All are glad, the skies being cleare,
Lightly joying, sporting, toying,
With their lovely cheare:
But as sad to see a shower,
Sadly drooping, lowring, powting,
Turning sweet to sower.

Then, sweet love, dispearse this cloude
That obscures, this scornefull coying;
When each creature sings aloude,
Filling hearts with over joying.

As every bird doth choose her mate,
Gailly billing, she is willing

Her true love to take :

With such words let us contend,
Laughing, colling, kissing, playing,
So our strife shall end.

XXII

Love not me for comely grace,
For my pleasing eye or face,
Nor for any outward part,

No, nor for my constant heart:

For these may faile, or turn to ill,

So thou and I shall sever.

ANON.

Keep therefore a true woman's eye, And love me still, but know not why: So hast thou the same reason still

To doat upon me ever.

XXIII

ANON.

LOVE

THE sea hath many thousand sands,
The sunne hath motes as many,
The skie is full of starres-and love
As full of woes as any;

Believe me that doe knowe the elfe,
And make no tryall by thyselfe.

It is in truth a prettie toye

For babes to play withall;

But O the honies of our youth

Are oft our age's gall;

Selfe-proofe in time will make thee know He was a prophet told thee so.

A prophet that, Cassandra-like,
Tells truth without beliefe ;

For headstrong youth will run his race,
Although his goal be griefe:

Love's martyr, when his heat is past,

Proves Care's Confessor at the last.

XXIV

SONG

ANON.

SOME Say Love,

Foolish Love,

Doth rule and govern all the gods:

I say Love,

Inconstant Love,

Sets men's senses far at odds.

Some sweare Love,

Smooth-fac'd Love,

Is sweetest sweete that men can have:

I say Love,

Sour Love,

Makes virtue yield as beautie's slave, A bitter sweete, a folly worst of all, That forceth wisdom to be folly's thrall.

Love is sweete:

Wherein sweete?

In fading pleasures that do paine.
Beautie sweete :

Is that sweete

That yieldeth sorrow for a gaine?

If Love's sweete,

Herein sweete,

That minutes' joys are monthly woes : 'Tis not sweete

That is sweete

Nowhere, but where repentance growes; Then love who list, if beautie be so sour: Labour for me, Love rest in prince's bower.

R. GREENE.

XXV

TO COLIN CLOUTE

BEAUTIE sat bathing by a spring,

Where fairest shades did hide her, The windes blew calme, the birds did sing, The coole streames ranne beside her.

My wanton thoughts entic'd mine eye

To see what was forbidden :

But better memory said, fie,

So, vaine desire was chidden.
Hey nonnie, nonnie.

Into a slumber then I fell,

When fond Imagination

Seemed to see, but could not tell,

Her feature or her fashion.

But e'en as babes in dreames doe smile,
And sometimes fall a weeping,

So I awakt, as wise this while,

As when I fell a sleeping.

Hey nonnie, nonnie.

XXVI

ANON.

PRESENCE IN ABSENCE

ABSENCE, hear this my protestation
Against thy strength,

Distance, and length !

Do what thou canst for alteration,
For hearts of truest mettle

Absence doth join, and Time doth settle.

Who loves a mistress of such quality,
His mind hath found

Affection's ground

Beyond time, place, and all mortality;
To hearts that cannot vary,

Absence is present, Time doth tarry.

My senses want their outward motion,
Which now within

Reason doth win,

Redoubled by her secret notion,