20
THE MERIE BALLAD
her puritye to noe man doth denye;
The verye chamber that includes her shine,
seemes as the pallace of the gods devine,
Whoe leades the daye about the Zodiacke,
and in the even, settes of the ocean lake;
Soe feirce and fervent in her radiaunce,
such flyeing breath she dartes at every glaunce
[limbs of age—Petyt MS.]As might inflame the verry mappe of age,
and cause pale death him suddenly t’asswage,
And stand and gaze vppon those orient lampes,
where Cupid all his ioyes incampes.
[Petyt MS.][And sitts and plays with euerie atomie
That in her Sunne-beames swarme aboundantlie.]
Thus striking, thus gazeing, we perséuere:
but nought soe sure that will continue ever:
“Fleete not soe fast,” my ravisht senses cries,
“sith my Content vppon thy life relyes,
Which brought so soone from his delightfull seates,
me, vnawares, of blissefull hope defeates;
[Petyt MS.][Togeather lett our equall motions stirr,
togeather lett vs line and dye, my deare;]
Togeather let vs march with one contente
and be consum[e]d without languishmente.”
As she prescribed, soe keepe we clocke and time,
and euery stroake in order like a chime.
Soe shee that here preferd me by her pyttye,
vnto our musicke framd a groaning dyttye:
“Alas, alas, that loue should be a sinne!
The verye chamber that includes her shine,
seemes as the pallace of the gods devine,
Whoe leades the daye about the Zodiacke,
and in the even, settes of the ocean lake;
Soe feirce and fervent in her radiaunce,
such flyeing breath she dartes at every glaunce
[limbs of age—Petyt MS.]As might inflame the verry mappe of age,
and cause pale death him suddenly t’asswage,
And stand and gaze vppon those orient lampes,
where Cupid all his ioyes incampes.
[Petyt MS.][And sitts and plays with euerie atomie
That in her Sunne-beames swarme aboundantlie.]
Thus striking, thus gazeing, we perséuere:
but nought soe sure that will continue ever:
“Fleete not soe fast,” my ravisht senses cries,
“sith my Content vppon thy life relyes,
Which brought so soone from his delightfull seates,
me, vnawares, of blissefull hope defeates;
[Petyt MS.][Togeather lett our equall motions stirr,
togeather lett vs line and dye, my deare;]
Togeather let vs march with one contente
and be consum[e]d without languishmente.”
As she prescribed, soe keepe we clocke and time,
and euery stroake in order like a chime.
Soe shee that here preferd me by her pyttye,
vnto our musicke framd a groaning dyttye:
“Alas, alas, that loue should be a sinne!
