Chapter 6

O Love, leave off with sorrow to torment me; Let my heart's grief and pining pain content thee! The breach is made, I give thee leave to enter; Thee to resist, great god, I dare not venter! Restless desire doth aggravate mine anguish, Careful conceits do fill my soul with languish. Be not too cruel in thy conquest gained, Thy deadly shafts hath victory obtained; Batter no more my fort with fierce affection, But shield me captive under thy protection. I yield to thee, O Love, thou art the stronger, Raise then thy siege and trouble me no longer!

XXVIII

What cruel star or fate had domination When I was born, that thus my love is crossed? Or from what planet had I derivation That thus my life in seas of woe is crossed? Doth any live that ever had such hap That all their actions are of none effect, Whom fortune never dandled in her lap But as an abject still doth me reject? Ah tickle dame! and yet thou constant art My daily grief and anguish to increase, And to augment the troubles of my heart Thou of these bonds wilt never me release; So that thy darlings me to be may know The true idea of all worldly woe.

XXIX

Some in their hearts their mistress' colours bears; Some hath her gloves, some other hath her garters, Some in a bracelet wears her golden hairs, And some with kisses seal their loving charters. But I which never favour reapèd yet, Nor had one pleasant look from her fair brow, Content myself in silent shade to sit In hope at length my cares to overplow. Meanwhile mine eyes shall feed on her fair face, My sighs shall tell to her my sad designs, My painful pen shall ever sue for grace To help my heart, which languishing now pines; And I will triumph still amidst my woe Till mercy shall my sorrows overflow.

XXX

The raging sea within his limits lies And with an ebb his flowing doth discharge; The rivers when beyond their bounds they rise, Themselves do empty in the ocean large; But my love's sea which never limit keepeth, Which never ebbs but always ever floweth, In liquid salt unto my Chloris weepeth, Yet frustrate are the tears which he bestoweth. This sea which first was but a little spring Is now so great and far beyond all reason, That it a deluge to my thoughts doth bring, Which overwhelmed hath my joying season. So hard and dry is my saint's cruel mind, These waves no way in her to sink can find.

XXXI

These waves no way in her to sink can find To penetrate the pith of contemplation; These tears cannot dissolve her hardened mind, Nor move her heart on me to take compassion; O then, poor Corin, scorned and quite despised, Loathe now to live since life procures thy woe; Enough, thou hast thy heart anatomised, For her sweet sake which will no pity show; But as cold winter's storms and nipping frost Can never change sweet Aramanthus' hue, So though my love and life by her are crossed. My heart shall still be constant firm and true. Although Erynnis hinders Hymen's rites, My fixèd faith against oblivion fights.

XXXII

My fixèd faith against oblivion fights, And I cannot forget her, pretty elf, Although she cruel be unto my plights; Yet let me rather clean forget myself, Then her sweet name out of my mind should go, Which is th' elixir of my pining soul, From whence the essence of my life doth flow, Whose beauty rare my senses all control; Themselves most happy evermore accounting, That such a nymph is queen of their affection, With ravished rage they to the skies are mounting, Esteeming not their thraldom nor subjection; But still do joy amidst their misery, With patience bearing love's captivity.

XXXIII

With patience bearing love's captivity, Themselves unguilty of his wrath alleging; These homely lines, abjects of poesy, For liberty and for their ransom pledging, And being free they solemnly do vow, Under his banner ever arms to bear Against those rebels which do disallow That love of bliss should be the sovereign heir; And Chloris if these weeping truce-men may One spark of pity from thine eyes obtain, In recompense of their sad heavy lay, Poor Corin shall thy faithful friend remain; And what I say I ever will approve, No joy may be comparèd to thy love!

XXXIV

The bird of Thrace which doth bewail her rape, And murthered Itys eaten by his sire, When she her woes in doleful tunes doth shape, She sets her breast against a thorny briar; Because care-charmer sleep should not disturb The tragic tale which to the night she tells, She doth her rest and quietness thus curb Amongst the groves where secret silence dwells: Even so I wake, and waking wail all night; Chloris' unkindness slumbers doth expel; I need not thorn's sweet sleep to put to flight, Her cruelty my golden rest doth quell, That day and night to me are always one, Consumed in woe, in tears, in sighs and moan.

XXXV

Like to the shipman in his brittle boat. Tossèd aloft by the unconstant wind, By dangerous rocks and whirling gulfs doth float, Hoping at length the wishèd port to find; So doth my love in stormy billows sail, And passeth the gaping Scilla's waves, In hope at length with Chloris to prevail And win that prize which most my fancy craves, Which unto me of value will be more Then was that rich and wealthy golden fleece. Which Jason stout from Colchos' island bore With wind in sails unto the shore of Greece. More rich, more rare, more worth her love I prize Then all the wealth which under heaven lies.

XXXVI

O what a wound and what a deadly stroke, Doth Cupid give to us perplexèd lovers, Which cleaves more fast then ivy doth to oak, Unto our hearts where he his might discovers! Though warlike Mars were armèd at all points, With that tried coat which fiery Vulcan made, Love's shafts did penetrate his steelèd joints, And in his breast in streaming gore did wade. So pitiless is this fell conqueror That in his mother's paps his arrows stuck; Such is his rage that he doth not defer To wound those orbs from whence he life did suck. Then sith no mercy he shows to his mother, We meekly must his force and rigour smother.

XXXVII

Each beast in field doth wish the morning light; The birds to Hesper pleasant lays do sing; The wanton kids well-fed rejoice in night, Being likewise glad when day begins to spring. But night nor day are welcome unto me, Both can bear witness of my lamentation; All day sad sighing Corin you shall see, All night he spends in tears and exclamation. Thus still I live although I take no rest, But living look as one that is a-dying; Thus my sad soul with care and grief oppressed, Seems as a ghost to Styx and Lethe flying. Thus hath fond love bereft my youthful years Of all good hap before old age appears.

XXXVIII

That day wherein mine eyes cannot her see, Which is the essence of their crystal sight, Both blind, obscure and dim that day they be, And are debarrèd of fair heaven's light; That day wherein mine ears do want to hear her, Hearing that day is from me quite bereft; That day wherein to touch I come not near her, That day no sense of touching I have left; That day wherein I lack the fragrant smell, Which from her pleasant amber breath proceedeth, Smelling that day disdains with me to dwell, Only weak hope my pining carcase feedeth. But burst, poor heart, thou hast no better hope, Since all thy senses have no further scope!

XXXIX

The stately lion and the furious bear The skill of man doth alter from their kind; For where before they wild and savage were, By art both tame and meek you shall them find. The elephant although a mighty beast, A man may rule according to his skill; The lusty horse obeyeth our behest, For with the curb you may him guide at will. Although the flint most hard contains the fire, By force we do his virtue soon obtain, For with a steel you shall have your desire, Thus man may all things by industry gain; Only a woman if she list not love, No art, nor force, can unto pity move.

XL

No art nor force can unto pity move Her stony heart that makes my heart to pant; No pleading passions of my extreme love Can mollify her mind of adamant. Ah cruel sex, and foe to all mankind, Either you love or else you hate too much! A glist'ring show of gold in you we find, And yet you prove but copper in the touch. But why, O why, do I so far digress? Nature you made of pure and fairest mould, The pomp and glory of man to depress, And as your slaves in thraldom them to hold; Which by experience now too well I prove, There is no pain unto the pains of love.

XLI

Fair shepherdess, when as these rustic lines Comes to thy sight, weigh but with what affection Thy servile doth depaint his sad designs, Which to redress of thee he makes election. If so you scorn, you kill; if you seem coy, You wound poor Corin to the very heart; If that you smile, you shall increase his joy; If these you like, you banish do all smart. And this I do protest, most fairest fair, My muse shall never cease that hill to climb, To which the learnèd Muses do repair, And all to deify thy name in rime; And never none shall write with truer mind, As by all proof and trial you shall find.

XLII

Die, die, my hopes! for you do but augment The burning accents of my deep despair; Disdain and scorn your downfall do consent; Tell to the world she is unkind yet fair! O eyes, close up those ever-running fountains, For pitiless are all the tears you shed Wherewith you watered have both dales and mountains! I see, I see, remorse from her is fled. Pack hence, ye sighs, into the empty air, Into the air that none your sound may hear, Sith cruel Chloris hath of you no care, Although she once esteemèd you full dear! Let sable night all your disgraces cover, Yet truer sighs were never sighed by lover.

XLIII

Thou glorious sun, from whence my lesser light The substance of his crystal shine doth borrow, Let these my moans find favour in thy sight. And with remorse extinguish now my sorrow! Renew those lamps which thy disdain hath quenched, As Phoebus doth his sister Phoebe's shine; Consider how thy Corin being drenched In seas of woe, to thee his plaints incline, And at thy feet with tears doth sue for grace, Which art the goddess of his chaste desire; Let not thy frowns these labours poor deface Although aloft they at the first aspire; And time shall come as yet unknown to men When I more large thy praises forth shall pen!

XLIV

When I more large thy praises forth shall show, That all the world thy beauty shall admire, Desiring that most sacred nymph to know Which hath the shepherd's fancy set on fire; Till then, my dear, let these thine eyes content, Till then, fair love, think if I merit favour, Till then, O let thy merciful assent Relish my hopes with some comforting savour; So shall you add such courage to my muse That she shall climb the steep Parnassus hill, That learnèd poets shall my deeds peruse When I from thence obtainèd have more skill; And what I sing shall always be of thee As long as life or breath remains in me!

XLV

When she was born whom I entirely love, Th' immortal gods her birth-rites forth to grace, Descending from their glorious seat above, They did on her these several virtues place: First Saturn gave to her sobriety, Jove then induèd her with comeliness, And Sol with wisdom did her beautify, Mercury with wit and knowledge did her bless, Venus with beauty did all parts bedeck, Luna therewith did modesty combine, Diana chaste all loose desires did check, And like a lamp in clearness she doth shine. But Mars, according to his stubborn kind, No virtue gave, but a disdainful mind.

XLVI

When Chloris first with her heart-robbing eye Inchanted had my silly senses all, I little did respect love's cruelty, I never thought his snares should me enthrall; But since her tresses have entangled me, My pining flock did never hear me sing Those jolly notes which erst did make them glee, Nor do my kids about me leap and spring As they were wont, but when they hear me cry They likewise cry and fill the air with bleating; Then do my sheep upon the cold earth lie, And feed no more, my griefs they are repeating. O Chloris, if thou then saw'st them and me I'm sure thou wouldst both pity them and me!

XLVII

I need not tell thee of the lily white, Nor of the roseate red which doth thee grace, Nor of thy golden hairs like Phoebus bright, Nor of the beauty of thy fairest face. Nor of thine eyes which heavenly stars excel, Nor of thine azured veins which are so clear, Nor of thy paps where Love himself doth dwell, Which like two hills of violets appear. Nor of thy tender sides, nor belly soft, Nor of thy goodly thighs as white as snow, Whose glory to my fancy seemeth oft That like an arch triumphal they do show. All these I know that thou dost know too well, But of thy heart too cruel I thee tell.

XLVIII

But of thy heart too cruel I thee tell, Which hath tormented my young budding age, And doth, unless your mildness passions quell, My utter ruin near at hand presage. Instead of blood which wont was to display His ruddy red upon my hairless face, By over-grieving that is fled away, Pale dying colour there hath taken place. Those curlèd locks which thou wast wont to twist Unkempt, unshorn, and out of order been; Since my disgrace I had of them no list, Since when these eyes no joyful day have seen Nor never shall till you renew again The mutual love which did possess us twain.

XLIX

You that embrace enchanting poesy, Be gracious to perplexèd Corin's lines; You that do feel love's proud authority, Help me to sing my sighs and sad designs. Chloris, requite not faithful love with scorn, But as thou oughtest have commiseration; I have enough anatomised and torn My heart, thereof to make a pure oblation. Likewise consider how thy Corin prizeth Thy parts above each absolute perfection, How he of every precious thing deviseth To make thee sovereign. Grant me then affection! Else thus I prize thee: Chloris is alone More hard than gold or pearl or precious stone.