A Goodly Ensample

When ragyng loue, with extreme payne,
Most cruelly distrains my hart;
When that my teares, as floudes of rayne,
Beare witnes of my wofull smart;
When sighes haue wasted so my breath
That I lye at the poynte of death;

I call to minde the nauye greate
That the Greekes brought to Troye towne,
And how the boysteous windes did beate
Their shyps, and rente their sayles adowne,
Till Agamemnons daughters blood
Appeasde the goddes that them withstode.

And how that, in those ten years warre,
Full many a bloudye dede was done;
And many a lord, that came full farre,
There caught his bane, alas! to sone;
And many a good knight ouerronne;
Before the Grekes had Helene wonne.

Then thinke I thus: sithe suche repayre,
So longe time warre of valiant men,
Was all to winne a ladye fayre,
Shall I not learne to suffer then,
And thinke my life well spent, to be
Seruyng a worthier wight than she?

Therefore I neuer will repent,
But paynes, contented, stil endure:
For like as when, rough winter spent,
The pleasant spring straight draweth in vre,
So after ragyng stormes of care,
Joyful at length may be my fare.