The Shorter Poems Read online

  Of whiche the one was black, the other white.

  With deadly force so in their cruell race

  They pinchte the haunches of this gentle beast,

  10

  That at the last, and in shorte time, I spied,

  Vnder a rocke, where she (alas) opprest,

  Fell to the grounde, and there vntimely dide.

  Cruell death vanquishing so noble beautie,

  Oft makes me waile so harde a destinie.

  [2]

  After at Sea a tall Ship dyd appere,

  Made all of Heben and white Iuorie,

  The sailes of Golde, of Silke the tackle were:

  Milde was the winde, calme seemed the sea to be:

  5

  The Skie eche where did shew full bright and faire.

  With riche treasures this gay ship fraighted was.

  But sodaine storme did so turmoyle the aire,

  And tombled vp the sea, that she, alas,

  Strake on a rocke that vnder water lay.

  10

  O great misfortune, O great griefe, I say,

  Thus in one moment to see lost and drownde

  So great riches, as lyke can not be founde.

  [3]

  Then heauenly branches did I see arise,

  Out of a fresh and lusty Laurell tree

  Amidde the yong grene wood. Of Paradise

  Some noble plant I thought my selfe to see,

  5

  Suche store of birdes therein yshrouded were,

  Chaunting in shade their sundry melodie.

  My sprites were rauisht with these pleasures there.

  While on this Laurell fixed was mine eye,

  The Skie gan euery where to ouercast,

  10

  And darkned was the welkin all aboute,

  When sodaine flash of heauens fire outbrast,

  And rent this royall tree quite by the roote.

  Which makes me much and euer to complaine,

  For no such shadow shal be had againe.

  [4]

  Within this wood, out of the rocke did rise

  A Spring of water mildely romblyng downe,

  Whereto approched not in any wise

  The homely Shepherde, nor the ruder cloune,

  5

  But many Muses, and the Nymphes withall,

  That sweetely in accorde did tune their voice

  Vnto the gentle sounding of the waters fall.

  The sight wherof dyd make my heart reioyce.

  But while I toke herein my chiefe delight,

  10

  I sawe (alas) the gaping earth deuoure

  The Spring, the place, and all cleane out of sight.

  Whiche yet agreues my heart euen to this houre.

  [5]

  I saw a Phoenix in the wood alone,

  With purple wings and crest of golden hew,

  Straunge birde he was, wherby I thought anone,

  That of some heauenly wight I had the vew:

  5

  Vntill he came vnto the broken tree

  And to the spring that late deuoured was.

  What say I more? Eche thing at length we see

  Doth passe away: the Phœnix there, alas,

  Spying the tree destroyde, the water dride,

  10

  Himselfe smote with his beake, as in disdaine,

  And so forthwith in great despite he dide.

  For pitie and loue my heart yet burnes in paine.

  [6]

  At last so faire a Ladie did I spie,

  That in thinking on hir I burne and quake,

  On herbes and floures she walked pensiuely.

  Milde, but yet loue she proudely did forsake.

  5

  White seemed hir robes, yet wouen so they were,

  As snowe and golde together had bene wrought.

  Aboue the waste a darke cloude shrouded hir,

  A stinging Serpent by the heele hir caught,

  Wherewith she languisht as the gathered floure:

  10

  And well assurde she mounted vp to ioy.

  Alas in earth so nothing doth endure

  But bitter griefe that dothe our hearts anoy.

  [7]

  My Song thus now in thy Conclusions,

  Say boldly that these same six visions

  Do yelde vnto thy lorde a sweete request,

  Ere it be long within the earth to rest.

  Sonets.

  [1]

  It was the time when rest the gift of Gods

  Sweetely sliding into the eyes of men,

  Doth drowne in the forgetfulnesse of slepe,

  The carefull trauailes of the painefull day:

  5

  Then did a ghost appeare before mine eyes

  On that great riuers banke that runnes by Rome,

  And calling me then by my propre name,

  He bade me vpwarde vnto heauen looke.

  He cride to me, and loe (quod he) beholde,

  10

  What vnder this great Temple is containde,

  Loe all is nought but flying vanitie.

  So I knowing the worldes vnstedfastnesse,

  Sith onely God surmountes the force of tyme,

  In God alone do stay my confidence.

  [2]

  On hill, a frame an hundred cubites hie

  I sawe, an hundred pillers eke about,

  All of fine Diamant decking the front,

  And fashiond were they all in Dorike wise.

  5

  Of bricke, ne yet of marble was the wall,

  But shining Christall, which from top to base

  Out of deepe vaute threw forth a thousand rayes

  Vpon an hundred steps of purest golde.

  Golde was the parget: and the sielyng eke

  10

  Did shine all scaly with fine golden plates.

  The floore was Iaspis, and of Emeraude.

  O worldes vainenesse. A sodein earthquake loe,

  Shaking the hill euen from the bottome deepe,

  Threwe downe this building to the lowest stone.

  [3]

  Then did appeare to me a sharped spire

  Of diamant, ten feete eche way in square,

  Iustly proportionde vp vnto his height,

  So hie as mought an Archer reache with sight.

  5

  Vpon the top therof was set a pot

  Made of the mettall that we honour most.

  And in this golden vessell couched were

  The ashes of a mightie Emperour.

  Vpon foure corners of the base there lay

  10

  To beare the frame, foure great Lions of golde.

  A worthie tombe for such a worthie corps.

  Alas, nought in this worlde but griefe endures.

  A sodaine tempest from the heauen, I saw,

  With flushe stroke downe this noble monument.

  [4]

  I saw raisde vp on pillers of Iuorie,

  Whereof the bases were of richest golde,

  The chapters Alabaster, Christall frises,

  The double front of a triumphall arke.

  5

  On eche side portraide was a victorie.

  With golden wings in habite of a Nymph.

  And set on hie vpon triumphing chaire,

  The auncient glorie of the Romane lordes.

  The worke did shewe it selfe not wrought by man,

  10

  But rather made by his owne skilfull hande

  That forgeth thunder dartes for Ioue his sire.

  Let me no more see faire thing vnder heauen,

  Sith I haue seene so faire a thing as this,

  With sodaine falling broken all to dust.

  [5]

  Then I behelde the faire Dodonian tree,

  Vpon seuen hilles throw forth his gladsome shade,

  And Conquerers bedecked with his leaues

  Along the bankes of the Italian streame.

  5

  T
here many auncient Trophees were erect,

  Many a spoile, and many goodly signes,

  To shewe the greatnesse of the stately race,

  That erst descended from the Troian bloud.

  Rauisht I was to see so rare a thing,

  10

  When barbarous villaines in disordred heape,

  Outraged the honour of these noble bowes.

  I hearde the tronke to grone vnder the wedge.

  And since I saw the roote in hie disdaine

  Sende forth againe a twinne of forked trees.

  [6]

  I saw the birde that dares beholde the Sunne,

  With feeble flight venture to mount to heauen,

  By more and more she gan to trust hir wings,

  Still folowing th’example of hir damme:

  5

  I saw hir rise, and with a larger flight

  Surmount the toppes euen of the hiest hilles,

  And pierce the cloudes, and with hir wings to reache

  The place where is the temple of the Gods,

  There was she lost, and sodenly I saw

  10

  Where tombling through the aire in lompe of fire,

  All flaming downe she fell vpon the plaine.

  I saw hir bodie turned all to dust,

  And saw the foule that shunnes the cherefull light

  Out of hir ashes as a worme arise.

  [7]

  Then all astonned with this nightly ghost,

  I saw an hideous body big and strong,

  Long was his beard, and side did hang his hair,

  A grisly forehed and Saturnelike face.

  5

  Leaning against the belly of a pot

  He shed a water, whose outgushing streame

  Ran flowing all along the creekie shoare

  Where once the Troyan Duke with Turnus fought.

  And at his feete a bitch Wolfe did giue sucke

  10

  To two yong babes. In his right hand he bare

  The tree of peace, in left the conquering Palme,

  His head was garnisht with the Laurel bow.

  Then sodenly the Palme and Oliue fell,

  And faire greene Laurel witherd vp and dide.

  [8]

  Hard by a riuers side, a wailing Nimphe,

  Folding hir armes with thousand sighs to heauen

  Did tune hir plaint to falling riuers sound,

  Renting hir faire visage and golden haire,

  5

  Where is (quod she) this whilome honored face?

  Where is thy glory and the auncient praise,

  Where all worldes hap was reposed,

  When erst of Gods and man I worshipt was?

  Alas, suffisde it not that ciuile bate

  10

  Made me the spoile and bootie of the world,

  But this new Hydra mete to be assailde

  Euen by an hundred such as Hercules,

  With seuen springing heds of monstrous crimes,

  So many Neroes and Caligulaes

  15

  Must still bring forth to rule this croked shore.

  [9]

  Vpon a hill I saw a kindled flame,

  Mounting like waues with triple point to heauen,

  Which of incense of precious Ceder tree

  With Balmelike odor did perfume the aire.

  5

  A bird all white, well fetherd on hir winges

  Hereout did flie vp to the throne of Gods,

  And singing with most plesant melodie

  She climbed vp to heauen in the smoke.

  Of this faire fire the faire dispersed rayes

  10

  Threw forth abrode a thousand shining leames,

  When sodain dropping of a golden shoure

  Gan quench the glystering flame. O greuous chaunge!

  That which erstwhile so pleasaunt scent did yelde,

  Of Sulphure now did breathe corrupted smel.

  [10]

  I saw a fresh spring rise out of a rocke,

  Clere as Christall against the Sunny beames,

  The bottome yellow like the shining land,

  That golden Pactol driues vpon the plaine.

  5

  It seemed that arte and nature striued to ioyne

  There in one place all pleasures of the eye.

  There was to heare a noise alluring slepe

  Of many accordes more swete than Mermaids song,

  The seates and benches shone as Iuorie,

  10

  An hundred Nymphes sate side by side about,

  When from nie hilles a naked rout of Faunes

  With hideous cry assembled on the place,

  Which with their feete vncleane the water fouled,

  Threw down the seats, and droue the Nimphs to flight.

  [11]

  At length, euen at the time when Morpheus

  Most truely doth appeare vnto our eyes,

  Wearie to see th’inconstance of the heauens:

  I saw the great Typhæus sister come,

  5

  Hir head full brauely with a morian armed,

  In maiestie she seemde to matche the Gods.

  And on the shore, harde by a violent streame,

  She raisde a Trophee ouer all the worlde.

  An hundred vanquisht kings gronde at hir feete,

  10

  Their armes in shamefull wise bounde at their backes.

  While I was with so dreadfull sight afrayde,

  I saw the heauens warre against hir tho,

  And seing hir striken fall with clap of thunder,

  With so great noyse I start in sodaine wonder.

  [12]

  I saw an vgly beast come from the sea,

  That seuen heads, ten crounes, ten hornes did beare,

  Hauing theron the vile blaspheming name.

  The cruell Leopard she resembled much:

  5

  Feete of a beare, a Lions throte she had.

  The mightie Dragon gaue to hir his power.

  One of hir heads yet there I did espie,

  Still freshly bleeding of a grieuous wounde.

  One cride aloude. What one is like (quod he)

  10

  This honoured Dragon, or may him withstande?

  And then came from the sea a sauage beast,

  With Dragons speche, and shewde his force by fire,

  With wondrous signes to make all wights adore

  The beast, in setting of hir image vp.

  [13]

  I saw a Woman sitting on a beast

  Before mine eyes, of Orenge colour hew:

  Horrour and dreadfull name of blasphemie

  Filde hir with pride. And seuen heads I saw,

  5

  Ten hornes also the stately beast did beare.

  She seemde with glorie of the scarlet faire,

  And with fine perle and golde puft vp in heart.

  The wine of hooredome in a cup she bare.

  The name of Mysterie writ in hir face.