THE ABSENT LOVER FINDETH ALL HIS
PAINS REDOUBLED.

ABSENCE, absenting causeth me to complain, My sorrowful complaints abiding in distress; And departing most privy increaseth my pain, Thus live I uncomforted wrapped all in heaviness. In heaviness I am wrapped, devoid of all solace, Neither pastime nor pleasure can revive my dull wit, My spirits be all taken, and death doth me menace, With his fatal knife the thread for to kit.

For to cut the thread of this wretched life,
And shortly bring me out of this case;

I see it availeth not, yet must I be pensive,
Since fortune from me hath turned her face.

Her face she hath turned with countenance contrarious,

And clean from her presence she hath exiled me,
In sorrow remaining as a man most dolorous,
Exempt from all pleasure and worldly felicity.
All worldly felicity now am I private,
And left in desart most solitarily,

Wandering all about as one without mate;
My death approacheth; what remedy!

What remedy, alas! to rejoice my woful heart,

With sighs suspiring most ruefully;

Now welcome! I am ready to depart;

Farewell all pleasure! welcome pain and smart!

HE SEEKETH COMFORT IN PATIENCE.

PATIENCE! for I have wrong

And dare not shew wherein;
Patience shall be my song;
Since Truth can nothing win.
Patience then for this fit;
Hereafter comes not yet.

OF THE POWER OF LOVE OVER THE
YIELDEN LOVER.

WILL ye see what wonders Love hath

Then come and look at me.

[wrought?

There need no where else to be sought,

In me ye may them see.

For unto that, that men may see

Most monstrous thing of kind,

Myself may best compared be;

Love hath me so assign'd.

There is a rock in the salt flood,

A rock of such nature,

That draweth the iron from the wood,

And leaveth the ship unsure.

She is the rock, the ship am I;

That rock my deadly foe,

That draweth me there where I must die,
And robbeth my heart me fro.

A bird there fleeth, and that but one,
Of her this thing ensueth;

That when her days be spent and gone,
With fire she reneweth.

And I with her may well compare
My love, that is alone;

The flame whereof doth aye repair

My life when it is gone.

HE LAMENTETH THAT HE HAD EVER CAUSE

TO DOUBT HIS LADY'S FAITH.

DEEM as ye list upon good cause,

I may or think of this, or that;
But what, or why myself best knows
Whereby I think and fear not.
But thereunto I may well think
The doubtful sentence of this clause;
'I would it were not as I think;
I would I thought it were not.'

For if I thought it were not so,
Though it were so, it grieved me not;
Unto my thought it were as tho'
I hearkened though I hear not.
At that I see I cannot wink,
Nor from my thought so let it go;
'I would it were not as I think;
I would I thought it were not.'

Lo! how my thought might make me free,

Of that perchance it needs not.
Perchance none doubt the dread I see;
I shrink at that I bear not.

But in my heart this word shall sink,
Until the proof may better be;
'I would it were not as I think;
I would I thought it were not.'

If it be not, shew no cause why
I should so think, then care I not;
For I shall so myself apply

To be that I appear not.

That is, as one that shall not shrink
To be your own until I die;

'And if that be not as I think,

Likewise to think it is not.'

THE RECURED LOVER

EXULTETH IN HIS FREEDOM, AND VOWETH TO REMAIN FREE UNTIL DEATH.

I AM as I am, and so will I be ;

But how that I am, none knoweth truly.
Be it evil, be it well, be I bond, be I free,
I am as I am, and so will I be.
I lead my life indifferently;
I mean nothing but honesty ;
And though folks judge full diversely,
I am as I am, and so will I die.

I do not rejoice, nor yet complain,
Both mirth and sadness I do refrain,

And use the means since folks will feign; Yet I am as I am, be it pleasure or pain.

Divers do judge as they do trow, Some of pleasure and some of woe, Yet for all that nothing they know; But I am as I am, wheresoever I go. But since judgers do thus decay, Let every man his judgment say; I will it take in sport and play, For I am as I am, whosoever say nay. Who judgeth well, well God him send; Who judgeth evil, God them amend; To judge the best therefore intend, For I am as I am, and so will I end.

Yet some there be that take delight To judge folks' thought for envy and spite; But whether they judge me wrong or right. I am as I am, and so do I write.

Praying you all that this do read,
To trust it as you do your creed;
And not to think I change my weed,
For I am as I am, however I speed.

But how that is I leave to you;
Judge as ye list, false or true,
Ye know no more than afore ye knew,
Yet I am as I am, whatever ensue.

And from this mind I will not flee,
But to you all that misjudge me,
I do protest as ye may see

That I am as I am, and so will he.