University of Virginia Library

The .xix. Epistle.

Hero to Leander.

The health thou sent in woordes
that I may haue in deede
Doe way (Leander) all excuse
and come thy way with speede.
All stay torments mee sore,
that doth my ioyes expell:
And mercy, since I doe confesse
I loue thee passing well.
We both doe burne alike
and frie with egall flame:
But I am weakest of the two,
my nature willes the same.
As womens corse is faint,
so are their mindes not strong:
If thou doe not repayre at once
I shall bedeade ere long.
You men contriue the time
and lothsome tide away:
In tillage of your soyles
sometime you hunt the day.
Sometime at open barre
you plead a Clyents case:
To Tennis now, and then with horse
you runne a lustie race.
Sometime you pitch for foule,
for fishe you lay your line:
And when the day is spent and gone,
you fall to quaffing wine.
Now I can none of these
though lesser were my flame:
Thy Hero can doe nothing else
but cleape hir louers name.
And that which sole remaynes
(Leander) that I proue:
And, more than any wight would deeme,
I rage with ardent loue.
Or I with Beldame nurce
doe sit, and chat of thee,
And doe not little muse what should
thy cause of lingring bee:
Or seeing seas to surge
by meane of windie flawes:
In thy behalfe I checke the windes
with wide and wreakefull iawes.
Or when the calmed seas
haue somewhat quaylde their powre:
I say thou mayst, but wilt not come
to Heros woonted towre.
Amid my griefull plaintes
the saltish teares gush out
By streames: which crooked nurce doth wipe
and dries with Linnen clout.
Oft tymes I seeke in sande
where I thy steps may finde:
As though the foote once gone, the print
would aye remaine behinde.
I aske when any came,
or any mindes to go
To Abydon: to fine I might
thy state by wryting know.
What should I speake how oft
I kisse with louing lip
The robes which tho thou leftst behinde
when thou to sea didst skip?
Thus when the day is spent,
and night our friendfull tide
Hath banisht Phœbus from the Pole,
and starres doe shew their pride:
In srately turrets top
a blasing Lampe I set:
Whereby thou woonted are my shore
and perillous stronde to fet.
Then I to passe the time
in hast to Distaffe roonne
An Arte which women use the griefes
of yrkesome stayes to shoonne.
O that thou knewste my wordes,
that I pronounce the while:
Leanders name is all my talke,
Leander is my stile.
How thinke you (Nurse) is he
by this come out of doore?
Or doth he stand in dreade of scowtes
that on his passage poore?
Hath he remooude his robes?
(good Beldame tell thy minde)
Or oylde his ventrous carelesse corps
as swimmers wont by kinde?
With that she giues a nod,
not for she heares my talke:
But drowsie slumber so procures
hir gogling head to walke.
And then I pawse a stounde:
then (now he flitts) I say,
And with his well approued armes
he beates the waues away.
Then spinne I for a space,
and twist a threede or twaine:
And where thou be in middle Seas
to learne I am full faine.
Sometime I giue the gaze
where I may see thee swimme:
And then we pray that Neptune will
not shewe his cheare too grimme.
Sometime we heare with eare
a noyse that makes vs thinck,
That thou art then ycome to shore
and safe to Sestus brinck.
Thus when the greatest part
of night is flitted by:
The slumbring sleepe by secret stealth
inuades my wearied eye.
Then (gainst thy will perhaps)
thou dost with me soiourne:
And (though thy selfe wouldst faine dislodge)
yet art thou here atourne.
For now I seeme to see
the swimming in the flood:
And then to throw thy limber armes
on Heros back a good.
Another while with clothes
and woonted robes I hide
Thy moysted limmes, and lay me downe
fast by thy wished side.
And other toyes to taste
and other feates to frame:
Which though I ioyde to put in vre,
my tongue to tell doth shame.
Oh mee vnhappie wench
whose pleasures makes no stay,
And falsed is: for thou with sleepe
art woont to slip away.
O Lorde let vs that loue
at length with firmer lace
Inchaine our selues: let dreames no more
true pleasures so deface.
Why haue I lodgde alone
so many nights arowe
In colde and carefull couch? why dost
thou proue thy selfe so slowe?
As now the waters are
to boysteous I confesse
For such as swim: but yesternight
Neptunus rage was lesse.
Why lettste thou slip that tide?
thou shouldst haue fearde the wurst:
And not haue stoode in earnest hope
for better than the furst.
What though the weather shape
as well againe to swim?
Yet that, bicause it was the first,
of both I iudge it trim.
For seas haue sodaine chaunge,
the flood is altred soone:
And when thou willing art to come
thy course is sooner doone.
Ariude to Sestus shore,
no cause thou shouldst at all
Haue of regreete: thee in mine armes
what winter storme might gall?
Then I with gladsome minde
would heare the windes to rage:
And pray that Neptuns surging seas
their swelling might not swage.
But how befell you feare
your woonted passage so,
And dreede the goulfe you scornd ere this?
the cause I long to know.
For yet I well recorde
that when thou camst to Sest,
The Chanell was as rough, or nie
as rough as may be gest.
When I exclamde aloude,
(mine owne) be not to bolde:
Least I be forst to rue thy fate,
if I thy death beholde.
Whence comes this sodaine feare?
where is that courage now?
Where he that scornde the force of floods
and waters woont to flow:
Yet naythelesse be wise,
not retchlesse as thou were:
And swim in safetie if thou mayste,
if not a while forbeare.
So that thy fayth be one,
as those thy lines did showe:
And so that kindled flame of thine
to cynders doe not growe.
I dread not so the windes
that barre my wished ioy:
As least thy loue, will like the winde
exchaunge by chaunge of toy.
Of this I stande in awe,
least perill passe the gaine:
And least thou thinke thy bootie farre
inferiour to thy paine.
Sometime I quake for feare
least Abydon deface
My Sest, and least Leander thinck
his Hero farre too base.
But all I can indure,
with well contented will,
So that thou haue no daintie Drab
thy pleasures to fulfill.
So that no strumpets armes
about thy neck depende:
Nor nouell loue procure thy first
and former flame to ende.
Oh rather let me die
than such a crime to know,
Let Heros liuely twist be shrid,
ere thou doe trespasse so.
Not for thou gauste me cause
of future griefe, I speake
In such a wise: no newe report
moues me my minde to breake,
Saue that I feare the worst,
who loues deuoyde of dreede?
The place doth force the abient wight
oft times on feare to feede.
Oh happie Nymphes whome place
and presence makes to know
Committed crymes, aud keepes from feare
of things that are not so.
No lesse the forged fact
than wrong ydone in deede
Doth moue our mindes: from both alyke
lyke dolour doth proceede.
Oh, that thou wouldste repaire
or else thy cause of let
From winds and grutching father mightst,
and from no woman fet.
Which if I heard of troth,
for grunting griefe I die:
And great will be thy guilt, if so
thy loue thou seeke to strie.
But more than needes I dreade
thou wilt not so offende:
For churlish tempest is in fault
that will not let thee wende:
O Gods, what mounting flouds
doe driue against the shore?
How doth the darkesome cloude inclose
and keepe the light in store?
Perhaps the virgins Dame
is commen to the flood:
And for hir drenched dearling sheddes
hir saltish teares a good.
Or Ino being woxe
a Seanymph but of late,
Turmoyles the Goulfe, that Helle brought
to such vntimely fate.
That floud doth nothing freend
the Mayden sexe I know:
For there did Helle lose hir lyfe,
where Heros hurt doth grow,
But (Neptune) waying well
and calling oft to minde
Thy former flames, me thinkes thou shouldst
not hinder loue by winde.
For Amymon can well,
and Tyro trie at neede,
That thou were truely toucht with loue
as we in stories reede.
Alcyone the fresh,
and Iphimedia faire:
Medusa on whose skull as then
there hoong no hissing haire.
Laodice the browne,
Celæno fixt in skie:
Whose names I sundrie times haue read,
and seene with searching eye.
With these, and diuers else
(of whome the Poets write)
Thou (Neptune) chambred hast full oft,
and past in loues delight.
Why then that hast so oft
the valiant force of loue
Assayde, by tempest to forelet
our woonted course dost proue?
Cruell be calme awhile,
wage warre where Seas be wide:
This is a slender Channell that
two Countries doth deuide.
It better would beseeme
a high and haughtie Roy,
To hoyse the Hulkes, to broile with Barks,
or Nauies to annoy.
T'is shame for God of Goulfe
a swimming youth to sinck:
Eche little Lake this conquest would,
and spoyle vnfitting thinck.
He is of noble bloud,
not of Vlysses line:
At whome, not vndeseruedly
thou (Neptune) dost repine.
Giue leaue, at once saue two:
for though he sole doe swim,
Yet in the selfe same tossing Tide
my hope consistes in him.
Meanewhile the Torch (for by
a Torch I sit and write)
Doth happer a blissefull signe that all
shall not successe aright.
Behold how Beldame poures
the wine into the flame:
And sayes (to morrow we shall be mo)
and drinkes vpon the same.
Oh, come by sliding seas,
increase the tale by one:
Thou whome I fix in faythfull breast,
and let delayes alone.
Home to thy tents retire,
that fleest thy friendly spouse:
Why doe I fole amid my cowch
my carefull carcasse rouse?
No cause there restes of dreade,
the bolde is sure of grace
At Venus handes: she that was bred
of floods will rue thy case.
My selfe oft times to meete
in middle Goulfe doe dare:
Saue for the flood is friend to men,
not women woont to spare.
For why (when Phrixus with
his louing sister came
By sea) did Helles onely giue
the gastly Goulfe his name:
Perhaps you dreade returne,
least force will faile you feare?
You stand in doubt you may not well
this double trauaile beare.
Wherefore make hast, and meete
thy friende amidst the flood:
And there aloft vpon the waues
shall kisses walke a good.
That done, let eyther to
his stronde reuert againe:
Though this were small, t'is better some,
than nought at all to gaine.
Would eyther bashfull shame
that feedes this secret fire,
Or fearefull loue would yeelde to fame:
of both I t'one desire.
For yll they can agree,
that neuer are at truse:
Th' one sweete, and th' other seemely is,
I wote nere which to chuse.
When Iason did ariue
at Colchos carefull port:
Hee his Medea well imbarckt
did thence with speede transport.
No sooner Priams sonne
to Lacedæmon came:
But straight he made returne to Troie
with famous Grecian dame.
But thou as often leauste
thy liked loue behinde
And dost repaire: and comste when ships
may scarcely passe for winde.
Be naythelesse auisde
(thou Victor of the seas:)
So scorne the flood as thou maist feare
least Neptune thee disease.
Huge, high, and haughtie Hulks,
yframde by Art doe fayle:
And canst thou deeme thine armes will more
than shauen Ores preuaile?
The Pylates stande afright
the shelfes thou swimste to coste:
For Barks ybroosde, and shaken ships,
in such a sort are loste.
Oh mee vnlucky wench,
I would not thus diswade,
But be as bolde for all my wordes
as is thy woonted trade:
So safely thou ariue,
and lay those armes of thine
Upon my backe, that oft were beate
with sea of belking brine.
But I wote nere what colde
my quaking breast doth nomme,
As oft as to my restlesse minde
a thought of seas doth comme,
My last nights dreame torments
and makes me sore afright:
Though I to Morpheus ere I slept,
had done my sacred right.
In creake of dawning day
when torchlight gan to faile:
(A tide when true vndoubted dreames
the slumbring corse assaile)
Out of my sleepie hands
the twisted twine did fall,
And to my pensiue Pillow I
my head applyde withall.
And with vnfalsed fayth,
and certaine sight I sawe
A crooked Delphin flit in flood,
ytost with windie flawe.
Who when by drift of waues
and turning Tide was tost
To sandie shore: he both at once
his life and waters lost.
What so it be I dreade,
haue not scorne my dreames:
Ne (yet vnlesse the waters serue)
commit thy corse to streames.
If selfe care all be past,
yet way thy friendly Mate,
Whose wealth and welfare doth depende
vpon thy healthfull state.
I hope that yrefull seas
will shortly be at rest:
Then do thou breake the calmed waues
with safe and sicker brest.
Meanewhile, cause surge turmoilde
thy passage doth restraine:
Let louing lynes ysent, abridge
some part of lingring paine.