Ye chirping birds, whose cheerless notes declare

That ye bewail the woes I feel" in mind,
Bear witness how with care I do consume,

And hear the cause why thus I pine away.

11.

Love is the cause that makes me pine away,

And makes you hear the echo of my cries,

Through Grief's increase: and though the cause of pain,

Which doth enforce me still thus to lament,

Proceed from Love, and though my pain increase

By daily cries which do that pain declare,

And witness are of my afflicted mind;

Yet cry I will, till crying me consume.

For as the fire the stubble doth consume,
And as the wind doth drive the dust away,
So pensive hearts are spent with doleful cries,
And cares distract the mind with pinching pain.
But all in vain I do my cares lament;

My sorrow doth by sobs, sighs, tears increase.
Though sobs, sighs, tears, my torments do declare,
Sobs, sighs, nor tears move not her flinty mind.

IV.

I am cast out of her ungrateful mind,

And she hath sworn I shall in vain consume P

"Bear, 4th • Case, 4th. P The fourth edition reads, My sorrow doth by sobs and sighs increase.

My weary days; my life must waste away,
Consum'd with pain, and worn with restless cries;
So Philomel too much opprest with pain,
By his misdeed that causeth her lament,

Doth day and night her mournful lays increase,
And to the woods her sorrows doth declare.

v.r

Some ease it is, hid sorrows to declare,
But too small ease to such a grieved mind;

It nought avails my torments to declare,
Since that my tears cannot her flinty mind

IV.

To pity move; I am cast out of mind,

So hath she sworn I shall in pain consume.--

4 Consum'd with deadly pain and restless cries, 4th.

The conclusion of this poem is materially varied in the fourth

edition, with an addition of four lines: it is thus printed,

It is some ease hid sorrows to declare,

But too small ease to such a grieved mind;

As by repeating cries doth more consume,

To end that which he finds at all no way,

But careful sighs mingled with ruthful cries,

(A simple salve to cure so great a pain :)
Come then ye ghastly owls, help me lament,
With fearful shrieks, and as your shrieks increase.

VI.

When as the sun departing doth increase,
The doubled shadows which as sighs declare
The night draws near: so I to ease my mind,
Here will augment my plaints; so to consume

Which by repeating woes doth more consume;
To end which woes I find at all no way,

(A simple salve to cure so great a pain,)
But to Death's deafen'd ears to bend my cries.
Come then, ye ghastly owls, help me lament,
And as my cries, so let your shrieks increase.

My loathed life: and though you fly away
Soon as the day returns and cease your cries,
Yet I unhappy wretch opprest with pain,
But day and night am forced to lament,

VII.

So foul a change: but while I thus lament
My grief with tears, the more for to increase
My woe, with scoffs, my state she doth declare,
To him who first from me her wanton mind
By gifts did win: since when I still consume
Ay more and more; ne find I any way

To ease my mind: but thus with mournful cries

I living die, and dying live in pain.

VIII.

And now adieu delight, and farewell pain;
Adieu vain hope; I shall no more lament
Her feigned faith which did my woes increase:
And ye to whom my griefs I thus declare;
Ye which have heard the secrets of my mind,
And seen my lingering life in pain consume;
Adieu ye woods and waters, hence away;
By death I must, and cease my ruthful cries.

Ye which hear not my cries, nor know my pain,
Yet do my chance lament, let pity increase:
Your grief by tears declare: To ease your mind,
Witness how I consume and waste away.

VI.

For as your shrieks (the tunes of death) increase
When sun is set, and shadows do declare
The night's approach, so I from my dark mind.
Since my bright sun is fled, in cries consume
My night of woes; and though you fly away
Soon as the day returns, and cease your cries,
Yet I by day find no release of pain;
But day and night so foul a change lament.

VII.

But while I thus to senseless things lament, Ruth of my case in them thereby d'increase; Which she feels not; with scoffs she doth declare My pangs to him, who first her wanton mind From me did win: since when I still consume Like wax 'gainst fire, like snow that melts away Before the sun: thus, thus, with mournful cries, I living die, and dying, live in pain.

VIII.

And now adieu delight, and farewell pain;
Adieu vain hope; I shall no more lament
Her fained faith, which did my woes increase;
And ye to whom my griefs I thus declare;

Ye which have heard the secrets of my mind,
And seeing then my lingering life in pain consume,
Grove, brook, and birds, adieu! now hence away
By death I will, and cease my deadly cries.

A DIALOGUE IN IMITATION OF THAT BETWEEN
HORACE AND LIDIA.

Beginning “Donec gratus eram tibi, &c.”

WHILE

LOVER.

HILE thou didst love me, and that neck of thine More sweet, white, soft, than roses, silver, down,

Did wear a neck-lace of no arms but mine,

I envied not the King of Spain his crown.

LADY.

While of thy heart I was sole sovereign,
And thou didst sing none but Mellinae's name,
Whom for brown Cloes thou dost now disdain,
I envied not the Queen of England's fame.

LOVER.

Though Cloes be less fair, she is more kind;

Her graceful dancing so doth please mine eye,

And through mine ears her voice so charms my mind, That so dear she may live, I'll willing die.

LADY.

Though Crispus cannot sing my praise in verse,
I love him so for skill in tilting shown,
And graceful managing of coursers fierce,
That his dear life to save, I'll lose mine own.

• Altered to Cole in third, and followed in fourth edition.