John Dowland: Can she excuse

A. Anonymous: Virginal/muselar Variations
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
B. Morley Lute Variations
C. Dowland: First Booke of Songes, 1597

Can she excuse my wrongs with virtues cloak:
Shall I call her good when she proves unkind.
Are those clear fires which vanish into smoke:
Must I praise the leaves where no fruit I find
No, nowhere shadows do for bodies stand,
Thou may’st be abused if thy sight be dim.
Cold love is like to words written on sand.
Or to bubbles which on the water swim.
Wilt thou be thus abused still seeing
That she will right thee never
If thou can’st not o’ercome her will,
Thy love will be thus fruitless ever.
Wilt thou be abused still seeing
That she will right thee never
If thou can’st not o’ercome her will,
Thy love will be fruitless ever.
Was I so base that I might not aspire
Unto those high joys which she holds from me?
As they are high, so high is my desire.
If this she deny what can granted be?
If she this deny she will yield to that
which reason is, It is reason’s will that
Love should be just.
Dear make me happy still by granting this,
Or cut off delays if that die I must.
Better a thousand times to die
Than for to live thus still tormented
Dear but remember it was I
Who for they sake did die contented…

Performance of Gérard Lesne, alto; Ensemble Orlando Gibbons. [YouTube]
Performance of the Queen's Chamber Band [NML] (info)