A Handful of Pleasant Delights/The painefull plight of a Louer oppressed with the beautifull looks of his Lady
The painefull plight of a Louer oppressed with the beautifull looks of his Lady.
To the tune of, I loued her ouer wel.
Hen as thy eies, ye wretched spies
did breed my cause of care:
And sisters three did full agree,
my fatall threed to spare.
Then let these words ingrauen be,
on toomb whereas I lie,
That here lies one whom spiteful loue,
hath caused for to die.
¶Somtimes I spend the night to end,
in dolors and in woe:
Somtime againe vnto my pain,
my chiefest ioy doth grow.
When as in minde, thy shape I finde,
as fancie doth me tell:
Whome now I knowe, as proofe doth show
I loued thee ouer wel.
¶How oft within my wreathed arme,
desired I to folde:
Thy Christall corps, of whom I ioyed,
more dearer than of golde.
But now disdaine, dooth breede my paine,
and thou canst not denie:
But that I loued thee ouer well:
that caused me die.
[¶]The hound that serues his Maisters will,
in raunging here and there,
The moyling Horse, that labours still,
his burthen great to beare:
In lew of paine, receiues againe,
of him which did him owe:
As Natures heast, wiles most and least
them thankefull for to showe.
¶The Lyon and the Tyger fierce,
as Nature doth them binde:
For loue, like loue repay againe:
in Stories we doo finde:
Those beasts and birds both wild and tame,
of frendships lore can tell:
But thy reply, willes me to die,
that loued thee ouer well.
¶Therfore, my deare and Darling faire,
ensample take by those,
Which equally with loue againe,
their louing mindes dispose:
And giue him glee, whose death we s[ee]
approcheth very nie:
Without he gaine, to ease his paine,
which loued thee hartely.
¶Then shall th[e]y say that see the same,
where euer that they goe:
And wish for ay, as for thy pay,
all Nestors yeares to know:
And I no lesse then all the rest,
should wish thee health for aye:
Because thou hast heard my request,
and saued me from decay.