I doe liue after thee and suruiue him who was the onely nourisher of my dolorous life Can I abide to be one minute of an houre from thee who hast so much alwayes desired the companie of haplesse Iustina Ah mine eyes mine eyes as much as you shewed your selues cheerfull to delight the heart of my Husband in your Loues so much or more shew your selues full of salt teares to lament his disaster But teares are the common offerings of euery woman at their husbands buryalls A Sentence and are too base oblations for so worthie and solemne an exequies Thy friendship deserueth better then so And more am I obliged vnto thee then to offer such base trifles Not my blubbering teares but my heart blood is due vnto thee For why should it not be thine when my verie soule is at thy seruice Ah cruell Honor why hast thou not rendered mee againe mine Alfonso in the selfe-same manner as thou tookest him from mee to doe thee seruice And how badly hast thou requited the paines hee hath taken in seeking to preserue thee fafe and sound Who euer would haue thought I should haue seene so horrible a sight as I see before I had dyed and who would haue imagined but that my praiers which I made continuallie vnto God to take me out of the world before my sweet Husband should not haue obtained grace from Heauen But come the worst that can come there shall not be much difference of time betweene our deaths for so quickly will we follow one another that if one houre cannot cut vs off both together yet at least one day shall dispatch and make vs away But in the meane space iustly maiest thou complaine of me my deare Knight in another world for that I haue bene the murtherer of thy life But I beseech thee complaine not of that neither of her who thinketh the time but miserable in which she liueth exiled and banished from thee Woe is mee I haue killed I haue slaine and murthered that which I loued most vpon the earth And vnto him which I know and acknowledge I was most beholding But is this possible Alack alack it is but too true Blacke and vnluckie was our marriage not vnlike vnto that of Paris and Hellena the conclusion whereof was bloodie woe and sorrowfull death Ah my tongue canst thou yet talke and thou my heart canst thou still breathe and yee mine eyes are you not yet blinde Alas I liue not for the least anguish that I endure is a greater hell then death vnto me And thou partiall death who art not ignorant that my Husband and I were but one onely person why killing him hast thou not done the like vnto me Or if thou then hadst forgotten the same why doest not thou now better remember thy selfe Come then most welcome death come I pray and permit not her to liue that so much desireth to attend on thee And yet before I depart where shall I find eyes sufficient to weepe and lamentings bitter enough to be conformable vnto the sorrowes of my soule Oh that this my humor changing it selfe wholly into teares and drowning me therewith in it might be so forth ate to drowne therewith all my torments also And alack what intollerable pangs doe I suffer can any sauadge body endure the same and yet not part hence And can mine eyes view my Spouse giue vp his ghost and not seale vp their liddes with an euerlasting slumber Louing and louely bedfellow as heretofore our affections were loyall true and chast so as loyall sweet and chast shall our entombings be together Sweet Husband as long as thou liuedst thou neuer wouldest depriue me of thy kinde and friendly embracings Ah then I desire thee let me not be defrauded of thy death For I am not worthie to be called thy wife if I doe not as well participate of thy bad fortunes as of thy good and take a say of thy sowre as well as I haue done of thy sweet If ioy could neuer diuide our foules why should they then be vntyed by death And as I heeretofore haue slept with thee in the selfe-same bed as our sacred marriage appointed vs so I beseech thee denie mee not to lye with thee in the selfe-same Tombe that thou doest Whlist we were liuing we were perfitly vnited together being dead wee will be as kindly ioyned one vnto another As well shalt thou be my husband now thou art dead as when thou wert aliue neither shall the Destinies themselues hinder me from following thee still to assist and helpe thee according vnto my bounden dutie But now alas before I come vnto thee how shall I pay the last remainders of my Loue which I owe thee By what testimony shall I render sufficient proofe of mine ardent affection towards thee and what perfect signes shall I shewe of my true dolour as thou too too well deseruest In times past An Example those women that loued their husbands best vsed to sacrifice themselues vnto the fire burning their bodies because they would die with them And shall I be lesse dutifull then those And what cannot I for my Loue is more perfect then theirs was But yet before I die let me kisse those eyes which liuing rauished my libertie those eyes which were of late the cheerfull Sun of my soule those eyes which once nourished my sadde and dulled spirits So let me touch those sugred lips whose liuely breath was sometimes the chiefe comfort of my minde and a precious balme to my griefe And thou faire countenance wherein sometimes lay all my hopes whose louely presence entertained my good Fortune Neuer shall I be satisfied enough in kissing of thee neither can my mortall desires be satisfied as they wish Ay me was I borne to murther mine owne life and was I so vnluckie in my birth that I could not dye without the losse of that which I helde as deare as mine inward soule And thou my soule how hard is thy trouble how heauie thy languishing and how wretched thy estate whilst that of mine Espouse liueth glorious by me heerein I can no longer talke and too long haue I prolonged my life and it may seeme my griefe is the lesse in that I haue had such libertie of speech But how The Swan singeth sweetly at the houre of her death An example then let none wonder though I waile and lament so much mine ende being so nigh Dispatch then miserable Iustina and performe the last vowes which are due vnto thy Alphonso to the ende thou maist hasten the more to follow him And therewithall she so often kissed and rekissed him as his Ghost for a while once returned againe into his bodie whilst hauing heard what pitious mone shee made for him he striueth euen in the middest of his death pangs to open his closed eyes and pale mouth a little to looke once more vpon her and to vtter these fewe words vnto her Ah my deare soule and deerer then my
death sweet death why vnto me doest not such fauour shew As for to end my course my soule and time all with one blow Alas why so long doest permit her for to breath and line Who liueth not whilst languishing she more and more doth grieue O death why thus to nourish life in me doest me despite Who am of all that line on earth the most accursedst wight This bodie which polluted is with worse then worse may be This bodie which vnworthie is the heauens or man to see This bodie spoild of honour rich and cloathed now with shame Although my minde did neuer yet consent vnto the same This bodie which deserues from graue and buriall to be â—ard The mocke of Fortune and the tipe of punishment most hard This bodie which with mine owne hand in peeces I should â—â—â—e This bodie which for to be burnt to ashes 〈◊〉 orthie were Ah cursed bodie hast thou staind thy soule without reâ—ure And guiltlesse of this ill must thou eternall paines 〈◊〉 Hast thou thy credit lost thy honour hast thou blemished Defamde thy Spouse and Traitor bene vnto thy Lord and head Thou shalt be plagued for the same of death thou shalt not misse Yet death 's too good for such a sinne too milde a paine it is Ah then sweet friend why doest it touch why to it comes thou night Alacke forbeare infectious t is it is thine enemie Vnworthie of thine eies it is vnworthie of thy face Nor doth it merit for to haue the least drop of thy grace Vouchsafe not for to touch the same but rather let it perish T is it hath sind and murthered thee the same then doe not cherish But yet before into the hands of wishâ— for death I fall The Gods to witnesse of my truth as records I do call I call the heauens aboue the earth the Seas that stowing shew The spirits of the firmament and them of hell below The Tritons Siluans Satire swift the Nymphs in Groues that walke And damned hags whose gastly shapes strike terror as they talke In briefe whatso hath life or mines all Trees all Rocks and Caues All Fountaines Groues and shadowing Vales from parching heat that same All these as witnesses I call that I am culpable But yet deceiu'd most traiterously and so made miserable All these I call and doe coniure that know the innocent Vnwittingly I faulted haue yet neuer did consent My faith I neuer brake to thee my Spouse I here a vow This heauens yee know for truth for I did thinke that it was thou I thought t was thou as thou wert wont that thou hast hid my face My face that is the cause that thou art in this wofull case Vnwilling though my bodie is tainted yet pure's my minde My bodie which against his will thy shadow false did finde But yet t is faultie and deserues and righly too reward Since it thine ouerthrow hath wrought through Fortune ouer hard Twise then it thee offended hath and double wrought thy wee Alas that double for to die I cannot force it the. The greatest sorrow I sustaine of these my sorrowes all Is that I double cannot die nor twise by dying fall Then why shouldst thou desire sweet hart new friendship to begin With such a bodie as but late doth come from doing sinne Vnworthie t is for thee the earth grosse earth let that it couer A fitting spoyle t is for the same and not for any other Or rather let this carkasse vile be purged pure with fire And th'a shes be disperst abroad through windes as I desire Woe is me borne was I to be thy death and through hard hap By my bad meanes the Parce three haue caught thee in their 〈◊〉 T is I and none but I that kild thee haue my dearest Spouse T is I that death haue brought to thee and that most dangerous Thou diest for my fault O cruell Lawe and most vnciuill He that is guiltlesse bides the paines of her that hath done euill T is I that blood haue drawne from thee t is I thy hart haue split T is I that haue thy louing name amongst the dead soules writ It is not death as thou dost thinke thy life that shortned hath But t is thy Stella haplesse borne to doe thee ill and skath Then to thy selfe I doe appâ—dle if death I not deserue And how much fortune mine accurst from other Fortunes swernt When as in steed of honouring thee dishonoured thee I haue And when I life to thee should giue I bring thee to thy graue When as our sacred Hymen I should reuerence and adore I haue abusde disparaged and scandalisde it fore And lastly when with ioy thou shouldest thy youth with pleasure passe I doe vntimely our thee off and make thee vade like grasse I being then the cause of all this mischiefe and this ill Doest seeme to wonder though I weepe and beauens with sorrow for Haue I not reason to lament to sigh to waile and grone Like vnto Niobe till like to her I turne to stone Since first the skies were fram'd and Sunne to shine at first was seene More wretched woman than my selfe nere was nor ere hath beene O wofull Stella Cloridan O Cloridan my life My life shall expiat my fault to end these sorrowes rife That selfe same sword that wounded thee shall through my bodie ranse Whilst dying both together we will laid be in one Tombe Then pardon me sweet Cloridan for pittie pardon mee Since that through others treacherie I haue offended thee Adien my Lord I loath to liue and not thy selfe enioy And saying so her selfe she strait doth with his sword destroy O brane Virago glorie and renowme of women kinde Fewe like thy selfe thy selfe like fewe didst shew a worthie minde O vertuous Ladie O faire spirit of thy selfe conquerour Ore whose rare constancie nor sword nor death it selfe had power So Lucres dide the Romanes Pearle when by base treacheris She vndefilde defiled was through Tarquin forceablie So Hero dide so Thisbe with the selfesame sword did slay Her selfe when Piramus to seeke she went the haplesse way And now her breathlesse coarse did fall vpon the pouer Swaine Who with that burthen gâ—â— to breath and seeke some life againe As when the night approacheth we behold and view the Suâ—â—â—â— By little and by little steale from hence his race being done His colour lesneth and lookes pale disdaining that still tide Whilst in some corner of the skie his faire face he doth hide So that vermillion colour sweet of Stella but of yore That beautie boue suparlatine as sacred to adore That passing snow white Iuorie that did all thoughts controule By little and by little forth from out her bodie stole Ore that 〈◊〉 louely coarse of hers death sits predominaâ—â— Who for that he came there for Rose and Lillie fresh did wâ—â—t Pale looked now those cherrie lips like ashes they appeare Whilst with aniron sleepe shut vp her eies fast closed were Her
can no longer liue and had it not bene for your presence I had bene dead long since the same hauing bene the occasion that the thread of my life was drawne forth so long as it hath bene For thee haue I liued euen vntill this houre but alas what talke I of liuing when all my sences faile me when my voice is going away and my heart beginneth to be colde within me What should I say more but that thou liue happily after my decease banishing away these sighes and drying vp thy too too drerie eies And this sweet husband I require and desire thee nay more I coniure thee as thou louest me to lament no more what cannot be recouered Once more adue sweet Leander I goe before to prepare a place for thee in the heauens and so farewell deare husband Come come embrace and kisse me to the end that my soule comming forth of bodie may make his passage into thine which whilest I liued was his earthly Paradise The sad knight hearing her say so embraceth her anew holding her closely in his armes whilest death approaching vnto her seazed vpon her closing vp her beautious eies and leauing her sencelesse coarse as cold as any stone which when Leander perceiued he sought all the meanes he could to bring her vnto life againe although it could not be And as the wilde Beare from whom her whelpes be stolen searcheth vp and downe for them leauing no place vnlooked and yet doe what she can she cannot finde them So Leander leaueth no part of his wiues bodie vntouched to see if he could finde any one sparke of life in her but all in vaine for death had alreadie extended his heauie hand ouer her As the Damaske Rose being once withered hath not one greene lease about it but such as be drie and fallen from their naturall colour Euen so was her bodie without force or mouing lying along without any motion or sence at all And yet although she were dead she laie as louely as if she had but bene in a smiling sleepe No maruaile then if whilest she were liuing she was so gratious with All when being dead she was able to make men fall in loue with her for the cruell destinies were not of power to take from her the propotion of her beautious visage but onely the rare vermillion colour of the same But now how is it possible for me to describe at large the true sorrow wherewith her kind husband was possest by reason of her losse It is a taske too great for me to take in hand and therefore I will giue it ouer neither meane I to set downe with what great pompe and exceeding charges her funerall obsequise were most solemnely performed Onely I will speake a word or two of his end which was that after her death he neuer ioyed so much as one smal houre nor liued any long time after her His chiefest delight was to thinke on death his diet he fed on was sighs teares sobs and lamentings Besides he caused all his Castle to be painted with blacke mixing here and there white teares amongst the same neither did he nor any of his followers weare other than mourning apparell as long as he liued And to conclude so vehement was his passions in his sorrow that they brought him into a recurelesse consumption wherein he continued not aboue three months but that he died hauing giuen order before to be buried in the same Monument that he erected for his constant Cynthia This Tragedie was so pittifully deliuered by the well spoken Nymph Orythia as she forced all her Auditors to shed salt teares especially when she made a conclusion of the same when they perceiuing that the Sunne was downe began euery one of them to withdraw themselues vnto their proper Lodgings but she staied them a while meaning to reuiue their dulled spirits after the hearing of so dolefull an Historie with this Song following Blest is he that nere did proue False in Faith in all his Loue. Loue without fidelitie Is a plague that makes vs die Without Faith one sues in vaine Loue of beautie faire to gaine Blest is he that nere did proue False in faith in all his Loue. Beautie soone away posse will Sacred Faith continueth still Th'ones diuine and nere deceiues Th' other oft our hearts bereaues Blest is he that nere did proue False in Faith in all his Loue. Without Faith Loue could not be For through Faith aie liueth he Who a Louer 's and not true Louers name to him 's not due Blest is he that nere did proue False in Faith in all his Loue. Oh how sweet a thing it is Two to loue and faith not misse T is two soules in one to bind Whilst daies turned to nights they find Blest is he that nere did proue False in Faith in all his Loue. No sooner had the Nymph made an end of her delightfull Song but that they might perceiue a strange Shepheard hard by them who after he had saluted them desired them to resolue him of this Riddle following Though light as Feather yet a burthen great I beare And liue within the lappe of my chiefe enemie One while I shake and nod as if a sleepe I were Another white as swift as flight away goe I. Light though I am I often heauie armed men Carrie and am their faithfull friend and saue their wealth Yet with my selfe I cast away them now and then And many times through swiftnes mine I saue my selfe But after I in many a place haue serud their turne And old become they throw me strait into the fire Whilst I of cold growe hot and in the flame doe burne To serue these men loe here you see my goodly hire For all my labour done to them in pieces they me spoile And hauing done thē seruice good I am nought worth vile The learned old man studied not long about this darke Enigma which he expounded in this sort These verses said he doe signifie a ship which being made of wood and light as sailing carrieth away people within her she remaining alwaies in the water which is her mortall enemie because it rotteth her One while it lieth still and rideth at Ancor as one idle and a sleepe and an other while it maketh profitable voiages scowring the huge Seas She is a guide and an assistance oftentimes vnto Souldiers whilest they encounter and fight with the enemies vpon the top of the Hatches thereof notwithstanding now and than she drowneth these which she carrieth and her selfe also Sometimes she escapeth alone when being afterward emploied of her wares and commodities and now growne old and rotten they breake her in pieces which they fling into the fire it being burned there although by nature the wood thereof is cold and being in the fire it complaineth of men who pay her with burning her for requitall of so many good seruices done by her vnto them The old man hauing deliuered this exposition satisfied the
so to doe for this onely good in that he hath procured mankinde to be borne maister of all other creatures and giuen him a soule immortall in felicitie For if the enemies of men be punished and if sometimes the Ancients ordained equall paine for one Ingrate as for a murtherer Surely the man ingrate towards Almightie God that acknowledgeth not so many blessings and graces from him ought to suffer much as worthie of most grieuous punishment Thus sayd the Shepheard to himselfe and had further discoursed vpon this subiect but that a sudden storme of raine made him runne out to goe stand vnder a thick Rock the toppe whereof saue garded him from the iniuries of heauen And being there aboue he heard a voyce which vttered this which followeth Blessed be they which are either perfectly happie without euer hauing felt griefe or altogether miserable hauing neuer made tryall of any contentment For he which suddainly cōmeth out of the Stoue findeth the aire colder then he who hauing neuer bene within hath alwayes stood without doore In like māner those which neuer felt any good during their life endure nothing so much as they which haue bin happie are afterwards becom miserable For if white maketh vs better to know and discerne black in like sort good maketh the griefe which ensueth more cruell intollerable the remēbrance of which losse terribly tormenteth our soules It greeueth not one so much to goe without cloathes who ordinarily goeth naked as well in winter as Sūmer but it would be a cumbersome hard matter for him who hath bin well and warmly clad to be stripped thrust into his shirt and forced to go all bare In like manner the miserable that haue knowne nothing but griefe are not so greatly oppressed with paine as they who haue sometimes tasted of felicitie whereof at the same instant they finde themselues depriued More cruell was king Perceus his change who of a puissant king became miserable a seruant slaue and laughing-stocke of Fortune then if hee had neuer knowne any such greatnes remaining as a priuate simple man and without a Diademe Of the selfe same now speake I by experience for more cruell at this day doe I feele the griefe to see my selfe absented depriued of my deare Diana thē if I had neuer seen her or that she had not pleased mine eies as she hath done Alas Can it be that I should remaine without her or that my soule may continue in my body being depriued of her faire and shining countenance If the bodie cannot moue without the soule Oh how can mine liue enioying no more that Sun which caused it both to liue and moue Oh my Diana in what part soeuer thou glaūcest forth thy beautifull and celestiall rayes let the heauens be alwayes fauourable vnto thee in recompence of the good thou hast done me in suffering me to behold thy countenance Farre frō thy yeares dayes let pale death flie all discontentment absent it selfe from thy soule all vexation griefe auoyd thy hart let sadnes be banished from thence to conclude let no feeling of griefe euer touch thee liuing let heauē alwaies make thy beauty durable thy chast vertue immortall thy sacred fidelitie power eternall and thy excellent glorie endles Alas if the heauens preserue thy noble perfections who vnder the Sun shall liue more perfect or happy thē thy selfe for none can equall thee in these worthie vertues vertues alas which augment misfortunes make my complaints more bitter For he hath greater cause to complain that hath lost much then he that hath endured the losse but of a small matter I haue lost thy diuine presence which only chased and droue away my obscure nights now I wander in darknes in night in horror vexation I haue lost my Sun my dayes are turned into nights Alas but haue I not likewise lost my miserable life Alas my Goddesse if thou wouldest if thou wouldest I say take my soule as thine owne retaine it with thee why takest not thou in like manner my life causing him to die which cannot liue remoued frō thy light but I must scoure both sea land to find thee out I will flie neither paine danger nor labor to see thee yet once more before death reap my sad wretched daies And then in all repose contentmēt pleasure I will yeeld this miserable carkasse to the earth shaken quashed with so many hitter griefes euen broken as it were in pieces with a thousand martyrdoms During these daies replenished with obscurity dyed in lamentation darknes In that I shall not behold thy beautifull diuine countenance my teares like streams shall poure out frō my blubbered eyes sighes shall come forth euen from my soule sad wailing mourning frō my hart No apprehension of pleasure shall dwel within me no apparāce of life to signe of pleasing delights nor any note of health Miserable will I alwaies remaine no ioyfull accident no chāge of fortune or new forme of life can administer the least consolation to my soule voyd of pleasure ioy of all good and contentment I will sigh continually while destinie moued at my long complaints together with my life cut off my teares troubles Thus spake this wretched Shepherd wretched surely miserable who neuer felt so much as one smiling glaunce of fortune miserable certainly in that he was borne to suffer neuer knew what ioy meant yet more wretched in hauing spent his years emploied his whole life offered his dayes and yeelded his time to seruice of many who permitted pouertie to swallow vp his years and manage and ouermaister his life And though he were peerles in miserie and that his state of life was onely swayed by misfortunes which held him caytif notwithstāding cruel enuie which biteth all things though they be incorporeall ceased not to make a thousand malicious iealous of that little cōmendation which his dolorous Muse acquired to his years In all cōsiderations therfore he was most wretched aboue all others But that which gaue the greatest blow and that made his griefe insupportable and fell was the absence and losse of his Diana The remembrance wherof was sufficient to forget choak quite extinguish all the mortall pleasures he could haue tasted of in this world Euery one maketh his chiefe felicity of that he best liketh things which are sometimes held for happy cōmodious of mortall men are in contēpt with those who haue placed their soueraigne good in some other matter as Louers flout at riches treasures Empires and kingdomes which mortall men propound vnto themselues for the good of their contentmēt vpon which they build their most pleasure and delight But the onely presence of their Ladies is their chiefest good for their soules be more ioyfull in beholding of them then are the eyes of a couetous mizer when they take pleasure in contemplation of the goods riches
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
the knight as at length life began to come in him once more that he might yet a little longer enioy the presence of her O what a pittifull sight was this to behold These two faithfull Louers who neuer had receiued any solace or comfort the one of the other in all the time of their life now at the last houre of their deaths begin to embrace and kisse one another sucking that sweet poyson which forced them to die mingling their teares vpon their checkes whilest they drowne themselues in the Seas of their owne laments and wailings O happie Knight to carrie with thee the soule of thy Mistris which with thy chaste kisses thou diddest sucke from forth her bodie and O blessed Princes to haue receiued so faithfull a proofe of thy Loyall Louer whilest thou doest comfort him he lying at the point of death The one was whole and without hurt the other at deaths doore and wounded mortally and yet was she that was whole no more able to speake then the other that was so fore diseased Mute and dumb were both of them they two hauing as it were but one bodie is but one will and minde was betwixt them yet this slight pleasure which they drew with their sole breath lasted not long for so great was their inward griefes as if they should not haue spoken their hearts must then needs burst in sunder As the beautie of the Rose that is gathered soone vadeth away because it quickly withereth by reason of the heate of the Suune Euen so as suddely were those ioyes which they conceiued gon from them whilest the young Ladie weepeth and weeping drieth vp the teares of ner faithfull Seruant she kisseth his closed eyes and with her tongue wipeth away the drops as they fall vpon his cheekes but alas in steed of those which she drieth vp his owne distilleth and lighteth vpon the same place whilest heauie sighes make him to groane and thousand passions interrupt and breake the passage of his speech He crieth out and taketh on most bitterly to see her thus to lament he curseth his hard fortune and calleth her cruell in that she seemeth to enuie at this his glorie which he conceiueth in his minde to enioy by dying and at the last forceth himselfe to vse these fewe speeches vnto her Alas sweet Mistris what haue I done vnto you what haue I done vnto you I pray you that you should so much malice the small remainder of this my hatefull life Let me alone I beseech you and suffer me to part out of this world quietly without troubling of me now I am going away from hence Are you not content that mine owne teares haue so often drowned me but that I must needs be ouerwhelmed with yours also O vnkinde and discourteous euen vntill my latest end If thou louest me as thou wouldest make me beleeue then shew some signe thereof in appeasing thy sorrowes for my loue sake Wilt thou make me so miserable as that now I am dying I shall finde my selfe to be the Author of all thy care and sorrow Alacke doe not me that great wrong and let it not be said that I haue receiued so vniust an iniurie from thee Goe in peace I pray you and suffer me to die according vnto mine owne wish O wretched carkasse of mine why diddest not thou breathe thy last with the corpse of thine enemie when thou soughtest the other day in the lists without procuring as now vnto thy selfe a worse then double death Well Ladie well I see thou wilt not cease from weeping I see thou wilt still be sighing and sobbing and I plainely perceiue thou wilt not giue ouer to lament for the losse of him who is not worthy that thou shouldest let fall one teare in his behalfe Most gratious Princes if my praiers cannot preuaile for me and although thou wilt doe nothing in respect of me ah yet at least haue some regard vnto thine owne honour for what would strangers thinke if they should finde that thou thus takest on and mourne for me Wilt thou make me so wretched as to cause me to be thought to be the occasion both of thy woe and of thy discredit which although wrongfully shall be a blemish vnto thy former renowme Doe not O doe not offer me such monstrous iniurie but rather if thou thinkest that euer I haue done any thing that hath bene pleasing vnto thee or that I did fight against thine enemie in thy behalfe recompence me with this one good turne which is that thou bewaile not the losse of him who whilest he liued was thy most religious Votarie to the end none may reproach or defame thee hereafter in giuing out that thou diddest Loue me But I perceiue it will not be I see my suite will not be graunted wherefore O death most kinde and courteous death make hast come come and make hast to rid me out of this too too seruile thraldome to the end I may no longer behold her thus to waile and weepe who is my chiefest ioy and felicitie in this world Then once more gratious Mistris But here he was preuented by the wofull Princes who not being able to heare him thus to vexe and torment himselfe interrupted him in his speech after this manner Now by that rare vertue by that admirable valour and by that comelines of personage all which were lately thine yea and by mine owne selfe who will be none but thine I entreate thee my deare and faithfull Knight and by that admirable loue which thou hast heretofore borne me and as yet doest beare vnto me I coniure thee to pardon me for this thy death for I onely haue forced thee to die it is I haue bene thy vtter destruction and I onely haue brought the vntimely vnto thy graue Ah let me but heare that sweete and comfortable word once pronounced by thee before I discouer vnto thee the secrets of my heart and that I bewray any more of mine inward minde vnto thee Louely Ladie replied my Maister I pardon thee with all my heart but why doest thou thus iest at my haplesse miseries requesting that of me which I first did beg of thee because it belonged vnto me and for that it is I and not thou that art herein culpable neuerthelesse if those words shall please thee for whom I liued onely to serue and obey and whom now I am dying I would be loth to offend I am content to speake them saying Fairest and loueliest Ladie I most hartily pardon you The mestfull Ladie hearing him to say so began to drie her eyes whilest flinging the haire of her head vpon her shoulders which before hindered her tongue from speaking she thus began to bewray her minde vnto him I cannot denie my deare heart but that I was much too blame when I first of all refused thy chaste seruice offered vnto me but alas did I thinke that for one onely deniall thou wouldest haue giuen ouer thy enterprise and betaken thy selfe to liue
chase againe O how great power hath our desire ouer our Soules that it is of force presently to reuiue our senses to awaken our thoughts to plucke vp our Spirits and to change and alter our countenances The great longing he had to reade that large writing awaked him out of his dreame recalled home his former wits brought him again to be a right man He turned his eyes too and fro busying himsefe about the reading of those lines but little pleasure conceiued he of the same because he could not vnderstand them by reason they were carued in letters of Arabia which made him fret and fume Not vnlike vnto one who seeking to passe ouer a Riuer A Comparison cannot find the lowest and shallow est place through which he might wade most safest so as being in great coller against Nature he burst out into these speeches Ah cruell Stepdame when wilt thou be glutted with the miseries of mortall men At too high a rate doest thou sell that little aduantage and benefit which they haue ouer other liuing creatures To what ende serues it them to be more perfect then beastes if this perfection taketh from them their most desired rest and what profit is it for one to be rich if that treasure of his engendreth trauaile and care which most cruelly weareth away his life Farre happier by ods are the bruite beastes for ignorance taketh away from them the apprehension of misfortunes the thought of riches and the sorrow that is incident vnto this life whereas the minde of man is tossed too and fro not onely with vnquietnes of such things as are present but also for such as are before passed and are yet to come yea and that in such strange wise as man is thought to be still miserable excepting onely in that small time wherein he is freed and released from those mortall cares and knawing Corsiues Alack A Similie alack as with the tree the rinde groweth and sprowteth vp the one not being able to continue without the other so with Man is carefulnes ingendred which as a most vnfortunate euill Angell followeth him in all his actions he taketh in hand Who is he that euer hath bin liuing without the feeling of griefe or sorrow or without the tast of vexation and vnquietnes The mornings houre frameth and plotteth one miserie or other against the euening as the extreame rage of ardent heate maketh a storme or tempest which halleth fire and water together For one tast of pleasure which he enioyeth a thousand desires of death seaze on his spirits to the ende he might quench all his heauie disasters by such a speedie meanes for more happier are senselesse creatures then they whose bodies are onely put to trauaile and not their mindes at all and in respect of the vnfortunate plagues of this life a thrise blessed companion is death who ought to be counted a remedie and helpe rather then any paine or trouble And therefore thrise happie indeede are you most valiant Spirits who of your owne braue courages haue dared to shorten by violence the miseries of your loathed liues thereby to abridge and cut off the multitude of sorrowes belonging vnto the same Vnkinde Nature what gifts doest thou prodigally bestowe vpon man but bitter wailings and salt teares No sooner are we borne but teares come forth with vs following vs in all the course of our liues and not leauing vs vntill our latest death Of earth doest thou frame our bodies and to earth doest thou turne the same againe And yet alas not before thou hast made vs to take the aslay of many miserable calamities Neither hast thou made rightly perfect any one man there being alwaies in his life one fault or another for seldome or neuer find we an excellent and quick Spirit in a well shaped and comely bodie nor an exquisite well made bodie to containe in the same a rare and admirable minde But it is no wonder at all that those who are thy Subiects children and vassals want their perfection when thou thine owne selfe A Similie hast failed and doest come behind of the same Hardly can the people of a cruell king be brought to be gentle and milde and as hardly can men thy creatures attaine to come to be perfect when thou thy selfe on whom they depend art naturally full of defects and wants I pray thee tell me what charges had it bin vnto thee if thou hadst giuen vnto euery one an insight and skill in forraigne languages and why doest thou depriue so many mindes desirous of knowledge in all things for want of vnderstanding strange tongues in which thou giuest a plaine testimome either of thine owne imperfection or else of thy ouermuch crueltie if thou art imperfect then can nothing that is faire excellent or perfect be found amongst vs for of the seedes of thistles can neuer corne spring and if thou be cruell then miserable is the estate of man to be gouerned and subiugated vnder the yoke of such a bloudie and inhumane Stepmother Both which vices I doubt not but abound in thee Certainly thou art imperfect rendring so many bodies emptie and voyd of all perfection as Monsters fashioned without forme And cruell thou art making men more wretched or rather farreworse then rude and sauadge beastes Thus exclaimed the poore Pilgrime mad for anger that he could not vnderstand that strange writing And as a small matter of losse bringeth more dammage vnto him who commeth from going about a farre greater whilst the same is a doing and feeleth the crosse thereof to be more then if the said little mischance had hapned whilst he was in prosperitie So this pettie despite galled the Shepheard more by reason he was as thē plunged in a bottomles pit of discōtentments thē if it had chaunced when he had liued most at ease and pleasure But now as he was laying himselfe downe to make his praiers vnto the morning sleepe to charme and close vp his eyes and trauaile for a while he might perceiue on the sudden a certaine aged man standing hard behind him This good old Father had a long beard as white as snowe his haire of his head was hoarie and graie his forehead wrinkled his face furrowed his eyes sunke in his head his lippes great and blacke his eye-browes thicke as bristles his hands riueled and nothing but skinne and bone his apparell a beares case his feete bare and naked hauing in his right hand a staffe and in his left a booke The complaint of the Shepheard had he heard and he being one that was assisted and holpen by the benefit of Nature in the charmes and enchantments which he vsed was not a little moued to heare her so sharpely blamed Whereupon he resolued to take her cause in hand and as a friendly counseller to pleade in her behalfe insomuch as without once saluting or greeting the discontented Arcas in a friendly manner he thus began to answere him Alas poore silly soule
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
plac't Who thinking they were then alone for so they made account Th' one toying with the other stood as was their vsuall wont And after many louely tricks Loue from their eyes did thrill So many Darts hitting their soules more heate increasing still That Plaindor being ouerchaft with this fierce amorous rage His lippes vpon the cheekes and mouth of his faire Saint did gage Now of himselfe not master he her in his armes doth take And thousand times did kisse her though resistance she did make As hard it is for him that dyeth through thyrst and want of drinke A Similie For to abstaine when he drawes nigh the Cristall riuers brinke So t' is as insupportable for any Louer much To be in presence of the Dame he loues and her not touch When he hath Fortune time and place the leisure and the meane He cannot hold his blood 's so hot his heate is so extreame When he is neere his health his health to haue he needs must seeke When he seeth what he longeth for he needs the same must like 〈◊〉 were he senslesse as a stone and liuelesse as a blocke Like to a lumpe of heauie earth and worse then flintie rocke So Plaindor takes his pleasure then forgetfull of his oth Whilst he her lips with kisses seales respecting nought his troth But weladay those kisses sweet to poyson sower did turne And was the cause that to his death they forc't him for to mourne Floretta chaft apace that he thus on her lips had seasde But Plaindor this her rage at last in sugred-wise appeasde The sneaking Shepheardesse the while withdrawne her selfe now had Out from her hole where she did see what made her welnigh mad And seeing that so many kisses twixt them giuen had bin These Louers lou'd but wantonlie she strait begun to win Away she goeth nor for to see the ende she durst be bold But much astonisht did depart then frosty Ice more cold She is resolu'd to be reueng'd and vexed mightily With sundry passions her hote loue doth turne to crueltie The Loue of these two soules she meanes to taxe with foule repriefe And of the kissing close to cast Floretta in the teeth Her Honor to accuse and of these vertuous Louers twaine To seeke with infamie and with reproch their liues to staine O how disdaine is in her kinde more violent of force And what great dammage hath it brought to men without remorse O how it power hath for to change the hearts of vanquishers And how to alter dearest Friends in minde shee her bestirs Meane time Floretta vnderstands that her Renoum's disgrac't And that her Honor vndeseru'd is wrongfullie defac't Her Fault if chaste loue may be term'd a Fault this woman base One morning fore the Sheapheards all reprocheth to her face Which when Floretta heard she vowes ore-charg'de with furious Ire Against her selfe against her health and life for to conspire No longer will she liue as now reuenged for to bee For Honor hers by Treason stainde as she with griefe doth see So for to purge her selfe of fault An Example not faultie nerethelesse In ancient Time vnto her Fame did die the chaste Lucresse Thus doth Floretta destined too hard with heauy looke Sweare with her selfe vpon her selfe Murther to execute Her daintie hands she aymeth now against her proper corse Her hands which too too hastie were to wrong without remorse Ah how much Honor 's deare vnto a chaste and modest spright Who seeks by vice to slaunder such accursed be that Wight The feare of Death can neuer coole Desire A Sentence that 's resolet To saue his good name by his life if he thereon be set Floretta then changing her former vse from sweetest ioy To vncoth plaint and passions sad surcharged with annoy Bewailing her disaster hard and sighing forth her paine Vnto a sauadge Mountaines toppe gets vp with speed amaine Where sprang a certaine Water strange or rather poyson fell By which strong venim she did meane her woes for to expell This water of such nature was as nothing could it hold It brake Glasse Iron Brasse Leade Steele it was so deadly cold But she that knew the propertie thereof in hoofe of Asse Close did the same conserue and then away from thence did passe And carrying it about her still vntill she Plaindor found She neuer left that done she downe sits by him on the ground Where she withouten shewe of griefe like Cignet that doth sing Before her death these words worth Note did vse thus greeting him Ah Plaindor deare deare may I say if thy Floretta poore Hath giuen thee any proofe of Loue most perfect or most sure If euer of her friendship kinde thou care hadst heretofore As not long since she in thy Loue with pitty thee did store By that same loyall loue of thine she now coniureth thee Permit her Honor to reuenge her on her iniurie Floretta now can liue no more since that she through thy selfe Hath lost her good Fame which she priz'de aboue all worldly wealth Ah Plaindor t' is for euer lost and by like lucklesse Fate Floretta thine now goeth the way her life to ruinate Alas how often told I thee when first thou didst me woe That still mine Honor to preserue thou shouldst respect haue due Mine Honor which Florettas life after the same doth draw And which I iustly forced am to follow now by Law How we do liue here in this world God knoweth is reckning small Nor flourish can our Names A Sentence or deeds immortally at all Vnlesse our Honor mongst our selues doe liue immortallie For that alone keeps vs aliue that we can neuer die But if the selfe same blood as yet remaineth in thy heart Of such so many sauadge beasts by which thou richer art If in the prime of thy best Age and pride of thy youths flower Thou hast not lost thy courage olde through Loues ore-conquering power Then Plaindor I pray heartily nay more beseechen thee To liue when I am dead and that thou wilt suruiuen me And thinke deare Friend I merit not the halfe part of the griefe Which for my death I know that thou wilt take without reliefe For I was but a shadow plaine trans-form'd in body thine Besides fairer then I thee loues whose beautie is diuine Who with affection like to thine in fancie being set The thought of me and memorie shall make thee soone forget So that no sooner Death shall me from my liues chaines dislinke As thou stalt forced be no more on me at all to thinke Meane time since hasty Death doth me of all my hopes depriue To haue for my sore wound a Salue whilst I shall be aliue And that sweet Shepheard I no more shall now of thee haue need I le thee acquaint how much how deare I loued thee indeed Most zealous yet more chast I lou'd such was mine amorous flame My heart was thine and in thy breast mine owne Soule did remaine My thoughts
fauour at your hands nothing can come impossible vnto me Suffer me diuine Princes to enioy so rare a name which shall be more pleasing vnto me then to be Prince of Dace For no Realme doe I value at so high a rate as I doe your admired beautie The Gods they say esteeme most of the pure good wills of men their creatures and loue them for the same perceluing themselues to be loyallie serued and faithfullie honored by them Imitate them I besech you for you can neuer affect or like anie man that loueth you in that deepe measure that I doe which I alwaies will maintaine with the losse of my dearest blood against all such as shall make shew to loue you And I will dare to auouch that their deuotion towards you being farre inferiour vnto mine doth not merit such or the like guerdon as mine of right deserueth To be briefe I beseech you good Madam vouchsafe to accept as a deed of gift the whole person and the entire possessions and Realmes of the Prince of Dace who doth not account nor imagine his famous glorie nor his good fortunes to depend vpon his owne valour or braue exploits but only on the faithfull seruice which he hath vowed vnto you For far greater honor shall it be vnto him to serue so rare and exquisite a creature as you are then to command and beare sway ouer ten thousand nations were they neuer so generous The young Princes little or nothing moued with these sweete speeches yet somewhat loth and vnwilling to anger so great a Prince whose affection she found to be wonderfull towards her whose procedings she could not much mislike of seeing they did spring from a vertuous and loyall hart and withall perceiuing how greatly he was honored by the Duke her father resolued with her selfe seeing she could not much affect him to carrie her selfe so wisely and to giue him so polliticke an answere as he should scarse tell what to iudge of the same that in such sort as it should neither make him dispaire nor force him to conceiue any great good hope at all which she deliuered after this maner of speech My Lord if my weake and shallow iudgement were worthie to take place amongst such as are learned could make difference and distinction in matters of importance I should then thinke that this word of Perfection is no way proper nor conuenient vnto mortall things for that which cannot be changed from his first Essence Being his omnipotent power and almightie authoritie as God himselfe is onely perfect indeed But cōtrariwise that which is not certaine to rest or to keepe as much as the space of one short houre in one and the-selfe same forme because it is subiect vnto alteratiō and change A Sentence it taking after the vncertaine course of the Stars and the chaunces of this world cannot any way be called perfect Which seeing it is so I beseech you Sir vse not this word proper vnto God onely towards her whose fairest perfections that she hath is the assured knowledge of her owne imperfections I am noble Prince too base a creature and of too small account to be beloued of you the Gods loue not any thing but what is rare and worthie of their frendship Princes are Gods here vpon the earth and ought to imitate them not searching for any thing but such as differing from the vulgar conceit of the cōmon people carrieth in it selfe some excellent particuler grace and extraordinarie excellencie with it But these worthie qualities wanting in me what should moue you to cast so great affection and liking vpon me as you would seeme to parswade me you doe Let me alone I pray you I pray you let poore Iustinai alone Let not her defects be as a laughing stock vnto your youthfull yeares Nature hath made her wretched enough alreadie without farther encreasing of her miseries to make her the table talke comon laughter Besides say that your tongue did agree with your hart and that they two did not differ in affections you being as willing euery way as you make shew of to abase your greatnes so lowe as to loue me vnfamedly indeed Yet what assurance can you haue of her who hath no absolute power ouer her selfe who is vnder the subiection and rule of a Father whose commaundement is her will alone A man can neuer get any benefit of a Seruant that hath nothing at all of his owne A Similie and whose onely good dependeth vpon the pleasure of his Maister Euen such is my case and so fareth it with me and therefore if you meane to obtaine what you seeme so earnestly to desire you were best to make sute vnto him who hath interest ouer me without whose permission and leaue I neither can nor ought to promise any thing vnto you at all If this be all answered the Prince and that there is no other let I doubt not but to haue a good issue in the pursute of this my busines I haue taken in hand for I assure my selfe for certaine that my Lord the Duke your Father will neuer refuse the alliance of my house nor that we shall not be married together But neitheir his consent neither our alliance no nor the mariage it selfe will I account of vnlesse I haue your owne good will For what good would it be vnto me to enioy you as my spouse when you as my mortall enemie shall mislike the same The consent of parents maketh not the marriage but the amitie and liking of both the parties who are willing that their two bodies shall be bound in so inseparable a bond together as death it selfe can scarce sunder them Onely assure me of your liking for as concerning the obtaining of your fathers good will which I alreadie perswade my selfe of I will follow it as effectually as speedily And then will I thinke my selfe the most happiest Prince in the world I am not so simple answered the Ladie neither so voyd of discretion but that I know that a wise and dutifull daughter ought to loue what her Father is willing she should like not being ignorant how faithfully loyallie and dearely a lawfull and honest husband is to be accounted of This is all I can as now answere you If you would craue more of me you must pardon me To talke with my father you may doe as you please In your busines I will neither further nor hinder you you know best what you haue to doe And so with your licence for this time I will take my leaue The Princes being departed from him he strait went vnto her father with whome he was so earnest and vehement in setting forth his amorous passions as he promised him his daughter assuring her vnto him before witnes Whereupon the Danish Prince made all the hast he could to be gone to the ende he might carrie these happie tidings vnto the King his father and that he might with the more conuenient
fault haue I committed that you should enuie at this small rest which I finde whilst I am dying and why doe you malice my fortune when by death I hope to rid my selfe from these so hellish torments Let me I pray you depart hence quietly who deserue not to liue since whilst I liued I could not conquere my selfe If the braue Caualiere suffereth himselfe sometimes to die for very griefe to see himselfe ouercome and if right generous mindes thinke scorne to beg life of the victor chusing rather to die then to liue and carie the marke of a vanquisht person in their face how much more iustly then ought he to consent to his owne death and die willingly who ouer-charged with ordinarie foolish passions hath not bene able to conquere himselfe It is not for me Madame to liue any longer seeing I am not of power to hinder and forbid louing that which is the occasion of my death because I finde my selfe vnworthie to enioy the same Yet if it be a lesse disgrace to be subdued by a vertuous and gallant Captaine of the warres then by a base coward and a dastard of no valour then doe I count it a lesse displeasure vnto me to die for so worthie and rare a Subiect as I doe Iudge then most gratious Ladie and iudge but rightly how sacred and chast how faithfull and firme my loue hath alwaies bene which forceth me rather to die most wretchedly then to discouer it vnto you for feare of offending your more then wonderfull vertue But alas I not onely sacrifice this my life vnto your diuine deitie but thousands more would I offer if I had so many onely to be reconciled vnto you I haue done all that I could before I came vnto this my last remedie to take vpon me this wofull resolution But Souldiers that are beggered and dispaire of all hopefull succours A Comparison are in the ende forced despite of themselues to yeeld So I seeing my selfe voyd of all health and helps to what ende should I longer prolong my dolorous life to lengthen my cares the more And yet if it were possible you might be moued with a solemne protestation of a iust loyall and liuely affection borne towards you or if the misfortune of him who for feare to offend you most willingly abandoneth his life might touch you with some small drop of pittie Ah then Mistris suffer I beseech you this wretched carkasse of mine to be enterred in your presence to the ende that euen vnto his Tombe he may vaunt to haue had your blessed companie who whilst he liued was his onely delight and clearest light grace this my vnfortunate carkasse so much vnfortunate to die so soone without hauing shewed any sufficient proofe of his seruice nor restored you vnto your former happie fortunes But alas what good could it doe at all Seeing as vnworthie to serue you you haue and yet iustly cashired him and refused his vnprofitable seruice Therefore was it fittest for him to die seeing whilst he liued he was found as Non proficiens in the seruice of her vnto whome he was endebted for his life The onely thing I wish for in this world was but once more to see you to the ende I might certitifie you of my minde as now I haue done and to satisfie my weeping eyes who would haue died most vnwillingly if they had not once beheld your sweet selfe before the closing vp of their lids which request since I haue obtained to what purpose should I longer breathe The trauailer reposeth himselfe at the ende of his iorney A Sentence The craftes man giueth ouer hauing made an ende of his worke and euery one seeketh to rest hauing finished what they first tooke in hand So I now the houre-glasse of my life is run out now I haue seene spoken and obtained what I requested so much why should not I repose my selfe as well as others and quietly goe downe into my graue in peace I must sweet Ladie I needs must die and bid you hartily farewell I must die for griefe to want your presence and loose your companie But for a mortall disease no remedie is to be found Pardon me if I speake more boldly then becommeth me and thinke that he that lieth on his death bed hath libertie at that time to deliuer his minde at full Aboue all I here protest vnto you and most humblie by the name of God by your faire vertues by your Princely descent by your sacred honour by your rare beautie I earnestly entreate you to beleeue me that I neuer desired any thing more then the conseruation of your chastitie that I neuer so much wished mine owne good as I haue alwaies sought to maintaine your renowme and glorie Yet before I die let me intreat you sweet Mistris to heare a few verses which the remembrance of you and death together endited in memoriall of your chast amitie for he dieth not at all who dying seeth himselfe Imprinted in the mindes of his best friends most sorrowfull for his departure And hauing so said he called his sad Page vnto him who being commanded by him tooke his Lute in his hand and with an excellent sweet voyce vnto a most dolefull tune sung these verses following before his weeping Mistris O Death which vnto death my griefes doest consecrate For thankes my heart blood I will offer vp to thee Yet dying I account my selfe as miserable That sooner this to thee I had not power to proffer Alas what gaine I longer life for to prolong If I am frighted thus as well by day as night He shipwracke makes not of his rest that gently dies And his daies ending makes an ende of all his griefes O God what doth it boote me to adore my FAIRE Since I vnworthie am to serue so rare a beautie And yet an honour great t is for me to be loyall My hurts their guerdons haue in my fidelitie Then must I die I see and t is the common course Of brauest spirits death gently to endure Better resolue to die then alwaies liue in woe The shipman toyles till he attaines the wished port A due faire beautie which my soule hast rauished A due mine eyes shall nere more see thy brightnes pure I will entombe with this my sad disastred life My heart my teares my coarse in my most faithfull Loue. Ay me I waile too much A minde magnanimous Distils not watrie drops but floods of goarie blood And worser is his fault who doth vnwilling die Then he that from this world doth part with stomack braus Courage then thou my soute leaue this sad sorrowes cell My bodie and goerise with those that liue below Thrice blessed hee that dieth his Mistris will to please Such ende to make not death but Glories vnto him For Countrey Parents Frends their liues let others spend I will bestow mine for my faire and chastest Friend The Page hauing sung this wofull Dittie vnto a passing mournfull
poasting towards Alphonsos Castle where he and his companie being disguised lay in waite for the Spaniard not daring for his life to set vpon him nigh the Kings Court lest his villanre should be descried and he well punished for the same About some sixe daies after he was gone Alphonso leaueth the Court highly commended and much praised of euery one little suspecting any treason with a small traine following him when being now within two leagues of his Castle behold the vngratefull Dane and his attendants to come out of a little wood well armed at all points and to rush sodeÌ„ly vpon Alphonso who being of an excelleÌ„t spirit courage carried himselfe so brauely as before he caught his deaths wound the Prince was turned off from his horse starke dead vpon the ground by him who being the first that set vpon him But in the ende What can the valiant Hercules gainst oremuch force preuaile Couragious mindes will sooner die then yeeld themselues or quaile So our worthie Spaniard had rather be killed manfully then saue his life by base and ignoble flying away But after he had fought a long time hauing giuen vnto many their death wounds and receiuing many himselfe his enemies still hemming him in round about setting vpoÌ„ him with a fresh assault at the last he falleth downe dead from his horse which the villaines perceiuing and doubting lest they should be followed by the countrie they tooke vp the dead course of their Prince in hast lamenting this hard aduenture and setting spurres to their horse away they flew as fast as the winde being neuer heard of after Behold here one of Loues feâ—sts of a contrarie fashion vnto other bankets For his first dishes presented at the table are pleasant sweet and delightsome but his last course is bitter cruell wofull bloodie and full of murther His chiefest companion is quarrelling Mars neither doth he euer march without hauing with him either Rage Furie or Follie. Meane space some of Alphonsos men who as crauens retired apart when the skirmish was at the hottest seeing their enemies fled came backe againe where all the broile had bin longing to know how their Maister had sped whom they found with a thousand wounds well nigh bleeding through euery part of his bodie and lying amongst the thickest of his enemies which were slaine by his owne hand whereat they making most pittious mone began to search if there were yet any one sparke of life in in him or no At the last they hauing done their best indeuour to recouer him he began to come a little vnto himselfe againe when scarce being able to open his eyes dimd and damd vp with death his soule readie to flit from hence vnto a better world with a hollow voice he thratled forth these few words My dearest friends let me intreat you to shew me this fauour it being the last which I will euer hope or looke for at your hands to conuey this my martyred body vnto my faithfull spouse to the ende I may be so happie as once to see her and to bid her farewell More would I say but I am so faint I cannot His sorrowfull seruants yerning for very griefe and dissoluing themselues into salt teares cursing now though too late their cowardly running away carried his dying carkasse faire and softly towards his house To Cleopatra so Marke Anthònies dead coarse Was brought which she drew vp to her with wofull force O what a spectacle what a tragicke present and what a bitter encounter was this for miserable Iustina to meete withall who not long before had heard how happily and how valiantly her kind husband had conquered his enemie in the sight of all Spaine which good newes had filled all her spirits with an exceeding kind of pleasing ioy and comfort But alas what a change and alteration was this from the first matter Ah how much more is that misfortune liuely toucheth vs to the quicke which when we least thinke of it surprizeth vs altogether vnexpected we passing our time in iollitie and pleasure then such as we are prouided for when it commeth it being long since we looked for the same and therefore the better prepared to beare the burthen thereof Meane time the poore Ladie must needs tast this bitter potion beare as well as shee can this terrible clap of dismall thunder No sooner had she a sight of this dying coarse which she thought to be starke dead But that she tooke on as one distraught and quite out of their wits O faire haire before daintily curled how cruelly were you then torne But farre fairer face how wert thou bescratched and thou beautious brest how wert thou be bloodied So great was her anquish as she fell downe in a sowne vpon that bodie whom she so dearely loued embracing the same most tenderly it being that which she more accounted of then of any thing else in the world Thrise happie had she bin and not a little beholding vnto death if at that houre he had bereft her of life but her fortune was not so good for she was compelled to liue the longer because her paine should be the greater And now she being come vnto her selfe againe although it was a woful mirrour to behold his pale bloodlesse face his mangled flesh all to be sprinkled washed in his owne gore yet did she not sticke to kisse his wan and cold lips a thousand times and more whilst her teares serued her in steed of water to make cleane his wounds to wash away the blood and to solemnize his drerie Funerall with the same Carelesse of her health she lay long time vpon the wet ground whilst she held the coarse as pittifully in her lap as the kind nurse doth her little Infant in her armes neither did she remoue her sweet mouth from his but kept it still close thereon desirous to die as he had done Out alas alas cried she where am I who am I what do I see is it possible that I should yet breath hauing lost the onely life of my soule And you mine eyes are you so cruell vnto my health that you will abide to behold that which will force you to be more miserable and yet mine eyes my wofull eyes it is no shame to behold your best benefactor looke then on him your fill although pittilesse death hath closed vp his sight with an eternall sleepe But thou art dead for me my deare husband for my cause hast thou lost thy life and for no other O wretched iourney and most vnhappie that euer thou tookest in hand yet was it not death that slew thee No no death durst But it was I and euen I t' was I and none but I and I alone whome thou diddest thinke to be thy louing wife Ah sweete sweet Husband shall I be guiltie of this fault by murthering of my selfe which I haue committed against thee No no for my death cannot counteruaile thine Shall it be said that
th'Iron doth the Adamant so drawes she him to smart Whilst metamorphisde into teares of woe he knoweth no meane His torments being so cruell as his griefes are too extreame He thinkes no more of his poore sheepe he hath forgotten those No other thought now troubles him but how to end his woes His voyce his crie his gesture sad and his most morunfull speech Are all of Loue and how they Loue for succour may beseech His colour now is chang'd and gate so is his wonted grace Nored nor white as heretofore remaineth in his face Like ashes he lookes pale and leane whilst sorrow drieth his bones Nor hath he strength for to doe aught except to send forth grones Without all hope or comfort he doth draw his loathed life And for his refuge death doth seeke torid him of this strife But death is deafe vnto his call as fieree Sycambra is And therefore thou and th' other too he gainst his will must misse Well may he call but they 'le not come once comfort for to bring But leaue him when he needes them most to liue thus languishing In briefe the heauens death and men with destuies doe conspire Gainst him that he shall burne yet haue no meane to quench this fire Nothing preuailes him to auaile whilst on the other side Sycambra in like predicament as he is doth abide Of thonsand bloodie passions she participateth vext Yet nothing can relieue her whilst she languisheth perplext Armanda iests and her when she doth speake at euery word He skoffes nor fauour he at all to her will once afford He laughes to see her weepe to heare her sigh it makes him smile Nor will so much as one small dram of pittie yeeld the while But growing too too insolent and puffed vp with pride He wills her to depart and die nor cannot her akide Swearing by all the Gods that he will sooner seeke his death Then fancie her as long as he shall draw his vitall breath She seeing her selfe disdained thus doth ban her destinie And after many strange conceits resolueth for to die By some strange kinde of vncoth death she meanes to cure her wound Which Loue as foe had giuen her her sences to confound Without imploring any more sauadge Armandas aide Who neither her nor her kinde sute respected aught or waide So loyall Hero of her life an end would willing make When faire Leander she did see drowned for her sake Ah fretting corsie worse then death with neuer endles smart When cheating Loue impoysoneth the constant loyall heart More cruell then the rest by odds for dying we but range From this life to another while we make a better change Whereas the for lorne Louers life so bitter is and fell As thousand deaths they chuse before they will abide the hell Of all the torments then on th' earth Loue most outragious is Loue that our youths makes wither fast depriuing as of blisse Sycambra therefore now resolu'de to die doth soone entend That so at length her Agonies and senselesse griefes may end A trenchant blade she taketh vp but viewing it so kright And sharpe she straitway lets it fall so much it her doth fright Her heart will not endure her hand should set it to her brest And therefore with such inchauntment to die she doth detest A throtling halter doth displease as much as sword before So rusly to be strangled stiffe her faire necke doth abore She poyson takes but her conceit that drench hath ouerthrowne Which makes her halter poyson sword all three to let alone A gentler kinde of death though strange she hath found out as the Which is t'entombd her selfe aliue torid her of her woe She meanes within a Rocke obscure from other Rockes far wide With thousand Ditches compassed and bushes on each side Fearefull to Sauadge beasts themselues and horrible to men Her selfe there to enclose and there her selfe doth closely pen. Thus lanquisht she most wrethedly no meate she had nor bred But sighes and sobs no drinke at all but teares which fast she shed No meate she would but mone no drinke but dole to end her life Meaning hereby her coarse to spoyle through starning famines knife The skriching night Owles dolefully her wailings did assist And lucklesse Rauens moand her Loue whilst they to her did list Death whom she wisht for oft at hand was still though not so nigh As she desirde and sorrow was with her continually No voyce she vsde but cries no speech but drerie drie laments So heauily she mournes as Rockes for pittie doe relent Yet no man answeres her at all The comfort most she findes Is when false Ecco her last word againe vnto her windes But he that of her miserie is cause and motiue chiefe Is deafe vnto her praiers become nor yeeld will her reliefe More hard then stubborne Rocks then hills more Sauadge and more fierce He will not mollifie his heart no pittie can it pierce His weale it is to see her waile her bale to him is blisse Whilst in a state most pittilesse far worse then death he is O Tygers whelpe monster of men worthy of any blame Too much vnworthy to be lou'd of such a constant dame Ah may that fortune chaunce to thee as to Adonis coy Who of a Goddesse dayning loue a Boore did him destroy And let it hap to thee as to Narcissus peeuish Elfe Who others Loues refusing did in loue fall with himselfe Yet can I not say that the Gods are partiall but most iust The selfe same measure others we doe giue we looke for must So Ladies had Sycambra kinde vnto her Zerphir bene She had not then such tortors felt nor had abid such teene As she did bide still languishing desirous for to die Whilst she to death Armanda like to come to her doth crie Yet hopes she thus she cannot liue and that her times not long Her heart she findes alreadie broke for bearing so great wrong Besides her fainting bodie fraile prognosticates to her By reason nature's growne so weake death is not from her far Much doe the gastly dreames she hath in slumber her affright And fearefull apparitions strange which she beholdes in night Sometimes they to her bring dispare then her with hope they feede With hope in vaine which when she wakes her wounds more fresh make bleed For he that nothing hath to loose needs not to waile his losse Nor needs he feare that Fortunes wheeles swift turning should him crosse Where he is in most pittious plight that viewes his chiefest stay Which should from ruine him support on sudden tooke away Long time Sycambra in this wise most vncoth liued thus Like to the shape of gastly death in case most dolorous Whilst in meane space Famine and Griefe with neuer ceasing cries Her flesh did turne to bones her heart tormenting in strange guise Her colour which before was fresh and daintie as the Rose And that same beautious varnish pure no more now in her showes Like to
coarse possession there to keepe When thou my coarse depriued quite of beauties gifts shalt view My chearfull eyes to loose their lights and bid those lights adue When thou doest heere her sigh from forth her soule vntimely crost And when thou shalt Sycambra thine view to giue vp the Ghost Ah then doe this good turne for me doe this for me straitway Vnto my cruell vnkind friend this RING from me conuay Tell him his too too flintie heart and barborous crueltie Hath forct me loyalst maide aliue for him aliue to die Tell him by that quicke lightning fire which from his eyes forth came Which swifter far then whirling darts my gentle heart haue slaine By his rich beautie too too rich for me too poore to enioy Which for my time vntimely brought me vnto endlesse noy And by that heart of his too proud tryumphing ore my glorie That he forget me not but thinke vpon my pittious storie Doe this sweet Zerphir for my sake doe this request for mee T is all before my death to thee I giue as Legasee Nor doe denie me this although in conscience I confesse I not deserue thy smallest grace for my ore cruelnesse Ah Zerphir this denie me not This said she held her peace And presently death fore her came with violence to cease Whilst with a gentle quiet sigh her soule that wearie was Of loathed life most willing vp vnto the heauens did passe Leauing her bodie voyd of life withouten vitall aire Disrobde of beautie spoylde of forme depriude of colour faire Yet happie she to die in such kinde sort as then she dide Since that her griefe vanisht therewith which liuing she did bide Happie to die so as she dide since partiall Loue vniust Disasters hard and vndeserude vpon her still did thrust Like as we see in th' end of day vpon the set of Sunne When Tethis entertaines her spouse the light being well might done A kinde of cloudie sable dampe ariseth to our eyes And with a gloomie curtaine thicke is couered all the skies So as vpon the face of th' earth there nothing doth appeare But darknesse sleepe and heauie care with gastly sighes each where So by degrees this beautious coarse lookt pale and wanne like earth When once the soule had it depriude of his quicke liuing breath Like to a shadow was it of a substance faire before No cheerfull colour was there in that face so faire of yore Withouten sence or motion it remained like a blocke Or as a comly pile of stone carude out of marble Rocke Yet Zirphir doth imbrace it oft and as i ft t were aliue The same with pittious glaunces he to yeeld to him doth striue But kisse her he not dares though she be dead lest he offend The soule of her who whilst she liu'd he lou'd as dearest friend Her as before he doth respect and doth her reuerence Although him no drop of grace she gaue his amorous heate to quench Teares like to flowers he streameth downe yet not one word he speakes Sorrow so much doth seaze on him as tongue from plaining breakes Long was he in this agonie at length he comes his way Taking the Fatall Ring with him his Mistris to obey He hunteth vp and downe to finde Armanda and at last Reuiling him into these tearmes tearmes fit for him he brast Hard hearted cruell Sauadge wretch for thy vnworthy Loue Fairest Sycambra now is dead since thee she could not moue Dead is she for thy sake thou liu'st vnworthy of thy life Thou liu'dst her and her loue to scorne through thy orethwartings rife Take here this Ring she sends to thee as witnesse too too true That she destroyd her selfe for thee though thou her death nought rue The Flower of all fairenes is dead slaine onely for thy sake Whilst thou nor her nor on her Loue wouldst any pittie take More fierce then Tyger beastly more then Lion when as such Relent and shew compassion more then thou hast done by much Why takst thou not this pretious I em thou that doest women kill Which for thee till her dying day she had reserued still Happie to haue so deare a pawne yet curst because thou art The cause the owner kinde thereof was strooke with mortall dart Hold hold rude carle and thinke not but the day shall one day come When as iust plague thou shalt receiue for this by heauens iust dome Armanda hearing him to rage in this wise nought doth say But smiling flings the Ring from him to the woods betakes his way Leauing poore Zerphir almost quite bereft of wit and mad To see what slight regard of her and of her Ring he had And but he feard the quiet Ghost to grieue of his faire Dame He had Armanda for his pride as he deserued slaine This held his hands from slaughtring him he so did her respect The onely reason why to kill that wretch he did neglect The reuerence which vnto her he long before time bare Made him for his so hot reuenge his hastie will to spare As one enraged this carelesse man he looketh after long And by his eyes his minde bewraies he faine would venge this wrong Nor doth he leaue to curse and ban this more then ruthlesse wight Vntill through thicknes of the trees no more he spie him might Wherewith he riseth and turnes backe vnto his Ladies corse Which he embracing oft through griefe to fall in sound doth force Her Ring on finger hers againe he puts nor dareth hee Retaine the same as his owne goods although now dead she bee Fearing Sycambras angrie Ghost once fairest ouer all Should be offended for so doing and him disloyall call This causde him beare himselfe so iust whilst in most mournfull wise These his last wordes he sighed forth mixt with strange dolefull cries And is it thou Sycambra sweet whom now I doe embrace Whom whilst thou liu'dst my chiefest ioy I in this earth did place Is thy faire body fram'd by heauens all others for to foyle Become deaths prey vnworthy death Sycambra sweet should spoyle Are these the eyes whose lights of late did shine like brightest Sunne Now darkned by dire destinie and of their sights vndone Is this faire forhead honour chiefe of Muses vertuous Bereft of beautious feature quite and quite disfigurde thus Is this sweet hony mouth of thine O griefe that makes me banne Dispoylde of all his treasures rich become pale white and wanne Are thy chast Brests the pure ripe fruit of Paradise so faire Which to allure the staiedst witts two daintie Apples bare Dead and shrunke in and thou thy selfe Sycambra tirde with griefe Hast thou thy soule to heauens resignde there for to finde reliefe Thou hast alas nor liu'dst thou more those eyes of thine but late Like Diamonds sparkes now dim doe show as deaths darke Sable gate Nor part nor parcell is of thee from head vnto the foote But yeelds a heauie solemne shew attirde in deadly sute Thy dates expirde dead art thou
now led hast thou me the way High time now t is for me the lawes of Nature to obey Reason it is I follow thee for is it possible Thou being gone I longer here vpon this earth can dwell My wretched daies in this vile world haue bene vnfortunate Yet dying thus in chastest Loue most happie is my state The Stars haue fullie recompenst my hatefull fortunes here In graunting me the libertie to die by thee my deare And that I touch that coarse by death exempt from vitall sence Which when it liu'd full hardly did my seruice recompence Ah beautious shade of late the lodge of honour and fresh Bower Whose praise deaths selfe though he thee slew to kill hath not the power Faire coarse receiue these tribute teares and let me pardon winne If thee embracing after death I ouerbold haue beene Daine to accept my scalding sighes and doe not him despise Who whilst he liu'd honoured thee and dying thee doth prise Rich coarse thou art to make amends to me poore soule in this That for so many woes I felt thou yeeld to me one kisse For what haue I for all my paines and trauaile I endurde Which thy hard heart continually too willing me procurde What recompence or pardon due did euer I receiue But what through sorrow my best rest from me did take and reaue To cancell all which former counts be pleasde faire Loue I pray That Zerphir dying thou being dead kisse thee now chastly may And yet alas I dare not lest that thou shouldst take it ill Gainst me as if I sought the same withouten thy good will Faire shadow now with glorie dect take for my offerings These teares these sighes these passions sad which sorrow to thee brings Receiue this blood I sprinkle here vpon thy sacred shrine To th' end my soule in dutious sort may follow after thine My heart was thine whilst I did liue and fortune wills it so That it be thine when Zerphirs dead and lieth in th' earth full low Daine therefore sacred soule and thinke not little proud am I That t is my chaunce I may haue leaue by thy sweet side to lie Willing thou wert not whilst thou liu'dst that I should be thine owne But being dead I for thy slaue most loyall shall be knowne By reason I haue well deseru'd through griefes long by me borne And by my chastest countenance that neuer woes did scorne The memorie whereof me thinkes should make thee sometimes call To minde thy Zerphir and not quite forget him once for all But Zerphir now le ts die too long we staied haue t is enough Sufficient teares on this dead coarse we now haue powred forth The heauens are wearied with my cries and neuer ceaselesse plaint And my broke heart through trembling feare doth beate in bulcke and faint Le ts die by this one word and as he spoken had that word Most cruell gainst himselfe his side he pierceth with his sword Wherewith he tumbleth dead vpon his Mistris breathlesse corse Whilst that his wound both soule and blood to issue forth doth force Thus died Sycambra meriting for constancie great fame Thus Zerphir died deseruing well to haue a liuing name Death ioynd them both together neere their bodies in one Tombe Were laid which liuing were disioynd by ouer partiall Dome And not long after that proud youth Armanda for his pride As well he aid deserue the same full dearely did abide For presently vpon their death like to Narcissus fond He died in loue being with himselfe whose losse not any monde Thus Cupid's in his Lawes vniust as by this Tale you see Yet Ladies learne to loue if lou'd againe you meane to bee The Shepheard hauing made an ende of his Tragedie helde his peace bringing vnto the whole companie a kinde of mournfull and solemne silence vpon the ricitall of the same with a secret still and inward sorrow for the lamentable end of Zirphir and Sycambra O how miserable are those who seeme as it were to feele their owne losses through the recitall and reporting of other mens mishaps being as bad almost as to awake the happie patient sleeping by reason of his soporiferous potion iust at that time when the Chyrurgian beginneth to cut off his legge Too too much doe I prooue it find it and trie it to touch me to the verie quicke cried out the sighing Arcas The misfortunes of euerie man reuiueth mine owne which before lay closely couered vnder the cinders of my former Distasters The remembrance of things prosperous is nothing so pleasant as the recalling to minde of what is vnhappie is bitter and sower For the pleasure thereof hindereth the true knowledge of pleasure aright and so by the contrarie the contrarie is the more to be commended But O how cruell then is the conceit and apprehension of a mans euils For the felicitie of the other doth not oppose himselfe against the crueltie of this thought those which are fortunate being exempted through the ioy they conceiue of their ill chances which are past and gone Old Hecuba when shee was captiue rendred the memorie of her miseries more cruell by reason shee alwayes thought vpon her happie time that was already gone For one is not so much grieued to be wretched by Nature as when he is brought downe so lowe by Fortune and the cause is for that wee are naturally borne to suffer and that he accounteth not his ill hap to be vnsupportable which he receiueth of Nature in that he is accustomed to endure and beare the same alwayes But euen as where both Fortune and Nature abound in anie notable spirit it is the more excellent and accomplished for the same So twise miserable is hee who as my selfe feeleth him selfe to be iniuried both by Fortune and Nature By Fortune she hauing made shipwrack of my libertie of my Goddesse and faire Mistrisse A Sentence and of the sweete aire of my Countrey By Nature I hauing nothing in me that can draw any commendations for me amongst the learned or win vnto me any credit amongst such as are accounted rare and admirable persons in the world Then why loue I or why should I desire to breathe any longer Vnfortunate that Marriner who arriuing safely into the Hauen will needs venture againe to thrust himselfe into the tempests of the Sea to drown himselfe most wilfully in the bottom of the waues So fareth it with me for after I had bene cruelly plagued with the chast loue of the learned and famous Iulietta I fell to loue the renowmed Diana The fire of this affection being far more hotter then the other but although this my first fault may be well pardoned yet the second falling againe into this error is to be greatly doubted feared Ah Arcas thou shouldst haue contented thy selfe with thy first imprisonment without seeking to commit thy selfe afresh into a new captiuitie But Souldiers in warre may be taken three or 4. times in that they be not of power
you go about to keep me from him whither I will or no. Nor was she deceiued of her purpose though thrise happie in that it pleased God to call her himselfe from out this vale of miserie and so by that meanes to saue her soule For no sooner was shee hindered of her intent but what for anger thereof and what for extreame griefe for Horatios death she fell into a dangerous and hote burning Feuer which so violently seazed vpon euery part of her as her weake bodie being not able to endure the fierie raging thereof shee yeelded her tormented carkas vnto death within sixe dayes after At what time shee was freed from all her former troubles and after her death she was according vnto her desire enterred with her husband leauing behinde her many commendations for her matchlesse vertues her losse being lamented of cuerie good bodie as was fufficiently showne by the pittifull laments that were euerie where vsed for her sake because of the rare examples of chastitie of patience of modest demeanure of loue and of loy altie which she carryed towards her vngratefull and vnkind Husband And this Shepheard is the historie I meant to report vnto thee but because that Diana looking palish with her siluer hornes meaneth to runne her course entering into the place of her glistering brother the Sunne wee will for this time vntill to morrow morning withdraw our selues vnto our Cortages and then as earlie as thou wilt shalt thou begin the discourse of thy Loue againe Wherevpon the olde man and Arcas began to retire themselues homewards and by the way they encountered a faire Shepheardesse who proposed a Riddle vnto another desiring him to interpret the same rightly And this was it that followeth For others good and profit I outragious still Consume what doth my proper vigor entertaine And though my burning is not vnto anie ill Where I should prais de be they vngras of all me doe name Father of liuing Creatures all I am renoumde And Lord I am ouer the Time on earth that staies Yet doth a little thing dant mee and me confound And of a Conquerour conquered forceth mee strait-waies But in the end although that I am plagued thus Through succour of the windes when all thinke I am dead I rise againe to men of times most dangerous And through my harmefull rage I fill them full of dread My mother I deuour whilst I a straunger nonrish For ill I good doe to my spightfull enemies Iudge then since Serpents in my bosome I doe cherish If I ore wretched am not in most pittious wise The other Shepheard knew not the meaning of this Riddle which the old man interpreted in this sort Your Emgma faire Shepherdesse signifieth the fire which being for the vse of man to warme him consumeth deuoureth the wood it being his mother and nourisher It is counted the Father of all liuing Creatures who without heat cannot liue Although he is of great force yet doth a very small thing vanquish him which is water Neuerthelesse when he sheweth to be dead a little blast of winde maketh him to burne more furious then before He doth good to such as count and call him vngratefull in warming them with his heate and deuoureth his mother which is the reason he tearmeth himselfe to be most miserable and wretched This solution euery one commended when as they were walking homewards one of the Shepheards sung this Ode following To Louers what good doth the Sunne If by his beames they be vndone LOVE' 's as bitter as is Rue Blest are such as nere is knew He is accurst that comes tot'h Sea Once were and in port waist haue ease To Louers what good doth their Sunne If by his beames they are vndone A fend Louer doth not â—â—ril Name nor fame of mant inberit Since he is fee to his owne health Whilst in fire he burnes himselfe To Louers what good doth their Sâ—â—â—e If by his beames they be vndone Griefe 〈◊〉 Loue tendeth nis Pleasure is his 〈…〉 Better laugh then wade and sigh Who then Loues not his owne life To Louers what good deth If by his beames Without teares no Louer is Nor his sad laments doth â—isse Better farre to liue at ease Then to seeke a shrowe to please To Louers what good If by his beames Wretched then be such as loue I le liue free nor it will proue For who 'le count of him that still Like set his wees nourish will To Louers what good doth the Sâ—â—â—e If by his beames he be vndone This Ode being sung euerie owne departed vntill the returne of mestfull Aurera leauing the Sister of Apollo to runne out her darke and gloomie course The end of the second daies meeting of Iuliettaes Shepheards THE THIRD DAIES MEETING OF IVLIETTAES SHEPHEARDS NO distance of place can hinder kind amitie no change of aire altar firme affection neither can the separation of that which is loued diuide or keepe backe the Louer from his sweet Mistris Too true noble Phillistell doest thou know this to be thou being so farre off from thy faire and sacred Iulietta and yet neuerthelesse thou liuest in her and still dreamest of her beautie whilest louing her although she be absent thou canst not forget her for that she holdeth thy heart with her as in a close prison thou in the meane time feeling and by thine owne experience finding how cruell vnto a loyall Louer the absence of his beautious Ladie is the fish not more desiring to haue water for his nourishment then he doth couet her companie it being the chiefe foode of his soule O how tedious and irkesome vnto him who attendeth and expecteth the breake of day to come hauing some great matter of importance to dispatch is the long seeming course of the vnwelcome night In all which time he is not able to take any rest looking still with open eyes to spie the rising of the faire Sunne which he ioyfully marketh at his first appearing to warme the little hills to melt the soft snow to glister and shine vpon the earth and with a solemne pace to mount vp and to settle himselfe in his glorious chariot riding in progresse through the huge giring Vault of heauen he seeth him brauely to chase away the sparkling Starres as the Conquerour doth his enemies that he hath vanquisht and beholdeth the sad and sable night to flie from his cheerfull face as the timerous thiefe doth the seuere Iudges presence whilest he listeneth vnto the melodie of thousands of pretie Birds which solemnize and celebrate in their warbling notes the arriuall of the prudent Sire of proud Phaeton Poore Philistell how often hast thou counted short daies for long yeares after that malitious Fortune had sequestred thee from the companie of thy Ladie and how many times didst thou dreame in the night that thou sawest her deuising and talking with thee in the same manner as she was wont to doe when those happie Desarts of Arcadia were true witnesses
redde with continuall weeping For though teares be forbidden braue and gallant Spirits yet are they tollerable in them when they chaunce to fall into the amorous and ardent passions of Loue. His armes are brawne-fallen and on his bodie appeareth little or no flesh at all in such sort as he resembleth an Anatomie or dead carkasse rather then a liuing man As hee that is plagued with a hote burning Feuer giueth manie testimonies of the same One while by suddaine shaking and shiuering throughout his whole bodie another while by a colde sweat and then by a hote one againe Euen so Antonio his in firmitie appeared by many signes there beeing not one ioynt or member of his coarse but what shewed him to be extreamely tormented and as it were at deaths doore Which Leander seeing began to be halfe madde for the very anguish thereof what to doe he knew not and therefore was almost at his wittes ende To set vppon him afresh to see if he could perswade him to shriue himselfe vnto him he thought were but follic by reason he found him before so vnwilling to participate vnto him or confesse any thing At the last he began to thinke that although he kept it from him perhaps vpon some secret occasion yet peraduenture another might wring it out of him Wherevpon he went vnto his wife praying her to take the paines to see if shee could learne of Antonio that which hee had spent so much labour to knowe and yet by no meanes could attaine there vnto The chaste Ladie who was wonderfull willing to obey her husband and who affected yet with modestie what her Lord liked being of her owne disposition so courteous and pittifull as she gricued for the hurt of an other especially he being the dearest friend her husband had gladly accepted of the proffer Promising him to handle the matter both by her diligent care and good aduifement so cunningly as it should goe hard but that before fewe dayes were gone and past shee would vnderstand and know all And so shee did indeed speaking then more truer then shee was aware of For after shee had vsed to come and visite him now and than he began to recouer pretilie well insomuch as one day the gentlewoman finding him alone intteated him verie kindely to walke with her into the garden hard by somewhat to recreate himselfe and to reuiue him in that feeble and weake estate telling him it would not be amisse for him now and than to take the open aire which words she deliuered with so sweet a grace and so lonely a smile as now he was ten times deeper in loue with her than he had bene before O how foolish are Louers who because they themselues are senselesse therefore they thinke that euery one else is so likewise and that because they loue therefore none should be exempted from louing especially this is one of their conceits as concerning such women as they affect that because they are men worthie to be liked therefore forfooth these women must loue them if they but giue them neuer so little entertainment And so this vaine Antonio perswaded himselfe verily that his friends wife affected him because she vouchsafed in priuate to walke abroad with him He that hath bene long sicke is so desirous of his health that the least ease or amendment that he findeth maketh him beleeue he is well recouered and whole And so fareth it with these Louers who if they receiue the least fauour that may be at their Ladies hands they straitwaies thinke they are their owne Now was Antomo where he would be for he might at leisure behold the beautious eies the louely face and the faire breasts of his sweet Mistris but the more the fond man gazed vpon them the more he was burnt with a secret inward fire these rare beauties of hers drawing him into the bottom lesse gulfe of his vtter ouerthrow as the whirle Pooles in the Seas by many windings and turnings still by little and little the ships within their circled armes and so deuour and swallow them vp meane space wretched Antonio one while by his lookes another while by his sighes one while changing countenance and another while looking red as fire discouered vnto his Mistris so liuely the secret griefe that tormented him within his soule as she needed to haue knowne no more had she bene trained vp so well as hee in the schoole of Loue. But as the right true and honourable Captaine suspecteth not any treason because he knoweth not what it meaneth and for that he neuer did couet to learne the same so this rare Gētlewoman hauing neuer learnd how to entertaine or like any one except her husband could not conceiue the amorous fashions of Antonio nor what he meant making loue vnto her which was the reason his sorrowes slaked not but rather encreased more and more His fearefull glaunces which he stole vpon her and his scalding sighes faithfull messengers of his minde forget not to set out the sorrow that he endured One while he looked pale for feare another while he blushed red for shame oftentimes beginning to speake and so made an end before he had begun His heart is willing that his tongue should discouer his sicknes vnto his Physition but his tongue who doubteth he shall make the matter worse by speaking hath not the courage to speake one word His head is intoxicated and troubled whilst thousands of imaginations run in his braine Now he is resolute to bewray his griefe vnto her and now againe he is of a quite contrarie opinion not to doe it whilst he both hopeth and feareth and all at one instant But ô wretched carkasse the while to entertaine so many and so diuers enemies within it Feare opposeth himselfe against Loue who faine would speake and yet respect doth stop and hinder his desire Faine would he haue some stranger to deliuer his minde vnto his Ladie in his behalfe by which meanes should he haue the deniall which he alreadie apprehended in his thought yet being deliuered vnto him at a second hand he thought it would not be altogether so terrible vnto him But he too well knoweth that there is not any that can doe it or that knoweth his secret meaning but himselfe and therefore as the saying is he must make a Page of his owne age or else he must continue as he did without bewraying his minde at all One while he held downe his face for shame fixing his eies vpon the ground and an other while Loue lifted them vp againe forcing him to stare and gaze vpon the faire countenance of his Mistris he had all the gestures and signes of a most miserable Louer attainted of Loue speech onely accepted and he that is a firme and zealous Louer indeed neuer walketh without respect and fear The Centlewoman perceiueth such alteration in his face and that he often began to speake was very importunate with him to know what he ment and what he ailed But
solitarily as melancolicke person in a wildernes and neuer more to moue me in this matter God knoweth how often afterward I cursed my tongue and wished ill vnto my mouth for the same for I will confesse the truth that euen then and before that time as euer since I haue done I loued thee most dearely Full little did I thinke but that I should haue heard from thee againe ere long when thou presently diddest retire thy selfe from my presence so that although I knew thou louedst me and that I was willing to shew thee any honourable courtesie yet could I not as faine I would by reason I knew not how to send conueniently vnto thee whilest thou in the meane time wert almost dead for griefe and I little better because thou haddest forsaken me so suddenly Now whilest we both liued thus in great discontentment the Prince of Lyons as ill fortune would came hither vnto my fathers Court and would needs force me to be his wife But I who had vowed in my minde neuer to haue any other vnto my husband then thine owne sweet selfe entreated thee to trie the combat with him in my behalfe not thinking that thou haddest bene halfe so weake as I perceiued afterward thou wert At the length it was thy good fortune to be victor of the field whereof I was not a little glad I determining with my selfe whatsoeuer should haue hapned to haue bene married vnto thee But woe is me I now perceiue death must cause vs to part in this world although we will meete both together in another And now seeing at this verie instant I am forced to behold thee drawing thy latest breath and that thine eyes are readie to be closed vp with an euerlasting sleepe thinkest thou that I either can or will allay the heate of my griefes or that I will reuoke my first word which was to take part of such fortune as should be allotted vnto thee Doest thou thinke I am so cruell so hard harted or so much voyd of remorse and pittie that thou dying before me onely for my cause and in my quarrell I would not so much as lament and bewaile thy death Ah my vnkind friend great wrong is this thou doest vnto me No no one and the selfesame Tombe shall enclose both cur bodies together and that which Loue would not permit to be thine whilest thou liuedst gentle death shall put thee in possession thereof without any trouble at all Thy commandement in this point shall be of no force with me thy prayers to no purpose neither thy entreating of any power at all with me but in any thing else doe but bid me and I will strait obey thee onely in this I must denie thee for assuredly I will die rather then liue to thinke that thou wert ouerthrowne through me and that I should liue continually to sigh and cry out saying Alas where is now my worthie Knight Can mine eyes shine and giue light when thine are dead and gon Can I endure to see thee caried vnto thy graue I not be buried in the earth And can I abide to liue to say Behold yonder my sweet friends Tombe and not be enclosed therein my selfe Neuer demand so vniust a request at my hands neither be so hard harted vnto me as to wish me to suruiue thee to the end I may be the more miserable But perhaps thou thinkest because I haue bene cruell vnto thee therefore thou maiest repay me with the like recompence againe To which I thus answere First the heauens know how much it was against my will and haddest thou not bene too farewell and timerous thou haddest saued both thine owne life and mine also Besides I challenge the pardon which euen now thou diddest graunt vnto me for this mine offence and therefore sweet friend be content and pleased for with thee will I die whilest our coarses shall lie one by another in one selfe Vault which when they were liuing was not permitted vnto vs and for this I hope mine honour cannot be called in question seeing all ages haue allowed young Ladies to loue honestie braue and valiant Knights and such was my loue and not otherwise as God himselfe can witnes Who then can iustly taxe mine honour None my deare Knight none and seeing it is so receiue this last kisse from the most wofull woman liuing receiue her heauie plaints and her lamenting grones and doe not oppose thy selfe against that small remainder of contentment which is behind for her in dying with thee which she will take as a requitall for so many miseries which haue bene afflicted vpon her Needes must I tell thee that I doe enuie at that glorie thou hast to die before me but long shall it not be for I will follow thee as fast as may be meane while and when thou shalt be in the heauens remember I pray thee thy deare and faithfull Maria. More would she haue spoken but that her heart was so ouerpressed with griefe as she fell downe dead vpon my dying Maister who seeing so pittifull a spectacle knew not what to doe for helpe her any way he could not so extreame and faint he was At the last she came vnto her selfe when with a lowe and fumbling voice he spake these fewe words the last as euer he pronounced vnto her My gratious Ladie now I beseech thee harbor no such vnkinde conceit within thee more good maiest thou doe vnto me with thy honourable speeches whilest thou art liuing then when thou shalt be dead or if thou shouldest die with me No sweet Princes no liue yea liue still and happily seeing nothing fairer then thy selfe can liue For else what discredit would it be vnto me if it should be obiected against me that I had darkned and extinguisht the brightest Sonne of this world let not so foule a blot staine my memorie after I shall be departed from hence aliue seeke not to shorten thy time before the will of God cutting off thy selfe before he doth appoint thee and disposing of thy bodie not according vnto his but thine owne pleasure An doe not so for so you may not doe Mortall creatures must be ruled by the diuine ordinance aboue and expect their leisure not doing any thing but as they shall appoint them Liue then I say once more and close these my dying eyes which whilest they liued were thine this Boone if thou shalt graunt me I then shall thinke my selfe happie but if not then shall I account my selfe as most miserable And now I feele that welcome death doth approach towards me through which all my cares and troubles end I my time is now come my sences faile and my tongue beginneth to be speechlesse No more haue I now to say to thee my deare Princes but onely to recommend my memorie and thine owne life vnto thee of which two things I desire thee as euer thou louedst me to haue an especiall regard Farewell I can no longer speake farewell the beautie
of this world farewell the faire Sunne of my soule farewell my ioy and onely comfort and if euer thou thoughtest me worthy of any fauour embrace me once before I die And thou sweet Iesu mine onely Sauiour haue mercie vpon me Scarce were these words forth of his mouth when the most disconsolate Ladie embracing her breathlesse Knight laied her mouth so close vnto his as his soule seemed to part out of his corpse into hers which with a sweet yet scalding sigh she drew in her owne And now he being without life and cold as any stone the Princes knew not what to doe faine would she haue murthered her selfe but that she had no weapon wherewithall to doe the deed besides she durst not stay alone in the chamber least she might perhaps be espied by one or other and yet againe she was most loth of all to leaue the coarse of her kinde friend so soone But in the end reason tooke place which perswaded her to conuey her selfe as secretly from thence as when she came thither which she did so cunningly through helpe of her old trustie and assured Page as she was not perceiued by any vntill such time as she recouered her owne lodging where after she had bene setled a while she locked the doore vnto her and so laying her selfe vpon her bed after she had for a certaine space wailed and lamented for the death of my Maister she held her breath so long within her bodie and closed her mouth so hard as at the length she stifled her selfe for want of taking winde and so was found dead not any doubting of any such matter nor any knowing what the cause should be of her death but onely my selfe and her foresaid trustie Page No sooner was she found thus dead and the bruite thereof noysed abroad but there was a generall lamentation and crying out throughout all the court not vnlike that which was heard in Troy the same night the Citie was set on fire vpon the suddaine by the subtill Greekes What great moane the King and the Queene made for their daughter the young Princes and how grieuously the friends of Don Iohn tooke the death of him being held to be one of the most valiants and brauest Knights of Spaine I hope I need not to report vnto you It shall suffice their Funerall obsequies were performed and set out in the most sumptuous and costliest manner that could be deuised which being past and done I tooke my leaue of that countrie minding to trie my fortune in some other place and so taking with me some fewe Iewels and certaine gold which my late Maister had bestowed vpon me I went my waies when as I trauailed on my iournie some of the foresaid Prince of Lions men by ill fortune met with me who knowing me to be a follower of Don Iohn that had ouerthrowne him in combat laid violent hands vpon me meaning to carrie me with them by sea into their countrie and there to put me vnto some cruell kinde of death But God knowing me to be innocent tooke compassion vpon me so as after I was shipped with them a suddaine Tempest arose in which our vessell was sunke all the passengers within her drowned and I onely escaped and was saued This reuerend sir was the wofull Tragedie which Fortunio reported vnto me of his hard aduentures But it now beginneth to waxe darke let vs be gon then said the old man and to morrow againe thou shalt begin where thou hast now left Agreed quoth Arcas and therewithall walked along with him to bring him on his way towards his lodging which as they were going they might see this riddle to be ingrauen within the barke of an auncient old Elme My fortun 's strange the whâ—le world holds me deare And though I nothing am of nothing made Yet I so spotlesse shew so faire and cleare As noblest states of me are well apaid What ere passeth by me I see the same Yet I no eyes haue and am formed so As smallest force doth bring to me my bane Breaking me peece-meale with a little blow My propertie most true is what doth breath I liuely that present in face and beautie And which is more I creature nere deceiue Great personages to me bowe as t' were of dutie Yet I them faithfull serue whilst loth they are To leaue me so well they my companie Doe like Say then who rightly can me barre From honour such as all giue vnto mee What thinke you of this Riddle said the olde man vnto Areas and how would you expound the same Marrie thus answered the Shepheard This Enigma signifieth nothing else but a right christall Mirrour which is a â—â—ettall of little or none account and is little or nothing accounted of in that they are common and subiect to breaking with euery small little fillip or touch of hand And yet neuerthelesse they are set by in euery place of the world especially by the better and nobler sort who lightly neuer passe by any of them but they looke and behold themselues in the same Not any one goeth by them but if he please he may view and discerne his owne liuely shape whilest the looking glasse it selfe seeth euery thing that passeth before it although it haue no eyes at all So brittle is it of Nature that as I said before it breaketh with any light fall all in peeces It sheweth the true counterfait of euery one that looketh in the same dwithout eceiuing any which is the reason they are in no small request amongst great states especially faire Ladies and Gentlewomen who therefore prise them very highly Well hast thou said quoth the old Magitian and thou hast hit the very naile vpon the head I commending thy sharpe conceit for the exposition thereof But now let vs be walking vnto our lodgings seeing the skie beginneth to waxe darke and the Sunne is readie to repose himselfe vpon his wet and deway coach And herewithall they departed euery one vnto their seuerall houses where we will leaue them vntill the next morning yet not leauing to conceale from your conceits an Ode which a certaine Nymph sung vnto them as they were going homewards And this it was Since that Loue is worse then death And suruies when coarse wants breath I will chase away the same Leust I vext be with that paine For she is fond that liues by Loue And many plagues is like to prone What would euery one report If I liue should in such sort Hope in vaine and to no end Marre myselfe rather then mend Since she is fond that liues by loue And many plagues is like to proue Yet I here protest though I Meane to leaue Loues crueltie Yet I Cupid honour still Whilst he worketh me none ill For she is fond that liues by loue And many plagues c. I confesse ther 's passions sweete In Loue for true Louers meete Such as doth them gently warme And their harts most sweetly charme Though she is fond
strong for him who although he had so often giuen the foile vnto the Romans yet when he lost his pretious libertie through lying in Capua and making Loue vnto a woman there was ouercome by that temperate Romane Scipio Demetrius likewise was so bewitched with the faire Curtezan of Athens as he stood in awe of her as if he had bene her bond-slaue And if we should leaue the earth and flie vp into the heauens wee shall finde the Gods themselues haue bene schollers in Cupids schoole For did not Ioue loue Europa Lida Alcumena and diuers others Phoebus Cassandra Daphne and many moe Mars Venus Venus Adonis Diana Endimion and I know not whome besides Why then if it be so I must needs say that thy power extendeth farre and neere thou being as mightie in the heauens as thou art here vpon the earth Fortunio seeing mee in this humour beganne thus How now man but euen now thou shewedst thy selfe to be conquerour ouer thy passions setting a good face on the matter whilest thou didst bare out the brunt thereof And now againe thou seemest as a recreant to yeeld vnto thy anguish and sorrow crying out and vexing thy selfe as if thou wouldest die vpon the suddaine what is the reason of this alteration and change It is a credit for a man to change from vice to vertue and of bad to become good but not to goe on still growing worse and worse Dauid is praised for amending his wicked life and for becomming a new man where his Sonne Salomon is condemned in that he forgot himselfe in his latter daies becomming an Idolater and a whoremonger amongst his concubines Thinkest thou that it is enough for thee to say thou art not able to resist the force of Loue and that other mens faults are sufficient to excuse and defend thine That thiefe is not exempted from punishment who excuseth himselfe hauing robbed from others that he hath but done as an other hath done before him for though it be lawfull to imitate such actions as are commendable and vertuous yet is it not tollerable to doe what is wicked and villainous This colour then will not serue thee and therefore if as thou not long since diddest affirme thou louest the inward qualities of the minde without coueting that fleshly pleasure which Louers so much studie to obtaine although with great labour and losse but what is the reason thou takest on thus And why shouldest thou seeme to dispaire being readie euery houre almost to goe about to giue ouer the world For louing the soule onely the bodie which is but a closet for the same cannot hinder thy affection neither canst thou hope to receiue any other contentment or pleasure of thy loue then in conceit whereas thou doing thus as thou doest thou wilt make the world belieue that thy loue is of another manner of nature then thou wouldest perswade vs it being the common fashion of sottish Louers and such as desire sensuall delights to crie out and lament as if they were readie to die when they cannot taste the sweetnes of the same as the sicke Patient dieth for want of physicke that should expell such superfluous humours as hurt him Now if thy Loue be such as thou saiest that it neither demandeth nor expecteth in any sort this pleasure what maketh thee for want of enioying the same to run still vnto death wringing thy hands and making such pittious moane as is strange to behold Therefore are such men farre more furious and mad then those senselesse Bedlems are who without cause seeke to offer violence vnto themselues imitating the heathen people of Aegypt who vsed to burne themselues without any cause at all but onely when the toy tooke them in the head for most deare ought we to hold our life because it is vnrecouerable neither must we forgoe it vnlesse for some great occasion as either for the benefit of our common-wealth or for speciall good and aduancement of all our friends I seeing Fortunto to be so earnest replied thus O Fortunio I cannot see how a man can lose a lesser losse then the shortning of his daies for loosing them he lighteth vpon a path that leadeth him into eternall rest and therefore he is not hindered at all resembling that marchant who exchangeth bad marchandise for such as are most pretious and rich For a smaller matter then mine thousands of wise men haue shortned their liues A witnes whereof is that wise man who following Alexander the great and much fauoured of him gaue not ouer for all that to erect a great pile of wood which he setting a fire most cheerfully leapt therein without sturring once and so was there buried But perhaps you will aske me what was the cause that vrged him thereunto truely none but onely because he would leaue this mortall life to inherit a life euerlasting But say that no liuely apprehention of intollerable griefe did force a man to this desire yet are the very defects of Nature and the desire to become immortall sufficient enough to imprint most deeply this conceit in his soule especially if after death we shall be free from feeling of any paine according vnto the grosse errour of the voluptuous Epicure For is it not farre better neuer to be borne then to liue and endure miserie But we flie higher in our thoughts thē those Phylosophers for we by this meanes set not onely an end vnto our wretchednes but we change them into glorie contentment and our fraile and fleshly bodie into an immortall state free from all corruption Therefore my conclusion is that seesing the onely maimes of Nature without any other accident of euill are of force enough to imprint within vs this desire of death we are not to be reprehēded if we die in as much as we are stirred vp vnto death as well because of these imperfections as also by reason of such a subiect of deadly griefe as can no way be remedied nor holpen but by the fatall Destinies and those that doe contrariwise cannot be compared for constancie and vertue vnto those women who one striuing with another leaped into the flaming fire wherein their dead spouses were burned a deepe passion of true sorrow and a vehement desire to follow their husband being that which did animate them vnto this death Besides such as are in dispaire for euer seeing ioyfull daies in this world haue not they the greatest reason of all to die which if any such shall refuse they are of a more base and timerous disposition then those women afore said seeing that in death onely a man incountreth with quiet rest as whilest we liue we are yoaked and tyed vnto troubles The sage Hebrew King praiseth in his prouerbes the dead more then he doth the liuing death being the securest harbor of all other where when we are arriued we are exempted from rowing any more in the dangerous barge of this turbulent world Fond is that Pilot who through the fauour of the
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