Thomas Humphry Ward, ed. The English Poets. 1880–1918.rnVol. I. Early Poetry: Chaucer to Donne
Stephen Hawes (d. 1523)Extracts from The Pastime of Pleasure: Amoure Laments the Absence of La Belle Pucel
T
Of good dame Musicke, my leaue for to take;
And priuely with these wordes dolorous
I saied; O tower, thou maiest well aslake
Suche melody nowe in the more to make:
The gemme is gone of all famous port
That was chefe cause of the great comfort.
But nowe thou art replete with darkenes,
She is nowe gone, that shone in the so bright.
Thow wast sometime the tower of gladnes,
Now maist thou be the tower of heauines,
For the chefe is gone of all thy melody,
Whose beauty cleare made most swete armony.
That in the truely did most purely shine,
The pearle of pitie, replete with swetenes,
The gentle gillofloure, the goodly columbine,
The redolent plante of the dulcet vyne,
The dede aromatike may no more encense,
For she is so farre out of thy presence.
Mine errande was, the often for to se;
Nowe for to enter I may be agast
When thou art hence, the starre of beauty,
For all my delite was to beholde the:
Ah Tower, Tower! all my ioye is gone;
In me to enter comfort there is none.
In the tower I went, into the habitacle
Of dame Musicke, where she was singyng
The ballades swete, in her fayre tabernacle;
Alas, thought I, this is no spectacle
To fede mine eyen, whiche are nowe all blynde,
She is not here, that I was wont to finde.
I did take my leaue, withouten tariyng;
She thanked me with all her mekenes.
And all alone, forthe I went musyng:
Ah, ah, quoth I, my loue and likyng
Is nowe farre hence, on whom my whole delite
Daiely was set vpon her to haue sight.
Adieu, adieu, I wouldne I were you by;
God geue me grace with you sone to dwell
Like as I did for to se you dayly;
Your lowly cheare and gentle company
Reioysed my hart with fode most delicate,
Mine eyen to se you were insaciate.