University of Virginia Library

With that the faire Parthenia (whose desire
Was all this while, by fire, to draw out fire;
And by a well aduised course to smother
The fury of one passion with another)
Stept in, and said; Then Argalus take thou
Thy true Parthenia: Thou dream'st not now;
Behold this Ring, whose Motto does impart
The constancy of our diuided heart:
Behold these eyes, that for thy sake haue vented
A world of teares, vnpittied, vnlamented:
Behold the face; that had of late the power
To curse all beauty; yet it selfe, secure:
Witnesse that Tapour, whose prophetick snuffe
VVas outed and reuiued with one puffe:
And that my words may whet thy dull beliefe,
'Twas I, that roard beneath the scourge of griefe,
VVhen thou did'st curse the Darknesse, for concealing
My face; and then the Tapour, for revealing
So foule a face; 'Twas I, that, ouercome
VVith violent despaire, stood deafe and dumbe
To all thy vrg'd perswasions. It was I,
That, in thy absence, did resolue to die
A wandring pilgrime, trusting to be led
By fortune, to my death; and therefore fled:
But see; the powers aboue can worke their ends,
In spight of mortals: and what man intends,
The heauens dispose, and order the euent:
For when my thoughts were desperately bent
To mine owne ruine, I was led by fate
(Through dangers, now too tedious to relate)
To faire Queene Hellens court, not knowing whither
My vnaduised steps were guided. Thither
My Genius brought me; where, vnknowne to any,
I mournd in silence; though obseru'd by many,
Relieu'd by none. At length, they did acquaint
The faire Queene Hellen with my strange complaint,
Whose noble heart did truly sympathize
With mine, partaking in my miseries:
Who, fill'd with pitty, strongly did importune
The wofull cause of my disastrous fortune,
And neuer rested, till she did inforce
These lips t'acquaint her with the whole discourse.
VVhich done, her gratious pleasure did command
Her owne Physitian, to whose skilfull hand
She left my foule disease; who in the space
Of twice ten dayes, restor'd me to this face:
The cure perfected, straight she sent about
(Without my knowledge) to enquier out
That party, for whose sake I was contented
T'endure such griefe with patience, vnrepented.
Hoping (since by her meanes, and help of Art)
My face was cur'd) euen so to cure my heart.
But when the welcome messenger return'd
Thy place of boad, ô how my spirits burnd
To kisse her hands, and so to leaue the Court;
But she (whose fauours did transcend report
As much, as they exceeded my desert)
Detain'd me for a while, as loath to part
VVith her poore handmaid; till at last, perpending
A louers haste, and freely apprehending
So iust a cause of speed, she soone befriended
My best desiers, and sent me thus attended,
VVhere (vnder a false maske) I laid this plot,
To see how soone my Argalus had forgot
His dead Parthenia, but my blessed eare
Hath heard, what few or none must hope to heare:
Now farewell sorrow, and let old despaire
Goe seeke new brests: let mischiefe neuer dare
Attempt our hearts: let Argalus inioy
His true Parthenia; let Parthenia's ioy
Reuiue in him: let each be blest in eyther,
And blest be heauen, that brought vs both together.