University of Virginia Library

When I remember on that time, that place,
Where first I fix'd my fansie on thy face,
The circumstances how, why, where, and whan
My Mistres thou, and I became thy Man:
Whilst I repeat that proces full of paine,
How first we met, and how we twind againe,
Our sweete acquaintance, and our sad depart,
It breedes a sea of sorrowes at my hart:
And yet for all these sorrowes I susteine,
With sigh swolne hart, and teares bedewed eyne,
As I haue lou'd, so shall I loue thee still
Vnto the death, hap either good or ill.
And now I sweare by that true loue I owe thee,
By all the sighs which day by day I blow thee:
By all the verse and charming words I told thee,
By all the hopes I haue for to beholde thee:
By all the kisses sweete which I haue reft thee,
And all the teares I spent since last I left thee:
That absence helps (not hinders my desire)
And sets new force and Fagots to my fire:
Each thing that chance presents and lets me see,
Brings arguments, and bids me thinke on thee.
For when they told me of that wrathfull flame,
Which from the high and holy heau'n downe came
On Pauls faire Church, and that cloud-threatning Steeple,
And how it flam'd in presence of the people.
Then with my selfe thought I, this fire was quensht,
But mine endures, and by no tears is drensht:
And were not hope accrestis with desire,
I had long since consum'd amid this fire.

And when I viewd those walles of Farnhame sayre,
Where Lamuel with his Lady made repaire:
I layd me downe beside the ditch profound,
Where Guineuer dispairing Dame was dround,
And fell on sleep vpon that fatall brinke,
And still on thee sweete hart I dreame, I thinke.
And were it not, that by the tract of time
The well was full with earth, with stone, and lime,
There had I drownd, and by my fatall fall
Made end with her of loue, and life, and all:
Yet halfe asham'd least curious eyes should finde me,
I went away, and left huge teaires behind me.

And when I spide those stones on Sarum plaine,
Which Merlin by his Magicke brought, some faine,
By night from farr I-erne to this land,
Where yet as oldest Monuments they stand:
And though they be but few for to behold,
Yet can they not (it is well knowne) be told,
Those I compard vnto my plaints and cryes,
Whose totall summe no numers can comprise.

Olde Woodstocks wrackes to view I was despos'd,
Where Rosamond by Henrie was inclos'd:
The circuits all and wildesome wayes I view,
The Laberinth, and Cliffords fatall Clew.
And where those time-worne monuments had beene,
Where nought remaines but ruines to be seene:
Yet in my hart moe wracks, moe wayes I fand,
Then can be made by any humane hand.
And all these wondrous wonders which I see,
Makes me but wonder more and more on thee.

That thou be well both day and night I pray,
And for thy health once I carrouse each day:
From pype of Loame and for thy saike I souke,
The flegm-attractiue far-fett Indian smouke:
Which with my braine and stomach beares debate,
And like the lethall Aconite I hate,
That poysning potion pleasant seems to mee,
When I determe it must be drunke for thee.

From Venus sports I doo indeed abstaine,
Nor am I now as I was woont so vaine:
Chast Dians laws I do adore for good,
Who kild her loue Orion in the flood.

Drunke Bacchus maits I hold for none of mine,
I taste no Celtic nor Iberian Wine:
Looke on my Lyns Lyœum, none they smell,
But Helicons poore streams, where Muses dwell.

For all those rare delights which England yeilds,
Of faces faire, of braue and fertill feilds:
For all the pleasurs which our Court frequent,
Such as mans heart would wish, or witt inuent:
Yet I protest, I rather begg with thee,
Then be sole King, where seau'n were wont to bee.

But when my Freend thy berar spurd with pane,
The Poist to see this Chalkie shoare agane,
And brought thy symboll discolor of hew,
With commendations kind, but not anew,
I ask'd him how thou was? hee shooke his head.
What man (quoth I) and is my Mistres dead?
No (answerd hee) but seik deir freend: Quoth I,
Thou know's I loue; I pray thee make no lye.
In faith but seik, and is no doubt err now,
As weell (sayd hee) as ather I or yow.
This hee affirmd with solem oaths anew:
And yet allace I doubt if they betrew

Here where the Pest approacheth vs so narr,
To smoother breath before wee be aware:
For at the gates of our most royll King,
Corrupted Carions lie; O fearefull thing:
Yet feare I still for thee, my loue is such,
And for my selfe I feare not halfe so much:
And now I feare these fears ere it be-long,
Will turne to Agues, and to Feuers strong.
Long are my nights, and dolefull are my dayes:
Shott sleeps, long waks; and wildsom are my wayes:
Sadd are my thoughts, sowr sighs; and salt my tearis:
My body thus els waik both wayn's and wearis.

For losse of Calice, Marie Englands Queene,
Had sighs at hart, and teirs about her eyne,
When I am dead, caus ryme my hart sayd shee;
And in the same shall Calice writen bee,
Die when I will, thy name shall well be knawne,
Within my hart in bloods characters drawne.
But if (faire Dame) as yet on liff thou bee,
This Papyre then commends my loue to thee:
And if thy life by wrathfull weirds be lost,
Chast Laura then thy Petrarch loues thy ghost:
And yet my hopes assures mee thou art weell,
And in these hopes a comfort hidd I feell.
This for the time sweet hart, that thou may kno,
I leaue thy man, and loue but thee; and so,
Till by thy wreat I know thy further will,
I say no more, but sigh, and seals my Bill.