The Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania :: :: University of Virginia Library

In night yet may we see some kinde of light,
When as the Moone doth please to shew her face,
And in the Sunns roome yeelds her light, and grace,
Which otherwise must suffer dullest night:

So are my fortunes barrd from true delight,
Cold, and vncertaine, like to this strange place,
Decreasing, changing in an instant space,
And euen at full of ioy turnd to despight.

Iustly on Fortune was bestowd the Wheele,
Whose fauours fickle, and vnconstant reele,
Drunke with delight of change and sudden paine;

Where pleasure hath no setled place of stay,
But turning still, for our best hopes decay,
And this (alas) we louers often gaine.

2.

Loue like a Iugler comes to play his prize,
And all mindes draw his wonders to admire,
To see how cunningly he (wanting eyes)
Can yet deceiue the best sight of desire.

The wanton Childe, how he can faine his fire
So prettily, as none sees his disguise,
How finely doe his trickes; while we fooles hire
The badge, and office of his tyrannies.

For in the ende such Iugling he doth make,
As he our hearts instead of eyes doth take;
For men can onely by their slights abuse,

The sight with nimble, and delightfull skill,
But if he play, his gaine is our lost will,
Yet Child-like we cannot his sports refuse.

3.

Most blessed night, the happy time for Loue,
The shade for Louers, and their Loues delight,
The raigne of Loue for seruants free from spight,
The hopefull seasons for ioyes sports to mooue.

Now hast thou made thy glory higher prooue,
Then did the God, whose pleasant Reede did smite
All Argus eyes into a death-like night,
Till they were safe, that none could Loue reprooue.

Now thou hast cloasd those eyes from prying sight
That nourish Iealousie, more then ioyes right,
While vaine Suspition fosters their mistrust,

Making sweet sleepe to master all suspect,
Which els their priuate feares would not neglect,
But would embrace both blinded, and vniust.

4.

Cruell Suspition, O! be now at rest,
Let daily torments bring to thee some stay,
Alas, make not my ill thy ease-full pray,
Nor giue loose raines to Rage, when Loue's opprest.

I am by care sufficiently distrest,
No Racke can stretch my heart more, nor a way
Can I finde out, for least content to lay
One happy foot of ioy, one step that's blest.

But to my end thou fly'st with greedy eye,
Seeking to bring griefe by base Iealousie;
O, in how strange a Cage am I kept in?

No little signe of fauour can I prooue,
But must be way'd, and turn'd to wronging loue,
And with each humour must my state begin.

5.

How many nights haue I with paine endurd?
Which as so many Ages I esteem'd,
Since my misfortune, yet no whit redeem'd
But rather faster ty'de, to griefe assur'd.

How many houres haue my sad thoughts endur'd
Of killing paines? yet is it not esteem'd
By cruell Loue, who might haue these redeemd,
And all these yeeres of houres to ioy assur'd.

But fond Childe, had he had a care to saue,
As first to conquer, this my pleasures graue,
Had not beene now to testifie my woe.

I might haue beene an Image of delight,
As now a Tombe for sad misfortunes spight,
Which Loue vnkindly, for reward doth show.

6.

My paine still smother'd in my grieued brest,
Seekes for some ease, yet cannot passage finde,
To be dischargd of this vnwelcome guest,
When most I striue, more fast his burthens binde.

Like to a Ship on Goodwins cast by winde,
The more shee striue, more deepe in Sand is prest,
Till she be lost: so am I in this kind
Sunck, and deuour'd, and swallow'd by vnrest.

Lost, shipwrackt, spoyld, debar'd of smallest hope,
Nothing of pleasure left, saue thoughts haue scope;
Which wander may; goe then my thoughts and cry:

Hope's perish'd, Loue tempest-beaten, Ioy lost,
Killing Despaire hath all these blessings crost;
Yet Faith still cries, Loue will not falsifie.

7.

An end fond Ielousie, alas I know
Thy hiddenest, and thy most secret Art,
Thou canst no new inuention frame but part,
I haue already seene, and felt with woe.

All thy dissemblings, which by faigned showe,
Wonne my beliefe, while truth did rule my heart,
I with glad minde embrac'd, and deemd my smart
The spring of ioy, whose streames with blisse should flow.

I thought excuses had beene reasons true,
And that no falshood could of thee ensue,
So soone beliefe in honest mindes is wrought;

But now I finde thy flattery, and skill,
Which idely made me to obserue thy will,
Thus is my learning by my bondage bought.

8.

Poore Loue in chaines, and fetters like a thiefe
I met ledd forth, as chast Diana's gaine
Vowing the vntaught Lad should no reliefe
From her receiue, who gloried in fond paine.

She call'd him thiefe, with vowes he did mainetaine
He neuer stole, but some sadd slight of griefe
Had giuen to those who did his power disdaine,
In which reuenge his honour was the chiefe.

Shee said he murther'd and therefore must dye,
He that he caus'd but Loue, did harmes deny,
But while she thus discoursing with him stood;

The Nymphes vnti'de him and his chaines tooke off,
Thinking him safe; but he (loose) made a scoffe,
Smiling and scorning them, flew to the wood.

9.

Pray doe not vse these wordes, I must be gone;
Alasse doe not foretell mine ills to come:
Let not my care be to my ioyes a Tombe;
But rather finde my losse with losse alone.

Cause me not thus a more distressed one,
Not feeling blisse, because of this sad doome
Of present crosse; for thinking will orecome
And loose all pleasure, since griefe breedeth none.

Let the misfortune come at once to me,
Nor suffer me with griefe to punish'd be;
Let mee be ignorant of mine owne ill:

Then now with the fore-knowledge quite to lose
That which with so much care and paines Loue chose
For his reward, but ioy now, then mirth kill.

10.

Folly would needs make mee a Louer be,
When I did little thinke of louing thought;
Or euer to be tyde, while shee told me
That none can liue, but to these bands are brought.

I (ignorant) did grant, and so was bought,
And sold againe to Louers slauery:
The duty to that vanity once taught,
Such band is, as wee will not seeke to free.

Yet when I well did vnderstand his might,
How he inflam'd and forc'd one to affect:
I loud and smarted, counting it delight
So still to waste, which Reason did reiect.

When Loue came blind-fold, and did challenge me.
Indeed I lou'd, but wanton Boy not hee,