University of Virginia Library

For that a restles head

The changeable state of louers.

For that a restles head must somewhat haue in vre
Wherwith it may acquaynted be, as falcon is with lure.
Fansy doth me awake out of my drowsy slepe,
In seeing how the little mouse, at night begyns to crepe.
So the desyrous man, that longes to catch hys pray,
In spying how to watch hys tyme, lyeth lurkyng styll by day.
In hopyng for to haue, and fearyng for to fynde
The salue that should recure his sore, & soroweth but the mynde,
Such is the guyse of loue, and the vncertain state,
That some should haue theyr hoped happe, and other hard estate.
That some should seme to ioy in that they neuer had,
And some agayn shall frown as fast, where causeles they be sad.
Such trades do louers vse when they be most at large,
That gyde the stere when they themselues lye fettred in [the] barge.
The grenes of my youth cannot therof expresse
The proces, for by profe vnknowen, all this is but by gesse.
Wherfore I hold it best, in tYme to hold my peace,
But wanton will it cannot hold, or make my pen to cease.
A pen of no auayle, a fruitles labour eke,
My troubled head with fansies fraught, doth payn it self to seke.
And if perhappes my wordes of none auayle do pricke,
Such as do fele the hidden harmes, I would not they shold kicke.
As causeles me to blame which thinketh them no harme,
Although I seme by others fyre, sometime my self to warme.
Which clerely I denye, as gyltles of that cryme,
And though wrong demde I be therin, truth it will trye in tyme.