full Sir Robart Need ham Knight. gentle Muse for her former perfection long wished for in Englande, nowe at the length crossing the Seas in your happy companye, (though to your selfe vnknowne) seemeth to make choyse of you, as meetest to giue her deserued countenaunce, after her retourne: Ir, to gratulate your safe return from Ireland, I had nothing so readie, nor thought any thing so meete, as these sweete conceited Sonets, the deede of that wel deseruing gentleman, maister Edmond Spenser: whose name sufficiently warranting the worthinesse of the work: I do more confidently pre-entertaine her, then, (Right worshipfull) in sume to publish it in his absence, vnder your name to whom (in my poore opinion) the patronage therof, doth in some respectes properly appertaine. For, besides your iudgement and delighte in learned poesie: This G: W. senior, to the Author and weaker sights may wander soone astray: with steddy steps they keepe the perfect way: So while this Muse in forraine landes doth stay, inuention weepes, and pens are cast aside, the time like night, depriud of chearefull day, and few do write, but (ah) too soone may slide. Then, hie thee home, that art our perfect guide, and with thy wit illustrate Englands fame, dawnting thereby our neighbors auncient pride, that do for poesie, challendge cheefest name. So we that liue and ages that succeede. With great applause thy learned works shall reede. Ah Colin, whether on the lowly plaine, pyping to shepherds thy sweete roundelaies: or whether singing in some lofty vaine, heroick deedes, of past, or present daies. Or whether in thy louely mistris praise, thou list to exercise thy learned quill, thy muse hath got such grace, and power to please, with rare inuention bewtified by skill. As who therein can euer ioy their fill! O therefore let that happy muse proceede to clime the height of vertues sacred hill, where endles honor shall be made thy meede. Because no malice of succeeding daies, can rase those records of thy lasting praise. G.W.I. sorte best beseeming your gentle minde, and her merite, and take in worth my good will herein, who seeke no more, but to shew my selfe yours in all dutifull affection. SONNET. W. P. Happy ye leaues when as those lilly hands, which hold my life in their dead doing might, shall handle you and hold in loues soft bands, lyke captiues trembling at the victors sight.[ And happy lines, on which with starry light, those lamping eyes will deigne sometimes to look and reade the sorrowes of my dying spright,[2 written with teares in harts close bleeding book. And happy rymes bath'd in the sacred brooke, of Helicon whence she deriued is, when ye behold that Angels blessed looke," Leaues, lines, and rymes, seeke her to please my soules long lacked foode, my heauens blis. alone, whom if ye please, I care for other none. V SONNET. II. Nquiet thought, whom at the first I bred, A Of th❜inward bale of my loue pined hart: and sithens haue with sighes and sorrowesfed, & till greater then my wombe thou woxen art. Breake forth at length out of the inner part, in which thou lurkest lyke to vipers brood: and seeke some succour both to ease my smart and also to sustayne thy selfe with food. But if in presence of that fayrest proud thou chance to come, fall lowly at her feet: and with meeke humblesse and afflicted mood, pardon for thee, and grace for me intreat. Which if she graunt, then liue, and my loue cherish, if not, die soone, and I with thee will perish. SONNET. III. SONNET. VI. The souerayne beauty which I doo admyre, BE nought dismay that her vnmoued mind witnesse the world how worthy to be, prayzed: the light wherof hath kindled heauenly fyre, in my fraile spirit by her from basenesse raysed. That being now with her huge brightnesse dazed, base thing I can no more endure to view : but looking still on her I stand amazed, at wondrous sight of so celestiall hew. So when my toung would speak her praises dew, it stopped is with thoughts astonishment: and when my pen would write her titles true, it rauisht is with fancies wonderment: Yet in my hart I then both speake and write the wonder that my wit cannot endite. SONNET. IIII. Ew yeare forth looking out of Ianus gate, and bidding th'old Adieu, his passed date bids all old thoughts to die in dumpish spright. And calling forth out of sad Winters night, fresh loue, that long hath slept in cheerlesse bower: wils him awake, and soone about him dight his wanton wings and darts of deadly power. For lusty spring now in his timely howre, is ready to come forth him to receiue: and warnes the Earth with diuers colord flowre, to decke hir selfe, and her faire mantle weaue. Then you faire flowre, in whom fresh youth doth raine, prepare your selfe new loue to entertaine. SONNET. V. doth still persist in her rebellious pride: such loue not lyke to lusts of baser kynd, the harder wonne, the firmer will abide. The durefull Oake, whose sap is not yet dride, is long ere it conceiue the kindling fyre: but when it once doth burne, it doth diuide, great heat, and makes his flames to heauen aspire. So hard it is to kindle new desire, in gentle brest that shall endure for euer : deepe is the wound, that dints the parts entire with chast affects, that naught but death can seuer. Then thinke not long in taking litle paine, to knit the knot, that euer shall remaine. SONNET. VII. Ayre eyes, the myrrour of my mazed hart, what wondrous vertue is contaynd in you, the which both lyfe and death forth from you dart into the obiect of your mighty view? For when ye mildly looke with louely hew, then is my soule with life and loue inspired but when ye lowre, or looke on me askew, But since that lyfe is more then death desyred, then doe I die, as one with lightning fyred.. looke euer louely, as becomes you best, that your bright beams of my weak eies admyred, may kindle liuing fire within my brest. Such life should be the honor of your light, such death the sad ensample of your might. SONNET. VIII. RVdely thou wrongest my deare harts desire, More then most faire, full of the liuing fire, In finding fault with her too portly pride: the thing which I doo most in her admire, is of the world vnworthy most enuide. For in those lofty lookes is close implide, scorn of base things, and sdeigne of foule dishonor: thretning rash eies which gaze on her so wide, that loosely they ne dare to looke vpon her. Such pride is praise, such portlinesse is honor,| that boldned innocence beares in hir eies : and her faire countenance like a goodly banner, spreds in defiaunce of all enemies. Was neuer in this world ought worthy tride, without some spark of such self-pleasing pride. Kindled aboue vnto the maker neere: no eies but ioyes, in which al powers conspire, that to the world naught else be counted deare. Thrugh your bright beames doth not the blinded guest, shoot out his darts to base affections wound: but Angels come to lead fraile mindes to rest in chast desires on heauenly beauty bound. You frame my thoughts and fashion me within, you stop my toung, and teach my hart to speake, you calme the storme that passion did begin, strong thrugh your cause, but by your vertue weak. Dark is the world, where your light shined neuer ; well is he borne, that may behold you euer. nor vnto glasse: such basenesse mought offend her; Then to the Maker selfe they likest be, whose light doth lighten all that here we see. SONNET. X. VA Nrighteous Lord of loue, what law is this, That me thou makest thus tormented be: the whiles she lordeth in licentious blisse of her freewill, scorning both thee and me. See how the Tyrannesse doth ioy to see the huge massacres which her eyes do make: and humbled harts brings captiues vnto thee, that thou of them mayst mightie vengeance take. But her proud hart doe thou a little shake and that high look, with which she doth comptroll all this worlds pride, bow to a baser make, and al her faults in thy black booke enroll. That I may laugh at her in equall sort, (as she doth laugh at me and makes my pain her sport. DAyly when SONNET. XI. I do seeke and sew for peace, And hostages doe offer for my truth: she cruell warriour doth her selfe addresse to battell, and the weary war renew'th. Ne wilbe moou'd with reason or with rewth, to graunt small respit to my restlesse toile : but greedily her fell intent poursewth, Of my poore life to make vnpittied spoile. Yet my poore life, all sorrowes to assoyle, I would her yield, her wrath to pacify: but then she seekes with torment and turmoyle, to force me liue, and will not let me dy. All paine hath end and euery war hath peace, but mine no price nor prayer may surcease. Rinto the siege by you abandon'd quite, Etourne agayne my forces late dismayd, great shame it is to leaue like one afrayd, so fayre a peece for one repulse so light. Gaynst such strong castles needeth greater might, then those small forts which ye were wont belay : such haughty mynds enur'd to hardy fight, disdayne to yield vnto the first assay. Bring therefore all the forces that ye may, and lay incessant battery to her heart, playnts, prayers, vowes, ruth, sorrow, and dismay, those engins can the proudest loue conuert. And if those fayle, fall downe and dy before her, so dying liue, and liuing do adore her. DONNE Y toyle, SONNET. XV. E tradefull Merchants, that with weary do seeke most pretious things to make your gain; and both the Indias of their treasures spoile, what needeth you to seeke so farre in vaine? For loe my loue doth in her selfe containe all this worlds riches that may farre be found, if Saphyres, loe her eies be Saphyres plaine, if Rubies, loe hir lips be Rubies sound: If Pearles, hir teeth be pearles both pure and round; if Yuorie, her forhead yuory weene; if Gold, her locks are finest gold on ground; if siluer, her faire hands are siluer sheene. But that which fairest is, but few behold, her mind adornd with vertues manifold. ON SONNET. XVI. Ne day as I vnwarily did gaze the whiles my stonisht hart stood in amaze, through sweet illusion of her lookes delight. I mote perceiue how in her glauncing sight,. legions of loues with little wings did fly: darting their deadly arrowes fyry bright, at euery rash beholder passing by. One of those archers closely I did spy, ayming his arrow at my very hart: when suddenly with twincle of her eye, the Damzell broke his misintended dart. Had she not so doon, sure I had bene slayne, yet as it was, I hardly scap't with paine. TH SONNET. XVII. He glorious pourtraict of that Angels face, Made to amaze weake mens confused skil: and this worlds worthlesse glory to embase, what pen, what pencill can expresse her fill? For though he colours could deuize at will, and eke his learned hand at pleasure guide, least trembling it his workmanship should spill, yet many wondrous things there are beside. The sweet eye-glaunces, that like arrowes glide, the charming smiles, that rob sence from the hart: the louely pleasance and the lofty pride, cannot expressed be by any art. A greater craftesmans hand thereto doth neede, that can expresse the life of things indeed. TH SONNET. XIX. He merry Cuckow, messenger of Spring, His trompet shrill hath thrise already sounded: that warnes al louers wayt vpon their king, who now is comming forth with girland crouned. With noyse whereof the quyre of Byrds re· sounded their anthemes sweet devized of loues prayse, that all the woods theyr ecchoes back rebounded, as if they knew the meaning of their layes. But mongst them all, which did Loues honor rayse no word was heard of her that most it ought, but she his precept proudly disobayes, and doth his ydle message set at nought. Therefore O loue, vnlesse she turne to thee ere Cuckow end, let her a rebell be. SONNET. XX. IN vaine I seeke and sew to her for grace, and doe myne humbled hart before her poure: the whiles her foot she in my necke doth place, and tread my life downe in the lowly floure. And yet the Lyon that is Lord of power, and reigneth ouer euery beast in field, in his most pride disdeigneth to deuoure the silly lambe that to his might doth yield. But she more cruell and more saluage wylde, then either Lyon or the Lyonesse : shames not to be with guiltlesse bloud defylde, but taketh glory in her cruelnesse. Fayrer then fayrest, let none euer say, that ye were blooded in a yeelded pray |