ARGALVS and PARTHENIA

The Argument of ye History

Written by Fra: Quarles. Lusit Anacreon

London Printed for Iohn Marriott in S Dunston's Church­yard fleet street. 1629.

Tho: Cecill sculp.

The minde of the Frontspiece.

Reader, behinde this silken Frontspiece lyes
The Argument of our Booke; which, to your eyes
Our Muse (for serious causes, and best knowne
Vnto her selfe) commands should be vnshowne;
And therefore, to that end, she hath thought fit
To draw this Curtaine, t'wixt your eye and it.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE HENRY LORD RICH OF KEN­SINGTON, EARLE OF HOL­LAND, CAPTAINE OF HIS M aties GVARD, AND GENTLE­MAN OF THE BED-CHAMBER, CHANCELLOR OF THE VNI­VERSITIE OF CAMBRIDGE, KNIGHT OF THE MOST NO­BLE ORDER OF THE GARTER, ONE OF HIS MAIESTIES MOST HONORABLE PRIVIE COVNSEL: AND GREAT EXAMPLE OF TRVE HONOVR AND CHIVALRY.

FRA: QVARLES PRESENTS AND DEDICATES HIS ARG ALVS AND PARTHENIA.

To the Reader.

Reader:

I Present thee here with a history of Argalus and Parthenia, the fruits of broken houres: I was a Si­ence taken out of the O [...]chard of Sir Philip Sydney, of pretious memory, which I haue lately [...] vpon a Crab-stocke, in mine owne: It hath brought [...]orth many leaues, and promises pleasing frui [...], if m [...]leuo­lent eyes blast it not in the bud. This Booke differs from my former, as a Courtier from a Churchman: But if any thinke it vn [...], for one to play both parts, I haue presidents for it: And l [...]t such know, that I haue taken but one play-day in sixe: Howeuer, I should be­shrew that hand that binds them all together to make one Volume. In this D [...]scourse, I haue not affect [...]d to set thy v [...]derstanding on the Rack, by the tyranny of strong lines, which (as they fabulously report of China dishes) are m [...]de for the third Generation to make vse of, and are the meere itch of wit; vnder the colour o [...] which, many haue ventured (trusti [...]g to the Oe [...]ipean conceit of their ingenious Reader) to write non-sense, and felloniously father the crea [...]ed expositions of o­ther men; not vnlike some painters, who first make the picture, then, from the opinion of better iudge­ments, conclude, whom it resembles. These lines [...]re strong enough for my purpose; If not for thine, yet reade them, and your vnderstandings may bee magni­fied by their weaknesse. Reader, thou sh l [...], in the pro­gresse of this Story, meet with a [...] S [...]licisme; which is this; Demagoras his so f [...]ule a deed, [...] ­ted [Page] vpon the faire Parthenia, is fully exp [...]st; and yet, the reuenge thereof p [...]st ouer in silence; wherein (as I conceiue) I haue not dealt vniustly. When Prometheus stole fire from heauen to animate and quicken his arti­ficiall bodies, the seuerer Gods (for punishment of so high a Sacriledge, strucke him not d [...]ad with a sudden Thunderbolt, but (to be more deeply auenged) l [...]t him liue, to be tormented with Vulters, continually g [...]aw­ing on his Liuor. The s [...]me kind of torture had Ixion: so had Sisyphus: so had Tantalus: Did then Demago­ras fault equall (if not exceed) theirs, and should his punishment be l [...]sse? H [...]d my pen deliuered him dead into your hands, what could ye h [...]ue had more? His accursed memory had soone ro [...]ted with his b [...]ser name, and there had beene an end of him: In which respect, I haue suffered him to liue, that he might stand like a lack-a-Lent, or a Shrouing Cocke for eue [...]y one to spend a Cudgell at, to the wo [...]lds end. Ladies (for in yo [...]r [...] l [...]ps I know this booke will choose to lye, which being farre fetched, if the Stationer be wise, will be most fit for you) my suit is, that you would be plea­sed to giue the faire Parthenia your noble [...]ntertain­ment: She hath crost the Seas [...]or your acquaintance, and is come to liue and dye with you; to whose gentle hands I recommend her, and kisse them.

FR; QV.
Dublin this 4. of March. 1628.

ARGALVS AND PARTHENIA.

The first Booke.

WIthin the limits of th'Arcadian land,
Whose gratefull bounty hath inricht the hand
Of many a Shepherd swaine, whose rurall Art
(Vntaught to gloze, or with a double heart
To vow dissembled loue) did build to Fame
Eternall Trophies of a pastorall name;
That sweet Arcadia; which, in antique dayes,
Was wont to warble out her well-tun'd layes
To all the world; and, with her oaten Reede,
Did sing her loue whilst her proud flocks did feed;
Arcadia, whose deserts did claime to be
As great a sharer in the Daphnean tree,
As his, whose louder Aenead proudly sings
Heroick conquests of victorious Kings;
There (if th'exuberance of a word may swell
So high, that Angels may be said, to dwell)
There dwelt that Virgin, that Arcadian glory,
Whose rare composure did abstract the story
Of true perfection, modellizing forth
The [...]eight of beauty, and admired worth;
[Page 2]H [...]r name Parthenia; whose vnnam'd descent
Can serue but as a needlesse complement
To gild p [...]rfection: She shall boast, alone,
What bounteous Art, and Nature makes her owne.
Her Mother was a Lady, whom deepe age
More fi l'd with honour, then diseases; s [...]ge,
A modest Matron, strict, reseru'd, austere,
Sp [...]ring in sp [...]ch, bu [...] liberall of her eare;
Fi [...]rce to her fo [...]s, and violent where she l kes;
Wedded to what her owne opinion strikes;
Fr [...]quent quent in almes, and charitable deeds,
Of mighty spirit, constant to her beads,
Wisely suspitious; but what need we other
Then this? she was the rare Parthenia's mother;
That rare Parthenia, in whose heauenly eye
Sits maiden-mildnesse, mixt with Maiesty,
Whose secret power hath a double skill,
By frownes or smiles, to make aliue, or kill;
Her cheeks are like two bancks of fairest flowers,
Inricht with sweetnesse from the twilight showers,
Whereon those iarres which were so often bred,
Composed were, betwixt the white and red:
Her haire raught downe beneath her yuory knees,
As if that Nature, to so rare a piece,
H [...]d meant a shadow, labouring to show
A [...]d boast the vtmost, that her hand could doe:
Like sm [...]llest flaxe appea [...]'d her Nymph like haire,
But only fl [...]xe was not so small, so faire:
H r lips like Rubies, and you'd thinke, within,
In stead of teeth, that orient Pearles had bin:
The whiten [...]sse of her dainty n [...]ck you know,
If euer you behold the new-salne Snow;
[Page 3]Her Swan-like brests were like two little Spheares,
Wherein, each a zure line in view appeares,
Which, were they obuious but to euery eye,
All liberall Arts would turne Astronomie;
Her sl [...]nder wast, her lilly hands, her armes
I dare not [...] to view, because all charmes
Forbidden are: My bashfull Muse descends
No lower sleppe: He [...]e her Commission ends,
And by another vertue doth enioyne
My pen to treate perfection, more diuine:
The chast Diana, and her Virgin-crew
Was but a Type of one, that should ensue
In after ages, which we find exprest,
And here fulfill'd in chasts Parthenia's brest:
True vertue was the obiect of her will;
She could no ill, because she knew no ill;
Her thoughts were noble, and her words not lauish,
Yet free, but wisely waigh'd; more apt to rauish,
Then to entice; lesse beautify'd with art,
Then naturall sweetn sse: In her gentle heart
Iudgement t [...]anscended: from her milder brest
Passion was not exiled, but represt:
Her voyce exce [...]'d; nay, had you heard her voyce
But warble [...], you might haue had the choyce,
To [...] her for some smooth-fac'd Cherubin,
O [...] el [...]e some glorious Angel, that had bin
A trebble sharer in th'eternall ioyes,
Such was h [...]r voyce, such was her heauenly voyce:
Merry, yet mod [...]st; witty, and yet wise;
Not apt to toy, and yet not too too nice;
Quick, but not [...]ash; Courteous, and yet not common;
Not too familiar, and yet scorning no man:
[Page 4]In bri [...]fe, who would relate her prayses well,
Must first bethinke himselfe, what is t' exc [...]ll.
When these perfections h [...]d enhaunc'd the name
Of rare Parthenia, nimble winged Fame
Grew great with honour, spreads her hasty wings,
Aduanc'd her Trumpet, and away she springs,
And with her [...]ull mouth'd blast she doth proclaime
[...] glory of Partheniaes name:
Who now [...] Parthenia? what report
Can find admittance in th' Arcadian Co [...]rt
But faire Partheniaes? Euery sol [...]mne feast
Must now be swcern [...]d, ho [...]ourd, and poss [...]st
With high discourses of Partheniaes glory,
And euery mouth must b [...]eathe Partheniaes story.
The Po [...]t summons now his amorous quill,
And scornes a [...]istance from the sacr [...]d Hill:
The sweet lip [...] Oratour takes in hand to raise
His prouder stile, to sp [...]ke Partheniacs praise.
The curious Painter wis [...]ly doth displace
Faire Venus, sets Parthenia in her pl [...]ce.
The Pleader burnes his bookes, disdaines the Law,
And f [...]lls in lou [...] with whom his ey [...]s ne'er saw.
Healths to the f [...]ire Parthenia fl [...] about
At euery bord, whilst others, mo [...]e [...],
Build Idols to her, and adore the s [...]me;
And Parrats learne to [...] Partheniaes name.
Some trust to f [...]me; some secretly disprise
Her worth; some emulates, and some enuies;
Some doubt, some feare lest lauish same belye her,
And all that dare beleeue report, admire.
Vpon the bord [...]rs of the Arcadian Land
Dwelt a Laconian Lord; Of proud command,
[Page 5]Lord of much people, youthfull, and of fame,
More great then good; Demagoras his name,
Of stature tall, his body spare, and meager,
Thicke shoulderd, hollow cheek'd, and visage eager,
His g [...]shfull countenance swarthy, long and thinne,
And downe each side of his reuerted chin [...]e
A locke of blacke neglected haire (be friended
With warts too vgly to be seene) descended;
His rowling eyes were deeply suncke, and hiew'd
Like fire; Tis said, they blisterd where they view'd.
Vpon his shoulders, from his fruitfull crowne,
A rugged crop of Elfclocks dangled downe:
His hide all hairy; garish his attire,
And his complexion meerely Earth and Fire;
Peruerse to all; extenuating what
Another did, because he did it not:
Maligning all mens actions but his owne,
Not louing any, and belou'd of none:
Reuengefull, enuious, desperately stout,
And in a word, to paint him fully out,
That had the Monopolie to fulfill
All vice; the Hieroglyphick of all ill.
He view'd Partheniaes face: As srom aboue
Fireballs of lightning hurld by angry Ioue
Confound the vnarm'd beholder at a blow,
And leaue him ruin'd in the place: Euen so
The peerelesse beauty of Partheniaes eyes,
At the first sight did conquer and surprise,
The slauish thoughts of this amazed louer,
Who voyd of strength to hide, or to discouer
The tyrannous scorching of his secret fires,
Prompted by passion, with himselfe conspires.
Accurs'd Demagoras! Into what a fe [...]
Hath one looke strucke thy soule? O neuer, neuer
To be recur'd: If I had done amisse,
Hath heauen no easier plagues in store, but this?
Promethius paines are not so sharpe as these,
Our sinnes yet labour'd both of one disease;
Our faults are equall; Both stole fire from heauen;
Our faults alike, why are our plagues vneuen?
Be iust; O make not such vnequall ods
Of equall sinnes: Be iust, or else no Gods:
Why send ye downe such Angels to the earth,
To mocke poore mortalls? or of mortall birth,
If such a heauenlike Paragon may be,
Why doe ye not wound her, as well as me
But why doe I implore your aydes in [...],
That are the hi [...]hest Agents in my p [...]ine?
Poore wretc [...]! What hope of helpe can ye assure me,
When onely she, that made the wound can cure me?
Diuine [...], earths [...] Iewell,
Would thou [...] beene lesse glorious or lesse cruell.
Wh [...]n [...] thine eyes did to these eyes appeare,
I read the [...] of my ruine there,
My necessary ruin [...]: Heauen, nor Hell
Can salue my sores, by helpe of Prayer, or spell;
Gods are vniust; and if, with charmes, [...] haunt her,
Her eyes are counter charmes, to enchant [...]:
Why doe I thus ex [...]lcerate my disease?
By adding torments, hope I to find ease?
Is not her cruelty enough, alone,
But must I bring fresh torments of my owne?
Cheare vp Demagor [...]s: Tis a wise mans part
Not to lose all, if his vnpractis'd art
[Page 7]Serues not to gaine: A Gamester may not choose
His chance: It is some conquest not to loose:
Looke to thy selfe: Let no iniurious blast
Of cold despaire chi [...] thy greene wounds too fast
For time to cure: O, hope for no remission
Of paine, till Cupid send thee a Physition.
She is a woman. If a woman, then
My title's good; Women were made for men:
She is a woman, though her heauenly brow
Write Angell, and may stoope, although not now;
Women, by lookes, will not be vnderstood,
Vntill their hearts aduise with flesh and blood.
She is a woman; There's no reason why,
But she (perchance) may burne as well as I.
Moue then, Demagoras, let Parthenia know
The strength of her owne beauty, in thy woe:
Feare not, what thou ador'st; begin to moue,
Chriscrosse sore-runs the Alphabet of loue:
Tis halfe perfected, what is once begun;
She is a woman; and she must be wonne.
Like as a Swaine, whose hands haue made a vow
And sw [...]rne allegeance to the peacefull plough,
Prest out for seruice in the [...] campe,
At first (vnentred) finds a liuelesse dampe
Beleagring euery ioynt; as often swounds
As ere he viewes his sword, or thinks of wounds;
At length (not finding any meanes for flying,
Switcht and spurd on with desp [...]rate feare of dying)
He hewes, he hackes, and in the midst he goes,
And freshly deales about his frantick blowes;
Euen so Demagoras, whose vnbred fashion
Had neuer yet subscrib'd to loues sweet passion:
[Page 8]Being call'd a Combitant to Cupids field,
Trembles, and secretly resolues to yeeld
The day without a parly, till at length,
Fiercely transported by th'vntu [...]'d strength
Of his owne passion, he himselfe assures,
That [...] torme [...]ts must haue desp'rate c [...]res
And thus to the diuine Partheniaes eares
Applies his speech, deuo [...]d of doubts and f [...]ares.
Fairest of creatures, If my ruder tongue,
To right it selfe, should d [...]e your patience wrong:
And lawlesse passion make it too too free,
O blame your heauenly beautie, and not me:
It was those eyes, those precious eyes that first
Enforc'd my tongue to speake, or heart to burst,
From those deare eyes I first receiu'd that wound,
Which seekes for cure, and cannot be made sound,
But by the hand that strucke; To you alone,
I sue for helpe, that else must hope for none:
Then crowne my ioyes, thou Antidote of despaire,
And be as mercifull, as thou art faire.
Nature, (the bounty of whose liberall hand
Made thee the iewell of the Arcadian land)
Intended in so rare a prize, to boast
Her masterpeece: Hid Iewells are but lost.
shine then, and rob not nature of her due,
But honour her, as she hath honour'd you.
Let not the best of all her workes lye dead
In the nice Casket of a Mayd [...]nhead:
What she would haue reueal'd, O doe not smother,
Th'art made in vaine, vnlesse thou make another:
Giue me thy heart, and for that gift of thine,
Lest thou shouldst want a heart, Ile giue thee mine,
[Page 9]As richly fraught with loue, and lasting duty,
As thou, with vertue, or thine eyes, with beauty.
Why dost thou frowne? why does that heauenly brow
Not made for wrinkles, show a wrinkle now?
Send forth thy brighter sun-shine, and the while,
O lend me but the twilight of a smile:
Giue me one amorous glance: why standst thou mute?
Disclose those ruby lips, and grant my suite;
Speake (loue) or if thy doubtfull minde be bent
To silence, let that silence be consent:
Nor begge I loue of almes, although in part,
My words may seeme t [...]implead my owne desert.
Disdaine me not, although my thoughts descend
Below themselues, t'enioy so faire a friend:
[...] that haue o [...]t, with teares, bin sought to, sue;
And Queens haue bin his seruants, that serues you.
The beauties of all Gr [...]ece haue bin at strife
To winne the name of great Demagoras wife,
And bin despis'd, not worthy to obtaine
So high an honour; What they sought (in vaine)
I here present thee with as thine owne due,
It being an honour fit for none but you:
Speake then (my loue,) and let thy lips make knowne,
That I am either thine, or not mine owne:
Haue you beheld when f [...]esh Auroras eye
Sends forth her early beames, and by and by
Withdrawes the glory of her face, and shrowds
Her checkes behind a ruddy m [...]ske of clouds,
Which, who beleeue in Erra Pater, say
Presages winde, and blustry stormes that day,
Such were Partheniaes lookes, in whose faire face,
Roses and Lillies, late had equall place.
[Page 10]But now, twixt mayden bash fulnesse and spleene,
Roses appear'd and Lillies were not seene:
S [...]e paus'd a while, till at the last she breakes
Her long kept angry silence, thus; and speakes,
My Lord,
Had your strong Oratory but the Art,
To make me conscious of so great desert,
As you perswade, I should be bound in duty
To praise your Rhet'ricke, as you prize my beauty;
Or if the frailty of my iudgement could
Flatter my thoughts so grosly, as to hold
Your words for currant, you might boldly dare
Count me as soolish, as you terme me faire.
If you vye Courtship, fortune knowes that I
Haue not so strong a Game, to see the vye:
Alas, my skill durst neuer vndertake
To play the game, where hearts be set at stake;
Needs must the losse be great, when such haue bin
Seldome obseru'd to saue themselues that win:
You craue my heart; My Lord, you craue withall,
Too great a mischiese; My poore heart's too small
To fill the concaue of so great a brest,
Whose thoughts can scorne the amorous request
Of loue sicke Queenes, and can requite the vaine,
And factious suits of Ladies with disdaine:
Stoope not so low beneath your selfe (great Lord)
To loue Parthenia: Shall so poore a word
Staine your faire lips? whose merits doe proclaime
A more transcendent fortune, then that name
Can giue: Call downe Ioues winged Pursuiuant,
A [...]d giue his tongue the power to enchant
[Page 11]Some easie Goddesse, in your name, and treat
A mariage fitting so sublime, so great
A mind as yours, and fill the fruitfull earth
With Heroes, sprung from so diuine a birth:
Partheniaes heart could neuer yet aspire
So high: Her homebred thoughts durst ne're desire
So fond an honour, matcht with so great pride,
To hope for that, which Queenes haue beene denyde.
Be wise, my Lord; vouchsafe not to repeat
S'vnfit a suit; Be wise, as you are great:
Aduance your noble thoughts: hazard no more
To wrack your fortunes on so fleet a shore,
That, to the wiser world, it may be knowne
The lesse y'are mine, the more you are your owne.
Like as a guilty prisner, vpon whom
Offended Iustice lately past her doome,
Stands trembling by, and, hopelesse to preuaile,
B [...]ules not for mercy, but to the loath'd Iaile
D [...]agges his sad yrons, and from thence commends
A h [...]sty suite to his selected friends,
That by the vertue of a quicke Reprie [...]e
The wretch might haue some few daies more to liue.
Euen so Demagoras, whose rewounded heart
Had newly felt the vnexpected smart
And secret burthen of a desp'rate doome,
Replies not, takes no leaue, but quits the roome,
And, in his discontented mind, reuolues
Ten thousand thoughts; and at the last resolues
What course to runne, relying on no other,
But the assistance of Partheniaes mother.
Forthwith his fierce misguided passion droue
His wandring steps to the next neighboring groue.
[Page 12]A keene Steeletto in his trembling hand
He rudely grip'd, vpon his lips did stand
A milke white froth; his eyes like flames; sometimes
He curses heauen; himselfe; and then, the times;
Railes at the proud Parthenia; raues; despaires;
And from his head rends off his tangled hayres;
Curs. s the wombe that bare him; bans the Fates;
And, drunke with spleene, he thus deliberates.
Why dyest thou not, Demagoras, when as death
Lends thee a weapon? Can the whining breath
Of discontent and passion send reliefe
To thy distraction, or asswage thy griefe?
Why moou'st thou not the Gods? Or rather, why
Do'st not contemne, and scorne their power, and dye?
But stay! Of whom dost thou complaine? A woman.
To whom (fond man) dost thou complaine? A woman.
And shall a womans frownes haue power to grieue thee?
Or shall a womans wanton smile relieue thee?
Fye, fie, Demago [...]as, shall a womans eye
Pre [...]aile, to make the stout Demagor [...]s dye,
And leaue to after times an entred name
[...] Callender of fooles? Rouze vp for shame
Thy wasted spirits: whet thy spleene and liue
To be reueng'd: She, she that would not giue
Admittance to thy proferd loue must drinke
The potion of thy hate: stirre then the sinke
Of all thy passion; where thou canst not gaine
By fairer lauguage, Tarquin-like constraine.
But hold thy band, Dem [...]goras, and aduise;
Art giues ad [...]antage oft, where force denyes;
Suspend thy fury: Make Parthenia [...]s mother
Thy meanes: One Adamant will cut another:
[Page 13]Sweeten thy lips with amorous Oratorie;
Affect her tender heart, with the sad story
Of thy deare loue; Extoll Parth [...]niaes beauty;
But most of all, vrge that deserued duty
Thou ow'st her vertue, and make that the ground
Of thy first loue, that gaue thy heart the wound:
Mingle thy words with sighes; and it is meet,
If thou canst force a teare, to let her see't
Against thy will: Let thy false tongue forbeare
No vowes and though thou beest forsworne, yet sweare:
If ere thy barren lips shall chance to pause,
For want of words; Parthenia is the cause,
Who hath benumm'd thy heart; If e're they goe
Beyond their lists, Parthenia made them so.
Withall; be sure, when ere thou shalt aduance
The daughters vertues, let the glory glance
Vpon the prudent mother; Women care not
To heare too much of vertue, if they share not.
When thus thou hast prepar'd her melting eare
To soft attention; closely, in the reare
Of thy discourse, preferre thy sad petition,
That she would please to fauour the condition
Of a distressed louer, and afford
In thy behalfe, a mothers timely word;
So shalt thou wreck thy vengeance by a wilde,
And make the mother bawd to her owne childe.
He paused not; but like a rash proiector
(Whose franticke passion was supreme director)
Fixt his first thoughts, impatient of the second
Which might bin betterd by aduise, and reckon'd
All time but lost, which he bestowed not
On th'execution of his hopefull plot;
[Page 14]Forthwith his nimble paces he diuided
Towards the Summer Pallace, where resided
The faire Partheniaes mother, boldly enters,
And after mutu [...]ll complement, aduenters
To breake the yce of his dissembled griefe;
Thus he complaines, and thus he begs reliefe.
Madam,
The hopefull thriuing of my suit depends
Vpon your goodnesse, and it recommends
It selfe vnto your sauour, from whose hand
It must haue sentence, or to fall, or stand;
Thirce three times hath the Soueraigne of the night,
Repaird her empty hornes with borrowed light,
Since these sad eyes, these beauty blasted eyes
Were stricken by a light, that did arise
From your blest wombe, whose vnasswaged smart
Hath peirc'd my soule, and wounded my poore heart;
It is the faire Parthenia, whose diuine
And glorious vertue led these eyes of mine
To their owne ruine; Like a wanton fly,
I dallied with the flames of her bright eye,
Till I haue burn'd my wings: O, if to loue
Be held a sinne, the guilty gods aboue
(Being fellow-sinners with vs, and commit
The selfe same crimes) may eas'ly pardon it.
O thrice diuine Partheni [...], that hast got
A sacred priuiledge which the gods haue not,
If thou hast doom'd that I shall be bereauen
Of my loath'd life, yet let me dye for giuen:
And welcome death, that with one happy blow
Giues me more ease, then life could euer doe.
[Page 15]Madam, to whom should my sad words appeale
But you? Al [...], to whom should I reueale
My dying thoughts, but vnto you, that gaue
Being to her, that hath the power to saue
My wasted life? The language of a mother
Moues more then teares, that trickle from another.
With that a well dissembled drop did slide
From his false eyes. The Lady thus replyde.
My Honorable Lord,
If my vntimely answer hath preuented
Some further words your passion would haue vented,
Pardon my haste; which, in a ruder fashion
Sought onely to diuide you, from your passion:
The loue you beare Parthenia must claime
The priuiledge of mine eare, and in her name,
(Though from an absent mind as yet vnknowne)
Returne I thankes, with intrest of my owne.
The little iudgement, that the gods haue lent
Her downy yeares (though in a small extent)
Does challenge the whole freedome of her choyce,
In the resignement of a mothers voice:
The sprightly fancies of a virgins mind
Enter themselues, and hate to be confinde;
The hidden Embers of a louers fire
Desire no bellowes, but their owne desire,
And like to Dedalus his forge, if blowne
Burnes dimme and dyes; blazes, if let alone;
Louers affect, without aduisement, that
Which being most perswaded to, they hate.
My Lord, adiourne your passion, and refer
The fortune of your suite to time, and her.
[Page 16]Like to a Pinace is a louers minde,
The Saile his fancy is; A storme of winde,
His vncontrouled passion; the Stea [...]'s
His reason; Rocks and Sinds, are doubts and feares;
Your storme being great, like a wise Pilot, beare
But little Saile, and stoutly ply the Steare.
Leaue then the violence of your thoughts to me,
My Lord, too hasty Gamesters ouersee.
Goe, moue Parthenia, and let Iuno's blessing
Attend your hopefull suite, in the suppressing
Loues common euills; and if her warme desire
Show but a sparke, leaue me to blow the fire.
Goe, lose no time: Louers must be laborious;
My Lord goe prosperous, aud returne victorious.
With that Demagoras (prostrate on the ground,
As if his eares had heard that blessed sound,
Wherewith the Delphian oracle acquites
The accepted sacrifice) performes the rites
Of quicke deuotion, to that heauenly voice,
Which fed his soule with the malignant ioyes
Of vow'd reuenge; vp, from the floore he starts,
Blesses the tongue that bles [...] him; and departs.
By this time, had the heauen-surrounding Steeds
Quell'd their proud courage, turn'd their fainting head
Into the lower Hemispheare, to coole
Their flaming nostrills in the Westerne poole,
When as the dainty and mollitious ayre
Had bid the Lady of the Pallace, share
In her refined pleasures, and inuited
Her gentle steps, fully to be delighted
In those sweet walkes, where Flora's liberall hand
Had giuen more freely, then to all the land;
[Page 17]There walked she; and in her va [...]ious minde,
Proiects and casts about which way to finde
The progresse of the yong Partheniaes heart;
Likes this way: then a second thought does thwart
The first; Likes that way; then a third, the second:
One while she likes the match, and then she reckon'd
Demagoras vertues: now her feare entices
H [...]r thoughts to alter; then she counts his vices:
Sometimes she cals his vowes and oathes to minde:
Another while, thinkes oathes and words but winde.
She likes, dislikes; Her doubtfull thoughts doe vary,
Resolues, and then resolues the quite contrary.
One while she feares, that his maligne aspect
Will giue the virgin cause to disaffect:
And then, propounds to her ambitious thoughts
His wealth, the golden couer of all faults:
And, from the Chaos of her doubt, digests
Her feares; creates a world of wealth, and rests.
With that, she straight vnfixt her fastned eyes
From off the ground; and, looking vp, espyes
The faire Parthenia, in a louely bowre,
Spending the treasure of an euening houre:
There sate she, reading the sweet-sad discourses
Of Charicleas loue: the entercourses
Of whose mixt fortunes taught her tender heart
To feele the selfe same ioy, the selfe same smart:
She read, she wept; and, as she wept, she smil'd,
As if her [...]quall eyes had reconcilde
The extremes of ioy and griefe: she closde the booke,
Then op'ned it, and with a milder looke,
She piti [...]s louers; musing then a while,
She teaches smiles to weepe; and teares, to smile:
[Page 18]At length, her broken thoughts she thus discouers.
Vnconstant state of poore distressed louers!
Is all extreame in loue? No meane at all?
No draughts indifferent? either honey or Gall?
Hath Cupids Vniuerse no temp'rate Zone,
Either a torrid or a frozen one?
Alas, alas, poore louers. As she spake
Those words, from her disclosed lips there brake
A gentle sigh; and after that, another:
With that steps in her vnexpected mother.
Haue ye beheld, when Titans lustfull head
Hath newly di [...]'d into the seagreene bed
Of Thet is, how the bashfull Horizone
(Enfore'd to see what should be seene by none)
Lookes red for shame; and blushes to discouer
Th'incestuous pleasures of the heauen borne louer?
So look'd Parthenia, when the sudden eye
Of her vnwelcome mother did d [...]scry
Her secret passion: The mothers smile
Brought forth the daughters blush; and leuell coyle
They smil'd and blush; one smile begate another:
The daughter blusht, because the icalous mother
Smil'd on her; and the silent mother smilde,
To see the conscious blushing of her childe,
At length, growne great with words, she did awake
Her forced silence, and she thus bespake.
Blush not, my fairest daughter; Tis no shame
To pitty louers, or lament that flame,
Which worth and beauty kindles in the brest:
Tis charity to succour the distrest.
The disposition of a generous heart
Makes euery griese her owne, at least beares part.
[Page 19]What marble, ah what adamantine care
Ere heard the flames of Troy, without a teare?
Much more the scorching of a louers fire,
(Whose desprate fewell is his owne desire)
May boldly challenge euery gentle heart
To be [...] in his secret smart:
Why dost thou blush? why did those pearly teares
Slide downe? Feare not: this Arbour hath no cares;
Here's none but we; speake then: It is no shame
To shed a teare; thy mother did the same:
Say; hath the winged wanton, with his dart,
Sent ere a message to thy wounded heart?
Speake, in the name of Hymen I coniure thee;
If so, I haue a [...] shall recure thee:
I feare, I feare, the yong La [...] Lord
Hath lately left some indigested word
In thy cold stomack: which, for want of Art
I doubt, I doubt, lyes heauy at thy heart:
If that be all, reue [...]ling brings reliefe:
Silence in loue but multiplies a griefe:
Hid sorrow's desperate, not to be endur'd,
Which being but disclos'd, is easly cur'd:
Perchance, thou [...] Demagoras; and wouldst smother
Thy close [...] from thy angry mother,
And reap [...] the da [...]nty fruits of loue, vnseene;
I did the like, or thou hadst neuer beene;
Stolne goods are sweetest: If it be thy minde
To loue in secret, I will be as blinde
As he that wounded thee; or if thou dare
Acquaint thy mother, then a mothers care
Shall be redoubled, till thy thoughts acquire
The sweet fruition of thy choice desire:
[Page 20]Thou lou'st D [...]magoras; If thy lips deny,
Thy conscious heart must giue thy lips the lye:
And if thy liking countermand my will,
Thy punishment shall be to loue him still:
Then loue him still, and let his hopes inherit
The crowne, belonging to so faire a merit,
His thoughts are noble, and his fame appeares
To speake, at least, an age aboue his yeares.
The blood of his increasing honour springs
From the high stock of the Arcadian Kings:
The gods haue blest him with a liberall hand,
Enricht him with the prime of all the land:
Honour and wealth attend his gates, and what
Can he command, that he possesses not?
All which, and more, (if mothers can diuine)
The fortune of thy beauty hath made thine:
He is thy Captiue, and thy conquering eyes
Haue tooke him prisner: hee submits, and lies
At thy deare mercie, hoping ne re to be
Ransom'd from death, by any price, but thee.
Wrong not thy selfe in being too too nice,
And what (perchance) may not be proferd twise,
Accept at first: It is a foolish minde
To be too coy: Occasion's bald behind:
Tis not the common worke of euery day,
T' afford such offers: Take them while you may:
Times alter: youth and beauty are but blasts;
Vse then thy time, whil'st youth and beauty lasts:
For if that loath'd and infamous reproach
Of a stale maide, but offer to incroach
Vpon opinion; th' art in estimation,
Like garments, kept till they be out of fashion:
[Page 21]Thy worth, thy wit, thy vertues all must stand
Like goods at outcries, priz'd at second hand.
Resolue thee then, t' enlarge thy Virgin life,
With th' onourable freedome of a wife,
And let the fruits of that blest marriage be
A liuing pledge betwixt my Child and me.
So said; The faire Parthenia (in whose heare
Her owne affections yet had got the start
Of her obedience) makes a sudden pause,
Striues with her thoughts, obiects the binding lawes
Of filiall duty, to her best affection;
Sometimes submits vnto her owne election,
Sometimes vnto her mothers: thus diuided
In her distracted sancy, sometimes guided
By one desire, and sometimes by another,
She thus replide to her attentiue mother.
Madam,
Thinke not Parthenia, vnder a pretence
Of silence, studies disobedience:
Or by the crafty slownesse of reply,
Borrowes a quick aduantage to deny:
It lyes not in your power, to command
Beyond my will: vnto your tender hand,
I here surrender vp that little All
You gaue me, freely to dispose withall.
The gods forbid, Parthenia should resist
What you command, command you what you list:
But pardon me, the young Laconian Lord
Hath made assault, but neuer yet could board
This heart of mine: I wept, I wept indeed,
But my misconsterd streames did ne're proceed
[Page 22]From Cupids spring: This blubber'd book makes known,
Whose griefes I wept; I wept not for mine owne;
My lowly thoughts durst neuer yet a spire
The least degree, towards the proud desire
Of so great honour, to be call'd his wife,
For whom, ambitious Queenes haue bin at strife;
He su'd for loue, and strongly did importune
My heart, more pleased with a meaner fortune;
My brest was marble, and my heart forgot
All pitty; for, indeed, I lou'd him not;
But Madam; you, to whose more wise directions
I bend the stoutest of my rash aff [...]ctions,
You haue commanded, and your will shall be
The square to my vneauen desires, and me;
I'le practise duty, and my deeds shall show it;
I'le practise loue, though Cupid neuer know it.
Wh [...]n great Basilius (he whose princ [...]ly hand
Nourisht long peace in the Arcadian land)
With triumph, brought to his renowned Court,
His new espoused Queene, was great resort
Of forraine States, and Princes, to behold
The truth, that vnbeleeu'd report had told
Of faire Gynecias worth: Thither repair'd
The Cyprian Nobles, richly all [...]
In warlike furniture, and well addrest,
With solemne Iousts to glorifie the feast
Of mariage royall, lately past betweene
Th' Arcadian King, and his thrice noble Queene,
The faire Gynecia; in whose face and brest
Nature, and curious Art had done their best,
To summe that rare perfection, which (in briefe)
Transcends the power of a strong beliefe;
[Page 23]Her Syer was the Cyprian King, whose fame
Receiu'd more honour from her honour'd name,
Then, if he had, with his victorious hand,
Vnsceptred halfe the Princes in the land:
To tell the glory of this royall Feast;
The Bridegroomes state, and how the Bride was drest;
The princely seruice, and the rare delights;
The seuerall names and worth, of Lords and Knights;
Their quaint Impresa's, their deuisefull showes;
Their martiall sports, their oft redoubled blowes;
The courage of this Lord, or that proud horse;
Who ran; who got the better, who, the worse,
Is not my taske; nor lyes it in my way,
To make relation of it: Heraulds may:
Yet Fame and honour hath selected one,
From that illustrious crew; and him alone
Haue recommended to my carefull quill,
Forbidding that his honour sho [...]ld lye still
Among the rest, whom fortune and his spirit,
That day, had crowned with a victors merit,
His name was Argalus; In Cyprus borne;
And (if what is not ours, may adorne
Our proper fortunes) his blood royall springs
From th'ancient stocke of the great Cyprian Kings:
His outside had enough to satisfie
The expectation of a curious eye:
Nature was too too prodigall of her beauty,
To make him halfe so faire, whom Fame, and duty
He ought to Honour, cal [...]'d so often forth,
T'approue the exc'lence of his manly worth:
His minde was richly furnisht with the treasure
Of morall knowledge, in so liberall measure,
[Page 24]Not to be proud: So valiant, and so strong
Of noble courage, not to dare a wrong:
Friendly to all men, inward but with few;
Fast to his old friends, and vnapt for new:
Lord of his word, and master of his passion,
Serious in buisnesse, choyce in recreation:
Not too mistrustfull, and yet wisely wary;
Hard to resolue, and then as hard to vary:
And to conclude, the world could hardly finde
So rare a body with so rare a minde.
Thrice had the bright surueyour of the heauen
Diuided out the dayes and nights by euen
And equall houres, since this child of fame
(Inuited by the glory of her name,)
First view'd Partheniaes face, whose mutuall eye
Shot equall flames, and with the secret tie
Of vndisclos'd affection, ioyn'd together
Their yeelding hearts, their loues vnknown to either,
Both dearly lou'd: the more they stroue to hide
Their loue, affection they the more descride.
It lyes beyond the power of art to smother
Affection, where one vertue finds another:
One was their thoughts, and their desires one,
And yet both lou'd, vnknowne; beloued, vnknowne:
One was the Dart, that at the selfe same time
Was sent, that wounded her, that wounded him:
Both hop'd, both fear'd alike, both ioy'd, both grieu'd;
Yet, where they both could helpe, was none relieu'd:
Two lou'd, and two beloued were; yet none
But two in all, and yet that all but one.
By this time had their barren lippes betraid
Their timorous silence; now they had displaid
[Page 25]Loues sanguine colours, whilst the winged Child
Sate in a tree, and clapt his hands, and smil'd
To see the combat of two wounded friends:
He strikes and wounds himselfe, while she defends
That would be wounded, for h [...]r paine proceeds,
And flowes from his, and from his wound, she bleeds;
She playes at him, and ayming at his breast,
Pierc'd her owne heart: and when his hand addrest
The blow to her faire bosome, there it found
His owne deare heart, and gaue that heart the wound:
At length both conquer'd and yet both did yeeld,
Both lost the day, and yet both wan the field:
And as the warfare of their tongues did cease,
Their lips gaue earnest of a ioyfull peace.
But ô the hideous chances that attend
A louers progresse, to his iournies end!
How many desp'rate rubs, and dangers waite
Each minute, on his miserable state!
His hopes doe build, what straight his feares destroy,
Sometimes, he surfeits with excesse of ioy:
Sometimes, despairing ere to find reliefe,
He roares beneath the tyranny of griefe;
And when loues current runnes with greatest force,
Some obuious mischiefe still disturbes the course:
For loe, no sooner the discouerd flame
Of these new parted louers did proclaime
Loues sacred Iubilé; but the Virgins Mother
(The posture of whose visage did discouer
Some serious matter, harb'ring in her brest)
Enters the roome: Halfe angry, halfe in iest,
Shee thus began: My dearest child, this night,
When as the silent darknesse did inuite
[Page 26]Mine eyes to slumber, sundry thoughts possest
My troubled minde, and robb'd me of my rest;
I slept not, till the early bugle horne
Of Chaunti [...]lere had summon'd in the Morne
T'attend the Light, and nurse the new-borne Day;
At last, when Morpheus, with his leaden key,
Had lockt my senses, and enlarg'd the power
Of my heauen guided fancy, for an houre
I slumbred; and before my slumbring eyes,
One, and the selfesame dreame presented thrice;
I wak'd; and, being frighted at the vision,
Perceiu'd the Gods had made an app [...]ition:
My dreame was this: Me thought I saw thee sitting
Drest like a princely Bride, with robes befitting
The state of Maiesty; thy Nymph-like haire
Loosely dissheuel'd; and thy browes did beare
A Cypresse wreath; and (thrice three months expir'd)
Thy pregnant wombe grew heauy, and required
Lucina's aid: with that, me thought I saw
A teame of harnest Peacocks fiercely draw
A siery Chariot from the flitting sky,
Wherein there sate the glorious Maiesty
Of great Saturnia, on whose traine attended
An hoast of Goddesses; Iuno descended
From out the flaming Chariot, and blest
Thy painfull wombe: Thy paines a while encreast;
At length, she laid her gentle palmes vpon
Thy fruitfull flanke, and there was borne a son:
She made thee mother of a smiling boy,
And, after, blest thee with a mothers ioy;
She kist the Babe, whose fortune she foresold,
For on his head she set a Crowne of Gold;
[Page 27]Forthwith, as if the heauens had clouen in sunder,
Me thoughts I heard the horrid noise of thunder;
The raine pour'd downe, and yet the skie was cleare,
And euery drop that lighted, did appeare
As orient pearle, mixt with refined gold;
VVbereat, the goddesse turn'd, and said, Behold,
Great I [...]ue hath sent a gift: goe forth, and tak't,
Thus hauing spoke, she vanisht, and I wak't:
I wak' [...]; and waking, trembled; for I knew
They were no idle passages, that grew
From my distemperd thoughts; twas not a vaine
Delusion rouing from a troubled braine;
It was a vision; and the gods forespake
Parthenia's fortune: Gods cannot mistake.
I lik'd the dreame; wherein the gods foretold
Thy ioyfull mariage; and the shower of gold
Betokened wealth; The Infants golden Crowne,
Ensuing honour: Iuno's comming downe,
A safe deliuerance; and the smiling Boy
Summ'd vp the totall of a mothers ioy:
But what the wreath of Cypresse (that was set
Vpon thy nuptiall browes) presag'd, as yet
The gods keepe from me: if that secret doc
Portend an euill, heauen keepe it from thee too.
Aduise Parthenia: Seeke not to withstand
The plot, wherein the Gods vouchsafe a hand;
Submit thy will to theirs; what they enioy [...]e,
Must be; nor lyes it in my power, or thine
To contradict: Endeauor to fulfill
What, else, must come to passe against thy will.
Now by the fil [...]all all duty thou dost beare
The gods and me, or if ought else more deare
[Page 28]Can force obedience; as thou hop'st to speed
At the gods hands, in greatest time of need;
By heauen, by hell, by all the powers aboue,
I here coniure Parthenia to remoue
All sond conceits, that labour to disioyne
What heauen hath knit, Dem [...]goras's heart and [...];
The gods are faithfull, and their wisedomes know
What's better for vs mortalls, then we doe;
Doubt not (my child) the gods cannot deceiue;
What heauen does offer, feare not to receiue,
With thankfull hands: Passe not so sleightly ouer
The deare affection of so true a louer;
Pitty his flames; relieue his tortur'd brest,
That findes abroad, no ioy; at home, no rest;
But, like a wounded Hart before the hounds,
That flies, with Cupids Iauelin in his wounds:
Stir vp thy rak't vp embers of desire,
The gods will bring in fewell, and blow the fire;
Be gentle; let thy cordiall smiles reuiue
His wasted spirits, that onely cares to liue
To doe thee honour: It was Cupids will,
The dart he sent, should onely wound; not kill;
Yeeld then; a [...]d let th'engaged gods powre downe
Their promis'd blessings on thy head; and crowne
Thy youth with ioyes; and maist thou after be
As blest in thine, as I am blest in thee.
So said: The faire Parthenia, to whose heart
Her fixt desires had taught th' [...]m willing Art
Of disobedience, calls her iudgement in;
And, of two euills, determines it a sin
More veniall, by a resolute deniall,
To proue vn [...], then be d [...]sloyall
[Page 29]To him, whose heart a sacred vow had tyed
So fast to hers; and (weeping) thus reply [...]d:
Madam,
The angry gods haue late conspir'd to show
The Vtmost their enraged hands could doc,
And hauing laid aside all mercy, stretch
Their power, to make one miserable wretch,
Whose curst and tortur'd soule must onely be
The subiect of their wrath; and I am she.
Hard is the case! my deare desires must faile;
My vowes must cracke; my plighted faith be fraile;
Or else affection must be so exil'd
A mothers heart, that she renounce her child.
And as she sp [...]ke that word, a flowing tide
Of teares gusht out, whose violence deny'd
Tn'intended passag [...] of her doubling tongue:
She stopt a [...]hile: Then on the floore sh [...] flung
Her prostrate body, whilst her hands did teare
(Not kn [...]owing what they did) her dainty haire.
Sometimes she struck the ground; somtimes, her brest:
Began some words, and then wept out the rest;
At last, her liuelesse hands did, by degrees,
Raise her cast body on her feeble knees,
And humbly rearing her sad eyes vpon
Her mothers frowning visage, thus went on.
Vpon these knees; these knees that ne're were bent
To you in vaine; that neuer did present
Their vnrewarded duty; neuer rose
Without a mothers blessing; vpon those,
Vpon those naked knees, I recommend
To your deare thoughts, those term [...]nis that attend
[Page 30]Your poore Parthenia, whose vnknowne distresse
Craues rather death, then language to expresse.
What shall I doe? D [...]magoras and Death
Sound both alike to these sad eares; that breath
That names the one, does nominate the other.
No, no, I cannot loue him; my deare mother,
Command Parthenia now to vndergoe
What death you please, and these quick hands shall show
The seale of my obedience in my heart.
The gods themselues, that haue a secret art
To force affection, cannot violate
The lawes of Nature, stop the course of Fate.
Can earth forget her burthen, and ascend?
Or can th'aspiring flames be taught to tend
To th'earth? If fire descend, and earth aspire,
Earth were no longer earth, nor fire, fire.
Euen so, by nature, 'tis all one to me,
To loue Demagoras, and not to be.
No, no, the heauens can doe no act that's greater,
Then (hauing made so) to preserue their creature.
And thinke you that the righteous Gods would fill me
With such false ioyes, as (if enioy'd) would kill me?
I know that they are mercifull: what they
Command, they giue a power to obey.
The ioyfull vision that your slumbring eyes
Of late beheld did promise and comprise
A fayrer fortune, then the heauens can share
To poore Partheniaes merit; whom despaire
Hath swas [...]ow'd: Your prophetick dreame discride
A royal [...] mariage; pointed out the Bride;
Her safe Deliuer [...]ce and her smiling sonne;
Honou [...] and [...]; and after all was done,
[Page 31] Th [...]re wants a Bridegroome: him, the heauens haue seald
Within my brest; by me, to be reueal'd;
VVhich, if your patience shall vouchsafe to heare,
My lips shall recommend vnto your eare.
When as Basilius (may whose royall hand
Long sway the scepter of th' Arcadian land)
From Cyprus brought his more then princely Bride,
The faire Gynecia, (whom as Greece deny'd
An equall; so the world acknowledg'd none
As her superiòur in perfection:)
Vpon this Ladies royall traine, and state,
Agreat concourse of Nobles did awaite,
And Cyprian Princes, with their princely port,
To see her crowned in th' Arcadion Court;
Illustrious Princes were they: but as farre
As midnight Phebe outshines the twinckling Starre,
So far, amongst this rout of Princes, one
Surpast the rest, in honour and renowne;
VVhose perfect vertue findes more admiration
In the Arcadian Court, then imitation:
In th'exc'lence of his outward parts, and feature,
The world conceiues, the curious hand of Nature
Outwent it selfe; which, being richly fraught
And furnisht with transcendent worth, is thought
To be the chosen fortresse for protection
Of all the Arts, and storehouse of perfection [...]
The Cyprus stock did ne're, till now, [...]ring forth
So rare a Branch, whose vnderualued worth
Brings greater glory to th' Arcadian Land,
Then can the dull Arcadians vnderstand;
His name is Argalus.
He (Madam) was that Cypresse wreath, that crown'd
[Page 32]My nuptiall brows: And now the Bridegroom's found,
Cloath'd in the mystry of that Cypresse wreath;
VVhich, since the better gods haue pleas'd to breathe
Into my soule, O may I cease to be,
If ought, but death, part Argalus and me:
Yet does my safe obedience not withstand
VVhat you desire, or what the gods command:
For what the gods command, is your desire
Parthenia should obey; and not respire
Against their sacred counsels, or withstand
The plot, wherein they haue vouchsaf'd a hand:
VVe must submit our wils; what they en [...]oyne,
Must be; nor lies it in your power or mine,
To crosse: we must endeauour to fulfill
VVhat else must come to passe against our will;
My vowes are past, and second heauens decree,
Nothing shall part my Arg [...]s and me.
So said; Th'impatient mothers kindled eye
(Halfe closed with a murtherous frowne) let flie
A scorching fireball, from whence was shed
Some drops of choller; sternly shakes her head;
With trembling hands vnlocks the doore, and flees,
Leauing Parthenia on her aking knees,
And as she fled, her fury thus began
To open, And is Argalus the man?
But there she stopt; when striuing to expresse
What rage had prompted, could doe nothing lesse.
All you, whose deare affections haue beene tost
In Cupids blanket, and vniuftly crost
By wilfull Parents, whose extreame command
Haue made you groan beneath their tyrannous hand,
That take a furious pleasure to diuorse
[Page 33]Your soul [...]s from your best thoughts, nay (what is worse
Then torture) force your fancies to respect,
And dearely loue, whom most you dis affect:
Draw neare, and comfort the distressed heart
Of poore Parthenia; let your eyes impart
One droppe at least: And whosoe're thou be
That read'st these lines, may thy desiers see
The like successe, if reading, thou fo [...]beare
To wet this very paper with a teare.
Behold (poore Lady) how an houres time
Hath pluck't her faded roses from their prime,
And like an vnregarded ruine, lyes,
With deaths vntimely image in her eyes.
She, she, whom hopeful thoughts had newly crownd
With promis'd ioyes, lyes groueling on the ground;
Her weary hand sustaine her drooping head;
(Too soft a pillow for so hard a bed)
Her eyes swolne vp, as loath to see the light,
That would discouer so forlorne a sight:
The flaxen wealth of her neglected haires
Stick' [...] fast to her pale cheel [...]s with dried teares;
And at first blush, she seemes, as if it were
Some curious statue on a Sepulchre:
Sometimes her brinie lips would whisper thus,
My Argalus, my dearest Argalus
And then they clos'd againe, as if the one
Had kist the other, for that seruice done
In naming Argalus: sometimes opprest
With a deepe sigh, she gaue her panting brest
A sudden stroke; and after that another,
Crying, Hard fortune, O hard hearted mother!
And sicke with her owne thoughts, her passion stroue
[Page 34]Betwixt the two extreames of griefe, and loue;
The more she grieu'd, the more her loue abounded;
The more she lou'd, the more her heart was wounded
With desperate griefe: at length, the tyrannous force
Of loue and griefe, sent forth this selfe d [...]scourse.
How art thou chang'd ( Parthenia?) how hath passion
Put all thy thoughts, and senses out of fashion?
Exil'd thy little iudgement, and betray'd thee
To thine owne selfe? How nothing hath it made thee?
How is thy weather beaten soule opprest
With stormes and tempests blowne from the Northeast
Of cold despaire? which, long ere this, had found
Eternall rest; had bin orewhelm'd, and drown'd
In the deepe gulfe of all my miseries,
Had I not pumpt this water from mine eyes;
My Argalus; ô where, ô where art thou?
Thou little think'st thy poore Parthenia, now
Is tortur'd for thy sake; alas, (deare heart!)
Thou know'st not the insufferable smart
I vndergoe for thee: Thou dost not keepe
A Register of those sad teares I weepe,
No, no, thou dost not.
Well, well; from henceforth, Fortune, doe not spare
To doe the worst (thy Agent) Mischiefe dare;
Deuise new torments, or repeat the old,
Vntill thou burst, or I complaine: Be bold,
As bitter; I disdaine thy rage, thy power;
Who's leuell'd with the earth, can fall no lower;
Doe; spit thy venome forth, and temper all
Thy studied actions with the spirit of gall;
Thy practis'd malice can no euill deuise
Too hard, for Argalus to exercise;
[Page 35]His loue shall sweeten death, and make a torture
My sportfull pastime, to make houres shorter;
His loue shall fill my heart, and lea [...]e no roome,
Wherein your rage may practise martyrdoome.
But ere that word could vsh [...]r out another,
The tender Vi [...]gins marble hearted mother
Enters the Chamber; with a chang'd aspect
Beholds Partheni [...]; with a new respect
Salutes her child, and (hauing clos'd the doore)
Her helpfull arme remoues her from the [...]loore
Whereon she lay; and, being set together,
In gentle termes, she thus did commune with her.
Peruerse Partheni [...], Is thy heart so sworne
To A [...]galus his loue, that it must s [...]orne
Demagoras? Are your soules conioyn'd so close,
That my ent [...]eaty may not enterpose?
If so, what helpe? yet let a mothers care
Be not conte [...]n'd, that bids her child beware.
The sickle that's too early, cannot reape
A fruitfull Haruest: Looke, before you leape:
Adiourne your thoughts, and make a wise delay,
You cannot measure vertue in a day;
Vertues appeare, but vices baulke the light;
Tis hard to read a vice at the first sight.
False are those ioyes, that are not mixt with doubt,
Fire easely kindled, will not easely out:
Diuide that loue, which thou bestowst on one,
Twixt two: try both; then take the best, or none:
Consult with time: for time bewrayes, discouers
The faith, the loue, the constancy of louers.
Acts done in hast, by leasure are repented,
And things, soone past, are oft, too late lamented:
[Page 36] With tha [...], Parthenia, rising from her place,
And bowing with incomparable grace,
M [...]de [...]his reply; Madam, each seuerall day
Since first you gaue this body being, may
Write a large volume of your tender care,
Whose hourely goodnesse if it should compare
With my deserts, alas, the world would show
Too great a summe, for one poore heart to owe;
I must confesse my heart is not so sworne
To Argalus his merit as to scorne
D [...]magoras; nor yet so loosely tyed,
That I can slip the knot, and so diuide
Entire affection, which must not be seuer'd,
Nor euer can be (but in vaine) endeuour'd.
My heart is one, and by one power guided;
One is no number; cannot be diuided.
And Cupids learned schoolemen haue resolu'd
That loue diuided is but loue dissolu'd;
But yet, what plighted faith, and honour may
Not now vndoe, your counsell shall delay.
Madam, Partheniaes hand is not so greedy,
To reape her corne, before her corne he ready:
Her vnaduised sickle shall not thrust
Into her hopefull Har [...]est, ere needs must:
To yours P [...]rthenia shall submit her skill,
Whose season shall be season'd by your will:
Her time of haruest shall admit no measure
But onely what's proportion'd by your pleasure.
S [...] ended she; But till that darknesse got
The mastry of the light, they parted not.
The mother pleads for the Laconian Lord;
The daughter (whose impatience had abhort'd
[Page 37]His very name, had not her mother spok't)
S [...]e pl [...]ads her vow, which cannot be reuokt.
Y [...]t st [...]ll the mother pleads, and does omit
No way vntryed, that a hard hearted wit
Knowes to deuise; perswades, allures, entreats;
Mingles his words with smiles, with tears, w th threats;
Commands, coni [...]es; tries one way, tryes another,
Does th [...]tmost that a marble brested mother
Can doe; and yet the more she did apply,
The mor [...] she taught Parthenia to deny;
The more she did ass [...]ult, the more contend;
The more she taught the virgin to defend.
At last, despairing (for her words did finde
More ease to moue a mountaine, then her minde)
She sp [...]ke no more; but from her chaire she started,
And spit these words, Goe, peeuish Girle, and parted.
Away she flings, and finding no successe
In her lost words, her fury did addresse
Her raging thoughts to a new studied plot;
Actions must now enforce, what words could not.
Treason is in her thoughts; Her furious breath
Can whisper now no language, vnder death;
Poore Argalus must dye; and his remoue
Must make the passage to Demagoras loue:
And till that barre be broken, or put by,
No hope to speed; Poore Argalus must dye.
Demagoras is call'd to counsell now,
Consults, consents; and, after mutuall vow,
R [...]soluing on the act, they both conspire,
Which way to execute their close desi [...]e.
D [...]awing his keene Seeletto from his side,
Madam (said he) This medicine well applide,
To Arg [...]lus his bo [...]ome, will giue rest
To him, and me; the sudden way is best.
My Lord ( [...] she) your trembling hand may misse
The marke, and then your selfe in danger is
Of outcry; or perchance his owne resistance.
Attempts are dangerous, at so small a distance.
A drugg's the better weapon; which does breathe
Deaths secret errand, carries sudden death
Clos'd vp in sweetnesse: Come, a drugge strikes sure,
And works our ends, and yet we sleepe secure.
My Lord, bethinke no other; Set your rest
Vpon these C [...]rds; The surest way is best:
Leaue me to manage our successfull plot,
And if these studious browes contriue it not
Too sure, for art of M [...]gicke to preuent,
Ne're trust a womans wit, w [...]en fully bent
To take reuenge: Begone, my Lord; repose
The trust in me: Onely be wise, be close.
That night, when as the vniuersall sh [...]de
Of the vnspangled heauen, and earth had made
An v [...]ter darknesse; (darknesse, apt to further
The horrid enterprise of rapes, and m [...]her)
She, she, that now lacks nothing to procu [...]e
A full reuenge, she calls Athleia to her,
( Partheniaes handmaid) whom sh [...] thus [...]espake.
Athleia, dare thy priuate thoughts partake
With mine? Canst thou be secret? Has thy heart
A locke that none can pick by theevish art,
Or brake by force? Tell me, Canst thou digest
A secret, trusted to thy faithfull brest?
Madam, said sh [...], L [...]t me bee neuer true
To my owne thoughts, if euer false to you:
[Page 39]Speake what you please; Athleia shall conceale,
Torments may make me roare, but ne're re [...]eale.
Replyde the Lady then: Athleia knows
How much, how much my deare affection owes
Partheniaes heart whose welfare is the crowne
Of all my ioyes, which now is ouerthrowne
And deeply buried in forgotten dust,
If thou betray the secret of my trust.
It lyeth in thy power to remoue
Approaching euills: Parthenia is in loue:
Her wasted spirits languish in her brest,
And nought, but look'd for death, can giue her rest;
Tis Argalus she loues; who, with disdaine,
Requites her loue, not louing her againe;
He sleights her teares: The more that he neglects,
The more entirely she (poore soule) affects:
She groanes beneath the burden of despaire,
And with her sighes she cloyes the idle ayre.
Thou art acquainted with her priuate teares;
And you, so oft exchanging tongues and eares,
Must know too much, for one poore heart t'endure;
But desperate's the wound admits no Cure:
It lies in thee to helpe: Athleia, say,
Wilt thou assist me, if I find the way?
Madam, my forced ignorance shall be
Sufficient earnest of my secresie:
Your lips haue vtter'd nothing that is new
To Athleias eares: Alas, it is too true.
Long, long ere this, your seruant had reueal'd
The same to you, bad not my lips bi [...] seal'd:
But if my best endeauors may extend
To bring my Mistresse sorrowes to an end,
[Page 40]Let all the enraged D [...]ties a [...]ot
To me worse torment, if I doe it not:
My life's too poore to hazard for her ease;
Madam, Ile do [...]; Command me what you please:
So said; The treacherous Lady steps aside,
In [...]o her serious close [...]; and applide
Her hasty, and perfidious hands, to frame
This fo [...]ged letter, in Partheniaes name.
Constant Parthenia to her faithfull Argalus.
ALthough the malice of a mother
Does yet enforce my tongue to smother
What my desire is, should flame;
yet Parthenia is the same.
Although my fire be hid a while,
T is but fire slak'd with oyle;
Before seuen Suns shall rise and fall,
It shall burne, and blaze withall.
What I send thee, drinke with speed,
Else let my Argalus take heed;
Vnlesse thy prouidence withstand,
there is treason ne're at hand;
Drinke as thou lou'st me, and it shall secure thee
From future dangers; or from past, recure thee.
This done, and seal'd, she op'd her pri [...]te doore,
Call'd in Athleia, and said; For euery sore
[Page 41]The gods prouide a salue. Force must preuaile,
Where sighes and teares, and deepe entreaties faile.
Forthwith from out her Cabinet she tooke
A little glasse, and said, Athleia, looke
Within these slender walls, these glazed lists,
Parthe [...]aes happinesse, and life consists;
It is Nepenthe; which the factious gods
Doe vse to drinke, when ere they be at ods,
Whose secret vertue (so infus'd by loue)
Does turne deep hatred, into dearest loue;
It makes the proudest louer whine and baule,
And such to dote, as neuer lou'd at all;
Here take this glasse, and recommend the same
To A [...]galus in his P [...]theniaes name,
And to his hand, to his owne hand commit
This letter; Betweene A [...]galus, and it
Let no eye come: Be sure thy spee [...] preuent
The rising Sun: and so heauens crowne th'euent.
By this the feather'd Bellman of the night
Sent forth his midnight summons, to inui [...]e
All eyes to sl [...]mber, when they both addrest
Their thoughtfull minds, to take a doubtfull rest.
O heauens! and you, O you celestiall powers,
That neuer slumber, but imploy all houres
In mans prorection; still preseruing, keeping
Our soules from obuious dangers, waking, sleeping.
O, can your all-descerning eyes behold
Such impious actions prosper, vncontroll'd?
O can your hearts, your tender hearts endure
To see your seruant (that now sleepes secure,
Vnarm'd, vnwarn'd, and hauing no defence,
But your protection, and his innocence)
[Page 42]Betray'd, and murther'd, drawing at one breath
His owne prepar'd destruction, his owne death?
And will ye [...]? He that is the crowne
Of prized vertue, honour and renowne;
The flowre of Arts; the Cyprian liuing story;
Arcadias Girland, and great Graeces glory;
The earths new wonder; and the worlds example,
Must dye betraid; Treason and death must trample
Vpon his life; and, in the dust, must lye
As much admit'd perfection, as can dye.
No, Argalus, the coward hand of death
Durst ne're assault thee, if not vnderneath
The Maske of loue: Thou art aboue the reach
Of open wrongs; Mans force could ne're make breach
Into thy life: no, Death could ne're vncase
Thy soule, had she appeared face to face.
Dreame, Argalus; and let thy thoughts be troubled
With murthers, treasons; Let thy dreams be doubled
And what thy frighted fancy shall perceiue,
Be wisely superstitious, and beleeue.
O, that my lines could wake thee now, and seuer
Those eyelids, that ere long must sleepe for euer.
Wake, now or neuer Argalus; and withstand
Thy danger; Wake, the murtheresse is at hand.
Parthenia, oh Parthenia, who shall weepe
Thy world of teares? Canst thou, O canst thou sleep?
Will thy dull Genius giue thee leaue to slumber?
Does nothing trouble thee? no dreame incumber
Thy frighted thoughts? and Argalus so neere
His latest houre? Not one dreaming teare?
Sleepe on: and when thy flattring slumber's past,
Perchance, thine eyes will learne to weepe as fast.
[Page 43]His death is plotted; And this morning light
Must send him downe, into eternall night.
Nay, what is worse then worst; His dying breath
Will censure thee, as Agent in his death.
By this the broadfac'd Quirister of night
Surceas'd her screeching note, and tooke her flight
To the next neighbring Ivy: Brids and beasts
Forsake the warme protection of their nests,
And nightly [...], whilst darknesse did display
Her sable curtaines, to let in the day,
When sad Athleia's dreame had vnbenighted
Her slumbring eies: her busie thoughts were frighted:
She rose, and trembled; and being halfe distraught,
With her prophetick feares; she thus bethought.
What ayle the Gods, thus to disturbe my rest,
And make such earthquakes in my troubled brest?
Nothing but death, and murthers? Graues and Bells?
Frighting my fancy, with their hourely knells?
Twas nothing but a dreame; and dreames they say,
Expound themselues the cleane contrary way.
The Riddle's read; and now I vnderstand
My dreames intents: Some mariage is at hand:
For death interpreted, is nothing else
But mariage; And the melancholly Bells,
Is mirth and musicke: By the graue, is read
The ioyfullioy, full, ioyfull, mariage bed:
I, I tis plaine: And now, me thinks, 'twas I,
That my prophetick dreame foretold, should dye.
If this be death, Death exercise thy power,
And let Athleia dye within this houre.
Doe, doe thy worst; Athleia's faithfull breath
Shall pray for nothing more then sudden death.
[Page 44]But stay, Athleia, the too forward day,
Begins to gild the East; away, away.
So hauing said; The nimble fingerd Lasse
Tooke the forg'd letter, and the amorous glasse,
And, to her early progresse, she applies her;
D parts, and toward; Argalus she hies her;
But euery step she tooke, her mind enforc'd
New thoughts, and with her selfe, she thus discours'd.
How fraile's the nature of a womans will!
How crosse! The thing that's most forbidden, still
They more desire; and least inclinde, to doe
What they are most of all perswaded too.
Had not (alas) my Lady bound these hands,
Athl [...]ia ne're had struggled with her bands.
I must not tast it! Had she not enioyn'd
My lips from tasting it, Athleia's mind
Had neuer thought on't; now, me thinkss I long;
Desires, if once confinde, become too strong
For womans conquer'd reason to resist;
A womans reason's measur'd by her list.
I long to tast: yet was there nothing did
Mooue my desires, but that I was forbid.
With that she stayd her weary steps, and hasted
T'vntye the Glasse; lift vp her arme and tasted;
That done (and hauing now attain'd, almost
Her iourneyes end) the little time she lost,
New speed regaines; The nimble ground she traces
With double hast and quicke redoubled paces.
All on a sudden, she begins to faint;
Her bowells gripe, her breath begins to taint;
Her blistred tongue growes hot, her liuer glowes;
Her vaines doe boile, her colour comes and goes:
[Page 45]She staggers; falls; and on the ground she lyes;
Swels like a bladder; roares; and bursts; and dyes.
Thus from her ruine, Argalus deriues
His longer life, and by her death, he liues;
Liue Argalus, and let the gods allot
Such morning draughts to those that loue thee not:
Liue long; and let the righteous powers aboue,
That haue preseru'd thee for Parthenia's loue,
Crowne all thy hopes, and fortunes, with euent
Too sure, for second treasons to preuent.
By this time, did the lauish breath of Fame
Giue language to her Trumpet, and proclaime
Athleias death, the current of which newes
Truths warrant had forbidden to abuse
Deceiued eares: which, when the Lady heard,
Whose trecherous heart was greedily prepar'd
To entertaine a murther; she arose,
And with rude violence desperately throwes
H [...]r trembling body, on the naked floore,
But what she said, and did, I will deplore,
Not vtter; but with forced silence smother,
Because she was the faire Parthenia's mother:
May it suffice, that the extreames of shame,
And vnresisted sorrow ouercame
Her disappointed malice; lesse lamenting
The treason, then successe; and more repenting
Of what she fail'd to doe, then what she did,
Her sullen soule dispaires; her thoughts forbid
What reason wants the power, to perswade;
Her griefes b [...]ing growne too deepe for her to wade,
She sinks; and with a hollow sigh, she cryed,
Welcome thou easer of all euills; and dyed.
Now tongues begin to walke; and euery eare
Hath got the Saturyasis to heare
This tragicke sceane: The breath of Fame grows bold
Feares no repulse, and scornes to be controlld,
Whilst lowd report, (whose tender lips before,
Durst onely whisper) now begins to roare;
The letter, found in dead Athleias brest,
Bewray'd the plot; and what (before) was guest,
Is now confirm'd, and clear'd: for all men knew
Whose hand it was, and whence the malice grew.
But haue we lost Parthenia? In what Isle
Of endlesse sorrow lurks she all this while?
Sweet Reader, vrge me not to tell, for feare
Thy heart dissolue, and melt into a teare.
Excuse my silence: If my lines should speake,
Such marble hearts, as could not melt, would break;
No, leaue her to her selfe: It is not fit
To write, what being read, you'd wish vnwrit:
I leaue the taske to those, that take delight,
To see poore Ladyes tortur'd in despight
Of all remorse; whose hearts are still at strife
To p [...]int a torment to the very life.
I leaue that taske to such, as haue the powre
To weepe, and smile againe within an houre.
To those, whose flinty hearts are more content [...]d
To limme a griefe, then pitty the tormented.
Let it suffice, that had not heauen protected
Her Argalus; the ioy whereof, corrected
That [...] griefe, which passion recommended
To her sad thoughts, her story here had ended.
When Time (the enemy of Fame) had clos'd
Her babling lips, and gently had compos'd
[Page 47] Partheniaes sorrowes, raising from the ground
Her body, spent with griefe, and almost drownd
In her owne teares; a long expected Sceane
Of better fortune enters in, to dreane
His marish eyes: Her stormy night of teares
Being past, a welcome day of ioy appeares;
The rocke's remou'd, and loues wide Ocean now
Giues roome enough; lookes with a milder brow.
Reader forget thy sorrowes; Let thine eare
Welcome the tydings thou so longst to heare:
A louers diet's sweet, commixt with sower;
His hell and heauen, oft-time, diuides an houre.
Now Argalus can finde a faire accesse
To his Parthenia: now, feares nothing lesse
Then eares and eyes; and now Partheniaes heart
Can giue her tongue the freedome, to impart
His louder welcome, whilst her greedy eye
Can looke her fill, and feare no stander by.
She's not Parthenia, he not present with her;
And he not Argalus, if not together.
Their cheeks are fill'd with smiles; their tongues with chat,
Now, this they make their subiect, and now that.
One while they laugh; and laughing wrangle too,
And iarre, as iealous louers vse to doe.
And then a kisse, must make them friends againe;
Faith, one's too little; Louers must haue twaine;
Two brings in ten; ten multiplyes to twenty;
That, to a hundred: then because the plenty
Growes troublesome to count, and does incumber
Their lips; their lips gaue [...]isses without number.
Their thoughts run backe to former times: they told
Of all loues passages, they had of old.

ARGALVS AND PARTHENIA.
The Second Booke.

SAyle gentle Pinace: Now the heauens are cleare,
The winds blow faire: Behold the harbour's neere.
Trydented Neptune hath forgot to frowne;
The rocks are past; The storme is ouerblowne;
Vp wetherbeaten voyagers; and rouze yee,
Forsake your loathed Cabbi [...]s; vp, and louze ye
Vpon the open decks, and smell the land;
Cheare vp; the welcome shoare is nigh at hand:
Sayle gentle Pinace, with a prosperous gale,
To th'Isle of peace: S [...]ile gentle Pinace, saile;
Fortune conduct thee; Let thy keele diuide
The siluer streames, that thou mast safely slide
Into the bosome of thy quiet Key,
And quite thee fairely of th'iniurious Sea.
Great Seaborne Queene, thy birthright giues thee power
T'assist poore suppliants; grant one happy houre.
O, let these wounded louers be possest,
At length, of their so long desired rest.
Now, now the ioyfull mariage day drawes on;
The Bride is bu [...]ie, and the Bridegroome's gone
To call his fellow Princes to the feast;
The Girland's made; The bridall chamber's drest;
[Page 51]The Muses haue consulted with the Graces,
To crowne the day, and honour their embraces
With shadow'd Epithalmes: Their warbling tongues
Are perfect in their new made Lyrick songs;
Hymen begins to grumble at delay,
And Bacchus laughs to think vpon the day;
The virgin tapors, and what other rights
Doe appertaine to Nuptiall delights,
Are all prepar'd, whereby may be exprest
The ioyfull triumph of this mariage feast.
But stay! who lends me now an yron pen,
T'engraue within the marble hearts of men
A tragick sceane; which whosoe're shall reade,
His eyes may spare to weepe, and learne to bleed
Carnation teares: If time shall not allow
His death preuented eyes to weepe enow,
Th [...]n let his dying language recommend
What's left to his posterity to end.
Thou saddest of all Muses; come; afford
Thy studious helpe, that each confounding word
May rend a heart (at least;) that euery line
May pickle vp a kingdome in the brine
Of their owne teares: O teach me to extract
The spirit of griefe, whose vertue may distract
Those brests, which sorrow knowes not how to kill;
Inspier, [...] inspire my melting Quill,
And, like sad Niobé, let euery one
That cannot melt, be turn'd into a stone:
Teach me to paint an oft-repeated sigh
So to the life, that whosoe're be nigh
May heare it breathe, and learne to doe the like
By imitation, till true passion strike
[Page 52]Their bleeding hearts: Let such as shall rehearse
This story, houle like Irish at a Herse.
Th'euent st [...]ll crownes the act: Let no man say,
Before the euening's come; Tis a faire day:
When as the Kalends of this bridall feast
Were entred in, and euery longing brest
[...] great with expectation, and all eyes
(Prepar'd for entertaining nouelties)
Were growne impatient now, to be suffis'd
With that, which Art and Honour had deuis'd
T'adorne the times withall, and to display
Their bounty, and the glory of that day,
The rare Parthenia taking sweet occasion
To blesse her busie thoughts, with contemplation
Of absent Argalus, whose too long stay
Made minutes [...] dayes; and euery day
A measur'd age; into her s [...]cret bower
Betooke her weary steps, where euery houre
Her greedy eares expect to heare the summe
Of all her hopes, that Argalus is come.
She hopes, she feares at once; and still she muses
What makes him stay so long; she chides; excuses;
She questions; answers; and she makes reply,
And talkes, as if her Argalus were by;
Why com'st thou not? Can Argalus forget
His languishing Parthenia? what, not yet?
But as she spake that word, she heard a noise,
Which seem'd as if it were the whispering voice
Of close conspiracy: she began to feare
She knew not what, till her deceiued eare,
Instructed by her hopes, had singled out
The voice of Argalus from all the rout,
[Page 53]Whose steps (as she supposed) did prepare
By stealth to sieze vpon her vnaware:
She gaue aduantage to the thriuing plot,
Hearing the noyse, as if she heard it not.
Like as young Doues, which ne're had yet forsaken
The warme protection of their nests, or taken
Vpon themselues a selfe-prouiding care,
To shift for food, but with paternall fare
Grow fat and plump; think euery noise they heare,
Their full cropt parents are at hand, to cheare
Their crauing stomacks, whilst th'impartiall fist
Of the false Cater, rifling where it list
In euery hole, surprises them, and sheds
Their guiltlesse blood, and parts their gasping heads
From their vaine struggling bodies; so; euen so
Our poore deceiu'd Parthenia, (that did owe
Too much to her owne hopes) the whilst her eyes
Were set, to welcome the vnualued prize
Of all her ioyes, her dearest Argalus,
Steps in Demagoras, and salutes her thus:
Base Trull; Demagoras comes to let thee see,
How much he scornes thy painted face, and thee;
Foule Sorceresse! Could thy prosperous actions think
To scape reuenge, because the gods did wink
At thy designes? Think'st thou thy mothers blood
Cryes in a language, not to be'vnderstood?
Hadst thou no closer stratagem, to further
Thy pamper'd lust, but by the saluage murther
Of thine owne aged parent, whose sad death
Must giue a freedome to the whisp'ring breath
Of thy enioy'd adult'rer? who (they say)
Will cloake thy whoredome, with a mariage day;
[Page 54]Nay struggle not; here's none that can reprieue
Such pounded beasts; It is in vaine to striue,
Or roare for helpe: why do'st not rather weepe,
That I may laugh? Perchance, if thou wilt creepe
Vpon thy wanton belly, and confesse
Thy selfe a true repentant murtheresse,
My sinfull Page may play the soole, and gather
Thy early fruit into his barne, and father
Thy new got Cyprian bastard, if that he
Be halfe so wis [...], that got it, but to flee.
Hah! dost thou weepe? or doe false mists but mocke
Our cheated eyes? From so obdure a rock
Can water flow? weeping will make thee faire;
Weepe till thy mariage day; that who repaire
To grace thy feast, may fall a weeping too,
And, in a mirrour, see what teares can doe.
Vile strumpet! did thy flattering thoughts e're wrong
Thy iudgement so; to thinke, D [...]magoras tongue
Could so abuse his honour, as to sue
For serious loue? So base a thing as you
(Me thinks) should rather fixe your wanton eyes
Vpon some ea [...]e groome, that hopes to rise
Into his masters fauour, for your sake;
I; this had beene preferment, like to make
A hopefull fortune: thou presumptuous trash [...]
What was my courtship? but the minuts dash
Of youthfull passion, to allay the dust
Of my desires, and exuberous lust?
I scorne thee to the soule, and here I stand
Bound for reuenge, whereto I set my hand.
With that, he c [...]ught her rudely by the faire
And bounteous treasure of her Nymph-like hayre;
[Page 55]And, by it, dragd her on the du [...]y floore:
He stopt her mouth, for feare she should implore
An aid from heauen, she swounding in the place,
His salvage hands besmear'd her liuelesse face
With horrid poyson, thinking she was dead,
He left her breathlesle, and away he fled.
Come, come ye Furies, you malignant spirits,
Infernall Harpies, or what, else, inherits
The land of darknesse; you, that still conuerse
VVith damned soules; you, you that can rehearse
The horrid facts of villanies, and can tell
How euery hell hound lookes, that roares in hell;
Suruey them all; and, then, informe my pen,
To draw in one, the monster of all men;
Teach me to limme a villaine, and to paint
With dextrous art, the basest Sycophant,
That e're the mouth of insolent disdaine
Vouchsas'd to spit vpon; the ripened blaine
Of all diseased humours, fit for none
But dogs to lift their hasty legs vpon:
So cleare mens eyes, that whosoe're shall see
The type of basenesse, may cry, This is Hee;
Let his reproach be a perpetuall blot
In Honours booke: Let his remembrance rot
In all good mindes: Let none but villaines call
His bugbeare name to memory, wherewithall
To fright their bauling bastards: Let no spell
Be found more potent, to preuaile in hell,
Then the nine letters of his charme like name;
Which, let our bashfull Chriscrosse row disclaime
To the worlds end, not fitting to be set
As mutes, within the Iewish Alphabet.
But harke! Am I deceiu'd, or doe I heare
The voice of Arg'lus sounding in mine eare?
He calls Parthenia: No, that tongue can be
No counterfeit: He's come: 'tis he, 'tis he.
Welcome too la [...], that art now come too soone;
Hadst thou bin here, this deed had ne're bin done.
Alas! when louers linger, and outgoe
Their promis'd date, they know not what they doe:
Men fondly say, that women are too fond;
At parting, to require so strict a bond
For quicke returne: Poore soules! 'tis they endure
Oft times the danger of the forfeiture;
I blame them not; for mischiefe still attends
Vpon the too long absence of true friends.
Well; Argalus is come, and seekes about
In euery roome, to finde Parthenia out;
He askes, enquiers; but all lips are sparing
To be the authors of ill newes, not daring
To speake the truth; they all amazed stand;
And now, my Lord's as fearfull to demand;
Dares not enquire her health, lest his sad eare
Should heare such words, as he's afraid to heare:
All lips are boulted with a linnen barre,
And euery eye does, like a bl [...]zing star,
Portend some euill; no language findes a leake;
The lesse they speake, the more he feares to speake.
Faces grow sad; and euery priuate eare
Is turn'd a Closet for the whisperer;
He walkes the roome, and like an vnknowne stranger
They eye him; from each eye, he picks a danger;
At last, his lips not d [...]ting to importune
What none dare tell him, vnexpected fortune
[Page 57]Leads his rash steps into a darkned roome,
A place more black then night; No sooner come,
B [...]t he was welcom'd with a sigh, as deepe
As a spent heart could giue; he heard one weepe,
And by the noise of groanes and sobs was led
(H [...]uing none other guide) to the sad bed.
Who is't (said he) that calls vntimely night
To hide those griefes that thus abiure the light?
With that, as if her heart had rent in two,
She past a sigh, and said, O aske not who?
Vrge not my tongue to make a forc'd reply
To your demand: Alas! it is not I:
Not I (said he?) what language doe I heare;
Darknesse may stop mine eye, but not mine eare.
It is my deare Parthenia's voice; ah me,
And can Parthenia, not Parthenia be?
What meanes this word, (Alas! it is not I)?
What sudden ill hath taught thee to deny
Thy selfe? or what can Argalus then claime,
If his Parthenia be not the same,
She was; alas, it seemes to me all one
To say, Thou art not hers, that's not her owne.
Can hills forget their pondrous bulk, and flye,
Like wandring Atomes, in the empty sky?
Or can the heauens, (growne idle) not fulfill
Their certaine reuolutions, but stand still,
And leaue their constant motion, for the winde
T'inherit? Can Parthenia change her minde?
Heauen sooner shall stand still, and earth rem [...]e,
E're my Parthenia [...] her loue:
Vnfold thy Riddle then; and tell me, why
Those lips should say, (Alas it is not I.)
Whereto she thus reply'd; O doe not thou
So wrong thy noble thoughts, as once t'allow
That cursed name a roome, within thy brest,
Let not so foule a prodigy be blest
With thy lost breath; Let it be held a sin
Too great for pardon, e're to name't agen;
Let darknesse hide it in eternall night;
May it be clad with horror, to affright
A desp'rate conscience; He that knowes not [...]ow
To mouthe a curse, O let him practise now
Vpon this name; Let him that would contract
The body of all mischiefe, or extract
The quint'ssence of all sorrowes, onely claime
A secret priuiledge to vse that name:
Far be it from thy language, to commit
So soule a sin, as once to mention it:
Liue happy Arg'lus; doe not thou partake
In these my miseries: O forbeare to make
My burthen greater, by thy tender sorrow;
Alas, my heart is strong, and needs not borrow
Thy needlesse helpe: O be not thou so cruell
To feed my [...]aming fiers, with thy fuell;
Why dost thou sigh? O wherefore should thy heart
Vsurpe my stage, and act Parthenia's part?
It is my proper taske: what dost thou meane,
Without my licence, to intrude my Sceane?
Alas! thy sorrowes ease not my distresse;
God knowes, I weepe not one pocre teare the lesse:
My patent's sign'd and past; whereby appeares
That I haue got the Monopoly of teares:
In me, let each mans torment finde an end:
I am that Sea, to which all Riuers tend:
[Page 59]Let all spent mourners, that can weepe no more,
Take teares on trust, and set them on my score.
And as she spake that word, his heart not able
To beare a language so vnsufferable,
But being swolne so big, must either breake
Or vent, his darkned reason grew too weake
T' oppose his quickned passion (like a man
Transported from himselfe) he thus began;
Accursed darknesse! Thou sad type of death!
Infernall Hagge, whose dwelling is beneath!
What meanes thy boldnesse to vsurpe this roome,
And force a night, before the night be come?
Get, get [...]hee downe, and keepe within thy lifts;
Goe reuell there; and burle thy hideous mists
Before those cursed eyes, that take delight
In vtter darkenesse, and abhorre the light;
Returne thee to thy dungeon, whence thou came
And hide those faces, whose infernall flame
C [...]ls for more darknesse, and whose tortur'd soules
Craue the protection of th' obscurest holes,
To scape some lashes, and auoid those strict
And horrid plagues, the furies doe inflict:
But if thou needs must ramble here, abou [...];
Goe to some other Clymate, and remoue
Thy vgly presence from our darkned eyes,
That hate thy Tyranny: Goe exercise
Thy power in Groues, and solitary springs,
Where Bats are subiects, and where Owles are kings;
Goe to the granes, and fill those empty voomes,
That such as slumber in their silent Toombs
May blesse thy welcome shades, and lie possest
Of vndi [...]rbed and eternall rest:
[Page 60]Or if thy more ambitious fogs desire
To haunt the liuing; hast thee, and retire
Into some Cloyster, and there stand b [...]ene
The light, and those that faine would sin, vnseene;
Assist them there; and [...] thy vgly shapes
Count' nance close treasons, and incestuous rapes:
Benight those roomes; and ayd all such, as feare
The eye of heauen; Goe; close thy curtaines there;
We need thee [...]ot (foule witch,) away, away;
Thou hid'st more beauty then the noone of day
Can giue; O thou, that hast so rudely hurl'd
On this darke bed, the glory of the world.
So said; Abruptly he the roome departs,
His cheeks looke pale, his curled hayre [...]
L [...]ke quills of Porcupines, and from his eye
Q [...]icke flashes like the flames of lightning flye;
He calls for light; the light no sooner come,
But his owne hand connayes it to the roome
From whence he came, and as he entred in
He blest himselfe; he blest himselfe agin;
Thrice did he blesse himselfe, and after said,
Foule witch, begon; and let thy dismall shade
For sake this place; Let thy darke fogs obey
Great Vulcans charge; [...] Vulcans name, away;
Or if thy [...]out rebellion shall disclaime
His soueraignty, in my Parthenia's name
I charme thee hence. And as that word flew out,
He steps to that sad bed, where round about,
Clos'd were the curtaines, as if darknesse did
Command that such a Iewell should be hid:
His left hand held the tapour, and his right
Enforc'd the curtaines, to absolue the light;
[Page 61]Which done; appear'd before his wondring eye
The truest pourtrait of deformity,
As e're the Sun beheld: That louely face
That was, of late, the modell of all grace
And [...] beauty, whose imperious eyes
[...] where e're they lookt, and did [...]urprise
The very soules of men; she, she of whom
Nature her selfe w [...]s proud, is now become
So loath'd an obiect, so deform'd, dis [...]z'd,
As darknesse, for m [...]s sake, was well aduis'd
To cloath in mists, lest any were incited
To see that face, and so depart affrighted.
All this when Argalus b [...]held, and found
It was no dreame, he fell vpon the ground;
And [...]; and rose agen; stood still; and gaz'd;
At first he startled, then he stood amaz'd;
Lookes now vpon the light; and now on her;
One while his tyred fancy does refer
His th [...]ughts to silence; as his thoughts encrease,
His p [...]ion striues for vent, and breakes that peace,
Which conquer'd reason had, of late, concluded,
And thus began; Are these false [...]es deluded?
Or haue inchanted mists stept in betweene
My abused eyes, and what [...] eyes [...]aue seene?
No; mischi [...]fe cannot act so faire a part,
Taffright in i [...]st; it goes beyond the art
Of all blacke bookes, to maske, with such disguise,
So sweet a face; I know, that these are eyes;
And this a light; False mists could neuer be
Betwixt my poore Parthenia, and me.
Accursed Tapour! what infernall spright
Breath'd in thy face? what Fury gaue thee light?
[Page 62]Thou impe of Phlegetor; who let thee in,
To force a day, before the day begin?
Who brought thee [...]? I? did I? From whom,
What leane chapt fury did I snatch thee from?
When as this cursed hand did goe about
To bring thee in, why went not these eies out?
Be all such Tapours cursed, for thy sake;
Ne're shine, but at some Vigill, or sad Wake;
Be neuer seene, but when as sorrow cals
Thy needfull helpe to nightly [...]unerals;
Be as a May-game for th' amazed Bat
To sport about; and Owles, to wonder as:
Still h [...]nt the Chancels a: a midnight knell,
To fright the Sexton from his passing Bell:
Giue light to none but treasons, and be hid
In their darke lanthorns: Let all mirth forbid
Thy treacherous flames the roome: and if that none.
Shall deigne to put thee out, goe out alone;
Attend some misers table, and then waste
Too soone, that he may curse thee for thy haste;
Bur [...] dimme for euer: Let that flat [...]'ring ligh [...]
Thou feed'st, consume thy stock: be [...]isht quite
From Cupids Court: When louers goe abou [...]
Their stol [...] pleasures, let your flames goe out;
Henceforth be vsefull to no other end,
But onely to burne day light, or attend
The midnight Cups of such as shall resigne,
VVith vsurie, thir indigested wine:
VVhy dost thou burne so cleare? Alas! these eyes
Discerne too much; Thy wanton blaze doth rise
Too high a pitch: Thou burnst too bright, for such
As see no comfort; O thou shin'st too much:
[Page 63]Why dost thou vexe me? Is thy flame so stout
Tendure my breath? This breath shall puffe thee out.
Thus, thus my ioyes are quite extinguisht, neuer
To be re [...]iu'd: Thus gone, thus gone sor euer.
With that, transported with a furious hast,
He blew it out: but marke, that very blast
(As if it meant, on purpose, to disclaime
His desp'rate thoughts) reuiu'd th'extinguisht flame.
He stands amaz'd; and, hauing mus'd a while,
Beholds the Tapour, and begins to smile.
And can the gods themselues (said he) contriue
A way for hope? Can my past ioyes reuine,
Like this rekinàled fier? If they doe,
I'le curse m [...] lips (bright Lamp) for cursing you.
Eternall Fates! Deale fairely; dally not:
If your hid bounties haue reseru'd a lot
Beyond my wained hopes, be it exprest
In open view; make haste; and doe your best:
But if your Iustice be determin'd so,
To exercise your vengeance on my woe,
Strengthen not what at length you mean [...] to burst;
Strike home betimes; dispatch; and doe your worst:
That burthen is too great for him to beare,
That's [...] poised betmixt hope and feare.
And there he stopt; as fearing to molest
The silent peace of her dissembled rest.
He gaz'd vpon her; stood as in a trance;
Sometimes her liuelesse hand he would aduance
To his sad lips; then steale it downe agen;
Sometimes, a teare would fall vpon't; and then
A sigh must dry it; Euery kisse did beare
A sigh; and euery sigh begat a teare:
If I had lou'd thee, for thy heauenly eye,
I might haue courted the bright maiesty
Of Tiran: If thy curious lips had snar'd
My lick'rish thoughts, I might haue soone prepar'd
A blushing Currall, or some full ripe Chery,
And pleas'd my lips, vntill my lips were weary;
Or if the smoothnesse of thy whiter brow
Had charm'd mine eyes, and made my fancy bow
To outwards obiects, polishs Marble might
Haue giuen as much content, as much delight;
In briefe, had Argalus his flatter'd eye
Bin pleas'd with beauties bare Epitomy,
Thy curious picture might haue then supply'd
My wants, more full, then all the world beside;
No, no; 'Twas neither brow, nor lip, nor eye
Nor any outward exc'lence vrg'd me, why
To loue Parthenia: 'Twas thy better part,
Which mischiefe could not wrong, surpris'd my heart.
Thy beauty was but like a Christall case,
Through which, the Iewell of admired grace
Transparent was, whose hidden worth did make
Me loue the C [...]ket, for the Iewels sake;
No, no; my well-aduised eye pierc'd in
Beyond the filme; sunk deeper then the skin;
Else, had I now bin chang'd, and that firme duty
I owe my vowes, had faded, with thy beauty;
Nay, weepe not (my Parthenia;) let those teares
Ne're waile that losse, which a few after yeares
Had claim'd as due; Cheare vp; thou hast forsaken
But that, which sicknesse would (perchance) haue taken,
With greater disaduantage; or else age,
That common euill, which [...]rt cannot asswage;
[Page 67]Beauty's but bare opinion: White and Red
Haue no more priuiledge, but what is bred
By humane fancie; which was ne're confinde
To certaine bounds, but varies like the winde;
What one man likes, another disrespects;
And what a third most hates; a fourth, affects;
The Negro's eye thinkes blacke beyond compare,
And what would fright vs most, they count most faire:
If then opinion be the Tutch, whereby
All beautie's tride; Parthenia, in my eye
Out shines faire Hellen; or who else she be,
That is more rich in beauties wealth, then she.
Cheare vp: The soueraignty of thy worth, enfranches
Thy capti [...]e beaut [...]; and thy vertue blanches
These staines of fortune; Come; it matters not
What others thinke: a letter's but a blot
To such as cannot reade; but, who haue skill,
Can know the faire impression of a Quill
From grosse and heedl [...]sse blurres; and such can thinke
No paper foule, that's fairely writ with [...]nke:
VVhat others hold a blemish in thy face,
My skilfull eyes reade Characters of grace;
VVhat hinders then; but that without delay,
Triumph may celebrate our nuptiall day?
She that hath onely vertue to her guide,
Though wanting beautie, is the fairest Bride.
A Bride? (said she) such Brides as I, can haue
No fitter bridall Chamber, then a Gra [...]e;
Death is my bridegroome; and to welcome Death,
My loyall heart shall plight a second faith;
And when that day shall come, that [...]oyfull day,
Wherein transcendent pleasures shall allay
[Page 68]The heat of all my sorrowes, and conioyne
My palefac'd Bridegrooms lingring hand, with mine;
These Ceremonies, and these Triumphs shall
Attend the day, to grace that Day with all.
Time with his empty Howreglasse shall lead
The Triumph on; His winged hoofes shall tread
Slow paces; After him, there shall ensue
The chast Diana, with her Virgin crew,
All crown'd with Cypresse girlands; After whom
In ranke, th'impartiall Destinies shall come;
Then, in a sable Chariot faintly drawne
With harnast Virgins. vail'd with purest lawne,
The Bride shall sit; Despaire and Griefe shall stand,
Like heartlesse bridem [...]ids, vpon either hand.
Vpon the Chariot top, there shall be plac'd
The little winged god, with arme vnbrac'd,
And bow vnbent; his drooping wings must hide
His naked knees; his Q [...]iuer by his side
Must be vnarm'd, and either hand must hold
A bann [...]r; where, with Char [...]cters of gold
Shall be decipher'd, (fit for euery eye
To read, that runs; Faith Loue, and Constancy,
Next after, Hope, in a discoloured weed,
Shall sadly march alone? A slender reed
Shall guide her feeble steps; and, in her hand,
A broken Anchor, all besmear'd with sand.
And after all, the Bridegroome shall appeare
Like Ioues Lieu [...]enant, and bring vp the Reare;
He shall be mounted on a Coa [...]e-black steed;
His hand shall hold a Dart; on which, shall bleed
A pierced heart; wherein, a former wound
Which Cupids lauelin entred shall be found.
[Page 69]When as these Triumphes shall adorne our feast,
Let Argalus be my inuited guest,
And let him bid me nuptiall Ioy: from whom
I once expected all my ioyes should come.
With that; as if his count'nance had thought good
To weare Death's colours; or as if his blood
Had beene imployed to condole the smart
And torm [...]nt of his poore afflicted heart,
He thus bespake: Vnhappiest of all men,
Why doe I liue? Is Death my Riuall then?
Vnequall chance! Had it bin flesh and blood,
I could [...]aue grapled, and (perchance) withstood
Some stout encounters: Had an armed host
Of mort all riualls ventur'd to haue crost
My blest desires; my Partheniaes eye
Had giuen me power to make that army fly
Like frighted Lambs, before the Wolfe; But thou
Before whose presence, all must stoope and bow
Their seruile necks! what weapon shall I hold
Against thy hand, that will not be controll'd?
Great enemie! whose kingdome's in the dust
And darkesome Caues; I know that thou art iust;
Else had the gods ne're trusted to thy hand
So great a priuiledge, so large command
And iurisdiction o're the liues of men,
To kill, or saue euen whom thou please, and when;
O, suffer not Partheniaes tempting teares
To moue thy heart; Let thy hard hearted eares
Be deafe to all her suits: If she profess [...]
Affection to thee, beleeue nothing lesse;
She's my betrothed spouse, and Hymens bands
Haue firmely ioyn'd our hearts, though not our hands.
[Page 70]Where plighted faith, and sacro-sanctius vowe
Hath giuen possession, dispossesse not thou.
Be iust; and though her briny lips bewaile
Her griese with teares, let not those teares preuaile.
Whom heauens haue ioyn'd, thy hands may not disioyne,
I am [...]; and Partheniaes mine.
Alas! we are but one; Then thou must either
Refuse vs both; or, else, take both together.
My deare Parthenia, let no cloudy passion
Of dull despaire molest thee, or vnfashion
Thy better thoughts, to make thy troubled mind
Either forgetfull, or thy selfe vnkind.
Starue not my pining hopes, with longer stay
My loue hath wings, and brookes no long delay.
It houers vp and downe, and cannot rest
Vntill it light, and perch vpon thy brest.
Torment not him, within these lingring fires,
That's rack [...] already on his owne desires.
Seale and deliuer as thy deed, that band,
Whereto thy promist faith hath set her hand;
And what our plighted hearts, and mutuall vew
Haue so long since begun, O finish now;
That our imperfect and halfe pleasures may
Receiue perfection, by a mariage day:
Wh [...]reto, she thus; Had the pleas'd God aboue,
Forgiuen my faults, and made me fit for Ioue
To blesse at large; Had all the powers of heauen
(To boast the vtmost of their bounty) giuen
As great addition to my slender fortune
As they could giue, or couetous mind importune,
I vow to heauen and all those heauenly powers,
They should no sooner beene made mine, but yours.
[Page 71]Nay, had my fortunes staid but at the rate
They were; had I remained in that state
I was (although, at best, vnworthy farre
Of such a pee [...]lesse lesse blessing as you are)
My deare acceptance should haue fill'd my heart
As full of ioyes as now it is of smart;
But, as I am, let angry Ioue then vent
On me his plagues, till all his plagues be spent.
And when I roare, let heauen my paines der [...]de,
When I match Argilus to such a Bride.
Liue happy, A [...]galus, let thy soule receiue
What blessings poore Parthenia cannot haue;
Liue happy: May thy ioyes be neuer done,
But let one blessing araw another on:
O may thy better Angell watch and ward
Thy soule, and pitch an euerlasting guard
About the portals of thy tender heart,
And showre downe blessings wheresoere thou art;
Let all thy ioyes be as the month of May,
And all thy dayes be as a mariage day.
Let sorrow, sicknesse, and a troubled minde
Be strangers to thee; Let them neuer finde
Thy heart at home; Let Fortune still alot
Such lawlesse guests to those that loue thee not:
And let those blessings, which shall wanting be
To such as merit none, alight on thee.
That mutuall faith, betwixt vs, that of late
Hath past, I giue thee freedome to translate
Vpon the merits of some fitter spouse:
I giue, thee leaue, and freely quit thy vowes.
I call the gods to witnesse, nothing shall
More blesse my soule; no comfort can befall
[Page 72]More truely welcome to me, then to see
My Argalus, (what ere become of me)
So linckt in wedlocke, as shall most augment
His greater honour, and his true content.
With that, a sudden and tempestuous tyde
Of teares orewhelm'd her language, and denyde
A passage, but when passions flood was spent,
She thus proceeds: You gods, if you are bent
To act my Tragedy, why doe you wrong
Our patience so, to make the play so long?
Your Sceanes are tedious; Gainst the rules of Art,
You dwell too long; too long, vpon one part.
Be briefe, and take aduantage of your odds;
One simple mayde against so many gods?
And not be conquer'd yet? Conioyne your might,
And send her soule into eternall night,
That liues too long a day; Ile not resist,
Prouided you strike home, strike where ye list.
Accursed be that Day, wherein these eyes
First saw the light; Let desp'rate soules deuise
A curse sufficient for it; Let the Sun
Ne're shine vpon it; and what ere's begun
Vpon that fatall day, let heauen forbid it
Successe; if not, to ensnare the hand, that did it.
Why was I borne? Or, being borne, O why
Did not my fonder nurses Lullaby
(Euen whilst my lips were hanging on her brest)
Sing her poore Babe to euerlasting rest?
O then my infant soule had neuer knowne
This world of griefe, beneath whose weight Igroane.
No, no, it had not: He that dyes in's prime,
Speeds a long businesse, in a little time.
But Argalus (whose more extreame desire,
Vnapt to yeeld, like water-sprinkled fire,
Did blaze the more) impatient of denyall,
Gaue thus an onset to a further tryall;
Life of my Soule; By whom, next heauen, I breath,
Excepting whom, I haue no friend but Death,
How can thy wishes ease my griefe, or stand
My miserie in stead, when as thy hand,
And nothing but thy helping hand can giue me
Reliefe, and yet refuses to relieue me?
Strange kinde of Charity! when, being afflicted,
I finde best wishes, yet am interdicted
Of those best wishes, and must be remou'd
From loues enioyment; why? Because belou'd.
Alas! alas! How can thy wishes be
A blessing to me, if vnblest in thee?
Thy beauty's gone, (thou saist;) why, let it goe;
He loues but ill, that loues but for a show;
Thy beauty is supply'd in my affection,
That neuer yet was slaue to a complexion.
Shall euery day, wherein the earth does lacke
The Suns reflex, b'expell'd the Almanacke?
Or shall thy ouer-curious steps for beare
A garden, 'cause there be no Roses there?
Or shall the sunset of Parthenia's beauty
Enforce my i [...]dgement to neglect that duty,
The which my best aduis'd affection owes
Her sacred vertue, and my solemne vowes?
No, no; it lyes not in the power of Fate,
To make Parthenia too vnfortunate,
For Argalus to loue.
[Page 74]It is as easie for Parthenia's heart
To proue lesse vertuous, as for me to start
From my firme faith: The flame that honours breath
Hath blowne, nothing hath powre to quench, but death.
Thou giu'st me leaue to chuse a fitter spouse,
And freedome to recall, to quit those vowes
I tooke: VVho gaue thee license to dispense
VVith such false tongues, as offer violence
To plighted faith? Alas, thou canst not free
Thy selfe, much lesse hast power to license me:
Vowes can admit no change; They still perseuer
Against all chance, they binde, they binde for euer:
A vow's a holy thing; no common breath;
The limits of a vow, is heauen, and death;
A vow that's past, is like a bird that's flowne
From out thy hand; can be recall'd by none;
It dies not, like a time beguiling I [...]st,
As soone as vented; liues not in thy brest,
VVhen vtterd once; but is a sacred word,
Straight enterd in the strict and close record
Of heauen; It is not like a Iuglers knot,
Or fast, or loose, as pleases vs, or not.
since then thy vowes can finde no dispensation,
And may not be recall'd, recall thy passion;
Performe, performe, what now it is too late
T' vnwish againe; too soone to violate;
Seeke not to quit, what heauen denies to free,
Performe thy vowes to heauen; thy vowes to me.
Thrice dearer then my soule, (she thus r [...]plide)
Mad my owne pamper'd fancy beene the guide
To my affection, I had condescended
Ere this to your request, which had befriended
[Page 75]My best desiers too; I lou'd not thee
For my owne pleasure, in that base degree,
As gluttons doe their diet, who dispense
With vnwash'd hands, (lest they should giue offence
To their grip'd stomackes, when a minutes stay
Will make them curse occasion all the day.)
I lou'd not so; My first desires did spring
From thy owne worth; and, as a sacred thing,
I alwaies view'd thee, whom my zeale commands
Me not prophane with these desiled hands:
Tis true; Performance is a debt we owe
To Vowes, and nothing's dearer then a Vow;
Yet when the gods doe rauish from our hand
The meanes to keepe it, ' [...]is a countermand.
He that hath vow'd to sacrifice each day
At Iuno's Altar's bound, and must obey.
But if (being vnder vow) the gods doe please
To strike him with a leperous disease,
Or foule infection; which is better now,
Prophane the Al [...]ar, or to breake the vow?
The case is mine; where then the gods dispense,
We may be bold, yet tender no offence.
Admit it were an euill; 'tis our be [...]est
Of necessary ills to choose the least.
The gods are good: The strickt recognisance
Of vowes, is onely taken to aduance
The good of man; Now if that good proue ill,
We may refuse, our vowes entire still.
I vow a mariage; why? because I doe
Entirely affect that man, my vowes are to;
But if some foule disease should interpose
Betwixt our promis'd mariage, and our vowes.
[Page 76]The strict performance of these vowes must proue
I wrong; and therefore loue not, whom I loue.
Then vrge no more: Let my deny all be
A pledge sufficient twixt my loue and thee.
So ended sl [...]e: [...] vehement desire,
(That c [...]n be quencht with No; no more, then fire,
With oyle; and can submit to no condition)
Lends him new breath: Loue makes a Rethoritian.
He speaks: she answers: He, afresh, replyes;
He stoutly sues; As stoutly she denyes.
He begs in vaine; and she denics in vain [...];
For she denies agai [...]e; He begs again [...];
At last, both weary, [...]e his suite adiournes,
For louers dayes are good, and bad by turnes.
He bids farewell: As if the heart of either
Gaue but one motion, they both sigh'd together.
She bids farewel'; and yet she bids it so,
As if her farewell ended, if he goe;
He bids farewel'; bu [...] so, as if delay
Had promis'd better farewells to his stay.
She bids farewell; but holds his hand so fast,
As if that farewell, should not be the last.
Both sigh'd, both wept, and both, being heauy harted,
She bids farewell; He bids farewell; and parted.
So parted they: Now Argalus is gone;
And now Parthenia's weeping all alone;
And, like the widowed Turtle, she bewailes
The absence of her mate: Passion preuailes
Aboue her strength: Now her poore heart can tell,
What's heauen, by wanting heauen; and what is hell
By her owne torments: Sorrow now does play
The Tyrants part; Affection must obey;
[Page 77]And, like a weathercocke, her various minde
Is chang'd, and turn'd with euery blast of winde.
In desp'rate language she deplores her state;
She faine would wish; but then, she knowes not what;
Resolues of this; of that; and then of neither;
She faine would [...]lee, but then she knows not whither;
At length (consulting with the heartlesse paire
Of ill aduisers, Sorrow, and Despaire)
Resolues to take th'aduantage of that night,
To steale away; and seeke for death, by flight;
A Pilgrims weed her liuelesse limmes addrest
From hand to foot: A thong of leather blest
Her wasted loynes; Her feeble feet were shod
With Sandalls; In her hand a Pilgrims rod.
When as th'illustrious Soueraigne of the Day
Had now begun his Circuit, to suruay
His lower kingdome, hauing newly lent
The vpper world to Cynthiaes gouernment,
Forth went Parthenia, and begins t'attend
The progresse now, which only Death can end.
Goe haplesse virgin! Fortune be thy guide,
And thine owne vertues; and what else beside,
That may be prosperous: may thy merits find
More happinesse, then thy distressed mind
Can hope; Liue, and to after ages proue
The great example of true Faith and Loue:
Gone, gone she is; but whither she is gone,
The gods, and fortune can resolue alone;
Pardon my Quill, that is enforc'd to stray
From a poore Lady, in an vnknowne way.
To number forth her weary steps, or tell
Those obvious dangers, that so oft befell
[Page 78]Our poore Parthenia, in her pilgrimage,
Or bring her miseries on the open st [...]ge;
Her broken slumbers; her distracted care;
Her hourely feares, and srights; her hungry fare;
Her daily pe [...]ils; and her nightly scapes
From rauenous beasts, and from a [...]tempted rap [...]s,
Is not my taske; who care not to incite
My R [...]aders p [...]ssion to an appetite.
We leaue Parthenia now; and our discourse
Must cast an [...]ye, and bend a settled course
To Argalus. When Argalus (returni [...]g
To v [...]sit his Parthenia, the n [...]xt morning)
P [...]rceiued she was fled, not knowing whither;
He makes no stay; Consults not with the weather;
Stayes not to thi [...]ke, but claps his hasty knees
To his fleet Courser; and away he flees;
His haste enquires no way; (he needs not feare
To lose the roade, that goes he knowes not where;)
One w [...]ile he pricks vp [...] the fruitfull plaines;
And now, he gently s [...]ks his prouder reines,
And climbes the barren hills: with fresh C [...]reers
He tryes the right hand way; and then he ver [...]s
His course vpon the left: One while he likes
This path; when, by and by, his fancy strikes
Vpon another tract. Sometimes, he rou [...]s
Among the Springs, and solitary Groues;
Where, on the tender barkes of sundry trees,
H'engraues Parthenia's name, with his: then flees
To the wild Champian: his proud Ste [...]d remoures
The hopefull fallowes, with his horned [...];
He baulkes no way; rides ouer rocke, and mountaine;
When led by fortune to Diana's Fountaite,
[Page 79]He straight dismounts his steed; begins to quench
His thirsty lippes; and after that, to drench
His fainting limmes, in that sweet streame, wherein
Parthenia's dainty fingers of [...] had bin.
The Fountaine was vpon a steepe descent,
Whose gliding current nature gaue a vent
Through a firme rock; which Art (to make it known
To after ages) wall'd, and roof'd with stone;
Aboue the Christall fountaines head, was plac'd
Diana's Image (though of late defac'd:)
Beneath, a rocky Cysterne did retaine
The water, s [...]ding through the Cocks of Cane;
Whose curious Current, the worlds greater eye
Ne're viewed, but in his mid-day M [...]jestie:
It was that Fountaine; where, in elder times
Poore Corydon compos'd his rurall rimes,
And left them closely hid, for his vnkinde
And marble hearted Phyllida to finde.
All rites perform'd; he re-amounts his Steed,
Redeemes his losse of time with a new speed:
And with a fresh supply, his strength renewes
His progresse, God knowes whither; He pursues
His vow'd aduenture, brooking no delay,
And (with a minde as doubtfull as the way)
He iournies on; he left no course, vnthought;
No traueller, vnask'd; no place, vnsought.
To make a Iournall of each Circumstance;
His change of fortunes, or each obuious chance
Befell his tedious trauell: to relate
The braue attempt of this exploit, or that;
His rare atchieuements, and their faire successe;
His noble courage, in extreame distresse;
[Page 80]His desp'rate dangers; his deliuerance:
His high esteeme with men, which did enhanse
His meanest actions to the throne of I [...]ue:
And what he sufferd, for Partheniaes loue,
Would make our volume endlesse, apt to try
The vtmost patience of a studious eye;
All which, the bounty of a free conceit
May sooner reach too, then my pen relate.
But till bright Cynthiaes head had three times thrise
Repayr'd her empty hornes, and fill'd the eyes
Of gazing mortalls, with her globe of light,
This re [...]lesse louer ceas'd not, day and night,
To wander, in a sollitarie Quest
For her, whose loue had taught him to digest
The dregges of sorrow, and to count all ioyes
But follyes (weigh'd with her) at least, but toyes.
It hapned now that twise six months had run,
Since wandring Argalus had first begun
His toylesome progresse; who, in vaine, had spent
A yeare of houres, and yet no euent,
When fortune brought him to a goodly Seat
(Wall'd round about with Hills) yet not so great
As pleasant; and lesse curious to the fight,
Then strong; yet yeelding euen as much delight,
As strength; whose onely outside did declare
The masters Iudgement, and the builders care.
Arround the Castle, nature had laid out
The bounty of her treasure; round about,
Well fenced meadowes (fill'd with summers pride)
Promis'd prouision for the winter tide,
Neere which the neighb'ring hills (well stockt and stor'd
With milke white flocks) did seuerally afford
[Page 81]Their fruitfull blessings, and deseru'd encrease
To painfull husbandry, the childe of peace;
It was Kalanders seat, who was the brother
Of lost Parthenia's late deceased mother.
He was a Gentleman, whom vaine ambition
Nere taught to vnderualue the condition
Of priuate Gentry, who preferr'd the loue
Of his respected neighbours, farre aboue
The apish congies of th'vnconstant Court;
Ambitious of a good, not great report.
Beloued of his Prince, yet not depending
Vpon his sauours so, as to be tending
Vpon his person: and, in briefe, too strong
Within himselfe, for fortunes hand to wrong:
Thither came wandring Argalus; and receiu'd
As great content, as one that was bereau'd
Of all his ioyes, could take, or who would striue
T'expresse a welcome to the life, could giue:
His richly furnisht table more exprest
A common bounty, then a curious feast;
Wherea [...], the choice of precious wines were profer'd
In liberall sort; not vrg'd, but freely offer'd;
The carefull seruants did attend the roome,
No need to bid them either goe or come:
Each knew his place, his office, and could spy
His masters pleasure, in his masters eye.
But what can rellish pleasing to a taste
That is distemper'd? Can a sweet repast
Please a sicke pallate? no, there's no content
Can enter Argalus, whose soule is bent
To tyre on his owne thoughts: Kalanders loue,
(That other times would rauish) cannot moue
[Page 82]That fixed heart, which passion now incites
T'abiure all pleasures, and forsweare delights.
It fortun'd; on a day, that dinner ending,
Kalander and his noble guests, intending
T'exchange their pleasures in the open ayre,
A messenger came in; and did repaire
Vnto Kalander; told him, That the end
Of his imployment, was to recommend
A noble Lady to him (neare allyde
To faire Queene Hellen) whose vnskilfull guide
Had so misled, that she does make request,
This night, to be his bold, and vnknowne guest;
And by his helpe, to be inform'd the way
To finde to morrow, what she lost to day.
Kalander (the extent of whose ambition
Was to expresse the bountious disposition
Of a free heart, as glad of such occasion
To entertaine) return'd the salutation
Of an vnknowne seruant; and withall profest,
A promis'd welcome to so faire a guest.
Forthwith Kalander, and his noble friends
(All but poore Argalus, who recommends
His thoughts to priuate vses, and confines
His secret fancy to his owne designes)
Mounted their praunsing Steeds, to giue a meeting
To his faire guest, they met, but at first meeting
Kalander stood amaz'd; (for he suppos'd
It was Parthenia) and thus his thoughts disclos'd;
Maddam (said he) If these mine aged eyes
Retaine that wo [...]ted strength, which age denies
To many of my yeares. I should be bold
(In viewing you) to say, I doe behold.
[Page 83]My neece Parthenia's, face: Nor can I be
Perswaded (by your leaue) but you are she?
Thrice noble Sir (she thus replide) your tongue
(Perchance) hath done the faire Parthenia wrong,
In your mistake, and too much honour'd me,
That (in my iudgement) was more fit to be
Her foyle, then picture; yet hath many an eye
Giuen the like sentence, she not being by;
Nay, more; I haue bin told; that my owne mother
Fail'd often to distinguish t'one from t'other.
Said then Kalander: If my rash conceit
Hath made a fault, mine error shall await
Vpon your gratious pardon; I alone
VVas not deceiu'd; for neuer any one
That view'd Parthenia's visage, but would make
As great an error, by as great mistake.
But (Madd [...]m) for her sake, and for your owne,
(VVhose worth may challenge to it selfe alone,
More seruice then Kalander can expresse)
Y'are truly welcome. Enter, and possesse
This Castle as your owne; which can be blest
In nothing, more, then in so faire a guest.
Whereto, the Lady (entring) thus replide.
Let euerlasting ioyes be multiplide
VVithin these gentle gates; and let them stand
As lasting monuments in th' Arcadian la [...]d,
Of rare and bounteous hospitalitie
To after-times. Let strangers passing by
Blesse their succeeding heires as shall descend
From such a Lord, from such a noble Friend.
When as a little [...] had repai [...]'d
Her weary limmes, which trauell had impair'd,
[Page 84]The freenesse of occasion did present
New subiects to discourse; wherein they spent
No little time; among the rest, befell
Kalander (often stopt with teares) to tell
Of Argalus, and lost Parthenia's loue,
Whose vndissembled passion did moue
A generall griefe; the more that they attended
To his sad tale, the more they wish'd it ended.
Maddam (said he) although your visage be
Like hers; yet may your fortunes disagree;
Poore girle! and as he [...]pake that word, his eyes
Let fall a teare. The Lady thus replyes;
My soule doth suffer for Parthenia's sake;
But tell me, Sir, did Argalus for sake
His poore [...] whom he lou'd so deare?
How hath he spent his daies e're since? and where?
Maddam (said he) when as their marriage day
Drew neare; mischiefe, that now was bent to play
Vpon the Stage, her studied master prize,
With ougly leprosie did so disguise
Her beauteous face, that she b [...]came a terroar
To her owne selfe: But Arg [...]lus the mirrour
Of truest constancy, (whose loyall heart,
Not guided by his eye, [...] to start
From his past v [...]wes) did, in despight of fortune,
Pursue his fixt desires, and importune
Th' entended mariage [...]: But she,
Whom reason now had taught to disagree
VVith her distracted thoughts stands deafe and mute,
And at the last, to auoyd his further suit,
Not making any prinie to her flight,
She quits the house, and steales away by night;
[Page 85]But Maddam, when as Argalus perceiu'd
That she was fled; and being quite bereau'd
Of his last hope poore louer, he assayes
By toyle some pilgrimage to end his dayes,
Or finde her out: Now twice sixe months haue run
Their tedious courses, since he first begun
His fruitlesse iourney, ranging farre and neare,
Suffering as many sorrowes as a yeare
Could send; and made by the extreames of weather
Vna [...]t for trauell, fortune brought him thither;
VVhere he as yet remaines, till time shall make
His wasted bodie fit to vndertake
His discontented progresse, and renew
His great enquest for her, who at first view,
Maddam, you seem'd to be.
So said; The Lady from whose tender eyes
Some drops did slide, whose heart did sympathize
W [...]th both their sorrowes, said; And is their then
Such vnexpected constancy in men?
Most noble Sir;
If the too rash desires of a stranger
May be dispens'd withall without the danger
Of too great boldnesse, I should make request
To see this noble Lord, in whose rare brest
(By your report) more honour doth reside,
Then in all Greece; nay, all the world beside;
I haue a message to him, and am loath
To doe it, were I not ingag'd by [...]ath.
Whereat, Kalander, not in breath, but action
Applies himselfe to giue a satisfaction
To her propounded wish: protraction wasts
No time; but vp to Arg [...]s he hasts:
[Page 86] Argalus comes downe; and after s [...]lutation
G [...]uen, and re [...]iu'd, she accosts him on this fashion
My noble Lord,
VVhereas the loud resounding trump of fame
Hath nois'd your worth, and gloriside your name
Aboue all others, let your goodnesse now
Make good that faire report; that I may know
By true experience, what my ioyfull eare
[...]ad but, as yet, the happinesse to heare.
And if the frailty of a womans wit
May chancet' o [...]end; [...]e noble, and r [...]mit.
Then know (most noble Lord) my natiue place,
Is Co [...]inth; of the selfe same biood and race,
VVith faire Queene H [...]llen, in whose princely Court
I had my birth, my breeding: To be short;
Thither not many daies ago [...], there came,
Disguis'd and chang'd in all things but her name,
The rare Par [...]a, so in shape transform'd,
In feature altred, and in face d [...]form'd.
That (in my iudgement) all this region could
Not show a thing, more vgly to b [...]hold.
Long was it, ere her oft repeated vowes
And solemne protestations could rouze
My ouer dull beliefe; till, and the last,
Some passages, that heretofore had past
In secret, twixt Parthenia and me,
Gaue full assurance't could be none but she;
Abundant welcome, (as a soule so sad
As mine, and hers, could giue or take) she had
So like we were in face, in speech, in growth,
That whosoeuer saw the one, saw both:
[Page 87]Yet were we not alike in our complexions
So much as in our lones, in our affections
One sorrow seru'd vs both; and one reliefe
Could ease vs both, both partners in one griefe
Much priuate time we ioyntly spent; and neither
Could finde a true content, if not together.
The strange occurrents of her dire misfortune
She oft discourst, which strongly did importune
A world of teares from these suffused eyes,
The true partakers of her miseries.
And as she spake, the accent of her story
Would alwaies point vpon th'eternall glory
Of your rare constancy, which whosoere
In after-ages shall presume to heare
And not admire let him be proclaim'd
Arebell to all vertue, and (defam'd
In his best actions) let his leprous name
Or die d [...]shonour'd, or suruiue with shame.
But ah! what simples can the hand of art
Finde out to stanch a louers bleeding heart?
Or what (alas) can humane skill apply
To turne the course of loues Phlebotomie?
Loue is a secret sire, inspir'd and blowne
By fate; which wanting hopes, to feed vpon
Workes on [...] very soule, and does torment
The vniuerse of man: which being spent
And wasted in the Conflict, often shrinkes
Beneath the burthen; and, soconquerd sinkes;
All which, your poore Parthenia knew too well,
VVhose bed rid hopes, not hauing power to quell
Th'imperious fury of extreame despaire,
She languisht, and not able to contraire
[Page 88]The will of her victorious passion; cryed,
My dearest Argalus, farewell, and dyed:
My Lord, not long before her latest breath
Had freely paid the full arrears to death,
She cald me to her; In her dying hand
She strained mine, whilst in her eyes did stand
A showre of teares, vnwept; and in mine eare
She whisperd so, as all the roome might heare.
Sister (said she) (That title past betweene vs
Not vndeseru'd; for, all that ere had scene vs,
Mistooke vs so, at least) The lat [...]st sand
Of my spent [...] is now at hand.
Those ioyes, which heauen appointed out for me,
I here bequeath to be possest by thee.
And when sweet death shall clarifie my thoughts,
And draine them from the dregs of all my faults,
Enioy them thou, wherewith (being so refinde
From all their drosse) [...]ull fraught thy constant minde
And let thy prosprous voyage be addrest
To the faire port of Argalus his brest,
As whom the eye of noone did ne'er discouer
So loyall, so renownd, so rare a louer:
Cast anchor there, for by this dying breath
Nothing can please my soule more, after death,
And make my ioyes more perfect, them to see
A mariage twixt my Argalus and thee;
This Ring the pledge betwixt his heart and mine,
A [...] freely as he gaue me, I make thine:
With it, vnto thy faithfull heart I tender
My sacred vowes: with it, I here surrender
All right and title, that I had, or haue
In such a blessing, as I now must leaue;
[Page 89]Goe to him, and coniure him in my name
What loue he bare to me, the very same
That he transferre on thee: take no deniall.
VVhich granted, liue thou happy, constant, loy all.
And as she spake that word, her voice did alter;
Her breath grew cold, her specch began to faulter;
Faine would she vtter more, but her spent tongue
(Not able to gos further) faild, and clung
To ber dry roofe. A while, as in a trance,
She lay; and, on a sudden, did aduance
Her forced language to the height, and cryed,
Farewell my dearest Argalus: and died.
And now, my Lord, although this office be
Vnsutable to my sex, and disagree
T [...]o much perchance, with the too mean condition
Of my estate, more like to finde dirision,
Then satisfaction; yet, my gratious Lord,
Extr'ordinary merits doe afford
Extr'ordinary meanes, and can excuse
The breach of custome, or the common vse;
VVherefore, incite [...] [...] the deare directions
Of dead Parther [...], [...] mine owne affections,
And by the exc'lence of your high desert,
I here present you with a faithfull heart,
A heart, to you deuoted; which assures
It selfe no happinesse, but in being yours.
Pardon my boldnesse. They that shall reproue
This, as a fault, reproue a fault in loue.
And why should custome doe our sex that wrong,
To take away the priuiledge of our tongue?
If nature giue vs freedome, to affect,
Why then should custome barre vs to d [...]tect
[Page 90]The gifts of nature? She that is in paine
Hath a sufficient warrant to complaine.
Then giue me leaue (my Lord) to reinforce
A virgins suit, (thinking ne're the worse
Of proferd loue) let my desiers thriue,
And freely 'accept what I so freely giue.
So ending; silence did enla [...]ge her eare,
(Prepar'd with q [...]icke attention) to heare
His gracious words: But Argalus whose passion
Had put his amorous Courtship out of fashion,
Return'd no answer, till his trickling eies
Had giuen an earnest of such obsequies,
As his adiourned sorrow had entended
To doe at full, and therefore recommended
To priuacy; True griefe abhorres the light,
Who grieues without a witnesse, grieues aright.
His passion thus suspended for a while,
(And yet not so, but that it did recoyle
Strong sighes) he wip'd his teare-bedewed ey [...]s,
And turning to the Lady, thus replyes.
Madam,
Your no lesse rare, then noble fauours show
How much you merit, and how much I owe
Your great desert, which claimes more thankfulnesse,
Then such a dearth of language can expresse.
But most of all, I stand for euer bound
To that your goodnesse, my Parthenia found
In her distresse, for which respect (in duty
As I am tyed) poore Argalus shall repute ye
The flowre of noble courtesie, and proclaime
Your high deseruings. Lady; as I am,
[Page 91]A poore vnhappy wretch, the very scorne
Of all prosperitie, distrest, forlorne,
Vnworthy the least fauour you can giue;
I am your flaue, your Beadsman will I liue:
But for this weighty matter you propound,
Although I see how much it would redound
To my great happinesse, yet heauen knowes
(Most exc'llent Lady) I cannot dispose
Of my owne thoughts; nor haue I power to doe
What, else, you needed not perswade me to;
For trust me, were this heart of mine, mine owne,
To carue according to my pleasure, none
But you should challenge it; but while I liue
It is Parthenia's, and not mine to giue.
Whereto she thus replies: Most noble Sir,
Death, that hath made diuorse 'twixt you, and her,
Hath now returned you your heart againe,
Dissolu'd your vowes, dislink'd that sacred chaine,
Which tide your soules; nay more, her dying breath
Bequeath'd your heart to me; which by her death
Is growne a debt, that you are bound to pay;
Then know (my Lord) the longer you delay,
The longer time her soule is dispossest
(And by your meanes) of her desired rest.
Whereto the poore distressed Argalus
Pausing a while return'd his answere thus;
Incomparable Lady,
When first of all, by heauens diuine directions,
VVe lou'd, we lik'd, we linkt our deare affections,
And with the solemne power of an oath,
In presence of the better gods, we both
[Page 92]Exchang'd our hearts: in witnesse of which thing,
I gaue, and she receiued this deare Ring,
Which now you weare; by which she did resigne
Her heart to me; for which, I gaue her mine.
Now, Maddam, by a mutuall commerce,
My exchang'd heart is not my owne, but hers;
Which if it had the power to suruiue,
She being dead, what heart haue I to giue?
Or if that heart expired in her death,
VVhat heart had shee (poore Lady!) to bequeath?
Maddam, in her began my deare affection;
In her, it liu'd; in her, it had perfection;
In her, it ioy'd, although but ill befriended
By Fate; in her begun, in her, it ended.
If I had lou'd, if I had onely lou'd
Parthenia's beautie, I had soone beene mou'd
To moderate my sorrowes, and to place
That loue on you, that haue Parthenia's face;
But 'twas Parthenia's selfe I lou'd, and loue;
VVhich as no time hath power to remoue
From my sixt heart, so nothing can diminish,
No fortune can dissolue; no death can finish.
With mingled frownes and smiles, she thus replide,
H [...]lfe in a rage, And must I be denide?
Are those the noble fauours I expected?
To finde disgrade? and goe away reiected?
Most noble Lady, if my words (said he)
Suit not your expectation, let them be
Imputed to the miserie of my state,
Which makes my lips to speake they know not what;
Mistake not him, that onely studies how,
VVith most aduantage still to honour you.
[Page 93]Alas! what ioyes I euer did receiue
From fortune's buried in Parthenia's graue,
VVith whom, ere long (nor are my hopes in vaine)
I hope to meet, and neuer part againe.
So said; with more then Eagle winged hast,
She flew into his bosome and embrac'd,
And her clos'd armes, his sorrow-wasted wast;
Surcharg'd with ioy, she wept, not hauing power
To speake. Haue you beheld an Aprill shower
Send downe her hasty bubbles, and then stops,
Then storms afresh, through whose transparent drops
The vnobscur [...]d lamp [...] of heauen conuaies
The brigh [...]er glory o [...]'s refulgent rayes:
Euen so, within her blushing checks resided
A mixt a [...]pect, 'twixt smiles and teares diuided,
So euen diuided; no man could say, whether
She wept, or [...], she smil'd, and wept together,
She held him fast, and like a fainting louer,
Whose passion now had license to discouer
Some words; Since then thy heart is not for me,
Take, take thy owne Parthenia ( said she)
Cheare vp, my Argalus; these words of mine
Ate thy Parthenia's, as Parthenia's thine;
Beleeue it (Loue) these are no false alarmes;
Thou hast thine owne Parthenia in thine armes.
Like as a man, whose hourely wants implore
Each meales reliefe, trudging from doore to doore,
That heares no dialect from churlish lippes,
But newes of Beadles, and their tor [...]uring whips,
Takes vp (perchance) some vnexpected treasure,
New lost; departs; and, ioyfull beyond measure,
[Page 94]I [...] so transported, that he scarce beleeu [...]s
So grea [...] a truth; and what his eye perceiues
Not daring trust, but feares it is some vision,
Or [...] dre [...]me, deseruing but derision.
So Argalus [...]mazed at the newes,
F [...]ine wo [...]ld beleeue, but da [...]ing not abuse
His easie saith too soone, for feare his heart
Should s [...]rfeit on conc [...]it, he did impart
The truth vnto his fancie by degrees,
VVhere stopp'd by passion, falling on his knees,
He thus began; O [...]ou eternall powers
That haue the guidance of these soules of ours,
Who by your iust prerogati [...]e can doe
What is a sin for man to diue into;
Whose vndiscouer'd actions are too high
For thought; too deepe for man [...]'enquier, why?
Delude not these mine eyes with the false show
Of such a ioy, as I must neuer know
But in a dreame: Or if a dreame it be,
O let me neuer wake againe, to see
My selfe deceiu'd, that am ordain'd t' enioy
A reall griefe, and but a dreaming ioy.
Much more he spake to this [...]ffect, which ended;
He blest himselfe, and (with a sigh) vnbended
His aking knees; and rising from the ground,
H [...] c [...]st his rolling eyes about, and found
T [...]e roome auoyded, and hims [...]lfe alone;
The doore halfe clos'd, and his Parthenia gone,
His new distemper'd passion grew extreame;
I knew, I knew, (said he) 'twas but a dreame;
A minutes ioy; a flash; a flattering bubble
Blowne by the fancy, full of pleasing trouble;
[Page 95] Which waking breakes; and empties into ayre,
And breathes into my soule a fresh despaire.
I knew 'twas nothing but a golden dreame,
Which (waking) makes my wants the more extreame;
I knew 'twas nothing but a dreaming ioy,
A blisse, which (waking) I should ne're enioy.
My deare Parth [...]nia tell me, where, O where
Art thou that so [...]'st mine [...]ye, mine eare?
O that my wak'ned fancy had the might
To represent vnto my reall sight
What my deceiued eyes beheld, that I
Might surfeit with excesse of ioy, [...]nd die.
With that the faire Parthenia ( whose desire
Was all this while, by fire, to draw out fir [...];
And by a well aduised course to smother
The s [...]ry of one passion with another)
Stept in, and said; Then Argalus take thou
Thy true Parthenia: Thou dream'st not now;
Behold this Ring, whose Motto does impart
The constancy of our diuided heart:
Behold these eyes, that for thy sake haue vented
A world of teares, vnpittied, vnlamented:
Behold the face, that had of late the power
To curse all beauty; yet it selfe, secure:
Witnesse that Tapour, whose prophetick snuffe
VVas outed and re [...]iued with one puffe:
And that my words may whet thy dull belief [...],
'Twas I, that roard beneath the scourge of griefe,
VVhen thou did'st curse the Darknesse, for concealing
My face; and then the T [...]pour, [...]or revealing
So [...]oule a face; 'Twas I, that, ouercome
VVith violent despaire, stood deafe and dumbe
[Page 96]To all thy vrg'd perswasions. It was I,
That, in thy absence, did resolue to die
A wandring pilgrime, trusting to be led
By fortune, to my death; and therefore fled:
But see; the powers aboue can worke their ends,
In spight of mortals: and what man intends,
The heauens dispose, and order the euent:
For when my thoughts were desperately bent
To mine owne ruine, I was led by fate
(Through dangers, now too tedious to relate)
To faire Queene Hellens court, not knowing whither
My vnaduised steps were guided. Thither
My Genius brought me; where, vnknowne to any,
I mournd in silence; though obseru'd by many,
Relieu'd by none. At length, they did acquaint
The faire Queene H [...]llen with my strange complaint,
Whose noble heart did truly sympathize
With mine, partaking in my miseries:
Who, fill'd with pitty, strongly did importune
The wofull cause of my disastrous fortune,
And neuer rested, till she did inforce
These lips t'acquaint her with the whole discourse.
VVhich done, her gratious pleasure did command
Her owne Physitian, to whose skilfull hand
She left my foule disease; who in the space
Of twice ten dayes, restor'd me to this face:
The cure perfected, straight she sent about
(Without my knowledge) to enquier out
That party, for whose sake I was contented
T'endure such griefe with patience, vnrepented.
Hoping (since by her meanes, and help of Art)
My face was cur'd) euen so to cure my heart.
[Page 97]But when the welcome messenger return'd
Thy place of boad, ô how my spirits burnd
To k [...]sse her hands, and so to leaue the Court;
But she (whose fauours did transcend report
As much, as they exceeded my desert)
Detain'd me for a while, as loath to part
VVith her poore handmaid; till at last, perpending
A louers haste, and freely apprehending
So iust a cause of speed, she soone befriended
My best desiers, and sent me thus attended,
VVhere (vnder a false maske) I laid this plot,
To see how soone my Argalus had forgot
His dead Parthenia, but my blessed eare
Hath heard, what few or none must hope to heare:
Now farewell sorrow, and let old despaire
Goe seeke new brests: let mischiefe neuer dare
Attempt our hearts: let Argalus inioy
His true Parthenia; let Parthenia's ioy
Reuiue in him: let each be blest in eyther,
And blest be heauen, that brought vs both together.
With that, the well-nig [...] broken hearted louer,
Rauisht with ouer ioy, did thus discouer
His long pent words: And doe these eyes once more
Behold what their extreame despaire gaue o're
To hope for? Doe these wretched eyes attaine
The happinesse, to see this face againe?
And is there so much happinesse yet left
For a broke heart, a heart that was bereft
Of power t' enioy, what heauen had pow [...]r to giue?
Breathes my P [...]rthenia? Does Partheni [...] liue?
Who euer saw the Septentrionall stone,
By hidden power, (a power as ye [...] vnknowne
[Page 98]To our confinde and darkned reason) draw
The neighb'ring steele; which, by the mutuall law
Of natures secret working, striues as much
To be attracted, till they ioyne and touch;
Euen so these greedy Louers meet, and charmes
Each other strongly in each others armes;
Euen so they meet; and with vnbounded measure
Os true content, and time beguiling pleasure,
Enioy each other with a world of kisses,
Sealing the patent of true worldly blisses;
Where for a while I leaue them to receiue,
What pleasures new met louers vse to haue.
Readers forbeare; and let no wanton eye
Abuse our Sceane: Let not the stander by
Corrupt our lines, or make an obsceane glosse
Vpon our sober Text, and mixe his drosse
With our refined gold, extracting sower
From sweet, and poyson from so faire a flower.
Correct your wandring thoughts, and doe not feare
To thinke the best: Here is no Tarquine here;
No lustfull, no insatiate Messaline,
Who thought it gaine sufficient to resigne
An age of honour, for a night of pleasure;
Whose strength t'endure lust, was the iust measure
Of her adust desire: Yee need not feare
Our priuate Louers, who esteeme lesse deare
Their liues then honours, daring not to doe,
But what vnsham'd the Sun may pry into.
If any itching eares desire to know,
What seret conf'rence past betwixt these two;
To them my Muse thus answers; When your case
Shall proue the like, she wils you to embrace
[Page 99] True honour, as these n [...]ble louers did,
And you shall know; Till then you are forbid
To enquire further: Onely this she pleases
To let you vnderstand, that loues diseas [...]s
Being throughly cured, by their meeting, they
H [...]ue once againe [...] a Mariage day;
Which that it might succeed with fairer fortune,
Readers, she moues your pleasures, to importune
The better gods, that they would please t'appay
Their griefes with ioy, and smile vpon that Day.
The end of the second Booke.

ARGALVS AND PARTHENIA.
The third Booke.

VVHen sturdy Marches stormes are ouerblowne
And Aprill, gentle show'rs are slidden downe
To close the windchapt earth, succeeding May
Enters her month, whose earely breaking day
Calls Ladies from their hasty beds to view
Sweet Maias pride, and the discolour'd hiew
Of dewy-brested Flora, in her bower
Where euery hand hath leaue to picke the flowre
Her fancy likes, wherewith to be possest,
Vntill it fade, and wither in her brest.
Now smooth-fac'd Neptune, with his gladder smiles
Visits the bankes of his beloued Isles;
Eolus calls in the winds, and bids them hold
Their full-mouth'd blasts, that breathles are controlld;
Each one [...]tyres and shrinks into his seat
And seagreene Triton sounds a shrill retreat:
And thus at length, our Pinace is past o're
The barre; and rides before the Maiden-Towre.
Vp, now in earnest (voyagers) and stand yee
On your faint legs; O [...]r long boat straight shal land ye.
Forget your trauels now, and lead your eyes
From your past dangers to your present prize.
[Page 101]You traffick'd not for toyes; The gods haue set
No other price to things of price, but sweat.
Cheare vp; call home your hearts, and be aduis'd,
Goods eas'ly purchas'd, are as eas'ly priz'd.
You traffick'd not for trifles; and your trauell
Was not to compasse the almightie grauell
Of th' Indian Mines, to ballace your estates;
Twas not for blasts of Honour; whose poore dates
Depend on regall smiles, and haue no measures,
But Monarchs wils, expiring with their pleasures.
Twas not to conquer Kingdomes, or obtaine
The dangerous title of a Soueraigne;
These are poore things: It is but false discretion
To toyle, where hopes are sweeter then possession.
No, we are bound vpon more braue aduentures;
True Honour, Vertue, beauty, are the Centers
To which we point, whereto our thoughts doe tend,
And heauen hath brought our voyage to an end.
Haile noble Argalus; now the Cock boate stands
Secure: step forth, and reach thy widened hands,
And take thy fairest Bride into thine armes;
Strike vp (braue spirit) Cupids fresh alarmes
Vpon her melting lips: Take Toll, before
Thou set her dainty foot vpon the shore;
So let her slide vpon thy gentle brest,
And feele the ground: then lead her to her rest.
Goe Imps of honour; let the morning Sun
Gild your delights, and spend his beames vpon
Your marriage triumphs; let his westerne light
Decline apace, and make a early Night.
Go [...], Turtles, goe; let trebble ioyes betide
The faithfull Bridegroome, and his fairest Bride.
[Page 102]L [...]t your own [...] ve [...]tues light you to your rest;
Tomorrow come we to your n [...]ptiall feast.
By this the curld pate VVaggoner of heauen
H [...] [...] his diurnall course, and drinen
Hi, pan [...]ing S [...]eds adowne the W [...]sterne hill,
When silu [...]r Cynthia, rising to fulfill
He [...]n g [...]tly course, lets fall an euening teare,
To see her bro [...]her lea [...]e the Hemisphere,
W [...]ich, by the ayre disper [...]d, is early found
(And call'd a pearlly dew) vpon the ground:
Still was the night, no language did molest
The waking ear; All mortals were at res [...];
No [...] of wind had power to prouoke
The Aspine lea [...]e, or quell the aspiring smoake;
Sweet was the ayre, and clear [...]; no S [...]arre was hi [...];
No enu [...]ous cloud was stirring, to forbid
The [...] Astronomer, to gaze, and looke
Into the secrets of his spangled booke;
Whilst round about, in each resounding groue,
(As if the [...] of night had stroue
[...] the warbling Philomele compares,
And [...] by turn [...]s her Polyphonian ayres.
And now the horn-mouth'd Belman of the night
Had se [...]t his midnight summons, to inuite
Nights [...] rebuls, from their secret holds
To [...] and visite the securer folds,
Whilst drouzie Morpheus, with his leaden keyes,
Locks vp the Shepherds eye-lids, and betrayes
The sc [...]ttered flocks, which lye [...],
Expecting fire when the [...]- [...].
By [...]his the p [...]lefac'd Empresse of the night
H [...]d [...] vp her borrowed light,
[Page 103]And to the lower world she now retites,
Attended with her traine of lesser [...],
And early Hesper shoots his [...],
To vsher Titan from his purple bed.
The gray ey'd lanitor does now begin
To ope his Easterne portals, and let in
The new borne Day; who hauing lately hu [...]ld
The shades of night into the lower world,
The dewy cheek'd Aurora does vnfold
Her purple Curtaines, all be [...]ng'd with gol [...];
And from the pillow of his Crocian bed,
Don Phoebus rouzes his resulg [...]t head;
That with his all d [...]scerning eye suruayes,
And gilds the mountaines with his morning rayes.
Now, now the wakefull Bride groome (whose last night
Had made her shades too long) salutes the ligh [...];
Salutes the welcom [...] light, which now a [...]length,
Shall crown his heart with ioyes, beyond th [...] [...]
Of mortall language, whose religious [...]
Shall light these lou [...] to their [...]
Vp Argalus, and [...] thy [...]
T'enioy that ioye, from whence all ioy proc [...]ds:
[...] ioyes, from whence all ioy [...]
Vp [...]; and [...] thy [...].
And thou f [...]ite B [...]ide, [...] the day,
Thy Day is come, and [...] [...]
Awake, and rouze [...] [...]om thy [...];
Thy Day is come: and m [...]y thy ioy [...] number
Thy minutes that are [...] and [...];
Arise, and bid thy maid [...]
Put on thy nuptiall robes, Time [...]
O may thy after dayes be like this [...].
By this, bright Phoebus with redoubled glorie
Had halfe way mounted to the highest storie
Of his Olympicke Palace: there to see
This long expected Dayes solemnitie:
When all on sudden, there was heard around
From euerie quarter) the Maiestick sound
Of many Trampets: all in consort running
One point of warre, transcending farre the cunning
Of mortall blasts; and what did seeme more strange,
The shrill mouth'd musicke did as sudden change
To Dorick straines, to sweet mollitious ayres,
To Lyrick songs, and voyces, like to theirs
That charm'd Vlysses: whil'st th' amazed eare
Stood rauisht at these changes, it might heare
Those voyces, (by degrees) transforme to Lutes,
To Shaulms, deepe throated Sackbuts, and to Flutes,
And Eccho-forcing Cornets; which surpast
The Art of man: this Harmony did last
Vntill the Bridegroome came: But all men wondred
To heare the noyse: some thought the heauens had thundred
To a new tun [...]; and some more wiser eares
Conceiu'd, it was the Musick of the Spheares:
All wonderd, all men gaz'd; and all could heare,
But none knew whence the Musicke was, or where.
Forthwith, as if a second Sun had rose,
And stroue with greater brightnesse, to depose
The glory of the first, the Bridegroome came,
Vsher'd along with Eagle-winged Fame,
Whose twice fiue hundred mouthes did at one blast
Inspire a thousand Tr [...]mpets, as he past.
His nuptiall ves [...]re was of Scarlet Dye
So deepe, as it would dazle a weake eye
[Page 105]To gaze vpon't; to which, the curious Art
Of the laborious needle did impare
So great a glorie, that you might behold
A rising Sunne, imbost with purest gold,
From whence ten thousand trailes of gold came down
In waued poynts, like Sunbeames from that Sun:
Thus from his Chamber, midd'st the vulgar Crowd
(Like Titan breaking through a gloomy cloud)
The long expected Bridegroome came, and past
Th' amazed multitude, till at the last,
His Herauld brought him to the Hall of State,
When all th' Arcadian Nobles did awaite
To welcome his approach, and to discharge
The lowder volley of their ioyes at large.
The Hall was spacious, lightsome, and bestrow'd
With Flora's wealth (a bountie that she ow'd
This glorious feast) The wals were richly clad
With curious Tap'strie; (such as Greece ne're had
Before this day) wherein you might behold,
Wrought to the life, in colourd silkes, and gold,
This present Story of these peerelesse Louers,
Which, like a silent Chronicle, discouers
The seuerall passages, that d [...]d be fall
'Twixt their first meeting, and their nuptiall;
Deuis'd and wrought by Virgins borne in Greece,
Presented to this Triumph, as a peece
Deuoted to the memorie and fame
Of Argalus, and his Parthenia's name.
No sooner was the Ceremony ended,
(Wherein each noble spirit more contended
T'expresse affection, then affect th'expession
Of courtly [...] a ba [...]e profession
[Page 106]Of ayrie friendship) but a sudden shout
Of rudely mingled [...]yees flew th [...]oughout
The spatious Castle, which confus'dly cry'd
Ioy to Parth [...]nia, to the fairest Bride.
Fo [...] [...] (as [...] had broken loose,
And Dei [...]ies had meant to enter pose
Their heauenly bodies, with the mortall tribe
Of men; or, else, intending to ascribe
Their pers'nall honour to this nuptiall)
In more then prin [...]ly st [...]te, enters the Hall
A gloriou [...] Show of Ladies, all aray'd
In rare and costly robes, and richly laid
With Iems vnualued; and each Lady wore
A Scarfe vpon her arme, embroidered o'er
With gold and pearle; Thus hand in hand they pa [...]t
Into the Hall, but oft their eyes did [...]ast
A backward looke, as if their thoughts did minde
Some greater glory, comming on b [...]hinde:
Next after them, came in the virgin crew
In milke white robes (virgins that neuer knew
The sacred mysteries of the mariage bed,
Nor, finding trouble in a Maidenhead,
Erelent a thought to nuptiall ioyes, till now)
Thus past these buds of nature; two, by two,
Their long dis [...]heueld treffes d [...]angled downe
With car [...]sse Art, and on each head a crowne
Of golden Laurell stood: Their [...]aces [...]
Beneath a vaile, seem'd [...] the Stars were clouded.
H [...]ue ye beheld in fros [...]y winters Euen,
When all the lesser twin [...]ng lamps of heauen
Are fully [...]indled, how the [...]uddy face
Of rising Cynthi [...] [...] with what a grace
[Page 107]She views the Throne of darkenesse, and aspires
Th' Olympick brow, amidst the smaller fires?
So after all these sparkes of beauty, came
(They were but sparks to such a glorious flame)
The fayre Parthenia, thus the rose-cheek'd Bride
Enters the roome; A milke white vayle did hide
Her blushing face; which, ne'erthelesse discloses
Some glymps of red, like Lawne o're spreading roses;
Thus entred she; The garments, that she wore,
Were made of Purple silke, bespangled o're
With Starres of purest gold, and round about
Each seuerall S [...]arre went, winding in, and out,
A trayle of orient pearle, so rarely wrought,
That as the garments moou'd, you would haue thought,
The Starres had twinckled; Her dissheueld hayre
Hung downe behind, as if the onely care
Had bin to reconcile neglect and Art,
H [...]ng loosely downe, and vayl'd the backer part
Of those her sky-resembling robes; but so,
That euery breath would waue it too and fro,
Like flying clouds; through which, you might discouer
Sometimes one glim'ring Starre, sometimes another:
Thus on she went; her ample traine supported
By thrice three virgins, euenly siz'd and sorted
In purple robes: forthwith, the Bridegroome rises
From off his chaire; bowes downe; and sacrifices
The peacefull offring of a morning kisse,
Vpon her lips: To such a Saint as this,
O, what rebellious heart could chose but bowe,
And offer freely the perpetuall vowe
Of choyce obedience?
With that, each Noble moues him from his place,
And with a posture, full of Princely grace,
Salutes the louely Bride, with words, expressing
The ioy [...]ull modell of a kingdomes blessing.
But hark [...]! The Hymenean trumpet sends
Her latest summons forth: Hymen attends
The noble payre, and is prepar'd to y [...]ke
Their promis'd hands; the sacred Altars smoake
With Mirr [...] and Frankinsence, Thewayes are strowd
With Flora's prid [...]; and the expecting crowd
Haue throng'd the streets, and [...]uery greedy eye
Attends, to see the Tryumph passing by:
At length, the gates flew open. And on this fashion
Began the Tryumph; first a Proclamation
Was made, with a loud voyce: If any be,
Or Lord, or Knight, or whatsoere degree,
Professing armes, or honour in the land,
That at this time, can chalenge, or pretend
A ti [...]le to Parthenia's heart, or claime
A right, or interest in her loue, or name;
Let him come forth in person; or, appeare
By noble Proxy, if not present here;
And by the exc [...]lent honour of a Knight,
He shall receiue such honourable right
As the iust sword can giue; Let him now come,
And speake; or, else, for euermore be dumme.
Thrice was it read; which done; forthwith there came
True honours Eaglewinged Herauld, Fame,
Sounding a siluer Trump; and as she past,
She shooke the earths foundation, with her blast.
Next after whom in vndissembl [...]d state
The Bridegroome came; on his right hand did wait
[Page 109]The god of Warre, in [...] robes of greene,
All stain'd with bleeding hearts, as they had [...]eene
But newly wounded, and from euery wound,
Fresh bloud due seeme to trickle on the ground;
And as the garments moo [...]'d, each dying heart
Would seeme to pant a while, and then depart.
Vpon the Bridegroomes left hand there attended
Heauens Pursu [...]uant, whose brawny arme extended
A winged Caduce; He had scarce the might
To curbe his feet; his feet were wing'd for flight.
Aboue his head their hands did ioyntly hold
A crimzon Canopie embost with gold.
Next them, twice twenty famous Nobles follow'd,
Braue men at armes, whose names the world had hal­low'd
For rare exploits, and twice as many Knights,
Whose bloods haue [...]ansom'd, and redeem'd the rights
Of wronged Ladies: These were all aray'd
In robes of Needle worke, so rarely made,
That he which sees them, thinkes he doth behold
Armours of steele, saire filletted with gold:
And as they marcht, their Squires did aduance
Before each Knight his warlike Shield and Lance.
And after these, the Princely virgin Bride,
On whom all eyes were fastned, did diuide
Her gentle paces, being led betweene
Two Goddesses, the one arai'd in greene,
On which the curious needle vndertooke
To make a forest: here a bubling brooke
Diuides two thickets: through the which doth flie
The singled Deere, before the deepe-mouth'd Crie,
That closely followes: There th'affrighted Herd
Stands trembling at the musicke, and afeard
[Page 110]Of euery shadow, gazes to and f [...]o,
Not knowing where to stay, or where to goe;
Where, in a Launskip, you may see the Faunes,
Following their crying mothers o're the Lawnes;
The other was in robes, the purer dye
Whereof, did represent the midday sky,
Full of black clouds; through which, the glorius beams
Of the obscured Sun appeares, and seemes
As ' [...]were to scatter; and at length, to shed
His brighter glory, on a fruitfull bed
Of noisome weeds; from whence, you might discerne
A thousand painfull Bees extract and earne
Their sweet prouision; and, with laden thighes,
To beare their waxy burthens: On this wise
The princely Bride was led betwixt these two,
The first, was she, that on Act [...]ons brow
Reueng'd her naked Chastity; the other
Was she, to whom loues pregnant braine was mother
Through Vulcans helpe; and these did iointly hold
Vpon her head, a Coronet of gold;
Whose traine Dianas virgin crew, all crown'd
With golden wreathes, supported from the ground.
Next after her, vpon the triumph waited
An order, by Diana new created,
And styl'd the Ladies of the Maidenhead,
In white, wrought here and there with spots of red,
And euery spot appeared as a staine
Of louers blood, whom their hard hearts had slaine:
Ranckt three, and three; and on each h [...]ad a crowne
Of Primeroses, and Roses not yet blowne.
Next whom, the beauties of th' A [...]dian Court
March'd two and two, whose glory came not short
[Page 111]Of what th'vnlimited, and studied art
Of glory-vying Ladies could impart
To such solemnities; where euery one
Stroue to excell, and to b'excell'd of none.
Thus came they to the Temple; where attended
The sacred Priests, whose voices recommended
The dayes successe to heauen, and did diuide
A blessing ' [...]wixt the Bridegroome, and the Bride:
Which done; and after low obeysance made,
The first (whilst all the rest kept silence) said:
Welcome to Iuno's sacred Courts; Draw neare:
Vnspotted Louers, welcome: Doe not feare
To touch this holy ground; Passe on secure;
Our gates stand open to such guests, as you are;
Our gracious Goddesse grants you your desires,
And hath accepted of those holy fires,
We offered in your name, and takes a pleasure
To smell your Incense in so great a measure
Of true delight, that we are bold to say,
She crownes your vowes, and smiles vpon this Day.
So said; they bowed to the ground, and blest
Themselues; that done, they singled from the rest
The noble Bridegroome, and his princely Bride,
And said; Our gracious goddesse be our guide,
As we are yours; and as they spake that word,
Their well-tun'd voices sweetly did accord
With Musick from the Altar: As along
They past, they ioyntly warbled out this song:
THus in Pompe, and Priestly pride,
To glorious Iuno's Altar goe we;
Thus to Iuno's Altar show we
The noble Bridegroome and his Bride:
[Page 112]Let Iuno's hourely blessing send ye
As much ioy as can attend ye.
May these louers neuer want
True iores, nor euer beg in vaine
Their choice desiers; but obtaine
What they can wish, or she can grant.
Let Iuno's hourely blessings send ye
As much ioy as can attend yee.
From sacietie, from strife,
Iealousies, domesticke iars,
From those blowes, that leaue no scars,
Iuno protect your mariage life.
Iuno's hourely blessings send yee
As much ioy as can attend ye.
Thus to Hymens sacred bands
We commend your chast deserts,
That as Iuno link'd your hearts,
He would please to ioyne your [...]ands.
And let both their blessings send ye
As much ioy as can attend ye.
No sooner was this Nuptiall Caroll ended,
But bowing to the ground, they recommended
This princely paire (both prostrate on the floore)
And with their hands presented them before
The sacred Altar, whereunto they brought
Two milke white Turtles; and with prayers be sought
That Iuno's lasting fauours would descend,
And make their pleasures, pleasures without end.
With that, a horrid cracke of dreadfull thunder
Possest each fainting heart, with feare and wonder:
The rafters of the holy Temple shooke,
As if accu [...]sed Archimagoes booke
(That cursed Legion) had beene newly rea [...]
The ground did tremble, and a mist ore-spread
The da [...]kned Altar.
At length, deepe silence did possesse and fill
The spatious Temple, all was whist and still;
When, from the clouded Altar, brake the sound
Of heauenly Musicke; such, as would confound
With death, or rauishment the earth bred eare,
H [...]d not the Goddesse giuen it strength, to beare
So strong a rapture. As the Musicke ended,
The Mist on sudden vanisht, and ascended
[...]rom whence it came. The Altar did appeare,
And ashes lying, where the Turtles were:
Neere which, great Hymen stood, not seene before:
His purple Mantle was embroidred o're
With Crownes of Thorne; mongst which, you might behold
Some, here and there (but very few) of gold;
Vpon each little space, that did diuide
The seuerall Crownes, a Gordian knot was tied:
And, turning to the Priest, he thus began;
What meane these sumes? Say, what hath mortall man
To doe with vs? What great request, what suite
Does now attend vs, that they thus salute
Our nostrills, with such acceptable sauours?
Tell vs, wherein doe they implore the sauours
Of the pleas'd gods; sor by the eternall throne,
And M [...]iesty of heauen, it shall be done.
Whereto, with b [...]nded kne [...]s, they thus [...]eplide;
[Page 114] Great God, this noble Bride-groome, and his Bride
Whom we, most humbly here, present before
Great Iuno's sacred altar, doe implore
Your gracious aide: that with your nuptiall bands,
Your Grace would please to tie their promist bands.
With that, he straight descends the holy stayres,
And with his widened armes diuides and shares
An equall blessing twixt them both, and said,
NOble Youth, and louely Maide,
Heauen accepts your ple [...]sing fires,
And hath granted your desires:
By the mystry of our power,
First, we consecrate this howre
To Iuno's name, that she would blesse
Our prosprous actions with successe.
With this Oyle (which we appoint
For holy vses) we anxoint
Your temples, and with nuptial [...] bands
Thus we firmly ioyne your hands:
Be ioyn'd for euer: and let none
Presume t'vndoe, what we haue done.
Be ioyn'd till lawlesse Death shall seuer
Both hands & hearts: be ioyn'd for euer:
Eternall curses we alot
To those, till then, shall loose this knot.
So said, he blest them both in Iuno's name,
And from their sight he vanisht in a flame.
That done, they rose, and with new fumes saluted
The smoaking altar. Thrice they prostituted
Their bended bodies on the holy ground,
Where sending forth the well accepted sound
[Page 115]Of thankes and vowes, from their diuided heart,
They kisse the sacred Altar and depart;
And with the selfe same Triumph as the came,
Returned; whil'st the louder Trumpe of Fame
With a full blast, sends forth a shrill retreate,
And reconducts them to the Hall of State;
Whose richly furnisht table would inuite
A bed rid stomacke to an Appetite,
And make the wastfull Glutton, that does eate
His vnearn'd di [...]t with his daily sweat,
B [...]hold his heauen in a more ample measure,
Then he had hopes to purchase, with the treasure
Of his b [...]st fait [...]; such were the dainties: such
The vyands, that I dare not thinke too much
To tearme it Paradise, where all things did
Offer themselues, and nothing was forbid.
Soone as the Martial of this Princely feast,
Had in his rightfull seat, plac'd euery guest,
A soft harmonious rapture did confine
All tongues with wonder, as a thing diuine.
Forthwith; with ioyned hands, and smiling faces,
With habits more vnequall then their paces,
A [...]olly paire drew neare the table; the one
In greene; His pamper'd body had outgrowne
His seame-ript garments, all embroyder'd ouer
With spreading Vines, whose fruitful leaues did couer
Her swelling Clusters, his outstrutting eyes
[...]'d in his head: his dropsie swollen thighes
Quagg'd as he went; his purple colour'd snout
Was freely furnisht, and enricht about
With Carbuncles; around his browes did twine
Full laden Clusters, rauisht from the Vine:
The other was a Lady, whom the Sun
With his bright rayes had too much gaz'd vpon:
The colour of her silken Mantle was
Twixt greene and yellow, like the saded grasse;
On which were wrought enclosed fields of Corne,
Some reap'd, some bound in sheaues, & some vnshorne
Well f [...]uour'd was her count'nance; plump & round;
Her golden Tresses dangled to the ground;
Her temples bound with full ripe eares of wheate,
Made like a Girland: frequent drops of sweat
Downe [...]rom her sw [...]rty browes did [...] trickle,
And in her Sun- [...]urnt hand she bare a sickle.
Thus vsherd, wi [...]h a Bag-pipe, to the Table,
They both stood mute: Bacchus as yet vnable
To challenge language from his breathlesse tongue,
Till smiling Ceres thus began the Song.
Ceres.
WElcome, fairest virgin B [...]ide;
Welcome to our i [...]lly seast;
Tast what Ceres did prouide
For so faire, so faire a guest.
Bacch.
Tast what Ceres did prouide
For so faire so faire a guest:
Welcome fairest Virgin B [...]ide;
VVelcome to our iolly feast.
Chor.
Our conioyned bounties doe
Make M [...]rs smile, and Venus to.
Ceres.
VVelcome noble Bridegroome hither;
VVorlds of blisse and ioyes attend ye:
Freely welcome both together;
See what Ceres bounty sends ye.
Bacch.
Freely welcome both together;
See what Bacchus bounty [...]ends yee:
[Page 117]VVelcome noble B [...]idegroome hither;
VVorlds of blisse, and ioyes attend yee.
Chor.
Our conioyned bounties doe
Make Mars smile, and Venus to.
Ceres.
Here is that whose sweet variety
Giues you pleasure and delight;
Makes you full, without s [...]cietie;
Wasts the day, and hasts the night.
Bacch.
This will [...] the man of warr,
When the drum shall beate in vaine;
When his spirits drooping are,
This will make them rise againe.
Chor.
You that ioyntly doe inherit
Venus beautie, Mars his spirit,
Freely taste our bountie; so
Mars shall smile, and Venus to.
The song thus ended; ioyning hands together,
They bow'd; and vanish [...], none knew how, nor whi­ther.
To make relation of each quaint Deuise,
That Art presented their vnwearied eyes;
The nature of their mirth, of their discourse;
The dainties of the first, the second course;
The secret glances of the Bridegroomes eye
On his faire Bride; how oft she blusht, and why;
Were but to robbe the Bridegroome of his right,
Who counts each houre a Summers day, till night.
Me thinke it grieues me, that my pen should wrong
Poore Louers disappointed hopes so long;
And it repents me so, that oftentimes,
Me thinkes, I could be angry with my Rimes,
And for the cruell sins, that they commit,
In being tedious; some I wish vnwrit.
[Page 118]Let it suff [...]e, what glory, what delight,
What state; or, what to please the appetite,
The eye, the eare, the fancy. In a word,
What ioy so short a season could afford
To well prepared hearts, was here exprest
In this our Nuptiall, this our princely feast.
Thus when the board was voided, and the Sewer
Had now resignd his office with the Ewer,
The curious linnen gone, and all the rights
Perform'd, that [...]ong to festiuall delights;
The light foot Hermes ent [...]rs in the Hall,
Holds forth his C [...]duce, and adiures them all
To depth of silence; Tells them; ' [...]is his taske;
To let them know, the Gods intende a Maske,
To grace these nuptialls; and, with that, he spred
His ayre-diuiding pinions, and fl [...]d:
VVhen silence [...] had charmed euery eare
VVith wonder, and attention; they might heare
The Masque of the Gods.
The winged [...] of night, about
In euery corner, sweetly wa [...]bling out
Their Philomelian ayres, and wilder note
VVhich nature taught them to diuide, by rote;
So that the Hall did seeme a shady groue,
VVherein b [...] turnes, the ambitious [...] stroue
T'xcell themselues.
VVhile thus their eares were seeding with delight
Vpon these straines; the Goddesse of the night
Enters her Sceane; Her body was confind
VVithin a coale black Mantle thorow linde
VVith sable Furres; Her tresses were, of hiew,
Like Ebonie; on which, a Pearely dewe
Hung, like a spiders Webb; Her face did shrowd
[Page 119]A swarth Complexion, vnderneath a Cloud
Of black curld Cypresse: On her head, she wore
A crowne of burnisht Gold, be shaded o're
VVith Foggs and [...]ory mists; Her hand did beare
A Scepter, and a sable Hemispheare;
She sternely shooke her dewly lockes, and brake
A melancholly smile, and thus bespake,
Driue on, driue on, (dull Waggoner) Let slippe
Your louser reines, and vse thine idle whippe;
Thy pamperd Steeds are pursie; Driue away;
The lower world thinkes long to see the day;
Darkenesse befits vs best; and our delight
Will rellish farre more sweeter, in the night;
Approach (yee blessed shadowes) and extend
Your early Iurisdiction, to befriend
Our nightly sports; Approach; make no delay;
It is your [...], your Soueraigne calls away.
VVith that a sudden darknesse fill'd the Hall:
The light was ba [...]sht, and the windowes all
So neerely clos'd their eye lids, round about
That day could not get in; nor darknesse, out;
Thus while the death resembling shades of night
Had drawne their misty Curtaines twixt the light
And euery darkned eye, which was denide
To see, but that, which darkenesse could not hide;
The iealous God, fearing he knowes not whom
(Indeed, whom feares he not?) enters the roome,
And, with his clubfoot, groping in the shade
Vulcan [...] speech.
Of night, he mutter'd forth these words and said.
Where is this wanton Harlot now become?
Is light so odious to her? or is home
So homely in her wandring eyes, that she
[Page 120]Must still be rambling, where vnknowne to me?
Can nothing be concluded, nothing done,
But intermedling Venus must be one?
Is't not enough that Phebus does applaud
Her lust, but must nights Goddesse be her baud?
Darkenesse, be gon, Thou patronesse to Lust;
If faire m [...]anes may not rid [...]hee, fouler must:
Away; my power shall outcharme thy charmes,
And find her, painting, in her louers armes,
Enter you Lamplets of terrestriall fire,
And let your golden heads (at least) conspire
To counterfeit a day, and on the night
Reuenge the wrongs of Phebus, with your light.
So said; The darkned Hall was garnisht round
With lighted Tapors: Euery obiect found
An eye to owne it, and each eye was f [...]li'd
VVith pleasure, in the obiect it beheld.
As these deuisefull changes did incite
Their quickned fancies, with a fresh delight,
Morpheus came in; His dreaming pace was so,
That none could say, he moou'd; he moou'd so slow;
His folded armes, athwart his brest, did knit
A sluggards knot; His nodding chinne did hit
Against his panting bosome, as he past;
And often times his eyes were closed fast;
He wore a Crowne of Poppy on his head;
And, in his hand, he bore a Mace of lead:
He yauned thrice, and, after Ho [...]age done
To nights blacke soueraigne, he thus begun:
Great Empresse of the world; to whom, I owe
Morphe [...] speech.
My selfe, my seruice, by perpetuall vowe;
Before the footstoole of whose dreadfull Throne,
[Page 121]The Princes of this lower world, lay downe
Their Crownes, their Scepters; whose victorious hand,
In twice twelue houres did conquer and command
This Globe of earth; your seruant (whose dependance
Quickens his power) comes, to giue attendance
Vpon thy early shaddowes, and to seize
Vpon these wearied mortals, when you please
T'appoint; till then, your seruant is at hand,
To put in execution your Command.
To whom the smiling Goddesse thus replide;
Morpheus; Our pleasure is to set aside
The God­desle of the nights speech
This night to mirth, and time-beguiling sports;
Our sleepe restrayning buisnesse much imports
Your welcome absence, whil'st our eares shall num­ber
The flying houres: our mirth admits no slumber.
That word scarce ended; but the Queene of Loue
Descended from her vnseene seate aboue;
In her faire hand she led her winged Son,
And like a full mouth'd tempest, thus begun;
D [...]sloyall Sic [...]phant; deaths bastard brother;
Venus speech to Morpheus
Accursed spaune, cast from a cursed Mother;
That with thy base impostures, ri [...]est man
Of halfe his dai [...]s, of halfe that little spanne,
Nature hath lent his life; that with thy wiles,
Hugg'st him to death; betray'st him with thy smiles;
What mak'st thou here, and to vsurpe my right,
Perfideous Caitife? Venu [...] day is night.
Goe to the frozen world; where mans desire
Is made of Ice, and melts before the fire,
Yet ne're the warmer: Goe, and visit [...]ooles,
Or P [...]legmatick old age, whose spirit cooles
As quickly as their breath: Goe; what haue we
[Page 122]To doe (dull Morpheus) with thy Mace, or thee
As leaden as thy Mace? Th'art made for nought,
Bu [...] to still Children, or to ease the thought
Or brain-sick Phranticks; or with ioyes to [...]ter
Po [...]re slumbring soules; which wak'd, finde no such matter.
Goe succour those, that vent by quick retaile
Their wits, vpon deare penny-worths of Al [...];
Or marrow'd Eunuchs, whose adust desire
Wants meanes to slake the fury' of their false fire.
O that I were a Basiliske, that I
Might dart my venome; or else venom'd, die.
Boy, bend thy Bow; and with thy forked dart,
Drawne to the head, thrill, thrill him to the heart:
Let flie Deaths arrow; or if thou had none,
In deaths name send an arrow of thine owne;
We are both wrong'd, and in the same degr [...]e;
Shoot then; at once, reuenge thy s [...]lfe and me.
VVith that the little angry god did bend
His steelen Bow, and in deaths name did send
His winged messenger, whose faithfull hast
Dispatch'd his irefull errand and stuck fast
Within his pierced liuer, and did hide
His singing feathers, in his wounded side.
Morpheus fell downe as dead; and on the ground
Lay for a little season in a sound,
Gasping for breath; And Louers dreames they say,
Haue euermore beene wanton since that day.
Venus was pleas'd; The Goddesse of the night
Grew angry; she would needs resigne her right
Of gouernment; and in a spleene threw downe
Her H [...]mispheare, her Scepter, and her Crowne;
And with a duskie fogge, she did besmeare
[Page 123]The face of Venus; soyld her golden haire,
VVith her blacke shades; and, with foule tearmes reuil'd
Both her, her cuckold mate, and bastard childe;
VVhere at the God of Warre, being much offended,
Forsooke both seat and patience, and descended;
And, to the world, he proffer'd to make good
Faire Venus honour, with his dearest blood.
To whom poore Vulcan (puffing in a rage,
To heare his well knowne fortune on the stage)
Scrap'd many a thanke; and, with his crouching knee
Profest true loue, to such true friends, as hee.
And euer since, experience lets vs know,
Cuckolds are kind, to such as m [...]s them so.
By this, god Morpheus, waking from his swound,
Began to groane; and, from his aking wound
Drew forth the buried shaft: but Mars (whose word
Admits no other Organ, but his sword)
Vnsheath'd his furious brondyron, and let flye
A blow at Morpheus head, which had wellnye
Clouen him in twaine, had not the Queene of night
Hurl'd hasty mists, before his darkned sight;
So that the sword, by a false guided ayme,
Struck Vulcans foot, which euer since, was lame.
At last, the gods came downe, and thought it good,
To n [...]ppe this earely quarrell in the bud.
VVho fearing vprores, with a friendly cup
Of blest [...], tooke the quarrell vp;
And, for th'offence committed, did proclame
This sentence, in offended Iuno's name.
Morpheus, from hence is banisht, for this night,
The sen­tence.
And not to approch before the morning light;
Mars is exilde for euer, as a guest,
[Page 124]Adiudg'd vnfitting for a mariage feast.
Cupid is doom'd to rome and ro [...] about
To the worlds end, and both his eyes put out.
Venus is [...] to [...] night,
And not (vnlesse by stealth) to see the light:
Her chiefest ioy to be bu [...] pleasing folly,
P [...]rm'd w th madnes, dog'd with melancholly.
And there the Musicke did inuite their paces
To measure time; and, by exchange of places,
To lead the curious beholders eye,
A willing captiue to variety.
Thus, with the sweet vicissitude of mirth
They spent the time, as if that heauen and earth
Had studied to please man, in such a measure,
That Art could not doe more, [...]augment their pleasure;
And so they vanisht.
Now Ceres euening bounty reinuites
Her noble guests, to her renew'd delights;
And frolicke Bacchus, to refresh their soules,
With a full hand, presents his swelling Bowles.
Wine came vnwish'd like water from a sourse,
And delicates were mingled with discourse.
What Art could doe, to make a welcome guest,
Was liberally presented at that feast.
It was no sooner ended, but appeares
An old gray pilgrime, deeply strucke i [...] yeares,
In tatterd garments; In his wrinkled hand
An houreglasse, l [...]bouring with her latest sand.
Beneath his arme, a buffen knapsacke hung,
Stuft full of writings, in an vnknowne tongue;
Chronologies, outdated Almanacks,
And Patents, that had long suruiu'd their waxe.
[Page 125]Vnto his shoulders, Eagles wings were ioyn'd;
His head ill thatch'd before, but bal'd behind:
And leaning on his crooked Sythe he made
A little pause, and after that, he said,
Mortalls, 'Tis out: My glasse is runne,
And with it, the day is done.
Darke shadows haue expell'd the light,
And my glasse is turn'd for night.
The Queene of darkenesse bids me say,
Mirth is fitter for the day.
Vpon the day, such ioyes attend;
With the day such ioyes must end.
Thinke not, Darknesse goes about,
Like death, to puffe your pleasures out.
No, no, sheele lend you new delights;
She hath pleasures for the nights.
When as her shadows shall benight yee,
She hath what shall still delight ye.
Aged Time shall make it knowne,
She hath dainties of her owne.
Tis very late; Away, away,
Let day sports expire with Day.
For this time, we adiourne your feast;
The Bridegroome faine would be at rest.
And if night pastimes shall displease yee,
Day will quickly come, and ease yee.
With that, a sweet vermillian tincture stayn'd
The Brides faire cheekes; The more that she restrayn'd
Her blush, the more her disobedient blood
Did ouerflow; as if a second flood
Had meant to rise, and, for a little space,
To drowne that world of beauty in her face
[Page 126]S [...]e blusht; (but knew not why) And like the Moone
S [...]e look'd most red, vpon her going downe.
But see: the smiling Ladi [...]s do [...] begin
To ioyne their whispring heads, as there had beene
A plot of treason; till at length, vnspide,
They stole away, the vnwilling-willing Bride;
Their busi [...] hands disrob'd her, and so led
The timorous virgin to her Nuptiall b [...]d.
By this, the Nobles hauing recommended
Their tongues to silence, their discourse being ended,
They look'd about, and thinking to haue done
Their seruice to the Bride; the B [...]ide was gone.
And now, the Bridegroome (vnto whom delay
Seem'd worse then death) could brook no longer st [...]y:
Attended by his noble guests, he enters
That roome, where th'enterchangeable Indenters
Of dearest loue, lay ready to be seal'd
With mutuall pleasures, not to be reueald.
His garments grow too tedious, and their waight
(Not able to be borne) doe ouer fraight
His weary shoulders; Atlas neuer stoopt
Beneath a greater burthen, and not droopt;
No helpe was wanting; for he did receiue
What sudden ayde he could expect, or haue
From speedy hands, from hands that did not wast
The time, vnlesse (perchance) by ouer hast;
Meane while, a dainty warbling brest, not strong,
As sweet, presents this Epithalamion song.
Man of warre, march brauely on,
The field's not easie to be wonne;
There's no danger in that warre,
Where lips both swords and bucklers are.
Here's no cold to chill thee;
A bed of downe's thy field:
Here's no sword to kill thee,
Vnlesse thou please to yeeld;
Here is nothing will incumber,
Here will be no scars to number.
These are warres of Cupids making,
These be warres will keepe yee waking,
Till the earely breaking Day
Call your forces hence, away.
These are warres that make no spoyle,
Death shoots his shafts in vaine;
Though the souldier get a foyle,
He will rouze, and fight againe.
These be warres that neuer cease,
But conclude a mutuall peace.
Let benigne and prosp'rous starres
Breathe successe vpon these warres,
And when thrice three months be runne,
Be thou father of a sonne;
A son, that may deriue from thee
The honor of true merit,
And may to ages, yet to be,
Conuay thy blood thy spirit;
Making the glory of his fame
Perpetuate, and crowne thy name,
And giue it life in spight of death,
When fame shal want both trump and breath.
Haue you beheld in a faire summers euen,
The golden-headed Charioter of heauen,
With what a speed, his prouder reynes doe bend
His panting horses, to their iourneyes end?
[Page 128]How red he lookes; with what a swift careire
Her hurries to the lower Hemisphere;
And in a moment, shootes his golden head
Vpon the pillow of blushing Thetis bed.
Euen so the bridegroome (whose defire had wings
More swift then Time, switcht on w th pleasure) springs
Into his nuptiall bed; and looke how fast
The stooping Faulkon clips; and, with what hast,
Her tallons seize vpon the timorous prey,
Euen so, his armes (impatient of delay)
His circling armes embrac'd his blushing Bride,
While she (poore soule) lay trembling by his side.
The Bridegroome now growes weary of his guests:
What mirth of late was pleafing, now molests
His tyred patience: Too much sweet offends;
Sometime, to be forsaken of our friends,
In Cupids moralls, is obseru'd to be
The fruits of friendship, in the best degree.
And thus, at last, the Curtaines being clos'd,
They left them, each, in others armes repos'd.
And here my Muse bids, draw our Curtaines too,
Tis vnfit to see, what priuate louers doe.
Reader, let not thy thoughts grow ouer rancke;
But vaile thy vnderstanding, with a Blancke.
Thinke not on what thou think'st; and, if thou canst,
Yet vnderstand not, what thou vnderstandst.
Sow not thy fruitfull heart with so poore seeds;
Or if, perchance, (vnsowne) they spring like weeds,
Vse them like weeds, thou knowst not how to kill;
Sleight them; and let them thriue against thy will.
View them like euills, which Art cannot preuent,
But see, thou take no pleasure in their sent.
[Page 129]And one thing more; When as the morrow light
Shall bring the bash full Bride into thy sight;
Be not too cruell; Let no wanton eye
Disturbe, and wrong her conscious modesty;
And if she blush, examine not for what;
Nay, though thou see it (Reader) see it not.
And shall our story discontinue here?
Or want a period, till another yeare?
Shall we befriend these louers, with the night,
And leaue them buried in their owne delight?
And so conclude? No, it shall ne're be sed,
That mariage ioyes end in the mariage bed.
Fond, and adulterate is that loue, which founds
Her happinesse on such vnstable grounds:
And, like a sudden blaze, it neuer lasts,
But as the pleasure waxes cold, it wasts.
Now Argalus awakes; and now the light
Is euen as welcome to him, as the night:
His eyes are fixt vpon his louely Bride,
While she la [...]s sweetly slumbring by his side.
She sle [...]pes; He views her; Thrice, his mind was bent,
To call Parthenia, and thrice it did repent.
Sometimes, his lips, with a stolne kisse would greet
Her gu [...]ltlesse lips; ( They say stolne goods are sweet)
At length, sh [...] wakes; and hides her blushing cheekes
In his warme bosome; where, she safely seekes
For Sanctuary, whereunto should [...]ly
The guil [...] of her protected modesty.
He smiles, and whispers in her deafned eare;
(Women can vnderstand, and yet not heare)
He sp [...]akes, but she (euen whilst his lips wa [...] b [...]eaking
Their words) with hers, did stop his lips frō speaking
When thrice three Suns had now almost, out-worne
The rare solemnities, that did adorne
These princely nuptialls, and had made report
Grow something sparing in th' Arcadian Court,
Argalus, whose endeuours were addrest,
To practise what might please Parthenia best,
Resolu'd to leaue Kalanders house, and crowne
Parthenia sole Commandresse of her owne.
Long was it, ere Kalanders liberall eare
Could be vnlockt; It had no power to heare
The word, Farewell; S [...]ill Argalus entreated,
And fram'd excuses; which, he soone defeated;
But as the stout Alcides did casheire
One rising head, another would appeare,
Euen so, whilst his ingenious loue did smother
One cause of parting, he would find another.
Kalander thus at last, (being ouerwrought
With words, which importunity had taught
Inexorable Argalus) was faine
To yeeld, what he so long gainsaid, in vaine;
Tis now concluded, Argalus must goe,
But yet Kalander must not leaue them so;
There is no parting, till the aged sire
Shall warme his fingers, by Partheniaes fire;
Parthenia sues; Kalander must not rest,
Till he become Partheniaes promis'd guest.
The morrow next, when Titans earely ray
Had giuen faire earnest of a fairer Day;
And, with his trembling beames, had repossest
The eyes of mortalls, newly rouz'd from rest,
They left Kalanders Castle, and that night,
Arriu'd they at the Pallace of delight,
[Page 131](For so 'twas call'd) it was a goodly seate,
Well chosen; not capatious, as neate;
Yet was it large enough, to entertaine
A potent Prince with all his Princely trayne;
It seem'd a Center to a Parke, welstor'd
With Deere; whose well thriuen bounty did afford
Continuall pleasure, and delight; nay what,
That earth cals good, this Seat afforded not?
Th' impatient Falkner here may learne to say
Forgotten pray'rs, and blesse him euery day.
The patient Angler, here may tire his wish;
And (if he please) may sweare, and yet catch fish.
The sneaking Fouler, may goe boldly on,
And ne're want sport vntill his powder's done.
And to conclude, there was no stint, no measure
To th' old mans profit, or the young mans pleasure:
Thither this night the nuptiall troope is gone;
And now Parthenia's welcome to her owne:
But would yee heare what entertainment past?
Conceiue it rather; for my quill would wast
Th' vnthriuing stock of my bespoken time,
While such free bounty cannot stand with rime:
But that, which most did season, and imbellish
Their choyce delights, and gaue the truest relish
To their b [...]st mirth, and pleasures; was to see
With what a sweet conjugiall harmony
All things were carried: Euery word did proue
To adde some acquisition to their loue;
So one they were, that none couldiusty say,
Which of them rul'd, or whether did obey;
He rul'd; because she would obey, and she
In thus obeying, rul'd as well as he:
[Page 132]What pleased him, would need no other cause,
To please her to, but onely his applaus [...];
A happy paire! whose double life, but one,
Made one life double; and the single, none.
Thus when th' vnconstant Lady of the night
Had chang'd her sharpned horns, for an orbe of light,
Kalander (whose occasions grew too strong,
And may not be dispenc'd withall too long)
Takes leaue, and (being equall heauy hearted
With sad Parthenia for his hast) departed.
But Argalus (who neuer yet could owne
Himselfe with more aduantage then alone)
And faire Parthenia (whose well pleas'd desire
Hopes nothing else, if Argalus be by her)
Need not the helpe of any, to augment
The better ioyes of their retir'd content:
Sometimes the curious garden would inuire
Their gentle paces, to her proud deligh;
Sometimes the welstor'd Parke would change their pleasure,
And tender to her view, her light [...]oot treasure;
Where th'vnmolested Herd would seeme to [...],
And craue a death at faire Parthenia's hand.
Sometimes their steps would clime th' ambit [...]us Tower,
From whose aspiring top they might discouer
A little commonwealth of land, which none
But Argalus durst challenge as his owne.
Sometimes (for change of pleasure) he would read
Selected stories, whilst her [...] would seed
Vpon his lips, and now and then a kisse
Would interpose, like a parenthesis
Betweene their semicircled armes, enclos'd;
( O what dull spirit could be indispos'd
[Page 133] To read such lines!) and whilst vpon the booke
His eyes were fix'd her pleased eyes would look
Vpon the gracefull Reader, and espie
A story farre more pleasing in his eye.
Vpon a day, as they were closely seated;
H [...]r cares a trending, whil'st his lips repeated
A story, treating the renown'd aduentures
And famous a [...]s of great Alcides; enters
A Messenger, whose countenance did bewray
A hast too serious, to admit delay;
His hand presents him letters, which did bring
Their sealed errand from th' Arcadian King;
Whereat Parthenia rose, and stept aside;
Her thoughts were troubled; euer as she eyed
The Messenger, her colour comes and goes;
Parthenia feares; and yet Parthenia knowes
Not what to feare; Her iealous heart knowes how
To feare an Euill, because it feares to know;
And as he read the lines her eye was fixt
Vpon his eye, which seem'd to striue betwixt
A thousand thwarting passions: Once he cast
His eye on hers; and finding hers so fast
On his, he blusht; she blusht; both blusht together,
Because they blusht for what, vnknowne to either.
The letter being read (and hauing kist
Basilius name) he speedily dismist
The messenger; with promise to obey
Basilius iust commands, without delay.
That done; he tooke Pathenia by the hand,
His deare Parthenia, by the trembling hand;
And to her greedy eye he straight presents
The Paper, ballac'd with it's sad contents:
[Page 134] Parthenia, with a fearefull slownesse tooke it;
And with a fearefull hast did ouerlooke it:
Her face being blanched with the pallide signes
Of what she fear'd too soone, she read these lines.
Basilius Rex.
VVHereas the famous and victorious name
Of great Amphialus, makes the trumpe of Fame
Breathe nothing but his conquests and renowne;
VVhose lawlessè actions fortune striues to crowne
(In spight of Iustice) with a Victors merit,
Respecting more the greatnesse of his spirit,
Then iustnesse of his cause, to the dishonour
Of vertue, and all such as wa [...]te vpon her.
And furthermore; whereas his power is knowne
T'oppugne the welfare of our State and Crowne,
VVith strong rebell [...]on, to the high aduancement
Of his disloyall glory, and inhancement
Of his perfidious name, the great increase
Of factions, and disturbance of our peace.
Likewise, where as his high preuailing hand
(Against the force whereof no flesh can stand)
Could ne're he equall'd yei, much lesse o'recome,
But with loud triumph, still does carry home
The spoyles of our lost honour, to the fame
Of his rebellious glory, and our shame.
We therefore in our Princely care, perpending
The serious premises, and much depending,
On your knowne courage, haue selected you
To stand our Champion royall, and renew
Our wasted honour, with your sword and launce,
In equall Duell; Thus you shall aduance
[Page 135]The glorious pitch of your renowned name,
With the braue purchase of eternall fame:
In this you shall reuiue our dying glorie,
And liue the subiect of this ages story,
(VVhich shall be read tili time shall haue an end)
And tye Basilius your perpetuall friend.
To our right trusty and noble kinsman Argalus.
But as she read, a teare did trickle downe
Vpon the lines, as if it meant to drowne
Th'vnwelcome message, and at length she said;
Ah me! my Argalus was't this you made
Such hast to answere? did that answere need
To be returned with so great a speed?
Can you, oh can you be so quickly won,
To leaue your poore Parthenia, and be gon?
To whom resolued Argalus ( whose eye
Was fixt vpon his honour) made replie;
My deare Parthenia; were it to obtaine
The vnsumm'd welth of Pluto; or to gaine
The soueraignty of the earth, without th'expence
Of blood or sweate, without the least pretense
Of danger, my ambition would despise
The easie conquest of so great a prize,
If purchas'd by thy discontent, or by
The poorest teare that trickles from thine eye;
But to recall my promise, or forsake
That resolution honour bid me make
In this behalfe; or to betray that trust
Repos'd in me, the gods would be vniust,
(And not themselues) if they should but command
Or vrge me, with an ouerswaying hand.
[Page 136]My deare Parthenia; Let no false suggestion
Abuse thy passion, or presume to question
My dearest loue; Though honour bids vs part,
Yet honor can not robbe thee, of my heart:
Honour, that calls me with her loud alarmes,
VVill bring me back, with Tryumph, to thine armes;
So said; the sad Parthenia, (whose teares
Are turnd Lieutenants to her tongue) forbeares
To tempt her language: Griefes, that are but sm [...]ll,
Can speake, when great ones cannot vent at all:
But tender hearted Argalus (to whom
Such silence speakes too loud) forsooke the roome;
And, with a brest, as full of pensiue care,
As honor, gaue directions to prepare
His warlike Steed, his Martiall attire
And all things, such imployment does require.
And here O thou, thou great supreame protectresse
Of bolder spirits, and the sole directresse
Of lofty flying quills, which shall deriue
To after times, what glorious swords acchiue;
And mak'st the actions of heroick spirits
Perpetuate, and crowne their names their merits;
Illustrious Clio: Aide me, and inspire
My ragged rimes, with thy diviner fire;
Teach me to raise my stile, and to attaine
A pitch, that may transcend the vulgars straine;
Reach me a quill, rent from an Eagles wing;
And let my Incke be blood; that I may sing
Death to the life: let him; that reads, expound
Each dash, a sword; and euery word, a wound,
By this, the Champion royall had put on
His martial weeds; and hasting to be gone,
[Page 137]The poore Parthenia, whose cold [...], past:
(Like those in Agues) now does burne as fast:
She leaues the lonely roome; and comming out,
She finds her Argulus, enclosed about
With glittering walls of steele, apparell'd round
In his bright armes, (whom she had [...]ather found
Lockt vp in her's) and wanting nothing now,
But what her lips could not (poore soule) allow,
Without sea of teares, her last farewell;
She ranne vnto him; and wept; and, weeping fell
Vpon her knees; she claspt him by the arme,
And looking vp, she thus began to charme;
My Argalus; my Argalus: my deare,
And wilt thou goe, and leaue Parthenia here?
VVilt thou forsake me then? And can these teares
Not intercede betwixt thy deafned [...]ares,
And my sad suit? Canst thou, ô canst thou goe,
And leaue thy poore distrest Parthenia so?
Parthenia sues; Parthenia does implore;
Parthenia begges, that neuer begg'd before;
Remember, O remember you are, now,
Vnder the power of a sacred vow:
Honour must stoope to vowes, which once being crackt,
You cannot doe an honourable act:
I haue a Right vnto you; you are mine;
I haue that Interest, which Ile ne're resigne,
Till death: Ile neuer hazard to forgoe
My whole estate of happìnesse, at one throw,
No, no, I will not: I will hold thee fast
In spight of Honor and her nine dayes blast;
Your former acts haue giuen sufficient proofe
To the wide world; your valour's knowne enough
VVithout a further tryall: There's enow
[Page 138]To lose their liues (lesse worthy) besides you;
'Twas then a time for armes, when you had none,
None other life to venture, but your owne;
Excuse me then, that onely doe endeauor
To hold mine owne; which now I must, or neuer;
Mine, mine you are, and you can vndertake
No danger, but [...] must partake;
Shall your Parthenia be indanger'd then?
Parthenia shall be present, euen when
The strokes fall thickest; and Parthenia shall
Suffer what ere to Argalus may befall;
Parthenia, in your greatest paines, shall smart;
Your blood shall trickle from Parthenia's heart:
Can prayers obtaine no place? By this deare hand,
The sacred pledge of our coniugiall band;
By all the pleasures of our dearest loue;
By heauen, and all the heauenly powers aboue;
Or if those motiues cannot finde a roome,
Yet by the tender fruit, that in my wombe
Begins to budde, or if ought else appeare
To thy best thoughts more pretious or more deare,
By that, forsake me not, although the rest
Preuaile not. Grant this first, this last request:
To whom the broken hearted Argalus,
VVearied, but not o'recome, made answer thus;
My deare Parthenia; Thy desires neuer
Gainesaid my will, till now: Doe not perseuer
To craue that boone, I cannot grant: forbeare
To vrge me: Resolution hath no eare:
VVeepe not ( my Ioy:) Let not those drops of thine,
That trickle from so faire an eye, diuine
A foule successe; Cheare vp; A smile, or two
Would make me halfe a Conqueror, ere I goe:
Shine forth; and let no [...] benight
The glorious luster of so faire a light;
Doubt not my life: The iustnesse of my cause,
That brings me on, will quite me with applause;
Feare not, that such a blessing, such a wife
Was e're intended for so short a life.
Expect my safe returne; as quicke, as glorious;
My Genius tells me, I shall [...], victorious.
So said, as if that passion had forgot
Her mother tongue, her tongue replyed not:
But, like to one, new stricken with the thunder,
She stood betwixt [...], feare, and wonder:
His lips tooke leaue, and as his armes surrounded
Her feeble wast, she straight fell down, and swounded;
But Argalus, transported with the tide
And tyranny of honour, could abide
No longer stay; He [...] her to the guard
Of her owne women; left her, and repair'd
Vnto the Campe; wherein, he spent some dayes,
In parley, with Amphialus; and assayes,
By all perswasine meanes, to make him yeeld
To iust demands, and not to staine the field
With needlesse blood; But finding him vnapt
For peacefull counsell (being strongly rapt
With his owne fame) and scorning to afford
His eare to any language, but the sword,
He ceas'd t'aduise him; and (enforc'd to try
A rougher Dialect) wrote him this defie.
Renown'd Amphialus,
If strong perswasions, backt with reasons could
Bin honour'd with your eare; your wisedome would,
In yeelding to so faire a peace, haue won
As ample glory, [...] your sword hath done.
[Page 140]You should haue conquer'd soules where now, at most,
You can subdue but bodies, that haue lost
The power to resist: But since my suit,
Sowne on so barren [...], can find no fruit;
Receiue a mortall challenge, from a hand,
Whose iustice takes a glory to withstand
So foule a cause, and labours to subdue
Your heedlesse errors, whilst it honours you.
Compose you then, to make a preparation,
According to your noble wonted fashion;
And thinke not sleight, of ne're so weake an arme,
That strikes, when Iustice strikes vp her alarme.
Argalus.
No sooner had he read it, but his pen,
With noble speed, return'd these lines agen.
Much more renowned Argalus,
Your faithfull seruant, whose victorlous brow
Was neuer daunted yet, is daunted now,
By your braue curtesie, being stricken dumbe
With your rare worth, and fairly ouercome;
Yet doubting not the iustnesse of my Cause
(That's ouer ruled by the sacred lawes
Of dearest loue) will giue my sword the power,
Euen to maintaine it, to the latest houre.
I shall expect your comming in the [...],
Where, with a heart, (not poyson'd with the [...]
Or gall of [...]) with my dearest blood,
Your seruant shall be ready to make good
His iust designes; assured of no lesse
Then treble same, if crowned with [...];
If not, There's no dishonour can accrew,
In being conquer'd, and o'recome by you,
[...]:
Soone after; Argalus, (whose blood did boyle
To be in action) comes into the Isle;
Clad in white [...], [...], and strangely drest
With knots of womans hayre, which from his crest
Hung dangling down; [...], with their bountious trea­sure,
Orespred his Corslet in a liberall measure;
His curious furniture was fashion'd out,
Like to a flying Eagle, round about
Beset with plumes; whose crooked beake (being cast
Into a costly [...]) was made fast
To th'saddle bow: Her spredden traine did couer
His crooper, whilst the trappers seem'd to houer
Like wings; that, to the fixt [...] eye,
As the Horse pranc'd, the Eagle seem'd to fly;
Vpon his arme, (his threatning arme) he wore
A sleeue, all curiously embroydred ore
With bleeding [...], which faire Parthenia made,
(In those crosse times, when fortune so betraid
Their secret loue, and with a smiling frowne
[...] their false hopes) as copies of her owne;
Vpon his shield (for his deuice) he set
Two neighbring Palmes whose budding branches met
And twin'd together; the obscure Imprese
Imported this, Thus [...], as these:
His Horse was of a fiery Sorrell: Blacke
His maine, his feet, his taile; on his proud backe,
A coaleblacke List: His nostrells, open wide,
Breath'd warre, before his sparkling eye descryde
An enemy to encounter; vp by turnes,
He lifts his hasty hoofes, as if he scornes
The earth, or if his tabring feet had found
Away, to goe, and yet ne're change the ground.
By this Amphialus (who all this while
[Page 142]Thought minuts yeares) was landed in the Isle,
In all respects prouided, to afford
As bountious intertainment, as the sword
And Launce could giue: And at the Trumpets sound,
Their Steeds, (that needed not a [...] to wound
Their bleeding flanks) both start, & with smooth run­ning
Their [...] declining with vnshaken cunning
Perform'd their masters will, with angry speed;
But Argalus his well instructed Steed
Being hot, and full of courage (fiercely led
By his owne pride) prest in his prouder head,
The which when stout Amphialus espide,
(Well knowing it vnsafe to giue his side)
Prest likewise in; so that both men, and horse
Shouldring each [...], with a double force
Fell to the ground. But by accustom'd skill,
And help of Fortunes hand, that succours still
Bold spirits, shunn'd the danger of the fall,
And had (lesse fear'd then hurt) no harme at.
They rose, drew forth their swords; which now begun
To doe what their left staues had lest vndone.
Haue ye beheld a Leaguer? In what sort
The deepe mouth'd Cannon playes vpon the Fort,
And how by peecemeales it doth batter downe
The yeelding walls of the besieged towne?
Euen so their swords (whose oft repeated blowes
Could finde no patience yet to interpose
A breathing respite) with redoubled strength
So hew'd their proofelesse armours, that at length
Their failing trust began to proue vnsound,
And peece by peece, they dropt vpon the ground,
Trusting their bodies to the bare defence
Of vertue, and vnarmed innocence.
[Page 143]Such deadly blowes were dealt, and such [...],
That Mars himselfe stood rauisht and affrighted
To see the cruell Combate: Euery blow
Did act two parts; both [...] and guarded too
At selfe-same [...]. So incomparable
Their skilfull quicknesse was, that none was able
To say (although their watchfull eyes attended
The strokes) who made the blow, or who defended.
Long was it ere their equall skill and force
Of armes could show a better, or a worse.
Neither preuail'd as yet; yet both excell'd
In not preuailing. Neuer eye beheld
More equall ods: No wound as yet could show
A droppe of wasted blood, yet euery blow
Was full of death. When skilfull Gamesters play,
The Christmas box gaines often more then they.
At length the sword of Argalus (that neuer
Thirsted so long in vaine till now; nor euer
[...] victory doubtfull for so long a space)
Fastned a wound on the disarmed face
Of stout Amphialus, who now does feele
The equall temper of his enemies steele,
Yet was not daunted, by the blow receiu'd,
Nor of his wonted courage so breau'd,
As by the saucy daring of one thrust
To faint or yeeld: rather a braue distrust
Of his old worth, call'd a new anger on,
And fir'd him to a sudden talion:
When as directed by some fate-blest charme
He made a second stroake that pierc'd the arme
Of haughty Argalus, and made him know
Amphialus would rather dye then owe.
Argalus blush't for want of blood. Expecting
[Page 144]A quicke reuenge, which was not long effecting;
For whilst Amphialus (whose hopes inflam'd
His tyrannous thoughts with conquest, & proclaim'd
Vndoubted victory) heapt his strokes so fast,
As if each blow had scorn'd to be the last.
The watchfull Argalus (whose nimble eye
Dispos'd his time, in onely putting by)
Put home a thrust, (his right foot comming in)
And pierc'd his Nauell; that the wound had bin
No lesse then death, if Fortune, (that can turne
A mischiefe to aduantage) had for borne
To show a miracle; for with that blow,
Amphialus last made, his arme had so
O, estrucke it selfe; that sideward to the ground
He fell; and falling, he receiu'd that wound
Which (had he stood) had enter'd in, point blancke,
But, falling, only graz'd vpon his flancke.
Being downe, braue Argalus his threatning sword
Bids yeeld; Amphialus answering not a word,
(As one, whose mighty spirit did disdaine
A life of almes) but striuing to regaine
His legs, and honour, Argalus let driue,
With all the strength, a wounded arme could giue,
Vpon his head; but his hurt arme (not able
To doe him present seruice, answerable
To his desires) let his weapon fall;
With that, Amphialus (though daz'd withall)
Arose; but Argalus ran in, and graspt
( [...] clos'd together) with him; where, both claspt
And grip'd each in th'unfriendly armes of either;
A while they grappled; grappling, fell together,
And on the ground, with equall fortune stroue;
Some time [...] was got aboue,
[Page 145]And sometimes Argalus; Both ioyntly vow'd
[...]; Both wallowed in their mingled blood,
Both bleeding fresh: Now, Argalus bids yeeld.
And now, Amphialus: Both would win the field,
Yet neither could; At last, by free consent,
They rose; and to their breathed swords they went;
The Combat's now renew'd, both laying on,
As if the fight had beene but new begon.
New wounds asswage the smarting of the old,
And warme blood entermingles with the cold.
But Argalus (whose wounded arme had lost
More blood, then all his body could almost
Supply; and like an [...], that expends
So long as he hath either stocke, or friends)
Bled more then his spent Fountains could make good
His spirit could giue courage, but not blood.
As when two wealthy Clyents, that waxe old
In suit, (whose learned councell can vphold
And glaze the cause alike, on either side)
During the time their tearmly golden tide
Shall flow alike, from both, 'tis hard to say
Who prospers best, or who shall get the Day.
[...] he, whose water first shall cease to flow,
And ebbe so long, till it shall ebbe too low.
His cause, (though richly laden to the brincke,
With right) shall strike vpon the barre and sincke,
And then [...] easie Councell may vnfold
The doubt; The question's ended, with the gold.
Euen so our Combatants, the [...] their blood
Was equall [...]; the Cause seem'd equall good,
The Victory equall; equall was their armes;
Their Hopes were equall: [...] was their harmes.
But when poore Argalus his wasting blood
[Page 146]Ebb'd in his veines, (although it made a flood
A [...] flood, in the vngratefull field)
His cause, his strength, (but not his heart) must yeeld:
Thus wounded Argalus the more he fail'd,
The more, the proud Amphialus preuail'd:
With that, Amphialus (whose noble strife
Was but to purchase honour, and not life)
Perceiuing what aduantage, in the fight,
He gained, and the valour of the Knight,
Became his suitor, that himselfe would please
To pitty himselfe, and let the Combat cease;
Which noble Argalus (that neuer vs'd
In honour to part stakes) with thankes, refus'd:
(Like to a lucklesse gamester; who, the more
He loses, is [...] willing to giue o' [...])
And filling vp his empty veines, with spite,
Begins to summe his forces, and vnite
His broken strength, and (like a Lampe that makes
The greatest blaze at going out) he takes
His sword in both his hands; and, at a blow,
Cleft armour, shield, and arme, [...], in two;
But now enrag'd Amphialus forgets
All pitty; and, trusting to his Cards, he sets
That stock of courage, treasur'd in his brest,
Making his whole estate of [...], his Rest;
And vies such blowes, as Arg'lus could not see
Without his losse of life: so thundred he
Vpon his wounded body, that each wound
Seem'd like an open Sluce of blood, that found
No hand to stop it, till the dolefull cry.
Of a most beautious Lady (who well nie
Had run her selfe to death) restrain'd his arme
(Perchance too late) from doing further harme.
It was the faire Parthenia, who that night
Had dream'd, she saw her husband in that plight
She now had found him: Feare and loue together,
Gaue her no rest, till they had brought her hither:
The nature of her feare did now begin
T'expell the feare of Nature; stepping in,
Betweene their pointing swords, she prostrate lay
Before their blood-bed abbled feet, to say
She knew not what; for as her lips would striue
To be deliuer'd, a deepe sigh would driue
The abortiue issue of her language forth;
Which, borne vntimely, perisht in the birth;
And if her sighes would giue her [...] to vent it,
O then a teare would trickle, and preuent it;
But [...] the winde of her loud sighes had laid
The [...] of her teares, she sobb'd, and said:
O wretched eyes of mine! O wailfull sight!
O day of darknesse! O eternall night!
And there [...] stopt; her eyes being fixt vpon
Amphialus; she sigh'd, and thus went on:
My Lord,
'Tis said you loue: Then, by that sacred power
Of loue, as you'd [...] mercy in the houre
Of greatest misery, leaue off; and sheathe
Your bloody sword: or else if nought but death
May slake your anger, O let mine, let mine
Be a sufficient offring at the Shrine
Of your appeased thoughts; or, if you thirst
For Argalus [...] life, then take mine first:
Or, if for noble blood you seeke, if so
Accept of mine; my blood is noble too,
And worth the spilling: Euen for her deare sake,
Your tender soule affects, awake, awake,
[Page 148]Your noble mercy: Grant, I care not whether;
Let me dye first; or, kill vs both together.
With that Amphialus was about [...] speake,
[...] Argalus (whose heart [...] almost [...]
To heare Partheniaes words) [...] this [...].
[...], ah Parthenia; Then must I
[...] bought and sold for teares? Is my condition
So poore, I cannot [...], but by petition?
So said; He [...] aside (for feare, by chance,
The fury of some misguided blow may [...]
And touch Parthenia) and, fill'd with high [...],
Would haue [...] the Combat fresh againe.
But now, Amphialus was charm'd; his hand
[...] no sufficient warrant to withstand
Parthenia's suit, from whose faire eyes there came
Such precious teares, in so belou'd a name;
His eyes grew tender, and his melting heart
Was ouercome; his very soule did smart;
He [...] not, but kept him at a distance,
And (putting by some blowes) made no resistance.
But what can long endure? Lamps wanting oyle,
Must out at last, although they blaze a while;
Trees wanting Sap, must wither; strength and beauty
Can claime no priuiledge to quit that duty
They owe to Time and Change; but like a Vine
(The vnsound supporters failing) must decline:
Poore Argalus growes [...], and must giue o're
To strike; his feeble arme can strike no more;
And natures [...]'d Bayly now destraines
His blood, for that small debt that yet remaines
[...]; His arme that cannot vse the poynt,
Now [...] vpon the pomell; euery ioynt
Disclaimes their idle sinews; and his eye
[Page 149]Begins to double euery obiect by;
Nothing appeares the same it was; the ground,
And all thereon does seeme to daunce the round.
His legs grow faint; and thinking to sit downe,
He mist his Chaire, and [...] into a swoune.
With that Amphialus and Parthenia ran,
Ran in with hast, Amphialus [...]
To loose his Helmet, whil'st her busie palme
Chaf'd his cold Temples, and (distilling Balme
Into his wounds) her hasty fingers tore
Her linnen sleeues, and Partlet that she wore,
No wipe the teare mixt blood away, and wrap
His wounds withall; vpon her panting lappe
She laide his liuelesse head, and (wanting bands
To binde the bloody cloathes) her nimble hands
(As if it were ordained for that end,
And therefore made so long) did freely rend
Her dainty haire, by handfuls from her head;
But as she wrapt the wounds, her eyes would shed
And wet the rags so much, that she was faine
[...] sighs and sobs to drie it vp againe.
Thus halfe distracted with her griefes and feares,
These words she enter mingles with her teares;
Distrest Parthenia! Into what estate
Hath fortune, and the direfull hand of Fate
Driuen thy perplexed soule? O thou, O thou,
That wert the president of all ioyes, but now;
Now turn'd th' example of all misery,
For torments worse then death to practise by!
How lesse then nothing art thou? and how more
Then miserable! Thou that wert before
All Ladies of the earth for happinesse
But very now; (ah me) now, nothing lesse!
[Page 150]O angry heauens; what hath Parthenia done,
To be thus plagu'd, or why not plagu'd alone
If guilty? what shall poore Parthenia doe?
To whom shall she complaine? alas! or who
Shall giue reliefe? nay who can giue reliefe
To her, that hopes for succour from her griefe?
O death! Must we be parted then? for euer?
And neuer meet againe? what, neuer? neuer?
Or shall Parthenia now be so vnkinde,
Te leaue her Argalus, and stay behind?
No, no, my dearest Argalus, make roome,
(There's roome enough in heauen) I come, I come.
Who euer saw a dying coale of fire,
Lurke in warme embers (till some breath inspire
A forc'd reuiuall) how obscure it lies;
And being blowne, glimmers a while, and dies?
So Argalus, to whom Parthenia's breath
Giuing new life, (a life in spite of death)
Recall'd him from his death-resembling traunce;
Who from his panting Pillow did aduance
His feeble head; and looking vp, he made
Hard shift to sorce a language, and thus said;
My deare Parthenia: Now my glasse is runne;
Argalus last speech.
The Tapours tell me that the Play is done;
My dayes are summ'd; Death seizes on my heart;
Alas! the time is come, and we must part:
Yet by my better hopes; grimme death does bring
No griefe to Argalus, no other sting
But this, that I must leaue thee, euen before
My gratefull actions can crosse the score
Of thy deare merits:
But since it pleases him, whose wisedome still
Disposes all things by his better will,
[Page 151]Depend vpon his goodnesse, and relye
Vpon his pleasure, not inquiring why:
And trust that one day we shall meet, and then
Enioy each other, ne're to part agen:
Meane while liue happy: Let Parthenia make
No doubt, but bessed Argalus shall partake
In all her ioyes on earth, which shall encrease
His ioyes in heauen, and soules eternall Peace.
Loue well the deare remembrance of thy true
And faithfull Argalus; let no thought renew
My last disgrace; thinke not the hand of Fate
Made me vnworthy, though vnfortunate.
And as he spake that word, his lips did vent
A sigh, whose vio'lence h [...]d well nigh rent
His heart in twaine; and when a pa [...]ting kisse
H [...]d giuen him earnest of appoaching blisse,
He snatch his sword into his hand and cryed;
O death! thou art the Conquerour; and dyed.
With that; Parthenia, whose liuelihood was foun­ded
Vpon his life, bow'd downe her head and swounded;
But griefe, that (like a Lyon) loues to play
Before it kils, gaue death a longer day;
Else had Parthenia dy'd, since death depriued
Him of his life, in whose deare life she liued.
But ah! Parthenia's sorrow was too deepe,
Too too vnruly, to be lull'd asleepe
By ought but Death: She startles from her swound;
And nimbly rising from the loathed ground,
Kneeles downe; and layes her trembling hand vpon
His lukewarme lips, but finding his breath gone,
Griefe playes the Tyrant; fierce distruction driues her
She knowes not where; vnbounded [...] depriucs her
Of sense and language; here and there she goes,
[Page 152]Not knowing what to doe; nor what she does;
Somtimes her faire misguided hand would teare
Her beautious face; sometimes, her bountious haire,
As if their vse could stand her in no stead,
Since her beloued Argalus was dead.
But now Amphialus (that all this space
Stood like an Idol, fastned to his place;
Where with a world of teares, he did bemoane
The deed, that his vnlucky hands had done)
Well knowing; that his words would aggrauate,
Not ease the miserie of her woefull state,
Spake not, but caus'd her women that came with her
To vrge her to the Ferrie; where together
With her dead Argalus, she' embrackt; from whom
She would not part: no sooner was she come
To t'other shore, but all the funerall state
Of militarie discipline did waite
Vpon the Corps, whil'st troopes of trickling eyes
Fore-ran the well perform'd solemnities:
The Martiall Trumpet breath'd her dolefull sound,
Whil'st others traild their Ensignes on the ground;
Thus was the most lamented Corpes conuaid,
Vpon a Chariot, lin'd, and ouerlaid
With Sables, to his house; a house, then night
More black, no more the Palace of Delight;
Where now we leaue him to receiue the Crowne
Prepar'd for vertue, and deseru'd renowne;
Where now we leaue him to be full possest
Of endlesse peace, and euerlasting Rest.
But who shall comfort poore Parthenia now?
What Oratory can preuaile? or how
Can counsell chuse but blush to vndergoe
So vaine taske, and be contemned too?
[Page 153]May Counsell mooue a heart, whose best [...]
Consists in desperate yeelding to a griefe?
O: what aduice can rellish in her eares,
That weepes, and takes a pleasure in her teares?
Readers, forbeare: sorrowes that are lamented,
Are but exulcerated, but augmented;
Forbeare attempt, where there is no preuayling;
A desperate griefe growes stronger by bewaying.
Leaue her to time and fortune: let your eyes
No longer prye into her miseries;
True mourners loue to be beheld of none;
Who truly grieues, desire to grieue alone.
But now our bloodhound Muse must draw, and track
Amphialus, and bring the Murtherer backe
To a new Combate: Where if fortune please
To crowne our Tragick Sceane, and to appease
The crying blood of Argalus, with blood;
Our better rellisht story (making good
Your hopefull expectations) shall besriend
The teares of our Parthenia, and end.
Soone as the stout Amphialus had out worne
The danger of his wounds, and made returne
Into the Martiall Campe; there, to maintainc
His new got honor, and to entertaine
Aggrieued challengers, that shall demand,
O [...] seeke for satisfaction from his hand;
An armed Knight came praunsing o're the plaine,
D [...]nouncing watre, and breathing forth disdaine.
Foure dam' sells vsherd him, in sable weeds;
And foure came after, all on mourning Steedes;
His curious Armour was so painted ouer
With liuely sh [...]dowes, that you might discouer
The image of a gaping Sepulchre;
[Page 154]About the which, were scattered here and there
Some dead mens bones: His horse was black as let;
His furniture was round about beset
With branches, slipt from the sad Cypresse tree;
His Bases (reaching farre below the knee)
Embroydred were with wormes: vpon his shield,
For his lmprese, he had a beautious childe,
Whose body had two heads; whereof the t'one
Appear'd quite dead; the t'other (drawing on)
Did seeme to gaspe for breath; and vnderneath,
This Motto was subscrib'd, From death, by death.
Thus arm'd to point, he sent his bold defie.
T' Amphialus, who sent as quick replye.
Forthwith, being summon'd by the Trumpets found,
They start; but braue Amphialus, that sound,
The Knight had mist his Rest, (as yet not met)
Scorning to take aduantage, would not let
His Launce descend, nor (brauely passing by)
Encounter his befriended enemy.
Whereat the angry Knight (not apt to brook
Such vnsupportable mishappe forsooke
His white mouth'd Steed; throwing his L [...]nce aside,
(Which too too partiall fortune had denide
A faire successe) drew forth his glittering sword;
Whereat Amphialus lighted (who abhorr'd
A conquest meerely by aduantage gain'd,
Esteeming it but robb'd, and not obtain'd)
Drew forth his sword; and, for a little space,
Their strokes contended with an equall pace,
And fiercenesse: He did more discouer
A brauery, then anger; whil'st the other
Bewray'd more spleene, then either skill, or strength,
To manage it: [...], at length,
[Page 155]With more then wonted ease, did b [...]tter so
His ill defended armour, that each blow,
Open'd a door [...], for death to enter in;
And now the noble Conquerour does begin
To hate so poore a conquest, and disdain'd
To take a life, so easily obtain'd.
And mou'd with pitty, (stepping backe) he staid
His vnresisted violence, and said,
Sir Knight, contest no more; but take the peace
Of your owne passion; Let the Combate cease,
Seeke not your causlesse ruine; Turne your arme
(Better imployd) gainst such, as wish you harme.
Husband your life, before it be too late,
Fall not by him, that ne're deseru'd your hate.
To whom, the Knight return'd these words againe,
Thou lyest, false Traitor; and I here disdaine
Both words and mercy, with a base defie,
And to thy throat, my sword shall turne the lye.
To whom Amphialus: vnciuill Knight,
Couragious in nothing, but in spight,
And base discourtesie; thou soone shalt know,
Whether thy tongue betrayes thy heart or no.
And as he spake, he gaue him such a wound
Vpon the necke, as strucke him to the ground.
And, with the fall, his sword (that now de [...]y de
All mercy) deepely pierc'd into his side;
That done; he loos'd his Helmet, with intent,
To make his ouerlauish tongue repent
Of those base words, he had so basely said,
Or [...]lse, to crop him shor [...]er, by the head.
Who [...]uer s [...]w th'illustrious eye of no [...]e
(New broken from a gloomy cloud) [...]nd downe
His earth reioycing glory, and d [...]play
[Page 156]His golden beames vpon the sonnes of Day:
Euen so, the Helmet being gone, a faire
And costly treasure of vnbraided haire
O'respred the shoulders of the vanquisht Knight,
Whose, now discouer'd visage (in despight
Of neighb'ring death) did witnesse and proclaime
A soueraigne beautie in Parthenia's name,
And she it was indeed; see how she lies
Smiling on death, as it her blessed eyes
(Blest in their best desire [...]) had espied
His fice already, for whose fake she died.
The Lillies, and the Roses (that while [...]
Stroue in her Cheekes, till they compounded there)
Haue broke their truce, and freshly falne to blows;
Behold; the Lilly hath o'recome the Rose.
Her Alablaster neck ( [...]hat did ou [...]goe
The Doues in whi [...] ness [...]; or the new falne snow)
Was stain'd with blood, as if the red did se [...]ke
Pro [...]tion there, being banisht from her che [...]ke:
So full of [...]weetnesse was her dying face,
Th [...]t death had not the power to displace
Her natiue beauti [...]; onely by translation,
Moulded, and cloath'd it in a newer fashion.
But now Amphialus (in whom griefe and shame
Of this vnlucky victorie, did claime
An eq [...]ll interest) prostrate on the earth,
Accurs'd his swo [...]d, his arme, his houre of birth;
Casting his Helmet, and his gauntlet by,
H [...]s vndissembled teares did testifie,
What words could not: But finding her estate
More apt for helpe, then griefe, (though both too late)
Crept on his knees, and begging pardon of her,
His hands (his often cursed hands) did proffer
[Page 157]Their needlesse helpe, and with his life to sh [...]w
What honour a deuoted heart could doe.
Whereto Parthenia (whose expiring breath
G [...]ue speedy signes of a desired death)
Turning her fixt (but oft recalled eyes)
Vpon Amphialus, faintly thus replies:
Sir you haue done enough; and I require
Parthenia's last speech.
No more; Your hands haue done, what I desire;
What I expect; and if against your will,
The better; So [...] wish your fauours still;
Yet one thing more, (if enemies may sue)
I craue, which is, To be vntoucht by you;
And as for Honour, all that I demand
Is not to [...] honour from your hand.
No, no; 'twas no such bargaine made; That he
Whose hands had kill'd my Argalus, should helpe me;
Your hands haue done enough; I craue no more;
And for the deed sake, I forgiue the Doer;
What then remaines? but that I goe to rest
With Argalus, and to be repossest
Of him; with him for euer to abide,
E're since whose death, I haue so often died.
And there she fainted (euen as if the Clock
Of death had giuen a warning, e're it struck)
But foone returning to her selfe againe;
Welcome sweet death, said she, whose minutes paine,
Shall crowne this soule with euerlasting pleasure;
Come, come, and welcome; I attend thy leasure:
Delay me not; O doe me not that wrong,
My A [...]galus will chide, I stay so long;
O now I fe [...]le the Gordian-knotted bands,
Of life vntied; O heauens! into your hands,
I recommend my better part with trust,
[Page 158]To finde you much more mercifull, then iust;
(Yet truly iust withall) O life, O death,
I call you both to witnesse, that this breath
Ne're drew a dram of comfort, since that houre
My A [...]galus dyed: O thou eternall power,
Shroud all my faul [...]s beneath the milkewhite veile
Of thy deare mercy; and when this tongue shall faile
To speake, O then:
And as she spake (O then) O then she left
To spe [...]ke; [...]d, being suddenly bereft
Of words, the fatall S [...]ster did diuide
H [...]r slender twine of life, and so sh [...] dyed.
So dyed Parthenia; in whose closed ey [...]s
The world of beauty and perfection ly [...]s
Lockt vp by Angels (as a thing diuin [...])
From mortall ey [...]s, the whilst her vert [...]es shine
In perfect glory, in the throne of glory,
Leauing the world no Relique, but the story
Of earths perfection, for the mouth of Fame
To confecrate to her eternall [...]:
Which shall suruiue, (if [...] a [...] d [...]uine)
(Though not in these poore monuments of mine)
To th'end of dayes; and, by th [...]se looser [...]imes,
Shall be d [...]liuer'd to succeeding times:
So long as beauty shall but finde a friend,
Partheni [...]es lasting f [...]me shall neu [...]r end.
Till, to be truly vertuous, to be chast,
Be held a sinne, Partheniaes name shall last.
Thus when Amphialus had put out this Lampe,
This Lampe of hono [...]r, he forsooke the Campe;
And, like a willing pris'ner, was confinde
To the strict limits of a troubled minde;
No Iury need b'impanell'd, or agreed
[Page 159]Vpon the verdict; none, to att [...]st the deed;
None to gi [...]e sentence, in the Iudgement hall;
Himselfe was witnesse, Iury, Iudge, and all;
Where now we leaue him, whilst we turne our eyes
Vpon Partheniaes women, whose fierce cryes
Inforce a helpl [...]sse audience. It is said,
When Troy was taken, such a cry was made.
One snatcht Partheniaes sword, resolu'd to dye
Partheniaes death: another, rauing by,
Stroue for the weapon; through which eager strife,
They both were hindred; and each lau'd a life:
Others, whom wis [...]r passion had taught how
To grieue at e [...]sier rates, did rudely throw
Their carelesse bodies on the purple floore;
Where, sprinkling dust vpon their heads, they tore
Their tangled haire, and garments, drencht in teares:
And cryed, as i [...] Partheniaes blessed eares
Could heare the [...] of griefe; such griefes as would
Returne her from her glory, if they could;
[...] heart was turn'd a wardrobe of true passion,
Where griefes were cloa [...]hed in a seuerall fashion;
Sometimes their sorrow would recall to view
H [...]r vertue, chastnesse, sweetn [...]sse, and renew
Their wast [...]d p [...]ssions; and, oft-times, they bann'd
Themselues, for obeying her v [...]iust command.
And now by this, the mourn [...]ll Trumpe of Fame
(Grow e ho [...]se with very sorrow) did proclaime
And spr [...]d her dolefull tidings, whilst all eares
A [...]d ey [...]s were fill'd with death, and sliding teares;
Pitty and Sorrow, mixt with Admiration,
Becam [...] the threefold subiect of all passion;
Gri [...] w [...]ther progresse through all he [...]rts; and none
From t [...]e poore Cottage, to the princely Throne,
[Page 160]Could own a thoght, whose best aduice could borrow
The smallest respite from th'extreames of sorrow.
But all this while, Basilius princely brest,
As it commanded, so outgrieu'd the rest;
His share was treble: hearts of Kings are deepe
And close; what once they entertaine, they ke [...]pe
With violence: The violence of his passion
Admits no meane, as yet, no moderation;
But soone as griefe had done her priuate rights
And dues to Honour; Honour (that delights
In publique seruice, and can make the breath
Of sighes and sobs to triumph ouer death)
Call'd in solemnity, with all her traine,
And military pompe, to entertaine
Our welcome Mourners, whose slow paces tread
The paths of death; and, with sad triumph lead
The slumbring body, to that bed of rest,
Where nothing can disquiet, or molest
Her sacred ashes: There, intombed, lay
The valiant Argalus; and there, they say,
Ere since that time, th' Arcadians, once a yeare,
Visit the ruines of their Sepulchre;
And, in memoriall of their faithfull loues,
There, built an Altar; where, two milk white D [...]ues
They yearly offer to the hallowed Fame
Of Argalus, and his Partheniaes name.
FINIS.

Hos ego versiculos.

LIke to the damaske Rose you see,
Or like the blossome on the tree,
Or like the daintie flowre of May,
Or like the Morning to the day,
Or like the Sunne, or like the shade,
Or like the Gourd which Ionas had,
Euen such is man whose thred is spunne,
Drawne out and cut, and so is done.
The Rose withers, the blossome blasteth;
The flowre fades, the morning hasteth;
The Sunne sets; the shadow flies,
The Gourd consumes, and man he dies.
Like to the blaze of fond delight;
Or like a morning cleare and bright;
Or like a frost, or like a showre,
Or like the pride of Babels Towre,
Or like the houre that guides the time,
Or like to beauty in her prime;
Euen such is man, whose glorie lends
His life a blaze or two, and ends.
Delights vanish; the morne o're casteth,
The frost breakes, the shower basteth,
The Tower fals, the flowre spends,
The beauty fades, and mans life ends.
Finis.
Fr. Qu.

The Authors Dreame.

MY sinnes are like the haires vpon my head,
And raise their Audit to as high a score:
In this they differ: these doe daily shed;
But ah! my sinnes grow daily more and more.
If by my haires thou number out my sins,
Heauen make me bald before the day begins.
2
My sins are like the sands vpon the Shore,
Which euery ebbe layes open to the eye:
In this they differ: These are couer'd o're
With euerie tyde: My sinnes still open lye.
If thou wilt make my head a sea of teares,
O they will hide the sinnes of all my yeares.
3
My sins are like the Starres within the skies
In view, in number, euen as bright as great;
In this they differ; These doe set and rise;
But ah! my sins doe rise but neuer set.
Shine Sun of glorie, and my sins are gone
Like twinkling Stars before the rising Sun.
Finis.
Fr. Qu.

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