Then she spake; her speech was such,
As not ears, but heart did touch;
While such wise she love denied,
As yet love she signified.

"Astrophel," said she, "my love,
Cease, in these effects, to prove;
Now be still, yet still believe me,
Thy grief more than death would grieve

me.

"If that any thought in me
Can taste comfort but of thee,
Let me, fed with hellish anguish,
Joyless, hopeless, endless languish.

"If those eyes you praised, be
Half so dear as you to me,
Let me home return, stark blinded
Of those eyes, and blinder minded.

"If to secret of my heart,
I do any wish impart,

Where thou art not foremost placed,
Be both wish and I defaced.

"If more may be said, I say
All my bliss in thee I lay;

If thoủ love, my love content thee,
For all love, all faith is meant thee.

MOST RICH OF SHADE

"Trust me, while I thee deny,
In myself the smart I try;

Tyrant Honour doth thus use thee,
Stella's self might not refuse thee.

'Therefore, dear, this no more move, Lest, though I leave not thy love, Which too deep in me is framed,

I should blush when thou art named."

Therewithal away she went,

Leaving him to passion, rent

With what she had done and spoken, That therewith my song is broken.

When Shall it be

O dear life, when shall it be
That mine eyes thine eyes may see,
And in them thy mind discover,
Whether absence have had force
Thy remembrance to divorce
From the image of the lover?

Or if I myself find not,
After parting, ought forgot,

Nor debarred from Beauty's treasure,

Let no tongue aspire to tell

In what high joys I shall dwell:
Only Thought aims at the pleasure.

Thought, therefore, I will send thee
To take up the place for me;
Long I will not after tarry;
There, unseen, thou mayest be bold,
Those fair wonders to behold,
Which in them my hopes do carry.

Thought, see thou no place forbear,
Enter bravely everywhere,

Seize on all to her belonging;
But if thou wouldst guarded be,

O DEAR LIFE

Fearing her beams, take with thee
Strength of liking, rage of longing.

Think of that most grateful time
When my leaping heart will climb
In thy lips to have his biding,
There those roses for to kiss,
Which do breathe a sugared bliss,
Opening rubies, pearls dividing.

Think of my most princely power,
When I blessed shall devour
With my greedy lickorous senses
Beauty, music, sweetness, love,
While she doth against me prove
Her strong darts but weak defences.

Think, think of those dallyings, When with dovelike murmurings, With glad moaning, passed anguish, We change eyes, and heart for heart Each to other do depart,

Joying till joy makes us languish.

O my Thought, my thoughts surcease, Thy delights my woes increase,

My life melts with too much thinking; Think no more, but die in me,

Till thou shalt revived be,

At her lips my nectar drinking.

This Dark Night

Who is it that this dark night,
Underneath my window plaineth?
It is one who from thy sight,
Being, ah! exiled, disdaineth
Every other vulgar light.

Why, alas! and are you he?

Be not yet those fancies changed?
Dear, when you find change in me,
Though from me you be estranged,
Let my change to ruin be.

Well, in absence this will die;
Leave to see, and leave to wonder.
Absence sure will help, if I

Can learn how myself to sunder
From what in my heart doth lie.

But time will these thoughts remove:

Time doth work what no man knoweth.

Time doth as the subject prove,

With time still the affection groweth In the faithful turtle dove.