The thre first bookes of Ouids De Tristibvs translated into Englishe [by Thomas Churchyard] |
 | 1. |
| 1. |
| 2. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
| 10. |
| 11. |
| 2. |
| 1. |
| 3. |
| 1. |
| 3. |
| 4. |
| 5. |
| 6. |
To his most familiar frende.
|
| 7. |
| 8. |
| 9. |
| 10. |
 | The thre first bookes of Ouids De Tristibvs |  |
To his most familiar frende.
Elegia. 6.
Oure league of loue (O dearest frend) in firmest frendshippe knit,Thou will not nor, if happlye would, thou can dissemble it.
To me so longe as lawfull was, none other stoode more deare,
Nor any was in all that towne, wyth mee conioynd so neare.
This loue amonge the people thicke, so openly was blowen,
That almost more then thou or I, the same appeared knowen.
And kindnes thine of gentle hart, vnto thy frend are prest,
The man had throughly tryed whom, thou, dost loue aboue the rest.
Nothing thou could so couert keepe, but I of counsaile was,
And sondrye secretes beare in brest, in common not to pas.
Thou onely wert the man from whom, no priuetye I hidde,
(That one except alas) which me all vtterly vndidde.
Which hadst thou wist thy fellow should, in sauegard thee haue serued,
And shold (O frend) through thy aduise, from sauety neuer swerued.
But me my destneis dire did draw, vnto this passing paine,
They surely shut eche way to mee, that profite could containe.
And whether I this mischiefe might, in being ware avoyde,
Or els the way which destneys wil, by no meanes be destroyde.
Yet thou to vs that fixed art, wyth long acquaintance fast,
Welnere art greatest part I want, of all my pleasures past.
Remember now if fauor can, thy power ought increase,
To proue what it for me may do, we pray the neuer cease.
[22]
That place appointed chaunged eft, might partly ease my paine.
That if with stunefull wickednes, my brest do not abound,
And error be beginner of, my chiefe accusing found.
My minde as his most hurtful wound, doth feare that filthy time,
Thy griefe againe renueth eke, remembring of the crime.
And what soeuer able is, me wyth such shame to spight,
It should behoue it hidden were in darckesome closed night.
Nought els therefore declare I will, saue onely sinnd I haue,
But in such sin no riche reward, nor other gaine to craue.
And this my fault men rightly may, and ought my follye name,
If very names and true to things, they aptly seeke to frame.
Which if they be not euen so, then looke the furthest cost,
For my abode, let this land be, my subberbes vttermost.
| The thre first bookes of Ouids De Tristibvs | |