YOu that embrace enchanting Poesy, Be gracious to perplexèd Corin's lines! You that do feel Love's proud authority, Help me to sing my sighs and sad designs! Chloris, requite not faithful love with scorn! But, as thou oughtest, have commiseration. I have enough anatomized and torn My heart, thereof to make a pure oblation. Likewise consider how thy Corin prizeth Thy parts above each absolute perfection! How he, of every precious thing deviseth, To make thee Sovereign! Grant me then affection! Else thus I prize thee, Chloris is alone More hard than gold, or pearl, or precious stone.
SONNET XLIX.
COlin, I know that, in thy lofty wit, Thou wilt but laugh at these my youthful lines; Content I am, they should in silence sit, Obscured from light to sing their sad designs. But that it pleasèd thy grave Shepherdhood, The Patron of my maiden verse to be; When I in doubt of raging envy stood: And now I weigh not who shall Chloris see! For fruit before it comes to full perfection But blossoms is, as every man doth know: So these, being blooms, and under thy protection, In time I hope to ripeness more will grow. And so I leave thee to thy worthy Muse; Desiring thee, all faults here to excuse.
FINIS.
[? Thomas Deloney.]
[See Vol. VII., p. 36.]
The Spanish Lady's Love.
This Ballad was entered at Stationers' Hall in June 1603, and again on 14th Dec. 1624. [Arber. Transcript, &c. III. 237; IV. 132.] It was probably occasioned by some incident at the Winning of Cadiz, in 1596, described at Vol. VII., pp. 80-93 of this Series.