a mingled raine Wherwith she Pyram drencht then thus charmes Speake loue O speake how hapned this to thee Part halfe yea all of this my soule and mee Sweete loue reply it is thy Thisbe deare She cries O heare she speakes O answere make Rowse vp thy sprights those heauie lookers cheere At which sweete name hee seemed halfe awake And eyes with death opprest againe to cleere He eyes her once and eying leaue doth take Euen as faire Bellis winkes but once for all When winters vsher hastneth summers fall When afterwards she found her scarfe al rent His iu'ory sheath voide eke of rapier gilt And hath his hand quoth she thy soule hence sent And was this bloud by this thy rapier spilt Vnhappy I but I no more lament But follow thee euen to the vtmost hilt I was the cause of al thy hurt and crosse Hold take me eke a partner of thy losse Whom onely death could from me take away Shal death him take from me against my will Not so his power cannot Thisbe staye Who euen in death wil follow Pyram still His blade yet warme then to her brest she lays And falne thereon thus cri'de with crying shrill Parents vniust which vs deny'd one bed Enuy vs not one toomb when we be dead And al you heau'nly hostes allot the same And thou O tree which couerest now but one One too too hot for so imports his name But couer shalt two carcasses anone Weare signes of bloud from both our harts that came In mourning weed our mischiefes euer mone She dead Tree Sires Gods gaue what she praide Black growes the fruit and they together laide Since which time eke some other Authors faine Their humming soules about these haplesse trees To be transported from th'Elysian plaine Into the snowy milke-white Butterflyes Whose seedes when life and moouing they obtain How e're they spare the fruit of Mulberies Leaue yet no leaues vntorne that may be seene Because they onely still continude greene Yet that there might remaine some Pyramis And euerlasting shrine of Pyrams loue When leaues are gone and summer waining is The little creepers neuer cease to moue But day and night placing in toyle their blisse Spinne silke this tree beneath and eke aboue Leauing their ouall bottoms there behind To shewe the state of eu'ry Louers mind For as in forme they are not wholly round As is the perfit figure of the skie So perfit loue in mortals is not found Some little warts or wants in all we spie Nay eu'n as fine and course silke there abound The best beneath the worst rold vp more hie So sometimes lust o're-lieth honest loue Happy the hand that keepes it from aboue Againe as these fine troupes themselues deuoure Spinning but silken hharses for their death VVhich done they dye therein by Natures power Transform'd to flies that scarce draw one months breath So louers sweet is mingled stil with sower Such happe aboue proceeds or vnderneath That still we make our loue our winding sheete VVhilst more we loue or hotter then is meete Others report there was and doth remaine A neighbour people to the Scythian tall Twixt Taurus mount and Tabis fruitful plaine Most iust of life of fare and diet smal Louers of peace haters of strife and gaine Graye ey'd redde cheek't and amber-headed all Resembling rather Gods then humane race Such grace appeard in words in deeds and face VVhose righteous life and iustice to requite Whether with wind or raine no man doth know God sent vnto them silke-wormes infinite In Aprils wane when buds the mulb'ry slow Which here and there in euery corner light With sixe white feete and body like to snow Eating each leafe of that renowned tree The matter of these silken webbes we see These webbs for wares they on their coast exchange For alien none must come into the Land T'infect their people with religions strange And file their temples with polluted hand Neither do they to other nations range New fashions rites or manners t'understand Better they haue at home where euery slaue Weares silks as rich as here our Princes braue These be the tales that Poetizers sing Of Silken-worme and of their seed and meate Sweete I confesse and drawn from Helique spring Full of delighting change and learning greate Yet yet my Muse dreames of another thing And listeth not of fictions to entreate Saye then my Ioye say then and shortly reede whē silk was made how these silkworms breed Was it thinkst thou found out by industry Inspir'd by vision or some Angells word When first the name of sacred Maiesty Was giuen from heau'n to Salems priest and Lord Did not before tenne thousand Silk-worms lye And hang on euery tree their little cord Yes but like Hebrues harps on Babels plaine Vntoucht and vse-lesse there it hang'd in vaine Before most men liu'd either naked quite Or coursly clad in some beasts skinne or hide The best were but in linnen garments dight Wherein themselues the greatest men did pride Yea afterward in time of greatest light When chiefe Baptizer preach't in desart wide Where said he silken robes were to be sought But in kings courts for whome they first were wrought Though whether worme or flye were formed first No man so right can tel as wrong presume Yet this I hold Till all things were accurst Nothing was borne it selfe for to consume No Caterpillers then which venture durst To rauish leaues or tender buddes to plume For onely life and beauty liu'd in trees Til falling man caus'd them their leaues to leese The earthly heards and winged posts of skye And eu'ry thing that mou'd on Eden ground Fed first on hearbs as Duke of Horeb hie Author of Natures story most profound Sets downe to vs for perfit verity Gaines aide of none but fooles and wittes vnsound When for mans foode trees eke allotted were Which from themselues did fruit or berries beare Durst then the finest worme but touch the meate Or dish which for his soueraigne was ordain'd Durst they figges nuts peares plummes or mulb'ries eate Before their lord with treasō foule was stain'd No certs no but when ambitious heate Reuok't the blisse which sinnelesse Sire had gain'd Then wormes in common fed with vs and tore Our trees our fruits yea eu'n our selues therefore Say Romanes heau'nly-humane Orator Whose words dropt sweeter then Hymettus dewe Say Salems scourge and Iudaes tormentor Whose very name doth pomp and glory shewe Say thou whose writtes men as diuine adore Inspir'd from heau'n with knowledge giuen to few What are you now what liuing were you then But worms repast though wise and mighty men Foule-footed bird that neuer sleepest well Nor fully but on highest pearch do'st breathe Whose outward shreeks bewray an inward hell Whose glistring plumes are but a painted sheathe Whose taile though it with pride so lofty swel Yet hides it not thy blacknesse vnderneath Tell
most brauely grac't And flaming rubies glorious to behold Wearing about his yellow-amber wast A sloping belt with studs twise six times told Wherein were grau'n most artificially Twelue stately Peeres of curious imagery About him as in royall Coach hee sate Attended Houre Day Minute Month and yeare Spring Summer Haruest Winter Morning Fate With Instancie who then was driuer there Whipping his fiery steedes from Libraes gate Not suffring them to stand still any where Saue once in Gibeon when fiue kings were slaine By first-made Champiō with their faithles train His sisters court built al of siluer tri'de And Iu'ory charret set with Diamons Embost with Orient pearles on either side Wheeld al with Saphires shod with Onyx stones Declar'd in what great pompe she first did ride Amongst the other twinckling Paragons Before her honour suffred an eclipse Through serpents guile and womans greedy lips Her handmaids then were perpetuity Constant proceeding and continuance No shew of change or mutability Could iustly then themselues in her aduance Her face was ful and faire continually Not altering once her shape or countenance Till those lights chang'd for whom al lights were made And with whose fall the heau'ns began to fade Yet still on her wait Ocean and his wife Nais the faire and al the watry crue Nights Riuers Flouds Springs hauing else no strife Then who may formost proffer seruice due Bloud choller phlegme the rootes and sappe of life Are at her beck waining or springing new According as from throne celestiall She deignes to shine in measure great or small When they were crowned now in royall thrones And entred in their first and happiest race Amongst those glistring pointed Diamons Which cut out times proportion lotte and space Behold the earth with heauy burden grones And praies them both to eie and rue her case And with their friendly hands and meeding art To hasten that which ready was to part For eu'n next morne the All-creating Sire Had sent abroad I know not I what word Much like to this Let Sea and earth conspire All winged troupes the world for to afford Wherewith the aire euen to the desart fire Was so with great and little flyers stor'd That none but winged people sawe the eies Of any star or planet in the skies O how it ioyes my hart and soule to thinke Vpon the blessed state of that same daye When at a word a nodde yea at a winke At once flew out these winged gallants gay Tide each to each in such a friendly linke That eu'n the least did with the greatest playe The doue with hawks the chickens with the kite Fearelesse of wrong rage cruelty or spite Pert marlins then no grudge to larkes did beare Fierce goshawkes with the Phesants had no warre Rau'ns did not then the Eagles talens feare Twixt Cuckoes and the Titlings was no iarre But coasted one another eu'ry where In friendly sort as louers woonted were For loue alone rul'd all in eu'ry kind As though all were of one and selfe same mind How safely then did these my Turtle-soules Disport themselues in Phoebus cheerefull shine How boldly flew they by the iayes and owles Dreadlesse of crooked beakes or fiery eyen Nay who in all the flocks of winged foules Said once in heart This pris'oner shal be mine When none as yet made other warre or strife Then such as Hymen makes twixt man wife But since the fall of parents pufft with pride Not onely men were stainde in viciousnesse But birdes and beasts and wormes and flies beside Declining from their former perfitnesse Did by degrees to imperfections slide Tainted with pride wrath enuie and excesse Yea then the husband of one onely henne Was afterwards contented scarse with tenne Hence gowts in cocks and swelling paines appeare Hence Partridge loynes so feeble we do view Hence sparrow treaders liue out scarce a yeare Hence leprosie the Cuckoes ouergrew Breefely none did in true loue perseuere But these white Butterflies and Turtles true Who both in life and death do ne're forsake Her whom they once espoused for their make They choose not like to other birds and beasts This yeare one wife another wife the next Their choyse is certaine and still certaine rests With former loues their mindes are not perplext Hee yeeldes to her she yeelds to his requests Neither with feare nor ielosie is vext She clippeth him hee clippeth her againe Equall their ioy and equall is their paine Remember this you fickle hearted Sires Whom lust transporteth from your peereles Dames To scorch your selues at foule and forraine fires Wasting your health and wealth in filthie games Learne hence I say to bridle badde desires Quenching in time your hot and furious flames Let little flies teach great men to be iust And not to yeeld braue mindes a prey to lust When thus they were created the first day Alike in bignesse feature forme and age Cladde both alike in soft and white array And set vppon this vniuersall stage Their seuerall parts and feates thereon to play Amidst the rest of natures equipage Who then suppos'd as since some fooles haue thought That little things were made seru'd for nought Diswitted dolts that huge things wonder at And to your cost coast daily ile from ile To see a Norway whale or Libian cat A Carry-castle or a Crocodile If leane Ephesian or th'Abderian fat Liu'd now and saw your madnesse but a while What streaming flouds would gush out of theyr eies To see great wittols little things despise When looke as costliest spice is in small bagges And little springs do send foorth cleerest flouds And sweetest Iris beareth shortest flagges And weakest Ofiers bind vp mighty woods And greatest hearts make euer smallest bragges And little caskets hold our richest goods So both in Art and Nature tis most cleere That greatest worths in smallest things appeare What wise man euer did so much admire Neroes Colossus fiue score cubits hie As Theodorus Image cast with fire Holding his file in right hand hansomly In left his paire of compasses and squire With horses Coach and footmen running by So liuely made that one might see them all Yet was the whole worke than a flie more small Nay for to speake of things more late and rife Who will not more admire those famous Fleas Made so by art that art imparted life Making them skippe and on mens hands to seaze And let out bloud with taper-poynted knife Which from a secret sheat he ranne out with ease Thē those great coches which thēselues did driue With bended scrues like things that were aliue Ingenious Germane how didst thou conuey Thy Springs thy Scrues thy rowells and thy flie Thy cogs thy wardes thy laths how didst thou lay How did thy hand each peece to other tie O that this age enioy'd thee but one day To shew thy Fleas to faithlesse gazers eye That great admirers might both say and see In smallest
that once their bottoms are begunne Not one suruiues to see the tenth dayes sunne Go gallant youths and die with gallant cheere For other bodyes shortly must you haue Of higher sort then you enioyed here Of worthier state and of a shape more braue Lie but three weekes within your silken beere Till Syrian dogge be drownd in westerne waue And in a moment then mongst flying things Receiue not feete alone but also wings Wings whiter then the snow of Taurus hie Feete fairer then Adonis euer had Heads bodies breasts and necks of Iuory With perfit fauour and like beautie clad Which to commend with some varietie And shadow as it were with colour sad Two little duskie feathers shall arise From forehead white to grace your Eben eyes Then neither shall you see the bottome moue Nor any noyse perceiue with quickest eare Death rules in all beneath in midst aboue Wherefore make haste you damsels voyd of feare Shake off delay as ere you profit loue In boxes straite away your bottoms beare Freed from the coffin wherin late they wrought To gaine the golden fleece you so much sought First pull away the loose and outmost doune As huswiues do their ends of knottie towe That which lies vpmost is of least renowne The finest threed is placed most below Threed fitte for kings vnmeete for euery clowne On Natures quill so wound vp rowe by rowe That if thine eye and hand the end can find In water warme thou maist it all vnwind Three sorts there are distinct by colours three The purest like to their resplendant haire Who weeping brothers fal from coursers free Their teares were turn'd to yellow amber faire The second like her whom impatiencie Made of a spouse a tree most solitary The last more white made by the weaker sort Not of so great a price nor like report From out al three but chiefly from the best Are made not onely robes for priests and kings But also many cordial medcius blest Curing the wounds that fullen Saturne brings Which being drunk how quiet is our rest How leaps out hart how inwardly it springs Speake you sad spirits that did lately feele The hart-breake crush of melancholies wheele Nay euen the doune which lies aloft confusde Makes Leuant stuffe for country yonkers meete Though it of court and cittie be refusde And is not worne in any ciuill streete But tel me yer how can he be excusde VVho trampled eu'n the best with mired feete And in a moment marr'd al that with pride For making which tenne thousand spinsters dide Now if of these your bottoms you require Some to reserue for future race and seede Chuse out the eldest for their forward fire Makes inward flye the sooner spring and breede Whereas the latter ones haue least desire And lesser might to perfit Venus deede For why their pride is dul and spirits colde Borne in the quarter last of Iune olde Wind none of them which you for breede allot In watrie bath nor else in wine or lye Lest outward moisture innly being got Surrounding drownes the little infant-flye And cause both strings and secundine to rotte So that before it liues it learnes to dye Or if you haue them drenched so for gaine At sunne or fire to dry them take some paine Singled then laye them on a table neate Couered al o're with white Philliraes skinne Stay then againe till Phoebus chariot great In Oceans bath hath twelue times washed bin And you shal see an admirable feate This form'd and yet transformed broode within From which new shapes new bodies do arise And tailes to heads and worms are turn'd to flies Whereat to wonder each man may be bold When seely worms themselues new fliers made Whilst one anothers face they do behold Muse how and when where this forme they had How new hornes sprang frō out their foreheads old Whence issued wings which do them ouer-lade For they recording what they were of late Dare not yet mount aboue their former state As studying thus they stand a day or more Offring to feede on nought but onely aire Lothing the meate so much desir'd before I meane the leaues of Thisbes tree most faire Disdaining eke to taste of Nais store To quench the heate that might their harts impaire At length they know themselues to be aliue And fal to that for which our wantons striue Both long and longing skud to Venus forts To stirre vp seed that euer may remaine He runnes to her and she to him resorts Each mutually the other entertaine Ioynd with fuch lincks and glue of natures sports That coupled stil they rest a day or twaine Yea oftentimes thrise turnes the welkin round Ere they are seene vnlocked and vnbound So hauing left what e're he could impart Of spirits humors seede and recrement Willing yet further to haue throwne his hart Into her breast to whom he all things ment He formost dies and yeelds to fatal dart Ne liues she long but strait with sorrow spent Hauing first laide the egges she did conceiue Of loue and life she shortly takes her leaue Smal egges they be in bignesse colour shape Like to the meate of Indian Parrachite Lesse farre in view then seed of garden rape In number many yet indefinite For when the females womb begins to gape And render what the male got ouer night Now more now fewer seeds dropt from the same As they were short or longer at their game Yet seldome are they than a hundred lesse Sometimes two hundred from their loynes do fall Round smooth hard-shelld and voide of brittlenes Whited alike and yellow yolked all Whose vertues great no man did yet expresse Much lesse can I whose knowledge is so smal Though sure I am hence may we find a theame Able to drink vp Aganippes streame O keepe them then with most attentiue heede From Boreas blast and Aeols insolence From menstruous blasts breathing keep thē freed Auoide likewise the mil-dewes influence Pray heau'nly Monarch fot to blesse your seede Helping their weaknesse with his prouidence So may your milk-white spinsters worke amaine When Morus lippes shal bud and blush againe And thou whose trade is best and oldest too Steward of all that euer Nature gaue VVithout whose help what can our rulers doo Though gods on earth appareld wondrous braue Behold thy helping hand faire virgins wooe Yea nature bids and reason eake doth craue Thy cunning now these little worms to nurse VVhich shal in time with gold fill full thy purse In steed of fruitles elms and sallowes gray Of brittle Ash and poyson-breathing vgh Plant Mulb'ry trees nigh euery path and way Shortly from whence more profit shal ensue Then from th'Hesperian wood or orchards gay On euery tree where golden apples grew For what is silke but eu'n a Quintessence Made without hands beyond al humane sense A quintessence nay