Classic Poem

Farewell sweet fancies, and once deare delights,
The treasures of my life, which made me proue
That vnaccomplish'd ioy that charm'd the sprights,
And whilst by it I onely seem'd to moue,
Did hold my rauish'd soule, big with desire,
That tasting those, to greater did aspire.

Farewell free thraldome, freedome that was thrall,
While as I led a solitary life,
Yet neuer lesse alone, whilst arm'd for all,
My thoughts were busied with an endlesse strife:
For then not hauing bound my selfe to any,
I being bound to none, was bound to many.

Great god, that tam'st the gods' old-witted child,
Whose temples brests, whose altars are men's hearts,
From my heart's fort thy legions are exil'd,
And Hymen's torch hath burn'd out all thy darts:
Since I in end haue bound my selfe to one,
That by this meanes I may be bound to none.

Thou daintie goddesse with the soft white skinne,
To whom so many offrings dayly smoke,
Were beautie's processe yet for to begin,
That sentence I would labour to reuoke:
Which on mount Ida as thy smiles did charme,
The Phrigian shepheard gaue to his owne harme.

And if the question were refer'd to mee,
On whom I would bestow the ball of gold,
I feare me Venus should be last of three,
For with the thunderer's sister I would hold,
Whose honest flames pent in a lawfull bounds,
No feare disturbs, nor yet no shame confounds.

I mind to speake no more of beautie's doue,
The peacocke is the bird whose fame I'le raise;
Not that I Argos need to watch my loue,
But so his mistris Iuno for to praise:
And if I wish his eyes, then it shall be,
That I with many eyes my loue may see.

Then farewell crossing ioyes, and ioyfull crosses,
Most bitter sweets, and yet most sugred sowers,
Most hurtfull gaines, yet most commodious losses,
That made my yeares to flee away like howers,
And spent the spring-time of mine age in vaine,
Which now my summer must redeeme againe.

O welcome easie yoke, sweet bondage come,
I seeke not from thy toiles for to be shielded,
But I am well content to be orecome,
Since that I must command when I haue yeelded:
Then here I quit both Cupid and his mother,
And do resigne my selfe t' obtain another.