But ye whom love hath bound, by order of desire, To love your lords, whose good deserts none other would require, Come ye yet once again, and set your foot by mine, Whose woful plight and sorrows great no tongue may well define. My love and lord, alas! in whom consists my wealth, Hath fortune sent to pass the seas, in hazard of his health. 10 Whom I was wont t' embrace with well contented mind, Is now amid the foaming floods at pleasure of the wind, Where God will him preserve, and soon him home me send; 5 Without which hope my life, alas! were shortly at an end. Whose absence yet, although my hope doth tell me plain, With short return he comes anon, yet ceaseth not my pain. The fearful dreams I have ofttimes do grieve me so, That when I wake, I lie in doubt, where 1 they be true or no. Sometime the roaring seas, me seems, do grow so high, That my dear lord, ay me! alas! methinks I see him die. And other time the same doth tell me he is come, 20 And playing, where I shall him find, with his fair little son.2 So forth I go apace to see that liefsome 3 sight, And with a kiss, methinks I say, 'Welcome, my lord, my knight; Welcome, my sweet; alas! the stay of my welfare; Thy presence bringeth forth a truce betwixt me and my care.' 1 'Where: whether.-2 Fair little son:' this marks the reference to be to Lady Surrey and her son Thomas-3 Liefsome:' dear, welcome. Then lively doth he look, and salueth me again, this pain?' have all 27 Wherewith the heavy cares, that heap'd are in my breast, Break forth and me dischargen clean of all my huge unrest. But when I me awake, and find it but a dream, 30 The anguish of my former woe beginneth more extreme ; Thus every way you see with absence how I burn; turn: Save when I think, by sour how sweet is felt the more, 40 Ye winds, I you conjure, in chiefest of your rage, A PRAISE OF HIS LOVE, WHEREIN HE REPROVETH THEM THAT COMPARE THEIR LADIES WITH HIS. 1 GIVE place, ye lovers, here before That spent your boasts and brags in vain ; My lady's beauty passeth more The best of yours, I dare well sayen, Unneath :' with difficulty. Than doth the sun the candle light, 2 And thereto hath a troth as just The whole effect of Nature's plaint, The like to whom she could not paint: 4 I know she swore with raging mind, Her kingdom only set apart, There was no loss, by law of kind, That could have gone so near her heart; And this was chiefly all her pain, 5 Sith Nature thus gave her the praise, TO HIS MISTRESS. If he that erst the form so lively drew Thy father then what glory did ensue, By whose pencil a goddess made thou art? Touched with flame that figure made some rue, And with her love surprised many a heart. There lack'd yet that should cure their hot desire: Thou canst inflame and quench the kindled fire. 16 'Neck:' apparently an expression used in chess playing, but the meaning is not clear. Rede:' advise. -3 Ferse:' the queen at chess. A WARNING TO THE LOVER, HOW HE IS ABUSED BY HIS LOVE. Too dearly had I bought my green and youthful years, If in mine age I could not find when craft for love appears; And seldom though I come in court among the rest, heart. So stands it now with me, for, my beloved friend, And for thy sake I burn so in my secret breast, have no rest. 10 I see how thine abuse hath wrested so thy wits, |