THE SECOND BOOKE
of  S o n g s  or  A y r e s

J O H N   D OVV L A N D

1600

XV. White as Lillies was hir face.

       1   White as Lillies was hir face,
                                     When shee smiled, 
                                     She beguiled,
       Quitting faith with foule disgrace,
       Vertue seruice thus neglected,
       Heart with sorrowes hath infected.

       2   When I swore my hart hir owne,
                                     Shee disdained, 
                                     I complained,
       Yet shee left mee ouerthrowen,
       Careles of my bitter groning,
       Ruthlesse bent to no relieuing.

       3   Vowes and oaths and faith assured,
                                     Constant euer,
                                     Changing neuer,
       Yet shee could not bee procured,
       To beleeue my paines exceeding,
       From hir scant neglect proceeding.

       4   Oh that Loue should haue the art,
                                     By surmises,
                                     And disguises,
       To destroy a faithfull hart,
       Or that wanton looking women,
       Should reward their friends as foemen.

       5   All in vaine is Ladies loue,
                                     Quickly choosed,
                                     Shortly loosed,
       For their pride is to remoue,
       Out alas their looks first won vs,
       And their pride hath straight vndone vs.

       6   To thy selfe the sweetest faier,
                                     Thou hast wounded,
                                     And confounded,
       Changles faith with foule dispaier,
       And my seruice hath enuied,
       And my succours hath denied.

       7   By thine error thou hast lost,
                                     Hart vnfained,
                                     Truth vnstained,
       And the swaine that loued most,
       More assured in loue then many,
       More dispised in loue then any.

       8   For my hart though set at nought,
                                     Since you will it,
                                     Spoile and kill it,
       I will neuer change my thoughts,
       But grieue that beautie ere was borne.
       [ And so Ile liue as one forlorne. ]