the woorthie prayse Whose ofspring holdes the honor of his sire He coulde declare what VVallop was alwayes What Awdelie séemde what Randell did require He coulde say what desertes in Drewrie be In Reade in Bryckwell and a meany moe But bashfulnesse did make him blush least he Should but eclypse their fames by singing so Suffiseth this that still he honors those Which wade in warres to get a woorthie name And least estéemes the gréedie snudge which goes To gayne good golde without respecte of fame And for the thirde sorte those that in dystresse Do driue their dayes till drummes do draw them out He coumpts him selfe to bée nor more nor lesse But euen the same for sure withouten doubt If drummes once sounde a lustie martch in déede Then farewell bookes for he will trudge with spéede FINIS Tam Marti quà m Mercurio Corected perfected and finished WHo soeuer is desirous to reade this proposicion more at large and cunningly handled let him but peruse the Prouerbe or adage it self in the first Centurian of the fourth Chyllyade of that famouse Clarke Erasmus Roterodamus the vvhiche is there also Entituled Dulce bellum inexpertis ⧠HEARBES Tam Marti quà m Mercurio ¶ In this diuision are conteyned The Comedie called Supposes Folio 1. The Tragedie called Iocasta Fol. 73 The fruite of Reconciliation 129 The force of true Frendship 131 The force of Loue in Strangers 132 The praise of browne beautie 134 The Partrich and the Merlyn 135 The vertue of Ver. 136 The complainte of a Dame in absence 138 The praise of a Coūtesse 139 The affectiō of a louer 140 The complainte of a Dame suspected 141 A Riddle 143 The shield of Loue. 144 The gloze vpon Dominus ijs opus habet 145 Gascoignes counsel to Diue. Fol. 148 Gascoignes counsel to Wythipole 151 Gascoygnes woodmanship Fol. 156 Gascoigns gardenings 160 Gascoigns iourney into Hollande 163 SVPPOSES A Comedie vvritten in the Italian tongue by Ariosto Englished by George Gascoygne of Grayes Inne Esquire and there presented 1566. The names of the Actors BAlia the Nurse Polynesta the yong woman Cleander the Doctor suter to Polynesta Pasyphilo the Parasite Carion the Doctors man. Dulypo fayned seruant and louer of Polynesta Erostrato fayned master and suter to Polynesta Dalio Crapyno seruantes to fayned Erostrato Scenaese a gentleman stranger Paquetto Petrucio his seruantes Damon father to Polinesta Neuola and two other his seruants Psyteria an olda hag in his house Phylogano a Scycilian gentleman father to Erostrato Lytio his seruant Ferrarese an Inkéeper of Ferrara The Comedie presented as it were in Ferrara The Prologue or argument I Suppose you are assembled here supposing to reape the fruite of my trauayles and to be playne I meane presently to presente you vvith a Comedie called Supposes the verye name vvherof may peraduenture driue into euery of your heades a sundry Suppose to suppose the meaning of our supposes Some percase vvill suppose vve meane to occupie your eares vvith sophisticall handling of subtill Suppositions Some other vvil suppose vve go about to discipher vnto you some queint conceiptes vvhich hitherto haue bene onely supposed as it vvere in shadovves and some I see smyling as though they supposed vve vvould trouble you vvith the vaine suppose of some vvanton Suppose But vnderstand this our Suppose is nothing else but a mystaking or imagination of one thing for an other For you shall see the master supposed for the seruant the seruant for the master the freeman for a slaue and the bondslaue for a freeman the stranger for a vvell knovven friend and the familiar for a stranger But vvhat I suppose that euen already you suppose me very fonde that haue so simply disclosed vnto you the subtilties of these our Supposes vvhere othervvise in deede I suppose you shoulde haue hearde almoste the laste of our Supposes before you coulde haue supposed anye of them arighte Let this then suffise Supposes Actus primus Scena 1. BALIA the Nurse POLYNESTA the yong vvoman HEre is no body come foorth Polynesta let vs looke about to be sure least any man heare our talke for I thinke within the house the tables the plankes the beds the portals yea and the cupbords them selues haue eares Pol. You might as well haue sayde the windowes and the doores do you not sée howe they harken Ba. Well you iest faire but I would aduise you take héede I haue bidden you a thousande times beware you will be spied one day talking with Dulippo Po. And why should I not talke with Dulippo as well as with any other I pray you Ba. I haue giuen you a wherfore for this why many times but go too followe your owne aduise till you ouerwhelme vs all with soden mishappe Po. A great mishappe I promise you marie Gods blessing on their heart that sette suche a brouche on my cappe Ba. Well looke well about you a man would thinke it were inough for you secretly to reioyce that by my helpe you haue passed so many pleasant nightes togither and yet by my trouth I do it more than halfe agaynst my will for I would rather you had setled your fansie in some noble familie yea and it is no small griefe vnto me that reiecting the suites of so many nobles and gentlemen you haue chosen for your darling a poore seruaunt of your fathers by whome shame and infamie is the best dower you can looke for to attayne Po. And I pray you whome may I thanke but gentle nourse that continually praysing him what for his personage his curtesie and aboue all the extreme passions of his minde in fine you would neuer cease till I accepted him delighted in him and at length desired him with no lesse affection than he earst desired me Ba. I can not denie but at the beginning I did recommende him vnto you as in déede I may say that for my selfe I haue a pitiful heart séeing the depth of his vnbridled affection and that continually he neuer ceassed to fill mine eares with lamentable complaynts Po. Nay rather that he filled your pursse with bribes and rewards Nourse Ba. Well you may iudge of Nourse as you liste In déede I haue thought it alwayes a déede of charitie to helpe the miserable yong men whose tender youth consumeth with the furious flames of loue But be you sure if I had thought you would haue passed to the termes you nowe stand in pitie nor pencion peny nor pater noster shoulde euer haue made Nurse once to open hir mouth in the cause Po. No of honestie I pray you who first brought him into my chamber who first taught him the way to my bed but you fie Nourse fie neuer speake of it for shame you will make me tell a wise tale anone Ba. And haue I these thanks for my good wil why then I sée wel I shall be counted the cause of all mishappe Po. Nay rather the author of my good happe gentle Nourse for I would thou knewest
shortly shall sée me his lorde ▪ I aske the seate wherof I ought of right Possesse the halfe I am Oedipus sonne And yours so am I true sonne to you both Wherfore I hope that as in my defence The worlde will weygh so Ioue wil me assiste Eteocles commeth in here by the gates Electrae himself armed and before him .xx. gentlemen in armour his two pages wherof the one beareth his Target the other his helme Chor. Beholde O quéene beholde O woorthie quéene Vnwoorthie he Eteocles here cōmes So woulde the Gods that in this noble realme Shoulde neuer long vnnoble tyrant reigne Or that with wrong the right and doutlesse heire Shoulde banisht be out of his princely seate Yet thou O quéene so fyle thy sugred toung And with such counsell decke thy mothers tale That peace may both the brothers hartes inflame And rancour yelde that erst possesse the same Eteocl. Mother beholde your hestes for to obey In person nowe am I resorted hither In haste therefore fayne woulde I knowe what cause With hastie spéede so moued hath your minde To call me nowe so causelesse out of time When common wealth moste craues my onely ayde Fayne woulde I knowe what quent commoditie Perswades you thus to take a truce for tyme And yeld the gates wide open to my foe The gates that myght our stately state defende And now are made the path of our decay Ioca. Represse deare son those raging stormes of wrath That so bedimme the eyes of thine intent As when the tongue a redy Instrument Would fayne pronounce the meaning of the minde It cannot speake one honest séemely worde But when disdayne is shrunke or sette asyde And mynde of man with leysure can discourse What séemely wordes his tale may best beséeme And that the toung vnfoldes without affectes Then may procéede an answere sage and graue And euery sentence sawst with sobernesse Wherefore vnbende thine angrie browes deare childe And caste thy rolling eyes none other waye That here doest not Medusaes a face beholde But him euen him thy bloud and brother deare And thou behold my Polinices eke Thy brothers face wherein when thou mayst sée Thine owne image remember therewithall That what offence thou wouldst to him were done The blowes thereof rebounde vnto thy selfe And hereof eke I would you both forewarne When frendes or brethren kinsfolke or allies Whose hastie hearts some angrie moode had moued Be face to face by some of pitie brought Who seekes to ende their discorde and debate They onely ought consider well the cause For which they come and cast out of their minde For euermore the olde offences past So shall swéete peace driue pleading out of place Wherfore the first shall Polinices be To tell what reason first his minde did rule That thus our walles with forrein foes enclosde In sharpe reuenge of causelesse wronge receiu'd As he alledgeth by his brothers doome And of this wicked woe and dire debate Some God of pitie be the equall iudge Whome I beseeche to breath in both your breasts A yelding heart to deepe desire of peace Poli. My woorthie dame I finde that tried truthe Doth beste beseeme a simple naked tale Ne néedes to be with painted proces prickt That in hir selfe hath no diuersitie But alwayes shewes one vndisguised face Where déepe deceipt and lies must séeke the shade And wrap their wordes in guilefull eloquence As euer fraught with contrarietie So haue I often sayde and say againe That to auoide our fathers foule reproche And bitter curse I parted from this lande With right good will yet thus with him agréed That while the whirling wings of flying time Might roll one yeare aboute the heauenly spheare So long alone he might with peace possesse Our fathers seate in princely Diademe And when the yeare should eke his course renue Might I succeede to rule againe as long And that this lawe might still be kept for aye He bound him selfe by vowe of solemne othe By Gods by men by heauen and eke by earth Yet that forgot without all reuerence Vnto the Gods without respect to right Without respect that reason ought to rule His faith and troth both troden vnder foote He still vsurps most tyrantlike with wrong The right that doth of right to me belong But if he can with equall doome consent That I retourne into my natiue soyle To sway with him alike the kingly seate And euenly beare the bridle both in hand Deare mother mine I sweare by all the Gods To raise with speede the siege from these our walles And send the souldiers home from whence they came Which if he graunt me not then must I do Though loth as much as right and reason would To venge my cause that is both good and iust Yet this in heauen the Gods my records be And here in earth each mortall man may know That neuer yet my giltlesse heart did fayle Brotherly duetie to Eteocles And that causlesse he holdes me from mine owne Thus haue I said O mother euen as much As néedefull is wherein I me assure That in the iudgement both of good and badde My words may séeme of reason to procéede Constrained thus in my defence to speake Chor. None may denie O pere of princely race But that thy words are honest good and iust And such as well beséeme that tong of thine Eteo. If what to some séemes honest good and iust Could séeme euen so in euery doubtfull mind No darke debate nor quarell could arise But looke how many men so many minds And that that one man iudgeth good and iust Some other déemes as déepely to be wrong To say the truth mother this minde of mine Doth fléete full farre from that farfetch of his Ne will I longer couer my conceit If I could rule or reigne in heauen aboue And eke commaund in depth of darksome hell No toile ne trauell should my sprites abashe To take the way vnto my restlesse will To climbe aloft nor downe for to descend Then thinke you not that I can giue consent To yeld a part of my possession Wherin I liue and lead the monarchie A witlesse foole may euery man him gesse That leaues the more and takes him to the lesse With this reproch might to my name redound If he that hath with forren power spoilde Our pleasaunt fields might reaue from me perforce What so he list by force of armes demand No lesse reproofe the citizens ensewes If I for dread of Gréekish hosts should graunt That he might climbe to heigth of his desire In fine he ought not thus of me to craue Accord or peace with bloudy sword in hand But with humilitie and prayer both For often is it séene and proofe doth teach Swete words preuaile where sword and fire do faile Yet this if here within these stately walles He list to liue the sonne of Oedipus And not as king of Thebes I stand content But let him thinke since now
into the Gulfe to fill it vp but it would not so close vp nor be filled Then came the ladyes and dames that stoode by throwing in their cheynes Iewels so to cause it stoppe vp and close it selfe but when it would not so be filled came in a knighte with his sword drawen armed at all poyntes who walking twise or thrise about it perusing it seing that it would nether be filled with earth nor with their Iewells and ornaments after solempne reuerence done to the gods and curteous leaue taken of the Ladyes and standers by sodeinly lepte into the Gulfe the which did close vp immediatly betokning vnto vs the loue that euery worthy person oweth vnto his natiue coūtrie by the historye of Curtins who for the lyke cause aduentured the like in Rome This done blinde Tyresias the deuine prophete led in by hys daughter and conducted by Meneceus the son of Creon entreth by the gates Electrae and sayth as followeth Actus iij. Scena 1. TYRESIAS CREON. MANTO MENECEVS SACERDOS THou trustie guide of my so trustlesse steppes Déer daughter mine go we lead thou the way For since the day I first did léese this light Thou only art the light of these mine eyes And for thou knowst I am both old weake And euer longing after louely rest Direct my steppes amyd the playnest pathes That so my febled féete may féele lesse paine Meneceus thou gentle childe tell me Is it farre hence the place where we must goe Where as thy father for my comming stayes For like vnto the slouthfull snayle I drawe Deare sonne with paine these aged legges of mine Creon returneth by the gates Homoloydes And though my minde be quicke scarce can I moue Cre. Comfort thy selfe deuine Creon thy frend Loe standeth here and came to méete with thée To ease the paine that thou mightst else sustaine For vnto elde eche trauell yeldes annoy And thou his daughter and his faithfull guide Loe rest him here and rest thou there withall Thy virgins hands that in sustayning him Doest well acquite the duetie of a childe For crooked age and hory siluer heares Still craueth helpe of lustie youthfull yeares Tyr. Gramercie Lorde what is your noble will Cre. What I would haue of thée Tyresias Is not a thing so soone for to be sayde But rest a whyle thy weake and weary limmes And take some breath now after wearie walke And tell I pray thée what this crowne doth meane That sits so kingly on thy skilfull heade Tyr. Know this that for I did with graue aduise Foretell the Citizens of Athens towne How they might best with losse of litle bloude Haue victories against their enimies Hath bene the cause why I doe weare this Crowne As right rewarde and not vnméete for me Cre. So take I then this thy victorious crowne For our auaile in token of good lucke That knowest how the discord and debate Which late is fallen betwene these brethren twaine Hath brought all Thebes in daunger and in dreade Eteocles our king with threatning armes Is gone against his greekish enimies Commaunding me to learne of thée who arte A true diuine of things that be to come What were for vs the safest to be done From perill now our countrey to preserue Tyr. Long haue I bene within the towne of Thebes Since that I tyed this trustie toung of mine From telling truth fearing Eteocles Yet since thou doest in so great néede desire I should reueale things hidden vnto thée For common cause of this our common weale I stand content to pleasure thée herein But first that to this mightie God of yours There might some worthie sacrifice be made Let kill the fairest goate that is in Thebes Within whose bowelles when the Préest shall loke And tell to me what he hath there espyed I trust t' aduise thée what is best to doen. Cre. Lo here the temple and ere long I looke To sée the holy préest that hither cōmes Bringing with him the pure and faire offrings Which thou requirest for not long since I sent For him as one that am not ignorant Of all your rytes and sacred ceremonyes He went to choose amid our herd of goates The fattest there and loke where now he commes Sacerdos accompanyed with .xvj. Bacchanales and all his rytes and ceremonies entreth by the gates Homoloydes Sacer. O famous Citizens that holde full deare Your quiet country Loe where I doe come Most ioyfully with wonted sacrifice So to beséeche the supreme Citizens To stay our state that staggringly doth stand And plant vs peace where warre and discord growes Wherfore with hart deuoute and humble chéere Whiles I breake vp the bowels of this beast That oft thy veneyarde Bacchus hath destroyed Let euery wight craue pardon for his faults With bending knee about his aultars here Tyr. Take here the salt and sprincle therwithall About the necke that done cast all the rest Into the sacred fire and then annoynte The knife prepared for the sacrifice O mightie Ioue preserue the precious gifte That thou me gaue when first thine angrie Quéene For deepe disdayne did both mine eyes do out Graunt me I may foretell the truth in this For but by thée I know that I ne may Ne wil ne can one trustie sentence say Sa. This due is done Tyr. With knife then stick the kid Sac. Thou daughter of deuine Tyresias With those vnspotted virgins hands of thine Receiue the bloude within this vessell here And then deuoutly it to Bacchus yelde Man. O holy God of Thebes that doest both praise Swete peace and doest in hart also disdayne The noysome noyse the furies and the fight Of bloudie Mars and of Bellona both O thou the giuer both of ioy and health Receiue in grée and with well willing hand These holy whole brunt offrings vnto thée And as this towne doth wholy thée a dore So by thy helpe do graunt that it may stand Safe from the enimies outrage euermore Sac. Now in thy sacred name I bowell here This sacrifice Tyre And what entralls hath it Sac. Faire and welformed all in euery poynt The liuer cleane the hart is not infect Saue loe I finde but onely one hart string By which I finde something I wote nere what That séemes corrupt and were not onely that In all the rest they are both sound and hole Tyr. Now cast at once into the holy flame The swete incense and then aduertise mée What hew it beares and euery other ryte That ought may helpe the truth for to coniecte Sac. I sée the flames doe sundrie coulours cast Now bloudy sanguine straight way purple blew Some partes séeme blacke some gray and some be gréene Tyr. Stay there suffyseth this for to haue séene Know Creon that these outward séemely signes By that the Gods haue let me vnderstand Who know the truth of euery secrete thing Betoken that the Citie great of Thebes Shall Victor be against the Gréekish host If so consent be giuen but more
put me from my wonted place And déepe deceipte hath wrought a wyle to wrest me out of grace Wyll home againe to cart as fitter were for mée Then thus in court to serue and starue where such proude porters bée Si fortunatus infoelix ¶ This question being propounded by a Dame vnto the Aucthour to witte why he should write Spreta tamen viuunt he aunswereth thus DEspysed things may liue although they pine in payne And things ofte trodden vnder foote may once yet rise againe The stone that lieth full lowe may clime at last full hye And stand a loft on stately towr's in sight of euery eye The cruell Axe which felles the trée that grew full straight Is worne with rust when it renewes and springeth vp on height The rootes of rotten Réedes in swelling seas are seene And when eche tide hath tost his worst they grow againe ful gréene Thus much to please my selfe vnpleasauntly I sing And shrich to ease my morning minde in spite of enuies sting I am nowe set full light who earst was dearely lou'd Som new foūd choise is more estemd than that which wel was prou'd Some Diomede is crept into Dame Cressides hart And trustie Troylus nowe is taught in vaine to playne his part What resteth then for me but thus to wade in wo And hang in hope of better chaunce when chaunge appointeth so I sée no sight on earth but it to Chaunge enclines As litle clowdes oft ouercast the brightest Sunne that shines No Flower is so freshe but frost can it deface No man so sure in any seate but he maye léese his place So that I stand content though much against my mind To take in worth this lothsome lot which luck to me assynd And trust to sée the time when they that nowe are vp May féele the whirle of fortunes whéele and tast of sorrowes cup. God knoweth I wishe it not it had bene bet for mée Styll to haue kept my quiet chayre in hap of high degrée But since without recure Dame Chaunge in loue must raigne I now wish chaunge that sought no chaūge but constāt did remaine And if suche chaunge do chaunce I vowe to clap my hands And laugh at them which laught at me lo thus my fansie standes Spreta tamen viuunt ¶ In trust is Treason written by a Louer leaning onelye to his Ladies promises and finding them to fayle THe straightest Trée that growes vpon one onely roote If that roote fayle wyll quickly fade no props can do it boote I am that fading plant which on thy grace dyd growe Thy grace is gone wherefore I mone and wither all in woe The tallest ship that sailes if shée too Ancors trust When Ancors slip Cables breake her helpe lyes in the dust I am the ship my selfe mine Ancor was thy faith Which now is fled thy promise broke I am driuen to death Who climeth oft on hie and trusts the rotten bowe If that bow breake may catch a fall such state stand I in now Me thought I was a loft and yet my seate full sure Thy heart dyd séeme to me a rock which euer might endure And sée it was but sand whome seas of subtiltie Haue soked so with wanton waues that faith was forst to flye The flooddes of ficklenesse haue vndermined so The first foundation of my ioy that myrth is ebb'd to wo. Yet at lowe water markes I lye and wayte my time To mend the breach but all in vaine it cannot passe the prime For when the prime flood comes which all this rage begoon Then waues of wyll do worke so fast my piles are ouer roon Dutie and dilligence which are my workmen there Are glad to take vp fooles in haste and run away for feare For fansie hath such force it ouerfloweth all And whispring tales do blow the blasts that make it ryse fall Thus in these tempests tost my restles life doth stand Because I builded on thy wodres as I was borne in hand Thou weart that only stake wereby I ment to stay Alas alas thou stoodst so weake the hedge is borne away By thee I thought to liue by thee now must Idye I made thee my Phisicion thou art my mallady For thee I longde to liue for thée nowe welcome death And welcome be that happie pang that stops my gasping breath Twise happie were that axe would cut my rotes downe right And sacred were that swelling sea which would consume me quight Blest were that bowe would breake to bring downe climing youth Which craks aloft and quakes full oft for feare of thine vntruth Ferenda Natura The constancie of a louer hath thus sometimes bene briefly declared THat selfe same tonge which first did thée entreat To linke thy liking with my lucky loue That trustie tonge must nowe these wordes repeate I loue thee still my fancie cannot moue That dreadlesse hart which durst attempt the thought To win thy will with mine for to consent Maintaines that vow which loue in me first wrought I loue thee still and neuer shall repent That happie hande which hardely did touch Thy tender body to my déepe delight Shall serue with sword to proue my passion such As loues thee still much more than it can write Thus loue I still with tongue hand hart and all And when I chaunge let vengeance on me fall Ferenda Natura ¶ The fruite of foes written to a Gentlewoman who blamed him for writing his friendly aduise in verse vnto another louer of hyrs THe cruell hate which boyles within thy burning brest And séekes to shape a sharpe reuenge on them that loue thée best May warne all faithfull friendes in case of ieopardie Howe they shall put their harmelesse hands betwéene the barck trée And I among the rest which wrote this weary song Must nedes alledge in my defence that thou hast done me wrong For if in simple verse I chaunc'd to touch thy name And toucht the same without reproch was I therefore to blame And if of great good will I gaue my best aduise Then thus to blame without cause why me thinkes thou art not wise Amongst olde written tales this one I beare in mind A simple soule much like my selfe dyd once a serpent find Which almost dead for colde lay moyling in the myre When he for pittie tooke it vp and brought it to the fyre No sooner was the Snake recured of hir griefe But straight shée sought to hurt the man that lent hir such reliefe Such Serpent séemest thou such simple soule am I That for the weight of my good wil am blam'd without cause why But as it best beseemes the harmelesse gentle hart Rather to take an open wrong than for to plaine his part I must and will endure thy spite without repent The blame is mine the triumph thine and I am well content Meritum petere graue A Louer often warned and once againe drouen into fantasticall flames by the chase of company doth thus bewayle his misfortunes I That
The thing God knowes was of no great emport Some fréendly lines the vertuous Lady wrote To me hir fréend and for my safe passeporte The Camepomaster Valdes his hand was gotte And seale therewith that I might safely trotte Vnto the Haghe a stately pleasaunt place Whereas remaynd this worthy womans grace 127 And here I set in open verse to showe The whole effect wherfore this work was wrought She had of mine whereof few folkes did knowe A counterfayte a thing to me deare bought Which thing to haue I many time had sought And when shee knew how much I did estéeme it Shée vowde that none but I should thence redéeme it 128 Lo here the cause of all this secrete sleight I sweare by Ioue that nothing els was ment The noble Prince who sawe that no deceipt Was practised gaue trust to mine entent And leaue to write from whence the same was sent But still the Bowgers Burghers should I saye Encreast their doubtes and watcht me day by day 129 At euery porte it was forsoth be last That I die groene Hopman might not go out But when their foes came skirmishing full fast Then with the rest the Gréene knight for them fought Then might he go without mistrust or doubt O drunken plompes I playne without cause why For all cardes tolde there was no foole but I. 130 I was the foole to fight in your defence Which know no fréende nor yet your selues full well Yet thus you sée how paye proclaymde for pence Pulles néedie soules in steade of heauen to hell And makes men hope to beare away the bell Whereas they hang in ropes that neuer rotte Yet warre seemes sweete to such as know it not 131 Well thus I dwelt in Delfe a winters tyde In Delfe I say without one pennie pay My men and I did colde and hunger bide To shew our truth and yet was neuer day Wherein the Spanyard came to make vs play But that the Gréene knight was amongst the rest Like Iohn Greyes birde that ventred with the best 132 At last the Prince to Zeland came himselfe To hunger Middleburgh or make it yéeld And I that neuer yet was set on shelf When any sayld or winde or waues could wéeld Went after him to shew my selfe in field The selfe same man which earst I vowed to be A trustie man to such a Prince as he 133 The force of Flaunders Brabant Geldres Fryze Henault Artoys Lyegeland and Luxembrough Were all ybent to bryng in new supplies To Myddleburgb and little all enough For why the Gaeulx would neyther bend nor bough But one of force must breake and come to nought All Walkers theirs or Flushyng dearly bought 134 There once agayne I serued vpon seas And for to tell the cause and how it fell It did one day the Prince my chieftayne please To aske me thus Gascoigne quoth he you dwell Amongst vs still and thereby séemeth well That to our side you beare a faithfull harte For else long since we should haue séene you starte 135 But are sayde he your Souldiours by your side O Prince quoth I full many dayes be past Since that my charge did with my Cronâ—ll glyde Yet byde I here and meane to be with last And for full proofe that this is not a blast Of glorious talke I craue some fisher boate To shew my force among this furious floate 136 The Prince gan like my fayth and forward will Equyppt a Hoye and set hir vnder sayle Wherein I serued according to my skill My minde was such my cunning could not quayle Withouten bragge of those that did assayle The foemens fleete which came in good aray I put my selfe in formost ranke alway 137 Thrée dayes wée fought as long as water serued And came to ancor neyghbourlike yféere The Prince himselfe to sée who best deserued Stoode euery day attending on the péere And might behold what barke went formost there Ill harte had he that would not stoutely fight When as his Prince is present still in sight 138 At last our foes had tidings ouer lande That neare to Bergh their fellowes went to wracke On Scheld they mette by Rymerswaell a bande Of Edell bloets who put their force abacke Lewes de Boyzett did put them there to sacke And lost an eye bicause he would resemble Dan Iuliane whome there he made to tremble 139 When this was knowen Sancio de Auila Who had the charge of those that fought with vs Went vp the Hont and tooke the ready way To Anwerpe towne leauing in daunger thus Poore Myddelburgh which now waxt dolorous To sée all hope of succour shrinke away Whiles they lackt bread and had done many a day 140 And when Mountdragon might no more endure He came to talke and rendred all at last With whome I was within the Cittie sure Before he went and on his promisse past Such trust I had to thinke his fayth was fast I dinde and supt and laye within the towne A daye before he was from thence ybowne 141 Thus Middleburgh Armew and all the rest Of Walkers Ile became the Princes pray Who gaue to me bycause I was so prest At such a pinche and on a dismall day Thrée hundreth gilderns good aboue my pay And bad me bide till his abilitie Might better gwerdon my fidelitie 142 I will not lie these Gilderns pleasd me well And much the more bycause they came vncraued Though not vnnéeded as my fortune fell But yet thereby my credite still was saued My skores were payde and with the best I braued Till lo at last an English newe relief Came ouer seas and Chester was their chief 143 Of these the Prince perswaded me to take A band in charge with Coronels consent At whose requests I there did vndertake To make mine ensigne once againe full bent And sooth to say it was my full entent To loose the sadle or the horse to winne Such haplesse hope the Prince had brought me in 144 Souldiours behold and Captaynes marke it well How hope is harbenger of all mishappe Some hope in honour for to beare the bell Some hope for gaine and venture many a clappe Some hope for trust and light in treasons lappe Hope leades the way our lodging to prepare Where high mishap ofte kéepes an Inne of care 145 I hoapt to shew such force agaynst our foes That those of Delf might sée how true I was I hopt in déede for to be one of those Whome fame should follow where my féete should passe I hoapt for gaynes and founde great losse alas I hoapt to winne a worthy Souldiours name And light on lucke which brought me still to blame 146 In Valkenburgh a fort but new begonne With others moe I was ordeynde to be And farre beforne the worke were half way done Our foes set forth our sorie seate to sée They came in time but cursed time for mée They came before the courtine
them shée layde also before him howe trusty she had bene vnto him in all professions she confessed also howe faithfullye he had discharged the duety of a friend in al respectes and therwithall she declared that her late alteration and pensiuenesse of minde was not without great cause for that she had of late such a mishap as might chaunge the disposition of any lyuing creature Yea and that the case was such as vnlesse she found present remedy hir death must needes ensue and that spedely for the preuenting whereof she alledged that she had beaten hir braines with al deuises possible and that in the ende she could thinke of no redresse but one the which lay only in him to acomplish Wherfore she besought him for all the loue and good will which had euer passed betwéene them nowe to shewe the fruites of true friendship and to gratifie hir with a frée graunt to this request The louer who had alwayes bene desirous to pleasure hir in any thing but now especially to recouer hir wonted kindnesse gan franklye promise to accomplishe any thing that might be to him possible yea though it were to his great detriment and therewithall dyd déepely blame hir in that shée would so long torment hir selfe with any griefe considering that it lay in him to helpe it The Ladye aunswered that she had so long kept it from his knowledge bicause she doubted whether hée would be content to performe it or not although it was such a thing as he might easely graunt without any manner of hurt to himself yet now in the ende she was forced to aduenture vppon his curtesie being no longer able to beare the burdē of hir griefe the louer solicited her most earnestly to disclose it and she as fast séemed to mistrust that he would not accomplish it In the ende she tooke out a booke which she had brought for the nonce bound him by othe to accomplishe it The louer mistrusting nothing lesse thā that ensued toke the othe willingly which done she declared al that had passed betwene hir hir husband his griefe hir repentance his pardon hir vowe and in the ende of hir tale enioyned the louer that from thenceforthwardes he should neuer attempt to breake her constant determinatiō the louer replied that this was vnpossible But she plainlye assured him that if he graunted hir that request she would be his friend in al honest godly wise if not she put him out of doubt that she would eschew his company and flée from his sight as from a scorpion The louer considering that hir request was but iust accusing his owne guiltye conscience remembring the great curtesies alwayes vsed by hir husband and therewithall séeing the case now brought to such an issue as that by no other meanes than by this it could be conceiled from the knowledge of the worlde but most of all being vrged by his othe dyd at last giue an vnwilling consent and yet a faithful promise to yelde vnto hir wyl in al thinges and thus being become of one assent he remaineth the derest friend most welcome gest that may be both to the Lady and hir husband and the man and the wife so kind each to other as if there neuer had bene such a breche betwen them Now of you noble Gouernor I would faine lerne whether the perplexity of the husband when he looked in at the keye hoole or of the wife when she knewe the cause why the Carolines were so scattered or of the louer when he knew what was his mistres charge was greater of the thrée I might haue put in also the troubled thoughts of the sisters the mayd when they saw their good wil reiected but let these thrée suffice Gentle Hope quod Ferdinando you haue rehearsed that right eloquētly a notable tale or rather a notable history because you séeme to affirme that is was done in dede of late not far hence Wherein I note fiue especial pointes that is a maruailous patience in the husband no lesse repentaunce in the wife no smal boldnesse of the mayde but muche more rashnesse in the sisters last of al a rare tractabilitie in the louer Neuerthelesse so returne vnto your question I thinke the husbands perplexity greatest because his losses abounded aboue the rest his iniuries were vncōparable The Lady Fraunces did not seme to contrary him but rather smiled in hir sléeue at Dame Pergo who had no lesse patience to here the tale recited then the Lady Fraunces had pleasure in telling of it By this time the sléeping houre aproched the Ladyes prepared their departure when as mistres Fraūces sayd vnto the Venetiane Although percase I shall not do it so hādsomly as your mistres yet good Trust quod she if you vouchsafe it I can be content to trim vp your bed in the best maner that I may as on who would be as glad as she to procure your quiet rest Ferdinando gaue hir great thāks desiring hir not to trouble hirself but to let his man alone with that charge Thus they departed how al partyes toke rest that night I knowe not but in the morning Ferdinando began to consider with himselfe that he might lye long ynough in his bed before his mistres would be apeased in hir peuishe conceipts wherfore he arose being aparelled in his night gowne tooke occation to walke in the gallery néere adioyning vnto his mistres chamber but there might he walke long inough ere his Mistresse would come to walke with him When dinner time came he went into the great chamber whereas the Lord of the Castle saluted him being ioyful of his recouerye Ieronimy giuing due thanks declared that his friēdly entertainement togeather with the great curtesie of the gentlewomen was such as might reuiue a man although he were halfe dead I would bée loath quod the hoast that any Gentleman comming to mee for good wyll shoulde want any curtesie of intertainement that lyeth in my power When the meate was serued to the table the Gentlewomen came in all but Dame Elynor and Mistresse Pergo the which Ferdinando marked very well and it dyd somewhat abate his apetite After diner his Hope came vnto him and demaunded of him howe hée would passe the daye for his recreation to whome he answered euen as it best pleased hir She deuised to walke into the parke and so by litle and litle to acquaint himself with the ayre he agréed and they walked togeather being accompanied with one or two other gentle women And although there were nowe more cause that hee shoulde mistrust his Mistresse than euer he had before receyued yet the vehement passions which he sawe in her when she first came to visite him and moreouer the earnest words which she pronounced in his extremitie were such a refreshing to his minde as that he determined no more to trouble him selfe with like conceiptes concluding further that if his mistresse were not faultie then had
more faire than she for whome proud Troy was solde More constant to conteyne than Cresside to be eoy No Calcas can contriue the craft to traine hir out of Troye No Diomede can drawe hir setled harte to change No madding moode can moue hir mind nor make hir thoughtes to range For hir alone it is that Cupide blindfolde goes And dare not looke for feare least he his libertie should loose At hir dame Venus chafes and pines in ielowsie Least bloudy Mars should hir espie and chang his fantasie Of hir the Quene of Heauen doth stand in dreadfull doubt Least Ioue should melte in drops of gold if once he find hir out Oh that my tonge had skill to tell hir prayse aright Or that my pen hir due desertes in worthy verse could write Or that my minde could muse or happie heart conceiue Some words that might resound hir worth by high Mineruas leaue Oh how the blooming ioyes do blossome in my brest To think within my secret thought how far she steines the rest Me thinkes I heare hir speake me thinkes I sée hir still Me thinkes I feele hir féelingly me thinkes I know hir will. Me thinkes I sée the states which sue to hir for grace Me thinkes I sée one looke of hirs repulse them all apace Me thinkes that houre is yet and euermore shall be Wherein my happie happe was first hir heauenly face to sée Wherein I spide the writte which woond betwéene hir eyne And sayd behold be bold for I am borne to be but thine Me thinks I féele the ioyes which neuer yet were felt Whome flame before yet neuer toucht me thinks I feele them melt One word there an end me thinks she is the sunne Which only shineth now a daies she dead the world were done The rest are twinkling starres or Moones which borow light To comfort other carefull soules which wander in the night And night God knowes it is where other Ladies bée For sure my dame adornes the day there is no sunne but shée Then louers by your leaue and thinke it nothing strange Although I seme with calme content in seas of ioyes to range For why my sailes haue found both wind and waues at wyll And depthes of all delightes in hir with whome I trauell styll And ancors being wayed I leaue you all at large To steare this seemelye Shippe my selfe suche is my mistresse charge Fato non fortuna Dan Bartholmew his second Triumphe FYe pleasure fye thou cloyest me with delight Thou fylst my mouth with sweete meates ouermuch I wallow styll in ioye both daye and night I déeme I dreame I doe I taste I touch No thing but all that smelles of perfect blisse Fye pleasure fye I cannot like of this To taste sometimes a baite of bytter gall To drinke a draught of sower Ale some season To eate browne bread with homely handes in Hall. Doth much encrease mens appetites by reason And makes the swéete more sugred that ensewes Since mindes of men do styll seeke after newes The pampred horse is seldome séene in breath Whose maunger makes his greace oftimes to melt The crammed Fowle comes quickly to his death Such coldes they catche in hottest happes that swelt And I much like in pleasure scawled styll Doe feare to starue although I feede my fill It might suffice that loue hath built his bowre Betwene my Ladies liuely shyning eyes It were inough that Bewties fading flowre Growes euer freshe with hir in heauenly wise It had bene well that shée were faire of face And yet not robbe all other Dames of grace To muse in minde how wise how faire how good How braue howe franke how curteous and how true My Ladys is doth but inflame my blood With humors such as byd my health adue Since happe alwaies when it is clombe on hye Doth fall full lowe though earst it reachte the Skye Lo pleasure lo lo thus I leade a life That laughes for ioye and trembleth oft for dread Thy panges are such as call for changes knife To cut the twist or else to stretch the thread Which holdes yféere the bondell of my blisse Fye pleasure fye I dare not trust to this Fato non fortuna Dan Bartholmewes his third Triumphe YF euer man yet found the bathe of perfect blisse Then swimme I now amid the seas where nought but pleasure is I loue and am beloued without vaunt be it tolde Of one more faire then she of Greece for whome proud Troy was solde As bountifull and good as Cleopatra Queene As constant as Penelope vnto her make was séene What would you more my penne vnable is to write The least desert that séemes to shine within this worthy wight So that for nowe I ceasse with handes helde vp on hye And craue of God that when I chaunge I may be forst to dye Fato non Fortuna The Reporter THese vaunting verses with a many mo To his mishap haue come vnto my handes Whereof the rest bicause he sayled so In braggers boate which set it selfe on sandes And brought him eke fast bound in follyes bands Of curtesie I kéepe them from your sight Let these suffice which of my selfe I write The highest trée that euer yet could growe Although full fayre it slorisht for a season Founde yet at last some fall to bring it lowe This olde sayd sawe is God he knoweth not geason For when things passe the reach and bounds of reason They fall at last although they stand a time And bruse the more the higher that they clime So Bartholmew vnto his paine dyd proue For when he thought his hap to be most hye And that he onely reapt the fruictes of loue And that he swelt in all prosperitie His comfort chaunged to calamitie And though I doe him wrong to tell the same Yet reade it you and let me beare the blame The Saint he seru'd became a craftie deuill His goddesse to an Idoll séemde to chaunge Thus all his good transformed into euill And euery ioy to raging griefe dyd raunge Which Metamorphosis was maruels straunge Yet shall you seldome otherwise it proue Where wicked Lust doth beare the name of Loue. This sodaine chaunge when he began to spye And colde suspect into his minde had crept He bounst and bet his head tormentingly And from all company him selfe he kept Wherby so farre in stormes of strife he stept That nowe he séemed an Image not a man His eyes so dead his colour waxt so wan And I which alwayes beare him great good wyll Although I knew the cause of all his griefe And what had trainde and tysed him theretyll And plaine to speake what moued his mischiefe Yet since I sought to ease him with reliefe I dyd become importunate to knowe The secréete cause whereon this grudge should growe At last with much ado his trembling tonge Bewrayde theffect of his vnwylling wyll Which here to tell since it were all to longe And I therewith too barren am of skyll And trouble you with
tedious tydinges styll Content you now to heare himselfe rehearse His strange affectes in his lamenting verse Which verse he wrote at Bathe as earst was sayd And there I sawe him when he wrote the same I sawe him there with many moanes dismaide I sawe him there both fryse and flashe in flame I sawe him gréeu'd when others made good game And so appeareth by his darke discourse The which to reade I craue your iust remorse Dan Bartholmewes Dolorous discourses I Haue entreated care to cut the thread Which all to long hath held my lingring life And here aloofe nowe haue I hyd my head From company thereby to stint my strife This solitarye place doth please me best Where I may weare my wylling mind with moane And where the sighes which boyle out of my brest May skald my heart and yet the cause vnknowne All this I doe for thee my swéetest sowre For whome of yore I counted not of care For whome with hungrie iawes I dyd deuoure The secrete baite which lurked in the snare For whome I thought all forreine pleasures paine For whome againe all paine dyd pleasure séeme But onely thine I found all fansies vaine But onely thine I dyd no dolours déeme Such was the rage that whilome dyd possesse The priuie corners of my mazed mind When hote desire dyd compt those tormentes lesse Which gaind the gaze that dyd my fréedome bind And now with care I can record those dayes And call to mind the quiet lyfe I led Before I first beheld thy golden rayes When thine vntrueth yet troubled not my hed Remember thou as I can not forget Howe I had layde both loue and lust aside And howe I had my fixed fancie set In constant vowe for euer to abide The bitter proofe of panges in pleasure past The costlye tast of hony mixt with gall The painted heauen which turnde to hell at last The freedome fainde which brought me but to thrall The lingring sute well fed with freshe delayes The wasted vowes which fled with euery winde The restlesse nightes to purchase pleasing dayes The toyling daies to please my restlesse minde All these with mo had brused so my brest And graft such grefe within my groning heart That had I left Dame fansie and the rest To gréener yéeres which might endure the smart My wearie bones did beare away the skarres Of many a wound receiued by disdaine So that I found the fruite of all those warres To be naught else but panges of vnknowen paine And nowe mine eyes were shut from such delight My fansie faint my hote desires were colde When cruell hap presented to my sight The maydens face in yéeres which were not olde I thinke the Goddesse of reuenge deuisde So to bée wreackt on my rebelling wyll Bicause I had in youthfull yéeres dispisde To taste the baites which tyste my fansie styll Howe so it were God knowes I cannot tell But if Ilye you Heauens the plague be mine I sawe no sooner how delight dyd dwell Betwéene those litle infantes eyes of thine But straight a sparkling cole of quicke desire Dyd kindle flame within my frozen heart And yelding fansie softly blewe the fire Which since hath bene the cause of all my smart What néede I say thy selfe for me can sweare Howe much I tendred thée in tender yeares Thy life was then to me God knowes full deare My life to thée is light as nowe appeares I loued the first and shall do to my last Thou flattredst first and so thou wouldst do styll For loue of thée full many paines I past For deadly hate thou seekest me to kyll I cannot nowe with manly tongue rehearse How sone that melting mind of thine dyd yelde I shame to write in this waymenting verse With howe small fight I vanquisht thée in fielde But Caesar he which all the world subdude Was neuer yet so proude of Victorye Nor Hanyball with martiall feates endude Dyd so much please himselfe in pollicie As I poore I dyd séeme to triumphe then When first I got the Bulwarkes of thy brest With hote Alarmes I comforted my men In formost ranke I stoode before the rest And shooke my flagge not all to shewe my force But that thou mightst thereby perceiue my minde Askaunces lo nowe coulde I kyll thy corce And yet my life is vnto thée resinde Well let this passe and thinke vppon the ioye The mutuall loue the confidence the trust Whereby we both abandoned annoye And fed our mindes with fruites of louely lust Thinke on the Tythe of kysses got by stealth Of sweete embracinges shortened by feare Remember that which did maintaine our helth Alas alas why shoulde I name it here And in the midst of all those happie dayes Do not forget the chaunges of my chaunce When in the depth of many waywarde wayes I onely sought what might thy state aduaunce Thou must confesse how much I carde for thee When of my selfe I carde not for my selfe And when my hap was in mishappes to be Estéemd thée more than al the worldly pelfe Mine absente thoughtes did beate on thée alone When thou hadst found afond and newfound choice For lacke of thée I sunke in endlesse mone When thou in chaunge didst tumble and reioyce O mighty goddes néedes must I honor you Needes must I iudge your iudgmentes to be iust Bicause she did for sake him that was true And with false loue did cloke a fained luste By high decrées you ordayned the chaunge To light on such as she must néedes mislike A méete rewarde for such as like to raunge When fansies force their féeble fleshe doth strike But did I then giue brydle to thy fall Thou head strong thou accuse me if thou can Did I not hazard loue yea life and all To warde thy will from that vnworthy man And when by toyle I trauayled to finde The secrete causes of thy madding moode I found naught else but tricks of Cressides kinde Which playnly proude that thou weart of hir bloud I found that absent Troylus was forgot When Dyomede had got both brooch and belt Both gloue and hand yea harte and all god wot When absent Troylus did in sorowes swelt These tricks with mo thou knowst thy self I found Which nowe are néedelesse here for to reherse Vnlesse it were to touche a tender wound With corosiues my panting heart to perse But as the Hounde is counted little worth Which giueth ouer for a losse or twaine And cannot find the meanes to single forth The stricken Deare which doth in heard remaine Or as the kindly Spaniell which hath sprong The prety Partriche for the Falcons flight Doth neuer spare but thrusts the thornes among To bring this byrd yet once againe to sight And though he knowe by proofe yea dearely bought That selde or neuer for his owne auaile This wearie worke of his in vaine is wrought Yet spares he not but labors-tooth and nayle So labord I to saue thy wandring shippe Which reckelesse then was running on
the rockes And though I saw thée séeme to hang the lyppe And set my great good wyll as light as flockes Yet hauld I in the mayne sheate of the minde And stayed thy course by ancors of aduice I woon thy wyll into a better winde To saue thy ware which was of precious price And when I had so harbored thy Barke In happy hauen which saufer was than Douer The Admyrall which knewe it by the marke Streight challengde all and sayd thou wert a rouer Then was I forst in thy behalfe to pleade Yea so I dyd the Iudge can saye no lesse And whiles in toyle this lothsome life I leade Camest thou thy selfe the faulte for to confesse And downe on knée before thy cruell foe Dydst pardon craue accusing me for all And saydst I was the cause that thou didst so And that I spoone the thred of all thy thrall Not so content thou furthermore didst sweare That of thy selfe thou neuer ment to swerue For proofe wherof thou didst the colours weare Which might bewray what saint thou ment to serue And that thy blood was sacrificed eke To manyfest thy stedfast martyrd mynde Till I perforce constraynd thée for to séeke These raging seas aduentures thereto finde Alas alas and out alas for me Who am enforced thus for to repeate The false reports and cloked guyles of thée Whereon to oft my restlesse thoughts do beate But thus it was and thus God knowes it is Which when I founde by playne and perfect proofe My musing minde then thought it not amisse To shrinke aside lamenting all aloofe And so to beate my simple shiftlesse brayne For some deuice that might redéeme thy state Lo here the cause for why I take this payne Lo how I loue the wight which me doth hate Lo thus I lye and restlesse rest in Bathe Whereas I bathe not now in blisse pardie But boyle in Bale and skamble thus in skathe Bycause I thinke on thine vnconstancie And wylt thou knowe howe here I spend my time And howe I drawe my dayes in dolours styll Then staye a while giue eare vnto my rime So shalt thou know the weight of all my wyll When Titan is constrained to forsake His Lemans couche and clymeth to his carte Then I begin to languishe for thy sake And with a sighe which maye bewray my smarte I cleare mine eyes whome gumme of teares had glewed And vp on foote I set my ghostly corse And when the stony walles haue oft renewed My pittious plaintes with Ecchoes of remorce Then doe I crye and call vpon thy name And thus I saye thou curst and cruell bothe Beholde the man which taketh griefe for game And loueth them which most his name doe lothe Behold the man which euer truely ment And yet accusde as aucthour of thine yll Behold the man which all his life hath spent To serue thy selfe and aye to worke thy wyll Behold the man which onely for thy loue Dyd loue himselfe whome else he set but light Behold the man whose blood for thy behoue Was euer prest to shed it selfe outright And canst thou nowe condemne his loyaltie And canst thou craft to flatter such a friend And canst thou sée him sincke in ieoperdie And canst thou seeke to bring his life to ende Is this the right reward for such desart Is this the fruite of seede so timely sowne Is this the price appointed for his part Shall trueth be thus by treason ouerthrowne Then farewell faith thou art no womans pheare And with that word I staye my tongue in time With rolling eyes I loke about eache where Least any man should heare my rauing rime And all in rage enraged as I am I take my sheete my slippers and my Gowne And in the Bathe from whence but late I came I cast my selfe in dollours there to drowne There all alone I can my selfe conueye Into some corner where I sit vnseene And to my selfe there naked can I saye Behold these braune falne armes which once haue bene Both large and lustie able for to fight Nowe are they weake and wearishe God he knowes Vnable now to daunt the fowle despight Which is presented by my cruel foes My thighes are thin my body lanck and leane It hath no bumbast now but skin and bones And on mine Elbowe as I lye and leane I sée a trustie token for the nones I spie a bracelet bounde about mine arme Which to my shaddowe séemeth thus to saye Beleeue not me for I was but a Charme To make thée sleepe when others went to playe And as I gaze thus galded all with griefe I finde it fazed almost quite in sunder Then thinke I thus thus wasteth my reliefe And though I fade yet to the world no wonder For as this lace by leysure learnes to weare So must I faint euen as the Candle wasteth These thoughts déere swéet within my brest I beare And to my long home thus my life it hasteth Herewith I téele the droppes of sweltring sweate Which trickle downe my face enforced so And in my body féele I lykewise beate A burning heart which tosseth too and fro Thus all in flames I sinderlyke consume And were it not that wanhope lendes me wynde Soone might I fret my facyes all in fume And lyke a Ghost my ghost his graue might finde But frysing hope doth blowe ful in my face And colde of cares becommes my cordiall So that I styl endure that yrksome place Where sorrowe seethes to skalde my skinne withal And when from thence or company me drieus Or weary woes do make me change my seate Then in my bed my restlesse paines reuiues Vntil my fellowes call me downe to meate And when I ryse my corpse for to araye I take the glasse sometimes but not for pride For God he knowes my minde is not so gaye But for I would in comelynesse abyde I take the glasse wherein I seeme to sée Such wythred wrinckles and so fowle disgrace That lytle maruaile séemeth it to mée Though thou so well dydst like the noble face The noble face was faire and freshe of hewe My wrinckled face is fowle and fadeth fast The noble face was vnto thée but newe My wrinckled face is olde and cleane outcast The noble face might moue thée with delight My wrinckled face could neuer please thine eye Loe thus of crime I couet thée to quite And styll accuse my selfe of Surcuydry As one that am vnworthy to enioye The lasting fruite of suche a loue as thine Thus am I tickled styll with euery toye And when my Fellowes call me downe to dyne No chaunge of meate prouokes mine appetite Nor sauce can serue to taste my meates withall Then I deuise the iuyce of grapes to dight For Sugar and for Sinamon I call For Ginger Graines and for eche other spice Wherewith I mixe the noble Wine apace My Fellowes prayse the depth of my deuise And saye it is as good as Ippocrace As Ippocrace saye I and then I swelt
My faynting lymmes straight fall into a sowne Before the taste of Ippocrace is felt The naked name in dollours doth mée drowne For then I call vnto my troubled mynde That Ippocrace hath bene thy daylye drinke That Ippocrace hath walkt with euerye winde In bottels that were fylled to the brinke With Ippocrace thou banquetedst full ofte With Ippocrace thou madst thy selfe full merrye Such chéere had set thy new loue so alofte That olde loue nowe was scarcely worth a cherry And then againe I fall into a traunce But when my breth returnes against my wyll Before my tongue can tell my wofull chaunce I heare my fellowes how they whisper still One sayth that Ippocrace is contrary Vnto my nature and complexion Whereby they iudge that all my malladye Was long of that by alteration An other sayth no no this man is weake And for such weake so hote thinges are not best Then at the last I heare no lyar speake But one which knowes the cause of mine vnrest ▪ And sayth this man is for my life in loue He hath receiued repulse or dronke disdaine Alas crye I and ere I can remoue Into a sowne I sone returne againe Thus driue I foorth my doolefull dining time And trouble others with my troubles styll But when I here the Bell hath passed prime Into the Bathe I wallowe by my wyll That there my teares vnsene might ease my griefe For though I starue yet haue I fed my fill In priuie panges I count my best relife And still I striue in weary woes to drench But when I plondge than woe is at an ebbe My glowing coles are all to quicke to quenche And I to warme am wrapped in the webbe Which makes me swim against the wished waue Lo thus deare wenche I leade a lothsome life And greedely I séeke the greedy graue To make an ende of all these stormes and strife But death is deafe and heares not my desire So that my dayes continewe styl in dole And in my nightes I féele the secrete fire Which close in embers coucheth lyke a cole And in the daye hath bene but raked vp With couering ashes of my company Now breakes it out and boyles the careful cuppe Which in my heart doth hang full heauily I melt in teares I swelt in chilling sweat My swelling heart breakes with delay of paine I fréeze in hope yet burne in haste of heate I wishe for death and yet in life remaine And when dead sléepe doth close my dazeled eyes Then dreadful dreames my dolors do encrease Me thinkes I lie awake in wofull wise And sée thée come my sorrowes for to cease Me séemes thou saist my good what meaneth this What ayles thée thus co languish and lament How can it be that bathing all in blisse Such cause vnknowne disquiets thy content Thou doest me wrong to kéepe so close from me The grudge or griefe which gripeth now thy heart For well thou knowest I must thy partner be In bale in blisse in solace and in smarte Alas alas these things I déeme in dreames But when mine eyes are open and awake I sée not thée where with the flowing streames Of brinishe teares their wonted floods do make Thus as thou séest I spend both nightes and dayes And for I find the world did iudge me once A witlesse wryter of these louers layes I take my pen and paper for the nonce I laye aside this foolishe ryding rime And as my troubled head can bring to passe I thus bewray the torments of my time Beare with my Muse it is not as it was Fato non fortuna The extremitie of his Passion AMong the toyes which tosse my braine and reaue my mind from quiet rest This one I finde doth there remaine to breede debate within my brest VVhen wo would work to wound my wyl I cannot weepe nor waile my fyll My tongue hath not the skill to tell the smallest griefe which gripes my heart Mine eyes haue not the power to swell into such Seas of secrete smart That will might melt to waues of woe and I might swelt in sorrowes so Yet shed mine eyes no trickling teares but flouddes which flowe abundauntly VVhose fountaine first enforst by feares found out the gappe of ielousie And by that breache it soketh so that all my face is styll on flowe My voice is like the raging wind which roareth still and neuer staies The thoughtes which tomble in my minde are like the wheele which whirles alwayes Nowe here nowe there nowe vp now downe in depth of waues yet cannot drowne The sighes which boyle out of my brest are not lyke those which others vse For louers sighes sometimes take rest And lend their mindes a leaue to muse But mine are like the surging Seas whome calme nor quiet can appeas And yet they be but sorrowes smoke my brest the fordge where furie playes My panting heart yt strikes the stroke my fancie blowes the flame alwaies The coles are kindled by desire and Cupide warmes him by the fire Thus can I neyther drowne in dole nor burne to ashes though I waste Mine eyes can neyther quenche the cole which warmes my heart in all this haste Nor yet my fancie make such flame that I may smoulder in the same VVherefore I come to seeke out Care beseeching him of curtesie To cut the thread which cannot weare by panges of such perplexitie And but he graunt this boone of mine thus must I liue and euer pine Fato non fortuna LO thus déere heart I force my frantike Muse To frame a verse in spite of my despight But whiles I doo these mirthlesse méeters vse This rashe conceite doth reue me from delight I call to minde howe many louing layes Howe many Sonets and how many songes I dyd deuise within those happie dayes When yet my wyl had not receiued wronges All which were euermore regarded so That litle fruite I séemd thereby to reape But rather when I had bewrayed my woe Thy loue was light and lusted styll to leape The rimes which pleased thee were all in print And mine were ragged hard for to be read Lo déere this dagger dubbes me with this dint And leaue this wound within my ielous head But since I haue confessed vnto Care That now I stand vppon his curtesie And that the bale which in my brest I bare Hath not the skill to kyll me cunningly Therefore with all my whole deuotion To Care I make this supplication Fato non fortuna His libell of request exhibited to Care. O Curteous Care whome others cruell call And raile vpon thine honourable name O knife that canst cut of the thread of thrall O sheare that shreadst the séemerent shéete of shame O happye ende of euery gréeuous game Vouchsafe O Prince thy vassall to behold Who loues thée more than can with tongue be told And nowe vouchsafe to pittie this his plaint Whose teares bewray His truth alway Although his feeble tongue be forst to faint I must confesse
colde in earth and claye But that I was restored vnto breath By one that séemde lyke Pellycane to playe Who shed his blood to giue me foode alwaye And made me liue in spite of sorrowe styll Sée how my dreame agrees now with this byll His feebled wittes forgotten had there whyle By whome and howe he had this letter first But when he spyde the man then gan he smile For secréete ioye his heart dyd séeme to burst Now thought he best that earst he compted worst And louingly he dyd the man embrace And askt howe farde the roote of all his grace Sée sodaine chaunge sée subtile swéete disceipte Behold how loue can make his subiectes blinde Let all men marke hereby what guilefull baite Dan Cupide layeth to tyse the louers minde Alacke alacke a slender thread maye binde That prysonor fast which meanes to tarrye styll A lytle road correctes a ready wyll The briefe was writte and blotted all with gore And thus it sayde Behold howe stedfast loue Hath made me hardy thankes haue he therefore To write these wordes thy doubtes for to remoue VVith mine owne blood and yf for thy behoue These bloody lynes do not thy Cares conuert I vowe the next shall bleede out of my heart I dwell to long vpon this thriftlesse tale For Bartholmew was well appeasde hereby And féelingly he banished his bale Taking herein a tast of remedy By lyte and lyte his fittes away gan flye And in short space he dyd recouer strength To stand on foote and take his horse at length So that we came to London both yfere And there his Goddesse tarryed tyll we came I am to blame to call hir Goddesse here Since she deserude in déede no Goddesse name But sure I thinke and you may iudge the same She was to to him a Goddesse in his thought Although perhaps hir Shrines was ouerbought I maye not write what words betwéene them past How teares of griefe were turnde to teares of ioye Nor how their dole became delight at last Nor how they made great myrth of much anoye Nor how content was coyned out of coye But what I sawe and what I well maye write That as I maye I meane for to endite In louely London loue gan nowe renew This blooddye Letter made it battle much And all the doubtes which he in fansies drew Were done away as there had bene none such But to him self◠he bare no body grutch Him selfe he sayde was cause of all this wo Withouten cause that hir suspected so O louing Youthes this glasse was made for you And in the same you may your selues behold Beléeue me nowe not one in all your crew Which where he loues hath courage to be bold Your Cressides climes are alwaies vncontrold You dare not saye the Sunne is cleare and bright You dare not sweare that darkesome is the night Terence was wise which taught by Pamphilus Howe courage quailes where loue be blinds the sence Though proofe of times makes louers quarelous Yet small excuse serues loue for iust defence These Courtisanes haue power by pretence To make a Swan of that which was a Crowe As though blacke pitche were turned into Snowe Ferenda She whome heauen and earth had framde For his decaye and to bewitche his wittes Made him nowe thinke him selfe was to be blamde Which causeles thus would fret himselfe in fittes Shée made him thinke that sorrowe sildome sittes Where trust is tyed in fast and faithfull knottes She sayd Mistrust was méete for simple sottes What wyl you more shée made him to beléeue That she first loued although she yonger were She made him thinke that his distresse dyd gréeue Hir guiltlesse minde and that it might appeare Howe these conceiptes could ioyne or hang yfere She dyd confesse howe soone shée yeelded his Such force quod she in learned men there is She furder sayde that all to true it was Howe youthfull yeares and lacke of him alone Had made hir once to choose out brittle glasse For perfect Gold She dyd confesse with mone That youthfully shee bytte a worthlesse bone But that therein she tasted déepe delight That sayde shée not nor I presume to write Shée sware and that I beare full well in minde Howe Dyomede had neuer Troylus place Shée sayd and sware how euer sate the winde That Admirals dyd neuer know hir case She sayd againe that neuer Noble Face Dyd please hir eye nor moued hir to change She sayd hir minde was neuer geuen to range She sayd and sayd that Bracelettes were ybound To hold him fast but not to charme his thought She wysht therewith that she were déepely drownd In Ippocrace if euer she had sought Or dronke or smelt or tane or found or bought Such Nectar droppes as she with him had dronke But this were true she wisht hir soule were sonke And to conclude she sayde no printed rymes Could please hir so as his braue Triumphes dyd Why wander I She cou'red all hir crimes With déepe disceipt and all hir guiles she hyd With fained teares and Bartholmew she ryd With double gyrthes she byt and whyned both And made him loue where he had cause to loth These be the fruictes which grow on such desire These are the gaines ygot by such an art To late commes be that séekes to quenche the fire When flames possesse the house in euery part Who lyst in peace to kéepe a quiet hart Flye loue betimes for if he once oretake him Then seeld or neuer shall he well forsake him If once thou take him Tenaunt to thy brest No wrytte nor force can serue to plucke him thence No pylles can purge his humour lyke the rest He bydes in bones and there takes residence Against his blowes no bucklar makes defence And though with paine thou put him from thy house Yet lurkes hée styll in corners lyke a Mouse At euery hole he créepeth in by stelth And priuilye he féedeth on thy crommes With spoiles vnséene he wasteth all thy welth He playes boe péepe when any body commes And dastardlik he séemes to dread the drommes Although in déede in Embushe he awaytes To take thée stragling yf thou passe his straites So séemed now by Bartholmews successe Who yeelded sone vnto this second charge Accusing styll him selfe for his distresse And that he had so languished at large Short worke to make he had none other charge To beare loues blowes but styll to trust hir tale And pardon craue because he bread hir bale And thus he lyude contented styll with craft Mistrusting most that gaue least cause of doubt He fledde mishappe and helde it by the haft He banisht bale and bare it styll about He let in loue and thought to hold him out He séemde to bathe in perfect blisse againe When God he knowes he fostred priuie paine For as the Trée which crooked growes by kinde Although it be with propping vnderset In trackt of time to crooked course wyll twinde So could Ferenda neuer more forget The lease at
finde my sonne Phi. Yea how little am I beholdē to fortune that know not where my sonne is become and you whome I chose to be mine aduocate will nowe by the meanes of this Dulipo become mine aduersarie Cle. Sir let vs first goe find mine and I warrant you yours will be founde also ere it be long Phi. God graunt goe we then Cle. Since the dore is open I will neuer knocke nor cal but we will be bolde to goe in Li. Sir take you héede least he leade you to some mischiefe Phi. Alas Litio if my sonne be loste what care I what become of me Li. Well I haue tolde you my minde Sir doe you as you please Exeunt Damon and Psiteria come in Scena sexta DAMON PSITERIA COme hither you olde kallat you tatling huswife that the deuill cut oute your tong tell me howe could Pasiphilo know of this géere but by you Psi Sir he neuer knewe it of me he was the firste that tolde me of it Da. Thou liest old drabbe but I would aduise you tel me the truth or I wil make those old bones rattle in your skin Psi Sir if you finde me contrarie kill me Da. Why where should he talke with thée Psi He talked with me of it here in the streete Da. What did you here Psi I was going to the weauers for a webbe of clothe you haue there Da. And what cause coulde Pasiphilo haue to talke of it vnlesse thou began the mater first Psi Nay he began with me sir reuiling me bycause I had tolde you of it I asked him how he knewe of it and he said he was in the stable when you examined me ere while Da. Alas alas what shall I doe then in at dores olde whore I wil plucke that tong of thine out by the rootes one day Alas it gréeueth me more that Pasiphilo knoweth it than all the rest He that will haue a thing kept secrete let him tell it to Pasiphilo the people shall knowe it and as many as haue eares and no mo By this time he hath tolde it in a hundreth places Cleander was the firste Erostrato the seconde and so from one to another throughout the citie Alas what dower what mariage shall I nowe prepare for my daughter O poore dolorons Damon more miserable than miserie it selfe would God it were true that Polynesta tolde me ere while that he who hathe deflowred hir is of no seruile estate as hitherto he hath bene supposed in my seruice but that he is a gentleman borne of a good parentage in Sicilia Alas small riches shoulde content me if he be but of an honest familie but I feare that he hathe deuised these toyes to allure my daughters loue Well I wil goe examine hir againe my minde giueth me that I shall perceiue by hir tale whether it be true or not But is not this Pasiphilo that cōmeth out of my neighbours house what the deuill ayleth him to leape and laughe so like a foole in the high way Pasiphilo commeth out of the towne laughing Scena septima PHILOGANO DAMON O God that I might finde Damon at home Da. What the diuill would he with me Pas That I may be the firste that shall bring him these newes Da. What will he tell me in the name of God Pas. O Lord how happie am I loke where he is Da. What newes Pasiphilo that thou arte so merie Pas Sir I am mery to make you glad I bring you ioyfull newes Da. And that I haue nede of Pasiphilo Pas I knowe sir that you are a sorowfull man for this mishap that hath chaunced in your house peraduenture you thoughte I had not knowen of it But let it passe plucke vp your sprits and reioyce for he that hath done you this iniurie is so well borne and hath so riche parents that you may be glad to make him your sonne in law Da. How knowest thou Pas His father Philogano one of the worthiest men in all Cathanea is nowe come to the citie and is here in your neighbours house Da. What in Erostratos house Pas Nay in Dulipos house for where you haue alwayes supposed this gentlemā to be Erostrato it is not so but your seruaunt whom you haue emprisoned hitherto supposed to be Dulipo he is in dede Erostrato and that other is Dulipo And thus they haue alwayes euen since their first ariual in this citie exchaunged names to the ende that Erostrato the maister vnder the name of Dulipo a seruant might be entertained in your house so winne the loue of your daughter Da. Wel then I perceiue it is euē as Polinesta told me Pas Why did she tell you so Da. Yea But I thought it but a tale Pas Well it is a true tale and here they will be with you by and by both Philogano this worthie man and maister doctor Cleander Da. Cleander what to doe Pas Cleander Why therby lies another tale the moste fortunate aduenture that euer you heard wot you what this other Dulipo whome all this while we supposed to be Erostrato is founde to be the sonne of Cleander whome he lost at the losse of Otranto and was after solde in Sicilia too this Philogano the strangest case that euer you heard a mā might make a Comedie of it They wil come euen straight and tell you the whole circumstance of it themselues Da. Nay I will first goe heare the storie of this Dulipo be it Dulipo or Erostrato that I haue here within before I speake with Philogano Pas So shall you doe well sir I will goe tell them that they may stay a while but loke where they come Damon goeth in Scenese Cleander and Philogano come vpon the stage Scena .viij. SCENESE CLEANDER PHILOGANO SIr you shal not nede to excuse the matter any further since I haue receiued no greater iniurie than by words let thē passe like wind I take them well in worthe and am rather well pleased than offended for it shall bothe be a good warning to me another time howe to trust euery man at the first sighte yea and I shall haue good game here after to tel this pleasant story another day in mine owne countrey Cle. Gentleman you haue reason and be you sure that as many as heare it will take great pleasure in it And you Philogano may thinke that god in heauen aboue hath ordained your comming hither at this present to the ende I mighte recouer my lost sonne whom by no other meanes I coulde euer haue founde oute Phi. Surely sir I thinke no lesse for I think that not so much as a leafe falleth from the trée without the ordinance of god But let vs goe seke Damon for me thinketh euery day a yeare euery houre a daye and euery minute to much till I sée my Erostrato Cle. I cannot blame you goe we then Carino take you that gentleman home in the meane time the fewer the better to be present at such affaires Pasiphilo stayeth
vp Thus yere by yere the one succéeding other This royall crowne should vnto bothe remayne Ser. Oh th unbridled mindes of ambicious men Ioca. Etocles thus plast in princely seate Drunke with the sugred taste of kingly raigne Not onely shut his brother from the crowne But also from his natiue country soyle Alas poore Polynice what might he doe Vniustly by his brother thus betrayed To Argos he with sad and heauie cheere Forthwith conuayde him selfe on whom at length With fauning face good fortune smyled so As with Adrastus king of Argiues there He founde such fauour and affinitie As to restore my sonne vnto his raigne He hath besiedge this noble citie Thebes And hence procéedes my most extreme annoye For of my sonnes who euer doe preuaile The victorie will turne vnto my griefe Alas I feare such is the chaunce of warre That one or both shall purchase death therby Wherfore to shunne the worst that may befall Thoughe comfortlesse yet as a pitifull mother Whom nature binds to loue hir louing sonnes And to prouide the best for their auaile I haue thought good by prayers to entreate The two brethren nay rather cruel foes A while to staie their fierce and furious fight Till I haue tried by meanes for to apease The swelling wrath of their outraging willes And so with much to doe at my request They haue forborne vnto this onely houre Ser. Small space good wot to stint so great a strife Ioca. And euen right now a trustie man of mine Returned from the campe enforming me That Polynice will straight to Thebes come Thus of my woe this is the wailefull sūme And for bycause in vaine and bootelesse plainte I haue small néede to spend this litle time Here will I cease in wordes more to be wray The restlesse state of my afflicted minde Desiring thée thou goe to Eteocles Hartly on my behalfe beseching him That out of hand according to his promise He will vouchsafe to come vnto my courte I know he loues thée well and to thy wordes I thinke thou knowst he will giue willing eare Ser. O noble Quéene sith vnto such affayres My spedie diligence is requisite I will applie effectually to doe What so your highnesse hath commaunded me Ioca. I will goe in and pray the Gods therwhile With tender pitie to appease my griefe Iocasta goeth off the stage into hir pallace hir foure handmaides follow hir the foure Chorus also follow hir to the gates of hir pallace after comming on the stage take their place where they cōtinue to the end of the Tragedie SERVVS SOLVS THe simple man whose meruaile is so great At stately courts and princes regall seate With gasing eye but onely doth regarde The golden glosse that outwardly appeares The crownes bedeckt with pearle and precious stones The riche attire imbost with beaten golde The glittering mace the pompe of swarming traine The mightie halles heapt full of flattering frendes The chambers huge the goodly gorgeous beddes The gilted roofes embowde with curious worke The faces swéete of fine disdayning dames The vaine suppose of wanton raigne at luste But neuer viewes with eye of inward thought The painefull toile the great and greuous cares The troubles still the newe increasing feares That princes nourish in their iealous brestes He wayeth not the charge that Ioue hath laid On princes how for themselues they raigne not He wéenes the law must stoope to princely will But princes frame their noble wills to lawe He knoweth not that as the boystrous winde Doth shake the toppes of highest reared towres So doth the force of frowarde fortune strike The wight that highest sits in haughtie state Lo Oedipus that sometime raigned king Of Thebane soyle that wonted to suppresse The mightest Prince and kepe him vnder checke That fearefull was vnto his forraine foes Now like a poore afflicted prisoner In dungeon darke shut vp from chéerefull light In euery part so plagued with annoy As he abhorrs to leade a longer life By meanes wherof the one against the other His wrathfull sonnes haue planted all their force And Thebes here this auncient worthy towne With threatning siege girt in on euerie side In daunger lyes to be subuerted quite If helpe of heuenly Ioue vpholde it not But as darke night succedes the shining day So lowring griefe comes after pleasant ioy Well now the charge hir highnesse did commaund I must fulfill though haply all in vaine Seruus goeth off the stage by the gates called Electrae Antygone attended with .iij. gentlewomen and hir gouernour commeth out of the Queene hir mothers Pallace BAILO ANTIGONE O Gentle daughter of King Oedipus O sister deare to that vnhappie wight Whom brothers rage hath reaued of his right To whom thou knowst in yong and tender yeares I was a friend and faithfull gouenour Come forth sith that hir grace hath graunted leaue And let me knowe what cause hath moued nowe So chaste a maide to set hir daintie foote Ouer the thresholde of hir secrete lodge Since that the towne is furnishte euery where With men of armes and warlike instrumentes Vnto our eares there cōmes no other noyse But sounde of trumpe and neigh of trampling stedes Which running vp and downe from place to place With hideous cries betoken bloude and death The blasing sunne ne shineth halfe so brighte As it was wont to doe at dawne of day The wretched dames throughout the wofull towne Together clustring to the temples goe Beseching Ioue by way of humble plainte With tender ruthe to pitie their distresse An. The loue I beare to my swéete Polynice My deare brother is onely cause hereof Bai. Why daughter knowst thou any remedie How to defend thy fathers citie here From that outrage and fierce repyning wrathe Which he against it iustly hath conceiued An. Oh gouernour might this my faultlesse bloude Suffise to stay my brethrens dyre debate With glad content I coulde afford my life Betwixte them both to plant a perfect peace But since alas I cannot as I woulde A hote desire enflames my feruent mind To haue a sight of my swéete Polynice Wherfore good guide vouchsafe to guide me vp Into some tower about this hugie court From whence I may behold our enemies campe Therby at least to féede my hungry eyes But with the sight of my beloued brother Then if I die contented shall I die Bai. O princly dame the tender care thou takste Of thy deare brother deserueth double praise Yet crau'st thou that which cannot be obtainde By reason of the distance from the towne Vnto the plaine where th armie lies incampte And furthermore besemeth not a maide To shew hir selfe in such vnséemly place Whereas among such yong and lustie troupes Of harebrainde souldiers marching to and fro Both honest name and honour is empairde But yet reioyce sith this thy great desire Without long let or yet without thy paine At wishe and will shortly may be fulfillde For Polynice forthwith will hither come Euen I my selfe was lately at
fynde thy noble matche so méete And woorthie bothe for thy degrée and byrthe I séeke to comforte thée by myne aduise That thou returne this citie to inhabite Whiche best of all may séeme to be the bowre Bothe for thy selfe and for thy noble spouse Forget thou then thy brothers iniuries And knowe deare chylde the harme of all missehap That happes twixt you must happe likewise to mée Ne can the cruell sworde so slightly touche Your tender fleshe but that the selfe same wounde Shall déepely bruse this aged brest of myne Cho. There is no loue may be comparde to that The tender mother beares vnto hir chyld For euen somuche the more it dothe encrease As their griefe growes or contentations cease Poli. I knowe not mother if I prayse deserue That you to please whome I ought not displease Haue traynde my selfe among my trustlesse foes But Nature drawes whether he will or nill Eche man to loue his natiue countrey soyle And who shoulde say that otherwise it were His toung should neuer with his hearte agrée This hath me drawne besyde my bounden due To set full light this lucklesse lyfe of myne For of my brother what may I else hope But traynes of treason force and falshoode bothe Yet neyther perill present nor to come Can holde me from my due obedience I graunte I can not grieflesse wel beholde My fathers pallace the holie aultars Ne louely lodge wherin I fostred was From whence driuen out and chaste vnworthily I haue to long aboade in forreyn coastes And as the growing gréene and pleasant plante Dothe beare freshe braunches one aboue another Euen so amidde the huge heape of my woes Doth growe one grudge more gréeuous than the rest To sée my deare and dolefull mother cladde In mourning tyre to tyre hir mourning minde Wretched alonely for my wretchednesse So lykes that enimie my brother best Soone shall you sée that in this wandring worlde No enmitie is equall vnto that That dark disdayne the cause of euery euill Dooth bréede full ofte in consanguinitie But Ioue he knowes what dole I doe endure For you and for my fathers wretched woe And eke how déepely I desire to knowe What wearie lyfe my louing sisters leade And what anoye myne absence them hath giuen Iocast Alas alas howe wrekefull wrath of Gods Doth still afflicte Oedipus progenie The fyrste cause was thy fathers wicked bedde And then oh why doe I my plagues recompte My burden borne and your vnhappie birth But néedes we must with pacient heartes abyde What so from high the heauens doe prouide With thée my chylde fayne would I question yet Of certaine things me woulde I that my wordes Might thée anoye ne yet renewe thy griefe Poli. Saye on deare mother say what so you please What pleaseth you shall neuer mée disease Iocast And séemes it not a heauie happe my sonne To be depriued of thy countrey coastes Poly. So heauie happe as toung can not expresse Iocast And what may moste molest the mynde of man This is exiled from his natiue soyle Poli. The libertie hée with his countrey loste And that he lacketh fréedome for to speake What séemeth best without controll or checke Iocast Why so eche seruant lacketh libertie To speake his minde without his maisters leaue Poli. In exile euery man or bonde or free Of noble race or meaner parentage Is not in this vnlike vnto the slaue That muste of force obey to eche mans will And prayse the péeuishnesse of eche mans pryde Iocast And séemed this so grieuous vnto thée Poli. What griefe can greater be than so constraynde Slauelike to serue gaynst right and reason bothe Yea muche the more to him that noble is By stately lyne or yet by vertuous lyfe And hath a heart lyke to his noble mynde Iocast What helpeth moste in suche aduersitie Poli. Hope helpeth moste to comfort miserie Ioca. Hope to returne from whence he fyrst was driuen Poli. Yea hope that happeneth oftentymes to late And many die before such hap may fall Iocast And howe didst thou before thy mariage sonne Mainteyne thy lyfe a straunger so bestad Poli. Sometyme I founde though seldome so it were Some gentle heart that coulde for curtesye Contente himselfe to succour myne estate Iocast Thy fathers friends and thyne did they not helpe For to reléeue that naked néede of thyne Poli. Mother he hath a foolishe fantasie That thinkes to fynd a frende in miserie Iocast Thou mightest haue helpe by thy nobilitie Poli. Couered alas in cloake of pouertie Iocast Wel ought we then that are but mortall héere Aboue all treasure counte our countrey deare Yea let me knowe my sonne what cause thée moued To goe to Grece Poli. The flying fame that thundred in myne eares How king Adrastus gouernour of Greece Was answered by Oracle that he Shoulde knitte in linkes of lawfull mariage His two faire daughters and his onely heires One to a Lyon th' other to a Boare An answere suche as eche man wondred at Iocast And how belongs this answere now to thée Poli. I toke my gesse euen by this ensigne héere A Lyon loe which I did alwayes beare Yet thinke I not but Ioue alonely brought These handes of myne to suche an high exploite Iocast And howe yet came it to this straunge effect Poli. The shining day had runne his hasted course And deawie night bespread hir mantell darke When I that wandred after wearie toyle To seke some harbrough for myne irked limmes Gan fynde at last a little cabbin close Adioyned faste vnto the stately walles Where king Adrastus held his royall towres Scarce was I there in quiet well ycought But thither came another exile eke Named Tydeus who straue perforce to driue Mée from this sorie seate and so at laste We settled vs to fell and bloudie fight Whereof the rumour grewe so great foorthwith That straight the king enformed was therof Who séeing then the ensignes that wée bare To be euen such as were to him foresayde Chose eche of vs to be his sonne by lawe And sithens did solemnize eke the same Iocast Yet woulde I know if that thy wyfe be suche As thou canst ioy in hir or what she is Pyli O mother deare fayrer ne wyser dame Is none in Greece Argia is hir name Iocast Howe couldst thou to this doubtfull enterprise So many bring thus armed all at once Poli. Adrastus sware that he woulde soone restore Vnto our right both Tydeus and me And fyrst for mée that had the greater néede Whereby the best and boldest blouds in Greece Haue followed me vnto this enterpryse A thing both iust and grieuous vnto me Gréeuous I saye for that I doe lament To be constrayned by such open wrong To warre agaynst myne owne deare countrey féeres But vnto you O mother dothe pertain To stinte this stryfe and both deliuer mée From exile now and eke the towne from siege For otherwise I sweare you here by heauens Eteocles who now doth me disdayne For brother
nones First from the minde it makes the heart to swell From thence the flesh is pampred euery parte The skinne is taught in Dyers shoppes to dwell The haire is curlde or frilled vp by arte Beléeue mée Batte our Countreymen of late Haue caughte such knackes abroade in forayne lande That most men call them Deuils incarnate So singular in theyr conceites they stande Nowe sir if I shall sée your maistershippe Come home disguysde and cladde in queynt araye As with a piketoothe byting on your lippe Your braue Mustachyos turnde the Turky waye A Coptanckt hatte made on a Flemmish blocke A nightgowne cloake downe trayling to your toes A slender sloppe close couched to your docke A curtold slipper and a shorte silke hose Bearing your Rapier pointe aboue the hilte And looking bigge like Marquise of all Beefe Then shall I coumpte your toyle and trauayle spilte Bycause my seconde P with you is chéefe But forwardes nowe although I stayde a while My hindmost P is worsse than bothe these two For it both bones and bodie doth defile With fouler blots than bothe those other doo Shorte tale to make this P can beare no blockes God shielde me Batte should beare it in his breast And with a dashe it spelleth piles and pockes A perlous P and woorsse than bothe the reste Now though I finde no cause for to suspect My Batte in this bycause he hath bene tryde Yet since such Spanish buttons can infect Kings Emperours Princes and the world so wide And since those sunnes do mellowe men so fast As most that trauayle come home very ripe Although by sweate they learne to liue and last When they haue daunced after Guydoes pype Therfore I thought it méete to warne my frende Of this foule P and so an ende of Ps. Now for thy diet marke my tale to ende And thanke me then for that is all my fees Sée thou excéede not in thrée double Vs The first is Wine which may enflame thy bloud The second Women such as haunte the stewes The thirde is Wilfulnesse which dooth no good These thrée eschue or temper them alwayes So shall my Batte prolong his youthfull yéeres And sée long George againe with happie dayes Who if he bée as faithfull to his féeres As hée was wonte will dayly pray for Batte And for Pencoyde and if it fall out so That Iames a Parrye doo but make good that Which he hath sayde and if he bée no no The best companion that long George can finde Then at the Spawe I promise for to bée In Auguste nexte if God turne not my minde Where as I would bée glad thyselfe to sée Till then farewell and thus I ende my song Take it in grée for else thou doest mée wrong Haud ictus sapio Gascoignes woodmanship written to the L. Grey of VVilton vpon this occasion the sayd L. Grey delighting amongst many other good qualities in chusing of his winter deare killing the same with his bowe did furnishe the Aucthor with a crossebowe cum pertinencijs and vouchsaued to vse his company in the said exercise calling him one of his woodmen Now the Aucthor shooting very often could neuer hitte any deare yea and oftentimes he let the heard passe by as though he had not seene thē VVhereat when this noble Lord tooke some pastime and had often put him in remembrance of his good skill in choosing and readinesse in killing of a winter deare he thought good thus to excuse it in verse MY woorthy Lord I pray you wonder not To sée your woodman shoote so ofte awrie Nor that he stands amased like a sot And lets the harmlesse deare vnhurt go by Or if he strike a Doe which is but carren Laugh not good Lord but fauoure such a fault Take will in worth he would faine hit the barren But though his harte be good his happe is naught And therefore now I craue your Lordships leaue To tell you plaine what is the cause of this First if it please your honour to perceyue What makes your woodman shoote so ofte amisse Beléeue me L. the case is nothing strange He shootes awrie almost at euery marke His eyes haue bene so vsed for to raunge That now God knowes they be both dimme and darke For proofe he beares the note of follie now Who shotte sometimes to hit Philosophie And aske you why forsooth I make auow Bicause his wanton wittes went all awrie Next that he shot to be a man of lawe And spent sometime with learned Litleton Yet in the end he proued but a daw◠For lawe was darke and he had quickly done Then could he wish Fitzharbert such a braine As Tully had to write the lawe by arte So that with pleasure or with litle paine He might perhaps haue caught a trewants parte But all to late he most mislikte the thing Which most might helpe to guide his arrow streight ▪ He winked wrong and so let slippe the string Which cast him wide for all his queint conceit From thence he shotte to catch a courtly grace And thought euen there to wield the world at will But out alas he much mistooke the place And shot awrie at euery rouer still The blasing baits which drawe the gazing eye Vnfethered there his first affection No wonder then although he shot awrie Wanting the feathers of discretion Yet more than them the marks of dignitie He much mistooke and shot the wronger way Thinking the purse of prodigalitie Had bene best meane to purchase such a pray He thought the flattring face which fleareth still Had bene full fraught with all fidelitie And that such wordes as courtiers vse at will. Could not haue varied from the veritie But when his bonet buttened with gold His comelie cape begarded all with gay His bumbast hose with linings manifold His knit silke stocks and all his queint aray Had pickt his purse of all the Peter pence Which might haue paide for his promotion Then all to late he found that light expence Had quite quencht out the courts deuotion So that since then the tast of miserie Hath bene alwayes full bitter in his bit And why forsooth bicause he shot awrie Mistaking still the markes which others hit But now behold what marke the man doth find He shootes to be a souldier in his age Mistrusting all the vertues of the minde He trusts the power of his personage As though long limmes led by a lusty hart Might yet suffice to make him rich againe But Flushyng fraies haue taught him such a parte That now he thinks the warres yéeld no such gaine And sure I feare vnlesse your lordship deigne To traine him yet into some better trade It will be long before he hit the veine Whereby he may a richer man be made He cannot climbe as other catchers can To leade a charge before himselfe be led He cannot spoile the simple sakeles man Which is content to feede him with his bread He cannot pinch the painefull souldiers pay And sheare
no great continuance betwene vs and as I do lament your case so doo I reioyce for myne own contentation that I shal now sée a due triall of the experimēt which I haue long desired This sayd she kept silence When Ferdinando somwhat astonied with hir straunge spéech thus answered Mistresse although I cannot conceiue the meaning of your woordes yet by curtesie I am constrayned to yéelde you thankes for your good wil the which appeareth no lesse in lamenting of mishappes than in reioycing at good fortune What experiment you meane to trie by mée I knowe not but I dare assure you that my skill in experiments is very simple Herewith the Instruments sounded a new Measure and they passed forthwards leauing to talke vntill the noise ceassed whiche done the Gentlewoman replied I am sory sir that you did erewhile denie loue and all his lawes and that in so open audience Not so quod Ferdinando but as the woorde was roundly taken so can I readely answere it by good reason Well quod shée howe if the hearers will admit no reasonable answere My reasons yet bée neuerthelesse quod he in reasonable iudgement Herewith shée smiled and he cast a glance towards dame Elinor askances arte thou pleased Againe the viols called them forthwardes and againe at the ende of the braule sayde Ferdinando Ieronimi to this Gentlewoman I pray you Mistres and what may be the second cause of your sorow sustained in my behalfe Nay soft quod she percase I haue not yet tolde you the first but content your selfe for the second cause you shall neuer know at my handes vntill I sée due triall of the experiment which I haue long desired Why then quod he I can but wishe a present occasion to bring the same to effect to the end that I might also vnderstand the mistery of your meaning And so might you faile of your purpose quod she for I meane to be better assured of him that shal know the depth of mine intent in such a secrete than I do suppose that any creature one except may be of you Gentlewoman quod he you speake Greeke the which I haue nowe forgotten and mine instructers are to farre from mée at this present to expound your words Or els to neare quod she and so smiling stayed hir talke when the Musicke called them to another daunce Whiche ended Ferdinando halfe afrayd of false suspect and more amazed at this straunge talke gaue ouer and bringing Mistresse Fraunces to hir place was thus saluted by his Mistresse Seruaunt quod shée I had done you great wrong to haue daunced with you consideringe that this gentlewoman and you had former occasion of so waighty conference Mistresse sayd Ferdinando you had done mée great pleasure for by our conference I haue but brought my braynes in a busie coniecture I doubt not sayd his Mistresse but you wil end that busines easely It is hard said he to ende the thing whereof yet I haue founde no begininge His Mistresse with chaunge of countenaunce kept silence whereat dame Fraunces reioycinge cast out this bone to gnawe on I perceyue quod she it is euill to halte before a Creple Ferdinando perceyuing now that his Mistresse waxed angry thought good on hir behalfe thus to aunswere and it is euill to hop before them that runne for the Bell his Mistresse replied and it is euill to hange the Bell at their heeles which are alwayes running The Lord of he Castle ouerhearing these proper quippes rose out of his chaire comming towards Ferdinando required him to daunce a Gallyard Sir sayd he I haue hitherto at your apoyntmēt but walked about the house now if you be desirous to see one tomble a turne or twayne it is like ynough that I mighte prouoke you to laugh at mee but in good fayth my dauncing dayes are almost done and therfore sir quod he I pray you speake to them that are more nymble at trippinge on the toe Whilest hée was thus saying dame Elynor had made hir Congey and was now entring the doore of hir chamber when Ferdinando al amazed at hir sodeyne departure followed to take leaue of his Mistresse but she more then angrie refused to heare his good night and entring hir chamber caused hir mayde to clappe to the doore Ferdinando with heauie cheare returned to his company and Mistresse Fraunces to toutch his sore with a corosiue sayd to him softly in this wise Sir you may now perceyue that this our countrie cannot allowe the French manner of dauncing for they as I haue heard tell do more commonly daunce to talke then entreate to daunce Fardenando hoping to driue out one naile with another and thinking this a meane moste conuenient to suppresse all ielous supposes tooke Mistresse Fraunces by the hand and with a heauy smile aunswered Mistresse and I because I haue seene the french maner of dauncing will eftsonnes entreat you to daunce a Bargynet what meane you by thys quod mistresse Fraunces If it please you to followe quod he you shall sée that I can iest without ioye and laugh without lust and calling the musitions caused them softly to sounde the Tynternall when he clearing his voyce did Allá Napolitana applie these verses following vnto the measure IN prime of lustie yeares when Cupid caught mee in And nature taught the waie to loue how I might best begin To please my wandring eie in beauties tickle trade To gaze on eache that passed by a carelesse sporte I made VVith sweete entising baite I fisht for manie a dame And warmed me by manie a fire yet felt I not the flame But when at last I spied that face that pleasde me most The coales were quicke the woode was drie I began to tost And smiling yet full oft I haue behelde that face VVhen in my hearte I might bewaile mine owne vnluckie case And oft againe with lokes that might bewraie my griefe I pleaded harde for iust rewarde and sought to finde reliefe VVhat will you more so oft my gazing eies did seeke To see the rose and Lillie striue vpon that liuelie cheeke Till at the last I spied and by good proofe I founde That in that face was painted plaine the pearcer of my wound Then all to late agast I did my foote retire And sought with secret sighes to quench my gredie skalding fire But lo I did preuaile asmuche to guide my will As he that seekes with halting heele to hop against the hill Or as the feeble sight woulde searche the sunnie beame Euen so J founde but labour lost to striue against the streame Then gan I thus resolue since liking forced loue Should I mislike my happie choice before I did it proue And since none other ioye I had but her to see Soulde I retire my deepe desire no no it would not bee Though great the duetie were that shee did well deserue And I poore man vnworthie am so wotthie a wight to serue Yet hope my comfort staide that she would haue regard To
a twig or twayne you will like a tractable yong scholler pluck vp your quickned spirits cast this drowsinesse apart Ferdinando with a great sigh answered Alas good Mistres quod he if any like chastisement might quickē me how much more might the presence of all you louely Dames recomfort my dulled mind whome to behold were sufficient to reuiue an eye now dazled with the dread of death that not onely for the heauenly aspects whiche you represent but also much the more for your excéeding curtesie in that you haue deigned to visit mée so vnworthie a seruaunt But good Mistresse quod he as it were shame for me to confesse that euer my hart coulde yéelde for feare so I assure you that my minde cannot be content to induce infirmitie by sluggishe conceyt But in trueth Mistresse I am sicke quod he and therewithall the trembling of his hart had sent vp suche throbbing into his throte as that his voyce now depriued of breath commaunded the tong to be still When Dame Elynor for compassion distilled into teares and drew towardes the window leauing the other Gentlewomen about his bed who being no lesse sorye for his griefe yet for that they were none of them so touched in their secrete thoughtes they had bolder sprits and fréeer speach to recomfort him amongest the rest the Lady Fraunces who in deede loued him déepely and could best coniecture the cause of his conceipts sayd vnto him Good Trust quod shée if any helpe of Phisick may cure your maladie I would not haue you hurt your selfe with these doubts whiche you séeme to retayne If choice of Diet may helpe beholde vs here your cookes ready to minister all things néedefull if company may driue away your anoye wee meane not to leaue you solitary if griefe of mind be cause of your infirmitie wée all here will offer our deuoyre to turne it into ioye if mishap haue giuen you cause to feare or dreade any thing remember Hope which neuer fayleth to recomfort an afflicted minde And good Trust quod she distreining his hand right hartely let this simple proofe of our poore good willes bee so excepted of you as that it maye work therby the effect of our desires Ferdinando as on in a traunce had marked very litle of hir curteouse talke yet gaue hir thankes and so held his peace whereat the Ladyes being all amazed there became a silence in the chamber on all sides Dame Elynor fearing thereby that she might the more easely be espyed and hauing nowe dryed vp hir teares retourned to hir seruaunt recomforting him by all possible meanes of common curtesie promising that since in hir sicknes he had not only staunched hir bleding but also by his gentle company and sundry deuices of honest pastime had driuen a waye the pensiuenes of hir mind she thought hir selfe bound with like willingnes to do hir best in any thing that might restore his health taking him by the hand said further Good seruaunte if thou beare in deed any true affection to thy poore Mistres start vpon thy féet again and let hir enioye thine accustomed seruice to hir cōfort for sure quod she I will neuer leaue to visite this chamber once in a daye vntill I may haue thée downe with mée Ferdinando hearyng the harty woordes of his Mistris and perceiuyng the earnest maner of hir pronunciation began to receyue vnspeakeable comfort in the same and sayd Mistris your excéedyng courtesie were able to reuiue a man half dead and to me it is bothe great comfort and it doeth also glad my remēbrance with a continual smart of myne owne vnworthinesse but as I woulde desire no longer life than til I might be able to deserue some part of your boūty so I wil endeuor my self to liue were it but only vnto the ende that I might merite some parte of your fauour with acceptable seruice and requight some deale the courtesie of all these other fayre Ladies who haue so farre aboue my deserts deigned to doe me good Thus sayd the Ladies taried not long before they were called to Euensong when his Mistres taking his hand kissed it saying Farewel good seruaunt and I praye thée suffer not the mallice of thy sickenesse to ouercome the gentlenesse of thy good hart Fardinando rauished with ioy suffered them all to departe and was not able to pronounce one word After their departure he gan cast in his mind the exceeding curtesie vsed towardes him by them all but aboue all other the bounty of his Mystresse and therwithall tooke a sound firme opinion that it was not possible for hir to coūterfeite so deepely as in déede I beleeue that shee then did not wherby he sodenly felt his hert greatly eased and began in himselfe thus to reason Was euer man of so wretched a heart I am the most bounden to loue quod he of all them that euer possessed his seruice I enioy one the fayrest that euer was found and I finde hir the kindest that euer was hearde of yet in mine owne wicked heart I coulde vilanously conceyue that of hir which being compared with the rest of hir vertues is not possible to harbour in so noble a mind Herby I haue brought my self without cause into this féeblenesse and good reason that for so high an offence I should be punished with great infirmitie what shall I then doe yelde to the same no but according to my late protestation I will recomfort this languishing minde of mine to the ende I may liue but onely to do penaunce for this so notable a cryme so rashly committed and thus saying he start from his bed and gan to walke towardes the window but the venimous serpent which as before I rehearsed had stong him coulde not be content that these medicines applyed by the mouth of his gentle Mistresse should so soone restorte him to guerison And although in dede they were such Nythrydate to him as that they had nowe expelled the rancour of the poyson yet that ougly hellishe monster had left behind hir in the most secret of his bosome euen betwene the minde and the man one of hir familiers named suspect whiche gan work in the weake spirites of Ferdinando efectes of no lese perill than before he had receiued his head swelling with these troublsome toyes and his hart swimming in the tempests of tossing fantasie he felt his legges so féeble that he was cōstrayned to lie down on his bed again and repeating in his own remembraunce euery woorde that his mistres had spoken vnto him he gan to dread that she had brought the willow braunche to beate hym with in token that he was of hir forsaken for so louers do most commonly expound the willow garlande and this to thinke did cut his hart in twayne A wonderfull chaunge and here a little to staye you I will discribe as I finde it in Bartello the beginning the fall the retourne and the being of this hellish byrde who in déede maye well
coulde deuise some pastime amongst vs to kéepe you company for I remember that with such deuises you did greatly recomforte this fayre Lady when she languished in like sort She languished in deede gentle Hope quod hée but God forbide that she had languished in like sort Euery body thinketh their own greif greatest qd dame Elynor but in deede whether my greife were the more or the lesse I am right sorye that yours is such as it is And to assay whither our passions proceded of lyke cause or not I would we could according to this Ladyes saying deuise some like pastimes to trie if your malladie would be cured with like medicines A gentle woman of the company whom I haue not hetherto named gan thus propound We haue accustomed quod she heretofore in most of our games to chuse a King or Quene and he or she during their gouernment haue charged euery of vs eyther with commaundementes or questions as best séemed to their maiestie Wherin to speake mine opinion we haue giuen ouer larg a skope neither semeth it reasonable that on should haue the power to discouer the thoughts or at least to bridle the affects of al the rest And though in déed in questioning which doth of the twaine more nerely touch the mind euery on is at frée liberty to answere what they list yet oft haue I hearde a question demaunded in such sorte and vpon such sodayne that it hath bene hardly answered without mouing matter of contencion And in commaundes also some times it happeneth one to bée commaunded vnto such seruice as eyther they are vnfit to accomplish and then the parties weaknes is therby detected or els to doe something that they would not wherof ensueth more grutch than game Wherefore in mine opinion we shall do well to chuse by lot amongst vs a gouernour who for that it shal be sufficient preheminence to vse the chayre of maiestie shal be boūd to giue sentēce vppon al suche arguments and questions as we shall orderly propound vnto them and from him or her as from an oracle wée will receiue aunswere and decyding of our lytigious causes This dame had stuffe in her an old courtier a wylie wenche named Pergo Wel this proportiō of Pergo pleased them well and by lot it hapned that Ferdinando must be moderator of these matters and colector of these causes The which being so constituted the Lady Elynor sayd vnto this dame Pergo You haue deuised this pastime quod she because we thinke you to be most expert in the handling therof do you propound the first question we shal be both the more ready and able to follow your example the Lady Pergo refused not but began on this wise Noble gouernor quod she amongst the aduentures that haue befallen mée I remember especially this one that in youth it was my chaunce to bée beloued of a verye courtlike yong Gentleman who abode neare the place wherin my parents had their resiaunce This gentleman whether it were for beauty or for any other respect that he sawe in me I knowe not but he was enamored of me that with an excéeding vehement passion of such force were his effectes that notwithstanding many repulses which he had receiued at my handes he seemed daylye to grow in the renewing of his desires I on the other side although I could by no meanes mislike of him by any good reason considering that he was of byrth no waye inferiour vnto mée of possessions not to bée disdamed of parson right comelye of behauiour Courtly of manners modest of mynde lyberall and of vertuous disposition yet suche was the gaitye of my minde as that I coulde not bée content to lende him ouer large thonges of my loue but alwayes daungerouslye behaued my selfe towardes him and in suche sorte as hee coulde neyther take comfort of myne aunsweres nor yet once finde him selfe requited with one good looke for all his trauaile This notwithstanding the worthy Knight continewed his sute with no lesse vehement affection than earst hée had begonne it euen by the space of seuen yeares At the last whether discomfited by my dealynges or tryed by long trauayle or that he hade parcase light vpon the lake that is in the forrest of Ardena and so in haste and all thristie had dronke some droppes of disdayne whereby his hot flames were quenched or that he had vndertaken to serue no longer but his iust tearme of apprenticehode or that the téeth of tyme had gnawen and tyred his dulled spirites in such sort as that all bée nummed hee was constrayned to vse some other artificyal balme for the quickning of his sences or by what cause moued I knowe not he did not onely leaue his long continued sute but as I haue since perceiued grew to hate me more deadly than before I had disdained him At the first beginnyng of his retyre I perceiued not his hatred but imagened that being ouer wearied he had withdrawen himself for a time And considering his worthines ther withall his constancie of long time proued I thoughe that I could not in the whole world find out a fitter match to bestowe my selfe than one so worthy a person Wherfore I doe by al possible meanes procure that he might eftsones vse his accustomed repraye vnto my parentes And further in al places where I hapened to meete him I vsed al the curtesies towardes him that might be contayned wythin the bondes of modestie But al was in vaine for he was now become more daungerous to be wone than the haggard Faulcon Our lottes being thus vnluckely chaunged I grewe to burne in desire and the more daungerous that he shewed him selfe vnto me the more earnest I was by all meanes to procure his consent of loue At the last I might perceiue that not only he disdayned me but as me thought boyled in hatred against me And the time that I thus continued tormented with these thoughts was also iust the space of seuen yeares Finally when I perceiued no remedye for my perplexityes I assayed by absence to were away this malady and therefore vtterly refused to come in his presence yea or almost in any other company Wherby I haue consumed in lost time the flower of my youth am become as you sée what with yeares and what with the tormenting passions of loue pale wane and full of wrinkles Neuerthelesse I haue therby gayned thus much that at last I haue wond my self cléere out of Cupids chaynes and remayne carelesse at libertie Now marke to what end I tell you this first vii yeares passed in the which I could neuer be content to yeld vnto his iust desires next other vii yeares I spent in séeking to recouer his lost loue and sithens both those vii yeares there are euen now on saint Valentines day last other vii yeares passed in the which neither I haue desired to sée him nor he hath coueted to here of me My parents now perceyuing how the crowes
had growen into such a stricte familliaritie with him that you might with more ease haue remoued a stone wal than once to make him think amis eyther of his wyfe or of hir louer Yea and immediatelie after this conference he woulde not sticke thus to say vnto his wife Lamia for so in déede was hir name thou hast thrée such busie brained sisters as I thinke shortlye their heads wyll breake they woulde haue me to bée iellous of thée no no Lamia c. so that he was not onely far from any such beléefe but furthermore dyd euerye daye increase his curtesies towards the louer The sisters being thus on all sides reiected and yet perceyuing more more an vnséemelye behauiour betwéene their sister and hir minion began to melt in their owne grease and such was theyr enraged pretence of reuenge that they suborned diuers seruauntes in the house to watch so dilligentlye as that this treason might de discouered Amongst the rest one mayde of subtile spirite had so long watched them that at last she spied them go into the chamber together and lockte the doore to them wherevpon she ranne with all hast possible to hir Mayster and toold him that if he would come with hir she would shewe him a very straunge sighte The gentleman suspecting nothing went with hir vntill he came into a chamber néere vnto that wherein they had shut themselues And she pointing hir mayster to the keyhole bad him looke through where he sawe the thing which moste mighte mislike him to behold Where at he sodaynely drewe his Dagger and turned towardes the mayde who fled from him for feare of mischiefe But when he could not ouertake hir in the heat of his coller he commaunded that she should forth wyth trusse vp that little which she had and to departe his seruice And before hir departure he found meanes to talke with hir threatening that if euer she spake any worde of this mistery in any place where she should come it should cost hir life The mayde for feare departed in silence and the Maister neuer changed coūtenance to either his wife or to hir paramour but fayned vnto his wife that he had turned a waye the mayde vpon that sodayne for that shee had throwen a Kitchin knife at him whiles he went about to correct a fault in hir c. Thus the good gentleman dranke vp his owne swette vnseene euery day encreasing curtesie to the louer and neuer chaunging countenaunce to his wife in any thing but onely that he refrayned to haue such knowledge of hir carnally as he in tims past had and other men haue of their wiues In this sort he continued by the space all most of halfe a yeare neuerthelesse lamenting his mishap in solytary places At last what moued him I know not he fell a gayn to company with his wife as other men do and as I haue heard it sayed he vsed this pollicy Euery time that he had knowledge of hir he would leaue either in the bed or in hir cusshencloth or by hir looking glasse or in some place where she must néedes finde it a piece of money which then was in Italie called a Caroline Thus he dealt with her continuallye by the space of fowre or fiue monethes vsing hir neuerthelesse very kindly in all other respects and prouiding for hir all things necessary at the first call But vnto his geast he still augmented his curtesie in such sort that you would haue thought them to be sworne brothers All this notwithstanding his wife much musing at these smal péeces which she founde in this sort and furthermore hauing sundrye times found hir husband in solitarye places making great lamentation shée grewe inquisitiue what should be the secréete cause of these alterations vnto whom he would none otherwise answere but the any man should finde occatiō to be more pensiue at one time than at another The wife notwithstanding increasing hir suspect imparted the same vnto hir louer alledging therewithal that she doubted verye much least hir husband had some vehemēt suspicion of their affaires The louer encoraged hir likewise declared that if she would be importunate to enquire the cause hir husband would not be able to kepe it from hir and hauing now throughly instructed hir shée dealt with her husband in this sort One day when shée knew him to be in his study alone she came into him and hauing fast locked the doore after hir conueyed the keye into hir pocket she began first with earnest entreaty and then with teares to craue that he woulde no longer kéepe from hir the cause of his sodaine alteration The husband dissimuled the matter still at last she was so earnest to know for what cause he left money in such sort at sundry times That he aunswered on this wise Wyfe quod hée thou knowest howe long wée haue béene married togeather and howe long I made so deare accompt of thée as euer man made of his Wife since which dayes thou knowest also howe long I refrained thy company and howe long againe I haue vsed thy company leauing the money in this sort and the cause is this So long as thou dyddest behaue thy selfe faithfullye towardes mée I neuer lothed thy company but sithens I haue perceiued thée to bée a harlotte and therefore dyd I for a tyme refraine and forbeare to lye with thée and nowe I can no longer forbeare it I giue thée euery time that I lye with thée a Caroline which is to make thée vnder stande thine owne whordome and this rewarde is sufficient for a whore The wife beganne stoutlye to stand at defiaunce but the husband cut of hir speach and declared when where and how he had sene it hereat the woman being abashed and finding hir conscience guilty of asmuch as he had aledged fell downe on hir knées with most bitter teares craued pardon confessing hir offence whereat hir husband moued with pitie melting likewise in floods of lamentation recomforted hir promising that if from that day forwardes she would be true vnto him he would not onely forgiue al that was past but become more tender and louing vnto hir then euer he was What doe I tarrye so long they became of accord and in full accomplishment thereof the gentlewoman dyd altogeather eschewe the company the speach and as much as in hir laye the sight of hir louer although hir husband dyd continue his curtesie towards him and often charged his wife to make him fayre resemblaunt The Louer was nowe onelye left in perplexitie who knewe nothing what might be the cause of all these chaunges and that most gréeued him he could by no meanes optaine againe the speach of his desired he watched all opportunities hée suborned messengers hée wroote letters but all in vaine In the ende she caused to bée declared vnto him a time and place where she woulde méete him and speake with him Being met she put him in remembraunce of all that had passed betwéene
he coÌ„mitted a foule offence in néedeles ielousie and that if she were faultie especiallye with the Secretarie then no perswation could amend hir nor any passion helpe him and this was the cause that enabled him after suche passing panges to abide the doubtfull conclusion And thus manfully and valiantly to represse faintnesse of his mind nothing doubting but that he should haue won his mistresse to pardon his presumption louingly to imbrace his seruice in wonted maner but he was farre deceiued for shée was nowe in a nother tewne the which Mistresse Fraunces began partly to discouer vnto him as they walked togeather for she burdened him that his mallady proceded onely of a disquiet minde And if it dyd so my gentle Hope quod he what remedy My good Trust quod she none other but to plant quiet where disquiet began to grow I haue determined quod he but I must craue the helpe of your assured friendship Therof you may make accompt quod she but wherein Ferdinando walking apart with hir began to declare that there was some contention hapened betwéene his mistres and him the Lady tolde him that she was not ignoraunt thereof Then he desired hir to treate so much in the cause as they might eftsons come to Parlee thereof I dare assure you quod Mistresse Fraunces and at their returne she led him into his Mistresse Chamber whome they founde lying on hir bed whether gauled with any griefe or weary of the thing which you woote of I know not but there she lay vnto whome Ferdinando gaue two or thrée salutations before she seemed to marke him At last sayd the Lady Fraunces vnto hir your seruaunt hearing of your sicknesse hath aduentured thus far into the ayre to see you I thank him quod dame Elinor so lay still refusing to giue him any countenaÌ„ce Whereat he perceiuing all the other Gentlewomen fall to whispering thought good boldlye to pleade his owne case and approching the bed began to enforce his vnwylling Mistresse vnto curtesie wherein he vsed such vehemence as she could not wel by any meanes refuse to talk with him but what their talke was I may not take vpon me to tel you Sufficeth this to be known that in the end she pretended to passe ouer all olde grudges and thencefoorth to pleasuure him as occation might serue the which occation was so long in hapening that in the ende he being nowe eftsones troubled with vnquiet fantasies and forced to vse his penne againe as an Ambassadour betwéene them one daye amongst the rest fâ—und oportunitye to thrust a letter into her bosome wherein hée had earnestly requested another Mooneshine banquet or frydayes breakfast to recomfort his dulled spirites wherevnto the Dame yelded this aunswere in writing but of whose endyting iudge you I can but smyle at your simplicitye who burden your frends with an impossibility The case so stode as I could not though I would Wherefore from hence fóorth either learne to frame your request more reasonablye or else stand content with a flat repulse SHE Ferdinando liked this letter but a litle being thereby drouen into his accustomed vaine he compiled in verse this aunswere folowing vpon these wordes conteined in her letter I could not though I would I could not though I would good Ladie saie not so Since one good word of your good wil might sone redresse my wo VVhere would is free before there could can neuer faile For profe you see how gallies passe where ships caÌ„ bere no saile The wearie marriner where skies are ouercast By readie will doth guide his skil and wins the hauen at last The pretie bird that singes with pricke against her brest Doth make a vertue of hir nede to watche when others rest And true the prouerbe is which you haue laide apart There is no hap can seeme to hard vnto a willing heart Then louelie Ladie mine you saie not as you should In doutful tearms to answere thus I could not though I would Yes yes full well you know your can is quicke and good And wilfull will is eke too swift to shed my guiltlesse blood But if good will were bent as prest as power is Such will would quicklie find the skil to mende that is a misse VVherefore if you desire to see my true loue spilt Commaund and I will slea my selfe that yours maie be the gilt But if you haue no power to saie your seruaunt naie VVrite thus I maie not as I would yet must I as I maie Ferdinando Ieronimy THus Ieronimy replied vpon his Mistres answere hoping thereby to recouer some fauour at hir hands but it would not be so that nowe he had bene as likelye as at the first to haue fretted in fantasies had not the Ladye Fraunces coÌ„tinually comforted him and by litle litle she droue suche reason into his minde that now he began to subdue his humor with discretion and to determine that if he might espie euident profe of his Mistres fraieltie he would then stand content with patience perforce geue his Mistres the Bezo la mano And it happened one daye amongst others that he resorted to his mistresse chamber and founde her allo solito lying vppon her bed and the Secretarie with Dame Pergo and her bandmaide kéeping of her company Whereat Ferdinando somewhat repyning came to her and fell to dalliaunce as one that had nowe rather aduenture to be thought presumptious than yéelde to be accompted bashfull he cast his harme ouer his Mistresse and began to accuse hir of sluggishnes vsing some other bolde partes as well to prouoke hir as also to grieue the other The Ladye séemed litle to delight in his dallying but cast a glance at hir Secretarie therewith smiled when as the Secretarie and Dame Pergo burst out into open laughter The which Ferdinando perceiuing and disdaining her ingratitude was forced to depart and in that fantasie compiled this Sonet WIth hir in armes that had my hart in holde I stoode of late to pleade for pitie so And as I did hir louelie lookes beholde Shee cast a glaunce vpon my riuall foe His fleering face prouoked hir to smile VVhen my salt teares were drowned in disdaine He glad I sad he laught alas the while I wept for woe I pin'd for deadlie paine And when I sawe none other boote preuaile But reason rule must guide my skilfull minde VVhy then quod I olde prouerbes neuer faile For yet was neuer good Cat out of kinde Nor woman true but euen as stories tell VVonne with an egge and lost againe with shell Ferdinando Ieronimy THis Sonet declareth that he began now to accompt of hir as she deserued for it hath a sharpe conclusion and it is somewhat too general Well as it is he lost it where his Mistresse found it and she immediatly imparied the same vnto Dame Pergo and Dame Pergo vnto others so that it quickely became common in the house Amongst others Mistres Fraunces hauing recouered a copie of it