University of Virginia Library

Egloga quarta.

Milibeus Palemon.
O God , that guyds ye golden Globe,
wher shinyng shapes do dwel
O thou yt throwest the thūder thumps
from Heauen a hye, to Hell,
what wonders workes thy worthynes
what meruayles doste thou frame?
What secrete syghts be Subiect sene
vnto thy holy name?
A symple Shepharde slayne of late,
by foolysshe force of Loue,
That had not Grace such fancies fond
and Flames for to remoue,
Appeared late, before myne eies,
(Alas I feare to speake,)
Not as he here was wont to lyue,
whyle Gryefe hym none did breake.
But all in Blacke, he clothed came
an vgly syght to se:
As they that for theyr due Desartes,
with Paynes tormented be,
My shepe for feare amased ran,
and fled from Hyll to Dale,
And I alone remayned there,
with countenaunce wan and pale.
O Lorde (quoth I,) what meanes this thyng
is this Alexis spryght?
Or is it Daphnes soule that showes?
to me this dredfull syght.
Or comes some Feend of Hell abrode?
with feare men to torment?
Megera this? or Tisiphon?
Or is Alecto sent?
what soeuer thou art, yt thus dost com
Ghoost, Hagge, or Fende of Hell:
I the cōmaunde by hym that lyues,
thy name and case to tell.
With this, a stynkyng smoke I sawe,
from out his mouth to flye,
And wt that same, his voyce did sound.
None of them all am I.
But one thy frende (O oldiber)
Dametas was my name,
Dametas I, that slewe my selfe,
by force of foolysshe flame.
Dametas I, that dotynge dyed,
In fyre of vnkynde Loue:
Dametas I, whom Deiopey,
dyd cause suche ende to proue,
The same Dametas here I com,
by lycens vnto the:
For to declare the wofull state,
that happens now to me.
(O Melibes) take hede of Loue,
of me Example take,
That slewe my selfe, and liue in Hell,
for Deiopeias sake.
I thought that Deth shuld me release
from paynes and dolefull woe,
But nowe (alas) the trothe is tryed,
I fynde it nothynge soe,
For looke what Payne & gryefe I felt
when I lyued heare afore:
With those I nowe tormented ant,
and with ten thousand more.
I meane not that I burne in loue,
suche foolysh toyes begon,
But Gryefes in nombre haue I lyke
and many more vpon.
O cursed Loue, (what shulde I saye,)
that brought me fyrste to Payne,
Well, myght I ones despyse thy lore,
but nowe (alas) in vayne.
With fond Affection, I dyd stame,
whiche nowe I moste repent,
But all to late (alas) I wayle,
syth hope of Grace is spent.
The fickle fadynge forme, and face,
that ones so muche I sowght,
Hath made me lose the Skyes aboue,
and me to Hell hath browght.
Why had I Reason delt to me?
and coulde not Reason vse.
Why gaue I, Brydle to my wyll?
when I myght well refuse.
A wycked Wyll, in dede it was,
that blynded so my syght,
That made me on such fadyng Duste,
to set my whole Delyght.
A fonde Affection lead me then,
When I for God dyd place,
A Creature, cause of all my Care,
a flesshye fletynge face,
A woman Waue of Wretchednes,
a Paterne pylde of Pryde,
A Mate of Myschiefe and Distresse,
for whom (a Foole) I dyed,
Thus whyle be spake, I sawe me thought
of Hell an vglye Fende,
With lothsome Clawes, hym for to close
and forced him there to ende.
And with this same, (O Melibey,)
farewell, farewell (quoth he.)
Eschewe the Blase of feruent flames,
Example take of me.
My Harte with this began to rent,
and all amasde I stoode.
O lord (quoth I) what flames be these
what Rage, what Furyes woode?
Doth Loue procure, to wretched men
what Bondage doth it brynge?
Paine here: & Paine in lyfe to come.
(O dolefull, dredefull thynge.)
I quake to heare, this Storye tolde,
and Melibei I fainte,
For sure I thought Dametas had,
ben placed lyke a Saynte.
I thought that cruel Charons Boate,
had myste of hym her frayght,
And through his deth, he mounted had
to starres and Heauens strayght.
Howe valiantly dyd he despyse,
his lyfe in Bondage ledde?
And sekyng Deth with courage hye,
from Loue and Ladye fledde.
And is he thus rewarded nowe?
The ground be cursed than,
That fosterde vp, so fayre a face
that loste so good a Man.