University of Virginia Library

Hee departeth from Rome, remembreth the teares of his wyfe and frendes.

Eleg. 3.

VVhen I the pensiue picture see, of darcke and drery night,
And in my minde behold the Towne, from whēce I toke my flight.
Or time record, when I did leaue, my frendes and dere alyes,
Then do the dolefull droppes discende, from my sad weeping eyes.
The day drue on I should depart, as Cæsar wild before,
And flee a farre to partes extreame, and shonne Italia shore.
No time or perfit space I had, nor minde for prayer prest,
And drowsines by long delay, had crept in carefull brest.
No men there were to waight on mee, no care I had to reede,
No garmentes meete for myne estate, nor wealth to serue my neede.
I was astoynde: as he that feels the force of lightning flame,
Who thincks he were of life bereft, and yet enioyes the same.
But when this cloude of minde was gone, by sorrowe set asyde,
And that my sences did returne, in former health to byde.
At last my sorye frendes I spake, when I away did pas,
Which of a nomber that I had, but one or two there was.
My louing wyfe all weeping thus me weeping did sustaine,
Till that by her vnworthy cheekes, a shoure of teares did raine.
My doughter deare was farre away, in coast of Libia land,
And of my fate no word she knew, nor cause could vnderstand.
A yelling and a cryinge noyse did sound on euery syde,
No secrete forme of funerall, wythin my house did byde.
The man the wyfe, the blamelesse babe, my dolefull death do rue,
In euery corner of my house, a streame of teares there grue.
If we doubt not our matters small, by greater thinges make plaine,
As Troy when it was tane, so we, in like estate remaine.
Now whisted was the voyce of men, of dogges and euery wight,
And Cynthea ledde the horses then, that ruld the darckesome night.
I loking vp, did cast mine eyes, the Senate house to see,
Which next our careful cot in vaine, was built in good degree.
And sayd (O Gods) that here do rest, and nearest neighbours bee,
O stately Temples whom mine eyes, henceforth shal neuer see.
And you O heauenlye goasts I leaue, in loftye Rome to dwell,
For euer here I take my leaue, and bid you al farewell.
But (though that after greuous wounds) my shield to late I haue,
Yet do vouchsafe my feareful flight, from hurtfull hate to saue.
And saye vnto this heauenly man: by error I did fall,
Lest wickednes may els be thought, to haue beene mixt with all.
And that which you do al perceiue, let him perceyue the same,
(That Gods once pleasd) I may be sure, to haue no wretches name.
These paineful prayers haue I made, the mighty Gods vnto,
My wyfe with more: while sobbing sithes her words haue letted so.
Before the doores with heares be spred, she prostrate so did lye,
And with her mouth the Alters kist, that builded are thereby.
Full manye helpelesse words she spake, to aduers houses than,
Which nought at all for me preuailde, that was condempned man.
The hasting night now drew away, nor longer space would graunt,
Wherewyth the starres did turne one axe, the darckesume night to daunt.
What might I do? as loth I was, to leaue my countrye deare,
So was the pointed night now come, and almost passed cleare.
How oft cryed I to such as then, my long delay contrould,
Why force you mee? why hast you so? whence go we now, behold.
How often haue I faind likewise, a certaine houre to haue,
Which for my iorney were more fit, and mee from daunger saue.
The threshold thrise I kist, and thrise I was cald backe I trow,
My minde was dull and made no hast, my feete in flight were slow.
Oft times I sayd farewel, and yet, for which I speake and plaine,
And then as parting I returnde, to kisse my frendes againe.
Oft times the same preceptes I gaue, and being yet begilde,
I looked backe and cast mine eyes, to see my selye childe.
In fine: what hast? to Sithia nowe, it is that we are sent,
And Rome we leaue yet both delayes, be done of iust intent.
My wyfe although she liue I loose, I yet do liue likewise,
Wyth house and members sweete thereof, which I cannot dispise.
My faythfull fellowes eke whom I, as brethren did esteeme,
Whose fastned fayth as true to mee (O Thesyan mates I deeme.
Them there in armes I did embrace, which neuer more I might,
Eche houre a gratefull gaine I thought, that geeuen mee was that night.
No more delay I made, but left my talke imperfit there,
All things that I should then haue sayd, in minde recorded nere.
While we our sorrye speach did spend, and while we weeped thus,
The day starre gan appeare on skye, a heuye starre to vs.
Wherewyth a pange I felt as though, my members haue forlorne,
And from my body euery part, did seeme to haue bene torne.
I playnd as Priam whilom did, when he the treason knewe,
And saw his foes from horse to slippe, when Troyan mates they slew.
A common crye did then aryse, my frendes a roring make,
Their careful brestes of clothing bare, with heauy hands they strake.
Departing then: to shoulders fast, my wyfe did cleaue afraid,
And wyth my teares her wordes she mixt, and thus euen then she said.
Thou shal not go: together vs, to flee they shal constrayne,
I follow thee of exiles wyfe, and exile wil remayne.
The waye is made for mee, and I, the furthest lande wil see,
And to your passing shippes I shal, a slender burden bee.
Cæsars wrath commaundeth you our countrye deare to flee,
But loue, this godlye loue, shal Cæsar geeue to mee.
Like helpelesse thinges she did assaye, as oft she did before,
And skant her weary hands she gaue, her profit to restore.
I comming forth as one that were, depriude of rightfull graue,
A nastye skinne, a hanging beare, a foming mouth I haue.
Some say that she wyth sorrowes great, at end of darckesome night,
Amids the house in frantike moode, did cast her selfe in sight.
And that at length she roose againe, her heares in dust arayde,
And members colde from ground she heud, as one right sore afrayde.
Sometimes her selfe, sometimes her house, shee doth bewayle wyth all,
And to her husband absent then, full oft by name she call.
No lesse she weeped there then if, her woful eyes should spye,
My doughter or my selfe made meete, on burning coles to lye.
Such care she had her death to haue, and leaue her liuing sence,
Yet none it were respecting mine, though she so passed hence.
But now God graunt that she do liue, sith fates do so decree,
That by her helping hand I may, the more releeued bee.
Bootes now which keepes the bere, of Eremanthus woode,
In Ocean sea is diued lowe, whose star doth stir the flood.
Yet sayle we not in Iouian seas, for that we so do craue,
But are compeld by present feare, more boldnes there to haue.
Lo nowe (O wretche) the seas waxe black, the boisterous windes do beate,
And sandes that from the depth be drawne, do burne with sowly heate.
Our shippes with waues no lesse then hilles, is tossed to and fro,
Our painted Gods with billowes bet, their quiet state forgo.
The slender sides do crye and sounde, with stresse the cables crake,
The ship it selfe with our ill happe, a fearefull groning make.
The maister by his pale aspecte, bewrayes his secrete fere,
And ouercomde pursues the shippe, by skil rules not the stere.
Like as the fearefull ryder doth, let slip the horses reane,
Who yeldeth to his carelesse will, and art forgetteth cleane.
Euen so not where he would, but where the forcing water driue,
The sayle I see he lettes at large, in washing waues to diue.
That if sir Eolus had not sente his chaunged windes abrode,
I surely had or this beene blowen, to place that was forbode.
For far from Leria coast lo then, on left syde fast at hand,
The interdicted place we saw, and spide Italia land.
But let the foming seas (we pray) forbidded those to seeke.
That they wyth me the Gods obey, and shew themselues more meeke,
While speaking thus we prayde and feard, to haue beene driue abacke,
With wondrous force of sturdy waue, our shippe sides lo did cracke.
O mightye Gods of barble seas, let not your ire aryse,
That Ioue himselfe wyth me be wrath, we craue it may suffyce.
And do you not my very mind, with cruell death constrayne,
If he that death haue suffred once, cannot depart agayne.