By this Report the onely Linguist liuing Had beene with Phelice for to make her glad Such fame and glory to her Louer giuing As neuer greater any Worthy â—ad Tels all the deedes of wonder he hath done From the first action that his hand begun Phelice impatient of his wished sight Speeds towards Lincolne like light Salmacis Where ioyfully she entertaines her Knight With Iunoes kinde imbrace and Venus kisse Guy with requitall makes his gladnes knowne And in his armes he now inioyes his owne Forgetfull Loue and too too slowe quoth she I fear'd thou didst not minde thy dearest friend What seeke a Dragon ere thou looke for me And hazard life before thou come or send To know if I remaine in happy state Some jealous woman would suppose 't were hate But sure I doe not though I speake my heart And wish I had bin first thou saw'st on shore Guy welcome to thy Phelice now thou art Thou neuer shalt goe forth a Fighting more No thou hast fought too much thy lookes bewray Sterne countenance hath stolne thy smiles away But Loue will learne thee loue to change thy face And frame it as at first when I did chuse it Thou hast almost forgotten to imbrace I like that well it seemes thou did'st not vse it In Forraigne parts abroad where thou hast bin But that lost lesson thou must new begin I will quoth he deere Loue and ply my Booke And kisse my Lesson on thy Corall lip Tell me but onely when I am mistooke In reading rashly if I ouer-skip Or be too negligent in taking paine Why turne me backe to conne my geere againe But Lady one exception I will make What line soeuer you doe put me to The Horne-booke of all other I le forsake For willingly I would not haue to doe With that Crosse-rowe crosse vnto many when Women doe teach it vnto Married men Kinde Sir quoth she content I le neuer chuse it It fits two sorts a Curtezan a Childe Once as the latter simply I did vse it But for the other rather be beguilde Then to deceiue the second Horn-booke's naught Teach it not me and it shall ne're be taught Guy smil'd and said come let vs Warwicke see Of all the world the place that I loue best Because it had the bringing vp of thee And there first with thy Beauty I was blest I loue the Castle and the Garden ground Where e'rst thy Venus-face alone I found Let 's hasten on to heare this Sacred voyce I Guy take Phelice to my wedded wife And thou repeate I likewise am thy choyse Till Death depart vs euen so long as Life And then the next will bee God giue vs Ioy And send thy Fathers Heyre agallant Boy The Marriage is Solemnized But after Forty dayes Guy Pennance vowes and Pilgrim like From England goes his wayes Canto 10. THe happy Day that Louers long expect Is now attayn'd to giue desire rest And all the honours Hymen can effect He franke bestowes to grace the wedding Feast For Athelstone and his renowned Queene At this great Nuptiall in their pompe were seene The Nobles rich and costly in Attire With worthy Knights and Gentlemen beside Ladyes of Honour as their Loues require Attend vpon the beautious faire fac'd Bride There wanted nothing wit of man could finde To please the eye or to content the minde Maskes midnight-Reuels Tilt and Turnament Acting of ancient Stories stately showes Banquets might giue great Iupiter content Where cuppes of Nector plentious ouer-flowes Aboundant all thinges with a plentious hand As if a King himselfe should feast a Land Soone after all these thinges were consummate Earle Rohand Phelice worthy Father dyes And to his Sonne bequeathes the whole estate Of Earledomes Lordships all his Land is Guyes Who is created Earle of Warwicke then In Honours rancke with Englands Noble-men But in the glory of this high applaud Enioying all that did partake delight When euery tongue his Fame and Fortunes laude Himselfe conuerts his sun-shine dayes to night Bethinking what the world may iust be thought And deeming all but vaine that he had sought Oft would hee sit and meditate alone In looking backe what steps his youth had trod Then to himselfe with sighes and grieuous grone Cry pardon me thou iust incensed God I haue done nothing for to purchase Grace But spent my time about a Womans face For Beauty bloody through the world I ran In pride of heart preferring Phelice feature For Beauty I haue ended many a man Hating all other for one mortall Creature For Beauty I haue pawn'd my vtmost power But for my sinnes not spent one weeping hower My Nunquam sera I will now begin And vowe to spend the remnant of my dayes In contrite Pennance for my former sinne That God may pardon all the erring wayes Which flesh and blood vainely deceiued by Vnto the world I will goe learne to dye Let me be censur'd euen as mortals please I le please my God in all things may be done Ambitious pride hath beene my youths disease I le teach age meeknes ere my Glasse bee runne And change my choyse wealth beauty world farwel To purchase Heauen I would passe thorow Hell Phelice perceiues his melancholy state And comming to him doth most mildely woo My Lord quoth shee why are you chang'd of late As I share ioy let mee beare sorrow too If I in ought haue mou'd you to offence I will with teares performe due recompence No my deare Loue quoth Guy no cause in thee T is with my selfe I discontented striue By light of Grace my Natures faults I see That am as dead although I seeme aliue Phelice my sinnes my countlesse sinnes appeare Crying Repent thy guilty Conscience cleere I must deale with thee as Bauarus delt A Prince of Rome with Sygunda his Wife Who from a deepe impression hee felt Vow'd Chastity perpetuall all his life Entreating thee euen as thou lou'st my soule To pardon me not vrging my controule Hast thou not heard what Ethelfrida did A Christian woman sometime Englands Queene Is Edelthrudis acte of Chaste life hid A Princesse likewise rare and matchlesse seene The first with Childe no more of lust would taste The second caus'd two Husbands both liue chaste And canst not thou the Phoenix of a Realme By immitation winne immortall praise Leauing thy vertues an admired Theme To the succeeding Age of Yron dayes I know thou canst thy greater part 's Diuine Where most is Carnall 't will to flesh incline Thou didst procure although I doe excuse it My pride by Conquests to attaine thy Loue God gaue mee Valour I did vaine abuse it My heart and thoughts aspired farre aboue The Crownes and Scepters of most potent Kings I held their Diadems inferiour thinges But now I gather in a totall somme Such follies and condemne them all to dye A man of other fashion I le become Some better Trauailes for my soule to try Not as before in Armour on my Steed But in a
doth sore possesse And sicknes gripes doe touch about my heart I feele I am not farre from happines But am in hope my foe and I shall part This aduersary which I long haue fed By whome my soule hath bin so much misled To my deare Phelice I will send my Ring Which I did promise for her sake to keepe I may no longer time deferre the thing For feare that Death preuent me with his sleepe I feele his Messenger approach apace And poore weake Nature must of force giue place So call'd a Heardsman as he passed by And said good friend doe me a speciall fauour Euen in a matter that concernes me nye My hope relyes vpon thy kinde behauiour To Warwicke Castle speedily repaire And for the Countesse aske with trusty care Deliuer this Ring to her-owne hand And say the ancient Pilgrim sent the same That lately at her Gate with Scrip did stand To beg an Almes in blessed Iesus Name And if shee aske thee where I doe remaine Direct her hither she 'le requite thy paine Sir quoth the Heardsman I shall be asham'd That ne're dust speake to Lady in my life Nay more and 't please you I may much be blam'd To carry Rings to such a great mans Wife Besides if I should loose it by the way Why what would you and Madam Phelice say Pre-thee said Guy frame not such idle doubt No preiudice can light on thee at all The acte is honest which thou goest about And for it none can thee in question call A curteous eare the Lady will thee lend Vpon my warrant feare you nothing friend With that he goes and mannerly betakes The token to the Countesse which she seeing Most admirable wonder at it makes Ah friend quoth she where is my husbands being Husband said he that newes I doe not bring From an olde Begger I receiu'd the Ring His house was made of neither Wood nor Stone But vnder ground into a hole he went And in my Conscience there he dwels alone And neuer payes his Land-lord quarters rent Ah 't is my Guy she said showe me his Cell And for thy paines I will reward thee well So he directs Warwicks faire Countesse thither Who entring in that melancholly place Her Lord and shee embracing weepe together Vnable to pronounce a word long space Long time they two had not a Tongue to speake Till Guyes discretions sorrowes doore did breake Phelice quoth he now take thy leaue of Guy That sent to see thee ere his sight decay Within thine armes I doe intreat to dye And breath my sprite from thy sweet soule away Thou gau'st me almes at Warwicke Castle late T is blessednes to pitty poore mens state Guy in repentance poorely liues Obscurely in a Caue Reueal'd to Phelice by a Ring When Death had digg'd his Graue Looke not so strange bewayle not so my Deare Ah weepe not Loue I doe not want thy teares I haue shed plenty since my comming heere Of true remorse my Conscience witnes beares Thou weep'st not now because I wept no more But to behold me friendlesse helplesse poore Wife I haue sought the place that all desire Though few endeauour for eternall rest The soule which to that Heauen doth aspire Must leaue the world and worldly thinges detest T is full of Deuils that on soules doe wayte And full of snares in euery place some bayte Ah Phelice I haue spent and then he wept Youth Natures day vpon the Loue of thee And for my God olde rotten Age haue kept The night of Nature Christ forgiue it me Sorrow lyes heauy on my soule for this Sweet Sauiour Iesus pardon my amisse In that I had destroy'd so many men Euen for one Woman to inioy thy Loue Therefore in this most solitary Den I sought my peace with that great God aboue Gainst whome by sinne I haue bin more misled Then there be hayres vpon my hoary head The other day feeling my body ill And all the partes thereof opprest with paine I did compose a Testament and Will To bee the last that euer I ordaine Loe heere it is I le reade it if I can Before I cease to bee a liuing man HIS WILL. EVen in the Name of him whose mighty pow'r Created all in Heauen and Earth contained As one to dye this very instant hower I leaue the world and all therein vnfained My soule I giue to him that gaue it mee Receiue it Jesus as I trust in thee I owe a debt of Life is due to Death And when 't is payde him he can aske no more A very vapour of a little breath Would he had had it many yeares before But heer 's my comfort though he come or stay T is ready for him if hee will to day I owe the world the stocke of wealth it lent When I did enter traffique with the same Lesse would haue giuen Nature more content T is happinesse to want a Rich mans name World leaue mee naked as I did begin I aske but one poore Sheet to wrap me in I doe bequeath more sinnes then I can number My dayly euils in a countlesse summe Euen from my cradle vnto Death's dead slumber Those past these present all that are to come To him that made them loades to burthen mee Sathan receiue them for they came from thee I giue good thoughts and eu'ry vertuous deed That euer grace hath guided me vnto To him from whom all goodnes doth proceed For onely euill Natvre taght me doe I was Conceiued bred and borne in sinne And all my Life most vaine and vile hath bin I giue to Sorrow all my sighes and cryes Fetch'd from the bottome of a bleeding heart I giue Repentance teares and watery eyes The signes vnfained of a true conuert Earth yeeld a Graue or Sea become a Tombe Jesus vnto my soule graunt Heauen-roome Phelice I faint farewell true loyall Wife Assist me with thy prayers thy Husband dyes I trust to meete thee in a better life Where teares shall all be wip'd from weeping eyes Come blessed Spirits come in Jesus Name Receiue my soule to him conuay the same And with these words his quiet sprite departs While mournfull Phelice well-nye dead for woe Her sences all to sorrowes vse conuerts And too aboundant doth her teares bestow Beating her brest till brest and heart be sore Wringing her handes till she could striue no more Then sighing said ah Death my sorrowes cause That hast depriu'd mee of my dearest Lord Since loathsome ayre my vitall spirits drawes This fauour for thy tyrannie afford Doe me a good to recompence thy ill And strike the stroke that all my cares can kill Let me not liue to see to morrowes light But make me thus colde bloodlesse pale and wan As this dead Carcasse doth appeare in fight This true discription of a mortall man Whose deedes of wonder past and gone before Haue left him now at Deaths darke prison doore Kissing his face with a farewell ef teares Shee leaues the body for the Graue to claime And from that place as 〈…〉 â—oule shee beares As euer Woman that the world can name Liuing but Fifteene dayes after his Death And then through extreame sorrow yeelded breath FINIS
what 's to be done To free the present danger wee are in My Lord quoth Guy there 's freedome to be wonne Euen by a course my selfe will first begin Let 's issue forth vpon them presently Our courages will make the Cowards flye I le giue consent to any thing thou wilt Thy proiect willingly I doe approue Let limbe be lost let Life and blood be spilt All followes thee that comes to me in Loue. Open the Gates le ts beate them from our walles Hee lyes no lower then the ground that falles Then sodainly the Citty they forsake And on the Almaines resolutely set Where such a bloody slaughter they did make That many thousand liues payde Death his debt Of thirty Thousand that in Siedge there lay Scarce thirty Hundred that escap'd away The Emperour at this was much agrieu'd And with new Forces gaue a new assault Knowing the Citty could not be relieu'd And then their strength would weaken by default So comes vpon them with a fresh supply Thinking at length to famish them thereby Guy and the Duke vpon the walles appeare And tels him he shall neuer winne their Towne For they can spare his Soldiers much good cheare Throwing them Victuals in aboundance downe Intreating them if they want more then that To speake they shall haue store to make them fat But now quoth Guy your bodyes are well fed How doe you feele your stomacks to goe fight I am afraid you are not rightly bred But dunghils that will sooner crowe then bite For still when Cowards doe begin a fray Looke ere it end to see them runne away And so your selues haue lately done wee see Your tongs were heard but hands ther 's no man feeles Most hote to brabble and contend you bee But wondrous quicke and nimble at your heeles We did suspect when you came heere to forage We should haue bin encumbred with your courage But 't is not so alas y' are not the men Vnlesse perhaps asleepe you should vs catch For waking wee le encounter one to ten And neuer wish to haue a better match Haue at you once againe sit fast wee come March on my hearts sound Trumpets strike vp Drum Vpon the sodaine with the Foe they bee Fighting as men that laugh'd pale Death to scorne Resolued now they would their Citty free Or neuer liue to see the next day morne Much blood was shed great store of Liues it cost And on the Almaines side the Field was lost The Duke and Guy pursues their foes in chase Who like so many Hares away doe flye Wishing that they had wings to mend their pace So sweet is life to them that feare to dye But Fortune in an angry doome decreed Their glory honour fame and life should bleed The victors to the Citty then retired With Trophes of tryumphant glory wonne And all that heard the Action much admired The great Exploit so resolutely done But vnto Guy the Duke all thankes did yeeld For thou quoth he art Caesar of our Field My Lord quoth Guy I ioy not halfe so much That we haue wrought a freedome by the Sword As I should glory if my hap were such Twixt you and th'Emperour to make accord Giue me but leaue I will endeauour it And put good-will to a blunt Soldiers wit The Duke consents with thankes and doth intreat Him take a guard of Soldiers forth the Towne Danger that seemes but little may proue great I would not haue thee wrong'd for Raniers Crowne Goe Honourable man what thou shalt doe I le set my hand my Heart my Life thereto Guy goes vnto the Emperour speakes thus High Maiesty all health vnto thy Grace And Peace to thee if thou say Peace to vs And Loue to thee if Loue thou wilt imbrace As we are Christians let vs warre no more But fight 'gainst such as will not God adore We sue not to thee in a seruile manner As dreading any power or force thou hast For Victory doth now display his Banner And warre yeelds vs a sweet and pleasing tast No cause doth moue it but a Conscience cause To bring the Heathens to religious Lawes Speake Raynier and resolue what wilt thou doe VVith Soldiers breuity my message ends Giue me an answer euen as briefe thereto Shall we be Christian foes or Christian friends Shall we among our selues that Name deuide Or challenge those that haue the same denide Braue English-man hadst thou spoke thus before Thousands quoth he had liu'd which now are slaine Earth should haue wanted of that slaughtered store VVhich in her vastie bowels doe remaine Thou hast preuail'd with me heere warre shall cease And I imbrace thee as a friend of Peace Thy motion tends to Honour honours Knight And thou shalt liue in Fames immortall praise When thou art buryed in eternall night Thy Name shall last the longest length of dayes Thou dost the Worthyes of the world exceed Blest be the Countrey did thy person breed Come goe my Liege quoth Guy vnto the Towne And with Duke Segwin there a League renue Our ends shall be to pull the Pagans downe That vnto CHRIST'S Religion are vntrue My greatest ioy will be to heare it said This is the best dayes worke that e're Guy made Guy with a Thousand chosen men Against the Pagans goes And makes them curse that ere they felt The force of Christians blowes Canto 6. THe power of peace hath vanquish'd stubborn war And mighty Princes worthily conclude The Sword shall rust in sheath before it Iarre To be with blood of Innocents imbrew'd Christians in Name and Action to vnite 'Gainst vnbeleeuing Infidels to fight â—uy with a Thousand men doth take his leaue so hearken further after Martiall newes And doth a true intelligence receiue That barb'rous Pagans Sarazens and Iewes Turkes and the like of Mahomets blinde crew In most confused warre each other slew To them he goes partiall on neither part His Sword did fauour euery side alike They all were odious to him in his heart Which arm'd his hand with vigour for to strike And worke amazement vnto their contending Comming so roughly to their quarrels ending Quoth they amongst themselues what fellow 's this Thae layes about him like a mad-man thus Of certainty more then a man hee is For humane force would feare to fight with vs But if he bee as seemeth by his shape Had he ten thousand liues he could not scape Then did a haughty Pagan step to Guy And said to him If valour in thee rest Let 's haue a little sport 'twixt thee and I Onely to see which of our Swords cut best Thou hast a weapon there is like a Reede Me thinkes it is too blunt to make one bleed Too blunt quoth Guy and in his anger grones Pagan I like thy humour passing well I le whet it ere we part vpon thy bones And then another tale thou wilt me tell If it should faile me now it were a wonder Such Lubbers it hath often hew'd a sunder Bat come art