Philochasander AND ELANIRA The faire Lady of Britaine Wherein is discouered the miserable passions of Loue in exile his vnspeakeable Ioy receaued againe into fauour with the deserued guerdon of perfit loue and Constancie Hurtfull to none but pleasaunt and delightfull for all Estates to contemplate By Henry Petowe Dulcia non meruit qui non gustauit amara Printed by Thomas Purfoot 1599. To the vertuous and courteous young Gentleman and his very friend Maister Iohn Cowper H. P. wisheth increase of vertue and heauenly Happinesse SEeme you content be discontent who list My chiefest studie is to please my frend Your liking scares the byting Satirist What foole dyslikes where vertue doth commend Vertues firme stay is resident in thee And I from vertue seeke Appologie Vouchsafe then thou admired to descend Downe from th'imperious rich skie threatning throne Of all subdewing vertue honours friend And grace the Roofe of my poore mansion Herein's contain'd the house of my goood will Like it and take it so be Land-lord still Yf the foundation shrinking chance to faile And strongest posts the builder doe beguile Suppose it then the Cottage of a Snaile That tottering falls so that her ruine smile Decay in such poore creatures breeds delight For their ambition sauors not of might Yours to his power humbly deuoted Henry Petowe Ad Inuidiam SHame seeking Zoylists is it not offence That Momus is the God of your deuotion To whome you consecrate all diligence In carping and contemning euery motion Shame ye not thus to seeke the shame of others Why seeke you shame shame swiftly doth pursue you Yet enuie so your bashfull sences smothers That you shame not so much as they that view you Looke back looke back and let this Poem passe That passeth not blinde byting Enuies terrour But learne to knowe abstaynance in this glasse And carpe not that which wanteth naught but errour Vaine are all actions of humanitie Then blame not fiction 'tis but vanitie N. R. Gent. In laud'em Authoris THe Lawrels greene wreath Pallas doth propose To the Tryumphant Temples of all those Which by Appollo's inspiration Merit faire Daphnes transformation Then doth this Author by all Poets Lawes Deserue that Fame with generall applause Henry Snelling Gentleman To the quick-sighted Readers AS he that lately ransom'd from the snare Dreads still venture on the selfe-same gin So erst by folly led not arm'd with care Seeke I to shun the pit I late was in The sinke of misconceite and errors Cell Wherein my wandring Muse downehead-long fell Rays'd by your fauours she hath prunde her wings And now her second flight she gins to make Oh doe not hurt her though she rudely springs For want of skill but rather pleasure take To see an vnflidg'd fowle make shift to flie Whose vngrowne plumes all meanes for ayd deny Once she did ill since when she liu'd obscure In blacke robes mu'd within an ebon herse No longer now she will her selfe Immure But cancell her rude Epitaphe's harsh verse Blest may her second resurrection be And in your fauours liue eternallie Yours as opportunitie will permit H. P. To the fayrest Elanira FAire glorie of Virtue whose bright Angels forme Fram'd of immortall powers all diuine Banish the blacke Cloudes of a threatning stormes Darting such splendant rayes from Bewties eyen Eyes casting light like to the Lampes of heauen Whose eyes all eyes of sight hath quite bereauen Blinde I whose I can neuer be but blinde Unlesse the sun-shine of your sacred bewtie Inforce the curtaines of mine eyes assign'd By loue to ope ' and doe their wonted dutie Then shine bright Sunne vpon my liquid soyle Drench'd with my teares in hazard of much spoyle How can that soyle faire Sunne but ruinate Whereon the Sunne will neuer cast his light Such is your Bewties force when I contemplate That one kinde smile can brighten my darke night My harts sad woes which force my soule to languish Such is my woes inexorable anguish Yf then one harmeles smile from beauties faire Lend comfort to a thousand new bred woes Smile sacred Sainct to banish fell dispaire Dispaire that all sweet pleasure ouerthrowes My weale or woe at Beawties mercieis Frownes bred my sorrowes smiles my endles blisse Philochasander The pleasant Historie of Philochasander and Elanira SEauen tymes twise tould the bright Hyperian Hath circled the fierie Zodiacke Seauen times twise seauen since darting loue began Within those twise seuen dais my poore soules wrack Of an old hurt yet feele the woūd but green Wounded by Loue yet loue hath neuer seen In Cyprus springes where Beautie faire once dwelt A well so hot that who so tasts the same Were hee of stone as thawed Ice should melt And finde his brest kindled with burning flame Whose feruent heate my cold lymmes so opprest That fell dispaire doth lend me little rest An other well that springes so hot is found Whose chilling venome of repugnant kinde Drenches the burning heate of Cupids wound And with the spot of change infects the minde Whereof my deare hath tasted to my paine My seruice thus is growen into disdaine II. FRom Tuskane came my Ladies worthy race Faire Florence was sometimes her auntient seate The westerne Ile whose pleasant shore doth face Wilde Cambers cliffes did giue her liuely heate Fostred she was with Milke of Irish brest And now in famous Britaine she doth rest Fortune bad Chaunce the Author of my rewe Why did you suffer hoarie aged tyme To present such a Diamond to my viewe At whose first sight my Sun-shine did decline Warres forren gallants wherefore did you slumber And carelesly let slip so rare a wonder Why did you sleepe and did not gaze vpon her Why did so rare a prise escape your handes Why did not waking Centonels cease on her Whose sacred lookes all earth on earth commaunds Her faire of kinde her vertues from aboue Happy is he that can obtayne her loue III. THe Sun hath twice brought forth his tēder green Twice clad the Earth in liuely lustinesse Once haue the windes the trees displayed clean And once againe begins their cruelnesse Since I haue hid the harme within my brest My Ladies coy disdaine that hinders rest The winters hurt recouers with the warme The parched greene restored is with shade What warmth alas may serue for to disarme The frozen heart that mine inflame hath made VVhat colde againe is able to restore My fresh greene yeares that wither more more Strange kindes of death in life I trie At hand to melt farre of in flame to burne And like as time list to my cure applie So doth each place whole heapes of woes returne Loue seemes to haue my cure still in scorne VVho liuing die and dying liue to morne IIII. MOst happie all but I the sauadge wild The sencelesse beasts in field that pasture takes Nature will not permit them be beguild Of their true-harted loue affecting makes The poorest senceles creature on earth lyuing ' Enioyes what he loues most
neighbring Castle by Doth keepe whose faire indeede I must confes Is too too faire grac'd with a wanton eye Whose beautie then my faire is nothing lesse Were she but dead then should I neuer mone For with her death my heauie woes were done Pleaseth my loue nay pree thee stay quoth she I know thou't say thou wilt performe the deed But be aduis'd be slow in crueltie I wish her dead yet would not haue her bleed May not this act some other way be done And force no blood sayd I let me alone But all this while the other loue-sicke Lords Were banquetting to passe the wearie tyme Loue to my loue and me no cates affords Saue precious Nectar from pure loue diuine With that she wild me to a window come To shew me where this murther must be done XXXI TAking my humble leaue as louers vse I bad farewell the like she did returne I wisht her dread no ill ne to refuse To oyle those out-worne Lamps that could not burn For want of her sweet comfort blessed sunne Vntill the scene of this first act were done She to the Knights I to this Dame did goe With good intent and not as Homicides With thirstie hands for bloud ne like a foe That for a pray himselfe in ambush hides Though loue inforc'd me graunt what she desired My hart denied to act what she required When to the Portall of this stately Tower I did approch amazed at the sight I stood admiring deaming it some bower Or Sommer mansion house of sweet delight Or else the residence of some demi-god Or some rich Court where loue made his abode XXXII A Valiaunt man at armes a warlike knight Clad in rich Armour of pure beaten gould Stands to encounter with each wandring wight Of courage fierce to Combate wondrous bould Dismounted of my Steed I gan salute him And as a forren Knight thus gan to greete him Courteous Lord if thou be courteous To such as proffer naught but courtesie Graunt me accesse vnto the vertuous And all admired Queene of Chastitie Thy Lady and Mistres so she seemes to be Whose bewtie thou maintain'st by Chiualtie Yf by intreatie I may be so happie As to obtaine the graunt of my desire Freely to haue accesse vnto the Lady Whose grace and virtues all the world admires VVhat doest thou frowne before my tale be ended Then doe thy worst Iscorne to be befriended XXXIII SParks let to burne breake into fierie flames Flames not put out consume what ere they tuch Tuch where it will the fier nothing frames But burnes and spoyles all were it twise as much My sword the fier the spoyle his hart blood is Which I inforc'd the cold base earth to kisse Downe downe he fell my force inforc'd him down Downe to the low layd bowels of the dust Dust to the dust I threw with dust did frowne And frowning spoke his last die die I must Must is for a Queene therefore meete for mee For whose sweete sake I fram'd this Tragedie Leauing the liueles body on the ground Clad with the goulden brest-plate of my foe Secure I entred in whereas I found Faire Silla dauncing with a hundreth moe Well quallified Virgins all in white Whose glorious splendor made the rome more light XXXIIII DArke grewe the place at my first gazing on them Darke as the gloomy day or sable night No sooner was I in and look'd vpon them But Silla fled amazed at the sight The day growes darke when as it wants the Sun The Princes fled the Ladies sport was done I seeing this faire Ladie flie me fro As fearefull Dooes from hunters fierce pursuite Who ouer-toyled can no further goe But in some brake lye close as dead and mute So did I chase this prettie Dooe so fur That being faint fell downe and could not stur Bout whom her Virgins fram'd a prettie fort Linking their Iuorie fingers one in one As did Diana's Nymphes in selfe same sort Lamenting her mishap with mickle mone Silla amazing star'd me in the face Admiring much how I came to that place XXXV THe yeilding chained fort I brake in sunder And clasping Silla in my gentle armes I tooke her vp as forth a drowsie slumber Vowing to shield her from ensuing harmes Feare not sayd I sweet Lady feare no harmes Thy guard my sword shalbe thy bed my armes Hereat dead Silla gan reuiue againe Recouering former sence these words she sayde Heauens warrior Hell conqueror Earthes captaine A thousand welcomes to a sillie maide More then a man thou art lesse cannot be Thy valiaunt lookes fore-showes great Chiualrie Wert thou not hardie thou had'st nere come here But tell me gentle Knight how scap'st thou death The Lord that kept me from thy sight sweet dere By dint of sword I sword his vitall breath Dead lye his corps in place where he was slaine Nere on my life will he reuiue againe XXXVI YF then quoth she my guerdon thou doe deeme of Supplie that place of honour and my loue Which small preferment if my Lord esteeme of My firme vow'd fauour neuer shall remoue Serue me but dayly I am thine for euer What day forbids at night we'le doe together I list not aske ne doe I care to knowe The cause that mou'd thee to aduenture lyfe Vnles for fauour tell me is it so Yf so I yeild to banish further strife Why doe I thus with words beguile the tyme And make not vse of him that's wholy myne Come come my loue my hand would faine be doing Meet me halfe way and then we be vnited The fort is wonne thou need'st no other woing Giue me thy hart it shall be well requited Hart hand and all what ere I haue is thine Yeild thou as much and be thou likewise mine XXXVII UUHy standest thou amazed worthy Knight Canst thou not loue or doest thou scorne to loue Thou seest my pallaice fraighted with delight Whose endles pleasures neuer shall remoue Oh canst thou see a Lady weepe that loues thee And cannot pittie to some pitie moue thee Be but my loue and from Elizium I'le charme sweet Orphey for our more delight Who can inforce the beasts to daunce that's dum And likewise hould the fleeting birds from flight Who stayes swift riuers with his melodie And cause the trees pursue his harmonie Nay more I will to Paphos take my way Where sacred beautie hath her residence And charme her sences that sweet musicke play And force them waite vpon thy excellence What canst thou wish that shall not be effected But yet I see my loue is quite reiected XXXVIII I that gaue hearing to her wanton words When all her idle chat was well concluded My sad reply no comfort sweet affords Tis follie with kind words to be delded I nought doe sing but death and miserie Faire Elanira wills and you must die Oh short liu'd ioy quoth she and 〈◊〉 be That I am thus betrayed of my foe O welcome death strike strike I pardon thee And since I needs must die
replie Worlds wonder Heauens beautie Loues comfort Was Hero lou'd if lou'd then so loue I I true Earbas not false Aenaeas consort Then welcome loue if loue in thee haue place Receaue this touch as guerdon from my grace What that I touch't her lippes she likewise mine And what I gaue to her she gaue to me Twise did I touch her beautie all diuine Nay then quoth she one more I'le haue my fee. A thousand moe to giue was my desire Such store of fuell loue cast on true-loues fire XXII BY this the dreaming Knights began to wake The drowsie Iaylor bid them hast away Foorth of his slumbring Cell quick speed they make And hauing left their cabbins finde it day Their former sence restor'd on me they gazed To see me present they were much amazed Lordings why gaze and frowne you thus quoth she Why disconted not a word they say They cease to frowne since 'twill no better be She bids them bring her Courser they obay She being mounted made her home returne Erst cold with feare now fraight with ioy I burne Her shiuered Charriot was anewe repair'd Against her next dayes progresse as she bad What earth on earth to her might be compar'd Who of the choice of earth by Gods was made Faire Elanira fairest faire aliue To match whose faire all other faires did striue XXIII HEro the faire so called for her beautie And yet not faire in Elanira's view The Gods themselues did proffer loue and dutie Vowing to change her earth-borne mortall hew And frame her all diuine but yet alas She sayd them nay she would be as she was Hellen was faire but not so faire as she Dido was faire and yet she wanted faire The 〈◊〉 of Ioue were faire for so thought he But none of these with her might nere compaire Hero Hellen Dido all pale with White And when she shone their glory turn'd to night On this dayes new borne light I Page-like tended Casting my little lights on that bright Sunne Oh so mine eye-sight suddenly amended Receauing comfort from that blessed one I could but winke such was her beauties force She lendeth smiles on me mou'd with remorce XXIIII UUIth prettie pleasant chat we spent the time Vntill the setting of this glorious Sunne At the faire portall of her rest diuine The Senses fiue sweete harmonie begun To welcome home faire bewtie with their sweet While other Virgins stoope to grace her feere There might I see and seing might behold Her Princely edifice whose entring gate Did seeme to all in-goers beaten gold Such was the honour that did grace her state Entring therin all sorrow was bereauen For I supposd her pallaice blessed heauen The rich embowings of that mansion Were framed of the purest Iuorie The pillors gold which they did rest vpon For the sweete pleasure of her Maiestie The walles were couered all with siluer o're So rare a pallaice neuer seene before XXV VPpon the siluer sealing of the same Were carued fierie beasts of sondry sorts That seemed to withstand all such as came And to that Princely mansion durst resort All things therein so curiously were placed As neuer mortall wight was better graced The pauement was of rich and precious stone Caru'd in such sort as three times blessed hee Might so be honor'd as to treade thereon To haue accesse vnto her Maiestie Each part thereof did glister where we come As if it were the beautie of the Sunne The Sunne sayd I alas how oft yet mist her Like to a craftie Fox mong'st water fowles Crept through het window had thought to kist her No no hie soaring Eagles scorne low stowles There is no sunne to glad the world but this Whom tender plants young youth do long to kisse XXVI HEr gentle palme my warlike hand did grace And to a further roome conducted me Clasping my yeilding corps with sweet imbrace Vntill she shew'd me all her treasurie Yf words had bred content then deeds would sauour Had Mars of scornfull Venus won such fauor Viewing her store-house I began to wonder Within this burnisht caskonet quoth she Are pearles high priz'd this other placed vnder Containes such Iems as man did neuer see This Iuorie box with Ruby stones is graced Within this other Diamonds richly placed VVith that she takes me as she did before Philochasander worthy Knight she sayd Loe here a chest containing three times more Aske what thou wilt thou shalt not be denayd All this is mine nay thine and so much more Yf thou wilt help my woes take all my store XXVII ALas my loue sayd I what bitter woe Presum'd to house within thy sacred brest The heauens will sure be venged on thy soe And nere permit that hellish soule to rest Phaebus will frowne and neuer lend him light But suffer him to pine in obscure night Ioue will send downe swift Mercurie from heauen And make a transformation of his hew The sences fiue will him of sence bereauen And bind him captiue to the pyning crew That wanting eares and eyes to heare and see May pining liue and die in miserie Ioues Ganimed that sweet and daintie boy Whose flowing Nectar cup impleat with sweet Shall like false Mynos with that traytor play And change Ambrosia to poyson meet Forcing him drinke a full carouse to death Who soone shall pledge him with his losse of breath XXVIII YF heauen refuse to doe this blessed deed I will in person downe to night blacke hell And craue of faire Proserpina his meed That still he may be plagu'd with furies fell She is a woman therefore will be wonne Yf she consent soone shall reuenge be done I'le bring with me from Hell to torture him The hatefull monster hag Tysiphone Vpon whose vgly loathsome carrion skin Feede hissing Snakes the Impes of crueltie That they may dangling hang vpon his haire That frighted with the hissing may dispaire Yf she denie to ayde my Loues distresse I'le to the Sea and there I will complaine To louely Thetes she's not pittilesse That if the founder of thy woes remaine Vppon her siluer waues rough seas shall rise And on his shipwrackt soule shall tyrannize XXIX I'le Likewise to the Mother Earth deplore And all my harts deepe wounds to her make knowne That if the Traytor raunge vpon the shore Her crueltie vpon him shalbe showne Heauen Earth Sea Hell I'le woo thē with the Sun To make him tast of woe that woe begun Say Elanira speake my loue diuine Sweete soule sayd I why stand'st thou thus amazed Hart Lyfe and Soule and all I haue is thine Like one affrighted still on me she gazed Vntill as foorth of traunce she was remou'd Thus she began and tould me that she lou'd Kinde Knight Lord all admired my dearest friend Bewties Champion the Prince of Chiualrie Thy forward minde and valour I commend Ne make I doubt of thy true loyaltie Then in a word the founder of my woe Is a proude Brittaine Dame Silla my foe XXX THis Dame quoth she a
let it be so I neuer wrong'd her sacred deitie That she should seeke my woefull tragedie My weeping eyes fraighted with liquid teares To heare my siluer swan sing so by rote Oh how her lamentation duld myne eares How my poore hart in pities sea did flote To heare her young poore Virgins waile wepe How their discording plaints no meane could keepe XXXIX SIlla that prostrate laye at mercies feete I did vpheaue and tooke her by the hand Whome after her sad passions thus did greete Be rul'd by me quoth she at your commaund Though contrarie to kinde yet doe but this And on mine honour it will proue thy blisse To life or death do what you will quoth she I condescend and long to heare my doome Then thus sayd I you must transformed be And from a Lady a worthy Knight become Yf this be all to further your desire I will foorthwith prouide me such attire Clad like two worthy Knights we both together March to the pallaice of my Lady loue Next day with early Tytan we came thither Approching nigh descending from aboue A loftie Tower my loue cast downe such beames As not frō Phaebus throne more bright raies streames XL. I gazing on my loue the Sunne that shone Casting sweet comfort on the low layd ground From of the top of loues sweet mansion Receau'd from loue a three times deeper wound Which loue perceauing to recure the same Descended from aboue and downe she came First we imbrace and then to kissing fall From kisses to imbracements turne agaie Then gan I tell a fained tragicke tale How Silla and her Virgins all were slaine She rauisht seem'd to heare that tale of woe Sylla by standing and the tale not so Not Silla then but Florus I did name her Whome I presented to faire Elanire How pale the Lady look't but could I blame her Being a Princesse in a Knights attire Short tale to make so much her friend I prou'd That in the Court she was intirely lou'd XLI THree soules in one in one close senceles Chamber Silla my selfe and fairest Elanire VVhose glittering haire shone like the chased amber Of force to force immortall eyes admire VVithin that closet close which we were in A false discourse of murther I begin Faire glorie of honour beauteous Elanire Since for your loue I did aduenture life Vowing by holy oath nere to retire Vntill death ceas'd the instrument of strife Thy loue sweet loue's retourn'd with victorie Then graunt me guerdon for her tragedie Thy honours prize quoth she shalbe my soule My endles loue my store and all that's mine No Knight within my Court shall thee controule No mortall Prince shall check thee all diuine Diuine thou art because thou art my loue Selfe of my selfe descended from aboue XLII AS many weary steps as loue hath gon So many kinde imbracements will I giue thee Thy sword shrill ecchoes ten kisses sweet for one For one blow single gentle loue beleiue me Promise is debt and debt shalbe repayde Receaue thy dewe to kisse be not affrayde Art thou asham'd belike this knight in place Speaking by Silla hinders thy intent Tush man for loue tis lawfull to embrace To kisse and wanton where true loue is ment If kisses and imbracements will not serue thee We le find more daintie cates I will not slaine thee As she did descant on these wanton theames Terrors alarums sounded in our eares Whereat we ' mazed as a soule that dreames Frighted in sleepe with thousand sundry feares And as I thought a like replie to frame An hundred Knights into the chamber came XLIII THe rumour which good truth did verifie Was that a multitude of Quondam Louers Came for reueuge for Silla's tragedie Whose war-like troopes the grasse-greene medowe couers Short tale to make Silla against Silla fought Philochasanders pollicie so wrought A greater warriour Britaine neuer bred Before the battles ioyn'd vnto the field Faire Elarina's troopes by him were led The skirmish done his enemies gan yeild Some fled some fearefull dyed some others slaine Which honour vnto Silla did pertaine Silla supposed Florus to whom the Knight Philochasander Prince of Chiualrie Did willing yeild the honour of the fight And made her famous in the Victorie All things concluded they two worne louers Philochasander Silla then discouers XLIIII GReat admiration bred this accident The vertuous loue of Silla to her foe That sought her death yet euer permanent To honour her that sought her ouerthrowe When Elanira on good Silla gazed Oh how the blushing Lady was amazed How many Dames affords this wilfull age How many Silla's is there to be found How many women can reuenge asswage And burie mortall anger vnder ground As Silla did for which as erst before Faire Elanira did her ioyes restore Philochasander where is such another That can indure the sorrow he hath borne What man is he to ayde his dearest brother VVill were loues weary yoke as he hath worne Doe good to all though you be tyranniz'd That boue the Spheare your soules be cannoniz'd Omne simile non est Idem