Looue hath no lawe for Fancie moude the same For heapes of care in those abounds which coupled are with feare And ielous Looue doubtes more then needes as trueth can witnesse beare But sith my Fortune is so harde I would some other wight Had reapt your looue so should you not with Feuers fittes be fright Or else I would I might sustaine the halfe of all your greefe So should I ease you of some cares and heale my sorrowes cheefe But if that death by direfull dint should lose your lew of life Or sisters three should cutte your twist by fatall sharpned knife My gastlie goast shall follow fast to the Elisian feeldes Vnto the sight of seemely Saintes which endlesse pleasure yeeldes Yea though it were in Charons boate downe Stigian streame to slide My sprite shalbe thy walking mate what so of me betide And when the ground shalbe my graue I wyll haue graued thereon This mornefull vearse in dolefull wise vpon my marble stone Vnder this stone dooth Iulia lye to Charles a faithfull freende VVho vvillinglie to shewe her trueth her carefull life did ende The Ladies that heereafter liue shall knowe by Iulias looue Howe faithfull shee to Charles remaind and neuer did remooue WHen shée thus farre had past her pen in came Alecto fell Some grym Maegaera stoong with lyes a fearefull tale to tell He rushing came into the Hall and sayde that Gaulfrides sonne Had yéelded vp his mortall lyfe his finall race was runne He dyd not onely say the same but sware by sollem oath The brute thereof once throughly spread it was beléeu'de for troth The cause wherefore this lye was spread was this as I haue read That Charles into a traunce did fall and was reputed dead His face was colde his breath was gone no lyfe in him appeares They wrong his ioyntes they bowde his breast they thumpe him on the eares They poure warme licquor down his throte his iawes they open wide And so reduced him to lyfe through that he did abide And yet the rumor rashly ranne his life was past all cure So swiftly lying Fame dooth flie as tatling tongues procure Hereof arose this lothsome lye but oh you Ladies mourne For now vnto a dolefull tale my style I must retourne For now as Iulia was applyed to pen her inwarde paine In came her Maide with gasly lookes and cryed out amaine O Madame quoth shée heauy newes I haue to you to showe To thinke whereon my faynting heart dooth melt through wastfull woe What newes quoth Iulia lyfting vp her sight from paper straight Hast thou to shewe expresse the same and let me heare them straight The Maide replyed Sir Gaulfrides sonne that Charles hath to name By death is now departed lyfe as bruted is by fame This pearst her hart with deadly smart this agrauates her paine Nowe doth shée lothe her lyngering life and doth the same disdaine Her quiuering quyll from quaking hand in faynting sort doth fall Shée floong away bothe incke and pen and paper therewithall And foorthwith dooth commaund her Maide for to auoyde the place Who being gone shée scryketh out in most lamentfull case Shée rentes her haire shée beates her breast her blood from face is gone Her hollowe lookes declarde her gréefe that made her minde to mone Shée dooth deuise which way to dye for life shée lotheth styll Dispayre byds her make no delay but séeke her selfe to spyll Yet faynting feare of femine hart dooth fray her from the fact And dreade of Gods wylles her withholde from such a wicked act At last shée dooth exclame one fate and Fortunes waywarde whéele That forced her in stéede of ioye such nypping cares to feele O Heauens quoth shée what lowring lot of most vnluckie happe Hath moou'd such furie to my chaunce to trayne me in this trappe O mightie God vouchsafe quoth shée thine eares for to encline Let dreadfull Death thy messenger shut vp my corpes in shrine Let me not liue sith he is gone that should my life support For Death is swéete and Life is sowre where care is chéefe comfort It were too long to write her plaintes and carefull scriching cryes Or to expresse what floods of teares dyd flowe from out her eyes But straight amyd these passions straunge from Chamber shée dooth part And walkes the féeldes adioyning néere for to refreshe her hart Where being come in mornefull wise shée dooth her gréefe relate That hyls and dales with woods and groues may knowe her ruthfull state Her wasted wordes like Eccho dooth amyd the Trées resound And with her teares like morning dew shée wets the grassie ground And thus shée walkes tyll Phoebus lampe had lost his loouely lyght Then to her Chamber shée returnes to waste the wearie night Vpon her Princely bed foorthwith shée throwes her carefull corse Where blacke dispayre assaylde her straight with fittes of treble force A thousand meanes shée doth deuise to sheare her lyne of life Some times with coarde some times with drinks some times with caruing knife At last shée staide her staggering minde with purpose full decréede Ere Sol aboue the Horizon dyd cast his glauncing gleede To VVynefrides Temple for to goe her prayers for to make And ere that shee came home againe her lyfe there to forsake Euen there shée dyd determine sure where first shée found the flame The water of her wicked déedes should quickly quench the same As Phillis ended vp her dayes with twyne of silken corde So would shée leaue her lothsome life which shée so much abhorde Thus raging in these restlesse thoughts tyll lyghtsome morning tyde Shée straight vpstart and goes about her offerings to prouide With Incense and such néedefull thinges to VVynefride shee hyes To execute her fancied fact which she did late deuise The way was short not past a myle she hasted thether straight And into Church she roundly goes her matters were of waight She knéeling downe in humble wise within that wonted place Where all such sate as did discende of worthy Owens race Her prayers done she gins to pawse vpon her lewde pretence And howe the same to Parents hers might breede a fowle offence Besides the blotte of blacke defame that on her kinne should lyght With losse of honour to her selfe and Ladies fowle despight Considering this her minde dooth chaunge vnto an other way And nowe she findes an other pathe to frame her owne decay And thus perplext with thousand thoughts to VVynefride she cryes O Virgin thou whose flyttering fame dooth pearce the azurde Skies Whose glorie glaunceth like the gleames of golden Tytans rayes Whose Dyans deedes deserue the pricke of sempiternall prayse Bowe downe thy eares to thy handmaide that dooth not life desire But that the sisters three vouchsafe my death for to conspire My twist they haue drawne foorth too long which should haue taken ende when direfull destinies decreede to spoyle me of my freende But sith the fates so furiously haue refte him from my sight In whome consisted all my hope of
the pleasures that she lendes doo not continue sure Euen so the trouble that she sendes can not alwayes endure Though she with frowning frosen face doo lowre on you a whyle Yet dooth her fauour come as fast when as she lyst to smyle A wise man in the mydst of cares with wit him selfe dooth arme So that no stormes of sturdy strife can ought procure his harme For as the Poet Homer faynes that Aten barefoote goes She can not touch no harde thing sure but lyghtly treades on those That armed are with constancie and patiently abide Each sturdy storme that Fortune sendes at euerie tyme and tyde Whereby is meant calamitie whereof she Goddesse is Can not bereaue a wise mans heart from quiet patient blisse But such as are of simple minde effemynate and base Whose tender hearts can not abyde Dame Fortunes hye disgrace Wherefore good Sir content your selfe with reason rule your minde Embrace Dame Patience in your breast so shall you comfort finde Bestowe your looue within your stronde where are such store of Dames As you may largely take your choyse and so quight quench your flames Consider if you doo forsake your Parents and your fréends And goe into a place vnknown then all your pleasures endes Ne dare I backe returne againe for feare of future happe Your Parents bothe wyll wayle your losse wherefore preuent the trappe That may intangle them in gréefe and shorten not theyr dayes That haue bene carefull for your lyfe in all your passed wayes Wherefore I craue abolish wyll let wisedome you retayne Let Prudence eke by due foresight preuent all future payne And take my counsayle in good part that wylles you to be wise Nor let no gréefes nor sorrowes past your presents thought supprise When he had spent such wordes as these Sir Charles dyd straight replie You haue but wasted thus much winde I lyke it not perdie Not all the world can me perswade my Iulia to forget So stedfastly vpon her looue my constant heart is set I can not blot out of my minde her fréendship and good wyll Which hytherto I haue retaynd and so I wyll doo styll Her feature I doo styll beholde within my carefull minde Though she by death departed is and I am left behinde Yet whyle I liue her monument within my minde shall rest Which was her true and trusty hart within her constant brest Should I goe séeke to lyue in myrth or yet to haue mine ease And she to lodge among the waues in mydst of surging Seas No no no daungers shall preuayle to make my heart to shrinke Although it were in honest wise in saltishe Seas to sinke I would vpon my selfe reuenge her death were yet no shame But that the lawe of God and man dooth quite forbyd the same Yet doo I hope as Fortune brought me to bestowe good wyll So wyll she send some kinde of meanes by chaunce my lyfe to spyll But as the peryls of the Seas She dyd for me long take Euen so the daungers of the lande Ile suffer for her sake She reft of lyfe dooth ryde on waues that héere and there dooth raunge And I in wandring sort wyll passe through Countries farre and straunge No daungers shall affright my minde yea were it for to passe Euen downe to hell for her swéete sake where Orpheus sometyme was Therefore leaue off your wastfull wordes for what I haue decréede My purpose is not to delay but put in proofe with spéede When as the Préest perceiued him his follyes to pursue And that he could not him perswade he dooth his rashnesse rue And gan him selfe for to debate if he should backe retyre His Parents would suspect that he theyr sonnes death dyd conspyre He therefore thought it better way then to reuert againe To goe with him though of his gréefes he tooke some part of paine And thus being bothe determined not backwarde to returne Sir Charles laments his looue the Préest his Countries losse dooth mourne But Charles God knowes had tryple cause for to lament in minde Who lost his looue and left bothe kin and Countreyes sight behinde When they had ended all theyr plaints to Couche apace they hyde Where soking sorrowes for to sléepe them vtterly denyde Yet Nox by course dooth run her race theyr cares thoe dyd not cease But as the night dyd waxe away euen so theyr gréefes increase When Lucifer Dame Venus starre dooth glister in the Skie In Easterne coast denoting plaine that Titans spowse is nie These woefull mates arose foorthwith from out theyr restlesse bed And to the Ile that Brittons callde Ile Mona bothe they fled Where they lyke faithfull fréends doo lyue but yet in mornefull wise As Orestes and Pilades whose sorrowes books comprise Thus Charles styll tost with crushing cares which vext his secrete hart To wayle his wastlesse woes oft tymes would drawe him selfe a part And to the Sunne would thus complaine O Titan it may bee That thou this tyme by farre reacht lookes my Iulias corpes doost sée I would thou hadst such vttering woords as thou hast shining beames Then wouldst thou shew if now her bardge doo floote on striuing streames Or if the same on shore be cast by meanes of tossing tyde O that thou would expresse to me where Iulia dooth abyde Where so her coarse dooth rest I would what daunger so befell Remayne with her if thou to me her byding place wouldst tell But sith thou want'st the vse of spéeche to bring me to her sight Yet for my sake bestowe on her then wont a fréendlyer light When obscure clowdes doo dym thy beames and darke thy shining rayes Let not her corpes yet want thy lyght that in the Seas decayes Thus vnto Fowles to Trées and Beasts and stones he would complaine As though they wit and senses had his meaning to retaine The lande of Ladies bréed his gréefe and Musicke causde his mone Theyr sugred words myrthes siluer tunes in gréefe would make him grone The Préest also laments his lot as he alone dooth trace And often to his Countries soyle his staring eyes would gaze He wisheth styll her carkase there where as his hart dooth rest Such troubled thoughts he carries aye within his beating brest But fewe affection fonde can tame or Cupids force withstande For greefe and looue are voyde of rest bothe bound in sorrowes bande If body might flie where the minde is oftentimes retaind Full many would not vse that place where else they are constraind Thus though they vse t'acquaint themselues with states and of the best Yet could no pleasures purchase place within their carefull brest Incessaunt cares thus pyning them redoubling daylie woes They thought to seek theyr deaths foorthwith amyd theyr blooddy foes They gin therefore t'enquire for warres Where often death is found Afore the tyme where bloody blowes in boysterous sort abound That vsing feates of manly Mars they may cut of theyr care And rather shorten vp theyr lyues then lyue styll in dispayre When Lady Ver
small So I enioy thy hydden heart I reape reward for all Wherfore let not our Fathers wrath or care for worldly wealth Once moue thy stedfast minde from me whereon dependes my health For why ere Luna lose her lyght by onely course of kinde I wyll prouide a priuie Préest our bandes of blisse to binde Therefore declare if my deuise content your worthy wyll Or that you know a better way our ioyes for to fulfyll When as he thus had tolde his minde shée spake with trembling voyce O Syr quoth shée my wits are weake I put it to your choyce The great good wyll I beare to you my hews bewrayes the same And though that Women weaker be my heate excéedes your flame Where Femine doo prefixe theyr Looue no measure they obserue They fasten then theyr faith so sure that they doo neuer swarue Assure your selfe what I haue sayde my déedes shall playne expresse For tyme shall trie that trusty trueth shall not from words degresse For why the giftes of Natures grace which I in you doo finde Your Verues and your forme so fine haue wun my inwarde minde No marueyle tis that I am caught in Cupids suttle snare Sith that the Wight that holdes my heart in beauty is so rare My Looue is such that least through lot we lyncked are by Lawe Fell Atropos wyll cut the threde which Lachesis dooth drawe Sith I haue vowde to be thine owne thy purpose do dispatch For none beares breath but onely thou with whome I wish to match Ere that a month therefore be past I wyll attentiue bee According vnto promise plight your quicke returne to see My Iulia deere doubt not sayth he full soone I wyll retyre For to content your fréendly minde with fruites of your desire And in meane space as Loouers vse on hope we styll wyll féede Tyll poynted tyme be fully runne whereon we haue decréede By this tyme Phoebus sturdy stéedes doo lodge in Occident When these two Loouers nowe must leaue the sport which thus they spent With heauy cheere they then embrace theyr clasped armes they close What heauy sighes and sobbes they spent my pen cannot disclose With gréedy grypes he culles her corpes full lothe for to depart Farewell my Iulia déere quoth he I leaue with thée my hart Syr Charles quoth shée although my corps be hyd from out your sight I yéelde also my heart to you your goodnesse to requight And thus they bothe prepare to packe he spares no spurres to spéede Shée backward throwes her lingring lookes her fancyde eyes to feede But when shée lost his sight at last her teares gan gushe a mayne Her heauy heart was then opprest with pynching prickes of payne Shée curst the tyme that Nature first dyd lende her lucklesse lyfe Shee wisht her Nurse had reft her breath by dint of bloody knyfe Shee curst her mouth that tooke the foode which dyd her corpes sustayne And wisht some poyson in her pappe that might haue bene her bayne At last retaynd by reasons rule her selfe shée homeward sped Where being come shée wylles her mayde for to prepare her bed Whereon shee thought to take her rest and fall to quiet sleepe But carking care and groning gréefe prouokte her eyes to wéepe That downe the teares lyke drops doo raine on bed whereas shée laye And to her selfe in whyspering sort at last shée gan to saye If I should marie secretly ere Parents knowe the same What should I purchase to my selfe but onely lasting shame What should I match my selfe with him whome thrise I neuer sawe Tush Iulia tush thou art to rashe therefore thy minde withdrawe Least it be sayde thou art a Chylde that lyu'ste deuoyde of awe Shall I my Mothers curse deserue whereat I ought to quake Shall I lose Parents Kithe and Kin all for one Straungers sake Or shall I put my honestie into a Straungers hand Who would perhaps misuse me then when as I were in band To whome then might I make my mone or gape for hope of grace Who would assist me hauing wrong or pleade my carefull case No no my wyll shall cease to wade to worke my Parentes woe My hasty head shall leaue his hope to frame my ruine soe This sayd she pausde straight wayes dooth her tatling tongue reprooue For spytting out such woordes of spight gainst him whome she did looue Should I quoth shée vngratefull séeme to such a woorthy Knight Who on the gayne of my good wyll dooth fixe his whole delight Within whose faithfull heart so true dooth lodge such loyall looue Whose Vertue rare and séemely shape the stonyst heart might mooue Should I then haue a flinty heart lyke to my Countreyes name Or should I to a courteous Knight be found a thanklesse Dame No no in wealth or else in woe in myrth or else in mone In pleasure or in pinching paine tyll death I am his owne Tyll whose returne I liue in teares expecting wished ioyes When Mariage locke shall linck our hearts to driue out darke annoyes When teares swelling sighes were slakte Morpheus dooth appeare Syr Somnus with his sléeping slights dooth close her eyes so cleare Her minde is then deuoyde of care For sleepe dooth ease the hart Whome greedy gripes of groning greefe dooth sinke in Seas of sinart At last Aurora with his lyght the cloudy Skies dooth cleare And blazing Tytan with his beames in East dooth strayght appeare Then dooth shée ryse from carefull coutche shée takes her Booke in hand Wherein shée reades her priuate Prayers as dyd with custome stand But still her rowling eye dooth raunge in thousands thriftlesse thoughts To think on Charles dooth chauÌ„ge her chéere thereby her gréefe is wrought But leaue we Iulia nowe a tyme for why my quaking quyll Shall nowe reuert to paynt his greefe whome cutting cares dyd kyll When he had past her Fathers Port and parted was her sight In ryding he espyes a Hyll whereat he dyd alight Such dollors deepe dyd him distresse such suddaine sorrowes swell As mazde his mynde that flat on ground in pytteous plightes he fell And thus with cryes he cleaues the clowdes Oh gentle Death quoth hee Come shut these wyndowes of my mynde this lothsome lyght to see O Heauens where are your thunder boltes and flakes of flashing fire For to consume my carefull coarse which burnes in hote desire O Earth doo gape with mighty mawe and swallowe vp my coarse Some hasty hande dispatch my dayes and rew me with remorse As thus he powrde his pittious plaints his wasâ—lesse woes to wéepe His sooking sighes and wearyed teares prouokte his eyes to sleepe Dame Venus then to him appeares thus sleeping as he laye And thus shée spake O Charles quoth shée awake with spéede I saye Why doost thou so with troublous thoughts and stormes of sturdy strife Torment thy selfe for her which shall remayne thy wedded Wife The noysome night is néerely spent stand vp therfore with spéede For why to hye the home in haste the tyme requireth
chaunge Againe shée déemes some other let dooth hinder him to raunge But when shée sawe the poynted tyme to be so farre I spent And that her hope was frustrate now contrarie to consent Shée writes to him these folowing wordes and willes him to beware Least VVynefrides plague for his vntroth dooth breede his ceaseles care ¶ The Letter of Iulia to Charles THough lyngering long I trusted to thy loue in hope thy deeds shold firm thy wasted words Yet now I deeme thy wauering mind doth moue I beat the bush an other gets the byrds The plighted tyme thou dydst appoint to meete is now expirde and thou hast broke thy vowe Ne hast thou sent by writinges me to greete whereby the lesse I doo thy deedes alowe The mighty Gods vouchsafe that Wynefride doo not requite thy falsehood with desart For stayning so her Temple with a deede whose false effect dooth merite treble smart Yet nay the lesse though thou be false of faith my hart shall styll remaine thine owne for aye Hap weale or woe hap life or direfull death I will no whit from fixed promise straye And so adiew the Gods doo thee forgiue though thou by fraude hast bred my harts anoy Yet doo I vowe while I on earth doo liue to pray the powers to graunt thee lasting ioy Thy sorowfull Ladie Iulia. THis done shée closde it vp with spéede and secretly shée sendes A messenger to Anglesie who straight his voyadge bendes Who being come to Gaulfrides Court to Charles he doth present Who lay full sicke vpon his bed this Letter which shée sent When as he knewe the same to come from Iulia his so déere He felt his Feuer fits to faint through newe reuiued chéere When he had read her Letter through which dyd his tariaunce blame He calde for pen and ynke to write an aunswer to the same Wherein he showes his cause of stay and that he meanes lykewise To firme his vowe when to his state of health he shall arise ¶ The replie of Charles to Iulia her Letter WIth treble thankes I greete thee heere againe whose willīg hart doth wish my lastīg welth Soregreu'd in minde that chance doth me retain and heauy hap doth so withholde my health Wherby the cause of thy conceite doth ryse though no desart may driue thy minde to dout Yet my distresse apparaunt to thine eyes shall driue the cause of such suspicion out The trust that thou reposedst in my looue shall not be voyde nor frustrate in effect For why my deeds shall plighted promise prooue if mighty God my lyngering life protect Thou beatest the bush and shalt the birds obtain none other wight shall haue my hart in holde Though time be past yet time will come again for to fulfill the vowed tale I tolde I am no Paris nor of Theseus broode ne yet am like to Iason most vniust But Pyramus to spende my dearest blood or I to Thisbe would be false of trust I trust that Wynefride wyll no hate conceiue sith by the powers my let alone proceedes Let her the guilty from their ioyes bereaue and not the faultlesse suffer for their deedes It is not I but Fortunes froward fate that filde my hart with fits of Feuers force That if thou shouldst but view my present state thou wouldst pronounce I am som sēceles corse But if the Gods vouchsafe my health to render I wyll fulfill my former faythed vowe Then shalt thou know how I thy loue do tender though false suspect retaines thy sences now And thus adiew in hope of health at hand tyme shall at last inchayne our bodies fast Though absence thus do cause our greefes to stād yet lyngering ioye will dubble be at last Thine owne for euer Charles THis Letter made the messenger of Iulia he dooth lende Desiring him vnto his Dame with hart him to commende Who straight to Flint dooth hye apace his message to discharge Who being gone Charles féeles his fittes of Feuers to enlarge This night he takes no rest at all such greefe his entrayles teare His heauy heart thus long opprest with wastfull woe dooth weare The messenger by this came home whome Iulia longd to vewe Saluting her with Charles his lynes which dooth her ioyes renewe She shut the doore least some should spie the Letter which was sent Which done she hasted it to reade and straight the seale she rent With fingers fine as white as snowe she rippes and reades the same With watchfull eyes as houering Hawke dooth praye vpon her game But when she findes howe Agues fittes hath shakte his hart so sore And howe his corpes consumed is with sicknesse more and more The brynish teares dooth wet her cheekes her sight to reade they stoppe The Christall streames in trickling wise lyke siluer dewe dooth droppe But when the spring of watrie droppes was dried vp through want To reade his déepe lamenting lynes her tender hart dooth pant Perusing them shée sighes and sobbes to ponder his estate Her Isie cares and brandes of looue doo bréede in breast debate Alas shée sayde what dooth it néede to adde vnto my smart The least of these my cutting cares may kyll a womans hart I thought that I had past the pykes and feelde of fighting grones But nowe I sée I haue to runne a campe of ceaseles mones And where I thought that mariage Rytes should yeeld me gaine for gréefe I see the dartes of Death at hand which bréedes my sorrowes chéefe My fréende in paine oh furious fates nowe fie on Fortunes whéele Sith I a wretche and simple soule her pinching paines shall féele But sith what destinies decrée of force must be fulfilde My patient minde shall beare each brunt◠as Princely powers haue wilde And thus as shee lamenting was her gréefe and carefull case Her sorrowes now began to swadge shée wypte her watrie face And foorth shee comes with fayned chéere in countenaunce full glad Although the thoughts of Charles his gréefe dyd make her heart full sad Thus carefully shée driues the tyme with secrete sorrowes painde Now this now that tormentes her minde as Fancies humors raynde But ere seuen nightes space were spent shée longes to knowe againe Of Charles his state and how his gréefe of Agues doo remaine Shee tooke her pen as ready prest to him againe to write For whome in panges of endles paine shée languisht day and night But ere shée had fulfilde her minde in wryting of her byll Such carefull newes dooth cut it off as made her want her wyll Wherefore perpend her wauering state howe Fortunes whéele doth raunge But first peruse her carefull lynes then marke their storie straunge ¶ Iulia her Letter to Charles I Haue receyued your dolefull lynes which vnto me you sent Which greeuous newes when I perusde dyd much my minde torment Within your Letter lapped was a frosen clod of care Which freesde my hart with chylling colde to reade your sicknesse rare And though I doubted your deceyt to lyke an other Dame Yet pardon me
each other dyd suspect by onely view of eyes The minde sometimes wyll gesse and iudge that which the eye knowes not As theyr two mindes each other knew the sight theyr formes forgot Thus bothe suspended in suspect away they bothe doo goe The one not knowing the others name as chaunce appointed so The doubtlesse Fame of bothe theyr deaths with straungenesse of attyre Made them to hang in ceaselesse doubts and slacke for to enquyre By this the Starres in Firmament lyke twinckling sparckes aryse And night compels each one depart to rest their weary eyes Charles went to bed but tooke small rest her shape renewde his thought And made his musing minde to maske where fancies fonde him brought The morning nowe appéereth bright Charles and the Preest with spéede Doo ryse and to the Church to pray to goe they are decreede But Charles his minde was chéefly bent his fancied face to sée And to beholde his Iulia yet thought it was not shée When into Church they entred were they might beholde in sight A Table hang ouer the head of euerie Nun aright Wherein insculped were their names according to their place Thus after Charles had sayde his prayers he lyfted vp his face And gan to reade these written names there present to their sight Vntyll they came vnto the name that Charles dyd most delight At last within a Table fayre in Romaine letters fine Iulia Brittania written was there open to theyr eyne This name reuiu'de his dulled sprites this comforted his hart This brought his passed pleasaunt ioyes and ended present smart Now he recordes within his minde that Iulia is the Mayde Which he at his arriuall viewde whyle he theyr passage stayde Yet faynting feare dooth make him dout least one of them there were Among the Nunnes to him vnknowne that dyd this name eke beare Againe he hopes that Fortune might conuay her to that place From gréedy iawes of fishfull floods thus doubted he the case That vertue is rare and seldome his stay eke verie straunge Whose state tho it be good or yll Dame Fortune cannot chaunge He tooke his pen and ynke in hand and wrote vnder the same In his owne spéeche and Brittishe tongue his right and proper name So vnder Iulia Brittania there he Charles Brittania writte That she might reade the same when she came there againe to sit He also wrote where he abode and in what stréete or Inne The chardge also that he dyd holde he writ lykewise therein Now his affaires constraineth him for to depart away For to prouide the Townes defence as much as in him lay They thence depart with gladsome mindes in hope of future ioye These gladsome newes that he hath séene driues out all darke annoye Within a whyle the Prioresse with all her Nunnes drewe nye And into Churche they roundly came when Charles was gone perdye The Vestall Virgins two and two towarde theyr seates resort And set them downe each in her seate as was theyr vsuall sort Iulia lykewise approching néere by suddaine chaunce dyd sée In pendent Table ouer her place more written then should bée When morning prayers were finished no tyme before she found She read these lines the view wherof dooth make her ioyes abound Her pleasures banished all care she knewe that Charles was hée Which she by tracing neere the walles before her face dyd sée The Prioresse when all is done dooth homeward hye againe The Sunne had compassed the South and shewes his heate amaine The dinner time was nowe at hand to dinner straight they went Charles all this whyle dyd long to heare howe he his writing spent When as the Prioresse dyned had then Iulia goes with spéede Desiring of her Mistrisse then to graunt her leaue in néede For she a Brother had that was but lately come to Towne Who was a Chéeftayne of a bande appoynted by the Crowne For to defende that Cittie there and that she sawe him not Those three yéeres space the Prioresse her leaue dyd then alot Assygning one to goe with her a Vestall Virgin eke She takes her way with spéedy space with Charles foorthwith to speake They bothe vnto their Chamber came and found the Préest and hée Conferring closely twixt them selues who should that Iulia bée There Iulia viewed her Charles a space with fréendly gréeting showne His Head péece then was layde aside which made him better knowne His hart dyd giue him it was shée whome he in minde dyd looue Thus bothe as straungers stoode a space and could no whit remooue But when they dyd each other knowe theyr teares ran downe lyke rayne These sudden ioyes that then they felt theyr speeche dyd quite restrayne He claspes her harde within his Armes his teares lyke Fountaines flowe And she her Armes about his necke dooth strongly close also The one the other so embraste She clang as close to him As Hero to Leander dyd when he to Sest dyd swim Vlisses and Penelope conceau'd no greater ioye When after spoyle he hasted home from ten yéeres siedge of Troye At length these words to her he spake O Iulia this thy sight Hath causde my passing pleasures great and put my cares to flight And art thou her whome I supposde by death to be destroyde Haue these mine eyes once more of thée theyr present ioyes enioyde Come Death nowe when thou wilt to me for I haue lyu'de to view Her onely sight whome I alwayes haue found my fréend most trew Now doo I not desire to lyue but onely for thy sake That dydst the peryls of the Seas for me so vndertake And art thou she which fell report dyd brute the tyde had torne Art thou the wight that hast for me those passed peryls borne O Fortune now thou fauourest me though long tyme thou didst frowne Thou hast conducted vs bothe safe to cast our sorrowes downe Now may we knit that faithfull knot which we before had sworne Now I accoumpt me happy thrise that once was thought forlorne I neuer thought to view thy face but that the Dolphin fearce Should in the stéede of funerals haue made her corpes thy hearce But sith once more I haue thy sight ere thou doo part me froe Where I haue nought but Parents left I wyll my lyfe forgoe Now wyll we backe reuert with spéede to view our fréends againe Who for our losse haue long bewaylde in bitter greefe and paine When he made mencion of theyr fréends her teares she could not holde And vnto Charles with wéeping words this heauy tale she tolde ¶ O my déere Charles how haue the heauens thus raysed vp our ioyes That once were plunged in the pit of deadly déepe annoyes I neuer thought to view thy face when Fame dyd blaze thy death Or that we should performe the vow that we had sworne by faith The losse of thée did gréeue me more then any tongue can tell No fréende but thée I dyd accoumpt as thou mayst finde right well My Parents thinke theyr Daughter dead but Fortune suffred not