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To his constant frende.

Eleg. 4.

O Frend whom first among my mates, as chiefe in minde I deeme,
O thou that dost my heauy fate, euen as thyne owne esteeme.
That first releaued me I meane, amazed where I laye,
And bouldest were wyth willing mouth, comforting woords to saye.
Which gently gaue me counsell then, to liue and length my dayes,
When loue of death in careful brest, had crept by sondry wayes.
Thou knowes to whom I speake although, the name in synes I set,
Thy dutye and thy frendlye care, no whit I do forget.
In deepest depth of minde, these thinges, I printed haue full plaine,
A detter still of thine I shal, for euer more remaine.
With wandring winds this sprite of mine, shal passe away and flee,
And lasting boones with flaminge fire, shal quite consumed bee.
Before that these thy good deserts, shal skape my carefull minde,
Or els this godly loue wyth time, from thence away shall finde.
Let mighty Gods now fauour thee, that helpe thou nede none craue,
And fortune farre vnlike to myne, God graunt that thou may haue.
Yet if the shippe had sauelye saild, and frendly winds had blowne,
This loue and faythfull frendship then, perhappes had not beene knowne.
Peritheus did not accompt, Duke Thesius for his frend,
Till that for him to Stigian lake, aliue he did discend.
Orestes so thy furyes fearre, ful perfit trials bee,
With how true hart that Pylades, was linckt in loue to thee.
If that the stout Euryalus, with Butils had not fought,
Thy noble fame (O Nysus) then, had not ben blowne abought.
Like as the fine and perfit gould, in flaming fyre is tryde,
Euen so the loue of frendship is, in troublous time discryde.
Whyle fortune lust to smyle and geue, her helping hand withall,
And things to grounded wealth they haue, that may thereto befall.
But when her thretning browes she bend, they shrincke awaye and flee,
Where hugye heapes but latelye were, not one now left we see.
This skilful rede I learnde by ils, in other that did grow,
But now euen of myne owne mishaps, by proofe the same I know.
Scant two or three my frendes you are, that of my rought remayne,
The rest as fortunes and not mine, I do accompt them playne.
You fewe therefore do helpe our payne, that rest we may achiue,
And that by you our shaken shippes, in safer shoore ariue.
With fayned feare be not afrayde, a thing both fonde and vayne,
Lest God mysliking that your loue, offended do remayne.
For Cæsar oft in ennemyes doth, his faythfull frendshippe prayse,
And that which in his owne, in foes, he doth approue alwayse.
My cause yet better is, I haue, no aduers armour worne,
My follye is the cause that I, my contrey haue forlorne.
With waking mindes our heauy haps, do you bewayle, and praye
That Cæsars raging wrath the more, thereby may haue delaye.
Who so my cares doth seeke to know, in nomber them to haue,
A thing more hard then may be done, he seemes thereby to craue.
So many ils lo haue I borne, as starres in Asyoure skye,
And litle graynes of flying dust, on parched ground do lye.
And many more of greater waight, we forced were to bere.
Which though they chanst, of credit yet, in them some doubt there were.
Some part whereof as doth behoue, with mee must dye awaye,
And by my meane would God were none, that might the same bewraye.
A persing speache although I had, a firme and flinty brest,
And greater store of mouthes thereto, where in more tongues did rest.
Yet al in words I do not know, how I might comprehend,
The thing exceeding further then, my wittes may well extend.
My troubles great (O Poets learnd) for Duke Vlisses wright,
Yet I more ils then he hath borne, for truth you may endight.
In compasse smal he many yeares, was tossed vp and downe,
Betweene the Gretians noble lande, and Troyans famous towne.
But we the wydest seas haue met, and wandred euery wayes,
To Geta crickes haue bene driuen, and eke Sermatia bayes.
A faythful hand Vlisses had, wyth mates both true and iust,
But me my fellowes fled in whom, I chiefely put my trust.
In merye moode as victor then, he went his land to see,
But I as victored do depart, and exile hence to flee.
In Greece ne yet Ithacia ground, nor Samia do I dwell,
From whence to be no payne it is, but may be suffered well.
But Rome which from the mountaynes seuen, we there behold in sight,
Thempyre large and Gods therof, lo thence I take my flight.
A body strong Vlisses had, that labor could sustayne,
A smal and slender corps I haue, wyth weeke and tender brayne.
To cruell warres and marshall deedes, hath he beene vsde alwayes,
In quiet studye haue I dwelt, and liued al my dayes.
The greatest God oppresseth mee, to whom no God resort,
But Pallas him assisted still, and did his cause support.
Neptunus ire the God of Seas, haue greued him right sore,
But me Almighty Ioue oppresse, whose wrath reuengeth more.
The greatest part of his now be, for fables counted playne,
Of our mishappes no part at all, for lesing do remayne.
In fine, euen as he did desire, at pointed place aryue,
Which long he wist: right so he did, at length attaine aliue.
But I my country deare do thincke, now neuer more to see,
Unlesse the ire of angrye Gods, appeased happe to bee.