| Seccombe and Arber, comps. Elizabethan Sonnets. 1904. | | | | Elegy I: Down in a bed, and on a bed of down | | Giles Fletcher (1586?–1623) |
| | | DOWN in a bed, and on a bed of down; | |
| LOVE, She, and I to sleep together lay. | |
| She, like a wanton, kissed me with a frown, | |
| “Sleep, sleep!” she said; but meant to steal away | |
| I could not choose but kiss, but wake, but smile, | 5 |
| To see how She thought us two to beguile. | |
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| She feigned a sleep. I waked her with a kiss. | |
| A kiss to me she gave, to make me sleep. | |
| “If I did wrong, sweet Love, my fault was this; | |
| In that I did not you thus waking keep. | 10 |
| Then kiss me, Sweet! that so I sleep may take; | |
| Or let me kiss, to keep you still awake!” | |
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| The night drew on, and needs she must be gone. | |
| She wakèd LOVE, and bid him learn to wait. | |
| She sighed, She said, to leave me there alone: | 15 |
| And bid LOVE stay; but practise no deceit. | |
| LOVE wept for grief, and sighing made great moan: | |
| And could not sleep, nor stay, if she were gone. | |
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| “Then stay, sweet Love!” A kiss with that I gave. | |
| She could not stay; but gave my kiss again. | 20 |
| A kiss was all that I could get or crave: | |
| And, with a kiss, She bound me to remain. | |
| “A’ LICIA!” still I in my dreams did cry, | |
| “Come, LICIA, come! or else my heart will die.” | | | | |
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