with locks of Snakes was fowly freight The Serpent eke whose woundes reserude him from the death And gashing scotches giuen afresh infeft with better breath And how Antaeus hoong with broken iawes betwyne Thy left side an ylfauourde weight and shoulders right behyne Ne doste thou then conceale how Centaurs thou didst chase That double shaped were and darsâ—… not trust their legges in place Athwart Thessalian craggie cliffes and made them runne apaee And canst thou cladde perdie in Sidon soft araye And womans nyce attyre for shame haue any worde to saye Beside the Iardan Nymph vpon hir shoulders thrue Thine armour and did conquer theâ— that Monsters didst subdue Go now and proudly vaimt thy noble déedes of fame A man thou shouldst not bene of right she bett deserude the same Than whome so much thou art inferiour how much more Thou stronger were than such as thou hadst slaine with hande before Shée hath atchiude the fame of all thy former déedes To hir as to thy lawfull heyre thy purchasde prayse procéedes Oh shame the shagheard case the Lyons rybbes bereast Enuironde rounde a womans corps and to hir carkas cleast Tushe thou art foule deceiude no Lyons spoyle it is But thine thou flewste the beast and shée hath conquerde thée ywis A woman bare thy darts with venom ranck that weare And Hydras beastly bloud imbrude in hande that scarce coulde beare A Distaffe fraught with Flax thy knarrie clubbe she helde And gazing in a shining Glasse thine Armour she behelde This brute I hearde but gaue no credit to the same But yet from eare some part of griefe vnto my senses came But now before my face the hatefull Whoore doth ride Nor I the secrete smart I féele haue farther powre to hide Thou wilt not haue hir gone shée passeth through the stréete A captiue whome of force we sée not as a captiue méete With tresses hanging downe declaring hir estate And hidden face to shew that Channes hath giuen hir the Mate But braue in beaten Golde she passeth to and fro As thou ere this in Phrygia were accustomed to go From stately seate shée yéeldes the people such a chéere As though Oechalia stood againe and eake hir Father deere Did liue and thou Alcides by Eurytus conquerde wéere Perhaps deuorcement made twixt Deianeire and thée No more thy drabbe this hatefull Whoore but wedded wife shall bée Th'abodement makes me feare 〈…〉 colde my corse Doth 〈…〉 hande doth lie in bedde withouten 〈◊〉 And me among the rest as wife with honest zeale Thou hast pursude I causde thée twise with warlike tooles to deale For Achelous vppe his broken hornes did take With dreerie chéere that laye disperst and hid in durtie Lake His maymed front and erdwne yerackt for Deianeiras sake The Monster Nessus with thy deadly darte was slaine And with his Horses gorie bloud the waters did distaine But whereto write I this for tidings now is brought The shirt I gaue my husbande hath his cruell death gwrought Aye me what haue I done what forste me this to frie O Deianeire O cursed wench why dost thou doubt to die And shall thy noble Féere in Oeta Mount be rent And thou suruiue that were the cause and wrought that foule intent What now remaines to 〈◊〉 a perfite prouse 〈…〉 Was Hâ—…cles wife the truth therein my doolefull death shalt trie Thou Meleager in mée thy sister shalt descrie O Deianeire O cursed wenche why doste thou doubt to die O lynage of missehappe O haplesse house I say My aged Syre Oeneus lyues at point of last decay Tydeus my brother is a poore exiled Squire The tother fryde by Mothers meanes aliue in fatall fire My Dame vpon hir Corps the cruell sworde did trie O Deianeire O cursed wench why doste thou doubt to die By geniall rights I craue this onely thing of thée Not to surmise this wicked death of purpose meant by mée For Nessus stroke with Dart declarde me that his blood Would forcen loue and saide it was for that excéeding good I sent a Shirt to thée imbrude therewith to trie O Deianeire O cursed wench why doste thou doubt to die Now crooked Sire farewell and sister Gorge adue Thou Countrie with my brother exilde farewell I say to you And thou that art so lyke to be the latter light Mine eyes shall see and Hercules my spouse O that thou might And little Hyl my prettie boy I bid you all good night The Argument of the x. Epistle entituled Ariadne to Theseus ANdrogeus by deceyte was done to death And murthred by the men of Athens towne King Minos warrde to wreake his lasse of breath And brought in fine his sturdie enmies downe Scuen Mayden Babes as many men by th'yeare They yeelded vp to make his Monster cheare By lot they went vntill they came at last To Theseus he into the doubtfull denne Clept Laberinth to Minotaur was cast But ruthfull Ariadne taught him then How to destroy the Monster and to passe By tracke of twist from Prison where he was With Ariadne he and Phaedra scapes Ariude at Naxus Bacchus gaue him charge To leaue the one of those his goodly rapes That Ariadne hight and let hir large When night was come and she to slumber led With Phaedra he from Ariadne fled The Nymph when sleepie nap was quite exilde And senses came to former force againe Seing hir selfe so shamefully beguilde In wretched wise with teares began to plaine Requesting ruth and platly making showe That he to hir a better boone did owe. The .x. Epistle Ariadne to Theseus MOre friendly haue I founde than thée the brutish kinde A worser garde than thou hast bene I déeme I mought not finde Theseus the lynes thou vewste from that selfe shore I wright From whence forsaking me by meane of sayle thou tookste thy flight Where mée my fléepe and thou a wofull wight betrayde Thou out alas that chose thy stemme when I to sléepe was layde It was the tyme when soyle with foggie Deaw was dight But lately falne and shrowded Foules in shadie bushes shright Where I were waking then or slumbring I wote nere But out I floong my fist to féele where Theseus were there Was none such Backe I drewe my hande and out againe I rousde mine armes about the bed but oh it was in vaine The feare all sléepe exilde I rose in gastly dredde And from my wyddowish Couch I fell and foule forsaken bedde Forthwith with ruthlesse handes I strake my bared brest And rent my locks that hoong as I abrayde from sléepe vndrest The Moone gaue light I lookte to vewe the countrie rounde But saue the stronde and stonie rudge was nothing to be founde Now hither thither then I ranne and too and fro I rangde the Sande did lode my legges I had much worke to go Thus whilste about the shore on Theseus name I crie The hollow rocks at erie call and cleaping did replie How oft I callde the place so often Theseus namde As though it woulde a
note by trade Thou shalt not finde that Phyllis hath too soone hir plaint ymade And long ynough I fedde on hope for such is Louers guise We hardly credit hurtefull happes till damage doe arise I haue oft flattred with my selfe and thought the Southren winde Had stuft thy sayles and brought thy Barck which yet I can not finde I haue accursed Theseus oft that was thy cause of stay And yet may be that he at all bred not this long delay Another while I stoode in awe least thou to Haebrus Lake Directing course in middle Seas by wracke thy bane hadst take Full often haue I for thy health in milde and humble wise With Incense made request to Gods that lodge in loftie skies And sundrie tymes when Aeole had his broyling impes inclosde That if thou were aliue thou wouldst haue commen I supposde Thus loyall loue what so might bréede and be a cause of stay To such as trauell did deuise excusing thy delay But thou not forcing on thy fayth ne counting of thy Hest Not dreading Gods to witnesse callde dost minde thy Phyllis lest Demophoon to the windes ingagde his promisse with his saile I sorrow that the ones returne and th 'others fayth doth faile Denounce to mée what I haue done but looude thée all too well By mine offence I haue deserude that thou with mée shouldst dwell In mee one haynous fault is found that harbourde such a guest But this my guilt hath force of boone and merit there doth rest Where now thy solempne sacred othes thy plighted trouth with hande And Gods appealde as true recordes to witnesse of thy bande Where is that holy Hymen nowe that vs as chosen Feares By frée assent conioynde in one yfeare to wast our yeares First sworst thou by that gastly Goulfe where winde and waue doe rore By whome thou were in poynt to passe as oft thou hadst before Then Neptune was to witnesse callde thy Graunde and woorthie Syre Vnlesse thou faine who quailes the Surge and swelling waters yre Then Venus with hir winged wight that bred me all this téene Was sommond whose reuenger tooles are bowe and arrowes kéene Dame Iuno that hath spousall charge and wedlocke shewde hir face And Ceres with hir solempne rytes was cyted to the place If eche of these forenamed powres and witnest thus in vaine Should seeke on thee to wreake their wrath couldst thou endure the paine My selfe least thou shouldst want at néede a Barck to leaue my lande Infonded did repaire the shippes that ragged lay on sande I trimde vp all thy broken Oares whereby thou mightste depart And thus my selfe haue forgde the tooles that thyrled haue my heart Thy many smooth and filed woordes did purchase credites place I did beleue thy stock thy Gods stoode all in Phyllis grace I thought thy teares had bene of trouth can they be forged to Thy teares which at commaundment are from flattering face to flo Thy Gods did make mee iudge the best these pledges were in vaine God wote one parcell of them mought a siely Mayden traine That I supported thée at néede it mooues mée nought at all So that thy harbour all had bene the matter had bene small But shamelesse and with blinde forecast from bourde to bed to goe And there to passe in Venus toyes doth agrauate my woe O that the last forepassed night before that cursed tyde Had bene my last then Phyllis might with spotlesse fayth haue dyde I hoped better by deserte who had thy friendship wonne The hope which méede and right procures they say is well begoonne The glorie is not great by guile to circumuent a Mayde You rather should my simplenesse with friendly fauour payde A woman and a louing wight thy forged fraude hath made To be intrapt God graunt thy prayse by Phyllis spoyle to vade Among th' Athenian noble wightes thy seate shall be assignde Thy Syre amid his spoyles shall stande and thou his sonne behinde When shamefull Syron shall be read and fell Procustes death And Scynis with the Minotaure whome Theseus reft his breath When Creon conquerde shall appeare and Centaures there be séene And be recorded that thy Syre at Plutos Court hath béene Beneath thy Fathers manly factes shall stande this stately stile Lo this is that vnfaithfull guest who Phyllis did beguile Of all thy fathers noble actes and woorthie feates of fame Thou onelie doste resemble one which he accoumpts a shame For he king Minos daughter reft and hir forewent at last And thou as heire of all his guile doste frame a iugling cast But shée hath made a wise exchaunge I spite not for the best Vpon hir Tigers bridled braue shée rydes at quiet rest But now such suters as in Thrace of mée were scornde before Despise to be espousde to hir who loues a straunger more Than such as were my Countrie men to Athens let hir go Saye they to weare the Thracian crowne we want not one I trowe The ende is it that tryes the fact God sende him sorie haps That alway thinkes it best to iudge the cause by after claps But so my Countrie waues were cutte and sundred with the keale Then myght I vaunt my loue imployde to tende to publike weale But slender was the loue I bare to this my natiue soyle My Pallace moues not thée a mite ne Bystons pleasaunt goyle The countnaunce and the gesture both are yet imprinted fast Within my breast that thou didst vse when Phyllis sawe thée last And didst thou dare with clasping armes imbrace hir carkasse so And touch hir chirrie lyppe with thine a thousande times and ino And to confounde thy brackish teares with Phyllis salted brine And that the weather serude so well a fault with Aeole fine And when thou tookste thy last farewell adue how darste thou say Demophoon will retyre againe that Phyllis is no nay Shall I expect his gainecome that hath minde on nothing lesse Or gape for sayles that shonne the porte where was their chiefe redresse And yet I can but long to sée thy comming though be long Though fixed day be past reuert and quite somepart of wrong But what doe I vnhappie wishe an other daintie dame Both thée and all thy loue hath wonne to thy reprochefull shame I thinke that Phyllis is forgot that vsde hir guest so well Fie fie of Phyllis make not straunge ne aske the place I dwell I am that Phyllis would thou wist who harbourde thée at néede And gaue thée porte that long on Seas hadst wandred all in dréede Whose goods inricht thy poore estate and hauing wealth at will Did succour thée and woulde haue done if thou hadst taryed still Euen shée that made thée Lorde and Prince of all Lycurgus lande And yéelded thee a Scepter farre vnfit for womans hande As farre as chillie Rhodope to busshie Haemus goes And sacred Haebrus with his streames and weltring waters floes Euen she that gaue thée leaue to pluck hir Maydenhead all beshroude And with thy craftie hande to let hir
if Fortune say Amen From hence I passe thy spouse and will thy spouse repasse agen The Impe within thy Wombe Gods graunt that it may liue And wée his parents both yfeare a decent name may giue Thus much I minde thou spakste when salted teares berainde Thy falsed face the remnant of thy sermon was restrainde The last of all thy Mates thou clambst the sacred Arge That spinde along thy sayles did stroute they had so great a charge The ship was shooude apace vpon the grayish flood Thou threwste thine eyes to shore and we to Seawarde lookte agood There standes a Turret by that ouerlookes the place To whome I ranne and did with teares imbrue both breast and face I looked through my teares mine eye as friendly light Had larger kenning than of course and farder stretcht his sight Adde therevnto my vowes and Prayers ioynde with dred Which sacred vowes I will perfit since thou hast haply sped But shall I pay my vowes shall Medea them enioy My heart doth ake and wrath with loue combyned doth annoy Shall I beare gifts to Church or be at charge at all To loose my louing Iason shoulde there any Hayfer fall I was not calme in minde I alwayes stoode in awe Thy Father would not entertaine in Greece a daughter lawe Of Greece I was in dréede but other worke my woe I haue receyude a hurt of one whome earst I did not knowe By beautie nor desert she wonne thée but by charme With Sorcerers Syth she sheares the Grasse whereby she workes thy harme She sayes from woonted track the waywarde Moone to wrie And dimme with duskie cloude the stéedes that praunce in open skie She bridles running streames and fleeting flouds doth stay Shee makes the Holtes and ragged rocks for ioy to skip and play Dissheueld with hir lockes she walkes by buriall graues And certaine of the lothsome hones from wasting flame she faues She curseth absent wightes of Waxe she pictures makes And prickes with pinnes the pensiue lungs wherewith the bowels akes Thus Loue that should be wonne with beautie and desarte Is got which would I had not tryde by Herbes and hurtfull Arte. What canst thou roll and clip or sléepe in selfe same bed With hir deuoide of waking care and free from carking dred As earst she yokte the Bulles so hath she bound thée fast And tamde thée as the Dragons fell were conquerde by hir cast To that she spoyles both thée and all thy Mates of prayse And by the meane of such a wife the husbandes fame decayes In Thessalie are some to poyson that impute Thy factes and there will be ynough which will beleue the brute Not this olde Aesons sonne but Oeetes daughter wrought T' was she not Iason that the fléese of Golde from Colchos brought Aske Alcimedes aduise thy Dame doth this disléeke Thy Father eke from chilly Role who did a daughter séeke Let hir to Tanays go and séeke in Scythian soyle Hir louing spouse and gape for him from Phasis farthest goyle Fye faythlesse Iason fie more light than windie blast Why dost not thou thy painted words with déede confirme at last Thou partedst hence my spouse why art not so returnde O barre not that at gainecome which at parture was not wournde If Noble line thou lyke and gentrie mooue thy minde That I King Thoas dearling was and daughter mayst thou finde My Grandsire Baechus was and Bacchus wife ycrownde Doth farre surpasse the lesser lights that hir enuiron rounde Lemnos shall be my dowre as fruitfull as the best To such as there soiourne and me accoumpt among the rest Who now am brought a bed let dubble ioy possesse Thy heart the Father made the throwes of trauaile séeme the lesse The number gladdes my minde Lucina thancked bee Of good successe a luckie twinne to light are brought by mée Whose shape and shewe they beare if thou demaunde I vaunt Thou mayst be knowne by them saue they the fathers fraude doe want Whome I was euen at poynt by Legates to conuaie Saue that the cruell stepdame was the onely cause of staie Medea made mée dréede who iustly may be thought More than a stepdame with hir hande eche cursed fact is wrought She that hir Brothers bones and fleshe coulde fling in fielde Rent first with cruell fist would shée haue ruth vpon my childe Yet hir the fame reportes O woode and wretched Wight That thou before thy Hypsiphyl preferrste with all thy might She goyng for a Mayde hath playde a harlots cast But with vnspotted bridely chaine we two were lincked fast Hir Father she betrayde I saude King Thoas lyfe Shée fled from Colche in Lemnos I remaine thy louing wyfe But whereto if a Drabbe an honest woman winne And that hir crymes for iointure haue and stead of dowrie binne I blame the Lemnian Maydes I muse not at their déede For dolour to the angrie will bring wreakefull tooles with spéede Say on if forst with windes as right did will thée doe Both thou and all thy troupe at once my Port had commen too And I with this my broode had met thée at the doore Then wouldst thou not haue wisht the gasping soyle thy corps deuoure Vnthriftie wyth what face vpon those Babes and mée Wouldst thou haue lookte fie traytor what had bene fitte death for thée Thou mightst haue liude at ease and safe by my consent Not for thou didst deserue so well but cause I did relent I with that Wytchesse bloud my face shoulde haue imbrude And Iasons eke which with hir Hearbes the Harlot did delude To Medea I shoulde haue bene Medea then And if in skies be any Ioue that will giue eare to men As Hypsiphyl doth plaine and sobbe alone hir fill So let that beast Medea mourne plagude with hir handie skill And as I lose my Impes and am bereft my Make So graunt that hir as many babes and husband may forsake Ne that she may retaine but leaue with worser hap Ill gotten goodes and banisht begge hir breade with dish and clap As loouing sister shée and daughter eke hath bene To Father and to Brother both Gods graunt she may be séene So spitefull to hir Spouse and armde with prefull rage Euen to hir tender Children whome she ought to garde in age When Sea and Lande she hath consumde vp to the skie Let hir go rangle lyke a Rogue and by selfeslaughter die Thus I bereft my spouse King Thoas daughter pray In cursed Cabbin leade your liues you beastly folkes I say The Argument of the vij Epistle entituled Dido to Aeneas WHen Priam was opprest and Troie brought to sack Aeneas with his aged Syre and Reliques on his back Ingagde himselfe to Seas and shope his course aright But yet at length it was his luck on Libie land to light By force of froward floud where Dido gan to rayse A stately towne The curteous Queene the wandring Troian prayes To make abode with hir shee likte Aeneas so As host age with hir heart at once
shall I speake or néedes not this my flame be showne And more than I coulde wishe to be is loue alreadie knowne More leffer shoulde it lurcke if I might haue my will Till Fortune framde as feare ne dreade my gladsome ioyes might spill But I to cloake by craft my loue not knowe the wayes For who can hide the flanckring flame that still it selfe betrayes But if thou looke that I with worde confirme the déede Take this as proufe of hidden heart I frie with feruent gleede Let him that doth confesse finde at thy hande such grace In reading friendly all the reast as fittes thy featurde face It made mée ioye to heare my Letters were receyude Whereof that he shall fauour finde thy Paris hath conceyude Which hope I wishe to be of force nor thou for nought Of mée through ouerpassed seas by Venus Hestes be sought For least thou witlesse ere I came vnto this place By warning of the Gods and no small God doth ayde my case Great matters I demaunde but not vndue to mée For Venus did compounde that I should fast be linckt with thée By hir conduct I from Sigeian countrye came In Phereclean Barck and did by seas my iourney frame Shée gaue me windes at will and weather safe to saile No maruell if she that was borne of waues on seas preuaile Let hir persist and calme the raging of my breast As earst she did the seas and bring my vowes to harbours reast I brought with mée this fire I founde not hers my flame Which was the cause that hither I my voyage long did frame Not hither winters stormes or errour mée did driue At Tenaris was aye my minde and purpose to ariue Surmise not mée with wares or marchaunts Mart to wende Through fishfull flouds the wealth I haue immortall Gods defende Ne as a gaser I to Graian Cities came For Troian towne my natiue soyle the Greece would lightly shame But thou whome Venus earst vnto my bedde behight Didst cause me come for whome I wisht or ere I knewe the wight In minde I vewde thy face before I sawe with eye And brute by stickring fame at first thy beautie did descrie And maruell is it none if I as one that was Ystroke a farre with thirlings shafte in loue my time doe passe For so it pleasde thē Fates which least thou séeke to breake Lende eare to such vndoubted truthes as I intende to speake When me within hir wombe my mother did detaine And that the wearie poyse thereof hir strowting corps did paine She séemde by Morpheus meanes in dasled doubtfull dreame To haue as then bene brought a bedde with flaming fierie streame Afright with feare she rose and what she sawe she tolde The aged King and he forthwith consulted sages olde Who preaching did pronounce that Ilion shoulde flame With Paris fire this ardent loue I féele it was the same My forme and forwarde heart though then I séemde but base Was proufe and token that I came of Noble haughtie race A place there is in Ide myd bushie laundes belowe Whereto no open way doth lye but Pire and Houlme doth growe Where neyther simple shéepe nor Mountaine Goate did gnawe Nor lumpishe Oxe with flapping lyppes had filde hys mownching mawe From thence the Dardane walles and buildings huge to sée And waltring waues of drenching seas I leande against a trée With trampling féete me thought the soyle began to moue Though I displaye but truth yet thou wilt scarce my tale approue By force of flickring wings was brought vnto the place Cylenus Atlas Nephewe néere and stoode tofore my face As lawfull t' was to sée be léefull to recite And in his hande a golden rodde the God did holde vpright And Heauenly Ladies thrée dame Venus Iuno and The Princely Pallas all at once set footing on the sand I quooke for dread my haire stoode staring on my head When set thy feare aside to mée the winged Herawide sed Thou art a Iudge of formes stint all this godly warre And tell which of these thrée by right thy verdit doth prefarre And least I shoulde refuse from Ioue he gaue me charge And therewith flue with gate direct into the Heauens large My strength began to growe and courage come anewe And then I drad not of the thrée to take a perfite vewe All were surpassing wightes but yet I stoode in dred Assigned Iudge that erye one might not alike be sped For one among the reast surmounted other so As that it were the Nurce of loue thy selfe wouldst lightly knowe Such carke they had to winne as eche one did intende By largesse and their goodly giftes my doubtfull doome to bende An Empire Iuno gaue dame Pallas vertues raigne I doubtfull stoode where powre or vertue were the best of twaine When swéetely Venus sinilde let giftes not moue thy minde Quoth she friend Paris both repleate with trouble thou shalt finde My onely boone shall be that thou shalt loue and haue The snowe white Ledas dearling deare and daughter passing braue She saide when iustly scande both formes and profers weare The last with pricke and prayse began to mount vp to hir spheare Meanewhile as frowarde fates to better fortune grewe By certaine signes for Priams childe the Troians Paris knewe The sonne receyude the house long time was filde with ioie And that selfe day continues still as halowde yet in Troie And as I long for thée so maydens looude me well Thou onely mayst their wishe atchiue and beare awaye the bell Not Princes heyres alone or daintie dames imbrast But séemely Nymphes in ardent loue with me were coupled fast But lothsome was their loue I wayde them all aléeke When I of Helen stoode in hope whome Venus willde me séeke I waking with mine eye did sée thy face by daye And in my heart I vewde thy forme when Phoebus fled awaye What wilt thou present doe that in thine absence so Didst Paris please I fryde though farre the fierie flame were tho Ne longer this my hope I coulde deferre at last But that my purpose to aspire to Sea I went in hast With Phrygian Axe were cut the Troian troes to grounde And timber what so for the seas most fittest then was founde The haughtie hilles were spoylde of great and woxen woods And Ida leant me many a trée with all their sturdie shrowds The Okes for warped Keales and rudder were ysquarde And with his crouked clinching ribbes the ship was well preparde Wée added Maste and toppe and hanging sayles thereto And in the sides our painted Gods were portred all aroe In shippe wherein I went was with hir little boye Dame Venus grauen whose behest was causer of my ioye When Nauie was addrest and readie was the charge To passe vpon Aegean seas was giuen me in charge My parents by request my voyage woulde haue stayde And that I would soiourne with them as earnest suters prayde My sister with hir lockes Cassandra lolling downe When shippes were ready to avale from porte
Cytherons string could steare But me Pegasian Nymphes haue learned on the Lute And throughout all the worlde is borne of Sapphos songes the brute Nor Alcaeus though vpon a statelier string doe sounde My Mate for Arte and Countrie eke a greater prayse hath founde Though I at natures hand no featurde face could gaine Yet those defaults of kinde I quite by goodnesse of the brains Disdaine me not although but meane my stature bée And in pronouncing verie short you Sapphos name doe sée Put case I be not faire swarth Andromed to vewe Duke Perseus pleasde Morisco soyle allowde hir tawnie hewe Full oft the whitest Doues with specled Culuers tred And oft we sée the Turtle browne with Popingay doth wed If none vnlesse hir forme could match thy featurde shape Should lincke with thee thou doubtlesse shouldst from mariage aye escape But when thou vewdste my verse then Sappho séemde in sight A comely wench thou swarste that me alone became to wright I sang I minde it well for Louers fixe in breast Forepassed toyes and thou the whilste to kissing thée addreast Those busses likte thée eke for euerie point I was Befancide well but most when we to Venus prancks did passe Then did my wanton tricks and loftie mounting more With sugred wordes delight thy minde my Phaon than of yore And that when both our ioyes confounded were I lay With wearie limmes and languor lame and had no worde to say Now are Sicilian trulles thy nouell pray I sée In Lesbos what make I a wench of Sicill I will bee O Nysian Matrons O Sicilian Dames I say This loytring guest of ours expell your Countrie boundes I pray Ne let his glosing tongue your listning eares beguile For why to vs he hath ere this yvsde that selfe same stile And Ladie Venus thou that knowen art to dwell Rue on thy Poets piteous plight among the Sicans fell Will aye this cruell chaunce in one selfe tenour roonne And still persist in spitefull sorte as when hir race begoonne For but a Babe in yeares and lacking thrée of nine My parents bones I gathered vp and bathde with saltish brine My néedefull brother burnt with beastly strumpets flame And did endure both wrack of wealth and spitefull losse of fame To beggrie brought he plies the sliding seas with Ore And gettes againe with shamefull shifts the wealth he spent before And me for sounde aduise pursues with deadly hate This was the onely good to me that my freespeaking gate And eake as though I lackt a cause to bréed my dole My little daughter heapes vp hoe that prettie pratling soule But last of all thou art the forger of my bale Aye me poore wench my beaten Barcke flits not with pleasant gale Marke out of order how my lolling tresses flée No glistring Gem or Iuell is vpon my hande to sée My vesture is but vile not spanged is my toppe My hanging haire with Ciuet nor Arabian dew doth droppe For whome vnhappie Girle should Sappho go so gay Whome féeke to please the Author of my brauery is away My gentle yéeiding breast eche lightsome dart may broose And aye I finde a cause to loue and can none other choose Or else at time of birth the sisters set this lawe Allowing me such cruell twist that did my destnie drawe Or custome growes to kinde and vse becomes an Arte I wote not well but sure I haue by kinde a gentle heart What wonder if with such a beardlesse youth I were Attacht whose tender childish yeares allowde his chinne no haire I drad Aurora least for Cephalus thou wold Ychosen him saue that thy former rape doth thée withhold If Phoebe vewe him once that all suruayes with eye My Phaon shall be quickly forste in slumber long to lye In Iuorie Wagon would dame Venus to the starres Borne him but that she fearde he wold haue coyde the God of Warres O thou that neyther art a boy nor man in sight But aptest age of all thy race the most excellent wight Come hither come and to my bosome make retowre No loue I craue in fayth of thée but thée to loue the powre I write and from my chéekes the deawie teares distill Beholde how many blots they cause in Sapphos doolefull bill If néedes thou wouldst haue gone yet this allow for true Thou mightst haue saide at parture O my Lesbian Lasse adue But now no teares of mine ne latter kisse thou had Ne to be short of such mishaps as are befall I drad With me is nought of thine saue wrong yleft in déede Ne gaue I warning that thou hadst of faythfull loue the méede I gaue thee no precepts nor would haue done a iot But made a sute that Sappho might at no time bene forgot By loue that neuer farre may from thy breast astart And sacred sisters nine my saincts whome I embrace with heart I sweare when one exclamde I wote nere who to mée And said now Sappho iogges thy ioy thy Phaon now doth flée I had no teares to shed my lippes did language lacke Mine eyes did want their gushing teares my foltring tongue it stacke Vnto the roufe and ysie colde my fearefull breast did racke When griefe was somewhat swagde and sorrow gan to slake I howlde with toren lockes and with my fist my bodie strake As doth the louing Dame that to the Temple beares Hir Babe his corps withouten sense and bathes his Tombe with teares Charaxe my brother ioyde and often past before My face and to and fro did iet to make my doole the more And to encrease my shame would wit my cause of woe And say why wéepes this woman why hir daughter liues I trowe Oh shame and earnest loue can neuer well agrée How there with open breast I stoode the Vulgar folke did sée Thou Phaon art my carke my dreames reduce to minde Thy countnance dreames which clearer than the shining Sunne I finde I meete thée oft in sléepe though thou be nothing nie But of this sléepe the slipper ioyes too soone away doe slie Full oft vpon thine armes my lodging neck I laye And then me thinks thy head as much my limber armes doe staye I know thy kisses well and am not now to seeke How thou were wont to smack thy wench and she to doe the léeke I play the wanton Gyrle sometime and séeme with thée To chat and think my slumbring sense awaked wide to bée I blush to tell the reast that followes but there is Naught left vndone that bréedes delight I coulde not Phaon misse But when that Titan splayes his face and all beside I make complaint that winged sléepe so soone away did slide To Groues and Caue I trudge as though they did me good The Caue and groues that witnesse there in place of pleasure stood Inragde I thither runne as doth the Frantike fro Whome fell Erichtho hath in chase my locks at random go There plainely I discrie with rotten Tophe yspred A place that earst in lieu was to me of better bed
flawes In thy behalfe I checke the windes with wide and wreakefull iawes Or when the calmed Seas haue somewhat quaylde their powre I say thou mayst but wilt not come to Heros wonted towre Amid my griefull plaintes the saltish teares gush out By streames which crooked Nurce doth wipe and dryes with Linnen clout Oft tymes I séeke in sande where I thy steppes may finde As though the foote once gone the print would aye remaine behinde I aske when any came or any mindes to go To Abydon to fine I might thy state by wryting know What should I speake how ofte I kisse with louing lippe The robes which tho thou lefest behind when thou to Sea didst skippe Thus when the day is spent and night our friendfull ride Hath banisht Phoebus from the Pole and starres doe shew their pride In stately turrets toppe a blazing Lampe I sette Whereby thou wonted are my shore and perillous stronde to fette Then I to passe the time in haste to Distaffe coonne An Arte which woraen vse the griefes of yrkesome stayes to shoonne O that thou knewste my wordes that I pronounce the while Leanders name is all my talke Leander is my stile How thinke you Nurse is he by this come out of doore Or doth he stand in dreade of scowtes that on his passage poore Hath he remooude his robes good Beldame tell thy minde Or oylde his ventrous carelesse corps as swimmers wont by kinde With that she giues a nod not for she heares my talke But drowsie slumber so procures hir gogling head to walke And then I pawse a stounde then now he flitts I say And with his well approued armes he beates the waues away Then spinne I for a space and twist a threede or twaine And where thou be in middle Seas to learne I am full faine Sometime I giue the gaze where I may see thee swimme And then we pray that Neptune will not shewe his cheare too grimme Sometime we heare with eare a noyse that makes vs thincke That thou art then ycome to shore and safe to Sestus brincke Thus when the greatest part of night is flitted by The slumbring sleepe by secret stealth inuades my weried eye Then gainst thy will perhaps thou dost with me foiourne And though thy selfe wouldst faine dislodge yet art thou here atourne For now I séeme to sée thée swimming in the flood And then to throw thy limber armes on Heros backe a good Another while with clothes and wonted robes I hide Thy moysted limmes and lay me dowlie fast by thy wished side And other toyes to taste and other feates to frame Which though I ioyde to put in vre my tongue to tell doth shame Oh mée vnhappie wench whose pleasure makes no stay And falsed is for thou with fléepe art wont to slippe away O Lord let vs that loue at length wich firmer lace Inchaine our selues let dreames no more true pleasurs so deface Why haue I lodgde alone so many nights arowe In colde and carefull couch why dost thou proue thy selfe so stowe As now the waters are too boysteous I confesse For such as swimme but yesternight Neptunus rage was lesse Why lettste thou slip that lide thou shouldst haue fearde the wurst And not haue stoode in earnest hope for better than the furst What though the weather shape as well againe to swim Yet that because it was the first of both I iudge it tâ—…m For Seas haue sodaine chaunge the floud is altred soone And when thou willing art to come thy course is sooner doone Arriude to Sestus shore no cause thou shouldst at all Haue of regréete thée in mine armes what winter storme might gall Then I with gladsome minde would heare the windes to rage And pray that Neptuns surging Seas their swelling might not swage But how befell you feare your wonted passage so And dréede the goulfe you scornd ere this the cause I long to know For yet I well recorde that when thou camste to Sest The Chanell was as rough or nie as rough as may be gest When I exclamde aloude mine owne be not too bolde Least I be forst to rue thy fate if I thy death beholde Whence comes this sodaine feare where is that courage now Where he that scornde the force of flouds and waters wont to flow Yet naythelesse be wise not retchlesse as thou were And swim in safetie if thou mayste if not a while forbeare So that thy fayth be one as those thy lines did showe And so that kindled flame of thine to cinders doe not growe I dreade not so the windes that barre my wished ioye As least thy loue will like the winde exchaunge by chaunge of toye Of this I stande in awe least perill passe the gaine And least thou thinke thy bootie farre inferiour to thy paine Sometyme I quake for feare least Abydon deface My Sest and least Leander thincke his Herô farre too base But all I can endure with well contented will So that thou haue no daintie Draâ— thy pleasures to fulfill So that no strumpets armes about thy necke depende Nor nouell loue procure thy first and former flame to ende Oh rather let me die than such a crime to know Let Herôs liuely twist be shrid ere thou doe trespasse so Not for thou gauste me causs of future griefe I speake In such a wise no newe report moues me my minde to breake Saue that I feare the worst Who loues deuoyde of dreede The place doth forte the absent wight oft times on feare to féede Oh happie Nymphes whome place and presence makes to know Committed crymes and kéepes from seare of things that are not so No lesse the forged fact than wrong ydone in deede Doth moue our mindes from both alike lyke dolour doth procéede Oh that thou wouldste repaire or else thy cause of let From winds grutching father mightst and from no woman fet Which if I heard of troth for grunting griefe I die And great will be thy guilte if so thy loue thou séeke to strie But more than needes I dreade thou wilt not so offende For churlish tempest is in fault that will not let thée wende O Gods what mounting flouds doe driue against the shore How doth the darkesome cloude inclose and kéepe the light in store Perhaps the virgins Dame is commen to the flood And for hir drenched dearling sheddes hir saltish teares a good Or Ino being woxe a Seanymph but of late Turmoyles the Goulfe that Helle brought to such vntimely fate That floud doth nothing-friend the Mayden sexe I know For there did Helle lose hir life where Heros hurt doth grow But Neptune waying well and calling oft to minde Thy former flames me thinks thou shouldst not hinder loue by winde For Amymon can well and Tyro trie at neade That thou were truely toucht with loue as we in stories reade Alcyonê the fresh and Iphimedia faire Medusa on whose skull as then there hoong no hissing haire Laodice the browne Celaeno fixt in skie Whose names