Curtizans abroad and court them and not me there make a spoke vnto such like huswiues who haue no respect either of good name or fame You are no Chapman for my Marchandise no gold can buy mine honour I hold it at so high a rate neither can any loue or affection purchase the faith which I haue paund and promisde vnto my husband I am no Laies nor any Thais that thou shouldst seeke to vrge me thus thy perswasions being so perillous vnto me Besides I am least bound vnto thee than vnto any other in that thou as my mortall enemie liest in waite to spoyle and ruinate that which is ten thousand times more pretious vnto me than mine owne life Thinke that neuer the Romane Lucrece redeemed more couragiously the losse of credit with the price of her blood then I desire after the same rate to preserue mine and that I had alwaies chuse rather to die a chaste and faithfull wife then liue like a most dishonest and disloyall harlot I rather couet the troubles and crosses of Penelope with her slainlesse vertue then the merrie life of Clitemnestra with all her foule and beastly pleasures And the death of a sober Polixena shall be still more agreeable vnto me than the voluptuous liuing of a wanton Semiramis being glutted with all sorts of vaine delices and dainties whatsoeuer Talke no more then vnto me of this matter for thou doest but loose thy labour for sooner shall the heauens become Sea and faire grow to be Ice before I will yeeld vnto the least of thy requests And were it not but that I am in hope that there are some sparkes of grace in thee and that thou wilt become a new man I would take such order to make thee giue ouer and to bridle this thy rash attempt as thou shouldest neuer speake more vnto me thereof by laying open and displaying thy shamelesse practise vnto him who may with good reason and Iustice be reuenged of thee for a busing him so much as thou hast done Cynthia for so was the Gentlewomans name hauing cooled Antonios heate with this sharpe iniectiue moued with iust chollor left him and returned into her house he being as much amazed and confounded therewith as those were who went about the building of the Tower of Babell seeing themselues so sodenly to haue so many languages amongst them and so different in their proceedings one against another As that Murtherer is mightily astonisht and in a most bad taking vpon whom the Iudge at vnawares commeth as he is wiping of his bloodie sword and standeth by the carkasse of him that he hath slaughtered because he seeth there is no way but one with him which is the losse of his life Euen so was Antonio in such a plight long time did he stand as still as a stone and no sooner was he able to speake but that he began to lament and crie out afresh No heart were it neuer so obdurate and hard had bene able to haue endured so heauie a burthen of torments as he did And now he beginneth to hate Loue the motiue of his miseries he accuseth his Mistris the Author of his dispaire detesteth his fortune that his successe was no better in his sute and curseth his tongue which for being ouer sawsie and presumptuous had vtterly ouerthrowne him for euer All ioy he bids adue all hope farewell No longer now in sorrow he will dwell He is fullie bent to die deuising with himselfe what kinde of death he were best to chuse to the end he might be rid both of the world and of his wretched estate all at one time he will now neither sigh nor weepe more for the matter determining to change his teares into blood and his sighes into wofull death onely his desire is to be fitted of a conuenient place to put in practise the same for he durst not lay violent hands vpon himselfe in the Castle of Leander least perhaps it should come to light why he made himselfe so away whereupon he priuily conueieth himselfe away from thence and getteth him into a thicke and darke wood not farre from thenee where he resolueth to end his life and make that place his graue It was aunswerable vnto his minde it was secret obscure vnfrequented of all This was the cause he began afresh being all alone to sigh and sob and to ban and curse his ill fortune againe which being done he draweth his sword he feeleth the edge of it to see if it be keene and sharpe enough and that done prepareth himselfe vnto death thinking it to be much better to die by his owne proper hands as another braue and high minded Aiax than to liue in continuall vexation and miserie as a base and degenerate Thesites And now he setteth the pommell of his blade vpon the ground the poynt whereof was placed iust against his heart when as he was minded to thrust himselfe quite through behold death as he thought appeared vnto him with so horrible and gastly a visage as he gaue ouer his enterprise long was he not in this muse but that he drew his Raiper againe condemning much his first feare when vpon the sodaine an other humor more diuilish than the rest tooke him which was not to die vntill he had obtained what he so much coueted vowing within his soule that he would haue his will of the faire Cynthia at what high price soeuer he bought it His Loue now was turned into hate and his respectfull duetie into sensuall lust He thinketh not of the dāger he is like to incurre by entring into so infamous an actiō All former friendship and kinde Hospitalitie is forgotten so he may haue his wish either by violence or what way else he cares not although afterward he die for the same for so to die he imagineth he shall be most happie and this is his most certaine and constant resolution O franticke rage O cursed madnes and O cruell furiousnes of Loue This made Medea worse than a Bedlem to massacre her owne children and this brought the famous Mark Antony to lose both his honour and his life Now Antonio hammering in his head this wicked practise began to set a good vpon the matter as if all had bene well beginning to looke cheerfully and making the world beleeue he had quite forgotten all former sorrowes as if he would haue bene merrie euer after which recouerie from his sicknes made euery one glad especially his true friend Leander and the Ladie his wife who verily thought that Antonio had forgotten all his old loue to wards her and that her schooling of him in that shroad manner as she did had made him to be come a new man But alas poore soule how much was she deceiued for all this while Antonio was working of treason against her and her husband which wrought their vtter ouerthrew As a fire that long time lie hid in a hollow hole when it bursteth forth becommeth more violent more outragious and
not this strange fire which filleth all my vaines My griefe consume my coarse consuming though t is great With care and cries to feede my soule is my desire No hope to heale my wounds within me bide Alas I curse my selfe yet honor I the fire See then how farre Loue drawes me on from Reason wide Thrise happie Nature of each mortall man in this For they in dying of their ils an ende doe gaine But Spirits diuine cannot Diuine their essence is Venus immortall was immortall was her paine What said I No. LOVE cannot die through deaths despire For in the soule he liues and soule can neuer die On earth below no creature is that takes in Loue delight And Ioue himselfe his awfull power hath felt on hie Woe is me in this strange sort I perish languishing I wish for death yet how to perish doe not know Wretched that wight whose burning griefes aie doth him wring Nor can them quench nor die to ridde himselfe from woe But since I to this mischiefe am predestined Nor can death to remorse or pittie nothing moue Of Gods I le craue I may be metamorphosed Into those haplesse Birds that still bewaile their Loue. Thus sung the troubled Nimph Orithia amorous of the foresaid ARCAS who passing on her way sweetly held on her dulcet tune but she being gone the old man once more began to report what he before intended reaccounting this Historie following Most vniust lawe of partiall LOVE The lamentable Tragedie of chast Floretta and kind Plaindor which with thy malice slie Thousands of faults with iustice vaile dost hide malitiously Thou that thy traiterous selfe dost faine to be asacred thing And by a coloured greement thousands vnto death dost bring Most cruell law of loathed LOVE that vnder friendships showe Dost paint thy bloodie Massakers and makst them holy goe Thou that with vaine allurements fond and with faire smiling glose So many faithfull Louers in their fatall tombes dost close Who cuttest off so soone of men on earth the vitall thred Of such as for their loyaltie and faiths are honored Who fiend-like suckst their blood and as if thou still destned were To plague the world the flesh of these poore murthred soules dost teare Hast thou then this faire worthy Brace of constant Louers slaine Whose memorie still flourishing for euer shall remaine Hast thou them stifled through mischance without remorse or ruth Their flowring yeares their daies their yeares in prime of their green youth Ah too too cruell law of thine and happie thrise our life If that it were not subiect to thy ouer-ragings rife But what is he can liue exempt from these thy amorous lawes When euery puissant God what ere this yoke as forced drawes Then who can Loue commaund when Ioue himselfe full oftentime By him hath roughly bin controld although his powers diuine And yet some comfort small it is to vs though little gaine The Gods to haue companions with vs in this our paine Then reade this more then wofull verse beleeue it as your Creede True Herolds of a message such as hearts to heare will bleede Though in this vncoth desart colde LOVES hatefull enemie Death keepeth his abode and court and sleepe doth here abie Where horror doth inhabit still and fat all sisters three Who to vntwist our threed of life most willingly agree Where hundred thousand hugie Rocks sore bruisde with thunders might And torne through long continuance of times iniurious spite Are to this place chiefe ornaments though many a hollow caue And deepelesse ditches soundlesse pitts as glories chiefe it haue Although in steed of corne with thornes brambles it be sowen And with the chillie spring of Isie waters t is ore-flowen Although it be inuironed with monsterous hedges thicke Of blood drawing brambles and although wild beasts abound in it And that the sweelling periurde sea most fearefull to our eyes The same doth compasse round about with fome which thicke doth rise So as no one delight at all though little doth appeare Or seemes that euer Venus sowed her seede immortall here That neuer here for to repose did rest the beautious sunne When he his daily course in course with Maiestie had runne In briefe although this Iland be of gastfull lands the worst Where onely damnd dispaire doth seeke for to abide accurst Yet liude there here not long agoe a louely Shepheard faire Whome cruell Loue did vex and gripe more then with monstrous care A Shepheard sweete in euery point he was and complete right But that too soone his tender yeares cut off were through despite A perfect Shepheard faire he was his mind and valour such As all the rest of Swaines that liude in woods he past by much The spoylâ—â— of 〈◊〉 Beares the rough sharpe skin of tusked Bores Oâ— Lions sell and greedie Woolues hang vp vpon his dores Strange hidious Serpents vgly heads and Griffons Tallent clawes Sharpe poysonous teeth of Dragons huge with their most vgly pawes About the little closing walls of his small house was set As honorable witnesse of his valour more then great Those were his hangings rich and these his pictures set in gold Which intermixt in sundrie sort you still might fresh behold * A Sentence No such braue furniture as is a deadly enemies spoyle ' Whose colour nere is marde with dust nor length of time can foyle ' So is the battered harnesse rich wonne from our vanquisht foe ' Which hung vpon our walls more faire then gold doth make them showe ' For with the same the honour of the owners victorie ' Is there enstald and registred nor can it euer die Thus then this gallant Shepheard faire not little to his fame Adornd his house with sauadge spoyle which he abroad had slaine His armour was his bowe his clubbe his She pheards wreathed hooke For harneis he of musket proofe a leathren brestplate tooke Yet nothing couldore-cme his more then vsuall common power Still from the chase and fighting he returned conquerour Thrise happie fortunate was his first bringing vp and birth Not any gifts more excellent Nature gaue on this earth Valiant he was and strong in limmes well made and trimme withall So faire as euery Shepheardesse in loue with him did fall Blest therefore was he in his first greene youth as he deseru'd Whome honour did accompanie whom fortune alwaies seru'd Thrise happie he in his young yeares till t was his lucklesse sate That dismall Loue his reason and his sense did captiuate For then he lost his wonted force and courage euery waies And of his more then braue exployts the memorable praise He onely studied then alone to nourish his sad griefe To sighthe his secret sorrowes forth and waile without reliefe * An Inuectiue against Loue. O more then cursed caitife Loue thou wisedoms dost annoy Debashest reason sound from minde and valour dost destroy Wise men thou makest worse then fooles and makst them onely fit To hurt themselues whilst obstinate they
he admires her faith he doth adore As sacred he doth honour her and likes her chast loue more He could not â—â—st nor rightly giue a gesse which did surmount Of these two so â—re qualities in her if so great count Her beautie faire or wisedome graue which most did her aduance He was with them so ravished and out of countenance For heauenly Alâ—â—rs we dâ—e vse to vertue to erect And so cause beautie conquereth mens spirits we respect Each of these twaine 〈◊〉 by themselues or by themselues diuided By men are raisde to highest rate and as diuine are praised But in one body when alone this Twinne of vertue light That coarse the beautie of the Gods as then resembleth right T is heauenly then as they and for to Loue doth willing draw The hardest hearts and senselest Rocks of Epyr with great awe With this rich Iewell pretious is Plaindor rauished And without stirring thinkes that he vp to the heauens is fled Immortall and most iâ— finit his glorie he doth thinke More then the Gods themselues which do of flowing Nectar drinke His heart in pleasures sea swimmes fast as he himselfe requires His soule doth melt through sweet conceit in flames of his desires His ioy doth keepâ— him tongue tide and he thinkes he dreames as tho Whilst in his minde he diuers thoughts doth canuas too and fro What he doth see he credits not nor can he easily deeme That so rare beautie once will daine of him for to esteeme He stands amazde like to that Prince from captiue bonds vnthrald Who is from prison tooke to Throne and there anew enstald He thought Floretta flower of all would nere haue stoopt so base Nor that she ere ment him to write in Checkroll of her grace Sad sorrow oft the constancie of man doth much annoy And good things vnexpected quite confound the minde with ioy Thrise happie who the Center keepe nor nere exceed the meane Where neither good nor bad doth them torment with such extreame Plaindor then wakt out of his traâ—se with louely discreet cheere Million of condigne thankes doth giue to his Floretta deere Denâ—â—tly he his faith protests strictly to keepe to her And that beyond Loues sacred bonds he neuer meanes to stir To serue her faithfully and that himselfe heele sooner slaie Then to commit what should offend her humor any way Faire flower quoth he light of my life doe not me doubt at all Thy will a Lnâ— thy word command be vnto me still shall Thy wish my chiefe desire I le hold thy glorie shall be mine Thou wholly shalt be vnto me and my soule onely thine I neuer will forget my selfe and when I first offend Against thy daintie selfe I pray my life haue shamefull end When as vnconstant wauering wight I shall like Haggard range Of all the hellish torments fierce then let me haue the change Most wicked I and most vnfit to liue vpon the earth If when thou life to me hast giuen I should thee quite with death 'A sowler fault cannot be nam'd nor that deserues more shame A Sentence ' Then th'ungrate Lâ—uer when he is vnthankefull to his dame ' For ther 's no euill that so much craues succours speedie neede ' Then that which Louers doth molest and makes their hearts to bleede ' Nor is there any cruell paine as is the louing griefe ' For Loue consumes both soule and coarse vnlesse it finde reliefe Then Ladie as thou mercifull hast bin thus vnto me So I my seruice dutifull for die assure to thee And if my fortune chaunce to prooue by enuious destenie set That I my selfe by doing what vndecent is forget My blood shall wash my fault away and rather this offence Shall ende my life then periurde like with fault I will dispence Doe so replide Ploretta and thou soone shalt see the day When as our Loues shall happie preouc though now they vs delay But chiefely haue regard boue all that thou the cause be not That my chast meaning through thy fault be staind with vitious blot For should this ill chaunce hap thou then as I before said soone Shall seem slaine by mine owne hands to sleepe within my Tombe Thus did these Louers twaine themselues one th' other oft coniure And thus betweene themselues their faithes in secret did assure As whilom was Dan Paris An example with forsooks Enone seene To plight their Loues most couertlie amongst the leaues so greene But after they had to idea while with many a pleasing word After a thousand pâ—stimes as the yeare did then afford With thousand louely glaunces quickâ— one to the other cast Which forst the amorus fire within their entrailes burne more fast After a thousand petite Oathes with sports before nere found To see if of their fancies fiâ—t a like were not the ground After a thousand sugred smiles and toyings delicate Which more the mindes of Louers true doth rightly recreate After a thousand small disdâ—â—nes 〈◊〉 d for the nonce And discontents prou'd mâ—riâ—â—â—ts betweene these Doue-like ones By which from cinders vnto flames there heate did more encrease By reason of this wâ—nton warre and amorous angrie peace After much woing but no doing the euening being come And that the Sâ—re of Phâ—eâ—on his course that day had runne At last Plaindor nigh surfetting with ioy and meere content Kist her faire hand with much adoe yet prettily was shent That done though loth he bids adue vnto his Ladie bright Being angrie not a little that so soone was come the night And laden richly thus with hope of her whome he lou'd best He home doth goe where quietly he takes his wished rest O rare beginning faire commencement of two Loues so chast O happie couple whilst their daies so luckily were gract O blessed Louers if against your fortunes heauens rage Not trauerst had to ruine you in your best youthfull age But when we thinke puft vp with hope that we doe flie aloft Then soonest clipped are our wings by angrie stars full oft Then iealous of our glory they doe seeke vs to destroy Thinking they gaine chiefe victorie when vs they can annoy Thus these two Louers vnto dire misfortune destined By cruell Fates in middest of their ioyes were ruined Yet heare this wofull tale of them and you will iustly say That nothing long in this vaine world continueth at one stay Because Plaindor for propernes and strength others did passe He of another Shepheardesse extreamely liked was His two blacke eyes made her eyes show how nigh she was to death Her colour for the loue of him was like the fall of leafe She fancied none but him alone he was her onely treasure And that she was thus thrald for him she counted it a pleasure But Plaindor neuer thought on her nor for her ought did care Alreadie all his Rest was vp to like none but his FAIRE He had no leisure for to iudge if she did loue or no So much for faire Floretta did his
poasting towards Alphonsos Castle where he and his companie being disguised lay in waite for the Spaniard not daring for his life to set vpon him nigh the Kings Court lest his villanre should be descried and he well punished for the same About some sixe daies after he was gone Alphonso leaueth the Court highly commended and much praised of euery one little suspecting any treason with a small traine following him when being now within two leagues of his Castle behold the vngratefull Dane and his attendants to come out of a little wood well armed at all points and to rush sodeÌ„ly vpon Alphonso who being of an excelleÌ„t spirit courage carried himselfe so brauely as before he caught his deaths wound the Prince was turned off from his horse starke dead vpon the ground by him who being the first that set vpon him But in the ende What can the valiant Hercules gainst oremuch force preuaile Couragious mindes will sooner die then yeeld themselues or quaile So our worthie Spaniard had rather be killed manfully then saue his life by base and ignoble flying away But after he had fought a long time hauing giuen vnto many their death wounds and receiuing many himselfe his enemies still hemming him in round about setting vpoÌ„ him with a fresh assault at the last he falleth downe dead from his horse which the villaines perceiuing and doubting lest they should be followed by the countrie they tooke vp the dead course of their Prince in hast lamenting this hard aduenture and setting spurres to their horse away they flew as fast as the winde being neuer heard of after Behold here one of Loues feâ—sts of a contrarie fashion vnto other bankets For his first dishes presented at the table are pleasant sweet and delightsome but his last course is bitter cruell wofull bloodie and full of murther His chiefest companion is quarrelling Mars neither doth he euer march without hauing with him either Rage Furie or Follie. Meane space some of Alphonsos men who as crauens retired apart when the skirmish was at the hottest seeing their enemies fled came backe againe where all the broile had bin longing to know how their Maister had sped whom they found with a thousand wounds well nigh bleeding through euery part of his bodie and lying amongst the thickest of his enemies which were slaine by his owne hand whereat they making most pittious mone began to search if there were yet any one sparke of life in in him or no At the last they hauing done their best indeuour to recouer him he began to come a little vnto himselfe againe when scarce being able to open his eyes dimd and damd vp with death his soule readie to flit from hence vnto a better world with a hollow voice he thratled forth these few words My dearest friends let me intreat you to shew me this fauour it being the last which I will euer hope or looke for at your hands to conuey this my martyred body vnto my faithfull spouse to the ende I may be so happie as once to see her and to bid her farewell More would I say but I am so faint I cannot His sorrowfull seruants yerning for very griefe and dissoluing themselues into salt teares cursing now though too late their cowardly running away carried his dying carkasse faire and softly towards his house To Cleopatra so Marke Anthònies dead coarse Was brought which she drew vp to her with wofull force O what a spectacle what a tragicke present and what a bitter encounter was this for miserable Iustina to meete withall who not long before had heard how happily and how valiantly her kind husband had conquered his enemie in the sight of all Spaine which good newes had filled all her spirits with an exceeding kind of pleasing ioy and comfort But alas what a change and alteration was this from the first matter Ah how much more is that misfortune liuely toucheth vs to the quicke which when we least thinke of it surprizeth vs altogether vnexpected we passing our time in iollitie and pleasure then such as we are prouided for when it commeth it being long since we looked for the same and therefore the better prepared to beare the burthen thereof Meane time the poore Ladie must needs tast this bitter potion beare as well as shee can this terrible clap of dismall thunder No sooner had she a sight of this dying coarse which she thought to be starke dead But that she tooke on as one distraught and quite out of their wits O faire haire before daintily curled how cruelly were you then torne But farre fairer face how wert thou bescratched and thou beautious brest how wert thou be bloodied So great was her anquish as she fell downe in a sowne vpon that bodie whom she so dearely loued embracing the same most tenderly it being that which she more accounted of then of any thing else in the world Thrise happie had she bin and not a little beholding vnto death if at that houre he had bereft her of life but her fortune was not so good for she was compelled to liue the longer because her paine should be the greater And now she being come vnto her selfe againe although it was a woful mirrour to behold his pale bloodlesse face his mangled flesh all to be sprinkled washed in his owne gore yet did she not sticke to kisse his wan and cold lips a thousand times and more whilst her teares serued her in steed of water to make cleane his wounds to wash away the blood and to solemnize his drerie Funerall with the same Carelesse of her health she lay long time vpon the wet ground whilst she held the coarse as pittifully in her lap as the kind nurse doth her little Infant in her armes neither did she remoue her sweet mouth from his but kept it still close thereon desirous to die as he had done Out alas alas cried she where am I who am I what do I see is it possible that I should yet breath hauing lost the onely life of my soule And you mine eyes are you so cruell vnto my health that you will abide to behold that which will force you to be more miserable and yet mine eyes my wofull eyes it is no shame to behold your best benefactor looke then on him your fill although pittilesse death hath closed vp his sight with an eternall sleepe But thou art dead for me my deare husband for my cause hast thou lost thy life and for no other O wretched iourney and most vnhappie that euer thou tookest in hand yet was it not death that slew thee No no death durst But it was I and euen I t' was I and none but I and I alone whome thou diddest thinke to be thy louing wife Ah sweete sweet Husband shall I be guiltie of this fault by murthering of my selfe which I haue committed against thee No no for my death cannot counteruaile thine Shall it be said that
him and so to make flower thereof which he had rather should be done then to be ouer long kept for many times it groweth mustie lying in garners This Riddle being thus expounded the harmlesse Shepheards retired themselues for that night as also did melancholie Arcas Where we will leaue them vntill the next morning The end of the first daies meeting of Iuliettaes Shepheards THE SECOND DAIES MEETING OF THE FIFT BOOKE OF IVLIETTAES SHEPHEARDS WHAT Frostie Night neuer so bitter were of power sufficient to coole the outragious and burning heate of the Shepheard Arcas What obscure horror could bring a sleepe the watchfull thoughts of his waking euills And what deepe slumber take from him the continuall remembrance of his diuine Diana his spirit being alwaies troubled as well in the night as in the day and therefore far more miserable then the bruite beastes For whereas they repose themselues sometimes from their trauell he alwaies laboured and was still in paine he plainely perceiued the day beginning to lighten the hollow giering vault of heauen he viewed the glorious Sunne to gild and adorne the Roseall skie and he beheld beautious Anrora to weepe drerie teares for the death of her deare swarthie child yet all these brought no comfort vnto his griefes For such mindes as are ouer-cruellie afflicted with cares A Sentence are neither suâ— iect to the coolie rest of the night nor take pleasure at the glistering lampe of All-seeing Phoebus because they receiue no contentment neither in the one nor in the other Scarse did the breake of day appeare when this Swaine ariseth from his bed running vp and downe the Desart and searching for some fit place where he might bewaile his sorrowes at the full At length he entreth into a huge deepe Caue enuironed round about with sharpe brambles and pricking bryars able to terrifie and affright any excepting onely such as seeke for death whom wretched and wofull Caitiues feare not at all because euery houre they feele farre worse plagues then death it selfe and for that it is rather a pleasure then a torment vnto them to exchange their euill for good and to leaue a sowre and seuere Maister to follow and serue one that is milde and debonaire Arcas then being gotten into the bottome of this darkesome Dungion after he had for a certaine time bene mute and as one falne into a sound in the end breaking as it were out of a dead sleepe he began thus to complaine Ay me Alas What might I thinke to be the reason or cause of the miserie and vnhappines of man Is it the heauens that iealous of their good fortune scourgeth them with so great cruelties Or is it their sinnes which prouoketh the anger of God forcing him to stretch out his threatning hand against them No doubt it is this last for sinne onely and wickednes first opened the gate to death that he might come in amongst vs and so ouerthrow vs. It is for the punishment of such offences as we commit against the holy One that we are persecuted with pestilence famine and with warre So was Dauid plagued for his fault and Sodome and Gomorrhâ— with fire ouerthrowen So were the Niniuites threatned so was Ezechias admonished to repent O thrise happie the Godly who prosper like the fruitfull Lawrell and possesse in peace that land which is taken away from the wicked with tempestious lightning and thunder For so was the good Abraham blessed and so after his imprisonment was the righteous Ioseph with many moe besides But coÌ„trariwise most vnfortunate are the wretched wicked ones because they grudge and repine in that they suffer for the faults they haue committed whilst they are stung with Serpents from the heauens as were the Hebrewes heretofore when they began to murmure in the wildernes Beware how thou repinest against the Almightie Ichoua And saith the wise man for no good nor profit can come thereof We cannot then tearme the heauens to be the authours of our euils but it is the onely transgressing of the diuine commandemeÌ„ts which we cannot truely say be hath giuen vnto vs to breake them or that he hath giuen vs so hard a law as that it is vnpossible for vs to sulfill the same For it should be a most rediculous and vaine part of a Prince to establish and appoynt such ordinances vnto his Subiects as they cannot any way performe as to defelid or foâ—â—id them to grow to wax taller or bigger or other such fond and vnreasonable impossibilities as these be And therefore O how gentle and easie are the commaundement of God be himselfe affirming the same when he tearmeth his yoke easie and â—ight his burthen little and gentle to beare For Is it not as easie a thing for a man to doe good as euill when as in doing good he enioyeth the happie and blessed content of the quietnes of his minde without being troubled either with the feare of the lawes or the doubt of reproach or slaunder Besides he doth not dread death for he withdraweth himselfe from other hazards whilst he meditateth vpon the same whereas Theeues and Murtherers in robbing and killing euery houre incounter therewith before they are aware But say it hapneth vnto them yet doe they receiue it most meekely for sweet and blessed is the death of the iust that die in the Lord where that of the wicked is hatefull and abhommable Curtious then and gentle are the commaundements of the highest which his Apostle Saint Iohn approueth in these words Keepe his commaundements and you shall find them to be neither troublesome hard nor difficult to obserue They chase away hot boyling Auarice which burneth men with her vncharitable coldnes they banish all mortall ambition which weareth away the yeares of man before his time is come they take from them all murther and robbing which stifleth the necke of the wicked with an infamous corde they smother and kill adulterie which laieth hold as well vpon the health of man as on his honour and to conclude they extirpe and roote out all those vices which are deadly enemies as well to the bodie as to the soule By which we see his lawes are easie and sweet yea and most profitable and necessarie for the health and contentment of mankind which was the cause the other Apostle Saint Paul calleth the commaundement of the Eternall Iehona a godly iust and sacred commaundement it being the preseruer of Iustice the puritie of our liues and the very essence as it were of all equitie peace and goodnes For what crosses ouerthwart the soules of the godly who delight in no other thing then in the law of the Lord And what great and grieuous courses doe trouble and disturbe the consciences of the wicked who take a pride as it were as did Remus sometime in leaping ouer the walles of Rome to exceed goe beyond the bounds of the diuine ordinances of God which because they are not hard to be accomplished are not
Areas was the occasion of a greater benefit in deliuering Athens from such a seruile bondage as forced them to offer their prettie little children vnto the greedie lawes of that deuouring Monster To conclude much honour great glorie and infinite good hath proceeded through Loue in so much as he that hath neuer loued deserueth not the name of a man As the Shepheard had made an end of his speech the faire Nymph Orythia arriued who hauing her Lute in her hand sung in a most dulcet tune these Heroicall verses following What shall my Fortune neuer mend in which I doe languish Yet O yee Gods let me die for line without heart can I not now Cruell he that my soule commaunds doth mocke at my hard haps Curst be the flame that euery thing doth burne sane our anguish Ah shall I neuer see my life nor my Loue to be ended Neuer for these skies are cruell vnto my plainings And they doe seeme to be deafe when with my cries I doe mone them More that I liue I plague my selfe and am mine owne Hangman Cruell alone is that griefe that no remedie findeth But for to suffer without hope if destinie mine were Why was I brought into this world and why was I borne then Better nere to be than alwaies so to be tortred Woe to me hope haue I none that ere my paine will be swaged Yet no griefe there is to be found but findeth his easing Excepe such as ouer desperate onely by Loue comes Then since I needes must langnish thus content will I hold me For at last my comforts this although that I perish Yet from all these cares and troubles soone shall I rid me That man neuer feares when death doth venter vpon him When to loose this wretched life he rides in a Hauen Free from the Tempests of this world to liue euerlasting After the Nymph had with many scalding sighes deliuered these verses she thus bespake the Shepheard Arcas What time wilt thou limit vnto my sorrowes and when wilt thou make an end of tormenting me as thou doest If pittie cannot induce thee to succour me at least let these mine earnest praiers moue thee Why takest thou delight thus to be importuned and why is it a pleasure vnto thee thus to be sued vnto Ah wy doest thou not restore my heart vnto his former health and why deuiest thou to helpe him who is so much affected to doe thee seruice Cruell is that Lord that maketh his faithfull seruant to serue him still and yet yeeldeth him no recompence for his paine vniust is he and hatefull both to God and man For what vice more horrible can there be than barbarous ingratitude Ah wash from thy soule that foule fault and suffer not thy selfe any more to be reproached in that thou art hard-harted and bitter against her who onely deuoteth her selfe vnto thee After the Criminall hath his fatall sentence pronounced he is put to death presently without making him languish any more in prolonging his miserie Fuen so let me intreate thee to dispatch and giue thy verdit of life or death against me without delighting thy selfe any longer in my Disasters The fire put into the mouth of a Cannon forceth the pouder to flie out suddenly which turneth into a flame Euen so I am not able longer to endure without my griefe burst forth of my soule or that I giue vp the ghost and die But what talke I of death when it is denied vnto me No no had I but had the benefit of the same thou cruell man hadst neuer heard so many praiers come from me neuer had I made so many vowes vnto thee neither had I moued thee so often vnto compassion as I haue done for with some desperate instrument or other I had finished both my life and griefe long ere this and both at one time But alas I being immortall must endure this anguish whilest being able to helpe others I cannot heale mine owne festring wounds Not vnlike the Physition who dieth after he hath conserued the liues of other not hauing the skill to preserue his owne Were some God the cause of these my plaints and that by reason of some one Deitie or other this mischaunce had hapned vnto me I were not worthie of some excuse amongst mine equals But when I call to minde how I haue suffered my selfe to be vanquisht by a simple Shepheard and yet am not able to perswade him to haue remorse vpon me I needs must confesse I am worthie to be blamed and that rightly But alas I know not wel what I say for my Ladie the Goddesse Diana loueth a Shephcard as well as I and vnder this weede oftentimes lodgeth vertue learning and beautie Neuer was any more beautifull than Adonis none more faire than Narcissus and none more liuely than Paris when he was a Shepheard neither was there euer a Nymph more amiable than Enone the Shepheardesse Angelica the peerlesse Paragon of all beautie left many great Princes and valiant Paladines all which were suters vnto her for her Loue and accepted a poore common Souldier for her sweet heart and Loue. Loue respecteth not riches onely he hath an eie vnto the perfection of the person that is loued Then sweet Shepheard fancie me and giue me some sure proofe of thy affection towards me without putting me any more to further troubles So said the pensiue Nymph when Arcas being rauished with the contemplation of his faire Mistris as if he had bene speaking vnto her and as if Orythia had bene farre from him Began to speake thus O sacred Diana haue I not as yet giuen thee sufficient testimonie of my zealous good will towards thee considering my long and many sorrowes but wilt thou still see more and yet neuer yeeld me any recompence for the same Alas the Goldsmith trieth gold but once if it will indure the fire which he vseth to make so me excellent piece of worke withall and the Eagle is contented to carrie his little ones but once against the Sunnie Beames which if they are able to abide he suffereth them to liue making account they are his owne Why then deare Mistris art not thou content with these many proofes of my faithfull Amitie without demaunding still new at my hands If it be because I am too base a creature to be beloued and that thou thinkest me not worthie of so high a fauour Ah then I beseech thee remember Iupiter who disdained not the Loue of Europe or of Semele although they were mortall women nor Thetis who although a Goddesse yet vouchsafed to espouse Penelus an earthly man and sacred Apollo who vouchsafed to affect the Troyan Cassandra yea remember the Goddesse of all beautie who was willing to accept the Loue of Anchises to beare a child by him which was called the wandring Prince Aeneas And therefore be not angrie although I dare to loue thee for I feare not that the torment of Ixion shall euer punish me because I
of his Mistris as he perceiued not whē he was entered therfore he came neer vnto him and saluted him whilest the other stood stone still like vnto a Rocke resembling that statue of salt into which the wife of Lot was turned which the old Magitian perceiuing he came and pulled him by the sleeue saying How now man what cheare where is your minde now and why suffer you it so long before it doe his ordinarie duetie That dammage which a sencelesse creature doth ouer whom his Maister hath power is laid vpon him and not vpon the beast We ought wisely to rule what is committed vnto vs to gouerne which if it be so then why doest not thou looke vnto thy soule but rather doest permit her to wander thus abroad seeing that without her thou see-mest as a dead creature Call home for shame call home I say thy wits together and resolue to submit thy selfe vnto the iudgement of the Gods and to doe as they shall command thee for our griefes moue not them neither doe our teares appease their rigour towards vs. Ah Father answered the Shepheard how can he who hath no more power ouer his slaue because he hath past ouer his freedome vnto another dispose of him and command him as he was wont and how wilt thou that I beare sway ouer my soule hauing none within me since I haue resigned it vnto my Ladie who disposeth thereof as she best pleaseth And herein I resemble that miserable marchant whose ship being driuen against a Rocke scarce saueth his naked selfe hauing before seene all his goods and seruants to be cast away and drowned or rather I am like vnto that haplesse Duke of Ithaca who hauing but one poore leaking vessell got a shore through the helpe of the Sea Nymph Can he whom the cruell Law hath subiected vnder the will of another and being his poore drudge and slaue doe as he faine would and dispose of himselfe as he listeth You know he cannot neither can I doe as I would but as I may for I am my Mistris slaue and although she is not with me yet my heart which serueth in steed of a Table vnto Loue to draw her beautifull conceit presenteth her euery minute before me so as I seeme to see her liuely the sight whereof doth take away my sences from me for worthy things causeth vs to burne in loue of them and with a sweet kinde of force drawe vs of our owne accord to come vnto them Then maruaile no more though thou findest me thus out of temper If meere griefe be of power to procure death then what may Loue doe which not onely seazeth vpon the bodie but likewise vpon the soule scarce had I wet the soales of my feete entring into this wide Ocean of sundrie conceits when thou withdrewest me from the same as that carefull father doth his harmelesse child from the brim of some pit wherein he might fall and be drowned But alas what wouldest thou haue me to doe Suffer me I pray thee and let me alone in my musing for there is nothing more pleasant vnto a wofull man then to dreame of such delights as he hath once tasted because as then he thinketh still to tast them I was dreaming of that contentment which the companie of my Diana hath heretofore brought me why then hast thou disturbed me in the same when perhaps I shall not encounter with so sweet a thought I know not when againe and the rather for that a leuen houres and three quarters of a day are destined for the mishap of man and onely one poore quarter appointed for his contentment of which small space of time many haue bene depriued in the number of which I am the chiefe No no replied the old man Not to thinke of misfortunes maketh a man as happie as if he had neuer bene afflicted with any for he cannot be said to be sicke that liueth without any feeling of griefe or disease so he is not wretched that neuer remembreth his former disasters the thought whereof is the occasion that maketh vs so sad Driue then these idle fancies out of thy braine Hardly could courteous Dido entreate the wandring Prince of Troy to repeate and report the ouerthrow of his countrie although he was much beholding vnto her for irkesome is the calling to minde of such matters Away then with these toyes and begin thy discourse where thou last didst leaue which will like thee better and the rather when thou shalt account thy happie fortunes Ah good father answered Arcas neuer hath my tongue bene vsed to talke of any good fortune that hath hapned vnto me heretofore for few or none haue I had but onely to sigh forth my strange and wofull losses What Sunne haue these my drerie eyes euer beheld without new floods of teares and what darkesome night hath couered them with neuer so heauie a sleepe but that fresh griefes haue growne before the breake of day within my soule My wofull pilgrimage in this vnconstant world hath alwaies bene vnluckie dismall and vnfortunate and therefore I would to God that death had abridged the same But why should you thinke that I could liue and languish thus without bethinking me of my losse Nothing pincheth the heart more then a mans ouerthrow because it is long before he can recouer himselfe againe and for that it will aske much labour and paine yea it is so deeply inprinted within vs that although we haue in time repaired and amended our selues yet still there remaineth some one marke or another that galleth vs euen at the very quicke Who euer sawe man hauing endured great hinderance and mishaps but that he sometimes thinketh thereon yea and now and then bewaileth the same although he haue neuer so great a courage We are all good registers of such aduersities as happen vnto vs but not of prosperitie and sooner can we call to minde an iniurie done vnto vs then remember a benefit or good turne which we haue receiued for this old sinne of our great grandlire Adam draweth vs alwaies rather vnto bad then good This is the reason that men for the most part are naturally giuen sooner to slaunder then to defend the good name and credit of their neighbous and so likewise this is the cause I so liuely feele and apprehend the remembrance of my calamities not wishing any thing so much as to be confined within some Rocke alone like a Recluse to the end I might the better meditate vpon them and the more bitterly bewaile them Now quoth the old gray-beard I see thou art in the wrong for we must not haue our eyes alwaies vpon the earth but sometimes we must as well looke vp towards heauen Wherefore serueth this diuine reason which maketh vs Lords ouer all other creatures if by her aide we repulse not such mortall passions as come into the world with vs And to what end doth a father send his Sonne vnto the Vniuersitie most willingly defraving
be so why then am I exempted from this rule Neuer was any euill more violent then mine and yet in the meane time it thus continueth still extreame O deceitfull sentence Alack alack double doe I feele my griefe the one in suffering it the other in liuing to endure it and yet what should let me from murthering of mine owne selfe but euen the selfe-same charge which the Maister gineth vnto his slaue ouer whom he hath command both of life and death The onely Physitions which carefully assist me in my disease are Death and Dispaire Comfortable is the remedie of Death but damnable is the syrup of Dispaire The one hindreth the other not vnlike vnto two contrary windes which hold and keepe in a tottering Ship in the maine Sea it being not able to saile neither of the one side nor of the other Thrice welcome should death be vnto me if naturally and without dispaire it would come on the sodaine to rid me from this trouble So thrice happie dispaire if without death it could chase away this my more then intollerable anguish from mee Betweene these two contrary windes doe I flote not that I will denie but that sometimes the Sunne-shine of my soule hath made mine eyes cleare and bright but yet in such sort hath it bene as the light thereof presently after hath caused my darknesse to shew more gastly fearefull and horrible Ah sweetest Sunne of my soule where doest thou now at this present dart and cast forth thy heauenly bearnes And what happie Countrey is at this houre warmed with the gladsome Luster of thy beautious light In respect of the faire continuing day long and tedious are the nights though short and in Sommer vnto the sickly creature euen so long and â—rksome is my darknes in respect of the cheerfull day of thy oft-wisht for presence Wretch that I am I wander without thee in middest of the horror of a continuall euening whilst black and gloomy shadowes are alwayes before mine eyes O God if our sinnes inflict vpon vs these plagues wherewith wee are tortured yet at the least when wee haue patiently endured them drawe vs from out this heauie yoke The guiltie person condemned to die conceiueth no greater disquietnes in his minde then to thinke of that kinde of punishment which shall take away his life from him Ah then take him away take him away I beseech you out of this world who can doe nothing but cast forth complaints and laments and whose importunate voice pestereth without intercession both heauen and earth calling still to minde the afflictions without number which he is forced ouermuch to beare But I see I must yet languish somewhat longer if so what remedie but compeld content Let me then languish thus and pine away and let mine vsuall sorrowfull tune pursue my dayes euen vnto my very graue to the ende that so bewailing my crosse destinie I may at last giue vp my wearied Ghost But I see deare Father I doe but trouble thee and therefore in respect of thee I will giue ouer this mournefull melodie onely I will recite vnto thee an answere of a certaine false Ecco who not long since decciued my hopefull expectation And thus it was ECCO Great Goddesse of these woods that in these woods art honored right Speake wilt thou lend thine eares to one that is in wofull plight With thy last sweete sound amorous wilt thou my griefe abate Importuning my Fortune hard to mee vnfortunate O Goddesse answere my complaints which I before thee powre And pittie my outragious paine by sweetning of my sowre Comfort me in my torments and my griefes that choketh mee With hope that from this dismall plague I one day may be free To th' ende that I deuoutly may blesse thy thrice blessed Grace Ah then if thou as now within these hollow Rocks hast place Answere my Cryes say which of these two shall I prooue To make an end of all my woes or Death or Loue Ecco LOVE After so many crosses which we force and driue Shall I then die or they being dead shall I suruiue Ecco SVRVIVE But shall I stilithen liue depriued of my pleasure In ponsiuenes thus languishing and in displeasure Ec. PLEASVRE May it be I should be grac't with her who doth excell In all rare showes so base as I can I deserue so well Ec. SO WELL. But in meane space for these my griefes I haue no other scope But death to ende them since I liue without all hope Ec. HOPE Alas dispaire encour treth still my rising hope and truth And ore me this proud power will raigne and rage sans ruth Ec. SANS RVTH If so thrice miserable is the wretched Louers state And mine what can it be but most vnfortunate Ec. FORTVNATE After so many brunts borne which in my soule breedes strife Which shall I call to helpe me then or death or life Ec. LIFE But if I vnder this hard law shall liue most cruelly Who then will pittie me whilst in these panges I lie Ecco Ecco I. If so then still I le hope and O yee Gods I you adiure Not to deceiue my future hopes nor glories mine obscure Ah keepe your promise vnto me and after so much griefe Extinguish quite the furie of my cares which beg reliefe So will I blesse for euermore your Deites most true And mongst the most renowm'd in world sing praises still of you See my good Father the cosoning hope that the Goddes of the Forrests bestowed vpon me or rather to say more truly abused my wretched life O notable false deceitfull Oracles of the Gods as Pirrhus and others may well testifie the same But why should men be condemned for deceiuing one another when they are cosoned by the Gods themselues Long time did I hope well of this mine answere but in the end I found it had deluded my conceit by which my sorrow encreased not a little the more Alacke if it be so that I am altogether vnworthie of this good why then should the Gods thus promise me the same He that hopeth for nothing languisheth but little but hope deferred most mortally afflicteth the soule Besides I haue long since that time found by experience not smally to my cost that the will of the Gods is called backe either by reason of our sinnes or for our vertues sake Because of our sinnes they deface and blot out the good entended vnto vs perceiuing that our faults make vs vnworthy of them and for our vertues they call backe their cruell executioners finding vs to be worthy of grace for that we repent vs. And certainely I belieue they pronounced the best for me but my default afterward made me vnmeete to enioy the benefit of their sentence which they haue now raced out and out quite in peeces continuing still my misfortune against me But I commit all vnto their graue and secret prouidence Meane space heare I pray you the first borne song of my wailing Muse since my first
A Sentence For is not that sick patient to be noted for vnwise who will not disclose vnto his Phisition the cause of his disease but persisting most obstinately rather to feele the pangs of death then to declare where his griefe is And so hee that manifesteth his sorrowes by lamenting receiueth some kinde of consolation if not present remedie For as the small droppes of water falling by little and little vpon the harde Rocke in time doe make it hollow So likewise the hearts of women be they neuer so stronglie armed with the splints of Steele and Adamant yet in the ende they will waxe tender and soft as the harde Iron is made to bowe by the stroke of the hammer Besides oftentimes the peruerse Iudge doth Iustice rightlie through verie importunitie which by no other meanes he could euer haue bene brought to haue done It is a thing that I haue seene Louers ordinarily put in practise of whom the passions are so violent as they haue not bene able nether to conceale nor to restraine them within themselues when they haue most coueted to doe the same I my selfe haue made tryall of this remedie haue passed this straight ventured this hazard and in conclusion haue found to haue done good of it In witnesse whereof I beseech you once more to giue me the hearing of another of my passionate Sonnets With right good will answered the old man vpon condition that thou wilt promise me afterward to vnwinde the Bothome of thy Loues threed Wherevppon the Shepheard began to sing in this sort Before my selfe I doe disliue heare these my plaints O FAIRE which rauisht hast my sweetest libertie If thou before hast dainde of my religious Loue My loyaltie after my death then honor thou Nor feare that Heauens shall by my death be proud Because ending my dayes extinguisht is my Fire Death onely can cashere mee from this wretched life Where in the sacred Throne of Loue seates my pure Soule Whilst I doe breath whilst hart through 1000. sorrowes sobs It shall be seruile vassaile to thy Deitie And mongst the Ghosts being dead thou shalt my Lady be For in my soule thy Beautie is caractered There do I see thee still and as mine Idol chiefe I le sacrifice to thee great store of cries and teares Ah then plight me thy faith for to accept my vowes As late thou seemdst to rewe at my sad heauie griefs Leaue him to dye to dye who liues withouten life Being far from thine Eyes his chiefe diuinest light For say alas wherein can I stand thee in steed When I am but a shadow in a withered Corse Spent haue I all my teares bewailing thy long absence In loosing thee the Heauens haue reft my vigor quite I nothing am become Most wretched he that thinks To liue depriu'd of that chiefe good his heart doth nourish Then whilst I looke my fatall day of death to see No voyce sounds in mine eares but of laments and cries Mirth is for those are fortunate rot for a soule That feeles more horrors strange then Limbos frightfull Ghosts Then welcome pining Care and sorrow sower to me For with my thoughts dispairing still you best agree Thus haue you heard another of my wofull ditties O happie Arcas if being depriued of so sorrowfull a subiect of lamenting as this is thou couldest enioy the sight of thy faire and deere Diana as heretofore thou hast done Alas that the separation of the soule from a faire body should be far more pleasing then that of two loyall harts most stricklie chained with the strong bond of faithfull loue for with this first dissolution the remembrance of all greife and doller passeth away like a flash of lightening that is sodenly come and gone But alack how long are the sorrowes how wearisome the troubles how vnsupportable the miseries that the separation of his Mistris bringeth vnto the wretched Louers Poore Oenone too well knowest thou this to be true who diddest die for verie heauines because thou wert disioyned and withheld from thy deere Paris Death it selfe is more welcome vnto Louers then the long absence of their Ladies and yet dare they not die because they feare their displeasures which when they goe about to free themselues from this bondage snatcheth the weapon out of their hands whilest the hope which they conceiued once to behold them delayeth from day to day the execution of this cruell arrest of death A Similie being so profitable vnto all Louers That traueller findeth himselfe in great perplexitie and is not a little pensiue and angrie who after he hath iournied all the day long by the comfortable light of the Sunne is constrained to wander in the darke all the night after For as the comming forth out of bad into good is luckie sweete and fortunate so harde and troublesome is the losse of ioy to enter from thence into miserie and as it were into the verie gates of destruction And as mortall mē desist not from offering sacrifice vnto the Gods although they be far off from their sacred presence So my deere and diuine Diana though my fortune hath remoued me far from thy beautious sight yet will I not leaue to dedicate all my writings vnto thee to present my sighes vnto thee and to render thousand pittious oblations of my teares as vnto my chiefe Goddesse whose I whollie am my verses my cries and my complaints shall all be addressed vnto thee O faire Diana in what place soeuer thou now displaiest forth thy radiant beames doe not I besech thee despise the slender vowes of the religious votary who liuing only through thee oweth vnto thee both his labors and his life How wiselie haue the learned set downe that the onely presence of the Diuine Essence bringeth all contentment that may be vnto those blessed spirits that continually behold the same seeing the onely countenance of my Mistris brought my soule to be happie and satisfied mine eyes at full with perfect ioy I now excuse you O yee leane and yet rich couetous churles who content your minds with often gazing vpon your rustie old gold because there is nothing comparable vnto that pleasure which the sight bringeth vnto the soule in respect of that thing which so much delighteth him And who then with reason may blame me to loue so faire a Iewell seeing beautie is found to be a gift come from God made onely to render himselfe the more admirable in the eyes of the world Who can iustlie finde fault with that man that shall loue a thing rare perfect and surpassing in perfection such as are ordinarie and common So likewise who can rightly condemne men for honoring such a one as beautie her selfe yeeldeth a most excellent perfection amongst those that are most perfect of all Then thee O Diana doe I honor thee doe I loue thee do I respect sorrowing alway for the want of thee and whilst my vital blood shall boyle within my veines will I worship thee
the losse of his Mistris for that was the generall brute that ranne for currant throughout all the Countrey One while he condemned his ouerrash fondnes as wánting aduise and discretion in that through the same he had hazarded vpon the vngentle waues so faire and sweete a Creature as she was Another while he acknowledged and confessed himselfe to be the author of her death and the cause of her destruction Whilest this opinion of his drewe whole floods of teares from his eyes thousands of sighes from his heart and millions of heauie complaints from his soule Two cruell conceits did alwayes afflict him the one was the losse of his Loue the other the constant beliefe that he had bene the occasion of her vtter ouerthrow Commonly we beare with more patience the misfortune which hapneth vntovs A Sentence by the despitefull malice of the angrie Stars then we doe that which through our owne default doth fall vpon vs. For the one we can no way remedie because we cannot resist against the heauens but the other wee imagine we might by some deuise haue preuented if in due time we would with discretion haue looked vnto the same All the Court as well the highest as lowest endeuored what they could to comfort him but he esteemed that as a double griefe to be perswaded to be comforted by anie hauing lost her which was his chiefest comfort In the ende he deuised these dolefull Ditties in which kinde of exercise hee spent most part of his wearisome time This then was the wofull Song which he vsed oftentimes to sigh forth when hee was in his Chamber all alone or walking amidst the vncouth Forrests or when he was retired vnto some priuate place along the solitary Sea-shore Now I haue lost the deare light of mine eyes What should I doe but end my wearie dayes That Louer which with Mistris his doeth die A Sentence Dyeth not Alas but rather liues alwayes So Pyramus and Thysbe did disliue Themselues and liu'd together like two Doues That seruant which his Louer doth suruiue No faithfull Louer by loyaltie prooues So great a losse teares cannot counteruaile The rate hereof at so high price is set Base mindes it fittes for life to weepe and waile That so at length their griefes they may forget Not death it selfe though stung with his sharp sting Their loyall hearts can parted make remaine Th' one dying doth death to the other bring Making but one for to become of twaine As sweet that happie life of Louers was When th' one the other ioyfullie did prooue So seemes it sweete to them from life to passe When they together ende their Life and Loue. Loue doth renew and so like Phoenix shall In the Elizian fieldes below the earth Chaste Amitie not mortall t' is at all As is our fatall ende and flitting breath Ah how can one liue in this world of woe A Sentence When he hath lost the best part of himselfe Who seekes not after Mistris his to goe In Friendships Checquer hath but little wealth Diuorse me then from life yee Destinies To rid me from this labyrinth of noy The FAIREST shall not plaine in righfullwise Of mee since I haue lost her my chiefe ioy Ay mee I see Death no remorse will take On me whilst slowe hee hearkneth to my crie The Heauens our plagues the greater for to make Will not permit Death should approach vs nie Shall I then liue in griefe my selfe to banne Euen in despite and gainst my soules owne will Alas I must for I vnworthy am To bee where bides my Ladie freed from ill Am I not wretched then more then the rest To cause her death for whom I ought t' haue dide Then why should I imagine me so blest As for to looke for comfort at this tide No no I must and I deserue to finde Thousands of crosses ere I ende this life Who ill hath done deserues no vsage kinde A Sentence No gentle death but direfull sorrowes rife My hope is this that after thousand plagues A lingring death shall seaze vpon my Coarse Whilst thousand griefs throughout my vaines shall rage The more to punish him without remorse Then let none comfort or once counsell mee Since this my wound is mortall sans recure A mad man neuer will perswaded be By reason what is best for him t' endure Vnhappy I and trebble curst my state Wherein I liue a death ore desperate Thus wailed this sadde Prince continually and to say truth iust were his waylings and but rightfull his complaints considering how great his loyaltie was and yet if he loued Iustina well our Loue-sick Caualier honored her as much if not more for as he liked her for her beautie so did he as much admire her for her vertue To seeke to obtaine her in hope to carrie away that which many a Louer proposeth as a guerdon for his trauaile and paine which he hath taken hee knewe full well that it was in vaine and against his word and promise and to espouse and marrie her being altogether ignorant of her byrth and estate euery one knowing in what wretched taking he found her vpon the Sea-shore all alone hee durst not both for feare lest hee should doe iniurie vnto his house from whence he descended and also lest he should prouoke the iust displeasure of his best friendes and nighest kindred in attempting so rash an enterprise without their consent Thus was he troubled with many doubtes still running in his head not knowing what way to take or which course to resolue vpon No more then the Pilgrime who being vnskilfull in his iourney A comparison and comming to a foure crosse-path-way knoweth not which of them all rightly to chuse Meane space Loue got the aduantage of him daily yea and in that sort as in the end he became absolute maister of the Fort and chiefe Lord and Conqueror ouer the soule of the poore Gentleman In so much as hee could no longer now conceale this hidden fire any more The burning coale couered with hot cinders is more fresh ardent and full of heate then the fiery flame it selfe Very willing and faine was he to haue bewrayed his sicknesse but he knewe not to whom he being not ignorant that none could ease him of his paine but onely shee who was the cause thereof of whom he looked to reape but small or no comfort at all The day and night was all one with him for hee slept no more when the Moone gaue light then when the Sunne shined his greatest contentment being to be alwayes in the companie of his deere Mistris not remembring how the more he resorted vnto her the more his heart was inthralled and caught in the nettes of Loues pleasing seruitude and bondage The often and dutifull deuoires hee alwayes vsed to doe her seruice his stealing glaunces and pittifull lookes he cast vpon her beautious countenance and his continuall burning sighes comming like smoakie exhalations from his brest were
men and that they might imploy him as they should thinke best then would not so many wretched Louers endure such cruell torments and bitter anguish as they doe but would quickly ridde themselues from out his cruell hands But alas they can no more get from him then the poore bond-slaue can get out of his chaines except it please his Lord and maister Therfore we must not say that men can order and bridle Loue at their owne pleasures turning him to good or bad purposes as they shall thinke best when it is quite contrarie and as they say Allo reuerso he playing the vsurping tyrant ouer them In the end of your speech to make amends you tell me that this selfesame Loue maketh a perfect and an eternall league of friendship betweene Gods and men in such sort as it forceth the husband to offer his life most willingly for his wiues sake and that the wife doth the like for the conseruation of her husbands welfare As Craccus A Similie who to cōtinue his wiues life shortned his owne And as Alcesta did who offered her selfe to die for Adentus her husbands sake Yet as sharpe and strong medicines engendred much danger and feare yea and many times are much hurtfull to the bodie of man so Loue during this amitie bringeth forth many bad and vntowardly children which alter and chaunge their mindes very much and are not a little hurtfull vnto both parties as the burning Iealousie which so much galled poore Iuno long since as the whoredomes with which Venus defiled the bed of Vulcan her husband with the number of Rapes vsed by Iupiter and such like bad stuffe So as you see so many euils to proceed for one small little good But as he cannot be called a bountifull and liberall giuer indeed who presenteth and bestoweth a small trifle to purchase huge and mightie riches Euen so Loue cannot be counted neither good nor healthfull when for one onely good turne he doth he yeeldeth forth so many sufficient proofes of his wicked and bad nature In no one action doth Loue merrit commendations for he respecteth neither reason nor Iustice and such things as are voyd of those two qualities can neuer deserue honour nor cause themselues to be counted perfect he is without reason in that he regardeth neither law nor kindred friendship nor acquaintasce no good turne nor any kinde consideration else so as he may come to obtaine what he desireth One while violating and breaking the lawes of hospitalitie another while those of marriage and then those of parentage and kindred He is without Iustice because he rauisheth and taketh away by force that which is none of his owne applying the same to his owne aduantage as if it were his owne proper goods raising and procuring by these bad meanes thousands of brawles and brabbles debates and quarrels and continuall warres and battaile In steed of seemely and fitte exercises he should acquaint young men withall he oftentimes maketh them so mad and furious as they sticke not to commit rapes to offer violence and to doe all the villainies that may be thereby infringing the peace and lawes of the common-wealth Well may he be compared vnto the Snake which the husbandman carried in his bosome to warme it being nie dead for colde which afterward went about to sting him for his paines So Loue in requitall and for amends vnto vs for the honour we haue borne him and because we haue so curteously entertained him stingeth vs with furie and rage and with iniustice and miserie these being the fruites which he bringeth vs and which are as it were the precursors and fore-runners of a most wofull and wretched death which end most commonly lighteth vpon Louers for furie is the daughter of sorrow and not of pleasure which our desire doth ouermuch couet And that I alledge nothing but Truth I will prooue it most apparant and plaine by a goodly Historie which if you please to giue mee audience I will deliuer vnto you Wherevpon they were all silent when the Shephcard thus began his wofull Tragedie LOVE author of all euill the nurse of dainties delicate The strange historie and wofull ende of proude Sycambra and loyall Zersira That chuseth for to soiourne proude in Pallaces of State Who makes himselfe be honored as Father of the skies In Courts of mightiest Kings and in the heauens mongst Gods likewise As yet scarce haunted had the Plaines congeal'd with Ice and cold Nor solitary Desarts strange which snowy mountaines hold He had but little in the Woods yet vsed for to be Permitting Shepheards quietly to ioy their libertie Who not so much as thinking once on him had no more care Then their small flocks forth for to leade along the medowes faire To watch and to defend them arm'd for armed still they were From roaring Lyon howling Wolfe or from the rauenous Beare Right happie is that man that hath then this no worser foe The pleasant sweetnes of his life to make him to forgoe Happy indeed if other thought he hath not in this life This trauaile being the cause of all content and foe to strife Withouten carke and care they past their time deuoyd of feare And from the Fatall sisters sheeres exempt and freed they were As iocund and as meerrily they liu'd as day was long No mestfull griefe was intermixt their sweet discourse emong Nor were their cheekes beblubbered still with teares cominually As wretched Louers who bewaile their woes with weeping eye Withouten sighes and sorrowes sad they liu'd most blessed than Nor they their Fortunes did reuile and as accursed ban No pittious Tennor such as this their Songs or Chantings had No mournfull note came heauily forth from their brests ore-sad As Louers vse their Musique sweet and merrie warbling voyce Much like that of the Gods of Woods that each thing doth reioyce No enuious malice mongst them was no poyson at their Table No proud desire the spring-tyde of their youth made miserable Exempt from all ambitious thoughts they were whose mounting dart Piercing into the minds of men doth make them often smart Nor any other passion strange had they or did endure Then such as did an earnest care for their poore flocks procure They thought they could resist Loues force and oft did iest at him Thinking he was not able them vnder his yoake to bring And as a stubborne Rock we see the Tempests rage doth scorne Who growing angry at his pride renues afresh his storme Vntill with flashy Laghtning-claps in pieces he doth breake His flintie stones whilst to resist his furie is too weake And with a boysterous Whyrle-winds blast on sudden casts downe all So as being cleft in midst it doth in thousand pieces fall Transporting here and there apart by violence so burst A Similie And with the clap of Thunder-bolt becommeth black as dust Alongst the medowes and the fields whilst they as trembling stand To see how raging Tempests fell ore euery
steed of reward for doing good turnes and how bitter is the paine which we endure through the malice of those whome wee loue best and of whom we expect the like friendship againe The offence we receiue of our enemie is tollerable because the law permitteth reuenge in that case whereas the law of friendship forbiddeth to reuenge vs on such whom we affect for feare of their displeasures Ah my good God what fault haue I committed against my husband that he should vse mee thus despitefully Haue I as Clitemnestra defiled our Nuptiall bed Haue I as Hellena the Greeke run into the armes of a rauisher of women Or as Semiramis haue I polluted mine honour and chastitie with incestious kind of liuing Oh no I feare no such matter God that seeth the sectets of all hearts knoweth my conscience is free of any such ill What haue I then done Alas I know not Alas for what sinne am I thus seuerely punished But O sweet Lord as thou art diuine in thy miracles and terrible in thy iudgements the exemption of which commeth either soone or at last so I confesse thou now doest punish mee either for some fault of mine that is past or else for the sinnes which my forefathers haue committed against thee And yet this is some comfort vnto me that I am not the first Innocent that hath bene sore afflicted For so was Susanna so was Iob so was Ioseph and so were diuers others farre more godly then my selfe O miserable Dido and yet more happie then I am though thou wert left forsaken by forsworne Eneas for short was thy paines not long was thy griefe and sodaine was thy complaints a gentle death ending with thy life all thy sorrowes and cares together whereas I haue not the selfesame libertie to die as thou hadst an other respect holdeth my hands death being not in my power as it was in thine But now in the meane time what shall I doe whether shall I goe or what shall become of me The Sea will make mee no way to returne from whence I came and the furious rage of my husband will not suffer me to come on land Am I become some Patricide whom the lawes of man depriue of aire of earth and of water O lamentable chaunce of mine pittifull death receiue this my wretched carkasse into thy bosome there to be huried and rather sinke this vessell wherein I now abide before thou carrie me backe vnto that place wherein I haue receiued so great despite and wrong Alas mine eyes what can you see to delight you any longer when he that is most pleasing vnto you debarreth you from his louely presence To whom wilt thou my voyce speake seeing he hath closed thy mouth whose speech before was most agreeable vnto my soule And you my feete whither now will you take your coarse seeing that he who was wont to guide your steps vnto the Lodge of pleasure hath now shut the gate against you Ah gentle death if euer the wailings and lamentings of a most distressed wretch haue euer moued thee to compassion and pittie ah then let me obtaine the same at thy hands Do that which my cruell Husband ere long will put in practise making meas happie as I am now vnfortunate Thrise blessed Portia death came vnto thee to helpe thee at thy need and thou acceptedst of his helpe happie Ariadne for God tooke care of thy life made much of thee and in steed of Theseus accepted of thy companie And O luckie Olimpia though abandoned of Birannos thy forsworne Husband yet a great Prince reuenged thy wrong and tooke thee to wife where thou liuedst afterward in much ioy and delight But alas no man helpeth me none succoureth me neither doth any come to assist me in bewailing my misfortunes Who then hath euer had so strange a mishap as my selfe Ah that the spirit and Quintesence of my griefe could dissolue into teares that it might distill forth from out mine eyes and that I might die like him that hauing his vaines opened in warme water loseth both his life and blood together Or that my sorrowfull heart wearie with ouermuch sighing and sobbing would breake and burst in peeces Might I but die I would not care what kind of death I suffered so that once I were dead for no death be it neuer so monstrous is equall with the least anguish that I sustaine Degenerate knight and voyd of all remorse seeing thou meanest to entertaine all kind of cruelties whatsoeuer that haue bene found in any creature yea cuen worse then the bruite beasts themselues doe vse why doest thou not put in practise the bloodie execution of the same by cutting in twaine my throat as thou hast most irreligious cut in sunder the sacred band of Marriage which should haue bound vs still fast together Thou canst not do me a greater pleasure nor a better satisfaction canst thou make me for so many bad parts as thou hast plaide against me than to make an end of me with that hand which hath so often vowed and sworne in most solemne manner that I onely maintained his Maister aliue But I forget my selfe let God I beseech worke with me as it pleaseth his holie will for iust he is and iust are his iudgements he knoweth the hearts of euerie one and he that is most culpable of vs twaine he will I am assured in the end punish Whilst she was thus bewailing her misfortunes behold newes commeth vnto her that her husband was liuing the Citie to goe forth to the wars through which occasion she might very easilie if she pleased haue accesse and speech vnto him Which when she heard she stood long time doubtfull what to doe for as Loue perswaded her to present her selfe before him so the feare to offend him the iust disdaine for so abusing her with rage iealousie despite did disswade her from the contrarie What should she then doe she both loued feared the presence of her Husband she wonderfully desired to see him yet sore doubted lest in offring to see him she should too much moue and anger him by reason he had giuen commandement she should not as much as once presume to come into his sight But see the sudden changing of mans nature and how God oftentimes putteth men in minde of their owne good and soules health when they are approaching nigh vnto their ends to the intent they vtterly ouerthrow not themselues For Horatio who so mortallie hated his chaste and loyall wife being mounted on horse-backe to encounter with the enemie sodenly began to be touched with a secret aduertisement from God sore longing as then to see her whilst from his soule repenting him for his foule fact his conscience tolde him that the Almightie would punish him for the same as he himselfe thought he deserued no lesse marching thus forward although not with that alacritie of minde nor that braue and stout resolution as he was wont to doe but rather heauily
you go about to keep me from him whither I will or no. Nor was she deceiued of her purpose though thrise happie in that it pleased God to call her himselfe from out this vale of miserie and so by that meanes to saue her soule For no sooner was shee hindered of her intent but what for anger thereof and what for extreame griefe for Horatios death she fell into a dangerous and hote burning Feuer which so violently seazed vpon euery part of her as her weake bodie being not able to endure the fierie raging thereof shee yeelded her tormented carkas vnto death within sixe dayes after At what time shee was freed from all her former troubles and after her death she was according vnto her desire enterred with her husband leauing behinde her many commendations for her matchlesse vertues her losse being lamented of cuerie good bodie as was fufficiently showne by the pittifull laments that were euerie where vsed for her sake because of the rare examples of chastitie of patience of modest demeanure of loue and of loy altie which she carryed towards her vngratefull and vnkind Husband And this Shepheard is the historie I meant to report vnto thee but because that Diana looking palish with her siluer hornes meaneth to runne her course entering into the place of her glistering brother the Sunne wee will for this time vntill to morrow morning withdraw our selues vnto our Cortages and then as earlie as thou wilt shalt thou begin the discourse of thy Loue againe Wherevpon the olde man and Arcas began to retire themselues homewards and by the way they encountered a faire Shepheardesse who proposed a Riddle vnto another desiring him to interpret the same rightly And this was it that followeth For others good and profit I outragious still Consume what doth my proper vigor entertaine And though my burning is not vnto anie ill Where I should prais de be they vngras of all me doe name Father of liuing Creatures all I am renoumde And Lord I am ouer the Time on earth that staies Yet doth a little thing dant mee and me confound And of a Conquerour conquered forceth mee strait-waies But in the end although that I am plagued thus Through succour of the windes when all thinke I am dead I rise againe to men of times most dangerous And through my harmefull rage I fill them full of dread My mother I deuour whilst I a straunger nonrish For ill I good doe to my spightfull enemies Iudge then since Serpents in my bosome I doe cherish If I ore wretched am not in most pittious wise The other Shepheard knew not the meaning of this Riddle which the old man interpreted in this sort Your Emgma faire Shepherdesse signifieth the fire which being for the vse of man to warme him consumeth deuoureth the wood it being his mother and nourisher It is counted the Father of all liuing Creatures who without heat cannot liue Although he is of great force yet doth a very small thing vanquish him which is water Neuerthelesse when he sheweth to be dead a little blast of winde maketh him to burne more furious then before He doth good to such as count and call him vngratefull in warming them with his heate and deuoureth his mother which is the reason he tearmeth himselfe to be most miserable and wretched This solution euery one commended when as they were walking homewards one of the Shepheards sung this Ode following To Louers what good doth the Sunne If by his beames they be vndone LOVE' 's as bitter as is Rue Blest are such as nere is knew He is accurst that comes tot'h Sea Once were and in port waist haue ease To Louers what good doth their Sunne If by his beames they are vndone A fend Louer doth not â—â—ril Name nor fame of mant inberit Since he is fee to his owne health Whilst in fire he burnes himselfe To Louers what good doth their Sâ—â—â—e If by his beames they be vndone Griefe 〈◊〉 Loue tendeth nis Pleasure is his 〈…〉 Better laugh then wade and sigh Who then Loues not his owne life To Louers what good deth If by his beames Without teares no Louer is Nor his sad laments doth â—isse Better farre to liue at ease Then to seeke a shrowe to please To Louers what good If by his beames Wretched then be such as loue I le liue free nor it will proue For who 'le count of him that still Like set his wees nourish will To Louers what good doth the Sâ—â—â—e If by his beames he be vndone This Ode being sung euerie owne departed vntill the returne of mestfull Aurera leauing the Sister of Apollo to runne out her darke and gloomie course The end of the second daies meeting of Iuliettaes Shepheards THE THIRD DAIES MEETING OF IVLIETTAES SHEPHEARDS NO distance of place can hinder kind amitie no change of aire altar firme affection neither can the separation of that which is loued diuide or keepe backe the Louer from his sweet Mistris Too true noble Phillistell doest thou know this to be thou being so farre off from thy faire and sacred Iulietta and yet neuerthelesse thou liuest in her and still dreamest of her beautie whilest louing her although she be absent thou canst not forget her for that she holdeth thy heart with her as in a close prison thou in the meane time feeling and by thine owne experience finding how cruell vnto a loyall Louer the absence of his beautious Ladie is the fish not more desiring to haue water for his nourishment then he doth couet her companie it being the chiefe foode of his soule O how tedious and irkesome vnto him who attendeth and expecteth the breake of day to come hauing some great matter of importance to dispatch is the long seeming course of the vnwelcome night In all which time he is not able to take any rest looking still with open eyes to spie the rising of the faire Sunne which he ioyfully marketh at his first appearing to warme the little hills to melt the soft snow to glister and shine vpon the earth and with a solemne pace to mount vp and to settle himselfe in his glorious chariot riding in progresse through the huge giring Vault of heauen he seeth him brauely to chase away the sparkling Starres as the Conquerour doth his enemies that he hath vanquisht and beholdeth the sad and sable night to flie from his cheerfull face as the timerous thiefe doth the seuere Iudges presence whilest he listeneth vnto the melodie of thousands of pretie Birds which solemnize and celebrate in their warbling notes the arriuall of the prudent Sire of proud Phaeton Poore Philistell how often hast thou counted short daies for long yeares after that malitious Fortune had sequestred thee from the companie of thy Ladie and how many times didst thou dreame in the night that thou sawest her deuising and talking with thee in the same manner as she was wont to doe when those happie Desarts of Arcadia were true witnesses
being the ordinarie whippes with which they scourge thē for their impieties but it is themselues that are causes of their owne sorrowes because they driue away sage Reason from them who is of might sufficient to deliuer and set them free The franticke Bedlem that wilfully killeth himselfe can he dying accuse any other of his disaster or complaine of a straunger when he hath murthered himselfe No more can a fond Louer hurting himselfe be angrie with the heauens who was not the cause thereof but he himselfe And herein they resemble little children that hauing done a fault lay the blame thereof either vpon their play-fellowes or vpon something else being neuer willing to confesse that they haue done amisse Fuen so they themselues hauing felt one burning in their brests the furious fire which in the end consumeth and destroy eth them condemne the powers aboue for the same But small reason haue they so to doe for they that vse it are rather counted to be full of rage and giuen to murmure then esteemed as wise and prudent persons And yet I cannot denie but that the heauens narurally doe as it were seeme to be bound to doe vs good but the accident oftentimes corrupteth the Nature The Parent by Nature is bound to loue his child yet if his his owne flesh shall be peruerse and ill giuen becomming a mortall enemie vnto his Father this right of Nature ceaseth and he is no more bound to doe any thing for him no more than for a straunger There is a iust law grounded vpon this reason which permitteth the Father being iustly offended with his Sonne to dishinherit him of his lands this being the very same punishment that the children of Sophocles suffered for that they most maliciously accused their Father to dote for age and to be out of his right wits onely because they would haue depriued him of his possessions and goods Brutus likewise stucke not to prosecute the death of his too forward sonne most cruellie and with great disgrace also because he had done as well against the Common-wealth as contrarie vnto his owne command So therefore although the heauens I speake all this against my selfe as well as thee Coribant for that I am as wretched a Louer as thy selfe art in euerie degree be our common Father and for that cause is naturally bound to doe vs good yet notwithstanding is he not bound to shewe vs this kindnesse if we shall gricuously and willingly offend him as the Accidence of the offence shall be more violent and strong then the naturall Right is which by reason of this quite ouerthroweth the other For as water quencheth the fire and maketh it cold as any Ice which by nature is hote burning and full of heate So the discourtesies and iniuries which we offer vnto such as by Nature were prouided to be our protectors and defenders drowne and extinguish all their deuoire and Right altering their good mindes from vs quite contrarie vnto that it was at the first A man that is by kinde borne vicious and bad and such a one as bringeth forth of the wombe of his mother wickednesse with him into the worlde may per Accidence through good education and bringing vp become vertuous and wise Euenso the Accident of iniuries and displeasures may chaunge and alter the curteous inclination of a kinde friend sowring and sharpning the same against vs as the Lees and dregs doe the sweetest wine And this mischiefe falling vpon our heads wee cannot condemne anie for it but our owne selues who are the chiefe and efficient cause thereof And therefore we are much in the wrong to lay the blame on him whom through our owne meere follie we haue made him our soe although he be slow and slacke to helpe vs we being falne into miserie although before he by nature was bound to lend vnto vs his helping hand and to assist vs in what he could certainely if we were well and godly giuen and without prouoking or tempting the Eternall Power aboue would we but confirme our selues in all our actions according vnto his desire keeping vs with the bonds of his commandements there is no doubt but he would aide vs hearing vs when we should call vnto him and would nor sticke to raine downe Manna as he did for the children of Israel nourishing vs in the wildest Desarts that be But what law can force or constraine him to shew vs this mercie when we shew our selues to be his mortall enemies going about to increase his wrath euerie houre against vs. But say that he were willing and readie as we are most vnworthie thereof to helpe vs and that it would please him to haue this pittifull and fauourable regard ouer vs yet may you be well assured he would neuer take any charge nor euer make any account of Louers for their griefes is not numbred amongst the plagues of other miscrable creatures the second cause whereof the heauens oftentimes are our sinnes being the first Loue being seene to be but a verie meere follie and therefore neuer moueth the heauens with compassion to heale them A great and grose error therefore it is amongst Louers to imagine that the heauens are the Authors of their paine but a farre greater fault is it in them to require their aide and assistance for Loue is not any kind of contagious disease causing men to die cutting off one after another and for that cause hath reason to implore the heauens for aide to helpe them as they doe when any great mortalitie or plague rageth amongst them but it is a sickenes that continueth still without dying with which onely sensuall persons and sooles and none else are infected This is the reason that we haue neuer knowne any Louers to haue bene cured through miracle whereas we find written in diuers learned bookes that the bodies of many men being dead haue bene restored to life againe and that many haue bene cured of incurable discases onely this vaine sicknes is vnworthie of remedie and reliefe because it proceedeth not neither through the anger of the heauens nor by reason of the contagion of other diseases but onely through our owne foolishnes Now as that amitie cannot be firme and strong betweene man and woman where they answere not one another in desires and affection although naturally they are bound to loue one another euen so the heauens cannot be accused of crueltie in not scourging mortall creatures if the cause which should drawe them vnto this charitable endeuour be taken away from them Let vs then no more exclaime against the Celestiall Power aboue but let vs thanke our owne selues that we deserue no better of him our sinnes being the cause he giueth vs ouer As the fellon cannot blame the Iudge that condemneth him to death nor accuse him of ouermuch seueritie in that he dieth but rather his owne bad liuing that brought him vnto so vntimely an end for he is not to be thought ill of who doth rightly
heare any tidings either of that treacherous villaine or of his wife In the end he lighteth vpon a great thicke gloomie Forrest through which as he rode he found a dead carkasse of a man and a woman lying by him being in little better case then he was But leauing Leander and his companions seeking their aduenture we will come vnto wofull Cynthia his wife and when fit time shall serue we will discouer who was that creature dead and who that woman being almost in as bad a taking as he vpon whom Loander so strongly hapned Cynthia being carried away from her husband so sodenly and by such barbarous treacherie was for a great while as one in a traunce hardly comming vnto her selfe againe And certainlie I thinke that if women were subiect by nature to die for sorrow then no doubt but she had died for neuer was there woman in this world more sad or heauie than she was no not Niobe Hecuba Oenone Porcia Cornelia nor any other Ladie were she neuer so ouerwhelmed with miseries But this kinde of death seldome or neuer is incident vnto the Female kinde as that of sodaine ioy is Long lay she in this Extasie or sound and long was she before she recouered her right sences againe and so much was she astonisht in her minde with the same as the passage of her speech was kept close and shut from her yet at the last her vitall spirits recouered force within her and her tongue had libertie to speake But alas she could not as much as pronounce one word neither was she able once to open her mouth so wofully did she weepe and so pittâ—fully did she sob and sigh Diuers sorts of colours and that in great number must a cunning Painter haue to draw a faire and great Picture Euen so thousands of teares and millions of sighes had this wretched Gentlewoman need of if she meant liuely to set forth and bewaile her Disaster at the fall For neuer was any Ladies sorrowes to be compared vnto hers Hellena was rauished but with her owne consent Neither did her rauishment bereaue her husbands life as hers did Penelope was dailie and hourely sollicited and importuned by a number of tedious and impudent suters but yet she was suffered to liue chastly and to attend the returne of her Vlisses Hecuba after shee had seene her husband murthered and all her sonnes slaine was led away as a captiue or slaue into Greece and yet had shee more reason to haue borne with patience these her misfortunes though in a higher degree of miserie rather then Cynthia in hers For Hecubas mischaunces proceeded from her enemies to whom the law of Nations giueth leaue to doe what mischiefe they can whereas haplesse Cymhias vnhappines came from him whome she esteemed as the dearest and most faithfull friend her Husband had Lucrctia for losse of chastitie slewe her owne selfe but her death was the death of her aduersarie and the life and libertie of all her Romane Citizens And theresore no woman can be said to haue bene more wretched then hopelesse Cynthia for she saw her Leander murthered as she thought whilst she remained as prisoner in the power of him that was his bloodie Butcher looking euerie houre to be forced of her honour and good name Infinit were the occasions that she had to complaine and the reasons without number that compelled her to exclaime against the most partiall Destinies For what could she loose more pretious and deare then her sweet Spouse whom she esteemed more then her honor and her owne life Needs therefore must her complaints be greeuous and her lamentings heauie and bitter as one that dispaired of all comfort to come Ah woe is me cried shee out why was I borne and why did my mother bring me into this world since there is no person liuing so vnfortunate as I am for I doe not count those miserable who haue liberty to shorten their owne dayes by death but onely such as faine would die and yet cannot Is it possible that one should be borne vnder so hard a Planet as not to be able to die when most fainest he would O how great is that euill when it forceth vs to require ayde of the Fatall sisters to ridde vs of the same whom men detest and loath as their mortall enemies And yet can none but they relieue and ease such wretched creatures The healthie man whilst he is well loatheth and abhorreth to take or taste anie potion or medicine but when he is sicke he is glad and faine to swallowe it downe be it neuer so bitter and sower So we whilst we liue merilie and at harts ease we contemne death but when our griefes are so great as wee are not able to endure them then we account our selues as happie to haue him O God is it possible for me to be able in words to deliuer my losses for my sighes to deplore them for mine eyes to bewaile them or for my heart to be of force to endure them If the losse of paltrie goods maketh men outragious in their passions and if the death of our kinsfolks or friends be sufficient to engender afflictions in vs how much more then haue I cause of insupportable sorrowes Alas I haue lost my kinde husband but am I able to say so and not my soule to flie forth of this miserable bodie or is my condition so miserable that I may say I haue lost him indeed No no I will neuer belieue it rather will I die then perswade my selfe of any such vnwelcome matter vnto me But say I die yet haue I lost him yea I haue lost him and onely through mine occation I haue bene the homicide of my husband and I alone haue slaine him but why then alacke doeth not the rigour of the Lawe passe vpon mee which condemneth such murtherers vnto death Was it not enough for mee to be brought into the most wretchedst estate of all others to be depriued of my deare Leander but that I must be the cause of his vtter ouerthrow also Damned and accursed Beautie how wise was that young Romane Gentleman Spurius who most cruelly mangled and defaced his louely face because hee would haue none to like him And so thrice happie had I bene if I had spoyled and made foule this my wicked countenance which was the first motiue of all these euils and mischiefes following O faire soule of my deare Spouse and Bedfellow great reason hast thou now to complaine of mee iust are thy accusations and most right thy greeuances against me yet since the Gods are appeased with the sacrifices of men I hope that my life shall be a sufficient satisfaction for the offence I haue done vnto thee Thou liuest in the heauens where nothing is hid from thee and seeing thou knowest all things thou needest not to doubt of mine innocencie herein But what is this vnto thee seeing now thou liuest no more and that thou art cut off before thy
so to doe for this onely good in that he hath procured mankinde to be borne maister of all other creatures and giuen him a soule immortall in felicitie For if the enemies of men be punished and if sometimes the Ancients ordained equall paine for one Ingrate as for a murtherer Surely the man ingrate towards Almightie God that acknowledgeth not so many blessings and graces from him ought to suffer much as worthie of most grieuous punishment Thus sayd the Shepheard to himselfe and had further discoursed vpon this subiect but that a sudden storme of raine made him runne out to goe stand vnder a thick Rock the toppe whereof saue garded him from the iniuries of heauen And being there aboue he heard a voyce which vttered this which followeth Blessed be they which are either perfectly happie without euer hauing felt griefe or altogether miserable hauing neuer made tryall of any contentment For he which suddainly cōmeth out of the Stoue findeth the aire colder then he who hauing neuer bene within hath alwayes stood without doore In like māner those which neuer felt any good during their life endure nothing so much as they which haue bin happie are afterwards becom miserable For if white maketh vs better to know and discerne black in like sort good maketh the griefe which ensueth more cruell intollerable the remēbrance of which losse terribly tormenteth our soules It greeueth not one so much to goe without cloathes who ordinarily goeth naked as well in winter as Sūmer but it would be a cumbersome hard matter for him who hath bin well and warmly clad to be stripped thrust into his shirt and forced to go all bare In like manner the miserable that haue knowne nothing but griefe are not so greatly oppressed with paine as they who haue sometimes tasted of felicitie whereof at the same instant they finde themselues depriued More cruell was king Perceus his change who of a puissant king became miserable a seruant slaue and laughing-stocke of Fortune then if hee had neuer knowne any such greatnes remaining as a priuate simple man and without a Diademe Of the selfe same now speake I by experience for more cruell at this day doe I feele the griefe to see my selfe absented depriued of my deare Diana thē if I had neuer seen her or that she had not pleased mine eies as she hath done Alas Can it be that I should remaine without her or that my soule may continue in my body being depriued of her faire and shining countenance If the bodie cannot moue without the soule Oh how can mine liue enioying no more that Sun which caused it both to liue and moue Oh my Diana in what part soeuer thou glaūcest forth thy beautifull and celestiall rayes let the heauens be alwayes fauourable vnto thee in recompence of the good thou hast done me in suffering me to behold thy countenance Farre frō thy yeares dayes let pale death flie all discontentment absent it selfe from thy soule all vexation griefe auoyd thy hart let sadnes be banished from thence to conclude let no feeling of griefe euer touch thee liuing let heauē alwaies make thy beauty durable thy chast vertue immortall thy sacred fidelitie power eternall and thy excellent glorie endles Alas if the heauens preserue thy noble perfections who vnder the Sun shall liue more perfect or happy thē thy selfe for none can equall thee in these worthie vertues vertues alas which augment misfortunes make my complaints more bitter For he hath greater cause to complain that hath lost much then he that hath endured the losse but of a small matter I haue lost thy diuine presence which only chased and droue away my obscure nights now I wander in darknes in night in horror vexation I haue lost my Sun my dayes are turned into nights Alas but haue I not likewise lost my miserable life Alas my Goddesse if thou wouldest if thou wouldest I say take my soule as thine owne retaine it with thee why takest not thou in like manner my life causing him to die which cannot liue remoued frō thy light but I must scoure both sea land to find thee out I will flie neither paine danger nor labor to see thee yet once more before death reap my sad wretched daies And then in all repose contentmēt pleasure I will yeeld this miserable carkasse to the earth shaken quashed with so many hitter griefes euen broken as it were in pieces with a thousand martyrdoms During these daies replenished with obscurity dyed in lamentation darknes In that I shall not behold thy beautifull diuine countenance my teares like streams shall poure out frō my blubbered eyes sighes shall come forth euen from my soule sad wailing mourning frō my hart No apprehension of pleasure shall dwel within me no apparāce of life to signe of pleasing delights nor any note of health Miserable will I alwaies remaine no ioyfull accident no chāge of fortune or new forme of life can administer the least consolation to my soule voyd of pleasure ioy of all good and contentment I will sigh continually while destinie moued at my long complaints together with my life cut off my teares troubles Thus spake this wretched Shepherd wretched surely miserable who neuer felt so much as one smiling glaunce of fortune miserable certainly in that he was borne to suffer neuer knew what ioy meant yet more wretched in hauing spent his years emploied his whole life offered his dayes and yeelded his time to seruice of many who permitted pouertie to swallow vp his years and manage and ouermaister his life And though he were peerles in miserie and that his state of life was onely swayed by misfortunes which held him caytif notwithstāding cruel enuie which biteth all things though they be incorporeall ceased not to make a thousand malicious iealous of that little cōmendation which his dolorous Muse acquired to his years In all cōsiderations therfore he was most wretched aboue all others But that which gaue the greatest blow and that made his griefe insupportable and fell was the absence and losse of his Diana The remembrance wherof was sufficient to forget choak quite extinguish all the mortall pleasures he could haue tasted of in this world Euery one maketh his chiefe felicity of that he best liketh things which are sometimes held for happy cōmodious of mortall men are in contēpt with those who haue placed their soueraigne good in some other matter as Louers flout at riches treasures Empires and kingdomes which mortall men propound vnto themselues for the good of their contentmēt vpon which they build their most pleasure and delight But the onely presence of their Ladies is their chiefest good for their soules be more ioyfull in beholding of them then are the eyes of a couetous mizer when they take pleasure in contemplation of the goods riches
Louers out of the mouth of certaine enchaunted Rocks Thus then he began vnto whom an Ecco replied in this sort Hard Rocks Rocks cruell insolent by nature and â—b dure Will you no pittie take on me for torments I endure Is no compassion in you lodg'd can nothing be offorce Yet at the last though long to rew and yeeld me some remorce Ah of my plagues cannot blaine that they may cured be At lest yet daine at my sad cries with voice to answere me Ah speake and say the truth shall I be freed once of this paine Or must I still endure therein and languishing remaine ECCO Languishing re maine Ah say alas must this my paine as thou assurd'st me hast Immortall be continuing still and must it alwates last ECCO Alwaies last What comfort then may succour me who scarcely draw my breath What may my dying soule reuiue which is so nigh to death ECCO Death Shall I then liue in sorrow thus my life away that weares And sighing shall I nothing doe but powre forth watrie teares ECCO Watrie teares But sighing thus i st possible my more than mortall ill Which makes me peanemeale pine away should thus continue still ECCO Still Continuing in my passions thus opprest with torments rife What other things will they take hence will they take hence my life ECCO Life To end my woes in this sad plight an end how might I haue Shall I finde my reliefe by Loue or when I am in graue ECCO In Graue But after millions of these woes being burnt with Loues hot Fewell For to requite my paines how shall I finde my Mistris cruell ECCO Cruell Why then I see no pittie she willford me for my griefe And since t is so I le yeeld my selfe to death without reliefe With one selfe bloodie instrument and with one selfesame blade My wounded corpse shall healed be my soude be well apaide Since onely death and none but death some can comfort giue What should me hinder haplesse that I should longer liue I I will die yea I will die and will a minde imbrace To massacre that wretched state that followeth me in chase Well may you reuerend Sir imagine if this aunswere was pleasing vnto me or delightfull vnto him especially when he heard the Gods of the Forrests to be so contrarie vnto him in all his desires Which was the cause that the poore Shepheard lying groueling vpon the ground and bedeawing the greene grasse with his drerie teares began to moane thus heauily O death wilt thou be still dease vnto my cries and wilt thou neuer heare me I calling so often and so much vpon thee Hast thou not had time enough to rid me of my troubles and wilt thou still thus driue me off with delaies continually Thinkest thou he can liue who pineth away piecemeale whilest he is fettered with worse than Iton manatles in the ioy lesse dungeon of vnmercifull Loue No he cannot for he liueth not at all but rather miserably consumeth away who seeth himselfe not onely depriued of his desire but also is quite debarred of all hope euer to obtaine the same Ah deare Loue if euer thou heretofore hast loued empoysoning thine owne soule with thine owne proper venome and if thy Mother likewise hath often plaid the selfesame part why then doest not thou take pittie vpon those who haue endured the same Martyrdome and since thou knowest their disease by thine owne experience why doest thou so long defer to bring them remedies for the same Well cruell Cupid well I see thou art blind indeed nor hast thou any regard at all to helpe me The better thou art attended on the worse thou shewest thy selfe as one who by nature is borne to doe hurt but not good vnto any Woe is me I liue without hope of any helpe more disconsolate than that Pilot who though he saileth in a thicke and gloomie storme yet doth he hope the same being past to see the Sunne shine againe trusting in the end safely to arriue within the wished Hauen But in my darke tempest and in my stinging corsiues and bitter crosses I see no hope of any signe of comfort to shine or smile vpon me Eternall is my shipwracke and my trauaile is without all end O faire Diana although thou art vnkind vnto me yet doe I take no small pride to call my selfe thy slaue for nothing can come neere thee in beautie neither can I belieue that the heauens theÌ„selues can create a beautie able to paragonise thine Happie is that Bull that is chosen to be offered vp as an oblation or sacrifice vnto the Gods although his blood be there shed and so most fortunate should I account my selfe 〈◊〉 for thy sake I might be thought worthy to finish my daies seeing that for thee I should suffer death and be sactificed by Loue vpon the Altar of thine extreame rigor and fiercenes Thus wailed the Shepheard his eies sending downe whole streames of salt teares which watered his face and cheekes all ouer I seeing this came neerer vnto him and whilest he not perceiuing me I began to marke behold his countenance which I saw quite colourlesse and the very Anatomie of an inward afflicted minde whereby I gathered that he had found no more fauour then I had at his Mistris hands neither that his fortune was any way better then mine This was the reason my second doubt died but not my first which still increased more and more because I sawe she was sued and sought vnto by many although I could not find any to be more in her bookes then I was which God knoweth was little or nothing at all As I was thinking hereupon a suddaine desire came into my minde to returne vnto the place from whence I came and there attend my fairest Saint for me thought still she should be come thither alreadie and that she not finding me there was gone home againe iudging my Loue not to be ouerhot seeing I had so small patience to stay a little for her Being come to mine old place as fast as I could I began there to condemne mine owne follie in that I would not take time whilest I might but rather so foolishly loose so fitan occasion as I had offered vnto me and this new accident ingendred another trouble in me Loue is an Orchard wherein are planted thousands of Trees in which Louers walke gathering continually diuers sorts of fruits of griefe and sorrow and it is a liuely spring of miserie from whence doe flow millions of little Riuers of pensiue care and sad woe Long had I not kept my stand but that one of the Nymphs came by who was one of the play-fellowes of my Ladie of whom I enquired if Diana were comming from the Temple or no. Offentimes the ouer great curiousnes we haue to vnderstand newes bringeth vs much dollor and sadnes As then I found the same to be true for the Nymph told me that Diana would stay all that night in the Temple and
first seeketh to take away that which the Gods themselues are not able to render backe againe whereas the other bereaueth vs but of life onely which is subiect vnto death continually Wretched are those persons that doe ill and yet reape no commoditie thereby for what good commeth vnto the backbiter by speaking ill of anie but onely that in the ende hee himselfe is hated of euery bodie Play not thou this part neither stumble thou into this foule ditch especially doe not blame her whome thou makest a shewe to loue so much But thy speeches discouer sufficiently enough what thy affection is for if thou hadst supposed mee to be such a one I cannot beleue that euer thou couldest haue loued mee because commonly wee ought to hate vice and respect and preferre vertue For such as make the world beleeue that they beare affection vnto foolish women doe not loue them indeed but onely seeke to enioy part of those pleasures as they participate vnto others So as it is impossible that a vertuous and a constant Loue can haue any other foundation then Vertue it selfe Therefore it is but meere follie for thee to make me belieue hereafter through thy fained teares and dissembling speeches that thou louest mee For is it likely that one can loue an other whom hee himselfe blameth and whom hee thinketh worthie of reprehension and shame If thou hast loued mee for my Vertue which thou imaginest I haue now lost for what wilt thou loue me hereafter The cause being taken away the effect dieth and the foundation of a Building being ruinated the house whereon it standeth must needs fall because nothing can be without his cause or subiect If the cause ceaseth in mee which was the motiue of thy Loue then needes thy former affection must cease likewise And therefore I pray thee make me belieue no more that thou bearest any good liking vnto me for I neuer can nor will giue credit vnto thee nor will belieue therein Or if thou did dest loue me then I must needs thinke thou didst it to betray me and so to corrupt mine honor I say therefore that so farre off is thy loue from being Amitie as rather quite contrarie â— esteeme it to be deadly hatred and most furious rage So as these bad conditions being in thee I can haue no occasion to loue thee but rather haue more reason to loath and detest thee as the most mortall aduersary that I haue vnto that thing which is far dearer vnto me then is my dearest life that is my pretious honour Thus said the Chollorike Diana and to confesse but truth she had good reason so to say For there is no guilelesse soule that without being somewhat moued can heare herselfe ill spoken off neither can the most vertuous person that is endure to be falslie slaundered but that he must needs growe a little in Choller As that child who being already forth of the Schoole doore thinking he is alreadie in the fields and that hee is playing amongst his companions abroad looketh very sadly and is wonderfully amazed when vpon the suddaine his Tutor taketh him by the chollar of his doublet and bringeth him againe correcting him with the rodde for his ouerbold and foolish hardines Euen so found I my selfe to be confounded with silent heauines and being wonderfully afflicted with inward anguish and sorrow Great is that Corsie and sharpe which a man feeleth when through ouermuch headdie rashnes he offen deth that thing which hee esteemeth most of all in this world Euen so vnsupportable is that griefe when a man falsly accuseth his friend whose credit he would seeke to preferre before his owne dearest hart blood Ah why then did not the earth open to swallow mee vp and why at that time did not the Sunne obscure it selfe as when he was three daies without appearing abroad disdaining to behold so horrible a crueltie of an vnnaturall father committed by him against his owne young and prettie children These speeches of mine innocent Lady iustly incensed against mee was as a poysoned darte piercing quite through my poore soule A chilly cold ranne through all my bones a deepe despite against my selfe seized vpon my veines and my voyce lay as if iâ— had bene stopped within the pallate of my mouth my colour looked as dead Ashes my tongue remained dumbe and my mouelesse eies were closed bowing downe toward the earth As then no other answere could I giue vnto my Mistris then salt teares trickling downe along my cheekes whilst from my breast as from a Furnace issued forth great store of scalding sighes O how happie had I beene at that time if some one courteous God or other would haue transformed me into some rocke some stone or else into some Tree Neuerthelesse although I spake not all well might she gather that my exceeding griefe was the cause thereof It is an old saide Sawe One mischiefe neuer commeth alone but that it hath an other attending vppon it And so by misfortune it happened vnto mee For my new companion in Loue of whom long since I told you commeth in amongst vs who hauing more witte in his head then I in stead of blaming my Ladie most wrongfullie as I very foolishly had done presented her with these Verses following The heauens for honours theirs thee faire haue made The heauens for my mishap mee kinde haue framde Ioue for his praise infanted Vertue thine Gods heauen and earth reape honour through thy glorie I onely am accurst but victorie T' is to wage Combat with a Deitie I loue that sweet band which enchaines my soule Liuing I burne yet honour I thee flame Loe how rich Beautie can vsurpe ore mâ—e Medusa like my Nature thou dost channge But hee his Time spends not but gaineth honor Who branely fights vnder a Goddesse Banner O happie I when I thy face behold More rare and perfect than was Venus faire When I thine Eyes see shining like two Starres Gazing I die whilst death brings life to mee He happie dieth that his best life doth end In loyall seruice of his beautious friend More happie I my selfe iudge so to die Than Adon liu'd whilst hee the daintie Corpse Of Venus ioyde who wailde his death most sadde Hee blessed was but I celestiall Since Fortune mine with his may well compare And beare away the prize for ouer-Faire Beautious if onely for to see thy stainelesse Feature More happie t' is than Gods by many wayes What should I be wouldst thou to loue mee dame But so great good vnworthie I to haue The Gods would iealous grow that one poore wretch Ingratious fauor boue themselues should stretch Yet in despite of them my ioyfull life Liueth in contemplation of thy Thewes Whilst they like rolling Spheares the Skies adorne Happie that Lambe offered in Sacrifice To burne vpon thy Aultars Grace to gaine Whose Tombe and Ashes winnes vnto him Fame Most gratiously did shee accept of this Present and the rather because shee would anger me
detestable kind of liuing But what is good and well done that quickly is forgotten not any as much as once reporting the same because such as be ill giuen will neuer commend any except it be much against their minde Feare not then to speake so thou speake well for so shalt thou please the best kind of people and displease none but such as are the worst for the fruit of a good tree is more commended then that which is bad Speake then man and say one thing or another otherwise I shall imagine that either disdaine doth shut vp thy voice or else that hatred hindereth thee from speaking As that Souldiour is not a little ioyfull when being readie to haue his head strucken off by the enemie whose prisoner he is he seeth his friends arriued and come to his aide whereby he is rid from all danger Euen so not a little pleasant was I when I hard so sweete a heauenly sound proceeding from so faire an Angell which was of such power as it reuiued all my dying sences in me it banished away all feare from me it put new hope into me and brought my former fresh colour into my cheekes againe Whereupon I did prostrate my selfe in most humble wise before the feete of my Ladie for well did she deserue a greater reuerence at my hands but she not willing I should doe so tooke me vp by the hand by that blessed hand I say which chased all dispaire from me Whereupon I thus returned condigne thankes vnto him Can you most beautious Saint raise and reuiue him who hath deserued so much vengeance at your hands and can you haue pittie vpon his bodie who would not take no compassion vpon your honour No Ladie no rather let him die as one vnworthie to receiue from you the least fauour in the world why should you vouchsafe to looke vpon him with those heauenly eyes of yours not worthie of so great a grace keepe those sweet and chaste glaunces for him who shall deserue them better then my selfe who merrit not to see so much as the vsuall light of the heauen Am I he beautious Nymph that haue so much abused thee if so why then shouldest thou vouchsafe me to approach thy wonderous presence Although thou of thy kind nature shalt forget this foule fault of mine yet shall mine owne plaine nurture and bringing vp teach me not to forgiue the same for mine owne hand shall punish both my tongue and heart the one for speaking ill of thee and the other for conceiuing a sinister opinion against thee Arcas shall neuer surfer Arcas to goe scotfree he hauing so hainously sinned against his sacred Saint Trouble me not then in mine owne busines but let me execute what I haue alreadie determined to doe onely I would entreate this Boone that it would please you to pardon my rash crime before I die for neuer did I willingly offend thee onely I was too too credulous and ouer-light of beliefe Too much credit did I giue vnto that which one of thy companions reported vnto me I thinking simplie thou mightest full well count thy selfe happie to be beloued of so great a God but too sacred is thy vertue too modest thine honour to be ouercome with any power of the Gods Pardon then this foolish conceit of mine which I will wash cleare with the dearest blood I haue I thinking my selfe not a little happie in that I haue had the fortune to see thee before my death and to haue acknowledged before thee my more then grosse ignorance and vaine follie With great contentment shall I die seeing I haue had the leisure to haue bewraied the secrets of my soule shewed how far I was fro doing thee any willing iniurie Besides I beseech thee by thy vnspotted chastitie to thinke that no ancient Loue heretofore is to be compared vnto that which wretched Arcas hath borne thee Neuer could any faithfull affection equall his no more then any beautious feature liuing may be compared vnto thine Then pardon once more I beg of thee thy most wretched slaue that he dying may not die in the disgrace of his Mistris I cannot denie but that I haue erred but yet not so much of my selfe as by reason of another nothing so much grieuing me as that I had so sinister an opinion of thy matchlesse vertue and therefore for this fault onely will I adiudge my selfe to die Happie is he that dieth in thy seruice and for thy sake yea more happie then Piramus that slew himselfe for his deare Thisbes for he cannot finde fault with his death that looseth his life for a rare and worthy Subiect The guiltie person being drawne vnto the place of execution is pardoned of the partie who causeth him to die contenting himselfe with his death as a sufficient sat is faction for the fault he hath committed Euen so let me intreate thee to discharge me a Culpa though not a Pena to the end my death may expiate the horriblenes of the offence and that I may with ioy descend into the Elizian fields amongst those blessed shadowes Graunt me then this my last request otherewise more wretched shall be my death then that of good old Priamus who sawe his owne children massacred before his owne face More would I haue said but that curteous Diana interrupted me in my speech who being more mercifull then Iustice it selfe thus replied No Shepheard no I neuer will yeeld vnto thy request because I will not haue thee die The Gods although they be mightie and immortall yet doe they not demaund of such men as haue offended them to haue their liues in satisfaction of their fault but are contented with some lesser punishment and doest thou thinke that I am more cruell then they If so thou doest me wrong Liue then I say and talke no more of death I pardon thee of thy fault perswading my selfe that it was thy ouer rash beliefe and not thy minde which did commit so grose an ouersight Be merrie then and assure thy selfe that Diana was neuer cruell but rather that she is as courteous as she hath and will be chaste Take heede onely that thou hereafter doe not so offend againe and let the danger from which thou hast now escaped make thee more wise against an other time For sometimes an offence standeth in some good steed when through remembrance of the same it maketh others to be more warie and better aduised As that Shepheard is ioyfull who hath chased away the Wolfe bringing backe againe his sheepe safe and aliue which the deuouring beast was carrying away Euen so was I pleased and satisfied at full with this her kinde counsaile And yet notwithstanding the going away of my faire Diana did somewhat abate the sweetnesse thereof for shee presently left mee eyther because shee would not haue the other Nymphes knowe that she had pardoned mee who were hard at hand or because shee would not as then heare my answere as if she looked
vertuous liuing to be made partakers of that immortall glorie which followeth well dooing the sweetnesse of which the very Painims themselues found in former time For how famous is Hercules become in the world onely for dooing well and for putting in practise many notable and braue enterprises Where if he had done otherwise blacke shame and perpetuall infamie had for euer attended vpon him Thus did the melancholike Shepheard discourse vnto himselfe walking faire and softly towards the Caue whilst as he went onwards on his way hee might heare the melodious harmonie of diuers sortes of Birds to welcome the rising of the Sunne which although they troubled him somewhat considering his former deepe conceits yet no doubt hee tooke delight at the same if it be possible for wretched Louers to take anie pleasure when they are exiled from the presence of their beaution Ladies as I feare me they doe not Besides hee might behold a number of louely Flowers to shewe their vermillion faces at the first appearance of this glorious Lampe all which were causes to comfort himselfe This iourney being no more weary vnto him then it is vnto such Trauellers who when they walke abroad deuise of such things onely as may inuite them to solace and ioy whilst he thought the heauens had changed their nature willing to yeeld him some recteation and contentment considering the great number of afflictions that hee had suffered before But he was not long of this opinion but that hee quickly chaunged his minde finding it to be quite contrarie assoone as LOVE awaked him out of this pleasant dreame and when he once bethought him of the absence of his froward Mistris Hee that is troubled with a burning Feuer hath manie daungerous fittes One while hee is vexed with a hote sweate and another while with a colde One day it leaueth him and an other day it seazeth vpon him againe So that still the strength of the disease doeth dominiere ouer his bodie Euen so this our wretched Swaine falleth a fresh into the Sea of his sorrowes suffering shipwracke oftentimes in this Charibdis of his deepe griefes all which proceeded through the want of his Dianas companie And had it not bene but that hee had heard the sound of a straunge voyce that droue away this sadde thought from him hee had bene farre more oppressed with heauie passions then before But hee with an attentiue eare hearing this Song sung not farre off from him tooke a Truce for a while with his dolefull wailings and listened well vnto the same as followeth What but pale Death can serue as remedie To ease my more then cruell paine The Pilot that safe in the Hauen doth lie To feare the Seas tempestuous rage doth shame She happie is that in this wretched earth Can ridde be from all woes through gentle death But shee that cannot die liuing displeasde Forc't without aide for to endure her smart Can no way haue her endlesse torments easde But by her cries and sighes sent forth from heart But who can make a Sauadge minde ore-wilde For to become calms pittifull and milde The Mother faire of Cupid's blinded Boy Could not her Corpse from soule see separate Yet for Adonis shee was full of noy Seeing him slaine by too vntimely Fate Immortall powers though freed from Death they bee Yet being grieu'd they mourne as well as wee Apollo that same faithfull Louer true When he sawe Daphne metamorphosed Died not yet he her chaunce long time did rewe For Loue makes Gods to waile and teares to shed Death endeth euery amorous mortall warre Yet in such wise to die they happie are I am a Nymph therefore as Phoebus was From death exempt so am I yet am bound My time and yeares in sighes and groanes to passe Whilst ouermuch I gainst my selfe am found To honour him who is my deadliest fee But where Loue is there euer bideth woe Yet doth that cruell wretch who me doth scorne Not altogether liue withouten griefe Though for my loue to waile he was not borne Whilst my hope 's vaine and his without reliefe A Loyall Louer right is neuer seene Well of two Ladies at one time to deeme Thus doe the heauens reuengement for me take And yet alas this doth increase my cares For me his torments worser farre doe make And I am ill because not well he feares She that loues faithfull maketh farre more mons For her friends hard mishap then for her owne A beautie more then earthly sacred right The Subiect's of my euerlasting dule Whilst I confesse I like a mortall wight And yet the heauens who all our actions rule Nothing more perfect then the same ere sawe The bad as well as good to fancie doth vs drawe Arcas presently knew by the voice that it was the mestfull Orythia and fearing least her importunate praiers might make him to giue ouer his former determination he left her turning by another way vnto the Rocke In the meane time the Nymph perceiuing him to flie from her presence crieth out vpon him exclaiming against his stubborne minde calling him vngratefull and vnkinde Where we will leaue her as now cursing her hard fortune and come againe vnto Arcas who being entered into the stonie Caue and the old man not as yet arriued there began afresh to muse vpon the sweet graces of his Mistris swimming with great delight in the Seas of her perfections and not a little wondering how it were possible that one creature alone should be possessed of so many fauours as she was and yet knoweth he not well whether he dreameth or waketh whilest he standing thus in a browne studie his tongue is silent his eyes shut his bodie mouelesse and his soule as it were in a traunce Now if he was so much rauished in the onely contemptation of his Ladie in what a taking had he bene then if he had bene before the true presence and liuely face of her indeed when the onely bare conceit thereof had so great power ouer him He deuiseth within his heart of the beauties of her and with a dumb pen writeth them downe in the of role of his remembrance One while he thinketh he beholdeth those faire long and flaxen haires she combining them with a fine combe of Iuorie and curling them in knots making the heauens themselues to blush for very shame thereat although they haue bene in steed of strong cordes wherewith his libertie was bound yet had he not the power to hate them but rather honoured and adored them imagining that Venus her selfe neuer ware any so goodly and that not any Goddesse whatsoeuer she were could haue the like these Louers being of this humour that there is no other deities but their Ladies Another while he is busie looking vpon her faire forhead the right tipe of Maicstie perswading himselfe that Iupiter although he be Soueraigne ouer all the Gods had neuer one so stately whilest he marketh how it is large and without wrinkle as being the enemie of all