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But, that I should receive reward again,
I was content thy servant to remain n;
And not to be repaid on this fashion.
Now, since in thee there is none other reason,
Displease thee not, if that I do refrain.
Unsatiate of my woe, and thy desire;

Assured by craft for to excuse thy fault:
But, since it pleaseth thee to feign default,
Farewell, I say, departing from the fire.

For he that doth believe, bearing in hand,

Plougheth in the water, and soweth in the sand.

THE LOVER, DESPAIRING TO ATTAIN UNTO HIS LADY'S GRACE, RELINQUISHETH THE PURSUIT.

Whoso list to hunt? I know where is an hind!

But as for me, alas! I may no more,

The vain travail hath wearied me so sore;

I am of them that furthest come behind.

Yet may I by no means my wearied mind
Draw from the deer; but as she fleeth afore,
Fainting I follow: I leave off therefore,
Since in a net I seek to hold the wind.
Who list her hunt, I put him out of doubt
As well as I, may spend his time in vain;
And graven with diamonds in letters plain,
There is written her fair néck round about:

"Noli me tangere; for Cæsar's I am,

And wild for to hold, though I seem tame."

THE DESERTED LOVER CONSOLETH HIMSELF WITH REMEMBRANCE THAT ALL WOMEN ARE BY NATURE FICKLE.

Divers doth use, as I have heard and know,
When that to change their ladies do begin,
To mourn, and wail, and never for to lynn;

Hoping thereby to 'pease their painful woe.
And some there be that when it chanceth so

That women change, and hate where love hath been,
They call them false, and think with words to win
The hearts of them which otherwhere doth grow.

But as for me, though that by chance indeed
Change hath outworn the favour that I had,
I will not wail, lament, nor yet be sad,
Nor call her false that falsely did me feed;

But let it pass, and think it is of kind.

That often change doth please a woman's mind.

THE LOVER CURSETH THE TIME WHEN FIRST HE FELL IN LOVE.

When first mine eyes did view and mark

Thy fair beauty to behold,

And when my ears listened to hark
The pleasant words, that thou me told;
I would as then I had been free
From ears to hear, and eyes to see.
And when my lips 'gan first to move,
Whereby my heart to thee was known,
And when my tongue did talk of love
To thee, that hast true love down thrown;
I would my lips and tongue also
Had then been dumb, no deal to go.
And when my hands have handled aught
That thee hath kept in memory,
And when my feet have gone and sought
To find and get thee company,

I would each foot a hand had been,
And I each foot a hand had seen.
And when in mind I did consent,
To follow this my fancy's will,
And when my heart did first relent
To taste such bait, my life to spill,

I would my heart had been as thine,
Or else thy heart had been as mine.

AN EARNEST SUIT TO HIS UNKIND MISTRESS NOT TO FORSAKE HIM.

And wilt thou leave me thus?

!

Say nay say nay! for shame!

To save thee from the blame

Of all my grief and grame.
And wilt thou leave me thus ?
Say nay say nay!
!

And wilt thou leave me thus?
That hath loved thee so long,
In wealth and woe among?
And is thy heart so strong
As for to leave me thus ?

Say nay say nay!

And wilt thou leave me thus?
That hath given thee my heart,

Never for to depart;

Neither for pain nor smart:

And wilt thou leave me thus?

Say nay! say nay!

And wilt thou leave me thus !

And have no more pity,

Of him that loveth thee?

Alas, thy cruelty!

And wilt thou leave me thus?

Say nay! say nay!

THE FORSAKEN LOVER CONSOLETH HIMSELF WITH REMEMBRANCE

OF PAST HAPPINESS.

Spite hath no power to make me sad,
Nor scornfulness to make me plain.

It doth suffice that once I had,

And so to leave it is no pain.

Let them frown on that least doth gain,
Who did rejoice must needs be glad;
And though with words thou ween'st to reign,
It doth suffice that once I had.

Since that in checks thus overthwart,
And coyly looks thou dost delight;
It doth suffice that mine thou wert,

Though change hath put thy faith to flight.

Alas! it is a peevish spite,

To yield thyself, and then to part;
But since thou force thy faith so light,
It doth suffice that mine thou wert.

And since thy love doth thus decline,
And in thy heart such hate doth grow;
It doth suffice that thou wert mine,
And with good-will I quite it so.

Sometime my friend, farewell my foe,
Since thou change I am not thine;
But for relief of all my woe,

It doth suffice that thou wert mine.

Praying you all that hear this song,
To judge no wight, nor none to blame;
It doth suffice she doth me wrong,
And that herself doth know the same.

And though she change it is no shame,
Their kind it is, and hath been long;
Yet I protest she hath no name;

It doth suffice she doth me wrong.

THE LOVER LAMENTS THE DEATH OF HIS LOVE.

The pillar perished is whereto I leant,
The strongest stay of mine unquiet mind;
The like of it no man again can find,

From east to west still seeking though he went,
To mine unhap. For hap away hath rent

Of all my joy the very bark and rind:
And I, alas, by chance am thus assigned
Daily to mourn, till death do it relent.
But since that thus it is by destiny,
What can I more but have a woeful heart;
My pen in plaint, my voice in care-full cry,
My mind in woe, my body full of smart;
And I myself, myself always to hate,
Till dreadful death do ease my doleful state.

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