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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
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SPEECHES AND VERSES AT THE TILT-YARD
  
A Sonet. At the Tilt-Yard; Nov. 17, 1590.
  
Ode. Of Cynthia.
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ON THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO THEOBALDS, May, 1591.
  
Written about the box.
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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.
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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.]
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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.
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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.
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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.
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THE KING OF DENMARK'S WELCOME.
  
The Song at Theobalds.
  
[Sweet Ioe vouchsafe once to impart]
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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.
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VOL. III
  
A Whip for an Ape:
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MAR-MARTINE
  
[prologue]
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[6]
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[17]
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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,
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POEMS
collapse sectionI. 
I. Early Autobiographical: 1575–1580?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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II. Early Love-Poems: BEFORE 1580?
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17. Of lingeringe Loue.
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18. A Warning for Wooers,
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19. A Proper Sonet,
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III. Four Songs
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IV. Later Love-Poems.
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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
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33. A Counterloue.
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34. The Description of Iealousie.
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38. A Nimphs disdaine of Loue.
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39. The Nimphs reply to the Sheepheard.
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40. Another of the same nature, made since.
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41. Naturall comparisons with perfect loue
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41. An Answere to the first Staffe, that Loue is vnlike in Beggers and in Kings.
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V. Later Autobiographical: 1595–1600?
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57. Concerninge his suit & attendaūce at ye Courte.
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59. [THE BEE.]
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VI Epigrams.
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70. Luna.
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71. In fæminæ deformitates.
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72. In Priamum.
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73. Lucretiæ querela ad Colatinum.

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59. [THE BEE.]
[_]

The attribution of this poem is questionable.

It was a tyme when silly Bees could speake
and in that time I was a silly Bee
who suckt on time, vntill the hart gan breake
yet never founde that tyme would fauour me
Of all the swarme I onely could not thriue
yet brought I wax & honey to ye hiue
Then thus I busd when time no sap would giue
Why is this blessed tyme to me so dry
Sith in this tyme, ye lazie Drone doth liue
ye waspe, ye worme, ye Gnat, ye butterfly
Mated wth greif I kneeled on my knees
And thus complain'd vnto ye King o[f] Bees
My leige god grant thy time may haue no end
and yet vouchsafe to heare my plaint of tyme
495

Synce every fruitlesse fly hath found a freind
& I cast downe while Attomies doe clyme
The king replide but thus, peace peevish Bee
Thou art borne to serve the time, ye time not thee
The time not thee, this word clipt short my wings
And made me worme-like creepe yt once did fly
Awfull regard disputeth not wth kings
Receauethe a Repulse not asking why?
Then from the tyme, I for a tyme wthdrew
To feed on Henbane, Hemlock, Nettles, Rue,
But from those leaues no dram of sweete I drayne
their head strong furry did my head bewitch
The iuice disperst black bloud in every veine
for hony gall, for wax I gathered pitch
My Combe a Rift, my hiue a leafe must bee
so chang'd; that Bees scarce took me for a Bee
I work on weedes when Moone is in ye waine
whilst all ye swarme in sunnshine tast ye rose
onn black Roote ferne I sitt & sucke my baine
whilst on ye Eglentine the rest repose
haueing too much they still repine for more
& cloyd wth fullnes surfeit on yeir store
Swolne fatt wth feasts full merrily they passe
In sweetned Clusters falling from ye tree
where finding me to nibble on ye grasse
496

some scorne, some muse, & some doe pitty me
And some envy & whisper to the king
Some must be still & some must haue no sting
Are Bees waxt waspes, or spiders to infect
Doe hony bowells make ye sperit gall
Is this ye iuce of flowers to stir suspect
Ist not enought to tread on them that fall
what sting hath patience but a sighing grief
That sting[s] nought but itselfe wthout Relief
True patience ye prouender of fooles
sad patience that waiteth at the doore
Patience yt learnes thus to conclude in schools
Patience I am therefore I must be poore
Great king of Bees yt rightest euery wrong
Listen to patience in her dying song
I cannot feed on fennell like some flyes
nor fly to euery flower to gather gaine
myne appetite waites on my prince his eyes
Contented with contempt, & pleased wth payne
and yet expecting of an happy houre
when he shall say this Bee shall suck a flower
Of all the greifes yt must my patience grate
there's one that fretteth in ye high'st degree
To see some Catterpillers bred vp of late
cropping the fruit yt should sustaine ye Bee
yet smiled I, for yt the wisest knowes
that mothes doe frett ye Clothe Canker ye Rose
497

Once did I see by flying in the feild
fowle beasts to browse vpon ye Lilly fayre
Virtue & beauty could noe succour yeild
All's prouender for Asses, but the ayre
the partiall world of this takes litle heed
to giue them flowers yt should on thistles feed
This onely I must draine Ægiptian flowers
haueing noe sauor, bitter sap they haue
& seeke out Rotten Tombes & dead mens bowers
and bite on nightshade growing by the graue
If this I cannot haue, as hapless Bee
witching Tobacco I will fly to thee
what thoughe thou dy mens lungs in deepest black
A mourning habitt suites a sable hart
what if thy fumes sound memory doe crack
fforgettfullnes is fittest for my smart
ô vertuous fume let it be graued in oke
yt wordes, hopes, witts & all ye worlds but smoke
ffiue yeares twise told wth promises prfume
my hope stuft head was cast into a slumber
Sweete dreames of gold, on dreames I then prsume
& mongst ye Bees thoughe I were in ye number
waking I founde, hiues hopes had made me vaine
Twas not Tobacco stupifyed ye braine
Ingenium, studium, nummos, spem, tempus, amicos Cum male perdiderim: perdere verba leue est.
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