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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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[1]
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[6]
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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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1.
[_]

The attribution of this poem is questionable.

[When I behoulde the trees in the earthes fayre lyuerye clothed]

When I behoulde the trees in the earthes fayre lyuerye clothed
Ease I do feele, suche ease as faulles to me wholy diseased
For that I fynde in them parte of my state represented
Lawrell showes what I seek, by ye Myrr is showde how I seek it
Olyue poyntes me the pryce that I muste aspyre to by conquest
Myrtle makes me requeste, my requeste is vnsealde by a Willowe
Cipruss promisethe healpe, but healp yt bringes me no comfort
Sweet Iuniper sayes thus, thoughe I burne, yet I burn in a sweet fyre
Ewe dothe make me thinke what kynd of bowe the boye houldethe,
Whiche shootes throughe wthout any noyse and deadlye wthout smarte.
Firr tree is great and greene fyxte one a hye hill but a barren.
Lyke to my noble thoughtes styll newe, well plaste, to me fruteless.
Figg that yealdes moste pleasaunt frute his shadow is hurtefull.
Thus be her guifts most sweet thus most dawnger to be neere her
But in Palme when I mark howe he dothe ryse vnder a burthen
And maye not I saye than get vp thoughe grefes be so wayghtye
Pyne is a maste to a shipp, to my shipp shall hope for a mast serue
Pyne is hyghe, hope is as hyghe, yet be my hopes budded.
Elme imbraste by a Vine, embracinge fancye reuiuethe.
Popler chaungethe his hewe, from a rysinge sun̄ to a settinge.
Thus to my sunn do I yealde, suche lookes her beames do afford me,
Ould aged oke cutt doune for new workes serues to the buildinge
So my desyrs by feare cut downe for ye frames of her honor
Palmes do reioyse to be ioynde wth ye matche of a male to a femall
And shall sensiue thinges be so sensless as to resist sense
Ashe makes speare wch sheilds do resiste, hir force no repuls takes
Thus be my thoughts disperst thus thinkinge nowrsest a thought still
But to the Cædar queen of woodes when I lyft my betrayde eys
Than do I shape my selfe that forme wch raygnes so within me
And thinke ther she dothe dwell and here wt pllaynts I do vtter
When that noble topp dothe nodd I beleiue she salutes me
Than kneelinge often thus I do speake to her image.
Onlye Iewell, all onlye Iewell, whiche onlye deserueste
449

That mens heartes be thy seat and endless fame be yi seruante
O descend for a whill from this great hyghte to behoulde me
But nought else do behoulde or it is not worthe the behouldinge
Se what a thought is wrought by thy selfe! and since I am alltred
Thus by thy werck disdayne not[e] that wch is by thy selfe done.
In meane caues oft treasuer abydes, to an hostry a kinge comes
—And so behind black cloudes full oft fayer streams do ly hidden.
FINIS.
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