Amour 44
My hart the Anuile where my
thoughts doe beate,
My words the hammers fashioning
my desire,
My breast the forge, including
all the heate,
Loue is the fuell which maintaines
the fire:
My sighes the bellowes which
the flame increaseth,
Filling mine eares with noise
and nightly groning,
Toyling with paine my labour
neuer ceaseth,
In greeuous passions my woes
styll bemoning.
Myne eyes with teares against
the fire stryuing,
With scorching gleed my hart
to cynders turneth;
But with those drops the coles
againe reuyuing,
Still more and more vnto my
torment burneth.
With Sisiphus
thus doe I role the stone,
And turne the
wheele with damned Ixion.
Amour 45
Blacke pytchy Night, companyon
of my woe,
The Inne of care, the Nurse
of drery sorrow,
Why lengthnest thou thy darkest
howres so,
Still to prolong my long tyme
lookt-for morrow?
Thou Sable shadow, Image of
dispayre,
Portraite of hell, the ayres
black mourning weed,
Recorder of reuenge, remembrancer
of care,
The shadow and the vaile of
euery sinfull deed.
Death like to thee, so lyue
thou still in death,
The graue of ioy, prison of
dayes delight.
Let heauens withdraw their
sweet Ambrozian breath,
Nor Moone nor stars lend thee
their shining light;
For thou alone
renew’st that olde desire,
Which still torments
me in dayes burning fire.
Amour 46
Sweete secrecie, what tongue
can tell thy worth?
What mortall pen sufficiently
can prayse thee?
What curious Pensill serues
to lim thee forth?
What Muse hath power aboue
thy height to raise thee?
Strong locke of kindnesse,
Closet of loues store,
Harts Methridate, the soules
preseruatiue;
O vertue! which all vertues
doe adore,
Cheefe good, from whom all
good things wee deriue.
O rare effect! true bond of
friendships measure,
Conceite of Angels, which
all wisdom teachest;
O, richest Casket of all heauenly
treasure,
In secret silence which such
wonders preachest.
O purest mirror!
wherein men may see
The liuely Image
of Diuinitie.
Amour 47
The golden Sunne vpon his
fiery wheeles
The horned Ram doth in his
course awake,
And of iust length our night
and day doth make,
Flinging the Fishes backward
with his heeles:
Then to the Tropicke takes
his full Careere,
Trotting his sun-steeds till
the Palfrays sweat,
Bayting the Lyon in his furious
heat,
Till Virgins smyles doe sound
his sweet reteere.
But my faire Planet, who directs
me still,
Vnkindly such distemperature