Anacreontics
180
I
In
IN
youth before I waxed old.
The blynd boy Venus baby,
For want of cunning made me bold,
In bitter
hyue
hyve
to grope for honny.
But when he saw me stung and cry,
He tooke his wings and away did fly.
As Diane hunted on a day,
She chaunst to come where Cupid lay,
his
quiuer
quiver
by his head:
One of his shafts she stole away,
And one of hers did close
conuay
convay
,
into the others stead:
With that
loue
love
wounded my
loues
loves
hart,
but Diane beasts with Cupids dart.
181
Vpon
Upon
I
Saw
saw
in secret to my Dame,
How little Cupid humbly came:
and sayd to her All hayle my mother.
But when he saw me laugh, for shame:
His face with bashfull blood did flame,
not knowing Venus from the other,
Then
neuer
never
blush Cupid (quoth I)
for many
haue
have
err’d in this beauty.
182
To
VPon
Vpon
Upon
a day as
loue
love
lay sweetly slumbring,
all in his mothers lap:
A gentle Bee with his loud trumpet murm’ring,
about him flew by hap.
Whereof when he was wakened with the noyse,
and saw the beast so small:
Whats this (quoth he) that
giues
gives
so great a voyce,
that wakens men withall.
In angry wize he flyes about,
and threatens all with corage stout.
183
Nath-
TO
To
whom his mother closely smiling sayd,
twixt earnest and twixt game:
See thou thy selfe likewise art lyttle made,
if thou regard the same.
And yet thou suffrest neyther gods in sky,
nor men in earth to rest:
But when thou art disposed cruelly,
theyr sleepe thou doost molest.
Then eyther change thy cruelty,
or
giue
give
lyke
leaue
leave
vnto
unto
the fly.
184
Vnto
Unto
NAthlesse
Nathlesse
the cruell boy not so content,
would needs the fly pursue:
And in his hand with heedlesse hardiment,
him caught for to subdue.
But when on it he hasty hand did lay,
the Bee him stung therefore:
Now out alasse (he cryde) and welaway,
I wounded am full sore:
The fly that I so much did scorne,
hath hurt me with his little horne.
G
185
She
VNto
Vnto
Unto
his mother straight he weeping came,
and of his griefe complayned:
Who could not chose but laugh at his fond game,
though sad to see him pained.
Think now (quod she) my sonne how great the smart
of those whom thou dost wound:
Full many thou hast pricked to the hart,
that pitty
neuer
never
found:
Therefore henceforth some pitty take,
when thou doest spoyle of
louers
lovers
make.
186
The
SHe
She
tooke him streight full pitiously
lamenting,
and wrapt him in her smock:
She wrapt him softly, all the while repenting,
that he the fly did mock.
She drest his wound and it embaulmed wel
with
salue
salve
of
soueraigne
soveraigne
might:
And then she bath’d him in a dainty well
the well of deare delight.
Who would not oft be stung as this,
to be so bath’d in Venus blis.
G2
187
THe
The
wanton boy was shortly wel recured,
of that his malady:
But he soone after fresh againe enured,
his former cruelty.
And since that time he wounded hath my selfe
with his sharpe dart of
loue
love
:
And now forgets the cruell carelesse elfe,
his mothers heast to
proue
prove
.
So now I languish till he please,
my pining anguish to appease.
FINIS.