Forget not yet when first began The weary life ye know, since whan Forget not yet the great assays, Forget not! Oh! forget not this, How long ago hath been, and is The mind that never meant amiss. Forget not then thine own approved, The which so long hath thee so loved, Whose steadfast faith yet never moved: Forget not this! III. HENRY HOWARD, EARL OF SURREY, 1517-1547 COMPLAINT OF THE ABSENCE OF HER LOVER BEING UPON THE SEA. HAPPY dames, that may embrace The fruit of your delight, Help to bewail the woeful case, And eke the heavy plight Of me, that wonted to rejoice The fortune of my pleasant choice: Good ladies, help to fill my mourning voice. In ship, freight with rememberance Of thoughts, and pleasures past, Alas! how oft in dreams I see Those eyes, that were my food, Which sometime so delighted me, That yet they do me good. Wherewith I wake with his return, Whose absent flame did make me burn. But when I find the lack, Lord! how I mourn. When other lovers in arms across, Rejoice their chief delight; And in green waves when the salt flood A thousand fancies in that mood Assail my restless mind. Alas! now drencheth my sweet foe, And when the seas wax calm again, To chase from me annoy, My doubtful hope doth cause me plain: Thus is my wealth mingled with woe, Now he comes, will he come? alas! no, no. IV. RICHARD EDWARDS, 1523-1566. AMANTIUM IRE AMORIS REDINTE GRATIO EST. N going to my naked bed as one that would have slept, IN I heard a wife sing to her child, that long before had wept: She sighed sore and sang full sweet, to bring the babe to rest, That would not cease but cried still, in sucking at her breast. She was full weary of her watch, and grieved with her child, She rocked it and rated it, till that on her it smiled: Then did she say now have I found this proverb true to prove, The falling out of faithful friends, renewing is of love. Then took I paper pen and ink, this proverb for to write, sat. And proved plain, there was no beast, nor creature bearing life, Could well be known to live in love, without discord and strife: Then kissed she her little babe, and sware by God above, The falling out of faithful friends, renewing is of love. She said that neither king nor prince, nor lord could live aright, Until their puissance they did prove their manhood and their might. When manhood shall be matched so, that fear can take no place, Then weary works make warriors each other to embrace, And left their force that failed them, which did consume the rout, That might before have lived their time, and nature out: Then did she sing as one that thought no man could her reprove, The falling out of faithful friends, renewing is of love. She said she saw no fish nor fowl, nor beast within her haunt, That met a stranger in their kind, but could give it a taunt : Since flesh might not endure, but rest must wrath succeed, And force the fight to fall to play, in pasture where they feed, |