coarse possession there to keepe When thou my coarse depriued quite of beauties gifts shalt view My chearfull eyes to loose their lights and bid those lights adue When thou doest heere her sigh from forth her soule vntimely crost And when thou shalt Sycambra thine view to giue vp the Ghost Ah then doe this good turne for me doe this for me straitway Vnto my cruell vnkind friend this RING from me conuay Tell him his too too flintie heart and barborous crueltie Hath forct me loyalst maide aliue for him aliue to die Tell him by that quicke lightning fire which from his eyes forth came Which swifter far then whirling darts my gentle heart haue slaine By his rich beautie too too rich for me too poore to enioy Which for my time vntimely brought me vnto endlesse noy And by that heart of his too proud tryumphing ore my glorie That he forget me not but thinke vpon my pittious storie Doe this sweet Zerphir for my sake doe this request for mee T is all before my death to thee I giue as Legasee Nor doe denie me this although in conscience I confesse I not deserue thy smallest grace for my ore cruelnesse Ah Zerphir this denie me not This said she held her peace And presently death fore her came with violence to cease Whilst with a gentle quiet sigh her soule that wearie was Of loathed life most willing vp vnto the heauens did passe Leauing her bodie voyd of life withouten vitall aire Disrobde of beautie spoylde of forme depriude of colour faire Yet happie she to die in such kinde sort as then she dide Since that her griefe vanisht therewith which liuing she did bide Happie to die so as she dide since partiall Loue vniust Disasters hard and vndeserude vpon her still did thrust Like as we see in th' end of day vpon the set of Sunne When Tethis entertaines her spouse the light being well might done A kinde of cloudie sable dampe ariseth to our eyes And with a gloomie curtaine thicke is couered all the skies So as vpon the face of th' earth there nothing doth appeare But darknesse sleepe and heauie care with gastly sighes each where So by degrees this beautious coarse lookt pale and wanne like earth When once the soule had it depriude of his quicke liuing breath Like to a shadow was it of a substance faire before No cheerfull colour was there in that face so faire of yore Withouten sence or motion it remained like a blocke Or as a comly pile of stone carude out of marble Rocke Yet Zirphir doth imbrace it oft and as i ft t were aliue The same with pittious glaunces he to yeeld to him doth striue But kisse her he not dares though she be dead lest he offend The soule of her who whilst she liu'd he lou'd as dearest friend Her as before he doth respect and doth her reuerence Although him no drop of grace she gaue his amorous heate to quench Teares like to flowers he streameth downe yet not one word he speakes Sorrow so much doth seaze on him as tongue from plaining breakes Long was he in this agonie at length he comes his way Taking the Fatall Ring with him his Mistris to obey He hunteth vp and downe to finde Armanda and at last Reuiling him into these tearmes tearmes fit for him he brast Hard hearted cruell Sauadge wretch for thy vnworthy Loue Fairest Sycambra now is dead since thee she could not moue Dead is she for thy sake thou liu'st vnworthy of thy life Thou liu'dst her and her loue to scorne through thy orethwartings rife Take here this Ring she sends to thee as witnesse too too true That she destroyd her selfe for thee though thou her death nought rue The Flower of all fairenes is dead slaine onely for thy sake Whilst thou nor her nor on her Loue wouldst any pittie take More fierce then Tyger beastly more then Lion when as such Relent and shew compassion more then thou hast done by much Why takst thou not this pretious I em thou that doest women kill Which for thee till her dying day she had reserued still Happie to haue so deare a pawne yet curst because thou art The cause the owner kinde thereof was strooke with mortall dart Hold hold rude carle and thinke not but the day shall one day come When as iust plague thou shalt receiue for this by heauens iust dome Armanda hearing him to rage in this wise nought doth say But smiling flings the Ring from him to the woods betakes his way Leauing poore Zerphir almost quite bereft of wit and mad To see what slight regard of her and of her Ring he had And but he feard the quiet Ghost to grieue of his faire Dame He had Armanda for his pride as he deserued slaine This held his hands from slaughtring him he so did her respect The onely reason why to kill that wretch he did neglect The reuerence which vnto her he long before time bare Made him for his so hot reuenge his hastie will to spare As one enraged this carelesse man he looketh after long And by his eyes his minde bewraies he faine would venge this wrong Nor doth he leaue to curse and ban this more then ruthlesse wight Vntill through thicknes of the trees no more he spie him might Wherewith he riseth and turnes backe vnto his Ladies corse Which he embracing oft through griefe to fall in sound doth force Her Ring on finger hers againe he puts nor dareth hee Retaine the same as his owne goods although now dead she bee Fearing Sycambras angrie Ghost once fairest ouer all Should be offended for so doing and him disloyall call This causde him beare himselfe so iust whilst in most mournfull wise These his last wordes he sighed forth mixt with strange dolefull cries And is it thou Sycambra sweet whom now I doe embrace Whom whilst thou liu'dst my chiefest ioy I in this earth did place Is thy faire body fram'd by heauens all others for to foyle Become deaths prey vnworthy death Sycambra sweet should spoyle Are these the eyes whose lights of late did shine like brightest Sunne Now darkned by dire destinie and of their sights vndone Is this faire forhead honour chiefe of Muses vertuous Bereft of beautious feature quite and quite disfigurde thus Is this sweet hony mouth of thine O griefe that makes me banne Dispoylde of all his treasures rich become pale white and wanne Are thy chast Brests the pure ripe fruit of Paradise so faire Which to allure the staiedst witts two daintie Apples bare Dead and shrunke in and thou thy selfe Sycambra tirde with griefe Hast thou thy soule to heauens resignde there for to finde reliefe Thou hast alas nor liu'dst thou more those eyes of thine but late Like Diamonds sparkes now dim doe show as deaths darke Sable gate Nor part nor parcell is of thee from head vnto the foote But yeelds a heauie solemne shew attirde in deadly sute Thy dates expirde dead art thou
death sweet death why vnto me doest not such fauour shew As for to end my course my soule and time all with one blow Alas why so long doest permit her for to breath and line Who liueth not whilst languishing she more and more doth grieue O death why thus to nourish life in me doest me despite Who am of all that line on earth the most accursedst wight This bodie which polluted is with worse then worse may be This bodie which vnworthie is the heauens or man to see This bodie spoild of honour rich and cloathed now with shame Although my minde did neuer yet consent vnto the same This bodie which deserues from graue and buriall to be â—ard The mocke of Fortune and the tipe of punishment most hard This bodie which with mine owne hand in peeces I should â—â—â—e This bodie which for to be burnt to ashes 〈◊〉 orthie were Ah cursed bodie hast thou staind thy soule without reâ—ure And guiltlesse of this ill must thou eternall paines 〈◊〉 Hast thou thy credit lost thy honour hast thou blemished Defamde thy Spouse and Traitor bene vnto thy Lord and head Thou shalt be plagued for the same of death thou shalt not misse Yet death 's too good for such a sinne too milde a paine it is Ah then sweet friend why doest it touch why to it comes thou night Alacke forbeare infectious t is it is thine enemie Vnworthie of thine eies it is vnworthie of thy face Nor doth it merit for to haue the least drop of thy grace Vouchsafe not for to touch the same but rather let it perish T is it hath sind and murthered thee the same then doe not cherish But yet before into the hands of wishâ— for death I fall The Gods to witnesse of my truth as records I do call I call the heauens aboue the earth the Seas that stowing shew The spirits of the firmament and them of hell below The Tritons Siluans Satire swift the Nymphs in Groues that walke And damned hags whose gastly shapes strike terror as they talke In briefe whatso hath life or mines all Trees all Rocks and Caues All Fountaines Groues and shadowing Vales from parching heat that same All these as witnesses I call that I am culpable But yet deceiu'd most traiterously and so made miserable All these I call and doe coniure that know the innocent Vnwittingly I faulted haue yet neuer did consent My faith I neuer brake to thee my Spouse I here a vow This heauens yee know for truth for I did thinke that it was thou I thought t was thou as thou wert wont that thou hast hid my face My face that is the cause that thou art in this wofull case Vnwilling though my bodie is tainted yet pure's my minde My bodie which against his will thy shadow false did finde But yet t is faultie and deserues and righly too reward Since it thine ouerthrow hath wrought through Fortune ouer hard Twise then it thee offended hath and double wrought thy wee Alas that double for to die I cannot force it the. The greatest sorrow I sustaine of these my sorrowes all Is that I double cannot die nor twise by dying fall Then why shouldst thou desire sweet hart new friendship to begin With such a bodie as but late doth come from doing sinne Vnworthie t is for thee the earth grosse earth let that it couer A fitting spoyle t is for the same and not for any other Or rather let this carkasse vile be purged pure with fire And th'a shes be disperst abroad through windes as I desire Woe is me borne was I to be thy death and through hard hap By my bad meanes the Parce three haue caught thee in their 〈◊〉 T is I and none but I that kild thee haue my dearest Spouse T is I that death haue brought to thee and that most dangerous Thou diest for my fault O cruell Lawe and most vnciuill He that is guiltlesse bides the paines of her that hath done euill T is I that blood haue drawne from thee t is I thy hart haue split T is I that haue thy louing name amongst the dead soules writ It is not death as thou dost thinke thy life that shortned hath But t is thy Stella haplesse borne to doe thee ill and skath Then to thy selfe I doe appâ—dle if death I not deserue And how much fortune mine accurst from other Fortunes swernt When as in steed of honouring thee dishonoured thee I haue And when I life to thee should giue I bring thee to thy graue When as our sacred Hymen I should reuerence and adore I haue abusde disparaged and scandalisde it fore And lastly when with ioy thou shouldest thy youth with pleasure passe I doe vntimely our thee off and make thee vade like grasse I being then the cause of all this mischiefe and this ill Doest seeme to wonder though I weepe and beauens with sorrow for Haue I not reason to lament to sigh to waile and grone Like vnto Niobe till like to her I turne to stone Since first the skies were fram'd and Sunne to shine at first was seene More wretched woman than my selfe nere was nor ere hath beene O wofull Stella Cloridan O Cloridan my life My life shall expiat my fault to end these sorrowes rife That selfe same sword that wounded thee shall through my bodie ranse Whilst dying both together we will laid be in one Tombe Then pardon me sweet Cloridan for pittie pardon mee Since that through others treacherie I haue offended thee Adien my Lord I loath to liue and not thy selfe enioy And saying so her selfe she strait doth with his sword destroy O brane Virago glorie and renowme of women kinde Fewe like thy selfe thy selfe like fewe didst shew a worthie minde O vertuous Ladie O faire spirit of thy selfe conquerour Ore whose rare constancie nor sword nor death it selfe had power So Lucres dide the Romanes Pearle when by base treacheris She vndefilde defiled was through Tarquin forceablie So Hero dide so Thisbe with the selfesame sword did slay Her selfe when Piramus to seeke she went the haplesse way And now her breathlesse coarse did fall vpon the pouer Swaine Who with that burthen gâ—â— to breath and seeke some life againe As when the night approacheth we behold and view the Suâ—â—â—â— By little and by little steale from hence his race being done His colour lesneth and lookes pale disdaining that still tide Whilst in some corner of the skie his faire face he doth hide So that vermillion colour sweet of Stella but of yore That beautie boue suparlatine as sacred to adore That passing snow white Iuorie that did all thoughts controule By little and by little forth from out her bodie stole Ore that 〈◊〉 louely coarse of hers death sits predominaâ—â— Who for that he came there for Rose and Lillie fresh did wâ—â—t Pale looked now those cherrie lips like ashes they appeare Whilst with aniron sleepe shut vp her eies fast closed were Her
be so why then am I exempted from this rule Neuer was any euill more violent then mine and yet in the meane time it thus continueth still extreame O deceitfull sentence Alack alack double doe I feele my griefe the one in suffering it the other in liuing to endure it and yet what should let me from murthering of mine owne selfe but euen the selfe-same charge which the Maister gineth vnto his slaue ouer whom he hath command both of life and death The onely Physitions which carefully assist me in my disease are Death and Dispaire Comfortable is the remedie of Death but damnable is the syrup of Dispaire The one hindreth the other not vnlike vnto two contrary windes which hold and keepe in a tottering Ship in the maine Sea it being not able to saile neither of the one side nor of the other Thrice welcome should death be vnto me if naturally and without dispaire it would come on the sodaine to rid me from this trouble So thrice happie dispaire if without death it could chase away this my more then intollerable anguish from mee Betweene these two contrary windes doe I flote not that I will denie but that sometimes the Sunne-shine of my soule hath made mine eyes cleare and bright but yet in such sort hath it bene as the light thereof presently after hath caused my darknesse to shew more gastly fearefull and horrible Ah sweetest Sunne of my soule where doest thou now at this present dart and cast forth thy heauenly bearnes And what happie Countrey is at this houre warmed with the gladsome Luster of thy beautious light In respect of the faire continuing day long and tedious are the nights though short and in Sommer vnto the sickly creature euen so long and â—rksome is my darknes in respect of the cheerfull day of thy oft-wisht for presence Wretch that I am I wander without thee in middest of the horror of a continuall euening whilst black and gloomy shadowes are alwayes before mine eyes O God if our sinnes inflict vpon vs these plagues wherewith wee are tortured yet at the least when wee haue patiently endured them drawe vs from out this heauie yoke The guiltie person condemned to die conceiueth no greater disquietnes in his minde then to thinke of that kinde of punishment which shall take away his life from him Ah then take him away take him away I beseech you out of this world who can doe nothing but cast forth complaints and laments and whose importunate voice pestereth without intercession both heauen and earth calling still to minde the afflictions without number which he is forced ouermuch to beare But I see I must yet languish somewhat longer if so what remedie but compeld content Let me then languish thus and pine away and let mine vsuall sorrowfull tune pursue my dayes euen vnto my very graue to the ende that so bewailing my crosse destinie I may at last giue vp my wearied Ghost But I see deare Father I doe but trouble thee and therefore in respect of thee I will giue ouer this mournefull melodie onely I will recite vnto thee an answere of a certaine false Ecco who not long since decciued my hopefull expectation And thus it was ECCO Great Goddesse of these woods that in these woods art honored right Speake wilt thou lend thine eares to one that is in wofull plight With thy last sweete sound amorous wilt thou my griefe abate Importuning my Fortune hard to mee vnfortunate O Goddesse answere my complaints which I before thee powre And pittie my outragious paine by sweetning of my sowre Comfort me in my torments and my griefes that choketh mee With hope that from this dismall plague I one day may be free To th' ende that I deuoutly may blesse thy thrice blessed Grace Ah then if thou as now within these hollow Rocks hast place Answere my Cryes say which of these two shall I prooue To make an end of all my woes or Death or Loue Ecco LOVE After so many crosses which we force and driue Shall I then die or they being dead shall I suruiue Ecco SVRVIVE But shall I stilithen liue depriued of my pleasure In ponsiuenes thus languishing and in displeasure Ec. PLEASVRE May it be I should be grac't with her who doth excell In all rare showes so base as I can I deserue so well Ec. SO WELL. But in meane space for these my griefes I haue no other scope But death to ende them since I liue without all hope Ec. HOPE Alas dispaire encour treth still my rising hope and truth And ore me this proud power will raigne and rage sans ruth Ec. SANS RVTH If so thrice miserable is the wretched Louers state And mine what can it be but most vnfortunate Ec. FORTVNATE After so many brunts borne which in my soule breedes strife Which shall I call to helpe me then or death or life Ec. LIFE But if I vnder this hard law shall liue most cruelly Who then will pittie me whilst in these panges I lie Ecco Ecco I. If so then still I le hope and O yee Gods I you adiure Not to deceiue my future hopes nor glories mine obscure Ah keepe your promise vnto me and after so much griefe Extinguish quite the furie of my cares which beg reliefe So will I blesse for euermore your Deites most true And mongst the most renowm'd in world sing praises still of you See my good Father the cosoning hope that the Goddes of the Forrests bestowed vpon me or rather to say more truly abused my wretched life O notable false deceitfull Oracles of the Gods as Pirrhus and others may well testifie the same But why should men be condemned for deceiuing one another when they are cosoned by the Gods themselues Long time did I hope well of this mine answere but in the end I found it had deluded my conceit by which my sorrow encreased not a little the more Alacke if it be so that I am altogether vnworthie of this good why then should the Gods thus promise me the same He that hopeth for nothing languisheth but little but hope deferred most mortally afflicteth the soule Besides I haue long since that time found by experience not smally to my cost that the will of the Gods is called backe either by reason of our sinnes or for our vertues sake Because of our sinnes they deface and blot out the good entended vnto vs perceiuing that our faults make vs vnworthy of them and for our vertues they call backe their cruell executioners finding vs to be worthy of grace for that we repent vs. And certainely I belieue they pronounced the best for me but my default afterward made me vnmeete to enioy the benefit of their sentence which they haue now raced out and out quite in peeces continuing still my misfortune against me But I commit all vnto their graue and secret prouidence Meane space heare I pray you the first borne song of my wailing Muse since my first
as long as my bones shall be ioyned vnto this flesh will I reuerence thee as long as my soule shall be martyred within this bodie will I dutiously regard thee bewailing thy losse whilst I shall haue libertie to breath and to be able to make sensible things gentle giue eare vnto my complaints But I see reuerend Sire that I doe but wearie thee and trouble thine eares ouermuch to importune them with these pittious discourses of my hard fortune now therefore will I change my note resoluing to doe what it shall please thee to command me Yet before we proceede any further spare me I pray thee so much leisure as to heare a Sonet of mine which I being depriued of my Ladie cast off and quite left of mortall men cleane for gotten of such as haue bin beholding vnto me my sad or rather colericke Muse endited for me whilst I wandered vp and downe this darkesome Forrest Reade it quoth the old man for both thy prose and verse are pleasing vnto me seruing me in steed of sweet Roses to reuiue and refresh mine ancient heate And thinke not but that thy speeches are worthy to be harkned vnto Whereupon the Shepheard red this Sonet following Beyond the Stigian Stix hath Caron reft Thee O diuine Faith and for company Friendship with thee who must not here be left For faith is nothing without amitie Alas why let'st thy Muse liue in disdaine To thee and her a fortune vsuall seene Thou men beleeu'st t is they that thee haue slaine Abusing her through othes as thou hast bin Thy comforts this thou diest at this hower Her ende was languishing long ere she dide A speedie death is sweete a lingring sower She starued died by flowing plenties side You Mortals then let in one Tombe remaine Faith Loue and Muses since they were of prise For fond is he that calls them backe againe And you not Loyall are friendly nor wise This Dittie of thine said the old man is pithie and graue but yet the Subiect thereof is somewhat displeasing vnto me For I cannot doe men that iniurie as to thinke or imagine that they should become enemies vnto the Muses considering but for them their memories and names should rest and lie buried with their bodies in the selfesame graue And although age hath cooled and frozen in me my first Tragick furie Mother of all good verses yet will I answere thee as well as I may Heare me then awhile Whereupon he began thus If in one coffin FAITH LOVE and the MVSES graue By earthly creatures hand enformed close doe lie And thinke their deedes and name immortall so to haue They doe abuse themselues with ore much Surquedrie If FAITH no more liues and if hence we banish LOVE If MVSES haue on earth no sacred Altars here Heauens then must perish And the supreme Gods aboue With essence their's diuine confused must appeare But heauens as yet stand firmely Gods doe raigne And mortall men by liuing on the earth belowe So FAITH LOVE and the MVSES still aliue remaine The sinnes of men cannot exile them vnto woe Astormie Tempest may the Sunne sometimes obscure Yet afterward his Beames shew forth more bright and graue See Shepheard quoth the old man if this Sonnet hath as yet any smacke of this gallant heate which en flameth youthfull spirits with the hot cinders of glory And if my Muse shall so much vouchsafe as to fauour me with some small conceit to accompanie my trembling old age which although she doe not and that my verses be rude and ill shapen yet of this I am well assured that the Subiect is both good and true For how O Shepheard can heauens and earth continue without Loue If the Gods should fall at variance and Loue should be driuen away from them who then during this confused dissension and tempestuous hurly-burly should guide the course of the heauens and giue order about the gouernment of terrestiall matters What good rule and order and what vpright Iustice or policie is there found in that cittie An example wherein the Magistrates are at variance diuided into factions and quite discrepant in opinions No no Loue of necessitie must liue amongst the Gods to the ende he may maintaine vnion amitie and friendship one with the other he giuing directions as well for diuine as earthly businesses Father answered the Shepheard this question of thine is verie easilie resolued and thou as quickly to be contented and satsfied in this poynt There is no neede at all to haue the companie of Loue in the heauens to be as an assistance or helper in the maintaining and gouerning of celestiall causes seeing amongst vs there is but one God whose onely diuine prouidence alone ruleth both heauen and earth he being not disvnited at all for it is a Substance simple not subiect vnto diuision and therefore hath nothing to doe with Loue to bring him to agreement seeing he can neuer be diuided And this is for the auncient Paynims to discourse vpon these naturall reasons God then A similie doth not meddle nor hath not to deale with this Loue I meane such as is wanton but dearely doth he affect perfect amitie inasmuch as he loueth mankinde which are his children he demaunding the selfe-same loue of them againe The Soueraigne Magistrate vpon whose commaundements the gouernment of the whole cittie dependeth cannot be at controuersie with his Subiects about the ordering thereof because they doe not participate with his power he himselfe commanding alone by his absolute will and authoritie So God being without equall and onely perfectly puissaunt and mightie cannot fall at square with any of his seruants which thing if it be so he then hath no neede of Loue to make them agree together againe Thy reason is good replied the old man in respect of that which belongeth vnto God but as concerning men how can they liue without Loue For if a building cannot remaine firme and sure without a strong foundation how then may men continue without Loue which serueth as a fortresse vnto their rest and pleasure and as a chiefe nourishment vnto their liues For can men liue quietly who are alwaies quarrelling and as it were at daggers-drawing and who for want of Loue are still readie to stabbe one another What assurance of life can that souldier promise vnto himselfe who most couragiously goeth to the field to combat with his enemie man to man An example alone Euen so what kind of life should men leade one with an other if their quarrells should cause them trie their valours with their swords staining the ground with the losse of their dearest blood For into what bottomlesse gulfes of misfortune and ouerthrow did ciuill dissension for want of Loue and friendship bring the Romanes who with their owne proper weapons reuenged the iniuries and wrongs they had done vnto forraigne Nations vpon their owne selues which those barborous strangers with all their force could neuer haue bin able to
being the ordinarie whippes with which they scourge thē for their impieties but it is themselues that are causes of their owne sorrowes because they driue away sage Reason from them who is of might sufficient to deliuer and set them free The franticke Bedlem that wilfully killeth himselfe can he dying accuse any other of his disaster or complaine of a straunger when he hath murthered himselfe No more can a fond Louer hurting himselfe be angrie with the heauens who was not the cause thereof but he himselfe And herein they resemble little children that hauing done a fault lay the blame thereof either vpon their play-fellowes or vpon something else being neuer willing to confesse that they haue done amisse Fuen so they themselues hauing felt one burning in their brests the furious fire which in the end consumeth and destroy eth them condemne the powers aboue for the same But small reason haue they so to doe for they that vse it are rather counted to be full of rage and giuen to murmure then esteemed as wise and prudent persons And yet I cannot denie but that the heauens narurally doe as it were seeme to be bound to doe vs good but the accident oftentimes corrupteth the Nature The Parent by Nature is bound to loue his child yet if his his owne flesh shall be peruerse and ill giuen becomming a mortall enemie vnto his Father this right of Nature ceaseth and he is no more bound to doe any thing for him no more than for a straunger There is a iust law grounded vpon this reason which permitteth the Father being iustly offended with his Sonne to dishinherit him of his lands this being the very same punishment that the children of Sophocles suffered for that they most maliciously accused their Father to dote for age and to be out of his right wits onely because they would haue depriued him of his possessions and goods Brutus likewise stucke not to prosecute the death of his too forward sonne most cruellie and with great disgrace also because he had done as well against the Common-wealth as contrarie vnto his owne command So therefore although the heauens I speake all this against my selfe as well as thee Coribant for that I am as wretched a Louer as thy selfe art in euerie degree be our common Father and for that cause is naturally bound to doe vs good yet notwithstanding is he not bound to shewe vs this kindnesse if we shall gricuously and willingly offend him as the Accidence of the offence shall be more violent and strong then the naturall Right is which by reason of this quite ouerthroweth the other For as water quencheth the fire and maketh it cold as any Ice which by nature is hote burning and full of heate So the discourtesies and iniuries which we offer vnto such as by Nature were prouided to be our protectors and defenders drowne and extinguish all their deuoire and Right altering their good mindes from vs quite contrarie vnto that it was at the first A man that is by kinde borne vicious and bad and such a one as bringeth forth of the wombe of his mother wickednesse with him into the worlde may per Accidence through good education and bringing vp become vertuous and wise Euenso the Accident of iniuries and displeasures may chaunge and alter the curteous inclination of a kinde friend sowring and sharpning the same against vs as the Lees and dregs doe the sweetest wine And this mischiefe falling vpon our heads wee cannot condemne anie for it but our owne selues who are the chiefe and efficient cause thereof And therefore we are much in the wrong to lay the blame on him whom through our owne meere follie we haue made him our soe although he be slow and slacke to helpe vs we being falne into miserie although before he by nature was bound to lend vnto vs his helping hand and to assist vs in what he could certainely if we were well and godly giuen and without prouoking or tempting the Eternall Power aboue would we but confirme our selues in all our actions according vnto his desire keeping vs with the bonds of his commandements there is no doubt but he would aide vs hearing vs when we should call vnto him and would nor sticke to raine downe Manna as he did for the children of Israel nourishing vs in the wildest Desarts that be But what law can force or constraine him to shew vs this mercie when we shew our selues to be his mortall enemies going about to increase his wrath euerie houre against vs. But say that he were willing and readie as we are most vnworthie thereof to helpe vs and that it would please him to haue this pittifull and fauourable regard ouer vs yet may you be well assured he would neuer take any charge nor euer make any account of Louers for their griefes is not numbred amongst the plagues of other miscrable creatures the second cause whereof the heauens oftentimes are our sinnes being the first Loue being seene to be but a verie meere follie and therefore neuer moueth the heauens with compassion to heale them A great and grose error therefore it is amongst Louers to imagine that the heauens are the Authors of their paine but a farre greater fault is it in them to require their aide and assistance for Loue is not any kind of contagious disease causing men to die cutting off one after another and for that cause hath reason to implore the heauens for aide to helpe them as they doe when any great mortalitie or plague rageth amongst them but it is a sickenes that continueth still without dying with which onely sensuall persons and sooles and none else are infected This is the reason that we haue neuer knowne any Louers to haue bene cured through miracle whereas we find written in diuers learned bookes that the bodies of many men being dead haue bene restored to life againe and that many haue bene cured of incurable discases onely this vaine sicknes is vnworthie of remedie and reliefe because it proceedeth not neither through the anger of the heauens nor by reason of the contagion of other diseases but onely through our owne foolishnes Now as that amitie cannot be firme and strong betweene man and woman where they answere not one another in desires and affection although naturally they are bound to loue one another euen so the heauens cannot be accused of crueltie in not scourging mortall creatures if the cause which should drawe them vnto this charitable endeuour be taken away from them Let vs then no more exclaime against the Celestiall Power aboue but let vs thanke our owne selues that we deserue no better of him our sinnes being the cause he giueth vs ouer As the fellon cannot blame the Iudge that condemneth him to death nor accuse him of ouermuch seueritie in that he dieth but rather his owne bad liuing that brought him vnto so vntimely an end for he is not to be thought ill of who doth rightly
strange Shepheard who left him when he and the rest of his company retired as fast as they could vnto their owne Lodging where we will as now leaue them The end of the third daies meeting of Iuliettaes Shepheards THE FOVRTH DAYES MEETING OF IVLIETTAES SHEPHEARDS LOVE pierceth not so farre the tender brest of a young Hart in the loue of a fresh and iollie Doe or that of the sturdie Bull towardes his fatte and faire Heifer as was Coribants pricked through the remembrance of Deliaes beautie What rest tooke hee in the night what sleepe went downe with him what pleasure felt hee or what contentment did he perceiue or finde Night which otherwise is the mother and refresher of all trauell is the Nourse of Louers labours For in that they are then solitarie and alone nothing crosseth the meditation of their Loues Their torments present themselues daylie before their eyes and they bethinke themselues euery houre how with a thousand troubles and crosses they may but speak vnto their Mistresses Solitude doth more hurt then good to him whome griefe tormenteth and that coueteth to find out a place to his desire wherein to complaine himselfe Euen so the young Bull depriued of the loue of his iollie Heifer goeth away roaring to hide himselfe in some coole caue or denne and there he beateth and tormenteth himselfe roaring and crying out with maine force No otherwise braue Orlando depriued of his Angelica sought out the most remote and secrete places therein to complaine his disastrous mishappes Solitarie and sadde night therefore in stead of bringing anie relaxation or ease vnto the torments of this Shepheard more renewed them euen as the Smyth maketh the heate of his Forge more ardent when he throweth water vpon the same Onely God Morpheus beguiling him might haue giuen him some asswagement of his griefe but yet such as would not long haue continued For Truth chased away imaginations and dreames and discouered her face These torments these dreames these labours and these flames are stirring verie earlie And as the Hare goeth out of her Forme betimes in the morning to feede in the corne fieldes being afraide lest in the day shee should light vpon some vnhappie encounter In like manner the Shepheard can no longer remaine in his Cottage when hee seeth the day dawne on that side of the heauens where the Sunne riseth hee will by no meanes that his bright beames should reflect vpon his drousie head This would turne him as he thinketh to great shame to be discouered by the Sunne And he feared the like reproach as Mars and Venus receiued being found together and taken within the industrious Net of Vulcan A sluggard neuer acteth any thing of importance Glorie is not obtained by being idle but by plying out fingers busying our selues in manie matters and styrring earlie about our affaires The Sunne yet wet in rising from his moyst bed let fall certaine droppes vpon the earth it seemed by his appearāce that some flagitious fact by him seene had made him looke all pale sad heauie notwithstanding by degrees he euer drew nearer nearer Oh what a power hath this goodly Lamp which giueth life vnto all creatures keeping and preseruing the same in them as also by the same hand he taketh away perisheth and confoundeth the same notwithstanding there is no good how little so euer it be which is not farre better then the best griefes of the world In like manner thogh the Sun shewed himselfe pale morphewed ghastly yet was hee by all creatures a 1000. times more desired then night how cleare soeuer The clifts euen smoaked with a desire to see and feele his beams vpon their toppes euen as the furious Bull casteth fume out of his nosthrills when he seeketh after fight desireth to meete with the Lydian Lyon to set vpon him There was not so much as the flowers which smiled not at his cōming they being his beautifull kinsmen to the end to please ioyfully receiue him The Birds called vpon him in their notes the beasts by their sounds voyces men by many signes and demonstrations Desired therefore of all liuing creatures he commeth spreadeth on all sides his flaming eyes causing all the world to behold his faire bright countenāce Euery one beholding the same blusheth thereat is ashamed heauen it selfe appeareth more neare and cleare and the Shepheard conducted by this immortall light with slow pace arriueth within the Desarts He neither draue lambs nor sheepe before him for the iniquitie of the time had dispoyled him of them robbing him of his bleating troupes and of whatsoeuer else he had receiued by the benefite of Fortune Hee went out therefore all alone walking along with an awaked spirit mind disburdened of all drowsines all quick and liuing whilst he thus said to himselfe It is with speciall reason that men tearme heauen their Father for in truth without him what could they performe Doth not he bestow on them their being life vigour contentmēt pleasure Whatsoeuer fauour or bountie men feele it descendeth from aboue For the earth of it selfe produceth vnto them nothing good or excellēt but on the contrary bringeth thē forth a thousand maladies cares torments labors And though there tumble down from heauen sometimes miseries scourges which torment whip men yet neuertheles their own sinne is the cause thereof For this is the liuely fountain of malediction not heauens euen as the fountain is no occasion of the water that harboreth within the same but the spring from whence it floweth so cold Is not heauen the nourice of this faire Sun which ripeneth all things heateth as well those bodies sensible as other immoueable that giueth vertue power vnto the earth On the other side within heauen dwelleth the Eternall Deitie in the same is his seate there within is his Empire there his diuine Tabernacle In heauen dwelleth this great and mercifull GOD who doth not only pardon men during their liues but euen whē they are dead also His mercie walketh ouer the Tombs and Sepulchers of the dead and goeth seeking them out euen vnder the earth to relieue them by his charitable office giuing vs triall not onely of admirable Clemencie but also of diuine Iustice That which maketh him to be knowne for true God is only his Iustice and his Mercie For hee could not be God except he were both iust and mercifull Besides hee most liberallie giueth vnto vs wherewith to maintaine our life hauing a care of the least haires that fall from off our heads and of the least byrd that liueth Hee giueth nourishment vnto euery one yea vnto the Crowes little ones themselues that call vpon him when their olde ones denie to giue them foode at all O an hundred times worthie of infernall punishment is hee who loftie and proud will not giue thanks vnto God for so manie of his benefites I seeing besides a thousand others he might haue iust occasion
strong for him who although he had so often giuen the foile vnto the Romans yet when he lost his pretious libertie through lying in Capua and making Loue vnto a woman there was ouercome by that temperate Romane Scipio Demetrius likewise was so bewitched with the faire Curtezan of Athens as he stood in awe of her as if he had bene her bond-slaue And if we should leaue the earth and flie vp into the heauens wee shall finde the Gods themselues haue bene schollers in Cupids schoole For did not Ioue loue Europa Lida Alcumena and diuers others Phoebus Cassandra Daphne and many moe Mars Venus Venus Adonis Diana Endimion and I know not whome besides Why then if it be so I must needs say that thy power extendeth farre and neere thou being as mightie in the heauens as thou art here vpon the earth Fortunio seeing mee in this humour beganne thus How now man but euen now thou shewedst thy selfe to be conquerour ouer thy passions setting a good face on the matter whilest thou didst bare out the brunt thereof And now againe thou seemest as a recreant to yeeld vnto thy anguish and sorrow crying out and vexing thy selfe as if thou wouldest die vpon the suddaine what is the reason of this alteration and change It is a credit for a man to change from vice to vertue and of bad to become good but not to goe on still growing worse and worse Dauid is praised for amending his wicked life and for becomming a new man where his Sonne Salomon is condemned in that he forgot himselfe in his latter daies becomming an Idolater and a whoremonger amongst his concubines Thinkest thou that it is enough for thee to say thou art not able to resist the force of Loue and that other mens faults are sufficient to excuse and defend thine That thiefe is not exempted from punishment who excuseth himselfe hauing robbed from others that he hath but done as an other hath done before him for though it be lawfull to imitate such actions as are commendable and vertuous yet is it not tollerable to doe what is wicked and villainous This colour then will not serue thee and therefore if as thou not long since diddest affirme thou louest the inward qualities of the minde without coueting that fleshly pleasure which Louers so much studie to obtaine although with great labour and losse but what is the reason thou takest on thus And why shouldest thou seeme to dispaire being readie euery houre almost to goe about to giue ouer the world For louing the soule onely the bodie which is but a closet for the same cannot hinder thy affection neither canst thou hope to receiue any other contentment or pleasure of thy loue then in conceit whereas thou doing thus as thou doest thou wilt make the world belieue that thy loue is of another manner of nature then thou wouldest perswade vs it being the common fashion of sottish Louers and such as desire sensuall delights to crie out and lament as if they were readie to die when they cannot taste the sweetnes of the same as the sicke Patient dieth for want of physicke that should expell such superfluous humours as hurt him Now if thy Loue be such as thou saiest that it neither demandeth nor expecteth in any sort this pleasure what maketh thee for want of enioying the same to run still vnto death wringing thy hands and making such pittious moane as is strange to behold Therefore are such men farre more furious and mad then those senselesse Bedlems are who without cause seeke to offer violence vnto themselues imitating the heathen people of Aegypt who vsed to burne themselues without any cause at all but onely when the toy tooke them in the head for most deare ought we to hold our life because it is vnrecouerable neither must we forgoe it vnlesse for some great occasion as either for the benefit of our common-wealth or for speciall good and aduancement of all our friends I seeing Fortunto to be so earnest replied thus O Fortunio I cannot see how a man can lose a lesser losse then the shortning of his daies for loosing them he lighteth vpon a path that leadeth him into eternall rest and therefore he is not hindered at all resembling that marchant who exchangeth bad marchandise for such as are most pretious and rich For a smaller matter then mine thousands of wise men haue shortned their liues A witnes whereof is that wise man who following Alexander the great and much fauoured of him gaue not ouer for all that to erect a great pile of wood which he setting a fire most cheerfully leapt therein without sturring once and so was there buried But perhaps you will aske me what was the cause that vrged him thereunto truely none but onely because he would leaue this mortall life to inherit a life euerlasting But say that no liuely apprehention of intollerable griefe did force a man to this desire yet are the very defects of Nature and the desire to become immortall sufficient enough to imprint most deeply this conceit in his soule especially if after death we shall be free from feeling of any paine according vnto the grosse errour of the voluptuous Epicure For is it not farre better neuer to be borne then to liue and endure miserie But we flie higher in our thoughts thē those Phylosophers for we by this meanes set not onely an end vnto our wretchednes but we change them into glorie contentment and our fraile and fleshly bodie into an immortall state free from all corruption Therefore my conclusion is that seesing the onely maimes of Nature without any other accident of euill are of force enough to imprint within vs this desire of death we are not to be reprehēded if we die in as much as we are stirred vp vnto death as well because of these imperfections as also by reason of such a subiect of deadly griefe as can no way be remedied nor holpen but by the fatall Destinies and those that doe contrariwise cannot be compared for constancie and vertue vnto those women who one striuing with another leaped into the flaming fire wherein their dead spouses were burned a deepe passion of true sorrow and a vehement desire to follow their husband being that which did animate them vnto this death Besides such as are in dispaire for euer seeing ioyfull daies in this world haue not they the greatest reason of all to die which if any such shall refuse they are of a more base and timerous disposition then those women afore said seeing that in death onely a man incountreth with quiet rest as whilest we liue we are yoaked and tyed vnto troubles The sage Hebrew King praiseth in his prouerbes the dead more then he doth the liuing death being the securest harbor of all other where when we are arriued we are exempted from rowing any more in the dangerous barge of this turbulent world Fond is that Pilot who through the fauour of the
pensiue humour from him What man be of good courage we must he ordered by the will of the Gods and without killing ourselues with these inward passions must attend the good houre vntill it shall please them to call vs For neither weeping nor wailing can alter our Destinies neither can they be mended thereby because it lieth not in our handes but in the heauenly Powers to amend what is amisse This is my aduise in that I wish thee well for wee are giuen by nature to wish well vnto those whom we know are our friends and wel-willers whereas otherwise we should be worse then bruit beasts who acknowledge curtesies which they haue receiued Then take this counsell from mee although I was borne rather to learne counsell then to giue counsell vnto others But the Gardiner sometimes can giue good hearbes for Phisicke and a wise man now and then may be aduised by one that is simple and without learning as Moses did who tooke the opinion of his Father in law being farre lesse skilfull then hee I doubt not but thou knowest by experience that this which I haue saide will be profitable vnto thee and that thou wilt hereafter remember mee for the good aduise which I haue giuen thee Thus spake the Nymph most kindely her curteous speeches putting life into my bodie againe making me blush with a vermillion colour which she seemed to like well of Wherevpon I taking hart at grasse although still crazed with inward heauinesse beganne thus to answere her Oh sacred Goddesse is it possible that hee that is stiffened and benommed in all his limmes and ioyntes with an extreame colde should be warme without Fire Euen so can hee comfort and delight himselfe who without hauing the least subiect of ioy in the world hath all his Bodie attached with a wonderfull strange and heauie sadnesse Amongst all the wise Sages of the world past there haue bene very fewe that haue bene able to haue dissembled and concealed their inwdard griefes and sorrowes Elias that great Prophet could neuer doe it but rather flying into a Desart to auoyd the furie of wicked Achab most pittiously desired to die Neither could Iob the patterne of all patience smother the same but rather weeping and taking on most lamentablie wished to be ridde from his miserable life And thinke you I that am so poore a wretch in respect of them am able to hide mine anguish and driue away these inward afflictions which so much torment mee especially when I haue so great reason to lament my Disasters Wonder not then gracious Nymph that I seeme thus to waile and weepe but rather suffer mee to goe through with the same to the ende I may the sooner be brought vnto my graue for that is the onely comfort of such forlorne and forsaken Caitiffes as my selfe yea Death sweete Death is the Port and Hauen of all such distressed mindes as I am O that I were blinde that I might not see the mischiefe that is ready to take holde vpon mee or that I were senslesse and voyde of all passions to the ende I might be exempted from such dangerous plagues as are alreadie ready to infect me Must I be well in bodie and yet deadly sicke in minde Must I be sicke in minde and yet not consume away And must I consume away and not yet die but languish thus in horror worse then in hell yea and that continually O vniust Heauens ô too vnkinde and barbarous LOVE what haue I done vnto thee Cupid that for all my loyall loue thou thus shouldest reward me Haue I euer defied or denyed thee as Apollo did after hee had slaine that huge Serpent Python when he mocked at thee and at thine Arrowes as thou flewest in the Ayre that thou shouldest thus wound mee with so vncurable rigour and exasperate thus thy worse then sauadge Tyrannie against mee Ah Mistris deare Mistris behold here before you the most wretchedst creature that euer liued vnder the Cope of heauen the very Anatomie of miserie and the true Mirrour of all misfortunes And belieue I beseech you that the terrours which euery minute of an houre affright his inward soule is farre worse then vglie Death it selfe But iustly am I punished seeing as ouer presumptuous I durst be bolde to flie so high like vnto another Phaeton presuming to adore your more then druine and sacred Beauties Yet sweet Ladie pardon me because LOVE is the cause who was assisted by your faire eyes to make me his base prisoner and abiect bond slaue for euer against whom no force neither heauenly nor humane is able to preuaile Thus was I bolde to pleade like an earnest suter for grace vnto my Ladie I knowing well that I was neuer like to finde so fitte an occasion againe as then I had because I saw she was resolute to enter into a kinde of life farre worse and harsher then anie Monasticall liuing whatsoeuer And therefore I thought with my selfe that seeing I was fully bent and purposed to die I knewe the worst and worse then Death I could not be adiudged Thus you see how desperate persons sometimes helpe themselues although quite contrarie vnto their owne expectation So fought that sicke and diseased Souldier being full of valour vnder his Generall king Antigonus onely because he would be ridde of his disease which did so much afflict him but no sooner was hee cured thereof then that he became a notable Coward as one that was desirous to sleepe in a whose skinne and neuer after would venture in the warres againe The faire Virgin hearing mee thus earnest were it either because shee was loth to leaue behind her she being now readie to depart from vs any cause to conceiue hardly of her or whether it were that my pittifull speeches had moued her vnto remorse and to haue compassion vpon me I know not but I found her nothing so austere nor sower towards me as she was wont to be which I gathered by her indifferent milde answere she replying thus If thy disease Arcas be incurable and that as thou thy selfe thinkest it will hardly be healed why then hast thou bene so obstinate as thou wouldest not in time seeke what thou mightest to haue bene rid of the same Very simple is he who vndertaketh to transport a huge Rocke from one place to an other when it is not by nature to be remoued So if thou seest that my loue can no way be profitable vnto thee why then wilt thou be so selfe-wild as to persist therein it being such an other piece of worke as those Giants tooke in hand when they went about to scale vp to heauen for say I were willing to shew thee what fauour I might yet could I doe thee no good because of my credit assuring my selfe that if thou louest me indeed and as thou so often hast protested thou wilt not desire any thing of me that might ouerthrow me in doing of thee good True loue is of this nature that it
A Sentence For is not that sick patient to be noted for vnwise who will not disclose vnto his Phisition the cause of his disease but persisting most obstinately rather to feele the pangs of death then to declare where his griefe is And so hee that manifesteth his sorrowes by lamenting receiueth some kinde of consolation if not present remedie For as the small droppes of water falling by little and little vpon the harde Rocke in time doe make it hollow So likewise the hearts of women be they neuer so stronglie armed with the splints of Steele and Adamant yet in the ende they will waxe tender and soft as the harde Iron is made to bowe by the stroke of the hammer Besides oftentimes the peruerse Iudge doth Iustice rightlie through verie importunitie which by no other meanes he could euer haue bene brought to haue done It is a thing that I haue seene Louers ordinarily put in practise of whom the passions are so violent as they haue not bene able nether to conceale nor to restraine them within themselues when they haue most coueted to doe the same I my selfe haue made tryall of this remedie haue passed this straight ventured this hazard and in conclusion haue found to haue done good of it In witnesse whereof I beseech you once more to giue me the hearing of another of my passionate Sonnets With right good will answered the old man vpon condition that thou wilt promise me afterward to vnwinde the Bothome of thy Loues threed Wherevppon the Shepheard began to sing in this sort Before my selfe I doe disliue heare these my plaints O FAIRE which rauisht hast my sweetest libertie If thou before hast dainde of my religious Loue My loyaltie after my death then honor thou Nor feare that Heauens shall by my death be proud Because ending my dayes extinguisht is my Fire Death onely can cashere mee from this wretched life Where in the sacred Throne of Loue seates my pure Soule Whilst I doe breath whilst hart through 1000. sorrowes sobs It shall be seruile vassaile to thy Deitie And mongst the Ghosts being dead thou shalt my Lady be For in my soule thy Beautie is caractered There do I see thee still and as mine Idol chiefe I le sacrifice to thee great store of cries and teares Ah then plight me thy faith for to accept my vowes As late thou seemdst to rewe at my sad heauie griefs Leaue him to dye to dye who liues withouten life Being far from thine Eyes his chiefe diuinest light For say alas wherein can I stand thee in steed When I am but a shadow in a withered Corse Spent haue I all my teares bewailing thy long absence In loosing thee the Heauens haue reft my vigor quite I nothing am become Most wretched he that thinks To liue depriu'd of that chiefe good his heart doth nourish Then whilst I looke my fatall day of death to see No voyce sounds in mine eares but of laments and cries Mirth is for those are fortunate rot for a soule That feeles more horrors strange then Limbos frightfull Ghosts Then welcome pining Care and sorrow sower to me For with my thoughts dispairing still you best agree Thus haue you heard another of my wofull ditties O happie Arcas if being depriued of so sorrowfull a subiect of lamenting as this is thou couldest enioy the sight of thy faire and deere Diana as heretofore thou hast done Alas that the separation of the soule from a faire body should be far more pleasing then that of two loyall harts most stricklie chained with the strong bond of faithfull loue for with this first dissolution the remembrance of all greife and doller passeth away like a flash of lightening that is sodenly come and gone But alack how long are the sorrowes how wearisome the troubles how vnsupportable the miseries that the separation of his Mistris bringeth vnto the wretched Louers Poore Oenone too well knowest thou this to be true who diddest die for verie heauines because thou wert disioyned and withheld from thy deere Paris Death it selfe is more welcome vnto Louers then the long absence of their Ladies and yet dare they not die because they feare their displeasures which when they goe about to free themselues from this bondage snatcheth the weapon out of their hands whilest the hope which they conceiued once to behold them delayeth from day to day the execution of this cruell arrest of death A Similie being so profitable vnto all Louers That traueller findeth himselfe in great perplexitie and is not a little pensiue and angrie who after he hath iournied all the day long by the comfortable light of the Sunne is constrained to wander in the darke all the night after For as the comming forth out of bad into good is luckie sweete and fortunate so harde and troublesome is the losse of ioy to enter from thence into miserie and as it were into the verie gates of destruction And as mortall mē desist not from offering sacrifice vnto the Gods although they be far off from their sacred presence So my deere and diuine Diana though my fortune hath remoued me far from thy beautious sight yet will I not leaue to dedicate all my writings vnto thee to present my sighes vnto thee and to render thousand pittious oblations of my teares as vnto my chiefe Goddesse whose I whollie am my verses my cries and my complaints shall all be addressed vnto thee O faire Diana in what place soeuer thou now displaiest forth thy radiant beames doe not I besech thee despise the slender vowes of the religious votary who liuing only through thee oweth vnto thee both his labors and his life How wiselie haue the learned set downe that the onely presence of the Diuine Essence bringeth all contentment that may be vnto those blessed spirits that continually behold the same seeing the onely countenance of my Mistris brought my soule to be happie and satisfied mine eyes at full with perfect ioy I now excuse you O yee leane and yet rich couetous churles who content your minds with often gazing vpon your rustie old gold because there is nothing comparable vnto that pleasure which the sight bringeth vnto the soule in respect of that thing which so much delighteth him And who then with reason may blame me to loue so faire a Iewell seeing beautie is found to be a gift come from God made onely to render himselfe the more admirable in the eyes of the world Who can iustlie finde fault with that man that shall loue a thing rare perfect and surpassing in perfection such as are ordinarie and common So likewise who can rightly condemne men for honoring such a one as beautie her selfe yeeldeth a most excellent perfection amongst those that are most perfect of all Then thee O Diana doe I honor thee doe I loue thee do I respect sorrowing alway for the want of thee and whilst my vital blood shall boyle within my veines will I worship thee
each one doth them heare Vnto the ende they may entreate all men for to helpe them He that is sicke yet scornes him that his paine can asswage Nere can he cured be lest that he seeke some meanes for his sicknes Better t is to complaine then like a foole for to die Therefore my griefe to you O Desarts haue I recounted Which since you listned too well will I wish vnto you That gentle Zephirus may calmely blow on your heads still So will I pray for you then for my sake doe the like Pray that the cruell one may take on me little pittie So may you happie be So may my Loue be as sweete As he that is confined within some fodorne I le quite out of hope euer to returne vnto his sweete countrie againe is not a little moued seeing a ship to arriue at his shore which by the language of the passengers he perceiueth to be of his owne countrie So was Arcas much amazed hearing one to speake of her who gaue life vnto his infant writings whom he honoured as a most excellent and exquisite creature and who for her vertue was renowmed throughout all the world And as forsaken Ariadnes being left alone vpon the durtie shore of the Sea ran vp and downe beholding a far off in the Ocean any ship that seemed to bend his course towards her to vnderstand some good newes from her disloyall husband euen so did Arcas runne here and there to find out him who so often pronounced the name of his deare Iulietta Away went he then to seeke this straunger whom ere long he found and who being tired with his ouermuch trauaile and chillie colde with lying so long vpon the waters had betaken himselfe vnto his rest being falne into a little slumber loth was he neither durst he to awake him when marking of him better he might perceiue two tables to lie by him which straight he called to mind remembring them to be the faire and true counterfaits of Phillis and Iulietta whereupon he thus spake softly vnto himselfe O happie Painter that tookest in hand so laudable a peece of worke as this is In former ages our predecessors did consecrate Statues to such as were valiant by reason their countries were beholding vnto them but vnto none more rare personages then these could any man giue any whom these pictures doe represent For if vertue hath power to make the vertuous liue in the hearts of men then with greater reason ought such as those he drawne by the cunning Painter Ah beautifull counterfaites how much doe you delight me and how much is the memorie of those which you present sweet and pleasing vnto me And now I approue and allow that action of his who made so great a iourney to trauaile to Rome onely to see that famous Historiographer Liuie For much pleasing vnto the minde is the sight of excellent creatures Blessed and religious Ministers of Iehouah who to refresh the memorie of man prone by nature to forget haue iudged that the pictures of Saints after they had merited a crowne of eternall glorie for their spotlesse liuing were verie necessarie and thought commodious vnto men to the ende they might be not worshipped yet be admired of euery one For if with our seeing vertue corporally we suffer our selues sweetly to be drawne away by her meanes then how much more should we like of her seeing the very faces of such as lodge and dwell in her alwaies O prudent Alexander who didst take so great delight to see the most famous Painters of thy time to be busied about limming thee with all the skill they had and so happie art thou whosoeuer thou wert that hast set thy last draught of thy pensill vnto so faire a piece of worke as this is Ah would to God I saw as liuely shadowed the faire face of my diuine Diana for then should I receiue some ease in these my griefes hauing by me the likenesse of her whose absence absenteth and keepeth away the cleere light from my dim eies But where froward destinie shooteth her arrowes there neuer mingleth she so much as one sweete one amongst so many sower venomous shafts Seldome or neuer amongst any ill fortune doth there happen any good chance for man being driuen away by the worst and wholy possessed of the same as then is wide and vncapable of feeling or finding any pleasure at all be it neuer so little Needs then must all sorts of miseries abound in me to the end I may haue the more praise by reason of enduring the same or else far more witnesses of the anger of the heauens against me for the more the trauaile is great the fairer is the glorie and he that doth participate with dangers hath likewise a part and share in renowne As he that without intermission feeleth himselfe to be struck with the piercing darts of heauen beareth in this world the punishment of his sinnes But O how perfectly doe I see painted forth the valour the braue grace and the sweet Maiestie of Phillis That statue of Scanderbeg placed vpon his Tombe as yet is a terror vnto the Turks whō he so often ouercame And so goodly doth this portrature seeme vnto me as me thinkes yet I see him aliue whom it resemb leth Being comely wise valiant as another Romane Caesar In the other so liuely shadowed by those daintie flaxen haires by that beautious and large forhead by those diamond eyes resembling two bright rolling spheres of heauen by those roseall cheekes and those lippes of Gilliflowers by that prettie dimpled chin by that brest a banke of whitest Lillies by those small and long hands with that daintie slender and cleane foote with other parts matchlesse by Nature and therefore not to be mended with Art doe I behold the diuinitie of that admirable beautie of peerlesse Iulietta And therefore must I needes say the Painter hath shewed his skill to be excellent in drawing these our bodies But to set downe with life the rare qualities of these two worthy personages nor Painter nor Poet nor any in the world is able to doe Vnder these two faire counterfaites were written two Quartraines and that of Phillis was thus Braue Phillis t is not for to saue thy fame About these woods thy portrature we cast Who in the sisters of the woods liues doth disdaine All pictures for in them his name shall last Only the harmelesse good most need and craue The shadowes of the valiant sort to haue Vnder that of Iulietta was this written Not for to shew thy beautie excellent Thou art most fairest Dame drawne liuely here But that all might behold thee still I ment Since thou for rarest Thewes hast not thy peere Glorie alone must Iuliets rightest Painter bee Honour her patterne Vertue her attire to see These were the verses which were written vnder the two pictures and he that was Maister of them was the hard destined Philistel the most affectionate seruant of the faire
If onely naturall passions bring men to be miserable because the successe of naturall things hapneth much against our will what then contrariwise can make them more happie then to be deliuered from the same Of innumerable troubles doeth he discharge himselfe who retireth himselfe from the world and betaketh him to liue in vncoth wildernesses where the mortall cares of worldly matters doeth not trauerse him nor the continuall businesses of Common-wealths trouble him nor the feare of any losse disquiet him at all That man who of long time before is prepared for some certaine kinde of Exploite or who long since is resolute to encounter against the shocke of Fortune is farre lesse miserable A Similie then hee who without euer dreaming of any such thing findeth himselfe on the sodaine entangled within her knottie Nets Euen so hee that many yeares before hath wisely prepared himselfe to entertaine Death calling for it and as it were still marching to meete it findeth the same when it commeth nothing cruell at all where on the other side hee that is filled vp to the very throate and as I may say choaked with delicious pleasures suffereth most vnspeakeable torments tormenting and vexing of himselfe with hellish griefes when he neuer so much as thinking thereof before heareth Death knocking hard at the gate of his heart to seaze vpon him and to kill him on the suddaine And yet it is not enough for a man to be wise and vertuous vnlesse he learne the skill how to continue and keepe his prudencie and vertue for to no ende is it to get A Sentence vnlesse we can keepe what wee haue gotten the consernation of which is as laudable as the labor to gaine it is commendable The onely best meanes for a wise man neuer to loose his vertue and wisedome is to shunne as neere as he can the subiect of vice euery occasion of blame and all causes of sinne which may very easily be done by him if he shall giue ouer and winde himselfe out of the subtill snares of the world As S. Ierom did conuersing keeping company with wilde beastes who are farre lesse viciously giuen then men For the perfection of Glory consisteth in the ende of the worke it beeing no reason at all that that wiseman should be commended who hath but begunne as it were to doe well no more then that Crafts-man ought to be payed for his labor who doth finish and make perfect but the halfe of the taske he tooke in hand to doe It is a small matter for a man to be counted for to haue bene wise and not to continue the same still for so better were it like Socrates to haue bene a foole and viciously giuen at first and afterwards to prooue most graue and vertuous Let man then seeke the meanes to continue his prudencie to nourish his Wisedome and to retaine still his vertue and then shall he be called wise indeed and a most happie man in that hee hath the ende of his life according vnto the beginning Not anie one is in right to be praised but after his death because we knowe not whether it shall please the Almightie to continue his good grace towards him of which hee maketh a shewe vntill his dying day So that if a rich Prince hath neede to demand ayde of a poorer then himselfe to assist him then lesse occasion hath the wise man who is rightly rich indeed to request the succors of poore vicious creatures to doe him any pleasure He that needeth not any thing to finish the contentment of his life hath as little cause to craue begge or intreat the helpe of anie other person The wise man then who is rich in vertues contented in minde and rightly happie hath no neede to seeke the companie of men through which he can receiue no other good then displeasure and vnluckinesse when he hath enioyed the same All that time which a man liueth busied in worldlie affaires of which the society and company of men is the occasion he cannot truly vaunt to haue had one small whole day of his life particular and priuate vnto himselfe his whole time and yeares being imployed to the publike benefite whilst in himselfe hee is full of sorrowe and griefe despite and waywardnes but no sooner is he let loose from the world and that he is alone without being hindered by any person liuing in some odde recluse Desart or other but that then his Life and Time beginne to be his owne indeed for then may he boldly dispose of the same according vnto his owne minde hauing no bodie to controll him but his owne selfe What is so pretious in this world as is our sweet libertie The little Bird desireth rather to die for hunger abroad as free and without the cage rather then to enioy euery daintie thing An Example whilst she is enclosed within her hatefull prison Whilst we liue amongst men we shal not only feele our selues to be forced to doe against our owne minds but which is worse constrained to submit our selues vnto the vniust commandements of mightie men being compelled to offer our selues as executioners of their most wicked desires For if bondage may in any thing be termed sweet and tollerable then must it be such as dependeth vpon a iust and lawfull Maister vnto whom reason is in steed of selfe-will and desire whereas to serue follow the vniust will of a wicked Lord Soueraigne is to make himselfe more wretched then condemned guiltie creatures are whom dying are suspenced from all their paine But this solitarie receptacle in these woods taketh away all these ills remoueth from vs these miseries hindereth vs of these misfortunes and doth countercheck all these sower disasters In this wildernesse then to enioy all these benefites doe I desire to spend the short remainder of this my life that when I am dead a small peece of ground may serue to shroud my harmlesse Carkas which is the onely cause sweete knight of the refusall of thy gentle offer which thou makest vnto me to returne againe into the world In requitall of which I beseech the immortall Gods to send thee all good fortune to make thee as happie and fortunate towards thy chast diuine and faire Iulietta as thou thy selfe wouldest wish whose rare vertues haue serued for worthie subiects vnto euery braue spirit of this our age Liue thē happie with her may the Heauens be propitious vnto thee in thy voyage to the end thou maist returne fortunate like Caster and Pollux to behold once more those lights of thine owne eyes and leaue the miserable Arcas to die here most discontentedly seeing he is depriued of that sacred Sun whose beames onely conserued his languishing life This said the Shepheard kept silence when Philistell thus replied vnto him In truth kinde Shepheard I cānot chuse but approue what thou hast spoken yet are there very few now adaies to be found that will follow thy counsell Although
bestowe it cheerfully on her For in giuing her that which is thine owne thou shalt deserue as well at her hands as those who are farre mightier then thy selfe vnto whome the heauens haue giuen better meanes to succour their Countryes then they haue vnto thee For euery one is discharged after he hath payd what he doeth owe and hauing performed what he can to the vtmost of his power But it is not a sufficient discharge for the bad debtor An example to say he hath nothing and yet in the meane time can find wealth enough to supplie his own need Change then thy mind take thy iourney with me and I will thinke my selfe fortunate if I may restore thee vnto thy Countrey againe because of the great want she hath of such of her children as are good naturall faithfull and valiant Amongst which number I account thee as one of the chiefe To this speech Arcas was about to replie when the sound of a most pittious voyce ouerdrowned his so that to vnderstand the same he was husht and silent This voyce sighed forth this Sonnet following Accursed wretch and shall my blubbered teares Nere mollifie my Mystris flintie heart O no for these strange heats my bodie beares My teares to fire doe change to breede my smart Shall I no more behold her beautie bright Which wonted was alone me so to please No no for now I liue withouten light Since her I see not cause of my disease In double wise alas I finde my griefe Whilst trebble still surmounteth my disgrace First cause I am a Thrall without reliefe And next for that I see not her faire face Thrise blest the dead far happier then my selfe Death makes an ende of all their martyring paine But I still toyling keepe on sorrowes shelfe Then is my life the worser of the twaine Halfe dead halfe liue I languishing doe lie Vnder the beautious eyes of my proud FAIRF Whilst I more cruell finde my destinie Exilde from her the essence of my care Oh what colde passions in strange vncoth wise Thy wofull absence breeds through woes dispences Since that thy sight made smile my weeping eyes The losse whereof depriues me of my sences DEARE what am I poore I withouten thee But like a coarse quite void of vitall breath Accursed Fate that such a Law should bee To force men liue against their wills on earth Of thousand griefes the least and smallest crosse A Louer louing doth in Loue indure Is worse by ods then is of life the losse Which we by gentle death our friend procure Compar'd vnto the passions which I feele O happie Fate that so would'st ende my life To rid me of my troubles euery deele A Cordiall wore and comfort passing rife What shall I not from these plagues be releasde Neuer before expir'd be my lifes date Of blessings all t is not t is not the least To die whom Heauens whilsts that the liues doth hate O heauens when will you gainst me quiet cease And for a while take truce to doe me spight No no I see with me you 'l haue no peace Yet vertue after stormes doth shew most bright You then doe meane thus still my heart to racke On tenters yours to sound my constancie But to what ende doe you the same alacke When I it know and beare it patiently Then cease yee Gods to grieue me still with plagues Ah whither carrie you my vexed soule But t is no matter shew your vtmost rage Not you my dame alone can it controule As long as she to accept it please in shewe You cannot hau 't nor for you shall it care For dutie lesse to heauens and Gods I owe Then to my lifes sweet death my cruell FAIRE He that sung this was the Shepheard Coridon whome as Arcas wilfull banishment had brought by chance into this Desart and who calling to mind his Loue sung this dolefull Dittie which being ended and perceiuing Philistell Arcas and the old man together he runneth strait vnto them and most ioyfully saluteth them praying them to heare a certaine wofull historie of the truth of which his owne eyes had bin witnesses in this his traualie Wherupon they graunted his request and euery one of them taking their places to sit downe they began to listen vnto him most attentiuely when the Shepheard spake as followeth The Tragicall ende of chast Floretta Although the Almightie through his diuine prouidence hath most prodigally bestowed vpon the soule of man many faire and goodly perfections making him capable to know and vnderstand euery thing Neuerthelesse if there be not some striking motion to awake him or some strange accident to pricke him forward he remaineth oftentimes as senselesse without shewing any effects of his power and might at all For a horse although he be by nature quicke light and full of life yet if he be not spurred forward well he will neither runne orderly nor yet keepe any pace rightly at all Now the sharpest spurres of the soule are Glory and Loue being the first deuisers of his actions and the chiefest causes of all his enterprises A braue Generall or Commaunder of a field egged forward with desire of glory will with the price of his blood amidst thousand of dangers in despite of all hazards venture to shew a proofe and signe of the brauenes of his minde A witnes wherof is Themisticles who was enuious of the glory of Milliades So likewise a Louer will make shew of a thousand proofes of a gallāt spirit deuising all the best meanes he can to bring himselfe in credit with his Mistresse to the ende he may thereby obtaine the sooner his desire And of such inuentious Iupiter is found to be the first inuenter Warre then and Loue are the two most necessarie spurres for the minde although they are sharpe and violent as a comfortable potion though bitter to heale the sickelie body And when by chaunce the spirit of man is toucht vnto the quicke with these two hot spurres together thē is the time whē we shal see the same to discouer all her perfectiōs worthy qualities at the full For when the valiant champions begin once to loue then doe they become most rare and admirable in their actions as well by their valiantnes to get the good will of their Ladies as also because they lesse esteeme of their liues then they haue done heretofore Of which number were Hercules Troylus Achilles infinities of other more And if the Romane writers speake truely we find not any braue caualier without a Ladie or Mistris This being the occasion that I haue vsed this little preamble before I come vnto my historie which is a mixt discourse both of Mars and Venus For you shall vnderstand that a certaine Duke of Banier had not long since a most faire and vertuous daughter but yet most vnfortunate as most commonly the vertuous are because they being enuied for the same alwaies find a number of enemies to conspire and worke
gaspe in her armes I will now be briefe After the Princesse found Alfonso dead she remembred her plighted vowe vnto him and therefore sought neither venim sword nor ame other extremitie to ende her dayes but hauing sweetely embalmed his carkasse and placing it in a monument of Christall because she might the better behold it she neuer departed from the same vntill that after a certaine time what with hunger sorrow griefe she finished her wearie and loathed life Her fasting and weeping had so chaunged her as her neerest seruants and acquaintance scarce knew her Now had shee no more that sweete face for the beautie of which so many Princes had so often combatted and fought nor were her eyes such as had rauished so manie soules neither was her haire that passing golden haire whose tresses had serued for nets to catch and intrap the Courtliest and greatest hearts that liued And to be briefe she was no more that faire and louely Iustina who indeed had no need of such comely fauour when her onely desire was to die Her face and cheekes were now become pale and yeallow her eyes darke and sunke deepe into her head her haire fowle vnkempt and almost all torne off her breasts drie and leane her armes shrunke and brawnfallen her handes without flesh or whitenesse and finally shee resembled the very portraiture of a Ghost or rather of Death it selfe In this miserie did shee liue some fewe moneths when at the last perceiuing the date of her life to be expired she came vnto the Tombe where taking the embalmed carkasse vp and embracing it in her armes she vsed these pittifull speeches vnto it as followeth O sole remainder of all my good Fortunes O onely chiefe treasure of all my goods O sole pawne furuiuing of my true Loue the onely comfort I haue in these my languishing griefes and the goodly bodie which sometimes reuiued the faire soule inhabiting therein which now liueth in eternall glorie for euer To thee I appeale as the onely thing which I most loue honor and praise praying thee to assist me at mine ende and to beare witnesse with me that I haue kept promise most faithfullie As thou when thou diddest die wert willing that I should not malice or annoy thee at thy death So let not mine I pray thee be any way displeasing vnto thee All whatsoeuer thou diddest craue did I yeeld and accord vnto then blame me not if hauing performed what I protested I come vnto the Heauens to finde thee In thy life time I haue liued for feare to displease but now thou liuest no longer faire and beautifull Coarse and that I haue taken order for thy buryall what thinkest thou should keepe me heere any longer It is reasonable I should die seeing I can now no longer liue and that I goe to make a search for thee most chast soule in what place soeuer thou art Die then sorrowfull Iustina and leauing of to lament change these thy reares thy miseries and cares into this eternall repose where resteth thy husband quietly I haue liued but too too long and my miserable life hath bin too irkesome vnto me It is now more then high time to make an ende thereof and making an ende of my selfe to remoue my selfe vnto him who whilst he liued had commaund ouer my soule Thrise blessed Instina to be quit and rid of these vnspeakable torments to liue in euerlasting quietnes which is the onely hope of the miserable Let vs goe then let vs goe I humbly beseech that great God who as a iust Iudge of the innocencie of our hearts knoweth the secrets of our thoughts to open that sacred gate vnto me which he hath promised vnto his faithfull children This said she kissed the dead coarse of her husband againe giuing charge vnto her Gentlewoman to enterre and burie her body hard by his side that done she layeth her selfe along by the same which she still embraceth and hauing dressed her head and apparelled her selfe for the same purpose she rendied vp her spirit A spirit right meritorious and worthie of eternall glorie Her body according vnto her last will was buried in the selfe same sepulcre which she had caused to be made for her husband before Herewith Coribant held his peace being hindred to speake any more by reason of his teares teares which berest the others of their voyces who without being able to discourse any more one with another for that time departed euery one to their senerall homes so to passe away the darke and gloomie night As they were walking faire and softly onwardsvpon their way Arcas heard one sing this song following Loue fare thouwell liue will I now Quiet amongst the green-wood bow Ill betide him that loue seekes He shall liue but with leane cheekes He that fondly falles in Ioue A slaue still to griefe shall prooue Loue fare thou well liue will I now Quiet amongst the greene-wood bow What an Asse and foole is hee That may serue and will goe free In worlds not a wench so faire But I for my life more care Loue fare thou well liue will I now Quiet amongst the c. I like not these Dames so smooth As would haue men court and lous For as constant I them finde As the Sea is or the winde Loue fare thou well liue c. Once I lou'd one that was kinde But she did what pleasde her minde Better t is nere to be borne Then liue as anothers scorne Loue fare thou well liue well c. Then Loue thee I doe defie I hate thy bad dealing I He is a foole that liues in paine A toy so small for to gaine Loue fare thou well liue will I now Quiet amongst the greene-woodbow After the Shepheard had made an ende of this merrie Sonnet another came vnto them demaunding if some of the companie could expound his Riddle which he proposed in this manner Nor life nor vertue haue I lest I die I borrow of my buried trunke chiefe strength Though I am dead ore time yet triumph I Ore time that cuerie thing consumes at length What 's dead disdained is yet all affoord Me honour and their chiefe preseruers name All men may rightly call me their best Lord Since they Sans me the world cannot maintaine Yet though so much good doth from me proceed These thanklesse worldlings doe not sticke at all To cut me off in Summer with great speed And beate me into little powder small Yet had I rather cruelly thus perish Then liue a longer space for many time The season doth but badly oft me chearish Offering great hurt and wrong to vertue mine This Riddle was interpreted to be corne which being sowne in the earth and seeming dead casteth forth a greene blade and in time groweth to be ripe in despite of all stormes and foule weather whatsoeuer It nourisheth mankind and therefore is honoured of them as a father not forbearing for all that to reape him in Haruest to thresh and grinde
thing commaund Euen so these Shepheards mockt at Loue they scorn'd at his renowne Who chafing at them quickly puld their Peacocks plumes adowne Taking them prisoners in the snares which they for others set Whilst idlely they went to hunt the light-foote Leueret So long they gib'de at him till at the last they bought it deare As did the Muses heretofore when as they amorous were And had him taken fettered fast within a Flowrie line He thinking them to haue embrac't through his great power diuine For Cupid in meane time as one enuious of their glorie Thinking the fairer that he tooke the more his victorie Resolu'd to vanquish them and in his yoake to make them draw And force them prooue against their wills the rigor of his law He at anynch doeth follow them watching most warily As doeth the Hunts-man when his game the wilde Boore he doth spie When they were set along the bankes of some cleare running brooke Or on some little Hillock small or Oake for shade had tooke Or whilst like Fairies they sat downe about some siluer spring Some working and some doing one and some another thing Some tuning their Rebeccas rude and some their Cornets shrill Each one themselues applying to what sport they had most will Whilst in the thickest of the grasse and meadowes coloured greene Their prettie foolish Flocks to daunce to feede and bleat were seene Meane time LOVE watch't with wary heed aduantage for to take To spoyle their pleasures sweet and them his prisoners for to make But he did find that this could not vpon the hast be done To vanquish such as prudent be A Sentence is not effected soone This Fort of Vertue to assault he could not find the feate Sore doubting lest in skirmishing he should repulst be beate Not easily can Loue surprise the double fenced brest Of such a one A Sentence who for his Loue of vertue is possest Where through preuention graue he knew he no good there could finde Whilst mongst chast harts his force was like a little blast of winde In th' end when long he had attempt although it was in vaine He playeth the subtile Spie with craft his purpose to obtaine Thrusting himselfe in middest of this chast and harmles flocke As doth the Wolfe when he doth meane the silly Lamhes to mocke Dauncing within the eyes most faire of fairest Shepheardesse To make himselfe be honored there with lowly humblenesse There doth he take his lodging vp this practise for to prooue And rauisheth thousands of harts most chast with her sweet Lone Meane while vnto the Shepheards all this Shepheardesse doth seeme So faire a Creature as her face immortall they do deeme They her adore within their soules and loue her perfectly They seek to serue her honoring her with zeale religiously But she makes no account of them she thinks her selfe diuine Whilst mortall men for her to loue she scorns as t' were a crime Thus Loue with pride such minds doth fill as with such heat is firde And who with such disdainfull spirits most hauty are inspirde So oft fine coyest Dames A Sentence most proud and insolent become When men they 'le haue to account of them yet mens sights will faun Euen as that Souldier who doth back returne to natiue soyle As victor not a little vaunts and bragges of golden spoyle So with vain-glory A Comparison small is not this angell possest Whose insolencie is such as Heauens themselues the same detest Honor oft-times engendred is of the most perfects thing Each one belieues his owne conceit his passion following Accounts of what is excellent within his proper soule But yet such faults as him disgrace he neuer doth controule He seeth the goodliest gifts he hath A Sentence to be distaind with pride Yet on this vice so palpable to looke he cannot bide This Shepheardesse Sycambra proud was call'd and christned so Whose high aspiring wrought in th' end her finall ouerthrow A faire young Shepheard did her loue her did he lone alone But at her hands poore silly soule contentment found he none For though she knew affection his did towards her surmount Yet she not of his friendship waide nor of him made no count Too too diuine she thought her selfe for any for to loue Loues selfe so high she lookt her will could hardly change or moue Yet by the selfe-same Loue her pride was punisht to her cost And this presumptuous minde of hers was cause her life she lost For now behold LOVE who to 'th Gods for might yeelds not at all Brauely totame proud stubborne hearts that pride might haue a fall Beyond this loftie minded Girle doth soare the prize to haue Whilst to a heart more proud then hers he makes her stoope like slane This was a Springall young who of his youth was in the prime Sanguin as Adon faire as faire Nurcissus in his time As trim and fresh as May whose chiefe delight and exercise Was hunting of the rauenous Wolfe as was his vsuall guise The poysoned darts of restles Loue which loyall hearts doth slay His wonted rest brake not at all by night nor yet by day He neuer dream'd of nor ere knew what those sad waylings means Which gripes the Louers oft with griefs and makes them pule leane He carefull looking to his sheepe his time away did passe In hunting was his chiefest ioy his loue wet fishing was Thus doe you see how Loue reueng'd himselfe on that coye Dame Who ore-presumptuous both his grace and fauour did disdaint Thus hurlie burlie makes he being the sire of leand debate Confounds all orders good and sense and changeth our estate So braue Achilles lou'd yet could not lou'd be of his friend So did Apollo Daphne like but t w'as vnto no end So thousands loued haue who nere could right rewarded be Whilst they true tryall made of Loues most vninst crueltte A Sentence Sycambra she whom others lik'te did loue sâ—â—s being lou'd And seeking others to transforme herselfe transformde she proon'd The louely Swaine which she adorde Armanda â—â—epedso Armanda whom Sycambra sought yet nere could find him the. Of stature he was tall well made of personage and face And in discretion bare himselfe with trim and seemely grace His chestnut haire was like vnto the whitish waters wet Which dangling downe in tresses faire did waue alongst his necke His faultlesse for-head large and broad as outward witnes gane By secret instinct as it were of his stout courage brane His eyes in colour like to blacke with twinckling eye-browes hid The swift flight which from bowe doth flie resemble aptly did His Currall mouth was Rubie red like to the ruddyrose When through the heat of Sunne himselfe he daintily doth close His checks white as the Creame wherein red strawberies one flings His Gate and port like to the state Maiesticall of kings His naked chinne declar'd his youth on which no haire was yet His well-growne armes his valour
know but too too well whose perfect Picture right Is too too liuely portraide forth within mine inward spright T is thou I know but too too well though changd thou art the same I for Sycambra thee will know thou still shalt be my dome T is thou t is thou that diest with sobs and sighes tormented thou Whilst blest thou thinkst thy selfe to leaue a life so deleroâ—â— T is thou that parting from this world this wold is maked left And voyd of pleasure and delight which with thee is bereft Woe is me and must these eyes yet no eyes but streames of brine Liue for to see eclipsed to be so faire a Sun-shine Whose glittring Lampes my chiefest light of yore were wont to bee Without whose glances bright nor day nor morning I could see Alas my God why was I not when that I first was borne Transformd into some stone then thus to be false Cupids scorne Why died I not before the time in loue with thee I fell Since thy plagues vndeserude doe proue my soule a Criminell Why doe I not miscarrie but against my will that liue Through force of this so vmust Laewe the more my soule to grieue Which forceth her to die that doth deserue to liue for are Whilst wretched me who merrit death it will not take away Ah too too partiall lawlesse law of miserable Loue Accursed be that day wherein thou first this life didst proue O Gods dart downe your thunder bolts vpon my hatefull head Plague me not her t is I not she that should be punished This trunke of mine vnprofitable of vitall breath bereane Since that mischieuous Loue doth me in my best loue deceiue Ding downe to hell this coarse of mine this wicked periur'd carse Consuming it to powder small by flashing lightnings force Kill Zerphir kill that by oue death he end may all his wee And with the same rid all his plagues that in him daily growe But fairest Faire must thou needs die O losse inestimable No no thou canst not die for death to kill thee is not able Thy glory mongst both Gods and men shall neuer haue an end Despite of Destny Vertue this from Tombe shall still defend Within the hearts of liuing men shall be thy lasting graue And as another Pallas thou shalt reuerence of them haue Thy soule hath heretofore too rich and royall tired beene Thy beautie eke too sacred and thy Faith too constant seene Then as base seruile Bond-slanes poore tide vnto Vassalage Subiect to be or homage yeeld to deaths ore hastie rage No louely Ladie thou shalt liue and Zerphir he shall die Because he came not as he should to helpe thee speedily Zerphir must die who by his death atrue certificate Shall shew how through the want of thee that be to liue doth hate Zerphir must die because he cannot after thee seruine Nor without thy sweet companie delight to be aliue Zerphir must die because depriude he is of thy sweet face And therefore meanes by selfe same steps the selfe same path to trace Yet my soules ioy if of my griefe if truth that nere did swarue The smallest sparke of fauour left did ere of thee deserue If my deare blood to beautie thine which willing I afford As sacrifice for to be shed merrits of thee one word Ah then looke vpon Zerphir thine these sighes and sobs restaine And fore he dieth vouchsafe to speake to him a word or twaine This is the onely boone I craue to which but condiscend And most contented then below to th' other Ghostsile wend. But I perceiue thou wilt not grant this fute cruell to me I cannot this small grace obtaine I finde it will not be Why then le ts brauely hence depart le ts die her face before And lets before her seeke to gaine the 〈◊〉 Elizian shore So saying he full oft farewell Sycumbra did rehearce Which done his sword he plact against his brest the same to pearce When as Sycambra wakt as t' were from forth her passions sad To see Zerphir arriued there by her was much aâ—rad But more she troubled was when she percou'd how in that place He as one desperate would haue slaine himselfe before her face This forced her pittiously to looke towards him and with her hand To make a signe as though she would grannt what he did demand Beckning to him to throw his blade from him which he ore bolde Had drawne to sley himselfe whilst she her meaning would vnfolde To which the Shepheard willing greede approaching to her nie Longing to heare what she would say resolude with her to die He comforts her he cheareth her he praieth her leaue her mone Whilst she with much adoe these words her last will forth doth grone Zerphir if I haue iniurde thee as needs I must confesse Yet more reuenge then what is light on me thou needs not presse If heretofore my beautie proud hath oft abused thee The heauens to punish that foule fault thou now dost iustly see I feele and that but rightfully the very selfe same griefe That thou endur'st to liue disdaind daining Sanus reliefe I die Zerphir I die in paine because as thou I loue Then with my death contented be since I this penance proue Now I coniure thee if thou feelst the tortors and the plagues Allotted vnto Louers true which neuer cease to rage If thou dost know that sdainfull power of Cupids matchlesse force Which makes vs often count of such as yeeld vs no remorse And such as much doe make of vs as barborous and vngrate To scorne their sutes and for their Loue them to repaie with hate Then Zerphir pardon I beseech since I haue made thee smart Thou seest although not by thy meanes enough reuengde thou art That eye which once did thee contemne with ouer-haughtie scorne Death to requite thy wrongs on it and vpon me hath sworne Sycambra dieth plungd in woe and none doth her deplore Her countenance and complexion both are chaunged ouer sore Her face is blooalesse and heate doth keepe within her vaines Her armes are brawne-falne in her cheekes no colour now remaines She dyeth she dieth desirous more to die then for to liue Onely that thee she could not helpe nor succour she doth grieue Ah Zerphir if to thinke on me no anguish thee t will bring If for thy ouer cruell Dame it moues thee any thing And if that Loue of late so hot be not as yet growne colde But as a valiant conquerour thy heart doth prisoner holde If yet affection thou bearst her who neuer thee affected And that all pittie thou hast not from pittying her reiected Then humblie I doe thee beseech by that rare former Loue That these thy griefes right bottomlesse compassion kinde may mone And that this thy compassion sweet for me may so preuaile As thou to graunt one sute to her vouchsafe not for to faile And this it is I beg of thee that after th'Iron sleepe Of death shall cease vpon my
because of this small grace I obtained at my Mistris hand beganne to perswade my selfe of things that neither might nor could well be brought to passe A small matter maketh Louers to hope or feare I now tooke vpon mee to make this Dittie following which as sweetely as I could I sung before my Ladie Heare it then though vnworthie it be of your patience LADIE how much doe I respect and loue Your beautie rare which doeth my heart controule When lest that you to anger I should moue I bite my tongue and silent am in soule Ore me you haue still such a hand As none but you may me command I rather chuse a thousnd times to die Without offending your most heauenly face Then like to Dedals sonne fall foolishly And so through rashnes end my youthfull race Borne was I for to be your slane My seruice you alone shall haue If I of you such reuerent regard Haue as to you I dare not tell my griefe Ah then but gesse my Crosses ouer hard By these my teares I bide without reliefe Thinke that as others I doe mourne The fire kept close more hote doeth burne Before to you my cares I will bewray I le perish as your loyall seruant true Death cannot be so grieuous any way As for to be offensiue vnto you So you be not displeasd by me The losse of life no losse shall be A double burning burthen I doe beare My selfe consuming with a two-fold woe First for because I loue and hold you deare And next because I dare not tell you so A pittious paine that to conceale Which most we couet to reueale The Law doth men sometimes compell and make All that they know not to disclose or tell But LOVE all speech away from vs doth take Which is a plague as bad as second Hell We must not for our selues once speake Whilst silence makes our hearts to breake But though my tongue most secretly this ill Doth keepe my pittious eyes yet shew the same Thus whilst I loyall do contiuue still I counted am a coward to my shame Because that I am ouer kinde I am condemn'd of abiect minde To reape for louing true a mortall wound I holde is as a sacred thing diuine And so I rather wish dead to be found Then a deniall should cause ruine mine What neede I then my griefes her show When what I would faire shee doth know I le rather flie to Heauen with swiftest wing Then that mine earnest sute my Dame should grieueâ— To speake too much A Sentence much danger oft doth bring When warie silence nere doth blame receiue Of Gods we learne secret to bee Little to say and much to see Then Dearest since thou art not ignorant Of my hard state rue on my pittious plight Which though in colours forth I do not paint Yet they in conscience merit fauour right Who serueth well A Sentence though he not crauing stand Yet doth his good deserts enough demand After I had sighed forth this amorous Dittie it pleased my Ladie to allow it for passable and currant shee doing mee the honor to sing it her selfe now and then vnto the sweete sound of her daintie Lute But O thrice happie Song to haue bene thought worthie for to liue in the sacred memorie of my Mistrisse and to be warbled forth with her sweet melodious voyce This reuerend and graue Sire was the beginning and first progresse of my chaste Loue which made me so carefull as I could take no rest in somuch as like one ouer-curious I would needs know the euent of the same and therevpon one day I addressed me vnto an Ecco of whom I demanded many things which shee resolued me of suddainly But yet her answere was so fatall and heauie vnto mee as it not a little irketh me to repeate it Neuerthelesse because I will hide nothing of my proceedings from you listen if you please For thus it was ECCO Harke Goddesse of these Woods vnto my neuer ceaslesse cries Who here most blessedly dost liue exempt from vanities Thou Goddesse which through knowledge thine of prudent fore-seeing Fate Doest know our endes and deaths and of our liues the course and state Goddesse of heauenly Nature right to whom Ioue doeth reueale Great secerets of importance and nought from thee doth conceale Thou that of vs according to thy owne will doest dispose Thou which one while doest make vs liue in ioy and then in woes To thee to thee doe I appeale To answere me then come Whose voyce seemes for to flie from out a hollow ghastly Tombe Who shall relieue my woes and breathe into me vit all breath Into my soule ore-chargde with griefe and ouerwhelmde with death ECCO Death In what estat shall Loue which cuts my wings of thoughts ore-glad Finde my poore minde which when it left it left it ouer sad ECCO Ouer-sad What with my heart once strong as steele gainst griefes shall then be done Since hardly it was made to yeeld shall it be ouercome ECCO Ouercome After so many wearie toyles where-through I needs must perish What will my Lady count of this my too too deare bought seruice ECCO Vice But shall I from this wretched state whilst I doe liue be free Or shall I still vnto her will as seruile Bond-slaue bee ECCO Bond-slaue bee Ah say what good at length shall I find in this my cold damage What new come nouell Accident shall set a fire my courage ECCO Courage Shall Rage and Furie then within my bones vnconstant burne And for to quench this flaming fire to me shall none returne ECCO None returne Who is the cause of this my griefe and of mine vsuall paine Since I haue alwaies honoured the great Palladian ECCO Palladian Why sencelesse find I sences mine from Reason thus to mone Who workes this vncoth feare in me Say is it cruell Loue ECCO Cruell Loue. And is it cruell to one that is the authour of my griefe The greatest of Gods that will mongst God be honoured first and chiefe ECCO First and chiefe Shall I then be vnfortunate starre-crossed in my will And without succour succourlesse must I continue still ECCO Continue still Ah Arcas miserable wretch behold now here the life Which thou must lead whilst thou dost liue begirt with sorrow rife Chuse rather death then thus to liue in endlesse miserie By dying all thy griefes doe end they woes and anguish die Seeke in this vncoth Desart sad some kind of gentle death Who 's plungd in paine should nere desire to draw his vitall breath A Sentence One plague's as bad as is some death one death ends torments all Then death not life I le chuse and take of euills what is most small This was the pittilesse answere of cruell Ecco which made me bedeawe my cheekes many times with brinish teares and to wish my selfe to be as lowe vnder the ground as I was high vpon the earth whilest I consumed peecemeale away in most wofull
soft ease and safe pleasures to runne desperately to winne Honour passing through many thousand Pikes and wading through infinite dangers and perills with great labour and paine before they could attaine vnto the place where it was seated So the prudent Prince of Ithaca left his constant wife to follow the long and tedious tenne yeares siege of Troy And so the great Gueslin high Constable of France left his Spouse to venture for that glorie in the middest of wonderfull daungers which made him famous for euer An example And so our renowmed Portuguise although hee held nothing so precious nor so religious in the whole world as he did to liue with his sweete Izabella whose companie was his Paradice and whose presence his heauen heere vpon earth Yet would he needes leaue all this felicitie and happinesse to endure in steelie Armour the brunts of bloodie Warre and whole worlds of Trauailes and painfull labours to the ende hee might winne Honour which Noble and Heroicall mindes hunt after so much And which many times they dearely buy with the losse of their most precious liues Hee therefore resolued to depart although not without exceeding great griefe to leaue his faire and beautious Spouse and the rather because hee hoped to attaine vnto more Honour through his worthy demeanure and braue carriage hee hauing excellent meanes as now to shewe afresh some fruites of his former towardnesse and forwardnesse in his Princes seruice in the Warres by reason of that great and worthie Commaund which was bestowed vpon him He thought that who alwayes should liue drowned in pleasures resembled the Companions of Vlisses changed into Swine and that nothing was well gotten but what was purchaste with the hazard of a mans life Wherevpon with manie sighes with many bitter teares and sorrowfull laments hee taketh leaue of his dolefull wife For commonly we are admonished by GOD through some secret knowledge when some mischaunce is comming towards vs which wee can no way auoyde So that the woefull Ladie Izabella foreseeing as it were beforehand the mischiefe that was like to light vppon her did nothing else but powre forth whole showres of teares hauing not the power to let her Husband loose from out of her armes The winding Vine neuer held the Hasell or Filberd more intangled within her leaues A Similie nor the greene Iuy neuer cleaued so fast vnto the olde stonie wall as this young Ladie clung about her heauie Spouse whome LOVE whilest sought by violence to hold still sterne HONOVE plucked him from thence by maine force carrying him away with him Hee was ordainde for further ill to goe his way Nor doth the life of Man A Sentence stand alwayes as one stay His wife prayeth desireth and coniureth him to breake his voyage to giue ouer his enterprise and to continue still with her teling him that shee had as yet but onely tasted the blessed pleasures which chaste wedlocke acquainteth faithfull Louers withall without hauing had the lawfull fruition of those sweete contentments which she so much desired But shee pleaded in vaine and to no ende her Husband was deafe and would not yeelde vnto her demaund Honour dryed vp her teares making them to be of no force whilst glorie was the hatchet that cut off her precious speeches and desire of praise the fire which consumed her most passionate prayers And therefore though passing loth hee taketh his leaue and departeth carrying away with him the wounded heart of his louely Spouse in exchaunge of which he leaueth hauie mournings and sadde laments which followed her euen vnto her verie graue Horatio beeing now arriued at Ansillies followeth his businesse most fortunately Mars chasing away Cupid cruell warres gentle Loue and hautie ambition the sweete remembrance of his wife It is a common fashion of manie men to follow a thing most earnestly and eagerlie and then presently and vpon the suddaine when they haue gotten it A Sentence they giue it ouer nor caring a whit for the same any more Resembling heerein the way-faring man who a far off seeketh a fountaine or spring to staunch his thirst and hauing freed himselfe of his drinesse maketh no more account of the water nor would stirre one foote to finde it againe But this was not all For the Heauens aboue abounding in good or bad Fortunes rayne not one downe alone but many other all together and at one time and we see for the most part that one mischiefe neuer commeth but that there falleth another vpon the necke of the same For so it was that Horatio beeing farre off from his deare Spouse and depriued of her company by reason of the warres wherein he was so much busied chaunced to become amorous of the faire Prisoner hee had of late taken in a Battaile as I haue saide before yea and so much doth he doate of her that as the flaming Torche darkneth the light of the candle so likewise this loue quenthed the loue hee had before borne vnto his wife O vngodly Husbands which so wickedly falsifie your faiths vnto your lawfull and louing bedfellowes deceiuing them so shamefully vnto your owne shames Against had Husbands Haue euer any of you liued without being punished of the Almighty for your hainous faults Was not Paris the ouerthrow and breake-necke of all his House and Countrey for defiling the bed of Menelaus and reiecting his betrothed wife Enone Came not Iason to a miserable ende being depriued of his Children of his Wife and his Pallace for abandoning Medea and for taking another false wife And did not Theseus staine his hands in the chaste and pure blood of his owne sonne Hippolitus for giuing ouer his deare Spouse Ariadne Examples of bad Husbands to the ende he might satifie his lust with Phoedra And so was Horatio well plagued for his licentious pleasures For God most iustly punished him defacing his former glorie weakning his vertue ruinating his credit and vtterly ouerthrowing his vallour So long since Salomon through Harlots lost his diuine wisedome they forcing him to become an enemie vnto God So the strumpet Dalila was the cause of the death of Sampson the stout And so haue many other braue and great personages bene vtterly ouerthrowne by this inticing Sexe and seuerely chastised by God as hee did our great Commaunder of Ansillies who was so besotted of his slaue as hee liued not but onely by her lookes Her eyes was his bright Sunne he none desirde but her She onely faire was her aboue none else he did prefer A strange thing that many times these foolish and wicked Amours should be more hot and liuely then such as be lawfull and chasse The reason being either because they are forbidden by the Law man commonly louing that which he is prohibited to doe or because they are as it were stolen or enioy de but seldome keeping such Louers in a perpetuall appetite and desire As those who rise from the table their bellies halfe filled come to
their dyet with better stomack then such as are ouer-satisfied glutted before Or else it is as I thinke for that the diuell is in these leaude liuers who more and more enticeth and prouoketh them to follow this sinne from which they can neuer without the great grace of OOD retire nor withdraw themselues vntill such time as vtter ruine and destruction falleth vpon their heads But now Horatio began to loose his wonted reputation and credit euery one speaking ill of him for his new Minion which he had gotten hee being then as infamous for his bad life as he was before renowmed for his worthy vertues yet was he so shamelesse and so impudent that he would stoppe his eares vnto such as sought to giue him good counsell and aduise making a shewe as if he knewe no such matter and that all was well whilst he was so bewitched with this raging and incestious Hellena as he could not be quiet nor rest any where except this notorious Curtezan were by him insomuch as hee carried her with him into the Warres wheresoeuer he went which shee made earnest shewe to desire faining that she loued him so dearely as she could not liue without his companie when the truth was shee sought all the wayes that might be to be with her former Husband againe and to be reuenged of Horatio who kept her sore against her will Such foolish women doing much like vnto Lice or Fleas which leaue a dead coarse presently assoone as they finde whereon no more to bite and so these kinde of common ware neuer loue but for their owne commoditie or profit No more then the common Queanes who sent packing away the prodigall Childe without as much as one crosse or pennie in his purse to blesse him withall Now whilst our Gouernour of Ansillses liued thus licentiouslie the chaste Izabella chanced to heare how badly her periurde Husband had vsed her how ill he had demeaned himselfe toward her she vnderstandeth of his follies and hath knowledge of his ouer-lustfull and raging fault O how cruell is the wound that one receiueth of his friend and how grieuouslie doe we take an iniurie of those whom we account and holde as chiefe defenders of our wellfare and our good reputing them as our best friends To receiue a wrong of a foe is an vsuall matter but to be abused by ones deare friend doth gall the very heart Too true doth this poore Ladie finde the same who hearing of these vnwelcome newes thought presently as gallant spirited Portia to giue ouer her life Diuers conceits ranne in her troubled braine whilst shee is vexed and tormented with rage and disdaine with griefe and iealousie One while she thinketh to die and then chaunging that aduice she determineth to reuenge her selfe of her vnconstant Husband but she bare him so loyall an affection and loued him so dearely that this also was quickly out of her minde Now shee resolueth and determineth to commit her selfe vnto the mercie of the Seas and windes and to saile to seeke him out at Ansillies to complaine iustlie of him there to reprehend him for his fault and to be obiect vnto him in his vicious kinde of life But disdaine quicklie altered that deuise thinking with her selfe that in so doing shee should too much abase her selfe to venture and indaunger her selfe so much for a most leaude and vile licentious Palliard hee no way deseruing so charitable an exployt at her hands Manie times did she send vnto him and often did she write one while sharply another while sweetly but all was one with him for neuer would he vouchsafe her any answere by Letter or by word of mouth Onely hee would Iest and gibe at her messengers and messages whilst being inchaunted with the vnhonest loue of his enemie he studied how he might satisfie and content her alone which his last bad vsage grieued her more then the rest enforcing her to beginne to lament afresh Ah said she how iustly am I punished for mine owne error Who will bemoane him that would not be warned by the harmes of his neighbour What reasonable excuse can that man alledge for himselfe that falleth into the selfe-same pit into which hee hath seene him fallen that hath gone before him How many wretched Ladies like vnto my selfe most vngodlie abandoned and cast off by their wicked Husbands might I haue had for examples not to beleeue these flattering men Shall I come and complaine vnto thee wofull Ariadne Alacke I dare not Shall I make my mone vnto thee haplesse Enone No no I must not seeing the least of your misfortunes had bene enough to haue made me wise O iust God reuenger of all Oathes broken that so cruelly diddest punish Laomedon for infringing his promise Canst thou suffer the most periured wretch in the world to liue and to scape scotfree Am I so cruelly destined that he must follow me with thousand torches of griefe vnto my Tombe who should haue hene in right vnto me as the comfortable Sunne-shine of my life O faithlesse Husband how quickly hast thou trod vnder thy feete thy faire promises And how little a while hath lasted the care of loyall Loue betwixt vs And now thou hast so miserablie deceiued mee What canst thou haue of mee more then my death which I know thou wouldest be wonderfull glad of to the end I might not vrge thy guiltie conscience for this so foule a fact against me And certainly were it not for this I would most willingly die but to the ende I may somwhat vexe and reuenge my selfe of thee I will although vnwillingly liue a little longer knowing nothing can be more greeuous or vnwelcome vnto thee then my companie and presence Yea I will come before thee face to face and vpbraide thee for thy fault euen vnto thy teeth I will pull out those shamelesse eyes of that impudent Strumpet who keepeth vniustlie that from me which is mine owne and whome thou preferrest before thy lawfull and chaste spouse That done I will hasten the heauens to shorten my life I will make my daily prayers that I may die quickly The foming waues therefore shall not hinder mee of my iourney the colde Seas shall not freeze the hote desire I haue to see thee neither the feare of the rising billowes shall let me from comming vnto thee I being not able any longer to liue vnlesse I may come to put thee in mind of thy fault not doubting but the raging waters will be more kinde vnto me then thou art at lest-wise I meane to trie them by reason of the small ioy I haue of my life which I neither esteeme nor make account of at all Thus lamrnted this comfortlesse Ladie whome Loue and Iealousie egged forwards to goe onwards with her iourney No perill to giue ore her purpose can her make So little care shee of her loathed life doth take Often is it seene that such desperate persons as are wearie of their liues An example scape the
meane while by reason of that litle space of time I haue to breath thou wilt doe me the fauour to embrace me kindly if it shall please thee to thinke me worthie of such a kindnes this being the last request and latest fauour I shall craue at thy hands Ah let me kisse those faire cheekes which were sometimes mine and those sweet sparkling eyes which had not the blacke foulnes of my fault dimmed them they had still stood me in steed of two glorious Sunnie lights Although I cannot denie but thus to die in thy armes doth much lighten and ease me of my torments I endure within my minde yet had it pleased God to haue but giuen me the grace to haue suruiued but some fewe yeares that I might haue made some amends vnto my faithfull Spouse whom I haue so wickedly abused I then would haue thought my selfe to haue bene the happiest creature vnder the heauens Thinke deare heart that I make no account neither care any thing at all to die but onely for this cause and for that I shall be forced to leaue thee a Widow whom I loue more then my owne soule Iust and great reason hast thou to complaine and find fault with me and farre vnworthie am I that thou shouldest shed these salt teares for my sake For why shouldest thou waile his death who hath bene thy chiefe aduersarie why doest thou sorrow for the losse of thy mortall enemie and lamentest thou the death of him who sought thy vtter ouerthrow Drie vp these teares for I desire them not Leaue these thy sighes for I not merit them and giue ouer these thy bitter wailings for I am no way worthie of them Onely pardon me close vp these my dying eyes when they shall lèaue their wonted light which done if it shall please thee to honour this miserable carkasse of mine with thy presence vnto my Tombe and now and then to thinke on me although thou hast small reason so to doe then then I say shall I be euery way contented and satisfied vnto the full Weepe not I pray thee then for me who descrues no teares at thy hands but rather ill thoughts for otherwise I shall sustaine a double death thy sorrow being nigher setled vnto my heart then my deperture hence can be any way dolefull vnto me So saying the fainting knight kisseth his wife wiping her blubbered eyes and embracing her as straitly as the Iuie doth the wall If the poore Ladie could not answere him it was no great wonder when as those that were but spectators in this heauie sight although they felt not as much as she yet were they mouelesse and much amazed for verie pure pittie In the end the disconsolate Izabella began to recouer her speech answering him in this sort Cruell and hard-harted husband let my pittifull paine my easelesse griefes and my insupportable sorrowes satisfie thee without gaulling me any further with this word pardon vnto her who neuer desired to liue but to doe thee seruice Ah deare Horatio thinkest thou I can liue after thy departure hence and that I can ioy in this world being bereaued of thy companie Whilest thou did dest liue I was thine by the lawes of marriage and when thou art dead I will be thine also resolued to follow thee wheresoeuer thou goest thinking my selfe happie that I am so luckily come as to die with thee Then if I may or thou wouldest haue me to giue any credit vnto thy speeches then in requitall of them all let me againe intreate thee this one thing which is that I may leaue this world with thee But why should I aske leaue of thee when I am at libertie my selfe to dispose of my life as I shall thinke good of and when with ending of one life I may rid my selfe of a lingring death which doth continually haunt me Thankes therefore to thee kind Thethis who didst driue my shippe into this Port where I may passe to heauen with him who was the onely life and maintainer of my life and who being dead I can no longer remaine allue Pittilesse husband to debarre me from my teares whē as I see my countrie depriued of a braue defender of his libertie and find my selfe forsaken of the onely loyall and most louing friend I had here vpon this earth No no I will weepe and shed teares as long as any drop of moysture shall remaine within this bodie for should I not waile for thee for whom then should I reserue these teares Whose losse should I lament but thine and for whom should I take thought or care for but for thine owne sweet selfe who was so neare to mee as thou who so deare as thy selfe and who is to haue interest in mee but my best and sweetest Horatio Then hinder not her from lamenting who liueth onely to shead teares and doe not enure the happines she findeth in that she hath time to bewaile her vnhappie Fortunes How wide is my best Lord from mine intention and meaning and how slenderly doth he conceit of my loue towards him when hee imagineth that although I see him dye yet should not I waile and that his death and destruction should not be the ende and date of my life this beeing the least thing that I can doe for him the least dutie that I doe owe vnto him and the smallest testimony of my great affection which I haue euer borne him Gush forth then my brinish teares and streame downe along my pale cheekes washing away the bloud of my wounded Spouse mingling your selues together as my soule hath alwayes bene with his most perfectly mixed and conioyned the one with the other My dearest Lord if euer thou hast thought well of mee speake neuer more of this word pardon it becommeth me to intreate rather then you I hauing bene shee that hath so often offended you let vs forgiue forget all vnkindnesses whatsoeuer that our soules as most loyall friends may die and liue together in eternall felicitie for euer O how like an Angell replyed Horatio doth my Izabella speake and how pleasing doth shee cause my death to be vnto mee would she but promise to suruiue and liue after my death For sweet Lady it is thy sorrows and not my death that shortens my lifes and I die not for griefe but for sorrow to see thee lament for my cause Wilt thou die and doest not descrue death No it is I that haue offended and therfore merit to be punished for my fault Liue thou happilie still and safely returne thou home into thy Countrey againe where thou shalt not want new husbands who will deserue at thy handes far better then I haue done had I not so much forgot my selfe towards thee as I confesse I haue my ioyes had bene at the highest and I had departed hence the happiest man aliue But now mine houre approcheth I feele death ready to arrest mee with his yron mace my heart fainteth and my soule beginneth to flie from
you go about to keep me from him whither I will or no. Nor was she deceiued of her purpose though thrise happie in that it pleased God to call her himselfe from out this vale of miserie and so by that meanes to saue her soule For no sooner was shee hindered of her intent but what for anger thereof and what for extreame griefe for Horatios death she fell into a dangerous and hote burning Feuer which so violently seazed vpon euery part of her as her weake bodie being not able to endure the fierie raging thereof shee yeelded her tormented carkas vnto death within sixe dayes after At what time shee was freed from all her former troubles and after her death she was according vnto her desire enterred with her husband leauing behinde her many commendations for her matchlesse vertues her losse being lamented of cuerie good bodie as was fufficiently showne by the pittifull laments that were euerie where vsed for her sake because of the rare examples of chastitie of patience of modest demeanure of loue and of loy altie which she carryed towards her vngratefull and vnkind Husband And this Shepheard is the historie I meant to report vnto thee but because that Diana looking palish with her siluer hornes meaneth to runne her course entering into the place of her glistering brother the Sunne wee will for this time vntill to morrow morning withdraw our selues vnto our Cortages and then as earlie as thou wilt shalt thou begin the discourse of thy Loue againe Wherevpon the olde man and Arcas began to retire themselues homewards and by the way they encountered a faire Shepheardesse who proposed a Riddle vnto another desiring him to interpret the same rightly And this was it that followeth For others good and profit I outragious still Consume what doth my proper vigor entertaine And though my burning is not vnto anie ill Where I should prais de be they vngras of all me doe name Father of liuing Creatures all I am renoumde And Lord I am ouer the Time on earth that staies Yet doth a little thing dant mee and me confound And of a Conquerour conquered forceth mee strait-waies But in the end although that I am plagued thus Through succour of the windes when all thinke I am dead I rise againe to men of times most dangerous And through my harmefull rage I fill them full of dread My mother I deuour whilst I a straunger nonrish For ill I good doe to my spightfull enemies Iudge then since Serpents in my bosome I doe cherish If I ore wretched am not in most pittious wise The other Shepheard knew not the meaning of this Riddle which the old man interpreted in this sort Your Emgma faire Shepherdesse signifieth the fire which being for the vse of man to warme him consumeth deuoureth the wood it being his mother and nourisher It is counted the Father of all liuing Creatures who without heat cannot liue Although he is of great force yet doth a very small thing vanquish him which is water Neuerthelesse when he sheweth to be dead a little blast of winde maketh him to burne more furious then before He doth good to such as count and call him vngratefull in warming them with his heate and deuoureth his mother which is the reason he tearmeth himselfe to be most miserable and wretched This solution euery one commended when as they were walking homewards one of the Shepheards sung this Ode following To Louers what good doth the Sunne If by his beames they be vndone LOVE' 's as bitter as is Rue Blest are such as nere is knew He is accurst that comes tot'h Sea Once were and in port waist haue ease To Louers what good doth their Sunne If by his beames they are vndone A fend Louer doth not â—â—ril Name nor fame of mant inberit Since he is fee to his owne health Whilst in fire he burnes himselfe To Louers what good doth their Sâ—â—â—e If by his beames they be vndone Griefe 〈◊〉 Loue tendeth nis Pleasure is his 〈…〉 Better laugh then wade and sigh Who then Loues not his owne life To Louers what good deth If by his beames Without teares no Louer is Nor his sad laments doth â—isse Better farre to liue at ease Then to seeke a shrowe to please To Louers what good If by his beames Wretched then be such as loue I le liue free nor it will proue For who 'le count of him that still Like set his wees nourish will To Louers what good doth the Sâ—â—â—e If by his beames he be vndone This Ode being sung euerie owne departed vntill the returne of mestfull Aurera leauing the Sister of Apollo to runne out her darke and gloomie course The end of the second daies meeting of Iuliettaes Shepheards THE THIRD DAIES MEETING OF IVLIETTAES SHEPHEARDS NO distance of place can hinder kind amitie no change of aire altar firme affection neither can the separation of that which is loued diuide or keepe backe the Louer from his sweet Mistris Too true noble Phillistell doest thou know this to be thou being so farre off from thy faire and sacred Iulietta and yet neuerthelesse thou liuest in her and still dreamest of her beautie whilest louing her although she be absent thou canst not forget her for that she holdeth thy heart with her as in a close prison thou in the meane time feeling and by thine owne experience finding how cruell vnto a loyall Louer the absence of his beautious Ladie is the fish not more desiring to haue water for his nourishment then he doth couet her companie it being the chiefe foode of his soule O how tedious and irkesome vnto him who attendeth and expecteth the breake of day to come hauing some great matter of importance to dispatch is the long seeming course of the vnwelcome night In all which time he is not able to take any rest looking still with open eyes to spie the rising of the faire Sunne which he ioyfully marketh at his first appearing to warme the little hills to melt the soft snow to glister and shine vpon the earth and with a solemne pace to mount vp and to settle himselfe in his glorious chariot riding in progresse through the huge giring Vault of heauen he seeth him brauely to chase away the sparkling Starres as the Conquerour doth his enemies that he hath vanquisht and beholdeth the sad and sable night to flie from his cheerfull face as the timerous thiefe doth the seuere Iudges presence whilest he listeneth vnto the melodie of thousands of pretie Birds which solemnize and celebrate in their warbling notes the arriuall of the prudent Sire of proud Phaeton Poore Philistell how often hast thou counted short daies for long yeares after that malitious Fortune had sequestred thee from the companie of thy Ladie and how many times didst thou dreame in the night that thou sawest her deuising and talking with thee in the same manner as she was wont to doe when those happie Desarts of Arcadia were true witnesses
Phisitions for afflicted cōsciēces feared as the punishers of enormities abuses saluted as the Superiours or Elders of the Church redoubted as the I rophets of the sacred Scripture proclaimed as Herolds of the pure and sincere veritie and truth it selfe The auncient Emperours disdained not to be chosen by them in their Empire and Gregorie surnamed the Great named and appointed the seuen Romane Electors the seuen Romane Electors I say againe who oftentimes deposeth such Emperours as before they had chosen when they were found guiltie of some notorious and detestable crime But now alas what shall I say vnto you poore miserable contemptible and despised Ecclesiasticall Pastors In steed of honouring you you are now iniured in steed of louing you you are hated and loathed in steed of saluting you you are abused in steed of respecting you you are disdained and contemned in steed of giuing vnto you most that you haue is taken from you miserable are you your selues and most wretched your calling since you are abused through so many grose indignities and yet for all this the euerlasting sonne of the heauenly Father found not a dignitie more godly and more worthie then that of Priest-hood according vnto the order of Melchicedecke he was the first High Priest whose successours were the Apostles of whom at this day are the reuerend Pastors and Preachers of the word the true and lawfull followers But comfort your selues Religious and godly Diuines for thrise blessed are all those that suffer trouble and persecution in their bodies for the name of Iesus Christ-Glorie is the daughter of trauaile and paine as enuie is the infant of glorie and onely by trouble and paine haue the Saints beaten the way for vs to mount to heauen But as such as thinke so meanely of Religion and of the Prelates thereof are themselues to be as meanely accounted of euen so highly are such to be esteemed that haue giuen them there due and rightly honoured them And such a one was Theodosius that famous Emperour sarnamed the Great who sought all the meanes he could to haue the fauour good will of S. Ambrose when he had excōminicated him yeelding vnto his will and fearing greatly his displeasures and not long after he being threatned by a certaine Hermit with the like punishmēt he sent for all the Bishops there-abouts to know of them whether he might be interdicted the Church and all godly companie by so poore a creature as he was standing mightily in awe of the same And therefore ye worthie learned and religious Diuines whatsoeuer disgraces are offered vnto you and howsoeuer you are most iniuriously handled or most contemptuously made account of yet be not you troubled thereat but follow your graue and vertuous calling you being appointed and chosen by God himselfe to be the dispensers the celebraters of his blessed Sacraments and the blasoning Herolds of his eternall and euerlaistng word lawfull Successours in his diuine function and great and mightie by reason of your more then worthie dignitie But behold where the old man commeth vnto whom I must make intercession in the behalfe of these wretched Pirates so strangely metamorphosed by him To him will I pleade with all humble modestie lest growing in chollor with me he vse me as hardly as he hath done them and the rather because not long since I somewhat angred him Herewithall the Knight comming vnto him saluted him with great curtesie in this manner Learned and respectiue Father God prosper thy yeares prolong thy life multiplie thy daies conserue and keepe thee still in health Let me intreate thee a while to stay and a little to rest thy selfe in this place whilest I shall be bolde to deliuer a fewe words vnto thee The Gods sometimes lend their cares vnto mortall men neither doe they disdaine to heare them as thou makest shew me thinkes as if thou art loth to listen vnto mine Stay then reuerend old man and giue not iust cause vnto me that I may conceiue any vnkindnes through this thy harsh and hard deniall Nothing is of smaller account then the speech of man who so yeeldeth not vnto that will yeeld vnto nothing The old man seeing himselfe to be held by the hand and vrged so hardly as it were somewhat in choller replied thus Palmer thou art too troublesome and importunate let me goe I would wish thee hinder me no longer from the seruice of the Gods about which I am now going lest thou force me to doe that which I would not be willing for what thou wouldest haue I know alreadie before thou speakest Thy request is not lawfull inasmuch as Iustice should be wronged and rightly might she complaine of me if I should yeeld vnto thy demand giue ouer then thy vaine sute for no bodie is bound to doe what is ill and vniust at the request of another because we ought to make more account of Iustice then of all the world besides and for that no amitie or affection is to be preferred before a reasonable and righfull matter Heare me therefore and disquiet not my minde which is now busied about heauenly things and thinke I loue thee well to let thee goe seotfree when thou shalt vrge me with such an vnreasonable motion as this for Iustice punisheth as well those that seeme to allow of euill as those that doe commit euill themselues Pardon me graue sir answered the knight there is no man liuing that lesse alloweth of euill then I doe which I hate loath and despise but I cannot chuse but I must needs loue pittie and mercie for as we are all men so are we bound one to helpe another the bruite beastes themselues doing the like through the verie instinct of Nature Compassion ought to be preferred before all other respects because a fault that is done may be amended and become a vertue but a man once dead for want of pittie neuer riseth againe and his losse is vnrecouerable and can neuer be repaired againe Mercie hath alwaies gotten the vpper hand of rigour and fiercenes and the pittifull man doth deserue more then the iust whereof Cosar shall serue me for a witnesse who affirmed that the fruites of his victories was the pardon he daily gaue vnto thousands of his enemies assoone as they sought his fauour What nourisheth the societie and companie of men What maintaineth their liues and what increaseth their health and quietnes but milde pittie If there were none but hungrie wolfes or greedie Lyons how then should the world endure and how could men be sure to enioy their liues in safetie Ah if our most louing God should be found as thou art without mercie what hope should we haue to enioy eternall glorie but rather looke euerie houre when we should be swallowed vp into the bottomlesse gulfe of hell Change then this thy too too obdurate resolution The exceeding great curtesies that Alexander vsed vnto the Persian Kings daughters and wife was the cause that Darius prayed the
findeth in louing a diuine beautie easilie recompenceth the paines thereof for that man shall be more accounted of who hath combatted with some famous Conquerour although he be ouercome by him then he that shall remaine Maister of the field ouer a weake and feeble enemie Thinke not much then faire and glorious Nymph if I dare venter to serue you when the meanest followers of mightie kings are more respected and regarded then those that are the greatest of other great Lords and Nobles The faire Nymph would haue replied but that by chance a certaine Virgin came before her presenting her with a Sonnet composed in the name of all the whole companie which hindered her from answering me But this was the Sonnet following The glorious heauens we praise in goodly wise Because the Gods doe lodge within that place So you that hold sweet beautie in your eies And honour in your soule haue fairer grace Then who to glorie yours can silence giue When than the heauens it is farre more diuine Heauens perish but vertuous spirits alwaies liue Glorie shall flourish still and so shall thine Then at your feet we hang this verse of ours Whilst vnder shade of thousand Lawrells greene We of your virtues will discourse whose powers No Tempests rage to feare shall ere be seene Since Pans faire Sisters to you honour yeeld Since this our Song your vertues doe sigh forth And since all Lawrells doe your for head shield Vouchsafe thereof though t is of little worth Diana hauing read this Sonnet liked it passing well which I perceiuing and that she delighted in Poetrie made bold to request my Muse that she should daine to inspire some daintie veine or conceit in me to be able to endite the like Whereupon she pittying me gaue care vnto my praier which was the occasion that at that verie instant and vpon the sodaine I wrote these verses following If nothing faire I see but what 's thy face If brightnes thine the day is of mine eies If vertue thine I doe as Gods embrace Haue I not reason then in dutious wise Thy gratious selfe for to implore Since thee as Goddesse I adore Who finds a salue to cure him of his griefe By friendly hand of that shall he not make Account when he thereby may get reliefe Whereby his sicknesse from him he may shake The wounded Deare to the hearbe 〈…〉 Which can him helpe as be doth know So then in this my worse then Captines state These lines I offer to thy Deitie Not doubting but though haplesse be my fall I from thy selfe shall find some remedie Of thee I beg some grace to haue In thee of health to spill or saue Who dieth for want of succour or remorse Doth not deserue or merrit any blame But such as by their owne power and their force May wretches helpe yet let them take their bane Such doe deserue punisht to bee Of Gods and men in highest degree Another Dian thou shin'st in heauens with Maiestie In hell below likewise thou doest command And in the earth thou raignest gloriously Ah then if I am thine let me so stand Slaues to immortall Essence are we all And them we honour must though gainst our will Doest aske Diuine then how this doth befall How I dare loue thee I must loue thee still The sacred skies are made for to adore What that resembleth we must worship too For mortall men haue life from them therefore And vnto them we reuerence ought to doe Then if thy power breath to my soule doth giue Ah then conserue the same for I am bound Most strictly thee to honour whilst I liue And whilst I tred vpon this earthly ground Deare a presumption let not this be thought In me to serue thee though a thing of nought I hauing finished these two Sonnets presented them vnto her who shewed them vnto all her companions they marking and looking vpon me verie wissly I thinking that by that meanes I might obtaine some of them to be my good friends and to speake a good word for me vnto my Mistris who now was once more conducted by the sweet voice of the other Nymph vnto the temple of Diana where she for a while staied And so deare Father let me intreate you that I may make a stay here at this time for my minde is troubled within me my tongue faileth and my voice beginneth to be hoarse we wil deferre the rest til vnto morrow for what liketh not one day may chance to please at an other Content quoth the old Magitian and let vs away The bowe must not alwaies be bent lest it weaken too much and so must thou take some rest or else thou wilt be ouer wearie and soone tired Therefore am I the more willing to yeeld vnto thy request to the end thy discourse may be as agreeable vnto thee in reporting as it is pleasant vnto me in hearing the same Whereupon they left the place where as they were walking homewards they might perceiue a Shepheard talking with a Shepheardesse vnder the shade of an old Oake which was the occasion they drew nigh to heare what they said the Shepheard viging her in this sort Fond is that man that thinketh to remoue a huge Rocke from one place into another and as fond is he that goeth about to turne or stay the course of the salt waters of the Sea Fuen so O cruell Delia is he a foole that will take vpon him to resist the will of the Gods and oppose himselfe against the power of the heauens Those huge Giants the Titans went about such a bold piece of worke but being ouerthrowne with lightning they serue as witnesses that the hand of the holy one of Israel doth not strike in vaine If so why then wilt thou so wilfully stand against the decree of the Gods Which if thou doest thinke not but they will quickly abate thy boldnes and punish thy ouer presumptuous pride That Maister doth punish his seruant worthily who scoffeth at his commaundements and maketh no account to be obedient vnto him And thinkest thou that the Gods will not plague thee seeing thee so stubborne against their wills so peruerse against their minds and so vnwilling to performe their desire They haue saued thee from the rauenous tallents of the murthering Pitate and as it were by miracle brought thee hither and wherefore doest thou thinke they did so but onely because thou shouldest be milde vnto my prayers and yeeld gently to graunt me some fauour But it seemeth by thy carriage hitherto that thou wilt as it were of meere obstinacie bandie against them in this thine error but take heede thou be not plagued and then too lately thou wilt wish that thou haddest changed thy minde for the Gods vse alwaies to afflict selfewild people because it is not fit nor the part of any man to rise vp and to rebell against them Then seeing the most maruellous and diuine prouidence hath brought vs here both together that
heare any tidings either of that treacherous villaine or of his wife In the end he lighteth vpon a great thicke gloomie Forrest through which as he rode he found a dead carkasse of a man and a woman lying by him being in little better case then he was But leauing Leander and his companions seeking their aduenture we will come vnto wofull Cynthia his wife and when fit time shall serue we will discouer who was that creature dead and who that woman being almost in as bad a taking as he vpon whom Loander so strongly hapned Cynthia being carried away from her husband so sodenly and by such barbarous treacherie was for a great while as one in a traunce hardly comming vnto her selfe againe And certainlie I thinke that if women were subiect by nature to die for sorrow then no doubt but she had died for neuer was there woman in this world more sad or heauie than she was no not Niobe Hecuba Oenone Porcia Cornelia nor any other Ladie were she neuer so ouerwhelmed with miseries But this kinde of death seldome or neuer is incident vnto the Female kinde as that of sodaine ioy is Long lay she in this Extasie or sound and long was she before she recouered her right sences againe and so much was she astonisht in her minde with the same as the passage of her speech was kept close and shut from her yet at the last her vitall spirits recouered force within her and her tongue had libertie to speake But alas she could not as much as pronounce one word neither was she able once to open her mouth so wofully did she weepe and so pittâ—fully did she sob and sigh Diuers sorts of colours and that in great number must a cunning Painter haue to draw a faire and great Picture Euen so thousands of teares and millions of sighes had this wretched Gentlewoman need of if she meant liuely to set forth and bewaile her Disaster at the fall For neuer was any Ladies sorrowes to be compared vnto hers Hellena was rauished but with her owne consent Neither did her rauishment bereaue her husbands life as hers did Penelope was dailie and hourely sollicited and importuned by a number of tedious and impudent suters but yet she was suffered to liue chastly and to attend the returne of her Vlisses Hecuba after shee had seene her husband murthered and all her sonnes slaine was led away as a captiue or slaue into Greece and yet had shee more reason to haue borne with patience these her misfortunes though in a higher degree of miserie rather then Cynthia in hers For Hecubas mischaunces proceeded from her enemies to whom the law of Nations giueth leaue to doe what mischiefe they can whereas haplesse Cymhias vnhappines came from him whome she esteemed as the dearest and most faithfull friend her Husband had Lucrctia for losse of chastitie slewe her owne selfe but her death was the death of her aduersarie and the life and libertie of all her Romane Citizens And theresore no woman can be said to haue bene more wretched then hopelesse Cynthia for she saw her Leander murthered as she thought whilst she remained as prisoner in the power of him that was his bloodie Butcher looking euerie houre to be forced of her honour and good name Infinit were the occasions that she had to complaine and the reasons without number that compelled her to exclaime against the most partiall Destinies For what could she loose more pretious and deare then her sweet Spouse whom she esteemed more then her honor and her owne life Needs therefore must her complaints be greeuous and her lamentings heauie and bitter as one that dispaired of all comfort to come Ah woe is me cried shee out why was I borne and why did my mother bring me into this world since there is no person liuing so vnfortunate as I am for I doe not count those miserable who haue liberty to shorten their owne dayes by death but onely such as faine would die and yet cannot Is it possible that one should be borne vnder so hard a Planet as not to be able to die when most fainest he would O how great is that euill when it forceth vs to require ayde of the Fatall sisters to ridde vs of the same whom men detest and loath as their mortall enemies And yet can none but they relieue and ease such wretched creatures The healthie man whilst he is well loatheth and abhorreth to take or taste anie potion or medicine but when he is sicke he is glad and faine to swallowe it downe be it neuer so bitter and sower So we whilst we liue merilie and at harts ease we contemne death but when our griefes are so great as wee are not able to endure them then we account our selues as happie to haue him O God is it possible for me to be able in words to deliuer my losses for my sighes to deplore them for mine eyes to bewaile them or for my heart to be of force to endure them If the losse of paltrie goods maketh men outragious in their passions and if the death of our kinsfolks or friends be sufficient to engender afflictions in vs how much more then haue I cause of insupportable sorrowes Alas I haue lost my kinde husband but am I able to say so and not my soule to flie forth of this miserable bodie or is my condition so miserable that I may say I haue lost him indeed No no I will neuer belieue it rather will I die then perswade my selfe of any such vnwelcome matter vnto me But say I die yet haue I lost him yea I haue lost him and onely through mine occation I haue bene the homicide of my husband and I alone haue slaine him but why then alacke doeth not the rigour of the Lawe passe vpon mee which condemneth such murtherers vnto death Was it not enough for mee to be brought into the most wretchedst estate of all others to be depriued of my deare Leander but that I must be the cause of his vtter ouerthrow also Damned and accursed Beautie how wise was that young Romane Gentleman Spurius who most cruelly mangled and defaced his louely face because hee would haue none to like him And so thrice happie had I bene if I had spoyled and made foule this my wicked countenance which was the first motiue of all these euils and mischiefes following O faire soule of my deare Spouse and Bedfellow great reason hast thou now to complaine of mee iust are thy accusations and most right thy greeuances against me yet since the Gods are appeased with the sacrifices of men I hope that my life shall be a sufficient satisfaction for the offence I haue done vnto thee Thou liuest in the heauens where nothing is hid from thee and seeing thou knowest all things thou needest not to doubt of mine innocencie herein But what is this vnto thee seeing now thou liuest no more and that thou art cut off before thy
for foode for dogges Pilate for pronouncing an vniust sentence against the Innocent was condemned vnto a most heauie death And in our time and in these our dayes we see Fellons and Theeues most wretchedly perish The law of God permitteth not one neighbour to offend another but that he receiue his reward thereafter for otherwise God should not be iust except he should doe good for good and euill for euill And so did it happen vpon the Traitor Antonio who was repayed with such iniurie as he had done vnto his deare friend but yet with great reason hee hauing violated and infringed the lawes of friendship and Hospitalitie by one of that cursed-crewe which wrought the foresaide villanies and in whome hee reposed greatest confidence and trust So wee see the rauenous Wolues to howle and to bicker one with another the greedinesse in feeding hindering them to knowe themselues although they be all of one companie and so the sent and sweetnesse of the prey maketh Theeues to forget their former kindnesse amongst themselues egging them forward to cut one anothers throate to haue the more gaine And such was miserable Antonio his misfortune who hauing as I saide before gotten a good round summe of money and Iuells together to liue vnknowne with his Mistris not minding to returne any more vnto his owne home where he had committed this wickednes the smell of his Gold began to come into the noses of these murthering Rascalls who when they knew not from whom to steale vsed to robbe and filche one from another It is a very difficult and hard matter to giue ouer any kinde of vice especially if a man take an habit in the same for then the more hee marcheth forward to exercise it the more he is plunged ouer head and eares in it Not vnlike vnto the horned Stagge who the more he seeketh to get out of the Toyle which as a snare was left to intrappe him the more he intangleth and windeth himselfe therein Denis of Siracusa had gotten such a custome to spoyle and robbe the Gods in their Temples that hee thought he had not spent that day well in which he had not pilled some one God or other of his ornaments or shauen the golden beard of some others But hee and his were punished for the same their fortunes beeing to be banished out of their Countrey and to die in great want and beggerie But to come vnto the bolde Theefe of whome I spake before who being deepely in loue with Cynthia and whose fingers itched to be busie with Antonios golde called his copes-mates together vnto whom he told so swoothe a tale and so cunningly perswaded them to set abroach this second Tragedie against Antonio as their teeth being seton edge for the Treasure they quickly condescended vnto him and the rather because it was their ordinarie trade The wicked still heape sinne like Hills on sinne So long till they their Soules doe soyle within And now the Holie one beginneth to raigne downe vengeance vpon the head of periured Antonio who least thought of danger when it was nighest at hand hee not once as much as dreaming of anie mischiefe that hung ouer him his chiefest studie being how to perswade the sorrowfull Cynthia to giue ouer her pensiue mourning and to cast away all care and sadnes And as hee was one day alone in her chamber with her verie busie to comfort her and as earnest to sollicite his olde loue vnto her seeking to winne her good will and sauour Behold vpon the suddaine this notable Rascall with his fellowes breaketh in vpon them who without speaking so much as one word ranne furiously vpon Antonio with their naked swords massacring him as Caesar was in the Senat and that with such impâ—â—â—ositie and outragiousnes as they spoyled one another especiallie the miserable but then most happy and fortunate Cynthia who wonderfullie desirous to die rushing into the middest of their brandishing blades and presenting her naked breast vnto the mercie of the Theeues was in the ende wounded to death amongst them her chaste and purple blood streaming out of her weake and fainting carkasse as from a running Fountaine And yet may we count her fortunate in this her misfortune since she was borne by destinie to be miserable her happe being so good as to die without the losse of her honour and reputation carrying away with her her good name and fame euen vnto the graue Thus was the chaste Iphiginea sacrificed so was the bashfull Polixena put to death and so dyed the vertuous daughter of Iepha with diuers other Virgins who to conserue their Chastitie left both their liues and soules together This murther done there followed another for these Rakehells fearing to be taken for doing the deed and willing to be gone vrged their fellow Theefe to make haste away with them but he was so farre in loue with Cynthia who lay at the point of death as by no meanes he would leaue her which they perceiuing and doubting least if hee should be found there he would bewray and appeach them all thought to make sure worke as nigh as they could and so thrusting him through they trussed vp their bagge and baggage carrying away Antonio his Treasure with them leauing Cynthia readie to giue vp the ghost who though shee were so nigh her ende yet could she speake a little No sooner were these Hell-hounds gone from her but shee beganne to take some small comfort in her minde counting her selfe as blessed to die in this manner hauing a sure confidence that she should see her husband in Heauen the glorie whereof she hoped to enioy because she had so luckily preserued her honour O how sweete a thing is death vnto them who are desirous to die when they see themselues disfranchised and freed from all misfortunes and when they find their miseries with the vpshot of their liues Such was the death of the modest and pudike Cynthia and with such ioy did Thisbie leaue the world to follow her beloued Piramus for death is not of power to vnbinde the hearts of true Louers No no they must follow one another euen into the Elizian fieldes and there tye againe those chaines which death before had broken in sunder And now sweet Cynthia perceiuing her selfe to be alone and readie to render vp her Soule vnto her first Redeemer lifting vp her eyes to heauen began to make this prayer I knowe and acknowledge I confesse and proclaime all abroad that thy speech ô most gratious GOD is both Sacred true and veritable which is that thou assurest succour and aide vnto such of thy distressed seruants as be readie to dispaire for want of helpe So diddest thou relieue that Countrey of Aegipt which was wel-nigh starued with famine through the wisedome of chaste Ioseph Thou diddest assist the Iewes in their great extreamie when the red Sea gaue backe to make them passage drowning their enemies which went about to pursue and follow after them Thou diddest send
voyage findeth but the halfe part of his Marchandise in his ship the gaine of which drew him to aduenture abroad and to leaue his countrie and friends Euen so Leander found himselfe but halfe contented and pleased when he perceiued those to be dead whom he so much coueted in his minde to haue encombred them aliue neuerthelesse he drew neerer vnto the place where they lay marking very wistly both his dead enemies and his wife As he stood thus gazing vpon them diuers conceits ran in his head not knowing well what to thinke of the matter one while he thinketh that his wife loued Antonio so dearely as she would needes die with him an other while he iudgeth rightly of the fact imagining that ciuill discention had caused one to kill an other now he iudgeth that some foe of Antonios had stabd him and then againe he gesseth that some of his friends had offered him this cruell outrage for doing so great villainie against him But Loue crossed all these contrarie conceits dispearsing them heere and there as the cracke of the thunder forceth the cloud to giue way when it breaketh through the same and falleth vpon the ground below he thought he had many iust occasions to hate his wife meaning if she had bene aliue to haue inflicted vpon her that punishment which he had alreadie found her to endure and yet when he had a little better considered thereof in his minde seeing her to be brought vnto so pittifull a straight he could not chuse but must needes lament and bewaile her hard mishap Whilest she liued he loathed her nor will he by any meanes be induced to beleeue that she is culpable of that fault of which he before accused her seeing that now she is dead A friend is neuer knowne so well as when he is mist He commeth neerer and neerer vnto her which wofull Cynthia perceiuing and not knowing who it was but rather supposing that the villaines were come backe againe although she were not quite dead yet did she faine her selfe to be so fearing least they would offer some violence vnto her bodie if she should haue made shew that she had bene still aliue Leander lighting of his horse kneeleth downe by his wife weepeth bitterly and then kisseth her which the poore soule perceiuing maruelling much what this should meane openeth her dying eies a little when after she had a good while wistly looked vpon him she sawe and knew him to be liuing whom she held and accounted to be dead That Romane woman who died with sodaine ioy seeing her sonne returne safe and whole from that bloodie battaile of Cannas and whom she esteemed to be dead was not halfe so much rauished with true delight and amazemēt in viewing him as Cynthia was when she saw her spouse aliue and well And now she striueth as much as in her feeble strength lieth to open wide her languishing eies that she might the better gaze and looke vpon her husband But alas mortall and deadly were the glaunces she cast vpon him mortall were they vnto her to Leander she now began to wende away as mildly as a lambe whilest her wofull husband what sinister conceit soeuer he had before of her died for very anguish to see her in this wofull taking He was aliue and not wounded at all his wife readie to giue vp the ghost all to be mangled with gorie blood and yet had not he his tongue so readie to command as his poore Cynthia had for so great was his griefe as he could not speake as much as one word which she perceiuing and now knowing throughly who he was with a kind of hollow and broken voice she spake thus vnto him Ah my deare husband art thou then come from heauen to assist and helpe thy faithfull wife she being readie to giue vp the ghost and hast thou dained so much as to remember her and to honour her at her end with thy welcome presence Ah say is it thine owne selfe whom I see or is it some euill spirit that hath taken thy shape vpon him to mocke and delude me If it be thee and that thou liuest as yet then thrise fortunate is Cynthia to see thee before she giueth ouer this wretched life And yet if thou be that Leander who sometimes wert the kind husband of vnhappie Cynthia how then canst thou abide to approach neere vnto her she hauing bene the occasion of so many euils lightned vpon thee thou knowing not whether she be cleare from them or no But I see well that Loue draweth all such doubts in thee and will not suffer thee to beleeue any thing that is not good for me And yet Leander hast thou reason to conceiue the worst of me because I haue bene the occasion of many troubles that haue hapned vnto thee notwithstanding I sweare vnto thee by that God before whom I hope to be iudged who reuengeth euery periurie that I am meerely innocent of what ill so euer is done I hauing not bene defiled either in bodie or in minde the Almightie hauing most miraculosly preserued me from all such harme Whereupon she began to discouer vnto him all that had hapned since she last sawe him and withall how she had not made him acquainted with the affection which Antonio bare vnto her the cause of all this mischiefe and the reason that it might haue bene preuent if he had knowne thereof But said she I was in good hope he would haue become a new man being loth to bewray his soilie vnto you because you made so great account of him thinking he would neuer haue borre so bad a minde towards you But now I see this sore to be vnrecurable I know not what to say but onely to craue pardon of you for the same and withall to take some order for my buriall Then sweet husband weepe no more for what reason hast thou to bewaile her death who hath brought thee so many losses and vncurable dammages whilest she liued with thee rather haue you cause to reioyce and be glad to see her finall end and therefore I most humbly beseech you if you doe loue me indeed as you seeme at this time to make some shew that you doe drie vp your teares cease these lamentings giue ouer this sighing and sobbing and suffer me to finish this small rest of my life in some pleasure for my sorrow proceedeth not from my death but for that I see thee thus to take on Trouble not then I pray thee that contentment which I haue to view and behold thee before I shut vp my dazeling eies through thy too much lamenting for my death If thou hast loued me then call to minde this thy good will towards me and let the remembrance thereof now I die perswade thee to doe so much for me It is the last office of friendship which thou must doe for me for now I shall trouble thee no more my glasse being runne and the date of my life in
so to doe for this onely good in that he hath procured mankinde to be borne maister of all other creatures and giuen him a soule immortall in felicitie For if the enemies of men be punished and if sometimes the Ancients ordained equall paine for one Ingrate as for a murtherer Surely the man ingrate towards Almightie God that acknowledgeth not so many blessings and graces from him ought to suffer much as worthie of most grieuous punishment Thus sayd the Shepheard to himselfe and had further discoursed vpon this subiect but that a sudden storme of raine made him runne out to goe stand vnder a thick Rock the toppe whereof saue garded him from the iniuries of heauen And being there aboue he heard a voyce which vttered this which followeth Blessed be they which are either perfectly happie without euer hauing felt griefe or altogether miserable hauing neuer made tryall of any contentment For he which suddainly cōmeth out of the Stoue findeth the aire colder then he who hauing neuer bene within hath alwayes stood without doore In like māner those which neuer felt any good during their life endure nothing so much as they which haue bin happie are afterwards becom miserable For if white maketh vs better to know and discerne black in like sort good maketh the griefe which ensueth more cruell intollerable the remēbrance of which losse terribly tormenteth our soules It greeueth not one so much to goe without cloathes who ordinarily goeth naked as well in winter as Sūmer but it would be a cumbersome hard matter for him who hath bin well and warmly clad to be stripped thrust into his shirt and forced to go all bare In like manner the miserable that haue knowne nothing but griefe are not so greatly oppressed with paine as they who haue sometimes tasted of felicitie whereof at the same instant they finde themselues depriued More cruell was king Perceus his change who of a puissant king became miserable a seruant slaue and laughing-stocke of Fortune then if hee had neuer knowne any such greatnes remaining as a priuate simple man and without a Diademe Of the selfe same now speake I by experience for more cruell at this day doe I feele the griefe to see my selfe absented depriued of my deare Diana thē if I had neuer seen her or that she had not pleased mine eies as she hath done Alas Can it be that I should remaine without her or that my soule may continue in my body being depriued of her faire and shining countenance If the bodie cannot moue without the soule Oh how can mine liue enioying no more that Sun which caused it both to liue and moue Oh my Diana in what part soeuer thou glaūcest forth thy beautifull and celestiall rayes let the heauens be alwayes fauourable vnto thee in recompence of the good thou hast done me in suffering me to behold thy countenance Farre frō thy yeares dayes let pale death flie all discontentment absent it selfe from thy soule all vexation griefe auoyd thy hart let sadnes be banished from thence to conclude let no feeling of griefe euer touch thee liuing let heauē alwaies make thy beauty durable thy chast vertue immortall thy sacred fidelitie power eternall and thy excellent glorie endles Alas if the heauens preserue thy noble perfections who vnder the Sun shall liue more perfect or happy thē thy selfe for none can equall thee in these worthie vertues vertues alas which augment misfortunes make my complaints more bitter For he hath greater cause to complain that hath lost much then he that hath endured the losse but of a small matter I haue lost thy diuine presence which only chased and droue away my obscure nights now I wander in darknes in night in horror vexation I haue lost my Sun my dayes are turned into nights Alas but haue I not likewise lost my miserable life Alas my Goddesse if thou wouldest if thou wouldest I say take my soule as thine owne retaine it with thee why takest not thou in like manner my life causing him to die which cannot liue remoued frō thy light but I must scoure both sea land to find thee out I will flie neither paine danger nor labor to see thee yet once more before death reap my sad wretched daies And then in all repose contentmēt pleasure I will yeeld this miserable carkasse to the earth shaken quashed with so many hitter griefes euen broken as it were in pieces with a thousand martyrdoms During these daies replenished with obscurity dyed in lamentation darknes In that I shall not behold thy beautifull diuine countenance my teares like streams shall poure out frō my blubbered eyes sighes shall come forth euen from my soule sad wailing mourning frō my hart No apprehension of pleasure shall dwel within me no apparāce of life to signe of pleasing delights nor any note of health Miserable will I alwaies remaine no ioyfull accident no chāge of fortune or new forme of life can administer the least consolation to my soule voyd of pleasure ioy of all good and contentment I will sigh continually while destinie moued at my long complaints together with my life cut off my teares troubles Thus spake this wretched Shepherd wretched surely miserable who neuer felt so much as one smiling glaunce of fortune miserable certainly in that he was borne to suffer neuer knew what ioy meant yet more wretched in hauing spent his years emploied his whole life offered his dayes and yeelded his time to seruice of many who permitted pouertie to swallow vp his years and manage and ouermaister his life And though he were peerles in miserie and that his state of life was onely swayed by misfortunes which held him caytif notwithstāding cruel enuie which biteth all things though they be incorporeall ceased not to make a thousand malicious iealous of that little cōmendation which his dolorous Muse acquired to his years In all cōsiderations therfore he was most wretched aboue all others But that which gaue the greatest blow and that made his griefe insupportable and fell was the absence and losse of his Diana The remembrance wherof was sufficient to forget choak quite extinguish all the mortall pleasures he could haue tasted of in this world Euery one maketh his chiefe felicity of that he best liketh things which are sometimes held for happy cōmodious of mortall men are in contēpt with those who haue placed their soueraigne good in some other matter as Louers flout at riches treasures Empires and kingdomes which mortall men propound vnto themselues for the good of their contentmēt vpon which they build their most pleasure and delight But the onely presence of their Ladies is their chiefest good for their soules be more ioyfull in beholding of them then are the eyes of a couetous mizer when they take pleasure in contemplation of the goods riches
when mongst the woods as yet Loue was not knowne In that same happie golden world when none through Loue did grone Wren Shepheards free from Cupids darts as carelesse did remaine And for to languish were not forc't through too much amorous paine But rather not so much as once thinking of this proud Loue ' Voide from all ill themselues sought still merrie to make and proue Whilst want only amongst themselnes in ioy they spent the day And pleasantly to their contents the time did passe away Freed from those cares that Louers haunt and brings them to their graue Making them pale and wearie fore their youths they passed haue Then was no wailing there nor eies that teares doe shed apace Nor that they grieued were could you perceiue ought by their face Cleerd from all plaints releast from sighes not knowing what ment care They did despise and eke contemne the Cyprian Goddesse faire Her cruell Sonne the very Syre and father of all vice Of them Oblations neuer had nor any Sacrifice The mighty power of Cupid blinde as then they did not know Nor what did meane his fire-brands his Arrowes and his Bow Withouten troubling with this Loue their neuer troubled braine A kinde of ordinary kindnesse did mongst them remaine In merry laughter and in sport they spent the soone gone yeare Their chiefest pleasures thousand songs and Madrigals then were Which they sigh'd forth with comely grace whilst beut the flowing banke Of some cleare riuer all the Crue of them themselues encampe One while they daunced hand in hand within the Meadowes greene Another while bout foote of Rocke for cooltnesse they were seene As then plaintes were not their repasts nor tcares as drinke to vse As Louers wont who what is ill still for themselues they chuse Consuming sorrow did not gnawe nor gripe them at the hart Nor was their chiefe reliefe of Death the penetrable dart But rather without carke and care without malice or strife As happie soules in all content they wore away their life No palenes was within their cheekes no hollownesse in eye Which frighted with a suddaine feare most pittious you might spie Nor could you once perceiue as much as signe of heauie chance In their well featur de faces all and louely count enance Ah trebble blessed such For he cannot be said to liue Who for Death wisheth that his woes no more might make him grient In steed of pastimes to be blithe they sounded their shill Crowde And with a hundred Songs they fild the Groues with noyses lowde Whilst their soft instruments apace according to their vse Oftimes well tun'de and then vntun'de as they themselues did chuse A thousand Brawles and Pastorall Odes they sung in plainest sort Whereby the more they did increase their merriment and sport In coole of day to daunce about you might en them espie And when the heate was great in midst of shadowing Groues to lie There would they many an olde wiues tale and iesting Fables tell Whilst some of them to blowe a fresh thir Bagpipes fell Now vnder cooly Trees they would friendly make their repast Feeding on bread and Mornings milke for to delight their taste And dipping in the water cleare their Hattes they that did drinke Which better farre then any wine though daintiest they did thinke But weladay the nature of this sauadge inhumane LOVE Did alter this sweete course of life and worser made them proue He chang'de their pastimes into playes and spoyled so their sense As weakening courage theirs hee forc't them stand without defence As we doe see amaz'd to stand the gentle harmles Sheepe And that in running here and there no order they doe keepe When as at vnawares the Wolfe wtih reuenous mouth them takes And of them as him liketh best a bloody slaughter makes Or as we vieu the Shepheards from the fields in haste to runne One here one there least that by death they should be ouercome When Iupiter to threat the earth with which he seemeth wroth From heauen he in angrie wise his Thunder sendeth forth Making a thousand flashie Lights the children of dread Feare Vnto their frighted eyes and on their bloodlesse cheeks appeare Whiist furie of the Thunders hard with such a suddaine cracke As one would thinke it were hard by and euen at his backe Euen so did LOVE these Shepheards fray trouble to them wrought Consumde their liues and chiefest glee and to their end them brought And thus it was Nature had framde one Shepheardesse mongst rest More perfect then the other all and fairer then the best Young was she in experience and in age for but as then She passed had of yeares some fine and ioyning to them ten Yet stature hers so comely was and full of Matestie As for a second Venus her they did of right descrie Her hatre farre brighter then pure gold in knottes was tyed fine Empaling round her head most rich of Princely Crowne the signe Whilst those her tresses amorous did genttly moue with winde As we the calmy waues in Sea to role and rise doe finde Her Forhead heauens sweet mount was smoothe by Nature framed faire No Art though exquisite could mend the same it was so rare No wriâ—ckle was there to be seene no frowning in that place That truely got by Beautie was Beautie gaue it such grace Her Eyelid lids of Ebony inclosed there within Which Gods and Men amazed made and euery hart did win Her sparkling eyes two starres did shew then Lightning far more bright More cleare then glorious Sunne when he doth shew his chiefest light Eyes which who so presum'd to dare their lookes for to behold They soone were strucken blinde as t' were for being ouerbold Eyes where as LOVE in all his pride did seeme for to repose And through the sparklings of the which lies chiefest honors rose Eyes which as sacred and diuine all did adore and feare Although to euery one their full and ouerthrow they were Her Checkes that checkt greatst Potentates which Beautie beautifide Of ruddie Rose and Lillie white the equall combat tryde Her Checkes vermillion colloured by Nature not through Art The perfect Type of louelinesse to each one did impart Her witching lippe was Curr all white like to a Gillsflower Which â—atred was in pearly deaw most supple euery hower And as her Lippes so was her Mouth her mouth like Orakell From which a speech forth came that did Pallas though wise excell Her Lippes inuiting to sweet sport did grace her dimpled chinne Whose sight was such as was enough in thought to make vs sinne Her snowy Throat was seemely plac'te so was her sweatlesse Neck Which whitest Marble of the Alps and Porphery did check Her matchlisse Throat so delicate her daintie Skinne so cleare As through the same what so she dranke the coulour did appeare Her beautous Breasts LOVES lobbie right right way to Paradice Where grewe those golden Apples rare vnvalued for their prcie Two Mountaines there were plac'te from
all kindnesse that might be brought forth many Demigods and heroicall Spirits who most brauely purged the world from these hatefull and damned Monsters Olympia the mother of that great Alexander receiued into her bosome that mightie Iupiter conceiuing by him that glorious Sonne and that great Monarch of the earth Rbea the mother of Remus and Romulus refused not the kissings of God Mars being big with child of those two worthy Princesse which built Rome afterward she comming to be Mistris ouer all the world Away then with these fond conceits and remember to be fauourable vnto me as these courteous dames haue bene heretofore Shepheard Shepheard aunswered Delia neuer dreame of any such thing betweene thee and me for those women yeelded vnto the Gods because they might bring forth children worthy of such Fathers which might be as profitable vnto the publike God as they themselues had bene before But such a commoditie cannot happen of our Loue and say it might chaunce to be so yet my opinion is according vnto the common saying that we ought not doe Euill that good may come thereof because the ill being once done cannot be amended whereas we we are not sure whether that good which we expect will fall out according vnto our hopes or no and the rather because many things happen betweene the cup and the lip Therefore these presidents shall neuer perswade me to loue for none are bound to follow that which is leaud or bad neither are they commaunded to be wicked after the examples of others Then Shepheard change thou thy minde thine owne selfe or else thou wilt force me to shun thy companie for there is nothing that troubleth the eares of another more then to repeate often that which is pleasing vnto him Remember the torments of Ixion for affecting the iealous Sister of Ioue and thinke how poore Tamirus was plagued for being amorous of the Muses neither goe about to debash a chaste minde to cast liking vnto thee for feare least the heauens who punish all such wrongs as are done vnto Innocents reuenge not this iniurie which thou offerest vnto me seeing that he is in more fault that perswadeth one to leaudnes then he that doth the same the first inuenting that which had not he bene had neuer bene done whereas the other doth but put in practise what he neuer of himselfe had ment Quench then and mortifie within thee thy foolish desires and let me alone I pray thee to liue as I haue done who haue bene offered but too much wrong alreadie without hauing need of thee to buz such vaine toyes into my head as thou doest continually Coribant would haue aunswered when he might perceiue hard at hand the reuerend old man protector of that Desart hauing a staffe in one hand and a booke in an other with which he controuled the Spirits as well of the earth below as of the aire aboue He came to finde melancolike Arcas to the end he might follow and prosecute his amorous Historie whom he no sooner espied with Orythia who was all this while courting of him but that he marched towards him which the Nymph perceiuing left him when the Magitian making a signe poore Arcas followed him he not daring to denie him whereupon they went vnto their accustomed place where being set downe the old man thus began Come on Shepheard and now begin thy Tale which the other day thou leftest vnperfect for it is to no end to take a busines in hand except we finish the same Dispatch I pray thee and let me heare what thou canst say more as concerning thy chaste Loues for sweete is the memorie of things commendable the recitall of which purgeth our soules from many faults which otherwise we are likely to commit Happie are such as haue had the friendship of good and excellent Poets and so likewise vnfortunate are they that chaunce to fall into their hatred For of the first they make the memorie and remembrance euerlasting and eternall asthey make the last to be counted hatefull and detestable for so doe the writings of the auncient Poets shew vs. Homer bringeth Achilles and the Greekes to be victors although it was the Troyans that had the vpper hand making Penelope to be the Mirrour of chastitie and wisedome when indeed she was no better then an infamous Curtezan and Virgil commendeth the traitor Aeneas when the very truth is he like a disloyall wretch sold Troy and condemneth modest Dido to make the world to hate her she being as free from any such lascionsnes as Maro was from telling what was true Happie therefore are such as learned Poets fauour with their pennes but aboue all most fortunate are those whom thou hast taken in hand to praise because thy Muse is veritable and not a liar or vntrue Blessed are those thy beautious Ladies whose worthie vertues thou hast blazed forth with so great respect and reuerence since the memorie of them shall neuer perish by reason of deuouring time or be drowned in the pitchy Riner of forgetfull Lethes Goe forward then for the soule that is dallied withall deferred from hope is grieuously afflicted with sorrow and the hinderance of that thing which one desireth maketh the conceit of the ioy to be farre lesse than otherwise it would be Great is the charge thou laiest vpon me replied Arcas and hardly would I take such a peece of worke in hand for any other but the law willeth that he that receiueth must render againe neither is it sufficient for one to be beholding vnto another vnlesse he make some satisfaction for the same and therefore seeing I am in this predicament it is but reason that I should endeuour to acquit my selfe towards thee in satisfying thy desire because I am so much bound vnto thee And yet before I goe any further I beseech thee graue Father and all such as shall come after thee vnto whom this worke by fortune shall happen to beleeue that I haue not declined from the truth in any one word in describring the rare perfections of IVLIETTA and of DIANA they being such as I haue painted forth or rather farre more excellent then I am able to display And therefore let the Posterities hereafter beleeue as we at this day doe that as there was a braue and valiant Harpalice that as Thomaris sometimes raigned who discomfited the vanquisher of Kings that as Pentisilea gaue succour and assistance vnto the Troyans that as Sage and couragious Zenobia liued with thousands of other peerlesse women So was their flourishing IVLIETTA and DIANA two Ladies and Virgins of so excellent and exquisit qualities as well of the bodie as the minde as neuer any of their Sex in the old time are to be compared vnto them But to come to the purpose If you remember I presented certaine verses vnto my sugred Saint for so I told you and she accepting of them went with the other Nymphs towards the Temple of Diana Follow her I durst not for those
me to search once more vp and downe although I could finde nothing O foole said I vnto my selfe am I so mad to thinke that she whom I haue so hainously abused will vouchsafe to doe me good and helpe me Nay rather what reason hath shee to desire any thing so much as my destruction and ouerthrow to the intent shee may be reuenged of so vile an outrage as shee hath receiued at my hands No no it is meere follie to looke for any succour from her when nought but death can rid me of mine anguish This voice which I heare is no doubt of some wicked Spirit which would haue me turne backe into the world to liue in continuall wretchednes as I haue heretofore done But I meane not to be so deluded for die I will and so rid my selfe from all miseries as are like henceforward to light vpon me and with this minde I went once more vp to the top of that Rocke from whence without all doubt I had flung my selfe but that I espied a far of a ship tossed and tumbled with a great Tempest which withheld me as then from the same for I tooke mee thought a kind of compassionate pleasure to see how the winds maistered the leaking vessell causing it one while to reele one on side and then vpon the other tarning vp and downe as a Barrell that is emptie for the winds dryuing it with a contrarie blast cast great Billowes of water into the same touching the tops of Rocks and making the shore side white and fomie with a thicke froth striking a great terror in the mindes of the Sailers Meane space a mightie waue came flowing ouer the ship as if it would haue suncke it which made the Sailers to bestirre themselues plying the pumpe vntill they did sweat And now the Sunne began to be darkened the Cloudes to looke gloomie and blacke and the storme to encrease more and more whilest raigne and lightning fell from heauen as fast as water falleth from the Mountaines The Passengers within lay all as if they had bene dead whilest most pittious outcries wofull complaints and continuall exclaimings were heard amongst them euery bodie calleth for succor but none doth helpe the noyse of the waters and the roaring of the windes hindering the Sailers so much as they could not vnderstand one another The Pilot that held the sterne and guided the ship with a pale and dead colour one while cried out another while made signes with his hands to make them vnderstand what they should doe but what with the pittious wailing within and what with the terrible noyse abroad they could not know what he said And now the sterne grew so violent as euery one was appalled therewithall they being driuen into such a feare as they could neither heare nor gather what the maister of the ship commanded so as giuing ouer to looke vnto their ship they all began to make a most dolefull outcrie wringing their hands and tearing the haire from off their heads as if they had bene mad Which the Pilot perceiuing he likewise gaue ouer his charge for to no purpose was it for him to hold the Sterne any longer whilest some of them not many of them all well knowing what they did ran to the Rudder some to the Mast some set vp Sailes othersome pulled them downe some ran vp to the Tackling other tumbled downe from thence one ran to doe one thing and another went to doe another and to be briefe they all laboured so confusedly as they rather did hurt then good any way To conclude churlish Boreus blew more extreamly then he had done before whilest Eolus gaue leaue vnto the blustring windes to play their parts The Sea encreased in raging and the Monsters thereof appeared aboue the water the more to affright such as beheld them The Sterne of the ship bursteth and falleth in peeces The Sailes are all broken and rent the Decke or forepart of the vessell turneth vp and downe the sides of the same are left bare whilest the ship being as quite without defence able any longer to resist the violence of the outragious flotings of the Sea yeeldeth vnto the mercie thereof suffering the whirling Billowes to winde themselues within her which the Passengers perceiuing crie out aloud for mercie vnto the heauens expecting euery minute of an houre to be swallowed downe into the bottome of the Surges At last the ship runneth against that Rocke vpon the top of which I stood hauing all this long while beheld this wofull spectacle with the teares streaming downe mine cies The maister and the rest of the Sailers doe what they can poore soules to hinder her from splitting asunder but all in vaine the furie of the storme is so cruell and outragious whereupon euery man seeketh to saue himselfe a great number of them being gotten into the little Skiffe that was tied vnto the ship but the same being ouer-charged with multitude because euery one sought to get therein sunke presently drowning all those that were within her Onely one young man escaped sauing himselfe through the strength of his armes and legs he swimming so lustily as at last he got vnto the foote of the Rocke against which the vessell ran and so brake all in peeces This youth being all ouer durtie and foule looked pale for very feare and yet seemed he to reioyce in that he hath scaped the furie of Neptune Great was the pleasure he tooke to see himselfe deliuered from death and yet by little and little he began to growe heauie againe seeing himselfe in such a place as was vnhabited and like a wildernesse shroadly doubting least hunger would make an end of that which the Sea had not and that he hardly could get pardon of the earth to liue as he had before of Neptune A new griefe and a nouell terror of death assaileth him afresh whilest being thus alone he sigheth to thinke of his hard fortune He casteth his eies here and there and looketh round about to see if any would come to helpe him But he could not perceiue no such sight and he listeneth with his care to hearken if he could heare the sound of any voice but all was in vaine it would not be he knoweth not whether the firme land will be more kind vnto him then the vnstable Seas and doubteth much the same He is in dread that he shall die either through drinking too much or for eating too little little doth he thanke the heauens to haue saued him from shipwracke in the Sea seeing he is likely to die through famine on the land Now whilest he thus sigheth and lamenteth I hearing his speech straitwaies knew him by his tongue to be the miscrable Fortumo sometimes companion in my for mer Loues Whereupon I holding vp my hands vnto the skies thanked them that it had pleased them to graunt me so much fauour as I might be able to be a meanes to saue the lire of mine old friend honouring
the remainder of his loathed life And that the sooner he might die with care Ioy banishing he entertaines dispaire Hauing this conceit in his head the next morning he commeth vnto the Court where he taketh his leaue in humble wise of the King and that he might haue a colour for his departure and that none might suspect his heauie countenance he maketh them beleeue his mother was at the poynt of death and therefore he being sent for must needs away vnto her Hauing bene with the King he commeth vnto the Queene and to her faire daughter vnto whom he telleth this sad newes looking very sorrowfully and so most humbly taketh his leaue of them but the young Princes gessing shroadly at the truth of the matter and that there was no such thing but onely a meere excuse grieued mightily to heare how she should lose his companie the onely cause wherof she knew her selfe to be for which although she was hartily forie yet knew she no way how to remedie as then the same Meane space Don Iohn most pittifully consumed away as well because he wanted his Mistris as also for that he was neuer likely to see her any more whilest he being retired vnto his melancolike house resolued to die and to giue ouer the world O cruell madnes O furious rage O incomparable mischiefe O miserie none so great as Loue. What worser misfortune can happen vnto a man then for want of reason to suffer himselfe to fall into the mercilesse hands of his murthering foe And what vnhappines be it neuer so great can ouerthrow a man so soone as that which depriueth him of all sense and vnderstanding for the losse of our best friends or chiefest goods are easily to be borne because seldome or neuer they make vs lose our right wits for them but the torments we suffer in Loue are insupportable and not to be endured for it confoundeth our vertue and constancie as was too well seene by Don Iohn who would not take comfort in any thing but onely in death whilest lying thus dangerously sicke of a secret disease of the minde he was so much changed as none could well haue knowne him for his goodly and comely personage was become pale weake and earthly his haire long wilde and feltred his eyes hollow and deepe setled in his head his face heauie and sad his cheekes hollow and leane his lips dead like ashes and dried vp for want of moysture his breasts lanke and without flesh his hands but skinne and boane and his armes brawne fallen and without any force at all to be briefe he resembled rather a dead Anatomie then a liuing creature And although diuers haue bene of an opinion that hardly or neuer any can die for Loue because as they say this amorous sickenes tainteth the soule onely which is not subiect vnto death and not the mortall bodie yet neuerthelesse for all this there is no doubt but that many haue so died and that the soule as a companion of the bodie in the selfesame functions cannot feele any griefe but that the bodie must feele his part thereof and except he be partaker of the same euen as one day both the one and the other shall be partners either of eternall glorie or else of euerlasting fire in that they haue bene companions in this world either of good or else of euill Such a life then was this which our poore Arragonian Gentleman endured a life ordinarie and common vnto such who depriued of all hopefull happines pine away like one that is in a recurelesse consumption for nothing maketh vs to liue but onely ioyfull hope which if it be deferred long it maketh vs languish but much more then will it plague vs if we once growe in dispaire neuer to obtaine the same And therefore there is none so wretched a life as that which weareth away for want of hope and so liued miserable Phedra who seeing her deare Hyppolitus dead for want of hope slew her selfe For as the Poet saith Sweet hope the life of euery one what ere doth cherish And were it not for wisht for hope all men would perish This then was my Maisters resolution which no man could dehort him frō All his house and chambers were painted with blacke our Liueries being tawnie and in the roome where he lay he caused diuers melancholicke and sad sentences to be drawne in great Characters all which were the Infants of dispaire One day he being somewhat better then his vsuall custome was called for pen and Inke and thereupon composed these sad verses following which he would oftentimes sing vnto his Lute My sighes when giue you ore to sigh then forth my paine Mine eyes when haue you done to waile my griefe though all in vaine Was ere seene such strange crueltie where Loyaltie is found Whilst through th' vngratefull for to die remorselesse I am bound I die but in what sort alas my woes so many be As neuer any heretofore hath suffered like to me Happie is he that to his end by one sure stroke doth hie To languish dying is far worse then quickly for to die My teares that in mine eyes doe stand with sihges my griefes doe showe And yet ther 's none that pittieth me whilst worse I still doe growe I cannot cured be and she that 's Author of my griefe To slay my selfe she weapous giues vnto me Sans reliefe Like Captiue am I led away yet can I not behold Her face to whom I prisoner am and who my hart controld He is no valiant Souldiour right nor any Conquerour braue Who to his prisoner dares not showe himselfe when he doth craue But heauens I see conspire gainst me this life I finish must Yet happie he that in his loue diest loyally and iust Sacred for euer Faile shall it neuer This my Monument Since that Loue so true Though none the same rewe Within it is spent But cruell thou too late shalt finde vntimely death of mine My Loue was pure my hart most iust and bare thereof the signe Yet I le not taxe thee for my death thy rigor hard to proue I le say it was my destinie and not thy nere gaind loue But why in vaine seeke I in life to haue a farther scope He happie dieth who in the would hath liued without hope Then le ts dispatch by sweetest end to rid vs of this paine Le ts shun this troublesome sea the port with Ancor ours to gaine His death is blessed Of life disposessed When by a sweet way Ending of his life He shuns care and strife And in rest doth stay This was the melancolicke Musicke which my lucklesse Maister sung vnto his Lute making all those heauie that were hearers of the same O male-contented sorrow thou woundest our soules through sadnes neuer suffering vs to rest quietly thou driest vp the marrow in our bones whereas ioy delighteth and comforteth the heart Through thee and through thy blacke sister dispaire died constant Portia Cato the
solitarily as melancolicke person in a wildernes and neuer more to moue me in this matter God knoweth how often afterward I cursed my tongue and wished ill vnto my mouth for the same for I will confesse the truth that euen then and before that time as euer since I haue done I loued thee most dearely Full little did I thinke but that I should haue heard from thee againe ere long when thou presently diddest retire thy selfe from my presence so that although I knew thou louedst me and that I was willing to shew thee any honourable courtesie yet could I not as faine I would by reason I knew not how to send conueniently vnto thee whilest thou in the meane time wert almost dead for griefe and I little better because thou haddest forsaken me so suddenly Now whilest we both liued thus in great discontentment the Prince of Lyons as ill fortune would came hither vnto my fathers Court and would needs force me to be his wife But I who had vowed in my minde neuer to haue any other vnto my husband then thine owne sweet selfe entreated thee to trie the combat with him in my behalfe not thinking that thou haddest bene halfe so weake as I perceiued afterward thou wert At the length it was thy good fortune to be victor of the field whereof I was not a little glad I determining with my selfe whatsoeuer should haue hapned to haue bene married vnto thee But woe is me I now perceiue death must cause vs to part in this world although we will meete both together in another And now seeing at this verie instant I am forced to behold thee drawing thy latest breath and that thine eyes are readie to be closed vp with an euerlasting sleepe thinkest thou that I either can or will allay the heate of my griefes or that I will reuoke my first word which was to take part of such fortune as should be allotted vnto thee Doest thou thinke I am so cruell so hard harted or so much voyd of remorse and pittie that thou dying before me onely for my cause and in my quarrell I would not so much as lament and bewaile thy death Ah my vnkind friend great wrong is this thou doest vnto me No no one and the selfesame Tombe shall enclose both cur bodies together and that which Loue would not permit to be thine whilest thou liuedst gentle death shall put thee in possession thereof without any trouble at all Thy commandement in this point shall be of no force with me thy prayers to no purpose neither thy entreating of any power at all with me but in any thing else doe but bid me and I will strait obey thee onely in this I must denie thee for assuredly I will die rather then liue to thinke that thou wert ouerthrowne through me and that I should liue continually to sigh and cry out saying Alas where is now my worthie Knight Can mine eyes shine and giue light when thine are dead and gon Can I endure to see thee caried vnto thy graue I not be buried in the earth And can I abide to liue to say Behold yonder my sweet friends Tombe and not be enclosed therein my selfe Neuer demand so vniust a request at my hands neither be so hard harted vnto me as to wish me to suruiue thee to the end I may be the more miserable But perhaps thou thinkest because I haue bene cruell vnto thee therefore thou maiest repay me with the like recompence againe To which I thus answere First the heauens know how much it was against my will and haddest thou not bene too farewell and timerous thou haddest saued both thine owne life and mine also Besides I challenge the pardon which euen now thou diddest graunt vnto me for this mine offence and therefore sweet friend be content and pleased for with thee will I die whilest our coarses shall lie one by another in one selfe Vault which when they were liuing was not permitted vnto vs and for this I hope mine honour cannot be called in question seeing all ages haue allowed young Ladies to loue honestie braue and valiant Knights and such was my loue and not otherwise as God himselfe can witnes Who then can iustly taxe mine honour None my deare Knight none and seeing it is so receiue this last kisse from the most wofull woman liuing receiue her heauie plaints and her lamenting grones and doe not oppose thy selfe against that small remainder of contentment which is behind for her in dying with thee which she will take as a requitall for so many miseries which haue bene afflicted vpon her Needes must I tell thee that I doe enuie at that glorie thou hast to die before me but long shall it not be for I will follow thee as fast as may be meane while and when thou shalt be in the heauens remember I pray thee thy deare and faithfull Maria. More would she haue spoken but that her heart was so ouerpressed with griefe as she fell downe dead vpon my dying Maister who seeing so pittifull a spectacle knew not what to doe for helpe her any way he could not so extreame and faint he was At the last she came vnto her selfe when with a lowe and fumbling voice he spake these fewe words the last as euer he pronounced vnto her My gratious Ladie now I beseech thee harbor no such vnkinde conceit within thee more good maiest thou doe vnto me with thy honourable speeches whilest thou art liuing then when thou shalt be dead or if thou shouldest die with me No sweet Princes no liue yea liue still and happily seeing nothing fairer then thy selfe can liue For else what discredit would it be vnto me if it should be obiected against me that I had darkned and extinguisht the brightest Sonne of this world let not so foule a blot staine my memorie after I shall be departed from hence aliue seeke not to shorten thy time before the will of God cutting off thy selfe before he doth appoint thee and disposing of thy bodie not according vnto his but thine owne pleasure An doe not so for so you may not doe Mortall creatures must be ruled by the diuine ordinance aboue and expect their leisure not doing any thing but as they shall appoint them Liue then I say once more and close these my dying eyes which whilest they liued were thine this Boone if thou shalt graunt me I then shall thinke my selfe happie but if not then shall I account my selfe as most miserable And now I feele that welcome death doth approach towards me through which all my cares and troubles end I my time is now come my sences faile and my tongue beginneth to be speechlesse No more haue I now to say to thee my deare Princes but onely to recommend my memorie and thine owne life vnto thee of which two things I desire thee as euer thou louedst me to haue an especiall regard Farewell I can no longer speake farewell the beautie
vertuous liuing to be made partakers of that immortall glorie which followeth well dooing the sweetnesse of which the very Painims themselues found in former time For how famous is Hercules become in the world onely for dooing well and for putting in practise many notable and braue enterprises Where if he had done otherwise blacke shame and perpetuall infamie had for euer attended vpon him Thus did the melancholike Shepheard discourse vnto himselfe walking faire and softly towards the Caue whilst as he went onwards on his way hee might heare the melodious harmonie of diuers sortes of Birds to welcome the rising of the Sunne which although they troubled him somewhat considering his former deepe conceits yet no doubt hee tooke delight at the same if it be possible for wretched Louers to take anie pleasure when they are exiled from the presence of their beaution Ladies as I feare me they doe not Besides hee might behold a number of louely Flowers to shewe their vermillion faces at the first appearance of this glorious Lampe all which were causes to comfort himselfe This iourney being no more weary vnto him then it is vnto such Trauellers who when they walke abroad deuise of such things onely as may inuite them to solace and ioy whilst he thought the heauens had changed their nature willing to yeeld him some recteation and contentment considering the great number of afflictions that hee had suffered before But he was not long of this opinion but that hee quickly chaunged his minde finding it to be quite contrarie assoone as LOVE awaked him out of this pleasant dreame and when he once bethought him of the absence of his froward Mistris Hee that is troubled with a burning Feuer hath manie daungerous fittes One while hee is vexed with a hote sweate and another while with a colde One day it leaueth him and an other day it seazeth vpon him againe So that still the strength of the disease doeth dominiere ouer his bodie Euen so this our wretched Swaine falleth a fresh into the Sea of his sorrowes suffering shipwracke oftentimes in this Charibdis of his deepe griefes all which proceeded through the want of his Dianas companie And had it not bene but that hee had heard the sound of a straunge voyce that droue away this sadde thought from him hee had bene farre more oppressed with heauie passions then before But hee with an attentiue eare hearing this Song sung not farre off from him tooke a Truce for a while with his dolefull wailings and listened well vnto the same as followeth What but pale Death can serue as remedie To ease my more then cruell paine The Pilot that safe in the Hauen doth lie To feare the Seas tempestuous rage doth shame She happie is that in this wretched earth Can ridde be from all woes through gentle death But shee that cannot die liuing displeasde Forc't without aide for to endure her smart Can no way haue her endlesse torments easde But by her cries and sighes sent forth from heart But who can make a Sauadge minde ore-wilde For to become calms pittifull and milde The Mother faire of Cupid's blinded Boy Could not her Corpse from soule see separate Yet for Adonis shee was full of noy Seeing him slaine by too vntimely Fate Immortall powers though freed from Death they bee Yet being grieu'd they mourne as well as wee Apollo that same faithfull Louer true When he sawe Daphne metamorphosed Died not yet he her chaunce long time did rewe For Loue makes Gods to waile and teares to shed Death endeth euery amorous mortall warre Yet in such wise to die they happie are I am a Nymph therefore as Phoebus was From death exempt so am I yet am bound My time and yeares in sighes and groanes to passe Whilst ouermuch I gainst my selfe am found To honour him who is my deadliest fee But where Loue is there euer bideth woe Yet doth that cruell wretch who me doth scorne Not altogether liue withouten griefe Though for my loue to waile he was not borne Whilst my hope 's vaine and his without reliefe A Loyall Louer right is neuer seene Well of two Ladies at one time to deeme Thus doe the heauens reuengement for me take And yet alas this doth increase my cares For me his torments worser farre doe make And I am ill because not well he feares She that loues faithfull maketh farre more mons For her friends hard mishap then for her owne A beautie more then earthly sacred right The Subiect's of my euerlasting dule Whilst I confesse I like a mortall wight And yet the heauens who all our actions rule Nothing more perfect then the same ere sawe The bad as well as good to fancie doth vs drawe Arcas presently knew by the voice that it was the mestfull Orythia and fearing least her importunate praiers might make him to giue ouer his former determination he left her turning by another way vnto the Rocke In the meane time the Nymph perceiuing him to flie from her presence crieth out vpon him exclaiming against his stubborne minde calling him vngratefull and vnkinde Where we will leaue her as now cursing her hard fortune and come againe vnto Arcas who being entered into the stonie Caue and the old man not as yet arriued there began afresh to muse vpon the sweet graces of his Mistris swimming with great delight in the Seas of her perfections and not a little wondering how it were possible that one creature alone should be possessed of so many fauours as she was and yet knoweth he not well whether he dreameth or waketh whilest he standing thus in a browne studie his tongue is silent his eyes shut his bodie mouelesse and his soule as it were in a traunce Now if he was so much rauished in the onely contemptation of his Ladie in what a taking had he bene then if he had bene before the true presence and liuely face of her indeed when the onely bare conceit thereof had so great power ouer him He deuiseth within his heart of the beauties of her and with a dumb pen writeth them downe in the of role of his remembrance One while he thinketh he beholdeth those faire long and flaxen haires she combining them with a fine combe of Iuorie and curling them in knots making the heauens themselues to blush for very shame thereat although they haue bene in steed of strong cordes wherewith his libertie was bound yet had he not the power to hate them but rather honoured and adored them imagining that Venus her selfe neuer ware any so goodly and that not any Goddesse whatsoeuer she were could haue the like these Louers being of this humour that there is no other deities but their Ladies Another while he is busie looking vpon her faire forhead the right tipe of Maicstie perswading himselfe that Iupiter although he be Soueraigne ouer all the Gods had neuer one so stately whilest he marketh how it is large and without wrinkle as being the enemie of all
the same againe he is found to be so miserable as he must feed the wormes which are his bretheren as prudent Iob wisely did acknowledge as much Doth he thinke that he hath greater force then wild beasts haue if so why then he is deceiued for many a thousand of them is there that are stronger then he doth he thinke he is more liuely in bodie then they no he is not is he longer liued then they neither is he wittier or more prouident then they be no Or doth he thinke that he is better able to withstand the weakenes of Nature better then they nor that neither for they are brone armed with a skinne with haire and with pawes whereas he is brought into the world naked crying and howling for hunger and sicknesse Away then Vaine-glorie hence Canst thou poore earthly creature magnifie thy selfe in thy malicious minde because thou art mightie in sinne and in iniquitie God shall destroy thee and roote thee out from the earth as the good Gardiner plucketh vp the bad Grafts God shall disseuer thee from his children and thou shalt not enioy that Land of promise which is appointed for such as are simple godly and iust Ah subtill Poesie how many good spirits hast thou abused Meane common-wealths hauing bene brought vnto nothing by reason of Poets and Orators Against the abuse of Poets and Orators because they haue both wittingly and willingly done iniurie vnto Truth The Orators of Athens ouerthrew their citie because they incensed Phillip Against Demosthenes King of Macedon against them through their smooth and flattering Orations whilest they concealed the veritie of the cause for the nonce from the people and that Romane Orator how often did he blind the eyes of the Iudges Against Cicero perswading them to condemne the guiltlesse and to set at libertie the guiltie as he himselfe although most impudently hath not be ashamed to confesse O rather wicked then right wise and learned men that bestowe these good gifts which are giuen you from aboue to so bad vse and to so ill an end you making your Auditors belieue that blacke is white wresting their honest mindes quite contrarie vnto their iust and vpright meaning And yet although you are bad yet are Poets farre worse For thou Homer being a notable Liar hast made Hector to be vanquisht and Achilles victor Against Homer the Greekes to be Maisters of the field and the Troyans to be ouerthrowne but herein thou errest and liest mightily for all was quite contrarie and thou bringest a Vlisses to be prudent valiant and a perfect and an accomplisht man euery way But here againe thou fainest for a base coward was he and of no reckoning nor regard his wife being farre worse and of a most shamelesse life whom thou settest out to be the onely flower of chastitie Cruell and lying Virgil Against Virgil thou writest of one Aeneas father of Gods and of his countrie one that was full of valure of Iustice and of pietie Ah false and vnhonest Poet doe not we all know that he was a Traitor vnto his countrie that he sold his owne citie deliuering it vp into the hands of the Greekes his mortall enemies like another Iudas there being nothing worthie of commendation in him but that he was a periurde wretch a white liuered Caitiffe and a most notorious impudent villaine Besides thou hast left vs one Dido to be a harlot and amorous forsooth of this fugitiue but here thou liest againe for neuer did she poore soule see him in all her life being a most honourable Ladie and farre more vertuous then either thou or thy forsworne Troyan were O shamelesse and deceitfull Poets how happie is that citie that entertaineth no such Monsters as you As was Sparta sometimes when it had neither Poets nor Orators nor gold nor siluer and all because they would not be abused Vnfortunate then and foolish are such as make account of you deuising how they might be extolled and lifted vp with praises vnto the skies through your dissembling Pennes Away then I pray thee my friend and take thy verses againe and neuer hereafter venture to present me any more with such trash as this but rather call to minde that fond Poet who made a bargaine with Alexander the great that for euery good verse he should present vnto him he should haue a crowne in gold and for euery bad a box vpon the eare but so often was he strucken and so many blowes had he as in the end he died he not hauing bene able to haue made any verse worthy of reward Thinke of this sillie Poet A foolish Poet. when thou goest about to endite for better were it for one to hold his peace then to talke without reason And therefore let no person hereafter be so bold as presume to write any verse concerning my name for I make account rather to purchase blame then credit any way thereby and it will sooner hurt me then be a helpe vnto me Let vs then goe vnto some farre secret and solitarie place and there let vs inclose our selues as it were in a Religious Monasterie and with vs let vs imprison our youthfull desires and motions our Ambition and Vaine-glorie and there let vs so liue as the darke clouds of Pride may neuer eclips the Sunne of our Humilitie And you my Maisters who haue bene nourished and fed with this foolish studie loosing most vainely your young and golden time Young Schollers ought to vse their gifts and time well and not vainely and ill goe your waies and sing your Sonnets vnto others and seeke some other Subiect then my selfe on whom you may bestow them Heauens grant my name may neuer be heard of more in any mouth and that giuing ouer the world I may giue ouer all worldly affects since he onely is right happie that is exempted from mortall vanities being gotten alone to dwell by himselfe in some vncoth wildernes through which he is free from thousands of mischances and encombrances which bring much trouble vnto our soules This is the course I meane to take from which before I will be turned I will endure the torments and tortors of any cruell death whatsoeuer O how bitter a Pill was this vnto my stomacke and what anguish and sorrow did the other Shepheard conceiue in his minde when he hard this irreuocable sentence of his vtter vndoing pronounced by her He stood confounded and amazed as Diomede the Greeke did when fighting with braue Hector he might see the lightning of heauen to fall before his eyes His speech failed him his tongue faltered in his mouth and being ashamed to see he had the repulse he knew not what to say And no meruaile for the worthiest Phylosophers in the world haue become mute before meaner persons then she witnesse Demosthenes with diuers others And now I found my selfe depriued of all hope to describe the rare vertues of my Mistris seeing she so constantly refused
farre better deliuer and present before the diuine Maiestie I being in some remote place separated and alone then if I should liue where I should behold the fond vanities of worldlings continually As for you my deare companions a worser guide then my selfe Heauen neuer can bestow vpon you That Goddesse Diana whom you serue shall take care of you neither wil she leaue you vnprouided of some one or other worthy protectresse that may alwaies defend you Should I haue stayed with you still yet could not you haue hoped that I could haue done any good for you by reason of the small power ability which vnconstant Fortune hath bestowed vpon me And yet I must needs confesse that your absence will be an exceeding corsie griefe vnto me and that losing you I shall lose the chiefest stay of my ioy contentment But notwithstanding all this so sweet and comfortable is the thought of spirituall things as I must leaue all mortall pleasures for them This only is my comfort that the separation of our bodies shall neuer part our former affection which we haue borne one another Then I beseech you all forget not me as I will euer remember you You shall haue parcell of my prayers and I will thinke vpon you in my soule when I am alone Weepe not then for her who goeth away to lead a most blessed life otherwise I shall take you to be my mortall enemies enuying my good fortune neither bewaile her losse who neuer could be halfe so profitable vnto you whilst shee liued with you as shee shall be when she is sundred from you Flintie Rockes sometimes are diuided through Lightninges and Thunders much more may earthly creatures be seuered one from another All Companies and all Acquaintance must needes one day breake off whereas their true Friendship and loyall Amitie neuer departeth nor dyeth at all If euer you haue loued me then reioyce with me and wish vnto me that glorie and felicitie which I prepare for my life to finish the rest of these wretched dayes of mine But it now draweth on towards the euening I therefore will trouble you no more at this time but bid you all good night let euery one withdraw thēselues vnto their lodgings Wherevpon they all went homewardes whilst I my selfe stayed all alone behind for I was not able to rise vp from the ground whereon I sat by reason of the exceeding griefe I felt within me Mouelesse I lay like vnto a Tower cold I was as any stone and senselesse I seemed resembling a dead Coarse which is layed in a Tombe without mouing speaking or sighing at all All that long night did I spend falling into cold sweats and heauie soundings weeping and sobbing vntill my hart nigh burst without either sleepe or rest no not so much as once closing mine eye-liddes The day being come I found my selfe a little and God knowes it was little indeed amended wherevpon with much adoe I got vp and went to my lodging where finding paper and Inke sheading thousandes of teares and sending forth millions of sighes I wrote these dolefull verses following Since farre exilde from mee doth wound my soule And that a mortall desperate straunge disease Doth stealing seaze vpon my bloudlesse Coarse What should I longer linger for to ate Since Death alone can cure this vncoth flame Mine eies hane wept mine hart hath sigh'd too much My soule is wearied with enduring paine Hee dieth not that in dying ends all griefe Those lonely Eyes are now debasht from mee So is that gratious Fauour more then faire For whom I breath and feede vpon this Aire Blest is that man that then yeelds vp his Ghost When as he findes himselfe in heauens disgrace And seeth the Welkin for to wound him still With mee shall wend into my Fatall Tombe My bloody griefes and more then dolefull Dule And all those thoughts of her who when I liu'd Made mee to prooue a worse then trebble Death Let no man then seeme for to waile my losse Since friendly Death by it my cares doth crosse It is enough since for my worthlesse Death My Mistris faire forbeareth to lament Nor grieues that I should part so soone her fro Dead I should please her better then when life Did soiourne in this earthly Inne of mine And therefore I will end my loathed dayes My prying Eyes first authours of mine ill My gentle hart ore loyall in his loue As they deseru'd sharpe paine shall first endure Reason it is that they who first offended Should be inflicted with due punishment For so the heauens will guerdon each aright Cupid doth vse for to abridge our dayes Nor for our woes doth quit vs otherwise First hee doth wound and then he heales againe By two Deuises and both contraries The first our heart burnes th' other kills our strength Th' one cruell is the other 's amiable Blest is he that LOVE serues since in one day Hee happie or vnhappie make him may Hauing made this sorrowfull Song I determined to present it vnto my Ladie come of it whatsoeuer could for my last farewell that euer she should haue of mee wherevpon I went to seeke her and such was my good fortune as I found her all alone walking vnder the shadow of a number of sweet Cipresse trees No sooner had I a sight of her but that a certaine timerous respect ioyned with a kinde of amazement seazed vpon mee so that I became vpon the suddaine as colde as any Ice Wherevpon I began to be astonisht quite forgetting my former resolution whilst I remained as a Pillar fixed in the ground not being abe to doe anie thing but to gaze vpon her more then Angelicall face My vitall spirits were all flowen into mine eyes who held them very earnestlie busied in contemplation of this her more then peerlesse beautifull countenance Whilst I thus beheld her I remembred the vnsupportable losse I was like to endure losing her diuine presence knowing that the more I viewde her the more was my griefe when I thought I should be depriued from her and yet neuerthelesse I tooke a wonderfull great contentment to lose my selfe in this sweete Riuer as the flie doth when hee is drowned in sweete milke Minerua neuer seemed more graue nor fuller of maiestie vnto poore Arachne when shee was punished by her neither did Diana shewe more amiable or louely when she accompanied her Shepheard Endimion then my Mistris did in mine eye Being thus rauished with so heauenly a sight I could not withdraw my selfe from the same desiring no other death in my minde but in beholding her so to giue vp the Ghost which the Virgin perceiuing thus saluted mee What is the matter Shepheard that you are vp so early this morning what seekest thou here and why lookest thou so sadde and heauilie Away with this dumpish melancholy the butcher of mans life for hee liueth not but rather languisheth as one dying who being ouer sadde and heauie cannot shake this
many Louers haue there bene lesse faithfull then I am and nothing so zealous in loue as my selfe that haue finished their liues when they were depriued of their louing dames and shall not I be as fortunate as they euery way as vertuous as they especially when I haue deserued more then they haue which when I haue done I hope gratious Virgin your chaste soule will doe no lesse then testifie what great respectand dutious affection I bare vnto you vntill my latest gaspe hauing long serued you and yet neuer had any reward at all But what talke I of reward when I desire to die were it onely for this thing in that I durst presume to loue you and yet it is not death that daunteth not at all onely I grieue because I feare I neuer shall finde so sweet a face in the other world with which I may delight me But I am not the first Louer hath bene sent away vnrewarded of his Mistris and yet too great hath my recompence bene in that I haue had that great good hap as to haue seene you whilest I liued and now I must loose you can I doe other then loose my selfe you goe your way and thinke you I shall stay behind Ah then how much are you deceiued for I will die yea I will die although not by your commandement yet because I shall see you no more and this I here protest I am most resolutely minded to doe come whatsoeuer will thereof meane space withdraw thy hand from me which I desire not to kisse since t is with thy displeasure whilest I liued I sought to please thee and now I die I will not seeke to crosse thee Away then with this thy hand too faire for me to touch assuring thee that I am as much contented with thy good will as if I had enuoyed the greatest pleasure in the world Then once againe I beseech thee let me alone and trouble me no more I bid the world adue and take my last farewell of thee for die I will since t is the onely thing which I desire Diana seeing me looke so gastly began to be afraid of me doubting least I would presently haue laid violent hands vpon my selfe as I sweare vnto you reuerend father I had done but that I found her more tractable and more kinde which was the cause that after she had many times sighed beholding me with a most pittifull and curteous aspect and mourning as it were to see me in so heauie a plight she spake thus mildly vnto me Ah Arcas most faithfull Arcas if thou wilt die for my sake there is no reason but I should be miserable for thee to requite this thy great kindnesse towards me So will I be for thee and such a one doe I wish my selfe to be as long as I shall liue Say not then that thou art the most miserable wretch aliue since Diana is a partaker of thy miserable fortunes who to haue regard vnto her honour and for the loue she beateth vnto thee shall liue most miserable all the rest of her sad life being somewhat comforted in this onely that she cannot suffer for two more worthy subiects As sweet shall be my griefes when I shall thinke of thee as my ioy shall be when displeasing I remember thee not at all I see it is the will of the Gods that things should thus fall out and I will not be repugnant against the same more proofes I haue not to manifest my good meaning vnto thee being hindered through mine honour in leiu whereof I will giue thee a tast of the rest by my continuall Martyrdomes Therefore I coniure thee by that chaste Loue thou hast so long borne me offer no violence vnto thy selfe but stay the will of the heauens for it may so fall out as thou maist perhaps see me once more before thou diest and seeing the houre is now come that without seeing me more I must absent my selfe from thee I will not conceit mine affection from thee for I know thou wilt not seeke thy profit by my hiâ—derance Too well doe I know and must needs acknowledge thy faithfull and infinite Loue towards me If euer man hath bene worthy of a Ladies Loue then it is thine owne selfe therefore thinke that nothing in the world hath hindered me to make requitall vnto thee as full well thou hast deserued but chaste honour and seeing I cannot doe otherwise let me increate thee haue patience Besides if the assurance of my amitie may comfort thee seeing thou canst not receiue any other consolation at my hands assure thy selfe I loue thee deerly yea deare Arcas dearely doe I loue thee and to giue a most plaine testimonie of the same I will and command thee vpon that power and authoritie which thou hast giuen vnto me ouer thee that thou kisse my hand as thou before desirest and I pray thee most hartily to belieue that I am wonderfull sorie because I cannot giue thee a more ample signe of my Loue vnto thee content thee then with this small fauour of mine and thinke it is greater then it is because it commeth from so willing a minde and from her who wisheth vnto thee more happinesse then she doth vnto her owne selfe O sweete words which as a lushious kinde of poyson infected my soule with true ioy although afterwards they cost me dearely I hauing bought them at too high a rate and yet what could I now desire more But as the fall from an high Tree is farre more daungerous then from a lower and as the afflictions of rich men spoyled of their goods is farre more grieuous then those of the poore because they neuer had any such wealth to loose Euen so these delightfull speeches wrought my miseries to be farre more cruell afterwards vnto mee then if my Ladie neuer had pronounced them Yet did they mee great good as then in respect I enioyed her companie and in that she shewed her selfe so kinde vnto me But alas it was my Fortune and not her fault since none can withstand his hard destinie Meane time I being astonisht and amazed trembling like that wayfaring man when he beholdeth a Snake winding about his legge tooke my Lady by the Lilly-white hand going about with great reuerence to kisse it when a suddaine feare comming freshly into my head that my Diana would mislike of the same made me to forbeare a while Whilst I thus said vnto her Sweet Ladie I beseech you forbeare and let mee after my wonted manner languish away secretly in my sorrowes rather then any discontentment should trouble you at all For too great a plague would that be vnto me if I should liue to behold the ouerthrow of her whom I esteeme more pretiousthen mine owne life and the rather sithence I am predestinate to be vnhappie Let me I pray you be pardoned in this because I know my selfe euery way vnworthie of so rich a curtesie hauing receiued but too much fauour alreadie at your hands
in that you haue vouchsafed to permit me to enioy your more then Angelicall presence thus long and all alone Neuertheles I most humbly thanke you as much for the proffer thereof as if I had enioyed the same I being euery way contented and satisfied as I would my selfe Thus did I excuse my selfe as one vnworthie of so great a kindnesse making daintie of the matter when my Ladie seeming as it were to be angrie that I refused the same and somewhat blushing through Choller thus replyed Well shepheard well I now perceiue that you will not accept of this small fauour because vo◠would haue some colour to complaine of mee after my departure from you Willingly I offer it then willinglie accept it for say that anie thing otherwise then well should happen vnto me about this matter yet would not I haue thee to think I loue thee so ill as I would lay anie blame vpon thee at all More pleasing is a hurt come by chaunce from a friend then a pleasure or good turne done vnto vs proceeding from an enemie Then if I may doe any thing with thee let mee intreat thee to doe as I will haue thee which if thou wilt not then wilt thou make me to think thou neuer didst affect me The refusall of a gift presented in good will argueth a peruerse minde of him against the giuer that doeth refuse the same Euen so I cannot imagine otherwise of thee but that thou rather hatest mee then louest me truely and therefore doe as thou pleasest But I will call the heauens to witnesse of mine offer proceeding from a pure good will to the ende the blame shall be thine and not mine if hereaster without cause thou shalt exclaime against me Therefore if euer thou meanest that I shall remember thy loue and that I shall thinke thou hast euer affected mee with a chaste and an vnspotted heart then let me intreat thee to accept of this gift which as I knowe it will be pleasing vnto thee so shall it be no way hurtfull vnto me at all Seeing then said I louely Diana that such is thy pleasure I will obey the same whether I liue or die and not a little will I glorie herein that I haue liued to fulfill the will of so great and gracious a Ladie as your selfe swearing by those your Diamond eyes that what mischaunce so euer shall hereafter light vpon mee I neuer will accuse you for the same Wherevpon I gentlie tooke her Iuory soft hand which I kissed bedeawing it with many a louing teare O sweet thought thereof ô pleasing remembrance of that good Fortune and ô sacred memory of that blessed time although they cost me dearely not long after That poore vassall who findeth himselfe punished for presuming to haue hunted within the Parkes of his Lord receiueth not halfe so deepe a conceit of his displeasure as this Fauour made mee afterwards to endure So much was my delight as I seemed to be rauished therewithall nothing in the world being able to haue contented mee so much as that did That thing which a man loueth and hath a minde vnto hee thinketh can neuer be too deerly bought Euen so I found nothing so precious in my thoughts as was those kisses which I then enioyed Alas neuer doe I thinke thereof but that I am ready for to sownd That wicked Tyrant Dennis beeing driuen out of his kingdome of Sicile neuer thought himselfe so wretched when he remembred his vtter ouerthrow as I doe when I call to minde my former life and happines I stood still as a stone sighing and crying out as indeed I had reason for two causes especially The one was the absence of my Ladie the other the losse of that sweete contentment which I then enioyed and was to giue ouer presently But the day now beginneth to be late and therefore I will briefly make an ende of this my more then wofull Tragedie No sooner had I let goe my Ladies hands but that the whole troupe of Nymphes were arriued they all saluting Diana their Gouernesse who was not slowe to returne them the like kindnes againe Alas this was that dismall day which did me both good and bad and all at one time together wherin I may compare her vnto the Viper which being venomous doth sting deadly and yet neuertheles serueth for many necessary helpes and vses For then was it when my Mistris still setled in her first resolution tooke leaue of all the Nymphes her companions to goe and inclose her selfe within some solitarie Cell for none could disswade her from the same althogh with sighes teares she was perswaded to the contrary Whilst I poore wretch being not able to endure to behold so pittifull a departure weeping and crying out like an other Niobe conueyed my selfe behinde a Rocke to bewaile my losse at the more leisure O how heauy were the complaintes I made as then how dolefull the mournings how bitter the laments and how pittifull was the moestfull sound of my dying voice I must needs make you acquainted with some part of them because I haue no other delight then to call to minde these my forepassed miseries Be these then cried I out the last speeches that euer I shall make vnto my deare Mistris and thou most glorious Sunne is it possible that I should be able to behold this blacke gloomy day when thou thy selfe hast hid thy head before times for lesse matter then this If so why then doest thou not now hide thy selfe to the ende thou mayest not view the most wretched Caitiffe that euer liued Who euer knew a bodie to liue without a soule breath or blood no more shall mine do for thou holdest my soule and heart louely Diana The cruell Destinies shall not depriue thee of mee but of my life also In losing of thee I will lose my selfe neither shall mine eyes see any more since they cannot behold thy gracious presence Vnfortunate I that did not a while since go kill my selfe before I was depriued from my chiefest ioy I now liuing to be but a common receptacle for all mischaunces whatsoeuer As possible is it for a man to support vpon his shoulders the huge weight of the Heauens as for mee to beare the absence of thee my sacred Diana Since the nourishment of my life is gone what can mine Eyes behold to see seeing their Sunne is Eclipsed who shall giue light vnto mine heart and how shall my hope flourish greene since all comforts be quite blasted and gone How many Louers haue there bene that haue either dyed with griefe or else haue slaine themselues with their owne swords onely because they haue lost their faire Mistriffes What then should let or hinder mee but that in like manner I may followe their examples The Marchant that hath no marchandise shutteth vp his shoppe and liueth idlely Euen so I hauing lost my Saint must shut vp mine eyes with the sweet slumber of death O blessed Eyes in that you haue