Kissing with golden face the meadows green, When, in disgrace with fortune and men's Gilding pale streams with heavenly al chemy, 5 Anon permit the basest clouds to ride ΤΟ Since brass, nor stone, nor earth, nor boundless sea, But sad mortality o'er-sways their power, How with this rage shall beauty hold a plea, Whose action is no stronger than a flower? of the upper air. 2 broken masses of flying cloud. Tired with all these, for restful death I cry: As, to behold desert a beggar born, And needy nothing trimmed in jollity, be gone, Save that, to die, I leave my love alone. LXXI No longer mourn for me when I am dead Than you shall hear the surly sullen bell Give warning to the world that I am fled From this vile world, with vilest worms to dwell: Nay, if you read this line, remember not 5 The hand that writ it; for I love you so That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot If thinking on me then should make you Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose; Now let them drink till they nod and I laugh not at another's loss; My mind to me a kingdom is, Such present joys therein I find That it excels all other bliss That earth affords or grows by kind: Though much I want which most would have, Yet still my mind forbids to crave. No princely pomp, no wealthy store, No wily wit to salve a sore, No shape to feed a loving eye; To none of these I yield as thrall: I see how plenty [surfeits] oft, And hasty climbers soon do fall; I see that those which are aloft Mishap doth threaten most of all; They get with toil, they keep with fear: Such cares my mind could never bear. Content to live, this is my stay; I seek no more than may suffice; I press to bear no haughty sway; Look, what I lack my mind supplies: Lo, thus I triumph like a king, Content with that my mind doth bring. 5 10 15 20 Some have too much, yet still do crave;25 I little have, and seek no more. I grudge not at another's pain; Some weigh their pleasure by their lust, A cloaked craft their store of skill: My wealth is health and perfect ease; My conscience clear my chief defence; I neither seek by bribes to please, Nor by deceit to breed offence: Thus do I live; thus will I die; Would all did so as well as I! SIR PHILIP SIDNEY (1554–1586) LOVE IS DEAD 35 40 45 They are but poor, though much they Let dirge be sung, and trentals rightly read, For Love is dead; Sir Wrong his tomb ordaineth My mistress' marble heart; Which epitaph containeth, 2 frenzy. 25 What bird so sings, yet so does wail? 10 The fairest shepherd on our green, A love for any lady. Fair and fair, and twice so fair,5 As fair as any may be; Thy love is fair for thee alone, EN. My love is fair, my love is gay, May, And of my love my roundelay, My merry, merry roundelay, Concludes with Cupid's curse, ΙΟ "They that do change old love for new, Pray gods they change for worse!" 15 AMBO SIMUL. They that do change, etc. EN. Fair and fair, etc. PAR. Fair and fair, etc. Thy love is fair, etc. EN. My love can pipe, my love can sing, My love can1 many a pretty thing, My merry, merry roundelays, "They that do change," etc. PAR. They that do change, etc. AMBO. Fair and fair, etc. ROBERT GREENE (1560?-1592) SWEET ARE THE THOUGHTS 20 25 |