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
our hearts setting a fire many flames within the same With the Leaden Arrow hath Cupid strucke my Ladie which maketh her colde and cruell vnto my mischiefe and with a gold enoue is my poore hart wounded burning the same incessantly and making it to die remedilesse As the waifairing man who perceiâ—inâ— two or three wolues deuouring a sheepe most greedily in the corner of a field goeth his way faire and softly that he may not be perceiued by them Euen so I hauing heâ—rd what this Shepheard said stole softly by him without any noise because he should not see me in quest of my Ladie and yet had I no great need so to doe for Loue taketh a mans sight and sences away from him in such wise as they become Rocks or Trees as Myrrha was And thus was I rid of my fellow in Loue whome I left alone to meditate therevpon this musing working mischiefe not alone to his thoughts but vnto hâ— eyes and bodie also Meane space I seeke vp and downe for my Diana Neuer did those two bretheren being Twinnes wander more carefully to seeke all about for their rauisht sister then I sought here and there for her whome at the last I found dauncing amongst other Nymphs who to driue away the feare from her which as yet held her had deuised this sportfull pastime to see if they could make her merrie One thought drowneth another one exercise maketh another to be forgotten and nothing sooner driueth away a Tempest then the bright beames of the Sunne his chiefest enemie Still and husht did I stand to seâ— this trim daunsing not being a little proud to behold my Saint who excelled all the rest whiâ—â—h they trod the measures as well in beautie as in behauiour and good grace as the Phenix doth all other Birds And now she had quite forgotten the foresaid Monster and her feare was past and gone when no sooner she espied me but that her colour began to change she shewing not that liuelines in the Galliard as she had done before for my presence brought the danger before her eyes which she had but lately scâ—â—ed putting her in minde afresh of the foule deformitie of the Mâ—â—rster Accursedd that should be occasion of griefe vnto her vpon whome my whole life and libertie did depend But this was but a preamble or a beginning of my sorrowes the end whereof was more then lamentable and Tragicall Well may I say too true is that pouertie which learneth vs that one pleasure engendreth a thousand cares and that nothing is so much subiect vnto change as is the prosperitie of man Quickly did I perceiue how my Dâ—â—na was altered yet knew I not well the occasion thereof for one while I thought it was for meere pittie of my paines that she looked so who beholding me began to bethinke her selfe of the same another while I doubted least some sinister conceit was come into her head against me she being loth to vtter it with her owne mouth vnto me Being thus troubled in minde with two contrarie opinions I thought it best to stay vntill they had made an end of their pastime the better to be resolued therein being greatly moued in that vpon my first arriuall I sawe her change her countenance and therefore longed the more to know the cause thereof It is strange to see how we are alwaies more desirous and curious to vnderstand what is bad in our owne behalfes then that which is good for vs as if we our selues and not others would become murtherers of our owne healths Meane space many things ran in my braines whilest my Mistris passing by cast now and then a glaunce vpon me which sometimes I tooke for the best and then againe I doubted the worst To be short I resembled the guiltie Fellon who strucken colde with feare attendeth his last sentence either of life or death whilest I listned vnto their singing and amongst diuers other Sonnets I brought this away with me which one of the Nymphs warbled forth and therather did I learne it by roate so soone because it did somewhat answere vnto my humour AN ODE Worthy's hee of the bright Day Who doth loyall LOVE obay CVPID onely I doe loue Him I worship stillaboue Happie is he that by the same Wisedome to himselfe doth gaine Worthy's hee of the bright Day Who doth loyall LOVE obay O how sweete is that warme Fire Which our hearts heates with Desire To our soules no sweetnes is Halfe so dulcet as is this Worthy's hee of the bright Day Who doth loyall LOVE obay Blessed LOVE withouten crime Two Sonles pleaseth at one time Then doth LOVE his Louer right When his loue hee doeth requite Worthy's hee of the bright Day Who doth layall LOVE obay Of two Soules hee makes but one In two Bodies all alone LOVE more happie cannot hee Then wee louing Couples see Worthy's hee of thi bright Day What doth loyall LOVE obay Pleasure none vpon the ground Like to LOVE is to be found Pieasures passe as transitorie LOVE still lines in great glorie Worhy's hee of the bright Day Who doth loyall LOVE obay After the Nymph had made an end of her Song which charmed my spirites my Ladie as another Caliope answered her Ah renowned Father how sweete and yet sower withall was that voyce of hers vnto mee Empoysoned Ipocras is not halfe so dangerous vnto the health of man as that Dittie was cruell vnto my very soule Neuer was those bewitching tunes of the alluring Syrens halfe so gratious and delightfull which the prudent Duke of Ithaca feared more then Death it selfe One of the fairest parcells of a womans beautie is her voyce whilst it doeth rauish the hearts of the stauders by with true Harmonie and whilst her warbling Accents pierce and enter into the very depth of their soules By our eares doth it enter downe into our harts but it commeth not from thence without spoyle and riches For it carrieth away the minde of man playing as the subtill war-like foe doth who marching vpon his enemies Countrey setteth vpon the same violently neuer returneth home again vntill he be loaden with great prey treasure So sweete was her voyce and so bright her Saphire eyes as I could not chuse but crie out although softly and vnto my selfe Ah woe is me I die But now I pray you harken vnto my Ladies Song which was quite contrary vnto that that went before For thus it was Worthie is hee of darke Night That in Cupid doth delight Nothing in this World can be Sweeter then our Libertie Which LOVE often takes away And then all our ioyes decay Worthie is hee of blaeke Night That in Cupid doeth delight LOVE doth neuer sorrow misse Who grieues malcontented is But LOVE thus doth Louers sting Doth not LOVE then sorrow bring Worthie is hee of Blacke Night That in Cupid doth delight Who that soule hath ere seene oasde Vpon whom fierce LOVE hath soasde The Mistris and the Sernant both Oft through LOVE
men sing when they are at point of death esteeming themselues right blessed for to die whereas the Louer not beloued againe butchereth and killeth himselfe running headlong into all dangers and as one furious looseth all patience and all good hopes to come Man endureth resolutely all other accidents of misfortunes which ordinarily happen vnto him but being plagued with Loue it rauisheth and bereaueth him of his vertue and valour and of his constancie and welfare Therfore is he more mighty then all other things which eyther descend from Heauen or proceed from forth the earth Mightie indeed must I needes say hee is quoth the Shepheard yet I esteeme him but as vnwise that maketh any account of vniust puissance Without Iustice kingdomes are but robberies and without reason the Gods also are but sinners and therefore vnworthie of that name If euery one were iust what neede should we haue then of Lawes and compulsions Doest thou make account of Loue because hee is strong and violent why so is the Sea tempestuous strong violent rough and of great power but are his waters as wholesome fresh sweet and good as are those of springs and lesser fountaines Knowledge is a glorie to him that possesseth the same in seruing himselfe wisely and discreetely but as hee maketh it a refuge for vice and a support to such wrongs and iniuries as he putteth in practise it is his vtter ruine and ouerthrowe Bad force for a time may compell to be obeyed but it is quickly gone the feare thereof also dying with the same where contrariwise Iustice purchased without compulsion to Signorise and dominere ouer mens soules is alwayes highly honored Nothing that is built vpon rigor can long endure the self-same force driuing forcibly away the first violence but Iustice neuer ouerthroweth the works of Iustice An Example for that they are vpright and worthy of life I confesse indeed not a little to my griefe that I am the slaue of Loue for sometimes a Prince hapneth to be the vassaile of a simple meane Captaine and in as much as men borne to suffer are bondmen by Fortune vassels of the earth God disposeth of them according vnto his owne will But the sick patient often blameth his discase which he feeleth imagineth to be little or nothing dangerous at all and yet neurethelesse cannot he rid himselfe of the same when hee fainest would The Beare for want of knowing his owne strength yeeldeth vnto a lesse force for man is perfect in knowledge yet because bee wants the right vse thereof hee is but as a burning Candle vnder a bushell And as for Loue my conceit is that yeelding vnto him I obey the least power that is in heauen or on earth And I am of an other opinion answered the olde man for I thinke it can no way turne vnto discredit to render seruice vnto him whom the greatest Gods deuoutly honour The Seruant ought not to scorne to attend vpon him to whome his Maister himselfe doth belong The Gods replied the Shepheard honored Loue whil'st he lent them his hand A Sentence and assisted them in their voluptuous pastimes Profit oftentimes is the cause that a man doth reuerence vnto such a one as he esteemeth to be a farre worse man then himselfe We cannot said the olde man tearme that thing lesse then our selues which hath power to command ouer vs And if wee be obedient vnto Loue then is he more diuine and great then wee our selues are Indeed replyed the Shepheard he is mightier in malice but leaude behauiour and mischieuousnes cannot be registred amongst the Catalogue of Famous enterprises Then is not he mightie that maketh men illustrious in this pointe but rather weake and of no reckening inas-much as puissance with the defect is as drosse and base trash and Vertue though it be poore is an eternall treasure And yet for all this answered the olde man the most learned erected Altars heeretofore vnto him enterprising more for his honor then for any other Celestial God whatsoeuer And wee being lesse wise then they wee cannot as I gesse much faile to followe their foot-steps The propertie of gold replyed the Shepheard is sometimes changed Suger now and then becommeth bitter and sower and the brightest day is often darkened with thicke clouds euen so the wisest now and then forget themselues yet their faults ought not to be as a warrant vnto the posteritie hereafter to come because that vice which the ministers of any vertue doe commit shall neuer be allowed of by her voyce the same being as personall and not publike The Sages then hauing erred wee must likewise needes acknowledge their offence which taxeth them for committing the same Yet in the meane time saide the olde man see how Loue is here noted to be ouer-powerfull and mighty seeing he forceth and compelleth the wisest to doe amisse Truth quoth the Shepheard but as out of a heapeof corne we make choyce of our wheate and leaue the cockle So of the actions and proceedings of most discreet persons wee should chuse the best and leaue the worst For as they are men they are subiect to erre and wander astray Vertue being alwayes a good president vnto vs but not vice In asmuch as such as follow the vertuous shall be commended where those that imitate the bad shall be as much blamed and condemned Well then my good Shepheard answered the old man let vs giue ouer from arguing any further about this LOVE recount vnto me the subiect of thy griefe the cause of this thy strange wandring or miserable exile amongst these solitary dwellings Ah my deare Father replyed Arcas more dangerous is the second sicknesse then the first it being of the selfe same qualitie and happening not long after and so cruell shall I finde my troubles in imparting vnto thee my misfortunes as I haue heretofore felt bloody the effects of the same Cease therefore to enquire of mee about that where of the remembrance alone killeth me to thinke therevpon For what good can it doe vnto the whole to demand of the diseased the cause of his sicknesse and what profit will it be vnto thee to heare me recite my drerie Fortunes No no rather doe I thinke it meetest to conceale them least I should prouoke men to exclaime against the Gods when they shall perceiue how partiall and vnnaturall they haue bene alwaies against mee Woe is me excepting my mischance euery maladie all paine and euery sorrowe haue their proper remedie The Eternitie of the Gods is not more sure then my haples disaster still to continue is most certaine It is far from the nature of all other diseases for that which healeth others woundeth me O Heauens what hope of health resteth for that miserable wretch who when he hath embraced all the wholsom Altars of the Gods is yet as vnfortunate as euer he was before But what is violent cannot by the course of Nature be long permanent And if it
two Knights presented themselues before the Iudges who gaue them their oath vpon the holy Bible that they entered into this combat vpon a iust cause that done they vewed their armour and weapons and lastly conducted them vnto the listes making proclamation that vpon paine of life no person whatsoeuer should as much as once presume either by shew or signe looke or countenance word or deed to fauour either the the one or the other but to let their valour fortune trie who shall be conquerour A Comparison As two young Bucks burning in loue of a faire Doe take delight to trie their strength before her and being both furious pierce through their bodies and heads with their sharpe and rough hornes Euen so these two gallant Champions longing to encounter and either of them desirous to enioy that pretious prize which armeth the one against the other being in place where they may trie the vtmost of their force most furiously discharge one against the other and as two terrible Thunder-claps meeting together in a cloud breake at the cracke fall both downe vpon the earth So these two Knights at the first shecke and meeting tumble both downe vpon the ground but their launces being broken they draw forth their swords beginning to charge themselues a fresh As did Achilles once and Hector valiant stout When fore the walles of stately Troy they fought it out The Dane animated more with furie then with force laid on load without ceasing flinging forth his fire so furiously as if his strength had not failed more then his courage A Similie Alphonso had bene vanquisht but a great fire of strawe is quickly extinguished In like manner the blowes that despite and rage giueth are assoone ended Meane-while our Spaniard fought coldly but yet with great aduisement neuer striking but to the purpose so still kept himselfe in breath with great aduantage The Prince redoubling his strokes supposing his foe was growen feeble both in force courage laid on loade hurting him vpon the left arme This wound from which the blood issued apace the remembrance of her who was the cause of this warre the presence of the King and the flower of Chiualrie of all his countrie did stirre vp the Spaniard so much as now he would combat no more soberly and with discretion but as a desperate Souldiour against his deadly enemie letting driue at him so lustily with such quicknes and such dexteritie as the Dane found he was not a little deceiued in him But as he was chasing of him thus by chaunce Alphonsoes sword fell out of his hand he hauing nothing now but his dagger to defend himselfe withall which was the reason euery one thought as then that he was but a dead man his enemie promising vnto himselfe the victorie the desire of which made him pursue the Spaniard hotly who knew not which way to furnish himselfe of a Target nor how to warrantise his honour and his life but onely by running in vpon the Dane and so by maine force to get him downe which deuise of his the other fearing looked more warily vnto himselfe lest he should get within him whilst in the meane time he gaue him many a sore wound which he could not well escape because he wanted his weapon In the ende such was the good fortune of the Spaniard that the Dane thinking to runne full but at him with all his force which the other auoyded by mouing his body from that place lightly his sword also slipt out of his hand so as they were now weapond alike when comming to handie gripes and to grappell together Alphonso proued to be the stronger of the twaine flinging his enemie downe and giuing him so terrible a knocke withall as both speech and senses failed him That done he vnbuckled his head-peece and setting his poniard to his bare throat willeth him henceforward to renounce all such claime as he before had laid vnto his Ladie and wife and to acknowledge himselfe to be vanquisht or else he should die presently But the Prince choosing rather death than shame and vtter destruction then the depriuation of his Mistris disdained to answere him looking still when the other would stabbe him quite through which neuerthelesse as a right Noble minde he would not but leauing the Dane wallowing in his owne blood and sore bruised with his fall he commeth vnto the Iudges demaunding of them if he had done sufficient to be counted the vanguisher and to haue obtained the glory of the victorie or no. Who much commending him for his clemencie in that he had so cutreously pardoned his aduersarie told him he had performed his duetie euery way that done he was conducted vnto the place where the King sat who highly praised him for his valour and greatly honouring him for his vertue gaue him leaue to depart his Royall presence From thence he rode vnto the Court accōpanied with thousands of braue Knights where with great ioy the faire Ladies as the custome was disarmed him whilst the Chirurgians prouided for the dressing of his wounds that done he was had vnto his lodging keeping his bed vntill such time as he recouered whilst in the meane space he was euery day visited by all the Barrons and great Lords of the Realme who did congratulate with him for so famous a victorie Not long after the Danish Prince was carried out of the field sore wounded and wel nigh dead for griefe and shame cursing his bad fortune that he had not bene kild out right who although he was highly beholding vnto Alphonso for his life yet did he most tratierously conspire in his minde to murther him one way or other suffering himselfe rather to be transported with base reuenge then with sage reason or with honestie of the cause So Paris dastard-like surp isde with feruile feare Sware stout Achilles death to whom he hate did beare But the gallant Spaniard that ment nothing but well neuer suspected any such treacherie but rather that he had surely bound the Prince his enemie vnto him in good will seeing he had shewed him so great a kindnes as to gratifie him with his life A Sentence For so the right valiant man indeed iudgeth by his selfe that others are valiant like vnto him and he that is honest thinketh other men to beare as honest a minde as himselfe doth But all creatures are not framed of one kind of mettall or condition their passions and desires in louing being contrarie and diuers Nature greatly delighting and making proofe of her mightines and power by this diuersitie of humours Alphonso being recouered of his late wounds and very much longing to see his faire wife determined to take his iourney homewards of which his minde the malicious Dane hauing an inckling he taketh his leaue of the King in most dutifull manner making a shew as if he would take his iourney towards Denmarke riding a day or two onwards on his way and then turneth backe
men and that they might imploy him as they should thinke best then would not so many wretched Louers endure such cruell torments and bitter anguish as they doe but would quickly ridde themselues from out his cruell hands But alas they can no more get from him then the poore bond-slaue can get out of his chaines except it please his Lord and maister Therfore we must not say that men can order and bridle Loue at their owne pleasures turning him to good or bad purposes as they shall thinke best when it is quite contrarie and as they say Allo reuerso he playing the vsurping tyrant ouer them In the end of your speech to make amends you tell me that this selfesame Loue maketh a perfect and an eternall league of friendship betweene Gods and men in such sort as it forceth the husband to offer his life most willingly for his wiues sake and that the wife doth the like for the conseruation of her husbands welfare As Craccus A Similie who to cōtinue his wiues life shortned his owne And as Alcesta did who offered her selfe to die for Adentus her husbands sake Yet as sharpe and strong medicines engendred much danger and feare yea and many times are much hurtfull to the bodie of man so Loue during this amitie bringeth forth many bad and vntowardly children which alter and chaunge their mindes very much and are not a little hurtfull vnto both parties as the burning Iealousie which so much galled poore Iuno long since as the whoredomes with which Venus defiled the bed of Vulcan her husband with the number of Rapes vsed by Iupiter and such like bad stuffe So as you see so many euils to proceed for one small little good But as he cannot be called a bountifull and liberall giuer indeed who presenteth and bestoweth a small trifle to purchase huge and mightie riches Euen so Loue cannot be counted neither good nor healthfull when for one onely good turne he doth he yeeldeth forth so many sufficient proofes of his wicked and bad nature In no one action doth Loue merrit commendations for he respecteth neither reason nor Iustice and such things as are voyd of those two qualities can neuer deserue honour nor cause themselues to be counted perfect he is without reason in that he regardeth neither law nor kindred friendship nor acquaintasce no good turne nor any kinde consideration else so as he may come to obtaine what he desireth One while violating and breaking the lawes of hospitalitie another while those of marriage and then those of parentage and kindred He is without Iustice because he rauisheth and taketh away by force that which is none of his owne applying the same to his owne aduantage as if it were his owne proper goods raising and procuring by these bad meanes thousands of brawles and brabbles debates and quarrels and continuall warres and battaile In steed of seemely and fitte exercises he should acquaint young men withall he oftentimes maketh them so mad and furious as they sticke not to commit rapes to offer violence and to doe all the villainies that may be thereby infringing the peace and lawes of the common-wealth Well may he be compared vnto the Snake which the husbandman carried in his bosome to warme it being nie dead for colde which afterward went about to sting him for his paines So Loue in requitall and for amends vnto vs for the honour we haue borne him and because we haue so curteously entertained him stingeth vs with furie and rage and with iniustice and miserie these being the fruites which he bringeth vs and which are as it were the precursors and fore-runners of a most wofull and wretched death which end most commonly lighteth vpon Louers for furie is the daughter of sorrow and not of pleasure which our desire doth ouermuch couet And that I alledge nothing but Truth I will prooue it most apparant and plaine by a goodly Historie which if you please to giue mee audience I will deliuer vnto you Wherevpon they were all silent when the Shephcard thus began his wofull Tragedie LOVE author of all euill the nurse of dainties delicate The strange historie and wofull ende of proude Sycambra and loyall Zersira That chuseth for to soiourne proude in Pallaces of State Who makes himselfe be honored as Father of the skies In Courts of mightiest Kings and in the heauens mongst Gods likewise As yet scarce haunted had the Plaines congeal'd with Ice and cold Nor solitary Desarts strange which snowy mountaines hold He had but little in the Woods yet vsed for to be Permitting Shepheards quietly to ioy their libertie Who not so much as thinking once on him had no more care Then their small flocks forth for to leade along the medowes faire To watch and to defend them arm'd for armed still they were From roaring Lyon howling Wolfe or from the rauenous Beare Right happie is that man that hath then this no worser foe The pleasant sweetnes of his life to make him to forgoe Happy indeed if other thought he hath not in this life This trauaile being the cause of all content and foe to strife Withouten carke and care they past their time deuoyd of feare And from the Fatall sisters sheeres exempt and freed they were As iocund and as meerrily they liu'd as day was long No mestfull griefe was intermixt their sweet discourse emong Nor were their cheekes beblubbered still with teares cominually As wretched Louers who bewaile their woes with weeping eye Withouten sighes and sorrowes sad they liu'd most blessed than Nor they their Fortunes did reuile and as accursed ban No pittious Tennor such as this their Songs or Chantings had No mournfull note came heauily forth from their brests ore-sad As Louers vse their Musique sweet and merrie warbling voyce Much like that of the Gods of Woods that each thing doth reioyce No enuious malice mongst them was no poyson at their Table No proud desire the spring-tyde of their youth made miserable Exempt from all ambitious thoughts they were whose mounting dart Piercing into the minds of men doth make them often smart Nor any other passion strange had they or did endure Then such as did an earnest care for their poore flocks procure They thought they could resist Loues force and oft did iest at him Thinking he was not able them vnder his yoake to bring And as a stubborne Rock we see the Tempests rage doth scorne Who growing angry at his pride renues afresh his storme Vntill with flashy Laghtning-claps in pieces he doth breake His flintie stones whilst to resist his furie is too weake And with a boysterous Whyrle-winds blast on sudden casts downe all So as being cleft in midst it doth in thousand pieces fall Transporting here and there apart by violence so burst A Similie And with the clap of Thunder-bolt becommeth black as dust Alongst the medowes and the fields whilst they as trembling stand To see how raging Tempests fell ore euery
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
plac't Who thinking they were then alone for so they made account Th' one toying with the other stood as was their vsuall wont And after many louely tricks Loue from their eyes did thrill So many Darts hitting their soules more heate increasing still That Plaindor being ouerchaft with this fierce amorous rage His lippes vpon the cheekes and mouth of his faire Saint did gage Now of himselfe not master he her in his armes doth take And thousand times did kisse her though resistance she did make As hard it is for him that dyeth through thyrst and want of drinke A Similie For to abstaine when he drawes nigh the Cristall riuers brinke So t' is as insupportable for any Louer much To be in presence of the Dame he loues and her not touch When he hath Fortune time and place the leisure and the meane He cannot hold his blood 's so hot his heate is so extreame When he is neere his health his health to haue he needs must seeke When he seeth what he longeth for he needs the same must like 〈◊〉 were he senslesse as a stone and liuelesse as a blocke Like to a lumpe of heauie earth and worse then flintie rocke So Plaindor takes his pleasure then forgetfull of his oth Whilst he her lips with kisses seales respecting nought his troth But weladay those kisses sweet to poyson sower did turne And was the cause that to his death they forc't him for to mourne Floretta chaft apace that he thus on her lips had seasde But Plaindor this her rage at last in sugred-wise appeasde The sneaking Shepheardesse the while withdrawne her selfe now had Out from her hole where she did see what made her welnigh mad And seeing that so many kisses twixt them giuen had bin These Louers lou'd but wantonlie she strait begun to win Away she goeth nor for to see the ende she durst be bold But much astonisht did depart then frosty Ice more cold She is resolu'd to be reueng'd and vexed mightily With sundry passions her hote loue doth turne to crueltie The Loue of these two soules she meanes to taxe with foule repriefe And of the kissing close to cast Floretta in the teeth Her Honor to accuse and of these vertuous Louers twaine To seeke with infamie and with reproch their liues to staine O how disdaine is in her kinde more violent of force And what great dammage hath it brought to men without remorse O how it power hath for to change the hearts of vanquishers And how to alter dearest Friends in minde shee her bestirs Meane time Floretta vnderstands that her Renoum's disgrac't And that her Honor vndeseru'd is wrongfullie defac't Her Fault if chaste loue may be term'd a Fault this woman base One morning fore the Sheapheards all reprocheth to her face Which when Floretta heard she vowes ore-charg'de with furious Ire Against her selfe against her health and life for to conspire No longer will she liue as now reuenged for to bee For Honor hers by Treason stainde as she with griefe doth see So for to purge her selfe of fault An Example not faultie nerethelesse In ancient Time vnto her Fame did die the chaste Lucresse Thus doth Floretta destined too hard with heauy looke Sweare with her selfe vpon her selfe Murther to execute Her daintie hands she aymeth now against her proper corse Her hands which too too hastie were to wrong without remorse Ah how much Honor 's deare vnto a chaste and modest spright Who seeks by vice to slaunder such accursed be that Wight The feare of Death can neuer coole Desire A Sentence that 's resolet To saue his good name by his life if he thereon be set Floretta then changing her former vse from sweetest ioy To vncoth plaint and passions sad surcharged with annoy Bewailing her disaster hard and sighing forth her paine Vnto a sauadge Mountaines toppe gets vp with speed amaine Where sprang a certaine Water strange or rather poyson fell By which strong venim she did meane her woes for to expell This water of such nature was as nothing could it hold It brake Glasse Iron Brasse Leade Steele it was so deadly cold But she that knew the propertie thereof in hoofe of Asse Close did the same conserue and then away from thence did passe And carrying it about her still vntill she Plaindor found She neuer left that done she downe sits by him on the ground Where she withouten shewe of griefe like Cignet that doth sing Before her death these words worth Note did vse thus greeting him Ah Plaindor deare deare may I say if thy Floretta poore Hath giuen thee any proofe of Loue most perfect or most sure If euer of her friendship kinde thou care hadst heretofore As not long since she in thy Loue with pitty thee did store By that same loyall loue of thine she now coniureth thee Permit her Honor to reuenge her on her iniurie Floretta now can liue no more since that she through thy selfe Hath lost her good Fame which she priz'de aboue all worldly wealth Ah Plaindor t' is for euer lost and by like lucklesse Fate Floretta thine now goeth the way her life to ruinate Alas how often told I thee when first thou didst me woe That still mine Honor to preserue thou shouldst respect haue due Mine Honor which Florettas life after the same doth draw And which I iustly forced am to follow now by Law How we do liue here in this world God knoweth is reckning small Nor flourish can our Names A Sentence or deeds immortally at all Vnlesse our Honor mongst our selues doe liue immortallie For that alone keeps vs aliue that we can neuer die But if the selfe same blood as yet remaineth in thy heart Of such so many sauadge beasts by which thou richer art If in the prime of thy best Age and pride of thy youths flower Thou hast not lost thy courage olde through Loues ore-conquering power Then Plaindor I pray heartily nay more beseechen thee To liue when I am dead and that thou wilt suruiuen me And thinke deare Friend I merit not the halfe part of the griefe Which for my death I know that thou wilt take without reliefe For I was but a shadow plaine trans-form'd in body thine Besides fairer then I thee loues whose beautie is diuine Who with affection like to thine in fancie being set The thought of me and memorie shall make thee soone forget So that no sooner Death shall me from my liues chaines dislinke As thou stalt forced be no more on me at all to thinke Meane time since hasty Death doth me of all my hopes depriue To haue for my sore wound a Salue whilst I shall be aliue And that sweet Shepheard I no more shall now of thee haue need I le thee acquaint how much how deare I loued thee indeed Most zealous yet more chast I lou'd such was mine amorous flame My heart was thine and in thy breast mine owne Soule did remaine My thoughts
did wholly run on thee my bodie aye was thine Thy will as t' were a penalt Lawe to thee did me combine To please thee not my selfe I liu'd nor did I thinke at all That ere my credit had receiu'd a foyle much more a fall Nav more I could haue bene content that thou shouldst tasted haue That sweetest sweet that Louers seeke and still is that they craue But that mine Honor did ore me with greater puissance seaze Then my desire ore senses had as sensuall them to please This selfe-same honor now although some wrongfully haue toucht Because it too much honor'd thee and suffered thee too much Demaunds my bodie offered be to him my fault to purge And for to haue it sacrifiz'de most bloodie doth it vrge And so it shall Floretta then courage take heart at grace And this vile blot of hatefull shame let 's wipe from off our face For though I through this poyson strong of life depriued be Yet my good Fame taxt wrongfully it shall restore to me Adiew my dearest Plaindor but must I my selfe absent From thee and from thy presence needs must I alack be sent I I Ah hellish griefe yet me my heart againe restore That I may liue below this earth with quiet minde the more Ah render me my heart againe which I le in pieces teare Nor for to see the same to die be thou abasht with feare Sweete Plaindor if that ere thou lou'dst Floretta thou mayst vaunt Vouchsafe this one request to her now dying for to graunt Which is me to suruiue that thou as Testis witnesse may How wrongfully some thought too much my Glories pride to slay I call thee for to speake the truth of my chaste Innocence And to the Heauens I doe appeale who knows my true pretence Then Friend if euer in that sight of thine this body haue Bene gratious when it dead shall be prouide for it a graue Close these mine eyes cashirde from light shut fast this mouth so pale And this my Coarse below in ground to burie do not faile Deare this is all I craue of thee since now my course is runne That kindnes is but worth small praise that by the halues is done But how now Plaindor what do'st weepe thou sigh'st amaine me thinke Nay then thy grieuous Martyrdome I soone will ease and stint Le ts dye le ts dye more then high time t' is I were gone from hence And saying so she swalloweth downe that hatefull poysonous drench That done vppon the greeny grasse her selfe she softly throwes And holding of her armes acrosse her prettie mouth doth close When lifting vp her last seene eyes she Plaindor might behold How he his manly brest for griefe did beate with courage bold Whereat she weeps afresh so great a Corsie to her t' is And dying now she striues to giue to him her latest kisse That done she yeeldeth vp the Ghost Ah heauie spectakell But now the dire Catastrophe of this sad tale I le tell When Plaindor saw his Mistres dead with lookes most furious He draweth his sword which gainst himselfe he bends as barbarous And raging like a bedlem mad distraught of wit through wroth Minding himselfe to massacre these words he sigheth forth Floretta ah Floretta speake speake fairest of all Faire Where 's now thy faith that did protest of me to haue such care Where 's now thy oaths and promises They now haue me deceiu'd And my greene youth long fed with hope they haue of ioy bereau'd Cruell Floretta and yet cruell to none except vnto Thy selfe when for anothers fault thy selfe thou didst vndo To bring me to my dismall ende no way couldst thou deuise But for to slaughter thus thy selfe in such a monstrous guise O faire but chaster Coarse by farre what hast thou done or sed To be vntimely fore thy time consorted with the dead And thou pure soule within that Coarse what sinne didst thou commit That thou so soone from that faire Inne away shouldst passe and flit Thine Honor th' ast kept vndefil'd then if you this doe call A fault how then hast thou offended Else hast thou not at all Faire beauties spotlesse Temple thou doest dye for mine effence And I the essence of thy ill to liue seeke to dispence Ah wretched me and which is worse white liuered soppe I am Vnworthie of such calling as to beare thy Seruants name No no I needs must dye my blood pardon for fault shall win And I will satisfaction make for this my cruell sin Yet fore I die I humbly grace and pardon begge of thee Who hast the power that this my soule remaineth thus in me Ah pardon me what i st I say this pardon which I craue Argues my fault more monsterous that worse I sinned haue I see the Murtherer I haue bin of thy fresh flowring youth Thy healths chiefe Homicide and foe vnto thy faith some ruth For me not for thy selfe thou dyest and shall I then be cause To see those eyes mouth clos'd vp which Death vnto them drawes O of all vertue golden meane of loyaltie bright sonne Whome as my Saint I haue ador'd must thou for me be vndone O hell O black dispaire of Starres most spitefull in such wise To incense so many boysterous stormes gainst my small barke to rise Ay me why dy'de I not when first I saw this face of hern Then lyke an exile from all ioy to be exposde and driuen But soft my Toung runs too too fast and words be nought but winde I know not where I am nor am I now in my right minde Yet at the least let me once bid my deerest Dame adieu And let me of her take my leaue Ah speake what will not you No no I am vnworthy I vnworthy of her grace I not deserue that haue destroyd such fauour so suire face And hast thou then the heart to see that beautie be disliu'de The onely cause that thou long since of life wort not depriu'de And canst thou breathe without her sight thou canst not I doe know Vnto Th'Elizian golden fieldes thou needes with her must goe My selfe my young yeares cutting off will rid me of annoy Since such a blacke tempestious storme hath shipwrackt all my ioy I le die I le diâ— but yet what kind of death might I inuent Cruell enough for my vile fact me iustly to torment Since that the fait falst mâ—â—de aliue through me her death hath found To whome more then to all the world I was obligde and bound Diuinest beautie thou through me doest perish and doest die Whose chiefe delight was to restore my nie lost libertie Plaindor thy deaths wound hath thee giuen whilst he forgot himselfe To whome he owed his life and goods and more then all his wealth Ah haplesse man ah louely Nymphe great reason sure thou hast To giue mâ— ore since ouer thee so small care I haue plaâ—'te And misely didst thou gesse that I vnto thy glorious fame Should be small credit rather
one that thee and thine should shame But woe is me thou wrongest me if so of me thou iudge Since for thy sake nought to attempt as yet I â—re did grudge Faire thou shalt know that since my heart a widower is through thee He can no ioy what euer take nor longer liuing bee Much lesse that I can like againe I am no Louer such If so thou thinkst thou art deceiu'd and wrongest me oremuch Thy seruant whilst I liu'd I was dying I le be thy slaue To make some mends for mine offence thou readie me shalt haue I le die as thou hast done as one of thy praise enuious Because thou purchast hast for me thy rest from sorrow thus I will not beg that I may touch that prettie cherrie lip Whilst I am dying I confesse my selfe deserue not it Yet gratious Goddesse of my thoughs if those thine eyes so bright Haue not alreadie quite forsooke their wonted clâ—eerfull light Ah then doe but once open them and Plaindor thine regard With one small glaunce who now doth leaue his life through fortune hard Bright starres your Plaindor you shall see loow quickly he will die If you so much doe grace him as to ope but halfe an eye And now in leiu of recompence for wrong that done I haue This blood accept my hainous crime to purifie and laue Sweete Ladie now at last receiue this blood this blood of mine And suffer my dead coarse repose and rest it selfe by thine Thus said with courage great his sword he thrusts into his side And being dead vpon the ground his bodie faint doth glide Which with his lukewarme struaming blood the ground did make to faâ—â—â— Of colour whilst it flowing ratine and dide it ouer all Floretta all this while was not starke dead the poyson strong Was not enough which was the cause her life it did prolong Her he auie eyes she casteth vp and rolleth here and there Whilst in her face a show of death halfe smiling doth appeare And seeing Plaindor falne by her she him doth fast imbrace And with her feeble force doth wipe the blood from off his face His head with dying hand she doth hold vp to ease his paine And hauing giuen to him a kisse rekisseth him againe Wherewith he gaspeth yet once more and thinkes himselfe the most Blessed that in his Mistris armes he yeeldeth vp his ghost Thrise happie Plaindor fortunate eternall is thy glorie For thou hast gained ouer death a pretious victorie Thou diest in the clasped armes of faire Floretta thine Whilst with her eyes thine eyes thy face with hers doe close conioyne She striuing for to die that she amaine might thee pursue Whom thou doest see though gainst her will thee to suruiue so true And now death had alreadie tane her speech nor could she speake Yet these few words she sighthed forth with hollow voice most weake O Plaindor sweet friend Shepheard mine our Loues though miserable To ages that hereafter come to liue shall aie be able Since through the vertuous paths they trod vntainted chastitie Serues vnto them to be the ground to their Eternitie And though we now die yet our selues thus let vs comfort rife Thou diest forme and I for thee am pleasde to end my life Like faithfull friends we die the one forth ' other 's well apaid And in one Tombe our bodies both shall be enterd and laid Thou goest my Loue before me and I follow thee most blithe As fast as fast I can for thee I meane not to suruiue Yet happie we in dying thus since kissing we embrace Which liuing we durst not attempt for feâ—re to haue disgrace But now I come to thee Thus said she on the face doth fall Of her blest Plaindor whilst her soule doth â—lit away withall Their coarses be within one graue where the â— doe quiet sleepe And in this Rocke vnto their fame this verse was grauen deepe ARCAS hauing heard this pittioâ—s Tragedie could not chuse but weepe dreaming a fresh vpon his auncient Loues when the old man thus awaked him Shepheard Shepheard loue is neuer satisfied nor appeased with teares which is an or dinarie vse with him being alwaies a child as he is In the teares of Louers doth he temper his Arrowes the harder to freese the hearts of their Ladies against them The more he findeth vs to waile and want courage the more he doth taunt and reuile vs Not vnlike vnto that Generall of a field A Similie who more hostly pursueth his enemies when they begin to shrinke backe and recoyle then when they â—valiantly and stoutly stand to beare out the brunt If Cupid hath not yeelded vnto the teares of his Mother much lesse will he be moued at thine True Louers sildome or neuer weepe because their heate consumeth the moysture which is within them A Sentence no more then drie wood can yeeld forth wet water Cease then to waile and in steed of these teares take courage against this fierce enemie If the Gods themselues replied the Shepheard could not resist him how then shall any man be able to encounter with him And what other thing can such miserable wretches doe as be out of all hope but bewaile and lament their vntimely misfortunes It is for hearts of steele resembling blades ouer hardly tempred which rather breake then bowe not to be moued with griefe at all Teares are signes of a pitifull Nature whereas such as are cruell neuer weepe because they are quite voyd of all compassion Though Loue hereat will not be moued yet will gentleâ— hearts relent at the same I knowe he maketh no account hereof neither doe I pretend to sacrifice vnto him with them but rather with mine owne decrest blood How wonderfully art thou deceiued quoth the old man The Alters of Loue as those of the Gods â—ere vpon the earth neuer distill nor drop with blood for can Loue be encountered and met withall amongst braules quarrels and bloodshed No no but where amitie and friendship is there doth he frequent and keepe companie An excellent discourse of the mightines and power of Loue. such onely being to be counted right Louers indeed and worthy to enioy Loue it selfe who beare no malice nor seeke one anothers death O how sweete and pleasing a thing is this kind of amitie which keepeth the Gods in perfect vnitie and vnder whose puissance is the hollow giuing vault of heauen guided Men after the example of the Gods by the aduise of Loue first assem bled themselues together vniting and incorporating themselues within Cities and walled Townes leauing the sauadge wildernesses vnto wilde beasts wherein they before did inhabit Why then doest thou offer blood vnto him O Father of these nocturnall Desarts answered the Shepheard I know thou thinkest otherwise then thou speakest Canst thou compose and frame a gentle and milde Nature An example of nothing but murther and crueltie How many massacres loue hath commenced Troy can witnesse How many cruell griefes
as long as my bones shall be ioyned vnto this flesh will I reuerence thee as long as my soule shall be martyred within this bodie will I dutiously regard thee bewailing thy losse whilst I shall haue libertie to breath and to be able to make sensible things gentle giue eare vnto my complaints But I see reuerend Sire that I doe but wearie thee and trouble thine eares ouermuch to importune them with these pittious discourses of my hard fortune now therefore will I change my note resoluing to doe what it shall please thee to command me Yet before we proceede any further spare me I pray thee so much leisure as to heare a Sonet of mine which I being depriued of my Ladie cast off and quite left of mortall men cleane for gotten of such as haue bin beholding vnto me my sad or rather colericke Muse endited for me whilst I wandered vp and downe this darkesome Forrest Reade it quoth the old man for both thy prose and verse are pleasing vnto me seruing me in steed of sweet Roses to reuiue and refresh mine ancient heate And thinke not but that thy speeches are worthy to be harkned vnto Whereupon the Shepheard red this Sonet following Beyond the Stigian Stix hath Caron reft Thee O diuine Faith and for company Friendship with thee who must not here be left For faith is nothing without amitie Alas why let'st thy Muse liue in disdaine To thee and her a fortune vsuall seene Thou men beleeu'st t is they that thee haue slaine Abusing her through othes as thou hast bin Thy comforts this thou diest at this hower Her ende was languishing long ere she dide A speedie death is sweete a lingring sower She starued died by flowing plenties side You Mortals then let in one Tombe remaine Faith Loue and Muses since they were of prise For fond is he that calls them backe againe And you not Loyall are friendly nor wise This Dittie of thine said the old man is pithie and graue but yet the Subiect thereof is somewhat displeasing vnto me For I cannot doe men that iniurie as to thinke or imagine that they should become enemies vnto the Muses considering but for them their memories and names should rest and lie buried with their bodies in the selfesame graue And although age hath cooled and frozen in me my first Tragick furie Mother of all good verses yet will I answere thee as well as I may Heare me then awhile Whereupon he began thus If in one coffin FAITH LOVE and the MVSES graue By earthly creatures hand enformed close doe lie And thinke their deedes and name immortall so to haue They doe abuse themselues with ore much Surquedrie If FAITH no more liues and if hence we banish LOVE If MVSES haue on earth no sacred Altars here Heauens then must perish And the supreme Gods aboue With essence their's diuine confused must appeare But heauens as yet stand firmely Gods doe raigne And mortall men by liuing on the earth belowe So FAITH LOVE and the MVSES still aliue remaine The sinnes of men cannot exile them vnto woe Astormie Tempest may the Sunne sometimes obscure Yet afterward his Beames shew forth more bright and graue See Shepheard quoth the old man if this Sonnet hath as yet any smacke of this gallant heate which en flameth youthfull spirits with the hot cinders of glory And if my Muse shall so much vouchsafe as to fauour me with some small conceit to accompanie my trembling old age which although she doe not and that my verses be rude and ill shapen yet of this I am well assured that the Subiect is both good and true For how O Shepheard can heauens and earth continue without Loue If the Gods should fall at variance and Loue should be driuen away from them who then during this confused dissension and tempestuous hurly-burly should guide the course of the heauens and giue order about the gouernment of terrestiall matters What good rule and order and what vpright Iustice or policie is there found in that cittie An example wherein the Magistrates are at variance diuided into factions and quite discrepant in opinions No no Loue of necessitie must liue amongst the Gods to the ende he may maintaine vnion amitie and friendship one with the other he giuing directions as well for diuine as earthly businesses Father answered the Shepheard this question of thine is verie easilie resolued and thou as quickly to be contented and satsfied in this poynt There is no neede at all to haue the companie of Loue in the heauens to be as an assistance or helper in the maintaining and gouerning of celestiall causes seeing amongst vs there is but one God whose onely diuine prouidence alone ruleth both heauen and earth he being not disvnited at all for it is a Substance simple not subiect vnto diuision and therefore hath nothing to doe with Loue to bring him to agreement seeing he can neuer be diuided And this is for the auncient Paynims to discourse vpon these naturall reasons God then A similie doth not meddle nor hath not to deale with this Loue I meane such as is wanton but dearely doth he affect perfect amitie inasmuch as he loueth mankinde which are his children he demaunding the selfe-same loue of them againe The Soueraigne Magistrate vpon whose commaundements the gouernment of the whole cittie dependeth cannot be at controuersie with his Subiects about the ordering thereof because they doe not participate with his power he himselfe commanding alone by his absolute will and authoritie So God being without equall and onely perfectly puissaunt and mightie cannot fall at square with any of his seruants which thing if it be so he then hath no neede of Loue to make them agree together againe Thy reason is good replied the old man in respect of that which belongeth vnto God but as concerning men how can they liue without Loue For if a building cannot remaine firme and sure without a strong foundation how then may men continue without Loue which serueth as a fortresse vnto their rest and pleasure and as a chiefe nourishment vnto their liues For can men liue quietly who are alwaies quarrelling and as it were at daggers-drawing and who for want of Loue are still readie to stabbe one another What assurance of life can that souldier promise vnto himselfe who most couragiously goeth to the field to combat with his enemie man to man An example alone Euen so what kind of life should men leade one with an other if their quarrells should cause them trie their valours with their swords staining the ground with the losse of their dearest blood For into what bottomlesse gulfes of misfortune and ouerthrow did ciuill dissension for want of Loue and friendship bring the Romanes who with their owne proper weapons reuenged the iniuries and wrongs they had done vnto forraigne Nations vpon their owne selues which those barborous strangers with all their force could neuer haue bin able to
bestowe it cheerfully on her For in giuing her that which is thine owne thou shalt deserue as well at her hands as those who are farre mightier then thy selfe vnto whome the heauens haue giuen better meanes to succour their Countryes then they haue vnto thee For euery one is discharged after he hath payd what he doeth owe and hauing performed what he can to the vtmost of his power But it is not a sufficient discharge for the bad debtor An example to say he hath nothing and yet in the meane time can find wealth enough to supplie his own need Change then thy mind take thy iourney with me and I will thinke my selfe fortunate if I may restore thee vnto thy Countrey againe because of the great want she hath of such of her children as are good naturall faithfull and valiant Amongst which number I account thee as one of the chiefe To this speech Arcas was about to replie when the sound of a most pittious voyce ouerdrowned his so that to vnderstand the same he was husht and silent This voyce sighed forth this Sonnet following Accursed wretch and shall my blubbered teares Nere mollifie my Mystris flintie heart O no for these strange heats my bodie beares My teares to fire doe change to breede my smart Shall I no more behold her beautie bright Which wonted was alone me so to please No no for now I liue withouten light Since her I see not cause of my disease In double wise alas I finde my griefe Whilst trebble still surmounteth my disgrace First cause I am a Thrall without reliefe And next for that I see not her faire face Thrise blest the dead far happier then my selfe Death makes an ende of all their martyring paine But I still toyling keepe on sorrowes shelfe Then is my life the worser of the twaine Halfe dead halfe liue I languishing doe lie Vnder the beautious eyes of my proud FAIRF Whilst I more cruell finde my destinie Exilde from her the essence of my care Oh what colde passions in strange vncoth wise Thy wofull absence breeds through woes dispences Since that thy sight made smile my weeping eyes The losse whereof depriues me of my sences DEARE what am I poore I withouten thee But like a coarse quite void of vitall breath Accursed Fate that such a Law should bee To force men liue against their wills on earth Of thousand griefes the least and smallest crosse A Louer louing doth in Loue indure Is worse by ods then is of life the losse Which we by gentle death our friend procure Compar'd vnto the passions which I feele O happie Fate that so would'st ende my life To rid me of my troubles euery deele A Cordiall wore and comfort passing rife What shall I not from these plagues be releasde Neuer before expir'd be my lifes date Of blessings all t is not t is not the least To die whom Heauens whilsts that the liues doth hate O heauens when will you gainst me quiet cease And for a while take truce to doe me spight No no I see with me you 'l haue no peace Yet vertue after stormes doth shew most bright You then doe meane thus still my heart to racke On tenters yours to sound my constancie But to what ende doe you the same alacke When I it know and beare it patiently Then cease yee Gods to grieue me still with plagues Ah whither carrie you my vexed soule But t is no matter shew your vtmost rage Not you my dame alone can it controule As long as she to accept it please in shewe You cannot hau 't nor for you shall it care For dutie lesse to heauens and Gods I owe Then to my lifes sweet death my cruell FAIRE He that sung this was the Shepheard Coridon whome as Arcas wilfull banishment had brought by chance into this Desart and who calling to mind his Loue sung this dolefull Dittie which being ended and perceiuing Philistell Arcas and the old man together he runneth strait vnto them and most ioyfully saluteth them praying them to heare a certaine wofull historie of the truth of which his owne eyes had bin witnesses in this his traualie Wherupon they graunted his request and euery one of them taking their places to sit downe they began to listen vnto him most attentiuely when the Shepheard spake as followeth The Tragicall ende of chast Floretta Although the Almightie through his diuine prouidence hath most prodigally bestowed vpon the soule of man many faire and goodly perfections making him capable to know and vnderstand euery thing Neuerthelesse if there be not some striking motion to awake him or some strange accident to pricke him forward he remaineth oftentimes as senselesse without shewing any effects of his power and might at all For a horse although he be by nature quicke light and full of life yet if he be not spurred forward well he will neither runne orderly nor yet keepe any pace rightly at all Now the sharpest spurres of the soule are Glory and Loue being the first deuisers of his actions and the chiefest causes of all his enterprises A braue Generall or Commaunder of a field egged forward with desire of glory will with the price of his blood amidst thousand of dangers in despite of all hazards venture to shew a proofe and signe of the brauenes of his minde A witnes wherof is Themisticles who was enuious of the glory of Milliades So likewise a Louer will make shew of a thousand proofes of a gallāt spirit deuising all the best meanes he can to bring himselfe in credit with his Mistresse to the ende he may thereby obtaine the sooner his desire And of such inuentious Iupiter is found to be the first inuenter Warre then and Loue are the two most necessarie spurres for the minde although they are sharpe and violent as a comfortable potion though bitter to heale the sickelie body And when by chaunce the spirit of man is toucht vnto the quicke with these two hot spurres together thē is the time whē we shal see the same to discouer all her perfectiōs worthy qualities at the full For when the valiant champions begin once to loue then doe they become most rare and admirable in their actions as well by their valiantnes to get the good will of their Ladies as also because they lesse esteeme of their liues then they haue done heretofore Of which number were Hercules Troylus Achilles infinities of other more And if the Romane writers speake truely we find not any braue caualier without a Ladie or Mistris This being the occasion that I haue vsed this little preamble before I come vnto my historie which is a mixt discourse both of Mars and Venus For you shall vnderstand that a certaine Duke of Banier had not long since a most faire and vertuous daughter but yet most vnfortunate as most commonly the vertuous are because they being enuied for the same alwaies find a number of enemies to conspire and worke
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
a darke and gloomie cloud no more was now seene the comfortable day whilst the vnwelcome night brought with him his obscure frightfulnesse desperate danger his dispairing feare and iueuitable death his cruell amazement presenting these Tragicall shewes before the eyes of the poore distressed passengers No sweet Musicke was now heard nor no signe of ioy or pleasure was amongst them Only the Seas and the windes spake made a noyse and roared most horribly which was the cause that cold feare began as then to take possession of their soules and death to seaze vpon them whilst salt teares fell downe like swinging showers vpon their shaking hands held vp to heauen for mercie Most wofull were their cries most heauie their sobbing and groaning and most mournfull and pittifull the complaints which they made in this their extremities Their leaking ships were tossed and tumbled here and there some in one place and some in another as pleased the vncertaine windes not vnlike the conquerour who deuiseth and separateth his prisoners as he thinkes best according vnto his owne minde some of them were carried vnto one strange cost and some vnto another euery one of them hauing a contrarie fortune most of them in the ende being drowned and fewe or none of them saued and safely come to land That vessell in which the poore Princes remained was by chance cast vpon the cost of Spaine Alas how were her eyes swolne with teares her heart broken with griefe and her very soule galled with sorrow to see what hard fortune was hapned vnto her and vnto all her companie and traine 〈…〉 â—â—â—es were all falne into the bottome of the Sea whither she looked 〈…〉 follow after complaining most heauilie of her partiall destinies that had brought her to be a prey vnto the watrie Monsters The wearied Marriners and tired Sailers had wrought all the meanes they could both by cunning and force to withstand the rage of this storme but all in vaine for the pumpe was not able to deliuer forth one quarter of the water which the billowes of the Sea continually beate in in the ende the windes drew this ship vpon the coasts of Spaine as I said before and in such a case as was most daungerous by reason of the Rockes that were there all about which was the cause in despite of all the Sailers it ranne vpon a hard shelfe being with the blowe broken and splitted all in sunder A wofull spectacle was this to behold and as drerie a Tragedie for to report What eyes could see this and not weepe what eares can heare this and not tingle And what tonge can reade this dolefull storie and not faulter in his speech Then then euery one cried out for mercie from aboue one catching a boord an other a chest this one thing and that another and all to saue their liues their sweete liues which all doe hold so deare but yet for all that all of them in a manner notwithstanding were cast away and perished onely Iustina by the grace of God and assistance of Fortune hapned vpon a casket in which were her Iewels which she grasping fast within her armes the vnmercifull windes wearie of their cruelties through the helpe of a great waue of the Sea threw her vpon the sandie shore but yet in so miserable estate as most pitifuall it ws to behold her she being pale heauie and more then halfe dead through feare and sorrow insomuch as she moues no more then a senselesse stone representing the forme of a dead coarse rather then of a liuing creature in which dreadfulnes was found as yet some small sparke of life Thus long time did she liue as one breathlesse and liuelesse not being able to call or to recouer her vitall spirits againe In the ende though it were first long she came vnto her selfe beholding with a pittious eye so many drowned coarses to flote vpon the water and so much costly stuffe and rich treasure to be cast here and there vpon the shore and how hauing somewhat recouered her former senses lifting vp her moistned eyes and trembling hands vnto heauen she began thus O Sage Romane that rightly diddest blame such who when they might take their iournie by land will foolishlie commit themselues vnto the mercie of the waters And thou prudent Philosopher who wert of opinion that a man sailing in a boate had but two fingers as it were of life Alacke alacke too true were your words I hauing prooued the same not a little vnto my cost and misfortune O God what vice what fault or what sinne hath brought me vnto this remedilesse mischiefe into which I now see my selfe plunged ouer head and eares was this my doing or did I euer goe about to labour or seeke for this vnfortunate alliance which hath cost me and my companie so deare No no I rather sought how to resist the same to the vttermost of my poore power and to shun and auoyd as much as lay in me this fatall and ominous marriage Ah vnfortunte children from whom the respect and duetie they owe vnto their parents taketh away all the power and authoritie they haue to dispose of their owne persons as themselues doe chiefely couet and desire my minde did prognosticate this misfortune vnto me yet could not I auoyd it and as another vnluckie Cassandra I aduertised my selfe before hand of a mischiefe to come vnto me yet would I not giue credite vnto the same Woe is me woe is me because I see my selfe deliuered now from one daunger and for that I am exempt and freed from the malice of the spightfull Seas Am I therefore more happie then these breathlesse trunkes which lying before me are depriued of life by these vnmercifull Surges No no for they by this meanes are cleared from all debts and whereas I am yet to pay mine and that perhaps with greater miseries and mischiefes and after a worse manner farre by oddes then they haue any waies done For what can I hope for in this strange Countrey where I finde my selfe comfortles and alone but either to starue and die for hunger either to be dishonored by the rude inhabitants and people heere remaining or else to be deuoured with the iawes of some one wilde beast or another Yet Heauens I pray to graunt me rather that I may satisfie the famlne of these sauadge monsters then to be rauished and to loose mine Honour it being the chiefe and onely Iewell which I desire to conserue in this world O haplesse Ariadne and yet farre more fortunate then I An example for thou being left in an vncouth Iland all alone diddest doubt nothing but death being throughly assured as concerning the preseruation of thy virginitie and good fame whereas I alack feare greatly both the one and the other To whom may I vtter my complaints of whom may I intreat for comfort whom may I craue to assist me and from whom may I purchase to obtaine remedie for my so great griefe and anguish
No I would thinke my Fortune to be maruellous good if liuing hardly vpon the rootes and fruite within these woods I might be sure to keepe my Chastitie vntainted and vnpolluted but who can or will assure me of such exceeding fauour Cruell ouer-cruell Sea of thee doe I complaine most of all in that thou hast cast mee vpon thy shore and not drowned me for this doe I complaine of thee more then for the losse of all my friends cast away most cruelly by thine onely meanes alone Why diddest not thou send me to death as thou diddest them and why did I not take the same course following them as they did seeing wee were all embarqued in shippes alike and were to passe all vnto one place and Countrey Well well yet in despite of thee will I seeke to die comforting my selfe with this good in my last miserie that so doing my body shall not be a prey neither to vicious men nor to any deformed monster Nothing doubting at all but that some one pitifull man or other will vouchsafe to burie me after I am dead and that the same earth from which it came will not sticke to accept and receiue it againe into her owne bowels Thus complained the dolefull Iustina dispairing as it were of all succour A Sentence hardly perswading her selfe and scarcely beleeuing that God would euer deliuer her from this wofull estate in which she found her selfe as then to be in But as his power is farre aboue the capacitie of man so doth his succors come quite contrarie vnto the hope and conceit of them and as it were by an extraordinarie kinde of meanes For euen then when the vnfortunate Princesse resolued within her selfe to make her selfe away behold shee might perceiue a young Gentleman to come towards her attended on with two seruants whose custome was to walke oftentimes vnto the Sea side for his disportand pleasure his Castle being seituate and lying hard by the same vpon the toppe of an high hill No sooner had hee cast his eyes vpon the sorrowfull virgin but that he thought presently she was the haplesse remainder of some shipwrack of the Sea and the rather because he saw her enuironed and compassed round about with dead coarses which he perceiuing sodainly began to lament the hard hap of this dispairing Damsell And as the brauest and most generous mindes are soonest subiect to pittie and compassion he resolued to helpe and succour her in what he could Comming neere vnto her he might perceiue her most pittifully to sigh for her disasters holding her head betweene her hands which leaned vpon her lappe and her dropping eyes looking downe very wistly vpon the ground which was the cause shee saw not the Knight vntill he was come right before her But now his presence comming as he did bred a new combat within her thoughts freezing her heart with a nouell feare againe For whereas before she onely doubted the crueltie of some rauenous beast Now seeing so faire and goodly a young Gentleman by her she began to apprehend in her minde the losse of her Honour which neuerthelesse she resolued to maintaine the same vnto the vttermost of her power and to pleade what she could in her owne defence before hee should seaze vpon her as his prey Wherevpon with a good courage shee flingeth her selfe downe at the Noble mans feete and with an assured confidence which through his milde countenance she perswaded her selfe of him began thus to speake If GOD moued at last by mine incessant prayers to be gratious vnto me hath caused thee to come hither to the intent to succour and helpe me I know then thou wilt forbeare to dishonor me But if not and that thou art here arriued to worke my vtter ruine and ouerthrowe Ah then I beseech thee without more adoe cut off and shorten this my loathed life Whatsoeuer thou art An Example I beseech thee remember that the glorie of Alexander the great was greater in that he vanquished his owne will preseruing vntainted and vntoucht the honours of Darius daughters then in conquering Darius himselfe And thinke that the chaste continencie of Scipio brought more renowme and fame vnto him then the defeit and ouerthrowe of Hanniball and that his modest behauiour purchased him more faithfull friendes and seruitours then the triumphing Conquest of that huge Affrica Thus noble Knight to vanquish our enemie is the gift of Fortune and not our own proper force A Sentence but to surmount and ouercome our owne selues is a glorie due vnto our selues alone and to none other Because neither Fortune neither the assistance of our friends haue any interest or part herein for onely from our selues it doth proceed and from none else Whereas contrariwise if thou please but to call vnto thy minde thou shalt soone find what blame dishonor and disgrace the beastly and vicious life of Tarquine of Pacis of Theseus and diuers others brought them vnto who because they durst presume most cruellie to rauish and deflowre illustrious and vertuous Ladies felt the heauy hand of the heauens to inflict most grieuous plagues vpon them So perished Aiax Oillius plagued most iustly for forcing the sacred Prophetesse Cassandra For more fowle was his fault accounted and more was he condemned for abusing this Virgin then proud Pyrrhus was thought cruell in sacrificing the milde Polixena vpon the tombe of his father Achilles I am now thy slaue as Cassandra was his yet I hope I shall not be so hardly vsed as she was by him lest the Gods punish thee as seuerely as they did Aiax I rather perswade my selfe that I haue met with another Alexander for chast continēcie that my hap shal be as fortunate as was that of Slutinas the wife of Darius But if not that I am deceiued in mine expectation yet at the least shew me the fauour that I may succeede Lucretia in her fortune and lend me some weapon or other with which I may open my brest and leaue this my life A Sentence which I haue so much and so long disliked For it is not life but rather death for a modest woman to liue without good name and fame seeing we properly call that life indeed which neuer dyeth at all and that is Honor. Then worthy Lord I commit and commend mine into thy hands it is for this onely that I so much intreat and begge and not for life For so little doe I account thereof as I would thinke it time ill spent and worse imployed to demaund or desire the same at all The Knight hearing this note wondred at her beautie and not a little at her braue minde rare constancie And so much was he amazed at her excellent oration but far more at her vertuous and stout resolution that in steed of hauing her to be his slaue and Captiue he found himselfe to be ouercome as her prisoner and to be wounded with her sweete countenance and pleasing behauiour which
it were checked and controlled What neede hath any man to conferre with hellish Spirits about the knowledge of things to come seeing vnto God alone belongeth the certaintie of the same as long as wee haue a firme confidence and a strong beliefe that the Almightie taketh protection and care ouer vs as hee doeth of the least Byrd that flyeth in the ayre which also his prouidence nourisheth Then what occasion haue wee that we should haue any recourse or speech with Diuels who are the mortall enemies of God In this we shewe our selues either to misdoubt the diuine Bountie and Goodnes or else to haue no beliefe or confidence in his eternall and euerlasting power We are created of God only to eleuate our minds in contemplation to consider and to take knowledge of things present and not to formalize and frame our selues after that which is to come the knowledge of which he his owne selfe refused to participate vnto his Apostles therfore except we would presume to be wiser thē they we haue nothing to doe to talke with Diuells much lesse to inuite or constraine them to shew their puissance or malice because it is a kinde of vsurping ouer the power of the holie one vnto whom is reserued this correction or chastisement ouer these most damned Spirits And to conclude the hystorie of Saule may resolue vs in this doubt who lost his soule his life and his Realme for that hee forced a certaine Sorceresse to raise vp a Diuell who had the forme and shadow of Samuel Besides the Lawes of man condemne such to be burned as meddle with this Arte because they are as well enemies to God as men which neuerthelesse they had neuer done without iust and good considerations The other sort of Magique farre more wicked then this is so detestable and bad as it ought not in right to be tearmed by this word Science because it is an vsuall exercise of ill doing which these Inchanters borrow of the Diuell with the māner to finde out these Venims which is applied vnto the hurt and ouerthrow of all persons whatsoeuer Againe it hath bene alwaies worse punished than murther for a man may take heede of the one but he is most miserably betraied by the other The sword being able to destroy onely such soules as haue life whereas this Venim not onely killeth liuing creatures but all other hearbes trees and plants whatsoeuer Farre then be it from vs to exercise so wicked a studie as this is O stranger replied the old man is not he worthie of more praise that yoketh strong and fierce Lions then if he had done the same to little dogges and small whelpes that are of no courage Is not that Prince more puissaunt and more to be redoubted that commaundeth ouer a nation warlike and generous then he that hath vnder him none but base beggers and poore white-liuered peasants Euen so is not that man to be more commended who by his cunning and industrie commaundeth ouer diuels who for their sinne haue lost nothing of their former puissaunce in which they were first created but onely their eternall Beatitude then he who for want of knowledge and skill gouerneth ouer troupes of fearefull sheepe onely and ouer a companie of rude and simple peasants That person who by his art and cunning shall haue made that which Nature hath hidden A Similie in the deepest bowels of the earth framing through his rare skill this glorious golde which so much flourisheth and is in request throughout the whole world Is not he to be praised and esteemed aboue all other Euen so can that wight merit lesse than great commendation who by his wisedome knoweth how to signorize ouerspirits who terme themselues the Kings and Lords of the world For thou must vnderstand for thy learning that there be diuers kindes of spirits whereof some are extreame wicked and sworne enemies vnto man and other some there be gentle and curteous seruing to doe good in steed of hurting any one But what fault I pray you can you finde with conuersing with such Salomon on whom so much wisedome was bestowed had not he conference oftentimes with them and in the meane space did he ill No for he had receiued such great knowledge of God as the vertue thereof made him worthie to discourse with spirits and he himselfe being willing to instruct vs in that notable perfect Art left certaine writings of his behinde him which are much sought after by the Magitians now at this day which are called SALOMONS KEIES So that by this we may gather that if to haue communication or a parlie with diuels had bene thought a thing detestable and vniust Salomon had neuer talked with them neither he himselfe would haue left vnto vs in writings the meanes how to call vpon their names or to discourse with them Father Father replied Philistel all these reasons thou alledgest cannot defend this thy bad cause for neither ought we to follow Salomon in this because he made an ill end hauing forgotten himselfe most miserably in the latter end of his age and committed so horrible a fault as the onely remembrance thereof maketh my haire to stand vpright for feare neither is thy cunning herein to be allowed inasmuch as euery Science that proceedeth not from God himselfe and is not drawne out of the sacred fountaine of his immortall wisedome is not onely worthie to be condemned but also meriteth to be rewarded with fire That Magicke should be a Science ordained by God thou canst not maintaine seeing that our Sauiour Christ neuer taught it neither his Apostles euer learnd it as they did many other good holy and iust Sciences It is rather the Art of Eue who beleeued what the Serpent tolde her which was the cause both of her ruine and of ours For tell me I pray you what grace or goodnes can a man expect from his mortall enemie being not giuen vnto any thing by the corruption of his nature but vnto blood-shedding vnto wickednes and vnto extreame crueltie And so what can one looke for that may be profitable or good to come from proud Lucifer and his angels of darkenes they being the most deadliest enemies that may be vnto mankinde Besides with what kind of payment doe they paie themselues in the end for the seruice which they haue done vnto men Is it not with the pretious price of their soules which they ought to esteeme more dearely then all things else whatsoeuer What doth it profit a man to gaine all the kingdomes in the world if he shall lose his owne soale thereby And who euer knew Magitians to die well whose bodies oftentimes haue bene visible seene to haue bene carried away by these Fiends Ochozias King of the Iewes being sicke onely because he sent vnto the Oracle of Belzebub died most wretchedly by the iust commaundement of God how much more seuerely had he bene punished if he had had ordinarie conference with the diuels when he was
condemned for the same Had Iupiter neuer loued the earth had neaer bene clensed nor purged of such monsters as much did trouble it for then the mightie Hercules had neuer bene borne Marke I beseech you how much wee all are beholding vnto Loue. Many times when men fall a discoursing and from words to quarrels so farre is Loue off from being the author thereof as quite contrarie were it not for his presence contentious Discord would animate one against another euerie one to murther his companion acquaintance for where Loue is there neuer is seene any disagreement at all And therefor is Loue the father of concord and peace and not of brawling and strife A Historiz yea and so puissant and forcible is hee as his power also extendeth to force wilde beasts to be milde as was that Lyon which was brought before Titus the Emperor which in steed of deuouring the poore slane who was flung vnto her to staunch her exceeding great hunger gently fell downe at his feete stroking him doing him all the reuerence that might be and louing him most deerely by reason that this slaue flying away from the seuere crueltie of his maister and lighting into a wood where this beast was had pulled out a great thorne out of his foote which most pitiouslie did grieue him Now if brute beasts are taught to loue out of doubt then such men shall be much condemned as will not follow the like example The graue Spartans put in practise this counsell to the intent to haue children in as much as they imagined that such as were begotten through a firme and passing kinde of good liking would prooue farre more valiant and couragious then such as were borne of the husband and wife without louing one an other And surely we see by experience that such children are more gallant and of a brauer spirit then those that are brought forth into the world lawfully whether it is either because the loue of such persons is more affectionate and passionate that are the cause of their byrths or whether it be for that they see by reason that they are Bastards they are depriued of their Parents inheritance and therefore the more willingly thrust forth themselues to seeke their owne aduancement Iefpha the Iudge of Israel and William surnamed the Conqueror that got the Crowne of England were of this number with infinite other braue personages So that by this we may gather that Loue not onely bringeth forth honor and profite vnto men but also an vnspeakable kinde of comfort withall They that haue tryed the pleasure thereof can better iudge then I For the delight that Loue affordeth is so sweete so gentle and so delightfull as it is not possible to set downe no nor scarce to conceiue the same in anie thoughts So that in comparison of that all other mortall ioyes are but A Bomparison as it were small sparkles and like vnto litle stars in respect of this which for the glorie thereof may be compared vnto the splendent Sunne Heerewithall Coribant kept silence leauing Arcas to follow this discourse and to make an end of this disputation which he did in these termes following If it be lawfull for one to say something and to argue of that which wee cannot see as of a Deitie or Godhead then must we reason by the effects of the same But these which exceede our humane capacitie and conceit giue vs a most certaine and sufficient testimonie that we ought to belieue that there is a certaine puissance and power farre greater then is our owne which we cannot attribute vnto anie other then vnto GOD. As in a wildernes the houses there built testifie that men be dwelling therein because they are the worke of mens hands So may we say of Loue and so it is with him for neuer hath any person seene him nor viewed him at any time yet notwithstanding A Similie euery one is able to talke and to discourse of him by reason of the wonderfull effects which proceed from his diuine power and might Where you say that Children borne out of marriage are valiant and couragious At that I maruell nothing at all for Loue being a Bastard as the sonne of Mars and Venus cannot doe lesse then like support and affect his brethren they hauing the same beginning that he hath Neuerthelesse for all they haue some particular gift incident vnto them yet are they as illegitimate depriued both by Nature and by the Ciuill Law from bearing any charge or office in the common-wealth as their birth is contrarie vnto the custome as well of honestie as of all ciuill order and Lawe Therefore Loue is not praise-worthie in this point for manie times hee confoundeth Right and maketh a gallimalfrie or a mingle-mangle of Iustice bringing such vnlawfull Brattes as these to inherit with those that are lawfullie begotten either for default that they are not knowne or taken to be such or else because their presupposed father will not publish them for Bastards for that he will not offend the honor of his wife But say the world were freed from such kinde of men and that there were no more such to be found yet for all that it should be neuer a whit the lesse honored nor lesse defended I confesse and yeelde that Loue is mightie and of great power in the procreation of such children But as all Countreyes and Realmes without the execution of Iustice are but plaine open theeueries and robberies liuing as licentious Outlawes So Loue without reason and Iustice is but a disordinate appetite trampling vnder his feete all respect all Iustice and all Law to satisfie and asswage his hote and burning passions And how much Sumiramis the nieces of Augustus the Emperour Poppea Agrippina Faustina and diuers others haue bene condemned for following such kinde of Loue and giuing ouer themselues most voluptuously vnto all sorts of people you knowe as well as I am able to report Where you say that Loue is not the author of vice but rather men who applie the same ill and abase it through the badnesse of their owne nature I answer that it is nothing so For as the prisoner cannot dispose of him who is his keeper and holdeth him captiue Euen so men are so farre off from ruling Loue according as they would that hee vseth them as he list holding them so fast in such sure bands as they can doe nothing but what shall please him There is difference betweene him and wine for a man may take heede if he will that he drinke not so much vntill he be drunke but he cannot so easilie resist Loue in as much as that reason being supprest which is in man vpon which presently Loue as a tyrant ceazeth he can then doe no more of himselfe he being constrained and compelled to follow the will and commaund of him that doth signorize ouer him For if Loue were in the free libertie at the deuotion and disposition of
much and much to thy renowne Be thou content to see her breathe who by thy Grace doth liue And who to view thy hurts in soule more then thy selfe would grieue No Treasure like a faihfull Friend so rich you can denise Who to himselfe gets foes in minde much diseontented dies Friendship from Heauen first come and as a gift diuine is held A Sentence And mortall men from ouerthrowes it saued hath not seld Then Deare vouchsafe for to appease the torments I endure Appease my sorrowes and my wounds nigh mortall daine to cure Nor force me not lest dying I when life from me shall part Doe call vpon thee in my death as if chiefe cause thou wert Ah speake then my Delight and cleare from me this bitter storme By comforting my deadly woes which I too long haue borne To th' end thy kindnesse milde to helpe my sicknesse may be seene As hitherto the Author of my troubles thou hast beene But why doest thou so long delay to answere vnto mee Hard harted more then flintie rocks which in the mountains bee Ah cruell man I well perceiue my loue thou doest disdaine Nor wilt vouchsafe in cheerfull wise to staunch my bleeding vaine I see thou meanst with those thine eyes prides dartes still me to pierce To close me in my fatall Tombe through rigor thine so fierce Well be it so I am content For happie I them gesse Who dying A Sentence see to dye with them their griefes which then doe cease And since I finde that sauadge-like thou wilt not rue my state I am well pleasde to end my dayes because thou doest me hate Then yet but daine to speake to me say if thou wilt asswage Or still increase these plagues of mine which doe within me rage Cruell dispatch my loyaltie which nere from thee did swerue Say in thy conscience doeth it not one word of thee deserue Alas A Sentence answere but I or no what lesse thing can one finde Or baser priz'de then is a word which is but sound of winde Thus said she sighing ceast whilst teares from cheekes like showres did fall Yet nor her selfe nor teares nor speech Armanda mou'd at all Nay more so cruell was he growne as he disdaind to looke Vpon her face her beautious face which hardly he could brooke Her passionate words could not perswade they made him hate her more That he so long had giuen her eare himselfe he blamed sore In th' end forc't by the vrgings oft and importunitie Of sad Sicambra who like Ghost did haunt him with her crie With furious lookes and frowning brow these words at last he spoke Which like a dismall Oracle her heart in sunder broke Foolish Sicambra thus in vaine to vexe me what doest meane From these fond fittes of idle Loue thy minde why doest not weane T' is thou that makst Armanda die in worse then wofull wise Armanda who thy speech and loue contemnes as worthlesse prise Thy tedious tale told to no end to heare he little ioyes He dies tormented tir'de and gaul'd to heare thee make such noyse Now prie thee prie thee let alone Armanda miserable Who for to take his wonted rest is not through thee scarce able He at thy follies doeth but smile his chiefe delight and loue Is for to chase wild beasts of prey his strength gainst them to prooue He cannot like of any thing except his flocke of sheepe With which to pleasure his not small he in the fields doth keepe To force one loue against his will is what can neuer be Neuer the same hath bene as yet nor shall you find 't in me For loyall Loue that it may dure and neuer prooue to faint Doth of himselfe A Sentence seaze on the heart without force or constraint Where being forc't t' is alwayes bad vnperfect and vnsound For nothing's goodly but what 's built on Friendships firmest ground Then why fond Gyrle art thou so mad to loue me to constraine By this thy earnest vrging speech which thou too well canst faine I tell thee I in those false eyes nor face of thine delight Nor doe I pittie ought at all thy hard and heauy plight I laugh to see thee heauie weepe to heare thee sigh I smile And in thy martyring much doe ioy whilst thou complainst the while Poore wretch thou doest but loosethy time nor euer shalt thou finde Armanda will his fancie change to thee for to be kinde He 'le neuer loue thee For before his heart should so conspire To quench so worthlesse flames a death most strange he would desire For neuer greater mischiefe vile can any himselfe bring Then when he tries the lawes of Loue and feeles his poysonous sting Vnhappie they that know the same and wise I him account That with this bedlem passion mad will not at all confrount My yeares are too too young mine age not ripe enough as yet My selfe to subiect as a slaue to Loue his furious fit Nor haue I time enough to be a scholler in his schoole And I am wilde enough although I play not so the foole Then leaue me to my selfe that I may of my selfe dispose Whose pleasure hunting is whose sport is quiet soft repose And come not thus to trouble me with these thy bawling cries Which I assure thee I disdaine in most contemptuous wise Be gone nor looke here any more thou come this text to preach For for such sicknesse as these I am no pleasing leach And therewith all the Shepheard sterne departs and all alone Sicambra leanes vncomforted Sanus pittying of her mone Alacke what should she doe as now She could doe nought but waile Which rather did encrease her griefe then cause the same to quaile No teares our passions can represse which from the heart arise A signe they are of woe but want the perfect remedie It is but lost time to lament whil'st weeping we reuiue Afresh these cruell torments which doe martire vs aliue Now as she wofully thus tooke on in this her desperate plight Kinde Zerphir who had sought her much on her by chance did light And seeing her afflicted thus all desolate and sole He sighing weepes to view her weepe and with her doth condole So suffereth the Louer chast for his sweet Ladies sake If she but grieued be the same he at his soule doth take He of the paine participates which in her minde is growne And more her hurt doth trouble him then that which is his owne Zerphir then did endure as much as did the Shepheardesse Her teares were his his pensiue plight then his was nothing lesse But after much lamentings sad with many a bitter sob He sweetly thus gan comfort her whil'st fast her heart did throb Sicambra who thus miserable thy life hath made to me Who hath thy fortune brought as mine thus pittious for to be Whence comes these sighes true witnesses of thine in interuall troubles Whence slow these teares apparant showes that care within thee double I st
th'Iron doth the Adamant so drawes she him to smart Whilst metamorphisde into teares of woe he knoweth no meane His torments being so cruell as his griefes are too extreame He thinkes no more of his poore sheepe he hath forgotten those No other thought now troubles him but how to end his woes His voyce his crie his gesture sad and his most morunfull speech Are all of Loue and how they Loue for succour may beseech His colour now is chang'd and gate so is his wonted grace Nored nor white as heretofore remaineth in his face Like ashes he lookes pale and leane whilst sorrow drieth his bones Nor hath he strength for to doe aught except to send forth grones Without all hope or comfort he doth draw his loathed life And for his refuge death doth seeke torid him of this strife But death is deafe vnto his call as fieree Sycambra is And therefore thou and th' other too he gainst his will must misse Well may he call but they 'le not come once comfort for to bring But leaue him when he needes them most to liue thus languishing In briefe the heauens death and men with destuies doe conspire Gainst him that he shall burne yet haue no meane to quench this fire Nothing preuailes him to auaile whilst on the other side Sycambra in like predicament as he is doth abide Of thonsand bloodie passions she participateth vext Yet nothing can relieue her whilst she languisheth perplext Armanda iests and her when she doth speake at euery word He skoffes nor fauour he at all to her will once afford He laughes to see her weepe to heare her sigh it makes him smile Nor will so much as one small dram of pittie yeeld the while But growing too too insolent and puffed vp with pride He wills her to depart and die nor cannot her akide Swearing by all the Gods that he will sooner seeke his death Then fancie her as long as he shall draw his vitall breath She seeing her selfe disdained thus doth ban her destinie And after many strange conceits resolueth for to die By some strange kinde of vncoth death she meanes to cure her wound Which Loue as foe had giuen her her sences to confound Without imploring any more sauadge Armandas aide Who neither her nor her kinde sute respected aught or waide So loyall Hero of her life an end would willing make When faire Leander she did see drowned for her sake Ah fretting corsie worse then death with neuer endles smart When cheating Loue impoysoneth the constant loyall heart More cruell then the rest by odds for dying we but range From this life to another while we make a better change Whereas the for lorne Louers life so bitter is and fell As thousand deaths they chuse before they will abide the hell Of all the torments then on th' earth Loue most outragious is Loue that our youths makes wither fast depriuing as of blisse Sycambra therefore now resolu'de to die doth soone entend That so at length her Agonies and senselesse griefes may end A trenchant blade she taketh vp but viewing it so kright And sharpe she straitway lets it fall so much it her doth fright Her heart will not endure her hand should set it to her brest And therefore with such inchauntment to die she doth detest A throtling halter doth displease as much as sword before So rusly to be strangled stiffe her faire necke doth abore She poyson takes but her conceit that drench hath ouerthrowne Which makes her halter poyson sword all three to let alone A gentler kinde of death though strange she hath found out as the Which is t'entombd her selfe aliue torid her of her woe She meanes within a Rocke obscure from other Rockes far wide With thousand Ditches compassed and bushes on each side Fearefull to Sauadge beasts themselues and horrible to men Her selfe there to enclose and there her selfe doth closely pen. Thus lanquisht she most wrethedly no meate she had nor bred But sighes and sobs no drinke at all but teares which fast she shed No meate she would but mone no drinke but dole to end her life Meaning hereby her coarse to spoyle through starning famines knife The skriching night Owles dolefully her wailings did assist And lucklesse Rauens moand her Loue whilst they to her did list Death whom she wisht for oft at hand was still though not so nigh As she desirde and sorrow was with her continually No voyce she vsde but cries no speech but drerie drie laments So heauily she mournes as Rockes for pittie doe relent Yet no man answeres her at all The comfort most she findes Is when false Ecco her last word againe vnto her windes But he that of her miserie is cause and motiue chiefe Is deafe vnto her praiers become nor yeeld will her reliefe More hard then stubborne Rocks then hills more Sauadge and more fierce He will not mollifie his heart no pittie can it pierce His weale it is to see her waile her bale to him is blisse Whilst in a state most pittilesse far worse then death he is O Tygers whelpe monster of men worthy of any blame Too much vnworthy to be lou'd of such a constant dame Ah may that fortune chaunce to thee as to Adonis coy Who of a Goddesse dayning loue a Boore did him destroy And let it hap to thee as to Narcissus peeuish Elfe Who others Loues refusing did in loue fall with himselfe Yet can I not say that the Gods are partiall but most iust The selfe same measure others we doe giue we looke for must So Ladies had Sycambra kinde vnto her Zerphir bene She had not then such tortors felt nor had abid such teene As she did bide still languishing desirous for to die Whilst she to death Armanda like to come to her doth crie Yet hopes she thus she cannot liue and that her times not long Her heart she findes alreadie broke for bearing so great wrong Besides her fainting bodie fraile prognosticates to her By reason nature's growne so weake death is not from her far Much doe the gastly dreames she hath in slumber her affright And fearefull apparitions strange which she beholdes in night Sometimes they to her bring dispare then her with hope they feede With hope in vaine which when she wakes her wounds more fresh make bleed For he that nothing hath to loose needs not to waile his losse Nor needs he feare that Fortunes wheeles swift turning should him crosse Where he is in most pittious plight that viewes his chiefest stay Which should from ruine him support on sudden tooke away Long time Sycambra in this wise most vncoth liued thus Like to the shape of gastly death in case most dolorous Whilst in meane space Famine and Griefe with neuer ceasing cries Her flesh did turne to bones her heart tormenting in strange guise Her colour which before was fresh and daintie as the Rose And that same beautious varnish pure no more now in her showes Like to
Phisitions for afflicted cōsciēces feared as the punishers of enormities abuses saluted as the Superiours or Elders of the Church redoubted as the I rophets of the sacred Scripture proclaimed as Herolds of the pure and sincere veritie and truth it selfe The auncient Emperours disdained not to be chosen by them in their Empire and Gregorie surnamed the Great named and appointed the seuen Romane Electors the seuen Romane Electors I say againe who oftentimes deposeth such Emperours as before they had chosen when they were found guiltie of some notorious and detestable crime But now alas what shall I say vnto you poore miserable contemptible and despised Ecclesiasticall Pastors In steed of honouring you you are now iniured in steed of louing you you are hated and loathed in steed of saluting you you are abused in steed of respecting you you are disdained and contemned in steed of giuing vnto you most that you haue is taken from you miserable are you your selues and most wretched your calling since you are abused through so many grose indignities and yet for all this the euerlasting sonne of the heauenly Father found not a dignitie more godly and more worthie then that of Priest-hood according vnto the order of Melchicedecke he was the first High Priest whose successours were the Apostles of whom at this day are the reuerend Pastors and Preachers of the word the true and lawfull followers But comfort your selues Religious and godly Diuines for thrise blessed are all those that suffer trouble and persecution in their bodies for the name of Iesus Christ-Glorie is the daughter of trauaile and paine as enuie is the infant of glorie and onely by trouble and paine haue the Saints beaten the way for vs to mount to heauen But as such as thinke so meanely of Religion and of the Prelates thereof are themselues to be as meanely accounted of euen so highly are such to be esteemed that haue giuen them there due and rightly honoured them And such a one was Theodosius that famous Emperour sarnamed the Great who sought all the meanes he could to haue the fauour good will of S. Ambrose when he had excōminicated him yeelding vnto his will and fearing greatly his displeasures and not long after he being threatned by a certaine Hermit with the like punishmēt he sent for all the Bishops there-abouts to know of them whether he might be interdicted the Church and all godly companie by so poore a creature as he was standing mightily in awe of the same And therefore ye worthie learned and religious Diuines whatsoeuer disgraces are offered vnto you and howsoeuer you are most iniuriously handled or most contemptuously made account of yet be not you troubled thereat but follow your graue and vertuous calling you being appointed and chosen by God himselfe to be the dispensers the celebraters of his blessed Sacraments and the blasoning Herolds of his eternall and euerlaistng word lawfull Successours in his diuine function and great and mightie by reason of your more then worthie dignitie But behold where the old man commeth vnto whom I must make intercession in the behalfe of these wretched Pirates so strangely metamorphosed by him To him will I pleade with all humble modestie lest growing in chollor with me he vse me as hardly as he hath done them and the rather because not long since I somewhat angred him Herewithall the Knight comming vnto him saluted him with great curtesie in this manner Learned and respectiue Father God prosper thy yeares prolong thy life multiplie thy daies conserue and keepe thee still in health Let me intreate thee a while to stay and a little to rest thy selfe in this place whilest I shall be bolde to deliuer a fewe words vnto thee The Gods sometimes lend their cares vnto mortall men neither doe they disdaine to heare them as thou makest shew me thinkes as if thou art loth to listen vnto mine Stay then reuerend old man and giue not iust cause vnto me that I may conceiue any vnkindnes through this thy harsh and hard deniall Nothing is of smaller account then the speech of man who so yeeldeth not vnto that will yeeld vnto nothing The old man seeing himselfe to be held by the hand and vrged so hardly as it were somewhat in choller replied thus Palmer thou art too troublesome and importunate let me goe I would wish thee hinder me no longer from the seruice of the Gods about which I am now going lest thou force me to doe that which I would not be willing for what thou wouldest haue I know alreadie before thou speakest Thy request is not lawfull inasmuch as Iustice should be wronged and rightly might she complaine of me if I should yeeld vnto thy demand giue ouer then thy vaine sute for no bodie is bound to doe what is ill and vniust at the request of another because we ought to make more account of Iustice then of all the world besides and for that no amitie or affection is to be preferred before a reasonable and righfull matter Heare me therefore and disquiet not my minde which is now busied about heauenly things and thinke I loue thee well to let thee goe seotfree when thou shalt vrge me with such an vnreasonable motion as this for Iustice punisheth as well those that seeme to allow of euill as those that doe commit euill themselues Pardon me graue sir answered the knight there is no man liuing that lesse alloweth of euill then I doe which I hate loath and despise but I cannot chuse but I must needs loue pittie and mercie for as we are all men so are we bound one to helpe another the bruite beastes themselues doing the like through the verie instinct of Nature Compassion ought to be preferred before all other respects because a fault that is done may be amended and become a vertue but a man once dead for want of pittie neuer riseth againe and his losse is vnrecouerable and can neuer be repaired againe Mercie hath alwaies gotten the vpper hand of rigour and fiercenes and the pittifull man doth deserue more then the iust whereof Cosar shall serue me for a witnesse who affirmed that the fruites of his victories was the pardon he daily gaue vnto thousands of his enemies assoone as they sought his fauour What nourisheth the societie and companie of men What maintaineth their liues and what increaseth their health and quietnes but milde pittie If there were none but hungrie wolfes or greedie Lyons how then should the world endure and how could men be sure to enioy their liues in safetie Ah if our most louing God should be found as thou art without mercie what hope should we haue to enioy eternall glorie but rather looke euerie houre when we should be swallowed vp into the bottomlesse gulfe of hell Change then this thy too too obdurate resolution The exceeding great curtesies that Alexander vsed vnto the Persian Kings daughters and wife was the cause that Darius prayed the
to offer thee dishonour I would liue No no I held thee too too deare and at too high a rate And more of thee I doe esteeme then of mine owne estate Wrong me not so for from the heauens the Sunne shall swiftly fall And I my life will sacrifice before that happen shall A great offence with punishment most grieuous plagued is Then thinke not I le forget my selfe to doe so much amisse And that I will performe my word my promise thou shalt haue So that with leaue my mouth of thee this tinie Boone may craue Onely to kisse thy sacred hand is that which I request That hand of thine which being toucht shall make me liuing blest No other good for all my paines then this I will require For all my loue and my good will I will no way desire Graunt me my suit that as my soule is rauisht with thine eies So by the same may rauisht be my life in selfesame wise Which if I shall obtaine I le iudge my ioyes for to abound And that so happie as my selfe no Louer liues on ground So said his Mistris kind to yeeld this fauour is content Giuing her hand to him which he doth kisse incontinent Thrise blessed hand which through thy power doth quench so hot a flame And through thy gentle touch the rage asswagest of the same She powers the drops of pittie on his more than burning fire And from his hart plucks forth those darts there fixed through desire And now is Cloridan content and cased of his smart He goeth no farther nor makes shew from promise his to part Yet in his hope is comfort hid he hopes well in his minde And in assurance he doth liue some better good to finde Meane space Dan Phoebus leaues his worke his taâ—ke he hauing done His place resigning Sisters his that she her course may runne When being wearied of his toyle he gets him to highed Whilst Luna pale amongst the clouds appeares with horned hed This is the cause that Cloridan halfe angrie takes his leaue Whilst homeward for to goe his hart with thousand thoughts doth heaue The day he doth accuse as one vnconstant wauering That dai'es nere long enough when one hopes that good twill him bring But he must packe from thence and men the Gods ought to obay Who haue as well the night ordained as they did make the day His leaue of Stella he doth take and praieth her be so kind That he next morning in that place her louely selfe may find Which she doth promise halfe compeld for Loue doth force her please Her amorous Swaine and meanes to seeke his torments for to ease And now both part and goe their waies whilst vndershadowing tree They leaue their bleating flocks to rest which there in safetie bee For Woolues no enemies as then were vnto any beast The Tiger nor the Lion then vpon them neuerceast But Phoebus now was scarsely rose his wonted course to make Nor to his brightsome Chariot had his firie horse betake Nor was Aurora stollen yet from aged Tithonâ— side To get vnto Eudimion leu'd and there with hiâ—â— to bide When Cloridan whose minde did run vpon his Mistris beautie To whom he had deuoted all his seruice and his dutie Leapes from his couch for he that hopes vpon some good lucke sweet To come next day hath small desire to slumber or to sleepe He to the old place maketh hast to wait on those faire eies Which spoyle his rest yet to his hart are kind in gratious wife Meane time the Shepheard Aridon that wretch most miserable To find such like as Cloridan had found he was not able Most pitiously he languisheth whilst Loue and â—â—ll his law He curseth more then thousand times of all his woes the cause Faine would he leaue to loue since he seeth he can gaine no grace And that the fruits of Loue he nere is like for to embrace But all in vaine his destinie he can no waies prenens Nor can he aught of ill resist what powers diuine haue â—ent What he is able that he doth but what doth it auaile For man LOVE to withstand when Gods he forceth for to quaile But as the Hart being sore hurt the more that he doth seeke To ease him of his hurts the more he worser is and weeke So Aridon in thinking how to rid him of his griefe The worser waxeth still and in the end dieth sans reliefe Nothing on earth the power of LOVE is able to controle Like whirling Tempests what denies before him it doth role So Aridon is not of strength his feete for to retire From forth that place that burneth him with vnextinguisht Fire Whilst Cloridon within himselfe doth thinke how he is blest Poore Aridon his Fortunes bannes from pleasures dispossest Both equall in affection but in comfort differing Th' one sighes for his woes the other stands his ioyes oft reckoning Both like in passions but in lucke both too too contrarie In pleasure th' one consumes his life th' other for paine doth die Vntill this time the one vnto the other was a friend Nor did the one against the other mischieuous hate pretend Before as brethren sworne they were and so together liu'd What th' one did like the other lou'd nor th' one the other grieu'd But at the the last faire Stellas loue alas that should be so Causae this their amitie to end and lesse and lesse to grow The blinded Sonne of Mars who doth his Fathers heire right prooue Strife and discention takes from Sire and from his Mother LOVE For more he sets at variance and whips with Discords roddes Then be the harts he subingates and brings to Loue by oddes But now is Cloridan againe vnto that Spring returnd Which quenched had the flame in which before he wofull burnd The comming of his Dame he stayes with great deuotion For now to hunt the Sauadge Bore he thinkes not once vpon His minde on Stella onely runnes such is this sodaine change As after Wolfe or Lyon fierce he careth not to range To her his heart he doth deuote and vnto her prefer His vitall Powers as pawnes of Loue engag'de be vnto her The place he kisseth often which with Flowers was strewde all ore Whereas his Mistris hee had found to lye the day before Happie he calld and counted them more then a thousand times Them honoring as if they had bene some power of God diuine He blest their beautie and did pray that storme nor soking raine That Sythe nor Plowe-share there might come their beautie for to staine That neither Winters colde nor Sommers great heate might there be seene But that they alwayes fresh might showe with cooly shadow greene Thus stayeth the Shepheard wishing still and still expecteth sore Her comming who vntill she comes each houre imagining foure He thinks that for her he stayeth long but when her companie He hath he then saith Time runnes fast and too too soone doth hie Louers esteeme not any time
being the ordinarie whippes with which they scourge thē for their impieties but it is themselues that are causes of their owne sorrowes because they driue away sage Reason from them who is of might sufficient to deliuer and set them free The franticke Bedlem that wilfully killeth himselfe can he dying accuse any other of his disaster or complaine of a straunger when he hath murthered himselfe No more can a fond Louer hurting himselfe be angrie with the heauens who was not the cause thereof but he himselfe And herein they resemble little children that hauing done a fault lay the blame thereof either vpon their play-fellowes or vpon something else being neuer willing to confesse that they haue done amisse Fuen so they themselues hauing felt one burning in their brests the furious fire which in the end consumeth and destroy eth them condemne the powers aboue for the same But small reason haue they so to doe for they that vse it are rather counted to be full of rage and giuen to murmure then esteemed as wise and prudent persons And yet I cannot denie but that the heauens narurally doe as it were seeme to be bound to doe vs good but the accident oftentimes corrupteth the Nature The Parent by Nature is bound to loue his child yet if his his owne flesh shall be peruerse and ill giuen becomming a mortall enemie vnto his Father this right of Nature ceaseth and he is no more bound to doe any thing for him no more than for a straunger There is a iust law grounded vpon this reason which permitteth the Father being iustly offended with his Sonne to dishinherit him of his lands this being the very same punishment that the children of Sophocles suffered for that they most maliciously accused their Father to dote for age and to be out of his right wits onely because they would haue depriued him of his possessions and goods Brutus likewise stucke not to prosecute the death of his too forward sonne most cruellie and with great disgrace also because he had done as well against the Common-wealth as contrarie vnto his owne command So therefore although the heauens I speake all this against my selfe as well as thee Coribant for that I am as wretched a Louer as thy selfe art in euerie degree be our common Father and for that cause is naturally bound to doe vs good yet notwithstanding is he not bound to shewe vs this kindnesse if we shall gricuously and willingly offend him as the Accidence of the offence shall be more violent and strong then the naturall Right is which by reason of this quite ouerthroweth the other For as water quencheth the fire and maketh it cold as any Ice which by nature is hote burning and full of heate So the discourtesies and iniuries which we offer vnto such as by Nature were prouided to be our protectors and defenders drowne and extinguish all their deuoire and Right altering their good mindes from vs quite contrarie vnto that it was at the first A man that is by kinde borne vicious and bad and such a one as bringeth forth of the wombe of his mother wickednesse with him into the worlde may per Accidence through good education and bringing vp become vertuous and wise Euenso the Accident of iniuries and displeasures may chaunge and alter the curteous inclination of a kinde friend sowring and sharpning the same against vs as the Lees and dregs doe the sweetest wine And this mischiefe falling vpon our heads wee cannot condemne anie for it but our owne selues who are the chiefe and efficient cause thereof And therefore we are much in the wrong to lay the blame on him whom through our owne meere follie we haue made him our soe although he be slow and slacke to helpe vs we being falne into miserie although before he by nature was bound to lend vnto vs his helping hand and to assist vs in what he could certainely if we were well and godly giuen and without prouoking or tempting the Eternall Power aboue would we but confirme our selues in all our actions according vnto his desire keeping vs with the bonds of his commandements there is no doubt but he would aide vs hearing vs when we should call vnto him and would nor sticke to raine downe Manna as he did for the children of Israel nourishing vs in the wildest Desarts that be But what law can force or constraine him to shew vs this mercie when we shew our selues to be his mortall enemies going about to increase his wrath euerie houre against vs. But say that he were willing and readie as we are most vnworthie thereof to helpe vs and that it would please him to haue this pittifull and fauourable regard ouer vs yet may you be well assured he would neuer take any charge nor euer make any account of Louers for their griefes is not numbred amongst the plagues of other miscrable creatures the second cause whereof the heauens oftentimes are our sinnes being the first Loue being seene to be but a verie meere follie and therefore neuer moueth the heauens with compassion to heale them A great and grose error therefore it is amongst Louers to imagine that the heauens are the Authors of their paine but a farre greater fault is it in them to require their aide and assistance for Loue is not any kind of contagious disease causing men to die cutting off one after another and for that cause hath reason to implore the heauens for aide to helpe them as they doe when any great mortalitie or plague rageth amongst them but it is a sickenes that continueth still without dying with which onely sensuall persons and sooles and none else are infected This is the reason that we haue neuer knowne any Louers to haue bene cured through miracle whereas we find written in diuers learned bookes that the bodies of many men being dead haue bene restored to life againe and that many haue bene cured of incurable discases onely this vaine sicknes is vnworthie of remedie and reliefe because it proceedeth not neither through the anger of the heauens nor by reason of the contagion of other diseases but onely through our owne foolishnes Now as that amitie cannot be firme and strong betweene man and woman where they answere not one another in desires and affection although naturally they are bound to loue one another euen so the heauens cannot be accused of crueltie in not scourging mortall creatures if the cause which should drawe them vnto this charitable endeuour be taken away from them Let vs then no more exclaime against the Celestiall Power aboue but let vs thanke our owne selues that we deserue no better of him our sinnes being the cause he giueth vs ouer As the fellon cannot blame the Iudge that condemneth him to death nor accuse him of ouermuch seueritie in that he dieth but rather his owne bad liuing that brought him vnto so vntimely an end for he is not to be thought ill of who doth rightly
afterwards discouered and appeare in his right forme and likenes The eyes of his Mistris onely seemed in his iudgement worthie to be marked and regarded although they resembled the Viper which as well hurteth as helpeth a man for no sooner did he gaze vppon them but that his soule swallowed downe a sweet poysonous potion feeling at one instant both pleasure and paine yet could not hee liue without approching neare this ardent Fire Although the nearer hee came vnto it the more by degrees hee consumingly both melted and wasted away Wherein he resembleth that sicke patient who doth nothing else but drinke and after he hath drunke findeth the drinke to double his griefe thoughout his bodie Had he had but the libertie of speech and might he haue bene bolde to haue vttered his minde hee had not endured halfe the torments he did but being preuented by vnhonest meanes and because hee was vnworthie to receiue anie succour or helpe hee was forced though much against his will to be silent and to hold his peace For ouermuch talke oftentimes doubleth a mans shame and hindereth him not a little His aime was at the marke which onely appertained to his Friend And like as the Theefe feareth to deliuer his minde vnto the Iudge because of the great desire he hath to commit some one Robberie or other Fuen so a Louer being in his conceits dishonest and quite repugnant to Honour dareth not but conceale the same as much as hee may to auoyd greater disgraces that may ensue for feare of further danger This was the cause that the sonne of Seleucus louing his Stepmother ouer dearely because he kept his mouth so close his lippes being sealed with the Signet of dutifull respect and lawfull Honour endured great torment lying at the point of death The hart of man being tainted with poyson dyeth soone vnlesse by some meanes or other the venome be cast forth and therefore most insupportable is their anguish and tortures who dare not discouer their hurts because they are vnworthie of helpe But what Who euer saw but that a Louer vaine Conceales his griefe nor dares bewray his paine And so did Picchio onely his heauie eye and sadde countenance supplied the office of his tongue by which he declared his minde by sighes though otherwise hee durst not And therefore it is a hard matter for those that loue constantly to conceale their passions doe they neuer set so hard and close a Bridle before their tongue for either the pale colour of their face either their sad and heauie countenance A Louer can hardly coÌ„â—cale his griefe either the teares that alwayes flowe from their eyes or else their continuall sighing and sobbing will discouer and bewray their affection for this passion is too terrible too vehement and too hote to be keptsecret without disclosing some signe or token of the violence thereof no more then fire can be hidde vnder the Ashes which neuerthelesse sendeth forth a heate Yea and sometimes a flame too This then was the occasion that Antonio was chaunged both in fauour and shape and yet notwithstanding these were not sufficient strong testimonies for the standers by to iudge that he was in Loue. Seldome or neuer is the Criminall condemned to die vppon bare suppositions or likely hoodes if neither his owne eyes haue giuen anie shrewde gesse or his owne tongue discouered his offence And yet this alteration of bodie in Picchio made euery one to wonder in so much as they were maruellously desirous to know the reason thereof for the nature of man is alwayes verie cur lous to heare of straunge matters delighting in nouelties and to vnderstand the seuerall euents and occasions of the same But to what ende should the Physition enquire of a sicke man the originall of his discase what it is and how it came if the patient be stedfastly resolued to die and will not liue Euen so it was but lost labour for those who did importune verie often poore Picchio to discouer where his most paine lay when he meant not to tell them For he had bene worthie to haue bene registred for a right Dolt indeed if he should haue made them acquainted therewith when they could doe him no good at all and who were so farre from helping of him as they sooner would haue brought poyson then Balme for his recurelesse wound O Tyraunous LOVE thou art not content alone to inflict vpon vs manie corrosiues and dolours vnlesse thou forcest vs also to commit manie villainous Actions making vs thy executioners by doing of which wee loose our whole contentments our honours and our liues Was not the anguish and agonie that haplesse Antonio endured sufficient to content thee but that he must needes perpetrate so hainous a deed as must cost him the life of her whom hee so dearely loued must cause her husband to die and make him to spill his owne heart blood and all to satisfie thee But it is a thing vsuall and ordinarie to see in thy Theater thousands of Tragedies of all sorts of murthers horrible Treasons and most damned villanies presented vpon the Stage before thee It is not as thou thinkest enough to haue life of one onely as those cruell Gods vsed to doe who demaunded men to be sacrificed vnto them but thou wilt haue manie to appease thy wrath that thou mayest be as it were drunke with their blood and grow fatte with eating and feeding vppon their flesh But to come to kinde Leander who seeing Picchio in this heauie taking began to condole wonderfullie with him for his sicknesse and as it were to participate and beare parcell of his paine crying out for the sorrowes of his friend But that which grieued him most of all was because hee could not learne of Antonio what the cause of his discontentment should be taking it passing vnkindely at his hands that hee would neuer tell him But had hee but knowne the minde of him hee had cut off manie wofull inconueniences which after followed But alas Men haue not windowes in their bodies that we may see into their harts and onely God aboue knoweth the secret thoughts of euerie one Priam thought that he had broke asunder the fatall threed of the destruction of Troy commaunding that Paris his owne sonne should be cast amongst wolues to be deuoured of them And yet good man he could not Danaus causing his owne daughters cut their husbands throats came for all this vnto that lucklesse ende which the Oracles of the Gods had fore-told him Astiages sought to murther and to make away Cyrus and neuerthelesse he dyed a wretched death as was before allotted vnto him Oft may Destinie be foreseene but neuer can it be preuented for what the Heauens decree against mortall men that shall happen vnto them let them seeke neuer so much to preuent it Leander was ordained before his byrth to haue this hard happe neither could his good Fortunes hinder it had hee sought neuer so much to auoyde the
Curtizans abroad and court them and not me there make a spoke vnto such like huswiues who haue no respect either of good name or fame You are no Chapman for my Marchandise no gold can buy mine honour I hold it at so high a rate neither can any loue or affection purchase the faith which I haue paund and promisde vnto my husband I am no Laies nor any Thais that thou shouldst seeke to vrge me thus thy perswasions being so perillous vnto me Besides I am least bound vnto thee than vnto any other in that thou as my mortall enemie liest in waite to spoyle and ruinate that which is ten thousand times more pretious vnto me than mine owne life Thinke that neuer the Romane Lucrece redeemed more couragiously the losse of credit with the price of her blood then I desire after the same rate to preserue mine and that I had alwaies chuse rather to die a chaste and faithfull wife then liue like a most dishonest and disloyall harlot I rather couet the troubles and crosses of Penelope with her slainlesse vertue then the merrie life of Clitemnestra with all her foule and beastly pleasures And the death of a sober Polixena shall be still more agreeable vnto me than the voluptuous liuing of a wanton Semiramis being glutted with all sorts of vaine delices and dainties whatsoeuer Talke no more then vnto me of this matter for thou doest but loose thy labour for sooner shall the heauens become Sea and faire grow to be Ice before I will yeeld vnto the least of thy requests And were it not but that I am in hope that there are some sparkes of grace in thee and that thou wilt become a new man I would take such order to make thee giue ouer and to bridle this thy rash attempt as thou shouldest neuer speake more vnto me thereof by laying open and displaying thy shamelesse practise vnto him who may with good reason and Iustice be reuenged of thee for a busing him so much as thou hast done Cynthia for so was the Gentlewomans name hauing cooled Antonios heate with this sharpe iniectiue moued with iust chollor left him and returned into her house he being as much amazed and confounded therewith as those were who went about the building of the Tower of Babell seeing themselues so sodenly to haue so many languages amongst them and so different in their proceedings one against another As that Murtherer is mightily astonisht and in a most bad taking vpon whom the Iudge at vnawares commeth as he is wiping of his bloodie sword and standeth by the carkasse of him that he hath slaughtered because he seeth there is no way but one with him which is the losse of his life Euen so was Antonio in such a plight long time did he stand as still as a stone and no sooner was he able to speake but that he began to lament and crie out afresh No heart were it neuer so obdurate and hard had bene able to haue endured so heauie a burthen of torments as he did And now he beginneth to hate Loue the motiue of his miseries he accuseth his Mistris the Author of his dispaire detesteth his fortune that his successe was no better in his sute and curseth his tongue which for being ouer sawsie and presumptuous had vtterly ouerthrowne him for euer All ioy he bids adue all hope farewell No longer now in sorrow he will dwell He is fullie bent to die deuising with himselfe what kinde of death he were best to chuse to the end he might be rid both of the world and of his wretched estate all at one time he will now neither sigh nor weepe more for the matter determining to change his teares into blood and his sighes into wofull death onely his desire is to be fitted of a conuenient place to put in practise the same for he durst not lay violent hands vpon himselfe in the Castle of Leander least perhaps it should come to light why he made himselfe so away whereupon he priuily conueieth himselfe away from thence and getteth him into a thicke and darke wood not farre from thenee where he resolueth to end his life and make that place his graue It was aunswerable vnto his minde it was secret obscure vnfrequented of all This was the cause he began afresh being all alone to sigh and sob and to ban and curse his ill fortune againe which being done he draweth his sword he feeleth the edge of it to see if it be keene and sharpe enough and that done prepareth himselfe vnto death thinking it to be much better to die by his owne proper hands as another braue and high minded Aiax than to liue in continuall vexation and miserie as a base and degenerate Thesites And now he setteth the pommell of his blade vpon the ground the poynt whereof was placed iust against his heart when as he was minded to thrust himselfe quite through behold death as he thought appeared vnto him with so horrible and gastly a visage as he gaue ouer his enterprise long was he not in this muse but that he drew his Raiper againe condemning much his first feare when vpon the sodaine an other humor more diuilish than the rest tooke him which was not to die vntill he had obtained what he so much coueted vowing within his soule that he would haue his will of the faire Cynthia at what high price soeuer he bought it His Loue now was turned into hate and his respectfull duetie into sensuall lust He thinketh not of the dāger he is like to incurre by entring into so infamous an actiō All former friendship and kinde Hospitalitie is forgotten so he may haue his wish either by violence or what way else he cares not although afterward he die for the same for so to die he imagineth he shall be most happie and this is his most certaine and constant resolution O franticke rage O cursed madnes and O cruell furiousnes of Loue This made Medea worse than a Bedlem to massacre her owne children and this brought the famous Mark Antony to lose both his honour and his life Now Antonio hammering in his head this wicked practise began to set a good vpon the matter as if all had bene well beginning to looke cheerfully and making the world beleeue he had quite forgotten all former sorrowes as if he would haue bene merrie euer after which recouerie from his sicknes made euery one glad especially his true friend Leander and the Ladie his wife who verily thought that Antonio had forgotten all his old loue to wards her and that her schooling of him in that shroad manner as she did had made him to be come a new man But alas poore soule how much was she deceiued for all this while Antonio was working of treason against her and her husband which wrought their vtter ouerthrew As a fire that long time lie hid in a hollow hole when it bursteth forth becommeth more violent more outragious and
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
attend the Tale most sad And marke through vile iniurious LOVE what pittious end they had It channced now the Holly-day due vnto LOVE was come In which once euery yeare great Feasts most solemnely were done His Temple in this Desart was which holden was diuine For honor it was wonderous rich for beautie rare and fine As well as Neighbours Forrainers came thither far neare The Demy-gods Fawnes Satyres Nymphs mongst Shepheards and appeare These with their Crownes of Laurell greene vpon their bushy head Themselues did shew in Courtly pomp adorn'd and bellished About their neckes hung hugie chaines and pretious Carkenets And bout their armes they Iewells ware and costly Bracelets Now that this God propitious mongst them himselfe would show Great store of Sacrifices they vpon him did bestow Perfumde with Incens offered and hundred sorts of verse Which did his power his Maiestie and noble deeds rehearse That done they did beginne to daunce each one as lik'te them best And to what daunce they Fancie had to that themselues addrest Whilst that the Syluans and the Gods of woods with Cornets shrill With Hoboies Bagpipes and such like the place throughout did fill One doth a Brawle of Poitiers shew another with a grace The measures leades the third againe Lauolta treads apace Thus euery one doth striue to please themselues with fresh delight No falling out amongst them is no malice or despite Not any was there bent to ill nor any to displease One sought another to content to purchase ioy and ease Together mongst this merrie crew there was our Louers twaine When as a curst mishap did chaunce that cause was of their bane For mongst the rest that in that place did daunce with blith-full glee Euen in the midst of all their mirth as merrie as might bee A Nymph there was surpassing faire for so she well did showe So faire as FLORA she did match if not before her goe From forth her eies like Diamonds a sparkling fire did come Whose glaunces shewed to be of force to equalise the Sunne Her Amber locks by nature curlde lay wauing on her cheeke As Seas doe gently beake on banke a sight that all did leeke This Virgin sweet to NVMIDOR comes with a grace most trim And by the hand the Shepheard takes to daunce a while with him Long did they daunce and as they daunst her colour fresher shoowes And still the more she daunceth aie the more she fairer growes So beautifull she seemes indeed as in that place there is A Sauadge Satire who begins to thinke to doe amisse Insecret sort to rauish her he vowes by force and strife Or else before he lose his wish hee 'le lose his hatefull life This Monster foule mishapen wretch vnworthie for to Loue Dan Cupids fire within his brest beginneth now to proue He frets and fumeth inwardly and through this vncoth heate His colour changing comes and goes his heart doth pant and beate Respect of persons place and feare lest he should not obtaine His hairie bodie makes to shake through a cold sweat amaine Meane space none doth him marke or thinke that ere he durst presume The companie thus to disturbe in this his fretting fume But LOVE that forceth mightiest Gods and them hath oft controld Makes him auditious insolent proud haughtie and so bold That in the end and suddenly he carrieth her away As doth the Wolfe when violently he seazeth on his pray Ah helpe she crieth pittiously ah helpe helpe loud she cries Whilst that through feare sorrow she dead in his rough armes lies All are amaz'd nor can they moue onely braue NVMIDOR Vowes for to rescew her from him or else to die therefore With naked sword in hand he runnes after the Thiefe amaine Yet all his running's to no end he laboureth but in vaine For so fast tripps the Satire as it seemeth he doth flie The Eagle faster takes not flight when he from Ioue doth hie Nor doth the Hawke when he hath got the Partridge seeme so swift As this rude villaine doth his feete so fast still moue and shift But still the Nymph for aide doth crie and after NVMIDOR Doth follow hearing her hard by which grieueth him the more He followeth him apace and still he keepes where he hath tras't And more he heares her to lament the more he maketh hast Yet though he doth all he can he cannot him ore take Which is the cause his breast he beates and sorrow great doth make And now hard at his heeles he is which when the Satire sees Into a hollow gloomie Rocke to hide himselfe he flees This was the cause the Shepheard lost the wofull Damzels sight Onely by crie of hers he knew how follow her he might So long he seekes that at the last he comes into the roome Where as the Satire gainst her will the Virgin would ore come Which sight incenst him so with rage as that his sword he takes And trusting him through bodie quite an end of him he makes Downe fals the Monster in his gore his lust begins to coole Whilst with his streaming blood he makes the place seeme like a Poole Which when the gentle Shepheard sawe no more he wearie was Now he had had his will he for his trauaile did not passe The frighted Nymph he comforteth and bids her be of cheare Since that the Satire for his rash attempt had paid so deare He wils her thanks the God of Loue who had him thither sent Her to protect from villanie which was against her ment Nor looketh he for praise of her but happier thinkes himselfe To saue a Nymph from shame then if he purchast had great wealth Thus said the Shepheard to the Nymph but thus although he said Yet answered she him nought at all for still she was afraid She shooke like an Aspen leafe her hart did throb and pant And being frighted in her minde she breath almost did want Resembling right a prettie Hinde by Hounds that being chast And hardly scaping from their clawes thinkes scarce the dangers past She viewes the Satire wallowing in his owne blood desperately Yet though she plainely seeth the same she scarce beleeues her eie The Shepheard seeing her still doubt from feare her for to winne Once more begins to comfort her and thus he doth begin Sweet Nymph what meanst thou thus to doubt and why thy selfe dost wrong Dost not behold thy lustfull foe dead for to lie along To feare where cause is Reason wills withouten cause to feare Argues a minde depriu'd of sence and signe 's of folly meere Comfort thy selfe and if thou can tell me what new disgrace May be of force to daunt with dread thy bloodlesse palie face Seest not thy liuelesse enemie his countenance dost not know His earthly coarse as euidence that he is dead doth show Cease then to doubt for feare of ought since now thou hast no cause Leaue thus to weepe waile and lament and make thereof a pause Take courage vnto thee and
thinke my victorie vpon The wise of dangers past will were so much as once thinke on Then leaue off for to sorrow thus and seeme not to disdaine Through too much passion honour this which I through thee doe gaine So said he gently helpes her vp and sets her on her feete Whilst with a thousand hunnie words he sweetly her doth greete The Nymph now come vnto herselfe begins to gather hart To chase away all feare from her which fore did breed her smart Her former colour now doth come into her cheekes afresh Whilst she in humble sort with thankes vnto him doth expresse Her gratefull minde acknowledging in courteous manner trim How that her honour and her life preserued were by him With blushing looke and smiling cheare she crownes with flowers his head And vowes in modest wise to be at his deuotion led But weladay who ere would thinke that thanks for his reward Should be the cause a recompence he should receiue so hard This kindnesse which the Nymph on him bestowd deseruing worth Th' vntimely end of him and of his FLORA deare brought forth For doing good the fillie Swaine his harmelesse life must lose A slender hire for praise when at so high a rate it growes Things taken well are still done well a sinne t is to mistruct Vpon surmises false and vaine and proofes not to haue iust Ah had the Shepheards Mistris bene as wise as she was faire She had not heapt vpon her selfe nor him such dismall care Meane-time braue Numidor through his exploit most famous grew And through the Nymphs gratefull report each one this matter knew Which FLORA made for to misdoubt for long time she before Had markt the Virgin to be faire the cause she feard the more She sawe as she did thinke that or'e familiar he was With her and how oft them betwixt great kindnesses did passe She well remembred how they daunct together and which most Did gaul her how in hast away he after her did post When as the Satire snatch her vp her to haue ramshed And how to saue her he againe his life had ventured All these compar'd together made her gesse all was not well So that her bodie quite throughout an vncoth cold sweat fell And now she gan to loue so much as iealous she did grow Of him that nere the same deseru'd nor had off ended so She sighes and sobs and frantick like now here now there doth runne Thinking her dearest Loue of friend an exemie was become Nor dares she in her soule him call her faithfull seruant true Nor worthie of a Mistris kind since he hath got anew Against him say she doth exclaime and still gainst him doth crie Cals him vniust deceitfull false of right an enemie And as if he committed had some monstrous sinne on earth She counts him worthie for to die vnsit to draw his breath And now she throughly is assur'd that he is giuen to range And that of his first plighted Loue he hath made an exchange This forceth her with face one while as pale and wan to looke Another while to be as red as fire from furnace tooke Now doth she burne and then againe she suddenly doth freese Whilst through these passions contrarie her sences she doth leese And now to kill her NVMIDOR she vowes most resolute Since him a periur'd wretch and not better she doth repute That done she meanes to end her daies and slay her selfe him by The more her constant Loue vnto the world to testifie But now Loue makes her change her thought although against her will And forceth her although despite of her to loue him still She weepes and wailes and pearly drops fall from her like small teares Whilst as a bedlem she doth rent her face and golden heares She flings her self vpon the ground her head thereon she knocks Whilst griefe so much in her beares sway as it tongues passage locks With armes a crosse vnto the heauens she lifteth vp her hands Whilst she of Venus and her Sonne reuenge of him demaunds Yet after of the matter she better bethinkes her selfe And then vnto him she doth wish all happines and health Grieuing that she so much hath spoke gainst him she doth repent And from her former cruell minde most willing doth relent But nerethelesse she is resolu'd her selfe to end her life Thereby to ease her of her pangs and rid her from this strife So much she doth disdaine to liue as death she meanes to chuse Since Numidor a Mistris new hath tooke her to refuse Ah cruell Shepheard doth she say lamenting pittiously Hast thou the hart who thee so deare hath lou'd to force to die Well well most vnkind man I for thy sake my selfe will slay And goe into my graue I will vntimely fore my day To please thee not my selfe I sought whilst I on th' earth did liue Nor to prolong my daies tle seeke since thee I see I grieue But at this fault of thine so foule vngratefull dost thou thinke The Gods aboue true Iusticers will seeme at all to winke Thinkst thou vnkind the heauens will ere vnto thee be kinde When how thou fowly hast profan'd their Altars they shall finde No no th' immortall powers sharpe foes vnto thy periurie Shall doe me right and wreake my wrong for this my iniurie Such punishment with tortors huge they shall on thee bestow As they doe on Danaides in Limbo lake below And as they Theseus plagu'd because he wreched was forsworne Or Iason who Medea left all comfortlesse forlorne With many other Louers false which like are vnto thee There as thou rightly dost deserue afflicted thou shalt bee For Iupiter though for a while he men permits to rome And fickle changings proue yet in the end he paieth them home So Paris died and well deseru'd Enone that abusde Who in her life time better him than he deseru'd had vsde Then dost thou thinke fond-man that thou shalt scape this scourage alone Who art the sowrse of all my griefe and motiue of my mone Perhaps thou dreamest because that they awhile their plagues doe spare They slowe are vnto punishment nor of the same haue care What is deferd is not vnpaid the time shall come ere long That thou shalt make amends for misse acknowledging this wrong The more to chastise any fault the Gods gently forbeare The more at last they are rigorous more cruell and seuere Then thinke not wrech most treacherous but that the day shall come That thou shalt smart for what thou hast to wofull Flora done My cause to the heauens I doe commit to them I doe appeale They know the secrets of all hearts nor ought will they conceale And yet sweet Numidor forgiue and pardon what I say Since t is my griefe not I that thus against thee doth enuay For should'st thou neuer so much wrong doe vnto me each houre Yet angrie for to be with thee nere shall I haue the power Loue which is of more force in
imagined that that great God being iealous of mee threatned to flea me aliue as hee did Marsius if I presumed to prosecute my suite anie further And then againe me thought my faire Saint thrust mee from her most disdainefully shee being growâ— proud as an other Olympia or Rhea because of the companie of so glorious a Deitie To be short many dreames troubled mee in my rest abused me in my minde and caused me to be maruellously sorrowfull as I did now and then slumber Alwayes the thought of such things as we haue desired and sought for in the day time presenteth it selfe through Fancie vnto our eyes in the night Beautious Aurora was scarce risen from her olde husband and the Sunne was yet sleeping in his coolie bedde when I got me out of doores trudging as fast as I could vnto the same place from whence but the night before I parted Not being altered in affection or thorough griefe anie thing at all both which I still entertained All the night long before I could not rest which was the cause I composed this Ode following when being as then come vnto mine olde place and seeing my selie alone I began to sing the same with many a heauy sigh hauing it written faire in a paper as thou seest AN ODE Since that thou hast Victorie Ore my dearest Libertie Why with blacke Robe beautie thine Doest thou cloathe sorich and fine If thou wear'st it for to witnesse As a friend my sadde distresse Happie I since for my sake Thou the Colours sadde doest take Sweete my life content be thou That this blacke Weede I beare now Haplesse was my life and so Sad my life in th' end shall show Tomee these sadde cloathes alone Appertaine as signes of mone Nature in one bodie nere Blacke and White at once doth beare From my Blacke all hate be wide With which I my Crosses hide Hee that in dispaire doeth rest Black doeth beare for colour best Cruell this not Colour's thine Since thine eyes bright and dinine Sacred as the hallowed day Chase the gloomie Night away One that or'e All 's Victor braue Cannot rightly this Blacke haue Our barts wounded thou deest make Then of Conquerour habite take And let mee alone with this Since my fitting colour t' is Liue thou in eternall glorie Whilst I die at desperate seric Whilst this Dye thou putst on thee Thou depriu'st of comfort mee For I doubt that thouart sad And thy griefe Death's tome bad Change then this same weede of Dule Fit for dead folks O thou Cruell Why through it wouldst thou impaire Beautie thine farre more then rare Leaue it for I thee assure This my sight cannot endure Giue to mee my Colour blacke Or with Ghostes I goe to wracke If my Colour thou doest take For to ende my Crosses make Thou wilt not for whilst I liue More thou daylie wilt mee grieue That blinde Goddesse Fortune constant onely in vnconstancie hauing the day before vsde me so hardlie thought now to flatter mee a little in making me some amends for the great wrongs she had done vnto mee For my Mistris who with the other Nymphes had the night before fulfilled certaine vowes vnto the Goddesse Diana who then shined most gloriously vppon the face of the heauens was nigher vnto mee then I had thought and in a luckie houre for me heard me thus heauily lament vnto my selfe after I had made an ende of my Song Alas said I into what a maze of wretchednesse am I fallen how wofull is my Destinie and how haplesse my misfortune Of all worldlings liuing some are but too too Fortunate and some but too too miserable but I am neither in the one nor in the other of these two extremities For to say that I am Fortunate I cannot and to tearme my selfe miserable I may not in as much as LOVE although it ouerthroweth mee syet making me affect so dinine a Dame as I do is sufficient enough to he the vpon me all good Fortunes that may be This is the reason I am neither content nor altogether quite displeased whilst I walke in the middest of these two extremities as those base Cowardes who through faintnesse of heart runne from one Enemie vnto another and so serue neither of them rightly And yet alas I finde that the Ballance in which my misfortunes are placed in weigh more then that wherein my good Fortunes be And I feele the burthen of griese more heauy and hard vpon my shoulders then that of ioy and pleasure For what ioy can hee haue that hath not hope of anie thing Most sweete is the sweate that expecteth some fruite to come thereof As that Husbandman laboureth with delight when he soweth his ground because he hopeth to reape some gaine of the same whereas that trauell that is voyd of all hope â—â—so displeasing vnto vs as the verie thought thereof alone maketh a man miserable Such is mine estate for how can I being so wretabed a Caitiffe as I am attend or looke for any fauour from her whom the Gods themselves secke vnto and honour It is not likely that shee will leaue the friendship of so high a Deitie to like of so poore a Shepheard as I in whom there is nothing worthie of commending O beautious Diana enioy enioy I say most happily thy Loue with that great God the father of all Lightsomnes as one whom thou art worthie of and suffer me to pine away in griefe or at the least permit me to sâ—grisâ—ee my hart vpon your common Aultar to the end that this oblation may content him offred vp by a true Louer like himselfe Thrice blessed thou to be adored and reuerenced of so great a God and most accursed I since that I dying am not able to render any sufficient testimonie of the faithfull seruice which I haue alwayes vowed vnto thee But alas what need hast thou of my helpe or which way can I stand thee in stead when thou mayst commaund so mightie and diuine a power at all times Truely thou art right Fortunate and heauens I pray that so thou mavest still continue whilst I as one that languisheth piece-meale away will for thy sâ—ke goe and inclose my selfe within the bottome of some gloomy Rocke where I will so long bewaile my hard chaunce as at the last what with Famine and what with sorrow I will resigne this wretched life tormented with a number of calamities onely because I could no way pleasure thee my sacred Goddesse Thus did I say sighing and sobbing as one resolued to die when my faire Mistris who with â—uch patience had heard this mine amorus complaint vppon the suddaine appeared vnto me not vnlike a newe Sunne breaking through the thicke gloomie Cloudes when they couer the Skies all ouer That wife that beholdeth her husband aliue whome she lamented for dead is not halfe so much astonisht and amazed as I was when I saw my Diana whome I supposed to haue bene as then with the God of the
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
so before although God he knoweth not anie in all the whole world was more ioyfull then shee to heare of so comfortable tidings and newes Wherevpon shee called for her Coach and went vnto the Knight to visite him where when she was come she found a number of Ladies and Gentlewomen in the chamber who were comforting of him and reioycing with him for his happie victorie No sooner was shee entred into the Chamber where he lay but all the other giuing place she drew towards his beddes side when he poore soule no sooner had spied her but that he forthwith sounded the companie imagining that it was his wounds and not her sight that was the cause thereof whilst she in the mean space was not a little amazed to see him so mightily chaunged and to looke so meger pale and hollow whome not long before she had knowne to be the goodliest and properest man liuing But this misfortune and sicknes hapned vnto him shee laide no bodie in fault of but her owneselfe confessing in her conscience that she was the onely cause thereof and therefore resolued within her selfe to make him amends with the losse of her owne life if he should hap to miscarrie or doe otherwise then well And now my sadde Maister being come vnto himselfe againe and seeing his Mistris to looke so heauily vpon him and sighing he held downe his countenance not daring to behold her whilst the Chyrurgians that had him in Cure and others thought that it was the paine of his woundes that made him so ill And therefore desired euerie one to withdrawe themselues from thence for a while that he might the better take his rest Wherevpon faire Maria was forced though sore against her will to leaue him vowing vnto her selfe if it should please God that her Knight might recouer his former health to marrie with none but him Thinking shee could not be anie mans so rightly as his seeing he had so brauely reuenged her quarrell vpon her hatefull enemie and had engaged his life for her deare seruice Alas how shall I be able to make an ende of this pittious historie I knowe not I and therefore good Arcas let this suffice which I haue alreadie reported vnto thee Heere the wretched Fortunio powred forth whole fountaines of teares it being a long time before hee could speake as much as one word more but I pressed him so much and vrged him so often that in the ende hee went forward with his former discourse in this manner Don Ihon my Maister had all the cunning Physitions and Chyrurgions that could be gotten to looke vnto him whereby hee might recouer his former health and haue his wounds healed But all was in vaine for there was no Medicine or Balme that could doe him any good by reason of the great sorrow which hee had before conceiued in his minde And because the small vertue and strength of his radicall humour within him which griefe had ouermuch weakened was not of power sufficient to nourish his grieuous wounds and therefore they became both weaker and worser euerie day then other They were not ouer mortall or deadlie and yet because of diuers accidents and what through the badde disposition of his bodie they became incurable which they that looked vnto him perceiuing and finding that there was no way but one with him certified his friendes thereof who tooke on most pittrouslie when they heard such heauie newes And now the last day was come in which most happily hee must leaue this world at what time although as then too late his Mistrisse shewed her selfe most kinde vnto him For shee hauing vnderstood by her trustie Page of whome I talked of before that he was drawing towards his latest ende determined with her selfe not long to liue after him wherevpon she tooke a fitte time to steale secretly vnto his Chamber where being alone with him and causing the doore to be boulted she came vnto his beddes head But alas Father I am not able to proceed any further for verie anguish of minde my hart will burst if without weeping I goe onward with my Tale. But yet I will doe what I can to make an ende thereof although for euerie word I speake I shall be forced to shead a teare The kinde Knight perceiuing the young Princesse to stand by him whose eyes were turned into springs of teares whose heart was turned into another Montgibell with scalding sighes and whose amorous locks lay all rent and torne about her shoulders with a hollow voyce and throatling in his throate spake thus vnto her If it be sweete Mistrisse for mee your faithfull and wretched seruant that you lament so much then I beseech you giue ouer the same and reserue it for a better purpose and lessen not the glorie which hee feeleth for dying in your Royall seruice But alas what is this I say Is it likely that you can bewaile the losse of him who when hee was liuing you depriued of life through your too extreame rigour No no I know it is not for mee that you thus take on for I confesse I am not worthie thereof but it is for the Prince of Lyons who is slaine that you torment your selfe whome perhaps you made account of to haue had for your husband If so then cruell Lady know this that it was thy onely commaundement caused me to kill him and had it not bene thy will he had bene yet aliue Neuerthelesse if in this I haue done amisse I craue pardon of thee before I die as well for that as for anie errour else that I haue most vnwillingly done against thee I die beautious virgin yea I must die onely because I loue thee accounting my selfe most vnfortunate in that I haue not receiued one small fauour at thy hands before my death Neither am I willing to liue seeing it is contrarie vnto thy will and pleasure My dying lippes had neuer that blessed happe to touch those thy vermillion checkes No not so much as to kisse those thy Princely handes and all because I was thereof vnworthie Notwithstanding if thou most gratious Mistris doest thinke that this my death for louing thee deserueth anie recompence then I most humblie beseech you that you pardon all that is past graunting me to kisse not your louely lips but onely that your most victorious hand O my soule my soule how insupportable is your anguish not to loue this my bodie but to abandon the companie of my sweet Princes I die happily being rid from all my griefe and yet most miserably in that I lose thee whom I loue farre more then my owne selfe O fairest creature of all that euer were faire remember remember thy deare Don Iohn after he is dead and gone who now taketh his last farewell of thee Hauing so said he sinketh downe into his bed his faire Mistris falling hard by his side in a sound but in the end comming vnto her selfe againe she shed so many teares vpon the bloodlesse visage of
offer violence vnto her honour For as that woman is not to be excused who at the earnest praiers of her Louer suffereth that goodly Flower to be slipt wherein consists her reputation and credit so cannot shee chuse but be blamed who seeketh the vtter ruine and ouerthrowe of such as chastly honour her without impeach of honour So doeth Arcas loue thee and why then doest thou force him to make away himselfe Cruell is the wrong that one receiueth of his friend but farre more piercing is that which commeth from a mans owne selfe seeing none can be greater friendes vnto vs then our owne selues Be not then the cause that this poore wretch should massacre himselfe least it be hereafter cast in thy teeth that thou hast slaine him which if thou doest it may fall out with thee as it did with proud Narassus who dyed falling in loue with his owne selfe after he had disdained the friendship of diuers faire and curteous Nymphs But I will say no more for thou art wise and to such fewe words are sufficient thou art faire and therefore I hope wilt not be oner froward and thou art religious which maketh mee perswade my selfe that thou wilt haue a conscience especially in a matter of so great importance as this is Thus did the pittifull Orythâ—a pleade for me against her owne selfe willing is she to die so shee may saue my life not caring what sorrowes she endured so shee could rid me from out my troubles Diana hauing heard her was readie to make answere for they that are faire spoken and can speake with discretion haue alwayes the best and readiest wittes and so had shee Mercury lodging in her tongue and purest houie dropping from out her mouth Harke then how wisely she replyed If any man vexed with a furious spirit shall without beeing proucked or vrged by any other then by their owneseluâ—s ruâ—ne wilfully vnto death can any be blamed for the same but onely their owne selues Or is it reasonable that such as be guiltlesse shall be punished and answere for the faults that others commit Iuno is the occasion of the plagues that that luxurious Ixion endureth and yet it was his owne offence that was the cause thereof and not she her selfe If these vaine and fantastike Louers who are weakened in their right wittes through Cupid shall murther and make away themselues are therefore those Ladies vnto whome they offer their seruice the cause of their ruine and ouerthrow Hee onely rightly may be called the author of mischiefe who either hath done it or hath caused it to be done But women doe they force men to loue them and doe they compell them in despite of themselues to deuote themselues vnto them What they doe they doe of themselues and through their owne follies doeth this madnes proceed and therefore who is the cause of their vndoing but their owne selues If the enuious person dieth for very griefe and rage of minde because he seeth his neighbour prosper and doe well who but himselfe is the occasion thereof None forceth any man to loue And so no woman ought to be vrged to loose that which is as pretious vnto her as her owne life which is her honour to satisfie and please such who through their owne vainnesse and mecâ—e fondnesse shall worke their owne hurt and decay That desperate wretch that drowneth himselfe is hee to thanke any other then his owneselfe for his drowning And say that Shepheard of whom thou talkest should die through his owne peeuish sollie think you that â— feare least the world would count me to be the cause thereof or that I shall be blamed in that he hath done amisse I warrant you no For I neuer brought him into this narrow straight which if hee follow it is his owne fault and not mine Besides to say I seeke to couet or to be the cause of his death you doe me wrong for I delight not in crueltie the contentment and well fare of another being as deare vnto mee as mine owne health Yet neuerthelesse this I must tell you that I would be verie loth hee should liue to be so hurtfull vnto mee as to destroy the goodly building of mine honor which being once ouerthrowne can neuer be repaired or built new againe That hee liue I most heartilie wish but yet with the conseruation of my good name fame For otherwise I desire vengeance to light vpon him as on my most mortall foe although I will neuer be but a friend vnto his chaste Amitie prouided alwaies that he giue sufficient testimonies it be such by his good carriage modest behauiour For I am not so ignorant but that I knowe pure and chaste Loue to be a most diuine and beautifull Vertue and the honest affection of right generous and Gentlemanlike spirites to be commendable and prasse-worthie seeing they are of power to make famous our memories for euer All Portraitures Tables Counterfaites and Pictures soone loose their colours and decay be they neuer so excellently well drawne quickly are they spoiled and soone doth Time deuour them No Picture of Achilles now remaineth yet his praise doth through Homers Muse None of Alexander the great although both Apelles and Lysippus two exquisite Painters had often drew him And yet although their famous works be consumed and gone the braue writings of Quintus Curtius blazoning forth the life of this mighty Monark liue and flourish Neither is the verse of Virgil dead ringing out the vertues of AEneas although the counterfaites of that Troyan Prince be all turned vnto dust And so if that Arcas be yet aliue I wish he so may still continue thy onely intreaty and request being of force to command more of mee then this seeing it is thy pleasure he should be entertained But if he will so vnaduisedly rashly and so foolishly offend his owne selfe I heere wash my handes as cleare from this matter protesting heere before all that I am innocent of his death because I neuer gaue him any such occasion of discontentment If perchaunce he haue found me that I haue not bene so curteous nor so affable vnto him at one time as I haue bin at an other Or if that I haue looked more heauy sad now and then then I haue vsed to doe heretofore Thinketh he therefore that he hath iust reason to lay all the blame vpon me as if I had bene she that was the Author of his ouerthrow If so he is deceiued For our bodies which are subiect vnto the influences of the celestiall Signes are either ioyfull or sadde according vnto their motions This being the cause that when we meet by fortune with one of our acquaintance and hee is as then troubled with many thoughts in his mind or some bad celestiall Planet is predominate ouer him wee then by his sower countenance would take him for our enemie but no sooner is his humour past and gone from him but hee is our good friend againe
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
many Louers haue there bene lesse faithfull then I am and nothing so zealous in loue as my selfe that haue finished their liues when they were depriued of their louing dames and shall not I be as fortunate as they euery way as vertuous as they especially when I haue deserued more then they haue which when I haue done I hope gratious Virgin your chaste soule will doe no lesse then testifie what great respectand dutious affection I bare vnto you vntill my latest gaspe hauing long serued you and yet neuer had any reward at all But what talke I of reward when I desire to die were it onely for this thing in that I durst presume to loue you and yet it is not death that daunteth not at all onely I grieue because I feare I neuer shall finde so sweet a face in the other world with which I may delight me But I am not the first Louer hath bene sent away vnrewarded of his Mistris and yet too great hath my recompence bene in that I haue had that great good hap as to haue seene you whilest I liued and now I must loose you can I doe other then loose my selfe you goe your way and thinke you I shall stay behind Ah then how much are you deceiued for I will die yea I will die although not by your commandement yet because I shall see you no more and this I here protest I am most resolutely minded to doe come whatsoeuer will thereof meane space withdraw thy hand from me which I desire not to kisse since t is with thy displeasure whilest I liued I sought to please thee and now I die I will not seeke to crosse thee Away then with this thy hand too faire for me to touch assuring thee that I am as much contented with thy good will as if I had enuoyed the greatest pleasure in the world Then once againe I beseech thee let me alone and trouble me no more I bid the world adue and take my last farewell of thee for die I will since t is the onely thing which I desire Diana seeing me looke so gastly began to be afraid of me doubting least I would presently haue laid violent hands vpon my selfe as I sweare vnto you reuerend father I had done but that I found her more tractable and more kinde which was the cause that after she had many times sighed beholding me with a most pittifull and curteous aspect and mourning as it were to see me in so heauie a plight she spake thus mildly vnto me Ah Arcas most faithfull Arcas if thou wilt die for my sake there is no reason but I should be miserable for thee to requite this thy great kindnesse towards me So will I be for thee and such a one doe I wish my selfe to be as long as I shall liue Say not then that thou art the most miserable wretch aliue since Diana is a partaker of thy miserable fortunes who to haue regard vnto her honour and for the loue she beateth vnto thee shall liue most miserable all the rest of her sad life being somewhat comforted in this onely that she cannot suffer for two more worthy subiects As sweet shall be my griefes when I shall thinke of thee as my ioy shall be when displeasing I remember thee not at all I see it is the will of the Gods that things should thus fall out and I will not be repugnant against the same more proofes I haue not to manifest my good meaning vnto thee being hindered through mine honour in leiu whereof I will giue thee a tast of the rest by my continuall Martyrdomes Therefore I coniure thee by that chaste Loue thou hast so long borne me offer no violence vnto thy selfe but stay the will of the heauens for it may so fall out as thou maist perhaps see me once more before thou diest and seeing the houre is now come that without seeing me more I must absent my selfe from thee I will not conceit mine affection from thee for I know thou wilt not seeke thy profit by my hiâ—derance Too well doe I know and must needs acknowledge thy faithfull and infinite Loue towards me If euer man hath bene worthy of a Ladies Loue then it is thine owne selfe therefore thinke that nothing in the world hath hindered me to make requitall vnto thee as full well thou hast deserued but chaste honour and seeing I cannot doe otherwise let me increate thee haue patience Besides if the assurance of my amitie may comfort thee seeing thou canst not receiue any other consolation at my hands assure thy selfe I loue thee deerly yea deare Arcas dearely doe I loue thee and to giue a most plaine testimonie of the same I will and command thee vpon that power and authoritie which thou hast giuen vnto me ouer thee that thou kisse my hand as thou before desirest and I pray thee most hartily to belieue that I am wonderfull sorie because I cannot giue thee a more ample signe of my Loue vnto thee content thee then with this small fauour of mine and thinke it is greater then it is because it commeth from so willing a minde and from her who wisheth vnto thee more happinesse then she doth vnto her owne selfe O sweete words which as a lushious kinde of poyson infected my soule with true ioy although afterwards they cost me dearely I hauing bought them at too high a rate and yet what could I now desire more But as the fall from an high Tree is farre more daungerous then from a lower and as the afflictions of rich men spoyled of their goods is farre more grieuous then those of the poore because they neuer had any such wealth to loose Euen so these delightfull speeches wrought my miseries to be farre more cruell afterwards vnto mee then if my Ladie neuer had pronounced them Yet did they mee great good as then in respect I enioyed her companie and in that she shewed her selfe so kinde vnto me But alas it was my Fortune and not her fault since none can withstand his hard destinie Meane time I being astonisht and amazed trembling like that wayfaring man when he beholdeth a Snake winding about his legge tooke my Lady by the Lilly-white hand going about with great reuerence to kisse it when a suddaine feare comming freshly into my head that my Diana would mislike of the same made me to forbeare a while Whilst I thus said vnto her Sweet Ladie I beseech you forbeare and let mee after my wonted manner languish away secretly in my sorrowes rather then any discontentment should trouble you at all For too great a plague would that be vnto me if I should liue to behold the ouerthrow of her whom I esteeme more pretiousthen mine owne life and the rather sithence I am predestinate to be vnhappie Let me I pray you be pardoned in this because I know my selfe euery way vnworthie of so rich a curtesie hauing receiued but too much fauour alreadie at your hands