University of Virginia Library

To Maystresse A.

Synce I so long haue lyved in pain
and burnt for loue of the,
(O cruel hart) doste thou no more
esteame the Loue of me,
Regardst thou not, the health of hym?
that the, aboue the rest
Of Creatures all, and next to God,
hath dearest in his brest.
Is pytie placed from the so farre
is gentlenes exylde?
Hast thou ben fostred in the Caues,
of Wolues or Lyons wylde?
Hast thou ben so? why then no force,
the lesse I meruayle I,
Suche as the Dāme, suche is the yong
experyence trewe doth trye.
Syth thou art of so fyerce a mynde,
why dyd not God then place
In the, with suche a Tygers Harte,
a fowle yll fauerde face?
Sure for no other ende but that,
he lykes no Louers trade,
And the therfore a ragynge Fende,
an Angels face hathe made.
Suche one as thou, was Gorgon ones
as auncient Poets tell,
Who with her Beautie mazed men,
and nowe doth raygne in Hell.
But mercye yet, of the I craue,
yf ought in the remayne,
And let me not so long the force,
of flamyng fyre sustayne,
Let pytie ioynde with beautie be,
so shall I not dysdayne.
My blud, my hart, my lyfe to spende
with toyle, with stryfe, and payne,
To do the good, my breath to loose,
yf nede shall so requyre,
But for my seruyce and my paynes
thou gyuest me hate for hyre.
Well now take this for ende of all,
I loue and thou doste hate,
Thou lyuest in pleasures happely.
and I in wretched state.
Paynes can not last for euermore,
but tyme and ende wyll trye,
And tyme shall tell me in my age,
How youth led me awrye.
Thy face that me tormented so,
in tyme shall sure decaye,
And all that I do lyke or loue,
shall vanysh quyte awaye,
Thy face in tyme shall wrynckled be,
at whiche I shall be glad,
To see thy forme transformed thus,
that made me once so sad,
Than shall I blame my foly moch
and thanke the mightyest kyng
That hath me saued tyll such a daye,
to se so fonde a thyng.
And tyll that tyme I wyll keepe close
my flames and let them blase,
All secretly within my brest,
no man on me shall gase.
I wyll not trespasse synfully,
for God shall geue me grace
To se the tyme wherin I shall
neglecte thy folysh face,
And tyll that tyme adieu to thee,
God keepe thee far from me,
And sende thee in that place to dwell,
that I shall neuer see.