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To The Noble Lady, The Lady I.S. Of Worldly Crosses

by Michael Drayton

Madame, to shew the smoothnesse of my vaine,

Neither that I would haue you entertaine

The time in reading me, which you would spend

In faire discourse with some knowne honest friend,

I write not to you. Nay, and which is more,

My powerfull verses striue not to restore,

What time and sicknesse haue in you impair'd,

To other ends my Elegie is squar'd.

Your beauty, sweetnesse, and your gracefull parts

That haue drawne many eyes, wonne many hearts,

Of me get little, I am so much man,

That let them doe their vtmost that they can,

I will resist their forces: and they be

Though great to others, yet not so to me.

The first time I beheld you, I then sawe

That (in it selfe) which had the power to drawe

My stayd affection, and thought to allowe

You some deale of my heart; but you have now

Got farre into it, and you haue the skill

(For ought I see) to winne vpon me still.

When I doe thinke how brauely you haue borne

Your many crosses, as in Fortunes scorne,

And how neglectfull you have seem'd to be,

Of that which hath seem'd terrible to me,

I thought you stupid, nor that you had felt

Those griefes which (often) I haue scene to melt

Another woman into sighes and teares,

A thing but seldome in your sexe and yeares,

But when in you I haue perceiu'd agen,

(Noted by me, more then by other men)

How feeling and how sensible you are

Of your friends sorrowes, and with how much care

You seeke to cure them, then my selfe I blame,

That I your patience should so much misname,

Which to my vnderstanding maketh knowne

Who feeles anothers griefe, can feele their owne.

When straight me thinkes, I heare your patience say,

Are you the man that studied Seneca:

Plinies most learned letters; and must I

Read you a Lecture in Philosophie,

T'auoid the afflictions that haue vs'd to reach you;

I'le learne you more, Sir, then your bookes can teach you.

Of all your sex, yet neuer did I knowe,

Any that yet so actually could showe

Such rules for patience, such an easie way,

That who so sees it, shall be forc'd to say,

Loe what before seem'd hard to be discern'd,

Is of this Lady, in an instant learn'd.

It is heauens will that you should wronged be

By the malicious, that the world might see

Your Doue-like meekenesse; for had the base scumme,

The spawne of Fiends, beene in your slander dumbe,

Your vertue then had perish'd, neuer priz'd,

For that the same you had not exercised;

And you had lost the Crowne you haue, and glory,

Nor had you beene the subiect of my Story.

Whilst they feele Hell, being damned in their hate,

Their thoughts like Deuils them excruciate,

Which by your noble suffrings doe torment

Them with new paines, and giues you this content

To see your soule an Innocent, hath suffred,

And vp to heauen before your eyes be offred:

Your like we in a burning Glasse may see,

When the Sunnes rayes therein contracted be

Bent on some obiect, which is purely white,

We finde that colour doth dispierce the light,

And stands vntainted: but if it hath got

Some little sully; or the least small spot,

Then it soon fiers it; so you still remaine

Free, because in you they can finde no staine.

God doth not loue them least, on whom he layes

The great'st afflictions; but that he will praise

Himselfe most in them, and will make them fit,

Near'st to himselfe who is the Lambe to sit:

For by that touch, like perfect gold he tries them,

Who are not his, vntill the world denies them.

And your example may work such effect,

That it may be the beginning of a Sect

Of patient women; and that many a day

All Husbands may for you their Founder pray.

Nor is to me your Innocence the lesse,

In that I see you striue not to suppresse

Their barbarous malice; but your noble heart

Prepar'd to act so difficult a part,

With vnremoued constancie is still

The same it was, that of your proper ill,

The effect proceeds from your owne selfe the cause,

Like some iust Prince, who to establish lawes,

Suffers the breach at his best lou'd to strike,

To learne the vulgar to endure the like.

You are a Martir thus, nor can you be

Lesse to the world so valued by me:

If as you haue begun, you still perseuer

Be euer good, that I may loue you euer.