Tottel, Richard . "Songes and Sonettes written by the ryght honorable
Lorde Henry Haward late Earle of Surrey, and other"
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Myne olde dere enmy
wiates complaint vpon Loue, to Reason: with Loues answer.
2.28.1: Myne olde dere enmy, my froward maister,
2.28.2: Afore that Quene, I causde to be accited,
2.28.3: Which holdeth the diuine part of our nature,
2.28.4: That, like as golde, in fire he mought be tryed.
2.28.5: Charged with dolour, there I me presented
2.28.6: With horrible feare, as one that greatly dredeth
2.28.7: A wrongfull death, and iustice alway seketh.
2.28.8: And thus I sayd: once my left foote, Madame,
2.28.9: When I was yong, I set within his reigne:
2.28.10: Wherby other than fierly burning flame
2.28.11: I neuer felt, but many a greuous pain.
2.28.12: Torment I suffred, angre, and disdain:
2.28.13: That mine oppressed pacience was past,
2.28.14: And I mine owne life hated, at the last.
2.28.15: Thus hitherto haue I my time passed
2.28.16: In pain and smart. What wayes profitable:
2.28.17: How many pleasant dayes haue me escaped,
2.28.18: In seruing this false lyer so deceauable?
2.28.19: What wit haue wordes so prest, and forceable,
2.28.20: That may conteyn my great mishappinesse,
2.28.21: And iust complaintes of his vngentlenesse?
2.28.22: So small hony, much aloes, and gall,
2.28.23: In bitternesse, my blinde life hath ytasted.
2.28.24: His false semblance, that turneth as a ball:
2.28.25: With fair and amorous daunce, made me be traced,
2.28.26: And, where I had my thought, and mynde araced,
2.28.27: From earthly frailnesse, and from vayn pleasure,
2.28.28: Me from my rest he toke, and set in errour:
2.28.29: God made he me regard lesse, than I ought,
2.28.30: And to my self to take right litle hede:
2.28.31: And for a woman haue I set at nought
2.28.32: All other thoughtes: in this onely to spede.
2.28.33: And he was onely counseler of this dede:
2.28.34: Whettyng alwayes my youthly frayle desire
2.28.35: On cruell whetston, tempered with fire.
2.28.36: But (Oh alas) where, had I euer wit?
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2.28.37: Or other gift, geuen to me of nature?
2.28.38: That sooner shalbe changed my weried sprite:
2.28.39: Then the obstinate wyll, that is my ruler.
2.28.40: So robbeth he my fredom with displeasure,
2.28.41: This wicked traytour, whom I thus accuse:
2.28.42: That bitter life hath turned in pleasant vse.
2.28.43: He hath me hasted, thorough diuers regions:
2.28.44: Through desert wodes, and sharp hye mountaines:
2.28.45: Through froward people, and through bitter passions:
2.28.46: Through rocky seas, and ouer hilles and plaines:
2.28.47: With wery trauell, and with laborous paynes:
2.28.48: Alwayes in trouble and in tediousnesse:
2.28.49: All in errour, and dangerous distresse,
2.28.50: But nother he, nor she, my tother fo,
2.28.51: For all my flight, dyd euer me forsake:
2.28.52: That though my timely death hath been to slow
2.28.53: That me as yet, it hath not ouertake:
2.28.54: The heauenly goddes of pity doe it slake.
2.28.55: And, note they this his cruell tiranny,
2.28.56: That fedes him, with my care, and misery.
2.28.57: Since I was his, hower rested I neuer,
2.28.58: Nor loke to do: and eke the waky nightes
2.28.59: The banished slepe may in no wise recouer.
2.28.60: By guile, and force, ouer my thralled sprites,
2.28.61: He is ruler: since which bel neuer strikes,
2.28.62: That I heare not as sounding to renue
2.28.63: My plaintes. Himself, he knoweth, that I say true.
2.28.64: For, neuer wormes olde rotten stocke haue eaten:
2.28.65: As he my hart, where he is resident,
2.28.66: And doth thesame
Note: the same with death dayly threaten.
2.28.67: Thence come the teares, and thence the bitter torment:
2.28.68: The sighes: the wordes, and eke the languishment:
2.28.69: That noy both me, and parauenture other.
2.28.70: Iudge thou: that knowest the one, and eke the tother.
2.28.71: Mine aduersair, with such greuous reproofe,
2.28.72: Thus he began. Heare Lady, thother part:
2.28.73: That the plain troth, from which he draweth aloofe,
2.28.74: This vnkinde man may shew, ere that I part.
2.28.75: In his yong age, I toke him from that art,
2.28.76: That selleth wordes, and makes a clatteryng Knight:
2.28.77: And of my wealth I gaue him the delight.
2.28.78: Now shames he not on me for to complain,
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2.28.79: That held him euermore in pleasant gain,
2.28.80: From his desyre, that might haue been his payn.
2.28.81: Yet therby alone I brought him to some frame:
2.28.82: Which now, as wretchednes, he doth so blame:
2.28.83: And towarde honor quickned I his wit:
2.28.84: Where:as a daskard els he mought haue sit.
2.28.85: He knoweth, how grete Atride that made Troy freat,
2.28.86: And Hanniball, to Rome so troubelous:
2.28.87: Whom Homer honored, Achilles that great,
2.28.88: And Thaffricane Scipion the famous:
2.28.89: And many other, by much nurture glorious:
2.28.90: Whose fame, and honor did bring them aboue:
2.28.91: I did let fall in base dishonest loue.
2.28.92: And vnto him, though he vnworthy were:
2.28.93: I chose the best of many a Milion:
2.28.94: That, vnder sonne yet neuer was her pere,
2.28.95: Of wisdom, womanhod, and of discrecion:
2.28.96: And of my grace I gaue her such a facion,
2.28.97: And eke such way I taught her for to teache,
2.28.98: That neuer base thought his hart so hye might reche,
2.28.99: Euermore thus to content his maistresse,
2.28.100: That was his onely frame of honesty,
2.28.101: I stirred him still, toward gentlenesse:
2.28.102: And causde him to regard fidelity.
2.28.103: Pacience I taught him in aduersity.
2.28.104: Such vertues learned, he in my great schole:
2.28.105: Wherof repenteth, now the ignorant foole.
2.28.106: These, were the same deceites, and bitter gall,
2.28.107: That I haue vsed, the torment, and the anger:
2.28.108: Sweter, then euer dyd to other fall,
2.28.109: Of right good sede yll frute loe thus I gather.
2.28.110: And so shall he, that the vnkinde dothe further.
2.28.111: A Serpent nourish I vnder my wing:
2.28.112: And now of nature, ginneth he to styng.
2.28.113: And for to tell, at last, my great seruise.
2.28.114: From thousand dishonesties haue I him drawen:
2.28.115: That, by my meanes, him in no maner wyse.
2.28.116: Neuer vile pleasure once hath ouerthrowen.
2.28.117: Where, in his dede, shame hath him alwaies gnawen:
2.28.118: Doutyng report, that should come to her eare:
2.28.119: Whom now he blames, her wonted he to feare.
2.28.120: What euer he hath of any honest custome:
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2.28.121: Of her, and me: that holdes he euerywhit,
2.28.122: But, lo, yet neuer was there nightly fantome
2.28.123: So farre in errour, as he is from his wit.
2.28.124: To plain on vs, he striueth with the bit,
2.28.125: Which may rule him, and do him ease, and pain:
2.28.126: And in one hower, make all his grief his gayn.
2.28.127: But, one thing yet there is, aboue all other:
2.28.128: I gaue him winges, wherwith he might vpflie
2.28.129: To honor, and fame: and if he would to higher
2.28.130: Than mortall thinges, aboue the starry skie:
2.28.131: Considering the pleasure, that an eye
2.28.132: Might geue in earth, by reason of the loue:
2.28.133: What should that be that lasteth still aboue?
2.28.134: And he the same himself hath sayd, ere this.
2.28.135: But, now, forgotten is both that and I,
2.28.136: That gaue her him, his onely wealth and blisse.
2.28.137: And, at this word, with dedly shreke and cry:
2.28.138: Thou gaue her once: quod I, but by and by,
2.28.139: Thou toke her ayen from me: that wo worth the.
2.28.140: Not I but price: more worth than thou (quod he.)
2.28.141: At last: eche other for himself, concluded:
2.28.142: I, trembling still: but he, with small reuerence.
2.28.143: Lo, thus, as we eche other haue accused:
2.28.144: Dere Lady: now we waite thyne onely sentence.
2.28.145: She smiling, at the whisted audience:
2.28.146: It liketh me (quod she) to haue hard your question:
2.28.147: But, lenger time doth ask a resolucion.