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 |
 | I. |
 | III. |
|
|
|
 | The complete works of John Lyly |  |
495
The humble Petition of a guiltlesse Lady, delivered in writing vpon Munday Morninge, when the [robe] of rainbowes was presented to the Q. by the La. Walsingham.
Beauties rose, and Vertues booke,
Angells minde, and Angells looke,
To all Saints and Angells deare,
Clearest Maiestie on earth,
Heauen did smile at your faire birth,
And since your daies have been most cleare.
Angells minde, and Angells looke,
To all Saints and Angells deare,
Clearest Maiestie on earth,
Heauen did smile at your faire birth,
And since your daies have been most cleare.
Only poore St. Swythen now
Doth heare you blame his cloudy brow:
But that poore St. deuoutly sweares,
It is but a tradition vaine
That his much weeping causeth raine
For Sts in heauen shedd no teares:
Doth heare you blame his cloudy brow:
But that poore St. deuoutly sweares,
It is but a tradition vaine
That his much weeping causeth raine
For Sts in heauen shedd no teares:
But this he saith, that to his feast
Commeth Iris, an unbidden guest,
In her moist roabe of collers gay;
And she cometh, she ever staies,
For the space of fortie daies,
And more or lesse raines euery day.
Commeth Iris, an unbidden guest,
In her moist roabe of collers gay;
496
For the space of fortie daies,
And more or lesse raines euery day.
But the good St, when once he knew,
This raine was like to fall on you,
If Sts could weepe, he had wept as much
As when he did the Lady leade
That did on burning iron tread,
To Ladies his respect is such.
This raine was like to fall on you,
If Sts could weepe, he had wept as much
As when he did the Lady leade
That did on burning iron tread,
To Ladies his respect is such.
He gently first bids Iris goe
Unto the Antipodes below,
But shee for that more sullen grew.
When he saw that, with angry looke,
From her her rayneie roabes he tooke,
Which heere he doth present to you.
Unto the Antipodes below,
But shee for that more sullen grew.
When he saw that, with angry looke,
From her her rayneie roabes he tooke,
Which heere he doth present to you.
It is fitt it should with you remaine,
For you know better how to raine.
Yet if it raine still as before,
St Swythen praies that you would guesse,
That Iris doth more roabes possesse,
And that you should blame him no more.
For you know better how to raine.
Yet if it raine still as before,
St Swythen praies that you would guesse,
That Iris doth more roabes possesse,
And that you should blame him no more.
| The complete works of John Lyly | |