My greene of youth with griefe’s sad sighes was blasted, The sap of my life blood began decay, My flesh through fast and euill fare was wasted, My hart did faint, my strength did fleete awaie: Ah God that death oft wisht so long did stay, Why did not fates preuent my bloodie foes, And with keene knife in death cut of my woes? 43. My woes, alas, as yet were to begin: For though my foes were priuie to my cries, Yet could my rufull plaints no pitie winne, To take from me at length they did deuise, The last of all my comforts, both mine eyes: Ah cruell foes, too cruell were ye bent, Why could my death to you not yeeld content? 44. When first the instruments of _Harrold’s_ ire Did come prepar’d to rob me of my sight, Hoping that death, which I did long desire, Had then been sent to me, the last despight That can be done to man in wretched plight: These words I spake to moue remorse of mind, While teares in plentie downe my cheeks declin’d. 45. “Thrice happie men, if ye the tidings bring Of happie death my dolefull daies to end, From whose long houres my lasting death doth spring, This last request to you I do commend, That pitying my sad plaints, you may befriend My wretched soule with quicke dispatch in death, And not with torture, when I yeeld my breath. 46. Behold this bodie pin’d away with woe, This starued carkas in such rufull plight, That who, alas, can poore prince _Alfred_ know, These cheekes, whilome so full of fresh delight, Now wexed pale and wan, are dri’d vp quite For want of dew: yet dew’d with sad supplies Of mournefull teares still flowing from mine eies. 47. Yeeld then, O yeeld some comfort in this case, And do not yee augment my deadly smart, Ile hug sweet death, and with kind armes embrace His grizly shape, and wooe him with his dart To end my woes, by wounding my poore heart: Only make ye dispatch when ye begin, And heau’ns impute it not to you for sin.” 48. This did I speake, supposing they were come, With violent hands to make my life the prize Of wished death: but by more grieuous doome, I first adiudged was to lose mine eies: For while that vnto heau’n with pitious cries Vpon their crueltie I did complaine, They reft me of my sight with bitter paine. 49.