The Works of Thomas Campion Complete Songs, Masques, and Treatises with a Selection of the Latin Verse: Edited with an introduction and notes by Walter R. Davis |
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 | The Works of Thomas Campion |  |
The seaventh Chapter, of the English Elegeick verse.
307
An Elegye.
Constant to none, but ever false to me,Traiter still to love through thy faint desires,
Not hope of pittie now nor vaine redresse
Turns my griefs to teares, and renu'd laments.
Too well thy empty vowes, and hollow thoughts
Witnes both thy wrongs, and remorseles hart.
Rue not my sorrow, but blush at my name;
Let thy bloudy cheeks guilty thoughts betray.
My flames did truly burne, thine made a shew,
As fires painted are which no heate retayne,
Or as the glossy Pirop faines to blaze,
But, toucht, cold appeares, and an earthy stone.
True cullours deck thy cheeks, false foiles thy brest,
Frailer then thy light beawty is thy minde.
None canst thou long refuse, nor long affect,
But turn'st feare with hopes, sorrow with delight,
Delaying, and deluding ev'ry way
Those whose eyes are once with thy beawty chain'd.
Thrice happy man that entring first thy love
Can so guide the straight raynes of his desires,
That both he can regard thee, and refraine:
If grac't, firme he stands, if not, easely falls.
Example of Epigrams, in Elegeick verse.
The first Epigramme. Arthure brooks only those that brooke not him
Arthure brooks only those that brooke not him,Those he most regards, and devoutly serves:
But them that grace him his great brav'ry skornes,
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Arthure wants forty pounds, tyres ev'ry friend,
But finds none that holds twenty due for him.
The second Epigramme. If fancy can not erre which vertue guides
If fancy can not erre which vertue guides,In thee, Laura, then fancy can not erre.
The third Epigramme. Drue feasts no Puritans
Drue feasts no Puritans; the churles, he saith,Thanke no men, but eate, praise God, and depart.
The fourth Epigramme. A wiseman wary lives, yet most secure
A wiseman wary lives, yet most secure,Sorrowes move not him greatly, nor delights.
Fortune and death he skorning, only makes
Th'earth his sober Inne, but still heav'n his home.
The fift Epigramme. Thou telst me, Barnzy, Dawson hath a wife
Thou telst me, Barnzy, Dawson hath a wife:Thine he hath, I graunt; Dawson hath a wife.
The sixt Epigramme. Drue gives thee money, yet thou thankst not him
Drue gives thee money, yet thou thankst not him,But thankst God for him, like a godly man.
Suppose, rude Puritan, thou begst of him,
And he saith God help, who's the godly man?
The seaventh Epigramme. All wonders Barnzy speakes, all grosely faind
All wonders Barnzy speakes, all grosely faind:Speake some wonder once, Barnzy, speake the truth.
The eight Epigramme. None then should through thy beawty, Lawra, pine
None then should through thy beawty, Lawra, pine,Might sweet words alone ease a love-sick heart:
But your sweet words alone, that quit so well
Hope of friendly deeds, kill the love-sick heart.
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The ninth Epigramme. At all thou frankly throwst
At all thou frankly throwst, while, Frank, thy wifeBars not Luke the mayn; Oteny, barre the bye.
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