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The Passionate Pilgrim

  1. 1 When my love swears that she is made of truth,
  2. 2 I do believe her, though I know she lies,
  3. 3 That she might think me some untutor’d youth,
  4. 4 Unskilful in the world’s false forgeries.
  5. 5 Thus vainly thinking that she thinks me young,
  6. 6 Although I know my years be past the best,
  7. 7 I smiling credit her false-speaking tongue,
  8. 8 Outfacing faults in love with love’s ill rest.
  9. 9 But wherefore says my love that she is young?
  10. 10 And wherefore say not I that I am old?
  11. 11 O, love’s best habit is a soothing tongue,
  12. 12 And age, in love, loves not to have years told.
  13. 13 Therefore, I’ll lie with love, and love with me,
  14. 14 Since that our faults in love thus smother’d be.
  1. 15 Two loves I have, of comfort and despair,
  2. 16 That like two spirits do suggest me still;
  3. 17 My better angel is a man right fair,
  4. 18 My worser spirit a woman colour’d ill.
  5. 19 To win me soon to hell, my female evil
  6. 20 Tempteth my better angel from my side,
  7. 21 And would corrupt my saint to be a devil,
  8. 22 Wooing his purity with her fair pride.
  9. 23 And whether that my angel be turn’d fiend,
  10. 24 Suspect I may, yet not directly tell;
  11. 25 For being both to me, both to each friend,
  12. 26 I guess one angel in another’s hell:
  13. 27 The truth I shall not know, but live in doubt,
  14. 28 Till my bad angel fire my good one out.
  1. 29 Did not the heavenly rhetoric of thine eye,
  2. 30 ’Gainst whom the world could not hold argument,
  3. 31 Persuade my heart to this false perjury?
  4. 32 Vows for thee broke deserve not punishment.
  5. 33 A woman I forswore; but I will prove,
  6. 34 Thou being a goddess, I forswore not thee:
  7. 35 My vow was earthly, thou a heavenly love;
  8. 36 Thy grace being gain’d cures all disgrace in me.
  9. 37 My vow was breath, and breath a vapour is;
  10. 38 Then, thou fair sun, that on this earth doth shine,
  11. 39 Exhale this vapour vow; in thee it is;
  12. 40 If broken then, it is no fault of mine.
  13. 41 If by me broke, what fool is not so wise
  14. 42 To break an oath, to win a paradise?
  1. 43 Sweet Cytherea, sitting by a brook
  2. 44 With young Adonis, lovely, fresh and green,
  3. 45 Did court the lad with many a lovely look,
  4. 46 Such looks as none could look but beauty’s queen.
  5. 47 She told him stories to delight his ear;
  6. 48 She show’d him favours to allure his eye;
  7. 49 To win his heart, she touch’d him here and there;
  8. 50 Touches so soft still conquer chastity.
  9. 51 But whether unripe years did want conceit,
  10. 52 Or he refus’d to take her figur’d proffer,
  11. 53 The tender nibbler would not touch the bait,
  12. 54 But smile and jest at every gentle offer.
  13. 55 Then fell she on her back, fair queen, and toward:
  14. 56 He rose and ran away; ah, fool too froward!
  1. 57 If love make me forsworn, how shall I swear to love?
  2. 58 O never faith could hold, if not to beauty vowed.
  3. 59 Though to myself forsworn, to thee I’ll constant prove;
  4. 60 Those thoughts, to me like oaks, to thee like osiers bowed.
  5. 61 Study his bias leaves, and makes his book thine eyes,
  6. 62 Where all those pleasures live that art can comprehend.
  7. 63 If knowledge be the mark, to know thee shall suffice;
  8. 64 Well learned is that tongue that well can thee commend,
  9. 65 All ignorant that soul that sees thee without wonder;
  10. 66 Which is to me some praise, that I thy parts admire.
  11. 67 Thine eye Jove’s lightning seems, thy voice his dreadful thunder,
  12. 68 Which, not to anger bent, is music and sweet fire.
  13. 69 Celestial as thou art, O do not love that wrong,
  14. 70 To sing heaven’s praise with such an earthly tongue.
  1. 71 Scarce had the sun dried up the dewy morn,
  2. 72 And scarce the herd gone to the hedge for shade,
  3. 73 When Cytherea, all in love forlorn,
  4. 74 A longing tarriance for Adonis made
  5. 75 Under an osier growing by a brook,
  6. 76 A brook where Adon used to cool his spleen.
  7. 77 Hot was the day; she hotter that did look
  8. 78 For his approach, that often there had been.
  9. 79 Anon he comes, and throws his mantle by,
  10. 80 And stood stark naked on the brook’s green brim:
  11. 81 The sun look’d on the world with glorious eye,
  12. 82 Yet not so wistly as this queen on him.
  13. 83 He, spying her, bounc’d in, whereas he stood,
  14. 84 “O Jove,” quoth she, “why was not I a flood?”
  1. 85 Fair is my love, but not so fair as fickle,
  2. 86 Mild as a dove, but neither true nor trusty,
  3. 87 Brighter than glass, and yet, as glass is, brittle,
  4. 88 Softer than wax, and yet, as iron, rusty:
  5. 89 A lily pale, with damask dye to grace her,
  6. 90 None fairer, nor none falser to deface her.
  1. 91 Her lips to mine how often hath she joined,
  2. 92 Between each kiss her oaths of true love swearing!
  3. 93 How many tales to please me hath she coined,
  4. 94 Dreading my love, the loss thereof still fearing!
  5. 95 Yet in the midst of all her pure protestings,
  6. 96 Her faith, her oaths, her tears, and all were jestings.
  1. 97 She burnt with love, as straw with fire flameth;
  2. 98 She burnt out love, as soon as straw out-burneth;
  3. 99 She fram’d the love, and yet she foil’d the framing;
  4. 100 She bade love last, and yet she fell a-turning.
  5. 101 Was this a lover, or a lecher whether?
  6. 102 Bad in the best, though excellent in neither.
  1. 103 If music and sweet poetry agree,
  2. 104 As they must needs, the sister and the brother,
  3. 105 Then must the love be great ’twixt thee and me,
  4. 106 Because thou lov’st the one and I the other.
  5. 107 Dowland to thee is dear, whose heavenly touch
  6. 108 Upon the lute doth ravish human sense;
  7. 109 Spenser to me, whose deep conceit is such
  8. 110 As passing all conceit, needs no defence.
  9. 111 Thou lov’st to hear the sweet melodious sound
  10. 112 That Phœbus’ lute, the queen of music, makes;
  11. 113 And I in deep delight am chiefly drown’d
  12. 114 Whenas himself to singing he betakes.
  13. 115 One god is god of both, as poets feign;
  14. 116 One knight loves both, and both in thee remain.
  1. 117 Fair was the morn when the fair queen of love,
  2. 118 * * * * * *
  3. 119 Paler for sorrow than her milk-white dove,
  4. 120 For Adon’s sake, a youngster proud and wild;
  5. 121 Her stand she takes upon a steep-up hill;
  6. 122 Anon Adonis comes with horn and hounds;
  7. 123 She, silly queen, with more than love’s good will,
  8. 124 Forbade the boy he should not pass those grounds.
  9. 125 “Once,” quoth she, “did I see a fair sweet youth
  10. 126 Here in these brakes deep-wounded with a boar,
  11. 127 Deep in the thigh, a spectacle of ruth!
  12. 128 See in my thigh,” quoth she, “here was the sore.”
  13. 129 She showed hers: he saw more wounds than one,
  14. 130 And blushing fled, and left her all alone.
  1. 131 Sweet rose, fair flower, untimely pluck’d, soon vaded,
  2. 132 Pluck’d in the bud and vaded in the spring!
  3. 133 Bright orient pearl, alack, too timely shaded!
  4. 134 Fair creature, kill’d too soon by death’s sharp sting!
  5. 135 Like a green plum that hangs upon a tree,
  6. 136 And falls, through wind, before the fall should be.
  1. 137 I weep for thee, and yet no cause I have;
  2. 138 For why thou left’st me nothing in thy will;
  3. 139 And yet thou left’st me more than I did crave;
  4. 140 For why I craved nothing of thee still.
  5. 141 O yes, dear friend, I pardon crave of thee,
  6. 142 Thy discontent thou didst bequeath to me.
  1. 143 Venus, with young Adonis sitting by her
  2. 144 Under a myrtle shade, began to woo him;
  3. 145 She told the youngling how god Mars did try her,
  4. 146 And as he fell to her, she fell to him.
  5. 147 “Even thus,” quoth she, “the warlike god embrac’d me,”
  6. 148 And then she clipp’d Adonis in her arms;
  7. 149 “Even thus,” quoth she, “the warlike god unlaced me;”
  8. 150 As if the boy should use like loving charms;
  9. 151 “Even thus,” quoth she, “he seized on my lips,”
  10. 152 And with her lips on his did act the seizure;
  11. 153 And as she fetched breath, away he skips,
  12. 154 And would not take her meaning nor her pleasure.
  13. 155 Ah, that I had my lady at this bay,
  14. 156 To kiss and clip me till I run away!
  1. 157 Crabbed age and youth cannot live together:
  2. 158 Youth is full of pleasance, age is full of care;
  3. 159 Youth like summer morn, age like winter weather;
  4. 160 Youth like summer brave, age like winter bare.
  5. 161 Youth is full of sport, age’s breath is short;
  6. 162 Youth is nimble, age is lame;
  7. 163 Youth is hot and bold, age is weak and cold;
  8. 164 Youth is wild, and age is tame.
  9. 165 Age, I do abhor thee; youth, I do adore thee;
  10. 166 O, my love, my love is young!
  11. 167 Age, I do defy thee. O, sweet shepherd, hie thee,
  12. 168 For methinks thou stay’st too long.
  1. 169 Beauty is but a vain and doubtful good,
  2. 170 A shining gloss that vadeth suddenly;
  3. 171 A flower that dies when first it ’gins to bud;
  4. 172 A brittle glass that’s broken presently:
  5. 173 A doubtful good, a gloss, a glass, a flower,
  6. 174 Lost, vaded, broken, dead within an hour.
  1. 175 And as goods lost are seld or never found,
  2. 176 As vaded gloss no rubbing will refresh,
  3. 177 As flowers dead lie wither’d on the ground,
  4. 178 As broken glass no cement can redress,
  5. 179 So beauty blemish’d once, for ever’s lost,
  6. 180 In spite of physic, painting, pain and cost.
  1. 181 Good night, good rest. Ah, neither be my share:
  2. 182 She bade good night that kept my rest away;
  3. 183 And daff’d me to a cabin hang’d with care,
  4. 184 To descant on the doubts of my decay.
  5. 185 “Farewell,” quoth she, “and come again tomorrow:”
  6. 186 Fare well I could not, for I supp’d with sorrow.
  1. 187 Yet at my parting sweetly did she smile,
  2. 188 In scorn or friendship, nill I conster whether:
  3. 189 ’T may be, she joy’d to jest at my exile,
  4. 190 ’T may be, again to make me wander thither:
  5. 191 “Wander,” a word for shadows like myself,
  6. 192 As take the pain, but cannot pluck the pelf.
  1. 193 Lord, how mine eyes throw gazes to the east!
  2. 194 My heart doth charge the watch; the morning rise
  3. 195 Doth cite each moving sense from idle rest.
  4. 196 Not daring trust the office of mine eyes,
  5. 197 While Philomela sits and sings, I sit and mark,
  6. 198 And wish her lays were tuned like the lark.
  1. 199 For she doth welcome daylight with her ditty,
  2. 200 And drives away dark dreaming night.
  3. 201 The night so pack’d, I post unto my pretty;
  4. 202 Heart hath his hope and eyes their wished sight;
  5. 203 Sorrow chang’d to solace, solace mix’d with sorrow;
  6. 204 For why, she sigh’d, and bade me come tomorrow.
  1. 205 Were I with her, the night would post too soon;
  2. 206 But now are minutes added to the hours;
  3. 207 To spite me now, each minute seems a moon;
  4. 208 Yet not for me, shine sun to succour flowers!
  5. 209 Pack night, peep day; good day, of night now borrow:
  6. 210 Short, night, tonight, and length thyself tomorrow.
  1. 211 It was a lording’s daughter, the fairest one of three,
  2. 212 That liked of her master as well as well might be,
  3. 213 Till looking on an Englishman, the fairest that eye could see,
  4. 214 Her fancy fell a-turning.
  5. 215 Long was the combat doubtful, that love with love did fight,
  6. 216 To leave the master loveless, or kill the gallant knight;
  7. 217 To put in practice either, alas, it was a spite
  8. 218 Unto the silly damsel!
  9. 219 But one must be refused; more mickle was the pain,
  10. 220 That nothing could be used to turn them both to gain,
  11. 221 For of the two the trusty knight was wounded with disdain:
  12. 222 Alas she could not help it!
  13. 223 Thus art with arms contending was victor of the day,
  14. 224 Which by a gift of learning did bear the maid away:
  15. 225 Then lullaby, the learned man hath got the lady gay;
  16. 226 For now my song is ended.
  1. 227 On a day, alack the day!
  2. 228 Love, whose month was ever May,
  3. 229 Spied a blossom passing fair,
  4. 230 Playing in the wanton air.
  5. 231 Through the velvet leaves the wind
  6. 232 All unseen ’gan passage find,
  7. 233 That the lover, sick to death,
  8. 234 Wish’d himself the heaven’s breath:
  9. 235 “Air,” quoth he, “thy cheeks may blow;
  10. 236 Air, would I might triumph so!
  11. 237 But, alas, my hand hath sworn
  12. 238 Ne’er to pluck thee from thy thorn:
  13. 239 Vow, alack, for youth unmeet,
  14. 240 Youth, so apt to pluck a sweet!
  15. 241 Thou for whom Jove would swear
  16. 242 Juno but an Ethiope were,
  17. 243 And deny himself for Jove,
  18. 244 Turning mortal for thy love.”
  1. 245 My flocks feed not, my ewes breed not,
  2. 246 My rams speed not, all is amis:
  3. 247 Love is dying, faith’s defying,
  4. 248 Heart’s denying, causer of this.
  5. 249 All my merry jigs are quite forgot,
  6. 250 All my lady’s love is lost, God wot:
  7. 251 Where her faith was firmely fix’d in love,
  8. 252 There a nay is plac’d without remove.
  9. 253 One silly cross wrought all my loss;
  10. 254 O frowning fortune, cursed fickle dame!
  11. 255 For now I see inconstancy
  12. 256 More in women than in men remain.
  1. 257 In black mourn I, all fears scorn I,
  2. 258 Love hath forlorn me, living in thrall.
  3. 259 Heart is bleeding, all help needing,
  4. 260 O cruel speeding, fraughted with gall.
  5. 261 My shepherd’s pipe can sound no deal.
  6. 262 My weather’s bell rings doleful knell;
  7. 263 My curtal dog that wont to have play’d,
  8. 264 Plays not at all, but seems afraid.
  9. 265 With sighs so deep procures to weep,
  10. 266 In howling wise, to see my doleful plight.
  11. 267 How sighs resound through heartless ground,
  12. 268 Like a thousand vanquish’d men in bloody fight!
  1. 269 Clear wells spring not, sweet birds sing not,
  2. 270 Green plants bring not forth their dye;
  3. 271 Herds stands weeping, flocks all sleeping,
  4. 272 Nymphs black peeping fearfully.
  5. 273 All our pleasure known to us poor swains,
  6. 274 All our merry meetings on the plains,
  7. 275 All our evening sport from us is fled,
  8. 276 All our love is lost, for love is dead.
  9. 277 Farewel, sweet love, thy like ne’er was
  10. 278 For a sweet content, the cause of all my woe!
  11. 279 Poor Corydon must live alone;
  12. 280 Other help for him I see that there is none.
  1. 281 Whenas thine eye hath chose the dame,
  2. 282 And stall’d the deer that thou shouldst strike,
  3. 283 Let reason rule things worthy blame,
  4. 284 As well as fancy, partial might;
  5. 285 Take counsel of some wiser head,
  6. 286 Neither too young nor yet unwed.
  1. 287 And when thou com’st thy tale to tell,
  2. 288 Smooth not thy tongue with filed talk,
  3. 289 Least she some subtle practice smell,—
  4. 290 A cripple soon can find a halt,—
  5. 291 But plainly say thou lov’st her well,
  6. 292 And set her person forth to sale.
  1. 293 What though her frowning brows be bent,
  2. 294 Her cloudy looks will calm ere night,
  3. 295 And then too late she will repent,
  4. 296 That thus dissembled her delight;
  5. 297 And twice desire, ere it be day,
  6. 298 That which with scorn she put away.
  1. 299 What though she strive to try her strength,
  2. 300 And ban and brawl, and say thee nay,
  3. 301 Her feeble force will yield at length,
  4. 302 When craft hath taught her thus to say:
  5. 303 “Had women been so strong as men,
  6. 304 In faith, you had not had it then.”
  1. 305 And to her will frame all thy ways;
  2. 306 Spare not to spend, and chiefly there
  3. 307 Where thy desert may merit praise,
  4. 308 By ringing in thy lady’s ear:
  5. 309 The strongest castle, tower and town,
  6. 310 The golden bullet beats it down.
  1. 311 Serve always with assured trust,
  2. 312 And in thy suit be humble true;
  3. 313 Unless thy lady prove unjust,
  4. 314 Press never thou to choose a new:
  5. 315 When time shall serve, be thou not slack,
  6. 316 To proffer, though she put thee back.
  1. 317 The wiles and guiles that women work,
  2. 318 Dissembled with an outward show,
  3. 319 The tricks and toys that in them lurk,
  4. 320 The cock that treads them shall not know,
  5. 321 Have you not heard it said full oft,
  6. 322 A woman’s nay doth stand for nought.
  1. 323 Think women still to strive with men,
  2. 324 To sin and never for to saint:
  3. 325 There is no heaven, by holy then,
  4. 326 When time with age shall them attaint,
  5. 327 Were kisses all the joys in bed,
  6. 328 One woman would another wed.
  1. 329 But soft, enough,—too much,—I fear
  2. 330 Lest that my mistress hear my song:
  3. 331 She will not stick to round me on th’ ear,
  4. 332 To teach my tongue to be so long.
  5. 333 Yet will she blush, here be it said,
  6. 334 To hear her secrets so bewray’d.
  1. 335 Live with me and be my love,
  2. 336 And we will all the pleasures prove
  3. 337 That hills and valleys, dales and fields,
  4. 338 And all the craggy mountains yield.
  1. 339 There will we sit upon the rocks,
  2. 340 And see the shepherds feed their flocks,
  3. 341 By shallow rivers, by whose falls
  4. 342 Melodious birds sing madrigals.
  1. 343 There will I make thee a bed of roses,
  2. 344 With a thousand fragrant posies,
  3. 345 A cap of flowers, and a kirtle
  4. 346 Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle.
  1. 347 A belt of straw and ivy buds,
  2. 348 With coral clasps and amber studs;
  3. 349 And if these pleasures may thee move,
  4. 350 Then live with me and be my love.
  1. 351 Love’s Answer.
  1. 352 If that the world and love were young,
  2. 353 And truth in every shepherd’s tongue,
  3. 354 These pretty pleasures might me move
  4. 355 To live with thee and be thy love.
  1. 356 As it fell upon a day
  2. 357 In the merry month of May,
  3. 358 Sitting in a pleasant shade
  4. 359 Which a grove of myrtles made,
  5. 360 Beasts did leap and birds did sing,
  6. 361 Trees did grow and plants did spring;
  7. 362 Everything did banish moan,
  8. 363 Save the nightingale alone:
  9. 364 She, poor bird, as all forlorn,
  10. 365 Lean’d her breast up-till a thorn,
  11. 366 And there sung the dolefull’st ditty,
  12. 367 That to hear it was great pitty.
  13. 368 “Fie, fie, fie,” now would she cry,
  14. 369 “Tereu, Tereu,” by and by;
  1. 370 That to hear her so complain,
  2. 371 Scarce I could from tears refrain,
  3. 372 For her griefs so lively shown
  4. 373 Made me think upon mine own.
  5. 374 Ah, thought I, thou mourn’st in vain!
  6. 375 None takes pitty on thy pain.
  7. 376 Senseless trees they cannot hear thee,
  8. 377 Ruthless bears they will not cheer thee;
  9. 378 King Pandion he is dead,
  10. 379 All thy friends are lapp’d in lead,
  11. 380 All thy fellow birds do sing,
  12. 381 Careless of thy sorrowing.
  1. 382 Whilst as fickle fortune smiled,
  2. 383 Thou and I were both beguiled.
  3. 384 Every one that flatters thee
  4. 385 Is no friend in misery.
  5. 386 Words are easy, like the wind;
  6. 387 Faithful friends are hard to find.
  7. 388 Every man will be thy friend
  8. 389 Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend;
  9. 390 But if store of crowns be scant,
  10. 391 No man will supply thy want.
  11. 392 If that one be prodigal,
  12. 393 Bountiful they will him call,
  13. 394 And with such-like flattering,
  14. 395 “Pity but he were a king.”
  1. 396 If he be addict to vice,
  2. 397 Quickly him they will entice;
  3. 398 If to women he be bent,
  4. 399 They have at commandement.
  5. 400 But if Fortune once do frown,
  6. 401 Then farewell his great renown.
  7. 402 They that fawn’d on him before,
  8. 403 Use his company no more.
  9. 404 He that is thy friend indeed,
  10. 405 He will help thee in thy need:
  11. 406 If thou sorrow, he will weep;
  12. 407 If thou wake, he cannot sleep.
  13. 408 Thus of every grief in heart
  14. 409 He with thee doth bear a part.
  15. 410 These are certain signs to know
  16. 411 Faithful friend from flatt’ring foe.