put me from my wonted place And déepe deceipte hath wrought a wyle to wrest me out of grace Wyll home againe to cart as fitter were for mée Then thus in court to serue and starue where such proude porters bée Si fortunatus infoelix ¶ This question being propounded by a Dame vnto the Aucthour to witte why he should write Spreta tamen viuunt he aunswereth thus DEspysed things may liue although they pine in payne And things ofte trodden vnder foote may once yet rise againe The stone that lieth full lowe may clime at last full hye And stand a loft on stately towr's in sight of euery eye The cruell Axe which felles the trée that grew full straight Is worne with rust when it renewes and springeth vp on height The rootes of rotten Réedes in swelling seas are seene And when eche tide hath tost his worst they grow againe ful gréene Thus much to please my selfe vnpleasauntly I sing And shrich to ease my morning minde in spite of enuies sting I am nowe set full light who earst was dearely lou'd Som new foūd choise is more estemd than that which wel was prou'd Some Diomede is crept into Dame Cressides hart And trustie Troylus nowe is taught in vaine to playne his part What resteth then for me but thus to wade in wo And hang in hope of better chaunce when chaunge appointeth so I sée no sight on earth but it to Chaunge enclines As litle clowdes oft ouercast the brightest Sunne that shines No Flower is so freshe but frost can it deface No man so sure in any seate but he maye léese his place So that I stand content though much against my mind To take in worth this lothsome lot which luck to me assynd And trust to sée the time when they that nowe are vp May féele the whirle of fortunes whéele and tast of sorrowes cup. God knoweth I wishe it not it had bene bet for mée Styll to haue kept my quiet chayre in hap of high degrée But since without recure Dame Chaunge in loue must raigne I now wish chaunge that sought no chaūge but constāt did remaine And if suche chaunge do chaunce I vowe to clap my hands And laugh at them which laught at me lo thus my fansie standes Spreta tamen viuunt ¶ In trust is Treason written by a Louer leaning onelye to his Ladies promises and finding them to fayle THe straightest Trée that growes vpon one onely roote If that roote fayle wyll quickly fade no props can do it boote I am that fading plant which on thy grace dyd growe Thy grace is gone wherefore I mone and wither all in woe The tallest ship that sailes if shée too Ancors trust When Ancors slip Cables breake her helpe lyes in the dust I am the ship my selfe mine Ancor was thy faith Which now is fled thy promise broke I am driuen to death Who climeth oft on hie and trusts the rotten bowe If that bow breake may catch a fall such state stand I in now Me thought I was a loft and yet my seate full sure Thy heart dyd séeme to me a rock which euer might endure And sée it was but sand whome seas of subtiltie Haue soked so with wanton waues that faith was forst to flye The flooddes of ficklenesse haue vndermined so The first foundation of my ioy that myrth is ebb'd to wo. Yet at lowe water markes I lye and wayte my time To mend the breach but all in vaine it cannot passe the prime For when the prime flood comes which all this rage begoon Then waues of wyll do worke so fast my piles are ouer roon Dutie and dilligence which are my workmen there Are glad to take vp fooles in haste and run away for feare For fansie hath such force it ouerfloweth all And whispring tales do blow the blasts that make it ryse fall Thus in these tempests tost my restles life doth stand Because I builded on thy wodres as I was borne in hand Thou weart that only stake wereby I ment to stay Alas alas thou stoodst so weake the hedge is borne away By thee I thought to liue by thee now must Idye I made thee my Phisicion thou art my mallady For thee I longde to liue for thée nowe welcome death And welcome be that happie pang that stops my gasping breath Twise happie were that axe would cut my rotes downe right And sacred were that swelling sea which would consume me quight Blest were that bowe would breake to bring downe climing youth Which craks aloft and quakes full oft for feare of thine vntruth Ferenda Natura The constancie of a louer hath thus sometimes bene briefly declared THat selfe same tonge which first did thée entreat To linke thy liking with my lucky loue That trustie tonge must nowe these wordes repeate I loue thee still my fancie cannot moue That dreadlesse hart which durst attempt the thought To win thy will with mine for to consent Maintaines that vow which loue in me first wrought I loue thee still and neuer shall repent That happie hande which hardely did touch Thy tender body to my déepe delight Shall serue with sword to proue my passion such As loues thee still much more than it can write Thus loue I still with tongue hand hart and all And when I chaunge let vengeance on me fall Ferenda Natura ¶ The fruite of foes written to a Gentlewoman who blamed him for writing his friendly aduise in verse vnto another louer of hyrs THe cruell hate which boyles within thy burning brest And séekes to shape a sharpe reuenge on them that loue thée best May warne all faithfull friendes in case of ieopardie Howe they shall put their harmelesse hands betwéene the barck trée And I among the rest which wrote this weary song Must nedes alledge in my defence that thou hast done me wrong For if in simple verse I chaunc'd to touch thy name And toucht the same without reproch was I therefore to blame And if of great good will I gaue my best aduise Then thus to blame without cause why me thinkes thou art not wise Amongst olde written tales this one I beare in mind A simple soule much like my selfe dyd once a serpent find Which almost dead for colde lay moyling in the myre When he for pittie tooke it vp and brought it to the fyre No sooner was the Snake recured of hir griefe But straight shée sought to hurt the man that lent hir such reliefe Such Serpent séemest thou such simple soule am I That for the weight of my good wil am blam'd without cause why But as it best beseemes the harmelesse gentle hart Rather to take an open wrong than for to plaine his part I must and will endure thy spite without repent The blame is mine the triumph thine and I am well content Meritum petere graue A Louer often warned and once againe drouen into fantasticall flames by the chase of company doth thus bewayle his misfortunes I That
now ere long in brauery The tender buddes whom colde hath long kept in Will spring and sproute as they do now begin But I alas within whose mourning minde The graffes of grief are onely giuen to growe Cannot enioy the spring which others finde But still my will must wither all in woe The cold of care so nippes my ioyes at roote No sunne doth shine that well can do them boote The lustie Ver which whilome might exchange My griefe to ioy and then my ioyes encrease Springs now else where and showes to me but strange My winters woe therefore can neuer cease In other coasts his sunne full cleare doth shine And comforts lends to eu'ry mould but mine What plant can spring that féeles no force of Ver What floure can florish where no sunne doth shine These Bales quod she within my breast I beare To breake my barke and make my pith to pine Néedes must I fall I fade both roote and rinde My braunches bowe at blast of eu'ry winde This sayed shée cast a glance and spied my face By sight whereof Lord how she chaunged hew So that for shame I turned backe a pace And to my home my selfe in hast I drew And as I could hir woofull wordes reherse I set them downe in this waymenting verse Now Ladies you that know by whom I sing And feele the winter of such frozen wills Of curtesie yet cause this noble spring To send his sunne aboue the highest hilles And so to shyne vppon hir fading sprayes Which now in woe do wyther thus alwayes Spraeta tamen viuunt An absent Dame thus complayneth MVch like the séely Byrd which close in Cage is pent So sing I now not notes of ioye but layes of déepe lament And as the hooded Hauke which heares the Partrich spring Who though she féele hir self fast tied yet beats hir bating wing So striue I now to shewe my feeble forward will Although I know my labour lost to hop against the Hill. The droppes of darke disdayne did neuer drench my hart For well I know I am belou'd if that might ease my smart Ne yet the priuy coales of glowing iellosie Could euer kindle néedlesse feare within my fantasie The rigor of repulse doth not renew my playnt Nor choyce of change doth moue my mone nor force me thus to faint Onely that pang of payne which passeth all the rest And cankerlike doth fret the hart within the giltlesse brest Which is if any bee most like the panges of death That present grief now gripeth me striues to stop my breath When friendes in mind may méete and hart in hart embrace And absent yet are faine to playne for lacke of time and place Then may I compt their loue like séede that soone is sowen Yet lacking droppes of heauēly dew with wéedes is ouergrowē The Greyhound is agréeu'd although he sée his game If stil in slippe he must be stayde when he would chase the same So fares it now by me who know my selfe belou'd Of one the best in eche respect that euer yet was prou'd But since my lucklesse lot forbids me now to taste The dulcet fruites of my delight therfore in woes I wast And Swallow like I sing as one enforced so Since others reape the gaineful crop which I with pain did sow Yet you that marke my song excuse my Swallowes voyce And beare with hir vnpleasant tunes which cannot wel reioyce Had I or lucke in loue or lease of libertie Then should you heare some swéeter notes so cléere my throte would be But take it thus in grée and marke my playnsong well No hart féeles so much hurt as that which doth in absence dwell Spraeta tamen viuunt In prayse of a Countesse DEsire of Fame would force my féeble skill To prayse a Countesse by hir dew desert But dread of blame holds backe my forward will And quencht the coales which kindled in my hart Thus am I plongd twene dread and déepe desire To pay the dew which dutie doth require And when I call the mighty Gods in ayd To further forth some fine inuention My bashefull spirits be full ill afrayd To purchase payne by my presumption Such malice reignes sometimes in heauenly minds To punish him that prayseth as he finds For Pallas first whose filed flowing skill Should guyde my pen some pleasant words to write With angry mood hath fram'd a froward will To dashe deuise as oft as I endite For why if once my Ladies gifts were knowne Pallas should loose the prayses of hir owne And bloudy Mars by chaunge of his delight Hath made Ioues daughter now mine enemie In whose conceipt my Countesse shines so bright That Venus pines for burning ielousie She may go home to Vulcane now agayne For Mars is sworne to be my Ladies swayne Of hir bright beames Dan Phoebus stands in dread And shames to shine within our Horizon Dame Cynthia holds in hir horned head For feare to loose by like comparison Lo thus shée liues and laughes them all to skorne Countesse on earth in heauen a Goddesse borne And I sometimes hir seruaunt now hir friend Whom heauen and earth for hir thus hate and blame Haue yet presume in friendly wise to spend This ragged verse in honor of hir name A simple gift compared by the skill Yet what may séeme so déere as such good will. Meritum petere graue The Louer declareth his affection togither with the cause thereof WHen first I thée beheld in colours black and white Thy face in forme wel framde with fauor blooming stil My burning brest in cares did choose his chief delight With pen to painte thy prayse contrary to my skill Whose worthinesse compar'd with this my rude deuise I blush and am abasht this worke to enterprise But when I call to mind thy sundry gifts of grace Full fraught with maners méeke in happy quiet mind My hasty hand forthwith doth scribble on apace Least willing hart might thinke it ment to come behind Thus do both hand and hart these carefull méetres vse Twixt hope and trembling feare my duetie to excuse Wherfore accept these lines and banish darke disdayne Be sure they come from one that loueth thée in chief And guerdon me thy friend in like with loue agayne So shalt thou well be sure to yéeld me such relief As onely may redresse my sorrowes and my smart For proofe whereof I pledge deare Dame to thée my hart Meritum petere graue A Lady being both wronged by false suspect and also wounded by the durance of hir husband doth thus bewray hir grief GIue me my Lute in bed now as I lie And lock the doores of mine vnluckie bower So shall my voyce in mournefull verse discrie The secrete smart which causeth me to lower Resound you walles an Eccho to my mone And thou cold bed wherein I lie alone Beare witnesse yet what rest thy Lady takes When other sléepe which may enioy their makes In prime of youth when Cupide kindled fire And warmd
his taile And leaping ouer hedge and ditch I sawe it not preuaile To pamper him so proude Wherfore I thought it best To trauaile him not as I woont yet nay to giue him rest Thus well resolued then I kept him still in harte And founde a pretie prouander appointed for his parte Which once a day no more he might a little tast And by this diet made I youth a gentle iade at last And foorth I might him ride an easie iourneying pace He neuer straue with middle age but gently gaue him place Then middle age stept in and toke the helme in hande To guide my Barke by better skill into some better lande And as eche noble heart is euermore most bent To high exploites and woorthie déedes where honor may be hent So mine vnyolden minde by Armes gan séeke renowne And sought to rayse that recklesse youth had rashly tūbled downe With sworde and trustie targe then sought I for to carue For middle age and hoarie haires and both their turnes to sarue And in my Caruers roome I gan to cut suche cuttes And made suche morsels for their mouthes as well might fill their guttes Beside some ouerplus which being kept in store Might serue to welcome al their friends with foison euermore I meane no more but this my hand gan finde such happe As made me thinke that Fortune ment to play me in hir lappe And hope therwith had heavde my heart to be so hie That still I hoapt by force of armes to climbe aboue the Skie I bathed still in blisse I ledde a lordelie life My Souldiers lovde and fearde me both I neuer dreaded strife My boord was furnisht stil with cates of dainty cost My back wel clad my purse wel lynde my woonted lack was lost My bags began to fil my debtes for to discharge My state so stoode as sure I séemde to swim in good lucks barge But out and well away what pleasure bréedes not paine What sun cā shine without a cloud what thūder brings not rain Such is the life of man such was the luck of me To fall so fast from hiest hap where sure I séemde to be Fiue hundred sundrie sunnes and more could scarcely serue By sweat of brows to win a roome wherin my knife might carue One onely dismall day suffised with despite To take me from my caruers place and from the table quite Fiue hundred broken sleepes had busied all my braynes To find at last some worthy trade that might increse my gaynes One blacke vnluckie houre my trade hath ouerthrowen And marrde my marte broke my bank al my blisse oreblowen To wrappe vp all in woe I am in prison pent My gaines possessed by my foes my friends against me bent And all the heauy haps that euer age yet bare Assembled are within my breast to choake me vp with care My modest middle age which lacks of youth the lust Can beare no such gret burdēs now but throwes them in the dust Yet in this piteous plight beholde me Louers all And rewe my grieues least you your selues do light on such a fal I am that wearie wretch whom loue always hath tyred And fed me with such strange conceytes as neuer man desired For now euen now ay me I loue and cannot chuse So strangely yet as wel may moue the wisest mindes to muse No blasing beautie bright hath set my heart on fire No ticing talke no gorgeous gyte tormenteth my desire No bodie finely framde no haggarde Falcons eie No ruddie lip no golden locks hath drawne my minde awrie No téeth of shining pearle no gallant rosie hiew No dimpled chinne no pit in chéeke presented to my view In fine no such delights as louers oft allure Are cause why thus I do lament or put my plaintes in vre But such a strange affect as both I shame to tell And all the worlde may woonder much how first therin I fell Yet since I haue begonne quoth he to tell my griefe I wil nought hide although I hope to finde no great reliefe And thus quoth he it is Amongst the sundrie ioyes Which I conceivde in feates of warre and all my Martial toyes My chaunce was late to haue a péerlesse firelock péece That to my wittes was nay the like in Turkie nor in Greece A péece so cleanly framde so streight so light so fine So tempred and so polished as séemeth worke diuine A péece whose locke yet past for why it it neuer failde And though I bent it night and day the quicknesse neuer quailde A péece as well renforst as euer yet was wrought The brauest péece for bréech and bore that euer yet was bought The mounture so well made and for my pitch so fit As though I sée faire péeces moe yet fewe so fine as it A péece which shot so well so gently and so streight It neyther bruzed with recule nor wroong with ouerweight In fine and to conclude I know no fault thereby That eyther might be thought in minde or wel discernde with ey This péece then late I had and therin tooke delight As much as euer proper péece did please a warlike wight Nowe though it be not lost nor rendred with the rest Yet being shut from sight therof how can I thinke me blest Or which way should I hope that such a iewell rare Can passe vnséen in any campe where cunning shooters are And therewith am I sure that being once espied It neuer can escape their hands but that it will be tried And being once but prooued then farewel frost for me My péece my locke and all is lost and I shall neuer sée The like againe on earth Nowe Louers speake your minde Was euer man so strangely stroke or caught in such a kinde Was euer man so fonde was euer man so mad Was euer man so woe begone or in such cares yclad For restlesse thus I rest the wretchedst man on liue And when I thinke vpon this péece then still my woes reuiue Nor euer can I finde good plaister for my paine Vnlesse my lucke might be so good to finde that péece againe To make my mourning more where I in prison pine I daily sée a pretie péece much like that péece of mine Which helps my hurt much like vnto a broken shinne That when it heales begins to ytch and then rubs off the skinne Thus liue I still in loue alas and euer shall As well content to loose my péece as gladde to finde my fall A wonder to the worlde a griefe to friendlie mindes A mocking stocke to Momus race and al such scornefull hindes A loue that thinke I sure whose like was neuer séene Nor neuer warlike wight shal be in loue as I haue béene So that in sooth quoth he I cannot blame the Dames Whome I in youth did moste estéeme I list not foile their fames But there to lay the fault from whence it first did flowe I say my Fortune is the root whence all these griefes did grow Since Fortune
With Lullaby your dreames deceiue And when you rise with waking eye Remember then this Lullabye Euer or Neuer The lamentation of a louer NOw haue I found the waie to wéepe wayle my fill Now can I ende my dolfull dayes so content my will. The way to weepe inough for such as list to wayle Is this to go abord the ship where pleasure beareth sayle And there to marke the iestes of euery ioyfull wight And with what winde and waue they fléet to nourish their delight For as the striken Deare that séeth his fellowes féede Amid the lustie heard vnhurt féeles himselfe to bléede Or as the seely byrd that with the Bolte is brusd And lieth aloofe among the leaues of al hir pheares refusd And heares them sing full shrill yet cannot she reioyce Nor frame one warbling note to passe out of hir mournfull voyce Euen so I finde by proofe that pleasure dubleth payne Vnto a wretched wounded hart which doth in woe remaine I passe where pleasure is I heare some sing for ioye I sée som laugh som other daūce in spight of darke anoy But out alas my mind amends not by their myrth I déeme al pleasurs to be paine that dwell aboue the earth Such heauy humors féede the bloud that lendes me breath As mery medcins cannot serue to keepe my corps from death Spraeta tamen viuunt Certaine verses written to a Gentlewoman whome hee liked very wel and yet had neuer any oportunity to discouer his affection being alwayes bridled by ielouse lookes which attended them both and therefore gessing by hir lokes that she partly also liked him he wrote in a booke of nirs as foloweth being termed with the rest that follow the lokes of a louer enamoured THou with thy lookes on whom I loke full ofte And find there in great cause of déepe delight Thy face is fayre thy skin is smoth and softe Thy lippes are swéet thine eyes are cléere and bright And euery part séemes pleasant in my sight Yet wote thou well those lokes haue wrought my wo Bicause I loue to looke vpon them so For first those lookes allurd mine eye to loke And strayght mine eye stird vp my hart to loue And cruell loue with déepe deceitfull hooke Chokt vp my mind whom fancie cannot moue Nor hope reléeue nor other helpe behoue But still to loke and though I loke to much Néedes must I loke bicause I see none such Thus in thy lookes my loue and life haue hold And with such life my death drawes on a pace And for such death no medcine can be told But loking still vpon thy louely face Wherin are painted pitie peace and grace Then though thy lokes should cause me for to dye Néedes must I looke bicause I liue therby Since then thy lookes my lyfe haue so in thrall As I can like none other lookes but thine Lo here I yéelde my lyfe my loue and all Into thy hands and all things else resigne But libertie to gaze vpon thyne eyen Which when I doe then think it were thy part To looke again and linke with me in hart Si fortunatus infoelix VVith these verses you shall iudge the quicke capacitie of the Lady for she wrote thereunder this short aunswere Looke as long as you lyst but surely if I take you looking I will looke with you ¶ And for a further proofe of this Dames quicke vnderstanding you shall now vnderstande that sone after this aunswere of hirs the same Aucthour chansed to be at a supper in hir company where were also hir brother hir husband and an old louer of hirs by whom shee had bene long suspected Nowe although there wanted no delicate viandes to content them yet their chiefe repast was by entreglancing of lokes For the Aucthour being stong with hotte affection coulde none otherwyse relieue his passion but by gazing And the Dame of a curteous enclination deigned nowe and then to requite the same with glancing at him Hir olde louer occupied his eyes with watching and her brother perceiuing all this coulde not abstaine from winking whereby hee might putte his Syster in remembraunce least she shoulde too much forget hir selfe But most of all her husbande beholding the first and being euyll pleased with the seconde scarce contented with the thirde and misconstruing the fourth was constrayned to playe the fifth part in frowarde frowning This royall banquet thus passed ouer the Aucthor knowing that after supper they should passe the tyme in propounding of Ryddles and making of purposes contriued all this conceipt in a Riddle as followeth The which was no soner pronoūced but shee coulde perfectly perceiue his intent and draue out one nayle with another as also enseweth His Ryddle I Cast mine eye and sawe ten eyes at once All séemelye set vppon one louely face Twoo gaz'd twoo glanc'd twoo watched for the nonce Twoo winked wiles twoo fround with froward grace Thus euerye eye was pitched in his place And euerye eye which wrought eche others wo Saide to it selfe alas why lookt I so And euerye eye for ielousie did pine And sigh'd and sayde I would that eye were mine Si fortunatus infoelix ¶ In all this louelie company vvas not one that coulde and would expound the meaning hereof At last the Dame hir selfe aunswered on this wise Syr quod she because your darke speach is much to curious for this simple company I wyl bee so bolde as to quit one question with another And when you haue aunswered mine it maye fall out peraduenture that I shall somewhat the better iudge of yours Hir Question WHat thing is that which swimmes in blisse And yet consumes in burning griefe Which being plaste where pleasure is Can yet recouer no reliefe Which sées to sighe and sighes to sée All this is one what maye it bée ¶ He held him selfe herevvith contented and aftervvardes when they vvere better acquainted he chaunsed once groping in hir pocket to find a letter of hir olde louers and thynking it vvere better to vvincke than vtterlye to put out his eyes seemed not to vnderstande this first offence but soone after finding a lemman the vvhich he thought he savve hir olde lemman put there he deuised therof thus and deliuered it vnto hir in vvriting I Grooped in thy pocket pretty peate And found a Lemman which I looked not So found I once which nowe I must repeate Both leaues and letters which I lyked not Such hap haue I to finde and séeke it not But since I sée no faster meanes to bind them I wyll hencefoorth take Lemmans as I finde them The Dame vvithin verie short space dyd aunsvvere it thus A Lymone but no Lemmane Syr you found For Lemmans beare their name to broade before The which since it hath giuen you such a wound That you séeme now offended very sore Content your selfe you shall find there no more But take your Lemmans henceforth where you lust For I wyll shewe my letters where I trust ¶ The lookes of a
louer forsaken written by a gentlewoman who passed by him with hir armes set bragging by hir sides and lefte it vnfinished as followeth WEre my hart set on hoygh as thine is bent Or in my brest so braue and stout a will Then long ere this I coulde haue bene content With sharpe reueng thy carelesse corpes to kill For why thou knowest although thou know not all What rule what raygne what power what segnory Thy melting minde did yéeld to me as thrall When first I pleasd thy wandring fantifie What lingring lookes bewray'd thyne inward thought What panges were publisht by perplexcitie Such reakes the rage of loue in thée had wrought And no gramercie for thy curtesie I list not vaunt but yet I dare auowe Had bene my harmelesse hart as harde as thine I coulde haue bounde thée then for starting nowe In bondes of bale in pangs of deadly pyne For why by profe the field is eath to win Where as the chiefteynes yéeld them selues in chaynes The port or passage plaine to enter in Where porters list to leaue the key for gaynes But did I then deuise with crueltie As tyrants do to kill the yéelding pray Or did I bragge and boast triumphauntly As who should saye the field were mine that daye Did I retire my selfe out of thy sight To beat afresh the bulwarkes of thy brest Or did my mind in choyce of change delight And render thée as reffuse with the rest No Tygre no the lyon is not lewd He shewes no force on seely wounded shéepe c. VVhiles he sat at the dore of his lodging deuising these verses aboue rehersed the same Gentlewoman passed by againe and cast a longe looke towardes him whereby he left his former inuention and wrote thus HOwe long she lookt that lookt at me of late As who would say hir lookes were all for loue When God he knowes they came from deadly hate To pinch me yit with pangs which I must proue But since my lokes hir liking maye not moue Looke where she likes for lo this looke was cast Not for my loue but euen to see my last Si fortunatus infoelix Another Sonet written by the same Gentlewoman vppon the same occasion I Lookt of late and sawe thée loke askance Vpon my dore to sée if I satte there As who should say If he be there by chance Yet maye he thinke I loke him euery where No cruell no thou knowest and I can tell How for thy loue I layd my lokes a side Though thou par case hast lookt and liked wel Some newe founde lookes amide this world so wide But since thy lookes my loue haue so in chaynd That to my lokes thy liking now is past Loke whâ—re thou likest and let thy hands be staynd In true loues bloud which thou shalt lack at last So looke so lack for in these toyes thus tost My lookes thy loue thy lookes my life haue lost Si fortunatus infoelix ¶ To the same gentlewoman because she challenged the Aucthour for holding downe his head alwaies and for that hee looked not vppon hir in wonted manner YOu must not wonder though you thinke it straunge To sée me holde my lowring head so lowe And that myne eyes take no delyght to raunge About the gleames which on your face doe growe The mouse which once hath broken out of trappe Is sildome tysed with the trustlesse bayte But lyes aloofe for feare of more mishappe And féedeth styll in doubte of deepe deceipte The skorched flye which once hath scapt the flame Wyll hardlye come to playe againe with fyre Whereby I learne that greeuous is the game Which followes fansie dazled by desire So that I wynke or else holde downe my head Because your blazing eyes my bale haue bred Si fortunatus infoelix ⧠The Recantacion of a Louer NOw must I needes recant the wordes which once I spoke Fond fansie fumes so nie my noose I nedes must smel the smoke And better were to beare a Faggot from the fire Than wylfully to burne and blaze in flames of vaine desire You Iudges then giue eare you people marke me well I saye both heauen and earth record the tale which I shall tell And knowe that dread of death nor hope of better hap Haue forced or perswaded me to take my turning cap But euen that mightye Ioue of his great clemencie Hath giuen me grace at last to iudge the trueth from heresie I saye then and professe with free and faithfull heart That womeÌ„s vowes are nothing els but snares of secret smart Their beauties blaze are baites which séeme of pleasant taste But who deuoures the hidden hooke eates poyson for repast Their smyling is deceipt their faire wordes traines of treason Their wit alwaies so full of wyles it skorneth rules of reason Percase some present here haue heard my selfe of yore Both teach preach the contrary my fault was then the more I graunt my workes were these first one Anatomie Wherein I painted euery pang of louers perplexitye Next that I was araignde with George holde vp thy hand Wherein I yéelded Bewties thrall at hir commaund to stand Myne eyes so blinded were good people marke my tale That once I song I Bathe in Blisse amidde my weary Balâ— And many a frantike verse then from my penne dyd passe In waues of wicked heresie so déepe I drowned was All which I now recant and here before you burne Those trifling bookes from whose lewde lore my tippet here I turne And hencefoorth wyl I write howe mad is that mans minde Which is entist by any traine to trust in womankind I spare not wedlocke I who lyst that state aduance Aske Astolfe king of Lumbardie howe trim his dwarfe coulde daunce Wherefore fayre Ladies you that heare me what I saye If you hereafter see me slippe or séeme to goe astraye Of if my tongue reuolte from that which nowe it sayth Then plague me thus Beleeue it not for this is nowe my faith Haud ictus sapio ¶ In prayse of Bridges nowe Lady Sandes IN Court who so demaundes what Dame doth most excell For my conceyt I must néedes say faire Bridges beares the bell Vpon whose liuely chéeke to prooue my iudgement true The Rose and Lillie séeme to striue for equall change of hewe And therewithall so well her graces all agrée No frowning chéere dare once presume in hir swéete face to bée Although some lauishe lippes which like some other best Wyll saye the blemishe on hir browe disgraceth all the rest Thereto I thus replie God wotte they litle know The hidden cause of that mishap nor how the harme dyd grow For when Dame nature first had framde hir heauenly face And thoroughly bedecked it with goodly gleames of grace It lyked hir so well Lo here quod shée a péece For perfect shape that passeth all Apelles worke in Greece This bayte may chaunce to catche the greatest God of loue Or mighty thundring Ioue himself that rules the roast aboue But out
calling to minde that there is a noble house of the Mountacutes in Italie and therwithall that the L. Mountacute here doth quarter the coate of an auncient English Gentleman called Mounthermer and hath the inheritaunce of the sayde house dyd therevpon deuise to bring in a Boye of the age of twelue or .xiiii. yeeres who should faine that he was a Mounthermer by the fathers side and a Mountacute by the mothers side and that his father being slaine at the last warres against the Turke and he there taken hee was recouered by the Venetians in their last victorie and with them sayling towardes Venice they were driuen by tempest vpon these coastes and so came to the mariage vpon report as followeth and the sayde Boye pronounced the deuise in this sort WHat wōder you my Lords why gaze you gentlemen And wherefore maruaile you Mez Dames I praye you tell mée then◠Is it so rare a sight or yet so straunge a toye Amongst so many nooble péeres to sée one Pouer Boye Why boyes haue bene allowed in euerye kinde of age As Ganymede that pretye boye in Heauen is Ioue his page Cupid that mighty God although his force be fearse Yet is he but a naked Boye as Poets doe rehearse And many a préetye boye a mightye man hath proued And serued his Prince at all assayes deseruing to bée loued Percase my strange attire my glittering golden gite Doth eyther make you maruaile thus or moue you with delite Yet wonder not my Lordes for if your honours please But euen to giue me eare a while I wyll your doubtes appease And you shall knowe the cause wherefore these roabes are worne And why I goe outlandishe lyke yet being Englishe borne And why I thus presume to presse into this place And why I simple boye am bolde to looke such men in face Fyrst then you must perstande I am no straunger I But English boye in England borne and bred but euen hereby My father was a Knight Mount Hermer was his name My mother of the Mountacutes a house of worthy fame My father from his youth was trained vp in field And alwayes toke his chiefe delight in helmet speare and shielde Soldado for his life and in his happie dayes Soldado like hath lost his life to his immortall prayse The thundering fame which blewe about the worlde so wyde Howe that the Christian enemye the Turke that Prince of pride Addressed had his power to swarme vppon the Seas With Gallies foists and such liks ships well armde at al assaies And that he made his vaunt the gréedy fishe to glut With gobs of Christian carkasses in eruell péeces cut These newes of this report did pearce my fathers eares But neuer touched his noble heart with any sparke of feares For well he knewe the trade of all the Turkishe warres And had amongst them shed his blood at many cruell iarres In Rhodes his race begonne a slender tale yong man Where he by many martiall feats his spurres of knighthood wan Yea though the péece was lost yet won he honour styll And euermore against the Turkes he warred by his wyll At Chios many knowe how hardily he fought And howe with streames of stryuing blood his honoure deare hée bought At length enforst to yéeld with many captaines mo He bought his libertie with Landes and let his goodes ago Zechines of glistering golde two thousand was his price The which to paye his landes must leape for else he were vnwise Beléeue me nowe my Lordes although the losse be mine Yet I confesse them better solde than lyke a slaue to pine For landes maye come againe but lybertie once lost Can neuer finde such recompence as counteruailes the cost My selfe now know the case who lyke my fathers lot Was lyke of late for to haue lost my libertie God wot My father as I saye enforste to leaue his lande In mortgage to my mothers kinne for ready coyne in hande Gan nowe vpon these newes which earst I dyd rehearse Prepare himselfe to saue his pawne or else to léese his phearce And first his raunsome payde with that which dyd remaine He rigged vp a proper Barke was called Leffort Brittaine And lyke a venturer besides him séemely selfe Determined for to venture me and all his worldly pelfe Perhappes some hope of gaine perswaded so his minde For sure his hauty heart was bent some greate exploite to finde Howe so it were the windes nowe hoysted vp our sailes Wée furrowing in the foming flooddes to take our best auailes Now hearken to my wordes and marke you well the same For nowe I wyll declare the cause wherefore I hyther came My father as I saye had set vp all his rest And tost on seas both daye and night disdayning ydle rest We left our forelandes ende we past the coast of Fraunce We reacht the cape of Finis Terre our course for to aduaunce We past Marrocchus streightes and at the last descried The fertile coastes of Cyprus soile whicch I my selfe first spyed My selfe a foreward boye on highest top was plast And there I saw the Cyprian shoare whereto we sayld in haste Which when I had declared vnto the masters mate He lepte for ioye and thanked God of that our happy state But what remaines to man that can continue long What sunne can shine so cleare bright but cloudes may ryse among Which sentence soone was proued by our vnhappy hap We thought our selues full néere our friendes light in enemies lap The Turke that Tirant he with siege had girte the walles Of famous Famagosta then and sought to make them thralles And as he laye by lande in strong and stately trenche So was his power prest by Sea his Christian foes to drenche Vpon the waltring waues his Foistes and Gallies fléete More forrest like than orderly for such a man most méete This heauy sight once seene we turnde our course apace And set vp al our sailes in haste to giue suche furie place But out alas our willes and windes were contrarie For raging blastes did blowe vs still vppon our enimie My father séeing then whereto he néedes must go And that the mighty hand of God had it appointed so Most like a worthy knight though certaine of his death Gan cleane forget all wayling wordes as lauishe of his breath And to his Christian crewe this too shorte tale he told To comfort them which séemde to faint make the coward bold Fellowes in armes quod hée although I beare the charge And take vpon mée chieftaines name of this vnhappy barge Yet are you all my pheares and as one companie Wée must like true companions togeather liue and die You sée quod hée our foes with furious force at hand And in whose handes our handfull heere vnable is to stand What resteth then to doe should we vnto them yéeld And wifully receiue that yoke which Christians cannot weld No sure hereof be sure our liues were so vnsure And though we liue yet so
my race of youthfull yéeres had roon Alwayes vntyed and not but once in thrall Euen I which had the fieldes of fréedome woon And liu'd at large and playde with pleasurs ball Lo nowe at last am tane agayne and taught To tast such sorowes as I neuer sought I loue I loue alas I loue indéede Ierie alas but no man pityes me My woundes are wide yet seme they not to bléed And hidden woundes are hardly heald we sée Such is my lucke to catch a sodain clappe Of great mischaunce in séeking my good happe My morning minde which dwelt and dyed in dole Sought company for solace of the same My cares were cold and craued comforts coale To warme my will with flakes of friendly flame I sought and found I crau'd and did obtaine I woon my wish and yet I got no gaine For whiles I sought the cheare of company Fayre fellowship did wonted woes reuiue And crauing medcine for my maladie Dame pleasures plasters prou'd a corosiue So that by myrth I reapt no fruite but mone Much worse I fere than when I was alone The cause is this my lot did light to late The Byrdes were flowen before I found the nest The stéede was stollen before I shut the gate The cates consumd before I smelt the feast And I fond foole with emptie hand must call The gorged Hauke which likes no lure at all Thus still I toyle to till the barraine land And grope for grappes among the bramble briers I striue to saile and yet I sticke on sand I déeme to liue yet drowne in déepe desires These lottes of loue are fitte for wanton will Which findes too much yet must be séeking still Meritum petere graue The louer encouraged by former examples determineth to make vertue of necessitie WHen I record with in my musing mind The noble names of wightes bewicht in loue Such solace for my selfe therin I finde As nothing maye my fixed fansie moue But paciently I will endure my wo Because I sée the heauens ordayne it so For whiles I read and ryfle their estates In euery tale I note mine owne anoye But whiles I marke the meanings of their mates I séeme to swime in such a sugred ioye As did parcase entise them to delight Though turnd at last to drugges of sower despite Peruse who list Dan Dauids perfect déedes There shall he find the blot of Bersabe Wheron to thinke my heauy hart it bléedes When I compare my loue like hir to be Vrias wife before mine eyes that shines And Dauid I from dutie that declines Then Salomon this princely Peophetes sonne Did Pharaos daughter make him fall or no Yes yes perdie his wisdome coulde not shoone Hir subtill snares nor from hir counsell go I nam as hée the wisest wight of all But well I wot a woman holdes me thrall So am I lyke the proude Assirian Knight Which blasphem'd God and all the world defied Yet could a woman ouercome his might And daunt his force in all his Pompe and Pride I Holiferne am dronken brought to bead My loue lyke Iudith cutting of my head If I were strong as some haue made accompt Whose forre is like to that which Sampson had If I be bolde whose courage can surmount The heart of Hercules which nothing drad Yet Dalila and Deyanyraes loue Dyd teach them both such panges as I must proue Well let these passe and thinke on Nasoes name Whose skilfull verse dyd flowe in learned style Dyd hée thinke you not dote vpon his Dame Corinna fayre dyd shée not him beguile Yes God he knowes for verse nor pleasaunt rymes Can constant kéepe the key of Cressides crimes So that to ende my tale as I began I see the good the wise the stoute the bolde The strongest champion and the learnedst man Haue bene and bée by lust of loue controlde Which when to thinke I hold me well content To liue in loue and neuer to repen◠Meritum petere graue The delectable history of sundry aduentures passed by Dan Bartholmew of Bathe The Reporter TO tell a tale without authoritye Or fayne a Fable by inuencion That one procéedes of quicke capacitye That other proues but small discretion Yet haue both one and other oft bene done And if I were a Poet as some be You might perhappes here some such tale of me But far I fynde my féeble skyll to faynt To faine in figurs as the learned can And yet my tongue is tyde by due constraint To tell nothing but trueth of euery man I will assay euen as I first began To tell you nowe a tale and that of truth Which I my selfe sawe proued in my youth I néede not séeke so farre in costes abrode As some men do which write strange historyes For whiles at home I made my cheife abode And sawe our louers plaie their Tragedyes I found enough which séemed to suffice To set on worke farre finer wittes than mine In paynting out the pangs which make them pine Amongst the rest I most remember one Which was to me a déere familyar friend Whose doting dayes since they be paste and gone And his annoye neare come vnto an ende Although he séeme his angry brow to bend I wyll be bold by his leaue for to tell The restlesse state wherein he long dyd dwell Learned he was and that became him best For though by birth he came of worthy race Yet beutie byrth braue personage and the rest In euery choyce must needes giue learning place And as for him he had so hard a grace That by aspect he seemde a simple man And yet by learning much renowne he wan His name I hide and yet for this discourse Let call his name Dan Bartholmew of Bathe Since in the ende he thither had recourse And as he sayd dyd skamble there in skathe In déede the rage which wrong him there was rathe As by this tale I thinke your selfe will gesse And then with me his lothsome lyfe confesse For though he had in all his learned lore Both redde good rules to bridle fantasie And all good authours taugh him euermore To loue the meane and leaue extremitie Yet kind hath lent him such a qualitie That at the last he quite forgat his bookes And fastned fansie with the fairest lookes For proofe when gréene youth lept out of his eye And left him now a man of middle age His happe was yet with wandring lookes to spie A fayre yong impe of proper personage Eke borne as he of honest parentage And truth to tell my skill it cannot serue To praise hir bewtie as it dyd deserue First for hir head the béeres were not of Gold But of some other metall farre more fine Whereof eache crinet seemed to behold Like glistring wiers against the Sunne that shine And therewithall the blazing of hir eyne Was like the beames of Titan truth to tell Which glads vs all that in this world do dwell Vpon hir chéekes the Lillie and the Rose Did entremeete with equall change
of hewe And in hir giftes no lacke I can suppose But that at last alas she was vntrue Which flinging fault bicause it is not new Nor seldome seene in kits of Cressides kind I maruaile not nor beare it much in mind Dame Natures fruits wherewith hir face was fraught Were so frost bitten with the cold of craft That all saue such as Cupides snares had caught Might soone espie the fethers of his shaft But Bartholmew his wits had so bedaft That all seemd good which might of hir be gotten Although it proude no sooner ripe than rotten That mouth of hirs which séemde to flowe with mell In spéeche in voice in tender touch in tast That dympled chin wherein delight dyd dwell That ruddy lippe wherein was pleasure plast Those well shapt hands fine armes and slender wast With al the giftes which gaue hir any grace Were smiling baites which caught fond fooles apace Why striue I then to paint hir name with praise Since forme and fruites were found so farre vnlyke Since of hir cage Inconstance kept the keyes And Change had cast hir honoure downe in dike Since fickle kind in hir the stroke did strike I may no prayse vnto a knife bequeath With rust yfret though paynted be the sheath But since I must a name to hir assigne Let call hir now Ferenda Natura And if thereat she séeme for to repine No force at all for hereof am I sure a That since hir prankes were for the most vnpure a. I can appoint hir well no better name Than this where in dame Nature bears the blame And thus I say when Bartholmew had spent His pride of youth vntide in linkes of loue Behold how happe contrary to intent Or destenies ordained from aboue From which no wight on earth maye well remoue Presented to his vew this fierie dame To kindle coles where earst had bene no flame Whome when he sawe to shine in séemely grace And therewithall gan marke hir tender youth He thought not like that vnder such aface She could conuey the treason of vntruth Whereby be vowed alas the more his ruth To serue this saynt for terme of all his life Lo here both roote and rind of all his strife I cannot nowe in louing termes displaye His suite his seruice nor his sorie fare His obseruaunces nor his queynt aray His skalding sighes nor yet his cooling care His wayting still to snatch himselfe in snare I can not write what was his swéetest soure For I my selfe was neuer Paramoure But to conclude much worth in litle writte The highest flying hauke will stoupe at laste The wildest beast is drawne with hungrye bitte To eate a homlye bayte some times in hast The pricke of kinde can neuer be vnplaste And so it séemed by this dayntye dame Whome he at last with labour did reclame And when he had with mickel payne procured The calme consent of hir vnweldie will When he had hir by faith and troth assured To like him beste and aye to loue him still When fansie had of flatterie fedde his fill I not discerne to tell my tale aright What man but he had euer such delight The lingring dayes he spent in trifling toyes To whette the tooles which carued his contente The poasting nightes he past in pleasing ioyes Wearing the webbe which loue to him had lente In such a pinfolde were his pleasures pent That selde he could hir company eschewe Or leaue such lookes as might his sport renewe But if by force he forced were to parte Then mighte you see howe fansie fedde his minde Then all alone he mused on his marte All company séemde then but hirs vnkind Then sent he tokens true loue for to bind Then wrote he letters lines and louing layes So to beguile his absent dolefull dayes And since I know as others eake can tell What skyll he had and howe he could endite Mée thinkes I cannot better doe than well To set downe here his ditties of delyght For so at least I maye my selfe acquite And vaunt to shewe some verses yet vnknowne Well worthy prayse though none of them myne owne No force for that take you them as they be Since mine emprice is but to make report Imagine then before you that you sée A wight bewitcht in many a subtile sort A Louer lodgd in pleasures princely port Vaunting in verse what ioyes be dyd possesse His triumphes here I thinke wyll shewe no lesse Dan Bartholmew his first Triumphe REsigne king Priams sonnes that princes were in Troy Resigne to me your happy dayes and boast no more of ioy Syr Paris first stand forth make aunswere for thy pheare And if thou canst defend hir cause whome Troy did bye so deare What blush not man be bold although thou beare some blame Tell truth at last and so be sure to saue thy selfe from shame Then gentle Sheapheard say what madnesse dyd thée moue To choose of all the flowers in Greece foule Helene for thy loue Néeds must I coumpt hir foule whose first frutes were forlorne Although she solde hir seconde chaffe aboue the price of corne Alas shée made of thée a noddye for the nonce For Menelaus lost hir twise though thou hir foundst but once But yet if in thine eye shée séemde a péerelesse péece Aske Theseus that mighty Duke what towns she knew in Greece Aske him what made hir leaue hir wofull aged sire And steale to Athens gyglot like what what but foule desire Alas poore Paris thou didst nothing else but gleane The partched eares which he cast by when he had reaped cleane He sliude the gentle slippe which could both twist and twind And growing left the broken braunch for thē that came behind Yet hast thou fild the world with brute the more thy blame And sayest that Hellens bewty past each other stately dame For profe thou canst alledge the tast of ten years warre And how hir blazing beames first brought both Greece Troy to iarre No no thou art deceiude the drugs of of foule despite Did worke in Menelaus will not losse of such delighte Not loue but lothsome hate not dolour but disdain Did make him selfe a sharpe reuēge til both his foes were slain Thy brother Troylus eke that gemme of gentle déedes To thinke howe he abused was alas my heart it bléedes He bet about the bushe whiles other caught the birds Whome crafty Gresside mockt to muche yet fede him still with words And god he knoweth not I who pluckt hir first sprong rose Since Lollius and Chaucer both make doubt vpon that glose But this I knowe to well and he to farre it felte How Diomede vndid his knots caught both brooch and belt And how she chose to change and how she changed still And how she dyed leaper like a gainst hir louers will. Content you then good knightes your triumphe to resigne Confesse your starres both dimme and darke wheras my sunne doth shine For this I dare avow without vaunt be it told My derling is
My faynting lymmes straight fall into a sowne Before the taste of Ippocrace is felt The naked name in dollours doth mée drowne For then I call vnto my troubled mynde That Ippocrace hath bene thy daylye drinke That Ippocrace hath walkt with euerye winde In bottels that were fylled to the brinke With Ippocrace thou banquetedst full ofte With Ippocrace thou madst thy selfe full merrye Such chéere had set thy new loue so alofte That olde loue nowe was scarcely worth a cherry And then againe I fall into a traunce But when my breth returnes against my wyll Before my tongue can tell my wofull chaunce I heare my fellowes how they whisper still One sayth that Ippocrace is contrary Vnto my nature and complexion Whereby they iudge that all my malladye Was long of that by alteration An other sayth no no this man is weake And for such weake so hote thinges are not best Then at the last I heare no lyar speake But one which knowes the cause of mine vnrest ▪ And sayth this man is for my life in loue He hath receiued repulse or dronke disdaine Alas crye I and ere I can remoue Into a sowne I sone returne againe Thus driue I foorth my doolefull dining time And trouble others with my troubles styll But when I here the Bell hath passed prime Into the Bathe I wallowe by my wyll That there my teares vnsene might ease my griefe For though I starue yet haue I fed my fill In priuie panges I count my best relife And still I striue in weary woes to drench But when I plondge than woe is at an ebbe My glowing coles are all to quicke to quenche And I to warme am wrapped in the webbe Which makes me swim against the wished waue Lo thus deare wenche I leade a lothsome life And greedely I séeke the greedy graue To make an ende of all these stormes and strife But death is deafe and heares not my desire So that my dayes continewe styl in dole And in my nightes I féele the secrete fire Which close in embers coucheth lyke a cole And in the daye hath bene but raked vp With couering ashes of my company Now breakes it out and boyles the careful cuppe Which in my heart doth hang full heauily I melt in teares I swelt in chilling sweat My swelling heart breakes with delay of paine I fréeze in hope yet burne in haste of heate I wishe for death and yet in life remaine And when dead sléepe doth close my dazeled eyes Then dreadful dreames my dolors do encrease Me thinkes I lie awake in wofull wise And sée thée come my sorrowes for to cease Me séemes thou saist my good what meaneth this What ayles thée thus co languish and lament How can it be that bathing all in blisse Such cause vnknowne disquiets thy content Thou doest me wrong to kéepe so close from me The grudge or griefe which gripeth now thy heart For well thou knowest I must thy partner be In bale in blisse in solace and in smarte Alas alas these things I déeme in dreames But when mine eyes are open and awake I sée not thée where with the flowing streames Of brinishe teares their wonted floods do make Thus as thou séest I spend both nightes and dayes And for I find the world did iudge me once A witlesse wryter of these louers layes I take my pen and paper for the nonce I laye aside this foolishe ryding rime And as my troubled head can bring to passe I thus bewray the torments of my time Beare with my Muse it is not as it was Fato non fortuna The extremitie of his Passion AMong the toyes which tosse my braine and reaue my mind from quiet rest This one I finde doth there remaine to breede debate within my brest VVhen wo would work to wound my wyl I cannot weepe nor waile my fyll My tongue hath not the skill to tell the smallest griefe which gripes my heart Mine eyes haue not the power to swell into such Seas of secrete smart That will might melt to waues of woe and I might swelt in sorrowes so Yet shed mine eyes no trickling teares but flouddes which flowe abundauntly VVhose fountaine first enforst by feares found out the gappe of ielousie And by that breache it soketh so that all my face is styll on flowe My voice is like the raging wind which roareth still and neuer staies The thoughtes which tomble in my minde are like the wheele which whirles alwayes Nowe here nowe there nowe vp now downe in depth of waues yet cannot drowne The sighes which boyle out of my brest are not lyke those which others vse For louers sighes sometimes take rest And lend their mindes a leaue to muse But mine are like the surging Seas whome calme nor quiet can appeas And yet they be but sorrowes smoke my brest the fordge where furie playes My panting heart yt strikes the stroke my fancie blowes the flame alwaies The coles are kindled by desire and Cupide warmes him by the fire Thus can I neyther drowne in dole nor burne to ashes though I waste Mine eyes can neyther quenche the cole which warmes my heart in all this haste Nor yet my fancie make such flame that I may smoulder in the same VVherefore I come to seeke out Care beseeching him of curtesie To cut the thread which cannot weare by panges of such perplexitie And but he graunt this boone of mine thus must I liue and euer pine Fato non fortuna LO thus déere heart I force my frantike Muse To frame a verse in spite of my despight But whiles I doo these mirthlesse méeters vse This rashe conceite doth reue me from delight I call to minde howe many louing layes Howe many Sonets and how many songes I dyd deuise within those happie dayes When yet my wyl had not receiued wronges All which were euermore regarded so That litle fruite I séemd thereby to reape But rather when I had bewrayed my woe Thy loue was light and lusted styll to leape The rimes which pleased thee were all in print And mine were ragged hard for to be read Lo déere this dagger dubbes me with this dint And leaue this wound within my ielous head But since I haue confessed vnto Care That now I stand vppon his curtesie And that the bale which in my brest I bare Hath not the skill to kyll me cunningly Therefore with all my whole deuotion To Care I make this supplication Fato non fortuna His libell of request exhibited to Care. O Curteous Care whome others cruell call And raile vpon thine honourable name O knife that canst cut of the thread of thrall O sheare that shreadst the séemerent shéete of shame O happye ende of euery gréeuous game Vouchsafe O Prince thy vassall to behold Who loues thée more than can with tongue be told And nowe vouchsafe to pittie this his plaint Whose teares bewray His truth alway Although his feeble tongue be forst to faint I must confesse
men as maye confesse with me How contrary the lots of loue to all true louers bée Let Patience be the Priest the Clarke be Close conceipt The Sertin be Simplicitie which meaneth no disceipt Let almes of Loue be delt euen at the Chaunsell doore And feede them there with freshe delayes as I haue bene of yore Then let the yongest sort be set to ring Loues Bels And pay Repentance for their paines but giue thē nothing else Thus when the Dirge is done let euery man depart And learne by me what harme it is to haue a faithfull hart Those litle landes I haue mine heyre must needes possesse His name is Lust the landes be losse few louers scape with lesse The rest of all my goodes which I not here rehearse Giue learned Poets for their paines to decke my Tombe with verse And let them write these wordes vpon my carefull chest Lo here he lies that was as true in loue as is the best Alas I had forgot the Parsons dewe to paye And so my soule in Purgatorye might remaine alway Then for my priuie Tythes as kysses caught by stealth Sweete collinges such other knackes as multiplied my wealth I giue the Vickar here to please his gréedie wyll A deintie dishe of suger soppes but saust with sorrow stil And twise a wéeke at least let dight them for his dishe On Fridayes and on wednesdaies to saue expence of fishe Nowe haue I much bequeathed and litle left behinde And others mo must yet be serued or else I were vnkinde Wet eyes and wayling wordes Executours I make And for their paines ten pound of teares let either of them take Let sorrow at the last my Suprauisor be And stedfastnesse my surest steade I giue him for his fée Yet in his pattent place this Sentence of prouiso That he which loueth stedfastly shall want no sauce of sorrow Thus now I make an ende of this my wearie wyll And signe it with my simple hand and set my seale there tyll And you which reade my wordes although they be in rime Yet reason may perswade you eke Thus louers dote sometime The Subscription and seale MY mansion house was Mone from Dolours dale I came I Fato Non Fortuna hight lo now you know my name My seale is sorrowes sythe within a fielde of flame Which cuts in twaine a carefull heart that sweltreth in the same Fato non Fortuna ALas lo now I heare the passing Bell Which Care appointeth carefullye to knoule And in my brest I féele my heart now swell To breake the stringes which ioynde it to my soule The Crystall yse which lent mine eyes their light Doth now waxe dym and dazeled all with dread My senses all wyll now forsake me quite And hope of health abandoneth my head My wearie tongue can talke no longer now My trembling hand nowe leaues my penne to hold My ioynts nowe stretch my body cannot bowe My skinne lookes pale my blood now waxeth cold And are not these the very panges of death Yes sure sweete heart I know them so to bée They be the panges which striue to stop my breath They be the panges which part my loue from thée What sayd I Loue Nay life but not my loue My life departes my loue continues styll My lothed lyfe may from my corpse remoue My louing Loue shall alwayes worke thy wyll It was thy wyll euen thus to trye my truth Thou hast thy wyll my truth may now be sene It was thy wyll that I should dye in youth Thou hast thy wyll my yeares are yet but grene Thy penaunce was that I should pine in paine I haue performde thy penaunce all in wo Thy pleasure was that I should here remaine I haue bene glad to please thy fansie so Nowe since I haue performed euery part Of thy commaunde as neare as tongue can tell Content thée yet before my muse depart To take this Sonet for my last farewell Fato non fortuna His Farewell FArewell déere Loue whome I haue loued and shall Both in this world and in the world to come For proofe whereof my sprite is Charons thrall And yet my corpse attendant on thy toome Farewell déere swéete whose wanton wyll to please Eche taste of trouble séemed mell to me Farewell swéete deare whose doubtes for to appease I was contented thus in bale to be Farewell my lyfe farewell for and my death For thee I lyu'd for thee nowe must I dye Farewell from Bathe whereas I feele my breath Forsake my breast in great perplexitie Alas how welcome were this death of mine If I had dyde betweene those armes of thine Fato non Fortuna The Reporters conclusion WHere might I now find flooddes of flowing teares So to suffice the swelling of mine eyes How might my breast vnlode the bale it beares Alas alas how might my tongue deuise To tell this weary tale in wofull wise To tell I saye these tydinges nowe of truth Which may prouoke the craggy rockes to rush In depth of dole would God that I were drownde Where flattering ioyes might neuer find me out Or graued so within the gréedy grounde As false delights might neuer bréede my doubt Nor guilefull loue hir purpose bring about Whose trustlesse traines in collours for to paint I find by proofe my wittes are all to faint I was that man whome destinies ordeine To beare eche griefe that groweth on the mold I was that man which proued to my paine More panges at once than can with tongue be told I was that man hereof you maye be hold Whome heauen and earth did frame to scoffe and scorne I I was he which to that ende was borne Suffized not my selfe to taste the fruite Of sugred sowres which growe in gadding yeares But that I must with paine of lyke pursute Perceiue such panges by paterne of my peares And féele how fansies fume could fond my pheares Alas I find all fates against me bent For nothing else I lyue but to lament The force of friendship bound by holy othe Dyd drawe my wyll into these croked wayes For with my frend I went to Bathe though loth To lend some comfort in his dollie dayes The stedfast friend stickes fast at all assayes Yet was I loth such time to spend in vaine The cause whereof lo here I tell you playne By proofe I found as you may well perceiue That all good counsell was but worne in wast Such painted paines his passions did deceiue That bitter gall was mell to him in tast Within his will such rootes of ruine plast As graffes of griefes were only giuen to growe Where youth did plant and rash conceite did sowe I sawe at first his eares were open aye To euery tale which fed him with some hope As fast againe I sawe him turne away From graue aduise which might his conscience grope From reasons rule his fancie lightly lope He only gaue his mind to get that gaine Which most he wisht and least could yet attaine Not I
colde in earth and claye But that I was restored vnto breath By one that séemde lyke Pellycane to playe Who shed his blood to giue me foode alwaye And made me liue in spite of sorrowe styll Sée how my dreame agrees now with this byll His feebled wittes forgotten had there whyle By whome and howe he had this letter first But when he spyde the man then gan he smile For secréete ioye his heart dyd séeme to burst Now thought he best that earst he compted worst And louingly he dyd the man embrace And askt howe farde the roote of all his grace Sée sodaine chaunge sée subtile swéete disceipte Behold how loue can make his subiectes blinde Let all men marke hereby what guilefull baite Dan Cupide layeth to tyse the louers minde Alacke alacke a slender thread maye binde That prysonor fast which meanes to tarrye styll A lytle road correctes a ready wyll The briefe was writte and blotted all with gore And thus it sayde Behold howe stedfast loue Hath made me hardy thankes haue he therefore To write these wordes thy doubtes for to remoue VVith mine owne blood and yf for thy behoue These bloody lynes do not thy Cares conuert I vowe the next shall bleede out of my heart I dwell to long vpon this thriftlesse tale For Bartholmew was well appeasde hereby And féelingly he banished his bale Taking herein a tast of remedy By lyte and lyte his fittes away gan flye And in short space he dyd recouer strength To stand on foote and take his horse at length So that we came to London both yfere And there his Goddesse tarryed tyll we came I am to blame to call hir Goddesse here Since she deserude in déede no Goddesse name But sure I thinke and you may iudge the same She was to to him a Goddesse in his thought Although perhaps hir Shrines was ouerbought I maye not write what words betwéene them past How teares of griefe were turnde to teares of ioye Nor how their dole became delight at last Nor how they made great myrth of much anoye Nor how content was coyned out of coye But what I sawe and what I well maye write That as I maye I meane for to endite In louely London loue gan nowe renew This blooddye Letter made it battle much And all the doubtes which he in fansies drew Were done away as there had bene none such But to him self◠he bare no body grutch Him selfe he sayde was cause of all this wo Withouten cause that hir suspected so O louing Youthes this glasse was made for you And in the same you may your selues behold Beléeue me nowe not one in all your crew Which where he loues hath courage to be bold Your Cressides climes are alwaies vncontrold You dare not saye the Sunne is cleare and bright You dare not sweare that darkesome is the night Terence was wise which taught by Pamphilus Howe courage quailes where loue be blinds the sence Though proofe of times makes louers quarelous Yet small excuse serues loue for iust defence These Courtisanes haue power by pretence To make a Swan of that which was a Crowe As though blacke pitche were turned into Snowe Ferenda She whome heauen and earth had framde For his decaye and to bewitche his wittes Made him nowe thinke him selfe was to be blamde Which causeles thus would fret himselfe in fittes Shée made him thinke that sorrowe sildome sittes Where trust is tyed in fast and faithfull knottes She sayd Mistrust was méete for simple sottes What wyl you more shée made him to beléeue That she first loued although she yonger were She made him thinke that his distresse dyd gréeue Hir guiltlesse minde and that it might appeare Howe these conceiptes could ioyne or hang yfere She dyd confesse howe soone shée yeelded his Such force quod she in learned men there is She furder sayde that all to true it was Howe youthfull yeares and lacke of him alone Had made hir once to choose out brittle glasse For perfect Gold She dyd confesse with mone That youthfully shee bytte a worthlesse bone But that therein she tasted déepe delight That sayde shée not nor I presume to write Shée sware and that I beare full well in minde Howe Dyomede had neuer Troylus place Shée sayd and sware how euer sate the winde That Admirals dyd neuer know hir case She sayd againe that neuer Noble Face Dyd please hir eye nor moued hir to change She sayd hir minde was neuer geuen to range She sayd and sayd that Bracelettes were ybound To hold him fast but not to charme his thought She wysht therewith that she were déepely drownd In Ippocrace if euer she had sought Or dronke or smelt or tane or found or bought Such Nectar droppes as she with him had dronke But this were true she wisht hir soule were sonke And to conclude she sayde no printed rymes Could please hir so as his braue Triumphes dyd Why wander I She cou'red all hir crimes With déepe disceipt and all hir guiles she hyd With fained teares and Bartholmew she ryd With double gyrthes she byt and whyned both And made him loue where he had cause to loth These be the fruictes which grow on such desire These are the gaines ygot by such an art To late commes be that séekes to quenche the fire When flames possesse the house in euery part Who lyst in peace to kéepe a quiet hart Flye loue betimes for if he once oretake him Then seeld or neuer shall he well forsake him If once thou take him Tenaunt to thy brest No wrytte nor force can serue to plucke him thence No pylles can purge his humour lyke the rest He bydes in bones and there takes residence Against his blowes no bucklar makes defence And though with paine thou put him from thy house Yet lurkes hée styll in corners lyke a Mouse At euery hole he créepeth in by stelth And priuilye he féedeth on thy crommes With spoiles vnséene he wasteth all thy welth He playes boe péepe when any body commes And dastardlik he séemes to dread the drommes Although in déede in Embushe he awaytes To take thée stragling yf thou passe his straites So séemed now by Bartholmews successe Who yeelded sone vnto this second charge Accusing styll him selfe for his distresse And that he had so languished at large Short worke to make he had none other charge To beare loues blowes but styll to trust hir tale And pardon craue because he bread hir bale And thus he lyude contented styll with craft Mistrusting most that gaue least cause of doubt He fledde mishappe and helde it by the haft He banisht bale and bare it styll about He let in loue and thought to hold him out He séemde to bathe in perfect blisse againe When God he knowes he fostred priuie paine For as the Trée which crooked growes by kinde Although it be with propping vnderset In trackt of time to crooked course wyll twinde So could Ferenda neuer more forget The lease at
is the mightie quéene Of all good workes growes by experience Which is not founde with fewe dayes séeking for Ete. And were not this both sounde and wise aduise Boldly to looke our foemen in the face Before they spred our fields with hugie hoste And all the towne beset by siege at once Cre. We be but few and they in number great Ete. Our men haue yet more courage farre than they Cre. That know I not nor am I sure to say Ete. Those eyes of thine in little space shall sée How many I my selfe can bring to grounde Cre. That would I like but harde it is to doe Eto I nill penne vp our men within the walles Cre. In counsell yet the victorie consistes Ete. And wilt thou then I vse some other reade Cre. What else be still a while for hast makes wast Ete. By night I will the Cammassado giue Cre. So may you do and take the ouerthrowe Ete. The vauntage is to him that doth assaulte Cre. Yet skirmishe giuen by night is perillous Ete. Let set vpon them as they sit at meat Cre. Sodayne assaults affray the minde no doubt But we had néede to ouercome Ete. So shall we do Cre. No sure vnlesse some other counsell helpe Ete. Amid their trenches shall we them inuade Cre. As who should say were none to make defence Ete. Should I then yéeld the Citie to my foes Cre. No but aduise you well if you be wise Ete. That were thy parte that knowest more than I. Cre. Then shall I say that best doth séeme to me Ete. Yea Creon yea thy counsell holde I deare Cre. Seuen men of courage haue they chosen out Ete. A slender number for so great emprise Cre. But they them chose for guides and capitaynes Ete. To such an hoste why they may not suffise Cre. Nay to assault the seuen gates of the citie Ete. What then behoueth so bestad to done Cre. With equall number sée you do them match Ete. And then commit our men in charge to them Cre. Chusing the best and boldest blouds in Thebes Ete. And how shall I the Citie then defende Cre. Well-with the rest for one man sées not all Ete. And shall I chuse the boldest or the wisest Cre. Nay both for one without that other fayles Ete. Force without wisedome then is little worth Cre. That one must be fast to that other ioynde Ete. Creon I will thy counsell follow still For why I hold it wise and trusty both And out of hand for now I will departe That I in time the better may prouide Before occasion slip out of my hands And that I may this Polynices quell For well may I with bloudy knife him slea That comes in armes my countrie for to spoyle But if so please to fortune and to fate That other ende than I do thinke may fall To thée my frend it resteth to procure The mariage twixt my sister Antygone And thy deare sonne Haemone to whom for dowre At parting thus I promise to performe As much as late I did beheste to thée My mothers bloude and brother deare thou arte Ne néede I craue of thée to gard hir well As for my father care I not for if So chaunce I dye it may full well be sayd His bitter curses brought me to my bane Cre. The Lord defend for that vnworthy were Ete. Of Thebes towne the rule and scepter loe I néede nor ought it otherwise dispose Than vnto thée if I dye without heyre Yet longs my lingring mynde to vnderstand The doubtfull ende of this vnhappie warre Wherfore I will thou send thy sonne to seke Tyresias the deuine and learne of him For at my call I knowe he will not come That often haue his artes and him reprovde Cre. As you commaund so ought I to performe Ete. And last I thée and citie both commaund If fortune frendly fauour our attemptes And make our men triumphant victors all That none there be so hardie ne so bolde For Polynices bones to giue a graue And who presumes to breake my beste herein Shall dye the death in penaunce of his paine For though I were by bloud to him conioynde I paâ—t it now and iustice goeth with me To guide my steppes victoriously before Pray you to Ioue he deigne for to defende Our Citie safe both now and euermore Cre. Gramercie worthie prince for all thy loue And faithfull trust thou doest in me repose And if should hap that I hope neuer shall I promise yet to doe what best behoues But chieflie this I sweare and make a vowe For Polynices nowe our cruell foe To holde the hest that thou doest me commaunde Creon attendeth Eteocles to the gates Electrae he returneth and goeth out by the gates called Homoloydes CHORVS O Fierce and furious Mars whose harmefull harte Reioyceth most to shed the giltlesse blood Whose headie wil doth all the world subuert And doth enuie the pleasant mery moode Of our estate that erst in quiet stoode Why doest thou thus our harmelesse towne annoye Which mightie Bacchus gouerned in ioye Father of warre and death that dost remoue With wrathfull wrecke from wofull mothers breast The trustie pledges of their tender loue So graunt the Gods that for our finall rest Dame Venus pleasant lookes may please thée best Wherby when thou shalt all amazed stand The sword may fall out of thy trembling hand And thou maist proue some other way full well The bloudie prowesse of thy mightie speare Wherwith thou raisest from the depth of hell The wrathfull sprites of all the furies there Who when the weake doe wander euery where And neuer rest to range about the coastes Tenriche that pit with spoile of damned ghostes And when thou hast our fieldes forsaken thus Let cruell discorde beare thée companie Engirt with snakes and serpents venemous Euen she that can with red virmilion dye The gladsome gréene that florisht pleasantly And make the gréedie ground a drinking cup To sup the bloud of murdered bodyes vp Yet thou returne O ioye and pleasant peace From whence thou didst against our wil depart Ne let thy worthie minde from trauell cease To chase disdaine out of the poysned harte That raised warre to all our paynes and smarte Euen from the brest of Oedipus his sonne Whose swelling pride hath all this iarre begonne And thou great God that doest all things decrée And sitst on highe aboue the starrie skies Thou chiefest cause of causes all that bée Regard not his offence but heare our cries And spedily redresse our miseries For what cause we poore wofull wretches doe But craue thy aide and onely cleaue therto Finis Actus secundi Done by G. Gascoygne The order of the thirde dumbe shevve BEfore the beginning of this .iij. Act did sound a very dolefull noise of cornettes during the which there opened and appeared in the stage a great Gulfe Immediatly came in .vj. gentlemeÌ„ in their dublets hose bringing vpon their shulders baskets full of earth and threwe them
vnto the right hand taking the crownes from the kings heads she crowned therwith the ij slaues casting the vyle clothes of the slaues vpon the kings she despoyled the kings of their robes and therwith apparelled the slaues This done she was drawen eftsones about the stage in this order and then departed leauing vnto vs a plaine Type or figure of vnstable fortune who dothe oftentimes raise to heighte of dignitie the vile and vnnoble and in like manner throweth downe frō the place of promotiō euen those whō before she hir selfe had thither aduaunced after hir departure came in Duke Creon with foure gentlemen wayting vpon him and lamented the death of Meneceus his sonne in this maner Actus .iij. Scena .1 CREON. CHORVS ALas what shall I do bemone my selfe Or rue the ruine of my Natiue lande About the which such cloudes I sée enclosde As darker cannot couer dreadfull hell With mine own eyes I saw my own deare sonne All gorde with bloud of his too bloudy brest Which he hath shed full like a friend too deare To his countrey and yet a cruell foe To me that was his friend and father both Thus to him selfe he gaynde a famous name And glory great to me redoubled payne Whose haplesse death in my afflicted house Hath put suche playnt as I ne can espie What comfort might acquiet their distresse I hither come my sister for to séeke Iocasta she that might in wofull wise Amid hir high and ouer pining cares Prepare the baynes for his so wretched corps And eke for him that nowe is not in life May pay the due that to the dead pertaynes And for the honor he did well deserue To giue some giftes vnto infernall Gods. Cho. My Lorde your sister is gone forth long since Into the campe and with hir Antigone Hir daughter deare Cre. Into the campe alas and what to do Cho. She vnderstoode that for this realme foorthwith Hir sonnes were gréed in combate for to ioyne Cre. Alas the funerals of my deare sonne Dismayed me so that I ne did receiue Ne séeke to knowe these newe vnwelcome newes But loe beholde a playne apparant signe Of further feares the furious troubled lookes Of him that commeth heere so hastilye Scena 2. NVNCIVS CREON. CHORVS ALas alas what shall I doe alas What shriching voyce may serue my wofull wordes O wretched I ten thousande times a wretch The messanger of dread and cruell death Cre. Yet more mishap and what vnhappie newes Nun. My Lord your nephues both haue lost their liues Cre. Out and alas to me and to this towne Thou doest accompt great ruine and decay You royall familie of Oedipus And heare you this your liege and soueraigne Lordes The brethren both are slayne and done to death Cho. O cruell newes most cruell that can come O newes that might these stony walles prouoke For tender ruthe to brust in bitter teares And so they would had they the sense of man. Cre. O worthy yong Lordes that vnworthy were Of such vnworthy death O me moste wretch Nun. More wretched shall ye déeme your selfe my lord When you shall heare of further miserie Cre. And can there be more miserie than this Nun. With hir deare sonnes the quéene hir self is slaine Cho. Bewayle ladies alas good ladies waile This harde mischaunce this cruell common euill Ne hencefoorth hope for euer to reioyce Cre. O Iocasta miserable mother What haplesse ende thy life alas hath hent Percase the heauens purueyed had the same Moued therto by the wicked wedlocke Of Oedipus thy sonne yet might thy scuse But iustly made that knewe not of the crime But tell me messanger oh tell me yet The death of these two brethren driuen therto Not thus all onely by their drearie fate But by the banning and the bitter cursse Of their cruell sire borne for our annoy And here on earth the onely soursse of euill Nun. Then know my Lorde the battell that begonne Vnder the walles was brought to luckie ende Eteocles had made his fotemen flée Within their trenches to their foule reproche But herewithall the brethren both straightway Eche other chalenge foorth into the fielde By combate so to stinte their cruell strife Who armed thus amid the fielde appeard First Polynice turning toward Gréece His louely lookes gan Iuno thus beséeche O heauenly quéene thou séest that since the day I first did wedde Adrastus daughter deare And stayde in Gréece thy seruaunt haue I bene Then be it not for mine vnworthinesse Graunt me this grace the victorie to winne Graunt me that I with high triumphant hande May bathe this blade within my brothers brest I know I craue vnworthy victorie Vnworthy triumphes and vnworthy spoyles Lo he the cause my cruell enimie The people wept to beare the wofull wordes Of Polynice foreséeing eke the ende Of this outrage and cruell combate tane Eche man gan looke vpon his drouping mate With mindes amazed and trembling hearts for dread Whom pitie perced for these youthfull knightes Eteocles with eyes vp cast to heauen Thus sayde O mightie loue his daughter graunt to me That this right hande with this sharpe armed launce Passing amid my brothers cankred brest It may eke pierce that cowarde hart of his And so him slea that thus vnworthily Disturbes the quiet of our common weale So sayde Eteocles and trumpets blowne To sende the summons of their bloudy fighte That one the other fiercely did encounter Like Lions two yfraught with boyling wrath Bothe coucht their launces full agaynst the face But heauen it nolde that there they should them teinte Vpon the battred shields the mightie speares Are bothe ybroke and in a thousande shiuers Amid the ayre flowne vp into the heauens Beholde agayne with naked sworde in hande Eche one the other furiously assaultes Here they of Thebes there stoode the Greekes in doubt Of whom doth eche man féele more chilling dread Least any of the twayne should lose his life Than any of the twayne did féele in fight Their angry lookes their deadly daunting blowes Might witnesse well that in their heartes remaynde As cankred hate disdayne and furious moode As euer bred in beare or tygers brest The first that hapt to hurt was Polinice Who smote the righte thighe of Eteocles But as we déeme the blow was nothing déepe Then cryed the Gréekes and lepte with lightned harts But streight agayne they helde their peace for why Eteocles gan thrust his wicked sworde In the lefte arme of vnarmed Pollinice And let the bloud from bare vnfenced fleshe With falling drops distill vpon the ground Ne long he stayes but with an other thrust His brothers belly boweld with his blade Then wretched he with bridle left at large From of his horsse fell pale vpon the ground Ne long it was but downe our duke dismountes From of his startling steede and runnes in hast His brothers haplesse helme for to vnlace And with such hungry minde desired spoyle As one that thought the fielde already woonne
in carelesse mindes to dwell So did they earst and so they will do euer And to my Lord for to bewray my minde Me thinkes they be a race of Bulbéefe borne Whose hartes their Butter mollyfieth by kinde And so the force of béefe is cleane outworne And eke their braines with double béere are lynd◠So that they march bumbast with buttred béere Like soppes of browesse puffed vp with froth Where inwardely they be but hollowe géere As weake as winde which with one puffe vp goeth And yet they bragge and thinke they haue no péere Bicause Harlem hath hitherto helde out Although in déed as they haue suffred Spayne The ende thereof euen now doth rest in doubt Well as for that let it for me remaine In God his hands whose hand hath brought me out To tell my Lord this tale nowe tane in hande As howe they traine their trezons all in drinke And when them selues for drunk can scarcely stande Yet sucke out secretes as them selues do thinke From guests The best almost in all their lande I name no man for that were brode before Will as men say enure the same sometime But surely this or I mistake him sore Or else he can but let it passe in rime Dissemble déepe and mocke sometimes the more Well drunkennesse is here good companie And therewithall per consequens it falles That whordome is accompted iollitie A gentle state where two suche Tenisballes Are tossed still and better bowles let lie I cannot herewith from my Lord conceale How God and Mammon here do dwell yfeare And how the Masse is cloked vnder veale Of pollicie till all the coast be cleare Ne can I chuse but I must ring a peale To tell what hypocrytes the Nunnes here be And how the olde Nunnes be content to go Before a man in streates like mother B Vntill they come wheras there dwels a Ho Re ceyue that halfe and let the rest go frée There can they poynt with finger as they passe Yea sir sometimes they can come in themselfe To strike the bergaine twéene a wanton lasse And Edel bloets nowe is not this good pelfe As for the yong Nunnes they be bright as glasse And chaste forsooth met v and anders niet What sayde I what that is a misterie I may no verse of such a theame endite Yong Rowlande Yorke may tell it bet than I Yet to my Lorde this little will I write That though I haue my selfe no skill at all To take the countnance of a Colonel Had I a good Lieutenant general As good Iohn Zuche whereuer that he dwel Or else Ned Dennye faire mought him befal I coulde haue brought a noble regiment Of smugskinnde Nunnes into my countrey soyle But farewell they as things impertinent Let them for me go dwell with master Moyle Who hath behight to place them well in Kent And I shall well my sillie selfe content To come alone vnto my louely Lorde And vnto him when riming sporte is spent To tel some sadde and reasonable worde Of Hollandes state the which I will present In Cartes in Mappes and eke in Models made If God of heauen my purpose not preuent And in meane while although my wits do wade In ranging rime and fling some follie foorth I trust my Lorde will take it well in woorth Haud ictus sapio ⧠WEEDES Tam Marti quà m Mercurio ¶ In this diuision are conteyned The fruite of Fetters Folio 175 The complaynt of the green Knight Folio 178 The farewel to Fansie Folio 190 The fable of Ferdinando Ieronimi and Leonora de Valasco Folio 193 The prayse of a Gentlewoman neither fair nor welfauored The prayse of Phillip Sparrowe Folio 279 Farewel with a mischief Folio 281 The doale of disdaine Folio 282 Mars in despite of Vulcane folio 284 Patience perforce Folio 286 A letter for a yong louer Folio 287 Dauid saluteth Bersabe Folio 288 Sone acquainted sone forgotten Folio 289 ¶ The fruite of Fetters vvith the complaint of the greene Knight and his Farewell to Fansie GReat be the gréefes which bruze the boldest brests And al to séelde we sée such burdens borne For cruell care which reaueth quiet rests Hath oftentimes the woorthiest willes foreworne And layed such weight vpon a noble harte That wit and will haue both giuen place to smarte For proofe wherof I tel this woful tale Giue eare that list I force no frolicke mindes But such as can abide to heare of bale And rather rue the rage which Fansie findes Than scorne the pangs which may procure their pine Let them giue eare vnto these rimes of mine I teare my time ay me in prison pent Wherin the floure of my consuming yeares With secret grief my reason doth torment And frets it self perhaps with néedlesse feares For whyles I striue against the streame too fast My forces faile and I must downe at last The hastie Vine for sample might me serue Which climbes too high about the loftie trée But when the twist his tender iointes doth carue Then fades he fast that sought full fresh to bée He fades and faintes before his fellowes faile Which lay full lowe and neuer hoyst vp saile Ay me the dayes which I in dole consume Ah las the nightes which witnesse well my woe O wrongful world which makst my fansie fume Fie fickle Fortune fie thou arte my foe Out and alas so frowarde is my chaunce No dayes nor nightes nor worldes can me aduaunce In recklesse youth the common plague of Loue Infected me al day with carelesse minde Entising dames my patience still did proue And blearde mine eyes till I became so blinde That seing not what furie brought mée foorth I followed most alwayes that least was woorth In middle yeares the reache of Reasons reine No sooner gan to bridle in my will Nor naked néede no sooner gan constreine My rash decay to breake my sléepes by skill But streight therewith hope set my heart on flame To winne againe both wealth and woorthy name And thence procéedes my most consuming griefe For whyles the hope of mine vnyolden harte In endlesse toyles did labor for reliefe Came crabbed Chance and marrde my merry marte Yea not content with one fowle ouerthrowe So tied me fast for tempting any mo She tied me fast alas in golden chaines Wherein I dwell not frée nor fully thrall Where guilefull loue in double doubt remaines Nor honie swéet nor bitter yet as gall For euery day a patterne I beholde Of scortching flame which makes my heart full colde And euery night the rage of restlesse thought Doth raise me vp my hope for to renewe My quiet bed which I for solace sought Doth yrke mine eares when still the warlike crewe With sounde of drummes and trumpets braying shrill Relieue their watch yet I in thraldome still The common ioy the chéere of companie Twixt mirth and moane doth plundge me euermore For pleasant talke or Musicks melodie Yéeld no such salue vnto my secret sore But that therewith this corsiue
towardes the ground toke good aduisement in his aunswere when a fayre gentlewoman of the company clapped him on the shoulder saying how now sir is your hand on your halfpeny To whome he aunswered no fayre Lady my hand is on my harte and yet my hart is not in myne owne hands wherewithall abashed turning towards dame Elinor he sayde My souereigne and Mistresse according to the charge of your command and the dutie that I owe you my tongue shall bewraye vnto you the truthe of mine intent At this present a rewarde giuen me without desert doth so reioyce mée with continuall remembraunce that though my minde be so occupied to thinke thereon as that daye nor night I can bée quiet from that thought yet the ioye and pleasure whiche I conceiue in the same is such that I can neyther be cloyed with continuaunce thereof nor yet afraide that any mishappe can counteruayle so greate a treasure This is to me suche a heauen to dwell in as that I féede by day and repose by night vppon the freshe recorde of this reward This as Bartello sayeth he ment by the kisse that she lent him in the Gallery and by the profession of hir laste letters and woordes Well though this aunswere bee somewhat mistie yet let his excuse be that taken vppon the sodaine he thought better to aunswere darkly than to be mistrusted openly Hir second question was what thing in this life did moste gréeue his harte and disquiet his minde whervnto he answered That although his late rehersed ioy were incomparable yet the greatest enimie that disturbed the same was the priuie worme of his owne giltie conscience which accused him euermore with great vnworthinesse and that this was his greatest griefe The Lady biting vpon the bitte at his cunning answeres made vnto these two questions ganne thus replie Seruaunt I had thought to haue touched you yet nearer with my thirde question but I will refrayne to attempt your pacience and nowe for my third demaund aunswere me directly in what manner this passion doth handle you and howe these contraries may hang together by any possibilitie of concorde for your woordes are straunge Ferdinando now rousing himselfe boldly tooke occasion thus to handle his aunswere Mistresse quod he my woordes in déede are straunge but yet my passion is muche straunger and thervpon this other day to conteÌ„t mine owne fantasie I deuised a Sonet which although it bée a péece of Cocklorels musicke and suche as I might be ashamed to publish in this company yet bicause my truth in this answere may the better appeare vnto you I pray you vouchsafe to receiue the same in writing and drawing a paper out of his pocket presented it to hir wherin was written this Sonet LOue hope and death do stirre in me such strife As neuer man but I led such a life First burning loue doth wound my hart to death And when death comes at call of inward griefe Colde lingering hope doth feede my fainting breath Against my will and yeeldes my wound reliefe So that I liue but yet my life is such As death would neuer greue me halfe so much No comfort then but only this I tast To salue such sore such hope will neuer want And with such hope such life will euer last And with such life such sorrowes are not skant Oh straunge desire O life with torments tost Through too much hope mine onely hope is lost Euen HE F.I. THis sonet was highly commended and in my iudgement it deserueth no lesse His dutie thus perfourmed their pastimes ended and at their departure for a watch worde hée couÌ„selled his Mistresse by little and little to walke abrode saying that the Gallery neare adioyning was so pleasaunt as if he were halfe dead he thought that by walking therin hée might be halfe more reuiued Think you so seruaunt quod she and the last tyme that I walked there I suppose I toke the cause of my malady but by your aduise for that you haue so clerkly steynched my bléeding I will assay to walke there to morow Mistres quod he and in more ful accomplishment of my duetie towards you and in sure hope that you will vse the same onelie to your owne priuate commoditie I will there awaite vpon you and betwene you and me wil teach you the ful order how to steynch the bléeding of any creature wherby you shal be as cuÌ„ning as my self Gramercy good seruant quod she I thinke you lost the same in writing here yesterday but I caÌ„not vnderstand it therfore to morrow if I féele my self any thing ameÌ„ded I wil sende for you thither to enstruct me throughly thus they departed And at supper time the Lord of Valasco finding fault that his gestes stomacke serued him no better began too accuse the grosnesse of his vyands to whom one of the geÌ„tlewomen which had passed the afternoone in his company answered Nay sir quod she this gentleman hath a passion the which once in a day at the least doth kill his appetite Are you so well acquainted with the dispositioÌ„ of his body quod the Lord of the house by his owne saying quod she not otherwise Fayre ladie quod FerdinaÌ„do you either mistoke me or ouerheard me theÌ„ for I told of a coÌ„fortable humor which so fed me with coÌ„tinuall remeÌ„braÌ„ce of ioy as that my stomack being ful therof doth desire in maner none other vittayles Why sir quod the host do you theÌ„â—iue by loue God forbid sir quod Ferdinando for then my cheekes wold be much thinner thaÌ„ they be but there are diuers other greater causes of ioy than the doubtful lots of loue for mine own part to be playn I caÌ„not loue I dare not hate I would I thought so quod the gentlewoman And thus with prety nyppes they passed ouer their supper which ended the Lord of the house required Ferdinando Ieronimi to daunce and passe the time with the gentlewomen which he refused not to doe But sodenly before the musicke was well tuned came out Dame Elynor in hir night attyre and said to the Lord the supposing the solitarinesse of hir chamber had encreased hir maladie she came out for hir better recreatioÌ„ to sée them daunce Well done daughter quod the Lorde And I Mistres quod Ferdinando would gladly bestowe the leading of you about this great chamber to driue away the faintnesse of your feuer No good seruaunt quod the Lady but in my stéede I pray you daunce with this fayre Gentlewoman pointing him too the Lady that had so taken him vp at supper Ferdinando to auoyd mistrust did agrée too hir request without furder entreaty The daunce begon this Knight marched on with the Image of S. Frances in his hand and S. Elynor in his hart The violands at end of the pauion staied a whyle in whiche time this Dame sayde to Ferdinando Ieronimi on this wise I am right sory for you in two respects although the familiarity haue hytherto had
he coÌ„mitted a foule offence in néedeles ielousie and that if she were faultie especiallye with the Secretarie then no perswation could amend hir nor any passion helpe him and this was the cause that enabled him after suche passing panges to abide the doubtfull conclusion And thus manfully and valiantly to represse faintnesse of his mind nothing doubting but that he should haue won his mistresse to pardon his presumption louingly to imbrace his seruice in wonted maner but he was farre deceiued for shée was nowe in a nother tewne the which Mistresse Fraunces began partly to discouer vnto him as they walked togeather for she burdened him that his mallady proceded onely of a disquiet minde And if it dyd so my gentle Hope quod he what remedy My good Trust quod she none other but to plant quiet where disquiet began to grow I haue determined quod he but I must craue the helpe of your assured friendship Therof you may make accompt quod she but wherein Ferdinando walking apart with hir began to declare that there was some contention hapened betwéene his mistres and him the Lady tolde him that she was not ignoraunt thereof Then he desired hir to treate so much in the cause as they might eftsons come to Parlee thereof I dare assure you quod Mistresse Fraunces and at their returne she led him into his Mistresse Chamber whome they founde lying on hir bed whether gauled with any griefe or weary of the thing which you woote of I know not but there she lay vnto whome Ferdinando gaue two or thrée salutations before she seemed to marke him At last sayd the Lady Fraunces vnto hir your seruaunt hearing of your sicknesse hath aduentured thus far into the ayre to see you I thank him quod dame Elinor so lay still refusing to giue him any countenaÌ„ce Whereat he perceiuing all the other Gentlewomen fall to whispering thought good boldlye to pleade his owne case and approching the bed began to enforce his vnwylling Mistresse vnto curtesie wherein he vsed such vehemence as she could not wel by any meanes refuse to talk with him but what their talke was I may not take vpon me to tel you Sufficeth this to be known that in the end she pretended to passe ouer all olde grudges and thencefoorth to pleasuure him as occation might serue the which occation was so long in hapening that in the ende he being nowe eftsones troubled with vnquiet fantasies and forced to vse his penne againe as an Ambassadour betwéene them one daye amongst the rest fâ—und oportunitye to thrust a letter into her bosome wherein hée had earnestly requested another Mooneshine banquet or frydayes breakfast to recomfort his dulled spirites wherevnto the Dame yelded this aunswere in writing but of whose endyting iudge you I can but smyle at your simplicitye who burden your frends with an impossibility The case so stode as I could not though I would Wherefore from hence fóorth either learne to frame your request more reasonablye or else stand content with a flat repulse SHE Ferdinando liked this letter but a litle being thereby drouen into his accustomed vaine he compiled in verse this aunswere folowing vpon these wordes conteined in her letter I could not though I would I could not though I would good Ladie saie not so Since one good word of your good wil might sone redresse my wo VVhere would is free before there could can neuer faile For profe you see how gallies passe where ships caÌ„ bere no saile The wearie marriner where skies are ouercast By readie will doth guide his skil and wins the hauen at last The pretie bird that singes with pricke against her brest Doth make a vertue of hir nede to watche when others rest And true the prouerbe is which you haue laide apart There is no hap can seeme to hard vnto a willing heart Then louelie Ladie mine you saie not as you should In doutful tearms to answere thus I could not though I would Yes yes full well you know your can is quicke and good And wilfull will is eke too swift to shed my guiltlesse blood But if good will were bent as prest as power is Such will would quicklie find the skil to mende that is a misse VVherefore if you desire to see my true loue spilt Commaund and I will slea my selfe that yours maie be the gilt But if you haue no power to saie your seruaunt naie VVrite thus I maie not as I would yet must I as I maie Ferdinando Ieronimy THus Ieronimy replied vpon his Mistres answere hoping thereby to recouer some fauour at hir hands but it would not be so that nowe he had bene as likelye as at the first to haue fretted in fantasies had not the Ladye Fraunces coÌ„tinually comforted him and by litle litle she droue suche reason into his minde that now he began to subdue his humor with discretion and to determine that if he might espie euident profe of his Mistres fraieltie he would then stand content with patience perforce geue his Mistres the Bezo la mano And it happened one daye amongst others that he resorted to his mistresse chamber and founde her allo solito lying vppon her bed and the Secretarie with Dame Pergo and her bandmaide kéeping of her company Whereat Ferdinando somewhat repyning came to her and fell to dalliaunce as one that had nowe rather aduenture to be thought presumptious than yéelde to be accompted bashfull he cast his harme ouer his Mistresse and began to accuse hir of sluggishnes vsing some other bolde partes as well to prouoke hir as also to grieue the other The Ladye séemed litle to delight in his dallying but cast a glance at hir Secretarie therewith smiled when as the Secretarie and Dame Pergo burst out into open laughter The which Ferdinando perceiuing and disdaining her ingratitude was forced to depart and in that fantasie compiled this Sonet WIth hir in armes that had my hart in holde I stoode of late to pleade for pitie so And as I did hir louelie lookes beholde Shee cast a glaunce vpon my riuall foe His fleering face prouoked hir to smile VVhen my salt teares were drowned in disdaine He glad I sad he laught alas the while I wept for woe I pin'd for deadlie paine And when I sawe none other boote preuaile But reason rule must guide my skilfull minde VVhy then quod I olde prouerbes neuer faile For yet was neuer good Cat out of kinde Nor woman true but euen as stories tell VVonne with an egge and lost againe with shell Ferdinando Ieronimy THis Sonet declareth that he began now to accompt of hir as she deserued for it hath a sharpe conclusion and it is somewhat too general Well as it is he lost it where his Mistresse found it and she immediatly imparied the same vnto Dame Pergo and Dame Pergo vnto others so that it quickely became common in the house Amongst others Mistres Fraunces hauing recouered a copie of it
howe thou séemest to like me well And how thou saydest I did deserue To be thy Lord thy Knight thy King. And how much more I list not sing And canst thou now thou cruell one Condemne desert to déepe dispayre Is all thy promise past and gone Is fayth so fled into the ayre If that be so what rests for me But thus in song to saye to thée If Cressydes name were not so knowen And written wide on euery wall If brute of pryde were not so blowen Vpon Angelica withall For hault disdayne thou mightst be she Or Cresside for inconstancie And in reward of thy desart I hope at last to sée thée payd With déepe repentaunce for thy part Which thou hast now so lewedly playd Medoro hée must bée thy make Since thou Orlando doest for sake Such is the fruite that groweth alwaies Vpon the roote of ripe disdaine Such kindly wages Cupide payes Where constant hearts cannot remaine I hope to see thée in such bandes When I may laugh and clappe my handes But yet for thee I must protest But sure the faulte is none of thine Thou art as true as is the best That euer came of Cressedes lyne For constant yet was neuer none But in vnconstancie alone Meritum petere graue ¶ Mars in despite of Vulcane vvritten for an absent louer parted from his Lady by Sea. BOth deepe and dreadfull were the Seas Which held Leander from his loue Yet could no doubtes his mind appease Nor saue his life for hir behoue But guiltlesse bloud it selfe would spill To please the waues and worke his wyll O greedye gulfe O wretched waues O cruell floods O sinke of shames You holde true louers bound like slaues And keepe them from their worthy Dames Your open mouth gapes euermore Tyll one or both be drowned therefore For proofe whereof my selfe maye sing And shrich to pearce the loftye skies Whose Lady left me languishing Vppon the shoare in woofull wise And crost the Seas out of my sight Wherby I lost my chiefe delight She sayd that no such trustlesse flood Should keepe our loues long time in twayne ▪ She sware no bread shoulde doe hyr good Till she mighe sée my selfe agayne She sayd and swore these wordes and mo But now I finde them nothing so What resteth then for me to doo Thou salte sea foome come saye thy minde Should I come drowne within thee to That am of true Leanders kind And headlong cast this corpes of mine Into this greedy guttes of thine No cruel but in spite of thée I will make Seas where earst were none My teares shall flowe in full degree Tyll all my myrth may ebbe to mone Into such droppes I meane to melt And in such Seas my selfe to swelt Lenuoie ¶ Yet you déere Dame for whome I fade Thus staruing still in wretched state Remember once your promise made Performe it now though all to late Come home to Mars who may you please Let Vulcane bide beyond the Seas Meritum petere graue ¶ Patience perforce wherein an absent louer doth thus encourage his Lady to continew constant COntent thy selfe with patience perforce And quenche no loue with droppes of darcke mistrust Let absence haue no power to diuorce Thy faithfull friend which meaneth to be iust Beare but a while thy constance to declare For when I come one ynche shall breake no square I must confesse that promise dyd me binde For to haue sene thy seemely selfe ere now And if thou knewest what griefes did gaule my minde Bicause I coulde not kéepe that faithfull vowe My iust excuse I can my selfe assure With lytle paine thy pardon might procure But call to minde how long Vlisses was In lingring absence from his louing make And howe she deigned then hir dayes to passe In solitary silence for his sake Be thou a true Penelope to me And thou shalt sone thine owne Vlisses sée What sayd I sone yea sone I saye againe I wyll come sone and soner if I maye Beléeue me nowe it is a pinching payne To thinke of loue when louers are awaye Such thoughts I haue and when I thinke on thée My thoughtes are there whereas my bones would bée The longing lust which Priames sonne of Troye Had for to see his Cresside come againe Could not exceede the depth of mine anoye Nor séeme to passe the patterne of my payne I fryse in hope I thaw in hote desire Farre from the flame and yet I burne like fire Wherfore deare friend thinke on the pleasures past And let my teares for both our paines suffise The lingring ioyes when as they come at last Are bet then those which passe in posting wise And I my selfe to proue this tale is true In hast post hast thy comfort will renew Meritum petere graue ¶ A letter deuised for a yong louer REceiue you worthy Dame this rude ragged verse Lend wylling eare vnto the tale which I shall nowe rehearse And though my witlesse woordes might mooue you for to smile Yet trust to that which I shal tel neuer marke my stile Amongst fiue hundreth Dames presented to my view I find most cause by due desert to like the best of you I sée your beautie such as séemeth to suffice To binde my heart in linckes of loue by iudgement of myne eyes And but your bounty quench the coales of quicke desire I feare that face of yours wyll set ten thousand hearts on fire But bounty so aboundes aboue al my desart As that I quake and shrinke for feare to shewe you of my smart Yet since mine eye made choice my hart shal not repent But yéeld it self vnto your wyl therwith stand content God knowth I am not great my power it is not much The greater glorye shall you gaine to shew your fauour suche And what I am or haue all that I yéeld to you My hande and sworde shall serue alwayes to proue my tongue is true Then take me for your owne and so I wyl be still Beléeue me nowe I make this vowe in hope of your good wyll Which if I may obtaine God leaue me when I change This is the tale I meant to tell good Lady be not strange Meritum petere graue ¶ Dauids salutacions to Berzabe vvherein are three sonets in sequence vvritten vppon this occation The deuiser hereof amongst other friendes had named a gentlevvoman his Berzabe and she vvas content to call him hir Dauid The man presented his Lady vvith a booke of the Golden Asse vvritten by Lucius Apuleius and in the beginning of the books vvrote this sequence You must conferre it vvith the Historye of Apuleius for else it vvyll haue small grace THis Apuleius was in Affricke borne And tooke delight to trauaile Thessaly As one that helde his natiue soyle in skorne In foraine coastes to feede his fantasie And such againe as wandring wits find out This yonker wonne by wyll and weary toyle A youth mispent a doting age in doubt A body brusd with many a