University of Virginia Library

If euer wofull man

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

If euer wofull man might moue your hartes to ruthe,
Good ladies here his woful plaint, whose deth shal try his truth
And rightfull iudges be on this his true report:
If he deserue a louers name among the faithfull sort.
Fiue hundred times the sonne hath lodged him in the West:
Since in my hart I harbred first of all the goodlyest gest.
Whose worthinesse to shew my wittes are all to faint.
And I lack cunnyng of the scoles, in colours her to paynt.
But this I briefly say in wordes of egall weight.
So void of vice was neuer none, nor with such vertues freyght.
And for her beauties prayse, no wight, that with her warres.
For, where she comes, she shewes her self as sonne amo[n]g [the] starres.
But Lord, thou wast to blame, to frame such parfitenesse:
And puttes no pitie in her hart, my sorowes to redresse.
For yf ye knew the paynes, and panges, that I haue past:
A wonder would it be to you, how that my life hath last.
When all the Goddes agreed, that Cupide with his bow
Should shote his arrowes fro[m] her eies, on me his might to show
I knew it was in vain my force to trust vpon:
And well I wist, it was no shame, to yelde to such a one.
Then did I me submit with humble hart, and minde,
To be her man for euermore: as by the Goddes assinde.
And since that day, no wo, wherwith loue might torment,
Could moue me fro[m] this faithfull band: or make me once repent.
Yet haue I felt full oft the hottest of his fire:
The bitter teares, the scalding sighes, the burning hote desyre.
And with a sodain sight the trembling of the hart:
And how the blood doth come, and go, to succour euery part.
When that a pleasant loke hath lift me in the ayer:
A frowne hath made me fall as fast into a depe despayer.
And when that I, er this, my tale could well by hart:
And that my tong had learned it, so that no worde might start:
The sight of her hath set my wittes in such a stay:
That to be lord of all the world, one word I could not say.
And many a sodayn cramp my hart hath pinched so:

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That for the time, my senses all felt neither weale, nor wo.
Yet saw I neuer thing, that might my minde content:
But wisht it hers, and at her will, if she could so consent.
Nor neuer heard of wo: that did her will displease:
But wisht the same vnto my self, so it might do her ease.
Nor neuer thought that fayre, nor neuer liked face:
Vnlesse it did resemble her, or some part of her grace.
No distance yet of place could vs so farre deuide:
But that my hert, and my good will did still with her abide.
Nor yet it neuer lay in any fortunes powre,
To put that swete out of my thought, one minute of an howre.
No rage of drenching sea, nor woodenesse of the winde,
Nor canno[n]s w[ith] their thundryng cracks could put her fro[m] my minde
For when bothe sea and land asunder had vs set:
My hole delite was onely then, my self alone to get.
And thitherward to loke, as nere as I could gesse:
Where as I thought, that shee was then, [that] might my wo redresse.
Full oft it did me good, that waies to take my winde:
So pleasant ayre in no place els, me thought I could not finde.
I saying to my self, my life is yonder waye:
And by the winde I haue here sent, a thousand sighes a daye.
And sayd vnto the sunne, great gifts are geuen thee:
For thou mayst see mine earthly blisse, where euer that she bee.
Thou seest in euery place, wold God I had thy might:
And I the ruler of my self, then should she know no night.
And thus from wish to wishe my wits haue been at strife:
And wantyng all that I haue wisht, thus haue I led my life.
But long it can not last, that in such wo remaines.
No force for that: for death is swete to him, that feles such paines.
Yet most of all me greues: when I am in my graue,
That she shall purchase by my death a cruell name to haue.
Wherfore all you that heare this plaint, or shall it see:
Wish, that it may so perce her hert, that she may pitie mee.
For and it were her will: for bothe it were the best,
To saue my life, to kepe her name, and set my hert at rest.