e from all impure intent,
His pleasures rate sits at an easie rent;
He beares no mallice in his harmles hart,
Malicious meaning hath in him no part.

He is not troubled with th' afflicted minde,
His cares are onely over silly sheepe;
He is not unto jealozie inclinde,
(Thrice happie man) he knowes not how to weepe;
Whilst I the treble in deepe sorrowes keepe.
I cannot keepe the meane; for why (alas)
Griefes have no meane, though I for meane doe passe.

No briefes nor semi-briefes are in my songs,
Because (alas) my griefe is seldome short;
My prick-song's alwayes full of largues and longs,
(Because I never can obtaine the port
Of my desires: hope is a happie fort).
Prick song (indeed) because it pricks my hart;
And song, because sometimes I ease my smart.

The mightie monarch of a royall realme,
Swaying his scepter with a princely pompe,
Of his desires cannot so steare the healme,
But sometime falls into a deadly dumpe;
When as he heares the shrilly sounding trumpe
Of forren enemies, or home-bred foes,
His minde of griefe, his hart is full of woes.

Or when bad subjects gainst their soveraigne
(Like hollow harts) unnaturally rebell,
How carefull is he to suppresse againe
Their desperate forces, and their powers to quell
With loyall harts, till all againe be well.
When (being subdu'd) his care is rather more,
To keepe them under, than it was before.

Thus is he never full of sweete content,
But either this or that his joy debars:
Now noblemen gainst noblemen are bent,
Now gentlemen and others fall at jarrs:
Thus is his countrey full of civill warrs;
He still in danger sits, still fearing death,
For traitors seeke to stop their princes breath.

The whylst the other hath no enemie,
Without it be the wolfe and cruell fates,
(Which no man spare): when as his disagree,
He with his sheephooke knaps them on the pates,
Schooling his tender lambs from wanton gates.
Beasts are more kinde than men, sheepe seeke not blood,
But countrey caytives kill their countreyes good.

The courtier he fawns for his princes favour,
In hope to get a princely ritch reward;
His tongue is tipt with honey for to glaver,
Pride deales the deck, whilst chance doth choose the card;
Then comes anoth