English

A Gentleman beeing on a time desyred of diuers of his friendes, sitting togeather in company, to make some verses, which he graunted, and yet not knowing howe to please them all, and yet willing to perfourme his promise, wrote as followeth.
Some pleasaunt heads delight in prety toyes,
And some count toyes, most meete for foolish boyes:
Some greatly loue to heare a merry rime,
Some stately styles, which doo to honour clime:
Some loue no rimes, what euer so they bee,
And some mens mindes with verses best agree.

A Gentleman hauing made promise unto his Mistresse to come unto her vpon a certaine appointed day, to doo her seruice, brake promise with her: but the next day following, thinking her haste [not] of necessitie so great but then he might come soone inough to accomplishe such matters as he was wonte to doo, came: and confessing his faulte of breache of promise, professing it against his will, shewing his earnest desire of more haste, craued pardon and recoverie of credit lost, in verse as followeth.
Though yesterday I brake my word

A dolorous verse, written by him, that in deede was in no small dumpes, when he wrote them.
I F any man doo liue of ioyes berefte,
By heauens I sweare, I thinke that man am I;
Who at this hower, no sparke of ioy haue lefte
But leade a life in endlesse mysery:
I sigh, I sobbe: I cannot well expresse
The greefes I bide without hope of redresse

So many are the causes of my greefe,
That day by day torments my mourning minde
As that almost there can be no releefe

One sitting in dolefull dumpes by himselfe alone, thinking to haue written some dolorous discourse, was let by occasion: and so, for want of time, wrote but onely sixe lynes, and left them vnfinished: the verses were these. (I like them, and therefore thought good to place them among other imperfections.)
M Y hand here houering stands
to write some prety toye,
My mourning mind for to delight
y t wants all worldly ioye:
And Fancy offereth eke,
fyne toyes for to indite vpon

A Dolorous discourse
I F he who lingers foorth a loathsome lyfe,
In weary wyse exprest with endlesse woe:
To whom care still stands, as a hackeling knife
To teare the heart that is tormented so:
Who neuer felte one howre, nor sparke of ioy,
But deepe lyes drownde in Gulfe of foule annoy

Whom Fortune euer frounde on in his life.
And neuer lent one lucky looke at all:
With whome the Moone and Starres are all at strife
Who all in vaine dooth dayly crie, and call

A comparison betweene a slippery stone and a trustlesse friend.
As he that treades on slippery stones
is like to catch a fall,
So he that trustes to trothlesse friends
shall ill be delt withall,
But he that lookes before he leapes
is likest sure to stande:
So he that tryes or ere he trust,
shall be on surer hand.
But once found out a good sure ground
keepe there thy footing fast:

A Gentleman talking on a time with a yong Gentlewoman, being apparreled very plainly, shee tolde him she was too plaine for him, he must go seeke some gallanter Geste, more meete for his tooth: to which, answering his minde afterwarde, wrote vpon the same as followeth: and gaue them vnto her to reade.
When first I saw thee clad
in coloures blacke and white,
To gaze vpon thy seemely selfe
I tooke no small delight.
Thy blacke betokens modestic.
thy white a Virgins minde:

Verses written vpon this occasion: a yong Gentleman, falling in loue with a faire yong Damsell, not knowing how to make manifest vnto her the great good will he bare her: vsing certaine talke vnto her, in the end of her talke demaunded of her, whether she could or no? she answered yea: vpon which yea, he wrote these verses following, and found time to present them vnto her presently, as he wrote them.
I F thou canst reade, then marke what heere I write:
And what thou readst, beleeue it to be true;
And doo not thinke, I doo but toyes indite:

A verse or two written Extempore, vpon a sight of a Gentlewoman
I SIGH to see thee sigh:
the iust occasion why,
God knowes: and I, perhappes
can gesse, vnhappily.
But whatsoeuer I thinke
I meane to let it passe:
And thus, in secrete sorte to thinke
vnto my selfe (alas)
Poore little seely soule,
God quickly comfort thee,
Who could his sighes refraine a Dame

Not many dayes after, seeing his Mistresse' discourteous dealing, began to put her away, and chuse himself an other Mistresse: and, beeing then in the Christmas time, presented his new Mistresse with a new yeares Gifte, in this sorte.
This little Toye to thee,
for wante of better shifte,
I heere presume for to present
as a small Newyeares gifte.
The value small whereof,
weigh not. I humbly craue:
But take, in worth, his great good will