his will Amilcars sonne 29. line Hanniball the great Carthagenian Generall hee doted extreamely upon a poore mean wench in Puglia Italian Commentar. Hipsicrates 31. line She was wife to Mithridates King of Pontus Portia 34. line Portia was daughter to Cato and wife to that Brutus who killed Julius Caesar a woman of a great and constant spirit adorned with wisedome temper and love to her husband of whose death being advertised shee put hot embers or coales in her mouth and so died Julia 35. line Julia was daughter to Julius Caesar and wife to Pompey the great whom she loved so extremely that one day his Robes being stained with blood at a sacrifice and sent home shee tooke a sudden fright at the sight of the blood fell in labour and died Yet as it often happens he loved her not so well as he did his next wife Cornelia Fierce Herods state line 68. Herod loved his wife Mariamne furiously yet put her to death on a fals accusation that she had conspired his end Hee had the miserable and just punishment to believe her innocent and love her better after her death Josephus Three faire Dames 71. line Pochris Deidamea Artimesia Pochris was wife to one Cefalous who went every day abroad to hunt One day her jealousie made her follow him and hearing him call for the fresh arie she rose from the place where she was concealed to see what Nymph it was He thinking it had beene some wilde beast shot an arrow and wounded her When hee knew what shee was hee was much afflicted but shee being past recocovery desired of him as her last suite that the Nymph Aire might not succeed her in his love by which hee found her mistake and cleared it So shee died very well pleased Deidamia bore Pirhus to Achilles and would never marry another whilest hee was at Troy nor after his death Artimesia was wife to Maussalus King of Caria after his death shee dried his heart beate it to powder and mingled it with her drinke saying There was no other Urne worthy to hold such precious ashes Biblis Semiramis and Mirrha 75. line Biblis loved her brother Semiramis loved her sonne yet some Authours thinke it a calumnie Mirrha loved her father Lancelot Tristram 78. line Knights of the Round table Jiniver 79. line Jiniver or Guiniver was wife to King Arthur and Mistris to Lancelot Isond 80. line Belle Isond wife to Marke King of Cornewell and Mistris to Tristram By one hand slaine 82. line The wife of one Lancelot killed by her husband together with his owne brother whom shee used too familiarly Italian Commentary CHAP. IV. The Argument Himselfe with other slaves of Love Are all shut up in Venus grove WHen once my will was captive by my fate And I had lost the liberty which late Made my life happy I who us'd before To flee from Love as fearefull Deere abhorre The following huntsman suddenly became Like all my fellow-servants calme and tame And viewd the travels wrestlings and the smart The crooked by-pathes and the cosening Art That guides the amarous flock then whil'st mine eye I cast on every corner to espie Some Ancient or Modern who had prov'd Famous I saw him who had onely lov'd Euridice and found out Hel to call Her deare Ghost back he nam'd her in his fall For whom he died Alceus there was knowne Skilfull in Love and verse Anacreon Whose Muse sung nought but Love Pindarus he Was also there there I might Virgil see Many brave wits I found some looser rimes By others Writ hath pleas'd the ancient times Ovid was one After Catullus came Propertius next his Elegies the name Of Cynthia beare Tibullus and the young Greeke Poetesse who is receiv'd among The noble Troup for her rare Saphick Muse Thus looking here and there as oft I use I spi'd much people on a flowry plaine Amongst themselves disputes of Love maintaine Behold Beatrix with Dant Selvagia she Brought her Pistoyon Cin Guiton may be Offended that he is the later nam'd Behold both Guidoes for their learning fam'd Th' honest Bullonian The Scicilians first Wrote Love in rimes but wrote their rimes the worst Francischin and Senuchio who all know Were worthy and humane after did go A squadron of another garbe and phrase Of whom Arnaldo Daniel hath most praise Great master in Loves Art his stile as new As sweet honours his Countrey next a few Whom Love did lightly wound both Peters made Two one the lesse Arnaldo some have had A harder warre both the Rimbaldoes th' one Sung Beatrix though her quality was known Too much above his reach in Mont-ferrat Alvernia's old Piero and Girault Flocchetto who from Genua was estrang'd And call'd Marsilian he wisely chang'd His name his state and countrey and did gain In all Jeffray made haste to catch his bane With sails and oares Guilliam too sweetly sung That pleasing Art was cause he di'd so young Amareg Bernard Hugo and Anselme Were there with thousands more whose tongues were helme Shield sword and speare all their offensive armes And their defensive to prevent their harmes From those I turn'd comparing my owne woe To view my countrey-folks and there might know The good Thomasso who did once adorne Boloigna now Messina holds his urne Ah vanisht joyes Ah life too full of bane How wert thou from mine eyes so quickly tane Since without thee nothing is in my power To doe Where art thou from me at this houre What is our life If ought it bring of ease A sick mans dreame a fable told to please Some few there from the common road did stray Lelius and Socrates with whom I may A longer progresse take O! what a paire Of deare esteemed friends to me they were 'T is not my verse nor prose may reach their praise Neither of these can naked Vertue raise Above her owne true place with them I have Reach't many heights one yoke of learning gave Lawes to our steps to them my festered wound I oft have shew'd no time or place I found To part from them and hope and wish we may Be undivided till my breath decay With them I us'd too early to adorne My head with th' honoured branches onely worne For her deare sake I did so deeply love Who fill'd my thoughts but ah I dayly prove No fruit nor leaves from thence can gathered be The root hath sharp and bitter been to me For this I was accustom'd much to vexe But I have seen that which my anger checks A Theame for buskins not a Comick stage She tooke the God adored by the rage Of such dul fooles as he hath captive led But first I le tel you what of us he made Then from her hand what was his owne sad fate Which Orpheus or Homer might relate His winged coursers ore the ditches leapt And we their way as desperately kept Till he had reached where his mother raignes Nor would he ever pul or turne the reignes But scour'd ore woods
but doth no better prove For though he did his loved Livia wed She was seduced from her husbands bed Nero is third disdainfull wicked fierce And yet a woman found a way to pierce His angry soul Behold Marcus the grave Wise Emperour is faire Faustina's slave These two are tyrants Dionysius And Alexander both suspicious And yet both loved the last a just reward Found of his causelesse feare I know y' have heard Of him who for Creusa on the rock Antandrus mourn'd so long whose-warlike stroke At once reveng'd his friend and wonne his love And of the youth whom Phedra could not move T' abuse his fathers bed he left the place And by his vertue lost his life for base Unworthy loves to rage doe quickly change It kill'd her too perhaps in just revenge Of wronged Theseus slain Hyppolito And poore forsaken Ariadne so It often proves that they who falsely blame Another in one breath themselves condemne And who have guilty been of treachery Need not complain if they deceived be Behold the brave Heros a captive made With all his fame and twixt these sisters led Who as he joy'd the death of th' one to see His death did ease the others misery The next that followeth though the world admire His strength love bound him Th' other full of ire Is great Achilles he whose pittied fate Was caus'd by love Demophoon did not hate Impatient Phyllis yet procur'd her death This Jason is he whom Medea hath Oblig'd by mischief she to her father prov'd False to her brother cruel t' him she lov'd Grew furious by her merit over-priz'd Hypsiphile comes next mournfull despis'd Wounded to see a strangers love prevail More then her owne a Greek Here is the frail Fair Helena with her the Shepherd boy Whose gazing looks hurt Greece and ruin'd Troy Mongst other weeping souls you heare the moan Enone makes her Paris being gone And Menelaus for the woe he had To lose his wife Hermione is sad And cals her deare Orestes to her aid And Laodamia that haplesse maide Bewails Protesilaus Argia prov'd To Polinice more faithfull then the lov'd But false and covetous Amphiaraos wife The groanes and sighes of those that lose their life By this kind Lord in unrelenting flames You heare I cannot tell you halfe their names For they appeare not onely men that love The gods themselves doe fill this mirtle grove You see faire Venus catch't by Vulcan's Art With angry Mars Proserpina apart From Pluto jealous Juno yellow hair'd Apollo vvho the young god's courage dar'd And of his trophees proud laught at the bovv Which in Thessalia gave him such a blovv What shal I say here in a vvord are all The gods that Varro mentions great and small Each vvith innumerable bonds detain'd And Jupiter before the chariot chain'd The end of the first Chapter ANNOTATIONS UPON THE FIRST CHAPTER COnquerour 87. line Julius Caesar Egyptian Queen 89. line Cleopatra Adoptive Sonne 93. line Augustus A woman 98. line Sabina Pompcia whom she loved with much violence yet killed her in his anger Italian Commentar. Marcus the grave 99. line Marcus Aurelius who so doted on his wife Faustina that though hee had often notice shee abused his bed yet he would not divorce from her Italian Commentar. Dionysius 101. line Tyrant of Syracuse Italian Commentar. Alexander 102. line Tyrant of Thessaly he was above measure fearefull and yet was killed by a wench whom he kept The Story is not worth relating Italian Commentar. Creusa 105. line Creusa was wife to Aeneas before he see Dido if ever he did see her Italian Commentar. Antandrus 106. line Antandrus is a rock seated on the Aegean sea where he used sports many dayes together in honour of her funeralls Italian Commentar. And wonne his Love 107. line Aeneas killed Turnus in a combat and so revenged the death of his friend Pallas whom Turnus had killed before and wonne his mistresse Lavinia in whom Turnus clamed interest Virgil Phedra could not move 108. line Hypolito was sonne to Theseus by Hypolita the Amazon Phedra wife to Theseus was in love with her sonne in law Hypolito and being justly rejected by him accused him to his father as having tempted her on which he fled and drowning in his flight she killed her selfe for grief of his losse Italian Commentar. Forsaken Ariadne 114. line Ariadne was left asleep in an Iland by Theseus who loved this Phedra better then her though shee had brought him out of the labyrinth and left her father to goe with him a knowne History Treachery 117. line He had dealt treacherously with Ariadne for the love of her sister Phedra and she required him with loving and falsely accusing his son Hypolito Brave Heros 119. line Theseus led betwixt Phedra and Ariadne Death 121. line He rejoyced as Petrarch alledges to see Phedra kill her selfe because she had been false to him Misery 122. line Ariadne might rejoyce both to see Phedra for whom he had been false to her abuse him and to see his death before her owne Italian Commentar. The next 124. line Hercules Was caused by love 126. line He was killed by Paris in a treatie of marriage with his sister Polixena whom Achilles loved Impatient Phillis 127. line Demophon having occasion to goe to Athens set a time for his returne but staying a little beyond his day by the crossenesse of his affairs and the winds Phillis jealous that he had forsaken her very wisely hanged her selfe Ovid Cruell 130. line When Medea fled from her father with Jason shee tooke her brother with her and cut him in pieces which she scattered that the pursuers might be stayed by gathering up his limbes Ovid Grew furious 131. line Shee was revenged on his inconstancy and ingratitude after by sending his new choice Chreons daughter a golden vestment which was so inchanted or anointed that it stuck fast to her till it burnt her up Hypsiphile 132. line She entertaind Jason with too much kindnesse as he passed by to Colchas Strangers love 133. line Medea whom Jason brought back with him being no Grecian and therefore her disgrace was the greater by the low esteeme her rivall was in Shepherd boy 135. line Paris who was bred a shepherd by his mother to avoid a prophesie that hee would bee the cause Troy should bee burned Enone 138. line A Nymph in Ida whom Paris loved when hee kept sheepe on that mountain His wife 140. line Helene whom Paris carried to Troy Hermione 140. line Shee was daughter to Menelaus and Helene being contracted to Orestes first she was taken from him and married against her will to Pirhus Orestes 141. line He was sonne to Agamemnon beloved of Hermione Laodamia 142. line She died for griefe on the corps of Protesilaus when it came back from Troy Italian Commentar. Argia 143. line Wife to Polenice a Theban she was killed by Creon for going to mourn over her husbands grave Amphyaraos wife 145. line Eryphile who betrayed her
that I knew my hurt too late And that her beauty was my dying fate Love jealousie and envie held my sight So fixt on that faire face no other light I could behold like one who in the rage Of sicknesse greedily his thirst would swage With hurtfull drinke which doth his palat please Thus blinde and deaf t'all other joyes are ease So many doubtful wayes I followed her The memory still shakes my soul with feare Since when mine eyes are moist and view the ground My heart is heavie and my steps have found A solitary dwelling mongst the woods I stray ore rocks and fountains hils and floods Since when such store my scattered papers hold Of thoughts of tears of inke which oft I fold Unfold and teare Since when I know the scope Of Love and what they feare and what they hope And how they live that in his Cloyster dwell The skilfull in their face may reade it well Mean while I see how fierce and gallant she Cares not for me nor for my misery Proud of her vertue and my overthrow And on the other side if ought I know This Lord who hath the world in triumph led She keeps in feare thus all my hopes are dead No strength nor courage left nor can I be Reveng'd as I expected once for he Who tortures me and others is abused By her she 'le not be caught and long hath used Rebellious as she is to shun his vvarres And is a Sunne amidst the lesser starres Her grace smiles slights her words in order set Her haire disperst or in a golden net Her eyes enflaming with a light divine So burn my heart I dare no more repine Ah who is able fully to expresse Her pleasing wayes her merit no excesse No bold Hyperboles I need to feare My humble stile cannot enough come neare The truth my words are like a little stream Compar'd with th' Ocean so large a theame Is that high prayse new worth not seen before Is seen in her and can be seen no more Therefore all tongues are silenced and I Her prisoner now see her at liberty And night and day implore O unjust fate She neither heares nor pitties my estate Hard sawes of Love But though a partiall lot I plainly see in this yet must I not Refuse to serve the gods as well as men With like reward of old have felt like pain Now knovv I hovv the minde it selfe doth part Novv making peace novv vvarre novv truce vvhat art Poore Lovers use to hide their stinging vvoe And hovv their bloud novv comes and novv doth goe Betwixt their heart and cheeks by shame or feare How they be eloquent yet speechlesse are And how they both wayes leane they watch and sleep Languish to death yet life and vigor keep I trode the pathes made happy by her feet And search the foe I am afraid to meet I know how Lovers metamorphos'd are To that they love I know what tedious care I feele how vain my joy how oft I change Designe and countenance and which is strange I live without a soul I know the way To cheat my selfe a thousand times a day I know to follow whiles I flee my fire I freeze when present absent my desire Is hot I know what cruel rigour Love Practiseth on the minde and doth remove All reason thence and how he racks the heart And how a soul hath neither strength nor Art Without a helper to resist his blowes And how he flees and how his darts he throwes And how his threats the feareful Lover feels And hovv he robs by force and hovv he steales Hovv oft his vvheels turne round novv high novv lovv With hovv uncertain hope hovv certain vvo Hovv all his promises be voyd of faith And hovv a fire hid in our bones he hath Hovv in our vains he makes a secret vvound Whence open flames and death doe soone abound In summe I knovv hovv giddy and hovv vain Be Lovers lives vvhat feare and boldnesse raigne In all their vvayes hovv every svveet is paide And vvith a double vveight of sovvre allaide I also knovv their customes sighs and songs Their sudden mutenesse and their stammering tongues Hovv short their joy hovv long their pain doth last Hovv Wormvvood spoyleth all their hunni's taste The end of the third Chapter ANNOTATIONS UPON THE THIRD CHAPTER COrnelia followeth 13. line Cornelia was last wife to Pompey the great and wept for the losse of his honour being overcome at Pharsalia by Julius Caesar and for his death being killed in her armes by Ptololomies command without other cause but to gaine favour of Caesar who had got the better therefore it is justly called by Petrarch Ptolomies unworthy causelesse hate in the next line Grecian Generall 15. line Agamemnon Generall of the Grecians that went against Troy He was in love with Cassandra daughter to Priamus whom hee carried home captive with him Aegisthus 16. line In his absence Clitemnestra his wife entertained another with whom she conspired his death at his returne in this sort she gave him a shirt close at top and as hee was searching for a place to put forth his head Aegisthus killed him Lyncus was saved 19. line Lyncus was one of the sonnes of Danoe The History runs thus Aegisthus and Danoe being two brothers Aegisthus had 50. daughters and Danoe had 50. sonnes Danoe offered his sonnes in marriage to Aegisthus his daughters which Aegisthus would by no means consent to till the other compelled him by force of armes Then hee gave a secret command to his daughters every one to kill her husband in the night They all obeyed except Hypermnestra who spared her husband Lyncus and did not kill him A poore courtesie but that the wickednesse of the rest made it seeme a great favour Pyramus bereaved 20. line It is a known Story that Pyramus and Thisbe having made an appointment in a wood she came thither first where seeing a Lion approch she let fall her mantle and hid herselfe among the bushes Her Lover came within a little while after and see her mantle torne or trampled by the Lion This made him imagine shee had beene devoured so he killed himselfe on the place Thisbies like end 22. line When shee came out of the bushes and found him dead shee killed her selfe too with the same weapon Leander swimming often 23. line The story is cleare of it selfe that Leander having used to swimme the Hellespont was drowned one time in a storme which when Hero see in a window where she stood expecting his arrivall for he perished neare the shoare shee cast her selfe down from thence into the sea Courteous Vlysses 25. line Hee stayed ten yeares from his wife at the siege of Troy and tenne yeares more were spent in his journey home His chaste wife 26. line Of all the Grecian wives she was most faithfull though most solicited Homer Circes amarous charmes 27. line Circe was a famous witch that kept him with her inchantments against
and mountains none did care Nor could discerne in what strange world they were Beyond the place where old Aegeus mournes An Iland lies Phoebus none sweeter burnes Nor Neptune ever bath'd a better shore About the midst a beauteous hill with store Of shades and pleasing smels so fresh a spring As drownes all manly thoughts this place doth bring Venus much joy 't was given her Deity Ere blinde man knew a truer god then she Of which original it yet retaines Too much so little goodnesse there remains That it the vicious doth onely please Is by the vertuous shun'd as a disease Here this fine Lord insulteth o're us all Tied in a chaine from Thule to Ganges fall Griefes in our breasts vanity in our armes Fleeting delights are there and weighty harmes Repentance swiftly following to annoy Such Tarquine found it and the bane of Troy All that whole valley with the Ecchoes rung Of running brookes and birds that gently sung The banks were cloath'd in yellow purple green Scarlet and white their pleasing springs were seen And gliding streames amongst the tender grasse Thickets and soft winds to refresh the place After when Winter maketh sharp the Aire Warme leaves and leasure sports and gallant cheare Enthrall low minds Now th' equinox hath made The day t' equal the night and Progne had With her sweet sister each their old taske taine Ah! how the faith in Fortune plac't is vain Just in the time and place and in the houre When humble tears should earthly joyes devoure It pleased him whom th' vulgar honour so To triumph over me and now I knovv What miserable servitude they prove What ruine and what death that fall in Love Errours dreams palenesse waiteth on his chair False fancies o're the doore and on the stair Are slipry hopes unprofitable gain And gainfull losse such steps it doth contain As who descend may boast their fortune best Who most ascend most fall a wearied rest And resting trouble glorious disgrace A duskish and obscure illustriousnesse Unfaithful loyalty and cozening faith That nimble fury lazy reason hath A prison whose wide wayes doe all receive Whose narrow paths a hard retiring leave A steep descent by which we slide with ease But finde no hold our crawling steps to raise Within confusion turbulence annoy Are mixt undoubted woe and doubtful joy Vulcano where the sooty Cyclops dwel Lyparis Strombolli nor Mongibel Nor Ischia have more horrid noise and smoke He hates himselfe that stoops to such a yoke Thus were we all throng'd in so strait a cage I chang'd my looks and hair before my age Dreaming on liberty by strong desire My soul made apt to hope and did admire Those gallant mindes enslav'd to such a woe My heart within my brest dissolv'd like snow Before the Sunne as one would side-wayes cast His eye on pictures which his feet hath past The end of the fourth Chapter ANNOTATIONS UPON THE FOURTH CHAPTER EVridice 13. line Euridice was wife to Orpheus a famous Greeke Poet who made a journey to Hell for her after her death and having recovered her from Pluto on condition hee should not looke backe lost her by breaking his promise Hee hated marriage ever after for which or for his unnaturall Love to boyes hee was killed by women at a sacrifice and they say named his wife after his head was off Alceus 15. line An excellent but lascivious Greeke Poet Italian Commentar. Anacreon 16. line Another Greeke Poet Italian Commentar. Pindarus 17. line An excellent Greeke Poet Italian Commentar. Virgil 18. line The Prince of Latine Poets who knowes him not It seemes hee was also in Love Italian Commentar. Ovid Catullus Propertius and Tibullus 21. 22. and 23. lines All Latine Poets and all Lovers Italian Commentar. Greeke Poetesse 24. line Sapho she first invented those verses called Saphicks after her a better Poetesse then a woman Italian Commentar. Dant 29. line An Italian Poet whose Mistresse name was Beatrix Italian Commentary Pistoyan Cin 30. line Cin of Pistoia another Italian Poet whose Mistresse was named Selvagia Guiton may 30. line Guiton was the best Italian Poet of his time and therefore Petrarch thinkes hee should have had the first place here Italian Commentar. Guidoes 32. line They were two Italian Poets of one name Italian Commentar. Sicilians 33. line They were the first inventers of rimes and those very rude ones Italian Commentar. Francischin and Senvchio 35. line Two Italian Poets friends to Petrarch Italian Commentar. A squadron 37. line Here followes a troup of obscure provinciall Poets Italian Commentar. Peters 41. line Two unconstant riming Lovers of whom there cannot bee much said to much purpose onely they with Arnaldo Daniel and the lesser Arnaldo were provinciall Italian Commentary Rimbaldoes 43. line There were two Poets of that name The first loved two or three Mistresses and made verses c. The other loved but one named Beatrix Countesse of Mont-ferrat Italian Commentary Alvernia's old Piero 46. line A good Poet that lived long so there hath beene three Peters in all Girault 46. line Another Provinciall Poet but I know not why hee should bee here since I cannot learne that hee had either Wife or Mistresse Italian Commentarie Flocchetto 47. line Hee was a Merchants sonne in Genua but being of a good spirit hee travelled and changed his Countrey from whence hee was called Marsilian hee turned religious at last for discontent in love hee was also a Poet Italian Commentarie Jeffray 50. line Jeffray Ruder hee fell in love with the Countesse of Tripola by report and making a sea-voyage to see her fell sicke by the way after hee was landed the Ladie came to visite him hee not being able to visite her by which good fortune well satisfied he died presently after Italian Commentary Guilliam line 51. Guilliam Gabesten of Rosiglion loving and too much loved of a Ladie named Sorismonda wife to Raimond Lord of a principall place in that Countrey his fine verses discovered their Love to her Husband who killing him caused dresse his heart and made her eat it then told her what it was shee gave him a bitter answer with which enraged hee drew his sword upon her who leaping over a Balcone to shunne his fury died of the fall Italian Commentarie Amareg 53. line There were two Poeticall Lovers of that name Bernard 53. line An amarous Poet who turned religious at last Italian Commentarie Hugo 53. line A pleasing Poet much respected for his Art but an ill Menager and died poore Italian Commentarie Anselme 53. line A worse Poet and worse Menager then the other Italian Commentary Thomasso 59 line A Poet and friend to Petrarch who studied with him in Bolognia it seems he died and was buried in Messiana Italian Commentar. Lelius and Socrates 63. line They were two friends to Petrarch Italian Commentary Many heights 74. line That is they found out many mysteries of Learning in their common studies Italian Commentar. My head with th' honoured branches 80.