The plays & poems of Robert Greene :: :: University of Virginia Library

Tempe the groue where darke Hecate doth keep her abiding:
Tempe the groue where poor Rosamond bewails her Alexis,
Let not a tree nor a shrub be greene to shew thy reioycing;
Let not a leafe once decke thy boughes and branches, O Tempe,
Let not a bird record her tunes, nor chaunt any sweet Notes,
But Philomele, let her bewayle the losse of her amours,
And fill all the wood with dolefull tunes to bemone her,
Parched leaues fill euery Spring, fill euery Fountaine,
All the meades in mourning weede fit them to lamenting.
Eccho sit and sing despaire i'the Vallies, i'the Mountaines;
All Thessaly helpe poore Rosamond mournfull to bemone her:
For she's quite bereft of her loue, and left of Alexis,
Once was she lik'd, and once was she loued of wanton Alexis:
Now is she loathed, and now is she left of trothlesse Alexis.
Here did he clip and kisse Rosamond, and vowe by Diana:
None so deare to the Swaine as I, nor none so beloued,
Here did he deepely sweare, and call great Pan for a witnesse,
That Rosamond was onely the Rose belou'd of Alexis,
That Thessaly had not such an other Nymph to delight him:
None (quoth he) but Venus faire shall haue any kisses.
Not Phillis, were Phillis aliue should haue any fauours,
Nor Galate, Galate so faire for beautious eyebrowes,
Nor Doris that Lasse that drewe the Swaines to behold her:

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Not one amongst all these, nor all should gaine any graces,
But Rosamond alone to her selfe should haue her Alexis.
Now to reuenge the periurde vowes of faithlesse Alexis,
Pan, great Pan, that heardst his othes, and mighty Diana,
You Dryades and watry Nymphs that sport by the Fountaines:
Fair Tempe the gladsome groue of greatest Apollo,
Shrubs, and dales, and neighbouring hils, that heard when he swore him,
Witnes all, and seeke to reuenge the wrongs of a Virgin,
Had any Swaine been liefe to me but guilefull Alexis,
Had Rosamond twinde Myrtle boughes, or Rosemary branches,
Sweet Holihocke, or else Daffadill, or slips of a Bay tree,
And giuen them for a gift to any Swaine but Alexis:
Well had Alexis done t'haue left his rose for a giglot.
But Galate nere lou'd more deare her louely Menalcas
Then Rosamond did dearely loue her trothlesse Alexis.
Endimion was nere beloued of his Citherea,
Halfe so deare as true Rosamond beloued her Alexis.
Now seely Lasse, hie downe to the lake, haste downe to the willowes,
And with those forsaken twigs go make thee a Chaplet,
Mournfull sit, and sigh by the springs, by the brookes, by the riuers,
Till thou turne for griefe, as did Niobe to a Marble,
Melt to teares, poure out thy plaints, let Eccho reclame them,
How Rosamond that loued so deare is left of Alexis,
Now dye, dye Rosamond, let men ingraue o'thy toombe-stone
Here lyes she that loued so deare the Youngster Alexis,
Once beloued, forsaken late of faithlesse Alexis:
Yet Rosamond did dye for loue false hearted Alexis.