Elizabeth

LYRICAL VERSE

FROM ELIZABETH TO VICTORIA

I.

ORPHEUS' SONG.

HE that did sing the motions of the stars,
Pale-coloured Phoebe's borrowing of her light,
Aspects of planets oft opposed in jars,

Of Hesper, henchman to the day and night ;
Sings now of love, as taught by proof to sing,
Women are false, and love a bitter thing.

I loved Eurydice, the brightest lass,

More fond to like so fair a nymph as she ; In Thessaly so bright none ever was,

But fair and constant hardly may agree: False-hearted wife to him that loved thee well, To leave thy love, and choose the prince of hell!

Theseus did help, and I in haste did hie

To Pluto, for the lass I loved so:

The god made grant, and who so glad as I?
I tuned my harp, and she and I 'gan go;
Glad that my love was left to me alone,
I looked back, Eurydice was gone!

She slipped aside, back to her latest love,

Unkind, she wronged her first and truest feere !