The amorose songes, sonets, and elegies: of M. Alexander Craige, Scoto-Britane

ALEXIS to LESBIA.

COme be my Loue, and liue with mee, And thou shalt all the solace see, That glassie gulfs or earth can bring, From Ʋesta's wealth, or Neptuns reigne.

For we shall on the Mountains go, In shaddie Vmbers too and fro: In Vallies low, and on the Bray, And with thy feet the flowrs shall play.

And I shall make thee pleasant Poses, Of Dasies Gilliflowrs and Roses: My Arms shalbe a Belt to thee: Thine if thou wilt, the like to mee.

Of Floraes tapestrie thy Gowne, Thy Cap shall be my Lawrell Crowne: Which drest of Daphne's haire shall shine, Whyls on my head, and whyls on thine.

And thou vpon thy rock shalt rest, And heare the Echoes from my brest▪ For I shall sing in Sonets shill, the charming numbers of my quill.

Yea wee with woond'ring eyes shall gaze On many sundrie c••ous maze: And view the Arc••••tecture fare, Of rich and statelie ••uddings rare.

And we shall looke a••out and see, The wrack of time before our ee: The pendul stones, their builders ban, Imploring help at hand of man.

And wee shall see the Riuers rin, With delicat and daintie din: And how my Douern night and day. With sweet Meanders slides away.

To pay her debts vnto the Sea. And like a wanton Nimph doth flie Through blooming banks with smiling face Her Lord the Ocean to imbrace.

And wee shall see the towrs of tree, Halfe seeme to swim, and halfe to flie: Part in the Sea, part in the Aire, And Eag'l heere, a Dolphin thaire.

Wee shall behold Nereid Nymphs, Make waters welcome from their lymps: And euery houre into the day, Fresh Floods and th'Ocean billowes play.

And we shall heare the Roches ring, While storme-presageing Mermayds sing: And on the Rocks the law's shall roare, Salut and resalut the Shoare.

And when Apollo taks his rest, With wearie Horses in the West: And Cynthia begins to shine, Thy Poets Tugar shall be thine.

Then shalt thou see my homlie fare, And what poore riches I haue thare: And if those things can moue thy mind, Come, come, and be no more vnkind.

LESBIA her answer to ALEXIS.

IF all were thine that there I see, Thou paynts to breed content to mee: Then those delights might moue my mind To yeeld, and be no more vnkind.

Sith nought is thine that thou sets downe, Saue Songs, thy selfe, thy Belt, thy Crowne, Thy Tugure, and thy homely fare: And that poore wealth which thou hast thare.

I might be compted most accurst, To dwell with thee, suppose I durst: And men might thinke mee more then mad, To leaue the better for the bad.

Yet least I should be deemd ingrate, To loath thee for thy poore estate, Though Fortune be thy fremmit foe, No reason were I should be so.

Thy Lines allure mee to be thine, And thou shalt see it soone or sine: The christall streams shall backward moue, Ere I forget thy faythfull loue.

A new perswasion to LESBIA.

ONce more I pray thee be my Loue, Come liue with mee, and thou shalt proue All pleasures that a Poets vaine, Can find on mould or in the mane. Wilt thou vpon my Paruas walke, And tread the Flowrs with leauie stalke, Which bud on my biforked tops: Bedew'd with sweet Cactalian drops. On Thithorea wilt thou go, Or Hyampeus too and fro? Or wilt thou with Pierid Nimphs, Drinke of these euer-flowing Limphs, From Hyppocrene which diuall, Or springs of Aganippe wall? Wilt thou repose thee in the shade, Which Nature hath diuinely made? Apolloes Laurell thou shalt see, And louely Venus Myrtle tree, Alcides Popler full of state, The Palme which thriues in spight of hate. Mineruaes Oliue, and the Mirr, And of great Mars the warlike Firr:

Which Nature hath so well desposed, And therewithall such walks inclosed, As for rich Tapestrie shall serue, From beames thy beautie to preserue: The Gilliflowrs and Roses sweet, Shall stoope their tops beneath thy feet: The V••olet and Primrose faire, The Marigold with yellow haire: Both Moli and the Balme shall smell, With Miriads more then I can tell: The louely Herald of the Spring, The Philomel to thee shall sing, Both Larke and Maues shall abo••e. Thy head their small recordars toone: I'll make thee Garlands faire of Flowrs, With Amadriads in their bowers, With Myrtill boughs braue to behold, And paint their leaues with spangs of gold, Which I will checker all with frets Of prettie pinks and Violets: And when Apolloes Coach agaue Giues way vnto Dianaes Wane: Thy Poet on his pyping Reed, Thy fansie with sweet Songs shall feed.

Thou shalt want no content of mind, S••ue wealth, which seldome Poets find: If pouertie hath power to moue, Come, come sweet heart, and be my Loue.

A Letter to LESBIA, shewing his discontents.

OFt haue I pray'd thee be my Loue, Come liue with mee, and thou shalt proue All pleasures that a Poets vaine Can find on mold, or in the mane: Yet neither can my Loue (allace) Nor my oblectaments haue place, To moue thy hard and flintie hart, Some piti••s portion to impart. Dispeasure maks my Muse be doomb, And Parnas barren is become: My Wels are dry, trite wayes my walks, My Flow'rs do fade vpon their stalks: Trees lack both leaues, and Larks to sing: Those Fruits thy falset doth foorth bring,

Hadst thou not known that I was poore, Then Luker might thy loue allure: Why art thou of so churlish kind, To loue the moyan, not the mind? Proud in her heart would Phillis bee, To proue thy pediseque, for mee: Shee followeth mee, and yet I flie, Pursew'd of her, and plagu'd of thee: But wouldst thou to thy seruile slaue, Bequeath the credit which I craue? Muse, Birds, Hils, Wels, Trees, Flowrs, & Walks, Would sing, flow, florish on their stalks: And I reuiu'd by thee (faire Dame) My wonted courage would acclame. Then let me know thy vtter will, Vpon this Paper good or ill: And so till I the same receaue, I am thy well affected slaue.

Sonet to LESBIA.

TIme and my thoughts Togither spurr the Post, For once I thought to spend my time for gaine: Yet while I thought this thought, the ti•••• was lo••t And left me there, to thinke my though•• was va••••e And while I pause the posting time to spend, Time spends it selfe and mee: but how I muse: The more I muse, the mo••e •• hast my end. Thus Time doth mee, an•• do Time abuse: That Time once tint can not returne againe. A secret sorrow doth posses my mind, But least the world should know why I complaine Deare to my soule I pray thee proue more kind. I dreame the darke, and driue in dooll the day, Thus wast my time, and weare my selfe away.

LESBIA her answer.

DRiue not deare hart, in dooll the day, Wast not thy selfe nor Time away: Doo not so much as dreame by night, Vnles thy Dreames be short and slight. Though wauering wits in time will vaige, Be thou thy selfe a constant Craige. And for thy Loue thou bears to mee, I am thy debtor till I die. What I haue hight hap good or ill, But fraud or feare I shall fulfill, I am not of a churlish kind, To loue the moyane not the mind, No contrar chause, nor fortune strange, Shall make my setled mind to change: I am thine sworne, and I shall seale What I haue sayd; till when fareweale.

CODRVS Complaint and Farewell to Ralatibia.

A Shepheard poore with store of pains opprest Beneath the branches of a leauie tree, With Lute in hand deliuered his vnrest, When none was nie but Satyrs, Fauns, and hee•• And hauing tund his base and treble string, Hee sigh'd, hee sob'd, and thus began ro sing.

Why am I banisht from those blessed bounds Where I was wont with pleasure to repaire? What cruell doome my comfort so confounds, And casts mee in the confins of dispaire? What haue I done, sayd, thought (allace the while) that can procure proscription and exile?

I am condem'd, and no inditment heard: There is no grace nor mercie in her eyes. I plead for peace, and presence is debard: I loue, she loath's; I follow, and she flies: All modest means that may be, I haue vs'd, My Songs, my selfe, my friends, are all refus'd.

Why, was I borne to be the poynt of paine, The scorne of Time, the obloquie of Fame? My fellow Shepheards frollicke ouer the plaine, They feed their flocks, & court the countrie Dame On Holidayes their Sonets sweet thy sing, And to their Loues their best oblations bring.

But I exild from Kalatibia's eyes By her decret, whom I shall ay adore: Must sacrifice, sigh, tears, plaints, gro••s, and cryes: But all in vaine, and woe is mee therefore: I long, I loue, I fry, I freeze, I pine, No punishment can be compard to mine.

Allace, allace, my flocks both starue and stray, quit macerat to want their maisters eye: Which with Liciscais harmles Barke would stay, And turne againe from neighbour corns to mee: My litle Lambs, my faire and fertill Ewes, With sad reports their plaints for mee renewes.

What madnes mooues remorsles faire, thy mind, Since neither plaints nor prayers can haue place? Hast thou concluded still to kythe vnkind,

And day by day delight in my disgrace? O bee it so! if needs it must be so, For I am armd for euerie kind of woe.

Since I am thus proscrib'd, I pray thee take (Faire Kalatihia) this inforc'd fareweale. Since Fortune, Loue, and weerds, auow my wrake, To whom shall I (despised soule) appeale? O loue no more, nor leue no more a thrall, Die Codrus die, end loue and life and all.

But Pusillany me poore and hartles man, Why wouldst thou die to please so proud a Dame? Though thou be banisht for a while, what than, Shee's not so cruell but shee may reclame? Yet flie, be gone; let good or bad befall thee. And care no more, suppose she neuer recall thee

And thus poore soule, from out the Groue he goes, And leaues (allace) both Lines and Lute behind: Which I (the true Secretar to his woes. And fellow of his fortun••) did foorth find: And for his sake I sigh, sing, say, & show them that cruel she, whō they concern may know thē.

CODRVS his reconciliation to his heart, after he hath abiured KALATIBIA.

POore wandring hart, which like the prodig child From reasons rule hath run so long astray, Misled by Loue, with fancies fond beguild: And now returnd with torne and rent array, my halfe and better part since thou art come, with true remorse most kindly welcome home.

Laciuious looks of life bewitching eye, Inconstant oath's of most vnsetled mind, You fals inflections of a Iudas knee, You worthles vowes which vanish with the wind, Dispatch your selfe, and let mee liue in peace, Within my hart thou haue no dwelling place.

Come sit thee downe (deare hart) wee'l haue a feast My fond Conceits I for a Calfe will kill: I am thy Oast, and thou shalt be my guest, Repenting Teares will furnish Wine at will: Our Musick Sighs: and if I were more able, Fayth thou should find a banquet for thy table.

With hartie draughts will wee to drinke begin, Vnto the brim let reasonn fill each bowll: I'll lock the gate, and Loue shall not looke in, That our contract may knit without controull, In surest sort let vs betroth our selfe, And band gainst Beautie, and the blinded elfe.

Sigh sorie hart, and I will weepe with thee, Let no eclipse diuide vs two againe: Let Reason hencefoorth guyd and ruler bee, And wa••t no more the swift wingd Time in vaine And while my teares can intertaine thy feast, Repenting heart thou art a pleasing Ghuest.

Now setlet heart secure and f••ee from feare, Though all the earth should sinke in seas of Loue, Fleet in the Arke, sit still in Reasons chare, And to the world giue verdits from aboue, The life of Wisedome in Experience lies: Then let thine owne misfortuns mak thee wise.

Faemineos post hac disce canere dolos.

FINIS.