death sweet death why vnto me doest not such fauour shew As for to end my course my soule and time all with one blow Alas why so long doest permit her for to breath and line Who liueth not whilst languishing she more and more doth grieue O death why thus to nourish life in me doest me despite Who am of all that line on earth the most accursedst wight This bodie which polluted is with worse then worse may be This bodie which vnworthie is the heauens or man to see This bodie spoild of honour rich and cloathed now with shame Although my minde did neuer yet consent vnto the same This bodie which deserues from graue and buriall to be â—ard The mocke of Fortune and the tipe of punishment most hard This bodie which with mine owne hand in peeces I should â—â—â—e This bodie which for to be burnt to ashes 〈◊〉 orthie were Ah cursed bodie hast thou staind thy soule without reâ—ure And guiltlesse of this ill must thou eternall paines 〈◊〉 Hast thou thy credit lost thy honour hast thou blemished Defamde thy Spouse and Traitor bene vnto thy Lord and head Thou shalt be plagued for the same of death thou shalt not misse Yet death 's too good for such a sinne too milde a paine it is Ah then sweet friend why doest it touch why to it comes thou night Alacke forbeare infectious t is it is thine enemie Vnworthie of thine eies it is vnworthie of thy face Nor doth it merit for to haue the least drop of thy grace Vouchsafe not for to touch the same but rather let it perish T is it hath sind and murthered thee the same then doe not cherish But yet before into the hands of wishâ— for death I fall The Gods to witnesse of my truth as records I do call I call the heauens aboue the earth the Seas that stowing shew The spirits of the firmament and them of hell below The Tritons Siluans Satire swift the Nymphs in Groues that walke And damned hags whose gastly shapes strike terror as they talke In briefe whatso hath life or mines all Trees all Rocks and Caues All Fountaines Groues and shadowing Vales from parching heat that same All these as witnesses I call that I am culpable But yet deceiu'd most traiterously and so made miserable All these I call and doe coniure that know the innocent Vnwittingly I faulted haue yet neuer did consent My faith I neuer brake to thee my Spouse I here a vow This heauens yee know for truth for I did thinke that it was thou I thought t was thou as thou wert wont that thou hast hid my face My face that is the cause that thou art in this wofull case Vnwilling though my bodie is tainted yet pure's my minde My bodie which against his will thy shadow false did finde But yet t is faultie and deserues and righly too reward Since it thine ouerthrow hath wrought through Fortune ouer hard Twise then it thee offended hath and double wrought thy wee Alas that double for to die I cannot force it the. The greatest sorrow I sustaine of these my sorrowes all Is that I double cannot die nor twise by dying fall Then why shouldst thou desire sweet hart new friendship to begin With such a bodie as but late doth come from doing sinne Vnworthie t is for thee the earth grosse earth let that it couer A fitting spoyle t is for the same and not for any other Or rather let this carkasse vile be purged pure with fire And th'a shes be disperst abroad through windes as I desire Woe is me borne was I to be thy death and through hard hap By my bad meanes the Parce three haue caught thee in their 〈◊〉 T is I and none but I that kild thee haue my dearest Spouse T is I that death haue brought to thee and that most dangerous Thou diest for my fault O cruell Lawe and most vnciuill He that is guiltlesse bides the paines of her that hath done euill T is I that blood haue drawne from thee t is I thy hart haue split T is I that haue thy louing name amongst the dead soules writ It is not death as thou dost thinke thy life that shortned hath But t is thy Stella haplesse borne to doe thee ill and skath Then to thy selfe I doe appâ—dle if death I not deserue And how much fortune mine accurst from other Fortunes swernt When as in steed of honouring thee dishonoured thee I haue And when I life to thee should giue I bring thee to thy graue When as our sacred Hymen I should reuerence and adore I haue abusde disparaged and scandalisde it fore And lastly when with ioy thou shouldest thy youth with pleasure passe I doe vntimely our thee off and make thee vade like grasse I being then the cause of all this mischiefe and this ill Doest seeme to wonder though I weepe and beauens with sorrow for Haue I not reason to lament to sigh to waile and grone Like vnto Niobe till like to her I turne to stone Since first the skies were fram'd and Sunne to shine at first was seene More wretched woman than my selfe nere was nor ere hath beene O wofull Stella Cloridan O Cloridan my life My life shall expiat my fault to end these sorrowes rife That selfe same sword that wounded thee shall through my bodie ranse Whilst dying both together we will laid be in one Tombe Then pardon me sweet Cloridan for pittie pardon mee Since that through others treacherie I haue offended thee Adien my Lord I loath to liue and not thy selfe enioy And saying so her selfe she strait doth with his sword destroy O brane Virago glorie and renowme of women kinde Fewe like thy selfe thy selfe like fewe didst shew a worthie minde O vertuous Ladie O faire spirit of thy selfe conquerour Ore whose rare constancie nor sword nor death it selfe had power So Lucres dide the Romanes Pearle when by base treacheris She vndefilde defiled was through Tarquin forceablie So Hero dide so Thisbe with the selfesame sword did slay Her selfe when Piramus to seeke she went the haplesse way And now her breathlesse coarse did fall vpon the pouer Swaine Who with that burthen gâ—â— to breath and seeke some life againe As when the night approacheth we behold and view the Suâ—â—â—â— By little and by little steale from hence his race being done His colour lesneth and lookes pale disdaining that still tide Whilst in some corner of the skie his faire face he doth hide So that vermillion colour sweet of Stella but of yore That beautie boue suparlatine as sacred to adore That passing snow white Iuorie that did all thoughts controule By little and by little forth from out her bodie stole Ore that 〈◊〉 louely coarse of hers death sits predominaâ—â— Who for that he came there for Rose and Lillie fresh did wâ—â—t Pale looked now those cherrie lips like ashes they appeare Whilst with aniron sleepe shut vp her eies fast closed were Her
the remainder of his loathed life And that the sooner he might die with care Ioy banishing he entertaines dispaire Hauing this conceit in his head the next morning he commeth vnto the Court where he taketh his leaue in humble wise of the King and that he might haue a colour for his departure and that none might suspect his heauie countenance he maketh them beleeue his mother was at the poynt of death and therefore he being sent for must needs away vnto her Hauing bene with the King he commeth vnto the Queene and to her faire daughter vnto whom he telleth this sad newes looking very sorrowfully and so most humbly taketh his leaue of them but the young Princes gessing shroadly at the truth of the matter and that there was no such thing but onely a meere excuse grieued mightily to heare how she should lose his companie the onely cause wherof she knew her selfe to be for which although she was hartily forie yet knew she no way how to remedie as then the same Meane space Don Iohn most pittifully consumed away as well because he wanted his Mistris as also for that he was neuer likely to see her any more whilest he being retired vnto his melancolike house resolued to die and to giue ouer the world O cruell madnes O furious rage O incomparable mischiefe O miserie none so great as Loue. What worser misfortune can happen vnto a man then for want of reason to suffer himselfe to fall into the mercilesse hands of his murthering foe And what vnhappines be it neuer so great can ouerthrow a man so soone as that which depriueth him of all sense and vnderstanding for the losse of our best friends or chiefest goods are easily to be borne because seldome or neuer they make vs lose our right wits for them but the torments we suffer in Loue are insupportable and not to be endured for it confoundeth our vertue and constancie as was too well seene by Don Iohn who would not take comfort in any thing but onely in death whilest lying thus dangerously sicke of a secret disease of the minde he was so much changed as none could well haue knowne him for his goodly and comely personage was become pale weake and earthly his haire long wilde and feltred his eyes hollow and deepe setled in his head his face heauie and sad his cheekes hollow and leane his lips dead like ashes and dried vp for want of moysture his breasts lanke and without flesh his hands but skinne and boane and his armes brawne fallen and without any force at all to be briefe he resembled rather a dead Anatomie then a liuing creature And although diuers haue bene of an opinion that hardly or neuer any can die for Loue because as they say this amorous sickenes tainteth the soule onely which is not subiect vnto death and not the mortall bodie yet neuerthelesse for all this there is no doubt but that many haue so died and that the soule as a companion of the bodie in the selfesame functions cannot feele any griefe but that the bodie must feele his part thereof and except he be partaker of the same euen as one day both the one and the other shall be partners either of eternall glorie or else of euerlasting fire in that they haue bene companions in this world either of good or else of euill Such a life then was this which our poore Arragonian Gentleman endured a life ordinarie and common vnto such who depriued of all hopefull happines pine away like one that is in a recurelesse consumption for nothing maketh vs to liue but onely ioyfull hope which if it be deferred long it maketh vs languish but much more then will it plague vs if we once growe in dispaire neuer to obtaine the same And therefore there is none so wretched a life as that which weareth away for want of hope and so liued miserable Phedra who seeing her deare Hyppolitus dead for want of hope slew her selfe For as the Poet saith Sweet hope the life of euery one what ere doth cherish And were it not for wisht for hope all men would perish This then was my Maisters resolution which no man could dehort him frō All his house and chambers were painted with blacke our Liueries being tawnie and in the roome where he lay he caused diuers melancholicke and sad sentences to be drawne in great Characters all which were the Infants of dispaire One day he being somewhat better then his vsuall custome was called for pen and Inke and thereupon composed these sad verses following which he would oftentimes sing vnto his Lute My sighes when giue you ore to sigh then forth my paine Mine eyes when haue you done to waile my griefe though all in vaine Was ere seene such strange crueltie where Loyaltie is found Whilst through th' vngratefull for to die remorselesse I am bound I die but in what sort alas my woes so many be As neuer any heretofore hath suffered like to me Happie is he that to his end by one sure stroke doth hie To languish dying is far worse then quickly for to die My teares that in mine eyes doe stand with sihges my griefes doe showe And yet ther 's none that pittieth me whilst worse I still doe growe I cannot cured be and she that 's Author of my griefe To slay my selfe she weapous giues vnto me Sans reliefe Like Captiue am I led away yet can I not behold Her face to whom I prisoner am and who my hart controld He is no valiant Souldiour right nor any Conquerour braue Who to his prisoner dares not showe himselfe when he doth craue But heauens I see conspire gainst me this life I finish must Yet happie he that in his loue diest loyally and iust Sacred for euer Faile shall it neuer This my Monument Since that Loue so true Though none the same rewe Within it is spent But cruell thou too late shalt finde vntimely death of mine My Loue was pure my hart most iust and bare thereof the signe Yet I le not taxe thee for my death thy rigor hard to proue I le say it was my destinie and not thy nere gaind loue But why in vaine seeke I in life to haue a farther scope He happie dieth who in the would hath liued without hope Then le ts dispatch by sweetest end to rid vs of this paine Le ts shun this troublesome sea the port with Ancor ours to gaine His death is blessed Of life disposessed When by a sweet way Ending of his life He shuns care and strife And in rest doth stay This was the melancolicke Musicke which my lucklesse Maister sung vnto his Lute making all those heauie that were hearers of the same O male-contented sorrow thou woundest our soules through sadnes neuer suffering vs to rest quietly thou driest vp the marrow in our bones whereas ioy delighteth and comforteth the heart Through thee and through thy blacke sister dispaire died constant Portia Cato the
I doe liue after thee and suruiue him who was the onely nourisher of my dolorous life Can I abide to be one minute of an houre from thee who hast so much alwayes desired the companie of haplesse Iustina Ah mine eyes mine eyes as much as you shewed your selues cheerfull to delight the heart of my Husband in your Loues so much or more shew your selues full of salt teares to lament his disaster But teares are the common offerings of euery woman at their husbands buryalls A Sentence and are too base oblations for so worthie and solemne an exequies Thy friendship deserueth better then so And more am I obliged vnto thee then to offer such base trifles Not my blubbering teares but my heart blood is due vnto thee For why should it not be thine when my verie soule is at thy seruice Ah cruell Honor why hast thou not rendered mee againe mine Alfonso in the selfe-same manner as thou tookest him from mee to doe thee seruice And how badly hast thou requited the paines hee hath taken in seeking to preserue thee fafe and sound Who euer would haue thought I should haue seene so horrible a sight as I see before I had dyed and who would haue imagined but that my praiers which I made continuallie vnto God to take me out of the world before my sweet Husband should not haue obtained grace from Heauen But come the worst that can come there shall not be much difference of time betweene our deaths for so quickly will we follow one another that if one houre cannot cut vs off both together yet at least one day shall dispatch and make vs away But in the meane space iustly maiest thou complaine of me my deare Knight in another world for that I haue bene the murtherer of thy life But I beseech thee complaine not of that neither of her who thinketh the time but miserable in which she liueth exiled and banished from thee Woe is mee I haue killed I haue slaine and murthered that which I loued most vpon the earth And vnto him which I know and acknowledge I was most beholding But is this possible Alack alack it is but too true Blacke and vnluckie was our marriage not vnlike vnto that of Paris and Hellena the conclusion whereof was bloodie woe and sorrowfull death Ah my tongue canst thou yet talke and thou my heart canst thou still breathe and yee mine eyes are you not yet blinde Alas I liue not for the least anguish that I endure is a greater hell then death vnto me And thou partiall death who art not ignorant that my Husband and I were but one onely person why killing him hast thou not done the like vnto me Or if thou then hadst forgotten the same why doest not thou now better remember thy selfe Come then most welcome death come I pray and permit not her to liue that so much desireth to attend on thee And yet before I depart where shall I find eyes sufficient to weepe and lamentings bitter enough to be conformable vnto the sorrowes of my soule Oh that this my humor changing it selfe wholly into teares and drowning me therewith in it might be so forth ate to drowne therewith all my torments also And alack what intollerable pangs doe I suffer can any sauadge body endure the same and yet not part hence And can mine eyes view my Spouse giue vp his ghost and not seale vp their liddes with an euerlasting slumber Louing and louely bedfellow as heretofore our affections were loyall true and chast so as loyall sweet and chast shall our entombings be together Sweet Husband as long as thou liuedst thou neuer wouldest depriue me of thy kinde and friendly embracings Ah then I desire thee let me not be defrauded of thy death For I am not worthie to be called thy wife if I doe not as well participate of thy bad fortunes as of thy good and take a say of thy sowre as well as I haue done of thy sweet If ioy could neuer diuide our foules why should they then be vntyed by death And as I heeretofore haue slept with thee in the selfe-same bed as our sacred marriage appointed vs so I beseech thee denie mee not to lye with thee in the selfe-same Tombe that thou doest Whlist we were liuing we were perfitly vnited together being dead wee will be as kindly ioyned one vnto another As well shalt thou be my husband now thou art dead as when thou wert aliue neither shall the Destinies themselues hinder me from following thee still to assist and helpe thee according vnto my bounden dutie But now alas before I come vnto thee how shall I pay the last remainders of my Loue which I owe thee By what testimony shall I render sufficient proofe of mine ardent affection towards thee and what perfect signes shall I shewe of my true dolour as thou too too well deseruest In times past An Example those women that loued their husbands best vsed to sacrifice themselues vnto the fire burning their bodies because they would die with them And shall I be lesse dutifull then those And what cannot I for my Loue is more perfect then theirs was But yet before I die let me kisse those eyes which liuing rauished my libertie those eyes which were of late the cheerfull Sun of my soule those eyes which once nourished my sadde and dulled spirits So let me touch those sugred lips whose liuely breath was sometimes the chiefe comfort of my minde and a precious balme to my griefe And thou faire countenance wherein sometimes lay all my hopes whose louely presence entertained my good Fortune Neuer shall I be satisfied enough in kissing of thee neither can my mortall desires be satisfied as they wish Ay me was I borne to murther mine owne life and was I so vnluckie in my birth that I could not dye without the losse of that which I helde as deare as mine inward soule And thou my soule how hard is thy trouble how heauie thy languishing and how wretched thy estate whilst that of mine Espouse liueth glorious by me heerein I can no longer talke and too long haue I prolonged my life and it may seeme my griefe is the lesse in that I haue had such libertie of speech But how The Swan singeth sweetly at the houre of her death An example then let none wonder though I waile and lament so much mine ende being so nigh Dispatch then miserable Iustina and performe the last vowes which are due vnto thy Alphonso to the ende thou maist hasten the more to follow him And therewithall she so often kissed and rekissed him as his Ghost for a while once returned againe into his bodie whilst hauing heard what pitious mone shee made for him he striueth euen in the middest of his death pangs to open his closed eyes and pale mouth a little to looke once more vpon her and to vtter these fewe words vnto her Ah my deare soule and deerer then my
thought of my mischances where I found about a coolie fountaine many faire Shepheardesses who all daunced without feare but onely for feare to be seene Faire were they all An excellent description of a faire virgin and yet not all liking vnto my minde nor alike agreeable in mine eyes Amongst the whole troupe one there was that pleased my fancie aboue all the other being taller in stature straiter of bodie and fairer and goodlier then all the companie were Her flaxen haire was daintily bound vp placed vnder a curious Coife of fine Lawne Her high forhead goodly and broad Her amorous eye-browes somewhat blacke seruing as an Vmbrill for her diamond-like-eyes Her diamond eyes cleare quicke and sparkling like vnto two Sunnes eles which without hurting the bodie pierced into the very soule wounding most cruellie Eares which tooke prisoners millions of hearts the vertues thereof drawing them most sweetly vnto them Eies resembling two sacred lampes being of force to chase away all darknes and to bring the bright day with them Her witching lips werered like vnto the Cloue-Gilliflower Her prittie mouth faultlesse and little Her chast mouth neuer touched of any being as a religious relicke most sacredly reserued for the seruice and honour of the celestiall Goddesses Diana Her cheekes vermillion right resembling the Sommer Rose adorned with a white lillie Her dimpled chin short round and well made Her throate was cleare Alablaster and her goodly brest composed of pure Iuprie in which were sweetly seated two rich and pretious monuments of mountaine snow disdaining to be compared with any whitenes whatsoeuer Her hands with azured veines resembled the pretious stones digged out of the quarrie of beautie And to be briefe her feete were slender and little withall But O how perfectly faire wert thou in all poynts beautious and louely Diana How rare and gentle was thy spirit How stately and full of Maiestie thy gate And how sweet and pleasing thy more then angelicall presence If so admirable a Subiect as this was not of sufficient power to enthrall and captiue me when farre meaner and baser by ods haue made the greatest and brauest personages in the world to stoope I referre it vnto your owne sensures to imagine O most seeret and maruellous is the puislance of loue No sooner did I behold her but I felt my selfe to be wholie changed and transformed into an other shape as the Serpent changeth his skinne in the Spring-time The remembrance of all whatsoeuer I had done before was slipt and vanished away no otherwise then a waue of water glideth swiftly in the Sea I remained as one bound and inchained and yet alack I could not chuse but honour my bonds neither could I withdraw or retire my selfe from this deadly enemie of my rest which had depriued me alreadie as it were of my life but staied still by her Not vnlike vnto the foolish flie A Similie that buzzeth so long about the candle till at the last he burneth himselfe in the flame thereof Egerly did I sucke this sweete poyson downe my throate enchaunting my spirits with the same As the thriftie way-fairing man drinketh with great greedines whatsoeuer is presented vnto him to staunch his drines With great reuerence did I vse and not a little did I respect those arrowes shafts and darts that were my death so much fortunate did I imagine my selfe to be vanquished by so sweet and faire an enemie neither could I once remoue mine eyes from her beautious face no more then the captiue taken in warre who looketh pittifully on him that hath taken him vpon whose will dependeth his deare deliuerance The remembrance of all my fore-passed Disasters was lost with my libertie this cruell wound extinguishing all sense of griefe of my other lesser troubles as a great euill doth expell and thrust out a lesse Thus loue couereth all other miseries his heat drying all others sorrowes and his force asswaging all other losses whatsoeuer And as a great broad-leafed oke hideth all kind of mischiefes whatsoeuer Like as we see that man that hath lost sooâ—e great matter of waight to take on and to chafe wonderfully as often as it commeth into his minde and when he calleth into his memorie the worth and valew of the same he held so deare Euen so doth it vexe my very soule when I remember the rare and admirable qualities of my Diana considering the great losse I haue thereby And therefore good Father let me here leaue I beseech thee without vrging me to proceed any farther but rather permit me to goe my waies that I may find out some close frightfull Caue where I may sufficieÌ„tly enough bewaile this my inestimable losse For the very thought thereof doth take my voice away pierceth quite through my heart and disturbeth all my wittes and sences Nay forward good Shepheard answered the earnest old man A worke halfe done ought to be throughly finished yet in the meane time thou maiest if thou thinkest good pause for a while here and take vnto thee breath againe letting passe this sad apprehension of thy losses since others haue had ill fortune as well as thy selfe But well hast thou begun and therefore I doubt not but thou wilt make as good an end Arcas hauing rested a while began to proceed in his discourse when Philistell and Corribant comming vnto them and hauing saluted them sat downe hard by them whereupon Philistell marking the countenance of the old man very wistly and iudging him to be a Magitian as indeed he was began thus to argue with him Father I am not ignoraÌ„t that these Desars reseÌ„ble a hot coale of glowing fire A Similie which if you fling amongst sweet and odoriferous spices it shall yeeld a delightfull and pleasing sauour and if you cast it amongst bad it shall smell loathsome and stinking Euen so these Desarts serue some to end their yeares in holines such being rauished with the coÌ„templation of the wonderfull workes of the Almightie whilst vnto other some they are as a Receptacle to colour their faults and as a commodious place wherein they may hide their bad liues and leaud wickednes Neuerthelesse the latter of these twaine who helpe themselues by their meanes to doe ill doe offer them the more iniurie because these vncoth woods haue euer bene fitter for such as doe pennance and meditate vpon God then to scrue for a retrait vnto the wicked to the end they may the safer exercise their bad and detested leaudnes therein And to be plaine with you I thinke you are come hither because you may the more fitter put in practise your blacke Art here and haue conference with the diuels Now whether this your trade be lawfull or no I faine would know the truth That Maister will neuer account such a one of his seruants An Example for faithfull and good that shall goe about to seeke for aide of his enemie If so Thinke you then that God can allow it for good that
she blusht Whilst she more faire did shew when through her face the colour flasht Her eies she cast on the ground and at 〈…〉 so looke By them vpon the soden she durst not vpon them to looke That done with sad and heedfull eare she doth about her prit Lest what not comely had bene they about her 〈…〉 In th' end she findes all well not much 〈…〉 Who doubts some theenes but hauing found 〈…〉 their doth not feâ—â—e Mean time poore Cloridou who is perplext most dangerus Takes heart at grasse whilst boldly he gins to accost her thus Faire light of my best life why art thou thus possest with care When heauent themselues they vertuous life hurt cannot nor once dare Chaste is thy soule vertuous thy minde most beautifull thy face No Tyger fierce or Lion fell thy beautie dare disgrace The diuels themselues cannot thee hurt why doubts thou things diuine Are not as mortall be to shame subiect at any time The Gods haue made thee goodly that the heauens might honour thee Our spirits are bodies framde that thou by vs mighst worshipt bee Thee will we serue in humble wise with dutifull respect Nor whilst we liue as vs becomes our duties wee le neglect Then sacred Saint thy selfe assure my soule thus languishing No bad conceit through carriage mine to thee shall euer bring No rash attempt vndecently shall make me ouerbold With her 〈◊〉 home Mistris of my hart and my chiefe good I hold Then doe all dread abandon quite looke merrie and be blithe For we both honour thee and for thy Loue contend and strine So said the Shepheard whilst that Loue did shoote in cunning wise Fancies swift darts into his hart which came from Stellas eies From Stellas eies who now begins to felle an vncoth flame And who doth finde as Cloridan to bide the selfesame paine She findes she forced is to loue although against her will And more she seekes him to expell the more be enâ—reth still The Shepheards words are wounds to her and pierce her like a dart His speeches breaches be which soone make entrance in her hart And now on soden Cloridon she liketh and sowell As in her sight for beautie he doth onely heare the bell And so likewise doth Cloridan thinke of his daintie Loue Vowing within his soule that death shall not her thence 〈◊〉 So in the Phrigian forrest thicke when Paris liu de 〈◊〉 In Enons Loue he was intrapt and for the same did 〈◊〉 Of whose deare loue that loyall Nymph so highly did esteeme As after he was slaine to mourne for him she aiâ— was seene But Stella somewhat fearfull now and blushing in this case Vnto her Shepheard thus replide with comely bashfull grace A worthie Shepheard like thy selfe I neuer doubted yet That for to offer wrong to me his honour would forget The minde that generous is indeed and doth for glâ—ris made Is nere so base as to abuse a sillie harmelesse maide His honour he doth holy wracke vpon discredits shelfe That hauing others conquered braue cannot orecome himselfe It better him becomes to bunt the Lion or the Bare The greedie Wolfe wilde Boore and fierce then sillie Daâ—â—zeâ— fâ—â—e No glorie t is much for to force or proudly to command As haue no might nor any power such furie to withstand But I assure me of thy selfe and that I trust thee thâ—â— Thou seest I doe not flie from thee as one ore time 〈◊〉 Besides with blushing I confesse thou art the first of all That hast against my will enforct me follow Cupidâ— call A soule thou hast that Loue as now compelleth to be thine Loue that doth both our harts in one in loyall bands combine That Loue which makes me yeeld to thee for to be ouerthrowne That Loue which Tyrant-like denies that I shall be mine owne Then looke that in this loue thou doe mine 〈◊〉 still preserue It being all that for our paines me righly shall deserue For thou shalt sooner Stella see in graue for to remaine Before that any vitious soule her vertuous life shall staine Shee 'le rather die a thousand times for constant amitie The treasure is which I doe rate at endlesse price so hie Chastely to loue in vertuous sort is sure a worthie thing And heauens themselues to modest Loue a ioyfull end will bring Remember then what I doe say or trouble me no more Faire words without performance true I loathe and doe abore So Stella said and Cloridan to heare these words of ioy So rauisht was as now he quite forgot all former noy Nor could he speake for gladnes while his hart did leape within He knew not how to frame his tale or which way to begin As dead men we through ouermuch displeasing griefe become So sudden pleasure ouermuch stops passage of our tongue Both th' one and th' other oftentimes vs too too much doth moue Extremities of both without a meane we often proue Many through pleasure die their daies many doe end through woe Griefe kills our sences sodenly and ioy likewise doth so And after winter many stormes and rainie shewers apace The Sunne begins by little for to shew to vs his face The plants and Trees reuiue againe looking both fresh and greene Which in the frostie season cold through snow did lie vnseene So at the last the Shepheard got his wonted speech againe And pleasure former dread and feare did chase away 〈◊〉 Which being gone as soone as time did breath to him affoord In humblâ— wise he once more thus began her for to boord Sweet Ladie since the law diuine of Cupid heauenly king Such fauours great doth shew to me not of my meriting And that I blest am so that to your hart mine tied is A cause our chast desires are like for to obtaine rare blisse And since our mindes are so vnite and knit in bonds so strong As death it selfe with all his force shall neuer doe vs wrong I vow for to be yours alone hap ill to me or well Despite of destinie despite of Fortune spite of hell For to be loued of thy selfe it passeth and is such As like no glorie is on earth for to be found by much When Adon Venus did enioy so blessed was not he Nor Pirams loue to Thisbe could so hot and ardent be The Gods themselues in glorie theirs who are redoubtable In pleasure with me to compare cannot nor are not able More fortunate am I then they my hart is more content Then when Ioue with Europa liu'd and time away so spent A thousand Almours in my minde I feele for to be hid More sweet then when Leander kind embrace his Hero did With Paris vaine is Hellens ioy compared vnto mine My fancies are so sweet they seeme as if they were diuine None is so happie as my selfe th' Ambrosia of the Gods Not so much liketh them as doth my life like me by ods Ah then amongst contentments such doe not me so much grieue As for to thinke
voyage findeth but the halfe part of his Marchandise in his ship the gaine of which drew him to aduenture abroad and to leaue his countrie and friends Euen so Leander found himselfe but halfe contented and pleased when he perceiued those to be dead whom he so much coueted in his minde to haue encombred them aliue neuerthelesse he drew neerer vnto the place where they lay marking very wistly both his dead enemies and his wife As he stood thus gazing vpon them diuers conceits ran in his head not knowing well what to thinke of the matter one while he thinketh that his wife loued Antonio so dearely as she would needes die with him an other while he iudgeth rightly of the fact imagining that ciuill discention had caused one to kill an other now he iudgeth that some foe of Antonios had stabd him and then againe he gesseth that some of his friends had offered him this cruell outrage for doing so great villainie against him But Loue crossed all these contrarie conceits dispearsing them heere and there as the cracke of the thunder forceth the cloud to giue way when it breaketh through the same and falleth vpon the ground below he thought he had many iust occasions to hate his wife meaning if she had bene aliue to haue inflicted vpon her that punishment which he had alreadie found her to endure and yet when he had a little better considered thereof in his minde seeing her to be brought vnto so pittifull a straight he could not chuse but must needes lament and bewaile her hard mishap Whilest she liued he loathed her nor will he by any meanes be induced to beleeue that she is culpable of that fault of which he before accused her seeing that now she is dead A friend is neuer knowne so well as when he is mist He commeth neerer and neerer vnto her which wofull Cynthia perceiuing and not knowing who it was but rather supposing that the villaines were come backe againe although she were not quite dead yet did she faine her selfe to be so fearing least they would offer some violence vnto her bodie if she should haue made shew that she had bene still aliue Leander lighting of his horse kneeleth downe by his wife weepeth bitterly and then kisseth her which the poore soule perceiuing maruelling much what this should meane openeth her dying eies a little when after she had a good while wistly looked vpon him she sawe and knew him to be liuing whom she held and accounted to be dead That Romane woman who died with sodaine ioy seeing her sonne returne safe and whole from that bloodie battaile of Cannas and whom she esteemed to be dead was not halfe so much rauished with true delight and amazemēt in viewing him as Cynthia was when she saw her spouse aliue and well And now she striueth as much as in her feeble strength lieth to open wide her languishing eies that she might the better gaze and looke vpon her husband But alas mortall and deadly were the glaunces she cast vpon him mortall were they vnto her to Leander she now began to wende away as mildly as a lambe whilest her wofull husband what sinister conceit soeuer he had before of her died for very anguish to see her in this wofull taking He was aliue and not wounded at all his wife readie to giue vp the ghost all to be mangled with gorie blood and yet had not he his tongue so readie to command as his poore Cynthia had for so great was his griefe as he could not speake as much as one word which she perceiuing and now knowing throughly who he was with a kind of hollow and broken voice she spake thus vnto him Ah my deare husband art thou then come from heauen to assist and helpe thy faithfull wife she being readie to giue vp the ghost and hast thou dained so much as to remember her and to honour her at her end with thy welcome presence Ah say is it thine owne selfe whom I see or is it some euill spirit that hath taken thy shape vpon him to mocke and delude me If it be thee and that thou liuest as yet then thrise fortunate is Cynthia to see thee before she giueth ouer this wretched life And yet if thou be that Leander who sometimes wert the kind husband of vnhappie Cynthia how then canst thou abide to approach neere vnto her she hauing bene the occasion of so many euils lightned vpon thee thou knowing not whether she be cleare from them or no But I see well that Loue draweth all such doubts in thee and will not suffer thee to beleeue any thing that is not good for me And yet Leander hast thou reason to conceiue the worst of me because I haue bene the occasion of many troubles that haue hapned vnto thee notwithstanding I sweare vnto thee by that God before whom I hope to be iudged who reuengeth euery periurie that I am meerely innocent of what ill so euer is done I hauing not bene defiled either in bodie or in minde the Almightie hauing most miraculosly preserued me from all such harme Whereupon she began to discouer vnto him all that had hapned since she last sawe him and withall how she had not made him acquainted with the affection which Antonio bare vnto her the cause of all this mischiefe and the reason that it might haue bene preuent if he had knowne thereof But said she I was in good hope he would haue become a new man being loth to bewray his soilie vnto you because you made so great account of him thinking he would neuer haue borre so bad a minde towards you But now I see this sore to be vnrecurable I know not what to say but onely to craue pardon of you for the same and withall to take some order for my buriall Then sweet husband weepe no more for what reason hast thou to bewaile her death who hath brought thee so many losses and vncurable dammages whilest she liued with thee rather haue you cause to reioyce and be glad to see her finall end and therefore I most humbly beseech you if you doe loue me indeed as you seeme at this time to make some shew that you doe drie vp your teares cease these lamentings giue ouer this sighing and sobbing and suffer me to finish this small rest of my life in some pleasure for my sorrow proceedeth not from my death but for that I see thee thus to take on Trouble not then I pray thee that contentment which I haue to view and behold thee before I shut vp my dazeling eies through thy too much lamenting for my death If thou hast loued me then call to minde this thy good will towards me and let the remembrance thereof now I die perswade thee to doe so much for me It is the last office of friendship which thou must doe for me for now I shall trouble thee no more my glasse being runne and the date of my life in
so to doe for this onely good in that he hath procured mankinde to be borne maister of all other creatures and giuen him a soule immortall in felicitie For if the enemies of men be punished and if sometimes the Ancients ordained equall paine for one Ingrate as for a murtherer Surely the man ingrate towards Almightie God that acknowledgeth not so many blessings and graces from him ought to suffer much as worthie of most grieuous punishment Thus sayd the Shepheard to himselfe and had further discoursed vpon this subiect but that a sudden storme of raine made him runne out to goe stand vnder a thick Rock the toppe whereof saue garded him from the iniuries of heauen And being there aboue he heard a voyce which vttered this which followeth Blessed be they which are either perfectly happie without euer hauing felt griefe or altogether miserable hauing neuer made tryall of any contentment For he which suddainly cōmeth out of the Stoue findeth the aire colder then he who hauing neuer bene within hath alwayes stood without doore In like māner those which neuer felt any good during their life endure nothing so much as they which haue bin happie are afterwards becom miserable For if white maketh vs better to know and discerne black in like sort good maketh the griefe which ensueth more cruell intollerable the remēbrance of which losse terribly tormenteth our soules It greeueth not one so much to goe without cloathes who ordinarily goeth naked as well in winter as Sūmer but it would be a cumbersome hard matter for him who hath bin well and warmly clad to be stripped thrust into his shirt and forced to go all bare In like manner the miserable that haue knowne nothing but griefe are not so greatly oppressed with paine as they who haue sometimes tasted of felicitie whereof at the same instant they finde themselues depriued More cruell was king Perceus his change who of a puissant king became miserable a seruant slaue and laughing-stocke of Fortune then if hee had neuer knowne any such greatnes remaining as a priuate simple man and without a Diademe Of the selfe same now speake I by experience for more cruell at this day doe I feele the griefe to see my selfe absented depriued of my deare Diana thē if I had neuer seen her or that she had not pleased mine eies as she hath done Alas Can it be that I should remaine without her or that my soule may continue in my body being depriued of her faire and shining countenance If the bodie cannot moue without the soule Oh how can mine liue enioying no more that Sun which caused it both to liue and moue Oh my Diana in what part soeuer thou glaūcest forth thy beautifull and celestiall rayes let the heauens be alwayes fauourable vnto thee in recompence of the good thou hast done me in suffering me to behold thy countenance Farre frō thy yeares dayes let pale death flie all discontentment absent it selfe from thy soule all vexation griefe auoyd thy hart let sadnes be banished from thence to conclude let no feeling of griefe euer touch thee liuing let heauē alwaies make thy beauty durable thy chast vertue immortall thy sacred fidelitie power eternall and thy excellent glorie endles Alas if the heauens preserue thy noble perfections who vnder the Sun shall liue more perfect or happy thē thy selfe for none can equall thee in these worthie vertues vertues alas which augment misfortunes make my complaints more bitter For he hath greater cause to complain that hath lost much then he that hath endured the losse but of a small matter I haue lost thy diuine presence which only chased and droue away my obscure nights now I wander in darknes in night in horror vexation I haue lost my Sun my dayes are turned into nights Alas but haue I not likewise lost my miserable life Alas my Goddesse if thou wouldest if thou wouldest I say take my soule as thine owne retaine it with thee why takest not thou in like manner my life causing him to die which cannot liue remoued frō thy light but I must scoure both sea land to find thee out I will flie neither paine danger nor labor to see thee yet once more before death reap my sad wretched daies And then in all repose contentmēt pleasure I will yeeld this miserable carkasse to the earth shaken quashed with so many hitter griefes euen broken as it were in pieces with a thousand martyrdoms During these daies replenished with obscurity dyed in lamentation darknes In that I shall not behold thy beautifull diuine countenance my teares like streams shall poure out frō my blubbered eyes sighes shall come forth euen from my soule sad wailing mourning frō my hart No apprehension of pleasure shall dwel within me no apparāce of life to signe of pleasing delights nor any note of health Miserable will I alwaies remaine no ioyfull accident no chāge of fortune or new forme of life can administer the least consolation to my soule voyd of pleasure ioy of all good and contentment I will sigh continually while destinie moued at my long complaints together with my life cut off my teares troubles Thus spake this wretched Shepherd wretched surely miserable who neuer felt so much as one smiling glaunce of fortune miserable certainly in that he was borne to suffer neuer knew what ioy meant yet more wretched in hauing spent his years emploied his whole life offered his dayes and yeelded his time to seruice of many who permitted pouertie to swallow vp his years and manage and ouermaister his life And though he were peerles in miserie and that his state of life was onely swayed by misfortunes which held him caytif notwithstāding cruel enuie which biteth all things though they be incorporeall ceased not to make a thousand malicious iealous of that little cōmendation which his dolorous Muse acquired to his years In all cōsiderations therfore he was most wretched aboue all others But that which gaue the greatest blow and that made his griefe insupportable and fell was the absence and losse of his Diana The remembrance wherof was sufficient to forget choak quite extinguish all the mortall pleasures he could haue tasted of in this world Euery one maketh his chiefe felicity of that he best liketh things which are sometimes held for happy cōmodious of mortall men are in contēpt with those who haue placed their soueraigne good in some other matter as Louers flout at riches treasures Empires and kingdomes which mortall men propound vnto themselues for the good of their contentmēt vpon which they build their most pleasure and delight But the onely presence of their Ladies is their chiefest good for their soules be more ioyfull in beholding of them then are the eyes of a couetous mizer when they take pleasure in contemplation of the goods riches
of fortune In the number of these was this miserable Shepheard who scoffed at the commodities of that blind goddesse desiring no other thing for his full satisfaction and delight then the presence of his faire Diana Diana who surely amongst the fairest was most faire sage chaste prudent and of the stock of the most famous families in Europe Diana who took pleasure in reading of his works that neuer shewed him frowning countenance in that she knew he honored her honor more then her beautie and that his chaste loue loued rather her soule and mind then her bodie Nothing could hinder sage and chaste Diana from shewing good countenance chastely louing excellent spirits She should haue bene a cruell Beare if her soule had bene void of amitie and this learned Queene of France kissed learned Chartier finding him a fleeepe vpon a bancks side though amongst all other euill fauoured and deformed hee was most crabbed of countenance giuing this excellent answere to those that wondered at the same I kisse not Chartier but that excellent mouth from whence haue issued so manie learned discourses not louing the man but his doctrine In doing thus no Ladie can be blamed For one may and that more commodiously affect chastlie that which meriteth Loue then impudentlie that which tendeth to vice and corruption The Shepheard after his dolorous complaint beganne to sing this Sonnet which followeth SONNET Come and approach and heare my cries you Hagges and Hob-goblings And doe receiue in gree my heauie plaintes and abuse Vnto your cruell fatall Sisters nought doe I profer For I no more life haue t' is with my griefes ouerdead LOVE that hath tooke my loyall Hart for a pawne euerlasting Gagd'e for my Truth is dead splitted in euery part Whilst to an auncient Elme I seeme like one that is Spoylde with Lightnings blast when but the roote doth remaine O kinde Death all mortall woes who makest an end of me In this my chiefe pangs thee doe I call mee to helpe Sweet let me die through thee that then I truely report may LOVE hath wounded my heart Death of my paine make an end Onely in the◠is my hope a hope God knowes very slender Nought hope I in my cares but for to dye out of hand Dye would I rather then in woes lie still for to languish Blest is the soule that departs when that he cannot be curd'e But you mine eyes are accurst to haue seene my Ladie so cruell Since that distoyaltie hath to me done such a wrong Well had it bene for you if with a night euerlasting Shut had you bene alwayes your proper death not to see That so sacred Light you are neuer like for to see more Which did reuiue my spirits when that they first were in thrall Sweet should I then count my miserie comparde to my bad hap If that the world I might leaue as in my minde I doe wish Sigh'd haue I more then a thousand times yet she with her hard hart Is no more mollified then in the Seas is a Rocke More doe I pray more doth she say nay for all mine intreating Whilst that her lookes are so sower as they my woes make the mor◠These Verses could not yet content him but with the same conceit employing his Muse which she furnished him withall he carued these two Sonnets vpon the hard front of the Rocke SONNET I. More hard then Rocks I feele my Martyrs hard The flinty Rocke the chisell doth endure Yet nought but death from hurt can me award So great 's mine ill which is without recure Yee heauenly Gods cast Lightnings on my face As on the Mounts of Epire or consume Mee Phoenix like reuiuing in a space For I in Loue a Phoenix am become Too much I haue abid then from these eyes Since you haue drawne forth fountains of salt teares So many sighes from heart let it suffise Nothing so strong but sorrow quickly weares Each thing except my selfe with change doth mend Yet see my cruell Destenie I am still In paine and yet my paine doth neuer end Liuing I die though dying I doe liue This is the fauour my FAIRE doth me giue SONNET II. What may it be my Mistris should me scorne So much as not on mee vouchsafe to looke Was I then vnder such hard Planet borne As that my sicknes strange no Salue can brooke That Beautie which so often doth me wound Those sacred eyes Authors of all my smart Kill mee when I to looke on them am found Nor helpe they me as I to death depart What Destenie then may change this mine ill hap What alteration may my griefes appease I ill Fortune in such sorrowes doth me wrap As though they would yet mee they cannot ease For shee that is of torments mine the sourse More sacred is then heauens and more diuine Fierce Destinie and Fortune in her course She doth commaund and with her beck combine Then to this Goddesse must I seeke alone To cure my mortall wound or else to none He had further sighed and spoken more in renuing his long complaints if Coribant sad for his griefe had not drawne neare labouring to comfort him For oh how true and assured friends be they who both in deed word asswage the griefe of their friends and worthie of cōmendation is that Amitie which the iniurie of time fortune cannot chāge nor alter It resembleth that gold which we highly esteem of whē purified in the furnace it hath passed the fire Euen so sacred is that Amitie worthy of cōmendation which the iniurie oppression of fortune cannot kill nor destroy Coribant therefore approached to this miserable Shepheard saluted him sate downe by him and saide Teares haue alwaies bene held for reproach in noble hearts magnanimous mindes neuer weepe they leauing this effeminate and base qualitie vnto women And in verie good consideration the victor Aemilius cast in miserable Perceus his teeth pusillanimitie and want of courage in addicting himselfe to lamentation why then doe you weepe Brutus with a constant and cheerfull countenance beheld his childrens death And that Phylosopher was no whit at all moued vnderstanding of the death of his onely sonne In lamentation Time slippeth away and in the meane while there is no remedie found to come out of miserie There is a double losse the one of our health quiet which reares ouer whelme the other of precious time which in steede of bestowing of it in complaints we shuld employ in searching out proper remedie for our miseries torments That thing only should be deplored the which is without recouerie and remedie But that which may be remedied should not be lamented but with diligence sought out to be recouered For what can be ouer difficult for men to performe Are not all things subiect vnto thē and doth not the wise man command ouer the starres which is to say he may by his wisedome auoid the sinister aspect of the heauens make them otherwise disagree
all kindnesse that might be brought forth many Demigods and heroicall Spirits who most brauely purged the world from these hatefull and damned Monsters Olympia the mother of that great Alexander receiued into her bosome that mightie Iupiter conceiuing by him that glorious Sonne and that great Monarch of the earth Rbea the mother of Remus and Romulus refused not the kissings of God Mars being big with child of those two worthy Princesse which built Rome afterward she comming to be Mistris ouer all the world Away then with these fond conceits and remember to be fauourable vnto me as these courteous dames haue bene heretofore Shepheard Shepheard aunswered Delia neuer dreame of any such thing betweene thee and me for those women yeelded vnto the Gods because they might bring forth children worthy of such Fathers which might be as profitable vnto the publike God as they themselues had bene before But such a commoditie cannot happen of our Loue and say it might chaunce to be so yet my opinion is according vnto the common saying that we ought not doe Euill that good may come thereof because the ill being once done cannot be amended whereas we we are not sure whether that good which we expect will fall out according vnto our hopes or no and the rather because many things happen betweene the cup and the lip Therefore these presidents shall neuer perswade me to loue for none are bound to follow that which is leaud or bad neither are they commaunded to be wicked after the examples of others Then Shepheard change thou thy minde thine owne selfe or else thou wilt force me to shun thy companie for there is nothing that troubleth the eares of another more then to repeate often that which is pleasing vnto him Remember the torments of Ixion for affecting the iealous Sister of Ioue and thinke how poore Tamirus was plagued for being amorous of the Muses neither goe about to debash a chaste minde to cast liking vnto thee for feare least the heauens who punish all such wrongs as are done vnto Innocents reuenge not this iniurie which thou offerest vnto me seeing that he is in more fault that perswadeth one to leaudnes then he that doth the same the first inuenting that which had not he bene had neuer bene done whereas the other doth but put in practise what he neuer of himselfe had ment Quench then and mortifie within thee thy foolish desires and let me alone I pray thee to liue as I haue done who haue bene offered but too much wrong alreadie without hauing need of thee to buz such vaine toyes into my head as thou doest continually Coribant would haue aunswered when he might perceiue hard at hand the reuerend old man protector of that Desart hauing a staffe in one hand and a booke in an other with which he controuled the Spirits as well of the earth below as of the aire aboue He came to finde melancolike Arcas to the end he might follow and prosecute his amorous Historie whom he no sooner espied with Orythia who was all this while courting of him but that he marched towards him which the Nymph perceiuing left him when the Magitian making a signe poore Arcas followed him he not daring to denie him whereupon they went vnto their accustomed place where being set downe the old man thus began Come on Shepheard and now begin thy Tale which the other day thou leftest vnperfect for it is to no end to take a busines in hand except we finish the same Dispatch I pray thee and let me heare what thou canst say more as concerning thy chaste Loues for sweete is the memorie of things commendable the recitall of which purgeth our soules from many faults which otherwise we are likely to commit Happie are such as haue had the friendship of good and excellent Poets and so likewise vnfortunate are they that chaunce to fall into their hatred For of the first they make the memorie and remembrance euerlasting and eternall asthey make the last to be counted hatefull and detestable for so doe the writings of the auncient Poets shew vs. Homer bringeth Achilles and the Greekes to be victors although it was the Troyans that had the vpper hand making Penelope to be the Mirrour of chastitie and wisedome when indeed she was no better then an infamous Curtezan and Virgil commendeth the traitor Aeneas when the very truth is he like a disloyall wretch sold Troy and condemneth modest Dido to make the world to hate her she being as free from any such lascionsnes as Maro was from telling what was true Happie therefore are such as learned Poets fauour with their pennes but aboue all most fortunate are those whom thou hast taken in hand to praise because thy Muse is veritable and not a liar or vntrue Blessed are those thy beautious Ladies whose worthie vertues thou hast blazed forth with so great respect and reuerence since the memorie of them shall neuer perish by reason of deuouring time or be drowned in the pitchy Riner of forgetfull Lethes Goe forward then for the soule that is dallied withall deferred from hope is grieuously afflicted with sorrow and the hinderance of that thing which one desireth maketh the conceit of the ioy to be farre lesse than otherwise it would be Great is the charge thou laiest vpon me replied Arcas and hardly would I take such a peece of worke in hand for any other but the law willeth that he that receiueth must render againe neither is it sufficient for one to be beholding vnto another vnlesse he make some satisfaction for the same and therefore seeing I am in this predicament it is but reason that I should endeuour to acquit my selfe towards thee in satisfying thy desire because I am so much bound vnto thee And yet before I goe any further I beseech thee graue Father and all such as shall come after thee vnto whom this worke by fortune shall happen to beleeue that I haue not declined from the truth in any one word in describring the rare perfections of IVLIETTA and of DIANA they being such as I haue painted forth or rather farre more excellent then I am able to display And therefore let the Posterities hereafter beleeue as we at this day doe that as there was a braue and valiant Harpalice that as Thomaris sometimes raigned who discomfited the vanquisher of Kings that as Pentisilea gaue succour and assistance vnto the Troyans that as Sage and couragious Zenobia liued with thousands of other peerlesse women So was their flourishing IVLIETTA and DIANA two Ladies and Virgins of so excellent and exquisit qualities as well of the bodie as the minde as neuer any of their Sex in the old time are to be compared vnto them But to come to the purpose If you remember I presented certaine verses vnto my sugred Saint for so I told you and she accepting of them went with the other Nymphs towards the Temple of Diana Follow her I durst not for those
presented her with my Paper which the opening with a cheerfull countenance read this Sonnet following Faire thou the heauenâ— like to thy selfe mak'st faire So thou my Fortune blessest thee to loue He vanquisht is not though of Armour bare When with the Sunne his strength Mars dares not prâ—â—ut If I thy Beauties stine my selfe right call Who thee t' adore can blame my loyaltse The selfe same God that Louers worship all Is that sweete God which breeds their miseris Faire then I loue thee ah what i st I say Nay more I worship thee and thee admire Mâ—verse and voyce shall honour thee for aye Sing still thy praise thy glorse still desire Faire it is much the Gods for to resemble But more to be like Vertue yet without Sage Pallas helpe Ioue nere had made to tremble Offurious Tytans that rebellious Rout. To thee then like to Gods to Vertue like All praises wee 'le ascribe as guerdon right As she read these Verses shee seemed to smile A Similie giuing mee a verie kinde looke and many thankes for the same As the Vine-worker reioyceth when comming into the field betimes in the morning hee findeth his Vine sprung forth and readie to budde all ouer which promiseth him a bountifull Largesse to come from Bacchus Euen so began I to be light for ioy to see so cheerfull a countenance to come from her hoping to haue some good fortune afterward O how sundrie and suddaine are the alterations in loue One while a Louer is dead and then againe he is aliue now hee is merrie and then by and by he is sadde a small matter being able to make him hope or dispaire as a litle Leuen maketh a great deale of Paste sower But as I was most vnfortunate before so beganne I now to be most happie of all For no sooner had my Mistris read what was written but shee began thus It is great griefe and hart vnto a gallant Courtier who can and faine would make some excellent proofe of his valour when hee cannot meete with a fitte place or fielde wherein he might exercise and put in practise his Chiualrie Euen so it is great pittie Shepheard that thou canst not encounter a subiect worthy of thy penne which might be able and of sufficiencie enough to make thy Muse shewe her selfe abroad in her right colours For this Poeticall veine of thine without hauing some rare or diuine matter to animate it and to set it forward is like vnto a goodlie body that hath no soule which although it shewe faire and beautifull yet can it doe little good A comparison because it wanteth life Or it may be compared vnto a large and fatte fielde bringing forth much grasse which is a testimonie of his fertile richnesse But yet for want of labour and sowing yeeldeth not anie Corne at all I assure thee I am right heartilie sorrie that thou wantest an excellent subiect whereon to worke For then I verily perswade my selfe we should see most admirable conceits to come from thy Muse As for my selfe I neither will nor dare refuse these Verses which thou hast bestowed vpon mee they sanouring of the same sweetnesse for then worthilie mightest thou iudge mee to be more prouder then the Gods who thankfullie accept of the smallest gifts that mortall men doe offer them But yet I could wish with all my hart that they had bene meant vnto some other more vertuous Saint For worthie things belong vnto such as are worthie personages great matters vnto great mightie Potentates what is honorable is due vnto the vertuous no otherwise then shame reproach do belong vnto the infamous such as be wicked Notwithstanding all this I will not giue ouer to account of thy Muse seeing that for all shee hath taken so leane and barren a subiect as my selfe she doth so well by reason whereof she sheweth herselfe to be the more worthie of commendation and praise But farre better and more perfect by great oddes would she appeare if the foundation wherevpon she had built had bene but as goodly as shee her selfe is faire For then no doubt but she would bring forth most straunge and matchlesse workes as of beautifull parents sweete and well-fauoured children are borne Ah say not so most sacred Nymph replyed I although these your speeches are like vnto a lowlie vertue wherein the more you humble your selfe the more you are exalted For what Goddesse is there raigning in the Skies aboue that meriteth more praise then thou doest And what mortall woman is there liuing that carrieth a minde more chaste a heart more vertuous a beautie more excellent or a iudgement more perfect then thou thy selfe doest Although great persons are by the benefite of Fortune raised and aduaunced vnto many Titles of honour and are enriched with Treasures mightilie we cannot therefore say that for that onely cause they are more worthie of praise then such meaner creatures as are barred from such great wealth and authoritie so long as they be as curteous as the others For true glory is not giuen to blinde and cheating Fortune but vnto diuine and heauenly Vertue He is worthy of little praise who hath nothing of his owne but is faine to borrow of others such are rich men who throgh the aduancement of nature A Sentence not of their own industrie enioy that which they haue wheras such as are wise who of their own selues without the help of others shew many proofs of vertue deserue to be comended indeed Poore Homer is more accounted of then rich Agamemnon laudlesse Maro then couetous Crassus poore Solon more then golden Croesus And so faire Nymph although thou hast not the name of a Goddesse seeing in desert thou doest merite the same why shouldest thou refuse that praise that is rightly due and belonging vnto the soueraigne powers aboue But I know thy minde and by thy speech doe gather what thou meanest Thou seemest to refuse the fruits of my Muse and not without great reason because they are too weake and vnable to display and set abroach thy vertues For as those that are excellent Poets greatly honor wise and worthy spirits so such as be grosse and vnlearned rather bring discredite then credite vnto them by their harsh and foolish vorses It being far better for a braue Heroicall minde not to be praised at all then to heare himselfe commended by the mouth of an illiterated and simple Poetizer This is the cause thou refusest my verse but it is certaine that the more Vertue flieth from glorie the more doeth glorie follow her The Sages in times past did well An Example to reiect the praises which were attributed vnto them and because they would not be seene when they put in practise many rare and admirable exploites they hidde themselues close within some vnfrequented Desart or other And yet neuerthelesse they had their due in the ende and when they least dreamed of any such matter Glorie
farre better deliuer and present before the diuine Maiestie I being in some remote place separated and alone then if I should liue where I should behold the fond vanities of worldlings continually As for you my deare companions a worser guide then my selfe Heauen neuer can bestow vpon you That Goddesse Diana whom you serue shall take care of you neither wil she leaue you vnprouided of some one or other worthy protectresse that may alwaies defend you Should I haue stayed with you still yet could not you haue hoped that I could haue done any good for you by reason of the small power ability which vnconstant Fortune hath bestowed vpon me And yet I must needs confesse that your absence will be an exceeding corsie griefe vnto me and that losing you I shall lose the chiefest stay of my ioy contentment But notwithstanding all this so sweet and comfortable is the thought of spirituall things as I must leaue all mortall pleasures for them This only is my comfort that the separation of our bodies shall neuer part our former affection which we haue borne one another Then I beseech you all forget not me as I will euer remember you You shall haue parcell of my prayers and I will thinke vpon you in my soule when I am alone Weepe not then for her who goeth away to lead a most blessed life otherwise I shall take you to be my mortall enemies enuying my good fortune neither bewaile her losse who neuer could be halfe so profitable vnto you whilst shee liued with you as shee shall be when she is sundred from you Flintie Rockes sometimes are diuided through Lightninges and Thunders much more may earthly creatures be seuered one from another All Companies and all Acquaintance must needes one day breake off whereas their true Friendship and loyall Amitie neuer departeth nor dyeth at all If euer you haue loued me then reioyce with me and wish vnto me that glorie and felicitie which I prepare for my life to finish the rest of these wretched dayes of mine But it now draweth on towards the euening I therefore will trouble you no more at this time but bid you all good night let euery one withdraw thēselues vnto their lodgings Wherevpon they all went homewardes whilst I my selfe stayed all alone behind for I was not able to rise vp from the ground whereon I sat by reason of the exceeding griefe I felt within me Mouelesse I lay like vnto a Tower cold I was as any stone and senselesse I seemed resembling a dead Coarse which is layed in a Tombe without mouing speaking or sighing at all All that long night did I spend falling into cold sweats and heauie soundings weeping and sobbing vntill my hart nigh burst without either sleepe or rest no not so much as once closing mine eye-liddes The day being come I found my selfe a little and God knowes it was little indeed amended wherevpon with much adoe I got vp and went to my lodging where finding paper and Inke sheading thousandes of teares and sending forth millions of sighes I wrote these dolefull verses following Since farre exilde from mee doth wound my soule And that a mortall desperate straunge disease Doth stealing seaze vpon my bloudlesse Coarse What should I longer linger for to ate Since Death alone can cure this vncoth flame Mine eies hane wept mine hart hath sigh'd too much My soule is wearied with enduring paine Hee dieth not that in dying ends all griefe Those lonely Eyes are now debasht from mee So is that gratious Fauour more then faire For whom I breath and feede vpon this Aire Blest is that man that then yeelds vp his Ghost When as he findes himselfe in heauens disgrace And seeth the Welkin for to wound him still With mee shall wend into my Fatall Tombe My bloody griefes and more then dolefull Dule And all those thoughts of her who when I liu'd Made mee to prooue a worse then trebble Death Let no man then seeme for to waile my losse Since friendly Death by it my cares doth crosse It is enough since for my worthlesse Death My Mistris faire forbeareth to lament Nor grieues that I should part so soone her fro Dead I should please her better then when life Did soiourne in this earthly Inne of mine And therefore I will end my loathed dayes My prying Eyes first authours of mine ill My gentle hart ore loyall in his loue As they deseru'd sharpe paine shall first endure Reason it is that they who first offended Should be inflicted with due punishment For so the heauens will guerdon each aright Cupid doth vse for to abridge our dayes Nor for our woes doth quit vs otherwise First hee doth wound and then he heales againe By two Deuises and both contraries The first our heart burnes th' other kills our strength Th' one cruell is the other 's amiable Blest is he that LOVE serues since in one day Hee happie or vnhappie make him may Hauing made this sorrowfull Song I determined to present it vnto my Ladie come of it whatsoeuer could for my last farewell that euer she should haue of mee wherevpon I went to seeke her and such was my good fortune as I found her all alone walking vnder the shadow of a number of sweet Cipresse trees No sooner had I a sight of her but that a certaine timerous respect ioyned with a kinde of amazement seazed vpon mee so that I became vpon the suddaine as colde as any Ice Wherevpon I began to be astonisht quite forgetting my former resolution whilst I remained as a Pillar fixed in the ground not being abe to doe anie thing but to gaze vpon her more then Angelicall face My vitall spirits were all flowen into mine eyes who held them very earnestlie busied in contemplation of this her more then peerlesse beautifull countenance Whilst I thus beheld her I remembred the vnsupportable losse I was like to endure losing her diuine presence knowing that the more I viewde her the more was my griefe when I thought I should be depriued from her and yet neuerthelesse I tooke a wonderfull great contentment to lose my selfe in this sweete Riuer as the flie doth when hee is drowned in sweete milke Minerua neuer seemed more graue nor fuller of maiestie vnto poore Arachne when shee was punished by her neither did Diana shewe more amiable or louely when she accompanied her Shepheard Endimion then my Mistris did in mine eye Being thus rauished with so heauenly a sight I could not withdraw my selfe from the same desiring no other death in my minde but in beholding her so to giue vp the Ghost which the Virgin perceiuing thus saluted mee What is the matter Shepheard that you are vp so early this morning what seekest thou here and why lookest thou so sadde and heauilie Away with this dumpish melancholy the butcher of mans life for hee liueth not but rather languisheth as one dying who being ouer sadde and heauie cannot shake this
lodge of such Spirits as like vacabonds wandred vp and downe the world being worthily punished by the great and iust Gods Many gastly Caues were there to be found but so horrible were they as the onely sight of them brought trembling feare to the mindes and sudden amazement to the eyes of such as should behold them No running Fountaine was there that gaue forth cristall water no shadowing groue to keepe men from parching heate nor any greene coolie grasse with faire coloured flowers to delight the sences onely in this vncoth wildernesse did soiourne such sad and old angrie men as by there nightly Charmes forced the Spirites of the earth to obey their wills and to be at their command In steede of Nightingale and Lark was there found the Scritching Owle and night Rauen with such other dismall Birdes whose flight nature and crie did serue for sinister prophesies vnto the miserable Inhabitants thereof All thrise wofull and lamentable dwelling in comparison of the ioyfull woods of Arcadia the first witnesses of the chast Loues of this disastred Shepheard and yet fortunate inough for him seeing that he being depriued of all his wisht for hopes soughtby many pittilesse Accidents to ende his loathed life Those faire and goodly troupes of Shepheards and Shepheardesses which were wont heretofore to be a comfort vnto him were now most pittifully taken from his sight There the learned Iulâ—tta was not to be found neither there could his deare friend Philas be heard of who with others were wont most sweetly to record and sing of their ouerhard fortunes in their loyall Loues O poore Shepheard if solitarines may bring to the male-contented any delight at all no doubt but then thou doest participate with the same for amongst millions of sauadge beastes thou liuest alone amongst thousands of gastly rocks and amongst infinites of desarts without any cleare light or cheareful Sunne And yet the sharpe feeling of his inward griefes ouercame and drowned the sad apprehension of this solitarie seate A Similie no otherwise then great and desperate mischances slake and quench those that are little or as most violent diseases hinder the feeling of such as are lesse vnrecouerable Not smally fortunate did he thinke himselfe to haue found this vnluckie Râ—ceptakle making vnto himselfe a false ioy of that sower Subiect which was the caâ—se of heause sorrow vnto others And herein might he witnesse full well that in respect of the â—ll that happeneth in Loue all other euils are right pleasures and that that onely torment brought with it a certaine sure knowledge of misfortunes vnto men O how easie a matter is it to resist all worldly troubles and to passe through the pikes of the same But how hard or rather impossible a thing is it to vanquish and ouercome loue A Sentence Of all the fanites that wise men commit none is more excusable then such as Loue forceth then to doe Who was more learned then Plato who more inditiall then Aristotle who more godly then Daâ—ad who more wise then Salomon and who more strong then Sampson Surely none and yet neuer haue any bin more ouercome by loue then they of which Tirants slauâ—sh yoke this poore Shepheard also had felt the heauie burthen His rare constancie bare patiently the losse of his goods tooke gently his banishment from his countrie endured quietly the crueltie of time and brooked wisely the iniuries of the enuious but vnto this Loue it yeelded quickly and as it were without constraint Thrise blessed was he in that be knew how to make choise of so beautious and rare Subiects but yet quadruple vnfortunate for that he could not reape the sweete fruites of the same in this world A Sentence The remembrance of things lost is forgotten through length of time the paine of deadliest sicknesses is appeased by Phisicke and the deepest conceited sorrow weareth away with often sighing but alas his loue was alwaies liuing without ende and without truce as a substance euerlasting Too too cruell was that star that shonne at his birth but farre more remorslesse the care and griefe of his continuall vexed life And in respect of him happie are all other whatsoeuer who are tormented with the losse of their kinde friends deare countrie louing families and acquaintance all which though they be much grieuous to support and suffer yet are they not to be compared in rigor vnto the least passion of Loue for the Soule findeth in them some one comfort or other and the bodie some ease of griefe or at the least an ende of all but in the pangs of Loue neither the one nor the other are euer out of trouble Wretched then is the man that leueth therefore wretched this Shepheard and yet more happie then such contented persons who liue alwaies fearing death whereas the approach of the same was the onely hauen and heauen of his vnhappines Such and so great was the extremities of his woes as it hindred him to marke or conceiue the fearefulnes of this desart to apprehend the horror of so frightfull a dwelling He thinketh of nothing lesse then of the horriblenes of the same Such condemned Soules as are drawne vnto the place of execution dreame not of any thing else then of the bitter death they goe to suffer EueÌ„ so sought not he any other iourney in this wildernesse then such as his passion led him on to take his eyes not being employed in any office at all whilest he himselfe seemed to be both deafe blinde and dumme O sage and prudent Poets who to expresse the nature and effects of Loue most properly faine Louers to haue bin changed into insensible shapes for certainely they are but Stones Trees and Rocks in their actions and behauiour although they retaine and keepe with them a humane shape A long time did this miserable Shepheard walke thus without knowing which way he went vntill at the last for verie wearines he was forced to rest himselfe at the foote of a mightie high Rocke There being set vpon the ground his armes a crosse his eyes lifted vp his lips close shut together leaning his head vpon the stone which hung on the one side he seemed as if he had bin another very Rocke for as a Rocke so were his gestures moue-lesse his spirits gone and all the partes of his bodie without force and vigor And to say the truth indeede how could he once stirre if his Soule being the life of his bodie was as then absent and at that time retired into the bosome of his faire Mistris Thus sat he senselesse a great while with a heauie setled countenance vntill at last looking downe lowe with his eyes he espied certaine verses to be carued most curiously within the Rocke which made him resemble the Hunter A Similie who dispairing of his Prey and hauing as it were quite forgotten the same vpon the soden spieth his game which forceth him to begin a fresh the pursuite thereof and so followeth the
strange glittering beauties excellence Then of his ill the sillie wretch had knowledge at that hower Yet to resist or to withstand the same he had no power He felt his captiue heart attacht and roughly raught away And yet for all this would he not make of the same a stay All meanes of helpe he banisht thence and yet he felt the griefe He saw he was as one vndone yet would not seeke reliefe He was in prison yet he did refuse his libertie He found his error yet not once Peccauie would he crie He neuer sought to driue from him this ill iueuitable Though through the same he found himselfe for euer miserable Cruell effects of Loue such Louers as quite senselesse bee Cannot auoid their hurt although with eyes they doe it see So in Florettas beautious eyes Plaindor now captiuate Where he should haue resisted is proud of his lost estate He counts himselfe thrise fortunate that he thus vanquisht is By so diuine a beautie which he vowes his chiefest blisse He this his hurt doth better loue then all his former health His bondage fore his libertie he doth preferre and wealth Ah Louers more then wretched right worse hundred times then hell Is your estates and worse then death were it but death t' were well To th' enemie of your sweet liues your selues you doe deuote Your hang-man you doe honour still who seekes to cut your throte You are not able once to shunne to hate or to detest That which doth make you languish and you tortureth with vnrest You loue what workes your miseries and beautie chiefest sore To peacefull mindes of worthiest men as Goddes you adore Each one excepting Louers wrongd reuengement seekes by lawe Defends himselfe and being hurt vpon his foe doth drawe Each one except the Louer wars against his Enemie makes Hath reason to detest him and against him vantage takes He onely yeelds himselfe as slaue vnto his owne distresse He honoreth his tormentor fierce his prison he doth blesse Who remedie doth seeke for him him he accounts no friend He rather hates him mortally as if he were a fiende But were not Louers obstinate Good counsell vnto Louers did reason rule their minde Thus peruerse still gainst their owne good they would not be vnkinde And thus doth Plaindor now quite change from his first happie state That beautie worshipping which he ought rather for to hate As sensuall beast bereft of sense his heart he offereth free To her who seekes for to abridge his ioyfull libertie As sacred her he doth account and holdes her for a Saint Who is the motiue of his mone and subiect of his plaint With great deuotion dotarde like he vowes to reuerence That which vnto his life doth seeke to offer violence Thus from a man vnto a beast he is transformed right Whilst he doth seeke to gaine by losse and Loue which he should spight Yet onely in this thing his lucke was not ore passing bad Since one to beare him companie he in his sorrow had Floretta felt somewhat the darts of Loue though not so keene Which iustly seem'd diuided right these two young soules betweene A little she did feele the heate of this hot amorous fire Which in the loyall Shepheards heart was kindled through desire His personage and valour now her libertie had wonne And as she him before so now he her had ouercome Her milde behauiour showed the same her colour and her grace And her two eyes which still were sixt vpon his manly face Which rauished with selfe-like Loue like to a mirror true The one the others heauie case beheld and sad did view The stealing glaunces which they both cast forth alike did showe That in one selfesame Sea of Loue their hearts were dround with woe Their vncoth heates their scalding sighes their amorous soundings sweete Foretold that of one selfesame cup they both had drunken deepe Shame onely then withheld their tongues from silence to vntie And feare least one the others sute vnkindly should denie Both knewe they lou'de yet both did doubt least they not loued were They onely thought vpon that Loue which both did willing beare No signes betweene them yet had force although enough were showen To make the truth of both their mindes vnto their soules be knowen Floretta building on her beautie faire thought Plaindor lou'de And that to yeeld himselfe her thrall he casily might be mou'de Her greatest doubt was least he should not constant be nor true But in the ende would giue her o're and cause her so to rue Plaindor againe could not perswade himselfe so blest to be As for to be belou'd of her he thought she nere would gree He not so much as thinke so durst but rather did dispaire Ere to enioy the thing he held so deare and thought so rare He durst not oncedesire't for feare least being the same denide He therefore should the greater griefe in his successe haue tride Yet in the ende this Shepheah poore quite wearied with his paine Tooke heart at grasse though little lif within m did remaine His eyes fixt on the ground full sad his eyelidds closed tho And in his gesture many sighes forct from him too and fro His â—â—â—mbling soule full of pale dread teares trickling downe ore warme His mindâ— tâ—rmented diuersely with many a fierce alarme His blâ—â—â—ing heart prest downe with woe which throbd and sobd through feare And gainst all hope of future good in combat as it were His armes a crosse in wofull wise vnarmed he alone Thus to Floretta in few words his case he doth bemone Diuine and rarest beautie if the Gods haue heretofore Bin as I am of libertie depriude and which is more Lâ—ft their chiefe rest whilst in themselues they bare as open signe Such earthly beautie as did seeme more like themselues diuine Leauing the heauens their darts and fires their fortunes for to proue Disdaining nought as souldiers braue to march in Campe of Loue. If that their soules were scorched with this Archers fire so whot As for their wounds to finde some salue to seeke they shamed not If they as I felt thousand plagues for louing as I doe DEARE then that I endure the like let not be straunge to you Each seekes the steppes of these great Gods to follow and though he Doe somewhat erre in following them yet ought he pardoned be My heart as theirs I wounded finde with darts most mortally Which thou gainst me discharged hast from thy commanding eye The selfe same fire that was in them is seazde vpon my soule From sparkels now t is growen to flames and lord-like doth controule Burnt are my senses all my powers consumed vnto nought My reason is enchaunted sore and I to ruine brought If thee I see I die If not I then doe pine a way Thus by no meanes my sicknes strange I swage can or allay To quench this raging fire I done haue what I can alasse But t will not be although I would I cannot bring
strange affection growe And so should be true Loue indeed where two should be but one A loyall Louer should but serue his mistris sole alone For neuer hath it yet bin seene that constant amitie Would ere disgest that in the midst it should diuided be This caused Plaindor not to loue this wretched maiden poore Who for his sake perplexed was and well nie at deaths doore Thus languishing she followeth him with pale and pitteous looke Still seeking for to take that course which she should haue forsooke She followeth him in Quest and still she after him doth trace Like to the Blood-hound good the deare that followeth with great pace Whilst he good soule full little thought that she ought to him ment He on his owne affection so earnestly was bent Nor could he scarce endure to heare her speake or talke to him Nor once to looke on her although she proper was and trim None but Florettas stainlesse shape as beautifull he deem'd All other fauours whatsoere as Maskes vnto him seem'd His soules sole ioy and lifes delight she was and chiefe repose She was his first choyse and the last that he through fancie chose Yet in the end this pleasure which him lik't so him deceiu'd For she whome he did thus contemne at last his loue perceiu'd Seeing her selfe disdaind so oft by him now growne so quaint She doubted lest whome he did serue he had some other Saint Which was the cause that hindred her his fauour to obtaine Resoluing with her selfe to seeke till she had found the same Imagining but to no end by some deuise herein To wade so far as at the last she Plaindors grace would win But t' was the ruine of the one and th 'others ouerthrow By too too soone vntimely death as I to you will show Plaindor expecting still the houre when stormes should once be past To reâ—pe with ioy what he had sowen with sorrow at the last Building vpon Florettos faith as on a rockie shelfe Whome he more then the better part accounted of himselfe Did yeeld his heart into her hands in most obsequious wise Breathing by her sweet breath and taking life by her bright eyes So as that houre he saw her not he found himselfe to die For then the Louers chear'd when as his Mistris he is by Sometimes he would be with her in the thicke and muddie shade Sometime sit with her by some spring which prettie murmuring made And there while by fountaine coole the heate from them to keepe Or in some groue be tapistred with flowers surpassing sweete Then in some Bower by Nature fram'd where they did often vse Vpon the grâ—sse in steed of beds their lodgings for to chuse Or for to see the wanton fish about some cristall poole Or by some Isie riuer cleere the mor themselues to coole Or in some hodow Rocke the heate of scorching sunne t' auoid Whose sparkling beames their tender flesh too much oft times annoid Or in some fresh and low deepe Caue enuironed about Like Baricados made for fence with brier sweet throughout In such like place as these they vsde without suspect alwaies In this same sort to spend of their greene youth full many daies Deuising many a louing toy as harmelesse wantons doe Which honour doth permit whilst they their honour honour toe One while they merrie Rundelaies together both doe sing And with their cheerfull chaunting make the woods throughout to ring An other while with blushing cheekes like to two Turtle Doues One doth vnto the other tell their first chast modest Loues Then one the others beautie doth commend and then againe They praise their plighted constancie exempt and free from staine And now they prettie Babies looke one in the others eyes Whilst loue new subiects still of sport to please them doth deuise For bearing alwaies nerethelesse by proffer or by showe Once to attempt what any way might to dishonour growe Whilst they poore soules bare burning coales yet quench them durst they not Lest their good fame they should abuse and their pure honour spot This made them sound through hope and sigh for want of their desire Not daring reape their loues sweet fruites as much they did require They wish and yet are wide from it faine if they durst they would They will not doe through vertue what they thinke in sense they should Sweet thoughts they haue they sweat for hope and yet they die through griefe They haue at hand the remedie yet will not take reliefe Halfe dead halfe liue they gasping stand disiesting this sower drench Whilst water in their hands they haue this fire yet will not quench Bright mirrours of rare modestie crown'd glory you haue wonne That hauing time and place so fit your passions did orecome And now they fell to their repast which was of sauadge Bore Which Plaindor had in hunting slaine with cheese and fruit good store In steed of daintie wine full strong to drinke glad were they than The water of a riuer cleare which from a Rocke forth ran But their chiefe foode and daintiest meate were louely glaunces cast Which from their eyes like swiftest shafts were shot and darted fast Thrise blessed they A Sentence No fortune like â— although they feele some smart 'To such true Louers as in bodies twaine haue but one heart ' The wealth of all this hugie world not worth the halfe of this ' None lest they haue experience had can comprehend such blisse ' But as we see the sunne oft times through ouer sweltrie heate Changing the weather faire great stormes and thundercraks doth threat So likewise we do finde full oft that of most pretious things Some great misfortune groweth which vs to our destructions brings For euery thing is framed so and in such fashion'd guise That what is good here on the earth doth finde his contraries Of perfect Elements of diuers natures here vnnam'de Are bodies formde and fashioned and liuing Creatures framde The heate engendreth chillie cold cold water Thunders cracke Warre Concord Concord Peace Peace War where all goeth to wracke So of the pleasant sweet successe of Louers these did come That which did breed their dismall ends and layd them in their Tombe The Shepheardesse which Plaindor lou'd disdaining in her minde To be disdaind and reape repulse where she thought Loue to finde Did dogge him as an enuious Spie that no way he could walke In wood nor groue but after him full slylie she would stalke And one day by ill luck it was her fortune to espie How with Floretta he a Caue did enter secretlie Which when she saw her loue she curst the author of her strise She band the day of her sad byrth detesting sore her life She saw her labor all was lost her time was spent in vaine And there withall she well perceiu'd recurelesse was her paine Yet thought she she would see the ende of this their Loue so chast And their discourse to heare herselfe close in a bush she
be so why then am I exempted from this rule Neuer was any euill more violent then mine and yet in the meane time it thus continueth still extreame O deceitfull sentence Alack alack double doe I feele my griefe the one in suffering it the other in liuing to endure it and yet what should let me from murthering of mine owne selfe but euen the selfe-same charge which the Maister gineth vnto his slaue ouer whom he hath command both of life and death The onely Physitions which carefully assist me in my disease are Death and Dispaire Comfortable is the remedie of Death but damnable is the syrup of Dispaire The one hindreth the other not vnlike vnto two contrary windes which hold and keepe in a tottering Ship in the maine Sea it being not able to saile neither of the one side nor of the other Thrice welcome should death be vnto me if naturally and without dispaire it would come on the sodaine to rid me from this trouble So thrice happie dispaire if without death it could chase away this my more then intollerable anguish from mee Betweene these two contrary windes doe I flote not that I will denie but that sometimes the Sunne-shine of my soule hath made mine eyes cleare and bright but yet in such sort hath it bene as the light thereof presently after hath caused my darknesse to shew more gastly fearefull and horrible Ah sweetest Sunne of my soule where doest thou now at this present dart and cast forth thy heauenly bearnes And what happie Countrey is at this houre warmed with the gladsome Luster of thy beautious light In respect of the faire continuing day long and tedious are the nights though short and in Sommer vnto the sickly creature euen so long and â—rksome is my darknes in respect of the cheerfull day of thy oft-wisht for presence Wretch that I am I wander without thee in middest of the horror of a continuall euening whilst black and gloomy shadowes are alwayes before mine eyes O God if our sinnes inflict vpon vs these plagues wherewith wee are tortured yet at the least when wee haue patiently endured them drawe vs from out this heauie yoke The guiltie person condemned to die conceiueth no greater disquietnes in his minde then to thinke of that kinde of punishment which shall take away his life from him Ah then take him away take him away I beseech you out of this world who can doe nothing but cast forth complaints and laments and whose importunate voice pestereth without intercession both heauen and earth calling still to minde the afflictions without number which he is forced ouermuch to beare But I see I must yet languish somewhat longer if so what remedie but compeld content Let me then languish thus and pine away and let mine vsuall sorrowfull tune pursue my dayes euen vnto my very graue to the ende that so bewailing my crosse destinie I may at last giue vp my wearied Ghost But I see deare Father I doe but trouble thee and therefore in respect of thee I will giue ouer this mournefull melodie onely I will recite vnto thee an answere of a certaine false Ecco who not long since decciued my hopefull expectation And thus it was ECCO Great Goddesse of these woods that in these woods art honored right Speake wilt thou lend thine eares to one that is in wofull plight With thy last sweete sound amorous wilt thou my griefe abate Importuning my Fortune hard to mee vnfortunate O Goddesse answere my complaints which I before thee powre And pittie my outragious paine by sweetning of my sowre Comfort me in my torments and my griefes that choketh mee With hope that from this dismall plague I one day may be free To th' ende that I deuoutly may blesse thy thrice blessed Grace Ah then if thou as now within these hollow Rocks hast place Answere my Cryes say which of these two shall I prooue To make an end of all my woes or Death or Loue Ecco LOVE After so many crosses which we force and driue Shall I then die or they being dead shall I suruiue Ecco SVRVIVE But shall I stilithen liue depriued of my pleasure In ponsiuenes thus languishing and in displeasure Ec. PLEASVRE May it be I should be grac't with her who doth excell In all rare showes so base as I can I deserue so well Ec. SO WELL. But in meane space for these my griefes I haue no other scope But death to ende them since I liue without all hope Ec. HOPE Alas dispaire encour treth still my rising hope and truth And ore me this proud power will raigne and rage sans ruth Ec. SANS RVTH If so thrice miserable is the wretched Louers state And mine what can it be but most vnfortunate Ec. FORTVNATE After so many brunts borne which in my soule breedes strife Which shall I call to helpe me then or death or life Ec. LIFE But if I vnder this hard law shall liue most cruelly Who then will pittie me whilst in these panges I lie Ecco Ecco I. If so then still I le hope and O yee Gods I you adiure Not to deceiue my future hopes nor glories mine obscure Ah keepe your promise vnto me and after so much griefe Extinguish quite the furie of my cares which beg reliefe So will I blesse for euermore your Deites most true And mongst the most renowm'd in world sing praises still of you See my good Father the cosoning hope that the Goddes of the Forrests bestowed vpon me or rather to say more truly abused my wretched life O notable false deceitfull Oracles of the Gods as Pirrhus and others may well testifie the same But why should men be condemned for deceiuing one another when they are cosoned by the Gods themselues Long time did I hope well of this mine answere but in the end I found it had deluded my conceit by which my sorrow encreased not a little the more Alacke if it be so that I am altogether vnworthie of this good why then should the Gods thus promise me the same He that hopeth for nothing languisheth but little but hope deferred most mortally afflicteth the soule Besides I haue long since that time found by experience not smally to my cost that the will of the Gods is called backe either by reason of our sinnes or for our vertues sake Because of our sinnes they deface and blot out the good entended vnto vs perceiuing that our faults make vs vnworthy of them and for our vertues they call backe their cruell executioners finding vs to be worthy of grace for that we repent vs. And certainely I belieue they pronounced the best for me but my default afterward made me vnmeete to enioy the benefit of their sentence which they haue now raced out and out quite in peeces continuing still my misfortune against me But I commit all vnto their graue and secret prouidence Meane space heare I pray you the first borne song of my wailing Muse since my first
arriuall into this darkesome tabernacle And thus it begins Since from my sad life taken is my cleere light What should I liue now longer in this bad world Faint hearts their deaths waile where the brauer courage Glad to their endes runnes What serues this light me if what most mine eies pleased Flies like a shadow when I seeke the substance LOVE not the day but that rare beautie seeketh Which makes him more shine Starres by their Insluence ioy and griefe doe bring vs Whereas that beautie which our soules doth worship Is our sweet Mistris neuer working vs ill But pleasure euer Ah how I feele this paine for to torment me Being depriu'd of this so worthy beautie When that I found my libertie so deere lost And from me taken Kept from thy faire sight which my soule did nourish Thinkst thou sweet Ladie that I longer can liue Being but a picture where thy beautie 's painted For to please LOVES eye Like to a pale coarse doe I seeme in shape now Laid all along right in a Tombe or Graue lowe Whilst to my losse I stray like him that wanders Darke in a Desart Not any pleasure in the hugie Heauens Can my misfortune nere so little sweeten Lost haue I her that was mine onely solace Woe to me therefore I without life doe liue for that I want her All that I haue she seazeth on as her owne Now my Phisition I doe want I needes must Be very sickly In the respect of this so liuely hot flame Which heretofore hath burnt mine inward intrailes Darke seemes the Sunne so gloomie are my sad thoughts Fit for dispairing But if I long must liue without her presence Sweet death dspatch me let me no more linger For far more blessed is the dead then he that Wants his faire Mistris See here my first Notes in which I haue imployed my voice since my first comming into this wildernes But if my verse runne not smoothly excuse I beseech you mine inuention from whence the discontinuance for want of exercise hath reft what was best before from her I commend thee Sonne replied the old man the matter whereof not being in my minde altogether vnsauorie But to what purpose doth the Louer sing being disioynd far off from his Mistris Songs Dances were appointed long agone to be vsed in certaine solemne publike Feastes onely to breed contentment and pleasure and not to increase sorrow A Comparison as are these of Louers For I account that sicke man but a sot who through bad medicines nourisheth his disease the more and for that he will not loose the remembrance thereof taketh a toy to continue the same still in his body And so I esteeme that Louer but foolish that encreaseth his cōsuming cares by his passionate complaints and sighing Sonnets For such kind of fuell doth but encrease the fire The onely forgetting of griefe being that which deliuereth vs from the same Inasmuch as those that neuer thinke of their hurt are soonest freed from the apprehension and feeling of the harme it selfe Father answered the Shepheard can it be that the fettered prisoner bound and laden with chaines and cast into a deepe dungeon should exempt himselfe from thinking of his hellish seruitude Or can the eyes see any thing that is supernaturall and yet neuer loue it nor once as much as thinke of it This is for bruite beastes to doe and not for man who being beautified with the knowledge of all things cannot escape without the apprehēsion of such as are most like to him touch him nighest Either he must bring himself vnto this point in despite of his wil or else he must needes fall out of his right witts But we will not now dispute whether fooles free from apprehensions humane and void of sence of any euill are to be thought more happie then laudable or allowable But we will come vnto the Songs of Louers which are two waies profitable vnto them The one because of the comfort which they bring vnto their mindes the other by reason of the pleasure which their Ladies take in hearing the same who by nature are giuen to be greedie of honourable praise For although these kind of Sonnets yeeld forth a heauie and not a ioyfull sound yet in some sort doe they seeme to accord and to haue a kind of affinitie and agreement with those that sing them as well in respect that they be sad and mournfull as their Maisters themselues are As also because they renew afresh the memorie of their sweete Mistresses We must then quoth the old man change this name of Sonet into wofull sorrowing although in this wise to lament for the griefes of Louers doth lessen the same no more then the pittious cries of the poore Bond-slaue doth helpe him in importuning the aire with his continuall howlings This Rocke which thou seest without ceasing to weepe vpon the Mountaine Cyrillus doth teach vs that teares are vnnecessarie and weeping without profit for his continuall teares doe no good vnto him nor his vsuall weeping auaile him ought which distilleth without any profit at all The ancient Sages iested at those faint-hearted white-liuered men that vsed to bewaile their disasters because a right couragious minde indeede will rather die then be forced to weepe one drop it being in the libertie of man to shorten and to out off either his griefes or his life as best him liketh And I againe replied the Shepheard imagine quite contrarie esteeming it not to be any exployt either of honour or vertue of courage or Magnanimitie for a man in miserie to kill himselfe For if vertue proceedeth from patience as it doth indeede and that one be borne to endure the crosses and troubles of this world why then will you repute him to be valorous who for want of constancie to endure these bitter brunts goeth about to massacre himselfe The least anguish of the heart which men feele seemes as forcible in the tempest thereof as the panges of death he that with a Magnanimious and couragious spirit and by the fortitude of his actiōs resisteth not the violent assaults of his inward outward passiōs can be reputed no other but a coward and not seemely to be registred in the Chronicles of honour All the actions of our mind if not tempered and husbanded by reason doe presently mutinie against the faculties and noble empire of the body forsaking their obedience making miserie of that was instituted for mankind and so bearing vp their violence against the supreme power of the soule they combat against vertue vnder the ensigne of vice neuer see the deformitie of her colours vnder whō they serue If Cato had suruiued valiantly encountring with his hard fortune opposing himselfe withall the vtmost of his power against the dammage of the Romane common-wealth Had he not bin far more commended then for want of courage to haue slaine himselfe so timerously as he did Indeed he wrought his own happines as he
Iulietta who being pressed vpon to returne into his owne natiue soyle was forced much against his will to leaue her bringing away with her license these two Tables to the ende he might still contemplate and behold her as well with the eyes of his bodie as those of his soule And now I maruaile no more of that selfe-conceited Painter A Historie who fell in loue with his owne picture or of fond Narcissus who grew extreamely enamoured of his owne shadow seeing the Shepheard Arcas found the thoughts of his misfortunes to be sweetely asswaged with the continuall regard of these counterfaites gazing vpon them without mouing a long time In the meane space Philistel awaked the other Swaine not perceiuing it at all hauing now called to mind poore Arcas and how he had bin heretofore corriuall in his Loue and imagining that he was as yet touched with his first passion by reason his senses were rauished in staring so much vpon the picture of Iulietta to awake him out of his dreame he began thus to accost him Arcas the excellencie of beautie consisteth chiefly in this one poynt which is not to beare enuie vnto those that exercise the same but rather to imitate them in what we may for happie is that countrie which as a thicke and shadowing Forrest is sowed and filled with a great number of worthie and vertuous men Thy selfe and I strooken with one and the selfe-same dart haue loued her whose shadow thou here seest and because this Loue of ours was laudable yea and worthie of reward therefore hath it neuer altered our mindes nor separated our good liking one from another The Spartaines heretofore loued but yet chastly the faire and prettie children of their citie this liking of theirs neuer breeding any falling out or iealous conceit An example one against another although three or fower of them loued but one of these yongest boies alone But contrariwise they rather forced themselues and striued one with another who should best teach these youthes some rare qualitie or perfection whereby they might come to more estimation and credit And such was our loue towards the diuine Iulietta we both hauing loued her and yet not hated one the other forcing our selues to trie who could doe best in chaunting abroad her faire vertues seeking still to render that worthie honour vnto her perfections as they of right deserued And seeing this Loue did part vs at that time for a while asunder we ought as now of our owne accord to reunite our selues againe together For the Maister of a ship who hath had but hard fortune hauing made a bad voyage at sea hath neede after his losses to get tother the relicks and remainders of his Shipwracke and to make account of that which before this mischaunce he would haue disdained to haue done And so we if any small conceit ouerpartiall hath passed twixt vs about our Loues now at this houre when all is lost and that scarce we our selues are escaped from the crueltie of the waters let vs forget and sorgiue what is past and let the ioy in that we haue once more met againe before we die maister for a while this our ouermuch sadnes Friendship neuer bestoweth her diuine brightnes A Sentence where aboundance of pleasures flow for they hinder vs fro discerning the same being the occasions that it is not adored according vnto her deserts But when affliction and sorrow approacheth then doth she best appeare her wholsome effects as then being most prised and commended For at such a time necessitie forceth men to haue more neede one of another then when they are in prosperitie it being the onely cause that loue sheweth it selfe more liuely hot comfortable My minde prognosticated vnto me the comming into this place whilst I not knowing the good and happie meeting that I should haue here did murmur against the Seas for casting me vpon this shore but now I haue found by triall that humane matters being ordered by diuine prouidence happen oftentimes contrarie vnto the opinion of men to the ende they may know that in respect of God they are but vessels of earth by him ordained for shame and that vnto him onely appertaineth the disposing of all things O Philistell answered the Shepheard of great follie should he be condemned who finding himselfe all alone would imagine to be able to carrie away some great victorie amongst the midst of a huge number of enemies For it is not courage but rather mad furie for one to vndertake more then he is able to bring to passe inasmuch as it is no lesse vertue to know himselfe then to vanquish and ouercome his aduersaries These considerations are sufficient to moue me to extinquish all bad conceits which I might haue conceiued against you about the loue of sweete Iulietta For could I hope to haue any recompence of her whome hard misfortune wretched pouertie the malice of nature and a thousand other hinderances haue set me vp as it were for a marke to discharge their deadly arrowes at me Whereas you who to serue her haue left your countrie and your realme and who carrie besides the auncientnes of your birth and the greatnes of your race a braue and generous spirit endued with as vnseemely qualities may well hope for that which I not so much as dare to name or thinke of in my heart Behold then the cause why I cannot beare any malice vnto thee as touching that thing which I iudge my selfe vnworthie to possesse which for the same cause I reuerence adore For my Loues haue bin but shrill Trompets to sound the glory of this faire superexcellent virgin my labours but her Herrolds to blazen forth in right colours her rich perfections and mine amorous trauailes but loud Chaunters of her rare and diuine vertues But you my deare Philistell easilie and sweetly may you obtaine her good will by the sacred bond of Nuptiall hallowed right Nature hauing made you her equall in blood How men ought truely to loue power authoritie credit command Diuers waies may a man loue for in louing are many effects Some lay the foundation of their Loue vpon the weake and feeble ground of pleasures Others vpon that of marriage but the wisest place it vpon the inexpugnable Rocke of vertue Voluptuous loue passeth slightly and lightly away with the pleasures themselues for we loue no more that thing which we haue no more occasion to vse by reason we haue drawne from thence all the contentment we desired The affection which marriage engendreth endureth longer and yet is there oftentimes in the same many contrarieties and disagreements betweene the Husband and the Wife but that liking which is setled vpon the firme Rocke of vertue neuer dieth because the cause thereof remaineth euerlasting The foundation whereof can neuer be ouerthrown With such religious amitie haue I sought diuine Iulietta yea with such amity as shall neuer die in me no more then vertue
their ouerthrow This Princes being of an excellent beautie her bringing vp being according vnto her birth and instructed in all conuenient qualities fit for so noble a Virgin grew to be famous and admirable in euery strange countrie Such one diuine Cassandra was The Pearle of Phrigian land Her learning such as it did passe Whose Sire it could not vnderstand Diuers forraigne Princes amazed at the renowmed report of this faire Ladie found themselues taken with a certaine great desire to see her amongst others was the King of Danes sonne one who was young gallant and couragious whose chiefe delight was in the sweet exercises of loue He being driuen by the same of this peerelesse Paragon to passe the Seas and to come vnto the Court of her Father to see her was receiued and entertained according vnto the greatnes of his calling with large testimonies of contentment euery way on the old Kings side for that he tooke it most kindly that the young Prince vouchsafed in his owne person to come and honour him with the noblenes of his presence Hauing seene this Princesse he iudged Fame to be enuious in that she had not bruited abroad the halfe part of her perfections being of conceit that all such rare qualities as euer haue bin were all assembled and met together in this one bodie and that Nature hath made this as a superexcellent peece of worke to bring her selfe to be admired and wondered at in the eyes of all men For the effecting of the same Thus whilst the Louer burneth in this flame No beautie 's like to that of his faire dame This caused him to think that she was to be courted with some extraordinary meanes and not with any triuiall or vsuall discretion required in such affaires Because such Maydens as are beautious both in bodie and in minde are not so easily courted and obtained with such facilitie as others are by reason a man findeth nothing to proceed from them but what is found to be graue prudent and of great vnderstanding and iudgement In the meane time loue daily grew more and more in the young Prince which was the occasion he imagined the perfections of his Mistris to encrease likewise in her A Sentence Such is the strange force of Loue as it changeth the nature of mens eyes making them behold blacke for white forcing them oftentimes to adore such a one for celestiall and diuine which amongst others generally is of no account But what maruaile is it to see him maister the eyes of our bodie if he be able to controll our very soules as he himselfe best pleaseth And herein may Louers be compared vnto such as walke in the night who can discerne nothing but what pleaseth their torche to make them see Euen so they esteeme nothing to be faire but what their Loue alloweth them to thinke of So the flame of a fire the more it spreadeth ábroad the more it maketh the fuell to burne And so the Prince the more he found his soule to be powred out vpon the beautie of his Lady the more hee still viewed and beheld her alwayes courting and deuising with her thinking still that hee should finde one new perfection or another in her Resembling herein right students who the more they reade the more they are desirous because their reading bringeth them some new contentment or pleasure causing them more and more to be rauished with the admiration of wondring at the bottomles depth of diuine Learning But the young Damsel who through some secret and inward motion of her minde prophesied the end of this Loue to be miserable although the beginning seemed to be sweete and goodly carryed herselfe herein as the wise husbandman who commendeth not the day ouermuch A Similie vntill he see the euening to be come especially when he seeth the Sun rise too timely and to burne too hote at the beginning which made her hardly to be brought vnto any thing being the cause that mooued him to vse these speeches vnto her hauing found her one day at conuenienient leisure Most excellēt Princesse the greatest contentmēt that a man can wish for in this world is to see his opinion and conceit confirmed with experience and he that beleeueth and seeth the effect of his beliefe to take place esteemeth himselfe thrice Fortunate as well of the good conceit he hath of his owne sense as for the pleasure and contentment he findeth therein when hee beholdeth his soule to be fullie assured of that which hee so much and so long desired Amongst the number of which I may well place my selfe esteeming my fortune most happy in that I hauing seene you haue seene the effect of my beliefe the full assurance of mine owne infallible iudgemēt The renowme of your rare vertues hath driuen me hither desirous to vnderstand if it were true or no But I finde it not so because it hath forgotten to speake of you as you haue deserued which parts in you are farre more commendable then all the reports that haue as yet bene made of you And this is the cause you ought not to wonder if I seeing you farre more accomplished euery way then was bruited vnto mee doe loue honour and affect you as I doe Seeing that before euer I beheld you I honoured you deepely in my heart And if the Gods recompence the pains which mortal men take to visit them to receiue their Oracles and doe answere them according vnto their desires Then deare Soueraigne of my thoughts I shall desire you I may not be frustrate of the hope which brought me hither which was to be gratiously accounted of by a faire Princesse like your selfe who being perfect in all good gifts cannot I trust want neither mercie nor mildnes And if the iust prayers of men are heard vp to the heauens though they themselues are in condition base and vnworthy to offer the same yet mine being of an other nature in that I craue nothing but what is lawfull and honest should me thinks be accepted of you Such demands as proceede from a foolish and vndecent Amitie A Sentence are to bee reiected as dishonest and beastly but such as belong vnto a sacred and vnspotted Friendship ought to be accounted of because without CHASTE LOVE both Gods and men quickly perish The praier which I most humblie desire to offer vnto you is to beseech you to entertaine me as your faithfull seruant to the end that if my loyall constant and long seruices may deserue any merrit it might please your gratious and most sacred Loue to finde some place for me in the same who hath vowed to make you and onely you the Queene of mine owne person Royall Crowne Realme For this I will be bold to say that if you shall grace me so much as to bestowe the Title of seruant on me I will not doubt but to shew my selfe worthie of some reward in that I thinke An Example hauing once obtained this
woman can any way offer iniurie vnto her reputation and credit to loue those that seeke to conserue the same neither shall that loue which is loyall be euer defrauded of his due because it hath alwayes a greater respect vnto the conseruation of that thing which the woman loueth chiefly then to the pleasure hee taketh in the fruition and enioying of her beautie But if my spotlesse amitie be of any merit or worth with you I then most humblie intreate you so much to fauor me as to make me acquainted with your estate the cause of this your misfortune your parentage and house you come of and what your inward conceit is of me to the end I may either liue in assurance of some sweete hope or euer after passe my time in most wretched and remedilesse dispaire The Princesse who already in her conscience acknowledged her selfe much beholding vnto the Knight and who thought him to deserue the better in that he loued her with so great consideration and respect she being sicke of the same maladie that he was diseased and finding the desires of her mind to cope and iump with those of the Gentlemans they agreeing both in one alike with a lowe yet a sweet speech returned him this gratious answere Noble Gouernor if I had no other assurance of your excellent vertues then your faith which you haue most strictly kept and the respectiue care you haue alwayes had most reuerently of mine Honor I cannot thinke your intention and meaning to be otherwise then most chaste honest and laudable euery way For should you haue any other worse pretence towards mee I cannot see what profite might redound vnto you thereby I confesse you may if you please I being now in your power force my chast will but yet this pleasure should be both dishonorable in that you haue falsified your faith and offered violence vnto a sillie mayden who hath nought but teares to defend her and also short bootlesse because this hand should purge and wash cleane my bodie of this fault with the losse of his best blood which I would offer vnto mine Honor to appease his wrath and anger As for this sacred amitie which you assure me of I hold it most deere and agreeable because it being such as you tell me I know it will alwayes loue that which I tccount of most chiefly which is my reputation and credit studying by all possible means to conserue the same to the end it may still preserue me aliue And this is is a true signe and an infallible testimony of faithful and loyall Louers indeed For if they loue their Ladies entirely then will they neuer offer violence nor seeke to wrong that thing which they account of most which they esteeme of as precious as their liues of which they make reckoning of as of their only glory renowm For as we cannot rightly call that friendship true loue which a thiefe maketh a shew of to heare vnto an honest man because it is a colour only to robbe him of his goods and wealth A Similie euen so that loue is no loue but rather a most disloyall furie which a man professeth vnto a woman when through the onely shadow of the same he seeketh to take from her her sole and onely treasure which is her high priced Honor. For what law can bind a man to thinke well of such a Fellon as hath stolen from him all the riches he hath vnder a counterfaite shew that he loued him And what Subiect can a woman haue to make account of the loue of such a man who vnder this counterfaite maske hath reft her of her credit glorie and reputation I can neuer thinke that euer there can be any orderly forme of proceedings of loue amongst such persons and that woman that doth not repute him for her mortall enemie that would with violence seaze vpon her chastitie is the onely murtherer of her owne selfe yea farre worse then he that killeth his owne parents For what lawe can binde a man to credit to affect and to entertaine friendly him that openly seeketh to take away his life forcibly from him So likewise who can compell a woman to loue and hold him in esteeme that seeketh by all meanes he can the ouerthrow of her honour More reason is it that the robber by the high way side should die then the true man that standeth vpon his owne defence And so is it more necessarie that the woman should rather suffer the enemie of her chastitie to perish then to conserue him aliue to the vtter ruine and destruction of the same in as much as the death of one man is but a losse vnto one alone where the shipwracke of a woman is not onely hurtfull vnto her selfe but also vnto her whole kindred As for mine owne part I will neuer thinke that that man loueth me what shew soeuer he carrieth what cunning deuises soeuer he vseth and what signes of griefe soeuer appeareth who hath an intention to dispoyle my chastitie louing more his sensuall pleasure then my good name or fame but rather accounting him for my deadliest enemie will I enforce my selfe alwaies to reuenge me of his villanous minde towards me arming in what I can both heauen and earth against him I neither meane nor seeke this of you being alreadie throughly perswaded of the innocencie of your soule and of your chaste and right honest good will towards me which maketh me the bolder to bewray my estate and condition vnto you without concealing any thing that is of importance from you Know then most courteous Knight I am the vnfortunate daughter of Arnolde Duke of Bauiere betrothed by him but yet without my consent euery way vnto the King of Denmarkes Sonne who sending a companie of ships for me as we were sailing vpon the Seas sodenly a storme hapned which for a long time raged so cruellie as in the end all our fleete was cast away and I by fortune throwne vpon your shore in such estate as you found me whome neuerthelesse I cannot much accuse in that she hath brought me to be vnder your protection you being for your fidelitie honestie courtesie and continencie which I finde in your vertuous and liberall Spirit not a little to be commended Thus haue I discouered mine estate vnto you according vnto your desire I coniure you by all the Gods that in requitall of the same you will alwaies remember your promise and seeke to preserue that which you cannot bereaue me of without losse of my dearest life All those not a little amazed at the solemne discourse of the Princes admiring more and more her beautie her house and Princely descent kneeling downe before her humblie craued pardon for the neglect of honour which was due vnto her excusing himselfe in that he was ignorant of her qualitie and promising hereafter to amend the same and to haue respect vnto her according vnto her Royall degree But she that desired not to
gaspe in her armes I will now be briefe After the Princesse found Alfonso dead she remembred her plighted vowe vnto him and therefore sought neither venim sword nor ame other extremitie to ende her dayes but hauing sweetely embalmed his carkasse and placing it in a monument of Christall because she might the better behold it she neuer departed from the same vntill that after a certaine time what with hunger sorrow griefe she finished her wearie and loathed life Her fasting and weeping had so chaunged her as her neerest seruants and acquaintance scarce knew her Now had shee no more that sweete face for the beautie of which so many Princes had so often combatted and fought nor were her eyes such as had rauished so manie soules neither was her haire that passing golden haire whose tresses had serued for nets to catch and intrap the Courtliest and greatest hearts that liued And to be briefe she was no more that faire and louely Iustina who indeed had no need of such comely fauour when her onely desire was to die Her face and cheekes were now become pale and yeallow her eyes darke and sunke deepe into her head her haire fowle vnkempt and almost all torne off her breasts drie and leane her armes shrunke and brawnfallen her handes without flesh or whitenesse and finally shee resembled the very portraiture of a Ghost or rather of Death it selfe In this miserie did shee liue some fewe moneths when at the last perceiuing the date of her life to be expired she came vnto the Tombe where taking the embalmed carkasse vp and embracing it in her armes she vsed these pittifull speeches vnto it as followeth O sole remainder of all my good Fortunes O onely chiefe treasure of all my goods O sole pawne furuiuing of my true Loue the onely comfort I haue in these my languishing griefes and the goodly bodie which sometimes reuiued the faire soule inhabiting therein which now liueth in eternall glorie for euer To thee I appeale as the onely thing which I most loue honor and praise praying thee to assist me at mine ende and to beare witnesse with me that I haue kept promise most faithfullie As thou when thou diddest die wert willing that I should not malice or annoy thee at thy death So let not mine I pray thee be any way displeasing vnto thee All whatsoeuer thou diddest craue did I yeeld and accord vnto then blame me not if hauing performed what I protested I come vnto the Heauens to finde thee In thy life time I haue liued for feare to displease but now thou liuest no longer faire and beautifull Coarse and that I haue taken order for thy buryall what thinkest thou should keepe me heere any longer It is reasonable I should die seeing I can now no longer liue and that I goe to make a search for thee most chast soule in what place soeuer thou art Die then sorrowfull Iustina and leauing of to lament change these thy reares thy miseries and cares into this eternall repose where resteth thy husband quietly I haue liued but too too long and my miserable life hath bin too irkesome vnto me It is now more then high time to make an ende thereof and making an ende of my selfe to remoue my selfe vnto him who whilst he liued had commaund ouer my soule Thrise blessed Instina to be quit and rid of these vnspeakable torments to liue in euerlasting quietnes which is the onely hope of the miserable Let vs goe then let vs goe I humbly beseech that great God who as a iust Iudge of the innocencie of our hearts knoweth the secrets of our thoughts to open that sacred gate vnto me which he hath promised vnto his faithfull children This said she kissed the dead coarse of her husband againe giuing charge vnto her Gentlewoman to enterre and burie her body hard by his side that done she layeth her selfe along by the same which she still embraceth and hauing dressed her head and apparelled her selfe for the same purpose she rendied vp her spirit A spirit right meritorious and worthie of eternall glorie Her body according vnto her last will was buried in the selfe same sepulcre which she had caused to be made for her husband before Herewith Coribant held his peace being hindred to speake any more by reason of his teares teares which berest the others of their voyces who without being able to discourse any more one with another for that time departed euery one to their senerall homes so to passe away the darke and gloomie night As they were walking faire and softly onwardsvpon their way Arcas heard one sing this song following Loue fare thouwell liue will I now Quiet amongst the green-wood bow Ill betide him that loue seekes He shall liue but with leane cheekes He that fondly falles in Ioue A slaue still to griefe shall prooue Loue fare thou well liue will I now Quiet amongst the greene-wood bow What an Asse and foole is hee That may serue and will goe free In worlds not a wench so faire But I for my life more care Loue fare thou well liue will I now Quiet amongst the c. I like not these Dames so smooth As would haue men court and lous For as constant I them finde As the Sea is or the winde Loue fare thou well liue c. Once I lou'd one that was kinde But she did what pleasde her minde Better t is nere to be borne Then liue as anothers scorne Loue fare thou well liue well c. Then Loue thee I doe defie I hate thy bad dealing I He is a foole that liues in paine A toy so small for to gaine Loue fare thou well liue will I now Quiet amongst the greene-woodbow After the Shepheard had made an ende of this merrie Sonnet another came vnto them demaunding if some of the companie could expound his Riddle which he proposed in this manner Nor life nor vertue haue I lest I die I borrow of my buried trunke chiefe strength Though I am dead ore time yet triumph I Ore time that cuerie thing consumes at length What 's dead disdained is yet all affoord Me honour and their chiefe preseruers name All men may rightly call me their best Lord Since they Sans me the world cannot maintaine Yet though so much good doth from me proceed These thanklesse worldlings doe not sticke at all To cut me off in Summer with great speed And beate me into little powder small Yet had I rather cruelly thus perish Then liue a longer space for many time The season doth but badly oft me chearish Offering great hurt and wrong to vertue mine This Riddle was interpreted to be corne which being sowne in the earth and seeming dead casteth forth a greene blade and in time groweth to be ripe in despite of all stormes and foule weather whatsoeuer It nourisheth mankind and therefore is honoured of them as a father not forbearing for all that to reape him in Haruest to thresh and grinde
him and so to make flower thereof which he had rather should be done then to be ouer long kept for many times it groweth mustie lying in garners This Riddle being thus expounded the harmlesse Shepheards retired themselues for that night as also did melancholie Arcas Where we will leaue them vntill the next morning The end of the first daies meeting of Iuliettaes Shepheards THE SECOND DAIES MEETING OF THE FIFT BOOKE OF IVLIETTAES SHEPHEARDS WHAT Frostie Night neuer so bitter were of power sufficient to coole the outragious and burning heate of the Shepheard Arcas What obscure horror could bring a sleepe the watchfull thoughts of his waking euills And what deepe slumber take from him the continuall remembrance of his diuine Diana his spirit being alwaies troubled as well in the night as in the day and therefore far more miserable then the bruite beastes For whereas they repose themselues sometimes from their trauell he alwaies laboured and was still in paine he plainely perceiued the day beginning to lighten the hollow giering vault of heauen he viewed the glorious Sunne to gild and adorne the Roseall skie and he beheld beautious Anrora to weepe drerie teares for the death of her deare swarthie child yet all these brought no comfort vnto his griefes For such mindes as are ouer-cruellie afflicted with cares A Sentence are neither suâ— iect to the coolie rest of the night nor take pleasure at the glistering lampe of All-seeing Phoebus because they receiue no contentment neither in the one nor in the other Scarse did the breake of day appeare when this Swaine ariseth from his bed running vp and downe the Desart and searching for some fit place where he might bewaile his sorrowes at the full At length he entreth into a huge deepe Caue enuironed round about with sharpe brambles and pricking bryars able to terrifie and affright any excepting onely such as seeke for death whom wretched and wofull Caitiues feare not at all because euery houre they feele farre worse plagues then death it selfe and for that it is rather a pleasure then a torment vnto them to exchange their euill for good and to leaue a sowre and seuere Maister to follow and serue one that is milde and debonaire Arcas then being gotten into the bottome of this darkesome Dungion after he had for a certaine time bene mute and as one falne into a sound in the end breaking as it were out of a dead sleepe he began thus to complaine Ay me Alas What might I thinke to be the reason or cause of the miserie and vnhappines of man Is it the heauens that iealous of their good fortune scourgeth them with so great cruelties Or is it their sinnes which prouoketh the anger of God forcing him to stretch out his threatning hand against them No doubt it is this last for sinne onely and wickednes first opened the gate to death that he might come in amongst vs and so ouerthrow vs. It is for the punishment of such offences as we commit against the holy One that we are persecuted with pestilence famine and with warre So was Dauid plagued for his fault and Sodome and Gomorrhâ— with fire ouerthrowen So were the Niniuites threatned so was Ezechias admonished to repent O thrise happie the Godly who prosper like the fruitfull Lawrell and possesse in peace that land which is taken away from the wicked with tempestious lightning and thunder For so was the good Abraham blessed and so after his imprisonment was the righteous Ioseph with many moe besides But coÌ„trariwise most vnfortunate are the wretched wicked ones because they grudge and repine in that they suffer for the faults they haue committed whilst they are stung with Serpents from the heauens as were the Hebrewes heretofore when they began to murmure in the wildernes Beware how thou repinest against the Almightie Ichoua And saith the wise man for no good nor profit can come thereof We cannot then tearme the heauens to be the authours of our euils but it is the onely transgressing of the diuine commandemeÌ„ts which we cannot truely say be hath giuen vnto vs to breake them or that he hath giuen vs so hard a law as that it is vnpossible for vs to sulfill the same For it should be a most rediculous and vaine part of a Prince to establish and appoynt such ordinances vnto his Subiects as they cannot any way performe as to defelid or foâ—â—id them to grow to wax taller or bigger or other such fond and vnreasonable impossibilities as these be And therefore O how gentle and easie are the commaundement of God be himselfe affirming the same when he tearmeth his yoke easie and â—ight his burthen little and gentle to beare For Is it not as easie a thing for a man to doe good as euill when as in doing good he enioyeth the happie and blessed content of the quietnes of his minde without being troubled either with the feare of the lawes or the doubt of reproach or slaunder Besides he doth not dread death for he withdraweth himselfe from other hazards whilst he meditateth vpon the same whereas Theeues and Murtherers in robbing and killing euery houre incounter therewith before they are aware But say it hapneth vnto them yet doe they receiue it most meekely for sweet and blessed is the death of the iust that die in the Lord where that of the wicked is hatefull and abhommable Curtious then and gentle are the commaundements of the highest which his Apostle Saint Iohn approueth in these words Keepe his commaundements and you shall find them to be neither troublesome hard nor difficult to obserue They chase away hot boyling Auarice which burneth men with her vncharitable coldnes they banish all mortall ambition which weareth away the yeares of man before his time is come they take from them all murther and robbing which stifleth the necke of the wicked with an infamous corde they smother and kill adulterie which laieth hold as well vpon the health of man as on his honour and to conclude they extirpe and roote out all those vices which are deadly enemies as well to the bodie as to the soule By which we see his lawes are easie and sweet yea and most profitable and necessarie for the health and contentment of mankind which was the cause the other Apostle Saint Paul calleth the commaundement of the Eternall Iehona a godly iust and sacred commaundement it being the preseruer of Iustice the puritie of our liues and the very essence as it were of all equitie peace and goodnes For what crosses ouerthwart the soules of the godly who delight in no other thing then in the law of the Lord And what great and grieuous courses doe trouble and disturbe the consciences of the wicked who take a pride as it were as did Remus sometime in leaping ouer the walles of Rome to exceed goe beyond the bounds of the diuine ordinances of God which because they are not hard to be accomplished are not
the Elect and chosen of God yet let vs behaue our selues so as we may be of the same meaning by these his words that if we list we may saue our selues Then ought I to fret and fume against the starres or murmure and repine against the Heauens themselues No God forbid since my faults and not they haue bene the authors of mine owne misfortunes Had I not sinned I had not felt the least touch of these troubles that thus torment mee I had not bene so wretched as to haue bene despoiled of that little mercie grace which I had of the Almightie I had not bene driuen from mine owne house banished from my Countrie exiled from the presence of my dearest friēds nor scourged with the sharp whip of extreme want and pouertie Neither had this my predestinated disaster which still followeth me vnto mine vndoing bene able to haue crost mee in all my designes as it doeth euen at this houre and will doe continually For alas how little would I esteeme of my losses and of mine exile since he cannot be termed a Bandite who is welcome amongst the wiser sort and who yet hath some friendes left him were it not for this my hard Destinie which as a ghastly Furie doeth still haunt and follow mee But I see I see as in a glasse my miserie to be such as it will neuer be separated from mee and I perceiue but too well that Destinies may be foreseeue but neuer can be preuented As the Shepheard was thus pittifully lamenting vnto himselfe behold hee might perceiue two terrible roaring Lyons to come directly towards the Caue wherein he had gotten himselfe it being the ordinary denne wherein they vsed to harbour which when hee saw he quickly started vp drawing forth his sword with intention to defend himselfe to make them buy his flesh dearely but they without so much as once offering to hurt him gently passed by him moued as I gesse with his more then wofull misery They being gone he came forth from his melancholike Cell and as he was walking thus alone the dolefull Nymph Orythia his old yet loyall Louer met him by chance who was comen euen into this wildernes to finde him out After she had saluted him shee intreated him to sit downe vpon a greene banke couered ouer with shadowing Cipresse and to heare a certaine Sonnet which shee had made in remembrance of him The Shepheard seeing no other remedie sitteth him downe promising the Nymph attentiucly to giue eare vnto her Dittie which shee most pitifully sung after this manner following Cruell mishap the Butcher of my life All thee except is mortall heere below Men are deaths foes with him are at strife And death is that which I doe couet so My tongue speaks what with hart agreeth best Death and laments is of my speech the sourse Ah iudge then if that I haue any rest Louing of euils all the very worse If damned soules without en ende alwaies Sharp plagues endure Alas I feele like paine A monstrous ill it is all his lifes daies To beare the brunt of ghosts in Limbo slaine And yet the damnd suffer for their offence Whilst I for doing good indure these woes The guiltie to complaine of ill wants sonse Wrongly to suffer patience makes to lose May not my plaints most iustly counted be In right the Heauens of crueltie t' accuse What good ere found I O yee Gods to mee Vniust yee slay vs yet to heare vs yee refuse Without enfeele of pleasure or of ioy With anguish you our vitall spirits fill Enforcing vs to entertaine annoy So what 's good leaues vs whilst we take the ill Thus gainst your fierce and more then sharpe Alarms Wee sickly soules too weake must harden strong Our selues and for to helpe vs in our harmes Wee hope in vaine the more our selues to wrong Alack Cowards that flie and followed are orefast Small leisure haue or none their Armour off to cast The Nymph hauing ended this her mournfull Musicke with a deepe sigh fet from the bottome of her heart began thus to wooe the Shepheard O how iustly doe the powers aboue afflict thee seeing thou so cruellie doest torment others Is it not most meete and reasonable that as we sowe so we should reape and as we haue measured vnto others so wee should looke for the like measure againe LOVE maketh thee die without depriuing thee of life whilst thou forcest the selfe-same Loue without killing me to torment me most cruelly Ay mee what strange kinde of Frenzie doeth trouble thy soule Thou refusest the friendship of one that is immortall to seek after the loue of a worldlie beautie which is subiect vnto death fortune and chaunge wherein thou doest shewe a sufficient signe of the error of men who follow that that flieth from them leauing the best and accepting of the worst And if they committing so grosse an absurditie feele themselues to be plunged in the gulfe of most bottomles griefes by the Heauens A Sentence should they therefore complaine lament He that hath wounded himselfe can accuse none for his hurts but his own selfe and the prodigal child that hath through his foolishnes consumed all his wealth may blame or thank no bodie but his owne meere follie Why doest thou not accept of that present which willingly offereth it selfe vnto thee why doest thou endure so many miseries to obtaine that which thou wilt neuer be able to purchase Is not hee vnwise that whilst the storme lasteth leaueth the drie house in which he was in to runne to seeke another farther off and in the meane time is subiect vnto the bitternes of the Tempest And is not he a foole who leaueth a thing certaine and present to take what is vncertaine and doubtfull Well may hee bee counted to murther himselfe that refuseth what is profitable vnto him whilest he vainely seeketh and yet to no purpose what he is likely neuer come by Loue then sweet Shepheard loue her that dearely liketh thee No small punishment doe they deserue A Sentece who hate such as loue fancie them in as much as friēdship being not forced but rather comming of his owne accord deserueth a recompence no lesse then that gift which departeth from a franke and liberall free minde doeth merit thankes because it is not forced any way Then I say doest thou not loue her who esteemeth of thee more then of her owne selfe whilst thou more sauadge and fierce then the cruell Tygers who loue their matches doest refuse the amitie of thine equall euery way that sacred amitie so much accounted of both by Gods and men Ah change thy selfe-will and stubborne minde hard hearted swaine as thou art and call to remembrance what dangers I haue passed what hazards I haue trauersed and how many countryes I haue runne through to find thee out resoluing with my selfe neuer to leaue him who hath my heart and carrieth the same within his brest alwayes But
why speakest thou not all this while why breakest thou not this solemne silence of thine which caÌ„not be but grieuous vnto such as behold thee nay more as painfull as death it selfe vnto them that think well of thee Ah faire Nymphe replyed the Shepheard what delightfull answer canst thou imagin to draw from him who is not agreeable or pleasing vnto his own selfe and what medicine canst thou get from a sicke person that is not able through the agonie of his griefe to help himselfe any thing at all Can my discourses be pleasing vnto thee when they are most odious and hatefull vnto mine owne selfe he had need to be perfect in health that will heale such as be sick to be fully at libertie that can infranchise slaues and to be perfectly content A Sentence that taketh vpon him to comfort the unserable Stay but the time beautious Nymph I say stay but the time vntill the gratious Heauens taking compassion vpon me doe cure my recureles infirmitie that I be once freed from the heauy and burthensom bonds wherein I am now chained and then will I condescend vnto thy demaund For alas can one loyall and faithfull seruant serue at one time two maisters and they both differing in nature Euen so can the true chast Louer loue with equall affection two contrary subiects A Sentence No no for that Loue which is sacred firme and commendable can neuer endure to be diuided Loue it selfe being a simple substance which participateth with no diuision and therefore such as truely fancie anie doe loue without the separation of good will in such wise as it is as vnpossible for the constant Louer to haue two Mistresses as it is for the Element to containe two Sunnes within it all at one time If thy fancie were fixed vpon some Demi-god heere below wouldest thou take it in good part that a sillie Swaine should presume to make loue vnto thee seeking to force thee to giue ouer thy first loue and promise which neuer should be forgotten what deuise soeuer might be wrought If not then I beseech thee immortall Creature importune no more the despised Arcas too too much alreadie wronged by the Heauens but rather suffer him to take some breath in his miseries which hee must perforce endure as well as he may Heape not vpon him stone vpon stone burthen vpon burthen nor mischiefe vpon mischiefe satisfying thy selfe with this his most heauie extremitie without seeking to make his woes more terrible or cruell then they already be For Orythia this I will sweare that the Heauens shall fall vpon this ground and the cold frozen Seas shall turne into hote fire before the heart of vnfortunate Arcas shall be heated with anie other loue then with that of his Diana Her beautie will he loue alone shee onely shall be serued of him pale death it selfe not being of force to alter this constant resolution Then speake no more of this matter vnto mee and let it suffice thee that I honour thee for thy Deitie as Numa Pompilius adored the Nymph Egeria For onely Diana doe I loue and none but her alone Commaund my bodie to serue thee in what he is able call my soule to â—ttend vppon thee at thy will dispose of my poore power as thou shalt best please and bid mee doe anie thing whatsoeuer thou likest Behold me prest to obey thee but not to loue least I should forget my Diana and say I should goe about to doe so yet cannot I although I would neuer so faine Content thee that I doe what I may that I offer thee all that my soule is able and be not so vnourteous vnto me as to binde me to things vnpossible which no man is bound to performe So deare doe I hold thy quietnes answered the weeping Nymphe that for feare I shoulddisplease thee to the end thou shalt perceiue how vnfainedly I doe fancie theeâ— I will rather studie to ouerthrow and vtterlie ruinate mine owne life then seeke by any meanes to hinder or force thy desire any way at all So let it be yea let it be so and so let it still continue since I was borne to be the most miserable of all others And seeing I see so many mortall creatures preferred before my loue who am immortall I will vse to make mine eyes perforce to weepe continually to the ende that they being depriued of their lightes may no longer behold the cause of their ineuitable sorrowes Thou must then O poore Nymph and wretched Orythia resolue with thy selfe to endure this mischiefe and prepare thy selfe to make an ordinary exercise of thy more then heauie mischaunces So liued Venus in woe long time after the death of her Darling Adonis So did Phoebus lament the losse of his deare Daphne And so did Ioue waile for the losse of his Io and his Europa Euen so must I grieue at this mine vnlukie deniall Yet neuertheles A Sentence thou that art the onely motiue of this my mischiefe and the onely cause of this my sharpe and bitter Corsie take heede take heede I say lest for this egregious iniurie which thou now offerest mee the Gods reuenge not themselues vppon thee making thine anguish as great as mine is grieuous euerie way For neuer let him looke for fauour from aboue that hath not shewed mercie vnto such as sue and seeke vnto him heere below And yet accursed that I am mine owne griefe is not so cruell but that the care which I take for thine is farre more troublesome vnto mee I seeking in desire to be doublie plagued perplexed and tormented so I might see thee quite ridde and released from these thy woefull passions although notwithstanding all this thou doest badly requite my great good will towards thee But the Heauens who are farre more iust more excellent and diuine then thou will yeelde me some sufficient guerdon Meane space dispose of dolefull Orythia who is more thine then her owne and reseruing her honor doe with her what thou list shee beeing readie with her diuine power to assist thee in all thy writings which thy mournfull Muse shall sigh forth not onely alone at this time but for euer hereafter not demaunding any other reward of thee for her paines but that shee sometimes may be had in remembrance in thy works which alreadie haue found place amongst the most commendable Inuentions that haue bene accounted of by the brauest Princes and highly prised and esteemed of by manie others and which also shall be had in request heereafter more then euer they yet haue bene despite of the enuious whatsoeuer that goe about to seeke to deface the same Liue then sweet Shepheard and dreame as long as thou please with thy selfe of thy so much desired Loues as I shall do the like of thine But the day shall come in which the Heauens shall depriue thee from the pleasure of the same to the ende thou mayest know by the experience of thine owne proper
coarse possession there to keepe When thou my coarse depriued quite of beauties gifts shalt view My chearfull eyes to loose their lights and bid those lights adue When thou doest heere her sigh from forth her soule vntimely crost And when thou shalt Sycambra thine view to giue vp the Ghost Ah then doe this good turne for me doe this for me straitway Vnto my cruell vnkind friend this RING from me conuay Tell him his too too flintie heart and barborous crueltie Hath forct me loyalst maide aliue for him aliue to die Tell him by that quicke lightning fire which from his eyes forth came Which swifter far then whirling darts my gentle heart haue slaine By his rich beautie too too rich for me too poore to enioy Which for my time vntimely brought me vnto endlesse noy And by that heart of his too proud tryumphing ore my glorie That he forget me not but thinke vpon my pittious storie Doe this sweet Zerphir for my sake doe this request for mee T is all before my death to thee I giue as Legasee Nor doe denie me this although in conscience I confesse I not deserue thy smallest grace for my ore cruelnesse Ah Zerphir this denie me not This said she held her peace And presently death fore her came with violence to cease Whilst with a gentle quiet sigh her soule that wearie was Of loathed life most willing vp vnto the heauens did passe Leauing her bodie voyd of life withouten vitall aire Disrobde of beautie spoylde of forme depriude of colour faire Yet happie she to die in such kinde sort as then she dide Since that her griefe vanisht therewith which liuing she did bide Happie to die so as she dide since partiall Loue vniust Disasters hard and vndeserude vpon her still did thrust Like as we see in th' end of day vpon the set of Sunne When Tethis entertaines her spouse the light being well might done A kinde of cloudie sable dampe ariseth to our eyes And with a gloomie curtaine thicke is couered all the skies So as vpon the face of th' earth there nothing doth appeare But darknesse sleepe and heauie care with gastly sighes each where So by degrees this beautious coarse lookt pale and wanne like earth When once the soule had it depriude of his quicke liuing breath Like to a shadow was it of a substance faire before No cheerfull colour was there in that face so faire of yore Withouten sence or motion it remained like a blocke Or as a comly pile of stone carude out of marble Rocke Yet Zirphir doth imbrace it oft and as i ft t were aliue The same with pittious glaunces he to yeeld to him doth striue But kisse her he not dares though she be dead lest he offend The soule of her who whilst she liu'd he lou'd as dearest friend Her as before he doth respect and doth her reuerence Although him no drop of grace she gaue his amorous heate to quench Teares like to flowers he streameth downe yet not one word he speakes Sorrow so much doth seaze on him as tongue from plaining breakes Long was he in this agonie at length he comes his way Taking the Fatall Ring with him his Mistris to obey He hunteth vp and downe to finde Armanda and at last Reuiling him into these tearmes tearmes fit for him he brast Hard hearted cruell Sauadge wretch for thy vnworthy Loue Fairest Sycambra now is dead since thee she could not moue Dead is she for thy sake thou liu'st vnworthy of thy life Thou liu'dst her and her loue to scorne through thy orethwartings rife Take here this Ring she sends to thee as witnesse too too true That she destroyd her selfe for thee though thou her death nought rue The Flower of all fairenes is dead slaine onely for thy sake Whilst thou nor her nor on her Loue wouldst any pittie take More fierce then Tyger beastly more then Lion when as such Relent and shew compassion more then thou hast done by much Why takst thou not this pretious I em thou that doest women kill Which for thee till her dying day she had reserued still Happie to haue so deare a pawne yet curst because thou art The cause the owner kinde thereof was strooke with mortall dart Hold hold rude carle and thinke not but the day shall one day come When as iust plague thou shalt receiue for this by heauens iust dome Armanda hearing him to rage in this wise nought doth say But smiling flings the Ring from him to the woods betakes his way Leauing poore Zerphir almost quite bereft of wit and mad To see what slight regard of her and of her Ring he had And but he feard the quiet Ghost to grieue of his faire Dame He had Armanda for his pride as he deserued slaine This held his hands from slaughtring him he so did her respect The onely reason why to kill that wretch he did neglect The reuerence which vnto her he long before time bare Made him for his so hot reuenge his hastie will to spare As one enraged this carelesse man he looketh after long And by his eyes his minde bewraies he faine would venge this wrong Nor doth he leaue to curse and ban this more then ruthlesse wight Vntill through thicknes of the trees no more he spie him might Wherewith he riseth and turnes backe vnto his Ladies corse Which he embracing oft through griefe to fall in sound doth force Her Ring on finger hers againe he puts nor dareth hee Retaine the same as his owne goods although now dead she bee Fearing Sycambras angrie Ghost once fairest ouer all Should be offended for so doing and him disloyall call This causde him beare himselfe so iust whilst in most mournfull wise These his last wordes he sighed forth mixt with strange dolefull cries And is it thou Sycambra sweet whom now I doe embrace Whom whilst thou liu'dst my chiefest ioy I in this earth did place Is thy faire body fram'd by heauens all others for to foyle Become deaths prey vnworthy death Sycambra sweet should spoyle Are these the eyes whose lights of late did shine like brightest Sunne Now darkned by dire destinie and of their sights vndone Is this faire forhead honour chiefe of Muses vertuous Bereft of beautious feature quite and quite disfigurde thus Is this sweet hony mouth of thine O griefe that makes me banne Dispoylde of all his treasures rich become pale white and wanne Are thy chast Brests the pure ripe fruit of Paradise so faire Which to allure the staiedst witts two daintie Apples bare Dead and shrunke in and thou thy selfe Sycambra tirde with griefe Hast thou thy soule to heauens resignde there for to finde reliefe Thou hast alas nor liu'dst thou more those eyes of thine but late Like Diamonds sparkes now dim doe show as deaths darke Sable gate Nor part nor parcell is of thee from head vnto the foote But yeelds a heauie solemne shew attirde in deadly sute Thy dates expirde dead art thou
King hauing wonne himselfe such commendations by reason of his valour as he might commaund that which other Gallants and Gentlemen scarce durst not open their mouths to entreat for so that hauing egresse and regresse at all houres and to euerie place he one day espied a fit time to breake his minde vnto his Mistris whom he finding alone began thus to giue her the onset he that is troubled with any griefe is much lightned of the same when he hath vnfolded and discouered it vnto his friend Now faire Gentlewoman of all euils that I haue knowne in my conceit there is none that commeth nigh vnto Loue in respect of crueltie for all other diseases haue their remedies onely he is as it were without recure Notwithstanding as he entereth in at the eyes who stand him in steed of torches to set him a fire in the heart so will he perforce passe from forth the mouth taking the tongue for a Herold or Trompet of his dissignes I speake this by experience although vnto my no little sorrow vnlesse your harsh and hard rigour growe to be gentle and milde and except you lay a side this cruell vaile which hide the pittie of your inward thought Alas sweet Ladie if sometimes we loue those who hate vs such as beare vs no good will at all how much more in reason then ought we to affect those that loue vs indeed For although their friendship is not profitable vnto vs yet neuerthelesse ought we to accept of their good wills inasmuch as we cannot loue one vnlesse we wish couet and procure the credit and good of such whom we fancie which me thinkes should binde vs in conscience to shew the like good meaning againe considering that the bruit beastes themselues fancie those that doe good vnto them doing a kind of reuerence vnto their gouerners that gouerne and bring them vp That your beautie being so rare as it is cannot suffer or indure any thing that is bad or vitious I doubt not at all for most comonly that which is perfect of it selfe is not so easily through vice corrupted which put me in good hope that you will not blame my loyall amitie my true intention nor the chast desire I haue had alwaies to serue you If therefore it shall please you to entertaine me into so happie an office you then shall quickly perceiue many true effects to spring forth from this my faithfull seruitude a double band tying me against the harshnes of your rigour and I being double wise moued and compelled to serue you the one is your admirable incōparable vertue which admitteth no cōparison and the other is your excellent beautie which glistereth among other faces as tho Sunne doth among the startes May be you will say that Loue hath set me downe this lesson teaching me what I should speake and that neuer any Louer thinketh that Subiect foule which he loueth To which I will answere you that if you were not worthie of the praise I haue giuen you and meriting euery way to be beloued Loue neuer had made vse of your singular perfections to ouerthrow my libertie as he hath now done because he can neuer make a shew of the greatnes of his power but by such rare Subiects as Nature doth furnish him with all through which he helpeth himselfe to take prisoners the harts of greatest Monarks this being the reason we seldome or neuer sees foule or vitious woman to be affected or loued for that Loue refuseth to doe such a one as she any seruice at all It is no vnhonest desire that inflameth me with your kind a mitie for rather would I chuse to die then once to holde within me such a bad thought and much lesse doe I make Eburting mine exercise to passe the day withall now I am free frō warres For too pretious a thing doe I esteeme Time to be to consume and lose it without any good occasion neither is it my meaning any way to goe about to deceiue you for so doing I should but deceiue my selfe and deceiuing my selfe I should quickly be the authour of mine owne proper ouerthrow my pretence being to seeke you with a chast minde in the way of sacred marriage with the consent of your friends according vnto all orderly proceedings Thinke then sweet Lady how plaine my meaning is how holy mine intentions are and how chast my desires remēbring that Wedlocke is a matter you can hardly avoyd therefore I beseech you if you find me any way worthie of your friendship cast him not away that honoureth and adoreth you more then his owne soule neither frustrate him of that good fortune which he hopeth to find by enioying of your seemely selfe because he neitheir will nor can be fortunate but to make you blessed neither seeke for any renowme but onely to make your selfe the more glorious for euer This was the summe of the Caualiers speech Who silent now attends his Ladies kind replie Whilst to his heart she wounds doth dart with her faire eye Our saine Maide of Honour vnaoquainted altogether with such busines as this whose chast cares vntill now were alwaies shut vnto such Orations as these was much amazed to heare such a speech as this not knowing what answere to giue vnto Horatio vpon the soden She saw his vertue his reputation and his glorie had made him famous and commendable his loue to be chaste and laudable and his modest and pudicque intentions worthie of all succour reasonable But yet on the other side a number of these odde contrarie conceits which hinder men much in their first proceedings and so hardly bring it to passe when they haue begun the same as the most part of them like faint-hearted cowards giue ouer in their pursuite without doing any good at all made her to pause and doubt vpon the matter fearing lest as into vnknowne places all entrings and beginnings are dangerous so this his eager chasing in loue was followed either for some mischiefe to light vpon her bodie or else for some staine or blemish vnto her honour Besides such Virgins as are not practisde at all in the Art of Loue although they thinke well of such as are suters vnto them alwaies imagine so simple are they that their credits should be much disparaged if they should not giue two or three proud or disdainfull answeres vnto their seruants when they first begin to court them and therefore for fashion sake this Gentlewoman thought to doe the like but yet bethinking her selfe somewhat better of the matter she thought it was as good to forbeare as to doe it one while she thought vpon one thing and another while vpon an other in the end she resembled The Rosie bad which winde bloweth here and there amaine Holding his head downe which he raiseth vp againe She loued Horatio admired at his valour honoured his Chiualrie highly prized his glorie and found her selfe tickled with the great praises he gaue vnto her But as too
and do commit Iniustice A Sentence to the ende you may oppresse the poore in Iudgement doe wrong vnto the widowe and that the goods of the poore Orphanes and Fatherlesse children may serue as a prey vnto your vnsatiable couetousnes and that you may ruinate and ouerthrow the weake and feeble estate of the poorer sort IVSTICE being the daughter of the Almightie cannot be sold by men because shee belongeth not vnto them but vnto GOD In praise of Iustice they being but meere executioners of the same No more then a Farmer may sell the Farme of his Land-lord which if he do he is seuerely to be punished For an Aduocate that pleadeth may sell his Plea and a Counseller his Counsell which he giueth vnto his Clyent because they be things of their owne and appartaining vnto them But the Iudge can in no wise sell Iustice by reason she is not his owne hee being but one that is put in trust faithfully to deliuer the same and that hee hath the charge thereof from God Now he may be properly said to sell her who doth not punish such as abuse her Then talke no more of this matter which I may neuer graunt nor thou art like euer to obtaine Sage and prudent olde man replyed the Knight although Lawes are appointed to punish offences yet neuerthelesse they are alwayes construed vnto the best and interpreted with most fauour that may be For it is not necessary alwaies and at all times but vpon great necessitie and constraint that the rigour thereof should be put in practise No more then the skilfull and cunning Chyrurgian vseth neither fire nor sawe but when there is no other remedie And that this is wisedome so to doe we finde it in great personages who haue sooner yeeded by milde intreatie and faire meanes then by all the violence in the worlde An example Which Coriolanus can well testifie who could neuer be vanquished by all the Romans Forces and yet was soone ouercome by the sweete intreaties of his deare wife and mother A right generous spirit and one that is noblie borne will neuer yeeld by constraint but being kindly vsed condescendeth vnto any thing As we haue Cato for a witnesse who neuer could be brought to giue place vnto the good Fortune of his enemie So likewise honorable mindes vse to dominier and rule managing their affaires and busines not with controlling cheek but with a sweet and milde kinde of intreatie For so did prudent Demetrius pardoning oftentimes the Athenians and setting them at libertie when they notwithstanding all this requited his great good turnes towards themwith monstrous ingratitude and thousands of outragious misdemeanours Better were it for vs to imitate the good and kinde Dion who being driuen out of his Countrey by his owne Citizens whome hee diuers times had deliuered from bondage and gentlie pardoned them all sussering himselfe to be put to death for their safetie 〈…〉 their Sauiour and Redeemer and yet neuertheles that milde and immaculate Lambe the euerliuing Sonne of God forgaue them prayed for them and not so much as once remembred their wicâ—â—dnes They being afterwards plagued not so much for that they had orucified the Iust as for that they still persisted in their wilfull iniquities We see then wee are commaunded to pardon our enemies by the example of our Sauiour hmfelfe Then what should hinder thee but that thou shouldest for giue these poore miserable wretched creatures For thrice blessed is hee that shall worthily imitate the Almightie in as much as hee that hath such a guide can neuer walke out of his right way I see now answered the olde man that from Caribdis thou fallest into Silla and from one bad mattes enterest into a worse For both the Iewes were punished and God himselfe although at the prayer of Moses would not forgiue the Children of Israel For if that he hath not spared Iustice vpon himselfe in the going before vs and learning vs a way that wee should follow are wee so foolish to imagine that he will not permit the same to be executed vpon men He hath punished the Israelites many times not sparing them at all when there was a sault and hath seuerely chastised such as haue not plagued his enemies according vnto his will as we finde by Saul and Ahab Besides hee thus spake vnto the Iudges Behold you doe not execute the iudgement of man but of God and whatsoeuer you shall wrongfully giue iudgement of the the same shall light vpon your owne heads therfore let the feare of the Lord be alwaies before your eyes doing euery thing orderly and vprightly for God will not accept of any iniustice nor hath respect of persons of Presents or Riches Shepheard Shepheard the greatest glorie that our Auncients thought they could merit was in studying how they might liue to be counted iust they vsing to punish vice in such sort that this word IVST carryed with it selfe an entire and full perfection of an accomplishment euery way Traian is not a little commended for staying his whole Armie marching in battell aray against the Parsians to the end he might doe Iustice vpon one of his Soldiers who had rauished a poore widowes daughter An act so meritorious as no doubt it wan him the fielde by reason of the prayer of that good olde woman who made earnest prayer vnto the Gods for him in his behalfe that he might returne home againe victorious To be briefe there was no wickednes but was sharply punished by our olde forefathers amongst whom Iustice was much reuerenced and respected chiefly of all The Spartanes honoured her so much that for seare to offend her they banished all vse of gold and siluer out of their Citie taking away by that deuise all vnlawfull meanes of corrupting of Consciences And all the while they kept this kinde of strict life they were the first and chiefe of all Greece And no sooner gaue they ouer this kinde of gouernment but they became the most wretchedst and most miserable people of all others Let vs then leaue this wanton pardoning and iniustice it being a sinne for which God altereth and chaungeth the state of many Kingdomes and Monarchies As the Knight was readie to make answere vnto the obiections of the olde Nigromancer they might heare notfarre from them a most lamentable voyce which was the occasion they then gaue ouer looking about them to see if they could spie the wight that so lamented whom they presently saw to be a Shepheard that came towards them singing this Song following vnto himselfe My soule say to me now where art Where liuest thou speake my poore hart The Louer that doth liue apart Without his Mistris faire Is like a shadowe substancelesse Where nought but griefe the life doth presse As pisture of sad heauinesse And connterfeit of care Say Phoebus what good ist to me Though Skies I view guilded to be If my ador de Sunne I not see To please my pittious eyne Can
world did encounter And wicked Tyrants did send to hell with a mischiefe So did Achilles loue in his prime and he but a youngling Was by the craftie meanes of his foe most cruelly murdred Greatest states haue lou'd why then for loue should I blam'd be If that I seeke as they to loue thee my Goddesse aboue all Not any things here in this earth compared to thy beautie Not any things here in this earth that like to thy sweet selfe May vaunt to giue lawes as Gods that dwell in the cleere skie For Loue falling in loue with thy faue face and with thy rose checke Plase like awanton in thine eies and like to a Babie Nor doth he liue but in thee who art his Court and his Heauen Happie thou that canst command so loftie a God-head Such and so rare thy fauour is thy grace so beseeming As their Palas most denine doth seeke to repose her On thy cherrie lippes hunnie sucking Mercurie seazeth Aud thy sacred Angels voice is the voice of Apollo And to be briefe th' art so diuine as fewe thee resemble Fowe or none that liues in this world so beautifull as thou Then will I loue thee what doe I say too little a thing t is Lesse that I worship doe to thee as vnto a Goddesse Then to thee as immortall might my life I doe offer And my loy all heart doe I sacrifice to thy beautie Whilst I hung on thine Altar this my verse which hath chaunted With thousand close sighes the praises of many others But yet neuer honoured any like to thy rare selfe Wondred at of men of Gods most worthily worshipt Then this my chast voice receiue as heauenly powers doe And vouchsafe for this song a corner of thy sweet Altar Vnto the end I deeply may engraue in the same place How in coarse and in minde thou fram'd art daintily perfect And that nothing equall can thy feature immortall Who art honours lonely Nurse and Eternities owne childe Hauing made these verses I plaide as the countrie Farmeth doth who hauing gathered some daintie or new kind of fruite keepeth the same verie charily to make a present thereof vnto his Land-lord vpon the first occasion he shall haue to see him and so I resolued to keepe these my verses and to present them vnto my Diana assoone as she should returne from the ceremonies of her Goddesse and long was it as me thought that she staied For to one that expecteth looketh for any thnig euery houre seemeth a yeare at the least Willingly could I haue murmured against the Goddesse Diana If I durst and more willingly haue curtold of and shortned her Sacrifices if I had bene as I was not the great Priest of the Gods But in the end the best thing that I could finde to helpe me was patience perforce whilest I attended with good deuotion the will of the heauens which at the last bringeth euery thing to his perfection Yet when these Sacrifices were at an end they were no more fortunate vnto me then was their beginning For my Diana being elected and chosen Queene of these Mysteries by the other Nymphs was conducted not farre from thence by the whole troupe of them to be enstalled to receiue the Robes of her Royrall Soueraigntie much did it please me that my Ladie was so highly honoured but as much againe did it displease me that I should lose her presence longer for the same which was the cause it drowned and choaked all the contentment and pleasure which I conceiued of her prehemmence and to know her to be preferred before all the rest of the Goddesse traine For the good seruant is not a little glad and proud in that he serueth a braue and vertuous Maister who surpasseth all others in vertue and in chiualrie And so the Louer is fullie contented and not a little doth glorie when he is the seruant of such a Ladie as not Loue alone maketh her seeme beautifull in his owne sight but when she is so reputed and accounted of by the voice of all men Nothing delighteth our mindes more then when we see euery mans conceit to iumpe with our owne in the thing that we loue most of all Now the honour that was attributed vnto my Mistris was great for she was brought from the temple arrayed with a fine and daintie robe of white lawne vnder which was a garment of cloth of golde rich of great valew her head was adorned embollished with a Royall golden Crowne and the louely traces of her flaxen haire were tied with small and delicate colours of the purest silke set out with many prettie knots à nd wonderfull rare deuises Her countenance was such and so Maiesticall as if she had bene the Goddesse Diana indeed for apparell setteth out the bodie verie much being one of the goodhest and chiefest ornaments to encrease beautie especially if there be good store of change of the sacred and costly with ill and that it be fit and well made for the person that shall weare it Her Chariot was of Iuorie wherein she sat inthronized drawne with foure huge Lions which shaked their yellow rough skinnes to make such stubborne harts to feare and quake that were loth to bow and doe reuerence vnto their beautious and Princely Princesse Before her and by her side the other Nymphs marched orderly and in a row euery one of them carrying a braunch of Oliue wreathed and intermixed with a bowe of greene Laurell and a writing vpon the same which bare euerie one 's owne Quatrin in praise of this royall Nymph whereof some of them were these here vnder inserted The Muses Goddesse faire this chast verse offer thee And to thy peerlesse Coarse and Beauties excellence To praise the good to blame such wights as wicked be Is honors double gaine and double recompence Another Quatersan If thou Dianaes name her beautie and her wit doest beare Who is adornd in heauens whilst thou below dost soiourne here What reason is it then but that we worship thee likewise As wee the mighty Gods doe and like honors thee deuise Another Too small a toy this Lawrell is to make for thee a Crowne Thy temples to embellish faire thou art of such renowne T is mortals gaine this honour yet as we present to thee Immortall verses so with such the Gods presented bee Another Rare vertue neuer honoured is enough at any time Nor can we too much make to smoake her Altars ore diuine Then if thy workes as hers immortall right doe show Wonder thou not though beauties thine be worshipt so Another Queene of our workes and Princesse of our hart Of our chaste minds we offer thee best part Our verse it is through which the Conquerour liues Which to his deeds most heauenly brightnes giues Another Blest be our Queene immortall she alwaies In words and deeds we 'ele honour her with praise Whose bodie beautious and whose soule is faire And who for gifts with Pallas may compare Another
The Oxe to Iupiter we vse to sacrifice To Baccus Wine the Goate to Pan we giue likewise Corne vnto Ceres and sweet Myrre we Cupid offer But vnto thee who vice dost hate our verse we proffer Another Thy Feature faire nor stately Gate hath vs orecome T is none of these thy vertue t is that this hath done He is not vanquished that hath endurde the sight Of one that is farre more in power then mortall might Another Mongst thousand honours due vnto thy glorious Deitie Receiue our verses and these Flowers as offerings to thy beautie Small tryumph for the Captaine t is to foyle his enemie Vnlesse Apollos sisters ring out his victorie These Quatraines were fairely written in great Letters of Gold all in my Mistris honour which how much it pleased me to see commended by so many sweet voyces you your selfe may soone imagine This done after they had carried her vp downe for a certaine space and that the Lions being wearied had reposed themselues all the Nymphs gathered themselues together in a round and holding hands one with another they began to sing sweetly againe in the praise of their Queene ringing out this peale with their notes sounding like sweet Bells as followeth Another Now must the Gods aboue And all the heauens that moue Of Diana praises sing That may hereafter ring Now must me with knot fine The Lawrell greene combine With th' oliue that his haire May be adornd were faire O Cibile whom the skies Doth worship reuerently Giue vs of Flowers gay That Garlands make we may Yee Muses that doe chaunt And of worlds honour vaunt Giue vs Inuention still From forth your sacred hill O Maias learned Sonne Giue vs a hunnie tongue And with thy rods vs touch That we may pleasure much Yee Gods and Goddesse Beston your worthines That we may celebrate Our noble Princesse state Who with renowâ—â—e doth liue Whose deeds forth honour giue A thing most worthie t is To praise what worthie is Then each where we will tell Her glorie doth excell Faire we of thee will sing And make our song to ring Of thee and of thy acts Of thy victorious facts Thy beautie wee le not hide Which in thy lookes doth bide Being full of Maiestie Whilst thou most worthily For chastitie doest gaine What Hippolit did staine Liue then and die thou namer But be thou crownd for euer With Coronet diuine Becomming wearing thine And neuer may thy hart Feele sorrow teene or smart Still may thy vertue yeeld Flowers fit for such a field And ore Loue dominere And with thy lookes him feare Daunt such as ouer-bold Thy honour dare behold Let vs right glorie finde Within thy peerlesse minde Celestiall things still loue What mort all is nere proue This only of thy beautie We sing as is our dutie And though thou in thy heart More firme and loyall art Then loyatie it selfe wealth Since Loue takes place fore May we of thee alone Ay thinke or else of none So death it selfe may haue No power thee for to brant So maist thou alwaies flourish Although we die and perish Like Phoebus Lawrall greene That fresh is alwaies seene So will we wish that care Thy Feature nere impaire And that what thou dost craue Thou euer maist it haue That blacke dispaire thy soule With thoughts may nere controule And that no griefe may cease On thee to wound thy peace That Ioue may ding the downe Who on thy good doe frowne And enuious are through spite To see how thou shinst bright Since all the Gods doe shew Their power here below A signe thaâ—le thee defend Vnto the world his end Then feare not for they will Protect and shield thee still Whilst thy 〈◊〉 shall shine Encreasing time from time Enfranchising with ioy Thy selfe free from annoy To th' end thou helpe vs may Whom onely we obay Faire then these verses take Which we penâ—e for thy sake Our selues nor life our soule Doe as thou please controule By all thy deeds of honour Which thou hidst in a manner DEARE graâ—â—â—t this Boone past bee T is all we bog of thee How pleasing this song was vnto mine eares you may kinde Father easilie suppose seeing it was so much in the commendation of my Ladie for the faithfull Louer indeed maketh more account of the honour and credit of his Mistris then of his owne and whoso doth otherwise is not a true seruant but a despitefull enemie This feast continued a long time being both grieuous and gladsome vnto me first grieuous because I could not haue thee companie of my deare Diana and then ioyfull to see how much it did redowne vnto her honour For the desire of glorie is so sweet that as sugar sweetneth such things as are most bitter so it maketh all paines and troubles seeme light and pleasant I wishing in my minde that my FAITH might growe to be famous rather then mine owne selfe which was the reason I did the better endure to be absent from her because I perceiue that it was for her renowne This made me haue patience perforce which I easilie brooked by reason I sawe that in my minde during all these Solemnities pleased me as much as that thing did for which I so eagerly and earnestlie attended and lookt for Willingly would I haue thrust my selfe amongst them to daunce to haue assisted therest according vnto my slender power and to haue the more praised my Ladie but I durst not neither would they haue receiued me into their companie I knowing that mortall things ought not to be mingled with diuine and that nothing could vnite and ioyne together the high Empire of Inpirer with the base ruling of Caesar Yet in the meane time I was so foolish in my conceits that I thought it grieued my Deare because she could not haue leisure to speake vnto me but I was farre wide from the matter for the pleasure and glorie which inuironed her round about drowned all other imaginations excepting onely that wherewith she was so highly honored And had not this carryed her minde away and busied it about the same yet had she neuer so much as once thought vpon mee because shee did not affect me at all neither bare me any good will but as she did ordinarily vnto others Such is the humour of Louers that judge euery one by their owne selues as if it were necessarie and expedient that euery one should be as fond as they themselues are foolish What should I say more but that as one rauished through too much ioy I beheld my Goddesse so earnestly and with such zeale as I perswaded my selfe she was the true Goddesse indeed and therevpon I imagined that she being raised to so high a dignitie would no more account of me then she had done heretofore of my verses for commonly prosperitie maketh men insolent and proude And yet againe I was not a little glad of her good Fortunes because I gessed that by that meanes none could rightly
away from them and disdaineth them The bodie cannot mooue nor liue without soule No more can vertue be without glorie If the Gods themselues holde thee for faire for vertuous and for wise and if the immortall Nymphes make account of thee for such a one and respect thee for the same Why then wilt thou refuse this small praise my mournefull Muse giueth thee If I am deceiued so are the Gods deceiued If I erre the Nymphs haue erred And if I haue done amisse so haue all the Demy-gods of the Forrest likewise But gratious Diana no man can doe amisse in imitating the Gods in as much as they are not subiect vnto vice and for that they vse not to sinne Why then doest thou blame mee in that I follow them Penelope so renowmed for chastitie hath neuer bene of that worth that thou art of nor Cassandra more learned Helene was neuer more beautious nor Enone more wise whilst in the meane time euery one of these for one only rare gift that was within them haue caused thousands of Poets to sweat in their praises why then shouldest thou who art possessed of all these goodly vertues alone refuse that honor which is so rightly due vnto thee But alas what say I Great reason hast thou to refuse such a poore praise as commeth from one so simple and weake a Poet as my selfe For the glory which the ignorant giue vnto the wise may rather be tearmed a discredit then ame honor vnto them Yet such as I am I beseech you accept of me imitating Alexander the great who cherished gratiously entertained as well bad as good writers as did blazon forth his praise For although through want of skill the ignorant man faileth very much of this marke by reason he cannot explaine and shewe forth the effects of his good will as he desireth yet cannot it let him from manifesting the good will it selfe which alwayes is accounted for the first part of the worke Permit then my poore Muse to celebrate thy renowme thou being farre more fairer then the Cassandra of great Ronsard more chaste then the Oliua of Hunny mother Bellay and more perfect then the Diana of courteous De Reports For a more diuine subiect my Muse could neuer chuse my pen could neuer write of a daintier matter my wit could neuer finde a fairer fielde to walke in nor my tongue a sweeter Theame whereon to discourse And shouldest thou denie me yet would I not giue ouer to praise thee for not onely do I hold thee worthy to be worthie thereof but also account thee the onely shee that heercafter I will celebrate and make famous as mine onely Ladie and Mistris Shepheard answered shee affection oftentimes blindeth the eyes of the wise and good will is euer partiall in the praises of his friends What soeuer a man loueth that neuer seemeth soule nor deformed because Desire is the childe of faire pleasaâ—â— and agreeable things and for that none will couet that which hee thinketh or imagineth to be loathsome or deformed And this is the reason that many haue praised vice and discommended Vertue writing most foolishly as their passions haue led them without respecting or once hauing any regard vnto the Truth it selfe Dido was reported by Virgil to be amorous and wanton yet was she chaste Vlisses by Homer to be more valiant then Alax whom he durst not look in the face And Aeneas â—o be pittifull and godly vnto his Countrey and yet it was he that most vngodlily betrayed the same vnto his enemie Poets write according vnto their owne humors when they please but not according as the Truth it selfe is indeed And so thy forward affection onely and not the night thrusteth thee forward to take pen in hand in my behalfe But what mayst thou expect to follow vpon the same hereafter but onely that men will say of thee as I haue saide of Homer and Virgil that thy fancie hath made thee to affect and commend that which was not any way praise-worthie of it selfe Thou wilt stand me in no other steed then to reuiue the memoriall of mine imperfections after my death which were farre better to be buried with me in my graue then to be bruited abroad Content thee therefore I pray thee and let it be sufficient that I am knowne to be full of defects now I am aliue without making me to be remembred for such hereafter when I shall be dead If thou louest me as thou makest a showe thou doest then loue my memorie also for wee ought not so much to respect things present which wee see whilest we liue as we should doe those that are to come hereafter The reason is for that we may finde some one remedie For the first whilst wee remaine here in this world But for the latter wee cannot because we are not heere to make meanes for the same Be not then the occasion that my name shall be called in question when for that I am then dead I cannot come to excuse my selfe as I would For happie are such worthie persons as leaue no remembrance of their Imperfections after they are gone out of this world least the people should call againe vnto minde their faults and so condemne them for the same And also thy verses testifying the great affection and good will thou bearest me will also show apparantly my defects and what was amisse in me For who doubteth but that Louers in respect of the great loue they beare vnto their Ladies hide vnder the colours of their smoothe and dainty kinde of Enditings all the faults and defects they haue be they neuer so foule There is none so vehement a passion as Loue neither is there any thing that doth so much wrong to Truth as that doeth in such wise as women should rather take these praises for a discredit then for a credit vnto them which they receiue of their Louers And this is mine opinion which all the perswasions in the world shall neuer make me chaunge Faire Nymphes replyed I then because Loue is mightie and celestiall therefore doth hee neuer intermeddle amongst the basest and meanest creatures especially with such as are deformed For neuer is there anie hard fauoured face beloued Who then will belieue otherwise but that Ladie that shall be found to be honoured by â— graue Poet is otherwise then a most perfect and accomplisht Creature euery way seeing perfection onely hath authoritie ouer our soules which hateth as much the thing that is deformed as it adoreth that which is faire How exquisite and excellent a Virgin was the faire Laura of renowned Petrarâ—â— and how much haue his workes brought liuely credit vnto her praises The Muses neuer sung of vnworthy subiects â— And although some may thinke that a Poet can make huge Elephant of a little Flie yet cannot he commend an vnhonest matter and worthy of reproach although he faine would Because the Muses who are the sounding Truâ—â— pets of Heroicall mindes would oppose themselues
excepting such a Day When they are sure their Mistresses that they enioyen may Their beautious presence is their Sunne it is their brightest Sunne Their absence is their darkest Night through which they are vndone The earthly glorie of the bodie is the Sunne and Light But of our mindes the cleare day is faire beautie shining bright And this they reuerently adore The Essence of the soule Is farre more excellent then that of bodie sans controle Beautie attendeth on the soule the Sunne on bodie waites The Sunne for worth to beautie then must yeeld in all conceit This makes the Swaine most earnestly to listen with his eare If he the rising of his Starre can see for to oppeare The smallest blast of winde or leafe that bloweth in any wise The Shepheard hearts and at the noyse thereof strait vp doth rise He look th wist I round about and thinkes her for to see Her that doth force him vnto Loue a seruite slaue to bee Now doth he thinke that forth her house she is comming vnto him And now he iudgeth in his minde she is hard at hand agin He counteth how sarre off she is then vp he starts on feete And forward runnes to see if he her on the way can meete But now lest by some odde by-way she comes he feares againe And then he pensiue sit him downe recounting of his paine At last though long it be she comes more louely then the Morne When rising an her glorious pride shee Thetis couch doth scorne Softly she comes with Snaile-like pace and to her selfe doth speake Whilst feare for losse of her good name makes her looke pale and bleake And as she is comming in her walke in midst of thickest wood She more then often stayeth her steppes and doubting so she stood Halfe ready to turne backe to breake her promise that was past For honor which full deare she held such doubts did make her cast But Loue then on the other side and beautie of the Swaine A thousand new desires afresh did breathe in her againe He tâ—lleth her she is bound to keepe the Oathe she made of yore Although that no account is made what eger Louers swore For LOVE himselfe doth mocke and iest to see how Louers sweare Louers but none else doe dispence with Oaths withouten feare In th' end the Nymph arriueth at th' appointed Christall spring Where pensiue Cloridan doth walke his thoughts still cannesing Sometimes he lay vpon the ground with Flowers bedyapred Where Stella but the day before herselfe with sleepe had fâ—d One while he rose and then to lay him downe you might him finde Now this he did now that for Louers troubled are in minde Thus being out of hope he spies the sight that likes him most Which make new ioy in euery part throughout his Coarse to cost Quickly he runnes to her her hands to kisse he soone is prest Whilst with a thousand sorts of Flowers he beautifieth her brest She seeing these two forward prancks her face with blushing didâ— Whilst in her selfe for this she heares how honor doth her chide Aduising her to reprehend him and his leande demeanor And that before she yeeld she should resigne her liues sweete Tenor. But Cupid makes her change her minde The Shepheards beautie faire Mikes her ore-bold and from her minde abandoneth all care She is resolude to vse him kinde nor with him to finde fault But him embraceth in sweete wise who her in acmes had caught Now all respect of honor and all feare of future shame By power of Loue were banished who her had ouercome Loue onely is her chiefest choyse her honor and her pleasure The Shepheards will her readie wish her ioy and her chiefe treasure But in the end to couer this their ouer-amorous rage Betweene themselues they plight their faith and promise Mariage The witnesses were Loue the Spring and many colloured Flower And thousand pretie chirping Birds there present at that hower All which with cheerfull warbling Note Hymen Hymen sing And with the ECCHO of the same the woods made for to ring Whilst in meane time our Louers twaine within a bottome low Of a close valley where no light scarce in the day did showe Did reape the long de for fruits of Loue both equall in desire Which readie was to burne their harts with more then vncoth fire That done on many Beechen Trees and Rocks and many a Caue They enter last their names together and finely them did graue Loue knots they make on euery twig and Garlands passing gay They hang thereon whilst pleasantly they passe the time away Thus for a while their hap was blest and sweet their destinie Their mariage sweeter and this held a tweluemonth very nigh Nor at this space they thought as much as once of time to come The present time was onely that which in their minds did runne Poore soules they iudge the heauens had not power to doe them ill Thinking this hunnie Moone with them thus would continue still But all things that are mortall here doe change as doth the time Pleasure none sooner 's come then gone scarce leauing any signe Loue as a Feather's quickly lost are wauering and light As sodenly as in our brest conceiu'd t is through delight A small thing spoyles and hinders it The twinkling of an eie The ioyes of any Louer soone can make to vade and die Witnesse these twaine whom Cupid thought liu'd pleasantly ore long Gainst whom th' enuious heauens sore conspirde to doe them wrong Through which the partiall Planets wrought their ouerthrow to bee And with a generall consent did of their death decree For still the far all destinies by Gods aye ordered Whilst by their sharpe Edicts gainst men they cut their liues not thred Like Potters they doe play with men who if they please their Pot They breake which they doe make and if they list they breake it not But now to let this passe one day faire Stella did arriue Burning with amorous paine vnto the wonted fountaine blithe And there expecting Cloridan her friend she doth repose Who was as yet for early t' was from out his bed scarce rose Looking for him who did not come she watcht and staid so long That at the last on greeuish turffe she fell in slumber strong Meane time the lucklesse Aridon in extreame Loue that fride Who so much more the flame for to encrease within him tride By how much Cloridan he saw expelling care and Dole To haue the hap to quench his fire in pleasures fountaine coole Dogs her as she doth goe from home resoluing in his hart To die or else by violence to ease him of his smart The friendship of his friend which he did hold most deare of late Regard to offend the honour of his dame who him did hate Faire honestie nor conscience all these his hot desire Bridle could not but furious he would to his will aspire Whilst thus he thinkes behold he comes whereas most pleasingly Yeelding
armes hung downe Sans motion and like a picture faire Which linelesse is in colours wrought tresemblance so she bare The wofull Shepheard when this sight most dolorous he spide Afresh his plaints he doth renew and out aloud he cride Kissing this linelesse coarse and dying he seekes himselfe to ease Whilst her embracing he doth thinke her griefes somewhat t' appease His sight he wistly sixeth on her face and on her eies And like amad man he takes on in most outragious wise Yet he to Stella listueth still who still doth him require And pray to pardon her foule fault this oneli's her desire And as she giueth vp the ghost she forth these words doth grone Ah pardon me sweet pardon me the most distressed one Sweet Gloridan forget for giue poore Stella for her ill She did offend but knew it not it was against her will Oh in one Tombe let me with thee sweet friend be buried Gods lawes command to pardon such as doe offend being dead Farewell deare Spouse and graunt to me but this my last request Farewell for death to seaze on me I feele alreadie prest I le meete thee in the Lizian fields and then I will thee knowe Once more farewell my Cloridan for now from thee I goe So saying she doth breath her last as any stone she is cold Yet closely in his feeble armes the Shepheard doth her hold But when that he had bleeding left which like a spring did come From forth his brest and mongst the blood of his faire Stella runne He laieth her softly downe by him her eies he then doth close And by her side placing himselfe vnto his end he growes And hauing cried out full oft as one accursed most That he was author of her death he giueth vp his ghost Whilst by his warme blood and salt teares he seeketh to appease His Ladies spirit late gone from thence to liue with greater ease A thousand times he saith farewell sweet Stella still he cride And in the end in selfe same sort as Stella did he dide Their bodies twaine which whilst they liude had but one soule alone Were buried both together shut within one Tombe and stone And Aridon that Traitor curst who these two Louers paind By iustest punishment of Gods into a Rocke was changd Which Iupiter doth oftentimes scourge for his former sin With thunder-bolts breaking his top and all to battering him Then let no Louer once presume vnlawfull meanes to seeke But be resolued to be content as shall their Ladies leeke For forced Loue or treacherie will nere proue well at all Which if they vse worse plagues shall them then Aridon befall After the faire Nymph had made an end of her dismall historie she spake thus vnto me Now Shepheard confesse confesse I say by this example the vniust crueltie of Loue. He that will not yeeld neither vnto presidents nor vnto reasons ought to be accounted as a most obstinate and ignorant person for it is more follie not to submit vnto reason then to be altogether vnacqainted with the same It is an old said sawe that he is happie whom other mens harmes can make to beware For to growe wise at the charges of another and not at his owne cost is a greater treasure then the golden sands of the riuer Pactotus As for mine owne part this examample with diuers others which I can report and all vnto this purpose wherein Loue hath shewed thousand proofes of his bloodie rage shall make me wise and warne me to looke vnto my selfe well enough They say that a man should take heed of a mad dog of a franticke bedlem and of a notable Drunkard because by nature they are apt to doe shrowd turnes And euen so we should looke vnto our selues lest we should fall into the laps of Loue seeing we know him to be so peruerse so wicked and vniust for he shall neuer be moned who most sondly flingeth himselfe into the pit that hath bene shewed vnto him before Then Shepheard shalt thou be wise if betimes thou withdrawest thy selfe from such a Tyrant foolish will I account thee if thou imaginest that I will euer follow so bad a maister as he is his schoole resembling an intricate labyrinth into which it is easy to enter but impossible or verie hard to get out of it againe He that will doe well must neuer doe any thing whereof he may repent him afterward for a man neuer droupeth but when he languisheth through feare still looking for that mischiefe to happen which will at the last make him to repent If I know alreadie that repentance would not be faire off from me if I should loue by reason of the dammages that proceed through the same were not I then verie simple to goe about to loue Then talke no more vnto me of such vanities but rather discourse with me of such Ceremonies Fraiers vowes and Sacrifices belonging vnto Diana which are mine ordinarie exercises For euerie workeman delighteth to here talke of his owne Science or Misterie I hearing her say so replied thus O fairer creature then Venus more chaste then Polixena and more learned then Cassandra The braue Captaine that continually followeth the warres knoweth well that his function or calling is full of dangerand trouble and yet in the meane while he repenteth not to follow the same because of the hope he hath to reape renowme and credit which is encountred and wonne euen in the middest and the thickest of Cannon shot of the battaile And so although the Louer doubteth not but that he is like to endure great troubles and turmoiles in his amorous pursuit yet doth not he giue ouer the following thereof without repenting himselfe at all because the hope to please that which he so much liketh bringeth the thoughts of all his troubles and labours to be very weake and of no force or violence at all The sicke patient which taketh a potion knoweth that it is bitter and yet for all that he sticketh not to swallow it downe most willingly by reason of the firme confidence he hath to be healed of his griefe That the paines of loue are bitter and cruell I cannot but confesse yet then againe we must remember how sweet and luscious is that ioy that the Louer participateth of when he seeth himselfe beloued of his Mistris An inestimable lewell is not gotten nor giuen for nothing neither such and so rare a good thing as this is can be obtained without great labour and trauaile And for mine owne part will alwaies account those sorrowes and troubles most easie and sweet be they neuer so sower and vnsufferable to loue a thing so absolute and perfect as your sweet selfe is For that Generall of an armie shall neuer be taxed with cowardise who hath done his end uour and what he can to cause the enemie to come into the field but he shall soone be condemned for a dastard that shall flie from his foe through very seare The honour that one
iudge but by coniectures and by auncient experience of things that haue hapâ—â—d before they being the fathers of lies And therefore wonderfully glad to deâ—â—â— and decerne munkinde because they haue sworne their vtter ouerthrow ruine And yet a braue and resolute spirit ought rather to hope well then to feare ill For hope no wisheth comforteth whereas feare afflicteth and tormenteth both soule and bodie Of one thing I may count my selfe happie which is that it seemeth the Gods of these woods haue a care of my Fortunes that they will assist me in what they may We ought not to refuse the aide of anie person be hee neuer so feeble and weake becausone may dot some one good or other vnto vs As we may finde vertue in the least Planenr Hear be that groweth But alack what hope may I lodge in my soule and how is it possible that the Prophesies of the Gods of these woods should prooue to be true If my peerlesse Iulietta who is farre off from mee neuer feeleth the piercing dartes of outagâ—ous Loue LOVE scarce setled in any is easily quenched againe especially when the meanes that should nourish his heate faileth and waxeth very colde for millions of contrarie conceits and imaginations is intermixed in the same which doth quickly drowne and quench it My Ladie is sarre remote from mee and therefore remembreth not me For as yet was I neuer registred in the role of her memorie And say there should be some small draught of mee therein yet would this cruell absence quickly deface it For the bare shadowe of a Counterfeit which the Painter leaueth without his right colours vnperfect can neither be faire or esteemed of any price Clytemnestra forgot her husband when he was absent Hellena her Spouse with diuers other women all which through the separation of place and absence of their friends forgot themselues so much as they not once thought of their ancient Louers For one Hyperâ—estra that remembred her husband fortie nine of her Sisters cut their husbands throats And amongst ten thousand women scarce you shall finde one that preserueth the memorie and fauour of her loyall friend ingrauen in her soule Heauens graunt I may not haue iust cause to complaine of this Accident but that returning back vnto my diuine Iulietta I may finde her hart to be gentle and tender towards me her rigour to be abated and her selfe more milde and affable vnto mee then she was wont to be Otherwise I shall thinke my selfe most vnhappie that the flowing waues of the surging Seas had not with my insupportable flames quenched and drowned both my loue and my life together For more fearefull is the frowning countenance of a Ladie vnto her sworne Seruant then the horrible face of the three fatall Sisters vnto a sicke man for the one maketh him languish burning in a lingring fire of thousand deaths whereas the other in a small space doth ridde him both of life and paine Thus saide the Knight not a little ioyfull of the answere which the late ECCO gaue vnto him But fond is that man that beleeueth in things that are to come seeing they are in the hands of the Almightie who can change them making them to take a quite contrie course as shall best please him And yet may man onely bring his Estate to be eyther Fortunate or misetable Fortunate in being penitent for his defaults appeasing the wrath of God through his true repentance who being mercifull vnto him sendeth him Celestiall Manda downe from heauen And miserable in prouoking his heanie anger against him whereby hee withdraweth his grace without giuing him that good which hee promised him and which he hoped for because heirs vnworthy of the same For the Children of Israel were depriued of the Holy Land although God had premised it vnto them before by reason of their sinnes their wickednesse opposing it selfe against his diuine force and helpe and his heauenlie bountie beeing turned from them in that they did so grieuously offend him Let no person therefore assure himselfe through others reports to taste of happinesse or to feele of vnhappinesse heereaster to comes but rather dispose himselfe to liue well and godlie to the end hee may enioy a blessed life without feeling anie form of cuill But leauing this discourse wee will come to Philistell who went away much conceneed beeing guided by a good Hope which because it had wings fled quicklie from him So manie are the humours that Hope is bound to content as it is impossible for her to stay long in anie one place they thinking to haue a great pleasure by enioying of her when indeed it is the greatest plague that can be For hee that is possessed with her but one noure is punished at the least ten dayes after for the same By reason the apprehension of anie bad newes is so cruell as it drowneth and killeth all hope of contentment to come hereafter Enery one feeling the chaunces of griefe sarre more sharpe and bitter then the Accidents or occurrences of ioy can be sweete or comfortable any way But as hee was thus iocund walking homewards hee might heare a Shepheard to sing this Sing the sound whereof suddinly made him stay as the voyce of the Ryder doth the horse vpon which he is seated And the rather did hee listen vnto it because hee was desirous of nouelties which naturallie pleaseth our sences whilst staying his walke betweene the seuerall passions of griese and delight he might heare this pittious Dittie following What should I waile thus weepe and make those outcries If my misfortunes where themselues they should drowne Burne their most hote selues hotter farre then burneth Thicke smoaking Aetna Thrise wofull Louer enerlasting wretched Who still doth lauguish heavily sans comfort And nener hopecan but to liue in sorrow Vntill his life end Farre better were it neuer for to be borne Then to be alwayes cru Ily afflicted With such a plague as hourely more and more doth Growe and increase still What crosse a man is subiect to by D stini Withouten hope is sure nere to be holpen Nor doth it leaue him till that hee be forced For to leaue lifes terme Then prithee sweet death come away and and me Come and abridge the number of my bad daies Nor caust thou blam'd be for to kill a bodie Wanting a line soule Thon that cuttest off so many of our crosses Courteous come come dispatch me quickly He cannot liue but in exceeding anguish That his owne life hates There is not anything but hath his ending And what is mortall hath not here long biding once But yet my wounds growe more and more nor death Seekes for to change them None will so much as pittie on me take now Nor on my fancie too too dearely purchast All saning sorrowes in the lash doc leaue me I being at worst Thus without dying doe I vade and perish Thus flow sower salt teares from mine eies for euer Whilst thut the heanens
euery word she spake was as a stabbe of a Poinard giuen him at the hart He feareth to speake what might make his wound worse and doubteth as much least he should displease the Ladie who as he thought might perhaps enquire the cause thereof because she would heale it The fit opportunitie he had made him to think that it were best for him now to lay open his minde or else neuer thinking that when he would he should not finde so apt a time againe and now againe a new toy taketh him in the head perswading him to remit and referre this busines vntill another day but then by and by he condemneth himselfe as vnwise that hauing spent so much time to finde this commoditie and now at the last hauing gotten it he goeth about to leaue it In the end being vrged still by the Gentlewoman to resolue her of her doubt and seeing that he could not well be rid of her vnlesse he did satisfie her in what she demaunded he determined whatsoeuer should come of it to breake this Ice and to bewray his Loue vnto her whereupon with a sad countenance and often faultring in his voice he thus began Faire Mistris I was in good hope that my often sighing with my heauie and perplexed countenance had bene sufficient to haue bewrayed the sorrow that galleth my heart without of hauing had any neede to pleade for pittie vnto you with my mournfull tongue But seeing it pleaseth you that my speech shall deliuer what my heart gaue my troubled countenance in charge I thinke it but reason so to doe it being the command of her who is the cause of this my wofull martyrdome I know I doe but sow my seede vpon the salt sea shore and that I lay my nets although in vaine to catch the windes and yet had I rather to depriue my selfe of all comfort and ioy then displease you and send you away iustly incensed against me He that hath deuoted himselfe vnto the seruice of any woman will shew all dutifull respect that may be vnto her will haue great regard that he offend her not will rather endure any punishment in his owne person than moue her whom he vowed to adore with all reuerence Seeing then you haue so earnestly commaunded me to open vnto you the very secrets of my soule and the first causes and originall of all my trouble I will condescend vnto you and most faithfully deliuer the same without keeping backe any thing from you at all Knowe then sweet Ladie that your diamond eies haue bene the torches that hath first lightned this fire your beauties haue bene the Fewell and your courtly behauiour the bellowes to kindle the same You onely haue made the wound and if you list may heale it and from no other but from your selfe am I to seeke comfort for the wounds of Loue are healed by the selfesame dart that made them as the Scorpion doth who is of power to helpe such whom he before hath stung Iudge then I beseech you in what a pittifull plight I am and what great cause I haue to curse and bewaile my hard disaster For what hope to recouer my selfe of this daungerous disease haue I and how is it possible for me to obtaine that for which so much I wish Alas I know not I and yet Mirrha ioyned her desire although it were incestious with her owne Father And Passiphae Queene of Candio had her pleasure of a Bull quenching by that meanes her vnhonest heate But I poore wretched Caitiffe how may I purchase that which so faine I would except your fauourable grace take compassion vpon me in vouchsafing vnto my deadly sore that comfortable remedie lying in your hands which onely is offorce to make me well Then what should I vse so many words or trouble you with so tedious a discourse Onely this I will say that I hate mine owne selfe because I would loue you assuring your selfe that my life shall as soone be conuerted into ashes as my soule is likely to be burned through the fire of Loue vnlesse you cast this necessarie water vpon it to quench the heate thereof putting my dying heart in securitie of some good hope to come I am bold deare Mistris to be thus plaine with you because I am resolute and haue set vp my rest to chuse one of these two waies either that of death as soone as you shall pronounce the sentence of deniall vnto me or that of life if I shall finde you readie and milde to ease me of my paine Thinke then as you please of this my speech and censure of me as you shall best like here I stand before the barre of your beautie expecting either life or death the one being as agreeable vnto me as the other and although I must needs tell you that it shall be farre greater glorie for you to saue me than to cut me off before my time Antonio hauing deliuered his minde in this desperate kinde of manner made the Gentlewoman so amazed to heare such an occasion vnexpected from him as she scarce knew where she was Her speech was gone pale earthly was her sight A stone not liuing creature seemd she right But being come vnto her selfe againe she began to curse within her selfe her foolish ouer hardines in that she was so earnest and inquisitiue to know of him the reason of his discontentments when it concerned her nothing at all doubting least if any disgrace should happen about the same all the blame should be laide vpon her How to replie vpon the sudden she knew not and whilst she was musing what she might doe she began to hate him deadly wishing vengeance to light vpon him for presuming to court her with such shamelesse impudencie Now whilst she stood thus bethinking her selfe of the matter Antonio straitway imagined it was for his good that she delaied so long to aunswere him but he found the contrarie too soone for in the meane time she remembred her owne honour and chastitie and the great friendship her husband had shewed though vndeseruedly vnto this traiterous friend of his which so incenst her with iust rage and choller as she began to take vp my Gentleman in this sort How now sir what is this you say dreame you or are you well in your right wits What signe or likelishood of vice or dishonestie haue you seene in me that you should thus proudly sollicite and importune me to dishonour my selfé and my kinde husband who loueth you farre dearer then his owne selfe was there euer any so bold to attempt an enterprise so difficult and hard as this is which thou goest about without he had bene assured before by some gesse or other that he might bring the same to passe I thinke none but thy selfe But tell me I pray you Antonio what notice or testimonie of lightnes haue I giuen vnto the world at any time that you should dare thus immodestly to accost me Goe to your Minions and
more hurtfull than when it beginneth first to burn Euen so the villainie of Antonio was farre more terrible making no shew of any such thing then if he had put it in practise before when he was in his sicknes languishing through paine for he hauing bethought himselfe what he would haue them to doe getteth a companie of notable Rascalls secretly together certifying them what he would haue them to doe for him euery one of them being as readie to condescend vnto him in hope of base gaine as he to commaund them and the rather when they knew it was to put in practise so damned a deed such cursed murtherers as those being alwaies more prone to euill than vnto good Thus hauing set euery thing in order he most solemnely inuiteth Leander and his louing wife to feast with him vpon a certaine day appointed for the purpose who suspecting no treacherie very kindly accepted of the same promising for himselfe and for his wife not to faile but to be there O how worthie is a false and trecherous friend of the greatest punishment that may be who plaieth the false counterfeit and of a deare friend becommeth a deadly foe and how farre more hurtfull is he than an open and professed enemie for of the one a man can hardly take heed because he carrieth the vaile of friendship to nide his treacherie but the other we may easily auoide by reason we know he seeketh to doe vs any iniurie that lieth in his power Poore Leander found this to be true vnto his cost For comming vnto Antonio his house with his wife at the first meeting he made a shew vnto them of a most solemne and hartie welcome but no sooner were they set at the table thinking to be merrie and that they were there as safe as if their had bene in their owne Castle but behold the ruffianly Murtherers being disguised brake in vpon the sodaine amongst them with their naked swords in their hands running vpon Leander and giuing him many wounds and that done they laid violent hands vpon his wofull wife carrying her away perforce and leauing him there for dead wallowing in his luke-warme blood It is an old saying that gold is a bad seruant being the occasion many times that his owne maisters throate is cut and that rich men liue the wretchedst liues of all others because they haue great care and much adoe to keepe their goods and are in as great a feare continually least they should lose them yet I am of this conceit that a faire woman is farre more hurtfull vnto her husband she being as much laide for or rather more than his gold is for gold except it be taken away by force neuer offereth himselfe vnto a straunger nor betrayeth his Lord whereas a beautifull wife oftentimes forgetting her selfe her honour and her faith suffereth her selfe to be carried away by another and so betraieth her husband who afterward either dieth for griefe or else hath his throate cut by his wiues Champion and friend So was Agamemnon slaine by his wife so died Achilles for Polixenas sake and so were the Sabin women the cause of the warres betweene their owne countrimen and the Romanes But now who could in liuely colours set forth the vnspeakable griefe of mournfull Cynthia the espouse of Leander she thinking he was dead and her selfe being in the hands of her most deadly enemies What penne were able to write all her pittifull complaints what paper were sufficient to containe her laments â—and what report her more then dolefull speeches Vngratious Antonio the Author of all these euils hauing now the prey he so long time desired leaueth his house presently carrying her away in post with him meaning to goe so farre off as he should neuer be heard of afterward not caring for any thing else but for her person and the rather because he had gotten in his purse great store of gold and Iewels to defray his charges in his iourney But leauing him galloping away with her we will come againe vnto Leander who being found to haue as yet some life in him was carried home vnto his Castle where his wounds being searched by a reuerend Hermit dwelling not far from him and one that was very skilfull in Chyrurgerie and soueraine medicines applied vnto the same he recouered and was cured before he was aware But though he was well in bodie yet was he not so in minde for the vnfortunate knight had many fearefull conceits that troubled him in his head one while the dissoyaÌ„ltie of his friend gaulled him and an other while the departure of his wife grieued him but that which most vexed his soule was that he had a vehement suspirion she should be priuie vnto this conspiracie and so by consequence partaker of this murther as willing he should be made away Neuer were the ships of Aeneas or T'lisses tost so furiously and with contrarie windes vpon the swelling waues of the soming Seas as his minde was canuased and carried too and fro with diuers opinions and thoughts as concerning this matter When a man hapneth to haue any strange mischance he still doth consture euery thing in the worse part because he thinketh euery body should be against him by reason ill fortunes is so common and ordinarie vnto him and therefore he laieth the cause of his Disaster vpon euery one and this was it that made the distemperato Leander to suppose that his modest wife had bene consenting vnto his plot laid for him and that he had made her Pailiard to put the same in practise because he had such a firme confidence in his friendship as he could hardly be induced to thinke that he would euer haue perpetrated such an hainous act vnlesse his wife had very earnestly prouoked and vrged him to baue done it Thus we see how the Pilgrim oftentimes in the night taketh the wrong way fot the right and how some take blacke for white and yellow for red in colours Yet must I needes say that such are to be pardoned in some sort although they censure ouer-rashly and hastily who comming from hauing a shrewd turne done vnto them know not but as they blindly gesse whom they should iustly blame for true griefe deserueth pardon and loosers haue alwaies leaue to speake But the righteous God aboue who knoweth the truth of all things did discouer this at the fittest time for distressed Cynthia to cleare her as sometimes he did Susanua of this villainie falsely imputed vnto her Leander waxing strong in bodie although troubled sore in minde determined either to die or else to find out the traitor that had offered him this monstrous outrage vowing to be reuenged on him as also to seeke his wife whom likewise he ment to punish if he should find her accessarie in any point of the same Whereupon he armeth himselfe getteth vpon his horse backe and accompanied by three or foure Gentlemen his friends he searcheth all the countrie thereabouts to see if he could
time appointed But I will presentlie follow thee neither had I stayed so long as I do but that I am preuented much against my will For with what weapon should I pierce this my fainting brest or what kinde of death were I best to die of and in what manner will these mine enemies giue me leaue to slaughter my selfe Alas they will not doe me so great a fauour and too too narrowlie doe they watch mee that I can not hurt my selfe Thrice happie wert thou miserable king Perceus in comparison of mee since thy Conquerour Paulus Aemilius gaue thee libertie to make away thy selfe so to ridde thee from thy seruile bondage But I haue lost my Husband Porcia would not suruiue hers No more would Cornelia Cleopatra and diuers others all which made away themselues to followe their husbands and shall I not be as willing as they were in this case and as ready to take the same course to follow death that I may liue with my deare Leander for euer Yes yes I will be as forward as the best and I will deuise some way or other to ridde my selfe out of this loathed life which cannot liue without his soule who was my frendly husband Besides the longer I liue the greater feare I am still in to loose my chaste honor which although God hath yet preserued yet doubt I sore I shall not long continue so but be forced by them vnlesse I escape away from them by some miracle from aboue But say I should be so fortunate as to be freed from out the handes of this Tyger who holdeth me as his slaue without anie violence offered vnto my chastitie yet who would belieue the same seeing he hath attempted so desperate and villainous an exploit forgetting all religion and friendship onely to haue mee in his possession and considering the strange and extreame affection that he hath made a shewe vnto the open world to haue borne mee A graue and wise woman must not onely be free from blame it selfe but as well must be cleane from all suspition of the same For what maketh her to looke without blushing but her vpright carriage and her good name alwayes vntainted which being once defiled resembleth a barren Tree that is without fruit or hath bene blasted with Lightnining or Thunder neuer looking afterwards greene againe Filthie and base is the most excellentest beautie of any woman if once her modest life be corrupted Venus was faire but yet of no account because of her immodest desires Hellen was beautifull but too much defamed because of her luxurious life and so were Thais Flora and Laxis louely to behold but yet accounted of as common because of their shamelesse and too too wanton behauiour In what a pecke of troubles then am I in looking still euery moment when I shall be froced to make shipwracke of my chastitie for the defence of which I haue oftentimes hazarded my life But I appeale vnto the Almightie who shall be my iudge if I be forced how much my soule abhorreth this vice for though my bodie be defiled yet shall my minde neuer be I being fullie resolute to wash the same cleare with the dearest blood I haue assoone as any opportunitie shall serue me to put it in practise Mine onely hope is that when I shall haue most need God will vouchsafe to giue me a sweete taste of those comfortable words of his who hath promised to succour and helpe those which be his faithfull true seruants in their greatest extremities and when they least looke for any such aide or assistance from him Thus wailed the distressed Cynthia dispairing of all meanes how to relieue her selfe in her wretchednes suffering her selfe to be carried away with the violence of her crosse as the Shippe is tossed too and fro vpon the Sea in a Tempest But our heauenly FATHER aboue kept safe and vntainted her Honour and so by that way receiued againe into his mercie her chaste and pure soule which hee before had lent her It is in our aduersitie that wee finde the admirable succours of GOD so profitable vnto vs for in prosperitie wee cannot rightly taste them No more then the Drunkard being ouercome with too much liquor can iudge of good wine whilst wee being rocked a sleepe in the cradle of sensualitie despise his mercies as Porklings and hogges doe Malt and Acorns when their bellies is full of them but being once pinched with hunger runne vp and downe for them as they were madde So wee whilst we liue in pleasure cannot rightly know how sweete the fauours and kindnesse of God is because we are glutted with worldly delights But when wee are once afflicted with miserie wee then finde the comfortablenesse of the same and can quickly iudge how necessarie it is vnto vs for our good and welfare And this Cynthia found although after a straunge fashion For those vngodlie Theeues which wicked Antonio had hired to be his bloodie executioners in this his villainous Teagedie not daring for feare of being tortured with plagues to stay in the Countrey after they had committed this detestable outrage followed him as fast as they could Amongst which there was one more bolde then the rest who marking the fauour and comelinesse of Cynthia although as then she looked pale and leane for verie anguish and griefe grewe to be amorous of her determining with himselfe to haue his pleasure of her although he paide neuer so dearely for it Thus was the poore Gentlewoman come out of Gods blessing into a warme Sunne and fallen from a plaine Ague into a hote burning Feuer and yet this misfortune turned in the end vnto her good Thus Heauens make proue that profitable oft Which mortall men account of as of nought The hand of the Lord is mightie and strong who rewardeth sinne according vnto his desert not winking thereat at any time but either soone or late punish the offence that is committed For as we haue vsed others so shall wee our selues be vsed and such measure as we giue vnto strangers such measure shal be meated vnto vs againe The murtherer most commonly dieth by the sword The high-way Theefe is robbed and spoyled the Adulterer shall be dishonored and shamed and the cruell man shall find no mercie of them into whose power he is fallen If wee well remember this lesson we shall find it to be most true confirmed as well by the words of the euerliuing SONNE OF GOD as by a number of ancient examples in the Sacred scriptures Dauid for defiling the bed of Vrias saw ciuill discord and discention amongst his owne children he himselfe after he had seene his daughter Thamar defloured and his sonne Ammon slaine being chased vp and downe by his owne childe and reuiled and railed at by a base and abiect Peasant of the Countrey Iezabell for hauing shed the blood of the Prophet died a shamefull death she being flung from out a high window in her owne Pallace vpon the ground to serue
a manner quite expired Then graunt me this my request for my daies were but daies to serue thee my soule but a soule to honour thee and my heart but a heart to affect and onely loue thees and I hope thou hast found knowne and perswadest thy selfe that I speake nothing but truth Which if thou doest then let me obtaine this last Boone of thee and be not so cruell as to denie me so small a matter Grieue then no more my good Leander for me which if thou doest I then will close mine eies and shut vp my tongue because I cannot abide to see thee in this heauie plight for her who is vnworthie that thou shouldest torment thy selfe any way for her cause Hauing thus complained she held her peace when her wofull husband who during this her lamentable discourse had recouered his speech began thus to comfort her Ah my sweet Cynthia what cause of mislike haue I euer giuen thee and when did I vse thee otherwise than became me that thou shouldest imagine I were not able to forbeare thy companie without great discontentment vnto my selfe Doest thou then thinke that I loue thee not If so thou thinke O God what wrong doest thou vnto me yes Cynthia yes I loue thee yea and in that sort as thou canst not die without me Death is not of power sufficient to extinguish my loue which shall liue in despite of him and shall still continue with thee be thou aliue or dead Not so soone canst thou command but I will as willingly condiscend vnto thee in any thing and yet thy entreatie cannot hinder me but that I must bewaile thy Disaster and farre more should I take on by oddes but that my hope is to see the shortly in another world Too zealous and affectionate is my loue towards thee to see thee suffer that thou doest and I not to be moued with the same O would to God thou wert without hurt or wound and that I had had that misfortune to haue falne vpon me which thou now hast But seeing it cannot be thou shalt not chuse but giue me leaue to beare some part of thine anguish When we were well and liued at hearts ease there was not any thing but what was common betweene vs all things were alike betweene thee and me why then shouldest thou oppose thy selfe now so much against me as to denie me that I should participate of thy troubles with thee No no I will beare a heauie burthen in this thy sorrowfull song and mine eies shall streame forth before I die as two fountaines of water all the liquid humour that remaineth within my restlesse bodie Thou goest thy way my deare Cynthia and leauest me here plunged in deepe perplexitie but I will not stay long behind soone will I follow after thee and quickly ouertake thee Is it possible mine eies should giue light vnto my bodie and want thy sight and is it likely I shall be able to abstaine from thy companie for euer when I cannot endure to forbeare thy presence one short day O deare wife now I coniure thee by the chaste pleasures of our sacred Hymen and vnspotted nuptiall bed by that Loue of thine and mine as yet neuer broken and by thy heart and mine which neuer were but one let me entreate thee that thou take it not ill although I die with thee Great is the authoritie that Loue hath giuen thee ouer me but yet not so great as it shall disturbe my desire or make me follow any other course but death Certainely certainely I will beare thee companie euen into thy graue O faire and beautifull eies mine were you whilest you liued and mine shall you be when you are dead No man liuing hath interest in you but my selfe and you will I as well see being dead as when you were aliue O curteous death if it be possible for thee to be entreated by the Praiers or the cries of mortall wights or if euer thou hast done any kindnes vnto them then I beseech thee let me finde this fauour at thy hands that I may breath my last gaspe before my Ladie Doe me this good turne for all the euill thou hast done me and in recompence of such great losses as I am like to sustaine by thee in snatching away from me most violently the onely support and Atlasse of my life which if I may not obtaine I will complaine and exclaime against thee making it knowne vnto the whole world that thou art cruell and partiall against me onely for it should much abate and asswage my torments to goe before her to the end I might be exempted from those more then deadly darts which will pierce deepely into my soule when I shal behold her to be laid within her graue O cruell Tombe must thou be so fortunate as to lodge and entertaine so pretious a treasure to possesse so rare and louely a beautie and to enclose and couer a bodie so exquisite and perfect that same being the chiefe maintainer of my glorie and the onely vpholder of my life O that some gentle power would be so kind vnto me as to transforme me into thy likenes to the end I might enioy that benefit which is permitted to be thine and of which whilest it liued I was Maister and owner And yet thinke not thou shalt haue the bodie of my deare wife alone no no thou shalt haue mine also to beare hers companie and by that meanes thou shalt receiue two bodies which liuing had but one soule betweene them And now my sweet Cynthia let me once more take thee by the hand for a finall farewell and let me kisse thee once againe to the end that my breath may issue out of this his earthly mantion and part hence at the selfe same instant that thine passeth away Leander hauing so said and weeping most tenderly taketh the cold carkasse of his wife in his armes often kissing and rekissing her colde mouth he being neuer sufficiently satisfied with the delight of that dying which was wholy at his commaundement whilest it was liuing His lips neuer parted from hers whilest his eies streamed downe teares and his heart sent forth scalding sighes in aboundance O thrise fortunate soules whom neither death nor sorrowes could part asunder and ô happie couple who would not haue but one Tombe to enclose you both together And now Leander began to faint as well as his wife he being sore wounded with griefe and Loue which she perceiuing forced her selfe to vttes these fewe words as well as she could vnto him It is enough sweet husband it is enough you too much trouble your sicke selfe with an vnworthie burthen for we may count our selues blessed in that we haue incountered one with another before we die The end crowneth the workes of man their glorie lying onely in their deaths which death shall make vs famous for euer allotting vnto vs the Garland of commendation and praise to continue hereafter For mine owne part I
honour thee in as much as my loue is neither dishouest beastly nor viticus but rather sacred vertuous and chaste and therefore not subiect to any reprehension Why doest thou thus oppose thy selfe against that faire glorie which thy worthy carriage doth permit why doest thou reiect that praise which euery one would render vnto thy peerlesse beautie why doest thou disdaine that honour which the heauens haue ordained for thy matchlesse perfection And why doest thou refuse the seruice of the most loyallest Louer that euer breathed In times past those beautifull Ladies counted themselues happie that could vant themselues of the faithfulnes of their Louers Hero thought her selfe fortunate in that she had Leander for her faithfull friend and why then doest thou denie to be most faithfully serued of thy deuoted and true hearted Arcas Suffer him suffer him hard-harted as thou art to honour thee for the Gods themselues forbid not men although vitious to adore them because friendship is not to be scorned from whence soeuer it commeth in that it proceedeth from a willing and well-wishing minde Thus said the Shepheard when the Nymph hearing him to make this straunge kinde of Tale pursued her former complaint in this manner Ah barbarous and disdainfull man why doest thou stop thine eares against my pralers Take heed take heed least the heauens iustly punishing thee harden not the hart of her whom thou honourest against thee as thou most vnkindly hast done vnto me for oftentimes we fall into the snare which we haue laid to intrappe straungers we being scourged with the same plague wherewith we haue afflicted others Is it not enough for thee to be contented with these my sorrowes but that thou must mocke mee therewithall making a shew as if thou sawest another and not me vnto whom thou framest thy speech But the Gods be iust and therefore thanked be they seeing thy Mistris maketh thee know and that vnto thy cost if thou so much louest as thou makest vs beleeue how insupportable the torments are which thy Sauadge rigor maketh me to feele for he onely can talke rightly of griefe that hath felt the same and daily experience maketh vs perfect in the knowledge of such things as we practise If thou feelest this euill and if thou knowest how full of anguish it is then permit not me to abide the same any longer which if thou doest thou wilt then force me to call for aide vnto the heauens that they assist me to take reuengement vpon thee for he ought and that iustly to be punished who knoweth the euell that he doth is acquainted with the greatnes of the fault he committeth and yet neuertheleâ—le will not giue it ouer for onely ignorance excuseth the offence which knowledge condemneth because such as did perpetrate the same were not vnacquainted with it Open then those deafe eares of thine and shew me some pittie to the intent I may commend thee for kindnes as long as the world shall flourish The Shepheard notwithstanding these her earnest perswasions seemed not to heare one word but as he did at the first so still he continued making solemne intercession vnto his good Angell Diana in this wise Alas must the distance of place hinder thee faire Virgin so much as thou canst not aunswere me and must I be so miserable as I may say I am farre exiled from thee Can my soule breathe and not behold thee O wonderfull miracle that wretched Arcas can liue without the chaste and prudent Diana for she is his soule and the bodie without soule how is it possible that it should ioy at all Certainely I should thinke my selfe much blessed if I might but onely see thy face without speaking as much as one word vnto thee for then would I most willingly yeeld vnto death but I see it is my destinie to die and not so much as before my death to see thee Vnfortunate my Tombe to be so farre off from thee my deare and accursed mine eies to sleepe in any other resting place than where thou abidest But alas art thou the cause of my distresse no no it is the heauens who are ouer iealous of my glorie and who would faine loue thee themselues they knowing thy like is not to be found in the whole world and therefore are the more vnwilling to haue any Corriuals in their Loue. But in despite of them will I loue thee nothing being of force to quench this outragious heate of mine no not death it selfe Thus wailed the sad Shepheard thinking verily that he had bene before the presence of his diuine Diana and more would he haue lamented but that Coribant plucking him by the sleeue and wearied with hearing him and the amorous Orythia put him out of this amorous dreame in this sort Enougn man enough no teares nor sighes make a man the wiser after the fault committed but rather more miserable and wretched Cease I say cease both of you to lament and rather seeke some remedie how to redresse your sorrowes And because I would be glad to perswade you to giue ouer this dangerous Loue which maketh you thus to torment and massacre your selfe continually I will account vnto you a most lamentable Historie by which you may gather how cruell and damned a plague Loue is for we cannot come from out this Rocke as long as this tempest lasteth and which is but scarcely new begun Arcas and Orythia seeing there was no remedie considering the foulnes of the weather sat them downe when Coribant sitting betwixt them and they lending a listning eare vnto him began his dolorous discourse in this manner Yee hollow Rocks be witnesses what here by me is sed Within whose gloom it horror darke the night is shadowed Yee stately Rocks to powder burnt of times most cruelly When Ioue your tops with thunderbolts doth scortch and bruse from skie Ah be your witnesses of this my sad discourseile tell You which of late the loues of these two Shepheards ouerwell Conceiude of these two louing wights whose lucklesse hapile show Vndone by Loue by Loue who dares the Gods to ouerthrow Aâ—dye broad Beeches in your shade that often hane themseene When they reposing of themselues under the same haue beene You which a thousand letters caru'd within your tender rinde Knots and deuises in their loue and such like Toyes may finde You dark 〈◊〉 Caues where whilst the day did last in bright some wise They blushing of theor chastest Loues did mongst themselues deuise Yee pretrie Foordes and christall springs yee Riuers murmerous Whoat the sigh of them became for to be amorous Yee vncorh Desarts witnesses what they in secret did Importunde by their often plaints which from you were not hid And thou thicke priuate shadowing groue that knowest most of all To thee and all the rest to heare what I will speake I call Vnto you all beare witnesse then I to you all appeale Since t is as true as pittifull what I shall now reueale In that same time
whence on amorous sweet fire Did send forth sighes children of Care begotten through Desire Her slender Middle like a Spanne did shewe her waste so small Which who so lookt on as he lookt he languisht therewithall Next was that place Alas that of that Place I may not showe Vnworthie we such Mysteries and such rare sights to knowe Her hands were white as Whale his bone so matchelesse was her foote The first whereof were Arrowes which Dan Dupid vsde to shoote Then such this wonderous Beautie was of this faire Shepheardesse Who many a Shepheards hart did chaxm wroght them much distresse Her name was FLORA FAIRE surnam'd well worthy of that name And worthie was that name of her so glorious was her Fame Her exercise and vse as then was bout the Fields to walke And chiefest pleasure which she tooke in shadowy Groues to stalke Whilst as her harmlesse flocke did feede about them she did sing Full merilie some pleasant Round which made the woods to ring For spitefull LOVE as yet had not his malice gainst her bent Nor had he yet through his deuise spoylde this worke excellent Free was shee from a Louers life from amorous annoy With libertie most pleasantly her youth she did enioy But soone this humor for to change she gainst her will was forc't Compeld to Loue from her hearts ease poore soule she was diuorc't For by her dwelt a goodly Swaine that did increase her care A valiant Shepheard gallant and louely as she was faire Borne on the selfe-same day that she into this world was borne And subiect by the selfe-same chaunce vnto this fatall storme Hight NV MIDOR he cleaped was both affable and kinde So courteous and so debonnaire as like you could not finde In feature shape and comelinesse Adonis he did passe And if hee did not him exceed his equall sure he was Each morning when the breake of day began for to appeare He vsed to accompanie his FLORA loued deare Vnto the Meadowes with her Flocke and there with her would chat In friendly wise as they did walke of this and then of that And afterwards they both would set them downe or in some shade Of some thicke Pinetree or by Foord which trickling murmure made There would he cate of vittailes hers and she on his would feed Whilst what they had emongst themselues as common they decreed When any sport commenced was mongst Shephear as she was found The first that led the Daunce with him and he began the Round No sooner was it night but they together home did goe And in franke manner one of th' other Gifts vsde to bestowe These pretie sports were but a light as t' were more strong to tie And to begin to binde them in more perfect Amitie And yet this plaine and simple kinde of Courting though plaine stuffe To set their harmlesse harts on fire too much t' was and enough Since LOVE we see engendred is only by looks and speach And so continueth through the same beyond all humane reach This was the cause that manie woes they did endure Of Friends they loyall Louers did become most firme and sure As both their Birth-dayes were but one so was their Loues but one Equall they in affection were and loue they did alone One minde there was betweene them both two bodies but one soule One Conquerour both of their harts and fancies did controle What one did wish the other would alike was their Desire If th' one did burne through heate the other did feele as great a fire If th' one did send forth pittious plaints with many a drery teare The other for to waile with sighes and sobbes did not forbeare No loue like hers so passionate so loy all ere hath bene Anchises loue with Venus faire so constant was not seene Nor Pyramus may I compare vnto these Louers true Although so deare his Dame hee lou'd as that himselfe he slue In euery Rocke and Tree they did ingraue the houre and day In which LOVE cunningly had wrought to bring them to his bay In midst of Groues and thickie Woods cut in the tender kindâ— Of Okes and Elmes these Louers names engrauen you might finde Whilst as they romed here and there a thousand Songs they sung To make them to forget their paine fierce LOVE them so had stung The louely Shepheard Sonnets made in honor of his Dame And in her presence sung them oft presenting her the same Which she accepted gratiousty whilst with hote sighes from hart She shewde how he grieu'd not alone but that she bare a part And thus long time both comfortlesse did comfort one another Long time this secret Fare hid close in bosome they did smother Whilst in some sort the heauens did seeme their actions to allow And LOVE made show as good what so they did for to avow Bin weladay what mortall thing can euer lasting bee When they themselues must once decay and vnto ruine gree When Fortune enuicus of our good such interest hath and power That he can alter our delights and pleasures in an hower No maruell then though that sweet life of these two Louers in aine He topsie turme turned quite for pleasure bringing paine As you behold a stately Oke in growth surpassing prowde Vnder whose shade of late the Plants were glad themselues to shrowde Whose cooly leaues and braunches greene greatst Conquerors doth scorne Vpon their helmets and their Crests most brauely to haue borne Vpon the suddaine through mischance with Thunder sirucke as the Whilst blasted with the Laghtning flash his head doth lye fall low His scorchea leaues look black and swarth his verdure all is gone The Tree it selfe shewing like a Truncke a Blocke or barea stone No sappe or iuyce remaines therein but dead it seemes to bee Nor former glorie of his greene you anie more can see Euen so by malice most vniust through Fortune full of strife Of these two Louers happie-once did end the pleasant life The iealous heauens repining that they thus should liue on earth Exempt from canes Death sent to them to stop their vitall breath Death did they send as messenger to sommon them from hence And for to bring the same about they wrought a false pretence This which we LOVE call which two harts makes one in loyall wise The same vow'ae to the other oft makes deadlyest Enemies Of cold and freezing iealousie the Author first be is Whose sweetnes sowrest miserie to follow doth not misse Nor euer hath there any thing as yet in him bene found But what with griefe and wretchednes thicke swarming doth abound His preasures like are vnto spoyles or like an Aprill showre Which is no sooner come then goue nor any while doth dure That this is too too true I vouch Aenone she it prou'd And dolefidl Dido who did die because one-much she lou'd Achilles felt his furie fierce when he Polixena Did sue to haue whose witching-face was cause of his decay Then of these faithfull Louers twaine
daintie is the vaine of that Muse that taketh a worthy Subiect to exercise her diuine power with all as braue and goodly seemeth the swift courser which runneth in a faire and spatious plaine being guided by a very expert and excellent Horseman But as it is not easie to make him that is crooked straight and as he that goeth alwaies stooping can hardly walke bolt vpright Euen so although one haue neuer so rare a vaine to endite yet if he haue no worthie matter whereon to be employed he can hardly write learnedly Homer thought to haue made Achilles more valiant and strong then Hoctor but yet he could not Maro did what she was able to perswade vs that Aeneas was a man iust religious and a great friend vnto his Citie of Troy But it was vnto no end for he cannot leaue any worthy commendation behind him that taketh vpon him to commend a coward or one that bath bene a Traitor vnto his owne countrie I speake this Shepheard vnto this end I well perceiue thy Muse is wonderfull desirous to paint me forth most brauely but yet neuerthelesse I must needs tell thee that when thou hast done all thou canst it is to no purpose because thou shalt neuer be able to make the world beleeue otherwise then that I am a poore sillie soule simple and plaine and one that haue not as much as one good qualitie in me Take then some other better theame to declaime vpon for if thou relyest vpon my praise which is too weake a stay thou wilt quickly fall and thy inuention cease as hauing not whereupon to write Leaue me poore Nymph as I am with my imperfections least thou be the occasion that where thou seekest to magnifie me I shall be mocked for the same for farre better were it for a man to haue his bodie and the remembrance of himselfe to be buried both together then to be renownred as Thersites was and so to be infamous by reason of his memorie Leaue then I pray thee to poetise thus vpon me and rather bestow it vpon some other that doth better deserue it for too simple am I to be a Subiect for thy Muse To refuse the gift of another is as much as not to wish him well or to seeke not to be beholding vnto him for feare lest we should be constrained to make him some amends for as the giuer in bestowing a present doth shew his good will so he that receiueth the gift in accepting thereof doth make manifest his good minde vnto him Euen so my Mistris in refusing the fruits of the new Louers Muse gaue sufficient testimonie she did not much affect him of which thing when I heard I was not a little pleased And yet God he knoweth how much I was at that time gaulled with afflictions seeing so many contrarie windes and all in one day to tosse and tumble my weather beaten Barke All that long night could I not sleepe as much as one winke as often as I remembred the inestimable pleasure which that great God enioyed as I foolishly imagined with my Diana Besides I began to grow exceeding iealous doubting lest she being now come to haue so glorious a Deitie vnto her Paramour would disdaine the Loue of any other mortall creature yea and that now she onely doated vpon him I dreamed of the great delight Apolle tooke to haue in his armes so rare a Paragon but I neuer all this while thought vpon that which most of all concerned me which was the chaste and pure vertues of my Ladie for although I did beleeue verily that as that night she lay betweene the armes of that God yet could I not chuse but loue her as much as I had done before such great force hath Loue ouer vs as he maketh vs loue our Mistrisses although they be bad and vitious as well as if they were well giuen and vertuous nay I was so farre wide from reason as I thought she was to be excused in satisfying the request of so mightie a God not thinking this to be any blemish vnto her credit at all Thus euery Bird supposeth her owne neast to be most fairest and euery mother her owne child pretiest although it be mishapen and deformed But when I was assured of a certaine truth that my Ladie had not onely not laine that night in the Temple but rather like another Daphne or a new Cassandra had most vertuously refused this great God reiected his promises disdained his gifts shamed and hated his presence ah then two contrarie doubts began a fresh to combat in my heart the one was of contentment seeing my Diana so wise so modest and so vertuous the other was of dispaire imagining and not without cause that if she had refused the amitie of so great a God much lesse would she make any reckoning or account of me And thus was I still troubled in my minde although so much was the affection which I bare vnto her as I had rather to haue â—ene quite void of all hope euer after then that she should haue committed so foule an offence For the rare constancie which she had shewed against the sollicitings and inticement of that God made me to looke more cranestly into the greatnes of the fault which she should haue committed then I had done before like vnto him that flinging himselfe into a large Riuer the more he wadeth in the water the more he thinketh of the danger he is in not dreaming of the same before This made me to admire her more then euer I had done in times past although I perceiued I was out of all hope to be affected of her Strange is the puissance and force that vertue hath ouer our soules we chusing rather to loue her without reward or recompence then to follow vice although we should be richly guerdoned for the same Most sacred is this diuine Goddesse we choosing rather to be afflicted for her sake then to cast our liking vpon vgly and deformed vice This then was the cause I loued my Mistris more then if she had tainted her honour with Apoâ—â—o and that afterward she should haue giuen me loue to haue enioyed my pleasure with her This made the Duke of Ithaca to esteeme more of the modest and bashfull cares of his chaste Spouse then of the voluptuous pleasures of wanton Circes With my soule did I reuerence my Diana being of conceit that I could not suffer too much for so admirable a creature for sweet is the trauâ—ile of braue and haughtie enterprises a vertuous man chusing rather to endure labour and gaine notorious praise then to be quiet and at case without any honour or commendation at all And thus spent I the tedious night which before I spake of thinking one while that my Mistrisse discoursed with me in most kinde manner shewing mee many excuses that shee had done no such hainous fact but that I had greatly wronged her to suppose she had committed the same An other while I
traine that the Princesse laide who knewe her faithfull Seruant would not misse his day before whome the straunge Knight repeated the former wordes Which the other hearing was so incenst with rage and furie as presently hee called for his Horse and Armour beeing readie in a trice and so went into the Listes to meete with his enemie The King was wonderfullie astonished at this straunge aduenture and yet reioyced much in his minde wishing in his heart and praying vnto God that this new come Knight might haue the vpper hand of his proud and insolent aduersarie But if hee so much reioyced then must you thinke that the Princesse his Daughter was much more pleased and contented seeing her valiant Knight to be so true of his word and so readie to aduenture his life for her sake therefore thought him most worthy to be beloued And now euerie thing beeing in a readinesse the two Combattants entered the field both of them prouoked with one and the selfe-same desire and both forced therevnto through extreame Loue. The Trumpets sounding they set spurres to their horses meeting with such a terrible encounter as their Speares flewe all into shiuers and both of them fell vppon the ground but quicklie got they vp againe drawing their naked swords and the one most desperately seeking to assaile the other As the Cyclops in Aetna beating continuallie vppon the Iron Forge fill all the bordering mountaines thereabouts with Thundering noyse Euen so the blowes that fell vpon the Armours of these two Champions made such frightfull noyse as the sound thereof was heard farre and neere Don Iohn is minded there to die or to ouercome since hee fighteth in the houour of his Ladie so great is his courage And yet thee that was the occasion of the weakening of his forces cannot restore the same vnto him againe when hee hath most need of them for her sake On the other side the young Prince madde for anger that one should take his Mistris away from him and against his will whome he beheld to be in place redoubled his strength and courage in this Combat But yet it had stood him in small stead and to little or no purpose at all if his enemie had bene as strong and lustie in bodie as he was before LOVE had so much weakened and taken him downe Little oddes seemed there to be betwixt these two Caualiers so valiantly did both of them carry themselues as euery one wondred at them No running tricks in their fighting was forgotten no Stockado nor Reuerschio no giuing place for aduantage nor no fast following to serue their owne purpose was missing each of them striuing as now to shewe the vemost skill they had in this their dangerous play Don Iohn hurt the Prince in the shoulder and the Prince wounded him in the thigh which was the cause that the Battaile began to beginne a newe betweene them whilst the lookers on were euen wearie to behold them onely they which fought were so fresh and liuely as if they had but as then entred into the field The Lists with their trauersing vp and downe the ground are made deepe like furrowes and strewed all along with the splinters pieces of their Armours Vpon part of which Don Iohn by ill fortune stumbling fell downe the Prince presently vpon him ready to haue stabde him with his dagger into his throte which he put in practise to the vtmost of his force but his Corslet was of so good proofe as he could not doe him much hurt Thus as they tumbled one vpon an other my Maister plaide his part so well as at length he got vp againe on his legges when as then he began to find feele how much his former sorrow griefe of mind had weakned him besides calling to mind his fault of which he was so ashamed hee with such a fresh courage assailed his furious Foe that he made amends for his fault before although the Prince had the aduantage of him For where he was but hurt in the shoulder only our Arragonian Knight was wounded both in the Thigh in his inward minde too and yet neuertheles he stood stoutly to his tackling grieued at the heart that he could not rid his enemy out of the way in so long time especiallie fighting for his Ladie and now although too late often wishing hee had taken a longer time to recouer his former health In the end the blood ran so fast downe from Don Iohns thigh as euery one iudged he would be ouercome For which all the Assemblie were maruellously sorie When vpon the sudden and contrarie to all their expectations he began so furiously to follow the Prince as with the often blowes which he doubled and redoubled vpon him hee made him kneele vpon the ground where when he had him at the aduantage he lost no time at all For perceiuing that his enemie was in a manner astonisht with the manie strokes he had giuen him without suffering him to haue any leisure or time to breath he aimed so rightly at his head and that with so mightie a violence as at one blow he cleft it quite asunder the sencelesse bodie falling downe vpon the ground and quite bereft of soule of pride and of valour At what time also and with him iust at that instant fell Don Iohn himselfe likewise by reason he was wonderfully weakened through the losse of his blood which issued forth from his wounds Wherevpon euerie one supposed that hee was dead as well as the other which the Princesse imagining to be true and heauie aboue all the rest for the same returned home vnto her Chamber to bewaile his hard fortune with her owne To tell you what pittifull mone this poore Ladie made and what bitter teares shee shead being retired into her priuie Closet would but moue you to greater remorse No comfort would she receiue any way neither would she now reioyce although she had seen her enemie slaine considering her valiant Knight had run the same course She is determined not to liue after him any longer since she had bin the occasion of his vndoing Neither cared shee although euery one had seene her thus to lament because she hoped Death would ridde her from all such doubts Neuerthelesse her Gentlewomen much wondred thereat maruelling what the cause should be most of them thinking it was for the death of the Prince of Lions whom it was supposed she should haue married and not for the blacke Knight although they were all deceiued that thought so Thus lay shee mourning vnto her selfe neither would shee take ioy at any thing vntill at the last newes was brought vnto the Court that Don Iohn was found to bee that black Knight that had bene her Champion who was not as it was before iudged dead Wherevpon she began to giue ouer her lamenting but yet in such wise and so cunningly as none of all her Attendants could perceiue it was for his sake that shee had taken on
of the fruites that haue come vnto vs through the same Neuer hath any man visiblie viewed the admirable coniunction of thy Deitie A Sentence with humanitie and yet neuerthelesse wee ought to belieue it because of the profite that it hath brought vnto vs which is the Saluation and soules health of vs all Then if thy workes be so diuine so religious and so farre surpassing the naturall conceits of man it is no maruell although thou after thine owne imitation and likenesse desirest that that which man doeth should likewise be perfect hee being of thy making to the end he may be found worthy of thy heauenly Kingdome Thou hast charged thine Apostles most strictly to be perfect as thy Father who liueth in heauen and although they can neuer attaine vnto that good so much desired yet at the least thy will is that they make an assay and proofe thereof seeking as much as in them lyeth to doe vnto the vtmost of their power Neither doeth this perfection of which I speake consist in any thing so much as in thy works For by the worke the cunning and skill of the workman is found as by the sweetnes and daintinesse of the verse the learning and deepe conceit of the Poet is knowne And euen so those that will passe for maisters in any Art or Handicraft whatsoeuer giue testimonie of their skill by some rare piece of worke deuised by them which is accounted the excellencie of their cunning whereby wee may perceiue either their sufficiencie or their follie their deepe knowledge or grosse errours therein So that we find the perfection of eternall IEHOVAH in nothing so much as by his works which are euery way right sacred and most excellent Our Sauiour himselfe commaunding vs that wee should not seeke to endeuour to approach vnto his perfectnes in anie thing so much as by doing such excellent and heauenly deeds as hee hath done before vs. The Prentice that endeuoreth to learne some exquisite kinde of Trade or Occupation of his cunning Maister is he not properly said to imitate him as long as he is working some piece of worke that commeth nigh vnto that of his Maisters If so why then by this perfection is vnderstood as well good works as Faith For it is an easie matter to be brought to belieue And had Christ meant onely of Faith by those words his doctrine then had bene superfluous and to small purpose For without Faith his Disciples vnto whome he spake could not haue bene his followers because euerie Infidell is already damned and they all abounded in Faith seeing that through the same they shewed so many rare miracles but not such good works as the Sonne of God commanded them which approched and drew neere vnto the perfection of such as his heauenly Father had done before That great Apostle of his Saint Paul said he not afterwards vnto his Companions Be yee my followers as I am the follower of Iesus Christ and this hee meant not alone by Faith but as well by good workes also For that godly Disciple did somewhat more then belieue giuing testimony of millions of admirable good deeds as when he raised some from death to life healed other some of their infirmities Preached and wrote manie comfortable Epistles and ministred reliefe vnto the poore whome hee calleth Saintes Yea hee did more then this for hee laboured with his owne hands to get and purchase his owne liuing If then we will imitate this man of God we must doe as hee did who was not onely contented to belieue but also hath giuen vs great proofes of many godlie workes and worthy Actions meriting no little glorie and praise This word Follower is properlie spoken of him that attempteth to doe what his Maister hath done before as a young Scholler that composeth an oration after the imitation of Cicero the father of eloquence although he cannot frame it so exquisitely nor so eloquently as his Author hath done yet doth he studie to doe it as well as he can striuing to come as nigh vnto his Phrase as possible he may And so must wee doe labouring trauelling and doing what good wee are able to giue testimonies of our selues that wee are followers of his Sonne and of his Apostles For our Sauiour him selfe liuing heere vppon the earth amongst vs did not belieue onely but did most religious workes also so as if wee will follow his Commandement wee must imitate him not in his Faith alone but as well in his good deeds as the Apostles haue done before vs who were dutifull and iust doing as their Maister did thousands of good deeds vnto the reliefe and comfort of the soules and bodies of manie a one Faith then cannot be sufficient for our saluation without good works For were it good Iustice that such a one as had done millions of of cruelties cutting the throtes of the godlie and robbing spoyling and tytannizing vpon the Common-wealth both by sword and fire should be saued because as a Christian hee belieueth that there is a God Why so to doe were to make God to be without Iustice and so consequently to take it from him For take away the properties of the subiect you take away the subiect it selfe dismember a man and you seuer his bodie from him Euen so depriue God Iustice and you denie him to be GOD for he can be no God without Iustice That man who because hee shall tearme himselfe the neere seruant and follower of his Prince shall vpon that securitie exercise manie massacres notable murthers and egregious villanies shall not escape but for all that be punished by the Iudge because as we hope we are to receiue good for doing good and not if we doe what is bad and forbidden Now if the recompence for doing good deedes and the punishment for committing euill Actions are both taken away to what ende then should wee talke of Iustice and Iustice being cashierde and banished from hence vpon which the veriy Lawe it selfe is founded all Religion and Faith all humane societie and Commonwealths must needs be ruinated and quite ouerthrowne for euer Should euery one be permitted to execute wickednes without daunger to answere for the same What then should wee doe with Iustice for then euerie one would giue himselfe vnto euill and badnesse seeing it is more sweet and fuller of profite then goodnesse and the rather because that men are more prone by nature to put in practise the same Besides if the guerdon and reward of well dooing were taken away who would endure any paine or labour toyling and turmoyling his bodie and sweating day and night when hee shall finde his trauaile to be without recompence and that his merit shall be no more nor better then his which hath done wickedly But let vs rather say that there is a reward for doing good of the good and a punishment for the vngodly by such as are wicked For are there not Christians that shal be damned No doubt
vertuous liuing to be made partakers of that immortall glorie which followeth well dooing the sweetnesse of which the very Painims themselues found in former time For how famous is Hercules become in the world onely for dooing well and for putting in practise many notable and braue enterprises Where if he had done otherwise blacke shame and perpetuall infamie had for euer attended vpon him Thus did the melancholike Shepheard discourse vnto himselfe walking faire and softly towards the Caue whilst as he went onwards on his way hee might heare the melodious harmonie of diuers sortes of Birds to welcome the rising of the Sunne which although they troubled him somewhat considering his former deepe conceits yet no doubt hee tooke delight at the same if it be possible for wretched Louers to take anie pleasure when they are exiled from the presence of their beaution Ladies as I feare me they doe not Besides hee might behold a number of louely Flowers to shewe their vermillion faces at the first appearance of this glorious Lampe all which were causes to comfort himselfe This iourney being no more weary vnto him then it is vnto such Trauellers who when they walke abroad deuise of such things onely as may inuite them to solace and ioy whilst he thought the heauens had changed their nature willing to yeeld him some recteation and contentment considering the great number of afflictions that hee had suffered before But he was not long of this opinion but that hee quickly chaunged his minde finding it to be quite contrarie assoone as LOVE awaked him out of this pleasant dreame and when he once bethought him of the absence of his froward Mistris Hee that is troubled with a burning Feuer hath manie daungerous fittes One while hee is vexed with a hote sweate and another while with a colde One day it leaueth him and an other day it seazeth vpon him againe So that still the strength of the disease doeth dominiere ouer his bodie Euen so this our wretched Swaine falleth a fresh into the Sea of his sorrowes suffering shipwracke oftentimes in this Charibdis of his deepe griefes all which proceeded through the want of his Dianas companie And had it not bene but that hee had heard the sound of a straunge voyce that droue away this sadde thought from him hee had bene farre more oppressed with heauie passions then before But hee with an attentiue eare hearing this Song sung not farre off from him tooke a Truce for a while with his dolefull wailings and listened well vnto the same as followeth What but pale Death can serue as remedie To ease my more then cruell paine The Pilot that safe in the Hauen doth lie To feare the Seas tempestuous rage doth shame She happie is that in this wretched earth Can ridde be from all woes through gentle death But shee that cannot die liuing displeasde Forc't without aide for to endure her smart Can no way haue her endlesse torments easde But by her cries and sighes sent forth from heart But who can make a Sauadge minde ore-wilde For to become calms pittifull and milde The Mother faire of Cupid's blinded Boy Could not her Corpse from soule see separate Yet for Adonis shee was full of noy Seeing him slaine by too vntimely Fate Immortall powers though freed from Death they bee Yet being grieu'd they mourne as well as wee Apollo that same faithfull Louer true When he sawe Daphne metamorphosed Died not yet he her chaunce long time did rewe For Loue makes Gods to waile and teares to shed Death endeth euery amorous mortall warre Yet in such wise to die they happie are I am a Nymph therefore as Phoebus was From death exempt so am I yet am bound My time and yeares in sighes and groanes to passe Whilst ouermuch I gainst my selfe am found To honour him who is my deadliest fee But where Loue is there euer bideth woe Yet doth that cruell wretch who me doth scorne Not altogether liue withouten griefe Though for my loue to waile he was not borne Whilst my hope 's vaine and his without reliefe A Loyall Louer right is neuer seene Well of two Ladies at one time to deeme Thus doe the heauens reuengement for me take And yet alas this doth increase my cares For me his torments worser farre doe make And I am ill because not well he feares She that loues faithfull maketh farre more mons For her friends hard mishap then for her owne A beautie more then earthly sacred right The Subiect's of my euerlasting dule Whilst I confesse I like a mortall wight And yet the heauens who all our actions rule Nothing more perfect then the same ere sawe The bad as well as good to fancie doth vs drawe Arcas presently knew by the voice that it was the mestfull Orythia and fearing least her importunate praiers might make him to giue ouer his former determination he left her turning by another way vnto the Rocke In the meane time the Nymph perceiuing him to flie from her presence crieth out vpon him exclaiming against his stubborne minde calling him vngratefull and vnkinde Where we will leaue her as now cursing her hard fortune and come againe vnto Arcas who being entered into the stonie Caue and the old man not as yet arriued there began afresh to muse vpon the sweet graces of his Mistris swimming with great delight in the Seas of her perfections and not a little wondering how it were possible that one creature alone should be possessed of so many fauours as she was and yet knoweth he not well whether he dreameth or waketh whilest he standing thus in a browne studie his tongue is silent his eyes shut his bodie mouelesse and his soule as it were in a traunce Now if he was so much rauished in the onely contemptation of his Ladie in what a taking had he bene then if he had bene before the true presence and liuely face of her indeed when the onely bare conceit thereof had so great power ouer him He deuiseth within his heart of the beauties of her and with a dumb pen writeth them downe in the of role of his remembrance One while he thinketh he beholdeth those faire long and flaxen haires she combining them with a fine combe of Iuorie and curling them in knots making the heauens themselues to blush for very shame thereat although they haue bene in steed of strong cordes wherewith his libertie was bound yet had he not the power to hate them but rather honoured and adored them imagining that Venus her selfe neuer ware any so goodly and that not any Goddesse whatsoeuer she were could haue the like these Louers being of this humour that there is no other deities but their Ladies Another while he is busie looking vpon her faire forhead the right tipe of Maicstie perswading himselfe that Iupiter although he be Soueraigne ouer all the Gods had neuer one so stately whilest he marketh how it is large and without wrinkle as being the enemie of all
of his Mistris as he perceiued not whē he was entered therfore he came neer vnto him and saluted him whilest the other stood stone still like vnto a Rocke resembling that statue of salt into which the wife of Lot was turned which the old Magitian perceiuing he came and pulled him by the sleeue saying How now man what cheare where is your minde now and why suffer you it so long before it doe his ordinarie duetie That dammage which a sencelesse creature doth ouer whom his Maister hath power is laid vpon him and not vpon the beast We ought wisely to rule what is committed vnto vs to gouerne which if it be so then why doest not thou looke vnto thy soule but rather doest permit her to wander thus abroad seeing that without her thou see-mest as a dead creature Call home for shame call home I say thy wits together and resolue to submit thy selfe vnto the iudgement of the Gods and to doe as they shall command thee for our griefes moue not them neither doe our teares appease their rigour towards vs. Ah Father answered the Shepheard how can he who hath no more power ouer his slaue because he hath past ouer his freedome vnto another dispose of him and command him as he was wont and how wilt thou that I beare sway ouer my soule hauing none within me since I haue resigned it vnto my Ladie who disposeth thereof as she best pleaseth And herein I resemble that miserable marchant whose ship being driuen against a Rocke scarce saueth his naked selfe hauing before seene all his goods and seruants to be cast away and drowned or rather I am like vnto that haplesse Duke of Ithaca who hauing but one poore leaking vessell got a shore through the helpe of the Sea Nymph Can he whom the cruell Law hath subiected vnder the will of another and being his poore drudge and slaue doe as he faine would and dispose of himselfe as he listeth You know he cannot neither can I doe as I would but as I may for I am my Mistris slaue and although she is not with me yet my heart which serueth in steed of a Table vnto Loue to draw her beautifull conceit presenteth her euery minute before me so as I seeme to see her liuely the sight whereof doth take away my sences from me for worthy things causeth vs to burne in loue of them and with a sweet kinde of force drawe vs of our owne accord to come vnto them Then maruaile no more though thou findest me thus out of temper If meere griefe be of power to procure death then what may Loue doe which not onely seazeth vpon the bodie but likewise vpon the soule scarce had I wet the soales of my feete entring into this wide Ocean of sundrie conceits when thou withdrewest me from the same as that carefull father doth his harmelesse child from the brim of some pit wherein he might fall and be drowned But alas what wouldest thou haue me to doe Suffer me I pray thee and let me alone in my musing for there is nothing more pleasant vnto a wofull man then to dreame of such delights as he hath once tasted because as then he thinketh still to tast them I was dreaming of that contentment which the companie of my Diana hath heretofore brought me why then hast thou disturbed me in the same when perhaps I shall not encounter with so sweet a thought I know not when againe and the rather for that a leuen houres and three quarters of a day are destined for the mishap of man and onely one poore quarter appointed for his contentment of which small space of time many haue bene depriued in the number of which I am the chiefe No no replied the old man Not to thinke of misfortunes maketh a man as happie as if he had neuer bene afflicted with any for he cannot be said to be sicke that liueth without any feeling of griefe or disease so he is not wretched that neuer remembreth his former disasters the thought whereof is the occasion that maketh vs so sad Driue then these idle fancies out of thy braine Hardly could courteous Dido entreate the wandring Prince of Troy to repeate and report the ouerthrow of his countrie although he was much beholding vnto her for irkesome is the calling to minde of such matters Away then with these toyes and begin thy discourse where thou last didst leaue which will like thee better and the rather when thou shalt account thy happie fortunes Ah good father answered Arcas neuer hath my tongue bene vsed to talke of any good fortune that hath hapned vnto me heretofore for few or none haue I had but onely to sigh forth my strange and wofull losses What Sunne haue these my drerie eyes euer beheld without new floods of teares and what darkesome night hath couered them with neuer so heauie a sleepe but that fresh griefes haue growne before the breake of day within my soule My wofull pilgrimage in this vnconstant world hath alwaies bene vnluckie dismall and vnfortunate and therefore I would to God that death had abridged the same But why should you thinke that I could liue and languish thus without bethinking me of my losse Nothing pincheth the heart more then a mans ouerthrow because it is long before he can recouer himselfe againe and for that it will aske much labour and paine yea it is so deeply inprinted within vs that although we haue in time repaired and amended our selues yet still there remaineth some one marke or another that galleth vs euen at the very quicke Who euer sawe man hauing endured great hinderance and mishaps but that he sometimes thinketh thereon yea and now and then bewaileth the same although he haue neuer so great a courage We are all good registers of such aduersities as happen vnto vs but not of prosperitie and sooner can we call to minde an iniurie done vnto vs then remember a benefit or good turne which we haue receiued for this old sinne of our great grandlire Adam draweth vs alwaies rather vnto bad then good This is the reason that men for the most part are naturally giuen sooner to slaunder then to defend the good name and credit of their neighbous and so likewise this is the cause I so liuely feele and apprehend the remembrance of my calamities not wishing any thing so much as to be confined within some Rocke alone like a Recluse to the end I might the better meditate vpon them and the more bitterly bewaile them Now quoth the old gray-beard I see thou art in the wrong for we must not haue our eyes alwaies vpon the earth but sometimes we must as well looke vp towards heauen Wherefore serueth this diuine reason which maketh vs Lords ouer all other creatures if by her aide we repulse not such mortall passions as come into the world with vs And to what end doth a father send his Sonne vnto the Vniuersitie most willingly defraving
had receiued their owne liues of him before who might if he so had pleased haue put them both to death So sweet was the pardon my Ladie gaue me which quite changed my minde restored mee to life and draue away all desire of death from me Straunge and extraordinarie are the meanes by which the Heauens lend ayde and assistance vnto miserable men especially when they least expect any such succour to be at hand Thousands of daungers did constant Marius escape and in the ende came to be chiefe Ruler in Rome The Heauens are so curteous as hardlie will they suffer that anie man be ouerthrowne or vndone and fewe haue there bene that haue offered to lay violent handes vpon themselues which they haue not saued Being as then both iocund and merrie I feasted and made much of poore Fortunio within my little Cabbin who vppon a day sitting at the Table with mee began thus to talke Certainely I will neuer maruell more to see thy face portrayed forth with griefe seeing thou louest so faire a Ladie For farre more daungerous and difficult is his Trauaile who aduentureth beyond the Seas to finde such curious marchandizes as be precious and rare then the paines an other taketh who is contented with such things as his owne Countrey affordeth No more can thy enterprise be other then heauie and full of perill thou louing no ordinarie Beautie but such a one as is most peerlesse and admirable And therefore is thy minde more haughtier then other Louers who followe faces lesse faire then thine by oddes But yet let this be thy comfort that the more thou doest hazard thy selfe in this so dangerous an Attempt the more glorious shall the victorie be when thou shalt obtaine the same For not matters of small importance but such as be hard and vnlikely to be atchieued deserue honour Vertue oftentimes making her selfe knowne amongst foule Vices as the Sunne doth in middest of the starres But I pray thee tell mee who set thee in hand with this second Taske and what gentle God heated thee with this other flame seeing thou so long time didst vowe seruice vnto the diuine Iulietta who when shee shall know hereof will condemne thee for chaunging and account thee as one fickle and vnconstant Ah Fortunio replyed I none can iustlie conceiue such finister opinion of mee For doest not thou knowe that my Loues were neuer other then honest and commendable I neuer loued the Bodie of anie woman so much as I did her soule It was the beautie of the minde and not the perfection of her personage that I esteemed and therefore doest not thou call to membrie that onely sighes haue bene the fruites of my loues He cannot be tearmed a Thiefe or Robber that liketh and seeketh for all such qualities as Vertue maketh amiable in anie subiect where they are found Neither will the wise be angrie or offended at all that their equalls are accounted of and that their perfections are honoured and blazed abroade as well as their owne bee Long since the auncient Sages of Sparta neuer fell out amongst themselues nor were iealous the one of the other if many of them had cast their affection vpon one goodly childe or other because they all striuing to exceede one an other in good will endeuoured within themselues to bring vp the same youth to be as perfect as might bee How then can my famous Iulietta condemne mee or once thinke ill of mee if I hauing heeretofore exalted carrolized and blazoned abroad her rare Thewes doe now take Truce with my Penne to the ende I might the more casilie bestowe a little time in displaying by my writings the excellent gifts of an other Ladie who doth participate with her Vertues The loue that a kinde Father beareth vnto one of his Children doth not hinder him but that hee may make much of the rest And the white colour that one esteemeth of in his owne conceit is no such let but that hee may as well like what is sable and blacke This word Vnconstant or Wanering is meant by such sensuall and voluptuous Louers as seeke and hunt after pleasure onely delighting also in chaunge and neuer making account of Vertue as I doe For of what Inconstancie can the faire and learned Iulietta taxe me if without hauing broken my word vnto her I honour her as much as euer I did before Whereas cruell should that honour be vnto mee and hardly should shee deale with mee if she should forbid me to reuerence and esteeme of an other Ladie who deserueth the same dutious respect as shee doeth As a iealous Husband is cruell and vnkinde vnto his chaste wife if he shall prohibite and hinder her to loue such qualities as are commendable and praise-worthie Honest Affection is not like vnto foolish Loue for the one beareth and endureth many things with patience it being possible for one man to loue manie vertuous sparits without reproach and all at one time where the foolish Louer cannot loue ante more then one fond woman at once except hee be counted a Cozoner and forsworne He cannot be iudged to be wise and of discretion who for his owne respect will seeke to hinder in what hee may that such things as are vertuous and commendable should not be liked nor accounted of But such a one is not of himselfe worthie of anie Loue at all For to oppose ones selfe against the honour which is giuen vnto Vertue is to be her mortall enemiet Vertue being worthie to be reuerenced and prised in what manner soeuer she is found as a rich Ring is to be accounted of vpon what finger soeuer it is put Poore was Homer and yet his Learning brought him to be respected hee hauing had bestowed vpon him thousands of Honors worthie of eternall glorie yet if hee should haue sought to haue swallowed vp all these great Fauours done vnto him and haue studied by all the meanes hee could to crosse others that deserued well seeking to keepe them backe from such dignities as were awarded vnto them hee not onely should haue bene counted both grosse and ignorant but also spitefull malicious and ill giuen And so would the world repute of the matchlesse Iulietta if shee should stomacke and take in ill part that her equalls should haue such praise as they but worthilie merite For although now I loue Diana yet doe I not anie way giue ouer to like Iulietta But the Schoole-maister sometimes giueth ouer teaching graunting leaue vnto his Scholler to goe play not suffering him alwayes to stand poaring vpon his booke Euen so I most humble must intreat her to permit mee for a while to sound forth the praises of Diana abroad as I haue alreadie done hers But now repose thy selfe Fortunio and take thy quiet rest for I perceiue thou art as yet wearie of thy great trauaile and labour and we will hereafter finde a more conuenient leisure to talke of these our olde matters Wherevpon the poore soule tooke mee at my
shall chance to be any hinderance vnto thee let me then entreate so much at thy hands that I depriuing my selfe of this loathed life may be rid of these corsiues which still torment me and thou be freed of this tedious charge which so much troubles thee Not so answered Orythia Let mee alone and I dare warrant thee all shall be well Castles besieged yeeld not at the first parley things that are brought to passe processe of time and with mature deliberation and aduise continue longer and seeme more sweet afterward for a man knoweth not the delightfulnes of pleasure aright if he haue not a tast of paine before and that which we haue most dearest bought and hardliest come by we alwaies hold most pretious and of most account Liue then in peace and suffer me to trie my fortune which I perswade my selfe shall proue most happie in thy behalfe So saying the Nymph leaueth me to take her iourney minding to helpe me although she hurt her selfe taking more care to heale my sore then to cure her owne wound I could not chuse but follow after her faire and softly yet aloofe when by chance I met Fortunnio in the way all to be blubbered with weeping who thought verily that I had bene dead he roming vp and downe the Forrest like a man distraught crying out and calling still vpon my name whom none saue an Ecco answered Much did he bewaile my losse making greater moane for me then I deserued whilest most vnwisely he blamed Loue as the Author of my death and enuied most bitterly against the stonie hart of my faire Mistris But no sooner had he a sight of me but that he came running most cheerfully vnto me and most tenderly embraced me changing his former sad and heauie countenance not vnlike to him who hauing found some pretious Iewell which he before accounted as lost beginneth to reuiue and to be merrie againe Then did he tell me how my Ladie had hard I was dead she belieuing the same for most certaine truth for Orythia had for my good spread abroad this report with as much speed as possible she could which comming vnto my Dianas eares was not a little vnpleasant vnto her as was found by the number of salt teares which she shed as a sure restimonie of her true griefe Which when I knew I began to take comfort againe and to reuiue my selfe with a fresh hope of some good successe to come and thereupon I compiled these verses following vpon the teares which my Mistris shed in my behalfe whilest I attended with great deuotion the often wished for returne of kinde Orythia Examitor and Pentamitor verses Sweet doe not thinke thy pearly teares my paines can asswage ought Not death but thy teares bring to my soule his adue For thy grieuous plaints in steed of one onely shert death Thousand deaths and more are to me paine to enerease I not deserue that thou for me shouldst wofully weepe thus T is not death but thy teares take from my selfe my delight Death alone this sillie corpse commands when it iskes him But thy griefes doeforce soule for to flie to the skie After so many paines in our loue leaue vnto me giue none Hence to depart in peace rest that I may in my graue Long enough haue I liu'd since that so gentle a liking Tide hath thy hart to mine and to thy soule ioyned miue Then this my exceeding torments Faire doe not enuie Since that I desire life then thy selfe for to leaue Farewell pleasd he dyes who dying findeth a fauour When that his Ladies hand close vp his eyes at his end What more sacred Tombe to be interd can I chuse me Then to die in thy armes where my desire euer liu'd If whilst I liu'd thou care didst take for my poore life At my happines then ah be not enuious now Leaue I beseech thee teares to shed since teares cannot helpe me For my soule once gone thou by thy teares cannot haue Cruell death to relent with sighes you neuer intreate can Blest that Louer dies who by his Loue makes an end Onely this I beg at thy hands before that I die here Those faire beautious eyes kisse that I might but a while Might I but finde this kindnes rare then blest would my soule be Nor would it are forget thanks to requite in his minde Faire too much it were for me to die in thy sweet armes He that dies content death neuer feeles or his dart Who to his Mistris doth deuote his hart as a present Leaues the same in his brest royally laide in a Tombe Gloomie night for to close mine eyes fast can neuer haue power Nor can I die as long as what I like I may see Then doe but thinke on me whose soule was onely deuoted Vnto thy selfe and which liu'd in thy brest that is chaste In the bottome of my darke graue shine shall thy bright eyes Whilst with a new fire death shall me reuiue once againe For if heretofore the same could into my soule peirce Who can hinder it now brightly to shine on my coarse Then deare Saint to leaue these wailings let me request thee I doe not sigh cause I die but thee to see to lament For since of thy grace I am not worthy but vnfit Then as much as a teare why for my sake shouldst thou shed Vnder the yoake of amorous seruice whilst that I liu'd What good once did I thee what haue I done for thee ere T is no sense to bewaile the losse of one that deserues not Who to none but himselfe whilst that he liu'd did he loue This is the cause my soule force my coarse to relinquish For that he seruice small did whilst he liu'd to my dame Yet since this my wisht for death most happily hapneth Since by my parting now I from my griefe now doe part T is my fortune for me too good ah faire doe not enuie Since that alone through death happily liue doth the soule Wipe then thy faire eyes and without shewe of a mourner This my breathlesse Trunke vnto the graue doe thou beare Thrise happie Tombe since he againe reuiues with a new life Who dead leaueth his Loue rauished him for to joy This was the mestfull Dittie I made I being then so troubled in my minde as I knew not well how to expresse my griefe although I vsed many scalding sighes and salt teares to make manifest the same I being of cōceit that it was impossible for me to blazon forth the crueltie of Loue in his right colours and yet did I seeke to comfort my selfe in that I had many cōpanions in my miserie heretofore O victorious Caesar for all thy valour thou wast conquered by louely Cleopatra who had a sonne by thee called Cesarion And thou graue Emperour and diuine Phylosopher diddest thou not doate vpon thy most vnhonest Faustina whilest thou thy selfe becamest Loues prisoner notwithstanding all thy wisedome and greatnes Hanniball found his force too
vnto the other vertue where I doubt not but I shall be better entertained then I haue bene here vpon the earth Meane space I admonish thee and all such as thou shalt thinke worthie to make acquainted with this matter to detest and aborre this shamelesse Monster and to follow me in my course of life otherwise they shall be afflicted with like punishment as those proud Giants the Titanois were for their more then audatious presumption Hauing made an end of her speech I might perceiue wings to issue out of the sides of this beautious Damozell wherewith I saw her to flie vp towards the element passing through the airie Regious vntill she came vnto the heauenly Court of the Eternall King since which time she neuer descended nor neuer as I doubt will she any more This accident droue me into no small amazement not vnlike him that seeth many strange enchantments done by a Magitian whereupon with more hast then good speed I went to finde my Mistris to declare this aduenture vnto her but the feare she had of the foresaid beast had driuen her from thence so as I found nothing but the corner within which we had hidden our selues But O me vnhappie wretch that reported that which afterward was my vtter ruine and ouerthrow An Example O what euill sometimes this little tongue of ours doth vnto vs for that of Demosthenes ouerthrew the libertie of Greece And therefore thrise wise was that Phylosopher that thought nothing in this world to be worse then the tongue because it not onely bringeth calamitie vnto him that speaketh but also vnto the whole common-wealth besides And therefore well said that old Sage of Greece who affirmed that silence was commendable and without blame whereas speaking was subiect vnto reprehention and reproach The auncient wise men in times past did offer Sacrifice vnto dumb Silence as vnto a sacred Deitie adoring her with great reuerence for many a one haue bene cut short of their liues because of their ouer-rash and bold speech and this found I to be but too true by mine owne experience and vnto my no small griefe Well I not finding my Mistris there went seeking of her vp and downe not making account of any paine so I might once haue a sight of her loue making that labour to seeme but easie and sweet which Louers vndertake when they follow in pursuit their faire and beautious Ladies for the desire which they haue to see them maketh them to thinke it is no trauaile at all and that man thinketh that he rather plaieth then worketh who expecteth some worthie recompence when he hath brought his worke vnto an end This made me to run vp and downe to see if I could finde her whilest being earnest in this busines I might heare a certaine voice comming forth of a thicke quickset wherevpon I staied awhile to harken if it were hers or no but I knew quickly it was not as soone as I hard the Song which was as followeth Withouten scope To haue the hopen My Ladie any more Since cannot bee That I may see To death I le flie therefore Sweet death now come And to me runne Since I to thee doe crie Be thou my friend That I may end These dates of miserie Whilst I doe line I nought but grieue Deprined of all ioy How can that hart Of case haue part When Loue doth him annoy My sorrowes soure My cries each houre My soule doth pinch with paine My heauie moanes My sighes nor groanes Can neuer moue my dame Why then so long Death dost me wrong That yet I am not dead That man doth rest Happie and blest Whose soule from hence is sled No worldly strife No ill so rife Can hurt who is in graus Die he doth not But life hath got That such a good may haue Thus was the Shepheard amorous of my Diana of whome I told you before who reaped no more sweet fruits of his loue nor found any more curtesie at her hands then I had done which was in effect nothing so that we being borne both vnder one Plannet became to become partners and companions in our loue and miserie together He sighed and sobbed as I did he wailed and wept as I vsed to doe and yet neither his sighing nor his teares were any more profitable vnto him then they were vnto me After his Song was finished he began thus afresh to complaine O Cupid how well haue the Gods chosen thee to be the bloodie butcher of their cruelties since they could not bestowe this office vpon any that could discharge the place so well as thou by reason thou art more cruellie giuen then any one that is in heauen aboue or else in hell belowe There is no tortor or torment no Corsie or anquish of what Nature or kinde soeuer that is without hope Loue onely excepted for to miserable Captaines there is some hope of their freedome to poore and beggerly wretches a conceit to become rich againe to sicke persons some comfort to recouer their former health but loue is without all likelihood or beliefe of hope whatsoeuer Who then is more cruell then he who more to be doubted and who so hurtfull and dammageable vnto mankinde and therefore when the Gods meane to punish vs most cruellie then doe they send this cruell executioner vnto vs he being farre worse then the flashing lightning it selfe for that without languishing quickly dispatcheth vs where this after it once beginneth with vs neuer maketh an end driuing vs to linger in a worse then deadly consumption Too well finde I this and feele it to my smart louing in dispaire and yet in such sort as death which is hatefull vnto men and is of force to rid me out of this agonie and insupportable passions is forbidden me I not daring to die for feare to loose the wisht for presence of her who daily killeth me So doth the Marchant allured with profit scowre so often the swelling Seas that in the end both he and his ship with all his Marchandise is swallowed therein And so I loue and yet will not giue ouer that which in the end will drowne me and be the cause of my pittious ouerthrow but as the Gods harden the harts of such men whom they meane to chastise who when it is too late begin to thinke how they might haue aunided the same so the more rigorously to punish me the heauens haue forced me to loue depriuing me of all meanes how to helpe my selfe because they are desirous of my fall O thrise blessed Leander Piramus and Paris in respect of me who for loue left their liues and yet had this good hap that before they died they enioyed their Mistreâ—es companie and were beloued of them where I on the other side am hated and loathed of mine But diuers and of sundrie effects are the shafts of Loue some are of leade and they rather coole and freeze then heate others â—â—hedded with gold which pierce into
and with such exceeding rare Eloquence as he brought them to be willing to yeeld and to be vnder the gouernment of his Countrey The valiant Pirâ—â—us king of the Epirotes was not of your aduise hee being wont to say that his Orator Cineas got more Townes by his Eloquence then hee could doe by his Armie Royall and Souldiers Thus doe you see that whom you haue disliked the greatest Monarks in the world haue accounted of and so should you doe most beautifull Virgin if you did well But least reason of all haue you to be of opinion to leaue this Actiue life for to followe the Contemplatiue because hee that laboureth most is worthie of the greatest hire hee that aduentureth most dangerouslie deserueth most praise and hee that effecteth and bringeth to a good ende a worke more admirable and more excellent then others doth merit greatest reward and honour Now in the Actiue life there is more trauaile more profite for our Countrey and more labour in the same which if it be so then are they worthie of more guerdon and commendation that liue in this world then such as retiring themselues to liue in a corner onely profite themselues Our Sauiour Christ the right Mirrour of Christian vertue tooke vpon him this course of life liuing conuersing and dwelling amongst men without withdrawing himselfe altogether into the Wildernes to the ende hee might be profitable vnto himselfe onely After him followed his Apostles who gaue not ouer the world to seeke some vncoth place of dwelling to liue priuately vnto themselues But rather chose to come abroad into the face of the world where they laboured trauailed sweat and suffered much affliction for others and not for themselues God will not haue that anie should hide his Talent vnder the ground and so put it to no vse seeing he hath lent it him for the publike commoditie of all men Neither will hee that a Lampe be hidden vnder a bushell vnto no ende but rather that it shall giue light abroad For in what doeth that man stand in steed of who fearing to be employed about the publike good seeketh onely to profite himselfe If euery one were of your opinion what Magistrates what Gouernours or what Officers should wee haue to rule and gouerne Common-wealths For so none would willingly take vpon him the busines of his Countrey remembring the troubles belonging vnto the same but rather withdraw themselues from thence to liue quietly and at their owne contentment But the Lawes both of God and man forbid such kinde of dealings For they will that such whome God hath made sufficient and fit for the Common-wealth shall serue the same yea though against his will and not liue idlely at his owne pleasure in as much as it is not reasonable that the Master of a Shippe shall sleepe and take his rest whilst the Vessell is tossed with the storme and Tempest vpon the Sea and the passengers therein stand in danger to be drowned Euen so it is a most vniust thing that the busines of the Weale publike and those that may profite them by their vertue should liue quiet and at ease without doing anie thing at all but lie at pleasure in some one odde corner or another priuately vnto himselfe and the rather because our Countrey most iustlie claimeth to haue interest in our bodies and in our soules Also this was the reason Many great Princes forced to take vpon thâ—m the gouernment of the Common-wealth for eagâ—nâ—â— their â—als that long agone the Romanes constrained Cincinnatus and Fabritius to leaue their Countrey Houses and the delights they found abroad to make them take charge of the Common-wealths affaires and to fight against their enemies So was graue Sâ—neca called from his studie maugre himselfe and from his sweete libertie to trouble himselfe with his Princes businesse So in times past did the French-men vse to take their Kings out of Monasteries to follow the charge of the Common-wealth and Kingdome And so was that cruell Amurath Emperour of the Turkes withdrawne from out a certaine solitarie place which hee had chosen to finish his life in hauing before installed his sonne that bloody Mahometh in his Estate royall to encounter with the Christian Armie so much feared of those Pagans and which for that cause craued the presence of old Amurath himselfe So you most louely Nymph who by your prudent behauiour are able to doe much good seruice vnto the Weale-publike ought not to refuse so honourable a labour but rather be the more willinger when you may doe good vnto your followers and friends For what shall become of this goodly companie of Nymphes which are committed vnto your charge and conduct if you shall leaue them They shal be like vnto a faire flocke that hath no Shepheard and therefore in great daunger to be deuoured of rauenous Wolues Chaunge then chaunge I beseech you this your late conceited opinion and if not for loue of your owneselfe yet at the least doe it in fauour of these sweet Nymphes who without you are most miserable creatures abandoned and giuen ouer vnto the rage of most vnfortunate mishaps Thus did I plead mine owne cause euery one of the Nymphes commending and applauding my perswasions being glad of my discourse and allowing of my speeches whilst they all with one consent made the same sute vnto her they themselues beeing now become bolde since I had broken the yce before them to deliuer in effect as much vnto her as I had done alreadie And the more to moue her vnto pittie no teares nor sighes were spared no mournfull complaints forgotten neither any pittious intreatings left vnremembred After this followed a long narration of the dangers which her absence was like to bring vnto them after they had a little blamed her first to take them as her charge and guide and then to leaue them thus vpon the suddaine To be briefe there was nothing left vnspoken whereby she might be disswaded A Similie to giue ouer this her enterprise But as an olde Beech tree deepely rooted in the ground being strong and huge in growth is not moued any thing at all with the small blastes of Sommer windes and as the stubborne Rock that standeth in the middest of the Sea neuer stirreth for all the waues that beate and flash against him Euen so my cruell Ladie was not moued at all although with teares with cries and with laments we called still vpon her shee being resolute in her first purpose and determination affirming the heauens themselues not to be sufficient to alter her minde For said shee it is to those whom the soueraigne of all Kings hath giuen force and power to serue their Common-wealths you should addresse your speeches and not vnto me who am but a poore silly Maide who stand in no other stead then to eate the fruites which proceed from the earth who can no way be beneficiall vnto my Countrey but only by my prayers which I shall
to what end is it to winne time for that which cannot be auoided Free and discharge my doubtfull soule from farther care and seeme not to enuie at the good fortune which I am like to haue by laying violent hands vpon my selfe Diana seeing me looke so pale and gastly began to be a little moued with compassion towards me whereupon she thus answered Ah Shepheard why dealest thou so hardly with me and why doest thou constraine me to doe that which is against my will and why to saue thy selfe doest thou seeke that I may perish Hard hap had I to be borne vnder so vnluckie a Plannet sithence inaccording vnto thy request I shall leaue vnto the world a bad opinion of my chaste minde and in resusing to yeeld vnto thee I shall be counted the murtherer of thy life Ah would to God that that day wherein I first sawe thee had bene the last houre that euer mine eyes had seene thee any more But seeing there is no remedie in extremities come what will I will rather ingage mine owne life then venture thine and if it be my fortune to die for this fault yet will I thinke to finde my death more sweet vnto me then if I had put thee to suffer the same seeing thou hast endured so much for my sake onely Take then this accursed hand accursed because of mine honour and doe with it as thou shalt please yet with this solemne protestation that if this my curtesie shall bring the least suspition or scandall of my good name and fame vnto me the selfe same hand that hath bene the cause thereof shall make amends by shedding the purest blood which is within this bodie Whereupon she presented me her faire hand to kisse But in this exploit I behaued my selfe as that braue Cauailier who doth sweare to be the death of his enemie whilest he keepeth him close and standeth out against him but no sooner doth he submit himselfe vnto him but that he receiueth him most curteously forgiuing all displeasures that is past Euen so plaid I for holding this pretions pawne within my power and perceiuing that it grieued my Mistris to giue the same as she did I vtterly refused her kinde offer resoluing with my selfe rather to languish still like a miserable creature then to giue her the least displeasure that might be and yet neuerthelesse I disputed of this question a good while before I let her hand goe from me One while the great delight which it presented vnto mine eyes longing sore as a starued man for foode to possesse this rich Iewell pressed me very much to take that happie occasion not vnlike vnto that man who hauing not of long time eate any thing finding a Table furnished with great store of meate falleth vnto his Victualls and cannot for his life forbeare from eating that though he would neuer so faine An other while the extreame Loue which I bare vnto my Ladie compelling me to seeke and preferre the contentment of her aboue mine owne quiet opposed it selfe against me counterchecking my desire And therefore well might she perceiue how farre I was from seeking the purchase of her dishonour when I resolued to endure millions of torments before I would be an occasion that she should grieue or be discontented any way at all Hauing long time debated within my selfe about this matter in the end I did as that prudent King of the Spartans who being almost dead for thirst caused all his followers to drinke their fills he himselfe refusing to tast as much as one drop of the water although he sat vpon the Fountaines side to the end he might saue his people from seruile bondage and so did I refuse this worthy gift seeing I sawe how dearely my Mistris accounted of the same and therefore taking her by that faire hand I said thus vnto her No no my sacred Goddesse neuer shall it be obiected as a foule reproach vnto wretched Arcas that he went about to force the vertuous Diana Death shall be more agreeable vnto me then life before I will constraine or compell thee to any thing that is against thine owne will Suffer me I pray thee to continue the same as I am and let neither the one nor the other of my requests be graunted I will not offer to touch thy beautious hand with my polluted lips seeing I perceiue thou thinkest that it will be some disparagement vnto thee neither will I die at all seeing my death is not agreeable vnto thee but rather liuing as I doe a most languishing life I will still attend thy last will pleasure First shall my soule flie forth from out this bodie rather shall my heart burst in sunder within my brest and sooner shall this vitall breath of mine be stopped on the suddaine before I will doe any thing that shall any way mislike thy minde If I demaund ought that is vnlawfull pardon me I beseech you seeing Loue is the cause thereof As for my selfe I will meekely beare and patiently endure my tedious troubles and still vexing corsies without lodging any more such two vnwelcome guests within me as you shall dislike of Then O yee miserable wretches all you that sometimes haue liued here vpon the earth come come and rid your selues of all your cares and lay them all vpon me who am ble and of force to beare them And now you my drearie eyes euerlasting let your teares be my scalding sighes neuer giue ouer to smoake from out my brest whilest thou my tongue shalt doe nothing else but pitteously report thy heauie Martyrdomes Alas when will that houre come wherein after I haue sufficiently wept and wailed sighed and sobbed may depart this vaile of miserie Ah Ladie must mine eyes endure to behold thine absence and shall my tongue be able to bid thee farewell No no rather let mine eyes be blind for euer and let my tongue neuer pronounce word more Ah kinde death gentle death curteous death if euer thou hast brought succour vnto any sorrowfull wight then come and helpe me Behold I call thee heare how I cry vnto thee nay more I summon thee in Iustice to appeare But is it possible that a solitarie place shall seclude so sweet a Saint from my companie and must I be faine loosing the substance to feed vpon the shadow No it cannot be I first must die not being able to endure her absence Madam your most wretched and yet more loyall Seruant Arcas cannot leaue your presence but he must withall leaue his owne life he must die before your eyes before he depart from you and faine would he sacrifice his heart vpon the Altar of your beautie if he might haue but your good will and leaue But I see it will not be for I am yours and not mine owne you may not be without me and therefore I will follow you wheresoeuer you goe and when I can goe no farther then will I shorten my daies to end mine endlesse sorrowes For
in that you haue vouchsafed to permit me to enioy your more then Angelicall presence thus long and all alone Neuertheles I most humbly thanke you as much for the proffer thereof as if I had enioyed the same I being euery way contented and satisfied as I would my selfe Thus did I excuse my selfe as one vnworthie of so great a kindnesse making daintie of the matter when my Ladie seeming as it were to be angrie that I refused the same and somewhat blushing through Choller thus replyed Well shepheard well I now perceiue that you will not accept of this small fauour because vo◠would haue some colour to complaine of mee after my departure from you Willingly I offer it then willinglie accept it for say that anie thing otherwise then well should happen vnto me about this matter yet would not I haue thee to think I loue thee so ill as I would lay anie blame vpon thee at all More pleasing is a hurt come by chaunce from a friend then a pleasure or good turne done vnto vs proceeding from an enemie Then if I may doe any thing with thee let mee intreat thee to doe as I will haue thee which if thou wilt not then wilt thou make me to think thou neuer didst affect me The refusall of a gift presented in good will argueth a peruerse minde of him against the giuer that doeth refuse the same Euen so I cannot imagine otherwise of thee but that thou rather hatest mee then louest me truely and therefore doe as thou pleasest But I will call the heauens to witnesse of mine offer proceeding from a pure good will to the ende the blame shall be thine and not mine if hereaster without cause thou shalt exclaime against me Therefore if euer thou meanest that I shall remember thy loue and that I shall thinke thou hast euer affected mee with a chaste and an vnspotted heart then let me intreat thee to accept of this gift which as I knowe it will be pleasing vnto thee so shall it be no way hurtfull vnto me at all Seeing then said I louely Diana that such is thy pleasure I will obey the same whether I liue or die and not a little will I glorie herein that I haue liued to fulfill the will of so great and gracious a Ladie as your selfe swearing by those your Diamond eyes that what mischaunce so euer shall hereafter light vpon mee I neuer will accuse you for the same Wherevpon I gentlie tooke her Iuory soft hand which I kissed bedeawing it with many a louing teare O sweet thought thereof ô pleasing remembrance of that good Fortune and ô sacred memory of that blessed time although they cost me dearely not long after That poore vassall who findeth himselfe punished for presuming to haue hunted within the Parkes of his Lord receiueth not halfe so deepe a conceit of his displeasure as this Fauour made mee afterwards to endure So much was my delight as I seemed to be rauished therewithall nothing in the world being able to haue contented mee so much as that did That thing which a man loueth and hath a minde vnto hee thinketh can neuer be too deerly bought Euen so I found nothing so precious in my thoughts as was those kisses which I then enioyed Alas neuer doe I thinke thereof but that I am ready for to sownd That wicked Tyrant Dennis beeing driuen out of his kingdome of Sicile neuer thought himselfe so wretched when he remembred his vtter ouerthrow as I doe when I call to minde my former life and happines I stood still as a stone sighing and crying out as indeed I had reason for two causes especially The one was the absence of my Ladie the other the losse of that sweete contentment which I then enioyed and was to giue ouer presently But the day now beginneth to be late and therefore I will briefly make an ende of this my more then wofull Tragedie No sooner had I let goe my Ladies hands but that the whole troupe of Nymphes were arriued they all saluting Diana their Gouernesse who was not slowe to returne them the like kindnes againe Alas this was that dismall day which did me both good and bad and all at one time together wherin I may compare her vnto the Viper which being venomous doth sting deadly and yet neuertheles serueth for many necessary helpes and vses For then was it when my Mistris still setled in her first resolution tooke leaue of all the Nymphes her companions to goe and inclose her selfe within some solitarie Cell for none could disswade her from the same althogh with sighes teares she was perswaded to the contrary Whilst I poore wretch being not able to endure to behold so pittifull a departure weeping and crying out like an other Niobe conueyed my selfe behinde a Rocke to bewaile my losse at the more leisure O how heauy were the complaintes I made as then how dolefull the mournings how bitter the laments and how pittifull was the moestfull sound of my dying voice I must needs make you acquainted with some part of them because I haue no other delight then to call to minde these my forepassed miseries Be these then cried I out the last speeches that euer I shall make vnto my deare Mistris and thou most glorious Sunne is it possible that I should be able to behold this blacke gloomy day when thou thy selfe hast hid thy head before times for lesse matter then this If so why then doest thou not now hide thy selfe to the ende thou mayest not view the most wretched Caitiffe that euer liued Who euer knew a bodie to liue without a soule breath or blood no more shall mine do for thou holdest my soule and heart louely Diana The cruell Destinies shall not depriue thee of mee but of my life also In losing of thee I will lose my selfe neither shall mine eyes see any more since they cannot behold thy gracious presence Vnfortunate I that did not a while since go kill my selfe before I was depriued from my chiefest ioy I now liuing to be but a common receptacle for all mischaunces whatsoeuer As possible is it for a man to support vpon his shoulders the huge weight of the Heauens as for mee to beare the absence of thee my sacred Diana Since the nourishment of my life is gone what can mine Eyes behold to see seeing their Sunne is Eclipsed who shall giue light vnto mine heart and how shall my hope flourish greene since all comforts be quite blasted and gone How many Louers haue there bene that haue either dyed with griefe or else haue slaine themselues with their owne swords onely because they haue lost their faire Mistriffes What then should let or hinder mee but that in like manner I may followe their examples The Marchant that hath no marchandise shutteth vp his shoppe and liueth idlely Euen so I hauing lost my Saint must shut vp mine eyes with the sweet slumber of death O blessed Eyes in that you haue
beheld so perfect a beautie but farre more blessed if being depriued of her you likewise depriue your selues of all light O royall Recluse that shalt enioy the companie of my Diana Ah why am not I transformed into thee what shall I doe or what shall become of mee whither should I goe or what should I say and what can I hope for that may please me in this world Too long haue I liued since the longer I liue the more my paiâ—e increaseth Dispatch then forlorne and forsaken Shepheard seeing thou art exiled from what thou most of all didst delight in whilst yee mine Eyes who of late serued to contemplate so diuine a countenance shall now stand me in stead to raine downe bitter teares and thou my Tongue who of late wert an instrument to commend such rare and diuine vertues shalt serue me now to lament their losse and bid them all Adien Must I then bid Adieu vnto those golden locks which serued as bands to tye my heart must I bid Adieu to those faire and daintie tresses curling in cirkles and wauing with the winde resembling those of the Paphian Goddesse shall I neuer see you more after you are inclosed within those vnooth walls Must I needs bid Adieu vnto that goodly and spacious Forhead smooth as Gette and free from euerie wrinkle and frowne that For head whereas all Vertue lodgeth the seat of Iustice and receit of all Chastitie Must I needs languish and pine away without seeing you any more Oh vnhappie day of my byrth ô miserable my chaunce and vnfortunate the time wherein I liue Must I needs bid Adieu vnto those thinne and slender Eye-lids the foes of care and enemies vnto griefe descending vault-wise like a fine Arche of Ebonie delightfull to behold but farre more pleasant to touch Is it possible I can liue and not see you I cannot Now woe is mee I cannot needes must yee take my life away my sorrowfull life must you take away with you But chiefly you faire Eyes must I needs bid you Adieu my two glorious Sunnes haue you resolued neuer to shine more and must I needs still liue in darknesse O Saphire Eyes the throne of LOVE the bright lamps of Chastitie the lodges of vertue true mirrours of honest maiestike modestie must I needs beforsaken of you Cruell as you are you first inflamed my hart rauishing the same whilst it consumed with the fire of desire yet thinke not for all this that I will leaue you your glaunces shall be my guides and your lookes the pathes wherein I will trace I can no more lose or leaue you then the Traueller can walke in the thick darke wood without the light of the day O faire Mouth and must I needs bid thee Adieu wo is me shall I neuer see thee more Ah sacred Mouth wherin my soule reposed the happie chaire of my chaste Desires resembling a garden of Musk roses and Cloue gilly-flowers from whence proceeded so many wise and hunnie speeches charming our â—indes as the great Priest of Thracia did the stones and Trees with the sound of his bewitchitching Harpe shall it be said I shall neuer see you more it cannot be Arcas shall neuer be seene to ioy in this world when he is depriued of the heauenly sound of thy Harmonious voyce And yee faire louely Cheekes shall I bid you Adieu Cheeks vermillion without cunning or painting whose naturall Die is the Lillie sweetly mixed with the Damask-rose neuer can I part from you without parting from life all Ah beautious Brests must I needs bid you Adieu where reposed the nine Muses with their sage brother Brests more faire then Summers day and far more white then Mountain snow sweet lobby of vertue it selfe and pleasant prison of my intangled heart Neuer shall I be able to bid you Adieu sooner must my dayes be shortned and my wretched selfe cut off before my time appointed In the meane space liue thou my peerlesse Saint in all happines full of ioy and freed from all annoy liue to be honoured both of Gods and men Adieu for euer and a day the light of my soule life of my minde farewell Adieu my gratious sweet chaste vertuous and religious Mistris Heauens graunt thee all happinesse according vnto thine owne contentment whilst I take my course to die despite of the maleuolent starres that haue so long prolonged my life But yet before my death leaue yee mine Eyes some teares to accompanie in weeping so manie faire and goodly Nymphes who as well as your selfe mourne for the losse of their best Gonernesse and yet it is not for braue and generous mindes to shead teares but rather for base Cowards weake Women and little powling Children Cato when hee died neuer wept at all so wee without lamenting will giue vp the Ghost it shall suffice that the goary droppes of my purple blood shall be in stead of salt teares Too much haue I sighed and sobbed too much haue I wailed and wept and ouermuch haue I lamented and cryed out And yet before my fatall houre approach I will leaue some pittious signes of my griese behinde mee that the world may see after my death how rare and constant my loue hath alwayes bene Herevpon I made an ende of my speech falling downe through very faintnesse all along vpon the grassie ground whilest holding mine armes acrosse as a token of my gricuous cares and lifting vp mine eyes towardes the heauens I began afresh to weepe most bitterly That done I began to apprehend so liuely a passion of exceeding bitter sorrow that the very conceit thereof made mee to sownd and so for a long time I lay as it were berest of all my senses At the last I reuiued and therewithall rose vp when taking my knife I engraued in the Rocke these mournfull Verses following Vnto the soundlesse Vaults of Hell below I le waile noy griefes remedilesse amaine Whilst frightfull Ghosts as pittifull shall shew And Fliâ—tie Rocks remorse take of my paine Yea Death it selfe my bitter paines shall know To witnesse that my life in noy hath laine For Louers true can neuer die indeed Whose loyall hearts a beanenly fire doth feed My Course beeing layd along within my Graue Shall shew his teares his torments and his loue And for his minde did neuer change nor waue Farre brighter then the Sunne the same shall prone By him the picture of his Lady he shall haue Which he being dead afresh shall make him mone Like to the fire in ashes contred Which though at shew no flame yet is not dead LOVE is not tarn'de by Death but still doth liue Although that life doth flit and passe away Then Lady thinke not though by death thou grieue My bodie that thou LOVE canst make decay As long as Fancie â—oth thy beautie driue Into my soule No this will bide for eye Within my heart thy beautie printed is LOVE in my Tombe to harbor will not â—â—isse Thinkst thou