it lust that welds my loue Or is it but your fond surmise Will you condemne before you proue How can I thinke you to be wise O faithfull hart yet thrice accurst That art misdeemd thus at the first If lust did rule my restlesse hart If onely lust did beare the sway I quickly could asswage my smart With choise and change for euery day You should not laugh to see me weepe If lust were it that strake so deepe And yet at first before I knew What vaine it was that bled so sore Wher lust or loue to proue it trew I tooke a salue that still before Was wont to helpe I chose me one With whom I quencht my lust alone Yet this sweete hart could not suffise Nor any way content my mind I felt new qualmes and new arise And stronger still and strong I find By this I thus doe plainely proue It is not lust but faithfull loue And yet to proue my loue more sure And sith you will not false your faith This pining plight I will indure Till death do stop your husbands breath To haue me then if you will say I will not marrie till that day If you will giue your full consent When God shall take your husbands life That then you will be well content To be my spouse and louing wife I will be ioyfull as before And till that time will craue no more CANT LXVI AVISA NO more no more too much of this And is mine ynch become an ell If thus you writh my words amis I must of force bid you farwell You shew in this your louing bent To catch at that I neuer ment I thought at first but this my though I must correct that simple loue In guilles hart these fits had wrought But I too simple I now proue That vnder shew of great good will My harts delight you seeke to spill He loues me well that tils a trap Of deepe deceite and deadly baine In dreadfull daungers thus to wrap His friend by baites of flering traine Though flattering tongues can paint it braue Your words do shew what loue you haue I must consent and you will stay My husbands death Obtaining this You thinke I could not say you Nay Nor of your other purpose mis You are deceiu'd and you shall trie That I such faith and friends defie Such fained former faithlesse plot I most detest and tell you plaine If now I were to cast my lot With free consent to chuse againe Of all the men I euer knew I would not make my choice of you Let this suffice and do not stay On hope of that which will not be Then cease your sute go where you may Vaine is your trust to hope on me My choice is past my hart is bent While that remaines to be content Now hauing tract the winding trace Of false resemblance giue me leaue From this to shew a stranger grace Then heretofore you did perceaue Gainst frendlesse loue if I repyne The fault is yours none of myne CANT LXVII H. W. I Will not wish I cannot vow Thy hurt thy griefe though thou disdaine Though thou refuse I know not how To quite my loue with loue againe Since I haue swore to be thy frend As I began so will I end Sweare thou my death worke thou my woe Conspire with greefe to stop my breath Yet still thy frend not thy foe I will remayne vntill my death Choose whome thou wilt I will resigne If loue or faith be like to mine But while I wretch too long haue lent My wandering eyes to gase on thee I haue both tyme trauell spent In vaine in vaine and now I see They do but frutelesse paine procure To haggard kytes that cast the lure When I am dead yet thou mayst boast Thou hadst a frend a faithfull frend That liuing liu'd to loue thee most And lou'd thee still vnto his end Though thou vnworthy with disdaine Did'st force him liue and dye in paine Now may I sing now sigh and say Farewell my lyfe farewell my ioy Now mourne by night now weepe by day Loue too much loue breedes myne annoy What can I wish what should I craue Sith that is gon that I should haue Though hope be turned to dispaire Yet giue my tongue leaue to lament Beleeue me now my hart doth sweare My lucklesse loue was truly ment Thou art too proud I say no more Too stout and wo is me therefore Felice chi puo CANT LXVIII Auisa hauing heard this patheticall fancy of H. W. and seeing the teares trill downe his cheekes as halfe angry to see such passionate follie in a man that should haue gouerment with a frowning countenance turned from him without farder answere making silence her best reply and following the counsell of the wise not to answere a foole in his folly lest he grow too foolish returted quite from him and left him alone But he departing home and not able by reason to rule the raginge fume of this phantasticall fury cast himselfe vppon his bed refusing both foode comfort for many daies together fell at length into such extremity of passionate affections that as many as saw him had great doubt of his health but more of his wittes yet after a long space a bsence hauing procured some respite from his sorrowes he takes his pen wrate as followeth H. W LYke wounded Deare whose tēder sydes are bath'd in blood From deadly wound by fatall hand forked shaft So bleedes my pearced hart for so you thinke it good With cruelty to kill that which you got by craft You still did loth my lyfe my death shall be your gaine To dye to do you good I shall not thinke it paine My person could not please my talke was out of frame Though hart and eye could neuer brooke my loathed sight Yet loue doth make me say to keepe you out of blame The fault was only mine and that you did but right When I am gon I hope my ghost shall shew you plaine That I did truly loue and that I did not faine Now must I fynd the way to waile while lyfe doth last Yet hope I soone to see the end of dolefull dayes When floudes of flowing feares and creeping cares are past Then shall I leaue to sing and write these pleasant layes For now I loth the foode and bloud that lendes me breath I count all pleasures paine that keepe me from my death To darke and heauy shades I now will take my flight Where nether tongue nor eye shall tell or see my fall That there I may disiect these dregges of thy dispight And purge the clotted blood that now my hart doth gall In secret silence so Perforce shall be my song Till truth make you confesse that you haue done me wrong Gia speme spenta H. W. Auisa refusing both to come or send him any aunswere after a long melancholike deliberation he wrate againe so as followeth CANT LXIX H. W.
THough you refuse to come or send Yet this I send though I do stay Vnto these lynes some credit lend And marke it well what they shall say They cannot hurt then reade them all They do but shew their maisters fall Though you disdaine to shew remorce You were the first and onely wight Whose fawning features did inforce My will to runne beyond my might In femall face such force we see To captiue them that erst were free Your onely word was then a law Vnto my mynd if I did sinne Forgiue this sinne but then I saw My bane or blisse did first beginne See what my fancy coulde haue donne Your loue at first if I had wonne All fortune flat I had defyde To choice and change defyance sent No frowning fates could haue denyde My loues pursute willing bent This was my mynd if I had found Your loue as myne but halfe so sound Then had I bad the hellish rout To frounce aloft their wrinckled front And cursed haggs that are so stout I boldly would haue bid auaunt Let earth and ayre haue fround their fill So I had wrought my wished will Noraging storme nor whirling blast My setled heart could haue annoyd No sky with thundering cloudes orecast Had hurt if you I had enioyd Now hope is past loe you may see How euery toy tormenteth mee Chi cerca troua CANT LXX H. W. WIth oken planckes to plane the waues What Neptunes rage could I haue fear'd To quell the gulfe that rudely raues What perill could haue once appear'd But now that I am left alone Bare thoughts enforce my hart to grone With thee to passe the chamfered groundes What force or feare could me restraine With thee to chase the Scillan houndes Me thinkes it were a pleasant paine This was my thought this is my loue Which none but death can yet remoue It then behoues my fainting sprite To lofty skyes returne againe Sith onely death bringes me delite Which louing liue in curelesse paine VVhat hap to strangers is assind If knowne frendes doo such fauour find How often haue my frendly mates My louing errours laught to scorne How oft for thee found I debates VVhich now I wish had beene forborne But this more would I haue donne If I thy fauour could haue wonne I saw your gardens passing syne VVith pleasant flowers lately dect With Couslops and with Eglentine When wofull Woodbyne lyes reiect Yet these in weedes and briars meet Although they seeme to smell so sweet The dainty Daysy brauely springes And cheesest honour seemes to get I enuy not such frendly thinges But blesse the hand that these haue set Yet let the Hysope haue his place That doth deserue a speciall grace Viui Chi vince CANT LXXI H. W. BVt now farewell your selfe shall see An odd exchange of frends in tyme you may perhappes then wish for mee And waile too late this cruell cryme Yea wish your selfe perhaps beshrewd That you to me such rigor shewd I cannot force you for to like Where cruell fancy doth rebell I must some other fortune seeke But where or how I cannot tell And yet I doubt where you shall find In all your life so sure a friend Of pleasant dayes the date is donne My carcase pyneth in conceat The lyne of lyfe his race hath runne Expecting sound of deathes retreat Yet would I liue to loue thee still And do thee good against thy will How can I loue how can I liue Whil'st that my hart hath lost his hope Dispaire abandons sweet reliefe My loue and life haue lost their scope Yet would I liue thy feature to behold Yet would I loue if I might be so bold My griefe is greene and neuer springes My sorrowe full of deadly sap Sweet death remoue these bitter thinges Giue end to hard and cruell hap Yet would I liue if I might see My life or limmes might pleasure thee Farewell that sweet and pleasant walke The witnesse of my faith and wo That oft hath heard our frendly talke And giu'n me leaue my griefe to show O pleasant path where I could see No crosse at all but onely shee Il fine fa il tutto CANT LXXII H. W. LIke silly Bat that loues the darke And seldome brookes the wished light Obscurely so I seeke the marke That aye doth vanish from my sight Yet shall she say I died her frend Though by disdaine she sought mine end Faine would I cease and hold my tong But loue and sorrow set me on Needes must I plaine of spitefull wrong Sith hope and health will both be gon When branch from inward rind is fled The barke doth wish the body dead If euer man were borne to woe I am the man you know it well My chiefest friend my greatest foe And heauen become my heauie hell This do I feele this do I find But who can loose that God will bind For since the day O dismall day I first beheld that smiling face My fancie made her choice straight way And bad all other loues giue place Yea since I saw thy louely sight I frize and frie twixt ioye and spight Where fond suspect doth keepe the gate There trust is chased from the dore Then faith and truth will come too late Where falshod will admit no more Then naked faith and loue must yeeld For lacke offence and flie the feeld Then easier were it for to chuse To crale against the craggie hill Then sutes then sighs then words to vse To change a froward womans will Then othes and vowes are allin vaine And truth a toye where fancies raigne Ama Chi ti ama CANT LXXIII H. W. MY tongue my hand my ready hart That spake that felt that freely thought My loue thy limbes my inward smart Haue all performed what they ought These all do loue you yet and shall And when I change let vengeance fall Shall I repent I euer saw That face that so can frowne on mee How can I wish when fancies draw Mine eies to wish and looke for thee Then though you do denie my right Yet bar me not from wished sight And yet I craue I know not what Perchance my presence breeds your paine And if I were perswaded that I would in absence still remaine You shall not feele the smallest griefe Although it were to saue my life Ah woe is me the case so stands That sencelesse papers plead my wo They can not weepe nor wring their hands But say perhaps that I did so And though these lines for mercie craue Who can on papers pittie haue O that my griefes my sighs my teares Might plainely muster in your vew Then paine not pen then faith not feares Should vouch my vowes and writings trew This wishing shewes a wofull want Of that which you by right should grant Now fare thou well whose wel-fare brings Such lothsome feare and ill to me Yet heere thy friend this farwell sings Though heauie word a farwell be Against all hope if I hope still Blame
not let this worship fall Although they leese their honours all Our Moab Cozbies cast no feare To let in view of euery eye Their gainelesse games they holde so deere They follow must although they dye For why the sword that Phineas wore Is broken now and cuts no more My tender Muse that neuer try'd Her ioynted wings till present time At first the perelesse bird espy'd That mounts aloft deuoide of crime Though high she sore yet will I trie Where I her passage can discry Her high conceites her constant minde Her sober talke her stout denies Her chast aduise here shall you find Her fierce assaults her milde replies Her dayly fight with great and small Yet constant vertue conquers all The first that saies to plucke the Rose That scarce appear'd without the bud With Gorgeous shewes of Golden glose To sow the seeds that were not good Suppose it were some noble man That tride her thus and thus began The first triall of AVISA before she was married by a Noble man vnder which is represented a warning to all young maids of euery degree that they beware of the alluring intisements of great men CANT II. NOB. NOw is the time if thou be wise Thou happie maide if thou canst see Thy happiest time take good aduise Good fortune laughs be rulde by me Be rulde by me and her's my faith No Golde shall want thee till thy death Thou knowest my power thou seest my might Thou knowest I can maintaine thee well And helpe thy friends vnto their right Thou shalt with me for euer dwell My secret friend thou shalt remaine And all shall turne to thy great gaine Thou seest thy parents meane estate That barres the hope of greater chance And if thou proue not wise too late Thou maist thy selfe and thine aduance Repulse not fondly this good hap That now lies offred in thy lap Abandon feare that bars consent Repel the shame that feares a blot Let wisdome way what faith is ment That all may praise thy happie lot Thinke not I seeke thy liues disgrace For thou shalt haue a Ladies place Thou art the first my fancie chose I know thy friends will like it well This friendly fault to none disclose And what thou thinkst blush not to tell Thou seest my loue thou know'st my mind Now let me feele what grace I find CANT III. AVISA YOur Honours place your riper yeares Might better frame some grauer talkes Midst sunnie rayes this cloud appeares Sweete Roses grow on prickly stalkes If I conceiue what you request You aime at that I most detest My tender age that wants aduice And craues the aide of sager guides Should rather learne for to be wise To stay my steps from slipperie slides Then thus to sucke then thus to tast The poys'ned sap that kils at last I wonder what your wisdome ment Thus to assault a silly maide Some simple wench might chance consent By false resembling shewes betraide I haue by grace a natiue shield To lewd assaults that cannot yeeld I am too base to be your wife You choose me for your secret frend That is to lead a filthy life Whereon attends a fearefull end Though I be poore I tell you plaine To be your whore I flat disdaine Your high estate your siluer shrines Repleate with wind and filthy stinke Your glittering gifts your golden mynes May force some fooles perhaps to shrinke But I haue learnd that sweetest bayt Oft shrowds the hooke of most desayt What great good hap what happie time Your proffer brings let yeelding maids Of former age which thought to clime To highest tops of earthly aids Come backe a while and let them tell Where wicked liues haue ended well Shores wife a Princes secret frend Faire Rosomond a Kings delight Yet both haue found a gastly end And fortunes friends felt fortunes spight What greater ioyes could fancie frame Yet now we see their lasting shame If princely pallace haue no power To shade the shame of secret sinne If blacke reproch such names deuoure What gaine or glory can they winne That tracing tracts of shamelesse trade A hate of God and man are made This onely vertue must aduaunce My meane estate to ioyfull blisse For she that swaies dame vertues launce Of happie state can neuer misse But they that hope to gaine by vice Shall surely proue too late vnwise The roote of woe is fond desire That neuer feeles her selfe content But wanton wing'd will needes aspire To finde the thing she may lament A courtly state a Ladies place My former life will quite deface Such strange conceites may hap preuaile With such as loue such strong desayts But I am taught such qualmes to quaile And flee such sweete alluring bayts The witlesse Flie playes with the flame Till she be scorched with the same You long to know what grace you find In me perchance more then you would Except you quickly change your mind I find in you lesse then I should Moue this no more vse no reply I'le keepe mine honour till I die CANT IIII. NOB. ALas good soule and will yee so You will be chast Diana's mate Till time haue woue the web of woe Then to repent wil be too late You shew your selfe so foole-precise That I can hardly thinke you wise You sprang belike from Noble stocke That stand so much vpon your fame You hope to stay vpon the rocke That will preserue a faultlesse name But while you hunt for needelesse praise You loose the Prime of sweetest daies A merry time when countrie maides Shall stand forsooth vpon their garde And dare controll the Courtiers deedes At honours gate that watch and warde When Milke maids shal their pleasures flie And on their credits must relie Ah silly wench take not a pride Though thou my raging fancie moue Thy betters far if they were try'd Would faine accept my proffered loue T'was for thy good if thou hadst wist For I may haue whome ere I list But here thy folly may appeare Art thou preciser then a Queene Queene Ioane of Naples did not feare To quite mens loue with loue againe And Messalina t'is no newes Was dayly seene to haunt the stewes And Cleopatra prince of Nile With more then one was wont to play And yet she keepes her glorious stile And fame that neuer shall decaie What need'st thou then to feare of shame When Queenes and Nobles vse the same CANT V. AVISA NEeds must the sheepe strake all awrie Whose sheepheards wander from their way Needes must the sickly patient die Whose Doctor seekes his liues decay Needs must the people well be taught Whose chiefest leaders all are naught Such lawlesse guides Gods people found When Moab maides allur'd their fall They sought no salue to cure this wound Till God commaunds to hange them all For wicked life a shamefull end To wretched men the Lord doth send Was earth consumde with wreakfull waues Did Sodom burne and after sinke What sinne is that which vengaunce craues If
nor what I am Where worthie loue or rather shame This loue that you to straungers bare Is like to head strong horse and mule That ful-fed nyes on euery mare Whose lust outleapes the lawfull rule For here is seene your constant loue VVhome strange aspects so quickly moue Besides you know I am a wife Not free but bound by plighted oath Can loue remaine where filthy life Hath staind the soile where vertue gro'th Can loue indure where faith is fled Can Roses spring whose roote is dead True loue is constant in her choise But if I yeeld to chuse againe Then may you say with open voice This is her vse this is her vaine She yeelds to all how can you than Loue her that yeeldes to euery man CANT LIII H. W. IF feare and sorrow sharpe the wit And tip the tongue with sweeter grace Then will style must finely fit To paint my griefe and waile my case Sith my true loue is counted lust And hope is rackt in spitefull dust The cause that made me loue so soone And feedes my mind with inward smart Springs not from Starres nor yet the Moone But closly lies in secret hart And if you aske I can not tell Nor why nor how this hap befell If birth or beautie could haue wrought In lustlesse hart this loues effect Some fairer farre my loue haue sought Whose louing lookes I did reiect If now I yeeld without assault Count this my fortune or my fault You are a wife and you haue swore You will be true Yet what of this Did neuer wife play false before Nor for her pleasure strike amis Will you alone be constant still When none are chast nor euer will A man or woman first may chuse The loue that they may after loth Wo can denie but such may vse A second choice to pleasure both No fault to change the old for new So to the second they be trew Your husband is a worthlesse thing That no way can content your mind That no way can that pleasure bring Your flowring yeares desire to find This I will count my chiefest blisse If I obtaine that others misse Ther's nothing gotten to be coye The purer stampe you must detest Now is your time of greatest ioye Then loue the friend that loues you best This I will count my chiefest blisse If I obtaine that others misse CANT LIIII AVISA THat others misse you would obtaine And want of this doth make you sad I sorrow that you take such paine To seeke for that will not be had Your filed skill the power doth want VVithin this plot such trees to plant Though some there be that haue done ill And for their fancie broke their faith Yet doe not thinke that others will That feare of shame more then of death A spotlesse name is more to me Then wealth then friends then life can be Are all vnconstant all vnsound VVill none performe their sworen vow Yet shall you say that you haue found A chast and constant wife I trow And you shall see when all is doone VVhere all will yeeld and all be woone Though you haue bin at common schoole And enterd plaints in common place Yet you wil proue your selfe a foole To iudge all women void of grace I doubt not but you will be brought Soone to repent this wicked thought Your second change let them alow That list mislike their primer choice I lou'd him first I loue him now To whom I gaue my yeelding voice My faith and loue I will not giue To mortall man while he doth liue What loue is this that bids me hate The man whom nature bids me loue What loue is this that sets debate Twixt man and wife but here I proue Though smothed words seeme very kind Yet all proceed from deuilish mind CANT LV. H. W. FRom deuilish mind well wanton well You thinke your strength is very sure You thinke all women to excell And all temptations to indure These glorious braggs shew but your pride For all will yeeld if they be tride You are I hope as others bee A woman made of flesh and blood Amongst them all will you goe free When all are ill will you be good Assure your selfe I do not faine Requite my loue with loue againe Let me be hangd if you be such As you pretend in outward shoe Yet I commend your wisdome much Which mou'd me first to loue you so Where men no outward shewes detect Suspicious minds can nil suspect But to the matter tell me true Where you your fancie can incline To yeeld your loue for which I sue As fortune hath intangled mine For well I know it's nothing good To striue against the raging flood What you mislike I will amend If yeares I want why I will stay My goods and life here I will spend And helpe you still in what I may For though I seeme a headlong youth Let time be triall of my truth Your name by me shall not be crackt But let this tongue from out my iawes Be rent and bones to peeces rackt If I your secrets doe disclose Take good aduisement what you say This is my good or dismall day CANT LVI AVISA YEs so I will you may be bold Nor will I vse such strange delaies But that you shall be quickly told How you shall frame your wandring waies If you will follow mine aduise Doubt not but you shall soone be wise To loue excepting honest loue I can not yeeld assure your mind Then leaue this frutelesse sute to moue Least like to Sysyphus you find With endlesse labour gainelesse paine To role the stone that turnes againe You want no yeares but rather wit And dew forecast in that you seeke To make your choice that best may fit And this is most that I mislieke If you be free liue where you list But still beware of Had I wist Serue God and call to him for grace That he may stay your slipperie slides From treading out that sinfull trace That leades where endlesse sorrowe bides Thus shall you wisely guide your feete Though youth and wisedome seldome meete And if you find you haue no gift To liue a chast and matelesse life Yet feare to vse vnlawfull shift But marry with some honest wife With whom you may contented liue And wandring mind from folly driue Fly present pleasure that doth bring Insuing sorrow paine and griefe Of death beware the poys'ned sting That hatcheth horror sance reliefe Take this of me and in the end I shall be thought your chiefest frend CANT LVII H. W. IF then the welspring of my ioy A floud of woe in fine become If loue ingender loues annoy Then farewell life my glasse is runne If you thus constant still remaine Then must I die or liue in paine Thrice happie they whose ioyned harts Vnited wils haue linckt in one Whose eies discerne the due desarts The griping griefe and grieuous grone That faith doth breed in setled mind As fancies are by
vaine My sleepie Muse that wakes but now Nor now had wak't if one had slept To vertues praise hath past her vow To paint the Rose which grace hath kept Of sweetest Rose that still doth spring Of vertues birde my Muse must sing The birde that doth resemble right The Turtles faith in constant loue The faith that first her promise plight No change nor chance could once remoue This haue I tri'd This dare I trust And sing the truth I will I must Afflicted Susans spotlesse thought Intis't by lust to sinfull crime To lasting fame her name hath brought Whose praise incounters endlesse time I sing of one whose beauties warre For trials passe Susanna's farre The wandring Greekes renowmed mate That still withstoode such hote assayes Of raging lust whose doubtfull state Sought strong refuge from strange delayes For fierce assaults and tryals rare With this my Nimph may not compare Hote tryals try where Golde be pure The Diamond daunts the sharpest edge Light chaffe fierce flames may not indure All quickly leape the lowly hedge The obiect of my Muse hath past Both force and flame yet stands she fast Though Egle-eyde this bird appeare Not blusht at beames of Phoebus raies Though Faulkcon wing'd to pearce the aire Whose high-pla'st hart no feare dismaies Yet sprang she not from Egles nest But Turtle-bred loues Turtle best At wester side of Albions Ile Where Austine pitcht his Monkish tent Where Sheapheards sing where Muses smile The graces met with one consent To frame each one in sundry parte Some cunning worke to shew their arte First Venus fram'd a luring eye A sweete aspect and comly grace There did the Rose and Lillie lie That brauely deckt a smiling face Here Cupids mother bent her wil In this to shew her vtmost skill Then Pallas gaue a reaching head With deepe conceites and passing wit A setled mind not fancie-led Abhorring Cupids frantique fit With modest lookes and blushing cheekes A filed tongue which none mislikes Diana deckt the remnant partes With fewture braue that nothing lacke A quiuer full of pearcing Darts She gaue her hanging at her backe And in her hand a Golden shaft To conquer Cupids creeping craft This done they come to take the view Of nouell worke of perelesse frame Amongst them three contention grew But yet Diana gaue the name Auisa shall she called be The chiefe attendant still on me When Iuno view'd her luring grace Olde Iuno blusht to see a new She fear'd least Ioue would like this face And so perhaps might play vntrew They all admir'd so sweete a sight They all enuide so rare a wight When Iuno came to giue her wealth Which wanting beautie wants her life She cryde this face needes not my pelffe Great riches sow the seedes of strife I doubt not some Olympian power Will fill her lap with Golden shower This iealous Iuno faintly said As halfe misdeeming wanton Ioue But chast Diana tooke the maide Such new-bred qualmes quite to remoue O iealous enuie filthie beast For enuie Iuno gaue her least In lew of Iun'os Golden parte Diana gaue her double grace A chast desire a constant heart Disdaine of loue in fawning face A face and eye that should intice A smile that should deceiue the wise A sober tongue that should allure And draw great numbers to the fielde A flintie hart that should indure All fierce assaults and neuer yeelde And seeming oft as though she would Yet fardest off when that she should Can filthy sinke yeelde holsome aire Or vertue from a vice proceede Can enuious hart or iealous feare Repell the things that are decreed By enuie though she lost her thrift She got by grace a better gift Not farre from thence there lyes a vale A rosie vale in pleasant plaine The Nimphes frequent this happie dale Olde Helicon reuiues againe Here Muses sing here Satyres play Here mirth resounds both night and day At East of this a Castle stands By auncient sheepheards built of olde And lately was in sheepheards hands Though now by brothers bought and solde At west side springs a Christall well There doth this chast Auisa dwell And there she dwels in publique eye Shut vp from none that list to see She answeres all that list to try Both high and low of each degree But few that come but feele her dart And try her well ere they depart They try'd her hard in hope to gaine Her milde behauiour breeds their hope Their hope assures them to obtaine Till hauing runne their witlesse scope They find their vice by vertue crost Their foolish words and labour lost This strange effect that all should craue Yet none obtaine their wrong desire A secret gift that nature gaue To feele the frost amidst the fire Blame not this Dians Nimphe too much Sith God by nature made her such Let all the graces now be glad That fram'd a grace that past them all Let Iuno be no longer sad Her wanton Ioue hath had a fall Ten yeares haue tryde this constant dame And yet she holds a spotles fame Along this plaine there lyes a downe Where sheepheards feed their frisking flocke Her Sire the Maior of the towne A louely shout of auncient stocke Full twentie yeares she liued a maide And neuer was by man betrayde At length by Iuno's great request Diana loth yet gaue her leaue Of flowring yeares to spend the rest In wed-locke band but yet receiue Quod she this gift Thou virgin pure Chast wife in wed-locke shalt indure O happie man that shall enioy A blessing of so rare a price That frees the hart from such annoy As often doth torment the wise A louing wife vnto her death With full assurance of her faith When flying fame began to tell How beauties wonder was returnd From countrie hils in towne to dwell With special gifts and grace adornd Of sutors store there might you see And some were men of high degree But wisdom wild her chuse her mate If that she lou'd a happy life That might be equall to her state To crop the sprigges of future strife Where rich in grace wher sound in health Most men do wed but for the wealth Though iealous Iuno had denyde This happy wench great store of pelffe Yet is she now in wedlocke tyde To one that loues her as himselfe So thus they liue and thus they loue And God doth blesse them from aboue This rare seene bird this Phoenix sage Yeelds matter to my drowsie pen The mirror of this sinneful age That giues vs beasts in shapes of men Such beasts as still continue sinne Where age doth leaue there youths begin Our English soile to Sodoms sinke Excessiue sinne transformd of late Of foule deceite the lothsome linke Hath worne all faith cleane out of date The greatest sinnes mongst greatest sort Are counted now but for a sport Old Asues grandame is restor'd Her grouie Caues are new refinde The monster Idoll is ador'd By lustie dames of Macha's kinde They may
fates inclind And shall I role the restlesse stone And must I proue the endlesse paine In curelesse care shall I alone Consume with griefe that yeelds me gaine If so I curse these eies of mine That first beheld that face of thine Your will must with my woe dispence Your face the founder of my smart That pleasant looke fram'd this offence These thrilling gripes that gall my hart Sith you this wound and hurt did giue You must consent to yeeld relieue How can I cease while fancie guides The restlesse raines of my desire Can reason rule where folly bides Can wit inthrald to will retire I little thought I should haue mist I neuer feard of Had I wist Let old men pray let setled heads Inthrall their necks to wedlocke band Shrend golden gyues who euer weds With pleasant paine shall take in hand But I will be your faithful frend If health by hope you yeeld to send CANT LVIII AVISA WHat filthy folly raging lust What beastly blindnes fancy breeds As though the Lord had not accurst With vengeance due the sinfull deeds Though vaine-led youth with pleasure swell Yet marke these words that I shall tell Who so with filthy pleasure burnes His sinfull flesh with fierie flakes Must be consum'd whose soule returnes To endlesse paine in burning lakes You seeme by this to wish me well To teach me tread the path to hell Call you this Loue that bringeth sin And sowes the seeds of heauie cheere If this be loue I pray begin To hate the thing I loue so deere I loue no loue of such a rate Nor fancie that which God doth hate But what saith he that long had tryde Of harlots all the wanton slights Beware least that your hart be tyde To sond affects by wanton sights Their wandring eies and wanton lookes Catch fooles as fish with painted hookes Their lippes with oyle and honie flow Their tongs are fraught with flattering guile Amidst these ioyes great sorrowes grow For pleasures flourish but a while Their feete to death their steps to hell Do swiftly slide that thus do mell Then flie this dead and dreadfull loue This signe of Gods reuenging ire Let loue of God such lust remoue And quench the flames of foule desire If you will count me for your frend You must both workes and words amend CANT LXI With this bitter reply of Auisa H. W. being somewhat daunted yet not altogether whithout hope went home to his house and there secretly in a melancolike passion wrote these verses following H. W. To AVISA my friendly foe THe busie Gnat about the candle houering still doth flie The slimie Fish about the bayt still wauering doth lie The fearefull Mouse about the trap doth often try his stength Vntill both Gnat and Fish and Mouse be taken at the length Euen so vnhappie I do like my greatest baine Vnlesse you do with speede release my mortall paine The light foote hart desires the waters brooke The dogge most sicke the greenest grasse doth craue The wounded wight for surgeon still doth looke Vntill both hart and dogge and wight their medicine haue But I with griefe th'vnhappiest of them all Do still delight to be my enemies thrall Mine enemie I say though yet my sweetest frend If of my sorrowes I may see some speedie holsome end FINIS Chi la dura la Vince CANT LXII AVISA her reply to H. VV. THe busie Gnat for want of wit Doth sindge his wings in burning flame The Fish with baite will headlong flit Till she be choked with the same So you with Gnat and Fish will play Till flame and foode worke your decay The heedlesse Mouse that tries the trap In hast to reach her harts desire Doth quickly find such quainte mishap That barres her strength from free retire So you will neuer ceasse to craue Till you haue lost that now you haue The hart the dogge the wounded wight For water grasse and Surgeon call Their griefes and cures are all but light But your conceite surpast them all Except you change your wanton mind You shall no ease nor comfort find Alway the same Auisa CANT LXIII H. W. prosecuteth his sute WIll not your laughty stomacke stoupe Will not this selfe conceite come downe As haggard louing mirthlesse coupe At friendly lure doth checke and frowne Blame not in this the Faulkners skill But blame the Hawkes vnbridled will Your sharp replies your frowning cheare To absent lines and present vew Doth aie redouble trembling feare And griping griefes do still renew Your face to me my sole reliefe My sight to you your onely griefe O lucklesse wretch what hap had I To plant my loue in such a soile What furie makes me thus relie On her that seekes my vtter spoile O Gods of loue what signe is this That in the first I first should mis And can you thus increase my woe And will you thus prolong my paine Canst kill the hart that loues thee so Canst quit my loue with foule disdaine And if thou canst woe worth the place Where first I saw that flattering face And shall my folly proue it trew That hastie pleasure doubleth paine Shall griefe rebound where ioye grew Of faithfull hart is this the gaine Me thinks for all your graue aduise For giue my thought you are not wise Would God I could restraine my loue Sith you to loue me can not yeeld But I alas can not remoue My fancie though I die in feeld My life doth on your loue depend My loue and life at once must end CANT LXIIII. AVISA WHat witlesse errors do possesse The wretched minds of louing fooles That breathlesse runne to such distresse That liuely heate fond sorrowe cooles They reke not where they stand or fall Deny them loue take life and all It seemes a death to change their mind Or alter once their foolish will Such od conceites they seeke to find As may their childish fancies fill It makes me smile thus now and then To see the guise of foolish men I can not stoupe to wandring lure My mind is one and still the same While breath while life while daies indure I will not yeeld to worke my shame Then if you striue and stirre in vaine Blame but the fruites of idle braine If I do sometimes looke awrie As loth to see your blobered face And loth to heare a yong man crie Correct for shame this childish race And though you weepe and waile to mee Yet let not all these follies see Good Harry leaue these raging toyes That thus from restlesse fancie flow Vnfit for men not meete for boyes And let's a while talke wisely now If that you loue me as you say Then cease such madnes to bewray If honest loue could breed content And frame a liking to your will I would not sticke to giue consent To like you so and loue you still But while lust leades your loue awrie Assure your selfe I will denie CANT LXV H. W. ANd is