University of Virginia Library

Come, Fates! I feare you not. All, whome I owe,
Are paide but you. Then 'rest mee e're I goe.
But Chance from yow all soueraignty hath gott,
Loue woundeth none but those whome Death dares not:
Else if you were, and just in equity,
I should haue vanquisht her, as you did mee.
Else louers should not braue Death's pains, and liue:
But 'tis a rule, Death comes not to relieue.
For pale and wann Death's terrors, are they laide
Soe deep in louers, they make Death affraide?
Or, (the least comfort) haue I companny?
Orecame she Fates, Loue, Death, as well as mee?

Yes, Fates doe silke unto her distaffe pay
For ransome, which tax they on us do lay.
Love giues her youth, which is the reason why
Youths, for her sake, some wither and some dye.
Poore Death can nothing giue; yet for her sake,
Still in her turne, he doth a louer take.
And if Death should proue fals, she fears him nott,
For our Muse, to redeeme her, she hath got.
That last and fatal night wee kist, I thus praide,
(Or rather thus despair'd, I should haue saide.)
Kisses, and yet despaire! The forbidden tree
Did promiss (and deceaue) no more then she.
Like lambs that see their teats, yet must eat hay,
A food, whose tast hath made me pine away:
Diues, when thou sawst bliss, and crauest to touch
A drop of water, then thy great pains were such.
Heere greif wants a fresh wit, for mine being spent,
And my sighes weary, grones are all my rent;
Unable longer to endure the paine,
They breake like thunder, and doe bring downe raine.
Thus, till drye tears soder mine eyes, I weepe:
And then I dreame, how you securly sleepe,
And in your dreams doe laugh at me. I hate,
And pray Loue, all may: He pittyes my estate,
But sayes, I therin no reuenge shall find;
The sun would shine, though all the world were blind,
Yet, to try my hate, Loue shew'd mee your teare;
And I had dyde, had not your smile been there.
Your froune undoes mee; your smile is my wealth;
And as you pleas to looke, I haue my health.
Methought Loue, pittying mee, when he saw this,
Gaue me your hands, the backs and palmes, to kiss.
That cur'd me not, but to beare pain gaue strength;
And what it lost in force, it took in length.
I call'd on Loue againe, who fear'd you soe,
That his compassion still prou'd greater woe:
For then I dream'd I was in bedd with you,
But durst not feele, for fear 't should not proue true.
This merritts not your angar, had it been;
The Queen of Chastity was naked seene:
And in bed, not to feele, the paine I tooke,
Was much more then for Actæon not to looke.
And that breast, which lay ope, I did not knowe
But for the clernes, from a lump of snowe:
Nor that sweet teat which on the top it bore
From the rose-bud which for my sake you wore.
These griefs to issue forth, by verse I proue,
Or turne their course by trauell or new loue.
All would not do, the best at last I tryde,
Unable longer to hold out I dyide.
And then I found I lost lif's death by flying;
Where hundreds liue, are but so long in dying.
Charon did lett me pass; I him requite
To walke the groues or shade, wronging my delight:
Ile speak out of those ghosts I found alone,
Those thousand ghosts, wherof my self made one,
All images of thee: I askt them whie;
The Iudge told mee, they all for thee did dye,
And therefore had for their Elizian bliss
Another, their owne loues to kisse.
O here I myst, not blisse, but being dead
(For loe I dreampt) I dreamt, and waking sed,
Heauen if whoe are in thee ther must dwell,
How is't I now was there, and now I fell?