Sinetes passions vppon his fortunes offered for an incense at the shrine of the ladies which guided his distempered thoughtes. The patrons patheticall posies, sonets, maddrigals, and rowndelayes. Together with Sinetes dompe. By Robert Parry Gent.

The lamentation of a Male-content.

[illustration]

Maister thy desires, or liue in despaire▪

DEpose desires, or in despaire re∣maine, A heauy doome, what my desires de∣pose? How can I from my chiefest ioyes re∣fraine? And march•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 retire frō hopes repose. Maister desire; this seemeth st•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉: What voi•…•…e is this that doth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…use?

If Iupiter that frō his throne doth see, My secret woes which ruin's cares induce.

Then mightie Ioue impugne not my content, For thou hast been in such an error trayn'd, What god soeu'r, yet pittie my lament, That cannot from my sweet desires be wayn'd.

Yeilde me no reasons to disswade my course, Though some obiecte, who clym's may hap to fall, The bad is good for to avoyde a worse: And better venter then to liue in thrall.

Or in dispayre remayne; a cruell threate, Ay me remaine still in despayre I muste, Feare which forbids my languor to repeate? Hath cou'red hope with vayle of sad distruste:

For that her sonne which doth obscure my sight, Shines alwayes cleere, whose beams reflecte 〈◊〉〈◊〉 mee. The greater still doth drowne the lesser lig•…•…▪ So I am blinde when I would faynest see:

Opposed by the starre that lendes me hop•…•…▪ I glutt mine eyes with sweete aspects conte•…•…▪ All are but shadowes hem'd in narrow scope? Within the orb•…•… of wearied mindes lamen•…•…: Lookes cannot 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 motions can•…•…ot 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ So eyes and ge•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 doe play their part,

Giue her no knowledge that I am in loue: For with dessembled myrth I hide my smart.

Repugnant feare controuleth my desire, When I woulde speake dispayre pluckes backe the raynes, But yet no che•…•…kes can quench the kindled fire; For fantasie to be controul'de disdaynes:

The marke is fayre, for beautie giueth ayme, Yet maiestie forbids the meane to shoote, The same is it that gaue my heart the mayme, With whom to striue I feare it is not boote:

Could but my pen, finde out the way to write, The moan•…•… I make, the flint to teares would melt, Or that I could the worthy prayse indite; Of that rare Iemfor whom these paines I felt:

The world would wonder for to reade my verse, That nature coulde frame such a perfect stampe, Yet as I can I will the same reherse: And for to light this Isle set out this lampe.

O blooming blossomes with the rising sunne, Cou'rd with the dewe distilled from the skies, You are like shewes that be vnspected donne? And seeme but miste which from the cloudes arise.

When this fayre Nymph sh•…•… •…•…orth her golden shine, She scales the pride •…•…u'n of th•…•… •…•…re skie,

Ech blossom'd flower to honour her incli•…•…, There vertues all vpon her shrine do lye,

The Gods built vp a trophie•…•… of renowne. Honour to add to her admired grace, The Queene of beautie must resigne her Crowne▪ To her whose fayre doth her proud fayre disgrace.

How can I then maister my sweete desire, That takes no rest but in this heau'nly bower, Fuell is scant to kindle reasons fire? My minde inclosed lyes in fancies tower.

The heau'ns are sad when she is Male-content, And Phaebus doth in•…•…ome his goulden beams, In Ebon darknes till her cares be spent: Hyding himselfe within the Oce'n streames.

But when her frownes be turn'd to smiles againe▪ He lendes his light out of a Cloudie tower, Thus the superior bodies doe remaine, Subiect to this Semy-goddesse power:

Can I resist what Ioue could not controule, Who can resist the power of beauties force, 'Tis to well knowne vnto my troubled soule, Bootelesse I stri•…•…e vnlesse she •…•…ke remorse:

Remorse sayd I, how 〈◊〉〈◊〉 she pittie take, On him that yet durst 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for pittie craue,

She doth not knowe I languish for her sake: How am I like her sweete resolue to haue.

Had she but knowne the secrets of my thought, How he•…•… sweete fayre is shrined in my heart, And but for her I count my life for nought? Yt would neu'r grieue me to abide this smart.

But she whose Orbe with Roses circled is, Both red and white of purest die on earth, Doth oft of course shew me a heau'n of blisse, When modest smile is strayn'd with sudden mirth:

This is the •…•…ase that my desires enioy, This is the cause that hath procur'd desire, And this do•…•…ire hath sommon'd myne anoye: Loe see the •…•…ruite of such as would aspire.

I heere a threate of this my fonde intent, Yet cannot haue the thinge I loue so deere, O heau'ns beare witnes how my dayes are spent? In sighes, in sobbs, in sad and mournefull cheere:

Eche night my bed, I bath with brirush teares. And turne me still in hope to haue some rest, When first I sleepe my minde (incamp'd with feares) Makes me to starte with trembing care possest:

Thē thoughts approch vnto my troubled braine And nowe I thinke that •…•…ne for whom I pine,

Eu'n couched doth in happie bed remaine: And so in minde, I doe behould her shine,

Then I begyn for to commend the fate, Of that sweete bed, perfum'd by her sweete breath, And with my selfe eu'n thus I doe debate▪ What rarest beautie there appeares in death;

Her spirits moue with such a liuely grace, That death doth seeme in her an ornament, Whose stately tower the pillow doth embrace; And clipping kisse repos'd with sweete content.

Art can not paynt how thus she Nature feedes, Or liuing death her fayre seemes to possesse, Wherein no doubt the carelesse gazer reedes: The Calender of his accurst distresse.

These tho•…•…ghes encrease the heate of my desire, Whose accents banish'd reason from the stage, My bed be•…•…res guilt of this my burning fire: That accessarie was of this my rage.

For when ech place denied me scope of thought, He gaue repose vnto my wearied minde, To feede vpon what to my harmes I sought, Which now a poyson to infect I finde:

The night being spent in these vnhal'wed cares, The dayes aproch doth 〈◊〉〈◊〉 desires •…•…crease,

Her goulden trammels which my senses snares: Like towring Fawlcon doth on my sight cease.

To view this starre I rowle my light-lesse eye Asqu'int, and then sights force is cleane bereft, That sense can not her sweetest fayre descrie, Which hath my heart in sobbing sorowes left.

Then like the theefe that shunns the Iudges face, I flie her sight that may iudge my desire, Although in heart her presence I embrace; For still my thoughtes to her sweete fayre aspire.

Her noble brest eu'n is that bowre of blisse, Which in it selfe doth harbor my delight, My stay of life therein intombed is, Which lock'd retaynes from wished hope his right:

From wished hope his right, ah bootelesse hope, That soothes his maister in his ruins course, In vaine I striue, too large is honours scope, That to his center hath a still recourse.

•…•…ught Palmers come and sit in Princes throane, To beg for Dole to satisfie there want, Shall I to her uenter to make my moane, Whom for to serue I am right worthy scant.

No sure, the Roe which swift beasts out-ran, Would scorne to see the bearded goate contend,

Yet Paris thought the go•…•…desse striefe to scanne▪ When he did Venus beautie in Ide defrude:

Why shall not I her loue hope to obtayne, Though Ve•…•…us peere, or yet rather peerelesse, Paris a sheaphard I a homely swayne, He want on, I chast Helen would possesse.

No Phereclea•…•… barke with treason stor'd, Loaden with heape of desembling layes, Nor cruell darts with friendes deere blood begor'd, Did guide my course to view thy glorious rayes.

Was't to reuenge of auncestors the wronge, As Paris did; these passions me molest? No, without fraude of pure affection spronge, True loue, yea lone which robb•…•… me of my rest.

Thy Idea ymprest is in my heart, And gonlden trammels shrined in my minde, That if dome fignes doe not my griefe ympart, And hope of thee my entertaynment finde.

I shall weare out the remnant of my dayes, In cursed cares, and sorowes deepe despayre, Diuine sweete Nymph cut off my fates delayes: And let consent salue this thy ioyes ympayre.

For my desires, with •…•…ombling waues, are t•…•…st, Within th'Ocean of thy swee•…•… •…•…utie,

And I in wildernes of cares am lost, Deuising still how to performe my duety:

None knows my minde nor yet what I doe meane, In vaine it is to thunder foorth my griefe, And thus to spend my selfe on such a spleane, When sure I am not to obtaine reliefe:

What though she reade these ruin's of my time, She will not thinke that ought by her is ment▪ For my meane fancies are too base to clime: Or once to ayme the Period of my bent.

That soares aloft eu'n in the racking Cloudes, Beyonde the reach of any mortall sight, And in bright Phoebus beams her honour shrowd's. Which doth from thence encrease fayre Tytanslight.

So that no fight vnlesse the Eagle eyed, (For feare of taynt) dare gaze on this bright sonne, But happie is he that peeping hath espyed, The vayle that cou'rs the fayre this third hath spo•…•…:

Sometimes mine dye (forgetting duties charge) Gaze on those orbes that be so orient fayre, Where anchor-lesse they sayle in fancies barge, And feede themselues eu'n with thy heau'nly payre:

Then while she doth on other obiectes looke, They thinke a vauntage for to steale a sight,

Forgetting that they snatch the bayted hooke: But being encountred by those circlets bright,

They doe retire for to prepare excuse, And blush for feare least that they were descried, Or that her eye•…•… would messuage heere the newes, When as they had vnto my glavnces pried:

Thus would I faine that she did know my case, And yet a•…•…oth she should my fancies knowe, Lest that she would my little hope deface, And being my friend begyn to be m•…•… foe.

Haue I not •…•…d that hollow fearefull voice, Sound in mine cares? which late pronounc'd my care, Had she •…•…de so, it had byn past all choice: For th•…•… I h•…•… byn 〈◊〉〈◊〉 fast in snare.

But sith this E•…•…o of ab•…•…pted ayre, Breathe 〈◊〉〈◊〉 these threates from bowels of conceyte, Yt shall not Coward-like cyre my despayre, But 〈◊〉〈◊〉 giue me courage to entreate.

Then 〈◊〉〈◊〉 patronesse of my repose▪ Diuine the m•…•…ng of my pure intent, And though that feare forbids me to disclose, My inward care, that banisheth content.

Yet haue remorse on him that liuing dyes, Vnlesse thou take com•…•…on on his fate,

Whose wynged thought in pensiue passion lyes, Fenced with vaile of sorowes deepe debate.

Eu'r-during care possesseth my poore minde, Once freede from the badge of discontent, To be thy thrall my soaring thoughtes inclinde, View then my playntes which do my hap lament.

Dayne to regarde the silent griefes I beare, Hoping that signes add inward motions pleade, True tokens of vnfained loue, yet feare, Eclipseth still the hope I had to speede.

Bashfull I am, sweete loue speake thou for mee, Ah well thou know'st the some of my desire, Loue made me thrall and thou canst make me free, Then lende me hope to quench the kindled fire▪

I only craue that thou should'st knowe I •…•…oue, And that I spend my dayes in care for thee, Thou art the sterne which wearied barke doth moue, Ane to the harbour of thy grace I flee.

Not for my selfe alone, these pāssions striue, And torture still my neere-decayde heart, Nor yet of malyce others to corriue, But secret matters which the heau'ns ymp•…•…,

For to encrease thy noble beauties race: That barren lyes for want of timely seede, The braunch, spread Palme the blossom'd buds deface, Note •…•…s is true when thou my Poem reede.

Yf barren Sara vnto Abraham gaue, Agar her mayde, his seede to multiplie, That She a childe by her brought foorth might haue? For to fulfill the sacred Prophesie:

Why should not I being mou'd by loues desire, And stir'd by motion of the heau'nly powers, Yeilde to the furie of this hallowed fi•…•…e, Whose heate cannot be quench'd with stormie shower•…•….

Depose the scruple of a double zeale, For time once lost cannot be had againe, From all the worlde to thee I doe appeale: Though thou shouldst hate, my loue shall still remaine.

I vowe to be true vnto thee alone, •…•…nd eu'r in heart none other to embrace. Nowe let fonde Eccho itterate my moane▪ And part in Cloudes, my fates hope to deface.

I still will sing the glorie of thy name, And glutt my selfe in praysing thy sweete fayre, My pen is bound for to aduaunce thy fame; Vnto the heau'nly region of the ayre:

Then Ioue will pine and fret for such a loue, When thundering blasts, of thy renowned grace, Shall, that great God, with thy fayre beautie, moue▪ Which I in heart doe honour and embrace▪

These secret griefes this loue vnknowne doth fo•…•…e, Whereof I die vnlesse thou take remorse.

FINIS.