astownd And flocks and shepheards caused to reioyce But now ye Shepheard lasses who shall lead Your wandring troupes or sing your virelayes Or who shall dight your bowres sith she is dead That was the Lady of your holy dayes Let now your blisse be turned into bale And into plaints conuert your ioyous playes And with the same fill euery hill and dale Let Bagpipe neuer more be heard to shrill That may allure the senses to delight Ne euer Shepheard sound his Oaten quill Vnto the many that prouoke them might To idle pleasance but let ghastlinesse And drearie horror dim the chearefull light To make the image of true heauinesse Let birds be silent on the naked spray And shady woods resound with dreadfull yells Let streaming floods their hastie courses stay And parching drouth drie vp the christall wells Let th' earth be barren and bring foorth no flowres And th' ayre be fild with noyse of dolefull knells And wandring spirits walke vntimely howres And Nature nurse of euery liuing thing Let rest her selfe from her long wearinesse And cease henceforth things kindly forth to bring But hideous monsters full of vglinesse For she it is that hath me done this wrong No nurse but Stepdame cruell mercilesse Weepe Shepheard weepe to make my vndersong 4 My litle flocke whom earst I lou'd so well And wont to feede with finest grasse that grew Feede ye hencefoorth on bitter Astrofell And stinking Smallage and vnsauerie Rew And when your mawes are with those weeds corrupted Be ye the pray of Wolues ne will I rew That with your carkasses wild beasts be glutted Ne worse to you my sillie sheepe I pray Ne sorer vengeance wish on you to fall Than to my selfe for whose confusde decay To carelesse heauens I doo daylie call But heauens refuse to heare a wretches cry And cruell death doth scorne to come at call Or graunt his boone that most desires to dye The good and righteous he away doth take To plague th'vnrighteous which aliue remaine But the vngodly ones he doth forsake By liuing long to multiplie their paine Els surely death should be no punishment As the great Iudge at first did it ordaine But rather riddance from long languishment Therefore my Daphne they haue tane away For worthie of a better place was she But me vnworthie willed here to stay That with her lacke I might tormented be Sith then they so haue ordred I will pay Penance to her according their decree And to her ghost doe seruice day by day For I will walke this wandring pilgrimage Throuhout the world from one to other end And in affliction waste my better age My bread shall be the anguish of my mynd My drink the teares which fro mine eyes do raine My bed the ground that hardest I may fynd So will I wilfully increase my paine And the my loue that was my Saint that is When she beholds from her celestiall throne In which shee ioyeth in eternall blis My bitter penance will my cafe bemone And pitie me that liuing thus doo die For heauenly spirits haue compassion On mortall men and rue their miserie So when I haue with sorrow satisfyde Th'importune fates which vengeance on me seeke And th'eauens with long languor pacifyde She for pure pitie of my sufferance mecke Will send for me for which I daylie long And will tell then my painfull penance ecke Weepe Shepheard weepe to make my vndersong 5 Hencefoorth I hate what euer Nature made And in her workmanship no pleasure finde For they be all but vaine and quickly fade So soone as on them blowes the Northern winde They tarrie not but flit and fall away Leauing behind them nought but griefe of minde And mocking such as thinke they long will stay I hate the heauen because it doth withhould Me from my loue and eke my loue from me I hate the earth because it is the mould Of fleshly slime and fraile mortalitie I hate the fire because to nought it flyes I hate the Ayre because fighes of it be I hate the Sea because it teares supplyes I hate the day because it lendeth light To see all things and not my loue to see I hate the darknesse and the dreary night Because they breed sad balefulnesse in mee I hate all times because all times doe fly So fast away and may not stayed bee But as aspeedie post that passeth by I hate to speake my voyce is spent with crying I hate to heare lowd plaints haue duld mine eares I hate to tast for food withholds my dying I hate to see mine eyes are dimd with teares I hate to smell no sweet on earth is left I hate to feele my flesh is numbd with feares So all my senses from me are bereft I hate all men and shun all womankinde The one because as I they wretched are The other for because I doo not finde My loue with them that wont to be their Starre And life I hate because it will not last And death I hate because it life doth marre And all I hate that is to come or past So all the world and all in it I hate Because it changeth euer too and fro And neuer standeth in one certaine state But still vnstedfast round about doth goe Like a Mill wheele in midst of miserie Driuen with streames of wretchednesse and woe That dying liues and liuing still does dye So doo I liue so doo I daylie die And pine away in selfe-consuming paine Sith she that did my vitall powres supplie And feeble spirits in their force maintaine Is fetcht fro me why seeke I to prolong My wearie daies in dolour and disdaine Weepe Shepheard weepe to make my vndersong 6 Why doo I longer liue in lifes despight And doo not dye then in despight of death Why doo I longer see this loathsome light And doo in darknesse not abridge my breath Sith all my sorrow should haue end thereby And cares finde quiet is it so vneath To leaue this life or dolorous to dye To liue I finde it deadly dolorous For life drawes care and care continuall woe Therefore to dye must needes be ioyeous And wishfull thing this fad life to forgoe But I must stay I may it not amend My Daphne hence departing bad me so She bad me stay till she for me did send Yet whilest I in this wretched vale doo stay My wearie feete shall euer wandring be That still I may be readie on my way When as her messenger doth come for me Ne will I rest my feete for feeblenesse Ne will I rest my limmes for frailtie Ne will I rest mine eyes for heauinesse But as the mother of the Gods that sought For faire Eurydice her daughter deere Throghout the world with wofull heauie thought So will I trauell whilest I tarrie heere Ne will I lodge ne will I euer lin Ne when as drouping Titan draweth neere To loose his teeme will I take vp my Inne Ne sleepe the harbenger of wearie wights Shall euer lodge vpon mine
dight With chearefull grace and amiable sight For of the soule the bodie forme doth take For soule is forme and doth the bodie make Therefore where euer that thou doest behold A comely corpse with beautie faire endewed Know this for certaine that the same doth hold A beauteous soule with faire conditions thewed Fit to receiue the seede of vertue strewed For all that faire is is by nature good That is a signe to know the gentle blood Yet oft it falles that many a gentle mynd Dwels in deformed tabernacle drownd Either by chaunce against the course of kynd Or through vnaptnesse in the substance fownd Which it assumed of some stubborne grownd That will not yield vnto her formes direction But is perform'd with some foule imperfection And oft it falles ay me the more to rew That goodly beautie albe heauenly borne Is foule abusd and that celestiall hew Which doth the world with her delight adorne Made but the bait of sinne and sinners scorne Whilest euery one doth seeke and sew to haue it But euery one doth seeke but to depraue it Yet nathemore is that faire beauties blame But theirs that do abuse it vnto ill Nothing so good but that through guilty shame May be corrupt and wrested vnto will Nathelesse the soule is faire and beauteous still How euer fleshes fault it filthy make For things immortall no corruption take But ye faire Dames the worlds deare ornaments And liuely images of heauens light Let not your beames with such disparagements Be dimd and your bright glorie darkned quight But mindfull still of your first countries sight Doe still preserue your first informed grace Whose shadow yet shynes in your beauteous face Loath that foule blot that hellish fierbrand Disloiall lust faire beauties foulest blame That base affectiōs which your eares would bland Commend to you by loues abused name But is indeede the bondslaue of defame Which will the garland of your glorie marre And quēch the light of your bright shyning starre But gentle Loue that loiall is and trew Will more illumine your resplendent ray And adde more brightnesse to your goodly hew From light of his pure fire which by like way Kindled of yours your likenesse doth display Like as two mirrours by opposd reflexion Doe both expresse the faces first impression Therefore to make your beautie more appeare It you behoues to loue and forth to lay That heauenly riches which in you ye beare That men the more admyre their fountaine may For else what booteth that celestiall ray If it in darknesse be enshrined euer That it of louing eyes be vewed neuer But in your choice of Loues this well aduize That likest to your selues ye them select The which your forms first sourse may sympathize And with like beauties parts be inly deckt For if you loosely loue without respect It is no loue but a discordant warre Whose vnlike parts amongst themselues do iarre For Loue is a celestiall harmonie Of likely harts composd of starres concent Which ioyne together in sweete sympathie To worke ech others ioy and true content Which they haue harbourd since their first descēt Out of their heauenly bowres where they did see And know ech other here belou'd to bee Then wrong it were that any other twaine Should in loues gentle band combyned bee But those whom heauen did at first ordaine And made out of one mould the more t' agree For all that like the beautie which they see Streight do not loue for loue is not so light As streight to burne at first beholders sight But they which loue indeede looke otherwise With pure regard and spotlesse true intent Drawing out of the obiect of their eyes A more refyned forme which they present Vnto their mind voide of all blemishment Which it reducing to her first perfection Beholdeth free from fleshes frayle infection And then conforming it vnto the light Which in it selfe it hath remaining still Of that first Sunne yet sparckling in his sight Thereof he fashions in his higher skill An heauenly beautie to his fancies will And it embracing in his mind entyre The mirrour of his owne thought doth admyre Which seeing now so inly faire to be As outward it appeareth to the eye And with his spirits proportion to agree He thereon fixeth all his fantasie And fully setteth his felicitie Counting it fairer then it is indeede And yet indeede her fairenesse doth exceede For louers eyes more sharply sighted bee Then other mens and in deare loues delight See more then any other eyes can see Through mutuall receipt of beames bright Which carrie priuie message to the spright And to their eyes that inmost faire display As plaine as light discouers dawning day Therein they see through amorous eye-glaunces Armies of loues still flying too and fro Which dart at them their litle fierie launces Whom hauing wounded backe againe they go Carrying compassion to their louely foe Who seeing her faire eyes so sharpe effect Cures all their sorrowes with one sweete aspect In which how many wonders doe they reede To their conceipt that others neuer see Now of her smiles with which their soules they feede Like Gods with Nectar in their bankets free Now of her lookes which like to Cordials bee But when her words embassade forth she sends Lord how sweete musicke that vnto them lends Sometimes vpon her forhead they behold A thousand Graces masking in delight Sometimes within her eye-lids they vnfold Ten thousand sweet belgards which to their sight Doe seeme like twinckling starres in frostie night But on her lips like rosy buds in May So many millions of chaste pleasures play All those ô Cytherea and thousands more Thy handmaides be which do on thee attend To decke thy beautie with their dainties store That may it more to mortall eyes commend And make it more admyr'd of foe and frend That in mens harts thou mayst thy throne enstall And spred thy louely kingdome ouer all Then Iotryumph ô great beauties Queene Aduance the banner of thy conquest hie That all this world the which thy vassals beene May draw to thee and with dew fealtie Adore the powre of thy great Maiestie Singing this Hymne in honour of thy name Compyld by me which thy poore liegeman am In lieu whereof graunt ô great Soueraine That she whose conquering beautie doth captiue My trembling hart in her eternall chaine One drop of grace at length will to me giue That I her bounden thrall by her may liue And this same life which first fro me she reaued May owe to her of whom I it receaued And you faire Venus dearling my deare dread Fresh flowre of grace great Goddesse of my life Whē your faire eyes these fearefull lines shal read Deigne to let fall one drop of dew reliefe That may recure my harts long pyning griefe And shew what wōdrous powre your beauty hath That can restore a damned wight from death FINIS AN HYMNE OF HEAVENLY LOVE LOue lift me vp vpon thy golden wings From
mynd With griefe of mournefull great mishap opprest Fit matter for his cares increase would fynd Let reade the rufull plaint herein exprest Of one I weene the wofulst man aliue Euen sad Alcyon whose empierced brest Sharpe sorrowe did in thousand peeces riue But who so else in pleasure findeth sense Or in this wretched life dooth take delight Let him be banisht farre away from hence Ne let the sacred Sisters here be hight Though they of sorrowe heauilie can sing For euen their heauie song would breede delight But here no tunes saue sobs and grones shall ring In stead of them and their sweete harmonie Let those three fatall Sisters whose sad bands Doe weaue the direfull threeds of destinie And in their wrath breake off the vitall bands Approach hereto and let the dreadfull Queene Of darkenes deepe come from the Stygian strands And grisly Ghosts to heare this dolefull teene In gloomie euening when the wearie Sun After his dayes long labour drew to rest And sweatie steedes now hauing ouer run The compast skie gan water in the west I walkt abroad to breath the freshing ayre In open fields whose flowring pride opprest With early frosts had lost their beautie faire There came vnto my mind a troublous thought Which dayly doth my weaker wit possesse Ne lets it rest vntill it forth haue brought Her long borne Infant fruit of heauinesse Which she conceiued hath through meditation Of this worlds vainnesse and lifes wretchednesse That yet my soule it deepely doth empassion So as I muzed on the miserie In which men liue and I of many most Most miserable man I did espie Where towards me a sory wight did cost Clad all in black that mourning did bewray And Iaakob staffe in hand deuoutly crost Like to some Pilgrim come from farre away His carelesse lockes vncombed and vnshorne Hong long adowne and beard all ouer growne That well he seemd to be some wight forlorne Downe to the earth his heauie eyes were throwne As loathing light and euer as he went He sighed soft and inly deepe did grone As if his heart in peeces would haue rent Approaching nigh his face I vewed nere And by the semblant of his countenaunce Me seemd I had his person seene else where Most like Alcyon seeming at a glaunce Alcyon he the iollie Shepheard swaine That wont full merrilie to pipe and daunce And fill with pleasance euery wood and plaine Yet halfe in doubt because of his disguize I softlie sayd Alcyon There withall He lookt a side as in disdainefull wise Yet stayed not till I againe did call Then turning back he saide with hollow sound Who is it that dooth name me wofull thrall The wretchedst man that treads this day on groūd One whom like wofulnesse impressed deepe Hath made fit mate thy wretched case to heare And giuen like cause with thee to waile and wepe Griefe finds some ease by him that like does beare Then stay Alcyon gentle shepheard stay Quoth I till thou haue to my trustie care Committed what thee dooth so ill apay Cease foolish man saide he halfe wrothfully To seeke to heare that which cannot be told For the huge anguish which dooth multiplie My dying paines no tongue can well vnfold Ne doo I care that any should bemone My hard mishap or any weepe that would But seeke alone to weepe and dye alone Then be it so quoth I that thou art bent To die alone vnpitied vnplained Yet ere thou die it were conuenient To tell the cause which thee thereto constrained Least that the world thee dead accuse of guilt And say when thou of none shalt be maintained That thou for secret crime thy blood hast spilt Who life dooes loath and longs to be vnbound From the strong shackles of fraile flesh quoth he Nought cares at all what they that liue on ground Deeme the occasion of his death to bee Rather desires to be forgotten quight Than question made of his calamitie For harts deep sorrow hates both life and light Yet since so much thou seemst to rue my griefe And car'st for one that for himselfe cares nought Signe of thy loue though nought for my reliefe For my reliefe exceedeth liuing thought I will to thee this heauie case relate Then harken well till it to end be brought For neuer didst thou heare more haplesse fate Whilome Ivsde as thou right well doest know My little flocke on westerne downes to keepe Not far from whence Sabrinaes streame doth flow And flowrie bancks with siluer liquor steepe Nought carde I then for worldly change or chaūce For all my ioy was on my gentle sheepe And to my pype to caroll and to daunce It there befell as I the fields did range Fearelesse and free a faire young Lionesse White as the natiue Rose before the chaunge Which Venus blood did in her leaues impresse I spied playing on the grassie plaine Her youthfull sports and kindlie wantonnesse That did all other Beasts in beawtie staine Much was I moued at so goodly sight Whose like before mine eye had seldome seene And gan to cast how I her compasse might And bring to hand that yet had neuer beene So well I wrought with mildnes and with paine That I her caught disporting on the greene And brought away fast bound with siluer chaine And afterwards I handled her so sayre That though by kind shee stout and saluage were For being borne an auncient Lions hayre And of the race that all wild beastes do feare Yet I her fram'd and wanso to my bent That shee became so meeke and milde of cheare As the least lamb in all my flock that went For shee in field where euer I did wend Would wend with me and waite by me all day And all the night that I in watch did spend If cause requir'd or els in sleepe if nay Shee would all night by me or watch or sleepe And euermore when I did sleepe or play She of my flock would take full warie keepe Safe then and safest were my fillie she epe Ne fear'd the Wolfe ne fear'd the wildest beast All were I drown'd in carelessequiet deepe My loucly Lionosse without beheast So careful was for them and for my good Thta when I waked neither most nor least I found miscaried or in plaine or wood Oft did the Shepheatils which my hap did heare And oft their lasses which my lack enuyde Daylie resort to my from farre and neare To see my Lyonesse whose prailes wyde Where spred abroad and when her worthinesse Much greater than the rude report they try'de They her did praise and my good fortune blesse Long thus Lioyed in my happinesse And well did hope my ioy would haue no end But oh fond man that in worlds ficklenesse Reposedst hope or weenedst her thy frend That glories most in mortall miseries And daylie doth her changefull counfels bend To make new matter fit for Tragedies For whilest I was thus without dread or dout A cruell Satyre with his murdrous dart Greedie of mischiefe
dart Doing him die that neuer it deserued To free his foes that from his heast had swerued What hart can feele least touch of so sore launch Or thought can think the depth of so deare wound Whose bleeding sourse their streames yet neuer staunch But stil do flow freshly still redound To heale the sores of sinfull soules vnsound And clense the guilt of that infected cryme Which was enrooted in all fleshly slyme O blessed well of loue ô floure of grace O glorious Morning starre ô lampe of light Most liuely image of thy fathers face Eternall King of glorie Lord of might Meeke lambe of God before all worlds behight How can we thee requite for all this good Or what can prize that thy most precious blood Yet nought thou ask'st in lieu of all this loue But loue of vs for guerdon of thy paine Ay me what can vs lesse then that behone Had he required life of vs againe Had it beene wrong to aske his owne with gaine He gaue vs life he it restored lost Then life were least that vs so litle cost But he our life hath left vnto vs free Free that was thrall and blessed that was band Ne ought demaunds but that we louing bee As he himselfe hath lou'd vs afore hand And bound therto with an eternall band Him first to loue that vs so dearely bought And next our brethren to his image wrought Him first to loue great right and reason is Who first to vs our life and being gaue And after when we fared had amisse Vs wretches from the second death did saue And last the food of life which now we haue Euen himselfe in his deare sacrament To feede our hungry soules vnto vs lent Then next to loue our brethren that were made Of that selfe mould and that selfe makers hand That we and to the same againe shall fade Where they shall haue like heritage of land How euer here on higher steps we stand Which also were with selfe same price redeemed That we how euer of vs light esteemed And were they not yet since that louing Lord Commaunded vs to loue them for his sake Euen for his sake and for his sacred word Which in his last bequest he to vs spake We should them loue with their needs partake Knowing that whatsoere to them we giue We giue to him by whom we all doe liue Such mercy he by his most holy reede Vnto vs taught and to approue it trew Ensampled it by his most righteous deede Shewing vs mercie miserable crew That we the like should to the wretches shew And loue our brethren thereby to approue How much himselfe that loued vs we loue Then rouze thy selfe ô earth out of thy soyle In which thou wallowest like to filthy swyne And doest thy mynd in durty pleasures moyle Vnmindfull of that dearest Lord of thyne Lift vp to him thy heauie clouded eyne That thou his soueraine bountie mayst behold And read through loue his mercies manifold Beginne from first where he encradled was In simple cratch wrapt in a wad of hay Betweene the toylefull Oxe and humble Asse And in what rags and in how base aray The glory of our heauenly riches lay When him the silly Shepheards came to see Whom greatest Princes sought on lowest knee From thence reade on the storie of his life His humble carriage his vnfaulty wayes His cancred foes his fights his toyle his strife His paines his pouertie his sharpe assayes Through which he past his miserable dayes Offending none and doing good to all Yet being malist both of great and small And looke at last how of most wretched wights He taken was betrayd and false accused How with most scornefull taunts fell despights brused He was reuyld disgrast and foule abused How scourgd how crownd how buffeted how syde And lastly how twixt robbers crucifyde With bitter wounds through hands through feet Then let thy flinty hart that feeles no paine Empierced be with pittifull remorse And let thy bowels bleede in euery vaine At sight of his most sacred heauenly corse So torne and mangled with malicious forse And let thy soule whose sins his sorrows wrought Melt into teares and grone in grieued thought With sence whereof whilest so thy softened spirit Is inly toucht and humbled with meeke zeale Through meditation of his endlesse merit Lift vp thy mind to th' author of thy weale And to his soueraine mercie doe appeale Learne him to loue that loued thee so deare And in thy brest his blessed image beare With all thy hart with all thy soule and mind Thou must him loue and his beheasts embrace All other loues with which the world doth blind Weake fancies and stirre vp affections base Thou must renounce and vtterly displace And giue thy selfe vnto him full and free That full and freely gaue himselfe to thee Then shalt thou feele thy spirit so possest And rauisht with deuouring great desire Of his deare selfe that shall thy feeble brest Inflame with loue and set thee all on fire With burning zeale through euery part entire That in no earthly thing thou shalt delight But in his sweet and amiable sight Thenceforth all worlds desire will in thee dye And all earthes glorie on which men do gaze Seeme durt and drosse in thy pure sighted eye Compar'd to that celestiall beauties blaze Whose glorious beames all fleshly sense doth daze With admiration of their passing light Blinding the eyes and lumining the spright Then shall thy rauisht soule inspired bee With heauēly thoughts farre aboue humane skil And thy bright radiant eyes shall plainely see Th'Idee of his pure glorie present still Before thy face that all thy spirits shall fill With sweete enragement of celestiall loue Kindled through sight of those faire things aboue FINIS AN HYMNE OF HEAVENLY BEAVTIE RApt with the rage of mine own rauisht thought Through cōtemplation of those goodly sights And glorious images in heauen wrought Whose wōdrous beauty breathing sweet delights Do kindle loue in high conceipted sprights I faine to tell the things that I behold But feele my wits to faile and tongue to fold Vouchsafe then ô thou most almightie Spright From whom all guifts of wit and knowledge flow To shed into my breast some sparkling light Of thine eternall Truth that I may show Some litle beames to mortall eyes below Of that immortall beautie there with thee Which in my weake distraughted mynd I see That with the glorie of so goodly sight The hearts of men which fondly here admyre Faire seeming shewes and feed on vaine delight Transported with celestiall desyre Of those faire formes may lift themselues vp hye◠And learne to loue with zealous humble dewty Th' eternall fountaine of that heauenly beauty Beginning then below with th' easie vew Of this base world subiectro fleshly eye From thence to mount aloft by order dew To contemplation of th' immortall sky Of the soare faulcon so I learne to fly That flags awhile her fluttering wings
ranging all about Gaue her the fatall wound of deadly smart And reft from me my sweete companion And reft fro me my loue my life my hart My Lyonesse an woe is me is gon Out of the world thus was she reft away Out of the world vnworthy such a spoyle And borne to heauen for he auen a fitter pray Much fitter than the Lyon which with toyle Alcides slew and fixt in firmament Her now I seeke throughout this earthly soyle And seeking misse and missing doe lament Therewith he gan afresh to waile and weepe That I for pittie of his heauie plight Could not abstain mine eyes with teares to steepe But when I saw the anguish of his spright Some deale alaid I him bespake againe Certes Alcyon painefull is thy plight That it in me breeds almost equall paine Yet doth not my dull wit well vnderstand The riddle of thy loued Lionesse For rare it seemes in reason to be skand That man who doth the whole worlds rule possesse Should to a beast his noble hart embase And be the vassall of his vassalesse Therefore more plaine aread this doubtfull case Then sighing sore Daphne thou knewest quoth he She now is dead ne more endur'd to say But fell to ground for great extremitie That I beholding it with deepe dismay Was much appald and lightly him vprearing Reuoked life that would haue fled away All were my selfe through grief in deadly drearing Then gan I him to comfort all my best And with milde counsaile stroue to mitigate The stormie passion of his troubled brest But he thereby was more empassionate As stubborne steed that is with curb restrained Becomes more fierce and feruent in his gate And breaking foorth at last thus dearnely plained 1 What man henceforth that breatheth vitall aire Will honour heauen or heauenly powers adore Which so vniustly do their iudgements share Mongst earthly wights as to afflict so sore The innocent as those which do transgresse And doe not spare the best or fairest more Than worst or fowlest but doe both oppresse If this be right why did they then create The world so faire sith fairenesse is neglected Or why be they themselues immaculate If purest things be not by them respected She faire she pure most faire most pure she was Yet was by them as thing impure reiected Yet she in purenesse heauen it selfe did pas In purenesse and in all celestiall grace That men admire in goodly womankind She did excell and seem'd of Angels race Liuing on earth like Angell new diuinde Adorn'd with wisedome and with chastitie And all the dowries of a noble mind Which did her beautie much more beautifie No age hath bred since faire Astraea left The sinfull world more vertue in a wight And when she parted hence with her she reft Great hope and robd her race of bountie quight Well may the shepheard lasses now lament For doubble losse by her hath on them light To loose both her and bounties omament Ne let Elisa royall Shepheardesse The praises of my parted loue enuy For she hath praises in all plenteousnesse Powr'd vpon her like showers of Castaly By her owne Shepheard Colin her own Shepherd That her with heauenly hymnes doth deifie Of rusticke muse full hardly to be betterd She is the Rose the glory of the day And mine the Primrose in the lowly shade Mine ah not mine amisse I mine did say Not mine but his which mine a while her made Mine to be his with him to liue for ay O that so faire a flowre so soone should fade And through vntimely tempest fall away She fell away in her first ages spring Whilst yet her leafe was greene fresh her rinde And whilst her braunch faire blossomes foorth did bring She fell away against all course of kinde For age to dye is right but youth is wrong She fell away like fruit blowne downe with winde Weepe Shepheard weepe to make my vndersong 2 What hart so stonie hard but that would weepe And poure forth fountaines of incessant teares What Timon but would let compassion creepe Into his breast and pierce his frosen eares In stead of teares whose brackish bitter well I wasted haue my heart bloud dropping weares To thinke to ground how that faire blossome fell Yet fell she not as one enforst to dye Ne dyde with dread and grudging discontent But as one toyld with trauell downe doth lye So lay she downe as if to fleepe she went And closde her eyes with carelesse quiemesse The whiles soft death away her spirit hent And soule assoyld from sinfull fleshlinesse Yet ere that life her lodging did forsake She all resolu'd and readie to remone Calling to me ay me this wise bespake Alcyon ah my first and latest lone Ah why does my Alcyon weepe and mourne And grieue my ghost that ill more him behoue As if to me had chaunst some euill tourne I since the messenger is come for mee That summons soules vnto the bridale feast Of his great Lord must needs depart from thee And straight obay his soneraine beheast Why should Alcyon then so sore lament That I from miserie shall be releast And freed from wretched long imprisonment Our daies are full of dolour and disease Our life afflicted with incessant paine That nought on earth may lessen or appease Why then should I desire here to remaine Or why should he that loues me sorrie bee For my deliuerance or at all complaine My good to heare and toward ioyes to see I goe and long desired haue to goe I goe with gladnesse to my wished rest Whereas no worlds sad care nor wasting woe May come their happie quiet to molest But Saints and Angels in celestiall thrones Eternally him praise that hath them blest There shall I be amongst those blessed ones Yet ere I goe a pledge I leaue with thee Of the late loue the which betwixt vs past My young Ambrosia in lieu of mee Loue her so shall our loue for euer last Thus deare adieu whom I expect ere long So hauing said away she softly past Weepe Shepheard weepe to make mine vndersong 3 So oft as I record those piercing words Which yet are deepe engrauen in my brest And those last deadly accents which like swords Did wound my heart and rend my bleeding chest With those sweet sugred speeches doe compare The which my soule first conquerd and possest The first beginners of my endlesse care And when those pallid cheekes and ashie hew In which sad death his pourtraiture had writ And when those hollow eyes and deadly view On which the cloud of ghastly night did sit I match with that sweete smile and chearful brow Which all the world subdued vnto it How happie was I then and wretched now How happie was I when I saw her leade The Shepheards daughters dauncing in arownd How trimly would she trace and softly tread The tender grasse with rosye garland crownd And when she list aduance her heauenly voyce Both Nymphes Muses nigh she made
this base world vnto thy heauens hight Where I may see those admirable things Which there thou workest by thy soueraine might Farre aboue feeble reach of earthly sight That I thereof an heauenly Hymne may sing Vnto the god of Loue high heauens king Many lewd layes ah woe is me the more In praise of that mad fit which fooles call loue I haue in th' heat of youth made heretofore That in light wits did loose affection moue But all those follies now I do reproue And turned haue the tenor of my string The heauenly prayses of true loue to sing And ye that wont with greedy vaine desire To reade my fault and wondring at my flame To warme your selues at my wide sparckling fire Sith now that heat is quenched quench my blame And in her ashes shrowd my dying shame For who my passed follies now pursewes Beginnes his owne and my old fault renewes BEfore this worlds great frame in which al things Are now containd found any being place Ere flitting Time could wag his eyas wings About that mightie bound which doth embrace The rolling Spheres parts their houres by space That high eternall powre which now doth moue In all these things mou'd in it selfe by loue It lou'd it selfe because it selfe was faire For faire is lou'd and of it selfe begot Like to it selfe his eldest sonne and heire Eternall pure and voide of sinfull blot The firstling of his ioy in whom no iot Of loues dislike or pride was to be found Whom he therefore with equall honour crownd With him he raignd before all time prescribed In endlesse glorie and immortall might Together with that third from them deriued Most wise most holy most almightie Spright Whose kingdomes throne no thought of earthly wight Can cōprehēd much lesse my trēbling verse With equall words can hope it to reherse Yet ô most blessed Spirit pure lampe of light Eternall spring of grace and wisedome trew Vouchsafe to shed into my barren spright Some little drop of thy celestiall dew That may my rymes with sweet infuse embrew And giue me words equall vnto my thought To tell the marueiles by thy mercie wrought Yet being pregnant still with powrefull grace And full of fruitfull loue that loues to get Things like himselfe and to enlarge his race His second brood though not in powre so great Yet full of beautie next he did beget An infinite increase of Angels bright All glistring glorious in their Makers light To them the heauens illimitable hight Not this round heauē which we frō hence behold Adornd with thousand lamps of burning light And with ten thousand gemmes of shyning gold He gaue as their inheritance to hold That they might serue him in eternall blis And be partakers of those ioyes of his There they in their trinall triplicities About him wait and on his will depend Either with nimble wings to cut the skies When he them on his messages doth send Or on his owne dread presence to attend Where they behold the glorie of his light And caroll Hymnes of loue both day and night Both day and night is vnto them all one For he his beames doth still to them extend That darknesse there appeareth neuer none Ne hath their day ne hath their blisse an end But there their termelesse time in pleasure spend Ne euer should their happinesse decay Had not they dar'd their Lord to disobay But pride impatient of long resting peace Did puffe them vp with greedy bold ambition That they gan cast their state how to increase Aboue the fortune of their first condition And sit in Gods owne seat without commission The brightest Angell euen the Child of light Drew millions more against their God to fight Th' Almighty seeing their so bold assay Kindled the flame of his consuming yre And with his onely breath them blew away From heauens hight to which they did aspyre To deepest hell and lake of damned fyre Where they in darknesse and dread horror dwell Hating the happie light from which they fell So that next off-spring of the Makers loue Next to himselfe in glorious degree Degendering to hate fell from aboue Through pride for pride and loue may ill agree And now of sinne to all ensample bee How then can sinfull flesh it selfe assure Sith purest Angels fell to be impure But that eternall fount of loue and grace Still flowing forth his goodnesse vnto all Now seeing left a waste and emptie place In his wyde Pallace through those Angels fall Cast to supply the same and to enstall A new vnknowen Colony therein Whose root from earths base groundworke shold begin Therefore of clay base vile and next to nought Yet form'd by wondrous skill and by his might According to an heauenly patterne wrought Which he had fashiond in his wise foresight He man did make and breathd a liuing spright Into his face most beautifull and fayre Endewd with wifedomes riches heauenly rare Such he him made that he resemble might Himselfe as mortall thing immortall could Him to be Lord of euery liuing wight He made by loue out of his owne like mould In whom he might his mightie selfe behould For loue doth loue the thing belou'd to see That like it selfe in louely shape may bee But man forgetfull of his makers grace No lesse then Angels whom he did ensew Fell from the hope of promist heauenly place Into the mouth of death to sinners dew And all his off-spring into thraldome threw Where they for euer should in bonds remaine Of neuer dead yet euer dying paine Till that great Lord of Loue which him at first Made of meere loue and after liked well Seeing him lie like creature long accurst In that deepe horror of despeyred hell Him wretch in doole would let no lenger dwell But cast out of that bondage to redeeme And pay the price all were his debt extreeme Out of the bosome of eternall blisse In which he reigned with his glorious syre He downe descended like a most demisse And abiect thrall in fleshes fraile attyre That he for him might pay sinnes deadly hyre And him restore vnto that happie state In which he stood before his haplesse fate In flesh at first the guilt committed was Therefore in flesh it must be satisfyde Nor spirit nor Angell though they man surpas Could make amends to God for mans misguyde But onely man himselfe who selfe did slyde So taking flesh of sacred virgins wombe For mans deare sake he did a man become And that most blessed bodie which was borne Without all blemish or reprochfull blame He freely gaue to be both rent and torne Of cruell hands who with despightfull shame Reuyling him that them most vile became At length him nayled on a gallow tree And slew the iust by most vniust decree O huge and most vnspeakeable impression Of loues deepe wound that pierst the piteous hart Of that deare Lord with so entyre affection And sharply launching euery inner part Dolours of death into his soule did