A Handful of Pleasant Delights/The Louer complaineth the absence of his Ladie, wisheth for death
The Louer complaineth the absence of his Ladie, wisheth for death.
To, the new Almaine.
Ith spitefull spite hath spide her time,
my wished ioies to end:
And drowping dread hath driuen me now
from my new chosen friend:
I can but waile the want,
of this my former ioie:
Sith spiteful force hath sought so long,
my blisse for to annoie.
¶But though it be our chance
asunder for to be,
My heart in pawne til we do meet,
Shal stil remaine with thee:
And then we shall renue,
our sugred pleasures past:
And ioue that loue, that seekes no change,
whilst life in vs do last.
¶Perhaps my absence may,
or else some other let:
By choice of change, cause thee my deer,
our former loue forget:
And thou renounce the oth,
which erst thou vowdst to me:
My deerest blood in recompence,
thou sure shouldst shortly see.
[¶]A thousand sighs to send to thee I wil not let,
Ne to bewaile the losse of thee, I neuer will forget
But still suppose I see,
the same before my face:
And louingly between my armes,
thy corps I do embrace.
¶Thus feed I fancie stil,
for lacke of greater ioy:
With such like thoughts, which daily doth,
my wofull heart annoy:
thus stil in hope I liue,
my wished ioies to haue:
And in dispaire oft time I wish,
my feeble Corps in graue.
¶This is the life I leade, til I thee see again
And so wil do, til dreadful death,
do seek to ease my paine,
whom rather I do wish, by force to end in wo,
than for to liue in happie state,
thy loue for to forgo.
¶And thus farewell my deer,
with whom my heart shall rest,
Remember him that this did write,
sith he doth loue thee best:
And wil til greedie death,
my daies do shorten now:
Farewel my dear, loe here my faith
and troth to thee I vow.
Finis.