Diana of George of Montemayor :: :: University of Virginia Library

No more (O cruell Nymph) now hast thou prayed
Ynough in thy reuenge, prooue not thine ire
On him that yeeldes, the fault is now apayed
Vnto my cost: now mollifie thy dire,
Hardnes and brest of thine so much obdured:
And now raise vp (though lately it hath erred)
A poore repenting soule, that in the obscured
Darknes of thy obliuion lies enterred.
For it fals not in that, that doth commend thee,
That such a Swaine as I may once offend thee.

If that the little sheepe with speede is flying
From angrie Shepherd (with his wordes affraied)
And runneth here and there with fearfull crying,
And with great greefe is from the flocke estraied:
But when it now perceiues that none doth follow,
And all alone, so far estraying, mourneth,
Knowing what danger it is in, with hollow
And fainting bleates, then fearefull it returneth
Vnto the flocke, meaning no more to leaue it,
Should it not be a iust thing to receiue it?

Lift vp these eies (Ismenia) which so stately
To view me, thou hast lifted vp before me

That libertie, which was mine owne but lately,
Giue me againe, and to the same restore me:
And that milde hart, so full of loue and pittie,
Which thou didst yeeld to me, and euer owe me.
Behold (my Nymph) I was not then so witty
To knowe that sincere loue, that thou didst shew me:
Now wofull man full well I knowe and rue it,
Although it was too late before I knew it.

How could it be (my enemie) say, tell me,
How thou (in greater fault and errour being.
Then euer I was thought) should'st thus repell me?
And with new league and cruell title seeing
Thy faith so pure and woorthy to be changed.
And what is that Ismenia, that doth binde it
To loue, whereas the same is most estranged,
And where it is impossible to finde it?
But pardon me, if herein I abuse thee,
Since that the cause thou gau'st me doth excuse me.

But tell me now what honour hast thou gained,
Auenging such a fault by thee committed;
And thereunto by thy occasion trained:
What haue I done, that I haue not acquitted?
Or what excesse, that is not amply paied,
Or suffer more, that I haue not endured?
What cruell minde, what angry brest displaied,
With sauage hart, to fiercenes so adiured,
Would not such mortall greefe make milde and tender,
But that, which my fell Shepherdesse doth render?

Now as I haue perceiued well thy reasons,
Which thou hast had, or hast yet to forget me,
The paines, the greefes, the guiltes of forced treasons,
That I haue done, wherein thou first didst set me:
The passions, and thine eares, and eies refusing
To heare, and seeme, meaning to vndoe me:
Cam'st thou to know, or be but once perusing
Th' vnsought occasions, which thou gau'st vnto me,
Thou should'st not haue wherewith to more torment me,
Nor I to pay the fault my rashnes lent me.