Various authors

“ I'd clasp it round so close and tight.
And I would be the necklace,
And all day long to fall and rise
Upon her balmy bosom,
With her laughter or her sighs:
And I would lie so light, so light,
I scarce should be unclasp'd at night. ”

“ I did not feel the grief I did sustain,
The greater stroke astonisheth the more,
Astonishment takes from us sense of pain,
⁠I stood amazed when others’ tears begun,
⁠And now begin to weep when they have done. ”

“ The maids and fairies both were kept away,
And in a drought the caterpillars threw
Themselves upon the bud and every spray.
God shield the stock! If heaven send no supplies,
The fairest blossom of the garden dies. ”

“ What tho' no Grants of Royal Donors
With pompous Titles grace our Blood?
We'll shine in more substantial Honours,
And, to be Noble, we'll be good.
Through Youth and Age, in Love excelling,
We'll hand in hand together tread ”

“ To some few birds kind Nature hath
Made all the summer as one day.
Which once enjoy'd, cold winter's wrath
As night they sleeping pass away.
Those happy creatures are, that know not yet
The pain to be deprived or to forget. ”

“ Nor any to oppose you save our lips;
But come on shore,
Where no joy dies till Love hath gotten more.
For swelling waves our panting breasts,
Where never storms arise,
Exchange, and be awhile our guests:
For stars gaze on our eyes. ”

“ As though His floods should quench His flames,
⁠Which with His tears were bred:
‘Alas!’ quoth He, ‘but newly born
⁠In fiery heats I fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts
⁠Or feel my fire but I!
‘My faultless breast the furnace is;
⁠The fuel, wounding thorns;
Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke ”

“ WHEN youthful faith hath fled,
Of loving take thy leave;
Be constant to the dead—
The dead cannot deceive.
Sweet modest flowers of Spring,
How fleet your balmy day!
And Man's brief life can bring
No secondary May. ”

“ Et moun amour doné vous ay,
And also thine owene, night and day
In cisto.
Ma tres duce et tres amé,
Night and day for love of thee
Suspiro.
Soyez permanent et leal;
Love me so that I it fele,
Requiro. ”

“ Sally in our Alley
455
OF all the girls that are so smart
⁠There's none like pretty Sally;
She is the darling of my heart,
⁠And she lives in our alley.
There is no lady in the land
⁠Is half so sweet as Sally ”

“ Of on [1] that is so fayr and bright
Velut maris stella,
Brighter than the day is light
Parens et puella:
Ic crie to the, thou see to me,
Levedy, [2] preye thi Sone for me,
Tam pia
That ic mote come to thee
Maria. ”

“ Fredome mays man to haiff liking; [1]
Fredome all solace to man giffis,
He levys at ese that frely levys!
A noble hart may haiff nane ese,
Na ellys nocht [2] that may him plese,
Gyff fredome fail; for fre liking
Is yarnyt [3] our [4] all othir thing. ”

“ Ant al ich waxe won. [27]
For hire love in slep y slake,
For hire love al nyht ich wake,
For hire love mournynge y make
More then eny mon.
Blow northerne wynd!
Send thou me my suetyng!
Blow northerne wynd! blow, blow, blow!
↑ Ichot] I know. ↑ burde] maiden. ↑ menskful] worshipful. ↑ feir] fair. ↑ fonde] deal with. ↑ wurhliche] noble. ↑ won] multitude. ↑ y nuste] I knew not. ↑ lussomore in londe] lovelier on earth. ↑ suetyng] sweetheart. ↑ lefliche] lovely. ↑ fonge] take between hands. ↑ murthes] mirths, joys. ↑ mote heo monge] may she mingle. ↑ brid] bird. ”

“ Ant wyht in wode be fleme. [26]
↑ toune] the dwellings of men. ↑ him threteth oo] is aye chiding ↑ huere] their. ↑ woderove] woodruff. ↑ ferly fele] marvellous many. ↑ wlyteth etc.] whistle, in their wealth of joy. ↑ rayleth hire rode] clothes herself in red. ↑ mandeth hire bleo] sends forth her light. ↑ lossom to seo] lovesome to see. ↑ fille] thyme, ↑ wowes] woo. ↑ murgeth] make merry. ↑ makes] mates. ↑ striketh] flows. ↑ mody meneth] the passionate man makes moan. ↑ so doth mo] so do others. ”

“ Alle we shule deye, thah [6] us like ylle.
Al that gren me graveth grene,
Nou hit faleweth [7] al bydene: [8]
Jehsu, help that hit be sene
And shild us from helle!
For y not whider [9] y shal, ne hou longe her duelle. [10]
↑ this leves] these leaves. ↑ sike] sigh. ↑ nys] is not ↑ al so hit ner nere] as though it had never been. ↑ soth] sooth ↑ thah] though. ↑ faleweth] fadeth. ↑ al bydene] forthwith. ↑ y not whider] I know not whither. ↑ her duelle] here dwell. ”

“ Cuccu, cuccu, well singes thu, cuccu:
Ne swike [5] thu naver nu;
Sing cuccu, nu, sing cuccu,
Sing cuccu, sing cuccu, nu!
↑ lhude] loud. ↑ awe] ewe. ↑ lhouth] loweth. ↑ sterteth] leaps. ↑ swike] cease. ”

“ Upon man for his mysdedes • the merciment [10] he taxeth.
And for to knowe it kyndely [11] • it comseth bi myght,
And in the herte, there is the hevede • and the heigh welle.
↑ triacle] sovereign remedy. ↑ as him liste] as seemed good to him (Christ) . ↑ lered] taught. ↑ levest] most pleasing. ↑ yeten] eaten. ↑ lynde] lime tree ↑ portatyf] quick-moving. ↑ lette] prevent. ↑ mene] mediator ↑ merciment] fine. ↑ kyndely] properly. ”

“ Herkne to my roun. [31]
An hendy hap, etc.
↑ on hyre lud] in her language. ↑ ich libbe] I live. ↑ semlokest] seemliest. ↑ he] she ↑ baundoun] thraldom. ↑ hendy] gracious. ↑ y-hent] received. ↑ ichot] I wot. ↑ lyht] alighted. ↑ hire her] her hair. ↑ lossum chere] lovely face. ↑ loh] smiled. ↑ bote he] unless she. ↑ buen] be. ↑ make] mate. ↑ feye] like to die. ↑ nihtes] at night. ↑ wende] turn. ↑ for-thi] on that account. ↑ wonges waxeth won] cheeks grow wan. ↑ levedi] lady. ↑ y-lent me on] come upon me. ↑ so wyter mon] so wise a man. ”