By chance asign'd thus do I servo,
And other have that I deserve.

2 Unto myself sometime alone
I do lament my woful case;
But what availeth me to moan?

Since truth and pity hath no place
In them, to whom I sue and serve,
And other have that I deserve.

3 To seek by mean to change this mind,
Alas! I prove, it will not be;

For in my heart I cannot find
Once to refrain, but still agree,
As bound by force, alway to serve,
And other have that I deserve.

4 Such is the fortune that I have,

To love them most that love me least;
And to my pain to seek, and crave
The thing that other have possess❜d:
So thus in vain alway I serve,
And other have that I deserve.

5 And till I may appease the heat,
If that my hap will hap so well,
To wail my woe my heart shall frete,

Whose pensive pain my tongue can tell;
Yet thus unhappy must I serve,

And other have that I deserve.

WHETHER LIBERTY BY LOSS OF LIFE

OR LIFE IN PRISON AND THRALDOM BE TO BE PREFERRED.

1 LIKE as the bird within the cage inclosed,

The door unsparr'd, her foe the hawk without, 'Twixt death and prison piteously oppressed, Whether for to choose standeth in doubt; Lo! so do I, which seek to bring about, Which should be best by determination, By loss of life, liberty; or life by prison.

2 O mischief, by mischief to be redressed!

Where pain is best, there lieth but little pleasure, By short death better to be delivered,

Than bide in painful life, thraldom, and dolour: Small is the pleasure, where much pain we suffer; Rather therefore to choose methinketh wisdom, By loss of life liberty, than life by prison.

3 And yet methinks, although I live and suffer,
I do but wait on time and fortune's chance;
Oft many things do happen in one hour;

That which oppress'd me now may me advance.
In time is trust, which by death's grievance

Is wholly lost. Then were it not reason
By death to choose liberty, and not life by prison.

4 But death were deliverance, where life lengths pain, Of these two ills let see now choose the lest,

This bird to deliver that here doth plain:

What say ye, lovers? which shall be the best? In cage thraldom, or by the hawk oppress'd: And which to choose make plain conclusion, By loss of life liberty, or life by prison?

HE RULETH NOT THOUGH HE REIGN

OVER REALMS,

THAT IS SUBJECT TO HIS OWN LUSTS.

1 IF thou wilt mighty be, flee from the rage

Of cruel will; and see thou keep thee free From the foul yoke of sensual bondage:

For though thine empire stretch to Indian sea,
And for thy fear trembleth the farthest Thulè,
If thy desire have over thee the power,
Subject then art thou, and no governor.

2 If to be noble and high thy mind be moved,
Consider well thy ground and thy beginning;
For he that hath each star in heaven fixed,
And gives the moon her horns, and her eclipsing,
Alike hath made thee noble in his working;
So that wretched no way may thou be,
Except foul lust and vice do conquer thee.

3 All' were it so thou had a flood of gold
Unto thy thirst, yet should it not suffice;
And though with Indian stones, a thousand fold
More precious than can thyself devise,
Ycharged were thy back; thy covetise,

And busy biting yet should never let
Thy wretched life, ne do thy death profet.
1'All:' although.

THE FAITHFUL LOVER GIVETH TO HIS MISTRESS HIS HEART,

AS HIS BEST AND ONLY TREASURE.

1 To seek each where where man doth live, The sea, the land, the rock, the clive,

France, Spain, and Inde, and every where;
Is none a greater gift to give,

Less set by oft, and is so lief and dear,
Dare I well say, than that I give to year.1

2 I cannot give broaches nor rings,
These goldsmith work, and goodly things,
Pierrie, 2 nor pearl, orient and clear;
But for all that can no man bring

Lieffer jewel unto his lady dear,
Dare I well say, than that I give to year.

3 Nor I seek not to fetch it far;
Worse is it not though it be narr;

And as it is, it doth appear
Uncounterfeit mistrust to bar.

It is both whole, and pure, withouten peer,
Dare I well say, the gift I give to year.

4 To thee therefore the same retain;
The like of thee to have again

France would I give, if mine it were.
Is none alive in whom doth reign

Lesser disdain; freely therefore lo! here
Dare I well give, I say, my heart to year.

1 'To year:' this year.-2 Pierrie:' precious stones.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE SORROW OF TRUE LOVERS' PARTING.

1 THERE was never nothing more me pain'd, Nor more my pity mov'd,

As when my sweatheart her complain'd
That ever she me lov'd.

Alas! the while!

2 With piteous look she said, and sight,1
'Alas! what aileth me?

To love, and set my wealth so light,
On him that loveth not me;

Alas! the while!

3 Was I not well void of all pain,
When that nothing me griev'd?

And now with sorrows I must complain,
And cannot be reliev'd,

Alas! the while!

4 My restful nights, and joyful days, Since I began to love

Be take from me; all thing decays,

Yet can I not remove,

Alas! the while!'

5 She wept and wrung her hands withal,
The tears fell in my neck:

She turn'd her face, and let it fall;
And scarce therewith could speak:
Alas! the while!

6 Her pains tormented me so sore That comfort had I none;

1Sight:' sighed.