V. GULLINGE SONNETS.

Here my Camelion Muse her selfe doth chaunge to diuers shapes of gross absurdities, and like an Antick[131] mocks w^th fashion straunge the fond[132] admirers of lewde gulleries. Your iudgement sees w^th pitty, and w^th scorne The bastard Sonnetts of these Rymers bace, W^ch in this whiskinge age are daily borne To their own shames, and Poetrie's disgrace. Yet some praise those and some perhappes will praise euen these of myne: and therefore thes I send to you that pass in Courte yo^r glorious dayes; Y^t if some rich rash gull these Rimes commend Thus you may sett this formall witt to schoole, Vse yo^r owne grace, and begg him for a foole. J. D.

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.

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.

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^thout 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.

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.

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.

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.