night with vglie face doth frowne And that I am yplaste in quiet bed In hope to be with wished pleasure fed A greater griefe a worser paine ensues My vaporde eies their hoped sléepe refues Then rowle I in my déepe dispayring brest The â—wéete disdaines and pleasant anger past The louely strifes when Stars doe counsell rest Incroching cares renue my griefe as faste And thus desired night in wo I waste And to expresse the harts excessiue paine Mine eies their deawie teares distill amaine And reason why they should be moysted so Is for they bred my hart this bitter bale They were the onely cause of cruell wo Vnto the hart they were the guilefull stale Thus day and night ytost with churlish Gale Of sighes in Sea of surging brine I bide Not knowing how to scape the scowring Tide At last the shining Rayes of Hope to finde Your friendship firme these cloudy thoughts repel â–ª And calmed Skie returnes to mistie minde Which déepe dispaire againe eftsoone compels Too fade and ease by Dolours drift expels That Gods themselues I iudge lament my fate And doe repine to see my wofull state Wherefore to purchace prayse and glorie gaine Do ease your Friend that liues in wretched plight Doe not to death a louing hart constraine But séeke with loue his seruice to requight Doe not exchaunge a Fawcon for a Kite Refuse him not for any friendship nue A worse may chaunce but none more iust and true Let Cressed myrror hée that did forgo Hir former faythfull friend King Priams Sonne And Diomed the Gréeke imbraced so And left the loue so well that was begonne But when hir Cards were tolde and twist ysponne She found hir Troian Friend the best of both For he renounst hir not but kept his oth This don my griping griefs will soÌ„what swage And sorrow cease to grow in pensiue breast Which otherwise will neuer blin to rage And crush the hart within his carefull Cheast Of both for you and mée it were the best To saue my life and win immortall fame And thus my Muse shall blase your noble name For ruine on my wofull case The aunswere of a woman to hir Louer supposing his complaint to be but fayned YOu want no skill to paint or shew your pangues with Pen It is a worlde to sée the craft that is in subtile men You séeme to write of woes and wayle for deadly smart As though there were no griefe but that which gripes your faythlesse hart Though we but Women are and weake by lawe of kinde Yet well we can discerne a Friende we winke but are not blinde Not euery thing that giues a gleame and glittering showe Is to be counted Gold in déede this prouerb well you knowe Nor euery man that beares a faire and fawning cheere Is to be taken for a Friend or chosen for a Feere Not euerie teare declares the troubles of the hart For some doe wéepe that feele no wo some crie that taste no smart The more you séeme to me in wofull wise to playne The sooner I perswade my selfe that you doe nought but fayne The Crocodile by kinde a floud of teares doth shed Yet hath no cause of cruell crie by craft this Fiend is led For when the siely soule that ment no hurt at all Approcheth néere the slipper ground doth giue the beast a fall Which is no sooner done but straight the monster vyle For sorrow that did wéepe so sore for ioy beginnes to smyle Euen so you men are woont by fraude your friends to traine And make in wise you could not sléepe in carefull Couch for paine When you in déede doe nought but take your nightly nap Or hauing slept doe set your snare and tylle your guilefull trap Your braynes as busie bée in thinking how to snare Vs women as your pillowes soft and bowlsters pleasant are As for your dayes delights our selues can witnesse well To sundrie women sundrie tales of sundrie iestes you tell And all to win their loues which when you doe attaine Within a while you shew your kindes and giue them vp in plaine A Fawcon is full hard amongst you men to finde For all your maners more agrée vnto the Kytish kinde For gentle is the one and loues his kéepers hande But thother Busserdlike doth scorne on Fawckners fist to stande For one good turne the one a thousand will requite But vse the other nere so well he shewth himselfe a Kite If Cresyd did amisse the Troian to forsake Then Dyom edes did not well that did the Ladie take Was neuer woman false but man as false as shée And commonly the men doe make that women slipper bée Wherefore leaue off your plaints and take the shéete of shame To shrowde your cloking harts from colde and fayning browes from blame Yf she that reades this rime be wise as I coulde wishe She will auoyde the bayted hooke that takes the biting fishe And shoon the lymed twig the flying Foule that tyes Tis good to feare of crie bush where thréed of thraldome lyes The Louer exhorteth his Ladie to take time while time is THough braue your Beautie be and feature passing faire Such as Apelles to depaint might vtterly dispaire Yet drowsie drouping Age. incroching on apace With pensiue Plough will raze your hue and Beauties beames deface Wherefore in tender yeares how crooked Age doth haste Reuoke to minde so shall you not your minde consume in waste Whilst that you may and youth in you is fresh and gréene Delight your selfe for yeares to fit as fickle flouds are séene For water slipped by may not be callde againe And to reuoke forepassed howres were labour lost in vaine Take time whilst time applies with nimble foote it goes Nor to compare with passed Prime thy after age suppoes The holtes that now are hoare both bud and bloume I sawe I ware a Garlande of the Bryer that puts me now in awe The time will be when thou that doste thy Friends defie A colde and crooked Beldam shalt in lothsome Cabbin lie Nor with such nightlie brawles thy posterne Gate shall sounde Nor Roses strawde afront thy dore in dawning shall be founde How soone are Corpses Lorde with filthie furrowes fild How quickly Beautie braue of late and séemely shape is spild Euen thou that from thy youth to haue bene so wilt sweare With turne of hand in all thy head shalt haue graye powdred heare The Snakes with shifted skinnes their lothsome age dooway The Buck doth hang is head on pale to liue a longer day Your good without recure doth passe receiue the flowre Which if you pluck not from the stalke will fall within this howre The Louer wisheth to be conioyned and fast linckt with his Ladie neuer to sunder J Reade how Salmacis sometime with sight On sodaine looude Cyllenus Sonne and sought Forthwith with all hir powre and forced might Too bring to passe hir close conceyued thought Whome as by hap she saw in open mead She sude vnto in hope to
treade the tylled trap vnwares hath alwayes perill béene Haue Medea still in minde let Circe be in thought And Helen that to vtter sack both Greece and Troie brought Let Creside be in coumpt and number of the mo Who for hir lightnesse may presume with falsest on the row Else would she not haue left a Troian for a Gréeke But what by kinde the Cat will hunt hir Father did the like As wylie are their wits so are their tongues vntrue Vnconstant and aye fleeting mindes that most imbrace the nue When fixed is their fayth it restes on brittle sande And when thou déemste them surste of all they beare thée but in hande Though Argus were aliue whose eies in number were As many as the Peacock proude in painted plume doth beare Yet Women by their wyles and well acquainted drifts Would soone deceiue his waking head and put his eies to shifts Nought haue they néede at all Cyllenus Pipe to blow To forge their fraude their tongues will serue as learned writers show First trie and then tell Where I haue sayd well For without a triall There vailes no deniall Of a Phisition and a Soothsayer MARCKE felt himselfe diseasde the Soothsayer sayd There bée Sixe yet remainder daies of life no mo Friend Marcke to thée Then skilfull Alcon came he felt the pulses beate And out of hande this Marcus dide there Phisick wrought his feate This showes Phisition doth the Soothsayer farre excéede For thone can make a short dispatch when thother makes no spéede A controuersie of a conquest in Loue twixt Fortune and Venus WHilst Fissher kest his line the houering fish to hooke By hap a rich mans daughter on the Fissher kest hir looke Shée fryde with frantick Loue they maride eke at last Thus Fissher was from lowe estate in top of Treasure plast Stoode Fortune by and smylde how say you Dame quoth shée To Venus was this conquest yours or is it due to mée Twas I quoth Vulcans Wife with helpe of Cupids Bowe That made this wanton wench to rage and match hir selfe so lowe Not so twas Fortune I that brought the Trull in place And Fortune was it that the man stoode so in Maydens grace By Fortune fell their loue twas Fortune strake the stroke Then detter is this man to mee that did the match prouoke The Louer voweth how so euer he be guerdoned to loue faithfully VVthankfull though she were and had disdainefull browe Regarding nought my constant hart ne forcing of hir vowe Since sowen is the séede of faithfull friendships lore Vnconstant will I neuer be ne breake my Hest therefore Let Fortune vse hir force so Cupide stande mine ayde And Cyprid laugh with loouely looke I will not be afrayde By mée the Noble kinde of man shall not be shamde Recorde through mée shall neuer force our sequell be defamde Albe that I consume my gréene and growing youth Yea age and all without rewarde yet nill I swarue my truth Eche that shall after come and liue when I am dust This louing hart shall well descrie the Key of perfite trust Hir while my vitall breath these fainting limmes shall mooue Yea after death in hollow Vawte ytombed will I looue Force shée my seruice true I force it not at all Rue she by ruth my dréerie life or it to mercy call In stay my Loue shall stand I will not false my fayth Ne breake my former plighted hest or promise to the death Disdaine shall neuer force my friendship once awrie Ere that I craue immortall Gods that ye will let me die Let Dido still complaine Aeneas broken Hest Of all that came to Carthage Coast the most vnfaythfull guest Vntrustie Theseus eke let Ariadne cléepe Escaping from his friendly Féere yled in slumbring sléepe So let Medea blame the Knight that woon the Flise That forced naught at all in fine hir cleapings and hir cries Haue thou the faythfull hart of thine assured Friend Ere he be of that retchlesse race the Sunne awrie shall wende Where so thou yéelde him grace or as an outcast shoon Expect his former plighted Hest as thou tofore hast doon Loue will hée neuer blame ne Venus lawes forgo Life sooner shall than loue decrease his faith is fixed so He sorrowes the long absence of his Ladie P. NOw once againe my Muse renue the woes Which earst thou hast in doolefull dittie soong For greater cause of sorrow not arose To mée at all than now of late is sproong As you shall heare in sad and solemne Verse A wofull Wight his haplesse hap rehearse Come Clio come with pensiue Pen in hande And cause thy sisters chaunge their chéereful voice Ye furies fell that lurcke in Plutos lande Come skip to Skies and raise a doolefull noice Helpe to lament the Louers wofull chaunce And let Alecto leade the lothsome daunce All ye that Ladies are of Lymbo Lake With hissing haire and Snakie bush bedect Your beddes of stéele and dankish Dennes forsal And Stix with stinking Sulpher all infect Doe what you may to ayde my carefull Quill And helpe to ring a Louers latter knill And time I trow sith she from hence is fled Who was the guide and giuer of my breath By whome I was with wished pleasure fed And haue escapte the ruthlesse hande of death Who was the Key and Cable of my life That made me scape Charybdis carefull clife A Starre whereby to steare my bodies Bark And ship of soule to shoare in safetie bring To quite my Corse from painefull pining cark And fierie force of craftie Cupids sting Euen she that me from Syllas shelfe did shroude That light is lost that Lodestarre vnder cloude Whose absence bréedes the tempest I sustaine And makes my thoughts so cloudie black to bae And brackish teares from swolen eies to raine And churlish gale of surging sighes to flée That Ancor scarce ne harbour I may haue From deepe dispaire my broken Ship to saue The Rubie from the Ring is rest I finde The foile appéeres that vnderneath was set The Saint is gone the Shrine is left behinde The Fish is scapte and here remaines the Net That other choise for me is none but this To waile the want of hir that is my blisse I cursse the Wight that causde hir hence to go I hate the Horse that hence hir Corse conuaide The Bit the Saddle all I cursse aroe And ought that else might this hir iourney staide I cursse the place where she doth now solourne And that whereto she mindes to shape retourne My mouth that kist hir not before she went Mine cies that did not séeke to sée hir face My head that it no matter did inuent My hande that it in Paper did not place My feete that they refusde to trauell tho My legges I cursse that were so loth to go My tongue that it to parle did then procure To vtter all my close and couert minde To hir who long hath had my woundes in cure In whome such ruth and mercie I did
is not quailde by cruell Fo Though Zoyll did his best my Flag to gaine Twas not his hap to haue the Conquest so And since it was my luck to scape his might I here assaile the Beast with nouell fight Thou Sycophant vnsheath thy shamefull blade Pluck out that bloudie Fawchon Dafrard thou Wherewith thou hast full many a skirmish made And scocht the braines of many a learned brow Now doe thy woorst I force not of thy stroke Thou shalt not bring my neck to seruage yoke Though thou affirme with rash railing iawes That I inuita haue Minerua made My other Booke I gaue thée no such cause By any déede of mine to drawe thy blade But since thou hast shot out that shamelesse worde I here gainst thée vncote my cruell sworde I know thou wilt eche worde and sentence wrie That in this slender Booke of me is write And wilt the same vnto thy sense applie Hoping for loue thereby to bréede dispite And looke what I amisse did neuer meane Thou wilt mistake and eke misconster cleane Thou wilt the wylie braine that ought is bent To fowle suspect and spot of fell distrust Perswade that here something of him was ment And Iealous Coales into his bosome thrust Thincking thereby thy purpose to asâ— In setting of his boyling breast a fire But as thou art in all thy other déedes Deseruing no beliefe or trust at all Likewise what so from thy vile Iawes procéedes Is lothsome lie fowle â—itton bitter Gall. Beleue him not but reade the Treatise through He sowes debate with helpe of hatefull Plough The modest mind that meanes but vertues trade And shunnes the shamefull shop of bawdie sect This spitefull Beast will if he may perswade That these are Toyes for that he should reiect And not pervse the meaning of the same Thus Zoyll séekes but blot of black defame But thou that vewste this stile with staid brow Marke crie worde vnioint eche Verse of mine Thy iudgement I and censure will allow Nor once will séeme for rancour to repine Thou art the man whose sentence I expect I scorne the scoffes of Zoylls shamefull sect FINIS The Table IN prayse of the Renowmed Ladie Anne Ladie Cowntesse Warwick fol. 1. The Argument to the whole discourse and Treatise following fol. 3. To a late acquainted Friend fol. 4. The Louer extolleth the singular beautie of his Ladie 6 The Louer declareth howe first he was taken and enamoured by the sight of his Ladie 7 Mayster Googe hys Sonet of the paynes of Loue. 8 Turberuiles Aunswere and Distich to the same 8 ¶ An Epitaph on the death of Dame Elyzabeth Arhundle 9 To Piero of Pride 9 Piero to Turberuile 9 Verse in prayse of Lorde Henry Howarde Earle of Surrey 9 Of Ialousie 10 To his Lady that by hap when he kissed hir and made hir lip bleede controlde him and tooke disdaine 10 Mayster Googe his Sonet 11 Turberuiles aunswere 11 A Comparison of the Louers estate wyth the Souldiars painefull lyfe 11 The Louer against one that compared hys Mistresse with his Ladie 12 The Louer to a Gentlewoman that after great friendship without desart or cause of mislyking refused him 14 The Louer obtaining his wish by all likelyhode yet not able to attaine his desire compares himselfe to Tantalus 16 The Louer to the Thems of London to fauour his Ladie passing thereon 18 To his Ring giuen to his Lady wherin was grauen this Verse My hart is yours 18 The dispairing Louer craues eyther mercy in time at his Ladies handes or cruell death 19 To his Friende to be constant after choyse made 20 Counsell returned by Pyndara to Tymetes of constancie 21 The Louers must not dispaire though their Ladies seeme straunge 21 A Letter sent by Tymetes to his Lady Pyndara at the time of his departure 23 Pyndaras Aunswere to the Letter whiche Tymetes sent hir at the time of his departure 24 To his absent Friende the Louer writes of his vnquiet and restlesse state 29 The aunswere of a Woman to hir Louer supposing his complaint to be but fayned 31 The Louer exhorteth his Ladie to take time while time is 32 The Louer wisheth to bee conioyned and fast linckt with his Ladie neuer to sunder 33 The Louer hoping assuredly of attayning hys purpose after long sute begins to ioy renouncing dolors 35 The Louer to hys carefull Bed declaring his restlesse state 35 ¶ An Epitaph and wofull Verse of the death of Sir Iohn Tregonwell Knight and learned Doctor of both lawes 36 The Louer confesseth himselfe to bee in loue and enamored of Mistresse P. 39 That all things haue release of paine saue the Louer that hoping and dreading neuer taketh ease 39 A poore Ploughman to a Gentleman for whom he had taken a little paines 41 To his Friend P of courting trauailing Dysing and Tenys 41 The louer declares that vnlesse he vtter his sorrowes by sute of force he dyeth 42 The Louer to a Friende that wrote hym this sentence Yours assured to the death 42 Of certaine Flowers sent by his Loue vpon suspicion of chaunge 42 The Aunswere to the same 43 Of a Foxe that would eate no Grapes 43 Of the straunge countenaunce of an aged Gentlewoman 43 To the Rouing Pyrat 44 Of one that had little Wit 44 In commendation of Wit 44 An Aunswere in dispraise of Wit 44 The Louer to Cupid for mercie declaring how first he became his Thrall with the occasion of his defying loue and now at last what caused him to conuert 45 After misaduentures come good haps 55 To his Loue that controlde his Dogge for fawning on hir 55 Vpon the death of the aforenamed Dame Elizabeth Arundle of Cornewall 56 Dispraise of Women that allure and loue not 59 Of a Phisition and a Soothsayer 62 A controuersie of a conquest in loue twixt Fortune and Venus 62 The Louer voweth howsoeuer he be guendoned to loue faithfully 63 He sorrowes the long absence of hys Ladie P. 64 To his Loue long absent declaring hys torments 65 To Browne of light beliefe 67 That death is not so much to be feared as daylie diseases are 68 The Epicures counsell eate drinke and plaie 68 The Aunswere to the vile and canckred counsell of the outragious Epicure 69 Of Homer and his birth 69 That time conquereth all things saue the Louers paine 70 To his Friend ryding to Londonward 71 Of the Rayne and cloudy weather at the time of hys Friendes departure from Troie 71 Of a couetous Niggarde and a needie Mouse 71 A pretie Epigram of a Scholler that hauing read Vergils Aeneidos maried a curst Wyfe 73 To a yong Gentleman of taking a wife 73 The Aunswere for taking a Wyfe 73 Of a deafe Plaintife a deafe Defendant and a deafe Iudge 74 A promise of olde good will to an olde friend at the beginning of New yere 75 A Vow to serue faithfully 75 Funerall Verse vpon the death of Sir Iohn Horsey Knight 75 To his Friende T hauing beene long
warres not But dares not To let me féede my fill Shée would I know with hart agrée The fault is neyther in hir nor mée I dare auowe full willinglie shée would consent thereto And gladly would mée remedie too banish away my wo Lo thus my wish I doe possesse And am a Tantal naythelesse For though I stande And touch with hande Allured Procured The Saint I doe desire And may be bolde For to enfolde Assured Indured The Corps that I require Yet by no meanes may I attaine To haue the fruite I would so faine To rid mée from extremitie and cruell oppressing care Euen thus with Tantals penaltie my destnie may compare Who though endure excessiue paine Yet mine is not the least of twaine The Louer to the Thems of London to fauor his Ladie passing thereon THou stately Streame y t with the swelling Tide Gainst London walles incessantly dost beate Thou Thems I say where barge bote doth ride And snowhite Swans do fish for néedefull meate When so my Loue of force or pleasure shall Flit on thy floud as custome is to do Séeke not with dread hir courage to appall But calme thy tyde and smoothly let it go As shée may ioy arriude to siker shore To passe the pleasant streame she did before To weltre vp and furge in wrathfull wise As did the floud where Helle drenched was Would but procure defame of thee to rise Wherefore let all such ruthlesse rigor passe So wish I that thou mayst with bending side Haue powre for aye in woonted goulfe to glide To his Ring giuen to his Ladie wherein was grauen this Verse My hart is yours THough thou my King be small and slender be thy price Yet hast thou in thy compasse coucht a Louers true deuice And though no Rubie red ne Turkesse trim thy top Nor other Iuell that commends the golden Vulcans shop Yet mayst thou boldlye vaunt and make a true report For mée that am thy Mayster yet in such a semblant sort That aye my hart is hirs of thée I aske no more My Pen and I will shew the reast which yet I kéepe in store Be mindefull of thy charge and of thy Maysters case Forget not that my hart is hirs though I be not in place When thou hast tolde thy tale which is but short and swéete Then let my Loue coniect the reast till she and I doe méete For as my hart is hirs so shall it be for aye My hart my hand my lyfe my limmes are hirs till dying daye Yea when the spirite giues vp and bodie breathes his last Say naythelesse my hart is hirs when life and all is past Sit fast to hir finger But doe thou not wring her The dispairing Louer craues eyther mercie in time at his Ladies hands or cruell death LIke as the fearefull Fouls within the Fawcons foote Doth yéelde himselfe to die and sées none other boote Euen so dread I my Deare least ruth in thée will want To mée that am thy thrall who fearing death doe pant So fast I am in Gyue within your beauties Gayle As thence to make a breath no engin may preuaile The hart within my breast with trembling feare doth quake And saue your loue my Deare nought can my torment slake To slea a yéelding pray I iudge it not your kinde Your beautie bids mée hope more ruth in you to finde Where Nature hath yformde such featurde shape to showe There hath she closde in breast a hart for grace to growe Wherefore my lingring paines redresse with ruthfull hart And doe in time become Phisition to my smart Oh showe thy selfe a friende and Natures Impe to bee As thou a Woman art by kinde to womans kinde agrée But if you can not finde in hart my lyfe to saue But that you long to sée your thrall lye deade in graue Sende mée the fatall toole and cruell cutting knife And thou shalt see me rid my wretched limmes of life No lesse to like thy minde than to abridge my smart Which were an yll rewarde for such a good desart Of both I count it least by cursed death to fall Than ruthlesse here to liue and aye to be a thrall To his Friende to be constant after choise made WHat made Vlysses Wife to be renowmed so What forced Fame hir endlesse brute in blasting trumpe to blow What Cleopatra causde to haue immortall prayse What did procure Lucrecias lande to lasten to our dayes Cause they their plighted hestes vnbroken aye reserude And planted Constance in their harts from whome they neuer swerude What makes the Marble stone and Diamond so deare Saue that the longest last of all and alwayes one appeare What makes the waxen forme to be of slender price But cause with force of fire it melts and wasteth with a trice Then if thou long for prayse or blasted Fame to finde My Friend thou must not chaunge thy choyce or turne lyke Cock with winde Be constant in thy worde and stable in thy deede This is the readiest way to win and purchase prayse with speede Counsell returned by Pyndara to Tymetes of constancie WHat made the Troyan Duke that wandring Prince to haue Such yll report and foule defame as him Carthago gaue What faythlesse Iason forcde a Traytors name to gaine When he to Colchos came and did the golden Fleese attaine What Theseus causde to bée reported of so yll As yet record thereof remaynes I think and euer wyll Cause they their faithfull Friendes that saude their doubtfull lyues Forsooke at last and did disdaine to take them to their wyues They brake their vowed hestes by ship away they went And so betrayde those siely soules that craft nor falsehood ment Wherefore if you my Friend the like report will flée Stand euer to the promise made and plighted troth to mée Those Dames of whome you spake were constant as you say But sure these Louers I alleage vnfaithfull parts did play More cause haue I to doubt of you Tymetes then For as you sée we Women are more trustie than you men The Louers must not dispaire though their Ladies seeme straunge THough Neptune in his rage the swelling Seas doe tosse And crack the Cables in dispite to further shipmens losse Though Ancker holde doe fayle and Mysson go to wrack Though Sayles with blustring blast be rent and Keale begin to crack Yet those that are a boorde and guide the ship with steare Although they sée such daungers prest and perils to appeare Yet hope to light at last vpon some harbour holde And finde a Porte where they to cast their Anckers may be bolde Though Theeues be kept in Gayle fast bound in surest Gyues They lay not all good hope aside for sauing of their lyues They trust at length to sée such mercie in the Iudge As they in open presence quit may from the prison trudge And those for gréedie gaine and hope of hidden Golde In déepest Mynes and Dungeon darck that byde the bitter colde In fine doe looke to light
haue bene spead With sugred words she wood sparde no speach But bourded him with many a pleasant tale Requesting him of ruth to be hir Leach For whome she had abid such bitter bale But hée repleate with pride and scornefull cheare Disdainde hir earnest sute and songs to heare Away shée went a wofull wretched Wight And shrowded hir not farre from thence a space When that at length the stripling law in sight No creature there but all were out of place Hée shifts his robes and to the riuer ran And there to bath him bare the Boy began The Nymph in hope as then to haue attainde Hir long desired Loue retirde to flood And in hir armes the naked Noorie strainde Whereat the Boy began to striue a good But strugling nought auailed in that plight For why the Nymph surpast the Boy in might O Gods quoth tho the Girle this gift I craue This Boy and I may neuer part againe But so our corpses may conioyned haue As one we may appeare not bodies twaine The Gods agreed the water so it wrought As both were one thy selfe would so haue thought As from a trée we sundrie times espie A twissell grow by Natures subtile might And being two for cause they grow so nie For one are tane and so appeare in sight So was the Nymph and Noorie ioynde yfere As two no more but one selfe thing they were O Ladie mine howe might we seeme ybest How friendly mought we Gods account to bée In semblant sort if they woulde bréede my rest By lincking of my carkasse vnto thée So that we might no more a sunder go But limmes to limmes corse to carkasse grow O where is now become that blessed Lake Wherein those two did bath to both their ioy How might we doe or such prouision make To haue the hap as had the Maiden Boy To alter forme and shape of either kinde And yet in proufe of both a share to finde Then should our limmes w t louely linck be tide And harts of hate no taste sustaine at all But both for aye in perfite league abide And eche to other liue as friendly thrall That thone might feele the pangues the other had And partner be of ought that made him glad O blessed Nymph O. Salmacys I saye Would thy good luck vnto hir lot would light Whome I imbrace and louen shall for aye By force of flood to chaunge hir nature quight And that I might haue hap as had the Boy To neuer part from hir that is my Ioy. I would not striue I would not stirre a whit As did Cyllenus Sunne that stately Wight But well content to be Hermaphrodit Would cling as close to thée as ere I might And laugh to thinke my hap so good to bée As in such sort fast to be linckt with thée The Louer hoping assuredly of attaining his purpose after long sute begins to ioy renouncing dolors BE farre from mée you wofull woonted cries Adue Dispaire that madste my hart agries Ye sobbing sighes farewel pensiue plaint Resigne your roomes to ioy y e long restraint Without desart endurde Reiect those ruthfull Rymes y u quaking Quill Which both declarde my wo and want of skill Mine eies that long haue had my Loue in chase With teares no more imbrue your Mystresse face But to your Springs retyre And thou my Hart that long for lark of Grace Forepinde hast bene and in a doolefull case Lament no more let all such gripings go As bred thy bale and nurst thy cankred wo With milke of mournefull Dug To Venus doe your due you Senses all And to hir Sonne to whome you are in thrall To Cupid bend thy knée and thankes repay That after lingred sute and long delay Hath brought thy ship to shore Let crabbed Fortune now expresse hir might And doe thy worst to mée thou stinging spite My hart is well defenst against your force For she hath vowde on mée to haue remorce Whome I haue looude so long Henceforth exchaunge thy chéere and wofull voice That hast yfounde such matter to reioice With mirrie quill and pen of pleasant plight Thy blisfull haps and fortune to endight Enforce thy barraine Skull The Louer to his carefull bed declaring his restlesse state THou that wert earst a restfull place dost now renue my smart And woonted eake to salue my sore that now increasest wo Vnto my carefull Corse an ease a torment to my hart Once quieter of minde perdie now an vnquiet fo The place sometime of slumbring sléepe wherein I may but wake Drenched in Sea of saltish brine O bed I thée forsake ¶ No Ise of Apenynus top my flaming fire may quent Ne heate of brightest Phoebus beames may bate my chillie colde Nought is of stately strength ynough my sorrowes to relent But such is hap renewed cares are added to the olde Such furious fits and fonde affects in mée my fansies make That bathed all in trickling teares O bed I thée forsake ¶ The dreames that daunt my dazed hed are pleasant for a space Whilst yet I lie in slumbring sléepe my carkasse feeles no wo For cause I séeme with clasped armes my Louer to imbrace But when I wake and finde away that did delight me so Then in comes care to pleasures place that makes my limmes to quake That all besprent with brackish bryne O bed I thee forsake ¶ No sooner stirres Auroras Starre the lightest Lampe of all But they that rousted were in rest not fraught with fearefull dreames Do pack apace to labours left and to their taske doe fall When I awaking all inragde doe baine my breast with streames And make my smokie sighes to Skies their vpwarde way to take Thus with a surge of teares bedewde O bed I thée forsake ¶ Thus hurlde from hungrie Hope by Hap I die yet am aliue From pangues of plaint to fits of fume my restlesse minde doth runne With rage and fansie Reason fights they altogither striue Resistaunce vayleth naught at all for I am quickly wunne Thus séeking rest no ruth I finde that gladsome ioy may make Wherefore consumde with flowing teares O bed I thée forsake ¶ An Epitaph and wofull verse of the death of sir Iohn Tregonwell Knight and learned Doctor of both Lawes ANd can you cease from plaint or kéepe your Conduits drie May saltish brine within your breasts in such a tempest lie Where are your scalding sighes the fittest foode of paine And where are now thy welling teares I aske thée once againe Hast thou not heard of late The losse that hath befell If not my selfe vnhappie Wight will now begin to tell Though griefe perhaps will grutch and stay my foltring tongue From whence this ragged roote of ruth and mourning moode is sprong Was dwelling in this shéere a man of worthie fame A Iusticer for his desart Tregonwell was his name A Doctor at the Lawes a Knight among the mo A Cato for good counsell callde as he in yeares did grow A Patrone to the poore
to wrack I fast when other féede I thirst when other drinck I mourne when they triumph for ioy they swim when I must sinck They haue the hoped gaine whiles I the losse indure They whole at hart whilst I my griefe by no meanes can recure They shrowd themselues in shade I sit in open Sunne They leape as Lambes in lustie Leaze I lie as one vndunne They taste their nightly rest my troubled head doth wake I tosse and turne from side to side while they their pleasure take I would but they enioy I craue that is debard They haue what will you more I say their seruice is prefard Thus I procure my woe by framing them their ioy In séeking how to salue my sore I bréede my chiefe annoy So shéepe with wooll are clad their Maisters haue the gaine So Birds doe builde their Nests on Brakes and put themselues to paine But other taste the fruite when so their broode is hatcht The Nest remaines the Birds are gone the Chickens are dispatcht So Bées for Honnie toile in fléeing too and fro And sillie wretches take great paines for whome they little know I think it is procurde by griesly Gods aboue That some should gape and other gaine the fruit of others loue But sure if Womans will be forger of my wo And not the mightie Gods ordaine my destnie to be so Then must I néedes complaine and cursse their cruell kinde That in requitall of good will doe shew themselues vnkinde But whether be the cause hereafter I intende To fawne on them that force on mée and bowe when other bende This one abuse shall make me take the better héede On whome I fixe my fansie fast or make a friend in déede The Louer seeing himselfe abusde renounceth Loue. THough men account it shame and folly to repent Or grutcht good will that was bestowde when nought saue faith was ment Yet can they not denie but if the knot be burst Then may we shew our selues vnkinde that friendly were at furst He runnes an endlesse race that neuer turnes againe And he a fonded Louer is that wastes his loue in vaine Nought can he iudge of hues that can not sée when Guile In place of friendship cloakes hir selfe in forme of forged wile And he that plainely sées the Trap before his eie And will not shun from perill tis no matter though he die I tell my tale by proufe I speake it not by rot To loue a subtile Lasse of late was fallen to my lot On whome I set such store such comfort and delight As life it was to sée hir face a death to want hir sight So I might doe the thing that might abridge hir smart And bannish all annoy that grue by froward fortunes Art What daunger would I dread or perill séeme to shun None that is here bylow on earth or subiect to the Sun To shew my selfe a Friend to hir I was my Foe She was the onely Idoll whome I honorde here belowe This is thought I the same that was Vlysses wife Who in the absence of hir Make did leade a dolefull life Or else tis she at least whome Tarquyn did enforce By beastly rape with piercing sworde so to for doe hir Corse But such is hir abuse so frowarde eke hir grace As loue it may no longer last since friendship hides his face I did not well aduise I built on sincking Sande And when I thought she looude me best shee bore me but in hande Where I had thought a Porte and Hauen sure to bée There founde I hap and dreadfull death as gazers on may sée As Mouse that treades the trap in hope to finde repast And bites the bread that bréedes his bane and is intrapped fast Like was my dolefull case that fed vpon my wo Till now Repentance willes mée all such fansies to forgo And thanked be good hap now once againe I fleete And swim aloft that sanck of late fast hampred by the féete Now is my fortune good so Fortune graunt it last And I as happie as the best now stormie cloudes are past I finde the bottom firme and stable where I passe There are no haughtie Rocks at hande ne yet no ground of Glasse Good Ancor holde I haue so I may vse it still I am no more a bounden Thrall but frée I liue at will But that which most torments my minde and reaues my ioy Is for I serude a fickle Wench that bred mée this annoy But Gods forgiue my guilt and time mispent before And I will be a sillie Sot of Cupids crue no more Against the Ielous heads that alwayes haue Louers in suspect WHen Ielous Iuno saw hir mightie Make Had Iö turnde into a brutish kinde More couertly of hir his lust to take To work hir will all his frawd to finde She craude the Cowe in gift at Ioue his hande Who could not well his Sisters sute withstande When yéelded was hir boone and Hest fulfillde To Argus charge committed was the Cowe For he could wake so well him Iuno willde To watch the Beast with neuer sléeping browe With hundreth eies that hatefull Hierds hed Was deckt som watcht whē som to sléepe were led So warded he by day so wakte by night And did Dame Iunos will accomplish so As neither Ioue might once delude his sight Nor Iö part hir pointed pasture fro His staring eies on Iö still were bent He markt hir march and sude hir as she went Till Ioue at length to ruth and pittie mooude To sée the spitefull hate that Argus bare To hir whome he so feruently had looude And who for him abode such endlesse care His fethred Sonne Cylenus sent from Skies To reaue the carefull Clowne his watchfull eies Who to fulfill his Lorde and Fathers Hest Tooke charmed Rod in hande and Pipe to playe And gyrt him with a sworde as lykte him best And to the fielde he flue where Argus laye Disguised like a shepherd in his wéede That he his purpose might the better spéede When eche had other salued in his sort To brag vpon his Pipe the Clowne begoon And sayde that for that noyse and gallant sport All other mirthes and maygames he would shoon His only ioy was on his Pipe to playe And then to blow the Rustick did assaye In fine when Argus had his cunning showde And eche to other chatted had a space Of this and that as was befalne abrode Mercurius tooke his Pipe from out his cafe And thereon playde hée so passing well As most of Argus eies to slumber fell And as they slept with charmed Rod he stroke The drowsie Dolt to kéepe him in that plight And playde so long till time he did prouoke All Argus eies to byd the beast God night Whome when he sawe in such a slumber led He stole the Cowe and swapt of Argus hed Such was the fine of his dispitous hate Such was the boone and guerdon of his hire And all the good the carefull Coward gate For seeking to debarre
conquerde thée Of a Hare complaining of the hatred of Dogs THe scenting Hounds pursude the hastie Hare of foote The sillie Beast to scape the Dogs did iumpe vpon a roote The rotten scrag it burst from Cliffe to Seas he fell Then cride the Hare vnhappie mée for now perceiue I well Both lande and Sea pursue and hate the hurtlesse Hare And cake the dogged Skies aloft if so the Dog be thare To one that painted Eccho THou witles wight what meanes this mad intēt To draw my face forme vnknowne to thée What meanste thou so for to molesten mée Whom neuer Cie behelde nor man coulde see Daughter to talking tongue and Ayre am I My Mother is nothing when things are waide I am a voyce without the bodies aide When all the tale is tolde and sentence saide Then I recite the latter worde afreshe In mocking sort and counterfayting wies Within your eares my chiefest harbour lies There doe I woonne not seene with mortall eies And more to tell and farther to procéede I Eccho height of men below in grounde If thou wilt draw my Counterfait in déede Then must thou paint O Painter but a sound To a cruell Dame for grace and pittie AS I doe lack the skill to show my faithfull hart So doe you want good will too rue your Louers smart The greater is my fire the lesser is your heate The more that I desire the lesse you séeme to sweate O quench not so the Coale of this my faithfull flame With nayes thou frowarde soule let yeas increase the same Let vs at length agrée whome Cupid made by law Eche others friend to bée in fansies yoke to draw If I doe plaie my part at any time amis Then doe bestowe thy hart where greater Friendship is But if in true good will I beare my selfe vpright Let mée enioy thee still my seruice too requight Go thou my fierie Dart of scalding whote desire To pierre hir ysie hart and set hir brest on fire That I may both prolong my painefull pyning dayes And eke auendge hir wrong that paine for pleasure payes I neuer sawe the stone but often drops would wast Nor Dame but daylie mone would make hir yeelde at last To a Gentlewoman from whome he tooke a Ring WHat néedes this frowning face what meanes your looke so coye Is all this for a Ring a trifle and a toye What though I rest your Ring I tooke it not to kéepe Therefore you néede the lesse in such dispite to wéepe For Cupid shall be iudge and Vmpire in this case Or who by hap shall next approche into this place You tooke from mée my hart I caught from you a Ring Whose is the greatest losse where ought the griefe to spring Kéepe you as well my hart as I will kéepe your Ring And you shall iudge at last that you haue lost nothing For if a Friendly hart so stuft with staide looue In value doe not passe the Ring you may reprooue The reauing of the same and I of force must say That I deserude the blame who tooke your Ring away But what if you doe wreake your malice on my hart Then giue mée leaue to thinke you guiltie for your part And when so ere I yeelde to you your Ring againe Restore me vp my hart that now you put to paine For so we both be pleasde to say we may be bolde That neyther to the losse of vs hath bought or solde The Louer blames his Tongue that failed to vtter his sute in time of neede FOrcause I still preferde the truth before Shamelesse vntruth and lothsome léesings lore I finde my selfe yll recompenst therefore Off thée my Tongue For good desert and guiding thée aright That thou for aye mightst liue deuoide of spight I reape but shame and lack my chiefe delight For silence kept When happie hap by hap aduaunst my case And brought mée to my Ladie face to face Where I hir Corps in safetie might imbrace Thou heldst thy peace Thou madste my voyce to cleaue amids my throte And sute to cease vnluckylie God wote Thou wouldst not speake tho y u hadst quite forgote My harts behest My hart by thée suspected was of guile For cause thou ceast to vse a louing stile And wordes to forge and frame with finest file As Louers woont Thou madste my bloud fro paled face to start And flie to séeke some succor of the hart That wounded was long earst with dreadfull dart Off Cupids Bowe And thou as colde as any Marble stone When from my face the chillie bloud was gone Couldst not deuise the way to make my mone By wordes appéere And yée my teares that woonted were to flowe And streame adowne as fast as thawed Snowe Were stopt as then yée had no powre to showe A Louers sute My sighes that earst were woont to dim the Skie And cause a fume by force of flame to flie Were tho as slack as Welles of wéeping drie Too showe my Loue. The hart that lay incombred all within Had fainted quite had not by lookes ybin For they declarde the case my hart was in By tongues vntroth That all things are as they are vsed WAs neuer ought by Natures Art Or cunning skill so wisely wrought But Man by practise might conuart Too worser vse then Nature thought Ne yet was euer thing so ill Or may be of so small a prise But man may better it by skill And chaunge his sort by sounde aduise So that by proofe it may be séene That all things are as is their vse And man may alter Nature cleene And things corrupt by his abuse What better may be founde than flame Too Nature that doth succor paie Yet we doe oft abuse the same In bringing buildings to decaie For those that minde to put in vre Their malice mooude to wrath and ire To wreake their mischiefe will be sure Too spill and spoyle thy house with fire So Phisick that doth serue for ease And to recure the grieued soule The painefull Patient may disease And make him sick that earst was whole The true Man and the Théefe are léeke For sworde doth serue them both at néede Saue one by it doth safetie seeke And th'other of the spoile to spéede As Law and learning doth redresse That otherwise would go to wrack Euen so doth it oft times oppresse And bring the true man to the rack Though Poyson paine the drinker sore By boyling in his fainting breast Yet is it not refusde therefore For cause sometime it breedeth reast And mixt with Medicines of proofe According to Machaons Arte Doth serue right well for our behoofe And succor sends to dying harte Yet these and other things were made By Nature for the better vse But we of custome take a trade By wilfull will them to abuse So nothing is by kinde so voide Of vice and with such vertue fraught But it by vs may be anoide And brought in trackt of time too naught Againe there is not that so ill Bylowe the