With Lullaby your dreames deceiue And when you rise with waking eye Remember then this Lullabye Euer or Neuer The lamentation of a louer NOw haue I found the waie to wéepe wayle my fill Now can I ende my dolfull dayes so content my will. The way to weepe inough for such as list to wayle Is this to go abord the ship where pleasure beareth sayle And there to marke the iestes of euery ioyfull wight And with what winde and waue they fléet to nourish their delight For as the striken Deare that séeth his fellowes féede Amid the lustie heard vnhurt féeles himselfe to bléede Or as the seely byrd that with the Bolte is brusd And lieth aloofe among the leaues of al hir pheares refusd And heares them sing full shrill yet cannot she reioyce Nor frame one warbling note to passe out of hir mournfull voyce Euen so I finde by proofe that pleasure dubleth payne Vnto a wretched wounded hart which doth in woe remaine I passe where pleasure is I heare some sing for ioye I sée som laugh som other daūce in spight of darke anoy But out alas my mind amends not by their myrth I déeme al pleasurs to be paine that dwell aboue the earth Such heauy humors féede the bloud that lendes me breath As mery medcins cannot serue to keepe my corps from death Spraeta tamen viuunt Certaine verses written to a Gentlewoman whome hee liked very wel and yet had neuer any oportunity to discouer his affection being alwayes bridled by ielouse lookes which attended them both and therefore gessing by hir lokes that she partly also liked him he wrote in a booke of nirs as foloweth being termed with the rest that follow the lokes of a louer enamoured THou with thy lookes on whom I loke full ofte And find there in great cause of déepe delight Thy face is fayre thy skin is smoth and softe Thy lippes are swéet thine eyes are cléere and bright And euery part séemes pleasant in my sight Yet wote thou well those lokes haue wrought my wo Bicause I loue to looke vpon them so For first those lookes allurd mine eye to loke And strayght mine eye stird vp my hart to loue And cruell loue with déepe deceitfull hooke Chokt vp my mind whom fancie cannot moue Nor hope reléeue nor other helpe behoue But still to loke and though I loke to much Néedes must I loke bicause I see none such Thus in thy lookes my loue and life haue hold And with such life my death drawes on a pace And for such death no medcine can be told But loking still vpon thy louely face Wherin are painted pitie peace and grace Then though thy lokes should cause me for to dye Néedes must I looke bicause I liue therby Since then thy lookes my lyfe haue so in thrall As I can like none other lookes but thine Lo here I yéelde my lyfe my loue and all Into thy hands and all things else resigne But libertie to gaze vpon thyne eyen Which when I doe then think it were thy part To looke again and linke with me in hart Si fortunatus infoelix VVith these verses you shall iudge the quicke capacitie of the Lady for she wrote thereunder this short aunswere Looke as long as you lyst but surely if I take you looking I will looke with you ¶ And for a further proofe of this Dames quicke vnderstanding you shall now vnderstande that sone after this aunswere of hirs the same Aucthour chansed to be at a supper in hir company where were also hir brother hir husband and an old louer of hirs by whom shee had bene long suspected Nowe although there wanted no delicate viandes to content them yet their chiefe repast was by entreglancing of lokes For the Aucthour being stong with hotte affection coulde none otherwyse relieue his passion but by gazing And the Dame of a curteous enclination deigned nowe and then to requite the same with glancing at him Hir olde louer occupied his eyes with watching and her brother perceiuing all this coulde not abstaine from winking whereby hee might putte his Syster in remembraunce least she shoulde too much forget hir selfe But most of all her husbande beholding the first and being euyll pleased with the seconde scarce contented with the thirde and misconstruing the fourth was constrayned to playe the fifth part in frowarde frowning This royall banquet thus passed ouer the Aucthor knowing that after supper they should passe the tyme in propounding of Ryddles and making of purposes contriued all this conceipt in a Riddle as followeth The which was no soner pronoūced but shee coulde perfectly perceiue his intent and draue out one nayle with another as also enseweth His Ryddle I Cast mine eye and sawe ten eyes at once All séemelye set vppon one louely face Twoo gaz'd twoo glanc'd twoo watched for the nonce Twoo winked wiles twoo fround with froward grace Thus euerye eye was pitched in his place And euerye eye which wrought eche others wo Saide to it selfe alas why lookt I so And euerye eye for ielousie did pine And sigh'd and sayde I would that eye were mine Si fortunatus infoelix ¶ In all this louelie company vvas not one that coulde and would expound the meaning hereof At last the Dame hir selfe aunswered on this wise Syr quod she because your darke speach is much to curious for this simple company I wyl bee so bolde as to quit one question with another And when you haue aunswered mine it maye fall out peraduenture that I shall somewhat the better iudge of yours Hir Question WHat thing is that which swimmes in blisse And yet consumes in burning griefe Which being plaste where pleasure is Can yet recouer no reliefe Which sées to sighe and sighes to sée All this is one what maye it bée ¶ He held him selfe herevvith contented and aftervvardes when they vvere better acquainted he chaunsed once groping in hir pocket to find a letter of hir olde louers and thynking it vvere better to vvincke than vtterlye to put out his eyes seemed not to vnderstande this first offence but soone after finding a lemman the vvhich he thought he savve hir olde lemman put there he deuised therof thus and deliuered it vnto hir in vvriting I Grooped in thy pocket pretty peate And found a Lemman which I looked not So found I once which nowe I must repeate Both leaues and letters which I lyked not Such hap haue I to finde and séeke it not But since I sée no faster meanes to bind them I wyll hencefoorth take Lemmans as I finde them The Dame vvithin verie short space dyd aunsvvere it thus A Lymone but no Lemmane Syr you found For Lemmans beare their name to broade before The which since it hath giuen you such a wound That you séeme now offended very sore Content your selfe you shall find there no more But take your Lemmans henceforth where you lust For I wyll shewe my letters where I trust ¶ The lookes of a
now ere long in brauery The tender buddes whom colde hath long kept in Will spring and sproute as they do now begin But I alas within whose mourning minde The graffes of grief are onely giuen to growe Cannot enioy the spring which others finde But still my will must wither all in woe The cold of care so nippes my ioyes at roote No sunne doth shine that well can do them boote The lustie Ver which whilome might exchange My griefe to ioy and then my ioyes encrease Springs now else where and showes to me but strange My winters woe therefore can neuer cease In other coasts his sunne full cleare doth shine And comforts lends to eu'ry mould but mine What plant can spring that féeles no force of Ver What floure can florish where no sunne doth shine These Bales quod she within my breast I beare To breake my barke and make my pith to pine Néedes must I fall I fade both roote and rinde My braunches bowe at blast of eu'ry winde This sayed shée cast a glance and spied my face By sight whereof Lord how she chaunged hew So that for shame I turned backe a pace And to my home my selfe in hast I drew And as I could hir woofull wordes reherse I set them downe in this waymenting verse Now Ladies you that know by whom I sing And feele the winter of such frozen wills Of curtesie yet cause this noble spring To send his sunne aboue the highest hilles And so to shyne vppon hir fading sprayes Which now in woe do wyther thus alwayes Spraeta tamen viuunt An absent Dame thus complayneth MVch like the séely Byrd which close in Cage is pent So sing I now not notes of ioye but layes of déepe lament And as the hooded Hauke which heares the Partrich spring Who though she féele hir self fast tied yet beats hir bating wing So striue I now to shewe my feeble forward will Although I know my labour lost to hop against the Hill. The droppes of darke disdayne did neuer drench my hart For well I know I am belou'd if that might ease my smart Ne yet the priuy coales of glowing iellosie Could euer kindle néedlesse feare within my fantasie The rigor of repulse doth not renew my playnt Nor choyce of change doth moue my mone nor force me thus to faint Onely that pang of payne which passeth all the rest And cankerlike doth fret the hart within the giltlesse brest Which is if any bee most like the panges of death That present grief now gripeth me striues to stop my breath When friendes in mind may méete and hart in hart embrace And absent yet are faine to playne for lacke of time and place Then may I compt their loue like séede that soone is sowen Yet lacking droppes of heauēly dew with wéedes is ouergrowē The Greyhound is agréeu'd although he sée his game If stil in slippe he must be stayde when he would chase the same So fares it now by me who know my selfe belou'd Of one the best in eche respect that euer yet was prou'd But since my lucklesse lot forbids me now to taste The dulcet fruites of my delight therfore in woes I wast And Swallow like I sing as one enforced so Since others reape the gaineful crop which I with pain did sow Yet you that marke my song excuse my Swallowes voyce And beare with hir vnpleasant tunes which cannot wel reioyce Had I or lucke in loue or lease of libertie Then should you heare some swéeter notes so cléere my throte would be But take it thus in grée and marke my playnsong well No hart féeles so much hurt as that which doth in absence dwell Spraeta tamen viuunt In prayse of a Countesse DEsire of Fame would force my féeble skill To prayse a Countesse by hir dew desert But dread of blame holds backe my forward will And quencht the coales which kindled in my hart Thus am I plongd twene dread and déepe desire To pay the dew which dutie doth require And when I call the mighty Gods in ayd To further forth some fine inuention My bashefull spirits be full ill afrayd To purchase payne by my presumption Such malice reignes sometimes in heauenly minds To punish him that prayseth as he finds For Pallas first whose filed flowing skill Should guyde my pen some pleasant words to write With angry mood hath fram'd a froward will To dashe deuise as oft as I endite For why if once my Ladies gifts were knowne Pallas should loose the prayses of hir owne And bloudy Mars by chaunge of his delight Hath made Ioues daughter now mine enemie In whose conceipt my Countesse shines so bright That Venus pines for burning ielousie She may go home to Vulcane now agayne For Mars is sworne to be my Ladies swayne Of hir bright beames Dan Phoebus stands in dread And shames to shine within our Horizon Dame Cynthia holds in hir horned head For feare to loose by like comparison Lo thus shée liues and laughes them all to skorne Countesse on earth in heauen a Goddesse borne And I sometimes hir seruaunt now hir friend Whom heauen and earth for hir thus hate and blame Haue yet presume in friendly wise to spend This ragged verse in honor of hir name A simple gift compared by the skill Yet what may séeme so déere as such good will. Meritum petere graue The Louer declareth his affection togither with the cause thereof WHen first I thée beheld in colours black and white Thy face in forme wel framde with fauor blooming stil My burning brest in cares did choose his chief delight With pen to painte thy prayse contrary to my skill Whose worthinesse compar'd with this my rude deuise I blush and am abasht this worke to enterprise But when I call to mind thy sundry gifts of grace Full fraught with maners méeke in happy quiet mind My hasty hand forthwith doth scribble on apace Least willing hart might thinke it ment to come behind Thus do both hand and hart these carefull méetres vse Twixt hope and trembling feare my duetie to excuse Wherfore accept these lines and banish darke disdayne Be sure they come from one that loueth thée in chief And guerdon me thy friend in like with loue agayne So shalt thou well be sure to yéeld me such relief As onely may redresse my sorrowes and my smart For proofe whereof I pledge deare Dame to thée my hart Meritum petere graue A Lady being both wronged by false suspect and also wounded by the durance of hir husband doth thus bewray hir grief GIue me my Lute in bed now as I lie And lock the doores of mine vnluckie bower So shall my voyce in mournefull verse discrie The secrete smart which causeth me to lower Resound you walles an Eccho to my mone And thou cold bed wherein I lie alone Beare witnesse yet what rest thy Lady takes When other sléepe which may enioy their makes In prime of youth when Cupide kindled fire And warmd
put me from my wonted place And déepe deceipte hath wrought a wyle to wrest me out of grace Wyll home againe to cart as fitter were for mée Then thus in court to serue and starue where such proude porters bée Si fortunatus infoelix ¶ This question being propounded by a Dame vnto the Aucthour to witte why he should write Spreta tamen viuunt he aunswereth thus DEspysed things may liue although they pine in payne And things ofte trodden vnder foote may once yet rise againe The stone that lieth full lowe may clime at last full hye And stand a loft on stately towr's in sight of euery eye The cruell Axe which felles the trée that grew full straight Is worne with rust when it renewes and springeth vp on height The rootes of rotten Réedes in swelling seas are seene And when eche tide hath tost his worst they grow againe ful gréene Thus much to please my selfe vnpleasauntly I sing And shrich to ease my morning minde in spite of enuies sting I am nowe set full light who earst was dearely lou'd Som new foūd choise is more estemd than that which wel was prou'd Some Diomede is crept into Dame Cressides hart And trustie Troylus nowe is taught in vaine to playne his part What resteth then for me but thus to wade in wo And hang in hope of better chaunce when chaunge appointeth so I sée no sight on earth but it to Chaunge enclines As litle clowdes oft ouercast the brightest Sunne that shines No Flower is so freshe but frost can it deface No man so sure in any seate but he maye léese his place So that I stand content though much against my mind To take in worth this lothsome lot which luck to me assynd And trust to sée the time when they that nowe are vp May féele the whirle of fortunes whéele and tast of sorrowes cup. God knoweth I wishe it not it had bene bet for mée Styll to haue kept my quiet chayre in hap of high degrée But since without recure Dame Chaunge in loue must raigne I now wish chaunge that sought no chaūge but constāt did remaine And if suche chaunge do chaunce I vowe to clap my hands And laugh at them which laught at me lo thus my fansie standes Spreta tamen viuunt ¶ In trust is Treason written by a Louer leaning onelye to his Ladies promises and finding them to fayle THe straightest Trée that growes vpon one onely roote If that roote fayle wyll quickly fade no props can do it boote I am that fading plant which on thy grace dyd growe Thy grace is gone wherefore I mone and wither all in woe The tallest ship that sailes if shée too Ancors trust When Ancors slip Cables breake her helpe lyes in the dust I am the ship my selfe mine Ancor was thy faith Which now is fled thy promise broke I am driuen to death Who climeth oft on hie and trusts the rotten bowe If that bow breake may catch a fall such state stand I in now Me thought I was a loft and yet my seate full sure Thy heart dyd séeme to me a rock which euer might endure And sée it was but sand whome seas of subtiltie Haue soked so with wanton waues that faith was forst to flye The flooddes of ficklenesse haue vndermined so The first foundation of my ioy that myrth is ebb'd to wo. Yet at lowe water markes I lye and wayte my time To mend the breach but all in vaine it cannot passe the prime For when the prime flood comes which all this rage begoon Then waues of wyll do worke so fast my piles are ouer roon Dutie and dilligence which are my workmen there Are glad to take vp fooles in haste and run away for feare For fansie hath such force it ouerfloweth all And whispring tales do blow the blasts that make it ryse fall Thus in these tempests tost my restles life doth stand Because I builded on thy wodres as I was borne in hand Thou weart that only stake wereby I ment to stay Alas alas thou stoodst so weake the hedge is borne away By thee I thought to liue by thee now must Idye I made thee my Phisicion thou art my mallady For thee I longde to liue for thée nowe welcome death And welcome be that happie pang that stops my gasping breath Twise happie were that axe would cut my rotes downe right And sacred were that swelling sea which would consume me quight Blest were that bowe would breake to bring downe climing youth Which craks aloft and quakes full oft for feare of thine vntruth Ferenda Natura The constancie of a louer hath thus sometimes bene briefly declared THat selfe same tonge which first did thée entreat To linke thy liking with my lucky loue That trustie tonge must nowe these wordes repeate I loue thee still my fancie cannot moue That dreadlesse hart which durst attempt the thought To win thy will with mine for to consent Maintaines that vow which loue in me first wrought I loue thee still and neuer shall repent That happie hande which hardely did touch Thy tender body to my déepe delight Shall serue with sword to proue my passion such As loues thee still much more than it can write Thus loue I still with tongue hand hart and all And when I chaunge let vengeance on me fall Ferenda Natura ¶ The fruite of foes written to a Gentlewoman who blamed him for writing his friendly aduise in verse vnto another louer of hyrs THe cruell hate which boyles within thy burning brest And séekes to shape a sharpe reuenge on them that loue thée best May warne all faithfull friendes in case of ieopardie Howe they shall put their harmelesse hands betwéene the barck trée And I among the rest which wrote this weary song Must nedes alledge in my defence that thou hast done me wrong For if in simple verse I chaunc'd to touch thy name And toucht the same without reproch was I therefore to blame And if of great good will I gaue my best aduise Then thus to blame without cause why me thinkes thou art not wise Amongst olde written tales this one I beare in mind A simple soule much like my selfe dyd once a serpent find Which almost dead for colde lay moyling in the myre When he for pittie tooke it vp and brought it to the fyre No sooner was the Snake recured of hir griefe But straight shée sought to hurt the man that lent hir such reliefe Such Serpent séemest thou such simple soule am I That for the weight of my good wil am blam'd without cause why But as it best beseemes the harmelesse gentle hart Rather to take an open wrong than for to plaine his part I must and will endure thy spite without repent The blame is mine the triumph thine and I am well content Meritum petere graue A Louer often warned and once againe drouen into fantasticall flames by the chase of company doth thus bewayle his misfortunes I That
my race of youthfull yéeres had roon Alwayes vntyed and not but once in thrall Euen I which had the fieldes of fréedome woon And liu'd at large and playde with pleasurs ball Lo nowe at last am tane agayne and taught To tast such sorowes as I neuer sought I loue I loue alas I loue indéede Ierie alas but no man pityes me My woundes are wide yet seme they not to bléed And hidden woundes are hardly heald we sée Such is my lucke to catch a sodain clappe Of great mischaunce in séeking my good happe My morning minde which dwelt and dyed in dole Sought company for solace of the same My cares were cold and craued comforts coale To warme my will with flakes of friendly flame I sought and found I crau'd and did obtaine I woon my wish and yet I got no gaine For whiles I sought the cheare of company Fayre fellowship did wonted woes reuiue And crauing medcine for my maladie Dame pleasures plasters prou'd a corosiue So that by myrth I reapt no fruite but mone Much worse I fere than when I was alone The cause is this my lot did light to late The Byrdes were flowen before I found the nest The stéede was stollen before I shut the gate The cates consumd before I smelt the feast And I fond foole with emptie hand must call The gorged Hauke which likes no lure at all Thus still I toyle to till the barraine land And grope for grappes among the bramble briers I striue to saile and yet I sticke on sand I déeme to liue yet drowne in déepe desires These lottes of loue are fitte for wanton will Which findes too much yet must be séeking still Meritum petere graue The louer encouraged by former examples determineth to make vertue of necessitie WHen I record with in my musing mind The noble names of wightes bewicht in loue Such solace for my selfe therin I finde As nothing maye my fixed fansie moue But paciently I will endure my wo Because I sée the heauens ordayne it so For whiles I read and ryfle their estates In euery tale I note mine owne anoye But whiles I marke the meanings of their mates I séeme to swime in such a sugred ioye As did parcase entise them to delight Though turnd at last to drugges of sower despite Peruse who list Dan Dauids perfect déedes There shall he find the blot of Bersabe Wheron to thinke my heauy hart it bléedes When I compare my loue like hir to be Vrias wife before mine eyes that shines And Dauid I from dutie that declines Then Salomon this princely Peophetes sonne Did Pharaos daughter make him fall or no Yes yes perdie his wisdome coulde not shoone Hir subtill snares nor from hir counsell go I nam as hée the wisest wight of all But well I wot a woman holdes me thrall So am I lyke the proude Assirian Knight Which blasphem'd God and all the world defied Yet could a woman ouercome his might And daunt his force in all his Pompe and Pride I Holiferne am dronken brought to bead My loue lyke Iudith cutting of my head If I were strong as some haue made accompt Whose forre is like to that which Sampson had If I be bolde whose courage can surmount The heart of Hercules which nothing drad Yet Dalila and Deyanyraes loue Dyd teach them both such panges as I must proue Well let these passe and thinke on Nasoes name Whose skilfull verse dyd flowe in learned style Dyd hée thinke you not dote vpon his Dame Corinna fayre dyd shée not him beguile Yes God he knowes for verse nor pleasaunt rymes Can constant kéepe the key of Cressides crimes So that to ende my tale as I began I see the good the wise the stoute the bolde The strongest champion and the learnedst man Haue bene and bée by lust of loue controlde Which when to thinke I hold me well content To liue in loue and neuer to repen◠Meritum petere graue The delectable history of sundry aduentures passed by Dan Bartholmew of Bathe The Reporter TO tell a tale without authoritye Or fayne a Fable by inuencion That one procéedes of quicke capacitye That other proues but small discretion Yet haue both one and other oft bene done And if I were a Poet as some be You might perhappes here some such tale of me But far I fynde my féeble skyll to faynt To faine in figurs as the learned can And yet my tongue is tyde by due constraint To tell nothing but trueth of euery man I will assay euen as I first began To tell you nowe a tale and that of truth Which I my selfe sawe proued in my youth I néede not séeke so farre in costes abrode As some men do which write strange historyes For whiles at home I made my cheife abode And sawe our louers plaie their Tragedyes I found enough which séemed to suffice To set on worke farre finer wittes than mine In paynting out the pangs which make them pine Amongst the rest I most remember one Which was to me a déere familyar friend Whose doting dayes since they be paste and gone And his annoye neare come vnto an ende Although he séeme his angry brow to bend I wyll be bold by his leaue for to tell The restlesse state wherein he long dyd dwell Learned he was and that became him best For though by birth he came of worthy race Yet beutie byrth braue personage and the rest In euery choyce must needes giue learning place And as for him he had so hard a grace That by aspect he seemde a simple man And yet by learning much renowne he wan His name I hide and yet for this discourse Let call his name Dan Bartholmew of Bathe Since in the ende he thither had recourse And as he sayd dyd skamble there in skathe In déede the rage which wrong him there was rathe As by this tale I thinke your selfe will gesse And then with me his lothsome lyfe confesse For though he had in all his learned lore Both redde good rules to bridle fantasie And all good authours taugh him euermore To loue the meane and leaue extremitie Yet kind hath lent him such a qualitie That at the last he quite forgat his bookes And fastned fansie with the fairest lookes For proofe when gréene youth lept out of his eye And left him now a man of middle age His happe was yet with wandring lookes to spie A fayre yong impe of proper personage Eke borne as he of honest parentage And truth to tell my skill it cannot serue To praise hir bewtie as it dyd deserue First for hir head the béeres were not of Gold But of some other metall farre more fine Whereof eache crinet seemed to behold Like glistring wiers against the Sunne that shine And therewithall the blazing of hir eyne Was like the beames of Titan truth to tell Which glads vs all that in this world do dwell Vpon hir chéekes the Lillie and the Rose Did entremeete with equall change
the rockes And though I saw thée séeme to hang the lyppe And set my great good wyll as light as flockes Yet hauld I in the mayne sheate of the minde And stayed thy course by ancors of aduice I woon thy wyll into a better winde To saue thy ware which was of precious price And when I had so harbored thy Barke In happy hauen which saufer was than Douer The Admyrall which knewe it by the marke Streight challengde all and sayd thou wert a rouer Then was I forst in thy behalfe to pleade Yea so I dyd the Iudge can saye no lesse And whiles in toyle this lothsome life I leade Camest thou thy selfe the faulte for to confesse And downe on knée before thy cruell foe Dydst pardon craue accusing me for all And saydst I was the cause that thou didst so And that I spoone the thred of all thy thrall Not so content thou furthermore didst sweare That of thy selfe thou neuer ment to swerue For proofe wherof thou didst the colours weare Which might bewray what saint thou ment to serue And that thy blood was sacrificed eke To manyfest thy stedfast martyrd mynde Till I perforce constraynd thée for to séeke These raging seas aduentures thereto finde Alas alas and out alas for me Who am enforced thus for to repeate The false reports and cloked guyles of thée Whereon to oft my restlesse thoughts do beate But thus it was and thus God knowes it is Which when I founde by playne and perfect proofe My musing minde then thought it not amisse To shrinke aside lamenting all aloofe And so to beate my simple shiftlesse brayne For some deuice that might redéeme thy state Lo here the cause for why I take this payne Lo how I loue the wight which me doth hate Lo thus I lye and restlesse rest in Bathe Whereas I bathe not now in blisse pardie But boyle in Bale and skamble thus in skathe Bycause I thinke on thine vnconstancie And wylt thou knowe howe here I spend my time And howe I drawe my dayes in dolours styll Then staye a while giue eare vnto my rime So shalt thou know the weight of all my wyll When Titan is constrained to forsake His Lemans couche and clymeth to his carte Then I begin to languishe for thy sake And with a sighe which maye bewray my smarte I cleare mine eyes whome gumme of teares had glewed And vp on foote I set my ghostly corse And when the stony walles haue oft renewed My pittious plaintes with Ecchoes of remorce Then doe I crye and call vpon thy name And thus I saye thou curst and cruell bothe Beholde the man which taketh griefe for game And loueth them which most his name doe lothe Behold the man which euer truely ment And yet accusde as aucthour of thine yll Behold the man which all his life hath spent To serue thy selfe and aye to worke thy wyll Behold the man which onely for thy loue Dyd loue himselfe whome else he set but light Behold the man whose blood for thy behoue Was euer prest to shed it selfe outright And canst thou nowe condemne his loyaltie And canst thou craft to flatter such a friend And canst thou sée him sincke in ieoperdie And canst thou seeke to bring his life to ende Is this the right reward for such desart Is this the fruite of seede so timely sowne Is this the price appointed for his part Shall trueth be thus by treason ouerthrowne Then farewell faith thou art no womans pheare And with that word I staye my tongue in time With rolling eyes I loke about eache where Least any man should heare my rauing rime And all in rage enraged as I am I take my sheete my slippers and my Gowne And in the Bathe from whence but late I came I cast my selfe in dollours there to drowne There all alone I can my selfe conueye Into some corner where I sit vnseene And to my selfe there naked can I saye Behold these braune falne armes which once haue bene Both large and lustie able for to fight Nowe are they weake and wearishe God he knowes Vnable now to daunt the fowle despight Which is presented by my cruel foes My thighes are thin my body lanck and leane It hath no bumbast now but skin and bones And on mine Elbowe as I lye and leane I sée a trustie token for the nones I spie a bracelet bounde about mine arme Which to my shaddowe séemeth thus to saye Beleeue not me for I was but a Charme To make thée sleepe when others went to playe And as I gaze thus galded all with griefe I finde it fazed almost quite in sunder Then thinke I thus thus wasteth my reliefe And though I fade yet to the world no wonder For as this lace by leysure learnes to weare So must I faint euen as the Candle wasteth These thoughts déere swéet within my brest I beare And to my long home thus my life it hasteth Herewith I téele the droppes of sweltring sweate Which trickle downe my face enforced so And in my body féele I lykewise beate A burning heart which tosseth too and fro Thus all in flames I sinderlyke consume And were it not that wanhope lendes me wynde Soone might I fret my facyes all in fume And lyke a Ghost my ghost his graue might finde But frysing hope doth blowe ful in my face And colde of cares becommes my cordiall So that I styl endure that yrksome place Where sorrowe seethes to skalde my skinne withal And when from thence or company me drieus Or weary woes do make me change my seate Then in my bed my restlesse paines reuiues Vntil my fellowes call me downe to meate And when I ryse my corpse for to araye I take the glasse sometimes but not for pride For God he knowes my minde is not so gaye But for I would in comelynesse abyde I take the glasse wherein I seeme to sée Such wythred wrinckles and so fowle disgrace That lytle maruaile séemeth it to mée Though thou so well dydst like the noble face The noble face was faire and freshe of hewe My wrinckled face is fowle and fadeth fast The noble face was vnto thée but newe My wrinckled face is olde and cleane outcast The noble face might moue thée with delight My wrinckled face could neuer please thine eye Loe thus of crime I couet thée to quite And styll accuse my selfe of Surcuydry As one that am vnworthy to enioye The lasting fruite of suche a loue as thine Thus am I tickled styll with euery toye And when my Fellowes call me downe to dyne No chaunge of meate prouokes mine appetite Nor sauce can serue to taste my meates withall Then I deuise the iuyce of grapes to dight For Sugar and for Sinamon I call For Ginger Graines and for eche other spice Wherewith I mixe the noble Wine apace My Fellowes prayse the depth of my deuise And saye it is as good as Ippocrace As Ippocrace saye I and then I swelt
men as maye confesse with me How contrary the lots of loue to all true louers bée Let Patience be the Priest the Clarke be Close conceipt The Sertin be Simplicitie which meaneth no disceipt Let almes of Loue be delt euen at the Chaunsell doore And feede them there with freshe delayes as I haue bene of yore Then let the yongest sort be set to ring Loues Bels And pay Repentance for their paines but giue thē nothing else Thus when the Dirge is done let euery man depart And learne by me what harme it is to haue a faithfull hart Those litle landes I haue mine heyre must needes possesse His name is Lust the landes be losse few louers scape with lesse The rest of all my goodes which I not here rehearse Giue learned Poets for their paines to decke my Tombe with verse And let them write these wordes vpon my carefull chest Lo here he lies that was as true in loue as is the best Alas I had forgot the Parsons dewe to paye And so my soule in Purgatorye might remaine alway Then for my priuie Tythes as kysses caught by stealth Sweete collinges such other knackes as multiplied my wealth I giue the Vickar here to please his gréedie wyll A deintie dishe of suger soppes but saust with sorrow stil And twise a wéeke at least let dight them for his dishe On Fridayes and on wednesdaies to saue expence of fishe Nowe haue I much bequeathed and litle left behinde And others mo must yet be serued or else I were vnkinde Wet eyes and wayling wordes Executours I make And for their paines ten pound of teares let either of them take Let sorrow at the last my Suprauisor be And stedfastnesse my surest steade I giue him for his fée Yet in his pattent place this Sentence of prouiso That he which loueth stedfastly shall want no sauce of sorrow Thus now I make an ende of this my wearie wyll And signe it with my simple hand and set my seale there tyll And you which reade my wordes although they be in rime Yet reason may perswade you eke Thus louers dote sometime The Subscription and seale MY mansion house was Mone from Dolours dale I came I Fato Non Fortuna hight lo now you know my name My seale is sorrowes sythe within a fielde of flame Which cuts in twaine a carefull heart that sweltreth in the same Fato non Fortuna ALas lo now I heare the passing Bell Which Care appointeth carefullye to knoule And in my brest I féele my heart now swell To breake the stringes which ioynde it to my soule The Crystall yse which lent mine eyes their light Doth now waxe dym and dazeled all with dread My senses all wyll now forsake me quite And hope of health abandoneth my head My wearie tongue can talke no longer now My trembling hand nowe leaues my penne to hold My ioynts nowe stretch my body cannot bowe My skinne lookes pale my blood now waxeth cold And are not these the very panges of death Yes sure sweete heart I know them so to bée They be the panges which striue to stop my breath They be the panges which part my loue from thée What sayd I Loue Nay life but not my loue My life departes my loue continues styll My lothed lyfe may from my corpse remoue My louing Loue shall alwayes worke thy wyll It was thy wyll euen thus to trye my truth Thou hast thy wyll my truth may now be sene It was thy wyll that I should dye in youth Thou hast thy wyll my yeares are yet but grene Thy penaunce was that I should pine in paine I haue performde thy penaunce all in wo Thy pleasure was that I should here remaine I haue bene glad to please thy fansie so Nowe since I haue performed euery part Of thy commaunde as neare as tongue can tell Content thée yet before my muse depart To take this Sonet for my last farewell Fato non fortuna His Farewell FArewell déere Loue whome I haue loued and shall Both in this world and in the world to come For proofe whereof my sprite is Charons thrall And yet my corpse attendant on thy toome Farewell déere swéete whose wanton wyll to please Eche taste of trouble séemed mell to me Farewell swéete deare whose doubtes for to appease I was contented thus in bale to be Farewell my lyfe farewell for and my death For thee I lyu'd for thee nowe must I dye Farewell from Bathe whereas I feele my breath Forsake my breast in great perplexitie Alas how welcome were this death of mine If I had dyde betweene those armes of thine Fato non Fortuna The Reporters conclusion WHere might I now find flooddes of flowing teares So to suffice the swelling of mine eyes How might my breast vnlode the bale it beares Alas alas how might my tongue deuise To tell this weary tale in wofull wise To tell I saye these tydinges nowe of truth Which may prouoke the craggy rockes to rush In depth of dole would God that I were drownde Where flattering ioyes might neuer find me out Or graued so within the gréedy grounde As false delights might neuer bréede my doubt Nor guilefull loue hir purpose bring about Whose trustlesse traines in collours for to paint I find by proofe my wittes are all to faint I was that man whome destinies ordeine To beare eche griefe that groweth on the mold I was that man which proued to my paine More panges at once than can with tongue be told I was that man hereof you maye be hold Whome heauen and earth did frame to scoffe and scorne I I was he which to that ende was borne Suffized not my selfe to taste the fruite Of sugred sowres which growe in gadding yeares But that I must with paine of lyke pursute Perceiue such panges by paterne of my peares And féele how fansies fume could fond my pheares Alas I find all fates against me bent For nothing else I lyue but to lament The force of friendship bound by holy othe Dyd drawe my wyll into these croked wayes For with my frend I went to Bathe though loth To lend some comfort in his dollie dayes The stedfast friend stickes fast at all assayes Yet was I loth such time to spend in vaine The cause whereof lo here I tell you playne By proofe I found as you may well perceiue That all good counsell was but worne in wast Such painted paines his passions did deceiue That bitter gall was mell to him in tast Within his will such rootes of ruine plast As graffes of griefes were only giuen to growe Where youth did plant and rash conceite did sowe I sawe at first his eares were open aye To euery tale which fed him with some hope As fast againe I sawe him turne away From graue aduise which might his conscience grope From reasons rule his fancie lightly lope He only gaue his mind to get that gaine Which most he wisht and least could yet attaine Not I
colde in earth and claye But that I was restored vnto breath By one that séemde lyke Pellycane to playe Who shed his blood to giue me foode alwaye And made me liue in spite of sorrowe styll Sée how my dreame agrees now with this byll His feebled wittes forgotten had there whyle By whome and howe he had this letter first But when he spyde the man then gan he smile For secréete ioye his heart dyd séeme to burst Now thought he best that earst he compted worst And louingly he dyd the man embrace And askt howe farde the roote of all his grace Sée sodaine chaunge sée subtile swéete disceipte Behold how loue can make his subiectes blinde Let all men marke hereby what guilefull baite Dan Cupide layeth to tyse the louers minde Alacke alacke a slender thread maye binde That prysonor fast which meanes to tarrye styll A lytle road correctes a ready wyll The briefe was writte and blotted all with gore And thus it sayde Behold howe stedfast loue Hath made me hardy thankes haue he therefore To write these wordes thy doubtes for to remoue VVith mine owne blood and yf for thy behoue These bloody lynes do not thy Cares conuert I vowe the next shall bleede out of my heart I dwell to long vpon this thriftlesse tale For Bartholmew was well appeasde hereby And féelingly he banished his bale Taking herein a tast of remedy By lyte and lyte his fittes away gan flye And in short space he dyd recouer strength To stand on foote and take his horse at length So that we came to London both yfere And there his Goddesse tarryed tyll we came I am to blame to call hir Goddesse here Since she deserude in déede no Goddesse name But sure I thinke and you may iudge the same She was to to him a Goddesse in his thought Although perhaps hir Shrines was ouerbought I maye not write what words betwéene them past How teares of griefe were turnde to teares of ioye Nor how their dole became delight at last Nor how they made great myrth of much anoye Nor how content was coyned out of coye But what I sawe and what I well maye write That as I maye I meane for to endite In louely London loue gan nowe renew This blooddye Letter made it battle much And all the doubtes which he in fansies drew Were done away as there had bene none such But to him self◠he bare no body grutch Him selfe he sayde was cause of all this wo Withouten cause that hir suspected so O louing Youthes this glasse was made for you And in the same you may your selues behold Beléeue me nowe not one in all your crew Which where he loues hath courage to be bold Your Cressides climes are alwaies vncontrold You dare not saye the Sunne is cleare and bright You dare not sweare that darkesome is the night Terence was wise which taught by Pamphilus Howe courage quailes where loue be blinds the sence Though proofe of times makes louers quarelous Yet small excuse serues loue for iust defence These Courtisanes haue power by pretence To make a Swan of that which was a Crowe As though blacke pitche were turned into Snowe Ferenda She whome heauen and earth had framde For his decaye and to bewitche his wittes Made him nowe thinke him selfe was to be blamde Which causeles thus would fret himselfe in fittes Shée made him thinke that sorrowe sildome sittes Where trust is tyed in fast and faithfull knottes She sayd Mistrust was méete for simple sottes What wyl you more shée made him to beléeue That she first loued although she yonger were She made him thinke that his distresse dyd gréeue Hir guiltlesse minde and that it might appeare Howe these conceiptes could ioyne or hang yfere She dyd confesse howe soone shée yeelded his Such force quod she in learned men there is She furder sayde that all to true it was Howe youthfull yeares and lacke of him alone Had made hir once to choose out brittle glasse For perfect Gold She dyd confesse with mone That youthfully shee bytte a worthlesse bone But that therein she tasted déepe delight That sayde shée not nor I presume to write Shée sware and that I beare full well in minde Howe Dyomede had neuer Troylus place Shée sayd and sware how euer sate the winde That Admirals dyd neuer know hir case She sayd againe that neuer Noble Face Dyd please hir eye nor moued hir to change She sayd hir minde was neuer geuen to range She sayd and sayd that Bracelettes were ybound To hold him fast but not to charme his thought She wysht therewith that she were déepely drownd In Ippocrace if euer she had sought Or dronke or smelt or tane or found or bought Such Nectar droppes as she with him had dronke But this were true she wisht hir soule were sonke And to conclude she sayde no printed rymes Could please hir so as his braue Triumphes dyd Why wander I She cou'red all hir crimes With déepe disceipt and all hir guiles she hyd With fained teares and Bartholmew she ryd With double gyrthes she byt and whyned both And made him loue where he had cause to loth These be the fruictes which grow on such desire These are the gaines ygot by such an art To late commes be that séekes to quenche the fire When flames possesse the house in euery part Who lyst in peace to kéepe a quiet hart Flye loue betimes for if he once oretake him Then seeld or neuer shall he well forsake him If once thou take him Tenaunt to thy brest No wrytte nor force can serue to plucke him thence No pylles can purge his humour lyke the rest He bydes in bones and there takes residence Against his blowes no bucklar makes defence And though with paine thou put him from thy house Yet lurkes hée styll in corners lyke a Mouse At euery hole he créepeth in by stelth And priuilye he féedeth on thy crommes With spoiles vnséene he wasteth all thy welth He playes boe péepe when any body commes And dastardlik he séemes to dread the drommes Although in déede in Embushe he awaytes To take thée stragling yf thou passe his straites So séemed now by Bartholmews successe Who yeelded sone vnto this second charge Accusing styll him selfe for his distresse And that he had so languished at large Short worke to make he had none other charge To beare loues blowes but styll to trust hir tale And pardon craue because he bread hir bale And thus he lyude contented styll with craft Mistrusting most that gaue least cause of doubt He fledde mishappe and helde it by the haft He banisht bale and bare it styll about He let in loue and thought to hold him out He séemde to bathe in perfect blisse againe When God he knowes he fostred priuie paine For as the Trée which crooked growes by kinde Although it be with propping vnderset In trackt of time to crooked course wyll twinde So could Ferenda neuer more forget The lease at
in carelesse mindes to dwell So did they earst and so they will do euer And to my Lord for to bewray my minde Me thinkes they be a race of Bulbéefe borne Whose hartes their Butter mollyfieth by kinde And so the force of béefe is cleane outworne And eke their braines with double béere are lynd◠So that they march bumbast with buttred béere Like soppes of browesse puffed vp with froth Where inwardely they be but hollowe géere As weake as winde which with one puffe vp goeth And yet they bragge and thinke they haue no péere Bicause Harlem hath hitherto helde out Although in déed as they haue suffred Spayne The ende thereof euen now doth rest in doubt Well as for that let it for me remaine In God his hands whose hand hath brought me out To tell my Lord this tale nowe tane in hande As howe they traine their trezons all in drinke And when them selues for drunk can scarcely stande Yet sucke out secretes as them selues do thinke From guests The best almost in all their lande I name no man for that were brode before Will as men say enure the same sometime But surely this or I mistake him sore Or else he can but let it passe in rime Dissemble déepe and mocke sometimes the more Well drunkennesse is here good companie And therewithall per consequens it falles That whordome is accompted iollitie A gentle state where two suche Tenisballes Are tossed still and better bowles let lie I cannot herewith from my Lord conceale How God and Mammon here do dwell yfeare And how the Masse is cloked vnder veale Of pollicie till all the coast be cleare Ne can I chuse but I must ring a peale To tell what hypocrytes the Nunnes here be And how the olde Nunnes be content to go Before a man in streates like mother B Vntill they come wheras there dwels a Ho Re ceyue that halfe and let the rest go frée There can they poynt with finger as they passe Yea sir sometimes they can come in themselfe To strike the bergaine twéene a wanton lasse And Edel bloets nowe is not this good pelfe As for the yong Nunnes they be bright as glasse And chaste forsooth met v and anders niet What sayde I what that is a misterie I may no verse of such a theame endite Yong Rowlande Yorke may tell it bet than I Yet to my Lorde this little will I write That though I haue my selfe no skill at all To take the countnance of a Colonel Had I a good Lieutenant general As good Iohn Zuche whereuer that he dwel Or else Ned Dennye faire mought him befal I coulde haue brought a noble regiment Of smugskinnde Nunnes into my countrey soyle But farewell they as things impertinent Let them for me go dwell with master Moyle Who hath behight to place them well in Kent And I shall well my sillie selfe content To come alone vnto my louely Lorde And vnto him when riming sporte is spent To tel some sadde and reasonable worde Of Hollandes state the which I will present In Cartes in Mappes and eke in Models made If God of heauen my purpose not preuent And in meane while although my wits do wade In ranging rime and fling some follie foorth I trust my Lorde will take it well in woorth Haud ictus sapio ⧠WEEDES Tam Marti quà m Mercurio ¶ In this diuision are conteyned The fruite of Fetters Folio 175 The complaynt of the green Knight Folio 178 The farewel to Fansie Folio 190 The fable of Ferdinando Ieronimi and Leonora de Valasco Folio 193 The prayse of a Gentlewoman neither fair nor welfauored The prayse of Phillip Sparrowe Folio 279 Farewel with a mischief Folio 281 The doale of disdaine Folio 282 Mars in despite of Vulcane folio 284 Patience perforce Folio 286 A letter for a yong louer Folio 287 Dauid saluteth Bersabe Folio 288 Sone acquainted sone forgotten Folio 289 ¶ The fruite of Fetters vvith the complaint of the greene Knight and his Farewell to Fansie GReat be the gréefes which bruze the boldest brests And al to séelde we sée such burdens borne For cruell care which reaueth quiet rests Hath oftentimes the woorthiest willes foreworne And layed such weight vpon a noble harte That wit and will haue both giuen place to smarte For proofe wherof I tel this woful tale Giue eare that list I force no frolicke mindes But such as can abide to heare of bale And rather rue the rage which Fansie findes Than scorne the pangs which may procure their pine Let them giue eare vnto these rimes of mine I teare my time ay me in prison pent Wherin the floure of my consuming yeares With secret grief my reason doth torment And frets it self perhaps with néedlesse feares For whyles I striue against the streame too fast My forces faile and I must downe at last The hastie Vine for sample might me serue Which climbes too high about the loftie trée But when the twist his tender iointes doth carue Then fades he fast that sought full fresh to bée He fades and faintes before his fellowes faile Which lay full lowe and neuer hoyst vp saile Ay me the dayes which I in dole consume Ah las the nightes which witnesse well my woe O wrongful world which makst my fansie fume Fie fickle Fortune fie thou arte my foe Out and alas so frowarde is my chaunce No dayes nor nightes nor worldes can me aduaunce In recklesse youth the common plague of Loue Infected me al day with carelesse minde Entising dames my patience still did proue And blearde mine eyes till I became so blinde That seing not what furie brought mée foorth I followed most alwayes that least was woorth In middle yeares the reache of Reasons reine No sooner gan to bridle in my will Nor naked néede no sooner gan constreine My rash decay to breake my sléepes by skill But streight therewith hope set my heart on flame To winne againe both wealth and woorthy name And thence procéedes my most consuming griefe For whyles the hope of mine vnyolden harte In endlesse toyles did labor for reliefe Came crabbed Chance and marrde my merry marte Yea not content with one fowle ouerthrowe So tied me fast for tempting any mo She tied me fast alas in golden chaines Wherein I dwell not frée nor fully thrall Where guilefull loue in double doubt remaines Nor honie swéet nor bitter yet as gall For euery day a patterne I beholde Of scortching flame which makes my heart full colde And euery night the rage of restlesse thought Doth raise me vp my hope for to renewe My quiet bed which I for solace sought Doth yrke mine eares when still the warlike crewe With sounde of drummes and trumpets braying shrill Relieue their watch yet I in thraldome still The common ioy the chéere of companie Twixt mirth and moane doth plundge me euermore For pleasant talke or Musicks melodie Yéeld no such salue vnto my secret sore But that therewith this corsiue
howe thou séemest to like me well And how thou saydest I did deserue To be thy Lord thy Knight thy King. And how much more I list not sing And canst thou now thou cruell one Condemne desert to déepe dispayre Is all thy promise past and gone Is fayth so fled into the ayre If that be so what rests for me But thus in song to saye to thée If Cressydes name were not so knowen And written wide on euery wall If brute of pryde were not so blowen Vpon Angelica withall For hault disdayne thou mightst be she Or Cresside for inconstancie And in reward of thy desart I hope at last to sée thée payd With déepe repentaunce for thy part Which thou hast now so lewedly playd Medoro hée must bée thy make Since thou Orlando doest for sake Such is the fruite that groweth alwaies Vpon the roote of ripe disdaine Such kindly wages Cupide payes Where constant hearts cannot remaine I hope to see thée in such bandes When I may laugh and clappe my handes But yet for thee I must protest But sure the faulte is none of thine Thou art as true as is the best That euer came of Cressedes lyne For constant yet was neuer none But in vnconstancie alone Meritum petere graue ¶ Mars in despite of Vulcane vvritten for an absent louer parted from his Lady by Sea. BOth deepe and dreadfull were the Seas Which held Leander from his loue Yet could no doubtes his mind appease Nor saue his life for hir behoue But guiltlesse bloud it selfe would spill To please the waues and worke his wyll O greedye gulfe O wretched waues O cruell floods O sinke of shames You holde true louers bound like slaues And keepe them from their worthy Dames Your open mouth gapes euermore Tyll one or both be drowned therefore For proofe whereof my selfe maye sing And shrich to pearce the loftye skies Whose Lady left me languishing Vppon the shoare in woofull wise And crost the Seas out of my sight Wherby I lost my chiefe delight She sayd that no such trustlesse flood Should keepe our loues long time in twayne ▪ She sware no bread shoulde doe hyr good Till she mighe sée my selfe agayne She sayd and swore these wordes and mo But now I finde them nothing so What resteth then for me to doo Thou salte sea foome come saye thy minde Should I come drowne within thee to That am of true Leanders kind And headlong cast this corpes of mine Into this greedy guttes of thine No cruel but in spite of thée I will make Seas where earst were none My teares shall flowe in full degree Tyll all my myrth may ebbe to mone Into such droppes I meane to melt And in such Seas my selfe to swelt Lenuoie ¶ Yet you déere Dame for whome I fade Thus staruing still in wretched state Remember once your promise made Performe it now though all to late Come home to Mars who may you please Let Vulcane bide beyond the Seas Meritum petere graue ¶ Patience perforce wherein an absent louer doth thus encourage his Lady to continew constant COntent thy selfe with patience perforce And quenche no loue with droppes of darcke mistrust Let absence haue no power to diuorce Thy faithfull friend which meaneth to be iust Beare but a while thy constance to declare For when I come one ynche shall breake no square I must confesse that promise dyd me binde For to haue sene thy seemely selfe ere now And if thou knewest what griefes did gaule my minde Bicause I coulde not kéepe that faithfull vowe My iust excuse I can my selfe assure With lytle paine thy pardon might procure But call to minde how long Vlisses was In lingring absence from his louing make And howe she deigned then hir dayes to passe In solitary silence for his sake Be thou a true Penelope to me And thou shalt sone thine owne Vlisses sée What sayd I sone yea sone I saye againe I wyll come sone and soner if I maye Beléeue me nowe it is a pinching payne To thinke of loue when louers are awaye Such thoughts I haue and when I thinke on thée My thoughtes are there whereas my bones would bée The longing lust which Priames sonne of Troye Had for to see his Cresside come againe Could not exceede the depth of mine anoye Nor séeme to passe the patterne of my payne I fryse in hope I thaw in hote desire Farre from the flame and yet I burne like fire Wherfore deare friend thinke on the pleasures past And let my teares for both our paines suffise The lingring ioyes when as they come at last Are bet then those which passe in posting wise And I my selfe to proue this tale is true In hast post hast thy comfort will renew Meritum petere graue ¶ A letter deuised for a yong louer REceiue you worthy Dame this rude ragged verse Lend wylling eare vnto the tale which I shall nowe rehearse And though my witlesse woordes might mooue you for to smile Yet trust to that which I shal tel neuer marke my stile Amongst fiue hundreth Dames presented to my view I find most cause by due desert to like the best of you I sée your beautie such as séemeth to suffice To binde my heart in linckes of loue by iudgement of myne eyes And but your bounty quench the coales of quicke desire I feare that face of yours wyll set ten thousand hearts on fire But bounty so aboundes aboue al my desart As that I quake and shrinke for feare to shewe you of my smart Yet since mine eye made choice my hart shal not repent But yéeld it self vnto your wyl therwith stand content God knowth I am not great my power it is not much The greater glorye shall you gaine to shew your fauour suche And what I am or haue all that I yéeld to you My hande and sworde shall serue alwayes to proue my tongue is true Then take me for your owne and so I wyl be still Beléeue me nowe I make this vowe in hope of your good wyll Which if I may obtaine God leaue me when I change This is the tale I meant to tell good Lady be not strange Meritum petere graue ¶ Dauids salutacions to Berzabe vvherein are three sonets in sequence vvritten vppon this occation The deuiser hereof amongst other friendes had named a gentlevvoman his Berzabe and she vvas content to call him hir Dauid The man presented his Lady vvith a booke of the Golden Asse vvritten by Lucius Apuleius and in the beginning of the books vvrote this sequence You must conferre it vvith the Historye of Apuleius for else it vvyll haue small grace THis Apuleius was in Affricke borne And tooke delight to trauaile Thessaly As one that helde his natiue soyle in skorne In foraine coastes to feede his fantasie And such againe as wandring wits find out This yonker wonne by wyll and weary toyle A youth mispent a doting age in doubt A body brusd with many a
gold needes no mans praise ye know And euery coyne is iudgde and found by weight by stamp or show Yet doth the prayse of men giue gold a double grace And makes both pearls and Iewels rich desirde in euery place The horse full finely formde whose pace and traine is true Is more esteemde for good report than likte for shape and view Yea sure ech man himselfe for all his wit and skill If world bestow no lawde on him may sleepe in silence still Fame shewes the value first of euerie precious thing And winnes with lyking all the brute that doth the credit bring And fame makes way before to workes that are vnknowne And peoples loue is caried ther where fame hir trump hath blown A cunning workman fine in Cloyster close may sit And carue or paint a thousand things and vse both art and wit Yet wanting worldes renowne may scape vnsought or seene It is but fame that outruns all and gets the goall I weene The learned Doctors lawd that heales where other harmes By cōmon prayse of peoples voyce brings pacients in by swarmes A goodly stately house hath seldome any fame Till world behold the buildings through and people see the same The Flowers and Posies sweete in better price are held VVhen those haue praysde their vertues rare that haue their odor smeld So by these foresayd proofes I haue a pardon free To speake to write and make discourse of any worke I see That worthie is of prayse for prayse is all we get Present the worlde with labors great the world is in your det It neuer yeeldes rewarde nor scarce iust prayse will giue Then studie out to stand on fame and striue by fame to liue Our olde forefathers wise saw long before these dayes How sone faint world would fail deserts and cold would wax our prayse And knowing that disdeyne for toyle did rather rise Than right renowne whose goldē buds growes vp to starry skies Betooke their labors long and euery act they did Vnto the Gods from whose deepe sight no secret can be hid And these good gracious Gods sent downe from heauens hie For noble minds an endlesse fame that throw the world doth flie VVhich fame is due to those that seeke by new deuice To honor learning euery way and Vertue bring in price From Knowledge gardeyn gay where science sowes hir seedes A pretie Posie gathered is of Flowers Hearbes and VVeedes The Flowers by smel are found the hearbs their goodnes showes The VVeedes amid both hearbs flowers in decēt order growes The soft and tender nose that can no weedes abide May make his choise of holesome hearbes whose vertues well are tride The fine and flowing wittes that feede on straunge delites May tast for seasning daintie mouthes the bitter weede that bites The well disposed minde and honest meaning man Shall finde in floures proude Peacoks plumes and feathers of the Swan The curst and crabbed Carle that Posies flings away By this perhaps may find some cause with prettie floures to play The kinde and louing worme that woulde his ladie please My light on some such medcin here shal do them both much ease The Lad that lykes the schoole and will good warning take May snatch some rules oute of this booke that may him doctor make The hastie trauayling head that flies to foreyne place May wey by this what home is woorth and stay his rouing race The manly courage stoute that seeketh fame full farre Shall find by this how sweete is peace and see how soure is warre This Posie is so pickt and choysely sorted throw There is no Flower Herbe nor VVeede but serues some purpose now Then since it freely comes to you for little cost Take well in worth these paynes of him that thinkes no labor lost To do his countrie good as many others haue VVho for their toyles a good report of worlde did onely craue Grudge not to yeeld some fame for fruites that you receyue Make some exchaunge for franke good will some signe or token leaue To shew your thankfull harts For if you loue to take And haue a conscience growne so great you can no gift forsake And cannot giue againe that men deserue to reape Adieu we leaue you in the hedge and ore the stile we leape And yet some stile or verse we after shape in ryme That may by arte shewe you a Glasse to see your selues in tyme. Thus wish I men their right and you that iudge amisse To mend your minds or frame your Muse to make the like of this G.VV. In prayse of Gascoigne and his Posies REader rewarde nought else but onely good report For all these pleasant Posies here bound vp in sundrie sort The flowers fayre and fresh were set with painefull toyle Of late in Gascoignes Garden plot a passing pleasant soyle Now weedes of little worth are culde from out the rest VVhich he with double paine did work to gleane the bad frō best The state is very straunge and fortune rare in vse VVhose heauie happe he neither helpes nor blazeth their abuse In thundring verse he wrayes where highest mindes be thrall VVhere mischeefe seekes to rayse it selfe by force of others fall He pluckes the visour of from maskes of peeuish pride And wrayes what sowre in sweet pretēce the coustly corts cā hide In euerie gallant flower he setteth forth to show Of Venus thralles the hap the harme the want the weale the woe He finely findes their faultes whose welth doth foster wrong VVho toucheth sinne without offence must plainly sing his song His loftie vaine in verse his stately stile in prose Foretelles that Pallas ment by him for to defende hir foes VVherwith to Mars his might his lustie limmes are knit A sight most rare that Hectors mind should match with Pallas wit. By proofe of late appeared how so reportes here ran That he in field was formost still in spoyle the hynmost man. No backward blastes could bruse the valour of his thought Although slie hap forestoode his hope in that he credite sought In fortunes spight he straue by vertues to aspire Resolude when due deserts might mount then he should haue his hire Thus late with Mars in field a lustie Souldiour shewde And now with peace in Pallas schoole he freendly hath bestowde On thee this heape of flowers the fruites of all his toyle VVhereof if some but simple seeme consider well the soyle They grew not all at home some came from forreyne fieldes The which percase set here againe no pleasant sauour yeeldes Yet who mislyketh most the worst will hardly mend And he were best not write at all which no man will offend P.B. to such as haue heretofore found fault with Gascoignes Posies GAynst good deserts both pride and enuie swell As neede repines to see his neighbour ritche And slaunder chafes where vertues prosper well As sicke men thinke all others health to mitch Such filthie faultes mens harts ofttymes inflame That spight presumes to stayne the worthies
louer forsaken written by a gentlewoman who passed by him with hir armes set bragging by hir sides and lefte it vnfinished as followeth WEre my hart set on hoygh as thine is bent Or in my brest so braue and stout a will Then long ere this I coulde haue bene content With sharpe reueng thy carelesse corpes to kill For why thou knowest although thou know not all What rule what raygne what power what segnory Thy melting minde did yéeld to me as thrall When first I pleasd thy wandring fantifie What lingring lookes bewray'd thyne inward thought What panges were publisht by perplexcitie Such reakes the rage of loue in thée had wrought And no gramercie for thy curtesie I list not vaunt but yet I dare auowe Had bene my harmelesse hart as harde as thine I coulde haue bounde thée then for starting nowe In bondes of bale in pangs of deadly pyne For why by profe the field is eath to win Where as the chiefteynes yéeld them selues in chaynes The port or passage plaine to enter in Where porters list to leaue the key for gaynes But did I then deuise with crueltie As tyrants do to kill the yéelding pray Or did I bragge and boast triumphauntly As who should saye the field were mine that daye Did I retire my selfe out of thy sight To beat afresh the bulwarkes of thy brest Or did my mind in choyce of change delight And render thée as reffuse with the rest No Tygre no the lyon is not lewd He shewes no force on seely wounded shéepe c. VVhiles he sat at the dore of his lodging deuising these verses aboue rehersed the same Gentlewoman passed by againe and cast a longe looke towardes him whereby he left his former inuention and wrote thus HOwe long she lookt that lookt at me of late As who would say hir lookes were all for loue When God he knowes they came from deadly hate To pinch me yit with pangs which I must proue But since my lokes hir liking maye not moue Looke where she likes for lo this looke was cast Not for my loue but euen to see my last Si fortunatus infoelix Another Sonet written by the same Gentlewoman vppon the same occasion I Lookt of late and sawe thée loke askance Vpon my dore to sée if I satte there As who should say If he be there by chance Yet maye he thinke I loke him euery where No cruell no thou knowest and I can tell How for thy loue I layd my lokes a side Though thou par case hast lookt and liked wel Some newe founde lookes amide this world so wide But since thy lookes my loue haue so in chaynd That to my lokes thy liking now is past Loke whâ—re thou likest and let thy hands be staynd In true loues bloud which thou shalt lack at last So looke so lack for in these toyes thus tost My lookes thy loue thy lookes my life haue lost Si fortunatus infoelix ¶ To the same gentlewoman because she challenged the Aucthour for holding downe his head alwaies and for that hee looked not vppon hir in wonted manner YOu must not wonder though you thinke it straunge To sée me holde my lowring head so lowe And that myne eyes take no delyght to raunge About the gleames which on your face doe growe The mouse which once hath broken out of trappe Is sildome tysed with the trustlesse bayte But lyes aloofe for feare of more mishappe And féedeth styll in doubte of deepe deceipte The skorched flye which once hath scapt the flame Wyll hardlye come to playe againe with fyre Whereby I learne that greeuous is the game Which followes fansie dazled by desire So that I wynke or else holde downe my head Because your blazing eyes my bale haue bred Si fortunatus infoelix ⧠The Recantacion of a Louer NOw must I needes recant the wordes which once I spoke Fond fansie fumes so nie my noose I nedes must smel the smoke And better were to beare a Faggot from the fire Than wylfully to burne and blaze in flames of vaine desire You Iudges then giue eare you people marke me well I saye both heauen and earth record the tale which I shall tell And knowe that dread of death nor hope of better hap Haue forced or perswaded me to take my turning cap But euen that mightye Ioue of his great clemencie Hath giuen me grace at last to iudge the trueth from heresie I saye then and professe with free and faithfull heart That womeÌ„s vowes are nothing els but snares of secret smart Their beauties blaze are baites which séeme of pleasant taste But who deuoures the hidden hooke eates poyson for repast Their smyling is deceipt their faire wordes traines of treason Their wit alwaies so full of wyles it skorneth rules of reason Percase some present here haue heard my selfe of yore Both teach preach the contrary my fault was then the more I graunt my workes were these first one Anatomie Wherein I painted euery pang of louers perplexitye Next that I was araignde with George holde vp thy hand Wherein I yéelded Bewties thrall at hir commaund to stand Myne eyes so blinded were good people marke my tale That once I song I Bathe in Blisse amidde my weary Balâ— And many a frantike verse then from my penne dyd passe In waues of wicked heresie so déepe I drowned was All which I now recant and here before you burne Those trifling bookes from whose lewde lore my tippet here I turne And hencefoorth wyl I write howe mad is that mans minde Which is entist by any traine to trust in womankind I spare not wedlocke I who lyst that state aduance Aske Astolfe king of Lumbardie howe trim his dwarfe coulde daunce Wherefore fayre Ladies you that heare me what I saye If you hereafter see me slippe or séeme to goe astraye Of if my tongue reuolte from that which nowe it sayth Then plague me thus Beleeue it not for this is nowe my faith Haud ictus sapio ¶ In prayse of Bridges nowe Lady Sandes IN Court who so demaundes what Dame doth most excell For my conceyt I must néedes say faire Bridges beares the bell Vpon whose liuely chéeke to prooue my iudgement true The Rose and Lillie séeme to striue for equall change of hewe And therewithall so well her graces all agrée No frowning chéere dare once presume in hir swéete face to bée Although some lauishe lippes which like some other best Wyll saye the blemishe on hir browe disgraceth all the rest Thereto I thus replie God wotte they litle know The hidden cause of that mishap nor how the harme dyd grow For when Dame nature first had framde hir heauenly face And thoroughly bedecked it with goodly gleames of grace It lyked hir so well Lo here quod shée a péece For perfect shape that passeth all Apelles worke in Greece This bayte may chaunce to catche the greatest God of loue Or mighty thundring Ioue himself that rules the roast aboue But out
alas those wordes were vaunted all in vaine And some vnsene were present there poore Bridges to thy pain For Cupide craftie boye close in a corner stoode Not blyndfold then to gaze on hir I gesse it dyd him good Yet when he felt the flame gan kindle in his brest And hard dame nature boast by hir to breake him of his rest His hote newe chosen loue he chaunged into hate And sodainly with mighty mace gan rap hir on the pate It grieued Nature much to sée the cruell déede Me séemes I sée hir how she wept to see hir dearling blede Well yet quod she this hurt shall haue some helpe I trowe And quicke with skin she couered it that whiter is than snowe Wherewith Dan Cupid fled for feare of further flame Whē angel like he saw hir shine whom he had smit with shame Lo thus was Bridges hurt in cradel of hir kind The coward Cupid brake hir brow to wreke his woūded mind The skar styll there remaines no force there let it be There is no clowde that can eclipse so bright a sunne as she Euer or neuer ¶ In prayse of Zouche late the Lady Greye of VVilton whome the auctor found in a homely house THese rustie walles whome cankred yeares deface The comely corps of séemely Zouche enclose Whose auncient stocke deriude from worthy race Procures hir praise where so the carkas goes Hir aungels face declares hyr modest minde Hyr louely lokes the gazing eyes allure Hyr déedes deserue some endlesse prayse to finde To blaze suche brute as euer might endure Wherfore my penne in trembling feare shall staye To write the thing that doth surmount my skill And I will wish of God both night and daye Some worthier place to guide hir worthy will. Where princes péeres hir due desertes maye sée And I content hir seruaunt there to bée Euer or Neuer Gascoignes praise of his mistres THe hap which Paris had as due for his desert Who fauord Venus for hir face skornde Meneruas art May serue to warne the wife that they no more esteme The glistering glosse of bewties blaze than reason should it deme Dan Priams yonger son found out that fairest dame That euer trode on Troyane mold what folowed of the same I list not brut hir bale let others spread it forth But for his parte to speake my minde his choice was little worth My meaning is but this who markes the outward shewe And neuer grops for graftes of grace which in the mind should grow May chance vpon such choise as trusty Troilus had And dwel in dole as Paris did when he would faine be glad How happie then am I whose happe hath bene to finde A mistresse first that doth excell in vertues of the mind And yet therewith hath ioynd such fauoure and suche grace As Pandars niece if she wer here would quickly giue hir place With in whose worthy brest Dame Bounty séekes to dwel And saith to beawty yéeld to me since I doe thee excell Betwene whose heauenly eyes doth right remorse appeare And pitie placed by the same doth muche amende hir chéere Who in my daungers déepe dyd deigne to doe mée good Who did relieue my heauy heart and sought to saue my blood Who first encreast my friendes and ouerthrew my fooes Who loued al them that wisht me wel liked none but those O Ladies giue me leaue I prayse not hir to farre Since she doth pas you al as much as Titan staines a starre You hold such seruauntes deare as able are to serue She held me deare when I poore soule could no good thing deserue You set by them that swim in all prosperitie She set by me when as I was in great calamitie You best estéeme the braue and let the poorest passe Shée best estéemde my poore good wyll all naked as it was But whether am I went what humor guides my braine I séeke to wey the woolsack down with one poore pepper grain I séeme to penne hir praise that doth surpasse my skill I striue to rowe against the tide I hoppe against the hill Then let these fewe suffise shée Helene staines for hewe Dydo for grace Cressyde for chéere and is as Thisbye true Yet if you furder craue to haue hir name displaide Dame Fauor is my mistres name dame Fortune is hir maid Attamen ad solitum Gascoignes good morrow YOu that haue spent the silent night In sléepe and quiet rest And ioye to sée the chéerefull lyght That ryseth in the East Now cleare your voyce now chere your hart Come helpe me nowe to sing Eche willing wight come beare a part To prayse the heauenly King. And you whome care in prison kéepes Or sickenes doth suppresse Or secret sorowe breakes your sléepes Or dolours doe distresse Yet beare a parte in dolfull wise Yea thinke it good accorde And exceptable sacrifice Eche sprite to prayse the lorde The dreadfull night with darkesomnesse Had ouer spread the light And sluggish sléepe with drowsynesse Had ouer prest our might A glasse wherin you may beholde Eche storme that stopes our breath Our bed the graue our clothes lyke molde And sléepe like dreadfull death Yet as this deadly night did laste But for a little space And heauenly daye nowe night is past Doth shewe his pleasaunt face So must we hope to sée Gods face At last in heauen on hie When we haue chang'd this mortall place For Immortalitie And of such happes and heauenly ioyes As then we hope to holde All earthly sightes and wordly toyes Are tokens to beholde The daye is like the daye of doome The sunne the Sonne of man The skyes the heauens the earth the tombe Wherein we rest till than The Rainbowe bending in the skye Bedeckte with sundrye hewes Is like the seate of God on hye And séemes to tell these newes That as thereby he promised To drowne the world no more So by the bloud which Christ hath shead He will our helth restore The mistie cloudes that fall somtime And ouercast the skyes Are like to troubles of our time Which do but dymme our eyes But as suche dewes are dryed vp quite When Phoebus shewes his face So are such fansies put to flighte Where God doth guide by grace The caryon Crowe that lothsome be ast Which cryes agaynst the rayne Both for hir hewe and for the rest The Deuill resembleth playne And as with gonnes we kill the Crowe For spoyling our reléefe The Deuill so must we ouerthrowe With gonshote of beléefe The little byrde which sing so swete Are like the angelles voyce Which render God his prayses méete And teache vs to reioyce And as they more estéeme that myrth Than dread the nights anoy So much we déeme our days on earth But hell to heauenly ioye Vnto which Ioyes for to attayne God graunt vs all his grace And sende vs after worldly payne In heauen to haue a place Where wée maye still enioy that light Which neuer shall decaye Lorde for thy mercy lend vs
might To sée that ioyfull daye Haud ictus sapio Gascoygnes good night WHen thou hast spent the lingring day in pleasure and delight Or after toyle and wearie waye dost séeke to rest at nighte Vnto thy paynes or pleasures past adde this one labour yet Ere sleepe close vp thyne eye to fast do not thy God forget But searche within thy secret thoughts what déeds did thée befal And if thou find amisse in ought to God for mercy call Yea though thou find nothing amisse which thou canst cal to mind Yet euer more remember this there is the more behind And thinke how well so euer it be that thou hast spent the daye It came of God and not of thée so to direct thy waye Thus if thou trie thy dayly déedes and pleasure in this payne Thy life shall clense thy corne from wéeds thine shal be the gaine But if thy sinfull sluggishe eye will venter for to winke Before thy wading will may trye how far thy soule maye sinke Beware and wake for else thy bed which soft smoth is made May heape more harm vpō thy head than blowes of enmies blade Thus if this paine procure thine ease in bed as thou doest lye Perhaps it shall not God displease to sing thus soberly I sée that sléepe is lent me here to ease my wearye bones As death at laste shall eke appéere to ease my gréeuous grones My dayly sportes my panch full fed haue causde my drousie eye As carelesse life in quiet led might cause my soule to dye The stretching armes the yauning breath which I to bedward vse Are patternes of the pangs of death when life will me refuse And of my bed eche sundrye part in shaddowes doth resemble The sūdry shapes of deth whose dart shal make my flesh to trēble My bed it selfe is like the graue my shéetes the winding shéete My clothes the mould which I must haue to couer me most méete The hungry fleas which friske so freshe to wormes I can cōpare Which greedily shall gnaw my fleshe leaue the bones ful bare The waking Cock that early crowes to weare the night awaye Puts in my minde the trumpe that blowes before the latter day And as I ryse vp lustily when sluggish sléepe is past So hope I to rise ioyfully to Iudgement at the last Thus wyll I wake thus wyll I sléepe thus wyl I hope to ryse Thus wyll I neither waile nor wéepe but sing in godly wyse My bones shall in this bed remaine my soule in God shall trust By whome I hope to ryse againe from death and earthly dust Haud ictus sapio The introduction to the Psalme of Deprofundis THe Skies gan scowle orecast with misty clowdes When as I rode alone by London waye Cloakelesse vnclad thus did I sing and say Behold quoth I bright Titan how he shroudes His head abacke and yelds the raine his reach Till in his wrath Dan Ioue haue soust the soile And washt me wretch which in his trauaile toile But holla here doth rudenesse me appeach Since Ioue is Lord and king of mighty power Which can commaund the Sunne to shewe his face And when him lyst to giue the raine his place Why doe not I my wery muses frame Although I bée well soused in this showre To write some verse in honour of his name Gascoignes Deprofundis FRom depth of doole wherein my soule doth dwell From heauy heart which harbours in my brest From troubled sprite which sildome taketh rest From hope of heauen from dreade of darkesome hell O gracious God to thée I crye and yell My God my Lorde my louely Lord aloane To thée I call to thée I make my moane And thou good God vouchsafe in grée to take This woefull plaint Wherein I faint Oh heare me then for thy great mercies sake Oh bende thine eares attentiuely to heare Oh turne thine eyes behold me how I wayle O hearken Lord giue eare for mine auaile O marke in minde the burdens that I beare Sée howe I sinke in sorrowes euerye where Beholde and sée what dollors I endure Giue eare and marke what plaintes I put in vre Bende wylling eare and pittie therewithall My wayling voyce Which hath no choyce But euermore vpon thy name to call If thou good Lorde shouldest take thy rod in hande If thou regard what sinnes are daylye done If thou take holde where wée our workes begone If thou decrée in Iudgement for to stande And be extreame to sée our scuses skande If thou take note of euery thing amysse And wryte in rowles howe frayle our nature is O gloryous God O King O Prince of power What mortall wight Maye then haue lyght To feele thy frowne if thou haue lyst to lowre But thou art good and hast of mercye store Thou not delyghst to sée a sinner fall Thou hearknest first before we come to call Thine eares are set wyde open euermore Before we knocke thou commest to the doore Thou art more prest to heare a sinner crye Then he is quicke to climbe to thee on hye Thy mighty name bee praysed then alwaye Let fayth and feare True witnesse beare Howe fast they stand which on thy mercy staye I looke for thée my louelye Lord therefore For thée I wayte for thée I tarrye styll Myne eyes doe long to gaze on thée my fyll For thée I watche for thée I prye and pore My Soule for thée attendeth euermore My Soule doth thyrst to take of thée a taste My Soule desires with thée for to bée plaste And to thy worde which can no man deceyue Myne onely trust My loue and lust In confidence continuallye shall cleaue Before the breake or dawning of the daye Before the lyght be seene in loftye Skyes Before the Sunne appeare in pleasaunt wyse Before the watche before the watche I saye Before the warde that waytes therefore alwaye My soule my sense my secréete thought my sprite My wyll my wishe my ioye and my delight Vnto the Lord that sittes in heauen on highe With hastye wing From me doeth fling And stryueth styll vnto the Lorde to flye O Israell O housholde of the Lorde O Abrahams Brattes O broode of blessed séede O chosen shéepe that loue the Lord in déede O hungrye heartes féede styll vpon his worde And put your trust in him with one accorde For he hath mercye euermore at hande His fountaines flowe his springes doe neuer stande And plenteouslye hee loueth to redéeme Such sinners all As on him call And faithfully his mercies most estéeme Hée wyll redéeme our deadly drowping state He wyll bring home the shéepe that goe astraye He wyll helpe them that hope in him alwaye He wyll appease our discorde and debate He wyll soone saue though we repent vs late He wyll be ours if we continewe his He wyll bring bale to ioye and perfect blisse He wyll redéeme the flocke of his electe From all that is Or was amisse Since Abrahams heyres dyd first his Lawes reiect Euer or neuer ¶
blood I trust your entretainement will be to them right good They will not tarry long lo nowe I heare their drumme Behold lo nowe I sée them here in order howe they come Receiue them well my lord so shall I praye all wayes That God vouchsafe to blesse this house with many happie days After the maske was done the Actor tooke master Tho. Bro. by the hand an brought him to the Venetians with these words GVardate Signori my louely Lords behold This is another Mountacute hereof you may bee bold Of such our patrone here The viscont Mountacute Hath many comely sequences well sorted all in sute But as I spied him first I could not let him passe I tooke the carde that likt me best in order as it was And here to you my lords I do present the same Make much of him I pray you then for he is of your name For whome I dare aduante he may your Trounchman bée Your herald and ambassadour let him play all for me Then the Venetians embraced and receiued the same maister Tho. Browne and after they had a while whispered with him he torned to the Bridegroomes and Brides saying thus BRother these noblemen to you nowe haue me sent As for their Trounchman to expound the effect of their intent They bid me tell you then they like your worthy choyce And that they cannot choose therin but triumph and reioyce As farre as gesse may giue they séeme to praise it well They saye betwéene your Ladyes eyes doth Gentilezza dwell I terme it as they doe their english is but weake And I God knowes am al to yong beyond sea speach to speake And you my sister-eke they séeme for to commend With such good workes as may beséeme a cosin and a friend They lyke your chosen pheare so praye they for your sake That he maye alwayes be to you a faythfull louing make This in effect is all but that they craue aboone That you will giue them licence yet to come and sée you soone Then will they speake them selues such english as they can I feare much better then I speake that am an english man. Lo nowe they take their leaues of you and of your dames Here after shal you sée their face and knowe them by their nams Then when they had taken their leaues the Actor did make an ende thus And I your Seruidore vibascio le mani These wordes I learnt amongst them yet although I learnt not many Haud ictus sapio The refusal of a louer writen to a gentlewoman who had refused him and chosen a husband as he thought much inferior to himselfe both in knowledge birth and parsonage wherin he bewraieth both their names in clowdes and how she was won from him with swete gloues and broken ringes I Cannot wish thy griefe although thou worke my wooe Since I profest to be thy friend I cannot be thy foe But if thinges done and past might well be cald agayne Then would I wishe the wasted wordes which I haue spent in vayne Were yet vntold to thée in earnest or in game And that my doubtfull musing mint had neuer thought the same For whiles I thée beheld in carefull thoughtes I spent My liking lust my luckelesse loue which euer truely ment And whiles I sought a meane by pittie to procure Too latte I found that gorged haukes do not esteme the lure This vauntage hast thou then thou mayest wel brag and boast Thou mightest haue had a lustye lad of stature with the most And eke of noble mind his vertues nothing base Do well declare that he desends of auncient worthy race Saue that I not his name and though I could it tell My friendly pen shall let it passe bicause I loue him well And thou hast chosen one of meaner parentage Of stature smale and therewithall vnequall for thine age His thewes vnlike the first yet hast thou hote desire To play thée in his flitting flames God graunt they proue not fire Him holdest thou as deare and he thy Lord shall bée Too late alas thou louest him that neuer loued thée And for iust profe hereof marke what I tell is true Some dismold daye shall chaunge his minde and make him séeke a new Then wylt thou much repent thy bargaine made in haste And much lament those perfumd Gloues which yéeld such sower taste And eke the falsed faith which lurkes in broken ringes Though hand in hand say otherwise yet do I know such thinges Then shalt thou sing and saye farewell my trusty Squyer Would God my mind had yéelded once vnto thy iust desire Thus shalt thou wayle my want and I thy great vnrest Which cruel Cupid kindled hath within thy broken brest Thus shalt thou find it griefe which earst thou thoughtest game And I shall heare the wearie newes by true reporting fame Lamenting thy mishap in source of swelling teares Harding my heart with cruell care which frosen fansie beares And though my iust desert thy pittie could not moue Yet wyl I washe in wayling wordes thy careles childishe loue And saye as Troylus sayde since that I can no more Thy wanton wyll dyd wauer once and woe is me therefore Si fortunatus infoelix ¶ Pride in Court vvritten by a Gentlevvoman in Court vvho vvhen shee vvas there placed seemed to disdaine him contrarie to a former profession WHen daunger kéepes the doore of Ladye bewties bowre Whē ielouse toyes haue chased Trust out of hir strōgest towre Then faith and trooth maye flye then falshood winnes the field Then féeble naked fautlesse heartes for lacke of fence must yéeld And then preuailes as much to hoppe against the hyll As séeke by suite for to appease a froward Ladies wyll For oathes and solempne vowes are wasted then in vaine And truth is compted but a toye when such fond fancies raigne The sentence sone is sayde when will it selfe is Iudge And quickly is the quarrell pickt when Ladies list to grudge This sing I for my selfe which wroate this weary song Who iustly may complaine my case if euer man had wrong A Lady haue I seru'd a Lady haue I lou'd A Ladies good wyll once I had hir yll wyll late I prou'd In countrey first I knewe hir in countrey first I caught hir And out of countrey nowe in Court to my cost haue I sought hir In Court where Princes raigne hir place is nowe assignde And well were worthy for the roome if she were not vnkinde There I in wonted wise dyd shewe my selfe of late And found that as the soile was chang'd so loue was turnd to hate But why God knowes not I saue as I sayde before Pitie is put from porters place and daunger kéepes the dore If courting then haue skill to chaunge good Ladies so God send eche wilful Dame in Court some wound of my like wo. That with a troubled head she may both turne and tosse In restlesse bed when she should sléepe and féele of loue the losse And I since porters
of hewe And in hir giftes no lacke I can suppose But that at last alas she was vntrue Which flinging fault bicause it is not new Nor seldome seene in kits of Cressides kind I maruaile not nor beare it much in mind Dame Natures fruits wherewith hir face was fraught Were so frost bitten with the cold of craft That all saue such as Cupides snares had caught Might soone espie the fethers of his shaft But Bartholmew his wits had so bedaft That all seemd good which might of hir be gotten Although it proude no sooner ripe than rotten That mouth of hirs which séemde to flowe with mell In spéeche in voice in tender touch in tast That dympled chin wherein delight dyd dwell That ruddy lippe wherein was pleasure plast Those well shapt hands fine armes and slender wast With al the giftes which gaue hir any grace Were smiling baites which caught fond fooles apace Why striue I then to paint hir name with praise Since forme and fruites were found so farre vnlyke Since of hir cage Inconstance kept the keyes And Change had cast hir honoure downe in dike Since fickle kind in hir the stroke did strike I may no prayse vnto a knife bequeath With rust yfret though paynted be the sheath But since I must a name to hir assigne Let call hir now Ferenda Natura And if thereat she séeme for to repine No force at all for hereof am I sure a That since hir prankes were for the most vnpure a. I can appoint hir well no better name Than this where in dame Nature bears the blame And thus I say when Bartholmew had spent His pride of youth vntide in linkes of loue Behold how happe contrary to intent Or destenies ordained from aboue From which no wight on earth maye well remoue Presented to his vew this fierie dame To kindle coles where earst had bene no flame Whome when he sawe to shine in séemely grace And therewithall gan marke hir tender youth He thought not like that vnder such aface She could conuey the treason of vntruth Whereby be vowed alas the more his ruth To serue this saynt for terme of all his life Lo here both roote and rind of all his strife I cannot nowe in louing termes displaye His suite his seruice nor his sorie fare His obseruaunces nor his queynt aray His skalding sighes nor yet his cooling care His wayting still to snatch himselfe in snare I can not write what was his swéetest soure For I my selfe was neuer Paramoure But to conclude much worth in litle writte The highest flying hauke will stoupe at laste The wildest beast is drawne with hungrye bitte To eate a homlye bayte some times in hast The pricke of kinde can neuer be vnplaste And so it séemed by this dayntye dame Whome he at last with labour did reclame And when he had with mickel payne procured The calme consent of hir vnweldie will When he had hir by faith and troth assured To like him beste and aye to loue him still When fansie had of flatterie fedde his fill I not discerne to tell my tale aright What man but he had euer such delight The lingring dayes he spent in trifling toyes To whette the tooles which carued his contente The poasting nightes he past in pleasing ioyes Wearing the webbe which loue to him had lente In such a pinfolde were his pleasures pent That selde he could hir company eschewe Or leaue such lookes as might his sport renewe But if by force he forced were to parte Then mighte you see howe fansie fedde his minde Then all alone he mused on his marte All company séemde then but hirs vnkind Then sent he tokens true loue for to bind Then wrote he letters lines and louing layes So to beguile his absent dolefull dayes And since I know as others eake can tell What skyll he had and howe he could endite Mée thinkes I cannot better doe than well To set downe here his ditties of delyght For so at least I maye my selfe acquite And vaunt to shewe some verses yet vnknowne Well worthy prayse though none of them myne owne No force for that take you them as they be Since mine emprice is but to make report Imagine then before you that you sée A wight bewitcht in many a subtile sort A Louer lodgd in pleasures princely port Vaunting in verse what ioyes be dyd possesse His triumphes here I thinke wyll shewe no lesse Dan Bartholmew his first Triumphe REsigne king Priams sonnes that princes were in Troy Resigne to me your happy dayes and boast no more of ioy Syr Paris first stand forth make aunswere for thy pheare And if thou canst defend hir cause whome Troy did bye so deare What blush not man be bold although thou beare some blame Tell truth at last and so be sure to saue thy selfe from shame Then gentle Sheapheard say what madnesse dyd thée moue To choose of all the flowers in Greece foule Helene for thy loue Néeds must I coumpt hir foule whose first frutes were forlorne Although she solde hir seconde chaffe aboue the price of corne Alas shée made of thée a noddye for the nonce For Menelaus lost hir twise though thou hir foundst but once But yet if in thine eye shée séemde a péerelesse péece Aske Theseus that mighty Duke what towns she knew in Greece Aske him what made hir leaue hir wofull aged sire And steale to Athens gyglot like what what but foule desire Alas poore Paris thou didst nothing else but gleane The partched eares which he cast by when he had reaped cleane He sliude the gentle slippe which could both twist and twind And growing left the broken braunch for thē that came behind Yet hast thou fild the world with brute the more thy blame And sayest that Hellens bewty past each other stately dame For profe thou canst alledge the tast of ten years warre And how hir blazing beames first brought both Greece Troy to iarre No no thou art deceiude the drugs of of foule despite Did worke in Menelaus will not losse of such delighte Not loue but lothsome hate not dolour but disdain Did make him selfe a sharpe reuēge til both his foes were slain Thy brother Troylus eke that gemme of gentle déedes To thinke howe he abused was alas my heart it bléedes He bet about the bushe whiles other caught the birds Whome crafty Gresside mockt to muche yet fede him still with words And god he knoweth not I who pluckt hir first sprong rose Since Lollius and Chaucer both make doubt vpon that glose But this I knowe to well and he to farre it felte How Diomede vndid his knots caught both brooch and belt And how she chose to change and how she changed still And how she dyed leaper like a gainst hir louers will. Content you then good knightes your triumphe to resigne Confesse your starres both dimme and darke wheras my sunne doth shine For this I dare avow without vaunt be it told My derling is
O noble king to thée That I haue béene a Rebell in my youth I preast alwaies in pleasures court to bée I fled from that which Cupide still eschuth I fled from Care lo now I tell the truth And in delightes I loued so to dwell Thy heauenly house dyd séeme to me but hell Such was my rage the which I now repent And pardon craue My soule to saue Before the webbe of weary life be spent But marke what fruites dyd grow on such a trée What crop dyd rise vpon so rashe sowne séede For when I thought my selfe in heauen to bée In depth of hell I drowned was in déede Whereon to thinke my heauie hart doth bléede Me thought I swumme in Seas of all delight When as I sunke in puddles of despight Alas alas I thought my selfe belou'd When deadly hate Did play checke mate With me poore pawne that no such prancks had prou'd This when I tryed ay me to be to true I wept for woe I pined all for paine I tare my héere I often chaunged hewe I left delight with dollours to complaine I shund each place where pleasure dyd remaine I cride I calde on euery kinde of death I stroue eache way to stop my fainting breath Short tale to make I stept so farre in strife That still I sought With all my thought Some happie helpe to leaue my lothed life But hope was he that held my hande abacke From quicke dispatch of all my griping griefe When heate of hate had burnt my will to wracke Then hope was colde and lent my life reliefe In euery choice hope challengde to be chiefe When coldest crampes had cleane orecome my heart Then hope was hote and warnde my weary smart Then heart was heardie hope was still in dread When heart was faint With feares attaint Then hardie hope held vp my fearefull head Thus when I found that neither flowing teares Could drowne my heart in waues of wery wo Nor hardy hand could ouercome my feares To cut the sacke of all my sorrowes so Nor death would come nor I to death could go And yet I felt great droppes of secrete smart Distilling styll within my dying heart I then perceiude that onely care was he Which as my friend Might make an end Of all these paines and set my fansie frée Wherefore oh Care graunt thou my iust request Oh kyll my corpse oh quickly kyll me nowe Oh make an ende and bring my bones to rest Oh cut my thread good Care I care not howe Oh Care be kinde and here I make a vowe That when my life out of my brest shall part I wyll present thée with my faithfull hart And send it to thée as a Sacrifice Bicause thou hast Vouchsaft at last To ende my furies in this friendly wise Fato non Fortuna WHat greater glory can a Keysar gaine If madde moode moue his subiectes to rebell Than that at last when all the traytours traine Haue trode the pathe of déepe repentaunce well And naked néede with Cold and Hunger both Hath bitten them abrode in forren land Whereby they may their lewde deuises loth When hairbraind haste with cold aduise is scande If then at last they come vpon their knée And pardon craue with due submission And for this cause I thinke that Care of me Was moued most to take compassion For now I find that pittie prickes his mind To sée me plonged still in endlesse paine And right remorse his princely heart doth bind To rule the rage wherein I do remaine I féele my teares doe now begin to stay For Care from them their swelling springs doth soke I feele my sighes their labours now allaye For Care hath quencht the coles that made thē smoke I feele my panting heart begins to rest For Care hath staide the hammers of my head I feele the flame which blazed in my brest Is nowe with carefull ashes ouerspread And gentle Care hath whet his karuing knife To cut in twaine the thread of all my thrall Desired death nowe ouercommeth life And wo still workes to helpe in haste with all But since I féele these panges approching so And lothed life begin to take his leaue Me thinkes it meete to giue before I go Such landes and goodes as I behind me leaue So to discharge my troubled conscience And eke to set an order for my heyre Who might perhaps be put to great expence To sue for that which I bequeath him here Wherefore déere wenche with all my full intent I thus begin to make my Testament Fato non fortuna His last wyll and Testament IN Ioue his mighty name this eight and twentith day Of frosted bearded Ianuar the enemy to May Since Adam was create fiue thousand yéeres I gesse Fiue hundreth forty more and fiue as stories do expresse I being whole of minde immortall Gods haue praise Though in my body languishing with panges of paine alwayes Do thus ordaine my wyll which long in woes haue wepte Beséeching mine executours to sée it duely kept Fyrst I bequeath my soule on Charons boate to tende Vntill thy life my loue at last may light on luckye ende That there it may awaite to wayte vpon thy ghost Whē thou hast quite clene forgot what pranks now please thée most So shall it well be séene whose loue is like to mine For so I meane to trye my truth and there tyll then to pine My body he enbalmde and cloased vp in chest With oyntments and with spiceries of euery swéete the best And so preserued styll vntill the day do come That death diuorce my loue from life trusse hir vp in tombe Then I bequeath my corps to couche beneathe hir bones And there to féede the gréedy wormes that linger for the nones To frette vppon her fleshe which is to fine therefore This seruice may it doe hir yet although it do no more My heart as heretofore I must bequeathe to Care And God he knowes I thinke the gift to simple for his share But that he may perceiue I meane to pay my dew I will it shall be taken quicke and borne him bléeding new As for my funerals I leaue that toye at large To be as mine executours wyll giue thereto in charge Yet if my goodes will stretche vnto my strange deuice Then let this order be obseru'd mine heyre shall pay the price First let the torche bearers be wrapte in weedes of woe Let all their lightes be virgin waxe because I lou'de it so And care not though the twist be course that lends them light If fansie fume frée wil flame then must they néeds burn bright Next them let come the quier with psalmes and dolefull song Recording all my rough repulse and wraying all my wrong And when the deskant singes in tréeble tunes aboue Then let fa burden say by lowe I liu'd and dyde for loue About my heauy hearse some mourners would I haue Who migh the same accompany and stand about the graue But let them be such
Warre and wote not what it is Nor euer yet could march where War was made May well be thought a worke begonne amis A rash attempt in woorthlesse verse to wade To tell the triall knowing not the trade Yet such a vaine euen nowe doth féede my Muse That in this theame I must some labor vse 2 And herewithal I cannot but confesse Howe vnexpert I am in feates of warre For more than wryting doth the same expresse I may not boast of any cruell iarre Nor vaunt to sée full valiant facts from farre I haue nor bene in Turkie Denmarke Gréece Ne yet in Colch to winne a Golden fléece 3 But nathelesse I some what reade in writte Oh high exploits by Martiall men ydone And therevpon I haue presumed yet To take in hande this Poeme now begonne Wherin I meane to tell what race they ronne Who followe Drummes before they knowe the dubbe And bragge of Mars before they féele his clubbe 4 Which talk to tell let first with penne declare What thing warre is and wherof it procéeds What be the fruites that fall vnto their share That gape for honor by those haughtie déeds What bloudie broyles in euery state it bréeds A weary worke vneths I shall it write Yet as I may I must the same endite 5 The Poets olde in their fonde fables faine That mightie Mars is god of Warre and Strife These Astronomers thinke where Mars doth raigne That all bebate and discorde must be rife Some thinke Bellona goddesse of that life So that some one and some another iudge To be the cause of euery gréeuous grudge 6 Among the rest that Painter had some skill Which thus in armes did once set out the same A fielde of Genles and on a Golden hill A stately towne consumed all with flame On cheafe of Sable taken from the dame A sucking babe oh borne to bide myschaunce Begoarde with bloud and perced with a launce 7 On high the Helme I beare it well in minde The Wreath was Siluer poudred all with shot About the which goutté du sang did twinde A roll of Sable blacke and foule beblot The Creast two handes which may not be forgot For in the Right a trenchand blade did stande And in the Left a firie burning brande 8 Thus Poets Painters and Astronomers Haue giuen their gesse this subiect to define Yet are those thrée and with them trauellers Not best betrust among the Worthies nine Their woordes and workes are déemed not diuine But why God knowes my matter not so marre Vnlesse it be bicause they faine to farre 9 Well then let sée what sayth the common voice These olde sayde sawes of warre what can they say Who list to harken to their whispring noise May heare them talke and tattle day by day That Princes pryde is cause of warre alway Plentie brings pryde pryde plea plea pine pine peace Peace plentie and so say they they neuer cease 10 And though it haue bene thought as true as stéele Which people prate and preach aboue the rest Yet could I neuer any reason féele To thinke Vox populi vox Dei est As for my skill I compt him but a beast Which trusteth truth to dwell in common spéeche Where euery lourden will become a léech 11 Then what is warre define it right at last And let vs set all olde sayde sawes aside Let Poets lie let Painters faigne as fast Astronomers let marke how starres do glide And let these Trauellers tell wonders wide But let vs tell by trustie proufe of truth What thing is warre which raiseth all this ruth 12 And for my parte my fansie for to wright I say that warre is euen the scourge of God Tormenting such as dwell in princelie plight Yet not regarde the reaching of his rodde Whose deedes and dueties often times are odde Who raunge at randon iesting at the iust As though they raignde to do euen what they lust 13 Whome neyther plague can pull into remorse Nor dearth can drawe to mende that is amisse Within whose hearts no pitie findeth force Nor right can rule to iudge what reason is Whome sicknesse salueth not nor bale brings blisse Yet can high loue by waste of bloudie warre Sende scholemaisters to teach them what they are 14 Then since the case so plaine by proufe doth stande That warre is such and such alwayes it was Howe chaunceth then that many take in hande To ioy in warre whiles greater pleasures passe Who compt the quiet Burgher but an Asse That liues at ease contented with his owne Whiles they séeke more and yet are ouerthrowne 15 If Mars mooue warre as Starcoonners can tel And Poets eke in fables vse to faine Or if Bellona cause mennes heartes to swell By deadly grudge by rancor or dysdaine Then what delight may in that life remaine Where anger wrath téene mischiefe and debate Do still vpholde the pillers of the State 16 If Painters craft haue truly warre dysplayde Then is it woorsse and badde it is at best Where townes destroyde and fields with bloud berayde Yong children slaine olde widdowes foule opprest Maydes rauished both men and wiues distrest Short tale to make where sworde and cindring flame Consume as much as earth and ayre may frame 17 If pryde make warre as common people prate Then is it good no doubt as good may bée For pryde is roote of euill in euerie state The sowrse of sinne the very féend his fée The head of Hell the bough the braunch the trée From which do spring and sproute such fleshlie seedes As nothing else but moane and myschiefe bréedes 18 But if warre be as I haue sayde before Gods scourge which doth both Prince and people tame Then warne the wiser sorte by learned lore To flée from that which bringeth naught but blame And let men compt it griefe and not a game To féele the burden of Gods mightie hande When he concludes in iudgement for to stande 19 Oh Prince be pleasde with thine owne diademe Confine thy countries with their common boundes Enlarge no lande ne stretch thou not thy streame Penne vp thy pleasure in Repentance poundes Least thine owne sworde because of all thy woundes Claime nought by warre where title is not good It is Gods scourge then Prince beware thy bloud 20 Oh Dukes oh Earls oh Barons Knights squiers Kepe you content with that which is your owne Let brauerie neuer bring you in his briers Seeke not to mowe where you no séede haue sowne Let not your neighbors house be ouerthrowne To make your garden straight round euen and square For that is warre Gods scourge then Lordes be ware 21 Oh bishops deacons prelates priests and all Striue not for tythes for glebelande nor for fées For polling Peter pens for popish Pall For proud pluralities nor newe degrées And though you thinke it lubberlike to léese Yet shoulde you lende that one halfe of your cote Then Priests leaue warre and learne
full The Shéep maister his olde cast croanes can cull The Shoomaker can shift by shaping shooes The Craftie bawde can liue by kéeping stewes 64 The gorgeous Goldesmith getts the Diuell and all The Haberdasher heapeth wealth by hattes The Barber liues by handling of his ball The Coupers house is héelde by hooping fattes The Roge rubbes out by poysoning of Rattes The Chanell raker liueth by his fee Yet compt I him more worthie prayse than thée 65 To rake vp rytches euermore by wrong To multiplie by moouing of myschiefe To liue by spoile which séeldome lasteth long To hoorde vp heapes whiles others lacke reliefe To winne all wealth by playing of the théefe Is not so good a gaine I dare auowe As his that liues by toyling at the plowe 66 And yet the drudge that delueth in the grounde The poorest pesant and the homeliest hinde The meanest man that euer yet was founde To get a gaine by any trade or kinde Liues more at rest and hath more ease of minde More sure to winne much lesser dread to léese Than any page that liues by Mars his fees 67 Ne will I yet affray the doubtfull hartes Of such as séeke for welth in warre to fal By thundring out the sundrie sodaine smartes Which daily chaunce as fortune trilles the ball Suffiseth this to prooâ—e my theame withall That euery bullet hath a lighting place Though Greedie minde forseeth not that disgrace 68 The myst of More would haue doth bleare his eyes So is he armde with auarice alway And as he couets more than may suffise So is he blinde and dazled day by day For whiles he ventures for a double pay He quite forgets the pay that payes for all Til Leade for Golde do glut his gréedie gal 69 Yea though he gaine cram his purse with crounes And therewith scape the foemens force in fielde He nought foreséeth what treasons dwells in Townes Ne what mishappes his yll got goods may yéelde For so may chaunce and séene it is not séelde His owne companions can contriue a meane To cutte his throate and rinse his budgets cleane 70 But if he wist or had the witte to knowe What dangers dwell where might beares right adowne What inwarde griefes to quiet mindes may growe By gréedie thyrst of ryches or renowne Where wrong of warre oft times erects the crowne He would percase confesse among the rest That Dulce bellum inexpertis est 71 So that I say as earst I sayde before That euen as Haughtie harte doth hunt in vaine Which séekes to winne most honor euermore By haunting warres so can I sée no gaine With calme content to féede that others vaine Wherfore my worde is still I change it not That VVarre seemes sweete to such as raunge it not 72 Well then let sée what reason or what rule Can Miser moue to march among the rest I meane not Miser he that sterues his Mule For lacke of meate no that were but a iest My Miser is as braue sometimes as best Where if he were a snudge to spare a groate Then Greedie minde and he might weare one coate 73 But I by Miser meane the very man Which is enforst by chip of any chaunce To steppe aside and wander nowe and than Till lowring lucke may pipe some other daunce And in meane while yet hopeth to aduaunce His staylesse state by sworde by speare by shielde Such bulwarkes loe my Misers braine doth builde 74 The forlorne hope which haue set vp their rest By rash expence and knowe not howe to liue The busie braine that medleth with the best And gets dysgrace his rashnesse to repréeue The man that slewe the wight that thought to théeue Such and such moe which flee the Catchpols fist I compt them Misers though the Quéene it wist 75 And yet forsooth these loue to liue in warre When God he knowes they wote not what it meanes Where if they sawe how much deceyued they are Whiles they be brought into mine vncles beanes And hoppe in hazarde by their headie meanes Then woulde they learne and loue to liue at home Much rather yet than wide in warres to rome 76 The vnthrift he that selles a roode of lande For Flemish stickes of Silkes and such like wares Weenes yet at last to make a happie hande By bloudie warre and hopes to shredde such shares In goods yll got to counteruaile his cares That he may once recouer his estate To royst againe in spite of Catchpolles pate 77 The restlesse tong that tattleth still at large Till iust correction cause it to be still Is banisht oft and sitts in Misers barge To brydle so the wandring of his will Yet when he heares a trumpet sounding thrill He followes fast and to himselfe he sayes Nowe can I kéepe me out of Catchpols wayes 78 The bloudie murdrer and the craftie théefe Which haue by force or fraude done what offence To créepe in corners oh they thinke it léefe Though Miser there do pay for their expence But when they heare a pay proclaimde for pence Loe then they trudge and gape to get such wealth As may discharge their heads from hangmans health 79 Of these thrée sortes full many haue I séene Some hate the streates bicause the stones were hot Some shunde the Court though they lovde our Quéene Yet in the Counsellors wayes they stumbled not Some might not drinke of Iustice Griffyns pot But all and some had rather fight with foes Than once to light within the lappes of those 80 As for the first what néede I much to wright Since now adayes the Sunne so hote doth shine That fewe yong blouds vnlesse it be by night Can byde the streates no narrowe lanes be fine Where euery fhade may serue them for a shrine But in Cheapside the Sunne so scaldes the stréete That euery pauing stone would partch their féete 81 So of the seconde som what coulde I say Howe tattling tungs and busie byting pennes Haue fledde from Court long sithens many a day And bene full gladde to lurke in Misers dennes Some for their owne spéech some for other mennes Some for their bookes bicause they wrote too much Yea some for rymes but sure I knowe none such 82 And for the thirde I cannot blame them I If they at barre haue once helde vp their hande And smelt the smoke which might haue made them frie Or learnde the leape out of their natiue lande Me thinke if then their cause be rightly scande That they should more delight to follow drummes Than byde at home to come in hangmans thumbes 83 But holla yet and lay a strawe thereby For whyles they scape for one offence or twaine They goe so long to schole with fellonie And learne such lessons in the Soldiers traine That all delayes are dalied but in vaine For commonly at their home come they pay The debt which hangman claimde earst many a day 84 How much were better then with contrite harte First to repent and then
fight And whiles we staie twixt faynte and forward will. Our enemies prepare themselues to flight They hoyste vp sayle o wearie woorde to wrihgt They hoyste vp saile that lacke both streame and windes And we stand still so forst by frowarde mindes 106 O victorie whome Haughty hartes do hunte O spoyle and praye which gréedy mindes desire O golden heapes for whom these Misers wonte To follow Hope which settes all hartes on fire O gayne O golde who list to you aspyre And glorie eke by bolde attempts to winne There was a day to take your prisoners in 107 The shippes retyre with riches full yfraught The Souldiours marche meane while into the towne The tide skarce good the winde starke staring naught The haste so hoate that eare they sinke the sowne They came on ground and strike all sayles adowne While we ay me by backward saylers ledde Take vp the worst when all the best are fledde 108 Such triūphs chance where such Lieutenāts rule Where will commaundes when skill is out of towne Where boldest bloudes are forced to recule By Simme the boteswayne when he list to frowne Where Captaynes crouch and fishers weare the Crowne Such happes which happen in such haplesse warres Make me to tearme them broyles and beastly iarres 109 And in these broyles a beastly broyle to wryte My Colonell and I fell at debate So that I left both charge and office quite A Captaynes charge and eke a Martials state Whereby I proued perhaps though all to late How soone they fall whiche leane to rotten bowes Such faith finde they that trust to some mens vowes 110 My harte was high I could not séeme to serue In regiment where no good rules remayne Where officers and such as well deserue Shall be abusde by euery page and swayne Where discipline shall be but déemed vayne Where blockes are stridde by stumblers at a strawe And where selfe will must stand for martiall lawe 111 These things with mo I could not séeme to beare And therevpon I crackt my staffe in two Yet stayde I still though out of pay I were And learne to liue as priuate Souldiours do I liued yet by God and lacked too Till at the last when Beauois fledde amayne Our campe removde to streine the lande van Strayne 112 When Beauois fledde Mountdragon came to towne And like a Souldiour Myddelburgh he kept But courage now was coldly come adowne On either side and quietly they slept So that my self from Zeland lightly lept Withfull entent to taste our English ale Yet first I ment to tell the Prince my tale 113 For though the warres waxt colde in euery place And small experience was there to be séene Yet thought I not to parte in such disgrace Although I longed much to sée our Quéene For he that once a hyred man hath bene Must take his Maisters leaue before he goe Vnlesse he meane to make his fréend his foe 114 Then went I straight to Delfe a pleasant towne Vnto that Prince whose passing vertues shine And vnto him I came on knées adowne Beséeching that his excellence in fine Would graunt me leaue to sée this countrey mine Not that I wearie was in warres to serue Nor that I lackt what so I did deserue 115 But for I found some contecke and debate In regiment where I was woont to rule And for I founde the staie of their estate Was forced now in townes for to recule I craued leaue no longer but till Yewle And promist then to come againe Sans fayle To spende my bloud where it might him auayle 116 The noble Prince gaue graunt to my request And made me passeporte signed with his seale But when I was with baggs and baggage prest The Prince began to ring another peale And sent for me desiring for my weale That I woulde stay a day or two to sée What was the cause he sent againe for mée 117 My Colonell was nowe come to the Courte With whome the Prince had many things to treate And for he hoapte in good and godlie sorte Twéene him and me to worke a friendlie feate He like a gracious Prince his braines did beate To set accorde betwéene vs if he might Such paynes he toke to bring the wrong to right 118 O noble Prince there are too fewe like thée If Vertue wake she watcheth in thy will If Iustice liue then surely thou art hée If Grace do growe it groweth with thée still O worthy Prince would God I had the skill To write thy worth that men thereby might sée How much they erre that speake amisse of thée 119 The simple Sottes do coumpt thée simple too Whose like for witte our age hath seldome bredde The rayling roges mistrust thou darest not do As Hector did for whom the Grecians fledde Although thou yet werte neuer séene to dredde The slandrous tongues do say thou drinkst to much When God he knowes thy custome is not such 120 But why do I in worthlesse verse deuise To write his prayse that doth excell so farre He heard our gréeues himself in gratious wise And mildly ment to ioyne our angry iarre He ment to make that we beganne to marre But wicked wrath had some so farre enraged As by no meanes theyr malice could be swaged 121 In this meane while the Spainiards came so neare That Delfe was girte with siege on euery side And though men might take shippyng euery where And so be gone at any time or tide Yet truth to tell I speake it for no pryde I could not leaue that Prince in such distresse Which cared for me and yet the cause much lesse 122 But sée mishappe how craftely it créepes Whiles fawning fortune fleareth full in face My heauie harte within my bellie wéepes To recken here a droppe of darke disgrace Which fell vpon my pleasant plight apace And brought a packe of doubts and dumps to passe Whiles I with Prince in loue and fauour was 123 A worthie dame whose prayse my penne shal write My sworde shall eke hir honour still defende A louing letter to me did endight And from the Campe the same to me did sende I meane from Campe where foes their force did bende She sent a brief vnto me by hir mayde Which at the gates of Delfe was stoutely stayde 124 This letter tane I was mistrusted much And thought a man that were not for to truste The Burghers streight began to beare me grutche And cast a snare to make my necke be trust For when they had this letter well discust They sent it me by hir that brought it so To trie if I would kéepe it close or no. 125 I redde the lines and knowing whence they came My harmelesse harte began to pant apace Wel to be playne I thought that neuer Dame Should make me deale in any doubtfull case Or do the thing might make me hide my face So that vnto the Prince I went forthwith And shewed to him of all this packe the pith 126
Cra. Yet tell him so gentle girle Ps. I tell you he is busie Cra. Why is it such a matter to tell him so thou crooked Crone Ps. A rope stretche you marie Cra. A pockes eate you marie Ps. Thou wilt be hanged I warāt thée if thou liue to it Cra. And thou wilt be burnt I warant thée if the canker consume thée not Ps. If I come néere you hempstring I will teache you to sing solfa Cra. Come on and if I get a stone I will scare crowes with you Ps. Goe with a mischiefe I thinke thou be some deuill that woulde tempte me Ero. Crapine heare you come away let hir goe with a vengeance why come you not Alas loke where my maister Philogano commeth what shall I doe where shall I hide me he shall not sée me in these clothes nor before I haue spoken with the right Erostrato Erostrato espyeth Phylogano commming and runneth about to hide him Scena iij. PHILOGANO FERRARESE the Inne keper LITIO a seruant HOnest man it is euen so be you sure there is no loue to be compared like the loue of the parents towards their children It is not long since I thought that a very waightie matter shoulde not haue made me come out of Sicilia and yet now I haue taken this tedious toyle and trauaile vpon me only to sée my sonne and to haue him home with me Fer. By my faith sir it hath ben a great trauaile in dede and to much for one of your age Phi. Yea be you sure I came in companie with certaine gentlemen of my countrey who had affaires to dispatche as far as to Aneona from thence by water too Rauenna and from Rauenna hither continually against the tide Fer. Yea I think that you had but homly lodging by that way Phi. The worst that euer man had but that was nothing to the stirre that the serchers kept with me when I came aborde the ship Iesus how often they vntrussed my male ransaked a litle capcase that I had tossed turned al that was within it serched my bosome yea my breeches that I assure you I thought they would haue flayed me to searche betwene the fell and the fleshe for fardings Fer. Sure I haue heard no lesse and that the marchants bobbe them somtimes but they play the knaues still Phi. Yea be you well assured suche an office is the inheritance of a knaue and an honest man will not meddle with it Fer. Wel this passage shal seme pleasant vnto you whē you shall finde your childe in health and well but I praye you sir why did you not rather send for him into Sicilia than to come your selfe specially since you had none other businesse peraduenture you had rather endanger your selfe by this noysome iourney than hazard to drawe him from his studie Phi. Nay that was not the matter for I had rather haue him giue ouer his studie altogither and come home Fer. Why if you minded not to make him learned to what ende did you send him hither at the first Phi. I will tell you when he was at home he did as most yong men doe he played many mad prankes and did many things that liked me not very well and I thinking that by that time he had sene the worlde he would learne to know himselfe better exhorted him to studie and put in his electiō what place he would go to At the last he came hither and I thinke he was scarce here so sone as I felt the want of him in suche sorte as from that day to this I haue passed fewe nightes without teares I haue written to him very often that he shoulde come home but continually he refused stil beseching me to continue his studie wherein he doubted not as he said but to profite greatly Fer. In dede he is very much commended of al men and specially of the best reputed studentes Phi. I am glad he hath not lost his time but I care not greatly for so much knowledge I would not be without the sighte of hym againe so long for all the learning in the worlde I am olde nowe and if God shoulde call mée in his absence I promise you I thinke it woulde driue me into disperation Fer. It is commendable in a man to loue his childrē but to be so tender ouer them is more womanlike Phi. Well I confesse it is my faulte and yet I will tell you another cause of my comming hither more waightie than this Diuers of my countrey haue bene here since hée came hither by whome I haue sente vnto him and some of thē haue bene thrice some foure or fiue times at his house and yet could neuer speake with him I feare he applies his studie so that he will not léese the minute of an houre from his booke What alas he might yet talke with his countrymen for a while he is a yong man tenderly brought vp and if he fare thus cōtinually night day at his booke it may be enough to driue him into a frenesie Fer. In dede enough were as good as a feast Loe you sir here is your sonne Erostratoes house I will knocke Phi. Yea I pray you knocke Fer. They heare not Phi. Knocke againe Fer. I thinke they be on slepe Ly. If this gate were your Grandefathers soule you coulde not knocke more softly let me come ho ho is there any body within Dalio commeth to the wyndowe and there maketh them answere Scena iiij DALIO the cooke FERARESE the inholder PHILOGANO LITIO his man. WHat deuill of hell is there I thinke hée will breake the gates in péeces Li. Marie sir we had thoughte you had béene on sléepe within and therefore we thought best to wake you what doth Erostrato Da. He is not within Phi. Open the dore good fellow I pray thée Da. If you thinke to lodge here you are deceiued I tell you for here are guestes enowe already Phi. A good fellow and much for thy maister honesty by our Ladie and what guestes I pray thée Da. Here is Philogano my maisters father lately come out of Sicilia Phi. Thou speakest truer thā thou arte aware of he will be by that time thou hast opened the dore open I pray thée hartily Da. It is a small matter for me to open the dore but here is no lodging for you I tell you plaine the house is full Phi. Of whome Da. I tolde you here is Philogano my maisters father come from Cathanea Phi. And when came he Da. He came thrée houres since or more he alighted at the Aungell and left his horses there afterwarde my maister brought him hither Phi. Good fellow I thinke thou hast good sport to mocke mée Da. Nay I thinke you haue good sporet to make me tary here as though I haue nothing else to doe I am matched with an vnrulye mate in the kitchin I will goe looke to him another while Phi. I thinke he be drunken Fer. Sure he semes so sée you
leuie threatning armes Whereof to talke my heart it rendes in twaine Yet once againe I must to thee recompte The wailefull thing that is already spred Bicause I know that pitie will compell Thy tender hart more than my naturall childe With ruthfull teares to mone my mourning case Ser. My gracious Quéene as no man might surmount The constant faith I beare my souraine Lorde So doe I thinke for loue and trustie zeale No Sonne you haue doth owe you more than I For hereunto I am by dutie bounde With seruice méete no lesse to honor you Than that renoumed Prince your déere father And as my duties be most infinite So infinite must also be my loue Then if my life or spending of my bloude May be employde to doe your highnesse good Commaunde O Quéene commaund this carcasse here In spite of death to satisfie thy will So though I die yet shall my willing ghost Contentedly forsake this withered corps For ioy to thinke I neuer shewde my selfe Ingratefull once to such a worthy Quéene Ioca. Thou knowst what care my carefull father tooke In wedlockes sacred state to settle me With Laius king of this vnhappie Thebs That most vnhappie now our Citie is Thou knowst how he desirous still to searche The hidden secrets of supernall powers Vnto Diuines did make his ofte recourse Of them to learne when he should haue a sonne That in his Realme might after him succéede Of whom receiuing answere sharpe and sowre That his owne sonne should worke his wailfull ende The wretched king though all in vayne did séeke For to eschew that could not be eschewed And so forgetting lawes of natures loue No sooner had this paynfull wombe brought foorth His eldest sonne to this desired light But straight he chargde a trustie man of his To beare the childe into a desert wood And leaue it there for Tigers to deuoure Ser. O lucklesse babe begot in wofull houre Ioc. His seruant thus obedient to his hest Vp by the héeles did hang this faultlesse Impe And percing with a knife his tender féete Through both the wounds did drawe the slender twigs Which being bound about his féeble limmes Were strong inough to holde the little soule Thus did he leaue this infant scarcely borne That in short time must néedes haue lost his life If destenie that for our greater gréefes Decréede before to kéepe it still aliue Had not vnto this childe sent present helpe For so it chaunst a shepheard passing by With pitie moude did stay his giltlesse death He tooke him home and gaue him to his wife With homelie fare to féede and foster vp Now harken how the heauens haue wrought the way To Laius death and to mine owne decay Ser. Experience proues and daily is it séene In vaine too vaine man striues against the heauens Ioca. Not farre fro thence the mightie Polibus Of Corinth King did kéepe his princely court Vnto whose wofull wife lamenting muche Shée had no ofspring by hir noble phéere The curteous shepherd gaue my little sonne Which gratefull gift the Quéene did so accept As nothing séemde more precious in hir sight Partly for that his faitures were so fine Partly for that he was so beautifull And partly for bicause his comely grace Gaue great suspicion of his royall bloude The infant grewe and many yeares was demde Polibus sonne till time that Oedipus For so he named was did vnderstande That Polibus was not his sire in déede Whereby forsaking frendes and countrie there He did returne to seeke his natiue stocke And being come into Phocides lande Toke notice of the cursed oracle How first he shoulde his father doe to death And then become his mothers wedded mate Ser. O fierce aspect of cruell planets all That can decrée such seas of heynous faultes Ioca. Then Oedipus fraight full of chilling feare By all meanes sought t' auoyde this furious fate But whiles he wéende to shunne the shameful déede Vnluckly guided by his owne mishappe He fell into the snare that most he feared For loe in Phocides did Laius lye To ende the broyles that ciuill discorde then Had raysed vp in that vnquiet lande By meanes whereof my wofull Oedipus Affording ayde vnto the other side With murdring blade vnwares his father slewe Thus heauenly doome thus fate thus powers diuine Thus wicked reade of Prophets tooke effect Now onely restes to ende the bitter happe Of me of me his miserable mother Alas how colde I féele the quaking bloud Passe too and fro within my trembling brest Oedipus when this bloudy déede was doone Forst foorth by fatall doome to Thebes came Where as full soone with glory he atchieude The crowne and scepter of this noble lande By conquering Sphinx that cruell monster loe That earst destroyde this goodly flouring soyle And thus did I O hatefull thing to heare To my owne sonne become a wretched wife Ser. No meruayle though the golden Sunne withdrew His glittering beames from suche a sinfull facte Ioca. And so by him that from this belly sprang I brought to light O cursed that I am Aswell two sonnes as daughters also twaine But when this monstrous mariage was disclosde So sore began the rage of boyling wrath To swell within the furious brest of him As he him selfe by stresse of his owne nayles Out of his head did teare his griefull eyne Vnworthy more to sée the shining light Ser. How could it be that knowing he had done So foule a blot he would remayne aliue Ioca. So déepely faulteth none the which vnwares Doth fall into the crime he can not shunne And he alas vnto his greater gréefe Prolongs the date of his accursed dayes Knowing that life doth more and more increase The cruell plages of his detested gilte Where stroke of griefly death dothe set an ende Vnto the pangs of mans increasing payne Ser. Of others all moste cause haue we to mone Thy wofull smarte O miserable Quéene Such and so many are thy gréeuous harmes Ioca. Now to the ende this blinde outrageous sire Should reape no ioye of his vnnaturall fruite His wretched sons prickt foorth by furious spight Adiudge their father to perpetuall prison There buried in the depthe of dungeon darke Alas he leades his discontented life Accursing still his stony harted sonnes And wishing all th' infernall sprites of hell To breathe suche poysned hate into their brestes As eche with other fall to bloudy warres And so with pricking poynt of piercing blade To rippe their bowels out that eche of them With others bloud might strayne his giltie hands And bothe at once by stroke of spéedie death Be foorthwith throwne into the Stigian lake Ser. The mightie Gods preuent so fowle a déede Ioca. They to auoyde the wicked blasphemies And sinfull prayer of their angrie sire Agréed thus that of this noble realme Vntill the course of one ful yere was runne Eteocles should sway the kingly mace And Polynice as exul should departe Till time expyrde and then to Polynice Eteocles should yéelde the scepter
the end forgone with shamefull foyle This flitting world doth firmely nought retaine Wherin a man may boldly rest his trust Such fickle chaunce in fortune doth remaine As when she lust she threatneth whom she lust From high renoume to throwe him in the dust Thus may we sée that eche triumphing ioye By fortunes froune is turned to annoye Those elder heades may well be thought to erre The which for easie life and quiet dayes The vulgar sorte would séeme for to preferre If glorious Phoebe with-holde his glistring rayes From such a péere as crowne and scepter swayes No meruaile though he hide his heauenly face From vs that come of lesse renoumed race Selde shall you sée the ruine of a Prince But that the people eke like brunt doe beare And olde recordes of auncient time long since From age to age yea almost euerie where With proofe herof hath glutted euery eare Thus by the follies of the princes hart The bounden subiect still receiueth smart Loe how vnbrideled lust of priuat raigne Hath pricked both the brethren vnto warre Yet Polynice with signe of lesse disdaine Against this lande hath brought from countries farre A forraine power to end this cruell iarre Forgetting quite the dutie loue and zeale He ought to beare vnto this common weale But whosoeuer gets the victorie We wretched dames and thou O noble towne Shall féele therof the wofull miserie Thy gorgeous pompe thy glorious high renoume Thy stately towers and all shal fall a downe Sith raging Mars will eache of them assist In others brest to bathe his bloudie fist But thou O sonne of Semel and of Ioue That tamde the proude attempt of giaunts strong Doe thou defende euen of thy tender loue Thy humble thralls from this afflicting wrong Whom wast of warre hath now tormented long So shall we neuer faile ne day ne night With reuerence due thy prayses to resight Finis Actus primi Done by F. Kinwelmarshe The order of the second dumbe shevve BEfore the beginning of this seconde Acte dyd soūd a very dolefull noise of flutes during the which there came in vpon the stage two coffines couered with hearclothes brought in by .viij. in mourning weed accōpanied with .viij. other mourners after they had caried the coffins about the stage there opened appeared a Graue wherin they buried the coffins put fire to them but the flames did seuer parte in twaine signifying discord by the history of two brethrē whose discord in their life was not onely to be wondred at but being buried both in one Tombe as some writers affirme the flames of their funeralls did yet parte the one frō the other in like maner and would in no wise ioyne into one flame After the Funerals were ended the fire cōsumed the graue was closed vp again the mourners withdrew thē off the stage immediately by the gates Homoloydes entred Pollinyces accompanied with vj. gentlemen and a page that carried his helmet and Target he his men vnarmed sauing their gorgets for that they were permitted to come into the towne in time of truce to the end Iocasta might bring the two brethrē to a parle and Pollinyces after good regard takē round about him speake as foloweth Actus 2. Scena 1. POLINICES CHORVS IOCASTA ETEOCLES LOe here mine owne citie and natiue soyle Loe here the nest I ought to nestle in Yet being thus entrencht with mine owne towres And that from him the safeconduct is giuen Which doth enioye as much as mine should be My féete can treade no step without suspect For where my brother bides euen there behoues More warie scout than in an enmies campe Yet while I may wthin this right hand holde This bronde this blade vnyeldē euer yet My life shall not be lefte without reuenge But here beholde the holy sancturie Of Baccus eke the worthie Image loe The aultars where the sacred flames haue shone And where of yore these giltlesse hands of mine Full oft haue offered to our mightie gods I sée also a worthie companie Of Thebane dames resembling vnto me The traine of Iocasta my deare mother Beholde them clad in clothes of griesly blacke That hellishe hewe that nay for other harmes So well besemed wretched wightes to weare For why ere long their selues themselues shall sée Gramercy to their princes tyrannie Some spoyled of their swéete and sucking babes Some lese their husband other some their sire And some their friends that were to them full dere But now t is time to lay the sworde aside And eke of them to knowe where is the Quéene O woorthie dames heauie vnhappie ye Where resteth now the restlesse quéene of Thebes Chor. O woorthie impe sprong out of worthie race Renoumed Prince whom wée haue lookt for long And nowe in happie houre arte come to vs Some quiet bring to this vnquiet realme O quéene O quéene come foorth and sée thy sonne The gentle frute of all thy ioyfull séede Iocast My faithfull frends my deare beloued maydes I come at call and at your wordes I moue My féebled féete with age and agonie Where is my sonne O tell me where is he For whome I sighed haue so often syth For whom I spende both nightes and dayes in teares Poli. Here noble mother here not as the king Nor as a Citizen of stately Thebes But as a straunger nowe I thanke my brother Iocast O sonne O swéete and my desyred sonne These eyes they sée these handes of myne thée touche Yet scarsly can this mynde beléeue the same And scarsly can this brused breast susteyne The sodeyne ioye that is inclosde therein O gladsome glasse wherein I sée my selfe Chor. So graunt the Gods for our common good You frendly may your sonnes both frendes beholde Iocast At thy departe O louely chylde thou lefte My house in teares and mée thy wretched dame Myrrour of martirdome waymenting still Th'vnworthie exile thy brother to thée gaue Ne was there euer sonne or friende farre off Of his deare frendes or mother so desyred As thy returne in all the towne of Thebes And of my selfe more than the rest to speake I haue as thou mayste sée cleane cast asyde My princely roabes and thus in wofull wéede Bewrapped haue these lustlesse limmes of myne Naught else but teares haue trickled from myne eyes And eke thy wretched blynde and aged syre Since first he hearde what warre twéene you there was As one that did his bitter cursse repent Or that he prayed to Ioue for your decaye With stretching string or else with bloudie knyfe Hath sought full ofte to ende his loathed lyfe Thou this meane whyle my sonne hast lingred long In farre and forreyn coastes and wedded eke By whome thou mayste when heauens appoyntes it so Straunge issue haue by one a stranger borne Whiche greeues me sore and much the more deare chylde Bicause I was not present at the same There to performe thy louing mothers due But for I
I can commaunde This necke of mine shall neuer yeld to yoke Of seruitude let bring his banners splayde Let speare and shield sharpe sworde and cyndring flames Procure the parte that he so vainely claimes As long as life within this brest doth last I nill consent that he should reigne with me If lawe of right may any way be broke Desire of rule within a climbing brest To breake a vow may beare the buckler best Cho. Who once hath past the bounds of honestie In ernest déedes may passe it well in words Ioca. O sonne amongst so many miseries This benefite hath croked age I find That as the tracke of trustlesse time hath taught It séeth much and many things discernes Which recklesse youth can neuer rightly iudge Oh cast aside that vaine ambition That corosiue that cruell pestilence That most infects the minds of mortall men In princely palace and in stately townes It crepeth ofte and close with it conuayes To leaue behind it damage and decayes By it be loue and amitie destroyde It breakes the lawes and common concord beates Kingdomes and realmes it topsie turuie turnes And now euen thée hir gall so poisoned hath That the weake eies of thine affection Are blinded quite and sée not to them selfe But worthy childe driue from thy doubtfull brest This monstrous mate in steade wherof embrace Equalitie which stately states defends And binds the minde with true and trustie knots Of frendly faith which neuer can be broke This man of right should properly possesse And who that other doth the more embrace Shall purchase paine to be his iust reward By wrathfull wo or else by cruell death This first deuided all by equall bonds What so the earth did yeld for our auaile This did deuide the nightes and dayes alike And that the vaile of darke and dreadfull night Which shrowds in misty clouds the pleasaunt light Ne yet the golden beames of Phoebus rayes Which cleares the dimmed ayre with gladsome gleams Can yet heape hate in either of them both If then the dayes and nightes to serue our turne Content themselues to yeld each other place Well oughtest thou with waightie dome to graunt Thy brothers right to rule the reigne with thée Which heauens ordeyned common to you both If so thou nill O sonne O cruell sonne In whose high brest may iustice builde hir houre When princes harts wide open lye to wrong Why likes thée so the tipe of tyrannie With others losse to gather gréedy gaine Alas how farre he wanders from the truth That compts a pompe all other to command Yet can not rule his owne vnbridled will A vaine desire much riches to possesse Whereby the brest is brusde and battered still With dread with daunger care and cold suspecte Who séekes to haue the thing we call inough Acquainte him first with contentation For plenteousnesse is but a naked name And what suffiseth vse of mortall men Shall best apay the meane and modest hearts These hoorded heapes of golde and worldly wealth Are not the proper goods of any one But pawnes which Ioue powres out aboundantly That we likewise might vse them equally And as he seemes to lend them for a time Euen so in time he takes them home agayne And would that we acknowledge euery houre That from his handes we did the same receiue There nothing is so firme and stayde to man But whyrles about with whéeles of restlesse time Now if I should this one thing thée demaunde Which of these two thou wouldest chuse to kéepe The towne quiet or vnquiet tyrannie And wouldest thou say I chuse my kingly chayre O witlesse answere sent from wicked heart For if so fall which mightie God defende Thine enimies hand should ouercome thy might And thou shouldest sée them sacke the towne of Thebes The chastest virgins rauished for wrecke The worthy children in captiuitie Then shouldest thou féele that scepter crowne wealth Yéelde deeper care to sée them tane away Than to possesse them yeldeth déepe content Now to conclude my sonne Ambition Is it that most offends thy blynded thought Blame not thy brother blame ambition From whome if so thou not redéeme thy selfe I feare to sée thée buy repentance deare Cho. Yea deare too deare when it shal come too late Ioc. And now to thée my Polinices deare I say that sillie was Adrastus reade And thou God knowes a simple sillie soule He to be ruled by thy heady wil And thou to warre against the Thebane walls These walls I say whose gates thy selfe should garde Tell me I pray thée if the Citie yéelde Or thou it take by force in bloudie fight Which neuer graunt the Gods I them beséeke What spoyles what Palmes what signe of victorie Canst thou set vp to haue thy countrie woonne What title worthie of immortall fame Shall blased be in honor of thy name O sonne deare sonne beléeue thy trustie dame The name of glorie shall thy name refuse And flie full farre from all thy fonde attemptes But if so fall thou shouldst be ouercome Then with what face canst thou returne to Greece That here hast lefte so many Greekes on grounde ▪ Eache one shall curse and blame thée to thy face As him that onely caused their decaye And eke condemne Adrastus simple heade That such a phéere had chosen for his childe So may it fall in one accursed houre That thou mayst loose thy wife and countrie both Both which thou mayst with little toyle attaine If thou canst leaue high minde and darke disdaine Cho. O mightie Gods of goodnesse neuer graunt Vnto these euilles but set desired peace Betwene the hearts of these two friendly foes Ete. The question that betwixt vs two is growen Beléeue me mother can not ende with words You waste your breath and I but loose my time And all your trauell lost and spent in vaine For this I sweare that peace you neuer get Betwéene vs two but with condition That whilst I liue I will be Lord of Thebes Then set aside these vaine forwasted wordes And yéelde me leaue to go where néede doth presse And now good sir get you out of these walles Vnlesse you meane to buy abode with bloude Po. And who is he that séekes to haue my bloude And shall not shed his owne as fast as myne Ete. By thée he standes and thou standst him before Loe here the sworde that shall perfourme his worde Po. And this shall eke mainteine my rightfull cause Ioc. O sonnes dear sonnes away with glittring armes And first before you touch eache others flesh With doubled blowes come pierce this brest of mine Po. Ah wretch thou art both vile and cowarde like Thy high estate esteemes thy life to deare Ete. If with a wretch or coward shouldst thou fighte Oh dastard villaine what first moued thée With swarmes of Gréekes to take this enterprise Po. For well I wist that cankred heart of thine Coulde safely kepe thy heade within these walles
the more How much the wished conquest at the first Fell happily vnto the towne of Thebes But wise men ought with patience to sustaine The sundrie haps that slipperie fortune frames Nuncius commeth in by the gates Electrae Nun. Alas who can direct my hastie steppes Vnto the brother of our wofull Quéene But loe where carefully he standeth here Cre. If so the minde may dread his owne mishap Then dread I much this man that séekes me thus Hath brought the death of my beloued sonne Nun. My Lorde the thing you feare is very true Your sonne Meneceus no longer liues Cre. Alas who can withstand the heauenly powers Well it beséemes not me ne yet my yeares In bootelesse plaint to wast my wailefull teares Do thou recount to me his lucklesse deathe The order forme and manner of the same Nun. Your sonne my Lorde came to Eteocles And tolde him this in presence of the rest Renoumed King neither your victorie Ne yet the safetie of this princely Realme In armour doth consist but in the death Of me of me O most victorious King So heauenly dome of mightie Ioue commaunds I knowing what auayle my death should yéeld Vnto your grace and vnto natiue land Might well be déemde a most vngratefull sonne Vnto this worthy towne if I would shunne The sharpest death to do my countrie good In mourning wéede now let the vestall Nimphes With fainyng tunes commend my faultlesse ghost To highest heauens while I despoyle my selfe That afterwarde sith Ioue will haue it so To saue your liues I may receyue my death Of you I craue O curteous Citizens To shrine my corps in tombe of marble stone Whereon graue this Meneceus here doth lie For countries cause that was content to die This saide alas he made no more a doe But drewe his sword and sheathde it in his brest Cre. No more I haue inough returne ye nowe From whence ye came Nuncius returneth by the gates Electrae Well since the bloud of my beloued sonne Must serue to slake the wrath of angrie Ioue And since his onely death must bring to Thebes A quiet ende of hir vnquiet state Me thinkes good reason would that I henceforth Of Thebane soyle should beare the kingly swaye Yea sure and so I will ere it belong Either by right or else by force of armes Of al mishap loe here the wicked broode My sister first espoused hath hir sonne That slewe his fire of whose accursed séede Two brethren sprang whose raging hatefull hearts By force of boyling yre are bolne so sore As each do thyrst to sucke the others bloude But why do I sustaine the smart hereof Why should my bloud be spilt for others gilte Oh welcome were that messenger to me That brought me word of both my nephewes deathes Then should it soone be sene in euery eye Twixt prince and prince what difference would appeare Then should experience shewe what griefe it is To serue the humours of vnbridled youth Now will I goe for to prepare with spéede The funerals of my yong giltlesse sonne The which perhaps may be accompanyed With th' obsequies of proude Eteocles Creon goeth out by the gates Homoloydes Finis Actus 4. Actus 4. CHORVS O Blisful concord bredde in sacred brest Of him that guides the restlesse rolling sky That to the earth for mans assured rest From heigth of heauens vouchsafest downe to flie In thée alone the mightie power doth lie With swete accorde to kepe the frouning starres And euery planet else from hurtfull warres In thée in thée such noble vertue bydes As may commaund the mightiest Gods to bend From thée alone such sugred frendship slydes As mortall wightes can scarcely comprehend To greatest strife thou setst delightfull ende O holy peace by thée are onely founde The passing ioyes that euery where abound Thou onely thou through thy celestiall might Didst first of al the heauenly pole deuide From th' olde confused heape that Chaos hight Thou madste the Sunne the Moone and starres to glide With ordred course about this world so wide Thou hast ordainde Dan Tytans shining light By dawne of day to chase the darkesome night When tract of time returnes the lustie Ver. By thée alone the buddes and blossomes spring The fieldes with floures be garnisht euery where The blooming trées aboundant fruite do bring The cherefull birds melodiously do sing Thou dost appoint the crop of sommers séede For mans reliefe to serue the winters néede Thou doest inspire the heartes of princely péeres By prouidence procéeding from aboue In flowring youth to choose their worthie féeres With whome they liue in league of lasting loue Till fearefull death doth flitting life remoue And loke how fast to death man payes his due So fast againe doste thou his stocke renue By thée the basest thing aduaunced is Thou euerie where dost graffe such golden peace As filleth man with more than earthly blisse The earth by thée doth yelde hir swete increase At becke of thée all bloudy discords cease And mightiest Realmes in quiet do remaine Wheras thy hand doth holde the royall raine But if thou faile then al things gone to wracke The mother then doth dread hir naturall childe Then euery towne is subiect to the sacke Then spotlesse maids the virgins be defilde Then rigor rules then reason is exilde And this thou wofull Thebes to our great paine With present spoile art likely to sustaine Me thinke I heare the wailfull wéeping cries Of wretched dames in euerie coast resound Me thinkes I sée how vp to heauenly skies From battred walls the thundring clappes rebound Me thinke I heare how all things go to ground Me thinke I sée how souldiers wounded lye With gasping breath and yet they can not dye By meanes wherof oh swete Meneceus he That giues for countries cause his guiltlesse life Of others all most happy shall he be His ghost shall flit from broiles of bloudy strife To heauenly blisse where pleasing ioyes be rife And would to God that this his fatall ende From further plagues our citie might defend O sacred God giue eare vnto thy thrall That humbly here vpon thy name doth call O let not now our faultlesse bloud be spilt For hote reuenge of any others gilt Finis Actus quarti Done by F. Kinwelmarshe The order of the laste dumbe shevve FIrst the Stillpipes sounded a very mournful melody in which time came vpon the Stage a womā clothed in a white garment on hir head a piller double faced the formost face fair smiling the other behinde blacke louring muffled with a white laune about hir eyes hir lap ful of Iewelles sitting in a charyot hir legges naked hir fete set vpō a great roūd bal beyng drawē in by .iiij. noble personages she led in a string on hir right hand .ij. kings crowned and in hir lefte hand .ij. poore slaues very meanly attyred After she was drawen about the stage she stayed a little changing the kings vnto the left hande the slaues
vnto the right hand taking the crownes from the kings heads she crowned therwith the ij slaues casting the vyle clothes of the slaues vpon the kings she despoyled the kings of their robes and therwith apparelled the slaues This done she was drawen eftsones about the stage in this order and then departed leauing vnto vs a plaine Type or figure of vnstable fortune who dothe oftentimes raise to heighte of dignitie the vile and vnnoble and in like manner throweth downe frō the place of promotiō euen those whō before she hir selfe had thither aduaunced after hir departure came in Duke Creon with foure gentlemen wayting vpon him and lamented the death of Meneceus his sonne in this maner Actus .iij. Scena .1 CREON. CHORVS ALas what shall I do bemone my selfe Or rue the ruine of my Natiue lande About the which such cloudes I sée enclosde As darker cannot couer dreadfull hell With mine own eyes I saw my own deare sonne All gorde with bloud of his too bloudy brest Which he hath shed full like a friend too deare To his countrey and yet a cruell foe To me that was his friend and father both Thus to him selfe he gaynde a famous name And glory great to me redoubled payne Whose haplesse death in my afflicted house Hath put suche playnt as I ne can espie What comfort might acquiet their distresse I hither come my sister for to séeke Iocasta she that might in wofull wise Amid hir high and ouer pining cares Prepare the baynes for his so wretched corps And eke for him that nowe is not in life May pay the due that to the dead pertaynes And for the honor he did well deserue To giue some giftes vnto infernall Gods. Cho. My Lorde your sister is gone forth long since Into the campe and with hir Antigone Hir daughter deare Cre. Into the campe alas and what to do Cho. She vnderstoode that for this realme foorthwith Hir sonnes were gréed in combate for to ioyne Cre. Alas the funerals of my deare sonne Dismayed me so that I ne did receiue Ne séeke to knowe these newe vnwelcome newes But loe beholde a playne apparant signe Of further feares the furious troubled lookes Of him that commeth heere so hastilye Scena 2. NVNCIVS CREON. CHORVS ALas alas what shall I doe alas What shriching voyce may serue my wofull wordes O wretched I ten thousande times a wretch The messanger of dread and cruell death Cre. Yet more mishap and what vnhappie newes Nun. My Lord your nephues both haue lost their liues Cre. Out and alas to me and to this towne Thou doest accompt great ruine and decay You royall familie of Oedipus And heare you this your liege and soueraigne Lordes The brethren both are slayne and done to death Cho. O cruell newes most cruell that can come O newes that might these stony walles prouoke For tender ruthe to brust in bitter teares And so they would had they the sense of man. Cre. O worthy yong Lordes that vnworthy were Of such vnworthy death O me moste wretch Nun. More wretched shall ye déeme your selfe my lord When you shall heare of further miserie Cre. And can there be more miserie than this Nun. With hir deare sonnes the quéene hir self is slaine Cho. Bewayle ladies alas good ladies waile This harde mischaunce this cruell common euill Ne hencefoorth hope for euer to reioyce Cre. O Iocasta miserable mother What haplesse ende thy life alas hath hent Percase the heauens purueyed had the same Moued therto by the wicked wedlocke Of Oedipus thy sonne yet might thy scuse But iustly made that knewe not of the crime But tell me messanger oh tell me yet The death of these two brethren driuen therto Not thus all onely by their drearie fate But by the banning and the bitter cursse Of their cruell sire borne for our annoy And here on earth the onely soursse of euill Nun. Then know my Lorde the battell that begonne Vnder the walles was brought to luckie ende Eteocles had made his fotemen flée Within their trenches to their foule reproche But herewithall the brethren both straightway Eche other chalenge foorth into the fielde By combate so to stinte their cruell strife Who armed thus amid the fielde appeard First Polynice turning toward Gréece His louely lookes gan Iuno thus beséeche O heauenly quéene thou séest that since the day I first did wedde Adrastus daughter deare And stayde in Gréece thy seruaunt haue I bene Then be it not for mine vnworthinesse Graunt me this grace the victorie to winne Graunt me that I with high triumphant hande May bathe this blade within my brothers brest I know I craue vnworthy victorie Vnworthy triumphes and vnworthy spoyles Lo he the cause my cruell enimie The people wept to beare the wofull wordes Of Polynice foreséeing eke the ende Of this outrage and cruell combate tane Eche man gan looke vpon his drouping mate With mindes amazed and trembling hearts for dread Whom pitie perced for these youthfull knightes Eteocles with eyes vp cast to heauen Thus sayde O mightie loue his daughter graunt to me That this right hande with this sharpe armed launce Passing amid my brothers cankred brest It may eke pierce that cowarde hart of his And so him slea that thus vnworthily Disturbes the quiet of our common weale So sayde Eteocles and trumpets blowne To sende the summons of their bloudy fighte That one the other fiercely did encounter Like Lions two yfraught with boyling wrath Bothe coucht their launces full agaynst the face But heauen it nolde that there they should them teinte Vpon the battred shields the mightie speares Are bothe ybroke and in a thousande shiuers Amid the ayre flowne vp into the heauens Beholde agayne with naked sworde in hande Eche one the other furiously assaultes Here they of Thebes there stoode the Greekes in doubt Of whom doth eche man féele more chilling dread Least any of the twayne should lose his life Than any of the twayne did féele in fight Their angry lookes their deadly daunting blowes Might witnesse well that in their heartes remaynde As cankred hate disdayne and furious moode As euer bred in beare or tygers brest The first that hapt to hurt was Polinice Who smote the righte thighe of Eteocles But as we déeme the blow was nothing déepe Then cryed the Gréekes and lepte with lightned harts But streight agayne they helde their peace for why Eteocles gan thrust his wicked sworde In the lefte arme of vnarmed Pollinice And let the bloud from bare vnfenced fleshe With falling drops distill vpon the ground Ne long he stayes but with an other thrust His brothers belly boweld with his blade Then wretched he with bridle left at large From of his horsse fell pale vpon the ground Ne long it was but downe our duke dismountes From of his startling steede and runnes in hast His brothers haplesse helme for to vnlace And with such hungry minde desired spoyle As one that thought the fielde already woonne
Sée ruine growes when most we reach to rise Sweete is the name and statelie is the raigne Of kinglie rule and swey of royall seate But bitter is the tast of Princes gaine When climbing heades do hunte for to be great Who would forecast the banke of restlesse toyle Ambitious wightes do freight their brestes withall The growing cares the feares of dreadfull foyle To yll successe that on such flightes doth fall He would not streyne his practize to atchieue The largest limits of the mightiest states But oh what fansies swéete do still relieue The hungrie humor of these swelling hates What poyson swéet inflameth high desire Howe soone the hautie heart is pufft with pride Howe soone is thirst of sceptre set on fire Howe soone in rising mindes doth mischief slide What bloudie sturres doth glut of honor bréede Th ambitious sonne doth oft surpresse his sire Where natures power vnfained loue should spread There malice raignes and reacheth to be higher O blinde vnbridled search of Souereintie O tickle traine of euill attayned state O fonde desire of princelie dignitie Who climbes too soone he ofte repentes too late The golden meane the happie doth suffise They leade the posting day in rare delight They fill not féede their vncontented eyes They reape such rest as doth beguile the might They not enuie the pompe of haughtie traine Ne dreade the dinte of proude vsurping swoorde But plaste alowe more sugred ioyes attaine Than swaye of loftie Scepter can afoorde Cease to aspire then cease to soare so hie And shunne the plague that pierceth noble breastes To glittring courtes what fondnesse is to flie When better state in baser Towers rests Finis Epilogi Done hy Chr. Yeluerton NOte Reader that there vvere in Thebes fovvre principall gates vvherof the chief and most commonly vsed vvere the gates called Electrae and the gates Homoloydes Thys I haue thought good to explane as also certē vvords vvhich are not cōmon in vse are noted and expounded in the margent I did begin those notes at request of a gentlevvoman vvho vnderstode not poëtycall vvords or termes I trust those and the rest of my notes throughout the booke shall not be hurtfull to any Reader ⧠The Frute of reconciliation VVritten vppon a reconciliation betwene two freendes THe hatefull man that heapeth in his mynde Cruell reuenge of wronges forepast and done May not with ease the pleasaunt pathway finde Of friendly verse which I haue now begone Vnlesse at first his angry brest vntwinde The crooked knot which canckred choller knit And then recule with reconciled grace Likewise I finde it sayde in holy write If thou entend to turne thy fearefull face To God aboue make thyne agréement yet First with thy Brother whom thou didst abuse Confesse thy faultes thy frowardnesse and all So that the Lord thy prayer not refuse When I consider this and then the brall Which raging youth I will not me excuse Did whilome breede in mine vnmellowed brayne I thought it méete before I did assay To write in ryme the double golden gayne Of amitie first yet to take away The grutch of grief as thou doest me constrayne By due desert whereto I now must yéeld And drowne for aye in depth of Lethes lake Disdaynefull moodes whom frendship cannot wéelde Pleading for peace which for my parte I make Of former strife and henceforth let vs write The pleasant fruites of faythfull friends delight Si fortunatus infoelix Two gentlemen did run three courses at the Ring for one kisse to be takē of a fair gentlewoman being then present with this condicion that the winner should haue the kisse and the loser be bound to write some verses vpon the gaine or losse therof Now it fortuned that the winner triumphed saying he much lamented that in youth he had not seen the warres VVherevpon the loser compyled these following in discharge of the condition aboue rehearsed THis vaine auaile which thou by Mars hast woonne Should not allure thy flitting minde to feelde Where sturdie stéeds in depth of dangers roonne By guttes welgnawen by clappes that Canons yéelde Where faithlesse friendes by warrefare waxen ware And runne to him that giueth best rewarde No feare of lawes can cause them for to care But robbe and reaue and steale without regarde The fathers coate the brothers stéede from stall The deare friendes purse shall picked be for pence The natiue soile the parentes left and all With Tant tra tant the Campe is marching hence But when bare beggrie bidds them to beware And late repentance rules them to retire Like hiuelesse Bées they wander here and there And hang on them who earst did dreade their ire This cut throto life me séemes thou shouldst not like And shunne the happie hauen of meane estate High Ioue perdy may sende what thou doest séeke And heape vp poundes within thy quiet gate Nor yet I would that thou shouldst spende thy dayes In idlenesse to teare a golden time Like countrey loutes which compt none other praise But grease a sheepe and learne to serue the swine In vaine were then the giftes which nature lent If Pan so presse to passe dame Pallas lore But my good friende let thus thy youth be spent Serue God thy Lord and prayse him euermore Search out the skill which learned bookes do teach And serue in féeld when shadowes make thée sure Hold with the head and row not past thy reach But plead for peace which plenty may procure And for my life if thou canst run this race Thy bagges of coyne will multiply apace Si fortunatus infoelix Not long after the writing hereof he departed from the company of his sayd friend whom he entirely loued into the west of Englande and feeling himselfe so consumed by womens craft that he doubted of a safe returne wrote before his departure as followeth THe féeble thred which Lachesis hath sponne To drawe my dayes in short abode with thée Hath wrought a webbe which now welneare is donne The wale is worne and all to late I sée That lingring life doth dally but in vaine For Atropos will cut the twist in twaine I not discerne what life but lothsome were When faithfull friends are kept in twayne by want Nor yet perceiue what pleasure doth appéere To déepe desires where good successe is skant Such spight yet showes dame fortune if she frowne The haughty harts in high mishaps to drowne Hot be the flames which boyle in friendly mindes Cruell the care and dreadfull is the doome Slipper the knot which tract of time vntwynds Hatefull the life and welcome were the toome Blest were the day which might deuoure such youth And curst the want that séekes to choke such trueth This wayling verse I bathe in flowing teares And would my life might end with these my lines Yer striue I not to force into thine eares Such fayned plaints as fickell faith resignes But high forsight in dreames hath stopt my breath And causde the Swanne to sing before his death
my will with flames of feruent loue To further forth the fruite of my desire My fréends deuisde this meane for my behoue They made a match according to my mind And cast a snare my fansie for to blind Short tale to make the déede was almost donne Before I knew which way the worke begonne And with this lot I did my selfe content I lent a liking to my parents choyse With hand and hart I gaue my frée consent And hung in hope for euer to reioyce I liu'd and lou'd long time in greater ioy Than shée which held king Priams sonne of Troy But thrée lewd lots haue chang'd my heauen to hell And those be these giue eare and marke them well First slaunder he which alwayes beareth hate To happy harts in heauenly state that bide Gan play his part to stirre vp some debate Whereby suspect into my choyse might glide And by his meanes the slime of false suspect Did as I feare my dearest friend infect Thus by these twayn long was I plungd in paine Yet in good hope my hart did still remaine But now aye me the greatest grief of all Sound loud my Lute and tell it out my toong The hardest hap that euer might befall The onely cause wherfore this song is soong Is this alas my loue my Lord my Roy My chosen pheare my gemme and all my ioye Is kept perforce out of my dayly sight Whereby I lacke the stay of my delight In loftie walles in strong and stately towers With troubled minde in solitary sorte My louely Lord doth spend his dayes and howers A weary life deuoyde of all disport And I poore soule must lie here all alone To tyre my trueth and wound my will with mone Such is my hap to shake my blooming time With winters blastes before it passe the prime Now haue you heard the summe of all my grief Whereof to tell my hart oh rends in twayne Good Ladies yet lend you me some relief And beare a parte to ease me of my payne My sortes are such that waying well my trueth They might prouoke the craggy rocks to rueth And moue these walles with teares for to lament The lothsome life wherein my youth is spent But thou my Lute be still now take thy rest Repose thy bones vppon this bed of downe Thou hast dischargd some burden from my brest Wherefore take thou my place herelie thée downe And let me walke to tyre my restlesse minde Vntill I may entreate some curteous winde To blow these wordes vnto my noble make That he may sée I sorow for his sake Meritum petere graue A Riddle A Lady once did aske of me This preatie thing in priuitie Good sir quod she faine would I craue One thing which you your selfe not haue Nor neuer had yet in times past Nor neuer shall while life doth last And if you séeke to find it out You loose your labour out of doubt Yet if you loue me as you say Then giue it me for sure you may Meritum petere graue The shield of loue c. L'Escü d'amour the shield of perfect loue The shield of loue the force of stedfast faith The force of faith which neuer will remoue But standeth fast to bide the brunts of death That trustie targe hath long borne off the blowes And broke the thrusts which absence at me throwes In dolefull dayes I lead an absent life And wound my will with many a weary thought I plead for peace yet sterue in stormes of strife I find debate where quiet rest was sought These panges with mo vnto my paine I proue Yet beare I all vppon my shield of loue In colder cares are my conceipts consumd Than Dido felt when false Aeneas fled In farre more heat than trusty Troylus fumde When craftie Cressyde dwelt with Diomed My hope such frost my hot desire such flame That I both fryse and smoulder in the same So that I liue and die in one degrée Healed by hope and hurt againe with dread Fast bound by faith when fansie would be frée Vntied by trust though thoughts enthrall my head Reuiu'd by ioyes when hope doth most abound And yet with grief in depth of dolors drownd In these assaultes I féele my féebled force Begins to faint thus weried still in woes And scarcely can my thus consumed corse Hold vp this Buckler to beare of these blowes So that I craue or presence for relief Or some supplie to ease mine absent grief Lenuoie To you deare Dame this dolefull plaint I make Whose onely sight may soone redresse my smart Then shew your selfe and for your seruaunts sake Make hast post hast to helpe a faithfull harte Mine owne poore shield hath me defended long Now lend me yours for elles you do me wrong Meritum petere graue A gloze vpon this text Dominus ijs opus habet MY recklesse race is runne gréene youth and pride be past My riper mellowed yeares beginne to follow on as fast My glancing lookes are gone which wonted were to prie In euery gorgeous garish glasse that glistred in mine eie My sight is now so dimme it can behold none such No mirrour but the merrie meane can please my fansie muche And in that noble glasse I take delight to view The fashions of the wonted worlde compared by the new For marke who list to looke each man is for him selfe And beates his braine to hord heape this trash worldly pelfe Our hands are closed vp great gifts go not abroade Few men will lend a locke of heye but for to gaine a loade Giue gaue is a good man what néede we lash it out The world is wōdrous fearfull now for danger bids men doubt And aske how chanceth this or what meanes all this méede Forsooth the common answer is because the Lord hath neede A noble iest by gisse I find it in my glasse The same fréehold our Sauiour Christ conueyed to his asse A text to trie the truth and for this time full fitte For where should we our lessons learne but out of holy writte First marke our only God which ruleth all the rost He sets aside all pompe and pride wherein fond wordlings boast His traine is not so great as filthy Sathans band A smaller heard may serue to féede at our great masters hand Next marke the heathens Gods and by them shall we sée They be not now so good fellowes as they were woont to be Ioue Mars and Mercurie Dame Venus and the rest They bāquet not as they were wont they know it were not best So kings and Princes both haue lefte their halles at large Their priuie chambers cost enough they cut off euery charge And when an office falles as chance sometimes may be First kéepe it close a yeare or twaine then geld it by the fée And giue it out at last but yet with this prouiso A bridle for a brainsicke Iade durante bene placito Some thinke these ladders low to climbe alofte with spéede Well let them
his taile And leaping ouer hedge and ditch I sawe it not preuaile To pamper him so proude Wherfore I thought it best To trauaile him not as I woont yet nay to giue him rest Thus well resolued then I kept him still in harte And founde a pretie prouander appointed for his parte Which once a day no more he might a little tast And by this diet made I youth a gentle iade at last And foorth I might him ride an easie iourneying pace He neuer straue with middle age but gently gaue him place Then middle age stept in and toke the helme in hande To guide my Barke by better skill into some better lande And as eche noble heart is euermore most bent To high exploites and woorthie déedes where honor may be hent So mine vnyolden minde by Armes gan séeke renowne And sought to rayse that recklesse youth had rashly tūbled downe With sworde and trustie targe then sought I for to carue For middle age and hoarie haires and both their turnes to sarue And in my Caruers roome I gan to cut suche cuttes And made suche morsels for their mouthes as well might fill their guttes Beside some ouerplus which being kept in store Might serue to welcome al their friends with foison euermore I meane no more but this my hand gan finde such happe As made me thinke that Fortune ment to play me in hir lappe And hope therwith had heavde my heart to be so hie That still I hoapt by force of armes to climbe aboue the Skie I bathed still in blisse I ledde a lordelie life My Souldiers lovde and fearde me both I neuer dreaded strife My boord was furnisht stil with cates of dainty cost My back wel clad my purse wel lynde my woonted lack was lost My bags began to fil my debtes for to discharge My state so stoode as sure I séemde to swim in good lucks barge But out and well away what pleasure bréedes not paine What sun cā shine without a cloud what thūder brings not rain Such is the life of man such was the luck of me To fall so fast from hiest hap where sure I séemde to be Fiue hundred sundrie sunnes and more could scarcely serue By sweat of brows to win a roome wherin my knife might carue One onely dismall day suffised with despite To take me from my caruers place and from the table quite Fiue hundred broken sleepes had busied all my braynes To find at last some worthy trade that might increse my gaynes One blacke vnluckie houre my trade hath ouerthrowen And marrde my marte broke my bank al my blisse oreblowen To wrappe vp all in woe I am in prison pent My gaines possessed by my foes my friends against me bent And all the heauy haps that euer age yet bare Assembled are within my breast to choake me vp with care My modest middle age which lacks of youth the lust Can beare no such gret burdēs now but throwes them in the dust Yet in this piteous plight beholde me Louers all And rewe my grieues least you your selues do light on such a fal I am that wearie wretch whom loue always hath tyred And fed me with such strange conceytes as neuer man desired For now euen now ay me I loue and cannot chuse So strangely yet as wel may moue the wisest mindes to muse No blasing beautie bright hath set my heart on fire No ticing talke no gorgeous gyte tormenteth my desire No bodie finely framde no haggarde Falcons eie No ruddie lip no golden locks hath drawne my minde awrie No téeth of shining pearle no gallant rosie hiew No dimpled chinne no pit in chéeke presented to my view In fine no such delights as louers oft allure Are cause why thus I do lament or put my plaintes in vre But such a strange affect as both I shame to tell And all the worlde may woonder much how first therin I fell Yet since I haue begonne quoth he to tell my griefe I wil nought hide although I hope to finde no great reliefe And thus quoth he it is Amongst the sundrie ioyes Which I conceivde in feates of warre and all my Martial toyes My chaunce was late to haue a péerlesse firelock péece That to my wittes was nay the like in Turkie nor in Greece A péece so cleanly framde so streight so light so fine So tempred and so polished as séemeth worke diuine A péece whose locke yet past for why it it neuer failde And though I bent it night and day the quicknesse neuer quailde A péece as well renforst as euer yet was wrought The brauest péece for bréech and bore that euer yet was bought The mounture so well made and for my pitch so fit As though I sée faire péeces moe yet fewe so fine as it A péece which shot so well so gently and so streight It neyther bruzed with recule nor wroong with ouerweight In fine and to conclude I know no fault thereby That eyther might be thought in minde or wel discernde with ey This péece then late I had and therin tooke delight As much as euer proper péece did please a warlike wight Nowe though it be not lost nor rendred with the rest Yet being shut from sight therof how can I thinke me blest Or which way should I hope that such a iewell rare Can passe vnséen in any campe where cunning shooters are And therewith am I sure that being once espied It neuer can escape their hands but that it will be tried And being once but prooued then farewel frost for me My péece my locke and all is lost and I shall neuer sée The like againe on earth Nowe Louers speake your minde Was euer man so strangely stroke or caught in such a kinde Was euer man so fonde was euer man so mad Was euer man so woe begone or in such cares yclad For restlesse thus I rest the wretchedst man on liue And when I thinke vpon this péece then still my woes reuiue Nor euer can I finde good plaister for my paine Vnlesse my lucke might be so good to finde that péece againe To make my mourning more where I in prison pine I daily sée a pretie péece much like that péece of mine Which helps my hurt much like vnto a broken shinne That when it heales begins to ytch and then rubs off the skinne Thus liue I still in loue alas and euer shall As well content to loose my péece as gladde to finde my fall A wonder to the worlde a griefe to friendlie mindes A mocking stocke to Momus race and al such scornefull hindes A loue that thinke I sure whose like was neuer séene Nor neuer warlike wight shal be in loue as I haue béene So that in sooth quoth he I cannot blame the Dames Whome I in youth did moste estéeme I list not foile their fames But there to lay the fault from whence it first did flowe I say my Fortune is the root whence all these griefes did grow Since Fortune
then quoth he hath turnde to me hir backe Shall I go yéeld to mourning moane and cloath my self in black◠No no for noble mindes can beare no thraldome so But rather shew a merrie cheere when most they wade in wo. And so will I in gréene my careful corpse aray To set a bragge amongst the best as though my heart were gay Not greene bicause I hope nor gréene bicause I ioy Nor gréene bicause I can delight in any youthfull toy But greene bicause my gréenes are alway fresh and gréene Whose roote is such it cannot rot as by the frute is séene Thus sayde he gaue a groane as though his heart had broke And from the furnace of his breast sent scalding sighes like smoke And sighing so he sate in solitarie wise Conueying flouds of brynish teares by conduct of his eyes What ende he had God knoweth Battello writes it not Or if he do my wittes are short for I haue it forgot The continuance of the Author vpon the fruite of Fetters THus haue you heard the gréen Knight make his mone Which wel might moue the hardest heart to melt But what he ment that knewe himselfe alone For such a cause in wéerie woes to swelt And yet by like some péerlesse peece it was That brought him so in raging stormes to passe I haue heard tell and read it therewithall That neare the Alpes a kinde of people bée Which serue with shot wherof the very ball Is bigge of bulke the péece but short to sée But yet it shootes as farre and eke as fast As those which are yframde of longer last The cause say some consisteth in the locke Some other iudge bicause they be so strong Renforced well and bréeched like a brocke Stiffe straight and stout which though they be not long Yet spit they foorth their pellets such a pace And with such force as séemes a woondrous case Some other thinke the mettal maketh all Which tempred is both rounde and smooth to sée And sure me thinkes the bignesse of the ball Ne yet the locke should make it shoote so frée But euen the bréech of mettall good and sounde Which makes the ball with greater force to bounde For this we sée the stiffe and strongest arme Which giues a ierke and hath a cunning loose Shootes furdest still and doth alway most harme For be his flights yfeathred from the goose Or Peacockes quilles or Rauen or Swanne or Crowe His shafts go swifte when others flie but slowe How so it be the men that vse to shoote In these short gunnes are praysed for the best And Princes seeke such shotte for to promoote As perfectest and better than the rest So that by like their péeces beare the sway Else other men could shoote as farre as they Their péeces then are called Petronels And they themselues by sundrie names are calld As Bandolliers for who in mountaynes dwels In trowpes and bandes ofte times is stoutly stalld Or of the Stone wherwith the locke doth strike Petronelliers they called are by like And so percase this péerelesse péece of his For which he mournde and made such ruefull mone Was one of those and therfore all his blisse Was turnd to bale when as that péece was gone Since Martial men do set their chief delight In armes which are both free and fayre in sight My selfe haue séene some péece of such a pryce As woorthy were to be estéemed well For this you know in any straunge deuise Such things as séeme for goodnesse to excell Are holden deare and for great Iewels déemd Bycause they be both rare and much estéemd But now to turne my tale from whence I came I saie his lottes and mine were not vnlike He spent his youth as I did out of frame He came at last like me to trayle the pike He pynde in pryson pinchte with priuie payne And I likewise in pryson still remayne Yet some good fruite in fetters can I finde As vertue rules in euery kinde of vice First pryson brings repentaunce to the minde Which wandred earst in lust and lewde deuice For hardest hartes by troubles yet are taught That God is good when all the worlde is naught If thou haue ledde a carelesse lyfe at large Without regard what libertie was worth And then come downe to cruell Gaylours charge Which kéepes thée close and neuer lettes thée forth Learne then this fruite in Fetters by thy selfe That libertie is worth all worldly pelfe Whose happe is such to yéelde himself in warre Remembre then that peace in pleasure dwelles Whose hartes are high and know not what they are Let such but marke the gingling of their belles When fetters frette their anckles as they goe Since none so high but that may come as lowe To tell a truth and therein to be shorte Prysons are plagues that fal for mans offence Which maketh some in good and godly sorte With contrite harte to grope their conscience Repentance then steppes in and pardon craues These fruites with mo are found in darksome caues If thou haue friends there shalt thou know them right Since fastest friends in troubles shew their fayth If thou haue foes there shalt thou sée their spight For all to true it is that Prouerbe sayth Where hedge is lowe there euery man treads downe And friendship failes when Fortune list to frowne Patience is founde in prison though perforce And Temprance taught where none excesse doth dwell Exercise calles least flouth should kill thy corse Diligence driues thy busie braines to swell For some deuise which may redéeme thy state These fruites I found in fetters all too late And with these fruites another fruite I found A strange conceyt and yet a trustie truth I found by proufe there is no kinde of ground That yéeldes a better croppe to retchlesse youth Than that same molde where fetters serue for mucke And wit stil woorkes to digge vp better lucke For if the séede of grace will euer growe Then sure such soile will serue to beare it best And if Gods mercie therewithall do flowe Then springs it high and ruffles with the rest Oft hath bene séene such séede in prison cast Which long kept close and prospred yet at last But therewithall there springs a kinde of Tares Which are vile wéedes and must be rooted out They choake vp grace and lap it fast in snares Which oftentimes do drawe it déepe in dout And hinders plantes which else would growe full hie Yet is this wéede an easie thing to spie Men call it Fansie sure a woorthlesse wéede And of the same full many sortes are found Some fansies are which thinke a lawfull déede To scape away though faith full fast be bound Some thinke by loue nay lust in cloke of loue From fetters fast their selues for to remoue Some be that meane by murder to preuaile And some by fraude as fansie rules the thought Sometimes such frightes mens fansies do assaile That when they sée their fréedome must be bought They vowe to take a
stande on Shooters hill Till rents come in to please their wicked will. Some fansies hopes by lies to come on floate As for to tell their frends and kinne great tales What wealth they lost in coyne and many a coate What powder packt in coffers and in males What they must pay and what their charge will be Wherin they meane to saue themselues a fee. Some fansies eke forecast what life to wéelde When libertie shall graunted be at last And in the aire such castles gan they builde That many times they fall againe as fast For Fansie hinders Grace from glories crowne As Tares and Byndes can plucke good graine adowne Who list therfore by Fetters frute to haue Take Fansie first out of his priuy thought And when thou hast him cast him in the waue Of Lethes lake for sure his séede is nought The gréene Knight he of whome I late did tell Mine Author sayth badde Fansie thus farewell The greene Knights farewell to Fansie FAnsie quoth he farewell whose badge I long did beare And in my hat full harebrayndly thy flowers did I weare To late I finde at last thy frutes are nothing worth Thy blossomes fall fade full fast though brauerie bring thē forth By thée I hoapt alwayes in déepe delights to dwel But since I finde thy ficklenesse Fansie quoth he farewell Thou madste me liue in loue which wisedome biddes me hate Thou bleardst mine eies madste me thinke that faith was mine by fate By thée those bitter swéetes did please my taste alway By thee I thought that loue was light and payne was but a play I thought that Bewties blase was méete to beare the bell And since I finde my selfe deceyued Fansie quoth he farewell The glosse of gorgeous courtes by thée did please mine eye A stately fight me thought it was to sée the braue go by To sée their feathers flaunte to marke their straunge deuise To lie along in Ladies lappes to lispe and make it nice To fawne and flatter both I liked sometimes well But since I see how vayne it is Fansie quoth he farewell When court had cast me off I toyled at the plowe My fansie stoode in straunge conceipts to thriue I wote not how By mils by making malte by shéepe and eke by swyne By ducke and drake by pigge and goose by calues kéeping kine By féeding bullockes fat when pryce at markets fell But since my swaines eat vp my gaines Fansie quoth he farewell In hunting of the deare my fansie tooke delight All forests knew my folly still the mooneshine was my light In frosts I felt no cold a sunneburnt hew was best I sweate and was in temper still my watching séemed rest What daungers déepe I past it follie were to tell And since I sigh to thinke thereon Fansie quoth he farewell A fansie fedde me ones to wryte in verse and rime To wray my griefe to craue reward to couer still my crime To frame a long discourse on sturring of a strawe To rumble rime in raffe and ruffe yet all not worth an hawe To heare it sayde there goeth the Man that writes so well But since I sée what Poetes bée Fansie quoth he farewell At Musickes sacred sounde my fansies eft begonne In concordes discordes notes and cliffes in tunes of vnisonne In Hyerarchies and straynes in restes in rule and space In monacordes and mouing moodes in Burdens vnder base In descants and in chants I streined many a yel But since Musicians be so madde Fansie quoth he farewell To plant straunge countrie fruites to sow such séedes likewise To digge delue for new foūd rootes where old might wel suffise To proyne the water bowes to picke the mossie trées Oh how it pleasd my fansie ones to knéele vpon my knées To griffe a pippine stocke when sappe begins to swell But since the gaynes scarce quite the cost Fansie quoth he farewell Fansie quoth he farewell which made me follow drommes Where powdred bullets serues for sauce to euery dish that cōmes Where treason lurkes in trust where Hope all hartes beguiles Where mischief lieth still in wayte when fortune friendly smiles Where one dayes prison prones that all such heauens are hell And such I féele the frutes thereof Fansie quoth he farewell If reason rule my thoughts and God vouchsafe me grace Then comfort of Philosophie shall make me chaunge my race And fonde I shall it finde that Fansie settes to showe For weakely stāds that building still which lacketh grace by low But since I must accept my fortunes as they fell I say God send me better spéede and Fansie now farewell Epilogismus SEe swéete deceipt that can it self beguile Behold selfe loue which walketh in a net And séemes vnséene yet shewes it selfe therewhile Before such eyes as are in science set The Gréene knight here leaues out his firelocke péece That Fancie hath not yet his last farewell When Foxes preach good folke beware your géese But holla here my muse to farre doth mell Who list to marke what learned preacher sayeth Must learne withall for to beleeue his lore But what he doth that toucheth nomans fayth Though words with workes agréed persuade the more The mounting kite oft lights on homely pray And wisest wittes may sometimes go astray FINIS Tam Marti quà m Mercurio The pleasant Fable of Ferdinando Ieronomi and Leonora de Valasco translated out of the Italian riding tales of Bartello IN the pleasant Countrie of Lombardie and not farre from the Citie of Florence there was dwelling sometimes a Lorde of many riche Seignories and dominions who neuerthelesse bare his name of the Castle of Valasco this Lord had one only sonne and two daughters his sonne was called during the life of his father the heyre of Valasco who maried a faire Gentlewoman of the house of Bellauista named Leonora the elder daughter of the Lord of Valasco was called Francischina a yong woman very toward bothe in capacitie and other actiue qualities Nowe the Lord of Valasco hauing already maried his sonne heyre and himselfe drawing in age was desirous to sée his daughters also bestowed before his death and especially the eldest who both for beutie and ripenesse of age might often put him in remembrance that shée was a collop of his owne fleshe and therefore sought meanes to draw vnto his house Ferdinando Ieronimi a yong gentleman of Venice who delighting more in hawking hunting and such other pastimes than he did in studie had left his owne house in Venice and was come into Lombardie to take the pleasures of the countrie So that the Lorde of Valasco knowing him to be of a very good parentage and therewithall not onely riche but adorned with sundrie good qualities was desirous as is sayd to drawe him home to his house vnder pretence of hunting and hawking to the end he might beholde his fayre daughter Francischina who both for parentage and other worldly respects might no lesse content his minde than hir beautie was likely to
pleased not you I cannot my selfe therwith be pleased as one that seeketh not to please many and more desirous to please you than any The cause of myne affection I suppose you behold dayly For self loue auoyded euery wight may iudge of themselues as much as reason perswadeth the which if it be in your good nature suppressed with bashfulnesse then mighty loue graunt you may once behold my wan cheekes washed in woe that therein my salt teares may be a myrrour to represent your owne shadow and that like vnto Nacissus you may be constrayned to kisse the cold waues wherein your counterfait is so liuely purtrayed For if aboundance of other matters fayled to drawe my gazing eyes in contemplation of so rare excellency yet might these your letters both frame in me an admiration of such diuine esprite and a confusion too my dull vnderstanding whiche so rashly presumed too wander in this endles Laberinth Such I esteeme you and thereby am become such and euen HE. F.I. THis letter finished and fayre written ouer his chaunce was to méete hir alone in a Gallery of the same house where his manhood in this kinde of combat was firste tried and therein I can compare him to a valiant Prince who distressed with power of enemies had committed the safegard of his person to treaty of Ambassade and sodenly surprised with a Camassado in his owne trenches was enforced to yéeld as prisoner Euen so Ferdinando Ieronimi lately ouercome by the beautifull beames of this Dame Elynor and hauing now committed his moste secrete intent to these late rehearsed letters was at vnwares encountred with his friendly foe and constrayned either to prepare some new defence or else like a recreant to yéeld himselfe as already vanquished Wherefore as in a traunce he lifted vp his dazled eies and so continued in a certen kind of admiration not vnlike the Astronomer who hauing after a whole nights trauaile in the grey morning found his desired starre hath fired his hungry eies to behold the Comete long looked for wherat this gracious Dame as one that could discerne the sunne before hir chamber windowes were wide opeÌ„ did deign to embolden the fainting Knight with these or like woordes I perceiue nowe quod she howe mishap doth follow me that hauing chosen this walke for a simple solace I am here disquieted by the man that meaneth my destruction and therwithall as half angry began to turne hir backe when Ferdinando now awaked gan thus salute hir Mistresse quod he and I perceiue now that good hap hauÌ„ts me for being by lacke of oportuniâ—ie constreined to commit my welfare vnto these blabbing leaues of bewraying paper shewing that in his haÌ„d I am here recomforted with happy view of my desired ioy and therewithall reuerently kissing his hand did softly distreyne hir slender arme and so slayed hir departure The firste blow thus profered and defended they walked and talked trauersing diuerse wayes wherein I doubte not but that the Venetian coulde quite himselfe resonably well For after long talke shee was contented to accept his proffered seruice but yet still disabling hir selfe and séeming to maruell what cause had moued him to subiect his libertie so wilfully or at least in a prison as shée termed it so vnworthy Wherevnto I néede not rehearse his answere but suppose now that thus they departed sauing I had forgotten this shée required of him the last rehearsed letter saying that his firste was loste and nowe shée lacked a new bottome for hir silke the whiche I warrant you he graunted and so preffering to take an humble congé by Bezolas manos she graciously gaue him the Zuccado dez labros and so for then departed And there vppon recompting hir woordes he compiled these following whiche he termed Terza sequenza too sweete Mistresse SHE OF thee deare Dame three lessons would I learne What reason first persuades the foolish Fly As soone as shee a candle can discerne To play with flame till shee bee burnt thereby Or what may moue the Mouse to byte the bayte Which strikes the trappe that stops hir hungry breth What calles the bird where snares of deepe deceit Are closely coucht to draw hir to hir death Consider well what is the cause of this And though percase thou wilt not so confesse Yet deepe desire to gayne a heauenly blisse May drowne the minde in dole and darke distresse Oft is it seene whereat my hart may bleede Fooles play so long till they be caught in deede And then It is a heauen to see them hop and skip And seeke all shiftes to shake their shackles off It is a world to see them hang the lip Who earst at loue were wont to skorne and skoff But as the Mouse once caught in crafty trap May bounce and beate against the boorden wall Till shee haue brought hir head in such mishap That downe to death hir fainting lymbes must fall And as the Flie once singed in the flame Cannot commaund hir wings to waue away But by the heele shee hangeth in the same Till cruell death hir hasty iourney stay So they that seeke to breake the linkes of loue Striue with the streame and this by paine I proue For when I first beheld that heauenly hewe of thine Thy stately stature and thy comly grace I must confesse these dazled eies of mine Did wincke for feare when I first viewd thy face But bold desire did open them againe And had mee looke till I had lookt to long I pitied them that did procure my paine And lou'd the lookes that wrought me all the wrong And as the byrd once caught but woorks hir woe That striues to leaue the limed twigges behind Euen so the more I straue to parte thee fro The greater grief did growe within my minde Remedilesse then must I yeeld to thee And craue no more thy seruaunt but to bee Till then and euer HE. F.I. WHen he had well sorted this sequence he sought oportunitie to leaue it where shée might finde it before it were lost And nowe the coles began to kindle whereof but ere while shée feigned hir selfe altogither ignorant The flames began to breake out on euery side and she to quench them shut vp hir selfe in hir chamber solitarily But as the smithie gathers greater heate by casting on of water euen so the more she absented hir self from company the fresher was the griefe whiche galded hir remembrance so that at laste the report was spredde thorough the house that Mistresse Elinor was sicke At which newes Ferdinando tooke small comfort neuerthelesse Dame Venus with good aspect did yet thus much furder his enterprise The Dame whether it were by sodaine chaunge or of wonted custome fell one day into a greate bléeding at the nose For whiche accident the sayde Venetian amongst other pretie conceits had a present remedie Whereby he tooke occasion when they of the house had all in vayne sought many waies to stoppe hir bléeding to worke his feate in this wise
no great continuance betwene vs and as I do lament your case so doo I reioyce for myne own contentation that I shal now sée a due triall of the experimēt which I haue long desired This sayd she kept silence When Ferdinando somwhat astonied with hir straunge spéech thus answered Mistresse although I cannot conceiue the meaning of your woordes yet by curtesie I am constrayned to yéelde you thankes for your good wil the which appeareth no lesse in lamenting of mishappes than in reioycing at good fortune What experiment you meane to trie by mée I knowe not but I dare assure you that my skill in experiments is very simple Herewith the Instruments sounded a new Measure and they passed forthwards leauing to talke vntill the noise ceassed whiche done the Gentlewoman replied I am sory sir that you did erewhile denie loue and all his lawes and that in so open audience Not so quod Ferdinando but as the woorde was roundly taken so can I readely answere it by good reason Well quod shée howe if the hearers will admit no reasonable answere My reasons yet bée neuerthelesse quod he in reasonable iudgement Herewith shée smiled and he cast a glance towards dame Elinor askances arte thou pleased Againe the viols called them forthwardes and againe at the ende of the braule sayde Ferdinando Ieronimi to this Gentlewoman I pray you Mistres and what may be the second cause of your sorow sustained in my behalfe Nay soft quod she percase I haue not yet tolde you the first but content your selfe for the second cause you shall neuer know at my handes vntill I sée due triall of the experiment which I haue long desired Why then quod he I can but wishe a present occasion to bring the same to effect to the end that I might also vnderstand the mistery of your meaning And so might you faile of your purpose quod she for I meane to be better assured of him that shal know the depth of mine intent in such a secrete than I do suppose that any creature one except may be of you Gentlewoman quod he you speake Greeke the which I haue nowe forgotten and mine instructers are to farre from mée at this present to expound your words Or els to neare quod she and so smiling stayed hir talke when the Musicke called them to another daunce Whiche ended Ferdinando halfe afrayd of false suspect and more amazed at this straunge talke gaue ouer and bringing Mistresse Fraunces to hir place was thus saluted by his Mistresse Seruaunt quod shée I had done you great wrong to haue daunced with you consideringe that this gentlewoman and you had former occasion of so waighty conference Mistresse sayd Ferdinando you had done mée great pleasure for by our conference I haue but brought my braynes in a busie coniecture I doubt not sayd his Mistresse but you wil end that busines easely It is hard said he to ende the thing whereof yet I haue founde no begininge His Mistresse with chaunge of countenaunce kept silence whereat dame Fraunces reioycinge cast out this bone to gnawe on I perceyue quod she it is euill to halte before a Creple Ferdinando perceyuing now that his Mistresse waxed angry thought good on hir behalfe thus to aunswere and it is euill to hop before them that runne for the Bell his Mistresse replied and it is euill to hange the Bell at their heeles which are alwayes running The Lord of he Castle ouerhearing these proper quippes rose out of his chaire comming towards Ferdinando required him to daunce a Gallyard Sir sayd he I haue hitherto at your apoyntmēt but walked about the house now if you be desirous to see one tomble a turne or twayne it is like ynough that I mighte prouoke you to laugh at mee but in good fayth my dauncing dayes are almost done and therfore sir quod he I pray you speake to them that are more nymble at trippinge on the toe Whilest hée was thus saying dame Elynor had made hir Congey and was now entring the doore of hir chamber when Ferdinando al amazed at hir sodeyne departure followed to take leaue of his Mistresse but she more then angrie refused to heare his good night and entring hir chamber caused hir mayde to clappe to the doore Ferdinando with heauie cheare returned to his company and Mistresse Fraunces to toutch his sore with a corosiue sayd to him softly in this wise Sir you may now perceyue that this our countrie cannot allowe the French manner of dauncing for they as I haue heard tell do more commonly daunce to talke then entreate to daunce Fardenando hoping to driue out one naile with another and thinking this a meane moste conuenient to suppresse all ielous supposes tooke Mistresse Fraunces by the hand and with a heauy smile aunswered Mistresse and I because I haue seene the french maner of dauncing will eftsonnes entreat you to daunce a Bargynet what meane you by thys quod mistresse Fraunces If it please you to followe quod he you shall sée that I can iest without ioye and laugh without lust and calling the musitions caused them softly to sounde the Tynternall when he clearing his voyce did Allá Napolitana applie these verses following vnto the measure IN prime of lustie yeares when Cupid caught mee in And nature taught the waie to loue how I might best begin To please my wandring eie in beauties tickle trade To gaze on eache that passed by a carelesse sporte I made VVith sweete entising baite I fisht for manie a dame And warmed me by manie a fire yet felt I not the flame But when at last I spied that face that pleasde me most The coales were quicke the woode was drie I began to tost And smiling yet full oft I haue behelde that face VVhen in my hearte I might bewaile mine owne vnluckie case And oft againe with lokes that might bewraie my griefe I pleaded harde for iust rewarde and sought to finde reliefe VVhat will you more so oft my gazing eies did seeke To see the rose and Lillie striue vpon that liuelie cheeke Till at the last I spied and by good proofe I founde That in that face was painted plaine the pearcer of my wound Then all to late agast I did my foote retire And sought with secret sighes to quench my gredie skalding fire But lo I did preuaile asmuche to guide my will As he that seekes with halting heele to hop against the hill Or as the feeble sight woulde searche the sunnie beame Euen so J founde but labour lost to striue against the streame Then gan I thus resolue since liking forced loue Should I mislike my happie choice before I did it proue And since none other ioye I had but her to see Soulde I retire my deepe desire no no it would not bee Though great the duetie were that shee did well deserue And I poore man vnworthie am so wotthie a wight to serue Yet hope my comfort staide that she would haue regard To
continually now this now that now keyes now lockes ditches newe skowred and walles newlye fortified and thus alwaies vncontented liueth this wretched helhound Suspition in this hellish dungion of habitation from whence he neuer remoueth his foote but onely in the dead silent nightes when he maye be assured that all creatures but him selfe are whelmed in sound sléepe And then with stealing steps he stalketh about the earth enfecting tormenting vexing all kindes of people with some part of his afflictions but especiallye such as eyther doe sit in chayre of greatest dignity and estimation or els such as haue atchiued some déere and rare emprise Those aboue al others he continually gauleth with fresh woūds of dread least they might lose and forgo the roomes whervnto with such long trauaile and good happes they had attained and by this meanes percase he had crept into the bosom of Ferdinando who as is before declared did earst swimme in the déepest seas of earthly delightes Nowe then I must thinke it high time to retorne vnto him who being now through féeblenesse eftsones cast downe vpon his bed gan cast in his inwarde meditations all thinges passed and as one throughly puffed vp and filled with one péeuishe conceipte coulde thinke vppon nothing else and yet accusing his own guiltie conscience to be infected with ielosie dyd compile this as followeth WHat state to man so sweete and pleasaunt weare As to be tyed in linkes of worthy loue VVhat life so blist and happie might appeare As for to serue Cupid that God aboue If that our mindes were not sometimes infect VVith dread with feare with care with cold suspect VVith deepe dispaire with furious frenesie Handmaides to her whome we call ielosie For eu'ry other sop of sower chaunce VVhich louers tast amid their sweete delight Encreaseth ioye and doth their loue aduaunce In pleasures place to haue more perfect plight The thirstie mouth thinkes water hath good taste The hungrie iawes are pleas'd with eche repaste VVho hath not prou'd what dearth by warres doth growe Cannot of peace the pleasaunt plenties knowe And though with eye we see not eu'ry ioye Yet maie the minde full well support the same And absent life long led in great annoye VVhen presence comes doth turne from griefe to game To serue without reward is thought great paine But if dispaire do not therewith remaine It may be borne for right rewardes at last Followe true seruice though they come not fast Disdaines repulses finallie eche ill Eche smart eche paine of loue eche bitter tast To thinke on them gan frame the louers will To like eche ioye the more that comes at last But this infernall plague if once it tutch Or venome once the louers mind with grutch All festes and ioyes that afterwardes befall The louer comptes them light or nought at all This is that sore this is that poisoned wound The which to heale nor salue nor ointmentes serue Nor charme of wordes nor Image can be founde Nor obseruaunce of starres can it preserue Nor all the art of Magicke can preuaile VVhich Zoroactes found for our auaile Oh cruell plague aboue all sorrowes smart VVith desperate death thou sleast the louers heart And me euen now thy gall hath so enfect As all the ioyes which euer louer found And all good haps that euer Troylus sect Atchieued yet aboue the luckles ground Can neuer sweeten once my mouth with mell Nor bring my thoughtes againe in rest to dwell Of thy mad moodes and of naught else J thinke Jn such like seas faire Bradamant did sincke Ferdinando Ieronimy THus Ferdinando continued on his bedde vntyll hys bountifull Mistresse with the companye of the other courteous dames retorned after supper to his chamber At their first entrie Why how nowe seruaunt quod dame Elinor wee hoped to haue founde you one foote Mistresse quod he I haue assayed my féete since your departure but I finde them yet vnable too suport my heauy body and therefore am constrayned as you sée to acquaint my selfe with these pillowes Seruaunt sayde she I am right sory therof but since it is of necessitie to beare sicknesse I will employ my endeuoyre to allay some parte of your paynes and to refreshe your weary limbes with some comfortable matter and therewithall calling hir hande mayde deliuered vnto hir a bounch of pretie littell keyes and whispering in hir eare dispatched hir towards hir chamber The mayde taryed not long but returned with a little Casket the which hir mistresse toke opened and drewe out of the same much fine linnen amongst the which she toke a pillowebere very fine and sweete which although it were of it selfe as swéete as might be being of long time kept in that odoriferous chest yet did she with damaske water and that of the best that might be I warrant you al to sprinkle it with hir owne handes which in my conceipt might much amende the matter Then calling for a fresh pillowe sent hir mayde to ayre the same and at hir returne put on this thus perfumed pillowebéere In meane time also shée had with hir owne hands attyred hir seruaunts head in a fayre wrought kerchife taken out of the same Casket then layde him downe vppon this freshe and pleasaunt place and pretelye as it were in sporte bedewed his temples with swéete water which she had readye in a casting bottle of Golde kissing his chéeke and saying Good seruaunt be whoale for I might not long indure thus to attend thée and yet the loue that I beare towardes thée cannot be content to sée thée languishe Mistresse sayde Ferdinando and that with a trembling voice assure your selfe that if there remain in me any sparke of life or possibillity of recouery then may this excellent bounty of yours be sufficient to reuiue me without any further trauaile or paine vnto your person for whome I am highlye to blame in that I do not spare to put you vnto this trouble better it were that suche a wretch as I had died vnknown than that by your excéeding curtesie you should fall into any malladye eyther by resorting vnto me or by these your paines taken about me Seruaunt quod shee all pleasures séeme painefull to to them that take no delight therin and lykewise all toile séemeth pleasaunt to such as set their felicitie in the same but for me bee you sure I doe it with so good a wyll that I can take no hurt thereby vnlesse I shall perceyue that it be reiected or neglected as vnprofitable or vncomfortable vnto you To me Mistresse quod Fardinando it is suche pleasure as neyther my féeble tongue can expresse nor my troubled mind conceyue Why are you troubled in mind thē seruant quod dame Elynor Ferdinando now blushing answered but euen as al sick men be Mistresse Herewith they staied their talke a while and the first that brake silence was the Ladye Fraunces who sayde and to driue away the troubles of your mind good Trust I would be glad if we
coulde deuise some pastime amongst vs to kéepe you company for I remember that with such deuises you did greatly recomforte this fayre Lady when she languished in like sort She languished in deede gentle Hope quod hée but God forbide that she had languished in like sort Euery body thinketh their own greif greatest qd dame Elynor but in deede whether my greife were the more or the lesse I am right sorye that yours is such as it is And to assay whither our passions proceded of lyke cause or not I would we could according to this Ladyes saying deuise some like pastimes to trie if your malladie would be cured with like medicines A gentle woman of the company whom I haue not hetherto named gan thus propound We haue accustomed quod she heretofore in most of our games to chuse a King or Quene and he or she during their gouernment haue charged euery of vs eyther with commaundementes or questions as best séemed to their maiestie Wherin to speake mine opinion we haue giuen ouer larg a skope neither semeth it reasonable that on should haue the power to discouer the thoughts or at least to bridle the affects of al the rest And though in déed in questioning which doth of the twaine more nerely touch the mind euery on is at frée liberty to answere what they list yet oft haue I hearde a question demaunded in such sorte and vpon such sodayne that it hath bene hardly answered without mouing matter of contencion And in commaundes also some times it happeneth one to bée commaunded vnto such seruice as eyther they are vnfit to accomplish and then the parties weaknes is therby detected or els to doe something that they would not wherof ensueth more grutch than game Wherefore in mine opinion we shall do well to chuse by lot amongst vs a gouernour who for that it shal be sufficient preheminence to vse the chayre of maiestie shal be boūd to giue sentēce vppon al suche arguments and questions as we shall orderly propound vnto them and from him or her as from an oracle wée will receiue aunswere and decyding of our lytigious causes This dame had stuffe in her an old courtier a wylie wenche named Pergo Wel this proportiō of Pergo pleased them well and by lot it hapned that Ferdinando must be moderator of these matters and colector of these causes The which being so constituted the Lady Elynor sayd vnto this dame Pergo You haue deuised this pastime quod she because we thinke you to be most expert in the handling therof do you propound the first question we shal be both the more ready and able to follow your example the Lady Pergo refused not but began on this wise Noble gouernor quod she amongst the aduentures that haue befallen mée I remember especially this one that in youth it was my chaunce to bée beloued of a verye courtlike yong Gentleman who abode neare the place wherin my parents had their resiaunce This gentleman whether it were for beauty or for any other respect that he sawe in me I knowe not but he was enamored of me that with an excéeding vehement passion of such force were his effectes that notwithstanding many repulses which he had receiued at my handes he seemed daylye to grow in the renewing of his desires I on the other side although I could by no meanes mislike of him by any good reason considering that he was of byrth no waye inferiour vnto mée of possessions not to bée disdamed of parson right comelye of behauiour Courtly of manners modest of mynde lyberall and of vertuous disposition yet suche was the gaitye of my minde as that I coulde not bée content to lende him ouer large thonges of my loue but alwayes daungerouslye behaued my selfe towardes him and in suche sorte as hee coulde neyther take comfort of myne aunsweres nor yet once finde him selfe requited with one good looke for all his trauaile This notwithstanding the worthy Knight continewed his sute with no lesse vehement affection than earst hée had begonne it euen by the space of seuen yeares At the last whether discomfited by my dealynges or tryed by long trauayle or that he hade parcase light vpon the lake that is in the forrest of Ardena and so in haste and all thristie had dronke some droppes of disdayne whereby his hot flames were quenched or that he had vndertaken to serue no longer but his iust tearme of apprenticehode or that the téeth of tyme had gnawen and tyred his dulled spirites in such sort as that all bée nummed hee was constrayned to vse some other artificyal balme for the quickning of his sences or by what cause moued I knowe not he did not onely leaue his long continued sute but as I haue since perceiued grew to hate me more deadly than before I had disdained him At the first beginnyng of his retyre I perceiued not his hatred but imagened that being ouer wearied he had withdrawen himself for a time And considering his worthines ther withall his constancie of long time proued I thoughe that I could not in the whole world find out a fitter match to bestowe my selfe than one so worthy a person Wherfore I doe by al possible meanes procure that he might eftsones vse his accustomed repraye vnto my parentes And further in al places where I hapened to meete him I vsed al the curtesies towardes him that might be contayned wythin the bondes of modestie But al was in vaine for he was now become more daungerous to be wone than the haggard Faulcon Our lottes being thus vnluckely chaunged I grewe to burne in desire and the more daungerous that he shewed him selfe vnto me the more earnest I was by all meanes to procure his consent of loue At the last I might perceiue that not only he disdayned me but as me thought boyled in hatred against me And the time that I thus continued tormented with these thoughts was also iust the space of seuen yeares Finally when I perceiued no remedye for my perplexityes I assayed by absence to were away this malady and therefore vtterly refused to come in his presence yea or almost in any other company Wherby I haue consumed in lost time the flower of my youth am become as you sée what with yeares and what with the tormenting passions of loue pale wane and full of wrinkles Neuerthelesse I haue therby gayned thus much that at last I haue wond my self cléere out of Cupids chaynes and remayne carelesse at libertie Now marke to what end I tell you this first vii yeares passed in the which I could neuer be content to yeld vnto his iust desires next other vii yeares I spent in séeking to recouer his lost loue and sithens both those vii yeares there are euen now on saint Valentines day last other vii yeares passed in the which neither I haue desired to sée him nor he hath coueted to here of me My parents now perceyuing how the crowes
foot is crept vnder mine eye and remembring the long sute that this gentelemaÌ„ had in youth spent on me considering therewith all that grene youth is well mellowed in vs both haue of late sought to perswade a marriage betwene vs the which the Knighte hath not refused to here of and I haue not disdayned to thinke on By their mediation we haue bene eftsoones brought to Parlee wherein ouer and be sides the ripping vp of many olde griefes this hath bene cheifly rehearsed obiected betwene vs what wrong and iniury eche of vs hath done to other And here aboutes wée haue fallen to sharpe contencion He alleadged that much greater is the wrong which I haue done vnto him than that repulse which hée hath fithenes vsed to me and I haue affirmed the contrary The matter yet hangeth in varyence Now of you worthy Gouernour I would be most glad to heare this question decided remembring that there was no difference in the times betwene vs And surely vnles your iudgment helpe me I am afrayde my marryage will hée marred and I may go lead Apes in hell Ferdenando aunswered good Pergo I am sory to heare so lamentable a discourse of your luckles loue and much the soryer in that I muste néedes giue sentence agaynst you For surely great was the wrong that eyther of you haue done to other and greater was the néedelesse greife which causelesse eche of you hath conceyued in this long time but greatest in my iudgment hath bene both the wrong and the greife of the Knight In that notwithstanding his desertes which your selfe confesse he neuer enioyed any guerdone of loue at your handes And you as you alledge did enioy his loue of long time to gether So that by the reckoning it wil fal out although being builded in your owne conceipt you sée it not that of the one twenty yeares you enioyed his loue vii at the least but that euer he enioyed yours wee cannot perceiue And much greater is the wrong that rewardeth euill for good than that which requireth tip for tap Further it semeth that where as you went obout in time to trie him you did altogither loose time which can neuer be recouered And not only lost your owne time whereof you would seeme nowe to lament but also compelled him to lease his time which he might be it spoken with out offence to you haue bestowed in some other worthy place and therefore as that greife is much greater which hath no kind of coÌ„fort to allay it so much more is that wrong which altogether without cause is offered And I sayd Pergo must needes think that much easier is it for them to endure grief which neuer tasted of ioye and much lesse is that wrong which is so willingly proffered to be by recompence restored For if this Knight wil confesse that he neuer had cause to reioyce in all the time of his seruice then with better contentacion might he abyde greife than I who hauing tasted of the delight which I did secretly coÌ„ceiue of his desertes do think ech grief a present death by the remembrance of those for passed thoughts lesse wrong séemeth it to be destitut of the thing which was neuer obtained then to be depriued of a Iewel wherof we haue been already possessed so that vnder your correction I might conclude that greater hath béene my griefe and iniury susteined than that of the Knight To whome Ieronimy replied as touching delight it maye not be denied but that euery louer doth take delight in the inward contemplation of his mind to think of the worthines of his beloued therefore you maie not alledge that the Knight had neuer cause to reioyce vnlesse you will altogeather condemne your selfe of worthines Mary if you will say that he tasted not the delightes that louers seeke then marke who was the cause but your selfe And if you would accuse him of like ingratitude for that he disdained you in the later vij yéeres when as he might by accepting your loue haue recoÌ„penced him selfe of all former wronges you must remember therewithall that the crueltie by you shewed towards him was such that he could by no means perceiue that your change procéeded of good will but rather eftsons to hold him enchained in vnknown linkes of subtile dealings therefore not without cause he doubted you yet without cause you reiected him He had often sought occasion but by your refusals he could neuer find him you hauing occasion fast by the foretop did dally with him so long tyl at the last he sliped his head from you then catching at the bald noddle you fouÌ„d your selfe the cause yet you would accuse another To conclude greater is the griefe that is susteined without desert much more is the wroÌ„g that is offered without cause Thus Ferdinando Ieronimy decided the question propounded by Pergo and expected that some other Dame should propound another but his Mistresse hauing hir hand on another halfpeny gan thus say vnto him Seruant this pastime is good and such as I must nedes like of to driue away your pensiue thoughtes but sléeping time approcheth I feare we disquiete you wherefore the rest of this time we will if so like you bestowe in trimming vp your bed and to morrow wée shal meete here and renewe this newe begon game with Madame Pargo Mistresse quod hée I must obeye your wil and most humbly thanke you of your great goodnesse and all these Ladies for their curtesie Euen so requiring you that you wyll no further trouble your selues about mée but let my Seruaunt aloane with conducting mee to bed Yes seruaunt quod she I wil sée if you â—an sléepe any better in my shéetes and therewith commaunded hir handmayde to fetche a payre of cleane shéetes the which being brought maruaylous fine and swéete the Ladies Fraunces and Elinor dyd curteously vnfold them and layd them on the bed which done they also entreated him to vncloath him and go to bed being layd his Mistresse dressed and couched the cloathes about him sithens moistened his temples with Rosewater gaue him handkerchewes and other freshe linnen about him in doing wherof she whispered in his eare saying Seruaunt this night I will bée with thée and after with the rest of the Dames gaue him good night and departed leauing him in a traunce betwéen hope and dispayre trust and mistrust Thus he laye rauished commaunding his seruaunt to goe to bed and fayning that him selfe would assaye if he could sléepe About ten or eleuen of the clocke came his mistresse in hir night gowne who knowing all priuye wayes in that house verie perfectlye had conueied her selfe into his chamber vnséene and vnperceiued and being nowe come vnto his beds side knéeled downe and laying hir arme ouer him sayde these or lyke wordes My good Seruaunt if thou knewest what perplexities I suffer in beholding of thine infirmities it might then suffice eyther vtterlye to driue away the mallady or much
His sentence had béene shortly sayde if Faustine had bene iudge For this I dare auow without vaunt be it spoke So braue a knight as Anthony held al their necks in yoke I leaue not Lucrece out beléeue in hir who lyst I thinke she would haue lik'd his lure stooped to his fist What mou'd the chieftain then to lincke his liking thus I would some Romaine dame were here the question to discusse But that I read her life do finde therein by fame Howe cleare hir curtesie dyd shine in honour of hir name Hir bountie did excell hir trueth had neuer pere Hir louely lokes hir pleasant spéech hir lusty louing chere And all the worthy giftes that euer yet were found Within this good Egiptian Quéene dyd séeme for to abound Wherefore he worthy was to win the golden fléece Which scornd the blasing starres in Rome to conquere such a péece And shée to quite his loue in spite of dreadfull death Enshrinde with Snakes within his Tombe did yéeld hir parting breath Allegoria IF fortune fauord him then may that man reioyce And thinke himself a happy man by hap of happy choice Who loues and is belou'd of one as good as true As kind as Cleopatra was and yet more bright of hewe Hir eyes as greye as glasse hir téeth as white as mylke A ruddy lippe a dimpled chyn a skyn as smoth as silke A wight what could you more that may content mannes minde And hath supplies for eu'ry want that any man can finde And may him selfe assure when hence his life shall passe She wil be stong to death with snakes as Cleopatra was Si fortunatus infoelix ¶ The praise of Phillip Sparrowe OF all the byrdes that I doe know Phillip my Sparow hath no peare For sit she high or lye she lowe Be shée farre off or be shée neare There is no byrde so fayre so fine Nor yet so freshe as this of myne Come in a morning merely When Phillip hath bene lately fed Or in an euening soberlye When Phillip lyst to goe to bed It is a heauen to heare my Phippe Howe she can chirpe with chery lippe She neuer wanders farre abroade But is at hand when I doe call If I commaund shée layes on loade With lips with téeth with tongue and all She chants she chirpes she makes such chéere That I beléeue she hath no peere And yet besides all this good sport My Phillip can both sing and daunce With new found toyes of sundry sort My Phillip can both pricke and praunce As if you saye but fend cut phippe Lord how the peat will turne and skippe Hir fethers are so freshe of hewe And so well proyned euerye daye She lackes none oyle I warrant you To trimme hir tayle both tricke and gaye And though hir mouth be somewhat wide Hir tonge is sweet and short beside And for the rest I dare compare She is both tender swéet and soft She neuer lacketh dainty fare But is well fed and féedeth oft For if my phip haue lust to eate I warrant you phip lacks no meate And then if that hir meat be good And such as like do loue alway She will lay lips theron by the rood And sée that none be cast away For when she once hath felt a fitte Phillip will crie still yit yit yit And to tell trueth he were to blame Which had so fine a Byrde as she To make him all this goodly game Without suspect or iellousie He were a churle and knewe no good Would sée hir faynt for lacke of food Wherfore I sing and euer shall To prayse as I haue often prou'd There is no byrd amongst them all So worthy for to be belou'd Let other prayse what byrd they will Sweet Phillip shal be my byrd still Si fortunatus infoelix ¶ Farewell with a mischeife written by a louer being disdaynefullye abiected by a dame of highe calling VVho had chosen in his place a playe fellovv of baser condition therfore he determined to step a side and before his departure giueth hir this farvvell in verse THy byrth thy beautie nor thy braue attyre Disdaynfull Dame which doest me double wrong Thy hygh estate which sets thy harte on fire Or newe found choyse which cannot serue thee long Shall make me dread with pen for to reherse Thy skittish déedes in this my parting verse For why thou knowest and I my selfe can tell By many vowes how thou to me wert bound And how for ioye thy hart did seeme to swell And in delight how thy desires were drownd When of thy will the walles I did assayle Wherin fond fancie fought for mine auayle And though my mind haue small delight to vaunt Yet must I vowe my hart to thee was true My hand was alwayes able for to daunt Thy slaundrous â—â—oes and kepe theyr tongues in mew My head though dull was yet of such deuise As might haue kept thy name alwayes in price And for the rest my body was not braue But able yet of substaunce to allaye The raging lust wherein thy limbes did raue And quench the coales which kindled thée to playe Such one I was and such alwayes wyl be For worthy Dames but then I meane not thée For thou hast caught a proper paragon A theefe a cowarde and a Peacocke foole An Ase a milkesop and a minion Which hath no oyle thy furyous flames to coole Such on he is a pheare for thée most fit A wandring gest to please thy wauering wit. A theefe I counte him for he robbes vs both Thée of thy name and me of my delight A coward is he noted where he goeth Since euery child is match to him in might And for his pride no more but marke his plumes The which to princke he dayes and nights consumes The rest thy selfe in secret sorte can iudge He rides not me thou knowest his sadell best And though these tricks of thine mought make me grudg And kindle wrath in my reuenging brest Yet of my selfe and not to please thy mind I stand content my rage in rule to binde And farre from thée now must I take my flight Where tongues maye tell and I not sée thy fall Where I maye drinke these druggs of thy dispite To purge my Melancholike mind with all In secrete so my stomacke will I sterue Wishing thee better than thou doest deserue Spraeta tamen viuunt The doale of disdaine written by alouer disdainfully reiected contrary to former promise THe deadly dropes of darke disdayne Which dayly fall on my deserte The lingring sute long spent in vayne Wherof I féele no frute but smart Enforce me now this wordes to write Not all for loue but more for spite The which to the I must rehearse Whom I dyd honour serue and trust And though the musicke of my verse Be plainsong tune both true and iust Content thée yet to here my song For els thou doest me doobble wrong I must alledge and thou canst tell How faithfully I vowed to serue And
ryme called ryding rime and that is suche as our Mayster and Father Chaucer vsed in his Canterburie tales and in diuers other delectable and light enterprises but though it come to my remembrance somewhat out of order it shall not yet come altogether out of time for I will nowe tell you a conceipt whiche I had before forgotten to wryte you may see by the way that I holde a preposterous order in my traditions but as I sayde before I wryte moued by good wil and not to shewe my skill Then to returne too my matter as this riding rime serueth most aptly to wryte a merie tale so Rythme royall is fittest for a graue discourse Ballades are beste of matters of loue and rondlettes moste apt for the beating or handlyng of an adage or common prouerbe Sonets serue aswell in matters of loue as of discourse Dizaymes and Sixames for shorte Fantazies Verlayes for an effectuall proposition although by the name you might otherwise iudge of Verlayes and the long verse of twelue and fouretene sillables although it be now adayes vsed in all Theames yet in my iudgement it would serue best for Psalmes and Himpnes I woulde stande longer in these traditions were it not that I doubt mine owne ignoraunce but as I sayde before I know that I write to my fréede and affying my selfe therevpon I make an ende FINIS VVyll is dame bevvties chiefe Iustice of Oyre and terminer Common Bayll There is in deede suche a kinde of feuer Lenuoye Such a sect there is that desire no longer lyfe theÌ„ vvhiles they are in loue Astolf being the goodliest personne in the vvorlde founde a dvvarfe lying vvith his vvife * Apeece of golde like the Crusado * The chiefe Cittie in Cyprus * The gouernour of Famagosta * The generall of the Turkes The foure to che bearers that came in vvith the Actor The Actor had a token in his cap like to the Mountacutes of Italie The token that he dyd vveare in his cappe The Montacutes and capels in Italye do vvere tokens in their cappes to be knovven one from another * Venetian hotes * Knovv not * Good quaâ—â—â—ies * Am not * Lacke * As vvho should say These thinges are mistical and not to bee vnderstoode but by Thaucthour him selfe Another misterie Another misterie Another misterie Another similitude Hope is euer contrary to a louers Passion à definito Poetes Astronomers definition Painters description Common peoples opinion The Authors definition Prince Nobilitie Prelacie Lawyers Merchants Husbandmen CoÌ„munaltie Haughty harts ☞ Caesar Pompey Montacute Earle of Salisbury Borbon Borbons Epitaph Aristotle Cicero Auicene Greedy minde Miser Vnthriftes Praters Felons Hope is cup-bearer to war. Flushyng frayes fleesing of Flaunders Aerdenburgh Tergoes * The Prince of Orenge his name is Guillam of Nassau ☜ Ramykins * A Coronel of the kings side (a) An Iland so called which was sore spoyled by our countrymen (b) A Coronel of the kings side whiche was gouernour of Middelburgh next before MouÌ„tdragon * A towne in Holland * Christmas The frute of fansie The pleasauntest village as I thinke that is in Europe (a) forbidden (b) the Greene captaine (c) a prouerbe (a) protestauÌ„ts (b) The Iland wherein Flushing doth stand (c) Rigged vp and fully furnished (d) a Towne (e) a Riuer (f) Lusty gallants (g) The admiral of flushing (h) Iulian de Romero (i) The castellane of Anwerp (k) A Riuer Hope is the herbenger of mishappe * footemen ☜ ☞ * A coronell of the kings side ☜ Prince Nobilitie Prelacie Lawyers Merchaunts The first supose grownd of all the suposes An other supose Another supose An other supose A dottish supose An other supose Erostra Du. ex improuiso Dulipo is espied by Erostrato The seruants come in An other suppose Pasi subito improuiso venit An other suppose Another suppose Another suppose A stoute suppose A pleasant suppose A true suppose A shamelesse suppose A needelesse suppose An other suppose A shrewde suppose An other suppose Another suppose Another plain and homely suppose Erostrato exit A knauishe suppose Lawyers are neuer weary to get money A gentle suppose A crafty suppose A right suppose The first suppose brought to conclusion * Fygure The courte liuely painted A glasse for yong women ArgumentuÌ„ â maiore Bacchus Bacchus was the God whom they most honored in Thebes Neuer Sworde Lamenting Exile an exceding griefe to an honest mynde All exyles are like bondmen Hope the help in miserye Fuw frends in miserye Smal causes may moue the needy to contend The dames did loue Polynice and hate Eteocles One of the furies Rehersall of olde grudges doâ— hâ—â—der al reconcilition (b) Cruell or vengeable Truth pleadeth simply when falssehood vseth eloquence (c) Crown 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sundrye men sundry minds Onely rule Wil not Tullyes opinyon Youth seeth not so much as age Ambition doth destroye al equalytte doth maynteyne al things If the head be euill the body cannot be good Content to riche Riches are but borowed ware More care to loose than plesure to posses Small glory for a rebel to see his owne countrey spoyled Kyll Promisse Age must be helped by youth Venus made him blynde for giuing sentence against hir Great follye to accuse the gods A thankles office to foretell a mischiefe No greater honor than to dye for thy countrey Death indeed yeldeth more pleasure than lyfe Comaundements Any messeÌ„ger is welcome that bringeth tydings of aduancement Cesers tears We harken somtimee willingly to wofull news * would not She sheweth the frutes of true kyndly loue The duty of a childe truly perfourmed She giueth him a staffe and stayeth hym hir self also Iustice sleepeth A Glasse for brittel Beutie and for iusty limmes A mirrour for Magistrates (a) The Hill where poetes fayne thâ—t the Muses sleepe (a) A true exposition (b) Querweening There are to many of them in euery countrey A Misterie (a) Sir William Morgan of Pencoyde (a) bettâ—â— (a) best beloued (b) in good worth (a) Fadom a half three ho. (b) When all sayles are takeÌ„ downe (c) You be to soone (d) It is not good tide (e) the Duke (a) vnknowen (a) It is good tide that know I well (b) Lusty gallants Yorke and Herle (a) care (a) A Small bote The ayre of that Countrie did by all likelyhood seeme colder to him than the streetes of Venice (a) as who sayeth She vvas an Egiptian Angelica refusing the most famous knights in the vvhole vvorlde chose at last Medoro a poore seruing man.
to be written in letters of golde But too the purpose I thinke you shall neuer recouer the wealth that you loste at Otranto Cle. I thinke I haue dubled it or rather made it foure times as muche but in déed I lost mine only sonne there a childe of fiue yeres olde Pa. O great pitie Cle. Yea I had rather haue lost al the goods in the world Pa. Alas alas by God and grafts of suche a stocke are very gayson in these dayes Cle. I know not whether he were slayne or the Turks toke him and kept him as a bond slaue Pa. Alas I could weepe for compassion but there is no remedy but patience you shall get many by this yong damsell with the grace of God. Cle. Yea if I get hir Pa. Get hir why doubt you of that Cle. Why hir father holds me off with delayes so that I must needes doubt Pa. Content your selfe sir he is a wise man and desirous to place his Daughter well he will not be too rashe in hys determination he will thinke well of the matter and lette him thinke for the longer he thinketh the more good of you shall he thinke whose welth whose vertue whose skill or whose estimation can he compare to yours in this Citie Cle. And hast thou not tolde him that I would make his Daughter a dower of two thousand Ducates Pa. Why euen now I came but frâ—m thence since Cle. What said he Pa. Nothing but that Erostrato had profered the like Cle. Erostrato how can he make any dower and his father yet aliue Pa. Thinke you I did not tell him so yes I warraÌ„t you I forgot nothing that may furder your cause doubte you not Erostrato shal neuer haue hir vnlesse it be in a dreame Cle. Well gentle Pasiphilo go thy wayes and tell Damon I require nothing but his daughter I wil none of his goods I shal enrich hir of mine owne if this dower of two thousand Ducates seem not sufficieÌ„t I wil make it fiue hundreth more yea a thousand or what so euer he wil demauÌ„d rather theÌ„ faile go to Pasiphilo shew thy selfe freÌ„dly in working this feate for me spare for no cost since I haue gone thus farre I wil be loth to be out bidden Go. Pa. Where shall I come to you againe Cle. At my house Pa. When Cle. When thou wilte Pa. Shall I come at dinner time Cle. I would byd thée to dinner but it is a Saincts euen which I haue euer fasted Pa. Faste till thou famishe Cle. Harke Pa. He speaketh of a dead mans faste Cle. Thou hearest me not Pa. Nor thou vnderstandest me not Cle. I dare say thou art angrie I byd the not to dinner but come if thou wilte thou shalt take such as thou findest Pa. What think you I know not where to dine Cle. Yes Pasiphilo thou art not to séeke Pa. No be you sure there are enowe will pray me Cle. That I knowe well enough Pasiphilo but thou canst not be better welcome in any place than to me I will tarrie for thée Pa. Well since you will néedes I will come Cle. Dispatche then and bring no newes but good Pa. Better than my rewarde by the rood Cleander exit Pasiphilo restat Scena iij. PASIPHILO DVLIPO O Miserable couetous wretche he findeth an excuse by S. Nicolas fast bicause I should not dine with him as though I should dine at his owne dishe he maketh goodly feasts I promise you it is no wonder though hée thinke me bounde vnto him for my fare for ouer and besides that his prouision is as skant as may be yet there is great difference betwéene his diet and mine I neuer so much as sippe of the wine that he tasteth I féede at the bordes ende with browne bread Marie I reach always to his owne dishe for there are no more but that only on the table Yet he thinks that for one such dinner I am bound to do him al the seruice that I can and thinks me sufficiently rewarded for all my trauell with one suche festiuall promotion And yet peraduenture some men thinke I haue great gaines vnder him but I may say and sweare that this dosen yéere I haue not gayned so muche in value as the points at my hose whiche are but thrée with codpéece poynt and al he thinkes that I may féede vpon his fauour and faire wordes but if I could not otherwise prouide for one Pasiphilo were in a wyse case Pasiphilo hath mo pastures to passe in than one I warrant you I am of housholde with this scholer Erostrato his riuale as well as with Domine Cleander nowe with the one and then with the other according as I sée their Caters prouide good chéere at the market and I finde the meanes so to handle the matter that I am welcome too bothe If the one sée me talke with the other I make him beleeue it is to harken newes in the furtherance of his cause and thus I become a broker on bothe sides Well lette them bothe apply the matter as well as they can for in déede I will trauell for none of them bothe yet will I séeme to worke wonders on eche hande But is not this one of Damons seruants that commeth foorth it is of him I shall vnderstand where his master is Whither goeth this ioyly gallant Du. I come to séeke some body that may accompany my Master at dinner he is alone and woulde fayne haue good company Pa. Séeke no further you coulde neuer haue found one better than me Du. I haue no commission to bring so many Pa. How many I will come alone Du. How canst thou come alone that hast continually a legion of rauening wolues within thée Pa. Thou doest as seruants commonly doe hate al that loue to visite their maisters Du. And why Pa. Bicause they haue too many téeth as you thinke Du. Nay bicause they haue to many tongues Pa. ToÌ„gues I pray you what did my toÌ„gue euer hurt you Du. I speake but merily with you Pasiphilo goe in my maister is ready to dine Pa. What dineth he so earely Du. He that riseth early dineth early Pa. I would I were his man maister doctor neuer dineth till noone and how dilicately then God knoweth I wil he bolde to goe in for I count my selfe bidden Du. You were best so Pasiphilo intrat Dul. restat Hard hap had I when I first began this vnfortunate enterprise for I supposed the readiest medicine to my miserable affects had bene to change name clothes credite with my seruant to place my selfe in Damons seruice thinking that as sheuering colde by glowing fire thurst by drinke hunger by pleasant repasts and a thousande suche like passions finde remedie by their contraries so my rest lesse desire might haue founde quiet by continuall contemplation But alas I find that only loue is vnsaciable for as the flie playeth with the flame till at last she is cause of hir owne decay so the
louer that thinketh with kissing and colling to content his vnbrideled apetite is cōmonly seene the only cause of his owne consumption Two yeeres are nowe past since vnder the colour of Damons seruice I haue bene a sworne seruant to Cupid of whom I haue receiued as much fauour grace as euer man founde in his seruice I haue free libertie at al times to behold my desired to talke with hir to embrace hir yea be it spoken in secrete to lie with hir I reape the fruites of my desire yet as my ioyes abounde euen so my paines encrease I fare like the couetous man that hauing all the world at will is neuer yet content the more I haue the more I desire Alas what wretched estate haue I brought my selfe vnto if in the ende of all my farre fetches she be giuen by hir father to this olde doting doctor this buzard this bribing villaine that by so many meanes seeketh to obtain hir at hir fathers hāds I know she loueth me best of all others but what may that preuaile when perforce she shal be cōstrained to marie another Alas the pleasant tast of my sugred ioyes doth yet remaine so perfect in my remēbrance that the least soppe of sorow séemeth more soure thā gal in my mouth If I had neuer knowen delight with better contentatiō might I haue passed these dreadful dolours And if this olde Mumpsimus whom the pockes consume should win hir then may I say farewell the pleasant talke the kind embracings yea farewel the sight of my Polynestat for he like a ielouse wretch will pen hir vp that I thinke the birdes of the aire shall not winne the sighte of hir I hoped to haue caste a blocke in his waie by the meanes that my seruaunt who is supposed to be Erostrato and with my habite and credite is wel estéemed should proffer himself a suter at the least to counteruaile the doctors proffers But my maister knowing the wealth of the one and doubting the state of the other is determined to be fed no longer with faire wordes but to accept the doctor whom he right well knoweth for his sonne in law Wel my seruant promised me yesterday to deuise yet againe some newe conspiracie to driue maister doctor out of conceite and to laye a snare that the foxe himselfe might be caughte in what it is I knowe not nor I saw him not since he went about it I will goe sée if he be within that at least if he helpe me not be maye yet prolong my life for this once But here commeth his lackie ho Iack pack where is Erostrato Here must Crapine be comming in with a basket and a sticke in his hand Scena iiij CRAPINO the Lackie DVLIPO ERostrato mary he is in his skinne Du. Ah hooreson boy I say howe shall I finde Erostrato Cra. Finde him howe meane you by the wéeke or by the yéere Du. You cracke halter if I catche you by the eares I shall make you answere me directly Cra. In déede Du. Tarry me a little Cra. In faith sir I haue no leisure Du. Shall we trie who can runne fastest Cra. Your legges be longer than mine you should haue giuen me the aduauntage Du. Go to tell me where is Erostrato Cra. I left him in the stréete where he gaue me this Casket this basket I would haue sayde and had me beare it to Dalio and returne to him at the Dukes Palace Du. If thou sée him tell him I must needes speake with him immediatly or abide awhyle I will go seeke him my selfe rather than he suspected by going to his house Crapino departeth and Dulipo also after Dulipo commeth in agayne seeking Erostrato Finis Actus 1. Actus ij Scena j. DVLIPO EROSTRATO I Thinke if I had as many eyes as Argus I coulde not haue sought a man more narrowly in euery stréete and euery by lane there are not many Gentlemen scholers nor Marchauntes in the Citie of Ferara but I haue mette with them excepte him peraduenture hée is come home an other way but looke where he commeth at the last Ero. In good time haue I spied my good maister Du. For the loue of God call me Dulipo not master maintayne the credite that thou haste hitherto kepte and let me alone Ero. Yet sir let me sometimes do my duetie vnto you especially where no body heareth Du. Yea but so long the Parat vseth to crie knappe in sporte that at the last she calleth hir maister knaue in earnest so long you will vse to call me master that at the last we shall be heard What newes Ero. Good. Du. In déede Ero. Yea excellent we haue as good as won the wager Du. Oh how happie were I if this were true Ero. Heare you me yesternight in the euening I walked out and founde Pasiphilo and with small entreating I had him home to supper where by suche meanes as I vsed he became my great friend and tolde me the whole order of our aduersaries determination yea and what Damon doth intende to do also and hath promised me that frō time to time what he can espie he will bring me word of it Du. I can not tel whether you know him or no he is not to trust vnto a very flattering and a lying knaue Ero. I know him very well he can not deceiue me and this that he hath told me I know must néedes be true Du. And what was it in effect Ero. That Damon had purposed to giue his daughter in mariage to this doctor vpō the dower that he hath profered Du. Are these your good newes your excellent newes Ero. Stay a whyle you will vnderstande me before you heare me Du. Well say on Ero. I answered to that I was ready to make hir the lyke dower Du. Well sayde Ero. Abide you heare not the worst yet Du. O God is there any worsse behinde Ero. Worsse why what assurance coulde you suppose that I might make without some speciall consent from Philogano my father Du. Nay you can tell you are better scholer than I. Ero. In deede you haue lost your time for the books that you tosse now a dayes treate of smal science Du. Leaue thy iesting and procéede Ero. I sayd further that I receyued letters lately from my father whereby I vnderstoode that he woulde be héere very shortly to performe all that I had profered therefore I required him to request Damon on my behalf that he would stay his promise to the doctor for a fourtnight or more Du. This is somewhat yet for by this meanes I shal be sure to linger and liue in hope one fourtnight longer but at the fourthnights ende when Philogano commeth not how shall I then do yea and though he came howe may I any way hope of his consent when he shall sée that to follow this amorous enterprise I haue set aside all studie all remembraunce of my duetie and all dread of shame Alas alas I may go hang my selfe Ero. Comforte your selfe