| Seccombe and Arber, comps. Elizabethan Sonnets. 1904. | | | | Parthenophil and Parthenophe | | Sestine 4. Echo! What shall I do to my Nymph, when I go to behold her? | | Barnabe Barnes (1569?–1609) |
| | | ECHO! What shall I do to my Nymph, when I go to behold her? | |
ECHO, Hold her! | |
| So dare I not! lest She should think that I make her a prey then! | |
ECHO, Pray then! | |
| Yea, but at me, She will take scorn, proceeded of honour! | 5 |
ECHO, On her! | |
| Me bear will She (with her, to deal so saucily) never! | |
ECHO, Ever! | |
| Yea, but I greatly fear She will have pure thoughts to refuse such. | |
ECHO, Few such! | 10 |
| Then will I venture again more bold, if you warn me to do so! | |
ECHO, Do so! | |
| |
| I must write with tears and sighs, before that I do so! | |
ECHO, Do so! | |
| But what if my tears and sighs be too weak to remove her? | 15 |
ECHO, Move her! | |
| So shall ye move huge Alps with tears and sighs, if you may such! | |
ECHO, You may such! | |
| If any that, shall affirm for a truth; I shall hold that they lie then! | |
ECHO, Lie then! | 20 |
| If I study to death, in kind, shall I lie never! | |
ECHO, Ever! | |
| O! what is it to lie? Is’t not dishonour? | |
ECHO, ’Tis honour! | |
| |
| Then to flatter a while her, is’t not dishonour? | 25 |
ECHO, Honour! | |
| Then will I wrest out sighs, and wring forth tears when I do so? | |
ECHO, Do so! | |
| Lest She find my craft, with her I may toy never? | |
ECHO, Ever! | 30 |
| Then, if you jest in kind with her, you win her? | |
ECHO, You win her! | |
| Then, what time She laughs from her heart, shall I smile then? | |
ECHO, Ey, smile then! | |
| They that like my toys! is it harm, if I kiss such? | 35 |
ECHO, Ey, kiss such! | |
| |
| Yea, but most Ladies have disdainful minds, to refuse such! | |
ECHO, Few such! | |
| In what space, shall I know, whether her love resteth in honour? | |
ECHO, In one hour! | 40 |
| O for such a sweet hour! My life of hours will I pray then! | |
ECHO, Ay then! | |
| Then if I find, as I would; more bold to urge her, I may be so? | |
ECHO, Be so! | |
| But if she do refuse! then, woe to th’Attempter! | 45 |
ECHO, Attempt her! | |
| She will proudly refuse! She speaks in jest never! | |
ECHO, Ever! | |
| |
| So though still She refuse, She speaks in jest ever! | |
ECHO, Ever! | 50 |
| Then such as these, be the true best signs to seek out such? | |
ECHO, Seek out such! | |
| Such will I seek! But what shall I do, when I first shall attempt her! | |
ECHO, Tempt her! | |
| How shall I tempt her, ere She stand on terms of her honour? | 55 |
ECHO, On her! | |
| O might I come to that! I think ’tis even so. | |
ECHO, ’Tis even so! | |
| Strongly to tempt and move, at first, is surely the best then? | |
ECHO, The best then! | 60 |
| |
| What, when they do repugn, yet cry not forth! will they do then? | |
ECHO, Do then! | |
| With such a blunt Proem, Ladies, shall I move never? | |
ECHO, Ever! | |
| I must wait, on an inch, on such Nymphs whom I regard so; | 65 |
ECHO, Guard so! | |
| Those whom, in heart, I love; my faith doth firmly deserve such. | |
ECHO, Serve such! | |
| Then to become their slaves, is no great dishonour? | |
ECHO, Honour! | 70 |
| But to the Muses, first, I will recommend her! | |
ECHO, Commend her! | |
| |
| They that pity lovers; is’t good, if I praise such? | |
ECHO, Ey, praise such! | |
| If that I write their praise; by my verse, shall they live never? | 75 |
ECHO, Ever! | |
| If thy words be true; with thanks, take adieu then. | |
ECHO, Adieu then! | | | | |
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