Classic Poem

Not long after, seeing his Aduersary still creeping in countenance, and himselfe almost excluded: sitting on a day alone in his Chamber, thinking on the despight of Fortune & the want of discretion, in his discourteous Dame: wrote in haste these verses following.
O H ! wat a spight it is vnto a noble harte
To see a Scabbe, without all due desarte
With no account of credit nor of fame,
To winne the loue of any gallant Dame.
Which valyant harts, with trauaile great and paine
Haue much adooe long time for to obtaine.

My selfe I count of valiancie but small
Yet such as may my credit well defend:
And such as in my Mistresse honour shall
Be well content, with speede my lyfe to spend:
Which, let me spend, and spend, and spend againe
Yet shall an other sucke my sugred gaine.

With much a doo, I once did fauoure winne,
Of one in deede, a fayre and gallant Dame:
Which my good happe no sooner did beginne
But by and by, to ouerthrow the same,
A privie Patch, a whoreson scuruy Knaue.
Inioyed the fruictes that was my right to haue.

His fleering face, her peeuish fancie pleasde
My tryed troth was put out of conceyte:
He gladde I sadde he well, and I diseasde:
He caught the Fish for which I layde the baite.
He Idle sate, and nothing did all day,
And yet at night did beare the Bell away.

But since I see, that cases so fall out,
That valyaunt hearts so little are regarded:
And gallaunt Dames will seeme to loue a Loute
And let a noble youthe goe vnrewarded:
I will no more, henceforth, such trauaile spende
In cases such: and so I make an ende.