University of Virginia Library

Sonnet. XXVI.

[It pleasd my Mistris once to take the aire]

It pleasd my Mistris once to take the aire,
Amid the vale of loue for her disporting:
The birds perceauing one so heauenly faire,
With other Ladies to the groue resorting.
Gan dolefully report my sorrowes endles,
But shee nill listen to my woes repeating:
But did protest that I should sorrow friendles,
So liue I now and looke for ioyes defeating.
But ioyfull birds melodious harmonie,
Whose siluer tuned songs might well haue mooued her:
In forst the rest to rewe my miserie,
Though shee denyd to pittie him that lou'd her.
For shee had vowd her faire should neuer please me,
Yet nothing but her loue can once appease me,