bane VVhat though you haue bene breedresse of my woes And mothers griefe the Gods wil haue it so Men say Apollo in this sacred Ile Giues Oracles to wightes which be opprest Come let vs goe vnto his Temple rich And see if he will shew to vs what course Of life to take or if by any meanes We may returne into our natiue land How to returne into our natiue land This said they wandred both with pensiue hearts To wise Apollos Church not far from thence Where when they were sweet odors rich in smell On Aultars high religiously they burnt Then kneeling downe vpon the Marble flints With naked knees bare heads and vp-lifthandes Making the Temple sound with grieuous sobs Old Thirsis in this sort gan make his mone O wise Apollo fate-praesaging God Who knowst what things haue bene are and shall be O wise Apollo crime-disclosing God Who doubtles knowst how fate hath dealt with me Aide and assist vs twaine whom Fortunes spight Hath causde to erre in this thy Delian Isle And if the Destenies haue it decreed That of my lyfe the thred be quite out run Neere this thy temple let me lay my bones But let poore Flora my supposed child Find some redresse age wils me to expect And welcome death Her lustie youthful yeares Desire sweet life the blossomes of my time Now withered are but hers are fresh and greene Or if we may th'Arcadian plaiues once see Tell vs how we againe may them once see He held his peace and Flora thus began O Phebus wise of Prophets supreame king Discloser of all secrete mysteries Tel how old Thirsis whom proud Fortunes wrath Hath made a pilgrim in thy sacred Isle May once but see his aged wife againe Th'Arcadian plaines and swain-frequented fields And let me die death is my due reward I craue no other death I haue deseru'd Forthwith a scrowle before them was let fall And therewithall these thundering voyces sent Take what you see Arcadians shun delay And where this ship sets you on land there stay Then giuing thanks they took and read the scrowle Wherein these words imprinted were in gold Old Thirsis wise Apollo pittieth thee One of his prophets hencefoorth thou shalt be Liue Flora with thy Sire end not thy dayes Cassander liues not drownd is he in seas Foorthwith as they were charged he made haste Vnto the ship then ready to lanch out But Flora doubtfull of the Oracle Stood stil amaz'd not knowing what to do Alasse quoth she what meanes the Delian god With such ambiguous words me to delude What was it not as easie to haue saide Cassander liues not drownd is he or els Cassander liues not drownde is he I see Ay me I see the powers minded are To wrap me in a Laberinth of woes He surely meanes Cassander liueth not And so Ile take it drownd is he in deep This said her father wild her to make haste And follow him as Phebus had giuen charge She followed him but with a persiue heart And dolefull mind they both were set on boord The shipmen quickly lanched into deepe And gaue full sailes vnto their flying pine Which Boreas steeds gan draw through Thetis field And plowghd therwith the sea gods marshie realme Vnluckie Flora trembled as she sate Fearing each waue which shrind her of her loue Seuen times had Tytan lift his fiery head From Thetis lap where he all night had slept Seuen times againe in her Chrystaline waues He drencht his chariot and did sleep againe When Adrian chiefe ruler of the ship Fom top of sterne the Greekish coast espide From whence they came and whereat in short space Winds helping them they safely did arriue Here Flora landed with her aged Site The second time here were they set on shore And newes was spread through all the land of Greece That Phaebus had a Prophet to them sent From Delphos Ile and now he could deuine Presage and tell all secretes and hid things Apollo oâ—lie had concealde from him Cassanders fate his daughters and his owne Newes-carying Fame with her loud sounding trump Had quickly blaz'd these tydings through the land And who so famous now as Thirsis was Who so renown'd from cuntries far vnknowne Kings potentates old yong both rich poore And all degrees came flocking vnto him As though he had Apollo bene himselfe He briefly would all mysteries disclose And tel to them their owne peculiar thoughts VVhat was had bene and would be he could tell Great store of golde wealth was to him brought Yet couetous swaine still hungrie after gaine The more he had the more he sought to haue Who seeing Grecia cuntrie to containe Faire Medowes pastures grounds and fields in it Sought to encrease his stock and though he had Now chang'd the aire yee chang'd he not his mind But like the Cat whom Iupiter transform'd Into a maid still ran she to a Mouse Though Phaebus had a Prophet of him made Yet would hee shew himselfe to be a swaine He bought him sheepe and cotes and neuer had So many flockes in large Arcadian bounds As now he had within the Grecian fieldes Sometime himselfe vpon them would attend Sometime againe poore Flora would them keepe And bearing still in mind Cassanders shape Abandoning a second Louers name She tearm'd her selfe one of Dianas Nymphs Or Vestas Nunnes detesting Venus lawes VVhich was the cause though many did her loue Yet they refusde to shew to her their minds Poore Saint she wandred vp and down the fields Exclaiming sobbing making piteous mone And on a time recording her old Loue As by her heards vpon a hill she stood Such restlesse passions gripte her in ward heart That desperately she plucked foorth a knife Ready to pearce therewith her groning heart And therewithall these dolefull words sent foorth To which poore Eccho answered in this wise Fl. What shal I do shall I die what shal Flora kil Flora shal she or to doe such a fact shall I leaue off Eccho I leaue off Fl. Leaue off and why so what liues there any so wretched or any so lucklesse ech where as I am Ec. I am Fl. Why tel what art thou who me so sadly reanswerst some distressed Virgin or woful Eccho Ec. Eccho Fl. Alas poore Eccho we twaine maywell go together say trulie what do we two not agree Ec. Not agree Fl. VVhy tell good Eccho liues my Cassander how should I ioy if thou shuldest tel me that he liues Ec. He liues Fl. Deceitfull Eccho what meanst thou so to delude me the sea had him doubtles it had and it hath Ec. It hath Fl. I know that too well we two may then goe together dispairing Flora bids thee then adew Ec. Adew This said she sent foorth grieuous sighes grones Grones able to make soft the flintie stones And therewithall stretcht out againe her blade Her blade wherwith she meant to kill her selfe Recording yet her fathers counsel once Desisted from this fatall enterprise Long liu'd she thus
poor wretch yet at the length Delay did somewhat mirigate her woes Whom now hemd in a laberinth of griefs And heape of cares a while I meane to leaue Now of her birth hard haps and parents liues And natiue soyle wherein she now remaind And famous progenie I meane to speake In these seas O my Muse let saile thy barke And in this ground let run thy wagon wheeles Agenor once which ware the royall crowne And diademe within this land of Greece Summond by fate to appeare before the ghostes And stroken with deaths fame outracing dart Now at last gasp vpon his fatal bed Readie to die his sonne vnto him cald His only sonne Palemon whom he left To weare his crowne and sit vpon his throne He cam◠Agenor tooke him by the hand And shedding teares thus dolefullie gan speak Thou seest my sonne how death now summons me T'appeare before the supreame king of kings Oh see my son how Atropos extendes Her hand euen novv to cut in two the thred I must depart the Fates wil haue it so Ingraue thou therefore in thy youthfull mind Thy dying fathers last and latest words This kingdome now fals vnto thee by lot And in my steed thou must this throne possesse Be therefore wise and as thou knowst I haue So be thou carefull of thy subiects wealth Giue vice his due and vertue his rewardes And that thy progenie may also sit Vpon this throne and weare thy royal crowne Choose thee a wife equall to thee in birth Respecting vertue and not greedy gaine More for her wisdome fame and chastitie Then riches forme and transitorie shape So shall our progenie for euer sit In this high seat and weare this royall crowne This said such death presaging pangs opprest His dying heart that speech was tooke away At length great Iuno pittying his estate Sent many-colloured Iris downe from heauen Of life Dame Iris quickly him dissolu'd Straight to a sigh huge death bringing grone Out flew his breath and to the ghosts gan poste Ay me how did this sad and gastfull sight Apale Palemons yong couragious mind Thrise fel he down and thrise againe was tooke Half dead frō ground so nature in him wrought Yet when this dolor gan it selfe remooue And cloud of griefe to vanish from his mind He comfort tooke and for his buriall rites And funerals all things he soone preparde With regaltie and worthie such a prince And Potentate were speedily dispatcht He caried with a noble troope of Peeres In mourning weedes to Pallas temple rich And there in Marble royally entombde Shortly met all the Noble men againe And princelie Peeres this mourning laid aside And with one minde as was his right they made Palemon king in olde Agenors steed The set the Crowne vpon his youthfull head And princelie Scepter in his regall hand He gouern'd them and to them he gaue lawes He was their Lord he was their onlie king Three times had Ver expelling Hiems frosts Refresht the earth which like a Chaos were Three times againe had blustering Hyems nipt The fragrant hearbs which Ladie Ver had brought When gouerning the famous land of Greece And quite forgetfull of his fathers wordes His Lords and Princes gan him wisely mooue To take a wise sprong of some royall bloud Alleaging that it would commodious be To him and not vnpleasant vnto them A sonne to see begotten of his seed So being olde yet should he still be young So being dead he still in them should liue And furthermore say they thy neighbour King Tuiston high in Germanie who raignes One daughter hath a Virgine passing faire In vertue wealth in birth and natures gifts Excelling rich most royall and renownd Who after him shall weare the imperiall crowne And by ambassage to thy father sent Who lately hath her proferd to thy wife And if so be thou minded art to saile To Germanie to see this sacred impe whose vertues rare shril Fames loud-sounding trump Hath almost blazed throughout all the world Weele guarde thee thither and a fit time now It is it was spring tyde to cut the seas He straight wayes moou'd at these his Princes words Burnt in desire to see this virgin rare But by Embassadors he minded first To know Tuistons mind and whether she Was not betroth'd to an any other king For els his welcome might haue bene but colde His sute denide and all his labour lost Embassadors he therefore sent in haste Who speedily returnde with gladsome newes Newes that Tuiston greatly would reioyce And be most glad to see him in his realme Palemon hereat leapt for ioy in mind And for his iourney all things soone preparde And royally with manie of his peeres Did shipping take and cut the Caerule seas And in short space winds furthering his intent Arriued at Tuistons Germain coast Soone heard Tuiston that Agenors sonne Was in his realme and comming towards his court Who speedily with all his valiant peeres Came foorth to meet and welcome this great prince Iulina also for so called was Tuistons daughter guarded on each hand With troups of Ladies faire and gallant imps Impsable euen to make Adonis yeeld To welcome this yoong Prince came with her Sire She went ah not vnlike in view she went To Regall Iuno wife of kingly Ioue Had Venus bene among them Venus would Haue seemd to her inferior farre in shape In pregnant wit she Pallas did surpasse And to be briefe more coy and chast she was Then that groue-haunting goddesse who delightes In menacing the wilde and sauage beasts Palemon saw her and he was amaz'd At her rare forme and excellence in shape Her looks her gesture and mind-pleasing words Allured so his captiuated minde Accusing Fame one while whom then he thought Too partiall was in sounding her due prayse And whom euen now he did but wish to see As greatlie now he did desire to haue Which in short time I studie to be briefe He did obtaine to both their sweet contents Their wedding day appointed now was come I will not tell here what triumphant shewes And ioy was held throughout all Tuistons land The higher sort in honour of their Queene On Coursers braue their valiant prowesse shewd The rusticke crue made bonefiers in their streetes The pastorall troope made fieldes with duties sound But that dayes pleasure soone gan passe away His fiery steeds now Tytan did vnyoke Her pitchie steedes now Luna did bring foorth Night summond wearie limmes to take their rest This princely couple layd them down in bed Most ioyfully But oh vnhappie time O lucklesse night the spousall wife of Ioue Was not here present Hymon was not here Eumenides and Furies present were And from the chamber top in hellish notes The Screech owle sang a lamentable song Twise with full circle twise with wained hornes Did Cinthia see Agenors sportiue sonne Courting Iulina his new wedded wife And froliking in olde Tuistons Court When sudenly a great desire to see His countrie Greece was kindled
FLORA'S FORTVNE The second part and finishing of the Fishermans Tale. Containing The strange accidentes which chaunced to Flora and her supposed father Thirsis also the happie meeting with her desired Cassander Quod graue Sabe iugum patitur ceruice magistri Hoc graue lene iugum mitis Apollo facit By F. S. Imprinted at London by Richard Ihones at the signe of the Rose and Crowne neere to S. Andrewes Church in Holborne 1595 To the Worshipful his verie good friend M. Francis Tresham sonne and heire to to the renowned and vertuous Knight Sir Thomas Tresham Francis Sabie wisheth full fruition of mortall and immortall foelicite THE report and consideration Right Worshipfull of your exceeding courtesie the great and immerited friendship which I and my parentes haue and do daylie find at the handes of that renowned and vertuous Knight your Father doe embolden mee to present vnto your Worship this my vnpollished Poeme from which otherwise the imbecilitie of my skill in this diuine arte and rudenesse of these my lines doe altogether dehort me Which if your Worship serious affairs ended shall vouchsafe to cast a fauourable glaunce vpon and therein shall find any part or parcell pleasing to your vertuous mind I shall esteeme my trauell as much worth as had it otherwise beene spent in winning the golden Apples of Hisperia or in fetching precious Iems from the chrystall lake of the Pearl-flowing Tagus The historie I praesume you shall finde delightfull the matter not offensiue to anie only my skill in penning it is imbicill and my presumption in presenting so rude a peece of worke to so wise a Patrone verie great which I hope your Worship will the more bear with and account the rather to bee pardonable in that the fault proceedeth from a good intention and faultlesse meaning Your Worships immoouable votarie FRANCIS SABIE To the Reader TO expell scorn-hating Reader the accustomed tediousnes of colde winters nightes and partlie to beguile slouth-causing sleepe which otherwise would haue claimed some interest in an vnbusied braine I tooke pen in hand and presuming somwhat of mine owne skill wrote the Latâ— published Poeme of the Fisher-mans Tale which of necessitie I was then abruptly constrained to breake off both in that Cassander who told the tale could neither declare what had then chanced to Flora his Loue nor I what would chaunce vnto him Since which time variable accidentes haue hapned to either of them which newes-bearing Report hath brought vnto mino-eares and which also thy late acceptance of the former hath encouraged me to promulgate Whereat if squint-eied Zoylus or splay-footed Momus shall carpe or find fault let them not like angrie dogs al to be slauer with their iawes the stone cast at them I meane teare in sunder my faultlesse Papers but rather haue accesse vnto me their Authour who will straitwayes fetch foorth an olde rust-eaten Halberd which saw no Sun these seuen yeares wherewith I wil either massacre their deformed limmes or if they speake mee faire garde them safely to Cold-harbour colledge where they may haue one whole monethes leysure to studie their backbiting arte But curteous Gentlemen will curteously iudge of other mens trauels and my hope is gentle Reader as thou hast friendlie read and liked the beginning so thou wilt also as friendly accept and iudge of the ending Thine euer in curtesie F. S. FLORA'S FORTVNE The second parte and finishing of the Fishermans Tale. COme Clio sweet my neuer-idle Muse Whose pleasant tunes so cheers a drooping mind Come cheerful Muse from Helicons faire springs With Pallas sprigs and Phoebus Laureats dect Help ayd assist to sing declare rehearse What did betide poore Flora late the loue Of stout Cassander long th' inhabitant of Thetis Cell and Neptunes Monasterie On whom the Gods and Fortune minded were Ful seuen long winters torments to inflicct Vnnaturally for that his Sire he left Whose austere dealing wrought his fatall bane And for austeritie to Thirsis showne Not yeelding to his Tyger-taming words Come gentle Muse declare the rare euents Which chanced to poore Flora and her Sire What can the Gods both frowne and faw ne at once No sooner had Prosperities arch-foe Death-threatning Fate with force of raging winds And shattring billowes shrinde her of her loue But she foorthwith her father gad imbrace And cleft on him on whom she scarflie durst Now looke vpon forgetfull she of feare And he of rage distresse now made them friends Each held one arme about the others necke Each held one arme fast on a shatred pine Thus saylde they through the monster-shewing sea Now flying vp to high Olympus tower Now downe againe to Dis his hellish lake Somtimes both whelmd with Neptunes frothy waues Sometimes again reuiu'd with drying winds Long sailde they thus not thinking once of life Sencelesse as one on whome Ioues fire hath falne Or fearfull weapons fram'd by Cyclops hands When suddenlie Triton did sound retreyt To hoysting waues and Eolus to windes Seas were then milde aire calme each wind was husht And quiet then as in the Halcions dayes The broken bulke on which they sayled then Without all peril peaceably did swim A ship by chaunce preserued from this storme Came sayling by the Marriners espide These wightes distrest and mooued vnto ruth Directed sayles towards them and tooke them in And caried them halfe-drownd to Delphos Ile Where wise Apollo giues out Oracles Here was poore Flora with her wretched Syre Both set on shore amazed yet with feare When seeing death disdaind to end her woes Vplifting handes vnto the loftie skies Exclaiming sobbing weeping crying out And furiouslie renting her yellow haire Thus Flora made her lamentable mone Death Dis Styx Proserpine vt Stygian Gods Infernall powers and all ye rellish crue Why suffer ye me damned wight to liue Vnfit yea farre vnfit on earth to dwell Alasse me thinks Dis sends me to Reuenge And Proserpine to neuer-dying woes Ay me see Death disdaines to end my pangs I am reseru'd doubtlesse I am reseru'd With Tantalus or wretched Ixion Plagues euer-during plagues still to abide Pardon good Thirsis pardon thine owne child The worker of thy grief and endlesse bane And now Cassander whose delightfull shape The goddes enuy'd which made thee be disdainde Loe now I come to thee this fatall blade A blade she held in hand shal end my dayes And though we might not liue together here Yet shall our Ghosts ye Gods forbid it not With Louers blyth sport in Elizian fields This said she would haue therewith slaine her selfe Whereat her Sire concealing his great griefe In this wise moou'd her from this desperate act Stay daughter stay let not your hands prepard To saue your life be authors of your death Learne of thy Syre be warned by gray haires Of manie yeares wit and experience comes With grieuous plagues the Gods will them torment VVhich be themselues the authors of their death Lets rather seeke how to preserue our liues And not vnnaturallie worke our owne