University of Virginia Library

When Cupide scaled first

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

When Cupide scaled first the fort,
Wherin my hart lay wounded sore:
The battry was of such a sort
That I must yelde or dye therfore.
There saw I loue vpon the wall,
How he his banner did display:
Alarme alarme he gan to call,
And bad his souldiours kepe aray.
The armes the which that Cupide bare
Were pearced harts with teares besprent:
In siluer and sable to declare
The stedfast loue he alwayes ment.
There might you se his band all drest,
In colours like to white and blacke:
With powder and with pellets prest,
To bring the fort to spoile and sacke.
Good will the master of the shot,
Stode in the rampyre braue and proud:
For spence of powder he spared not,
Assault assault to crye aloude.
There might you heare the cannons rore
Eche pece discharged a louers loke:
Which had the power to rent, and tore
In any place whereas they toke.
And euen with the trumpets sowne,
The scalyng ladders were vp set:
And beauty walked vp and downe
With bow in hand and arrowes whet.
Then first desire began to scale,
And shrowded him vnder his targe:
As on the worthiest of them all,
And aptest for to geue the charge.
Then pusshed souldiers with their pikes
And holbarders with handy strokes:
The hargabushe in fleshe it lightes,
And dims the ayre with misty smokes.
And as it is the souldiers vse,
When shot and powder gins to want:
I hanged vp my flagge of truce,
And pleaded for my liues graunt.
When fansy thus had made her breach
And beauty entred with her bande:

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X3r

With bag and baggage selye wretch,
I yelded into beauties hand.
Then beawty bad to blow retrete,
And euery soldiour to retire.
And mercy wilde with spede to fet:
Me captiue bound as prisoner.
Madame (quoth I) sith that thys day,
Hath serued you at all assaies:
I yeld to you without delay,
Here of the fortresse all the kaies.
And sith that I haue ben the marke,
At whom you shot at with youe eye:
Nedes must you with your handy warke,
Or salue my sore or let me dye.