Bird prune thy wing, nightingale sing,
To give my Love good-morrow;

To give my Love good-morrow
Notes from them both I'll borrow.

Wake from thy nest, Robin-red-breast,
Sing birds in every furrow;
And from each hill, let music shrill

Give my fair Love good-morrow!
Blackbird and thrush in every bush,
Stare, linnet, and cock-sparrow !
You pretty elves, amongst yourselves
Sing my fair Love good-morrow;

To give my Love good-morrow
Sing birds in every furrow!

LIII

T. Heywood

C

PROTHALAMION

'ALM was the day, and through the trembling air

Sweet-breathing Zephyrus did softly play

A gentle spirit, that lightly did delay

Hot Titan's beams, which then did glister fair;
When I (whom sullen care,

Through discontent of my long fruitless stay

In princes' court, and expectation vain
Of idle hopes, which still do fly away
Like empty shadows, did afflict my brain)
Walk'd forth to ease my pain

Along the shore of silver-streaming Thames;
Whose rutty bank, the which his river hems,
Was painted all with variable flowers,

And all the meads adorn'd with dainty gems

Fit to deck maidens' bowers,

And crown their paramours

Against the

dal day, which is not long :

Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song.

There in a meadow by the river's side
A flock of nymphs I chanced to espy,
All lovely daughters of the flood thereby,
With goodly greenish locks all loose untied
As each had been a bride;

And each one had a little wicker basket
Made of fine twigs, entrailéd curiously,

In which they gather'd flowers to fill their flasket,
And with fine fingers cropt full feateously

The tender stalks on high.

Of every sort which in that meadow grew
They gather'd some; the violet, pallid blue,
The little daisy that at evening closes,
The virgin lily and the primrose true :
With store of vermeil roses,

To deck their bridegrooms' posies

Against the bridal day, which was not long :

Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song.

With that I saw two swans of goodly hue
Come softly swimming down along the lee;
Two fairer birds I yet did never see;

The snow which doth the top of Pindus strow
Did never whiter show,

Nor Jove himself, when he a swan would be
For love of Leda, whiter die appear;

Yet Leda was (they say) as white as he,
Yet not so white as these, ner nothing near;
So purely white they were

XL

THE UNFAITHFUL SHEPHERDESS

WHI

HILE that the sun with his beams hot
Scorchéd the fruits in vale and mountain,

Philon the shepherd, late forgot,

Sitting beside a crystal fountain,

In shadow of a green oak-tree

Upon his pipe this song play'd he : Adieu Love, adieu Love, untrue Love, Untrue Love, untrue Love, adieu Love; Your mind is light, soon lost for new love.

So long as I was in your sight

I was your heart, your soul, and treasure;
And evermore you sobb'd and sigh'd
Burning in flames beyond all measure:

Three days endured your love to me,
And it was lost in other three !

Adieu Love, adieu Love, untrue Love,
Untrue Love, untrue Love, adieu Love;
Your mind is light, soon lost for new love.

Another Shepherd you did see

To whom your heart was soon enchainéd;
Full soon your love was leapt from me,
Full soon my place he had obtained.

Soon came a third, your love to win,
And we were out and he was in.
Adieu Love, adieu Love, untrue Love,
Untrue Love, untrue Love, adieu Love;
Your mind is light, soon lost for new love.

Sure you have made me passing glad
That you your mind so soon removéd,
Before that I the leisure had

To choose you for my best belovéd :

For all your love was past and done
Two days before it was begun : —
Adieu Love, adieu Love, untrue Love,
Untrue Love, untrue Love, adieu Love;
Your mind is light, soon lost for new love.

I'

XLI

A RENUNCIATION

F women could be fair, and yet not fond,

Or that their love were firm, not fickle still,
I would not marvel that they make men bond
By service long to purchase their good-will;
But when I see how frail those creatures are,
I muse that men forget themselves so far.

To mark the choice they make, and how they change,
How oft from Phoebus they do flee to Pan;
Unsettled still, like haggards wild they range,
These gentle birds that fly from man to man ;
Who would not scorn and shake them from the fist,
And let them fly, fair fools, which way they list?

Yet for disport we fawn and flatter both,
To pass the time when nothing else can please,
And train them to our lure with subtle oath,
Till, weary of their wiles, ourselves we ease;
And then we say when we their fancy try,
To play with fools, O what a fool was I !

E. Vere, Earl of Oxford

BLO

XLII

LOW, blow, thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind

As man's ingratitude;

Thy tooth is not so keen.

Because thou art not seen,

Although thy breath be rude.

Heigh ho! sing heigh ho! unto the green holly: Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly : Then, heigh ho! the holly!

This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky,

Thou dost not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:

Though thou the waters warp,

Thy sting is not so sharp

As friend remember'd not.

Heigh ho! sing heigh ho! unto the green holly: Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly: Then, heigh ho! the holly!

This life is most jolly.

W. Shakespeare

XLIII

MADRIGAL

MY thoughts hold mortal strife ;

I do detest my life,

And with lamenting cries

Peace to my soul to bring

Oft call that prince which here doth monarchize :

- But he, grim grinning King,