Venus, aloude for her soone Cupid cryed:
If any spye loue gadding in the streete,
It is my roage, he that shall him betray
(For hyer) of Venus shall haue kisses sweete:
But thou that bringes him, shall haue more beside,
Thou shalt not onely kisse, but as guest stay.
By many markes, the boy thou mayst bewray,
Mongst twentie such (beside) thou shalt perceiue him
Not of a pale complexion, but like fier,
Quicke rowling eyes, and flaming in their gyre,
False hart, sweet wordes, which quickly will deceiue him
To whom he speakes, sweet speech at your desier,
But vexe him, then as any waspe he stingeth:
Lying, and false (if you receaue him)
A craftie lad, and cruell pastimes bringeth.

A fayre curl'de head, and a right waggish face,
His handes are small, yet he shootes farre away,
For euen so farre as Acheron he shooteth,
And to th'infernall monarche, his dartes stray:
Cloathlesse he naked goes in euery place,
And yet to know his thoughtes, it no man booteth,
Swift (as a byrde) he flyes, and quickly footeth
Now to these men, and women now to those,
But yet he sittes, within their very marrow,
A little bow, and in that bow an arrow:
A small flight-shaft, but still to heauen-ward goes,
About his necke a golden dart-barrow,
In which he placeth euery bitter dart,
Which often euen at me he throwes,
All full of crueltie all full of smart.

And yet this thing more wondrous, a small brand
That euen the very sunne it selfe doth burne,
If him thou take, pittilesse lead him bound,
And (if thou chaunce to see him weepe) returne:
Then (least he thee deceaue) his teares withstand,
And if he laugh, draw him along the ground,
If he would kisse, refuse: his lippes confound,
For those alone be poysoned euermore:
But if he say, take, these I giue to thee,
All those my weapons which belong to me,
Tuch them not, when he layes them thee before,
Those giftes of his, all false and fierie be.