indued with admiâ—rable patience Why quoth Aliena needs there patience in loue Or else in nothing quoth Rosader for it is a restlesse sore thaâ— hath no ease a cankar that still frees a disease that taketh awaâ— all hope of sleepe If then so many sorrowes sodaine ioyes moâ—mentary pleasures continuall feares daily griefes and nightâ— woes be founde in loue then is not hee to bee accounted patienâ— that smothers all these passions with silenceâ— Thou speakest by experience quoth Ganimede and therfore we hold al thy words for Axiomes but is Loue such a lingring maladie It is quoth he either extreame or meane according to the minde of the partie that entertaines it for as the weedes grow longer vntoucht then the prettie floures and the flint lyes safe in the quarry when the Emerauld is suffering the Lapidaries toole so meane men are freed from Venus iniuries when kings are enuironed with a laborinth of her cares The whiter the Lawne is the deeper is the moale the more purer the Chrysolite the sooner stained and such as haue their hearts ful of honour haue their loues ful of the greatest sorowes But in whomsoeuer quoth Rosader hee fixeth his dart hee neuer leaueth to assault him till either hee hath wonne him to folly or fancy for as the Moone neuer goes without the starre Lunisequa so a Louer neuer goeth without the vnrest of his thoughts For proofe you shall heare another fancy of my making Now doo gentle Forrester quoth Ganimede and with that he read ouer this Sonetto Rosaders second Sonetto Turne I my lookes vnto the Skies Loue with his arrows wounds mine eies If so I gaze vpon the ground Loue then euery floure is found Search I the shade to flie my paine He meets me in the shade againe Wend I to walke in secret groue Euen there I meet with sacred Loue. If so I bayne me in the spring Euen on the brinke I heare him sing If so I meditate alone He will be partner of my mone If so I mourn he weeps with me And where I am there will he be When as I talke of Rosalynd The God from coynesse waxeth kind And seems in self same flames to fry Because he loues as wel as I. Sweet Rosalynd for ptity rue For why then Loue I am more true He if he speed will quickly flie But in thy loue I liue and die How like you this Sonnet quoth Rosader Marry quoth Ganimede for the pen well for the passionill for as I praise the one I pitie the other in that thou shouldest hunt after a cloude and loue either without reward or regard Tis neither frowardnesse quoth Rosader but my hard fortunes whose destenies haue crost me with her absence for did shee feele my loues she would not let me linger in these sorrowes Women as they are faire so they respect faith and estimate more if they be honourable the wit than the wealth hauing loyaltie the obiect wherat they ayme their fancies But leauing off these interparleyes you shall heare my last Sonnetto and then you haue heard all my Poetry and with that he sight out this Rosaders third Sonnet Of vertuous Loue my self may boast alone Since no suspect my seruice may attaint For perfect faire she is the only one Whom I esteem for my beloued Saint Thus for my faith I only beare the bell And for her faire she only doth excell Then let fond Petrarch shrowd his Lawraes praise And Tasso cease to publish his affect Since mine the faith confirmd at all assaies And hers the faire which all men do respect My lines hir faire hir faire my faith assures Thus I by Loue and Loue by me indures Thus quoth Rosader here is an ende of my Poems but for all this no release of my passions so that I resemble him that in the deapth of his distresse hath none but the Eccho to answere him Ganimede pitttying her Rosader thinking to driue him out of his amorous melancholy said that now the Sunne was in his Meridionall heat and that it was high noone therefore wee shepheards say tis time to go to dinner for the Sunne and our stomackes are Shepheards dials Therefore Forrester if thou wilt take such fare as comes out of our homely scrips welcome shall answere whatsoeuer thou wantst in delicates Aliena tooke the entertainment by the ende and tolde Rosader hee should bee her guest He thankt them heartily and sat with them downe to dinner where they had such cates as Countrey state did allow them sawst with such content and such sweete prattle as it seemed farre more sweet than all their Courtly iunckets Assoone as they had taken their repast Rosader giuing them thankes for his good cheare would haue been gone but Ganimede that was loath to let him passe out of her presence began thus Nay Forrester quoth he if thy busines be not the greater seeing thou saift thou art so deeply in loue let mee see how thou canst wooe I will represent Rosalynde and thou shalt bee as thou art Rosader see in some amorous Eglogue how if Rosalynd were present how thou couldst court her and while we sing of Loue Aliena shall tune her pipe and plaie vs melodie Content quoth Rosader And Aliena shee to shew her willingnesse drew forth a recorder and began to winde it Then the louyng Forrester began thus The wooing Eglogue betwixt Rosalynde and Rosader Rosader I pray thee Nymph by all the working words By all the teares and sighs that Louers know Or what our thoughts or faltring tongue affords I craue for mine in ripping vp my woe Sweet Rosalynd my loue would God my loue My life would God my life aye pitie me Thy lips are kind and humble like the doue And but with beautie pitie wil not be Looks on mine eyes made red with rufull teares From whence the raine of true remorse descendeth All palâ— in lookes and I though yoong in yeares And nought but loue or death my dayes befriendeth Oh let no stormy rigour knit thy browes Which Loue appointed for his mercy seat The tallest tree by Boreas breath it bowes The yron yeels with hammer and to keat Oh Rosalynd then be thou pitifull For Rosalynd is only beautifull Rosalynde Loues want ons arme their traitrous sutes with teares With vows with oaths with lookes with showers of gold But when the fruit of their affects appeares The simple heart by subtil sleights is sold. Thus sucks the yeelding eare the poysoned bait Thus feeds the hart vpon his endles harmes Thus glut the thoughts themselues on self deceit Thus blind the eyes their sight by subtil charmes The louely lookes the sighs that storme so sore The deaw of deep dissembled doublenesse These may attempt but are of power no more Where beauty leanes to wit and soothfastnesse Oh Rosader then be thou wittifull For Rosalynd scorns foolish pitifull Rosader I pray thee Rosalynd by those sweet eyes That stain the Sun in shine the morn in cleare By those sweet cheeks where
were more prodigall in deciphering the riches of their bounties Wise he was as holding in his head a supreme conceipt of pollicie reaching with Nestor into the depth of all ciuil gouernement and to make his wisedome more gratious he had that salemingenii and pleasant eloquence that was so highly comâ—ended in Vlisses his valour was no lesse then his witte nor the â—roke of his launce no lesse forcible than the sweetnesse of his tonâ—ue was perswasiue for he was for his courage chosen the principâ—ll of all the Knights of Malta This hardy Knight thus enrichâ— with vertue and honour surnamed Sir Iohn of Burdeux hauing passed the prime of his youth in sundry battailes against the Tirkes at last as the date of time hath his course grewe aged his haires were siluer hued the map of his age was figured on his forhead Honour sate in the furrowes of his face and many yeares were pourtrayed in his wrinckled lineaments that all men might perceiue his glasse was runne and that Nature of necessitie chalenged her due Sir Iohn that with the Phenix knewe the tearme of his life was now expired and could with the Swan discouer his end by her songs hauing three sonnes by his wife Lynida the very pride of all his forepassed yeares thought now seeing death by constraint would compel him to leaue them to bestow vpon them such a Legacie as might bewray his loue and increase their insuing amitie Calling therefore these yong Gentlemen before him in the presence of all his fellow Knights of Malta he resolued to leaue them a memoriâ—l of all his fatherly care â—nseâ—ting downe a methode of their brotherly dueties Hauing therefore death in his looâ—es to mooue them to pittie and teares in his eyes to paint out the depth of his passions taking his elâ—est sonne by the hand he began thus Sir Iohn of Burdeaux Legacie he gaue to â—is Sonnes OH my Sons you see that Fate hath set a period of my years and Destenies haue determined the final ende of my dayes the Palme tree waxeth away ward for hee stoopeth in â—is height and my plumes are ful of sicke feathers touched with age I musâ— to my graue that dischargeth all cares and leaue you to the world that increaseth many sorrowes my siluer haires conteneth great experience and in the number of my yeares are pende lowne the subtleties of Fortune Therefore as I leaue you sone fadingâ— pelfe to counterchecke pouertie so I will bequeath yon â—nfallible precepts that shall lead you vnto vertue First therefore into thee Saladyne the eldest and therefore the chiefest piller of mâ— house wherein should bee ingraued as wel the excellency of thyfathers qualities as the essentiall forme of his proportion to theâ— I giue foureteene ploughlands with all my Mannor houses and richest place Next vnto Fernandine I bequeath twelue ploughlands But vnto Rosader the youngest I giue my Horse my Armour and my Launce with sixteene ploughlands for if the inwarde thoughts be discouered by outward shadowâ—â— Rosader wil exceed you all in bountie and honour Thus my Sonnes haue Iparred in your portions the substaÌ„ce of my wealth where in if you be as prodigall to spend as I haue beene carefull to get your friendes wil greene to see you more wastfull then I was bountifull your foes smile that my fal did begin in your excesse Let mine honour be the glasse of your actions the fame of my vertues the Load-starre to direct the course of your pilgrimage Ayme your deedes by my honorable endeuours and shew your selues fiens worthy of so florishing a tree least as the birdes Halcyones which exceede in whitenesse I hatch yong ones that exceed in blacknes Climbe not my sonnes aspiring pride is a vapour that a scendeth hie but soone turneth to a smoake they which stare at the starres stumble vpon the â—â—ies and such as gaze at the Sunne vnlesse they be Eagle eyed al blinde Soare not with the Hobbie least you fal with the â—aâ—e nor attempt not with Phaeton least you drowne with lâ—â—râ—sâ— Fortune when shee wils you to flye tempers your plumeâ— witâ—waxe and therefore eyther sit stil and make no wing or else bewaâ—e the Sunne and hold Dedalus axiome authentical Medium tunere tutissimum Low shrubs haue deepe rootes and poore Cottages great patience Fortune looks euer vpward and enuy asireth to nestle with dignitie Take heed my sonnes the meane i sweetest melodie where strings high stretch eyther soone crack or quickly grow out of time Let your Countryes care be yoâ— hearts content and thinke that you are not borne for your selue but to leuell your thoughts to beloyal to your prince careful fothe common-weale and faythful to your friendes so shal Frauce say these men are as excellent in vertues as they be exquise in features Oh my sons a friend is a pretious Iewell within hose bosome you may vnload your sorrowes and vnfold youiecrets and he eyther wil releeue with counsaile or perswade whreason but take heed in the choyce the outward them makes it the inwarde man nor are the dimples in the face the Calendâ—s of truth When the Lyquorice leafe looketh most dry then it â—most wet when the shoares of Lepanthus are most quiet themey forepoint a storme The Baaran leafe the more fayre it lookâ— the more infectious it is and in the sweetest wordes is oft hidâ—ost trechery Therefore my sonnes chuse a friend as the Hiperorei do the mettals seuer them from the ore with fire let theâ— not bide the stampe before they be currant so trie then trust â—â—time be the touchstone of friendship then frends faithâ—â—â—â—â—y them vp for iewels Be valiant my sonnes for cowardise is the enemy to honour but not too rash for that is extreme Fortitude is the meane and that is limited within bonds and prescribed with circumstance But aboue al with that he fetcht a deep sigh beware of Loue for it is farre more perillous then pleasant and yet I tel you it allureth as ill as the Syrens Oh my sonnes fancie is a fickle thing and beauties paintings are trickt vp with times colours which being set to drie in the Sunâ—e perish with the same Venus is a wanton and though her laâ—es pretend libertie yet there is nothing but losse and glistering miserie Cupids wings are plumed with the feathers of vanitiâ— and his arrowes where they pierce inforce nothing but deadly desires a womans eye as it is pretious to behold so is it preiudicial to gaze vpon for as it affoordeth delight so it snareth vntâ—â—eath Trust not theyr fawning fauours for their loues are like tâ—e breath of a man vppon steele which no sooner lighteth on but sleapeth off and their passions are as momentary as the colour of a Polipe which changeth at the sight of euery obiect My bâ—eath waxeth short and mine eyes waxeth dimme the houre is coâ—â— I must away therefore let this suffice women are wantons â—nd yet men cannot want one and
therefore if you loue choose â—r that hath eyes of Adamant that wil turne onely to one poynt â—r heart of a Diamond that wil receiue but one forme her tongâ—e of a Sethinleafe that neuer wagges but with a Southeast â—â—nde and yet my sonnes if she haue all these qualities to be chalâ— obedient and silent yet for that she is a woman shalt thou find â—â— her sufficient vanities to counteruaile her vertues Oh now â—â— sonnes euen now take these my last wordes as my latest Legae for my threed is spunne and my foot is in the graue keepe my recepts as memorials of your fathers counsailes and let them be lodged in the secrete of your hearts for wisedome is better thawealth and a golden sentence worth a world of treasure In mâ—aâ— see marke my sonnes the folly of man that being dust climbth with Biares to reatch at the Heauens and ready euery minu to dye yet hopeth for an age of pleasures Oh mans life is like lihtning that is but a flash and the longest date of his yeares buts a â—auens blaze Seeing then man is so mortal be careful that â—hy life be vertuous that thy death may bee ful of admirable honors so shalt thou chalenge fame to be thy fautor and put obliuion to exile with thine honorable accions But my Sonnes least you should forget your Fathers axiomes take this scroule wherein reade what your father dying wils you to execute liuing At this hee shrunke downe in his bed and gaue vp the ghost Iohn of Bourdeaux being thus dead was grealy lamented of his sonnes and bewayled of his friends especially of his fellow Knights of Malta who attended on his funerals which were performed with great solemnitie His obsequies done Saladyne caused next his Epitaph the contents of the scroule to bee pourtrayed out which were to this effect The contents of the Scedule which Sir Iohn of Bourdeaux gaue to his Sonnes MY Sonnes behold what portion I do giue I leaue you goods but they are quickly lost I leaue aduise to schoole you how to liue I leaue you wit but wonne with little cost But keepe it well for counsaile still is one When Father friends and worldly goods are gone In choice of thrift let honour be your gaine Winne it by vertue and by manly might In dooing good esteeme thy toyle no paine Protect the fatherlesse and widowes right Fight for thy faith thy Country and thy King For why this thrift wil proue a blessed thing In choise of wife preferre the modest chast Lillies are faire in shew but foule in smell The sweetest lookes by age are soone defast Then choose thy wife by wit and liuing well Who brings thee wealth and many faults withall Presents the hony mixt with bitter gall In choise of friends beware of light beliefe A painted tongue may shroud a subtill heart The Syrens teares doe threaten mickle griefe Foresee my sonnes for feare of sodaine smart Chuse in your wants and he that friends you then When richer growne befriend you him agen Learne with the Ant in summer to prouide Driue with the Bee the Droane from out the hiue Buyld lyke the Swallow in the summer tyde Spare not too much my sonnes but sparing thriue Be poore in folly rich in all but sinne So by your death your glory shall beginne Saladyne hauing thus set vp the Scedule and hangd about his Fathers hearse many passionate Poems that France might suppose him to be passing sorrowful hee clad himselfe and his brothers all in black and in such sable sutes discoursed his griefe but as the Hiena when she mourns is then most guileful so Saladine vnder this shewe of griefe shaddowed a heart ful of contented thoughts The Tyger though he hide his claws wil at last discouer his rapine the Lions looks are not the maps of his meaning nor a mans phisnomie is not the display of his secrets Fire cannot be hid in the straw nor the nature of man so concealed but at last it wil haue his course nurture art may do much but that Natura natuâ—ans which by propagation is ingrafted in the hart will be at last perforce predominant according to the olde verse Naturam expellas furca licet tamen vsque recurret So fares it with Saladine for after a months mourning was past he fel to consideration of his Fathers testament how hee had bequeathed more to his yoonger brothers than himselfe that Rosader was his Fathers darling but now vnder his tuition that as yet they were not come to yeares he being their gardain might if not defraud them of their due yet make such hauocke of theyr legacies lauds as they should be a great deal the lighter whervpon he began thus to meditate with himselfe Saladynes meditation with himselfe SAladyne how art thou disquieted in thy thoughts perplexed with a world of restlesse passions hauing thy minde troubled with the tenour of thy Fathers testament thy heart fiered with the hope of present preferment By the one thou art counsaild to content thee with thy fortunes by the other perswaded to aspire to higher wealth Riches Saladyne is a great royaltie and there is no sweeter phisick than store Auicen like a foole forgot in his Aphorismes to say that gold was the most pretious restoratiue and that treasure was the most excellent medecine of the minde Oh Saladyne what were thy Fathers precepts breathed into the winde hast thou so soone forgotten his principles did he not warne thee from coueting without honor and climing without vertue did he not forbid thee to ayme at any action that should not bee honourable and what wil bee more preiudiciall to thy credite than the carelesse ruine of thy brothers prosperitie and wilt thou become the subuersion of their fortunes is there any sweeter thing than concord or a more precious Iewel then amitie are you not sonnes of one father siens of one tree birds of one neast and wilt thou become so vnnaturall as to robbe them whom thou shouldest relieue No Salydine intreat them with fauours and entertaine them with loue so shalt thou haue thy conscience cleare and thy renowne excellent Tush what wordes are these base foole farre vnfit if thou be wise for thy humour What though thy father at his death talked of many friuilous matters as one that doted for age raued in his sicknes shal his words be axioms and his talke be so authenticall that thou wilt to obserue them preindice thy selfe No no Saladyne sicke mens willes that are parole and haue neither hand nor seale are like the lawes of a Cittie written in dust which are broken with the blast of euery winde What man thy father is dead and hee can neither helpe thy fortunes nor measure thy actions therfore bury his words with his carkasse and be wise for thy selfe What tis not so olde as true Non sapit qui sibi non sapit Thy brother is yoong keepe him now in awe make him not checke mate
as they all perceiued their welcome to be great The tables in the hall where Rosader was tyed were couered and Saladyne bringing in his guests togither shewed them where his brother was bound and was inchainde as a man lunaticke Rosader made reply and with some inuectiues made complaintes of the wrongs proffered him by Saladyne desiring they would in pitie seeke some meanes for his reliefe But in vaine they had stopt their eares with Vlisses that were his words neuer so forceable he breathed onely his passions into the winde They carelesse sat downe with Saladyne to dinner beeing very frolicke and pleasant washing their heades well with wine At last when the fume of the grape had entered peale meale into their braines they began in satyricall speeches to raile against Rosader which Adam Spencer no longer brooking gaue the signe and Rosader shaking off his chaines got a pollaxe in his hande and flew amongst them with such violence and fury that he hurt many slew some and draue his brother and all the rest quite out of the house Seeing the coast cleare he shut the doores and being sore an hungred and seeing such good victuals he sat him downe with Adam Spencer and such good fellowes as he knew were honest men and there feasted themselues with such prouision as Saladyne had prepared for his friendes After they had taken their repast Rosader rampierd vp y e house least vpon a sodeine his brother should raise some crew of his tennants and surprise them vnawares But Saladyne tooke a contrary course and went to the Sheriffe of the shire made complaint of Rosader who giuing credite to Saladyne in a determined resolution to reuenge the Gentlemans wrongs tooke with him fiue and twentie tall men and made a vow either to breake into the house and take Rosader or else to coope him in till hee made him yeeld by famine In this determination gathering a crue togither hee went forward to set Saladyne in his former estate Newes of this was brought vnto Rosader who smiling at the cowardize of his brother brookt al the iniuries of fortune with patience expecting the comming of the Sheriffe As he walke vpon the battlements of the house he descryed where Saladyne and he drew neare with a troupe of lustie gallants At this he smilde and calde vp Adam Spencer and shewed him the enuious treacherie of his brother and the folly of the Sheriffe to bee so credulous now Adam quoth he what shall I do It resls for me either to yeeld vp the house to my brother and seek a reconcilement or els issue out and breake through the company with courage for coopt in like a coward I will not bee If I submit ah Adam I dishonor my selfe and that is worse then death for by such open disgraces the fame of men growes odious if I issue out amongst them fortune may fauour mee and I may escape with life but suppose the worst if I be slaine then my death shall be honorable to me so inequall a reuenge in famous to Saladyne Why then Maister forward and seare not out amongst them they bee but faint hearted lozels and for Adam Spencer if hee die not at your foote say hee is a dastard These words cheered vp so the heart of yong Rosader that he thought himselfe sufficient for them al and therefore prepared weapons for him and Adam Spencer and were readie to entertaine the Sheriffe for no sooner came Saladyne and he to the gates but Rosader vnloookt for leapt out and assailed them wounded many of them and caused the rest to giue backe so that Adam and he broke through the prease in despite of them all and tooke their way towards the forrest of Arden This repulse so set the Sheriffs hart on fire to reuenge that he straight raised all the country and made Hue and Crie after them But Rosader and Adam knowing full well the secret waies that led through the vineyards stole away priorily through the prouince of Bourdeaux and escaped safe to the forrest of Arden Beeing come thether they were glad they had so good a harbor but fortune who is like the Camelion variable with euery obiect and constant in nothing but inconstancie thought to make them myrrours of her mutabilitie and therefore still croft them thus contrarily Thinking still to passe on by the bywaies to get to Lions they chanced on a path that led into the thicke of the forrest where they wandred fiue or sixe dayes without meate that they were almost famished finding neither shepheard nor cottage to relieue them and hunger growing on so extreame Adam Spencer being olde began to faint and sitting him downe on a hill and looking about him espied where Rosader laye as feeble and as ill perplexed which sight made him shedde teares and to fall into these bitter tearmes Adam Spencers speech OH how the life of man may well bee compared to the state of the Ocean seas that for euery calme hath a thousand storms resembling the Rose tree that for a fewe flowers hath a multitude of sharpe prickles all our pleasures ende in paine and our highest delightes are crossed with deepest discontents The ioyes of man as they are few so are they momentarie scarce ripe before they are rotten and withering in the blossome either parched with the heate of enuy or fortune Fortune oh inconstant friend that in all thy deedes art froward and sickle delighti g in the pouertie of the lowest and the ouer throw of the highest to decypher thy inconstancy Thou standest vpon a globe thy wings are plumed with times feathers that thou maist euer be restlesse thou art double faced like Ianus carrying frownes in the one to threaten and smiles in the other to betray thou profferest an Eele performest a Scorpion wher thy greatest fauours be there is the feare of the extreamest misfortunes so variable are all thy actions But why Adam doest thou exclaime against Fortune she laughes at the plaintes of the distressed and there is nothing more pleasing vnto her then to heare fooles boast in her fading allurements or sorrowfull men to discouer the sower of their passions Elut her not Adam then with content but thwart her with brooking all mishappes with patience For there is no greater check to the pride of fortune then with a resolute courage to passe ouer her crosses without care Thou art old Adam thy haires waxe white the Palme tree is alreadie full of bloomes and in the furrowes of thy face appeares the Kalenders of death Wert thou blessed by fortune thy yeares could not bee many nor the date of thy life long then sith Nature must haue her due what is it for thee to resigne her debt a little before the day Ah it is not this which grieueth mee nor do I care what mishaps fortune can wage against mee but the sight of Rosader that galleth vnto the quicke When I remember the worships of his house the honour of