that spite?
Or that your shape doth please so foul a groom?
The shepherd thought of milk, you looked so white;
The clown did err, and foolish was his doom.
Your look was pale, and so his stomach fed;
But far from fair, where white doth want his red.

GALATEA

Though pale my look, yet he my love did crave,
And lovely you, unliked, unloved I view;
It's better far one base than none to have;
Your fair is foul, to whom there's none will sue.
My love doth tune his love unto his harp.
His shape is rude, but yet his wit is sharp.

DORIS

Leave off, sweet nymph, to grace a worthless clown.
He itched with love, and then did sing or say;
The noise was such as all the nymphs did frown,
And well suspected that some ass did bray.
The woods did chide to hear this ugly sound
The prating echo scorned for to repeat;
This grisly voice did fear the hollow ground,
Whilst artless fingers did his harpstrings beat.
Two bear-whelps in his arms this monster bore,
With these new puppies did this wanton play;
Their skins was rough but yet your loves was more;
He fouler was and far more fierce than they.
I cannot choose, sweet nymph, to think, but smile
That some of us thou fear'st will thee beguile.

GALATEA

Scorn not my love, until it can be known
That you have one that's better of your own.

DORIS

I have no love, nor if I had, would boast;
Yet wooed have been by such as well might speed:
But him to love, the shame of all the coast,
So ugly foul, as yet I have no need.
Now thus we learn what foolish love can do,
To think him fair that's foul and ugly too.

To hear this talk, I sat behind an oak,
And marked their words and penned them as they spoke.

AD LECTOREM, DISTICHON

CUJUSDAM DE AUTORE

Lascivi quaeres fuerit cur carminis autor:
Carmine lascivus, mente pudicus erat.

A LOVER'S MAZE

True are my thoughts, my thoughts that are untrue,
Blind are my eyes, my eyes that are not blind,
New is my love, my love that is not new,
Kind is that fair, that fair that is not kind.
Thus eyes and thoughts, that fairest fair, my love,
Blind and untrue, unkind, unconstant prove.

True are my thoughts because they never flit,
Untrue my thoughts because they me betrayed;
Blind are my eyes because in clouds I sit,
Not blind