the losse of his Mistris for that was the generall brute that ranne for currant throughout all the Countrey One while he condemned his ouerrash fondnes as wánting aduise and discretion in that through the same he had hazarded vpon the vngentle waues so faire and sweete a Creature as she was Another while he acknowledged and confessed himselfe to be the author of her death and the cause of her destruction Whilest this opinion of his drewe whole floods of teares from his eyes thousands of sighes from his heart and millions of heauie complaints from his soule Two cruell conceits did alwayes afflict him the one was the losse of his Loue the other the constant beliefe that he had bene the occasion of her vtter ouerthrow Commonly we beare with more patience the misfortune which hapneth vntovs A Sentence by the despitefull malice of the angrie Stars then we doe that which through our owne default doth fall vpon vs. For the one we can no way remedie because we cannot resist against the heauens but the other wee imagine we might by some deuise haue preuented if in due time we would with discretion haue looked vnto the same All the Court as well the highest as lowest endeuored what they could to comfort him but he esteemed that as a double griefe to be perswaded to be comforted by anie hauing lost her which was his chiefest comfort In the ende he deuised these dolefull Ditties in which kinde of exercise hee spent most part of his wearisome time This then was the wofull Song which he vsed oftentimes to sigh forth when hee was in his Chamber all alone or walking amidst the vncouth Forrests or when he was retired vnto some priuate place along the solitary Sea-shore Now I haue lost the deare light of mine eyes What should I doe but end my wearie dayes That Louer which with Mistris his doeth die A Sentence Dyeth not Alas but rather liues alwayes So Pyramus and Thysbe did disliue Themselues and liu'd together like two Doues That seruant which his Louer doth suruiue No faithfull Louer by loyaltie prooues So great a losse teares cannot counteruaile The rate hereof at so high price is set Base mindes it fittes for life to weepe and waile That so at length their griefes they may forget Not death it selfe though stung with his sharp sting Their loyall hearts can parted make remaine Th' one dying doth death to the other bring Making but one for to become of twaine As sweet that happie life of Louers was When th' one the other ioyfullie did prooue So seemes it sweete to them from life to passe When they together ende their Life and Loue. Loue doth renew and so like Phoenix shall In the Elizian fieldes below the earth Chaste Amitie not mortall t' is at all As is our fatall ende and flitting breath Ah how can one liue in this world of woe A Sentence When he hath lost the best part of himselfe Who seekes not after Mistris his to goe In Friendships Checquer hath but little wealth Diuorse me then from life yee Destinies To rid me from this labyrinth of noy The FAIREST shall not plaine in righfullwise Of mee since I haue lost her my chiefe ioy Ay mee I see Death no remorse will take On me whilst slowe hee hearkneth to my crie The Heauens our plagues the greater for to make Will not permit Death should approach vs nie Shall I then liue in griefe my selfe to banne Euen in despite and gainst my soules owne will Alas I must for I vnworthy am To bee where bides my Ladie freed from ill Am I not wretched then more then the rest To cause her death for whom I ought t' haue dide Then why should I imagine me so blest As for to looke for comfort at this tide No no I must and I deserue to finde Thousands of crosses ere I ende this life Who ill hath done deserues no vsage kinde A Sentence No gentle death but direfull sorrowes rife My hope is this that after thousand plagues A lingring death shall seaze vpon my Coarse Whilst thousand griefs throughout my vaines shall rage The more to punish him without remorse Then let none comfort or once counsell mee Since this my wound is mortall sans recure A mad man neuer will perswaded be By reason what is best for him t' endure Vnhappy I and trebble curst my state Wherein I liue a death ore desperate Thus wailed this sadde Prince continually and to say truth iust were his waylings and but rightfull his complaints considering how great his loyaltie was and yet if he loued Iustina well our Loue-sick Caualier honored her as much if not more for as he liked her for her beautie so did he as much admire her for her vertue To seeke to obtaine her in hope to carrie away that which many a Louer proposeth as a guerdon for his trauaile and paine which he hath taken hee knewe full well that it was in vaine and against his word and promise and to espouse and marrie her being altogether ignorant of her byrth and estate euery one knowing in what wretched taking he found her vpon the Sea-shore all alone hee durst not both for feare lest hee should doe iniurie vnto his house from whence he descended and also lest he should prouoke the iust displeasure of his best friendes and nighest kindred in attempting so rash an enterprise without their consent Thus was he troubled with many doubtes still running in his head not knowing what way to take or which course to resolue vpon No more then the Pilgrime who being vnskilfull in his iourney A comparison and comming to a foure crosse-path-way knoweth not which of them all rightly to chuse Meane space Loue got the aduantage of him daily yea and in that sort as in the end he became absolute maister of the Fort and chiefe Lord and Conqueror ouer the soule of the poore Gentleman In so much as hee could no longer now conceale this hidden fire any more The burning coale couered with hot cinders is more fresh ardent and full of heate then the fiery flame it selfe Very willing and faine was he to haue bewrayed his sicknesse but he knewe not to whom he being not ignorant that none could ease him of his paine but onely shee who was the cause thereof of whom he looked to reape but small or no comfort at all The day and night was all one with him for hee slept no more when the Moone gaue light then when the Sunne shined his greatest contentment being to be alwayes in the companie of his deere Mistris not remembring how the more he resorted vnto her the more his heart was inthralled and caught in the nettes of Loues pleasing seruitude and bondage The often and dutifull deuoires hee alwayes vsed to doe her seruice his stealing glaunces and pittifull lookes he cast vpon her beautious countenance and his continuall burning sighes comming like smoakie exhalations from his brest were
doeth sage Agamemnon whose disloyall wife cut his owne throate because she might the more safer follow her disordinate appetite O what a pernitious thing is this Loue how often hath it broke the plighted oath betweene man wife making them amorous of strangers and causing them to disdaine their nuptiall bed with base and filthie whoredome The good Emperour Marcus Aurelius remembred this but too too well who saw so often his wife ouer familar with so many and poor Sampson through loue was depriued of his strength and made a slaue vnto others that Sampson I say who was wont to conquer others and to make them become tributaries vnto him Againe what faith and trust is there to be reposed in Louers so cunning are they and so readie to break their promises and to sweare falsly that Iupiter iesteth and scoffeth at their protestations as one that thinketh they neither can nor ought to keepe them any longer then they list For if men now a daies be so basely giueÌ„ that they will strait yeelde vnto Loue and that the desire to enioy a little paltrie beautie or a little coloured complexion composde of white and red can make them to forget all dutie all promise and their owne good nature it selfe What then should hinder them but that they may loue in another place to endanger their Faith there to sweare and forsweare themselues againe For hee that once committeth one sinne will easily fall into diuers other more grieuous he that is knowne to be faultie in one thing A Sentence is reputed to haue offended in all the rest Besides so farre is Loue off from standing the learned in anie stead that it hindereth and ouerthroweth their learning for it is impossible for a learned man both to loue and follow his studie together because the minde cannot in one and the selfe-same time intend to hunt after diuers matters and for that the care which Loue engendreth hindereth a wise man in prositing himselfe at his booke and doeth withdraw him from the pervsing and reading of the same Againe if there be neuer so meane and little ascience in the world but is sufficient to imploy a mans whole life time and all his wittes therein and yet for all that it hath neuer bene found that any could euer sound the deapth of the same How then is it possible that a wise man should be able to follow both Loue and Learning to prooue excellent in both Nay then I will see farther and dare auouch that the malice of the Serpent not onely spoyleth and corrupteth the studie of the wise but also his condition and religion And that this is true great Dauid and his sonne Salomon can witnesse and the Iewes themselues whom the loue of the Moabite women which the trayterous King Balaac sent vnto them moued from the seruice of the true God making them become most wicked and abhominable Idolaters What greater mischiefe can happen vnto a man then to denie his God his faith his beliefe and his religion yea and therewithall to loose all his wisdome and authoritie If Loue then be the cause of so manie misfortunes vnto men and bringeth them with him vnto them is not he then the damnable author of our ruine our perpetuall paine and vtter ouerthrow heeis farre worfe then all the poysonous serpents of the earth yea then the Diuels of of hell themselues Not so quoth Coribant and therefore I pray you make a stop there for Loue is not of that bad nature neither is hee to be compared vnto such wicked creatures as you would haue vs beleeue for were it not for him whom you reuile so much neither you nor any man else could liue at all That which maintaineth all things and giueth life and force vnto them can that be teatmed an euill spirst So farre off is Loue from being such a one as he hath made the Fiendes of hell themselues milde and gentle when the faithfull Orpheus went downe thither to bring backe his deare espouse That which doth not vsurpe vpon publike honestie but hath respect vnto euery vertuous action may it be called an enemie of Nature Loue hath preserued both honor respect and vertue then why should anie blame him The sonne of Seleucus falling in loue with his stepmother chose rather to be brought euen vnto deaths doore then to declare as much as his passion for feare least he should haue offended the honor respect and the obeisance of a Father through the dutie of a louing Sonne There is no doubt but that man is to be commended highly who rather consenteth vnto his own death ruine and miserie then to commit a most notorious and vnnaturall fact Loue forceth the Louer to chuse rather to die A Sentence then to perpetrate any hainous fault Is Loue then the subiect of blame Loue resembleth wine which taken moderately and with measure nourisheth the bodie but being vsed too excessiuely it burneth and inflameth the same Euen so Loue being well and wisely applyed may bring much profit glorie as it did vnto the Romans Sabines who being ready to encounter and to kill one another they agreed so louingly as euer after they were but as one bodie or a Citie within themselues Indeed if it be ill imployed then I must needes say it may doe much hurt but it is the Louer himselfe that is in fault thereof and not Loue. The grape of the vineyard of it selfe is good and was giuen for a nourishment vnto man yet neuerthelesse man sometimes dyeth with taking ouermuch thereof but is this the fault of the grape or of him that abused the same Is there any precious treasure to be found throughout the compasse of the wide and spatious world that is to be compared vnto a loyall faithfull friend What happier contentment can there be betweene man and wife then chast and perfect loue The greatest blessing that euer Mithrâ—dates found in this life was his kinde wife that in all his troubles still did assist and accompanie him shee being attired in the apparell of a man and doing him all the serurce she could as if shee had bene the meanest of his ordinary followers Manie things are there bestowed vpon vs by the Heauens which of their owne natures are good and yet the malice of man doth alter them into a bad propertie As weapons with which they kill one another Fire wherewith they burne whole Cities and townes Gold with which vertue is corrupted and the cloake of Religion wherewith they couer their proud ambition with many such like Yet although these things are thus ill vsed and wrested by the corruption of man we must not therefore say they are bad of their owne selues but rather by reason of the malice of others Euen so Loue being perfect and good in his owne proper nature and of his owne selfe be abused and made worse through the default of men it is not he but they that are to be
whence on amorous sweet fire Did send forth sighes children of Care begotten through Desire Her slender Middle like a Spanne did shewe her waste so small Which who so lookt on as he lookt he languisht therewithall Next was that place Alas that of that Place I may not showe Vnworthie we such Mysteries and such rare sights to knowe Her hands were white as Whale his bone so matchelesse was her foote The first whereof were Arrowes which Dan Dupid vsde to shoote Then such this wonderous Beautie was of this faire Shepheardesse Who many a Shepheards hart did chaxm wroght them much distresse Her name was FLORA FAIRE surnam'd well worthy of that name And worthie was that name of her so glorious was her Fame Her exercise and vse as then was bout the Fields to walke And chiefest pleasure which she tooke in shadowy Groues to stalke Whilst as her harmlesse flocke did feede about them she did sing Full merilie some pleasant Round which made the woods to ring For spitefull LOVE as yet had not his malice gainst her bent Nor had he yet through his deuise spoylde this worke excellent Free was shee from a Louers life from amorous annoy With libertie most pleasantly her youth she did enioy But soone this humor for to change she gainst her will was forc't Compeld to Loue from her hearts ease poore soule she was diuorc't For by her dwelt a goodly Swaine that did increase her care A valiant Shepheard gallant and louely as she was faire Borne on the selfe-same day that she into this world was borne And subiect by the selfe-same chaunce vnto this fatall storme Hight NV MIDOR he cleaped was both affable and kinde So courteous and so debonnaire as like you could not finde In feature shape and comelinesse Adonis he did passe And if hee did not him exceed his equall sure he was Each morning when the breake of day began for to appeare He vsed to accompanie his FLORA loued deare Vnto the Meadowes with her Flocke and there with her would chat In friendly wise as they did walke of this and then of that And afterwards they both would set them downe or in some shade Of some thicke Pinetree or by Foord which trickling murmure made There would he cate of vittailes hers and she on his would feed Whilst what they had emongst themselues as common they decreed When any sport commenced was mongst Shephear as she was found The first that led the Daunce with him and he began the Round No sooner was it night but they together home did goe And in franke manner one of th' other Gifts vsde to bestowe These pretie sports were but a light as t' were more strong to tie And to begin to binde them in more perfect Amitie And yet this plaine and simple kinde of Courting though plaine stuffe To set their harmlesse harts on fire too much t' was and enough Since LOVE we see engendred is only by looks and speach And so continueth through the same beyond all humane reach This was the cause that manie woes they did endure Of Friends they loyall Louers did become most firme and sure As both their Birth-dayes were but one so was their Loues but one Equall they in affection were and loue they did alone One minde there was betweene them both two bodies but one soule One Conquerour both of their harts and fancies did controle What one did wish the other would alike was their Desire If th' one did burne through heate the other did feele as great a fire If th' one did send forth pittious plaints with many a drery teare The other for to waile with sighes and sobbes did not forbeare No loue like hers so passionate so loy all ere hath bene Anchises loue with Venus faire so constant was not seene Nor Pyramus may I compare vnto these Louers true Although so deare his Dame hee lou'd as that himselfe he slue In euery Rocke and Tree they did ingraue the houre and day In which LOVE cunningly had wrought to bring them to his bay In midst of Groues and thickie Woods cut in the tender kindâ— Of Okes and Elmes these Louers names engrauen you might finde Whilst as they romed here and there a thousand Songs they sung To make them to forget their paine fierce LOVE them so had stung The louely Shepheard Sonnets made in honor of his Dame And in her presence sung them oft presenting her the same Which she accepted gratiousty whilst with hote sighes from hart She shewde how he grieu'd not alone but that she bare a part And thus long time both comfortlesse did comfort one another Long time this secret Fare hid close in bosome they did smother Whilst in some sort the heauens did seeme their actions to allow And LOVE made show as good what so they did for to avow Bin weladay what mortall thing can euer lasting bee When they themselues must once decay and vnto ruine gree When Fortune enuicus of our good such interest hath and power That he can alter our delights and pleasures in an hower No maruell then though that sweet life of these two Louers in aine He topsie turme turned quite for pleasure bringing paine As you behold a stately Oke in growth surpassing prowde Vnder whose shade of late the Plants were glad themselues to shrowde Whose cooly leaues and braunches greene greatst Conquerors doth scorne Vpon their helmets and their Crests most brauely to haue borne Vpon the suddaine through mischance with Thunder sirucke as the Whilst blasted with the Laghtning flash his head doth lye fall low His scorchea leaues look black and swarth his verdure all is gone The Tree it selfe shewing like a Truncke a Blocke or barea stone No sappe or iuyce remaines therein but dead it seemes to bee Nor former glorie of his greene you anie more can see Euen so by malice most vniust through Fortune full of strife Of these two Louers happie-once did end the pleasant life The iealous heauens repining that they thus should liue on earth Exempt from canes Death sent to them to stop their vitall breath Death did they send as messenger to sommon them from hence And for to bring the same about they wrought a false pretence This which we LOVE call which two harts makes one in loyall wise The same vow'ae to the other oft makes deadlyest Enemies Of cold and freezing iealousie the Author first be is Whose sweetnes sowrest miserie to follow doth not misse Nor euer hath there any thing as yet in him bene found But what with griefe and wretchednes thicke swarming doth abound His preasures like are vnto spoyles or like an Aprill showre Which is no sooner come then goue nor any while doth dure That this is too too true I vouch Aenone she it prou'd And dolefidl Dido who did die because one-much she lou'd Achilles felt his furie fierce when he Polixena Did sue to haue whose witching-face was cause of his decay Then of these faithfull Louers twaine
arriuall into this darkesome tabernacle And thus it begins Since from my sad life taken is my cleere light What should I liue now longer in this bad world Faint hearts their deaths waile where the brauer courage Glad to their endes runnes What serues this light me if what most mine eies pleased Flies like a shadow when I seeke the substance LOVE not the day but that rare beautie seeketh Which makes him more shine Starres by their Insluence ioy and griefe doe bring vs Whereas that beautie which our soules doth worship Is our sweet Mistris neuer working vs ill But pleasure euer Ah how I feele this paine for to torment me Being depriu'd of this so worthy beautie When that I found my libertie so deere lost And from me taken Kept from thy faire sight which my soule did nourish Thinkst thou sweet Ladie that I longer can liue Being but a picture where thy beautie 's painted For to please LOVES eye Like to a pale coarse doe I seeme in shape now Laid all along right in a Tombe or Graue lowe Whilst to my losse I stray like him that wanders Darke in a Desart Not any pleasure in the hugie Heauens Can my misfortune nere so little sweeten Lost haue I her that was mine onely solace Woe to me therefore I without life doe liue for that I want her All that I haue she seazeth on as her owne Now my Phisition I doe want I needes must Be very sickly In the respect of this so liuely hot flame Which heretofore hath burnt mine inward intrailes Darke seemes the Sunne so gloomie are my sad thoughts Fit for dispairing But if I long must liue without her presence Sweet death dspatch me let me no more linger For far more blessed is the dead then he that Wants his faire Mistris See here my first Notes in which I haue imployed my voice since my first comming into this wildernes But if my verse runne not smoothly excuse I beseech you mine inuention from whence the discontinuance for want of exercise hath reft what was best before from her I commend thee Sonne replied the old man the matter whereof not being in my minde altogether vnsauorie But to what purpose doth the Louer sing being disioynd far off from his Mistris Songs Dances were appointed long agone to be vsed in certaine solemne publike Feastes onely to breed contentment and pleasure and not to increase sorrow A Comparison as are these of Louers For I account that sicke man but a sot who through bad medicines nourisheth his disease the more and for that he will not loose the remembrance thereof taketh a toy to continue the same still in his body And so I esteeme that Louer but foolish that encreaseth his cōsuming cares by his passionate complaints and sighing Sonnets For such kind of fuell doth but encrease the fire The onely forgetting of griefe being that which deliuereth vs from the same Inasmuch as those that neuer thinke of their hurt are soonest freed from the apprehension and feeling of the harme it selfe Father answered the Shepheard can it be that the fettered prisoner bound and laden with chaines and cast into a deepe dungeon should exempt himselfe from thinking of his hellish seruitude Or can the eyes see any thing that is supernaturall and yet neuer loue it nor once as much as thinke of it This is for bruite beastes to doe and not for man who being beautified with the knowledge of all things cannot escape without the apprehēsion of such as are most like to him touch him nighest Either he must bring himself vnto this point in despite of his wil or else he must needes fall out of his right witts But we will not now dispute whether fooles free from apprehensions humane and void of sence of any euill are to be thought more happie then laudable or allowable But we will come vnto the Songs of Louers which are two waies profitable vnto them The one because of the comfort which they bring vnto their mindes the other by reason of the pleasure which their Ladies take in hearing the same who by nature are giuen to be greedie of honourable praise For although these kind of Sonnets yeeld forth a heauie and not a ioyfull sound yet in some sort doe they seeme to accord and to haue a kind of affinitie and agreement with those that sing them as well in respect that they be sad and mournfull as their Maisters themselues are As also because they renew afresh the memorie of their sweete Mistresses We must then quoth the old man change this name of Sonet into wofull sorrowing although in this wise to lament for the griefes of Louers doth lessen the same no more then the pittious cries of the poore Bond-slaue doth helpe him in importuning the aire with his continuall howlings This Rocke which thou seest without ceasing to weepe vpon the Mountaine Cyrillus doth teach vs that teares are vnnecessarie and weeping without profit for his continuall teares doe no good vnto him nor his vsuall weeping auaile him ought which distilleth without any profit at all The ancient Sages iested at those faint-hearted white-liuered men that vsed to bewaile their disasters because a right couragious minde indeede will rather die then be forced to weepe one drop it being in the libertie of man to shorten and to out off either his griefes or his life as best him liketh And I againe replied the Shepheard imagine quite contrarie esteeming it not to be any exployt either of honour or vertue of courage or Magnanimitie for a man in miserie to kill himselfe For if vertue proceedeth from patience as it doth indeede and that one be borne to endure the crosses and troubles of this world why then will you repute him to be valorous who for want of constancie to endure these bitter brunts goeth about to massacre himselfe The least anguish of the heart which men feele seemes as forcible in the tempest thereof as the panges of death he that with a Magnanimious and couragious spirit and by the fortitude of his actiōs resisteth not the violent assaults of his inward outward passiōs can be reputed no other but a coward and not seemely to be registred in the Chronicles of honour All the actions of our mind if not tempered and husbanded by reason doe presently mutinie against the faculties and noble empire of the body forsaking their obedience making miserie of that was instituted for mankind and so bearing vp their violence against the supreme power of the soule they combat against vertue vnder the ensigne of vice neuer see the deformitie of her colours vnder whō they serue If Cato had suruiued valiantly encountring with his hard fortune opposing himselfe withall the vtmost of his power against the dammage of the Romane common-wealth Had he not bin far more commended then for want of courage to haue slaine himselfe so timerously as he did Indeed he wrought his own happines as he
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
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
soule if it were possible Why afflicting thy selfe thus doest thou adde more miserie vnto my paine If euer I haue merited anie thing at thy handes then I coniure thee by that most faithfull amitie I haue borne thee whilest I liued forbeare to lament or grieue any more And suffer I pray poore Alphonso to die quietly who accounteth himselfe most fortunate in that he seeth he dieth in thy good grace and fauour Most fortunare doeth he die hauing bene brought to his ende by base treason and not through braue valour hauing before reuenged himselfe of thy mortall enemie my deere and louely Ladie Now if I shall finde that thou seemest to enuie at my glorie shall I not then haue reason to complaine of thee to accuse thy friendship to thinke hardlie of thy promise and lastly to condemne thy most loyall Loue Alas Iustina wilt thou make mee so miserable as I shall heare my selfe to be the cause of thy death now I am dying Ah doe not that iniurie or wrong vnto him who hath loued thee dearer then the apples of his owne eyes How deerely and at what a high price doest thou sell to mee this last pleasure which I finde in dying before thy presence Diddest thou thinke Iustina when thou marriedst mee that thou hadst wedded some God or other that was immortall Deare heart Death is common and naturall to all men without sparing of any A Sentence we must all die at one time or another and if my dayes were shortned sooner then thou wishest what remedie canst thou finde against the will of the Heauens Then content thy selfe with my death without making me die againe through the vnpleasant report of thy ouerthrow Liue then liue long and happily to the end I may die the more pleasingly And here I most earnestly pray desire and adiure thee by our former mutuall loue by all our chast pleasures by our sacred band of wedlock and by the selfe-same affection which maketh thee so heauie and ioylesse for mine occasion seeke not to offer any violence vnto thy faire selfe after I am dead Speake my sweet Charge wilt thou giue me thy word as thou hast held me deare to hold this promise with me Ay mee I see thou disdainest to answere me as vnwilling to yeelde vnto this my last request Oh most disconsolate and comfortles my death And wilt thou then mine onely ioy refuse to graunt me this my last boone which I so earnestly begge of you Thou that for my sake art willing to leaue this world and who of late didst please to offer it vnto me to saue my life Be not so vnkinde now nor offer me this iniurie to refuse me in this point otherwise I protest I will curse my byrth my cruell Fortune and the froward Heauens themselues Speake then sweet Spouse for till then I forbid thee to touch my dying face and lippes Ah speake yet at length and I beseech thee be content with the hellish paines which I endure to leese thy companie without aggreuating any more my more then endlesse torments Ah cruell Husband replyed the pensiue Princesse what offence haue I done thee what iniurie haue I committed against thee and how haue I wronged the bands of our sacred marriage that thou shouldest forbid me thy presence Where is now the time in which thou hast so much desired to haue me about thee Where are those wonderfull caresses those sweet embraces and those affectionate kindnesses vsed vnto mee of late that thou shouldest now thus reiect condemne and disdaine me If I am vnworthy of thee then why diddest thou accept of me as thy companion and friend And if I haue not merited to follow thee then why hast thou ioyned my soule so strictly vnto thine Thinkest thou I would be thine liuing and would not be the same vnto thee after thou wert dead My deare Lord remember that since I first was wedded vnto thee I haue alwayes fulfilled thy commandement and that I serued and obeyed thee and thy will in all things In leiu of which perfect obedience graunt mee once what I shall desire of thee But if thou wilt not not onely be content to leaue mee a most wretched Creature after thy departure but also to make me more miserable wilt not permit me to follow thee then to render a new proofe of my great affection towards thee for the great good will I haue alwayes had to be dutifull vnto thee and to satisfie thy dying Spirit at this houre Behold I here vow not to lay any violent hands vpon my person but to attend with patience vntill it shall please the Destinies to call mee vnto thee from hence Then my kinde Loue answered the Knight let me embrace thee once againe cheerfully and let me kisse thee once more since thou art so pleasing vnto me O how much doe I acknowledge my selfe beholding vnto thee how blessed doest thou make my death and how willingly doe I depart from out this world And seeing thou hast made me this faithfull promise I most humblie beseech thee to haue alwayes in remembrance poore Alfonso thy loyall Husband Heauens graunt that if thou hast a minde to take a second choyce that thou mayest happen vpon such a one as may loue thee no worse then I haue done I feele my speech beginneth to faile me and death knocketh at my hearts doore to enter in Farewell my faire sweete louing kinde chaste and loyall wife Adieu my heart and life close vp these mine eyes and this my mouth which once was thine and cause my bodie to be carryed vnto his last home whilest I receiue for vowes thy plaintes thy teares for oblations and thy Faith for friendlie assurance That little land and wealth I haue I wholly bequeath vnto thee I will that all my goods whatsoeuer be thine although I doubt not but that thy vertues are able to purchase thee more great and precious riches Onely bestow a little peece of ground vpon his bodie who whilest he liued was vnworthy to enioy so gratious a Princesse as thy worthie selfe Farewell my good Friends and faithfull Seruants whom I desire and commaund to honour and make account of my deere Ladie and wife as you would of mine owne selfe if I were liuing whom I know will not be vnmindfull of you for your good seruices done vnto mee And cease you your womanish teares for not with effeminate teares but with shrill Trumpets and warlike Drummes the coarses of braue Souldiers are vsed to be conducted vnto their graues Once more farewell my sweete Princesse Remember what thou hast promised vnto mee and LORD receiue my soule into thy heauenlie King Alas this word Kingdome hee could not throughly pronounce Death with one stroke cutting off his voyce and his life both together at once But why hold I you so long with this Tragicall discourse or what should I report vnto you the vnspeakeable sorrowes of dispairing Iustina when shee saw her noble husband giue vp the last
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
plagued with death onely for that he did but send to aske aduise and counsaile of him But say that God would forgiue this sinne yet tell me I pray you what truth and certaintie can you find amongst these illuding spirits First they are for the most part ignorant of such things as shall hereafter happen as well as men be And besides there is no truth in them they being the first authors of lies and those that first taught vs to speake vntruely The poore Pamms themselues ouer whom they had so great power for that they were Infidels and abandoned of God were continually mocked deluded and most grosely deceiued by these malignant spirits As witnesse Pirrhus Alexander and thousands moe If then they would cousen their chiefest friends and dearest seruants how much more will they goe about to deceiue such as are their enemies and who as strangers giue but little credit vnto them To conclude the diuels are abiured enemies against the righteous God himselfe and therefore if we will be counted his true and faithfull soruiters indeed we must not haunt nor keepe companie with his aduersaries otherwise he will suffer them to make a prey of our soules as being vnworthie to appeare before his heauenly throne because we haue left him and followed his foes Such is the common end of such kind of people who whilst they are liuing seruing the diuels doe the like when they are dead they being rewarded with hell fire for their paines As the old man was replying againe they might perceiue two Nymphs to come towards them where they sat each of them hauing a written paper in their hands which they deliuered vnto the shepheard Arcas who vnfolding the same found these verses following Loue is a daintie force aboue all other Which doth enforce our spirits vnto good things And without it our soules were neuer able Any thing to doe rightly that deserueth Gloriefor euer Contraries it doth bring into a concòrd Bloodie warres it soone swageth Being more puissant then the Gods themselues are Sweet and the sower it ioyneth both together For to agree well Vnder him wholy gouernd is the huge world Vnder his lawes the heauens eke are subiect Rightly may he be termd a mightie Monarke Whose power extends so far as t is withouten Any set limit He doth his might vse onely exercising It in the harts of liâ—le pretie creatures greene trees Flowers plants hearbes and fruitfull springing Vnder his influence like true hartie Louers Loue one another Of a brace of soules he doth make but one soule Which death it selfe doth hardly make to sunder But man doth perish by his destny fatall Therefore is Loue more kinder to be counted Then is our fortune Simple mens fortunes he doth often raise high Making them like to those of greatest Princesse Then doth not he well merrit much rewarding That to him submits marching passing brauely Vnder his banner Hope to our fainting thoughts he bring to vs still And to our hearts he bringeth ioy and gladnes For vnto Louers nothing is so pleasant As when they see that of their louely Ladies Much they are made of He doth reuiue our glory that was extinct Through the displeasure of our peruerse Plannees Oh how the pleasure is accounted daintie After laments and bitter heauie sorrowes Which one endureth After the brunt of cruell raging Tempest We find the skies more fairer then before time Lone doth reforme vs making vs become new And to resist our mischiefes he doth backe vs Fresh to encounter T is th'happie hauen of our best assurance The sacred Lodestar Sailers vse in voyage Whilst that his sweetnesse all our fornser tranailes Which we endured in our tedious iourney Makes vs forget them Neuer hath he had taste aright of pleasure A Sentence That in the field hath neuer followed true Loue As the darke night is nothing to the faire day So to delights of Loue ther 's not vpon earth Aught to be equalde Euery ioy must yeeld vnto daintie Loues ioy Thoughts of all other what are they but bitter All chiefe contentment springeth from this kind Loue For the conceit oft is so sweetly sugred As all it passeth What we imagine of it in our minds still Cannot be bettred by our often wishing For it doth so much please vs in our owne thoughts As it reuiues vs when our soule is passing Forth of our bodies Then vnto Cupid as asacrifice fit I on his altar offer will my poore heart Nor is it disgrace for to honour rightly One that is counted as a heauenly victor Throughout the whole world These were theverses which one of the Nymphs had composed in praise of Loue but the other had writ in dispraise of the same as here followeth Vaine Loue 's a furious burning force That chastest minds burnes sanus remorse Wretched that loueth is that coarse And want shall his desire He hearts and minds makes disagree Through him great houses filled bee With slaughters treasons treacherie For he of strife is sire Millions of men he doth betray The Gods he bringeth to his bay Like subtill tyrant he doth slay Through sloth all vertue rare The smallest shrubs that grow so trim Doe vade and wither thorough him Poore beastes flie his imprisoning Who liues he doth not spare Such as in Marriage holily Are knit which none ought to vntie He seekes to lose most wickedly Faith plighted to despite Braue Kings and Princes he destroyes Mightie and feeble he annoyes Whilst that with proudest hearts he ioyes To feed his appetite The Louer oft as desperate He egges to slay himselfe through hate Better to be without Loues mate Than die and damned bee If any pleasure he doth bring For that he double doth vs sting Loue cannot yeeld forth any thing But what is sorrowes fee. To comfort vs when storme is done Then shines againe the cheerfull Sunne Where neuer ioy to Louers come For they are shipwrackt still Loue is of man the fatall Rocke A Sentence On which his ship of ease doth knocke Whilst on the sands he doth him shocke By death him for to spill He nouer felt hath any paine That hath not knowne the Louers vaine Each griefe hath but his course certaine Where Loue doth bleed for aye No ill so nigh the heart doth sit As doth this fierce tormenting fit Death is more pleasing far than it Which rids our cares away Our soules with hope it doth torment Whilst nought but Massacres are ment To die t is better far content Then ay liue languishing Loue then most cruell without grace Whom I will curse in euery place No God but diuell is in this case God tha'utor's not of sinne These verses being read before the companie the first Nymphe who wrote in praise of Loue began thus to frame her speech vnto amorous Arcas It is a matter worthy of due consideration to thinke how the Glorie of vertue flieth throughout the world eurey where and how the renowmed fame of learning filleth
th'Iron doth the Adamant so drawes she him to smart Whilst metamorphisde into teares of woe he knoweth no meane His torments being so cruell as his griefes are too extreame He thinkes no more of his poore sheepe he hath forgotten those No other thought now troubles him but how to end his woes His voyce his crie his gesture sad and his most morunfull speech Are all of Loue and how they Loue for succour may beseech His colour now is chang'd and gate so is his wonted grace Nored nor white as heretofore remaineth in his face Like ashes he lookes pale and leane whilst sorrow drieth his bones Nor hath he strength for to doe aught except to send forth grones Without all hope or comfort he doth draw his loathed life And for his refuge death doth seeke torid him of this strife But death is deafe vnto his call as fieree Sycambra is And therefore thou and th' other too he gainst his will must misse Well may he call but they 'le not come once comfort for to bring But leaue him when he needes them most to liue thus languishing In briefe the heauens death and men with destuies doe conspire Gainst him that he shall burne yet haue no meane to quench this fire Nothing preuailes him to auaile whilst on the other side Sycambra in like predicament as he is doth abide Of thonsand bloodie passions she participateth vext Yet nothing can relieue her whilst she languisheth perplext Armanda iests and her when she doth speake at euery word He skoffes nor fauour he at all to her will once afford He laughes to see her weepe to heare her sigh it makes him smile Nor will so much as one small dram of pittie yeeld the while But growing too too insolent and puffed vp with pride He wills her to depart and die nor cannot her akide Swearing by all the Gods that he will sooner seeke his death Then fancie her as long as he shall draw his vitall breath She seeing her selfe disdained thus doth ban her destinie And after many strange conceits resolueth for to die By some strange kinde of vncoth death she meanes to cure her wound Which Loue as foe had giuen her her sences to confound Without imploring any more sauadge Armandas aide Who neither her nor her kinde sute respected aught or waide So loyall Hero of her life an end would willing make When faire Leander she did see drowned for her sake Ah fretting corsie worse then death with neuer endles smart When cheating Loue impoysoneth the constant loyall heart More cruell then the rest by odds for dying we but range From this life to another while we make a better change Whereas the for lorne Louers life so bitter is and fell As thousand deaths they chuse before they will abide the hell Of all the torments then on th' earth Loue most outragious is Loue that our youths makes wither fast depriuing as of blisse Sycambra therefore now resolu'de to die doth soone entend That so at length her Agonies and senselesse griefes may end A trenchant blade she taketh vp but viewing it so kright And sharpe she straitway lets it fall so much it her doth fright Her heart will not endure her hand should set it to her brest And therefore with such inchauntment to die she doth detest A throtling halter doth displease as much as sword before So rusly to be strangled stiffe her faire necke doth abore She poyson takes but her conceit that drench hath ouerthrowne Which makes her halter poyson sword all three to let alone A gentler kinde of death though strange she hath found out as the Which is t'entombd her selfe aliue torid her of her woe She meanes within a Rocke obscure from other Rockes far wide With thousand Ditches compassed and bushes on each side Fearefull to Sauadge beasts themselues and horrible to men Her selfe there to enclose and there her selfe doth closely pen. Thus lanquisht she most wrethedly no meate she had nor bred But sighes and sobs no drinke at all but teares which fast she shed No meate she would but mone no drinke but dole to end her life Meaning hereby her coarse to spoyle through starning famines knife The skriching night Owles dolefully her wailings did assist And lucklesse Rauens moand her Loue whilst they to her did list Death whom she wisht for oft at hand was still though not so nigh As she desirde and sorrow was with her continually No voyce she vsde but cries no speech but drerie drie laments So heauily she mournes as Rockes for pittie doe relent Yet no man answeres her at all The comfort most she findes Is when false Ecco her last word againe vnto her windes But he that of her miserie is cause and motiue chiefe Is deafe vnto her praiers become nor yeeld will her reliefe More hard then stubborne Rocks then hills more Sauadge and more fierce He will not mollifie his heart no pittie can it pierce His weale it is to see her waile her bale to him is blisse Whilst in a state most pittilesse far worse then death he is O Tygers whelpe monster of men worthy of any blame Too much vnworthy to be lou'd of such a constant dame Ah may that fortune chaunce to thee as to Adonis coy Who of a Goddesse dayning loue a Boore did him destroy And let it hap to thee as to Narcissus peeuish Elfe Who others Loues refusing did in loue fall with himselfe Yet can I not say that the Gods are partiall but most iust The selfe same measure others we doe giue we looke for must So Ladies had Sycambra kinde vnto her Zerphir bene She had not then such tortors felt nor had abid such teene As she did bide still languishing desirous for to die Whilst she to death Armanda like to come to her doth crie Yet hopes she thus she cannot liue and that her times not long Her heart she findes alreadie broke for bearing so great wrong Besides her fainting bodie fraile prognosticates to her By reason nature's growne so weake death is not from her far Much doe the gastly dreames she hath in slumber her affright And fearefull apparitions strange which she beholdes in night Sometimes they to her bring dispare then her with hope they feede With hope in vaine which when she wakes her wounds more fresh make bleed For he that nothing hath to loose needs not to waile his losse Nor needs he feare that Fortunes wheeles swift turning should him crosse Where he is in most pittious plight that viewes his chiefest stay Which should from ruine him support on sudden tooke away Long time Sycambra in this wise most vncoth liued thus Like to the shape of gastly death in case most dolorous Whilst in meane space Famine and Griefe with neuer ceasing cries Her flesh did turne to bones her heart tormenting in strange guise Her colour which before was fresh and daintie as the Rose And that same beautious varnish pure no more now in her showes Like to
and now he loues her well Which is the cause with armes though weake he seckes to make a shift And trieth if her sore languishing he from the ground can lift He openeth her faire eyes and forc't through Cupids proud command He kisseth them ten thousand times whilst senslesse she doth stand O God how rich and puissant is Loue and of what great power All former iniuries to make him cancell at this hower Desire for to reuenge his wrongs as Louers wont to vse He now abhors with such bad meanes himselfe hee 'le not abuse Hee 'le rather die then offer wrong to his disloy all Dame Minding in death to honon her and to conceale the same Softly he rubs her liuelesse face oft kissing her faire lippes And being deadly sicke from them dead almost life he sippes Her fore-head he doth water with his brinish teares that flowe Her fore-head father of his griefe and motlue of his woe Thus whilst he ouer her doth mourne Stella gins to reuiue Wondring that Cloridon she sees againe to be aliue Who feeling now his senses faile and life to fleete full fast With hallow poyce and throtling throate he spake these speeches last Ah Stella I st thou whom I haue lou'de then mine eyes more deare I st thou that dost before me in this pittions plight appeare I st thou ingratefull cruell wench whom I doe see here lye Hard by my side whilst for thy sake I doe vniustly die I st that bright Diamond eye of thine that wounded hath my hart 〈◊〉 That eye that gainst all reason makes me renerence my smart I st that faire Forehead yet forsworâ—e and those gold haires of thine That haue bene enemies to me and to all good of mine Ah Stella what hast done thy faith alas why didst thou breake So dearely prised on my side through yeelding ouer-weake Why hast shou falsly lefs thy Spouse thy loyall Cloridon And entertained in his stead on suddaine Aridon Since at the first thou willing me and vnconsty giued tooke No reason t' is that now sans cause I should be thus forseeke Thou hauing then abused me to tell how I abhorre Hast thou the face and darest thou to come my face before Alas should I permit thee Or should I now banish theâ— As periurde wretch whom I doe finde mine ouerthrow to bee LOVE and the Heauens for witnesses against thee doâ— I craueâ— If whilst I liu'd I any way myselfe abused haue My faith and vowe plighted to thee I alwayes haue conserâ—de My loyaltie thou prâ—oued hast of thee it well desornde Not any but thine onely selfe alone I loued still And now I die O spite to hate thee I haue not the will Yet hast thou falsified thy Faith and gone from thy first word Whilst for true loue false fained loue to me thou dost afford But haue I so ill merited and Aridon so well That thou shouldst entertaine him and me thou shouldst expell Ah I haue seene that with mine eyes in such vndâ—cent sort As cause that they haue seene too much they now are All-amort I haue thee seene kisse Aridon false Aridon vniust Whilst to caresse him as thou didst my hart in twaine did burst Disloyally through periurie thy Faith thou broken hast Thine Honor lyeth in the dust and thy good Name is past Thy glorie through inconstancie hath caught her deadly wound Thy credit stained is nor more it can be healed sound Who euer would imagine once or euer would haue thought That one so faire a beautie would so fowle a deed haue wrought Who euer would haue had suspect an eye so full of loue â—â—full of infidelitie vnconstantly would proue Ah say discurteous too vnkinde why hast thou me deceiu'd This thy false show of Amitie hath me of life bereau'd For not my death t' is I lament nor much of that I waide If thou hadst not my meaning chast and honest minde betraide Had I not found thee mutable vnconstant wauering bad Not lingered nor languished in life I so much had This mischiefe that thou false art found and double in thy hart Doth gaull my soule worse thousand times then deaths most keenest dart But yet although thou hast to me this iniurie procur'de Although thy loue to me is found immodest and periur'd Yet now I die I loue thee still though I t' is am abusde My death yet shall disponce with thee and thou shalt be excusde Loue that at first me vnto thee in bands most strict did binde Commands me on alleageance mine with thee no fault to finde â—hen iudge of I did honour thee whilst I did liue on earth Sence dying now I doe the same and will doe after death And since it is thy will sweet soule that I shall leaue this place Why doth such outrage offer now vnto thy beautious face If the thy will that I shall die and that to haue me dead Me and thy selfe in subtill wise thou hast dishonoured Why sobst and sighest why with fist doest beate thy tender brest To see as thou desir'st that I be freed from this vnrest Ah leaue to shed teares thus for me now good thy selfe appease To see this sight torments me more and more doth me disease Weepe not for me vnworthie I that thou for me shouldst waile Since those thine eies once my chiefe blisse are now become my baile Nor seeme thou thus to grieue for him or aught for him to 〈◊〉 Who not thy loue deseruing dieth because he was forlorne No no dissembling wretch thou doest not weepe for death of mine â—et fore I part let me once kisse those daintie lips of thine Let me dying but kisse those eies although I not deserue Which for to light me to my Tombe in steed of tâ—â—ch shall â—erne What wilt thou not grace me so much this fauour wilt not graâ—â—â— To haue obtaind so much at my last gaspe shall I not vaunt Dost thou denie to suffer me to tast of that sweet good Which heretofore I oft haue had within this darkesome word When our sacred mariage rights consummated with oth Vowing one to the other faith and to be constant both Why doest refuse me cruell since I die through heauie griefe Whilst dying thou 'lt not to my paine ad debut some small reliefe Stella this hearing next in soule perplexed with strange paine Once more vpon her faithfull Swaine doth fall on sound againe She falleth downe vpon his brest her bodie senselesse is When fainting Cloridan begins afresh her for to kisse And now what 's true he doubts and thinkes he was deâ—eined right Cursing his follie ouerbold and hating his best sighs He cannot thinke that Stella was with any one vntrue When he doth see how pitiously he taketh on anewe So oft to fall in Traunse so oft such Corsiues to endure Which makes him curse his tongue such woes that to her did prâ—sâ—â—â—â— But in the end she to her selfe againe comes when with cries And pittious plaints she breaketh forth thus in lamenting wise O
an other mans vice but on the contrarie our neighbours error must serue vs in steed of a darke night wherein during the same to kindle our owne vertue must shine bright instructing our selues by his famous example as the ancient Spartaines caused their slaues to be made drunke to the end that their children might hate wine by the brutish and dishonest actions they sawe these base creatures commit being possessed with this liquor It is a foolish conclusion to say that if my neighbour be a foole I must therefore become insensate and set fire on my owne house because I see my neighbours on a burning flame It is rather requisite that an other mans doing be beneficiall vnto vs and that the vice of our neighbour reforme our owne and not make vs to offend like himselfe For vertue would be imitated and vice auoided To maintaine that no man can be constant and resist Loue were to erre grosely For Alexander amidst his great victories delights and conquests performed it Demosthenes refused the Loue of Lais louing ten crownes better then the enioyance of her This wise and graue Philosopher I say whom she could neuer set on fire either by her wanton enticements amorous lookes or her beautie so renowmed so that she thought him an insensible stone and not a man You should in this doe iniurie to modest Scipio who being conquerour of all Affricke religiously abstained from the loue of a woman And a thousand others haue liued free from this misfortune which you may not rightly place in the number of offenders For their fault obscure not the excellent glorie of the vertuoâ—â— and drawe not from their offence matter of opprobrietie against the wise It will be greater honour vnto you to see wise men in name offend and your selfe free from fault then if you erred after the example of some simple creatures Oh Shepheard replied Arcas I denie the foundation of your argument for I will not confesse that it is a fault or crime to loue and iudge Louers no lesse wise then those that haue not loued at all for he may iustly be said to be peruerse and an offender whose offence procureth publike dammage but so farre of is a Louer from preiudicing men that quite contrarie he profiteth them greatly The Louer like the prodigall man iniureth none but himselfe he onely beareth he onely endureth he onely suffereth but from his torment ariseth mortall glorie to the subiect he loueth for was there euer Ladie faithfully by her seruant beloued that did not both honour and sing forth according to the abilitie of his inuention her excellent and rare vertues What can mortall men desire more deare and precious then to see themselues honoured and made immortall to future ages the which Louers fauoured by the Muses may make their Ladies and Mistresses That great King of Macedon thought he not Achilles happie to haue bene set forth and commended by Homor and all great personages haue they not desired the like honour Not to be moued with the passion of glorie is to be brutish and without feeling or not to be stirred vp with a desire to make ones name liuing after death is a signe of a base and boorish minde They to whom the heauens haue not imitated either Art or Learning to attaine to this glorie by writing seeke after it in buildings or other rare workes of great charge and expence which continue for some time but not so long as bookes But it is certaine that the Muses hauing taken Loue in a snare of flowers would say nothing else but crowne this God with greene garlands acknowledging that they should be nothing without him who giueth them vttrance power breath to set forth their verses in despite of time it selfe For neither the greatnes of gifts nor of feare nor the hope of rewards nor threatnings could neuer make a learned Poet write well of any one if he doe not loue and affect him but on the contrarie onely Loue will make him speake better of those whom he shall loue simply without hope of reward then of those whom he loueth not and yet expecteth from them some recompence Questionlesse without Loue many excellent bookes which are made in the honour of men would be yet to doe a thousand other noble Acts which now through him be apparant to the eies of men Commendable therefore are Louers and more then any other sort of men at least they loose not time nor consume it not in doing nothing Oh Godhead replied Coribant but on the contrarie a thousand euils haue proceeded from Loue The ruine of Troy may verifie this and a thousand other testimonies I but quite otherwise replied Arcas Loue stood the Troyans in steed for he sent them the meane to kill Achilles reuenging the death of their Princes he being dead they in such a sort weakened the enemies Campe that without Treason Troy had neuer bene subiect to the Greekes But what hath Loue to doe with the Treason of men as long as he is not the cause thereof And yet the selfelame Loue replied Coribant was it not the cause of the death of modest Hipâ—olitus who was pittifully slaine by the vniust dealings of his wicked Stepmother Nay rather quice contrarie aunswered Arcas he was the occasion that he was made immortall he being raised from death vnto life againe by the cunning of that learned Esculapius who could neuer haue done him so great a good turne vnlesse he had first tasted of death through Loue. But what say you then quoth Coribant vnto Loue which forced Tarquin to offer violence vnto the castitie of Lucres being the cause of so great a mischiefe It was an occasion replied Arcas rather of a maruellous good turne by reason it was the cause of libertie of the Romances with the vtter ruine ouerthrow of their TyraÌ„ts and Lucretia dying in that order as she did was she not most fortunate and happie For doth not such a one die happily who as Codrus by his death preserueth his countrie making the same through his losse to be fortunate afterward And yet the verie same Loue said Coribant was the Author of the cruell perishing of Piramus and Thisby they hauing but a sorie guerdon for their so constant affection which the one bare vnto the other Is he not then bloodie minded and cruell No truely replied Arcas for what more sweet and pleasing kinde of death could they suffer than they did And had it not bene a thousand times better that one of them should die with the other thaÌ„ to be separated diuided seeing the Louer that loseth his Mistris or that Ladie that hath lost her seruant liue not at all but rather languish And yet still the same Loue was it said Coribant which vrged the daughters of Minos to betray their aged Father giuing instructions vnto Theseus how to slay the monster and to get out of the Labyrinth when he had done Why and the same Loue answered
by Hunter he did runne And then againe begins the course that he before had donne When missing of his purpose he laments in pitteous case And cruell to himselfe doth scrath and teare his manly face Euen as Hippollitus the chaste was drawne by his faire haire Through forrests woods and mount aine tops and hurried euery where And at the last his limmes were rent asunder one from one Whilst frighted with sea monsters he from Chariot fell alone So such our Shepheard seemd to be resembling such a wight Whilst streames of blood runne downe alongst his bodie view you might He sighes and sobs within the woods with voice most dolorous Whilst on the name of Ladie his he crieth and cals on thus Ah where art thou my Flora dearâ— alas where maist thou be And why shouldst thou be so vnkind to hide thy face from me What place so happie is to hold thy selfe mine onely ioy Thy beautie now where doth it shine chasing away annoy Light of mine eies say dost thou loue ah yet vnto me speake And be not so vnkind my heart with calling thee to breake Where so thou liu'st blessed is that place thrise blessed aie More willing than in paradise I there would bide and staie Alacke what haue I done to thee thou shouldst be so vnkind To part from me my better part and leaue my soule behind No doubt some God hath gotten thee enioying presence thine Some heauenly power doth honour thee which breedeth sorrow mine For thinkest thou withouten thee I can draw forth this breath Thinkst thou that in thine absence I can liue vpon this earth Then speake my sweet vouchsafe so much as tell me where art thou Where bide those rare perfections and where shine thy vertues now May I not be so happie as to know where thou dost keepe Since for thy losse I cannot chuse eternally but weepe Without thy carefull Numidor tell me where doest thou staie Who euer hath thee lou'd and who will loue thee still for aie Canst thou if him as he doth thee so much and truely loue Grieue him so much vex him so much and ouermuch him moue I knew the time I must confesse when as thou didst sermount For loyall Loue and when of me thou diddest make account I know I know thou loud'st me once that loued me thou hast And that for constant loyaltie our mutuall Loue hath past I know that Loue ore both our hearts tryumpht as Conquerour And that or'e both our soules he had the like and selfesame power I le sweare that once thou louedst me though now thou lou'st me not Though now that fire extinguisht is and thou hast me forgot I know not if as wearie of me thou beginst to range And that thy fickle minde desires else where to soare and change Or whether hauing found a man thou better likst than mee I am reiected and shooke off and quite cassheirde by thee Which if that it be so why then die must poore Numidore And with his death his fortune hard and thy bad minde deplore If it be so he must resigne his life to death and die Rather than liue thus languishing in paine continually If it be so I needs must say though so to say doth griue There is no trust in any one no faith on earth doth liue Needs must I say women are false that constant fewe remaine And that their Sex doth harbor â— ought but false dissembling shame If it be so that Flora false to Shepheard hers hath prou'd Then well I sweare that loyally neuer hath woman lou'd But why alas talke I so vaine too idle is my head Whilst with such franticke raging fits my fantasie is fed What madding humor vexeth me what bedlem iealousie What fond conceit makes me to talke Sans Sens so foolishly Am I so vilely giuen to thinke that Flora will cassbeire Her seruant Numidor whom she before hath lou'd so deare That she to any but to him will true and faithfull proue That she will falsifie her faith orethrowing her first Loue O thought most base to haue of her conceit her to mistrust O traiterous Shepheard worthlesse man O louer most accurst Haue I long heretofore her Loue with Touchstone throughly tride And shall she now with sensure hard withouten cause abide Shall I of infidelitie condemne her and suspect When I haue euer knowne her all bad motions to reiect No no sweet Flora I dare sweare and I doe know too well Thou lou'st thy Numidor nor him for new wilt euer sell No thou dost loue him though some God hath tane thee gainst thy will And keepeth thee perforce although thou neuer meanedst ill I know thou dearely louest him as dearely as thy hart And that his absence makes thee waile and in thee breedeth smart I know my presence thou dost wish and dost lament my losse I know that my not being with thee thou dost count a crosse I doe beleeue assuredly nor otherwise I le thinke Thy loue so sacred nere can die nor euer be extinct Too much thou louedst me too much thou aie of me didst make To leaue me to abandon me and me for to forsake Thou louest me and dost desire with me to be I know But that bad fortune crossed thee the faults thereof to show Then in what place thy sweetest selfe doth soiourne and doth stay And where so ere thy beautie faire her brightnes doth display Where ore thy gratious eie doth glaunce controlling with delight Embellsshing with lulstrious raies the glorie of thy sight Ah there the Gods I doe beseech all happines to raigne Downe on thee fast whilst there thou maist in pleasure safe remaine Whilst I meane while will goe to seeke some wofull vncoth place Some hollow Rocke where I may liue since I can finde no grace For being of thy seemely shape though vndeseru'd depriude I needes must breath my last of force and seeke to be distiude Then happie liue thou liue thou long and neuer maist thou tast Of sorrow such as I haue done to force thy life to wast Thus said the Shepheard and therewith seekes still some hollow Cane Wherein he soone may finde his end which he desires to haue He seekes to finde his death whilst her to finde he nere doth linne As did Apollo Daphna chase whose loue he sought to winne Nor wearied is he Louers nere are wearied when the fire Of Loue doth burne their entrailes hot with coales of strange desire Long trauaile neuer tireth them but still they labour fresh And though they be ore chargde yet take thy courage nerethelesse Then Numidor by Loue borne out both day and night doth seeke For his faire Saint for whom he longs and much desires to meete As one beholds the Lionesse at mouth with froth to fome When she to seeke her little ones stolne from her forth doth runne She neuer staieth but restlesse runnes the forrests all about Nor giues she ore although her bones and backe doe cracke throughout Running sometimes vpon the
speake vnto her For said he vnto him selfe what should hinder me that I should not bewray how much I affect her What though shee be the Daughter of my King is it reason therefore that I should die for her and yet not make her acquainied with my death and the cause thereof What know I whether Loue hath infected her as well as it hath poysoned mee Fot as great Princes as shee haue felt his force and haue bene brought vnder by him which if it were so I would not then doubt but that shee would be so gratious vnto me as to take some pittie vpon mee For Loue makes the hearts of great Monarks to stoope as well as those of poore peasants forcing as well the brauest minds to be subiect vnto his lawes as such as are baser persons Did not he make soft and gentle the hart of proud and haughtie Achilles compelling him to yeeld vnto his prisoner Briseis to like her so well as hee quarrelled with all the Princes of Greece to haue her good will And the selfe same Loue did it not take downe the stubborne stomacke of high minded Angelica who although she were a Princesse and sought vnto by all the chiefest Paladines and men of renowne in the world yet did she cast her liking vpon sillie Medor a simple Page or Lackey Nothing can withstand his mightie power neither King nor Queene Royaltie nor Nobilitie all are alike vnto him and all must doe as he pleaseth Onely with surlie and proud mindes doth he most commonly adorne his triumphant Chariot disdaining as it were the spoyles of the meanest Againe did not Venus doate on a Shepheard and Phoebus vpon a plaine Countrey Lasse Yes yes and therefore nothing is impossible vnto Loue. And seeing it is so I will endeuour to see if I can learne whether hee hath tamed the great heart of this louely Princesse which if he hath done I hope then that it is strucken with a golden Dart as mine is and not with one of lead Might I but once finde that she affecteth mee I would doe well enough with the rest hoping in time to bring euery thing to a most prosperous end and happie issue Thus said my Maister being resolute to sound the depth of the Princesse thoughts and yet hee thought it was hard to wade through such a Foord much doubting the entrance therein but farre more how to get out thereof againe And as a Generall of an Armie after hee hath had manie parleyes with the Fort which is enemie vnto him pitcheth his Tentes round about the same but seeing his Souldiers to be beatten backe againe with losse of many of his men dispaireth that he shall not be able to surprize it doubting sore of some bad issue in this his enterprise Euen so many doubts ran into Don Iohns head which much troubled him as well he knew not what to doe One while he feareth lest he should offend his Mistris and loth he is to displease her yet in the end Fortune who fauoreth such as be venturous egged him forward making the way plain for him that he might the better bewray his affection vnto his Ladie For one day the King being willing highly to grace him commanded him to sit downe with him at his owne Royall table where his daughter fat right ouer against him Neuer can Vertue be honoured too much whilst shee doeth credit vnto them that thus seeke to doe her reuerence and dutie I leaue vnto your aduised considerations to iudge whether whilest the Princesse sate so nigh the Knight he lost anie time or no And whether hee tooke his occasion finding the opportunitie so fitte if hee had done otherwise he had done fondlie But hee seeing his Saint so nigh vnto him watching fitte time after many troubled conceits running in his minde with a blushing countenance and a low trembling voyee hee thus beganne to Court her What would you say most excellent Princes to heare that your owne knight vpon the selfesame day in which he receiued from your royall selfe the prize for Tilting became both victorious and vanquisht and all at once Victor ouer so many braue Caualiers but vanquisht through your most beautious eyes And although euery Conquerour is proud of his conquest and he that is conquered lamenteth for his losse yet I quite contrarie vnto them esteeme lesse of my victorie then I doe to be ouercome for it is far more honourable to be ouerthrowne by a diuine puyssance then to be Conquerour ouer a weeke and feeble force And what greater renowme or brauer fame may so much beautifie and adorne my daies as to be called the vassall and slaue of her and to be vanquisht by her who by the same force is able to ouercome euen the Gods themselues No other glorie will I seeke then this which is to be accounted your Captiue I know good Madame you may count me ouer arragant and without discretion in that I dare presume to vse such speeches vnto you who are both my naturall Princes and my Ladie purchased through your too beautious eyes yet though the Gods be sacred and immortall they for all that refuse not the seruice of worldly men their creatures because nothing can hinder vertue from doing her duetie inasmuch as she is without fault and the rather in that she is of force to make the fierce and wildest hearts that are to be in loue with her I speake not this that I would looke for any recompence for my paines of you neither that you should make any account of me at all onely I would most humble entreat you that you would vouchsafe to belieue that all my desires all my studies and all my endeuours are wholy vowed vnto your secret seruice and that no person shall command ouer my soule but onely your sweet selfe Thinke not then gratious Princes that I am ouer-rash and too too bold to deliuer such words as these vnto you For it is impossible that any right generous minde or braue heroicall thought should see so rare and matchlesse a beautie as yours is but that he needs must be in loue therewith and louing it deuote himselfe vnto the honour of the same for euer Did not so many diuine vertues abound within you and were you not euery way indued with so rare and exquisite qualities as you are we then should not so earnestly seeke to serue you neither should we be so curious to follow you with so great affection and respect as we doe Sooner shall the Sunne be without light and the earth without verdure and greenes for as the heauens whether we will or no giueth vnto vs light Euen so despite of your selfe shall you be honoured and admired as long as you are so excellent and perfect a creature Then if I place my selfe in the order of such as reuerence your rare qualities good Madam pardon me neither thinke that any person can bare more loyall seruice vnto you then I my selfe doe for might my
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
shall chance to be any hinderance vnto thee let me then entreate so much at thy hands that I depriuing my selfe of this loathed life may be rid of these corsiues which still torment me and thou be freed of this tedious charge which so much troubles thee Not so answered Orythia Let mee alone and I dare warrant thee all shall be well Castles besieged yeeld not at the first parley things that are brought to passe processe of time and with mature deliberation and aduise continue longer and seeme more sweet afterward for a man knoweth not the delightfulnes of pleasure aright if he haue not a tast of paine before and that which we haue most dearest bought and hardliest come by we alwaies hold most pretious and of most account Liue then in peace and suffer me to trie my fortune which I perswade my selfe shall proue most happie in thy behalfe So saying the Nymph leaueth me to take her iourney minding to helpe me although she hurt her selfe taking more care to heale my sore then to cure her owne wound I could not chuse but follow after her faire and softly yet aloofe when by chance I met Fortunnio in the way all to be blubbered with weeping who thought verily that I had bene dead he roming vp and downe the Forrest like a man distraught crying out and calling still vpon my name whom none saue an Ecco answered Much did he bewaile my losse making greater moane for me then I deserued whilest most vnwisely he blamed Loue as the Author of my death and enuied most bitterly against the stonie hart of my faire Mistris But no sooner had he a sight of me but that he came running most cheerfully vnto me and most tenderly embraced me changing his former sad and heauie countenance not vnlike to him who hauing found some pretious Iewell which he before accounted as lost beginneth to reuiue and to be merrie againe Then did he tell me how my Ladie had hard I was dead she belieuing the same for most certaine truth for Orythia had for my good spread abroad this report with as much speed as possible she could which comming vnto my Dianas eares was not a little vnpleasant vnto her as was found by the number of salt teares which she shed as a sure restimonie of her true griefe Which when I knew I began to take comfort againe and to reuiue my selfe with a fresh hope of some good successe to come and thereupon I compiled these verses following vpon the teares which my Mistris shed in my behalfe whilest I attended with great deuotion the often wished for returne of kinde Orythia Examitor and Pentamitor verses Sweet doe not thinke thy pearly teares my paines can asswage ought Not death but thy teares bring to my soule his adue For thy grieuous plaints in steed of one onely shert death Thousand deaths and more are to me paine to enerease I not deserue that thou for me shouldst wofully weepe thus T is not death but thy teares take from my selfe my delight Death alone this sillie corpse commands when it iskes him But thy griefes doeforce soule for to flie to the skie After so many paines in our loue leaue vnto me giue none Hence to depart in peace rest that I may in my graue Long enough haue I liu'd since that so gentle a liking Tide hath thy hart to mine and to thy soule ioyned miue Then this my exceeding torments Faire doe not enuie Since that I desire life then thy selfe for to leaue Farewell pleasd he dyes who dying findeth a fauour When that his Ladies hand close vp his eyes at his end What more sacred Tombe to be interd can I chuse me Then to die in thy armes where my desire euer liu'd If whilst I liu'd thou care didst take for my poore life At my happines then ah be not enuious now Leaue I beseech thee teares to shed since teares cannot helpe me For my soule once gone thou by thy teares cannot haue Cruell death to relent with sighes you neuer intreate can Blest that Louer dies who by his Loue makes an end Onely this I beg at thy hands before that I die here Those faire beautious eyes kisse that I might but a while Might I but finde this kindnes rare then blest would my soule be Nor would it are forget thanks to requite in his minde Faire too much it were for me to die in thy sweet armes He that dies content death neuer feeles or his dart Who to his Mistris doth deuote his hart as a present Leaues the same in his brest royally laide in a Tombe Gloomie night for to close mine eyes fast can neuer haue power Nor can I die as long as what I like I may see Then doe but thinke on me whose soule was onely deuoted Vnto thy selfe and which liu'd in thy brest that is chaste In the bottome of my darke graue shine shall thy bright eyes Whilst with a new fire death shall me reuiue once againe For if heretofore the same could into my soule peirce Who can hinder it now brightly to shine on my coarse Then deare Saint to leaue these wailings let me request thee I doe not sigh cause I die but thee to see to lament For since of thy grace I am not worthy but vnfit Then as much as a teare why for my sake shouldst thou shed Vnder the yoake of amorous seruice whilst that I liu'd What good once did I thee what haue I done for thee ere T is no sense to bewaile the losse of one that deserues not Who to none but himselfe whilst that he liu'd did he loue This is the cause my soule force my coarse to relinquish For that he seruice small did whilst he liu'd to my dame Yet since this my wisht for death most happily hapneth Since by my parting now I from my griefe now doe part T is my fortune for me too good ah faire doe not enuie Since that alone through death happily liue doth the soule Wipe then thy faire eyes and without shewe of a mourner This my breathlesse Trunke vnto the graue doe thou beare Thrise happie Tombe since he againe reuiues with a new life Who dead leaueth his Loue rauished him for to joy This was the mestfull Dittie I made I being then so troubled in my minde as I knew not well how to expresse my griefe although I vsed many scalding sighes and salt teares to make manifest the same I being of cōceit that it was impossible for me to blazon forth the crueltie of Loue in his right colours and yet did I seeke to comfort my selfe in that I had many cōpanions in my miserie heretofore O victorious Caesar for all thy valour thou wast conquered by louely Cleopatra who had a sonne by thee called Cesarion And thou graue Emperour and diuine Phylosopher diddest thou not doate vpon thy most vnhonest Faustina whilest thou thy selfe becamest Loues prisoner notwithstanding all thy wisedome and greatnes Hanniball found his force too
Gretian Horse made of wood wherein were hidden the enemies of Troy for neuer vntill then did I feele the piereing darts of sorrow aright In respect of this all my other paines were but pleasures nay meere toyes to speake of in a manner compared vnto this Corfie which so violently seazed vpon me as I felt most bloodie pangs and cruell conflicts to make warre within me the anguish thereof being so insupportable as I looked euery houre when my soule and bodie should haue parted asunder Ah most vnluckie tongue who taught thee to talke so much Alas that man should be so vnwife as to make way vnto his owne ouerthrow whilest he thinking to doe for the best it falleth out vnto him for the worst and where he looketh to haue praise there oftentimes he purchaseth most blame and discredit Full little did I thinke but that whilest I reported the filthines of the Monster she would haue giuen me great thankes for the same and that made me with the best tearmes I could to set out my tale but it fell out quite contrarie for I seeking to get somewhat lost all Well doe I see that the prudencie of man is nothing whilest God scosteth at their wisedome changing their dissignes quite contrarie vnto their desire Great reason had I to curse that lucklesse Monster vnto the bottomlesse pit of hell although before I had praised him so much because through him I was permitted to touch the faire hand of my froward Mistris And thus Louers either hate or loue what their blind God putteth into their heads they being still wauering and inconstant in their opinions Diuers were the heauie thoughts which as then seazed vpon me I being growne in a manner to follow blacke dispaire because I sawe I was like to be depriued of the presence of my Ladie for euer if she going onward as she began would seclude her selfe from all companies like vnto an Ankresse An other while I imagined that I my selfe was culpable of all this wofull mischance fearing shroadly that all such as should deplore or lament the losse of her would lay all the fault vpon me And therefore had I great reason to mourne and sorrow as I did I shewing by many signes and expressing by diuers waies how my feeble heart was wounded with an incurable fore But whilest I stood thus sighing and lamenting vnto my selfe and whilest all the sad Nymphs had fixed their weeping eyes vpō the ground not knowing what to say vnto the speech which their Ladie made the Shepheard who was amorous of her arriued there who after he had with a dutifull Conge saluted her and all her troupe presented her with these verses foilowing My pittious eye in mailing nothing more Bel oldeth faire then thy diuinest grace Nothing I see more sacred to adore Then that pure vertue that shines in thy face For thee I liue for thee I willing die Wishing no Sunne to see but for thy sake But should I thee offend then wretched I. Thus good and ill alike for thee I take For so rare subiect as thy selfe diuine My hart can neuer suffer ouermuch Although these cares knawe this poore hart of mine And to the quicke in euery part me touch Happie is he that suffereth for pure Loue For whilest he loues so he himselfe doth finde Transformed into such beautie as doth moue Life whereas death before to him was signds A Deitie then beautie is aright When it such wonders worketh in her sight Another Cruell for louing thee I le end my daies Since dying I shall liue still in thy beautie Who dieth Conquerour merrits double praise But farre more be who dieth for louing duetie Immortall glorie Piramus did gaine For this besides his loyall chastitie Was much commended when by death the same Freede Thisbe from most wofull miserie As he for her so I for thee will doe For thee I le die of my chaste Loue the honour And as the Phoenix I le consume for you I as himselfe consuming in that manner Whilst of my bones so burned shall reuiue Thousands of Louers created by this fire Who for their constant Loue shall be aliue World without end renowmed through true desire Of these Sonnets she made no account but hauing read them which she did rather to be rid of him then otherwise she gaue them backe againe vnto the Shepheard contrarie vnto her wonted custome with these words Little hath she neede of praise who because she should auoid the same maketh her selfe of a liue creature but a deadly coarse and yet of her owne valuntarle will and pleasure Wretched are such men as take pleasure to haue their eares tickled with praises God onely who is immortall infinite without sinne and euerlasting deserueth glorie alone Then Shepheard talke no more vnto me of such vanities as these are for I am no better then a most miserable caitiffe who am going to die and to giue ouer the world if that auncient Greeke refused all titles of honour affirming that he knew onely one thing which was that he knew nothing thinkest thou then that I can deserue it I who am as brittle as glasse descended from that first woman yea and from her owne sex who through her pride ouerthew all the world O Shepheard Shepheard if as now our first Grandmother Eue liued so farre would she be from looking for honour and reuerend duetie to be done vnto her as she would doe nothing but weepe continually whilest her haire with which we set out and beautifie our faces should serue her to doe nothing else then drie and weepe those drerie teares of hers Away then withall vaine-glorie Behold Saladine Emperour of the Infidels who dying commanded that this Epitaph should be set vpon his Tombe An excellens Epit aph Here lieth famous Saladine who of so many Kingdomes victories Riches and Titles of honour which he had whilst he liued hath carried away with him nothing but a plaine sheete into his graue All is meere vanitie that man doth euery thing passeth away like winde and after they are dead there is no more remembrance of them That deserueth no glorie at all A Sentence which is subiect vnto ruine and corruption nothing is more mortall or declining then man why then wouldest thou haue him commended seeing he perisheth and being perished the cause of his honour which thou so much chauntest doth perish also But God who is without beginning without middle or ending and who decaieth not at all doth merrit praise onely because he cannot fade and therefore the subiect of his glorie is alwaies liuing which we sing continually vnto his name Away then away with these foolish verses rather flattering then true and let me neuer heare nor see any thing that hath neuer so little a tast or shew of this misshapen Monster Pride Is it possible that man should presume that he merriteth praise who being made of earth is no better then earth and yet before he can returne to be
beheld so perfect a beautie but farre more blessed if being depriued of her you likewise depriue your selues of all light O royall Recluse that shalt enioy the companie of my Diana Ah why am not I transformed into thee what shall I doe or what shall become of mee whither should I goe or what should I say and what can I hope for that may please me in this world Too long haue I liued since the longer I liue the more my paiâ—e increaseth Dispatch then forlorne and forsaken Shepheard seeing thou art exiled from what thou most of all didst delight in whilst yee mine Eyes who of late serued to contemplate so diuine a countenance shall now stand me in stead to raine downe bitter teares and thou my Tongue who of late wert an instrument to commend such rare and diuine vertues shalt serue me now to lament their losse and bid them all Adien Must I then bid Adieu vnto those golden locks which serued as bands to tye my heart must I bid Adieu to those faire and daintie tresses curling in cirkles and wauing with the winde resembling those of the Paphian Goddesse shall I neuer see you more after you are inclosed within those vnooth walls Must I needs bid Adieu vnto that goodly and spacious Forhead smooth as Gette and free from euerie wrinkle and frowne that For head whereas all Vertue lodgeth the seat of Iustice and receit of all Chastitie Must I needs languish and pine away without seeing you any more Oh vnhappie day of my byrth ô miserable my chaunce and vnfortunate the time wherein I liue Must I needs bid Adieu vnto those thinne and slender Eye-lids the foes of care and enemies vnto griefe descending vault-wise like a fine Arche of Ebonie delightfull to behold but farre more pleasant to touch Is it possible I can liue and not see you I cannot Now woe is mee I cannot needes must yee take my life away my sorrowfull life must you take away with you But chiefly you faire Eyes must I needs bid you Adieu my two glorious Sunnes haue you resolued neuer to shine more and must I needs still liue in darknesse O Saphire Eyes the throne of LOVE the bright lamps of Chastitie the lodges of vertue true mirrours of honest maiestike modestie must I needs beforsaken of you Cruell as you are you first inflamed my hart rauishing the same whilst it consumed with the fire of desire yet thinke not for all this that I will leaue you your glaunces shall be my guides and your lookes the pathes wherein I will trace I can no more lose or leaue you then the Traueller can walke in the thick darke wood without the light of the day O faire Mouth and must I needs bid thee Adieu wo is me shall I neuer see thee more Ah sacred Mouth wherin my soule reposed the happie chaire of my chaste Desires resembling a garden of Musk roses and Cloue gilly-flowers from whence proceeded so many wise and hunnie speeches charming our â—indes as the great Priest of Thracia did the stones and Trees with the sound of his bewitchitching Harpe shall it be said I shall neuer see you more it cannot be Arcas shall neuer be seene to ioy in this world when he is depriued of the heauenly sound of thy Harmonious voyce And yee faire louely Cheekes shall I bid you Adieu Cheeks vermillion without cunning or painting whose naturall Die is the Lillie sweetly mixed with the Damask-rose neuer can I part from you without parting from life all Ah beautious Brests must I needs bid you Adieu where reposed the nine Muses with their sage brother Brests more faire then Summers day and far more white then Mountain snow sweet lobby of vertue it selfe and pleasant prison of my intangled heart Neuer shall I be able to bid you Adieu sooner must my dayes be shortned and my wretched selfe cut off before my time appointed In the meane space liue thou my peerlesse Saint in all happines full of ioy and freed from all annoy liue to be honoured both of Gods and men Adieu for euer and a day the light of my soule life of my minde farewell Adieu my gratious sweet chaste vertuous and religious Mistris Heauens graunt thee all happinesse according vnto thine owne contentment whilst I take my course to die despite of the maleuolent starres that haue so long prolonged my life But yet before my death leaue yee mine Eyes some teares to accompanie in weeping so manie faire and goodly Nymphes who as well as your selfe mourne for the losse of their best Gonernesse and yet it is not for braue and generous mindes to shead teares but rather for base Cowards weake Women and little powling Children Cato when hee died neuer wept at all so wee without lamenting will giue vp the Ghost it shall suffice that the goary droppes of my purple blood shall be in stead of salt teares Too much haue I sighed and sobbed too much haue I wailed and wept and ouermuch haue I lamented and cryed out And yet before my fatall houre approach I will leaue some pittious signes of my griese behinde mee that the world may see after my death how rare and constant my loue hath alwayes bene Herevpon I made an ende of my speech falling downe through very faintnesse all along vpon the grassie ground whilest holding mine armes acrosse as a token of my gricuous cares and lifting vp mine eyes towardes the heauens I began afresh to weepe most bitterly That done I began to apprehend so liuely a passion of exceeding bitter sorrow that the very conceit thereof made mee to sownd and so for a long time I lay as it were berest of all my senses At the last I reuiued and therewithall rose vp when taking my knife I engraued in the Rocke these mournfull Verses following Vnto the soundlesse Vaults of Hell below I le waile noy griefes remedilesse amaine Whilst frightfull Ghosts as pittifull shall shew And Fliâ—tie Rocks remorse take of my paine Yea Death it selfe my bitter paines shall know To witnesse that my life in noy hath laine For Louers true can neuer die indeed Whose loyall hearts a beanenly fire doth feed My Course beeing layd along within my Graue Shall shew his teares his torments and his loue And for his minde did neuer change nor waue Farre brighter then the Sunne the same shall prone By him the picture of his Lady he shall haue Which he being dead afresh shall make him mone Like to the fire in ashes contred Which though at shew no flame yet is not dead LOVE is not tarn'de by Death but still doth liue Although that life doth flit and passe away Then Lady thinke not though by death thou grieue My bodie that thou LOVE canst make decay As long as Fancie â—oth thy beautie driue Into my soule No this will bide for eye Within my heart thy beautie printed is LOVE in my Tombe to harbor will not â—â—isse Thinkst thou
lodge of such Spirits as like vacabonds wandred vp and downe the world being worthily punished by the great and iust Gods Many gastly Caues were there to be found but so horrible were they as the onely sight of them brought trembling feare to the mindes and sudden amazement to the eyes of such as should behold them No running Fountaine was there that gaue forth cristall water no shadowing groue to keepe men from parching heate nor any greene coolie grasse with faire coloured flowers to delight the sences onely in this vncoth wildernesse did soiourne such sad and old angrie men as by there nightly Charmes forced the Spirites of the earth to obey their wills and to be at their command In steede of Nightingale and Lark was there found the Scritching Owle and night Rauen with such other dismall Birdes whose flight nature and crie did serue for sinister prophesies vnto the miserable Inhabitants thereof All thrise wofull and lamentable dwelling in comparison of the ioyfull woods of Arcadia the first witnesses of the chast Loues of this disastred Shepheard and yet fortunate inough for him seeing that he being depriued of all his wisht for hopes soughtby many pittilesse Accidents to ende his loathed life Those faire and goodly troupes of Shepheards and Shepheardesses which were wont heretofore to be a comfort vnto him were now most pittifully taken from his sight There the learned Iulâ—tta was not to be found neither there could his deare friend Philas be heard of who with others were wont most sweetly to record and sing of their ouerhard fortunes in their loyall Loues O poore Shepheard if solitarines may bring to the male-contented any delight at all no doubt but then thou doest participate with the same for amongst millions of sauadge beastes thou liuest alone amongst thousands of gastly rocks and amongst infinites of desarts without any cleare light or cheareful Sunne And yet the sharpe feeling of his inward griefes ouercame and drowned the sad apprehension of this solitarie seate A Similie no otherwise then great and desperate mischances slake and quench those that are little or as most violent diseases hinder the feeling of such as are lesse vnrecouerable Not smally fortunate did he thinke himselfe to haue found this vnluckie Râ—ceptakle making vnto himselfe a false ioy of that sower Subiect which was the caâ—se of heause sorrow vnto others And herein might he witnesse full well that in respect of the â—ll that happeneth in Loue all other euils are right pleasures and that that onely torment brought with it a certaine sure knowledge of misfortunes vnto men O how easie a matter is it to resist all worldly troubles and to passe through the pikes of the same But how hard or rather impossible a thing is it to vanquish and ouercome loue A Sentence Of all the fanites that wise men commit none is more excusable then such as Loue forceth then to doe Who was more learned then Plato who more inditiall then Aristotle who more godly then Daâ—ad who more wise then Salomon and who more strong then Sampson Surely none and yet neuer haue any bin more ouercome by loue then they of which Tirants slauâ—sh yoke this poore Shepheard also had felt the heauie burthen His rare constancie bare patiently the losse of his goods tooke gently his banishment from his countrie endured quietly the crueltie of time and brooked wisely the iniuries of the enuious but vnto this Loue it yeelded quickly and as it were without constraint Thrise blessed was he in that be knew how to make choise of so beautious and rare Subiects but yet quadruple vnfortunate for that he could not reape the sweete fruites of the same in this world A Sentence The remembrance of things lost is forgotten through length of time the paine of deadliest sicknesses is appeased by Phisicke and the deepest conceited sorrow weareth away with often sighing but alas his loue was alwaies liuing without ende and without truce as a substance euerlasting Too too cruell was that star that shonne at his birth but farre more remorslesse the care and griefe of his continuall vexed life And in respect of him happie are all other whatsoeuer who are tormented with the losse of their kinde friends deare countrie louing families and acquaintance all which though they be much grieuous to support and suffer yet are they not to be compared in rigor vnto the least passion of Loue for the Soule findeth in them some one comfort or other and the bodie some ease of griefe or at the least an ende of all but in the pangs of Loue neither the one nor the other are euer out of trouble Wretched then is the man that leueth therefore wretched this Shepheard and yet more happie then such contented persons who liue alwaies fearing death whereas the approach of the same was the onely hauen and heauen of his vnhappines Such and so great was the extremities of his woes as it hindred him to marke or conceiue the fearefulnes of this desart to apprehend the horror of so frightfull a dwelling He thinketh of nothing lesse then of the horriblenes of the same Such condemned Soules as are drawne vnto the place of execution dreame not of any thing else then of the bitter death they goe to suffer EueÌ„ so sought not he any other iourney in this wildernesse then such as his passion led him on to take his eyes not being employed in any office at all whilest he himselfe seemed to be both deafe blinde and dumme O sage and prudent Poets who to expresse the nature and effects of Loue most properly faine Louers to haue bin changed into insensible shapes for certainely they are but Stones Trees and Rocks in their actions and behauiour although they retaine and keepe with them a humane shape A long time did this miserable Shepheard walke thus without knowing which way he went vntill at the last for verie wearines he was forced to rest himselfe at the foote of a mightie high Rocke There being set vpon the ground his armes a crosse his eyes lifted vp his lips close shut together leaning his head vpon the stone which hung on the one side he seemed as if he had bin another very Rocke for as a Rocke so were his gestures moue-lesse his spirits gone and all the partes of his bodie without force and vigor And to say the truth indeede how could he once stirre if his Soule being the life of his bodie was as then absent and at that time retired into the bosome of his faire Mistris Thus sat he senselesse a great while with a heauie setled countenance vntill at last looking downe lowe with his eyes he espied certaine verses to be carued most curiously within the Rocke which made him resemble the Hunter A Similie who dispairing of his Prey and hauing as it were quite forgotten the same vpon the soden spieth his game which forceth him to begin a fresh the pursuite thereof and so followeth the
diuers contrarie effects for of that thing which is perfect nothing can proceede but what is perfect like vnto it selfe As it happeneth amongst Lions Lionesses which alwaies resemble one another but from Nature diuers effects doe happen vnperfect and therefore is not she her selfe perfect Now badly quoth the old man herein doe you conclude for both Nature her selfe is perfect and so are her workes also Perfect are her workes in that she doth distribute vnto euery one that which she knoweth to be most necessarie for him Some doth she cause to be sicke to the ende she may smoother and kill the force and power of such vices as they haue ouer greedily swallowed downe From others she taketh away their right wits and memorie to make them forget the conceit and thought of high and aspiring designes and to bring them to thinke of base and lowe matters vpon the conseruation of which dependeth the estate and safetie of their Superious and from others she keepeth backe her treasures to the ende she might acquaint them with the ordinarie labour and tillage of the earth which rendereth a most sacred and diume testimonie of her perfection without which the most worthiest Spirits addicted wholly vnto glory should be constrained to forsake and yeelde their bodies vnto death as being famished for want of sustenance and as her perfection is exquisite so is her puissance incomprehensible and the effects of the same most admirable so as who solloweth her steps alwaies orderly shall neuer grosely erre nor offend shamefully And yet replied the Shepheard diuers that haue offended erring through Nature haue by Art much amended their defects whereas neuer hath there bin knonwe any one that hath bin found to be perfect through the benefit of Nature As we see the Sages wise men that liued heretofore in the olde world spent many yeares to correct by knowledge and experience the defaults of lame Nature But that knowledge answered the old man proceeded from the selfe same Nature in such wise as she is not to be blamed at all for the same nor to be thought any thing the more vnperfect for it seeing that as she was the cause of that ill so she brought a remedie for the same and that so holesome a one as the wound being once cured A Similie the whole body euer after was the better being cleare purged of all his defects Not vnlike vnto the body of man which being purified through a comfortable potion is not onely freed of that disease which as then infected him but euer after is the better in health for that holesome Phisicke We see that sometimes the Surgion maketh incision and cutteth off flesh to the ende the whole body may be the more healthfull and sound so this experieece which Nature hath bestowed vpon man is so perfect and necessarie as he may iudge himselfe to be right happie to haue found some such small defect of Nature in himselfe since they haue bin of force to learne him how to helpe himselfe and how to vse this excellent knowledge vnto his great aduantage which not onely cleanseth him from his faults present but from such likewise as are to come hereafter What is that you said answered Arcas as though there be not many faults and imperfections of Nature and those of so high a qualitie as no experience nor skill be it neuer so great can euer amend them or once be able to doe good of them how many incurable diseases are there that no Phisicke can helpe them and how many cruell and desperate inconueniences that no Art can withstand them No no Nature her selfe can neuer deliuer vnto man any one knowledge sufficient no although we would graunt that wisedome proceeded from her as it doth not which were of force and power enough to amend and correct her owne faults and imperfections I will demaund but this one question of you whether you thinke there be any naturall prudence or foresight strong enough to helpe that sicknes which proceedeth from Loue and whether Louers haue not good reason iustly to complaine of Nature who without any succour or helpe halleth thēso cruelly vnto such inexpiable miseries Nay then quoth the old man if you come to encounter against me with the power of Loue I must needs haue the field and yeeld the prize vnto you For I my selfe although I haue drawne thousands of treasures from Nature all which are sufficient proofes of her beautifulnes of her power vertue yet could I neuer find by her meanes any remedie against this incurable disease Incurable may I call it since it hath made me to abandon the world to liue this solitarie kinde of life whereby I might beguile my vnsupportable paines and so in the ende finde death the onely right Soueraigne cordiall and helpe to ease and ende this hellish disease And if the selfesame accident hath brought thee hither to be a companion vnto me in my miseries I shall be very willing to discourse vnto thee the disastred aduentures of my Loue and as gladly euery way to vnderstand the haplesse course of thine owne It is the onely thing I most desire replied Arcas although I doubt shrodely that the memorie of my bitter troubles will hardly afford me free vtterance of speech to recite and repeate at full the discourse of mine infinite misfortunes and I feare me least the sadde remembrance of my renewed griefes will interrupt and breake the slender threed of my feeble voice But before I begin let me intreat you to expound and to enterpret vnto me these Arabique verses the substance of the same Withall my hart answered the old man but first let vs take our places for our more ease vnder the shade of this coolie rocke that the faire coloured greene of these sight pleasing odoriferous hearbes may be partakers of so lamentable an Historie Whereupon the old man with Arcas sat him downe where he thought fittest for himselfe when hauing now alreadie cast his eyes vpon the Caracters readie to report them in the French language a sad accent of a heauie voice caused him on the soden to stop be silent not vnlike that Marchant who trauailing on the way to goe his voyage A Comparison sodenly turneth backe leauing his companie with whome before he had iournied being giuen by the way as he passed to vnderstand of the too too vntimely death of his deare louing Spouse This voice rauished the soules of both our Pilgrimes reuiuing a fresh memorie of their loues within their hearts tooke away from them all other thoughs the better to make them dreame of their passions and brought them into their former estates of their Loues in which they were at the first And this following was the Song which that sweete breast breathed forth most sweetely accompanied with thousands of deepe and profound sighes WHen wilt thou wearie be of sighing forth my paines Poore heauie heart whose teares extinguisht haue thy heate Why doth
not this strange fire which filleth all my vaines My griefe consume my coarse consuming though t is great With care and cries to feede my soule is my desire No hope to heale my wounds within me bide Alas I curse my selfe yet honor I the fire See then how farre Loue drawes me on from Reason wide Thrise happie Nature of each mortall man in this For they in dying of their ils an ende doe gaine But Spirits diuine cannot Diuine their essence is Venus immortall was immortall was her paine What said I No. LOVE cannot die through deaths despire For in the soule he liues and soule can neuer die On earth below no creature is that takes in Loue delight And Ioue himselfe his awfull power hath felt on hie Woe is me in this strange sort I perish languishing I wish for death yet how to perish doe not know Wretched that wight whose burning griefes aie doth him wring Nor can them quench nor die to ridde himselfe from woe But since I to this mischiefe am predestined Nor can death to remorse or pittie nothing moue Of Gods I le craue I may be metamorphosed Into those haplesse Birds that still bewaile their Loue. Thus sung the troubled Nimph Orithia amorous of the foresaid ARCAS who passing on her way sweetly held on her dulcet tune but she being gone the old man once more began to report what he before intended reaccounting this Historie following Most vniust lawe of partiall LOVE The lamentable Tragedie of chast Floretta and kind Plaindor which with thy malice slie Thousands of faults with iustice vaile dost hide malitiously Thou that thy traiterous selfe dost faine to be asacred thing And by a coloured greement thousands vnto death dost bring Most cruell law of loathed LOVE that vnder friendships showe Dost paint thy bloodie Massakers and makst them holy goe Thou that with vaine allurements fond and with faire smiling glose So many faithfull Louers in their fatall tombes dost close Who cuttest off so soone of men on earth the vitall thred Of such as for their loyaltie and faiths are honored Who fiend-like suckst their blood and as if thou still destned were To plague the world the flesh of these poore murthred soules dost teare Hast thou then this faire worthy Brace of constant Louers slaine Whose memorie still flourishing for euer shall remaine Hast thou them stifled through mischance without remorse or ruth Their flowring yeares their daies their yeares in prime of their green youth Ah too too cruell law of thine and happie thrise our life If that it were not subiect to thy ouer-ragings rife But what is he can liue exempt from these thy amorous lawes When euery puissant God what ere this yoke as forced drawes Then who can Loue commaund when Ioue himselfe full oftentime By him hath roughly bin controld although his powers diuine And yet some comfort small it is to vs though little gaine The Gods to haue companions with vs in this our paine Then reade this more then wofull verse beleeue it as your Creede True Herolds of a message such as hearts to heare will bleede Though in this vncoth desart colde LOVES hatefull enemie Death keepeth his abode and court and sleepe doth here abie Where horror doth inhabit still and fat all sisters three Who to vntwist our threed of life most willingly agree Where hundred thousand hugie Rocks sore bruisde with thunders might And torne through long continuance of times iniurious spite Are to this place chiefe ornaments though many a hollow caue And deepelesse ditches soundlesse pitts as glories chiefe it haue Although in steed of corne with thornes brambles it be sowen And with the chillie spring of Isie waters t is ore-flowen Although it be inuironed with monsterous hedges thicke Of blood drawing brambles and although wild beasts abound in it And that the sweelling periurde sea most fearefull to our eyes The same doth compasse round about with fome which thicke doth rise So as no one delight at all though little doth appeare Or seemes that euer Venus sowed her seede immortall here That neuer here for to repose did rest the beautious sunne When he his daily course in course with Maiestie had runne In briefe although this Iland be of gastfull lands the worst Where onely damnd dispaire doth seeke for to abide accurst Yet liude there here not long agoe a louely Shepheard faire Whome cruell Loue did vex and gripe more then with monstrous care A Shepheard sweete in euery point he was and complete right But that too soone his tender yeares cut off were through despite A perfect Shepheard faire he was his mind and valour such As all the rest of Swaines that liude in woods he past by much The spoylâ—â— of 〈◊〉 Beares the rough sharpe skin of tusked Bores Oâ— Lions sell and greedie Woolues hang vp vpon his dores Strange hidious Serpents vgly heads and Griffons Tallent clawes Sharpe poysonous teeth of Dragons huge with their most vgly pawes About the little closing walls of his small house was set As honorable witnesse of his valour more then great Those were his hangings rich and these his pictures set in gold Which intermixt in sundrie sort you still might fresh behold * A Sentence No such braue furniture as is a deadly enemies spoyle ' Whose colour nere is marde with dust nor length of time can foyle ' So is the battered harnesse rich wonne from our vanquisht foe ' Which hung vpon our walls more faire then gold doth make them showe ' For with the same the honour of the owners victorie ' Is there enstald and registred nor can it euer die Thus then this gallant Shepheard faire not little to his fame Adornd his house with sauadge spoyle which he abroad had slaine His armour was his bowe his clubbe his She pheards wreathed hooke For harneis he of musket proofe a leathren brestplate tooke Yet nothing couldore-cme his more then vsuall common power Still from the chase and fighting he returned conquerour Thrise happie fortunate was his first bringing vp and birth Not any gifts more excellent Nature gaue on this earth Valiant he was and strong in limmes well made and trimme withall So faire as euery Shepheardesse in loue with him did fall Blest therefore was he in his first greene youth as he deseru'd Whome honour did accompanie whom fortune alwaies seru'd Thrise happie he in his young yeares till t was his lucklesse sate That dismall Loue his reason and his sense did captiuate For then he lost his wonted force and courage euery waies And of his more then braue exployts the memorable praise He onely studied then alone to nourish his sad griefe To sighthe his secret sorrowes forth and waile without reliefe * An Inuectiue against Loue. O more then cursed caitife Loue thou wisedoms dost annoy Debashest reason sound from minde and valour dost destroy Wise men thou makest worse then fooles and makst them onely fit To hurt themselues whilst obstinate they
't to passe This onely now remaines for me my life is in thy hand If I shall liue or die the power as now within thee stands By thee alone I hold this life for thee I die as now That hope I haue thou nourishest my feare engendrest thou Sweete then take pittie of this Loue like Caos so confuse And graunt my hearts request who there his aduocate doth chuse Mine i st not any more thine eyes from me the same did take Then being thine doe pittie it and much of it doe make Destroy not what is in thy power but rather it preserue In man great wisedome t is what is his owne for to conserue I craue not that thou me my captiue heart againe restore To liue with so braue conquerour as thou t is happier more My wils if any interest longes to me in the same As much I doubt since it I lost no more I may it claime It still within thy louely bands as prisoner true be bound Nor in my brest his wonted place no more henceforth be found Then since it is thine owne and that an amorous sweete desire To haue respect vnto his health and life doth thee require Vnlesse thou on his fortune hard dost take some kinde remorse In thy chast amities pure heate he needes must die of force Ah then relent be pittifull in fauourable wise And daine for to accept from him this dutious sacrifice For what can I offer more deare to thee then my deere heart Which nere would yeelde to Loue before he felt this bitter smart Which scornd his vtmost force and lawes did vtterly reiect And of his manly stomack stout did showe full many effect Then of so braue a vanquisht Foe ore-come by beautie thine Take pittie and him gently vse in this his captiue time Such gallant souldiers as be tooke in field by chaunce of warre A Similie Be much respected kindly vsde and honoured much they are And whilst as prisoners they remaine and till their ransome come All friendly courtesie to them in louing sort is done Then to my humble heart faire Dame who thee doth honour deere Not cruell be as if thy foe whome thou should'st hate he were Ah gently vse him or without thus suffering him to lie Still languishing giue verdit strait and he shall willing die For if thy grace he may not gaine he cannot liue on earth Whose wounds are deadly happie he if ease he finds by death A Sentence Speake then Floretta faire to me nor by thine answere sower Be thou the cruell cause to force me leaue my life this hower SWEET speake for by their Oracles contented are the Gods To answere men yet greater farre then men they are by ods So said the Shepheard who in feare the summons did attend Offortune good or bad if he should liue or life should end Like to the guiltie criminall who is of hope depriu'd A Comparision Whilst iudgement with great terror he expects to be disliu'd His heart did paint full sore and fast his face for feare did sweat Mistrust did show in his sad eyes feare in his soule was set Disgrace and shame to be denide his bodie gauld throughout Who doth attend for what he longes and languisheth in doubt Thus wandred too and fro his vitall spirits in this state Whilst that his life did seeme to him as ouer desperate Tide was his tongue and now it irke him that he ought had said Wishing that he his secret wound to her had not bewraide So doth a braue and gallant mind by famine forct to beg Repent him after that an almes demanded thus he had But at the last the Shepheardesse dissolu'd these doubts confuse Chearing somewhat the Shepheard by these words which she did vse The time hath bin that Venus though Loues mothers she hath lou'd Whilst selfe same plagues which she inflicts on others she hath prou'd Great Ioue the President and chiefe of all the Gods aboue Did thinke it no disparagement at all to be in loue Both Gods and Goddesse haue lou'd then why should I be blam'd Since but with selfesame spot I am as they haue all bin staind Ioue life hath giuen vnto vs that we should follow him To erre as Gods A Sentence is no offence so praise not blame we winne Then may I without scandall loue as they before haue done So as my loue in chastest path of loyaltie doe come With such loue Plaindor thee I like and hope this loue so strong Shall be of force thy constancie to make endure more long I loue thee yet no power thou hast ore body mine at all If once presume vnmodestly A Sentence ought to request thou shall For no loue is that loue indeed but rather furious rage That seekes our honour with disgrace or infamie t' engage Then I will loue thee yet of me thy selfe nought else assure But my chast faith which I le reserue to thee vnspotted pure Vntill that happie time shall chance to hap to vs at last When we by sacred marriage rights may coupled be more fast And with this Plaindor be content for what more canst require Then of my loue to be assur'd which is thy chiefe desire The loyall wish of Louers true is loue reciprocall For where good meaning is and plaine there none is mockt at all But for to 〈◊〉 for plâ—â—â—ure send alone in sensuall wise Is brutish 〈◊〉 to beâ—stâ—s who show all reason to despise Did I but thinks Shepheard thy Loue not sober were or chast Or that within thy brest blaâ—k thoughts staine to my state were plast That from thy heart all honour thou and credit didst reiect And more of 〈◊〉 mâ—â—t â—nlike then vertue didst respect Assure thy selfe I will â—râ—uâ—ng myself on thee so sore As for thy boldnes thou shouldst diâ— although I dide therefore And I soone pâ—â—ish would my 〈◊〉 for that I was so vaine To loue a friend so small of worth a my chast minde to staine My blood shed by my hands should wash my fault and error baed Since I to maker hoyce of my Loue no better foresight had Floretta nere shall liue to morne by taking such disgrace Floretta sooner flourish shall by death which I le imbrace Then Plaindor liue and thinke thy selfe thrise happie for to be Since of a vertuous Loue thy selfe assured thou dost see Mâ—aâ—â— time looke to thy selfe attending that same blessed day The haruâ—st of our â—hastest Loue when Hymen gather may To die or say ought that vnto discredit mine may turne For which death purging me too late thou then for me shalt mourne He that is wise seekes to be Lord ore his affections And he a conquerour is right that conquers his passions Be thou such one deare friend for who with prudencie doth cope Findes his desires soone riâ—in dare and nourished his hope Thus wisely spake Floretta faire whose golden speech so graue Made Plaindor in his entrailes hot a greater burning haue Her sage discretion
he admires her faith he doth adore As sacred he doth honour her and likes her chast loue more He could not â—â—st nor rightly giue a gesse which did surmount Of these two so â—re qualities in her if so great count Her beautie faire or wisedome graue which most did her aduance He was with them so ravished and out of countenance For heauenly Alâ—â—rs we dâ—e vse to vertue to erect And so cause beautie conquereth mens spirits we respect Each of these twaine 〈◊〉 by themselues or by themselues diuided By men are raisde to highest rate and as diuine are praised But in one body when alone this Twinne of vertue light That coarse the beautie of the Gods as then resembleth right T is heauenly then as they and for to Loue doth willing draw The hardest hearts and senselest Rocks of Epyr with great awe With this rich Iewell pretious is Plaindor rauished And without stirring thinkes that he vp to the heauens is fled Immortall and most iâ— finit his glorie he doth thinke More then the Gods themselues which do of flowing Nectar drinke His heart in pleasures sea swimmes fast as he himselfe requires His soule doth melt through sweet conceit in flames of his desires His ioy doth keepâ— him tongue tide and he thinkes he dreames as tho Whilst in his minde he diuers thoughts doth canuas too and fro What he doth see he credits not nor can he easily deeme That so rare beautie once will daine of him for to esteeme He stands amazde like to that Prince from captiue bonds vnthrald Who is from prison tooke to Throne and there anew enstald He thought Floretta flower of all would nere haue stoopt so base Nor that she ere ment him to write in Checkroll of her grace Sad sorrow oft the constancie of man doth much annoy And good things vnexpected quite confound the minde with ioy Thrise happie who the Center keepe nor nere exceed the meane Where neither good nor bad doth them torment with such extreame Plaindor then wakt out of his traâ—se with louely discreet cheere Million of condigne thankes doth giue to his Floretta deere Denâ—â—tly he his faith protests strictly to keepe to her And that beyond Loues sacred bonds he neuer meanes to stir To serue her faithfully and that himselfe heele sooner slaie Then to commit what should offend her humor any way Faire flower quoth he light of my life doe not me doubt at all Thy will a Lnâ— thy word command be vnto me still shall Thy wish my chiefe desire I le hold thy glorie shall be mine Thou wholly shalt be vnto me and my soule onely thine I neuer will forget my selfe and when I first offend Against thy daintie selfe I pray my life haue shamefull end When as vnconstant wauering wight I shall like Haggard range Of all the hellish torments fierce then let me haue the change Most wicked I and most vnfit to liue vpon the earth If when thou life to me hast giuen I should thee quite with death 'A sowler fault cannot be nam'd nor that deserues more shame A Sentence ' Then th'ungrate Lâ—uer when he is vnthankefull to his dame ' For ther 's no euill that so much craues succours speedie neede ' Then that which Louers doth molest and makes their hearts to bleede ' Nor is there any cruell paine as is the louing griefe ' For Loue consumes both soule and coarse vnlesse it finde reliefe Then Ladie as thou mercifull hast bin thus vnto me So I my seruice dutifull for die assure to thee And if my fortune chaunce to prooue by enuious destenie set That I my selfe by doing what vndecent is forget My blood shall wash my fault away and rather this offence Shall ende my life then periurde like with fault I will dispence Doe so replide Ploretta and thou soone shalt see the day When as our Loues shall happie preouc though now they vs delay But chiefely haue regard boue all that thou the cause be not That my chast meaning through thy fault be staind with vitious blot For should this ill chaunce hap thou then as I before said soone Shall seem slaine by mine owne hands to sleepe within my Tombe Thus did these Louers twaine themselues one th' other oft coniure And thus betweene themselues their faithes in secret did assure As whilom was Dan Paris An example with forsooks Enone seene To plight their Loues most couertlie amongst the leaues so greene But after they had to idea while with many a pleasing word After a thousand pâ—stimes as the yeare did then afford With thousand louely glaunces quickâ— one to the other cast Which forst the amorus fire within their entrailes burne more fast After a thousand petite Oathes with sports before nere found To see if of their fancies fiâ—t a like were not the ground After a thousand sugred smiles and toyings delicate Which more the mindes of Louers true doth rightly recreate After a thousand small disdâ—â—nes 〈◊〉 d for the nonce And discontents prou'd mâ—riâ—â—â—ts betweene these Doue-like ones By which from cinders vnto flames there heate did more encrease By reason of this wâ—nton warre and amorous angrie peace After much woing but no doing the euening being come And that the Sâ—re of Phâ—eâ—on his course that day had runne At last Plaindor nigh surfetting with ioy and meere content Kist her faire hand with much adoe yet prettily was shent That done though loth he bids adue vnto his Ladie bright Being angrie not a little that so soone was come the night And laden richly thus with hope of her whome he lou'd best He home doth goe where quietly he takes his wished rest O rare beginning faire commencement of two Loues so chast O happie couple whilst their daies so luckily were gract O blessed Louers if against your fortunes heauens rage Not trauerst had to ruine you in your best youthfull age But when we thinke puft vp with hope that we doe flie aloft Then soonest clipped are our wings by angrie stars full oft Then iealous of our glory they doe seeke vs to destroy Thinking they gaine chiefe victorie when vs they can annoy Thus these two Louers vnto dire misfortune destined By cruell Fates in middest of their ioyes were ruined Yet heare this wofull tale of them and you will iustly say That nothing long in this vaine world continueth at one stay Because Plaindor for propernes and strength others did passe He of another Shepheardesse extreamely liked was His two blacke eyes made her eyes show how nigh she was to death Her colour for the loue of him was like the fall of leafe She fancied none but him alone he was her onely treasure And that she was thus thrald for him she counted it a pleasure But Plaindor neuer thought on her nor for her ought did care Alreadie all his Rest was vp to like none but his FAIRE He had no leisure for to iudge if she did loue or no So much for faire Floretta did his
plac't Who thinking they were then alone for so they made account Th' one toying with the other stood as was their vsuall wont And after many louely tricks Loue from their eyes did thrill So many Darts hitting their soules more heate increasing still That Plaindor being ouerchaft with this fierce amorous rage His lippes vpon the cheekes and mouth of his faire Saint did gage Now of himselfe not master he her in his armes doth take And thousand times did kisse her though resistance she did make As hard it is for him that dyeth through thyrst and want of drinke A Similie For to abstaine when he drawes nigh the Cristall riuers brinke So t' is as insupportable for any Louer much To be in presence of the Dame he loues and her not touch When he hath Fortune time and place the leisure and the meane He cannot hold his blood 's so hot his heate is so extreame When he is neere his health his health to haue he needs must seeke When he seeth what he longeth for he needs the same must like 〈◊〉 were he senslesse as a stone and liuelesse as a blocke Like to a lumpe of heauie earth and worse then flintie rocke So Plaindor takes his pleasure then forgetfull of his oth Whilst he her lips with kisses seales respecting nought his troth But weladay those kisses sweet to poyson sower did turne And was the cause that to his death they forc't him for to mourne Floretta chaft apace that he thus on her lips had seasde But Plaindor this her rage at last in sugred-wise appeasde The sneaking Shepheardesse the while withdrawne her selfe now had Out from her hole where she did see what made her welnigh mad And seeing that so many kisses twixt them giuen had bin These Louers lou'd but wantonlie she strait begun to win Away she goeth nor for to see the ende she durst be bold But much astonisht did depart then frosty Ice more cold She is resolu'd to be reueng'd and vexed mightily With sundry passions her hote loue doth turne to crueltie The Loue of these two soules she meanes to taxe with foule repriefe And of the kissing close to cast Floretta in the teeth Her Honor to accuse and of these vertuous Louers twaine To seeke with infamie and with reproch their liues to staine O how disdaine is in her kinde more violent of force And what great dammage hath it brought to men without remorse O how it power hath for to change the hearts of vanquishers And how to alter dearest Friends in minde shee her bestirs Meane time Floretta vnderstands that her Renoum's disgrac't And that her Honor vndeseru'd is wrongfullie defac't Her Fault if chaste loue may be term'd a Fault this woman base One morning fore the Sheapheards all reprocheth to her face Which when Floretta heard she vowes ore-charg'de with furious Ire Against her selfe against her health and life for to conspire No longer will she liue as now reuenged for to bee For Honor hers by Treason stainde as she with griefe doth see So for to purge her selfe of fault An Example not faultie nerethelesse In ancient Time vnto her Fame did die the chaste Lucresse Thus doth Floretta destined too hard with heauy looke Sweare with her selfe vpon her selfe Murther to execute Her daintie hands she aymeth now against her proper corse Her hands which too too hastie were to wrong without remorse Ah how much Honor 's deare vnto a chaste and modest spright Who seeks by vice to slaunder such accursed be that Wight The feare of Death can neuer coole Desire A Sentence that 's resolet To saue his good name by his life if he thereon be set Floretta then changing her former vse from sweetest ioy To vncoth plaint and passions sad surcharged with annoy Bewailing her disaster hard and sighing forth her paine Vnto a sauadge Mountaines toppe gets vp with speed amaine Where sprang a certaine Water strange or rather poyson fell By which strong venim she did meane her woes for to expell This water of such nature was as nothing could it hold It brake Glasse Iron Brasse Leade Steele it was so deadly cold But she that knew the propertie thereof in hoofe of Asse Close did the same conserue and then away from thence did passe And carrying it about her still vntill she Plaindor found She neuer left that done she downe sits by him on the ground Where she withouten shewe of griefe like Cignet that doth sing Before her death these words worth Note did vse thus greeting him Ah Plaindor deare deare may I say if thy Floretta poore Hath giuen thee any proofe of Loue most perfect or most sure If euer of her friendship kinde thou care hadst heretofore As not long since she in thy Loue with pitty thee did store By that same loyall loue of thine she now coniureth thee Permit her Honor to reuenge her on her iniurie Floretta now can liue no more since that she through thy selfe Hath lost her good Fame which she priz'de aboue all worldly wealth Ah Plaindor t' is for euer lost and by like lucklesse Fate Floretta thine now goeth the way her life to ruinate Alas how often told I thee when first thou didst me woe That still mine Honor to preserue thou shouldst respect haue due Mine Honor which Florettas life after the same doth draw And which I iustly forced am to follow now by Law How we do liue here in this world God knoweth is reckning small Nor flourish can our Names A Sentence or deeds immortally at all Vnlesse our Honor mongst our selues doe liue immortallie For that alone keeps vs aliue that we can neuer die But if the selfe same blood as yet remaineth in thy heart Of such so many sauadge beasts by which thou richer art If in the prime of thy best Age and pride of thy youths flower Thou hast not lost thy courage olde through Loues ore-conquering power Then Plaindor I pray heartily nay more beseechen thee To liue when I am dead and that thou wilt suruiuen me And thinke deare Friend I merit not the halfe part of the griefe Which for my death I know that thou wilt take without reliefe For I was but a shadow plaine trans-form'd in body thine Besides fairer then I thee loues whose beautie is diuine Who with affection like to thine in fancie being set The thought of me and memorie shall make thee soone forget So that no sooner Death shall me from my liues chaines dislinke As thou stalt forced be no more on me at all to thinke Meane time since hasty Death doth me of all my hopes depriue To haue for my sore wound a Salue whilst I shall be aliue And that sweet Shepheard I no more shall now of thee haue need I le thee acquaint how much how deare I loued thee indeed Most zealous yet more chast I lou'd such was mine amorous flame My heart was thine and in thy breast mine owne Soule did remaine My thoughts
one that thee and thine should shame But woe is me thou wrongest me if so of me thou iudge Since for thy sake nought to attempt as yet I â—re did grudge Faire thou shalt know that since my heart a widower is through thee He can no ioy what euer take nor longer liuing bee Much lesse that I can like againe I am no Louer such If so thou thinkst thou art deceiu'd and wrongest me oremuch Thy seruant whilst I liu'd I was dying I le be thy slaue To make some mends for mine offence thou readie me shalt haue I le die as thou hast done as one of thy praise enuious Because thou purchast hast for me thy rest from sorrow thus I will not beg that I may touch that prettie cherrie lip Whilst I am dying I confesse my selfe deserue not it Yet gratious Goddesse of my thoughs if those thine eyes so bright Haue not alreadie quite forsooke their wonted clâ—eerfull light Ah then doe but once open them and Plaindor thine regard With one small glaunce who now doth leaue his life through fortune hard Bright starres your Plaindor you shall see loow quickly he will die If you so much doe grace him as to ope but halfe an eye And now in leiu of recompence for wrong that done I haue This blood accept my hainous crime to purifie and laue Sweete Ladie now at last receiue this blood this blood of mine And suffer my dead coarse repose and rest it selfe by thine Thus said with courage great his sword he thrusts into his side And being dead vpon the ground his bodie faint doth glide Which with his lukewarme struaming blood the ground did make to faâ—â—â— Of colour whilst it flowing ratine and dide it ouer all Floretta all this while was not starke dead the poyson strong Was not enough which was the cause her life it did prolong Her he auie eyes she casteth vp and rolleth here and there Whilst in her face a show of death halfe smiling doth appeare And seeing Plaindor falne by her she him doth fast imbrace And with her feeble force doth wipe the blood from off his face His head with dying hand she doth hold vp to ease his paine And hauing giuen to him a kisse rekisseth him againe Wherewith he gaspeth yet once more and thinkes himselfe the most Blessed that in his Mistris armes he yeeldeth vp his ghost Thrise happie Plaindor fortunate eternall is thy glorie For thou hast gained ouer death a pretious victorie Thou diest in the clasped armes of faire Floretta thine Whilst with her eyes thine eyes thy face with hers doe close conioyne She striuing for to die that she amaine might thee pursue Whom thou doest see though gainst her will thee to suruiue so true And now death had alreadie tane her speech nor could she speake Yet these few words she sighthed forth with hollow voice most weake O Plaindor sweet friend Shepheard mine our Loues though miserable To ages that hereafter come to liue shall aie be able Since through the vertuous paths they trod vntainted chastitie Serues vnto them to be the ground to their Eternitie And though we now die yet our selues thus let vs comfort rife Thou diest forme and I for thee am pleasde to end my life Like faithfull friends we die the one forth ' other 's well apaid And in one Tombe our bodies both shall be enterd and laid Thou goest my Loue before me and I follow thee most blithe As fast as fast I can for thee I meane not to suruiue Yet happie we in dying thus since kissing we embrace Which liuing we durst not attempt for feâ—re to haue disgrace But now I come to thee Thus said she on the face doth fall Of her blest Plaindor whilst her soule doth â—lit away withall Their coarses be within one graue where the â— doe quiet sleepe And in this Rocke vnto their fame this verse was grauen deepe ARCAS hauing heard this pittioâ—s Tragedie could not chuse but weepe dreaming a fresh vpon his auncient Loues when the old man thus awaked him Shepheard Shepheard loue is neuer satisfied nor appeased with teares which is an or dinarie vse with him being alwaies a child as he is In the teares of Louers doth he temper his Arrowes the harder to freese the hearts of their Ladies against them The more he findeth vs to waile and want courage the more he doth taunt and reuile vs Not vnlike vnto that Generall of a field A Similie who more hostly pursueth his enemies when they begin to shrinke backe and recoyle then when they â—valiantly and stoutly stand to beare out the brunt If Cupid hath not yeelded vnto the teares of his Mother much lesse will he be moued at thine True Louers sildome or neuer weepe because their heate consumeth the moysture which is within them A Sentence no more then drie wood can yeeld forth wet water Cease then to waile and in steed of these teares take courage against this fierce enemie If the Gods themselues replied the Shepheard could not resist him how then shall any man be able to encounter with him And what other thing can such miserable wretches doe as be out of all hope but bewaile and lament their vntimely misfortunes It is for hearts of steele resembling blades ouer hardly tempred which rather breake then bowe not to be moued with griefe at all Teares are signes of a pitifull Nature whereas such as are cruell neuer weepe because they are quite voyd of all compassion Though Loue hereat will not be moued yet will gentleâ— hearts relent at the same I knowe he maketh no account hereof neither doe I pretend to sacrifice vnto him with them but rather with mine owne decrest blood How wonderfully art thou deceiued quoth the old man The Alters of Loue as those of the Gods â—ere vpon the earth neuer distill nor drop with blood for can Loue be encountered and met withall amongst braules quarrels and bloodshed No no but where amitie and friendship is there doth he frequent and keepe companie An excellent discourse of the mightines and power of Loue. such onely being to be counted right Louers indeed and worthy to enioy Loue it selfe who beare no malice nor seeke one anothers death O how sweete and pleasing a thing is this kind of amitie which keepeth the Gods in perfect vnitie and vnder whose puissance is the hollow giuing vault of heauen guided Men after the example of the Gods by the aduise of Loue first assem bled themselues together vniting and incorporating themselues within Cities and walled Townes leauing the sauadge wildernesses vnto wilde beasts wherein they before did inhabit Why then doest thou offer blood vnto him O Father of these nocturnall Desarts answered the Shepheard I know thou thinkest otherwise then thou speakest Canst thou compose and frame a gentle and milde Nature An example of nothing but murther and crueltie How many massacres loue hath commenced Troy can witnesse How many cruell griefes
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
haue done Into what great losses and dammages did the quarrells of the Spartaines and the Atheniaus plunge all Greece And what monstrous crueltie for default of Loue did those two Theban brethren exercise one against the other who with one stroke stabbing one another and cast into one and the selfe-same fire so mortall was their hatred as the verie flame thereof diuided it selfe till it consumed those bodies which whilst they liued were diuided and sundred in disagreement alwaies I say therefore that men cannot liue without amitie and that the Sonet is false in that point for either Loue must yet be liuing or else the world must perish mortall men must be swallowed vp and the earth be left fruitlesse and barraine Reuerend Father answered the Shepheard I will make thee a short answere which is that Friendship as thou affirmest is most necessarie for man who cannot liue without it no more then the fish can be without the water which was the reason induced me to say that Loue was dead amongst them For what doe wee see nowe a dayes but murders troubles controuersies debates quarrels and peruerse opinions which after the chasing away of Amitie with the same whip haue also driuen away men out of the worlde being rooted out with continuall brawling and fighting whilst they wanted the comfortable support of Frienship to assist them The golden world of our Forefathers is gone and past and that of Iron is come in his place so that we may truely say All Curtesie all kindnesse all Iustice and all Pietie are dead and extinct and so by the same meanes the Essence of all mortall men must needes decay and die The chiefe Gouernour of an Armie Royall minding to chaunge his place and to remoue all his Camp sendeth his Marshall of the fielde before A Simily to prouide conuenient lodgings for him So earthly men entending to change this field of the world haue sent before them as their Harbinger milde Amitie to prouide better dwellings for them in another Climat And surely surely most happie art thou that thine eyes haue bene kept from the viewe of so manie miseries that thy toung is seene to be exempt and free from recounting so many mischiefs vsually lighting vpon men and that thine eares are found to be shut close from the cryes and complaintes of afflicted persons in this most wretched Age. For amongst worldlings fortunate now are Fooles blessed are the blinde and rightly contented are onely such as be deafe I speake by experience who most miserably euerie way haue found so little commiseration and comfort in these my calamities amongst men as I perswade my selfe verily that Friendship liueth no more amongst them Although thy speech sayd the olde man as touching the first be found to be true yet cannot I beleeue that the like may be prooued in Faith For I confesse it may be that Amitie peraduenture is wanting amongst men which is the occasion of so manie dissentions quarrells and debates But I thinke not so of Faith which findeth roome euen in the selfe-same place from whence friendship hath bene driuen As amongst Warres Battailes Combats and contentions For those that Discord and want of Loue force to arme themselues one against another ought not for all that to faile of their faith inasmuch as Faith it selfe is requisite and required in an Enemie and because without the same not any iust Warre can be waged For it is lawfull for vs to hate our foe and to persecute him with anie naked sword in our hands but not to deceiue him with our Faith giuen vnto him seeing nothing should make one to goe from his solemne promise except the badde dealings of other men and the treacherous wrongs wrought against him by his enemies which is of force to make him detest and loath With such a Faith the ancient Romans waged battaile against Phineus whome they aduertised of the poyson which his Phisition would haue ministred vnto him in a Potion How true of his word was Marcus Regulus who with the price of his blood preserued his Faith whole entire and vnblemisht I holde then for a truth that friendship liueth no more now adayes amongst men but that in his place warre and discention gouerne and raigne and yet for all this I will not graunt that Faith is also fled from hence as the other is seeing she is not onely necessarie in time of quietnes but also profitable during the stormes of brawling discord But should this mischiefe happen that Faith were quite banished away by men yet cannot I thinke that God would suffer such as are the cause thereof to liue one houre in as much as hee reserueth the punishment of Periurie to himselfe alone and that hee being the Father of Truth the enemies thereof are as much odious vnto him as the pride of those Giants was which would haue scaled Heauen Indeed quoth the Shepheard I confesse that heeretofore verie Faith liued amongst Warres and warriours and that shee was heartily welcome vnto those places from whence amitie was quite exiled but the times wax euery day worse and worse men growing more and more in badnes that first sacred and iust Nature of man being daily ccorrupted by reason of the sharpnes of vice as wine becommeth tart and sower with ouer-much heat of Sommer Lysimachus An Example being prisoner vnto a certaine barbarous King gaue good triall of his Faith being sent home vnto his Countrey without ransome Loyall and faithfull was Camillus in his warres who sent that traiterous Schoole maister home well whipt vnto his foes whom he had besieged whose Citie he offered to betray vnto him But the world is now changed In steed of the Lyon the Fox wageth battell whilst men as the followers of Lysander make vse of their Faith studying to cozen and deceiue one another Vice in this age borroweth the place of Vertue A Sentence receiuing the selfe-same vowes and Sacrifices which before times were offered vnto that sacred Goddesse they being by antiquitie onely ordained for her In steede of Faith false disloyaltie maketh her selfe to be adored and he is most commended feared and respected that knoweth best how with subtiltie to ouercom others and hath put in practise no small number of base and trecherous effects In times past prisoners taken in Battaile might vpon their promise giuen retire A discourse against vnhonotable Soldiers whether they best pleased and such great curtesie receiued by their aduersaries they recompenced againe with a firme and faithfull assurance of their word neuer failing to performe as much as they had before protested But now vpon the warrant of their Faith they will out the throtes if they can of such as haue taken them and if the same Faith hath giuen them such free passage as they may haue leaue to retire themselues for a certaine time yet will they neuer returne backe againe but had rather that their promise so pawned should remaine as prisoner then their
miserable Carkasses should come to be in durance neuer to be redeemed Besides men haue found now adayes many kindes of shiftes to violate and breake their Faiths as some Note by betraying of their maisters others by selling such places of importance as are committed vnto them in trust others by being neuer maisters of their owne word and others faining themselues of deadly enemies to become sound and deare friends to the ende that vnder the colour of this faith they may the sooner beguile such as repute most confidence in them We must therefore talke no more of Faith But God who is the reuenger of all outrages and enormities committed against him punisheth those persons with such extreame rigor that there is not so much as one of them exempted from publike misfortunes whereas peace-full quietnes being the companions of Loue and of Faith hath followed after them leauing men in a most miserable plight and wretched taking For this is most certaine A Sentence that the wicked languish alwayes in miserie being alwayes in continuall feare horror and frighting although they be followed by none other then their owne faults alone And thus you see how Loue and Faith are quite expulsed from out the world Although quoth the olde man these two goodly vertues be driuen from hence yet see I as yet no sufficient subiect by reason of which the Muses should be exiled as thou hast set downe the other be and therefore in this point thy speech is false For glorious renowme is a passion so sweete and of so pleasing a taste that it maketh herselfe to be wisht for not of the good and vertuous onely but also of such as are Infidels and vngodly For doe the leaude man neuer so badly A Sentence yet would he willingly be commended for the same Praise is a certaine odoriferous sent in the noses of men and an amorous kinde of thundring in their tickling eares Haue you euer seene creature were he neuer so much corrupted with vice that would refuse such glorie as you seemed willing to attribute vnto him A right Simily For as euery parent thinketh his owne childe fairest and euery workman his owne worke finest euen so euery man be he neuer so wicked esteemeth his deedes most iust and his actions worthy of most praise If therefore both the good and the bad hunt thus after this glorie and striue so much for praise although the world at this time be inhabited only with the wicked And if the sacred Muses be of so great perfection of themselues as they giue sufficient testimony euerie where of the same who then can be able to chase them away from men For much good can they doe for the good in commending their proceedings Prayse of Learning and in animating their courages to follow the same still And much hurt can they doe to the bad in dispraising their actions and in disswading others to leaue and giue ouer such vndecent and most vnseemlie fashions In good therefore and in bad the Muses ought and may alwaies haue an interest and a perfect continuance as best them pleaseth Denis the Tyrant loued Plato diuers learned men haue tendered succoured cherished and fauored the Muses and Learning and therefore doe they still liue amongst them And I am flat of another minde replied the Shepheard being of opinion that the Muses haue neuer had to doe with the wicked that their fortunes haue not bene like the others neither their cariage at any time alike Therefore the Muses as things contrarie vnto them hate them finging of none but of the vertuous whereas the others shunne and detest the Muses doubting least they should reueale their vices and reprehend their faults ouermuch The vpright Iudge hateth the high-way Robber because he troubleth the quietnes of the Countrie of which his charge maketh him the preseruer and the fellon hateth the good Iudge because he both knoweth he can and ought to punish him for his demirrits And so is it betweene the Muses and such as are wicked Neuer hath it bene knowne that betweene them there hath bene found any perfect frendship of force sufficient to haue tyed their hearts stronglie together for if the bad haue at any time made any show of Loue vnto the Muses yet no sooner came they to haue knowledge of their true iust and of their pure and liberall nature but that sodenly they conceiued against them a greater hatred then if they had neuer bene acquainted with theÌ„ For as two agreeable natures hapning to encounter and vnite themselues so strictlie together as it is not possible for death it selfe to separate them asunder So likewise two contrarie humors coÌ„fronting one against another after they perceiue now much they disagree detest and loathe one another more then if there had not bene any habit of acquaintance betweene them before For although Denis loued Plato yet when he vnderstood of his plainnes and bold franknes in his speech and how he abhorred all flattery he then pursued him vnto death sending him home againe most shamefullie into Greece So was that worthie Philosopher Anaxagoras hated so much of that Tyrant as nothing could appease and expâ—at his cankred rage and furie but only the hart blood of this graue and prudent wise man It is now an ordinarie custome amongst men who because they are vicious therefore they become aduersaries vnto the Muses whose diuine and immortall pen they greatly feare So as I may well say that neither Faith neither Amitie nor the Muses are now liuing amongst men To this the olde man began to replie when on the sodaine they might heare a voice which sweetly sighed forth these words following O Loue and the Sea alike and agreeable in power which force men against their wills to take what course they best please Loue compelleth to like in despight of our owne hart and the Sea driueth miserable wretches out of their way halfe dead and halfe aliue which flote on her waues Twise hath Loue made me loue contrarie vnto my minde and twise hath the sea driuen me far froÌ„ my iourny against my desire But alas which of these twaine can any mortall creature resist of both I gesse the sea is best able to be encountred withal For if the Gods tremble at the commandements of Loue who then can set men free at libertie from his yoke whereas the labor and industrie of the Marriners the Mast the Rudder the Cable and the Ancor may sometimes bridle the boldnes of the sea and withstand his raging violence The first place into which the sea maugre my will threw me was wheÌ„ I arriued being driuen by the swelling surges vpoÌ„ the bankes of the desarts of Arabia where I sawe that thrise renoumed Iulietta of whom Loue on the soden forced me to become exceeding amorous since which time long haue bene my paines cruell my trauels scalding hote my cares in this my liking these being the goodliest Weapons that
speed prepare euery thing readie and fit for so worthie and so Royall a Marriage But cruell fortune in the end did lie in waite Too soone so faire beginning for to ruinate But before he tooke Shipping he would needs bestow this Sonnet vpon his Lady who receiued the same more for feare of offending her Father then for any pleasure she tooke in these his new proceedings And this it was Ladie I parting leaue with thee my soule Carrying with me nought but my captiue corse My captiue corse proud that you him controule Through those faire darts your eyes Loues strongest force Whilst I shall drawe this aierie vitall breath I still will keepe within me this strange fire Which in the fornace of my heart on earth My heart doth trie my hopes to make more higher My soule from death sweete Madame you doe keepe That you may it restore to me againe When at that heauenly harbor we shall meete Where our chast Loues shall querdoned remaine There shall I need it for to make him tast After so many troubles freede from griefe That happie ioy which Louers hearts makes wast Vntill thereof they find the right reliefe Then Soueraigne pray we that some heauenly power May hasten for our good this blessed hower The Prince taking his leaue of his faire Mistris deliuered these verses fairely written vnto her who was neither glad nor sad at his departure as well for that she was not as yet wounded with the golden darts of that little blind God as also because she feared I know not what lucklesse ende would chaunce in this constrained loue vnto her yet neuerthelesse she resolued to follow the aduise of her father making account and that very wisely whatsoeuer should happen yet should not she be blamed nor found to be faultie at all since she did but that she was commaunded by him Now the Danish Prince hauing onely the bare promise of the Duke without being able to get any small graunt at all of his daughter leaueth the Court of Bauier and scowring thorough the Seas with a merrie gale of winde returneth home to Denmarke where the King his Father with all the Nobles of his Realme receiued him with great ioy they all being maruellous desirous to see their young Prince married for the hope they had to see some braue and worthie issue to proceed from so forward and Princely a Gentleman as he was But as great and Noble personages are the occasions either of much good or of much euill according vnto such proceedings as they take in hand euen so marriages oftentimes bring with them either much happie fortune or else exceeding great miserie There is no so happie an encounter A Sentence as is the chast loyall and sacred marriage of two bodies vnited together with one and the selfe-same good will Neither is there any thing so miserable and vnluckie as that marriage where nothing but debate discord discention and all other mischiefes meete together For the hatred of a stranger is in some sort tollerable because it commeth but now and then but that of the husband and the wife is insupportable because it is contrarie vnto the nature of marriage and is continuall and ordinarie This being the reason that in many countries the people reiected and despised marriage yea euen amongst Christians and such as were heretikes was it had in no account they maintaining the communitie of wiues and bringing vp the children so begotten of the common and publicke charge But yet as we must not giue ouer a sicke creature because we perceiue in him an extraordinarie feeblenes and weakenes throughout his bodie euen so although we finde certaine defects in marriage yet ought we not to conclude against it or to condemne it for the same For though we see one corrupt member in a sound body yet must we not commaund to kill the body for the same but rather seeke how to cure it And so should we vse marriage being both sacred and iust which if by chaunce it hath sometimes imperfections we must studie how to helpe them such faults being naturally incident vnto all sorts of creatures But leauing this let vs come vnto this wished for marriage which chanced to be the ouerthrow both of the Prince of Denmarke of the Princes of Bauiers and many others they being in no sort blame-worthie at all And now the Danish young Lord hauing the consent of his Father and all the Nobilitie of his Realme to goe through with this match and all things being in a readines for the entertainement and receiuing of his new Bride he sendeth certaine of his chiefe Barrons to bring her home into his countrie they being furnisht at all points with sixe tall shippes richly set out on euery side not wanting any thing for so honourable a Conuoy No sooner were these Lords are 〈…〉 Duke of Bauiers Court but they were most ioyfully receiued and most Princery 〈…〉 of the Duke and of his daughter though somewhat against her will whose beautie was such and so rare as it seemed most admirable in the eyes of these strangers they not a little commending their Prince for that he hath so well and wisely made his choise After they had bene feasted highly to their contentments the Duke according to his promise appoynting his daughter a Royall ship and endowing her with many pretious Iewells with rich treasure and exceeding sumptuous sutes of Princely apparell deliuered her with her whole Traine vnto the Nobles of Denmarke who embarking her in her owne ship attending on her with all the courtly solemnities that might be whilst she standing vpon the hatches and taking her last farewell of her Father countrie and friends she seemed rather a Goddesse then an earthly creature But O how short of mor◠all worldlings is the glorie Her fortune is vnconstant and their liues but sorie The ships being launced from the shore the Musicke sweetly beganne to sound the skie was cleare the weather faire and the Sea most calme as they began to saile seeming as it were to be rauished with his enchaunting harmonie But what more wauering did you euer find Then Seaish waues what more fierce or vnkind This braue companie found this to be too true not a little vnto their cost for about some two daies after their embarking Eolus opening his hollow caues suffered the blustring windes to come abroad and the Sunne hiding his glorious face gaue place vnto tempestious stormes to couer the whole giring vault of heauen The angrie Seas began to boyle to rise and like a Sauadge wild Bore to set vp his bristles hissing and roaring most terribly as one disposed to plague all such as at that time had too too credulouslie committed themselues vnto his mercie The whistling windes began afresh to bluster to rage and take on and as it were to be mad for very anger The azured skie cleare and bright a little before now receiued downe haile thunder and lightning being all ouer eclipsed with
the onely secret messengers of his minde vnto her All which the Ladie well perceiued although shee wisely dissembled the same beginning as it were now to participate with him in the selfe-same paine and during in a manner the selfe-same that he did But the feare shee had lest this good will should force him to forget his promise and his honorable â—arriage vnto her was the cause shee very hardly entertained this kinde affection which she bare him Yet is it lawfull for an honest woman to loue for nothing is more sacred in the whole world A Sentence then Loue but yet so must they like as they must seeeke to conserue their Honours chaste and vntainted such was the loue that faire Iustina cast vpon this Noble Spanyard But as a subtill Tyrant hauing set foote into some place although at the first entrance because hee hath not as yet planted strongly enough sufficient forces to serue his purpose carryeth a shewe of mercie and mildnesse to euery one where hee commeth by which meanes at the length hee getteth to be absolute Lorde and maister ouer the same which authoritie afterwardes hee exerciseth with all kinde of cruelties iniustice and all other horrible faults that may be Euen so Loue hauing gained one of the gates of the heart of the Princesse in the ende made himselfe chiefe ruler ouer all the Fortresse of her faire bodie She now began to take liking vnto the sweet lookes of the Gentlemen to praise and make account of his seruices and to lend a listning eare vnto his pleasing speeches and as a sicke person leauing his bedde and chamber doth giue testimonie vnto euery one of his welfare and recouerie by reason he findeth his stomack againe and can disgest his meare well euen so the delight and contentment which she tooke in the companie and in the behauiour of the Knight was a sufficient and assured signe of the great good will and singular affection which she bare him yet was her fancie nothing like vnto that which Alfonso for so was the Spaniards name bare vnto her it being of such strange force as it not onely gouerned ouer his health and welfare but also it helde in subiection his very soule which most miserablie languished Not vnlike vnto such who hauing taken a determinatiue kinde of poyson consume away by little and little Hee now thought that there could be no such rare contentment in this world as to enioy the companie of his Goddesse which could not be too deerely bought although it should cost him his deerest heart blood Neither was he of the rainde he had bene before to make a doubt what she was or that she was of a more base or inferiour house then himselfe was of Loue now had drowned all such doubtes in him hee onely studyed how he might worke the meanes to be gracious in her sight and to enioy her as his lawfull Bed-fellow and wife knowing too too well that her vertues would oppose themselues against all other sinister and dishonest meanes that should be attempted against her but this could he not doe except he tooke a newe course neither euer come to be maister of his desire without opening his minde vnto her in such sort as he resolued to giue his Mistris to vnderstand of the whole matter at large Wherevpon as he was one day walking alone with her after thousands of sighes sent forth from his heart with thousands of pitious loue-lookes most sweetely glaunced on her and with millions of sweet alterations in his minde his tongue trembling and his voice fainting his countenance and his colour altering and changing and a cold Feuer running through all his bones doubting least he should be repulsed with a sharp denyall with a lowe and faint voyce he began thus to accost her Sweet Charge for so she requested him to call her the assured report of certaine things amazeth oftentimes the spirit of man very much but the experience of the same giueth sufficient testimonie that it is most true I speake this vnto this end for that I haue heard manieto discourse often of Loue who haue reported infinite strange effects which hee hath with great wonder brought to passe so that I for mine owne part haue not a little admired him in mine inward soule yet could I neuer iudge rightly thereof vntill experience had acquainted me with an infallible proofe as concerning the same Since which time I haue found afterward that he is more wonderfull then I haue bene giuen to vnderstand there being such a certaine thing in Loue that none are able to expresse hauing more diuinitie in him then one can imagine with which only such as are strooken with his dart are acquainted withall and none else And certainly hee may be well called DORDE and liberall disposer of mortall mens fortunes seeing he is able to make such as are Conquerours to yeelde and force maisters to become slaues vnto their owne seruants and vassailes Besides he ought by great reason to be termed a God especially amongst such as are most wretched and miserable who being ready as it were to fall into the pitte are by him holpen out and lifted vp giuing them commaund and power ouer their Superiours This which I speake is not by roate nor by heare-say but onely by good proofe as I my selfe can best iustifie For I finde my selfe vanquisht by you faire Gentlewoman whome enuious Fortune had sometime though most vniustly brought into a most pittifull estate Then am I your slaue and yet none of these which seeke the dishonour of their Ladies to satisfie their sensuall desires But such a one I am as beareth more affection vnto your Honor then loue vnto your beautie Needes must I confesse I loue both the one and the other endeuouring in what I may for to conserue them both wishing to die a thousand times rather then suffer the least wrong or iniurie to be offered vnto them For your vertue doe I loue you and for your beautie doe I honor you for your modestie do I seeke you and reuerence you for your chastitie If I were found to affect you but for one of these good qualities onely in you may be it were subiect and likely to fall to ruine and decay but hauing so many goodly and sacred foundations and all vnited one vnto another making it to be of an inuincible strength Me-thinks it is impossible that euer this my loue should be shaken or remoued from his first place The hope of your goods of your Noblenesse of byrth or your riches are not occasions of the good liking I haue of you in that I am not acquainted with any such matters but onely with your Noblenesse I rather hating such friendships because they are lost and ended as soone as possession is taken of such things vpon which they were founded I then loue you with a sacred and chaste kind of loue beseeching you that I may be recompenced with the like affection againe For no
vnto him narrowlie and sharpely keepeth him in For nothing increaseth vice and leaudenesse so much as doeth wanton libertie The vnbrideled Colte runneth galloping heere and there committing manie foule disorders The priuiledge of Euill taketh away all Vertue be cause it stifleth the recompence of good deedes and hindreth the punishment due vnto offences The auncient Princes who would haue their Children learne how to obey well before they should commaund sent them to studie amongst the Lacedcmonians to the intent they might be restrained and depriued of this enchaunting libertie through which men draw forth vice as if it were at a full vessell LOVE therefore must be gouernour and protector ouer youthfulnesse which he will purge from badde qualities as the Physition doth the sicke man from corrupt humours replenishing him againe with manie excellent and commendable Vertues Is not then Loue very necessarie The winde carryeth the chaffe from the Corne leauing onely that that is good and fanned cleerly So doth Loue A Similie croppe off vice cutting it away as the husbandman doeth the superfluous braunches of his vine leauing the inward minde neat and quite clensed from all filthinesse of vice Loue can doe more then all knowledge yea then the Muses themselues can doe For he teacheth learned men who hauing a confused masse and heape of thousand Sciences in their braines not knowing in what good manner to deliuer their mindes ar full as concerning these matters how to set downe their meaning orderly and to discourse of euery thing with good method and iudgement imitating the cunning Gold-smith who of a great wedge of Gold forgeth and frameth a great sort of good peeces of plate right profitable for men Or resembling the Sun which breaketh and diuideth in sunder the gloomy clouds which darkē the brightnes of heauē He is the luke-warme blood of the Goate mollifying and sotfning these rocks of Diamonds turning them to the vse of all sorts of people The greatest Doctors are but Dunces vntill Loue hath refined them and that they haue felt what his power is they after that becomming wittie and Courtly enditers through the sweete vaine of Loue. For necessitie findeth out the Art and the perill sought forth by the Soldior vrgeth him to finde the means to saue himselfe And so is the Louer compelled to please his Mistris which he doeth either discoursing vnto her his true and loyall affection in smoothe and pleasing tearms or else couching them sweetly and daintily in writing curiously and with a Courtlike phrase And of this perfection is Loue also the author shall he then be called a Paine and not rather the father of all science and vertue It is reported that the Muses lighted one day vpon Cupid keeping him within a border of flowers but what could that border bring but pleasure and contentment vnto them who had enclosed him within the same The Muses then honored Loue as Conquerors are wont to be vsed placing vpon his head a Crowne of greene flowers as also the most wisest in the world haue offered scrifices vnto him and to his celestiall Godhead he being the greatest power amongst the Gods that are in Heauen Therefore as I will not dispute against him so dare I not maintaine the cause of anie that should not pleade in his behalfe Herewithall the noble Knight held his peace daunting very much the other Nymph that had written against LOVE with these his liuely and excellent reasons which she thought were of such efficacie and force that they could hardly be refelled by anie other But the olde man who found himselfe to be ouercome in the argument hee had with Philistell as concerning Inchauntment and Sorcerie willing to recouer his lost honor and to winne the spurres againe in this second disputation replied against Loue in this wise I cannot denie but must needs confesse that neither the ordinary trauailes that men vse nor the day lie labours which they vsually take ought to be called Paine for they are not alwayes of one force and nature they passing away quiet rest comming in their place as the Bowe that cannot alwaies remaine stiffe and bent wheras Loue onely and that most iustly deserueth well this name of Paine An example The Laborer being payed for his worke is contented and taketh his rest the Husbandman reaping his corne taketh his ease and liueth merilie after but in Loue what quietnes can be found The poore drudge being wearie reposeth himselfe in the night so doth the tyred Traueller and euery beast whatsoeuer but the Louer what rest receiueth he either in the night or day As the day is tedious vnto him so is the night irksome and sadde are they then freed of paine The hungrie desire neuer taketh quiet ease but is in continuall paine the greedie couetous wretch crauing still golde can neuer so much as slumber one winke but the tormented Louers leadeth a wotse life farre then both these twaine because that good which he so much wisheth for and yet cannot obtaine it seemeth more pretious vnto him then all the Treasures in the world This doctrine to KNOW HIMSELFE doeth him no good at all for it cannot bridle his passions keep in his hed strong will nor curb or constraine his ardent affections and hee that cannot so doe can neuer be quiet in his minde Now the Louer coueteth alwayes and couetousnes is the child of paine Is not then Loue the author of paine and is it any thing else then meere griefe Nay although the Louer obtaineth that which he desireth yet for all that his torments cease not because he wisheth still to cōtinue the same for that the sore doubt he hath to lose that which he hath obtained with so much trauell increaseth the paine still in him The more golde the couetous myzer possesseth the more continually he wisheth A Sentence by reason the contentmēt of man is without any limit for being glutted with one kind of meat he is greedy and hungry after an other Diogines gaue out that he was contented in his pouertie but yet he was not for he did hunt after vaine-glory What shall wee then say of Louers who not onely desire to enioy their Loues but also a continuation still to gather them And when that length of much time hath quenched this fire of loue yet is there still remaining some hote cinders which presently is set on fire with the wind of desire as a flame when it is out is reuiued againe with the breath of the Ayre the selfe-same Loue beeing of this propertie that after it hath a long space troubled and tormented ouerthrowne and ruinated a man with continuall paine and anguish of minde in the ende it taketh away his life whether he will or no. Achilles knoweth this to be true who died for louing Polixena being slaine most miserablie amongst his enemies So doth Priam An Example the foolish loue of incestuous Paris being the cause he lost his life And so
much and much to thy renowne Be thou content to see her breathe who by thy Grace doth liue And who to view thy hurts in soule more then thy selfe would grieue No Treasure like a faihfull Friend so rich you can denise Who to himselfe gets foes in minde much diseontented dies Friendship from Heauen first come and as a gift diuine is held A Sentence And mortall men from ouerthrowes it saued hath not seld Then Deare vouchsafe for to appease the torments I endure Appease my sorrowes and my wounds nigh mortall daine to cure Nor force me not lest dying I when life from me shall part Doe call vpon thee in my death as if chiefe cause thou wert Ah speake then my Delight and cleare from me this bitter storme By comforting my deadly woes which I too long haue borne To th' end thy kindnesse milde to helpe my sicknesse may be seene As hitherto the Author of my troubles thou hast beene But why doest thou so long delay to answere vnto mee Hard harted more then flintie rocks which in the mountains bee Ah cruell man I well perceiue my loue thou doest disdaine Nor wilt vouchsafe in cheerfull wise to staunch my bleeding vaine I see thou meanst with those thine eyes prides dartes still me to pierce To close me in my fatall Tombe through rigor thine so fierce Well be it so I am content For happie I them gesse Who dying A Sentence see to dye with them their griefes which then doe cease And since I finde that sauadge-like thou wilt not rue my state I am well pleasde to end my dayes because thou doest me hate Then yet but daine to speake to me say if thou wilt asswage Or still increase these plagues of mine which doe within me rage Cruell dispatch my loyaltie which nere from thee did swerue Say in thy conscience doeth it not one word of thee deserue Alas A Sentence answere but I or no what lesse thing can one finde Or baser priz'de then is a word which is but sound of winde Thus said she sighing ceast whilst teares from cheekes like showres did fall Yet nor her selfe nor teares nor speech Armanda mou'd at all Nay more so cruell was he growne as he disdaind to looke Vpon her face her beautious face which hardly he could brooke Her passionate words could not perswade they made him hate her more That he so long had giuen her eare himselfe he blamed sore In th' end forc't by the vrgings oft and importunitie Of sad Sicambra who like Ghost did haunt him with her crie With furious lookes and frowning brow these words at last he spoke Which like a dismall Oracle her heart in sunder broke Foolish Sicambra thus in vaine to vexe me what doest meane From these fond fittes of idle Loue thy minde why doest not weane T' is thou that makst Armanda die in worse then wofull wise Armanda who thy speech and loue contemnes as worthlesse prise Thy tedious tale told to no end to heare he little ioyes He dies tormented tir'de and gaul'd to heare thee make such noyse Now prie thee prie thee let alone Armanda miserable Who for to take his wonted rest is not through thee scarce able He at thy follies doeth but smile his chiefe delight and loue Is for to chase wild beasts of prey his strength gainst them to prooue He cannot like of any thing except his flocke of sheepe With which to pleasure his not small he in the fields doth keepe To force one loue against his will is what can neuer be Neuer the same hath bene as yet nor shall you find 't in me For loyall Loue that it may dure and neuer prooue to faint Doth of himselfe A Sentence seaze on the heart without force or constraint Where being forc't t' is alwayes bad vnperfect and vnsound For nothing's goodly but what 's built on Friendships firmest ground Then why fond Gyrle art thou so mad to loue me to constraine By this thy earnest vrging speech which thou too well canst faine I tell thee I in those false eyes nor face of thine delight Nor doe I pittie ought at all thy hard and heauy plight I laugh to see thee heauie weepe to heare thee sigh I smile And in thy martyring much doe ioy whilst thou complainst the while Poore wretch thou doest but loosethy time nor euer shalt thou finde Armanda will his fancie change to thee for to be kinde He 'le neuer loue thee For before his heart should so conspire To quench so worthlesse flames a death most strange he would desire For neuer greater mischiefe vile can any himselfe bring Then when he tries the lawes of Loue and feeles his poysonous sting Vnhappie they that know the same and wise I him account That with this bedlem passion mad will not at all confrount My yeares are too too young mine age not ripe enough as yet My selfe to subiect as a slaue to Loue his furious fit Nor haue I time enough to be a scholler in his schoole And I am wilde enough although I play not so the foole Then leaue me to my selfe that I may of my selfe dispose Whose pleasure hunting is whose sport is quiet soft repose And come not thus to trouble me with these thy bawling cries Which I assure thee I disdaine in most contemptuous wise Be gone nor looke here any more thou come this text to preach For for such sicknesse as these I am no pleasing leach And therewith all the Shepheard sterne departs and all alone Sicambra leanes vncomforted Sanus pittying of her mone Alacke what should she doe as now She could doe nought but waile Which rather did encrease her griefe then cause the same to quaile No teares our passions can represse which from the heart arise A signe they are of woe but want the perfect remedie It is but lost time to lament whil'st weeping we reuiue Afresh these cruell torments which doe martire vs aliue Now as she wofully thus tooke on in this her desperate plight Kinde Zerphir who had sought her much on her by chance did light And seeing her afflicted thus all desolate and sole He sighing weepes to view her weepe and with her doth condole So suffereth the Louer chast for his sweet Ladies sake If she but grieued be the same he at his soule doth take He of the paine participates which in her minde is growne And more her hurt doth trouble him then that which is his owne Zerphir then did endure as much as did the Shepheardesse Her teares were his his pensiue plight then his was nothing lesse But after much lamentings sad with many a bitter sob He sweetly thus gan comfort her whil'st fast her heart did throb Sicambra who thus miserable thy life hath made to me Who hath thy fortune brought as mine thus pittious for to be Whence comes these sighes true witnesses of thine in interuall troubles Whence slow these teares apparant showes that care within thee double I st
the Flower which trodden downe within the Medowe greene By bastie foote of trampling steed or plodding Oxe is seene Such one this dying Shephardesse did seeme quite changde and faint Her quondam louely face the teares with blubbring foule did taint Her faire eyes darke and heauie shewd as when the skies we see With thickned storme of winde and raine ore shadowed for to bee Those shooting Glaunces which of late were in her rolling Spheares Controllers in Dan Cupids Court no more as now appeares No more as Diamonds glister they nor Sun-like doe they shine But looke like Phoebus when his place to night he doth resigne And now death which did heretofore long linger comes apace And gently seemes by many signes her offer to embrace Her for head faire whose verie frowne of all did fauour winne Was now become deepe furrowed with sharpe and wrinkled skinne Her sallow visage pale and thin and hunger-staru'd did seeme One of th'in fernall hellish hagges for shape you would her deeme Her brests too pretious Iuerie mounts were fallen lanke and bare Her body that rich shop had lost her wonted pretious ware Her feeble armes and shoulders weake supporters of her coarse Were nought but ioynts of skin and bone withouten strength and force So short and thicke she drew her breath sighing so deepe and sore As one might easilie gesse she was not far off from deaths dore And had not bene but for her teares which on her cheekes she shed You would haue iudgd she had not bene aliue but stonie dead Had she not throbs and sighes sent forth from fainting brest like storme That all her sences had bene past you would haue vowd and sworne Ah too too haplesse Louers chaunce like her no wretches such So Dido dide the Troyan Duke for louing ouer much Enon so for Paris died so Hero for her friend When him she could not saue from death her life did willing end Meane while Zerphir most haplesse wight on whom fortune did frowne This dying Shepheardesse echewhere doth search for vp and downe And as we oftentimes the Hart with furious raging moode Doe see to seeke his mate the Hinde with eger pace in wood Who is retir'd alone for nonce into some priuate way Or running through the forrests wilde wandring perchance a stray He scales the matchlesse mountaine tops the hugie hilles most bold And then he rangeth longst the bankes of streaming waters cold Now through the thickest quickesedge thicke he venters far to gee And now the Caues he visiteth in hollow dales below So Zerphir franticke like doth runne to seeke that beautie which Did long before vnto his paine forespeake him and bewitch One while he wandereth by the Sea the sandie shore along An other while he skales high hills through Loue enforst so strong And then againe most desperately with courage he doth creepe And diueth into'the bottomes lowe of rockie Caues most deepe He scoures the vallies and the plaine through medowes he doth runne Gainst Gods and man he murmureth as one that 's quite vndonne He calls Sycambra still the same Sycambra he doth sound Whilst Ecco pittying him againe Sycambra backe doth bound In th' end so long he searcheth that at last he findes her out When now his voyce was almost lost with hollowing all about A Ghost he findes no lining coarse her haire about her eare Which blustring blasts of froward windes abroad dispearst did beare Her brow did pale and earthly show whose colour naturall Death chased had away as now and ceazed ouer all Her obbone eyes were dull and dimme suncke deepely in her head Ore whom the Fatall sisters three too much tyrannized Her bloodlesse lippes like ashes showde her sweet alluring lip From which a iuyce did come which Loue being ill at ease did sip Those Cherries Roses Rubies which you once might there haue spide Were vanished and in their steed worse colours were descride No fauour was within her face no cheerfulnes of looke For some dead coarse not liuing wight you might her then haue tooke This heauie sight and spectacle did stop his fainting breath And forct his inward powers to be as cold as any earth Withouten mouing he did stand and seemd to be one Of those which fierce Medusa chaung'd into aworthlesse stone But lucklesse she the Touchstone true of Loue to trie all wrongs Who onely to bewaile her griefes exceedingly still longs Perceiu'd him not when first he came appearing to her nigh Whilst with her passions she partakes which makes her peece-meale die Which when the Shepheard throughly vewed awakt from out his sound He wondred that for very woe he died not on that ground He draweth neerer vnto her yet loth to offend the faire And though her fault he blames yet he not to reproach her dare Vpon the sudden backe he startes and from her doth recoyle And then with stealing pace returnes to her another while Nor for his life dares he to speake For where Loue loyall is There no respect nor due regard at any time doth misse He seeth how she doth sigh and sob and how she teares doth shed Apparant signes and witnesses that yet she is not dead This makes him sigh and sob as she and weepe with pittious dirme Yet all this pittious stir could not once moue her looke on him So much the wretch was rauished and earnest in conceit About resignement of her life which sorrow did her threat Whilst she doth leane her aking-head vpon her hand belowe Giuing scalding teares passage into her panting brest to flowe Teares that not quencht but did encrease the flames that burnt her heart Teares that euen to her inward soule did pearce like glauncing dart In th' end the Shepheard cloyd with noy with griefe hardued and bolde In pittious voyce and low to her his mind did thus vnfolde Woe is me Sycambra is it thou I see so miserable And haue I liude so long to view a sight so lamentable I st thou whem death by vncoth Fate and Fortune ouer strange Doth force vntimelesse thus into thy darkesome Tombe torange I st thou which nothing hast but teares and cries to entertaine The sharpe assault of death the which thou couetest ore faine I st thou I see to runne vnto thy end ore desperate By cruell Planets hatefull doome to ill predestinate I st thou Sycambra whom thy Fates and fatall Destinie As iealous of thy praise thy daies to shorten doe agree I st thou that hast that colour faire no more vpon thy face Which as the colour of my griefes in heart I did embrace I st thou that hast no more those flames within thine eyes now dead Through which before with brightest fire my soule was daily fed I st thou that hast no more that shew of more then beantie rare The prison of my libertie the cause of all my care I st thou i st thou whom partiall Gods inforce vnwilling me Of thy departure from this life a witnesse for to be This thou I
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
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
now led hast thou me the way High time now t is for me the lawes of Nature to obey Reason it is I follow thee for is it possible Thou being gone I longer here vpon this earth can dwell My wretched daies in this vile world haue bene vnfortunate Yet dying thus in chastest Loue most happie is my state The Stars haue fullie recompenst my hatefull fortunes here In graunting me the libertie to die by thee my deare And that I touch that coarse by death exempt from vitall sence Which when it liu'd full hardly did my seruice recompence Ah beautious shade of late the lodge of honour and fresh Bower Whose praise deaths selfe though he thee slew to kill hath not the power Faire coarse receiue these tribute teares and let me pardon winne If thee embracing after death I ouerbold haue beene Daine to accept my scalding sighes and doe not him despise Who whilst he liu'd honoured thee and dying thee doth prise Rich coarse thou art to make amends to me poore soule in this That for so many woes I felt thou yeeld to me one kisse For what haue I for all my paines and trauaile I endurde Which thy hard heart continually too willing me procurde What recompence or pardon due did euer I receiue But what through sorrow my best rest from me did take and reaue To cancell all which former counts be pleasde faire Loue I pray That Zerphir dying thou being dead kisse thee now chastly may And yet alas I dare not lest that thou shouldst take it ill Gainst me as if I sought the same withouten thy good will Faire shadow now with glorie dect take for my offerings These teares these sighes these passions sad which sorrow to thee brings Receiue this blood I sprinkle here vpon thy sacred shrine To th' end my soule in dutious sort may follow after thine My heart was thine whilst I did liue and fortune wills it so That it be thine when Zerphirs dead and lieth in th' earth full low Daine therefore sacred soule and thinke not little proud am I That t is my chaunce I may haue leaue by thy sweet side to lie Willing thou wert not whilst thou liu'dst that I should be thine owne But being dead I for thy slaue most loyall shall be knowne By reason I haue well deseru'd through griefes long by me borne And by my chastest countenance that neuer woes did scorne The memorie whereof me thinkes should make thee sometimes call To minde thy Zerphir and not quite forget him once for all But Zerphir now le ts die too long we staied haue t is enough Sufficient teares on this dead coarse we now haue powred forth The heauens are wearied with my cries and neuer ceaselesse plaint And my broke heart through trembling feare doth beate in bulcke and faint Le ts die by this one word and as he spoken had that word Most cruell gainst himselfe his side he pierceth with his sword Wherewith he tumbleth dead vpon his Mistris breathlesse corse Whilst that his wound both soule and blood to issue forth doth force Thus died Sycambra meriting for constancie great fame Thus Zerphir died deseruing well to haue a liuing name Death ioynd them both together neere their bodies in one Tombe Were laid which liuing were disioynd by ouer partiall Dome And not long after that proud youth Armanda for his pride As well he aid deserue the same full dearely did abide For presently vpon their death like to Narcissus fond He died in loue being with himselfe whose losse not any monde Thus Cupid's in his Lawes vniust as by this Tale you see Yet Ladies learne to loue if lou'd againe you meane to bee The Shepheard hauing made an ende of his Tragedie helde his peace bringing vnto the whole companie a kinde of mournfull and solemne silence vpon the ricitall of the same with a secret still and inward sorrow for the lamentable end of Zirphir and Sycambra O how miserable are those who seeme as it were to feele their owne losses through the recitall and reporting of other mens mishaps being as bad almost as to awake the happie patient sleeping by reason of his soporiferous potion iust at that time when the Chyrurgian beginneth to cut off his legge Too too much doe I prooue it find it and trie it to touch me to the verie quicke cried out the sighing Arcas The misfortunes of euerie man reuiueth mine owne which before lay closely couered vnder the cinders of my former Distasters The remembrance of things prosperous is nothing so pleasant as the recalling to minde of what is vnhappie is bitter and sower For the pleasure thereof hindereth the true knowledge of pleasure aright and so by the contrarie the contrarie is the more to be commended But O how cruell then is the conceit and apprehension of a mans euils For the felicitie of the other doth not oppose himselfe against the crueltie of this thought those which are fortunate being exempted through the ioy they conceiue of their ill chances which are past and gone Old Hecuba when shee was captiue rendred the memorie of her miseries more cruell by reason shee alwayes thought vpon her happie time that was already gone For one is not so much grieued to be wretched by Nature as when he is brought downe so lowe by Fortune and the cause is for that wee are naturally borne to suffer and that he accounteth not his ill hap to be vnsupportable which he receiueth of Nature in that he is accustomed to endure and beare the same alwayes But euen as where both Fortune and Nature abound in anie notable spirit it is the more excellent and accomplished for the same So twise miserable is hee who as my selfe feeleth him selfe to be iniuried both by Fortune and Nature By Fortune she hauing made shipwrack of my libertie of my Goddesse and faire Mistrisse A Sentence and of the sweete aire of my Countrey By Nature I hauing nothing in me that can draw any commendations for me amongst the learned or win vnto me any credit amongst such as are accounted rare and admirable persons in the world Then why loue I or why should I desire to breathe any longer Vnfortunate that Marriner who arriuing safely into the Hauen will needs venture againe to thrust himselfe into the tempests of the Sea to drown himselfe most wilfully in the bottom of the waues So fareth it with me for after I had bene cruelly plagued with the chast loue of the learned and famous Iulietta I fell to loue the renowmed Diana The fire of this affection being far more hotter then the other but although this my first fault may be well pardoned yet the second falling againe into this error is to be greatly doubted feared Ah Arcas thou shouldst haue contented thy selfe with thy first imprisonment without seeking to commit thy selfe afresh into a new captiuitie But Souldiers in warre may be taken three or 4. times in that they be not of power
Ceres of me praise deserue Though all the ground with Corne doth swarue When I through hunger pure doe starue And readie am to pine My broken ioyes repaire who may Who can my weeping Conduits stay Since who of sorrow is the pray Belongeth vnto griefe Mine eyes which death orechargeth sore As now can waile and weepe no more Since shee is gone whom I adore And who brought them reliefe My hart through sorrow's waxen cold Loosing what hee most deare did hold Blessed if that in graue enrold He were his hopes being past No comfort to my soule 's arriude He seekes the meanes to be disliude So Piramus of Loue depriude Gane vp his latest gaspe Now I my cruell Faire haue lost Of what sweet comfort may I boast Yet for ones Mistris to be lost The paines of death or pleasure He is not bound in world to liue Who alwayes languishing doth grieue When hee by dying may it relieue Which to him is a Treasure The Sunne though hidden be his beames Extinguisht yet are not his gleames So Lady mine her sight forth streames Though she is farre from me More cruell did I feele the paine When her faire glannce burnt euery vains Respecting what I now doe gaine Although shee absent be When shee was tooke from me away Why then did not my heartsome slay For who with Conquerour his is pray Cannot be said to die Ah cruell day and lucklesse time When as I lost those lookes dinine My soule consumde away did pine Wanting that Deitie Then seeing that deprinde I am Of her no longer liue I can My Fortunes hard I le curse and ban Expecting still for death Withouten soule no bodie liues His Mistris losse a Loner grienes Whilst he such wofull torments prieues As none feele like on earth The olde Magician and the Knight hearing so dolefull a Dittie sung by the Shepheard Arcas who did nothing but lament for the absence of his Diana could not choose but weepe when after hee had made an end of his Song they might heare him vse these speeches vnto himselfe O troublesome and vnquiet Sunne who hath caused thee so soone to leaue thy bed before thy wonted time And what need had anie Creature of thine so quick to returne as long as they ouer-wearied and tyred with trauatle slept sweetly vnder the protection of the secret and still Night A Similie And how happie was I before thy brightsome comming For then at my pleasure I did contemplate and behold the face of Diana shining in the heauens which nourished in my soule the remembraunce of my beautious Goddesse And what can delight me more then to thinke on her who resembleth her much and who it honoured with her name Nothing pleaseth the sicke man so much as his health which he desireth aboue all things although many times in vaine And so nothing is so much agreeable to me as my faire Mistris whome I doe often wish for although to no ende For the pale and breathlesse coarse layde vpon the colde ground is not more depriued of life A Sentence then I am voyd of all hope to see my cruell Faire againe Miserable is hee that languisheth without all hope for nothing sweeteth the sharpnes of his wound when as a little hope alone is of force to nourish the poorest wretches in the world Easie are the trauailes and gentle the paines that one suffereth whilst he hopeth For the conceit of the delight of the thing he hopeth for maketh them pleasant changing them into contentment and ioy whereas the labour and paine of him that is in dispaire of all hope is most dangerous insupportable and intollerable Tell me mine eyes to what end doe you see and giue light if you can no more behold her who was your chiefest delight O faire and louely Diana in what place soener it is thy Fortune as now to bee making the same blessed with thy beautious presence Heauens graunt that thou mayest liue happilie and that the remnant of all my good Fortunes if at least I haue any reserued for me be heaped bestowed vpon thee whilst I in the meane space will liue here alone in this solitary Wood to bewaile my disasters and languish daily as one in a consumption that piecemeale pineth away and can neuer be cured For to what end doth he make intercession or praiers vnto the Heauens whom the Heauens themselues doe holde for their enemie That man that is difasterly destined hath no reason to expect any good fortune which if he doth he but mocketh himselfe and in the end doth finde he is deceiued So I looke for nothing that is comfortable or pleasing to come from aboue because I know my selfe to be in the number of those miserable Caitifs A Sentence who neuer haue felt any thing here in this world but woe and distresse vntill they haue bene layed and lodged within their graues O too too partiall Fates of men that some should be still happy luckie and blessed in euery thing and others so vnfortunate that they should neuer taste of aught but of sorrow care and anguish And of this last accursed crue I am the chiefe But perhaps some will say Eucry one feeleth his owne griefe and misfortune but not that which another is tormented withall Yet let such iudge but indifferently of my case and then I know they cannot chuse but pittie me For is it not an euill to be endured for one to loose the cheerfull light of his owne sweete life his much desired health and well-fare his owne louing natiue Countrey his deare Parents and his affectionate friends and acquaintance without finding any succour or reliefe at all but of his proper enemies For vaine is the helpe of them from whom I hoped and as bootlesse is the reward of my trauaile that I am like to receiue of such as I serued O miserie worse then dispaire it selfe for one to be beholding for his good Fortune vnto his mortallfoe and not finde recompence of those of whome he hath so well deserued O Themistocles it was thou that didst passe through this narrow straight being welcommed caressed and honorablie entertained of thy cruell aduersarie when thou wert banished by thy ingratefull Countreymen whom thou hadst most faithfully serued and oftentimes most valiantly fought for to saue their â—â—es and Countrey And thou Coriolanus didst finde the like fauour and grace amongst thine enemies after thy owne Citizens had vnkindly driuen thee out of their Citie whom thou before hadst serued loyallre with many testimonies of rare and wonderfull fidelitie And such was thy Fortune braue Alcibiades exiled by thine owne people and entertained most louingly by the Spartanes thy hatefull deadly foes In your Ship doe I saile in your boate doe I rowe and the selfe-same mishap you had doe I participate of but sore full sore against my minde for in an ill houre was he borne that is driuen vnto such a narrow estate as he is forced to haue recourse
vnto my cries and pittied my wofull teares For within a while after he caused a blutering storme and Tempest to rise in the Seas that draue them farre away from their owne Coast forcing them in the ende to cast Anker vppon these parts Which being done I did coniure and intreat them so much that they permitted mee to come a shore to take the ayre somewhat to refresh and recouer my crazed health which the rage of the Tempest and the swelling billowes of the Ocean had much impaired and made worse But no sooner was I vpon the land and had set foote on the ground then I began suddainly to take my heeles and runne from them chusing rather to be killed by them as I fled then they should take from me mine honour violently And being in this minde I thought to venter my fortune as that young Romane Virgin did which brauely swum ouer the Riuer of Tiber thinking there was no other way with mee but that either death or flying away could saue my chastitic vntainted and preserue me vnhart They seeing this followed after mee as fast as they could runne threatning me with many outragious and iniurious tearmes to cut my throate if I stayed not And this had they done had not you deare Father come to rescue me by your learned and miraculous aide for which I most humblie thanke you acknowledging my selfe by your onely meanes and fauour to hold both mine honour and my life for both which I am obliged vnto you This pittifull discourse moued all the assembly to compassion and especially the old man who gaue her many kinde speeches comforting her in the best manner he could and so left her to repose her selfe because she was wonderfull wearie And in the meane time he singled out Arcas whom he led vnto the old solitarie Dungion or Caue sommoning him to goe forward in the Historie of his misfortunes The Shepheard hearing this began to chafe in his minde as a little boy doth fret when he is forced to repeate his lesson twise But it is to no end to be angrie for he durst not displease him any way because he sore doubted his diuellish cunning vnto whom not for loue but rather for feare he willingly seemed to condiscend beginning where he left in this wise Diana as I told you before tooke great pleasure in my verses yea and did me grace sometimes to sing some of them her owne selfe But as the raine transformeth and chaungeth it selfe into colde sharpe snow so this pleasure turned into griefe and dispaire by the answere I receiued of the cruell Ecco Yet neuerthelesse I thought to follow my game hauing alreadie roused the dame He that will be a souldiour in Loues campe must neuer be faint-harted nor giue ouer with a repulse or some small losse for continuance of time and milde patience are the sacred Ttees from which loyall Louers gather the fruits of their constant perseuerance and long looked for Amitie This was the cause I put forth my selfe to serue my Diana more then euer I had done before although she accounted nothing at all thereof by reason she was addicted wholie vnto the seruice of her Goddesse Neuerthelesse I alwaies hoped the best ruminating in my selfe that Rome was not built in one day and that that was rare and daintie could not be gotten easilie but at a high price and dearely I remembred that small drops of water with oftē falling maketh in the end a hole in the flintie stone be it neuer so hard and I relied verie much vpon the promise of time who vanteth to ripen euerie thing so they stay his leisure A small hope encourageth such as be Louers and hindereth them from giuing ouer their suite begun already Wherein they resemble such souldiours as are besieging some Cittie or other in which they hope in the end to enter although they haue the worst at the first And so Louers neuer dispaire for all their crosses and ouerthwartings but still hope the best as the Sunne which waxeth the clearer the more the clouds seeke to shadow him This made me still to follow my footing as the good Blood-hound doth the trace of the Deare When the day of the solemne feast of Diana drew neare which was the day of ioy and yeare of Iubile to all but vnto me alone heauie and sad I then againe began to weepe waile afresh for no remedie was there but my Mistris must needs goe thither with the other Nymphs her companions whilst I in the meane while should want her pleasing companie For to follow her it was not lawfull which both her honour forbad me and also the sacrifices and misteries were such and so seruile as none might see them but women Besides I remembred the fault which Clodius committed in Rome prophaning defaming the ceremonies of the Goddesse Bona to the intent he might enioy the carnall companie of Caesars wife which offence brought forth manie other The Iudges being through the same corrupted and the Iniustice which they did in absoluing the guiltie without punishment I calling all these things to minde suffered my Ladie to goe vnto these sacrifices which continued diuers daies whilest I in the meane while was left alone at what time I began to find how heauie and greuous the absence of this Ladie is vnto the Louer whilest I tried the same all that space within my selfe Yet although she was absent I was not altogether idle for I composed these Heroicall verses following Now doe I meane in this my verse to tell that thy beautie Hath by thy glaunces sweet of freeman made me a Bond-slaue When mine cies surprisde with a feare more terrible then death Gan ouer-bold to cast lookes on thy heauenly feature So will I tell how since that time I neuer had one day But that my thought and my minde haue runne of Loue still rouings Nor haue I dreamd of aught but of that blind little Elfe Loue Who hath my heart kept captiue and my soule as a prisoner Yet is he happie that can serue a dame so tryumphant Happie is he that is bound in a chaine so sweet and so louely That all carking care driues from me lest I be grieued In that I am thy seruant true I blest doe account me Who like the sacred Sunne doest glad the world and his of spring For so diuine a soule as thou who would not endanger Life and himselfe and what he hath that is aught worth No aisgrace t is of braue Captaine for to be vanquisht Loue ne're soiournes in the hearts of cowardly Milkesops But in the thoughts of Noble men most fierce doth he combat And great Ladies mindes he seekes to keepe in his owne puet Wofull witnesse hereof is Dido cruelly destned And those kindsisters that Thesius sau'de from his ending Hercules that Demigod that Monsters conquered and Fiends Had for his foes theeues and Loue that warre made against him Die did be for pure loue who the pride of the
away from them and disdaineth them The bodie cannot mooue nor liue without soule No more can vertue be without glorie If the Gods themselues holde thee for faire for vertuous and for wise and if the immortall Nymphes make account of thee for such a one and respect thee for the same Why then wilt thou refuse this small praise my mournefull Muse giueth thee If I am deceiued so are the Gods deceiued If I erre the Nymphs haue erred And if I haue done amisse so haue all the Demy-gods of the Forrest likewise But gratious Diana no man can doe amisse in imitating the Gods in as much as they are not subiect vnto vice and for that they vse not to sinne Why then doest thou blame mee in that I follow them Penelope so renowmed for chastitie hath neuer bene of that worth that thou art of nor Cassandra more learned Helene was neuer more beautious nor Enone more wise whilst in the meane time euery one of these for one only rare gift that was within them haue caused thousands of Poets to sweat in their praises why then shouldest thou who art possessed of all these goodly vertues alone refuse that honor which is so rightly due vnto thee But alas what say I Great reason hast thou to refuse such a poore praise as commeth from one so simple and weake a Poet as my selfe For the glory which the ignorant giue vnto the wise may rather be tearmed a discredit then ame honor vnto them Yet such as I am I beseech you accept of me imitating Alexander the great who cherished gratiously entertained as well bad as good writers as did blazon forth his praise For although through want of skill the ignorant man faileth very much of this marke by reason he cannot explaine and shewe forth the effects of his good will as he desireth yet cannot it let him from manifesting the good will it selfe which alwayes is accounted for the first part of the worke Permit then my poore Muse to celebrate thy renowme thou being farre more fairer then the Cassandra of great Ronsard more chaste then the Oliua of Hunny mother Bellay and more perfect then the Diana of courteous De Reports For a more diuine subiect my Muse could neuer chuse my pen could neuer write of a daintier matter my wit could neuer finde a fairer fielde to walke in nor my tongue a sweeter Theame whereon to discourse And shouldest thou denie me yet would I not giue ouer to praise thee for not onely do I hold thee worthy to be worthie thereof but also account thee the onely shee that heercafter I will celebrate and make famous as mine onely Ladie and Mistris Shepheard answered shee affection oftentimes blindeth the eyes of the wise and good will is euer partiall in the praises of his friends What soeuer a man loueth that neuer seemeth soule nor deformed because Desire is the childe of faire pleasaâ—â— and agreeable things and for that none will couet that which hee thinketh or imagineth to be loathsome or deformed And this is the reason that many haue praised vice and discommended Vertue writing most foolishly as their passions haue led them without respecting or once hauing any regard vnto the Truth it selfe Dido was reported by Virgil to be amorous and wanton yet was she chaste Vlisses by Homer to be more valiant then Alax whom he durst not look in the face And Aeneas â—o be pittifull and godly vnto his Countrey and yet it was he that most vngodlily betrayed the same vnto his enemie Poets write according vnto their owne humors when they please but not according as the Truth it selfe is indeed And so thy forward affection onely and not the night thrusteth thee forward to take pen in hand in my behalfe But what mayst thou expect to follow vpon the same hereafter but onely that men will say of thee as I haue saide of Homer and Virgil that thy fancie hath made thee to affect and commend that which was not any way praise-worthie of it selfe Thou wilt stand me in no other steed then to reuiue the memoriall of mine imperfections after my death which were farre better to be buried with me in my graue then to be bruited abroad Content thee therefore I pray thee and let it be sufficient that I am knowne to be full of defects now I am aliue without making me to be remembred for such hereafter when I shall be dead If thou louest me as thou makest a showe thou doest then loue my memorie also for wee ought not so much to respect things present which wee see whilest we liue as we should doe those that are to come hereafter The reason is for that we may finde some one remedie For the first whilst wee remaine here in this world But for the latter wee cannot because we are not heere to make meanes for the same Be not then the occasion that my name shall be called in question when for that I am then dead I cannot come to excuse my selfe as I would For happie are such worthie persons as leaue no remembrance of their Imperfections after they are gone out of this world least the people should call againe vnto minde their faults and so condemne them for the same And also thy verses testifying the great affection and good will thou bearest me will also show apparantly my defects and what was amisse in me For who doubteth but that Louers in respect of the great loue they beare vnto their Ladies hide vnder the colours of their smoothe and dainty kinde of Enditings all the faults and defects they haue be they neuer so foule There is none so vehement a passion as Loue neither is there any thing that doth so much wrong to Truth as that doeth in such wise as women should rather take these praises for a discredit then for a credit vnto them which they receiue of their Louers And this is mine opinion which all the perswasions in the world shall neuer make me chaunge Faire Nymphes replyed I then because Loue is mightie and celestiall therefore doth hee neuer intermeddle amongst the basest and meanest creatures especially with such as are deformed For neuer is there anie hard fauoured face beloued Who then will belieue otherwise but that Ladie that shall be found to be honoured by â— graue Poet is otherwise then a most perfect and accomplisht Creature euery way seeing perfection onely hath authoritie ouer our soules which hateth as much the thing that is deformed as it adoreth that which is faire How exquisite and excellent a Virgin was the faire Laura of renowned Petrarâ—â— and how much haue his workes brought liuely credit vnto her praises The Muses neuer sung of vnworthy subiects â— And although some may thinke that a Poet can make huge Elephant of a little Flie yet cannot he commend an vnhonest matter and worthy of reproach although he faine would Because the Muses who are the sounding Truâ—â— pets of Heroicall mindes would oppose themselues
and their delight This pleasing trauaile being the life that pleased them aright Nor was as then knowne vnto them Bellonas bloodie rage Nor did vaine Loue seeke them to vex in prime of their greene age No brawles nor loud debates mongst them was there them for to grieue Old Saturne in the golden world more happier did not line Withouten tilling store of corne came forth of fruitfull field Withouten dressing viniards aught the Viniards grapes did yeeld Their beasts increast Sanus taking paine their Muttons brought forth wooll Their bleating Ewes with skipping Lambs were alwaies big full But now behold in Ambuscade how Loue doth lie alwaies Meaning with vncoth cruelties his honour more to raise Sezing vpon them through his might and on their liberties The better for to make them tast of his disloyalties For one day as those harmelesse Swaines did homewards come amaine Halfe windelesse and halfe wearied in pursuing of their game Each of them a huge wilde Boores head holding within their hand Tirde with their sport they had abroad drie as they could scarce stand To drinke and rest themselues awhile they to a spring did come Whose water was as colde as Ice and cleare as any Sunne A stately Rocke from forth the foote did issue of this spring Bout which a thousand Cipresse Trees stood thicke innironing Into this Fountaine as they say a Nymph was chaungde sometimes And it might well be for most bright and glorious like it shines Round all about the same of Turfs most greene was there a seate By artificiall Nature framde most pleasnt and most neate Here meant they to repose themselues and here they meant to lie Whilst with this water coole they sought to quench their thirst ore drie But as they thought to lay them downe vpon this bankeside cold They might a wonderous beautie rich soundly to sleepe behold And Stella faire it was for then Shepheards might at that time A middest Shephear desses sleepe without suspect of crime As then their modest chastitie to staine each one did feare For as they in their mindes were chast so they in bodie were Amazde they stood at this sweet face their drought they had forget For now another thirst then that did drie them farre more hot Nor cared they now for to sleepe all sleepe they banisht quite Whilst they as dreaming stood to view such an vnlookt for sight They play the wanton Louers now whilst with their rolling eie They nothing doe but onely marke how sweetely she doth lie As senslesse Rocke Sanus power they seeme nor can they stir or rise Nor other pleasure take they but to marke her with their eies Meane time this beautious face which them doth gently to her traine Smiles as she sleepes to see how they doe blush orecome with shame So is he daunted who orebold with ouer-daring winke That 's able for to looke against the Sunnie beames doth thinke So such as are presumptuous did too too fondly stare Vpon Medusa into stones and flints soone changed were Our Shepheards so being rauished would neuer lin nor rest To view one while her louely face and then her milke-white brest Another while they marke her long and yellow flaxen haire Which gentle windes as waues of Seas did mone now here now there Not halfe so faire the golden locks of stubborne Absolon Shewed as were hers nor did they seeme so trimme to looke vpon Her forhead large they then did view as smooth as any Iet Where oft the Graces in their pride to make them merrie met Nor they forgot her Eielids small which Loue with his pure fire Had somewhat blackish made to seeme the more to breed desire Rare Eielids which through her two spheres euen mongst the very Gods Through kind of shadowing sweet did make them more admirde by ods Her eies as then they could not view her eies with Diamonds right Which when they opte the heauen did shew discouering true delight Then to her matchlesse mouth they come most daintie Sanus compare How often wisht they it to kisse but that they durst not dare A iust report did them debarre so much for to forget Themselues as that to doe which might be vnto them a let Whereby their Ladies afterward they might offend and grieue Which fore a loyall Louer so would doe he would not â—iue Vpon her cherrie lippe where die of Gillsflowers did flowe The damaske Rose along the same ranne spredding too and fro Her beautious cheeke most freshly shewde like the Vermillion flower Cheekes which harts made of flintie Rocke for to controâ—de had power Her dimpled chinne and snowy necke the Tower of statelines Not Iunos necke so seemely shewd and Vents farre was lesse So were her brests imbellished with riches manifold Ah who so faire a sight could see and not be ouerbold There was the bosome which did part the milkie way aright That leades into the golden field the center of delight There were those sacred mountaines twaine where perfect ioy doth rest None mount those hallowed hills but such as borne were to be blest O pleasure vnconceiu'd to haue the grace them for to touch But to haue licence them to kisse to die it were not much Her supple hand in seemely sort did lie and comely wise Her fingers such as fault to find in them none could denise And last of all though couered stretcht out her round clâ—â—ne fâ—â—â—s Supporter of that building braue of beautions forme the roote The rest and better part lay hid yet what was to be seene To make one lose his libertie enough and more had bene Had Ioue seene one but halfe so faire he had of her esteeâ—d Mars would haue yeelden Phoebus sâ—de and well of her 〈…〉 Thus at one time these Shepheards twainâ— are faine to be in loue Whilst one and selfesame griefe they both â—â—st at one time 〈…〉 Their soules are touched to the quicke with this one 〈…〉 Of thousand amorous wishes sweet they 〈…〉 LOVE hath two arrowes one of gold 〈…〉 The others lead and that doth quench by 〈…〉 Th' one on the sodaine pierceth but the other doth no harme Th' one doth encrease the fire the other gainst it is at harme These two strange darts of Cupid proud Stella felt in her 〈◊〉 Th' one forc't her loue but the other did all â—one with checke contrâ—â—â—â— One of these Shepheards she did like the other she 〈◊〉 Did hate against the sillie wretch a monstrous spight she 〈◊〉 Th' one Coridon was cald whom she in hart 〈…〉 The other Aridon into a hard Rocke attered But now to come where as we left our Shepheardesse doth 〈◊〉 And lifting vp her head she leaue as then of sleepe did take For she was frighted with a dreame that did not please her well A dreame that as an Oracle did her 〈…〉 But when she sawe these Shepheards twaine she 〈…〉 To see them lie so night to her she wonder did the more Yet this her wondring her became the better cause
she blusht Whilst she more faire did shew when through her face the colour flasht Her eies she cast on the ground and at 〈…〉 so looke By them vpon the soden she durst not vpon them to looke That done with sad and heedfull eare she doth about her prit Lest what not comely had bene they about her 〈…〉 In th' end she findes all well not much 〈…〉 Who doubts some theenes but hauing found 〈…〉 their doth not feâ—â—e Mean time poore Cloridou who is perplext most dangerus Takes heart at grasse whilst boldly he gins to accost her thus Faire light of my best life why art thou thus possest with care When heauent themselues they vertuous life hurt cannot nor once dare Chaste is thy soule vertuous thy minde most beautifull thy face No Tyger fierce or Lion fell thy beautie dare disgrace The diuels themselues cannot thee hurt why doubts thou things diuine Are not as mortall be to shame subiect at any time The Gods haue made thee goodly that the heauens might honour thee Our spirits are bodies framde that thou by vs mighst worshipt bee Thee will we serue in humble wise with dutifull respect Nor whilst we liue as vs becomes our duties wee le neglect Then sacred Saint thy selfe assure my soule thus languishing No bad conceit through carriage mine to thee shall euer bring No rash attempt vndecently shall make me ouerbold With her 〈◊〉 home Mistris of my hart and my chiefe good I hold Then doe all dread abandon quite looke merrie and be blithe For we both honour thee and for thy Loue contend and strine So said the Shepheard whilst that Loue did shoote in cunning wise Fancies swift darts into his hart which came from Stellas eies From Stellas eies who now begins to felle an vncoth flame And who doth finde as Cloridan to bide the selfesame paine She findes she forced is to loue although against her will And more she seekes him to expell the more be enâ—reth still The Shepheards words are wounds to her and pierce her like a dart His speeches breaches be which soone make entrance in her hart And now on soden Cloridon she liketh and sowell As in her sight for beautie he doth onely heare the bell And so likewise doth Cloridan thinke of his daintie Loue Vowing within his soule that death shall not her thence 〈◊〉 So in the Phrigian forrest thicke when Paris liu de 〈◊〉 In Enons Loue he was intrapt and for the same did 〈◊〉 Of whose deare loue that loyall Nymph so highly did esteeme As after he was slaine to mourne for him she aiâ— was seene But Stella somewhat fearfull now and blushing in this case Vnto her Shepheard thus replide with comely bashfull grace A worthie Shepheard like thy selfe I neuer doubted yet That for to offer wrong to me his honour would forget The minde that generous is indeed and doth for glâ—ris made Is nere so base as to abuse a sillie harmelesse maide His honour he doth holy wracke vpon discredits shelfe That hauing others conquered braue cannot orecome himselfe It better him becomes to bunt the Lion or the Bare The greedie Wolfe wilde Boore and fierce then sillie Daâ—â—zeâ— fâ—â—e No glorie t is much for to force or proudly to command As haue no might nor any power such furie to withstand But I assure me of thy selfe and that I trust thee thâ—â— Thou seest I doe not flie from thee as one ore time 〈◊〉 Besides with blushing I confesse thou art the first of all That hast against my will enforct me follow Cupidâ— call A soule thou hast that Loue as now compelleth to be thine Loue that doth both our harts in one in loyall bands combine That Loue which makes me yeeld to thee for to be ouerthrowne That Loue which Tyrant-like denies that I shall be mine owne Then looke that in this loue thou doe mine 〈◊〉 still preserue It being all that for our paines me righly shall deserue For thou shalt sooner Stella see in graue for to remaine Before that any vitious soule her vertuous life shall staine Shee 'le rather die a thousand times for constant amitie The treasure is which I doe rate at endlesse price so hie Chastely to loue in vertuous sort is sure a worthie thing And heauens themselues to modest Loue a ioyfull end will bring Remember then what I doe say or trouble me no more Faire words without performance true I loathe and doe abore So Stella said and Cloridan to heare these words of ioy So rauisht was as now he quite forgot all former noy Nor could he speake for gladnes while his hart did leape within He knew not how to frame his tale or which way to begin As dead men we through ouermuch displeasing griefe become So sudden pleasure ouermuch stops passage of our tongue Both th' one and th' other oftentimes vs too too much doth moue Extremities of both without a meane we often proue Many through pleasure die their daies many doe end through woe Griefe kills our sences sodenly and ioy likewise doth so And after winter many stormes and rainie shewers apace The Sunne begins by little for to shew to vs his face The plants and Trees reuiue againe looking both fresh and greene Which in the frostie season cold through snow did lie vnseene So at the last the Shepheard got his wonted speech againe And pleasure former dread and feare did chase away 〈◊〉 Which being gone as soone as time did breath to him affoord In humblâ— wise he once more thus began her for to boord Sweet Ladie since the law diuine of Cupid heauenly king Such fauours great doth shew to me not of my meriting And that I blest am so that to your hart mine tied is A cause our chast desires are like for to obtaine rare blisse And since our mindes are so vnite and knit in bonds so strong As death it selfe with all his force shall neuer doe vs wrong I vow for to be yours alone hap ill to me or well Despite of destinie despite of Fortune spite of hell For to be loued of thy selfe it passeth and is such As like no glorie is on earth for to be found by much When Adon Venus did enioy so blessed was not he Nor Pirams loue to Thisbe could so hot and ardent be The Gods themselues in glorie theirs who are redoubtable In pleasure with me to compare cannot nor are not able More fortunate am I then they my hart is more content Then when Ioue with Europa liu'd and time away so spent A thousand Almours in my minde I feele for to be hid More sweet then when Leander kind embrace his Hero did With Paris vaine is Hellens ioy compared vnto mine My fancies are so sweet they seeme as if they were diuine None is so happie as my selfe th' Ambrosia of the Gods Not so much liketh them as doth my life like me by ods Ah then amongst contentments such doe not me so much grieue As for to thinke
as t were her selfe he finds his cruell enemie Which when he saw Reason and Faith as franticke he neglects And as one void of sense from him each good thought he reiects As on the fearefull Hunts-man pale the wounded Lionesse Bleeding apace with egerforce for to reuenge doth presse So this same Sauadge Louer hot this Ladie rauisheth Whilst she vnhappie lieth a sleepe as one withouten breath He doth abuse her whilst to wake she doth as t were begin Yet she in such dead slumber was as ope her eies not bin With sleepe as then she was opprest with sleepe most miserable That euer after made her life and fortune lamentable Still Aridon she kisseth and most kindly doth embrace For she God wot dreamd Cloridan had bene there in that place Whilst in meane time but in ill houre doth Cloridon arriue And viewes that sight which for to see his soule doth him distiue He seeth how Aridon in spite of him doth him misvse Who is his Spouse betroth't and whom none but himselfe should vse He seeth how Stella being deceiu'd his face doth sweetly kisse Whilst through her eyes as yet not ope mistooke she fowly is Like as the Traueller in strait and narrow way doth spie A hissing Serpent for to come towards him on him to flie Or as with crie most horrible his passage to defend A hideous Dragon makes to him and rollings forth doth send Whilst trembling through pale chilly feare ready to giue vp Ghost He backward turnes nor dares he passe whereas he wisheth most So Cloridon with wofull griefe with frantike Iealousie With rage mixt with despitefulnes and burning frenesie Is vexed so in inward soule that he in desperate wise With sorrow madde now here now there rowles vp and downe his eyes Shame and sadde griefe so seaze on him as he flings thence away Nor can he bide in that bad place there longer for to stay Stamping and cursing vp and downe he runnes about the ground Seeking himselfe through vncoth meanes of life for to confound Resolude he is to die sith that his Dame he held so chaste Another loues not him whereby her selfe she hath defaste But now when gracelesse Aridon the Nymph had thus deceiu'de He flieth away so fast as he of her is not pâ—rceiu'de Which made her soone to ope her eyes when by her seeing none Frighted she leapeth vp and stands as still as any stone In pittious wise shee lookes about her selfe so for to ease Yet nothing could she see but what her sight did more displease Her dearely loued Cloridon on whom she oft doth call She cannot spie for to appeare or answere her at all One while she thinkes he hides himselfe that for him she should seeke Another while that he is gone to hunt where he doth leeke And then againe poore soule she thinks that she hath bene deceiu'de And that the same she could not see through sleepe of sight bereu'de She thinks if he who was with her had bene her Cloridon He would not her haue left so soone nor so soone from her gone Thus troubled in her minde with feare she sits her downe alone Whilst of her louely Shepheard she doth stay the comming home Each houre a yeare seemes to her and his staying ouer-long Makes her to doubt all is not well and that somewhat is wrong She weepes and wailes she taketh on and screecheth out full sore But had she knowne his hard estate she would hane wailed more This gaules her still yet Cloridon comes not all that same day The cause that thousand torments doe her tender hart assay Wofull she sits like Niobe teares streaming from her runne Whilst of her vtter ouerthrow she doth presage to come The euening come she home retires yet all the night no winke She sleepeth onely of her Swaine of him she still doth thinke That which had past the day before encreaseth more her woes This runnes still in her minde nor what to say thereof she knowes Feare so doth trouble her as scarce the day appeard in sight And that Aurora had expeld the darknesse of the night But vp she gets and euery where seeketh her Swaine to finde As is the youthfull Hart sought out by his beloued Hinde Her husband Cloridon she seekes and searcheth all about She looketh for him in the woods and thickets all throughout A thousand times she too and fro vnto the Spring doth runne To see if he by chaunce as was his wont were thither come But when she doth not finde him there she then misdoubts the worst Of some mischaunce that hapned is and counts her selfe accurst Yet for all this she giues not ore although shee 's in dispaire She trotttëth still she searcheth still and prieth here and there The name of Cloridan she oft repeateth and doth call Yet none except the ECCO shrill doth answere her at all Ah what sharp griefs and passions sad to vexe her did she proone Before that she her Cloridan found well-nigh dead through loue Who wearie for to languish as sorrowes seruile slaue With his owne sword a mortall wound within his body gaue After he had a thousand times blamde his disloyall Dame Accursed Loue as most vniust hating his amorous flame Within the bottome of a Rocke beset with gloomy wood Sprawling he lay along in midst of his warme purple blood And yet his breath was not quite gone though froÌ„ his deadly word Through floods of goare that streamde from thence his scalding sighes were drownd Death him consumde griefe for loue him kilde thus twise he dide His paines aboue all possions were that did such pangs abide From his sadeyes the limbecks wet of sorrow did distill Such store of teares as all the place with water they did fill His heauie grones his endlesse sighes that came his teares betwixt His luke-warme blood that with the moysture of his eyes was mixt Of his laments most dolorous the onely witnesse were And those hard Rocks which curteous then retolde what they did heare Bus now that haplesse Stella many times prooued had And that she Gloridan did finde in this estate so bad She straight-waies sownding falls on him and liuelesse so was seene As the poore Shepheard thought forthwith that quite dead she had bene Which when he saw although nigh dead as then was his faire Corse And that in him through want of blood remaind small strength or force Though death had now within his power his sense already brought And that he iustly angrie was gainst Stella as he thought Thinking but wrongfully alas that she had done him wrong And though he felt his weakenesse such as liue he could not long Yet at the lâ—st Loue vanquisht him and pittie him ore-came Now gins he loue that beautie which before he did disdaine Remorse of Conscience toucheth him and tells him in his minde Which he repents that he hath vsde his Ladie too vnkinde Although his thought that she herselfe abusde hath doth him tell Yet neuerthelesse he honoreth her
scoffe at these my crosset And my faire euill But if 〈◊〉 tall Cupid be and mightie Able to vanquish men and soneraigne Gods too Why then my soule now heales he not He cannot Onely my Loue can But she ore cruell too too much deceiues me Not from her as yet any succour find I Balnâ—e for my sore she yeelded not vnto me But my decay seekes Yet t is my hope that Cupid at the last will Venge on her my death for her oner proud hart Ofe such deceitfull dames as she hane loned Yet neuer are lou'd Loue often striketh as he passeth by blind And hurts the best as well as basest persons Venus is witnesse Mirrha so and Dido Who slewe her owne selfe And yet before thus Mistris mine should plagu'd be I pray yee Gods all let my soule from hence flit Fore I endure to see that any ill should Vnto her happeu Too well to wisâ— them ill her eies I doe loue And too too carefull am I of her welfare I onely studie how I best might please her Though to mine owne paine He that indeed loues rather had he hazard For to die desprate thousand times and thousand Than for to veiw his Ladie line in anguish Making her end so Philestell knew by the voice that it was the Shepheard Coribant who being set leded from his hard harted Dame was walking all alone solitarilie sighing forth this Song which was in a manner no sooner ended but that he might perceiue a faire Nymph to approach towards him who hauing a warbling Lute in her hand sitteth downe by the side of the foresaid sorrowfull Shepheard singing most sweetly these verses following Trust now no more Yee mortals poore The Gods aboue Their wonted grace From you they chase Nor you they loue They doe despise Our sighes and cries And ue them iest All pittie milde They haue exilde From out their brest Their Altars proud No hope doth shroud Of good to come And when we pray As deafe they stay Seeming right dumme Then sillie Swaine And Shepheard plaine Else where goe crane Fonds he that mones To stocks and stones Himselfe to same Elsewhere declare Thy wofull care And leaue the skies Thy wofull plaints Thy hart that taints They des despise The heauens looke red With rage are spred And borrour too T is they is griefe Without reliefe That vs undeo He is a soe That thinketh not That from that place Through destinie Most wretchedly Comes our assgrace Then better t is For death to wish And end our daies Then still in strife Lead such a life So plagude alwaies For death 's our friend When he doth end Our bitter smart And through the same Doth rid our paine With hickrome dart This Nymph was Orithia amorots of Areas who after she had sent forth many scalding sighs spake thus vnto the Shepheard Whut hope remaineth for that vassasse who haue taken vp armes against his lawfull Prince and done him thousands of dammages in spoyling of his countrie to looke for succour at his hands when he shall fall into miserie The law of Iustice permits to oppose force to force to suffer wrong against iniurie and to repulse violence with all the furie that thay be Neither is he blame-worthie who rightly punisheth such iniuries as he hath wrongfull receiued Inasmuch as Iustice commandeth that he that doeth ill must receiue reward according vnto the same It is a hard matter to obtaine succour from our enemie although Coriolanus had that good fortune and that sumous Aihenian Themistocles long before him for the remembrance of the iniuries that are past and those outrages which we haue receiued doth bandie and set it selfe against the good will which perhaps we might finde in our need And surely they had neede to be borne vnder a most fortunate Plannet to be most excellent and worthie men of desert that dare venture to lend their helping hand vnto their aduersaries being in a maner halfe dead yet Caesar did it although too late it repented him thereof for he through sauing of Brutus and Cassius lost through their vngratefull hands both the Empire and his life Malicious hatred being once deeplie rooted in the brest is a poyson so violent and strong as it can hardly but with great paine be driuen out of the hart of man yea doe the best you can for your life yet will there some small sparleles thereof still remaine couoâ—t as we see we cannot emptie a well neuer so cleare and cleane but that some fewe drops will alwaies rise to be seene there Besides these little sparkles will carch hold on fire vpon the first and least occasion that may be making oftentimes a greater flame then there was before If then disdaine hindereth our enemie from doing good vnto vs what hope may poore wilde worldlings haue to find reliefe from the heauens the worst aduersarie they haue For if the faults and iniuries or the wrongs and abuses that one offereth vnto another maketh them to be at deadly hate what friendship may we looke for from the heauens whom we so often haue so grieuously offended It is an ordinarie course here amongst vs to transgresse the commandements giuen vnto vs from aboue to tread vnder our feete their ordinances and to iest and scoffe at their might and power which if it be so are they then bound to assist vs when we are in want He that will seeke to obtaine the good will of any man of worth seeketh how to obey and please him in what he can studying to applie his will vnto his minde and to condescend vnto whatsoeuer the other shall command For of the agreement in manners is friendship engendred whereas we take a quire contrarie fashion shewing all the signes and tokens we can of ill will vnto the heauens whereby they haue reason the more to detest vs. But you perhaps will replie and say that the heauens are puissantand Diuine and therfore if they please they many helpe vs. But to this I answere that therfore we are the more to be blamed because that fault that one committeth against a great Monarch or King is more seuerely to be chastised then that of a poore priuate person and he is more to be punished that doth iniurie vnto a wise graue and vpright man than if he had done it vnto one that was wicked cruell and vniust The powers aboue then being puissant may make our fault to be the more hainous in that we dare presume to offend them and they being Diuine our finnes are lesse subiect to pardon because we seeke to iniure them who are so sacred and iust But of all such miserable wretches as appeale vnto the aide of the heauens I know none whom they are lesse bound to helpe then such as we call Louers For their vnfortunatenes commeth not from aboue they are not the cause thereof neither are they these which powre downe vpon their heads this cuill as oftentimes they doe warre Famine Pestilence these
a manner quite expired Then graunt me this my request for my daies were but daies to serue thee my soule but a soule to honour thee and my heart but a heart to affect and onely loue thees and I hope thou hast found knowne and perswadest thy selfe that I speake nothing but truth Which if thou doest then let me obtaine this last Boone of thee and be not so cruell as to denie me so small a matter Grieue then no more my good Leander for me which if thou doest I then will close mine eies and shut vp my tongue because I cannot abide to see thee in this heauie plight for her who is vnworthie that thou shouldest torment thy selfe any way for her cause Hauing thus complained she held her peace when her wofull husband who during this her lamentable discourse had recouered his speech began thus to comfort her Ah my sweet Cynthia what cause of mislike haue I euer giuen thee and when did I vse thee otherwise than became me that thou shouldest imagine I were not able to forbeare thy companie without great discontentment vnto my selfe Doest thou then thinke that I loue thee not If so thou thinke O God what wrong doest thou vnto me yes Cynthia yes I loue thee yea and in that sort as thou canst not die without me Death is not of power sufficient to extinguish my loue which shall liue in despite of him and shall still continue with thee be thou aliue or dead Not so soone canst thou command but I will as willingly condiscend vnto thee in any thing and yet thy entreatie cannot hinder me but that I must bewaile thy Disaster and farre more should I take on by oddes but that my hope is to see the shortly in another world Too zealous and affectionate is my loue towards thee to see thee suffer that thou doest and I not to be moued with the same O would to God thou wert without hurt or wound and that I had had that misfortune to haue falne vpon me which thou now hast But seeing it cannot be thou shalt not chuse but giue me leaue to beare some part of thine anguish When we were well and liued at hearts ease there was not any thing but what was common betweene vs all things were alike betweene thee and me why then shouldest thou oppose thy selfe now so much against me as to denie me that I should participate of thy troubles with thee No no I will beare a heauie burthen in this thy sorrowfull song and mine eies shall streame forth before I die as two fountaines of water all the liquid humour that remaineth within my restlesse bodie Thou goest thy way my deare Cynthia and leauest me here plunged in deepe perplexitie but I will not stay long behind soone will I follow after thee and quickly ouertake thee Is it possible mine eies should giue light vnto my bodie and want thy sight and is it likely I shall be able to abstaine from thy companie for euer when I cannot endure to forbeare thy presence one short day O deare wife now I coniure thee by the chaste pleasures of our sacred Hymen and vnspotted nuptiall bed by that Loue of thine and mine as yet neuer broken and by thy heart and mine which neuer were but one let me entreate thee that thou take it not ill although I die with thee Great is the authoritie that Loue hath giuen thee ouer me but yet not so great as it shall disturbe my desire or make me follow any other course but death Certainely certainely I will beare thee companie euen into thy graue O faire and beautifull eies mine were you whilest you liued and mine shall you be when you are dead No man liuing hath interest in you but my selfe and you will I as well see being dead as when you were aliue O curteous death if it be possible for thee to be entreated by the Praiers or the cries of mortall wights or if euer thou hast done any kindnes vnto them then I beseech thee let me finde this fauour at thy hands that I may breath my last gaspe before my Ladie Doe me this good turne for all the euill thou hast done me and in recompence of such great losses as I am like to sustaine by thee in snatching away from me most violently the onely support and Atlasse of my life which if I may not obtaine I will complaine and exclaime against thee making it knowne vnto the whole world that thou art cruell and partiall against me onely for it should much abate and asswage my torments to goe before her to the end I might be exempted from those more then deadly darts which will pierce deepely into my soule when I shal behold her to be laid within her graue O cruell Tombe must thou be so fortunate as to lodge and entertaine so pretious a treasure to possesse so rare and louely a beautie and to enclose and couer a bodie so exquisite and perfect that same being the chiefe maintainer of my glorie and the onely vpholder of my life O that some gentle power would be so kind vnto me as to transforme me into thy likenes to the end I might enioy that benefit which is permitted to be thine and of which whilest it liued I was Maister and owner And yet thinke not thou shalt haue the bodie of my deare wife alone no no thou shalt haue mine also to beare hers companie and by that meanes thou shalt receiue two bodies which liuing had but one soule betweene them And now my sweet Cynthia let me once more take thee by the hand for a finall farewell and let me kisse thee once againe to the end that my breath may issue out of this his earthly mantion and part hence at the selfe same instant that thine passeth away Leander hauing so said and weeping most tenderly taketh the cold carkasse of his wife in his armes often kissing and rekissing her colde mouth he being neuer sufficiently satisfied with the delight of that dying which was wholy at his commaundement whilest it was liuing His lips neuer parted from hers whilest his eies streamed downe teares and his heart sent forth scalding sighes in aboundance O thrise fortunate soules whom neither death nor sorrowes could part asunder and ô happie couple who would not haue but one Tombe to enclose you both together And now Leander began to faint as well as his wife he being sore wounded with griefe and Loue which she perceiuing forced her selfe to vttes these fewe words as well as she could vnto him It is enough sweet husband it is enough you too much trouble your sicke selfe with an vnworthie burthen for we may count our selues blessed in that we haue incountered one with another before we die The end crowneth the workes of man their glorie lying onely in their deaths which death shall make vs famous for euer allotting vnto vs the Garland of commendation and praise to continue hereafter For mine owne part I
of fortune In the number of these was this miserable Shepheard who scoffed at the commodities of that blind goddesse desiring no other thing for his full satisfaction and delight then the presence of his faire Diana Diana who surely amongst the fairest was most faire sage chaste prudent and of the stock of the most famous families in Europe Diana who took pleasure in reading of his works that neuer shewed him frowning countenance in that she knew he honored her honor more then her beautie and that his chaste loue loued rather her soule and mind then her bodie Nothing could hinder sage and chaste Diana from shewing good countenance chastely louing excellent spirits She should haue bene a cruell Beare if her soule had bene void of amitie and this learned Queene of France kissed learned Chartier finding him a fleeepe vpon a bancks side though amongst all other euill fauoured and deformed hee was most crabbed of countenance giuing this excellent answere to those that wondered at the same I kisse not Chartier but that excellent mouth from whence haue issued so manie learned discourses not louing the man but his doctrine In doing thus no Ladie can be blamed For one may and that more commodiously affect chastlie that which meriteth Loue then impudentlie that which tendeth to vice and corruption The Shepheard after his dolorous complaint beganne to sing this Sonnet which followeth SONNET Come and approach and heare my cries you Hagges and Hob-goblings And doe receiue in gree my heauie plaintes and abuse Vnto your cruell fatall Sisters nought doe I profer For I no more life haue t' is with my griefes ouerdead LOVE that hath tooke my loyall Hart for a pawne euerlasting Gagd'e for my Truth is dead splitted in euery part Whilst to an auncient Elme I seeme like one that is Spoylde with Lightnings blast when but the roote doth remaine O kinde Death all mortall woes who makest an end of me In this my chiefe pangs thee doe I call mee to helpe Sweet let me die through thee that then I truely report may LOVE hath wounded my heart Death of my paine make an end Onely in the◠is my hope a hope God knowes very slender Nought hope I in my cares but for to dye out of hand Dye would I rather then in woes lie still for to languish Blest is the soule that departs when that he cannot be curd'e But you mine eyes are accurst to haue seene my Ladie so cruell Since that distoyaltie hath to me done such a wrong Well had it bene for you if with a night euerlasting Shut had you bene alwayes your proper death not to see That so sacred Light you are neuer like for to see more Which did reuiue my spirits when that they first were in thrall Sweet should I then count my miserie comparde to my bad hap If that the world I might leaue as in my minde I doe wish Sigh'd haue I more then a thousand times yet she with her hard hart Is no more mollified then in the Seas is a Rocke More doe I pray more doth she say nay for all mine intreating Whilst that her lookes are so sower as they my woes make the mor◠These Verses could not yet content him but with the same conceit employing his Muse which she furnished him withall he carued these two Sonnets vpon the hard front of the Rocke SONNET I. More hard then Rocks I feele my Martyrs hard The flinty Rocke the chisell doth endure Yet nought but death from hurt can me award So great 's mine ill which is without recure Yee heauenly Gods cast Lightnings on my face As on the Mounts of Epire or consume Mee Phoenix like reuiuing in a space For I in Loue a Phoenix am become Too much I haue abid then from these eyes Since you haue drawne forth fountains of salt teares So many sighes from heart let it suffise Nothing so strong but sorrow quickly weares Each thing except my selfe with change doth mend Yet see my cruell Destenie I am still In paine and yet my paine doth neuer end Liuing I die though dying I doe liue This is the fauour my FAIRE doth me giue SONNET II. What may it be my Mistris should me scorne So much as not on mee vouchsafe to looke Was I then vnder such hard Planet borne As that my sicknes strange no Salue can brooke That Beautie which so often doth me wound Those sacred eyes Authors of all my smart Kill mee when I to looke on them am found Nor helpe they me as I to death depart What Destenie then may change this mine ill hap What alteration may my griefes appease I ill Fortune in such sorrowes doth me wrap As though they would yet mee they cannot ease For shee that is of torments mine the sourse More sacred is then heauens and more diuine Fierce Destinie and Fortune in her course She doth commaund and with her beck combine Then to this Goddesse must I seeke alone To cure my mortall wound or else to none He had further sighed and spoken more in renuing his long complaints if Coribant sad for his griefe had not drawne neare labouring to comfort him For oh how true and assured friends be they who both in deed word asswage the griefe of their friends and worthie of cōmendation is that Amitie which the iniurie of time fortune cannot chāge nor alter It resembleth that gold which we highly esteem of whē purified in the furnace it hath passed the fire Euen so sacred is that Amitie worthy of cōmendation which the iniurie oppression of fortune cannot kill nor destroy Coribant therefore approached to this miserable Shepheard saluted him sate downe by him and saide Teares haue alwaies bene held for reproach in noble hearts magnanimous mindes neuer weepe they leauing this effeminate and base qualitie vnto women And in verie good consideration the victor Aemilius cast in miserable Perceus his teeth pusillanimitie and want of courage in addicting himselfe to lamentation why then doe you weepe Brutus with a constant and cheerfull countenance beheld his childrens death And that Phylosopher was no whit at all moued vnderstanding of the death of his onely sonne In lamentation Time slippeth away and in the meane while there is no remedie found to come out of miserie There is a double losse the one of our health quiet which reares ouer whelme the other of precious time which in steede of bestowing of it in complaints we shuld employ in searching out proper remedie for our miseries torments That thing only should be deplored the which is without recouerie and remedie But that which may be remedied should not be lamented but with diligence sought out to be recouered For what can be ouer difficult for men to performe Are not all things subiect vnto thē and doth not the wise man command ouer the starres which is to say he may by his wisedome auoid the sinister aspect of the heauens make them otherwise disagree
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
thinke my victorie vpon The wise of dangers past will were so much as once thinke on Then leaue off for to sorrow thus and seeme not to disdaine Through too much passion honour this which I through thee doe gaine So said he gently helpes her vp and sets her on her feete Whilst with a thousand hunnie words he sweetly her doth greete The Nymph now come vnto herselfe begins to gather hart To chase away all feare from her which fore did breed her smart Her former colour now doth come into her cheekes afresh Whilst she in humble sort with thankes vnto him doth expresse Her gratefull minde acknowledging in courteous manner trim How that her honour and her life preserued were by him With blushing looke and smiling cheare she crownes with flowers his head And vowes in modest wise to be at his deuotion led But weladay who ere would thinke that thanks for his reward Should be the cause a recompence he should receiue so hard This kindnesse which the Nymph on him bestowd deseruing worth Th' vntimely end of him and of his FLORA deare brought forth For doing good the fillie Swaine his harmelesse life must lose A slender hire for praise when at so high a rate it growes Things taken well are still done well a sinne t is to mistruct Vpon surmises false and vaine and proofes not to haue iust Ah had the Shepheards Mistris bene as wise as she was faire She had not heapt vpon her selfe nor him such dismall care Meane-time braue Numidor through his exploit most famous grew And through the Nymphs gratefull report each one this matter knew Which FLORA made for to misdoubt for long time she before Had markt the Virgin to be faire the cause she feard the more She sawe as she did thinke that or'e familiar he was With her and how oft them betwixt great kindnesses did passe She well remembred how they daunct together and which most Did gaul her how in hast away he after her did post When as the Satire snatch her vp her to haue ramshed And how to saue her he againe his life had ventured All these compar'd together made her gesse all was not well So that her bodie quite throughout an vncoth cold sweat fell And now she gan to loue so much as iealous she did grow Of him that nere the same deseru'd nor had off ended so She sighes and sobs and frantick like now here now there doth runne Thinking her dearest Loue of friend an exemie was become Nor dares she in her soule him call her faithfull seruant true Nor worthie of a Mistris kind since he hath got anew Against him say she doth exclaime and still gainst him doth crie Cals him vniust deceitfull false of right an enemie And as if he committed had some monstrous sinne on earth She counts him worthie for to die vnsit to draw his breath And now she throughly is assur'd that he is giuen to range And that of his first plighted Loue he hath made an exchange This forceth her with face one while as pale and wan to looke Another while to be as red as fire from furnace tooke Now doth she burne and then againe she suddenly doth freese Whilst through these passions contrarie her sences she doth leese And now to kill her NVMIDOR she vowes most resolute Since him a periur'd wretch and not better she doth repute That done she meanes to end her daies and slay her selfe him by The more her constant Loue vnto the world to testifie But now Loue makes her change her thought although against her will And forceth her although despite of her to loue him still She weepes and wailes and pearly drops fall from her like small teares Whilst as a bedlem she doth rent her face and golden heares She flings her self vpon the ground her head thereon she knocks Whilst griefe so much in her beares sway as it tongues passage locks With armes a crosse vnto the heauens she lifteth vp her hands Whilst she of Venus and her Sonne reuenge of him demaunds Yet after of the matter she better bethinkes her selfe And then vnto him she doth wish all happines and health Grieuing that she so much hath spoke gainst him she doth repent And from her former cruell minde most willing doth relent But nerethelesse she is resolu'd her selfe to end her life Thereby to ease her of her pangs and rid her from this strife So much she doth disdaine to liue as death she meanes to chuse Since Numidor a Mistris new hath tooke her to refuse Ah cruell Shepheard doth she say lamenting pittiously Hast thou the hart who thee so deare hath lou'd to force to die Well well most vnkind man I for thy sake my selfe will slay And goe into my graue I will vntimely fore my day To please thee not my selfe I sought whilst I on th' earth did liue Nor to prolong my daies tle seeke since thee I see I grieue But at this fault of thine so foule vngratefull dost thou thinke The Gods aboue true Iusticers will seeme at all to winke Thinkst thou vnkind the heauens will ere vnto thee be kinde When how thou fowly hast profan'd their Altars they shall finde No no th' immortall powers sharpe foes vnto thy periurie Shall doe me right and wreake my wrong for this my iniurie Such punishment with tortors huge they shall on thee bestow As they doe on Danaides in Limbo lake below And as they Theseus plagu'd because he wreched was forsworne Or Iason who Medea left all comfortlesse forlorne With many other Louers false which like are vnto thee There as thou rightly dost deserue afflicted thou shalt bee For Iupiter though for a while he men permits to rome And fickle changings proue yet in the end he paieth them home So Paris died and well deseru'd Enone that abusde Who in her life time better him than he deseru'd had vsde Then dost thou thinke fond-man that thou shalt scape this scourage alone Who art the sowrse of all my griefe and motiue of my mone Perhaps thou dreamest because that they awhile their plagues doe spare They slowe are vnto punishment nor of the same haue care What is deferd is not vnpaid the time shall come ere long That thou shalt make amends for misse acknowledging this wrong The more to chastise any fault the Gods gently forbeare The more at last they are rigorous more cruell and seuere Then thinke not wrech most treacherous but that the day shall come That thou shalt smart for what thou hast to wofull Flora done My cause to the heauens I doe commit to them I doe appeale They know the secrets of all hearts nor ought will they conceale And yet sweet Numidor forgiue and pardon what I say Since t is my griefe not I that thus against thee doth enuay For should'st thou neuer so much wrong doe vnto me each houre Yet angrie for to be with thee nere shall I haue the power Loue which is of more force in
me than is this thy offence Command me louing thee with thee and with thy fault dispence Iudge then of this strange crueltie that it should me constraine To loue and honour him who is the Author of my baine So we the feeble sicke man see through senselesse fond desire What is th' occasion of his death to couet and require So I arrested by proud Loue am forst iniuriously Alack the while to honour thee who laughst to see me die Thee must I like and follow still despite of my poore hart Although void of all honestie and friendly Loue thou art Still for thy sake I languish must in death with great disease Yet I my selfe count happie since I doe it thee to please The Gods forget as I forgiue thee from mine inward soule And neuer may they for my death as faultie thee controule As willingly I thee forgiue as to my death I goe For being dead thou then too late my constancie shalt knowe Well maist thou haue a fairer friend but faithfuller was neuer Who as she seru'd thee whilst she liu'd in death shee 'le loue thee euer But thou great Cupid rightfull Iudge reuenge my cause aboue On her who traiterously hath stolne from me my heart and loue Plague her that makes me pine away example let her bee To Louers all how they take heede to vse such treacherie Plague her that hath my Louer stolen my louely NVMIDOR And let her feele like punishment as I haue felt ore sore Ah let her not who loyall Faith so shamefully doth soile Raise Trophees of my ouerthrow nor triumph in my spoile Thus Flora prated and sigh't thus wailde the heauie Shepheardesse Was neuer Nymph or Maiden borne that felt such deepe distresse In wailing and in weeping she did spend the day and night And the remainder of her life in sorrow sans delight And now she wearie is of life life doth her vex and grieue A greater Corsie hath she not than that she thus doth liue She doth resolue to die forthwith and yet she faine would chuse The gentlest and the easiest way her soule from corpse to loose For to dispatch her selfe with sword it was too fierce and fell The fire displeased her and the rope to her was horrible To fling her selfe downe from some Rocks high top she had desire But being there the height thereof did make her to retire Vpon the Seaish banke she stood minding therein to lep But raging waues did her afright from drowning they her kept As we behold amaz'd to stand the doubtfull traueller Not knowing which way for to take by reason of great feare Vnskilfull which path for to trace beset most dangerously Which he alreadie seemeth in his minde to view with eie On euery side with Theeus who all the passages about Haue laid so as he knoweth not how from thence to get him out So Flora doubtfull and yet full of corsiues and of paine Knoweth not what death were best to chuse though she would die full faine She musing lookes now here now there she runneth euery houre About the woods and wisheth that some beast might her deuour O that we should ill wish our selues oftentimes we wishing woe Vnto our selues it lights on vs poore Flora found it so No wisedome t is the Gods to punish vs to put in minde Too soone they can if so they please to plague vs iust cause finde Meane time Loue at this Shepheardesse doth smile and at her griefe Who more she doth her woes bewaile the more she wants reliefe His glorie he embellisheth by reason of her care And his victorious Chariot with the same doth make more faire But leauing her still languishing we will againe returne To Numidor who missing her doth waile as fast and mourne He seekes and searcheth euery where for Flora he doth call But yet no voice but Ecco shrill doth answere him at all Ecco doth onely answere him with wast and fruitlesse sound He heares her name but Floras selfe can no where yet be found Like as the Hart that louing Deare when he his prettie Hinde Runnes round about in euery place with flying pace to finde Now seeketh her amongst the Rocks and then the woods among Then in the Forrests there by Foords and Riuers all along And finding still to misse her then seekes in some hollow Caue To see if there her companie as fortunate he may haue And wearie now with seeking her he downe lieth in some place Sighing full sore for want of her whom he longs to embrace So doth our Shepheard who was now with seeking her being tirde Wailes his hard hap not her to finde whom he so much desirde So much he wailes as hardest Rocks grieue that so much he seekes And pittious Ecco when he sighes in recompence now weepes Each thing seemd to their power as though they succour to him brought Onely did Flora want alas for whom so much he sought Flora for whom he sought whom yet he could not once entreate That she vouchsafe would to his cries to answere and to speake Flora who power had ouer him him to commaund alone Whose death and life lay in her hands for her thus did he mone And now into his troubled braine did many fancies come One while he thinkes some God of woods with her away is runne Or that some other Satire ruffe hath drawne her to some cane And there against her will doth minde his will on her to haue Another while he doubteth sore lest in this vncoth wood Some sauadge beast hath seazde on her and spilt her harmlesse blood Or else he feares she him will haue no more vnto her mate But rather meanes some Louer now into her grace to take Thus doth he languish comfortlesse to see his hard estate And in a manner doth begin to grow as desperate What hopefull is that he reiects no ioy he entertaines But as a man carelesse of helpe he wretchedly remaines As is a guiltie person brought before the Iudge seuere Conuicted fore him for his fault which proued is most cleare His conscience telling him of his offence and his amisse And for to proue the same before him his sharpe witnesse is Which when he findeth shame and griefe doth so his sinnes confound As he his life not to respect nor to regard is found So wofull full of heauie care this haplesse Shepheard was And so he Flora had not lost for life he did not passe But hauing lost her he did thinke his heart and soule was gone And therefore comforted he would not he of any one Yet he no sooner breath had tooke but that he nerethelesse For all his toyling gan to seeke and search for her afresh He prieth into euery bush through groues he looketh all Andrunnes so fast as oftentimes through hast he downe doth fall Trough brambles sharpe through bushes and through hedges he doth passe Through thicke and thinne and all to finde his long sought dearest I asse Like to the Deare that chased is
pittifull he sobb'd and sâ—h'd â—o fast Asruâ—hlesse Rocks seemd for to moane and halfe inpieces brast So wofully he wailde as All. except his Mistris deare Who to a better world was gone did seeme his 〈◊〉 to heare Yet though hee sighed wept and grieu'd and did laâ—â—nt so fore He could not nere-thelesse his Loue to former liferestore For Floras Spirits were flowen from hence her soule it did uscend To heauens where her betrothed Spouse with ioy she did attend Which he perceiuing gets him vp and to a Mountaine goes From top of which on Mistris his himselfe he headlong throwes He falls vpon her breathlesse limmes and as he dying fell He calls on her and still he cries Flora Adieu Farewells Thâ—â—r murthered bodies massacred within a while were found Which were intomb'd together both within one graue in ground And that of this their loyall Loue the Fame should neuer die This wofull Story was engrauen in plates of Iuonis The Shepheard hauing made an ende of his Tragicall discourse forced the eyes of his Auditors to stand full of water whilst thev streamed downe so small teares as it seemed to be the dribling golden shower in which Iupiter descended downe falling into the faire lappe of louely Danae Whilst Arcas sighed remembring his deare Diana Coribant wept thinking vpon his cruell Delia and whilst the louely Nymph Orythia casting a looke pleading for pittie vpon Aroas mourned in her heart to see his more then fierce rigour towards her Meane space Delia arriued whome no sooner Coribant espied but that hee presently arose going towards her and after he had saluted her with great kindnesse thus began to accost her Beautious Shepheardesse euerie thing excepting thy selfe onely freely exercise their LOVE what is thy soule alone made of Ice or thy heart framed of Steele Which way can it hinder thee to loue mee seeing I haue giuen thee so many proofes of my more then common fidelitie and faithfull constancïe towards thee Wilt thou be the onely Shee in the world that shall liue without louing Why the sacred Muses themselues haue loued and Caliope her selfe did beare and bring forth a childe What God is there that can forbid and prohibite to Loue when they themselues first gaue presidents vnto men to follow the same Hee is not to be blamed that followeth the instructions of his Lord and to his power doeth imitate his maister in what he doeth Loue then and if not as a mortall creature yet at the lest doe it as the Gods haue done before thee For he deserueth not to be tearmed a true and loyall seruant vnto his Maister that taketh a quite contrarie course vnto that which he teacheth him as if he would oppose himselfe against him for the very nonce Is it possible thou shouldest so long hate him who loueth thee so dearely And wilt thou be longer in making me some recompence then those two bretheren of Helen were who saued that Poet which sung their praises all abroad Speake then and satisfie me seeing the Gods although they be puissant and mightie disdaine not to answere men by the mouth of their Oracles What should I answere vnto thee Shepheard replyed Delia but that it is impossible for anie creature LOVE onely excepted to make one loue against their owne mindes Hippolitus for all the prayers and intreating which Phoedra vsed vnto him could neuer be moued to fancie her Neither could Daphne for all Apollos perswasions be induced to loue him No no LOVE is a piercing dart not throughly knowne of mortall men which oftentimes without reason vrgeth vs to affect that that is not worthie of our Amitie Be not there many Louers that if one should demaund of them the cause of their Loue they knowe not what to say nor can alledge anie reasonable excuse for the same I know there be How manie Blowses be there which are preferred before such as be beautifull indeed And how many base and beastly fellows before right braue and generous Spirits What is the occasion of this disorder none can tell Onely they will say it is the pleasure of Cupid it should be so Then thinkest thou with thy often speeches to compell me to loue thee and doest thou suppose that without the power of Loue I can be moued to beare thee any affection If so thou doest thou art in the wrong and therefore trouble Lone no more but rather let him take such course as he shall thinke best without seeking any more to constraine him against his diuine pleasure For if he be able to take downe the Gods much more is he to conquere thee by forcing thee to follow his will and to condescend vnto whatsoeuer he shall commaund thee Alas answered Coribant fewe diseased persons there be that doe not complaine for griefe ingendred of sighes they being his forerunners and messengers to manifest the same abroad Doest thou imagine that I am able to support this sorrowe which I feele in liking thee and that I can conceale the same without making thee acquainted with the tediousnes thereof But I see for all I complaine yet I find small comfort for mortall men cannot obtaine all they couet of the Gods Yet neuertheles I will discharge my conscience vnto thee which hath enioyned me to manifest this my so great euill to the end I might see if I could finde any remedie to make it whole againe But sayest thou LOVE is not purchast with teares nor plaintes neither with sighing nor sobbing but must come of his owne proper minde and when he pleaseth What is this thou sayest vnkinde as thou art wilt thou denie that perseuerance in constant liking is the mother of LOVE If small drops of water by often falling doe make hollowe the Stone And if rough and rustie yron is made smoothe and bright with often handling of the same Why then wilt thou not in like manner also confesse that vnfained long prayers vowes plaints and loyall offices of Fidelitie are able to make a breach in the heart of a Ladie through which Loue may enter Such hard-harted women as neither the teares of their Louers can mollifie or appease neither their complaints moue to pittie neither their secret and faithfull seruice perswade them to affection nor their extreame miseries reduce them to any compassion at all are farre worse then Sauadge Beares denouring Lions or rauenous Wolues that liue in barbarous desarts many wilde Beastes in steed of swallowing and deuouring of men which haue falne into their pawes to asswage their greedie hunger in steed of praying vpon them haue cherished and made much of them and shall a woman by natute gentle and mild be accounted lesse pittifull then bruite Beastes Doest thou thinke that it is an offerice to loue If all such Ladies which Iupiter loued had giuen him the repulse as thou doest me the world should yet be full of Monsters spoyled with Tyrants and ouerthrowne with bad and wicked persons But these courteous women entertaining that great God with
Louers out of the mouth of certaine enchaunted Rocks Thus then he began vnto whom an Ecco replied in this sort Hard Rocks Rocks cruell insolent by nature and â—b dure Will you no pittie take on me for torments I endure Is no compassion in you lodg'd can nothing be offorce Yet at the last though long to rew and yeeld me some remorce Ah of my plagues cannot blaine that they may cured be At lest yet daine at my sad cries with voice to answere me Ah speake and say the truth shall I be freed once of this paine Or must I still endure therein and languishing remaine ECCO Languishing re maine Ah say alas must this my paine as thou assurd'st me hast Immortall be continuing still and must it alwates last ECCO Alwaies last What comfort then may succour me who scarcely draw my breath What may my dying soule reuiue which is so nigh to death ECCO Death Shall I then liue in sorrow thus my life away that weares And sighing shall I nothing doe but powre forth watrie teares ECCO Watrie teares But sighing thus i st possible my more than mortall ill Which makes me peanemeale pine away should thus continue still ECCO Still Continuing in my passions thus opprest with torments rife What other things will they take hence will they take hence my life ECCO Life To end my woes in this sad plight an end how might I haue Shall I finde my reliefe by Loue or when I am in graue ECCO In Graue But after millions of these woes being burnt with Loues hot Fewell For to requite my paines how shall I finde my Mistris cruell ECCO Cruell Why then I see no pittie she willford me for my griefe And since t is so I le yeeld my selfe to death without reliefe With one selfe bloodie instrument and with one selfesame blade My wounded corpse shall healed be my soude be well apaide Since onely death and none but death some can comfort giue What should me hinder haplesse that I should longer liue I I will die yea I will die and will a minde imbrace To massacre that wretched state that followeth me in chase Well may you reuerend Sir imagine if this aunswere was pleasing vnto me or delightfull vnto him especially when he heard the Gods of the Forrests to be so contrarie vnto him in all his desires Which was the cause that the poore Shepheard lying groueling vpon the ground and bedeawing the greene grasse with his drerie teares began to moane thus heauily O death wilt thou be still dease vnto my cries and wilt thou neuer heare me I calling so often and so much vpon thee Hast thou not had time enough to rid me of my troubles and wilt thou still thus driue me off with delaies continually Thinkest thou he can liue who pineth away piecemeale whilest he is fettered with worse than Iton manatles in the ioy lesse dungeon of vnmercifull Loue No he cannot for he liueth not at all but rather miserably consumeth away who seeth himselfe not onely depriued of his desire but also is quite debarred of all hope euer to obtaine the same Ah deare Loue if euer thou heretofore hast loued empoysoning thine owne soule with thine owne proper venome and if thy Mother likewise hath often plaid the selfesame part why then doest not thou take pittie vpon those who haue endured the same Martyrdome and since thou knowest their disease by thine owne experience why doest thou so long defer to bring them remedies for the same Well cruell Cupid well I see thou art blind indeed nor hast thou any regard at all to helpe me The better thou art attended on the worse thou shewest thy selfe as one who by nature is borne to doe hurt but not good vnto any Woe is me I liue without hope of any helpe more disconsolate than that Pilot who though he saileth in a thicke and gloomie storme yet doth he hope the same being past to see the Sunne shine againe trusting in the end safely to arriue within the wished Hauen But in my darke tempest and in my stinging corsiues and bitter crosses I see no hope of any signe of comfort to shine or smile vpon me Eternall is my shipwracke and my trauaile is without all end O faire Diana although thou art vnkind vnto me yet doe I take no small pride to call my selfe thy slaue for nothing can come neere thee in beautie neither can I belieue that the heauens theÌ„selues can create a beautie able to paragonise thine Happie is that Bull that is chosen to be offered vp as an oblation or sacrifice vnto the Gods although his blood be there shed and so most fortunate should I account my selfe 〈◊〉 for thy sake I might be thought worthy to finish my daies seeing that for thee I should suffer death and be sactificed by Loue vpon the Altar of thine extreame rigor and fiercenes Thus wailed the Shepheard his eies sending downe whole streames of salt teares which watered his face and cheekes all ouer I seeing this came neerer vnto him and whilest he not perceiuing me I began to marke behold his countenance which I saw quite colourlesse and the very Anatomie of an inward afflicted minde whereby I gathered that he had found no more fauour then I had at his Mistris hands neither that his fortune was any way better then mine This was the reason my second doubt died but not my first which still increased more and more because I sawe she was sued and sought vnto by many although I could not find any to be more in her bookes then I was which God knoweth was little or nothing at all As I was thinking hereupon a suddaine desire came into my minde to returne vnto the place from whence I came and there attend my fairest Saint for me thought still she should be come thither alreadie and that she not finding me there was gone home againe iudging my Loue not to be ouerhot seeing I had so small patience to stay a little for her Being come to mine old place as fast as I could I began there to condemne mine owne follie in that I would not take time whilest I might but rather so foolishly loose so fitan occasion as I had offered vnto me and this new accident ingendred another trouble in me Loue is an Orchard wherein are planted thousands of Trees in which Louers walke gathering continually diuers sorts of fruits of griefe and sorrow and it is a liuely spring of miserie from whence doe flow millions of little Riuers of pensiue care and sad woe Long had I not kept my stand but that one of the Nymphs came by who was one of the play-fellowes of my Ladie of whom I enquired if Diana were comming from the Temple or no. Offentimes the ouer great curiousnes we haue to vnderstand newes bringeth vs much dollor and sadnes As then I found the same to be true for the Nymph told me that Diana would stay all that night in the Temple and
lost his former libertie and the freedome of his heart for the same He resembled that Pilot who seeth his Shippe to leake and full of holes by which the water entereth and therefore dispaireth of life And such a one was our wretched Conquerour who saw no remedie for him to quench this fire which burned his inward entrailes Hee was in loue with a Princesse the onely daughter of his King and whome the greatest Monarks of the world would haue thought themselues fortunate to haue had her for wise and who was so vertuous and wise as hardly could she be induced vnto Loue. Yet his misfortunes take to them a larger scope Hee giues not ore to Loue though he is without hope But after he hath considered within himselfe wisely of the matter he findeth that it is but meere follie to set vp his rest at that game anie longer and therfore hee resolueth to giue it ouer But the more he thinketh to forget his Loue the more Affection kindeleth within Not vnlike the Byrd who being taken in the lime-twigges the more she striueth to get away the more she is intangled Wherevpon one day he being alone calleth for mee and because he knewe I had some experience in Loue he demaunded my aduise therein discouering his wound vnto mee and crauing my best counsell I â—ouing him dearely perswaded him to chase away that venomous Adder and that he play not as that husbandman of the Countrie did who kept a Snake so long in his bosome till at the last hee stung him for his kindnes Besides I discoursed vnto him of the bloody outragiousnes of Loue often sighing as I reported the same vnto him because as then I remembred mine olde loue in Arcadia Hee hearing me say so strait belieued me determining with himselfe not to follow his faire Mistris any longer in chase and with that resolution willing mee to depart he layeth him downe vpon his bedde thinking to take his rest for a while But no sooner were his eyes closed but that Loue opened them againe presenting the beauâ—â—â— of 〈◊〉 Ladie before him so that presently he was chaunged in minde minding now to lone her againe As that Traueller who being bound by reason of some busines of great importance to take Sea no sooner arriueth at the shore but that hee fearing to enter the Sâ—â—ppâ— because of drowning retireth backe againe but afterward remembring the weightineâ— of the matter and how much it importeth him for his profit to goe onwards on his iourney marcheth backe againe vnto the water hazardeth himselfe and so in the end performeth his voyage Euen so my perplexed Lord after hee hath done what he can to subdue his passion and yet cannot at the last seeing no other remedie he resolueth to loue and to submit himselfe vnder the seruile yoake of cursed Cupid Or as the bondslaue hauing escaped in the night determineth with himselfe to be followed after in the day time chaungeth his aduise and frighted with extreame feare returneth home vnto his Maister Euen so Don Iohn hee is in the ende forced to acknowledge proud LOVE for his soueraigne Lord and is glad to yeeld vnto him Wherevpon he calleth mee againe vnto him making me priuie vnto his resolution discoursing still of Loue and flattering himselfe he would needes perswade mee that Loue was courteous and gentle when hee knew right well in his owne conscience that he did finde him otherwise But I on the other side wish him not to belieue so but rather aduise him to banish Loue from him as one that is an aduersarie both vnto his life and quietnes deliuering vnto him many proofes of the crueltie of that blinde God and of his villainous nature All this he heareth although hee knoweth not what to answere vnto the same because I spake but reason and yet for all this such was his mishap as like an obstinate and selfe-wild man he standeth still in his blind error stiffely As the robber by the high way side beeing admonished by some faithfull friend of his to giue ouer that leaud kinde of life telling him of the wretched and wicked end he is like to come vnto if he continueth still in the same listneth vnto him very earnestly and yet neuerthelesse falleth vnto his old kinde of trade of robbing is the same man still and so continueth Euen so this Gaualier although he gaue good eare vnto my reasons and perswasions yet did he persist as one obdurate in former follie and selfe-wilfulnesse But yet to say truth he was somewhat to be excused herein seeing he was no more maister of his owne selfe but rather Loue vnder whose Banner he fought Long lay he vpon his bed and yet he could not sleepe by reason of such strange visions as Loue presented vnto his eyes Whose fashion it is when he hath once conquered he will seldom or neuer suffer him to be in quiet Whervpon Don Iohn ariseth from his loathed bed taking his iourney towards the Kings Pallace where by the way hee is saluted and commended of all men but yet all these honors abated his paine little or nothing because he found by experience that he had lost more then euer he was like to recouer againe Besides if he had but knowne the minde of his Mistrisse he then could the sooner haue resolued what to doe according vnto her answere which was either to die or to followe his suite begunne But not knowing her will hee knewe not what to say nor what to thinke of the matter For Each Louer that is burned with this amorous flame In word and deed dependeth on his louely Dame Not long had hee stayed in the Court but that it was his good Fortune to haue a sight of his Mistrisse whome he thought to be wonderfullie inereased in Beautie since last hee saw her so as if shee then deserued to be honored as a Ladie why now shee merited to be worshipped and adored as if shee had bene some Goddesse indeed And thus his affection increaseth more and more On the other side the young Princesse began to feele a kinde of alteration within her selfe and found her heart to fancie Don Iohn aboue all men liuing Yea and so much as she thought he deserued to haue her Loue before anie other And yet when she remembred her Royall birth whose daughter she was and the greatnes of her honour shee beganne somewhat to forget him so as her desire was no sooner lightned but that it was quenched againe Not vnlike vnto those children borne before their time who no sooner are brought into the world but they straitway die Meane time the Knight who was not so bad a scholler in Loues schoole but that he had learned some lessons therein beganne to gather by the stealing glaunces which she cast vpon him that shee did not altogether hate him and therefore beganne to perswade himselfe that he was likely to haue some good successe in his amorous busines Wherevpon hee thought to venture to
Censors daughter and modest Octauia the patient wife of that luxurious Marke Anthonie But to come to our former discourse and leaue all digressions by the way Don Iohn had no sooner left the Court but that the young Princes Maria was readie to leaue her life taking on most pittifully now she had loft the sight of him whom she most affected For as the fire put vnder a heape of wood although greene after it groweth to be drie fit to burne kindleth most strangely casting forth huge flames most dreadfull to behold Euen so the heart of Princely Maria which Loue had not yet lighted but onely a little because it began to resist somewhat at the first after it was once throughly dried by desire began to kindle so extremely within her afterward as she was mightily burned with the same insomuch that she grewe so strongly enamored of her louing Seruant as she could no longer liue without his presence Great is the danger of that man that openeth a gap vnto his aduersarie whereby he may take aduantage of him especially vnto that cruell tormentor Loue who worse then any barbarous Tyrant spoyleth vs ouerthroweth vs treadeth vs vnder his feete for so did this comfortlesse Ladie finde him who now with teares from her eyes and sighes from her heart many a thousand times repented her of her ouerfond ouersight in being the Author of so much miserie as well vnto her friend as vnto her owne selfe Faine would shee now redeeme the speeches which before she had spoken but it was then too late although she oftentimes cursed her tongue for the same A bitter Pill of digestion is Repentance and thrice happie is hee that neuer hath had occasion to say I Repent mee onely the ancient Sages fewe in number might iustly speake the same For that man needeth not to be sorrie at all who doeth not anie thing without mature aduise and sound deliberation of iudgement But as a storme neuer commeth without raine or haile so neuer anie misfortune happeneth alone but somewhat else commeth with it For during the time that the Princesse so much bewailed the absence of my loyall Maister it so fell out that the Prince of Lions demaunded her in marriage of the King her Father who presentlie gaue his consent so that there wanted nothing but onely this that the Princesse should agree vnto this match her selfe But shee who could not dispose of her owne heart because shee had bestowed it on another and was fully minded neuer to be wedded vnto anie except vnto Don Iohn thought within her selfe rather to leaue the world then to yeeld vnto any such matter Neuerthelesse her Father and Mother importuned her wonderfully the amorous Prince himselfe not loosing anie time or opportunitie to winne her by all the deuises he could As in the middest of a terrible fight vpon the Sea the Admirall seeing his Shippe set on fire his enemies got therein and his people slaine knoweth not well what to doe or what to resolue vpon whether it were best to die by the â—â—rd of his Foe or to suffer himselfe to be burnt or else to leape into the Sea and there venture drowning and in the end imagining the water to be farre sweeter then the other twaine with desperate courage leapeth therein Euen so and in such perplexitie if not worse was royall Maria. Counsell and aduise shee wanted what to say or doe shee knewe not and which way to turne her she was ignorant shee waileth and weepeth wisheth to die and calleth for death and yet findeth nothing to helpe her Hecuba neuer bewailed her bondage so much nor the murthering of her Children neither did Niobe mone so rufullie for her misso tune as this poore Virgin sighed and tooke on for her hard happe whilst LOVE one while counselleth her one thing another while wisheth her to doe another and yet in the ende doeth not permit her to resolue vpon any matter throughly Shee in the meane time standing doubtfull and wauering what to doe like a vessell that is tossed too and fro with a Tempest O how often did she wish and desire within her selfe to see but once before shee died her dearest friend that she might craue pardon of him for her fault Nothing doth she couet so much as death and yet such was her ill hap as she knew not how to die In the ende after she had bebated the matter within her selfe and beate her braines too and fro therein she found no better meanes then to haue recourse vnto Don Iohn and to intreat him to haue compassion on her but then she was almost at her wittes end to thinke how she might make him acquainted with her purpose When flattering Fortune for her ill luck shewed her how she might bring this her busines about well and as she her selfe would desire For the young Prince of Lions who was in the prime of his youth and in the heate of his chiefe blood seeing he could not by faire meanes obtaine the King of Arragons daughter thought to trie what hee could doe by force and therevpon sent an Embassador vnto the King that if he would not willingly yeeld his daughter vnto his wife he then would haue her from him perforce and by bloodie warres The King hearing this proud Message as one that was loth to force his onely daughter or compell her to marrie against her will yet withall fearing somewhat the power of his arrogant Foe thought to make as sure worke as hee could in this matter and therevpon senâ— pursiuants for all his brauest Soldiours and best men at Armes amongst which he accounted Don Iohn as the chiefe The Princesse hauing espied so fitte an occasion sent a trustie Page of her owne vnto him with her inclosed Letter in great secret but before he had receiued the same the Kings Officers had posted vnto him where he lay certifying him of the Kings commaundement But hee that had vowed vnto himselfe neuer to returne into the world more and finding himselfe so feeble and weake as hee was quite without all force or strength denied the Princesses request minding to excuse himselfe by reason of his sicknes and so to send them away which hee had no sooner done but behold his Mistris Page came presentlie to enter into his Chamber and to deliuer her Letter vnto him As that man who thinking himselfe to be healthfull and strong in bodie is daunted with feare when suddenly and in the best of his time a straunge kinde of Qualme commeth ouer his stomack and an vncoth trembling is found to runne through all his ioyntes and members Euen so was this sicke Knight wonderfullie amazed to see his Ladies Letter in the middest of his miserie and when hee was depriued of all such hope dispairing euer to haue found such kindnesse to come from her In the ende he receiueth them as a Cordiall to his heauie heart and after hee had kissed and rekissed them often hee openeth them wherein he
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
of this world farewell the faire Sunne of my soule farewell my ioy and onely comfort and if euer thou thoughtest me worthy of any fauour embrace me once before I die And thou sweet Iesu mine onely Sauiour haue mercie vpon me Scarce were these words forth of his mouth when the most disconsolate Ladie embracing her breathlesse Knight laied her mouth so close vnto his as his soule seemed to part out of his corpse into hers which with a sweet yet scalding sigh she drew in her owne And now he being without life and cold as any stone the Princes knew not what to doe faine would she haue murthered her selfe but that she had no weapon wherewithall to doe the deed besides she durst not stay alone in the chamber least she might perhaps be espied by one or other and yet againe she was most loth of all to leaue the coarse of her kinde friend so soone But in the end reason tooke place which perswaded her to conuey her selfe as secretly from thence as when she came thither which she did so cunningly through helpe of her old trustie and assured Page as she was not perceiued by any vntill such time as she recouered her owne lodging where after she had bene setled a while she locked the doore vnto her and so laying her selfe vpon her bed after she had for a certaine space wailed and lamented for the death of my Maister she held her breath so long within her bodie and closed her mouth so hard as at the length she stifled her selfe for want of taking winde and so was found dead not any doubting of any such matter nor any knowing what the cause should be of her death but onely my selfe and her foresaid trustie Page No sooner was she found thus dead and the bruite thereof noysed abroad but there was a generall lamentation and crying out throughout all the court not vnlike that which was heard in Troy the same night the Citie was set on fire vpon the suddaine by the subtill Greekes What great moane the King and the Queene made for their daughter the young Princes and how grieuously the friends of Don Iohn tooke the death of him being held to be one of the most valiants and brauest Knights of Spaine I hope I need not to report vnto you It shall suffice their Funerall obsequies were performed and set out in the most sumptuous and costliest manner that could be deuised which being past and done I tooke my leaue of that countrie minding to trie my fortune in some other place and so taking with me some fewe Iewels and certaine gold which my late Maister had bestowed vpon me I went my waies when as I trauailed on my iournie some of the foresaid Prince of Lions men by ill fortune met with me who knowing me to be a follower of Don Iohn that had ouerthrowne him in combat laid violent hands vpon me meaning to carrie me with them by sea into their countrie and there to put me vnto some cruell kinde of death But God knowing me to be innocent tooke compassion vpon me so as after I was shipped with them a suddaine Tempest arose in which our vessell was sunke all the passengers within her drowned and I onely escaped and was saued This reuerend sir was the wofull Tragedie which Fortunio reported vnto me of his hard aduentures But it now beginneth to waxe darke let vs be gon then said the old man and to morrow againe thou shalt begin where thou hast now left Agreed quoth Arcas and therewithall walked along with him to bring him on his way towards his lodging which as they were going they might see this riddle to be ingrauen within the barke of an auncient old Elme My fortun 's strange the whâ—le world holds me deare And though I nothing am of nothing made Yet I so spotlesse shew so faire and cleare As noblest states of me are well apaid What ere passeth by me I see the same Yet I no eyes haue and am formed so As smallest force doth bring to me my bane Breaking me peece-meale with a little blow My propertie most true is what doth breath I liuely that present in face and beautie And which is more I creature nere deceiue Great personages to me bowe as t' were of dutie Yet I them faithfull serue whilst loth they are To leaue me so well they my companie Doe like Say then who rightly can me barre From honour such as all giue vnto mee What thinke you of this Riddle said the olde man vnto Areas and how would you expound the same Marrie thus answered the Shepheard This Enigma signifieth nothing else but a right christall Mirrour which is a â—â—ettall of little or none account and is little or nothing accounted of in that they are common and subiect to breaking with euery small little fillip or touch of hand And yet neuerthelesse they are set by in euery place of the world especially by the better and nobler sort who lightly neuer passe by any of them but they looke and behold themselues in the same Not any one goeth by them but if he please he may view and discerne his owne liuely shape whilest the looking glasse it selfe seeth euery thing that passeth before it although it haue no eyes at all So brittle is it of Nature that as I said before it breaketh with any light fall all in peeces It sheweth the true counterfait of euery one that looketh in the same dwithout eceiuing any which is the reason they are in no small request amongst great states especially faire Ladies and Gentlewomen who therefore prise them very highly Well hast thou said quoth the old Magitian and thou hast hit the very naile vpon the head I commending thy sharpe conceit for the exposition thereof But now let vs be walking vnto our lodgings seeing the skie beginneth to waxe darke and the Sunne is readie to repose himselfe vpon his wet and deway coach And herewithall they departed euery one vnto their seuerall houses where we will leaue them vntill the next morning yet not leauing to conceale from your conceits an Ode which a certaine Nymph sung vnto them as they were going homewards And this it was Since that Loue is worse then death And suruies when coarse wants breath I will chase away the same Leust I vext be with that paine For she is fond that liues by Loue And many plagues is like to prone What would euery one report If I liue should in such sort Hope in vaine and to no end Marre myselfe rather then mend Since she is fond that liues by loue And many plagues is like to proue Yet I here protest though I Meane to leaue Loues crueltie Yet I Cupid honour still Whilst he worketh me none ill For she is fond that liues by loue And many plagues c. I confesse ther 's passions sweete In Loue for true Louers meete Such as doth them gently warme And their harts most sweetly charme Though she is fond
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
of his Mistris as he perceiued not whē he was entered therfore he came neer vnto him and saluted him whilest the other stood stone still like vnto a Rocke resembling that statue of salt into which the wife of Lot was turned which the old Magitian perceiuing he came and pulled him by the sleeue saying How now man what cheare where is your minde now and why suffer you it so long before it doe his ordinarie duetie That dammage which a sencelesse creature doth ouer whom his Maister hath power is laid vpon him and not vpon the beast We ought wisely to rule what is committed vnto vs to gouerne which if it be so then why doest not thou looke vnto thy soule but rather doest permit her to wander thus abroad seeing that without her thou see-mest as a dead creature Call home for shame call home I say thy wits together and resolue to submit thy selfe vnto the iudgement of the Gods and to doe as they shall command thee for our griefes moue not them neither doe our teares appease their rigour towards vs. Ah Father answered the Shepheard how can he who hath no more power ouer his slaue because he hath past ouer his freedome vnto another dispose of him and command him as he was wont and how wilt thou that I beare sway ouer my soule hauing none within me since I haue resigned it vnto my Ladie who disposeth thereof as she best pleaseth And herein I resemble that miserable marchant whose ship being driuen against a Rocke scarce saueth his naked selfe hauing before seene all his goods and seruants to be cast away and drowned or rather I am like vnto that haplesse Duke of Ithaca who hauing but one poore leaking vessell got a shore through the helpe of the Sea Nymph Can he whom the cruell Law hath subiected vnder the will of another and being his poore drudge and slaue doe as he faine would and dispose of himselfe as he listeth You know he cannot neither can I doe as I would but as I may for I am my Mistris slaue and although she is not with me yet my heart which serueth in steed of a Table vnto Loue to draw her beautifull conceit presenteth her euery minute before me so as I seeme to see her liuely the sight whereof doth take away my sences from me for worthy things causeth vs to burne in loue of them and with a sweet kinde of force drawe vs of our owne accord to come vnto them Then maruaile no more though thou findest me thus out of temper If meere griefe be of power to procure death then what may Loue doe which not onely seazeth vpon the bodie but likewise vpon the soule scarce had I wet the soales of my feete entring into this wide Ocean of sundrie conceits when thou withdrewest me from the same as that carefull father doth his harmelesse child from the brim of some pit wherein he might fall and be drowned But alas what wouldest thou haue me to doe Suffer me I pray thee and let me alone in my musing for there is nothing more pleasant vnto a wofull man then to dreame of such delights as he hath once tasted because as then he thinketh still to tast them I was dreaming of that contentment which the companie of my Diana hath heretofore brought me why then hast thou disturbed me in the same when perhaps I shall not encounter with so sweet a thought I know not when againe and the rather for that a leuen houres and three quarters of a day are destined for the mishap of man and onely one poore quarter appointed for his contentment of which small space of time many haue bene depriued in the number of which I am the chiefe No no replied the old man Not to thinke of misfortunes maketh a man as happie as if he had neuer bene afflicted with any for he cannot be said to be sicke that liueth without any feeling of griefe or disease so he is not wretched that neuer remembreth his former disasters the thought whereof is the occasion that maketh vs so sad Driue then these idle fancies out of thy braine Hardly could courteous Dido entreate the wandring Prince of Troy to repeate and report the ouerthrow of his countrie although he was much beholding vnto her for irkesome is the calling to minde of such matters Away then with these toyes and begin thy discourse where thou last didst leaue which will like thee better and the rather when thou shalt account thy happie fortunes Ah good father answered Arcas neuer hath my tongue bene vsed to talke of any good fortune that hath hapned vnto me heretofore for few or none haue I had but onely to sigh forth my strange and wofull losses What Sunne haue these my drerie eyes euer beheld without new floods of teares and what darkesome night hath couered them with neuer so heauie a sleepe but that fresh griefes haue growne before the breake of day within my soule My wofull pilgrimage in this vnconstant world hath alwaies bene vnluckie dismall and vnfortunate and therefore I would to God that death had abridged the same But why should you thinke that I could liue and languish thus without bethinking me of my losse Nothing pincheth the heart more then a mans ouerthrow because it is long before he can recouer himselfe againe and for that it will aske much labour and paine yea it is so deeply inprinted within vs that although we haue in time repaired and amended our selues yet still there remaineth some one marke or another that galleth vs euen at the very quicke Who euer sawe man hauing endured great hinderance and mishaps but that he sometimes thinketh thereon yea and now and then bewaileth the same although he haue neuer so great a courage We are all good registers of such aduersities as happen vnto vs but not of prosperitie and sooner can we call to minde an iniurie done vnto vs then remember a benefit or good turne which we haue receiued for this old sinne of our great grandlire Adam draweth vs alwaies rather vnto bad then good This is the reason that men for the most part are naturally giuen sooner to slaunder then to defend the good name and credit of their neighbous and so likewise this is the cause I so liuely feele and apprehend the remembrance of my calamities not wishing any thing so much as to be confined within some Rocke alone like a Recluse to the end I might the better meditate vpon them and the more bitterly bewaile them Now quoth the old gray-beard I see thou art in the wrong for we must not haue our eyes alwaies vpon the earth but sometimes we must as well looke vp towards heauen Wherefore serueth this diuine reason which maketh vs Lords ouer all other creatures if by her aide we repulse not such mortall passions as come into the world with vs And to what end doth a father send his Sonne vnto the Vniuersitie most willingly defraving
all things went well with them is content to continue and rule amongst them But no sooner doth he see Fortune to turne her smiling face from them then hee giueth them the slippe putting them to shift as well as they can for themselues Cato is rather condemned then commended for killing himselfe at what time his Countrey had most need of him Neither can hee be rightly tearmed magnanimous hauing chosen so easie a death to auoyd a farre greater euill of which he seemed to acknowledge and confesse to be vanquisht and ouercome seeing he durst not stay to make proofe An Example and encounter with the same And yet is hee worthie of farre more praise then thou art For he had a better colour to shadow his death then thou hast whom soolish LOVE hath thus ouerthrowne Such cannot be called valiant and resolute who for feare of suffering a greater euill cunninglie chuse the lesse yeelding themselues vnto an easier punishment to auoid a farre more cruell As Sceuola cannot be saide to haue a right braue minde although he burnt his arme escaping by that meanes Death which otherwise hee could not eschue A Seatence being a farre greater torment then the firing of his fist Againe say that a man had all the occasions in the world whereby he might seeme to haue reason to massacre himselfe and that it were impossible for him to support and endure the anguish and agonies of his euer encreasing sorrowes yet ought he still to expect and looke for grace and fauour from the heauens who after they haue powred downe vpon vs raigne and stormes send vs most faire and comfortable weather There is none so wretched but that at one time or another tasteth of the goodnes of the Gods and though it be not by and by yet commeth it ere it be long so that we ought alwaies rather to hope the best then to feare the worst for death is the last refuge of mortallmen which neuertheles they ought not to entertaine without leaue of the superiour power A Searence the Lawe for bidding such to be capable of Christian buriall but hauing a stake knockt into their bowels to be laid in the cōmon high waies who as Iudas shall lay violent hands vpon themselues proclaiming them abroad to be worse then murtherers and homicides and making them infamous for euer Take heede then that thou fall not into this labvrinth of shame For if one must needs die he must haue a great care of the preseruation of his honour and so to order the matter that after his death his memorie be not fouly sported with some blacke fault for then is the time when he is out of the world that a man is talked of either well or ill if well then euery one lamenteth his absence and losse declaring how necessarie and profitable he was vnto his countrie If ill then doe they speake the worst they can of him because they now feare him no more knowing that dead men cannot bite at all It is to small purpose A Sentence although we haue carried our selues vprightly all our life-time if the Catastrophe and end thereof be vnhonest and wicked For the end doth make perfect the worke and the goodliest building that is is nothing worth if the foundation thereof be not firme and sure Liue so whilest thou staiest in this world as when thou shalt be dead none may be able to lay reproach vnto thee Doe so I pray thee for it would be a double death vnto me although I cannot die my selfe if I suruiuing thee should heare thee ill spoken of whom I haue alwaies so dearely loued And to giue thee a most certaine and kind taste how much I account of thee now thou art in this wofull perplexitie although thy loue is the thing I most desire and that my chiefest happines consisteth in seeing thee without a Mistris yet to the end I may doe thee good I am content to hurt mine owne selfe esteeming my selfe happie in that I may redeeme thy life with the losse of mine owne chiefest pleasure promising thee to entreate thy hard-harted Diana in thy behalfe to plead vnto her for thee to succour thee to the vttermost of my power in thy loue which is the tormentor of my rest and quietnes O great proofe of a most perfect amitie in a Nymph O rich witnesse testimonie of her feruent affection certaine was the assurance of her loyall friendship towards me most beautifull was that vertue in her most chaste was her desire and as commendable was her willingnes therein he is highly to be prised and set by that dieth for his friend A Sentence yet that man is farre more worthy of praise who resigneth all the interest he hath in that thing which may make him most happie to pleasure another therwithall whilest he in the meane time for want therof liueth in perpetual miserie especially if it be in the affaires of Loue which are so nice and so full of iealousie as the Louer thinketh he looseth nothing although he loose his life and libertie so he be not cousoned of his Ladies fauour Meane space poore Orythia is content so she may helpe mee to ouerthrowe her selfe being resolute to be most wretched for euer to the end shee may ridde me from all my griefes and sorrowes whilst I stand admiring her right generous minde amazed at her constancie highlie prising her affection and wonderfullie applauding her braue and straunge conceit Wherevpon I humblie thanked her for her kindnesse accepting of her gratious offer vowing vnto her that I will not die as now but rather expect some happie issue of her employment And therwithall I protest that I am the willinger to liue because I would satisfie her request not daring to refuse her courtesie because I found my selfe so much beholding vnto her and not for any certaine hope I did conceiue that I should finde grace at my Mistris hands For how could I thinke to finde succor from her who without occasion giuen had deliuered me ouer vnto death whereas I might well haue bene counted barbarous and vngratefull to haue denied the request of this Nymph especially when it proceeded from an affection so loyall and perfect Ingratitude being as foule a vice as bloodie Murther Vnthankfull persons in the old time were condemned vnto death An Example as the vnnaturall Sonnes of Sophocles were disinherited loosing all their father goods because they accused their aged father to doate for very age Doe as thou pleasest most gratious Nymph said I for I promise thee I will prolong my life at thy command not that I expect thy enterprise may bring me any comfort but onely because I feare to disobey thee Too much alreadie hast thou bound me vnto thee and therefore I beseech thee thinke I will sooner dispend my heart blood for thy sake then for mine owne Goe then thy waies and the heauens prosper thee in thy voyage yet if this my busines
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
vnto the other vertue where I doubt not but I shall be better entertained then I haue bene here vpon the earth Meane space I admonish thee and all such as thou shalt thinke worthie to make acquainted with this matter to detest and aborre this shamelesse Monster and to follow me in my course of life otherwise they shall be afflicted with like punishment as those proud Giants the Titanois were for their more then audatious presumption Hauing made an end of her speech I might perceiue wings to issue out of the sides of this beautious Damozell wherewith I saw her to flie vp towards the element passing through the airie Regious vntill she came vnto the heauenly Court of the Eternall King since which time she neuer descended nor neuer as I doubt will she any more This accident droue me into no small amazement not vnlike him that seeth many strange enchantments done by a Magitian whereupon with more hast then good speed I went to finde my Mistris to declare this aduenture vnto her but the feare she had of the foresaid beast had driuen her from thence so as I found nothing but the corner within which we had hidden our selues But O me vnhappie wretch that reported that which afterward was my vtter ruine and ouerthrow An Example O what euill sometimes this little tongue of ours doth vnto vs for that of Demosthenes ouerthrew the libertie of Greece And therefore thrise wise was that Phylosopher that thought nothing in this world to be worse then the tongue because it not onely bringeth calamitie vnto him that speaketh but also vnto the whole common-wealth besides And therefore well said that old Sage of Greece who affirmed that silence was commendable and without blame whereas speaking was subiect vnto reprehention and reproach The auncient wise men in times past did offer Sacrifice vnto dumb Silence as vnto a sacred Deitie adoring her with great reuerence for many a one haue bene cut short of their liues because of their ouer-rash and bold speech and this found I to be but too true by mine owne experience and vnto my no small griefe Well I not finding my Mistris there went seeking of her vp and downe not making account of any paine so I might once haue a sight of her loue making that labour to seeme but easie and sweet which Louers vndertake when they follow in pursuit their faire and beautious Ladies for the desire which they haue to see them maketh them to thinke it is no trauaile at all and that man thinketh that he rather plaieth then worketh who expecteth some worthie recompence when he hath brought his worke vnto an end This made me to run vp and downe to see if I could finde her whilest being earnest in this busines I might heare a certaine voice comming forth of a thicke quickset wherevpon I staied awhile to harken if it were hers or no but I knew quickly it was not as soone as I hard the Song which was as followeth Withouten scope To haue the hopen My Ladie any more Since cannot bee That I may see To death I le flie therefore Sweet death now come And to me runne Since I to thee doe crie Be thou my friend That I may end These dates of miserie Whilst I doe line I nought but grieue Deprined of all ioy How can that hart Of case haue part When Loue doth him annoy My sorrowes soure My cries each houre My soule doth pinch with paine My heauie moanes My sighes nor groanes Can neuer moue my dame Why then so long Death dost me wrong That yet I am not dead That man doth rest Happie and blest Whose soule from hence is sled No worldly strife No ill so rife Can hurt who is in graus Die he doth not But life hath got That such a good may haue Thus was the Shepheard amorous of my Diana of whome I told you before who reaped no more sweet fruits of his loue nor found any more curtesie at her hands then I had done which was in effect nothing so that we being borne both vnder one Plannet became to become partners and companions in our loue and miserie together He sighed and sobbed as I did he wailed and wept as I vsed to doe and yet neither his sighing nor his teares were any more profitable vnto him then they were vnto me After his Song was finished he began thus afresh to complaine O Cupid how well haue the Gods chosen thee to be the bloodie butcher of their cruelties since they could not bestowe this office vpon any that could discharge the place so well as thou by reason thou art more cruellie giuen then any one that is in heauen aboue or else in hell belowe There is no tortor or torment no Corsie or anquish of what Nature or kinde soeuer that is without hope Loue onely excepted for to miserable Captaines there is some hope of their freedome to poore and beggerly wretches a conceit to become rich againe to sicke persons some comfort to recouer their former health but loue is without all likelihood or beliefe of hope whatsoeuer Who then is more cruell then he who more to be doubted and who so hurtfull and dammageable vnto mankinde and therefore when the Gods meane to punish vs most cruellie then doe they send this cruell executioner vnto vs he being farre worse then the flashing lightning it selfe for that without languishing quickly dispatcheth vs where this after it once beginneth with vs neuer maketh an end driuing vs to linger in a worse then deadly consumption Too well finde I this and feele it to my smart louing in dispaire and yet in such sort as death which is hatefull vnto men and is of force to rid me out of this agonie and insupportable passions is forbidden me I not daring to die for feare to loose the wisht for presence of her who daily killeth me So doth the Marchant allured with profit scowre so often the swelling Seas that in the end both he and his ship with all his Marchandise is swallowed therein And so I loue and yet will not giue ouer that which in the end will drowne me and be the cause of my pittious ouerthrow but as the Gods harden the harts of such men whom they meane to chastise who when it is too late begin to thinke how they might haue aunided the same so the more rigorously to punish me the heauens haue forced me to loue depriuing me of all meanes how to helpe my selfe because they are desirous of my fall O thrise blessed Leander Piramus and Paris in respect of me who for loue left their liues and yet had this good hap that before they died they enioyed their Mistreâ—es companie and were beloued of them where I on the other side am hated and loathed of mine But diuers and of sundrie effects are the shafts of Loue some are of leade and they rather coole and freeze then heate others â—â—hedded with gold which pierce into
true who sent home the poore Publicane beeing humble and meeke more iustified vnto his house then hee did the proud Pharisie who stood vaunting so much vppon his owne good-works with this sentence Free that buâ—◠〈◊〉 himselfe shall be glorified and hee that glorifieth himselfe shall not be exalted O how much better and comelier is it that a man should say vnto one Friend sit vp higher at the Table take a more honourable place vnto you then to say Come downe sit lower that a worthier person then thy selfe may sit where thou doest Hence then Pride and fie vpon Haughtines pack hence Ambition and away with vainglory these being most dangerous plagues vnto men infecting as well their consciences as their mindes within them On the other side sweere and profitable is Humilitie for so doth the wise man teach vs when hee saith Boast not thy selfe of to morrow for little doest thou knowe what tuill this day may bring vnto thee Amilcar Amilear deceuted throgh Pride chiefe Generall of the Carthaginian forces besieging Syracusa had an answere from his false Gods that hee should suppe the day following within the same Towne wherevpon he straightwaies began to waxe proud and yet did it fall out otperwise then he expected for although hee supped the same night within the Citie it was not as a Conquerour but as a prisoner hee being taken in a Skirmish which they of the besieged Towne made against him Let vs not therefore vaunt our selues ouermuch least wee be taken downe sooner then we looke for for hee onely that is lowly in minde shall be accounted of Let vs then shunne all Prids to auoyd the same we must leaue all companies all Cities and all Courts of Princes So did the deuout and mortified Marie Magdalene leaue the world retiring her selfe into a Rock The death of M. Magdalen where being all alone she lamented her sinnes past with great contrition and repentance passing the rest of her life in this deuout manner To leaue this Monster the Auncient good Fathers ranne into Woods and Desarts leauing their Townes and Cities as Paul Anthony Hierome and diuers moe because Prsde seldome or neuer haunteth solitarie places for feare he should be starued for hun ger but rather runneth amongst the Rich and where there is good store and plentie of euery thing and thither likewise must wee withdraw our selues if wee meane to liue deuoutlie indeed The Almightie Sonne of the euerliuing God chose a Wildernesse for his field of warre A solitary place better for Meditano of heauenly matters then Citties or company of men at what time hee did combat with the Diuell after that he had fasted fortie dayes and fourtie nights O thrice happie they who giuing ouer the world passe the rest of their liues in true holinesse and vertue in some secrete and remote place as if it were an Hermitage where neither Ambition nor Enuie neither Couetousnes nor vaine Loue trouble them not at all whilst they with great contentment and pleasure passe the rest of their liues free from all daungers whatfoeuer There they grieue not to see their enemies waxe rich and themselues to growe poore There no brawlings at the Barre about Law matters no confused noyse for the profite of Cities no toyling and moyling like Drudges in the Countrey doth trouble or molest them at all whilst they onely liue vnto their God not regarding or once minding any matters or businesse of the world After this manner of life A proofe of the Contemplatius life meane I to end mine owne and I will studie to finde out this sacred Humilitie which neuer deceiueth anie For hardly can hee misse of his purpose or be frustrated of his enterprise who goeth willingly about the same not beeing troubled with any thing else in his minde at all Hence then all Ambitious creatures for I must needes leaue you since you soyle our soules as oyle doth staine a garment A solitarie and sequestred kinde of life is best Pride is neuer in poote and vertuous places more pleasing and more secure then any other So will I liue and such a one will I be to â—uoyd that furious Monster Pride who neuer commeth in chaste and priuate places which are well gouerned and where good exercises are vsed in all laudable sort that may be And therfore here I protest that from hence forward I will leaue this wicked world and that most willingly with all the vaine pompes and flattering greatnesse of the same wishing euery one that is wise to followe mee taking the same course I am in hand to doe So horrible and terrible is the foulenesse of that Beast as it maketh me yet to tremble for verie feare and neuer shall I thinke thereof but that I shall finde my selfe the worse a long time after Therefore to preuent the worst and not to fall into his gryping pawes I am resolued to forsake all companie of men shutting my selfe within some vncoth and vnfrequented place like vnto a Recluse where without euer seeing any bodie I will end the remnant of this my too long life farre from Pride and ambition and voyd of all loue and enuie This is my constant and certaine resolution which I propose to such as minding to follow me are willing to be partakers of true Humslitie gaining thereby rest in this world and in the world to come peace euerlasting Therefore my deare and sweet companions although I be loth yet must I needs leaue you to seeke out this rough and austere kinde of abode where my drerie eyes shall be exempted from the view of this strange Monster which would make me to die for very feare onely if they should by chance once more haue neuer so little sight of him yea yea I will seeke to auoide his loathed prefence by this good meanes whilest following the steps of humble Humilitie I shall imitate that great vessell of election who reioyced in nothing so much as in the crosse of Christ That religious S. Iohn the Baptist who called himselfe the voice of a cryer in the wildernes and that godly Elias who tearmed himselfe to be a feather blowne vp and downe by the winde all which three were lowly and humble aduersries to Pride and voide of all ambition Therefore haue I set vp my rest to cast Anker in this Hauen after my sayling through so many and dangerous mortall Seas desiring you all my deare and louing sisters most humble entreating you that none of you doe me that great wrong as to seeke to dehort me from this so holy a resolution which if you should yet were it but in vaine and to no purpose at all he is accursed that seekes to leade astray that sinner who is entered into the path of his saluation he hauing a sorrowfull heart and being penitent in his minde for the same Now reuerend Sire iudge you if this Oration was pleasing vnto me or no I stood mute and still as that huge
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
and the first opening of a fault is difficult vnto a vertuous minde but very casie when he shall be permitted to take an habit in the same For so small a trifle and such a thing as can doe thee no good be not I beseech thee the cause that I be esteemed or taken for other then hithereto I haue bene for hare and leane should that tryumph be which thou shouldest purchase by mine honour because my blood should presently make satisfaction for the same Content thee then with what I haue said and thinke that I will not denie thee any thing which may stand with my credit but considering that this which thou requirest may some way impeach the same I cannot iustly yeeld vnto thy demand Leaue then I say once more to importune me for that which will doe thee no good yet will hurt me much and then shall I thinke that thy speeches are true and that thy loue is chaste and vertuous as thou hast hitherto protested This was my Ladies sharpe replie which draue away all my former ioy I had conceiued of hope by reason of her first kinde words so as now my complaints began afresh againe my teares renewed and my sighes came forth faster then they had done before I was so galled with sorrow and so much griped at the heart with this her vnexpected deniall as I could doe nothing but weepe holding downe mine eyes towards the ground as not daring to looke vpon her In the end surcharged and oppressed with contrarie passions I burst out into these wofull tearmes hauing before sent forth thousands of scalding sighes as precursors of the same O cruell Loue O miserable Starres iealous of my good O dismall day wherin I was borne and more then thrise accursed life of mine since I am more wretched then any whatsoeuer liuing After much labour taking and many a yeares sayling the Pilot at length arriueth vnto his Hauen but I Caitiffe that I am finde no end of my torments None giueth succour vnto me neither doth any as much as a little ease me my sicknes encreaseth with the day continueth all night long and yet neuer amendeth Alas alas why died not I at the first when hauing offended you my dearest Ladie you exild me from you louely presence Vnfortunate Shepheard that I was to perswade my selfe to liue and hope the best when I finde no cause but of dispaire and death Ah had I then taken that readie course I had bene now free from these hellish panges which euery minute oppresse my heart and I had bene partaker of those rare beatitudes which the soules of happie Louers enioy for euer Sacred and Religious Diana since you adiudge me vnworthy of any small fauour at your hands and that without yeelding to agree vnto so little a matter you are desirous of my end yet at the least doe thus much for me as to permit me to die in leiu of all my troubles before thy beautious face This I beg at your hand for default of that other curtesie which you iudge me vnworthy of for although you haue denied me the first yet I hope you will agree vnto the secod otherwise I vow after I haue a hundred thousand times tearmed you by the name of Cruell I will most desperately lay violent hands vpon my selfe crying out that you haue bene the cause of mine vntimely ouerthrow Graunt me then one of my requests the last of which you cannot well denie because it costeth you nothing What hurt can this be vnto you any way but rather good when you shall doe so charitable a deed vnto the common-wealth as to permit him to die who is vnprofitable vnto the same Without licence from you I neither may nor will take this bloodie course in hand seeing I hold my life from you and that you alone and none but you haue puissance ouer me Linger not then to yeeld vnto my desire for if you thinke that my trauailes past haue merited any reward you cannot better recompence them then to graunt me death which is the onely thing I couet seeing I must be depriued of your cheerfull presence as one not worthy to enioy it As the Hunter is amazed hauing lost the tracing of the Deare which he hunteth his dogs being at a bay knoweth not which way to goe nor well what path to take whilest his Hounds barking vpon some dich side round about him he standeth musing what to doe Euen such a one my Ladie seemed to be she seeing her selfe charged with two contrarie demaunds both which she iudged aduersaries vnto her honour which to take she knoweth not well and therefore standeth studying as one sad and pensiue what to say vnto this matter If she should giue me her hand to kisse she feareth least I should foolishly and without wit speake something that might discredit her and if she should suffer me to die she being now readie to giue ouer the world and to become as it were a Religious Nunne she doubted least the world would say she had done it for griefe of me Besides she was vnwilling that I should die vnto whom despite of her selfe she thought her selfe somewhat beholding knowing that death was but a cold recompence for so great loue as I had borne her Much was she perplexed in her minde about this busines my hard fortune did somewhat soften her stonie heart but then againe the respect of her honour did harden it as much but had Loue had but some interest or power in her she had quickly brought these two contraries vnto an agreement but alas he then had not neither is he like euer to haue What should she doe in these two extremities and how should she throughly satisfie and content her honour One while she putteth forth her hand for me to kisse and then vpon the suddaine putteth it backe againe one while she is about to casshire me with rough speeches and then againe she seemeth willing to yeeld vnto my request one while she careth not although I die and then by and by she cannot endure she should be counted so cruell Meane space she seeth me to raine whole riuers of teares and to send forth blacke clouds of scalding sighes whilest with a sobbing heart I thus once more follow mine old sute vnto her What is the reason faire Goddesse that you thus stand lingring through delaies and not suffer this forsaken and abiect wretch to die To what end doth he liue which way can he profite his countrie and what reason haue you to lament his destruction Pronounce pronounce thy faithfull sentence quickly for he attendeth for nothing else to the end he may with a more braue courage wend his way to put in practise the same Speake then and giue our this musing when the Iudge sitteth vpon the life or death of an offender he standeth not studying vpon the same but soone pronounceth his finall iudgement Deliuer then my sentence as a fatall Oracle without delaying any longer for
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
I le leaue to loue thee being dead When thy faire portraiture reuiues my sight If mortall voice from Tombes haue some men lead Restoring vnto them their senses right Then how much more ought LOVE be houonred Whom then the greatest Gods is more of might Then think not though my Corse in Vault thou see That from thy loue as thou wouldst I am free Below in Monument still shalt thou heare How I will sigh for without soule thy Fire Shall hold mee vp whilst liuing I 'le appeare Being dead as fore my death I did desire Nor deadly pangs thereof will I once feare Nor part from thee as thou wouldst faine require For in thy life so cruell th' ast not beene But in my Death as loyall I 'le be seene Yet is my Fortune better farre then thine For without breach of Faith as thou hast done I shall haue leaue to plaine of sorrow mine Thou thinkst in killing mee a Martyrdome More tedious then before mee to assigne But th' art deceiu'd a wrong Race hast thou runne For whilst I liu'd thy Rigour was my bane But now being dead I freed am from the same Death then both thee and mee preserues from ill Thee that no more thy Beautie I molest Mee that I feele not now thy cruell will O happie Death that two desires hath blest Then let mee die thy minde for to fulfill Yet first I will this Rock shall be possest Of this my dolefull verse true witnesse How vndeseru'd I brought was to distresse For though to die it shall mee mickle please Yet must I grieue at thy lost Companie Then Rocks Caues Woods Groues Springs and greenie Leaze Witnes you all LOVE Arcas made to die To noyse this in the world doe neuer cease If I report shall where as dead I lie How all of you although by Nature wilde Yet then my Mistris are more meeke and milde No sooner had I engrauen these Verses but that I got me vp vnto the toppe of the same Rock minding to cast my selfe downe into the swelling Seas when vpon the suddaine an other new conceit came into my braine which was to see if I could deuise a meane how I might restore Diana againe not onely vnto my selfe but also vnto the other Nymphs who as well as I sore lamented the losse of her departure Wherevpon I knowing that she would not be perswaded by any reasons whatsoeuer to be reclaimed or altered from her first determination I went and sought out her Friends and Parents vnto whome I bewrayed the intention of their faire daughter perswading them with all the earnest speeches I could by all the liuely reasons as might be deuised that they should not in any wise permit her to haue her will therein They hearing mee tell so straunge a Tale were wonderfully amazed and daunted therewith For Diana neuer meant to haue made them priuie in this her secret businesse promised mee that they would so worke as they would if they could crosse her in this her resouled purpose they themselues being much vnwilling she should take vpon her any such Austere and Melancholike course Wherevpon I being glad that they iumped with mee in opinion hauing receiued hearty thankes from them for my kinde Intelligences came away wonderfullie well pleased in that I had spedde so well And not long after they tooke so good an order as the faire Nymph although very much against her will was constrained to obey their hests and giuing ouer her former resolution liuing amongst vs as shee had vsed before But alas as hee that buildeth goodly houses oftentimes erecteth his graue it being his chaunce to be slaine therein Euen so I thinking to prolong mine owne life framed mine owne proper death and ouer throwe For my Mistris who before time was wont still to vse mee kindely shewing me good countenance when she saw me although for the most part shee was sadde and heauy in her minde because shee was barred from her most wished for Designe came at the length to know that I onely was the chiefe cause that her Parents had so much hindered and crossed her against her will As that Maister who bearing great affection vnto one of his seruants particularly both hateth and detesteth the same man after he findeth how hee is run-away and hath robbed him of his goods and Treasure Euen so no sooner came these dismall newes vnto her cares but that suddainly she began to alter her minde towardes mee hating mee vnto death yea and that in so cruell a manner as shee beganne now to loath mee a thousand times more then euer she had loued me before Wherevpon shee vowed in her minde to be reuenged vpon me imagining and deuising in her selfe how she might best doe it But alas what need had she to haue troubled herselfe so much For shee needed no other to execute this spitefull malice towards me then her owne poore selfe Thus we see how chaungeable and vncertaine the fortunes of Louers are in their Loues For one morning I finding her alone beganne as I was wont to salute her when shee presently looking as redde as any â—â—re with extreame choller began thus to requite my kindnesse O cruell and vngratefull wretch out of my sight if thou meanest that I shall liue Is this the reward for so many curtesies as thou hast receiued at my hands to seeke most Traitreously to hinder mee in my sacred and religious intention Away I say and out of my sight for I forbid thee my presence and thinke or else It shall goe hardly with me but that I will most grieuously plague thee for thy vnthankfull and leaud dealing In the meane while I commaund thee vpon paine of death that thou neuer presume to come againe before me Cruell vngratefull false-harted and wicked Creature as thou art that hast thus requited mee with euill for good most iniuriously opposing thy selfe against my most iust and godly desires And hauing so said away she flung swelling for very rage and anger and not so much as once staying to heare what answere I could make in mine owne defence That woman whom her husband hath taken tardie as guiltie of some hainous facultie is not halfe so heauie sorrowfull neither so confounded with feare and shame as I was then Long did I stand stone still as if my feete had growne vnto the ground neither was I able or had the power to open or lift vp mine eyes so much had grieâ— seazed vpon me as I thought verily I should haue dyed as then in that place In the ende comming vnto my selfe againe and remembring the more then cruell threatnings of my dread Mistris without wailing any more or bethinking me of any other deuise how to excuse my selfe I ran vp vnto the toppe of the Rocke vpon which I had bene so often before That done I closed both mine eyes flinging my selfe downe from thence into the maine Sea resoluing to drowne me within the bottome of the same No sooner was I in the water but I began to repent mee of my rash enterprise whilst the feare of death being not farre off so terrified and affrighted mee as I beganne to swimme most lustily in the waues to saue my life Thus as I was tumbled and tossed too and fro by the churlish Surges a certaine Shippe by great good fortune sailed by the Marriners and Sailers whereof being moued with pittie tooke mee vp by a rope being verie heauie and sadde as you may well suppose And within a while after whether it were by reason the inward griefe I conceiued for my Ladies vnkindnesse or because of the great paine and labour which I had taken in swimming I know not but I fell to be most extreamely sicke in the Shippe vpon the suddaine They doubting least I would die as those who were very vnwilling to haue any diseased folks in their vessell although forie for the same yet forced and as it were halfe against their wills set me on land in this desart leauing me some victualls to liue vpon vntill better foretune should happen In the end I recouered my health againe and am miserable ARCAS confined to fiue in this comfortlesse wildernesse and depriued the company of my deare Mistris for euer my comfort is that my dayes will soone be shortned and that I haue not long to liue And thus good Father haue you heard the true dolefull discourse of my more then wretched misfortunes which will neuer end vntill my life shall part from this his vnwelcome mansion I doubt I haue troubled you in being ouer long but alas it was sore against my will for sooner if I could would I haue sinisht the same Not a whit answered the olde Magitian for you rather haue pleased mee very much and I like your discourse maruailous well And God I pray comfort you for great need haue you thereof But it is now very neere night Let vs then goe replied the Shepheard seeing I haue now set downe and reported the restlesse liues the pittifull complaints and the most lamentable kindes of such as haue loued FINIS Nec morte moritur Amor. LONDON PRINTED BY THOMAS Creede dvvelling in the old Change neere old Fishstreete at the Signe of the Eagle and Childe 1610.
misfortune how lamentable the state of such Louers is that are barted and excluded from all good hope of obtaining their wish and desire The Nymph hauing so said sodainly departed running as swiftly into the woods adioyning as the light Hinde leauing the Shepheard all alone who was as much amazed at her speech as is the way-faring man when in his trauaile he seeth the Thunder-bolt of heauen to fall vpon some proud Rocke breaking the toppes thereof with his terrible flashie blow Long was hee not in this browne studie but that the olde man wonderfull earnest to vnderstand the discourse of his troubles came to seeke him whome hee thus beganne to accost There is nothing that is holden more reuerend eyther amongst Gods or amongst men as is the word of man which ought to be respected most religious amongst ones enemies themselues be the neuer so cruell or barbarous and which wee ought not to falsifie although it be for the least thinges in the world because it is the band which tyeth the societie and fellowship of men together which being dismembred would most foulie and confusedly perish were it not but in repect of the great regard that is had and held of the same I know thou hast not forgotten how thou hast plighted thy promise to report vnto me thy misfortunes and thy Loues Now doe I summon thee to performe the same praying thee that thou wilt not be the cause that this Desart beeing the habitation of the Nymphes be not defiled with infidelitie of speech For as the Gods will not alone be free and spotlesse from all vices but also cleane from suspition of the same so will they haue the like Ceremonies to be most orderly obserued amongst their sacred abidings where as yet neuer any fault lodged And if thou imeginest that this thy discourse will prooue iâ—kesome vnto thee then know that the breaking of thy faith ought to be farre more grieuous and that of two euils thou oughtest to chuse the least which is rather to endure the nouell apprehensions of thine olde sores then to violate thy pawned promise I will craue nothing at thy hands but what I will heereafter requite againe offering in recompence of thy kindnesse after thou hast done to discourse vnto thee the whole storie of my life to the end that if our Fortunes shall be found to be alike we may the better seeke the like remedie to helpe our selues Then courage Sonne plucke vp thy spirits so long dulled with sorrow made ouermuch sicke with sadnesse and almost massacred with extreame melancholie and beginne to recount thy Tragedie whilst I will listen vnto thee reporting of thy harde Fortunes in thy trauell The Shepheard somewhat rowsed with this earnest request replyed thus I cannot denie but what one promiseth he ought to performe and so meane I. Yet the debtor who hath giuen his faith and promise to paie his money at a certaine set day although he is willing to keepe his word yet will he not sticke to get a longer time for the tendering of the same if he can possible especialie if he want the meanes to satisfie his creditor vnto whom hee is bound A Piouerbe For it is an olde saying What is delaide is not vnpaide and such fruits as are longest attended and looked for are alwaies the better because they are of better rellish and more ripe then the others Then suffer my minde yet a little longer to be in quiet and make not my mortall wounds so soone to bleed freshly againe For as bloody cruell are the thoughts of a mans vnlucky chances as the memorie is sweet pleasing of his happy good fortunes To report the same anew is as much as to strike the wound againe because wee call them to memorie when they are in a manner halfe forgotten whilst Time it selfe that hath somewhat lessened them seemeth to complaine as it were that men are abused by his meanes Giue me therefore some longer respite kinde Father of these Nocturnall Abodes to bethinke my selfe better of this matter to the end I may haue space to take breath a little more being so lately come forth from so manie outragious Seas of extreame miseries The Sayler hauing escaped the danger of waters leaueth to giue ouer from working assoone as euer his Shippe is come into the hauen An Example without looking vnto eyther his Merchandize or his vessell for ease and rest is more sweete then any other thing in the world seeing for this rest man trauelleth all the dayes of his life hoping at the ende of his labours to finde the same Then giue me leaue I beseech thee some small while to be quiet and trouble not my minde with this vnwelcome busines otherwise in steed of consolating my paine I shall thinke thou doest aggrauate it the more and makest the same more bitter vnto mee Ah Shepheard answered the old man doest thou make account that the quietnes of a wofull wretch is troubled when one desireth to vnderstand his griefe that so hee may help and heale him the sooner Man as he is curteous and humane is afterwards more readie to doe goood then euill because he roweth in the selfe-same Boate that he doeth whom he seeketh to relieue being so much afflicted and for that a good turne doth neuer come amisse but is welcome at all times Thinkest thou that thy sorrowes shall waxe worser and worser A Sentence by reason of this discourse which I intreat thee to deliuer The sicke patient reuealeth his disease vnto the Phisition but concealeth his griefe to the end he may find remedie Why then wilt thou make aduersaries thy tongue and thy face For did thy speech faile thee as not being able to discouer thy paine yet should we plainely perceiue it by thy looks Satisfie thy tongue and thy countenance in what they seeme to desire and beginne not here in this strange Countrey to shift vs off with disloyaltie and dissembling Behold this houre most fit the time now scrues and this place is most apte and commodious for the purpose It is in vncoth Desarts where Louers vse to come to report their mishaps at large thinking themselues not a little fortunate when they can haue auditors to listen vnto them I will attend thee whilst this shade doeth inuite thee to performe what heretofore thou hast promised Then I pray thee dispatch to the end thou maist satisfie my mind which eueÌ„ as it were languisheth with meer desire to heare thee The Shepheard seeing himselfe so sharply vrged to keep his word not being able any longer to delay him or to put him off after hee had sent foorth a number of scalding sighes thus began his speech Scarse was I come out of mine infancie growen a stripling my chinne not yet bearing the mark of a man when Loue enrolled me for one of his band forcing me to loue before I knewe what liking meant wherevpon I beeing young in experience and lesse practised in
knowledge began to set my selfe to schoole to learne the hardest science in the world Neuerthelesse as of vipers by nature venemous Physitions drawe many wholsome medicins so Loue depriuing me of my libertie recompencing me with somwhat worth the giuing for hauing within my conceit a huge heap a great coÌ„fused masse of verses he dispersed diuided brake and spred abroad the same in such sort as in a small time a thousand young shiuers and pieces came thereof Know then I loued a faire and rich Shepheardesse called Magaalis she not much disdaining my modest affection for her sake did I compose many thousand Sonnets but simple ones and young God he knoweth were they as young and simple as was mine age but farre younger my knowledge and skill Yet such as they were she most curtiously accepted of them obliging my miserable fortune greatly vnto her whilst she relieued it by the meanes she had through the benefit of Nature so that my verse was recompenced by reason of the fauours which she held of Fortune Long time did this faire maide enioy my loue till mine eyes being dazeled with the renowme of the most famous Iulietta I longed exceedingly to see her to confirme for truth the sacred report which her rare perfections range of her throughout all the countrie whereupon I resolued to see her yet sore doubting the presence of so rare a thing as the tender Eagle doth the face of the Sunne There is nothing galleth the Foxe so much A Comparison as to be found to be nigh vnto the Lion because his beastlines is knowne by the excellencie of the other And the bad Painter will alwaies shun the companie of such a one as is cunning for feare least the perfection of his worke should disgrace the vnskilfulnes of the other In the end I was forcedto see this diuine Shepheardesse who as she is diuine and her effects diuine also vpon the first sight I had of her stole at one time from me both my soule and the remembrance of the foresaid Magdalis yet did she not this by force but rather with such a sweet violence as me thought I lost nothing reputing my defait to be a kind of victorie vnto me If Magdalis was rich and honourably descended yet this farre passed her in these accidences especially in wisedome and in learning with other rich qualities aswell of the bodie as of the minde For I verily beleeue fewe Poets did excell her in Poetrie fewe Orators in the Art of Oratorie fewe Painters in drawing of countorfaits fewe Pen-men in writing of sundrie and faire sort of hands fewe Musitians in Musicke fewe sage men in grauitie and fewe learned men in iuditiall knowledge and reading To discourse in all the seuen liberall Sciences was an ordinarie course with her neither had she euer the ouerthrow of the cunningest and greatest Doctors of her time This faire creature then faire both for vertue and for beautie long time staied and brideled the follie and licencious libertie of my forward youth In all which space my Muse did nothing else but chaunt forth her sacred praises the rare Thewes and exquisite parts of this louely Shepheardesse being her Subiect and the onely efficient courses of all her writings whilst she in the meane time disdained not oftentimes to answere me For she hath alwaies fauoured and respected gentle and towardly spirits not that I am one of the same number but because she made account of mine as if they had bene such indeed they still producing and bringing forth such fruits as were to her glorie her honour and contentment If the name of the BERGERIES of IVLIETTA haue by chaunce come vnto thine eares then maist thou gather the truth of my speeches by the report thereof and easilie perceiue thereby what dutious respect and solemne seruice I most religiously vowed vnto this faire and learned virgin But as the heauens themselues A Sentence cannot alwaies continue in one and the selfe-same course but euer changeth and diuideth themselues to an other forme Euen so the misfortune or rather the punishment of our sinnes opposed her selfe most cruellie against the chaste continuation of my most modest and respectiue loues secluding and separating me farre from my diuine Iulietta of whom notwithstanding all this I carried away with me the Teffigies and counterfait shadowed within my soule honouring her as one who had most power ouer me and ringing loud peales of her well deseruing praises so long till at the last Time not onely changed my nature but also my fortune and estate And the sooner to finish my ruine and ouerthrow he forced me to trie so many wofull miseries scourging me with his seuere roddes so sore and cruelly As in the end I forgot euery thing and gaue ouer all studying onely what good meanes I might finde to warrant and shield me from the furie of my too too spightfull desires and to saue me from the sharpe arrowes they darted at me knowing that one poyson expelleth an other that one nayle driueth out an other and that the greater euâ—ll that is more violent maketh the lesser to yeelde and to giue ouer Thus was I compeld to beate my witts to find the way as well to preserue and saue my sillie life laid in waite for by many enuious persons as to conserue that little which I held through the grace of Fortune But hardly could I keepe safe either the one or the other loosing both my goods and my bodie which was drawne into an vncomfortable prison where yet for all this such was my good lucke I found so much curtesie as I might rather haue tearmed it libertie then imprisonment in that it was more profitable then hurtfull vnto me by reason I purchase many friends thereby After this had hapned I wandred into euery place as the Hart that searcheth his companion gone astray without finding any one place of sufficient securitie for this my wretched life In the end when I had sometime remained within a certaine Castle with some of my friends I chaunced to arriue at a goodly rich and great Cittie which serued as a Sanctuarie vnto the miserable and as a safegard and refuge for such as were hardly destined of which number I counted my selfe as chiefe There did I finde my selfe secure and safe and therefore did I cast mine anker on that strand wishing that I might make an end of my ouer-long paines and too too wearisome peregrinations Now whilst I liued in this place my Muse was not altogether idle one while in sighing forth my hard fortune an other while in lamenting my manifold and irrecouerable losses and sometimes Heroldizing the praises of those that maintained my poore life so that I was not tongue-tide or dumbe neither lay I long in silence without doing some one thing or an other Meane space it was my chaunce one day to walke into the Forrests adioyning as well to asswage my griefes as also to put out of my minde the
world did encounter And wicked Tyrants did send to hell with a mischiefe So did Achilles loue in his prime and he but a youngling Was by the craftie meanes of his foe most cruelly murdred Greatest states haue lou'd why then for loue should I blam'd be If that I seeke as they to loue thee my Goddesse aboue all Not any things here in this earth compared to thy beautie Not any things here in this earth that like to thy sweet selfe May vaunt to giue lawes as Gods that dwell in the cleere skie For Loue falling in loue with thy faue face and with thy rose checke Plase like awanton in thine eies and like to a Babie Nor doth he liue but in thee who art his Court and his Heauen Happie thou that canst command so loftie a God-head Such and so rare thy fauour is thy grace so beseeming As their Palas most denine doth seeke to repose her On thy cherrie lippes hunnie sucking Mercurie seazeth Aud thy sacred Angels voice is the voice of Apollo And to be briefe th' art so diuine as fewe thee resemble Fowe or none that liues in this world so beautifull as thou Then will I loue thee what doe I say too little a thing t is Lesse that I worship doe to thee as vnto a Goddesse Then to thee as immortall might my life I doe offer And my loy all heart doe I sacrifice to thy beautie Whilst I hung on thine Altar this my verse which hath chaunted With thousand close sighes the praises of many others But yet neuer honoured any like to thy rare selfe Wondred at of men of Gods most worthily worshipt Then this my chast voice receiue as heauenly powers doe And vouchsafe for this song a corner of thy sweet Altar Vnto the end I deeply may engraue in the same place How in coarse and in minde thou fram'd art daintily perfect And that nothing equall can thy feature immortall Who art honours lonely Nurse and Eternities owne childe Hauing made these verses I plaide as the countrie Farmeth doth who hauing gathered some daintie or new kind of fruite keepeth the same verie charily to make a present thereof vnto his Land-lord vpon the first occasion he shall haue to see him and so I resolued to keepe these my verses and to present them vnto my Diana assoone as she should returne from the ceremonies of her Goddesse and long was it as me thought that she staied For to one that expecteth looketh for any thnig euery houre seemeth a yeare at the least Willingly could I haue murmured against the Goddesse Diana If I durst and more willingly haue curtold of and shortned her Sacrifices if I had bene as I was not the great Priest of the Gods But in the end the best thing that I could finde to helpe me was patience perforce whilest I attended with good deuotion the will of the heauens which at the last bringeth euery thing to his perfection Yet when these Sacrifices were at an end they were no more fortunate vnto me then was their beginning For my Diana being elected and chosen Queene of these Mysteries by the other Nymphs was conducted not farre from thence by the whole troupe of them to be enstalled to receiue the Robes of her Royrall Soueraigntie much did it please me that my Ladie was so highly honoured but as much againe did it displease me that I should lose her presence longer for the same which was the cause it drowned and choaked all the contentment and pleasure which I conceiued of her prehemmence and to know her to be preferred before all the rest of the Goddesse traine For the good seruant is not a little glad and proud in that he serueth a braue and vertuous Maister who surpasseth all others in vertue and in chiualrie And so the Louer is fullie contented and not a little doth glorie when he is the seruant of such a Ladie as not Loue alone maketh her seeme beautifull in his owne sight but when she is so reputed and accounted of by the voice of all men Nothing delighteth our mindes more then when we see euery mans conceit to iumpe with our owne in the thing that we loue most of all Now the honour that was attributed vnto my Mistris was great for she was brought from the temple arrayed with a fine and daintie robe of white lawne vnder which was a garment of cloth of golde rich of great valew her head was adorned embollished with a Royall golden Crowne and the louely traces of her flaxen haire were tied with small and delicate colours of the purest silke set out with many prettie knots à nd wonderfull rare deuises Her countenance was such and so Maiesticall as if she had bene the Goddesse Diana indeed for apparell setteth out the bodie verie much being one of the goodhest and chiefest ornaments to encrease beautie especially if there be good store of change of the sacred and costly with ill and that it be fit and well made for the person that shall weare it Her Chariot was of Iuorie wherein she sat inthronized drawne with foure huge Lions which shaked their yellow rough skinnes to make such stubborne harts to feare and quake that were loth to bow and doe reuerence vnto their beautious and Princely Princesse Before her and by her side the other Nymphs marched orderly and in a row euery one of them carrying a braunch of Oliue wreathed and intermixed with a bowe of greene Laurell and a writing vpon the same which bare euerie one 's owne Quatrin in praise of this royall Nymph whereof some of them were these here vnder inserted The Muses Goddesse faire this chast verse offer thee And to thy peerlesse Coarse and Beauties excellence To praise the good to blame such wights as wicked be Is honors double gaine and double recompence Another Quatersan If thou Dianaes name her beautie and her wit doest beare Who is adornd in heauens whilst thou below dost soiourne here What reason is it then but that we worship thee likewise As wee the mighty Gods doe and like honors thee deuise Another Too small a toy this Lawrell is to make for thee a Crowne Thy temples to embellish faire thou art of such renowne T is mortals gaine this honour yet as we present to thee Immortall verses so with such the Gods presented bee Another Rare vertue neuer honoured is enough at any time Nor can we too much make to smoake her Altars ore diuine Then if thy workes as hers immortall right doe show Wonder thou not though beauties thine be worshipt so Another Queene of our workes and Princesse of our hart Of our chaste minds we offer thee best part Our verse it is through which the Conquerour liues Which to his deeds most heauenly brightnes giues Another Blest be our Queene immortall she alwaies In words and deeds we 'ele honour her with praise Whose bodie beautious and whose soule is faire And who for gifts with Pallas may compare Another