Anon he comes, and throws his mantle by, And stood stark naked on the brook's green brim; The sun look'd on the world with glorious eye, Yet not so wistly as this queen on him : He spying her, bounc'd in, whereas he stood: O Jove! quoth she, why was not I a flood? VII. Fair is my love, but not so fair as fickle, A lily pale, with damask dye to grace her, Her lips to mine how often hath she join'd, She burn'd with love, as straw with fire flameth; Was this a lover, or a lecher whether? VIII. If music and sweet poetry agree,7 As they must needs, the sister and the brother, Thou lov'st to hear the sweet melodious sound One god is god of both, as poets feign. One knight loves both, and both in thee remain. IX. Fair was the morn, when the fair queen of love,8 Paler for sorrow than her milk-white dove, * For Adon's sake, a youngster proud and wild; If music and sweet poetry agree,] This poem was published in 1598, in Richard Barnfield's Encomion of Lady Pecunia, but he omitted it in 1605, when he reprinted his Encomion. Hence we may infer that it was not Barnfield's property. 8 Fair was the morn, when the fair queen of love,] The next line is wanting in both editions of The Passionate Pilgrim. Here in these brakes deep-wounded with a boar, See, in my thigh (quoth she), here was the sore. She showed hers; he saw more wounds than one, X. Sweet rose, fair flower, untimely pluck'd, soon faded, And falls (through wind) before the fall should be. I weep for thee, and yet no cause I have; For why thou left'st me nothing in thy will. O yes (dear friend), I pardon crave of thee; XI. Venus with Adonis sitting by her,9 Under a myrtle shade, began to woo him: She told the youngling how god Mars did try her, Even thus (quoth she), the warlike god embrac'd me ; 9 Venus with Adonis sitting by her,] This sonnet, with considerable variations, is the third in a collection of seventy-two sonnets, published in 1596, under the title of Fidessa, with the name of B. Griffin as the author: it may not belong to Shakespeare, but it is very much in his manner. And then she clipp'd Adonis in her arms; And would not take her meaning, nor her pleasure. To kiss and clip me till I ran away! XII. Crabbed age and youth Age like winter weather; Youth is full of sport, Age's breath is short; Youth is nimble, age is lame: Youth is hot and bold, Age is weak and cold; Youth is wild, and age is tame. Age, I do abhor thee, Youth, I do adore thee; O, my love, my love is young! Age, I do defy thee; O, sweet shepherd! hie thee, For methinks thou stay'st too long. XIII. Beauty is but a vain and doubtful good, A doubtful good, a gloss, a glass, a flower, And as goods lost are seld or never found, So beauty blemish'd once, for ever lost, XIV. Good night, good rest. Ah! neither be my share : Farewell, quoth she, and come again to-morrow: Yet at my parting sweetly did she smile, |