Loves martyr or, Rosalins complaint. Allegorically shadowing the truth of Loue, in the constant Fate of the Phoenix and Turtle. A Poeme enterlaced with much varietie and raritie; now first translated out of the uenerable Italian Torquato Caeliano, by Robert Chester. With the true legend of famous King Arthur, the last of the nine Worthies, being the first Essay of a new British Poet: collected out of diuerse Authenticall Records. To these are added some new compositions, of seuerall moderne Writers whose names are subscribed to their seuerall workes, upon the first Subiect: viz. the Phoenix and Turtle |
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Cantoes Alphabet-wise to faire Phœnix made by the Paphian Doue.
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Cantoes Alphabet-wise to faire Phœnix made by the Paphian Doue.
A. 1.
A Hill, a hill, a Phœnix seekes a Hill;A promontorie top, a stately Mountaine,
A Riuer, where poore soule she dippes her bill,
And that sweete siluer streame is Natures fountaine,
Accomplishing all pleasures at her will:
Ah, be my Phœnix, I will be thy Doue,
And thou and I in secrecie will loue.
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B. 2.
Blaze not my loue, thou Herald of the day,Blesse not the mountaine tops with my sweet shine,
Beloued more I am then thou canst say,
Blessed and blessed be that Saint of mine,
Balme, honie sweet, and honor of this Clime:
Blotted by things vnseene, belou'd of many,
But Loues true motion dares not giue to any.
C. 3.
Chastnesse farewell, farewell the bed of Glorie,Constraint adew, thou art loues Enemie,
Come true Report, make of my Loue a Storie,
Cast lots for my poore heart, so thou enioy me,
Come come sweet Phœnix, I at length do claime thee,
Chaste bird, too chaste, to hinder what is willing,
Come in mine armes and wele not sit a billing.
D. 4.
Deuout obedience on my knees I profer,Delight matcht with delight, if thou do craue it,
Denie not gentle Phœnix my sweet offer,
Despaire not in my loue, for thou shalt haue it,
Damne not the soule to woe if thou canst saue it:
Doues pray deuoutly, O let me request,
Delicious loue to build within thy nest.
E. 5.
Enuie is banisht, do not thou despaire,Euill motions tempt thee sooner then the good:
Enrich thy beautie that art fam'd for faire,
Euery thing's silent to conioyne thy blood,
Esteeme the thing that cannot be withstood:
Esteeme of me, and I will lend thee fire,
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F. 6.
Faint harted soule, why dost thou die thy cheekes,Fearfull of that which will reuiue thy sence,
Faith and obedience thy sweet mercy seekes,
Friends plighted war with thee I will commence,
Feare not at all, tis but sweet Loues offence,
Fit to be done, so doing tis not seene,
Fetcht from the ancient records of a Queene.
G. 7.
Gold beautifying Phœnix, I must praise thee,Granut gracious heauens a delightsome Muse,
Giue me old Homers spirit, and Ile raise thee,
Gracious in thought do not my Loue refuse,
Great map of beauty make thou no excuse,
Gainst my true louing spirit do not carpe,
Grant me to play my Sonnet on thy Harpe.
H. 8.
Health to thy vertues, health to all thy beauty,Honour attend thy steps when thou art going,
High heauens force the birds to owe thee duty;
Hart-groning care to thee still stands a woing,
Haue pitty on him Phœnix for so doing:
Helpe his disease, and cure his malady,
Hide not thy secret glory least he die.
I. 9.
I Loue, ô Loue how thou abusest me,I see the fire, and warme me with the flame,
I note the errors of thy deity:
In Vestas honor, Venus lusts to tame,
I in my humors yeeld thee not a name,
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I touch the sweete, but cannot tast the ioy.
K. 10.
Kisses are true loues pledges, kisse thy deare Turtle,Keepe not from him the secrets of thy youth:
Knowledge he'le teach thee vnder a greene spred Mirtle,
Kend shalt thou be of no man, of my truth,
Know first the motion, when the life ensueth:
Knocke at my harts dore, I will be thy porter,
So thou wilt let me enter in thy dorter.
L. 11.
Loue is my great Aduotrix, at thy shrineLoue pleads for me, and from my tongue doth say,
Lie where thou wilt, my hart shall sleepe with thine,
Lamenting of thy beauty fresh as May,
Looke Phœnix to thy selfe do not decay:
Let me but water thy dead saplesse floure,
Loue giues me hope t'will flourish in an houre.
M. 12.
Make not a Iewell of nice Chastity,Muster and summon all thy wits in one,
My heart to thee sweares perfect constancy:
Motions of zeale are to be thought vpon,
Marke how thy time is ouerspent, and gone,
Mis-led by folly, and a kind of feare,
Marke not thy beauty so my dearest deare.
N. 13.
Note but the fresh bloom'd Rose within her pride,(No Rose to be compared vnto thee)
Nothing so soone vnto the ground will slide,
Not being gathered in her chiefest beauty,
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Neuer be coy, lest whil'st thy leaues are spred,
None gather thee, and then thy grace is dead.
O. 14.
O looke vpon me, and within my brow,Officious motions of my hart appeares,
Opening the booke of Loue, wherein I vow,
Ouer thy shrine to shed continuall teares:
O no, I see my Phœnix hath no Eares,
Or if she haue Eares, yet no Eyes to see,
O all disgraced with continuall follie.
P. 15.
Proud Chastity, why dost thou seeke to wrongPhœnix my Loue, with lessons too precise?
Pray thou for me, and I will make a song,
Pend in thine honor, none shall equalize,
Possesse not her, whose beauty charmes mine eyes,
Plead, sue, and seeke, or I will banish thee,
Her body is my Castle and my fee.
Q. 16.
Question not Phœnix why I do adore thee,Quite captiuate and prisner at thy call,
Quit me with Loue againe, do not abhor me,
Queld downe with hope as subiugate to thrall,
Quaild will I neuer be despight of all;
Quaking I stand before thee, still expecting
Thine owne consent, our ioyes to be effecting.
R. 17.
Remember how thy beauty is abused,Ract on the tenter-hookes of foule disgrace,
Riuers are dry, and must be needs refused,
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Refresh thy feathers, beautifie thy face:
Reade on my booke, and there thou shalt behold
Rich louing letters printed in fine gold.
S. 18.
Shame is ashamed to see thee obstinate,Smiling at thy womanish conceipt,
Swearing that honor neuer thee begat,
Sucking in poyson for a sugred baite,
Singing thy pride of beauty in her height:
Sit by my side, and I will sing to thee
Sweet ditties of a new fram'd harmony.
T. 19.
Thou art a Turtle wanting of thy mate,Thou crok'st about the groues to find thy Louer,
Thou fly'st to woods, and fertile plaines dost hate:
Thou in obliuion dost true vertue smother,
To thy sweet selfe thou canst not find another:
Turne vp my bosome, and in my pure hart,
Thou shalt behold the Turtle of thy smart.
V. 20.
Vpon a day I sought to scale a Fort,Vnited with a Tower of sure defence;
Vncomfortable trees did marre my sport,
Vnlucky Fortune with my woes expence,
Venus with Mars would not sweet war commence,
Vpon an Alter would I offer Loue,
And Sacrifice my soule poore Turtle Doue.
W. 21.
Weepe not my Phœnix, though I daily weepe,Woe is the Herald that declares my tale,
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Wantonly couered with God Cupids vale,
With which he doth all mortall sence exhale:
Wash not thy cheekes, vnlesse I sit by thee,
To dry them with my sighes immediatly.
X. 22.
Xantha faire Nimph; resemble not in Nature,Xantippe Loue to patient Socrates,
Xantha my Loue is a more milder creature,
And of a Nature better for to please:
Xantippe thought her true Loue to disease,
But my rare Phœnix is at last well pleas'd,
To cure my passions, passions seldome eas'd.
Y. 23.
Yf thou haue pitty, pitty my complaining,Yt is a badge of Vertue in thy sexe,
Yf thou do kill me with thy coy disdaining,
Yt will at length thy selfe-will anguish vexe,
And with continuall sighes thy selfe perplexe:
Ile helpe to bring thee wood to make thy fire,
If thou wilt giue me kisses for my hire.
Z. 24.
Zenobia at thy feete I bend my knee,For thou art Queene and Empresse of my hart,
All blessed hap and true felicity,
All pleasures that the wide world may impart,
Befall thee for thy gracious good desart:
Accept my meaning as it fits my turne,
For I with thee to ashes meane to burne.
Finis
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