COMPLAINT OF A LOVER REBUKED Love, that liveth and reigneth in my thought, That built his seat within my captive breast, Clad in the arms wherein with me he fought, Oft in my face he doth his banner rest. She that me taught to love and suffer pain, My doubtful hope and eke my hot desire With shamefast cloak to shadow and refrain, Her smiling grace converteth straight to ire. The coward Love then to the heart apace Taketh his flight, whereas he lurks and plains,3 His purpose lost, and dare not show his face. For my lord's guilt thus faultless bide I pains. Yet from my lord shall not my foot remove; Sweet is his death that takes his end by love.

II

DESCRIPTION AND PRAISE OF HIS LOVE
GERALDINE

From Tuscan came my lady's worthy race;
Fair Florence was sometime her ancient seat;
The Western isle whose pleasant shore doth face
Wild Camber's cliffs did give her lively heat;
Fostered she was with milk of Irish breast;
Her sire, an earl; her dame, of princes' blood;
From tender years in Britain she doth rest,
With a king's child, where she tasteth costly food;
Hunsdon did first present her to mine eyes;
Bright is her hue, and Geraldine she hight; 10
Hampton me taught to wish her first for mine;
And Windsor, alas, doth chase me from her
sight:

Her beauty of kind, her virtues from above.
Happy is he, that can obtain her love!

4

THE MEANS TO ATTAIN HAPPY LIFE

Martial, the things that do attain
The happy life be these, I find:
The riches left, not got with pain;
The fruitful ground; the quiet mind;

1 float mixes laments is named from nature

Resteth here, that quick could never rest;
Whose heavenly gifts, encreased by disdain,
And virtue sank the deeper in his breast;
Such profit he by envy could obtain.
A head where wisdom mysteries did frame;
Whose hammers beat still in that lively brain
As on a stithe3 where that some work of fame
Was daily wrought to turn to Britain's gain.
A visage stern and mild; where both did grow,
Vice to condemn, in virtue to rejoice;
Amid great storms, whom grace assured so
To live upright and smile at fortune's choice.
A hand that taught what might be said in rhyme;
That reft Chaucer the glory of his wit:

10

20

A mark, the which (unperfected, for time)
Some may approach, but never none shall hit.
A tongue that served in foreign realms his king;
Whose courteous talk to virtue did enflame
Each noble heart; a worthy guide to bring
Our English youth by travail unto fame.
An eye whose judgment none affect could blind,
Friends to allure, and foes to reconcile;
Whose piercing look did represent a mind
With virtue fraught, reposed, void of guile.
A heart where dread was never so impressed,
To hide the thought that might the truth ad-
vance;

In neither fortune lost, nor yet repressed,
To swell in wealth, or yield unto mischance.
A valiant corse, where force and beauty met;
Happy, alas, too happy, but for foes!
Lived, and ran the race, that Nature set:

30

Of manhood's shape, where she the mold did

lose.

But to the heavens that simple soul is fled, Which left with such as covet Christ to know Witness of faith that never shall be dead, Sent for our health, but not received so.

1 equal 2 moderate 3 anvil bereft affection

40

They be so sure, even wo to men indeed.
Nay then, my lord, let shut the glass apace,
High time it were for my poor muse to wink,
Since all the hands, all paper, pen, and ink,
Which ever yet this wretched world possessed,
Cannot describe this sex in colors due!
No, no, my lord, we gazed have enough;
And I too much, God pardon me therefor.
Better look off, than look an ace too far;
And better mum, than meddle overmuch.
But if my glass do like my lovely lord,
We will espy, some sunny summer's day,
To look again, and see some seemly sights.
Meanwhile, my muse right humbly doth beseech,
That my good lord accept this vent'rous verse,
Until my brains may better stuff devise.

THOMAS SACKVILLE, LORD
BUCKHURST (1536-1608)
THE MIRROR FOR MAGISTRATES

FROM THE INDUCTION

Whereby I knew that she a goddess was, And therewithal resorted to my mind My thought, that late presented me the glass Of brittle state, of cares that here we find, Of thousand woes to silly men assigned; And how she now bid me come and behold, To see with eye that erst in thought I rolled. 168

Flat down I fell, and with all reverence

Adored her, perceiving now that she,
A goddess sent by godly providence,
In earthly shape thus showed herself to me,
To wail and rue this world's uncertainty: 173
And while I honored thus her god-head's might,
With plaining voice these words to me she shright :

"I shall thee guide first to the griesly lake,
And thence unto the blissful place of rest,
Where thou shalt see and hear the plaint they make,
That whilom here bare swing among the best.

This shalt thou see, but great is the unrest
That thou must bide before thou canst attain
Unto the dreadful place where these remain. 182

And with these words as I upraised stood, And 'gan to follow her that straightforth paced, Ere I was ware, into a desert wood

We now were come; where, hand in hand embraced,

She led the way, and through the thick SO traced,

As, but I had been guided by her might,

It was no way for any mortal wight.

189

And first within the porch and jaws of Hell Sat deep Remorse of Conscience, all besprent With tears: and to herself oft would she tell Her wretchedness, and cursing never stent To sob and sigh; but ever thus lament With thoughtful care, as she that all in vain Would wear and waste continually in pain. 2 called 3 scum

1

1 going

4

cease

224

Her eyes unsteadfast, rolling here and there, Whirled on each place, as place that vengeance brought,

So was her mind continually in fear,

Tossed and tormented with the tedious thought
Of those detested crimes which she had wrought;
With dreadful cheer and looks thrown to the sky,
Wishing for death, and yet she could not die. 231

Next saw we Dread, all trembling how he

shook,

With foot uncertain proferred here and there; Benumbed of speech, and with a ghastly look Searched every place all pale and dead for fear, His cap borne up with staring' of his hair, Stoynd and amazed at his own shade for dread, And fearing greater dangers than was need. 238

And next within the entry of this lake Sat fell Revenge, gnashing her teeth for ire, Devising means how she may vengeance take, Never in rest till she have her desire; But frets within so farforth 3 with the fire Of wreaking flames, that now determines she To die by Death, or venged by Death to be. 245

When fell Revenge with bloody foul pretence Had shown herself as next in order set, With trembling limbs we softly parted thence, Till in our eyes another sigh we met: When from my heart a sight forthwith I fet,* Rueing, alas! upon the woeful plight Of Misery, that next appeared in sight.

252

His face was lean, and somewhat pined away, And eke his hands consumed to the bone, And what his body was I cannot say, For on his carcass raiment had he none Save clouts and patches, pieced one by one. With staff in hand, and scrip on shoulders cast, His chief defence against the winter's blast. 259

His food, for most, was wild fruits of the trees, Unless sometime some crumbs fell to his share, Which in his wallet long, God wot, kept he. As on the which full daintily would he fare; His drink the running stream, his cup the bare Of his palm closed, his bed the hard cold ground. To this poor life was Misery y-bound.

266

With retchless hand in grave doth cover it,
Thereafter never to enjoy again

The gladsome light, but, in the ground y-lain,
In depth of darkness waste and wear to nought,
As he had never into the world been brought. 322

But who had seen him, sobbing how he stood
Unto himself, and how he would bemoan
His youth forepast, as though it wrought him good
To talk of youth, all were his youth foregone,
He would have mused, and marvelled much
whereon

This wretched Age should life desire so fain, 328 And knows full well life doth but length his pain.

Crookbacked he was, toothshaken, and bleareyed,

3

Went on three feet, and sometime crept on four,
With old lame bones, that rattled by his side,
His scalp all piled and he with elde forlore; 3
His withered fist still knocking at death's door,
Fumbling and drivelling as he draws his breath,
For brief, the shape and messenger of Death. 336

And fast by him pale Malady was placed,
Sore sick in bed, her colour all foregone,
Bereft of stomach, savour, and of taste,
Ne could she brook no meat but broths alone.
Her breath corrupt, her keepers every one
Abhorring her, her sickness past recure,'
Detesting physic and all physic's cure.

343

And that, alas! was gnawen on everywhere, All full of holes, that I ne mought refrain From tears, to see how she her arms could tear, And with her teeth gnash on the bones in vain; When all for nought she fain would so sustain Her starved corse, that rather seemed a shade Than any substance of a creature made. 357

Great was her force, whom stone wall could
not stay,

Her tearing nails snatching at all she saw;
With gaping jaws, that by no means y-may
Be satisfied from hunger of her maw,
But eats herself as she that hath no law;
Gnawing, alas! her carcass all in vain,
Where you may count each sinew, bone, and vein.

363

1 careless bare worn with age recovery terrible

On her while we thus firmly fixed our eyes, That bled for ruth of such a dreary sight, Lo, suddenly she shryght' in so huge wise, As made hell-gates to shiver with the might. Wherewith a dart we saw, how it did light Right on her breast, and therewithal pale Death Enthrilling it, to reave her of her breath. 371

And by and by a dumb dead corpse we saw, Heavy and cold, the shape of Death aright, That daunts all earthly creatures to his law: Against whose force in vain it is to fight. Ne peers, ne princes, nor no mortal wight, Ne towns, ne realms, cities, ne strongest tower, But all perforce must yield unto his power.

378

Lastly stood War, in glittering arms y-clad, With visage grim, stern looks, and blackly hued; In his right hand a naked sword he had, That to the hilts was all with blood embrued: And in his left (that kings and kingdoms rued) Famine and fire he held, and therewithal 391 He razed towns, and threw down towers and all.

Cities he sacked, and realms, that whilom
flowered

In honour, glory, and rule above the best,
He overwhelmed, and all their fame devoured, 395
Consumed, destroyed, wasted, and never ceased,
Till he their wealth, their name, and all oppressed.
His face forhewed with wounds, and by his side
There hung his targe1 with gashes deep and wide.

GILES FLETCHER THE ELDER (1549?-1611)

LICIA

SONNET XLVII

Like Memnon's rock, touched with the rising sun,
Which yields a sound, and echoes forth a voice;
But, when it's drowned in western seas, is dumb,
And, drowsy-like, leaves off to make a noise:
So I, my love! enlightened with your shine,
A Poet's skill within my soul I shroud!
Not rude, like that which finer wits decline,
But such as Muses to the best allowed!
1 shrieked 2 thrusting in hewed to pie
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