You vnderstand my Lord the course I kept you see the gods haue brought this geare to end These fatal listes could not be ouer lept but needs my wil to their great might must bend For fault to you their force I must oppose I am your child of me you may dispose Occa. Small pardon needs where grace is ready found vpon some better hope you haue discharge Affection heales where folly made the wound but these things are to be discourst at large But now the meane to mend your present case is that you yeeld and gaine your fathers grace This Lady here the Fairy Queene hath laide for your defence in so forsaking me As much as may in your behalfe be sayd to whom we both are bound exceedingly One point remaines wherein if you relent to take you home to grace I am content Queen I dare my selfe for her part vndertake that on her side resistance wil be small To what request her father here shal make the cause once knowen and circumstance withall To compasse your good will is her desire wherefore demaund the thing that you require Occa. Gaudina this long time you haue giuen raine to serue your choise and feed your fancy still Wherin as you haue suffered part of payne so I became partaker of your yll Now is the time to come to reasons schoole which can alone these hot affections coole For loue to leaue the land where you were borne to tread your Fathers teares quite vnder feet To stray you wote not where as one forlorne to wander stranger like in such a heat Doth ill beseem a person of your port which being done to reason now resort You are mine only child heire to my state the wealth wherof doth rest vpon your choyce Which wil be wel if you in taking mate do vse aduise of Fathers careful voyce Mark wel hereon doth hang your Fathers loue besides the good by you my state may proue I wil considering both birth and your degree wherto at first I cast my chiefe respect To Countries good you chiefly haue an eie which calles you home and wils you to neglect The Loue of him which led you so astray and for her sake to take a better way Gaudin. A dainty choyse my Lord you offer me old rooted loue stil wedded to conceit With rufull looke appearing in mine eye and to your suit presenting stil debate Whom Countries good and nature bids obay wherby my tongue knowes not what 's best to say But good my Lord sith you which may command doe giue me leaue for my defence to plead May it please you in short to vnderstand how things haue past twixt him and me indeed Which being heard if you be not content my wil to yours shal presently be bent How worth in him did worke loue first in me in Princely state while I did liue at home Your selfe therewith displeasd did right wel see which banishing him inforced me to rome Because the baite which loue for vs had layde held vs so fast as it could not be stayde By land and Sea I wandred farre and neere not finding rest til Sibil told me plaine her hap of that I hop'd remained here where I should rest and finish al my payne Successe confirm'd her speech and here I found to whom by chained linke loue hath me bound For farther linke in marriage to proceed because therein I had not your consent I followed stil Apollos holy reed whose priest in that restrained myne intent And wild me not to marriage to giue place til he should like of whom I tooke my race Our state is thus our loue which thus did grow stands in these termes in other termes yet free I loued where I likt which reft me froe I hasted on the thing I likt to see I sought I found our loue remayneth stil so to passe forth if it be your good will Occa. If you stand free saue only that it pleasd the mighty Cupid this to cause you rome Therein I find my heart wel easd and trust to match you wel when I come home With loue more fit for you then this can be where both estate and wealth shal wel agree Gaud. Alas my Lord it is but fortunes gift to haue discent brought down from Princes traine The persons worth is vertues worthy drift which by desart the highest place should gaine Care not for birth though it be neuer so base but vertue reke which craues the highest place Occa. As t' is a chance to be a Princes child so if you thinke that vertue is restraind To one alone therin you are beguild she doth refuse of none to be obtaind And where that royall blood with vertues meet doth not such one best seem a Princely seate Such one I know in place where you were borne more fit for you then this to whom you cleaue Whefore giue your consent and thinke no scorne at Fathers suit your former loue to leaue For duty so despisde for al my payne to find you out I craue this only gaine Gaudi. But yet my Lord consider al the toile which I haue past to compasse this my loue Shal old conceit at length receiue the foyle whose force I feele not minding to remoue VVhen Loue forsaken shal reuiue agayne alas my Lord how sore wil be my payne To be constraind not once to cast a looke where I tofore did pitch my whole delight To leaue him thus for whom I all forsooke how can true loue abide such poysoned spight VVhat 's to be said in this vnequall fight where loue denies what nature claimes of right O Cupid be content with that is past thus long to thee I haue my seruice vowd Let nature now preuaile at last what she demands hold it not disalowd And shal I then forsake my former ioy nay my Gaudina death were lesse annoy Plaint hath found meane and loue hath won his right from whom but death no force shal seuer me Dame Nature be content here in thy sight my Loue I doe release and yeeld to thee Yet neither loue nor nature may possesse but only death the mother to redresse Occa. See how this heate doth burst to extreame flame see what deuise extreame desire hath founde She loues and cannot leaue yet to voyd blame she hath found out another helples grounde By death to disappoint both our desires see reasons checke when senslesse loue aspires Yet this I may not leaue that is begonne Madam of you I must craue farther ayde By whom I trust this fort shal yet be wonne you haue perceiu'd by both what hath byn said You see the ground whereon my reasons leane to work my daughters weale be you the meane Queen I see affection arm'd and loth to yeeld whom length of time and strength of loue support I see whereon perswasions right doth build which hath me thinks possest the stronger fort If loue had sight and reason could be hold or fiery flame could be subdu'de with cold But Lady geue
persos to please you with their seruice my self to serue you euer with my prayers leauing these Louers to their delights must leaue Loric to this aduise Knight prosecute thy purpose it is noble learning by me not to feare of thy self to take paine remembring nothing notable is woon without difficulty Hercules had by his laboures his renowne and his end by his Loue Loricus thy end wil be reward at least most reputation with noblest women most esteemed But I feare I haue too lōg tyred your most noble eares therfore only now I beseech your Ma. with your happye presence to honor my poore home whither straight I mean to guide you This Learned or long tale being brought to his end the poore Hermit loden as it were with beades and other such ornaments of his professiō begins to tread the way before the Queen which her Maiestie espying refused her steed and betook her self in like sort to the use of her feet accompanying the Hermit her self waited on of the rest fel into some discourse praise of his good tale which not ended or rather scarce fully begun the Q. Ma. had in sight the house which indeede was a place by art so reared from the ground as neuer before nor hereafter shal I see the like First it was incōpassed the number of 200. paces round with lattise the place of the princes entrance bedect with Iuy spanges of gold plate the glimering wherof was such that men of great iudgement might haue held themselues at stay The ground frō thence reared litle litle to the altitude of forty foot or more the path in mounting couered with fresh turues with such art that a great many made question of his skil which was the Layer The way was railed with lattice beset with sweet flowres Iuy as before aboue in the house was a Table made in order of a halfe moon or more couered with green turues so replenished with sorts of dainty those diuers dishes belōging to banquet that the beholders might wel haue though Iupit had hoped the connuing trusted the pleasing by banquet of his faire Europa At one ende therof somwhat distāt frō the other was placed another table but round with a chayre costly made of Crymson veluet imbrodred with branches pictures of wild beasts trees as it had beene a peece of woorke made in the desartes But leaste I hold you too longe this mounte made as I haue sayde aboute an Oake the toppe whereof was inforced by strength too bende downe her branches to couer the house whiche was done wyth such art that the praise of the beholders comming wold haue sufficed the woorker for his trauel although hee was not so satisfied for his skil by more then 40. pounds A number of fine Pictures with posies of the Noble or men of great credite was in like sort hanging there where with many were in loue and aboue the rest the French Embassadour whiche was present at these sightes made great suite to haue some of them The whiche posies with some perfect note of their pictures I would haue presented vnto you but because the Allegories are hard to be vnderstood without some knowledge of the inuentors I haue chosen my tyme rather when my selfe shall be present more the sooner because I woulde leaue nothing vnfulfilled of my firste determination Now Hemetes hauing brought her Maiesty to the entraunce of this place sayde Here most Noble Lady hauing now brought you to this most simple Hermitage where you shal see smal cunning but of nature no cost but of good wil my houre approching for my orrisones which according to my vow I must neuer breake I must here leaue your maiestie promising to pray as for my selfe that whosoeuer wish you best may neuer wish in vayne Thus the Hermite departes the Queenes Maiesty addresseth her selfe with merry cheere to banqueting which to encrease a diuine sound of vnacquainted instruments in the hollow roome vnder the house made such stroakes of pleasure moued such delights that if Apollo himselfe had byn there I thinke hee would haue intreated the learning of their skill or at the leaste forgotten the pleasant remembrance of his sweete Daphnes Her Maiesty thus in the middest of this mirth might espy the Queen of the Fayry drawen with 6. children in a waggon of state the Boies bravely attired her selfe very costly apparrelled whose present shew might wel argue her immortality and presenting her selfe to the Queens Maiesty she spake as followeth As I did roame abroade in wooddy range In shade to shun the heate of Sunny day I met a sorrowing knight in passion strange by whom I learned that coasting on this way I should ere long your highnesse here espie to whom who beares a greatar loue then I Which then tooke roote still mounting vp on height when I behelde you last nigh to this place with gratious speech appeasing cruell fighte This loue hath caused me transforme my face and in your hue to come before your eyne now white then blacke your frende the fayery Queene Which marking all as all to me is knowen your face your grace your gouerment of state your passing sprite whereby your fame is blowen doe knowe by certein skill you haue no mate and that no man throughout the worlde hath seene a prince that may compare with th' English Queene This knowledge kends in me so hot desire to see your highnesse here in this my walke as since your parting hence I flam'de in fire till your returne that I might heare you talke that none to you a better harte doth beare my selfe in speech to you might make it cleare In signe whereof accept most sacred Queene this simple token wrought within this woode which as but base so better should haue beene If I had not at suddaine vnderstoode of your arriuall here which made me take what came to hande and no great choyse to make Her speache thus ended shee deliuered her gifte whiche was a goune for her Maiestie of greate price whereon the imbroderer had bestowed the summe of his conning which she receiued with yelding thanks to whom the fayry Dueene replied The thing is farre beneth both your desert and my desire yet am I glad to heare your highnesse take it thus in so good parte which for my selfe if it like you to weare then shall I reape the frute of happie minde as honored by you the honor of your kinde To gratifie the rest of the Ladies present there was deuised many excellente and fine smelling Nosegayes made of all cullers to euery one whereof was annexed a posy of two verses giuen by a handmayde of the fayry Queene and one aboue the rest of greatest price for the Queenes Maiestie with her posie in Italian which because I neither understoode it nor scarce canne write it to be understood I leaue also till my next cōmig to visite you for the rest as
oft times is wise Perhaps your daughters Loue sprang from desart perhaps the persons worth procur'de her choise Perhaps he was so tyed he could not start from her commaunding him by vertues voyce And would you seeme at such linke to repine which vertue did with her owne fingers twyne Therefore make your account this griefe you feele proceeds from offence gainst such a power And neuer hope to winne your better weale till that his wrath appear'd he leaue to lower Loue is a Lord who lothes hym him he shames not sparing Lordes not sparing princely Dames And chiefly where with vertue he doth linke for vertues sake where loue doth like to light There can no force enforce his force to shrinke he trusts so much to his confederates might Wherefore your daughters loue for vertues sake worke what you could no ouerthrow would take Occan. I neuer did repine where vertues loue did link but where there seem'd Disperagement to rise As in her match I did and do stil think his birth to hers in no point did suffice A Princes child inheritour to state too good I thought so farre to vndermate Queen Alas good Sir know you not at these yeeres that Loue doth alwaies fight on equal ground And where he mindeth match he makes them peeres if mynds agree the ground of states is found A Princely heart in meaner man may dwel where if a Princesse like she doth but well For when the eare is fed with worthes report when eie beholds what rauisheth the sight The heart straight to desire yeelds vp the fort where if againe like liking hap to light When vertues ioyne and like with like is knit what match is made more excellent then it This match should you mainteine where loue crept in not of himself but gesse-waies led by hand For vertue was the first that did begin against whose force whilest you thought to withstand In single termes as not allowing loue the compound strength of vertue you do proue You blame not him for mounting vp so hie she beares the blame for bending down so low Whom fortune bids looke vp too blame were he if he should quaile and worthy ouerthrow And she too blame of neere so high degree not casting Loue where vertues doth agree Alas what 's birth though borne so much in eye the onely meane to blind who so is borne Who looking bigge with countenance on hye with vaine conceites holdes vertues giftes in scorne Vnhappy he that bragges in that behalfe where vertue lacks he proues himself a calfe Occa. You force me sore yet this you le not deny that though Loues powre be not to be withstood And that the match of minds be beyond cry and they best linkt where liking thinks it good Yet should my child of me make so smal store as match her selfe and not moue me before Queen If match were made by onely meane of man you had byn first as whom the cause concernd But what the Gods first moue doe what you can they wil passe on though parents be not warnd It is but vayne to say loue shal not winne vnlesse at your consent he first beginne Occa. But was not that vnkindly done of her vnknown to me to stray from Countries soyle Therby her Fathers blood so sore to stirre which for her sake doe take this yrksome toyle In kinde a child vnkind to such a Syre deseruing iust reuenge of fathers yre Queen Nay was not that vnkindly done of you vnknowen to her to send her loue away To worke you both such woe as you feele now you for her sake she for her Loue to stray In kynd a Syre vnkind to such a child whose only fault hath child and Sire exilde Occa. But nature should haue borne with parents heat sith what was meant was meant but for her good The Loue of kind such fancy loue should beat and though she found me for a time in mood Tyme would haue turnd and causd me to relent in that for which from me she slily went Queen Where nature doth but warme loue sets on fire and greater force of lesser is obayde For loue by choyce doth drawe more deep desire the loue of kind by kind loue 's ouer wayde Which maister like giues not time to relent but on he wil or make the man repent How could your Tigrish heart by sundring them which liu'd in heauen before you sought their hell Defeate the hold where Cupid held his claime but in these termes no longer for to dwell What if your child were offered to your face should she or should she not obteine your grace And if her Loue for whom her toyle hath beene should come with her resolu'd to be her owne Should not this angry mood of yours void cleane answere me that for that thing being known Perhaps I would in part procure your ease so that their match your mynd might not displease Occa. This compound case doth cause a fight in mind to gaine my child my griefe would soone relent Though in her flight she followed not her kind but with her match I cannot be content But who are you Madam if I may craue to know your name which seekes them thus to saue Queen I am the Fairy Queene Occan. O noble Dame whose skil is such as nought is hid from you Nothing so darke but you doe know the same I know you know where both they be and how I may obteine the thing I haue so sought whose want I wrought and deerely haue it bought Queen Wel Sir I doe perceiue you are content to take your child into your grace againe In hope wherof she shal straight be present to please her fathers sight to stay his paine For other things discourse you when you meet all wil be wel since you are wonne from heat Goe mayd goe cal your Lady here Rox. exit Occa. I thanke you noble Dame for pitying me and tendring this my silly daughters state Whom if it be my hap againe to see no such like heat shal set vs at debate And yet I hope by reason so to deale as that her match shal stand to Countries weale Acha. It wil be hard her setled loue to shake which grounded once is not light to remoue Yet for your loue and for her Countries sake it may fall out she wil forget her loue Which being new and young did rauish so now being old hath better leaue to go But yonder comes the maiden which was sent Gaudina Roxa entreth and lo my Ladie there for whom she went Qu. T' is true my L. your daughter is in place performe your speech and let her find some grace Gaudi espying her father falleth on her knees saying Gaudi. I must deere father craue here at your feet for mine offence your pardon to obtaine From whom to fly I yeeld it was not meet yet Loue my Lord in me so sore did rayne As victor once repulse he would not beare but bade me seek my loue in place ech where
me Madam for waighing both if any harme do rise the griefe is mine You to displease the god knowe I am loth for whom my heart disdaines not any pine Set loue aside til reason hath found out what is the best in that we goe about Against our Loue our Countries good is laid for whose auaile we ought not death refuse Then death for loue in Countries cause bewraid ought to reioyce and seeke no other scuce Yet leauing Loue for countries cause I die who wil not weep such happe on me to lie Because my Lord your father may well know that vertue is the linke of this our Loue And not affection blind which leades vs so as being bent we cannot once remoue Marke Madam what I say and yeeld consent it is your loue that causeth me relent Without my Lord your parents free good wil at home with him what can his child enioy And thus to liue in state a wanderer stil as you do now what more may breed annoy Good Madam though I loue as no man more yeeld yet to him withstand him not so sore You shal obteine such one by his foresight as he shal like and countries weale shal craue You must regard the common weales good plight and seeke the whole not onely one to saue If you doe well I cannot doe amisse though loosing you I lose mine onely blisse I doe foresee the griefe that wil insue when I shal find my selfe of you bereft VVhen careful mind my late mishap shal rue that voyd of you and of your sight am left A double death my doleful dayes shal feele yet I resigne my right to countries weale Qu. A noble speech confirming what was said that vertues worth was causer of your loue For sure my Lord it cannot be denaide but that this minde a stony heart myght moue Which to his praise doth yeeld to Countries good the thing which to possesse so neere he stood Occa. Wel Conta I must needs esteeme you of such worth as your estate doth beare And if it might so to all others seem you best deserue the garland for to weare But sith the fates against your vertues bend your vertue wils you this to condiscend Whereto this farre I yeeld if that you please with me againe to Countrey to resort You shal in noble state there liue at ease and spend your daies in most delightful sport And as for loue I banish't you my lande euen so for loue in grace stil shal you stand Cont. My Lord what you haue done your state maintains exiling me that did offend your eye My life must be in course of restlesse paines for her whom care of countrey doth denye Good hap light on the land where I was borne though I doe liue in wretched state forlorne Gaudin. Alas that such a spirit cannot perswade Alas that state and vertue sunder so Alas of worth no more account is made but thus from thee my loue must I needes goe Well sith he yeelds which hath most right in me Ah Countries good I yeeld my selfe to thee Occa. Now haue I that which though I bought with pain I think it light the gain thereof so great Now I receiue you to my grace againe whereof before Loue sought you to defeat The second mends the former fault doth heale since you giue place to care of Countries weale Queen Wel now the force wherto your fate made way is wel expired you haue the heauens to friend Who though they saw you runne so long astray yet haue they giuen your care a ioyful end Thinke on and thanke it is a special grace first so to stray then so to end your race Your peace is wrought Madam retire with me to place where I do dwel from whence you may To Countrey make repaire when time shal be til when my Lord if you with me wil stay What things shal need for that your home retire I wil supply your want to your desire Occa. Your goodnes hath so bound both her and me as while we liue we be yours to command By you is wrought this wished worke I see by power diuine and by no mortal hand Passe on Madam let vs be of your trayne the causer of our ioy the healer of our payne Queen And you sir knight whose honest yeelding made the good consent which past to help this yll You may remaine as I before haue said where I do dwel with hearty great good will And euer haue the Fairy Queene to friend for vertues sake which I in you do finde Conta. Madam I am your owne stil to command as one you see of hap bereaued quite Resolu'd not to returne to countries land sith I haue lost what was my whole delight When resting pawse hath stay'd my troubled heart I will retire and draw my selfe apart And now sith cause of such importaunce moues my woful heart thus to forgo his loue Most worthy Dame sith chaunce so parts our loues that from my sight your presence must remoue Graunt me herein sith now the last I see let not your loue all whole depart from mee Waigh wel the cause that mou'd me to relent which may perhaps imprint more deep conceite What man as I his loue so firmly bent would yeeld the hold once maister of the baite The gods preserue your honour stil in health my priuate good my common countries wealth And if your mind were set that home you will it were but labour lost if I gainsaide And absent if your loue continue still my gayne is great who stil this ground haue laide That honest loue might thinke it no disgrace though they that loue do hap to sunder place Gaudi. Wel Contarenus wel what shal ensue you are the cause whose yeelding makes me yeeld Yet of my word for euer hold this true wheron you may assured comfort build Til death my soule and body shal depart your loue shal lodge in some part of my heart Griefe calles me hence Exit Conta. Such is my recompence Nowe doe I feele the pangs the Sea men bide which hauing harbour nigh in hope to land By turning winde are driuen to try the tide and trust the Seas thereby to voyd the sand Now doe I feele the depth of mothers paine for death of child she hop'd to see againe Was euer man more neere his hauen of blisse his ship driuen forth with wind that fill'd the sayle Had euer man such cause of hopelesse misse as I which at the fal so soon did faile Did Fortune ere so sodain shew her power as in her mirth so soon againe to lower When I had liu'd so long in strange exile in desart wastes commaunded stil to dwel Disfauored of my prince alas the while and bard my Ladies sight my heauiest hel Againe at last though to her paine we met so Loue in her surmounted lucklesse let Which loue as it did worke in her to ease so Fathers search which sought to salue his losse Hath bred vs both more cause
to receiue one too serue her that merited the honour of such fauour Therefore hee left his owne countrey and betooke himselfe altogether to trauel and to armes desiring with most indeuour but to deserue that reputation as this great and noble mistris woulde but thinke him worthy to be hers though she would neuer bee none of his so thinking no toyle too tough nor no attempt too hard to attayne to renown he wandred through the world till he came by painfull wayes to Sibillas grate where he met with Caudina Where these two louers hauing occasion to vnfold al their fortunes the Lady seeking to know the end of her trauel and the knight aduise for the ease of his hope they both receiued this answeare of Sibilla That as they were nowe coupled by this fortune so they should neuer depart fellowship till they had found out a place where men were most strōg womē most fayre the countrey most fertile the people most wealthy the gouernment most iust and the Princes most worthy so shoulde the Lady see that would content her so shoulde the knight heare that might comfort him Now most deere and best deseruing Lady it falles to my purpose and your praise to say somewhat of my selfe Olde though you see me here wrinckled and cast into a corner yet once haue I been otherwise A knight knowne and accounted of with the best of the world and liuing in court of most fame amongst a swarm of knights and Ladies of great woorth and vertue where beauty bade the basse desire sought the gole It chaunced me to loue a Lady to be beloued of Loue himselfe if he could but haue seene her but as she was such as did excell so was she of woonderfull condition wythout disdaine to be desired but most dainty to bee dealt with for touch her she wil turne to 20. diuers shapes yet to none but to content as me thought that thought stil to touch her was a heauen so it seemed by my hold that was so loth to let her go Till alas it liked her at last to put on the shape of a Tigris so terrible to behold as I durst hold her no longer and being so escaped I could neuer more sette eie on her Madam thus began my paine but you heare not yet my punishment beeing shifted from the sighte of that I sought aboue the world and then little delighting to looke on any thing els I tooke by by a Pilgrimage to Paphos in Cyprus trusting to heare of my mistris there where Venus was most honoured Whither when I came as I began to step in at the doore of her temple I was sodainly stroken blind Astonied at my mischaunce and vnderstanding not the cause thereof I fell downe on my knees and said O fairest of the Goddesses and farthest from cruelty what hath been my fault that thou art thus offended Thy folly presumption quoth Venus Chaplen as I gesse from my youth vp quoth I haue I euer been an honourer of vertue a delighter in learning and a seruaunt of Loue But it is no parted affection quoth he that Venus wil be honoured with Books and beauty make no match and it is an whole man or no man that this Goddesse wil haue to serue her and therwithal taking me by the shoulders he thrust me out of the Temple So with sighes and sorrow I sate down in the porch making intercessiō to Apollo the peculiar God I honored to haue compassion on my estate Now faithfull prayers beyng hard ere they be ended Mercury comes vnto me and bid me be of good comfort the goddesses be all found to haue this fault Diana with Acteō Pallas with Arachne Iuno with Tirecias were angry aboue measure so is Venus now with thee the cause with the remedy shall be told thee at Delphos whither straight I must carry thee Which he had no sooner spoken but by by I was set in the temple of Apollo Where first demanding my fault the Oracle made answere Thy feare and not thy faith and what quoth I may be my remedy The best besides the beautifullest the Oracle straight answered And with this Apollo his priest tooke me by the hand recounting vnto me the whole course of my life whom I loued and how I lost her And when I told him of the faithfulnes of my seruice the faithfulnes of my meaning of the variablenes of her conditiō and at the last of the fearefulnes of her apperāce Ah good Hemetes quoth he it is not the kind of womē to be cruell it is but their countenance touching their variablenes who wil not apply himselfe thereto shall not muche please them nor long hold them neither is it to be found fault with Nature her selfe loues variety so it be done without deceit Nowe for thy faithfulnes it sufficeth not the seruants of Venus must not onely haue faith but also lacke feare feare lost thee thy mistris and thy boldnes to enter into Venus Temple being vnacceptable made her strike thee blind But Apollo bid me tell thee the Gods wil receiue whom women forsake thy eyes shut vp from delight shall geue thy minde more open vnderstanding this punishment shall be thy profite Venus can barre thee but from her felicity of loue but for the deuotion thou bearest to Apollo hee giues thee this gift to be able to discipher the destinie of euery one in loue and better to aduise them then the best of her Darlings And furthermore doth promise thee that in reuolution of yeres thou shalt recouer thy sight but this shall not betide thee till at one time and in one place in a countrie of most peace two of the most valiant knights shal fight two of the most constant louers shal meet and the most vertuous Lady of the world shall be there to looke on And when thy eyes shal beholde what thy heart delighteth in euen a Lady in whom inhabiteth the most vertue Learning and beauty that euer yet was in creature then shal they be opened and that shall bee thy warrant Al Apollo sayeth is sooth the while it is determined that thou shalte dwell in an Hermitage where nothing that longes vntoo Natures vse shall bee lackinge vntoo thee so sodainelye I was shifted vnto this hill harde by where I haue wintered manye a yeere farre from the woes and wronges the worlde besides is full of And nowe beste Ladye and moste beautifull so tearmed of the Oracle and so thought of in the world what the Inchantresse tolde Contarenus Sibilla shewed Caudina and Loricus and Apollo said to me by your most happy comming is veryfied The most hardy knights Cont and Lori haue here fought the most constant Louers Cont and Caudina here be met and I poore Hemetes as the knight knowes ful lōg blind haue receiued my sight Al which happened by vertue of your grace which the best so much honor we most boūd vnto you and so I present these noble
wayting still on her attend at hande And that the Knight in Court there might remayne till that they both returned home agayne Which thing consented too by Princes voyce they haue pursude and wayted on the trayne Til late desire hath made them alter choyse the Ladies heart stil longing home agayne And glad to winne the Duke her Fathers will for mouing whom she knoweth she hath done yll For though at first in heat she set him light and forst by fathers wrong went wandring so Yet doth she stil suspect strong Natures might who checking chaffe sure workes the chafer woe Which to appeare is now her chiefe desire and therefore home she meaneth to retire Which thing to compasse well and leaue no part of dutie vnfulfulfilde both here and there She with the fairy Queene is gone apart of whom she hopes the rediest way to heare How to returne with loue from whence she came as she for loue departed from the same Now wil'd she me as loth to moue offence if she were cald for ere she could come backe To be in place and not to part from hence that for excuse in me might be no lack Til whose returne faire Ladies if I may among you with your leaue I meane to stay Achates Occanon Now good my Lord let mourning moane haue end the harme is yours your selfe this still to wracke The Heauens I trust some better newes will send the Gods which suffered you these paynes to take Intend you to behold with cheerefull eye your helpe is neere it must of force so be Occan. In seeking hope hap flieth stil away my weary corpes is ready for to faynt Then death that debt which I at length must pay by yeelding life receiue and end my plaint Now is the time most for to pleasure me when I in griefe doe craue it thus of thee Who hath not heretofore beheld on stage the hard conflict which breach of duety breedes With natures might in way to vanquish rage let him behold me and my daughters deedes Twixt whom as strange contempt hath caused flame so nature seekes againe to quench the same She set her loue where she her selfe likt best I much mislikt because her choise did light Beneath her birth though I might like the rest to stay this streame I did all that I might First with perswasions sweete I did beginne to trye if so my daughter I could winne The more I chargde the sorer she repeld wherefore my labour lost I changde my way And from my Court her Louer I expeld thereby in hope to worke my daughters stay But while I sought to wring her from her loue loue wrought her cleane from me as then de did proue No sooner did she finde her selfe alone bereft of him whom she a loue did chuse But secretly her selfe must needes be gone her state her traine her wealth she did refuse And held that happe to be her onely blisse him to inioy whom she in Court did misse Her parting first because it did proceede from vilde contempt of duety to her Syre Did stirre my choler much for that her deed till nature did arrest and wrought desire To haue my child restorde to me againe whose absence then had wrought my woe and paine Then I began such parentes to accuse as be too sowre to those they haue begot And found of al them farthest from excuse whose noble state doth make them more of note On them and theirs Loue hath the greatest power therefore on Loue they ought the least to lower A quiet life where neede no labour willes A seemely face whereon all eyes be cast A diet where desire the heart fulfils A world of sport while day while night doth last How can these things but make Loue open a way and fancy force with her delights to play Here did I fayle in seeking to withstand where I confesse the power of loue is most Hence did proceed the leauing of my land to finde her out which I so lewdly lost This is the cause why in such simple case I wander seeking her from place to place So as I feele my weery bones to shrinke not able long my fainting corpes to beare Sleepe doth oppresse my limmes which gin to sinke while slumbring ease relieues my toylesome cheare I pray you Sir depart not hence from me your faithful helpe mainteynes my hope I see Acha. I wil my Lord not once part from your side take you your rest your trauels doe it craue Here fast by you I am resolued to byde to gard you so as naught your rest depraue The griefe of minde I see works wondrous things commanding al estates both Lords and kings Roxa. O Goddes what haue I heard O cruel fates must that needs fal which you wil needs fulfill My Lord the Duke to leaue his Princely states and wandring thus to yeeld to Fortunes will Then doe I see that euen as you please men reape their rest and feele their most disease This haughty Duke which set so light by loue as though he could commaund him to obey Doth now himselfe by strange aduentures proue that gainst Loues force no power beareth sway For where Loue liues at will he soonest dies and where he flaunts at ful thence soonest flies But yet to learne more certainly what 's past ere that to him my selfe I doe bewray At this good man I meane to haue a cast of whom I will learne out if that I may By way of glaunce who t' is that lyeth heere and what might cause this his so ruthful cheere If 't be not he then is my labour lost and being but few words the cost is small If it be he then hence straight will I post and to my Ladies eares reporte it all That she therby may presently aduise what good therin may to her state arise Good Sir I see you sad which greeueth me whom curchy makes partaker of your woe To ryp your griefe vnpleasant it wil be as to all pained soules it is I know Yet if I may finde such grace in your eie tell me what man this is that here doth lie Ach. Faire Lady this your curteous speech doth craue disclose of all that careful brest doth hide In him that lyeth here the world may haue wherein with maze to let their minds abide A Prince he is whom fortune doth constraine with fruitlesse toyle to trauel stil in vaine Rox. A Prince I pray you where and of what land Ach. An Asian Lord the great Cambaian Duke Rox. What fate might force him take this toyle in hand Acha. To find his daughter out these paines he took Rox. Why where is she how hapt he her to leese Ach. Because in loue her minde he did displease Rox. Perhaps he did not like where she had lou'd Ach. Euen so it was for hee from court remou'd her friend for whom her countrey she forsooke As not of force her Louers lacke to beare which knowen the Duke to trauel him betooke To find her
me leaue whose friendship tride doth bid you bend your eare to that I say The trueth whereof cannot be wel denide though flaming loue in heate seeme to say nay Immortal states as you know mine to be from passions blind affects are quite and free If you may so consent to Parentes minde wherwith is ioyn'd the wealth of countries soyle As loue cannot accuse you for vnkinde ne yet complaine himselfe to haue the foyle Considering he whereon your Loue is bent may haue your loue though you herein relent If you forsake not forst by greater cause loue then of some vnkindnes might you blame But weight of greater worth forbidding pause if you withstand you blemish much your name It were no loue that stood so in your sight but might be tearm'd meere madnes out of right Returne againe with parent whence you came regard the state which birth hath brought you to Relent to loue that wil augment your fame and yet this knight cannot if you so do Condemne you much although you him forsake sith of two gods the greater you doe take Your Fathers reason springs from such a ground as cannot wel by reason be deny'de If he for you so fit a match haue found as for your birth no fitter may be spi'de What haue you then against him to withstand since nought but good can come from parents hand Set al aside and onely this obserue to seeke you out your knight he tooke no paine Yours was the toile you did from countrey swerue you trauail'de stil in rest he did remaine So that of you if loue craue further ayde you answere may he hath his wages payde But though you may thus checke his loue you 'le say how shal I choake the loue which flames in me That do my best so keepes me at the bay as ties me fast when loose I faine would be So that I find the goale must there be woon where fancy fights and loue the broyle begun Your countenance seemes to yeeld debarre al dout let meaner loue to greater quickly yeeld Your good it is these reasons goe about let common care giue priuate wil the field Why stand you stil as one in sodain traunce giue place to that your honour may aduaunce Gaudina Th' assault is great yet loue bids keep the field what al this time hath my long trauel won If now by light attempt I hap to yeeld these reasons helte before my flight begon What is now said but then the same was true the ground is old though floures be fresh and new When he by slight was so withdrawen from me then did my loue condemne these reasons all And shall I now sith nothing els I see by yeelding thus procure both present thral I rather choose to wander with him stil then so to change and countermaund my wil I feele a false alarme as though there were a fitter match to be found out for mee No Contarenus no I smel this geare to try if so I would relent from thee No our consents haue ioynd this faithfull linke til thou saiest nay I wil not from thee shrinke And yet in thee if slender shewes take place I le neuer yeeld for honor of my kind Let men remoue and slightly turne their face in womans brest more stay they stil shal find My parents pardon me my countrey stay for what is said from Loue I wil not stray Occan. You see how sore my headstrong daughter's bent she wil not yeeld for ought that can be said VVere it not good that to the knight we went to see if his desire might be delaide I see by him the meane must first begin to quench the flame my daughter frieth in Queen If it seeme good to you as 't doth to me to him where as he is we wil repaire For at his hand this must be wrought I see if he himselfe wil yeeld to countries care Com Sir and you Madam let vs retire we haue to deale with him whom you desire Gaudi. You may so with perswasions deale I think as he to your demaund may seeme to yeeld But inwardly that he from me wil shrink no reason can such ground bring for her shield Yet to doe that which both you do desire apart with you my selfe I wil retire Exeunt Heere the Pages abiding vse a prety act of sport but because the matter wil be full without it I haue thought good not to trouble you with suche Parenthesis but making their speeches ended I wil only recite the introduction to their comming in Alexandro But yonder comes the Fairy Queene and brings with her in trayne My Lord the Duke with merry looke I hope weis home againe Occa. the Duke Eambia the Fairy Queene Contarenus Gaudina Roxa Niphe Queen You heare Sir Knight the parents iust request you see the force whereon his reasons stand Affections staies what wisedome thinks for best the matter rests al onely in your hand By nature you are farther to forsee you are therefore to strike the stroke not she Occa. You know of old what led me so to let the great desire wherwith you both so brent Against your worth my wil was neuer set to further Countries good was mine intent Which sith in me so constantly doth dwell to yeeld therto me thinks you might do wel Gaudi Yet Contarenus think what is in you if vertues worth and waight in you be great And such as none but blind can disallow why should perswasions then vs two defeate As who say any els might better seeme then you and I to rule so great a realme Birth beares me out and vertue beares vp you and why should any then therof mislike As certaine proofe shal stil preuaile I trow before that is vncertein how to like You are to choose my friend make answere so as you do not procure vs endles wo Conta. The choise is hard in midst of such extreames my Lord and Prince pretending Countries good On th' other side affections dazeling beames which stil wil shine though clypsed with a cloude Layeth in myne eye my Ladies due desart which nought but death can seuer from my heart What flashing flames did she at first abide when as on me her loue she did bestow What constance stil in her wrought on my side to keepe that loue whereto my life I owe What griefe did then consume her careful heart when as my Lord wil'd me from Court depart What was the zeale that made her so forsake the blisse which princely Court to her could bring And for my Loue such passing paines to take to find me out where bruite of me shoulde ring Now should I swerue whom she so long hath sought death were too smal did I but fault in thought How can I leaue her thus and not deserue to be enrould with those infamous men Whom Loue because they did from him so swerue hath painted out by Poets publike pen In hel to haue their wel deseruing hire for so defrauding loue of iust desire Yet pardon