Classic Poem

To Mistress A.

Since I so long have lived in pain
and burnt for love of thee,
(O cruel heart) dost thou no more
esteem the love of me?
Regard'st thou not the health of him
that thee, above the rest
Of creatures all, and next to God,
hath dearest in his breast?
Is pity placed from thee so far?
is gentleness exiled?
Hast thou been fostered in the caves
of wolves or lions wild?
Hast thou been so? why then, no force,
the less I marvel, I,
Such as the dam, such is the young,
experience true doth try.
Sith thou art of so fierce a mind,
why did not God then place
In thee, with such a tiger's heart,
a foul ill-favoured face?
Sure for no other end, but that
He likes no lover's trade,
And thee therefore, a raging fiend,
an angel's face hath made.
Such one as thou was Gorgon once,
as ancient poets tell,
Who with her beauty mazed men,
and now doth reign in hell.
But mercy yet of thee I crave,
if ought in thee remain,
And let me not so long the force
of flaming fire sustain.
Let pity joined with beauty be,
so shall I not disdain
My blood, my heart, my life to spend
with toil, with strife, and pain,
To do thee good, my breath to lose,
if need shall so require;
But for my service and my pains
thou givest me hate for hire.
Well now take this for end of all,
I love and thou dost hate,
Thou livest in pleasures happily,
and I in wretched state.
Pains cannot last for evermore,
but time and end will try,
And time shall tell me in my age,
how youth led me awry.
Thy face that me tormented so,
in time shall sure decay,
And all that I do like or love
shall vanish quite away.
Thy face in time shall wrinkled be,
at which I shall be glad,
To see thy form transformed thus,
that made me once so sad.
Then shall I blame my folly much,
and thank the mightiest king,
That hath me saved till such a day
to see so fond a thing.
And till that time I will keep close
my flames and let them blaze
All secretly within my breast:
no man on me shall gaze.
I will not trespass sinfully,
for God shall give me grace
To see the time wherein I shall
neglect thy foolish face.
And till that time, adieu to thee,
for God keep thee far from me,
And send thee in that place to dwell,
that I shall never see.