[illustration]
R I
AWake, awake from slumbring sleep,
O heart why art thou fir'd so sure?
Why doth thou thus for fancy weep,
for those that cannot thée endure,
Or why should I my self disgrace
With doting on a Maidens face;
O no, O no, I will break that strife,
And live and dye a single life.
If she had prov'd as true to mée,
as I in heart did vow to be,
No cause she would have had to rue
my heart so stedfast is and true:
And still I scorn to change my minde,
What though she prove to me unkinde;
'Tis onely she must be my Wife,
Or e••se I'le live a single life.
O Cupid now, come let mée know,
Why I should thus abused be,
The truth unto mée now come show,
I am sure the fault is all in thée,
And cause of this my mournful cry,
Therefore come ease my misery;
And rid me of this home-bred strife,
Or I vow to live a single life.
Go tell my Mistriss it is I,
she must and cannot chuse but love,
I pray thée let thy arrows fly;
that she may true and constant prove,
For I no cause at all can sée
I should go bound, and she go frée,
Perswade her for to end the strife,
Or I vow to live a single life.
No man can tell except he try
the grief, and care, and misery:
A man in love may soon obtain.
and be rewarded with disdain:
So hard in heart some Maidens are,
Young men I pray you have a care:
For fear your heart be fill'd with strife,
No, rather chuse a single life.
But stay, mée-thinks, I hear a voice,
and harmony within mine ear,
I think it is my onely joys,
the voice of her I love most dear,
Forbear a while and you shall sée,
My love and I in unity.
I hope that she will end the strife,
And yeeld now for to be my Wife.