Perdie!  I said it not,
    Nor never thought to do: 
    As well as I, ye wot
    I have no power thereto. 
    And if I did, the lot
    That first did me enchain
    May never slake the knot,
    But strait it to my pain.

    And if I did, each thing
    That may do harm or woe,
    Continually may wring
    My heart, where so I go! 
    Report may always ring
    Of shame on me for aye,
    If in my heart did spring
    The words that you do say.

    And if I did, each star
    That is in heaven above,
    May frown on me, to mar
    The hope I have in love! 
    And if I did, such war
    As they brought unto Troy,
    Bring all my life afar
    From all his lust and joy!

    And if I did so say,
    The beauty that me bound
    Increase from day to day,
    More cruel to my wound! 
    With all the moan that may
    To plaint may turn my song;
    My life may soon decay,
    Without redress, by wrong!

    If I be clear from thought,
    Why do you then complain? 
    Then is this thing but sought
    To turn my heart to pain. 
    Then this that you have wrought,
    You must it now redress;
    Of right, therefore, you ought
    Such rigour to repress.

    And as I have deserved,
    So grant me now my hire;
    You know I never swerved,
    You never found me liar. 
    For Rachel have I served,
    For Leah cared I never;
    And her I have reserved
    Within my heart for ever.

    WYATT.

      If I said so, may I be hated by
    Her on whose love I live, without which I should die—­
    If I said so, my days be sad and short,
    May my false soul some vile dominion court. 
    If I said so, may every star to me
    Be hostile; round me grow
    Pale fear and jealousy;
    And she, my foe,
    As cruel still and cold as fair she aye must be.

    If I said so, may Love upon my heart
    Expend his golden shafts, on her the leaden dart;
    Be heaven and earth, and God and man my foe,
    And she still more severe if I said so: 
    If I said so, may he whose blind lights lead
    Me straightway to my grave,
    Trample yet worse his slave,
    Nor she behave
    Gentle and kind to me in look, or word, or deed.

    If I said so, then through my brief life may
    All that is hateful block my worthless weary way: 
    If I said so, may the proud frost in thee
    Grow prouder as more fierce the fire in me: 
    If I said so, no more then may the warm
    Sun or bright moon be view’d,
    Nor maid, nor matron’s form,
    But one dread storm
    Such as proud Pharaoh saw when Israel he pursued.