Love
A controuersie of a conquest in Loue twixt Fortune and Venus
From Epitaphes, Epigrams, Songs and Sonets (1567)
WHilst Fissher kest his line
the houering fish to hooke:
By hap a rich mans daughter on
the Fissher kest hir looke.
Shée fryde with frantick Loue,
they maride eke at last:
Thus Fissher was from lowe estate
in top of Treasure plast.
Stoode Fortune by and smylde:
how say you (Dame) quoth shée
To Venus? was this conquest yours,
or is it due to mée?
Twas I (quoth Vulcans Wife)
with helpe of Cupids Bowe,
That made this wanton wench to rage,
and match hir selfe so lowe.
Not so: twas Fortune I
that brought the Trull in place:
And Fortune was it that the man
stoode so in Maydens grace.
By Fortune fell their loue,
twas Fortune strake the stroke:
Then detter is this man to mee
that did the match prouoke.
Cite this poem
MLA
Turberville, George. “A controuersie of a conquest in Loue twixt Fortune and Venus.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/turberville/53/.
Chicago
Turberville, George. “A controuersie of a conquest in Loue twixt Fortune and Venus.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/turberville/53/.
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More by George Turberville
- To his Ladie, that by hap when he kissed hir and made hir lip bleed, controld him and tooke disdaine
- Of one that had little Wit
- Of the time he first began to loue and after how he forewent the same
- The Louer excuseth himselfe for renowncing his Loue and Ladie, imputing the same to his fate and constellation
- The complaint of a Friend of his hauing lost his Doue