Tottel sig. Kiiv

[sig. Kiiv]

Maintain thy self, O wofull wight, some better luck to finde: For though thou be depriued from thy desired sight: (10) Who can thee tell, if thy returne be for thy more delight? Or, who can tell, thy losse if thou mayst once recouer? Some pleasant hower thy wo may wrap: + and thee defend, & couer Thus in this trust as yet it hath my life sustained: But now (alas) I see it faint: and I, by trust, am trayned. +(15) The time doth flete, and I see how the howers, do bendSo fast: that I haue scant the space to marke my comming end, Westward the sunne from out the East scant shewes his light: When in the West he hies him strayt, within the dark of night. And comes as fast, where he began, his path awry. (20) From East to West, from West to East so doth his iourney lye. The life so short, so fraile, that mortall men liue here: So great a weight, so heauy charge the bodies, that we bere: That, when I think vpon the distaunce, and the space: That doth so farre deuide me from my dere desired face: (25) I know not, how tattain the winges, that I require, To lift me vp: that I might flie, to folow my desire. Thus of that hope, that doth my life some thing sustaine, Alas: I feare, and partly fele: full litle doth remain. Eche place doth bring me grief: where I do not behold (30) Those liuely eyes: which of my thoughts wer wont the keys to hold, Those thoughts wer pleasant swete: whilst I enioyed that grace: My pleasure past, my present pain, when I might well embrace. And, forbecause my want should more my wo encrease: In watch, and slepe, both day and night, my will doth neuer cease (35) That thing to wish: wherof sins I did lese the sight: Was neuer thing that mought in ought my wofull hart delight, Thuneasy life, I lead, doth teach me for to meteThe floodes, the seas, the land, the hilles: that doth thementermeteTwene me, and those shene lightes: that wonted for to clere. (40) My darked pangs of cloudy thoughts, as bright as Phebus spere It teacheth me also, what was my pleasant state: The more to fele, by such record, how that my wealth doth bate. If such record (alas) prouoke thenflamed minde: Which sprong that day, that I did leaue the best of me behinde: (45) If loue forget himself, by length of absence let: Who doth me guyde (O wofull wretch) vnto this bayted net? Where doth encrease my care: much better wer for me, As dumme, as stone, + all thing forgot, still absent for to be. Alas: the clere christall, the bright transplendant glasse