know From out that little hill it soft doth flie As if Apollo all his art would show A little death it is which vp doth send Our soules to heauen before we make our end O cease those murdring strokes what ere thou be My soule will flie from hence vnto thy cell And all in loue with this will banish me Sweet hony issuing from a siluer well Which giu'st a surfet not sacietie O doe no more such pleasing murmurs tell But leaue my virgin-thoughts without annoy Which thou wilt rauish with too great a ioy When this enchanting noyse their eares doth kis They hating all what harmonie doth make With madnes almost burst all turned is To egging ire and forth their swords they take And like mad bedlams when their wit 's amis Into an open fight most fierce they brake Where we will leaue them there to learne some wit No other schoole then this can be more fit But now perchance this seemeth truth to passe That from the earth such heauenly tunes ascend But thus the Chronicles report it was That long agoe within this land did wend A Mathematick that did work with brasse And other things which to his art did tend So skilfull that no sound on earth deuisde Hath been but he hath highly equalizde And here within the earth he built a cell Where he will try the vtmost of his art And hath by labour now conioyned well Each mouing member and each sounding part When with a running streame that thither fell To each he doth a motion impart Which all conioynd do frame a Musick sound Whose forciue might can stony hearts confound Now Death his seruant Sicknes forth hath sent Who with his dooming mace doth him arrest And well he knowes his bow so long ly'ne bent For euer in his vigour may not least Therefore vnto this vaulted cell he went Where minding to set vp his latest rest He closely shuts the caues fast ceeled dore VVhich entrance may forbid to any more And now his engines he in worke doth set Which sent foorth dulcet tunes to chant the eare While he to Nature payes his common debt And to the world did neuer more appeare Therefore some thought that in this cabinet Immortall he all ages did out weare Some superstitious thought he was diuine And offred sacrifice vnto his shrine But he is dead wo that such worth should die And darknes triumphs ore his rotten masse But his bright fame shall on her pineons flie As long as light from Eos doores shall passe Nor euer may that base obscuritie Blot from mens thoughts that such an Artist was Obliuion all thy teeth may nere deuoure His famousde names still ouer-liuing powre But here the musick and these fighting mates I now must leaue where with vnweldie blowes And mightie thunderclaps each other bates So angrie Neptune foorth the surges throwes When Aeolus hath loosd his windy gates And so against a rock the billow goes As doe the lightnings of black enuies heat With slicing dints their rocky armour beat But let me see where Algiger is gone That erst was wounded deepe in cureles hart Looke yond I see him where he walks alone Still yelling with the horror of my smart Sometimes to heauen he darts a heauy grone Then to the earth he doth a sigh impart While with the teares downe rouling on his skin He wash'th his face without not wo within Not long he trauaild till a mournfull sound Sadly doth beat his sadder seated eare VVhen ô he cryes and is there on the ground That can with me such part of sorrow beare Thrise happie I that such a mate haue found VVose soule woes mourning gowne alike doth weare Sweet sorrow which my fainting breast dost feed And with new cause of griefe new ioy doth breed Further he comes when soone he sees a cell A little clowdie cell scarse taking light In which one only wofull wight did dwell That in the mortall world did not delight But still with teares vnto his prayers fell Mourning full deeply what he did not right And still perswades his care-encompast minde That on the earth it could no pleasure finde True true quoth Algigâ—r no ioy there is That may delight the burdned soule of man Sorrow doth streightest leade the minde to blisse VVhence perfect ioy and happines began VVherefore good Sire and if I speak not misse Since I so rightly haue this fortune wan Let vs together here vnknowen goe Telling each other of vncured woe Let vs perswade the wandring passenger VVith morall precepts mortifying the minde In sunder all his former ioyes to teare And bid him mourne for that his soule hath sind Telling him neuer can his faults be cleare Vnles his former thred he doe vn winde VVhich leades vnto the labyrinth of hell VVhere nere returning ghosts downe damned fell Agreed quoth he and these clowdes of mine eyes Shall from their vaults in fertill showers fall To fructuate the earth that barren lyes Those earthly soules I meane to grace to call That life is fullest farre of miseries VVhom sharpest miserie doth neuer gall For pleasure seemes some solace forth to bring But deadly it doth pearce with Scorpion sting Thus they conioynd begin to ambulate And when they meet a wandring pilgrim-wight Then doe they tell mans miserable state How pleasures light is but a blackest night How nothing that we doe can quench the hate VVhich heauenly powres doe beare but in despight Of earth and what the chained hurt may draw Make to our lawles hearts a new-found law Plunge deepe in teares to wash thy spotted skin In Iordans waters seuen times thee clense To purge the leprosie that lyes within Let sighs still offer vp a sweet incense And where with foule contagion of sin Those filthie fumes haue wrought the soules offence There let that heauenly sacrifice repaire And make the rinced soule twice brighter faire Contemne the world where nought but griefe is found VVhere sighs the ayre and sorrow is the food Eternall teares the drinke and howles the sound VVhose gastly notes we heare while dropping blood Makes seas of woe within our heart abound And discontent the fire ourselues the wood From whose great flames black vapours doe arise VVhich turnd to clowds doe raine downe from our eyes But lie below where neuer tempest blowes Seeke out some narrow place where thou maist weepe VVhere solitarines inuested goes On day remember griefe in silent sleepe Dreame of thy faults and those deserued woes VVhich in a prison doe thy sad thoughts keepe No thunder may thy cottage ouerturne Nor thus bedewd with teares can lightning burne VVhile mightie Cedars feele the tempests wrack Each little shame as winters timeles frost Makes them all bare and doth vncloth their back VVhile they below smile at their garments lost Each of their faults and each vnlawfull act Is seene to all and they are learned most VVhich in these great mens crimes a lesson reede And tell their fellowes any lawles deede VVhile we
draughts had ouer-nie opprest When streight the Sire from out the castles flyes Whence fled he falls vpon his humbled breast And zealous to the king of heauen cryes Turning his face vnto the darkned East Praying to shew some iudgement on his sin Before more soules this wicked vice might win No sooner hath he prayd but vanisht quite The old foundations of the ruinde walls Like to a bird that flieth from the fight And in some farre remoued valley falls Nothing appeares but this vngodly wight Who while for helpe all cursing deeply calls Into this stone was chang'd whence still arise New issuing streames of superfluities And here stay I that to the rising Sunne For that his soule full many prayers say Beginning still nor euer will haue done Vntill to rest his soule transport I may This said downe riuolets of teares doe run And streight all vehement begins to pray A ruthfull sight it was for deepest smart Was sure ingrauen in his grieued hart But now is Cipribel quite shapte a new Sorrow within her heart doth tirannize Her former pleasure she doth deepely rew And be their Gods which see our vanities Quoth she rewarding men their sins great due Or is there any heauenly paradise Where euerlasting haruest shall repay The fruites of good which here on earth we lay This said she doth the aged Sire request To tell the blessed newes she nere did heare Who all the rites that holy men profest And who vnhappie and who blessed were Which was the way to euiternall rest Where was the place of horror and of feare To her in largest tolde where we will leaue This new made Saint her lessons to receiue Now good Pyrino must I tell thy wo The mighty wrack thy weary barke sustaines Whom Erofel thus tumbleth to and fro With boistrous winds of her infected braines Needes must thou to thy haples fortune goe When desperate rider holds thy guiding raines Losse of a loue in loue is greatest death But mocking of his losse twise burdeneth After he had sung forth the historie VVherein his Tragedies he did reueale Erofel seemes some comfort to applie And where she poyson laies she seemes to heale Like the Hiâ—na that will sorriestcrie VVhen she in cruelst manner meanes to deale The Adder in his seeming kisse doth sting And mischiefe lies within most flattering Now she perswades to lift his wearied seete And to his Lady turne his dolefull course Perchance quoth she some streames of hope doe fleete VVhich may quench out the flame ere growing worse VVho neuer ventures prize shall neuer meete And he his owne vnwillingnes will curse That while occasion turnes her hairy face Staies nor her neuer-back returning pace Now when the darkened euening cals to rest VVhen Stars all ready in their watch doe stand VVhen he doth of his loue remember least Then comes she in and questions doth demaund To ouercharge the wight so deepe opprest To make him dreame of things like furies brand In the infernall nookes of gaping hell Torturing the soules which downe condemned fell So lankish famine gnawing on her breast Tires Erisicton with a restles drought And makes him euer hungring sor a feast VVhen yet that swallowed feast but grieues his thought That his luxurious end so soone hath ceast Eu'n such loue famine hath this Tiger brought To this ore burning youth within whose soule A thousand Sisiphus their restles burdens roule Sometimes in womans cloathes she would appeare In mightie shadowes to affright him more And Bellamies diuinest image beare And play an Anticke by his chamber dore VVhen straight the louer thinks that she was there And in pursuite out from his bed he tore She flies he now remaines of all bereft Like one whom Fayries company hath left One night she came to play her wonted game When he all desp'rate in a mightie rage Drew forth his blade and brandishing the same Betwixt them made an vncouth mariage And made her arme giue to her head the blame That fram'd such plaies vpon so strange a stage For he deepe stroke vnto the center-bone O haples stroke it had no further gone Like Cadmus Dragon in the Theban caue VVhen with his speare he pierst his writhed tayle Begins within his den to rage and raue And swelling deepely meanes then to preuaile VVhen with vnited force at him he draue Such rancor doth her cancred heart assaile As loues great Eagle lesser foule doth rent To massaker him so her heart is bent But now the fates thy whiter threede haue spun Foule Erofel now hath thy shady loome All died in pitch her griefly birth begun Masking misfortunes shade and haples bloome Now hath thy night vailde thy most orient sunne Blacke chance to worser fortune doth thee doome Cast downe Loues Scepter tirannize no more The wings are scorcht which once thy flight vpbore When cheating Phoebus bad his fiery steeds Breath forth bright lightning in the rising morne Pirino on whose heart grim sorrow feeds Left his sad couch in which no rest is borne Now easier fate his happier chaunce areedes Loue doth not pricke him as it wont beforne Whose presage drieth vp the ice of smart And makes a verdant spring within his hart Vpon his foaming Palfrey doth he mount When straight his furie hath his heart in chase But let the cottages make great account When Boreas turnes his cloud-in-wrapped face This Castell now all stormes wrath doth surmount It scornes to stooping now his height debase Goe Erofel those iawes in sunder teare Whose poyson to no worth their edge doth reare Foreward they trauell in appoynted way Driuing the tediousnes of shortned miles She still is egged to the Knights decay And with new stinging tales his cares defiles While nothing can her words his minde afray But now a sudden noyse doth end her wiles Like to the humming of great swarmes of Bees VVhich in this sorte vnto their hearing flees Goe Aspicke goe which with thy venomd sting Defil'st the puritie which nature gaue VVithin thy head a thousand fiends doe ring And whispering counsell doe thy thoughts depraue Let mischiefe thee vnto thy buriall bring Or robbers lay thee in some vncouth caue VVhere thou entombed in eternall night Maist not defile the toxicated light VVhile thou my soule whom spots of sinne doe staine Vanish from this thy worldly pilgrimage And to the highest powers of heauen complaine Thou didst vnwilling spoyle thy heritage VVhile as the sunne who knowes my inward paine Viewing the wofull ofspring of my rage Shall witnes to blacke Radamant that I A penitentiall sinner fainting dye VVhile thou fell hagge whose foule corrupted minde Doth glut his thought with sight of others griefe Maist wander haples neuer helpe maist finde But driuen from thy hauen of reliefe Tosse vp and downe with some vncertaine winde Not euer trusted neuer get beliefe And I appoynted to a fatall end VVill dye that life whose death is liues deare friend Following the sound vnto a bush they came VVhom when he saw and
valiance him draue And he was meeke to those that hated ill But to the wicked he was fearefull still This knight was moued by this damsels fame And with his mothers leaue departed thence Vowing by heauens-makers fearfull name As long as life should stay or liuely sence Not euer to returne from whence he came Before as signe of his beneuolence He shall salute this Lady face to face And with his armes that Saint-like Nymph embrace Thus purposde foorth he goes as errant knight In glistring armes yclad and mightie lance While vnder him in trappings gorgeous dight A sturdie courser all the way doth dance And as compacted of a liuely spright His trampling hoofes aloft he doth aduance And for aduentures armd in warlike wise He pricks his palsreys sides and forward tries But what great dangers in his weary way Or what he saw or did my Muse must passe For they would much my stories course delay Besides they are ingrau'd in during brasse By one who doth antiquitie bewray Writing what euer in that Iland was Let this suffice that he now iourneyes nye Vnto that place whereas this Dame doth lye But Night had spread her gloomy wings abroad Which forced thoughts of ease into his breast Therefore with swifter pace he faster road Hoping to get some place of gentle rest But while an easie gale vnto him blowd The sweetest sound that euer eare possest Which made him turne his horse toward the noyse At last he came where he had heard the voyce And askt if lodging for a Knight there were Quoth he that sung straight leaping from his seate None can approach fayre Sir more welcome here Then those that errant are whom knightly heare Enforc'th to seeke aduentures farre and neere And with this filed speech did worke deceit The Knight full glad he had a harbour found Dismounted straight and lighted to the ground But little did he thinke that fayrest mayd Was prisoner in this cell of riotise For this same castle where he now is stayd Is that where poore Viceina captiue lyes And sure they thought to haue this Knight betrayd But his sweet thought did frustrate their surmise Yet in this foolish hope vp was he led Into a chamber fairely Arrased Where after delicates and curious feast Full weary of his way and toylsome watch To pleasing sleepe his body he addrest Least during labour should him ouermatch When he no sooner setled him to rest But slumber in his sences seate did hatch Partly by toyle wherewith he now was sore Partly by Musick sounding at his dore Thus halfe her light fayre Cynthia had spent And he in sleepe had spent halfe Cynthias light Vntill a cry vnto his eare was sent Which did his tumbling sences all affright It seem'd to come from heart in peecesrent The wofull ofspring of a wretched wight But thus the plaint was form'd in dolefull sort Carrying vnto his eares a sad report Haples Viceina whom thy father lost Ynough tormented not though dearly lou'd Nor sad remembrance of thy mothers ghost Though she to teares mine eyes hath often mou'd Nor thine owne harme which grieueth others most Ynough thy hearts great patience hath prou'd But here dispoyld of sweet virginitie Thy spotted soule in vgly sinne shall dye But rather let the consort of dread Night Which sing sad notes before her chariot When she in progresse rides to chase the light Feare me before I take Sinnes filthy blot The scriching Owle race out my loathed sight Before it see that sight of wretched lot The rauens of darknes take my corse for pray That they may hide it from the blushing day And to those ghastly shades which haunt my soule And to the Night consenting to this ill My latest testament I will vnroule The dreery summe of my death-grauen will They shall my seruants be my bell to toule To ring the dolefull accents of my knill Death be the head and Shame shall be the next Then Night and Guilt which holds my heart perplext These on their damned backs shal beare my corse Vnto the funerall which is prepar'd My soule prouide thy selfe against remorse From hope of better death thou art debar'd For Sinne still threatens his vngentle force To wound thee deeply which had els been spar'd But till death come take solace in the Night For darkned soule there fits no better light This sayd a bitter sigh euapour'd out The sad conclusion of a sadder tale When gan the Knight his thoughts to stir about Pondring what wight thus lay in sorry bale But while he wauered in vncertaine doubt He soone vnto his troubled minde did call How that mayd had her selfe Viceina hight Wherewith he gan to burst with raging spight As Tereus in the banquet of his sonne When he a while his hungrie wombe had fed Knowing the bloodie mischiefe that was done And that he ate him whom before he bred Into a headlong rage along did runne And curs'th the liuing execrates the dead In such a furie was this knight distraught With thoughts of blood and vengeance fully fraught But well he could his raging sences tame And thought this time was not so fit to get The freedome of this soule-diseased dame The night and sudden noyse his deede would let Therefore he rested till the morning came When to this act himselfe he ready set And watcht to see the Lady of his loue That from this feare he might her soule remoue But he not long had sought the Lady fayre Ere he had spide where as that lozell mate Walkt with her in the garden for the ayre And he of lust and filthie sinne did prate The Knight went straight vnto that louing payre Not able longer to refraine his hate When she straight blusht to see her selfe alone Except this villaine compani'd of none Then lightned with reuenge thus gan the Knight Thou foulest shame of all that breath this ayre How dar'st thou to abuse this sacred wight Inclosing her in den of black dispayre Either defend thy deede in martiall fight Or els here dye my minde can like no prayer Her champion I and Aidon is my name Thou or thy kind that dare defend the same But streight he quailing sunke vnto the ground For he of warre before had neuer heard The name of death straight cast him in a swound His heart did pant he was so much afeard The while Sir Aidon gaue a deadly wound Vnto his heart that all the ground besmeard With filthie blood his foulest pleasures price The nourishment of his vngodly vice His soule sunke downe gnashing for furious mad That she should lose the pleasures of her bower Repining at the cursed fate she had Thus to be banisht in vnlookt for hower This while the Knight vnto that Lady sad Told why and whence he came who thankt that power Whose prouidence preuented her mis-hap Sheelding her soule from deaths fierce thunderclap But thence departing to the hall they went Where mingled wanton troopes of either kinde Dallied together
ghosts thy thoughts molest And furies which the doores of bondage broke Come vp to banquet on thy powred blood And make their damned selues this damned food As Athamas whom furie doth enflame Teares poore Learchus with his bloodie hands And madly runs whom no restraint can tame But furious wanders through vnknowne lands So doth this tyrant burne in quenchles flames Breaking with violence all natures bands Like one that drunke the Aethiopian lake Into whose soule thousands of furies brake But now in counsell house they doe all fit To try if policie can better fight And make their battels with the armes of wit But troubled sences cannot iudge aright And they rapt in the trance of sudden fit VVith staring gazes each their mates affright That now they are but like a flock of owles VVondring to see themselues such shapeles fowles At last a Nestor bolder doth arise And tels no time it was thus staring sit But send some Legate to the enemies To tell if their requests with reason fit They should be granted all in ample wise Another as reprouing former wit Thinks it is best with fierce and open warre To driue these rebels thence remoued farre But now stands vp Vlysses certes quoth he All that you say is but consumed winde But rather let our Kings great maiestie Himselfe with solemne oth in letters binde That whatsoeuer rebels armed be If they returne they shall great fauour finde And haue rewarded them incontinent VVhat wrong soeuer causde their discontent But when they come well shall we then prouide To quite their curtesie with cutting fare The sword of vengeance shall the cause decide Each rebell that tumultuous armour bare Shall his rebellion with great smart abide And for the peoples voyce let no man care The Lion roring in his princely den Shall with his noyse astonish lesser men Foule serpent-head within whose poys'ned braine A thousand diuels keepe a cabinet VVhich mightie Ioue hath damn'd to during paine VVhen for this deed thou shalt for anguish fret Thy cankerd soule who shall no rest obtaine But feed thy wombe with woe and deepe regret Millions of furies yawning with their iawes Shall combe thy carkasse with their renting clawes Horror within thy soule shall thee affright VVhich mak'st of nought the truth despising good Damnation doth awayr But O dread fight Loe many I doe see in raging mood VVhich bid me silent be and in despight Bid me leaue preaching or the 'ile haue my blood VVell I recant this counsler was not bad But worst and what degree Ill greater had Now while this mate was telling on his text In breakes Themistâ—s with a mightie host The gates are broken and the towne perplext It hapt this counsell which they counted most Hath lost his end come come deuise the next Or worse then this and then thy haunted ghost VVith the next furie that to Orcus went May for a token to great Dis be sent But t is too late looke where the winters frost Fals that shall kill thy boughs with pinching cold Looke Aâ—maran see thy heapes which now are lost Those heapes which thou from subiects didst withhold See how thy souldiers dying ban thy ghost And ding it downe to hell a thousand fold Goe curse and dye accompany their soules Carrouse with Pluto black Cocitus boles Behind thee doth a hagge awayt thy end To carrie hence that blood-defiled masse At hell doe all the ghosts in rancks attend For to salute thee when thou foorth doest passe Yonder thy deaths-man stands whose hand shall send Thy spirit to his well deserued place While infants wallowing in their mothers gore Shall passe thee downward with a gastly rore Looke how thy subiects lye all martyred There sits a matron dying on her child Their mangled carcasses but tortured By neuer dying paine from death beguild The rebell-sonnes runne where their fathers bled And in vnhumane blood their feete defilde The heapes of corses like a Pharâ—s ly And bloody riuers like the red-sea by Nothing but skarlet doth inuest the streete Which like a iudge doth frowne vpon the sky A great Aegaeum all along doth fleete In which dead heapes of men ore-whelmed ly Here a big rock of armour you shall meete There a great I le of men you shall passe by While sanguine obiect with his strong reflexe Staines heau'ns fayre face with purple scattered strekes Howle foule Megara from thy gulfie throat And ring thy knill for Aimâ—ranes ghost Charon prouide thy neuer emptie boat He meanes anon to trauell yonder coast Alecto now put on thy crimson coat Least he in bloody fayrenes thee out-boast Combe downe thy snaky locks dresse right thy head He louing meanes with thee to take his bed Like Margiates in West Indyes land When loues great thunder bellowes in their eares Quauering and shaking they afrighted stand To heare that heauen a base so hollow beares So doth this monster at his foemens band Faint feare vp lifts his bloody clotted heares For feare which doth his heart subdued take His paralitike members still doe quake When comes Themistos and with gliding sword No sooner pearceth his disseuerd skin But thousand Diuells on his corse doe bord And greedie thrust their bloody muzzels in After they heaue him to the Stygian ford Where for the guilt of deepe inured sin With wiery whips he suffers grisly wounds And with his rauing hells vast vault rebounds But where that wicked counsailer was gone Each man doth doubt some say that downe to hell Aliue he was distraught and many a one That by the swords well worthy edge he fell But how soeuer let him lye alone No man shall grudge the chance that him befell The heauen shall melt the Sunne shall baite in South Before he shall escape hells yawning mouth CANT 2. Themistos with Encrata takes his way Astonisht with a hideous yelling cry And Erophel is flying fast away From her sweete loue that for her wrong will dye Who now affrighted with a rarest chance Against his life his owne hand doth aduaunce THe comet fumes which from the earth ascend Vnto great Cinthias concaue circulation May long defer their doome-denouncing end Before they be compact in conglobation But at the last their fury they protend Kindled with some celestiall inflamation No cloude their eating flames with moysture stops But downe they poure their ruddy-burning drops So may the smoaky sighs of innocents VVhich by great loue still make their sad complaint Long volley forth before reuenge assents The guiltie damned soules for to attaint But when deepe vengeance once her clawes indents The comet of their plague shall neuer faint But with new brimstone freshly still relieu'd Shall keepe them in still-during torments grieu'd VVhich Bdellaes towers wel-worthy towres haue seene And felt the stroake which long hath been deferd Iustice long houerd heauen and them betweene And with repining eares their follies heard At last inflamde with wrath and ragefull teene Maskt in a bloody fire she streight appeerd VVhose flakie