were Alyed nere there likewise were with these His beautious daughter and PHILOCRATES Being entred in the pathlesse woods whilst they Pursue their game PHILETVS being late Hid in a thicket carries straight away His loue and hastens his owne hasty fate Which came to soone vpon him and his Sunne Eclipsed was before it fully shone For when CONSTANTIA'S missed in a maze Each takes a seuerall course and by curst fate GVISCARDO runs with a loue carryed pace Towards them who little knew their sorrowfull state So hee like bold Icarus soaring hye To Honor fell to th'depth of misery For when GVISCARDO sees his Riuall there Swelling with poysonous envy comes behind PHILETVS who such fortune did not feare And with his flaming sword a way doth find To his heart who ere that death possest him quite In these few words gaspt out his flying sprite O see CONSTANTIA my short race is runne See how my bloud the thirstie ground doth die But liue thou happier then thy loue hath done And when I 'me dead thinke sometime vpon me More my short tyme permits me not to tell For now death seaseth me oh my deare farwell As soone as he had spoke these words life fled From 's wounded body whil'st CONSTANTIA she Kisses his cheekes which loose there liuely red And become pale and wan and now each eye Which was so bright is like when life was done A fallen starre or an eclipsed Sunne Thither PHILOCRATES by 's fate being droue To accompany PHILETVS Tragedy Seeing his friend was dead and 's sorrowfull loue Sate weeping o're his bleeding body I Will now reuenge your death said hee Or in your murther beare you company I am by Iove sent to reuenge this fate Nay stay GVISCARDO thinke not heauen in jest T' is vaine to hope flight can secure thy state Then thrusting's sword into the Villaines brest Here said PHILOCRATES thy life I send A sacrifice t' appease my slaughtered friend But as he falls here take reward said hee For this thy victory with that he flung His killing rapier at his enemy Which hit his head and in his braine-pan hung With that he falles but lifting vp his eyes Farewell CONSTANTIA that word said hee dies What shall shee doe she to her brother runnes And 's cold and livelesse body doth imbrace She calls to him hee cannot heare her moanes And with her kisses warmes his clammie face My Deare PHILOCRATES shee weeping cryes Speake to thy Sister but no voyce replyes Then running to her loue with many a teare Thus her minds fervent passion shee express't O stay blest Soule stay but a little here And we will both hast to a lasting rest Then to Elisiums Mansions both together Wee 'le journey and be married there for ever But when she saw they both were dead quoth she Oh my PHILETVS for thy sake will I Make vp a full and perfect Tragedie Since t' was for me Deare loue that thou didst dye I 'le follow thee and not thy losse deplore These eyes that saw thee kill'd shall see no more It shall not sure be sayd that you did dye And thy CONSTANTIA live since thou wast slayne No no deare Soule I will not stay from thee But constant bee in act as well as Name Then piercing her sad brest I come shee cryes And Death for ever clos'd her weeping eyes Her Soule being fled to it's Eternall rest Her Father comes who seeing this hee falls To th' earth with griefe too great to bee exprest Whose dolefull words my tyred Muse me calls T' o'repasse which I might gladly doe for feare That I should toyle too much the Readers eare FINIS THE TRAGICALL HISTORIE OF PIRAMVS AND THISBE Written By A. C. fit surculus Arbor LONDON Printed by B.A. and T.F. for HENRY Sâ—ILE and are to be sold at his shop at the Signe of the Tygers-head in St. Paules Church-yard 1633. TO THE WORSHIPFVL my very loving Master LAMBERT OSBOLSTON chiefe Schoole-master of Westminster-Schoole SIR MY childish Muse is in her Spring and yet Can onely shew some budding of her Wit One frowne vpon her Worke Learn'd Sir from you Like some vnkinder storme shot from your brow Would turne her Spring to withering Autumne's time And make her Blossomes perish ere their Prime But if you Smile if in your gracious Eye Shee an auspicious Alpha can discrie How soone will they grow Fruit How will they flourish That had such beames their Infancie to nourish Which being sprung to ripenesse expect then The best and first fruites of her gratefull Pen. Yours Abraham Cowley THE TRAGICALL HISTORIE OF PYRAMVS and THISBE WHere Babilons high Walls erected were By mighty NINVS wife two houses 〈◊〉 One THISBE liv'd in PIRAMVS the faiâ—â— In th' other Earth ne're boasted such a paiâ—e The very sencelesse walls themselves combin'd And grew in one Iust like their Masters minde THISBE all other women did excell The Queene of Love lesse lovely was then shee And PIRAMVS more sweet then tongue can tell Nature grew proud in framing them so well But VENVS enuying they so faire should bee Bids her sonne CVPID shew his crueltie The all-subduing God his bow did bend And doth prepare his most remorslâ—sse dart Which he vnseene vnto theyr hearts did send And so was Loue the cause of Beâ—uties end But could he see he had not wrought theyr smart For pitie sure would haue o'recome his heart Like as a bird within a net is taine By strugling more entangles in the ginne So they who in loues Laborinth remaine With striuing neuer can a freedome gaine The way to enter's broad but being in No art no labour can an exit win These Louers though theyr parents did reproue Theyr fires and watch'd theyr deedes with iealousie Though in these stormes no comfort could remoue The various doubts and feares that coole hot loue Though he nor hers nor she his face could see Yet this did not abolish loues decree For age had crackd the wall which did them part This the vnanimate couple soone did spie And heere their inward sorrowes did impart Vnlading the sad burden of theyr heart Though loue be blind this shewes he can discrie A way to lessen his owne misery Oft to the friendly cranny they resort And feede themselues with the coelestiall ayre Of odoriferous breath no other sport They could enioy yet thinke the time but short And wish that it againe renewed were To sucke each others breath for euer there Sometimes they did exclaime against theyr fate And sometimes they accus'd imperiall IOVE Sometimes repent theyr flames but all too late The arrow could not be recald theyr state Ordained was by IVPITER aboue And CVPID had appointed they should loue They curst the wall which did theyr kisses part And to the stones theyr dolorous words they sent As if they saw the sorrow of theyr heart And by theyr teares could vnderstand theyr smart But it was hard and knew not what they ment Nor with theyr siths alas would it
relent This in effect they sayd Curs'd wall O why Wilt thou our bodies seuer whose true loue Breakes thorow all thy flinty cruelty For both our soules so closely ioyned lie That nought but angry death can them remoue And though he part them yet they 'l meete aboue Abortive teares from their faire eyes straight flow'd And dimm'd the lovely splendor of their sight Which seem'd like TITAN whilst some watry Cloud O'respreads his face and his bright beames doth shrowd Till VESPER chas'd away the conquered light And forceth them though loath to bid Good-night But e're AVRORA Vsher to the Day Began with welcome lustre to appeare The Lovers rise and at that crannie they Thus to each other their thoughts open lay With many a Sith many a speaking Teare Whose griefe the pitying Morning blusht to heare Deare love quoth PIRAMVS how long shall wee Like fairest Flowers not gathered in their Prime Wast precious youth and let advantage flee Till wee bewayle at last our Crueltie Vpon our selves for Beauty though it shine Like Day will quickly find an Evening time Therefore sweet THISBE let vs meet this night At NINVS Tombe without the City wall Vnder the Mulberie-tree with Berries white Abounding there t' inioy our wish'd delight For mounting Love stopp'd in his course doth fall And long'd for yet vntested Ioy kills all What though our cruell parents angry bee What though our friends alas are too vnkind Time now propitious may anon deny And soone hold backe fit oportunity Who lets slip Fortune her shall never find Occasion once pass'd by is bald behind She soone agreed to that which he requir'd For little Wooing needs where both consent What he so long had pleaded she desir'd Which VENVS seeing with blind Chance conspir'd And many a charming accent to her sent That she at last would frustrate their intent Thus Beauty is by beauties meanes vndone Striuing to close these eyes that make her bright Iust like the Moone which seekes t' eclipse the Sun Whence all her splendor all her beames doe come So she who fetcheth lustre from theyr sight Doth purpose to destroy theyr glorious light Vnto the Mulberie-tree Sweet THISBE came Where hauing rested long at last she gan Against her PIRAMVS for to exclaime Whilst various thoughts turmoile her troubled braine And imitating thus the sylver Swan A little while before her Death shee sang THE SONG Come Love why stayest thou The night Will vanish e're wee taste delight The Moone obscures her selfe from sight Thou absent whose Eyes give her light Come quickly Deare bee briefe as time Or wee by Morne shall bee o're tane Loves Ioy 's thine owne as well as mine Spend not therefore time in vaine Heere doubtfull thoughts broke off her pleasant Song Against her loue for staying she gan crie Her PIRAMVS shee thought did tarry long And that his absence did her too much wrong Then betwixt longing hope and Iealousie She feares yet 's loth to tax his loyaltie Sometimes shee thinkes that he hath her forsaken Sometimes that danger hath befallen to him Shee feares that he another loue hath taken Which being but imagin'd soone doth waken Numberlesse thoughts which on her heart doe fling Feares that her future fate too truely sing Whilst shee thus musing sate ranne from the wood An angry Lyon to the cristall Springs Nere to that place who comming from his food His chaps were all besmear'd with crimson bloud Swifter then thought Sweet THISBE straight begins To flye from him feare gaue her Swallowes wings As she auoids the Lion her desire Bids her to stay lest PIRAMVS should come And be deuour'd by the sterne Lions ire So shee for euer burne in vnquench'd fire But feare expells all reasons shee doth run Into a darksome Cave neere seene by Sun With hast-shee let her looser Mantle fall Which when th' enraged Lion did espie With bloody teeth he tore't in peices small Whilst THISBE ran and look'd not backe at all For could the sencelesse beast her face discrie It had not done her such an iniury The night halfe wasted PIRAMVS did come Who seeing printed in the subtil sand The Lions paw and by the fountaine some Of THISBES garment sorrow strooke him dumbe Iust like a marble statue did hee stand Cut by some skilfull grauers cunning hand Recovering breath 'gainst Fate he gan t'exclayme Washing with teares the torne and bloudy weed I may sayd hee my selfe for her death blame Therefore my bloud shall wash away that shame Since shee is dead whose Beauty doth exceed All that fraile man can eyther heare or reade This speaking he his sharpe Sword drew and sayd Receive thou my red bloud as a due debt Vnto thy constant Love to which 't is payd I straight will meete thee in the pleasant shade Of coole Elysium where wee being met Shall taste the Ioyes that heere wee could not yet Then thorow his brest thrusting his sword life hies From him and he makes hast to seeke his faire And as vpon the crimsend ground hee lies His blood spirt'd vp vpon the Mulberries With which th'vnspotted berries stained were And ever since with Red they coloured are At last came THISBE from the den for feare Of disappointing PYRAMVS being she Was bound by promise for to meete him there But when she saw the berries changed were From white to blacke she knew not certainely It was the place where they agreed to be With what delight from the darke caue she came Thinking to tell how she escap'd the beast But when she saw her PIRAMVS lie slaine In what perplexity she did remaine She teares her Golden haire and beates her brest All signes of raging sorrow she exprest She cries 'gainst mighty IOVE and then doth take His bleeding body from the moist'ned ground She kisses his pale face till she doth make It red with kissing and then seekes to wake His parting soule with mournfull words and 's wound Washeth with teares which her sweet speech confound But afterwards recouering breath quoth shee Alas what chance hath parted thee and I. O tell what euill hath befallen to thee That of thy Death I may a Partner bee Tell THISBE what hath caus'd this Tragedie He hearing THISBE'S name lift vp his eye And on his Love he rais'd his dying head Where striving long for breath at last sayd hee O THISBE I am hasting to the dead And cannot heale that Wound my feare hath bred Farewell sweet THISBE wee must parted bee For angry Death will force mee goe from Thee Life did from him hee from his Mistris part Leaving his Love to languish heere in woe What shall shee doe How shall she ease her heart Or with what language speake her inward smart Vsurping passion reason doth o'reflow Shee sweares that with her PYRAMVS shee 'l goe Then takes the Sword wherewith her Love was slayne With PYRAMVS his crimson bloud warme still And sayd Oh stay blest Soule that so wee twaine May goe together where wee shall remaine In
endlesse Ioyes and never feare the ill Of grudging Friends Then she her selfe did kill To tell what griefe theyr Parents did sustaine Were more then my rude Quill can overcome Many a teare they spent but all in vaine For weeping calls not backe the Dead againe They both were layed in one Grave life done And these few words were writ vpon the Tombe Epitaph VNderneath this Marble stone Lye two Beauties ioyn'd in one Two whose Loves Death could not sever For both liv'd both dy'd together Two whose Soules being too divine For earth in their owne Spheare now shine Who have left their loves to Fame And their earth to earth againe FINIS AN ELEGIE ON THE Death of the Right Honourable DVDLEY Lord CARLETON Viscount DORCHESTER late Principall Secretarie of State THe infernall Sisters did a Counsell call Of all the Feinds to the blacke Stygian Hall The dire Tartarean Monsters hating light Begot by dismall Erebus and night Wheresoe're dispers'd abroad hearing the Fame Of their accursed meeting thither came Revenge whose greedy minde no Blood can fill And Envie neuer satisfied with ill Thither blind Boldnesse and impatient Rage Resorted with Death's neighbour envious Age And Messengers diseases wheresoe're Then wandring at that Senate present were Whom to oppresse the Earth the Furies sent To spare the Guiltie vex the Innocent The Counsell thus dissolv'd an angry fever Whose quenchlesse thirst by Blood was sated never Envying the Riches Honour Greatnesse Love And Vertue Loadstone which all these did move Of Noble CARLETON him she tooke away And like a greedy Vultur seas'd her prey Weepe with mee each who eyther reads or heares And know his losse deserues his Countries teares The Muses lost a Patron by his Fate Virtue a Husband and a Prop the State SOL'S Chorus weepes and to adorne his Herse CALLIOPE would sing a Tragicke verse And had there bin before no Spring of theirs They would have made a Helicon with their teares A. C. AN ELEGIE ON THE Death of my loving Friend and Cousen Mr. RICHARD CLERKE late of LINCOLNES Inne Gentleman IT was decreed by stedfast Destinie The World from Chaos turn'd that all should Die. Hee who durst fearelesse passe blacke Acheron And dangers of th' infernall Region Leading Hell's triple Porter captivate Was overcome himselfe by conquering Fate The Roman TVLLIE'S pleasing Eloquence Which in the Eares did locke vp every Sence Of the rapt hearer his Mellifluous breath Could not at all charme vnremorsefull Death Nor SOLON so by Greece admir'd could save Himselfe with all his Wisedome from the Grave Sterne Fate brought MARO to his Funerall flame And would have ended in that fire his Fame Burning those lofty Lines which now shall be Times conquerors and out-last Eternitie Even so lov'd CLERKE from Death no scape could find Though arm'd with great ALCIDES valiant mind Hee was adorn'd in yeares though farre more young With learned CICERO'S or a sweeter Tongue And could dead VIRGIL heare his lofty straine Hee would condemne his owne to fire againe His youth a SOLON'S Wisedome did presage Had envious Time but given him SOLONS age And all that in our Ancestors hath bin Of any Vertue earth now lost in him Who would not therefore now if Learnings friend Bewayle his fatall and vntimely end Who hath such hard such vnrelenting Eyes As would not weeps when so much Vertue dyes The God of Poets doth in darknesse shrowd His glorious face and weepes behind a Cloud The dolefull Muses thinking now to write Sad Elegies their teares confound their sight But him to Elysium's lasting Ioyes they bring Where winged Angels his sad Requiems sing Abraham Cowley A DREAME OF ELYSIVM PHOEBVS expuls'd by the approaching Night Blush'd and for shame clos'd in his bashfull light Whilst I with leaden MORPHEVS overcome The Muse whom I adore enter'd the roome Her hayre with looser curiositie Did on her comely backe dishevel'd lye Her Eyes with such attractive beauty shone As might have wak'd sleeping ENDYMION Shee bid me rise and promis'd I should see Those Fields those mansions of Felicitie Wee mortals so admire at Speaking thus She lifts me vp vpon wing'd Pegasus On whom I rid Knowing where ever shâ—e Did goe that place must needs a Temple bee No sooner was my flying Courser come To the blest dwellings of Elysium When straight a thousand vnknowne joyes resort And hemm'd me round Chast loves innocuous sport A thousand sweets bought with no following Gall Ioyes not like ours short but perpetuall How many objects charme my wandring eye And bid my soule gaze there eternally Heere in full streames BACCHVS thy liquor flowes Nor knowes to ebbe heere IOVES broad Tree bestowes Distilling honey heere doth Nectar passe With copious current through the vardant grasse Heere HYACINTH his fate writ in his lookes And thou NARCISSVS louing still the brookes Once louely boyes and Acis now a Flower Are nourish'd with that rarer herbe whose power Created the wars potent God heere growes The spotlesse Lilly and the blushing Rose And all those diuers ornaments abound That variously may paint the gawdy ground No Willow sorrowes garland there hath roome Nor Cypresse sad attendant of a Tombe None but APOLLO'S tree and th'Ivie twine Embracing the stout Oake the fruitfull Vine And trees with golden Apples loaded downe On whose faire toppes sweet PHILOMEL alone Vnmindfull of her former misery Tunes with her voice a rauishing Harmony Whilst all the murmuring brookes that glide along Make vp a burthen to her pleasing song No Scritchowle sad companion of the night Or hideous Rauen with prodigeous flight Presaging future ill Nor Progne thee Yet spotted with young Ilis tragedy Those Sacred bowers receiue There 's nothing there That is not pure immaculate and rare Turning my greedy sight another way Vnder a row of storme-contemning Bay I saw the Thracian singer with his lyre Teach the deafe stones to heare him and admire Him the whole Poets Chorus compas'd round All whom the Oake all whom the Lawrell crown'd There banish'd OVID had a lasting home Better then thou couldst giue ingratefull Rome And LVCAN spight of Nero in each vaine Had euery drop of his spilt bloud againe HOMER Sol's first borne was not poore or blinde But saw as well in body as in minde TVLLIE graue CATO SOLON and the rest Of Greece's admir'd Wisemen heare possest A large reward for their past deeds and gaine A life as euerlasting as theyr Fame By these the valiant Heroes take theyr place All who sterne Death and perils did imbrace For Vertues cause Great ALEXANDER there Laughing at Earth's small Empier did weare A nobler Crowne then the whole world could give There did HORATIVS COCLES SCAEVA live And valiant DECIVS who now freely cease From warre and purchase an Eternall peace Next them beneath a Myrtle bowre where Doves And gallesse Pidgeons build theyr nests all Loves Faithfull perseverers with amorous kisses And soft imbraces taste theyr greediest wishes LEANDER with his beautious HERO playes Nor are they parted with dividing Seas PORCIA injoyes her BRVTVS Death no more Can now divorce theyr wedding as before THISBE her PIRAMVS kiss'd his THISBE hee Embrac'd each blest with th' others companie And every couple alwayes dancing sing Eternall Ditties to Elysium's King But see how soone these pleasures fade away How neere to Evening is delights short Day For th'watchfull Bird true Nuncius of the Light Straight crow'd and all these vanish'd from my sight My very Muse her selfe forsooke mee too Me gâ—iefe and wonder wak'd What should I doe Oh! let me follow thee sayd I and goe From life that I may Dreame for ever so With that my flying Muse I though to claspe Within my armâ—s but did a Shadow graspe Thus châ—efest Ioyes glide with the swiftest streame And all our greatest Pleasure 's but a Dreame ABRA COVVLEY FINIS Some mistakes are passed in the Impression which I beseech thee Gentle Reader to pardon Vale. H. S.