[Footnote 131: = motley-dressed jester or fool. G.]
[Footnote 132: = foolish. G.]
_Gullinge Sonnets._
1* The Louer Vnder burthen of his M^{ris} love
W^{ch} lyke to Ætna did his harte oppre[s][s]e:
did giue [s]uch piteous grones y^{t} he did moue
the heau'nes at length to pitty his di[s]tre[s][s]e
but for the fates in theire highe Courte aboue
forbad to make the greuous burthen le[s][s]e.
the gracous powers did all con[s]pire to proue
Yt miracle this mi[s]cheife mighte redre[s][s]e;
therefore regardinge y^{t} y^{e} loade was [s]uch
as noe man mighte w^{th} one man's mighte [s]u[s]tayne
and y^{t} mylde patience[133] imported much
to him that [s]hold indure an endles payne:
By there decree he [s]oone transformèd was
into a patiente burden-bearinge A[s][s]e.
2* As when y^{e} brighte Cerulian firmament
hathe not his glory w^{th} black cloudes defas'te,
Soe were my thoughts voyde of all di[s]content;
and w^{th} noe my[s]te of pa[s][s]ions ouerca[s]t
they all were pure and cleare, till at the la[s]t
an ydle careles thoughte forthe wandringe wente
and of y^{t} poy[s]onous beauty tooke a ta[s]te
W^{ch} doe the harts of louers [s]o torment:
then as it chauncethe in a flock of [s]heepe
when [s]ome contagious yll breedes fir[s]t in one
daylie it [s]preedes & [s]ecretly doth creepe
till all the [s]illy troupe be ouergone.
So by clo[s]e neighbourhood w^{th} in my bre[s]t
one [s]curuy thoughte infecteth all the re[s]t.
[Footnote 133: A trisyllable. G.]
3* What Eagle can behould her [s]unbrighte eye,
her [s]unbrighte eye y^{t} lights the world w^{th} loue,
the world of Loue wherein I liue and dye,
I liue and dye and diuers chaunges proue,
I chaunges proue, yet [s]till the [s]ame am I,
the [s]ame am I and neuer will remoue,
neuer remoue vntill my [s]oule dothe flye,
my [s]oule dothe fly, and I [s]urcea[s]e to moue,
I cea[s]e to moue w^{ch} now am mou'd by you,
am mou'd by you y^{t} moue all mortall hartes,
all mortall hartes who[s]e eyes yo^{r} eyes doth veiwe,
Yo^{r} eyes doth veiwe whence Cupid [s]hoots his darts,
whence Cupid [s]hootes his dartes and woundeth tho[s]e
that honor you and neuer weare[134] his foes.
[Footnote 134: = were. G.]
4* The hardnes of her harte and truth of myne
when the all [s]eeinge eyes of heauen did [s]ee
they [s]treight concluded y^{t} by powre devine
to other formes our hartes should turnèd be.
then hers as hard as flynte, a Flynte became
and myne as true as [s]teele, to [s]teele was turned,
and then betwene o^{r} hartes [s]prange forthe the flame
of kinde[s]t loue, w^{ch} vnextingui[s]h'd burned;
And longe the [s]acred lampe of mutuall loue
ince[s][s]antlie did burne in glory brighte;
Vntill my folly did her fury moue
to recompence my [s]eruice w^{th} de[s]pighte,
and to put out w^{th} [s]nuffers of her pride
the lampe of loue w^{ch} els had neuer dyed.
5* Myne Eye, mine eare, my will, my witt, my harte
did [s]ee, did heare, did like, di[s]cerne, did loue:
her face, her [s]peche, her fa[s]hion, iudgem^{t}, arte,
w^{ch} did charme, plea[s]e, delighte, confounde and moue.
Then fancie, humo^{r}, loue, conceipte, and thoughte
did [s]oe drawe, force, inty[s]e, per[s]wade, deui[s]e,
that [s]he was wonne, mou'd, caryed, compa[s]t, wrought
to thinck me kinde, true, comelie, valyant, wi[s]e;
that heauen, earth, hell, my folly and her pride
did worke, contriue, labor, con[s]pire and [s]weare
to make me [s]corn'd, vile, ca[s]t of, bace, defyed
W^{th} her my loue, my lighte, my life, my deare:
So that my harte, my witt, will, eare, and eye
doth greiue, lament, sorrowe, di[s]paire and dye.
6* The [s]acred Mu[s]e that fir[s]te made loue deuine
hath made him naked and w^{th}out attyre,
but I will cloth him w^{th} this penn of myne
that all the world his fa[s]hion [s]hall admyre,
his hatt of hope, his bande of beautye fine,
his cloake of crafte, his doblett of de[s]yre,
greife for a girdell, [s]hall aboute him twyne,
his pointes of pride, his Ilet holes of yre,
his ho[s]e of hate, his Cod peece of conceite,
his [s]tockings of [s]terne [s]trife, his [s]hirte of [s]hame,
his garters of vaine glorie gaye and [s]lyte;
his pantofels of pa[s][s]ions I will frame,
pumpes[135] of pre[s]umption [s]hall adorne his feete
and Socks of fullennes excedinge [s]weete.
[Footnote 135: = slipper-shoes. G.]
7* Into the midle Temple of my harte
the wanton Cupid did him[s]elfe admitt
and gaue for pledge yo^{r} Eagle-[s]ighted witt
Y^{t} he wold play noe rude vncivill parte:
Longe tyme he cloak'te his nature w^{th} his arte
and [s]add and graue and [s]ober he did [s]itt,
but at the la[s]t he gan to reuell it,
to breake good rules, and orders to peruerte:
Then loue and his younge pledge were both conuented
before [s]add[136] Rea[s]on, that old Bencher graue,
who this [s]add [s]entence vnto him pre[s]ented
by dilligence, y^{t} [s]lye and [s]ecreate knaue
That loue and witt, for euer [s]hold departe
out of the midle Temple of my harte.
[Footnote 136: = serious; and so 'sadly' = seriously, e. g. Skelton:
"I have not offended, I trust,
If it be _sadly_ discust." G.
]
8* My ca[s]e is this, I loue Zepheria brighte,
Of her I hold my harte by fealtye:
W^{ch} I di[s]charge to her perpetuallye,
Yet [s]he thereof will neuer me accquite.
for now [s]uppo[s]inge I w^{th} hold her righte
[s]he hathe di[s]treinde my harte to [s]atisfie
the duty w^{ch} I neuer did denye,
and far away impounds it w^{th} de[s]pite;
I labor therefore iu[s]tlie to repleaue[137]
my harte w^{ch} she vniu[s]tly doth impounde
but quick conceite w^{ch} nowe is loue's highe Sheife
retornes it as e[s]loynde, not to be founde:
Then w^{ch} the lawe affords I onely craue
her harte for myne in wit her name to haue.
[Footnote 137: = recover (a legal term) G.]
9* To Loue my lord I doe knightes [s]eruice owe
and therefore nowe he hath my witt in warde,
but while it is in his tuition [s]oe
me thincks he doth intreate it pa[s][s]inge hard;
for thoughe he hathe it marryed longe agoe
to Vanytie, a wench of noe regarde,
and nowe to full, and perfect age doth growe,
Yet nowe of freedome it is mo[s]t debarde.
But why [s]hould loue after minoritye
when I am pa[s]t the one and twentith yeare
perclude my witt of his [s]weete libertye,
and make it [s]till y^{e} yoake of ward[s]hippe beare.
I feare he hath an other Title gott
and holds my witte now for an Ideott.
M^{r} Dauyes.