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Her eyen gray and stepe
Causeth mine heart to lepe !
With her brows bent

She may well represent
Fair Lucrece, as I wene,
Or else fair Polexene,
Or else Caliope,
Or else Penolope :-

For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succóur,

She flourisheth fresh and new
In beauty and virtue !

The Indy sapphire blew
Her veins doth ennew.
The orient pearl so clere,
The witness of her lere.
The lusty ruby ruddes
Resemble the rose buddes.
Her lips soft and merry
Embloomed like the cherry,
It were an heavenly bliss
Her sugared mouth to kiss!
Her beauty to augment,
Dame Nature hath her lent
A wart upon her cheek.
Whoso list to seek
In her visage a scar,
That seemeth from afar
Like to the radiant star,
All with favour fret,

So properly it is set !

She is the violet,

The daisy delectable,

The columbine commendable,

The jelofer amiable :

For this most goodly flower,

This blossom of fresh colour,

So Jupiter me succóur,

She flourisheth fresh and new In beauty and virtue !

And when I perceived
Her wart, and conceived,
It cannot be denayd
But it was well convayd,

And set so womanly,
And nothing wantonly,
But right conveniently
And full congruently,
As Nature could devise,
In most goodly wise!
Whoso list behold.
It maketh lovers bold
To her to sue for grace,
Her favour to purchase:
The scar upon her chin,
Enhatched on her fair skin,
Whiter than the swan.
It would make any man
To forget deadly sin
Her favour to win :-
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succóur,

She flourisheth fresh and new
In beauty and virtue !

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And hands soft as silk,
Whiter than the milk,
That are so quickly veined,
Wherewith my hand she strained,
Lord, how I was pained!
Unneath I me refrained,
How she me had reclaimed,
And me to her retained,
Embracing therewithall
Her goodly middle small
With sides long and straight!
To tell you what conceit
I had then in a trice,
The matter were too nice,
And yet there was no vice,
Nor yet no villainy,
But only fantasy :-

For this most goodly flower,

This blossom of fresh colour,

So Jupiter me succóur,

She flourisheth fresh and new
In beauty and virtue !

But whereto should I note
How often did I tote
Upon her pretty fote?
It raised mine hert-rote

To see her tread the ground
With heels short and round!
She is plainly express
Egeria, the goddess,
And like to her imáge,
Emportured with courage,
A lover's pilgrimage!
There is no beast saváge,
Nor no tiger so wood,

But she would change his mood,

Such relucent grace

Is formed in her face :

For this most goodly flower,

This blossom of fresh colour,

So Jupiter me succóur,

She flourisheth fresh and new
In beauty and virtue !

So goodly as she dresses,
So properly she presses,
The bright golden tresses

Of her hair so fine

Like Phoebus' beams shine!
Whereto should I disclose
The gartering of her hose?
It is for to suppose
How that she can wear
Gorgeously her gear,
Her fresh habiliments
With other implements
To serve for all entents,
Like Dame Flora, queen
Of lusty summer green :--
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succóur,

She flourisheth fresh and new
In beauty and virtue !

Her kirtle so goodly laced,
And under that is braced
Such pleasures that I may
Neither write nor say.

Yet though I write not with ink,
No man can let me think :
For thought hath liberty,
Thought is frank and free:
To think a merry thought
It cost me little or naught.
Would God mine homely style
Were polished with the file
Of Cicero's eloquence,
To praise her excellence !
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succóur,

She flourisheth fresh and new
In beauty and virtue !

My pen it is unable, My hand it is unstable, My reason rude and dull To praise her at the full, Goodly mistress Jane, Sober, demure Diane ! Jane, this mistress hight The lode-star of daylight,

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