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Iohn Dowland

 

X. Loue stood amaz'd at sweet beauties paine.


    Loue stood amaz'd at sweet beauites paine:
    Loue would haue said that all was but vaine,
                                     and Gods but halfe diuine,
    But when Loue saw that beautie would die:
    Hee all agast, to heau'ns did crie,
                                      O gods, what wrong is mine.

    2  Then his teares bred in thoughts of salt
    Fel from his eyes, like raine in sunshine (brine,
                                      expeld by rage of fire:
    Yet in such wise as anguish affords,
    He did expresse in these his last words
                                      his infinite desire.

    3  Are you fled faire? where are now those eies
    Eyes but too faire, enui'd by the skies,
                                      you angrie gods do know,
    With guiltles bloud your scepters you stain,
    On poore true hearts like tyrants you raine:
                                      vniust why do you so?

    4  Are you false gods? why then do you raine?
    Are you iust gods? why then haue you slaine
                                      the life of loue on earth.
    Beautie, now thy face liues in the skies,
    Beautie, now let me liue in thine eyes,
                                      where blisse felt neuer death.

    5  Then from high rock, the rocke of dispaire,
    He fals, in hope to smother in the aire,
                                      or els on stones to burst,
    Or on cold waues to spend his last breath,
    Or his strange life to end by strange death,
                                      but fate forbid the worst.

    6  With pity mou'd the gods the change loue
    To Phenix shape, yer cannot remoue
                                      his wonted propertie,
    He loues the sunne because it is faire,
    Sleepe he neglects, he liues but by aire,
                                      and would, but cannot die.
      
    
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