University of Virginia Library

SONNETS AND MISCELLANEOUS PIECES.

iii. In Sr. P. d. R.

Great Paragon, of Poets richest Pearle,
Beneath the artick circles statlie pole
Abut quoes point the sphears of knouledge role,
The magnes of al mynds, ear-charming Mearle;
The perfumd cabinet quher muses duel,
Enameling neu-found skyes vith starres of gold,
Quher Pallas vith the free-borne queens enrold,
And beutie, stryffs it selff for to excel.
Farre-virthier Orpheus then they quho suel
Vith sacred Pegasus azure streames,
Or he quho brocht from Heauen the fyrie beames:
Mor fit for Pho̧bus Bay then Phebus sel.
Thy perfyt praises if the vorld vold vrit
Must haue againe thy selff for to end it.

iv.

[Faire cruel Siluia since thow scornes my teares]

Faire cruel Siluia since thow scornes my teares,
And ouerlookes my cares vith carelesse eie;
Since my requests in loue offends thy eares,
Hensefoorth I vowe to hold my pace in thee and die.
But vhile I hold my pace thes things sal crie:
The brookes sal murmure, & the vinds complaine;
The hils, the dails, the deserts vher I lie,
Vith Echoes of my plents sal prech my paine.
Yet put the case thay silent vald remaine;
Imagine brookes & vinds vald hold theer pace,
Suppone hils, dailes, and deserts vald disdaine
T'acquant thy deaff disdaines vith my disgrace;
Yet vhile thay dombe, thow deaff, to me sal proue,
My death sal speake and let the know my loue.

v.

[Great Queene whom to the liberall Heauens propine]

Great Queene whom to the liberall Heauens propine
All what their force or influence can impart;
Whose Vertues rare, whose Beauties braue but art
Makes thee aboue thy sacred sex to shine.
Resembling much those Goddesses diuine;
The thundrers Bride for thy heroicke hart,
Cytherȩa for proportion of each part,
Joues braine-born gyrle for judgment and ingyne.
But now I feare my flatrie flows to farre;
Three Goddesses in one are rarelie seene,
Nor can a goddesse be vngrate—you are.
What rests then but, a Woman, and a Queene:
A Woman in vnconstancie and change,
A Queene because so statlie & so strange.

vi. De Porcheres, on the eies of Madame la Marquise de Monceaux,

Thus englished.

Wer these thine eies, or lightnings from aboue,
Vhose glistring glances dazel'd so my sight?
I tooke them to be lightnings send from Joue
To threten that theer thunder bolt vald light.
But lightnings culd not lest so long so bright.
Thay rather semed for to be suns, vhose rayes
Promou'd to the Meridian of theer might,
Did change my noisome nights in joyful dayes.
But euen in that theer nomber them bevrayes
Suns ar thay not: the vorld endures but one.
Theer force, theer figure, & theer coulour sayes
That thay ar heuens; but heuens on earth ar none.
Be vhat thay vil, theer poure in force agrees:
The heauns, the sune, the lightnings, and her eies.

vii.

[Ah! eyes, deare eyes, how could the Heuens consent]

Ah! eyes, deare eyes, how could the Heuens consent
To giue to you occasion of those teares?
Brest, sugred Brest that Globes of Beautie beares,
With sighes why should yee swell—with teares be sprent?
Hair, that in spight of griefe art excellent,
What haue you done? That hand you wronglie teares;
Voice, through deare portes of pearle and rubies sent,
Why should yee moane? mor fit to tune heauens spheares.
Foule Grief, the scourge of life, from heauen exild,
Child of Mishap, the Hells extreame disgrace,
Brother to paine, Mans weaknesse, forster child,
How did thou mount to so diuine a place?
Yet Grief, come there, so stranglie she thee furmes,
That thou seemst Joy, while shee thus sweetlie murnes.

viii. To my Ladye Mary Wroath.

For beautye onlye, armd with outward grace,
I scorne to yeeld, to conquerre, or to striue;
Let shallow thoughtes that can no deeper dyue,
As fits their weaknesse, rest vpon a face.
But when rare partes a heunlye shape confines,
Scarce reacht by thoughtes, not subiect to the sight,
Yet but the lanterne of a greater light,
Wher worth accomplisht crownd with glorie shines,
Then when bright vertue raignes in beautyes throne,
And doth the hart by spirituall magick moue,
Whilst reasone leads though passiones follow loue,
Lothd may hee be that likes not such a one.
If it not lou'd so braue a mynd thus shown,
I hated had the basenesse of myne own.

ix.

[Our faults thy wrath deserued haue, alas!]

Our faults thy wrath deserued haue, alas!
And thou must craue iust count of eurye deed;
But if our faults their punishment doe passe,
Thy Goodnesse farre our errors doth exceed.
All, all crye mercye, chargd with grief & teares,
A iust remorse orthrowing wylier powers;
Reason can not effect in many yeeres
What thy great wisdome can in few short howres.
Passed ills wee see the present murne,
Stand fearfull & amazd of what should come,
Euen those hidden fires eternaly that burne;
For wretched life deserueth such a doome.
But loue to vs a ray send from thy face,
And after open wyde the Gates of Grace.

x.

[Or the vinged boy my thochts to the made thral]

Or the vinged boy my thochts to the made thral,
When babie-like I knew not vhat vas loue,
My vit embrasing al my vit could proue,
At others lacing, fearing not my fal,
Vith two faire eies vher Cupids mother smyld,
Thow oft inuited me to venter boldlie,
As if my sad lookes spake minds langage coldlie,
Til vith thes gleames in end I vas beguild.
But free thow kneust I vas no more mine awne,
Charmed in thes circles vher I forc'st remaine;
Churlish thow doth thy vonted smyles retaine,
And, voe is me! giues oft a cruel frowne.
Alas! if loue in lookes hath made such change,
Vnkind I loue the not but yet am strange.

xi. Essay out of the Italien.

Melpomene in Athenes neuer song
More sueter accents, nor a more sad dittie,
Nor neare made harts bleed vith a greater pitie,
Vhere Tyber playes his floury banks along,
Then vhen she veeping daigned by Forth to sing,
Forth vhere thy heuenlie suannet loues to dwel,
Forth that may claime the name of that faire vel
Vhich Horses haue from flintie rocke mad spring.
But Medwaye, Seuern, Tames vil not consent.
To Monarks fals if y'il not giue such praise,
Yet grant at least to them, in sueet sad layes
Vho help faire Sions virgins, to lament.
And if these trumpets yeilds not schrillest sounds,
Forth boasts of him vho song the Turquish vounds.

xii. To Anne, the french Queen, new come from Spaine, and applyable to Marye of England, meeting the King at Douer.

xiii. Fragment.

[Like vnto her nothing can be namd]

Like vnto her nothing can be namd:
The mold is broke vherin dear sche vas framd.
Vho may of her rare beautie count ich part,
And all these gifts heauen doth to her impart,
On Affricke shores the sand that ebs & flows,
The skalie flockes that vith old Proteus goes,
He sur may count, and al these vaues that meet
To vashe the Mauritanian Atlas feet—
Her curlet haire, faire threeds of finest gold,
In nets & curious knots mens harts to hold,
Her forhead large & euen of vhich the lilies
Do borrow beautie & the daffadilies,
Faire ebaine bows aboue her heunlie eies,
Vher tratrous loue in silent ambush lies,
Vell framd her nose, her cheekes vith purest red,
Cinabre like, most dantelie ar spred,
Prettie & schort her eares, vith heunlie smiles
Her visage schind that sadest eies beguiles,
To orient perles her teeth do nothing yeild,
Nor lips to coral, or of gueles a feild;
Juno vith maiestie, & faire aurore,
Vith blush & fingers did this sueet decore;
The Graces gaue theer smiles & did reioice
To heare her sing vith Phebus heaunlie voice,
Pallas gaue vit, the vertews gaue theer part:
Liuing the heauen thay loget in her hart.

xiv. Fragment.

[A faire, a sueet, a pleasant heunlie creature]

A faire, a sueet, a pleasant heunlie creature
Lycoris vas—the miracle of Nature:
Her haire more faire then gold of Tagus streames
Or his that cheeres the vorld vith golden beames,
Her suetest mouth & lips that halff shee closes
Did nothing yeild to corral & fresh roses,
Her brow more vhite, more beautiful & gay
Then is a day but clouds in mids of May,
Vnder the vhich tuo equal planets glancing
Cast flames of loue, for loue theer stil is dancing;
Vhile jurie, vith a dantiest purple spred,
Of her faire cheks resembld the fairest red;
Her nek semd framd by some most curious master,
Most vhite, most smoth, a piece of alabaster;
Vpon her brest two aples round did grow,
Vith tops of strawberries more vhite then snow:
So far in grace sche did excell each other
That Cupid vald haue taine her for his mother.

xv. To my ladye Mary Wroath.