An Excellent Sonnet of the Unfortunate LOVES,
of Hero and Leander. Tune of, Gerards mistris.
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Hero.
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HOw fares
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My fair Leander, O vouchsafe to speak,
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lest my heart break,
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I banisht am from thy sweet company,
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Tis not
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Thy Fathers anger can abase my love,
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I still will prove
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Thy faithful friend until such time I Dye,
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Though Fate
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And Fortune doth conspire,
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to interrupt our love
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In spight of fate and fortunes hate,
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I still will constant prove,
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And though
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Our angry friends in malice,
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now our bodies parts
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Nor friends nor foes, nor scars nor blows,
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shall seperate our hearts.
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Leander.
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What voice
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Is this that calls Leander from her Bower,
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from yonder Tower,
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The eccho of this voice doth sure proceed,
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Hero.
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Leander.
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Tis thy Hero fain would come to thee,
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if it might be,
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Thy absence makes my tender heart to bleed,
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but oh
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This pleasant river Hellisponce,
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which is the peoples wonder
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Those waves so high doth injury,
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by parting us asunder.
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And though
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Theres Ferry men good store
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yet none will stand my f[r]iend,
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To waft me o[]re to that fair shore,
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where all my grief shall end.
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Leander.
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Hero,
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Though I am thy constant Lover still
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and ever will,
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My angry Father is thy Enemy,
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He still
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Doth strive to keeps asunder now and then,
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poor Ferry men
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They dare not waft thee over lest they dye,
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Nor yet
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Dare they convey me
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unto my dear Hero now
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My Fathers rage will not asuage,
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nor will the same allow,
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Be patient
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Then dear Hero now
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as I am true to thee,
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Then so I trust thou art as just,
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and faithful unto me.
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Hero.
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Is there
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No way to stay an angry Fathers wrath,
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whose fury hath
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Bereavd his child of comfort and content,
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Leander.
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O no,
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Dear Hero theres no way that I do know,
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to ease my Woe,
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My days of joy and comfort now is spent,
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You may,
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As well go tame
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a Lyon in the Wilderness,
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As to perswade my Fathers aid,
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to help me in distress,
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His anger
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And his River hath
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kept us asunder long,
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He hath his will, his humour still,
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and we have all the wrong.
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Hero.
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TIs not
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Thy Fathers anger, nor this River deep,
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the which shall keep,
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Me from the imbracements of my dearest friend
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For through
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This silver stream, my way I mean to take,
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even for thy sake,
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For thy dear sake my dearest life Ile spend,
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Though waves
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And winds should both conspire,
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mine enemies to be,
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My lovs so strong, I fear no wrong
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can happen unto me:
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O meet
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Me in thy Garden,
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where this pleasant River glides,
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Lend me thy hand, draw me to Land,
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what ever me betides.
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Now must
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I make my tender slender arms my Oars,
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help watry powers,
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Yea little Fishes teach me how to swim,
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And all
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Ye sea-nimphs guard me unto yonder banks,
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Ile give you thanks
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Bear up my body, strengthen every limb,
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come
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Leander now prepare
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thy lovely arms for me,
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I come dear love, assist me Iove,
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I may so happy be,
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But oh!
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A mighty tempest rose,
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and he was drownd that Tide,
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In her fair sight, his hearts delight,
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and so with grief she dyd.
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But when
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Her aged Father these things understands,
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he wrings his hands,
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And tears his hoary hair from off his head,
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Society
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He shuns and doth forsake his meat,
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his griefs so great,
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And oft doth make the lowly ground his bed,
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O my
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Leander would that I
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had dyd to save thy life,
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Or that I had when I was sad,
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made thee brave Heros wife.
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It was
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My trespass, and I do
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confess I wronged thee;
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Posterity shall know hereby,
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the fault lay all in me.
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But since
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The waves have cast his body on the Land,
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upon the sand,
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Pis Corps shall buried be in solemn wise, tomb,
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One grave
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Shall serve them both, and one most stately
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shel make him rome,
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Although her corps be breathless where she lies
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Ye Fathers
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Have a special care now,
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whatsoer you do,
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For those that parts true loyal hearts,
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themselves were never true.
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Though Fate
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And fortune crosse poor Lovers,
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sometimes as we know,
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Pray understand, have you no hand
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even in their overthrow.
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