parted prisoners find But of a rift along the wal that crookes A wall of flint yet more then parents kind Which were it old or new none it espies But louers quicke al-corner-searching eyes This rift they vsde nor onely as a glasse Wherein to see daily each others face But eke through it their voyces hourely passe In whispring murmurs with a stealing pace Sometimes when they no longer durst alas Send whisprings through when keepers were in place Yet would they shift to blow through it a breath Which fed kept their hoping harts from death Enuious wal sayd they what wrong is this Why doth not loue or pittie make thee fal Or if that be for vs too great a blisse Why is thy rift so narrow and so small As to deny kind loue a kindly kisse For which we neuer proue vnthankful shal Although in truth we owe inough to thee Giuing our eyes and voyce a way so free In vaine thus hauing plaind in place distinct When night approacht they ech bad ech adew Kissing their wal apart where it was chinckt Whence louely blasts and breathings mainely flew But kisses staide on eithers side fast linckt Seal'd to the wal with lips and Louers glue For though they were both thick and many eake Yet thicker was the wal that did them breake Rose-fingred Dame no sooner had put out Nights twinckling fires and candles of the skie Nor Phoebus brought his trampling steeds about Whose breath dries vp the teares of Vestaes eie But swift and soft without all noyse or showt To wonted place they hasten secretly Where midst a many words muttred that day Next midnights watch each vowes to steale away And lest when hauing house and cittie past They yet might erre in fields and neuer meete At Ninus tombe their Rendes-vous is plac't Vnder the Mulb'ry white and hony-sweete Growing hard by a spring that ranne at waste With streames more swift then speedy Isters feete There they agreed in spite of spite to stand WheÌ„ Monarchs â—eame had past Bootes hand Consent they did and day consented too Whose Coach ranne downe the seas in greater hast Then euer it was wont before to doo Loue-louing night approched eke so fast That darknesse leapt ere twilight seem'd to go Wherat though some gods frown'd some were agast Yet Lethes brother did the louers keepe Chaining their guard with long and heauy sleep How feately then vnsparred she the doore How silent turn'd it on the charmed cheekes And being scap't how glad was she therefore How soone arriu'd where she her fellow seekes Loue made her bold loue gaue her swiftnesse more Then vsually is found in weaker sexe But all in vaine nay rather to her ill For haste made waste and speede did speeding kil The grisly wife of brutish monarch strong With new slaine prey full panched to the chinne Foming out bloud came ramping there along To siluer spring her thirst to drowne therein Whereat the fearefull maide in posting flung For Lucines eye bewrayde the Empresse grimme Into a secret caue and flying lost A scarfe for Pyrams sake beloued most When sauage Queene had wel her thirst delayde In cooling streames and quenched natures fire Returning to the place where late she prayde To eate the rest when hunger should require In peeces tore the scarfe of haplesse maide With bloudy teeth and firie flaming ire Whilst she poore soule in caue plaid least in sight Fearing what should her loue befall that night Who comming later then by vow he should Perceiu'd a Lions footsteps in the sand Whereat with face most pale and heart as cold With trembling feare tormented he doth stand But when he sawe her scarfe wel knowne of old Embru'd with bloud and cast on either hand O what a sigh he fetcht how deepe he gron'd And thus if thus yea thus he inly mon'd Shalt thou alone die matelesse Thisbe mine Shall not one beast be butcher to vs both What is my Thisbe reft of life and shine And shal not Pyram life and shining loath Mine is the cursed soule the blest is thine Thou kep'st thy vow I falsified mine oath I came too late thou cam'st alas too soone Too dangerous standing by a doubtfull moone O Lions fierce or if ought fiercer be Amongst the heards of woody outlawes fell Rent rent in twaine this thrise-accursed me From out your paunch conuey my soule to hell Whose murdring slouth and not the sisters three Did Thisbe sweete sweete Thisbe fowly quell But cowards onely call wish for death Whilst valiant hearts in silence banish breath Then stooping straight he took hir scarfe froÌ„ ground And bare it with him to th'appoynted place Kissing it oft watring each rent and wound With thousand teares that trailing ranne apace Salt teares they were sent from his eyes vnsound Yea salter then the sweate of Oceans face At last hauing vnsheath'd his fatall blade Thus gan he cry as life beganne to fade Hold earth receiue a draught eke of my bloud And therewith lean'd vppon his sword amaine Then falling backward from the crimsin floud Which spowted forth with such a noyse and straine As water doth when pipes of lead or wood Are goog'd with punch or cheesill slit in twaine Whistling in th'ayre breaking it with blowes Whilst heauie moysture vpward forced flowes The Mulb'ry strait whose fruit was erst as white As whitest Lilly in the fruitfullst field Was then and euer since in purple dight Yea euen the roote no other staine doth yeeld With blackish gore being watred all that night In morneful sort which round about it wheel'd Onely her leaues retaind their former hue As nothing toucht with death of louer true No sooner was hee falne and falling freed Of perfit sence but she scarce rid of feare Returnes againe to standing fore agreed Not dreaming that her loue in kenning were Her feete her eyes her heart and tongue made speed To vtter all things lately hapned there And how she scap't the Lionesses clawes By letting fall a scarfe to make her pawse But when she vewd the newly-purpled face Of Berries white that changing chang'd her mind New signes perswade her that is not the place By either part to meete in fore assign'd Thus doubting whilst she stood a little space She heard a flittering carried with the winde And viewed somewhat shake in quiu'ring wise Which straite reuok't hir feete but more her eies Her lippes grew then more pale then palest Boxe Her cheekes resembled Ashwood newly feld Graynesse surpriz'd her yellow amber locks Not any part their liuely lustre held Yea euen her vent'rous heart but faintly knocks Now vp now downe now falne now vainly sweld Tost like a shippe when Corus rageth most That ankers hath and masts and master lost But when she knew her faithfull fellow slaine O how she shrikt and bruz'd her guiltlesse arme Tearing her haire renting her cheekes in vaine On outward parts reuenging inward harmes Making of teares and bloud
a mingled raine Wherwith she Pyram drencht then thus charmes Speake loue O speake how hapned this to thee Part halfe yea all of this my soule and mee Sweete loue reply it is thy Thisbe deare She cries O heare she speakes O answere make Rowse vp thy sprights those heauie lookers cheere At which sweete name hee seemed halfe awake And eyes with death opprest againe to cleere He eyes her once and eying leaue doth take Euen as faire Bellis winkes but once for all When winters vsher hastneth summers fall When afterwards she found her scarfe al rent His iu'ory sheath voide eke of rapier gilt And hath his hand quoth she thy soule hence sent And was this bloud by this thy rapier spilt Vnhappy I but I no more lament But follow thee euen to the vtmost hilt I was the cause of al thy hurt and crosse Hold take me eke a partner of thy losse Whom onely death could from me take away Shal death him take from me against my will Not so his power cannot Thisbe staye Who euen in death wil follow Pyram still His blade yet warme then to her brest she lays And falne thereon thus cri'de with crying shrill Parents vniust which vs deny'd one bed Enuy vs not one toomb when we be dead And al you heau'nly hostes allot the same And thou O tree which couerest now but one One too too hot for so imports his name But couer shalt two carcasses anone Weare signes of bloud from both our harts that came In mourning weed our mischiefes euer mone She dead Tree Sires Gods gaue what she praide Black growes the fruit and they together laide Since which time eke some other Authors faine Their humming soules about these haplesse trees To be transported from th'Elysian plaine Into the snowy milke-white Butterflyes Whose seedes when life and moouing they obtain How e're they spare the fruit of Mulberies Leaue yet no leaues vntorne that may be seene Because they onely still continude greene Yet that there might remaine some Pyramis And euerlasting shrine of Pyrams loue When leaues are gone and summer waining is The little creepers neuer cease to moue But day and night placing in toyle their blisse Spinne silke this tree beneath and eke aboue Leauing their ouall bottoms there behind To shewe the state of eu'ry Louers mind For as in forme they are not wholly round As is the perfit figure of the skie So perfit loue in mortals is not found Some little warts or wants in all we spie Nay eu'n as fine and course silke there abound The best beneath the worst rold vp more hie So sometimes lust o're-lieth honest loue Happy the hand that keepes it from aboue Againe as these fine troupes themselues deuoure Spinning but silken hharses for their death VVhich done they dye therein by Natures power Transform'd to flies that scarce draw one months breath So louers sweet is mingled stil with sower Such happe aboue proceeds or vnderneath That still we make our loue our winding sheete VVhilst more we loue or hotter then is meete Others report there was and doth remaine A neighbour people to the Scythian tall Twixt Taurus mount and Tabis fruitful plaine Most iust of life of fare and diet smal Louers of peace haters of strife and gaine Graye ey'd redde cheek't and amber-headed all Resembling rather Gods then humane race Such grace appeard in words in deeds and face VVhose righteous life and iustice to requite Whether with wind or raine no man doth know God sent vnto them silke-wormes infinite In Aprils wane when buds the mulb'ry slow Which here and there in euery corner light With sixe white feete and body like to snow Eating each leafe of that renowned tree The matter of these silken webbes we see These webbs for wares they on their coast exchange For alien none must come into the Land T'infect their people with religions strange And file their temples with polluted hand Neither do they to other nations range New fashions rites or manners t'understand Better they haue at home where euery slaue Weares silks as rich as here our Princes braue These be the tales that Poetizers sing Of Silken-worme and of their seed and meate Sweete I confesse and drawn from Helique spring Full of delighting change and learning greate Yet yet my Muse dreames of another thing And listeth not of fictions to entreate Saye then my Ioye say then and shortly reede whē silk was made how these silkworms breed Was it thinkst thou found out by industry Inspir'd by vision or some Angells word When first the name of sacred Maiesty Was giuen from heau'n to Salems priest and Lord Did not before tenne thousand Silk-worms lye And hang on euery tree their little cord Yes but like Hebrues harps on Babels plaine Vntoucht and vse-lesse there it hang'd in vaine Before most men liu'd either naked quite Or coursly clad in some beasts skinne or hide The best were but in linnen garments dight Wherein themselues the greatest men did pride Yea afterward in time of greatest light When chiefe Baptizer preach't in desart wide Where said he silken robes were to be sought But in kings courts for whome they first were wrought Though whether worme or flye were formed first No man so right can tel as wrong presume Yet this I hold Till all things were accurst Nothing was borne it selfe for to consume No Caterpillers then which venture durst To rauish leaues or tender buddes to plume For onely life and beauty liu'd in trees Til falling man caus'd them their leaues to leese The earthly heards and winged posts of skye And eu'ry thing that mou'd on Eden ground Fed first on hearbs as Duke of Horeb hie Author of Natures story most profound Sets downe to vs for perfit verity Gaines aide of none but fooles and wittes vnsound When for mans foode trees eke allotted were Which from themselues did fruit or berries beare Durst then the finest worme but touch the meate Or dish which for his soueraigne was ordain'd Durst they figges nuts peares plummes or mulb'ries eate Before their lord with treasō foule was stain'd No certs no but when ambitious heate Reuok't the blisse which sinnelesse Sire had gain'd Then wormes in common fed with vs and tore Our trees our fruits yea eu'n our selues therefore Say Romanes heau'nly-humane Orator Whose words dropt sweeter then Hymettus dewe Say Salems scourge and Iudaes tormentor Whose very name doth pomp and glory shewe Say thou whose writtes men as diuine adore Inspir'd from heau'n with knowledge giuen to few What are you now what liuing were you then But worms repast though wise and mighty men Foule-footed bird that neuer sleepest well Nor fully but on highest pearch do'st breathe Whose outward shreeks bewray an inward hell Whose glistring plumes are but a painted sheathe Whose taile though it with pride so lofty swel Yet hides it not thy blacknesse vnderneath Tell
night and murdering al the daye From egges of famous Palamedian foules And them that hallow Diomedes toomb In bodies strange retaining former soules VVise wary warlike saging things to come VVhose inborne skil our want of witte controules Whose timely fore-sight mates our heedlesse doom Comes ought but cranes of most vnseemly shape And diuing Cootes which muddy chanels scrape Yea you whose egges Hortentius sometimes sold At higher rate then now we prize your sire Proud though he be and spotted al with gold Stretching abroad his spangled braue attire VVherby as in a glasse you do behold His courting loue and longing to aspire VVhat bring ye forth but spectacles of pride VVhose pitchy feete marres al the rest beside Thrise blessed egges of that renowned dame Who bleeds to death her dead ones to reuiue Whome enuious creepers poyson ouercame Whilst she fetcht meate to keepe them stil aliue How wel befits her loue that sacred Lamb That heal'd vs all with bleeding issues fiue Yet hath your fruit this blotte to ouer-eate And glutton-like to vomit vp their meate VVinters Orpheus bloudy breasted Queen Sommers sweete solace nights Amphion braue Linus delight Canaries clad in greene All linguists eke that beg what hart would craue Selling your tongues for euery trifle seene As almonds nuttes or what you else would haue Ofsprings of egges what are you but a voice Angring sometimes your friends with too much noyse Victorious Monarch scorning partners all Stowt lions terrour loue of martial Sire True farmers clocke nights watchman seruants call Pressing stil forward hating to retire Constant in fight impatient of thral Bearing in a little breast a mighty fire Oh that thou wert as faithful to thy wife As thou art free of courage voice and life Chaste is the Turtle but yet giuen to hate Storkes are officious yet not voide of guiles Hardy are Haggesses but yet giuen to prate Faithful are Doues yet angry otherwhiles The whitest swimmer nature e're begate Suspition blacke and iealousie defiles Briefely from egges of euery creature good Sprang nought distainted but this little broode As for that egge conceiu'd in idle braine Whence flowes forsooth that endlesse seed of gold The wombe of wealth the Nepenthes of paine The horne of health and what we dearest hold I count it but a tale and fable vaine By some olde wife or cousning friar told Supposed true though time and truth descries That all such workes are but the workes of lies For when the Sire of truth hath truly saide That none can make the couering of his head These slender haires so vile so soone decaide Of so smal worth though nere so finely spread Shal any witte by humane art and aide Transforme base mettals to that essence redde Which buies not only pearles and precious stones But kingdōs states Monarchs frō their thrones Ah! heau'ns forbid nay heau'ns forbid it sure That euer Art should more then Nature breede Curse we his worke whose fingers most impure Durst but to dare the drawing of that seede Yet when they haue done al they can procure And giuen their leaden God a golden weede Zeuxis his painted dogge shal barke and whine When Ioue they turne to Sol or Luna fine Sisyphian soules bewitched multipliers Surcease to pitch this neuer pitched stone Vaunt not of Natures nest nor Orcus fires Hoping to hatch your addle egge thereon Restraine in time such ouer-prowd desires Let cre'tures leaue Creators works alone Melt not the golden Sulphur of your hart In following stil this fond and fruitlesse art Record what once befel great Aeols sonne For counterfetting onely but the sound Of heau'nly Canoniers dreadful gunne That shakes the beams and pillers of this round A fiery boult from wrathfull hand did runne Driuing false forger vnder lowest ground Where stil he liues stil wishing to be dead Spotted without within al staind with redde Remember eke the Vulture gnawing stil That euer-dying euer-liuing wretch VVho stealingly with an ambitious will From Phoebus wheeles would vitall fire reach Thinking to make by humane art and skill His man of clay a liuing breath to fetch Beware in time of like celestiall rods And feare to touch the onely worke of gods But if you still with prowd presumptuous legges VVill needes clime vppe the fiery-spotted hil Pilfring from Ioue his Nectar voyde of dregs And that immortal meate which none doth fill If ye wil needes imbesill those faire egges VVhich in her child-bedde did their mother kil Yet say not that for gifts and vertues rare They do or may with these my egges compare These these are they in dream which Romane spide Clos'd in a slender shell of brittle mould Holding within a white like siluer tride VVhose inward yolke resembleth Ophirs gold From out whose centre sprang the cheefest pride That e're Latinus or his race did hold Exchanging in al countries for the same Meate drinke cloth coyne or what you else can name Here lies the Calx of that renowned shel Here flotes that water permanent and cleere Here doth the oile of Philosophers dwell Stil'd from the golden Fleece that hath no peere In midst of whose vnseene and secret cell Dame Nature sittes and euery part doth steere Though neither opening shop to euery eie Nor telling Caesar she can multiply Al-working mother Foundresse of this All Ten-hundred thousand-thousand-breasted nurse Dedalian mouldresse both of great and small As large in wealth as liberall of purse Still great with childe still letting children fall Good to the good nor ill vnto the worse VVhat made thee shew thy multiplying pride More in these egges then all the egges beside VVas it because thou takest most delight To print the greatest worth in smallest things That they the least of any seede in sight Might clothiers breed to clothe our mightiest kings O witte diuine O admirable spright VVorthie the songs of him that sweetest sings Let it suffice that I adore thy name VVhose works I see and know not yet the same But damsels ah who rustleth in the skie Methinks I heare Enithean Ladyes foe Blustring in fury from the mountaines hie Looke how he raiseth cloudes from dust below Harke how for feare the trees do cracke and crie Each bud recoyles the seas turne too and fro O suffer not his breath-bereauing breath To slay your hopes with ouer-timely death Therefore assoone as them you gathered haue Vpon the whitest papers you can find In Boxes cleane your egges full closely saue From chilling blast of deadly nipping winde Let not that hoary iry-manteld slaue So much preuaile to kill both stocke and kinde Farre be it from a tender Damsels heart On tendrest seedes to shew so hard a part Yet keepe them not in roomes too hot and close Lest heate by stealth encroch it selfe too soone And inward matter ripening so dispose That spinsters creepe ere winters course be done
that once their bottoms are begunne Not one suruiues to see the tenth dayes sunne Go gallant youths and die with gallant cheere For other bodyes shortly must you haue Of higher sort then you enioyed here Of worthier state and of a shape more braue Lie but three weekes within your silken beere Till Syrian dogge be drownd in westerne waue And in a moment then mongst flying things Receiue not feete alone but also wings Wings whiter then the snow of Taurus hie Feete fairer then Adonis euer had Heads bodies breasts and necks of Iuory With perfit fauour and like beautie clad Which to commend with some varietie And shadow as it were with colour sad Two little duskie feathers shall arise From forehead white to grace your Eben eyes Then neither shall you see the bottome moue Nor any noyse perceiue with quickest eare Death rules in all beneath in midst aboue Wherefore make haste you damsels voyd of feare Shake off delay as ere you profit loue In boxes straite away your bottoms beare Freed from the coffin wherin late they wrought To gaine the golden fleece you so much sought First pull away the loose and outmost doune As huswiues do their ends of knottie towe That which lies vpmost is of least renowne The finest threed is placed most below Threed fitte for kings vnmeete for euery clowne On Natures quill so wound vp rowe by rowe That if thine eye and hand the end can find In water warme thou maist it all vnwind Three sorts there are distinct by colours three The purest like to their resplendant haire Who weeping brothers fal from coursers free Their teares were turn'd to yellow amber faire The second like her whom impatiencie Made of a spouse a tree most solitary The last more white made by the weaker sort Not of so great a price nor like report From out al three but chiefly from the best Are made not onely robes for priests and kings But also many cordial medcius blest Curing the wounds that fullen Saturne brings Which being drunk how quiet is our rest How leaps out hart how inwardly it springs Speake you sad spirits that did lately feele The hart-breake crush of melancholies wheele Nay euen the doune which lies aloft confusde Makes Leuant stuffe for country yonkers meete Though it of court and cittie be refusde And is not worne in any ciuill streete But tel me yer how can he be excusde VVho trampled eu'n the best with mired feete And in a moment marr'd al that with pride For making which tenne thousand spinsters dide Now if of these your bottoms you require Some to reserue for future race and seede Chuse out the eldest for their forward fire Makes inward flye the sooner spring and breede Whereas the latter ones haue least desire And lesser might to perfit Venus deede For why their pride is dul and spirits colde Borne in the quarter last of Iune olde Wind none of them which you for breede allot In watrie bath nor else in wine or lye Lest outward moisture innly being got Surrounding drownes the little infant-flye And cause both strings and secundine to rotte So that before it liues it learnes to dye Or if you haue them drenched so for gaine At sunne or fire to dry them take some paine Singled then laye them on a table neate Couered al o're with white Philliraes skinne Stay then againe till Phoebus chariot great In Oceans bath hath twelue times washed bin And you shal see an admirable feate This form'd and yet transformed broode within From which new shapes new bodies do arise And tailes to heads and worms are turn'd to flies Whereat to wonder each man may be bold When seely worms themselues new fliers made Whilst one anothers face they do behold Muse how and when where this forme they had How new hornes sprang frō out their foreheads old Whence issued wings which do them ouer-lade For they recording what they were of late Dare not yet mount aboue their former state As studying thus they stand a day or more Offring to feede on nought but onely aire Lothing the meate so much desir'd before I meane the leaues of Thisbes tree most faire Disdaining eke to taste of Nais store To quench the heate that might their harts impaire At length they know themselues to be aliue And fal to that for which our wantons striue Both long and longing skud to Venus forts To stirre vp seed that euer may remaine He runnes to her and she to him resorts Each mutually the other entertaine Ioynd with fuch lincks and glue of natures sports That coupled stil they rest a day or twaine Yea oftentimes thrise turnes the welkin round Ere they are seene vnlocked and vnbound So hauing left what e're he could impart Of spirits humors seede and recrement Willing yet further to haue throwne his hart Into her breast to whom he all things ment He formost dies and yeelds to fatal dart Ne liues she long but strait with sorrow spent Hauing first laide the egges she did conceiue Of loue and life she shortly takes her leaue Smal egges they be in bignesse colour shape Like to the meate of Indian Parrachite Lesse farre in view then seed of garden rape In number many yet indefinite For when the females womb begins to gape And render what the male got ouer night Now more now fewer seeds dropt from the same As they were short or longer at their game Yet seldome are they than a hundred lesse Sometimes two hundred from their loynes do fall Round smooth hard-shelld and voide of brittlenes Whited alike and yellow yolked all Whose vertues great no man did yet expresse Much lesse can I whose knowledge is so smal Though sure I am hence may we find a theame Able to drink vp Aganippes streame O keepe them then with most attentiue heede From Boreas blast and Aeols insolence From menstruous blasts breathing keep thē freed Auoide likewise the mil-dewes influence Pray heau'nly Monarch fot to blesse your seede Helping their weaknesse with his prouidence So may your milk-white spinsters worke amaine When Morus lippes shal bud and blush againe And thou whose trade is best and oldest too Steward of all that euer Nature gaue VVithout whose help what can our rulers doo Though gods on earth appareld wondrous braue Behold thy helping hand faire virgins wooe Yea nature bids and reason eake doth craue Thy cunning now these little worms to nurse VVhich shal in time with gold fill full thy purse In steed of fruitles elms and sallowes gray Of brittle Ash and poyson-breathing vgh Plant Mulb'ry trees nigh euery path and way Shortly from whence more profit shal ensue Then from th'Hesperian wood or orchards gay On euery tree where golden apples grew For what is silke but eu'n a Quintessence Made without hands beyond al humane sense A quintessence nay