 | The Poems and Sonnets of Henry Constable |  |
liii
TO SEVERALL PERSONS UPON SUNDRYE OCCASIONS.
liv
TO THE PRINCESSE OF ORANGE, UPON OCCASION OF THE MURTHER OF HER FATHER AND HUSBAND.
When murdring hands, to quench the thirst of tyrannie,
The world's most worthye i' thy spouse & father slew,
Wounding thy heart through theyres, a double well they drew,
A well of bloud from them, a well of teares from thee.
The world's most worthye i' thy spouse & father slew,
Wounding thy heart through theyres, a double well they drew,
A well of bloud from them, a well of teares from thee.
So in thyne eyes at once we fire and water see;
Fire doth of beautie spring, water of griefe ensue;
Whoe fire and water yet together ever knew,
And neyther water dry'd, nor fire quencht to be?
Fire doth of beautie spring, water of griefe ensue;
Whoe fire and water yet together ever knew,
And neyther water dry'd, nor fire quencht to be?
But wonder it is not thy water and thy fyre
Vnlike to others' be; thy water fire hath bred,
And thy fire water makes, for thyne eyes' fire hath shed
Teares from a thousand hearts melted with love's desire;
And griefe to see such eyes bathed in teares of woes,
A fire of revenge inflames against thy foes.
Vnlike to others' be; thy water fire hath bred,
And thy fire water makes, for thyne eyes' fire hath shed
Teares from a thousand hearts melted with love's desire;
And griefe to see such eyes bathed in teares of woes,
A fire of revenge inflames against thy foes.
lv
To the COUNTESSE of SHREWSBURYE, UPON OCCASION OF HIS DEARE MISTRESSE, WHO LIV'D UNDER HER GOVERNMENT.
True, worthie Dame! if I thee chieftayne call
Of Venus' host, let others think no ill;
I graunt that they be fayre, but what prince will
Chuse onlie by the force a generall?
Of Venus' host, let others think no ill;
I graunt that they be fayre, but what prince will
Chuse onlie by the force a generall?
Beauties be but the forces wherewithall
Ladies the hearts of private persons kill;
But these fayre forces to conduct with skill
Venus chose yow the chiefest of them all.
Ladies the hearts of private persons kill;
But these fayre forces to conduct with skill
Venus chose yow the chiefest of them all.
To yow then, yow, the fayrest of the wise,
And wisest of the fayre, I doe appeale.
A warrioure of youre campe by force of eyes
Mee pris'ner tooke, and will with rigor deale,
Except yow pity in youre heart will place;
At whose white hands I only seeke for grace.
And wisest of the fayre, I doe appeale.
A warrioure of youre campe by force of eyes
Mee pris'ner tooke, and will with rigor deale,
Except yow pity in youre heart will place;
At whose white hands I only seeke for grace.
lvi
TO THE COUNTESSE OF PEMBROKE.
Ladie! whome by reportes I only knowe,
Yet know so well, as I must thee adore;
To honoure thee what neede I seeke for more?
Thou art his Sister whom I honour'd so.
Yet know so well, as I must thee adore;
To honoure thee what neede I seeke for more?
Thou art his Sister whom I honour'd so.
Yet million tongues' reporte doth further showe
Of thy perfections, both such worth and store,
As wante of seeing thee paynes me sore,
As sight of others hath procur'd my woe.
Of thy perfections, both such worth and store,
As wante of seeing thee paynes me sore,
As sight of others hath procur'd my woe.
All parts of beautie, meeting in one place,
Doe dazle eye, feed love, and ravish witte;
Thy perfect shape envies thy princely grace,
Thy minde all say like to thy Brother is.
What neede I then say more to honoure it?
For I have praysed thyne by praysing his.
Doe dazle eye, feed love, and ravish witte;
Thy perfect shape envies thy princely grace,
Thy minde all say like to thy Brother is.
What neede I then say more to honoure it?
For I have praysed thyne by praysing his.
lvii
TO THE COUNTESSE of ESSEX, UPON OCCASION OF THE DEATH OF HER FIRST HUSBAND, SIR PHILIP SYDNEY.
Sweetest of ladies! if thy pleasure be
To murther hearts, stay not in England still;
Revenge on Spaine thy husband's death, & kill
His foes, not them that love both him and thee.
To murther hearts, stay not in England still;
Revenge on Spaine thy husband's death, & kill
His foes, not them that love both him and thee.
O sound revenge, that I desire to see;
If they be fooles which wish with theyre owne will
Hurt to theyre foes; then what be they that will,
With theyre owne hurte, wish good to enemye?
If they be fooles which wish with theyre owne will
Hurt to theyre foes; then what be they that will,
With theyre owne hurte, wish good to enemye?
And thus doe I; and thus ambitiouse Spaine
Vnsatisfied the new-found world to gayne,
Two better worlds should have; I mean thyne eyes.
And we oure worlde, oure worlde his sun should misse,
Oure sun his heaven, thyne eye oure want supplies,
Oure worlde, oure sun, oure heaven, oure all it is.
Vnsatisfied the new-found world to gayne,
Two better worlds should have; I mean thyne eyes.
And we oure worlde, oure worlde his sun should misse,
Oure sun his heaven, thyne eye oure want supplies,
Oure worlde, oure sun, oure heaven, oure all it is.
lviii
TO THE LADIE CLINTON.
Since onlye I, sweet Ladie! ye beheld,
Yet then such love I in youre looke did finde,
And such sweet gesses of youre gratiouse mynd
As never a shorte tyme more happie held.
Yet then such love I in youre looke did finde,
And such sweet gesses of youre gratiouse mynd
As never a shorte tyme more happie held.
Forewarning vision which even then foretold
Th' eternall cheynes which since my heart did binde,
Even there where first youre beames into me shin'd,
The fatall prison where my heart I held.
Th' eternall cheynes which since my heart did binde,
Even there where first youre beames into me shin'd,
The fatall prison where my heart I held.
And how came this? It was thy lovely looke
Which doth perfume each place it sees with love,
As though from yow, my Deare, this sweetnesse tooke,
Because where I saw her I yow had seen;
Yet every where, if any sight me move,
I knowe it is some place where yow have been.
Which doth perfume each place it sees with love,
As though from yow, my Deare, this sweetnesse tooke,
Because where I saw her I yow had seen;
Yet every where, if any sight me move,
I knowe it is some place where yow have been.
lix
A CALCULATION UPON THE BIRTH OF AN HONOURABLE LADY'S DAUGHTER, BORNE IN THE YEERE MDLXXXVIII, AND ON A FRIDAY.
Fayre by inheritance, whom borne wee see
Both in the wondrous yeere, and on the day
Wherein the fairest Planet beareth sway,
The heavens to thee this fortune doe decree:
Both in the wondrous yeere, and on the day
Wherein the fairest Planet beareth sway,
The heavens to thee this fortune doe decree:
Thou of a world of harts in time shalt be
A Monarch great, and with one beauty's ray
So many hoasts of harts thy face shall slay
As all the rest (for love) shall yeeld to thee.
A Monarch great, and with one beauty's ray
So many hoasts of harts thy face shall slay
As all the rest (for love) shall yeeld to thee.
But even as Alexander (when he knewe
His Father's conquests) wept least he should leave
No Kingdome unto him for to subdue,
So shall thy mother thee of praise bereave;
So many harts already shee hath slaine
As few behind to conquer shall remaine.
His Father's conquests) wept least he should leave
No Kingdome unto him for to subdue,
So shall thy mother thee of praise bereave;
So many harts already shee hath slaine
As few behind to conquer shall remaine.
lx
TO MR. HILLIARD, UPON OCCASION OF A PICTURE HE MADE OF MY LADIE RICH.
If Michaell the archpainter now did live,
Because that Michaell he an angell hight,
As partiall for his fellow-angells, might
To Raphaell's skill much prayse and honoure give.
Because that Michaell he an angell hight,
As partiall for his fellow-angells, might
To Raphaell's skill much prayse and honoure give.
But if in secreat I his judgment shrive,
It would confesse that no man knew aright
To give to stones and pearles true die and light,
Till first youre art with orient nature strive.
It would confesse that no man knew aright
To give to stones and pearles true die and light,
Till first youre art with orient nature strive.
But thinke not yet yow did that art devise;
Nay, thank my Ladie that such skil you have;
For often sprinckling her black sparckling eyes,
Her lips and breast, taught you the [OMITTED]
To diamonds, rubies, pearles, the worth of which
Doth make the jewell which you paynt seeme Rich.
Nay, thank my Ladie that such skil you have;
For often sprinckling her black sparckling eyes,
Her lips and breast, taught you the [OMITTED]
To diamonds, rubies, pearles, the worth of which
Doth make the jewell which you paynt seeme Rich.
| The Poems and Sonnets of Henry Constable | |