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