Faustus, if thou wilt reade from me
These fewe and simple lines,
By them most clearely thou shalt see,
How little should accounted be
Thy faigned words and signes.
For noting well thy deedes unkinde,
Sheepheard, thou must not scan:
That ever it came to my minde,
To praise thy faith like to the winde,
Or for a constant man.
For this in thee shall so be found,
As smoake blowne in the aire:
Or like Quick-silver turning round,
Or as a house built on the ground
Of sands that doo impaire.
To firmenesse thou art contrarie,
More slipp’rie then the Eele:
Changing as Weather-cocke on hie,
Or the Camelion on the die,
Or Fortunes turning wheele.
Who would beleeve thou wert so free,
To blaze me thus each houre?
My Sheepheardesse, thou liv’st in me,
My soule dooth onely dwell in thee,
And every vitall power.
Pale Atropos my vitall string
Shall cut, and life offend:
The streames shall first turne to their spring,
The world shall end, and every thing,
Before my love shall end.
This love that thou didst promise me,
Sheepheard, where is it found?
The word and faith I had of thee,
O tell me now, where may they be,
Or where may they resound?
Too soone thou did’st the tytle gaine
Of giver of vaine words:
Too soone my love thou did’st obtaine,
Too soone thou lou’dst Diana in vaine,
That nought but scornes affords.
But one thing now I will thee tell,
That much thy pacience mooves:
That though Diana dooth excell
In beautie, yet she keepes not well
Her faith, nor loyall prooves.
Thou then hast chosen, each one saith,
Thine equall, and a shrow:
For if thou hast undone thy faith,
Her Love and Lover she betrayeth,
So like to like may goe.
If now this Sonnet which I send
Will anger thee: Before
Remember Faustus (yet my friend,)
That if these speeches doo offend,
Thy deedes doo hurt me more.
Thus let each one of us amend,
Thou deedes, I words so spent:
For I confesse I blame my pen,
Doo thou as much, so in the end,
Thy deedes thou do repent.
(Bartholomew Young)
More Poetry from Bartholomew Young:
Bartholomew Young Poems based on Topics: Love, Power, Man, World, Belief & Faith, Friendship, Spring- The Sheepheard Arsileus Replie to Syrenus Song (Bartholomew Young Poems)
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Based on Topics: Love Poems, Man Poems, World Poems, Friendship Poems, Belief & Faith Poems, Spring Poems, Power PoemsBased on Keywords: houre, streames, vitall, gaine, signes, reade, obtaine, dooth, deedes, fewe, equall