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
faire and diuine throughout the world But as mortall men deserue norecompence from the heauens vntill they haue by thousand good proofes testified the faithfull and dutifull seruice towards them So I will not presume to importune you to affect me at all much more to yeeld me any guerdon for my paines vntill that by infinites of dutious deuoyres I shew myselfe insome part worthy of your gratious seruice which hath bound me so firmely vnto your peerlesse beautie Mine onely request vnto you is that it would please you to haue me in your louely remembrance and not to entertaine any other as your loyall seruant before you shall haue iust occasion to discard and giue me ouer For as no doubt it will be little pleasing vnto you hereafter to repent you that ye haue made a worse choyse than of my selfe so will it be farre more bitter vnto me than a most desperate death to be discharged from seruing her whom I loue more then mine owne heart and cherish more then mine owne life yea then mine owne soule which is now wholy yours seeing that he that is owner of the same is the inuiolable slaue vnto your incomparable beauties DON HORATIO Izabella for so was her name not acquainted with the humour of Loue as she iested at his amorous passion so did she scoffe at his Letter making no account either of the one or the other But as Cremona and Mantua were giuen by Augustus the Emperour as a spoyle vnto his men at Arius and Souldiers because they had taken part against him holding with his enemie the inhabitants thereof being driuen from thence and hardly entreated and as such Subiects of that Prince are worse vsed and with farre more rigour and crueltie who proue Rebles vnto him then those which haue bene alwaies faithfull and true Euen so such proud audatious and disdainfull harts who at the first make no account of Loue and refuse his yoke most stubbornly are more fiercely plagued after they are once taken downe and conquered then those who betimes submit themselues vnto this seruitude accustoming themselues by little and little to support and beare this bondage patiently of which Sabella may be a sufficient witnesse as ere long you shall heare Horatio was then forgotten as the Infant that hath forgotten his lesson which was taught him and his Letter torne in peeces which afterwards the proud Virgin bought at a high rate Meane space as two Riuers which mingle themselues together A comparison enuiron a whole countrie and became a little Sea And as the fire being blowne with two paire of Bellowes kindleth more then when it hath but one So Don Horatio pricked forward by valour and Loue began to doe incredible matters against the Infidels of Affrica So that he became to be famous in euery mans mouth there being no talke but onely of his worthie and valiant exployts Izebella hearing him to be thus praised marking how the King himselfe with all his chiefe Martialists did highly commend him began by little and little to grow gentle and milde As the hard Diamond becommeth soft put into the blood of a Goat and that great Masse and lumpe of crueltie of hers beganne to waxe more kinde and to breake in sunder as the Snow falne thicke vpon the top of a hill at the shining of the Sunne melteth and droppeth away to nothing in small time But yet these light motions were not sufficient nor strong enough for Loue whereon he might build a firme foundation he knowing the presence and the speech of the braue Portingall Knight would doe more good then all these which were no other then castles built in the aire or conceits framed by an idle head they passing away as the clouds do poste from one to another in the firmament Not long after newes was brought vnto the Court for certaine that Horatio had wonne a notable victorie of the King of Fesse kild many of his enemies and gotten a notable rich bootie and spoyle amongst which was taken prisoner a maruailous faire Ladie sister vnto the Barbarian King married vnto the Lieftenant of that countrie Izabella who cared not much whether she lost Horatio or no before these newes because she made no great account of him began now to doubt that this captiue Dame would take her conquerour prisoner robbing her of that which she refused to take for her owne so as now she began to wish for to haue him playing as young childrē doe who after they haue resused some certaine thing begin to grieue mightily when they see the same giuen vnto others and this was the cause she now began to wake and looke about her Diuers strange and prodigious are the effects of Loue which maketh me thinke that Force onely not Venus was his mother and that Dispaire first begot him for he doth nothing but violently not vnlike vnto the thunder-bolt which neuer tumbleth downe vpon the ground but it breaketh one thing or another But now Horatio laden with fame with spoyles and with prisoners returneth home to Portingall vpon whome euerie one casteth his eye whom euerie man doth highly commend and vnto whome all degrees whatsoeuer doe vse much dutious respect and humble reuerence The King himselfe doth him great grace entertaining him with high commendations giuing him many kind thanks for his so valorous honourable carriage against his enemies yet notwithstanding all these fauours he rather chose to haue had one amorous glaunce from his Mistris then all these Royall curtesies He seeth himselfe honoured by the King made much of by the Nobles respected by the inferiour sort and to be accounted of and commended by euery bodie Nothing wanteth for the perfection of his glorie He cannot wish for more then he hath nor desire more then is alreadie attributed vnto him yet neuerthelesse he maketh no account of all these his good fortunes no more then that man doth who enioy a most pretious and inestimable Iewell disdaineth and refuseth other little rich stones although they be much valued and accounted of by other The onely presence of his Ladie was that which pleased his minde and the least sweet looke cast from her smiling countenance bred more contentment in him then all the honours and entertainments whatsoeuer Euerie man hath a particular affectection that gouerneth him and some one thing which he esteemeth more then all the rest to enioy which he accounteth his chiefe glorie pride and contentment in this world despising all whatsoeuer else might happen by any other meanes vnto him Some delight in greedie couetousnes some in renowmed Chiualrie some in aspiring ambition and the most part in hote and furious Loue. Nothing pleaseth these kind of men but onely what is affected through these things not esteeming ought to be good or allowable which commeth any other way although it be profitable praise-worthie and faire And this was our Portingall Knighs conceit who now was growne into such credit in the court with the
diuers contrarie effects for of that thing which is perfect nothing can proceede but what is perfect like vnto it selfe As it happeneth amongst Lions Lionesses which alwaies resemble one another but from Nature diuers effects doe happen vnperfect and therefore is not she her selfe perfect Now badly quoth the old man herein doe you conclude for both Nature her selfe is perfect and so are her workes also Perfect are her workes in that she doth distribute vnto euery one that which she knoweth to be most necessarie for him Some doth she cause to be sicke to the ende she may smoother and kill the force and power of such vices as they haue ouer greedily swallowed downe From others she taketh away their right wits and memorie to make them forget the conceit and thought of high and aspiring designes and to bring them to thinke of base and lowe matters vpon the conseruation of which dependeth the estate and safetie of their Superious and from others she keepeth backe her treasures to the ende she might acquaint them with the ordinarie labour and tillage of the earth which rendereth a most sacred and diume testimonie of her perfection without which the most worthiest Spirits addicted wholly vnto glory should be constrained to forsake and yeelde their bodies vnto death as being famished for want of sustenance and as her perfection is exquisite so is her puissance incomprehensible and the effects of the same most admirable so as who solloweth her steps alwaies orderly shall neuer grosely erre nor offend shamefully And yet replied the Shepheard diuers that haue offended erring through Nature haue by Art much amended their defects whereas neuer hath there bin knonwe any one that hath bin found to be perfect through the benefit of Nature As we see the Sages wise men that liued heretofore in the olde world spent many yeares to correct by knowledge and experience the defaults of lame Nature But that knowledge answered the old man proceeded from the selfe same Nature in such wise as she is not to be blamed at all for the same nor to be thought any thing the more vnperfect for it seeing that as she was the cause of that ill so she brought a remedie for the same and that so holesome a one as the wound being once cured A Similie the whole body euer after was the better being cleare purged of all his defects Not vnlike vnto the body of man which being purified through a comfortable potion is not onely freed of that disease which as then infected him but euer after is the better in health for that holesome Phisicke We see that sometimes the Surgion maketh incision and cutteth off flesh to the ende the whole body may be the more healthfull and sound so this experieece which Nature hath bestowed vpon man is so perfect and necessarie as he may iudge himselfe to be right happie to haue found some such small defect of Nature in himselfe since they haue bin of force to learne him how to helpe himselfe and how to vse this excellent knowledge vnto his great aduantage which not onely cleanseth him from his faults present but from such likewise as are to come hereafter What is that you said answered Arcas as though there be not many faults and imperfections of Nature and those of so high a qualitie as no experience nor skill be it neuer so great can euer amend them or once be able to doe good of them how many incurable diseases are there that no Phisicke can helpe them and how many cruell and desperate inconueniences that no Art can withstand them No no Nature her selfe can neuer deliuer vnto man any one knowledge sufficient no although we would graunt that wisedome proceeded from her as it doth not which were of force and power enough to amend and correct her owne faults and imperfections I will demaund but this one question of you whether you thinke there be any naturall prudence or foresight strong enough to helpe that sicknes which proceedeth from Loue and whether Louers haue not good reason iustly to complaine of Nature who without any succour or helpe halleth thēso cruelly vnto such inexpiable miseries Nay then quoth the old man if you come to encounter against me with the power of Loue I must needs haue the field and yeeld the prize vnto you For I my selfe although I haue drawne thousands of treasures from Nature all which are sufficient proofes of her beautifulnes of her power vertue yet could I neuer find by her meanes any remedie against this incurable disease Incurable may I call it since it hath made me to abandon the world to liue this solitarie kinde of life whereby I might beguile my vnsupportable paines and so in the ende finde death the onely right Soueraigne cordiall and helpe to ease and ende this hellish disease And if the selfesame accident hath brought thee hither to be a companion vnto me in my miseries I shall be very willing to discourse vnto thee the disastred aduentures of my Loue and as gladly euery way to vnderstand the haplesse course of thine owne It is the onely thing I most desire replied Arcas although I doubt shrodely that the memorie of my bitter troubles will hardly afford me free vtterance of speech to recite and repeate at full the discourse of mine infinite misfortunes and I feare me least the sadde remembrance of my renewed griefes will interrupt and breake the slender threed of my feeble voice But before I begin let me intreat you to expound and to enterpret vnto me these Arabique verses the substance of the same Withall my hart answered the old man but first let vs take our places for our more ease vnder the shade of this coolie rocke that the faire coloured greene of these sight pleasing odoriferous hearbes may be partakers of so lamentable an Historie Whereupon the old man with Arcas sat him downe where he thought fittest for himselfe when hauing now alreadie cast his eyes vpon the Caracters readie to report them in the French language a sad accent of a heauie voice caused him on the soden to stop be silent not vnlike that Marchant who trauailing on the way to goe his voyage A Comparison sodenly turneth backe leauing his companie with whome before he had iournied being giuen by the way as he passed to vnderstand of the too too vntimely death of his deare louing Spouse This voice rauished the soules of both our Pilgrimes reuiuing a fresh memorie of their loues within their hearts tooke away from them all other thoughs the better to make them dreame of their passions and brought them into their former estates of their Loues in which they were at the first And this following was the Song which that sweete breast breathed forth most sweetely accompanied with thousands of deepe and profound sighes WHen wilt thou wearie be of sighing forth my paines Poore heauie heart whose teares extinguisht haue thy heate Why doth
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
strange affection growe And so should be true Loue indeed where two should be but one A loyall Louer should but serue his mistris sole alone For neuer hath it yet bin seene that constant amitie Would ere disgest that in the midst it should diuided be This caused Plaindor not to loue this wretched maiden poore Who for his sake perplexed was and well nie at deaths doore Thus languishing she followeth him with pale and pitteous looke Still seeking for to take that course which she should haue forsooke She followeth him in Quest and still she after him doth trace Like to the Blood-hound good the deare that followeth with great pace Whilst he good soule full little thought that she ought to him ment He on his owne affection so earnestly was bent Nor could he scarce endure to heare her speake or talke to him Nor once to looke on her although she proper was and trim None but Florettas stainlesse shape as beautifull he deem'd All other fauours whatsoere as Maskes vnto him seem'd His soules sole ioy and lifes delight she was and chiefe repose She was his first choyse and the last that he through fancie chose Yet in the end this pleasure which him lik't so him deceiu'd For she whome he did thus contemne at last his loue perceiu'd Seeing her selfe disdaind so oft by him now growne so quaint She doubted lest whome he did serue he had some other Saint Which was the cause that hindred her his fauour to obtaine Resoluing with her selfe to seeke till she had found the same Imagining but to no end by some deuise herein To wade so far as at the last she Plaindors grace would win But t' was the ruine of the one and th 'others ouerthrow By too too soone vntimely death as I to you will show Plaindor expecting still the houre when stormes should once be past To reâ—pe with ioy what he had sowen with sorrow at the last Building vpon Florettos faith as on a rockie shelfe Whome he more then the better part accounted of himselfe Did yeeld his heart into her hands in most obsequious wise Breathing by her sweet breath and taking life by her bright eyes So as that houre he saw her not he found himselfe to die For then the Louers chear'd when as his Mistris he is by Sometimes he would be with her in the thicke and muddie shade Sometime sit with her by some spring which prettie murmuring made And there while by fountaine coole the heate from them to keepe Or in some groue be tapistred with flowers surpassing sweete Then in some Bower by Nature fram'd where they did often vse Vpon the grâ—sse in steed of beds their lodgings for to chuse Or for to see the wanton fish about some cristall poole Or by some Isie riuer cleere the mor themselues to coole Or in some hodow Rocke the heate of scorching sunne t' auoid Whose sparkling beames their tender flesh too much oft times annoid Or in some fresh and low deepe Caue enuironed about Like Baricados made for fence with brier sweet throughout In such like place as these they vsde without suspect alwaies In this same sort to spend of their greene youth full many daies Deuising many a louing toy as harmelesse wantons doe Which honour doth permit whilst they their honour honour toe One while they merrie Rundelaies together both doe sing And with their cheerfull chaunting make the woods throughout to ring An other while with blushing cheekes like to two Turtle Doues One doth vnto the other tell their first chast modest Loues Then one the others beautie doth commend and then againe They praise their plighted constancie exempt and free from staine And now they prettie Babies looke one in the others eyes Whilst loue new subiects still of sport to please them doth deuise For bearing alwaies nerethelesse by proffer or by showe Once to attempt what any way might to dishonour growe Whilst they poore soules bare burning coales yet quench them durst they not Lest their good fame they should abuse and their pure honour spot This made them sound through hope and sigh for want of their desire Not daring reape their loues sweet fruites as much they did require They wish and yet are wide from it faine if they durst they would They will not doe through vertue what they thinke in sense they should Sweet thoughts they haue they sweat for hope and yet they die through griefe They haue at hand the remedie yet will not take reliefe Halfe dead halfe liue they gasping stand disiesting this sower drench Whilst water in their hands they haue this fire yet will not quench Bright mirrours of rare modestie crown'd glory you haue wonne That hauing time and place so fit your passions did orecome And now they fell to their repast which was of sauadge Bore Which Plaindor had in hunting slaine with cheese and fruit good store In steed of daintie wine full strong to drinke glad were they than The water of a riuer cleare which from a Rocke forth ran But their chiefe foode and daintiest meate were louely glaunces cast Which from their eyes like swiftest shafts were shot and darted fast Thrise blessed they A Sentence No fortune like â— although they feele some smart 'To such true Louers as in bodies twaine haue but one heart ' The wealth of all this hugie world not worth the halfe of this ' None lest they haue experience had can comprehend such blisse ' But as we see the sunne oft times through ouer sweltrie heate Changing the weather faire great stormes and thundercraks doth threat So likewise we do finde full oft that of most pretious things Some great misfortune groweth which vs to our destructions brings For euery thing is framed so and in such fashion'd guise That what is good here on the earth doth finde his contraries Of perfect Elements of diuers natures here vnnam'de Are bodies formde and fashioned and liuing Creatures framde The heate engendreth chillie cold cold water Thunders cracke Warre Concord Concord Peace Peace War where all goeth to wracke So of the pleasant sweet successe of Louers these did come That which did breed their dismall ends and layd them in their Tombe The Shepheardesse which Plaindor lou'd disdaining in her minde To be disdaind and reape repulse where she thought Loue to finde Did dogge him as an enuious Spie that no way he could walke In wood nor groue but after him full slylie she would stalke And one day by ill luck it was her fortune to espie How with Floretta he a Caue did enter secretlie Which when she saw her loue she curst the author of her strise She band the day of her sad byrth detesting sore her life She saw her labor all was lost her time was spent in vaine And there withall she well perceiu'd recurelesse was her paine Yet thought she she would see the ende of this their Loue so chast And their discourse to heare herselfe close in a bush she
did wholly run on thee my bodie aye was thine Thy will as t' were a penalt Lawe to thee did me combine To please thee not my selfe I liu'd nor did I thinke at all That ere my credit had receiu'd a foyle much more a fall Nav more I could haue bene content that thou shouldst tasted haue That sweetest sweet that Louers seeke and still is that they craue But that mine Honor did ore me with greater puissance seaze Then my desire ore senses had as sensuall them to please This selfe-same honor now although some wrongfully haue toucht Because it too much honor'd thee and suffered thee too much Demaunds my bodie offered be to him my fault to purge And for to haue it sacrifiz'de most bloodie doth it vrge And so it shall Floretta then courage take heart at grace And this vile blot of hatefull shame let 's wipe from off our face For though I through this poyson strong of life depriued be Yet my good Fame taxt wrongfully it shall restore to me Adiew my dearest Plaindor but must I my selfe absent From thee and from thy presence needs must I alack be sent I I Ah hellish griefe yet me my heart againe restore That I may liue below this earth with quiet minde the more Ah render me my heart againe which I le in pieces teare Nor for to see the same to die be thou abasht with feare Sweete Plaindor if that ere thou lou'dst Floretta thou mayst vaunt Vouchsafe this one request to her now dying for to graunt Which is me to suruiue that thou as Testis witnesse may How wrongfully some thought too much my Glories pride to slay I call thee for to speake the truth of my chaste Innocence And to the Heauens I doe appeale who knows my true pretence Then Friend if euer in that sight of thine this body haue Bene gratious when it dead shall be prouide for it a graue Close these mine eyes cashirde from light shut fast this mouth so pale And this my Coarse below in ground to burie do not faile Deare this is all I craue of thee since now my course is runne That kindnes is but worth small praise that by the halues is done But how now Plaindor what do'st weepe thou sigh'st amaine me thinke Nay then thy grieuous Martyrdome I soone will ease and stint Le ts dye le ts dye more then high time t' is I were gone from hence And saying so she swalloweth downe that hatefull poysonous drench That done vppon the greeny grasse her selfe she softly throwes And holding of her armes acrosse her prettie mouth doth close When lifting vp her last seene eyes she Plaindor might behold How he his manly brest for griefe did beate with courage bold Whereat she weeps afresh so great a Corsie to her t' is And dying now she striues to giue to him her latest kisse That done she yeeldeth vp the Ghost Ah heauie spectakell But now the dire Catastrophe of this sad tale I le tell When Plaindor saw his Mistres dead with lookes most furious He draweth his sword which gainst himselfe he bends as barbarous And raging like a bedlem mad distraught of wit through wroth Minding himselfe to massacre these words he sigheth forth Floretta ah Floretta speake speake fairest of all Faire Where 's now thy faith that did protest of me to haue such care Where 's now thy oaths and promises They now haue me deceiu'd And my greene youth long fed with hope they haue of ioy bereau'd Cruell Floretta and yet cruell to none except vnto Thy selfe when for anothers fault thy selfe thou didst vndo To bring me to my dismall ende no way couldst thou deuise But for to slaughter thus thy selfe in such a monstrous guise O faire but chaster Coarse by farre what hast thou done or sed To be vntimely fore thy time consorted with the dead And thou pure soule within that Coarse what sinne didst thou commit That thou so soone from that faire Inne away shouldst passe and flit Thine Honor th' ast kept vndefil'd then if you this doe call A fault how then hast thou offended Else hast thou not at all Faire beauties spotlesse Temple thou doest dye for mine effence And I the essence of thy ill to liue seeke to dispence Ah wretched me and which is worse white liuered soppe I am Vnworthie of such calling as to beare thy Seruants name No no I needs must dye my blood pardon for fault shall win And I will satisfaction make for this my cruell sin Yet fore I die I humbly grace and pardon begge of thee Who hast the power that this my soule remaineth thus in me Ah pardon me what i st I say this pardon which I craue Argues my fault more monsterous that worse I sinned haue I see the Murtherer I haue bin of thy fresh flowring youth Thy healths chiefe Homicide and foe vnto thy faith some ruth For me not for thy selfe thou dyest and shall I then be cause To see those eyes mouth clos'd vp which Death vnto them drawes O of all vertue golden meane of loyaltie bright sonne Whome as my Saint I haue ador'd must thou for me be vndone O hell O black dispaire of Starres most spitefull in such wise To incense so many boysterous stormes gainst my small barke to rise Ay me why dy'de I not when first I saw this face of hern Then lyke an exile from all ioy to be exposde and driuen But soft my Toung runs too too fast and words be nought but winde I know not where I am nor am I now in my right minde Yet at the least let me once bid my deerest Dame adieu And let me of her take my leaue Ah speake what will not you No no I am vnworthy I vnworthy of her grace I not deserue that haue destroyd such fauour so suire face And hast thou then the heart to see that beautie be disliu'de The onely cause that thou long since of life wort not depriu'de And canst thou breathe without her sight thou canst not I doe know Vnto Th'Elizian golden fieldes thou needes with her must goe My selfe my young yeares cutting off will rid me of annoy Since such a blacke tempestious storme hath shipwrackt all my ioy I le die I le diâ— but yet what kind of death might I inuent Cruell enough for my vile fact me iustly to torment Since that the fait falst mâ—â—de aliue through me her death hath found To whome more then to all the world I was obligde and bound Diuinest beautie thou through me doest perish and doest die Whose chiefe delight was to restore my nie lost libertie Plaindor thy deaths wound hath thee giuen whilst he forgot himselfe To whome he owed his life and goods and more then all his wealth Ah haplesse man ah louely Nymphe great reason sure thou hast To giue mâ— ore since ouer thee so small care I haue plaâ—'te And misely didst thou gesse that I vnto thy glorious fame Should be small credit rather
haue done Into what great losses and dammages did the quarrells of the Spartaines and the Atheniaus plunge all Greece And what monstrous crueltie for default of Loue did those two Theban brethren exercise one against the other who with one stroke stabbing one another and cast into one and the selfe-same fire so mortall was their hatred as the verie flame thereof diuided it selfe till it consumed those bodies which whilst they liued were diuided and sundred in disagreement alwaies I say therefore that men cannot liue without amitie and that the Sonet is false in that point for either Loue must yet be liuing or else the world must perish mortall men must be swallowed vp and the earth be left fruitlesse and barraine Reuerend Father answered the Shepheard I will make thee a short answere which is that Friendship as thou affirmest is most necessarie for man who cannot liue without it no more then the fish can be without the water which was the reason induced me to say that Loue was dead amongst them For what doe wee see nowe a dayes but murders troubles controuersies debates quarrels and peruerse opinions which after the chasing away of Amitie with the same whip haue also driuen away men out of the worlde being rooted out with continuall brawling and fighting whilst they wanted the comfortable support of Frienship to assist them The golden world of our Forefathers is gone and past and that of Iron is come in his place so that we may truely say All Curtesie all kindnesse all Iustice and all Pietie are dead and extinct and so by the same meanes the Essence of all mortall men must needes decay and die The chiefe Gouernour of an Armie Royall minding to chaunge his place and to remoue all his Camp sendeth his Marshall of the fielde before A Simily to prouide conuenient lodgings for him So earthly men entending to change this field of the world haue sent before them as their Harbinger milde Amitie to prouide better dwellings for them in another Climat And surely surely most happie art thou that thine eyes haue bene kept from the viewe of so manie miseries that thy toung is seene to be exempt and free from recounting so many mischiefs vsually lighting vpon men and that thine eares are found to be shut close from the cryes and complaintes of afflicted persons in this most wretched Age. For amongst worldlings fortunate now are Fooles blessed are the blinde and rightly contented are onely such as be deafe I speake by experience who most miserably euerie way haue found so little commiseration and comfort in these my calamities amongst men as I perswade my selfe verily that Friendship liueth no more amongst them Although thy speech sayd the olde man as touching the first be found to be true yet cannot I beleeue that the like may be prooued in Faith For I confesse it may be that Amitie peraduenture is wanting amongst men which is the occasion of so manie dissentions quarrells and debates But I thinke not so of Faith which findeth roome euen in the selfe-same place from whence friendship hath bene driuen As amongst Warres Battailes Combats and contentions For those that Discord and want of Loue force to arme themselues one against another ought not for all that to faile of their faith inasmuch as Faith it selfe is requisite and required in an Enemie and because without the same not any iust Warre can be waged For it is lawfull for vs to hate our foe and to persecute him with anie naked sword in our hands but not to deceiue him with our Faith giuen vnto him seeing nothing should make one to goe from his solemne promise except the badde dealings of other men and the treacherous wrongs wrought against him by his enemies which is of force to make him detest and loath With such a Faith the ancient Romans waged battaile against Phineus whome they aduertised of the poyson which his Phisition would haue ministred vnto him in a Potion How true of his word was Marcus Regulus who with the price of his blood preserued his Faith whole entire and vnblemisht I holde then for a truth that friendship liueth no more now adayes amongst men but that in his place warre and discention gouerne and raigne and yet for all this I will not graunt that Faith is also fled from hence as the other is seeing she is not onely necessarie in time of quietnes but also profitable during the stormes of brawling discord But should this mischiefe happen that Faith were quite banished away by men yet cannot I thinke that God would suffer such as are the cause thereof to liue one houre in as much as hee reserueth the punishment of Periurie to himselfe alone and that hee being the Father of Truth the enemies thereof are as much odious vnto him as the pride of those Giants was which would haue scaled Heauen Indeed quoth the Shepheard I confesse that heeretofore verie Faith liued amongst Warres and warriours and that shee was heartily welcome vnto those places from whence amitie was quite exiled but the times wax euery day worse and worse men growing more and more in badnes that first sacred and iust Nature of man being daily ccorrupted by reason of the sharpnes of vice as wine becommeth tart and sower with ouer-much heat of Sommer Lysimachus An Example being prisoner vnto a certaine barbarous King gaue good triall of his Faith being sent home vnto his Countrey without ransome Loyall and faithfull was Camillus in his warres who sent that traiterous Schoole maister home well whipt vnto his foes whom he had besieged whose Citie he offered to betray vnto him But the world is now changed In steed of the Lyon the Fox wageth battell whilst men as the followers of Lysander make vse of their Faith studying to cozen and deceiue one another Vice in this age borroweth the place of Vertue A Sentence receiuing the selfe-same vowes and Sacrifices which before times were offered vnto that sacred Goddesse they being by antiquitie onely ordained for her In steede of Faith false disloyaltie maketh her selfe to be adored and he is most commended feared and respected that knoweth best how with subtiltie to ouercom others and hath put in practise no small number of base and trecherous effects In times past prisoners taken in Battaile might vpon their promise giuen retire A discourse against vnhonotable Soldiers whether they best pleased and such great curtesie receiued by their aduersaries they recompenced againe with a firme and faithfull assurance of their word neuer failing to performe as much as they had before protested But now vpon the warrant of their Faith they will out the throtes if they can of such as haue taken them and if the same Faith hath giuen them such free passage as they may haue leaue to retire themselues for a certaine time yet will they neuer returne backe againe but had rather that their promise so pawned should remaine as prisoner then their
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
bestowe it cheerfully on her For in giuing her that which is thine owne thou shalt deserue as well at her hands as those who are farre mightier then thy selfe vnto whome the heauens haue giuen better meanes to succour their Countryes then they haue vnto thee For euery one is discharged after he hath payd what he doeth owe and hauing performed what he can to the vtmost of his power But it is not a sufficient discharge for the bad debtor An example to say he hath nothing and yet in the meane time can find wealth enough to supplie his own need Change then thy mind take thy iourney with me and I will thinke my selfe fortunate if I may restore thee vnto thy Countrey againe because of the great want she hath of such of her children as are good naturall faithfull and valiant Amongst which number I account thee as one of the chiefe To this speech Arcas was about to replie when the sound of a most pittious voyce ouerdrowned his so that to vnderstand the same he was husht and silent This voyce sighed forth this Sonnet following Accursed wretch and shall my blubbered teares Nere mollifie my Mystris flintie heart O no for these strange heats my bodie beares My teares to fire doe change to breede my smart Shall I no more behold her beautie bright Which wonted was alone me so to please No no for now I liue withouten light Since her I see not cause of my disease In double wise alas I finde my griefe Whilst trebble still surmounteth my disgrace First cause I am a Thrall without reliefe And next for that I see not her faire face Thrise blest the dead far happier then my selfe Death makes an ende of all their martyring paine But I still toyling keepe on sorrowes shelfe Then is my life the worser of the twaine Halfe dead halfe liue I languishing doe lie Vnder the beautious eyes of my proud FAIRF Whilst I more cruell finde my destinie Exilde from her the essence of my care Oh what colde passions in strange vncoth wise Thy wofull absence breeds through woes dispences Since that thy sight made smile my weeping eyes The losse whereof depriues me of my sences DEARE what am I poore I withouten thee But like a coarse quite void of vitall breath Accursed Fate that such a Law should bee To force men liue against their wills on earth Of thousand griefes the least and smallest crosse A Louer louing doth in Loue indure Is worse by ods then is of life the losse Which we by gentle death our friend procure Compar'd vnto the passions which I feele O happie Fate that so would'st ende my life To rid me of my troubles euery deele A Cordiall wore and comfort passing rife What shall I not from these plagues be releasde Neuer before expir'd be my lifes date Of blessings all t is not t is not the least To die whom Heauens whilsts that the liues doth hate O heauens when will you gainst me quiet cease And for a while take truce to doe me spight No no I see with me you 'l haue no peace Yet vertue after stormes doth shew most bright You then doe meane thus still my heart to racke On tenters yours to sound my constancie But to what ende doe you the same alacke When I it know and beare it patiently Then cease yee Gods to grieue me still with plagues Ah whither carrie you my vexed soule But t is no matter shew your vtmost rage Not you my dame alone can it controule As long as she to accept it please in shewe You cannot hau 't nor for you shall it care For dutie lesse to heauens and Gods I owe Then to my lifes sweet death my cruell FAIRE He that sung this was the Shepheard Coridon whome as Arcas wilfull banishment had brought by chance into this Desart and who calling to mind his Loue sung this dolefull Dittie which being ended and perceiuing Philistell Arcas and the old man together he runneth strait vnto them and most ioyfully saluteth them praying them to heare a certaine wofull historie of the truth of which his owne eyes had bin witnesses in this his traualie Wherupon they graunted his request and euery one of them taking their places to sit downe they began to listen vnto him most attentiuely when the Shepheard spake as followeth The Tragicall ende of chast Floretta Although the Almightie through his diuine prouidence hath most prodigally bestowed vpon the soule of man many faire and goodly perfections making him capable to know and vnderstand euery thing Neuerthelesse if there be not some striking motion to awake him or some strange accident to pricke him forward he remaineth oftentimes as senselesse without shewing any effects of his power and might at all For a horse although he be by nature quicke light and full of life yet if he be not spurred forward well he will neither runne orderly nor yet keepe any pace rightly at all Now the sharpest spurres of the soule are Glory and Loue being the first deuisers of his actions and the chiefest causes of all his enterprises A braue Generall or Commaunder of a field egged forward with desire of glory will with the price of his blood amidst thousand of dangers in despite of all hazards venture to shew a proofe and signe of the brauenes of his minde A witnes wherof is Themisticles who was enuious of the glory of Milliades So likewise a Louer will make shew of a thousand proofes of a gallāt spirit deuising all the best meanes he can to bring himselfe in credit with his Mistresse to the ende he may thereby obtaine the sooner his desire And of such inuentious Iupiter is found to be the first inuenter Warre then and Loue are the two most necessarie spurres for the minde although they are sharpe and violent as a comfortable potion though bitter to heale the sickelie body And when by chaunce the spirit of man is toucht vnto the quicke with these two hot spurres together thē is the time whē we shal see the same to discouer all her perfectiōs worthy qualities at the full For when the valiant champions begin once to loue then doe they become most rare and admirable in their actions as well by their valiantnes to get the good will of their Ladies as also because they lesse esteeme of their liues then they haue done heretofore Of which number were Hercules Troylus Achilles infinities of other more And if the Romane writers speake truely we find not any braue caualier without a Ladie or Mistris This being the occasion that I haue vsed this little preamble before I come vnto my historie which is a mixt discourse both of Mars and Venus For you shall vnderstand that a certaine Duke of Banier had not long since a most faire and vertuous daughter but yet most vnfortunate as most commonly the vertuous are because they being enuied for the same alwaies find a number of enemies to conspire and worke
their ouerthrow This Princes being of an excellent beautie her bringing vp being according vnto her birth and instructed in all conuenient qualities fit for so noble a Virgin grew to be famous and admirable in euery strange countrie Such one diuine Cassandra was The Pearle of Phrigian land Her learning such as it did passe Whose Sire it could not vnderstand Diuers forraigne Princes amazed at the renowmed report of this faire Ladie found themselues taken with a certaine great desire to see her amongst others was the King of Danes sonne one who was young gallant and couragious whose chiefe delight was in the sweet exercises of loue He being driuen by the same of this peerelesse Paragon to passe the Seas and to come vnto the Court of her Father to see her was receiued and entertained according vnto the greatnes of his calling with large testimonies of contentment euery way on the old Kings side for that he tooke it most kindly that the young Prince vouchsafed in his owne person to come and honour him with the noblenes of his presence Hauing seene this Princesse he iudged Fame to be enuious in that she had not bruited abroad the halfe part of her perfections being of conceit that all such rare qualities as euer haue bin were all assembled and met together in this one bodie and that Nature hath made this as a superexcellent peece of worke to bring her selfe to be admired and wondered at in the eyes of all men For the effecting of the same Thus whilst the Louer burneth in this flame No beautie 's like to that of his faire dame This caused him to think that she was to be courted with some extraordinary meanes and not with any triuiall or vsuall discretion required in such affaires Because such Maydens as are beautious both in bodie and in minde are not so easily courted and obtained with such facilitie as others are by reason a man findeth nothing to proceed from them but what is found to be graue prudent and of great vnderstanding and iudgement In the meane time loue daily grew more and more in the young Prince which was the occasion he imagined the perfections of his Mistris to encrease likewise in her A Sentence Such is the strange force of Loue as it changeth the nature of mens eyes making them behold blacke for white forcing them oftentimes to adore such a one for celestiall and diuine which amongst others generally is of no account But what maruaile is it to see him maister the eyes of our bodie if he be able to controll our very soules as he himselfe best pleaseth And herein may Louers be compared vnto such as walke in the night who can discerne nothing but what pleaseth their torche to make them see Euen so they esteeme nothing to be faire but what their Loue alloweth them to thinke of So the flame of a fire the more it spreadeth ábroad the more it maketh the fuell to burne And so the Prince the more he found his soule to be powred out vpon the beautie of his Lady the more hee still viewed and beheld her alwayes courting and deuising with her thinking still that hee should finde one new perfection or another in her Resembling herein right students who the more they reade the more they are desirous because their reading bringeth them some new contentment or pleasure causing them more and more to be rauished with the admiration of wondring at the bottomles depth of diuine Learning But the young Damsel who through some secret and inward motion of her minde prophesied the end of this Loue to be miserable although the beginning seemed to be sweete and goodly carryed herselfe herein as the wise husbandman who commendeth not the day ouermuch A Similie vntill he see the euening to be come especially when he seeth the Sun rise too timely and to burne too hote at the beginning which made her hardly to be brought vnto any thing being the cause that mooued him to vse these speeches vnto her hauing found her one day at conuenienient leisure Most excellēt Princesse the greatest contentmēt that a man can wish for in this world is to see his opinion and conceit confirmed with experience and he that beleeueth and seeth the effect of his beliefe to take place esteemeth himselfe thrice Fortunate as well of the good conceit he hath of his owne sense as for the pleasure and contentment he findeth therein when hee beholdeth his soule to be fullie assured of that which hee so much and so long desired Amongst the number of which I may well place my selfe esteeming my fortune most happy in that I hauing seene you haue seene the effect of my beliefe the full assurance of mine owne infallible iudgemēt The renowme of your rare vertues hath driuen me hither desirous to vnderstand if it were true or no But I finde it not so because it hath forgotten to speake of you as you haue deserued which parts in you are farre more commendable then all the reports that haue as yet bene made of you And this is the cause you ought not to wonder if I seeing you farre more accomplished euery way then was bruited vnto mee doe loue honour and affect you as I doe Seeing that before euer I beheld you I honoured you deepely in my heart And if the Gods recompence the pains which mortal men take to visit them to receiue their Oracles and doe answere them according vnto their desires Then deare Soueraigne of my thoughts I shall desire you I may not be frustrate of the hope which brought me hither which was to be gratiously accounted of by a faire Princesse like your selfe who being perfect in all good gifts cannot I trust want neither mercie nor mildnes And if the iust prayers of men are heard vp to the heauens though they themselues are in condition base and vnworthy to offer the same yet mine being of an other nature in that I craue nothing but what is lawfull and honest should me thinks be accepted of you Such demands as proceede from a foolish and vndecent Amitie A Sentence are to bee reiected as dishonest and beastly but such as belong vnto a sacred and vnspotted Friendship ought to be accounted of because without CHASTE LOVE both Gods and men quickly perish The praier which I most humblie desire to offer vnto you is to beseech you to entertaine me as your faithfull seruant to the end that if my loyall constant and long seruices may deserue any merrit it might please your gratious and most sacred Loue to finde some place for me in the same who hath vowed to make you and onely you the Queene of mine owne person Royall Crowne Realme For this I will be bold to say that if you shall grace me so much as to bestowe the Title of seruant on me I will not doubt but to shew my selfe worthie of some reward in that I thinke An Example hauing once obtained this
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
him and so to make flower thereof which he had rather should be done then to be ouer long kept for many times it groweth mustie lying in garners This Riddle being thus expounded the harmlesse Shepheards retired themselues for that night as also did melancholie Arcas Where we will leaue them vntill the next morning The end of the first daies meeting of Iuliettaes Shepheards THE SECOND DAIES MEETING OF THE FIFT BOOKE OF IVLIETTAES SHEPHEARDS WHAT Frostie Night neuer so bitter were of power sufficient to coole the outragious and burning heate of the Shepheard Arcas What obscure horror could bring a sleepe the watchfull thoughts of his waking euills And what deepe slumber take from him the continuall remembrance of his diuine Diana his spirit being alwaies troubled as well in the night as in the day and therefore far more miserable then the bruite beastes For whereas they repose themselues sometimes from their trauell he alwaies laboured and was still in paine he plainely perceiued the day beginning to lighten the hollow giering vault of heauen he viewed the glorious Sunne to gild and adorne the Roseall skie and he beheld beautious Anrora to weepe drerie teares for the death of her deare swarthie child yet all these brought no comfort vnto his griefes For such mindes as are ouer-cruellie afflicted with cares A Sentence are neither suâ— iect to the coolie rest of the night nor take pleasure at the glistering lampe of All-seeing Phoebus because they receiue no contentment neither in the one nor in the other Scarse did the breake of day appeare when this Swaine ariseth from his bed running vp and downe the Desart and searching for some fit place where he might bewaile his sorrowes at the full At length he entreth into a huge deepe Caue enuironed round about with sharpe brambles and pricking bryars able to terrifie and affright any excepting onely such as seeke for death whom wretched and wofull Caitiues feare not at all because euery houre they feele farre worse plagues then death it selfe and for that it is rather a pleasure then a torment vnto them to exchange their euill for good and to leaue a sowre and seuere Maister to follow and serue one that is milde and debonaire Arcas then being gotten into the bottome of this darkesome Dungion after he had for a certaine time bene mute and as one falne into a sound in the end breaking as it were out of a dead sleepe he began thus to complaine Ay me Alas What might I thinke to be the reason or cause of the miserie and vnhappines of man Is it the heauens that iealous of their good fortune scourgeth them with so great cruelties Or is it their sinnes which prouoketh the anger of God forcing him to stretch out his threatning hand against them No doubt it is this last for sinne onely and wickednes first opened the gate to death that he might come in amongst vs and so ouerthrow vs. It is for the punishment of such offences as we commit against the holy One that we are persecuted with pestilence famine and with warre So was Dauid plagued for his fault and Sodome and Gomorrhâ— with fire ouerthrowen So were the Niniuites threatned so was Ezechias admonished to repent O thrise happie the Godly who prosper like the fruitfull Lawrell and possesse in peace that land which is taken away from the wicked with tempestious lightning and thunder For so was the good Abraham blessed and so after his imprisonment was the righteous Ioseph with many moe besides But coÌ„trariwise most vnfortunate are the wretched wicked ones because they grudge and repine in that they suffer for the faults they haue committed whilst they are stung with Serpents from the heauens as were the Hebrewes heretofore when they began to murmure in the wildernes Beware how thou repinest against the Almightie Ichoua And saith the wise man for no good nor profit can come thereof We cannot then tearme the heauens to be the authours of our euils but it is the onely transgressing of the diuine commandemeÌ„ts which we cannot truely say be hath giuen vnto vs to breake them or that he hath giuen vs so hard a law as that it is vnpossible for vs to sulfill the same For it should be a most rediculous and vaine part of a Prince to establish and appoynt such ordinances vnto his Subiects as they cannot any way performe as to defelid or foâ—â—id them to grow to wax taller or bigger or other such fond and vnreasonable impossibilities as these be And therefore O how gentle and easie are the commaundement of God be himselfe affirming the same when he tearmeth his yoke easie and â—ight his burthen little and gentle to beare For Is it not as easie a thing for a man to doe good as euill when as in doing good he enioyeth the happie and blessed content of the quietnes of his minde without being troubled either with the feare of the lawes or the doubt of reproach or slaunder Besides he doth not dread death for he withdraweth himselfe from other hazards whilst he meditateth vpon the same whereas Theeues and Murtherers in robbing and killing euery houre incounter therewith before they are aware But say it hapneth vnto them yet doe they receiue it most meekely for sweet and blessed is the death of the iust that die in the Lord where that of the wicked is hatefull and abhommable Curtious then and gentle are the commaundements of the highest which his Apostle Saint Iohn approueth in these words Keepe his commaundements and you shall find them to be neither troublesome hard nor difficult to obserue They chase away hot boyling Auarice which burneth men with her vncharitable coldnes they banish all mortall ambition which weareth away the yeares of man before his time is come they take from them all murther and robbing which stifleth the necke of the wicked with an infamous corde they smother and kill adulterie which laieth hold as well vpon the health of man as on his honour and to conclude they extirpe and roote out all those vices which are deadly enemies as well to the bodie as to the soule By which we see his lawes are easie and sweet yea and most profitable and necessarie for the health and contentment of mankind which was the cause the other Apostle Saint Paul calleth the commaundement of the Eternall Iehona a godly iust and sacred commaundement it being the preseruer of Iustice the puritie of our liues and the very essence as it were of all equitie peace and goodnes For what crosses ouerthwart the soules of the godly who delight in no other thing then in the law of the Lord And what great and grieuous courses doe trouble and disturbe the consciences of the wicked who take a pride as it were as did Remus sometime in leaping ouer the walles of Rome to exceed goe beyond the bounds of the diuine ordinances of God which because they are not hard to be accomplished are not
why speakest thou not all this while why breakest thou not this solemne silence of thine which caÌ„not be but grieuous vnto such as behold thee nay more as painfull as death it selfe vnto them that think well of thee Ah faire Nymphe replyed the Shepheard what delightfull answer canst thou imagin to draw from him who is not agreeable or pleasing vnto his own selfe and what medicine canst thou get from a sicke person that is not able through the agonie of his griefe to help himselfe any thing at all Can my discourses be pleasing vnto thee when they are most odious and hatefull vnto mine owne selfe he had need to be perfect in health that will heale such as be sick to be fully at libertie that can infranchise slaues and to be perfectly content A Sentence that taketh vpon him to comfort the unserable Stay but the time beautious Nymph I say stay but the time vntill the gratious Heauens taking compassion vpon me doe cure my recureles infirmitie that I be once freed from the heauy and burthensom bonds wherein I am now chained and then will I condescend vnto thy demaund For alas can one loyall and faithfull seruant serue at one time two maisters and they both differing in nature Euen so can the true chast Louer loue with equall affection two contrary subiects A Sentence No no for that Loue which is sacred firme and commendable can neuer endure to be diuided Loue it selfe being a simple substance which participateth with no diuision and therefore such as truely fancie anie doe loue without the separation of good will in such wise as it is as vnpossible for the constant Louer to haue two Mistresses as it is for the Element to containe two Sunnes within it all at one time If thy fancie were fixed vpon some Demi-god heere below wouldest thou take it in good part that a sillie Swaine should presume to make loue vnto thee seeking to force thee to giue ouer thy first loue and promise which neuer should be forgotten what deuise soeuer might be wrought If not then I beseech thee immortall Creature importune no more the despised Arcas too too much alreadie wronged by the Heauens but rather suffer him to take some breath in his miseries which hee must perforce endure as well as he may Heape not vpon him stone vpon stone burthen vpon burthen nor mischiefe vpon mischiefe satisfying thy selfe with this his most heauie extremitie without seeking to make his woes more terrible or cruell then they already be For Orythia this I will sweare that the Heauens shall fall vpon this ground and the cold frozen Seas shall turne into hote fire before the heart of vnfortunate Arcas shall be heated with anie other loue then with that of his Diana Her beautie will he loue alone shee onely shall be serued of him pale death it selfe not being of force to alter this constant resolution Then speake no more of this matter vnto mee and let it suffice thee that I honour thee for thy Deitie as Numa Pompilius adored the Nymph Egeria For onely Diana doe I loue and none but her alone Commaund my bodie to serue thee in what he is able call my soule to â—ttend vppon thee at thy will dispose of my poore power as thou shalt best please and bid mee doe anie thing whatsoeuer thou likest Behold me prest to obey thee but not to loue least I should forget my Diana and say I should goe about to doe so yet cannot I although I would neuer so faine Content thee that I doe what I may that I offer thee all that my soule is able and be not so vnourteous vnto me as to binde me to things vnpossible which no man is bound to performe So deare doe I hold thy quietnes answered the weeping Nymphe that for feare I shoulddisplease thee to the end thou shalt perceiue how vnfainedly I doe fancie theeâ— I will rather studie to ouerthrow and vtterlie ruinate mine owne life then seeke by any meanes to hinder or force thy desire any way at all So let it be yea let it be so and so let it still continue since I was borne to be the most miserable of all others And seeing I see so many mortall creatures preferred before my loue who am immortall I will vse to make mine eyes perforce to weepe continually to the ende that they being depriued of their lightes may no longer behold the cause of their ineuitable sorrowes Thou must then O poore Nymph and wretched Orythia resolue with thy selfe to endure this mischiefe and prepare thy selfe to make an ordinary exercise of thy more then heauie mischaunces So liued Venus in woe long time after the death of her Darling Adonis So did Phoebus lament the losse of his deare Daphne And so did Ioue waile for the losse of his Io and his Europa Euen so must I grieue at this mine vnlukie deniall Yet neuertheles A Sentence thou that art the onely motiue of this my mischiefe and the onely cause of this my sharpe and bitter Corsie take heede take heede I say lest for this egregious iniurie which thou now offerest mee the Gods reuenge not themselues vppon thee making thine anguish as great as mine is grieuous euerie way For neuer let him looke for fauour from aboue that hath not shewed mercie vnto such as sue and seeke vnto him heere below And yet accursed that I am mine owne griefe is not so cruell but that the care which I take for thine is farre more troublesome vnto mee I seeking in desire to be doublie plagued perplexed and tormented so I might see thee quite ridde and released from these thy woefull passions although notwithstanding all this thou doest badly requite my great good will towards thee But the Heauens who are farre more iust more excellent and diuine then thou will yeelde me some sufficient guerdon Meane space dispose of dolefull Orythia who is more thine then her owne and reseruing her honor doe with her what thou list shee beeing readie with her diuine power to assist thee in all thy writings which thy mournfull Muse shall sigh forth not onely alone at this time but for euer hereafter not demaunding any other reward of thee for her paines but that shee sometimes may be had in remembrance in thy works which alreadie haue found place amongst the most commendable Inuentions that haue bene accounted of by the brauest Princes and highly prised and esteemed of by manie others and which also shall be had in request heereafter more then euer they yet haue bene despite of the enuious whatsoeuer that goe about to seeke to deface the same Liue then sweet Shepheard and dreame as long as thou please with thy selfe of thy so much desired Loues as I shall do the like of thine But the day shall come in which the Heauens shall depriue thee from the pleasure of the same to the ende thou mayest know by the experience of thine owne proper
it were checked and controlled What neede hath any man to conferre with hellish Spirits about the knowledge of things to come seeing vnto God alone belongeth the certaintie of the same as long as wee haue a firme confidence and a strong beliefe that the Almightie taketh protection and care ouer vs as hee doeth of the least Byrd that flyeth in the ayre which also his prouidence nourisheth Then what occasion haue wee that we should haue any recourse or speech with Diuels who are the mortall enemies of God In this we shewe our selues either to misdoubt the diuine Bountie and Goodnes or else to haue no beliefe or confidence in his eternall and euerlasting power We are created of God only to eleuate our minds in contemplation to consider and to take knowledge of things present and not to formalize and frame our selues after that which is to come the knowledge of which he his owne selfe refused to participate vnto his Apostles therfore except we would presume to be wiser thē they we haue nothing to doe to talke with Diuells much lesse to inuite or constraine them to shew their puissance or malice because it is a kinde of vsurping ouer the power of the holie one vnto whom is reserued this correction or chastisement ouer these most damned Spirits And to conclude the hystorie of Saule may resolue vs in this doubt who lost his soule his life and his Realme for that hee forced a certaine Sorceresse to raise vp a Diuell who had the forme and shadow of Samuel Besides the Lawes of man condemne such to be burned as meddle with this Arte because they are as well enemies to God as men which neuerthelesse they had neuer done without iust and good considerations The other sort of Magique farre more wicked then this is so detestable and bad as it ought not in right to be tearmed by this word Science because it is an vsuall exercise of ill doing which these Inchanters borrow of the Diuell with the māner to finde out these Venims which is applied vnto the hurt and ouerthrow of all persons whatsoeuer Againe it hath bene alwaies worse punished than murther for a man may take heede of the one but he is most miserably betraied by the other The sword being able to destroy onely such soules as haue life whereas this Venim not onely killeth liuing creatures but all other hearbes trees and plants whatsoeuer Farre then be it from vs to exercise so wicked a studie as this is O stranger replied the old man is not he worthie of more praise that yoketh strong and fierce Lions then if he had done the same to little dogges and small whelpes that are of no courage Is not that Prince more puissaunt and more to be redoubted that commaundeth ouer a nation warlike and generous then he that hath vnder him none but base beggers and poore white-liuered peasants Euen so is not that man to be more commended who by his cunning and industrie commaundeth ouer diuels who for their sinne haue lost nothing of their former puissaunce in which they were first created but onely their eternall Beatitude then he who for want of knowledge and skill gouerneth ouer troupes of fearefull sheepe onely and ouer a companie of rude and simple peasants That person who by his art and cunning shall haue made that which Nature hath hidden A Similie in the deepest bowels of the earth framing through his rare skill this glorious golde which so much flourisheth and is in request throughout the whole world Is not he to be praised and esteemed aboue all other Euen so can that wight merit lesse than great commendation who by his wisedome knoweth how to signorize ouerspirits who terme themselues the Kings and Lords of the world For thou must vnderstand for thy learning that there be diuers kindes of spirits whereof some are extreame wicked and sworne enemies vnto man and other some there be gentle and curteous seruing to doe good in steed of hurting any one But what fault I pray you can you finde with conuersing with such Salomon on whom so much wisedome was bestowed had not he conference oftentimes with them and in the meane space did he ill No for he had receiued such great knowledge of God as the vertue thereof made him worthie to discourse with spirits and he himselfe being willing to instruct vs in that notable perfect Art left certaine writings of his behinde him which are much sought after by the Magitians now at this day which are called SALOMONS KEIES So that by this we may gather that if to haue communication or a parlie with diuels had bene thought a thing detestable and vniust Salomon had neuer talked with them neither he himselfe would haue left vnto vs in writings the meanes how to call vpon their names or to discourse with them Father Father replied Philistel all these reasons thou alledgest cannot defend this thy bad cause for neither ought we to follow Salomon in this because he made an ill end hauing forgotten himselfe most miserably in the latter end of his age and committed so horrible a fault as the onely remembrance thereof maketh my haire to stand vpright for feare neither is thy cunning herein to be allowed inasmuch as euery Science that proceedeth not from God himselfe and is not drawne out of the sacred fountaine of his immortall wisedome is not onely worthie to be condemned but also meriteth to be rewarded with fire That Magicke should be a Science ordained by God thou canst not maintaine seeing that our Sauiour Christ neuer taught it neither his Apostles euer learnd it as they did many other good holy and iust Sciences It is rather the Art of Eue who beleeued what the Serpent tolde her which was the cause both of her ruine and of ours For tell me I pray you what grace or goodnes can a man expect from his mortall enemie being not giuen vnto any thing by the corruption of his nature but vnto blood-shedding vnto wickednes and vnto extreame crueltie And so what can one looke for that may be profitable or good to come from proud Lucifer and his angels of darkenes they being the most deadliest enemies that may be vnto mankinde Besides with what kind of payment doe they paie themselues in the end for the seruice which they haue done vnto men Is it not with the pretious price of their soules which they ought to esteeme more dearely then all things else whatsoeuer What doth it profit a man to gaine all the kingdomes in the world if he shall lose his owne soale thereby And who euer knew Magitians to die well whose bodies oftentimes haue bene visible seene to haue bene carried away by these Fiends Ochozias King of the Iewes being sicke onely because he sent vnto the Oracle of Belzebub died most wretchedly by the iust commaundement of God how much more seuerely had he bene punished if he had had ordinarie conference with the diuels when he was
condemned for the same Had Iupiter neuer loued the earth had neaer bene clensed nor purged of such monsters as much did trouble it for then the mightie Hercules had neuer bene borne Marke I beseech you how much wee all are beholding vnto Loue. Many times when men fall a discoursing and from words to quarrels so farre is Loue off from being the author thereof as quite contrarie were it not for his presence contentious Discord would animate one against another euerie one to murther his companion acquaintance for where Loue is there neuer is seene any disagreement at all And therefor is Loue the father of concord and peace and not of brawling and strife A Historiz yea and so puissant and forcible is hee as his power also extendeth to force wilde beasts to be milde as was that Lyon which was brought before Titus the Emperor which in steed of deuouring the poore slane who was flung vnto her to staunch her exceeding great hunger gently fell downe at his feete stroking him doing him all the reuerence that might be and louing him most deerely by reason that this slaue flying away from the seuere crueltie of his maister and lighting into a wood where this beast was had pulled out a great thorne out of his foote which most pitiouslie did grieue him Now if brute beasts are taught to loue out of doubt then such men shall be much condemned as will not follow the like example The graue Spartans put in practise this counsell to the intent to haue children in as much as they imagined that such as were begotten through a firme and passing kinde of good liking would prooue farre more valiant and couragious then such as were borne of the husband and wife without louing one an other And surely we see by experience that such children are more gallant and of a brauer spirit then those that are brought forth into the world lawfully whether it is either because the loue of such persons is more affectionate and passionate that are the cause of their byrths or whether it be for that they see by reason that they are Bastards they are depriued of their Parents inheritance and therefore the more willingly thrust forth themselues to seeke their owne aduancement Iefpha the Iudge of Israel and William surnamed the Conqueror that got the Crowne of England were of this number with infinite other braue personages So that by this we may gather that Loue not onely bringeth forth honor and profite vnto men but also an vnspeakable kinde of comfort withall They that haue tryed the pleasure thereof can better iudge then I For the delight that Loue affordeth is so sweete so gentle and so delightfull as it is not possible to set downe no nor scarce to conceiue the same in anie thoughts So that in comparison of that all other mortall ioyes are but A Bomparison as it were small sparkles and like vnto litle stars in respect of this which for the glorie thereof may be compared vnto the splendent Sunne Heerewithall Coribant kept silence leauing Arcas to follow this discourse and to make an end of this disputation which he did in these termes following If it be lawfull for one to say something and to argue of that which wee cannot see as of a Deitie or Godhead then must we reason by the effects of the same But these which exceede our humane capacitie and conceit giue vs a most certaine and sufficient testimonie that we ought to belieue that there is a certaine puissance and power farre greater then is our owne which we cannot attribute vnto anie other then vnto GOD. As in a wildernes the houses there built testifie that men be dwelling therein because they are the worke of mens hands So may we say of Loue and so it is with him for neuer hath any person seene him nor viewed him at any time yet notwithstanding A Similie euery one is able to talke and to discourse of him by reason of the wonderfull effects which proceed from his diuine power and might Where you say that Children borne out of marriage are valiant and couragious At that I maruell nothing at all for Loue being a Bastard as the sonne of Mars and Venus cannot doe lesse then like support and affect his brethren they hauing the same beginning that he hath Neuerthelesse for all they haue some particular gift incident vnto them yet are they as illegitimate depriued both by Nature and by the Ciuill Law from bearing any charge or office in the common-wealth as their birth is contrarie vnto the custome as well of honestie as of all ciuill order and Lawe Therefore Loue is not praise-worthie in this point for manie times hee confoundeth Right and maketh a gallimalfrie or a mingle-mangle of Iustice bringing such vnlawfull Brattes as these to inherit with those that are lawfullie begotten either for default that they are not knowne or taken to be such or else because their presupposed father will not publish them for Bastards for that he will not offend the honor of his wife But say the world were freed from such kinde of men and that there were no more such to be found yet for all that it should be neuer a whit the lesse honored nor lesse defended I confesse and yeelde that Loue is mightie and of great power in the procreation of such children But as all Countreyes and Realmes without the execution of Iustice are but plaine open theeueries and robberies liuing as licentious Outlawes So Loue without reason and Iustice is but a disordinate appetite trampling vnder his feete all respect all Iustice and all Law to satisfie and asswage his hote and burning passions And how much Sumiramis the nieces of Augustus the Emperour Poppea Agrippina Faustina and diuers others haue bene condemned for following such kinde of Loue and giuing ouer themselues most voluptuously vnto all sorts of people you knowe as well as I am able to report Where you say that Loue is not the author of vice but rather men who applie the same ill and abase it through the badnesse of their owne nature I answer that it is nothing so For as the prisoner cannot dispose of him who is his keeper and holdeth him captiue Euen so men are so farre off from ruling Loue according as they would that hee vseth them as he list holding them so fast in such sure bands as they can doe nothing but what shall please him There is difference betweene him and wine for a man may take heede if he will that he drinke not so much vntill he be drunke but he cannot so easilie resist Loue in as much as that reason being supprest which is in man vpon which presently Loue as a tyrant ceazeth he can then doe no more of himselfe he being constrained and compelled to follow the will and commaund of him that doth signorize ouer him For if Loue were in the free libertie at the deuotion and disposition of
and as one terrified and fraide with some fatall and sinister mischaunce his notorious strumpet riding by his side behold his sorrowfull Izabella presenteth her selfe before him falling downe at his feete As the wofull wife to whome it is reported that her husband was slaine is confounded with amazement sodenly leapeth vp for very ioy and strangenes of the matter when she seeth him aliue before her face Euen so was Horatio astonished and wondred when he saw her there before him whom hee thought swiftly to hauâ— bene at that time as farre as Lasbon and who quiuering and shaking for feare began thus mournfully to expostulate her cause with him Cruell and vâ—â—kind husband was it not enough for thee to abuse me so extreamely as thou hast done and to fallifie thy faith and promise plighted vnto me in sacred wedlocke but that thou must needs exile and chase me from thy presence I comming so farre off as I did onely to see thee Ah stay a little stay and answere me if thou canst Be not lesse cruell vnto me then that good Emperour Traianus was who staied his whole armie to doe iustice vnto a certaine poore woman which complained vnto him that one of his Souldiours had rauished her daughter Nor be not more vngentle and discurteous then that barbarous Tambarlaire who did as much to all his men of warre whilst in their sights he punished a Souldiour of his who had most villainously deuoured certaine victualls belonging vnto a distressed widow But it may be thou knowest me not Alas I am thy miserable Izabelâ—a once much loued and accounted of by thee although thou now hatest her vnto the death yea I am thy lawfull and louing wife whereas shee there that accompanieth thee is no better then a beastly strumpet vnworthy to be compared vnto me Ah speake then degenerate and discourteous Lord and let me know thy minde to the ende I may vnderstand whether I haue lost my time and labour or whether I shall be able to perswade thee to any thing Remember remember too too forgetfull man thy first loue thy millions of promises and the many great fauours which I haue done thee and let these iust considerations and respects bee as it were flames of fire to lighten and reuiue in thee againe thy first loue nor reiect and contemne her with so great disdaine and displeasure whome thou hast vowed to haue esteemed as pretious as thine owne life Alas what offence what fault or what iniurie haue I done vnto thee that thou shouldst thus iniurie me and dishonour thy selfe for euer Ah then at the last deare husband open thine eyes and thinke of thy fault amend what is amisse and haue care thou loose not thine auncient reputation and renowme Otherwise assure your selfe you shall be seuerely plagued by God who will also punish me although I am not guiltie of this offence for that I ought not to liue without you O what great force hath the passionate earnest speech of a iust and rightfull person to touch a guiltie conscience withall and how truely speake that Greeke affirming that if such as did but heare an Oration of Demosthenes penning were much astonished and amazed thereat then no doubt it would in a manner haue killed them to haue heard Demosthenes himselfe to haue so liuely pronounced them as he did And this was the cause that our Portuguise so insolent before began now to yeeld and to be vanquisht remembring himselfe of his fault and resoluing from his heart to amend the same had it not bene for his strumpet who very cunningly perswaded and egged him forwards of his iourney he had as then returned backe with his wife vnto the Citie againe to entertaine her according vnto her desert and calling this had he done had it not bene as I say for the other whom now in minde he began to loath and hate the presence of his owne Spouse making the other seeme in his eyes loathsome and foule as well in body as in minde and but for that he could not with his honour retire backe being gone so farre on his way lest the world should haue thought he durst not dare to looke his enemie in the face Whereupon kissing his wife very kindly he desired her to enter into the Citie and to stay his comming where said he vnto her I doe solemnely vow to satisfie you euery way to your owne contentment and to make you what amends you shall appoynt for the amisse I haue done you Meane time sweete wife I most humbly beseech you by these salt teares of mine distilling from mine eyes outwardly and by these warme drops of blood that drop downe from my heart inwardly Pardon ah pardon this my fowle sinne towards you for it may be I may be slaine in the field or die in battaile And thus hoping vpon your gratious nature I will now leaue you because my time is short and the busines requireth great diligence I haue in hand sweete then for a while be satisfied with this hoping as speedily as possiblie I can to returne as a ioyfull Conqueror to make you the more happie In the meane time let me haue your good wish and prayer and so farewell mine owne deare soule Herewithall kissing her againe he commanded certaine of his Traine to attend vpon her into the Citie who brought her into Ansillies where she remained expecting her husbands comming hom Now Horatio no sooner was come into the field but that finding the enemie he so brauely charged vpon him as he put him to the worst presently Notwithstanding all this within an houre or two after his foe had gathered another strong companie and with a fresh supplie was comming towards Horatio to winne the day which he had but that morning lost Amongst the rest that were in this Pagan Armie was the husband of that Moore whose wife Horatio had brought with him into the warres who hauing a sight of him and spying a fit time for her purpose vsed these short and sharpe speeches vnto him Well cowardly and faint-harred Knight well wilt thou still suffer me to liue as a slaue vnder my hatefull enemie Hast thou no shame of my shame and doth not my dishonor touch thee any thing at all Where is that former loue thou didst heretofore protest vnto mee Swearing thou wouldest venture thy best blood in my defence and for safe-gard of my life Base minded man doest thou not blush to suffer thy wife to be with thine enemies prisoner whilst he vseth her and forceth her to satisfie his will as he pleaseth and when he thinketh best himselfe Come come for shame shew thy selfe valiant now or else neuer and trie thy force to deliuer and set her free who hath done nothing else but sigh and waile since shee was first taken from thee so much hath shee grieued to loose thy loue And this if thou doest not performe she her selfe voweth with her owne hands to murther her selfe rather then liue thus
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
of thy chaste Loues But all these were but fond imaginations thy desire being but vaine and bootlesse which so much the more vrged thy soule to see her againe because her onely sight had long since wounded thy dearest libertie Too truely didst thou then proue that the greatest griefe which the Louer endureth being by his sweet Loue is nothing in comparison of that which her absence bringeth vnto him for she which wounded him is then at hand and presently might helpe him if she please whereas contrariwise O'how leane and meger is the hope of him that is hurt and is farre off from a Chirurgian to heale him Small wounds are vncurable where none is to helpe them and the most desperate disease may be remedied if a cunning Doctor be in a readines to heale the same If at any time a Louer not hauing tried how bitter the absence of his froward dame is desireth to be banished farre from her by reason he is not able to support and indure her too too rigorous and disdainfull demeaners towards him how often then will he afterward condemne and curse this his rash and hastie opinion when being farre from her sight he mourneth and bewaileth in the verie anguish of his soule her absence which hee so much although in vaine doth wish for If wearie Trauellers reioyce when being nigh vnto their natiue soyle they see their chimneys smoake A Similie and smell the wholesome ayre of their owne pleasant Countrey how much more then should Louers triumph and ioy when after manie yeares of absence they are comming home towards their Ladies to haue a sight of them againe they being the chiefest foode whereon their hearts doe feede Philistell then secluded and separated from his Iulietta staying for a calme and faire winde to put to the Seas being by chaunce driuen vpon this vncoth Shore could not rest day nor night hauing this Trumpet of Loue which sounded alwayes most shrillie in his eares And therefore one morning he rose very early by breake of day walking along the Desart to see if hee could driue away his melancholie thoughts and by chaunce passing by those Trees into which the olde Nigromancer had chaunged those wicked Theeues which pursued the She pheardesse to haue rauished her perforce hee not thinking any thing thereof and being ignorant of this strange Metamorphosis brake a little bough from one of them When no sooner had hee done so but behold the Tree began to swell to writhe and bend and to gush out with bleeding from that braunch that was so broken casting forth great store of blood which fell vpon the ground At which sight Philistell was almost senselesse with the wonder thereof For who would not be amazed at such a fearefull accident Nor did hee well know if he dreamed or waked but much more was he astonisht when hee saw all his hand bloodie and the broken arme of the Tree dropping downe blood apace This made him to stand stone still to chaunge his colour and countenance and to looke as one that were readie to fall into an Extasie or sownde A Similie No otherwise then the young Scholler that is halfe dead with feare seeing his maister behinde him and taking him vpon the suddaine as he hath done some gricuous fault Scarce would he beleeue his own eies to thinke he saw so strange an euent as a Tree to distill both blood and teares But this was nothing to that he was frighted when he heard the Tree to speake in this manner vnto him Stay courteous Shepheard and hold thy hands I beseech thee contenting thy selfe with my most miserable Fortune without increasing my mischiefe anie more in heaping Ossa vpon Pelion and one disaster vpon another it being a great shame no small disparagement vnto mightie men to afflict such as be plagued alreadie and who in kindnesse demaund succour from them Besides thou shalt vnderstand I am a man most vnfortunately turned into this insensible Tree by a Magician abiding in these Woods sore doubting that I shall still continue so vnles some good bodie or other maketh intercession vnto him in our behalfe for more companions haue I in this my miserie and as hardly destined as my selfe that it would please him to restore vs vnto our former shapes and likenes againe Now if euery offence that is offered demandeth satisfaction and if this which thou hast done vnto me drawing most violently from me great store of blood doth merite any fauour at thy hands at all Then I beseech thee for amends of the same to take the paines to seeke out this cunning man to beg of him so much grace for vs as to turne vs againe into our pristinate estate and former manner of liuing vowing in requitall of the same neuer to commit any wicked outragious behauiour so long as we shall liue Neuer was Iuno more confounded when she saw the periurde Aeneas quite contrary vnto the promise that was giuen her to saile in the maine Seas then was Philistell when he heard this Tree to make this pittifull supplication he being halfe perswaded that that time was newely come againe into which Niobe was changed into a Rocke Myrrha into myrrhe Daphne into laurell the companions of Vlisses into Swine Notwithstanding in the end after he had pluckt vp his hart againe called all his spirits togither finding himselfe to haue done a fault vnto the Tree therefore bound as it were in conscience to make him amends he promised to worke what means he could vnto the old man not only for his owne but also for the rest of his fellowes deliuerance with this resolution comforting the poore dismembred plant as well as he could he left him to seeke out the old man who onely and none else could helpe these poore wretches thus transformed whilst walking alone musing much of this matter he began to discourse with himselfe in this wise O what a wonderfull thing is this blacke Art and what great force hath it to bring to passe admirable matters Admirable is Magicke and a thing supernaturall and incredible the effects of such as exercise the same No longer will I now wonder at the sorceries of bloodie Medea nor at the Inchantments of wilie Circes nor at the chaunting witchcrafts and Spells of subtill Zoraastes since I haue seene with mine owne eyes such strange and miraculous deuises of Magicke Neither will I maruile more if these three wise men which came to worship our Sauiour came to the knowledge of his diuine natiuitie by reason of their profound learning and skill when I perceiue and see that a sillie poore old Magitian is able to turne mens bodies into insensible Trees this being the cause that all such as practise this kind of Art are highly honoured and much esteemed and especially amongst such as are infidels and put small confidence and trust in the true God So that if these wicked Ministers of damned diuels make themselues to be
and their delight This pleasing trauaile being the life that pleased them aright Nor was as then knowne vnto them Bellonas bloodie rage Nor did vaine Loue seeke them to vex in prime of their greene age No brawles nor loud debates mongst them was there them for to grieue Old Saturne in the golden world more happier did not line Withouten tilling store of corne came forth of fruitfull field Withouten dressing viniards aught the Viniards grapes did yeeld Their beasts increast Sanus taking paine their Muttons brought forth wooll Their bleating Ewes with skipping Lambs were alwaies big full But now behold in Ambuscade how Loue doth lie alwaies Meaning with vncoth cruelties his honour more to raise Sezing vpon them through his might and on their liberties The better for to make them tast of his disloyalties For one day as those harmelesse Swaines did homewards come amaine Halfe windelesse and halfe wearied in pursuing of their game Each of them a huge wilde Boores head holding within their hand Tirde with their sport they had abroad drie as they could scarce stand To drinke and rest themselues awhile they to a spring did come Whose water was as colde as Ice and cleare as any Sunne A stately Rocke from forth the foote did issue of this spring Bout which a thousand Cipresse Trees stood thicke innironing Into this Fountaine as they say a Nymph was chaungde sometimes And it might well be for most bright and glorious like it shines Round all about the same of Turfs most greene was there a seate By artificiall Nature framde most pleasnt and most neate Here meant they to repose themselues and here they meant to lie Whilst with this water coole they sought to quench their thirst ore drie But as they thought to lay them downe vpon this bankeside cold They might a wonderous beautie rich soundly to sleepe behold And Stella faire it was for then Shepheards might at that time A middest Shephear desses sleepe without suspect of crime As then their modest chastitie to staine each one did feare For as they in their mindes were chast so they in bodie were Amazde they stood at this sweet face their drought they had forget For now another thirst then that did drie them farre more hot Nor cared they now for to sleepe all sleepe they banisht quite Whilst they as dreaming stood to view such an vnlookt for sight They play the wanton Louers now whilst with their rolling eie They nothing doe but onely marke how sweetely she doth lie As senslesse Rocke Sanus power they seeme nor can they stir or rise Nor other pleasure take they but to marke her with their eies Meane time this beautious face which them doth gently to her traine Smiles as she sleepes to see how they doe blush orecome with shame So is he daunted who orebold with ouer-daring winke That 's able for to looke against the Sunnie beames doth thinke So such as are presumptuous did too too fondly stare Vpon Medusa into stones and flints soone changed were Our Shepheards so being rauished would neuer lin nor rest To view one while her louely face and then her milke-white brest Another while they marke her long and yellow flaxen haire Which gentle windes as waues of Seas did mone now here now there Not halfe so faire the golden locks of stubborne Absolon Shewed as were hers nor did they seeme so trimme to looke vpon Her forhead large they then did view as smooth as any Iet Where oft the Graces in their pride to make them merrie met Nor they forgot her Eielids small which Loue with his pure fire Had somewhat blackish made to seeme the more to breed desire Rare Eielids which through her two spheres euen mongst the very Gods Through kind of shadowing sweet did make them more admirde by ods Her eies as then they could not view her eies with Diamonds right Which when they opte the heauen did shew discouering true delight Then to her matchlesse mouth they come most daintie Sanus compare How often wisht they it to kisse but that they durst not dare A iust report did them debarre so much for to forget Themselues as that to doe which might be vnto them a let Whereby their Ladies afterward they might offend and grieue Which fore a loyall Louer so would doe he would not â—iue Vpon her cherrie lippe where die of Gillsflowers did flowe The damaske Rose along the same ranne spredding too and fro Her beautious cheeke most freshly shewde like the Vermillion flower Cheekes which harts made of flintie Rocke for to controâ—de had power Her dimpled chinne and snowy necke the Tower of statelines Not Iunos necke so seemely shewd and Vents farre was lesse So were her brests imbellished with riches manifold Ah who so faire a sight could see and not be ouerbold There was the bosome which did part the milkie way aright That leades into the golden field the center of delight There were those sacred mountaines twaine where perfect ioy doth rest None mount those hallowed hills but such as borne were to be blest O pleasure vnconceiu'd to haue the grace them for to touch But to haue licence them to kisse to die it were not much Her supple hand in seemely sort did lie and comely wise Her fingers such as fault to find in them none could denise And last of all though couered stretcht out her round clâ—â—ne fâ—â—â—s Supporter of that building braue of beautions forme the roote The rest and better part lay hid yet what was to be seene To make one lose his libertie enough and more had bene Had Ioue seene one but halfe so faire he had of her esteeâ—d Mars would haue yeelden Phoebus sâ—de and well of her 〈…〉 Thus at one time these Shepheards twainâ— are faine to be in loue Whilst one and selfesame griefe they both â—â—st at one time 〈…〉 Their soules are touched to the quicke with this one 〈…〉 Of thousand amorous wishes sweet they 〈…〉 LOVE hath two arrowes one of gold 〈…〉 The others lead and that doth quench by 〈…〉 Th' one on the sodaine pierceth but the other doth no harme Th' one doth encrease the fire the other gainst it is at harme These two strange darts of Cupid proud Stella felt in her 〈◊〉 Th' one forc't her loue but the other did all â—one with checke contrâ—â—â—â— One of these Shepheards she did like the other she 〈◊〉 Did hate against the sillie wretch a monstrous spight she 〈◊〉 Th' one Coridon was cald whom she in hart 〈…〉 The other Aridon into a hard Rocke attered But now to come where as we left our Shepheardesse doth 〈◊〉 And lifting vp her head she leaue as then of sleepe did take For she was frighted with a dreame that did not please her well A dreame that as an Oracle did her 〈…〉 But when she sawe these Shepheards twaine she 〈…〉 To see them lie so night to her she wonder did the more Yet this her wondring her became the better cause
〈◊〉 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
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
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
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
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
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
bills and then on Champions plaine Another whilst alongst corne fields with swiftie pace amaine And in the end wearied with griefe her selfe flings on the ground Resolu'd to die through hunger staru'd since they will not be found So such a part our Shepheard plaide when he did see with eie His Mistris he no where could finde he faints resolu'd to die But weladay before his death he sawe his Flora faire Flora for whom so oft he calde the cause of all his care The coarse of that faire Nymph for whom he thought himselfe forlorus He found a Sauadge beast had all in pieces cruell torne For whilst through madding iealousie she vp and downe did fret In thickest woods as she desirde a Lion there her met Which seazing on her with his pawes did teare her in a trise The goodliest creature that did liue he slewe in furious wise Yet as she died on Nunidor she calde as he might heare For helpe though all in vaine and though as then he was too neere Too neere to her so pittious sound too farre to helpe her tho Which was the reason that the more it did encrease his woe She slaine away the Lion runnes when as from mountaine hie He might perceiue her breathlesse trunke in peeces torne to lie Which when he sawe he thither ranne as if he had bene mad So fast he ranne as running then nor strength nor breath he had Downe falls he sounding for pure griefe vpon the linelesse corse So long as he did seeme indeed as dead without remorse At last though long he once more comes vnto himselfe againe Calling his vitall spirits to him although with grieuous paine Whilst for to vtter these fewe words words grieuous he do 〈◊〉 Words such so pittifull as well both heauen and earth might moue And art thou dead faire natures worke the Mirrour of thy time Art thou disliu'de whom all admirde as sacred and diuine Art thou a prey to enuious Death could Death thee thus annoy Who whilst thou liu'dst my comfort wast my selace and my ioy O Death vniust damnd ennious vnto my chiefest ease Durst thou so much ore insolent my Flora faire displease Woes mee th' art dead and with thee dead are those thine Eyes so bright Thine Eyes which men for to reuiue had power enough and might Ah thouart dead where whilom lodg'd mine hart and inward soule Thou now art dead whose onely lookes the proudest did controule But thou art dead and can I liue to see a sight so sore Is Flora gone and likely i st that liue should Numidore Prodigious Planets me to make ore-liue my Ladie deare Since shee the Essence of my life was whilst I tiued here Heauens most vniust to giue to mee of life so long a scope Since I behold destroyed her in whom was all my hope But yee mine eyes why feare you not so foule a sight to marke And looking on it afterwards become not blinde and darke Most cruelly destned as I was thrice happie had I beene If I had neuer had these eyes and neuer could haue seeâ—â— Thrice happie I if some wilde beast in pieces had me tore So I this murther nere had spide which I so much abhore I was not beautious Nymph no way to be compar'd to thee If so why then should any way Death hinder be to meeâ— Accursed soule of mine and thou mine euer restlesse hart Canst thou abide to breath so long to taste such vncoth smart I am a Man and of more strength then she was why then first Since I could better death endure died I not most accurst Reason it was and conscience that I die before thee should Since as my Faith and dutie was not saue thy life I would Cruell Lyon that hast deuourd my ioy come doe thy will On mee who for to liue on earth count it a haynous ill Come come and from this miserie let him I pray be rid Who doth desire to end his dayes as his poore Flora did Doe vs this pleasure for to kill vs both at once together That dying so thou both maist please as well contenting either Why com'st not cruell then since that for thee I doe attend And stay thy leisure that thou mightst my wretched bodie rend I see thou art no Lyon right but of a Bastard kinde Else sooner mee then Ladie mine ere this time thou wouldst finde A Lyon generous indeed disdaineth for to prey On silly Virgins harmles Maides but lets them goe their way Hee onely seazeth on stout men or such as be his Foes And spoyleth them that chaseth him tearing in pieces those Where forth tyrannize vpon a Nymph a murthers such As neuer like was heard before and is detested much But I perceiue thou dar'st not come yet in despite of thee I le spoyle my selfe that so I may with my deare Mistris bee I le die that I may follow for to serue my Misteris Who seckes his Lady to suruiue of life not worthie is Faire thee the heauens haue reft to make themselues more faire to show Whilst here vpon the earth with vs they nought haue left but woe Faire they haue taken thee away to beautifie more faire Themselues whilst here instead of thee they leaue eternall care Meane time I liue still languishing thy heauy losse to rue Vnworthy to haue bidden thee farewell or once Adieu Yet Flora in despite of Death thou flourish shalt for euer Thy praise shall shew Acanthus like still flowring dying neuer The sweet Cloue Gilliflower and Rose of Spring it shall put downe Thy beautie was more beautifull and of more fresh renowue My daintie Flora being dead shall be such kinde of Flower As she shall be eternall aye and flourish euery hower Death may our liues abridge through Spite bating our youthfull dayes But Vertue it can nere subdue nor subingate her praise But why liue I it may be sayd that I in life remains Who liuing feele the torments of damn'd Ghosts sternall point No no I liue no more my dayes are turn'd to darkest nights Already I am registred amongst the liuelesse Sprighâ—s That I should liue and Flora dead a thing 's impossible To stay bâ—hinde her she being gone I loued her too well Sweet I must satisfaction make to thee for mine offence Although I shame when I doe thinke on my vile negligence Had I bene carefull ouer thee as but my part it was Thou then hadst bene aliue as now to ioy with me alas I did deserue the punishment for thou didst nere â—ffend Ah woe is mee thou not through Foes hast died has through thy Friend For which my â—respasse I resigne my life most millingly Neuer so much desiring life as now I wish to die But yet before I breathe my laft let me obtaine thy grace That I may kisse those Diamon eyes that quondanâ— beautions face Which said the Shepheard taketh vp her liâ—â—â—es so seatered Whilst them embracing floods of teares vpon them swife he shad So much and oft so
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
my latest end with so charitable and compassionate a piece of worke I blessed the voice that before had hindered me from dying being sorie that I had blamed it so much as I had done seeing I might preserue one of my best acquaintance from death not that I had altered my first determination as if I had bene vnwilling to perish but that I had not done so before I had brought to passe so good a deed Thereupon I came running downe from where I was as fast as I could when the poore soule who hard me comming a farre off and yet had not seene me at all thinking I had bene some wilde beast that came to deuour him chusing as the Blackebird vseth rather to commit himselfe vnto the mercie of a man then to endure the griping nailes of the Sparrow-hawke that followeth him in flight leapeth againe into the wide Ocean striuing with all the force he could and with the vtmost of his cunning he had in swimming to get as farre as he might from the shore side which but a little before he with much adoe had attained vnto I being come downe and seeing him in the maine Sea called him oftentimes by his name but the surges thereof made such a noyse as he heard me not carrying him still farther off from me which when I perceiued I then began to renew my plaints grieuing as well at his misfortune as mine owne and the rather because where I thought to haue saued him I was his vtter ruine and ouerthrow Whilst he in the meane space tooke great paines in swimming blowing puffing through extreame wearines and striuing vnto the vtmost of his strength to get vnto some other landing place But Fortune who in despite of himselfe would needes saue him or perhaps would shewe me so much fauour in lieu of so much and such hard dealing as she had vsed against me caused the Sea who went about to drowne him to be the onely meanes to saue him Strange is the beliefe of men for God oftentimes that they may perceiue most plainely how he disposeth of euery thing maketh them to finde succour from such as they account their chiefe enemies expecting no fauour nor curtesie at all from them and so it fell out with Fortunio for behold vpon the suddaine a Billowe of the Sea droue him although against his will backe vnto the foote of the Rocke from which he was of late parted he being so ouertyred with labour as he was in a manner without winde or force whereupon I came vnto him comforted him reuiuing him againe and putting life afresh into him That great vnbeleeuing Prophet was not more ioyfull when that huge Whale had cast him forth safe and aliue vpon the Sea coast after he had lodged three daies and nights in the bellie of the same as Fortunio was when he then sawe me and knewe me for Arcas This made him to take heart a grace and to plucke vp his former Spirits and yet when he looked wistly vpon me and sawe me looke with so pale and heauie a cheare he could not chuse but be maruellous sorie to behold me in that pittious plight whilest he vrged me often and that with great earnestnes to bewray vnto him the occasion of my sorrowes which I concealed from him In the end when he sawe there was no other remedie and that I was loth to bewray my minde vnto him he gaue ouer to inquisitiue therein any more not a little comforting himselfe in that he had so happily lighted vpon me who was the cause he had bene reserued from a dangerous kinde of death But I perceiuing he had need of warme cloaths and other comfortable necessaries fit to nourish him and to restore him vnto his former health tooke him with me to walke homewards towards my little cottage demaunding of him as we went of all his Fortunes since I last had seene him which as he was about to satisfie me behold whom should I meete withall but my sacred Diana who with the other Nymphs her companions was walking abroad to take the open aire As that Shehpeard is frighted with a sudden feare when he seeth to fall before his eies great flashes of lightning which burneth spoyleth and blasteth some goodly huge Oke that serued as a shadow for his wearie flocks to rest themselues therein Euen so was I astonisht trembling through euery ioynt when I called vnto remembrance my former fault and how hainous the crime was which I had done against her Faine would I as then haue taken occasion by the haire of the head that I might haue excused my selfe vnto her and so haue pleaded for her gratious pardon but alas my speech faileth me and I was quite without heart or courage The beautious Virgin perceiuing in what a pittifull plight I was in as one very wise quickly gessed the truth of the respect I bare vnto her was the reason why I was so confounded and void of all my sences Which was the cause she now began to thinke the better of me repenting as it were that she had taken me vp so roundly before and therefore she thought it not amisse to put courage into me againe by vsing some gratious speeches vnto me before she would leaue me Whereupon she smiling began thus to question with me What is the matter She heard that now thou art thus tongue-tied who before haddest thy voice at commaund and couldest discourse so readily and well Speake man and feare not to answere for more good doth he that speaketh then another that holdeth his peace saith nothing Courage and feare not any thing at all It is not my nature to be angrie long I knowing it to be a more commendable qualitie to be curteous then to be sorie and cruell If thy tongue hath bene the cause that mine hath spoken some sharpe speech or other which perhaps may somewhat grieue thee then blame thy selfe for the same and not me for that woman argueth her selfe to be culpable that seeketh not to defend her honour which she vnderstandeth is readie to be defamed This was the reason I ment not to take farther punishment of thee I being well satisfied with the first checke I gaue in words vnto thee Why then art thou thus moued doest thou thinke thou shalt commit an absurdutie and shalt not be told of the same If so thou then shouldest be in better taking then the Gods themselues who are not exempted from rebukes Hereafter learne to be more wise and consider well of the circumstance of the deed done before thou iudgest thereof for of the censure that is giuen in the worser part against the good name fame of women euery one maketh a benefit although it be false and scandalous and the reason is for that men are more readier to dispraise then to commend whether it be that they doe it of meere malice and dispight or because they are desirous to haue many like vnto themselues in their leaud and
traine that the Princesse laide who knewe her faithfull Seruant would not misse his day before whome the straunge Knight repeated the former wordes Which the other hearing was so incenst with rage and furie as presently hee called for his Horse and Armour beeing readie in a trice and so went into the Listes to meete with his enemie The King was wonderfullie astonished at this straunge aduenture and yet reioyced much in his minde wishing in his heart and praying vnto God that this new come Knight might haue the vpper hand of his proud and insolent aduersarie But if hee so much reioyced then must you thinke that the Princesse his Daughter was much more pleased and contented seeing her valiant Knight to be so true of his word and so readie to aduenture his life for her sake therefore thought him most worthy to be beloued And now euerie thing beeing in a readinesse the two Combattants entered the field both of them prouoked with one and the selfe-same desire and both forced therevnto through extreame Loue. The Trumpets sounding they set spurres to their horses meeting with such a terrible encounter as their Speares flewe all into shiuers and both of them fell vppon the ground but quicklie got they vp againe drawing their naked swords and the one most desperately seeking to assaile the other As the Cyclops in Aetna beating continuallie vppon the Iron Forge fill all the bordering mountaines thereabouts with Thundering noyse Euen so the blowes that fell vpon the Armours of these two Champions made such frightfull noyse as the sound thereof was heard farre and neere Don Iohn is minded there to die or to ouercome since hee fighteth in the houour of his Ladie so great is his courage And yet thee that was the occasion of the weakening of his forces cannot restore the same vnto him againe when hee hath most need of them for her sake On the other side the young Prince madde for anger that one should take his Mistris away from him and against his will whome he beheld to be in place redoubled his strength and courage in this Combat But yet it had stood him in small stead and to little or no purpose at all if his enemie had bene as strong and lustie in bodie as he was before LOVE had so much weakened and taken him downe Little oddes seemed there to be betwixt these two Caualiers so valiantly did both of them carry themselues as euery one wondred at them No running tricks in their fighting was forgotten no Stockado nor Reuerschio no giuing place for aduantage nor no fast following to serue their owne purpose was missing each of them striuing as now to shewe the vemost skill they had in this their dangerous play Don Iohn hurt the Prince in the shoulder and the Prince wounded him in the thigh which was the cause that the Battaile began to beginne a newe betweene them whilst the lookers on were euen wearie to behold them onely they which fought were so fresh and liuely as if they had but as then entred into the field The Lists with their trauersing vp and downe the ground are made deepe like furrowes and strewed all along with the splinters pieces of their Armours Vpon part of which Don Iohn by ill fortune stumbling fell downe the Prince presently vpon him ready to haue stabde him with his dagger into his throte which he put in practise to the vtmost of his force but his Corslet was of so good proofe as he could not doe him much hurt Thus as they tumbled one vpon an other my Maister plaide his part so well as at length he got vp againe on his legges when as then he began to find feele how much his former sorrow griefe of mind had weakned him besides calling to mind his fault of which he was so ashamed hee with such a fresh courage assailed his furious Foe that he made amends for his fault before although the Prince had the aduantage of him For where he was but hurt in the shoulder only our Arragonian Knight was wounded both in the Thigh in his inward minde too and yet neuertheles he stood stoutly to his tackling grieued at the heart that he could not rid his enemy out of the way in so long time especiallie fighting for his Ladie and now although too late often wishing hee had taken a longer time to recouer his former health In the end the blood ran so fast downe from Don Iohns thigh as euery one iudged he would be ouercome For which all the Assemblie were maruellously sorie When vpon the sudden and contrarie to all their expectations he began so furiously to follow the Prince as with the often blowes which he doubled and redoubled vpon him hee made him kneele vpon the ground where when he had him at the aduantage he lost no time at all For perceiuing that his enemie was in a manner astonisht with the manie strokes he had giuen him without suffering him to haue any leisure or time to breath he aimed so rightly at his head and that with so mightie a violence as at one blow he cleft it quite asunder the sencelesse bodie falling downe vpon the ground and quite bereft of soule of pride and of valour At what time also and with him iust at that instant fell Don Iohn himselfe likewise by reason he was wonderfully weakened through the losse of his blood which issued forth from his wounds Wherevpon euerie one supposed that hee was dead as well as the other which the Princesse imagining to be true and heauie aboue all the rest for the same returned home vnto her Chamber to bewaile his hard fortune with her owne To tell you what pittifull mone this poore Ladie made and what bitter teares shee shead being retired into her priuie Closet would but moue you to greater remorse No comfort would she receiue any way neither would she now reioyce although she had seen her enemie slaine considering her valiant Knight had run the same course She is determined not to liue after him any longer since she had bin the occasion of his vndoing Neither cared shee although euery one had seene her thus to lament because she hoped Death would ridde her from all such doubts Neuerthelesse her Gentlewomen much wondred thereat maruelling what the cause should be most of them thinking it was for the death of the Prince of Lions whom it was supposed she should haue married and not for the blacke Knight although they were all deceiued that thought so Thus lay shee mourning vnto her selfe neither would shee take ioy at any thing vntill at the last newes was brought vnto the Court that Don Iohn was found to bee that black Knight that had bene her Champion who was not as it was before iudged dead Wherevpon she began to giue ouer her lamenting but yet in such wise and so cunningly as none of all her Attendants could perceiue it was for his sake that shee had taken on
word and beeing very willing to sleepe indeed presentlie went and layde him downe vpon a bedde where hee rested soundly Meane while vpon the suddaine I was ioyfull as that Captaine who hauing with stood the brunts and hazardes of Fortune returneth home victour of the fielde composed these Verses following A fierce LOVE that burned hast my hart with milde flame In my Mistris sweet thoughts thoughts for me too high to reach too And with deepe desire doest make mee for to adore her Ah proud LOVE that lik'st our wailings laugh'st for to see still Our Breasts wounded all with goare through heauenly Beautie Through glaunce of such sparkling Eyes as into our soules diue After so much done vnto mee now hast thou the courage After so many hurts th' ast done mee now for to helpe mee And to abridge my paines Speake sweete Desire I doe pray thee Ah but alas what a Follie were it for mee to thinkese Thy crueltie thou nere giâ—est ouer Thou to the world comst Our Faults seuerely to punish as the Gods Hang-man Mars by their sufferance knew thy too wanton a Mother When thou into the world wast brought forth like to a Bastard Of Female bloodshed th' art Sonne and of bloody murther Foule fall thee therefore that hast most shamefully cousned Thousands of Heroick spirits whome wee doe Gods call Canst thou then falsly breaking the lawes of thy Byrth-right Curteous now become and be not like to thy Father Canst thou prooue better then thy Mother who was an Harlot No no for ripe Grapes from Thistles neuer can we gather Nor can I hope once well that thou beeing proud euer after Hast minde Gentle to turne for my good good for to doe mee No LOVE I confesse I not deserue whome I doe honour Worthie shâ—e is for the Gods and too too fure is shee for me Too too vnworthie I am t' enioy her whom I doe loue so Onely to thinke that I loue so faire a soule doth appease paine All my paine and my torments though they be as immortall When I remember that in her liues what is adorned How that the wisedome is in her of Pallas abounding How that portly Gate of Iuno is in her walking And how for Beautie as Venus shee 's a Goddesse Then goe thy wayes Cupid packe hence for well am I pleased Thy helpe nor thine ayde to assist mee ought doe I care for Happier I can neuer be then when I behold her Whom I doe highly prise reuerence and obey aboue all things And farre more then pleasures false Lusts chiefest Allurings Which fond Loners buy full deare ioyes which soone doe away flitte And likewise kill vs long long before our time 's come I doe not honour her for to dishonour her for her Vertues are that I like so they her minde haue adorned For where Vertue is there 's a minde Vnconquered euer Nor will I crane any other guerdon whilst I doe liue here What 's diuine will I loue and what 's worthily steemed For such praise hath shee wonne as she shall liue euerlasting These Verses I kept to present them vnto my Diana hoping to find her in the same good minde as I left her and to gaine some one small fauour or other for my reward of her But things that are framed slightly are of little or no account of all warre it selfe hath not so manie deuises and sundrie effects but LOVE hath farre manie more And yet no maruell for hee being a tender and delicate childe cannot chuse but by nature must needs be mutable and vnconstant And therefore it is no small misfortune vnto men that are forced to obey not a graue and well experimented Maister But this peeuish Boy from whom want of yeares taketh away all knowledge of Reason which as wee growe in bodie so doeth it sprout forth in vs For wretched is that Realme that is gouerned by a Childe because verie hardly without stumbling can a blinde man leade another without a light Now I being merrie at the hart and as iocund as might bee went to see if I could finde out my Mistrisse when thinking to haue no reason nor occasion at all to feare I then found her quite contrarie vnto my hopefull expectation As Mowers are wonderfullie amazed when as the Sunne shining faire and cleare they see vppon the suddaine great showres of raine to streame downe with manie horrible flashings of Lightning and Thunder and much like vnto a blustering Tempest a terrible Whirle-winde breaking forth of the prisons of Aeolus carrying away their greene heapes of grasse and other things as a troupe of Wolues doe bleating Sheepe so that in the ende they are forced to throwe away their sickles and Sithes not once dreaming of any such pittifull chaunces before Euen so hapned it vnto mee I not looking for any such hard fortune Neuer went any thing more nearer vnto my heart then this did I beeing so daunted therwithall as I was almost at the point of death For hauing sought out my Ladie whome I expected should be as curteous and debonaire as I had left her the day before I found her quite and cleane altered from her former disposition she looking vppon me with a most fierce and disdainefull countenance not vouchsafing so much as to speake one milde word vnto me or to accept of my Verses which I in humble wise did offer vnto her Alas thought I what meaneth this and how contrarie are the proceedings of LOVE vnto all other things For they chaunge alwayes and this their suddaine alteration altereth still against the hope of Louers Other men seeing their businesse to fall out well looke for some happie issue thereof But in Loue when our matters are prettilie well and likely to prooue best then are wee driuen most of all to feare and when they are past all hope then haue wee the chiefest cause to expect the best If this encounter was not farre more bitter and vnfortunate then the meeting of a Thiefe is vnto the way-faring man iudge you good Father for it is too grieuous a Corsiue vnto the innocent person to be condemned vnto death and yet not so much as once to heare nor vnderstand his iust defences in the same But in the meane time I must perforce swallow downe this vnwelcome Potion As the Slaue that is runne away beeing taken and brought backe againe vnto his Lord trembleth and feareth sore being forced to endure what punishment soeuer shall be inflicted vpon him Euen so there was no other remedie but that I must needs abide the displeasure of my Misters and take patiently what it should please her for to impose vpon mee I know not whether any olde conceit comming afresh into her minde had chaunged her former humour or whether some other new opinion conceiued without reason had made her so outragious or disdainefull towards mee But whatsoeuer it was neuer did I see her to looke so angerlie vpon me before As the Maister of a Shippe is passing
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
and as kinde vnto vs as euer he was before The weaker must alwaies yeeld somewhat vnto the stronger because the one is neuer distraught nor carryed away with our publike affaires where the other are drawne abroad with much businesse and diuers cares which hindereth them oftentimes to remember or thinke vpon their inferiours Let him then liue if he be as yet liuing For neuer let Diana wish to liue to see that day wherein she shall be reproached to haue bene the cause of his death who by his writings doth eternize the Vertuous especially when I may preserue his life and that he seeketh not to haue any thing of mee that is preiudiciall vnto mine honour This was the answere of wise Diana vnto faire Orythia who most kindely thanking her in my behalfe came merrilie away seeking to find me out Who no sooner saw me but that shee deliuered vnto me my Ladies minde and therewithall aduised me to goe presently vnto her and to present my selfe vnto her How to requite this curteous Nymphe for so exceeding a fauour done vnto mee I know not Whilst I was framing a set speech in my minde to shew my selfe in some sort gratefull vnto her How now quoth she it is no time now to studie away and get you gone vnto your Mistris As for thanks I looke for none at your handes I hauing done but what was my dutie seeing such as are bound must needs obey yet I beseech the goddesse of Loue to make thee once to pittie me who wish thee no worse fortune then I doe vnto mine owne soule although thy chiefe happines must needs be my bad ouerthrow And hauing so sayd casting a pittious eye towards me and sighing most heauilie as if her heart would haue burst she went away from me and so left me I could not chuse but weepe thinking vpon her When remembring my Ladies message I set forward speedilie to wend towards her carrying in my hand a certain Sonnet which I had made in her praise not long before meaning to present it vnto her Being arriued where she was I found her accompanied with other Nymphes sitting by the side of a Fountaine which issued forth from out the veines of a stately Rocke the water whereof was farre clearer then any Cristall in whose bottome was a dainty yealow Sand such as that of Pactolus intermixed with a number of precious stones of sundry colours had a man bene able to haue thrust his nimble hand deep enogh he might without wetting of his arme with exceeding great pleasure haue taken a number of little fishes running vp downe and playing most wantonly there one while hyding themselues within the entrailes of the grauell and another while in sundrie corners and holes of the Fountaine Whilst being slipperie and skipping too and fro they would most cunninglie get out of the fingers of him that had caught them From this Fountaine there came forth two sweet Riuers which growing into a great water ranne round about the whole Countrey loosing themselues as they fell into the Sea adioyning This Fountaine was shadowed ouer with beautious Cipresse and louely Orenge ttees the sweete buds and blossomes whereof was able to rauish the mindes euen of bruit Beasts within the Rock were many seates to rest on framed by nature so artificiallie as no cunning could any way come neare them they being alwaies couered with pleasing Camomell the more to delight the sense of man The ground all along was full of greene grasse and other pretie hearbes which the teeth of Cattell had neuer spoyled nor ouer-heate of the day scorched or burned Manie sweete Rose-trees sprung forth from out the sides of that Rocke in diuers places and that in so iustand seemly an order as you would haue thought they had bene planted and set by the handy-labour of some curious Gardiner whilst all sort of Roots sprouted out in their right colours the odoriferous sent whereof was such and the scituation of the place so delightfull as you would haue thoght your selfe in Paradice as long as you had continued there Neuer was there Pallace more beautifull That Fountaine which the warlike Horse caused to spring out of the ground An Example with the hoose of his foote was nothing so daintie although more commended by such as dranke of the water thereof they being inspired with the gift of Poetrie euer after In this so pleasant a seate then did I finde gratious Diana passing away her time one while with washing her beautifull face an other while her Diamond eyes and then againe her long and slender hands No care as then troubled her neither was she busied in canuasing in her braines A Similie any serious matter of weighty importance As that great Sacrificer who thinking to sacrifice to Iuno the goddesse of Riches finding her Image either bloodie or sweating suddainely withdraweth himselfe from thence consulting with his fellow-Priest about the strange chance before he beginne his Ceremonies againe Euen so I seeing so rare a beautie stood as one amazed without speech and as if I had bene in a sound And now I began to consider within my selfe whether I were best to goe forwards on my iourney and offer my Present vnto this Nymphe or whether without speaking vnto her I should turne backe againe and goe from whence I came For although such onely finde Fortune to fauour them who are venturous and of bold spirits yet thought I it were farre better not to trye all especially when a mans life or credit lyeth therevpon then like bold Bayard to runne bluntly onwards and so to take repulse and be denyed of his sute For more sure and certaine is the meane life and estate then is the richest and highest in authority wherin there is nothing but trouble and danger This was the cause I stood so long debating of the matter within my selfe whether I were best to pursue my first enterprise or no A Sentence For hardly dare a man speak to such a one as we feare respect but in the end the same thing that made mee most to doubt did rid me out of the same stifling my feare driuing away all sorrow from me For my Mistris hauing espied mee who was neare readie to goe back againe called me vnto her O how sweete and comfortable was that sound vnto mee I thinking I had bene called by some God there-abouts Gratious and full of courtesie was her speech insomuch as I counted my name most blessed because it was pronounced by my louelie Goddesse No longer will I maruell now although the voyces of Saintes heeretofore haue bene of power to call vp dead Coarses from out the bottome of their graues where they lay buried restoring them vnto life againe since that of my faire Mistrisse was able to driue away all sadnesse and sorrow from mee and to reuiue fresh hope within me This made me draw neare vnto her when after many dutious Ceremonies done by me vnto her I
passeth through the pikes of all difficulties A Sentence yet it descendeth downe into the Tombs of the dead sounding like a Trumpet the due praises of manie when they are buryed who whilst they liued would not accept of any such matter For as the Cloudes although they shew thicke darke and gloomie cannot for all that hinder the brightnes of the Sunne but for all their foggie vapours hee will breake out and appeare in his splendent Maiestie Euen so maugre the cruell times yea and in despite of their owne selues the vertuous are euer honoured whom glorie it selfe doeth neuer abandon or forsake And therefore gratious Nymph reiect not what my Muse in most humble manner bestoweth vpon thee seeing she doth the best she can For the good will of the giuer not the richnes of the gift doth perfect make better the present Poore folke giue as much althogh it be of little value considering their abilitie as the mightier sort doe A Sentence although they bestow neuer so much and the sillie widowes Mite was as well accepted as the richest mens golde which in the Temple was offered Dainethen to make me so fortunate as to vouchsafe to accept of me to chaunt forth thy praises And doubt not but so earnest a desire shall so much animate and incourage my Muse as she will think nothing can see me to be too hard for her For this cause onely do I liue nothing so much keeping life within my bodie as a zealous desire Herald-like to blazon forth thy vertues which If I thought I might not obtaine I would chuse rather to die then liue My gifts are but small and yet more commendable shalt thou be for accepting of them then if they had bene richer because the world shall see that not anie couetous humor of gaine nor any worth of the present moued mee to make a tender of the same but only an humble mind the right noblenes of thy more then curteous own nature Thus did I argue for my selfe when my faire Saint who tooke some pleasure in my speech beganne to answer me in this manner Neuer ought any honest praise to be reiected because it proceedeth from good will The Gods themselues taking in good part the praises of the simple as well as of those that are more mightie I therefore accept of thine if thou thinkest there be any thing in mee as I doubt me there is not worthy of thy studie but yet with this condition that like a faithfull Hystoriographer and not as a fawning Poet thou set downe the truth For as that Crowe An Example when she was despoyled of her feathers which shee had borrowed of the other Byrds became naked and bare as that face is found to be more fowle and fuller of wrinkles which is vsed to be dawbed with paintings then that which neuer hath any other then her naturall beautie So when one is praised afterwards his defects and vitious life commeth to be knowne abroad he is more disgraced with infaâ—â—ie discredit then if he had not bene spoken of before only because of his owne imperfections Be then iust and true in thy writings and then no doubt but the labour which thou shalt take shal be much lessened abated and small shal be the paine thou puttest thy pen too because thou shalt finde little or nothing in mee worthy to be commended But aboue all I would wish thee to haue speciall regard vnto this that thy works if by chaunce thou shalt find I be worthy of thy Inuention breed neither iealousie of me nor malicious enuie against me the two common plagues amongst all men For it were farre better to liue bare and poorely and without beeing made famous abroad then to be rich and be enuied of all and so to purchase the ill will of euery one This onely desire was Casars death his enemies bearing malice at his vertues and this was the losse of the life of Alexander the great who was hated for his exceeding great victories So said the beautious Nymph and that with so good a grace as although shee seemed to make a shewe that shee was vnwilling to accept of the praises of my Muse yet did she so wittilie order the matter as I found by the circumstance of her discourse she did not altogether reiect mine offer A Sentence Quickly did I find her meaning for who marketh so narrowly the manner fashion the gesture and the countenance of his Mistris as doeth the Louer seeing he findeth either good or hurt in the least glaunce of her eyes Soone did I conceiue that she did not differ much from my minde and I made my selfe ready to answer her when behold we might suddenly heare a great noise a far off as if it had bene of fome wilde Beast that brake through bushes past through hedges and forced the very trees to stoope and shake with his furious running against them This noise made my Ladie and all her company maruellously afraid for it was most terrible in their cares wherevpon they began to take their flight and that they might runne the swifter the feare of this straunge accident lent them wings I seeing this tooke my worthie Diana vnder the arme the greatest fauour that euer I had before receiued of her and yet was it not willingly graunted by her For neuer would shee haue suffered me to haue done so much but that the danger and her present necessitie was such I helping her the better to get vp vnto the toppe of the foresaid high Rocke at the foote of which was as I tolde you before a most faire and cleare Christiall Fountaine When beeing there wee thought our selues to be quite out of all perill and danger and that if it were a Beare or a Lyon or any Tyger it could not ouer easily get vp to the top of the same or at least that we could not be discouered in so high a place but yet neuerthelesse my Ladie still quaking trembling as one that could not abandon her pensiuenes vpon the suddaine She endured that I should holde her vnder the arme whilest in the meane time I ventured to touch her white and daintie hand which was to me as if I had bene in Paradise for so much did feare possesse her as she neuer thought of any such matter O what a happie time had I as then and how much was I beholding vnto that wilde beast although the terror thereof did make me to shake A right holy day was that day vnto me and the happiest that euer I had in all my life Great was the pleasure my poore heart felt as then when I had that libertie to touch those rare and victorious hands as long since these desperate Pirates had An Example who came from farre onely to kisse the fist of Scipio surnamed Affrican after he had taken his farewell of vngratefull Rome Neuer was there so lillie a white hand neuer one
our hearts setting a fire many flames within the same With the Leaden Arrow hath Cupid strucke my Ladie which maketh her colde and cruell vnto my mischiefe and with a gold enoue is my poore hart wounded burning the same incessantly and making it to die remedilesse As the waifairing man who perceiâ—inâ— two or three wolues deuouring a sheepe most greedily in the corner of a field goeth his way faire and softly that he may not be perceiued by them Euen so I hauing heâ—rd what this Shepheard said stole softly by him without any noise because he should not see me in quest of my Ladie and yet had I no great need so to doe for Loue taketh a mans sight and sences away from him in such wise as they become Rocks or Trees as Myrrha was And thus was I rid of my fellow in Loue whome I left alone to meditate therevpon this musing working mischiefe not alone to his thoughts but vnto hâ— eyes and bodie also Meane space I seeke vp and downe for my Diana Neuer did those two bretheren being Twinnes wander more carefully to seeke all about for their rauisht sister then I sought here and there for her whome at the last I found dauncing amongst other Nymphs who to driue away the feare from her which as yet held her had deuised this sportfull pastime to see if they could make her merrie One thought drowneth another one exercise maketh another to be forgotten and nothing sooner driueth away a Tempest then the bright beames of the Sunne his chiefest enemie Still and husht did I stand to seâ— this trim daunsing not being a little proud to behold my Saint who excelled all the rest whiâ—â—h they trod the measures as well in beautie as in behauiour and good grace as the Phenix doth all other Birds And now she had quite forgotten the foresaid Monster and her feare was past and gone when no sooner she espied me but that her colour began to change she shewing not that liuelines in the Galliard as she had done before for my presence brought the danger before her eyes which she had but lately scâ—â—ed putting her in minde afresh of the foule deformitie of the Mâ—â—rster Accursedd that should be occasion of griefe vnto her vpon whome my whole life and libertie did depend But this was but a preamble or a beginning of my sorrowes the end whereof was more then lamentable and Tragicall Well may I say too true is that pouertie which learneth vs that one pleasure engendreth a thousand cares and that nothing is so much subiect vnto change as is the prosperitie of man Quickly did I perceiue how my Dâ—â—na was altered yet knew I not well the occasion thereof for one while I thought it was for meere pittie of my paines that she looked so who beholding me began to bethinke her selfe of the same another while I doubted least some sinister conceit was come into her head against me she being loth to vtter it with her owne mouth vnto me Being thus troubled in minde with two contrarie opinions I thought it best to stay vntill they had made an end of their pastime the better to be resolued therein being greatly moued in that vpon my first arriuall I sawe her change her countenance and therefore longed the more to know the cause thereof It is strange to see how we are alwaies more desirous and curious to vnderstand what is bad in our owne behalfes then that which is good for vs as if we our selues and not others would become murtherers of our owne healths Meane space many things ran in my braines whilest my Mistris passing by cast now and then a glaunce vpon me which sometimes I tooke for the best and then againe I doubted the worst To be short I resembled the guiltie Fellon who strucken colde with feare attendeth his last sentence either of life or death whilest I listned vnto their singing and amongst diuers other Sonnets I brought this away with me which one of the Nymphs warbled forth and therather did I learne it by roate so soone because it did somewhat answere vnto my humour AN ODE Worthy's hee of the bright Day Who doth loyall LOVE obay CVPID onely I doe loue Him I worship stillaboue Happie is he that by the same Wisedome to himselfe doth gaine Worthy's hee of the bright Day Who doth loyall LOVE obay O how sweete is that warme Fire Which our hearts heates with Desire To our soules no sweetnes is Halfe so dulcet as is this Worthy's hee of the bright Day Who doth loyall LOVE obay Blessed LOVE withouten crime Two Sonles pleaseth at one time Then doth LOVE his Louer right When his loue hee doeth requite Worthy's hee of the bright Day Who doth layall LOVE obay Of two Soules hee makes but one In two Bodies all alone LOVE more happie cannot hee Then wee louing Couples see Worthy's hee of thi bright Day What doth loyall LOVE obay Pleasure none vpon the ground Like to LOVE is to be found Pieasures passe as transitorie LOVE still lines in great glorie Worhy's hee of the bright Day Who doth loyall LOVE obay After the Nymph had made an end of her Song which charmed my spirites my Ladie as another Caliope answered her Ah renowned Father how sweete and yet sower withall was that voyce of hers vnto mee Empoysoned Ipocras is not halfe so dangerous vnto the health of man as that Dittie was cruell vnto my very soule Neuer was those bewitching tunes of the alluring Syrens halfe so gratious and delightfull which the prudent Duke of Ithaca feared more then Death it selfe One of the fairest parcells of a womans beautie is her voyce whilst it doeth rauish the hearts of the stauders by with true Harmonie and whilst her warbling Accents pierce and enter into the very depth of their soules By our eares doth it enter downe into our harts but it commeth not from thence without spoyle and riches For it carrieth away the minde of man playing as the subtill war-like foe doth who marching vpon his enemies Countrey setteth vpon the same violently neuer returneth home again vntill he be loaden with great prey treasure So sweete was her voyce and so bright her Saphire eyes as I could not chuse but crie out although softly and vnto my selfe Ah woe is me I die But now I pray you harken vnto my Ladies Song which was quite contrary vnto that that went before For thus it was Worthie is hee of darke Night That in Cupid doth delight Nothing in this World can be Sweeter then our Libertie Which LOVE often takes away And then all our ioyes decay Worthie is hee of blaeke Night That in Cupid doeth delight LOVE doth neuer sorrow misse Who grieues malcontented is But LOVE thus doth Louers sting Doth not LOVE then sorrow bring Worthie is hee of Blacke Night That in Cupid doth delight Who that soule hath ere seene oasde Vpon whom fierce LOVE hath soasde The Mistris and the Sernant both Oft through LOVE
Gretian Horse made of wood wherein were hidden the enemies of Troy for neuer vntill then did I feele the piereing darts of sorrow aright In respect of this all my other paines were but pleasures nay meere toyes to speake of in a manner compared vnto this Corfie which so violently seazed vpon me as I felt most bloodie pangs and cruell conflicts to make warre within me the anguish thereof being so insupportable as I looked euery houre when my soule and bodie should haue parted asunder Ah most vnluckie tongue who taught thee to talke so much Alas that man should be so vnwife as to make way vnto his owne ouerthrow whilest he thinking to doe for the best it falleth out vnto him for the worst and where he looketh to haue praise there oftentimes he purchaseth most blame and discredit Full little did I thinke but that whilest I reported the filthines of the Monster she would haue giuen me great thankes for the same and that made me with the best tearmes I could to set out my tale but it fell out quite contrarie for I seeking to get somewhat lost all Well doe I see that the prudencie of man is nothing whilest God scosteth at their wisedome changing their dissignes quite contrarie vnto their desire Great reason had I to curse that lucklesse Monster vnto the bottomlesse pit of hell although before I had praised him so much because through him I was permitted to touch the faire hand of my froward Mistris And thus Louers either hate or loue what their blind God putteth into their heads they being still wauering and inconstant in their opinions Diuers were the heauie thoughts which as then seazed vpon me I being growne in a manner to follow blacke dispaire because I sawe I was like to be depriued of the presence of my Ladie for euer if she going onward as she began would seclude her selfe from all companies like vnto an Ankresse An other while I imagined that I my selfe was culpable of all this wofull mischance fearing shroadly that all such as should deplore or lament the losse of her would lay all the fault vpon me And therefore had I great reason to mourne and sorrow as I did I shewing by many signes and expressing by diuers waies how my feeble heart was wounded with an incurable fore But whilest I stood thus sighing and lamenting vnto my selfe and whilest all the sad Nymphs had fixed their weeping eyes vpō the ground not knowing what to say vnto the speech which their Ladie made the Shepheard who was amorous of her arriued there who after he had with a dutifull Conge saluted her and all her troupe presented her with these verses foilowing My pittious eye in mailing nothing more Bel oldeth faire then thy diuinest grace Nothing I see more sacred to adore Then that pure vertue that shines in thy face For thee I liue for thee I willing die Wishing no Sunne to see but for thy sake But should I thee offend then wretched I. Thus good and ill alike for thee I take For so rare subiect as thy selfe diuine My hart can neuer suffer ouermuch Although these cares knawe this poore hart of mine And to the quicke in euery part me touch Happie is he that suffereth for pure Loue For whilest he loues so he himselfe doth finde Transformed into such beautie as doth moue Life whereas death before to him was signds A Deitie then beautie is aright When it such wonders worketh in her sight Another Cruell for louing thee I le end my daies Since dying I shall liue still in thy beautie Who dieth Conquerour merrits double praise But farre more be who dieth for louing duetie Immortall glorie Piramus did gaine For this besides his loyall chastitie Was much commended when by death the same Freede Thisbe from most wofull miserie As he for her so I for thee will doe For thee I le die of my chaste Loue the honour And as the Phoenix I le consume for you I as himselfe consuming in that manner Whilst of my bones so burned shall reuiue Thousands of Louers created by this fire Who for their constant Loue shall be aliue World without end renowmed through true desire Of these Sonnets she made no account but hauing read them which she did rather to be rid of him then otherwise she gaue them backe againe vnto the Shepheard contrarie vnto her wonted custome with these words Little hath she neede of praise who because she should auoid the same maketh her selfe of a liue creature but a deadly coarse and yet of her owne valuntarle will and pleasure Wretched are such men as take pleasure to haue their eares tickled with praises God onely who is immortall infinite without sinne and euerlasting deserueth glorie alone Then Shepheard talke no more vnto me of such vanities as these are for I am no better then a most miserable caitiffe who am going to die and to giue ouer the world if that auncient Greeke refused all titles of honour affirming that he knew onely one thing which was that he knew nothing thinkest thou then that I can deserue it I who am as brittle as glasse descended from that first woman yea and from her owne sex who through her pride ouerthew all the world O Shepheard Shepheard if as now our first Grandmother Eue liued so farre would she be from looking for honour and reuerend duetie to be done vnto her as she would doe nothing but weepe continually whilest her haire with which we set out and beautifie our faces should serue her to doe nothing else then drie and weepe those drerie teares of hers Away then withall vaine-glorie Behold Saladine Emperour of the Infidels who dying commanded that this Epitaph should be set vpon his Tombe An excellens Epit aph Here lieth famous Saladine who of so many Kingdomes victories Riches and Titles of honour which he had whilst he liued hath carried away with him nothing but a plaine sheete into his graue All is meere vanitie that man doth euery thing passeth away like winde and after they are dead there is no more remembrance of them That deserueth no glorie at all A Sentence which is subiect vnto ruine and corruption nothing is more mortall or declining then man why then wouldest thou haue him commended seeing he perisheth and being perished the cause of his honour which thou so much chauntest doth perish also But God who is without beginning without middle or ending and who decaieth not at all doth merrit praise onely because he cannot fade and therefore the subiect of his glorie is alwaies liuing which we sing continually vnto his name Away then away with these foolish verses rather flattering then true and let me neuer heare nor see any thing that hath neuer so little a tast or shew of this misshapen Monster Pride Is it possible that man should presume that he merriteth praise who being made of earth is no better then earth and yet before he can returne to be
pensiue humour from him What man be of good courage we must he ordered by the will of the Gods and without killing ourselues with these inward passions must attend the good houre vntill it shall please them to call vs For neither weeping nor wailing can alter our Destinies neither can they be mended thereby because it lieth not in our handes but in the heauenly Powers to amend what is amisse This is my aduise in that I wish thee well for wee are giuen by nature to wish well vnto those whom we know are our friends and wel-willers whereas otherwise we should be worse then bruit beasts who acknowledge curtesies which they haue receiued Then take this counsell from mee although I was borne rather to learne counsell then to giue counsell vnto others But the Gardiner sometimes can giue good hearbes for Phisicke and a wise man now and then may be aduised by one that is simple and without learning as Moses did who tooke the opinion of his Father in law being farre lesse skilfull then hee I doubt not but thou knowest by experience that this which I haue saide will be profitable vnto thee and that thou wilt hereafter remember mee for the good aduise which I haue giuen thee Thus spake the Nymph most kindely her curteous speeches putting life into my bodie againe making me blush with a vermillion colour which she seemed to like well of Wherevpon I taking hart at grasse although still crazed with inward heauinesse beganne thus to answere her Oh sacred Goddesse is it possible that hee that is stiffened and benommed in all his limmes and ioyntes with an extreame colde should be warme without Fire Euen so can hee comfort and delight himselfe who without hauing the least subiect of ioy in the world hath all his Bodie attached with a wonderfull strange and heauie sadnesse Amongst all the wise Sages of the world past there haue bene very fewe that haue bene able to haue dissembled and concealed their inwdard griefes and sorrowes Elias that great Prophet could neuer doe it but rather flying into a Desart to auoyd the furie of wicked Achab most pittiously desired to die Neither could Iob the patterne of all patience smother the same but rather weeping and taking on most lamentablie wished to be ridde from his miserable life And thinke you I that am so poore a wretch in respect of them am able to hide mine anguish and driue away these inward afflictions which so much torment mee especially when I haue so great reason to lament my Disasters Wonder not then gracious Nymph that I seeme thus to waile and weepe but rather suffer mee to goe through with the same to the ende I may the sooner be brought vnto my graue for that is the onely comfort of such forlorne and forsaken Caitiffes as my selfe yea Death sweete Death is the Port and Hauen of all such distressed mindes as I am O that I were blinde that I might not see the mischiefe that is ready to take holde vpon mee or that I were senslesse and voyde of all passions to the ende I might be exempted from such dangerous plagues as are alreadie ready to infect me Must I be well in bodie and yet deadly sicke in minde Must I be sicke in minde and yet not consume away And must I consume away and not yet die but languish thus in horror worse then in hell yea and that continually O vniust Heauens ô too vnkinde and barbarous LOVE what haue I done vnto thee Cupid that for all my loyall loue thou thus shouldest reward me Haue I euer defied or denyed thee as Apollo did after hee had slaine that huge Serpent Python when he mocked at thee and at thine Arrowes as thou flewest in the Ayre that thou shouldest thus wound mee with so vncurable rigour and exasperate thus thy worse then sauadge Tyrannie against mee Ah Mistris deare Mistris behold here before you the most wretchedst creature that euer liued vnder the Cope of heauen the very Anatomie of miserie and the true Mirrour of all misfortunes And belieue I beseech you that the terrours which euery minute of an houre affright his inward soule is farre worse then vglie Death it selfe But iustly am I punished seeing as ouer presumptuous I durst be bolde to flie so high like vnto another Phaeton presuming to adore your more then druine and sacred Beauties Yet sweet Ladie pardon me because LOVE is the cause who was assisted by your faire eyes to make me his base prisoner and abiect bond slaue for euer against whom no force neither heauenly nor humane is able to preuaile Thus was I bolde to pleade like an earnest suter for grace vnto my Ladie I knowing well that I was neuer like to finde so fitte an occasion againe as then I had because I saw she was resolute to enter into a kinde of life farre worse and harsher then anie Monasticall liuing whatsoeuer And therefore I thought with my selfe that seeing I was fully bent and purposed to die I knewe the worst and worse then Death I could not be adiudged Thus you see how desperate persons sometimes helpe themselues although quite contrarie vnto their owne expectation So fought that sicke and diseased Souldier being full of valour vnder his Generall king Antigonus onely because he would be ridde of his disease which did so much afflict him but no sooner was hee cured thereof then that he became a notable Coward as one that was desirous to sleepe in a whose skinne and neuer after would venture in the warres againe The faire Virgin hearing mee thus earnest were it either because shee was loth to leaue behind her she being now readie to depart from vs any cause to conceiue hardly of her or whether it were that my pittifull speeches had moued her vnto remorse and to haue compassion vpon me I know not but I found her nothing so austere nor sower towards me as she was wont to be which I gathered by her indifferent milde answere she replying thus If thy disease Arcas be incurable and that as thou thy selfe thinkest it will hardly be healed why then hast thou bene so obstinate as thou wouldest not in time seeke what thou mightest to haue bene rid of the same Very simple is he who vndertaketh to transport a huge Rocke from one place to an other when it is not by nature to be remoued So if thou seest that my loue can no way be profitable vnto thee why then wilt thou be so selfe-wild as to persist therein it being such an other piece of worke as those Giants tooke in hand when they went about to scale vp to heauen for say I were willing to shew thee what fauour I might yet could I doe thee no good because of my credit assuring my selfe that if thou louest me indeed and as thou so often hast protested thou wilt not desire any thing of me that might ouerthrow me in doing of thee good True loue is of this nature that it
to what end is it to winne time for that which cannot be auoided Free and discharge my doubtfull soule from farther care and seeme not to enuie at the good fortune which I am like to haue by laying violent hands vpon my selfe Diana seeing me looke so pale and gastly began to be a little moued with compassion towards me whereupon she thus answered Ah Shepheard why dealest thou so hardly with me and why doest thou constraine me to doe that which is against my will and why to saue thy selfe doest thou seeke that I may perish Hard hap had I to be borne vnder so vnluckie a Plannet sithence inaccording vnto thy request I shall leaue vnto the world a bad opinion of my chaste minde and in resusing to yeeld vnto thee I shall be counted the murtherer of thy life Ah would to God that that day wherein I first sawe thee had bene the last houre that euer mine eyes had seene thee any more But seeing there is no remedie in extremities come what will I will rather ingage mine owne life then venture thine and if it be my fortune to die for this fault yet will I thinke to finde my death more sweet vnto me then if I had put thee to suffer the same seeing thou hast endured so much for my sake onely Take then this accursed hand accursed because of mine honour and doe with it as thou shalt please yet with this solemne protestation that if this my curtesie shall bring the least suspition or scandall of my good name and fame vnto me the selfe same hand that hath bene the cause thereof shall make amends by shedding the purest blood which is within this bodie Whereupon she presented me her faire hand to kisse But in this exploit I behaued my selfe as that braue Cauailier who doth sweare to be the death of his enemie whilest he keepeth him close and standeth out against him but no sooner doth he submit himselfe vnto him but that he receiueth him most curteously forgiuing all displeasures that is past Euen so plaid I for holding this pretions pawne within my power and perceiuing that it grieued my Mistris to giue the same as she did I vtterly refused her kinde offer resoluing with my selfe rather to languish still like a miserable creature then to giue her the least displeasure that might be and yet neuerthelesse I disputed of this question a good while before I let her hand goe from me One while the great delight which it presented vnto mine eyes longing sore as a starued man for foode to possesse this rich Iewell pressed me very much to take that happie occasion not vnlike vnto that man who hauing not of long time eate any thing finding a Table furnished with great store of meate falleth vnto his Victualls and cannot for his life forbeare from eating that though he would neuer so faine An other while the extreame Loue which I bare vnto my Ladie compelling me to seeke and preferre the contentment of her aboue mine owne quiet opposed it selfe against me counterchecking my desire And therefore well might she perceiue how farre I was from seeking the purchase of her dishonour when I resolued to endure millions of torments before I would be an occasion that she should grieue or be discontented any way at all Hauing long time debated within my selfe about this matter in the end I did as that prudent King of the Spartans who being almost dead for thirst caused all his followers to drinke their fills he himselfe refusing to tast as much as one drop of the water although he sat vpon the Fountaines side to the end he might saue his people from seruile bondage and so did I refuse this worthy gift seeing I sawe how dearely my Mistris accounted of the same and therefore taking her by that faire hand I said thus vnto her No no my sacred Goddesse neuer shall it be obiected as a foule reproach vnto wretched Arcas that he went about to force the vertuous Diana Death shall be more agreeable vnto me then life before I will constraine or compell thee to any thing that is against thine owne will Suffer me I pray thee to continue the same as I am and let neither the one nor the other of my requests be graunted I will not offer to touch thy beautious hand with my polluted lips seeing I perceiue thou thinkest that it will be some disparagement vnto thee neither will I die at all seeing my death is not agreeable vnto thee but rather liuing as I doe a most languishing life I will still attend thy last will pleasure First shall my soule flie forth from out this bodie rather shall my heart burst in sunder within my brest and sooner shall this vitall breath of mine be stopped on the suddaine before I will doe any thing that shall any way mislike thy minde If I demaund ought that is vnlawfull pardon me I beseech you seeing Loue is the cause thereof As for my selfe I will meekely beare and patiently endure my tedious troubles and still vexing corsies without lodging any more such two vnwelcome guests within me as you shall dislike of Then O yee miserable wretches all you that sometimes haue liued here vpon the earth come come and rid your selues of all your cares and lay them all vpon me who am ble and of force to beare them And now you my drearie eyes euerlasting let your teares be my scalding sighes neuer giue ouer to smoake from out my brest whilest thou my tongue shalt doe nothing else but pitteously report thy heauie Martyrdomes Alas when will that houre come wherein after I haue sufficiently wept and wailed sighed and sobbed may depart this vaile of miserie Ah Ladie must mine eyes endure to behold thine absence and shall my tongue be able to bid thee farewell No no rather let mine eyes be blind for euer and let my tongue neuer pronounce word more Ah kinde death gentle death curteous death if euer thou hast brought succour vnto any sorrowfull wight then come and helpe me Behold I call thee heare how I cry vnto thee nay more I summon thee in Iustice to appeare But is it possible that a solitarie place shall seclude so sweet a Saint from my companie and must I be faine loosing the substance to feed vpon the shadow No it cannot be I first must die not being able to endure her absence Madam your most wretched and yet more loyall Seruant Arcas cannot leaue your presence but he must withall leaue his owne life he must die before your eyes before he depart from you and faine would he sacrifice his heart vpon the Altar of your beautie if he might haue but your good will and leaue But I see it will not be for I am yours and not mine owne you may not be without me and therefore I will follow you wheresoeuer you goe and when I can goe no farther then will I shorten my daies to end mine endlesse sorrowes For
many Louers haue there bene lesse faithfull then I am and nothing so zealous in loue as my selfe that haue finished their liues when they were depriued of their louing dames and shall not I be as fortunate as they euery way as vertuous as they especially when I haue deserued more then they haue which when I haue done I hope gratious Virgin your chaste soule will doe no lesse then testifie what great respectand dutious affection I bare vnto you vntill my latest gaspe hauing long serued you and yet neuer had any reward at all But what talke I of reward when I desire to die were it onely for this thing in that I durst presume to loue you and yet it is not death that daunteth not at all onely I grieue because I feare I neuer shall finde so sweet a face in the other world with which I may delight me But I am not the first Louer hath bene sent away vnrewarded of his Mistris and yet too great hath my recompence bene in that I haue had that great good hap as to haue seene you whilest I liued and now I must loose you can I doe other then loose my selfe you goe your way and thinke you I shall stay behind Ah then how much are you deceiued for I will die yea I will die although not by your commandement yet because I shall see you no more and this I here protest I am most resolutely minded to doe come whatsoeuer will thereof meane space withdraw thy hand from me which I desire not to kisse since t is with thy displeasure whilest I liued I sought to please thee and now I die I will not seeke to crosse thee Away then with this thy hand too faire for me to touch assuring thee that I am as much contented with thy good will as if I had enuoyed the greatest pleasure in the world Then once againe I beseech thee let me alone and trouble me no more I bid the world adue and take my last farewell of thee for die I will since t is the onely thing which I desire Diana seeing me looke so gastly began to be afraid of me doubting least I would presently haue laid violent hands vpon my selfe as I sweare vnto you reuerend father I had done but that I found her more tractable and more kinde which was the cause that after she had many times sighed beholding me with a most pittifull and curteous aspect and mourning as it were to see me in so heauie a plight she spake thus mildly vnto me Ah Arcas most faithfull Arcas if thou wilt die for my sake there is no reason but I should be miserable for thee to requite this thy great kindnesse towards me So will I be for thee and such a one doe I wish my selfe to be as long as I shall liue Say not then that thou art the most miserable wretch aliue since Diana is a partaker of thy miserable fortunes who to haue regard vnto her honour and for the loue she beateth vnto thee shall liue most miserable all the rest of her sad life being somewhat comforted in this onely that she cannot suffer for two more worthy subiects As sweet shall be my griefes when I shall thinke of thee as my ioy shall be when displeasing I remember thee not at all I see it is the will of the Gods that things should thus fall out and I will not be repugnant against the same more proofes I haue not to manifest my good meaning vnto thee being hindered through mine honour in leiu whereof I will giue thee a tast of the rest by my continuall Martyrdomes Therefore I coniure thee by that chaste Loue thou hast so long borne me offer no violence vnto thy selfe but stay the will of the heauens for it may so fall out as thou maist perhaps see me once more before thou diest and seeing the houre is now come that without seeing me more I must absent my selfe from thee I will not conceit mine affection from thee for I know thou wilt not seeke thy profit by my hiâ—derance Too well doe I know and must needs acknowledge thy faithfull and infinite Loue towards me If euer man hath bene worthy of a Ladies Loue then it is thine owne selfe therefore thinke that nothing in the world hath hindered me to make requitall vnto thee as full well thou hast deserued but chaste honour and seeing I cannot doe otherwise let me increate thee haue patience Besides if the assurance of my amitie may comfort thee seeing thou canst not receiue any other consolation at my hands assure thy selfe I loue thee deerly yea deare Arcas dearely doe I loue thee and to giue a most plaine testimonie of the same I will and command thee vpon that power and authoritie which thou hast giuen vnto me ouer thee that thou kisse my hand as thou before desirest and I pray thee most hartily to belieue that I am wonderfull sorie because I cannot giue thee a more ample signe of my Loue vnto thee content thee then with this small fauour of mine and thinke it is greater then it is because it commeth from so willing a minde and from her who wisheth vnto thee more happinesse then she doth vnto her owne selfe O sweete words which as a lushious kinde of poyson infected my soule with true ioy although afterwards they cost me dearely I hauing bought them at too high a rate and yet what could I now desire more But as the fall from an high Tree is farre more daungerous then from a lower and as the afflictions of rich men spoyled of their goods is farre more grieuous then those of the poore because they neuer had any such wealth to loose Euen so these delightfull speeches wrought my miseries to be farre more cruell afterwards vnto mee then if my Ladie neuer had pronounced them Yet did they mee great good as then in respect I enioyed her companie and in that she shewed her selfe so kinde vnto me But alas it was my Fortune and not her fault since none can withstand his hard destinie Meane time I being astonisht and amazed trembling like that wayfaring man when he beholdeth a Snake winding about his legge tooke my Lady by the Lilly-white hand going about with great reuerence to kisse it when a suddaine feare comming freshly into my head that my Diana would mislike of the same made me to forbeare a while Whilst I thus said vnto her Sweet Ladie I beseech you forbeare and let mee after my wonted manner languish away secretly in my sorrowes rather then any discontentment should trouble you at all For too great a plague would that be vnto me if I should liue to behold the ouerthrow of her whom I esteeme more pretiousthen mine owne life and the rather sithence I am predestinate to be vnhappie Let me I pray you be pardoned in this because I know my selfe euery way vnworthie of so rich a curtesie hauing receiued but too much fauour alreadie at your hands
I le leaue to loue thee being dead When thy faire portraiture reuiues my sight If mortall voice from Tombes haue some men lead Restoring vnto them their senses right Then how much more ought LOVE be houonred Whom then the greatest Gods is more of might Then think not though my Corse in Vault thou see That from thy loue as thou wouldst I am free Below in Monument still shalt thou heare How I will sigh for without soule thy Fire Shall hold mee vp whilst liuing I 'le appeare Being dead as fore my death I did desire Nor deadly pangs thereof will I once feare Nor part from thee as thou wouldst faine require For in thy life so cruell th' ast not beene But in my Death as loyall I 'le be seene Yet is my Fortune better farre then thine For without breach of Faith as thou hast done I shall haue leaue to plaine of sorrow mine Thou thinkst in killing mee a Martyrdome More tedious then before mee to assigne But th' art deceiu'd a wrong Race hast thou runne For whilst I liu'd thy Rigour was my bane But now being dead I freed am from the same Death then both thee and mee preserues from ill Thee that no more thy Beautie I molest Mee that I feele not now thy cruell will O happie Death that two desires hath blest Then let mee die thy minde for to fulfill Yet first I will this Rock shall be possest Of this my dolefull verse true witnesse How vndeseru'd I brought was to distresse For though to die it shall mee mickle please Yet must I grieue at thy lost Companie Then Rocks Caues Woods Groues Springs and greenie Leaze Witnes you all LOVE Arcas made to die To noyse this in the world doe neuer cease If I report shall where as dead I lie How all of you although by Nature wilde Yet then my Mistris are more meeke and milde No sooner had I engrauen these Verses but that I got me vp vnto the toppe of the same Rock minding to cast my selfe downe into the swelling Seas when vpon the suddaine an other new conceit came into my braine which was to see if I could deuise a meane how I might restore Diana againe not onely vnto my selfe but also vnto the other Nymphs who as well as I sore lamented the losse of her departure Wherevpon I knowing that she would not be perswaded by any reasons whatsoeuer to be reclaimed or altered from her first determination I went and sought out her Friends and Parents vnto whome I bewrayed the intention of their faire daughter perswading them with all the earnest speeches I could by all the liuely reasons as might be deuised that they should not in any wise permit her to haue her will therein They hearing mee tell so straunge a Tale were wonderfully amazed and daunted therewith For Diana neuer meant to haue made them priuie in this her secret businesse promised mee that they would so worke as they would if they could crosse her in this her resouled purpose they themselues being much vnwilling she should take vpon her any such Austere and Melancholike course Wherevpon I being glad that they iumped with mee in opinion hauing receiued hearty thankes from them for my kinde Intelligences came away wonderfullie well pleased in that I had spedde so well And not long after they tooke so good an order as the faire Nymph although very much against her will was constrained to obey their hests and giuing ouer her former resolution liuing amongst vs as shee had vsed before But alas as hee that buildeth goodly houses oftentimes erecteth his graue it being his chaunce to be slaine therein Euen so I thinking to prolong mine owne life framed mine owne proper death and ouer throwe For my Mistris who before time was wont still to vse mee kindely shewing me good countenance when she saw me although for the most part shee was sadde and heauy in her minde because shee was barred from her most wished for Designe came at the length to know that I onely was the chiefe cause that her Parents had so much hindered and crossed her against her will As that Maister who bearing great affection vnto one of his seruants particularly both hateth and detesteth the same man after he findeth how hee is run-away and hath robbed him of his goods and Treasure Euen so no sooner came these dismall newes vnto her cares but that suddainly she began to alter her minde towardes mee hating mee vnto death yea and that in so cruell a manner as shee beganne now to loath mee a thousand times more then euer she had loued me before Wherevpon shee vowed in her minde to be reuenged vpon me imagining and deuising in her selfe how she might best doe it But alas what need had she to haue troubled herselfe so much For shee needed no other to execute this spitefull malice towards me then her owne poore selfe Thus we see how chaungeable and vncertaine the fortunes of Louers are in their Loues For one morning I finding her alone beganne as I was wont to salute her when shee presently looking as redde as any â—â—re with extreame choller began thus to requite my kindnesse O cruell and vngratefull wretch out of my sight if thou meanest that I shall liue Is this the reward for so many curtesies as thou hast receiued at my hands to seeke most Traitreously to hinder mee in my sacred and religious intention Away I say and out of my sight for I forbid thee my presence and thinke or else It shall goe hardly with me but that I will most grieuously plague thee for thy vnthankfull and leaud dealing In the meane while I commaund thee vpon paine of death that thou neuer presume to come againe before me Cruell vngratefull false-harted and wicked Creature as thou art that hast thus requited mee with euill for good most iniuriously opposing thy selfe against my most iust and godly desires And hauing so said away she flung swelling for very rage and anger and not so much as once staying to heare what answere I could make in mine owne defence That woman whom her husband hath taken tardie as guiltie of some hainous facultie is not halfe so heauie sorrowfull neither so confounded with feare and shame as I was then Long did I stand stone still as if my feete had growne vnto the ground neither was I able or had the power to open or lift vp mine eyes so much had grieâ— seazed vpon me as I thought verily I should haue dyed as then in that place In the ende comming vnto my selfe againe and remembring the more then cruell threatnings of my dread Mistris without wailing any more or bethinking me of any other deuise how to excuse my selfe I ran vp vnto the toppe of the Rocke vpon which I had bene so often before That done I closed both mine eyes flinging my selfe downe from thence into the maine Sea resoluing to drowne me within the bottome of the same No sooner was I in the water but I began to repent mee of my rash enterprise whilst the feare of death being not farre off so terrified and affrighted mee as I beganne to swimme most lustily in the waues to saue my life Thus as I was tumbled and tossed too and fro by the churlish Surges a certaine Shippe by great good fortune sailed by the Marriners and Sailers whereof being moued with pittie tooke mee vp by a rope being verie heauie and sadde as you may well suppose And within a while after whether it were by reason the inward griefe I conceiued for my Ladies vnkindnesse or because of the great paine and labour which I had taken in swimming I know not but I fell to be most extreamely sicke in the Shippe vpon the suddaine They doubting least I would die as those who were very vnwilling to haue any diseased folks in their vessell although forie for the same yet forced and as it were halfe against their wills set me on land in this desart leauing me some victualls to liue vpon vntill better foretune should happen In the end I recouered my health againe and am miserable ARCAS confined to fiue in this comfortlesse wildernesse and depriued the company of my deare Mistris for euer my comfort is that my dayes will soone be shortned and that I haue not long to liue And thus good Father haue you heard the true dolefull discourse of my more then wretched misfortunes which will neuer end vntill my life shall part from this his vnwelcome mansion I doubt I haue troubled you in being ouer long but alas it was sore against my will for sooner if I could would I haue sinisht the same Not a whit answered the olde Magitian for you rather haue pleased mee very much and I like your discourse maruailous well And God I pray comfort you for great need haue you thereof But it is now very neere night Let vs then goe replied the Shepheard seeing I haue now set downe and reported the restlesse liues the pittifull complaints and the most lamentable kindes of such as haue loued FINIS Nec morte moritur Amor. LONDON PRINTED BY THOMAS Creede dvvelling in the old Change neere old Fishstreete at the Signe of the Eagle and Childe 1610.
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