For greedy Pleasure, careless of your toyes,
Thinks more upon her paradise of joyes,
Then what ye do, albe it good or ill.
All night therefore attend your merry play,
For it will soone be day:
Now none doth hinder you, that say or sing,
Ne will the woods now answer, nor your eccho ring.
Or whose is that faire face that shines so bright?
Is it no Cinthia, she that never sleepes,
But walkes about high heaven al the night?
O fayrest goddesse, do thou not envy
My love with me to spy:
For thou likewise didst love, though now unthought,
And for a fleece of woll, which privily
The Latmian shephard once unto thee brought,
His pleasures with thee wrought.
Therefore to us be favorable now;
And sith of wemens labours thou hast charge,
And generation goodly dost enlarge,
Encline thy will t' effect our wishfull vow,
And the chast wombe informe with timely seed,
That may our comfort breed:
Till which we cease our hopefull hap to sing,
Ne let the woods us answere, nor our eccho ring.
The lawes of wedlock still dost patronize
And the religion of the faith first plight
With sacred rites hast taught to solemnize,
And eeke for comfort often called art
Of women in their smart,
Eternally bind thou this lovely bank,
And all thy blessings unto us impart.
And thou, glad Genius, in whose gentle hand
The bridale bowre and geniall bed remaine,
Without blemish or staine,
And the sweet pleasures of theyr loves delight
With secret ayde doest succour and supply,
Till they bring forth the fruitfull progeny,
Send us the timely fruit of this same night.
And thou, fayre Hebe, and thou, Hymen free,
Grant that it may so be.
Til which we cease your further prayse to sing,
Ne any words shal answer, nor your eccho ring.
In which a thousand torches flaming bright
Doe burne, that to us wretched earthly clods
In dreadful darknesse lend desired light,
And all ye powers which in the same remayne,
More then we men can fayne,
Poure out your blessing on us plentiously,
And happy influence upon us raine,
That we may raise a large posterity,
Which from the earth, which they may long possesse
With lasting happinesse,
Up to your haughty pallaces may mount,
And for the guerdon of theyr glorious merit,
May heavenly tabernacles there inherit,
Of blessed saints for to increase the count.
So let us rest, sweet love, in hope of this,
And cease till then our tymely joyes to sing:
The woods no more us answer, nor our eccho ring.
With which my love should duly have bene dect,
Which cutting off through hasty accidents,
Ye would not stay your dew time to expect,
But promist both to recompens,
Be unto her a goodly ornament,
And for a short time an endless moniment.
POEMS.
In youth, before I waxed old. The blynd boy, Venus baby. For want of cunning made me bold, In bitter hyve to grope for honny : But, when he saw me stung and cry. He tooke his wings and away did fly.
As Diane hunted on a uay,
She chaunst to come where Cupid lay,
His quiver by his head :
One of his shafts she stole away,
And one of hers did close convay
Into the others stead :
V ith that Love wounded my loves hart.
But Diane beasts with Cupids dart.
I SAW, in secret to my dame How little Cupid humbly cam j.
And said to her; " All hayle, my mother!" But, when he saw me laugh, for shame His face with bashfull blood did flame. Not knowing Venus from the other. " Then, never blush, Cupid, quoth I, For many have err'd in this beauty."
Upon a day, as Love lay sweetly slumbring All in in his mothers lap ;
A gentle bee, with his loud trumpet murm'ring, j About him flew by hap. Whereof when he was wakened with the I'.oyse, 5 And saw the beast so small ;
" Whats this (quoth he) that giv^s so great a voyce That wakens men withallt " In angry wize he flies about,
And threatens all with corage stout. 10
To whom his mother closely smiling sayd, 'Twixt earnest and 'twixt game : " See ! thou thyselfe likewise art lyttle made. If thou regard the same.
