WHAT man heard such cruelty before?
That, when my plaint remember'd her my woe,
That caused it, she, cruel more and more,
Wished each stitch, as she did sit and sew,
Had prick'd my heart for to increase my sore:
And, as I think, she thought it had been so:
For as she thought, this is his heart indeed,'
She pricked hard, and made herself to bleed.
THE LOVER THAT FLED LOVE NOW
FOLLOWS IT WITH HIS HARM.
SOMETIME I fled the fire, that me so brent,
By sea, by land, by water, and by wind;
And now the coals I follow that be quent,'
From Dover to Calais, with willing mind.
Lo! how desire is both forth sprung, and spent;
And he may see, that whilom was so blind,
And all his labour laughs he now to scorn,
Mesh'd in the briers, that erst was only torn.
THE LOVER COMPARETH HIS HEART TO THE OVERCHARGED GUN.
THE furious gun in his raging ire,
When that the bowl is rammèd in too sore, And that the flame cannot part from the fire; Cracks in sunder, and in the air do roar The shiver'd pieces. So doth my desire; Whose flame increaseth aye from more to more; Which to let out, I dare not look, nor speak; So inward force my heart doth all-to2 break. 1 'Quent:' quenched.-All-to:' altogether.
HOW BY A KISS HE FOUND BOTH HIS
LIFE AND DEATH.
NATURE, that gave the bee so feat1 a grace
To find honey of so wondrous fashion,
Hath taught the spider out of the same place
To fetch poison by strange alteration;
Though this be strange, it is a stranger case
With one kiss by secret operation
Both these at once in those your lips to find;
In change whereof I leave my heart behind.
TO HIS LOVER TO LOOK UPON HIM. ALL in thy look my life doth whole depend,
Thou hid'st thyself, and I must die therefore; But since thou mayst so easily help thy friend,
Why dost thou stick to salve that thou mad'st sore? Why do I die since thou mayst me defend?
And if I die, thy life may last no more; For each by other doth live and have relief, I in thy look, and thou most in my grief.
OF DISAPPOINTED PURPOSE BY
Or Carthage he that worthy warrior
Could overcome, but could not use his chance;
And I likewise of all my long endeavour
The sharp conquest though Fortune did advance,
Could not it use. The hold that is given over
I unpossess, so hangeth now in balance
Of war my peace, reward of all my pain,
At Mountzon thus I restless rest in Spain.
OF HIS RETURN FROM SPAIN.
TAGUS, farewell! that westward with thy streams
Turns up the grains of gold already tried
For I with spur and sail go seek the Thames,
Gainward the sun that show'th her wealthy pride;
And to the town that Brutus sought by dreams,
Like bended moon, that leans her lusty side;
My King, my Country I seek, for whom I live:
O mighty Jove, the winds for this me give.
WYATT BEING IN PRISON, TO BRYAN.
SIGHS are my food, my drink are my tears;
Clinking of fetters would such music crave;
Stink, and close air away my life it wears;
Poor innocence is all the hope I have:
Rain, wind, or weather judge I by my ears:
Malice assaults, that righteousness should have.
Sure am I, Bryan, this wound shall heal again,
But yet, alas! the scar shall still remain.
OF SUCH AS HAD FORSAKEN HIM.
fair falcon, and thy fellows all;
How well pleasant it were your liberty!
Ye not forsake me, that fair might you fall.
But they that sometime liked my company,
Like lice away from dead bodies they crawl:
Lo, what a proof in light adversity!
But ye, my birds, I swear by all your bells,
Ye be my friends, and so be but few else.
THE LOVER HOPETH OF BETTER CHANCE. II is not dead, that sometime had a fall, The sun returns, that hid was under cloud, And when Fortune had spit out all her gall, I trust good luck to me shall be allowed: For I have seen a ship in haven fall,
After that storm hath broke both mast and shroud; The willow eke, that stoopeth with the wind, Doth rise again, and greater wood doth bind.
THAT PLEASURE IS MIXED WITH EVERY
PAIN.
VENOMOUS thorns that are so sharp and keen,
Sometime bear flowers fair and fresh of hue:
Poison ofttime is put in medicine,
And unto man his health doth oft renew:
The fire that all things eke consumeth clean
May hurt and heal: then if that this be true, I trust sometime my harm may be my health, Since every woe is joined with some wealth.
THE COURTIER'S LIFE.
IN Court to serve, decked with fresh array,
Of sugar'd meats feeling the sweet repast,
The life in banquets and sundry kinds of play,
Amid the press of worldly looks to waste,
Hath with it join'd ofttimes such bitter taste,
That whoso joys such kind of life to hold,
In prison joys, fetter'd with chains of gold.
OF THE MEAN AND SURE ESTATE.
STAND, whoso list, upon the slipper wheel
Of high estate; and let me here rejoice,
And use my life in quietness each dele,1
Unknown in Court that hath the wanton toys:
In hidden place my time shall slowly pass,
And when my years be past withouten noise,
Let me die old after the common trace;
For gripes of death doth he too hardly pass,
That knowen is to all, but to himself, alas,
He dieth unknown, dasèd with dreadful face.
THE LOVER SUSPECTED OF CHANGE
PRAYETH THAT IT BE NOT BELIEVED AGAINST HIM.
ACCUSED though I be without desert;
Sith none can prove, believe it not for true:
For never yet, since that you had my heart,
Intended I to false, or be untrue.
Sooner I would of death sustain the smart,
Than break one word of that I promis'd you;
Accept therefore my service in good part:
None is alive, that can ill tongues eschew;
Hold them as false; and let not us depart
Our friendship old in hope of any new:
Put not thy trust in such as use to feign,
Except thou mind to put thy friend to pain.
1 'Dele:' portion, division.
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