A Small Treatise betwixt Arnalte and Lucenda Entituled The Evill-intreated Lover, Or The Melancholy Knight Originally written in the Greeke Tongue, by an unknowne Author. Afterwards Translated into Spanish; after that, for the Excellency thereof, into the French Tongue by N. H. next by B. M. into the Thuscan, and now turn'd into English Verse by L. L. [i.e. Leonard Lawrence] a well-wisher to the Muses |
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 | A Small Treatise betwixt Arnalte and Lucenda Entituled The Evill-intreated Lover, Or The Melancholy Knight |  |
Arnalte to the Traveller.
Thus to my selfe I breath'd out these laments,And many more; but yet their sad relents
In silence I will bury, lest that I
Sould you offend through their prolixity:
But being lancht into the Sea of care,
The Galley of my passions I 'gan steere
And row to Land-ward, but the raging waves
Of these my torments, like so many graves,
Were ready still for to devoure me
Up in the bowells of their misery;
And coupling mischiefes with their rowlings let,
That I safe harbour in no wise could get:
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That of my us'd delights I did not thinke:
I grew so pensive, and so wondrous sad
That no delight in any thing I had;
Sorrow and care they did their service tender,
And wanton pleasure did her place surrender.
Abstaine I did from the sweet company
Of my familiars, no society
With my deare friends, did I from that time keepe,
I'de worke enough to curse my Fate and weepe.
No where I went, unlesse sometimes to Court,
The King to visite, (not my selfe to sport.)
But now my friends they had a great desire
To know the reason why I did retire,
And dayly question'd and enquir'd to know
How I did fare; this did inforce me goe
Unto the Court upon an Even-tide,
And there as soone as that the King me spy'd.
Having betwixt us past a Complement.
He did invite me to a Tournament,
Which by some Gallants who did oft resort
His Grace to visite, some Signiors of the Court
Was enterpriz'd; and howbeit that I
Was more addicted to my privacy
Than to assemblies, yet my will to obey
I did enforce, and this to him did say,
That since his Grace vouchsaf't me to command,
I ready was, nor would his will with-stand.
Wherefore the King, he certifi'd to me
The manner of't, the day when it should be:
The Terme prefix't, it being well-nigh come,
That our attempts should truely then be done,
I did intreate the King for to enjoyne
All the faire Ladies who at that same time
Were resident in Thebes or the Court,
For to repaire unto the Masking sport,
As well as to the Tilting, and have sight.
Of the Night, Revells us the dayes delight:
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Lucenda to invite they would not misse,
Great trouble then did my sad heart betide,
My anguishes with suddaine hopes were priz'd;
And at that instant I was farre more glad,
Than other times I was accounted sad.
The Lists being rear'd, and that his royall grace,
With his faire consort had possest their place,
The Combatants, the signall given, 'gin
To ranke themselves, each hoping Fame to win,
When by the Scaffold of the Queene I past,
Checking my barbed Steed, who with a grace
I caus'd curvete, to mount, to praunce, and leap,
And bravely vault, and such a measure keepe,
That not a Dancer truer steps could trace,
Though he should traverse, hop, fall backe, or chase
For like a Kid he wantonly would skip,
Then like a Barke, or else some well-rig'd Ship
Which rides at Anchor, and doth rowling lye,
He'de rise and fall, yet onward would not flye:
He springs, he leaps, then on two feete he stands,
Then on all foure, then spurnes about the sands;
He neighes, he foames, he puffes, he blowes, he sweats,
And with his hoofes the clayie ground he beats;
Then round he runs, as he would make a ring
Compos'd of Horse-shoos; then his heeles he flings,
Which strikes the dirt into the gazers eyes,
And makes a dust which doth obscure the skies:
Stocke-still he stands, then suddenly he runs
With full carreere, then round about he turnes,
And in his course he suddenly doth stop,
And gently prauncing he doth sideling trote
Thus managing my Steed, I suddenly,
Through visit of my Helmet chanc'd to spye
Lucenda's sweet aspect, whose face containes
All rare perfections, and in her remaines
Th'abstract of all beauty; oh this sight
How pleasing was't! how full of sweet delight!
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That I receiv'd through fortunes blandishment:
But hearke me friend, and I will now declare,
And let thee know the embleme that I beare:
A balance 'twas, a scale of which was green:
The other blacke, a set of waights therein:
The green scale high, the blacke scale very low,
And on m'Impressa writ was this Motto.
| A Small Treatise betwixt Arnalte and Lucenda Entituled The Evill-intreated Lover, Or The Melancholy Knight | |