as saintes are diuels in their dedes Though that the earth bringes furth some flowers it beareth many wedes I see no presâ—ut helpe from mischiefe to preuaile But flee the seas of worldly care or beare a quiet saile For who that medleth least shal saue him selfe from smart Who stirres an oare in euery boate shal play a foolish part The dispairing louer lamenteth VVAlking the path of pensiue thought I askt my hart how came this wo Thine eye quod he this care me brought Thy minde thy witte thy wil also Enforceth me to loue her euer This is the cause ioy shal I neuer And as I walke as one dismaide Thinking that wroug this wo me lent Right sent me worde by wrath which sayd This iust iudgement to thee is sent â—euâ—r to 〈…〉 dâ—â—â—g ever â—â—ll â—râ—â—th thâ— fâ—â—le ioy shalâ— thou neuâ—â— â—â—â—h right â—oth iuâ—ge this wâ— tendurâ— Of health of welth of remedy As I haue done so be she sure Of faith and truth vntil I dye And as this paine cloke shal I euer â—o inwardly ioy shal I neuer Griping of gripes greuâ— not so sorâ— Nor serpentes styng causeth such smart Nothing on earth may paine me more Then sight that perst my woful hart Drowned with â—aâ—es stil to perseueâ— Come death betimes ioy shal I neuer O libertie why dost thou swaiâ—e And steale away thus all at ones And I in prison like to starue For lacke of foode do gnaw on bones My hope and trust in thee was euer Now thou art gon ioy shal I neuer But styl as one al desperate To leade my lâ—fe in misery Sith fearâ— from hope hath locke the gate Where pitie should graunt remedy Dispaire this lot assignes me euer To liue in paine ioy shal I neuer The louer praieth his seruice to be accepted and his defaultes pardoned PRoâ—â—yn that somtime serued Cephalus With hart as true as any louer might Yet her betide in louing this vnright That as in hart with loue surprised thus She on a day to see this Cephalus Where he was wont to shroude him in the shade When of his hunting he an ende had made Within y e woods with dredful lote forth stalketh So bussly loue in her hed it walketh That she to sene him may her not restraine This Cephalus that heard one shake y e leaues Uprist all egre thrusting after pray With darte in hand him list no further daine To see his loue but slew her in the greaues That ment to him but perfect loue alway So curious bene alas the rites all Of mighty loue that vnnethes may I thinke In his high seruice how to loke or winke Thus I complaine that wretchedst am of all To you my loue and soueraine lady dere That may my hart with death or life stere As ye best list That ye vouchsafe in all Mine humble seruice And if me misfall By negligence or els for lacke of wit That of your mercy yoâ— do pardon it And tâ—â—nk y â— loue made Procrin shake y e leues When with vnright she slain was in y â— greues Descripcion and praise of his loue LYke the Phenix a birde most rare in sight That nature hath with gold and purple drest Such she me semes in whom I most delight If I might speake for enuy at the least Nature I thinke first wrought her in despite â—â—rose and lilly that sommer bringeth first In beauty sure exceding all the rest â—nder the bent of her browes iustly pight â—s Diamondes or Saphires at the least Her glistring lightes the darknesse of the night Whose litle mouth and chinne like all the rest 〈◊〉 ruddy lippes excede the corall quite â—â— yuery teeth where none excedes the rest â—autlesse she is from foote vnto the waste Her body small and straight as mast vpright Her armes long in iust proporcion cast Her handes depaint with veines all blew white What shal I say for that is not in sight The hidden partes I iudge them by the rest And if I were the forman of the quest To geue a verdite of her beauty bright For geue me Phebus thou shouldst be dispossest Which doest vsurpe my ladies place of right Here will I cease lest enuy cause dispite But nature when she wrought so faire a wight In this her worke she surely dyd entende To frame a thing that God could not amende The louer declareth his paines to excede far the paines of hell THe soules that lacked grace Which lye in bitter paine Are not in such a place As foolish folke do faine Tormented all with fire And boile in leade againe With serpents full of ire Stong oft with deadly paine Then cast in frosen pittes To freze there certaine howers And for their painfull fittes Apointed tormentours No no it is not so Their sorow is not such And yet they haue of wo I dare say twise as much Which comes because they lack The sight of the godhed And be from that kept back Where with are aungels fed This thing know I by loue Through absence crueltie Which makes me for to proue Hell pain before I dye There is no tong can tell My thousand part of care Ther may no fire in hell With my desire compare No boyling leade can pas My scalding sighes in hete Nor snake that euer was With sâ—inging can so frete A true and tender hert As my thoughtes daâ—ly doe â—o that I know but smart And that which longes thereto O Cupid Uenns son As thou hast showed thy might And hast this conquest woon Now end the same aright And as I am thy slaue Contented with all this So helpe me soone to haue My parfect earthly blisse Of the death of sir Thomas wâ—ate the elder LO dead he liues that whilome liued here Among the dead that quick go on the grounâ— Though he be dead yet doth he quick apere By liuely name that death cannot confound His life for ay of fame the trump shall sound Though he be dead yet liues he here aliue Thus can no death from Wiate life depriue That length of time consumeth
wherin they seke their pray And whom they so besege it is a wonderous thing What crafty engins to assault these wily warriers bring The eye as scout and watch to stirre both to and fro Doth serue to stale her heâ—e there where she doth come and go The tong doth pleade for right as herauld of the hart And both the handes as oratours do serue to point their part So shewes the countenance then with these fowre to agree As though in witnes with the rest it would hers sworne be But if she then mistrust it would turne blacke to white For that the woorrier lokes most smoth wheÌ„ he wold fainest bite Then wit as counsellour a helpe for this to finde Straight makes the hand as secretair forthw t to write his minde And so the letters straight embassadours are made To treate in haste for to procure her to a better trade Wherin if she do thinke all this is but a shewe Or but a subtile masking cloke to hide a crafty shrewe Then come they to the larme then shew they in the fielde Then muster they in colours strange that waies to make her yeld Then shoote they batry of then compasse they her in At tilt and turney oft they striue this selly soule to win Then sound they on their lutes then strain they forth their song Then romble they with instrumentes to lay her quite a long Then borde they her with giftes then do they woo and watch Then night and day they labour hard this simple hold to catch As pathes within a wood or turnes with in a mase So then they shew of wiles craftes they can a thousand wayesâ— Of the vanitie of mans lyfe VAine is the fleting welth Whereon the world stayes Sithe stalking time by priuy stelth Encrocheth on our dayes And elde which creepeth fast To tayntâ— vs with her wounde Will turne eche blysse vnto a blast Which lasteth but a stounde Of youth the lusty floure Which whylome stoode in price Shall vanish quite within an houre As fire consumes the ice Where is become that wight For whose sake Troy towne Withstode the grekes till ten yeres fight Had rasde their walles adowne Did not the wormes consume Her caryon to the dust Did dreadfull death forbeare his fume For beauty pride or lust The louer not regarded in earnest sute being become wiser refuseth her profred loue DO way your phisske I faint no more The salue you sent it comes to late You wist well all my grief before And what I suffred for your sake Hole is my hart I plaine no more A new the cure did vndertake Wherfore do way you come to late For whiles you knew I was your own So long in vaine you made me gape And though my fayth it were well knowne Yet small regard thou toke therat But now the blast is ouerblowne Of vaine phisicke a salue you shape Wherfore do way you come to late How long or this haue I bene faine To gape for mercy at your gate Untill the time I spâ—de it plaine That pitie and you fell at debate For my redresse then was I faine Your seruice cleane for to forsake Wherfore do way you come to late For when I brent in endlesse fire Who ruled then but cruell hate So that vnneth I durst desire One looke my feruent heate to slake Therfore another doth me hyre And all the profer that you make Is made in vayne and comes to late For when I asked recompence With cost you nought to graunt God wat Then said disdaine to great expence It were for you to graunt me that Therfore do way your rere pretence That you would binde that derst you brake For lo your salue comes all to late The complaint of a woman rauished and also mortally wounded A Cruell Tiger all with teeth bebled A bloody tirantes hand in eche degre A lecher that by wretched lust was led Alas deflowred my virginitee And not contented with this villanie Nor with thoutragious terrour of the dede With bloody thirst of greater crueltie Fearing his haynous gilt should be bewrayed By crying death and vengeance openly His violent hand forthwith alas he layed Upon my guiltâ—es sely childe and me And like the wretch whom no horrour dismayde Drownde in the sinke of depe iniquitie Misusing me the mother for a time Hath slaine vs both for cloking of his crime The louer being made thrall by loue perceiueth how great a losse is libertye AH libertie now haue I learnd to know By lacking thee what Iewell I possest When I receiued first from Cupids bow The deadly wound that festreth in my brest So farre alas forth strayed were mine eyes That I ne might refraine them backe for lo They in a moment all earthly thinges despise In heauenly sight now are they fixed so What then for me but still with mazed sight To wonder at that excellence diuine Where loue my freedome hauing in despight Hath made me thrall through errour of mine eyen For other guerdon hope I not to haue My foltring toonge so basheth ought to craue The diuers and contrarie passions of the louer HOlding my peace alas how loud I crye Pressed with hope and dread euen both at ones Strayned with death and yet I cannot dye Burning in flame quaking for cold that grones Unto my hope withouten winges I flye Pressed with dispayre that breaketh all my bones Walking as if I were and yet am not Fayning with mirth most inwardly with mones Hard by my helpe vnto my health not nye Mids of the calme my ship on rocke it rones I serue vnbound fast fettred yet I lye In stede of milke that fede on marble stones My most will is that I do espye That workes my ioyes and sorowes both at ones In contrairs standeth all my losse and gaine And lo the giltlesse causeth all my paine The testament of the hawthorne I Sely Haw whose hope is past In faithfull true and fixed minde To her whom that I serued last Haue all my ioyefulnes resignde Because I know assuredly My dying day aprocheth nye Dispaired hart the carefull nest Of all the sighes I kept in store Conuey my carefull corps to rest That leaues his ioy for euermore And when the day of hope is past Geue vp thy sprite and sigh the last But or that we depart in twaine Tell her I loued with all my might That though the corps in clay remaine Consumed to asshes pale and white And though the vitall powres do ceasse The sprite shall loue her natrelesse And pray my liues lady dere During this litle time and space That I haue to abiden here Not to withdraw her wonted grace In recompensing of the paine That I shall haue to part in twaine And that at least she will withsaue To graunt my iust and last request When that she shall behold his graue That lyeth of lyfe here dispossest In record that I once was hers To bathe the frosen stone with tearesâ— The seruice tree here do
together Did loue renewes his blast That cause my ioyes to wither Then sodaynely a spark Startes out of my desire And lepes into my hart Settyng the coles a fire Then reason runnes about To seke forgetfull water To quench and clene put out The cause of all this matter And saith dead flesh must nedes Be cut out of the core For rotten withered wedes Can heale no greuous sore But then euen sodaynely The feruent heat doth slake And cold then straineth me That makes my bodies shake Alas who can endure To suffer all this paine Sins her that should me cure Most cruell death hath slaine Well well I say no more Let dead care for the dead Yet wo is me therfore I must attempt to lead One other kinde of life Then hitherto I haue Or els this paine and strife Will bring me to my graue ¶ Songes written by N. G. Of the ix Muses I Mâ—s of king Ioue and quene Remembrance lo The sisters nyne the poets pleasant feres Calliope doth stately stile bestow And worthy praises paintes of princely peres Clio in solem songes reneweth all day With present yeres conioyning age bypast Delitefull talke loues Comicall Thalsy In fresh grene youth who doth like laurell last With voyces Tragicall sowndes Melpomen And as with cheins thallâ—red eare she bindes Her stringes when Terpsichor doth touche euen then She toucheth hartes and raigneth in mens mindes Fine Erato whose looke a liuely chere Presents in dauncing keepes a comely grace With semely gesture doth Polymnie stere Whose wordes holle routes of rankes doo rule in place Uranie her globes to view all bent The ninefold heauen obserues with fixed face The blastes Eutrepe tunes of instrument With solace sweet hence heauie dumps to chase Lord Phebus in the mids whose heauenly sprite These ladies doth enspire embraceth all The graces in the Muses weed delite To lead them forth that men in maze they fall Musonius the Philosophers saying IN working well if trauell you sustain Into the winde shall lightly passe the paine But of the dede the glory shall remain And cause your name with worthy wights to raign In working wrong if pleasure you attaine The pleasure soon shall vade and voyde as vaine But of the deed throughout the life the shame Endures defacing you with fowl defame And still tormentes the minde both night and dayâ— Scant length of time the spot can wash away Flee then ylswading pleasures baits vntrew And noble vertues fair renown purseew Description of Vertue VVHat one art thou thus in torn weed yclad Uertue in price whom auncient sages had why poorely rayd For fading goodes past care Why doublefaced I marke ech fortunes fare This bridle what Mindes rages to restrain Tooles why beare you I loue to take great painâ— Why winges I teache aboue the starres to flye Why tread you death I onely cannot dyeâ— Praise of measure-keping THe auncient time commended not for nought The mean what better thing can ther be sought In meane is vertue placed on either side Both right and left amisse a man shall slideâ— Icar with sire hadst thou the mid way flown Icarian beck by name had no man known If middle path kept had proud Phaeton No burning brand this earth had faâ—â—ne vpon Nâ— cruel powr ne none to soft can raign That kepes a mean the same shall still remain Thee Iulie once did too much mercy spill Thee Nero stern rigor extreem did kill How could August so many yeres well passe Nor ouermeek nor ouerferse he was Worship not Ioue with curious fansies vain Nor him despise hold right atween these twain No wastefull wight no greedy goom is prayzd Stands largesse iust in egall balance payzd So Catoes meal surmountes Antonius chere And better fame his sober fare hath herâ— To slender building bad as bad to grosse One an eyesore the tother falls to losse As medcines help in measure so God wot By ouermuch the sick their bane haue got Unmeet mee seems to vtter this mo wayes Measure forbids vnmeasurable prayse Mans life after Possidonius or Crates VVHat path list you to tread what trade will you assay The courts of plea by braul bate driue geÌ„tle peace awayâ— In house for wife and childe there is but cark and care With trauail and with toyl ynough in feelds we vse to fare Upon the seas lieth dreed the rich in foraine land Doo fear the losse and there the poore like misers poorely standâ— Strife with a wife without your thrift full hard to see Yong brats a trouble none at allâ— a maym it seems to bee Youth fond age hath no hert and pincheth all to nye Choose then the leeser of these twoo no life or soon to dye Metrodorus minde to the contrarie VVHat race of life ronne you what trade will you assayâ— In courts is glory got and wit encreased day by day At home wee take our ease and beak our selues in rest The feeldes our nature doo refresh with pleasures of the bestâ— On seas is gayn to get the straunger hee shall bee Estemed hauing much if not none knoweth his lack but heeâ— A wife will trim thy house no wyfe then art thou free Brood is a louely thing without thy life is loose to thee â—ong bloods be strong old sires in double honour dwell Dâ—way that choyse no life or soon to dye for all is well Of frendship OF all the heauenly giftes that mortall men commend What trusty treasure in the world can counteruail a frend Our helth is soon decayd goodes casuall light and vain Broke haue we sene the force of powre and honour suffer stainâ— In bodies lust man doth resemble but base brute True vertue gets and keeps a frend good guide of our pursute Whose harty zeale with ours accords in euery case No terme of time no space of place no storme can it deface When fickle fortune failes this knot endureth still Thy kin out of their kinde may swarue wheÌ„ frends owe the good willâ— What sweter solace shall befall than one to finde Upon whose brest thou mayst repose the secretes of thy minde He wayleth at thy wo his teares with thine be shed With thee doth he all ioyes enioy so leef a life is led Behold thy frend and of thy self the patern see One soull a wonder shall it seem in bodies twain to bee In absence present rich in want in sicknesse sound Yea after death aliue mayst thou by thy sure frend be found Eche house eche towne eche realm by stedfast loue doth stand Where fowl debate breeds bitter bale in eche deuided land O frendship flowr of flowrs O liuely sprite of life O sacred bond of blisfull peace the stalworth staunch of strife Scipio with Lelius didst thou conioyn in care At home in warrs for weal and wo with egall faith to fare Gesippus eke with Tite Damon with Pythias And with Mâ—netus sonne Achill by thee combined was Euryalus and Nisus gaue Uirgil cause to sing Of â—ylades doo many rimes and