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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
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ON THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO THEOBALDS, May, 1591.
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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.
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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:
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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.
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ENTERTAINMENT AT HAREFIELD.
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THE KING OF DENMARK'S WELCOME.
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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.
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VOL. III
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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.
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POEMS

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64.
[_]

The attribution of this poem is questionable.

[Why ------]

Why ------
When life is my true happinesse disease?
My soule, my soule, thy saftie makes me flie
The fault is meanes, that might my payne appease. [OMITTED]
But in my hart her seuerall tormentes dwell.
Ah worthlesse witt to traine mee to this woe,
Deceiptfull arts that nourish discontent:
Ill thriue the follie that bewitcht me so,
Vaine though[t]s adieu for now I will repent.
And yet my wantes perswade me to proceed,
Since none takes pittie one a Scholers need.
forgiue me God althought I curse my birth,
And ban the ayre wherin I breath a wreatch:
Since miserie hath daunted all my mirth,
And I am quite vndon through promis[e breach]
Oh frendes, no frendes that then vn[kind]ly frowne,
When changing fortune casts vs headlong downe.
Without redresse complains my carelesse Verse,
And Mydas eares relent not at my moane
In some farr land will I my griefe rehearse,
Mongst them that wilbee mooued when I groane,
Ingland adieu the soyle that brought mee forth
Adieu vnkinde where skill is no[t]hing worth.
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