not let this worship fall Although they leese their honours all Our Moab Cozbies cast no feare To let in view of euery eye Their gainelesse games they holde so deere They follow must although they dye For why the sword that Phineas wore Is broken now and cuts no more My tender Muse that neuer try'd Her ioynted wings till present time At first the perelesse bird espy'd That mounts aloft deuoide of crime Though high she sore yet will I trie Where I her passage can discry Her high conceites her constant minde Her sober talke her stout denies Her chast aduise here shall you find Her fierce assaults her milde replies Her dayly fight with great and small Yet constant vertue conquers all The first that saies to plucke the Rose That scarce appear'd without the bud With Gorgeous shewes of Golden glose To sow the seeds that were not good Suppose it were some noble man That tride her thus and thus began The first triall of AVISA before she was married by a Noble man vnder which is represented a warning to all young maids of euery degree that they beware of the alluring intisements of great men CANT II. NOB. NOw is the time if thou be wise Thou happie maide if thou canst see Thy happiest time take good aduise Good fortune laughs be rulde by me Be rulde by me and her's my faith No Golde shall want thee till thy death Thou knowest my power thou seest my might Thou knowest I can maintaine thee well And helpe thy friends vnto their right Thou shalt with me for euer dwell My secret friend thou shalt remaine And all shall turne to thy great gaine Thou seest thy parents meane estate That barres the hope of greater chance And if thou proue not wise too late Thou maist thy selfe and thine aduance Repulse not fondly this good hap That now lies offred in thy lap Abandon feare that bars consent Repel the shame that feares a blot Let wisdome way what faith is ment That all may praise thy happie lot Thinke not I seeke thy liues disgrace For thou shalt haue a Ladies place Thou art the first my fancie chose I know thy friends will like it well This friendly fault to none disclose And what thou thinkst blush not to tell Thou seest my loue thou know'st my mind Now let me feele what grace I find CANT III. AVISA YOur Honours place your riper yeares Might better frame some grauer talkes Midst sunnie rayes this cloud appeares Sweete Roses grow on prickly stalkes If I conceiue what you request You aime at that I most detest My tender age that wants aduice And craues the aide of sager guides Should rather learne for to be wise To stay my steps from slipperie slides Then thus to sucke then thus to tast The poys'ned sap that kils at last I wonder what your wisdome ment Thus to assault a silly maide Some simple wench might chance consent By false resembling shewes betraide I haue by grace a natiue shield To lewd assaults that cannot yeeld I am too base to be your wife You choose me for your secret frend That is to lead a filthy life Whereon attends a fearefull end Though I be poore I tell you plaine To be your whore I flat disdaine Your high estate your siluer shrines Repleate with wind and filthy stinke Your glittering gifts your golden mynes May force some fooles perhaps to shrinke But I haue learnd that sweetest bayt Oft shrowds the hooke of most desayt What great good hap what happie time Your proffer brings let yeelding maids Of former age which thought to clime To highest tops of earthly aids Come backe a while and let them tell Where wicked liues haue ended well Shores wife a Princes secret frend Faire Rosomond a Kings delight Yet both haue found a gastly end And fortunes friends felt fortunes spight What greater ioyes could fancie frame Yet now we see their lasting shame If princely pallace haue no power To shade the shame of secret sinne If blacke reproch such names deuoure What gaine or glory can they winne That tracing tracts of shamelesse trade A hate of God and man are made This onely vertue must aduaunce My meane estate to ioyfull blisse For she that swaies dame vertues launce Of happie state can neuer misse But they that hope to gaine by vice Shall surely proue too late vnwise The roote of woe is fond desire That neuer feeles her selfe content But wanton wing'd will needes aspire To finde the thing she may lament A courtly state a Ladies place My former life will quite deface Such strange conceites may hap preuaile With such as loue such strong desayts But I am taught such qualmes to quaile And flee such sweete alluring bayts The witlesse Flie playes with the flame Till she be scorched with the same You long to know what grace you find In me perchance more then you would Except you quickly change your mind I find in you lesse then I should Moue this no more vse no reply I'le keepe mine honour till I die CANT IIII. NOB. ALas good soule and will yee so You will be chast Diana's mate Till time haue woue the web of woe Then to repent wil be too late You shew your selfe so foole-precise That I can hardly thinke you wise You sprang belike from Noble stocke That stand so much vpon your fame You hope to stay vpon the rocke That will preserue a faultlesse name But while you hunt for needelesse praise You loose the Prime of sweetest daies A merry time when countrie maides Shall stand forsooth vpon their garde And dare controll the Courtiers deedes At honours gate that watch and warde When Milke maids shal their pleasures flie And on their credits must relie Ah silly wench take not a pride Though thou my raging fancie moue Thy betters far if they were try'd Would faine accept my proffered loue T'was for thy good if thou hadst wist For I may haue whome ere I list But here thy folly may appeare Art thou preciser then a Queene Queene Ioane of Naples did not feare To quite mens loue with loue againe And Messalina t'is no newes Was dayly seene to haunt the stewes And Cleopatra prince of Nile With more then one was wont to play And yet she keepes her glorious stile And fame that neuer shall decaie What need'st thou then to feare of shame When Queenes and Nobles vse the same CANT V. AVISA NEeds must the sheepe strake all awrie Whose sheepheards wander from their way Needes must the sickly patient die Whose Doctor seekes his liues decay Needs must the people well be taught Whose chiefest leaders all are naught Such lawlesse guides Gods people found When Moab maides allur'd their fall They sought no salue to cure this wound Till God commaunds to hange them all For wicked life a shamefull end To wretched men the Lord doth send Was earth consumde with wreakfull waues Did Sodom burne and after sinke What sinne is that which vengaunce craues If
shall not misse But shall obtaine your hopes desire If other hope you do retaine Your labor's lost your hope is vaine The child that playes with sharpned tooles Doth hurt himselfe for want of wit And they may well be counted fooles That wrastle neere a dangerous pit Your loose desire doth hope for that Which I must needes deny you flat Send mee no tokens of your lust Such giftes I list not to receiue Such guiles shall neuer make me trust Such broad-layde baytes cannot deceiue For they to yeeld do then prepare That grant to take such proffred ware If this be it you haue to say You know my mynd which cannot change I must be gon I cannot stay No fond delight can make me range And for a farewell this I sweare You get not that I hold so deare After long absence D H. happening to come in on a tyme sodenlyto her house and finding her all alone amongst her maides that were spinning sayd nothing but going home wrate these verses following which he called his Dum habui and sent them vnto her CANT XL. D. H. to AVISA too constant WHyl'st erst I had my libertie To range the woodes where fancy list The cause of all my miserie By heedlesse hast my way I mist Vntill I found within a plaine A Christall Well where Nimphes remaine As weary of this wild-goose race That led a skance I know not where I chose at length a shadow place To take the cold and pleasant ayre But from the brinke of that same well I saw my heauen or els my hell I saw a byrde from ioyning groue That soaring came with comely grace The Lillie and Vermillion stroue In mayden-like and louely face With seemely armes in steed of winges No clawes but fingers set with ringes And in her hand she held a dart As being of Diana's trayne O that's the cause of all my smart And breeder of this endlesse paine The thing I sought not there I find And lost the freedome of my mind While on her eies my eies did hang From rolling eie there sprang a glance And therewith heard a sodayne clang That strake me in a deadly trance But wak't I sawe blind Cupids craft And in my hart the golden shaft I sewd for grace but she deny'd Her laughty lookes she cast awry And when my folly she espy'd She laught to see my misery Away she soares and from my sight She smiling takes her parting flight You are the byrde that bred the bane That swelleth thus in restlesse thought You are the snare that thus haue tane And sences all to thraldome brought You are the Iaylor that do keepe Your frend in bandes and dungeon deepe Renowmed chaste Penelope With all her wordes could not redryue Her sutors till she set a day In which she would them answere giue When threedy spindle full was grow'n Then would she chuse one for her ow'n They dayly came to see the end And euery man doth hope to bee The chosen man to be her frend But womens wyles here men may see Her Spill was neuer fully spone For night vndid that day had done I hope the like you haue decreed That found you spinning but of late Would God your Spill were full of threed That might releeue my wretched state I will forget the wronges are past So you will chuse me at the last Chuse one at length I know you will Let tryed saith for ten yeares space How euer that your spindle fill With ioy possesse that emptie place And if you will I do protest My loue shall far surmount the rest These lines that hope for better speed As louing spyes are sent to see Where you haue sponne vp all your threed And what good hap is left for mee Let there returne yet make him glad Whome loues dispayre hath made so sad D. H. CANT XLI Auisa her answere to D. H. a finall resolution IF I be of Diana's trayne As trewe it is I must confesse I meruaite that you striue in vayne Where frutelesse hope yeelds no redresse For they must needes continue sad That seeke for that will not be had What seruile follie doth possesse Your base conceite that can abyde Such piteous plaintes and sutes addresse To them that do your sutes deryde For I can hardly thinke them wyse That try againe repulsed thryse No Hellens rape nor Troian warre My louing mate hath fors't away No Iunoes wrath to wander farre From louing bed can make him stray Nor stay at all in forraine land But here I haue him still at hand My sweet Vlisses neuer stayes From his desyred home so long That I should need such rare delayes To Shield me from intended wrong My chiefe delightes are alwayes nye And in my bosome sweetely lye The Spindle that you see me driue Hath fyld the spill so often trend My hartis fixt since I did giue My wedlocke faith to chosen frend Then leaue to sewe since that you see Your hap debarres your hope from mee I vse not oft to make reply To lines that yeelde such wanton store Let this suffice that I deny And after this looke for no more My choise is bound by lawfull band My oath is past and that shall stand Alway the same Auisa CANT XLII D. H. to chast Auisa perpetuall constancy THis is inough now I haue done I thinke indeed you do not faine As others haue that haue beene wonne In shorter space with lesser paine And sith you will not yeeld in deed To these my wordes yet take good heed My former loue was onely lust As you in deed did truly say And they such loue that rashly trust Do plant the plot of swift decay But they whom Grace doth make so wise To high renowne will surely ryse If you had had a waxye hart That would haue melt at hot desyre Or chaffye thoughtes that could haue start And yeeld to burne at euery fyre What ere I did or sayd before I should haue thought you but a whore Though saylers loue the common Port As safest harbour where to rest Yet wise men seeke the strongest fort And paper castells most detest Men cannot loue such as they know Will yeeld at sight of euery blow But now my loue by vertue bound No stormie blastes can make it quaile Your constant mind a frend hath found Whose honest loue shall neuer faile A faithfull frend in honest loue Whom lewd affections shall not moue If you this wanton fault forgiue No time in me shall euer find Such lewd attemptes while I do liue Now that I know your constant mynd My pen doth write my hart hath swore My tounge such speech shall vse no more A thousand tymes I loue no more Then if I had my purpose wonne Of common loue I make no store But leaue it there where I begunne What oddes there is now you may proue Twixt wicked lust and honest loue Now grant I pray this last request That fraudlesse hart doth frendly
send That if my fayth deserue it best Accept me for your honest frend And if I seeke your spoile or shame Then raze me out and blot my name Andif I shall this fauour find Then weare this ring though you be loth As token of my simple mynd And perfect band of faithfull oath The posye is No frend to faith That will remaine till both our death Esteeme not this a painted bait Or golden ball cast to deceaue If I do meane such lewd desait Let God my soule in tormentes leaue I say no more but thus I end In honest loue your faithful frend D. H. AVISA to D. H. CANT XLIII YOu know that I haue laid my rest From which my mind shall neuer swerue If all be true that you protest Then shall you find as you deserue All hidden truth tyme will bewraie This is as much as I can saie Alway the same Auisa CANT XLIIII Henrico Willobego Italo-Hispalensis H. W. being sodenly infected with the contagion of a fantasticall fit at the first sight of A pyneth a while in secret griefe at length not able any longer to indure the burning heate of so feruent a humour bewrayeth the secresy of his disease vnto his familiar frend W. S. who not long before had tryed the curtesy of the like passion and was now newly recouered of the like infection yet finding his frend let bloud in the same vaine he took pleasure for a tyme to see him bleed in steed of stopping the issue he inlargeth the wound with the sharpe rasor of a willing conceit perswading him that he thought it a matter very easy to be compassed no doubt with payne diligence some cost in time to be obtayned Thus this miserable comforter comforting his frend with an impossibilitie eyther for that he now would secretly laugh at his frends folly that had giuen occasion not long before vnto others to laugh at his owne or because he would see whether an other could play his part better then himselfe in vewing a far off the course of this louing Comedy he determined to see whether it would sort to a happier end for this new actor then it did for the old player But at length this Comedy was like to haue growen to a Tragedy by the weake feeble estate that H. W. was brought vnto by a desperate vewe of an impossibility of obtaining his purpose til Time Necessity being his best Phisitions brought him a plaster if not to heale yet in part to ease his maladye In all which discourse is liuely represented the vnrewly rage of vnbrydeled fancy hauing the raines to roue at liberty with the dyuers sundry changes of affections temptations which Will set loose from Reason can deuise c. H. W. WHat sodaine chance or change is this That doth bereaue my quyet rest What surly cloud eclipst my blisse What sprite doth rage within my brest Such fainty qualmes I neuer found Till first I saw this westerne ground Can change of ayre complexions change And strike the sences out of frame Though this be true yet this is strange Sith I so lately hither came And yet in body cannot find So great a change as in my mynd My lustlesse limmes do pyne away Because my hart is dead within All liuely heat I feele decay And deadly cold his roome doth win My humors all are out of frame I frize amid'st the burning flame I haue the feauer Ethicke right I burne within consume without And hauing melted all my might Then followes death without all doubt O fearefull foole that know my greefe Yet sew and seeke for no releefe I know the tyme I know the place Both when and where my eye did vew That nouell shape that frendly face That so doth make my hart to rew O happy tyme if she inclyne If not O wourth theese lucklesse eyne I loue the seat where she did sit I kisse the grasse where she did tread Me thinkes I see that face as yet And eye that all these turmoyles breed I enuie that this seat this ground Such frendly grace and fauour found I dream't of late God grant that dreame Protend my good that she did meete Me in this greene by yonder streame And smyling did me frendly greete Where wandring dreames be iust or wrong I mind to try ere it be long But yonder comes my faythfull frend That like assaultes hath often tryde On his aduise I will depend Where I shall winne or be denyde And looke what counsell he shall giue That will I do where dye or liue CANT XLV W. S. VVEll met frend Harry what's the cause You looke so pale with Lented cheeks Your wanny face sharpened nose Shew plaine your mind some thing mislikes If you will tell me what it is Ile helpe to mend what is amisse What is she man that workes thy woe And thus thy tickling fancy moue Thy drousie eyes sighes do shoe This new disease proceedes of loue Tell what she is that witch't thee so I sweare it shall no farder go A heauy burden wearieth one Which being parted then in twaine Seemes very light or rather none And boren well with little paine The smothered flame too closely pent Burnes more extreame for want of vent So sorrowes shrynde in secret brest Attainte the hart with hotter rage Then griefes that are to frendes exprest Whose comfort may some part asswage If I a frend whose faith is tryde Let this request not be denyde Excessiue griefes good counsells want And cloud the sence from sharpe conceits No reason rules where sorrowes plant And folly feedes where fury fretes Tell what she is and you shall see What hope and help shall come from mee CANT XLVI H. W. SEest yonder howse where hanges the badge Of Englands Saint when captaines cry Victorious land to conquering rage Loe there my hopelesse helpe dothly And there that frendly foe doth dwell That makes my hart thus rage and swell CANT XLVII W. S. VVEll say no more I know thy griefe And face from whence these flames aryse It is not hard to fynd reliefe If thou wilt follow good aduyse She is no Saynt She is no Nonne I thinke in tyme she may be wonne At first repulse you must not faint Nor flye the field though she deny You twise or thrise yet manly bent Againe you must and still reply When tyme permits you not to talke Then let your pen and fingers walke Apply her still with dyuers thinges For giftes the wysest will deceaue Sometymes with gold sometymes with ringes No tyme nor fit occasion leaue Though coy at first she seeme and wielde These toyes in tyme will make her yielde Looke what she likes that you must loue And what she hates you must detest Where good or bad you must approue The wordes and workes that please her best If she be godly you must sweare That to offend you stand in feare You must commend her louing face For women
begin To draw you truely to repent A ioyfull end must needs redound To happie griefe so seldome found To striue all wicked lusts to quell Which often sort to dolefull end I ioye to heare you meane so well And what you want the Lord will send But if you yeeld to wanton will God will depart and leaue you still Your pleasant aide with sweete supply My present state that might amend If honest loue be ment thereby I shall be glad of such a frend But if you loue as I suspect Your loue and you I both reiect CANT XXV D. B. A French man VVHat you suspect I can not tell What I doe meane you may perceiue My workes shall shew I wish you well If well ment loue you list receiue I haue beene long in secret mind And would be still your secret frind My loue should breed you no disgrace None should perceiue our secret plaie We would obserue both time and place That none our dealings should bewraie Be it my fortune or my fault Loue makes me venter this assault You mistresse of my doubtfull chance You Prince of this my soules desire That lulls my fancie in a trance The marke whereto my hopes aspire You see the sore whence springs my griefe You weld the sterne of my reliefe The grauest men of former time That liu'd with fame and happie life Haue thought it none or pettie crime To loue a friend besides their wife Then sith my wife you can not be As dearest friend accompt of me You talke of sinne and who doth liue Whose dayly steps slide not awrie But too precise doth deadly grieue The hart that yeelds not yet to die When age drawes on and youth is past Then let vs thinke of this at last The Lord did loue King Dauid well Although he had more wiues then one King Solomon that did excell For wealth and wit yet he alone A thousand wiues and friends possest Yet did he thriue yet was he blest CANT XXVI AVISA O Mightie Lord that guides the Spheare Defend me by thy mightie will From iust reproch from shame and feare Of such as seeke my soule to spill Let not their counsell Lord preuaile To force my hart to yeeld or quaile How frames it with your sober lookes To shroud such bent of lewd conceites What hope hath pla'st me in your bookes That files me fit for such deceites I hope that time hath made you see No cause that breeds these thoughts in mee Your feruent loue is filthy lust And therefore leaue to talke of loue Your truth is treason vnder trust A Kite in shape of hurtlesse Doue You offer more then friendship wold To giue vs brasse in steed of gold Such secret friends to open foes Do often change with euery wind Such wandring fits where follie groes Are certaine signes of wauering mind A fawning face and faithlesse hart In secret loue breeds open smart No sinne to breake the wedlocke faith No sinne to swim in Sodomes sinke O sinne the seed and sting of death O sinnefull wretch that so doth thinke Your grauest men with all their schooles That taught you thus were heathē fooles Your lewd examples will not serue To frame a vertue from a vice When Dauid and his Sonne did swerue From lawfull rule though both were wise Yet both were plagu'd as you may see With mightie plagues of each degree CANT XXVII D. B. A French man FRom whence proceeds this sodaine change From whence this quainte and coye speech Where did you learne to looke so strange What Doctor taught you thus to preach Into my hart it can not sinke That you doe speake as you doe thinke Your smiling face and glauncing eye That promise grace and not despite With these your words doe not agree That seeme to shun your chiefe delight But giue me leaue I thinke it still Your words doe wander from your will Of women now the greatest part Whose place and age doe so require Do chuse a friend whose faithfull hart May quench the flame of secret fire Now if your liking be not pla'st I know you will chuse one at last Then chusing one let me be he If so our hidden fancies frame Because you are the onely she That first inrag'd my fancies flame If first you graunt me this good will My hart is yours and shall be still I haue a Farme that fell of late Woorth fortie pounds at yearely rent That will I giue to mend your state And proue my loue is truely ment Let not my sute be flat denide And what you want shall be supplide Our long acquaintance makes me bold To shew my greife to ease my mind For new found friends change not the old The like perhaps you shall not find Be not too rash take good aduice Your hap is good if you be wise CANT XXVIII AVIS A. MY hap is hard and ouer bad To be misdeemd of euery man That thinke me quickly to be had That see me pleasant now and than Yet would I not be much a greiu'd If you alone were thus deceiu'd But you alone are not deceiu'd With tising baytes of pleasant view But many others haue belieu'd And tride the same as well as you But they repent their folly past And so will you I hope at last You seeme as though you lately came From London from some bawdie sell Where you haue met some wanton dame That knowes the trickes of whoores so well Know you some wiues vse more then one Go backe to them for here are none For here are none that list to chuse A nouell chance where old remaine My choice is past and I refuse While this doth last to chuse againe While one doth liue I will no more Although I begge from dore to dore Bestow your farmes among your frinds Your fortie pounds can not prouoke The setled hart whom vertue binds To trust the traines of hidden hooke The labor's lost that you indure To gorged Hauke to cast the lure If lust had led me to the spoyle And wicked will to wanton change Your betters that haue had the soyle Had caus'd me long ere this to range But they haue left for they did see How far they were mistake of mee CANT XXIX D. B. A French man MIstake indeed if this be true If youth can yeeld to fauours foe If wisdome spring where fancie grew But sure I thinke it is not so Let faithfull meaning purchase trust That likes for loue and not for lust Although you sweare you will not yeeld Although my death you should intend Yet will I not forsake the field But still remaine your constant frend Say what you list flie where you will I am your thrall to saue or spill You may command me out of sight As one that shall no fauour find But though my body take his flight Yet shall my hart remaine behind That shall your guilty conscience tell You haue not vs'd his masterwell His masters loue he shall repeate And watch his
fates inclind And shall I role the restlesse stone And must I proue the endlesse paine In curelesse care shall I alone Consume with griefe that yeelds me gaine If so I curse these eies of mine That first beheld that face of thine Your will must with my woe dispence Your face the founder of my smart That pleasant looke fram'd this offence These thrilling gripes that gall my hart Sith you this wound and hurt did giue You must consent to yeeld relieue How can I cease while fancie guides The restlesse raines of my desire Can reason rule where folly bides Can wit inthrald to will retire I little thought I should haue mist I neuer feard of Had I wist Let old men pray let setled heads Inthrall their necks to wedlocke band Shrend golden gyues who euer weds With pleasant paine shall take in hand But I will be your faithful frend If health by hope you yeeld to send CANT LVIII AVISA WHat filthy folly raging lust What beastly blindnes fancy breeds As though the Lord had not accurst With vengeance due the sinfull deeds Though vaine-led youth with pleasure swell Yet marke these words that I shall tell Who so with filthy pleasure burnes His sinfull flesh with fierie flakes Must be consum'd whose soule returnes To endlesse paine in burning lakes You seeme by this to wish me well To teach me tread the path to hell Call you this Loue that bringeth sin And sowes the seeds of heauie cheere If this be loue I pray begin To hate the thing I loue so deere I loue no loue of such a rate Nor fancie that which God doth hate But what saith he that long had tryde Of harlots all the wanton slights Beware least that your hart be tyde To sond affects by wanton sights Their wandring eies and wanton lookes Catch fooles as fish with painted hookes Their lippes with oyle and honie flow Their tongs are fraught with flattering guile Amidst these ioyes great sorrowes grow For pleasures flourish but a while Their feete to death their steps to hell Do swiftly slide that thus do mell Then flie this dead and dreadfull loue This signe of Gods reuenging ire Let loue of God such lust remoue And quench the flames of foule desire If you will count me for your frend You must both workes and words amend CANT LXI With this bitter reply of Auisa H. W. being somewhat daunted yet not altogether whithout hope went home to his house and there secretly in a melancolike passion wrote these verses following H. W. To AVISA my friendly foe THe busie Gnat about the candle houering still doth flie The slimie Fish about the bayt still wauering doth lie The fearefull Mouse about the trap doth often try his stength Vntill both Gnat and Fish and Mouse be taken at the length Euen so vnhappie I do like my greatest baine Vnlesse you do with speede release my mortall paine The light foote hart desires the waters brooke The dogge most sicke the greenest grasse doth craue The wounded wight for surgeon still doth looke Vntill both hart and dogge and wight their medicine haue But I with griefe th'vnhappiest of them all Do still delight to be my enemies thrall Mine enemie I say though yet my sweetest frend If of my sorrowes I may see some speedie holsome end FINIS Chi la dura la Vince CANT LXII AVISA her reply to H. VV. THe busie Gnat for want of wit Doth sindge his wings in burning flame The Fish with baite will headlong flit Till she be choked with the same So you with Gnat and Fish will play Till flame and foode worke your decay The heedlesse Mouse that tries the trap In hast to reach her harts desire Doth quickly find such quainte mishap That barres her strength from free retire So you will neuer ceasse to craue Till you haue lost that now you haue The hart the dogge the wounded wight For water grasse and Surgeon call Their griefes and cures are all but light But your conceite surpast them all Except you change your wanton mind You shall no ease nor comfort find Alway the same Auisa CANT LXIII H. W. prosecuteth his sute WIll not your laughty stomacke stoupe Will not this selfe conceite come downe As haggard louing mirthlesse coupe At friendly lure doth checke and frowne Blame not in this the Faulkners skill But blame the Hawkes vnbridled will Your sharp replies your frowning cheare To absent lines and present vew Doth aie redouble trembling feare And griping griefes do still renew Your face to me my sole reliefe My sight to you your onely griefe O lucklesse wretch what hap had I To plant my loue in such a soile What furie makes me thus relie On her that seekes my vtter spoile O Gods of loue what signe is this That in the first I first should mis And can you thus increase my woe And will you thus prolong my paine Canst kill the hart that loues thee so Canst quit my loue with foule disdaine And if thou canst woe worth the place Where first I saw that flattering face And shall my folly proue it trew That hastie pleasure doubleth paine Shall griefe rebound where ioye grew Of faithfull hart is this the gaine Me thinks for all your graue aduise For giue my thought you are not wise Would God I could restraine my loue Sith you to loue me can not yeeld But I alas can not remoue My fancie though I die in feeld My life doth on your loue depend My loue and life at once must end CANT LXIIII. AVISA WHat witlesse errors do possesse The wretched minds of louing fooles That breathlesse runne to such distresse That liuely heate fond sorrowe cooles They reke not where they stand or fall Deny them loue take life and all It seemes a death to change their mind Or alter once their foolish will Such od conceites they seeke to find As may their childish fancies fill It makes me smile thus now and then To see the guise of foolish men I can not stoupe to wandring lure My mind is one and still the same While breath while life while daies indure I will not yeeld to worke my shame Then if you striue and stirre in vaine Blame but the fruites of idle braine If I do sometimes looke awrie As loth to see your blobered face And loth to heare a yong man crie Correct for shame this childish race And though you weepe and waile to mee Yet let not all these follies see Good Harry leaue these raging toyes That thus from restlesse fancie flow Vnfit for men not meete for boyes And let's a while talke wisely now If that you loue me as you say Then cease such madnes to bewray If honest loue could breed content And frame a liking to your will I would not sticke to giue consent To like you so and loue you still But while lust leades your loue awrie Assure your selfe I will denie CANT LXV H. W. ANd is
it lust that welds my loue Or is it but your fond surmise Will you condemne before you proue How can I thinke you to be wise O faithfull hart yet thrice accurst That art misdeemd thus at the first If lust did rule my restlesse hart If onely lust did beare the sway I quickly could asswage my smart With choise and change for euery day You should not laugh to see me weepe If lust were it that strake so deepe And yet at first before I knew What vaine it was that bled so sore Wher lust or loue to proue it trew I tooke a salue that still before Was wont to helpe I chose me one With whom I quencht my lust alone Yet this sweete hart could not suffise Nor any way content my mind I felt new qualmes and new arise And stronger still and strong I find By this I thus doe plainely proue It is not lust but faithfull loue And yet to proue my loue more sure And sith you will not false your faith This pining plight I will indure Till death do stop your husbands breath To haue me then if you will say I will not marrie till that day If you will giue your full consent When God shall take your husbands life That then you will be well content To be my spouse and louing wife I will be ioyfull as before And till that time will craue no more CANT LXVI AVISA NO more no more too much of this And is mine ynch become an ell If thus you writh my words amis I must of force bid you farwell You shew in this your louing bent To catch at that I neuer ment I thought at first but this my though I must correct that simple loue In guilles hart these fits had wrought But I too simple I now proue That vnder shew of great good will My harts delight you seeke to spill He loues me well that tils a trap Of deepe deceite and deadly baine In dreadfull daungers thus to wrap His friend by baites of flering traine Though flattering tongues can paint it braue Your words do shew what loue you haue I must consent and you will stay My husbands death Obtaining this You thinke I could not say you Nay Nor of your other purpose mis You are deceiu'd and you shall trie That I such faith and friends defie Such fained former faithlesse plot I most detest and tell you plaine If now I were to cast my lot With free consent to chuse againe Of all the men I euer knew I would not make my choice of you Let this suffice and do not stay On hope of that which will not be Then cease your sute go where you may Vaine is your trust to hope on me My choice is past my hart is bent While that remaines to be content Now hauing tract the winding trace Of false resemblance giue me leaue From this to shew a stranger grace Then heretofore you did perceaue Gainst frendlesse loue if I repyne The fault is yours none of myne CANT LXVII H. W. I Will not wish I cannot vow Thy hurt thy griefe though thou disdaine Though thou refuse I know not how To quite my loue with loue againe Since I haue swore to be thy frend As I began so will I end Sweare thou my death worke thou my woe Conspire with greefe to stop my breath Yet still thy frend not thy foe I will remayne vntill my death Choose whome thou wilt I will resigne If loue or faith be like to mine But while I wretch too long haue lent My wandering eyes to gase on thee I haue both tyme trauell spent In vaine in vaine and now I see They do but frutelesse paine procure To haggard kytes that cast the lure When I am dead yet thou mayst boast Thou hadst a frend a faithfull frend That liuing liu'd to loue thee most And lou'd thee still vnto his end Though thou vnworthy with disdaine Did'st force him liue and dye in paine Now may I sing now sigh and say Farewell my lyfe farewell my ioy Now mourne by night now weepe by day Loue too much loue breedes myne annoy What can I wish what should I craue Sith that is gon that I should haue Though hope be turned to dispaire Yet giue my tongue leaue to lament Beleeue me now my hart doth sweare My lucklesse loue was truly ment Thou art too proud I say no more Too stout and wo is me therefore Felice chi puo CANT LXVIII Auisa hauing heard this patheticall fancy of H. W. and seeing the teares trill downe his cheekes as halfe angry to see such passionate follie in a man that should haue gouerment with a frowning countenance turned from him without farder answere making silence her best reply and following the counsell of the wise not to answere a foole in his folly lest he grow too foolish returted quite from him and left him alone But he departing home and not able by reason to rule the raginge fume of this phantasticall fury cast himselfe vppon his bed refusing both foode comfort for many daies together fell at length into such extremity of passionate affections that as many as saw him had great doubt of his health but more of his wittes yet after a long space a bsence hauing procured some respite from his sorrowes he takes his pen wrate as followeth H. W LYke wounded Deare whose tēder sydes are bath'd in blood From deadly wound by fatall hand forked shaft So bleedes my pearced hart for so you thinke it good With cruelty to kill that which you got by craft You still did loth my lyfe my death shall be your gaine To dye to do you good I shall not thinke it paine My person could not please my talke was out of frame Though hart and eye could neuer brooke my loathed sight Yet loue doth make me say to keepe you out of blame The fault was only mine and that you did but right When I am gon I hope my ghost shall shew you plaine That I did truly loue and that I did not faine Now must I fynd the way to waile while lyfe doth last Yet hope I soone to see the end of dolefull dayes When floudes of flowing feares and creeping cares are past Then shall I leaue to sing and write these pleasant layes For now I loth the foode and bloud that lendes me breath I count all pleasures paine that keepe me from my death To darke and heauy shades I now will take my flight Where nether tongue nor eye shall tell or see my fall That there I may disiect these dregges of thy dispight And purge the clotted blood that now my hart doth gall In secret silence so Perforce shall be my song Till truth make you confesse that you haue done me wrong Gia speme spenta H. W. Auisa refusing both to come or send him any aunswere after a long melancholike deliberation he wrate againe so as followeth CANT LXIX H. W.