Sir John Davies. Gulling Sonnets. I.

GULLINGE SONNETS
By Sir John Davies

Fresco depicting a scene from Apuleius' 'The Golden Ass', c1575. Sala delle Gesta Rossiane, Rocca dei Rossi, San Secondo, Italy

HE Louer Vnder burthen of his M^ris love
W^ch lyke to Ætna did his harte oppresse :
did giue such piteous grones y^t he did moue
the heau'nes at length to pitty his distresse
but for the fates in theire highe Courte aboue
forbad to make the greuous burthen lesse.
the gracous powers did all conspire to proue
Yf miracle this mischeife mighte redresse ;
therefore regardinge y^t y^e loade was such
as noe man mighte w^th one man's mighte sustayne
and y^t mylde patience³ imported much
to him that shold indure an endles payne :
By there decree he soone transformèd was
into a patiente burden-bearinge Asse.

3 A trisyllable. G.

Source:
Davies, Sir John. The Complete Poems of Sir John Davies. Vol II.
Rev. Alexander B, Grosart, ed. London: Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly, 1876. 57.

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