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Before whose sacred shrine diuinely faire,
Brests, boyling still with generous desires,
Fall sacrific'd with memorable fires;

The incense of whose sighes endeers the aire,
In which thy fame vnparagon'd doth flee,
Whilst thou by beautie, beautie liues by thee.

SONET L

ONCE Cupid had compassion of my state,
And, wounded with a wonderfull remorce,
Vow'd that he would my cruell faire enforce,
To melt the rigour of her cold conceit:
But when he came his purpose to fulfill,
And shot at her a volly from the skies,
She did receive the darts within her eyes;
Then in those cristall quiuers kept them still.
Who vaunt before they win, oft lose the game;
And the presumptuous mind gets maniest foiles.
Lo, he that thought t' haue triumph'd ore her spoiles,
But come with pride, and went away with shame:
And where he hop'd t' haue help'd me by this strife,
He brought her armes wherewith to take my life.

SONET LI.

I DREAM'D, the nymph that ore my fancie raignes,
Came to a part whereas I paus'd alone;
Then said, "What needs you in such sort to mone?
Haue I not power to recompense your paines?
Lo, I coniure you by that loyall loue,
Which you professe, to cast those griefes apart,
It's long, deare loue, since that you had my hart,
Yet I was coy your constancie to proue,
But hauing had a proofe, l'le now be free:
I am the eccho that your sighes recounds,
Your woes are mine, I suffer in your wounds,
Your passions all they sympathize in me :"
Thus whilst for kindnesse both began to weepe,
My happinesse euanish'd with the sleepe.

SONET LII.

SOME men delight huge buildings to behold,
Some theaters, mountaines, floods, and famous
springs;

Some monuments of monarkes, and such things
As in the bookes of fame haue bene inrol'd:
Those stately townes that to the starres were rais'd,-
Some would their ruines see (their beautie 's gone)
Of which the world's three parts, each bosts of one,
For Cæsar, Hanniball, and Hector prais'd:
Though none of those, I loue a sight as rare,
Eden her that ore my life as queene doth sit,
luno in maiestie, Pallas in wit;

As Phœbe chast, then Venus farre more faire:
And though her lookes euen threaten death to me,
Their threatnings are so sweet I cannot flie.

SONET LIII.

now, cleare Po, that pittie be not spent, Which for to quench his flames did once thee moue, Whom the great thunderer thundred from aboue, And to thy silaer bosome burning sent,

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GREAT god that guides the dolphin through the deepe,

Looke now as thou didst then with smiling grace,
When, seeking once her beauties to embrace,
Thou forc'd the faire Amimone to weepe:
The liquid monarchie thou canst not keepe,
If thus the blustring god vsurp thy place;
Rise and against his blasts erect thy face;
Let Triton's trumpet sound the seas asleepe,
With thine owne armes the wind thy bosome wounds,
And whilst that it thy followers' fall contriues,
Thy trident to indanger dayly strides,
And desolate would render all thý bounds:
Then if thou think'st for to preserue thy state,
Let not such stormes disturb thy watrie seate..

SONET LV.

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I ENUIE Neptune oft, not that his hands
Did build that loftie Ilion's stately towers,
Nor that he, emperour of the liquid pow'rs,
Doth brooke a place amongst the immortall bands,
But that embracing her whom I loue best,
As Achilous with Alcides once,

Still wrestling with the riuall earth he grones,
For earnestnes t' oreflow her happie nest:
Thus would he barre me from her presence still,
For when I come afield, he fann'd my sailes,
With mild Zephires faire yet prosprous gailes,
And, like t' Vlysses, gaue me wind at will:
But when I would returne, O what deceit,
With tumbling waues thou barr'st the glassie gate!

SONET LVI.

Lo, now reuiuing my disastrous stile,
I prosecute the tenour of my fate,
And follow forth at danger's highest rate,
In forraine realmes my fortune for a while:
I might haue learn'd this by my last exile,
That change of countries cannot change my state:
Where euer that my bodie seeke a seate,
I leaue my heart in Albion's glorious yle;
And since then banisht from a louely sight,
I maried haue my mind to sad conceits,
Though to the furthest part that fame dilates,
I might on Pegasus addresse my flight;
Yet should I still whilst I might breath or moue,
Remaine the monster of mishap and loue,

SONET LVII.

WHILST th' Apenin seems cloth'd with snows to vaunt,
As if that their pure white all hues did staine,
I match them with thy matchlesse faire againe,
Whose lillies haue a luster, that they want:
But when some die, train'd with a pleasant show,
In their plaine-seeming depths, as many do,
Then I remember how Aurora too,
With louely rigour thousands doth orethrow.
Thus is it fatall by th' effects we know,
That beautie must do harme, more then delight:
For lo the snow, the whitest of the white,
Comes from the clouds, t' engender yce below:
So she with whom for beautie none compares,
From clouds of cold disdaine, raines downe despaires.

SONET LXI.

How long shall I bestow my time in vaine,
And sound the praises of that spitefull boy;
Who, whilst that I for him my paines imploy,
Doth guerdon me with bondage and disdaine?
O, but for this I must his glorie raise,

Since one that 's worthie triumphs of my fall;
Where great men oft to such haue bene made thrall,
Whose birth was base, whose beautie without praise.
And yet in this his hatred doth appeare,
For otherwise I might my losse repaire.
But being, as she is, exceeding faire,
I'm forc'd to hold one that 's vngratefull deare:
These euerchanging thoughts which nought can bind,
May well beare witnesse of a troubled mind.

SONET LVIII.

FEARE not, my faire, that euer any chaunce
So shake the resolutions of my mind,
That, like Demophon, changing with the wind,
I thy fame's rent not labour to enhaunce:
The ring which thou in signe of fauour gaue,
Shall from fine gold transforme it selfe in glasse:
The diamond which then so solid was,
Soft like the waxe, each image shall receiue:
First shall each riuer turne vnto the spring,
The tallest oke stand trembling like a reed,
Harts in the aire, whales on the mountaines feed,
And foule confusions seaze on euery thing;
Before that I begin to change in ought,
Or on another but bestow one thought.

SONET LXII.

WHEN as the Sunne doth drinke vp all the streames,
And with a feruent heate the flowres doth kill;
The shadow of a wood, or of a hill,
Doth serue vs for a targe against his beames:
But ah, those eyes that burne me with desire,
And seeke to parch the substance of my soule,
The ardour of their rayes for to controule,
I wot not where my selfe for to retire :
Twixt them and me, to haue procur'd some ease,
I interpos'd the seas, woods, hils, and riuers;
And yet am of those neuer emptied quiuers
The obiect still, and burne, be where I please:
But of the cause I need not for to doubt,
Within my brest I beare the fire about.

SONET LIX.

WHILST euery youth to entertaine his loue,
Did straine his wits as farre as they might reach,
And arming passions with a pow'rfull speach,
Vsde each patheticke phrase that seru'd to moue:
Then to some corner still retir'd alone,
I, whom melancholly from mirth did leade,
As hauing view'd Medusae's snakie head,
Seem'd metamorphos'd in a marble stone:
And as that wretched mirrour of mischiefe,
Whom earst Apollo spoil'd, doth still shed teares,
And in a stone the badge of sorrow beares,
While as a humid vapour showcs her griefe:
So whilst transform'd as in a stone I stay,
A firie smoke doth blow my griefe away.

SONET LXIII.

OFT haue I heard, which now I must deny,
That nought can last if that it be extreame;
Times dayly change, and we likewise in them,
Things out of sight do straight forgotten die :
There nothing is more vehement then loue,
And yet I burne, and burne still with one flame.
Times oft haue chang'd, yet I remaine the same,
Nought from my mind her image can remoue:
The greatnesse of my loue aspires to ruth,
Time vowes to crowne my constancie in th' end,
And absence doth my fancies but extend;
Thus I perceive the poet spake the truth,
That who to see strange countries were inclin'd,
Might change the aire, but neuer change the mind.

SONET LX.

THE Heauens beheld that all men did despise,
That which the owner from the graue acquites,
That sleepe, the belly, and some base delights,
Had banish'd vertue from beneath the skies;
Which to the world againe for to restore,
The gods did one of theirs to th' Earth transferre,
And with as many blessings following her,
As earst Pandora kept of plagues in store.
She, since she came within this wretched vale,
Doth in each mind a loue of glorie breed;
Bettering the better parts that haue most need,
And showes how worldlings to the clouds may scale:
She cleares the world, but ah, hath darkned me,
Made blind by her, my selfe I cannot see.

SONET LXIV.

I wor not what strange things I haue design'd,
But all my gestures do presage no good;
My lookes are gastly-like, thoughts are my food,
A silent pausing showes my troubled mind:
Huge hosts of thoughts are mustring in my brest,
Whose strongest are conducted by despaire,
Which haue inuolu'd my hopes in such a snare,
That I by death would seeke an endles rest.
What furie in my brest strange cares enroules,
And in the same would reare sterne Plutoe s seate!
Go get you hence to the Tartarian gate,
And breed such terrours in the damned soules:
Too many grieuous plagues my state extorse,
Though apprehended horrours bost not worse.

SONET XCIV.

MINE eyes would euer on thy beauties gaze,
Mine eares are euer greedie of thy fame,
My heart is euer musing on the same,
My tongue would still be busied with thy praise:
I would mine eyes were blind and could not see,
I would mine eares were deafe and would not heare;
I would my heart would neuer hold thee deare,
I would my tongue all such reports would flee:
Th' eyes in their circles do thy picture hold,
Th'eares' conducts keepe still ecchoes of thy worth,
The heart can neuer barre sweet fancies forth,
The tongue that which I thinke must still vnfold:
Thy beauties then from which I would rebell,
Th' eyes see, th' eares heare, th' heart thinks, and
tongue must tell.

SONET XCV.

WHILE as th' undanted squadrons of my mind,
On mountaines of deserts rear'd high desires,
And my proud heart, that euermore aspires,
To scale the Heauen of beautie had design'd:
The faire-fac'd goddesse of that stately frame
Look'd on my haughtie thoughts with scorne a space;
Then thundred all that proud gigantike race,
And from her lightning lights throw'd many a flame.
Then quite for to confound my loftie cares,
Euen at the first encounter as it chanc'd,
Th' ore-daring heart that to th' assault aduanc'd,
Was cou'red with a weight of huge dispaires,
Beneath the which the wretch doth still remaine,
Casting forth flames of furie and disdaine.

SONET XCVI.

FAIRE tygresse, tell, contents it not thy sight,
To see me die each day a thousand times?
O how could I commit such monstrous crimes,
As merit to this martirdome by night?
Not only hath thy wrath adiudg'd to paine,
This earthly prison that thy picture keepes,
But doth the soule while as the bodie sleepes,
With many fearefull dreames from rest restraine.
Lo, thus I waste to worke a tyrant's will,
My dayes in torment, and my nights in terrour,
And here confin'd within an endlesse errour,
Without repentance do perseuer still:
That it is hard to iudge though both be lost,
Whose constancie or crueltie is most.

SONET XCVIII.

LET others of the world's decaying tell,

I enuy not those of the golden age,
That did their carelesse thoughts for nought engage,
But cloy'd with all delights, liu'd long and well:
And as for me, I mind t' applaud my fate;
Though I was long in comming to the light,
Yet may I mount to fortune's highest height,
So great a good could neuer come too late;
I'm glad that it was not my chance to line,
Till as that heauenly creature first was borne,
Who as an angell doth the Earth adorne,
And buried vertue in the tombe reuiue:
For vice ouerflowes the world with such a flood,
That in it all, saue she, there is no good.

SONET XCIX.

WHILST curiously I gaz'd on beautie's skies,
My soule in litle liquid ruslets runne,
Like snowie mountaines melted with the Sunne,
Was liquified through force of two faire eyes,
Thence sprang pure springs and neuer-tainted
In which a nymph her image did behold, [streames,
And cruell she (ah, that it should be told)
Whiles daign'd to grace them with some chearful!
Till once beholding that her shadow so, [beames,
Made those poore waters partners of her praise,
She by abstracting of her beautie's rayes,
With griefe congeal'd the source from whence they
But through the yce of that vniust disdaine, [flow:
Yet still transpares her picture and my paine.

SONET C.

AVRORA, now haue I not cause to rage,
Since all thy fishing but a frog hath catch'd?
May I not mourne to see the morning match'd,
With one that 's in the euening of his age?
Should hoary lockes, sad messengers of death,
Sport with thy golden haires in beautie's inne?
And should that furrow'd face foyle thy smooth
skinne,

And bath it selfe in th' ambrosie of thy breath?
More then mine owne I lament thy mishaps;
Must he who, jealous through his owne defects,
Thy beautie's vnstain'd treasure still suspects,
Sleepe on the snow-swolne pillowes of thy paps,
While as a lothed burthen in thine armes,

Doth make thee out of time waile curelesse harmes.

SONET XCVII.

LOOKE to a tyrant what it is to yeeld,
Who printing still to publish my disgrace,
The storie of my orethrow in my face,
Erects pale trophees in that bloudlesse field:
The world that views this strange triumphall arke,
Reades in my lookes as lines thy beautie's deeds,
Which in each mind so great amazement breeds,
That I am made of many eyes the marke:
But what auailes this tygresse triumph, O
And could'st thou not be cruell if not knowne,
But in this meagre map it must be showne,
That thou insaltst to see thy subiects so?
And my disgrace it grieues me not so much,
As that it should be said that thou art such.

SONET CI.

ALL that behold me on thy beautie's shelfe,
To cast my selfe away toss'd with conceit,
Since thou wilt haue no pitie of my state,
Would that I tooke some pitie of my selfe:
"For what," say they, "though she disdaine to bow,
And takes a pleasure for to see thee sad,
Yet there be many a one that would be glad,
To bost themselves of such a one as thou."
But, ah, their counsell of small knowledge sauours,
For O, poore fooles, they see not what I see,
Thy frownes are sweeter then their smiles can be,
The worst of thy disdaines worth all their fauours:
I rather (deare) of thine one looke to haue,
Then of another all that I would craue.

SONET CII.

WHEN as that louely tent of beautie dies,
And that thou as thine enemie fleest thy glasse,
And doest with griefe remember what it was,
That to betray my heart allur'd mine eyes:
Then hauing bought experience with great paines,
Thou shalt (although too late) thine errour find,
Whilst thou reuolu'st in a digested mind,
My faithfull loue, and thy vnkind disdaines:
And if that former times might be recal'd,
While as thou sadly sitst retir'd alone,
Then thou wouldst satisfie for all that 's gone,
And I in thy heart's throne would be instal'd:
Deare, if I know thee of this mind at last,
I'le thinke my selfe aueng'd of all that 's past.

ELEGIE III.

In silent borrours here, where neuer mirth remaines, I do retire my selfe apart, as rage and griefe constraines :

So may I sigh vnknowne, whilst other comfort failes, An infranchised citizen of solitarie vales; [please, Her priuiledge to plain, since nought but plaints can My sad conceptions I disclose, discased at my ease. No barren pitie here my passions doth increase, Nor no detracter here resorts, deriding my distresse: But wandring through the world, a vagabonding guest, [rest. Acquiring most contentment then when I am reft of Against those froward fates, that did my blisse controule, [my soule.

I thunder forth a thousand threats in th' anguish of
And lo, lunaticke-like do dash on euery shelfe,
And conuocate a court of cares for to condemne my
selfe :

My fancies, which in end time doth fantasticke try,
I figure forth essentially in all the obiects by:
In euery corner where my recklesse eye repaires,
I reade great volumes of mishaps, memorials of
despaires:

conceit.

All things that I behold vpbraid me my estate, And oft I blush within my brest, asham'd of my [winds, Those branches broken downe with mercie-wanting Obiect me my deiected state, that greater fury finds: Their winter-beaten weed disperst vpon the plaine, Are like to my renounced hopes, all scattred with disdaine.

Lo, wondring at my state, the strongest torrent stayes, And turning and returning oft, would scorne my crooked wayes.

In end I find my fate ouer all before my face, Enregistred eternally in th' annales of disgrace. Those crosses out of count might make the rockes to riue, [striue: That this small remanent of life for to extinguish And yet my rockie heart so hardned with mishaps, Now by no meanes can be commou'd, not with loue's thunder claps :

But in huge woes inuolu'd with intricating art, Surcharg'd with sorrowes I succomb and senslesly

do smart;

And in this labyrinth exil'd from all repose,
I consecrate this cursed corpes a sacrifice to woes:
Whilst many a furious plaint my smoaking breast
shall breath,

Ecclips'd with many a cloudie thought, aggrieu'd vnto the death:

With th' eccho plac'd beside some solitary sourse, Disastrous accidents shall be the ground of our dis

course.

Her maimed words shal show how my hurt heart half dies,

eyes.

Consum❜d with corrosiues of care, caractred in mine [spects, My Muse shall now no more, transported with reExalt that euill deseruing one as fancie still directs: Nor yet no partiall pen shall spot her spotlesse fame, Vnhonestly dishonoring an honorable name. But I shall sadly sing, too tragickly inclin'd, [mind. Some subiect sympathizing with my melancholious Nor will I more describe my dayly deadly strife, My publike wrongs, my priuate woes, mislucks in loue and life: [toiles, That would but vexe the world for to extend my In painting forth particularly my many formes of foiles.

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To yeeld to those I cannot but disdaine,
Whose face doth but entangle foolish hearts;
It is the beautie of the better parts,
With which I mind my fancies for to chaine.
Those that haue nought wherewith men's minds to
But onely curled lockes and wanton lookes, [gaine,
Are but like fleeting baites that haue no hookes,
Which may well take, but cannot well retaine:
He that began to yeeld to th' outward grace,
And then the treasures of the mind doth proue:
He, who as 't were was with the maske in loue,
What doth he thinke when as he sees the face?
No doubt being lim'd by th' outward colours so,
That inward worth would neuer let him go.

SONET CIV.

LONG time I did thy cruelties detest,
And blaz'd thy rigour in a thousand lines:
But now through my complaints thy vertue shines,
That was but working all things for the best:
Thou of my rash affections held'st the raines,
And spying dangerous sparkes come from my fires,
Didst wisely temper iny enflam'd desires,
With some chast fauours, mixt with sweet disdaines:
And when thou saw'st I did all hope despise,
And look'd like one that wrestled with despaire,
Then of my safetie thy exceeding care,
Show'd that I kept thine heart, thou but thine eyes:
For whilst thy reason did thy fancies tame,
I saw the smoke, although thou hidst the flame.

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Nor will I trust mine eyes, whose partiall lookes
Haue oft conspir'd for to betray my mind,
And would their light still to one obiect bind,
While as the fornace of my bosome smokes:
No, no, my loue, and that which makes me thrall,
Shall onely be entrusted to my soule,

So may I stray, yet none my course controule,
Whilst though orethrowne,none triumphs for myfall:
My thoughts, while as confin'd within my brest,
Shall onely priuie to my passions rest.

SONET CVI.

AWAKE, my Muse, and leaue to dreame of loues,
Shake off soft fancie's chaines, I must be free,
I'le perch no more, vpon the mirtle tree,
Nor glide through th'aire with beautie's sacred doues;
But with loue's stately bird I'le leaue my nest,
And trie my sight against Apolloe's raies :
Then if that ought my ventrous course dismaies,
Vpon the oliue's boughes I'le light and rest:
l'le tune my accents to a trumpet now,
And seeke the laurell in another field,
Thus I that once, as beautie meanes did yeeld,
Did diuers garments on my thoughts bestow:
Like Icarus I feare, vnwisely bold,

Am purpos'd others' passions now t' vnfold.

SONG X.

FAREWELL Sweet fancies, and once deare delights,
The treasures of my life, which made me proue
That vnaccomplish'd ioy that charm'd the sprights,
And whilst by it I onely seem'd to moue,
Did hold my rauish'd soule, big with desire,
That tasting those, to greater did aspire.

For then not hauing bound my selfe to any, I being bound to none, was bound to many.

Great god, that tam'st the gods' old-witted child,
Whose temples brests, whose altars are men's
From my heart's fort thy legions are exil'd, [hearts,
And Hymen's torch hath burn'd out all thy darts:
Since I in end haue bound my selfe to one,
That by this meanes I may be bound to none.

Thou daintie goddesse with the soft white skinne,
To whom so many offrings dayly smoke,
Were beautie's processe yet for to begin,

That sentence I would labour to reuoke: Which on mount Ida as thy smiles did charme, The Phrigian shepheard gaue to his owne harme.

And if the question were refer'd to mee,

On whom I would bestow the ball of gold, I feare me Venus should be last of three,

For with the thunderer's sister I would hold, Whose honest flames pent in a lawfull bounds, No feare disturbs, nor yet no shame confounds.

I mind to speake no more of beautie's doue,
The peacocke is the bird whose fame I'le raise;
Not that I Argos need to watch my loue,

But so his mistris Iuno for to praise:
And if I wish his eyes, then it shall be,
That I with many eyes my loue may see.

Then farewell crossing ioyes, and ioyfull crosses, Most bitter sweets, and yet most sugred sowers, Most hurtfull gaines, yet most commodious losses, That made my yeares to flee away like howers, And spent the spring-time of mine age in vaine, Which now my summer must redeeme againe.

O welcome easie yoke, sweet bondage come,
I seeke not from thy toiles for to be shielded,

Farewell free thraldome, freedome that was thrall, But I am well content to be orecome,
While as I led a solitary life,

Yet neuer lesse alone, whilst arm'd for all,
My thoughts were busied with an endlesse strife:

Since that I must commaund when I haue yeelded: Then here I quit both Cupid and his mother, And do resigne my selfe t' obtaine another.

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