Rebels to nature striue for their owne smart True that true beautie vertue is indeede Whereof this beautie can but be a shade Which Elements with mortall mixture breede True that on earth we are but Pilgrimes made And should in soule vp to our Country moue True and most true that I must Stella loue SOme Louers speake when they their Muses entertaine Of hopes begott by feare of wot not what desires Of force of heauenly beames infusing hellish paine Of lyuing deathes deere woundes faire stormes and flashing fyres Some one his songes in Ioue and Ioues straunge tales attyres Bordered with Bulles and Swannes poudered with golden raine An other humbler witte to shepheards pipe retyres Yet hiding royall blood full oft in Rurall vaine To some a sweetest plaint a sweetest stile assordes Whiles teares poure out his inke and sighes breath out his wordes His paper pale despaire and paine his penne doth moue I can speake what I feele and feele as much as they But thinke that all the mappe of my state I display When trembling voice bringes foorth that I do Stella loue WHen nature made her chiefe worke Stellas eyes In collour blacke why wrapt she beames so bright Would she in beamy blacke like Painter wise Frame daintiest lustre mixte with shaddowes light Or did she els that sober hewe deuise In obiect best to strength and knitt our sight Least if no vaile these braue beames did disguise They Sun-like would more dazell than delight Or would she her miraculous power shewe That whereas blacke seemes Beauties contrarie Shee euen in blacke doth make all Beauties flowe But so and thus she minding Loue should bee Plaste euer there gaue him this mourning weede To honour all their deathes who for her bleede LOue borne in Greece of late fled from his natiue place Forst by a tedious proofe that Turkish hardned harts Were no fit markes to pearce with his fine pointed darts And pleasd with our soft peace staide here his fleeting race But finding these colde climes too coldlie him imbrace Not vsde to frosen lippes he straue to finde some part Where with most ease and warmth he might imploy his art At length himselfe he pearch'd in Stellas face Whose faire skinne beamie eyes like morning Sunne in snowe Deceiu'd the quaking boy who thought from so pure light Effects of liuelie heate in nature needes must growe But she most faire most colde made him there take his flight To my close hart where while some fire brands he did lay He burnt vnwares his winges and cannot fly away QVeene Vertues Court which some call Stellas face Prepar'd by Natures cheefest furniture Hath his front built of Alablaster pure Golde is the couering of that statelie place The doore by which sometimes runnes forth her grace Red Porphire is which locke of Pearle makes sure Whose Porches rich with name of chekes indure Marble mixt red and white doe enterlace The Windowes now through which this heauenly guest Lookes on the world and can finde nothing such Which dare claime from those sightes the name of best Of touch they are that without touch doe touch Which Cupids selfe from Beauties mine did drawe Of touch they are and poore I am their strawe REason in faith thou art well seru'd that still Would'st brabling be with sence and loue in me I rather wish thee climbe the Muses hill Or reach the fruite of Natures chiefest tree Or seeke heauens course or heauens vnusde to thee Why should'st thou toyle our thornie grounde to till Leaue sence and those that sences obiectes be Deale thou with powers of thoughts leaue thou to will But thou wouldst needes fight both with Loue and sence With sworde of witte giuing woundes of dispraise Till downe right blowes did foyle thy cunning fence So soone as they strake thee with Stellas rayes Reason thou knewst and offered straight to proue By reason good good reason her to loue IN truth oh Loue with what a boyish kinde Thou doost proceede in thy most serious waies That when thy heauen to thee his best displaies Yet of that best thou leau'st the best behinde That like a Childe that some faire booke doth finde With gilden leaues of colloured Velom playes Or at the most on some faire picture staies But neuer heedes the fruite of Writers minde So when thou sawest in Natures cabinet Stella thou straight lokest babies in her eyes In her chekes pit thou didst thy pitfall set And in her brest to peepe a lowting lyes Playing and shining in each outward part But foole seekst not to get into her hart CVpid because thou shin'st in Stellas eyes That from her lookes thy dimnesse nowe scapes free That those lips swelde so full of thee they be That sweet breath maketh oft the flames to rise That in her brest thy pap well sugred lyes That grace euen makes thy gracious wrongs that she What word so ere shee speakes perswades for thee That her cleere voice lifteth the Sunne to Skyes Thou countest Stella thine like those whose powres Hauing got vp a breach by fighting well Cry victory this happy day is ours Oh no her heart is such a Cytadell So fortified with wit stor'd with disdaine That to winne it is all the skill and paine PHoebus was Iudge twixt Ioue and Mars in loue Of those three Gods whose armes the fairest weare Ioues golden shielde did Eagle Sables beare Whose talents holde young Ganimede aboue But in verde fieldes Mars beares a golden Speare Which through a bleeding heart his point did shoue Each had his Crest Mars carried Venus gloue Ioue on his Helme the Thunder bolte did reare Cupid then smiles for on his crest there lyes Stellas fayre haire her face he makes his shielde Where Roses gules are borne in siluer fielde Phoebus drewe wide the Curtaine of the skyes To blase the last and swore deuoutly then The first thus macht were scarcely Gentlemen ALas haue I not paine enough my friend Vppon whose breast a fiercer gripe doth tyre Than did on him who first stole downe the fyre While Loue on me doth all his quiuer spend But with your rubarbe wordes you must contend To greeue me worse in saying that desier Doth plunge my well form'd soule euen in the mier Of sinfull thoughtes which doe in ruine ende If that be sinne which doth the manners frame Well stayed with trueth in worde and faith of deede Readie of wit and fearing nought but shame If it be sin which in sixt hart dooth breede A loathing of all loost true chastitie Then loue is sin and let me sinfull bee YOu that doe search for euery purling spring Which from the rybs of old Pernassus flowes And euery flower not sweete perhaps which growes Neere there about into your Poems wring You that doe dictionary method bring Into your rymes running in ratling rowes You that old Petrarchs long deceased woes With new borne sighes and wit disguised sing You take wrong wayes those far-fet helps be such As doe bewray a
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
faith of priuiledge could no whit protect it That was with bloud and three yeres witnes signed VVhereby she had no cause once to suspect it For well she saw my loue and how I pined Yet no hopes letter would her brow reueale mee No comforts hue which falling spirits erecteth VVhat bootes to lawes of succour to appeale mee Ladies and tyrants neuer lawes respecteth Then there I die where I had hope to liuen And by her hand that better might haue giuen Sonnet 18. LOoke in my griefes blame me not to mourne From thought to thought that lead a life so bad Fortunes Orphan hers and the worlds scorne VVhose clowded brow doth make my daies so bad Long are their nights whose cares doo neuer sleepe Lothsome their dayes whom neuer sunne yet ioyed A pleasing griefe impressed hath so deepe That thus I liue both day and night annoyed Yet since the sweetest roote doth yeeld thus much Her praise from my complaint I must not part I loue the effect because the cause is such I praise hir face and blame hir flintie hart VVhilst that we make the world admire at vs Her for disdaine and me for louing thus Sonnet 19. HAppie in sleepe waking content to languish Imbracing cloudes by night in day time mourne All things I loth saue hir and mine owne anguish Pleasd in my heart mooued to liue forlorne Nought doe I craue but loue death or my Ladie Horce with crying mercie mercie yet my merit So manie vowes and praiers euer made I That now at length to yeeld meere pittie were it Yet since the Hidra of my cares renewing Reuiues still sorrowes of hir fresh disdaining Still must I goe the Summer winds pursuing And nothing but hir loue and my harts paining Weep howrs grieue daies sigh months still mourn yearly Thus must I doe because I loue hir dearelie Sonnet 20. IF Beautie bright be doubled with a frowne That Pitie cannot shine through to my blisse And Disdaines vapors are thus ouergrowen That my liues light to me quite darkened is VVhy trouble I the world then with my cries The aire with sighs the earth below with teares Since I liue hatefull to those ruthfull eyes Vexing with my vntuned mone her daintie eares If I haue lou'd her dearer than my breath My breath that cals the heauens to witnes it And still hold her most deare vntill my death And if that all this cannot mooue one whit Yet let hir say that shee hath done me wrong To vse me thus and know I lou'd so long Sonnet 2. COme Death the Anchor hold of al my thoughts My last resort whereto my Soule appealeth For all too long on earth my fancie dotes Whiles dearest blood my fierie passions sealeth That hart is now the prospectiue of horror That honoured hath the cruelst Faire that liueth The cruelst Faire that knowes I languish for her And neuer mercie to my merite giueth This is the Laurell and her tryumphes prise To tread mee downe with foote of her disgrace Whilst I did build my fortune in her eyes And laid my soules rest on so faire a face That rest I lost my Loue my life and all Thus high attempts to lowe disgrace do fall Sonnet 22. IF this be Loue to drawe a wearie breath To paint on flods till the shore crie to the aire With prone aspect still treading on the earth Sad horror pale griefe prostrate dispaire If this be Loue to warre against my soule Rise vp to waile lie downe to sigh to grieue me With ceaseles toyle Cares restlesse stones to roule Still to complaine and mone whilst none relieue me If this be Loue to languish in such care Loathing the light the world my selfe and all VVith interrupted sleepes fresh griefes repaire And breath out horror in perplexed thrall If this be Loue to liue a liuing death Loe then loue I and draw this wearie breath Sonnet 23. MY cares drawes on my euerlasting night And horrors sable clowds dims my liues sunne That my liues sunne and thou my worldly light Shall rise no more to me my daies are donne Ile goe before vnto the myrtle shades To attend the presence of my worldes deare And dresse a bed of flowers that neuer fades And all things fit against her comming there If anie aske why that so soone I came Ile hide her fault and say it was my lot In life and death Ile tender her good name My life and death shall neuer be her blot Although the world this deed of hirs may blame The Elisian ghoasts shall neuer know the same Sonnet 24. THe Starre of my mishap imposd my paining To spend the Aprill of my yeares in crying That neuer found my fortune but in wayning VVith still fresh cares my bloud and bodie trying Yet her I blame not though she might haue blest me But my desiers wings so high aspiring Now melted with the Sunne that hath possest me Downe doo I fall from of my high desiring And in my fall doo crie for mercie speedie No piteous eye lookes backe vpon my mourning No helpe I finde when now most fauour neede I My Ocean teares drowne me and quench my burning And this my death must christen her anew Whiles faith doth bid my cruell Faire adieu Sonnet 25. TO heare the impost of a faith not faining That dutie paies and her disdaine extorteth These beare the message of my wofull paining These Oliue braunches mercie still exorteth These tributarie plaints with chast desires I send those eyes the cabinets of loue The paradise where to my soule aspires From out this hell which my afflictions proue Wherein poore soule I liue exil'd from mirth Pensiue alone none but dispaire about me My ioyes liberties perisht in their birth My care's long liu'd and will not die without me What shall I doo but sigh and waile the while My martyrdome exceedes the highest stile Sonnet 26. I Once may I see when yeares may wrecke my wrong And golden haires may change to siluer wyer And those bright rayes that kindle all this fier Shall faile in force their power not so strong Her beautie now the burden of my song VVhose glorious blaze the worlds eie doth admire Must yeeld her praise to tirant times desire Then fades the flower which fed her pride so long VVhen if she grieue to gaze her in her glasse VVhich then presents her winter withred hieu Goe you my verse goe tell her what she was For what she was she best may finde in you Your fierie heate lets not her glorie passe But Phoenix like to make her liue anew Sonnet 27. RAising my hope on hills of high desire Thinking to scale the heauen of her hart My slender meane presumes too high a part For disdaines thunderbolt made me retire And threw me downe to paine in all this fire Where lo I languish in so heauie smart Because th'attempt was far aboue my Art Hir state brooks not poore soules should come so nie hir Yet I protest my high aspiring will Was
onely such delight To witles things then Loue I hope since wit Becomes a clogge will soone ease me of it WHen my good Angell guides me to the place Where's al my good I doe in Stella see That Heauenly ioyes throwes onely downe on me Thundred disdaines and Lightning of disgrace But when the ruggedst step of Fortunes race Makes me fall from her sight then sweetly she With words wherein the Muses Treasures be Shewes loue and pittie to my absent case Now I with beating long by hardest fate So dull am that I cannot looke into The ground of this fierce loue and louing hate Then some good body tell me how to do Whose presence absence absence presence is Blest in my curse and curssed in my blisse OFt with true sighes oft with vncalled teares Now with slow words now with dumbe eloquence I Stellas eyes assailde I closde her eares But this at last is her sweetest defence That who indeede a sound affection beares So captiues to his Saint both soule and mind That wholie Hers all selfnes hee forbeares Thence his desire he learnes his liues course thence Now since this chast loue hates this loue in mee With chastned minde I needes must shew that shee Shall quickly me from what she hates remoue O Doctor Cupid thou for me reply Driuen els to graunt by Angell Sophistry That I loue not without I leaue to loue LAte tyr'd with woe euen ready for to pine With rage of loue I call my Loue vnkinde Shee in whose eyes loues fyres vnfelt doe shine Sweetlie saide I true loue in her shoulde finde I ioy but straight thus watred was my wine That loue she did but with a loue not blinde Which would not let me whome she lou'd decline From Nobler course fit for my birth and minde And therefore by her loues Authoritie Wilde me these Tempests of vaine loue to flee And Anchor fast my selfe on vertues shore Alas if this the onelie mettall be Of loue newe coyn'd to helpe my beggery Deere loue me not that you may loue me more OH Grammer rules oh now your vertues showe So Children still read you with awfull eyes As my younge Doue may in your precepts wise Her graunt to me by her owne vertue knowe For late with hart most hie with eyes most lowe I crau'd the thing which euer she denies Shee lightening Loue displaying Venus skyes Least one should not be heard twise saide no no. Harken Enuy not at my high triumphing But Grammers force with sweete successe confirme For Grammer sayes ah this deere Stella way For Grammer sayes to Grammer who sayes nay That in one speech two negatiues affirme NO more my deere no more these Counsels try O giue my passions leaue to runne their race Let Fortune lay on me her worst disgrace Let Folke orechargde with braine against me cry Let Cloudes be dimme my fate bereaues myne eyes Let me no steps but of lost labour try Let all the earth in scorne recount my race But doe not will me from my loue to fly I doe not enuye Aristotles wit Nor doe aspire to Caesars bleeding fame Nor ought to care though some aboue me sit Nor hope nor wish an other course to frame But that which once may winne thy cruell hart Thou art my wit and thou my vertue art LOue by sure proofe I may call thee vnkinde That giues no better eares to my iust cryes Thou whom to me such my good turnes shouldst binde As I may well account but cannot prise For when nak'd boy thou couldst no harbour finde In this olde world growne now so too too wise I lodg'de thee in my heart and being blinde By nature borne I gaue to thee my eyes Mine eyes my light my life my hart alas If so great seruices may scorned be Yet let this thought thy Tygirsh courage passe That I perhaps am somewhat kin to thee Since in thine armes of Fame most truely spred Thou bearst the Arrowe I the Arrowhed AND doe I see some cause of hope to finde Or doth the tedious burthen of long woe In weakned mindes quicke apprehension breede Of euery Image which may comfort showe I cannot brag of word much lesse of deede Fortunes windes still with me in one sorte blowe My wealth no more and no whit lesse my neede Desier still on stilts of feare doth goe And yet amids all feares a hope there is Stolne to my hart since last faire night nay day Stellas eyes sent to me the beames of blisse Looking on mee I looke an other way But when mine eyes blacke to their heauen did moue They fled with blush which guiltie seem'd of loue HOpe art thou true or doost thou flatter me Doth Stella now beginne vvith pitteous eye The raigne of this her conquest to espie Will she take time before all wracked be Her eye speech is translated thus by thee But failste thou not in phrase so heauenly hye Looke ore againe the faire text better prie What blushing notes dost thou in Margent see What sighes stolne out or kild before full borne Hast thou found such and such like arguments Or art thou els to comfort me forsworne Well how so ere thou doost interpret my contents I am resolu'd thy error to maintaine Rather than by more trueth to get more paine STella the onely Plannet of my light Light of my life and life of my desire Cheife good vvhereto my hope doth sole aspire World of my wealth and heauen of my delight Why doost thou spend the Treasure of thy sprite With voice more fit to vved Amphyons Lyre Seeking to quench in me the noble fyre Set by thy wrath and kindled by thy sight And all in vaine for while thy breath so sweete With choisest words thy wordes with reasons rare Thy reasons firmely set are vertues feete Labour to kill in me this killing care Oh thinke I then what Paradise of ioy It is so faire a vertue to annoy OH ioy too high for my Loue still to showe Oh blisse fit for a nobler seat than mee Enuie put out thine eyes least thou doe see What Ouans of delight in me doth flowe My friend that oft saw'st through all maskes my woe Come come and let me poure my selfe in thee Gone is the winter of my miserie My Spring appeares loe see what heere doth growe For Stella hath with wordes where faith doth shine Of her high hart giuen me the Monarchie And Io I may say that she is mine And though she giue but this condicionally This Realme of blisse while vertues course I take No Kings be Crownd but they some couenant make MY Muse may well grudge at my heauenly ioy Yf still I force her thus in woe to weepe She oft hath drunke my teares now hopes t'enioy Nectar of mirth since I Ioues Cupid keepe Sonnets be not bound Prentice to annoy Trebbles sing high so well as bases deepe Griefe but Loues winter liuerie the boy Hath cheekes to smile so well as eyes to weepe Come then my Muse
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
not to dispossesse hir of hir right Hir Soueraigntie should haue remained still I onely sought the blisse to haue hir sight Hir sight contented thus to see me spill Fram'd my desires fit for hir eies to kill Finis Daniel Canto primo HArke all you Ladies that doo sleepe The Fairie Queene Proserpina Bids you awake and pitie them that weepe You may doo in the darke What the day doth forbid Feare not the doggs that barke Night will haue all hid But if you let your Louers mone The Fairie Queene Proserpina Will send abroad hir Fairies euerie one That shall pinch blacke and blew Your white hands and faire armes That did not kindly rewe Your Paramours harmes In myrtle arbours on the downes The Fairie Queene Proserpina This night by Moone shine leading merrie rounds Holds a watch with sweete Loue Downe the dale vp the hill No plaints nor grieues may moue Their holy vigill All you that will hold watch with Loue The Fairie Queene Proserpina Will make you fairer than Dianas Doue Roses red Lillies white And the cleere damaske hue Shall on your cheekes alight Loue will adorne you All you that loue or lou'd before The Fairie Queene Proserpina Bids you increase that louing humour more They that haue not yet fed On delight amorous She vowes that they shall lead Apes in Auernus Canto Secundo WHat faire pompe haue I spide of glittering Ladies With locks sparckled abroad and rosie Coronet On their yuorie browes trackt to the daintie thies VVith roabs like Amazons blew as Violet VVith gold Aglets adornd some in a changeable Pale with spangs wauering taught to be moueable 2 Then those Knights that a farre off with dolorous viewing Cast their eyes hetherward loe in an agonie All vnbrac'd crie aloud their heauie state ruing Moyst cheekes with blubbering painted as Ebonie Blacke their feltred haire torne with wrathfull hand And whiles astonied starke in a maze they stand 3 But hearke what merry sound what sodaine harmonie Looke looke neere the groue where the Ladies doe tread VVith their knights the measures waide by the melodie VVantons whose trauesing make men enamoured Now they faine an honor now by the slender wast He must lift hir aloft and seale a kisse in hast 4 Streight downe vnder a shadow for wearines they lie VVith pleasant daliance hand knit with arme in arme Now close now set aloof they gaze with an equall eie Changing kisses alike streight with a false alarme Mocking kisses alike powt with a louely lip Thus drownd with iollities their merry daies doe slip 5 But stay now I discerne they goe on a Pilgrimage Toward Loues holy land faire Paphos or Cyprus Such deuotion is meete for a blithesome age With sweet youth it agrees well to be amorous Let olde angrie fathers lurke in an Hermitage Come weele associate this iollie Pilgrimage Canto Tertio MY Loue bound me with a kisse That I should no longer staie VVhen I felt so sweete a blisse I had lesse power to passe away Alas that women do no not knowe Kisses make men loath to goe Canto Quarto LOue whets the dullest wittes his plagues be such But makes the wise by pleasing doat as much So wit is purchast by this dire disease Oh let me doat so Loue be bent to please Canto Quinto A Daie a night an houre of sweete content Is worth a world consum'd in fretfull care Vnequall Gods in your Arbitrement To sort vs daies whose sorrowes endles are And yet what were it as a fading flower To swim in blisse a daie a night an hower 2 VVhat plague is greater than the griefe of minde The griefe of minde that eates in euerie vaine In euerie vaine that leaues such clods behind Such clods behind as breed such bitter paine So bitter paine that none shall euer finde What plague is greater than the griefe of minde 3 Doth sorrowe fret thy soule ô direfull spirit Doth pleasure feede thy heart ô blessed man Hast thou bin happie once ô heauie plight Are thy mishaps forepast ô happie than Or hast thou blisse in eld ô blisse too late But hast thou blisse in youth ô sweete estate Finis CONTENT Megliora spero FAction that euer dwelles in Court where wit excelles hath set defiance Fortune and Loue haue sworne that they were neuer borne of one alliance Cupid which doth aspire to be God of Desire Sweares he giues lawes That where his arrowes hit some ioy some sorrow it Fortune no cause Fortune sweares weakest hearts the bookes of Cupids Arts turnd with hir wheele Sensles themselues shall proue venter hath place in Loue aske them that feele This discord it be got Atheists that honor not Nature thought good Fortune should euer dwell in Court where wits excell Loue keepe the wood So to the wood went I with Loue to liue and die Fortune's forlorne Experience of my youth made me thinke humble Truth In desarts borne My Saint I keepe to mee and Ioane her selfe is shee Ioane faire and true Shee that doth onely moue passions of loue with Loue Fortune adieu Finis E. O. If flouds of teares could clense my follies past And smokes of sighs might sacrifice for sin If groning cries might salue my fault at last Or endles mone for error pardon win Then would I crie weepe sigh and euer mone Mine error fault sins follies past and gone I see my hopes must wither in their bud I see my fauours are no lasting flowers I see that words will breath no better good Than losse of time and lightning but at howers Then when I see then this I say therefore That fauours hopes and words can blinde no more FINIS