SHAKESPEARES

But ryfing at thy name doth point out thee,
As his triumphant prize,proud of this pride,
He is contented thy poore drudge to be
To stand in thy affaires,fall by thy fide.
No want of confience hold it that I call,
Her loue, for whose deare loue I rife and fall,

152
I Nlouing thee thou know'ft I am forsworne,
But thou art twice forsworne to me loue swearing,
In aft thy bed-vow broake and new faith torne,
In vowing new hate after new loue bearing:
But why of two othes breach doe I accuse thee,
When I breake twenty: I am periur'd moft,
For all my vowes are othes but to misufe thee:
And all my honeft faith in thee is loft.
For I haue sworne deepe othes of thy deepe kindneſſe:
Othes of thy loue,thy truth,thy conſtancie,
And to inflighten thee gaue eyes to blindneſſe,
Or made them ſwere againſt the thing they ſee.
For I haue sworne thee faire:more periurde eye,
To ſwere againſt the truth ſo foule a lie.

153
Cupid laid by his brand and fell a sleepe,
A made of Dyans this aduantage found,
And his loue-kundling fire did quickly sleepe
In a could vallie-fountaine of that ground:
Which borrowd from this holie fire of loue,
A dateleſſe liuely heat ſtill to indure,
And grew a feething bath which yet men proue,
Againſt ſtrang malladies a foueraigne cure:
But at my miſtres eie loues brand new ſired,
The boy for triall needes would touch my breſt,
I ſick withall the helpe of bath deſired,
And thether hied a ſad diſtemperd gueſt.
But found no cure, the bath for my helpe lies,
Where Cupid got new fire;my miſtres eye.

SONNETS.

154
The little Loue-God lying once a sleepe,
Laid by his fide his heart inflaming brand,
Whilſt many Nymphes that you'd chaſt life to keep,
Came tripping by, but in her maiden hand,
The fayreſt votary tooke vp that fire,
Which many Legions of true hearts had warm'd,
And ſo the Generall of hot deſire,
Was sleeping by a Virgin hand diſarm'd.
This brand ſhe quenched in a coole Well by,
Which from loues fire tooke heat perpetuall,
Growing a bath and healthfull remedy,
For men diſeaſd, but I my Miſtriffc thrall,
Came there for cure and this by that I proue,
Loues fire heates water, water cooles not loue.

FINIS.

K

A

A Louers complaint.

BY

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.

FROM off a hill whose concave wombe reworded,
A plaintfull story from a fistring vale
My spirrits t'attend this doble voyce accorded,
And downe I laid to lift the sad tun'd tale,
Ere long espied a fickle maid full pale
Tearing of papers breaking rings a twaine,
Storming her world with forrowes, wind and raine.

Vpon her head a plattid hiue of straw,
Which fortified her visage from the Sunne,
Whereon the thought might thinke sometime it saw
The carkas of a beauty spent and donne,
Time had not fithed all that youth begun,
Nor youth all quit, but spight of heauens fell rage,
Some beauty peopt, through lettuce of fear'd age.

Oft did she heaue her Napkin to her eyne,
Which on it had conceited charactors:
Laundring the filken figures in the brine,
That seaſoned woe had pelleted in teares,
And often reading what contents it beares:
As often flriking vndiftinguicht wo,
In clamours of all ſize both high and low,

Some-times her leueld eye's their carriage ride,
As they did battry to the spheres intend:
Sometime diuerted their poore balls are tide,
To th'orbed earth; sometimes they do extend,
Their view right on, anon their gates lend,

To

COMPLAINT

To every place at once and no where fixt,
The mind and fight diftractedly commixt.

Her haire nor loose nor ti'd in formall plat,
Proclaimd in her a careleſſe hand of pride;
For some vntuck'd defcended her ſheu'd hat,
Hanging her pale and pined cheeke beſide,
Some in her threeden fillet ſtill did bide,
And trew to bondage would not breake from thence,
Though ſlackly braided in loose negligence.

A thousand ſauours from a maund ſhe drew,
Of amber chriftall and of bedded Iet,
Which one by one ſhe in a riuer threw,
Vpon whose weeping margent ſhe was ſet,
Like very applying wet to wet,
Or Monarches hands that lets not bounty fall,
Where want cries ſome; but where exceſſe begs all.

Offolded ſchedulls had ſhe many a one,
Which ſhe perſd, ſigh'd, tore and gaue the fluid,
Crackt many a ring of Poſed gold and bone,
Bidding them find their Sepulchers in mud,
Found yet mo letters ſadly pend in blood,
With fleided filke, ſeate and affectedly
Enſwath'd and ſcald to curious ſecrecy.

These often bath'd ſhe in her fluxiue eies,
And often kift, and often gaue to teare,
Cried O falſe blood thou regifter of lies,
What vnapproued witnes dooſt thou beare!
Inke would haue ſeem'd more blacke and damned heart!
This ſaid in top of rage the lines ſhe rents,
Big discontent, ſo breaking their contents.

Arcuerend man that graz'd his cattell ny,

K 2

Some

ALOVERS

Sometime a blusterer that the ruffle knew
Of Court of Cittie,and had let go by
The swiftest hours obserued as they flew,
Towards this afflicted fancy faftly drew;
And priuileged'd by age defires to know
In breefe the grounds and motiues of her wo.

So slides he downe vppon his greyned bat;
And comely distant fits he by her fide,
When hee againe defires her,being fatte,
Her greeuance with his hearing to deuide;
If that from him there may be ought applied
Which may her suffering extraſie affwage
Tis promiſt in the charitie of age.

Father ſhe faſes,though in mee you behold
The iniury of many a blaſting houre;
Let it not tell your Iudgement I am old,
Not age,but ſorrow,ouer me hath powers;
I might as yet haue bene a ſpreading flower
Freſh to my ſelfe, if I had ſelfe applied
Loue to my ſelfe, and to no Loue befide.

But wo is mee,too early I attended
A youthfull ſuit it was to gaine my grace;
O one by natures outwards ſo commended,
That maidens eyes ſtucke ouer all his face,
Loue lackt a dwelling and made him her place.
And when in his faire parts ſhee didde abide,
Shee was new lodg'd and newly Deified.

His browny locks did hang in crooked curles,
And euery light occafion of the wind
Vpon his lippes their ſilken parcels hurles,
What's sweet to do,to do wil aptly find,
Each eye that ſaw him did inchaunt the minde:

For

COMPLAINT.

For on his viſage was in little drawne,
What largeneſſe thinkes in parradife was ſawne.

Smaſ ſhew of man was yet vpon his chinne,
His phenix downe began but to appeare
Like vnſhorne veluet,on that termleſſe skin
Whofe bare out-brag'd the web it ſeem'd to were.
Yet ſhewed his viſage by that coſt more deare,
And nice affections wauering ſtood in doubt
If beſt were as it was,or beſt without.

His qualities were beautious as his forme,
For maiden tongue'd he was and thereof free;
Yet if men mou'd him,was he ſuch a ſtorme
As oft twixt May and Aprill is to ſee,
When windes breath ſweet,vnruly though they bee.
His rudeneſſe ſo with his authoriz'd youth,
Did liuery falſeneſſe in a pride of truth.

Wel could hee ride, and often men would ſay
That horſe his mettell from his ridertakes
Proud of ſubiection,noble by the ſwaie,
(makes
What rounds,what bounds,what courſe what ſtop he
And controuerſie hence a queſtion takes,
Whether the horſe by him became his deed,
Or he his mannaſ'g, by'th wel doing Steed.

But quickly on this ſide the verdiſt went,
His reall habitude gaue life and grace
To appertainings and to ornament,
Accompliſht in him-ſelfe not in his cafe;
All ayds them-ſelues made fairer by their place,
Can for addicions,yet their purpof'd trimme
Pee'd not his grace but were al grac'd by him.¹

So on the tip of his ſubduing tongue.

K 3

All

ALOVERS

All kinde of arguments and queftion deepe,
Al replication prompt, and reafon ſtrong
For his aduantage ſill did wake and ſleep,
To make the weeper laugh, the laugher weepe
He had the dialect and different skil,
Catching al paffions in his craft of will.

That hee didde in the general beſome raighe
Of young, of old, and ſexes both enchanted,
To dwel with him in thoughts, or to remaine
In perſonal duty, following where he haunted,
Conſent's bewitcht, ere he deſire haue granted,
And dialogu'd for him what he would ſay,
Ask't their own wils and made their wils obey.

Many there were that did his picture gette
To ſerue their eies, and in it put their mind,
Like fooles that in th' imagination ſet
The goodly obiects which abroad they find
Of lands and manſions, theirs in thought affign'd,
And labouring in moe pleaſures to beſow them,
Then the true gouty Land-lord which doth owe them.

So many haue that neuer toucht his hand
Sweety ſuppof'd them miſtreſſe of his hearte
My wofull ſelfe that did in freedome ſtand,
And was my owne fee ſimple (not in part)
What with his art in youth and youth in art
Threw my affeſtions in his charmed power,
Referu'd the ſtalke and gaue him al my flower.

Yet did I not as ſome my equals did
Demaund of him, nor being deſired yeelded,
Finding my ſelfe in honour ſo forbidde,
With ſafet distance I mine honour ſhielded,
Experience for me many bulwarkes builded

of

COMPLAINT.

Of proofs new bleeding which remaind the foile
Of this falſe Iewell, and his amorous spoile.

But ah who euer ſhun'd by precedent,
The deſtin'd ill ſhe muſt her ſelfe affay.
Or forc'd examples gainſt her owne content
To put the by-paſt perrils in her way?
Counſaile may ſtop a while what will not ſtay:
For when we rage, aduife is often ſeene
By blunting vs to make our wits more keene.

Nor giues it ſatisfaction to our blood,
That wee muſt curbe it vppon others proofe,
To be forbod the sweets that ſeemes to good,
For ſeare of harmes that preach in our behoofe;
O appetite from iudgement ſtand aloofe!
The one a pallate hath that needs will tafe,
Though reaſon weepe and cry it is thy laſt.

For further I could ſay this mans vntrue,
And knew the patternes of his ſoule beguiling,
Heard where his plants in others Orchards grew,
Saw how deceits were gilded in his ſmiling,
Knew vowes, were euer brokers to deſling,
Thought Characters and words meerly but aſſ,
And baſtards of his ſoule adulterat heart.

And long vpon theſe termes I held my City,
Till thus hee gan beſiege me : Gentle maid
Haue of my ſuffering youth ſome feeling pitty.
And be not of my holy vowes affraid,
Thats to ye ſworne to none was euer ſaid,
For ſaſts of loue I haue bene call'd vnto
Till now did nere inuite nor neuer vovv.

All my offences that abroad you ſee

K 4

Are

ALOVERS

Are errors of the blood none of the mind:
Loue made them not, with acture they may be,
Where neither Party is nor trew nor kind,
They fought their shame that so their shame did find,
And so much lesse of shame in me remaines,
By how much of me their reproch containes,

Among the many that mine eyes haue seene,
Not one whose flame my hart so much as warmed,
Or my affection put to th' smallest teene,
Or any of my leisures euer Charmed,
Harme haue I done to them but nere was harmed,
Kept hearts in liueries, but mine owne was free,
And raignd commaunding in his monarchy.

Looke heare what tributes wounded fancies sent me,
Of palyd pearles and rubies red as blood:
Figuring that they their paffions likewife lent me
Of greefe and blushes, aptly vnderstood
In bloodlesse white, and the encrimson'd mood,
Effects of terror and deare modesty,
Encampt in hearts but fighting outwardly.

And Lo behold theſe tallents of their heir,
With twifled mettle amorouſly empleacht
I haue receau'd from many a ſeuerall faire,
Their kind acceptance, wepingly beſeecht,
With th' annexions of faire gems inricht,
And deepe brain'd ſonnets that did amplifie
Each ſtones deare Nature, worth and quallity.

The Diamond? why twas beautifull and hard,
Where to his inuï'd properties did tend,
The deepe greene Emrald in whose fresh regard,
Weake fightes their ſickly radience do amend.
The heauen hewd Saphir and the Opall blend

With

COMPLAINT.

With obiects manyfold; each ſeuerall ſtone,
With wit well blazon'd ſinil'd or made some mone.

Lo all theſe trophies of affections hot,
Of penſiu'd and ſubdew'd defires the tender,
Nature hath chargd me that I hoord them not,
But yeeld them vp where I my ſelfe muſt render:
That is to you my origin and ender :
For theſe of force muſt your oblations be,
Since I their Aulter, you en patrone me.

Oh then aduance (of yours) that phraſeles hand,
Whose white weighes downe the airy ſcale of praeſe,
Take all theſe ſimilies to your owne command,
Hollowed with ſighes that burning lunges did raiſe:
What me your minifter for you obaies
Workes vnder you, and to your audit comes
Their diſtraet parcells, in combined ſummes.

Lo this deuice was ſent me from a Nun,
Or Sifter ſanctified of holieſt note,
Which late her noble ſuit in court did ſun,
Whose rareſe hauings made the bloſſoms dote,
For ſhe was ſought by ſpirits of ritcheſt cote,
But kept cold diſtance, and did thence remoue,
To ſpend her liuing in eternall loue.

But oh my ſweet what labour iſt to leaue,
The thing we haue not, maſtring what not ſtrues,
Playing the Place which did no forme receiue,
Playing patient ſports in vnconſtraind giues,
She that her fame so to her ſelfe contriues,
The ſcarres of bartaile ſcapeth by the flight,
And makes her absence valiant, not her might.

Oh pardon me in that my boat is true,

l

The