LIKE as a huntsman, after weary chase,
Seeing the game from him escaped away,
Sits down to rest him, in some shady place,
With panting hounds beguilèd of their prey-
So, after long pursuit and vain assay,

When I, all weary, had the chase forsook,
The gentle Dear returned the selfsame way,
Thinking to quench her thirst at the next brook.
There She, beholding me with milder look,
Sought not to fly, but fearless still did bide,
Till I in hand, her yet half trembling took;
And, with her own good will, her firmly tied.
Strange thing, meseemed, to see a beast so wild,
So goodly won, with her own will beguiled!

ONE day, I wrote her name upon the strand ;
But came the waves, and washed it away!
Again I wrote it, with a second hand;

But came the tide, and made my pains his prey! 'Vain man,' said She, 'that dost in vain assay, A mortal thing so to immortalize!

For I myself shall, like to this, decay;

And eke my name be wipèd out likewise!' 'Not so,' quod I: 'let baser things devise

To die in dust; but you shall live by fame! My Verse, your virtues rare shall eternize;

And in the heavens write your glorious name! Where, when as death shall all the World subdue, Our love shall live, and later life renew!'

IN youth, before I waxèd old,
The blind boy, VENUS' baby,
For want of cunning, made me bold
In bitter hive to grope for honey:

But when he saw me stung, and cry;
He took his wings, and away did fly!

AS DIANE hunted on a day,
She chanced to come where CUPID lay,
His quiver by his head;

One of his shafts, she stole away;
And one of hers did close convey

Into the other's stead.

With that, LOVE wounded my Love's heart; But DIANE, beasts with CUPID's dart!

I SAW, in secret, to my Dame,
How little CUPID humbly came,

And said to her, 'All hail! my mother!'

But when he saw me laugh; for shame,
His face with bashful blood did flame;

Not knowing VENUS from the other.

'Then never blush, CUPID!' quoth I,
'For many have erred in this Beauty!'

MARK, when She smiles with amiable cheer!
And tell me, Whereto can ye liken it?
When on each eyelid sweetly do appear
A hundred Graces, as in shade to sit.
Likest, it seemeth, in my simple wit,

Unto the fair sunshine, in summer's day,
That, when a dreadful storm away is flit,
Through the broad world doth spread his goodly ray.
At sight whereof, each bird that sits on spray,
And every beast that to his den was fled,
Comes forth afresh out of their late dismay;

And to the light lift up their drooping head. So my storm-beaten heart likewise is cheered With that sunshine, when cloudy looks are cleared.

SWEET Smile, the Daughter of the Queen of Love,
Expressing all thy mother's powerful art!
With which she wonts to temper angry Jove;

When all the Gods he threats with thund'ring dart. Sweet is thy virtue, as thyself sweet art!

For when on me thou shinedst late, in sadness, A melting pleasance ran through every part; And me revived with heart-[th]robbing gladness. Whilst wrapt with joy resembling heavenly madness, My soul was ravished quite, as in a trance; And feeling thence no more her sorrow's sadness, Fed on the fullness of that cheerful glance. More sweet than Nectar, or ambrosial meat, Seemed every bit, which thenceforth I did eat.

'I PRAY thee, LOVE! say, Whither is this posting? Since with thy deity first I was acquainted, I never saw thee, thus distracted, coasting,

With countenance tainted,

Thy conquering arrows broken in thy quiver,
Thy brands, that wont the inward marrow sunder,
Fireless and forceless, all-a-pieces shiver,

With mickle wonder.

'That maketh, next, my stayless thoughts to hover; I cannot sound this uncouth cause of being! The veil is torn, that did thy visage cover;

And thou art seeing!'

'A stranger, one,' quoth Love, 'of good demerit,
Did suit and service to his Sovereign proffer.
In any case, She would not seem to hear it;
But scorned the offer!

'And, very now, upon this Maying morrow, By break of day, he found me at my harbour. I went with him, to understand his sorrow,

Unto her arbour;

'Where he, love torments dolefully unfolded,
With words that might a tiger's heart have charmed!
His sighs and tears, the mountain, yea, had moulted;
And She not warmed!

'Her great disdain against her Lover proved,
Kindled my brand, that to her breast I seated;
The flames, between her paps them often moved;
Nor burnt! nor heated!

My arrows keen I afterward assayed!

Which from her breast, without effect rebounded; And, as a ball, on marble floor they played;

With force confounded.

'The brand that burnt old PRIAM'S town to ashes;
Now first his operation wants it then:
The dart that emerald skies in pieces dashes,
Scorned by a woman!

Thus, while I said, She toward me arrived, And with a touch of triumph, never doubted To tear the veil, that use of sight bereaved. So LOVE was louted!

'The veil of error from mine eyes bereaved;

I saw Heaven's Hope! and Earth her Treasury! "Well mayst thou err!" said I, "I am deceived! Bent to pleasure thee.

"Cease, hapless man! my succours to importune! She only, She, my stratagems repelleth! Vainly endeavour I to tempt her fortune,

That so excelleth!

I