A hundreth sundrie flowres bounde vp in one small poesie Gathered partely (by translation) in the fyne outlandish gardins of Euripides, Ouid, Petrarke, Ariosto, and others: and partly by inuention, out of our owne fruitefull orchardes in Englande: yelding sundrie svveete sauours of tragical, comical, and morall discourses ...
Gascoigne, George, 1542?-1577.
An absent louer (parted from his Lady by Sea) thus complayneth.
BOth déepe and dreadfull were the Seas,
Which held Leander from his loue,
Yet could no doubts his mind appease,
Nor saue his life for hir behoue:
But giltlesse bloud it selfe would spyll,
To please the waues and worke his will.
O gréedie gul•e, O wretched wau•s,
O cruell floods, O •inke of shames,
You hold true louers bound like s•aues,
And kéepe them from their worthy Dames:
Your open mouth gapes euermore,
Till one or both be drownd therfore.
For proofe wherof my selfe may sing,
And shrich to pearce the loftie skies,
Whose Lady left me lang•ishing,
Uppon the shore in woofull wise:
And crost the Seas out of my sight,
Wherby I lost my chiefe delight.
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She sayd that no such trustlesse flood,
Should kéepe our loues (long time) in twayne:
She sware no bread should do hir good,
Tyll she might sée my selfe againe.
She said and swore these words and mo,
But now I find them nothing so.
What resteth then for me to doo,
Thou salt sea foome come say thy mind?
Should I come drowne within thée too,
That am of true Leanders kind?
And headlong cast this corps of mine,
Into those gréedy guttes of thine?
No cruel, but in spite of thée,
I will make Seas where earst were none,
My teares shall flowe in full degrée,
Tyll all my myrth may ebbe to mone.
Into such droppes I meane to melt,
And in such Seas my selfe to swelt,
Lenuoie.
Yet you déere Dame for whom I fade,
Thus steruing still in wretched state:
Remember once your promise made,
Perfourme it now though all to late.
Come h•me to Mars who may you please▪
Let Vulcane bide beyond the Seas.
Meritum petere, graue.
