the Prince of Hell and thus reward his loue with thankles hate Thy folly makes me now with sorrow sing The effect of Loue to be a fickle thing Yet to regaine my losses come I heere to plead for mercie at grim Plutoes seat Who when he sees my waight of woes appear and heares me all my sorrowes to repeat Will in his justice say well may I sing That Loues effect is an vnconstant thing And you the watchfull keepers of these ports affoord but me the entrance to those plaines Where euery day so many Ghosts resortes and I wil for requitall of your paines To heauen earth and all their creatures tell How gently I was entertain'd in hell Wlth this the cruell Porter was content to giue him entraÌ„ce through his brazen door Where when he was the Ghostes incontinent came flocking still about him more and more And they that whilest they liu'd had hard his longes For the like pleasure all of them now longes To whome the gentle Thracian not denies but for the better he might get his right With his accustomable harmonies hee gluts their longing sences with delight And makes them all both Ghostes and Furies say Would they might euer more heare Orpheus play Thus pleasantly they passe the foremost portch and now amongst the tortures enter in Where some in scalding mettall frie and scortch the tender superficies of their skin Others do freese to death yet neuer die Whose paines and liues must last eternally All these and many other torturing kindes the force of his sweet musicke did alay And cheer'd againe their now dead drooping mindes that in these torments thus tormented stay And whilest he sung forgets their former vaine The one his nature th' other all his paine Then came he neere a place where hee might see a gliding streame that swiftly runnes away Ouer whose bankes doth hang a broad branch'd tree that with much fruit her boughs to th' earth did sway Vnder whose shade in water to the chin Poore Tantalus is forc'd to labour in Ready to starue for food poore soule hee standes and yet the fruite hangs round about his head But when he striues to catch them with his hand they are conuayd from him with sudden speed And when hee hopes to quench his thirst with drinke Then doth the water settle downe and sinke By him Ixion on a torturing wheele continually is rack'd and torne asunder His bodie yet decayes not any deale but still indures those paines which is a woonder That being rack'd and tortur'd in this rate His bodie should continue in one state There lies Promotheus fastened to the ground vpon whole heart a greedy vulture feedes And wher he feeds new flcsh growes in the the wound and so his hart and hurt doe dayly breed And Sisiphus by him doth make his mone Wearied with labouring vp the tumbling stone To whom when Orpheus came and gan to sing their paines surceast and they were something eas'd Whose harmonie effected such a thing as ther withall the Furies seem'd well pleas'd And all agreed there with one consent To spend that day in hell with merriment Then Tantalus his streame did run no more the tree hung still and stir'd not from his head And he forgot the thirst he had before and thanked Orpheus for his so good deed In this releasing him from that paine Which many years before he did sustaine Then Sisiphus his rowling stone stood still Ixions paines began for to decrease Promotheus Vulture hauing eat her fill from tyring of his heart-strings gan to cease And all the tortures cls that hell containes Did then surcease their plagues and diresul paines And followed Orpheus to the Cypres trees vndet whose shades the wearie Souldiours rest Who sorting there themselues in companies with euerlasting quietnes are blest And in their conterence there again reuiue Th'exploytes they did when as they were aliue There was old Priam and his fiftie sonnes that for their countries honour were supprest The Greeks whose names in euery Poem runs there spend their quiet dayes in peace and rest And he whose loue did win the Carthage Queene Venterous Aeneas rest vpon that greene There gins the Poct once againe relate the waightie cause that drew him to that place In euerie word lamenting his estâ—â—… that hee was borne to suffer 〈◊〉 grace He that had euerie creature at his call Should now stand need for to bee help'd of all You that haue tri'd quoth hee Loues hard euent and the vnconstant kind of womens sect And you whose time in wearie warres was spent which Loue and Louers passions did neglect For pittie sake helpe for to cure my paine By getting my Euridice againe And in your judgmentes view my heauic plight that haue aduentur'd this so dangerous toyle To view the monuments of endlesse night that yeelds no other thing saue rape and spoyle And tell mee then if that for all my paine I bee not woorthy of her loue againe Your toyles that whilom you sustain'd aboue was pleasure vnto these I here abide And all your dangerous quarrels for your loue compar'd with mine may all be set aside Yet could the world deuise a greater paine I would endure to get my loue againe My Loue the sweetest Loue that ere suruiued woonder of heauen and the same of earth Vntimely death vniustly hath depriued and would no longer let her heare my mirth For her sweet sake what would I not sustaine If I might so recouer her againe For Loue thy brother Iour for sooke his glorious high celestiall seate And to a Feere himselfe betooke that with his Daned hee might treat And did himselfe confuse and say Quod Amor vincit omnia Apelle Learnings greatest friend for Daphnes sake came from aboue And doted on her to this end he might on earth enjoy her loue And was the first that ere did say Quod Amor vincit ownia Thus Loue that enrers at the ele and sleely steales downe to the heart There doth ingender fantasie whose issue breeds or joy or smart Perforce enforces all to say Quod Amor vincit omnia This fancie hath set me on fire and furiously inflames my breast Feeding my soule with fierce desire of her whose thought denies me rest And make me sing both night and day Quod Amor vincit omnia Whose faire Idea thou hast hast got To beare Proserpine companie Keeping her close that I might not looke on my faire Euridice Which now with sorrow makes me say Quod Amor vincit omnia Shee stands thee heere in little steed for thou hast many Millions more Then with her loue supply my need and I will sing thy praise therfore And whilest I liue still will I say Quod Amor vincit omnia Plead faire Proserpine for her sake who in her prime of loue decay'd And on her some compassion take which was a wife yet di'd a maid For thou knowst well what joy is bred Enjoying of a Louers bed Fortune and Loue vnconstant friends
Euridice Shall she attend grim Pluto in his den That was belou'd of Gods admir'd of men Hast thou forgot to loue great Saturnes sonne or didst thou enuie Orpheus in his loue Remember how thy selfe hast been orecum leauing the Synode of the Gods aboue To dote on one whose beautie 's greatest grace May not compare with sweet Euridice face Then in remembrance what thou sometime wert◠see the distrest estate wherein I am And if it rest in thee to ease my smart for pitie pitie Orpheus miserie And if she haue not pass'd the Stygian maine Ah call her backe to liue with me againe So shall thy name eterniz'd by my skill be honor'd for this memorable deed And neuer shall my warbling harp be still but euery where thy woorthinesse shall spred Till by my means the world resound thy power And thou shalt bid me cease and sing no more But if it be too late for to recall her and that already she hath pass'd the flood VVhere grieslie Futies fiends and hagges inthrall her whence she can not returne to doe me good Then hence forth shall my strings surcease to sound And I will leaue to sing till shee be found You wofull trees that witnesse of my mones with hanging tops and teare-distilling showes You siluer streams huge hils hand rockes and stones that haue been witnesse to my weary woes Heer all together take your last farewell Your Orpheus goes to seeke his loue in hell And if the griesly furies will attend the mournfull musicke which meane time I le make If Pluto will but suffer the to spend some solemne sonnets for my Loues sweet sake Then haply may the gentle Queene of Dis For pitie sake restore me to my blisse This said he rous'd him from the tender grasse which mourn'd in Sable to heare Orpheus weepe And in a melancholy moode doth passe vnto the place that leads downe to the deep VVhere was innumerable ghostes before Hasting for passage downe to Charons shore And through the yrksome shadow of blacke night he treads the fatall way to loath some hell By many noysome vaultes depriu'd of light where none but. Furies bugs and torturs dwell Vntill he came downe to the Stygian bankes Where as the sillie ghostes attend in rankes There by the shore poore Orpheus sits him down and gins to tune his mournfull instrument Whereas the soules doe flock about him soone to heare the sequell of this strange euent And he with heauie lookes and countenance pale Recites the processe of our former tale Thus quoth he for my Loue haue I for sooke the Thracian fieldes and company of men And for her sake this iourney vndertooke to vgly grim-fac'd Plutoes smokie den Where if I chance to meet with my delight These paynes will be requited with her sight But if I misse of my Euridice and cannot find her out amongst the fields Which the black Iudges of that monarchie vnto such seperated louers yeelds Where they in solitarie passion spend Their weary daies which neuer shall haue end Then will the heauie burthen of dispaire clog downe my vitall spirits to the ground And my poore heart been split in two with care let my poore soule escape that fatall wound And in that heauie plight poore Orpheus shall Quite loose his comfort labor life and all By this bad Charon landed all his freight and set them safe vpon the other shore And with all speed returned thether straight to loade his boate againe and carie more Where when he saw them clustering altogether Gan marueil what new ghost was thē come thether But when he look'd on Orpheus view'd his face and euery circumstance had onely ey'd He told him that hee might not passe that place and to transport him flatlie he deny'd Had not the Poet with a pleasant straine Quench'd the fierce furie of his wrath enflame Then he whose eares inur'd to heare the cries of painfull soules in endlesse miseries Whose concaue feet and fierie flaming eyes fixt on no subject but deformities Amaz'd to heare him stand as one that 's dead Or chang'd to stone at sight of Gorgons head Such was the force of Musickes Arte in him as tam'd this sauage brood of hellish kinde Enchaunted all his bodie lim by lim and turn'd his sauage vnrelenting mind And where before he kept him from his charge Now he entreats him to accept his barge And rowing him ore to the other side curteously helps to conduct him a shore Protesting solemnly vntill that tyde he neuer help'd such passengers before Whence Orpheus looking to the Sulphurish flame and foggy smokes ascending from that pit Oft times repeates his Louers pleasing name wishing himselfe might by her rest and sit Where they with Louers songs and sweet tun'd rime Might spend the course of euerlasting time The came he to the rustie gates of death whereas the tripple headed porter dwels Who being amaz'd for to see him beneath sends from his hollow throat such thundring yels As summon'd all the Furies at his calles To leaues their taskes and haste vnto the walles Now in this place no suceour doeth remayne to helpe him in or rid him out their clawes Saue for to fall vnto his harpe againe and by that meanes breake ope the brazen jawes Of gredie hell that there in darknesse holdes More then large heauen in his compasse folds Then gins the Poet tune his siluer strings whose heauenly harmony had power to mooue Hilles trees and stones beasts birds and other things both men on earth and all the gods aboue To see if it would come to this euent Mongst the black people of this regiment You that doe triumph ouer Deaths successe and in vnbaylable strong bandes detaines The soules of wretched Louers in distresse tormented midst a world of endlesse paines For faire Proserpines sake your louelie Queene Heare me recite my sorrowes yet but greene I That amongst my Ditties woonted was to sing the motion of eternall heauen How all the Planets in their circles passe and at their times make vp their motions euen Must change my stile and taught by proofe to sing Prooue the effect of Loue a fickle thing The solitarie wood which I freqnented wheras the Syluan Gods admit'd my name Both Gods and woods together haue lamented th'v ntimely proofe I tasted of the same And all agreeing in my tune doe sing How Loues effect is an vnconstant thing The whilom desart plaines where nothing grew now fertill by the meanes my musicke made Gin now againe for sorrow to renew their olde accustomable wearie trade And witnesse what a cause I haue to sing How Loues effect is an vnconstant thing I loued Euridice the fairest face that euer heauens eie did looke vpon Or euer sprang from elementall race or euer humaine tence were fixed on Whose timelesse death with teares make Orpheus sing That Loues effect is an vnconstant thing Vnconstant Lasse to him that lou'd thee well made thee Commander of his liues estate To leaue him so and choose
ORPHEVS His lourney to Hell WHen as the world in her first â—olden time frutefull in cuerie blessing did abound wheÌ„ Floras pride was alwaies in her prime and Winters wrath did ner ' offend the ground But without labour euery thing encreased And pleasant sommers seasons neuer ceased No harsh aspect of heauens restlesse frame did alter earthly creatures in their kinde Each sauage beast and bird that time was tame and all the world accorded in one minde For then dissention was a thing vnknowne And seedes of enuie and debate not sowne When as olde Saturne had in peace disposed his seepter and his glorious throne in heauen And in their seuerall kingdome had inclosed each of his children and by portions euen Making all seueral kings in seuerall places Deuided to them all his giftes and graces Then did great Ioue in peace succeede his Sire and Neptune bridled in the lawlesle seas Pluto in hell amidst a world of fire keeping tormented soules from rest and ease Orerules the hagges that in those dungeons moyles And to the Ghosts imposes endlesse toyles In this contented time was Orpheus borne compos'd of purer mettell than a man Made mortall by the Gods in Natures scorne that earth might witnes how the heauens can Inclose in Elementall shapes celestiall thinges Whose life from quintescence of heauen springs This pure composed shape the Gods endued with their owne vertues els had it been shame That he whose bodie from the heauens issued should haue a soule forg'd in a baser frame Thus did the Gods agree for to combine A heauenly body and a soule diuine This was that Orpheus whose delightfull stringes drew to their siluer sound the sencelesse trees That still'd the musicke of the bubbling springs and staide the streames to heare his harmonies That made the sauage beasts forsake their praie And gently come to heare sweet Orpheus play The craggie rockes that walles the Oceans bound where Neptune keeps his watrie regiment Rose from their flinty roots to heare him sound and whil'st he sang seem'd for to staâ—d content The fishes left the seas to liue a shore Which neuer heard of Musicks name before Thus liu'd be long the woonder of his time whose heauen-borne musicke wonne 〈◊〉 loue of all Aspiring honor taught his fame to clime and made him liue secure from thought of fall Till Fortune that orerules the state of kinges Did oreturne him as she doth other things The pleasiing poyson of self-killing Loue at last made entrance to his mayden-heart Where once being anchored neuer would remoue but with sweet tickling wounds there bred his smart Yet did his wish preuaile his hope 's effected His Loue found loue and neuer was rejected But as it is in things being soonest growne whose flowered blossoms euery blast decayes And neuer stayes the Autumne to be mowne but floorishes and falles within few dayes So is' t in loue which being quicklie sproong Dies oftentimes when as it is but yoong Euridice the flower of flowering Thrace whom Orpheus often in his ditties praised She that had all perfection in her faâ—… and at her face made euery thing amazed For loue of her Orpheus incurr'd this paine Though she with loue requited loue againe Being thus agreed in loue and both contented the day was pointed for their marriage right When most assur'd they soonest were preuented and sundred by vnconstant Fortunes spight So by the meanes of a malignant power Their ioyes began and ended in an hower The marriage day being come and all things fit and Hymeneus rites now done and ended Home they returne and at their banquets sit with pleasures such as to such meetings tended And when at home was ended all their sport Then to the pleasant Meades did all resort Where as the Maides by custome came in thronges when any Maid was married from their traine And there they spend the time in sport and songs that other may doe so to them againe Where some were dancing hand in hand in ringes And others sit to heare how Orpheus sings Here Orpheus warbles on his trembling stringes for to delight Euridice his joy She sometimes dances then sits downe and sings and woman like begins to kisse and toy Thus these two sporting in each others sight Thinkes euery hower a yeare till it be night When as the wearie horses of the Sunne began to hie them downe vnto their rest And now their maisters iourney almost done they end their toylsome labour in the west Home hies these louers with a full intent To change these sportes to other merriment And as they footed ore the pleasant meades like to the Huntresse and her maiden traine A Serpent sliding from amongst the weeds sting'd faire Euridice and with that maine Expels her ayerie Spirites from the wound And leaues her chill-cold body on the ground Nor would th' impartiall Destinies permit her wofull soule to take her last adew But greedilie they seaze themselues on it which downe vnto the Stygian streames they drew Where they appointed her for to remaine That she might waight vpon Proserpins traine Which when the Thracian Poet had perceiued how suddainly Furidice was gone With madding furie sometimes rag'd and raued and then with tragicke tunes begins to mone Sighing that his Furidice was dead Before she knew the pleasure of his bed And sitting there by her poysoned wound sauing the skarlet blood that issued foorth Moisture ouer-deare to dew the ground or quench the thirst of this vnsatiate earth Wishing or she were here with him againe Or he with her in the Elizian plaine Thus till pale death from her vermilion cheekes Had drawne the vntainted mixture of her hue Distressed Orpheus with his sorrow seekes her now decaying beautie to renue Till when he saw that all his hope was vaine He tooke himselfe vnto his harpe againe Where in a mournfull Anteme he bewailes the sinister occasion of his birth Till his deuiding voyce with teares now failes and cannot eccho to his other mirth But with sad lookes and dumbe demeanes he brings His countenance correspondent to his strings Vnto whose musicke flockes the neighboring hilles the shadie groues the pleasant murmuring springs And all the plaines with companie now filles as beasts and birds fish foule and other thinges And when as euery one had tane his seat Thus Orpheus gius his sorrowes to repeat You free-borne people from inthralling bandes of libertie depriuing Loues estate Now mutually come all and ioyhe your handes and helpe your Orpheus to bewayle his mate Weepe for Euridice that loued me well Whose beauty now fades and decayes in hell Vnheady rulers of this wretched clime you Gods I meane whose hands directes our helme Why did you sort my dayes vnto this time and in this sea of sorrow ouerwhelme The prosperous beginning of my life By this vniust diuorcing of my wife Ah could your cruclty inact this deed to mixt sweet beauty with deformity For all my merites render you this meed the injurious rape of my