The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch Entituled, Amintas Dale. Wherein are the most conceited tales of the Pagan Gods in English Hexameters together with their auncient descriptions and Philosophicall explications. By Abraham Fravnce |
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[Iphis, a gentle youth (if a gentle minde be a gentry)] |
 | The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch |  |
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[Iphis, a gentle youth (if a gentle minde be a gentry)]
Iphis
, a gentle youth (if a gentle minde be a gentry)
Poore, yet rich, but rich in pure affection only,
Loued a lasse of state, but alas vnluckily loued,
Loued a noble dame (if a noble birth be a noblesse)
Loued Anaxarete, whome pride stil causd to be loueles.
Poore, yet rich, but rich in pure affection only,
Loued a lasse of state, but alas vnluckily loued,
Loued a noble dame (if a noble birth be a noblesse)
Loued Anaxarete, whome pride stil causd to be loueles.
Oftentimes he retir'de; yet loue stil forced him onward,
Oft did he striue with loue, and yet loue stil was a victor,
And a triumpher stil. Then poore disconsolat Iphis
Yeelds perforce, and seekes his wounded soule to recomfort.
Sometimes vnto the nurse his secreate smart he reuealeth,
And by the milk, by the pap, by the blessed breast, he beseecheth.
Sometimes vnto the friends of noble Dame he repaireth,
And their helping hand with streaming teares he desireth.
Sometimes wooing words in louing letter he writeth,
And ten thousand times his lordlike Lady saluteth.
Sometimes greene garlands with deaw of teares he bemoystneth,
And on posts and gates, his garlands watery fixeth.
Sometimes tender side on threshold hard he reposeth,
And there, locks and barres with curses vainly reuileth.
Scorneful Anaxarete, with a frowning face, with a hard hart,
Hart of flint, of steele, contemne him dayly, for all this:
And to a disdaineful disgrace, to a surly behauiour,
Adds a reproachfull speech, and mocks him, least any smallest
Harts ease, smallest hope might stay contemptible Iphis.
Oft did he striue with loue, and yet loue stil was a victor,
And a triumpher stil. Then poore disconsolat Iphis
Yeelds perforce, and seekes his wounded soule to recomfort.
Sometimes vnto the nurse his secreate smart he reuealeth,
And by the milk, by the pap, by the blessed breast, he beseecheth.
Sometimes vnto the friends of noble Dame he repaireth,
And their helping hand with streaming teares he desireth.
Sometimes wooing words in louing letter he writeth,
And ten thousand times his lordlike Lady saluteth.
Sometimes greene garlands with deaw of teares he bemoystneth,
And on posts and gates, his garlands watery fixeth.
Sometimes tender side on threshold hard he reposeth,
And there, locks and barres with curses vainly reuileth.
Scorneful Anaxarete, with a frowning face, with a hard hart,
Hart of flint, of steele, contemne him dayly, for all this:
And to a disdaineful disgrace, to a surly behauiour,
Adds a reproachfull speech, and mocks him, least any smallest
Harts ease, smallest hope might stay contemptible Iphis.
Iphis, vnable now t'endure these plagues any longer,
Coms all impatient, and all inragd, to the damned
Dore of proud Mistres, there this last passion vttring.
Coms all impatient, and all inragd, to the damned
Dore of proud Mistres, there this last passion vttring.
Lady Anaxarete, ô now, sing, io triumphe,
Sing a triumphing song: thou shalt nomore be molested
With vile woorme Iphis, poore pasthope, desperat Iphis.
Vaunt thy self, and laugh, and let thy head be adorned
With fresh laurel leaues in ioyfull signe of a conquest;
Iphis yeelds, yeelds breath, last breath; sing, io triumphe,
Feede that murdring sight with sight of murdered Iphis:
So shal Anaxarete, eu'n in despite of her hard hart,
Hardest hart, confesse, that I once yet wrought her a pleasure,
Blood-thirsting pleasure, when as Iphis murdered Iphis.
Yet let no man thinke, that I therefore leaue to be louing
Fayre-prowd, louely-cruell, til I also leaue to be liuing.
With double darknes mine eyes shal at once be eclipsed,
Of suns burning beames and light vntimely bereaued,
And of Anaxarete's sweete sight vnkindly depriued.
Neither needes any man these tidings for to be telling;
Iphis wil be the newes, and Iphis wil be the bringer
Of that selfsame newes: Iphis wil surely be present,
And in presence dy: so Iphis shalbe reporter,
So this Anaxarete in like sort shalbe beholder,
And feede murdring sight with sight of murdered Iphis.
Yet you gods (if mens affaires of gods be regarded,)
Vouchsafe forlorne wretch with some smalle grace to remember;
Let poore Iphis death, and cause of death be recorded:
And by how much now his liuing dayes be abridged,
Let, by so much more his name and fame be prolonged.
Sing a triumphing song: thou shalt nomore be molested
With vile woorme Iphis, poore pasthope, desperat Iphis.
Vaunt thy self, and laugh, and let thy head be adorned
With fresh laurel leaues in ioyfull signe of a conquest;
Iphis yeelds, yeelds breath, last breath; sing, io triumphe,
Feede that murdring sight with sight of murdered Iphis:
So shal Anaxarete, eu'n in despite of her hard hart,
Hardest hart, confesse, that I once yet wrought her a pleasure,
Blood-thirsting pleasure, when as Iphis murdered Iphis.
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Fayre-prowd, louely-cruell, til I also leaue to be liuing.
With double darknes mine eyes shal at once be eclipsed,
Of suns burning beames and light vntimely bereaued,
And of Anaxarete's sweete sight vnkindly depriued.
Neither needes any man these tidings for to be telling;
Iphis wil be the newes, and Iphis wil be the bringer
Of that selfsame newes: Iphis wil surely be present,
And in presence dy: so Iphis shalbe reporter,
So this Anaxarete in like sort shalbe beholder,
And feede murdring sight with sight of murdered Iphis.
Yet you gods (if mens affaires of gods be regarded,)
Vouchsafe forlorne wretch with some smalle grace to remember;
Let poore Iphis death, and cause of death be recorded:
And by how much now his liuing dayes be abridged,
Let, by so much more his name and fame be prolonged.
This said, brawne-falln armes, and eyes all watred, he lifted
Vp to the posts, which earst with flowres he had often adorned,
And there fastned a cord. These, these be the crowns, be the garlands,
These be the flowres, which yeeld such pleasant sent to the scorneful
Lady Anaxarete: so thrust in his head: yet he turned
Head, and face, and eyes, eu'n at last gaspe, to the scorneful
Lady Anaxarete: and there hangd woefuly tottring,
With corde-strangled throate; his sprawling feete by the downefall
Knockt her dore by chaunce; knockt dore did yeeld a resounding,
Yeelded a mourneful sound, and made herself to be open,
Wide open, to behold so strange and woeful an obiect.
Dead dore, senceles dore, ten thousand times to be praised
More then Anaxarete, who by no paines of a louer,
By no intreating, by no perswasion, opn'ed
Those dead eares, to receaue last words of desperat Iphis,
Those curst eyes, to behold last teares of desolat Iphis,
That prowd hart, to bewaile last fall of murdered Iphis.
Vp to the posts, which earst with flowres he had often adorned,
And there fastned a cord. These, these be the crowns, be the garlands,
These be the flowres, which yeeld such pleasant sent to the scorneful
Lady Anaxarete: so thrust in his head: yet he turned
Head, and face, and eyes, eu'n at last gaspe, to the scorneful
Lady Anaxarete: and there hangd woefuly tottring,
With corde-strangled throate; his sprawling feete by the downefall
Knockt her dore by chaunce; knockt dore did yeeld a resounding,
Yeelded a mourneful sound, and made herself to be open,
Wide open, to behold so strange and woeful an obiect.
Dead dore, senceles dore, ten thousand times to be praised
More then Anaxarete, who by no paines of a louer,
By no intreating, by no perswasion, opn'ed
Those dead eares, to receaue last words of desperat Iphis,
Those curst eyes, to behold last teares of desolat Iphis,
That prowd hart, to bewaile last fall of murdered Iphis.
Dore once wide open, seruants ran forth with an outcry,
Ran, but ran too late; tooke vp diffigured Iphis,
Cold Iphis, palefact Iphis, nay, now not an Iphis,
And his poore mother with a sight so deadly presented,
Old mother, childles mother, nay, now not a mother.
Ran, but ran too late; tooke vp diffigured Iphis,
Cold Iphis, palefact Iphis, nay, now not an Iphis,
And his poore mother with a sight so deadly presented,
Old mother, childles mother, nay, now not a mother.
Woeful woman, alas, clipt, kist, embraced her Iphis,
Wept, cride out, hould, roard, performd al parts of a mother:
And to the graue at last with sollemne funeral honnors,
Brought through th' open streetes her sons dead corps in a coffin.
Wept, cride out, hould, roard, performd al parts of a mother:
And to the graue at last with sollemne funeral honnors,
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Hard by the way, through which, this sad solemnity passed,
Lady Anaxaretes braue bowre sloode loftily mounted:
And, that dolefull sounde with mourning eccho redoobled
Came to her cares at last (for now at last, the reuenging
Goddes gan to requite) and forcéd her eyes to the windowe,
For to behold and see poore Iphis laid in a coffin:
Scarce she beheld and saw poore Iphis laid in a coffin,
But that sightles sight was starck and stiffe on a sudden,
And her purpled blood to a palenes speedily changed.
Back she remou's her feete, her feete will not be remoued,
Back she reflected her head, but her head would not be reflected;
Feete and head stock fast: and that same merciles hardnes,
That same stone, which earst in her hard hart made his abiding,
Dwelled in euery ioynt, and each where tooke vp a lodging.
Lady Anaxaretes braue bowre sloode loftily mounted:
And, that dolefull sounde with mourning eccho redoobled
Came to her cares at last (for now at last, the reuenging
Goddes gan to requite) and forcéd her eyes to the windowe,
For to behold and see poore Iphis laid in a coffin:
Scarce she beheld and saw poore Iphis laid in a coffin,
But that sightles sight was starck and stiffe on a sudden,
And her purpled blood to a palenes speedily changed.
Back she remou's her feete, her feete will not be remoued,
Back she reflected her head, but her head would not be reflected;
Feete and head stock fast: and that same merciles hardnes,
That same stone, which earst in her hard hart made his abiding,
Dwelled in euery ioynt, and each where tooke vp a lodging.
And least noble dames might deeme my tale, but a fable,
In towne of Salamis, where famous Teucer abided,
(Whence this scorneful dame her noble gentrie deriued)
Stony Anaxarete, for a lasting signe of a stony
Hart, stands fram'de of stone, in church of dame Cytheræa.
In towne of Salamis, where famous Teucer abided,
(Whence this scorneful dame her noble gentrie deriued)
Stony Anaxarete, for a lasting signe of a stony
Hart, stands fram'de of stone, in church of dame Cytheræa.
Then let noble dames, let Ladies learne to be louely,
And make more account of a gentle minde, then a gentry.
Loue makes lowest high, and highest harts to be lowly,
And by these meanes makes both highe and lowe to bee louely.
And make more account of a gentle minde, then a gentry.
Loue makes lowest high, and highest harts to be lowly,
And by these meanes makes both highe and lowe to bee louely.
| The Third part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch | |