of amendement I will sée them satisfied and if heereafter thou fall into the lyke lurch I promise thée this that as now I deale with thée as a father so then will I accompt of thée as a reprobate Thou séest fire and water before thée chuse to thy liking in dooing well I will reioyce in thée in dealing otherwise I will nothing account of thée The father with teares hauing ended this his exhortarie is aunswered in humble sort of his dissembling sonne thus Whatsoeuer good father hath passed is irreuocable but what is to come may be considered of it is naturall in me to fall and vertuous to recouer my selfe I confesse good sir I am guiltie of errour and haue faulted highlye yet not so greatlye as you intimate the world now a dayes is rather bent to aggrauate then to couer escapes Wherefore as the first step to amendement is repentance so deare father I am sorrie for that is past and most earnestly request you to continue your fauour and no doubt but your sonne shall behaue himselfe héerafter to your comfort The father delighted with his sonnes discréete and humble aunswere conceiueth hope of amendment and returneth him to the Innes of the Court againe and setting him on free foote exhorteth him to follow vertue and intentiuely to long after learning But he whose heart was pliable to receiue all impressions no sooner is out of the view of his fathers house but began to forget his olde promises and renewes the remembrance of his mistresse deuising by the way how to delight her and what sutes to prouide that may satisfie her To bee briefe being returned to London and quit of his fathers seruants y â— newes of his arriuall being blazed abroad his Broker in post hast comes and salutes him his mistresse by tokens and swéete letters greetes him hée maketh his marchant ioyfull in the receipt of the money and mistresse Minxe merrie for the returne of her young copesmate To be briefe in post hast he posteth to her chamber where Loâ—d what friendly gréetings passe what amorous regardes how she blameth him of his delaye and with fained teares watereth his youthly sace howe shée sweares that she is constant and yet a curtisan howe she vowes she is continent and yet common truly it were a matter to make a Comedie on to sée both their actions and to note their discourses there needes not many or long sermons on this master Brokers help in short space is sought for for the money my youths â—ather gaue him hath bought his mistresse a sute of the new fashion The Broker readie at a becke without delay furnisheth him with money it is lamentable to report euery losse and sith in another place I meane to set them downe I will not motion them héere In short space our Marchant beginneth to looke after more assuraunce and where to fore he was content with obligation he now hunteth after statutes This kind of bond Gentlemen is well knowen among you the vsurers by this time haue built mannor houses vpon some of your lyuelihoods and you haue lost that for little which will not be recouered with much The force whereof our youth considering not so he haue foyson of money the world to be short at the last falleth out thus both land mony all possibilities either by father or friends are incroched vpon by this gentle master Scrape-peny so that now our youth finding neither suretie nor similitude by his flattering vsurer is laid vp close for escaping Let him write to his huswife Mistresse Minxe she disdaineth him let him intreate the Broker he refuseth him let him make sute to the vsurer he saith hée shall not cousen him thus this Gentleman that neyther by his fathers counsell woulde refuse nor by his owne experience be perswaded to auoyde the eminent daunger that hanged ouer his head is brought to confusion and those friends that fawned on him before in prosperitie now frowne at him in his aduersitie those that depended with flattering words in time of wealth on his finding now altogether disdaine him that cannot finde himselfe Loe Gentlemen what it is to winke at good counsell and to preferre young attempts before old experience sée héere the fruites of contempt and lette these lessons serue you to looke into had this Gentleman regarded aduice had he considered of his estate himselfe had bene at libertie his friends in quiet But alas the while our heires new a dayes haue running heads which makes their parents abounde in teares some are led with nouelties in forreine Nations some with prodigalitie in their owne Countrey some with pride the first fruites of all impietie some by loue the ladie of loosenesse If one hunteth after vertue how many hundreds doo dayly practise vice Let the experience of this young Nouice my youthly countrey men make you warie and sée but into this one parcell of his lyfe and giue your iudgement of his misfortune his wit was sufficient to conceiue vertue yet knowing with Medea the best he headlong runne to the worst Natures giftes are to be vsed by direction he had learning but hée applied it ill he hadde knowledge but hée blinded it with selfe opinion All graces whatsoeuer all ornaments what so they be either giuen vs by our fore-parent or grafted in vs by experience are in themselues as nothing vnlesse they be ordered by the power of the most highest What care conceiue you may be comperable to this young Gentlemans fathers sorrow who séeth his house pluckte ouer his head his sonne imprisoned to his great discredite and the vsurer the onely gainer and yet the most vilest person Nowe what becommeth of our youth thinke you his Father refuseth him dispossessing the ryghte heyre of what hée maye and poore hee is lefte desolate and afflicted in prison And in these dayes how many are infected with this desperate disease Gentlemen iudge you I my selfe with teares haue heard some priuie complaints and lamented my friends misfortunes falne so sodainly My good friends y â— are héerafter to enter into this world looké on this glasse it wil shew you no counterfait but the true image of a rebellious sonne and the rewarde of contempt of parents account your selues happie to learne by others experience and not to be pertakers of the actuall sorrowe Obey your parents for they loue you trust not to straungers for they will vpbraide you of their benefite it is better to haue the stripes of a friend then the kisses of a flatterer Plato would haue young men to looke in the glasse for two causes the one that if they founde themselues beautyfull in visage and of exquisite stature they might indeuor to make the vertues of their minde answerable to the liniaments of the bodie the other that if they found themselues of deformed shape they should séeke to beautifie the same by the inward perfections of the minde for two causes my good friends woulde I wish you to consider of this mans
your discretions and good fortune wishing all things to fall out as prosperouslye in your loue as you would and as I wish Our noble youth In amours hauing furnished himselfe of that he sought for repayred vnto his studie where deuising in what tearmes he might sollicite his Mistres at last he cyphered out his sorrowes in this sequell THat fancie that hath made me thrall to thy beautie sweete Prisceria commendeth my submission to thy good grace beséeching thee to be as fauourable in ministring a remedie as thy beautie was readie to procure my thraldome I make no resist in this my louing torment but onely yéeld my self subiect to y â— impression Maye it therefore please thée swéete Prisceria to be as beneficial in this as the Gods are in their bounty who for euery faithfull interatie returne a gratefull satisfaction And heerein maist thou sée my faith to be stedfast since Arte it selfe serueth opportunities and ministreth me both a meanes to open my hidden sorrowes and thée a messenger to bewray thy silent secrets I beséech thée by the swéete statues that are builded for the Goddesse that is honoured in Paphos to be as iust in returning fauour as I am forwarde in bewraying my fancie so shalt thou haue the possession of him that is by destinies appoynted thy assured beads-man and I enioy those plesures in which I may be only fortunate Till then I must write my self as I am The most vnhappiest louer that liueth Forbonius This cyphered out in faire charecters and disposed in such termes as his fancie then prefixed him he tooke his way into his garden waiting some necessarye opportunitie to put his purposed attempts in practise and to bewray his woes to Prisceria who wouÌ„ded with the remembraunce of Forbonius perfections and séeing no waye but his presence a meane to expell sorrowe betooke her selfe to her accustomed prospecte and with longing lookes she leuelled at his loue which was alredie stroken with her beautie The Gentleman fitted by these conuenient occasions beganne his Philosophicall demonstration and taking his aspecte as necessarilye as hée might hée presented Prisceria with his pensiue submission who confirmed by so conuenient opportunitie betaking her selfe with all spéede possible to her studie and by a becke charging him with no lesse dispatch to giue attendaunce she gaue annswere to his amorous intreaties with this gracious affabilitie THe Climate Forboniurs where vnder I was 〈◊〉 beléeue me either hath preâ—â—gured me the desteâ—iâ— to be inamoured by thée or thée the subiect that shoulde besot me and truly héerein the working of the Gods are secret who imploy such thoughts in me as now by thy letters I finde wrought in thée making a vnitie in both those hearts whâ— by reason of parents enuiâ—s are like to finde fatall conclusions And whereas by necessitie of fate I finde my selfe wholly captiuated to thy pleasures I doubt not but that God whome wée honour for his brightnesse and who by his lightening ministreth to our misfortunes will be fauourable in our procéedings For me if thy constancie be such as my true zeale is I beséech thée by the same Godddesse to succour me by whome I found my selfe first inthralled and made subiect to thée meane while I will write as thy selfe and rest as I am The most vnhappiest louer that lyueth Prisceria These conclusions being ministered with the same aspectes they were profered the two poore couple had no other meanes to noate the effecte of their priuate ioyes but onely by silent smiles gracious regardes and trickelyng teares and such lyke amorous actions each one wishing the other either happie in possessing their delyght or fortunate if by death they were reléeued of their sorrowe and being intercepted by the closure of the euening they betooke themselues both of them to their restlesse pillowes concluding vpon many purposes how to finish their languishing and tormenting martirdome Forbonius as one born to attempt concluded with himselfe considering how fauourably all occasions fawned vpon him to attempt y â— stealing awaie of Prisceria who poore soule in carefull dreames imagining of her dayes fancies was forestaled of all fauour by the vnhappie approch of her father who furnished with all worldlye policies to preuent what he mislyked and compasse that he suspected perceiuing by his daughters solome aspects some secret sorrow y â— troubled her hauing remembred that axiome of the Philosophers that dreames are the prefigurations of dayes sorrowe watched his time so néerely that euen at that verie instant he entered the chamber of his daughter when drowned in her swéet delightfull dreames she begaÌ„ at his entrie to cry 〈◊〉 thus O fortunate Forbonius which her father marking verie precisely and concluding wherevpon the sigh tooke his holde fast awaking his daughter on a sodaine verie cunningly compassed her thus O my Prisceria let it not seeme straunge vnto thee to beholde thine aged Fathers vnaccustomable accesse since he is now perplexed with vnacquainted feares Alasse my daughter thy father séeing thée beautifull is not carelesse of thy comfort neither can he that laboured to bring thée to lyght suffer shée to passe thy dayes in loathsome mislyke At this instaunt when I entered thy chamber in thy dreame as me séemed thy soule betokening as it shuld séeme some daies sorow or plesure exclaimed thus O fortunate Forbonius thou knowest how hatefull the person thou diddest name is to thy father who if he be fortunate in thy dowrie I loue him I shal estéeme him vnfortunate in the fauour thou wilt assure him who béeing a collop of my â—lesh wilt not allowe of that which is loathsome to thy father O Prisceria Solduuius séeth and thy secrete dreames bewraie that the fortunacie of Forbonius is eyther vnfortunate for thy selfe or not allowable by thy Faâ—hers opinion Thy chaunge of constitution thy hidden sorrowe my swéet child made me suspitions but now the verie true messenger of thy minde confirming me I must without circumstance conclude that Prisceria loueth her fathers enimie that Prisceria desireth Forbonius fauour and detesteth her fathers choice which if it be so O my daughter I feare me thy loue will not be so fauourable as my disdaine bitter wherefore if thou art intangled since thou knowest my opinion forbeare or if no wisedome will conclude thée within limites my displeasure shall exclude thée from out all benefit of my fauour Choose now Prisceria whether with calme perswasions thou wilt yéeld to my bent or by vnaccustomed displeasure bée pertaker of thy Fathers wrath Upon these conclusions Prisceria all abashed shaking of the drowsinesse of her dreaming made aunswere to Solduuius in these tearmes These straunge suppositions my good Father argue the slender opinion of your self who by the vncertainest signs y â— may be confirme your opinion as you please In my dreames you said I called Forbonius fortunate and may it not bée that as my tongue vttered y â— it thought not your minde immagineth that which is not counting euerye lyght shadowe a substaunce
spied Arualio but saluting him very curteously he earnestly intreated him setting all excuses apart to go to Farnusium and in the best sort that hée might to solace the vnfortunate Prisceria who onely wayting that occasion commending his flocke to the ouer-flight of the old man accompanied with Saracca the daughter of olde Sotto he was presented to his desired within the castle who by the absence of Sotto finding all occasions to serue her turne hauing sent sillye Sarraca about some sléeuelesse arrant she taking the occasion profered said thus to Forbonius Blest be that sweete conceipt of thine O my friend which to the vnfortunate rigour of my father hath adapted so conuenient an end Now maist thou with as great pleasures enioye thy desired as with déepe perplexities thou hast sorrowed in her absence Now neither distaunce can seuer vs from imbracing nor the watchfull eye of my fether intercept thée of thy wish Sée héere thy Prisceria who though the Fates worke neuer so contrarie will liue to Forbonius and onely loue Forbonius This said with many kisses comâ—orting him which was almost ouercome with pleasaunt imaginations she was returned this aunswere by her most assured fauourer O Prisceria if ouerpressed with manye suspitious thoughts if made pertaker of the infernall tortures in Phlegeton if subiect to the punishment of the Daughters of Danaus or affixed to the torture 〈◊〉 martereth Titius I should be confirmed by this onely benefit in opinion and made constant in all misfortunes yea euen to ouercome the insupportable trauailes of the sisters and be enabled with constancie to subdue all torments what so euer by remembraunce onely of one gratious regard It is neither thy fathers rancor swéet Prisceria nor distance of place nor any one occasioÌ„ what soeuer can either sequester me of my hope nor thee of the possession of thy wished cast off therefore all doubt of after dole assure your self that as this plesure hath his originall this present instant so by my meanes ere long it shalbe continuâ—d for euerlasting mamory Passing the time in such like pleasures and ministering a remedie vnto each others torments I cannot tell whether by the iniquitie of destenie or otherwise Solduuius learning out Forbonius departure and suspitious of his forward attempts at that very instant arriued at Farnusium when the two amorous couple little doubting his sodaine approch were coasted with this sower in midst of all their sweete that the enemie of their plesures euen then entred the Castle when as it séemed the fates had prefixed them that conueniencie opportunitie to allaye their long sorrowing The brute of whose aduent brought to the eares of Prisceria Lorde how she was confounded in her self how dismaid was Forbonius at that instant how at y â— very time were they both astonied when most circumspection should be had so that scarce they had â—en dried vp their teares when as Solduuius entring the chamber quicklye discouered the whole counterfaite for iealous eyes inflamed with rancour pretermit nothing wherevpon the olde man at first nothing at all deluded by the straunge habite spying out their procéedings laying violent hands on Forbonius caused him forcibly to be conueyed to the stronge â—â—ower in the Castle and tourning himselfe to Prisceria he began thus O thou wicked and vngracious mayd degenerating from the Nobilitie of thy auncestours and led by vnseemly affections not directed by the likings of thy tender parents in what tearmes shuld I accuse thee or bewray my sorrowes Woe is me that am inforced to be an eie witnesse of mine owne sorow to behold y â— with mine eyes that I hate in my heart Is this the reward of bréeding children Is this the benefite that is reapt by issue Are these the pleasures that befall Parentes O Solduuius happie hadst thou bene if either Prisceria had béene vnborne or thou vnmarried by the one thou shouldest haue escaped this present miserie by the other preuented the vntoward sorrow that now confoundeth thée Is thy loue to be fixed there where I hate or shuldest thou be amorous of him who is odious to thy Father O vile wretch borne among the Hirean Tygres which respecting not thy Fathers felicitie ouerburthenest his olde yeares with vnlooked for calamitie but if euer iust Gods pittied a lawfull complaint I doubt not but they that minister iustice to all men wil wreak the iniuries thou hast done to me Thus sayd he sate down altogether confounded with melancholie When as Prisceria finding occasion to speake for her selfe began thus Who seeketh O father to preuent the destinies laboreth in vaine and who indeauoureth to alter nature as he striueth against the streame so must he perish in his owne ouerwéening the Gods haue concluded our loue and will you being a creature séeke to infringe it Alasse my father why should my pleasure be your discomfort or that by which I liue proue that which most you hate Doe not you héerein breake nature who laie violent hands on your owne flesh and séeke to alter that by rigor that was ordained by diuine instinct O lette your rancor ouerslip my good father and 〈◊〉 humble sute preuailed with an honourable minde cease to hate him whom I loue and couple vs both together whom the Gods hauing ioyned in an assured league of friendship it cannot be but iniustice to alter their proceedings Solduâ—tius not able to digest the furie of his passion nor willing to weigh of the submissiue request of his daughter interrupted her thus And is it not sufficient or thee vaine wench as thou art to passe the limites of nature but to continue thy error too Thinkest thou to compasse me with teares who without sighes cannot call to memorie thy escape no Prisceria both thou shalt sée and that varlet shall knowe that my displeasure wil not be finished but w t bloud nor my anger satisfied till I haue confounded him who hath discomforted me Whervpon flinging ont of the chamber in a great rage and fastening both boltes and lockes he with his frame resorted to the imprisonned poore shepheard his capitall enimie Forbonius whom after he had taunted with these vniust tearmes he procéeded further to this vniust reuenge Thou cursed and abhominable caitife is it not sufficient by the iniuries of thy Father Clunamos to moue my patience but that thou in person must violate my daughter Thinkest thou that the Gods detest not these iniuryes when as with wicked attemptes thou be witchest the daughter and massacrest the Father naie nether in iustice will they pretermit the offence nor will nature suffer me to beare with thine errour prepare thy selfe therefore to make him recompeÌ„ce with thy bloud whom thou hast troubled with thy attempt Forbonius confounded with sorrowe and amazed at this austere iudgement yet remembring the nobilitie that was alwayes accounted in him aunswered him thus Althâ—â—gh enraged rancour hath made thée passe the limits oâ— honour O Solduuius yet passe not so farre in thy resolutions as to staine
the dignitie of thy person with the martyrdome of a guitlesse Gentleman If I did hate thy daughter that lyttle enuye that grewe by my Fathers displeasure might by reason grow to deepe and rooted mallice but when I loue Prisceria why shoulde I bée contempned of Solduuius It should seeme that loue was not accompted lothsome among the gods when as prefixing a punishment to all escapes they prescribe an honour to this chiefly concluding it to be a vertue wherevppon thou must conclude that eyther thou contemnest the decrees of the Gods or measurest all thinges by thine owne mallice Thou threatnest me with death vaine man and I weigh not the dissolution of my bodie for this I assure thée as long as I may liue I will honour Prisceria and béeing dead my ghost shall persecute thée with reuenge and prosecute my affections towarde my best beloued So Prisceria lyue Forbonius careth not to dye the onely memorie of whome shall make mée constaunt in misfortunes and willing to withstande the brunt of thy crueltie wherevpon my conclusioÌ„ is that if Solduuius for faithful assurance wil become a friendlye allower of Forbonius he which by reason of the mallice of his Father had once cause to hate him will now honour him and that strife which separated two so noble families shal now be finished in our happy marryage if this like not procéede as thou pleasest In granting mée fauour thou shalt finde honour in bereauing mée of lyfe thou shalt finish all my misfortunes The discourse of Forbonius thus ended Solduuius began thus after y â— he had somewhat digested his cholar Although Forbonius the iniuryes thou hast offered me together with former displeasures be sufficient to continue my resolution yet weyghing with my selfe that it is vaine to alter that which is prefixed by destinye wonne by reason which directeth all men and by the tender loue I beare my Daughter which shoulde preuayle with a Father I yéelde thée thy loue to inioye in chast wedlocke and wheres thou lookedst I shoulde bée thy tormentour loe I am nowe contented to be thy vnlooked for Father Wherevppon taking Forbonius by the hande and conueying him to Priscerias chamber hée confirmed the Gentleman in his former purpose and his daughter of his assured sauour vsing these kind of his intention My daughter that father that euen now hainously mislikt of thy louer now gloryeth in thy lyking he which whilome hated Forbonius now vouchsafeth him his son in lawe wherevpon comfort your selues with mutuall solace to morrow we will to the Citie to finish vp y â— ceremonies The two louers compassed with incredible pleasures not able to suppresse the affections that possessed theÌ„ but by breaking out into spéech they both humbled theÌ„selues to aged Solduuius returning him by y â— mouth of Forbonius these thanks O noble gentleman it may not be expressed by tongue what I imagine in heart who by your meanes of the most vnfortunatest man that liueth am become the only happie man of the world notwithstanding this in lew of all fauour I wil returne you that both by that meanes all priuate quarrells shall cease betwéene our two families and you registred in our Aegyptian Records for the onely peace-maker of Memphis In these I swéete speaâ—hes ouer passing the daie night the next morrow the whole traine poâ—â—ed to Memphis whereas by the high Priest of the Sun they were solempnly espowsed and after many sorowes were recompensed with nuptiall pleasure Now Ladies and Gentlewomen I must leaue this to your consideration whether the louers for their constancie are more to be commended or the olde man for his patience more to be wondered at I leaue you to fit that conclusion till you haue read what is written promising you that if my rude discourse haue wrought you anye pleasure I will both labor heer after to serue all occasions and so fixo my studies as they shall not farre differ from your fantasies and thus crauing you to winde at an errour and commend as the cause requireth I take my leaue willing to be made priuie if I haue anye wayes trauayled to your contentment FINIS TRVTHS COMplaint ouer England MY mournfull Muse Melpomine drawe néere Thou saddest Ladie of the sisters thrée And let her plaints in paper now appéere Whose teares lyke Occean billowes séeme to bée And should I note the plaintiffes name to thée Men call her Truth once had in great request But banisht now of late for crafts behest Amidst the rest that set their pen to booke She pickt me out to tell this wofull tale A simple Poet on whose workes to looke The finest heads would thinke it verie stale Yet though vnworthie to my friends auaile I take the toile and praie my Muses aide To blazon out the tale of Truth dismaide Such time as Phoebus from the couloured skie Did headlong driue his horses t'ord the West To suffer horned Luna for to prie Amidst the duskie darke new raisde from rest As I in fragrant fields with woes opprest Gan walke to driue out melancholy griefe Which in my heart at that time had the cheefe It was my hap fast by a riuers side To heare a rufull voice lamenting thus You â—â—lling strâ—ames euen as your waues diuide So breakes my heart with passions perillous Which faine I would vnto the world discusse Were anie héere for to recount my moane Whose wofull heart for inward griefe doth grone Which sayd the cast her dewed eyes as kance And spying me gan rowse her héauie head And praide me pen her sad and heauie chance And she recounted it that present sted I did agrée and graunting Truth me fed With these reportes which I set downe in vearse Which gréeues my Muse for sorowes to rehearse Whilome déere friend it was my chaunce to dwell Within an Iland compast with the waue A safe defence a forren foe to quell Once Albion cald next Britaine Brutus gaue Now England hight a plot of beautie braue Which onely soyle should séeme the seate bée Of Paradise if it from sinne were frée Within this place within this sacred plot I first did frame my first contented bower There found I peace and plentie for to float There iustice rulde and shinde in euerie stowre There was I loude and sought too euerie howre Their Prince content with plainnesse loued Trutli And pride by abstinence was kept from youth Then flâ—w not fashions euerie daie from Fraunce Then sought not Nobles nouells from a farre Then land was kept not hazarded by chaunce Then quiet minde preserud the soile from iarre Cloth kept out colde the poore reléeued werre This was the state this was the luckie stowre While Truth in England kept her stately bowre Iustice did neuer looke with partiall eyes Demosthenes was neuer dum for golde The Princes eares were ope to pesants cries And false suspect was charely kept in holde Religion flourisht liuings were not solde For lucre then but giuen by desart And each receiud