University of Virginia Library

Search this document 
The complete works of John Lyly

now for the first time collected and edited from the earliest quartos with life, bibliography, essays, notes and index by R. Warwick Bond
Lyly, John (1554?-1606)

collapse sectionI. 
VOL. I
collapse section 
SPEECHES AND VERSES AT THE TILT-YARD
  
A Sonet. At the Tilt-Yard; Nov. 17, 1590.
  
Ode. Of Cynthia.
collapse section 
ON THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO THEOBALDS, May, 1591.
  
Written about the box.
collapse section 
The Speeches and HONORABLE Entertainment giuen to the Queenes MAIESTIE in Progresse, at Cowdrey in Sussex, by the right Honorable the Lord Montacute. 1591.
  
A Dittie.
  
The Dittie.
  
This Song of the Fisherman.
collapse section 
THE HONORABLE Entertainement gieuen to the Queenes Maiestie in Progresse, at Eluetham in Hampshire, by the right Honorable the Earle of Hertford. 1591
  
The Poets speech to his boy offering him a Cushion.
  
The Poets speech to her Maiestie.
  
The Dittie of the six Virgins Song.
  
The Oration of Nereus to her Maiesty.
  
The Sea nymphes Dittie.
  
The Oration of Syluanus.
  
The Oration of faire Neæra.
  
The Plowmans Song.
  
The speech of the Fairy Queene to her Maiestie.
  
[The Fairies Song.]
  
The Poets speech at her Maiesties departure.
  
[Come againe: A Dittie.]
collapse section 
Speeches TO Queen Elizabeth AT Quarrendon:
  
The Olde Knightes Tale.
  
The Songe after Dinner at the two Ladies entrance.
  
The last Songe.
  
To the most renowned Queene, Owner of the best Crowne, & crowned with the best desertes, the lyuing Loue of dying Loricus.
collapse section 
SPEECHES DELIVERED TO HER MAIESTIE THIS LAST PROGRESSE, AT THE Right Honorable the Lady Rvssels, at Bissam, the Right Honorable the Lorde Chandos, at Sudley, at the Right Honorable the Lord Norris, at Ricorte.
  
[Swel Ceres now, for other Gods are shrinking]
  
[Sing you, plaie you, but sing and play my truth]
  
[The Song.]
  
[Nimpha mane, per me concordant carmina neruis.]
  
The verses, written in the tables which were giuen to her Maiesty
  
The Song.
collapse section 
ENTERTAINMENT AT HAREFIELD.
  
The humble Petition of a guiltlesse Lady, delivered in writing vpon Munday Morninge, when the [robe] of rainbowes was presented to the Q. by the La. Walsingham.
  
The Complaint of the Satyres against the Nymphes.
  
A Lottery presented before the late Queenes Maiestie at the Lord Chancellors house. 1602.
collapse section 
THE KING OF DENMARK'S WELCOME.
  
The Song at Theobalds.
  
[Sweet Ioe vouchsafe once to impart]
collapse section 
Epicedium. A FVNERAL Oration, vpon the death of the late deceased Princesse of famous memorye, Elizabeth by the grace of God, Queen of England, France and Ireland.
  
A true Subiects sorowe, for the losse of his late Soueraigne.
collapse sectionIII. 
VOL. III
  
A Whip for an Ape:
collapse section 
MAR-MARTINE
  
[prologue]
 1. 
[1]
 4. 
[4]
 5. 
[5]
 6. 
[6]
 11. 
[11]
 12. 
[12]
 13. 
[13]
 15. 
[15]
 16. 
[16]
 17. 
[17]
collapse section 
CERTAINE ENGLISHE Verses, presented vnto the Queenes most excellent Maiestie, by a Courtier: In ioy of the most happie disclosing, of the most dangerous conspiracies pretended by the late executed Traitours, against her royall person, and the whole Estate.
  
THE TRIVMPHS OF TROPHES,
collapse section 
POEMS
collapse sectionI. 
I. Early Autobiographical: 1575–1580?
 1. 
1.
 2. 
2.
 3. 
3.
 4. 
4.
 5. 
5.
 6. 
6.
 7. 
7.
 8. 
8.
 9. 
9.
 10. 
10.
 11. 
11.
 12. 
12.
 13. 
13. A Dittie, wherein is contained divers good and necessary documents, which beeing embraced and followed earnestly, may cause a man to shunne manie evilles and mischaunces, that may otherwise fall upon him, ere he can beware.
 14. 
14. A Dittie, wherein the brevitie of man's life is described, how soone his pompe vanisheth away, and he brought to his latest home.
 15. 
15. A Glasse for all Men to behold themselves in; especially such proude and prodigall-minded Men, and such delicate and daintie Women, ‘who building on the pride of their beautie and amiable complexion, thinke scorne to become aged; and that their sweete faces should be wrinckled, or their youthfulnes brought into subjection by age.
collapse sectionII. 
II. Early Love-Poems: BEFORE 1580?
 16. 
16.
 17. 
17. Of lingeringe Loue.
 18. 
18. A Warning for Wooers,
 19. 
19. A Proper Sonet,
 20. 
20.
collapse sectionIII. 
III. Four Songs
 21. 
21.
 22. 
22.
 23. 
23.
 24. 
24.
collapse sectionIV. 
IV. Later Love-Poems.
 25. 
25.
 26. 
26.
 27. 
27.
 28. 
28. A Gentlewoman yt married a yonge Gent who after forsooke [hir,] wherevppon she tooke hir Needle in wch she was excelēt & worked vpō hir Sampler thus
 29. 
29.
 30. 
30.
 31. 
31.
 32. 
32.
 33. 
33. A Counterloue.
 34. 
34. The Description of Iealousie.
 35. 
35.
 36. 
36.
 37. 
37.
 38. 
38. A Nimphs disdaine of Loue.
 39. 
39. The Nimphs reply to the Sheepheard.
 40. 
40. Another of the same nature, made since.
 41. 
41. Naturall comparisons with perfect loue
 41. 
41. An Answere to the first Staffe, that Loue is vnlike in Beggers and in Kings.
 42. 
42.
 43. 
43.
 44. 
44.
 45. 
45.
 46. 
46.
 47. 
47.
 48. 
48.
 49. 
49.
 50. 
50.
 51. 
51.
 52. 
52.
 53. 
53.
collapse sectionV. 
V. Later Autobiographical: 1595–1600?
 54. 
54.
 55. 
55.
 56. 
56.
 57. 
57. Concerninge his suit & attendaūce at ye Courte.
 58. 
58.
 59. 
59. [THE BEE.]
 60. 
60.
 61. 
61.
 62. 
62.
 63. 
63.
 64. 
64.
 65. 
65.
 66. 
66.
 67. 
67.
collapse sectionVI. 
VI Epigrams.
 70. 
70. Luna.
 71. 
71. In fæminæ deformitates.
 72. 
72. In Priamum.
 73. 
73. Lucretiæ querela ad Colatinum.

collapse section Collapse All | Expand All expand section
previous section The complete works of John Lyly
next section

58.
[_]

The attribution of this poem is questionable.

[The thundringe God whose all-embracinge powre]

The thundringe God whose all-embracinge powre
Circles ye modell of this spatious rounde
When first he fram'd old Adams earthly bowre
ordain'd all thinges th' Emperiall vaile doth bound
Should lend their aide to others mutuallie
but all combinde serue man continuallie.
So heau'n wth heate, the dankish aire wth dew
this solid element of Earth reuiue
with gentle warm'th & robes of verdant hew
on wch ye horned Kyne & sheepe do liue
And as those bodies ministred their good
So they againe do turne to humane foode.
Man seru'd of all, seru'd none of all but God
but mighte his pleasures take wthout controule
Saue onely what Jehouah had forbod
the carefull Soueraigne of his simple soule.
This was ye age wise Poets term'd of gold
for liberty in dearest prize they holde.
But theis succeedinge Seasons arm'd in steele,
Tramples hir downe & in tryumphant sorte
Not fearinge like contempts of fate to feele
Leades hir as Captiue, mate to poorest sorte
Yet Patience promis'd Liberty distrest
should reape for paine, a gayne, for vnrest, rest.
Wch Prophesy of hirs indeede mighte serue
for a perswation that my seruice don̄e
494

would at ye length enfranchisemt deserue
wth aunswr to mine expectation.
But when I thinke twas Patience yt spoke
the golden vessell of my hope is broke.
For she's a Sainte & scorninge vniust earth
is fledd to heau'n. All vertues are ingros't
In Gods owne hand, tis yt wch breedes ye dearth
of due rewardes, & makes my labour lost
Or at ye moste repaies my louinge minde
wth large delayes, vaine wordes & som̄e vnkinde.
Since then ye first worlde can not be recald
nor this our rusty Iron age refinde
Since Patience is in starry heau'n instald
Let euery Seruitour beare this in minde
That howsoeu'r he serue, obserue, deserue
if nought but Aire he purchase he may sterue.
Sarrire quam seruire satius.
previous section The complete works of John Lyly
next section