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The Lovers Dreame:
Who sleeping, thought he did imbrace his Love,
Which when he wak'd, did no such matter prove;
Yet afterwards her Love he did enjoy,
By sending a Letter by a trusty young Boy.
To the tune of, I laid me downe to sleepe.
[illustration]
[illustration]
AS I was walking all alone,
and musing in my minde,
With many a sigh and grone,
I studied how to find,
Some dainty pleasant Theame,
to write unto my Love,
And I fell in a dreame,
and marke how it did prove.
I laid me downe to sléepe,
thinking my Love lay by,
But when I did awake,
my dreame it prou'd a lye:
I sweat, and I am cold,
I fréeze, and am a fire;
I sée, and cannot behold
the thing that I most desire.
Thus dreaming as I lay,
me thought she smil'd on me,
Which did increase my joy,
such happinesse to sée:
I spake unto my Love,
and she did answer make:
But so it did not prove,
when as I did awake.
Me thought I saw my Love,
and with her I did stray,
Hard by a pleasant Grove,
where we a while did stay.
But time that swift doth goe,
did run too suddenly:
O time why didst thou so?
thou mad'st my Love to cry:
But when I saw her eyes,
bedew'd with brinish teares,
Then I did soone surmise
her heart was struck with feares.
And I did soone require
some reason for to know:
Her answer did admire
my heart with joy and woe.
Quoth she, I love thee deare,
yet so I dare not say,
Because I live in feare
of my true Loves decay:
My Father he is rich,
and I his onely Heire,
And he at me will grutch,
to wed on's poore and bare.
Me thought I answer made,
that I was yong and faire,
And having Art and Trade,
I bade her not take care.
With that me thought she smil'd,
and to me she did say;
My Love be reconcil'd,
and Ile be thine for aye.
My mind was thus imploy'd,
and yet I nothing do;
I thought I'd got a Bride,
but yet it was not so:
Me thought I had my will,
according to my mind,
But I do want it still,
my Love proves not so kind;