SOPHOS

Optatis non est spes ullam potiri: Yet Phœbus send down thy tralucent beams, Behold the earth that mourns in sad attire, The flowers at Sophos presence begins to droop, Whose trickling tears for Lelias lose Do turn the Plains into a standing Pool: Sweet Cynthia smile, cheer up the drooping Flowers, Let Sophos once more see a sunshine day, Oh let the sacred centre of my heart, I mean fair Lelia Nature's fairest work, Be once again the object to mine eyes. Oh but I wish in vain, while his I wish to see, His Father he obscures his from my sighed, He pleads my want of wealth, And says it is a bar in Venus Court. How hath found fortune by his fatal doom, Predestined me to live in hapless Hope's, Still turning false his fickle wavering wheel! And Loves fair goddess, with his Circian cup, Inchanteth so found Cupid's poisoned darts, That love the only Loadstar of my life, Does draw my thoughts into a labyrinth, But stay: What do I see, what do mine eyes behold? (Oh happy sighed) it is fair Lelias face. Hail heavens bright nymph the perjod of my grief, Sole guidresse of my thoughts and author of my joy. And blessed be chance that hath conducted me, unto the place where I might see my deer, As deer to me as is the dearest life. Yet Fortune favours fools. 'Tis then to show her mutability: But since amid ten thousand frowning threats Of fickle Fortune's thrice unconstant wheel, She deigns to show one little pleasing smile, Lets do our best false Fortune to beguile, And take advantage of her ever changing moods. See, see, how Tellus spangled mantle smiles, And birds do chant their rural sugared notes As ravished with our meetings sweet delights. Since then there fits for love both time and place: Let love and liking hand in hand embrace. But what says Lelia to her Sophos love? As joys the weary Pilgrim by the way, When Phebus waves unto the western deep, To summon him to his desired rest: Or as the poor distressed Mariner, Long tossed by shipwreck on the foaming waves, At length beholds the long wished haven, Although from far, his heart does dance for joy: So Loves consent at length my mind hath eased, My troubled thoughts, by sweet content are pleased. To what fair Lelia wills, does Sophos yield con tent, Yet thats the troublous gulf my silly ship must pass: But were that venture harder to achieve Then that of Jason for the golden fleece, I would effect it for sweet Lelias sake, Or leave my self as witness of my thoughts. Farewell my love, fair fortune be thy guide. Now Sophos, now bethink thy self How thou mayest win her father's will to knit this happy knot. Alas thy state is poor, thy friends are few, And fear forbids to tell my fates to friend: Well, I'll try my Fortune's; And find out some convenient time, When as her father's leisure best shall serve To confer with him about fair Lelias love. The great Tartarian Emperor Tamor Cham, Joyed not so much in his imperial Crown, As Sophos joys in Lelias hop't-for love, Whose looks would pierce and Adamantine heart, And make the proud beholders stand at gaze, To draw Loves picture from his glancing eye. Thanks gentle Sir. Enter Gripe. But truce a while, here comes his Father, I must speak a word or two with him. God save you Sir. No Sir: a man may ask a yea, A Woman may say nay, She is in choice to take his choice: Yet I must confess I love Lelia. I am not rich, I am not very poor, I neither want nor ever shall exceed, The mean is my content, I live betwixt two extremes. He needs must go that the devil drives. Sic virtus sine Censum languet. Will heavens still smile at Sophos Misery's, And give no end to my uncessant mones? These Cypress shades are witness of my woes, The senseless trees do grieve at my laments, The leavy branches drop sweet Myrrha's tears, For love did scorn me in my mother's womb, And sullen Saturn pregnant at my birth, With all the fatal stars conspired in one, To frame a hapless constellation, Presaging Sophos luckless destiny. Here, here, does Sophos turn restless wheel, And here lies wrapped in labyrinths of love. Of his sweet Lelias love whose sole Id still Prolongs the hapless date of Sophos hopeless life: Ah, said I life? a life far worse then death. Then death? I then ten thousand death's. I daily die, in that I live loves thrall, They die thrice happy, that once die for all. Here will I stay my weary wandering steps, And lay me down upon this solid earth, He lies down. The mother of despair and baleful thoughts, I, this befits my melancholy moods: Now now me thinks I hear the pretty birds, With warbling tunes record fair Lelias name, Whose absence makes warm blood drop from my heart, And forceth watery tears from these my weeping eyes, Me thinks I hear the silver sounding streams, With gentle murmur summon me to sleep, Singing a sweet melodious lullaby: Here will I take a nap and drown my hapless Hope's, In the Ocean seas of Never Like to speed. What do I hear? what harmony is this With silver found that glutteth Sophos ears And drives sad passion from his heavy heart, Presaging some good future hap shall fallen, After these blustering blasts of discontent: Thanks gentle Nymphs and Satires too adieu, That thus compassionate a loyal lovers woe, When heavens fit smiling at his dire mishaps. My mind sweet friend is Like a mastless ship, Thats huld and tossed upon the surging seas, By Boreas bitter blasts and Eoles whistling winds, On Rocks and sands, far from the wished po Whereon my silly ship desires to land, Fair Lelias love that is the wished haven, Wherein my wandering mind would take repose, For want of which my restless thoughts are tossed: For want of which, all Sophos joys are lost. She, she, it is whose love I wish to gain: Nor need I wish, nor do I love in vain, My love she does repay with equal meed: 'Tis strange yowl say that Sophos should not speed. My want of wealth is author of my grief, Your father says, my state is too, too low. I am no Hobby bred; I may not soar so high, as Lelias love: The lofty Eagle will not catch at flies. When I with Icarus would soar against the Sun the only fiery Phaeton denies my course, my waxed wings, when as I soar aloft: fair Lelia up from Sophos sighed, That not so much as paper pleads remorse: Thrice three times Solemnizing hath slept in Thetis lap, Since these mine eyes beheld sweet Lelias face. What greater grief? what other Hell then this? To be denied to come where my beloved is. Yes, only one, and him your father backs, 'Tis Peter Ploddall, rich Ploddalls son and heir, One, whose base rustic rude desert Unworthy far to win so fair a prize, Yet means your father for to Mars a match, For golden Lucre with this Corydon And scorns at virtues lore: hence grows my g That cannot be: Churm it my vowed friend, Whose tongue relates the tenor of my love To Lelias ears, I have no other Nurse, what news? How fares my love? Nay, then let heavens in sorrow end my days And fatal Fortune never cease to frown, And heaven and earth, and all conspire to pull me down, If black oblivion seize upon my heart Once to estrange my thoughts from Lelias love. Can fall hood lurk in those enticing looks? And deep dis nce lie where truth appears? This world's the Chaos of confusion: No world at all but Mass of open wrongs, Wherein a man, as in a Map man see The high road way from woe to misery. And bear her this from me: And with this ring bid her receive my heart. My heart? alas, my heart I cannot give, How should I give her that which is her own? And I will study to deserve this love. 'Tis impossible: her Father, man, her father, He's all for Peter Ploddall. I: here I'll weight for Lelias wished approach, More wished to me, then is a calm at seas, To shipwracked souls, when great God Neptune frowns. Though sad despair hath almost drowned my Hope's; Yet would I pass the burning vaults of York, As erst did Hercules to fetch his love, If I might meet my love upon the strand Enter Robin Goodfellow. And but enjoy her love one minute of and hour. But stay: what man, or devil, or hellish fiendcomes here, Transformed in this ugly uncouth shape? Oh monstrous villain! Sure he's no man, but and incarnate devil, Whose ugly shape betrays his monstrous mind. Nay, she it is that I expect so long. Now gentle Jove, great Monarch of the world, Grant good success unto my wandering Hope's. Nay first, I'll send thy soul to coal black night. Nay, let me do it, thats my partly. Avant, base braggart: Lelias mine. See here the mirror of true Whose steadfast love deserves a Princes worth We both do wish a fortunate goodnight: Now come fair Lelia, lets betake our selves Unto a little Hermitage hereby: And there to live obscured from the world Till fates and Fortune call us thence away, To see the sunshine of our Nuptial day. See how the twinkling Stars do hide their borrowed shin As half ashamed their luster so is stained, By Lelias beauteous eyes that shine more bright, Then twinkling Stars do in a winter's night: In such a night did Paris win his love. In such a night did Troilus court his deer. I'll prove as true as ever Troilus was. Then let us solace, and in loves delight, And sweet embracings spend the livelong night. And while love mounts her on her wanton wings, Let Descant run on Musics silver strings. And ten times more if it be possible. The love of Lelia is to me more deer, Then is a kingdom or the richest crown That ere adorned the temples of a king. Now Phaeton hath checked his fiery steeds, And quenched his burning beams that late were wont To melt my waxed wings when as I soared aloft: And lovely Venus smiles with fair aspect Upon the Spring time of our sacred love; Thou great commander of the circled Orbs, Grant, that this league of lasting amity May lie recorded by Eternity.