Skip directly to:Main content Main navigation

University of Virginia Library

Songes and Sonettes

Tottel, Richard

collapse section

Descripcion of the restlesse state of a louer,

Description of Spring, wherin eche thing renewes, saue onelie the louer.

Descripcion of the restlesse state of a louer.

Description of the fickle affections panges and sleightes of loue.

Complaint of a louer, that defied loue, and was by loue after the more tormented.

Complaint of a louer rebuked.

Complaint of the louer disdained.

Description and praise of his loue Geraldine.

The frailtie and hurtfulnes of beautie.

A complaint by night of the louer not beloued.

How eche thing saue the louer in spring reuiueth to pleasure.

Vow to loue faithfully howsoeuer he be rewarded.

Complaint that his ladie after she knew of his loue kept her face alway hidden from him.

Request to his loue to ioyne bountie with beautie.

Prisoned in windsor, he recounteth his pleasure there passed.

The louer comforteth himself with the worthinesse of his loue.

Complaint of the absence of her louer being vpon the sea.

Complaint of a diyng louer refused vpon his ladies iniust mistaking of his writyng.

Complaint of the absence of her louer being vpon the sea.

A praise of his loue:

To the Ladie that scorned her louer.

A warning to the louer how he is abused by his loue.

The forsaken louer describeth & forsaketh loue.

The louer describes his restlesse state.

The louer excuseth himself of suspected change.

A carelesse man, scorning and describing, the suttle vsage of women towarde their louers.

The meanes to attain happy life.

Praise of meane and constant estate.

Praise of certain psalmes of Dauid,

Of the death of the same

Of Sardinapalus dishonorable life, and miserable death.

How no age is content with his own estate, & how the age of children is the happiest, if they had skill to vnderstand it.

Bonum est mihi quod humiliasti me.

Exhortacion to learne by others trouble.

The fansie of a weried louer.

collapse section

The louer for shamefastnesse hideth his desire within his faithfull hart.

The louer waxeth wiser, and will not die for affection

The abused louer seeth his foly, and entendeth to trust no more.

The louer describeth his being striken with sight of his loue.

The waueryng louer wylleth, and dreadeth, to moue his desire.

The louer hauing dreamed enioying of his loue, complaineth that the dreame is not either longer or truer.

The louer vnhappy biddeth happy louers reioice in Maie, while he waileth that moneth to him most vnlucky.

The louer confesseth him in loue with Phillis.

Of others fained sorrow, and the louers fained mirth.

Of change in minde.

How the louer perisheth in his delight, as the flie in the fire.

Against his tong that failed to vtter his sutes.

Description of the contrarious passions in a louer.

The louer compareth his state to a shippe in perilous storme tossed on the sea.

Of douteous loue.

The louer sheweth how he is forsaken of such as he somtime enioyed.

To a ladie to answere directly with yea or nay.

To his loue whom he had kissed against her will.

Of the Ielous man that loued the same woman and espied this other sitting with her.

To his loue from whom he hadd her gloues.

Of the fained frend.

The louer taught, mistrusteth allurementes.

The louer complayneth that his loue doth not pitie him.

The louer reioyseth against fortune that by hindering his sute had happily made him forsake his folly.

A renouncing of hardly escaped loue.

The louer to his bed, with describing of his vnquiet state.

Comparison of loue to a streame falling from the Alpes.

wiates complaint vpon Loue, to Reason: with Loues answer.

The louers sorowfull state maketh him write sorowfull songes, but Souche his loue may change the same.

The louer complaineth himself forsaken.

Of his loue that pricked her finger with a nedle.

Request to Cupide, for reuenge of his vnkinde loue.

Complaint for true loue vnrequited.

The louer that fled loue now folowes it with his harme.

The louer hopeth of better chance.

The louer compareth his hart to the ouercharged gonne.

The louer suspected of change praieth that it be not beleued against him.

The louer abused renownseth loue.

The louer professeth himself constant.

The louer sendeth his complaintes and teares to sue for grace.

The louers case can not be hidden how euer he dissemble.

The louer praieth not to be disdained, refused, mistrusted, nor forsaken.

The louer lamenteth his estate with sute for grace.

The louer waileth his changed ioyes.

The louer lamenteth other to haue the frutes of his seruice.

To his loue that had geuen him answere of refusell.

To his ladie cruel ouer her yelden louer.

The louer complaineth that deadlie sicknesse can not helpe his affeccion.

The louer reioiceth the enioying of his loue.

The louer complayneth the vnkindnes of his loue.

How by a kisse he found both his life and death.

The louer describeth his being taken with sight of his loue.

To his louer to loke vpon him.

The louer excuseth him of wordes wherwith he was vniustly charged.

Of such as had forsaken him.

A description of such a one as he would loue.

How vnpossible it is to finde quiet in his loue.

Of Loue, Fortune, and the louers minde.

The louer prayeth his offred hart to be receiued.

The louers life compared to the Alpes.

Charging of his loue as vnpiteous and louing other.

A renouncing of loue.

The louer forsaketh his vnkinde loue

The louer describeth his restlesse state.

The louer lamentes the death of his loue.

The louer sendeth sighes to mone his sute.

Complaint of the absence of his loue.

The louer blameth his loue for renting of the letter he sent her.

The louer curseth the tyme when first he fell in loue.

The louer determineth to serue faithfully.

The louer suspected blameth yll tonges.

The louer complaineth and his lady comforteth.

why loue is blinde.

To his vnkinde loue.

The louer blameth hs instant desyre.

The louer complayneth his estate.

Against hourders of money.

Discripcion of a gonne.

wiat being in prison, to Brian.

Of dissembling wordes.

Of the meane and sure estate.

The courtiers life.

Of disapointed purpose by negligence.

Of his returne from Spaine.

Of sodaine trustyng.

Of the mother that eat her childe at the siege of Ierusalem.

Of the meane and sure estate written to Iohn Poins.

Of the Courtiers life written to Iohn Poins.

How to vse the court and him selfe therin, written to syr Fraunces Bryan.

The song of Iopas vnfinished.

collapse section

Songes written by Nicolas Grimald.

The louer to his dear, of his exceding loue.

The louer asketh pardon of his dere, for fleeyng from her.

N. Vincent. to G. Blackwood, agaynst wedding.

G. Blackwood to. N. Vincent, with weddyng.

Musonius the Philosophers saiyng.

Marcus Catoes comparison of mans life with yron.

Cleobulus the Lydians riddle.

Concerning Virgils Eneids.

To maistres D. A.

A neew yeres gift, to the l. M. S.

An other to. l. M. S.

To his familiar frend.

Description of Vertue.

Prayse of measure-kepyng.

Mans life after Possidonius, or Crates.

Metrodorus minde to the contrarie.

An epitaph of sir Iames wilford knight.

An other, of the same knightes death.

An Epitaph of the ladye Margaret Lee.

Vpon the tomb of A. w.

Vpon the deceas of w. Ch.

A funerall song, vpon the deceas of Annes his moother.

Vpon the death of the lord Mautrauers, out of doctor Haddons latine.

Vpon the sayd lord Mautrauers death.

The death of Zoroas, an Egiptian Astronomer, in the first fight, that Alexander had with the Persians.

Marcus Tullius Ciceroes death.

Of M. T. Cicero.

collapse section

Vncertain auctours.

The complaint of a louer with sute to his loue for pitye.

Of the death of master Deuerox the lord Ferres sonne.

They of the meane estate are happiest.

Comparison of lyfe and death.

The tale of Pigmalion with conclusion vpon the beautye of his loue.

The louer sheweth his wofull state, and prayeth pitye.

Vpon consideracion of the sta{te of} this lyfe he wisheth death.

The louer that once disdained loue is now become subiect beyng caught in his snare.

Of Fortune, and Fame.

Against wicked tonges.

Not to trust to much but beware by others calamaties.

Hell tormenteth not the damned ghostes so sore as vnkindnesse the louer.

Of the mutabilitie of the world.

Harpelus complaynt of Phillidaes loue bestowed on Corin, who loued her not and denied him, that loued her.

Vpon sir Iames wilfordes death.

Of the wretchednes in this world.

The repentant sinner in durance and aduersitie.

The louer here telleth of his diuers ioyes and aduersities in loue and lastly of his ladies death.

Of his loue named white.

Of the louers vnquiet state.

where good will is some profe will appere.

Verses written on the picture of sir Iames wilford.

The ladye praieth the returne of of her louer abidyng on the seas.

The meane estate is best.

The louer thinkes no payne to great, wherby he may obtaine his lady.

Of a new maried Student.

The meane estate is to be accompted the best.

The louer refused lamenteth his estate.

The felicitie of a mind imbracing vertue, that beholdeth the wretched desyres of the worlde.

All worldly pleasures fade.

A complaint of the losse of libertie by loue.

A praise of his Ladye.

The pore estate to be holden for best.

The complaint of Thestilis amid the desert wodde.

The louer praieth pity showing that nature hath taught his dog as it were to sue for the same by kissing his ladies handes.

Of his ring sent to his lady.

The changeable state of louers.

A praise of Audley.

Time trieth truth.

The louer refused of his loue imbraceth death.

The Picture of a louer.

Of the death of Phillips.

That all thing sometime finde ease of their paine, saue onely the louer.

Thassault of Cupide vpon the fort where the louers hart lay wounded and how he was taken.

The aged louer renounceth loue.

Of the ladie wentworthes death.

The louer accusing hys loue for her vnfaithfulnesse, purposeth to liue in libertie.

The louer for want of his desyre, sheweth his death at hand.

A happy end excedeth all pleasures and riches of the worlde

Against an vnstedfast woman.

A praise of Petrarke and of Laura his ladie.

That petrark cannot be passed but notwithstanding that Lawra is far surpassed.

Against a cruell woman.

The louer sheweth what he would haue if it were graunted him to haue what he would wishe.

The lady forsaken of her louer, prayeth his returne, or the end of her own life.

The louer yelden into his ladies handes, praieth mercie.

That nature which worketh al thinges for our behofe, hath made women also for our comfort and delite.

when aduersitie is once fallen, it is to late to beware.

Of a louer that made his onelye God of his loue.

Vpon the death of sir Antony Denny.

A comparison of the louers paines.

Of a Rosemary braunche sente.

To his loue of his constant hart.

Of the token which his loue sent him.

Manhode auaileth not without good Fortune.

That constancy of all vertues is most worthy.

A comfort to the complaynt of Thestilis.

The vncertaine state of a louer.

The louer in libertie smileth at them in thraldome, that sometime scorned his bondage.

A comparison of his loue wyth the faithfull and painful loue of Troylus to Creside.

To leade a vertuous and honest life

The wounded louer determineth to make sute to his lady for his recure.

The louer shewing of the continuall paines that abide within his brest determineth to die because he can not haue redresse.

The power of loue ouer gods them selues.

Of the sutteltye of craftye louers.

Of the dissembling louer.

The promise of a constant louer.

Against him that had slaundered a gentlewoman with him selfe

A praise of maistresse Ryce.

Of one vniustly defamed.

Of the death of the late county of Penbroke.

That eche thing is hurt of it selfe.

Of the choise of a wife.

Descripcion of an vngodlye worlde.

The dispairyng louer lamenteth.

An epitaph of maister Henry williams.

Against a gentlewoman by whom he was refused.

An epitaphe written by w. G. to be set vpon his owne graue.

Against women either good or badde.

The louer praieth his seruice to be accepted and his defaultes pardoned.

Description and praise of his loue.

An answere to a song before imprinted beginnyng. To walke on doutfull grounde.

collapse section

Other Songes and Sonettes written by the earle of Surrey.

The constant louer lamenteth.

A praise of sir Thomas wyate thelder for his excellent learning.

A song written by the earle of Surrey by a lady that refused to daunce with him.

The faithfull louer declareth his paines and his vncertein ioies, and with only hope recomforteth somwhat his wofull heart.

collapse section

Other Songes and sonettes written by sir Thomas wiat the elder

Of his loue called. Anna.

That pleasure is mixed with euery paine.

A riddle of a gift geuen by a Ladie.

That speaking or profering bringes alway speding.

He ruleth not though he raigne ouer realmes that is subiect to his owne lustes.

whether libertie by losse of life, or life in prison and thraldome be to be preferred.

collapse section

Collapse All | Expand All expand section

The louer excuseth himself of suspected change.

Though I regarded not
The promise made by me,
or passed not to spot
My faith and honeste:

Yet were my fancie strange,
And wilfull will to wite,
If I sought now to change
A falkon for a kite.

All men might well dispraise
My wit and enterprise,
If I estemed a pese
Aboue a perle in price:
Or iudged the oule in sight
The sparehauke to excell,
which flieth but in the night.
As all men know right well:

Or if I sought to saile
Into the brittle port,
where anker hold doth faile,
To such as doe resort,
And leaue the hauen sure,
where blowes no blustring winde,
Nor fickelnesse in vre
So farforth as I finde.

No, thinke me not so light,
Nor of so chorlish kinde,
Though it lay in my might
My bondage to vnbinde,
That I would leue the hinde
To hunt the ganders fo.
No no I haue no minde
To make exchanges so:

Nor yet to change at all.
For think it may not be
That I should seke to fall
From my felicite,
Desyrous for to win,
And loth for to forgo,
Or new change to begin:
How may all this be so?

The fire it can not freze:
For it is not his kinde,
Nor true loue cannot lese
The constance of the minde,
Yet as sone shall the fire
want heat to blaze and burn,

As I in such desire,
Haue once a thought to turne.