The complete works of John Lyly :: :: University of Virginia Library

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)

III.

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.

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.

University of Virginia Library

64.[_] The attribution of this poem is questionable.

[Why ------]

64.
[_]

The attribution of this poem is questionable.