When ragyng loue with extreme payne <br />Most cruelly distrains my hart: <br />When that my teares, as floudes of rayne, <br />Beare witnes of my wofull smart: <br />When sighes haue wasted so my breath, <br />That I lye at the poynte of death: <br /> <br />I call to minde the nauye greate, <br />That the Grekes brought to Troye towne: <br />And how the boysteous windes did beate <br />Their shyps, and rente their sayles adowne, <br />Till Agamemnons daughters bloode <br />Appeasde the goddes, that them withstode. <br /> <br />And how that in those ten yeres warre, <br />Full many a bloudye dede was done, <br />And many a lord, that came full farre, <br />There caught his bane (alas) to sone: <br />And many a good knight ouerronne, <br />Before the Grekes had Helene wonne. <br /> <br />Then thinke I thus: sithe suche repayre, <br />So longe time warre of valiant men, <br />Was all to winne a ladye fayre: <br />Shall I not learne to suffer then, <br />And thinke my life well spent to be, <br />Seruyng a worthier wight than she? <br /> <br />Therfore I neuer will repent, <br />But paynes contented stil endure. <br />For like as when, rough winter spent, <br />The pleasant spring straight draweth in vre: <br />So after ragyng stormes of care <br />Joyful at length may be my fare.<br /><br />Henry Howard<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/when-ragyng-loue-with-extreme-payne/
