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University of Virginia Library

The Complete Works of George Gascoigne

In Two Volumes

Gascoigne, George (1542?-1577)

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I.

COMMENDATORY VERSES

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The Anatomye of a Lover.

The arraig[n]ment of a Lover.

The passion of a Lover.

A straunge passion of a Lover.

The Divorce of a Lover.

The Lullabie of a Lover.

The lamentation of a lover.

[Thou with thy lookes on whom I loke full ofte]

[I cast mine eye and sawe ten eyes at once]

[What thing is that which swimmes in blisse]

[I grooped in thy pocket pretty peate]

[A lymone (but no Lemmane) Syr you found]

The lookes of a lover forsaken: written by a gentlewoman who passed by him with hir armes set bragging by hir sides, and lefte it unfinished as followeth.

[Howe long she lookt that lookt at me of late]

An other Sonet written by the same Gentlewoman, uppon the same occasion.

To the same gentlewoman because she challenged the Aucthour for holding downe his head alwaies, and for that hee looked not uppon hir in wonted manner.

The Recantacion of a Lover.

In prayse of Bridges, nowe Lady Sandes.

In prayse of Zouche late the Lady Greye of Wilton whome the auctor found in a homely house.

Gascoignes praise of his mistres.

Gascoignes good morrow.

Gascoygnes good night.

The introduction to the Psalme of De profundis.

Gascoignes De profundis.

Gascoignes Memories, written upon this occasion.

The nexte was at request of Antony Kinwelmarshe, who delivered him this theame, Satis sufficit, and thereupon he wrote as foloweth.

John Vaughan delivered him this theame. Magnum vectigal parcimonia, where uppon he wrote thus.

Alexander Nevile delivered him this theame, Sat cito, si sat bene, whereupon hee compiled these seven Sonets in seq[u]ence, therin bewraying his owne Nimis cito: and therwith his Vix bene, as foloweth.

Richarde Courtop (the last of the five) gave him this theame, Durum æneum & miserabile ævum, and thereupon hee wrote in this wise.

And thus an ende of these five Theames, admounting to the number of .CCLVIII. verses, devised ryding by the way, writing none of them untill he came at the ende of his Journey, the which was no longer than one day in ryding, one daye in tarying with his friend, and the thirde in returning to Greyes Inne: and therefore called Gascoignes memories.

An Epitaph upon Captaine Bourcher late slaine in the warres in Zelande, the which hath bene termed the tale of a stone as foloweth.

A devise of a Maske for the right honorable Viscount Mountacute

The refusal of a lover, writen to a gentlewoman who had refused him and chosen a husband (as he thought) much inferior to himselfe, both in knowledge, birth, and parsonage, wherin he bewraieth both their names in clowdes, and how she was won from him with swete gloves, and broken ringes.

Pride in Court written by a Gentlewoman in Court, who (when shee was there placed) seemed to disdaine him, contrarie to a former profession.

This question being propounded by a Dame unto the Aucthour, to witte, why he should write Spreta tamen vivunt, he aunswereth thus.

In trust is Treason, written by a Lover, leaning onelye to his Ladies promises, and finding them to fayle.

The constancie of a lover hath thus sometimes bene briefly declared.

The fruite of foes written to a Gentlewoman, who blamed him for writing his friendly advise in verse unto another lover of hyrs.

A Lover often warned, and once againe droven into fantasticall flames by the chase of company, doth thus bewayle his misfortunes.

The lover encouraged by former examples, determineth to make vertue of necessitie.

The delectable history of sundry adventures passed by Dan Bartholmew of Bathe.

The fruites of Warre,

II.

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The Recantacion of a Lover.

Now must I needes recant the wordes which once I spoke,
Fond fansie fumes so nie my noose, I nedes must smel ye smoke:
And better were to beare a Faggot from the fire,
Than wylfully to burne and blaze, in flames of vaine desire.
You Judges then give eare, you people marke me well,
I saye, both heaven and earth record the tale which I shall tell
And knowe that dread of death, nor hope of better hap,
Have forced or perswaded me to take my turning cap,
But even that mightye Jove, of his great clemencie,
Hath given me grace at last to judge, the trueth from heresie:
I saye then and professe, with free and faithfull heart,
That womēs vowes are nothing els, but snares of secret smart:

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Their beauties blaze are baites which seeme of pleasant taste,
But who devoures the hidden hooke, eates poyson for repast:
Their smyling is deceipt, their faire wordes traines of treason,
Their wit alwaies so full of wyles, it skorneth rules of reason.
Percase some present here, have heard my selfe of yore,
Both teach & preach the contrary, my fault was then the more:
I graunt my workes were these, first one Anatomie,
Wherein I painted every pang of [loves] perplexitye:
Next that I was araignde, with George holde up thy hand,
Wherein I yeelded Bewties thrall, at hir commaund to stand:
Myne eyes so blinded were, (good people marke my tale)
That once I song, I Bathe in Blisse, amidde my weary Bale:
And many a frantike verse, then from my penne dyd passe,
In waves of wicked heresie, so deepe I drowned was.
All which I now recant, and here before you burne
Those trifling bookes, from whose lewde lore my tippet here I turne.
And hencefoorth wyl I write, howe mad is that mans minde,
Which is entist by any traine to trust in womankind.

Astolf being the goodliest personne in the worlde founde a dwarfe lying with his wife

I spare not wedlocke I, who lyst that state advance,
Aske Astolfe king of Lumbardie, howe trim his dwarfe coulde daunce.
Wherefore fayre Ladies you, that heare me what I saye,
If you hereafter see me slippe, or seeme to goe astraye:
Or if my tongue revolte from that which nowe it sayth,
Then plague me thus, Beleeve it not, for this is nowe my faith.

Haud ictus sapio.