vnreprou'd But being forc'd perforce by seeming friends With her consent she her contentment ends In that compel'd her selfe to him she gaue Whose bed she rather could haue wisht her graue And since I heare what I much feare is true That she hath bidden shame and fame adue Such are the causes now that Parents quite Are put beside much of their ancient right There feare of this makes children to with-hold From giuing them those dues which else they wold And these thou see'st are the too-fruitfull ils Which daily spring from their vnbridled wils Yet they forsooth will haue it vnderstood That all their study is their childrens good A seeming Loue shall couer all they do When if the matter were well lok't into Their carefull reach is chiefly to fulfill Their owne foule greedy and insatiate will Who quite forgetting they were ever yong Would haue the children dote with them on dung Grant betwixt two there be true loue content Birth not mis-seeming wealth sufficient Equality in yeares an honest fame In euery side the person without blame And they obedient too What can you gather Of Loue or of Affection in that father That but a little to augment his treasure Perhaps no more but only for his pleasure Shall force his child to one he doth abhor From her he loues and iustly seeketh for Compelling him for such mis-fortune grieu'd To die with care that might with ioy haue liu'd This you may say is Loue and sweare as well There 's paines in Heauen and delights in Hell Or that the Deuils fury and austerity Proceeds out of his care of our prosperity Would Parents in this age haue vs begin To take by their eyes our affections in Or do they thinke we beare them in our fist That we may still remoue them as they list It is impossible it should be thus For we are rul'd by Loue not Loue by vs And so our power so much ne're reacheth to To know where we shall loue vntill we do And when it comes hide it a while we may But 't is not in our strengths to driue't away Either mine owne eye should my chuser be Or I would ne're weare Hymens Liuery For who is he so neare my heart doth rest To know what 't is that mine approueth best I haue my selfe beheld those men whose frame And outward personages had nought of blame They had what might their good proportion grace The much more mouing part a comely face With many of those complements which wee In common men of the best breeding see They had discourse and wit enough to carry Themselues in fashion at an Ordinary Gallants they were lou'd company and sport Wore fauours and had Mistresses in Court And euery way were such that now might seeme Worthy of note respect and such esteeme Yet hath my eye more cause of liking seene Where nought perhaps by some hath noted beene And I haue there found more content by farre Where some of these perfections wanting are Yea so much that their beauties were a blot To them me thought because he had them not There some peculiar thing innated is That beares an vncontrouled sway in this And nothing but it selfe knowes how to fit The minde with that which best shall suit with it Then why should Parents thrust themselues into What they want warrant for and power to do How is it they are so forgetfull growne Of those conditions that were once their owne Do they so dote amidst their wits perfection To thinke that age and youth hath like affection When they do see 'mong those of equall yeares One hateth what another most endeares Or do they thinke their wisdomes can invent A thing to giue that 's greater than Content No neither shall they wrap vs in such blindnesse To make vs thinke the spight they do a kindnesse For as I would aduise no child to stray From the least duty that he ought to pay So would I also haue him wisely know How much that duty is which he doth owe That knowing what doth vnto both belong He may do them their right himselfe no wrong For if my Parents him I loath should chuse T is lawfull yea my duty to refuse Else how shall I lead so vpright a life As is enioyned to the Man and Wife Since that we see some time there are repentings Eu'n where there are the most and best contentings What though that by our Parents first we liue Is not life misery enough to giue Which at their births the children doth vndo Vnlesse they adde some other mischiefe to Cause they gaue being to this flesh of our Must we be therefore slaues vnto their power We ne're desir'd it for how could we tell Not being but that not to be was well Nor know they whom they profit by it seeing Happy were some if they had had no being Indeed had they produc'd vs without sin Had all our duty to haue pleas'd them bin Of the next life could they assure the state And both beget vs and regenerate There were no reason then we should withstand To vndergoe their tyranou'st command In hope that either for our hard endurance We should at last haue comfort in assurance Or if in our endeuours we mis-sped At least feele nothing when we should be dead But what 's the Reason for 't that we shall be Inthral'd so much vnto Mortality Our soules on will of any Men to tye Vnto an euerlasting misery So farre perhaps too from the good of either We ruine them our selues and all together Children owe much I must confesse 't is true And a great debt is to the Parents due Yet if they haue not so much power to craue But in their owne defence the liues they gaue How much lesse then should they become so cruell As to take from them the high prised Iewell Of liberty in choice whereon depends The maine contentment that the heauen here lends Worth life or wealth nay far more worth then either Or twenty thousand liues put all together Then howsoeuer some seuerer bent May deeme of my opinion or intent With that which followes thus conclude I do And I haue Reason for 't and Conscience too No Parent may his Child 's iust suite deny On his bare will without a reason why Nor he so vs'd be disobedient thought If vnapprou'd he take the match he sought So then if that thy faith vncrazed be Thy friends dislike shall be no stop to me For if their will be not of force to do it They shall haue no cause else to driue them to it Let them bring all forth that they can alledge We are both yong and of the fittest age If thou dissembledst not both loue and both To admit hinderance in our loues were loth T is preiudiciall vnto none that liues And Gods and humane Law our warrant giues Nor are we much vnequall in degree Perhaps our Fortunes somewhat different be But say that little meanes which is were not The want
joy so prized nor no jewell dearer Nay I doe feare I did Idolatrize For which Heavens wrath inflicts these miseries And makes the things which it for blessings sent To be renewers of my discontent Where was there any of the Naiades The Dryades or the Hamadryades Which of the Brittish shires can yeeld againe A mistresse of the Spring or Wood or Plaine Whose eye enioy'd more sweet contents then mine Till I receiu'd my ouerthrow by thine Where 's she did more delight in Springs and Rils Where 's she that walk'd more Groues or Downes or Hils Or could by such faire artlesse prospects more Adde by conceit to her contentments store Then I whilst thou wert true and with thy Gracēs Didst giue a pleasing presence to those places But now What is What was hath ouerthrowne My Rose-deckt allies now with Rue are strowne And from those flowers that honied vse to be I sucke nought now but iuyce to poyson me For eu'n as she whose gentle spirit can rise To apprehend Loues noble mysteries Spying a precious Iewell richly set Shine in some corner of her Cabinet Taketh delight at first to gaze vpon The pretty lustre of the sparkling stone And pleas'd in minde by that doth seeme to see How vertue shines through base obscuritie But prying neerer seeing it doth proue Some relique of her deere deceased Loue Which to her sad remembrance doth lay ope What she most sought and sees most far from hope Fainting almost beneath her Passions weight And quite forgetfull of her first conceit Looking vpon 't againe from thence shee borrowes Sad melancholy thoughts to feed her sorrowes So I beholding Natures curious bowers Seel'd strow'd and trim'd vp with leaues hearbs and flowers Walke pleased on a while and do devize How on each obiect I may moralize But er'e I pace on many steps I see There stands a Hawthorne that was trim'd by thee Here thou didst once slip off the virgin spraies To crowne me with a wreath of living Bayes On such a Banke I see how thou didst lye When viewing of a shady Mulbery The hard mishap thou didst to me discusse Of loving Thysbe and yong Piramus And oh thinke I how pleasing was it then Or would be yet might he returne agen But if some neighbouring Row do draw me to Those Arbors where the shadowes seeme to wooe The weary loue-sicke Passenger to sit And view the beauties Nature strowes on it How faire thinke I would this sweet place appeare If he I loue were sporting with me here Nay euery seuerall obiect that I see Doth severally me thinks remember thee But the delight I vs'd from it to gather I now exchange for cares and seeke them rather But those whose dull and grosse affections can Extend but onely to desire a Man Cannot the depth of these rare Passions know For their imaginations flagge too low And cause their base Conceits do apprehend Nothing but that whereto the flesh doth tend In Loues embraces they nere reach vnto More of content than the brute Creatures do Neither can any iudge of this but such Whose braver minds for braver thoughts do touch And having spirits of a nobler frame Feele the true heat of Loues vnquenched flame They may conceiue aright what smarting sting To their Remembrances the place will bring Where they did once enioy and then doe misse What to their soules most deere and pretious is With me 't is so for those walkes that once seem'd Pleasing when I of thee was more esteem'd To me appeare most desolate and lonely And are the places now of torment onely Where I the highest of contents did borrow There am I paid it home with treble sorrow Vnto one place I doe remember well We walkt the eu'nings to heare Phylomell And that seemes now to want the light it had The shadow of the Grou's more dull and sad As if it were a place but fit for Fowles That screech ill lucke as melancholy Owles Or fatall Rauens that seld ' boding good Croke their blacke Auguries from some darke wood Then if from thence I halfe despairing go Another place begins another wo For thus vnto my thought it seemes to say Hither thou saw'st him riding once that way Thither to meete him thou didst nimbly hast thee Yon he alighted and eu'n there embrac'd thee Which whilst I sighing wish to doe againe Another obiect brings another paine For passing by that Greene which could it speake Would tell it saw vs runne at Barly-breake There I beheld what on a thin rin'd tree Thou hadst engrauen for the loue of mee When we two all alone in heate of day With chaste embraces draue swift houres away Then I remember too vnto my smart How loath we were when time compel'd to part How cunningly thy Passions thou could'st faine In taking leaue and comming backe againe So oft vntill as seeming to forget We were departing downe againe we set And freshly in that sweet discourse went on Which now I almost faint to thinke vpon Viewing againe those other Walkes and Groues That haue beene witnesses of our chaste loues When I behold those Trees whose tender skin Hath that cut out which still cuts me within Or come by chance vnto that pretty Rill Where thou wouldst sit teach the neighboring Hill To answer in an Eccho vnto those Rare Problems which thou often didst propose When I come there thinke I if these could take That vse of words and speech which we partake They might vnfold a thousand pleasures then Which I shall neuer liue to taste agen And therevpon Remembrance doth so racke My thoughts with representing what I lacke That in my minde those Clerkes do argue well Which hold Priuation the great'st plague of hell For there 's no torment gripes me halfe so bad As the Remembrance of those ioyes I had Oh hast thou quite forgot when sitting by The bankes of Thame beholding how the Fry Play'd on the siluer waues There where I first Granted to make my Fortune thus accurst There where thy too-too earnest suite compeld My ouer-soone beleeuing heart to yeeld One fauour first which then another drew To get another till alas I rue That day and houre thinking I nere should need As now to grieue for doing such a deed So freely I my curtesies bestow'd That whose I was vnwarily I show'd And to my heart such passage made for thee Thou canst not to this day remoued be And what breast could resist it having seene How true thy loue had in appearance beene For I shall ner'e forget when thou hadst there Laid open euery discontent and care Wherewith thou deeply seemd'st to me opprest When thou as much as any could protest Had'st vow'd and sworne and yet perceiu'dst no signe Of pitty-mouing in this brest of mine Well Loue said'st thou since neither sigh nor vow Nor any seruice may preuaile me now Since neither the recitall of my smart Nor those strong Passions that assaile my heart Nor any thing may moue thee to
of wealth may not dissolue this knot For though some such preposterous courses wend Prescribing to themselues no other end Marr'age was not ordain'd t' enrich men by Vnlesse it were in their posterity And he that doth for other causes wed Ner'e knowes the true sweetes of a marriage bed Nor shall he by my will for 't is vnfit He should haue blisse that neuer aym'd at it Though that bewitching gold the Rabble blinds And is the obiect of the Vulgar minds Yet those me thinks that graced seeme to bee With so much good as doth appeare in thee Should scorne their better taught desires to tye To that which fooles do get their honour by I can like of the wealth I must confesse Yet more I prize the man though mony-Iesse I am not of their humor yet that can For Title or Estate affect a Man Or of myselfe one body deigne to make With him I loath for his possessions sake Nor wish I euer to haue that minde bred In me that is in those who when they wed Thinke it enough they do attaine the grace Of some new honour to fare well take place Weare costly clothes in others sights agree Or happy in opinion seeme to bee I weigh not this for were I sure before Of Spencers wealth or our rich Suttons store Had I therewith a man whom Nature lent Person enough to giue the eye content If I no outward due nor right did want Which the best husbands in appearance grant Nay though alone we had no priuate iarres But merry liu'd from all domestick cares Vnlesse I thought his Nature so incline That it might also sympathize with mine And yeeld such correspondence with my mind Our soules might mutually contentment find By adding vnto these which went before Some certaine vnexpressed pleasures more Such as exceed the streight and curb'd dimensions Of common minds and vulgar apprehensions I would not care for such a match but tarry In this estate I am and neuer marry Such were the sweets I hop'd to haue possest When Fortune should with thee haue made me blest My heart could hardly thinke of that content To apprehend it without rauishment Each word of thine me-thought was to my eares More pleasing then that musick which the Spheares They say do make the Gods when in their chime Their motions Diapason with the time In my conceit the opening of thy eye Seem'd to giue light to euery obiect by And shed a kinde of life vnto my shew In euery thing that was within it view More ioy I 'ue felt to haue thee but in place Then many doe in the most close embrace Of their beloved'st friend which well doth proue Not to thy body onely tends my loue But mounting a true height growes so diuine It makes my soule to fall in loue with thine And sure now whatsoer'e thy body do Thy soule loues mine and oft they visit too For late I dream'd they went I know not whither Vnlesse to Heauen and there play'd together And to this day I nere could know or see 'Twixt them or vs the least Antipathy Then what should make thee keepe thy person hence Or leaue to loue or hold it in suspence If to offend thee I vnwares was driuen Is 't such a fault as may not be forgiuen Or if by frownes of Fate I haue beene checke So that I seeme not worth thy first respect Shall I be therefore blamed and vpbraided With what could not be holpen nor auoyded T is not my fault yet cause my Fortunes doe Wilt thou be so vnkinde to wrong me too Not vnto Thine but thee I set my heart So nought can wipe my loue out while thou art Though thou wert poorer both of house and meat Then he that knowes not where to sleepe or eat Though thou wert sunke into obscuritie Become an abiect in the worlds proud eye Though by peruersnesse of thy Fortune crost Thou wert deformed or some limbe had'st lost That loue which Admiration first begot Pitty would strengthen that it failed not Yea I should loue thee still and without blame As long as thou couldst keepe thy minde the same Which is of Vertues so compact I take it No mortall change shall haue the power to shake it This may and will I know seeme strange to those That cannot the Abyss of loue disclose Nor must they thinke whom but the out-side moues Euer to apprehend such noble Loues Or more coniecture their vnsounded measure Then can we mortals of immortall pleasure Then let not those dull vnconceiuing braines Who shall hereafter come to read these straines Suppose that no loues fire can be so great Because it giues not their cold Clime such heat Or thinke m'inuention could haue reached here Vnto such thoughts vnlesse such loue there were For then they shall but shew their knowledge weake And iniure me that feele of what I speake But now my lines grow tedious like my wrong And as I thought that thou thinkst this too long Or some may deeme I thrust my selfe into More then beseemeth modesty to do But of the difference I am not vnwitting Betwixt a peeuish coynes and things vnfitting Nothing respect I who pries ore my doing For here 's no vaine allurements nor fond wooing To traine some wanton stranger to my lure But with a thought that 's honest chaste and pure I make my cause vnto thy conscience knowne Suing for that which is by right my owne In which complaint if thou do hap to finde Any such word as seemes to be vnkinde Mistake me not it but from Passion sprung And not from an intent to do thee wrong Or if among these doubts my sad thoughts breed Some peraduenture may be more than need They are to let thee know might we dispute There 's no obiections but I could refute And spight of Enuy such defences make Thou shouldst embrace that loue thou dost forsake Then do not oh forgetfull man now deeme That 't is ought else then I haue made it seeme Or that I am vnto this Passion mou'd Because I cannot else-where be belou'd Or that it is thy state whose greatnesse knowne Makes me become a sutor for my owne Suppose not so for know this day there be Some that wooe hard for what I offer thee And I haue euer yet contented bin With that estate I first was placed in Banish those thoughts and turne thee to my heart Come once againe and be what once thou wert Reviue me by those wonted ioyes repairing That am nigh dead with sorrowes and despairing So shall the memory of this annoy But adde more sweetnesse to my future ioy Yea make me thinke thou meantst not to deny me But onely wert estranged thus to try me And lastly for that loues sake thou once bar'st me By that right hand thou gau'st hat oath thou swar'st me By all the Passions and if any be For her deere sake that makes thee iniure me I here coniure thee no intreat and sue That if
these lines do ouer-reach thy view Thou wouldst afford me so much fauour for them As to accept or at least not abhorre them So though thou wholy cloake not thy disdaine I shall haue somewhat the lesse cause to plaine Or if thou needs must scoffe at this or me Do 't by thy selfe that none may witnesse be Not that I feare 't will bring me any blame Onely I 'me loth the world should know my shame For all that shall this plaint with reason view Will iudge me faithfull and thee most vntrue But if Obliuion that thy loue bereft Hath not so much good nature in thee left But that thou must as most of you men doe When you haue conquer'd tyranize it too Know this before that it is praiseto no man To wrong so fraile a Creature as a woman And to insult or'e one so much made thine Will more be thy disparagement then mine But oh I pray that it portend no harme A chearing heate my chilled senses warmes Iust now I flashing feele into my brest A sudden comfort not to be exprest Which to my thinking doth againe begin To warme my heart to let some hope come in It tels me 't is impossible that thou Shouldst liue not to be mine It whispers how My former feares and doubts haue beene in vaine And that thou mean'st yet to returne againe It sayes thy absence from some cause did grow Which or I should not or I could not know It tells me now that all those proofes whereby I seem'd assur'd of thy disloyalty May be but treacherous plots of some base foes That in thy absence sought our ouerthrowes Which if it proue as yet me thinks it may Oh! what a burthen shall I cast away What cares shall I lay by and to what height Towre in my new ascension to delight Sure er'e the full of it I come to try I shall eu'n surfet in my ioy and dye But such a losse might well be call'd a thriving Since more is got by dying so then living Come kill me then my deare if thou thinke fit With that which never killed woman yet Or write to me before so shalt thou giue Content more moderate that I may liue And when I see my staffe of trust vnbroken I will vnspeake againe what is mis-spoken What I haue written in dispraise of Men I will recant and praise as much agen In recompence I le adde vnto their Stories Encomiastick lines to ymp their glories And for those wrongs my loue to thee hath done Both I and it vnto thy Pitty runne In whom if the least guilt thou finde to be For euer let thy armes imprison me Meane while I 'le try if misery will spare Me so much respite to take truce with care And patiently await the doubtfull doome Which I expect from thee should shortly come Much longing that I one way may be sped And not still linger 'twixt aliue and dead For I can neither liue yet as I should Because I least enioy of that I would Nor quiet dye because indeed I first Would see some better dayes or know the worst Then hasten Deare if to my end it be It shall be welcome cause it comes from thee If to renew my Comfort ought be sent Let me not loose a minute of Content The pretious Time is short and will away Let vs enioy each other while we may Cares thriue Age creepeth on Men are but shades Ioyes lessen Youth decayes and Beauty fades New turnes come on the old returneth neuer If we let our go past 't is past for euer Inter EQVITAND PALINOD MY Genius say what Thoughts these paintngs moue Thy Thoughts of Loue. What Flames are these that set my heart on fire Flames of Desire What are the Meanes that these two vnderprop Thy earnest Hope Then yet I 'me happy in my sweete Friends choyce For they in depth of Passion may reioyce Whose Thoughts and Flames and Meanes haue such blest scope They may at once both Loue Desire and Hope But tell what Fruit at last my Loue shall gaine Hidden Disdaine What will that Hope proue which yet Faith keeps faire Hopelesse Despaire What End will runne my Passions out of breath Vntimely Death Oh me that Passion ioyn'd with Faith and Loue. Should with my Fortunes so vngracious proue That she 'le no fruit nor Hope nor End bequeath But cruellest Disdaine Despaire and Death Then what new Study shall I now apply Study to Dye How might I end my Care and die content Care to Repent And what good thoughts may make my end more holy Thinke on thy Folly Well so I will and since my Fate may giue Nothing but discontents whilst here I liue My Studies Cares and Thoughts I 'le all apply To weigh my Folly well Repent and Dye Sonnets HEnce away thou Syren leaue me Pish vnclasp these wanton armes Sugred words can neere deceiue me Though thou proue a thousand charmes Fie fie forbeare no common snare Can euer my affection chaine Thy sugred baites of Loue deceits Are all bestowed on me in vaine I haue else where vowed a dutie Turne away thy tempting eye Shew not me thy painted beauty These impostures I defie My spirit lothes where gawdy clothes And faigned othes may loue obtaine I loue her so whose lookes sweares no That all thy labour will be vaine I am no slaue to such as you be Nor shall that soft snowy Brest Rowling eye nor lip of rubie Euer rob me of my rest Go go display thy beauties ray To some more sonne enamored Swaine Thy forced wiles of sighes and smiles Are all bestow'd on me in vaine Can he prize the tainted posies That on others brest are worne Which may plucke the Virgin roses From the neuer touched thorne I can go rest on her sweet brest That is the pride of Cinthia's traine Then stay thy tongue thy Mermaids song Is all bestow'd on me in vaine He is a foole that basely dallies Where each Pesant mates with him Shall I haunt the thronged vallies When there 's noble Hills to clime No no though Clownes are scar'd with frownes I know the best can but disdaine Then those I 'le proue so will thy loue Be all bestow'd on me in vaine Yet I would not daigne embraces With the fairest Queenes that be If another shar'd those graces Which they had bestow'd on me I le grant that one my loue where none Shall come to rob me of my gaine The fickle heart makes teares and art And all bestow'd on me in vaine I do scorne to vow a duty Where each lustfull Lad may wooe Giue me her whose sunne-like beauty Buzzards dare not sore vnto Shee it is affords that blisse For which I would refuse no paine But such as you fond fooles adieu You seeke to captiue me in vaine Shee that 's proud in the beginning And disdaines each looker on Is a Harpie in the winning But a Turtle being woon What ere betide she 'le neere diuide The fauour shee to one doth daine But fondlings loues vncertaine proues All all that trust in them are vaine There fore-know when I enioy one And for loue employ my breath Shee I court shall be a coy one Though I purchast with my death The pleasures there few aime at dare But if perhaps a Louer plaine Shee is not woone nor I vndone By placing of my loue in vaine Leaue me then thou Syren leaue me Take away these charmed armes Craft thou seest can neere deceiue me I am proofe 'gainst womens charmes Oft fooles assay to lead astray The heart that constant must remaine But I the while doe sit and smile To see them spend their loue in vaine SHall I wasting in despaire Die because a womans faire Or my cheekes make pale with care 'Cause anothers rosie are Be shee fairer then the day Or the flowry meedes of May If shee be not so to me What care I how faire shee be Shall my foolish heart be pined 'Cause I see a womans â—â—nde Or a well disposed nature Ioyned in a comely feature Be shee kinde or meeker than Turtle Doue or Pelican If shee be not so to me What care I how kinde shee be Shall a womans vertues make Me to perish for her sake Or her merits value knowne Make me quite forget my owne Be shee with that goodnes blest That may merit name of best If shee seeme not so to me What care I how good shee be Cause her fortunes seemes too high Should I play the foole and die He that beares a noble minde If not outward helpe he finde Thinke what with them he would doe That without them dares to wooe And vnlesse that minde I see What care I how great shee be Great or good or kinde or faire I will nere the more dispaire If shee loue me then beleeue I will die ere shee shall greeue If shee slight me when I wooe I can slight and bid her goe If shee be not fit for me What care I how others be FINIS LONDON Printed by E. G. for Thomas Walkley and are to be sold at the signe of the Eagle Child in Britaines Burse 1619.
FIDELIA NEWLY CORRECTED and augmented By GEORGE WITHERS of Lincolnes Inne Gentleman LONDON Printed by E. G. for Thomas Walkley and are to be sold at his shop at the Eagle and Childe in Brittaines Burse 1619. THE STATIONER to the Reader THis Epistle intituled Fidelia was long since imprinted to the vse of the Author who by the intreaty of some of his acquaintance was content to bestow it on such as had voluntarily requested it in way of an Aduenture But hauing dispersed many and remembring how farre it would be from his disposition to lay claime to proffered gratuities he wholy repented himselfe of what indeed he neuer well approued of and how iustly soeuer he might haue challenged more then many would haue lost yet in steed of being beholding is resolued rather to make those that haue receiued any of his Bookes a litle beholding to him in freely forgiuing them their unvrged promises And forasmuch as he perceiues that it hath delighted some and is neuer likely to preiudice any it hath pleased him that I should publish it to my owne benefit so long as I shall in the imprinting thereof carefully respect his credit which as I neuer intend to faile of on my part so hoping you that shall read it will on your behalfes censure it with as litle ill meaning to him as he had malice towards you in the composing thereof I commit it to your discretions and wish I could as well present you with all he hath bin Author of Yours GEORGE NORTON An Elegiacall Epistle of Fidelia to her vnconstant Friend THE ARGVMENT This Elegiacall Epistle being a fragment of some greater Poeme discouers the modest affections of a discreet and constant woman shadowed vnder the name of Fidelia wherein you may perceiue the height of their passions so farre as they seeme to agree with reason and keepe within such decent bounds as beseemeth their sexe but further it meddles not The occasion seemes to proceed from some mutability in her friend whose obiections shee here presupposing confuteth and in the person of him iustly vpbraideth all that are subiect to the like change or ficklenesse in minde Among the rest some more weighty Arguments then are perhaps expected in such a subiect are briefly and yet somewhat seriously handled OFt I heard tell and now for truth I finde Once out of sight and quickly out of minde And that it hath beene rightly said of old Loue that 's soon'st hot is euer soonest cold Or else my teares at this time had not stain'd The spotlesse paper nor my lines complain'd I had not now beene forced to haue sent These for the Nuncio's of my discontent Or thus exchanged so vnhappily My songs of mirth to write an Elegie But now I must and since I must doe so Let me but craue thou wilt not flout my woe Nor entertaine my sorrowes with a scoffe But at least read them er'e thou cast them off And though thy heart 's too hard to haue compassion If thou l't not pitty doe not blame my Passion For well thou know'st alas that er'e 't was knowne There was a time although that time be gone I that for this scarce dare a beggar bee Presum'd for more to haue commanded thee Yea the Day was but see how things may change When thou and I haue not beene halfe so strange But oft embraced with a gentle greeting And no worse words than Turtle Doue or Sweeting Yea had thy meaning and those vowes of thine Prou'd but as faithfull and as true as mine It still had beene so for I doe not faine I should reioyce it might be so againe But sith thy Loue growes cold and thou vnkinde Be not displeas'd I somewhat breath my minde I am in hope my words may proue a mirror Whereon thou looking may'st behold thine error And yet the Heauen and my sad heart doth know How grieu'd I am and with what feeling woe My minde is tortured to thinke that I Should be the brand of thy disloyalty Or liue to be the author of a line That shall be tainted with a fault of thine Since if that thou but slightly touched be Deepe wounds of griefe and shame it strikes in me And yet I must ill hap compels me to What I nere thought to haue cause to doe And therefore seeing that some angry Fate Imposes on me what I so much hate Or since it is so that the Powers divine Me miserable to such cares assigne Oh that Loues patron or some sacred Muse Amongst my Passions would such Art infuse My well-fram'd words and aiery sighes might proue The happy blasts to re-inflame thy loue Or at least touch thee with thy fault so neere That thou mightst see thou wrongd'st who held thee deere Seeing confesse the same and so abhorre it Abhorring pitty and repent thee for it But Deare I hope that I may call thee so For thou art deare to me although a foe Tell me is 't true that I doe heare of thee And by thy absence now so seemes to bee Can such abuse be in thy Court of Loue False and inconstant now thou Hee shouldst proue He that so wofull and so pensiue sate Vowing his seruice at my feete of late Art thou that quondam lover whose sad eye I never saw yet in my presence dry And from whose gentle-seeming tongue I know So many pitty-moving words could flow Was 't thou so soughtst my loue so seeking that As if it had beene all th'hadst aymed at Making me thinke thy Passion without staine And gently quite thee with my loue againe With this perswasion I so fairely plac'd it Nor Time nor Enuie should haue er'e defac'd it Is 't so haue I done thus much and art thou So over-cloyed with my favours now Art wearied since with loving and estranged So far Is thy affection so much changed That I of all my hopes must be deceaved And all good thoughts of thee be quite bereaved Then I finde true which long before this day I fear'd my selfe and heard some wiser say That there is nought on earth so sweet that can Long relish with the curious taste of Man Happy was I yea well it was with me Before I came to be bewitch't by thee I ioy'd the sweet'st content that ever Mayd Possessed yet and truely well-a-paid Made to my selfe alone as pleasant mirth As euer any Virgin did on earth The melody I vs'd was free and such As that Bird makes whom never hand did touch But vn-allur'd with Fowlers whistling flies Aboue the reach of humane treacheries And well I do remember often then Could I read or'e the policies of men Discover what vncertainties they were How they would sigh looke sad protest and sweare Nay faigne to die when they did never proue The slendrest touch of a right worthy loue But had chil'd hearts whose dulnesse vnderstood No more of Passion then they did of good All which I noted well and in my minde A generall humor amongst women-kinde This vow I
made thinking to keepe it than That never the faire tongue of any man Nor his complaint though never so much grieu'd Should moue my heart to liking whil'st I liu'd But who can say what she shall liue to doe I haue beleeu'd and let in liking too And that so farre I cannot yet see how I may so much as hope to helpe it now Which makes me thinke what e're we women say Another minde will come another day And that men may to things vnhop't for clime Who watch but Opportunity and Time For 't is well knowne we were not made of clay Or such course and ill-temper'd stuffe as they For he that fram'd vs of their flesh did daigne When 't was at best to new refine 't againe Which makes vs ever since the kinder Creatures Of farre more flexible and yeelding Natures And as we oft excell in outward parts So we haue nobler and more gentle hearts Which you well knowing daily doe devise How to imprint on them your Cruelties But doe I finde my cause thus bad indeed Or else on things imaginary feed Am I the lasse that late so truly iolly Made my selfe merry oft at others folly Am I the Nymph that Cupids fancies blam'd That was so cold so hard to be inflam'd Am I my selfe or is my selfe that Shee Who from this Thraldome or such falshoods free Late own'd mine owne heart and full merry then Did fore-warne others to beware of Men And could not hauing taught them what to doe Now learne my selfe to take heed of you too Foole that I am I feare my guerdon's iust In that I knew this and presum'd to trust And yet alas for ought that I could tell One sparke of goodnesse in the world might dwell And then I thought if such a thing might be Why might not that one sparke remaine in thee For thy faire ou-tside and thy fairer tongue Promised much although thy yeares were yong And Vertue wheresoever she be now Seem'd them to sit enthron'd vpon thy brow Yea sure it was but whether 't were or no Certaine I am I was perswaded so Which made me loth to thinke that words of fashion Could be so fram'd so over-laid with Passion Or sighes so feeling fain'd from any brest Nay say thou hadst been false in all the rest Yet from thine eye my heart such notice tooke Me thought guile could not faine so sad a looke But now I 'ue try'd my bought experience knowes They are oft worst that make the fairest showes And howsoe're men faine an outward grieving 'T is neither worth respecting nor belieuing For she that doth one to her mercie take Warmes in her bosome but a frozen snake Which heated with her favours gathers sence And stings her to the heart in recompence But tell me why and for what secret spight You in poore womens miseries delight For so it seemes else why d' yee labour for That which when 't is obtain'd you doe ahhor Or to what end doe you endure such paine To winne our loue and cast it off againe Oh that we either your hard hearts could borrow Or else your strengths to helpe vs beare our sorrow But we are cause of all this griefe and shame And we haue none but our owne selues to blame For still we see your falshoods for our learning Yet neuer can haue power to tak 't for warning But as if borne to be deluded by you We know you trustlesse and yet still we try you Alas what wrong was in my power to doe thee Or what despight haue I e're done vnto thee That thou shouldst choose Me aboue all the rest To be thy scorne and thus be made a iest Must mens ill natures such true villains proue them To make them only wrong those most that loue them Couldst thou finde none in Countrey Towne nor Court But onely Me to make thy Foole thy sport Thou knowst I haue no wanton courses runne Nor seemed easie vnto lewdnesse wonne And though I cannot boast me of much wit Thou saw'st no signe of fondnesse in me yet Nor did ill nature euer so ore sway me To flout at any that did woe or pray me But grant I had beene guilty of abusage Of thee I 'me sure I ner'e deseru'd such vsage But thou wer 't grieved to behold my smilings When I was free from loue and thy beguilings Or to what purpose else didst thou bestow Thy time and study to delude me so Hast thou good parts and dost thou bend them all To bring those that ner'e hated thee in thrall Pretheee take heed although thou yet enioy'st them They 'l be tooke from thee if thou so imploy'st them For though I wish not the least harme to thee I feare the iust Heavens will revenged be Oh! what of Mee by this time had become If my desires with thine had hapt to rome Or I vnwisely had consented to What shamelesse once thou didst attempt to doe I might haue falne by those immodest trickes Had not some power beene stronger then my Sex And if I should haue so beene drawne to folly I saw thee apt enough to be vnholy Or if my weaknesse had beene prone to sinne I poorely by thy strength had succour'd bin You Men make vs beleeue you doe but try And that 's your part you say ours to deny Yet I much feare if we through frailty stray There 's few of you within your bounds will stay But maugre all your seeming Vertue bee As ready to forget your selues as we I might haue fear'd thy part of loue not strong When thou didst offer me so base a wrong And that I after loath'd thee not did proue In me some extraordinary Loue. For sure had any other but in thought Presum'd vnworthily what thou hast sought Might it appeare I should doe thus much for him With a scarce reconeiled hate abhorre him My yong experience never yet did know Whether desire might range so farre or no To make true Louers carelesly request What rash enioying makes them most vnblest Or blindly thorow frailty giue consenting To that which done brings nothing but repenting But in my iudgement it doth rather proue That thou art fir'd with lust then warm'd with loue And if it be for proofemen so proceed It shewes a doubt else what do trials need And where is that man living ever knew That false distrust could be with loue that 's true Since the meere cause of that vnblam'd effect Such an opinion is as hates suspect And yet I will thee and thy loue excuse If thou wilt neither me nor mine abuse For I l'e suppose thy passion made thee proffer That vnto me thou to none else wouldst offer And so thinke thou if I haue thee deni'd Whom I more lou'd then all men else beside What hope haue they such favours to obtaine That never halfe so much respect could gaine Such was my loue that I did value thee Aboue all things below eternitie Nothing on Earth vnto my heart was nearer No