University of Virginia Library


107

A PENITENT SONNET WRITTEN by thee Lord Girald a litle beefore his death.

By losse in play men oft forget
Thee duitye they dooe owe,
Too hym that dyd bestow thee same,
And thowsands millions moe.
J loathe too see theym sweare and stare,
When they the mayne haue lost;
Forgetting al thee byes, that weare
With God and holye goast.
By wounds and nayles they thinck too wyn,
But truely yt is not so:

108

For al theyre frets and fumes in syn,
They mooniles must goa.
Theare is no wight that vsd yt more,
Then hee that wrote this verse;
Who cryeth, peccaui, now therefore
His othes his hert doe perce.
Therefor example take by mee,
That curse thee lucklesse tyme;
That eauer dice myne eyes dyd see,
Which bred in mee this crime.
Pardon mee for that is past,
I wyl offend no more:
In this moste vile and sinful cast ,
Which I wyl stil abhore.