my cause but see my fatall curse Sure I was either mad or somewhat worse For I saw Vices followers brauely kept In Silkes they walkt on beds of Downe they slept Richly they fed on dainties euermore They had their pleasure they had all things store Whil'st Vertue begg'd yea fauours had so many I knew they brook 't not to be touch'd of any Yet could not I like other men be wise Nor learne for all this how to temporize But must with too much honesty made blind Vpbraid this loued darling of mankind Whereas I might haue better thriu'd by fayning Or if I could not chuse but be complaining More safe I might haue rail'd on Vertue sure Because her louers and her friends are fewer I might haue brought some other things to passe Made Fidlers Songs or Ballads like an Asse Or any thing almost indeed but this Yet since 't is thus l'me glad 't is so amisse Because if I am guilty of a crime 'T is that wherein the best of euery time Hath beene found faulty if they faulty be That doe reproue Abuse and villany For what I 'me taxt I can examples show In such old Authors as this State allow And I would faine once learne a reason why They can haue kinder vsage here then I I muse men doe not now in question call Seneca Horace Persius Inuenall And such as they Or why did not that Age In which they liued put them in a Cage If I should say that men were iuster then I should neere hand be made vnsay't agen And therefore sure I thinke I were as good Leaue it to others to be vnderstood Yet I as well may speake as deeme amisse For such this Ages curious cunning is I scarcely dare to let mine heart thinke ought For there be some will seeme to know my thought Who may out-face me that I thinke awry When there 's no witnesse but my Conscience by And then I likely am as ill to speed As if I spake or did amisse indeed Yet lest those who perhaps may malice this Interpret also these few lines amisse Let them that after thee shall reade or heare From a rash censure of my thoughts forbeare Let them not mold the sense that this containes According to the forming of their braines Or thinke I dare or can here taxe those Peeres Whose Worths their Honours to my soule endeares Those by whose loued-fear'd Authority I am restrained of my liberty For lest there yet may be a man so ill To haunt my lines with his blacke Coment still In hope my lucke againe may be so good To haue my words once rightly vnderstood This I protest that I doe not condemne Ought as vniust that hath been done by them For though my honest heart not guilty be Of the least thought that may disparage me Yet when such men as I shall haue such foes Accuse me of such crimes to such as those Till I had meanes my Innocence to show Their Iustice could haue done no lesse then so Nor haue I such a proud conceited wit Or selfe-opinion of my knowledge yet To thinke it may not be that I haue run Vpon some Errors in what I haue done Worthy this punishment which I endure I say I cannot so my selfe assure For 't is no wonder if their Wisedomes can Discouer Imperfections in a man So weake as I more then himselfe doth see Since my sight dull with insufficiencie In men more graue and wiser farre then I Innumerable Errors doth espye Which they with all their knowledge I 'le be bold Cannot or will not in themselues behold But ere I will my selfe accuse my Song Or keepe a Tongue shall doe my Heart that wrong To say I willingly in what I penn'd Did ought that might a Goodmans sight offend Or with my knowledge did insert one word That might disparage a true Honour'd Lord Let it be in my mouth a helpelesse sore And neuer speake to be beleeued more Yet man irresolute is vnconstant weake And doth his purpose oft through frallty breake Lest therefore I by force hereafter may Be brought from this minde and these words vnsay Here to the World I doe proclaime before If e're my resolution be so poore T' is not the Right but Might that makes me doe it Yea nought but fearefull baseuesse brings me to it Which if I still hate as I now detest Neuer can come to harbor in my brest Thus my fault then if they a fault imply Is not alone an ill vnwillingly But also might I know it I entend Not onely to acknowledge but amend Hoping that thou wilt not be so seuere To punish me aboue all other here But for m'intents sake and my loue to Truth Impute my Errors to the heate of Youth Or rather Ignorance then to my Will Which sure I am was good what e're be ill And like to him now in whose place thou art What e're the residue be accept the Heart But I grow tedious and my loue abusd Disturbs my thoughts and makes my lines confus'd Yet pardon me and daigne a gracious eye On this my rude vnfil'd Apologie Let not the bluntnesse of my phrase offend Weight but the matter and not how 't is penn'd By these abrupt lines in my iust defence Iudge what I might say for my innocence And thinke I more could speake that here I spare Because my power suites not to what I dare My vnaffected stile retaines you see Her old Frize-Cloake of young Rusticitiê If others will vse neater tearmes they may Ruder I am yet loue as well as they And though if I would smooth't I cannot doo 't My humbel heart I bend beneath thy foot While here my Muse her discontent doth sing To thee her great Apollo and my King Emploring thee by that high sacred Name By Iustice by those Powers that I could name By whatsoe're may moue entreate I thee To be what thou art vnto all to mee I feare it not yet giue me leaue to pray I may haue foes whose power doth beare such sway If they but say I 'me guilty of offence 'T were vaine for me to pleade my innocence But as the Name of God thou bear'st I trust Thou imitat'st him to in being iust That when the right of Truth thou comm'st to scan Thou l't not respect the person of the man For if thou doe then is my hope vndone The head-long-way to ruine I must runne For whil'st that they haue all the helpes which may Procure their pleasure with my soone decay How is it like that I my peace can win me When all the ayde I haue comes from within me Therefore good King that makst thy bounty shine Sometime on those whose worths are small as mine Oh saue me now from Enuies dangerous shelfe Or make me able and I 'le saue my selfe Let not the want of that make me a scorne To which there are more Fooles then Wise-men borne Let me not for my Meannesse be dispis'd Nor others greatnesse make
I might shew the world what shamefull blot Vertue by her lasciurous Elders got Nor is 't a wonder as some doe suppose My Youth so much corruption can disclose Since euery day the Sunne doth light mine eyes I am informed of new villanies But it is rather to be wondred how I either can or dare be honest now And though againe there be some others rage That I should dare so much aboue mine age Thus censure each degree both young and old I see not wherein I am ouer-bold For if I haue beene plaine with Vice I care not There 's nought that I know good and can and dare not Onely this one thing doth my minde deterre Euen a feare through ignorance to erre But oh knew I what thou would'st well approue Or might the small'st respect within thee moue So in the sight of God it might be good And with the quiet of my conscience stood As well I know thy true integrity Would command nothing against Piety There 's nought so dangerous or full of feare That for my Soueraignes sake I would not dare Which good beliefe would it did not possesse thee Prouided some iust triall might reblesse me Yea though a while I did endure the gall Of thy displeasure in this loathsome thrall For notwithstanding in this place I lye By the command of that Authoritie Of which I haue so much respectiue care That in mine owne and iust defence I feare To vse the free speech that I doe intend Lest Ignorance or Rashnesse should offend Yet is my meaning and my thought as free From wilfull wronging of thy Lawes or Thee As he â—o whom thy Place and Persons dearest Or to himselfe that finds his conscience cle aest If there be wrong 't is not my making it All the offence is some's mistaking it And is there any Iustice borne of late Makes those faults mine which others perpetrate What man could euer any Age yet finde That spent his spirits in this thankelesse kinde Shewing his meaning to such words could tye it That none could either wrong or mis-apply it Nay your owne Lawes which as you doe intend In plain'st and most effectuall words are penn'd Cannot be fram'd so well to your intent But some there be will erre from what you meant And yet alas I must be ty'de vnto What neuer any man before could doe Must all I speake or write so well be done That none may pick more meanings thence then one Then all the world I hope will leaue dis-vnion And euery man become of one opinion But since some may what care soe're we take Diuers constructions of our Writings make The honest Readers euer will conceaue The best intention's and all others leaue Chiefly in that where I fore-hand protest My meaning euer was the honestest And if I say so what is he may know So much as to affirme it was not so Sit other men so neare my thoughts to show it Or is my heart so open that all know it Sure if it were they would no such things see As those whereof some haue accused mee But I care lesse how it be vnderstood Because the heauens know my intent was good And if it be so that my too-free Rimes Doe much displease the world and these bad times 'T is not my fault for had I been imploy'd In something else all this had now been voyd Or if the world would but haue granted me Wealth or Affaires whereon to busie me I now vnheard of peraduenture than Had been as mute as some rich Clergie-man But they are much deceiu'd that thinke my minde Will ere be still while it can doing find Or that vnto the world so much it leanes As to be curtold for default of meanes No though most be all Spirits are not earth Nor suting with the fortunes of their birth My body 's subiect vnto many Powers But my soule 's as free as is the Emperours And though to curbe her in I oft assay She 'le breake in t ' action spite of durt and clay And is 't not better then to take this course Then fall to study mischiefes and doe worse I say she must haue action and she shall For if she will how can I doe withall And let those that o're-busie thinke me know He made me that knew why he made me so And though there 's some that say my thoughts doe flie A pitch beyond my states sufficiency My humble minde I giue my Sauiour thanke Aspires nought yet aboue my fortunes ranke But say it did wil 't not befit a man To raise his thoughts as neere Heau'n as he can Must the free spirit ty'd and curbed be According to the bodies pouerty Or can it euer be so subiect to Base Change to rise and fall as fortunes doe Men borne to noble meanes and vulgar mindes Enioy their wealth and there 's no Law that bindes Such to abate their substance though their Pates Want Braines and they worth to possesse such states So God to some doth onely great mindes giue And little other meanes whereon to liue What law or conscience then shall make them smother Their Spirit which is their life more then other To bate their substance since if 't were confest That a braue minde could euer be supprest Were't reason any should himselfe depriue Of what the whole world hath not power to giue For wealth is comon and fooles get it to When to giue spirit's more then Kings can do I speake not this because I thinke there be More then the ordinarest gifts in me But against those who thinke I doe presume On more then doth befit me to assume Or would haue all whom Fortune barres from store Make themselues wretched as she makes them poore And ' cause in other things she is vnkind Smother the matchlesse blessings of their minde Whereas although her fauours doe forsake them Their minds are richer then the world can make them Why should a good attempt disgraced seeme Because the person is of meane esteeme Vertue 's a chaste Queene and yet doth not scorne To be embrac'd by him that 's meanest borne Shee is the prop that Maiesties support Yet one whom Slaues as well as Kings may court She loueth all that beare affection to her And yeelds to any that hath heart to wooe her So Vice how high so e're she be in place Is that which Groomes may spit at in disgrace She is a strumpet and may be abhorr'd Yea spurn'd at in the bosome of a Lord. Yet had I spoke her faire I had beene free As many others of her Louers be If her escapes I had not chanc'd to tell I might haue beene a villaine and done well Gotten some speciall fauour and not sate As now I doe shut vp within a grate Or if I could haue hap't on some loose straine That might haue pleas'd the wanton Readers vaine Or but claw'd Pride I now had been vnblam'd Or else at least there 's some would not haue sham'd To plead
their words more priz'd For whatsoe're my outward Fate appeares My Soule 's as good my Heart as great as theirs My loue vnto my Country and to thee As much as his that more would seeme to be And would this Age allow but meanes to show it Those that misdoubt it should ere long time know it Pitty my youth then and let me not lie Wasting my time in fruitlesse miserie Though I am meane I may be borne vnto That seruice which another cannot doe In vaine the little Mouse the Lyon spar'd not She did him pleasure when a greater dar'd not If ought that I haue done doe thee displease Thy misconceiued wrath I will appease Or sacrifice my heart but why should I Suffer for God knowes whom I know not why If that my words through some mistake offends Let them conceiue them right and make amends Or were I guilty of offence indeed One fault they say doth but one pardon need Yet one I had and now I want one more For once I stood accus'd for this before As I remember I so long agon Sung Thame and Rhynes Epithalamion When SHE that from thy Royall selfe deriues Those gracious vertues that best Title giues She that makes Rhine proud of her excellence And me oft minde her reuerence Daign'd in her great good-nature to encline Her gentle care to such a cause as mine And which is more vouchsaf'd her word to cleare Me from all dangers if there any were So that I doe not now intreate or sue For any great boone or request that 's new But onely this though absent from the Land Her former fauour still in force might stand And that her word who present was so deere Might be as powerfull as when she was here Which if I finde and with thy fauour may Haue leaue to shake my loathed bands away As I doe hope I shall and be set free From all the troubles this hath brought on me I le make her Name giue life vnto a Song Whose neuer-dying note shall last as long As there is either Riuer Groue or Spring Or Downe for Sheepe or Shepheards Lad to sing Yea I will teach my Muse to touch a straine That was ne're reach't to yet by any Swaine For though that many deeme my yeeres vnripe Yet I haue learn'd to tune an Oaten Pipe Whereon I 'le try what musicke I can make me Vntill Bellona with her Trumpe awake me And since the world will not haue Vice thus showne By blazing Vertue I will make it knowne Then if the Court will not my lines approue I 'le goe vnto some Mountaine or thicke Groue There to my fellow Shepheards will I sing Tuning my Reede vnto some dancing Spring In such a note that none should dare to trouble it Till the Hils answere and the Woods redouble it And peraduenture I may then goe neare To speake of something thou l't be pleas'd to heare And that which those who now my tunes abhorre Shall reade and like and daigne to loue me for But the meane while oh passe not this suite by Let thy free hand signe me my liberty And if my loue may moue thee more to do Good King consider this my trouble to Others haue found thy fauour in distresse Whose loue to thee and thine I thinke was lesse And I might fitter for thy seruice liue On what would not be much for thee to giue And yet I aske it not for that I feare The outward meanes of life should faile me here For though I want to compasse those good ends Iaime at for my Countrie and my Friends In this poore state I can as well content me As if that I had Wealth and Honours lent me Nor for my owne sake doe I seeke to shunne This thraldome wherein now I seeme vndone For though I prize my Freedome more then Gold And vse the meanes to free my selfe from hold Yet with a minde I hope vnchang'd and free Here can I liue and play with miserie Yea in despight of want and slauerie Laugh at the world in all her brauerie Here haue I learn'd to make my greatest Wrongs Matter of Mirth and subiects but for Songs Here can I smile to see my selfe neglected And how the meane mans suite is dis-respected Whil'st those that are more rich and better friended Can haue twice greater faults thrice sooner ended All this yea more I see and suffer to Yet liue content midst discontents I do Which whil'st I can it is all one to me Whether in Prison or abroad it be For should I still lye here distrest and poore It shall not make me breathe a sigh the more Since to my selfe it is indifferent Where the small remnant of my daies be spent But for Thy sake my Countries and my Friends For whom more then my selfe God this life lends I would not could I helpe it be a scorne But if I might liue free as I was borne Or rather for my Mistris vertues sake Faire Vertue of whom most account I make If I can chuse I will not be debas'd In this last action lest She be disgrac'd For 't was the loue of her that brought me to What Spleene nor Enuie could not make me do And if her seruants be no more regarded If enemies of Vice be thus rewarded And I should also Vertues wrongs conceale And if none liu'd to whom she dar'd appeale Will they that doe not yet her worth approue Be euer drawne to entertaine her loue When they shall see him plagu'd as an Offender Who for the loue he beares her doth commend her This may to others more offensiue be Then preiudiciall any way to me For who will his endeauours euer bend To follow her whom there is none will friend Some I doe hope there be that nothing may From loue of Truth and Honesty dismay But who will that shall see my euill Fortune The remedy of Times Abuse importune Who will againe when they haue smother'd me Dare to oppose the face of Villany Whereas he must be faine to vndertake A Combat with a second Lernean Snake Whose euer-growing heads when as he crops Not onely two springs for each one he lops But also he shall see in midst of dangers Those he thought friends turne foes at least-wise stranger More I could speake but sure if this doe faile me I neuer shall doe ought that will auaile me Nor care to speake againe vnlesse it be To him that knowes how heart and tongue agree No nor to liue when none dares vndertake To speake one word for honest Vertues sake But let his will be done that best knowes what Will be my future good and what will not Hap well or ill my spotlesse meaning 's faire And for thee this shall euer be my prayer That thou maist here enioy a long-blest Raigne And dying be in Heauen re-crown'd againe SO now if thou hast daign'd my Lines to heare There 's nothing can befall me that I feare For if thou hast compassion on my trouble
Cupids fancies blam'd That was so cold so hard to be inflam'd Am I my selfe or is my selfe that Shee Who from this Thraldome or such falshoods free Late own'd mine owne heart and full merry then Did fore-warne others to beware of Men And could not hauing taught them what to doe Now learne my selfe to take heede of you to Foole that I am I feare my guerdon's iust In that I knew this and presum'd to trust And yet alas for ought that I could tell One sparke of goodnesse in the world might dwell And then I thought If such a thing might be Why might not that one sparke remaine in thee For thy faire out-side and thy fayrer tongue Did promise much although thy yeares were young And Vertue wheresoeuer she be now Seem'd then to sit enthron'd vpon thy brow Yea sure it was but whether 't were or no Certaine I am and was perswaded so Which made me loth to thinke that words of fashion Could be so fram'd so ouer-laid with Passion Or sighes so feeling fain'd from any brest Nay say thou hadst been false in all the rest Yet from thy eye my heart such notice tooke Me thought guile could not faine so sad a looke But now I 'ue try'd my bought experience knowes They oft are worst that make the fairest showes And howsoe're men faine an outward grieuing 'T is neither worth respecting nor belieuing For she that doth one to her mercy take Warmes in her bosome but a frozen snake Which heated with her fauours gather sence And stings her to the heart in recompence But tell me why and for what secret spight You in poore womens miseries delight For so it seemes else why d' yee labour for That which when 't is obtained you abhor Or to what end doe you endure such paine To win our loue and cast it off againe Oh that we either your hard hearts could borrow Or else your strengths to helpe vs beare our sorrow But we are cause of all this griefe and shame And we haue none but our owne selues to blame For still we see your falshood for our learning Yet neuer can haue power to tak 't for warning But as if borne to be deluded by you We know you trustlesse and yet still we try you Alas what wrong was in my power to doe thee Or what despight haue I er'e done vnto thee That thou shouldst chuse Me aboue all the rest To bethy scorne and thus be made a iest Must mens il natures such true villaines proue them To make thē wrong those most that most do loue them Couldst thou finde none in Countrey Towne or Court But onely Me to make thy Foole thy sport Thou knowst I haue no wanton courses runne Nor seemed easie vnto lewdnesse wonne And though I cannot boast me of much wit Thou saw'st no signe of fondnesse in me yet Nor did ill nature euer so ore-sway me To flout at any that did woe or pray me But grant I had been guilty of abusage Of thee I 'me sure I ne're deseru'd such vsage But thou wert grieued to behold my smilings When I was free from loue and thy beguilings Or to what purpose else didst thou bestow Thy time and study to delude me so Hast thou good parts and dost thou bend them all To bring those that ne're hated thee in thrall Prethee take heed although thou yet inioy'st them They 'l be tooke from thee if thou so imploy'st them For though I wish not the least harme to thee I feare the iust Heauens will reuenged be Oh! what of Mee by this time had become If my desires with thine had hapt to rome Or I vnwisely had consented to What shamelesse once thou didst attempt to doe I might haue falne by those immodest trickes Had not some power beene stronger then my Sex And if I should haue so been drawne to folly I saw thee apt enough to be vnholy Or if my weakenesse had beene prone to sinne I poorely by thy strength had succour'd bin You Men make vs belieue you doe but try And that 's your part you say ours to deny Yet I much feare if we through frailty stray There 's few of you within your bounds will stay But maugre all your seeming Vertue be As ready to forget your selues as we I might haue fear'd thy part of loue not strong When thou didst offer me so base a wrong And that I after loath'd thee not did proue In mee some extraordinary Loue. For sure had any other but in thought Presum'd vnworthily what thou hast sought Might it appeare I should doe thus much for him With a scarce reconciled hate abhorre him My young experience neuer yet did know Whether desire might range so farre or no To make true Louers carelesly request What rash enioyning makes them most vnblest Or blindly thorow frailty giue consenting To that which done brings nothing but repenting But in my iudgement it doth rather proue That they are fir'd with lust then warm'd with loue And if it be for proofe men so proceed It shewes a doubt else what doe tryals neede And where is that man liuing euer knew That false distrust could be with loue that 's true Since the meere cause of that vnblam'd effect Such an opinion is that hates suspect And yet thee and thy loue I will excuse If thou wilt neither me nor mine abuse For I le suppose thy passion made thee proffer That vnto me thou to none else wouldst offer And so thinke thou if I haue thee deni'd Whom I more lou'd then all men else beside What hope haue they such fauour to obtaine That neuer halfe so much respect could gaine Such was my loue that I did value thee Aboue all things below eternity Nothing on Earth vnto my heart was nearer No Ioy so prized nor no Iewell dearer Nay I doe feare I did Idolatrize For which Heauens wrath inflicts these miseries And makes the things which were for blessings lent To be renewers of my discontent Where was there any of the Naiades The Dryad's or the Hamadryades Which of the Brittish shires can yeeld againe A mistresse of the Springs or Wood or Plaine Whose eye enioy'd more sweet contents then mine Till I receiu'd my ouerthrow by thine Where 's she did more delight in Springs and Rils Where 's she that walk'd more Groues or Downs or Hils Or could by such faire artlesse prospect more Adde by conceit to her contentments store Then I whilst thou wert true and with thy Graces Didst giue a pleasing presence to those places But now What is What was hath ouerthrowne My Rose deckt allies now with Rue are strowne And from those flowers that honyed vse to be I sucke nought now but iuyce to poyson mee For eu'n as she whose gentle spirit can raise To apprehend Loues noble mysteries Spying a precious Iewell richly set Shine in some corner of her Cabenet Taketh delight at first to gaze vpon The pretty lustre of the sparkling stone And pleas'd in
though aim'd with Passions Art Could pierce so deepe to penetrate my hart No name but thine was welcome to my care No word did I so soone so gladly heare Nor euer could my eyes behold or see What I was since delighted in but thee And sure thou wouldst beleeue it to be so If I could tell or words might make thee know How many a weary night my tumbled bed Hath knowne me sleepelesse what salt-teares I 'ue shed What scalding-sighes the markes of soules opprest Haue hourely breathed from my carefull brest Nor wouldst thou deeme those waking sorrowes 〈◊〉 If thou mightst see how sleeping I am paind For if sometimes I chance to take a slumber Vnwelcome dreames my broken rest doth cumber Which dreaming makes me start starting with feares Wakes and so by waking I renew my cares Vntill my eyes ore-tir'd with watch and weeping Drownd in their owne flouds fall againe to sleeping Oh! that thou couldst but thinke when last wee parted How much I grieuing for thy absence smarted My very soule fell sicke my heart to aking As if they had their last Farewels beene taking Or feared by some secret Diuination This thy reuolt and causelesse alteration Didst thou not feele how loth that hand of mine Was to let goe the hold it had of thine And with what heauy what vnwilling looke I leaue of thee and then of comfort tooke I know thou didst and though now thus thou doe I am deceiu'd but then it grieu'd thee to Then if I so with Loues fell passion vext For thy departure onely was perplext When I had left to strengthen me some trust And hope that thou wouldst nere haue prou'd vniust What was my torture then and hard endurance When of thy falshood I receiu'd assurance Alas my Tongue a-while with griefe was dumbe And a cold shuddering did my ioynts benumme Amazement seiz'd my thought and so preuailed I found me ill but knew not what I ailed Nor can I yet tell since my suffering then Was more then could be showne by Poets Pen Or well conceiu'd by any other hart Then that which in such care hath borne a part Oh me how loth was I to haue beleeu'd That to be true for which so much I grieu'd How gladly would I haue perswaded bin There had bin no such matter no such sin I would haue had my heart thinke that I knew To be the very truth not to be true Why may not this thought I some vision be Some sleeping dreame or waking phantasie Begotten by my ouer-blinded folly Or else engendred through my Melancholy But finding it so reall thought I then Must I be cast from all my hopes agen What are become of all those fading blisses Which late my hope had and now so much misses Where is that future fickle happinesse Which I so long expected to possesse And thought I to where are his dying Passions His honied words his bitter lamentations To what end were his Sonnets Epigrams His pretty Posies witty Anagrams I could not thinke all that might haue been fain'd Nor any faith I thought so firme bin stain'd Nay I doe sure and confidently know It is not possible it should be so If that rare Art and Passion was thine owne Which in my presence thou hast often showne But since thy change my much-presaging heart Is halfe afraid thou some impostor wert Or that thou didst but Player-like addrest Act that which flow'd from some more gentle brest Thy puft inuention with worse matter swolne Those thy conceits from better wits hath stolne Or else I know it could not be that thou Shouldst be so ouer-cold as thou art now Since those who haue that feelingly their owne Euer possesse more worth conceal'd then knowne And if Loue euer any Mortals touch To make a braue impression 't is in such Who sworne loues Chaplaines will not violate That whereunto themselues they consecrate But oh you noble brood on whom the World The slighted burthen of neglect hath hurl'd Because your thoughts for higher obiects borne Their groueling humors and affection scorne You whom the Gods to heare your straines will follow Whilst you doe court the sisters of Apollo You whom there 's none that 's worthy can neglect Or any that vnworthy is affect Oh let not those that seeke to doe you shame Bewitch vs with those songs they cannot frame The noblest of our Sexe and fairest to Doe euer loue and honour such as you Then wrong vs not so much to giue your Passion To those that haue it but in imitation And in their dull breasts neuer feele the power Of such deepe thoughts as sweetly moue in your As well as you they vs thereby abuse For many times when we our Louers chuse Where we thinke Nature that rich Iewell sets Which shines in you we light on counterfets But see see whither discontentment beares me And to what vncoth straines my Passion reares me Yet pardon me I here againe repent If I haue erred through that discontent Be what thou wilt be counterfeit or right Be constant serious or be vaine or light My loue remaines inuiolate the same Thou canst be nothing that can quench this flame But it will burne as long as thou hast breath To keepe it kindled if not after death Nere was there one more true then I to thee And though my faith must now despised be Vnpriz'd vnualued at the lowest rate Yet this I le tell thee 't is not all thy state Nor all that better-seeming worth of thine Can buy thee such another Loue as mine Liking it may but oh there 's as much oddes Twixt loue and that as betweene men and Gods It is a purchase not procur'd with treasure As some fooles thinke nor to be gaind at pleasure For were it so and any could assure it What would not some men part with to procure it But though thou weigh't not as thou ought'st to do Thou knowst I loue and once didst loue mee to Then where 's the cause of this dislike in thee Suruey thy selfe I hope there 's none in mee Yet looke on her from whom thou art estranged See is my person or my beauty changed Once thou didst praise it prethee view 't agen And marke i ft be not still the same t was then No false Vermilion-dye my cheeke distaines 'T is the poore bloud disperst through pores and vaines Which thou hast oft seen through my fore-head flushing To shew no dawby-colour hid my blushing Nor neuer shall Vertue I hope will saue mee Contented with that beauty Nature gaue mee Or i ft seeme lesse for that griefes-vaile had hid it Thou threwst it on mee 't was not I that did it And canst againe restore what may repaire All that 's decay'd and make me far more faire Which if thou doe I 'le be more wary than To keep 't for thee vnblemisht what I can And cause at best 't will want much of perfection The rest shall be supply'd with true affection But I doe