University of Virginia Library

Thysbees EPICÆDIVM.

Yet Thysbe stay thine hand: thine obsequies,
desire more celebrating exequies;
Die not intestate, in this desert groue,
but consecrate in token of thy loue
Thine hests to Vesta yet let Uesta know,
Thysbe vnwilling is enforced so.
Then let thy Parents, Parents though vnkinde
By Natures lawe, some short memorials finde,
Of thy affection: Swannes before they die,
leue pensiue odes and warble merrily.
Yet must I needs declaime against your feare,
iealous of hurt where no hurt could appeare:
For I am sure nere was your thriuing blissing,
more deere to me then was my louers kissing.
Oh then vnkind vnkindnesse did not fit,
our chaste desires that could not bridle it.
Loue was the hott'st when it did seeme conceal'd,
and hid in ashes, yet in time reueal'd.
Then blame your selues, not vs: you caus'd our end,
barring a louer from her long fought friend,
Which we doe pardon if youle let vs haue,
our toomb in one, our ashes in one graue.
Which if you shall performe our hope extends,
our disioin'd corps conioin'd you make amends.
Well do I know our funerals renew,
currents of teres and streames of griefe in you.
And many pagent mixd with liquid teares,
will make attendance on our desolate beres,
Many distreaming drops will dim your eie,
to see two louers end so suddenly.
Yet all in vaine, being dead, your teares restraine:
for teeres cannot recall vs back againe.
The Nimphes themselues with Poplar twigs will make
an osier basket for Idalias sake,
Wherein collect you may such fragrant flowers,
as shall adorne our monumentall bowers:
Yet when you spreade your flowers ech in degree,
Strow more on his side then you strow on me.
He was more constant, he did first begin,
I like his shadow did but follow him.
He came vnto the place, and spite of death
seeing my tire engor'd did lose his breath.
I like an Ape, to imitate my loue,
follows his worth, his presence to approue.
A glorious presence where the gods accord
all wealth, all ioy, Elizium can affoord.
Fruitfull Elysis where ech constant mate,
raignes in fruition of his happie state,
VVhere Hero smiles to grapple with her deere,
Iealous of nothing, for no cause of feare
Can crosse loues action? theres no Helespont,
But the sweet relish of a Nectar fount
Hight the Castalian fount which Gods adore,
where hauing drunke thei're neuer thirsty more.
By this renowmed brooke, shall he and I,
prattle of loue, and parents cruelty.
Yet so wele prattle that we may receaue,
loues haruest purchas'd by our ircksum graue.
A happy Graue, that is a spicie vrne,
where louers vse to smile, surcease to mourne,
For by their dying they doe more obtaine,
then euer here enthral'd they thought to gaine,
And can that death be cald a death? O no;
for by that death from death to life we goe.
Reaping the blossomes of experienc'd good,
which while we Pilgrims were, we neuer could.
Then doe not weepe deere friends; for we enioy,
the hauen of our hopes, where no annoy
Can make disturbance, but empal'd by Ioue,
we get renoume for our surpassing loue.
Let no sad Odes our burials solemnise,
nor let no teares com trickling from your eies,
The solemne fire which euer old hath been,
our buried reliques will full well be seem:
Yet when you burne our ashes, you should see,
His ashes haue the vpper hand of me:
For Cupid with his mother Queene of loue,
Pres'd downe the female, set the male aboue.
Then for an order (since the Gods ordaine it)
It were presumption for you to restraine it.
For rest assured if we had mist this chance,
we had obaid ere this their ordinance.
O let our loues recorded be by you,
and when you sing vnto our hearse adew,
Euer imprint this caurion in your minde.
Be not vnto your childrens loues vnkinde.
Hang not the willow token of disdaine
vpon our Toome: for that each country swaine
Can set vpon his shrine: let Venus tree,
the louely mirtle shew our constancie.
If you want any rites or solemne hestes,
which may beseem our graues: the birds protests
Each in their order to solemnise them,
and gods themselues for to eternize them:
Each mourning Turtle hauing lost her make,
will mourning make resort for Venus sake.
And sweet Leucothoe will represent
of Vmolus odours a delicious sent.
The Nighterne owle, that night wil cease from prey
howling by night, as she did howle by day.
The little Batt (though fearefull heretofore)
will flocke amongst the rest and feare no more.
Thus euery Bird, for it is Gods desire,
will with their presence decke our funerall fire.
To purge our guilt dame Venus promis'd me,
shele goe to heauen with lowe and bended knee.
And well I know Ioue, Uenus loues so well,
he will belieue what tale so ere she tell.
Then for her loue let Venus altars smoke,
and in each corner of her Temple looke;
No ornament which best may her be-fit,
Be there awanting but to perfect it.
You know our Cittie much relies on her:
for by her succour no distresse can sturre
The prosperous sailes of our prosperitie,
but like a sterne she's euer fixed nie,
To rid her from those rocks vnto the shore,
in liew whereof we do her shrine adore.
Yet ere I die I must take leaue of you,
you sacred mansions which my woes renew:
Thou oliue-tree that planted was so nie
vnto my fathers house where I came by
This last vnhappie night: thou tender vine,
whose supple slips these fingers oft did twine.
Thou rosie border set with roses fayre,
to which each morne I vsed to repaire,
And rob thee of thy store to bewtifie
my haplesse tire with crimson puritie,
Farewell at once farewell, long may the dew
of siluer hair'd Aurora water you,
Long may you flourish, this I onely craue,
that with your flowres each morne you deck my graue.
Such sweetes, such fragrant roses represent,
that your repose may make it redolent.
Send out your spicy odours and attend,
with Hyble fruites vpon my bleeding friend;
For manie time and oft hath he and I,
chas'd one another full lasciuiously:
And if he chaunc't to be too slow in running,
I would hold back and linger for his comming.
But of all monuments I bid adew,
broad shadowing beech-trees to the sight of you:
You many times haue yeelded sweet repose
vnto our loue and seasoned haue our woes,
By your contented shades blest be you euer,
and like Elisian-shades fade may you neuer.
O many times haue we two sported there,
(for we alone were priuiledged there)
And twisting nose-gaies we our flowers would hide,
lest by some Satyre we should be espide;
Oft would we crop sweete flowers and hauing cut them,
within our wicker baskets we would put them:
And when we more had gathered then we needed,
we gathred still for so our loue exceeded,
That euery flower we cropt we did apply
vnto the flower of our virginitie.
And thou vnhappy Pine that mounts so hie,
as if thou meant by height to tutch the skie;
Thou mai'st repine at fates that murdred me,
since Thysbees hand each morne did cherish thee,
Oft haue I planted grafts within thy stemme,
which now are growne so high they shadowe men
And with a Water pot which I did bring
each morne by time; I made thine arms to spring:
But now, poore Pine, pine maist thou now and die,
for none that I know cherish thee but I:
Now shall thy shadowing branches fall away,
their falling leues to winters fury paie.
And none remaines there now to pittie thee,
When I am dead that liuing nourisht thee;
But be content; shed teres in loue of me,
and when thou hear'st my death deiected be:
Cast down some withered leues & send them hither,
portending thus much, we must die together;
This if thou dost I will thee thankfull call,
and wil with Laurel thy sad head empall:
That though thou die, yet that thou diest with me,
in after-times still honoured thou maist be.
And thou straite chinke to which full many time
we made repaire: through thee our loue did shine,
And spearst her beames; farewell, for neuer more,
shall we resort to thee as heretofore;
Thou wast the author of our first vndoing,
for by thy meanes thou gauest vs means of woing,
Giuing eyes liberty, which eyes so wounded
that by their passions passions new rebounded,
Yet we do thank thee for thy fore-past loue,
for by our deaths the gods themselues approue
Our constant minds, recorded which must be
in heauens conuentions to our memorie.
O happy thou whilst our two fragrant breaths
made thee so rich, impouerisht by our deaths:
For this I thinke, this is my prophesie,
nere shall such lips bestowe their breath on thee,
When thou shalt heare of our discording end,
some softned teares vpon our funeralls spend:
Let thine hard marble be dissolv' to streames
of liquid water, since those radiant beames
Which our reflecting eyes the marble gaue
might pierce him more, then euer Lyricks haue
The sauage beasts, whose natures were made tame,
at the rehearsall of sweet Amphions name:
What then should Bewtie? whose attractiue power
commands stones, serpents & sweet budding flowr:
What should the Splendor of faire Beawties eie
act, since such acts were done by harmonie?
Open your flinty bosome, let remorse
shed riuolets of teres vpon my coarse:
Or if you will not so, at least restraine
your ayrie chinke, and shut it vp againe:
Let not such Monuments liue when we die,
for they'le augment our Parents iealousie:
That as we lov'd, kiss'd toy'd when we're liuing,
so we may loue, kisse, toy at lifes depriuing.
Then shut that crany vp lest after time,
impute the fault vnto that chinke of thine.
This last record by Thysbe thus recorded
bred floods of teres: for teres their sighs afforded,
the Balme-trees wept, their teres concrete in one
distilled into th' substance of a stone:
Which stone it seemes, did after couer them,
for after times found it laid ouer them.
With many faire inscription which did shew
of loue recorded neuer none more true,
Then this of Thysbe and her louing mate,
supposing mutuall death a blessed state,
A state more blest in that they had their wish,
Thysbe had hers and Pyramus had his;
They were depriv'd of louing in their liuing,
but by their deaths the gods themselues were giuing
Tokens of loue, for they enioied their loue,
which no transparent iealous eye could moue.
Empall'd by diuine power, heauens maiesty,
to honour them, that honour'd constancie;
And which was more: dame Venus (as we read)
yoking her Doues, came to high Ioue with speed,
Her milke-white doues with ayrie coloured wings,
vnto Ioues throne their beawteous lady brings;
Where she with smiling countenance, for her smile,
all foggie mists Olympus did exile,
Thus spake to Ioue, who seeing her did grace her,
and with enfolded arms 'gan to embrace her.
Ioue smilde at this, for he desired change,
and therfore oft from heauē to earth would range
For pleasure and delight: variety
willing vnwilling, wrested this reply.
This said: bright Uenus happy to receiue
The full accomplisht sute which she did craue,
Takes leaue of loue, and taking leaue he kist her,
amidst his kisses with his prayres he blist her.
Uenus to Ida hies Idas she sends
Embassadour to Thysbe, who attends,
The Gods decree; where hauing come at last,
tels to Thysbe all discourse was past
Twixt Ioue & Venus, yet not all she told,
for Venus bade him loues intendments hold,
Lest his narration should more sorrow breede,
then any comfort drawne from humane seede:
For well I know no Ioue so precious
to her, as was her louely Pyramus.
When Idas had exprest what Ioue decreed,
he tooke his leaue of Thysbe, and with speede
Return'd to Venus, Uenus Queene of loue,
whom he with Mars found lying in a groue
Of leauy Poplars, sporting midst their pleasure.
Uulcan was absent, they had time and leisure.
Where we will leaue them, and swift Idas traine,
and to our loue-sick Thysbe turne againe.
Thysbe address'd to die, yet long in dying,
Draws courage to her, & that blade espying.
VVhich was be crimsond with the bloudy gore,
of that same murder it had done before;
Takes it into her hand, (her hand God wot
as soft as downe, such weapons handled not
Before this time, (and this time was too soon
to vanquish bewty, and to cut it downe.
Poore wench she knew not how to vse the blade,
for other armour Nature had her made.
But like an vntraind Souldier wanting skill,
knows not to fight, yet vseth his good will,
Trauerse his ground as other souldiers doe,
yet hath no method, for he knows not how:
Euen so this heauenly creature handled it,
long time vncertaine how to mannage it.
At last by reason, reason did acquaint,
which was the pummell, which the fatall point,
Grasping the blade which she before did take,
to th' shade which shadowed Pyramus shee spake.