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 |
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| SPEECHES AND VERSES AT THE TILT-YARD
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 | The complete works of John Lyly |  |
410
SPEECHES AND VERSES AT THE TILT-YARD
1590–1600.
A Sonet. At the Tilt-Yard; Nov. 17, 1590.
411
His Golden lockes Time hath to Siluer turn'd,
O Time too swift, ô Swiftnesse neuer ceasing!
His Youth gainst Time and Age hath euer spurn'd,
But spurn'd in vain, Youth waineth by increasing.
Beauty, Strēgth, Youth, are flowers, but fading seen,
Dutie, Faith, Loue, are roots, and euer greene.
O Time too swift, ô Swiftnesse neuer ceasing!
His Youth gainst Time and Age hath euer spurn'd,
But spurn'd in vain, Youth waineth by increasing.
Beauty, Strēgth, Youth, are flowers, but fading seen,
Dutie, Faith, Loue, are roots, and euer greene.
412
His Helmet now shall make a hiue for Bees,
And Louers sonets turne to holy Psalmes:
A man at Armes must now serue on his knees,
And feede on praiers, which are Age his almes.
But though from Court to Cottage he depart,
His Saint is sure of his vnspotted heart.
And Louers sonets turne to holy Psalmes:
A man at Armes must now serue on his knees,
And feede on praiers, which are Age his almes.
But though from Court to Cottage he depart,
His Saint is sure of his vnspotted heart.
And when he saddest sits in homely Cell,
Heele teach his swaines this Caroll for a Song,—
Bless'd be the heartes that wish my Soueraigne well,
Curs'd be the soules that thinke her any wrong!
Goddess, allow this aged man his right,
To be your Beads-man now, that was your Knight.
Heele teach his swaines this Caroll for a Song,—
Bless'd be the heartes that wish my Soueraigne well,
Curs'd be the soules that thinke her any wrong!
Goddess, allow this aged man his right,
To be your Beads-man now, that was your Knight.
414
Ode. Of Cynthia.
At the Earl of Cumberland's Shew on Horseback; May 1, 1600.
Th' ancient Readers of Heauens Booke,
Which with curious eye did looke
Into Natures story;
All things vnder Cynthia tooke
To bee transitory.
Which with curious eye did looke
Into Natures story;
All things vnder Cynthia tooke
To bee transitory.
This the learned only knew,
But now all men finde it true,
Cynthia is descended;
With bright beames and heauenly hew,
And lesser starres attended.
But now all men finde it true,
Cynthia is descended;
With bright beames and heauenly hew,
And lesser starres attended.
Landes and Seas shee rules below,
Where things change, and ebbe, and flowe,
Spring, waxe olde, and perish;
Only Time which all doth mowe,
Her alone doth cherish.
Where things change, and ebbe, and flowe,
Spring, waxe olde, and perish;
Only Time which all doth mowe,
Her alone doth cherish.
Times yong howres attend her still,
And her Eyes and Cheekes do fill,
With fresh youth and beautie:
All her louers olde do grow,
But their hartes, they do not so
In their Loue and duty.
And her Eyes and Cheekes do fill,
With fresh youth and beautie:
415
But their hartes, they do not so
In their Loue and duty.
| The complete works of John Lyly | |