Greene in Conceipt New raised from his graue to write the Tragique Historie of faire Valeria of London. Wherein is Trvly Discovered the rare and lamentable issue of a Husbands dotage, a wiues leudnesse, & childrens disobedience. Receiued and reported by I. D. [i.e. John Dickenson] |
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 | Greene in Conceipt |  |
21
[Happie lot to men assign'd]
Happie lot to men assign'd
Hartes with harts in loue combinde:
Loue the some of earthly sweetes,
Where with mutuall loue it meets:
Not consisting all in lookes,
Like to Idols, lay-mens bookes,
But who tryes, this true shall proue.
Action is the life of loue.
Why slacke we then to bath in sweet delight,
Before our day be turn'd to endlesse night?
Hartes with harts in loue combinde:
Loue the some of earthly sweetes,
Where with mutuall loue it meets:
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Like to Idols, lay-mens bookes,
But who tryes, this true shall proue.
Action is the life of loue.
Why slacke we then to bath in sweet delight,
Before our day be turn'd to endlesse night?
Fairest things, to nothing fade,
Wrapt in deaths eternall shade:
Hence I proue it beauties crime,
Not to reape the fruits of time;
Time which passeth swift as thought;
Time whose blisse is dearely bought;
Dearely bought so soone to faile vs;
Soone, that should so long auaile vs.
Why slacke wee then to bath in sweete delight,
Before our daye be turnd to enlesse night?
Wrapt in deaths eternall shade:
Hence I proue it beauties crime,
Not to reape the fruits of time;
Time which passeth swift as thought;
Time whose blisse is dearely bought;
Dearely bought so soone to faile vs;
Soone, that should so long auaile vs.
Why slacke wee then to bath in sweete delight,
Before our daye be turnd to enlesse night?
Loue and beautie fade together,
Fickle both as changing weather:
Age or sicknes wastes the one,
That doth faile, when this is gone:
Let vs then while both doth last,
Vie them both, eare both be past.
Sport we freely while wee may,
yet a while it will be daye.
Oh but this day drawes on to endlesse night,
And with our life, still weares our loues delight.
Fickle both as changing weather:
Age or sicknes wastes the one,
That doth faile, when this is gone:
Let vs then while both doth last,
Vie them both, eare both be past.
Sport we freely while wee may,
yet a while it will be daye.
Oh but this day drawes on to endlesse night,
And with our life, still weares our loues delight.
Soone ah soone was Adon slaine,
Bashfull boy how faire in vaine!
Fram'd by nature to be loou'd:
Fram'd, but why, himselfe not mou'd?
Dide hee not in prime of youth,
Prime of beautie, pray to ruth.
Dye he did, himselfe preuenting;
Sotte, vnworthy all lamenting.
Oh thinke on him which changing safe delight,
For certaine danger, turn'd his day to night.
Bashfull boy how faire in vaine!
Fram'd by nature to be loou'd:
Fram'd, but why, himselfe not mou'd?
Dide hee not in prime of youth,
Prime of beautie, pray to ruth.
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Sotte, vnworthy all lamenting.
Oh thinke on him which changing safe delight,
For certaine danger, turn'd his day to night.
But me thinks I talking see,
How each minute slippes from me.
Losse I deeme the least delay;
Hast we then to this sweete play,
Whence is suckt the sappe of pleasure,
Such as loue by time doth measure:
Loue that gardes his mothers forte,
Peeping oft to see the sport:
A sport how rare, how rich in sweete delight?
But we how dull, how nere our day to night!
How each minute slippes from me.
Losse I deeme the least delay;
Hast we then to this sweete play,
Whence is suckt the sappe of pleasure,
Such as loue by time doth measure:
Loue that gardes his mothers forte,
Peeping oft to see the sport:
A sport how rare, how rich in sweete delight?
But we how dull, how nere our day to night!
30
[Let others vse what Calenders they please]
Let others vse what Calenders they please,
And celebrate their common holidayes;
My rules for time, my times of ioy and ease
Shall in my zeale blaze thy perfections praise:
Their names & worth they frō thy worth shal take,
And highly all be honoured for thy sake.
And celebrate their common holidayes;
My rules for time, my times of ioy and ease
Shall in my zeale blaze thy perfections praise:
Their names & worth they frō thy worth shal take,
And highly all be honoured for thy sake.
That day shall to my thoughts still holy be,
Which first vouchsafde thy beautie to mine eyes;
That day when first thou deigndst to fauour me,
And each from some peculiar grace arise:
But mongst them all, my dutie shall attend
This more then all, on which they all depend.
Which first vouchsafde thy beautie to mine eyes;
That day when first thou deigndst to fauour me,
And each from some peculiar grace arise:
But mongst them all, my dutie shall attend
This more then all, on which they all depend.
Haile happie day, to whome the world doth owe
The blissefull issue of that influence,
Which from the force of best aspects did growe,
In luckiest house of heau'ns circumference:
Haile happie day that first didst shewe this aire,
To her whom Fairenes self doth yeeld more faire.
The blissefull issue of that influence,
Which from the force of best aspects did growe,
In luckiest house of heau'ns circumference:
Haile happie day that first didst shewe this aire,
To her whom Fairenes self doth yeeld more faire.
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Nere be thy brightnes dimd by wind or raine;
No cloud on thee forestall Hyperions light;
On thee no doome pronounc'd of death or paine;
No death or paine endurde; no bloudie fight:
But be thou peacefull, calme, and cleare for aye;
Let feasts and triumphes choose thee for their day.
No cloud on thee forestall Hyperions light;
On thee no doome pronounc'd of death or paine;
No death or paine endurde; no bloudie fight:
But be thou peacefull, calme, and cleare for aye;
Let feasts and triumphes choose thee for their day.
On thee I vowe to rest from all affaires,
To giue large almes to poore distressed men;
Not to profane thy ioy by fretting cares;
To send my saint some tribute of my pen;
And when thou dawn'st, deuoutly still to say,
Haile happie, holy, high, and heau'nly day.
To giue large almes to poore distressed men;
Not to profane thy ioy by fretting cares;
To send my saint some tribute of my pen;
And when thou dawn'st, deuoutly still to say,
Haile happie, holy, high, and heau'nly day.
Such and so long may be to me her loue,
As Ile this vow religiously maintaine;
So may my plaints her heart to pittie mooue,
As from my heart I speake: let false hearts faine.
Haile happie day; but then how happie shee,
Who makes this day thus happie vnto me!
As Ile this vow religiously maintaine;
So may my plaints her heart to pittie mooue,
As from my heart I speake: let false hearts faine.
Haile happie day; but then how happie shee,
Who makes this day thus happie vnto me!
50
[Waue-tossing windes characterizing feare]
Waue-tossing windes characterizing feare
On marble furrowes of the threatfull deepe,
Rousde from their caues the lowring aire to teare,
And force the welken floods of showers to weepe:
(Though stormie blastes doe scatter common fire)
Burne midst their stormie blastes in hote desire.
On marble furrowes of the threatfull deepe,
Rousde from their caues the lowring aire to teare,
And force the welken floods of showers to weepe:
(Though stormie blastes doe scatter common fire)
Burne midst their stormie blastes in hote desire.
Wind-tossed waues which with a gyring course
Circle the Centers ouerpeering maine,
And dare heau'ns star-bright turrets in their source,
Can yet not ease their finnie regents paine:
But though the floud, the fire in nature quench,
They burne amidst the flouds which them do drench.
Circle the Centers ouerpeering maine,
And dare heau'ns star-bright turrets in their source,
Can yet not ease their finnie regents paine:
But though the floud, the fire in nature quench,
They burne amidst the flouds which them do drench.
Oh whereto then in drooping hearts distresse,
Shall I a silly man my thoughts conforme,
Which can no more themselues, themselues redresse,
Then may some guidelesse Pinnace in a storme
Encounter safely barking Scillas rocke,
And safely dare Charibdis to the shocke.
Shall I a silly man my thoughts conforme,
51
Then may some guidelesse Pinnace in a storme
Encounter safely barking Scillas rocke,
And safely dare Charibdis to the shocke.
Where force doth faile, the weaker needs must yeeld,
Seing submissiue that his smart may cease:
Yet maist thou gaine a farre more glorious field,
Deigning to graunt my care-fraught hearts release.
The conquest this, t'excell in sauing one,
Loues irrelenting God, which saueth none.
Seing submissiue that his smart may cease:
Yet maist thou gaine a farre more glorious field,
Deigning to graunt my care-fraught hearts release.
The conquest this, t'excell in sauing one,
Loues irrelenting God, which saueth none.
54
[Hauing long reuolu'd in thought]
Hauing long reuolu'd in thought,
Long vnto my selfe lamented,
Since I first to sinne assented,
All the ill my sinne hath wrought;
Enforc'st I am with sighes to say,
Myne eyes did plot my soules decay.
Long vnto my selfe lamented,
Since I first to sinne assented,
All the ill my sinne hath wrought;
Enforc'st I am with sighes to say,
Myne eyes did plot my soules decay.
These all heedelesse of the harmes,
Guilfull Sirens had intended,
In like faults with them offended,
Listning to their luring charmes:
Whereby inforst, with sighes I say,
Mine ears did first my soule betray.
Guilfull Sirens had intended,
In like faults with them offended,
Listning to their luring charmes:
Whereby inforst, with sighes I say,
Mine ears did first my soule betray.
Then began each other sence,
Taught by them to wrest his vse,
Reauing me of all excuse,
Sought to shadow sinnes pretence,
Whereby enforc'st with sighes I say,
Mine ears did first my soule betray?
Taught by them to wrest his vse,
Reauing me of all excuse,
Sought to shadow sinnes pretence,
Whereby enforc'st with sighes I say,
Mine ears did first my soule betray?
Instruments of griefe and shame,
Sundering Isthmus of true pleasure
Chast delights vnspotted treasure,
Wracke and death of my good name;
Why force you me with sighes to say,
That you did first my soule betray?
Sundering Isthmus of true pleasure
Chast delights vnspotted treasure,
Wracke and death of my good name;
Why force you me with sighes to say,
That you did first my soule betray?
But oh cease fond wretch t'accuse,
Done, vndon things cannot bee:
More it now concerneth thee,
Other minde and means to vse:
Least thou too late with sighes do say,
Thy sinnes haue wrought thy soules decaye.
Done, vndon things cannot bee:
More it now concerneth thee,
Other minde and means to vse:
Least thou too late with sighes do say,
Thy sinnes haue wrought thy soules decaye.
| Greene in Conceipt | |