Some Longer Elizabethan Poems

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

Pauement of Chrisolite, Windows contriu'd of a Cristall:
    Vessels were of gold, with gold was each thing adorned:
    Golden Webs more worth than a vvealthy_ Souldan _of Egypt,
    And her selfe more vvorth than a vvealthy_ Souldan _of Egypt:
    And her selfe more worth than all the wealth shee possessed;
    Selfe? indeede such a selfe, as thundring_ Ioue _in_ Olympus,
    _Though he were father could finde in his hart to be husband.
    Embassage ended, to the Queene of faire_ Lacedæmon;
    _(Happie King of a Queene so faire, of a Countrey so famous)
    Embassage ended, a Banquet braue was appointed:
    Sweet Repast for a Prince, fine Iunkets fit for a Kings sonne.
    Biskets and Carrawayes, Comfets, Tart, Plate, Ielley, Gingerbread,
    Lymons and Medlars: and Dishes moe by a thousand.
    First they fell to the feast, and after fall to a Dauncing,
    And from a Dance to a Trance, from a Trance they fell to a falling,
    Either in other armes, and either in armes of another.
    Pastime ouer-past, and Banquet duely prepared,
    Deuoutly pared: Each one hies home to his owne home,
    Saue Lord and Ladie; Young Lad, but yet such an old Lad,
    In such a Ladies lappe, at such a slipperie by-blow,
    That in a vvorld so vvilde, could not be found such a wilie
    Lad: in an Age so old, could not be found such an old lad:
    Old lad, and bold lad, such a Boy, such a lustie_ Iuuentus:
    _Well to their vvorke they goe, and both they iumble in one Bed:
    Worke so well they like, that they still like to be vvorking:
    For_ Aurora _mounts before he leaues to be mounting:
    And_ Astræa _fades before she faints to be falling:_
    (Helen _a light Huswife, now a lightsome starre in_ Olympus.)

    _FINIS._

[Illustration]




[Illustration]

    _Cynthia._

    VVITH CER-
    taine
    Sonnets, and
    the Legend of
    _Cassandra._

_Quod cupio nequeo._

[Illustration]

    _At London_,
    Printed for Humfrey
    _Lownes, and are to bee_
    sold at the VVest doore
    of Paules. 1595.

[Illustration]




[Illustration]

    To the Right Honorable, and
    most noble-minded Lorde,
    William Stanley, Earle of
    Darby, &c.


[Illustration]

_Right Honorable, the dutifull affection I beare to your manie vertues,
is cause, that to manifest my loue to your Lordship, I am constrained
to shew my simplenes to the world. Many are they that admire your
worth, of the which number, I (though the meanest in abilitie, yet with
the formost in affection) am one that most desire to serue, and onely
to serue your Honour._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

General

Some Longer Elizabethan Poems

English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700

Pauement of Chrisolite, Windows contriu'd of a Cristall:
    Vessels were of gold, with gold was each thing adorned:
    Golden Webs more worth than a vvealthy_ Souldan _of Egypt,
    And her selfe more vvorth than a vvealthy_ Souldan _of Egypt:
    And her selfe more worth than all the wealth shee possessed;
    Selfe? indeede such a selfe, as thundring_ Ioue _in_ Olympus,
    _Though he were father could finde in his hart to be husband.
    Embassage ended, to the Queene of faire_ Lacedæmon;
    _(Happie King of a Queene so faire, of a Countrey so famous)
    Embassage ended, a Banquet braue was appointed:
    Sweet Repast for a Prince, fine Iunkets fit for a Kings sonne.
    Biskets and Carrawayes, Comfets, Tart, Plate, Ielley, Gingerbread,
    Lymons and Medlars: and Dishes moe by a thousand.
    First they fell to the feast, and after fall to a Dauncing,
    And from a Dance to a Trance, from a Trance they fell to a falling,
    Either in other armes, and either in armes of another.
    Pastime ouer-past, and Banquet duely prepared,
    Deuoutly pared: Each one hies home to his owne home,
    Saue Lord and Ladie; Young Lad, but yet such an old Lad,
    In such a Ladies lappe, at such a slipperie by-blow,
    That in a vvorld so vvilde, could not be found such a wilie
    Lad: in an Age so old, could not be found such an old lad:
    Old lad, and bold lad, such a Boy, such a lustie_ Iuuentus:
    _Well to their vvorke they goe, and both they iumble in one Bed:
    Worke so well they like, that they still like to be vvorking:
    For_ Aurora _mounts before he leaues to be mounting:
    And_ Astræa _fades before she faints to be falling:_
    (Helen _a light Huswife, now a lightsome starre in_ Olympus.)

    _FINIS._

[Illustration]




[Illustration]

    _Cynthia._

    VVITH CER-
    taine
    Sonnets, and
    the Legend of
    _Cassandra._

_Quod cupio nequeo._

[Illustration]

    _At London_,
    Printed for Humfrey
    _Lownes, and are to bee_
    sold at the VVest doore
    of Paules. 1595.

[Illustration]




[Illustration]

    To the Right Honorable, and
    most noble-minded Lorde,
    William Stanley, Earle of
    Darby, &c.


[Illustration]

_Right Honorable, the dutifull affection I beare to your manie vertues,
is cause, that to manifest my loue to your Lordship, I am constrained
to shew my simplenes to the world. Many are they that admire your
worth, of the which number, I (though the meanest in abilitie, yet with
the formost in affection) am one that most desire to serue, and onely
to serue your Honour._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Some Longer Elizabethan Poems

Some Longer Elizabethan Poems

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