21.12.2012, 10:20
Henry Constable
DIANA
OR, THE PRAISES OF HIS MISTRES IN CERTAINE SWEETE SONNETS.
1.
[Of the byrth and beginning of his love.]*
RESOLV'D to love, unworthy to obtaine,
I doe no favoure crave ; but humble wise
To thee my sighes in verse I sacrifice,
Only some pitty and no helpe to gaine.
Heare then — and as my heart shall aye remaine
A patient object to thy lightning eyes,
A patient eare bring thou to thundring cryes ;
Feare not the cracke, when I the blow sustaine.
So as thine eye bred my ambitious thought,
So shall thine eare make proud my voice for joy :
Lo,deare, what wonders great by thee are wrought,
When I but little favoure doe enjoy : —
The voyce is made the eare for to rejoyce,
And thine eare giveth pleasure to my voyce.
2
[An excuse to his mislriffe, for resolving to love so worthy a creature.]
BLAME not my heart, for flying up so high,
Sith thou art cause that it this flight begun :
For earthly vapours drawne up by the sun
Comets become, and night-suns in the skie.
My humble hearte so with thy heavenly eye
Drawne up aloft, all low desires doth shun :
Raise thou me up, as thou my heart hast done,
So, during night, in heaven remaine may
I. Blame not, I say againe, my high desire ;
Sith of us both the cause thereof depends :
In thee doth shine, in me doth burne a fire ;
Fire drawes up other, and it selfe ascends.
Thine eye a fire, and so drawes up my love :
My love a fire, and so ascends above.
3
[Of the byrth of his love.]
FLY low, deare love, thy sun dost thou not see ?
Take heed, — doe not so neare his rayes aspire,
Least for thy pride, inflam'd with kindled ire,
It burn thy wings, as it hath burned me.
Thou, haply, sayst — thy wings immortall be,
And so cannot consumed be with fire :
The one is Hope, the other is Desire,
And that the heavens bestow'd them both on thee.
A muse's words caus'd thee with Hope to flye,
An angel's face Desire hath begot,
Thy selfe engendred of a goddesse' eye ;
Yet for all this, immortall thou art not : —
Of heavenly eye though thou begotten art,
Yet thou art borne but of a mortall heart.
4
[ Of his Mistresse : upon occasion of a friend of his which disswaded him from loving.]
A FRIEND of mine, moaning my helplesse love,
Hoping, by killing hope, my love to flay ;
" Let not," (quoth he,) " thy hope thy heart betray,
Impossible it is her heart to move."
But, sith resolved love cannot remove
As long as thy divine perfections stay,
Thy godhead then he sought to take away : —
Deare ! seeke revenge, and him a lyar prove.
Gods only doe impossibilities :
" Impossible," (saith he,) " thy grace to gaine ! "
Show then the power of thy divinities,
By graunting me thy favour to obtaine :
So shall thy foe give to himselfe the lye,
A goddesse thou shalt prove, and happy I.
5
[Of the conspiracle of his ladle's eyes, and his owne, to engender love."]
THINE eye, the glasse where I behold my heart,
Mine eye, the window through the which thine eye
May see my heart, and there thy selfe espy
In bloody colours how thou painted art.
Thine eye the pike is of a murdering dart,
Mine eye the sight thou tak'st thy levell by
To hit my heart, and never shoot'st awry :
Mine eye thus helpes thine eye to worke my smart,
Thine eye a fire is both in heate and light :
Mine eye of teares a river doth become.
Oh, that the water of mine eye had might
To quench the flames that from thine eye doth come ;
Or that the fire that's kindled by thine eye
The flowing streames of mine eyes would make drye.
6.
[Love's seven deadly sins.]
MINE eye with all the deadly sinnes is fraught.
First proud — sith it presum'dto looke sohye,
A watchman being made, stood gazing by,
And idle — took no heed till I was caught :
And envious — beares envie that my thought
Should in his absence be to her so nye.
To kill my heart, mine eye let in her eye,
And so consent gave to a murther wrought :
And covetous — it never would remove
From her faire haire, gold so doth please his fight :
A glutton eye — with teares drunke every night :
Unchaste — a baude between my heart and love.
These sins procured have a goddesse' ire,
Wherefore my heart is damn'd in love's sweet fire.
7-
[Of the slander envye gives him, for so highlye praysmg his Mistrisse.]
FALSELY doth envie of your praises blame
My tongue, my pen, my heart, of flattery ;
Because I said, there was no sunne but thee !
It call'd my tongue the partiall trumpe of fame,
And said — my pen had flattered thy name,
Because my pen did to my tongue agree ;
And that my heart must needs a flatterer be,
Which taught both tongue and pen to say the same. —
No, no, I flatter not, when thee I call
The sun : sith sun in world was never such :
But when the sun I thee compar'd with-all
Doubtlefle the sun I flattered too much.
Witnesse mine eyes, I say the truth in this —
They have thee seene, and know that so it is.
8
MUCH sorrow in itselfe my love doth move
More my dispaire — to love a hopelesse blisse ;
My folly most — to love where sure to misse.
O, helpe me but this last griefe to remove ;
All paine, if you command it, joy doth prove ;
And wisdome to seeke joy : — then say but this —
Because my pleasure in thy torment is,
I doe command thee without hope to love.
So when this thought my sorrowes shall augment,
That mine owne folly did procure my paine ;
Then shall I say, to give my selfe content,
Obedience only made me love in vaine :
It was your will, and not my want of wit ;
I have the paine — beare you the blame of it.
9
[Of his mistrisse : upon occasion of her walking in a Garden.]
MY ladie's presence makes the roses red,
Because to see her lips they blush for shame :
The lilies leaves, for envy, pale became,
And her white hands in them this envy bred.
The marigold abroad the leaves doth spread,
Because the sun's and her power is the same ;
The violet of purple colour came,
Dy'd with the blood she made my heart to shed.
In briefe — all flowers from her their virtue take :
From her sweet breath their sweet smells do pro ceed,
The living heate which her eye-beames do make
Warmeth the ground, and quickeneth the seede.
The raine wherewith she watereth these flowers
Falls from mine eyes, which she dissolves in mowers.
10.
[To the Ladie Rich.]
HERALDS at armes doe three perfections quote ;
To wit — most faire, most rich, most glittering:
So when these three concurre within one thing,
Needs must that thing of honour be, of note.
Lately did I behold a rich faire coate
Which wistied fortune to mine eyes did bring :
A lordly coate — but worthy of a king :
Wherein all these perfections one might note —
A field of lilies, roses proper bare,
To stars in chiefe, the crest was waves of gold :
How glittering was the coate the starrs declare,
The lilies made it faire for to behold ;
And rich it was, as by the gold appears,
So happy he which in his armes it beares.
11.
IF true love might true love's reward obtaine,
Dumbe wonder only could speake of my joy ;
But too much worth hath made thee too i much coy,
And told me long agoe — I lov'd in vaine.
Not then vaine hope of undeserved gaine
Hath made me paint in verses mine annoy,
But for thy pleasure ; that thou might's!: enjoy
Thy beauties sight, in glasses of my paine.
See then thy selfe, though me thou wilt not heare,
By looking on- my verse : for paine in verse
Love doth in paine, beautie in love appeare.
So, if thou wouldst my verses' meaning see,
Expound them thus : — when I my love rehearse,
None loves like him ; — that is, none faire like mee.
12.
[How he encouraged himselfe to proceede in love, and to hope for favoure in the ende at Love's hands.]
IT may be, Love doth not my death pretend,
Although he moots at me ; but thinks it fit
Thus to bewitch thee for my benefit ;
Causing thy will to my wish condescend.
For witches, which some murder doe intend,
Doe make a picture, and doe shoote at it :
And in that place where they the picture hit,
The party's selfe doth languish to his end.
So Love, too weake by force thy heart to taint,
Within my heart thy heavenly shape doth paint,
Suffering therein his arrowes to abide ;
Only to th' end, he jnight by witches' arte
Within my hearte pierce through thy picture's side,
And through thy picture's side might wound thy heart.
13
[Of the thoughtes he nourished by night, when she was retired to bed.]
THE sun, his journey ending in the west,
Taking his lodging up in Thetis' bed,
Though from our eyes his beames be banished,
Yet with his light th' antipodes he blest.
Now when the fame time brings my fun to rest,
Which me too oft of rest hath hindered ;
And whiter skin with white sheete covered,
And softer cheeke doth on soft pillow rest ;
Then I — oh sun of suns, and light of lights !
Wish me with those antipodes to be,
Which see and feele thy beames and heate by nights,
Well though the night both cold and darksome is ;
Yet halfe the daye's delight the night grants me,
I feele my sun's heate, though the light I misse.
14
LADIE ! in beautie and in favour rare,
Of favour, not of due, I favour crave :
Nature to thee beauty anJlayour gave,
Faire then thou art, and favour thou mayst spare,
And when on me bestow'd your favours are,
Lesse favour in your face you shall not have :
If favour then a wounded soule may save ;
As Of murder's guilt, dear Ladie, then beware.
My losse of life a million fold were lesse
Than the least losse mould unto you befall :
Yet grant this guift ; which guift when I possesse,
Both I have life, and you no losse at all.
For by your favour only I doe live ;
And favour you may well both keepe and give.
15
MY reason, absent, did mine eyes require
To watch and ward, and such foes to descrie
As they should, neare my heart approach ing, spy :
But traitor-eyes my heart's death did conspire,
Corrupted with Hope's gyfts, let in Desire
To burne my heart, and sought no remedy,
Though store of water were in eyther eye,
Which well employ'd, might well have quencht the fire.
Reason returned, Love and Fortune made
Judges, to judge mine eyes to punishment :
Fortune, sith they by sight my heart betray'd,
From wished sight adjudg'd them banishment :
Love, sith by fire murdred my heart was found,
Adjudged them in teares for to be drown'd.
16.
WONDER it is, and pittie 'tis, that she
In whom all beautie's treasure we may finde,
That may enrich the body or the mind,
Towards the poore should use no charitie.
My love is gone a begging unto thee :
And if that Beauty had not been more kind,
Then Pity long ere this he had been pin'd ;
But Beauty is content his food to be.
Oh, pitie have, when such poore orphans beg ;
Love, naked boy, hath nothing on his backe,
And though he wanteth neither arme nor leg,
Yet maim'd he is — for he his sight doth lacke :
And yet, though blind, he beautie can behold,
And yet, though nak'd, he feels more heate than cold.
17
PITTY refusing my poore love to feede,
A beggar flarv'd for want of helpe he lies,
And at your mouth, the door of beauty, cries —
That thence some almes of sweet grants may proceed.
But as he waiteth for some almes-deed
A cherrie-tree before the doore he spies —
" Oh dear," (quoth he,) " two cherries may suffice,
Two only life may save in this my neede."
But beggars can they nought but cherries eate.
Pardon my Love, he is a goddesse' son,
And never feedeth but on daintie meate
Else need he not to pine as he hath done :
For only the sweet fruit of this sweet tree
Can give food to my Love, and life to me.
18. [Of his Ladle's vayle, wherewith she covered her.]
THE fouler hides, as closely as he may,
The net where caught the sillie bird mould be ;
Least that the threatning prison it mould see,
And so for feare be forc'd to stye away.
My Ladie so, the while she doth assay
In curled knots fast to entangle me,
Puts on her vaile ; to th' end I should not see
The golden net wherein I am a pray.
Alas, most sweet ! what need is of a net
To catch a bird that is already tame ?
Sith with your hand alone you may it get,
For it desires to fly into the same :
What needs such arte, my thoughts then to entrap,
When of them selves they stye into your lap.
19.
[To his Ladies hand : upon occasion of her glove,
which in her absence he kissed.]
SWEET hand ! the sweet yet cruell bowe thou art
From whence at me fiveivorye arrowes flie ;
So with five wounds at once I wounded lie,
Bearing in breast the print of every dart.
Saint Francis had the like — yet felt no smart,
Where I in living torments never die ;
His wounds were in his hands and feete, where I
All these lame helplefle wounds feele in my heart.
Now as Saint Francis (if a saint) am I :
The bowe that shot these shafts a relique is,
I meane the hand — which is the reason why
So many for devotion thee would kisie :
And I thy glove kifle as a thing divine —
Thy arrowes quiver, and thy reliques shrine.
20.
[Of his ladie's goeing over earlye to bed : so depriving
him too soone of her fight.]
FAIRE sun ! if you would have me praise your light,
When night approacheth wherefore do you flie ?
Time is so short, beauties so many be,
That I had need to see them day and night,
That by continuall view my verses might
Tell all the beames of your divinitie,
Which praise to you, and joy should be to me :
You living by my verse, I by your sight.
I by your sight, but not you by my verse :
Need mortall skill immortall praise rehearse ?
No, no ; — though eyes were blinde, and verse were dumb,
Your beautie mould be seene,and your fame known ;
For by the wind, which from my sighes doe come,
Your praises round about the world be blowne.
21.
[Complaynt of his Ladie's sicknesse.]
UNCIVILL sicknesse ! hast thou no regard,
But dost presume my dearest to molest ?
And, without leave, dar'st enter in that breast
Whereto sweet Love approach yet never dar'd ?
Spare thou her health, which my life hath not spar'd ;
Too bitter such revenge of my unrest,
Although with wrongs my thought she hath opprest,
My thoughts seeke not revenge, but crave rewarde.
Cease sicknesse, — cease in her then to remaine,
And come and welcome harbour thou in me,
Whom Love long since hath taught to suffer paine ;
So she which hath so oft my paines increast,
(Oh God, that I might so revenged be ! )
By my more paine might have her paine releast.
22.
NEEDS must I leave, and yet needs must I love,
In vaine my wit doth paint in verse my woe :
Disdaine in thee dispaire in me doth showe
How by my wit I doe my folly prove.
All this my heart from love can never move ;
Love is not in my heart — no, Lady, no :
My heart is love it selfe ; till I forgoe
My heart, I never can my love remove.
How shall I then leave love ? — I doe intend
Not to crave grace, but yet to wish it still ;
Not to prayse thee, but beauty to commend,
And so by beauties prayse, prayse thee I will.
For as my heart is love, love not in me,
So beauty thou — beauty is not in thee.
23
[Of the prowejse of his Ladie.]
SWEET soveraigne ! sith so many minds remaine
Obedient subjects at thy beauties call,
So many thoughts bound in thy haire as thrall,
So many hearts die with one lookes disdaine ;
Goe seeke that glorie which doth thee pertaine,
That the first monarchic may the befall :
Thou hast such meanes to conquer men withall,
As all the world must yeeld, or else be flaine.
To fight, thou need'st no weapons but thine eyes :
Thy haire hath gold enough to pay thy men ;
And for their food thy beauty will suffice.
For men and armour, Lady, care have none :
For one will soonest yeeld unto thee then,
When he shall meet thee naked and alone.
24.
[Of the discouragement be had to proceed in love, through
the multitude of his Ladle's perfections, and
his owne lownesses ]
WHEN your perfections to my thoughts appeare,
They say among themselves, " O happy he,
Which ever shall so rare an object see ! "
But happie heart, if thoughts less happy were.
For their delights have cost my heart full deare,
In whom of love a thousand causes be,
And each cause breeds a thousand loves in me,
And each love more then thousand hearts can bear.
And can my heart so many loves then hold ?
Which yet by heapes increase from day to day.
But like a ship, that's overcharg'd with gold,
Must either sinke or hurle the gold away.
But hurle out love thou canst not, feeble heart !
In thine owne blood thou therefore drowned art.
DIANA
OR, THE PRAISES OF HIS MISTRES IN CERTAINE SWEETE SONNETS.
1.
[Of the byrth and beginning of his love.]*
RESOLV'D to love, unworthy to obtaine,
I doe no favoure crave ; but humble wise
To thee my sighes in verse I sacrifice,
Only some pitty and no helpe to gaine.
Heare then — and as my heart shall aye remaine
A patient object to thy lightning eyes,
A patient eare bring thou to thundring cryes ;
Feare not the cracke, when I the blow sustaine.
So as thine eye bred my ambitious thought,
So shall thine eare make proud my voice for joy :
Lo,deare, what wonders great by thee are wrought,
When I but little favoure doe enjoy : —
The voyce is made the eare for to rejoyce,
And thine eare giveth pleasure to my voyce.
2
[An excuse to his mislriffe, for resolving to love so worthy a creature.]
BLAME not my heart, for flying up so high,
Sith thou art cause that it this flight begun :
For earthly vapours drawne up by the sun
Comets become, and night-suns in the skie.
My humble hearte so with thy heavenly eye
Drawne up aloft, all low desires doth shun :
Raise thou me up, as thou my heart hast done,
So, during night, in heaven remaine may
I. Blame not, I say againe, my high desire ;
Sith of us both the cause thereof depends :
In thee doth shine, in me doth burne a fire ;
Fire drawes up other, and it selfe ascends.
Thine eye a fire, and so drawes up my love :
My love a fire, and so ascends above.
3
[Of the byrth of his love.]
FLY low, deare love, thy sun dost thou not see ?
Take heed, — doe not so neare his rayes aspire,
Least for thy pride, inflam'd with kindled ire,
It burn thy wings, as it hath burned me.
Thou, haply, sayst — thy wings immortall be,
And so cannot consumed be with fire :
The one is Hope, the other is Desire,
And that the heavens bestow'd them both on thee.
A muse's words caus'd thee with Hope to flye,
An angel's face Desire hath begot,
Thy selfe engendred of a goddesse' eye ;
Yet for all this, immortall thou art not : —
Of heavenly eye though thou begotten art,
Yet thou art borne but of a mortall heart.
4
[ Of his Mistresse : upon occasion of a friend of his which disswaded him from loving.]
A FRIEND of mine, moaning my helplesse love,
Hoping, by killing hope, my love to flay ;
" Let not," (quoth he,) " thy hope thy heart betray,
Impossible it is her heart to move."
But, sith resolved love cannot remove
As long as thy divine perfections stay,
Thy godhead then he sought to take away : —
Deare ! seeke revenge, and him a lyar prove.
Gods only doe impossibilities :
" Impossible," (saith he,) " thy grace to gaine ! "
Show then the power of thy divinities,
By graunting me thy favour to obtaine :
So shall thy foe give to himselfe the lye,
A goddesse thou shalt prove, and happy I.
5
[Of the conspiracle of his ladle's eyes, and his owne, to engender love."]
THINE eye, the glasse where I behold my heart,
Mine eye, the window through the which thine eye
May see my heart, and there thy selfe espy
In bloody colours how thou painted art.
Thine eye the pike is of a murdering dart,
Mine eye the sight thou tak'st thy levell by
To hit my heart, and never shoot'st awry :
Mine eye thus helpes thine eye to worke my smart,
Thine eye a fire is both in heate and light :
Mine eye of teares a river doth become.
Oh, that the water of mine eye had might
To quench the flames that from thine eye doth come ;
Or that the fire that's kindled by thine eye
The flowing streames of mine eyes would make drye.
6.
[Love's seven deadly sins.]
MINE eye with all the deadly sinnes is fraught.
First proud — sith it presum'dto looke sohye,
A watchman being made, stood gazing by,
And idle — took no heed till I was caught :
And envious — beares envie that my thought
Should in his absence be to her so nye.
To kill my heart, mine eye let in her eye,
And so consent gave to a murther wrought :
And covetous — it never would remove
From her faire haire, gold so doth please his fight :
A glutton eye — with teares drunke every night :
Unchaste — a baude between my heart and love.
These sins procured have a goddesse' ire,
Wherefore my heart is damn'd in love's sweet fire.
7-
[Of the slander envye gives him, for so highlye praysmg his Mistrisse.]
FALSELY doth envie of your praises blame
My tongue, my pen, my heart, of flattery ;
Because I said, there was no sunne but thee !
It call'd my tongue the partiall trumpe of fame,
And said — my pen had flattered thy name,
Because my pen did to my tongue agree ;
And that my heart must needs a flatterer be,
Which taught both tongue and pen to say the same. —
No, no, I flatter not, when thee I call
The sun : sith sun in world was never such :
But when the sun I thee compar'd with-all
Doubtlefle the sun I flattered too much.
Witnesse mine eyes, I say the truth in this —
They have thee seene, and know that so it is.
8
MUCH sorrow in itselfe my love doth move
More my dispaire — to love a hopelesse blisse ;
My folly most — to love where sure to misse.
O, helpe me but this last griefe to remove ;
All paine, if you command it, joy doth prove ;
And wisdome to seeke joy : — then say but this —
Because my pleasure in thy torment is,
I doe command thee without hope to love.
So when this thought my sorrowes shall augment,
That mine owne folly did procure my paine ;
Then shall I say, to give my selfe content,
Obedience only made me love in vaine :
It was your will, and not my want of wit ;
I have the paine — beare you the blame of it.
9
[Of his mistrisse : upon occasion of her walking in a Garden.]
MY ladie's presence makes the roses red,
Because to see her lips they blush for shame :
The lilies leaves, for envy, pale became,
And her white hands in them this envy bred.
The marigold abroad the leaves doth spread,
Because the sun's and her power is the same ;
The violet of purple colour came,
Dy'd with the blood she made my heart to shed.
In briefe — all flowers from her their virtue take :
From her sweet breath their sweet smells do pro ceed,
The living heate which her eye-beames do make
Warmeth the ground, and quickeneth the seede.
The raine wherewith she watereth these flowers
Falls from mine eyes, which she dissolves in mowers.
10.
[To the Ladie Rich.]
HERALDS at armes doe three perfections quote ;
To wit — most faire, most rich, most glittering:
So when these three concurre within one thing,
Needs must that thing of honour be, of note.
Lately did I behold a rich faire coate
Which wistied fortune to mine eyes did bring :
A lordly coate — but worthy of a king :
Wherein all these perfections one might note —
A field of lilies, roses proper bare,
To stars in chiefe, the crest was waves of gold :
How glittering was the coate the starrs declare,
The lilies made it faire for to behold ;
And rich it was, as by the gold appears,
So happy he which in his armes it beares.
11.
IF true love might true love's reward obtaine,
Dumbe wonder only could speake of my joy ;
But too much worth hath made thee too i much coy,
And told me long agoe — I lov'd in vaine.
Not then vaine hope of undeserved gaine
Hath made me paint in verses mine annoy,
But for thy pleasure ; that thou might's!: enjoy
Thy beauties sight, in glasses of my paine.
See then thy selfe, though me thou wilt not heare,
By looking on- my verse : for paine in verse
Love doth in paine, beautie in love appeare.
So, if thou wouldst my verses' meaning see,
Expound them thus : — when I my love rehearse,
None loves like him ; — that is, none faire like mee.
12.
[How he encouraged himselfe to proceede in love, and to hope for favoure in the ende at Love's hands.]
IT may be, Love doth not my death pretend,
Although he moots at me ; but thinks it fit
Thus to bewitch thee for my benefit ;
Causing thy will to my wish condescend.
For witches, which some murder doe intend,
Doe make a picture, and doe shoote at it :
And in that place where they the picture hit,
The party's selfe doth languish to his end.
So Love, too weake by force thy heart to taint,
Within my heart thy heavenly shape doth paint,
Suffering therein his arrowes to abide ;
Only to th' end, he jnight by witches' arte
Within my hearte pierce through thy picture's side,
And through thy picture's side might wound thy heart.
13
[Of the thoughtes he nourished by night, when she was retired to bed.]
THE sun, his journey ending in the west,
Taking his lodging up in Thetis' bed,
Though from our eyes his beames be banished,
Yet with his light th' antipodes he blest.
Now when the fame time brings my fun to rest,
Which me too oft of rest hath hindered ;
And whiter skin with white sheete covered,
And softer cheeke doth on soft pillow rest ;
Then I — oh sun of suns, and light of lights !
Wish me with those antipodes to be,
Which see and feele thy beames and heate by nights,
Well though the night both cold and darksome is ;
Yet halfe the daye's delight the night grants me,
I feele my sun's heate, though the light I misse.
14
LADIE ! in beautie and in favour rare,
Of favour, not of due, I favour crave :
Nature to thee beauty anJlayour gave,
Faire then thou art, and favour thou mayst spare,
And when on me bestow'd your favours are,
Lesse favour in your face you shall not have :
If favour then a wounded soule may save ;
As Of murder's guilt, dear Ladie, then beware.
My losse of life a million fold were lesse
Than the least losse mould unto you befall :
Yet grant this guift ; which guift when I possesse,
Both I have life, and you no losse at all.
For by your favour only I doe live ;
And favour you may well both keepe and give.
15
MY reason, absent, did mine eyes require
To watch and ward, and such foes to descrie
As they should, neare my heart approach ing, spy :
But traitor-eyes my heart's death did conspire,
Corrupted with Hope's gyfts, let in Desire
To burne my heart, and sought no remedy,
Though store of water were in eyther eye,
Which well employ'd, might well have quencht the fire.
Reason returned, Love and Fortune made
Judges, to judge mine eyes to punishment :
Fortune, sith they by sight my heart betray'd,
From wished sight adjudg'd them banishment :
Love, sith by fire murdred my heart was found,
Adjudged them in teares for to be drown'd.
16.
WONDER it is, and pittie 'tis, that she
In whom all beautie's treasure we may finde,
That may enrich the body or the mind,
Towards the poore should use no charitie.
My love is gone a begging unto thee :
And if that Beauty had not been more kind,
Then Pity long ere this he had been pin'd ;
But Beauty is content his food to be.
Oh, pitie have, when such poore orphans beg ;
Love, naked boy, hath nothing on his backe,
And though he wanteth neither arme nor leg,
Yet maim'd he is — for he his sight doth lacke :
And yet, though blind, he beautie can behold,
And yet, though nak'd, he feels more heate than cold.
17
PITTY refusing my poore love to feede,
A beggar flarv'd for want of helpe he lies,
And at your mouth, the door of beauty, cries —
That thence some almes of sweet grants may proceed.
But as he waiteth for some almes-deed
A cherrie-tree before the doore he spies —
" Oh dear," (quoth he,) " two cherries may suffice,
Two only life may save in this my neede."
But beggars can they nought but cherries eate.
Pardon my Love, he is a goddesse' son,
And never feedeth but on daintie meate
Else need he not to pine as he hath done :
For only the sweet fruit of this sweet tree
Can give food to my Love, and life to me.
18. [Of his Ladle's vayle, wherewith she covered her.]
THE fouler hides, as closely as he may,
The net where caught the sillie bird mould be ;
Least that the threatning prison it mould see,
And so for feare be forc'd to stye away.
My Ladie so, the while she doth assay
In curled knots fast to entangle me,
Puts on her vaile ; to th' end I should not see
The golden net wherein I am a pray.
Alas, most sweet ! what need is of a net
To catch a bird that is already tame ?
Sith with your hand alone you may it get,
For it desires to fly into the same :
What needs such arte, my thoughts then to entrap,
When of them selves they stye into your lap.
19.
[To his Ladies hand : upon occasion of her glove,
which in her absence he kissed.]
SWEET hand ! the sweet yet cruell bowe thou art
From whence at me fiveivorye arrowes flie ;
So with five wounds at once I wounded lie,
Bearing in breast the print of every dart.
Saint Francis had the like — yet felt no smart,
Where I in living torments never die ;
His wounds were in his hands and feete, where I
All these lame helplefle wounds feele in my heart.
Now as Saint Francis (if a saint) am I :
The bowe that shot these shafts a relique is,
I meane the hand — which is the reason why
So many for devotion thee would kisie :
And I thy glove kifle as a thing divine —
Thy arrowes quiver, and thy reliques shrine.
20.
[Of his ladie's goeing over earlye to bed : so depriving
him too soone of her fight.]
FAIRE sun ! if you would have me praise your light,
When night approacheth wherefore do you flie ?
Time is so short, beauties so many be,
That I had need to see them day and night,
That by continuall view my verses might
Tell all the beames of your divinitie,
Which praise to you, and joy should be to me :
You living by my verse, I by your sight.
I by your sight, but not you by my verse :
Need mortall skill immortall praise rehearse ?
No, no ; — though eyes were blinde, and verse were dumb,
Your beautie mould be seene,and your fame known ;
For by the wind, which from my sighes doe come,
Your praises round about the world be blowne.
21.
[Complaynt of his Ladie's sicknesse.]
UNCIVILL sicknesse ! hast thou no regard,
But dost presume my dearest to molest ?
And, without leave, dar'st enter in that breast
Whereto sweet Love approach yet never dar'd ?
Spare thou her health, which my life hath not spar'd ;
Too bitter such revenge of my unrest,
Although with wrongs my thought she hath opprest,
My thoughts seeke not revenge, but crave rewarde.
Cease sicknesse, — cease in her then to remaine,
And come and welcome harbour thou in me,
Whom Love long since hath taught to suffer paine ;
So she which hath so oft my paines increast,
(Oh God, that I might so revenged be ! )
By my more paine might have her paine releast.
22.
NEEDS must I leave, and yet needs must I love,
In vaine my wit doth paint in verse my woe :
Disdaine in thee dispaire in me doth showe
How by my wit I doe my folly prove.
All this my heart from love can never move ;
Love is not in my heart — no, Lady, no :
My heart is love it selfe ; till I forgoe
My heart, I never can my love remove.
How shall I then leave love ? — I doe intend
Not to crave grace, but yet to wish it still ;
Not to prayse thee, but beauty to commend,
And so by beauties prayse, prayse thee I will.
For as my heart is love, love not in me,
So beauty thou — beauty is not in thee.
23
[Of the prowejse of his Ladie.]
SWEET soveraigne ! sith so many minds remaine
Obedient subjects at thy beauties call,
So many thoughts bound in thy haire as thrall,
So many hearts die with one lookes disdaine ;
Goe seeke that glorie which doth thee pertaine,
That the first monarchic may the befall :
Thou hast such meanes to conquer men withall,
As all the world must yeeld, or else be flaine.
To fight, thou need'st no weapons but thine eyes :
Thy haire hath gold enough to pay thy men ;
And for their food thy beauty will suffice.
For men and armour, Lady, care have none :
For one will soonest yeeld unto thee then,
When he shall meet thee naked and alone.
24.
[Of the discouragement be had to proceed in love, through
the multitude of his Ladle's perfections, and
his owne lownesses ]
WHEN your perfections to my thoughts appeare,
They say among themselves, " O happy he,
Which ever shall so rare an object see ! "
But happie heart, if thoughts less happy were.
For their delights have cost my heart full deare,
In whom of love a thousand causes be,
And each cause breeds a thousand loves in me,
And each love more then thousand hearts can bear.
And can my heart so many loves then hold ?
Which yet by heapes increase from day to day.
But like a ship, that's overcharg'd with gold,
Must either sinke or hurle the gold away.
But hurle out love thou canst not, feeble heart !
In thine owne blood thou therefore drowned art.