From WILLIAM BYRD's _Songs of Sundry Natures_, 1589.
{ deinos Erôs, deinos; ti de to pleon, ên palin eipô, kai palin, oimôzôn pollaki, deinos Erôs?} MELEAG.
When younglings first on Cupid fix their sight, And see him naked, blindfold, and a boy, Though bow and shafts and firebrand be his might, Yet ween they he can work them none annoy; And therefore with his purple wings they play, For glorious seemeth love though light as feather, And when they have done they ween to scape away, For blind men, say they, shoot they know not whither. But when by proof they find that he did see, And that his wound did rather dim their sight, They wonder more how such a lad as he Should be of such surpassing power and might. But ants have galls, so hath the bee his sting: Then shield me, heavens, from such a subtle thing!
From JOHN WILBYE's _Second Set of Madrigals_, 1609.
Where most my thoughts, there least mine eye is striking; Where least I come there most my heart abideth; Where most I love I never show my liking; From what my mind doth hold my body slideth; I show least care where most my care dependeth; A coy regard where most my soul attendeth.
Despiteful thus unto myself I languish, And in disdain myself from joy I banish. These secret thoughts enwrap me so in anguish That life, I hope, will soon from body vanish, And to some rest will quickly be conveyèd That on no joy, while so I lived, hath stayèd.
From MARTIN PEARSON's _Mottects or Grave Chamber-Music_, 1630.
A MOURNING-SONG FOR THE DEATH OF SIR FULKE GREVILLE, LORD BROOKE.
Where shall a sorrow great enough be sought For this sad ruin which the Fates have wrought, Unless the Fates themselves should weep and wish Their curbless power had been controlled in this? For thy loss, worthiest Lord, no mourning eye Has flood enough; no muse nor elegy Enough expression to thy worth can lend; No, though thy Sidney had survived his friend. Dead, noble Brooke shall be to us a name Of grief and honour still, whose deathless fame Such Virtue purchased as makes us to be Unjust to Nature in lamenting thee; Wailing an old man's fate as if in pride And heat of Youth he had untimely died.
From CAMPION and ROSSETER's _Book of Airs_, 1601.
{ skênê pas ho bios, kai paignion.} PALLAD.
