TO FIDESSA

I

Fertur Fortunam Fortuna favere ferenti

FIDESSA fair, long live a happy maiden!
Blest from thy cradle by a worthy mother,
High-thoughted like to her, with bounty laden,
Like pleasing grace affording, one and other;
Sweet model of thy far renowned sire!

Hold back a while thy ever-giving hand,

And though these free penned lines do nought require,

For that they scorn at base reward to stand, Yet crave they most for that they beg the least Dumb is the message of my hidden grief, And store of speech by silence is increased; O let me die or purchase some relief! Bounteous Fidessa cannot be so cruel

As for to make my heart her fancy's fuel!

II

How can that piercing crystal-painted eye,
That gave the onset to my high aspiring.
Yielding each look of mine a sweet reply,
Adding new courage to my heart's desiring,
How can it shut itself within her ark,

And keep herself and me both from the light,
Making us walk in all misguiding dark,
Aye to remain in confines of the night?
How is it that so little room contains it,

That guides the orient as the world the sun, Which once obscured most bitterly complains it, Because it knows and rules whate'er is done? The reason is that they may dread her sight, Who doth both give and take away their light.

III

VENUS, and young Adonis sitting by her,
Under a myrtle shade, began to woo him;

She told the youngling how god Mars did try

her,

And as he fell to her, so fell she to him.

"Even thus," quoth she, "the wanton god embraced me!"

And then she clasped Adonis in her arms; "Even thus," quoth she, "the warlike god unlaced me!"

As if the boy should use like loving charms. But he, a wayward boy, refused the offer, And ran away the beauteous queen neglecting Showing both folly to abuse her proffer, And all his sex of cowardice detecting. O that I had my mistress at that bay, To kiss and clip me till I ran away!

IV

DID you sometimes three German brethren see, Rancour 'twixt two of them so raging rife,

That th' one could stick the other with his

knife?

Now if the third assaulted chance to be

By a fourth stranger, him set on the three,
Them two 'twixt whom afore was deadly strife
Made one to rob the stranger of his life;
Then do you know our state as well as we.

Beauty and chastity with her were born,
Both at one birth, and up with her did grow.
Beauty still foe to chastity was sworn,

1

And chastity sworn to be beauty's foe;
And yet when I lay siege unto her heart,
Beauty and chastity both take her part.

ARRAIGNED, poor captive at the bar I stand,
The bar of beauty, bar to all my joys;
And up I hold my ever trembling hand,
Wishing or life or death to end annoys.
And when the judge doth question of the guilt,
And bids me speak, then sorrow shuts up words.
Yea, though he say, "Speak boldly what thou
wilt!"

Yet my
confused affects no speech affords,
For why? Alas, my passions have no bound,
For fear of death that penetrates so near;
And still one grief another doth confound,
Yet doth at length a way to speech appear.
Then, for I speak too late, the Judge doth give
His sentence that in prison I shall live.