difference of our degrees Her great wealth and my want Her plentie and my pouertie In these words which were mingled with an infinit number of passions he could finde no reason at all for him to recouer any rest The poore Lady on the other side that fryed in the same fire withdrew her selfe into her chamber and framing her countenance as she could very well by fayning her selfe sicke she found the meanes to â—e alone to the ende she might the better bewaile her case without being perceiued of any wherefore prouoked by the heate of her new loue which tooke from her all Maydenly modestie she sayd to her selfe Alas is it meete this cruell tirant should so hardly intreate me to make me wil that I may not when I may not as I would Ah ah Barisor well may I count my selfe vnhappy that euer I saw thee seeing that sight hath ingendred this loue which at the beginning seemeth so harde and grieuous vnto me and will I feare me in the end be a cause of greater euill and peraduenture the vtter ruine of vs both My only desire is to enioy thee that art my only comfort But alas I see no way how to bring it to passe without greatly offending my parents and mine owne honor and therfore should death be more delightfull vnto me then stil to indure this extreame torment that my miserable life maketh me so long to endure These poore passionate louers so long maintained their inward affection by outward lookes and secrete fauoures that the poore Gentleman vnhable to indure his consuming griefes presuming vpon the courtesie of his mistres whom by al euident tokeÌ„s he perceiued to burne in the same fire that he did séeing her one day all alone at a window very sad and pensiue pricked forward by an amorous desire he found the meanes to enter into her chaÌ„ber vnseene of any saue only of a trustie maide that attended vpon her and fayning to bring her newes from some frend of hers as one that was coÌ„uersant among the best he did most humbly and gratiously salute her and then began with a trembling voice to vtter these wordes Madame though I know the greatnes of your beautie and the place ye holde to be such as should moue any man of my degrée to be wel aduised what he wil say before he presume to speake vnto you least by his vnaduised proceeding he doe abridge some part of that honour which is rightly due vnto you wherof I alwayes had and euer wil haue as great care and regard as any the most affectionate seruant that may possibly present himselfe before the eyes of so worthy a Lady Notwithstanding confessing the cruel torment that grieuouslie afflicteth euery parte of me for feare least I should obtaine no place in her honorable seruice whom I desire to obay and please in all thinges which would not haue suffered my life to continue till this time had it not been conserued by the hope I had to be so imployed to the death dispayring of al succour I haue now taken this presumption vpon me humbly beseeching your accustomed bountie to accept this excuse of your pore slaue that desireth no longer to liue then his life shal be acceptable vnto you and bearing with my indiscretion to impute the fault to your excellent beautie that hath entangled me and so restrayned my libertie that finding my self so wonderfully surprised I am said he the teares standing in his eyes wholy tyed to your answere whereby I attend the last and finall sentence of my life or death The young Lady litle acquainted with such amorous discourses as it is the nature of such tender youth to be somewhat shamefast at first cast down her eyes to the grouÌ„d but anone after ouercome with these sweet words and vnable to resist the feruency of this strange passion at this first incounter putting all shame vnder foote she loked vp againe beholding him with a sweete and louely countenance for whom she dyed a thousand times a day and then casting forth a deep sigh aunswered him with a trembling voice after this maner Senior Barisor I must needes confesse that at the first encounter my forces fayled me the honor I ought to my reputation being greatly attainted by the like mishap wherof vnawares I my selfe am the cause at euery word I would speake my hart panted and was gréeuously perplexed my mind likewise and al the other parts of my body were so weakened that I had in a maner no vse of them at al which now enforceth me hauing hetherto forgotten my selfe to let thée vnderstand that the very first time I was surprysed with thy honest behauiour I felt in my selfe such extreame anguish that me thought it pulled my hart out of the accustomed place to ioyne and vnite it with thine and since that time thy vertues and the knowledge I had of thy feruent affection the force and assurance whereof is now discouered hath been so liuely imprinted in my mind that through dispaire and extreme passion I thought a thousand times that my soule would haue departed from my bodie supposing all my life long to keepe secrete this amorous flame which whilest I had sought too much to suppresse increasing more and more would in the end haue quite consumed me But since vpon so iust occasion I see my good present without dissimulation vnable to denie that which ye know as well as my selfe I humbly beséech you seeing I haue so much forgotten my selfe as to put my honoure into your handes to be circumspecte in your dealing and forecast the daungerous mishaps and inconueniences that may ensue if our loue come to light considering the greatnes of my house and how many noble personages there are that wil séeke to hinder the fauour that I desire to beare vnto you which I shal not be able so wel to dissemble but that at one time or other it will be perceiued Loue now that had déepely wounded these two Louers at the heart desirous to make them know his full power and puisance when he had quite berefte their libertie so planted his ensigne in their entrailes that from the poore Lady Flora he tooke all habilitie to resist and gaue to Senior Barisor a rash desire to enterprice that which after coste him his life for geuinge bridle to his vnruly affections with a long and gracious kis confirmed his vnfayned amitie and rauished with exceeding ioy through the continuall pleasure he conceiued in her many courtesies finding him selfe alone at libertie he made request of that which most contented his libidinous desire so long contynued his haunt that at last the bruit of suspicion did not only offend the eares of all the gentlemen of the court but also of her Parents who determined to vse some rigorous correction to remoue her far from him by whose meanes she had gotten this il report and lost her good name which when she perceyued she determined rather to make
And you by hap haue surely hit the marke that how to finde may maze a cunning Clarke But who could keepe the key of such a chest or had a head might ioyne with such a witte Or could discerne where his desire doth rest as harte doth wish with happy hande to hit His happe were such as I can neuer craue but wish of God my haples harte might haue So pretty soule a solemne vowe I sweare I would not seeke for iemmes of greater ioy Nor should mine eye be trouling here and there to make a marke of any tysing toy But where I once my leauel lay of loue my hande shal holde and harte shal neuer moue The Louer forsaken and almost dismaide yet through hope taketh comforte FLy fancie flie and let me loue no more what meanes my wil or are my wits bestraught Die swéete desire molest me not so sore but seeke to saue that thou in vayne hast sought For sorrowe shewes the woe of wretched will and force affirmes but frowarde fortune still Where least I like my loue hath lent me losse where most I loue my liking findeth lack What bootes my barke in waues of woe to tosse when sorrowes sandes doe threaten sore shipwrack Such stormes of strife so rife in euery coast as but great happe shew life and laboure lost Yet cowarde wretch wilt thou goe back agayne and keepe thy couch and leaue to seeke delight Make sure accounte no pleasure without payne the sweetest ioyes are gainde through sore despight Then get thee forth in hope goe hoyse vp sayle the winde may tourne and worke for thine auayle Let hardie hope daunte feareful fonde despaire prepare thy selfe to leade a souldiars life Through thicke and thinne by weather foule or faire passe through the pikes and dread no deadly strife And though long first yet when the worst is past the best wil yealde some wished ioyes at last Another I Shrinke to speake since yet I haue no leaue and yet my harte so heaues my tongue to speake As that in deede I plainly doe perceaue with force of fame my very hart stringes breake Which force must be with fauoure ouerprest or els my hart wil neuer sitte at rest Forgeue me wretch if that my wordes offende fancie hath forcde my sillie minde to sue Some lyking let good nature to me sende my minde hath sworne our Ladie seruice due Then if thou lou'st our Ladie or her name regarde my suite graunt fauoure to the same Which fauoure loe I onely craue is this to graunt me leaue to say but what I could Say but my wordes thou wilt not like amisse and thou shalt heare my meaning what I would But til that time as I haue sayd before I must be dumbe and die in dole therefore The louer in sorrow craueth death HOw might I doe to weepe and wayle my fil that dolefull dumpes might soone dispatch my dayes Since sorrowe seekes my carkas so to kill oh doleful doome that so my death delayes I see selfewil hath wrought me such distresse as reason shewes no hope to finde redresse Yet die I must I feele deathes deadly stroake my carkase eke is nie consumde with care Why liue I then since that my hart is broke but liuing thus like one halfe dead I fare Which makes me thus at pointe of death to crie strike home thy darte good death and let me die Patience prolonges the patient in paine comforte relieues but rids not sorrow quight Hope lingers forth a loathed life in vaine fortune is false and frendes no wretched wight The fates doe groane dole is my destinie why liue I then good death come let me die Harde to finde a faithful frende HE seekes vnsure that seekes to finde a friend for faith is fled and frendes are secrete foes A shew of trothe tryes treason in the ende and many pluck a canker for a rose This wretched world is ful of wicked wiles when simple geese the subtile foxe beguiles For stinging snakes lie hid in smoothest grasse and softest streame doth shew the deepest floud No closer craft then in the glosing glasse which flatters much and shewes no perfect good I finde in deede no greater subtiltie then couered is with smoothe simplicitie Then deeme I best eche where to doubt the worst to make account of eche thing by desarte Or ere I choose to make true tryall first by tryall then for to esteeme in harte Thus thinke I best such trusty frends to finde as may content ech faithful meaning minde He craueth content being ouerworne with Loue. OH Loue leaue of to vexe thy silly slaue to bide the broyle some fresher souldyer seeke Thus worne with woes some comforte let me ahue that so thou mayst my seruice better leeke For if that care doe quite my carkasse kill how should I liue to doe thee seruice still Beholde my face my flesh is falne away see how mine eyes sinke hollow in my head My dumpes declares how my delights decay deeme if I seeme more like aliue or dead Let lyking loue some comforte me procure least loathed life no longer doe endure Oh heare me Loue and lende me helpe in hast the time is come that I must liue or die Stay not too long least all too late at last in vayne alas thou lende me remedie I humblie craue my humble suite regarde graunt my desire may haue his due rewarde De contemptu mundi IN depe despite of this vile world I write what is it but a vale of miserie A caue of care a dongeon of despite a place of payne a penne of penurie A sea of sorrowes and a goulph of griefe where wretched hartes doe die without reliefe The wise man wrytes it is a poysoned baight which doth with toyes the godly minde infecte A wanton theese which cloasly lyes in waight to robbe the minde of euery good effecte It is a grounde where onely griefes doe groe and to conclude a wildernes of woe Now why my selfe so ill thereof should deeme some men may muse that see my youthfull yeares Oh softe a while though young of yeares I séeme my youth hath past through many aged bryers But now that I am yet beyonde the bushes I doe not care for all the worlde two rushes Saue that my Prince I honour I protest my Parentes eke and so I loue my friend Set these aside and as for all the rest of loue and liking I must make an ende I hate the worlde and all the toyes therein and longe to sée my ioyes in heauen beginne Maledisant Beuchampe THe tender budde that brauely ginnes to blow while summer showers yeeldes comforte to the roote If that vnwares there fall a sodaine snow no sunné can shine that wel may doe it boote Except it holde but for a day and so It may haue leaue to make a liuely show My selfe the slower that flourisht all too fast while fauour flonge faire weather in my face But now must die my pleasures ouerpast to see disdaine so
in heauen to liue Another AS each man spics a time his griefe for to bewayle And doth poure out from baylefull breast the woes that him annoy So haue I seuerde out this time in hope for mine auaile To shew my frende my griuoues panges and eke my blisfull ioy The woeful plight which present now I doe in brest sustaine The pleasures eke which now are past I will to minde them call For too too long in secreate breast I haue them kepte with paine With sighes that boyles from out my breast most bitter like to gall There was a time when as I set my loue vpon a Lasse And lente my lyking out to loane to lull my lyking lust Because she present in mine eye me thought did all surpasse But sure within her secrete breast did harboure then no trust For after we had dwelt awhile in pleasures sweete delight And husht our sences both asleepe as lyk'd oure persons best Then crept there in this croppe of care which wrought me this despight And tooke from me the louing Lasse and did disturbe our rest And now doe I appeale to you take pittie if you may On him that is tormented still with woes his life that weare And for thou art a faithfull frende loe thus of thée I pray Let not this frowarde happe of mine my tender heart still feare Another COnsider well I pray the lines that here I wright Nought els but dole and dolefull thinges I profer to thy sight No cause at all I haue to write of any ioy My minde is whelmde in deepe distresse and tombled in annoy My serses all doe quake to thinke vpon my griefe For to bewaile my woefull happe that cannot finde reliefe What fauoure shoulde he haue whom fortune hath defide By rigor of the law t is harde for any to be tride By Law why saide I so no Law there is I thinke That barres true louers from their ioyes but he that stil doth winck And blinking like a bussarde foole can laugh to see our woes And nothing for our helpe will he seeke out the Lord he knowes Oh would it were in me poore soule the waggish God to tame If he then wrought vs such despight in me then were the blame But why doe I now wish for thinges which passe my reach It were as much for me to craue fine Tullie for to teach Good Lady yet geue eare a while and heare my woefull plaint Seeke I beseech to search his wound whome loue doth sore attaint And do not stil reiect your thrall whē as he doth cōplain And think not light the direfull panges that I for you sustaine Ten thousand griefes a day I feele ten times ten moe woes And eke a thousande thousande sighes my pensiue harte out throws I liue a thousand times a day I die ten thousand more And yet I am as neere of thee as I haue bene of yore Let pittie once take place and moue thy louing minde That I for all my torments past some fauoure once may finde Another GOod Lordinges geue me leaue a while to beate my braynes about a toy The further that I wade therein the deeper wade I in annoy The lesse I thinke thereon in sooth the greater blisse shal happe to me The fewer times I heare thereof the happyer man sure shal I be The lesse in sight the better luck the furthest of the most at ease And yet this is the straungest case for life I dare it not displease For life and all thereon depende what resteth then for to ensue My Ladie barres I may not tell therefore deare hartes count you it true For if I once knew what it mente her should I haue that me it sent Philomelas fie FIe flattering face in an vnfaithfull frend Fie on mischaunce where neuer was mistrust Fie fonde desire that findes dispightfull ende Fie fie that faith should euer proue vniust Fie frowarde fate which makes me singing crie Fie fortune fie and falshoode fie fie fie But fie for shame this songe yealdes small delight When euerie note doth runne on fie fie fie Oh waigh the cause is her accursed spight Which makes her thus lament her miserie It is her note so swéete and not her song Whereto we loue to listen too so long So may my note séeme swéete although my fie May séeme perhaps a most vnpleasaunt worde Although I sing in harte alas I crie Fie pleasure fie I must with this poore byrde Goe shroude my selfe as one with sorrow slayne Till merry May may make me rise againe And then this Birde shal come and singe with me Such heauenlye notes as may each eare delight And euery one that doth my sorrow see Shall curse the cause of my accursed spight And some al night shal gladly leaue their nest To heare recorde of our vnquyet rest Alta peto THe hautie Larke that fayne would sit on hye And yet perforce long time doth sitte below Will vp at last although he gaine thereby To his decay a deadly ouerthrow Which makes my harte that highly would aspire Séeke how to clime to height of my desire To prowle for pence such gayne yealds simple share To fight for flies the conquest were but small To gaine contente my minde shal only dare To venture death in clyming though I fall But careful hope must hoyse me bp alofte Least footing fayle and then I fall not softe And when I clime the trée shal be of life The fruite of faith the field the ground of grace My ladder loue and care my cutting knife To proyne such sprigges as may annoy the place Reason the ground to stay me from a fall And hope my holde to touch the toppe of all A Gentleman mislyking of his Mistres sente her at his departure these sixe sower lines for a farewell ALthough you count your hauen a sea of blisse I nothing like to anchore in your fludde I feare in faith so sweete the water is that ouer vse hath made the bottome mudde And south to say I cannot well away in common cockex to put my barke in bay Farewell foule false and filthie forger P. I. The Mistres of this gentleman hauing more cause to dislike of him then he to misleeke of her requiteth him with these sixe lines following THe seas you seeme to set so little by no harbor is for euery rotten barke Let be the floud and let the Anchor lie It flotes not here you neede not therefore carke And sooth to say the bay beares such a grace vnnethes it likes to harbor ought so base Farewell fonde false fleering and fantasticall foole P. M. Verses out of Borbonius MArcus Auarus heri cum se suspendere vellet sexque obulis misero restis emenda foret Territus hoc pretio restim inquit non emo tanti quinque obulis tandem conuenit atque perit MArke Miser yesterday I harde the hanging crafte would trie And vnder three pence caitife wretch no halter could he by I buy no roapes so
〈◊〉 farewell vnto you both twixt hope and feare farewell all foolish strife Follie farewell which I haue fancyed so and farewell fancie that first wroughtst my woe Adue desire for death is harde at hande and yet againe I say adue to death Though loathed life doe in deathes daunger stande yet faith assures when bodie loseth breath The soule in heauen shall liue and fare right wel which makes me crie come death and life farewel Both frendes and foes vnto you all farewell farewell my frendes for frendshippe I haue found Farewell my foes that truth in time may tell when that â—y bones be buryed in the ground That with the worlde I die in charitie and so adue the bell hath done I die And yet once more to death agayne adue for dying thus me thinkes I liue againe My certayne hope showes ioyes that do ensue and hart findes ease of former pinching payne Which makes me thus by certayne prouse to tell faithe feares no death I dying liue farewell Counsaile geuen to a frend WHen gallant youthe hath gone a while at will and folowed that which fancie doth affecte And sées in tyme by proufe of sacred skill What wisdome would that reason should respect He then returnes from former vanytie and treades the pathe to true felicitie When witte doth waye the wanton toyes of will and will doth yéelde to folow wittes aduice And willing witte doth learne by wisdomes skil of perfecte good to knowe the passing price Then worldly toyes are all had in despight and Heauenly ioyes are all the hartes delight When fancie leaues to follow fonde desire and wisdome doth dame fortunes force defie And nature doth but reasones will require and conscience will conceale no trecherie Then if my mynde do not mistake his markes the skye will fall and we shall want no larkes The secrete sute of a louer NOt what I woulde yet would I what I wright not what I meane yet meane I what I saye Not what I mought yet would I what I might not what I can yet will I what I may My spéeche is darke but you perceyue much light then marke my wordes and gesse my meaning right For this you know my tonge so fast is tyde as for my lyfe I cannot yet speake playne Yet do I seeke to haue my mynde descride therby to speake some libertie to gayne For if my tonge might tell my tale in kynde my harte would hope to haue some ease of mynde But oh harde happe my hope his helpe denyes and hope halfe past dispaire doth drowne my mynde Yet reason showes that thou in deede art wise and ruth reportes that I shall fauour find Which makes me thus in midst of my distresse in secrete sorte to sue for some redresse Of sweet contentes WHat aâ—le I wretch or whereto was I borne what meanes my mynd my fancie so to set The greatest iemmes I seme to haue in scorne and daylie séeke the thinge I cannot get The reason is I seeke a thinge to craue which will would wishe but hope can neuer haue What is it welth no many rich I see as many seeke but few or none can haue Bewtie oh no faire ladies many be and t is I saye no common thinge I craue What is it loue tushe loue is but a toye yet faithfull loue is sure a heauenly ioy And therefore Loue I cannot choose but léeke but lyking lookes and lacke breedes discontent And they shal finde that doe such sorrowe seeke that lothed lacke doth luckles loue lamente What is it then whereof I am so faine oh t is contente I seeke but cannot gaine Oh sweete contente what one doth thée enioy who liues contente alas I least of all Content doth breede delight without annoy contente mislykes no fortune that can fall Contente is that which few or none can finde yet must I seeke to set at rest my minde One that had made his full choise MY foolish dayes and wanton lustes be past in vayne you seeke 〈◊〉 me againe Let be your toyes my thoughts are fixed fast Citheria should her selfe but lose her paine Remember not to me wonted delight each sweete so past is now but bitter gall Darcknes I 〈◊〉 that earst I counted light my reason is redéemde from fancies thrall Applie your selues to set some other snare perhaps ye may speede better if ye doe Such woodcockes many in the worlde there are that will be caught I am no pray for you One hath me fast already hers am I Ne will I be anothers till I die A Countrey Carrolle translated out of Belaye A Crowne for Ceres wil I make of euerie kinde of corne With garlandes made of faiâ—e 〈◊〉 boughes I Bacchus will adorne Two pottes of milke to Pales laste I purpose to present That they may heare my humble suite and to my will aâ—ente That Ceres may enforce the ground a plenteous croppe to yeald That Bacchus may the clustred grapes well prosper in the field That Pales so her mantle spread vpon the pleasaunt soyle That grasse and holesome hâ—rbes may grow to quite my painfull toyle The same in another sorte WIth fragrante flowers with eares of corne with leaues that largely grow On euery vine lets garlands make our thankefull mindes to show To Pales Ceres sacred dames and Bacchus last of all Who all our meddowes fields and grounds when we for grace did call With grasse with graine and grapes so filde as they did déeme it best We fearde no heate no hayle no colde for they our labour blest From all that might the grasse the eare or tender braunche offende The cattle birdes or greedie goate that from the hilles descend In summer season in the springe or Authume did not spoile The grasse the eare the sprouting budde but fedde on others soile Let mowiers then make merry now let Reapers all reioyce Let vintners vaunte of their good happe and all exalte their voice To praise the meddowes fieldes and ground that gaue so greate increase And laude their name that wrought this worke els will their goodnes cease Barnes garners sellers so are heapte with hay with corne and wine That neuer earst the like was seeâ—e with any mortall eyine An Epigram out of the same Author THough false Aeneas now be dead Dido laid in graue yet others lefte they in their stead that like coÌ„ditioÌ„s haue Who with the show of marriage rites which is a holy thing do hide their fleshly fonde delights that follie forth doth bring Verses translated out of the foresaide Poet. WIth loue with grace and perfect worthines the powers diuine were compassed rounde about The skie was clad and cloathd in comely sorte with burning rayes of happye heauenly hew All thinges were full of beutie and of blisse the sea was calme the winde was meeke and milde VVhen here below the Paragon was borne whose faire white skinne exceedes the Lillie farre Whose haire like golde doth glister in the sunne whose lippes doe staine the perfecte crimson die