A pretty Dittie in despight of Fantasie

THE ARGUMENT

Since Fantasye fyrst mooued mee.
To rime thus rudely, as you see:
A prety Dittye of Despight,
Gaynste Fantasy first will I write.

N OW , by my troth. I cannot chuse but smile
To see the foolish fittes of Fantasie:
With what deceits she dooth the mind beguile,
As pleaseth best her great inconstancie.
As well the wisest as the foolish man,
She troubleth I tell you now and than.

And no denyall: if she lyketh once
It must be had, what euer so it bee:
And each day new Deuices for the nonce
Onely to please Mistresse fonde Fantasye.
For she can neuer like one thing two dayes,
Though it deserue neuer so great a praise.

This thing to day, to morrow that againe,
And yet the next day neither of them bothe:
That now she likes, anon she will disdaine,
And whom she loued, seemeth now to loath.
Thus chopping still and chaunging euery day,
With vaine delights she leades the minde away.

She makes the Louer thinke his Lady fayre
Although she be as foule as foule may bee:
Shee makes him eke, build Castles in the ayre
And very farre in Milstones for to see.
And in the ende I thinke if all were knowne,
Shee makes him see a Fooles head of his owne.

Shee makes my Lady so much to esteeme
Of her greene pratling Parratte in the Cage:
This makes her eke her little Page to deeme
The finest Boye in England, of his age:
This makes her set more by her tame white Deare
Then some would doo by twenty pounds a yeare.

And who can choose but laugh, to thinke vpon
Such frowarde fittes of foolish fantasie?
And how, alas, the minde is woe-begon.
If that it hath not each thing, by and by,
That she desires, whateuer so it be:
Cost life or death, it must be had we see.

Shee feedes the minde of man with many a toye
Shee makes himselfe to seeke his owne decay:
In thinges of nought, she makes him set his ioye
And from all Vertue leades him quite away
And shee it is, that vainely caused me,
Against her selfe to rime thus, as you see