Full little knowest thou that hast not tride,
  What hell it is in suing long to bide;
  To lose good days that might be better spent;
  To wast long nights in pensive discontent: 
  To speed to-day, to be put back to-morrow;
  To feed on hope, to pine with feare and sorrow;
  To have thy prince’s grace, yet want her peere’s[90]: 
  To have thy asking, yet waite manie yeers,
  To fret thy soule with crosses and with cares;
  To eate thy heart through comfortlesse dispaires: 
  To fawne, to crowche, to waite, to ride, to ronne,
  To spend, to give, to want, to be undone!

THE MUSIC OF THE BOWER OF BLISS.

[From the Faerie Queene.  Book II.  Canto XII.]

  Eftsoones they heard a most melodious sound,
  Of all that mote[2] delight a daintie eare,
  Such as attonce[91] might not on living ground,
  Save in this paradise, be heard elsewhere: 
  Right hard it was for wight which did it heare,
  To read what manner of music that mote[92] bee;
  For all that pleasing is to living eare
  Was there consorted in one harmonee;
  Birdes, voices, instruments, windes, waters, all agree.

  The joyous birdes, shrouded in chearefull shade,
  Their notes unto the voyce attempred sweet;
  Th’ angelicall soft trembling voyces made
  To th’ instruments divine respondence meet;
  The silver sounding instruments did meet
  With the base[93] murmure of the waters fall;
  The waters fall with difference discreet,
  Now soft, now loud, unto the wind did call;
  The gentle warbling wind low answered to all....

  The whiles some one did chaunt this lovely lay;
  Ah! see, whoso fayre thing doest faine[94] to see,
  In springing flowre the image of thy day! 
  Ah! see the virgin rose, how sweetly shee
  Doth first peepe foorth with bashfull modestee,
  That fairer seemes the lesse ye see her may! 
  Lo! see, soone after how more bold and free
  Her bared bosome she doth broad display;
  Lo! see, soone after how she fades and falls away.

  So passeth, in the passing of a day,
  Of mortall life the leafe, the bud, the flowre;
  Ne more doth florish after first decay,
  That earst[95] was sought to deck both bed and bowre
  Of many a lady, and many a paramowre! 
  Gather therefore the rose whilst yet is prime,[96]
  For soone comes age that will her pride deflowre: 
  Gather the rose of love whilst yet is time,
  Whilst loving thou mayst loved be with equall crime.

[Footnote 90:  A reference to Lord Burleigh’s hostility to the poet] [Footnote 91:  Might.] [Footnote 92:  At once.] [Footnote 93:  Bass.]

THE HOUSE OF SLEEP.

[From the Faerie Queene.  Book I. Canto I.]