When I swore my heart her own, She disdained, I complained, Yet she left me overthrown. Careless of my bitter grieving, All in vain is ladies' love, Shortly loosed, For their pride is to remove. Out, alas! their looks first won us, And their pride hath straight undone us. By thine error thou hast lost Heart unfeigned, Truth unstained, And the swain that loved most: More assured in love than many, More despised in love than any. The entire poem consists of eight stanzas, but these four are the best. The measure is rather uncommon. CLXXII. A shepherd in a shade His plaining made Of love and lovers' wrong, Unto the fairest lass That ever trod on grass; And thus began his song: Since love and fortune will, Your fair and lovely eye; What conquest will it be If I for sorrow die? Restore, restore my heart again, Which love by thy sweet looks hath slain: Lest I resound on every warbling string, In 1603 appeared "The Third and last Book of Songs "or Airs, newly composed to sing to the Lute, Orpharion "or Viols, and a Dialogue for a Base and Meane Lute, "with five voices to sing thereto; by J. Dowland, B.M., "and Lutenist to the most high and mighty Christian the "Fourth, by the grace of God, King of Denmark, &c. "Bona quò communiora, eò meliora. 66 "Printed at London, by P. S. for Thomas Adams, and are to be sold at the sign of the White Lion, in Paul's "Churchyard, by the assignment of a patent* granted to "T. Morley, 1603. There are twenty-one airs in this book; which from the following epistle to the reader appears to have been written abroad. 66 66 "The applause of them that judge is the encourage"ment of those that write. My first two books of Airs "speed so well that they have produced a third, which "they have fetched far from home, and brought even through the most perilous seas, where having escaped so many sharp rocks, I hope they shall not be wrecked on "land by curious and biting censures. As in a hive of "bees all labour alike to lay up honey, opposing them"selves against none but fruitless drones; so in the house "of learning and fame, all good endeavourers should strive "to add somewhat that is good, not malicing one another, "but altogether bandying against the idle and malicious ignorant. My labours for my part I freely offer to every "man's judgment, presuming that favour once attained is more easily increased than lost. 66 66 "J. DOWLAND." CLXXIII. Time standeth still with gazing Upon my mistress' face: Stand still and gaze: for minutes, hours, And years to her give place. All other things shall change, But she remains the same: Till heavens changed have their course, * This explains the word Assigné, already met with, Blinded with her fair eyes; And fortune, captive at her feet, Contemn'd and conquer'd lies. These lines must surely have been addressed to Queen Elizabeth. The flattery is too gross for any body but her to have swallowed. CLXXIV. Behold, a wonder here! Love hath received his sight; Such beams infused be By Cynthia* in his eyes, As first have made him see, And then have made him wise. Love now no more will weep, For them that laugh the while; 'Nor wake for them that sleep, Nor sigh for them that smile. And striking folly blind. Very much in the same style as the preceding song: probably by the same author, and with a similar intention. * One of the romantic titles of Queen Elizabeth. I CLXXV. Me, me, and none but me*! dart home, O gentle death! Like to the silver swan, before my death I sing, Oh how I wish from earth, and earthly joys to fly! CLXXVI. Say, love, if ever thou didst find A woman with a constant mind? None but one. And what should that rare mirror be? Some Goddess, or some Queen is she. Queen of love, and of beauty. But could thy fiery poison'd dart At no time touch her spotless heart, Nor come near? She is not subject to love's bow; Her eye commands, her heart says, no; No, no, and only no; One no another doth follow. * Truly classical,-" Me, me; adsum qui feci; in me convertite fer "rum." |