WHENAS thine eye hath
chose the dame, |
|
And stalld the deer that thou shouldst
strike, |
|
Let reason rule things worthy blame, |
|
As well as fancy, partial wight: |
|
Take counsel of some wiser head, |
5 |
Neither too young nor yet unwed. |
|
|
And when thou comst thy tale to tell, |
|
Smooth not thy tongue with filed talk, |
|
Lest she some subtle practice smell; |
|
A cripple soon can find a halt: |
10 |
But plainly say thou lovst
her well, |
|
And set thy person forth to sell. |
|
|
What though her frowning brows be bent, |
|
Her cloudy looks will calm ere night; |
|
And then too late she will repent |
15 |
That thus dissembled her delight; |
|
And twice desire, ere it be day, |
|
That which with scorn she put
away. |
|
|
What though she strive to try her strength, |
|
And ban and brawl, and say thee nay, |
20 |
Her feeble force will yield at length, |
|
When craft hath taught her thus to say, |
|
Had women been so strong
as men, |
|
In faith, you had not had it
then. |
|
|
And to her will frame all thy ways; |
25 |
Spare not to spend, and chiefly there |
|
Where thy desert may merit praise, |
|
By ringing in thy ladys ear: |
|
The strongest castle, tower,
and town, |
|
The golden bullet beats it down. |
30 |
|
Serve always with assured trust, |
|
And in thy suit be humble true; |
|
Unless thy lady prove unjust, |
|
Seek never thou to choose anew. |
|
When time shall serve, be thou
not slack |
35 |
To proffer, though she put thee
back. |
|
|
The wiles and guiles that women work, |
|
Dissembled with an outward show, |
|
The tricks and toys that in them lurk, |
|
The cock that treads them shall not know. |
40 |
Have you not heard it said full
oft, |
|
A womans nay doth stand
for nought? |
|
|
Think women love to match with men |
|
And not to live so like a saint: |
|
Here is no heaven; they holy then |
45 |
Begin when age doth them attaint. |
|
Were kisses all the joys in bed, |
|
One woman would another wed. |
|
|
But, soft! enough! too much, I fear; |
|
For if my mistress hear my song, |
50 |
She will not stick to ring my ear, |
|
To teach my tongue to be so long: |
|
Yet will she blush, here be it
said, |
|
To hear her secrets so bewrayd. |
|