| Seccombe and Arber, comps. Elizabethan Sonnets. 1904. | | | | Astrophel and Stella | | XVII. His mother dear, Cupid offended late | | Sir Philip Sidney (1554–1586) |
| | | HIS mother dear, CUPID offended late; | |
| Because that MARS grown slacker in her love, | |
| With pricking shot he did not throughly move, | |
| To keep the pace of their first loving state. | |
| The boy refused for fear of MARS’ hate; | 5 |
| Who threatened stripes, if he his wrath did prove: | |
| But she, in chafe, him from her lap did shove; | |
| Brake bow, brake shafts: while weeping CUPID sate. | |
| Till that his grandame Nature pitying it, | |
| Of STELLA’s brows, made him two better bows; | 10 |
| And in her eyes, of arrows infinite. | |
| O how for joy, he leaps! O how he crows! | |
| And straight therewith—like wags new got to play— | |
| Falls to shrewd turns; and I was in his way. | | | | |
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