Melytta tolde her that although it were great trouble for one of her age to frame her self as a companioÌ„ to such yong youth and that some care belonged to such a charge yet hee would so counternalle her painful labour with princely liberalitie that both she and all Alexandria should haue cause to speak of his bountie MElytta thanking the Duke for such vndeserued curtesie setting her houshold affaires in good order repayred to the Court as spéedily as might be But leauing her with Castania again to Gwydonius who now being arriued in Alexandria pinched with pouerty distressed with want hauing no coine left wherewith to counteruaile his expences thought it his best course if it were possible to compasse the Dukes seruice repairing therfore to the court hée had not staied there thrée dayes before he found fit oportunitie to offer his seruice to Orlanio whom very dutifully he saluted in this manner THe report right worthie Prince of your incomparable curtesie and pearlesse magnanimity is so blazed abroad throughout all Countries by the golden trumpe of Fame that your Grace is not more loued of your subiects which tast of your liberall bountie than honoured of strangers which only heare of your princely vertue Insomuch that it hath forced me to leaue my natiue soile my parents kindred and familiar friends and pilgrimlike to passe into a strange Country to try that by experience héer which I haue heard by report at home For it is not right worthy Sir the state of your Country that hath altured me for I deeme Bohemia wherof I am no lesse pleasant than Alexandria neither hath want of liuing or hope of gain intised me for I am by birth a Gentleman and issued of such parents as are able with sufficient patrimonie to maintaine my estate but the desire not onely to sée but also to learne such rare curtesie and vertuous qualities as fame hath reported to be put in practice in your Court is the onely occasion of this my iourny Now if in recompenee of this mytrauaile it shal please your Grace to vouchsafe of my seruice I shall think my self fully satisfied and my pains sufficiently requited Orlanio hearing this dutifull discourse of Gwydonius marking his manners and musing at his modestie noting both his excellent courtesie and exquisite beautie was so inflamed with friendly affection toward this yoong youth that not only hee accepted of his seruice but also preferred him as a companion to his sonne Thersandro promising that since hee had left his Country and Parents for this cause he would so counteruaile his dutifull desert with fauour and friendship as he should neuer haue cause to accuse him of ingratitude Gwydonius repaying heartie thankes to the Duke for his vndeserued curtesie being now brought from woe to weale from despaire to hope from bale to blisse from care to securitie from want to wealth yea from hellish misery to heauenly prosperitie behaued himselfe so wisely and warily with such curtesie in conuersation and modestie in manners that in short time hee not onely purchased credit and countenance with Orlanio but was most intirely liked and loued of Thersando Now there remained in the Court a young knight called Signior Valericus who by chance casting his glancing eies on the glittering beautie of Castania was so fettered in the snare of fancie and so entangled with the trap of affection so perplered in the Labyrinth of pinching loue and so inchanted with the charme of Venus Sorcerie that as the Elephant reioiceth greatly at the sight of a Rose as the Bird Halciones delighteth to view the feathers of the Phoenix and as nothing better contenteth a Ro-Buck than to gaze at a red cloth so there was no obiect that could allurc the wauering eyes of Valericus as the surpassing beautie of Castania yea his only blisse pleasure ioy delight was in féeding his fancy with staring on that Heauenly face of his goddesse But alas her beautie bred his bane her lookes his losse her sight is sorrow her exquisite perfections his extreame passions that as the Ape by séeing the Snaile is infected as the Leopard falleth in a traunce at the sight of the Locust as the Cockatrice dyeth with beholding the Chrisolito so poore Valericus was pinched to the heart with viewing her comely countenance was griped with galling griefe and tortured with insupportable torments by gazing vpon the gallant beauty of so gorgeous a dame yea he so framed in his fancie the forme of her face and so imprinted in his hart the perfection of her person that the remembrance therof would suffer him to take no rest but he passed the day in dolour the night in sorrow no minute without mourning no houre without heauinesse that falling into pensiue passions hee began thus to parle with himselfe Why how now Valericus quoth hée art thou haunted with some hellish hagge or passessed with some frantike furie art thou inchaunted with some magicall charme or charmed with some bewitching Sorcerie that so sodainly thy minde is perplexed with a thousand sundry passions alate frée and now fettered alate swimming in rest and now sinking in care erewhile in securitie and now in captiuitie yea turned from mirth to mourning from pleasure to paine from delight to despight hating thy selfe and louing her who is the chiefe cause of this thy calamitie Ah Valericus hast thou forgot the saying of Propertius that to loue howsoeuer it be is to lose and to fancie how charie so euer thy choice be is to haue an ill chance for Loue though neuer so fickle is but a Chaos of care and fancie though neuer so fortunate is but a masse of miserie for if thou enioy the beautie of Venus thou shalt finde it small vantage if thou get one as wise as Minerua thou maiest put thy winnings in thine eye if as gorgious as Iuno thy accounts being cast thy gain shal be but losse yea be she vertuous â—e she chast be she curteous be she constant be shee rich be she renowmed be shee honest be shee honourable yet if thou be wedded to a woman thinke thou shalt finde in her sufficient vanitie to counteruaile her vertue that thy happinesse will bée matcht with heauinesse thy quiet with care thy contentation with vexation that thou shalt sowe seede with sorrowe and reape thy corne with sadnesse that thou shalt neuer liue without griefe nor die without Repentance for in matching with a Wife there are such mischiefes and in marriage such miseries that Craterus the Emperour wishing some sinister fortune to happen vpon one of his foes prayed vnto the gods that hée might hée married in his youth and die without issue in his age counting marriage such a cumbersome crosse and a Wife such a pleasant plague that he thought his foe could haue no worse torment than to bée troubled with such noysome trash Oh Valericus if the consideration of these premisses bée not sufficient to perswade thee if the sentence of Propertius cannot
certaine Merchantes of Alexandria which then roade in the Hauen durst not goe a shoare to sell their commodities but as fast as winde and weather woulde serue them highed them out of the harbour and coasted speedily into their owne Countrie where they no sooner arriued but they made report thereof to Orlanio who driuen into a dumpe with this noysome newes whether he doubted of the puissant power of Clerophontes who was such a worthy warriour and in battaile so bold that no man durst abide him or whether he feared his owne force was not able to resist the furie of his raging enemy Hee presently summoned all his Lords to a Parliament where after some conference it was cōcluded that Thersandro should bee sent Embassadour to Mitylene to parle of peace with Clerophontes which determination was no whit deferred but with as much spéed as might be the Bark wherein hée should passe was prouided the charge of the Embassage was giuen him and he accompanied with a traine of braue Gentlemen departed But if this newes was dolefull to Orlanio no doubt it was death it selfe to Gwydonius who hearing that his father woulde bend his force against the place wherein hee was sawe all possibilitie taken away from obtayning his purpose for he feared death if he were knowen to Orlanio and hée doubted despightfull hate at the least if he bewrayed himselfe to Castania Which double dolour so distressed him as hée felt himselfe diuersly perplexed with dumpish passions his myrth was turned to mourning his pleasant conceits to painefull cogitations his wanton toyes to wayling thoughtes now he abandoned all good companie and delighted onely in solitary life the wildesome woodes were his walkes and the secret shades the couert he chiefly coueted In fine hée séemed rather a Tymon of Athens than a Gentleman of Alexandria so that all the Court marueiled at this so sodaine a chaunge but especially Castania who coniecturing his dolefull heart by his drousie lookes was astonished at this strange state casting in her minde whether she had giuen him anie cause of this care or whether by her occasion he was crossed with this calamitie But alas poore soule howsoeuer she aymed she mist the marke for Gwydonius kept his disease so secret as he knew none could but himselfe diuine the cause of his maladie which no doubt was such that it would haue inferred present death if hee had not hoped for some happie newes by Thersandro Who no sooner luckely arriued at Mitylene but Clerophōtes was certified that the Dukes sonne of Alexandria was come to impart with his Grace some waightie matters of importance Now at this instant when the message was brought him his daughter Lewcippa was by who as the nature of women is desirous to see and bee séene thought she should both heare the parle view the person of this young Embassadour and therefore found fish on her fingers that she might stay still in the chamber of presence whither presently Thersandro was sent for who curteously and curiously doing his obeylance to the Duke deliuered his Embassage in this maner VVHereas right worthy sir Orlanio the Duke of Alexandria more vnwittingly then wilfully denied certaine tribute which he confesseth both hee and his predecessours haue payd to you and your auncestors Hearing that héereupon your Grace meaneth rather to wage battaile then to lose any part of your due although he feareth not your force as one able euery way to withstand it nor passeth of your puissance as a Potentate sufficient to resist your power Yet the care he hath of his subiects safetie and the loue he hath to preserue the life of his Commons the regard he hath to pay and performe that which consciēce and custome requireth and lastly meaning with Tully Iniquissimam pacem iustissimo bello anteponere He hath sent me both to sue for conditions of peace and to paie the tribute which if your Grace shall refuse of force he must put his hope in the hazard of Fortune THersandro hauing thus pithily performed his charge Clerophontes tolde him that vpon a sodaine he wold not dispatch so waightie a matter but meant first both to consult and take counsaile of his Nobles which done within thrée dayes he shoulde haue an answere In the meane time he commanded Lucianus the Steward of his house verie courteously to entreate both Thersandro and his traine and to feast them with such sumptuous fare as they might haue cause most highly to extoll his magnificence But leauing Clerophontes to consult with his learned counsailours and Thersandro to accompanie with the lustie Courtiers againe to Lewcippa who while this yong youth was telling of his tale neuer markt the matter but the man nor regarded not the parle but respected that person neuer noted the contentes but viewed his countenance In such sort that she was so scorched with the fire of fancie and so scalded with the flame of affection so bewitched with his beautie and so inueigled with his bountie as he was the onely man that made her checke at the pray bate at the lure and willingly yeelde to the first assault of fancie And on the other side Fortune so fauoured that Thersandro printing in his heart the perfection of Lewcippas person felt his fredome so fettered by that view of her heauenly face and so snared in the beames of her amorous glaunces that he wisht that either this dissension had neuer growen or that he had not béene the deliuerer of the message for hee felt his heart alreadie so ouergrowen with good will towardes this young Princesse as no salue but her selfe was able to mitigate his sorrow no medicine but her curtesie was able to cure his calamitie and he thought to preferre his sute to his professed foe was folly to linger still in loue was death and misery to séeke for helpe at her hands neither would the present state permit him nor time suffer him to prosecute his purpose daunted with these diuerse doubtes to auoyde the melancholike motions that molested his mind he presently went from his lodging to the Court that by company hée might driue away these dumpes where hee founde in the great Chamber diuerse Ladies Gentlewomen passing away the time in pleasant parle amongst whom was that peerlesse Paragon princely Lewcippa who after due reuerence done to the Gentlewomen in generall was singled out by Thersandro and courted in this wise MAdam quoth he if any creature hath iust occasion to accuse eyther nature or the gods of iniustice man only hath the greatest cause to make this complaint for there is none other so depriued of reason or deuoyde of sense which by some naturall instinct dooth not skilfully presage of perils before they come and warily preuent ere they bée past The Goates of Lybia know certainly when the Canicular dayes beginne wherein commonly they fall blinde and therefore by eating the hearbe Polypodium they prouidently preuent their disease When the Lyon leaueth his Lawnes and raungeth in forraigne
thy vaine vaunting that euery one holdeth his life of thy mercy and that thou art the onely Lord and Soueraign both in Heauen Earth the Sea and Hell But many things are spoken which are neuer beléeued Loue. And art thou so hard of beléefe to deny that which euery one confesseth Folly I haue not to doo with other mens opinions but this I am sure that it is not by thy force and prowesse that so many miracles are wrought in the world but by my industry by my meanes and by my diligence although thou knowest me not But if thou doest coÌ„tinue long in this thy choler I wil let thée vnderstâ—nd that thy bowe and thy arrowes wherof thou vauntest so much are more weak than wax if I bend not the one and temper the other Loue. Doest thou thinke by this skoffing to pacifie mine anger or by contemptuous threatning to qualifie my choler Hast thou euer fond fool handled my bowe or directed my bolts Is it thy prowesse and not my force which performeth such valiant conquests But since thou regardest me and respectest my force so little thou shalt presently féel the proofe thereof Folly maketh her selfe inuisible so that Loue cannot hit her Loue. But where art thou become How hast thou escaped mee This onely is the strangest case that euer chaunced vnto me I had thought that amongst all the gods I only could haue made my selfe inuisible But now I sée I am deceiued Folly Did not I tell thee before that thy bowe thy arrows are of no force but when it pleaseth me and that by my means thou alwaies obtainest the conquest Maruaile not if I be inuisible for if I lift the eyes of the Eagle or of the Serpent Epidaurus cannot espie me for Chameleon like take the shape of them which whom I do remaine Loue. Trulie as I coniecture thou art some Sorceresse or some Enchauntresse some Circe some Medea or some Fairie Folly Wel since thou doest thus reclesly rail vpon me know that I am a godesse as thou art a god my name is Follie I am she which raiseth thee vp and casteth thee downe at my pleasure Thou vnloosest thy bowe leftest flie thine arrowes in the aire but I place them where it pleaseth me Thou doest addresse thy selfe against Iupiter but he is of such puissance that if I both guided not thy hand tempered thy arrow thy féeble force could little preuail against his prowesse Indéed thou diddest force Iupiter to loue but I caused him to change himself into a Swan into a Bull into Gold into an Eagle Who caused Mars thy mother Venus to be taken in bed together by the limping cuckold Vulcan but I If Paris had done no other thing but loued Helena Sparta had neuer reioyced nor Troy béen brought to ruine But did not I cause him to goe to Menelaus vnder colour of Embassage to Court vnto his wife to leade her away by force and after to defend his vniust quarrell against all Greece Who had spoken of the loue of Dido if he had not deuised to goe a hunting that she might haue the better opportunity to communicate with Aeneas that by such priuate familiaritie he might not be ashamed to take from her that which long before most willinglie shée would haue giuen him I beléeue no mention had beene made of Artemisia if I had not caused her drinke the cynders of her husbaÌ„ds dead carkasse for els who had knowne whether she had loued her husbande more than other women The effect and issues of things alwaies makes them to be praised or dispraised If thou makest men to loue yet I am oft times the chiefest cause But if any straunge aduenture or great effect chanceth in that thou hast no part but the onely honour belongeth vnto me Thou rulest nothing but the heart the rest I gouerne yea I leade thee I conduct thee thine eies serue thée to no more vse than the beames of the Sunne to a blinde man But to the ende thou know me from henceforth and that thou maiest giue me thankes for conducting thee carefully behold now how greatly thine eies do profit thée Follie putteth out Cupids eyes Loue. Alas Iupiter O my mother Venus what auaileth it to be thy sonne so feared so redoubted both in heauen and in earth if I be subiect to be iniured as the most vile slaue in the worlde Alasse haue I thus lost mine eyes by an vnknowne woman Follie. Take héede fond foole another time to raile vpon those who perhaps are of more force and puissaunce than thou Thou hast offended the Quéen of men thou hast outraged her who gouerneth the heart the braine and the minde vnder whose shadow euery one once in his life shrowdeth himselfe and there remaineth either long or short time according to his merite thou hast displeased her who procureth thy renowme thou hast contemned her who hath aduanced thée and therefore hath this misfortune fallen vpon thy head Loue. Alas how is it possible for me to honour her whome I neuer knew or to reuerence that person whome before I neuer sawe but if thou hast borne mee such great good will as then saiest pardon this my offence and restore me my sight Follie. To restore thee thine eyes is not in my power but I will couer the place to hide the deformitie Follie couereth Cupids face with a Scarfe and giueth him winges And in lieu of this haplesse lucke thou shalt haue these wings which shall carrie thee whither thou wilt wish Loue. But where hadst thou this vaile so readie to couer my deformitie Follie. It was giuen me as I came hither by one of the Destinies who tolde me it was of that nature that if it were once fastned it could neuer be vnloosed Loue. How vnloosed Am I then blinde for euer O vile and traiterous wretch could it not suffice to put out mine eies but to take away the meanes that the gods cannot restore them Now I sée the sentence verified on my selfe that it is not good to take a present at the hand of anenemy O cruell destinies O cursed daie shall not the heauens the earth and the seas haue cause to waile sith Loue is blinde But why doe I complaine here in vaine it is better for me to sue to the Gods for reuengement The second Discourse Loue goeth from the palace of Iupiter lamenting to himselfe his mischiefe Loue. Alas in what miserable case am I what can either my bowe or mine arrows auaile me now can I not cause whoÌ„ I list to loue but without respect of persons euerie one is in daunger of my dartes Hitherto I haue onely caused daintie damsels and yong youths to loue I did choose out the brauest blouds and the fairest and most well featured men I did pardon vile and base persons I excused the deformed creatures and let olde age remaine in peace But now thinking to hit a young gallant I light vppon some olde doating lecher in
which of all other inward sores requireth greatest secrecie yet vndoubtedly the more it is discouered the sooner it is cured For as the stone of Armenia being couered with Sand burneth most extreamely and no sooner taketh aire but it cooleth so the firie flames of loue raked vp in silence fry most suriously but being by discourse disclosed they soone conuert from flame to fume and smoke Wherfore good Castania impart vnto mée the matter which doth import thée so néere and I sweare vnto thee by the sacred rites of Ceres which is so honoured in Alexandria that if thou doest loue where thy friends doe not like and thy wish be contrary to their will yet I will sake all meanes possible to redresse thy sorrowe Alas good Madame rather than you should thinke mee so incredulous or suspicious as not to beléeue your oath or doubt of your secret dealing I will without delay make you priuy to the cause of my paine what perill soeuer I incurre by reuealing it So it is Melytta that the perfection of Gwydonius his exquisite qualities excellent vertues haue so fiercely assaulted the fort of my fancy as I am perforce constrained to resigne my liberty captiue vnto his curtesie to make his person the prison of my heart This lucklesse vnlikely loue Madam is the cause of my care the sum of my sorrow this frantike affection hath driuen my drooping heart to shew forth these drousie leekes this is it which hath made me an enemy to myselfe a foe to all good company and to delight in nothing but sorrow and solitarinesse yea this is the sore which if in time it be not salued will preuent by death all other miseries And is this quoth Melytta the pain that so greatly perplexeth you Is this the care that so cumbers your conscience Is this the danger which driues you into such déepe distresse Do you think so superstitiously of Gwydonius or so abiectly of your selfe that you déem this matter impossible to be brought to passe no no doubt not Castania I my selfe dare absolutely promise thee that thy loue shall sort to such happie successe as thou thy selfe doest séeke for And with that Melytta stayed by a sodaine sight she had of that Saint that Castania so hartily serued for Gwydonius was entring in at the chamber deere with a dish of delicates which Orlanio hearing his Daughter was so sick had sent her Melytta séeing that Cupid began to sauor the cause of his Clients in giuing them such fit opportunitie to discouer their cares went her waie leauing Gwydonius the first man to play his part in this tragicall comedy who séeing his goddesse thus surprised with sicknesse was so gallen with griefe so pinched with hellish passions and so tortured with extreame torments that his colour began to change he fetcht a déep sigh or two which Castania hearing she perceiued without touching his pulses the cause of these his sodain passions In fine such melancholike motions so amazed his minde that he was almost mute in his message yet at length incouraging himselfe hée presented it vnto her in this wise Madame quoth he the Duke your Father hearing of your sodaine sicknesse in token of his fatherly affection amongst all his dainties hath sent you this dish which hee thinks most méet for your diet wishing your Ladiship to let no doubtfull motions distresse your minde nor no carefull thoughts cumber your conscience for you shall lacks nothing if you reueale to him your want which either your will or wish can desire And truly Madame to manifest my willing duety if the praiers of a poore Gentleman may be heard of the heauenly Gods I wish that before you taste of this feede it may turne to Nectar whereby not only your sicknesse should be salued but your diuine beautie and vertue according to desert should be crowned with immortalitie Castania perceiuing with what fernent affection Gwydonius vttered those wordes began to chéere vp her selfe in hope that her good will should not be repaied with ingratitude taking therefore the present at his handes and liking it neuer the worse for his sake that brought it she returned him this replie Gwydonius quoth she as I haue cause most reuerently to accept of my fathers louing curtesie and to repay his naturall affection with most dutifull obedience so I haue cause to thanke thee for thy paines and to thinke well of thée for thy wish promising in recompence of thy good wil if in any respect I may pleasure thee to séeke and sue to my father for preferment Madame I account the performance of my message no paine but pleasure and I thinke my selfe as much honored by this office thrice more happy than if I should in Ganimedes place present that cup to Iupiter But Madame sith that to stop the streame is to make the floud flow more fiercelie to represse the fire is to make it flame more furiously and to restraine the force of loue is to kindle a greater flame least too long delaie should bréede too great daunger and by concealing my sorrow I should make the sore incurable I thought good either presently to heare the curteous sentence of my life or the cruell doome of my death So it is Madame that too long gazing vppon the beames of your heauenly beautie and too narrowly construing ouer your vertuous conditions I remaine so caught in the snare of your bountie and so thralled in the thréede of your vertue that the staie of my life hangeth in your hands either to driue mee downe to hellish miscrie or to boist mee vp to heauenly felicity For although I haue not heretofore by dutifull seruice made manifest the loyaltie of my loue yet since I first framed in my fancie as in a mirrour the shape of your surpassing beautie my heart hath béene crossed with such cruell Camizados for your sake as if with the Target of hope I had not wiâ—hst stood the furious force of such raging furies I had by despaire béene dashed against most dangerous rockes Sith then Madame the sight of your swéete face hath fast fettered my fancie in the links of loue so as without your means I can neither be redressed nor released I humbly desire you neither to resist the motion of my well meaning nor to reiect the deuotion of my good will but to accept your poore Gwydonius as a faithfull seruant Castania hearing diligentlie the faithfull discourse of distressed Gwydonius perceiuing by his sighs the pinching sorrow of his thoughts and séeing him so fast fettered in follie on a sodaine to giue her the slip had that shee desired and now her louing lookes were turned to lowring glances her delightfull curtesie to disdainfull coinesse and she thought to repaie the swéete meate wherewith before she fed him with most sowre sauee not that she misliked of his loue for it was the onelie thing she desired but to make him the more feruent in affection vttering these or such like
Common-wealth is maintayned knowledge and learning augmented the properties of hearbes stones Birdes and beastes perfectly searched out What folly is it most daungerously to passe into the howels of the earth to digge for yron and séeke for gold How many artes and occupations should bee driuen out of the worlde if Follie were banished Truly the most part of men should either beg for want or die for hunger How should so many Aduocates Procurators Sergeants Atturneis Scriueners Imbroderers Painters and Perfumers liue if Ladie Follie were vtterly exiled Hath not follie inuented a thousād deuices to draw a man from idlenesse as Tragedies Comedies Dancing schooles fencing houses wrastling places a thousand other foolish sports Hath she not made men hardie and venturous to fight with Lions Bores and Buls onely to gaine honour and to passe other in follie What did Antonie and Cleopatra when they straue who should spend most in beastly banquetting What caused Caesar lament that he had not begun to trouble the world in that age wherein Alexander had conquered the greatest part Why did diuerse séeke to fill vp the valleyes to make plaine the mountaines to dry vp Riuers to make Bridges ouer the Sea as Claudius the Emperour did What made Rodope builde the Pyramides and Artemisia frame the sumptuous sepulchre but Follie. In fine without this Goddesse man shoulde bee carefull heauie and whollie drowned in sorrow whereas Follie quickeneth his spirits maketh him sing daunce leape and frame himselfe altogether to pleasure It is not possible that loue should bee without the daughter of youth which is Follie. For Loue springeth of sedaine and sundrie causes by receiuing an apple as Cidippe by looking out at a windowe as Scilla by reading in a Booke as the Ladie Francis Rimhi some fall in loue by sight some by hearing but all liuing in hope to obtaine their desires And yet some haue loued without anie naturall cause as Pigmalion who fell in loue with his Marble picture and I pray you what Sympathie could there be betwéene a liuely youth and a dead stone what was it then but follie that kindled this flame What forced Narcissus to fall in loue with his owne shaddowe but Follie Yea what aduenture is passed in loue without Follie For the Philosophers define Follie to be a depriuation of wisedome and wisedome is altogether without passions of the which when loue shall be voide then no doubt the Sea shall be without waues and the fire without heats Consider but a young man which onely placeth his delight in amorous conceites decking dressing and perfuming himselfe most delicately who passeth out of his lodging fraught with a thousand sundrie fancies accompanied with men and Pages passing to the place where hee may haue a sight of his Mistresse obtaining for his trauell no gaine but perhaps some amorous glance making long sutes spending his time and his treasure consuming his wit and wasting his wealth and yet reaping nothing but disdaine and discredite But if it chance that his Mistresse condescend vnto his requests she appointeth him to come at some suspicious houre which he cannot performe without great perill To come with company were to bewraie his secrets to go alone most daungerous to goe openly too manifest so that he must passe disguised sometime like a woman other times like a peasant or some vile person scaling the walles with ladders climbing vp to the windowes by cordes yea continually in daunger of death if Follie did not hold him vp by the hand It is not also vnknowne vnto you how many sundrie passions do perplexe the poore passionate Louers all which procéed of Follie as to haue ones heart separated from himselfe to be now in peace and then in warre now couering his dolour blushing one while and looking pale another fraught whollie with feare hope shame seeking that carefully which hée séemeth to flie and yet doubtfully dreading not to finde it to laugh sildome to sigh often to burne in colde and freeze in heate to be crossed altogether with contraries which be signes not onely of follie but of phrensie Who shall excuse Hercules handling so carefully the distaste of Omphale or Salomon for combring himselfe with so many Concubines Anniball in submitting himselfe to his Loue Aristotle in obeying Hermia and Socrates in yéelding to Aspasia and many other which we sée daily to bee so blinded as they know not themselues and what is the cause hereof but follie so that we see that it is she which maketh Loue to be so feared and redoubted it is she that honoureth him exalteth his name and causeth him to be counted as a God Further whosoeuer loueth must apply himselfe to the affection of his mistresse although it be contrarie to his naturall constitution if he be quiet wise and discréete yet if his louer please to haue him chaunge his state he must turne his stearne and hoise his saile to goe with another winde Zethius and Amphion could not agrée for because the delight of the one was a despight to the other vntill Amphion left his Musicke If the Ladie whom thou louest be couetous thou must chaunge thy selfe into golde and so fall into her bosome if she be merrie thou must bée pleasant if sullen thou must be sad All the seruants and sutors to Atlanta were hunters because she delighted in that sport Many Gentlewomen to please their louers which were Poets left the rocke and the néedle and tooke in hand pennes books now tell mee if these straunge Metamorphoses be not méere points of follie Doe you thinke that a Souldier which goeth to the assault marketh the trenches thinketh of his enemies or of a thousand harguebushes wherof euerie one is sufficient to destroy him No he onely hopeth to win the conquest and doth not so much as once imagine the rest He which first inuented sayling doubted not of the perillous daungers and hee that playeth neuer thinketh to become a looser yet are they all thrée in daunger to be slaine drowned and vndone But what then they neither do see nor will sée what is hurtfull vnto them So we must coniecture the like of louers for if they did sée the dreadfull dangers and the fearefull perits wherein they are how they be deceiued and beguiled they would neuer honour loue as God but detest him as a Diuell and so should the kingdom of loue be destroyed which now is gouerned by ignorance carelesnesse hope blindenesse which are all the handmaids of Folly Remaine in peace then fond Loue and séeke not to break the auncient league which is betwéen thée and Folly For if then doest thy bowe shal be broken thy darts shal be of no force Contemptęque iacent sine luce faces ¶ When Mercury had finished the defence of Follie Iupiter seeing the gods to be diuersly affected that some held with Cupid and some with Folly to decide the doubt he pronounced this sentence FOr the difficulty and importance of this difference and diuersitie of opinions we haue remitted the deciding of it vntill thrée times seuen times and nine ages be past in the meane while wee straightly commaund you to liue friendly together without offering iniury one vnto another And Folly shall guide and conduct blinde Loue whither shée séemeth best and for the restoring of his eyes after we haue spoken with the Destinies it shall be decréede FINIS AT LONDON Printed for Mathew Lownes 1608