The Palmer's Verses

In greener years, whenas my greedy thoughts

 'Gan yield their homage to ambitious will,

My feeble wit that then prevailed noughts,

 Perforce presented homage to his ill;

And I in folly's bonds fulfill'd with crime,

 At last unloos'd, thus spi'd my loss of time.

As in his circular and ceaseless ray

The year begins, and in itself returns,

Refresh'd by presence of the eye of day,

That sometimes nigh and sometimes far sojourns;

So love in me, conspiring my decay,

With endless fire my heedless bosom burns,

And from the end of my aspiring sin,

My paths of error hourly do begin.

A RIES

When in the Ram the sun renews his beams,

Beholding mournful earth array'd in grief,

That waits relief from his refreshing gleams,

The tender flocks, rejoicing their relief,

Do leap for joy and lap the silver streams:

So at my prime when youth in me was chief,

All heifer-like, with wanton horn I play'd,

And by my will my wit to love betray'd.

T AURUS

When Phoebus with Europa's bearer bides,

The spring appears; impatient of delays,

The labourer to the fields his plow-swain's guides,

He sows, he plants, he builds at all assays:

When prime of years that many errors hides,

By fancy's force did trace ungodly ways,

I blindfold walk'd, disdaining to behold

That life doth vade, and young men must be old.

G EMINI

When in the hold, whereas the twins do rest,

Proud Phlegon, breathing fire, doth post amain,

The trees with leaves, the earth with flowers is dress'd:

When I in pride of years, with peevish brain,

Presum'd too far, and made fond love my guest,

With frosts of care my flowers were nipp'd amain:

In height of weal who bears a careless heart,

Repents too late his over-foolish part.

C ANCER

When in aestival Cancer's gloomy bower,

The greater glory of the heavens doth shine,

The air is calm, the birds at every stowre

Do tempt the heavens with harmony divine:

When I was first enthrall'd in Cupid's power,

In vain I spent the May-month of my time,

Singing for joy to see me captive thrall

To him, whose gains are grief, whose comfort small.

L EO

When, in the height of his meridian walk,

The Lion's hold contains the eye of day,

The riping corn grows yellow in the stalk:

When strength of years did bless me every way,

Mask'd with delights of folly was my talk,

Youth ripen'd all my thoughts to my decay;

In lust I sow'd, my fruit was loss of time;

My hopes were proud, and yet my body slime.

V IRGO

When in the Virgin's lap earth's comfort sleeps,

Bating the fury of his burning eyes,

Both corn and fruits are firm'd and comfort creeps

On every plant and flower that springing rise:

When age at last his chief dominion keeps,

And leads me on to see my vanities,

What love and scant foresight did make me sow,

In youthful years is ripen'd now in woe.

L IBRA

When in the balance Daphne's leman blins,

The ploughman gathereth fruit for passed pain;

When I at last consider'd on my sins,

And thought upon my youth and follies vain,

I cast my count, and reason now begins

To guide mine eyes with judgment, bought with pain,

Which weeping wish a better way to find,

Or else for ever to the world be blind.

S CORPIO

When with the Scorpion proud Apollo plays,

The vines are trod and carried to their press,

The woods are fell'd gainst winter's sharp affrays:

When graver years my judgments did address,

I 'gan repair my ruins and decays,

Exchanging will to wit and soothfastness,

Claiming from time and age no good but this,

To see my sin, and sorrow for my 'miss.

S AGITTARIUS

Whenas the Archer in his winter hold,

The Delian harper tunes his wonted love,

The ploughman sows and tills his labor'd mould:

When with advice and judgment I approve

How love in youth hath grief for gladness sold,

The seeds of shame I from my heart remove,

And in their steads I set down plants of grace,

And with repent bewail my youthful race.

C APRICORNUS

When he that in Eurota's silver glide

Doth bain his tress, beholdeth Capricorn,

The days grow short, then hastes the winter-tide;

The sun with sparing lights doth seem to mourn;

Gray is the green, the flowers their beauty hide:

Whenas I see that I to death was born,

My strength decay'd, my grave already dress'd,

I count my life my loss, my death my best.

A QUARIUS

When with Aquarius Phoebe's brother stays,

The blithe and wanton winds are whist and still

Cold frost and snow the pride of earth betrays:

When age my head with hoary hairs doth fill,

Reason sits down, and bids me count my days,

And pray for peace, and blame my froward will;

In depth of grief, in this distress I cry,

Peccavi, Domine, miserere mei!

P ISCES

When in the Fish's mansion Phoebus dwells,

The days renew, the earth regains his rest:

When old in years, my want my death foretells,

My thoughts and prayers to heaven are whole address'd;

Repentance, youth by folly, quite expells;

I long to be dissolved for my best,

That young in zeal, long beaten with my rod,

I may grow old to wisdom and to God.