by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Cloris, I wish that Envy were as just
Language: English
Cloris, I wish that Envy were As just as pity doth appear Unto your state, that so I might Rob others to give you delight, But your too free though lovely charm In others' glory brings you harm, For while you willingly admit So many rivals to your wit, Unthriftily you throw away The pleasure of your beauteous sway, Which loosely scattered so on many, Securely fastens not on any, And so your beauty to discover, Brings many gazers but no lover, And your too greedy hands destroy What you would yourself enjoy. So princes by ambition thrifty grown, In chase of many kingdoms lose their own.
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by William Lawes (1602 - 1645), "Cloris, I wish that Envy were as just", from the collection Songs from the Autograph Songbook, no. 42. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2013-06-25
Line count: 18
Word count: 107