University of Virginia Library

[A SONNET-SEQUENCE]

I. SONETT.

heues rid and paile which litts bell[isaes face],
and dortye maks her eyes and deafe her eares,
howe canst yow wyne soure lookes and spite in peace,
and for my wrak theme arme and mak suche weres?
yet since of me so myndles shee apperes,
as shee dothe seme her self for to forgett,
quhy wakned wakns yow vpp neire hopes and feares,
and blawes deade coales, cold cindars bringing lett?
iff yow my torments for your trophees sett,
and of my martyrdome your triumphs mak,
why maks yow me through coy contempt to frett,
and vnto reasoun for to turne my bak,
and former voues with solemne othes disclayme,
adoring farder her who dothe me schame?

II. [Greive not, faire flouer of couleur, sight, and sent.]

Greive not, faire flouer of couleur, sight, and sent,
though in this glasss inclosed now thow stand,
for shee quhose favour the to me hes sent
more straytlye holds my harte within her hand;
and gif that water want of well or strand,
teares from my eyes thy feading sal renewe,
and by the wound which love giuis by his brand,
my lyflyie bloode sal the restore thy hewe.
and since that I depryved am of her vewe,
and feare doithe force her from my love refrayne,
I will with kisses the, sweite flouer, persewe,
with hope schee sal tak pittie of my payne:
bot gif schee fayle, then cruell shee sal see
a flouer to perrishe and a fouler dee.

III. [Quho to the heavens gaue starns and wynds to aire.]

Quho to the heavens gaue starns and wynds to aire,
grene herbs to earthe, and wawes vnto the see,
dothe to our age his woundars more declaire,
since things more strainge then these we see in thee.
yea, that we suld cast baith our mynde and eye
vpon his gracious and his glorious frame,
in yow he hethe maid placed for to bee
quhat most was raire, quhat most is faire, faire dame,—
bright haire that sunne and eyes that starnes dothe schame,
quhaire love his toarche dois light and netts dothe mak,
sueit smyles, chaiste words, that peace and weres proclame,
grave pace, auld witt in youngest yeres but lak,
with store of graces and of beautyeis strainge,
which gius to nature lawe and stey to chainge.

IV. [Quhils I beheld, bellisaes breist was baire.]

Quhils I beheld, bellisaes breist was baire,
and cupids belloues to myne eyne appeird;
amangs the lillyes and the roses faire
my faynting spreits to feide theme did reteire.
no honey beyes there wings more suift did steire
to see the paynted flouers and sulk the same,
then they quhen floachs of snawe they sawe ly cleire,
and from there coldnes theme to fechte there flame:
so hungrie nowe, to searche foode for the same,
to lenghte my lyfe furthe of my eyes they fliee,
and leaves my harte within your breist, fair dame:
a breist thought quhyte more cold then snaw I see,
with hope of help, thought I with feare be lost,
that fyres of love may melt your honours frost.

V. [Hou oft I see your face and blissed eyes.]

Hou oft I see your face and blissed eyes,
how oft the same agane on me do gase,
so oft my thoughts, bathtd in there beautyes sees,
breids thrist of theames for to proclayme your praise;
bot quhat most cheife and rare I suld first blaise
toung can not weill recounte, nor pen weill frame:
for store stopps choyse, chainge dothe my muse amaise,
and your great gifts a gretar poete clayme.
yet high desyre to win more lasting fame
by yow, the glorious subiect of my muse,
and great renoune in to eternise the same,
dothe ympe [?] my wings and to suche soaring vse,
with hope I may attene quhar I derect
my flight and flams, and by theme lyfe exspect.

VI. [Quho wald here see the Sunn but heate to burne.]

Quho wald here see the Sunn but heate to burne,
quhat harmonie the circled spheres dothe move,
how starns mens states by there aspect dothe turne,
and how that spreits ar blist and curst by love,
cast he his lookes not to these lights above,
bot theme devert on her proud humble eyes,
and on these blissings quhilk for her behove
to poure on her supernal pouers pleayse.
her soure sueit words ar vncoltrold decreyes,
which breathd from lyflye snaw engendreth flamme.
her port, her pace, her gesteur, as men sees,
proportion keipeth with the hevnlye frame,
which breiding chaist desyrs and vaine dois schift,
doith spurr the sluggish harts, and steys the suift.

VII. SONET. IN ORKNAY.

Vpon the vtmost corners of the warld, orknay.
and on the borders of this massiue round,
quhaire fates and fortoune hither hes me harld,
I doe deplore my greiffs vpon this ground;
and seing roring seis from roks rebound
by ebbs and streames of contrair routing tyds,
and phebus chariot in there wawes ly dround,
quha equallye now night and day devyds,
I cal to mynde the storms my thoughts abyds,
which euer wax and never dois decress,
for nights of dole dayes Ioys ay euer hyds,
and in there vayle doith al my weill suppress:
so this I see, quhaire euer I remove,
I chainge bot sees, but can not chainge my love.

VIII. [By fals suspect, baithe Ielous & vnkynde.]

By fals suspect, baithe Ielous & vnkynde,
and vyld perverter of my trewe Intent,
the humble offers of my humbld mynde
ar otheruyse constructed then I ment:
for quhils to honour yow my spreits wer bent,
and reverentlie your beautie to adore,
for quhase sueit sake I wald my lyfe have spent,
to lust not love my zeale is imput more.
bot yow al seing gods, quha knaws afore
mens thoughts or euer men thame weil conceave,
dois knaw my thoughts such baldnes dois abhore,
and not presums sic favours for to crave:
for al my hap and houpe quhairin I trust
is for to serve and love and not to lust.

IX. [Iff wering tyme dois mortal beautyes waist.]

Iff wering tyme dois mortal beautyes waist,
and with his suiftest course there glore destroy,
quhy, cruel faire, do yow no soner haiste
to bring me ease quhen ȝe have bred me noy?
iff lyfe doith lightlye pass to short our Ioy,
and maks our hops vncertayne, vayne, and frayle,
Qhwy, soure bellisa, will ȝe not employ
your sueteist yeres vnto your awen avayle?
bot, oh! I see, quhils as my foulds dois fayle,
and tymles silver hairs on me to grow,
your yeres draw on and will with tyme revaile
repentance late quhen skairse I will yow know:
then save me first from my approching deathe,
quhils beutye is in yow and in me breathe.

X. SONETT PEDANTESQUE.

transcendant Sun! Sublime irradiant lux!
quhase solshyne rayes my eyes to vewe dar vix,
quha in tempestouous procells is my dux,
and keips my name fro Lethes Laike and stix,
o charming circe! o lesbia faire as nix!
quha to my cupidineous thoughts is trux,
quha liquefacts my spreits as fyre dois pix,
and maks my lyfe exspyre as theif on crux,
lat thir hoarse [?] clamours of my vaucal vox
perverberat your eares or orcus vex,
facilitat the passage of my nox,
and with his darte accelerat my nex:
bot gif the fates will not permitt me pax,
Lat atrops kill by falx as love be fax.

XI. THE SAME MAIR SENSEBLE.

bright schyning sun and faire reflexing light,
quhase golden beames my eyes dar skairslye vewe,
quha is my conduct in the cluddie night,
and doth my bark fra roks and cregs reskew,
bellisa sueit, coy lesbia of fair hewe,
quha deife vnto my plaints disdaynes my paynes,
and melts my spreits as fyre doith pik and glewe,
and doth my lyfe conseume & wonds my raynes,
Lat thir complay[n]tis vpon your high disdaynes
perse in your eares, or dethe in me have pouer
to pathe the passage of his mortal traynes,
and with his heuk draw on my fatal houer:
for gif your harte will pittee ay disclayme,
deathe sal me kill by darte as loue by flame.

XII. [No roring sees which roanting strykes on roks.]

No roring sees which roanting strykes on roks
and hills off spindrifts rayses on the shore,
na rearding thundars that abbaits and knoks
the highest trees which theme withsta[n]d the more,
na damned soules ar terrefyed so sore
quha sees the gibbet of there fatal day,
na windie tempests nor yet stormes that rore,
and dothe there blasts on lands and sees displey,
Dothe lossed schipps with terrour more afray,
nor wandring pilgrims stryks with shaking feare,
quha walking on ar doubtfull of the way,
and turning there, and now returning here,
as I do feare the starnes of her ees,
more fearfull far then thundars roks and sees.

XIII. ORKNAY.

As charming Circe did vlisses stey
within the bounds of the sicilian yles,
transforming men euen to there awen decay,
and chainging theme in foules and beastes by wyles,
so thow, chaist love, quha in my long exyles
from my Penelope haithe me deteind,
conIuring wynds, which ay my hope beguyles,
hes me with the but greif in greif reteind;
And though this grace I have of yow obteind,
as not to be in foule nor beaste transformd,
quhairthrough the loss the losser may be meind,
yet, charming charmer, thow hes me deformd,
quhils my weake witts now wittles doe becum,
and eyes but sight, and toung baith tyed and dum.

XIV. [Thought vnsene Echo hyde frome me her face.]

Thought vnsene Echo hyde frome me her face,
Shee semes yet by her workes to beare my love,
For quhen I would her wittnes my disgrace,
With piteous voyce shee dois my plants approve;
Sua shee a stone to reuthe her tones dois move,
And frames her accents to my fayinting mone,
As wishing that the plagues which I ay prove
might with my teares be dryed vp and gone.
Bot cruell shee quha maks me crye and grone,
baithe deafe and nyce [?] to ansuer mak disdaynes,
yea, when I cal, her eares shee stopps anone,
and baithe frome speache and pittie shee refraynes:
so shee laments conpond of stone and aire,
quhils shee which fleshe is brings me cross and caire.

XV. [Lord quha did marche vpon the stormye sees.]

Lord quha did marche vpon the stormye sees,
quhase wawes uer high lyke hills and law lyk hell,
quha bounds the same by thy eterne decreyes,
and calms them maist quhen they in rage did swell,
Lord quha did save that saule that did rebell,
and did repyne aganst thyne holye will,
and succourd quhen in sees they did expell,
that he thairefter might the same fulfill,
Calme, lord, thir wawes more high then ony hill,
and stey the tempests that ws all afray,
quhilk haithe our nighbours dround, bot mak them still,
that we might happie passage have this day:
here ws, great god, quha did the wynds rebuik,
and on thy servants of thy mercye looke.

XVI. SONETT SPIRITUELL.

If I thir lipps have closed through my faults
fra dewe extolling of thy sacred name,
and faithfull to this faithles uorld exhaults
Ingraitfull obiects, raisers of my schame,
iff I thir lipps to foolish songs did frame
the mothers fosters [?] sawers [?] of vayne toyes,
if I thir lipps, which lesings did proclame,
have harroulds maid of vaine and fragil Ioyes
to this suite I my pen and speache employes,
with skill and art proportiond to my spreits,
now oppen theme, lord, quha mercie ay convoyes
vnto the sinning saule that the Intreits.