 | The Complete Works of George Gascoigne |  |
The praise of Phillip Sparrowe.
Of all the byrdes that I doe know,
Phillip my Sparow hath no peare:
For sit she high or lye she lowe,
Be shee farre off, or be shee neare,
There is no byrde so fayre, so fine,
Nor yet so freshe as this of myne.
Phillip my Sparow hath no peare:
For sit she high or lye she lowe,
Be shee farre off, or be shee neare,
There is no byrde so fayre, so fine,
Nor yet so freshe as this of myne.
Come in a morning mer[ri]ly,
When Phillip hath bene lately fed,
Or in an evening soberlye,
When Phillip lyst to goe to bed:
It is a heaven to heare my Phippe,
Howe she can chirpe with chery lippe.
When Phillip hath bene lately fed,
Or in an evening soberlye,
When Phillip lyst to goe to bed:
It is a heaven to heare my Phippe,
Howe she can chirpe with chery lippe.
She never wanders farre abroade,
But is at hand when I doe call:
If I commaund shee layes on loade,
With lips, with teeth, with tongue and all.
She chants, she chirpes, she makes such cheere,
That I beleeve she hath no peere.
But is at hand when I doe call:
If I commaund shee layes on loade,
With lips, with teeth, with tongue and all.
She chants, she chirpes, she makes such cheere,
That I beleeve she hath no peere.
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And yet besides all this good sport,
My Phillip can both sing and daunce:
With new found toyes of sundry sort,
My Phillip can both pricke and praunce:
As if you saye but fend cut phippe,
Lord how the peat will turne and skippe.
My Phillip can both sing and daunce:
With new found toyes of sundry sort,
My Phillip can both pricke and praunce:
As if you saye but fend cut phippe,
Lord how the peat will turne and skippe.
Hir fethers are so freshe of hewe,
And so well proyned everye daye:
She lackes none oyle, I warrant you:
To trimme hir tayle both tricke and gaye.
And though hir mouth be somewhat wide,
Hir tonge is sweet and short beside.
And so well proyned everye daye:
She lackes none oyle, I warrant you:
To trimme hir tayle both tricke and gaye.
And though hir mouth be somewhat wide,
Hir tonge is sweet and short beside.
And for the rest I dare compare,
She is both tender, sweet and soft:
She never lacketh dainty fare,
But is well fed and feedeth oft:
For if my phip have lust to eate,
I warrant you phip lacks no meate.
She is both tender, sweet and soft:
She never lacketh dainty fare,
But is well fed and feedeth oft:
For if my phip have lust to eate,
I warrant you phip lacks no meate.
And then if that hir meat be good,
And such as like do love alway:
She will lay lips theron by the rood,
And see that none be cast away:
For when she once hath felt a fitte,
Phillip will crie still, yit, yit, yit.
And such as like do love alway:
She will lay lips theron by the rood,
And see that none be cast away:
For when she once hath felt a fitte,
Phillip will crie still, yit, yit, yit.
And to tell trueth he were to blame,
Which had so fine a Byrde as she,
To make him all this goodly game,
Without suspect or jellousie:
He were a churle and knewe no good,
Would see hir faynt for lacke of food.
Which had so fine a Byrde as she,
To make him all this goodly game,
Without suspect or jellousie:
He were a churle and knewe no good,
Would see hir faynt for lacke of food.
Wherfore I sing and ever shall,
To prayse as I have often prov'd
There is no byrd amongst them all,
So worthy for to be belov'd.
Let other prayse what byrd they will,
Sweet Phillip shalbe my byrd still.
To prayse as I have often prov'd
There is no byrd amongst them all,
So worthy for to be belov'd.
Let other prayse what byrd they will,
Sweet Phillip shalbe my byrd still.
Si fortunatus infœlix.
| The Complete Works of George Gascoigne | |