The Poets VVillovv Or, The Passionate Shepheard: With sundry delightfull, and no lesse Passionate Sonnets: describing the passions of a discontented and perplexed Lover. Diuers compositions of verses concording as well with the Lyricke, as the Anacreonticke measures; neuer before published: Being reduced into an exact and distinct order of Metricall extractions [by Richard Brathwait] |
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The poets legacie to his admired
Eliza: deuoted and bequested to her
chastest thoughts. |
 | The Poets VVillovv |  |
The poets legacie to his admired Eliza: deuoted and bequested to her chastest thoughts.
Thy once deer friend but now despis'd of thee,
Bequeaths vnto thy shrine, what ere is his:
His wreath and lawrell, which for poesie,
Was giuen by Clio: for that muse did wish,
Much good vnto thy louer: euen like blisse
Fall on thy sacred temples, beauteous queen,
In far more plenty then to fore was seen.
Bequeaths vnto thy shrine, what ere is his:
His wreath and lawrell, which for poesie,
Was giuen by Clio: for that muse did wish,
Much good vnto thy louer: euen like blisse
Fall on thy sacred temples, beauteous queen,
In far more plenty then to fore was seen.
Next I bequeath, that little wit I had,
Small though it be, I haue entitled thine,
That in thy waiward dumps perlext and sad,
Some sparkling beames in thy conceipt may shine,
Which thou wilt laugh at: and will call them mine:
But I renounce them, writ they were by me,
But for no end saue this: to pleasure thee.
Small though it be, I haue entitled thine,
That in thy waiward dumps perlext and sad,
Some sparkling beames in thy conceipt may shine,
Which thou wilt laugh at: and will call them mine:
But I renounce them, writ they were by me,
But for no end saue this: to pleasure thee.
Then doe I giue, and in my gift bequeath,
All those externall Trophees which I had:
The motiue aier of my perswasiue breath
And that small pipe which vs'd to make swains glad,
And sauage Tigres in their fury mad.
This straine of musicke Orpheus far surpast,
For mine by all the sisters nine was grac't.
All those externall Trophees which I had:
The motiue aier of my perswasiue breath
And that small pipe which vs'd to make swains glad,
And sauage Tigres in their fury mad.
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For mine by all the sisters nine was grac't.
This I bequeath vnto thy gentle tutch,
Tutch it sweet queen, and it will answer thee,
With far more musicke, yea with full asmuch
As old Arion with his harmony,
By mine, sweet Nimph, Dolphins shall carry thee
Sirens themselues, and Satires at command,
Shall bring thee safe vnto th' Elizian sand.
Tutch it sweet queen, and it will answer thee,
With far more musicke, yea with full asmuch
As old Arion with his harmony,
By mine, sweet Nimph, Dolphins shall carry thee
Sirens themselues, and Satires at command,
Shall bring thee safe vnto th' Elizian sand.
Some little gifts, as cheese cakes, chesnuts sweet,
With some oblations which I vow'd to Ioue,
Shall be deuoted to thy tripping feet,
That vsed to walke within the shady groue
Of Helicon and Ida mount of loue.
These little gifts did Mopsus offer mee,
And with like will I offer them to thee.
With some oblations which I vow'd to Ioue,
Shall be deuoted to thy tripping feet,
That vsed to walke within the shady groue
Of Helicon and Ida mount of loue.
These little gifts did Mopsus offer mee,
And with like will I offer them to thee.
Two prety fragrant nose gaies did I send,
Made of sweet flowers, which twisted vp together,
Were giuen thee (as I wisht) from me thy friend,
That thought of one might make thee think of either
But thou too marble hearted minding neither.
Despis'd me and my gifts: which though but small
Yet they were great to me; for I gaue all.
Made of sweet flowers, which twisted vp together,
Were giuen thee (as I wisht) from me thy friend,
That thought of one might make thee think of either
But thou too marble hearted minding neither.
Despis'd me and my gifts: which though but small
Yet they were great to me; for I gaue all.
Next I bequeath that earring which I had,
But now I haue not, for I vow its thine,
And those short poems which my first age made,
That I may say something thou hast of mine,
For which though furies seeming to repine,
At such a blessing as my works possest,
Let them repine I care not I am blest.
But now I haue not, for I vow its thine,
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That I may say something thou hast of mine,
For which though furies seeming to repine,
At such a blessing as my works possest,
Let them repine I care not I am blest.
I had the shrine of Venus in my chamber,
Which I resolud for to bequeath to thee,
With rosie locks and haire as pure as amber,
But there were some obiections hindred me,
Which was the cause I did not send it thee.
For though it was well colourd, yet it had,
For some parts good so many parts as bad.
Which I resolud for to bequeath to thee,
With rosie locks and haire as pure as amber,
But there were some obiections hindred me,
Which was the cause I did not send it thee.
For though it was well colourd, yet it had,
For some parts good so many parts as bad.
The tincture of her face congeald in blood,
Seemd too too vgly, for thy gracious eie,
Her lips too great: her face too shamelesse showd:
All which foule crimes, thy iudgement would descry
(Thy piercing eies can priuat'st errors spie.)
For Venus seems no Venus but a swaine,
Some flub fac'd trull borne in the Thuscan plain.
Seemd too too vgly, for thy gracious eie,
Her lips too great: her face too shamelesse showd:
All which foule crimes, thy iudgement would descry
(Thy piercing eies can priuat'st errors spie.)
For Venus seems no Venus but a swaine,
Some flub fac'd trull borne in the Thuscan plain.
Next I bequeath a picture vnto thee,
Which though lasciuious, yet beleeue me deere,
It is not halfe so wanton as was she,
Whose forme this sencelesse for me presented here,
As by her liuely actions may appeare.
It is that Myrrha beauties sacred mother,
Who being dead for beauty left another.
Which though lasciuious, yet beleeue me deere,
It is not halfe so wanton as was she,
Whose forme this sencelesse for me presented here,
As by her liuely actions may appeare.
It is that Myrrha beauties sacred mother,
Who being dead for beauty left another.
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Here may you see within your entire thoughts,
The maze of loue, and labyrinth of lust,
With what affecting meanes poore Mirrha sought
To voide incestuous pleasure, which she must
She must perforce sustaine: where she doth trust
Her mellow youth; which thus incircled, rather
Then she will keepe shee'll giue it to her father.
The maze of loue, and labyrinth of lust,
With what affecting meanes poore Mirrha sought
To voide incestuous pleasure, which she must
She must perforce sustaine: where she doth trust
Her mellow youth; which thus incircled, rather
Then she will keepe shee'll giue it to her father.
He spouse and father, she both child and wife,
He nipt with age, she with an icie pleasure,
Thus he triumphs in his incestuous life
Louing to gaze vpon forbidden treasure,
Locking her vp least he perchance should leese her.
Glad would she take a time for liberty,
But shee's kept in by fathers iealousie.
He nipt with age, she with an icie pleasure,
Thus he triumphs in his incestuous life
Louing to gaze vpon forbidden treasure,
Locking her vp least he perchance should leese her.
Glad would she take a time for liberty,
But shee's kept in by fathers iealousie.
Thus in a spatious groue, an ample field,
May you (deere queen) cull flowers of euery kind,
First how a Nimph enforcd god wot to yeeld
(A willing force) th' affection of her mind,
Leauing the robe of chastity behind.
This picture I will send you, you may take,
This beauties statue for your beauties sake.
May you (deere queen) cull flowers of euery kind,
First how a Nimph enforcd god wot to yeeld
(A willing force) th' affection of her mind,
Leauing the robe of chastity behind.
This picture I will send you, you may take,
This beauties statue for your beauties sake.
For had not Mirrha been, nor Mirrhaes youth
Youth had not flourisht in a Venus brow,
Nor had her beauty come to perfect growth,
Nor that sweet modest blush appeares in you,
Could represent so eminent a shew.
Uenus from Mirrha tooke her first beginning
Mirrha from Cinyras incestuous sinning.
Youth had not flourisht in a Venus brow,
Nor had her beauty come to perfect growth,
Nor that sweet modest blush appeares in you,
Could represent so eminent a shew.
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Mirrha from Cinyras incestuous sinning.
Thus haue I made my finall legacie,
And consecrated to your radiant beauty,
Though not consorting with your purity,
Yet am I so deuoted in all duety
That I could wish my poems so should suit thee.
That with such passiōs they in fine might moue thee
As reading these, these might enforce thee loue me.
And consecrated to your radiant beauty,
Though not consorting with your purity,
Yet am I so deuoted in all duety
That I could wish my poems so should suit thee.
That with such passiōs they in fine might moue thee
As reading these, these might enforce thee loue me.
| The Poets VVillovv | |