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This when the Lady finisht had,
reuovlde in mazed muse,
Why rather did I not (quoth she)
at first seeme to refuse
Hys proffred seruice, and to coy
to make the matter strange,
Wherby I might prouoke his loue
more hotter for to range:
Than thus to shew thy selfe so bound
vnto the wight againe,
Declaring for his wished loue
my former forcing paine?
Wherto she pausing did reply,
that faithful harts should frame
Eche thing so faithfull, as it should
deserue no ioy of blame.
And so content, with softned waxe
the letters she doth seale,
And kissed them: to secrete brest
of hirs, she doth repose
The same, whilst seruant were approcht
at due appointed tyde,
Who present come to that intent,
and of the Lady spyde,
Receyvde the letters, with aduise
of foresayde time and place,
Whereas both met, the louer might
determine ful, the case:
And with a thousand greetings sent
vnto the worthy wight,
The seruant homewards did repayre
apace, and meets the Knight,
To whom he yeeldes the paper sent,
as also doth discry,
The pointed place and present tide
wherto he should apply
His iorney made, but oh the ioyes
the happy man conceivde.
When these thus luckie newes he had
and letters were bequeavde,
I deeme the Gods had no such cause
or motions to be glad,
As in that ten times blessed time
the ioyful man he had.
It were therefore but frustrate, that
I further should pretende
His happy haps for to discribe,
or fansies to extende,
Since heauenly powers can scarse comprise,
I deeme, the wondrous ioyes,
That fed his fansie with delightes
of sundry pleasaunt toyes,
Wherein he spent the altered time,
till Titan had resinde
Hymselfe to west, and left the clokes
of pitchy clouds behind,
And then againe recoursed was,
and had his streames displayde
In open East, on fertile earth,
and gladful light conuayde,
Wherin the Louers lothsome couch
forsaken, do prepare
To meete in happy pointed place,
and gorgeously they are
In silken robes of costly price
arayde and redy prest,
As louers such as for the nonce
their seemely sightes addrest,
And after iourney, are aryvde
to foresayde ioyful place,
Whereas the Knight his Lady met,
doth kisse and then imbrace.
Whom likewise she a hundred times
rekist and kist againe,
And he requited euery one
by one, yet toke no paine.
That who had seene the seemely sight
of louers there so blazde
With comely corps and princely port,
he wondring would (amazde)
Have musde, that nature could haue made
such artificiall show,
Or that such imps of heauenly hewe
from earthly globe should grow.
And thus the louers ruld the time
to their desired ioye,
And made discourse of al their haps,
and blist, that banisht ioye,
They had attaynde to happy wish:
til seasons tickle trade
Approchte, of force (against their wils)
departure must be made.
Wherein, with parting kysse they past,
appointing time renewde,
When there in present place againe
eche other might be viewde:
And at departure, fixed fast
their eyes for to beholde
Eche others presence wistly markte,
so vttrance did vnfolde
Of louely vse, eche louing hart
as long as time would lette,
Uppon eche others comely corps
their eyesights to bee sette.
And thus departed, both yclad
in like adorned hewes,
They spend the time at wished ease,
as stil the time renewes,
And often thus they vsde to meete,
and long their ioyes retainde,
Til at the last, oh cursed case,
their customes were restraynde
By villayne seruant Antropos,
whose long disguised guyle
Hath now at last attempted, wrought
the louers ioyes exile.
Come come, Alecto therefore, thou
vnhappy caytyfe, teache
My drousie verse, the diuelishe wyles
of this vnhappy wretch,
Whose rankrous hart deuising long
to worke Pesistrats payne,
Had now a little conuenient time
to charme his poysnous baine.
For when the villayne had supposde
what snare he might inuent,
Thus bring priuy to the chiefe
of all their whole intente,
And pondring what displeasure might
to Pesistrate aryse.
If that his secrete loue were knowne,
the miser did deuise
How to disclose to vncle of
Catanea the same,
With further forged tale, that might
ingender greater blame.
Wheron approcht to Phetratus
hir vncle, so he hight,
With tale prepared for the nonce,
thus vttred he his spight: