race refraine Wherefore to trie if that I said be true How can I better proue then with a kisse O Kisse which doth those ruddie gems impart Or ioyes or fruits of new found Parradise Breathing all blisse and sweetnes to the hart Teaching dumbe lips a nobler exercise O kisse which soules euen soules together ties By linkes of loue and onely natures Art How faine would I paint thee to all mens eies Or of thy gifts at least set out some part But shee forbids with blushing words shee saies Shee builds hir fame on higher seated praise But my heart burnes I cannot silent be Then since deare kisse you faine would haue me peace And I mad with delight want wit to cease Stop you my mouth with still still kissing me NYmph of the garden where all beauties be Beauties which doe in excellence surpasse His whose till death lockt in a watry glasse Or hir whom nak'd the Troian boy did see Sweete garden Nymph which keepes the Cherry tree Whose fruit doth far the Hesperian tast surpasse Most sweete faire most faire sweete doe not alasse From comming neere these Cherries banish mee For though full of desire emptie of wit Admitted late by your best graced grace I caught at one of them a hungry bit Pardon that fault once more graunt me the place And so I sweare by the selfe same delite I will but kisse I neuer more will bite GOod brother Phillip I haue for borne you long I was content you should in fauour creepe While craftely you seemed your Cut to keepe As though that faire soft hand did you great wrong I beare with enuy yet I heare your song When in hir necke you did loue ditties peepe Nay more foole I oft suffred you to sleepe In lillies nest where Loues selfe lies along What doth high place ambitious thoughts augment Is saucines reward of curtesie Cannot such grace your silly selfe content But you must needes with those lips billing be And through those lips drinke Nectar from that tung Leaue that Syr Phillip lest your necke be wrung HIgh way since you my chiefe Pernassus be And that my Muse to some eares not vnmeete Tempers hir words to trampling horses feete More often than a Chamber mellodie Now blessed you beare onwards blessed me To hir where my heart safeliest shall meete My Muse and I must you of duety greete With thanks and wishes wishing thankfully Be you still carefull kept by publike heede By no encrochment wrongd nor time forgot Nor blam'd for bloud nor sham'd for sinfull deede And that you know I enuie you no whit Of highest wish I wish you so much blisse Hundreds of yeares you Stellas feete may kisse BEhold my heart the house that thee contains Beware full Sailes drown not thy tottering Barge Least ioy by nature apt spirites to colarge Thee to thy wracke beyond thy limits straines Nor doe like Lords whose weake confused braines Not pointing to fit folks each vndercharge Striue in themselues each office to discharge With doing all leaue nothing done but paine But giue apt seruants their due place let eies See beauties totall sum found in their face Let eares heare speach which will to wonder tyes Let breath suck vp those sweets let armes imbrace ALas whence comes this change of lookes If I haue chang'd deserts let mine owne conscience be a still felt plague to selfe condemning mee Let woe grype on my heart shame load mine eyes But if all faith like spotles Ermine lye Safe in my soule which onely doth to thee As his sole obiect to felicitie VVith wings of Loue in aire of wonder flie Cease your hard hand threat not so hard your slaue In Iustice paines come not till faults do call Or if I needes sweet Iudge must torments haue Seeke some thing else to chasten mee withall Than those blest eyes where all my hopes do dwell No doome shall make ones Heauen become his Hell VVHen I was forst from Stella euer deare Stella soode of my thoughts hurt of my heart Stella whose eyes make all my temples cleare By Stellaes lawes of duetie to impart Alas I found that shee with mee did smart I sawe that teares did in her eyes appeare I sawe that sighes her sweetest lips did part And her sad wordes my sad deare sense did heare For mee I weepe to see Pearles scattered so I sighd her sighes and wailed for her woe Yet swamme in ioy such loue in her was seene Thus while the effect most bitter was to mee And than the cause nothing more sweet could be I had beene vext if vext I had not beene OVt Traytour absence dar'st thou counsell mee From my deare Conquerour to runne awaie Because in braue arraye here marcheth shee That to entice mee profers present paye Is Faith so weake or is such force in thee VVhen Sunne is hid can Starres such beames displaie Cannot Heauens foode once felt keepe stomacks free From base desire on earthly cates to praie VVhen absence with her mistes obscures her light My Orphan sense slides to the inward sight VVhere memorie feeds foorth the beames of Loue That where before heart lou'd and eyes did see In heart my sight and Loue both coupled be Vnited powres make eche the stronger proue NOw that of absence the most yrksome night VVith darkest shade doth ouercome the daie Since Stellaes eyes that wont giue mee my daie Leauing my Hemisphere o'recast with night Each day seemes long and longs for long staied night The night as tedious wooes th'approch of day Toyled with dustie toyles of busie day Languisht with horrors of the silent night Suffering the euils both of daie and night VVhile no night is more darke than is my daie Nor no daie hath lesse quiet than my night VVith such bad mixture of my night and daie That liuing thus in blackest VVinter night I feele the gleames of hottest Sommers daie STella thinke not that I by verse seeke fame VVho seeke who hope who loue who like but thee Thine eyes my pride thy lips my historie If thou praise mee all other praise is shame Nor so ambitious am I as to frame A nest for my yong praise in Lawrell tree In trueth I sweare I wish not there should be graued in my Epitaph a Poets name Nor if I would could I iust title make That anie laud thereof to me should growe Without my Payns from others wings I take For nothing from my wit or will doth flowe Since all my wordes thy beautie doth indite And Loue doth hold my hand makes me write STella while now by honours cruell might I am from you light of my light misled And whiles faire you my Sunne thus ouerspred With absence vale I liue in sorrowes night If this darke place yet shewe by candle light Some Beauties peece as amber collourd hed Milke hands rose cheekes or lips more sweet more red Or seeming iett black yet in blacknes bright They please I do confesse they please mine eyes But whie because of
on his Launce is still kept greene in the Temple of Pallas Thou only sacrificest thy soule to contemplation thou only entertainest emptie handed Homer keepest the springs of Castalia from being dryed vp Learning wisedom beautie and all other ornaments of Nobilitie whatsoeuer seeke to approue themselues in thy sight and get a further seale of felicity from the smiles of thy fauour O Ioue digna viro ni Ioue nata fores I feare I shall be counted a mercenary flatterer for mixing my thoughts with such figuratiue admiration but generall report that surpasseth my praise condemneth my rethoricke of dulnesse for so colde a commendation Indeede to say the truth my stile is somewhat heauie gated and cannot daunce trip and goe so liuely with oh my loue ah my loue all my loues gone as other Sheepheards that haue beene fooles in the Morris time out of minde nor hath my prose any skill to imitate the Almond leape verse or sit tabring fiue yeres together nothing but to bee to hee on a paper drum Onely I can keepe pace with Grauesend barge and care not if I haue water enough to lande my ship of fooles with the Tearme the tyde I shoulde say Now euery man is not of that minde for some to goe the lighter away will take in their fraught of spangled feathers golden Peebles Straw Reedes Bulrushes or any thing and then they beare out their sayles as proudly as if they were balisted with Bulbiefe Others are so hardly bested for loading that they are faine to retaile the cinders of Troy and the shiuers of broken trunchions to fill vp their boate that else should goe empty and if they haue but a pound weight of good Merchandise it shall be placed at the poope or pluckt in a thousande peeces to credit their carriage For my part euery man as he likes Mens cuinsque is est quisque Tis as good to goe in cut fingerd Pumps as corke shooes if one were Cornish diamonds on his toes To explain it by a more familiar example an Asse is no great state-man in the beastes common-wealth though he weare his eares vpseuant musse after the Muscouy fashion hange the lip like a Capcase halfe open or looke as demurely as a six penny browne loafe for he hath some imperfections that do keepe him frō the cōmon Councel yet of many he is deemed a very vertuous mēber and one of the honestest sort of men that are So that our opinion as Sextus Empedocus affirmeth giues the name of good or ill to euery thing Out of whose works latelie translated into English for the benefit of vnlearned writers a man might collect a whole booke of this argument which no doubt woulde proue a worthy commonwealth matter and far better than wits waxe karnell much good vvorship haue the Author Such is this golden age vvherein vve hue and so replenisht vvith golden Asses of all sortes that if learning had lost it selfe in a groue of Genealogies vvee neede doe no more but sette an olde goose ouerhalfe a dozen pottle pots vvhich are as it vvere the egges of inuention and vvee shall haue such a breede of bookes within a little vvhile after as vvill fill all the vvorld vvith the vvilde fovvle of good vvits I can tell you this is a harder thing then making golde of quicksiluer and vvill trouble you more then the Morrall of Aesops Glovv-vvorme hath troubled our English Apes vvho striuing to vvarme themselues vvith the flame of the Philosophers stone haue spent all their vvealth in buying bellovves to blovve this false fyre Gentlemen I feare I haue too much presumed on your idle leysure and beene too bold to stand talking all this vvhile in an other mans doore but novv I will leaue you to suruey the pleasures of Paphos and offer your smiles on the Aulters of Venus Yours in all desire to please Tho Nashe SIR P. S. HIS ASTROPHEL AND STELLA LOuing in trueth and fayne my loue in verse to show That the deere Shee might take some pleasure of my paine Pleasure might cause her reade reading might make her know Knowledge might pittie winne and pittie grace obtaine I sought fit wordes to paint the blackest face of woe Studying inuentions fine her wittes to entertaine Oft turning others leaues to see if thence would flowe Some fresh and fruitfull showre vpon my Sunne-burnt braine But wordes came halting out wanting inuentions stay Inuention Natures childe fledde Stepdames studies blowes And others feete still seem'de but straungers in my way Thus great with Childe to speake and helplesse in my throwes Byting my tongue and penne beating my selfe for spite Foole saide My muse to mee looke in thy heart and write NOt at first sight nor with a dribbing shot Loue gaue the wound which while I breath will bleede But knowne worth did in tract of time proceede Till by degrees it had full conquest got I sawe and lik'd I lik'd but loued not I lou'd but did not straight what Loue decreede At length to Loues decrees I first agreede Yet with repining at so partiall lot Now euen that foot-steppe of lost libertie Is gone and now like slaue borne Muscouite I call it praise to suffer tyrannie And nowe imploy the remnant of my wit To make my selfe beleeue that all is well While with a feling skill I paint my hell LEt Dainty wittes cry on the Sisters nine That brauely maskt their fancies may be tolde Or Pinders Apes flaunt in their phrases fine Enameling their pride with flowers of golde Or els let them in stately glorie shine Ennobling new founde tropes with problemes old Or with straunge similes inricht each line Of hearbes or beasts which Inde or Affricke hold For me in sooth no Muse but one I know Phrases and Problemes from my reach doe growe And straunge things cost too deere for my poore sprites How then euen thus in Stellas face I reede What loue and beauty be then all my deede But coppying is what in her nature writes VErtue alas now let me take some rest Thou set'st a bate betweene my loue and me If vaine loue haue my simple soule opprest Leaue what thou lik'st and deale thou not with it Thy Scepter vse in some olde Catoes brest Churches and Schooles are for thy seat most fit I doe confes pardon a fault confest My mouth too tender is for thy hard bit But if that needes thou wilt vsurping bee That little reason that is left in mee And still the effect of thy perswasions prooue I sweare my heart such one shall shew to thee That shrines in flesh so true a deitie That Vertue thou thy selfe shalt be in loue It is most true what wee call Cupids dart An Image is which for our selues we carue And fooles adore in Temple of our hart Till that good God make church and Churh-men starue It is most true that eyes are bound to serue The inward part and that the heauenly part Ought to be King from whose rules who doth swerue
VVho hath the crimson weeds stoln frō the morning skies How doth the coullor fade of those vermillion eies VVhich Nature self did make and self engraue the same I would know by what right this palenes ouercame That hue whose force my heart in so great thraldome ties Gallens adopted sonnes who by a beaten way Their iudgements hackney on the fault of sicknes lay But feeling proofe makes me say they mistake it sure It is but loue that makes this paper perfect white To write therein more fresh the storie of Delight VVhiles Beauties reddest incke Venus for him doth stir O Happie Thames that didst my Stella beare I saw thee with full many a smiling line Vpon thy cheereful face Ioues Liuery weare VVhile those faire Plannets on thy streames did shine The boat for ioy could not to dance forbeare VVhile wanton winds with beautie so diuine Rauisht staid not til in her golden haire They did themselues ô sweetest prison twine But faine those friendly windes there would their stay Haue made but forst by Nature still to flie First did with puffing kisse those Lockes display She so discouered blusht From window I with sight thereof cride out Ah faire disgrace Let honours selfe to thee graunt highest place ENuious wits what hath beene mine offence That with such poisoned care my wits you marke That to each word nay sigh of mine you harke As grudging me my sorrows eloquence Ah is it not enough that I am thence Thence so farre thence that scantly anie sparke Of comfort dare come to this dungeon darke VVhere rigorous exile lockes vp al my sense But if I by a happie window passe If I but Starres vpon mine Armour beare Sicke thirstie glad though but of empty glasse Your morals note straight my hid meaning there From out my ribs a whirlewind proues that I Doe Stella loue fooles who doth it denie VNhappie sight and hath shee vanisht by So neere in so good time so free a place Dead glasse dost thou thine obiect so imbrace As what my heart still sees thou canst not spie I sweare by hir Loue and my lacke that I Was not in fault that bent my dazling race Onely vnto the heauen of Stellaes face Counting but dust that in hir way did lie But cease mine eies your teares doe witnes well That you guiltles therefore your necklace mist Curst be the Page from whom the bad torch fell Curst be the night which did your will resist Curst be the Cochman that did driue so fast With no lesse curse then absence makes me tast O Absent presence Stella is not here False flattering hope that with so faire a face Bare me in hand that in this Orphane place Stella I saw my Stella should appeare VVhat saist thou now where is that dainty cleare Thou wouldst mine eies should helpe their famisht case But how art thou now that selfe felt disgrace Doth make me most to wish thy comfort nere But heere I doe store of faire Ladies meete VVho may with charme of conuersation sweete Make in my heauie mould new thoughts to grow Sure they preuaile as much with me as he That bad his friend but then new maimed to be Merrie with him and so his forget woe STella since thou so right a Princesse art Of all the Powers which life bestowe on me That ere by them ought vndertaken be They first resort vnto that soueraigne part Sweete for a time giue respite to my heart VVhich pants as though it stil should leape to thee And on my thought giue the Lieuetenancie To this great cause which needes both wit and Art And as a Queene who from hir presence sends VVhom shee emploies dismisse from thee my wit Still to haue wrought that thy owne will attends For seruants shame of Maisters blame doth sit O let not Fooles in me thy works approue And scorning say see what it is to loue When sorrow vsing my owne Siers might Melts downe his lead into my boyling brest Through that darke Furnace of my heart opprest There shines a ioy from thee my onely light But soone as thought of thee breeds my delight And my young soule once flutters to hir nest Most dead dispaire my daily vnbidden guest Clips strait my wings strait wraps me in his night And makes me then bow downe my head and say Ah what doth Phoebus gold that wretch auaile VVhom Iron darts doth keepe from vse of daie So strangely alas thy works on me preuaile That in my woes for thee thou art my ioy And in my ioyes for thee my onel'anoy Other Sonnets of variable verse First Sonnet DOubt you to whom my Muse these notes intendeth Which now my brest surchargd with musick lendeth To you to you all song of praise is due Onely in you my song begins and endeth 2 Who hath the eyes which marrie state with pleasure Who keepes the key of Natures chiefest treasure To you to you al song of praise be due Onely for you the heauens forget all measure 3 VVho hath the lips where wit with fairenes raigneth VVho womenkinde at once both decks and staineth To you to you al song of praise is due Onely by you Cupid his crowne maintaineth 4 Who hath the feet whose steps al sweetnes planteth VVho els for whom Fame worthie trumpets wanteth To you to you all song of praise be due Onely to you her scepter Venus granteth 5 Who hath the brest whose milk doth patience nurish VVhose grace is such that when it chides doth cherish To you to you al song of praise be due Onely through you the tree of life doth slourish 6 VVho hath the hand which without stroke subdueth VVho long hid beautie with encrease renueth To you to you al song of praise is due Onely at you al enuie hopelesse endeth 7 VVho hath the haire which most loose most fast tieth VVho makes a man liue then glad when he dieth To you to you al song of praise is due Onely of you the flattrer neuer lieth 8 VVho hath the voyce which soule from senses sunders VVhose force but yours the bolt of beautie thunders To you to you al song of praise is due Onely with you no miracles are wonders 9 Doubt you to whom my Muse these notes intendeth VVhich now my breast orechargd with musicke lendeth To you to you al song of praise is due Onely in you my song begins and endeth Second Sonnet HAue I caught my heauenly Iuel Teaching Sleepe most faire to be Now wil I teach her that she VVhen she wakes is too too cruel 2 Since sweete Sleep her eyes hath charmed The two onely darts of Loue Now will I with that Boy proue Some play while he is disarmed 3 Her tongue waking stil refuseth Giuing franklie niggard no Now wil I attempt to knowe VVhat no her tongue sleeping vseth 4 See the hand that waking gardeth Sleeping grants a free resort Now I wil inuade the fort Cowards Loue with losse rewardeth 5 But O foole thinke of the danger Of
by Natures lawes rebel by way of reason Thou sweetest subiect wert borne in the Realme of Loue And yet against thy Prince thy force dost daily proue No vertue merits praise once toucht with blot of Treason 12 But valiant Rebels oft in fooles mouths purchase fame I now then staine thy white with blackest blot of shame Both Rebel to the Sonne and vagrant from the Mother For wearing Venus badge in euery part of thee Vnto Dianaes traine thou runnaway didst flie Who faileth one is false though trustie to another 13 VVhat is not this enough nay farre worse commeth here A Witch I say thou art though thou so faire appeare For I protest mine eyes neuer thy sight enioyeth But Im mee am chang'd I am aliue and dead My feete are turn'd to rootes my heart becommeth lead No witchcraft is so ill as which mans minde destroyeth 14 Yet Witches may repent thou art farre worse than they Alas that I am forst such euill of thee to say I say thou art a Diuel though cloathd in Angels shining For thy face tempts my soule to leaue the heauens for thee And thy words of refuse doo powre euen hell on mee Who tempts and tempted plagues are Diuels in true desining 15 You then vngrateful theefe you murthering Tyrant you You Rebel runnaway to Lord and Lady vntrue You witch you Diuel alas you still of me beloued You see what I can say mend yet your froward minde And such skill in my Muse you reconcil'd shall finde That by these cruell words your praises shalbe proued The sixth Sonnet O You that heare this voice O you that see this face Say whether of the choice Deserues the better place Feare not to iudge this bate For it is voide of hate 2 This side doth Beautie take For that doth Musicke speake Fit Orators to make The strongest iudgements weake The barre to plead the right Is onely true delight 3 Thus doth the voice and face The gentle Lawiers wage Like louing brothers case For Fathers heritage That each while each contends It selfe to other lends 4 For Beautie beautifies With heauenly view and grace The heauenly harmonies And in this faultles face The perfect beauties bee A perfect harmonie 5 Musicke more lustie swels In speeches noblie placed Beautie as farre excels In actions aptly graced A friend each partie drawes To countenance his cause 6 Loue more affected seemes To Beauties louely light And Wonder more esteemes Of Musicks wondrous might But both to both so bent As both in both are spent 7 Musicke doth witnes call The eare his truth to trie Beauty brings to the hall The iudgement of the eie Both in their obiects such As no exceptions tuch 8 The common Sense which might Be arbitrer of this To be forsooth vpright To both sides partiall is He laies on this chiefe praise Chiefe praise on that he laies 9 Then reason Princesse hie Whose throne is in the minde Which Musicke can in skie And hidden Beauties finde Say whether thou wilt crowne With limitlesse renowne The seuenth Sonnet WHose senses in so euill comfort their step dame Nature laies That rauishing delight in them most sweete tunes doth not raise Or if they doe delight therein yet are so cloid with wit As with sententious lips to set a little vaine on it O let them hear these sacred tunes learn in wonders scholes To be in things past boūds of wit fooles if they be not fooles VVho haue so leaden eyes as not to see sweete Beauties showe Or seeing haue so wooden wits as not that worth to knowe Or knowing haue so muddie mindes as not to be in loue Or louing haue so frothie hearts as easie thence to moue O let them see these heauenly beames and in faire letters reed A lesson fit both sight and skill Loue firme Loue to breed 3 Hear then but then with wonder hear see but admiring see No mortal gifts no earthly frutes now here discerned bee See doo you see this face a face nay image of the skyes Of which the two life-giuing lights are figured in her eyes Heare you this soule-inuading voyce count it but a voyce The verie essence of their tunes when Angels doo reoyce The eighth IN a groue most rich of shade Where birds wanton Musicke made Maie then young his pide weeds shewing New perfumes with flowrs fresh growing 2 Astrophel with Stella sweete Did for mutual comfort meete Both within themselues oppressed But either in each other blessed 3 Him great harmes had taught much care Her faire necke a foule yoke bare But hir sight his cares did banish In his sight hir yoke did vanish 4 Wept they had alas the while But now teares themselues did smile While their eyes by Loue directed Interchangeablie reflected 5 Sighd they had but now betwixt Sighs of woe were glad sighs mixt VVith armes crost yet testifying Restles rest and liuing dying 6 Their eares hungrie of each word VVhich the deare tongue would afford But their tongues restraind from walking Till their harts had ended talking 7 But when their tongues could not speak Loue it selfe did silence breake Loue did set his lips asunder Thus to speake in loue and wonder 8 Stella Souereigne of my ioy Faire Triumphres in annoy Stella Starre of heauenly fire Stella loadstarre of desire 9 Stella in whose shining eyes Are the lights of Cupids skyes VVhose beames where they are once darted Loue there with is straight imparted 10 Stella whose voyce when it speakes Senses all asunder breakes Stella whose voyce when it singeth Angels to acquaintance bringeth 11 Stella in whose bodie is Writ the caracters of blis VVhose sweete face all beautie passeth Saue the minde which it surpasseth 12 Graunt ô graunt but speach alas Failes me fearing on to passe Graunt to me what am I saying But no sinne there is in praying 13 Graunt ô Deare on knees I pray Knees on ground he then did stay That not I but since I proue you Time and place from me nere moue you 14 Neuer season was more fit Neuer roome more apt for it Smiling aire allowes my reason These birds sing now vse the season 15 This small winde which so sweete is See how it the leaues doth kis Each tree in his best attyring Sense of Loue to Loue inspiring 16 Loue makes earth the water drinke Loue to earth makes water sinke And if dumb things be so wittie Shall a heauenly Grace want pittie 17 There his hands in their speach faine Would haue made tongues language plaine But her hands his hands compelling Gaue repulse all grace expelling 18 Therewithall away she went Leauing him with passion rent VVith what she had done and spoken That therewith my song is broken The ninth Sonnet GOe my Flocke goe get you hence Seeke a better place of feeding VVhere you may haue some defence From the stormes in my breast bleeding And showers from mine eyes porceeding 2 Leaue a wretch in whom all woe Can abide to keepe no measure Merrie
Flocke such one forgoe Vnto whom mirth is displeasure Onely rich in measures treasure 3 Yet alas before you goe Heare your wofull Masters storie VVhich to stones I else would showe Sorrow onely then hath glorie VVhen tis excellently sorie 4 Stella fairest Shepheardesse Fairest but yet cruelst euer Stella whom the heauens still blesse Though against me she perseuer Though I blisse inherit neuer 5 Stella hath refused mee Stella who more loue hath proued In this caitiffe hart to bee Than can in good to vs be moued Towards Lambkins best beloued 6 Stella hath refused mee Astrophel that so well serued In this pleasant Spring Muse see While in pride flowers be preserued Himselfe onely winter starued 7 VVhy alas then doth she sweare That she loueth me so deerly Seeing me so long to beare Coales of loue that burne so cleerly And yet leaue me hopelesse meerly 8 Is that loue forsooth I trow If I saw my good dogg grieued And a helpe for him did know My loue should not be beleeued But he were by me releeued 9 No she hates me welaway Faining loue somewhat to please me Knowing if she should display All her hate death soone would seaze me And of hideous torments ease me 10 Then my deare Flocke now adieu But alas if in your straying Heauenly Stella meete with you Tell her in your piteous blaying Her poore Slaues iust decaying The tenth Sonnet O Deere Life when shall it bee That mine eyes thine eyes shall see And in them thy minde discouer VVhether absence haue had force Thy remembrance to diuorce From the image of thy Louer 2 O if I my selfe finde not By thine absence oft forgot Nor debard from Beauties treasure Let no tongue aspire to tell In what high ioyes I shall dwell Onely thought aimes at the pleasure 3 Thought therefore will I send thee To take vp the place for mee Long I will not after tarrie There vnseene thou maist be bold Those faire wonders to behold VVhich in them my hopes doo carrie 4 Thought see thou no place forbeare Enter brauely euerie where Seaze on all to her belonging But if thou wouldst garded bee Fearing her beames take with thee Strength of liking rage of longing 5 O my Thoughts my Thoughts sure ease Your delights my woes encrease My life fleetes with too much thinking Thinke no more but die in mee Till thou shalt receiued bee At her lips my Nectar drinking Finis Syr P.S. Poems and Sonets of sundrie other Noble men and Gentlemen The Author of this Poeme S. D. GO wayling verse the infant of my loue Minorua like brought foorth without a mother That beares the image of the cares I proue Witnesse your fathers griefe exceeds all other Sigh out a Storie of her cruell deedes With interrupted accents of dispaire A monument that whosoeuer reedes May iustly praise and blame my loueles Faire Say her disdaine hath dried vp my blood And sterued you in succours still denying Presse to her eyes importune me some good Waken her sleeping crueltie with crying Knock at her hard hart say I perish for her And feare this deed wil make the world abhor her Sonnet 1. IF so it hap the Ofspring of my care These fatall anthemes and afflicted songs Come to their view who like to mee doo fare May moue them sigh there at and mone my wrongs But vntoucht hearts with vnaffected eye Approach not to behold my soules distresse Cleere sighted you will note what is awry Whilst blind ones see no error in my verse You blinded soules whom hap and error leades You outcast Eglets dazeled with the Sunne Ah you and none but you my sorrow reads You best can iudge the wrong that shee hath done That shee hath done the motiue of my paine Who whilst I loue doth kill me with disdaine Sonnet 2. THese sorrowing sighs the smokes of mine annoy These teares which heate of sacred fire distills These are the tributes that my faith doth pay And these my tyrants cruell minde fulfills I sacrifice my youth and blooming yeares At hir proud feete that yet respects no whit My youth vntimely withered with my teares By winter woes for spring of youth vnfit She thinkes a looke may recompence my care And so with lookes prolongs my long lookt ease As short the blisse so is the comfort rare Yet must that blisse my hungrie thoughts appease Thus she returnes my hopes to fruitlesse euer Once let her loue indeed or eye me neuer Sonnet 3. THe onely bird alone that Nature frames When weary of the tedious life shee liues By fier dies yet finds new life in flames Hir ashes to hir shape new essence giues When onely I the onely wretched wight Wearie of life that breaths but sorrows blasts Pursues the flame of such a beautie bright That burnes my heart and yet my life still lasts O Soueraigne light that with thy sacred flame Consumes my life reuiue me after this And make me with the happie bird the same That dies to liue by fauour of thy blisse This deede of thine shall shew a Goddesse power In so long death to grant one liuing hower Sonnet 4. TEares vowes and praiers gaines the hardest hearts Teares vowes and praiers haue I spent in vaine Teares cannot soften flint nor vowes conuert Praiers preuaile not with a quaint disdaine I loose my teares where I haue lost my loue I vowe my faith where faith is not regarded I pray in vaine a merciles to moue So rare a faith ought better be rewarded Though frozen will may not be thawed with teares Though my soules Idol skorneth all my vowes Though all my praiers be made to deafned eares No fauour though the cruel faire allowes Yet will I weepe vowe praie to cruel shee Flint frost disdaine weares melts and yeelds we see Sonnet 5. WHy doth my Mistres credit so hir glasse Gasing hir beautie dein'd hir by the skies And doth not rather looke on him alas Whose state best shewes the force of murthering eies The broken tops of loftie trees declare The furie of a mercie-wanting storme And of what force your wounding graces are Vpon my selfe you best may finde the forme Then leaue your glasse and gaze your selfe on mee That myrror showes the power of your face To admire your forme too much may danger bee Narcissus changd to flower in such a case I feare your change not flower nor Hiacynth Medusas eye may turne your heart to flint Sonnet 6. THese amber locks are those same nets my Deare Wherewith my liberty thou didst surprise Loue was the flame that fierd me so neare The darts transpersing were these Christal eies Strong is the net and feruent is the flame Deepe is the stroke my sighs can well report Yet doe I loue adore and praise the same That holds that burnes that wounds me in that sort I list not seeke to breake to quench to heale This bond this flame this wound that festereth so By knife by liquor or by salue to deale So much I please
to perish in my woe Yet least long trauels be aboue my strength Good Ladie lose quench heal me now at length Sonnet 71. BEhold what hap Pigmalion had to frame And carue his griefe himselfe vpon a stone My heauie fortune is much like the same I worke on flint and that's the cause I mone For haplesse lo euen with mine owne desires I figured on the table of my hart The goodliest shape that the worlds eye admires And so did perish by my proper arte And still I toyle to change the Marble brest Of her whose sweete Idea I addore Yet cannot finde her breath vnto my rest Hard is her heart and woe is me therefore O blessed he that ioyes his stone and arte Vnhappie I to loue a stonie harte Sonnet 8. OFt and in vaine my rebels thoughts haue ventred to stop the passage of my vanquisht hart And close the way my friendly foe first entred Striuing thereby to free my better part VVhilest garding thus the windowes of my thought Where my harts-thiefe to vex me made her choice And thether all my forces to transport Another passage opens at hir voice Her voice betraies me to hir hand and eie My freedomes-tyrant glorying in hir art But ah sweete foe small is the victorie With three such powers to plague one silly hart Yet my soules souereigne since I must resigne Raigne in my thoughts my loue and life are thine Sonnet 9. RAigne in my thoughts faire hand sweete eye rare voice Possesse me whole my harts Triumuirate Yet heauie hart to make so hard a choice Of such as spoyle thy whole afflicted state For whilst they striue which shall be Lord of all All my poore life by them is trodden downe They all erect their triumphs on my fall And yeelds me nought who gaines them there renowne When backe I looke and sigh my freedome past And waile the state wherein I present stand And see my fortune euer like to last Finding me reynd with such a cruell hand What can I doo but yeeld and yeeld I doo And serue them all and yet they spoyle me too Sonnet 10. THe slie Inchanter when to worke his will And secret wrong on some forespoken wight Frames waxe in forme to represent a right The poore vn witting wretch he meanes to kill And prickes the image fram'd by Magicks skill Whereby to vexe the partie day and night Like hath she done whose shew bewitcht my sight To beauties charmes her Louers bloud to spill For first like waxe she fram'd me by her eyes Whose nayes sharp poynted set vpon my brest Martyres my life and plagues me in this wise VVith lingring paine to perish in vnrest Naught could saue this my sweetest faire suffice To trie her arte on him that loues her best Sonnet 11. REstore thy treasure to the golden ore Yeeld Cythereas sonne those arckes of loue Bequeath the heauens the starres that I adore And to the Orient doo thy pearles remoue Yeeld thy hands pride vnto the iuory white To Arabian odor giue thy breathing sweete Restore thy blush vnto Aurora bright To Thetis giue the honour of thy feete Let Venus haue the graces hir resignd And thy sweete voyce yeeld to Hermonius spheares But yet restore thy fierce and cruell minde To Hircan Tygers and to ruthlesse Beares Yeeld to the Marble thy hard heart againe So shalt thou cease to plague and I to paine Sonnet 12. THe tablet of my heauie fortunes heere Vpon thine Altare Paphian Power I place The greeuous shipwracke of my trauels deere In bulged barke all perisht in disgrace That traitor Loue was Pilot to my woe My Sailes were hope spread with my sighs of griefe The twinelights which my haples course did show Hard by th'inconstant sands of false reliefe VVhere two bright starres which led my view apart A Sirens voice allur'd me come so neare To perish on the marble of her hart A danger which my soule did neuer feare Lo thus he fares that trusts a calme too much And thus fare I whose credit hath beene such Sonnet 13. MY Cinthia hath the waters of mine eies The reddie handmaides on hir grace attending That neuer falls to ebbe nor euer dies For to their flow shee neuer grants an ending The Ocean neuer doth attend more duly Vpon his soueraigne the night wandring Queene Nor euer hath his impost paid more truly Than mine to my soules Queene hath euer beene Yet her hard rocke firme fixt for ay remouing No comfort to my cares she euer giueth Yet had I rather languish in hir louing Than to imbrace the fairest shee that liueth I feare to find such pleasure in my raigning As now I tast in compasse of complaining Sonnet 14. IF a true heart and faith vnfained If a sweete languish with a chast desire If hunger-steruen thoughts so long retained Fed but with smoke and cherisht but with fire And if a brow with Cares caracters painted Bewrayes my Loue with broken words halfe spoken To her which sits in my thoughts temple sainted And layes to view my vulture-gnawen heart open If I haue wept the day and sigthd the night Whilst thrice the Sun approcht this northern bound If such a faith hath euer wrought aright And well deserud and yet no fauour found Let this suffice the wholeworld it may see The fault is hers though mine the most hurt bee Sonnet 15. SInce the first looke that led me to this error To this thoughts-maze to my confusion tending Still haue I liude in griefe in hope in terror The circle of my sorrowes neuer ending Yet cannot haue hir Loue that holds me hatefull Hir eies exacts it though hir heart disdaines me See what reward he hath that serues th'ngratefull So long and pure a faith no fauour gains me Still must I whet my young desires abated Vpon the flint of such a heart rebelling And all in vaine hir pride is so imated Shee yeelds no place at all for pities dwelling Oft haue I told hir that my Soule did loue hir And that with teares yet all this wil not moue hir Sonnet 16. WAy but the cause and giue me leaue to plaine me For all my hurt that my harts Queene hath wrought it Shee whom I loue so deare the more to paine me VVithholds my right where I haue dearely bought it Dearely I bought that was so highly rated Euen with the price of bloud and bodies wasting Shee would not yeeld that ought might be abated For all shee saw my Loue was pure and lasting And yet now scornes performance of the passion And with hir presence Iustice ouerruleth Shee tels me flat hir beauty beares no action And so my plee and proces shee excludeth VVhat wrong shee doth the world may well perceiue it To accept my faith at first and then to leaue it Sonnet 17. WHilst by hir eies pursude my poore hart flue it Into the sacred bosome of my dearest Shee there in that sweete Sanctuarie slew it VVhen it had hop'd his safetie to be nearest My