vnbridled time Olde Age is lothd with folly ouer grown Yonge yeres dispisde cut of in sprowting prime Experience learne let elder lyues thee lead In lyuely yeres thy fickle steps to guide Least vnawares such vncoth paths thou tread Which filthy be thought pleasant to be eyde In calmest Seas the deepest Whorepooles bee In greenest Grasse the lurking Adder lyes With eger sting the sugerest sap wee see Smooth wordes deceiue learne therfore to bee wise FINIS Inuidus alterius rebus macrescit opimis THe greedy man whose hart with hate doth swell Because hee sees his neyghbors good estate Liues vncontent with what might serue him well And eftsoones seemes to blame sufficient fate This grudging gluton glut with goulden gayne To serue his vse although hee hath enough Repines at that which others get with payne So that himselfe therby hee doth abuse Hee thinkes that much which passeth by his claw And findes a fault for it through luckles hap Although the matter valueth scarce a straw Hee deemes it small of gaine that giues no sap Hee thinkes his store shall serue his senâ—lesse corse Or that no death at all hee deemes there bee Els would hee to his conscience haue remorse And seeke to liue content with his degree For what auayles to horde vp heapes of drosse Or seeke to please vnsaciate fond desire Considering that t is subiect vnto losse And wee therby yll got deserues Hell fire From which O Lord conduct vs with thy hand And giue vs grace to liue vnto thy prayse Preserue our Queene his subiects and her land And graunt in peace shee raigne here Nestors dayes FINIS The reward of Whoredome by the fall of Helen FRom Limbo Lake where dismall féendes do lye Where Pluto raignes perpend Helenas cry Where firy flames where pittious howlings bee Where bodyes burne from thence giue eare to mee I am Helena shée for whose vilde filthy fact The stately Towers of Troy the hauty Grecians sacte High Troy whose pompe throughout the world did sound In Cinders low through mee was layd on ground Kinge Priamus through mée did end his life And Troians all almost I was the cause of strife I am that Dame whose beauty passing braue Dame Venus praysde the golden Pome to haue Whose feature forste Sir Paris boyling brest To leaue his land and seeke to be my guest That trull which tost the surging Seas a maine From Grecian shoare to Troy vnto my paine That flurt whose gallant sproutinge prime Through vilde abuse â–ª was scorcht ere auncient time I vertue shund I lothd a modest mynde I wayd not fame my beauty made mee blinde Each braue delight my masking minde allurde My fancy déemed my beauties gloze assurde Such worthy fame did sound of Helens hue Although my déedes reapt shame and guerdon due In gorgious plumes I maskt puft vp with pride In braue delights I liu'd my fancy was my guide But fie of filth your world is all but vayne Your pomp consumes your deeds shall guerdon gaine See here by mee whose beauty might haue boast For splendant hue throughout each forrain coast But what preuayles to vaunt of beauties glose Or brag of pride wheron dishonor growes If I had vsde my gifts in vertues lore And modest liud my prayse had bin the more Where now too late I lothe my life lewd spent And wish I had with vertue bin content FINIS T. P. A Louers lyfe THe tedious toyle the cares which Louers taste The troubled thoughts which moues their mindes to feare The pinching pangs the dole which seemes to waste Their lothsome life déepe plungd in gulfes of care Would mooue ech shun such snares of vayne delight Which irksome be though pleasant to the sight The minde full fraught with care enioyes no ease A boyling brest desires vnlawfull lust The hart would haue what best the minde doth please And fancy craues the thing which is vniust Beside eche frown which eftsoones moues them déeme They abiect are if sad their Louers séeme Or if occasion shun their vsuall sight Not seene they thinke themselues vnminded bée And then in dumps as mazd they leaue delight And yéeld to greefe till one eche others see So that with feare their mindes are alwayes fraught That liue in loue experience some hath taught Eche lowring frown from mirth doth moue the minde One iesting worde procures a thousand woes So that lyke gréefe or more through sight they finde Then absence sure such cares fro fancy flowes Such goring gripes such heapes of hideous harmes Such sorowing sobs from daunted louers swarmes Rosamond a spowsed Dame her husbands death procurde For speaking but a worde in iest Itrascus too full thyrty yeares indurde The panges of loue within his boyling brest So that in gréefe they harbor still their mindes are cloyd with care They diue in dole they plunge in payne liue in cruell feare And diuers moe as Axeres whose beauty passing faire So Iphis hart and boyling brest allurde That for her sake hée liude in extreame care And cruell gréefe while breathing breath indurde But at the length disdayne vpon a trée Hée honge himselfe where shâ—e his corps might sée FINIS ¶ A Louer approuing his Lady vnkinde Is forsed vnwilling to vtter his minde Willow willow willow singe all of gréene willow Sing all of gréene willow shall bée my Garland MY loue what mislyking in mée do you finde Sing all of gréene willow That on such a soddayn you alter your minde Sing willow willow willow What cause doth compell you so fickle to bée Willow willow willow willow In hart which you plighted most loyall to mée Willow willow willow willow I faythfully fixed my fayth to remayne Sing all of gréene willow In hope I as constant should finde you agayne Sing willow willow willow But periurde as Iason you faythlesse I finde Which makes mee vnwilling to vtter my minde Willow willow willow singe all of gréene willow Sing all of greene willow shall bee my Garland Your beauty braue decked with showes gallant gay Sing all of greene willow Allured my fancy I could not say nay Sing willow willow willow Your phrases fine philed did force mée agrée Willow willow willow willow In hope as you promis'd you loyall would bée Willow willow willow willow But now you be frisking you list not abide Sing all of greene willow Your vow most vnconstant and faythlesse is tride Sing willow willow willow Your wordes are vncertayne not trusty you stand Which makes mée to weare the willow Garland Willow willow willow sing all of greene willow Sing all of gréene willow shall bée my Garland Hath Light of loue luld you so softe in her lap Sing all of gréene willow Hath fancy prouokte you did loue you intrap Sing willow willow willow That now you be flurting and will not abide Willow willow willow willow To mée which most trusty in time should haue tride Willow willow willow willow Is modest demeanure thus turnd to vntrust Sing all of greene willow Are
this to bee true that now too true I proue But litle troth in womens breast and fleeting in their loue God graunt each wight on earth that serues with faythfull minde A better hap and that hee may a truer Mystrisse finde FINIS The Louer in distresse exclaymeth agaynst Fortune HOw can the criple get in running race the game Or hee in fight defend himselfe whose armes are broken lame How can th' imprisoned man whofe legs be wrapt in chaynes Thinke this his life a pleasant time who knoweth nothing but paines So how can I reioyse that haue no pleasant thing That may reuiue my doulfull sprits or cause mee for to singe My legs be lame to goe mine armes cannot embrace My hart is sore mine eyes bée blinde for lacke of Fortunes grace All this is Fortunes fault that keepes these sences so Shée may aduaunce them if shée list and rid them of this wo. It is her cruell will alwayes on mee to lower To kepe froÌ„ mée her pleasant giftes to make mée know her power Alas alas fiâ— Fortune fâ—e why art thou so vnkinde To mée that fayne would bée thy sonne and euer in thy minde Now doo I thée beséech with pleasures mée to frayght To temper this my wofull life or els to kill mée strayght FINIS An other complaint on Fortune IN doubtful dreading thoughts as I gan call to minde This world and eke the pleasures al that Adams children finde A place of pleasant hew appeared to my thought Where I might sée the wonderous works which nature for vs wrought All things of any price approched to my sight And still me thought that each man had that was his most delight The riche man hath his ioy his riches to imbrace So hath the huntesman his desire to haue the Hart in chace And other haue their sporte to sée the Falcon flee And some also in Princes court in fauor for to bée The warring Knight at will an horse doth run his race And eke the louer in his armes his Lady doth embrace When that I sée eche man enioy his whole delite Saue I alas poore cursed man whom Fortune doth so spite I fall straight to the ground amazed with much griefe With blouddy strokes vpon my brest I striue to rid my lief And thus I thinke how can fayre pictures those delight Whom nature from their tender age defrauded of their sight FINIS ¶ The louer beeing newly cought in Cupids snares complayneth on the Gods of loue and compareth his greefe as followeth THe hugie heape of cares that in this world I finde The sodayne sighes that sore molest my hart The foolish fansies that still run in my minde Makes mée to lay all ioy and myrth apart Lamenting still the causes of my smart But oh alas the more I wéepe and wayle The more my gréefe to mée séemes to preuayle The more I seeke my pinchinge panges to swage By diuers wayes such as I thinke be best The more it frets the more it gins to rage So that my senceles head can take no rest Ah seely wretch what doth thee thus mollest Or what doth thus perturbe thy restlesse braynes And from thy harte all worldly ioye detaynes Alas what this should bee I can not tell My youthfull yeares can skill of no such change But if some vgly shape of fury fell Or wicked wight that in this world doth range Hath witched mee with this disease so strange Or Cupid with his force of cruell dart Hath stricken mee and wounded thus my hart Hath Cupid then sutch power on mortall wightes And strikes the blinded boy his dart so sure That no man can auoyd his subtill sâ—ightes Nor ought agaynst his fury may indure Hath Venus force men thus for to allure And why then doth shée not her sonne commaund To shoote alike and strike with equall hand Is this the guise of powers that raigne aboue Us séely soules in snares thus for to trap And care they not to yéeld vs death for loue Ioy they in woes our corses for to trap And passe they not what vnto vs doth hap Can Gods aboue to man beare any hate Or doo they mocke and iest at our estate Ah foolish foole what fancy rules thy head Or what doth cause thée now this talke to moue What fury fell doth thée poore wretch now lead To rayle on all the Gods doth it behooue Sith it is only Cupid God of loue That guiltlesse shee with stroke of goulden shafte Hath wounded thus and thee of ioyes berafte Euen as the slender Barke that long is tost By surging waues cast vp from deepest seas And Saylars still in daunger to be lost Doo hale and pull in hope to take their ease When stormy fluds begin once to appease Euen so fare I beeing in Cupids power In hope at last to see that happy hower Wherin I shall my wished ioyes obtayne And placed bee within her gentill hart Then shall I take my sorrowes all for gayne When I haue her that causeth now my smart Then farewell Cupid with thy cruell darte And welcome shee that pearst mee with her sight Shee is my Ioy shee is my hartes delight FINIS The Louer extolleth aswell the rare vertues of his Lady beloued as also her incomparable beautie DEsire hath driuen from mée my will Or Cupids blase hath bleard mine eyes Knowledge mee fayles my sight is yll If kinde or cunning could deuise Nature to paynt in better plight To set her forth with red and white Or if men had Apelles arte Who could her mend in any parte Her face declares where fauor growes And telles vs heere is Beauties grace Her eyes hath power to binde and lose Her countenance may fréendes embrace Her cheekes be decte with bloud full fayre Her collour cleare as is the ayre Her haire her hand her foote also Hath wonne the praise where euer shée go Her lookes doo séeme to speake alone When that her lips remooue no whit Her inwarde vertues may be knowen By vsinge of her sober wit. Her iestures also cumly are My tongue lackes skill them to declare The rest of her that are vnnamed In perfect shapes are lyuely framed Now though that kinde hath set her forthe And natures workes shée hath possest Théese goodly giftes are litle worth If pitty dwelt not in her brest Oh God forbid such flowring youth Should bée mislyked for lacke of ruth For I with other might say then Lo this is shée that killeth men FINIS ¶ The Louers farewell at his departure perswadeth his beloued to constancie in his absence THough Fortune cannot fauor According to my will The proofe of my behauor Shall bée to loue you still Entending not to chaunge Whiles that my life doth last But still in loue to raunge Till youth and age be past Though I bée far you fro Yet in my fantacie I loue you and no mo Thinke this assuredly Your owne both true and iuste Alwayes you shall mée finde Wherfore of right you must Haue mée
By vewing of thy face Full oft it ioyes my hart To kisse â–ª that clot of clay From whence thou shot those louing lookes Which bred my whole decay O blessed place I cry Though woorker of my payne Render I craue most hartely To mee my loue agayne Not wofull Monsier dom Dieg Or Priams noble sonne Constrayned by loue did euer mone As I for thée haue donne Sir Romeus annoy But trifle seemes to mine Whose hap in winning of his loue Did clue of cares vntwine My sorrowes haue no ende My hap no ioy can spie The flowing Fountayne of my teares Beginneth to waxe drie Let pitty then requyte my payne O woorker of my woe Let mercy milde possesse thy harte Which art my freendly foe Receiue the hart which heare I yeeld into her hand Which made by force a breach in Fort Which I could not withstande Thou hast in Ballance paysd My life and eke my death Thy loyalty contaynes my ioy Disdayne will stop my breath If constant loue may reape his hire And fayth may haue his due Good hope I haue your gentill hart My grislie greefe will rue And that at length I shall My hartes delight imbrace When due desart by curtesie Shall purchace mee thy grace Untill which time my deare Shall still increase my payne In pensiue thoughtes and heauinesse Because I shall remayne FINIS ¶ A Caueat to yongmen to shun the snares of Cupids crafty sleightes IF euer wight had cause to mone or wayle with bitter teares His wretched life and wofull plight that still in languish weares Then haue I cause that late haue lodgde â–ª such loue within my hart With gréefe with payne with pyning panges â–ª my body boyles in smart O earth why doost not thou my wofull plight sustayne O surging Seas with swallowing gulfe release mee of this payne For languishing loue with dolefull doomes â–ª hath layd my hart in brine O wofull wretch O wicked wight That so for loue doth pine The Sonne that shines with golden beames and dries the dewie flowers Doth cause mée wretch with blubbering eyes to gush forth extreame showers The hermony of chirping birdes that ioyes with siluer songes Eche lyuing wight doth cause my cares to fill my hart with thronges Eche gladsome ioy of mundaine glée That glads the worldly minde Doth heape vp cares on carefull corps agaynst all course of kinde And so eche thing that ought delight and rid the minde from pause Contrariwise agaynst all right a thousand cares doth cause For when that I in sugred sleepe most swéetly should take rest Then doo I wring my wofull handes and beate my dolefull brest And if I chaunce on sleepe to fall a thousand dreames I haue And doo suppose I her embrace whose want will cause my graue And then with gladsome hart I ioy thus cleane depriued of wo But oh alas when that I wake I finde it nothing so And then my sighes from sobbing harte doth reaue my brest in twayne And teares that run from blubbered eyes doth more encrease my payne And when I should sustayne my lyfe and féeble corps with foode Unsauory séemes it vnto mee eache thing should doo mee good Amidst the nipping frostes I broyle in pearching heate I freese And thus agaynst all course of kinde for loue my lâ—fe I leese Wo woorth the time that first I lodgde thy sâ—oyling loue in harte You yonge men al bée warnd by mée And shun blinde Cupids Darte FINIS ¶ The aged Louers noate at length to learne to dye WHy askest thou the cause Wherfore I am so sad Thou knowst wheÌ„ age on draws No creature can bee glad And sith shée hath mée rested And threatned mee to die Therfore I am sequestred All mirth for to denie And now with feeble age The rest of all my dayes My couÌ„tenance must be ful sage Since that my life decayes Like as the harte of Oke By time doth rot at last Like time doth age prouoke With time my hart doth brast Lo thus by course of time My youth is gone and past And now the turne is mine Of bitter death to taste And noate that I haue sayd The cause wherof and why My youthfull partes be playde And I must learne to die FINIS ¶ The desperate Louer exclaymeth his Ladyes cruelty and threatneth to kill himselfe MY ioyful dayes bée past My plasant yeres be gone My life it may not last My graue and I am one My mirth and all is fled And I a man in woo Desireth to bee dead My mischâ—â—fe to forgoe I burne and am a colde I freese in middest of fire I sée shée dooth with hold That most I doo desire I sée that shée doth sée And yet shee wil be blinde I see in healpinge mee Shée seeketh and wil not finde I sée how shée doth wrye When I begin to mone I see when I come nye How fayn shée would be gone I see shee knoweth my harte And how I doo complayne I see shâ—â— knoweth my smarte Shee seeth I doo not fayne I see my helpe at hand I see my death also I see where shee doth stand I see my cruell fo I see what would you more Shee would mee gladly kill And shee shall see therfore That shee shall haue her will. I cannot liue by stones It is to harde a food I would be dead at once to doo my Lady good Shee shall haue her request And I will haue mine ende Lo heeâ—e my blouddy brest To please her most vnkinde FINIS ¶ The Louer beeing blinded with the faythlesse loue of his Lady is contented to remit her fault vpon promis of amendment SInce that thou diddest mee loue When lust did thee prouoke And that thou doost well proue That I cannot reuoke My fréendship fast my loue nor my good will Shew some reléefe least in dispayre I spill How well I was content â—lwayes to follow thée How well I did assent Thy thrall aye for to bee Thy selfe can iudge to whom I doo appeale By sentence lo to yeeld mee wo or weale But if thou mée forsake As Cressid that forgot True Troylus her make And that thy hart is whot On him whom shame did force thée once his fayth to flie I see no hope but that hee must yéeld forth himself to die And though thou thinke that I Am loth theâ— too forgoe Yet shall I rather die Then liue and please my foe But hindre him in loue all others doth refrayne Whose treasoÌ„ once did mée purchace thy due disdain FINIS ¶ A worthy comparison of Vertue agaynst all worldly pompe WHen that I way with wit and eke consider now The tickle stay of her that Fortunes whéele doth bow And turne euen at her will such luck loe as shee list No thread so surely spâ—nne but that shee may vntwist I can but aye lament and wayle the lacke of them That in her holde doo trust weighing they are but men For if I were a Lorde and come of high degree And had all thing at
and could not flée Though ment in prayse yet far amis I take it written bée Shée is none such as if shée would that any would disdayne But for the smartes of others gréefes of pitty shee did playne As one most lothe of any lyfe for loue of her bee loste Or that with blud or cruell deedes men write her beauties boste For mercy is in M her brest and modest is her life A courtuous mayd and like to prooue a constant worthy wife FINIS ¶ The Louer deceyued by his Ladyes vnconstancy writeth vnto her as foloweth THe heat is past that did mee fret The fier is out that nature wrought The plantes of youth that I did set Are dry and dead within my thought The Frost hath slayne the kindly sap That kept the hart in liuely state The sodayne storme and thunder clap Hath turned loue to mortall hate The myst is gon that bleard mine eyes The lowring cloudes I see appeare Though that the blinde eate many flyes I would you knew my sight is cleare Your sweete deceyuing flattryng face Did make mee thinke that you were white I muse how you had such a grace To séeme a Hauke and bée a kyte Where precious ware is to be solde They shall it haue that giueth most All things wée see are woon with Golde Few things is had where is no cost And so it fareth now by mée Because I preace to giue no gyftes Shee takes my sute vnthankfully And driues mée of with many dryftes Is this th' end of all my sute For my good will to haue a skorne Is this of all my paynes the frute To haue the chafte in steade of corne Let them that lyst posses such drosse For I deserue a better gayne Yet had I rather leaue with losse Then serue and sue and all in vayne FINIS ¶ A true description of Loue. ASke what loue is it is a passion Begun with rest and pampred vp in play Planted on sight and nourished day by day With talke at large for hope to graze vpon It is a short ioy long sought and soone gon An endles maze wherin our willes doo stray A gylefull gaine repentance is the pay A great fier bred of small occasion A plague to make our fraylty to vs knowen Where wée therby are subiecte to their lay Whose fraylty ought to leaue vntill our stay In case our selues this custome had not knowen Of hope and health such creatures for to pray Whose glory resteth chéefly on denaye FINIS ¶ The Louer to his beloued by the name of fayre and false O Cruell hart with falsehood infecte of force I must complayne Whose poyson hid I may detect as cause doth mée constrayn Thy name I shryne within my brest thy déedes though I doo tell No minde of malice I protest thy selfe doth know it well If thy deserts then bids mée write I cannot well reuoke it I shall not spare to shew thy spite I will no longer cloake it As Troylus truth shall bée my shéeld to kepe my pen from blame So Cressids crafte shall kepe the féeld for to resound thy shame Vlisses wife shall mate the sore whose wishly troth doth shine Well Fayre and False I can no more thou art of Helens lyne And daughter to Diana eke with pale and deadly cheare Whose often chaunge I may well like two moonthes within the yeare FINIS ¶ The Louer describeth his paynfull plight and requireth speedy redresse or present death THe slaue of seruile sort that borne is bond by kinde Doth not remayne in hope with such vnquiet minde Ne tossed crasid Ship with yrksome surging seas So gréedely the quiet Port doth thirst to ride at ease As I thy short returne with wishing vowes require In hope that of my hatefull harmes the date will then expire But time with stealing steps and driery dayes doth driue And thou remaynst then bound to come if that thou bée aliue O cruell Tygars whelpe who had thy hand in holde When y with flattering pen thou wrotst thy help at hand behold Beleeue it to bee true I come without delay A foole and silly simple soule yet doost thou still betray Whose mooueles loue and trust doth reason far surmount Whom Cupids trumpe to fatall death hath sommond to accompt My fayth and former life fed with such frendly fier Haue not of thee by iust reward deserued such falts hyer I promisse thee not mine but thy case I bewayle What infamy may greater bee then of thy fayth to fayle How ofte with humble sute haue I besought the sonne That hee would spur his Coursers fearce their race more swifte to ronne To th' end with quicker speed might come the promised day The day which I with louing lookes and weary will did pray But thou art sure disposde to glory in my death Wherfore to feede thy fancy fond loe here I ende my breath I can not sighe nor sob away by playnt I pine I see my fatall fainting file ye Sisters doo vntwine The Feriman I finde prest at the Riuer side To take mee in his restles Boate therin with him to ride And yet although I sterue through thy dispitous fault Yet craue I not in my reuenge that harme should thee assault But rather that thy fame eternally may shine And that eche to thine auayle aboundantly encline That eche thine enterprise hath luckye lot and chaunce And stable fortune thine estate from day to day aduaunce That Sun that Moone that starres and eke the plannets all The fier the water and the earth may fréendly to thée fal That many quiet yeres thou number may with rest Uoyd of all annoyes and gréeues as may content thee best And if that foraine loue torment and vexe thy harte God yeeld thy weary wanting wish and swagement of thy smart With froward flearing face at mee if Fortune frowne Thou doost reioyce and I not so but ioy thy good renowne And if I thée offend for that I doo thée loue Forgiue it mée for force it is I can it not remoue For I in secret sort these lines to thée did I write My weakned wearied hand hensforth shall sease for to endyte That letters to receiue from mée thou néede not muse The messenger that next of all of mée shal bring the newes Dissolued from the corps shal be my dolefull spright That first vnsheaâ—hd shal passe to thée when hée hath vewd thy sight Contented hee shall go vnto the heauens aboue In case that ioyed rested place may gayne it any loue And now for that my death thy name may spot and stayne If that the flying fame therof to others eares attayne I will not it were red or knowen by other wayes That thou art only cause I thus in ruthe doo ende my dayes Wherfore this Letter red condemne it to the flame And if thou doo thy honnor forse I know thou wilt thesame And if in lingring time vnwares they chaunce to come Wherin the entrayles of the earth shall hap to bee my tombe
which to late Compels vs to complayne The boast of Beauties brags And gloze of louing lookes Seduce mens mindes as fishes are Intic'd with bayted hookes Who simply thinking too Obtayne the pleasant pray Doth snatch at it and witlesse so Deuoures her owne decay Euen like the mindes of men Allurde with beauties bayt To heapes of harmes to carking care Are brought by such decaite Lothus by proofe it proou'd Perforce I needes must say That beauty vnto ruinous end Is as a pleasant way FINIS T.P. T. P. his Farewell vnto his faythfull and approoued freend F. S. FArewell my fréend whom fortune forste to fly I greeuâ— to here the lucklesse hap thou hast But what preuayles if so it helpe might I I would be prest therof be bold thou maste Yet sith time past may not be calde agayne Content thy selfe let reason thee perswade And hope for ease to counteruayle thy payne Thou art not first that hath a trespasse made Mourne not to much but rather ioy because God hath cut of thy will ere greater crime Wherby thou might the more incur the lawes And beare worse Brutes seduc'd by wicked prime Take héede my woordes let teach thée to be wise And learne thee shun that leades thy minde to ill Least béeing warnd when as experience tries Thou waylst to late the woes of wicked will. FINIS T. P. The History of Pyramus and Thisbie truely translated IN Babilon a stately seate of high and mighty Kinges Whose famous voice of ancient rule through all the world yet ringes Two great estates did whilom dwell and places ioyned so As but one wall eche princely place deuided other fro These Nobles two two children had for whom Dame Nature sought The déepest of her secret skill or shée their byrth had wrought For as their yeares in one agréed and beauty equall shone In bounty and lyke vertues all so were they there all one And as it pleased Nature then the one a sonne to frame So did the glad olde Father like him Pyramus to name Th' other a maide the mother would that shée then Thisbie hight With no smal blisse of parents al who came to ioy the sight I ouerslip what sodaine frights how often feare there was And what the care each creature had ere they did ouerpas What paynes ensue what the stormes in pearced harts that dwel And therfore know what babe mother whose chast subtil braÌ„d No earthly hart ne when they lust no God hath yet withstand Ere seuen yeres these infants harts they haue with loue opprest Though litle know their tender age what causeth their vnrest Yet they poore fooles vntaught to loue or how to lesse their payne With well contented mindes receiue and prime of loue sustayne No pastime can they elswhere finde but twayn themselues alone For other playfeares sport God wot with them is reckend none Ioy were to here their prety wordes and swéet mamtam to sée And how all day they passe the time till darknes dimmes the skye But then the heauy cheare they make when forst is their farwell Declares such gréefe as none would thinke in so yong brests could dwell Ye looke how long that any let doth kepe them two a sunder Their mourning harts no ioy may glad that heuens the passeth vnder And when agayn they efte repayre and ioyfull méeting make Yet know they not the cause therof ne why their sorowes slake With sight they feede their fancies then and more it still deâ—â—re Ye more they haue nor want they finde of sight they so require And thus in tender impe spronge vp this loue vpstarteth still For more their yeres much more the flame that doth their fancies fill And where before their infants age gaue no suspect at all Now needefull is with weary eye to watchfull minde they call Their whole estate it to guide in such wise orderly As of their secret swéete desires ill tongues no light espy And so they did but hard God wot are flames of fire to hide Much more to cause a louers hart within it bounds to finde For neither colde their mindes consent so quench of loue the rage Nor they at yeres the least twise seuen their passions so aswage But that to Thisbes Mothers eares some spark therof were blowen Let Mothers iudg her pacience now til shée the whole haue knoweÌ„ And so by wily wayes shée wrought to her no litle care That forth shée found their whole deuise and how they were in snare Great is her gréefe though smal the cause if other cause ne were For why a meeter match then they might hap no other where But now tween Fathers though the cause mine Auctor nothing els Such inward rancor risen is and so it daily swels As hope of fréendship to be had is none alas the while Ne any loueday to be made their mallice to begyle Wherfore straight charge straight giuen is with fathers frowning chere That message worde ne token els what euer that it were Should froÌ„ their foe to Thisbee passe Pyramus fréends likewise No lesse expresse commaundement doo for their sonne deuise And yet not thus content alas eche Father doth ordayne A secret watch and bounde a point wherin they shall remayne Sight is forbid restrained are wordes for scalde is all deuise That should their poore afflicted mindes reioyce in any wise Though pyning loue gaue cause before of many carefull yll Yet dayly sithe amended all at least well pleased them still But now what depth of deepe distresse may they indrowned bee That now in dayes twise twenty tolde eche other once shall see Curst is their face so cry they ofte and happy death they call Come death come wished death at once and rid vs life and all And where before Dame Kinde her selfe did wonder to beholde Her highe bequests within their shape Dame Beauty did vnfold Now doth shee maruel much and say how faded is that red And how is spent that white so pure it wont to ouerspred For now late lusty Piramus more fresh then flower in May As one forlorne with constant minde doth seeke his ending day Since Thisbe mine is lost sayth hee I haue no more to lose Wherfore make speed thou happy hand these eyes of mine shall close Abasid is his princely port cast of his regall weede Forsaken are assemblies all and lothed the foming steed No ioy may pearce his pensiue mynde vnlesse a wofull brest May ioyed bee with swarmes of care in haples hart that rest And thus poore Piramus distrest of humaine succor all Deuoyd to Venus Temple goes and prostrate downe doth fal And there of her with hart I korue and sore tormented mindes Thus askes hee ayd and of his woes the Fardell thus vnbindes O Great Goddesse of whose immortal fire Uertue in Erbe might neuer quench the flame Ne mortall sence yet to such skill aspire As for loues hurt a medecine once to name With what deare price my carefull pyned ghost Hath tried
print to shew A sure beléefe did straight inuade his ouerlyuing minde Tâ—at there the fatall ende alas of Thisbie was assinde And that her dainty flesh of beastes a pray vnmeet was made Wherwith distrest with woodlike rage the words he out abrade The lamentacion of Piramus for elâ—e loffe of his Loue Thisbie THis is the day wherin my irksome life And I of lyuely breath the last shall spend Nor death I dread for fled is feare care strife Daunger and all wheron they did depend Thisbie is dead and Pirame at his ende For neuer shall reporte hereafter say That Pyrame lyu'de his Lady tane away O soueraigne God what straung outragious woe Presents alas this corsiue to my hart Ah sauage beaste how durst thy spight vndoe Or séeke woes mée so perfect loue to part O Thisbie mine that was and only art My liues defence and I the cause alone Of thy decay and mine eternall mone Come Lyon thou whose rage here only shew Aduaunce with spéede and doo mée eke deuoure For ruthlesse fact so shalt thou pitty shew And mée too heere within thy brest restore Where wée shall rest togeather euermore Ah since thy corps thou graues within thy wombe Denye mée not swéet beast the selfesame tombe Alas my ioy thou parted art from mée By far more cruell meane then woonted fine Or common law of nature doth decrée And that encreaseth for woe this gréefe of mine Of that beautie only which was deuine And soueraigne most of all that liued here No litle signe may found be any where If the dead corps alas did yet remayne O great cruelty O rage of fortune spight More gréeuous far then any tongue may fayne To reue her life and in my more despight Mée to defraude of that my last delight Her once t' mbrace or yet her visage pale To kisse full oftâ— and as I should bewayle But since from mée thou hast the meane outchast Of this poore ioy thy might I héere defie For maugre thee and all the power thou hast In Plutoes raigne togeather will wée bée And you my loue since you are dead for mée Good reason is that I for you agayne Receiue no lesse but euen the selfsame payne Ah Mulberie thou witnes of our woe Right vnder thée assigned was the place Of all our ioy but thou our common foo Consented hast vnto her death alas Of beauty all that had alone the grace And therfore as the chéefe of others all Let men the Tree of deadly woe thée call Graunt our great God for honor of thy name A guerdoâ—â—f the woe wée shall here haue For I nill 〈◊〉 shée dead that rulde thesame Pronounce O Pluto from thy hollow Caue Where stayes thy raigne and let this trée receiue Such sentence iust as may a witnesse bée Of dollour most to all that shall it see ANd with those wordes his naked blade hée fiersly froÌ„ his side Out drew through his brest it forst with mortal wouÌ„d to glide The streames of gory blood out glush but hée with manly hart Careles of death and euery payne that death could them imparte His Thisbies kerchéefe hard hée straines kist with stedfast chere And harder strainde and ofter kist as death him drew more nere The Mulberies whose hue before had euer white lo béene To blackish collour straight transformed black ay since are séen And Thisbie then who all that while had kept the hollow trée Least hap her Louers long aboad may séeme him mockt to bée Shakes of all feare and passeth foorth in hope her loue to tell What terror great shée late was in and wonderous case her fel But wheÌ„ she doth approche that treâ— whos◠〈…〉 were Abasht she stands musing much how 〈…〉 should appere Her Pyramus with sights prosound and 〈…〉 that plained Shee hard and him a kerchefe saw how hee bit 〈◊〉 and strained Shee neuer drew but wheÌ„ the sword and gaping wound she saw The anguish great shee had therof her caus'd to ouerthrow In deadly swoone and to her selfe shee beeing come agayne With pittious playnts and deadly dole her loue shee did coÌ„playne That doone shee did her body leane and on him softly lay She kist his face whose collour fresh is spent and falne away Then to the sword these woords she sayth thou sword of bitter gall â–ª Thou hast bereaued mee my Loue my comfort ioy and all With that deare blood woes me of his thy cursed blade doth shine Wherfore thinke not thou canst be free to shed the same of mine In life no meane though wee it sought vs to assemble could Death shall who hath already his mine shall straight vnfolde And you O Gods this last request for ruthe yet graunt it mee That as one death wee should receiue one Tombe our graue may bee With that agayn she oft him kist then shee speaketh thus O Louer mine beholde thy loue alas my Pyramus Yet ere I dye beholde mee once that comfort not denye To her with thee that liu'd and lou'd and eke with thee will dye The Gentilman with this and as the lastest throwes of death Did pearce full fast at that same stroke to end both life and breath The voice hee knows euen ther with castes vp his heauy eyes And sees his loue hee striues to speake but death at hand denyes Yet loue whose might not theÌ„ was queÌ„cht in spite of death gaue streÌ„gth And causde froÌ„ bottoÌ„ of his hart these words to pas at leÌ„gth Alas my loue and liue ye yet did not your life define By Lyones rage the foe therof and caus'd that this of mine Is spent and past or as I thinke it is your soule so deare That seekes to ioy and honor both my last aduenture heare Euen with that woord a profound sighe from bottom of his hart Out cast his corps and spirit of life in sunder did depart Then Thisbie efte with shrike so shrill as dynned in the skye Swaps down in swoone shee eft reuiues hents the sword hereby Wherwith beneath her pap alas into her brest shée strake Saying thus will I die for him that thus dyed for my sake The purple Skaâ—let streames downe ran shee her close doth lay Unto her loue him kissing still as life did pyne away Lo thus they lou'd and died and dead one tombe theÌ„ graued there And Mulberies in signe of woe from white to blacke turnde were FINIS ⧠The lamentacion of a Gentilwoman vpon the death of her late deceased frend William Gruffith Gent. A doutfull dying dolefull Dame Not fearing death nor forcing life Nor caring ought for flitting fame Emongst such sturdy stormes of strife Here doth shee mourne and write her will Vpon her liked Louers ende Graunt Muses nyne your sacred skill Helpe to assist your mournfull freend Embouldned with your Nimphish ayde Shee will not cease but seeke to singe And eke employ her willing head Her Gruffithes prayse with ruthe to ringe WIth Poets pen I doo not preace to