DIANA. The praises of his Mistress, in certain sweet Sonnets.  
By H. C.  
VERITAS TEMPORE PATET OCCULTA  
R S   printer's or publisher's device 
LONDON, Printed by I. C. for Richard Smith: and are to be sold at the West door of Paul's. 1592.   

To his absent Diana.  
Severed from sweet Content, my lives sole light;  
Banished by overweening wit from my desire:  
This poor acceptance only I require,  
That though my fault have forced me from thy sight;  
Yet that thou wouldst (my sorrows to requite)  
Review these Sonnets, pictures of thy praise;  
Wherein each woe thy wondrous worth doth raise,  
Though first thy worth bereft me of delight.  
See them forsaken: for I them forsook,  
Forsaken first of thee, next of my sense;  
And when thou deignst on their black tears to look,  
Shed not one tear my tears to recompense:  
But joy in this (though Fates 'gainst me repine)  
My verse still lives, to witness thee divine.   

To the Gentlemen Readers.  
THE eye (Gentlemen) is the judge of beauty, the ear of utterance, the sense of Art: these ensuing Sonnets, (sons of no partial judge, whose eyes were acquainted with Beauty's Riches, whose ears frequented to Angelical sounds, and sense ravished with excellent Science) are now by misfortune left as Orphans: and crave desertful acceptance of your experienced judgements; in whom rests what ever Beauty would grace, or Art adorn. Being left desolate, they seek entertainment: farther they will not, how ever you accept them; better they desire not, but as you like to use them.   


Sonetto primo.  
Resolved to love, unworthy to obtain,  
I do no favour crave: but humble wise  
to thee my sighs in verse I sacrifice;  
only some pity, and no help to gain.  
Hear then, and as my heart shall aye remain  
a patiented object to thy lightning eyes:  
a patiented ear bring thou to thundering cries;  
fear not the crack, when I the blow sustain.  
So, as thine eye bred mine ambitious thought,  
so shall thine ear make proud my voice for joy:  
lo (Dear) what wonders great by thee are wrought,  
when I but little favours do enjoy.  
The voice is made the ear for to rejoice:  
and your ear giveth pleasure to my voice.   

Sonnetto secondo.  
It may be, Love my death doth not pretend,  
although he shoots at me: but thinks it fit  
thus to bewitch thee for my benefit,  
causing thy will to my wish condescend.  
For witches which some murder do intend,  
do make a picture, and do shoot at it;  
and in that part where they the picture hit,  
the party's self doth languish to his end.  
So Love too weak by force thy heart to taint,  
within my heart thy heavenly shape doth paint:  
suffering therein his arrows to abide,  
only to th'end he might by witch's art,  
within my heart pierce through thy pictures side,  
and through thy pictures side might wound my heart.   

Sonnetto terzo.  
Blame not my heart for flying up too high,  
sith thou art cause that it this flight begun;  
for earthly vapours drawn up by the Sun,  
Comets begin, and night-sunnes in the sky.  
Mine humble heart, so with thy heavenly eye  
drawn up aloft, all low desires doth shun:  
raise then me up, as thou my heart hast done;  
so during night, in heaven remain may I.  
I say again, blame not my high desire,  
sith of us both the cause thereof depends:  
In thee doth shine, in me doth burn a fire,  
fire draws up other, and itself ascends.  
Thine eye a fire, and so draws up my love:  
my love a fire, and so ascends above.   

Sonnetto quattro.  
The Son his journey ending in the West,  
taking his lodging up in Thetis bed:  
though from our eyes his beams be banished,  
yet with his light th' Antipodes be blest.  
Now when the Sun time brings my Sun to rest,  
(which me too oft of rest hath hindered)  
and whiter skin with white sheet covered,  
and softer cheek doth on soft pillow rest:  
Then I (oh Sun of Suns, and Light of Lights)  
wish me with those Antipodes to be,  
which see and feel thy beams and heat by nights.  
Well, though the night both cold and darksome is,  
yet half the days delight the night grants me:  
I feel my suns heat, though his light I miss.   

Sonnetto quinto.  
Fly low dear Love, thy Sun dost thou not see?  
Take heed, do not so near his rays aspire:  
lest (for thy pride, inflamed with wreakful ire)  
it burn thy wings, as it hath burned me.  
Thou (haply) sayst, thy wings immortal be,  
and so cannot consumed be with fire:  
the one is Hope, the other is Desire,  
and that the heavens bestowed them both on thee.  
A Muse's words made thee with Hope to fly,  
an Angel's face Desire hath begot,  
thyself engendered by a Goddess eye:  
yet for all this, immortal thou art not.  
Of heavenly eye though thou begotten art,  
yet art thou borne but of a mortal heart.   

Sonnetto sesto.  
Uncivil sickness, hast thou no regard,  
but dost presume my dearest to molest?  
and without leave darest enter in that breast,  
whereto sweet Love approach yet never dared?  
Spare thou her health, which my life hath not spared,  
too bitter such revenge of my unrest:  
although with wrongs my thought she hath oppressed,  
my wrongs seek not revenge, they crave reward.  
Cease Sickness, cease in her then to remain,  
and come and welcome, harbour thou in me:  
whom Love long since hath taught to suffer pain.  
So she which hath so oft my pain increased,  
(Oh God, that I might so revenged be:)  
by my more pain, might have her pain released.   

Sonnetto settimo.  
A friend of mine, pitying my hopeless love,  
hoping (by kill hope) my hope to slay:  
Let not (quoth he) thy hope thy heart betray,  
impossible it is her heart to move.  
But sith resolved love cannot remove,  
as long as thy divine perfections stay:  
thy Godhead than he sought to take away.  
Dear, seek revenge, and him a liar prove.  
Gods only do impossibilities,  
Impossible (saith he) thy grace to gain:  
show then the power of thy divinities,  
by granting me thy favour to obtain.  
So shall thy foe give to himself the lie:  
a Goddess thou shalt prove, and happy I.   

Sonnetto ottavo.  
If true love might true loves reward obtain,  
dumb wonder only might speak of my joy:  
but too much worth hath made thee too much coy,  
and told me long ago, I sighed in vain.  
Not then vain hope of undeserved gain  
hath made me paint in verses mine annoy:  
but for thy pleasure, that thou mightst enjoy  
thy beauty's sight, in glasses of my pain.  
See then thyself (though me thou wilt not hear)  
by looking on my verse: for pain in verse,  
love doth in pain, beauty in love appear.  
So, if thou wouldst my verses meaning see,  
expound them thus, when I my love rehearse;  
None loves like him; that is, None fair like me.   

Sonnetto nono.  
Thine eye the glass where I behold my heart, ☜  
mine eye the window, through the which thine eye  
may see my heart, and there thyself espy  
in bloody colours how thou painted art.  
Thine eye the pile is of a murdering dart,  
mine eye the sight thou tak'st thy level by  
to hit my heart, and never shoots awry;  
mine eye thus helps thine eye to work my smart.  
Thine eye a fire is both in heat and light,  
mine eye of tears a river doth become:  
Oh that the water of mine eye had might  
to quench the flames that from thine eyes do come.  
Or that the fire kindled by thine eye,  
the flowing streams of mine eyes could make dry.   

Sonnetto decimo.  
Lady in beauty and in favour rare,  
of favour (not of due) I favour crave:  
Nature to thee Beauty and favour gave;  
fair than thou art, and Favour thou mayst spare.  
When on poor me bestowed your favours are,  
less Favour in your face you shall not have:  
If favour then a wounded soul may save,  
of murders guilt (dear Lady) then beware.  
My loss of life a million sold were less,  
than the least loss should unto you befall:  
yet grant this gift, which gift when I possess,  
both I have life, and you no loss at all.  
For by your favour only I do live:  
and Favour you may well both keep and give.   

Sonnetto undeci.  
Mine eye with all the deadly sins is fraught, ☜  
First proud, sith it presumed to look so high:  
a watchman being made, stood gazing by,  
and idle, took no heed till I was caught:  
And envious, bears envy that my thought  
should in his absence be to her so nigh:  
to kill my heart, mine eye let in her eye,  
and so consent gave to a murder wrought:  
And covetous, it never would remove  
from her fair hair, gold so doth please his sight:  
Unchaste, a bawd between my heart and love:  
a glutton eye; with tears drunk every night.  
These sins procured have a Goddess ire:  
wherefore my heart is damned in loves sweet fire.   

Sonnetto dodeci.  
☞ My Reason absent, did mine eyes require  
to watch and ward, and such foes to descry  
as they should near my heart approaching spy:  
but traitor eyes my heart's death did conspire,  
(Corrupted with Hope's gifts) let in Desire  
to burn my heart: and sought no remedy,  
though store of water were in either eye;  
which well employed, might well have quenched the fire.  
Reason returned, Love and Fortune made  
judges, to judge mine eyes to punishment:  
Fortune, sith they by sight my heart betrayed,  
from wished sight adjudged them banishment:  
Love, sith by fire murdered my heart was found,  
adjudged them in tears for to be drowned,   

Sonnetto tredeci.  
Falsely doth envy of your praises blame  
my tongue, my pen, my heart of flattery:  
because I said there was no sun but thee,  
it called my tongue the partial trump of fame;  
And saith my pen hath flattered thy name,  
because my pen did to my tongue agree;  
and that my heart must needs a flattrer be,  
which taught both tongue and pen to say the same.  
No, no, I flatter not, when thee I call  
the sun, sith that the sun was never such:  
but when the sun thee I compared withal,  
doubtless the sun I flattered too much.  
Witness mine eyes I say the truth in this:  
they have seen thee, and know that so it is.   

Sonnetto quaterdeci.  
Wonder it is, and pity be't, that she  
in whom all beauty's treasure we may find,  
that may enrich the body and the mind,  
towards the poor should use no charity.  
My Love is gone a begging unto thee,  
and if that Beauty had not been more kind  
than Pity, long ere this he had been pined:  
but Beauty is content his food to be.  
Oh pity have, when such poor Orphans beg;  
Love (naked boy) hath nothing on his back:  
and though he wanteth neither arm nor leg,  
yet maimed he is, sith he his sight doth lack.  
And yet (though blind) he beauty can behold▪  
and yet (though naked) he feels more heat than cold.   

Sonnetto quindeci.  
Much sorrow in itself my love doth move,  
more my despair, to love a hopeless bliss:  
my folly most, to love whom sure to miss;  
oh help me but this last grief to remove.  
All pains if you command, it joy shall prove,  
and wisdom to seek joy: then say but this;  
Because my pleasure in thy torment is,  
I do command thee without hope to love.  
So, when this thought my sorrow shall augment,  
that my own folly did procure my pain:  
then shall I say, to give myself content,  
obedience only made me love in vain.  
It was your will, and not my want of wit:  
I have the pain, bear you the blame of it.   

Sonnetto sedeci.  
pity refusing my poor Love to feed,  
a beggar starved for want of help he lies,  
and at your mouth (the door of Beauty) cries,  
that thence some alms of sweet grants might proceed.  
But as he waiteth for some almsdeed,  
a cherry tree before the door he spies;  
Oh dear (quoth he) two cherries may suffice,  
two only may save life in this my need.  
But beggars, can they nought but cherries eat?  
Pardon my Love, he is a Goddess son,  
and never feedeth but on dainty meat,  
else need he not to pine as he hath done:  
For only the sweet fruit of this sweet tree,  
can give food to my Love, and life to me.   

Sonnetto decisette.  
My Lady's presence makes the Roses red,  
because to see her lips, they blush for shame: ☜  
the Lilies leaves (for envy) pale became,  
and her white hands in them this envy bred:  
The Marigold the leaves abroad doth spread,  
because the suns: and her power is the same:  
the Violet of purple colour came,  
died in the blood she made my heart to shed.  
In brief, all flowers from her their virtue take;  
from her sweet breath, their sweet smells do proceed;  
the living heat which her eye beams doth make,  
warmeth the ground, and quickeneth the seed:  
The rain wherewith she watereth the flowers,  
falls from mine eyes, which she dissolves in showers.   

Sonnetto deciotto.  
The Fouler hides (as closely as he may)  
the net, where caught the silly bird should be,  
lest he the threatening prison should but see,  
and so for fear be forced to fly away.  
My Lady so, the while she doth assay  
in curled knots fast to entangle me:  
puts on her veil, to th'end I should not flee  
the golden net, wherein I am a prey.  
Alas (most sweet) what need is of a net,  
to catch a bird, that is already ta'en?  
Sith with your hand alone you may it get.  
for it desires to fly into the same.  
What need such art my thoughts then to entrap:  
when (of themselves) they fly into your lap.   

Sonnetto decinove.  
When your perfections to my thoughts appear,  
they say among themselves; O happy we,  
which ever shall so rare an object see:  
but happy heart, if thoughts less happy were,  
For their delights have cost my heart full dear,  
in whom of love a thousand causes be,  
and each cause breeds a thousand loves in me,  
and each love more than thousand hearts can bear.  
How can my heart so many loves than hold,  
which yet (by heaps) increase from day to day?  
But like a ship that's overcharged with gold,  
must either sink, or hurl the gold away.  
But hurl not love: thou canst not feeble heart.  
In thine own blood, thou therefore drowned art.   

Sonnetto vinti.  
Sweet hand the sweet, but cruel bow thou art,  
from whence at me five ivory arrows fly:  
so with five wounds at once I wounded lie,  
bearing my breast the print of every dart.  
Saint Frances had the like, yet felt no smart;  
where I in living torments never die:  
His wounds were in his hands and feet. where I  
all these five helpless wounds feel in my heart.  
Now (as Saint Frances) if a Saint am I,  
the bow that shot these shafts a relic is:  
I mean the hand, which is the reason why  
so many for devotion thee would kiss:  
And some thy glove kiss, as a thing divine,  
this arrows quiver, and this relics shrine.   

A calculation upon the birth of an honourable Lady's daughter, borne in the year, 1588. & on a Friday.  
Fair by inheritance; whom borne we see,  
both in the wondrous year, and on the day  
wherein the fairest Planet beareth sway:  
the Heavens to thee this fortune doth decree.  
Thou of a world of hearts in time shalt be  
a Monarch great, and with one beauties ray  
so many hosts of hearts thy face shall slay,  
as all the rest (for love) shall yield to thee.  
But even as Alexander (when he knew  
his Father's conquests) wept, lest he should leave  
no Kingdom unto him for to subdue:  
so shall thy Mother thee of praise bereave.  
So many hearts already she hath slain,  
as few behind to conquer shall remain.   

Vltimo Sonnetto.  
Fair Sun, if you would have me praise your light:  
when night approacheth, wherefore do you fly?  
Time is so short, Beauties so many be,  
as I have need to see them day and night:  
That by continual view, my verses might  
tell all the beams of your divinity;  
which praise to you, and joy should be to me,  
you living by my verse, I by your sight.  
I by your sight, and not you by my verse:  
need mortal skill immortal praise rehearse?  
No, no, though eyes were blind, and verse were dumb,  
your beauty should be seen, and your fame known.  
For by the wind which from my sighs do come,  
your praises round about the world is blown.