University of Virginia Library

The .xiij. Epistle.

Laodameia to Protesilaus.

Aemonian Laodameia sendeth health,
And greeting to Protesilaus hir spouse:
And wisheth it, where he soiournes to stay.
Report hath spred in Aulide that you lye
In rode, by meane of fierce and frowarde gale.
Ah, when thou me forsookste, where was ye wind?
Thē broiling seas thine Oares shold haue wtstood,
That was a sitting time for wrathfull waues.
Moe kisses with a greater charge, I would
Unto my spouse haue giuen, and parled more.
But hedlong hence thou wentst, & wished winde
Of Seamen not of me, thy sayles allurde:
That gale was meete for Mariners, vnfit
For those that loue. O spouse and Feere electe
To soone I was thy clasping armes bereft.
Unperfite were the wordes, my foltring tongue
Pronounste, scarce coulde it speake and bid adue.
Then Boreas blewe and bore thy sayles away,
And yu (O spouse) were quickly hence conuayde.
It did me good (as long as lawfull was)
To gase vpon thy face, and with mine eyes
At parture to beholde thy countenaunce.
When thou were out of sight, I saw thy sayles,
Thy sayles, that long my staring eyes detaind,
When neyther thee at last nor sayles I sawe,
And nought saue waltring waues was to be sene:
With thee my eyesight fled, and bloodlesse all
(With darkesome cloude beset) I fell to ground.
My fainting knees refuse to beare the corps.
Whome Iphiclus my fatherlawe nor olde
Acastus lod with yeares, ne Mother scarce
With water cold, from swowning might reduce.
A charitable deede they wrought, to me
Gainelesse, I loth that I ne tho had dyde.
Euen with remembrance, griefe renude againe,
And loyall loue did gripe my chastfull breast.
No care had I as then my tresse to trim,
Ne yet with curious robes my limmes to wrappe.
As they with leauie thirse whō Bacchus beates:
So to and fro, as furie forst I ranne.
Phylacian Matrones came to me and cryde,
Laodamie, doe on thy brauest weedes,
Shall I in purple Robe and Silkes be clad,
And he wage warre vnder the walles of Troie?
Shall I go kembe my tresse, and he an Helme
Upon his head sustaine? fresh garments should
I weare, and he his clattring Armour welde?
As neere as euer I may, thy trauels I
Resemble will with doole: and during time
Thou art in siege, will lead a dismoll life.
Duke Paris, Priams sonne (whose beautie bred
The scath of thine) I wish thou mayst as slow
An enmie be, as yll thou were a guest.
Oh that or thou disliked hadst the face
Of yong Atrides spouse, or she thy porte.
Thou Greeke, that for thy rapted wife to great
A strife dost stirre, and ouer much dost toyle:
(Aye me) doolefull reuenge to many wilt
In future time, and wailefull wreake procure.
Yee Gods I pray from vs th' abodement fell
Remoue, and graunt that my reuerted Feere
In Temple may to Ioue his armour yeelde.
But sore I dreade, and looke how oft I minde
The lamentable warre, and fearefull fight,
Teares from my cheekes as thawed snow do tril.
Ide, Tenedos, Xanthus, and Ilion
With Symois, are gastly names to tell.
Ne would the guest presumde or bene so bolde
Away to haue a Greekish Feme purloynde,
Unlesse he had by powre and strength of hande
Bene able to maintaine, and beare it out.
His puissant force to him was not vnknowne.
He came reported, all betrapt with Golde,
And Troian wealth vpon his bodye bare:
With men and armour storde, the ayds of warre.
And who with all his countrie strength at once
And Princely powre to forraine landes doth go:
These Helen (I surmise) did thee attache,
And vanquished, which may the Greekes annoy.
Of Hector I adrad, I know not whome,
But Hector (by report of Paris) fightes
With bloudie hande, & deales with deadly sword.
That Hector, that beware, what so he be,
If any loue of me as yet be left,
His graued name in mindefull brest ensculpe,
Him when thou hast escapte auoide the reast:
And many Hectors there surmise to bee.
And saye (when thou art euen at poynt to fight)
Laodamie my spouse did bid me spare.
If lawfull be that Greekes shall conquere Troie
And Ilion by sorted lotte subdue:
Without thy woundes let it to ruine runne.
Let Menelaus martch against his foes,
And Paris spoyle of that which Paris reft.
Let him amid the presse of enmies throunge,
And winne in armes, whome he in cause subdues.
The husbande ought the wife to rescue, yea
Though she were plaste amid a troupe of foes,
Thy cause is farre vnlike, contende for life,
And harmelesse to escape, and onely to
The Ladyes lap in safetie to retire.
Yee Dardanes, of so many spare me one,
Ne from his corps enforce my bloud to flush
He is not one whome may be seeme to fight.
Or to his martiall foe his breast to gage.
He better may that fightes for heartie zeale,
Let others slash, let Protesilaus loue.
Him I confesse I would withhelde at home,
My tongue for feare of yll abodement stack.
When from thy fathers house to Troie warde
Thou wentst, thy foote at threshold stumbled tho.
Which when I sawe, in silence mourning sayde,
Graunt Gods that this protende a good retourne
Now doe I this display, for thou in armes
Too ventrous shouldst not be: procure that this
My feare to vaine and vacant windes may turne.
And sort (I wote not whome) appointed hath
To vndeserued fate, that first of Greekes
With forwarde foote shall touch the Troian soile.
O cursed Feme, that first shall waile the losse
Of hir adempted feare. I craue the Gods
Thou shew not then thy selfe excessiue stout.
Of thousand shippes let thine the latter bee,
And last of all the sundred waues deuide,
(And this for warning take) go last on lande.
T'is not thy natiue soyle thou flittest too,
At thy returne let sayle and Oare be plyde,
And haste thy Barck to thy well knowne shore.
Where Phœbus lurke, or else doe shine aloft,
Both day and night thou breedste my grieful wo.
But most by night, for that a season is
To women (that with clinching armes imbrace
Their louers limmes) of sugred sport and ioy.
For falsed sleepes I hunt in carefull Couch,
Feeding on false delights, for want of true.
But why to me thy Image pale appeeres?
And from thy mouth why such cōplaint proceeds?
Enforst to watch, the yrkesome gostes of night
And visions I adore: no Altare through
All Thessalie my fuming smoke doth lacke.
Incense I yeelde with intermedled teares,
Which mingde doe surge as wine yeast in flame
When I with greedie armes, shall thee retourde
Imbracing lie, and sencelesse waxe for ioy?
When lodgde with me in one selfe carelesse couch
Wilt thou the valiant factes of battaile blase?
Which whilst yu shalt describe, though I to heare
Shall long, yet will we coll and kisse betwixt.
For kissing decks the tale with better grace,
And stay procures ye tongue more prompt to parle.
But when I thinke of Troie, both wind and seas
Returne to minde: and hope by hoofull feare
Is vanquisht cleane, and put to sodaine flight.
And that the windes your middle passage barre
Moues me. In spite of waues you minde to passe.
Who to his Countrie would with froward gale,
Against the will of windes shape his returne?
And you from Greece in troublous tēpest trudge.
Unto his towne Neptunus barres your course.
Whither haste you? eche vnto his home retyre.
Why, whither go you Greekes? beholde ye winds
And coūterth warting blasts. Some God procures
(Not sodain chaunce) no doubt, this lingring stay.
What saue a shamefull drabbe and harlot ranckt
By this your warre & battayles broyle is sought?
Whilst yet you may, and lawfull is your sayles
And flitting Barckes back to Achaia bende.
But why doe I reuoke? or call thee home?
Let all abodements go. I pray the windes
And calmed waues to further thine intent.
I spite at Troian Dames, that shall suruay
The Funerals of their Feeres & waileful spoiles,
Nor haue their foes farre frō their coūtrie bounds.
The late betrothed spouse hir selfe will d'on
Hir husbands Helme and harnesse with hir hand.
She will giue armour, and whilste armour shee
Doth giue a (gratefull thing to both) will kisse,
And fellow forth hir spouse, with charge to make
Retyre, and say (to Ioue thy weapons vowe)
Reseruing he his recent charge in minde,
Will warely fight, and cast an eye to home:
She at returne will loose hir spouses Helme,
And doe his Targe away, his wearie limmes
Relieuing with hir ayde as best she may.
We doubtfull in suspence, and dreade doe stande,
Fearing eche thing that may by fortune fall:
Yet whilst in forraine coast thou wagest warre,
Of Wax that represents thy face, I haue
A table made: to whome I tell my tale,
And kisse, as I thy corse was wont to coll.
The picture is more than it seemes to sight.
In fayth allowe the waxen forme a sounde.
And it will be Protesilaus outright:
That I beholde, and in my husbandes steade
Betwix my paps doe place, and frame complaint
Thereto, as though it had the powre to speake.
By thy returne, and corps (my saints I sweare)
By egall lights of marrige and of minde:
And by thy head (which fright with siluer locks
To fine that I may see: and that thou mayst
In health reuert) I sweare, that whither thou
Shalt giue in charge, to thee I will repayre
As fellowing Mate, whether thou liue, or oh
That more I dreade and stand oh more appald,
With this precept and onely charge I ende,
Respect thy selfe, and haue remorse of me?