holding downe his hed My most deare louing frend he fed Withdrawe youre gentle courtesie Let no mo teares for me be shed But slay me rather where I lye Or otherwise on me hardlye Take vengeaunce most writched villaine And of all other most worthy I am to suffer death and paine For wheras God of nature plaine In one likenes hath both vs made So had he trapped in one traine Our wils that we in weale should wade So that the like recourse and trade Of concord that hath bene betwene Us two ye and so stedfastlye layde I do suppose hath neuer bene The like in louers euer sene Yet notwithstanding all this loue This faith this truste is wasted cleane A womans looke hath gone aboue Alas what wicked spright did moue Your minde to bring me in presence Of her whom ye as I can proue Beholding beawtye and prudence Could not with hold by no defence Youre minde from rauishinge with luste Alas where was youre sapyence That you in such thinges wold me trust Wist you not that our windes were iust Forgat ye quight our like nature Which thinge ye ought to haue discusse This is the cause I you ensure Of this mischiefe that I endure Youre truste haue trapt me in the rayes That issue from her eyen demure Remembring eke her vertuous layes Which perceth my heart a thousaÌ„d waies So that of all thinges I desire Sharpe death to end my dolefull dayes Confusion eke to be my hire Sith I against you did conspire Such treason so vnnaturall Desiring so iustlye youre ire Shame and reproche perpetuall Unworthy am I for to call Or say Gisippus is my frende Syth frendshippe in me is so small With those wordes Titus made ende The sighes that from his heart did wend So heauie were and so profounde The teares from his eyes dessend As he to salt drapes mought redounde Gysippus then with cherefull sound And with a louelye countenaunce Not raginge rashlye in that stounde Although he sorowed at the chaunce But with a frendly affiaunce Enbracinge him and sothlye saide Why Titus is this your greuaunce That you so long from me haue stayed I haue it can not be denayed Offended as I here confesse In that whiche you did me enbrayde I acknowledge my folishnesse Deare frende Titus ye are faultlesse For truth it is that I forgate In fâ—we wordes brefely to expresse The vnitye of oure astate For what I loue you do not hate But loue it in as high degree Our constellacion or fate Is one I knowe it so to be Therefore the fault lyes all in mee No man the contrarye can proue Sith that I caused you to see Sophronia whom I do loue Sith that ye haue so stoutlye stroue Against the powre of Cupides might Which hath so many nobles droue And slaine them quite in his dispight Thinke you deare frend my wit so light That I knowe not how that venus Wil wouÌ„d those against whom she fight With deadly dent yes yes Titus Haue ye not well stroue that haue thus Resisted suche a great Goddes Almost to death for Gysippus Was not this very noblenes What frendship could you more expresse Then to withstand such violence Am I so vertuous to distresse Or stoppe the heauenly influence Preordinate by prouidence Diuine what were if I so thought My time of longe and large expence What were my learning dearlie bought Or yet the wisdome I haue sought In dede Titus I loued the maide As much as any wise man mought And had my harte vnto her slayde I was of her better apaid Then of all my treasure and land But yet what though what may be saâ—â— Sith that your loue I understand Doth farre surmount if it were scand A boue the compasse of nature I knowe you can not slake the band Of venus it is knitte so sure What shal I iudge a mind vnpure That you do this of wanton lust Nay Titus I will not procure Such thinges against you so vniust Deare frend in this you may me trust For how shoulde I of right contend Except that good reason should rust And soo oure frendshippe come to an end Sith that we neuer yet did spende One worde in malice daye nor night So to be still else god defende And bringe the errour sone to light Nay nay Titus I haue done righte The prouidence of god onelye Hath wrought this thing with his great might That she shuld be your owne lady For such loue entreth not but by A disposicion diuine Into a wise mans memorye I can it no wayes els define Whereat if I should now repine I shoulde seme stout and obstinate Against that god doth determine And rightes from you to seperate Which neuer shall early nor late Be found in me therefore I say Deare frend Titus and louing mate Let not this chaunce your mind dismay Put sorow from you quight awaye Reioice now and no more be sad Let not this wo your welth decay For certeinely I am right glad That such a wyfe is to be had And that it is my chaunce to find Her with whom your life may be lad In ioy according to your minde Whereby you maye encrease your kinde To the comforte of your lignage I haue to you my right resinde Of her therefore your old courage Take vnto you and your visage all to be wept wash it right cleane For now the daye of oure mariage approcheth nigh therefore sum meane Let vs this time and that betwene Deuise how that you may attaine Your whole desires which haue bene The onely patron of your paine Marke wel this is mine aduice plaine You knowe well that our shape is so That in like garmentes of vs twaine Few men do scant know who is who Although that we together go Much les a part and liklye dight Shall they desearne ech of vs two And brifelye of vs iudge the right Also ye know that vntill night The marriage is not confirmed That they their trouthes haue playnlye plight And that a ring there prepared On her finger be fastened Her girdle then must be vntide And then may they two go to bed And perfourme the partes of a bride This meanes for you I will prouide Untill that day be past and gone In sum close place you shall abide Beinge prepared for you alone When night is come feately anone To her chamber your self conuey Of maides nor wifes there is not one that for our shap shall you bewray Then quicklye do your selfe vnray And vno bed bouldly prepare Your ring on her finger assay Louse her girdle and do not spare But yet be circumspect and ware That no fonde thing in you appeare Whereby you may augment your care Now frend Titus be of good cheare Let no thinges be for you to deare Take good refections and solace For to amend your lothlye leare Your wan and pale coloured face That it be not in any cace The cause of your discouering I knowe within this litle
space That you your pourpose thus hauinge My frendes will hate me and thinking Me to disgrace my familye But let god worck I care nothing Though I be had in obloquye Encreasing your felicity At those wordes Titus then began To mone as on my fantasie He though Gysippus spake not than But thought he did a vision scan As one adremed in a slepe Lay still as an abashed man But when he sawe Gysippus wepe And teares by his chekes down did stepe Perceyuinge loue in explicable He gaue him thankes w t groninges depe For his kindnesse incomperable And said it were more reasonable That such vnkinde wretches as I Should perish with some death notable â–ª Then that you should sustaine thereby Anye reproche or iniurie Eftsone Gysippus did protest And kissed Titus louingly Saying deare frend be you at rest For loke what thinges I haue protest Faine would I haue accomplished And thereto will I do my best At those wordes Titus perceaued That his frendshipe was not fained And starte vp then as one not sicke But from sleape he had waked his blood resorted sum what quicke For good eates then he did not sticke But toke thinges his health to restore So that shortelye he waxed tricke In figure as he was before To health was turned all his sore Shorte tale to make the mariage drue The widdinge wedes Gysippus wore Of costly coloured cloth of hue And did as vnto him was due His frendes he accompanied The damuseles house they did cusue Where they were ioyouslye feasted Gysippus was entertayned So louingly of his fayre maide That all the people there praised To se that sight were well apayde And ech vnto his felow saide Praysing the vertue and beautye Wherwith those parsons were araide And eke their gentle courtesie That neuer erst they could espye Their vertues rare so excellente In anye creatures saue onelye Those two which then were there present What nede much talke for to be spent The wedding day away did passe Their frendes also away they went The bride eke as the custome was Was brought with many a louely las To a chamber most freshlye dight Gysippus then returned as He tould Titus he would that night Then Titus he stept in full light Anon to bed he did prepare The maide assone eke as she might Lay downe by Titus naked bare Not knowing of the subtill stare But thought it had bene Gisippus Then Titus ending all his care Demaunded of her saying thus Sophronia floure of Uenus Do you loue me and not disdayne That in this bargayne betwene vs I shall your husband styll remaine In helth and welth in ioy and payne Wherewith she smiled all blushinge Her maydenhode lyke to refrayne With eyes half laughing half murning To his reqnestes she affirminge Eftsone he asked her also Yf that she wolde receyue his ringe Anone she dyd consent theretoe Her girlde then he dyd vndoe His ringe he put vpon her hande What elles he dyd non but they twoe Knewe that yet this I vnderstande That all the treasure in the lande Could not haue pleased him half so well As dyd the lousinge of the bande Whiche made him suffre paines of hell When morrow came the truth to tell Gisippus thought expedient That people knew what had befell Wherefore bye his owne appointment For all the noble men he sent Home to his place of habitation Where Titus came for this entent In breake his mynde with an oration And after their good recreation He sayd to them my deare frendes all Ye noâ—â—â—s of this famous nation A wondrrous thinge declare I shall What is in Athenes now befall To youre perpetuall prick and prayse â–ª Of loue whose power is misticall Wherefore he ought to take alwayse Great comfort fith in those your dayse Such loue amonge you doth remayne As hath bene seene in no countrayse So well approuid with ease and payne For what more prayse is their certayne Then constance and beneuolence Without whoÌ„ no kyngdome may raine Uoyde of muche inconuenience Where constance hath the preminence The countrey is in muche solace Through it they haue alwaye defence And comfort in eche heauye cace What nede I tarye longer space In this contectinge mine entent You know from Rome vnto this place I was by my deare parantes sent And streight to Chremes house I went UUhere that I founde by aduenture Gisippus propre and prudent Of mine owne age this is most sure We were so lyke of moode demure That none of his frendes neither mine It was so harde and so obscure Coulde say to vs loe this is thine But as we shewed by sum sine Oure personages to declare What mutuall loue eight yeares or nine Hath bene betwene vs euery where Ye your owne selfes the witnes are Which haue beheld and sene vs both This to affirme right well I dare Yet certainly I would be loth To speake such thinges should make you wroth But for my part by your licence I will declare the verye troth Desiring you of pacience When that by diuine prouidence My father dyed who left to me Possessions such that in expence Few with me mought compared be Beinge eke of so high degre Also I being called home By my frendes whom right wel knowe ye Are of the noblest men in Rome And men also of ripe wisdome â–ª Offring me the highest dignitye But when they saw I would not come At their requestes they maruayled why And wild my mother instantlye To whose beck nature hath me bent In her letters to certifye Me that therbye I mought relent Whose blotted billes with teares be speÌ„t Accusing me of vnkindenes For my beinge so longe absent From her sith she is comfortles I say in few wordes to expresse Could not withold or pull me back From Gisippus although riches I was behest neuer to lack But liesier to be clothed with sack I had then parte from such a frende For wordely welth oft windes to wrack But faithfull frendship hath none ende I can not from his presence wende Except he thereto will agre As long as I haue breath to spende His seruaunt gladlye will I be Ye more gladly I promise ye Then of Rome to be the consul My loue requited well hath he In sauinge me from death so dull And of all other most painefull No death that may be so cruell Though one were torne w e beare or bull No paygnes more dreadfull are in hell You merualle I perceyue right well What personne owth me such malice Or who dare be so ferse and fell To attempt such an enterprice Reiectinge natures preindice Against me being a Romayne And of the noblest blod certice Who think ye theÌ„ would me haue slaine I perceaue ye would know full faine Who wrought me such cruell dispite It was loue yea I tel you plaine Which as your Poetes do resite Did wound your gods with loues delite Made Iupiter chaunce his figure Like a bull or swan full white Or
to sum other thinges obscure The same loue which I am full sure Made Hercules spin on a rock Sittinge among maidens demure Wearing next to his skin a smok And vpon that a womans frock Yea though he were so puissaunt That through his strength sturdy strok He could slay Monstre and Giaunt The same loue which made assemblaunt The Grecien lordes in fieldes of Troy With Geldinges gay Glaues gallaunt Which did the Traianes sore anoy In ten yeres Grekes did them distroy And beate their citye downe to grounde Perpetuallye ended their ioy Their honour neuer shall resounde The same loue I say did me wounde Sodaynlye with such vehemence Against whose assaultes may be founde No helpe no comforte nor defence That in shorte space with violence Of feruent tourmentes I had died Had not Gysippus resistence The bande of my sorow vntied I se you would faine haue discried Who I so loued without delaye With truth you shal be certyfied It is I wyll it not denay Sophronia the lady gay Whom Gisippus had chose to wife And whom he loued I dare say As much as he dyd his owne lyfe But when he sawe that Cupides knife Had hurt me with a healthles bloe Most frendly then to end my strife Perceauynge as I trust you doe That gods prouision wrought it soe Through his deuine almightie grace That she shoulde be my wyfe wheretoe He gladly geuinge roume and place True frendshyp he dyd more enbrace Then womans loue thereto forced And not constrayned by Cupides mace From whom no way is to be fled As I was wherefore he graunted To me his right in the damosell And euen I Titus dyd her wed Her shamefastnes I dyd expell I laye with her this marke ye wel Confirminge the matrimonie At those wordes they began to swell And loked most disdaynefullye Upon Gisippus by and bye Then Titus spake to them sayinge Leaue of your frettinge and furye Leaue youre spitefull menasinge Leaue I say your murmuringe Leaue of youre greuous countenaunce For Gisippus hath done nothinge That shal be to your hinderaunce But your honour he doth aduaunce For well he knew that he mought finde Another mayden that perchaunce Mought be more better to his minde But such a frend to him enclind Hauynge respect to myne astate So lyke to him in euery kynde As I was was not ventilate Also the mayde doth not abate Or take dispergement in her blood For no dispraise to my deare mate Her mariage nowe is euen as good And better if ye vnderstoode All that doth to me appertayne For I exceade her in liuelood And passe her in possessions playne The noblest men that doth remayne In Rome and in all Italye Did wil myne alyaunce verye vayne Wherefore ye ought to magnifie Gisippus and be not auctrie With him but to exto I saye his kindnes towardes me whereby you and your citie safelye maye Be descended and kept awaye I saye he hath well deserued A monument of golde so gaye To be set vp and honoured His loue ought to be remembred For good that it may to you bringe But yf you be not parswaded Deuising anye euyll thinge To him after my departinge I make auowe to the creature And maker of ech thing liuinge That with the inuincible poure Of Romaines to your dishonour Perpetuall reproch and blame I will resort for his socoure In such wyse that your fatall fame Shall sounde in all greece to your shame Therwith all them that were present Dessembled their malice with game As though they had bene well content Sone after by the appoinctement Of all the Senatours of Rome Titus was sente for to frequent An office fit for such a grome Then he prepared to go home But to depart it did him greue From Gisippus also to whom He graunted gladly for to geue Halfe of his substaunce to atcheue Onlye to haue his companye But Gisippus did wel perceue How nedefull and necessarye His counsell was to that citye Wherfore he would not therhens wend Although aboue all thinges earthlye He ioyed in Titus his frend When Titus with his ladye hend UUere gone to Rome for their repast Gysippus ioyes were at an end His frendes and felowship did wast His kinsmen spared not in hast To exclude him from their counsell And did prohibite at the last That he should not in Athenes dwell And yet with this they were not well But comptinge his loue vaine frendship From all his landes they did him expell Out of his robes they did him whipp And out of Athenes did him whippe Full poorely went Gisippus tho Hauing nought but a stasse and skrippe And nedes a begginge must he go Gysippus wandringe to and fro Could finde no man him to sustaine This was his chaunce alas for who Necessitye did him constrâ—ine Thus late welthye he did remaine And now banished his owne countray Neuer must he come there againe His kind heart brought him to that bay He wandred he wist not which way Lamentably still did he mone He knewe no place where he might stay For hope of helpe he hears of none At last his pleasures past and gone To his greate grefe he remembred With Titus for whome he alone Had all those damages suffered To goe to Roome he concluded His euill fortune to declare To Titus whom he supposed Would for him sum redres prepare So then with hunger cold and care To Roome he ran through mud mire When he came thither pore and bare For Titus house he did enquire When he sawe it he did retire Because it semed so princely He was ashamed to aspire Or in such rayment approch nie But stoode that if Titus came by Himself he mought to him present Thus thinking he and his ladye Came walking forth incontinent Gisippus was so ragd and rent That when Titus did him behold He knew him not but forth he went Not regarding his garmentes old Gisippus hart was then full cold Thinking that Titus did him hate Because no comfort shew he would To him which stoode so at his gate Then in a sorie simple state Gisippus thence away did trudge Cursinge his chaunce infortunate Oh lord thought he what maÌ„ wold iudge Titus to haue bene suche a snudge For whome I suffre all this smart Gisippus thus at him did grudge Thinking for euer to depart From Roome and wander the desert As a beast with madnes possest But yet he was well faine to start Being with werines opprest Into an old barne to take rest Where he fallinge flat on the ground Drew out his knife and thought it best To geue himself a deadly wounde But wisdome did his wil so drounde That from that act it did him kepe Until he fell into a sounde Or as god would as he did slepe Into a sad and slumbring slepe His knife wherwith he would haue slain himself downe by his side did stepe In the meane time a thefe certaine Which was a commen Ruffian playne And had both robbed and slaine a