Diana The praises of his mistres, in certaine sweete sonnets. By H.C.

DIANA. The praises of his Mistres, in certaine sweete Sonnets.

By H. C.

[illustration] printer's or publisher's device

VERITAS TEMPO∣RE PATET OCCVLTA

R S

LONDON, Printed by I. C. for Richard Smith: and are to be sold at the VVest doore of Paules. 1592.

To his absent Diana.

SEuer'd from sweete Content, my liues sole light; Banisht by ouer-weening wit from my desire: This poore acceptance onely I require, That though my fault haue forc'd me from thy sight; Yet that thou wouldst (my sorrowes to requite) Review these Sonnets, pictures of thy praise; Wherein each woe thy wondrous worth doth raise, Though first thy worth bereft me of delight. See them forsaken: for I them forsooke, Forsaken first of thee, next of my sence; And when thou deignst on their blacke teares to looke, Shed not one teare my teares to recompence: But ioy in this (though Fates gainst mee repine) My verse still liues, to witnes thee diuine.

To the Gentlemen Readers.

THE eye (Gentlemen) is the Iudge of beautie, the eare of vtteraunce, the sense of Art: these insuing Sonnets, (sonnes of no partiall Iudge, whose eies were acquainted with Beauties Riches, whose eares frequented to Angelicall sounds, and sense rauish∣ed with excellent Science) are now by misfortune left as Orphans: and craue desertfull acceptance of your experi∣enst iudgements; in whom rests what euer Beautie would grace, or Art adorne. Beeing left desolate, they seeke en∣tertainment: farther they will not, how euer you accept them; better they desire not, but as you like to vse them.

Sonetto primo.

REsolu'd to loue, vnworthie to obtaine, I doo no fauor craue: but humble wise to thee my sighes in verse I sacrifise; onely some pitie, and no helpe to gaine. Heare then, and as my heart shall aye remaine a patient obiect to thy lightning eies: a patient eare bring thou to thundring cries; feare not the cracke, when I the blow sustaine. So, as thine eye bred mine ambitious thought, so shall thine eare make proud my voyce for ioy: lo (Deare) what wonders great by thee are wrought, when I but little fauours doo enioy. The voyce is made the eare for to reioyce: and your eare giueth pleasure to my voyce.

Sonnetto secondo.

It maie be, Loue my death doth not pretend, although he shootes at mee: but thinkes it fit thus to bewitch thee for my benefit, causing thy will to my wish condiscend. For witches which some murther doo intend, doo make a picture, and doo shoote at it; and in that part where they the picture hit, the parties selfe doth languish to his end. So Loue too weake by force thy hart to taint, within my hart thy heauenly shape doth paint: suffring therein his arrowes to abide, onelie to th'end he might by witches art, within my hart pierce through thy pictures side, and through thy pictures side might wound my hart.

Sonnetto terzo.

Blame not my hart for flieng vp too hie, sith thou art cause that it this flight begunne; for earthlie vapors drawne vp by the Sunne, Comets begin, and night-sunnes in the skie. Mine humble hart, so with thy heauenlie eie drawne vp aloft, all low desires doth shunne: raise then me vp, as thou my hart hast done; so during night, in heauen remaine maie I. I saie againe, blame not my high desire, sith of vs both the cause thereof depends: In thee doth shine, in mee doth burne a fire, fire drawes vp other, and it selfe ascends. Thine eie a fier, and so drawes vp my loue: my loue a fier, and so ascends aboue.

Sonnetto quattro.

The Sonne his iourney ending in the West, taking his lodging vp in Thetis bed: though from our eyes his beames be banished, yet with his light th'Antipodes be blest. Now when the Sunne time brings my Sunne to rest, (which mee too oft of rest hath hindered) and whiter skinne with white sheete couered, and softer cheeke doth on soft pillow rest: Then I (oh Sunne of Sunnes, and Light of Lights) wish me with those Antipodes to bee, which see and feele thy beames and heate by nights. Well, though the night both cold and darksome is, yet halfe the dayes delight the night graunts mee: I feele my Sunnes heate, though his light I misse.

Sonnetto quinto.

Flie lowe deare Loue, thy Sunne dost thou not see? Take heed, doo not so neere his rayes aspire: least (for thy pride, inflam'd with wreakfull ire) it burne thy wings, as it hath burned mee. Thou (haply) saist, thy wings immortall bee, and so cannot consumed be with fire: the one is Hope, the other is Desire, and that the heauens bestow'd them both on thee. A Muses words made thee with Hope to flye, an Angels face Desier hath begot, thy selfe engendred by a Goddesse eye: yet for all this, immortall thou art not. Of heauenly eye though thou begotten art, yet art thou borne but of a mortall hart.

Sonnetto sesto.

Vnciuill sicknesse, hast thou no regard, but dost presume my dearest to molest? and without leaue dar'st enter in that brest, wheretoo sweete Loue approach yet neuer dar'd? Spare thou her health, which my life hath not spar'd, too bitter such reuenge of my vnrest: although with wrongs my thought she hath opprest, my wrongs seeke not reuenge, they craue reward. Cease Sicknesse, cease in her then to remaine, and come and welcome, harbour thou in mee: whom Loue long since hath taught to suffer paine. So she which hath so oft my paine increast, (Oh God, that I might so reuenged bee:) by my more paine, might haue her paine releast.

Sonnetto settimo.

A frend of mine, pitieng my hopelesse loue, hoping (by killing hope) my hope to slaie: Let not (quoth hee) thy hope thy hart betraie, impossible it is hir hart to moue. But sith resolued loue cannot remoue, as long as thy diuine perfections staie: thy Godhead then he sought to take awaie. Deare, seeke reuenge, and him a liar proue. Gods onelie doo impossibilities, Impossible (saith he) thy grace to gaine: show then the power of thy diuinities, by graunting me thy fauor to obtaine. So shall thy foe giue to himselfe the lie: a Goddesse thou shalt proue, and happie I.

Sonnetto ottauo.

If true loue might true loues reward obtaine, dumbe wonder onely might speake of my ioy: but too much woorth hath made thee too much coy, and told me long agoe, I sighd in vaine. Not then vaine hope of vndeserued gaine hath made me paint in verses mine annoy: but for thy pleasure, that thou mightst enioy thy beauties sight, in glasses of my paine. See then thy selfe (though mee thou wilt not heare) by looking on my verse: for paine in verse, loue doth in paine, beautie in loue appeare. So, if thou wouldst my verses meaning see, expound them thus, when I my loue rehearse; None loues like him; that is, None faire like mee.

Sonnetto nono.

Thine eye the glasse where I behold my hart, ☜ mine eye the window, through the which thine eye may see my hart, and there thy selfe espye in bloudie colours how thou painted art. Thine eye the pyle is of a murdring dart, mine eye the sight thou tak'st thy leuell by to hit my hart, and neuer shootes awry; mine eye thus helpes thine eye to worke my smart. Thine eye a fier is both in heate and light, mine eye of teares a riuer doth become: Oh that the water of mine eye had might to quench the flames that from thine eyes doo come. Or that the fier kindled by thine eye, the flowing streames of mine eyes could make drie.

Sonnetto decimo.

Ladie in beautie and in fauor rare, of fauor (not of due) I fauor craue: Nature to thee Beautie and Fauor gaue; faire then thou art, and Fauor thou maist spare. When on poore mee bestow'd your fauors are, lesse Fauor in your face you shall not haue: If fauor then a wounded soule may saue, of murthers guilt (deare Ladie) then beware. My losse of life a million sold were lesse, than the least losse should vnto you befall: yet graunt this gift, which gift when I possesse, both I haue life, and you no losse at all. For by your Fauor onelie I doo liue: and Fauour you may well both keepe and giue.

Sonnetto vndeci.

Mine eye with all the deadlie sinnes is fraught,☜ [ 1] First proud, sith it presum'd to looke so hie: a watchman being made, stood gazing by, [ 2] and idle, tooke no heede till I was caught: [ 3] And enuious, beares enuie that my thought should in his absence be to her so nie: to kill my hart, mine eie let in her eie, [ 4] and so consent gaue to a murther wrought: [ 5] And couetous, it neuer would remooue from her faire haire, gold so doth please his sight: [ 6] Vnchast, a baud betweene my hart and loue: [ 7] a glutton eie; with teares drunke euerie night. These sinnes procured haue a Goddesse ire: wherefore my hart is damnd in Loues sweete fire.

Sonnetto dodeci.

☞ My Reason absent, did mine eyes require to watch and ward, and such foes to descrie as they should neere my hart approching spie: but traitor eies my harts death did conspire, (Corrupted with Hopes giftes) let in Desire to burne my hart: and sought no remedie, though store of water were in either eie; which well imploid, might well haue quencht the fire. Reason returnd, Loue and Fortune made Iudges, to iudge mine eies to punishment: Fortune, sith they by sight my hart betraide, from wished sight adiudgd them banishment: Loue, sith by fire murdred my hart was found, adiudged them in teares for to be drownd,

Sonnetto tredeci.

Falslie doth enuie of your praises blame my tongue, my pen, my hart of flatterie: because I said there was no sunne but thee, it calld my tongue the partiall trumpe of fame; And saith my pen hath flattered thy name, because my pen did to my tongue agree; and that my hart must needs a flattrer bee, which taught both tongue and pen to say the same. No, no, I flatter not, when thee I call the sunne, sith that the sunne was neuer such: but when the sunne thee I compar'd withall, doubtles the sunne I flattered too much. Witnes mine eies I saie the truth in this: they haue seene thee, and know that so it is.

Sonnetto quaterdeci.

Wonder it is, and pitie ist, that shee in whom all beauties treasure we may finde, that may inrich the bodie and the minde, towards the poore should vse no charitie. My Loue is gone a begging vnto thee, and if that Beautie had not been more kinde than Pitie, long ere this he had been pinde: but Beautie is content his food to bee. Oh pitie haue, when such poore Orphans beg; Loue (naked boy) hath nothing on his backe: and though he wanteth neither arme nor leg, yet maym'd he is, sith he his sight doth lacke. And yet (though blinde) he beautie can beholde▪ and yet (though nak'd) he feeles more heat than colde.

Sonnetto quindeci.

Much sorrow in it selfe my loue doth moue, more my dispaire, to loue a hopelesse blisse: my follie most, to loue whom sure to misse; oh helpe me but this last griefe to remoue. All paines if you commaund, it ioy shall proue, and wisdome to seeke ioy: then say but this; Because my pleasure in thy torment is, I doo commaund thee without hope to loue. So, when this thought my sorrow shall augment, that my owne follie did procure my paine: then shall I say, to giue my selfe content, obedience onely made me loue in vaine. It was your will, and not my want of wit: I haue the paine, beare you the blame of it.

Sonnetto sedeci.

Pitie refusing my poore Loue to feed, a begger staru'd for want of helpe he lies, and at your mouth (the doore of Beautie) cries, that thence some almes of sweete grants might proceed. But as he waiteth for some almes-deed, a cherrie tree before the doore he spies; Oh deare (quoth he) two cherries may suffise, two onely may saue life in this my need. But beggers, can they naught but cherries eate? Pardon my Loue, he is a Goddesse sonne, and neuer feedeth but on daintie meate, els need he not to pine as he hath done: For onely the sweete frute of this sweete tree, can giue food to my Loue, and life to mee.

Sonnetto decisette.

My Ladies presence makes the Roses red, because to see her lips, they blush for shame: ☜ the Lillies leaues (for enuie) pale became, and her white hands in them this enuie bred: The Marigold the leaues abroad doth spred, because the sunnes: and her power is the same: the Violet of purple colour came, di'd in the bloud she made my hart to shed. In briefe, all flowers from her their vertue take; from her sweete breath, their sweet smells doo proceed; the liuing heate which her eie beames doth make, warmeth the ground, and quickeneth the seed: The raine wherewith she watereth the flowers, falls from mine eyes, which she dissolues in showers.

Sonnetto deciotto.

The Fouler hides (as closelie as he may) the net, where caught the sillie bird should bee, least he the threatning prison should but see, and so for feare be forc'd to flie away. My Ladie so, the while she doth assay in curled knots fast to entangle mee: puts on her vayle, to th'end I should not flee the golden net, wherein I am a pray. Alas (most sweete) what need is of a net, to catch a bird, that is alreadie tane? Sith with your hand alone you maie it get. for it desires to flie into the same. What neede such art my thoughts then to intrap: when (of themselues) they flie into your lap.

Sonnetto decinoue.

When your perfections to my thoughts appeare, they say among themselues; O happie wee, which euer shall so rare an obiect see: but happie hart, if thoughts lesse happie were, For their delights haue cost my hart full deare, in whom of loue a thousand causes bee, and each cause breedes a thousand loues in mee, and each loue more than thousand harts can beare. How can my hart so manie loues then hold, which yet (by heapes) encrease from day to day? But like a ship that's ouer-charg'd with golde, must either sinke, or hurle the golde away. But hurle not loue: thou canst not feeble hart. In thine owne blood, thou therefore drowned art.

Sonnetto vinti.

Sweete hand the sweete, but cruell bowe thou art, from whence at mee fiue yuorie arrowes flie: so with fiue wounds at once I wounded lie, bearing my brest the print of euerie dart. Saint Fraunces had the like, yet felt no smart; where I in liuing torments neuer die: His wounds were in his hands and feete. where I all these fiue helplesse wounds feele in my hart. Now (as Saint Fraunces) if a Saint am I, the bowe that shot these shafts a relique is: I meane the hand, which is the reason whie so manie for deuotion thee would kisse: And some thy gloue kisse, as a thing diuine, this arrowes quiuer, and this reliques shrine.

A calculation vpon the birth of an honourable Ladies daughter, borne in the yeare, 1588. & on a Friday.

Faire by inheritance; whom borne we see, both in the wondrous yeare, and on the day wherein the fairest Planet beareth sway: the Heauens to thee this fortune doth decree. Thou of a world of harts in time shalt bee a Monarch great, and with one beauties ray so manie hoasts of harts thy face shall slay, as all the rest (for loue) shall yeeld to thee. But euen as Alexander (when he knew his Fathers conquests) wept, least he should leaue no Kingdome vnto him for to subdue: so shall thy Mother thee of praise bereaue. So manie harts alreadie she hath slaine, as few behinde to conquer shall remaine.

Vltimo Sonnetto.

Faire Sunne, if you would haue me praise your light: when night approacheth, wherefore doo you flie? Time is so short, Beauties so manie bee, as I haue need to see them day and night: That by continuall view, my verses might tell all the beames of your diuinitie; which praise to you, and ioy should be to mee, you liuing by my verse, I by your sight. I by your sight, and not you by my vearse: neede mortall skill immortall praise rehearse? No, no, though eies were blinde, and verse were dumb, your beautie should be seene, and your fame knowne. For by the winde which from my sighes doo come, your praises round about the world is blowne.