pardon though the truth you heare And though against my will loue kept your right For I did striue to free me from affection But beautie was too strong for mine endeuor Who hath so forst my loue to your subiection As till you free me I am bound for euer To stop mine ears with wax mine eyes to blind To hide me from your sight amidst the woode In all these helps no helpe at all I find My loue is such as they will doe no good As Pelias spere could hurt and healde againe So therefore let me craue but this of thee That as loue made so loue may eaâ—e my paine And as you mine so I your best may bee The second Epistle I St true indeed was Phillis so vnkind With hand and hart vnred in peces rent To send my verses to the scattering windâ— When they to you and no where else were ment Those snow-white fingers soft as any cloud â—should not such shreudnes vnder beauty shrowd And could you braule with Mopsus in such sort For briÌ„ging you a pledge of true affection It was no fault your praises to report And he did naught but after my derection Amintas wrote the verses you did teare If so you like Amintas name to heare Did you commaund that I should write no more Why loue commaunds that I should write again Besides your looks affords such flowing store As makes a Poet write with little paine Yea you haue power in euery merry smile To force a loute to match Appollos stile What greeud you then what made you so to chide Were you affeard olde Mopsus would reueale it When next I write because I wil it hide I le bringâ—t my selfe and so we may conceale it My silent hand in your hand bestow That which none else but you and I shall know Nor Faustulus nor Corridon shall heare it Or once suspect our loue if you aâ—gree Our ioyned lips so to and froe shall beare it As ayre nor Ecco shall a witnesse be Till you my wife my happy armes shall fill Then let them prattle what where they will When last I wrote some angry stars had power And bad aspects agreed to show their kind Yet now I hope I chose a better houre And better hap I do not doubt to find Do you but reade to read you neede not feare Or if you will I le reade and you shall here I write not ought that may offend your eie Your seruant doth no more but shew his loue The wound you made perhaps you there may spy With some such passions as desire doth moue Which if you will not take awaiâ— from Yet what your beauty wrought take pains to se Doe but behold what guiltles I endure Accept true loue a guiltie fault you deeme For then my paines your will If you be she whom vâ—wardly you seeme If those faire eyes your emorce reveale The woud you made you caÌ„not chuse but heal Feare no deceipt I coppie from my hart No more then honest loue doth now sugiest The pen where with I write can â—aine no smart Being the index of a faithfull breast It is not long sence loue did let it fall Out of his wing for me to write withall No doubt he ment your praises I should paint So to vnmaske the vertues you would hide For knowing that my wonder made me faint And that our quills such works may not abide He hath supplide such pen such lasting inke As will performe as much as I can thinke Read therefore with desire read with delight Diana knowes that I doe meane none ill Here are no charmes I vse no magiks might In truth I loue almost against my will And neuer might they thriue who ly in waite To snare poore damsels with their lewd deceipt I am not I Demophion though you be Another Phillis far more richly prised In vertue more and far more faire then she Else halfe hir praiers had hir saint suffiâ—ed Had she beene you then he like me had lou'd And then I know he might not be remou'd Now as that Phillis yelds to you in bewtie So doth that periurd wretch that truthlesse Knight Submit himselfe in â—aith in loue and dewtie Vnto Amintas as he ought by right Whose blouming age by al men spotles viewâ—d With such foule deeds shal neuer be imbrewâ—d Oh therefore looke vpon my melting heart And ope the wounde that you the depth may see Vnlesse you know how shall you ease my smart And who should helpe if Phillis helpe not me You did the harme you may the worst amend Phillis my foe may so become my fâ—end No more my foe if you my health afford Then will I call you life or some thing better Yea if I knew a more effectuall word I would not long therefore remaine your detter You you shall be to me euen what you will Vpon condiâ—ion you my sute fulfill Sweet wer my brest such as the light through shind That so you might behold as in a fountaine Your thrise faire Image there deuoutly shrinde Daunced vpon aliuelie leaping mountaine Then shuld you se how like a queen you raign Commaunding lawes of pleasure and of paine There should you see how all my sences watche Readie to run at euery becke and winke Like straining grahounds striuing to dispatch Each thing that they to your contentment think Yea wit to will and will to loue resigneth And glad is he that so himselfe combineth Or if you search my secret hart within T is strange to see how loue doth reuell there Placing new pains where erst there non hath bin And raising warres and discord euerie where To se what broils despaire and hope doth keepe would make a harder hart then yours to weepe Yea euery part the liuer lungs and all Do witnes well that they with loue haue met The liuer which the seate of loue men call With scorched sides do shew where he hath set My longs with greuous sighes consume awaie While they would saue the bodies whole decaie My wanton spleene sometime fulfild with sporte Hath lost his laughing and his merrie cheere My tougn mine eies like mischiefe can report And so would all the rest if you would heare My tongue doth tire with begging your relief mine eies shed tears which shew both ioie gref Since therefore thus I suffer for your sake It were iniustice to increase my sorrowes Good Phillis graunt some pittie now to take And let sweet words restore what beutie borroâ—â—â— Happie am I if you agree to this But if you frowne a wretch your seruaunt is The third Epistle â—ast with strange doubts more pains your frend abideth Good Phillis auswere these my growning feares Let that sweet voice which yet your pittie hideth Pronounce the end of all my beggin teares But if some shame for modest you werr euer With hold those words which loue to me doth owe Then may you write for paper blusheth neuer And trust me well ther 's no man shall it know Stand
not vpon your ouer curious writing When letters leape each other I can spell it Neither do I desire your choise inditing For loue seemes best if plainely we do tell it When halfe abasht and stutting in my speach My trembing hand deliuered you my writte When waterie eies your mercy did beseech And euery parte bewraid a louers fit I mus'd to see your countenance changed so Flashing quick passions with a subden grace And white and red so oft to come and go As if deepe thoughts were written in your face So haue I seene the moone eclipsed wade When shadowy earth from Phoebus hir deuideth Now meetely light and now that light do fade Now peeping forth and now her selfe she hideth Which made me think som other sun you had And Fastulous or Corridon was he I doubted least my shaddow made you sad For plaine it was this change did come from me Nor durst I hope though hope well pleasd my mind That new affectioÌ„ wrought this new aspect And though I long'd to see you proue so kind Yet did I feare some other worse effect And euen this feare a wretch Amintas maketh Whilst stormy motions in my thoughts arise Whilst fonding loue each action still mistaketh Striuing in kindnesse all things to comprise Oh happie if Amintas you esteemed Or if I could not see my selfe deceiued But what blind eies your fauor wold haue deemd Where my small guifts so hardly were receaued Mad Tigers yeald with vowes praiers tamed But feruent zeale is neither strange nor nice That proud disdaine that Rustik loue is named Which only yealds to mercenary price Loue would not make your fainting haÌ„d so slack To take the verses your Amintas brought you It was not loue that turnd away your back When them to read I earnestly besought you You need not feare the murmur of my muse An vnpoluted hand a pen more iust A mind which knowes no fraud nor none wil vse Did draw the modell which you so mistrust Not Venus sonne nor any lusting spirit Do hale me on to thinke one wicked thought My loue is new and growes from your demerit As pure as gold that finers fire hath wrought And yet at first I did my selfe mistake it For truth to speake I thought it Cupids fire And therefore did I wrastle to forsake it For neuer could I like of foule desire But now by holy triall I do find That mine and that are easelie knowne a sunder They disagree in habite and in kind To see their difference you perhaps would wonder Of Mars and Venus that the Bastard is This is of vertue only son and heire That knowne to most but few haue met with this That blacks our souls but this doth make theÌ„ faire He flies with wings and ioies in false designes This louing truth on milk wight steed is mounted Starke naked he doth shew his sin by signes This vseth clothes least lewd he were accompted With pitch-black scarfe he vales his cruel eies To shew how guiltles men he leades astray Quicke sighted this each dangerous doubt espies And by iust lawes all actions well doth weigh Two arrowes Cupid in his left hand weareth Two arrowes my loue in like sort doth carry And in their right hand each a fire brand beareth Yet shaftes and brandâ— in their effects do vaâ—ie His torch doth only smoake to smother wit The other cleerely flames with sacred fire His poisoned arrowes fester where they hit These do but prick vs with a chaste desire Our bondage he by words deeds procureth Yea such a bondage as few slaues do find But this with sweete content our hope inureth Blessing with quiet the obaieng mind Such is my loue such is all his fruits Euen this was hee which praisd your matchles bewty This first aduisd me to commence my sutes This taught me first a faithfull louers dewty Good Phillis therefore yeald me my request Amintas doth not loue as you supposed And Faustulus sings Flora his best His flocks within hir pinfold he hath closed Phillis I sing on her are all my notes My sheepe none other fellowship will take Mad Corridon do buz on clownish otes As balde a verse as any lob can make But want on nimphs the satires and the fairies My seuen stopt pipe as sweet as miâ—maides voice Will force to daunce about you the canaries Whilst they shall wonder at my happie choice Now Faustulus lest you should think him ould Pickes forth his hoary heares with too much pain His cheeks are â—ubd least blud should seeme too cold He were a youth if al his frames were plaine Our ages being like must needs agree The downe appeares vpon my face but newlie Proud Corridon will your commaunder be But poore Amintas will attend you dulie What should I trouble you with hearing more Wherein my riualls are vneuen with me These are enough yet haue I better store Sweet therefore let the worthie crowned be The fourth Epistle AS musicke giues and takes awaie our liues Whilst we with heed attend her heauenly strains EueÌ„ so my life your answer both reuiues And kills your seruaunt with a world of paines For though at first my fainting hopâ—s it mended The end alas a â—â—rdering feare portended Whilst faiâ—â— I heard you say you red my letters And that you were not with my sute displeased If all the churles of Asia were my deâ—â—ers Their depts my hart so much had neuer eased Me thought I felt the strangest quicking grow That euer hoping louer yet did know But doubt of death so much could heardly moue Or daunt your seruant well resoâ—â—d to die As when I heard you say you knew not loue Nor euer ment his madding for to trie Oh then I wisht that with the selfe â—ame dart Loue wold strike you wherwith he perst my hart Yet so I praide and pray him hit my sweete As only I may be your first election In hope that when our equall passions meeâ—e We both shall striue to conquer in affection For I should die to see you so abâ—sed As him to loue by whome you are refused And since they say it is the auncient vse That for our loues we Venus must intreat Because I will admit you no excuse Words of great waight to hiâ— I will repeate And words with gifts right humbly shal be sealed In â—ope that so this feuer may be healed Two milke white doues a rich precious chaplet Wrought al of gold perles fetcht from the east Baskets of flowers the Rose the Violet To set vpon hir best beloueds crest These shall she haue and I will bribe her sonne Cost is no cost so Phillis maie be wonne A paire of chirping sparrowes will I bring him And euer kissing turtles trulie matched Options of loue and sonets will I sing him What would I not so this maie be despatched So Phillis maie my loue with loue requite I do not weigh the price of my delite Now if chaunce and sometimes so it chaunceth That
from our likeings we must backward go And though we would not say it should be so The inward placing of their double eies Was to restraine the nimble wandering thought For searching sight so many motes espies As oft it makes vs thinke of that is naught And thought in time will breed a free consent From whence proceeds a daunger pestilent But least I dwell too long vpon this toie I next will speake a little of the last Vpon a bancke there sits the flying boy His bow vnbent his quiuer loosely cast With wings al wet as beaten with a shower Who sees him now wold scarsely feare his power One foote vpon the others lappe doth lie His right hand groping round about that heele The left do put the finger in the eie As if he plaind for smart that he doth feele So haue I seene old Batche the painter trace A whipped boye looke vp with crying face His broken scarfe hangs downe vpon his arme Cupid now sees who earst was deemed blind A pricke he caught which doth him all this harme For which he seeks but no where can it find Yet still he looks where oft he lookt before With that my mother smild and said no more THE ANSWER OF PHILLIS TO A MINT AS BY THE TRANSLATOR TO satisfie hir friend thus Phillis writeth Scarse well aduisde to whom or what she doth For trembling hand whilst fearful thought inditeth Do tell me oft men speake not alwaies sooth And that too many seme as they where iust In whom our trialles find but little trust Yet I haue heard how much they vse to glorie As if it were some newes of good import Of vs to tell an ouer louing storie Where with they make themselues others sport But in what case is that poore seelie maid That by her owne good nature is betraid Now twise too kind I must confesse it is For vs to write or shew our bad inuentions The lines we send proue maps of our amisse Wherein you men false measure our intention And though of loue the verses haue no sauour Yet are they deemde too prodigall a fauour We vergins on an open stage are set Where many eies examine euerie deede Where slaunder hides in euery bush a net To warne vs in our waies to take good heed Then may we hope that lines wil ought conceale VVhich like bad seruants all they know reuâ—ale The inside of our hartes must not be seene Wee must lock vp the secrets of the mind And though Amintas euer true hath beene Yet Phillis must not shew hir selfe too kind With these perswasions did I hould my hand Till your intreties gaue a counter-mand Where with the loue which once I did conceiue Before your sight to get what I would keepe Began a new impression to receiue In hope to charme your fond desires asleepe For truth to speake before your sute began I thought Amintas was an honest man Yet such as chastly meane to liue and die Must shun occasions tempting their intent And hate such sutors as in waite do lie To make our thoughts become incontinent My maidenhood was promisd to my graue An others right Amintas may not haue And I did tell ould Mopsus when he brought Too pander like the verses first you sent That since to wrack my chastitie you sought I would reuoke the friendship earst I ment T' was wisely done to send him on that arrant Since of his councell you had little warrant Now if I should which nere is like to bee Forsake the sweetnes of this single life In truth I rather had be match't with thee Then otherwise become a Prince his wife Yet do not mend your hope with this I saie For trust me Phillis neither will nor maie For who doe marke the daungers that arise And see the paines and cares the wedded vâ—nter But will preuent at least if they be That they such troubles shall not rashlie enter But grauÌ„t som maids their happines would loose Yet can you scarcely teach vs how to choose For may we take those men whose â—ies do sue Gazing as if in vs they sought their hearts Or may we thinke their shamefast gestures true Whose signes appeere the patterns of their smarts So wrought Ortello yet how false was he And why should his succeeders truer be Or are they best who with their heart-sicke woes A spotlesse faith right solemnly will sweare Or such as with old begging words compose A bosome loue to hacknâ—y euery where The periurd louers looke as others do The last to shew their cunning only wooe What counsell then since â—ares and eies may erre And error breedâ—s both smart and bitteâ— shame If we misgrant the futes they do prefer Repentance cannot stanch our bleeding fame So that if signes words vowes be forceles Women haue cause I thinke to be remorceles And since both good and bad their truth wil bost Bearing themselues as if no harme they ment Considering that the worst are euer most We must suspect the very best intent For deepe deceipt will speake as faire as he Who loueth best and fainest lou'd would be Now some againe too fond amongst the rest For present time do loue with â—eruent mind Yet when a while their loues they have possest In whoÌ„ diffrence froÌ„ their thoughts they find Perceiuing how their hopes were theÌ„beguiled All foâ—mer loue by them is quite exiled Then others fortunes they begin to measure Guessing how well some other men have sped Their own is the râ—st they think are treasure And now they tell how much they were miâ—led In neighbours fields the corne is better grown And euery thing is richer then their owne From whence there doth a world of michiefs slide For then hath thrift his paspoâ— to be gon All honest and loue is laide aside Yea and those michiefs seldome come alone For lothing minds are longing to be free And care not how so it effected be I am not angry though I shrewdly speake For sin it were with loue to be displeased Only I seeke your vaine desires to breake Which yet but sparkâ— I hope may be appeased And I dare sweare that you are none of those That with are practised to glozâ— Yet must I prosecute my first occasion By all good meanes affection to subdue And might I so preuaile by my perswasion As henceforâ—h you such sutes would not â—enew Might I Amintas thus those toies remoue Then should I thinke that Phillis you did loue Why faine I were a man as you do say And that my bewâ—y did so far exceede I' st therefore strange if you should haue a nay Do euery sutor of his purpose speede That which you did demand is â—ought by many But I will neither giue it you nor any And yet to you before a thousand more Were they as rich as Crassus in his pride And were Amintas more then thrice as poore When I may loue to him my loue is tid'â— But til our friends conscent we haue â—o power The couenant of that knot is none of oure For as from parents we our flesh do borrow So must we pay the dept which kind do owe And you shall alwaies see the mayde haue â—orrow Which crosse their liking doth hir selfe bestow Whose carefull eies all danger will espie When our blind fancies leade vs cleane awry And though my mother fauoreth you too much And partially to me reports your praise Yet what maie she do since the world is such As now the husband euerie action swaies Of whose consent there is no little doubt Farewell for now my wasted light goes out FINIS
⧠AN OVLD FACIONED LOVE Or a loue of the Ould facion By I. T. gent. AT LONDON Printed by P. S. for William Mattes dwelling in fleetstrete at the signe of the hand and plough 1594. To the Worshipfull and my singular good friend mistres Anne Robertes I Do not good Mistres Roberts present these papers vnto you as either worthy of your viewe and grauitie or any way answerable to the least part of your great courtesies but being many waies highlie bounden I haue sought by such meanes as vnable students are wonte to performe to you as to my good Patronesse some shewe of gratitude by my pen which I am not able to expresse in any other meete furniture of fortune Accept therefore I praie you not so much the value which is of no worth as the mind of him who carieth you in all due reuerent estimatioÌ„ And so beseeching God to yeeld you all the effect of your vertuous desire I humblie take my leaue Yours in all due affection and commaundement I. T. To the courtious and friendlâ—e AFter many cunning and well penned poems you may parhaps maruell gentlemen what follie or rather fuâ—ie should draw mee to diuulge this poore pastor all conceipte The truth is that perusing at idle howers the author of Amintas ioyes I found it in latine a passion much answerable to my purpose both for the matter and manner and for the apt discouery of honest plaine meaning affection not vnpleasaÌ„t nor vnmeete to be clothed with an English suit as well as others of like nature and condition whose translations remaine to their praise though my selfe neither seeke nor deserue standing rather to intreat your pardons then to hope for praise If ought be to your liking I reioyce if ought amisse attribut it to youth as not stepped to the place of sound iudgement or if you determine otherwise I leaue my selfe and it to your fauorable censures praying yet that you will please to measure the matter according to the mind of the author which in all intention is faultles Fare you well Faulâ— escaped amend thus if they be not alreadie corrected In the 2. page 23. line read liueth 7. p. â—liâ—re shall 11. 12. â— borrows 11. p 15. â— least 13. 5. fonding 16. 5 â—rounes 24. 23. â—oueth 32â—5 Batch 33. 7. yea 38. 7. euen a◠⧠THE FIRST EPISTLE Countries delight sweet Phillis Beuties pride Vouchsafe to read the lines Amyntas writeth And hauing red within your boosome hide What first of loue my fearfull muse inditeth When once my mother set me flocks to keepe Bare fifteene yeres of age in lether clad A maple hooke to get and hould my sheepe A waiting dogge a homely scrip I had No skill in beasts on loue I neuer thought Yet but a boye the friendly shepards route Admitted me and countrie secrets taught To heale my flocks to fould them round about In threatned stormes to lead them to the lee To sheare in time to driue the wolfe awaie To knowe the course of starres that fixed bee To pipe on meadow reeds each holy-daie To sing in rime as sometimes shepards vse To daunce our Iiggs on pasture grac't with flowrs What learnd I not what toile did Irefuse To quench loues flames passe o're idle houresâ— At last when heauen did womeÌ„s callends shew And custome would that euery swain should profer Vnto his choise as they doe sit are we Such fauours as poore shepards vse to offer Silke garters Egon first began to tie About the calues of her he loued best And lifting vp her clothes she said Naie sie With blushing smils his hand she downward prest Then Titerus a ryband did bestow On Driades his loue and whole delight In token of the ioyes they hope to knowe When wedding chamber giues the happie night Of marigoldes with figured loue and name A chaplet Melibeus had deuised On Clitias head then pinned he the same And vowd his loue should neuer be demised To Glicery ould Mopsus fay rings giuethâ— Menalcas and the rest gaue where they louâ—d But who is he that alwaies happie liue What ioyes so firme as griefe hath not remoued Faustulus and Caridon wel borne wel allyed Both rich both strong both for vertues praised Lou'de you alike and were alike denied Yet for your sake great strife there had they raised A gem the one a whelpe the other bringeth Both faire enough yet you did both refuse Lest hate which oft from riuall passion springeth This merrie meeting rudelie should abuse And yet these lads do striue with words deeds Loue gaue theÌ„ staues their blows ar stroÌ„gly plac'd They call their frends the best but badly speeds Full pale you rose I markte how palenes graced And truce with mouing teares you did desire But all in vane for teares the fight increased Whereat me thought my hart began to fire And pittie longd to see this battell ceased Then rushed I amidst this churlish fraie And war with war I conquered at the last With force or threats the fearcest did I staie You gaue me thanks when all the broile was past Oh had not sweetest Phillis thankfull beene And yet I wish too much against your kind But had not I those gracious gestures seene might haue still enioyed a quiet mind For when your tempting eyes I did behold And heard your voice more sweet then musiks sound The passions which I felt may not be told Then then it was that first loues force I found The one mine â—are the other pleasd mine eye This pleasure bread such stormes within my hart As poore Amintas wretchedlie must die Except faire Phillis shall redresse his smarte My doubtfull mind so too and froe doth moue Vnlike himselfe your seruaunt now abideth Constant in naught but onely in your loue feare presseth hope and shame affection hideth Beleeue me sweete newe louers cannot faine Awake asleepe still Phillis doe I see And from your looks I gather ioye or paine Euen which it please you to bestow on me If merrilie Amintas you salute A merry hope doe make me happie straight But if you frowne then doe I feare my sute And on my thoughts a thousand cares do waight Confounded thus and ouercome with griefe To fluds with teares to ayre with sighes I melte In vaine I seeke each waie for my reliefe I thinke such torments neuer louer felte Yet lest a coward iustly I were thought At first to yeeld vnto my first desire Fond rage with reason to suppresse I sought And with discretion to quench out the fire I chide my selfe and call into my mind Such medicines as our annals haue in store I prooue them all and yet small ease I find For still my loue increaseth more and more I sit vp late I rise before the daie I doe repeate each vanitie in loue I checke faire beautie by her quick decaie And twentie other helpes I fondly prooue I thinke how Sirens catch the listning eare And how affection is increast by sight Sweet Phillis