Phillis :: :: University of Virginia Library

The silent shadowes with their mothers vaile,
The brighter lampe of Heauen from Thetis hid:
Apolloes sister in her starrie raile,
Along her lower spheare in tryumph rid,
When I by Seuerns beauteous banckes alone,
Encountred with this wofull vision.

A dolefull Queene in semblance and array,
Attended by a princely looking lasse:
Amidst the waltring waue inforc't her way,
And landed there where I lamenting was:
Both seemd of royall birth, and well begotten,
Altho their weedes through eld and wette were rotten.

The leaues in Autumne fall not downe so fast,
As liquid christall dropped from their eyes:
But vvhen their stormie teares were ouer-past,
(The silent spoks-men of their miseries)
They sate them downe where I amaz'd remained,
And thus their falls successiuely complained.

Amidst the troopes of those vvhom tyrant Fate
Hath ledde in tryumph to their time-lesse graue:
Let vvofull Elstred vveepe her wretched state,
Whose storie merrits some regard to haue.
VVho once inthron'd, and now to fortune thrall,
May teach successions to auoyde my fall.

Within that Region where proud-byllowed Rhine,
Doth animate the babes of fruitfull earth:
And baines the bosome of the swelling Vine:
From thence my of-spring came, and thence my byrth
In svvathing clowtes, for happy Princesse heried,
In shrowding sheete, a haplesse Princesse buried.

What said I, buried? I in siluer vvaue.
What said I, shrowded? I in liquid sheete.
The vvater both my winding sheete and graue,
Which stifling me, for pitty seemd to greete:
But where the life so wretched did become,
VVhat talke I of the death, the shrowd, the Tombe?

VVhen first I suckt the svveetes of subtile ayre,
Like to a Comet gathered in the North,
(VVhich in the vernall season makes repayre)
VVith me all natures ritches issued forth.
They that beheld, admird, and did presage
By infancie, the honours of myne age.

The fame that should present my facts to view,
As I from cradle crept, so gathered wing:
As grew my beauties, so his feathers grew,
As waxt my worth, so was he prest to spring,
As yeeres increast, from earth to trees he sprung,
From trees to towers, from whence my fame he sung.

Thus through continuall motion growing great,
His many feathers hatcht as many eyes,
His eyes, as many tongues for to intreate,
His tongues, as many eares to harken cryes.
Which feathers, eyes, tongues, eares, he euer frames
To paint our praise, and bruit our endlesse blames.

Thys monstrous babe (that rents his mothers brest,
To fill the world with tragick historie)
To register my beauties neuer ceast,
Where-through, each eare that heard the nouelty,
Summons each sence with wonder to behold,
If beauties were so great as they were told.

The Germaine Lords, my Fathers neighbour freends,
(For why my Father was a Germaine Peere)
Willing to see the face which Fame commends,
Doe haunt his Court, and like and loue me deere.
All wooe, none winne, for Fortune would it so,
To sette me hie, at last to cast me low.

At length, farre bruited through hys famous fight,
Renowned Humber terror of hys time,
(More feard then lou'd of euery Germaine Knight)
Came to our Court, and saw me in my prime:
All like a mayden-rose, as yet vntainted,
Where-with each touch desires to be acquainted.

His power, his person farre beyond report,
His promise to enstall me in a throne:
His working words which mercy might extort,
Had power to fashion loue where first was none:
So that two Damsels with my selfe agreed,
To waight from him our fortunes and good speed.

Thus we with armed eyes, whence loue did forage
The richest treasures of his tender hart,
Inspyred Humber by our lookes with courage,
With him from Germaine soyle we did depart:
For him, our friends, for him, our land we left,
With him, of friends, lands, life we were bereft.

His myghty minde which hunted after fame,
(Fore-staling each occasion of delay:)
His warlike troopes to tedious martch did frame,
Till all arriu'd where as his shyppes did stay,
We were embarckt, and by propitious wind,
Within th' Albanian Coast did harbor find.

He that hath seene the daughters of the skye,
The myracles of nature in the fielde,
VVho after theyr imperiall chieftaine flye,
And cull such comforts as the spring doth yeeld,
How each his taske, how all themselues reuiue
At his commaund, for to enrich theyr Hiue:

Or as the royall Monarcke of the Ants,
Arranging of his little-labouring traine,
(In Summer tyme fore-seeing Winters wants)
By theyr indeuours stores his nest with graine,
Where each industrious elfe for common good,
Doth gather, seeke, regather happy foode.

So striue these Scithian warriours, to expresse
Their duties to theyr Prince by industrie:
Some pitch theyr Tents, and some theyr Armes addresse,
Some scoute, some forage all the Country nie.
The Plow-mans hope, the thrifty Husbands tillage,
Is now become the wast-full souldiours pillage.

Stout Albanact as then the Scottish King,
Hearing of Humbers proud inuasion:
To stoppe ambition least it further spring,
Attended by the flower of all his Nation,
Encountered him, and that his barbarous band,
Endeuouring force, by force for to withstand.

Then pressed forth from depth of horrid hell,
The babes of wreakfull warre with threatning browes:
Reuengefull Wrath, and sleeplesse Enuie fell,
Prodigious Feare her trembling lymmes did rowse:
And flesh-lesse Death, ledde blood-affecting Murther,
The tragicke change of fortune for to further.

The Husbands scithe was chaunged to a sword,
The Coblers-aule into a sturdie launce:
Peace was obscurd, of warre was euery word,
All prayd to Fortune for succes-full chaunce,
That sits inthrond on her inconstant seate,
And helpes them most who least her helpe intreate.

As when to purge excessiue moyst, descending
From Saturns spheare, or els superfluous heate
Styrd vp by Mars, Ioue (common good intending)
Sends lyghtning-flash to lay theyr angry threate.
So vviser heads that knew the scourge of warre,
Sought sooth-fast meanes to mittigate the iarre.

But as a troope of fierce incensed Bulles,
The Heards-mans strokes or threats doe sette at nought:
So they whose rankorous rage their iudgment dulles,
Had little minde to peace or peace-full thought.
“Who fight for Crownes, set life, set all to light,
“Who aime so hie, will die or hit the white.

The battailes ioynd, heauen mournd to see them ioyne,
The burnisht Armes, heauens brightest beautie basht:
On warlike-steades with many a fatall foine,
The moodie men at Armes together dasht.
The Heauens to see, the Earth to beare did grone,
What God consents to set these iarres at one?

As when a troope of haruest thriftie swaines,
VVith cutting scithes earth ripned ritches movve:
Whole sheaues of Corne lye strewd vpon the plaines,
So fall the Scots before the conquering foe.
My Humber gaind both kingdome and renowne,
And Albanact lost life, his state, his Crowne.

When Albanact lost life, his state, his crovvne,
Then we our lyues, our states, our crownes attained:
We came to conquer and to put him downe,
And what we sought, by warlike sword we gained.
Cæsar no more then Humber could intend,
Who came, vvho saw, who conquered in the end.

But (vvoe is me) promotion is a puffe,
These vvorldly honors are but shades of sweete:
VVho seeke too much, before they gette enough,
Before they meete the meane, with death doe meete.
VVith death they meete, the Hauen of all desire,
VVhere will must waine, and pride cannot aspire.

For vvhen Locrinus with his vvarlike brother,
His vvarlike brother Cambre, vnderstood
Hovv partiall Fortune which deserts doth smother,
Had brought to nought the nestling of theyr brood:
They leuied men, marcht forth without incomber,
And fought, and gaind, and tryumpht ouer Humber.

Then fled my loue, who thought the world shold flie him,
And what he fledde, he mette with ere he sought it,
For why the floods that passage did denie him,
Deni'de him not the death, before he thought it:
And in that flood which terminats the bound,

Wheron the waters are called Humber waters to thys day.

Twixt England & twixt Scotland, death he found.

There death he foūd, with many a warlike Knight.
There found we thraldome, farre more worse then death,
Cordes were our Crownes, our dainties were despight,
My two consorts (aie's me) there lost their breath.
There lost I friends, there lost I helpes, there hope,
But loe my fortune aymes at higher scope.

For where I lost my loue, my friends, my hope,
There found I hope, there faithful friends, there loue:
And whilst I went fast fettered in a rope,
Weeping such teares as might compassion moue,
I was presented by vnhallowed hand,
To stoute Locrinus King of Logiers land.

Who like that thunder-threatning Potentate,
The Arbiter of changes and increase,
Sate lightning forth such lookes as might amate
Warre-breeding Mars, the countercheck of peace:
Him when I saw, I shooke, and shaking wept,
And weeping, to his throne for mercy crept.

And whilst I rent my carelesse-scattered locks,
Those tricked trammels where true loue was tangled,
At Locrins breast for mercy fancie knocks,
Shadowed in seemely lookes where-with loue angled:
And when I cry'd, O pitty me my King,
His eyes cry'd pitty me, by woe looking.

Each motion of mine eyes, enforc't commotion
Betwixt his will and reason what to aunswere:
(But will where loue will rule, must haue promotion.)
My sute first past for life, with listning eare
He heard, and graunted what I did require,
Ennobling of my life by his desire.

My bonds newe broke, and I from fetters los'd,
As mount the brother twinnes from waterie vast,
Within fayre Thetis liquid lappe fore-clos'd,
So from their humbled closures lightned fast
My louely lampes, which earst made intercession,
And by one looke, of all harts tooke possession.

All wonder, and with dazeled eyes with-draw them,
Onely the right-borne Egle by these lights
Approu'd his birth-right, and no sooner saw them
Apparailed in hope, and choyce delights,
But vp he lookes, by suddaine sight confounded,
And I by selfe-like sight, was likely wounded.

“For vvhere there growes a simpathie of harts,
“Each passion in the one, the other paineth,
“And by each cariage of the outward parts,
(VVherein the actuall worke of loue remaineth)
The inward griefes, mislikes, and ioyes are tought:
And euery signe bewraies a secrete thought.

Short tale to tell, Locrinus had the palme
And interest in all my best desseignes:
Each kisse I lent him, breathed Indian balme
To cure his woundes, to breake affections cheines
He had Loues Moly growing on my pappes,
To charme a hell of sorrow and mishappes.

Loe heere my second steppe to high estate,
Now marke my second fall and ouerthrow:
Behold in me the tragedy of fate,
The true Idea of this worldly woe:
The Eris and Erynnis that proceedes
From wretched life, that trusts to Fortunes weedes.

Locrinus freed from hostile detriment,
Possest of loue by me, and me by loue:
(Whose lookes vnto his loue gaue nutriment)
Whether by fatall motion from aboue,
Or through the hote suggestions of his Lords,
Vnto a second loue at last accords.

To Guendolen, to Guendolen (woe's me)
To Corineus daughter, by consult
My deere Locrinus must espoused be,
Euen heere gan Fortune proudly to insult.
What sayd I, to insult, nay rather raigne,
For hence his tyranny he did maintaine.

The English King God knowes against his will,
(Or els his will, farre differed from his vowes)
His Nobles intimations to fulfill,
The Cornish Guendolena did espouse.
Shee got the Crowne, tho I was promist faire,
And he by her begot a royall heyre.

Then to my pride, rebated by her rysing,
No day, no night, could passe me without plaint:
My thoughts were pensiue, ful of sad surmising,
My dreames, some dreadfull domage did depaint.
Aloud my conscience tolde, and I confest it,
My life was loose, and bad me to detest it.

I feard Locrinus through his new contract,
Should grow in hatred of his auncient choyce:
I saw my credite vvas already crackt,
My life condemnd for leud by common voyce.
And what is worse? I knew the Queene intended
That but with death her wrath should not be ended.

Amidst these thriuing thoughts, whilst I assaied
With vaine-affected hopes, to ouer-top
The true-inflicted paines my hart betraid,
Locrinus came: and by sweet words did stop
The breach, which guilty conscience and vnrest
Had made, within the rampayres of my brest.

The ruines which incessant feare prouokt,
By his well tempered reasons were renewed:
My halfe-dead ioyes whom danger long had chokt,
Were cheer'd with kisses which sweet words insewed.
Hys words attended by truth-meaning teares,
Rauisht my hart, through myne attentiue eares.

Tho Guendolen (saith he) doth tyrannise,
Yet Elstred is the soueraigne of my soule:
Th' inforced sollace, like to vapour flies
That hath no power repining harts to towle.
And wrested wedlocks breed but hated heate,
Where no loue seemes so sweet, as stolne and secrete.

Ah, temporise my loue a little season,
And reape the ripning haruest of all pleasure:
Gleane all my loues, and doe me but this reason,
To serue occasion tyll she gyues thee seasure.
Rent out thy feares to mindes more bace and abiect,
And trust thy lyfe to me, thy beauties subiect.

Disparage not my hope by thy misdeeming,
The nest is thine, altho the Cuckow hatch there:
Loue lyues not there where lookes make louely-seeming,
Beare witnes heauens, I neuer meant to match there.
But I inforst to flye a further mischiefe,
In colour her, in hart doe hold thee chiefe.

All these and more, sweet chaines of honny speech,
Deliuered by a trick Herculean tongue,
Able to tice all eares, and all griefes teach,
So rooted vp my sorrowes as they sprung,
That hope suruiu'd, and ioy exhaled greefe:
“For perfect loue is quickest of beleefe.

And to effect his honny promise plighted,
No pleasures were vnsought to yeeld me sollace:
The darksome care which my harts hope benighted,
The sunne-shine of his princly loue did chace.
Delight in showers of gold, in harmonie,
In curious gemmes, was sent to please mine eye.

And to assure my lyfe and his content,
A second Cretan wonder he began,
Wherein nor wanted arte nor ornament,
Nor curious worke of high conceited man:
By hundreth waies, and twice as mickle winding,
Crost, and recrost, beyond all searchers finding.

Not that Colossus reared vp in Rhodes,
Nor hanging Gardens houering in the sky:
Nor all the wonderous mansions and aboades
In Egipt, Lemnos, or in Italy,
Eyther for riches, cunning, or expence,
Might match this Laborinth for excellence.

Within thys Maze and curious Caue I kept,
And those the Saphires of my shyning eyes
Long wakned by my feares, in quiet slept.
Heere when Locrinus list to wantonnise,
I payd him trybute for those gifts he sent me,
With all the sweets that God and nature lent me.

So long in lystes of pleasure did we striue,
Till both affections mutually agreed,
The happy heauens a Trophie did reuiue,
A Trophie of our tryumph and good speede:
A pretty babe for me to stay withall,
A louely child for hym to play withall.

Then loe the fire regathered moodie might,
Long smothered in the embers of suspect:
In me alone Locrinus tooke delight,
And so my new-borne Sabrine did affect,
That nor his wife, her sonne, or ought could moue him
To leaue my loue, who did so deerely loue him.

“Mislikes are silly lets where Kings resolue them,
“Where counsaile-chasing will hath empery,
“Deedes are too prest for reason to dissolue them.
“In mighty mindes a grounded vanity
“Like Iuie springs, that ceaslesse neuer stoppeth,
“Vntill her neighbour-Oake she ouer-toppeth.

Locrinus hearing of the haplesse date
Of Corineus, Guendolenues Father:
Now gan to tempest forth his smothered hate
He durst not threaten forth, or publish rather:
And both his wife, and his vnhappy chyld,
From Crowne, from Court, from fauour quite exild.

Then was I drawne like that sea-fostered Queene,
From those obscurer prysons of my glory,
And brought abroade in tryumphe to be seene:
None durst vpbraid, though many harts were sory.
All likt my lookes, tho each one curst my life,
To see a harlot so supplant a wife.

But as the Sunne in March, is held vnholesome
For stirring vmors, and not laying them:
Filling the earth and ayre with moistnes fulsome,
Yet not resoluing or decaying them,
So was Locrinus blamed for this action:
Who brought to head heere-through a mighty faction.

For Guendolen, with that heroick sprite
Where-with her Father was enobled erst,
To wreake on me her Miriades of despight,
The sentence of her wrongs by power reuerst,
Her harmes, by armes, she vowd to satis-fie,
And heereon leuied a mighty Armie.

And thus attended in tryumphant order,
And garded by her warlike Cornish crew,
She pitcht her field, neere to those banks which border
This azure-mantled streame, where now we rewe.
The King that sets a womans threates at nought,
Prest men, and met hys foe, and with her fought.

But so would Fortune, (fie on Fortune fickle)
That by a shaft Locrinus was confounded:
His scattered troopes like sheaues before the sickle,
Fell downe, or fled, or died deadly wounded.
Ah guiltlesse soules, they perrisht for my sinnes,
And from theyr fall, my tragedy beginnes.

Ah Fortune, nurse of fooles, poyson of hope,
Fuell of vaine desires, deserts destruction,
Impugner of preuentions, errors scope,
Supposed soueraigne through our vaine construction,
Princesse of Paganisme, roote of impietie,
Deuill on earth masked in deitie;

Scorne of the learned, Follies eldest sister,
Bastard of tyme, begot by vaine opinion
Against thy power, O peeuish proud resister,
Mother of lyes, and Mistresse of illusion,
Vampe of vaine glory, double faced shroe,
Whose smyles at first succesfull, end in woe.

It was not thou, (tho worldly wits accuse thee)
That sette Mount Gibel of my plagues a burning:
It was not thou, my conscience doth excuse thee,
It was my sinne that wrought myne ouer-turning.
It was but iustice, from the heauens inflicted
On lustfull life, defamed and conuicted.

As when the poule that vnder-props the Vine,
Is reft away, the crimson clusters fall,
And as the buildings suddainly decline,
That want the meanes to stay them vp withall:
So when the King, and all his trusty freends
Were fled or slaine, then loe mine honour ends.

My lyttle daughter left alone with me,
Both trauersing the fatall blood-dewd plaine:
More fit to feare, then fleete avvay to flee,
At last arriu'd where as my loue lay slayne:
Oh slaying sight, vvounds vvounding, death, death breeding,
Pale lookes (yee seales of sorrovv) palenes feeding.

Sweet Image of his lyuing excellence,
Whilst thus it lay (ah-las that thus it lay)
Impatient greefe would leaue me no defence,
I cald on death, but teares wept death away.
His worst was past, I sigh'd, but sighes nor slender
Teares worke no truce, but where the hart is tender.

And as the straw vnto the Iette fast cleaueth,
So clunge I both myne armes about his necke:
Pouring my plaints in eares that nought conceaueth.
Ah loue (quoth I) vnkind, why dost thou checke,
Why dost thou mate the minds that most admire thee,
And in our needes, in constant thus retire thee?

Breathe life in him againe, or leaue me breathlesse,
Or from thine enuious tryumphant throne,
Send forth Despayre with locks vnkempt and wreathlesse,
To ioyne by death two soules in life but one.
And since at once our harts thou didst inspire,
Let both of vs (O Loue) at once expire.

Oh spent on barraine ground, my flood-like weeping
Loue would not heare: tho gan I trembling try
If kisses could reuiue his ceaslesse sleeping,
But death repines these baites of fond desire.
I suckt his wounds, and wrapt them round about,
But (ah) the life before was issued out.

I faynting fell, enfeebled through my sufferaunce,
My child that saw me fall, for griefe fell by me:
I wept, she cryde, both gaue griefe sustenaunce,
I fainted, and she fainting layd her nie me.
Euen what I kyst, she kist, and what I sayd
She sayd, and what I fear'd, made her afrayd.

For euery sigh, a sigh, for euery teare,
A teare, she was no niggard of her moane;
Ah beauties blossome blasted in the eare,
Thou daughter of the haplesse woful one,
The croppes of cares together must thou gather,
And loose at once, both Mother, life, and Father.

Whilst thus we breath'd our Elegies of sorrow,
Not recking who beheld, or who surpris'd vs,
The free-booters that raunge the Champion thorow,
(Who by our robes, of some high race surmis'd vs)
Layd hands on vs, and brought vs to the Queene,
Who sate tryumphant royally beseene.

Looke how fayre locked Iuno was affected,
When she the monster-queller did behold,
With selfe-like proud-full enmitie infected
The Queene sate, hatching murthers manifold;
And as the wrathfull tempest, that doth follow
In high-topt trees, long murmureth ere it blow,

So gan she to euacuate by her tongue,
The Hydraes of reuenge she had intended:
With tyring taunts at first my heart she stoonge,
And fierce vpbraydes with bitter buffets ended.
Suborner of lasciuiousnesse, (she cride)
Hast thou no vale of shame, thy lookes to hide?

Misgouern'd Minion, in whose wanton browes
The registers of wretched life are written:
Suborner of contempt, lasciuious blowse,
By whom my ioyes were blasted and frost-bitten.
Mistresse of murthers, loosenesse, and what not?
Now are you compast in your proud complot.

The Cædar tree is falne, that did protect you
From euery stormie threat and hate I ment thee:
But now fierce rage by footsteps shall direct you
To timelesse death; for-thy vaine wretch repent thee,
Thou art but dead: for death my hate must bound,
Thy childe, thy selfe, together shall be drownd.

This said, she wild the Ministers to bind
Our tender armes: and now pale feare addrest
Our wayning roses, quite beyond theyr kind,
To flie our cheekes, and helpe our hearts opprest.
Feare sommond teares, teares came, and stroue to stint
A ceaslesse hate, within a hart of flint.

But weladay our Doomesday was ordaind,
For when the oceans of our moane assaild her:
A ruthles rocke, deaf-eared, she disdaind,
We faild not to submit, but pittie faild her.
Then lowlie-creeping prostrate at her feete,
In these laments for mercy I intreate.

Pittifull Queene (sayd I) vouchsafe t'assommon,
The partiallest opinions of thy mind:
And yet remembring thee thou art a woman,
Heare thou with reason, not affection blind:
Then loe my proofes to such effect shall sort,
As they from thee some pittie shall extort.

If vnder couert of ambitious rising,
Or fond intention to suggest the King,
Or by complots of mine owne lewd deuising,
I had surmisd or practisd any thing,
Where-through Locrinus should affect me so,
Iust were my death, and iust mine ouerthrow.

But happy heauens haue registred the truth,
They know my cause, and they can thee assure
It was not I, it was thy husbands youth
That made him loue, and traind him to the lure.
What should poore Captiues doo? or what should I?
Twere better loue and liue, than loath and die.

My sexe was weake, my sences farre more weaker,
Afflictions taught me to accept occasion:
I am a poore vnwilling wedlock breaker,
I was vnable to withstand inuasion:
For where the Conquerer crau'd, I knew full well
He could commaund, if so I should rebell.

What is the Wren, to wrastle with the Gripe?
Or mine vnarmed will to resolution?
Although my beauty made affections ripe,
His was the palme, and his the execution.
My sufferaunce was my fault, he did exact all,
He sought, he taught me first for to enact all.

Then mighty Soueraigne mittigate thine ire,
For why I sinn'd vnwilling and enforced:
And tho an exile, let me hence retyre.
But if compassion be from thee diuorced,
O let me die, and true compassion take
Vpon my daughter, for her fathers sake.

Looke how in royall characters inchased,
She beares the records of his haughty hart.
Stoope princely mayde, be not so lofty paced,
Not what thou wert thinke thou, but what thou art.
Wilt thou not stoope? ah wretch, perhaps thou deemest
The Queene will pardon, since so sweet thou seemest.

Fayre-looking soule, how often did I seale
Kisses vppon her cheekes, whilst thus I pleaded?
But all in vaine for pitty I appeale,
Sentence of death already was arreaded;
Fast bound, to Seuerns bancke I was conducted,
Readie to die, yet not to death instructed.

Meane-while, my sweet Sabrina weeping hasted
To Guendolen, and with her little palme
Strooke on her marble-breast, by no griefe wasted,
Striuing by smiles her moody wrath to calme.
She kist her hand, and straight embrast her neck,
As if inforcing mercie by a beck.

Pardon she cry'd, oh Madam, saue my Mother.
Yea Mother so I cry'd, said Sabrine tho.
Oh let me novv no longer sorrow smother,
But by my selfe capitulate my woe:
Since none are fit, or meetest to reueale it,
Then those who like my selfe, doe likewise feele it.

I saw the death prepared for my life,
I saw the teares my Mother wept for me:
I saw the wofull louer and the wife,
Th' one past pitty, th' other pittying me.
I pittied both, th' one, wanting remorse,
Th' other, since her plaints had little force.

And both of these with selfe like pittie wounded,
Beheld me, whilst I dallyed for my death:
I dallied with that lippe which me confounded,
The lippe that gaue eiection to my breath.
The lippe which through the office of the toung,
Made age-pursuing death to sease on young.

How much for thee sweet mother did I flatter,
Pledging transparant Christall for some pittie?
I know, God knowes, God knowes, I know the matter,
Will would not heare the words of wanton prettie:
Both, both must dye, I mother, thou must dye,
Thou must be drownd, sweet mother, so must I.

As climes the auncient shaddow of the field,
The Father-oake, whose rootes so deepely enter,
As where the spreading boughes midst heauens doo build,
The rest lyes closd in the Tartarian center:
Whom fierce Vulturnus (wonder-working blast)
Nor Southerne healthles wind can ouercast.

So sat the Queene vndaunted and vntainted,
Like to her selfe, an enuious minded woman:
With no kind pleas, her eares would be acquainted,
Away with them she cryes. Ah-las that no man
Weepes now with me; for then what creature curst not
The cruell Queene, tho reprehend they durst not.

Sabrine.
Then you and I sweet Mother were led forth,

Elstred.
We were led foorth sweet daughter to our last;

Sabrine.
Our words, our beauties had but little worth,

Elstred.
So will the heauens: that purest, soonest wast.

Sabrine.
I cride, help mother, help, when I was drowned,

Elstred.
Ah helples both, yet wanting helpe renowmed.

Thus cast at once into the wofull waue,
That laught for to embowell natures treasures:
I forst my selfe, my Sabrine for to saue,
But death no time, no age, no reason measures.
Helpe mother when thou crydst, I came vnto thee,
And then I died, when drowning did vndoe thee.

Both dyed at once: the Annals of mishap,
Wherein woe-tempted men may read theyr fortune:
Since all are subiect to the selfe like trap,
And selfe like death may sweetest soules importune.

Sabrine.
I thus we dyed, yet not with selfe like fame,
For floting Seuerne loues Sabrinaes name.

So may he prattle still vnto his vvaue,
Sabrinaes name, whilst brine salt teares sea weepeth:
And if the Gods or men compassion haue,
Compassion that vvith tender hearts nere sleepeth,
We both shall liue. This said, both sought their Tombe
Within the waues, and suncke vnto the bottome.

The Water-Nimphes with their vnkembed tresses,
The byrds that saw the Water-Nimphes assembled
The fishes that were fedde by their distresses,
The floods with all of these, together trembled:
And I gotte home and weepingly thus pend it,
Carelesse of those that scorne and cannot mend it.

FINIS.