Diana of George of Montemayor :: :: University of Virginia Library

Well let her life that enters heere be waighed,
And if she hath not chastitie estranged,
And she that loues, or Loues lawes hath essaied,
If for anothers loue she hath not changed:
And if from former faith she hath not straied,
And kept her first true loue, and hath not ranged:
May enter heere into Dianas temple,
Whose soueraigne grace to such appeeres most gentle.

[The authours of subiections]

The Nymphes.

The authours of subiections
Fortune and Loue, and of most peeuish fashions,
Aboue the moone affections
Doe place, and hard reiections,
And in the same extremest paines and passions.

The Shepherdes.

Lesse may he vaunt and boast
For ioy, whom Loue did neuer yet molest,
Then he, that loueth most,
And fauours euer lost,
Since they that suffer more are euer best.

The Nymphes.

If Loues extremes releeue you,
And did not gainsay reason, as we view them,
Perhaps we would beleeue you:
But seeing how they greeue you,
Happy are we that can so well eschew them.

The Shepherdes.

The hardest things the stoute
And valiant persons euer take in hand:
And that of greatest doubt
Braue courage brings about,
For t'is no honour small things to withstande.

The Nymphes.

The Louer well doth see,
To fight it out, it is not Loues intent
With magnanimitie:
In torments he must be
Of those, that suffring them are most content.

The Shepherdes.

If any ioy we sought
By any ill of Loue which we obtaine,
Ill cannot be the thought
Vnto the passion brought:
But he's more happy that endures more paine.

The Nymphes.
The best estate and fare,
Where he doth see himselfe that loueth best,
Brings nothing els but care:
And yet doth neuer spare
With flames to burne the dame and seruants brest:
And he that's fauour'd most,
Is changed in the twinkling of an eie:
For with disfauours tost,
And in obliuion lost,
It kils his hart and makes his ioyes to die.

The Shepherdes.

To leese a good estate
By falling from it, is a greefe and paine:
Blamelesse is Loue, but fate
It is, and Fortunes hate,
That no exception makes from his disdaine:

Vniust and far vnfit
Is death, if Loue doth say that we shall liue,
If death it promis'd yet,
No fault he doth commit:
For in the ende his promise he doth giue.

The Nymphes.

Fierce Loue they doe excuse,
That finde themselues entangled with his fetter:
And blame those that refuse
Him, but of these to chuse
The blamed mans estate is far the better.

The Shepherdes.

Faire Nymphes, it is denied
The free and bond with one toong to debate,
Liue men and those that died,
The loued, and defied,
All speake according to their owne estate.

[I am Cid th' honour of Spaine]

I am Cid th' honour of Spaine,
If that any more could bee
In my workes thou shalt see.

[Hernand Gonçales of Castile I am]

Hernand Gonçales of Castile I am
In number the first Earle, and endlesse praise,
The Spanish Scepters honor, since the same
With my braue deedes so highly I did raise,
My valour and my manhood golden Fame
Can tell, that sawe it, wherefore she displaies
My high deedes in eternall memorie,
As tels you the Castilian historie.

[Bernard of Carpio I am]

Bernard of Carpio I am,
The Pagans terror, and their smart:
An honour to the Christian name,
Since that my handes aduaunc't the same
By valour of my stoutest hart:
Fame, iust it is not thou conceale
My matchlesse deedes from tender yeeres,
But nothing if thou wilt reueale,
To Ronçes-Vales I appeale,
That sometimes was of the twelue Peeres.

[My greatest valours they shall see]

My greatest valours they shall see,
Which knewe them not, whereby againe
I onely haue deseru'd to bee
Surnamed (The great Capitaine)
And in strange landes, and in our owne
I purchased so great a fame,
That my exploites are held and knowne
To be far greater then my name.

[I am Fonseca whose braue historie]

I am Fonseca whose braue historie
Europe doth knowe, and doth so much commend,
(Whose life though ended) yet my memorie
Enroll'd by liuing fame shall neuer end.
My soueraigne King I serued, and did beare
My countrey loue, and not in fained showe,
I neuer did leaue of for seruile feare
To keepe that holy lawe, which euery where
The seruant doth vnto his master owe.

[Don Luys of Villanoua I am named]

Don Luys of Villanoua I am named,
And from the great Marquesse of Tranz descended,
My valour and renowne (with praise proclamed
In Italie, Fraunce, Spaine) is far extended.
Bicorb, an ancient house my state is framed,
That fortune to a hart hath now commended
So high, sans peere, and that so much surmonnteth,
As to commaund a world, it smally counteth.

Orpheus his song.

Harke Felismena to the sweetest song
Of Orpheus, whose loue hath bene so high,
Suspend thy greefe (Seluagia) somewhat long,
Whilst now I sing, that once for loue did die:
Forget (Belisa) now thy woefull wrong,
And to my voice sweete Nymphes your eares apply:
That lost his eies, to beauties blaze then turning,
And Shepherdes, cease a while your amorous mourning.

I will not speake (for God forbid the same)
Of that most heauie processe of mine ils,
Nor when I so did sing, that I did tame
Wilde beastes and birdes, and mooued trees and hils:

Nor when I did suspend th' infernall flame,
Nor when I sawe Pluto, nor that, that kils
My soule with greefe, when I lookt backe to see,
If that Euridice did follow me.

But I will sing with pure and sweetest voice
Of those perfections, and that grace display,
That wisedome, wit and beautie of such choice,
Of those who doe illustrate Spaine this day.
Then see her (Nymphes) whose beautie doth reioice
Vs all: her great Diana, and her gay
And goodly traine, on whom both Gods and men
Cannot ynough imploy their toongs and pen.

Lift vp your eies this Lady to beholde,
That heere is sitting in this highest chaire,
With scepter neere to her and crowne of golde,
And angrie fortune by her on the staire:
This is the star that Spaines light did enfolde,
Whose absence now her glory doth impaire:
Her name is Lady Mary that hath beene
Of Hungarie, Boeme, and of Austrie Queene.

The next that sits to her, is Lady Iane
Princesse of Portugall and of Castille
The Infant, and from whom fortune had tane
The crowne and scepter by her turning wheele:
And vnto whom death was so inhumane,
That in her selfe great wonder she doth feele,
To see how soone she did stretch forth her hands
On her, that was the light of Lusitans.

Behold (faire Nymphes) that Lady Mary great
And soueraigne Infant of her Portugall:
Whose grace and beautie hath this day a seate,
Where humane thought could neuer reach at all:
Behold, though cruell fortune there doth threat:
Her wisedome yet doth count of her but small:
For time, and death, and destinie cannot
Conquere her goodnes, vertues, and her lot.

Those two that are by her on either side,
Whose beauties Titans brightnesse doe offend:
Their sleeues of gold, their gownes of damaske tide
With pearle, and where faire Emerauldes depend:
Their curled golden lockes, wauing so wide
Vpon their shoulders, loose that doe descend:
Daughters they are of th' Infant Lusitane:
Duarta the valiant, and great Cristiane.

Those two great Dutchesses of worthy fame,
For beauties prize in either of our Spaines
Which there you see to life set out in frame,
With grace, and features, that all others staines
Of Sessa and Najare each hath her name:
Whose companie Diana not disdaines
For their exceeding beautie, and desartes,
Discretion, wisedome, and all other partes.

Behold a golden Phœnix all alone:
A rare perfection neuer seene before,
Wisedome, as like was not in any one,
Beautie, and grace, where neuer could be more.
She that puls fortune from her vaunting throne,
And hath her subiect to her will and lore:
Great Lady Leonore Manuell hath to name,
The Lusitane light that doth the world inflame.

The Lady Luise Carillo, that in Spaine
Hath made Mendoças blood of such renowne:
Whose beautie, and braue grace hath in a chaine
Cupid himselfe, for loue of her cast downe:
She's waiting still vpon our Goddesse traine:
For chastitie worthie to weare a crowne.
Of faire and honest an example heere,
And of them all a mirrour bright and cleere.

Behold a sweete perfection and a rare,
Of her, whom fame her selfe doth greatly feare:
Behold a passing beautie, sans compare,
Founded in grace and wisedome euery wheare:
That both with reason binde to loue and care.
For in her doth the lest part beautie beare.
Lady Eufrase of Guzman is her name,
Worthy to be eternized with fame.

That matchlesse beautie sweete and peregrine,
Not seene in any, but in her alone,
Which euery wit and soule doth so refine
With holy loue, as like was neuer none:
Apparelled with Crimson, that doth shine
With flowres of gold, and pearle that there are sowne.
The Lady Mary Aragon her name:
The world doth know, and heauen doth knowe the same.

Her doe you knowe to whome Diane her face
Doth turne, and points her to vs with her hand,
Who matcheth her in wisedome and in grace,

And equall is with others in this land
In wit, and hath in beautie highest place:
Apt to conduct and leade a martiall band.
T'is Lady Isabell Mauriq of Padille,
Who Mars doth conquer and with wonder fill.

The Ladies Mary Manuell and Ione
Osorius, are those two, which you doe see,
Whose grace, and beautie, as the like not knowne,
Euen Loue himselfe with loue doth wound and slee.
And this our Goddesse doth not ioy alone,
To see two such with her, but also wee.
Since then no toong their worthinesse may praise,
Reason, and fame to heauen the same shall raise.

And those two sisters of such worthy name,
Either of them a second neuer had.
Their grace, and beautie fils the world with fame:
This day their golden beames doth each one glad:
Me thinkes I see them in their perfect frame,
To which more beautie nature could not adde.
The Lady Bettrice Sarmient is one,
With Castro her faire sister so well knowne.

That cleerest sunne, which heere you see doth shine,
And heere and there her golden beames doth cast,
She, that doth laugh at louers that doe pine
In loue, and at the teares, that they doe wast,
And at Loues powre: whose countenance diuine
Saies more then I, though praising her so fast,
T'is Lady Iane Carate, in whom we see
Surpassing grace and beauties praise to bee.

The Lady Anne Osorius, that braue dame,
And Castro next to her possesse their place,
For peerelesse beautie honoured with fame,
For goodly giftes, for modestie, and grace:
But her hard hap (alas) was much to blame,
So cruelly her glory to deface:
Bicause her fortune equall might not bee
Vnto her wisedome, beautie, and degree.

That matchlesse beautie that's adorned so
With honestie, and grace so soueraine,
Which was with reason chosen to bestowe
Her honour in the Temple of Diana,
Not conquer'd, but still conqu'ring high and lowe:
Her name (O Nymphes) is Lady Iuliana,

Neece to that greatest Duke and Conestable,
Speake fame of her, for I am far vnable.

Behold the beautie (on the other part)
Of many faire and braue Valencian Dames,
Whom with my pen, but more yet with my hart,
I will procure to celebrate their names?
Heere Fount of Helicone, vouchsafe thy art,
And heere Minerua helpe me in these blames;
To tell what those braue Ladies be, whose sight
Onely to them all eies and harts inuite.

See heere fowre blasing stars that brightly shine,
Of whom Fame brutes their name in euery ground,
That from three famous kingdomes drawe their line,
And from Cardonas ancient house come downe,
On th' one side Dukes most excellent decline,
And from the other scepter, throne, and crowne:
Daughters vnto Sogorbe, whose golden fame
From Atlas vnto Maurus soundes their name.

The light of all the world, the flowre of Spaine,
The end of perfect beautie, and of grace,
A royall hart, that euer doth maintaine
Valour, and bountie, in a vertuous race:
That looke so modest, and so sweete againe,
Adorned with so faire and milde a face,
Giues Lady Anne of Aragon such fame,
That Loue himselfe is captiue to her name.

Her sister Lady Bettrice, that you see,
Is next (if that you can behold such light)
Whom none can praise, for this is onely shee,
Whom none can praise according to her right:
That Painter that did make her, so must bee
Her praiser, and her giftes he must recite:
For where all humane wit cannot attaine,
My poore conceite doth labour there in vaine.

The Lady Frances of great Aragon
Shew you I vvould, but she is alvvaies hid:
Her svveetest beauties leaues not any one
With life, for so her starlike eies forbid
Our mortall sight to vievv the same alone:
In life and death, her vertues euer did
Subiect each hart to loue, and admiration:
As fame can tell in euery forrain nation.

Now Lady Magdalene you may reueale,
Sister vnto those three which I haue showne,
Behold her well, and see how she doth steale
Her gazers harts, and subiect liues to none.
Her peerelesse beautie threats, and in a chaine
Leades little Cupid, turn'd into a stone:
None see her, but they die, and none there ar
But she doth conquer without armes or war.

Those two bright stars, that heere and there doe vaunt
Their shining beames, that dim the starrie skie,
And making that illustrous house of Gaunt
In all the world with high renowne to flie.
This day their wisedome, and their beauties daunt
Each humane thought, and euery mortall eie.
For who sees Magdeline and Marguerite,
That doth not die (for loue) at such a sight?

But will you see the thing, that hath vndone
All wits, and made them all to wonder so?
Behold a Nymph more faire then orient sunne,
Or louely rose, or lilly hard by Po;
This Phœnix name, that through the world doth runne,
Is Lady Caterine Milane, for so
Valencia cals her, and the world doth say,
She is as faire, and wise, as liues this day.

Lift vp your eies (faire Nymphes) and now behold
The Lady Mary Pexon çannoguere,
How by the riuer banks her locks of gold
She kembes, adorning of her shining heare,
Whose beautie, wisedome, and braue giftes are told
For rarest in our Europe euery wheare.
Behold her eies, her faire and Cristalline face,
Her sweete demeanour and her heauenly grace.

Those two behold, the rest that doe excell
In perfect wisedome, and in quicke conceate:
And for braue beautie beare away the bell,
A paire sans peere, whose starlike eies doe threate
Despaire and death, to those that view them well:
For there sits Cupid in his proper seate.
Their blessed names doe with their nature fit,
Faire Bettrice Vique and Bettrice Fenollit.

What time Diana went to sport and play,
With her most soueraine face, and more diuine,
A morning star arose in moneth of May,

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Like to that Star, that neere the Moone doth shine:
Which when she sawe so glorious euery way,
A famous place to her she did assigne:
Her beauties tell you, if her name you seeke,
That she's the peerelesse Lady Anna Vigue.

Faire Nymphes, behold the Lady Theodore
Carroz, that is great Lady and the Queene
Of such braue beautie, neuer seene before,
Wisedome, and grace, as like was neuer seene:
Each thing of hers enamours more and more.
The brauest mens deserts haue neuer beene
Such, as they durst attempt, or euer sought,
By them to place in her an amorous thought.

See (Shepherdes) Lady Angelas braue grace,
Of Borja, looking on Diana bright;
And how to her the Goddesse turnes her face,
To view those eies, that all eies doe inuite,
And mightie Loue himselfe weeping apace,
And how the Nymph derides his conquer'd might:
And laughes to see the cruell Tyrant lying,
Wrapped in chaines, to her for mercy crying.

Of that most famous stocke of çannoguere
A flowre sprung out, so perfect and so pure,
That liuing yet but yong, she neede not feare
Any that may her beauties blaze obscure:
Her mothers heire she is, for she doth beare
The praise, which she did with her giftes procure.
So hath Lady Hieronyma, you see,
In grace, and wit obtain'd the high'st degree.

Now in a wonder (Nimphes) will you remaine?
And see what fortune gaue to her alone,
How wisedome, beautie, and the goodly traine
Of vertues, make in her the chiefest throne?
Lady Veronica Marrades see againe,
For onely by her figure it is knowne
That she hath all, and nothing wants to serue her,
Vnlesse it be, that none can well deserue her.

The Lady Luise Penaroje we see
In more then humane beautie and in grace,
In euery thing most excellent is shee;
All beauties els she staines, and gaines apace.
Loue dies for her, and he will not agree,
That any should behold so sweete a face:

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Who sees it dies, vnlesse he see it againe,
And seene it, then his sight augments his paine.

Now see I (Nymphes) that you are seeing her,
On whom my thoughts continually deuise;
And yours perforce from her can neuer stirre,
Cupid she robs, and in her loue he dies:
See how her beauties make the world to erre?
See, but beware such light blinde not your eies.
The Lady Iane Cardona, that faire star,
It is to whom loues powres subiected ar.

That beautie, which exceedeth humane thought,
Which you doe see, if that you can behold it,
She, whose estate was blest, esteeming nought
Of fortune, time, or chaunce, that could enfold it.
She, to the world that such rare giftes hath brought:
She, that's my Muse, and Parnasus, vntold yet,
Lady Ione Anne of Catalane, The end
She is of all, that e're I did commend.

Neere vnto her there is a great extreme
In purest vertue, high and sublimate,
In comely grace, the fairest in this Realme,
Her golden haire, her necke most delicate;
Each gracious eie a firie pointed beame,
A noble wit, and name of heauens estate:
The Lady Angela Fernando named:
Whom nature to her name like gifts hath framed.

Next to her sits the Lady Marian,
Who hath not in the world her paragon,
Neere to her sister, fairer then the swan
In cristall streames, or fine Vermillion.
Proud is our age of both of them, that can
In tender yeeres haue no comparison
For wisedome; for so much they may presume,
As thousand toongs can tell, or golden plume.

The two fine sisters Borjas which you see,
Hyppolita and Isabell so faire,
With grace and giftes, that so adorned bee,
That Phebus brightest beames they doe impaire.
And see how many liues that once were free,
Their beauties conquers (Cupids onely snare)
Behold their haire, their countenance, and eies,
This gold, that sweete, and those like stars in skies.

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Behold the Lady Mary Cannoguere,
Who now is Lady of faire Catarasse,
Whose beautie, and sweete grace doth euery where
Conquer each hart with vnrepaired losse:
Fame on her wings th'row-out the world doth beare
Her vertues rare, that shine like gold to drosse.
Since each one them that sees her, must commend her,
Who then can praise her well, and not offend her?

The Lady Isabell Borja here doth stand
Perfect and absolute in euery thing:
Behold her face, her fine and dainty hand,
Ouer whose head the nightingales doe sing.
Our age she honours, and th' Hiberian land:
Of grace, and vertue she's the onely spring:
And those, to whom nature did beautie giue,
She staines, as fairest that did euer liue.

She, that her haire hath hanging downe, and spred
Abroad, and tide with golden thred behinde:
And that faire face, that hath so often led
So many harts to bondage of the minde:
Her Iuorie necke, her eies in beautie bred,
Faire, modest, gray, not looking out of kinde:
Her famous name is Lady Iuliana,
That honours heere the Temple of Diana.

She, whom you there doe see, whom nature made
So curiously, as neuer like before,
Since that her beautie neuer seem'd to fade,
Nor that a faire one can desire more:
Whose great deserts, and wit, doth still perswade
Fame, to the world her praises to restore:
Is called Lady Mencia Fenollit,
To whom Loue yeelds himselfe and doth submit.

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[Heere Lady Katherine entombed lies]

Heere Lady Katherine entombed lies,
Of Aragon and Sarmient, whose fame
Doth mount with praise vnto the loftie skies:
And sounds from North to South, her woorthy name.
Death kil'd her, to reuenge the sacrifice
Of those she killed, when she was a dame:
Her body's heere, her soule in heauen with pleasure:
The world vnwoorthy to possesse such treasure.

[Even as (O death) the Planets should remaine]

Even as (O death) the Planets should remaine
Without Apollo and Diana bright,
The ground without mankinde, and beasts againe,
The Marriner without the North-starre light;
The fielde without faire flowers grasse, or graine,
The mornings showe without the dewe of night:
Vertue and beautie so remaine and die
Without the dame that in this tombe doth lie.

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[First in Granada I vvas borne]

First in Granada I vvas borne,
In Cartama brought vp and bred,
To Allora fronter, which I scorne,
And in Coyn enamoured.

Though in Granada I was borne,
And brought vp in Cartama braue;
My faith in Coyn I haue sworne,
And there my libertie I gaue.
There doe I liue, where I doe die,
And where my care is thither led
To Allora Fronter am I,
And in Coyn enamoured.

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[If thy soft Haires be threds of shining gold]

If thy soft Haires be threds of shining gold,
Vnder the shade of which are two faire Eies,
(Two sunnes) whose Brow like heauen doth them vphold,
Rubie thy Mouth, and lips where Corall lies?
Could Cristall want, to frame thy Necke so white,
And Diamond, to make thy Brest so bright?

Thy hart is not vnlike vnto thy Brest,
Since that the flight of mettall of thy Haire
Did neuer make thee turne thy Necke at lest,
Nor with thine Eies giue hope, but cold despaire.
Yet from that sugred Mouth hope for an I,
And from that snowe-white Brow, that makes me die.

Ah beautifull, and yet most bitter Brow,
And may there be a Brest so hard and faire,
So sweete a necke, and yet so stiffe to bow,
So rich, and yet so couetous a Haire?
Who euer sawe so cleere and cruell Eies,
So sweete a Mouth, yet mooues not to my cries.

Enuious Loue my Necke doth chaine with spite,
His passions make my Brow looke pale and swart,
He makes mine Eies to leese their deerest light,
And in my Brest doth kill my trembling hart.
He makes my Haire to standing ghastly wise,
Yet in thy Mouth all wordes of comfort dies.

O sweetest face, and lips more perfect faire,
Then I may tell; O soft and daintie Necke,
O golden Raies of yonder Sunne, not Haire,
O Cristalline Brow, and Mouth with Rubie deckt,
O equall white and red, O Diamond Brest,
From these faire Eies when shall I hope for rest?

But if a (No) by turning of thine Eies,
Harke yet what saith her sweetest Mouth to me?
See if her hardnes in her Brest yet lies,

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And if she turnes her whitest Necke to thee?
Marke vvell the beckning of her fairest Brow,
Then from her Haire what may I hope for now?

If that her Lilly Brest and Necke doe once affirme their (No)
And if her shining Eies and Haire will not conclude an (I)
What will her Ruby Mouth then doe, and Brow as white as snowe,
Nay what shall I my selfe expect but vvith denials die?

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The end of the fourth booke.