A Handful of Pleasant Delights/A faithfull vow of two constant Louers
A faithfull vow of two constant Louers
To the new Rogero.
Hall distance part our loue,
or daily choice of chaunge?
Or sprites below, or Gods aboue,
haue power to make vs straunge:
¶No nothing here on earth,
that kinde hath made or wrought,
Shall force me to forget,
goodwill so dearely bought,
¶And for any part I vow,
to serue for terme of life:
Which promise may compare with her,
which was Vlisses wife.
¶Which vow if I doo breake,
let vengeance on me fall,
Eche plague that on the earth may raigne,
I aske not one, but all.
¶Though time may breede suspect,
to fill your hart with toyes;
And absence may a mischefe breede,
to let your wished ioyes:
¶Yet thinke I haue a troth,
and honesty to keepe:
And weigh the time your loue hath dwelt,
within my hart so deep.
¶And peise the words I spake,
and marke my countenance then:
And let not slip no ernest sigh,
if thou remember can.
¶At least forget no teares,
that trickled downe my face:
And marke howe oft I wroong your hand,
and blushed all the space.
¶Remember how I sware,
and strook therewith my brest:
In witnesse when thou partst me fro,
my heart with thee should rest.
¶Thinke on the eger lookes,
full loth to leaue thy sight,
That made the signes when that she list,
to like no other wight.
¶If this be out of thought,
yet call to minde againe,
The busie sute, the much adoe,
the labour and the paine,
¶That at the first I had,
ere thy good will I gate;
And think how for thy loue alone,
I purchase partly hate.
¶But all is one with me,
my heart so setled is:
No friend, nor foe, nor want of wealth,
shall neuer hurt in this.
¶Be constant now therefore,
and faithfull to the end?
Be carefull how we both may do,
to be ech others friend.
¶With free and cleane consent,
two hearts in one I knit:
Which for my part, I vow to keep,
and promise not to flit,
¶Now let this vow be kept,
exchange thy heart for mine:
So shal two harts be in one breast,
and both of them be thine.