Forget not yet when first began

The weary life ye know, since whan
The suit, the service none tell can;
Forget not yet!

Forget not yet the great assays,
The cruel wrong, the scornful ways,
The painful patience in delays,
Forget not yet!

Forget not! Oh! forget not this,

How long ago hath been, and is

The mind that never meant amiss.
Forget not yet!

Forget not then thine own approved, The which so long hath thee so loved, Whose steadfast faith yet never moved: Forget not this!

III.

HENRY HOWARD, EARL OF

SURREY,

1517-1547

COMPLAINT OF THE ABSENCE OF HER

LOVER BEING UPON THE SEA.

HAPPY dames, that may embrace

The fruit of your delight,

Help to bewail the woeful case,

And eke the heavy plight

Of me, that wonted to rejoice

The fortune of my pleasant choice:

Good ladies, help to fill my mourning voice.

In ship, freight with rememberance

Of thoughts, and pleasures past,
He sails that hath in governance
My life, while it will last :
With scalding sighs, for lack of gale,
Furthering his hope, that is his sail
Toward me, the swete port of his avail.

Alas! how oft in dreams I see

Those eyes, that were my food,

Which sometime so delighted me,

That yet they do me good. Wherewith I wake with his return,

Whose absent flame did make me burn.

But when I find the lack, Lord! how I mourn.

When other lovers in arms across,

Rejoice their chief delight;
Drowned in tears to mourn my loss,
I stand the bitter night,
In my window where I may see,
Before the winds how the clouds flee.
Lo! what mariner love hath made me.

And in green waves when the salt flood
Doth rise, by rage of wind;

A thousand fancies in that mood

Assail my restless mind.

Alas! now drencheth my sweet foe,
That with the spoil of my heart did go,
And left me; but, alas! why did he so?

And when the seas wax calm again,

To chase from me annoy,

My doubtful hope doth cause me plain:
So dread cuts off my joy.

Thus is my wealth mingled with woe,
And of each thought a doubt doth grow,

Now he comes, will he come? alas! no, no.

IV.

RICHARD EDWARDS, 1523-1566.

AMANTIUM IRE AMORIS REDINTE

GRATIO EST.

N going to my naked bed as one that would have slept,

IN

I heard a wife sing to her child, that long before had

wept:

She sighed sore and sang full sweet, to bring the babe to

rest,

That would not cease but cried still, in sucking at her

breast.

She was full weary of her watch, and grieved with her

child,

She rocked it and rated it, till that on her it smiled: Then did she say now have I found this proverb true to

prove,

The falling out of faithful friends, renewing is of love.

Then took I paper pen and ink, this proverb for to write,
In register for to remain, of such a worthy wight:
As she proceeded thus in song unto her little brat,
Much matter uttered she of weight, in place whereas she

sat.

And proved plain, there was no beast, nor creature bearing

life,

Could well be known to live in love, without discord and

strife:

Then kissed she her little babe, and sware by God above, The falling out of faithful friends, renewing is of love.

She said that neither king nor prince, nor lord could live

aright,

Until their puissance they did prove their manhood and their might.

When manhood shall be matched so, that fear can take no

place,

Then weary works make warriors each other to embrace, And left their force that failed them, which did consume

the rout,

That might before have lived their time, and nature out: Then did she sing as one that thought no man could her

reprove,

The falling out of faithful friends, renewing is of love.

She said she saw no fish nor fowl, nor beast within her

haunt,

That met a stranger in their kind, but could give it a taunt : Since flesh might not endure, but rest must wrath succeed, And force the fight to fall to play, in pasture where they

feed,