University of Virginia Library

The second Epistle.

Phyllis to Demophoon.

I that thine Hostesse, Phyllis was,
a Rhodopeian Mayde:
Mislike that thou my guest, beyonde
thy fixed time hast stayde.
Thy plighted promise was with shippe
here to arryude againe
Before or neere about the time
the waxen Moone should waine.
But Phœbe fourthly hath repayrde
hir wasted hornes a newe:
Yet may I not on Thracian coast
take once of thee a vewe.
Though thou account the fleeting time,
(which Louers note by trade)
Thou shalt not find that Phyllis hath
to soone hir plaint ymade.
And long ynough I fedde on hope,
for such is Louers guise,
We hardly credit hurtfull happes
till damage doe arise.
I haue oft flattred with my selfe,
and thought the Southren winde
Had stuft thy sailes, and brought thy Barck,
which yet I cannot finde.
I haue a cursed Theseus oft,
that was thy cause of staye:
And yet may be that he at all
bredde not his long delay.
Another while I stoode in awe,
least thou to Hæbrus Lake
Directing course, in middle Seas
by wracke thy bane hadst take.
Full often haue I for thy health
in milde and humble wise,
With Incence made request to Gods,
that lodge in loftie Skies,
And sundrie times when Æole had
his broyling Imps inclosde:
That if thou were aliue thou wouldst
haue commen I supposde.
Thus loyall loue (what so might breede
and be a cause of stay.
To such as trauaile) did deuise,
excusing thy delay.
But thou not forcing on thy fayth,
ne counting of thy Hest,
Not dreading Gods to witnesse callde,
dost minde thy Phyllis lest.
Demophoon to the windes ingagde
his promise with his saile:
I sorrow that the ones returne,
and th' others faith doth fayle.
Denounce to mee what I have done,
but looude thee all too well?
By mine offence I haue deserude
that thou with me shouldst dwell.
In mee one haynous fault is found
that harbourde such a guest:
But this my guile hath force of boone,
and merit there doth rest.
Where now thy solempne sacred othes,
thy plighted troth with bande?
And Gods appealde as true recordes
to witnesse of thy hande?
Where is that holy Hymen nowe,
that vs as chosen Feeres
By free assent conioyne in one
yfeare to waste our yeeres?
First sworst thou by that gastly Goulfe,
where winde and waue doe rore:
By whome thou were in poynt to passe,
as oft thou hadst before.
Then Neptune was to witnesse callde,
thy Graund and worthie Syre,
(Unlesse thou faine) who quailes the Surge
and swelling waters yre.
Then Venus, with hir winged wight,
(that bredde me all this teene)
Was sommond, whose reuenger tooles
are bowe and arrowes keene.
Dame Iuno, that hath spousall charge
and wedlock, shewde hir face:
And Ceres with hir solempne rytes,
was cyted to the place.
If eche of these forenamed powres
and witnesse thus in vaine,
Should seeke on thee to wreake their wrath,
couldst thou endure the paine?
My selfe (least thou shouldst want at neede
a Barck to leaue my lande)
In fonded, did repaire the ships
that ragged lay on sande.
I trimde vp all thy broken Oares,
whereby thou mightst depart:
And thus my selfe haue forgde the tooles,
that thyrled haue my heart.
Thy many smooth and filed wordes
did purchase credites place:
I did beleue thy stocke, thy Gods
stoode all in Phyllis grace.
I thought thy teares had beene of troth:
can they be forged to?
Thy teares which at commaundment are
from flattering face to flo.
Thy Gods did make me iudge the best,
these pledges were in vaine:
God wote one parcell of them mought
a siely Mayden traine.
That I supported thee at neede
it mooues mee naught at all:
So that thy harbour all had beene,
the matter had beene small.
But shamelesse and with blinde forecast,
from bourde to bed did goe:
And there to passe in Venus toyes
doth agrauate my woe.
O that the last forepassed night
before that cursed tyde,
Had beene my last: then Phyllis might
with spotlesse fayth haue dyde.
I hoped better, by deserte
who had thy friendship wonne:
The hope which meede and right procures,
they say is well begonne.
The glorie is not great by guile
to circumuent a Mayde:
You rather should my simplenesse
with friendly fauour payde.
A woman, and a louing wight
thy forged fraude hath made
To be intrapt: God graunt thy prayse
by Phyllis spoyle to vade.
Among th' Athenion noble wightes
thy seate shall be assignde:
Thy Syre amid his spoyles shall stande,
and thou his sonne behinde.
When shamefull Syron shall be read
and fell Procustes death,
And Scynis with the Minotaure,
whome Theseus reft his breath:
When Creon conquerde shall appeare,
and Centaures there be seene:
And be recorded that thy Syre,
at Plutos Court hath beene:
Beneath thy Fathers manly factes,
shall stand this stately stile:
(Lo this is that vnfaithfull guest,
who Phyllis did beguile.)
Of all thy fathers noble actes,
and worthie feates of fame:
Thou onely doest resemble one,
which he accoumpts a shame:
For he king Minos daughter reft,
and hir forewent at last:
And thou (as heire of all his guile)
doest frame a iugling cast.
But she hath made a wise exchaunge,
(I spite not) for the best:
Upon hir Tigers bridled braue,
shee rides at quiet rest.
But now such suters as in Thrace,
of mee were scornde before,
Despise to be espouse to hir
who loues a straunger more,
Than such as were my Countrie men,
to Athens let hir go,
(Saye they) to weare the Thracian crowne
we want not one I trowe.
The ende is it that tryes the fact,
God sende him sorie haps,
That alway thinkes it best to iudge
the cause by after claps.
But so my Countrie waues were cutte,
and sundred with the keale,
Then myght I vaunt my loue imployde,
to tende to publike weale.
But slender was the loue I bare
to this my natiue soyle:
My Pallace moues not thee a mite,
ne Bystons pleasaunt goyle.
The countnaunce and the gesture both,
are yet imprinted fast
Within my breast, that thou didst vse,
when Phyllis sawe thee last.
And didst thou dare with clasping armes,
imbrace hir carkasse so?
And touch hir chirrie lyppe with thine,
a thousande times and mo?
And to confounde thy brackish teares,
with Phyllis salted brine?
And that the weather serude so well,
a fault with Æole fine?
And when thou tookste thy last farewell,
adue how darste thou say?
Demophoon will retyre againe,
that (Phyllis) is no nay.
Shall I expect his gainecome that
hath minde on nothing lesse?
Or gape for sayles that shonne the porte
where was their chiefe redresse?
And yet I can but long to see
thy comming, though be long:
Though fixed day be past, reuert
and quite somepart of wrong.
But what doe I vnhappie wishe?
an other daintie dame
Both thee, and all thy loue hath wonne
to thy reprochefull shame.
I thinke that Phyllis is forgot,
that vsde hir guest so well:
Fie, fie, of Phyllis make not straunge,
ne aske the place I dwell.
I am that Phyllis (would thou wist)
who harbourde thee at neede:
And gaue thee porte that long on Seas
hadst wandred all in dreede.
Whose goods inricht thy poore estate,
and hauing wealth at will
Did succour thee, and woulde haue done
if thou hadst taryed still.
Euen shee, that made thee Lorde and Prince
of all Lycurgus lande:
And yeelded thee a Scepter farre
vnfit for womans hande.
As farre as chillie Rhodope
to busshie Hæmus goes:
And sacred Hæbrus with his streames,
and weltring waters floes.
Euen she that gaue thee leaue to pluck
hir Maydenhead all beshroude:
And with thy craftie hande to let
hir honest belt abroade.
At that synister time was prest
Tisiphone in place:
And eke the Owle, with dolefull shriche,
and monstrous vgly face.
Not farre from thence with snakie bushe,
the fell Alecto lay:
Who with hir gastly glowing eyes,
the presence did affray.
Yet naythelesse to ragged rockes,
and shore I vse to hie:
And all about to kenne the coast
I cast my gazing eye.
When starres in rowling skyes doe raunge,
or Phœbus yeelde his light,
I go to see where Æols windes
with Neptunes waues doe fight.
And whatsoeuer shippe I vewe
come cutting on the Sea
To Thracia warde: I iudge it straight
our natiue Gods to be.
Then lyke a Bedlam wight to waues
and drenching seas I ronne:
As farre as swelling waters flowe,
when ebbing tyde is done.
But how much more the Barke ariues,
and neerer is to lande:
The more amazde, and from my wittes
estraunged doe I stande.
Then gyn my sences all to fayle,
my liuely partes to faint:
And (were not for my Maydes) I shoulde
with swouning be attaint.
A creeke there standes, that is by kinde,
not farre vnlike a bowe:
Whose picked pointes with ruthlesse rocke,
and hardoned stone doth growe.
I was resolude wyth stayed minde,
and vnappalled heart,
From thence to cast my corps adowne,
and will if thou depart.
Then restlesse floude, and fleeting waues,
my carkasse will applye
To shore, and thou thine Hostesse shalt
vnterred see with eye.
Though Adamant thy rygor then
and stubburne steele exceede,
Yet wilt thou saye, fye Phyllis, fye,
this pursute had no neede.
Sometime my fansie serues me well
with venoms drench to die:
And straight with sworde to hast my death,
I am at point to trie.
Then with a string to stoppe my breath,
I thinke it passing fit:
And with a ruthlesse hande, a corde
about my throte to knit.
For certaine fully bent I am,
with speedie leauing life,
To recompence my spotted fame,
in choyse shall be no strife.
And thou that didst procure my bane,
for thy desert shalt haue
This Uerse, or some such other lyke,
insculped on my graue.