Clad in armour all of fire,
Hand in hand with queen Desire,
And with a dart that wounded nigh,
Pierc'd my heart as I did lie;
That when I woke I 'gan swear
Phillis' beauty palm did bear.
Up I start, forth went I,
With her face to feed mine eye;
There I saw Desire sit,
That my heart with love had hit,
Laying forth bright beauty's hooks
To entrap my gazing looks.
Love I did, and 'gan to woo,
Pray and sigh; all would not do:
Women, when they take the toy,
Covet to be counted coy.
Coy she was, and I 'gan court;
She thought love was but a sport;
Profound hell was in my thought;
Such a pain desire had wrought,
That I sued with sighs and tears;
Still ingrate she stopp'd her ears,
Till my youth I had spent.
Last a passion of repent
Told me flat, that Desire
Was a brond of love's fire,
Which consumeth men in thrall,
Virtue, youth, wit, and all.
At this saw, back I start,
Bet Desire from my heart,
Shook off Love, and made an oath
To be enemy to both.
Old I was when thus I fled
Such fond toys as cloy'd my head,
But this I learn'd at Virtue's gate,
The way to good is never late.
HERE look, my son, for no vain-glorious shows
Of royal apparition for the eye :
Humble and meek befitteth men of
years.
Behold my cell, built in a silent shade,
Holding content for poverty and peace,
And in my lodge is fealty and faith,
Labour and love united in one league.
I want not, for my mind affordeth wealth;
I know not envy, for I climb not high :
Thus do I live, and thus I mean to die.
If that the world presents illusions,
Or Sathan seeks to puff me up with pomp,
As man is frail and apt to follow pride;
Then see, my son, where I have in my cell
A dead man's scull, which calls this straight to mind,
That as this is, so must my ending be.
When then I see that earth to earth must pass,
I sigh, and say, all flesh is like to grass.
If care to live, or sweet delight in life,
As man desires to see out many days,
Draws me to listen to the flattering world;
Then see my glass, which swiftly out doth run,
Compar'd to man, who dies ere he begins.
This tells me, time slacks not his posting course,
But as the glass runs out with every hour,
Some in their youth, some in their weakest age,
All sure to die, but no man knows his time.
By this I think, how vain a thing is man,
Whose longest life is liken'd to a span.
When Sathan seeks to sift me with his wiles,
Or proudly dares to give a fierce assault,
To make a shipwreck of my faith with fears;
Then arm'd at all points to withstand the foe,
With holy armour; here's the martial sword:
This book, this bible, this two-edged blade,
Whose sweet content pierceth the gates of hell,
Decyphering laws and discipline of war
To overthrow the strength of Sathan's jar.
SITTING by a river side,
Where a silent stream did glide,
Bank'd about with choice flowers,
Such as spring from April showers,
When fair Iris smiling shews
All her riches in her dews;
Thick-leav'd trees so were planted,
As nor art nor nature wanted,
Bordering all the brook with shade,
As if Venus there had made,
By Flora's wile, a curious bower,
To dally with her paramour;
At this current as I gaz'd,
Eyes entrapt, mind amaz'd,
I might see in my ken
Such a flame as fireth men,
Such a fire as doth fry
With one blaze both heart and eye,
Such a heat as doth prove
No heat like to heat of love.
Bright she was, for 'twas a she
That trac'd her steps towards me :
On her head she ware a bay,
To fence Phoebus' light away:
In her face one might descry The curious beauty of the sky : Her eyes carried darts of fire, Feather'd all with swift desire; Yet forth these fiery darts did pass Pearled tears as bright as glass, That wonder 'twas in her eyne Fire and water should combine, If th' old saw did not borrow, Fire is love, and water sorrow. Down she sate, pale and sad; No mirth in her looks she had; Face and eyes shew'd distress, Inward sighs discours'd no less: Head on hand might I see, Elbow leaned on her knee. Last she breath'd out this saw, O that love hath no law! Love enforceth with constraint, Love delighteth in complaint. Whoso loves, hates his life, For love's peace is mind's strife. Love doth feed on beauty's fare, Every dish sauc'd with care: Chiefly women, reason why, Love is hatch'd in their eye; Thence it steppeth to the heart, There it poisoneth every part, Mind and heart, eye and thought, Till sweet love their woes hath wrought: Then repentant they 'gan cry, O my heart that trow'd mine eye! Thus she said, and then she rose, Face and mind both full of woes; Flinging thence with this saw, Fie on love that hath no law.
FRANCESCO'S ODE.
WHEN I look about the place
Where sorrow nurseth up disgrace,
Wrapt within a fold of cares,
Whose distress no heart spares;
Eyes might look, but see no light,
Heart might think but on despite ;
Sun did shine, but not on me.
Sorrow said, it may not be
'That heart or eye should once possess
Any salve to cure distress;
For men in prison must suppose
Their couches are the beds of woes.
Seeing this, I sighed then
Fortune thus should punish men:
But when I call'd to mind her face,
For whose love I brook this place,
Starry eyes, whereat my sight
Did eclipse with much delight,
Eyes that lighten, and do shine,
Beams of love that are divine,
Lily cheeks, whereon beside
Buds of roses shew their pride,
Cherry lips, which did speak
Words that made all hearts to break,
Words most sweet, for breath was sweet,
Such perfume for love is meet,
Precious words, as hard to tell
Which more pleased, wit or smell;
When I saw my greatest pains
Grow for her that beauty stains,
Fortune thus I did reprove,
Nothing grieffull grows from love.
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