being the ordinarie whippes with which they scourge thē for their impieties but it is themselues that are causes of their owne sorrowes because they driue away sage Reason from them who is of might sufficient to deliuer and set them free The franticke Bedlem that wilfully killeth himselfe can he dying accuse any other of his disaster or complaine of a straunger when he hath murthered himselfe No more can a fond Louer hurting himselfe be angrie with the heauens who was not the cause thereof but he himselfe And herein they resemble little children that hauing done a fault lay the blame thereof either vpon their play-fellowes or vpon something else being neuer willing to confesse that they haue done amisse Fuen so they themselues hauing felt one burning in their brests the furious fire which in the end consumeth and destroy eth them condemne the powers aboue for the same But small reason haue they so to doe for they that vse it are rather counted to be full of rage and giuen to murmure then esteemed as wise and prudent persons And yet I cannot denie but that the heauens narurally doe as it were seeme to be bound to doe vs good but the accident oftentimes corrupteth the Nature The Parent by Nature is bound to loue his child yet if his his owne flesh shall be peruerse and ill giuen becomming a mortall enemie vnto his Father this right of Nature ceaseth and he is no more bound to doe any thing for him no more than for a straunger There is a iust law grounded vpon this reason which permitteth the Father being iustly offended with his Sonne to dishinherit him of his lands this being the very same punishment that the children of Sophocles suffered for that they most maliciously accused their Father to dote for age and to be out of his right wits onely because they would haue depriued him of his possessions and goods Brutus likewise stucke not to prosecute the death of his too forward sonne most cruellie and with great disgrace also because he had done as well against the Common-wealth as contrarie vnto his owne command So therefore although the heauens I speake all this against my selfe as well as thee Coribant for that I am as wretched a Louer as thy selfe art in euerie degree be our common Father and for that cause is naturally bound to doe vs good yet notwithstanding is he not bound to shewe vs this kindnesse if we shall gricuously and willingly offend him as the Accidence of the offence shall be more violent and strong then the naturall Right is which by reason of this quite ouerthroweth the other For as water quencheth the fire and maketh it cold as any Ice which by nature is hote burning and full of heate So the discourtesies and iniuries which we offer vnto such as by Nature were prouided to be our protectors and defenders drowne and extinguish all their deuoire and Right altering their good mindes from vs quite contrarie vnto that it was at the first A man that is by kinde borne vicious and bad and such a one as bringeth forth of the wombe of his mother wickednesse with him into the worlde may per Accidence through good education and bringing vp become vertuous and wise Euenso the Accident of iniuries and displeasures may chaunge and alter the curteous inclination of a kinde friend sowring and sharpning the same against vs as the Lees and dregs doe the sweetest wine And this mischiefe falling vpon our heads wee cannot condemne anie for it but our owne selues who are the chiefe and efficient cause thereof And therefore we are much in the wrong to lay the blame on him whom through our owne meere follie we haue made him our soe although he be slow and slacke to helpe vs we being falne into miserie although before he by nature was bound to lend vnto vs his helping hand and to assist vs in what he could certainely if we were well and godly giuen and without prouoking or tempting the Eternall Power aboue would we but confirme our selues in all our actions according vnto his desire keeping vs with the bonds of his commandements there is no doubt but he would aide vs hearing vs when we should call vnto him and would nor sticke to raine downe Manna as he did for the children of Israel nourishing vs in the wildest Desarts that be But what law can force or constraine him to shew vs this mercie when we shew our selues to be his mortall enemies going about to increase his wrath euerie houre against vs. But say that he were willing and readie as we are most vnworthie thereof to helpe vs and that it would please him to haue this pittifull and fauourable regard ouer vs yet may you be well assured he would neuer take any charge nor euer make any account of Louers for their griefes is not numbred amongst the plagues of other miscrable creatures the second cause whereof the heauens oftentimes are our sinnes being the first Loue being seene to be but a verie meere follie and therefore neuer moueth the heauens with compassion to heale them A great and grose error therefore it is amongst Louers to imagine that the heauens are the Authors of their paine but a farre greater fault is it in them to require their aide and assistance for Loue is not any kind of contagious disease causing men to die cutting off one after another and for that cause hath reason to implore the heauens for aide to helpe them as they doe when any great mortalitie or plague rageth amongst them but it is a sickenes that continueth still without dying with which onely sensuall persons and sooles and none else are infected This is the reason that we haue neuer knowne any Louers to haue bene cured through miracle whereas we find written in diuers learned bookes that the bodies of many men being dead haue bene restored to life againe and that many haue bene cured of incurable discases onely this vaine sicknes is vnworthie of remedie and reliefe because it proceedeth not neither through the anger of the heauens nor by reason of the contagion of other diseases but onely through our owne foolishnes Now as that amitie cannot be firme and strong betweene man and woman where they answere not one another in desires and affection although naturally they are bound to loue one another euen so the heauens cannot be accused of crueltie in not scourging mortall creatures if the cause which should drawe them vnto this charitable endeuour be taken away from them Let vs then no more exclaime against the Celestiall Power aboue but let vs thanke our owne selues that we deserue no better of him our sinnes being the cause he giueth vs ouer As the fellon cannot blame the Iudge that condemneth him to death nor accuse him of ouermuch seueritie in that he dieth but rather his owne bad liuing that brought him vnto so vntimely an end for he is not to be thought ill of who doth rightly
daintie is the vaine of that Muse that taketh a worthy Subiect to exercise her diuine power with all as braue and goodly seemeth the swift courser which runneth in a faire and spatious plaine being guided by a very expert and excellent Horseman But as it is not easie to make him that is crooked straight and as he that goeth alwaies stooping can hardly walke bolt vpright Euen so although one haue neuer so rare a vaine to endite yet if he haue no worthie matter whereon to be employed he can hardly write learnedly Homer thought to haue made Achilles more valiant and strong then Hoctor but yet he could not Maro did what she was able to perswade vs that Aeneas was a man iust religious and a great friend vnto his Citie of Troy But it was vnto no end for he cannot leaue any worthy commendation behind him that taketh vpon him to commend a coward or one that bath bene a Traitor vnto his owne countrie I speake this Shepheard vnto this end I well perceiue thy Muse is wonderfull desirous to paint me forth most brauely but yet neuerthelesse I must needs tell thee that when thou hast done all thou canst it is to no purpose because thou shalt neuer be able to make the world beleeue otherwise then that I am a poore sillie soule simple and plaine and one that haue not as much as one good qualitie in me Take then some other better theame to declaime vpon for if thou relyest vpon my praise which is too weake a stay thou wilt quickly fall and thy inuention cease as hauing not whereupon to write Leaue me poore Nymph as I am with my imperfections least thou be the occasion that where thou seekest to magnifie me I shall be mocked for the same for farre better were it for a man to haue his bodie and the remembrance of himselfe to be buried both together then to be renownred as Thersites was and so to be infamous by reason of his memorie Leaue then I pray thee to poetise thus vpon me and rather bestow it vpon some other that doth better deserue it for too simple am I to be a Subiect for thy Muse To refuse the gift of another is as much as not to wish him well or to seeke not to be beholding vnto him for feare lest we should be constrained to make him some amends for as the giuer in bestowing a present doth shew his good will so he that receiueth the gift in accepting thereof doth make manifest his good minde vnto him Euen so my Mistris in refusing the fruits of the new Louers Muse gaue sufficient testimonie she did not much affect him of which thing when I heard I was not a little pleased And yet God he knoweth how much I was at that time gaulled with afflictions seeing so many contrarie windes and all in one day to tosse and tumble my weather beaten Barke All that long night could I not sleepe as much as one winke as often as I remembred the inestimable pleasure which that great God enioyed as I foolishly imagined with my Diana Besides I began to grow exceeding iealous doubting lest she being now come to haue so glorious a Deitie vnto her Paramour would disdaine the Loue of any other mortall creature yea and that now she onely doated vpon him I dreamed of the great delight Apolle tooke to haue in his armes so rare a Paragon but I neuer all this while thought vpon that which most of all concerned me which was the chaste and pure vertues of my Ladie for although I did beleeue verily that as that night she lay betweene the armes of that God yet could I not chuse but loue her as much as I had done before such great force hath Loue ouer vs as he maketh vs loue our Mistrisses although they be bad and vitious as well as if they were well giuen and vertuous nay I was so farre wide from reason as I thought she was to be excused in satisfying the request of so mightie a God not thinking this to be any blemish vnto her credit at all Thus euery Bird supposeth her owne neast to be most fairest and euery mother her owne child pretiest although it be mishapen and deformed But when I was assured of a certaine truth that my Ladie had not onely not laine that night in the Temple but rather like another Daphne or a new Cassandra had most vertuously refused this great God reiected his promises disdained his gifts shamed and hated his presence ah then two contrarie doubts began a fresh to combat in my heart the one was of contentment seeing my Diana so wise so modest and so vertuous the other was of dispaire imagining and not without cause that if she had refused the amitie of so great a God much lesse would she make any reckoning or account of me And thus was I still troubled in my minde although so much was the affection which I bare vnto her as I had rather to haue â—ene quite void of all hope euer after then that she should haue committed so foule an offence For the rare constancie which she had shewed against the sollicitings and inticement of that God made me to looke more cranestly into the greatnes of the fault which she should haue committed then I had done before like vnto him that flinging himselfe into a large Riuer the more he wadeth in the water the more he thinketh of the danger he is in not dreaming of the same before This made me to admire her more then euer I had done in times past although I perceiued I was out of all hope to be affected of her Strange is the puissance and force that vertue hath ouer our soules we chusing rather to loue her without reward or recompence then to follow vice although we should be richly guerdoned for the same Most sacred is this diuine Goddesse we choosing rather to be afflicted for her sake then to cast our liking vpon vgly and deformed vice This then was the cause I loued my Mistris more then if she had tainted her honour with Apoâ—â—o and that afterward she should haue giuen me loue to haue enioyed my pleasure with her This made the Duke of Ithaca to esteeme more of the modest and bashfull cares of his chaste Spouse then of the voluptuous pleasures of wanton Circes With my soule did I reuerence my Diana being of conceit that I could not suffer too much for so admirable a creature for sweet is the trauâ—ile of braue and haughtie enterprises a vertuous man chusing rather to endure labour and gaine notorious praise then to be quiet and at case without any honour or commendation at all And thus spent I the tedious night which before I spake of thinking one while that my Mistrisse discoursed with me in most kinde manner shewing mee many excuses that shee had done no such hainous fact but that I had greatly wronged her to suppose she had committed the same An other while I
men sing when they are at point of death esteeming themselues right blessed for to die whereas the Louer not beloued againe butchereth and killeth himselfe running headlong into all dangers and as one furious looseth all patience and all good hopes to come Man endureth resolutely all other accidents of misfortunes which ordinarily happen vnto him but being plagued with Loue it rauisheth and bereaueth him of his vertue and valour and of his constancie and welfare Therfore is he more mighty then all other things which eyther descend from Heauen or proceed from forth the earth Mightie indeed must I needes say hee is quoth the Shepheard yet I esteeme him but as vnwise that maketh any account of vniust puissance Without Iustice kingdomes are but robberies and without reason the Gods also are but sinners and therefore vnworthie of that name If euery one were iust what neede should we haue then of Lawes and compulsions Doest thou make account of Loue because hee is strong and violent why so is the Sea tempestuous strong violent rough and of great power but are his waters as wholesome fresh sweet and good as are those of springs and lesser fountaines Knowledge is a glorie to him that possesseth the same in seruing himselfe wisely and discreetely but as hee maketh it a refuge for vice and a support to such wrongs and iniuries as he putteth in practise it is his vtter ruine and ouerthrowe Bad force for a time may compell to be obeyed but it is quickly gone the feare thereof also dying with the same where contrariwise Iustice purchased without compulsion to Signorise and dominere ouer mens soules is alwayes highly honored Nothing that is built vpon rigor can long endure the self-same force driuing forcibly away the first violence but Iustice neuer ouerthroweth the works of Iustice An Example for that they are vpright and worthy of life I confesse indeed not a little to my griefe that I am the slaue of Loue for sometimes a Prince hapneth to be the vassaile of a simple meane Captaine and in as much as men borne to suffer are bondmen by Fortune vassels of the earth God disposeth of them according vnto his owne will But the sick patient often blameth his discase which he feeleth imagineth to be little or nothing dangerous at all and yet neurethelesse cannot he rid himselfe of the same when hee fainest would The Beare for want of knowing his owne strength yeeldeth vnto a lesse force for man is perfect in knowledge yet because bee wants the right vse thereof hee is but as a burning Candle vnder a bushell And as for Loue my conceit is that yeelding vnto him I obey the least power that is in heauen or on earth And I am of an other opinion answered the olde man for I thinke it can no way turne vnto discredit to render seruice vnto him whom the greatest Gods deuoutly honour The Seruant ought not to scorne to attend vpon him to whome his Maister himselfe doth belong The Gods replied the Shepheard honored Loue whil'st he lent them his hand A Sentence and assisted them in their voluptuous pastimes Profit oftentimes is the cause that a man doth reuerence vnto such a one as he esteemeth to be a farre worse man then himselfe We cannot said the olde man tearme that thing lesse then our selues which hath power to command ouer vs And if wee be obedient vnto Loue then is he more diuine and great then wee our selues are Indeed replyed the Shepheard he is mightier in malice but leaude behauiour and mischieuousnes cannot be registred amongst the Catalogue of Famous enterprises Then is not he mightie that maketh men illustrious in this pointe but rather weake and of no reckening inas-much as puissance with the defect is as drosse and base trash and Vertue though it be poore is an eternall treasure And yet for all this answered the olde man the most learned erected Altars heeretofore vnto him enterprising more for his honor then for any other Celestial God whatsoeuer And wee being lesse wise then they wee cannot as I gesse much faile to followe their foot-steps The propertie of gold replyed the Shepheard is sometimes changed Suger now and then becommeth bitter and sower and the brightest day is often darkened with thicke clouds euen so the wisest now and then forget themselues yet their faults ought not to be as a warrant vnto the posteritie hereafter to come because that vice which the ministers of any vertue doe commit shall neuer be allowed of by her voyce the same being as personall and not publike The Sages then hauing erred wee must likewise needes acknowledge their offence which taxeth them for committing the same Yet in the meane time saide the olde man see how Loue is here noted to be ouer-powerfull and mighty seeing he forceth and compelleth the wisest to doe amisse Truth quoth the Shepheard but as out of a heapeof corne we make choyce of our wheate and leaue the cockle So of the actions and proceedings of most discreet persons wee should chuse the best and leaue the worst For as they are men they are subiect to erre and wander astray Vertue being alwayes a good president vnto vs but not vice In asmuch as such as follow the vertuous shall be commended where those that imitate the bad shall be as much blamed and condemned Well then my good Shepheard answered the old man let vs giue ouer from arguing any further about this LOVE recount vnto me the subiect of thy griefe the cause of this thy strange wandring or miserable exile amongst these solitary dwellings Ah my deare Father replyed Arcas more dangerous is the second sicknesse then the first it being of the selfe same qualitie and happening not long after and so cruell shall I finde my troubles in imparting vnto thee my misfortunes as I haue heretofore felt bloody the effects of the same Cease therefore to enquire of mee about that where of the remembrance alone killeth me to thinke therevpon For what good can it doe vnto the whole to demand of the diseased the cause of his sicknesse and what profit will it be vnto thee to heare me recite my drerie Fortunes No no rather doe I thinke it meetest to conceale them least I should prouoke men to exclaime against the Gods when they shall perceiue how partiall and vnnaturall they haue bene alwaies against mee Woe is me excepting my mischance euery maladie all paine and euery sorrowe haue their proper remedie The Eternitie of the Gods is not more sure then my haples disaster still to continue is most certaine It is far from the nature of all other diseases for that which healeth others woundeth me O Heauens what hope of health resteth for that miserable wretch who when he hath embraced all the wholsom Altars of the Gods is yet as vnfortunate as euer he was before But what is violent cannot by the course of Nature be long permanent And if it
and to shewe himselfe amongst the assemblie of diuers braue and valorous Knightes who all followed immortall Honor in quest And now hauing prouided euery thing fit for his iourney kissing his faire wife he taketh his leaue whilst with teares in his eyes he promised to returne as speedily as might be But alack A Sentence it is great folly for a man to giue his word or promise to perform any thing seeing he is a seruant vnto the will of the Heauens who may dispose of him as they best please Forwhat assurance can one build vpon the faith of a vassaile who wholly dependeth vpon the commandement of his Lord and can doe nothing at all of himselfe No more can men who are the slaues of Fortune the pastime of the Heauens and subiects vnto mortall miseries promise of themselues they not knowing what the Destinies will decree shall fall vpon them But now Alfonso being come vnto the Court his friendes entertained him with all Courtly compliments that might be as his vertues well deserued the same each Noble-man saluteth him most kindely thinking the Court not to be a little honored with the presence of so braue and valorous a Caualier Whilst he thus stayed attending the pleasure of his King Beholde there arriueth an Embassador from the Prince of Denmarke certifying the King of Spaine that his Lords wife was held as prisoner in a certaine part of his Realme desiring his Maiestie to command her to be rendered vnto him otherwise not to thinke ill of him if hee should doe his best endeuour for to recouer her againe by force of Armes Alfonso being present at this Embassage for it was all the Countrey ouer how hee came by his wife and therefore it was verily supposed that shee was the same woman which the Prince demaunded presently replyed saying that true it was that not long since he found a Ladie halfe dead which the waues of the Seas after shee had suffered shipwrack had driuen vpon the shore where hee inhabited and that afterward he married her with her owne consent and free will she hauing before assured him yea and which is more taking her oath vpon the holy Euangelists that she neuer betrothed nor promised herselfe vnto any other man liuing but himselfe Affirming that as the noble Gentlewoman was his true and lawfull Spouse so he was resolued to defend and keepe her against all such as should goe about to take her from him by force Vowing to be their death and vtter ouerthrow as most wicked enemies vnto the maiestie of sacred wedlocke The King hearing Alfonsoes answer and iudging his reasons to be both iust and tollerable returned back the Embassador with the foresaid speeches who deliuered them vnto his Prince assoone as he came home If the baser sort of people hardly support or beare any ruiurie and seeke not to hazard their liues to be reuenged for the same Then I referre it to your owne censures A Similie if this Prince being young in yeares of a hot mettall by nature valiant hardie of spirit and withall wonderfully amorous of the Ladie could endure patiently and pocket vp the Braua do of a simple Gentleman seeing no man whatsoeuer can receiue a greater iniurie than that which is offered him as touching his wife as well for the loue he beareth her which oftētimes engēdreth iealousie as also for the great desire he hath to encrease his stocke and familie Which was the cause that this youthfull Lord went about most rashly and vnaduisedly to set vpon the Spanish King to begin most foolishly to proclaime warre against him who quickly would haue ouerrunne all his countrie had not the Nobilitie of Denmarke crossed the same For they very wisely iudging that they were not able to incounter well so great an enemie and that their slender shoulders were too weake to support so great a burthen would by no meanes yeeld vnto his collericke and hastie motion who although he saw himselfe to be forsaken of his owne subiects yet for all that would he not giue ouer his first enterprise determining with himselfe to recouer his Mistris againe or else to loose his life Wherupon he sent another Embassador vnto the King to demaund license of him according vnto the auncient law of Armes that he might combat with him who detained his spouse so wrongfully from him to the ende the fortune of warre might determine and set downe which of them twaine should enioy her The King hearing this motiō entreated Alfonso to condiscend therevnto who knowing that with his credit he could not refuse it as willingly accepted thereof as the other earnestly did challenge him which the rather he did because he might hereafter quietly enioy his deare wife without any more quarrells The Denmarke Prince hauing intelligence that the combat was graunted determined with himselfe to trie the vtmost of his fortune although much against the mindes of all his Barrons and Noblemen But who can shut vp and inclose vertue force the waues of the Sea to stand still A Sentence or bridle the stately course of the Sunne Euen so what counsaile perswasion or wisedome are able to withhold loue who being turbulent and full of rage resembleth the furious mad man that dasheth his owne braines against the stonie wall Thus the Prince possessed with the spirit of loue taketh in hand the comb at against the aduise of all his Nobles and hauing prouided euery thing fit for that purpose arriueth at the Court of the Spanish King with a gallant troupe attending on him where he was receiued according vnto his greatnes and as his worthines well deserued Great was the desire that euery one had to see this Princely Dane who was famous for his chiualrie he being come so farre to trie the combat with his enemie to reuenge him of the iniurie which as he supposed was done vnto him Hauing a day of hearing appoynted him by the King he forthwith craued audience declaring openly vnto him the cause of his comming reaccounting the equitie of his cause pleading hardly for his right and in conclusion demaunded to haue Iustice On the other side Alphonso discoursing at large in his owne defence sheweth plainly what interest he hath in the Ladie protesting by the permission of his Soueraigne to maintaine this quarrell against all men liuing with the perill of his life At the last these two Caualiers not agreeing the combat is graunted vnto them but yet with this cōdition that the Ladie shall be the prize of the Conquerour and that the conquered shall neuer after make claime vnto her The day is appoynted the field chosen their armour prouided and Iudges substituted onely for this purpose The King hauing caused many scaffolds to be erected as well for himselfe as for his owne Nobles diuers other honourable strangers great was the concourse of people that were gathered together to see the euent and issue of this daungerous battell And now the time being come the
misfortune how lamentable the state of such Louers is that are barted and excluded from all good hope of obtaining their wish and desire The Nymph hauing so said sodainly departed running as swiftly into the woods adioyning as the light Hinde leauing the Shepheard all alone who was as much amazed at her speech as is the way-faring man when in his trauaile he seeth the Thunder-bolt of heauen to fall vpon some proud Rocke breaking the toppes thereof with his terrible flashie blow Long was hee not in this browne studie but that the olde man wonderfull earnest to vnderstand the discourse of his troubles came to seeke him whome hee thus beganne to accost There is nothing that is holden more reuerend eyther amongst Gods or amongst men as is the word of man which ought to be respected most religious amongst ones enemies themselues be the neuer so cruell or barbarous and which wee ought not to falsifie although it be for the least thinges in the world because it is the band which tyeth the societie and fellowship of men together which being dismembred would most foulie and confusedly perish were it not but in repect of the great regard that is had and held of the same I know thou hast not forgotten how thou hast plighted thy promise to report vnto me thy misfortunes and thy Loues Now doe I summon thee to performe the same praying thee that thou wilt not be the cause that this Desart beeing the habitation of the Nymphes be not defiled with infidelitie of speech For as the Gods will not alone be free and spotlesse from all vices but also cleane from suspition of the same so will they haue the like Ceremonies to be most orderly obserued amongst their sacred abidings where as yet neuer any fault lodged And if thou imeginest that this thy discourse will prooue iâ—kesome vnto thee then know that the breaking of thy faith ought to be farre more grieuous and that of two euils thou oughtest to chuse the least which is rather to endure the nouell apprehensions of thine olde sores then to violate thy pawned promise I will craue nothing at thy hands but what I will heereafter requite againe offering in recompence of thy kindnesse after thou hast done to discourse vnto thee the whole storie of my life to the end that if our Fortunes shall be found to be alike we may the better seeke the like remedie to helpe our selues Then courage Sonne plucke vp thy spirits so long dulled with sorrow made ouermuch sicke with sadnesse and almost massacred with extreame melancholie and beginne to recount thy Tragedie whilst I will listen vnto thee reporting of thy harde Fortunes in thy trauell The Shepheard somewhat rowsed with this earnest request replyed thus I cannot denie but what one promiseth he ought to performe and so meane I. Yet the debtor who hath giuen his faith and promise to paie his money at a certaine set day although he is willing to keepe his word yet will he not sticke to get a longer time for the tendering of the same if he can possible especialie if he want the meanes to satisfie his creditor vnto whom hee is bound A Piouerbe For it is an olde saying What is delaide is not vnpaide and such fruits as are longest attended and looked for are alwaies the better because they are of better rellish and more ripe then the others Then suffer my minde yet a little longer to be in quiet and make not my mortall wounds so soone to bleed freshly againe For as bloody cruell are the thoughts of a mans vnlucky chances as the memorie is sweet pleasing of his happy good fortunes To report the same anew is as much as to strike the wound againe because wee call them to memorie when they are in a manner halfe forgotten whilst Time it selfe that hath somewhat lessened them seemeth to complaine as it were that men are abused by his meanes Giue me therefore some longer respite kinde Father of these Nocturnall Abodes to bethinke my selfe better of this matter to the end I may haue space to take breath a little more being so lately come forth from so manie outragious Seas of extreame miseries The Sayler hauing escaped the danger of waters leaueth to giue ouer from working assoone as euer his Shippe is come into the hauen An Example without looking vnto eyther his Merchandize or his vessell for ease and rest is more sweete then any other thing in the world seeing for this rest man trauelleth all the dayes of his life hoping at the ende of his labours to finde the same Then giue me leaue I beseech thee some small while to be quiet and trouble not my minde with this vnwelcome busines otherwise in steed of consolating my paine I shall thinke thou doest aggrauate it the more and makest the same more bitter vnto mee Ah Shepheard answered the old man doest thou make account that the quietnes of a wofull wretch is troubled when one desireth to vnderstand his griefe that so hee may help and heale him the sooner Man as he is curteous and humane is afterwards more readie to doe goood then euill because he roweth in the selfe-same Boate that he doeth whom he seeketh to relieue being so much afflicted and for that a good turne doth neuer come amisse but is welcome at all times Thinkest thou that thy sorrowes shall waxe worser and worser A Sentence by reason of this discourse which I intreat thee to deliuer The sicke patient reuealeth his disease vnto the Phisition but concealeth his griefe to the end he may find remedie Why then wilt thou make aduersaries thy tongue and thy face For did thy speech faile thee as not being able to discouer thy paine yet should we plainely perceiue it by thy looks Satisfie thy tongue and thy countenance in what they seeme to desire and beginne not here in this strange Countrey to shift vs off with disloyaltie and dissembling Behold this houre most fit the time now scrues and this place is most apte and commodious for the purpose It is in vncoth Desarts where Louers vse to come to report their mishaps at large thinking themselues not a little fortunate when they can haue auditors to listen vnto them I will attend thee whilst this shade doeth inuite thee to performe what heretofore thou hast promised Then I pray thee dispatch to the end thou maist satisfie my mind which eueÌ„ as it were languisheth with meer desire to heare thee The Shepheard seeing himselfe so sharply vrged to keep his word not being able any longer to delay him or to put him off after hee had sent foorth a number of scalding sighes thus began his speech Scarse was I come out of mine infancie growen a stripling my chinne not yet bearing the mark of a man when Loue enrolled me for one of his band forcing me to loue before I knewe what liking meant wherevpon I beeing young in experience and lesse practised in
doeth sage Agamemnon whose disloyall wife cut his owne throate because she might the more safer follow her disordinate appetite O what a pernitious thing is this Loue how often hath it broke the plighted oath betweene man wife making them amorous of strangers and causing them to disdaine their nuptiall bed with base and filthie whoredome The good Emperour Marcus Aurelius remembred this but too too well who saw so often his wife ouer familar with so many and poor Sampson through loue was depriued of his strength and made a slaue vnto others that Sampson I say who was wont to conquer others and to make them become tributaries vnto him Againe what faith and trust is there to be reposed in Louers so cunning are they and so readie to break their promises and to sweare falsly that Iupiter iesteth and scoffeth at their protestations as one that thinketh they neither can nor ought to keepe them any longer then they list For if men now a daies be so basely giueÌ„ that they will strait yeelde vnto Loue and that the desire to enioy a little paltrie beautie or a little coloured complexion composde of white and red can make them to forget all dutie all promise and their owne good nature it selfe What then should hinder them but that they may loue in another place to endanger their Faith there to sweare and forsweare themselues againe For hee that once committeth one sinne will easily fall into diuers other more grieuous he that is knowne to be faultie in one thing A Sentence is reputed to haue offended in all the rest Besides so farre is Loue off from standing the learned in anie stead that it hindereth and ouerthroweth their learning for it is impossible for a learned man both to loue and follow his studie together because the minde cannot in one and the selfe-same time intend to hunt after diuers matters and for that the care which Loue engendreth hindereth a wise man in prositing himselfe at his booke and doeth withdraw him from the pervsing and reading of the same Againe if there be neuer so meane and little ascience in the world but is sufficient to imploy a mans whole life time and all his wittes therein and yet for all that it hath neuer bene found that any could euer sound the deapth of the same How then is it possible that a wise man should be able to follow both Loue and Learning to prooue excellent in both Nay then I will see farther and dare auouch that the malice of the Serpent not onely spoyleth and corrupteth the studie of the wise but also his condition and religion And that this is true great Dauid and his sonne Salomon can witnesse and the Iewes themselues whom the loue of the Moabite women which the trayterous King Balaac sent vnto them moued from the seruice of the true God making them become most wicked and abhominable Idolaters What greater mischiefe can happen vnto a man then to denie his God his faith his beliefe and his religion yea and therewithall to loose all his wisdome and authoritie If Loue then be the cause of so manie misfortunes vnto men and bringeth them with him vnto them is not he then the damnable author of our ruine our perpetuall paine and vtter ouerthrow heeis farre worfe then all the poysonous serpents of the earth yea then the Diuels of of hell themselues Not so quoth Coribant and therefore I pray you make a stop there for Loue is not of that bad nature neither is hee to be compared vnto such wicked creatures as you would haue vs beleeue for were it not for him whom you reuile so much neither you nor any man else could liue at all That which maintaineth all things and giueth life and force vnto them can that be teatmed an euill spirst So farre off is Loue from being such a one as he hath made the Fiendes of hell themselues milde and gentle when the faithfull Orpheus went downe thither to bring backe his deare espouse That which doth not vsurpe vpon publike honestie but hath respect vnto euery vertuous action may it be called an enemie of Nature Loue hath preserued both honor respect and vertue then why should anie blame him The sonne of Seleucus falling in loue with his stepmother chose rather to be brought euen vnto deaths doore then to declare as much as his passion for feare least he should haue offended the honor respect and the obeisance of a Father through the dutie of a louing Sonne There is no doubt but that man is to be commended highly who rather consenteth vnto his own death ruine and miserie then to commit a most notorious and vnnaturall fact Loue forceth the Louer to chuse rather to die A Sentence then to perpetrate any hainous fault Is Loue then the subiect of blame Loue resembleth wine which taken moderately and with measure nourisheth the bodie but being vsed too excessiuely it burneth and inflameth the same Euen so Loue being well and wisely applyed may bring much profit glorie as it did vnto the Romans Sabines who being ready to encounter and to kill one another they agreed so louingly as euer after they were but as one bodie or a Citie within themselues Indeed if it be ill imployed then I must needes say it may doe much hurt but it is the Louer himselfe that is in fault thereof and not Loue. The grape of the vineyard of it selfe is good and was giuen for a nourishment vnto man yet neuerthelesse man sometimes dyeth with taking ouermuch thereof but is this the fault of the grape or of him that abused the same Is there any precious treasure to be found throughout the compasse of the wide and spatious world that is to be compared vnto a loyall faithfull friend What happier contentment can there be betweene man and wife then chast and perfect loue The greatest blessing that euer Mithrâ—dates found in this life was his kinde wife that in all his troubles still did assist and accompanie him shee being attired in the apparell of a man and doing him all the serurce she could as if shee had bene the meanest of his ordinary followers Manie things are there bestowed vpon vs by the Heauens which of their owne natures are good and yet the malice of man doth alter them into a bad propertie As weapons with which they kill one another Fire wherewith they burne whole Cities and townes Gold with which vertue is corrupted and the cloake of Religion wherewith they couer their proud ambition with many such like Yet although these things are thus ill vsed and wrested by the corruption of man we must not therefore say they are bad of their owne selues but rather by reason of the malice of others Euen so Loue being perfect and good in his owne proper nature and of his owne selfe be abused and made worse through the default of men it is not he but they that are to be
much good fortune is not the best too much ill fortune is as bad the moderate and temperate being that which is the golden meane so this Damozell compoundeth her answere of sweet and sower nourishing the minde of her Louer as well with hope as with feare following herein the cunning Pothicarie who couereth his bitter Pill with gold all ouer And thus she answered vnto him I willingly confesse noble Lord Horatio that your worthie valour deserueth great commendations but though it be of great force against the enemies of the King yet bath it no power nor interest ouer me For although I highly prise it as euerie one else doth yet doe I farre more esteeme of mine honour and therefore perswade your selfe of this that in comparison of that I scorne the greatest things in the world be they neuer so pretious I most strange and monstrous is it for vertuous Maidens to loue whose liking ought to be tied vnto the good will of their parents and depending vpon their pleasures they can make no promise without their consents This maketh me to smile at you and to thinke such Louers to want their right wits that so foolishly follow in pursuite the loue of such Virgings as are wholy subiect vnto the disposing of their kindred For what good answere may they looke for to please themselues withall from such as cannot bestow themselues as they would And such an answere must I be faine to giue vnto you for that I cannot assure you for certaintie of any such thing as you defire For of my selfe I am no bodie but as it were vnder couert barne my good ill and my bodie being wholy in the possession and at the disposing of my gratious Ladie and Mistris the Queene and of mine owne Father my Lord Samperius Besides I so well like of a Virgins life which is not subiect vnto cruell Himen as I wish not nor willingly would giue it ouer to be come a Bond-slaue of a free-woman not forgetting that as long as men are woers they are seruants but no sooner haue they obtained what they would but then strait they become Maisters and Lords ouer vs. Againe I am not ignorant that they will not spare for faire speeches that they want not pithie perswasions and aboue all they will not sticke for golden promises But the old saying is that he that scoreth best paieth euer worst and great braggers are least performers of their words And me thinkes you do great iniurie vnto these beaue qualities in you to spend your time in courting a sillie damozell who cannot pleasure you when you might better employ the same to the great profit of your King and Countrie Then valiant Horatio follow the Warres againe and loose not your glorie and Honor through vaine and idle LOVE to the ende you may not be blamed neither I suspected to be the cause of your loytering heere at home without doing any thing as if I had pulled your Armour off from that warlike couragious and valiant bodie of yours And this perswade your selfe that the renowmed credit which shall come vnto you by your gallant venturous and braue exploits shall sooner winne mee to be yours then all the cunning traines that you can deuise by Loue to take me and that I make more account and estimation of them then of all the Oathes and protestations that you daily vse And this when you shall haue accomplished at the full and when my Father shall be returned from the Indies if it shall stand with the good liking of the King the Queene and him I then shall be well content and pleased to take vnto husband such a braue Caualier as yourselfe is and vntill then you shall pardon mee For as I am now so will I keepe my selfe whilst you in the meane time may studie how to shewe and make triall of the rare and admirable proofes of your vndoubted and inuincible courage and vallour But will you then sweete Mistris replied the Knight be euery way as good as your word and performe what you promise at this time That will I answered the Ladie as I am a true Maide Prouided alwayes that you take that vertuous course which I haue set downe vnto you accomplishing euery thing orderly and all obstacles and lettes taken quite out of the way by the consent of all my foresaid friendes It is enough said Horatio and I take your faire promise vpon which I will build as vpon a flintie Rocke assuring your selfe that ere long you shall heare some newes of mee Heerevpon kissing her daintie hand hee departed from her most luckilie performnig his promise O mightie LOVE not Ioue though mightiest God be bee Can bring to passe such wonders as are done by thee Horatio making all possible haste to be gone and prouiding euery thing necessarie for his iourney presently saileth vnto Saffin where hee atchieued many straunge and wonderfull enterprises ouer the Infidels in Affrica burning their Cities slaughtering their people and ouer-running all the whole Countrey Insomuch as his glorie euery day grew greater and greater he being now growne a terro vnto his foes and a great Honor vnto his owne Countreymen Which done hee commeth backe againe vnto Portugall whither also Sampeius the Father of Izabella was returned from the Indies who hearing such a generall applause of praâ—se giuen vnto Horatio began to affect him wonderfully whilst hee following his Loue businesse in chase so earnestly and with such good meanes as with the consent of all parties as the King the Queene and Sampeius himselfe the marriage betweene valiant Horatio and faire Izabella was concluded consummated and finished with the greatest pompe and most Princelike solemnities that might be Our Louers so entierly louing one another as they could scarcely abide to be one small minute asunder So rare and admirable was their loue as that of Priam and Hecu. ba was not the like Nor that of Scipio and Cornelia to be compared vnto the same Their two heartes were but one their two bodies but one minde and thought and their will and affection was all one without any difference at all In respect of their kindnesse let that of Seleucus and Stratonica be voyde and the rare fancie that was found to be betweene Vlisses and his constant Penelope there hauing bene neuer so earnest or ardent a kinde of affection as theirs was But what is too violent can not be permanent and firme Tempests and stormes the more furious and raging they are the lesser time they continue and endure Euen as that bodie is suddainely ouerthrowne and killed that is surprized with a most suddaine dangerous disease Meane while Horatio grewe euerie day in more fauour with his King then other In so much as not long after hee chose him Gouernour of Ansillies whither he must needs goe to keepe possession there O how sweete is Honour be it neuer so painefull vnto generous and couragious Spirits as vnto Hercules and to others They leauing all
afterwards discouered and appeare in his right forme and likenes The eyes of his Mistris onely seemed in his iudgement worthie to be marked and regarded although they resembled the Viper which as well hurteth as helpeth a man for no sooner did he gaze vppon them but that his soule swallowed downe a sweet poysonous potion feeling at one instant both pleasure and paine yet could not hee liue without approching neare this ardent Fire Although the nearer hee came vnto it the more by degrees hee consumingly both melted and wasted away Wherein he resembleth that sicke patient who doth nothing else but drinke and after he hath drunke findeth the drinke to double his griefe thoughout his bodie Had he had but the libertie of speech and might he haue bene bolde to haue vttered his minde hee had not endured halfe the torments he did but being preuented by vnhonest meanes and because hee was vnworthie to receiue anie succour or helpe hee was forced though much against his will to be silent and to hold his peace For ouermuch talke oftentimes doubleth a mans shame and hindereth him not a little His aime was at the marke which onely appertained to his Friend And like as the Theefe feareth to deliuer his minde vnto the Iudge because of the great desire he hath to commit some one Robberie or other Fuen so a Louer being in his conceits dishonest and quite repugnant to Honour dareth not but conceale the same as much as hee may to auoyd greater disgraces that may ensue for feare of further danger This was the cause that the sonne of Seleucus louing his Stepmother ouer dearely because he kept his mouth so close his lippes being sealed with the Signet of dutifull respect and lawfull Honour endured great torment lying at the point of death The hart of man being tainted with poyson dyeth soone vnlesse by some meanes or other the venome be cast forth and therefore most insupportable is their anguish and tortures who dare not discouer their hurts because they are vnworthie of helpe But what Who euer saw but that a Louer vaine Conceales his griefe nor dares bewray his paine And so did Picchio onely his heauie eye and sadde countenance supplied the office of his tongue by which he declared his minde by sighes though otherwise hee durst not And therefore it is a hard matter for those that loue constantly to conceale their passions doe they neuer set so hard and close a Bridle before their tongue for either the pale colour of their face either their sad and heauie countenance A Louer can hardly coÌ„â—cale his griefe either the teares that alwayes flowe from their eyes or else their continuall sighing and sobbing will discouer and bewray their affection for this passion is too terrible too vehement and too hote to be keptsecret without disclosing some signe or token of the violence thereof no more then fire can be hidde vnder the Ashes which neuerthelesse sendeth forth a heate Yea and sometimes a flame too This then was the occasion that Antonio was chaunged both in fauour and shape and yet notwithstanding these were not sufficient strong testimonies for the standers by to iudge that he was in Loue. Seldome or neuer is the Criminall condemned to die vppon bare suppositions or likely hoodes if neither his owne eyes haue giuen anie shrewde gesse or his owne tongue discouered his offence And yet this alteration of bodie in Picchio made euery one to wonder in so much as they were maruellously desirous to know the reason thereof for the nature of man is alwayes verie cur lous to heare of straunge matters delighting in nouelties and to vnderstand the seuerall euents and occasions of the same But to what ende should the Physition enquire of a sicke man the originall of his discase what it is and how it came if the patient be stedfastly resolued to die and will not liue Euen so it was but lost labour for those who did importune verie often poore Picchio to discouer where his most paine lay when he meant not to tell them For he had bene worthie to haue bene registred for a right Dolt indeed if he should haue made them acquainted therewith when they could doe him no good at all and who were so farre from helping of him as they sooner would haue brought poyson then Balme for his recurelesse wound O Tyraunous LOVE thou art not content alone to inflict vpon vs manie corrosiues and dolours vnlesse thou forcest vs also to commit manie villainous Actions making vs thy executioners by doing of which wee loose our whole contentments our honours and our liues Was not the anguish and agonie that haplesse Antonio endured sufficient to content thee but that he must needes perpetrate so hainous a deed as must cost him the life of her whom hee so dearely loued must cause her husband to die and make him to spill his owne heart blood and all to satisfie thee But it is a thing vsuall and ordinarie to see in thy Theater thousands of Tragedies of all sorts of murthers horrible Treasons and most damned villanies presented vpon the Stage before thee It is not as thou thinkest enough to haue life of one onely as those cruell Gods vsed to doe who demaunded men to be sacrificed vnto them but thou wilt haue manie to appease thy wrath that thou mayest be as it were drunke with their blood and grow fatte with eating and feeding vppon their flesh But to come to kinde Leander who seeing Picchio in this heauie taking began to condole wonderfullie with him for his sicknesse and as it were to participate and beare parcell of his paine crying out for the sorrowes of his friend But that which grieued him most of all was because hee could not learne of Antonio what the cause of his discontentment should be taking it passing vnkindely at his hands that hee would neuer tell him But had hee but knowne the minde of him hee had cut off manie wofull inconueniences which after followed But alas Men haue not windowes in their bodies that we may see into their harts and onely God aboue knoweth the secret thoughts of euerie one Priam thought that he had broke asunder the fatall threed of the destruction of Troy commaunding that Paris his owne sonne should be cast amongst wolues to be deuoured of them And yet good man he could not Danaus causing his owne daughters cut their husbands throats came for all this vnto that lucklesse ende which the Oracles of the Gods had fore-told him Astiages sought to murther and to make away Cyrus and neuerthelesse he dyed a wretched death as was before allotted vnto him Oft may Destinie be foreseene but neuer can it be preuented for what the Heauens decree against mortall men that shall happen vnto them let them seeke neuer so much to preuent it Leander was ordained before his byrth to haue this hard happe neither could his good Fortunes hinder it had hee sought neuer so much to auoyde the
same For can poore men with their weake feeble power The force of Gods crosse when they gin to lower The Titans those monstrous Gyants were blasted with Lightning and tumbled downe headlong into hell because they would pesume to encounter with the Gods And Tamirus and Marsius the one lost his eyes and the other his skinne because they dared to compare with Apollo and his sacred Sisters But neuer thelesse to beginne where wee left Although Leander often intreated sollicited yea and Coniured Antonio to make manifest the cause of his sicknes vnto him yet could hee not so much as get one word from him which made him so much the more disconsolate And yet to say the truth who would haue done but as Antonio did beeing in his case For to haue discouered the truth thereof vnto him had bene as if a guilty wretch should haue confessed his criminall misdeeds before the Iudge and to put himselfe into the hands of his vtter enemie hauing iust cause to be reuenged of him Meane space Leander after his olde wont taketh on and lamenteth that he hath not that kinde interest in his friend as before hee thought he had had Crying out that hee loueth him not For otherwise hee would not let to haue disclosed a greater matter then that vnto him For saide he weeping vnto Antonīo Perswade thy selfe deare friend that I will spend my heart blood to doe thee good and neither shall any meanes be left vnsought for to helpe thee so I may but onely knowe the cause of thy maladie Thou knowest thy well-fare is mine thy sicknesse my sorrow and that as long as thou art ill I cannot be well at ease Why then thou that art the sweetest part of mine owne selfe shouldest thou thus deferre to reueale thy discontentment vnto him who is thine owne sworne brother and who cannot be content as long as thou art thus displeased Now good now doe not delay any longer but let me know thy minde since I am grieued as much as thy selfe to see thee in this most grieuous taking Truely truely if you doe keepe this still thus from me I cannot chuse but thinke you are no perfect nor true friend indeede for no fortune bad or good ought to part such as knit in true frienship and loyall affections bands and they ought to be partners as well of weale as of woe Then why shouldest thou doubt me or be thus strange vnto me haue you seene or marked any thing in me that might make thee conceit mee not to be the same man towards thee that I haue bene of yore Or doe you imagine that I am not as willing to take part of your bad fortunes as in former time I haue bene to be acquainted with your good If you thinke so hardly of mee I protest you doe me the greatest wrong that may be No no one friend must not conceiue sinisterly of another neither mistrust him without vehement and most apparant presumptions but must alwayes iudge the best rather then imagine the worst no more then one ought to condemne him that is vertuous and honest vnlesse there be apparent proofe and restimony against him of the same The affection that is betweene two friends is so sacred and religious of it selfe that there is no sense why any should take exceptions against it as long as it sheweth no contrarie effects but such as be worthy of all commendation and praise If thou thinkest that to recouer thy health or to purchase some comfort for thee it lyeth in my power and that I haue that which may doe thee good then hast thou the more reason to demaund it freely For rightly may hee be counted but a counterfeit friend that will not employ the vttermost of his power to helpe his friend and the rather for that true friends indeed reioyce and are not a little proude when there is any occasion giuen them to engage themselues or what they haue for to profite one another For as a learned Scholler desireth nothing more then that his learning may be knowen abroade in the world so a sure friend doth not couet for any thing so much as to render some assured testimonie of his infallible friendship vnto his best beloued friend Then doe not smoother this thy griefe within thy selfe but make me acquainted therewithall Otherwise thou wilt induce me to haue this opinion of thee either that thou doest hold me for thine enemie or else that thou art no right friend vnto me and therefore iudge of me by thine owne selfe Although these speeches were vttered with great earnestnes and with a most hartie affection yet could they not worke any thing at all in the minde of Antonio As the wilde Boare sitting vppon his tayle standeth stoutly in his owne defence against the dogges not stirring once as much as one foote from his first place now tearing one Brache and then shaking in pieces another euen so Antonio Coneealeth still within his brest his paine Nor but to Mistris his will tell the same But the meanes how to discouer it vnto her he knoweth not much lesse how to finde occasion to breake his minde vnto her O how hard a matter is it to doe ill and when wee haue done it to conceale the same whereas the behauiour and carriage of the well-meaning man is safe and sure not vnlike a common beaten way that is easie to be found But now Leander looketh for an answere of Antonio who could not chuse but that he must needs answere him and answer him he did but God knoweth in such manner and with such simple and bare excuses as Leander perceiued too plainely that the young Louer meant not to acquaint him with that which troubled him so much which was the reason that for that time hee gaue ouer to importune him any more and the rather for that his conscience told him hee had done what he could to the vttermost of his power as much as did belong vnto him For when one hath offered vnto his deare and beloued friend as much as in him lyeth to hinder or crosse and keepe backe some inconuenience that is like to happen vnto him although he cannot bring what he would to passe yet is it farre lesse griefe vnto him then if the pretended mischiefe had come and he had offered no kindnesse at all vnto him because we beeing mortall creatures are not able to cope with the Gods whose wills it is it should be so and to be ouercome by them after we haue done to the vttermost of our strength and power is not a cause why wee should chafe or stomacke thereat in as much as wee are subiect vnto them and the rather because we are made and formed by them But now Antonio his discase increaseth daylie more and more hee taketh no rest nor can he eate or drinke his colour is earthly and his face is pale and leane The day he spendeth in sighing and the night in sobbing whilst his eyes looke
euery word she spake was as a stabbe of a Poinard giuen him at the hart He feareth to speake what might make his wound worse and doubteth as much least he should displease the Ladie who as he thought might perhaps enquire the cause thereof because she would heale it The fit opportunitie he had made him to think that it were best for him now to lay open his minde or else neuer thinking that when he would he should not finde so apt a time againe and now againe a new toy taketh him in the head perswading him to remit and referre this busines vntill another day but then by and by he condemneth himselfe as vnwise that hauing spent so much time to finde this commoditie and now at the last hauing gotten it he goeth about to leaue it In the end being vrged still by the Gentlewoman to resolue her of her doubt and seeing that he could not well be rid of her vnlesse he did satisfie her in what she demaunded he determined whatsoeuer should come of it to breake this Ice and to bewray his Loue vnto her whereupon with a sad countenance and often faultring in his voice he thus began Faire Mistris I was in good hope that my often sighing with my heauie and perplexed countenance had bene sufficient to haue bewrayed the sorrow that galleth my heart without of hauing had any neede to pleade for pittie vnto you with my mournfull tongue But seeing it pleaseth you that my speech shall deliuer what my heart gaue my troubled countenance in charge I thinke it but reason so to doe it being the command of her who is the cause of this my wofull martyrdome I know I doe but sow my seede vpon the salt sea shore and that I lay my nets although in vaine to catch the windes and yet had I rather to depriue my selfe of all comfort and ioy then displease you and send you away iustly incensed against me He that hath deuoted himselfe vnto the seruice of any woman will shew all dutifull respect that may be vnto her will haue great regard that he offend her not will rather endure any punishment in his owne person than moue her whom he vowed to adore with all reuerence Seeing then you haue so earnestly commaunded me to open vnto you the very secrets of my soule and the first causes and originall of all my trouble I will condescend vnto you and most faithfully deliuer the same without keeping backe any thing from you at all Knowe then sweet Ladie that your diamond eies haue bene the torches that hath first lightned this fire your beauties haue bene the Fewell and your courtly behauiour the bellowes to kindle the same You onely haue made the wound and if you list may heale it and from no other but from your selfe am I to seeke comfort for the wounds of Loue are healed by the selfesame dart that made them as the Scorpion doth who is of power to helpe such whom he before hath stung Iudge then I beseech you in what a pittifull plight I am and what great cause I haue to curse and bewaile my hard disaster For what hope to recouer my selfe of this daungerous disease haue I and how is it possible for me to obtaine that for which so much I wish Alas I know not I and yet Mirrha ioyned her desire although it were incestious with her owne Father And Passiphae Queene of Candio had her pleasure of a Bull quenching by that meanes her vnhonest heate But I poore wretched Caitiffe how may I purchase that which so faine I would except your fauourable grace take compassion vpon me in vouchsafing vnto my deadly sore that comfortable remedie lying in your hands which onely is offorce to make me well Then what should I vse so many words or trouble you with so tedious a discourse Onely this I will say that I hate mine owne selfe because I would loue you assuring your selfe that my life shall as soone be conuerted into ashes as my soule is likely to be burned through the fire of Loue vnlesse you cast this necessarie water vpon it to quench the heate thereof putting my dying heart in securitie of some good hope to come I am bold deare Mistris to be thus plaine with you because I am resolute and haue set vp my rest to chuse one of these two waies either that of death as soone as you shall pronounce the sentence of deniall vnto me or that of life if I shall finde you readie and milde to ease me of my paine Thinke then as you please of this my speech and censure of me as you shall best like here I stand before the barre of your beautie expecting either life or death the one being as agreeable vnto me as the other and although I must needs tell you that it shall be farre greater glorie for you to saue me than to cut me off before my time Antonio hauing deliuered his minde in this desperate kinde of manner made the Gentlewoman so amazed to heare such an occasion vnexpected from him as she scarce knew where she was Her speech was gone pale earthly was her sight A stone not liuing creature seemd she right But being come vnto her selfe againe she began to curse within her selfe her foolish ouer hardines in that she was so earnest and inquisitiue to know of him the reason of his discontentments when it concerned her nothing at all doubting least if any disgrace should happen about the same all the blame should be laide vpon her How to replie vpon the sudden she knew not and whilst she was musing what she might doe she began to hate him deadly wishing vengeance to light vpon him for presuming to court her with such shamelesse impudencie Now whilst she stood thus bethinking her selfe of the matter Antonio straitway imagined it was for his good that she delaied so long to aunswere him but he found the contrarie too soone for in the meane time she remembred her owne honour and chastitie and the great friendship her husband had shewed though vndeseruedly vnto this traiterous friend of his which so incenst her with iust rage and choller as she began to take vp my Gentleman in this sort How now sir what is this you say dreame you or are you well in your right wits What signe or likelishood of vice or dishonestie haue you seene in me that you should thus proudly sollicite and importune me to dishonour my selfé and my kinde husband who loueth you farre dearer then his owne selfe was there euer any so bold to attempt an enterprise so difficult and hard as this is which thou goest about without he had bene assured before by some gesse or other that he might bring the same to passe I thinke none but thy selfe But tell me I pray you Antonio what notice or testimonie of lightnes haue I giuen vnto the world at any time that you should dare thus immodestly to accost me Goe to your Minions and
an other mans vice but on the contrarie our neighbours error must serue vs in steed of a darke night wherein during the same to kindle our owne vertue must shine bright instructing our selues by his famous example as the ancient Spartaines caused their slaues to be made drunke to the end that their children might hate wine by the brutish and dishonest actions they sawe these base creatures commit being possessed with this liquor It is a foolish conclusion to say that if my neighbour be a foole I must therefore become insensate and set fire on my owne house because I see my neighbours on a burning flame It is rather requisite that an other mans doing be beneficiall vnto vs and that the vice of our neighbour reforme our owne and not make vs to offend like himselfe For vertue would be imitated and vice auoided To maintaine that no man can be constant and resist Loue were to erre grosely For Alexander amidst his great victories delights and conquests performed it Demosthenes refused the Loue of Lais louing ten crownes better then the enioyance of her This wise and graue Philosopher I say whom she could neuer set on fire either by her wanton enticements amorous lookes or her beautie so renowmed so that she thought him an insensible stone and not a man You should in this doe iniurie to modest Scipio who being conquerour of all Affricke religiously abstained from the loue of a woman And a thousand others haue liued free from this misfortune which you may not rightly place in the number of offenders For their fault obscure not the excellent glorie of the vertuoâ—â— and drawe not from their offence matter of opprobrietie against the wise It will be greater honour vnto you to see wise men in name offend and your selfe free from fault then if you erred after the example of some simple creatures Oh Shepheard replied Arcas I denie the foundation of your argument for I will not confesse that it is a fault or crime to loue and iudge Louers no lesse wise then those that haue not loued at all for he may iustly be said to be peruerse and an offender whose offence procureth publike dammage but so farre of is a Louer from preiudicing men that quite contrarie he profiteth them greatly The Louer like the prodigall man iniureth none but himselfe he onely beareth he onely endureth he onely suffereth but from his torment ariseth mortall glorie to the subiect he loueth for was there euer Ladie faithfully by her seruant beloued that did not both honour and sing forth according to the abilitie of his inuention her excellent and rare vertues What can mortall men desire more deare and precious then to see themselues honoured and made immortall to future ages the which Louers fauoured by the Muses may make their Ladies and Mistresses That great King of Macedon thought he not Achilles happie to haue bene set forth and commended by Homor and all great personages haue they not desired the like honour Not to be moued with the passion of glorie is to be brutish and without feeling or not to be stirred vp with a desire to make ones name liuing after death is a signe of a base and boorish minde They to whom the heauens haue not imitated either Art or Learning to attaine to this glorie by writing seeke after it in buildings or other rare workes of great charge and expence which continue for some time but not so long as bookes But it is certaine that the Muses hauing taken Loue in a snare of flowers would say nothing else but crowne this God with greene garlands acknowledging that they should be nothing without him who giueth them vttrance power breath to set forth their verses in despite of time it selfe For neither the greatnes of gifts nor of feare nor the hope of rewards nor threatnings could neuer make a learned Poet write well of any one if he doe not loue and affect him but on the contrarie onely Loue will make him speake better of those whom he shall loue simply without hope of reward then of those whom he loueth not and yet expecteth from them some recompence Questionlesse without Loue many excellent bookes which are made in the honour of men would be yet to doe a thousand other noble Acts which now through him be apparant to the eies of men Commendable therefore are Louers and more then any other sort of men at least they loose not time nor consume it not in doing nothing Oh Godhead replied Coribant but on the contrarie a thousand euils haue proceeded from Loue The ruine of Troy may verifie this and a thousand other testimonies I but quite otherwise replied Arcas Loue stood the Troyans in steed for he sent them the meane to kill Achilles reuenging the death of their Princes he being dead they in such a sort weakened the enemies Campe that without Treason Troy had neuer bene subiect to the Greekes But what hath Loue to doe with the Treason of men as long as he is not the cause thereof And yet the selfelame Loue replied Coribant was it not the cause of the death of modest Hipâ—olitus who was pittifully slaine by the vniust dealings of his wicked Stepmother Nay rather quice contrarie aunswered Arcas he was the occasion that he was made immortall he being raised from death vnto life againe by the cunning of that learned Esculapius who could neuer haue done him so great a good turne vnlesse he had first tasted of death through Loue. But what say you then quoth Coribant vnto Loue which forced Tarquin to offer violence vnto the castitie of Lucres being the cause of so great a mischiefe It was an occasion replied Arcas rather of a maruellous good turne by reason it was the cause of libertie of the Romances with the vtter ruine ouerthrow of their TyraÌ„ts and Lucretia dying in that order as she did was she not most fortunate and happie For doth not such a one die happily who as Codrus by his death preserueth his countrie making the same through his losse to be fortunate afterward And yet the verie same Loue said Coribant was the Author of the cruell perishing of Piramus and Thisby they hauing but a sorie guerdon for their so constant affection which the one bare vnto the other Is he not then bloodie minded and cruell No truely replied Arcas for what more sweet and pleasing kinde of death could they suffer than they did And had it not bene a thousand times better that one of them should die with the other thaÌ„ to be separated diuided seeing the Louer that loseth his Mistris or that Ladie that hath lost her seruant liue not at all but rather languish And yet still the same Loue was it said Coribant which vrged the daughters of Minos to betray their aged Father giuing instructions vnto Theseus how to slay the monster and to get out of the Labyrinth when he had done Why and the same Loue answered
whence on amorous sweet fire Did send forth sighes children of Care begotten through Desire Her slender Middle like a Spanne did shewe her waste so small Which who so lookt on as he lookt he languisht therewithall Next was that place Alas that of that Place I may not showe Vnworthie we such Mysteries and such rare sights to knowe Her hands were white as Whale his bone so matchelesse was her foote The first whereof were Arrowes which Dan Dupid vsde to shoote Then such this wonderous Beautie was of this faire Shepheardesse Who many a Shepheards hart did chaxm wroght them much distresse Her name was FLORA FAIRE surnam'd well worthy of that name And worthie was that name of her so glorious was her Fame Her exercise and vse as then was bout the Fields to walke And chiefest pleasure which she tooke in shadowy Groues to stalke Whilst as her harmlesse flocke did feede about them she did sing Full merilie some pleasant Round which made the woods to ring For spitefull LOVE as yet had not his malice gainst her bent Nor had he yet through his deuise spoylde this worke excellent Free was shee from a Louers life from amorous annoy With libertie most pleasantly her youth she did enioy But soone this humor for to change she gainst her will was forc't Compeld to Loue from her hearts ease poore soule she was diuorc't For by her dwelt a goodly Swaine that did increase her care A valiant Shepheard gallant and louely as she was faire Borne on the selfe-same day that she into this world was borne And subiect by the selfe-same chaunce vnto this fatall storme Hight NV MIDOR he cleaped was both affable and kinde So courteous and so debonnaire as like you could not finde In feature shape and comelinesse Adonis he did passe And if hee did not him exceed his equall sure he was Each morning when the breake of day began for to appeare He vsed to accompanie his FLORA loued deare Vnto the Meadowes with her Flocke and there with her would chat In friendly wise as they did walke of this and then of that And afterwards they both would set them downe or in some shade Of some thicke Pinetree or by Foord which trickling murmure made There would he cate of vittailes hers and she on his would feed Whilst what they had emongst themselues as common they decreed When any sport commenced was mongst Shephear as she was found The first that led the Daunce with him and he began the Round No sooner was it night but they together home did goe And in franke manner one of th' other Gifts vsde to bestowe These pretie sports were but a light as t' were more strong to tie And to begin to binde them in more perfect Amitie And yet this plaine and simple kinde of Courting though plaine stuffe To set their harmlesse harts on fire too much t' was and enough Since LOVE we see engendred is only by looks and speach And so continueth through the same beyond all humane reach This was the cause that manie woes they did endure Of Friends they loyall Louers did become most firme and sure As both their Birth-dayes were but one so was their Loues but one Equall they in affection were and loue they did alone One minde there was betweene them both two bodies but one soule One Conquerour both of their harts and fancies did controle What one did wish the other would alike was their Desire If th' one did burne through heate the other did feele as great a fire If th' one did send forth pittious plaints with many a drery teare The other for to waile with sighes and sobbes did not forbeare No loue like hers so passionate so loy all ere hath bene Anchises loue with Venus faire so constant was not seene Nor Pyramus may I compare vnto these Louers true Although so deare his Dame hee lou'd as that himselfe he slue In euery Rocke and Tree they did ingraue the houre and day In which LOVE cunningly had wrought to bring them to his bay In midst of Groues and thickie Woods cut in the tender kindâ— Of Okes and Elmes these Louers names engrauen you might finde Whilst as they romed here and there a thousand Songs they sung To make them to forget their paine fierce LOVE them so had stung The louely Shepheard Sonnets made in honor of his Dame And in her presence sung them oft presenting her the same Which she accepted gratiousty whilst with hote sighes from hart She shewde how he grieu'd not alone but that she bare a part And thus long time both comfortlesse did comfort one another Long time this secret Fare hid close in bosome they did smother Whilst in some sort the heauens did seeme their actions to allow And LOVE made show as good what so they did for to avow Bin weladay what mortall thing can euer lasting bee When they themselues must once decay and vnto ruine gree When Fortune enuicus of our good such interest hath and power That he can alter our delights and pleasures in an hower No maruell then though that sweet life of these two Louers in aine He topsie turme turned quite for pleasure bringing paine As you behold a stately Oke in growth surpassing prowde Vnder whose shade of late the Plants were glad themselues to shrowde Whose cooly leaues and braunches greene greatst Conquerors doth scorne Vpon their helmets and their Crests most brauely to haue borne Vpon the suddaine through mischance with Thunder sirucke as the Whilst blasted with the Laghtning flash his head doth lye fall low His scorchea leaues look black and swarth his verdure all is gone The Tree it selfe shewing like a Truncke a Blocke or barea stone No sappe or iuyce remaines therein but dead it seemes to bee Nor former glorie of his greene you anie more can see Euen so by malice most vniust through Fortune full of strife Of these two Louers happie-once did end the pleasant life The iealous heauens repining that they thus should liue on earth Exempt from canes Death sent to them to stop their vitall breath Death did they send as messenger to sommon them from hence And for to bring the same about they wrought a false pretence This which we LOVE call which two harts makes one in loyall wise The same vow'ae to the other oft makes deadlyest Enemies Of cold and freezing iealousie the Author first be is Whose sweetnes sowrest miserie to follow doth not misse Nor euer hath there any thing as yet in him bene found But what with griefe and wretchednes thicke swarming doth abound His preasures like are vnto spoyles or like an Aprill showre Which is no sooner come then goue nor any while doth dure That this is too too true I vouch Aenone she it prou'd And dolefidl Dido who did die because one-much she lou'd Achilles felt his furie fierce when he Polixena Did sue to haue whose witching-face was cause of his decay Then of these faithfull Louers twaine
offer violence vnto her honour For as that woman is not to be excused who at the earnest praiers of her Louer suffereth that goodly Flower to be slipt wherein consists her reputation and credit so cannot shee chuse but be blamed who seeketh the vtter ruine and ouerthrowe of such as chastly honour her without impeach of honour So doeth Arcas loue thee and why then doest thou force him to make away himselfe Cruell is the wrong that one receiueth of his friend but farre more piercing is that which commeth from a mans owne selfe seeing none can be greater friendes vnto vs then our owne selues Be not then the cause that this poore wretch should massacre himselfe least it be hereafter cast in thy teeth that thou hast slaine him which if thou doest it may fall out with thee as it did with proud Narassus who dyed falling in loue with his owne selfe after he had disdained the friendship of diuers faire and curteous Nymphs But I will say no more for thou art wise and to such fewe words are sufficient thou art faire and therefore I hope wilt not be oner froward and thou art religious which maketh mee perswade my selfe that thou wilt haue a conscience especially in a matter of so great importance as this is Thus did the pittifull Orythâ—a pleade for me against her owne selfe willing is she to die so shee may saue my life not caring what sorrowes she endured so shee could rid me from out my troubles Diana hauing heard her was readie to make answere for they that are faire spoken and can speake with discretion haue alwayes the best and readiest wittes and so had shee Mercury lodging in her tongue and purest houie dropping from out her mouth Harke then how wisely she replyed If any man vexed with a furious spirit shall without beeing proucked or vrged by any other then by their owneseluâ—s ruâ—ne wilfully vnto death can any be blamed for the same but onely their owne selues Or is it reasonable that such as be guiltlesse shall be punished and answere for the faults that others commit Iuno is the occasion of the plagues that that luxurious Ixion endureth and yet it was his owne offence that was the cause thereof and not she her selfe If these vaine and fantastike Louers who are weakened in their right wittes through Cupid shall murther and make away themselues are therefore those Ladies vnto whome they offer their seruice the cause of their ruine and ouerthrow Hee onely rightly may be called the author of mischiefe who either hath done it or hath caused it to be done But women doe they force men to loue them and doe they compell them in despite of themselues to deuote themselues vnto them What they doe they doe of themselues and through their owne follies doeth this madnes proceed and therefore who is the cause of their vndoing but their owne selues If the enuious person dieth for very griefe and rage of minde because he seeth his neighbour prosper and doe well who but himselfe is the occasion thereof None forceth any man to loue And so no woman ought to be vrged to loose that which is as pretious vnto her as her owne life which is her honour to satisfie and please such who through their owne vainnesse and mecâ—e fondnesse shall worke their owne hurt and decay That desperate wretch that drowneth himselfe is hee to thanke any other then his owneselfe for his drowning And say that Shepheard of whom thou talkest should die through his owne peeuish sollie think you that â— feare least the world would count me to be the cause thereof or that I shall be blamed in that he hath done amisse I warrant you no For I neuer brought him into this narrow straight which if hee follow it is his owne fault and not mine Besides to say I seeke to couet or to be the cause of his death you doe me wrong for I delight not in crueltie the contentment and well fare of another being as deare vnto mee as mine owne health Yet neuerthelesse this I must tell you that I would be verie loth hee should liue to be so hurtfull vnto mee as to destroy the goodly building of mine honor which being once ouerthrowne can neuer be repaired or built new againe That hee liue I most heartilie wish but yet with the conseruation of my good name fame For otherwise I desire vengeance to light vpon him as on my most mortall foe although I will neuer be but a friend vnto his chaste Amitie prouided alwaies that he giue sufficient testimonies it be such by his good carriage modest behauiour For I am not so ignorant but that I knowe pure and chaste Loue to be a most diuine and beautifull Vertue and the honest affection of right generous and Gentlemanlike spirites to be commendable and prasse-worthie seeing they are of power to make famous our memories for euer All Portraitures Tables Counterfaites and Pictures soone loose their colours and decay be they neuer so excellently well drawne quickly are they spoiled and soone doth Time deuour them No Picture of Achilles now remaineth yet his praise doth through Homers Muse None of Alexander the great although both Apelles and Lysippus two exquisite Painters had often drew him And yet although their famous works be consumed and gone the braue writings of Quintus Curtius blazoning forth the life of this mighty Monark liue and flourish Neither is the verse of Virgil dead ringing out the vertues of AEneas although the counterfaites of that Troyan Prince be all turned vnto dust And so if that Arcas be yet aliue I wish he so may still continue thy onely intreaty and request being of force to command more of mee then this seeing it is thy pleasure he should be entertained But if he will so vnaduisedly rashly and so foolishly offend his owne selfe I heere wash my handes as cleare from this matter protesting heere before all that I am innocent of his death because I neuer gaue him any such occasion of discontentment If perchaunce he haue found me that I haue not bene so curteous nor so affable vnto him at one time as I haue bin at an other Or if that I haue looked more heauy sad now and then then I haue vsed to doe heretofore Thinketh he therefore that he hath iust reason to lay all the blame vpon me as if I had bene she that was the Author of his ouerthrow If so he is deceiued For our bodies which are subiect vnto the influences of the celestiall Signes are either ioyfull or sadde according vnto their motions This being the cause that when we meet by fortune with one of our acquaintance and hee is as then troubled with many thoughts in his mind or some bad celestiall Planet is predominate ouer him wee then by his sower countenance would take him for our enemie but no sooner is his humour past and gone from him but hee is our good friend againe
will neuer suffer any iniurie to be done vnto that which it loueth neither can it rightly be termed Loue but rather furious rage if it be cause of any such wrong But I pray thee tell me what is it that thou wouldest haue of me wouldest thou that in sauing thee I should vtterly vndoe my selfe or wouldest thou haue that thy contentment should be built and founded vpon the ruines of my discontentments and dishonour I cannot tell neither know I what thy meaning is and yet this good conceit haue I of thee that I am perswaded thou harborest no such bad thought within thee and therefore let me intreate thee that thou wilt be content since I grieue at thy distresse and that I would most willingly ease thee of thy paine if possible I could so it did not stand with the losse of mine honour Then if thou louest mee I doe not thinke thou wouldest suffer me to endure such an inestimable dammage Consider well of this matter and thou shalt finde that I can no way pleasure thee as thou desirest and as I my selfe couet vnlesse I would ouerthrow my estate for euer Of two euils the least is to be chosen It is farre better to cure a little hurt betimes then standing obstinate therein permit the same to grow to be incurable and so to die Therefore shew now the loyall affection which thou hast alwaies protested to haue borne me insatisfying thy selfe with these mâ—â—e honest reasons without seeking any more by sauing thâ— selfe to be the cause of my fall and vtter ruine but if this will not content thee then must I needs 〈…〉 lust and not modest Loue that is in thee and that as a â—â—orcalleneâ—ne thou â—â—â—est about to vndoe me and therefore haue great cause to feaâ—e thee vnto thy rash 〈…〉 without going about to excuse me vnto thee any way but to flie from then as from a deadly foe Hauing so said she held her peaâ—e seeming to be much troubled in her minde as I might casily gather by her colour which did often goe and come in her face and yet these speeches so much pleased me as I was confounded therewithall as I knew not what to say Neuer was that alluring song of the daughters of Acholous more charming neither the loue potion of subtill Circes more swept and pleasant then that was No heart were it neuer so hard but her tongue was able to mollifie it being of power to take downe and make gentle the proudest minde that euer man bare And now I made account I was sufficiently satisfied for all my trauailes past and that I had a full and large recompence for all my former aflictions in that it had pleased my Ladie to conâ—â—â—â— my meaning with so great fauour whereupon I presumed to replie thus vpon the suddaine Vertuous and peerlesse Diana what testimonie haue I euer giuen you and how haue I euer carried my selfe towards you but that my Loue was alwaies chaste and modest If so why then should you now mistrust me Alas if I be now chaunged my miseries being so wretched as they are and that you thinke I am worse then I haue bene why then doe you not quickly pronounce the sentence of Death against mee without permitting me to liue any longer No no my desires were neuer others then thine Neuer did I thinke to disobey thy commandements nor offer iniurie vnto thine vntainted honour rather shall this bodie of mine be swallowed vp by wilde and sauage beasts and thinke not I beseech you otherwise of me but that I would take reuenge vpon mine owne proper selfe for your honours sake if through my default it should happen to receiue the least hurt or dammage that may be Nay should I goe about but to crosse thee in thy will and not doe as thou biddest I should thinke the worse of my selfe as long as life shall last whilest liuing so I would commit it no life but rather worse then death it selfe Sufficient enough and too much am I pleased for my paines enough am I recompenced for my trauailes and am satisfied at the full for all my labours past seeing thou hast so much vouchsafed to abase thy worthy selfe in striking a Saile so lowe as to speake to me so much thine inferiour Onely this onely small boone let me intreate of thee which by thy facred Vertue by thy rate prudencie by thy excellent wit and by thine exquisite beautie I shall desire thee not to denie that is to giue meleaue to kisse thy faire and victorious hand which shall content me as much as if I were Monarch of the whole vniuersall world the remembrance whereof shall make the rest of my daies to proue most happie and fortunate Aduise you then if this my prayer be iust and ciuill which if it be so then graunt me so much grace But if not thy will be fulfilled thy pleasure be done and thy desire be accomplisht euery way It is the first that euer I begd and it shall be the last that euer I will craue Thus did I boldly put forward my selfe vrging my Mistris with great vehemencie for the same who stood still studying vpon the matter a while whilest she blushed like the damaske Rose in May I in the meane time houered betweene hope and scare halfe dead and halfe aliue to heare what she would answere who in the end replied thus Ah Shepheard how easie a matter is it to finde a small thing that may hurt much and how quickly may we obtaine and purchase that which hapneth most to our displeasures afterward This naturall appetite of ours which inuiteth vs to desire so many things which we imagine to finde sweet and pleasing passeth away as doth a flash of lightning in the aire leauing vs neuer a whit the richer nor the more contented then we were before What profit doth that pleasure bring vnto Louers which they so earnestly couet to enioy but a most heauie and sad repentance when it is once gon and past Things that are vertuous ought to be desired alone because they last and not such as are mortall weake and fraile although they seeme sweet at the first beginning This which thou demandest of me will doe thee no good and though perhaps thou supposest thou shalt feele some shadow thereof yet will it so soone vanish and be gone as thou shalt not haue leisure to haue so much as a true tast thereof Ah Arcas Arcas diddest thou but know how much this honour is recommended vnto vs what great care and heed there is giuen vnto vs to accompanie it and how much we are bound and obliged to looke most narrowly and straightly vnto the same I verily belieue thou wouldest not wish me that I should breake the least duetie belonging vnto the conseruation thereof not for all the liuing in the world But perhaps thou wilt say it is very true and yet I answere that he that offendeth in any small matter is suspected to be culpable of greater
he admires her faith he doth adore As sacred he doth honour her and likes her chast loue more He could not â—â—st nor rightly giue a gesse which did surmount Of these two so â—re qualities in her if so great count Her beautie faire or wisedome graue which most did her aduance He was with them so ravished and out of countenance For heauenly Alâ—â—rs we dâ—e vse to vertue to erect And so cause beautie conquereth mens spirits we respect Each of these twaine 〈◊〉 by themselues or by themselues diuided By men are raisde to highest rate and as diuine are praised But in one body when alone this Twinne of vertue light That coarse the beautie of the Gods as then resembleth right T is heauenly then as they and for to Loue doth willing draw The hardest hearts and senselest Rocks of Epyr with great awe With this rich Iewell pretious is Plaindor rauished And without stirring thinkes that he vp to the heauens is fled Immortall and most iâ— finit his glorie he doth thinke More then the Gods themselues which do of flowing Nectar drinke His heart in pleasures sea swimmes fast as he himselfe requires His soule doth melt through sweet conceit in flames of his desires His ioy doth keepâ— him tongue tide and he thinkes he dreames as tho Whilst in his minde he diuers thoughts doth canuas too and fro What he doth see he credits not nor can he easily deeme That so rare beautie once will daine of him for to esteeme He stands amazde like to that Prince from captiue bonds vnthrald Who is from prison tooke to Throne and there anew enstald He thought Floretta flower of all would nere haue stoopt so base Nor that she ere ment him to write in Checkroll of her grace Sad sorrow oft the constancie of man doth much annoy And good things vnexpected quite confound the minde with ioy Thrise happie who the Center keepe nor nere exceed the meane Where neither good nor bad doth them torment with such extreame Plaindor then wakt out of his traâ—se with louely discreet cheere Million of condigne thankes doth giue to his Floretta deere Denâ—â—tly he his faith protests strictly to keepe to her And that beyond Loues sacred bonds he neuer meanes to stir To serue her faithfully and that himselfe heele sooner slaie Then to commit what should offend her humor any way Faire flower quoth he light of my life doe not me doubt at all Thy will a Lnâ— thy word command be vnto me still shall Thy wish my chiefe desire I le hold thy glorie shall be mine Thou wholly shalt be vnto me and my soule onely thine I neuer will forget my selfe and when I first offend Against thy daintie selfe I pray my life haue shamefull end When as vnconstant wauering wight I shall like Haggard range Of all the hellish torments fierce then let me haue the change Most wicked I and most vnfit to liue vpon the earth If when thou life to me hast giuen I should thee quite with death 'A sowler fault cannot be nam'd nor that deserues more shame A Sentence ' Then th'ungrate Lâ—uer when he is vnthankefull to his dame ' For ther 's no euill that so much craues succours speedie neede ' Then that which Louers doth molest and makes their hearts to bleede ' Nor is there any cruell paine as is the louing griefe ' For Loue consumes both soule and coarse vnlesse it finde reliefe Then Ladie as thou mercifull hast bin thus vnto me So I my seruice dutifull for die assure to thee And if my fortune chaunce to prooue by enuious destenie set That I my selfe by doing what vndecent is forget My blood shall wash my fault away and rather this offence Shall ende my life then periurde like with fault I will dispence Doe so replide Ploretta and thou soone shalt see the day When as our Loues shall happie preouc though now they vs delay But chiefely haue regard boue all that thou the cause be not That my chast meaning through thy fault be staind with vitious blot For should this ill chaunce hap thou then as I before said soone Shall seem slaine by mine owne hands to sleepe within my Tombe Thus did these Louers twaine themselues one th' other oft coniure And thus betweene themselues their faithes in secret did assure As whilom was Dan Paris An example with forsooks Enone seene To plight their Loues most couertlie amongst the leaues so greene But after they had to idea while with many a pleasing word After a thousand pâ—stimes as the yeare did then afford With thousand louely glaunces quickâ— one to the other cast Which forst the amorus fire within their entrailes burne more fast After a thousand petite Oathes with sports before nere found To see if of their fancies fiâ—t a like were not the ground After a thousand sugred smiles and toyings delicate Which more the mindes of Louers true doth rightly recreate After a thousand small disdâ—â—nes 〈◊〉 d for the nonce And discontents prou'd mâ—riâ—â—â—ts betweene these Doue-like ones By which from cinders vnto flames there heate did more encrease By reason of this wâ—nton warre and amorous angrie peace After much woing but no doing the euening being come And that the Sâ—re of Phâ—eâ—on his course that day had runne At last Plaindor nigh surfetting with ioy and meere content Kist her faire hand with much adoe yet prettily was shent That done though loth he bids adue vnto his Ladie bright Being angrie not a little that so soone was come the night And laden richly thus with hope of her whome he lou'd best He home doth goe where quietly he takes his wished rest O rare beginning faire commencement of two Loues so chast O happie couple whilst their daies so luckily were gract O blessed Louers if against your fortunes heauens rage Not trauerst had to ruine you in your best youthfull age But when we thinke puft vp with hope that we doe flie aloft Then soonest clipped are our wings by angrie stars full oft Then iealous of our glory they doe seeke vs to destroy Thinking they gaine chiefe victorie when vs they can annoy Thus these two Louers vnto dire misfortune destined By cruell Fates in middest of their ioyes were ruined Yet heare this wofull tale of them and you will iustly say That nothing long in this vaine world continueth at one stay Because Plaindor for propernes and strength others did passe He of another Shepheardesse extreamely liked was His two blacke eyes made her eyes show how nigh she was to death Her colour for the loue of him was like the fall of leafe She fancied none but him alone he was her onely treasure And that she was thus thrald for him she counted it a pleasure But Plaindor neuer thought on her nor for her ought did care Alreadie all his Rest was vp to like none but his FAIRE He had no leisure for to iudge if she did loue or no So much for faire Floretta did his
my heart in easing of which I brought away this her table My hope is shortly to returne backe againe after I haue set in good order certaine of mine affaires of great importance at what time if thou shalt remaine here as then I will take thee with me as I passe to the ende I may restore thee vnto thy sweete Countrey vnto thy deare acquaintance and vnto thy louing friends who remaine not a little heauie for thine absence Ah Knight An excellent discourse in praise of a Contemplatiue kinde of life answered the Shepheard what need hath he that is resolued to die retiring himselfe from the companie of men to returne into their societie againe What need of a Chyrurgian had Cato when after he had wounded himselfe hee was determined with himselfe to die Next after the dead are men onely happie who as these that are dead vnto the world neuer vse to frequent the world more And seeing thou thy selfe confessest that Vice doeth raigne and rage amongst men why shouldest thou enuie at this small parcell of contentment which mine Exile yeeldeth me tumbling me downe as it were from the very height and toppe of the same The right happinesse of man doth not consist in greatnes of Honor nor in the vaine pleasures of this world for how can you terme such accidents to be happie when they haue no assurance of continuing wherein the chase of Vertue is to be followed without tracing the paths of Vice at all For what trouble can there arise vnto a vertuous man can the losse of goods humble him no for he hath none Can the death of children no nor that for hee finding by Vertue that they were borne to die vexeth not himselfe at all in that they haue payd the debt which they did owe vnto Nature Can the want of friends no for if he iudge the time to be miserable in which we liue and as it were the father of all misfortunes he will then think his friends most fortunate to be departed out of this vale of misery Can the afflictions of his bodie neither for hee knowing the goodlines of vertue will soone find that glory is gotten with patience and that it is far better to suffer for a little while then to see himselfe mingled with the troupes of vnworthie persons whose memorie good name dieth euen with their bodies What then may grieue the vertuous Can the losse of his vertue No nor that likewise For it being a Treasure farre beyond the power of Fortune and as it were wholly diuine is not subiect vnto anie mortall decaying Byas was of the same minde who carrying his learning with him wisely affirmed An Example that he bare away all his chiefe wealth with him If then neither all the spitefull deuises of enuious Fortune neither all the bloodie cruelties of stepdame Nature can euer force or offer violence vnto a vertuous man what need hath hee at all to craue ayde of men or to enter into their societie when by their vices they shall corrupt his vertue Diogines was of mine opinion who being content with his owne vertue very boldly refused those Magnificall proffers of Alexander the great And so did Phocion the Grecian Fabritius the Roman and Pyrrhus that famous king of the Epyrotes Besides what feare of punishment for his fault doeth trouble the wise man what sodaine apprehension of losses what frightfulnes of paine what doubt of death or what thoughtfull care for worldly matters to come hereafter Anacharsis being pounded to death in a morter iested at death Socrates bought the same and Plato forced his owne selfe to take the like That Rocke that is founded most strongly within the midst of the Sea cannot nor ought once to feare least the weather-beaten Barks or Ships should breake it in peeces when contrariwise it is the same that splitteth them in sunder Euen so the wise man hath no neede to doubt least the force of any worldly accidents should carry him away seeing in all his Actions hee goeth beyond them and vanquisheth the puissance both of the Heauens and of Fortune But this power hath he not whilst he shal be ranging and running vp and downe amongst men spoyling himselfe through their vices but rather when he is retired alone by himselfe to entertaine vertue which as now keepeth and abideth in the woods since shee hath bene banished from Townes and Cities Our Sauiour CHRIST being to encounter with Satan chose not a battalion-field in the magnificall temple of Salomon nor in the publike Market-places of most populous Cities but in a solitary and frequentles Desart within which whilest S. Iohn Baptist kept he neuer saw the incestuous adulterie of proud Herod nor felt his own head cut off from his shoulders for speaking nothing but the truth He then that will be counted wise let him forbeare and flie from Citties where growe nothing but contentions and troubles for so did Ciccro Seneca very often lament because they were drawne from their solitary abidings to be imploied by the Roman Emperors about matters of Estate But now what vice can the wise man encounter withall here in these Desarts which may be offensiue vnto his Vertues Doeth he finde here any Iniustice No for such as haue nothing to loose and offend not the Lawes haue nothing to doe with a Iudge Doth he find ambition no for pouertie is neuer hated but rather pittied then spighted Doth he find murther no for vncouth wildernesses neuer breed quarrels Doth he finde falsifying of faith and lying no for here being nothing to be gained we need not to make our selues rich with lying Doeth he finde disloyaltie or subtil trecherie no nor that neither For the deceitfull deuises of the wicked and their aspiring hopes to become great doth not combat with the truth and honestie of our contented soules Seeing then all accidentall causes of sinne are here preuented driuen backe and quite taken away that may trouble the vertuous in his quiet rest deface his vertue offer violence vnto his constancie and bring hurt vnto the calme contentment of his owne minde Did euer any such man repent him of what he had done not any for of well doing A Sentence repentance neuer commeth Repentance beeing one of the most sensible sharpe and cruellest whippes wherwith men are much scourged because it neuer marcheth alone without shame and great hurt He onely is right blessed who at the very period of his life and at his last gaspe sorroweth not for any thing that hee hath done finding himselfe to haue no more to repent him of his former actions passed A blessed and holy abode then for the wise are these harmelesse desarts which bannish all vice and giue entertainment onely vnto vertue Vnto such a place did that godly Saint Duke William of Aquitaine withdraw himselfe when he was determined to leaue the world to followe God to renounce all vice to loue vertue to abiure all sinne and to honor pure Innocencie
be knowne for feare least being discourered she should be conueied vnto the Prince of Danes and so by that meanes forced to leaue the companie of the Spanish Knight whome now she dearely loued although she somewhat dissembled the same most earnestly desired him not to bewray what she was vnto any man vntill she should finde a fit time to be knowne Which he most willingly promised giuing her more honour from that time forward and vsing her with greater respect then he had done before verie much discondemning his owne iudgement in that he could not perceiue this Ladie to be noblie discended seeing so many rich proofes and apparant signes of the same as her courtly demeanure her rare vertue her stately Maiestie her learned discourse and excellent beautie gaue forth sufficient testimonie which euery one did admire at Meane time these vertuous Louers twaine did burne in oneselfe fire And languishing did pine away for want of their desire But alas no remedie could be found to ease their passiōs for the gentleman knowing the Princes descent to be so great and worthie durst not as much as once presume to thinke she would vouchsafe to accept him for her husband chusing rather to die a thousand times then to be very troublesome vnto her or to receiue so bitter a pill from her as a sharpe repulse which he knew he should neuer be able to disiest but onely by death This conceit bred such a melancolie apprehension in him as by little and little he began to languish away his blood was dried vp his colour gone and his strength decaied so as he seemed rather a dead coarse readie to be laid in his graue then a man likelie to liue This sudden accident troubled euery one all lamenting the misfortune of this gentle Knight especiallie wofull Iustina who knew her selfe to be the onely cause of this sorrow and which was worse knew no meanes how to remedie the same without disparagement vnto her credit yet in the ende she resolued with her selfe if otherwise then well should happen vnto Alphonso to die for his sake so dearely did she loue him who now was growne to be in such a pittifull taking as he could neither rest sleepe eate nor drinke so as he was forced although sore against his will to keepe his loathed bed where he thought neuer to haue seene his Mistris more A strange thing Louers resemble the Basiliske who desireth to see that within a cristall glasse which is the cause of his owne death So these poore wretches couet nothing so much as the presence of that thing which doth shorten their liues soonest thinking themselues most miserable when they are depriued of the same They account no time happie but when they feele death and nothing is more agreeable vnto them then that Subiect which taketh away their life from them Verilie if the law doth most iustly condemne such for wilfull murtherers as destroy and make away themselues then ought Louers to be placed amongst the ranke of these her selfe-wild murtherers for their onely follie hastneth the ende of their liues making them to die before their time This poore knight lieth grieuously sicke without hope of recouerie and Iustina resolueth for companie to take the like course she thinking it to be no reason that she should liue ioyfully when her friend should be dead through her onely occasion O how bitterly did she curse her cruell fortune seeing her selfe inuironed with two such violent extremities either to permit him to die whom she loued more then her selfe or else to suffer her honour to be crazed which she loathed more then death In the ende she resolued rather to ende her daies then to scandalise her good fame with soule reproach and to leaue the bodies both of her selfe and her friend breathlesse then to deface her chastitie which she preferred before all things else in the world Hauing set vp her rest thus she goeth to visit her sickly friend who seeing her come began to open his eyes to mooue his bodie and to change his colour and countenance which soden alteration she presently perceiued by reason she knew better then any other the cause of his sicknes comming to his bed side she sits her downe by him and taking him by the hand with a soft and pittious voice she began thus to speake vnto him What cheare sweet Gouernor and how fare you what will you with this your sicknes make so many of your good friends ill who so much loue you and desire your welfare If you will not liue for your owne sake at the least yet seeke to recouer for theirs for what pleasure or delight can they take seeing you brought into this low estate in which now you are fallen We ought more to respect the good of our friends then our selues because we are borne for them your vertues your youth and your valour are to be profitable vnto your countrie kindred and friends neither can they as yet well spare them that death should enioy them Liue my good Lord liue and let not your priuate losse be a generall hinderance vnto all your countrie For vnhappie is that man who standeth in steed of a fire to burn his owne proper realme You that haue so often discomfited your enemies wonne so many braue victories and subdued and brought vnder so many valiant aduersaries will you suffer your selfe to be ouercome with a little sickenes which you may if you so please easilie driue away from you Courage man courage and like a good Physition heale your selfe be not the occasion lest for want of helping your selfe it be thought that you haue bene a wilful murtherer of your owne bodie A Sentence For he may well be tearmed a murtherer of his owne life who shunneth the meanes for to conserue the same and who entertaineth for his friends the executioners thereof Comfort your selfe thē I beseech you and with your recouerie make your friends recouer their former ioy againe banishing away all their sorrow with your abandoned sicknes And as for my selfe I offer vnto you all honest seruices as farre as honour permits to helpe you vnto your health againe which I esteeme as dearely of as mine owne life for the many courtesies I haue receiued most gratiously of you which I know and acknowledge so worthie of recompence as if I thought my life might buy and redeeme yours I would thinke my selfe most fortunate to haue it bestowed vpon so rare and worthie a Subiect The poore Gentleman beholding his cruell mistresse the onely pretious Balme for his sicknes with a heauie eye who neuerthelesse Thrise happie thought himselfe to see that beautious face Although she had brought him into so pittious a case Clasping her faire white hand hard within his forcing the very walles themselues to yearne and grieue at his pittious languishing with a hollow voice interrupted with many sobs and sighes perceiuing death to approach he faintly replied thus Ah my sweet Charge what
two Knights presented themselues before the Iudges who gaue them their oath vpon the holy Bible that they entered into this combat vpon a iust cause that done they vewed their armour and weapons and lastly conducted them vnto the listes making proclamation that vpon paine of life no person whatsoeuer should as much as once presume either by shew or signe looke or countenance word or deed to fauour either the the one or the other but to let their valour fortune trie who shall be conquerour A Comparison As two young Bucks burning in loue of a faire Doe take delight to trie their strength before her and being both furious pierce through their bodies and heads with their sharpe and rough hornes Euen so these two gallant Champions longing to encounter and either of them desirous to enioy that pretious prize which armeth the one against the other being in place where they may trie the vtmost of their force most furiously discharge one against the other and as two terrible Thunder-claps meeting together in a cloud breake at the cracke fall both downe vpon the earth So these two Knights at the first shecke and meeting tumble both downe vpon the ground but their launces being broken they draw forth their swords beginning to charge themselues a fresh As did Achilles once and Hector valiant stout When fore the walles of stately Troy they fought it out The Dane animated more with furie then with force laid on load without ceasing flinging forth his fire so furiously as if his strength had not failed more then his courage A Similie Alphonso had bene vanquisht but a great fire of strawe is quickly extinguished In like manner the blowes that despite and rage giueth are assoone ended Meane-while our Spaniard fought coldly but yet with great aduisement neuer striking but to the purpose so still kept himselfe in breath with great aduantage The Prince redoubling his strokes supposing his foe was growen feeble both in force courage laid on loade hurting him vpon the left arme This wound from which the blood issued apace the remembrance of her who was the cause of this warre the presence of the King and the flower of Chiualrie of all his countrie did stirre vp the Spaniard so much as now he would combat no more soberly and with discretion but as a desperate Souldiour against his deadly enemie letting driue at him so lustily with such quicknes and such dexteritie as the Dane found he was not a little deceiued in him But as he was chasing of him thus by chaunce Alphonsoes sword fell out of his hand he hauing nothing now but his dagger to defend himselfe withall which was the reason euery one thought as then that he was but a dead man his enemie promising vnto himselfe the victorie the desire of which made him pursue the Spaniard hotly who knew not which way to furnish himselfe of a Target nor how to warrantise his honour and his life but onely by running in vpon the Dane and so by maine force to get him downe which deuise of his the other fearing looked more warily vnto himselfe lest he should get within him whilst in the meane time he gaue him many a sore wound which he could not well escape because he wanted his weapon In the ende such was the good fortune of the Spaniard that the Dane thinking to runne full but at him with all his force which the other auoyded by mouing his body from that place lightly his sword also slipt out of his hand so as they were now weapond alike when comming to handie gripes and to grappell together Alphonso proued to be the stronger of the twaine flinging his enemie downe and giuing him so terrible a knocke withall as both speech and senses failed him That done he vnbuckled his head-peece and setting his poniard to his bare throat willeth him henceforward to renounce all such claime as he before had laid vnto his Ladie and wife and to acknowledge himselfe to be vanquisht or else he should die presently But the Prince choosing rather death than shame and vtter destruction then the depriuation of his Mistris disdained to answere him looking still when the other would stabbe him quite through which neuerthelesse as a right Noble minde he would not but leauing the Dane wallowing in his owne blood and sore bruised with his fall he commeth vnto the Iudges demaunding of them if he had done sufficient to be counted the vanguisher and to haue obtained the glory of the victorie or no. Who much commending him for his clemencie in that he had so cutreously pardoned his aduersarie told him he had performed his duetie euery way that done he was conducted vnto the place where the King sat who highly praised him for his valour and greatly honouring him for his vertue gaue him leaue to depart his Royall presence From thence he rode vnto the Court accōpanied with thousands of braue Knights where with great ioy the faire Ladies as the custome was disarmed him whilst the Chirurgians prouided for the dressing of his wounds that done he was had vnto his lodging keeping his bed vntill such time as he recouered whilst in the meane space he was euery day visited by all the Barrons and great Lords of the Realme who did congratulate with him for so famous a victorie Not long after the Danish Prince was carried out of the field sore wounded and wel nigh dead for griefe and shame cursing his bad fortune that he had not bene kild out right who although he was highly beholding vnto Alphonso for his life yet did he most tratierously conspire in his minde to murther him one way or other suffering himselfe rather to be transported with base reuenge then with sage reason or with honestie of the cause So Paris dastard-like surp isde with feruile feare Sware stout Achilles death to whom he hate did beare But the gallant Spaniard that ment nothing but well neuer suspected any such treacherie but rather that he had surely bound the Prince his enemie vnto him in good will seeing he had shewed him so great a kindnes as to gratifie him with his life A Sentence For so the right valiant man indeed iudgeth by his selfe that others are valiant like vnto him and he that is honest thinketh other men to beare as honest a minde as himselfe doth But all creatures are not framed of one kind of mettall or condition their passions and desires in louing being contrarie and diuers Nature greatly delighting and making proofe of her mightines and power by this diuersitie of humours Alphonso being recouered of his late wounds and very much longing to see his faire wife determined to take his iourney homewards of which his minde the malicious Dane hauing an inckling he taketh his leaue of the King in most dutifull manner making a shew as if he would take his iourney towards Denmarke riding a day or two onwards on his way and then turneth backe
soule if it were possible Why afflicting thy selfe thus doest thou adde more miserie vnto my paine If euer I haue merited anie thing at thy handes then I coniure thee by that most faithfull amitie I haue borne thee whilest I liued forbeare to lament or grieue any more And suffer I pray poore Alphonso to die quietly who accounteth himselfe most fortunate in that he seeth he dieth in thy good grace and fauour Most fortunare doeth he die hauing bene brought to his ende by base treason and not through braue valour hauing before reuenged himselfe of thy mortall enemie my deere and louely Ladie Now if I shall finde that thou seemest to enuie at my glorie shall I not then haue reason to complaine of thee to accuse thy friendship to thinke hardlie of thy promise and lastly to condemne thy most loyall Loue Alas Iustina wilt thou make mee so miserable as I shall heare my selfe to be the cause of thy death now I am dying Ah doe not that iniurie or wrong vnto him who hath loued thee dearer then the apples of his owne eyes How deerely and at what a high price doest thou sell to mee this last pleasure which I finde in dying before thy presence Diddest thou thinke Iustina when thou marriedst mee that thou hadst wedded some God or other that was immortall Deare heart Death is common and naturall to all men without sparing of any A Sentence we must all die at one time or another and if my dayes were shortned sooner then thou wishest what remedie canst thou finde against the will of the Heauens Then content thy selfe with my death without making me die againe through the vnpleasant report of thy ouerthrow Liue then liue long and happily to the end I may die the more pleasingly And here I most earnestly pray desire and adiure thee by our former mutuall loue by all our chast pleasures by our sacred band of wedlock and by the selfe-same affection which maketh thee so heauie and ioylesse for mine occasion seeke not to offer any violence vnto thy faire selfe after I am dead Speake my sweet Charge wilt thou giue me thy word as thou hast held me deare to hold this promise with me Ay mee I see thou disdainest to answere me as vnwilling to yeelde vnto this my last request Oh most disconsolate and comfortles my death And wilt thou then mine onely ioy refuse to graunt me this my last boone which I so earnestly begge of you Thou that for my sake art willing to leaue this world and who of late didst please to offer it vnto me to saue my life Be not so vnkinde now nor offer me this iniurie to refuse me in this point otherwise I protest I will curse my byrth my cruell Fortune and the froward Heauens themselues Speake then sweet Spouse for till then I forbid thee to touch my dying face and lippes Ah speake yet at length and I beseech thee be content with the hellish paines which I endure to leese thy companie without aggreuating any more my more then endlesse torments Ah cruell Husband replyed the pensiue Princesse what offence haue I done thee what iniurie haue I committed against thee and how haue I wronged the bands of our sacred marriage that thou shouldest forbid me thy presence Where is now the time in which thou hast so much desired to haue me about thee Where are those wonderfull caresses those sweet embraces and those affectionate kindnesses vsed vnto mee of late that thou shouldest now thus reiect condemne and disdaine me If I am vnworthy of thee then why diddest thou accept of me as thy companion and friend And if I haue not merited to follow thee then why hast thou ioyned my soule so strictly vnto thine Thinkest thou I would be thine liuing and would not be the same vnto thee after thou wert dead My deare Lord remember that since I first was wedded vnto thee I haue alwayes fulfilled thy commandement and that I serued and obeyed thee and thy will in all things In leiu of which perfect obedience graunt mee once what I shall desire of thee But if thou wilt not not onely be content to leaue mee a most wretched Creature after thy departure but also to make me more miserable wilt not permit me to follow thee then to render a new proofe of my great affection towards thee for the great good will I haue alwayes had to be dutifull vnto thee and to satisfie thy dying Spirit at this houre Behold I here vow not to lay any violent hands vpon my person but to attend with patience vntill it shall please the Destinies to call mee vnto thee from hence Then my kinde Loue answered the Knight let me embrace thee once againe cheerfully and let me kisse thee once more since thou art so pleasing vnto me O how much doe I acknowledge my selfe beholding vnto thee how blessed doest thou make my death and how willingly doe I depart from out this world And seeing thou hast made me this faithfull promise I most humblie beseech thee to haue alwayes in remembrance poore Alfonso thy loyall Husband Heauens graunt that if thou hast a minde to take a second choyce that thou mayest happen vpon such a one as may loue thee no worse then I haue done I feele my speech beginneth to faile me and death knocketh at my hearts doore to enter in Farewell my faire sweete louing kinde chaste and loyall wife Adieu my heart and life close vp these mine eyes and this my mouth which once was thine and cause my bodie to be carryed vnto his last home whilest I receiue for vowes thy plaintes thy teares for oblations and thy Faith for friendlie assurance That little land and wealth I haue I wholly bequeath vnto thee I will that all my goods whatsoeuer be thine although I doubt not but that thy vertues are able to purchase thee more great and precious riches Onely bestow a little peece of ground vpon his bodie who whilest he liued was vnworthy to enioy so gratious a Princesse as thy worthie selfe Farewell my good Friends and faithfull Seruants whom I desire and commaund to honour and make account of my deere Ladie and wife as you would of mine owne selfe if I were liuing whom I know will not be vnmindfull of you for your good seruices done vnto mee And cease you your womanish teares for not with effeminate teares but with shrill Trumpets and warlike Drummes the coarses of braue Souldiers are vsed to be conducted vnto their graues Once more farewell my sweete Princesse Remember what thou hast promised vnto mee and LORD receiue my soule into thy heauenlie King Alas this word Kingdome hee could not throughly pronounce Death with one stroke cutting off his voyce and his life both together at once But why hold I you so long with this Tragicall discourse or what should I report vnto you the vnspeakeable sorrowes of dispairing Iustina when shee saw her noble husband giue vp the last
vnto him narrowlie and sharpely keepeth him in For nothing increaseth vice and leaudenesse so much as doeth wanton libertie The vnbrideled Colte runneth galloping heere and there committing manie foule disorders The priuiledge of Euill taketh away all Vertue be cause it stifleth the recompence of good deedes and hindreth the punishment due vnto offences The auncient Princes who would haue their Children learne how to obey well before they should commaund sent them to studie amongst the Lacedcmonians to the intent they might be restrained and depriued of this enchaunting libertie through which men draw forth vice as if it were at a full vessell LOVE therefore must be gouernour and protector ouer youthfulnesse which he will purge from badde qualities as the Physition doth the sicke man from corrupt humours replenishing him againe with manie excellent and commendable Vertues Is not then Loue very necessarie The winde carryeth the chaffe from the Corne leauing onely that that is good and fanned cleerly So doth Loue A Similie croppe off vice cutting it away as the husbandman doeth the superfluous braunches of his vine leauing the inward minde neat and quite clensed from all filthinesse of vice Loue can doe more then all knowledge yea then the Muses themselues can doe For he teacheth learned men who hauing a confused masse and heape of thousand Sciences in their braines not knowing in what good manner to deliuer their mindes ar full as concerning these matters how to set downe their meaning orderly and to discourse of euery thing with good method and iudgement imitating the cunning Gold-smith who of a great wedge of Gold forgeth and frameth a great sort of good peeces of plate right profitable for men Or resembling the Sun which breaketh and diuideth in sunder the gloomy clouds which darkē the brightnes of heauē He is the luke-warme blood of the Goate mollifying and sotfning these rocks of Diamonds turning them to the vse of all sorts of people The greatest Doctors are but Dunces vntill Loue hath refined them and that they haue felt what his power is they after that becomming wittie and Courtly enditers through the sweete vaine of Loue. For necessitie findeth out the Art and the perill sought forth by the Soldior vrgeth him to finde the means to saue himselfe And so is the Louer compelled to please his Mistris which he doeth either discoursing vnto her his true and loyall affection in smoothe and pleasing tearms or else couching them sweetly and daintily in writing curiously and with a Courtlike phrase And of this perfection is Loue also the author shall he then be called a Paine and not rather the father of all science and vertue It is reported that the Muses lighted one day vpon Cupid keeping him within a border of flowers but what could that border bring but pleasure and contentment vnto them who had enclosed him within the same The Muses then honored Loue as Conquerors are wont to be vsed placing vpon his head a Crowne of greene flowers as also the most wisest in the world haue offered scrifices vnto him and to his celestiall Godhead he being the greatest power amongst the Gods that are in Heauen Therefore as I will not dispute against him so dare I not maintaine the cause of anie that should not pleade in his behalfe Herewithall the noble Knight held his peace daunting very much the other Nymph that had written against LOVE with these his liuely and excellent reasons which she thought were of such efficacie and force that they could hardly be refelled by anie other But the olde man who found himselfe to be ouercome in the argument hee had with Philistell as concerning Inchauntment and Sorcerie willing to recouer his lost honor and to winne the spurres againe in this second disputation replied against Loue in this wise I cannot denie but must needs confesse that neither the ordinary trauailes that men vse nor the day lie labours which they vsually take ought to be called Paine for they are not alwayes of one force and nature they passing away quiet rest comming in their place as the Bowe that cannot alwaies remaine stiffe and bent wheras Loue onely and that most iustly deserueth well this name of Paine An example The Laborer being payed for his worke is contented and taketh his rest the Husbandman reaping his corne taketh his ease and liueth merilie after but in Loue what quietnes can be found The poore drudge being wearie reposeth himselfe in the night so doth the tyred Traueller and euery beast whatsoeuer but the Louer what rest receiueth he either in the night or day As the day is tedious vnto him so is the night irksome and sadde are they then freed of paine The hungrie desire neuer taketh quiet ease but is in continuall paine the greedie couetous wretch crauing still golde can neuer so much as slumber one winke but the tormented Louers leadeth a wotse life farre then both these twaine because that good which he so much wisheth for and yet cannot obtaine it seemeth more pretious vnto him then all the Treasures in the world This doctrine to KNOW HIMSELFE doeth him no good at all for it cannot bridle his passions keep in his hed strong will nor curb or constraine his ardent affections and hee that cannot so doe can neuer be quiet in his minde Now the Louer coueteth alwayes and couetousnes is the child of paine Is not then Loue the author of paine and is it any thing else then meere griefe Nay although the Louer obtaineth that which he desireth yet for all that his torments cease not because he wisheth still to cōtinue the same for that the sore doubt he hath to lose that which he hath obtained with so much trauell increaseth the paine still in him The more golde the couetous myzer possesseth the more continually he wisheth A Sentence by reason the contentmēt of man is without any limit for being glutted with one kind of meat he is greedy and hungry after an other Diogines gaue out that he was contented in his pouertie but yet he was not for he did hunt after vaine-glory What shall wee then say of Louers who not onely desire to enioy their Loues but also a continuation still to gather them And when that length of much time hath quenched this fire of loue yet is there still remaining some hote cinders which presently is set on fire with the wind of desire as a flame when it is out is reuiued againe with the breath of the Ayre the selfe-same Loue beeing of this propertie that after it hath a long space troubled and tormented ouerthrowne and ruinated a man with continuall paine and anguish of minde in the ende it taketh away his life whether he will or no. Achilles knoweth this to be true who died for louing Polixena being slaine most miserablie amongst his enemies So doth Priam An Example the foolish loue of incestuous Paris being the cause he lost his life And so
meane while by reason of that litle space of time I haue to breath thou wilt doe me the fauour to embrace me kindly if it shall please thee to thinke me worthie of such a kindnes this being the last request and latest fauour I shall craue at thy hands Ah let me kisse those faire cheekes which were sometimes mine and those sweet sparkling eyes which had not the blacke foulnes of my fault dimmed them they had still stood me in steed of two glorious Sunnie lights Although I cannot denie but thus to die in thy armes doth much lighten and ease me of my torments I endure within my minde yet had it pleased God to haue but giuen me the grace to haue suruiued but some fewe yeares that I might haue made some amends vnto my faithfull Spouse whom I haue so wickedly abused I then would haue thought my selfe to haue bene the happiest creature vnder the heauens Thinke deare heart that I make no account neither care any thing at all to die but onely for this cause and for that I shall be forced to leaue thee a Widow whom I loue more then my owne soule Iust and great reason hast thou to complaine and find fault with me and farre vnworthie am I that thou shouldest shed these salt teares for my sake For why shouldest thou waile his death who hath bene thy chiefe aduersarie why doest thou sorrow for the losse of thy mortall enemie and lamentest thou the death of him who sought thy vtter ouerthrow Drie vp these teares for I desire them not Leaue these thy sighes for I not merit them and giue ouer these thy bitter wailings for I am no way worthie of them Onely pardon me close vp these my dying eyes when they shall lèaue their wonted light which done if it shall please thee to honour this miserable carkasse of mine with thy presence vnto my Tombe and now and then to thinke on me although thou hast small reason so to doe then then I say shall I be euery way contented and satisfied vnto the full Weepe not I pray thee then for me who descrues no teares at thy hands but rather ill thoughts for otherwise I shall sustaine a double death thy sorrow being nigher setled vnto my heart then my deperture hence can be any way dolefull vnto me So saying the fainting knight kisseth his wife wiping her blubbered eyes and embracing her as straitly as the Iuie doth the wall If the poore Ladie could not answere him it was no great wonder when as those that were but spectators in this heauie sight although they felt not as much as she yet were they mouelesse and much amazed for verie pure pittie In the end the disconsolate Izabella began to recouer her speech answering him in this sort Cruell and hard-harted husband let my pittifull paine my easelesse griefes and my insupportable sorrowes satisfie thee without gaulling me any further with this word pardon vnto her who neuer desired to liue but to doe thee seruice Ah deare Horatio thinkest thou I can liue after thy departure hence and that I can ioy in this world being bereaued of thy companie Whilest thou did dest liue I was thine by the lawes of marriage and when thou art dead I will be thine also resolued to follow thee wheresoeuer thou goest thinking my selfe happie that I am so luckily come as to die with thee Then if I may or thou wouldest haue me to giue any credit vnto thy speeches then in requitall of them all let me againe intreate thee this one thing which is that I may leaue this world with thee But why should I aske leaue of thee when I am at libertie my selfe to dispose of my life as I shall thinke good of and when with ending of one life I may rid my selfe of a lingring death which doth continually haunt me Thankes therefore to thee kind Thethis who didst driue my shippe into this Port where I may passe to heauen with him who was the onely life and maintainer of my life and who being dead I can no longer remaine allue Pittilesse husband to debarre me from my teares whē as I see my countrie depriued of a braue defender of his libertie and find my selfe forsaken of the onely loyall and most louing friend I had here vpon this earth No no I will weepe and shed teares as long as any drop of moysture shall remaine within this bodie for should I not waile for thee for whom then should I reserue these teares Whose losse should I lament but thine and for whom should I take thought or care for but for thine owne sweet selfe who was so neare to mee as thou who so deare as thy selfe and who is to haue interest in mee but my best and sweetest Horatio Then hinder not her from lamenting who liueth onely to shead teares and doe not enure the happines she findeth in that she hath time to bewaile her vnhappie Fortunes How wide is my best Lord from mine intention and meaning and how slenderly doth he conceit of my loue towards him when hee imagineth that although I see him dye yet should not I waile and that his death and destruction should not be the ende and date of my life this beeing the least thing that I can doe for him the least dutie that I doe owe vnto him and the smallest testimony of my great affection which I haue euer borne him Gush forth then my brinish teares and streame downe along my pale cheekes washing away the bloud of my wounded Spouse mingling your selues together as my soule hath alwayes bene with his most perfectly mixed and conioyned the one with the other My dearest Lord if euer thou hast thought well of mee speake neuer more of this word pardon it becommeth me to intreate rather then you I hauing bene shee that hath so often offended you let vs forgiue forget all vnkindnesses whatsoeuer that our soules as most loyall friends may die and liue together in eternall felicitie for euer O how like an Angell replyed Horatio doth my Izabella speake and how pleasing doth shee cause my death to be vnto mee would she but promise to suruiue and liue after my death For sweet Lady it is thy sorrows and not my death that shortens my lifes and I die not for griefe but for sorrow to see thee lament for my cause Wilt thou die and doest not descrue death No it is I that haue offended and therfore merit to be punished for my fault Liue thou happilie still and safely returne thou home into thy Countrey againe where thou shalt not want new husbands who will deserue at thy handes far better then I haue done had I not so much forgot my selfe towards thee as I confesse I haue my ioyes had bene at the highest and I had departed hence the happiest man aliue But now mine houre approcheth I feele death ready to arrest mee with his yron mace my heart fainteth and my soule beginneth to flie from
Phisitions for afflicted cōsciēces feared as the punishers of enormities abuses saluted as the Superiours or Elders of the Church redoubted as the I rophets of the sacred Scripture proclaimed as Herolds of the pure and sincere veritie and truth it selfe The auncient Emperours disdained not to be chosen by them in their Empire and Gregorie surnamed the Great named and appointed the seuen Romane Electors the seuen Romane Electors I say againe who oftentimes deposeth such Emperours as before they had chosen when they were found guiltie of some notorious and detestable crime But now alas what shall I say vnto you poore miserable contemptible and despised Ecclesiasticall Pastors In steed of honouring you you are now iniured in steed of louing you you are hated and loathed in steed of saluting you you are abused in steed of respecting you you are disdained and contemned in steed of giuing vnto you most that you haue is taken from you miserable are you your selues and most wretched your calling since you are abused through so many grose indignities and yet for all this the euerlasting sonne of the heauenly Father found not a dignitie more godly and more worthie then that of Priest-hood according vnto the order of Melchicedecke he was the first High Priest whose successours were the Apostles of whom at this day are the reuerend Pastors and Preachers of the word the true and lawfull followers But comfort your selues Religious and godly Diuines for thrise blessed are all those that suffer trouble and persecution in their bodies for the name of Iesus Christ-Glorie is the daughter of trauaile and paine as enuie is the infant of glorie and onely by trouble and paine haue the Saints beaten the way for vs to mount to heauen But as such as thinke so meanely of Religion and of the Prelates thereof are themselues to be as meanely accounted of euen so highly are such to be esteemed that haue giuen them there due and rightly honoured them And such a one was Theodosius that famous Emperour sarnamed the Great who sought all the meanes he could to haue the fauour good will of S. Ambrose when he had excōminicated him yeelding vnto his will and fearing greatly his displeasures and not long after he being threatned by a certaine Hermit with the like punishmēt he sent for all the Bishops there-abouts to know of them whether he might be interdicted the Church and all godly companie by so poore a creature as he was standing mightily in awe of the same And therefore ye worthie learned and religious Diuines whatsoeuer disgraces are offered vnto you and howsoeuer you are most iniuriously handled or most contemptuously made account of yet be not you troubled thereat but follow your graue and vertuous calling you being appointed and chosen by God himselfe to be the dispensers the celebraters of his blessed Sacraments and the blasoning Herolds of his eternall and euerlaistng word lawfull Successours in his diuine function and great and mightie by reason of your more then worthie dignitie But behold where the old man commeth vnto whom I must make intercession in the behalfe of these wretched Pirates so strangely metamorphosed by him To him will I pleade with all humble modestie lest growing in chollor with me he vse me as hardly as he hath done them and the rather because not long since I somewhat angred him Herewithall the Knight comming vnto him saluted him with great curtesie in this manner Learned and respectiue Father God prosper thy yeares prolong thy life multiplie thy daies conserue and keepe thee still in health Let me intreate thee a while to stay and a little to rest thy selfe in this place whilest I shall be bolde to deliuer a fewe words vnto thee The Gods sometimes lend their cares vnto mortall men neither doe they disdaine to heare them as thou makest shew me thinkes as if thou art loth to listen vnto mine Stay then reuerend old man and giue not iust cause vnto me that I may conceiue any vnkindnes through this thy harsh and hard deniall Nothing is of smaller account then the speech of man who so yeeldeth not vnto that will yeeld vnto nothing The old man seeing himselfe to be held by the hand and vrged so hardly as it were somewhat in choller replied thus Palmer thou art too troublesome and importunate let me goe I would wish thee hinder me no longer from the seruice of the Gods about which I am now going lest thou force me to doe that which I would not be willing for what thou wouldest haue I know alreadie before thou speakest Thy request is not lawfull inasmuch as Iustice should be wronged and rightly might she complaine of me if I should yeeld vnto thy demand giue ouer then thy vaine sute for no bodie is bound to doe what is ill and vniust at the request of another because we ought to make more account of Iustice then of all the world besides and for that no amitie or affection is to be preferred before a reasonable and righfull matter Heare me therefore and disquiet not my minde which is now busied about heauenly things and thinke I loue thee well to let thee goe seotfree when thou shalt vrge me with such an vnreasonable motion as this for Iustice punisheth as well those that seeme to allow of euill as those that doe commit euill themselues Pardon me graue sir answered the knight there is no man liuing that lesse alloweth of euill then I doe which I hate loath and despise but I cannot chuse but I must needs loue pittie and mercie for as we are all men so are we bound one to helpe another the bruite beastes themselues doing the like through the verie instinct of Nature Compassion ought to be preferred before all other respects because a fault that is done may be amended and become a vertue but a man once dead for want of pittie neuer riseth againe and his losse is vnrecouerable and can neuer be repaired againe Mercie hath alwaies gotten the vpper hand of rigour and fiercenes and the pittifull man doth deserue more then the iust whereof Cosar shall serue me for a witnesse who affirmed that the fruites of his victories was the pardon he daily gaue vnto thousands of his enemies assoone as they sought his fauour What nourisheth the societie and companie of men What maintaineth their liues and what increaseth their health and quietnes but milde pittie If there were none but hungrie wolfes or greedie Lyons how then should the world endure and how could men be sure to enioy their liues in safetie Ah if our most louing God should be found as thou art without mercie what hope should we haue to enioy eternall glorie but rather looke euerie houre when we should be swallowed vp into the bottomlesse gulfe of hell Change then this thy too too obdurate resolution The exceeding great curtesies that Alexander vsed vnto the Persian Kings daughters and wife was the cause that Darius prayed the
she blusht Whilst she more faire did shew when through her face the colour flasht Her eies she cast on the ground and at 〈…〉 so looke By them vpon the soden she durst not vpon them to looke That done with sad and heedfull eare she doth about her prit Lest what not comely had bene they about her 〈…〉 In th' end she findes all well not much 〈…〉 Who doubts some theenes but hauing found 〈…〉 their doth not feâ—â—e Mean time poore Cloridou who is perplext most dangerus Takes heart at grasse whilst boldly he gins to accost her thus Faire light of my best life why art thou thus possest with care When heauent themselues they vertuous life hurt cannot nor once dare Chaste is thy soule vertuous thy minde most beautifull thy face No Tyger fierce or Lion fell thy beautie dare disgrace The diuels themselues cannot thee hurt why doubts thou things diuine Are not as mortall be to shame subiect at any time The Gods haue made thee goodly that the heauens might honour thee Our spirits are bodies framde that thou by vs mighst worshipt bee Thee will we serue in humble wise with dutifull respect Nor whilst we liue as vs becomes our duties wee le neglect Then sacred Saint thy selfe assure my soule thus languishing No bad conceit through carriage mine to thee shall euer bring No rash attempt vndecently shall make me ouerbold With her 〈◊〉 home Mistris of my hart and my chiefe good I hold Then doe all dread abandon quite looke merrie and be blithe For we both honour thee and for thy Loue contend and strine So said the Shepheard whilst that Loue did shoote in cunning wise Fancies swift darts into his hart which came from Stellas eies From Stellas eies who now begins to felle an vncoth flame And who doth finde as Cloridan to bide the selfesame paine She findes she forced is to loue although against her will And more she seekes him to expell the more be enâ—reth still The Shepheards words are wounds to her and pierce her like a dart His speeches breaches be which soone make entrance in her hart And now on soden Cloridon she liketh and sowell As in her sight for beautie he doth onely heare the bell And so likewise doth Cloridan thinke of his daintie Loue Vowing within his soule that death shall not her thence 〈◊〉 So in the Phrigian forrest thicke when Paris liu de 〈◊〉 In Enons Loue he was intrapt and for the same did 〈◊〉 Of whose deare loue that loyall Nymph so highly did esteeme As after he was slaine to mourne for him she aiâ— was seene But Stella somewhat fearfull now and blushing in this case Vnto her Shepheard thus replide with comely bashfull grace A worthie Shepheard like thy selfe I neuer doubted yet That for to offer wrong to me his honour would forget The minde that generous is indeed and doth for glâ—ris made Is nere so base as to abuse a sillie harmelesse maide His honour he doth holy wracke vpon discredits shelfe That hauing others conquered braue cannot orecome himselfe It better him becomes to bunt the Lion or the Bare The greedie Wolfe wilde Boore and fierce then sillie Daâ—â—zeâ— fâ—â—e No glorie t is much for to force or proudly to command As haue no might nor any power such furie to withstand But I assure me of thy selfe and that I trust thee thâ—â— Thou seest I doe not flie from thee as one ore time 〈◊〉 Besides with blushing I confesse thou art the first of all That hast against my will enforct me follow Cupidâ— call A soule thou hast that Loue as now compelleth to be thine Loue that doth both our harts in one in loyall bands combine That Loue which makes me yeeld to thee for to be ouerthrowne That Loue which Tyrant-like denies that I shall be mine owne Then looke that in this loue thou doe mine 〈◊〉 still preserue It being all that for our paines me righly shall deserue For thou shalt sooner Stella see in graue for to remaine Before that any vitious soule her vertuous life shall staine Shee 'le rather die a thousand times for constant amitie The treasure is which I doe rate at endlesse price so hie Chastely to loue in vertuous sort is sure a worthie thing And heauens themselues to modest Loue a ioyfull end will bring Remember then what I doe say or trouble me no more Faire words without performance true I loathe and doe abore So Stella said and Cloridan to heare these words of ioy So rauisht was as now he quite forgot all former noy Nor could he speake for gladnes while his hart did leape within He knew not how to frame his tale or which way to begin As dead men we through ouermuch displeasing griefe become So sudden pleasure ouermuch stops passage of our tongue Both th' one and th' other oftentimes vs too too much doth moue Extremities of both without a meane we often proue Many through pleasure die their daies many doe end through woe Griefe kills our sences sodenly and ioy likewise doth so And after winter many stormes and rainie shewers apace The Sunne begins by little for to shew to vs his face The plants and Trees reuiue againe looking both fresh and greene Which in the frostie season cold through snow did lie vnseene So at the last the Shepheard got his wonted speech againe And pleasure former dread and feare did chase away 〈◊〉 Which being gone as soone as time did breath to him affoord In humblâ— wise he once more thus began her for to boord Sweet Ladie since the law diuine of Cupid heauenly king Such fauours great doth shew to me not of my meriting And that I blest am so that to your hart mine tied is A cause our chast desires are like for to obtaine rare blisse And since our mindes are so vnite and knit in bonds so strong As death it selfe with all his force shall neuer doe vs wrong I vow for to be yours alone hap ill to me or well Despite of destinie despite of Fortune spite of hell For to be loued of thy selfe it passeth and is such As like no glorie is on earth for to be found by much When Adon Venus did enioy so blessed was not he Nor Pirams loue to Thisbe could so hot and ardent be The Gods themselues in glorie theirs who are redoubtable In pleasure with me to compare cannot nor are not able More fortunate am I then they my hart is more content Then when Ioue with Europa liu'd and time away so spent A thousand Almours in my minde I feele for to be hid More sweet then when Leander kind embrace his Hero did With Paris vaine is Hellens ioy compared vnto mine My fancies are so sweet they seeme as if they were diuine None is so happie as my selfe th' Ambrosia of the Gods Not so much liketh them as doth my life like me by ods Ah then amongst contentments such doe not me so much grieue As for to thinke
〈◊〉 goodly Castle wherein for the most part 〈…〉 This Geâ—lle man 〈…〉 more challe 〈…〉 be made much 〈◊〉 by her husband she hauing two such 〈…〉 bounding miner This their maritage at the first was the 〈…〉 them both for there wanted nothing more to 〈…〉 Paris and 〈◊〉 conceiued when they were first 〈…〉 Admitus with Alcesta or that of Vltsses with Penelope or 〈…〉 was nothing in respect of the true delight that these two 〈…〉 being coupled so sacredly and surely together But what is too violent be it aduersitie or prosperitie can not be 〈…〉 more then hee who ouer swistly and too too hastily beginning his course loosert vâ— on the suddaine his breath and so in the midst of his race faileth both in force and in running whether it be eyther because their violent beginnings ingendereth their procâ—edings for that without reason no sure foundation can be layde or else that their hues passeth away with their owne ouermuch violence as a great and outragious fire consumeth in a sinall time great store of wood and sewell But not to digresse from our first matter Not farre from this gallant Lombard called Leander was there an other faire place the owner whereof was a neighbour of his a youthfull Gentleman a Batcheler and vnmarried which two what by reason of the nearenesse of their houses and the conformitie of their manners grewe to be so inward and deare friendes as they could not abide one to be from another and their loue was so great as all things as farre as honor would permit was common betweene them Pilades was neuer so great with Orestes Theseus neuer nearer to Peritheus nor Alexander neuer more beloued of Ephestion then Leanaer was of his friend and his friend of him Neuer went they on Hawking Hunting or anie other such like laudable exercise but they were together Being at home they had but one boord and being abroad but one bed and one purse betweene them as if they had benesworne brethren and both borne of one mother But now marke the difference betweene leaud Loue and loyall Amitie This friendship betwixt these two young neighbours so sacred so religious and honest was famous euerie where and commended throughout all the whole Countrey there about which neuer thelesse cruell LOVE diuided and brake in sunder Yea and in such sort as that which was the chiefe ioy and contentment of them both cost them both their liues By this then may we perceiue how contrarie LOVE is vnto Friendship for whereas the one is laudable honest praise-worthie and profitable the other is wicked and cruell sowing discord and malice amongst such as were and should bee most faithfull and firme friendes one vnto an other So did LOVE drowne and extinguish long since all respect friendship and dutie which Medea ought vnto her Father bereauing her of all naturall pittie tearing in peeces her owne proper Brother to succour and helpe her Louer Iason And so likewise this mischieuous LOVE forced the daughter of Minos to be his mortall enemie onely to follow her deceitfull seruant Theseus Neither did this wicked LOVE worke a lesse villanie against these two friendes for Leander hauing as I said before a most excellent faire and modest wife but as Hellena vnfortunate was the occasion that shee ministred meanes and matter vnto LOVE to put in practise and to exercise so manie cruell and vniust parts as hee afterwards did but if the Innocent merit to be excused then is shee not to be accused as the losse of her owne deare life afterwards shewed But what kingdomes oftentimes which of themselues are rich and necessarie set a fire most hurtfull damageable and spoyling warres of which notwithstanding they are manie times cleare of crauing no other thing then onely to submit themselues vnder the dominion and gouernement of the right and lawfull heire vnto the Crowne But the ambitious desires of men are they that make the wounds by reason of the greedinesse they haue to enioy that which in their conceits they iudge to be faire profitable and pleasant This Gentleman the friend of Leander called Antonio Picchio made account of Leunders house as his owne being seldome or neuer from thence and the longer hee stayed there the better he was welcome his marryed friend and his wife for his sake giuing him the best entertainment they could deuise It is an olde said sawe that a man alwayes liketh his neighbours house better than his owne Whether it be the chaunging of lodgings is the cause or the straunge and good companie that he findeth An old saying where there is good refort and merrie Now whilst our Batcheller passed his time most pleasantly away hee began inwardlie to cast an affection vnto his friends wife and to loue her farre better then hee did her husband And thus are many men now a dayes made account of onely for their wiues sakes as manie kisse the children onely for the Nurses sake Tuta frequensque via est per amici fallere nomen Tuta ftequensque licet sit via crimen habet The safe and surest way it is By fri udship to deceiue Though safe and surest way it be T' is knauerie by your leaue So long he beganne to like her that at last he was troubled in his minde so as a secret conceit ranne still in his braine a nouell flame was kindled in his brest and a new strange desire chaunged the nature of his first humor And in so much as within a little while after he became another kinde of man then he had bene heretofore I will now maruell no more why the Poets haue set downe so manie humane bodies to be chaunged through LOVE into diuers insensible and senslesse likenes and shipes For there is no doubt but that the very countenance the conditions and the desires of Loâ—ers alter and chaunge in so much as they turne themselues into new bodies as the Snake doth cast her skinne by reason this extreame hote and supernaturall passion comming vppon the suddaine and crossing the right nature of man breaketh and chaseth it soone away as a suddaine flood of water carryeth before him both hedges Trees and houses and whatsoeuer else withstandeth his violence And so did it happen vnto foolish Antonio Picchio The desire he had to see his shee friend and chase the Deare with her husband was the occasion he came oftner to Leanders house Louers metamorphosed and changed then otherwise he would haue done for he was passing craftie and knewe too too well how to colour his comming thither Loue being his Schoole-master and hauing taught him this cunning Louers neuer want a pretext or shadow to cloake theit affections It is the first lesson they learne in Cupids schoole and which they studie carnestly to obserue to the end that for want of concealing that The first lesson that a Louer learneth which they are most desirous should be hid from the sight of others they feare it it should be
voyage findeth but the halfe part of his Marchandise in his ship the gaine of which drew him to aduenture abroad and to leaue his countrie and friends Euen so Leander found himselfe but halfe contented and pleased when he perceiued those to be dead whom he so much coueted in his minde to haue encombred them aliue neuerthelesse he drew neerer vnto the place where they lay marking very wistly both his dead enemies and his wife As he stood thus gazing vpon them diuers conceits ran in his head not knowing well what to thinke of the matter one while he thinketh that his wife loued Antonio so dearely as she would needes die with him an other while he iudgeth rightly of the fact imagining that ciuill discention had caused one to kill an other now he iudgeth that some foe of Antonios had stabd him and then againe he gesseth that some of his friends had offered him this cruell outrage for doing so great villainie against him But Loue crossed all these contrarie conceits dispearsing them heere and there as the cracke of the thunder forceth the cloud to giue way when it breaketh through the same and falleth vpon the ground below he thought he had many iust occasions to hate his wife meaning if she had bene aliue to haue inflicted vpon her that punishment which he had alreadie found her to endure and yet when he had a little better considered thereof in his minde seeing her to be brought vnto so pittifull a straight he could not chuse but must needes lament and bewaile her hard mishap Whilest she liued he loathed her nor will he by any meanes be induced to beleeue that she is culpable of that fault of which he before accused her seeing that now she is dead A friend is neuer knowne so well as when he is mist He commeth neerer and neerer vnto her which wofull Cynthia perceiuing and not knowing who it was but rather supposing that the villaines were come backe againe although she were not quite dead yet did she faine her selfe to be so fearing least they would offer some violence vnto her bodie if she should haue made shew that she had bene still aliue Leander lighting of his horse kneeleth downe by his wife weepeth bitterly and then kisseth her which the poore soule perceiuing maruelling much what this should meane openeth her dying eies a little when after she had a good while wistly looked vpon him she sawe and knew him to be liuing whom she held and accounted to be dead That Romane woman who died with sodaine ioy seeing her sonne returne safe and whole from that bloodie battaile of Cannas and whom she esteemed to be dead was not halfe so much rauished with true delight and amazemēt in viewing him as Cynthia was when she saw her spouse aliue and well And now she striueth as much as in her feeble strength lieth to open wide her languishing eies that she might the better gaze and looke vpon her husband But alas mortall and deadly were the glaunces she cast vpon him mortall were they vnto her to Leander she now began to wende away as mildly as a lambe whilest her wofull husband what sinister conceit soeuer he had before of her died for very anguish to see her in this wofull taking He was aliue and not wounded at all his wife readie to giue vp the ghost all to be mangled with gorie blood and yet had not he his tongue so readie to command as his poore Cynthia had for so great was his griefe as he could not speake as much as one word which she perceiuing and now knowing throughly who he was with a kind of hollow and broken voice she spake thus vnto him Ah my deare husband art thou then come from heauen to assist and helpe thy faithfull wife she being readie to giue vp the ghost and hast thou dained so much as to remember her and to honour her at her end with thy welcome presence Ah say is it thine owne selfe whom I see or is it some euill spirit that hath taken thy shape vpon him to mocke and delude me If it be thee and that thou liuest as yet then thrise fortunate is Cynthia to see thee before she giueth ouer this wretched life And yet if thou be that Leander who sometimes wert the kind husband of vnhappie Cynthia how then canst thou abide to approach neere vnto her she hauing bene the occasion of so many euils lightned vpon thee thou knowing not whether she be cleare from them or no But I see well that Loue draweth all such doubts in thee and will not suffer thee to beleeue any thing that is not good for me And yet Leander hast thou reason to conceiue the worst of me because I haue bene the occasion of many troubles that haue hapned vnto thee notwithstanding I sweare vnto thee by that God before whom I hope to be iudged who reuengeth euery periurie that I am meerely innocent of what ill so euer is done I hauing not bene defiled either in bodie or in minde the Almightie hauing most miraculosly preserued me from all such harme Whereupon she began to discouer vnto him all that had hapned since she last sawe him and withall how she had not made him acquainted with the affection which Antonio bare vnto her the cause of all this mischiefe and the reason that it might haue bene preuent if he had knowne thereof But said she I was in good hope he would haue become a new man being loth to bewray his soilie vnto you because you made so great account of him thinking he would neuer haue borre so bad a minde towards you But now I see this sore to be vnrecurable I know not what to say but onely to craue pardon of you for the same and withall to take some order for my buriall Then sweet husband weepe no more for what reason hast thou to bewaile her death who hath brought thee so many losses and vncurable dammages whilest she liued with thee rather haue you cause to reioyce and be glad to see her finall end and therefore I most humbly beseech you if you doe loue me indeed as you seeme at this time to make some shew that you doe drie vp your teares cease these lamentings giue ouer this sighing and sobbing and suffer me to finish this small rest of my life in some pleasure for my sorrow proceedeth not from my death but for that I see thee thus to take on Trouble not then I pray thee that contentment which I haue to view and behold thee before I shut vp my dazeling eies through thy too much lamenting for my death If thou hast loued me then call to minde this thy good will towards me and let the remembrance thereof now I die perswade thee to doe so much for me It is the last office of friendship which thou must doe for me for now I shall trouble thee no more my glasse being runne and the date of my life in
a manner quite expired Then graunt me this my request for my daies were but daies to serue thee my soule but a soule to honour thee and my heart but a heart to affect and onely loue thees and I hope thou hast found knowne and perswadest thy selfe that I speake nothing but truth Which if thou doest then let me obtaine this last Boone of thee and be not so cruell as to denie me so small a matter Grieue then no more my good Leander for me which if thou doest I then will close mine eies and shut vp my tongue because I cannot abide to see thee in this heauie plight for her who is vnworthie that thou shouldest torment thy selfe any way for her cause Hauing thus complained she held her peace when her wofull husband who during this her lamentable discourse had recouered his speech began thus to comfort her Ah my sweet Cynthia what cause of mislike haue I euer giuen thee and when did I vse thee otherwise than became me that thou shouldest imagine I were not able to forbeare thy companie without great discontentment vnto my selfe Doest thou then thinke that I loue thee not If so thou thinke O God what wrong doest thou vnto me yes Cynthia yes I loue thee yea and in that sort as thou canst not die without me Death is not of power sufficient to extinguish my loue which shall liue in despite of him and shall still continue with thee be thou aliue or dead Not so soone canst thou command but I will as willingly condiscend vnto thee in any thing and yet thy entreatie cannot hinder me but that I must bewaile thy Disaster and farre more should I take on by oddes but that my hope is to see the shortly in another world Too zealous and affectionate is my loue towards thee to see thee suffer that thou doest and I not to be moued with the same O would to God thou wert without hurt or wound and that I had had that misfortune to haue falne vpon me which thou now hast But seeing it cannot be thou shalt not chuse but giue me leaue to beare some part of thine anguish When we were well and liued at hearts ease there was not any thing but what was common betweene vs all things were alike betweene thee and me why then shouldest thou oppose thy selfe now so much against me as to denie me that I should participate of thy troubles with thee No no I will beare a heauie burthen in this thy sorrowfull song and mine eies shall streame forth before I die as two fountaines of water all the liquid humour that remaineth within my restlesse bodie Thou goest thy way my deare Cynthia and leauest me here plunged in deepe perplexitie but I will not stay long behind soone will I follow after thee and quickly ouertake thee Is it possible mine eies should giue light vnto my bodie and want thy sight and is it likely I shall be able to abstaine from thy companie for euer when I cannot endure to forbeare thy presence one short day O deare wife now I coniure thee by the chaste pleasures of our sacred Hymen and vnspotted nuptiall bed by that Loue of thine and mine as yet neuer broken and by thy heart and mine which neuer were but one let me entreate thee that thou take it not ill although I die with thee Great is the authoritie that Loue hath giuen thee ouer me but yet not so great as it shall disturbe my desire or make me follow any other course but death Certainely certainely I will beare thee companie euen into thy graue O faire and beautifull eies mine were you whilest you liued and mine shall you be when you are dead No man liuing hath interest in you but my selfe and you will I as well see being dead as when you were aliue O curteous death if it be possible for thee to be entreated by the Praiers or the cries of mortall wights or if euer thou hast done any kindnes vnto them then I beseech thee let me finde this fauour at thy hands that I may breath my last gaspe before my Ladie Doe me this good turne for all the euill thou hast done me and in recompence of such great losses as I am like to sustaine by thee in snatching away from me most violently the onely support and Atlasse of my life which if I may not obtaine I will complaine and exclaime against thee making it knowne vnto the whole world that thou art cruell and partiall against me onely for it should much abate and asswage my torments to goe before her to the end I might be exempted from those more then deadly darts which will pierce deepely into my soule when I shal behold her to be laid within her graue O cruell Tombe must thou be so fortunate as to lodge and entertaine so pretious a treasure to possesse so rare and louely a beautie and to enclose and couer a bodie so exquisite and perfect that same being the chiefe maintainer of my glorie and the onely vpholder of my life O that some gentle power would be so kind vnto me as to transforme me into thy likenes to the end I might enioy that benefit which is permitted to be thine and of which whilest it liued I was Maister and owner And yet thinke not thou shalt haue the bodie of my deare wife alone no no thou shalt haue mine also to beare hers companie and by that meanes thou shalt receiue two bodies which liuing had but one soule betweene them And now my sweet Cynthia let me once more take thee by the hand for a finall farewell and let me kisse thee once againe to the end that my breath may issue out of this his earthly mantion and part hence at the selfe same instant that thine passeth away Leander hauing so said and weeping most tenderly taketh the cold carkasse of his wife in his armes often kissing and rekissing her colde mouth he being neuer sufficiently satisfied with the delight of that dying which was wholy at his commaundement whilest it was liuing His lips neuer parted from hers whilest his eies streamed downe teares and his heart sent forth scalding sighes in aboundance O thrise fortunate soules whom neither death nor sorrowes could part asunder and ô happie couple who would not haue but one Tombe to enclose you both together And now Leander began to faint as well as his wife he being sore wounded with griefe and Loue which she perceiuing forced her selfe to vttes these fewe words as well as she could vnto him It is enough sweet husband it is enough you too much trouble your sicke selfe with an vnworthie burthen for we may count our selues blessed in that we haue incountered one with another before we die The end crowneth the workes of man their glorie lying onely in their deaths which death shall make vs famous for euer allotting vnto vs the Garland of commendation and praise to continue hereafter For mine owne part I
so to doe for this onely good in that he hath procured mankinde to be borne maister of all other creatures and giuen him a soule immortall in felicitie For if the enemies of men be punished and if sometimes the Ancients ordained equall paine for one Ingrate as for a murtherer Surely the man ingrate towards Almightie God that acknowledgeth not so many blessings and graces from him ought to suffer much as worthie of most grieuous punishment Thus sayd the Shepheard to himselfe and had further discoursed vpon this subiect but that a sudden storme of raine made him runne out to goe stand vnder a thick Rock the toppe whereof saue garded him from the iniuries of heauen And being there aboue he heard a voyce which vttered this which followeth Blessed be they which are either perfectly happie without euer hauing felt griefe or altogether miserable hauing neuer made tryall of any contentment For he which suddainly cōmeth out of the Stoue findeth the aire colder then he who hauing neuer bene within hath alwayes stood without doore In like māner those which neuer felt any good during their life endure nothing so much as they which haue bin happie are afterwards becom miserable For if white maketh vs better to know and discerne black in like sort good maketh the griefe which ensueth more cruell intollerable the remēbrance of which losse terribly tormenteth our soules It greeueth not one so much to goe without cloathes who ordinarily goeth naked as well in winter as Sūmer but it would be a cumbersome hard matter for him who hath bin well and warmly clad to be stripped thrust into his shirt and forced to go all bare In like manner the miserable that haue knowne nothing but griefe are not so greatly oppressed with paine as they who haue sometimes tasted of felicitie whereof at the same instant they finde themselues depriued More cruell was king Perceus his change who of a puissant king became miserable a seruant slaue and laughing-stocke of Fortune then if hee had neuer knowne any such greatnes remaining as a priuate simple man and without a Diademe Of the selfe same now speake I by experience for more cruell at this day doe I feele the griefe to see my selfe absented depriued of my deare Diana thē if I had neuer seen her or that she had not pleased mine eies as she hath done Alas Can it be that I should remaine without her or that my soule may continue in my body being depriued of her faire and shining countenance If the bodie cannot moue without the soule Oh how can mine liue enioying no more that Sun which caused it both to liue and moue Oh my Diana in what part soeuer thou glaūcest forth thy beautifull and celestiall rayes let the heauens be alwayes fauourable vnto thee in recompence of the good thou hast done me in suffering me to behold thy countenance Farre frō thy yeares dayes let pale death flie all discontentment absent it selfe from thy soule all vexation griefe auoyd thy hart let sadnes be banished from thence to conclude let no feeling of griefe euer touch thee liuing let heauē alwaies make thy beauty durable thy chast vertue immortall thy sacred fidelitie power eternall and thy excellent glorie endles Alas if the heauens preserue thy noble perfections who vnder the Sun shall liue more perfect or happy thē thy selfe for none can equall thee in these worthie vertues vertues alas which augment misfortunes make my complaints more bitter For he hath greater cause to complain that hath lost much then he that hath endured the losse but of a small matter I haue lost thy diuine presence which only chased and droue away my obscure nights now I wander in darknes in night in horror vexation I haue lost my Sun my dayes are turned into nights Alas but haue I not likewise lost my miserable life Alas my Goddesse if thou wouldest if thou wouldest I say take my soule as thine owne retaine it with thee why takest not thou in like manner my life causing him to die which cannot liue remoued frō thy light but I must scoure both sea land to find thee out I will flie neither paine danger nor labor to see thee yet once more before death reap my sad wretched daies And then in all repose contentmēt pleasure I will yeeld this miserable carkasse to the earth shaken quashed with so many hitter griefes euen broken as it were in pieces with a thousand martyrdoms During these daies replenished with obscurity dyed in lamentation darknes In that I shall not behold thy beautifull diuine countenance my teares like streams shall poure out frō my blubbered eyes sighes shall come forth euen from my soule sad wailing mourning frō my hart No apprehension of pleasure shall dwel within me no apparāce of life to signe of pleasing delights nor any note of health Miserable will I alwaies remaine no ioyfull accident no chāge of fortune or new forme of life can administer the least consolation to my soule voyd of pleasure ioy of all good and contentment I will sigh continually while destinie moued at my long complaints together with my life cut off my teares troubles Thus spake this wretched Shepherd wretched surely miserable who neuer felt so much as one smiling glaunce of fortune miserable certainly in that he was borne to suffer neuer knew what ioy meant yet more wretched in hauing spent his years emploied his whole life offered his dayes and yeelded his time to seruice of many who permitted pouertie to swallow vp his years and manage and ouermaister his life And though he were peerles in miserie and that his state of life was onely swayed by misfortunes which held him caytif notwithstāding cruel enuie which biteth all things though they be incorporeall ceased not to make a thousand malicious iealous of that little cōmendation which his dolorous Muse acquired to his years In all cōsiderations therfore he was most wretched aboue all others But that which gaue the greatest blow and that made his griefe insupportable and fell was the absence and losse of his Diana The remembrance wherof was sufficient to forget choak quite extinguish all the mortall pleasures he could haue tasted of in this world Euery one maketh his chiefe felicity of that he best liketh things which are sometimes held for happy cōmodious of mortall men are in contēpt with those who haue placed their soueraigne good in some other matter as Louers flout at riches treasures Empires and kingdomes which mortall men propound vnto themselues for the good of their contentmēt vpon which they build their most pleasure and delight But the onely presence of their Ladies is their chiefest good for their soules be more ioyfull in beholding of them then are the eyes of a couetous mizer when they take pleasure in contemplation of the goods riches
honour thee in as much as my loue is neither dishouest beastly nor viticus but rather sacred vertuous and chaste and therefore not subiect to any reprehension Why doest thou thus oppose thy selfe against that faire glorie which thy worthy carriage doth permit why doest thou reiect that praise which euery one would render vnto thy peerlesse beautie why doest thou disdaine that honour which the heauens haue ordained for thy matchlesse perfection And why doest thou refuse the seruice of the most loyallest Louer that euer breathed In times past those beautifull Ladies counted themselues happie that could vant themselues of the faithfulnes of their Louers Hero thought her selfe fortunate in that she had Leander for her faithfull friend and why then doest thou denie to be most faithfully serued of thy deuoted and true hearted Arcas Suffer him suffer him hard-harted as thou art to honour thee for the Gods themselues forbid not men although vitious to adore them because friendship is not to be scorned from whence soeuer it commeth in that it proceedeth from a willing and well-wishing minde Thus said the Shepheard when the Nymph hearing him to make this straunge kinde of Tale pursued her former complaint in this manner Ah barbarous and disdainfull man why doest thou stop thine eares against my pralers Take heed take heed least the heauens iustly punishing thee harden not the hart of her whom thou honourest against thee as thou most vnkindly hast done vnto me for oftentimes we fall into the snare which we haue laid to intrappe straungers we being scourged with the same plague wherewith we haue afflicted others Is it not enough for thee to be contented with these my sorrowes but that thou must mocke mee therewithall making a shew as if thou sawest another and not me vnto whom thou framest thy speech But the Gods be iust and therefore thanked be they seeing thy Mistris maketh thee know and that vnto thy cost if thou so much louest as thou makest vs beleeue how insupportable the torments are which thy Sauadge rigor maketh me to feele for he onely can talke rightly of griefe that hath felt the same and daily experience maketh vs perfect in the knowledge of such things as we practise If thou feelest this euill and if thou knowest how full of anguish it is then permit not me to abide the same any longer which if thou doest thou wilt then force me to call for aide vnto the heauens that they assist me to take reuengement vpon thee for he ought and that iustly to be punished who knoweth the euell that he doth is acquainted with the greatnes of the fault he committeth and yet neuertheleâ—le will not giue it ouer for onely ignorance excuseth the offence which knowledge condemneth because such as did perpetrate the same were not vnacquainted with it Open then those deafe eares of thine and shew me some pittie to the intent I may commend thee for kindnes as long as the world shall flourish The Shepheard notwithstanding these her earnest perswasions seemed not to heare one word but as he did at the first so still he continued making solemne intercession vnto his good Angell Diana in this wise Alas must the distance of place hinder thee faire Virgin so much as thou canst not aunswere me and must I be so miserable as I may say I am farre exiled from thee Can my soule breathe and not behold thee O wonderfull miracle that wretched Arcas can liue without the chaste and prudent Diana for she is his soule and the bodie without soule how is it possible that it should ioy at all Certainely I should thinke my selfe much blessed if I might but onely see thy face without speaking as much as one word vnto thee for then would I most willingly yeeld vnto death but I see it is my destinie to die and not so much as before my death to see thee Vnfortunate my Tombe to be so farre off from thee my deare and accursed mine eies to sleepe in any other resting place than where thou abidest But alas art thou the cause of my distresse no no it is the heauens who are ouer iealous of my glorie and who would faine loue thee themselues they knowing thy like is not to be found in the whole world and therefore are the more vnwilling to haue any Corriuals in their Loue. But in despite of them will I loue thee nothing being of force to quench this outragious heate of mine no not death it selfe Thus wailed the sad Shepheard thinking verily that he had bene before the presence of his diuine Diana and more would he haue lamented but that Coribant plucking him by the sleeue and wearied with hearing him and the amorous Orythia put him out of this amorous dreame in this sort Enougn man enough no teares nor sighes make a man the wiser after the fault committed but rather more miserable and wretched Cease I say cease both of you to lament and rather seeke some remedie how to redresse your sorrowes And because I would be glad to perswade you to giue ouer this dangerous Loue which maketh you thus to torment and massacre your selfe continually I will account vnto you a most lamentable Historie by which you may gather how cruell and damned a plague Loue is for we cannot come from out this Rocke as long as this tempest lasteth and which is but scarcely new begun Arcas and Orythia seeing there was no remedie considering the foulnes of the weather sat them downe when Coribant sitting betwixt them and they lending a listning eare vnto him began his dolorous discourse in this manner Yee hollow Rocks be witnesses what here by me is sed Within whose gloom it horror darke the night is shadowed Yee stately Rocks to powder burnt of times most cruelly When Ioue your tops with thunderbolts doth scortch and bruse from skie Ah be your witnesses of this my sad discourseile tell You which of late the loues of these two Shepheards ouerwell Conceiude of these two louing wights whose lucklesse hapile show Vndone by Loue by Loue who dares the Gods to ouerthrow Aâ—dye broad Beeches in your shade that often hane themseene When they reposing of themselues under the same haue beene You which a thousand letters caru'd within your tender rinde Knots and deuises in their loue and such like Toyes may finde You dark 〈◊〉 Caues where whilst the day did last in bright some wise They blushing of theor chastest Loues did mongst themselues deuise Yee pretrie Foordes and christall springs yee Riuers murmerous Whoat the sigh of them became for to be amorous Yee vncorh Desarts witnesses what they in secret did Importunde by their often plaints which from you were not hid And thou thicke priuate shadowing groue that knowest most of all To thee and all the rest to heare what I will speake I call Vnto you all beare witnesse then I to you all appeale Since t is as true as pittifull what I shall now reueale In that same time
attend the Tale most sad And marke through vile iniurious LOVE what pittious end they had It channced now the Holly-day due vnto LOVE was come In which once euery yeare great Feasts most solemnely were done His Temple in this Desart was which holden was diuine For honor it was wonderous rich for beautie rare and fine As well as Neighbours Forrainers came thither far neare The Demy-gods Fawnes Satyres Nymphs mongst Shepheards and appeare These with their Crownes of Laurell greene vpon their bushy head Themselues did shew in Courtly pomp adorn'd and bellished About their neckes hung hugie chaines and pretious Carkenets And bout their armes they Iewells ware and costly Bracelets Now that this God propitious mongst them himselfe would show Great store of Sacrifices they vpon him did bestow Perfumde with Incens offered and hundred sorts of verse Which did his power his Maiestie and noble deeds rehearse That done they did beginne to daunce each one as lik'te them best And to what daunce they Fancie had to that themselues addrest Whilst that the Syluans and the Gods of woods with Cornets shrill With Hoboies Bagpipes and such like the place throughout did fill One doth a Brawle of Poitiers shew another with a grace The measures leades the third againe Lauolta treads apace Thus euery one doth striue to please themselues with fresh delight No falling out amongst them is no malice or despite Not any was there bent to ill nor any to displease One sought another to content to purchase ioy and ease Together mongst this merrie crew there was our Louers twaine When as a curst mishap did chaunce that cause was of their bane For mongst the rest that in that place did daunce with blith-full glee Euen in the midst of all their mirth as merrie as might bee A Nymph there was surpassing faire for so she well did showe So faire as FLORA she did match if not before her goe From forth her eies like Diamonds a sparkling fire did come Whose glaunces shewed to be of force to equalise the Sunne Her Amber locks by nature curlde lay wauing on her cheeke As Seas doe gently beake on banke a sight that all did leeke This Virgin sweet to NVMIDOR comes with a grace most trim And by the hand the Shepheard takes to daunce a while with him Long did they daunce and as they daunst her colour fresher shoowes And still the more she daunceth aie the more she fairer growes So beautifull she seemes indeed as in that place there is A Sauadge Satire who begins to thinke to doe amisse Insecret sort to rauish her he vowes by force and strife Or else before he lose his wish hee 'le lose his hatefull life This Monster foule mishapen wretch vnworthie for to Loue Dan Cupids fire within his brest beginneth now to proue He frets and fumeth inwardly and through this vncoth heate His colour changing comes and goes his heart doth pant and beate Respect of persons place and feare lest he should not obtaine His hairie bodie makes to shake through a cold sweat amaine Meane space none doth him marke or thinke that ere he durst presume The companie thus to disturbe in this his fretting fume But LOVE that forceth mightiest Gods and them hath oft controld Makes him auditious insolent proud haughtie and so bold That in the end and suddenly he carrieth her away As doth the Wolfe when violently he seazeth on his pray Ah helpe she crieth pittiously ah helpe helpe loud she cries Whilst that through feare sorrow she dead in his rough armes lies All are amaz'd nor can they moue onely braue NVMIDOR Vowes for to rescew her from him or else to die therefore With naked sword in hand he runnes after the Thiefe amaine Yet all his running's to no end he laboureth but in vaine For so fast tripps the Satire as it seemeth he doth flie The Eagle faster takes not flight when he from Ioue doth hie Nor doth the Hawke when he hath got the Partridge seeme so swift As this rude villaine doth his feete so fast still moue and shift But still the Nymph for aide doth crie and after NVMIDOR Doth follow hearing her hard by which grieueth him the more He followeth him apace and still he keepes where he hath tras't And more he heares her to lament the more he maketh hast Yet though he doth all he can he cannot him ore take Which is the cause his breast he beates and sorrow great doth make And now hard at his heeles he is which when the Satire sees Into a hollow gloomie Rocke to hide himselfe he flees This was the cause the Shepheard lost the wofull Damzels sight Onely by crie of hers he knew how follow her he might So long he seekes that at the last he comes into the roome Where as the Satire gainst her will the Virgin would ore come Which sight incenst him so with rage as that his sword he takes And trusting him through bodie quite an end of him he makes Downe fals the Monster in his gore his lust begins to coole Whilst with his streaming blood he makes the place seeme like a Poole Which when the gentle Shepheard sawe no more he wearie was Now he had had his will he for his trauaile did not passe The frighted Nymph he comforteth and bids her be of cheare Since that the Satire for his rash attempt had paid so deare He wils her thanks the God of Loue who had him thither sent Her to protect from villanie which was against her ment Nor looketh he for praise of her but happier thinkes himselfe To saue a Nymph from shame then if he purchast had great wealth Thus said the Shepheard to the Nymph but thus although he said Yet answered she him nought at all for still she was afraid She shooke like an Aspen leafe her hart did throb and pant And being frighted in her minde she breath almost did want Resembling right a prettie Hinde by Hounds that being chast And hardly scaping from their clawes thinkes scarce the dangers past She viewes the Satire wallowing in his owne blood desperately Yet though she plainely seeth the same she scarce beleeues her eie The Shepheard seeing her still doubt from feare her for to winne Once more begins to comfort her and thus he doth begin Sweet Nymph what meanst thou thus to doubt and why thy selfe dost wrong Dost not behold thy lustfull foe dead for to lie along To feare where cause is Reason wills withouten cause to feare Argues a minde depriu'd of sence and signe 's of folly meere Comfort thy selfe and if thou can tell me what new disgrace May be of force to daunt with dread thy bloodlesse palie face Seest not thy liuelesse enemie his countenance dost not know His earthly coarse as euidence that he is dead doth show Cease then to doubt for feare of ought since now thou hast no cause Leaue thus to weepe waile and lament and make thereof a pause Take courage vnto thee and
me than is this thy offence Command me louing thee with thee and with thy fault dispence Iudge then of this strange crueltie that it should me constraine To loue and honour him who is the Author of my baine So we the feeble sicke man see through senselesse fond desire What is th' occasion of his death to couet and require So I arrested by proud Loue am forst iniuriously Alack the while to honour thee who laughst to see me die Thee must I like and follow still despite of my poore hart Although void of all honestie and friendly Loue thou art Still for thy sake I languish must in death with great disease Yet I my selfe count happie since I doe it thee to please The Gods forget as I forgiue thee from mine inward soule And neuer may they for my death as faultie thee controule As willingly I thee forgiue as to my death I goe For being dead thou then too late my constancie shalt knowe Well maist thou haue a fairer friend but faithfuller was neuer Who as she seru'd thee whilst she liu'd in death shee 'le loue thee euer But thou great Cupid rightfull Iudge reuenge my cause aboue On her who traiterously hath stolne from me my heart and loue Plague her that makes me pine away example let her bee To Louers all how they take heede to vse such treacherie Plague her that hath my Louer stolen my louely NVMIDOR And let her feele like punishment as I haue felt ore sore Ah let her not who loyall Faith so shamefully doth soile Raise Trophees of my ouerthrow nor triumph in my spoile Thus Flora prated and sigh't thus wailde the heauie Shepheardesse Was neuer Nymph or Maiden borne that felt such deepe distresse In wailing and in weeping she did spend the day and night And the remainder of her life in sorrow sans delight And now she wearie is of life life doth her vex and grieue A greater Corsie hath she not than that she thus doth liue She doth resolue to die forthwith and yet she faine would chuse The gentlest and the easiest way her soule from corpse to loose For to dispatch her selfe with sword it was too fierce and fell The fire displeased her and the rope to her was horrible To fling her selfe downe from some Rocks high top she had desire But being there the height thereof did make her to retire Vpon the Seaish banke she stood minding therein to lep But raging waues did her afright from drowning they her kept As we behold amaz'd to stand the doubtfull traueller Not knowing which way for to take by reason of great feare Vnskilfull which path for to trace beset most dangerously Which he alreadie seemeth in his minde to view with eie On euery side with Theeus who all the passages about Haue laid so as he knoweth not how from thence to get him out So Flora doubtfull and yet full of corsiues and of paine Knoweth not what death were best to chuse though she would die full faine She musing lookes now here now there she runneth euery houre About the woods and wisheth that some beast might her deuour O that we should ill wish our selues oftentimes we wishing woe Vnto our selues it lights on vs poore Flora found it so No wisedome t is the Gods to punish vs to put in minde Too soone they can if so they please to plague vs iust cause finde Meane time Loue at this Shepheardesse doth smile and at her griefe Who more she doth her woes bewaile the more she wants reliefe His glorie he embellisheth by reason of her care And his victorious Chariot with the same doth make more faire But leauing her still languishing we will againe returne To Numidor who missing her doth waile as fast and mourne He seekes and searcheth euery where for Flora he doth call But yet no voice but Ecco shrill doth answere him at all Ecco doth onely answere him with wast and fruitlesse sound He heares her name but Floras selfe can no where yet be found Like as the Hart that louing Deare when he his prettie Hinde Runnes round about in euery place with flying pace to finde Now seeketh her amongst the Rocks and then the woods among Then in the Forrests there by Foords and Riuers all along And finding still to misse her then seekes in some hollow Caue To see if there her companie as fortunate he may haue And wearie now with seeking her he downe lieth in some place Sighing full sore for want of her whom he longs to embrace So doth our Shepheard who was now with seeking her being tirde Wailes his hard hap not her to finde whom he so much desirde So much he wailes as hardest Rocks grieue that so much he seekes And pittious Ecco when he sighes in recompence now weepes Each thing seemd to their power as though they succour to him brought Onely did Flora want alas for whom so much he sought Flora for whom he sought whom yet he could not once entreate That she vouchsafe would to his cries to answere and to speake Flora who power had ouer him him to commaund alone Whose death and life lay in her hands for her thus did he mone And now into his troubled braine did many fancies come One while he thinkes some God of woods with her away is runne Or that some other Satire ruffe hath drawne her to some cane And there against her will doth minde his will on her to haue Another while he doubteth sore lest in this vncoth wood Some sauadge beast hath seazde on her and spilt her harmlesse blood Or else he feares she him will haue no more vnto her mate But rather meanes some Louer now into her grace to take Thus doth he languish comfortlesse to see his hard estate And in a manner doth begin to grow as desperate What hopefull is that he reiects no ioy he entertaines But as a man carelesse of helpe he wretchedly remaines As is a guiltie person brought before the Iudge seuere Conuicted fore him for his fault which proued is most cleare His conscience telling him of his offence and his amisse And for to proue the same before him his sharpe witnesse is Which when he findeth shame and griefe doth so his sinnes confound As he his life not to respect nor to regard is found So wofull full of heauie care this haplesse Shepheard was And so he Flora had not lost for life he did not passe But hauing lost her he did thinke his heart and soule was gone And therefore comforted he would not he of any one Yet he no sooner breath had tooke but that he nerethelesse For all his toyling gan to seeke and search for her afresh He prieth into euery bush through groues he looketh all Andrunnes so fast as oftentimes through hast he downe doth fall Trough brambles sharpe through bushes and through hedges he doth passe Through thicke and thinne and all to finde his long sought dearest I asse Like to the Deare that chased is
by Hunter he did runne And then againe begins the course that he before had donne When missing of his purpose he laments in pitteous case And cruell to himselfe doth scrath and teare his manly face Euen as Hippollitus the chaste was drawne by his faire haire Through forrests woods and mount aine tops and hurried euery where And at the last his limmes were rent asunder one from one Whilst frighted with sea monsters he from Chariot fell alone So such our Shepheard seemd to be resembling such a wight Whilst streames of blood runne downe alongst his bodie view you might He sighes and sobs within the woods with voice most dolorous Whilst on the name of Ladie his he crieth and cals on thus Ah where art thou my Flora dearâ— alas where maist thou be And why shouldst thou be so vnkind to hide thy face from me What place so happie is to hold thy selfe mine onely ioy Thy beautie now where doth it shine chasing away annoy Light of mine eies say dost thou loue ah yet vnto me speake And be not so vnkind my heart with calling thee to breake Where so thou liu'st blessed is that place thrise blessed aie More willing than in paradise I there would bide and staie Alacke what haue I done to thee thou shouldst be so vnkind To part from me my better part and leaue my soule behind No doubt some God hath gotten thee enioying presence thine Some heauenly power doth honour thee which breedeth sorrow mine For thinkest thou withouten thee I can draw forth this breath Thinkst thou that in thine absence I can liue vpon this earth Then speake my sweet vouchsafe so much as tell me where art thou Where bide those rare perfections and where shine thy vertues now May I not be so happie as to know where thou dost keepe Since for thy losse I cannot chuse eternally but weepe Without thy carefull Numidor tell me where doest thou staie Who euer hath thee lou'd and who will loue thee still for aie Canst thou if him as he doth thee so much and truely loue Grieue him so much vex him so much and ouermuch him moue I knew the time I must confesse when as thou didst sermount For loyall Loue and when of me thou diddest make account I know I know thou loud'st me once that loued me thou hast And that for constant loyaltie our mutuall Loue hath past I know that Loue ore both our hearts tryumpht as Conquerour And that or'e both our soules he had the like and selfesame power I le sweare that once thou louedst me though now thou lou'st me not Though now that fire extinguisht is and thou hast me forgot I know not if as wearie of me thou beginst to range And that thy fickle minde desires else where to soare and change Or whether hauing found a man thou better likst than mee I am reiected and shooke off and quite cassheirde by thee Which if that it be so why then die must poore Numidore And with his death his fortune hard and thy bad minde deplore If it be so he must resigne his life to death and die Rather than liue thus languishing in paine continually If it be so I needs must say though so to say doth griue There is no trust in any one no faith on earth doth liue Needs must I say women are false that constant fewe remaine And that their Sex doth harbor â— ought but false dissembling shame If it be so that Flora false to Shepheard hers hath prou'd Then well I sweare that loyally neuer hath woman lou'd But why alas talke I so vaine too idle is my head Whilst with such franticke raging fits my fantasie is fed What madding humor vexeth me what bedlem iealousie What fond conceit makes me to talke Sans Sens so foolishly Am I so vilely giuen to thinke that Flora will cassbeire Her seruant Numidor whom she before hath lou'd so deare That she to any but to him will true and faithfull proue That she will falsifie her faith orethrowing her first Loue O thought most base to haue of her conceit her to mistrust O traiterous Shepheard worthlesse man O louer most accurst Haue I long heretofore her Loue with Touchstone throughly tride And shall she now with sensure hard withouten cause abide Shall I of infidelitie condemne her and suspect When I haue euer knowne her all bad motions to reiect No no sweet Flora I dare sweare and I doe know too well Thou lou'st thy Numidor nor him for new wilt euer sell No thou dost loue him though some God hath tane thee gainst thy will And keepeth thee perforce although thou neuer meanedst ill I know thou dearely louest him as dearely as thy hart And that his absence makes thee waile and in thee breedeth smart I know my presence thou dost wish and dost lament my losse I know that my not being with thee thou dost count a crosse I doe beleeue assuredly nor otherwise I le thinke Thy loue so sacred nere can die nor euer be extinct Too much thou louedst me too much thou aie of me didst make To leaue me to abandon me and me for to forsake Thou louest me and dost desire with me to be I know But that bad fortune crossed thee the faults thereof to show Then in what place thy sweetest selfe doth soiourne and doth stay And where so ere thy beautie faire her brightnes doth display Where ore thy gratious eie doth glaunce controlling with delight Embellsshing with lulstrious raies the glorie of thy sight Ah there the Gods I doe beseech all happines to raigne Downe on thee fast whilst there thou maist in pleasure safe remaine Whilst I meane while will goe to seeke some wofull vncoth place Some hollow Rocke where I may liue since I can finde no grace For being of thy seemely shape though vndeseru'd depriude I needes must breath my last of force and seeke to be distiude Then happie liue thou liue thou long and neuer maist thou tast Of sorrow such as I haue done to force thy life to wast Thus said the Shepheard and therewith seekes still some hollow Cane Wherein he soone may finde his end which he desires to haue He seekes to finde his death whilst her to finde he nere doth linne As did Apollo Daphna chase whose loue he sought to winne Nor wearied is he Louers nere are wearied when the fire Of Loue doth burne their entrailes hot with coales of strange desire Long trauaile neuer tireth them but still they labour fresh And though they be ore chargde yet take thy courage nerethelesse Then Numidor by Loue borne out both day and night doth seeke For his faire Saint for whom he longs and much desires to meete As one beholds the Lionesse at mouth with froth to fome When she to seeke her little ones stolne from her forth doth runne She neuer staieth but restlesse runnes the forrests all about Nor giues she ore although her bones and backe doe cracke throughout Running sometimes vpon the
first seeketh to take away that which the Gods themselues are not able to render backe againe whereas the other bereaueth vs but of life onely which is subiect vnto death continually Wretched are those persons that doe ill and yet reape no commoditie thereby for what good commeth vnto the backbiter by speaking ill of anie but onely that in the ende hee himselfe is hated of euery bodie Play not thou this part neither stumble thou into this foule ditch especially doe not blame her whome thou makest a shewe to loue so much But thy speeches discouer sufficiently enough what thy affection is for if thou hadst supposed mee to be such a one I cannot beleue that euer thou couldest haue loued mee because commonly wee ought to hate vice and respect and preferre vertue For such as make the world beleeue that they beare affection vnto foolish women doe not loue them indeed but onely seeke to enioy part of those pleasures as they participate vnto others So as it is impossible that a vertuous and a constant Loue can haue any other foundation then Vertue it selfe Therefore it is but meere follie for thee to make me belieue hereafter through thy fained teares and dissembling speeches that thou louest mee For is it likely that one can loue an other whom hee himselfe blameth and whom hee thinketh worthie of reprehension and shame If thou hast loued mee for my Vertue which thou imaginest I haue now lost for what wilt thou loue me hereafter The cause being taken away the effect dieth and the foundation of a Building being ruinated the house whereon it standeth must needs fall because nothing can be without his cause or subiect If the cause ceaseth in mee which was the motiue of thy Loue then needes thy former affection must cease likewise And therefore I pray thee make me belieue no more that thou bearest any good liking vnto me for I neuer can nor will giue credit vnto thee nor will belieue therein Or if thou did dest loue me then I must needs thinke thou didst it to betray me and so to corrupt mine honor I say therefore that so farre off is thy loue from being Amitie as rather quite contrarie â— esteeme it to be deadly hatred and most furious rage So as these bad conditions being in thee I can haue no occasion to loue thee but rather haue more reason to loath and detest thee as the most mortall aduersary that I haue vnto that thing which is far dearer vnto me then is my dearest life that is my pretious honour Thus said the Chollorike Diana and to confesse but truth she had good reason so to say For there is no guilelesse soule that without being somewhat moued can heare herselfe ill spoken off neither can the most vertuous person that is endure to be falslie slaundered but that he must needs growe a little in Choller As that child who being already forth of the Schoole doore thinking he is alreadie in the fields and that hee is playing amongst his companions abroad looketh very sadly and is wonderfully amazed when vpon the suddaine his Tutor taketh him by the chollar of his doublet and bringeth him againe correcting him with the rodde for his ouerbold and foolish hardines Euen so found I my selfe to be confounded with silent heauines and being wonderfully afflicted with inward anguish and sorrow Great is that Corsie and sharpe which a man feeleth when through ouermuch headdie rashnes he offen deth that thing which hee esteemeth most of all in this world Euen so vnsupportable is that griefe when a man falsly accuseth his friend whose credit he would seeke to preferre before his owne dearest hart blood Ah why then did not the earth open to swallow mee vp and why at that time did not the Sunne obscure it selfe as when he was three daies without appearing abroad disdaining to behold so horrible a crueltie of an vnnaturall father committed by him against his owne young and prettie children These speeches of mine innocent Lady iustly incensed against mee was as a poysoned darte piercing quite through my poore soule A chilly cold ranne through all my bones a deepe despite against my selfe seized vpon my veines and my voyce lay as if iâ— had bene stopped within the pallate of my mouth my colour looked as dead Ashes my tongue remained dumbe and my mouelesse eies were closed bowing downe toward the earth As then no other answere could I giue vnto my Mistris then salt teares trickling downe along my cheekes whilst from my breast as from a Furnace issued forth great store of scalding sighes O how happie had I beene at that time if some one courteous God or other would haue transformed me into some rocke some stone or else into some Tree Neuerthelesse although I spake not all well might she gather that my exceeding griefe was the cause thereof It is an old saide Sawe One mischiefe neuer commeth alone but that it hath an other attending vppon it And so by misfortune it happened vnto mee For my new companion in Loue of whom long since I told you commeth in amongst vs who hauing more witte in his head then I in stead of blaming my Ladie most wrongfullie as I very foolishly had done presented her with these Verses following The heauens for honours theirs thee faire haue made The heauens for my mishap mee kinde haue framde Ioue for his praise infanted Vertue thine Gods heauen and earth reape honour through thy glorie I onely am accurst but victorie T' is to wage Combat with a Deitie I loue that sweet band which enchaines my soule Liuing I burne yet honour I thee flame Loe how rich Beautie can vsurpe ore mâ—e Medusa like my Nature thou dost channge But hee his Time spends not but gaineth honor Who branely fights vnder a Goddesse Banner O happie I when I thy face behold More rare and perfect than was Venus faire When I thine Eyes see shining like two Starres Gazing I die whilst death brings life to mee He happie dieth that his best life doth end In loyall seruice of his beautious friend More happie I my selfe iudge so to die Than Adon liu'd whilst hee the daintie Corpse Of Venus ioyde who wailde his death most sadde Hee blessed was but I celestiall Since Fortune mine with his may well compare And beare away the prize for ouer-Faire Beautious if onely for to see thy stainelesse Feature More happie t' is than Gods by many wayes What should I be wouldst thou to loue mee dame But so great good vnworthie I to haue The Gods would iealous grow that one poore wretch Ingratious fauor boue themselues should stretch Yet in despite of them my ioyfull life Liueth in contemplation of thy Thewes Whilst they like rolling Spheares the Skies adorne Happie that Lambe offered in Sacrifice To burne vpon thy Aultars Grace to gaine Whose Tombe and Ashes winnes vnto him Fame Most gratiously did shee accept of this Present and the rather because shee would anger me
found this written which followeth IF there be no greater Corsiue vnto the minde of one then that which forceth vs despite of our selues to seeke vnto those whom wee before haue and that without iust cause notoriouslie offended then certainely am I the most wretchedst Creature liuing For as now there is no meanes left for mee to escape from daunger but onely by thy helpe sweete Knight alone who hast more reason to wish mine ouerthrow then my good Fortune or health anie way at all in that thou hast found such extreame and barbarous discourtesie in mee Yet neuerthelesse if thy right generous and gentle minde cannot feele this iniurie done vnto thee by a sillie Maiden then I beseech thee thinke no more vpon mine offence but burying it deepe vnder thy feete doe that for my sake which the bearer heere of shall make thee priuie vnto And then shalt thou quickly perceiue what great satisfaction I will make thee for my fault committed graunting vnto thee that which thou shalt most desire Giue credite then vnto this Messenger assuring thy selfe that I am Thine most obliged Maria. As that Prince who being pensiue and sadde attending for newes of the fortune of the Battaile which his Lieutenant hath giuen vnto his enemie seeing a Messenger comming a farre off is amazed and confounded with feare one while hoping of the victorie and then another while doubting least hee hath lost the day and so is vtterly ouerthrowne Euen so it fared with our Arragonign Knight for hee knoweth not what his Ladie would haue with him and say that shee would employ him in her seruice yet thinketh hee that it is not for anie good will shee beareth him but onely because she would serue her owne turne and that she had great need of him Wherevpon hee commaundeth the Chamber to be voyded when being all alone except the Page hee demaundeth of him what the Princesse pleasure was who told him that her earnest request was that he would doe her so much fauour as to challenge the Prince of Lions to Combat and to maintaine in quarrell against him that he ought not against the oath and deuoire of a true Knight goe about to seeke to haue her vnto his wife against her will which victorie if it please God that he obtaine he then should soone finde how thankfull she would be vnto him for the same My maister hearing this was readie to leape out of his skinne for verie ioy driuing away all sadnesse and becomming merrie as he was at the first seeing he had now some meanes to shewe himselfe some way worthie of the good will of his Mistris Wherevpon he answered the Page that his humble dutie first remembred vnto the Princesse hee would be at the Court within tenne dayes after and so willed him to signifie and to assure her thereof where in his blacke Armour spread all ouer with burning flames and drerie leaues hee would meete his hote and importunate Louer not doubting but quicklie to coole his heate and courage and so bestowing a rich Iewell vpon the Page he sent him backe againe vnto the Princesse who was maruellous glad to heare this newes from him But there is an olde Sawe Haste makes waste And Soft Fire maketh sweet Mauls Euen so if this Traytour LOVE had not blinded the eyes of my Maister so much as he could not see his owne weaknesse and if he had not bene so forward but had stayed and taken a longer time to cherish and recouer his health more throughlie then hee did by reason that he was brought wonderfull lowe and almost vnto deaths doore with verie faintnesse and sorrow of minde no doubt but it had hapned better for him then it did and he had bene one of the most fortunatest men liuing But alas who euer hath seene a Louer that hath not bene halfe foolish and that would not thinke but that hee were able to performe things that were impossible for the Loue of his Mistrisse For as the Poet saith Nothing is hard vnto a Louers minde When hee doth seeke to please his Mistrisse kinde For it was verie straunge that Don Iohn hauing bene so long sicke and without beeing recouered aboue three or foure dayes should be able to encounter with one of the most brauest lustiest and strongest Gallants in the world and not to be the occasion of the losse of his owne life as afterwards it was Neuerthelesse hee thought nothing was impossible vnto him as long as it was in the seruice of his Ladie hee beeing of the minde that in such a cause he was able to conquer all the world Meane time the Kings Pursiuants returned backe againe vnto the Court certifying his Maiestie how that Don Iohn was deadlie sicke and for that cause craued pardon of him to be excused since he was farre likelier to die then to liue Which when the King had heard hee was wonderfully sorie but on the other side the Page warranted the Princesse that what newes so euer hee had sent vnto the King her Father because hee would not as then be knowne of the sime that yet neuerthelesse hee would keepe his word and not faile of his promise and so hee did indeed Although LOVE himselfe doeth but mocke at the Oathes and protestations of Louers they beeing for the most part false deceitfull and oftentimes broken And yet I say That Louertrue which to his Mistrisse makes an Oath Will die before to her hee 'le breake his vowed Troath This was the reason that Don Iohn according vnto his word kept his day not missing to be there at the time appointed and in such an Armour as hee told the Page of although he was verie weake and sickly which if his faire Maria had knowne shee would not haue so lightly employed him in so weightie a businesse as concerned as well his life as her owne and the wel-fare of them both but rather would haue caused him to take some longer time to recouer him selfe and some good Physicke to make him strong againe And now the day being come Don Iohn as a Knight errant and vnknowne Armed and disguised as I told you before presented himselfe before the King and hauing done reuerence vnto him demaundeth for the Prince of Lims The King hearing him say so asked what hee would haue with him and the occasion why hee enquired for him my reason is answered the Knight to prooue against him if so it shall stand with your Highnes good liking that hee doeth against the honour and lawes of Chiualrie to go about to obtaine the Princesse your Daughters loue rather by force then by other good meanes and therevpon I denounce the Combat vnto him which if hee refuse I will account him no better then a base Coward voyd of all valour and as as one that is vnworthy of that thrice Noble order of Knighthood Heerevpon the Prince was called for hee was come but the day before vnto the Court hee hauing bene sent for thither by a
of his Mistris as he perceiued not whē he was entered therfore he came neer vnto him and saluted him whilest the other stood stone still like vnto a Rocke resembling that statue of salt into which the wife of Lot was turned which the old Magitian perceiuing he came and pulled him by the sleeue saying How now man what cheare where is your minde now and why suffer you it so long before it doe his ordinarie duetie That dammage which a sencelesse creature doth ouer whom his Maister hath power is laid vpon him and not vpon the beast We ought wisely to rule what is committed vnto vs to gouerne which if it be so then why doest not thou looke vnto thy soule but rather doest permit her to wander thus abroad seeing that without her thou see-mest as a dead creature Call home for shame call home I say thy wits together and resolue to submit thy selfe vnto the iudgement of the Gods and to doe as they shall command thee for our griefes moue not them neither doe our teares appease their rigour towards vs. Ah Father answered the Shepheard how can he who hath no more power ouer his slaue because he hath past ouer his freedome vnto another dispose of him and command him as he was wont and how wilt thou that I beare sway ouer my soule hauing none within me since I haue resigned it vnto my Ladie who disposeth thereof as she best pleaseth And herein I resemble that miserable marchant whose ship being driuen against a Rocke scarce saueth his naked selfe hauing before seene all his goods and seruants to be cast away and drowned or rather I am like vnto that haplesse Duke of Ithaca who hauing but one poore leaking vessell got a shore through the helpe of the Sea Nymph Can he whom the cruell Law hath subiected vnder the will of another and being his poore drudge and slaue doe as he faine would and dispose of himselfe as he listeth You know he cannot neither can I doe as I would but as I may for I am my Mistris slaue and although she is not with me yet my heart which serueth in steed of a Table vnto Loue to draw her beautifull conceit presenteth her euery minute before me so as I seeme to see her liuely the sight whereof doth take away my sences from me for worthy things causeth vs to burne in loue of them and with a sweet kinde of force drawe vs of our owne accord to come vnto them Then maruaile no more though thou findest me thus out of temper If meere griefe be of power to procure death then what may Loue doe which not onely seazeth vpon the bodie but likewise vpon the soule scarce had I wet the soales of my feete entring into this wide Ocean of sundrie conceits when thou withdrewest me from the same as that carefull father doth his harmelesse child from the brim of some pit wherein he might fall and be drowned But alas what wouldest thou haue me to doe Suffer me I pray thee and let me alone in my musing for there is nothing more pleasant vnto a wofull man then to dreame of such delights as he hath once tasted because as then he thinketh still to tast them I was dreaming of that contentment which the companie of my Diana hath heretofore brought me why then hast thou disturbed me in the same when perhaps I shall not encounter with so sweet a thought I know not when againe and the rather for that a leuen houres and three quarters of a day are destined for the mishap of man and onely one poore quarter appointed for his contentment of which small space of time many haue bene depriued in the number of which I am the chiefe No no replied the old man Not to thinke of misfortunes maketh a man as happie as if he had neuer bene afflicted with any for he cannot be said to be sicke that liueth without any feeling of griefe or disease so he is not wretched that neuer remembreth his former disasters the thought whereof is the occasion that maketh vs so sad Driue then these idle fancies out of thy braine Hardly could courteous Dido entreate the wandring Prince of Troy to repeate and report the ouerthrow of his countrie although he was much beholding vnto her for irkesome is the calling to minde of such matters Away then with these toyes and begin thy discourse where thou last didst leaue which will like thee better and the rather when thou shalt account thy happie fortunes Ah good father answered Arcas neuer hath my tongue bene vsed to talke of any good fortune that hath hapned vnto me heretofore for few or none haue I had but onely to sigh forth my strange and wofull losses What Sunne haue these my drerie eyes euer beheld without new floods of teares and what darkesome night hath couered them with neuer so heauie a sleepe but that fresh griefes haue growne before the breake of day within my soule My wofull pilgrimage in this vnconstant world hath alwaies bene vnluckie dismall and vnfortunate and therefore I would to God that death had abridged the same But why should you thinke that I could liue and languish thus without bethinking me of my losse Nothing pincheth the heart more then a mans ouerthrow because it is long before he can recouer himselfe againe and for that it will aske much labour and paine yea it is so deeply inprinted within vs that although we haue in time repaired and amended our selues yet still there remaineth some one marke or another that galleth vs euen at the very quicke Who euer sawe man hauing endured great hinderance and mishaps but that he sometimes thinketh thereon yea and now and then bewaileth the same although he haue neuer so great a courage We are all good registers of such aduersities as happen vnto vs but not of prosperitie and sooner can we call to minde an iniurie done vnto vs then remember a benefit or good turne which we haue receiued for this old sinne of our great grandlire Adam draweth vs alwaies rather vnto bad then good This is the reason that men for the most part are naturally giuen sooner to slaunder then to defend the good name and credit of their neighbous and so likewise this is the cause I so liuely feele and apprehend the remembrance of my calamities not wishing any thing so much as to be confined within some Rocke alone like a Recluse to the end I might the better meditate vpon them and the more bitterly bewaile them Now quoth the old gray-beard I see thou art in the wrong for we must not haue our eyes alwaies vpon the earth but sometimes we must as well looke vp towards heauen Wherefore serueth this diuine reason which maketh vs Lords ouer all other creatures if by her aide we repulse not such mortall passions as come into the world with vs And to what end doth a father send his Sonne vnto the Vniuersitie most willingly defraving
strong for him who although he had so often giuen the foile vnto the Romans yet when he lost his pretious libertie through lying in Capua and making Loue vnto a woman there was ouercome by that temperate Romane Scipio Demetrius likewise was so bewitched with the faire Curtezan of Athens as he stood in awe of her as if he had bene her bond-slaue And if we should leaue the earth and flie vp into the heauens wee shall finde the Gods themselues haue bene schollers in Cupids schoole For did not Ioue loue Europa Lida Alcumena and diuers others Phoebus Cassandra Daphne and many moe Mars Venus Venus Adonis Diana Endimion and I know not whome besides Why then if it be so I must needs say that thy power extendeth farre and neere thou being as mightie in the heauens as thou art here vpon the earth Fortunio seeing mee in this humour beganne thus How now man but euen now thou shewedst thy selfe to be conquerour ouer thy passions setting a good face on the matter whilest thou didst bare out the brunt thereof And now againe thou seemest as a recreant to yeeld vnto thy anguish and sorrow crying out and vexing thy selfe as if thou wouldest die vpon the suddaine what is the reason of this alteration and change It is a credit for a man to change from vice to vertue and of bad to become good but not to goe on still growing worse and worse Dauid is praised for amending his wicked life and for becomming a new man where his Sonne Salomon is condemned in that he forgot himselfe in his latter daies becomming an Idolater and a whoremonger amongst his concubines Thinkest thou that it is enough for thee to say thou art not able to resist the force of Loue and that other mens faults are sufficient to excuse and defend thine That thiefe is not exempted from punishment who excuseth himselfe hauing robbed from others that he hath but done as an other hath done before him for though it be lawfull to imitate such actions as are commendable and vertuous yet is it not tollerable to doe what is wicked and villainous This colour then will not serue thee and therefore if as thou not long since diddest affirme thou louest the inward qualities of the minde without coueting that fleshly pleasure which Louers so much studie to obtaine although with great labour and losse but what is the reason thou takest on thus And why shouldest thou seeme to dispaire being readie euery houre almost to goe about to giue ouer the world For louing the soule onely the bodie which is but a closet for the same cannot hinder thy affection neither canst thou hope to receiue any other contentment or pleasure of thy loue then in conceit whereas thou doing thus as thou doest thou wilt make the world belieue that thy loue is of another manner of nature then thou wouldest perswade vs it being the common fashion of sottish Louers and such as desire sensuall delights to crie out and lament as if they were readie to die when they cannot taste the sweetnes of the same as the sicke Patient dieth for want of physicke that should expell such superfluous humours as hurt him Now if thy Loue be such as thou saiest that it neither demandeth nor expecteth in any sort this pleasure what maketh thee for want of enioying the same to run still vnto death wringing thy hands and making such pittious moane as is strange to behold Therefore are such men farre more furious and mad then those senselesse Bedlems are who without cause seeke to offer violence vnto themselues imitating the heathen people of Aegypt who vsed to burne themselues without any cause at all but onely when the toy tooke them in the head for most deare ought we to hold our life because it is vnrecouerable neither must we forgoe it vnlesse for some great occasion as either for the benefit of our common-wealth or for speciall good and aduancement of all our friends I seeing Fortunto to be so earnest replied thus O Fortunio I cannot see how a man can lose a lesser losse then the shortning of his daies for loosing them he lighteth vpon a path that leadeth him into eternall rest and therefore he is not hindered at all resembling that marchant who exchangeth bad marchandise for such as are most pretious and rich For a smaller matter then mine thousands of wise men haue shortned their liues A witnes whereof is that wise man who following Alexander the great and much fauoured of him gaue not ouer for all that to erect a great pile of wood which he setting a fire most cheerfully leapt therein without sturring once and so was there buried But perhaps you will aske me what was the cause that vrged him thereunto truely none but onely because he would leaue this mortall life to inherit a life euerlasting But say that no liuely apprehention of intollerable griefe did force a man to this desire yet are the very defects of Nature and the desire to become immortall sufficient enough to imprint most deeply this conceit in his soule especially if after death we shall be free from feeling of any paine according vnto the grosse errour of the voluptuous Epicure For is it not farre better neuer to be borne then to liue and endure miserie But we flie higher in our thoughts thē those Phylosophers for we by this meanes set not onely an end vnto our wretchednes but we change them into glorie contentment and our fraile and fleshly bodie into an immortall state free from all corruption Therefore my conclusion is that seesing the onely maimes of Nature without any other accident of euill are of force enough to imprint within vs this desire of death we are not to be reprehēded if we die in as much as we are stirred vp vnto death as well because of these imperfections as also by reason of such a subiect of deadly griefe as can no way be remedied nor holpen but by the fatall Destinies and those that doe contrariwise cannot be compared for constancie and vertue vnto those women who one striuing with another leaped into the flaming fire wherein their dead spouses were burned a deepe passion of true sorrow and a vehement desire to follow their husband being that which did animate them vnto this death Besides such as are in dispaire for euer seeing ioyfull daies in this world haue not they the greatest reason of all to die which if any such shall refuse they are of a more base and timerous disposition then those women afore said seeing that in death onely a man incountreth with quiet rest as whilest we liue we are yoaked and tyed vnto troubles The sage Hebrew King praiseth in his prouerbes the dead more then he doth the liuing death being the securest harbor of all other where when we are arriued we are exempted from rowing any more in the dangerous barge of this turbulent world Fond is that Pilot who through the fauour of the
presented her with my Paper which the opening with a cheerfull countenance read this Sonnet following Faire thou the heauenâ— like to thy selfe mak'st faire So thou my Fortune blessest thee to loue He vanquisht is not though of Armour bare When with the Sunne his strength Mars dares not prâ—â—ut If I thy Beauties stine my selfe right call Who thee t' adore can blame my loyaltse The selfe same God that Louers worship all Is that sweete God which breeds their miseris Faire then I loue thee ah what i st I say Nay more I worship thee and thee admire Mâ—verse and voyce shall honour thee for aye Sing still thy praise thy glorse still desire Faire it is much the Gods for to resemble But more to be like Vertue yet without Sage Pallas helpe Ioue nere had made to tremble Offurious Tytans that rebellious Rout. To thee then like to Gods to Vertue like All praises wee 'le ascribe as guerdon right As she read these Verses shee seemed to smile A Similie giuing mee a verie kinde looke and many thankes for the same As the Vine-worker reioyceth when comming into the field betimes in the morning hee findeth his Vine sprung forth and readie to budde all ouer which promiseth him a bountifull Largesse to come from Bacchus Euen so began I to be light for ioy to see so cheerfull a countenance to come from her hoping to haue some good fortune afterward O how sundrie and suddaine are the alterations in loue One while a Louer is dead and then againe he is aliue now hee is merrie and then by and by he is sadde a small matter being able to make him hope or dispaire as a litle Leuen maketh a great deale of Paste sower But as I was most vnfortunate before so beganne I now to be most happie of all For no sooner had my Mistris read what was written but shee began thus It is great griefe and hart vnto a gallant Courtier who can and faine would make some excellent proofe of his valour when hee cannot meete with a fitte place or fielde wherein he might exercise and put in practise his Chiualrie Euen so it is great pittie Shepheard that thou canst not encounter a subiect worthy of thy penne which might be able and of sufficiencie enough to make thy Muse shewe her selfe abroad in her right colours For this Poeticall veine of thine without hauing some rare or diuine matter to animate it and to set it forward is like vnto a goodlie body that hath no soule which although it shewe faire and beautifull yet can it doe little good A comparison because it wanteth life Or it may be compared vnto a large and fatte fielde bringing forth much grasse which is a testimonie of his fertile richnesse But yet for want of labour and sowing yeeldeth not anie Corne at all I assure thee I am right heartilie sorrie that thou wantest an excellent subiect whereon to worke For then I verily perswade my selfe we should see most admirable conceits to come from thy Muse As for my selfe I neither will nor dare refuse these Verses which thou hast bestowed vpon mee they sanouring of the same sweetnesse for then worthilie mightest thou iudge mee to be more prouder then the Gods who thankfullie accept of the smallest gifts that mortall men doe offer them But yet I could wish with all my hart that they had bene meant vnto some other more vertuous Saint For worthie things belong vnto such as are worthie personages great matters vnto great mightie Potentates what is honorable is due vnto the vertuous no otherwise then shame reproach do belong vnto the infamous such as be wicked Notwithstanding all this I will not giue ouer to account of thy Muse seeing that for all shee hath taken so leane and barren a subiect as my selfe she doth so well by reason whereof she sheweth herselfe to be the more worthie of commendation and praise But farre better and more perfect by great oddes would she appeare if the foundation wherevpon she had built had bene but as goodly as shee her selfe is faire For then no doubt but she would bring forth most straunge and matchlesse workes as of beautifull parents sweete and well-fauoured children are borne Ah say not so most sacred Nymph replyed I although these your speeches are like vnto a lowlie vertue wherein the more you humble your selfe the more you are exalted For what Goddesse is there raigning in the Skies aboue that meriteth more praise then thou doest And what mortall woman is there liuing that carrieth a minde more chaste a heart more vertuous a beautie more excellent or a iudgement more perfect then thou thy selfe doest Although great persons are by the benefite of Fortune raised and aduaunced vnto many Titles of honour and are enriched with Treasures mightilie we cannot therefore say that for that onely cause they are more worthie of praise then such meaner creatures as are barred from such great wealth and authoritie so long as they be as curteous as the others For true glory is not giuen to blinde and cheating Fortune but vnto diuine and heauenly Vertue He is worthy of little praise who hath nothing of his owne but is faine to borrow of others such are rich men who throgh the aduancement of nature A Sentence not of their own industrie enioy that which they haue wheras such as are wise who of their own selues without the help of others shew many proofs of vertue deserue to be comended indeed Poore Homer is more accounted of then rich Agamemnon laudlesse Maro then couetous Crassus poore Solon more then golden Croesus And so faire Nymph although thou hast not the name of a Goddesse seeing in desert thou doest merite the same why shouldest thou refuse that praise that is rightly due and belonging vnto the soueraigne powers aboue But I know thy minde and by thy speech doe gather what thou meanest Thou seemest to refuse the fruits of my Muse and not without great reason because they are too weake and vnable to display and set abroach thy vertues For as those that are excellent Poets greatly honor wise and worthy spirits so such as be grosse and vnlearned rather bring discredite then credite vnto them by their harsh and foolish vorses It being far better for a braue Heroicall minde not to be praised at all then to heare himselfe commended by the mouth of an illiterated and simple Poetizer This is the cause thou refusest my verse but it is certaine that the more Vertue flieth from glorie the more doeth glorie follow her The Sages in times past did well An Example to reiect the praises which were attributed vnto them and because they would not be seene when they put in practise many rare and admirable exploites they hidde themselues close within some vnfrequented Desart or other And yet neuerthelesse they had their due in the ende and when they least dreamed of any such matter Glorie
soonest the greatest dangers which neuer offend them whether it be because they are alreadie throughly satisfied and contented with their miseries beeing loth to wrong them any more Or whether it be for that some good Angell doth accompanie and guide these wretches who without diuine helpe and assistance would vtterly damne themselues for euer But now by this time the desolate Ladie had caused a Shippe to be throughly furnished at all points into which as a couragious Medea she entreth cutting and slicing the salt waters so long till at last she happily arriueth at that Citie vnto which her Husband had with-drawne himselfe the better and more safely to liue in his secure and sensuall pleasure When hee hearing of her arriuall being farre more sauage then the bruite beasts themselues who heare the voyces of their little ones and of their companions caused the gates of the Towne to be shut commaunding her vpon paine of his displeasure without vouchsafing so much as once to see her to returne backe againe into her Shippe with all her traine and so to hoyse vp sayle and away to the place from whence she came O farre more cruell then Iason who suffered Medea to be present and to set out the Marriage of his newe wife farre more vnkinde then great Agamemnon An example who permitted his wife to liue and keepe companie with her Louers And more shamelesse then Marke Anthony the Romone who left his vertuous and Princely wife to satisfie himselfe with the embracings of that impudent harlot Cleopatra There is no better vineger then that which is made of good wine when it sowreth Euen so the best Natures commit the grossest faults when they giue themselues ouer vnto euill I knowe not whether it is because they haue the more meanes to doe the same then others or whether it be for that vice waxing proud of so rich a prey will neuer giue them ouer still keeping them to execute her wicked will in euerie thing This pittious newes so appalled the sences of the poore Ladie Izabella as she fell downe into a dead sowne Her vitall spirits faile her and she falls for lorne Like one that is vnto his graue vntimely borne In the ende shee came vnto her selfe againe for an exceeding kinde of griefe driueth away paine from the bodies of women by reason that their sorrow floweth forth with their teares and so waxeth lesse because of the helpe that they haue by sighing which is not so with men who for that they cannot shewe forth eyther by their eyes or by their voyce any part of their griefe are in the ende stiffed and choked with the same Not vnlike vnto an olde Oaken tree that breaketh before it will bowe which by reason it cannot bende according vnto the winde is torne and rent vp vnto the verie rootes Izabella then hardly distressed must needes swallow downe this bitter potion and patience perforce must doe all he hath charged her not being able to contradict him in any thing For the woman by the ciuill Lawe is subiect vnto her husband whose fault neuerthelesse is not in danger of punishment as that of the wife Certainly a most vniust Law which two being culpable of one and the selfe-same offence punisheth the one and permitteth the other to goe scotfree Man by his sword reuengeth the wrong his wife hath done if by chance she breaketh the bands of Marriage whereas the poore woman in steed of vsing the like punishment vpon him is forced to see to suffer yea and to allow and beare with the vnlawfull adulteries of her husband But such men God no doubt will punish as hee did our forgetfull Pertingale not long after Izabella seeing no other remedie putteth her selfe once more to the Seas being often in the minde to throw her selfe therein had it not bene but onely that shee feared the losse of her soule Which custome the Paynims oftentimes vsed to rid themselues from their troubles and for that they respected not the immortalitie of the soule in that they knewe not the true God All day long shee wept but the waters carryed away her teares and all the night shee sighed but the blustring windes whirled away her sighes The Sea storming at the iniurie she had receiued beganne to swell for anger to whistle for rage and to fret and murmure for despite and choller It could not suffer such a great wrong beeing farre more pittifull then her careles and cruell husband And therefore meaneth to bring backe the Shippe once more wherein his saithfull spouse remained driuing it to the selfe-same Hauen where it had bene the day before Horatio not dreaming of anie such matter but still glutting himselfe in his amorous sport with his subtill friend seeking nothing so much as how to please her by all meanes possible Euen as Achilles did himselfe a slaue to Brixis yeeld Although shee was his slaue by law and wonne by him in field But LOVE is saide to be blinde and respecteth not the condition of Creatures neither hath hee anie respect of persons at all Onely hee accounteth of their beautie with which hee oftentimes helpeth himselfe to tyrannize ouer the proudest hearts forcing the Prince sometimes to yeelde vnto the Peasant whereby hee may bring himselfe to be thought to be more admirable in the eyes of mortall men The comfortlesse Ladie seeing her selfe to be brought backe againe by the proud and imperious windes into the same port much against her will wherein she had harboured but a fewe houres before fearing sore to offend her wilfull Husband whose onely pleasure and delight was to worke her iniurie beganne a fresh to renew her former complaints sighing and crying out after this pittifull manner Ah God ah God was it not enough that I had mine husband to my mortall enemie but that I must needs haue the waues of the Sea also to bandie against me for what remaineth to come or what can there be left behinde to make me more miserable and vnfortunate then I am alreadie seeing that he who hath promised me so great loue so great friendship and affection and vowed so much and so many oathes vnto mee is the onely man that persecuteth me as if I were the deadliest foe that he hath vpon the face of the earth Ah hard harted and forgetfull Knight ill wouldst thou passe so many dangers venter through so many perills and hardly wouldest thou endure such a hell of disquietnes for the loue of thy wife as Vlisses did for his seeing when I come vnto thee with so great trouble thou not onely disdainest me but also refusest to admit mee to come into thy presence Ah good and kind Graccus who to prolong the life of thy wife didst shorten thine owne how farre doest thou differ from my iniurious Spouse Such as are guiltie and doe but worthily suffer for the euils they haue done complaine vniustly and without cause but oh how hard and vnsupportable griefe is it to reape iniuries in
steed of reward for doing good turnes and how bitter is the paine which we endure through the malice of those whome wee loue best and of whom we expect the like friendship againe The offence we receiue of our enemie is tollerable because the law permitteth reuenge in that case whereas the law of friendship forbiddeth to reuenge vs on such whom we affect for feare of their displeasures Ah my good God what fault haue I committed against my husband that he should vse mee thus despitefully Haue I as Clitemnestra defiled our Nuptiall bed Haue I as Hellena the Greeke run into the armes of a rauisher of women Or as Semiramis haue I polluted mine honour and chastitie with incestious kind of liuing Oh no I feare no such matter God that seeth the sectets of all hearts knoweth my conscience is free of any such ill What haue I then done Alas I know not Alas for what sinne am I thus seuerely punished But O sweet Lord as thou art diuine in thy miracles and terrible in thy iudgements the exemption of which commeth either soone or at last so I confesse thou now doest punish mee either for some fault of mine that is past or else for the sinnes which my forefathers haue committed against thee And yet this is some comfort vnto me that I am not the first Innocent that hath bene sore afflicted For so was Susanna so was Iob so was Ioseph and so were diuers others farre more godly then my selfe O miserable Dido and yet more happie then I am though thou wert left forsaken by forsworne Eneas for short was thy paines not long was thy griefe and sodaine was thy complaints a gentle death ending with thy life all thy sorrowes and cares together whereas I haue not the selfesame libertie to die as thou hadst an other respect holdeth my hands death being not in my power as it was in thine But now in the meane time what shall I doe whether shall I goe or what shall become of me The Sea will make mee no way to returne from whence I came and the furious rage of my husband will not suffer me to come on land Am I become some Patricide whom the lawes of man depriue of aire of earth and of water O lamentable chaunce of mine pittifull death receiue this my wretched carkasse into thy bosome there to be huried and rather sinke this vessell wherein I now abide before thou carrie me backe vnto that place wherein I haue receiued so great despite and wrong Alas mine eyes what can you see to delight you any longer when he that is most pleasing vnto you debarreth you from his louely presence To whom wilt thou my voyce speake seeing he hath closed thy mouth whose speech before was most agreeable vnto my soule And you my feete whither now will you take your coarse seeing that he who was wont to guide your steps vnto the Lodge of pleasure hath now shut the gate against you Ah gentle death if euer the wailings and lamentings of a most distressed wretch haue euer moued thee to compassion and pittie ah then let me obtaine the same at thy hands Do that which my cruell Husband ere long will put in practise making meas happie as I am now vnfortunate Thrise blessed Portia death came vnto thee to helpe thee at thy need and thou acceptedst of his helpe happie Ariadne for God tooke care of thy life made much of thee and in steed of Theseus accepted of thy companie And O luckie Olimpia though abandoned of Birannos thy forsworne Husband yet a great Prince reuenged thy wrong and tooke thee to wife where thou liuedst afterward in much ioy and delight But alas no man helpeth me none succoureth me neither doth any come to assist me in bewailing my misfortunes Who then hath euer had so strange a mishap as my selfe Ah that the spirit and Quintesence of my griefe could dissolue into teares that it might distill forth from out mine eyes and that I might die like him that hauing his vaines opened in warme water loseth both his life and blood together Or that my sorrowfull heart wearie with ouermuch sighing and sobbing would breake and burst in peeces Might I but die I would not care what kind of death I suffered so that once I were dead for no death be it neuer so monstrous is equall with the least anguish that I sustaine Degenerate knight and voyd of all remorse seeing thou meanest to entertaine all kind of cruelties whatsoeuer that haue bene found in any creature yea cuen worse then the bruite beasts themselues doe vse why doest thou not put in practise the bloodie execution of the same by cutting in twaine my throat as thou hast most irreligious cut in sunder the sacred band of Marriage which should haue bound vs still fast together Thou canst not do me a greater pleasure nor a better satisfaction canst thou make me for so many bad parts as thou hast plaide against me than to make an end of me with that hand which hath so often vowed and sworne in most solemne manner that I onely maintained his Maister aliue But I forget my selfe let God I beseech worke with me as it pleaseth his holie will for iust he is and iust are his iudgements he knoweth the hearts of euerie one and he that is most culpable of vs twaine he will I am assured in the end punish Whilst she was thus bewailing her misfortunes behold newes commeth vnto her that her husband was liuing the Citie to goe forth to the wars through which occasion she might very easilie if she pleased haue accesse and speech vnto him Which when she heard she stood long time doubtfull what to doe for as Loue perswaded her to present her selfe before him so the feare to offend him the iust disdaine for so abusing her with rage iealousie despite did disswade her from the contrarie What should she then doe she both loued feared the presence of her Husband she wonderfully desired to see him yet sore doubted lest in offring to see him she should too much moue and anger him by reason he had giuen commandement she should not as much as once presume to come into his sight But see the sudden changing of mans nature and how God oftentimes putteth men in minde of their owne good and soules health when they are approaching nigh vnto their ends to the intent they vtterly ouerthrow not themselues For Horatio who so mortallie hated his chaste and loyall wife being mounted on horse-backe to encounter with the enemie sodenly began to be touched with a secret aduertisement from God sore longing as then to see her whilst from his soule repenting him for his foule fact his conscience tolde him that the Almightie would punish him for the same as he himselfe thought he deserued no lesse marching thus forward although not with that alacritie of minde nor that braue and stout resolution as he was wont to doe but rather heauily
and the first opening of a fault is difficult vnto a vertuous minde but very casie when he shall be permitted to take an habit in the same For so small a trifle and such a thing as can doe thee no good be not I beseech thee the cause that I be esteemed or taken for other then hithereto I haue bene for hare and leane should that tryumph be which thou shouldest purchase by mine honour because my blood should presently make satisfaction for the same Content thee then with what I haue said and thinke that I will not denie thee any thing which may stand with my credit but considering that this which thou requirest may some way impeach the same I cannot iustly yeeld vnto thy demand Leaue then I say once more to importune me for that which will doe thee no good yet will hurt me much and then shall I thinke that thy speeches are true and that thy loue is chaste and vertuous as thou hast hitherto protested This was my Ladies sharpe replie which draue away all my former ioy I had conceiued of hope by reason of her first kinde words so as now my complaints began afresh againe my teares renewed and my sighes came forth faster then they had done before I was so galled with sorrow and so much griped at the heart with this her vnexpected deniall as I could doe nothing but weepe holding downe mine eyes towards the ground as not daring to looke vpon her In the end surcharged and oppressed with contrarie passions I burst out into these wofull tearmes hauing before sent forth thousands of scalding sighes as precursors of the same O cruell Loue O miserable Starres iealous of my good O dismall day wherin I was borne and more then thrise accursed life of mine since I am more wretched then any whatsoeuer liuing After much labour taking and many a yeares sayling the Pilot at length arriueth vnto his Hauen but I Caitiffe that I am finde no end of my torments None giueth succour vnto me neither doth any as much as a little ease me my sicknes encreaseth with the day continueth all night long and yet neuer amendeth Alas alas why died not I at the first when hauing offended you my dearest Ladie you exild me from you louely presence Vnfortunate Shepheard that I was to perswade my selfe to liue and hope the best when I finde no cause but of dispaire and death Ah had I then taken that readie course I had bene now free from these hellish panges which euery minute oppresse my heart and I had bene partaker of those rare beatitudes which the soules of happie Louers enioy for euer Sacred and Religious Diana since you adiudge me vnworthy of any small fauour at your hands and that without yeelding to agree vnto so little a matter you are desirous of my end yet at the least doe thus much for me as to permit me to die in leiu of all my troubles before thy beautious face This I beg at your hand for default of that other curtesie which you iudge me vnworthy of for although you haue denied me the first yet I hope you will agree vnto the secod otherwise I vow after I haue a hundred thousand times tearmed you by the name of Cruell I will most desperately lay violent hands vpon my selfe crying out that you haue bene the cause of mine vntimely ouerthrow Graunt me then one of my requests the last of which you cannot well denie because it costeth you nothing What hurt can this be vnto you any way but rather good when you shall doe so charitable a deed vnto the common-wealth as to permit him to die who is vnprofitable vnto the same Without licence from you I neither may nor will take this bloodie course in hand seeing I hold my life from you and that you alone and none but you haue puissance ouer me Linger not then to yeeld vnto my desire for if you thinke that my trauailes past haue merited any reward you cannot better recompence them then to graunt me death which is the onely thing I couet seeing I must be depriued of your cheerfull presence as one not worthy to enioy it As the Hunter is amazed hauing lost the tracing of the Deare which he hunteth his dogs being at a bay knoweth not which way to goe nor well what path to take whilest his Hounds barking vpon some dich side round about him he standeth musing what to doe Euen such a one my Ladie seemed to be she seeing her selfe charged with two contrarie demaunds both which she iudged aduersaries vnto her honour which to take she knoweth not well and therefore standeth studying as one sad and pensiue what to say vnto this matter If she should giue me her hand to kisse she feareth least I should foolishly and without wit speake something that might discredit her and if she should suffer me to die she being now readie to giue ouer the world and to become as it were a Religious Nunne she doubted least the world would say she had done it for griefe of me Besides she was vnwilling that I should die vnto whom despite of her selfe she thought her selfe somewhat beholding knowing that death was but a cold recompence for so great loue as I had borne her Much was she perplexed in her minde about this busines my hard fortune did somewhat soften her stonie heart but then againe the respect of her honour did harden it as much but had Loue had but some interest or power in her she had quickly brought these two contraries vnto an agreement but alas he then had not neither is he like euer to haue What should she doe in these two extremities and how should she throughly satisfie and content her honour One while she putteth forth her hand for me to kisse and then vpon the suddaine putteth it backe againe one while she is about to casshire me with rough speeches and then againe she seemeth willing to yeeld vnto my request one while she careth not although I die and then by and by she cannot endure she should be counted so cruell Meane space she seeth me to raine whole riuers of teares and to send forth blacke clouds of scalding sighes whilest with a sobbing heart I thus once more follow mine old sute vnto her What is the reason faire Goddesse that you thus stand lingring through delaies and not suffer this forsaken and abiect wretch to die To what end doth he liue which way can he profite his countrie and what reason haue you to lament his destruction Pronounce pronounce thy faithfull sentence quickly for he attendeth for nothing else to the end he may with a more braue courage wend his way to put in practise the same Speake then and giue our this musing when the Iudge sitteth vpon the life or death of an offender he standeth not studying vpon the same but soone pronounceth his finall iudgement Deliuer then my sentence as a fatall Oracle without delaying any longer for