and neuer grieuing The Hart he feedeth by the gentle Hynde The Bucke doth feede hard by the prettie Doue The Turtle Doue we neuer see vnkinde To him that to her doth affection show I proffer kindnes yet tis not accepted I loue yet loue of loue is quite reiected The harmeles Ewe she hath by her the Ram The younger Cowe hath to her make the Bull The Calfe with many a prettie nibling Lam Vppon the downes doe feede their hunger full But my Loue lou'd prizeth so hie her faire That for her want I cannot but despaire V. FVll faire and white she is and White by na me Whose white doth striue the Lillies white to staine Who may contemne the blast of blacke defame Who in darke night can bring day bright againe Day is not day vnles her shine giue light And when she frownes day turnes to gloomy night The ruddie Rose impresseth with clere hewe In lippes and cheekes right orient to behould Her sparkling eies dart foorth to worldly view Such glimering splendant rayes more bright thē gold Her lookes the still behoulders eyes amazes Dimming their sights that on her Bewtie gazes Oh how my hart did burne at her first sight Oh how my rauisht soule did leape for ioy Day still did smile t'was neuer ebon night No griefe no woe increased my anoy Vntill I gaue the on-set to the fort Then fell disdaine set period to my sport VI. FAire Penthesilea th'Amazonian Queene Whose man-like fórce foyled Achilles sonne And hung his sheild of Graecians to be seene VVithin Troy walles hath not such honour won By that hir admirable Princely deede As my loue hath on whome all eyes doe feede Helen mongst Princes is accompted rare Phillis the Shepheards Doe commend for feature The Gods sweete Venus to be onely faire Yet she whome I loue is a fayrer creature Of all the beauties since the world begun Make one faire star yet mine will be the Son From vtmost confines of the far wide world Came war-like Knights like bees to hiue in number To gaze on her deckt with Appollo's courld And dangling goulden locks the worlds faire wonder Whose too bright lamps shining in Phaebus view VVithdrawes his rayes into a darker hewe VII EAch morne when fresh Aurora gan to peepe And Phaebus rising from the Easterne clyme Shew'd foorth his radiant beames true course to kepe VVhome Zephire bids Boniour with calmie winde Foorth goes my Mistris for to take the aire Deem'd by the world sweet Bewties fayrest faire No sooner did my loue display her bewtie From foorth the glorious portall of her being But many states did hold it bounden dutie To offer seruice such a Goddesse seeing Then doe they striue in dutie to excell VVhose dutie grac't her bewtie wondrous well At her first gaze like when Appollo's beames In the full glory of their Bewties shine Doe with the splendant rayes that frō heauē streames Illuminate the day from her diuine Such lightning came as all the earth thereby Was grac't as much as with the heauens brightie VIII VVHen she was mounted on her Palfrayes backe VVhite as the whitest snowe winters beautie Her horse againe this Princesse must vnbacke Yt were a wonder to behold the dutie Those loue-sicke Knights that still attended on her How diligent they were to waite vpon her Then in a Chariot tryumphantly she rydes Attired all in Robes of perfite greene That dangling downe hung loose about her sides Like Lady Flora Summers blessed Queene Two other Palfrayes swift as Venus doue Drawes this admired Goddesse Lady loue No sooner had her beautie grac't the fields But busie aire vp-heaues her yeilding robe Her nether garments likewise willing yeilds The couering Canopie of pleasures globe A globe wherein a man did neuer see Such pleasant fertill countries as there be IX THe tyme when this sweet faire her progresse tooke Was whē fresh spring that bud blome forth bring With greene had clad the hills and euery brooke VVith Christall glyding streames did sweetly spring The Nightingall with feathers new did sing Sommer was come for euery spray did spring The Bucke in bracke his Winter coate did cast The Turtle to her make hath tould her tale The Adder all her slough away did wast The Hart had hunge his olde head on the pale And thus I sawe amonge these pleasant things Each care decaies and yet my sorrowe springs Still side by side her Chariot did I run And like a Page attended with the rest But when I sawe the honour she had done To other Knights and mine to be the least Oh how my heart within fraighted with ire A sparke scarce kindled turn'd to flaming fier X. REuenge I sought vpon those harmeles Knights And needes I would giue scope to raging ire Our clamorous weapons fearefull Loue affrights To knowe my name the Lady doth desire Those forreine gentils knewe not what to say Some sayde I was Leander some sayde nay But if that Beautie beauties worth may prayse And prayse himselfe whom blackest hew doth scorne My Bewtie boue the rest my selfe might raise But that I leaue for after-worlds vnborne Then issu'd foorth a voice some neighbor wight Philochasander doe wee call this Knight A warriour whom all Britaine doth admire A man at armes that dreades no martiall rage Disgrac't he would not be for fell desire Did egg him on some others to asswage His new bred furie sought but all in vaine In presence of his Lady foure Knights were slaine XI THose starke dead Corps of those 4 worthy peres That breathles lay vpon the thirstie ground Was such a terror to her tender yeares That tymerous feare did cast her in a sound But when her sences were restor'd againe This was her guerdon for my taken paine From Bewties Court I must on Pilgrimage And neuer more behold her Maiestie But bannishment with such a goulden age As were my youthfull dayes could not agree But though her doome exild me from her sight Aloofe I followed like a wandring Knight Foure dead I banisht yet a hundreth more Of gallant gentles did attend on her Well might fiue absent be amongst fiue-score Where such a worthy troope did waite vpon her Exild I was and Louers she had score Yet in despight of hate she had one more XII POore I which had two eyes yet not one eye That durst attempt to lend my soule reliefe Reliefe to me in mid'st of miserie Least that the one eye caus'd the others griefe Two eies I had yet none to doe me good So much in feare of Bewtie poore I stood Nere her I might not come the more my woe The farther out of sight the more her ioy Thus woe became my friend and weale my foe My absence her content my sight anoy Thus pilgrym like I ranged full of paine Hoping for rest though captiue to disdaine But they that hope for fruite on barren land May lacke what they desire and so did I I look't for fauour at a Princes hand Yet scarce durst view
her sacred Maiestie For I was banisht banisht from her sight That once gaue day vnto my soules darke night XIII SOme men will thinke as due they ought to haue For their true seruice guerdon and reward But I intreate and loue for loue I craue Yet others though vnworthy are prefard I beate the bush and others catch the bird Reason exclaimes and sweares my hap is hard They eate the honny I must hold the hiue I sowe the seede and they must reape the corne I wast they win I drawe and they must driue Theirs is the thanke and mine the bitter scorne I seeke they speede in vaine my winde is spent I gape they get I pray and yet am shent I fast they feede they drinke and I still thurst They laugh I weepe they ioy I euer mourne They gaine I loose I onely haue the worst They are whole I am sicke they cold I burne I would they may I craue they haue at will That helpeth them but hate my hart doth kill XIIII ADew desart alas how art thou spent Ah droping teares how wofully you wast Poore hart how many scalding sighes are lent To pricke them forth that make no speedy hast Ah payned soule thou gap'st for mickell grace Of her in whome sweete pittie hath no place Vnhappy I the fixed stonye rocke From place to place as soone I may remoue As by my heauy sorrowe to prouoke A frozen hart from hate to perfite loue What should I say alas such is my lot To fawne on womens faire that make men dote For where I seeke to finde a resting port I doe but weigh against the wauering winde And where my troubled soule would faine resort There is no place for my abode assign'd My destinie I feare decreeth so That my true hart should cause my mickle woe XV. UUHen glorious Phaebus had the Serpent slaine The wanton God desired Cupids bow Which sudden strife did turne him to such paine That in the end he felt the depth of woe The shaft once shot he neuer could remoue His woe began in seeking Daphnes loue This Cupid hath a shaft of perfit kinde Wherewith true-louing makes he gently woundeth Whose goulden head hath power ynough to binde All loyall harts such force therein aboundeth An other shafte he hath that's wrought in spight Whose Nature is to quench all sweete delight The owne in Phaebus tooke a resting place In Daphnes Brest the cruell shaft did slumber Phaebus sought loue Daphne would not imbrace His vowed loue could neuer bring her vnder Such is my case to her I seeke to most I loue she hates thus is my labour lost XVI AS oft as I behold my loue in Maiestie Her sparkling soueraigne bewtie that me bound The mores my comfort though exild I be But yet alas the fresher is my wound My soule like Tantalus in sorrow wasteth Who sees the goulden fruite yet neuer tasteth On like a careles Lady still she glides Woe worth those Palfrayes that befriend her so Woe worth the burnisht Charriot where she rides Alas alas they nill regard my woe Swift Spookes strong Axeltree burst all in sunder That I may feede vpon my soules rare wonder Yee gentle Coursers that so much obay Let not the goulden raines your proud heads tame Graze on some fertill soyle that she may stay And meditate vpon an exiles name Looke what I wisht good chance to cure my wouÌ„d Subuerted her rich pompe downe to the ground XVII THere sits my loue like Ioue in heauens throne That mountaine like still standeth so stands she Whose maiestie those knights doe gaze vpon Expecting from her bewtie some rich fee. But this rare accident that Fortune wrought Twixt timerous feares dread my mistris brought As in a traunce she all amazed sate Faire Elanira so my faire I name Who did disdaine blacke Venus for her mate Mate would she none but babling tell tale fame To blaze her Bewties excellence about Casting proude libells forren lands throughout No sooner were her Palfrayes put to graze And she reuiued that erst seemed dead But all the prettie birds on her to gaze Marching along by Nightingalls were lead VVith sugred notes they proffer humble duety Carrolling sweete musicke to her bewtie XVIII THose prettie birds did frame such melodie That Elanira fell into a slumber Her rauisht seruants drencht with harmonie Sad drowsie Morpheus were inthralled vnder Which when the birds perceau'd as they were ioying They hop and leap about fall to toying They thought poore sillie fooles but thought amisse That she was Flora in her chiefest pride Therefore her currall lips they chirping kisse Anon her dangling amber haire they'spied Thereon some play and leap from haire to haire While others suck the breath of Bewties faire Then came vnruly Aire Zephirus blasts To gaze vpon this all admired Lady The wanton windes her nimble robes vpcasts About her corps they were as quicke as may be To couer Bewties treasure they nothing leaue Their yeilding garments bout her they vpheaue XIX THen did the wanton birds flie all about Her pleasure pallaice viewing all her store Rownd rownd they flutter in and then flie out All that shee had they law what could they more What mortall eie but I had such a sight Could deeme the field no bed the day no night No eie but I vnles the heauens bright eie And other senceles eies that nothing wit Beheld this blessed obiect whereat I Amazed stood bereau'd of sence and wit Yet when I cald to minde what I had lost I drew nigh that which I desired most And when the sudden mist that dazled had Mine eyes at their first sight and sudden view Had cast his stemmy garment oh so glad Was I that what I saw for truth I knew Imagine gentle Louers how it grieu'd me I saw yet could not haue that should relieue me XX. UUHile thus I musing stood swift feathered Time Came flying by and tould me t'was mid-day Those slumbring Knights and Lady all diuine Slept on the prettie birds tooke flight away Then nigh my Lady nigh as nigh may be I did approch vnto her Maiestie I did againe what Zephir did vndoe I spred the couering silken Canopie I plac't her goulden tresses in a roe I had a care of her sweete Chastitie By this time drowsie slumber left her eyes The curtaines drawne my Lady gan to rise She saw t'was day but when she saw me by She gan exclaime but all her Knights were fast Then dreading naught I did approch more nie No dread at all nor feare did me agast Then such a tale I sounded in her eare That are I â—east she bad me come more nere XXI NO sooner had she sayd but I was by Downe I must set with honour she did grace me My tale halfe tould she cast a wanton eye With luorie circling armes she did imbrace me Thrice welcome to thy friend thy Quondam foe This sayd she askt if I did loue or no Rauisht with ioy I made her this
Philochasander AND ELANIRA The faire Lady of Britaine Wherein is discouered the miserable passions of Loue in exile his vnspeakeable Ioy receaued againe into fauour with the deserued guerdon of perfit loue and Constancie Hurtfull to none but pleasaunt and delightfull for all Estates to contemplate By Henry Petowe Dulcia non meruit qui non gustauit amara Printed by Thomas Purfoot 1599. To the vertuous and courteous young Gentleman and his very friend Maister Iohn Cowper H. P. wisheth increase of vertue and heauenly Happinesse SEeme you content be discontent who list My chiefest studie is to please my frend Your liking scares the byting Satirist What foole dyslikes where vertue doth commend Vertues firme stay is resident in thee And I from vertue seeke Appologie Vouchsafe then thou admired to descend Downe from th'imperious rich skie threatning throne Of all subdewing vertue honours friend And grace the Roofe of my poore mansion Herein's contain'd the house of my goood will Like it and take it so be Land-lord still Yf the foundation shrinking chance to faile And strongest posts the builder doe beguile Suppose it then the Cottage of a Snaile That tottering falls so that her ruine smile Decay in such poore creatures breeds delight For their ambition sauors not of might Yours to his power humbly deuoted Henry Petowe Ad Inuidiam SHame seeking Zoylists is it not offence That Momus is the God of your deuotion To whome you consecrate all diligence In carping and contemning euery motion Shame ye not thus to seeke the shame of others Why seeke you shame shame swiftly doth pursue you Yet enuie so your bashfull sences smothers That you shame not so much as they that view you Looke back looke back and let this Poem passe That passeth not blinde byting Enuies terrour But learne to knowe abstaynance in this glasse And carpe not that which wanteth naught but errour Vaine are all actions of humanitie Then blame not fiction 'tis but vanitie N. R. Gent. In laud'em Authoris THe Lawrels greene wreath Pallas doth propose To the Tryumphant Temples of all those Which by Appollo's inspiration Merit faire Daphnes transformation Then doth this Author by all Poets Lawes Deserue that Fame with generall applause Henry Snelling Gentleman To the quick-sighted Readers AS he that lately ransom'd from the snare Dreads still venture on the selfe-same gin So erst by folly led not arm'd with care Seeke I to shun the pit I late was in The sinke of misconceite and errors Cell Wherein my wandring Muse downehead-long fell Rays'd by your fauours she hath prunde her wings And now her second flight she gins to make Oh doe not hurt her though she rudely springs For want of skill but rather pleasure take To see an vnflidg'd fowle make shift to flie Whose vngrowne plumes all meanes for ayd deny Once she did ill since when she liu'd obscure In blacke robes mu'd within an ebon herse No longer now she will her selfe Immure But cancell her rude Epitaphe's harsh verse Blest may her second resurrection be And in your fauours liue eternallie Yours as opportunitie will permit H. P. To the fayrest Elanira FAire glorie of Virtue whose bright Angels forme Fram'd of immortall powers all diuine Banish the blacke Cloudes of a threatning stormes Darting such splendant rayes from Bewties eyen Eyes casting light like to the Lampes of heauen Whose eyes all eyes of sight hath quite bereauen Blinde I whose I can neuer be but blinde Unlesse the sun-shine of your sacred bewtie Inforce the curtaines of mine eyes assign'd By loue to ope ' and doe their wonted dutie Then shine bright Sunne vpon my liquid soyle Drench'd with my teares in hazard of much spoyle How can that soyle faire Sunne but ruinate Whereon the Sunne will neuer cast his light Such is your Bewties force when I contemplate That one kinde smile can brighten my darke night My harts sad woes which force my soule to languish Such is my woes inexorable anguish Yf then one harmeles smile from beauties faire Lend comfort to a thousand new bred woes Smile sacred Sainct to banish fell dispaire Dispaire that all sweet pleasure ouerthrowes My weale or woe at Beawties mercieis Frownes bred my sorrowes smiles my endles blisse Philochasander The pleasant Historie of Philochasander and Elanira SEauen tymes twise tould the bright Hyperian Hath circled the fierie Zodiacke Seauen times twise seauen since darting loue began Within those twise seuen dais my poore soules wrack Of an old hurt yet feele the woūd but green Wounded by Loue yet loue hath neuer seen In Cyprus springes where Beautie faire once dwelt A well so hot that who so tasts the same Were hee of stone as thawed Ice should melt And finde his brest kindled with burning flame Whose feruent heate my cold lymmes so opprest That fell dispaire doth lend me little rest An other well that springes so hot is found Whose chilling venome of repugnant kinde Drenches the burning heate of Cupids wound And with the spot of change infects the minde Whereof my deare hath tasted to my paine My seruice thus is growen into disdaine II. FRom Tuskane came my Ladies worthy race Faire Florence was sometimes her auntient seate The westerne Ile whose pleasant shore doth face Wilde Cambers cliffes did giue her liuely heate Fostred she was with Milke of Irish brest And now in famous Britaine she doth rest Fortune bad Chaunce the Author of my rewe Why did you suffer hoarie aged tyme To present such a Diamond to my viewe At whose first sight my Sun-shine did decline Warres forren gallants wherefore did you slumber And carelesly let slip so rare a wonder Why did you sleepe and did not gaze vpon her Why did so rare a prise escape your handes Why did not waking Centonels cease on her Whose sacred lookes all earth on earth commaunds Her faire of kinde her vertues from aboue Happy is he that can obtayne her loue III. THe Sun hath twice brought forth his tēder green Twice clad the Earth in liuely lustinesse Once haue the windes the trees displayed clean And once againe begins their cruelnesse Since I haue hid the harme within my brest My Ladies coy disdaine that hinders rest The winters hurt recouers with the warme The parched greene restored is with shade What warmth alas may serue for to disarme The frozen heart that mine inflame hath made VVhat colde againe is able to restore My fresh greene yeares that wither more more Strange kindes of death in life I trie At hand to melt farre of in flame to burne And like as time list to my cure applie So doth each place whole heapes of woes returne Loue seemes to haue my cure still in scorne VVho liuing die and dying liue to morne IIII. MOst happie all but I the sauadge wild The sencelesse beasts in field that pasture takes Nature will not permit them be beguild Of their true-harted loue affecting makes The poorest senceles creature on earth lyuing ' Enioyes what he loues most