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The complete works of John Lyly

now for the first time collected and edited from the earliest quartos with life, bibliography, essays, notes and index by R. Warwick Bond
Lyly, John (1554?-1606)

collapse sectionI. 
VOL. I
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SPEECHES AND VERSES AT THE TILT-YARD
  
A Sonet. At the Tilt-Yard; Nov. 17, 1590.
  
Ode. Of Cynthia.
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ON THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO THEOBALDS, May, 1591.
  
Written about the box.
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The Speeches and HONORABLE Entertainment giuen to the Queenes MAIESTIE in Progresse, at Cowdrey in Sussex, by the right Honorable the Lord Montacute. 1591.
  
A Dittie.
  
The Dittie.
  
This Song of the Fisherman.
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THE HONORABLE Entertainement gieuen to the Queenes Maiestie in Progresse, at Eluetham in Hampshire, by the right Honorable the Earle of Hertford. 1591
  
The Poets speech to his boy offering him a Cushion.
  
The Poets speech to her Maiestie.
  
The Dittie of the six Virgins Song.
  
The Oration of Nereus to her Maiesty.
  
The Sea nymphes Dittie.
  
The Oration of Syluanus.
  
The Oration of faire Neæra.
  
The Plowmans Song.
  
The speech of the Fairy Queene to her Maiestie.
  
[The Fairies Song.]
  
The Poets speech at her Maiesties departure.
  
[Come againe: A Dittie.]
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Speeches TO Queen Elizabeth AT Quarrendon:
  
The Olde Knightes Tale.
  
The Songe after Dinner at the two Ladies entrance.
  
The last Songe.
  
To the most renowned Queene, Owner of the best Crowne, & crowned with the best desertes, the lyuing Loue of dying Loricus.
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SPEECHES DELIVERED TO HER MAIESTIE THIS LAST PROGRESSE, AT THE Right Honorable the Lady Rvssels, at Bissam, the Right Honorable the Lorde Chandos, at Sudley, at the Right Honorable the Lord Norris, at Ricorte.
  
[Swel Ceres now, for other Gods are shrinking]
  
[Sing you, plaie you, but sing and play my truth]
  
[The Song.]
  
[Nimpha mane, per me concordant carmina neruis.]
  
The verses, written in the tables which were giuen to her Maiesty
  
The Song.
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ENTERTAINMENT AT HAREFIELD.
  
The humble Petition of a guiltlesse Lady, delivered in writing vpon Munday Morninge, when the [robe] of rainbowes was presented to the Q. by the La. Walsingham.
  
The Complaint of the Satyres against the Nymphes.
  
A Lottery presented before the late Queenes Maiestie at the Lord Chancellors house. 1602.
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THE KING OF DENMARK'S WELCOME.
  
The Song at Theobalds.
  
[Sweet Ioe vouchsafe once to impart]
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Epicedium. A FVNERAL Oration, vpon the death of the late deceased Princesse of famous memorye, Elizabeth by the grace of God, Queen of England, France and Ireland.
  
A true Subiects sorowe, for the losse of his late Soueraigne.
collapse sectionIII. 
VOL. III
  
A Whip for an Ape:
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MAR-MARTINE
  
[prologue]
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[17]
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CERTAINE ENGLISHE Verses, presented vnto the Queenes most excellent Maiestie, by a Courtier: In ioy of the most happie disclosing, of the most dangerous conspiracies pretended by the late executed Traitours, against her royall person, and the whole Estate.
  
THE TRIVMPHS OF TROPHES,
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POEMS
collapse sectionI. 
I. Early Autobiographical: 1575–1580?
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13. A Dittie, wherein is contained divers good and necessary documents, which beeing embraced and followed earnestly, may cause a man to shunne manie evilles and mischaunces, that may otherwise fall upon him, ere he can beware.
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14. A Dittie, wherein the brevitie of man's life is described, how soone his pompe vanisheth away, and he brought to his latest home.
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15. A Glasse for all Men to behold themselves in; especially such proude and prodigall-minded Men, and such delicate and daintie Women, ‘who building on the pride of their beautie and amiable complexion, thinke scorne to become aged; and that their sweete faces should be wrinckled, or their youthfulnes brought into subjection by age.
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II. Early Love-Poems: BEFORE 1580?
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17. Of lingeringe Loue.
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18. A Warning for Wooers,
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19. A Proper Sonet,
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III. Four Songs
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IV. Later Love-Poems.
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28. A Gentlewoman yt married a yonge Gent who after forsooke [hir,] wherevppon she tooke hir Needle in wch she was excelēt & worked vpō hir Sampler thus
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33. A Counterloue.
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34. The Description of Iealousie.
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38. A Nimphs disdaine of Loue.
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39. The Nimphs reply to the Sheepheard.
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40. Another of the same nature, made since.
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41. Naturall comparisons with perfect loue
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41. An Answere to the first Staffe, that Loue is vnlike in Beggers and in Kings.
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V. Later Autobiographical: 1595–1600?
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57. Concerninge his suit & attendaūce at ye Courte.
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59. [THE BEE.]
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VI Epigrams.
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70. Luna.
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71. In fæminæ deformitates.
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72. In Priamum.
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73. Lucretiæ querela ad Colatinum.

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The Poets speech to her Maiestie.

Whhile at the fountaine of the sacred hill,
Vnder Apollos lute, I sweetly slept,
Mongst prophets full possest with holy fury,
And with true vertue, void of all disdaine:
The Muses sung, and wak'd me with these wordes.
Seest thou that English Nimph, in face and shape
Resembling some great Goddesse, and whose beames
Doe sprinkle heau'n with vnacquainted light,
While shee doth visite Semers fraudlesse house,
As Iupiter did honour with his presence
The poore thatcht cottage, where Philæmon dwelt?
See thou salute her with an humble voice;
Phœbus, and we, will let thee lack no verses.
But dare not once aspire to touch her praise,
Who, like the Sunne for shew, to Gods for vertue,
Fills all with Maiesty, and holy feare.
More learned then our selues, shee ruleth vs:
More rich then seas, shee doth commaund the seas:
More fair then Nimphs, she gouerns al the Nimphs[:]
More worthy then the Gods, shee wins the Gods.
Behold (Augusta) thy poore suppliant
Is here, at their desire, but thy desert.
438

O sweete Elisa, grace me with a looke,
Or from my browes this Laurell wreath will fall,
And I vnhappy die amidst my song.
Vnder my person Semer hides himselfe,
His mouth yeelds pray'rs, his eie the Oliue branch;
His praiers betoken duety, th'Oliue peace;
His duety argues loue, his peace faire rest;
His loue will smooth your minde, faire rest your body.
This is your Semers heart and quality:
To whom all things are ioyes, while thou art present,
To whom nothing is pleasing, in thine absence.
Behold, on thee how each thing sweetly smiles,
To see thy brightnes glad our hemispheare:
Night only enuies: whome faire stars doe crosse:
All other creatures striue to shew their ioyes.
The crooked-winding kid trips ore the lawnes;
The milkewhite heafer wantons with the bull;
The trees shew pleasure with their quiuiring leaues,
The meddow with new grasse, the vine with grapes,
The running brookes with sweet and siluer sound.
Thee, thee (Sweet Princes), heau'n, & earth, & fluds,
And plants, and beasts, salute with one accord:
And while they gaze on thy perfections,
Their eyes desire is neuer satisfied.
Thy presence frees each thing, that liu'd in doubt:
No seedes now feare the biting of the woorme;
Nor deere the toyles; nor grasse the parching heat;
Nor Birds the snare; nor corne the storme of haile.
O Empresse, ô draw foorth these dayes to yeares,
Yeeres to an age, ages to æternitie:
That such as lately ioyed to see our sorrowes,
May sorrow now, to see our perfect ioyes.
Behold where all the Graces, vertues maydes,
And lightfoote Howrs, the guardians of heau'ns gate,
With ioyned forces doe remoue those blocks,
Which Enuie layd in Maiesties highway.
Come therefore, come vnder our humble roofe,
And with a becke commaund what it containes:
For all is thine: each part obeys thy will;
Did not each part obey, the wholl should perish.
439

Sing songs faire Nymphs, sing sweet triumphal songs,
Fill wayes with flowrs, and th'ayr with harmony.
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