THE COMEDY OF LOVE

A LOVER'S LULLABY

SING lullaby, as women do,

Wherewith they bring their babes to rest; And lullaby can I sing too,

As womanly as can the best.
With lullaby they still the child;
And if I be not much beguiled,
Full many a wanton babe have I,
Which must be stilled with lullaby.

First lullaby my youthful years,
It is now time to go to bed:
For crooked age and hoary hairs

Have won the haven within my head.
With lullaby, then, youth be still;
With lullaby content thy will;

Since courage quails and comes behind,
Go sleep, and so beguile thy mind!

Next lullaby my gazing eyes,

Which wonted were to glance apace;

For every glass may now suffice
To show the furrows in thy face.
With lullaby then wink awhile;
With lullaby your looks beguile;
Let no fair face, nor beauty bright,
Entice you eft with vain delight.

And lullaby my wanton will;

Let reason's rule now reign thy thought;

Since all too late I find by skill

How dear I have thy fancies bought;

With lullaby now take thine ease,
With lullaby thy doubts appease;
For trust to this, if thou be still,
My body shall obey thy will.

Thus lullaby my youth, mine eyes,
My will, my ware, and all that was:
I can no more delays devise;

But welcome pain, let pleasure pass.
With lullaby now take your leave;
With lullaby your dreams deceive;
And when you rise with waking eye,
Remember then this lullaby.

George Gascoigne [1525?-1577]

PHILLIDA AND CORIDON

In the merry month of May,

In a morn by break of day,

Forth I walked by the wood-side
When as May was in his pride:
There I spied all alone
Phillida and Coridon.

Much ado there was, God wot!
He would love and she would not.
She said, Never man was true;
He said, None was false to you.

He said, He had loved her long;

She said, Love should have no wrong.

Coridon would kiss her then;

She said, Maids must kiss no men

Till they did for good and all;
Then she made the shepherd call
All the heavens to witness truth
Never loved a truer youth.
Thus with many a pretty oath,
Yea and nay, and faith and troth,
Such as silly shepherds use

When they will not Love abuse,

"It Was a Lover and His Lass" 691

Love, which had been long deluded,
Was with kisses sweet concluded;
And Phillida, with garlands gay,

Was made the Lady of the Máy.

Nicholas Breton [1545?-1626?]

CRABBED Age and Youth
Cannot live together:
Youth is full of pleasance,
Age is full of care;

Youth like summer morn,
Age like winter weather;
Youth like summer brave,
Age like winter bare.

Youth is full of sport,

Age's breath is short;

Youth is nimble, Age is lame;

Youth is hot and bold,

Age is weak and cold;

Youth is wild, and Age is tame.

Age, I do abhor thee;

Youth, I do adore thee;

O, my Love, my Love is young!

Age, I do defy thee:

O, sweet shepherd, hie thee!

For methinks thou stay'st too long.

William Shakespeare [1564-1616]

"IT WAS A LOVER AND HIS LASS"

From "As You Like It "

It was a lover and his láss,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, That o'er the green corn-field did pass,

In the spring time, the only pretty ring time, When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding; Sweet lovers love the spring.

Between the acres of the rye,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, These pretty country folks would lie,

In the spring time, the only pretty ring time, When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding; Sweet lovers love the spring.

This carol they began that hour,

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino, How that life was but a flower

In the spring time, the only pretty ring time, When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding; Sweet lovers love the spring.

And, therefore, take the present time

With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,

For love is crowned with the prime

In the spring time, the only pretty ring time, When birds do sing, hey ding a ding, ding;

Sweet lovers love the spring.

William Shakespeare [1564-1616]

"I LOVED A LASS"

I LOVED a lass, a fair one,
As fair as e'er was seen;
She was indeed a rare one,
Another Sheba Queen:

But, fool as then I was,

I thought she loved me too:
But now, alas! she's left me,
Falero, lero, loo!

Her hair like gold did glister,

Each eye was like a star,
She did surpass her sister,

Which passed all others far;

"I Loved a Lass

She would me honey call,
She'd-O she'd kiss me too!
But now, alas! she's left me,
Falero, lero, loo!

Many a merry meeting

My love and I have had;
She was my only sweeting,
She made my heart full glad;
The tears stood in her eyes
Like to the morning dew:
But now, alas! she's left me,
Falero, lero, loo!

Her cheeks were like the cherry,
Her skin was white as snow;
When she was blithe and merry
She angel-like did show;

Her waist exceeding small,
The fives did fit her shoe:
But now, alas! she's left me,
Falero, lero, loo!

In summer time or winter

She had her heart's desire; I still did scorn to stint her From sugar, sack, or fire; The world went round about, No cares we ever knew: But now, alas! she's left me, Falero, lero, loo!

To maidens' vows and swearing
Henceforth no credit give;

You may give them the hearing,

But never them believe; They are as false as fair,

Unconstant, frail, untrue:

For mine, alas! hath left me,

Falero, lero, loo!

693

George Wither [1588-1667]