They fle from me that sometyme did me seke
With naked fote stalking
in my chambre.
I have sene theim gentill tame and meke
That nowe
are wyld and do not remembre
That sometyme they put theimself in
daunger
To take bred at my hand; and nowe they raunge
Besely
seking with a continuell chaunge.
Thancked be fortune, it hath
ben othrewise
Twenty tymes better; but ons in speciall
In thyn
arraye after a pleasaunt gyse
When her lose gowne from her shoulders
did fall,
And she me caught in her armes long and small;
Therewithall
swetely did me kysse,
And softely saide 'dere hert, howe like you
this?'
It was no dreme: I lay brode waking.
But all is
torned thorough my gentilnes
Into a straunge fasshion of forsaking;
And
I have leve to goo of her goodenes,
And she also to vse new fangilnes.
But
syns that I so kyndely ame serued,
I would fain knowe what she hath
deserued.
They flee from me, that somtime did me seke
With naked fote stalkyng within my chamber.
Once haue I seen them gentle, tame, and meke,
That now are wild, and do not once remember
That sometyme they haue put them selues in danger,
To take bread at my hand, and now they range,
Busily sekyng in continuall change.
Thanked be fortune, it hath bene otherwise
Twenty tymes better: but once especiall,
In thinne aray, after a pleasant gyse,
When her loose gowne did from her shoulders fall,
And she me caught in her armes long and small,
And therwithall, so swetely did me kysse,
And softly sayd: deare hart, how like you this?
It was no dreame: for I lay broade awakyng.
But all is turnde now through my gentlenesse
Into a bitter fashion of forsakyng:
And I haue leaue to go of her goodnesse,
And she also to vse newfanglenesse.
But, sins that I vnkyndly so am serued:
How like you this, what hath she now deserued?