As noble mindes to loue are kindly bent,
And haughty harts to fancie homage yeelde,
As Cupid makes the stoutest states relent,
And martiall men that daunt tho foe in fielde:
So meanost mates are masht within the net
That wily loue, to trappe his trayne hath set.

What Prince so prowde, what king for al his crown:
What sage so sadde, or solemne in his sawes,
What wight so wise, but Cupid brings him downe,
And makes him stoupe to nature and her lawes?
Both poore and rich doe loue by course of kinde,
The proofe whereof in all degrees we finde.

That Hector sterne that stroue to mayntayne Troy,
And slowe with sword full many a Greekish knight,
For all the warres, yet loude Andromache,
With her he slept, in her he tooke delight:
His manly brest that force of foe withstoode,
Was razde by loue, his Curage did no good.

Vlisses slie, for all his wilie wit,
Was lodgde in loue, by Cyrces sugred cuppe,
Plato deuine, whose stile the Starres dyd hit,
With learned lips of Venus sauce did suppe:
His graue precepts stoode him in slender sted,
Whome lawe of kinde, in lincke of fancie led

Fell Dionyse with Alexander great,
Duke Iason, Paris, Pirrhus, Pompey eake,
And he whome Dydo did so well entreate,
That to the curteous Queene his vowe did breake:
Yea Ioue him selfe, Apollo, Mars and all,
To Venus bowde, each one was Cupids thrall.

The noblest Nimphes that euer were aliue,
The queyntest queenes the force of fancie felt,
The dayntiest dames durst not with loue to strive,
The haughtiest harts, had Cupid made to melte:
Medea, Phillis, Helen, Phedra fierce,
Creusa, Oeuon, Lucrece loue did pierce

Laodamie, Hermyon, Hypsiphill,
Curst Clitemnestra, Brisics, Deyanire,
Semyramis, and Progne prone to kill,
With Mirrha Biblis lust to loue did stirre:
And thousands moe, of whome the Poetes tell,
Prouokt by loue, to flaming fancy fell.

Which sith is so, I may with better face
A pardon craue of you that Ladics be,
For bringing here a homely wench in place,
And ranking her with dames of gallant glee:
Who sith did rage in fancie as the rest,
Why should she not be plast among the best?

Put case her byrth was base, her image lowe,
Her paryents poore, her liuelod bare and thin,
Sith Cupid did his golden shaft bestowe
Vpon her brest, when liking entred in,
Let her receiue the guerdon that is dewe
To faithfull loue, and march with Cupids crewe.

Where leaue is lowed for each one to contend,
Where markes are made the cunningst hand to trie,
Without reproofe each one his bowe doth bend,
And arrowes there without controlement flie:
Likewise sith loue at rendon roues his dartes,
We ought not scorne the meanest louing hartes,

When Cresus brings his gorgeous giftes in hand,
And slay an oxe to offer to the goddes,
A groome with gote by him may boldly stand,
In holy Church they little count of oddes:
The minde is all that makes or marres the thing:
A Carter loues as whotly as a King.