The Works of William Fowler :: :: University of Virginia Library

Oure famous and morall Poet in these his morall Triumphs purposeth to descrywe the dywerss states and conditionis of Man, who being formed mortall is indowed with two principall powers and faculteis: The one is a sensuall appetite, the other is a naturall reasoun; The one of these haveing soveraintie in his youthe at that tyme when the senses hes most force and vigeur, The other agane when youth and lustines decayeth; Who, being deid, yit hes his memorie surviving by his famous actis through a more and longer Fame, which at last, evin as all other things vnder heaven, is ouercummed and vanquhished by Tyme which intoumbeth Fame in an eternall obliuioun; Yit seing that turning tyme is a thing bounded, limited, and in it self finit, dois remane subdewed by Immoweable Immortalitie, be whose ayd and help Fame is delyvered from the Iniurie of consuming tyme, dois liue as fermour in the revenewis and possessionis of Eternitie; For whiche causs The first Triumphe of our sensuall parts and youthlie affectioun is decyphered by Lowe. The seconde is of Reason, when we by more rypar and mature aige with the wings of discretioun dois subdew our affectioun; And this Is figured vnder the name of Chastetie in the Persoun of his ladye Laura. The thrid is of death, who defaces all the operationis of our appetite and power of our reasoun which wer wonnt to be wrought during our lyfetyme. The fourt is of fame, when men after thair death recreasis and refloorishis thair renoune. The fyift is of Tyme, that suppressis and extinguishis the same. The sext and last Is of Immortalitie, that ouercummeth all tyme, becaus of things that ar infinit thair is no proportioun. It is more to be noted that these first two

Triumphs of Lowe and chastetie ar in this lyfe the thrid, when our saule is in departing from our bodye, and the other thrie after it is frie of the same. Which sex Triumphs our Poet dois depaint partlye by visioun, partlye by Imaginatioun, particularlye interlaceinge the discourse of his estait and his ladeyis, and how her chastetie ouercame him, and agane death hir, yit how by fame she reviveth agane, when although that Tyme dois prease to dark the glorye of hir famous name, yit shall it be through Immortalitie Eternall.

I. Cap. i.

That tyme that did my sobbing sobbs and sorye sighs renew,
Through sweitt rememberance of that day on which my lowe first grew,
Which was the first beginnar of my panis and future smart,
and of my longsome martyrdome that martered had my hart,
The Sunn alreddye warmed had the Bull his doubled horne,
and Tithus wyfe, Aurora cleir, vprysing reade at morne,
All ycye and most frostye lyk had then hir selff adrest
vnto hir wonnted ancient place, hir auld frequented rest;
Lowe, greif, disdanis, and planing plaintis, and seasoun of the ȝeir
had caused me to a secreit place my self for to reteir,
Whair all the causis and fashereis that did oppres my hart
might thairby all affected be and all my doole auert.

Thair on the grass and plesant grene, my voyce be plaints maid waik,
my watching eyne orcumd through sleip at lenth sum rest did tak:

Quhair then I saw a Meruellous light, and in the same muche wo,
with litill Ioy, and sadnes full, and as me seamed, lo!
Amidst thairof I saw a duke, victorious, high of might,
Lyk on who to the capitoll triumphs in chariot bright.
Than I who was not muche acquent with such vnquented sight,
evin through this noysum wicked world so full of craft and slight,
In whiche to long I liwe, alace, and it of valeur voyde,
bot full of pryde, of graces bair, which vertew hes destroyde,
The habit proude, vnsene, vnvsd, all new and vn acquent,
I thair beheld with cairfull eyes both heavie tyrd and faint;
Through lingring lowe and drowsie sleip this sight I did discerne,
for that I had no other ioy than such a sight to lerne.

Thair than I saw four coursers fair, more whyte than anye snaw,
a chyldish boy and youngling raw in fyrie chair to draw,
Who in his hand his bow did beare, his arrowes be his syde,
as nother helmet nor yit targe thair pearceing shottis can byde;
Abowe his shoulders ther wer plaist twoe fleing feddered wings,
Imbrowdered with Ten thousand hewis, all bair in other things;

And round about him thair did stand and round about his chair
a number of suche mortall men that none can tham declair,
Whereof than some wer prisoners by him in battall tane,
some pearced by his pearcing darts, and som by him lay slane.

I wandring than to know sum newis of him and of his trane,
and so far fordwart marched on, all weryed all with pane,
Did than perceawe my selff evin one of such a flok to be,
when lowe from lyfe long tyme befoir had far dewyded me.
Than stayed I a whyle to see if onye one I knew
within the Thikkest of that troup that lowe so with him drew,—
Who is a king that fasting is, and houngrie ay for teares,
who makks men die, and daylie dois tham feid with lingring feares—
Bot none thair wes I culd discerne; and yit if thair was one
with whome I ones acquented was and now to death is gone,
His face wes chaingd and countenance by preasoun or by death,
whome crwell weird or fatall parks bereaued of his breath.
Thus as I wes astonished and looking thair and heir,
behould thair did rancounter me and to me did appeir
A sight and shaddow sumwhat less then that I saw befoir,
sad, pansiwe, dark, obscwir, and paill, vnknowen to me the moir,
Which be my name me cald, and said, “let no thing this thee mowe,
for all this Pompe and this Triumphe is purchessed by lowe.”
Whair at I merveld verye muche, and said in speaches plane,
“how kenst thow me, when swirlye I do know the not agane.”
He answerd than: “this cums to pass, and this dois so appeare,
evin through the burden of my bands and chanes that I do beare,
And be this thick congested air, and be this foggie mist,
which duskish is that so thy eyes with darknes dois resist;

Bot I am he evin he thy freind to the was traist and trew,
In thoskan bred, and thairin borne, whair first our freindship grew.”

His speaches than and freindlie words and reason which of ould
he wonnt to vse did quickly than this muche to me vnfould,
Discouering at that instant tyme that which his face did hyde,
as efterwart we satt ws doun eache one at others syde,
Whair he began to speik to me: “long tyme is sen I thought
To sie the heir with ws among, and in this band be brought,
Becaus that we evin from thy aige and tender yeares did sie
the verye sings within thy face that lowe shuld captiwe the.”
Than ansuerd I: “that is most trew: at first I was so bent
and trewlie I had yeild to lowe my hart and whole consent;
Bot oh! alace! these troubles cryes that lovers do sustane
afrayd me, and maid me from that course for to refrane;
So that I left my interpryse to which I first did tend,
bot in my breist the rev[i]uing raggs of lowe may yit be kend.”
So said I than, bot as yit as he did heir in what a sor[t]
I ansuer maid, he smyling than to me this did report,
“O my deir chyld, what flams for the be kendled and prepaird!”
bot oh! alas! at that tyme I did not his words regaird,
Which now so deiplie be imprent within my head eache one,
that none more fast nor solidlie be grawed in marble stone.

Syne I, whoe be my neirest aige which so dois rage and burne
alreddie learnd both toung and mynde the vse to speik and murne,
Demanded of this shaddow dark, “I pray the tell of grace
and courtesie what folk be these that marches in this place.”
Than he replyed: “within short tyme thow by thy selff sall knaw,
for of this cumpanye thow shalbe evin one of thame I shaw,

And be this lord thow salbe led, so fettred fast and bound,
this thow sall prowe, and yit not knaw how thow man cwir thy wound;
Thy fortoun Is, thy fates ar so, thy destineis and thy lott,
that this sal chanse or thow dissolue or yit vnloose that knott;
Thow first thy plesant face sall change, thy hairis sall first be gray,
er from thy neck and rebell feit these bands be tane away.

Bot yit that I may satisfie the in thy young desyrs,
what thow now crawist I will the tell, and shaw what thow requyrs.
And first of him I will declair that gretest is of state,
who dois at ones the lyfe of man and libertie abait,
The sam Is he who by this world is named bitter lowe,—
bot better sall thow know the sam and better sall it prowe,
When that his force sall the subdew and so sall captiwe the,
that ouer the he salbe lord, and thow his vassall be—
In youthe a meik and modest chyld, bot in his yeiris and aige
A cancard throward Tyran strong of fearsnes full and rage.
Woe! woe to him that kenst so weill! and thow the same sall knaw
before a thousand yeares be past: awake! for I it shaw.
He also gendred is and bred of Idilnes and slouth,
with wantonnes of mankynds mynd; his nurishing and his grouth
Is of suche thoughts within tham selfs dois seme both douce and sweit,
And deyfeid and made a god of pepill in discreit;

To whome he is thair only death, and whome with hardest lawes
dois vnder thousand chaines and nailles keip fast within his clawes,
Thay leiding on and drawing furth thair dayis and lingring lyfe,
sharpe, hard, seveir, and bitter als, all full of sturt and stryfe:

This is the principall of this pompe and heigh triumphant lord,
whose Triumphe is be many man so gloriouslie Decord.
But whom thow seest so lordlyke goe and staitlie first dois come
It is the Monark Cæsar greit, the empriour first of Rome,
Whome that ægiptian Cleopatra in ægipt land did binde
among the flouers with bewtye brawe and bountye of the minde;
Now she ouer him triumpheth so with reasoun, lowe, and right,
that he who did the world ourcum so with his manlye might
Suld be subdewed by hir agane, and he suche change might see,
And that the victors honour might the vanqueists glorye bee.

The nixt to him It is his sone, Augustus greit by name,
whose fervent lowe more loyall was and iustar more his flame,
Who though he might his Liuia by force hir gett and gane,
yet would he with maist humble suit vnto hir love attane,
And by hir husbands owen consent obtened hir at his hand,
suppose she was with chyld that tyme, to Ioyne in mariage band.”
The thrid that marched with these twoe wes Nero the vniust,
dispytfull, bloodie, cruell, fearse, and faythles, voyde of trust,
Who passed on with visage full of yre and proud disdane,
and yit for all [his] force and strenth Sabina hes him tane;
And Mark Aurelius lykwyse thair went with this valiant king,
full of all praise and honour als in glorye moist conding,
Whose golden toung and sacred breist full of philosophie
was for the luif of faustine maid a sing and mark to be.

“These other two that standeth by so fearfull be mistrust
Is Alexander Phȩreus and Dynneiss the vniust,
Tane bothe in lowe, and in thair lowe afrayed night and day,
Whose Ielous mynds through Ielousie did purches thair decay,
And this effect thairof did ryse. Now he who nixt comes on
Is that Æneas that lamentis vpone Ancandrum stone

Dame Creusas death, king Priams chyld, who reft from him his wyiff,
quha from Euander tooke his sone, and reft him of his lyiff:
Hes ever thow hard one reasoun of or yit of him to talk
that to his stepdames furious lust and bed wald no wayes walk,
Quhome Pnædra so with prayers prayd, with lovelie lookes and sight,
yit he thairto did talk no heade but shund that Dame by flight?
Bot woe! alace! his chaist intent, his goodlie thoughts and mynde,
did bring his deathe and als hir hate bothe terrible and vnkynde;
And yit thairthrough shee wrought hir death, be love she thairto ran,
a vengeance iust for Hippolite whome she exyled than,
For Theseus consent thairto and also Ariadne,
From whome hir sister reft hir spous and had from hir withhadden;
But yit not iustlye may shee plaine, nor think hir much misvsd,
she wrought her brothers dreidfull death, and father had abusd.
Some pepill be who others blames when they thame selfs suld blame,
and spyeth faultes in other men and seing not thair schame,
Yet he who maketh sports and play and dois in fraude delyte,
he suld not muche be greued be if he get quyte for quyte.”

Thair saw I then his father nixt with all his pompe and praise
Led prisoner in that Triumphe, on whome my eis did gaise
To sie him thair tuix sisteris two brought thair in that convoye,
And Ariadne of his death and he of Phȩdras Ioy.

“He that is nixt is Hercules, that martiall man so bould,
by Dianire and Iole and Omphale maid thrauld;
The other who dois fauour him is that Achilles stout,
quho in his lwiff had all his lwkt evin full of doole and dout.
Heir standeth lykwyse Demophon, with him dois Phillis mwiff,
quho for his stay and long abode did hang hir selff for lwiff.
This Iason is, with him his Dame, Medea, ætas chyld,
that followed him and lowe also through tounes and deserts wyild;
And looke how muche she guyltie wes aganis hir father deir,
or cruell in hir brothers death so voyde of shame and feir,
So wes she more crueller and mowed in furious Ire,
in grit despyte aganis Iasons love to sett his houss in fyre;
And not content with this reweng she forder of did go
To cutt in blads befoir his eyes the children of tham two;
Sche thought this rigour no thing greit, nor yit to hurt hir hart,
Nor yit beleued that by hir fact Reuenge did pass desert.”

Than after cam Hysiphyle, who semed to complane
that be the barbar lowe of one she was brought in disdane.
Than saw I hir who by hir face of bewtye beare the name,
fair Helene, Menelaus wyiff, the farest grecian Dame,
Who had with hir that Shiphirdd thair that to his great disgrace
did fixt his eyes and gaised vpon hir fair and hevinlie face,
Wheare through greit tempests of grit wars, grit murders wyld & strange,
did ryse thairbye, and all the world did wp and dounsyid change.
I after hard Œnome amangs these Troups full sad
weip for the death of Paris toe, and for his luiff die mad,
Thair lykwise Menelaus was who did for Helene mone
To sie hir thoughts not fixt on him bot on him that was gone;

And after was Hermione who for Orestes cryed
To succour hir from Pyrrhus hands who had hir bewtye spyed.

Thair also I did thair behould Accastus daughter fair,
Laodomie, muche makking for hir Protesilaus cair.
With hir I saw trew Argia, most fayithfull to hir spous,
that maid his funerallis for his corss even with his teares & vowes,
More iust, more trew, and fayithfull more, more loveing in effect,
than Eriphyle that for a chaine Amphiarus did detect.

O Petrark! heare the sad complants, the sighs, and grevous sounds,
That from these lovers miserable so miserablie rebounds,
Who ar about to rander wp to him thair spreits and lyfe,
that in suche sort thame governeth and gwydeth in such stryfe.
I can not all thair names reherse that wer about that chair:
not onlye men wes tham amongs, bot evin the gods wer thair;
Thair press and number wes so great quhom Cupid led in chanes,
that all the shaddowing Mirtell woods wer filled with thair tranes.

For thair I saw the Cyprian dame, dame Venus bright and fair,
with Mightie Mars, both neck, feitt, armes, bound be Vulcans snair,
And Pluto that Proserpina did revish to the hell,
who half the yeare did with hir dam, the other with him did dwell;
Thair Iuno Ielous did I see, and brawe Apollo bright,
that did despyse Cupidois aige, his youth, his bow, and might,
Yit for all that this youngling boy his puissance maid him prowe,
when in Thessalia he him shakt, and made him for to lowe.

What sall I say than to be breiff and in this passage short?—
behoulde these goddis and goddessis that Varro dois report,
All Prisoners and captiwed now, and charged with thousand chaines;
and with the same evin Ioue him self his charged leggs furth straines,
And goes infettered hard afore this high Triumphant chair,
subdewed be loue, and led by lowe, to mak his pompe more fair.

Finis i cap.

II. The Seconde Chapter of the First Triumphe of Lowe.

Alreddye these my weryed eyes all weryed so to vew
that brave Triumphe and princelie pomp that bravely did ensew,
And yit thairwith not satisfied, desyrous more to sie,
now heir and thair, to this and that, I did convert myne ee;
Which things for to repeate and shaw as I did sie thame frame
so short a houer will not permit nor thole I shaw the same.
Than did my hart from thoughts to thoughts by intercourse so pass,
when as I spyed two folkis a part togeather them amass,
And hand in hand, so ioyntlie ioyned, promening softlye went,
and reasoning in swetest words, they thus thair progres spent;
Thair vncouth habit light and strange did mak me much to muse,
and speache vnknowen to me, obscwre, which none bot they did vse;
Yit all thair talk and conference which was betuix these twane,
my marrow and interpretar and truiche man maid it plane;

And after that I knew thame bothe I nerer did approche,
And bouldlye did my selff inqyre, and on thame bothe encrochte,
Quair I perceaved the one to be a freind vnto our name,
The other ane adversar seveir and ennemie to the same.

Vnto the first I me adrest And thus began to say:
“O Massinissa, princelie prince, forgiwe me, I the pray,
Evin for thy Scipions sake, and hirs be whome I now begin,
that thow would pardoun what I speik and not be grewed heirin.”
Thairefter than he me beheld and speiking thus began:
“I willinglie than first would know quhat art thow for a man,
Sen thow [so] well in me hed spyed and dois so weill discerne
my double lowe vnto these twoe so stable and eterne.”
I humblie answered him agane: “O peirles prince of praise,
my pwir estate will not permit that thow me know these dayes;
Bass is my port, obscure I am, my meanes ar meane and might,
and from small flams that far ar plaist [thair] can not com grit light;
But thy renowme and royall fame through all the world arrywes,
whose force is suche that it coniones the hartis, the spreittis, and lywes
Of those that never hes the sene nor sal heirafter see
with knottis and bandes of lasting lowe that sall ay lasting be.
Now tell me if this gratious Duke in whose Triumphe yow go,
if that in peace and quietnes he dois conduct yow two,

Whiche couple makis me think such things to be so strange and rare,
and of the fayithfull rarest fayith that anye can declair.”

Than answered he: “thy toung dois prowe In naming me so prest
that thow dois knaw evin by thy self my state and all the rest;
Yit for to chaise far from my hart the doole which dois it grewe,
and so results evin by hir death who now no more dois lewe,
To thy requeist I yeild consent. I having than my hart
Vpone that high victorious Duke, whose lowe hes wrought my smart,
So stedfastlye implaist on him which no thing might supplant,
That Lelius in this respect with no small pane could vant,
Whairevir might his standart than or enseiȝe be found,
thair wes I lykwyse prest in armes to combat on the ground;
To him was fortoun fauorable, from him she did not swerve,
yit not so far as did his actis and doughtie deids deserve;
Suche valeur was implaist in him, suche manhoode in his mynde,
his lyke was never sene befoir, nor yit sall com behynde.
Now after that the Romane armes with honour wer besprent,
and sparpled to the vtmaist parts of east and occident,
With him I me adioyned then, and lowe with hir me ioyned
in such a sort that deathe hir self yit not hes vs disioyned.

Was never suche a sweitlie flame two lowers breists did burne,
nor never sall, as I belewe, for which I mone and murne,
And wepeth that suche few short nights which makis me cair and crye
suld all my pleasouris ouercross and my deserts all drye.
For being in vane conducted both vnto our mariage bed,
and all our iust and lawfull links to brokken be and shed,
And thairwith all my trew despysed, and no excuse prewaill
In this my fwrie and my lowe that did me so assaill,
Be him whose valour in it selff than all the world was more,
be him whose words wer holy all and full of fame and glore,
Be him who had no pittye on of both our sighs and wo,
be him, and by his holye speache, we parted wer in two.

From thence, alas, did ryse our doole: and yit, I must confes,
in doing so he hes done weill, suppose my Ioyes ar less;
I saw suche perfyte proofes of grace in him suche vertew flame
within the mynde of Scipio that ay sall liwe in fame:
And as the man is stony blinde that can not see the Sun,
even so Is [he] that not remarques the splendure he hes wun:
Greit iustice is to Louers trew a sore and greit offence:
so that his counsell grawe and wyse that stayed our gude pretence
Was evin a rok and craggye stone to brek that interpryse,
which we by force of fervent lowe amangs ws did dewyse;
By aige to me he brother was, by lowe my sone, I say,
By honour evin my father deir, quhome I must neids obey,
Suppose I was with heavie hart with sadnes full and wo,
and with a lowring countenance constraned to do so;

From whose command and counsell cam My Sophonisbas death,
quho seing hir selff so prosecute by romans spytefull wreath,
And almost brought within thair bands, she chused first to die
than to be brought in servitude, and throught thame shamed be.
And I my selff evin of hir death the minister even was;
she prayed me to do that whiche her prayers brought to pass;
So doing that whiche she desyred, and bringing it to end,
hawe wrought offence against my selff that would not hir offend;
So that I than hir sent a coupe, within a poysened drink,
with such a wofull sort of thoughts and sorrow yow may think,
As I do know, and she beliues, and thow thy selff may Trow,
if that suche coales of kendled flames hes kendled bene in yow.

And now the heareshipp which I hawe and partage be my wyfe
ar Onelie plaints, greif, [doole], and woe, and Long and Lasting stryfe;
In hir did rest my onelie hoipe, in hir wes all my bliss,
these hawe I lost for to conserwe my fayith but stane or miss.
But searche gif that thow now may see in all this trowpe and dance
A thing so wonderfull and strange and of so rare a chanse;
Considder this in tyme becaus the tyme is light and swift,
And thair is mater more than day that bydis a longer drift.”

As I was pansing full of reuthe and pittie for thame two,
and of the short tyme of thair lowe so wrapped full off wo,
Togeather with thair fervent fyre which feirslie had begun,
me thought my hart wes maid of Snow, and set against the sun;

And thuswayes musing in my mynd, I hard hir as she went
say to hir lowe, “this man me grewis, and makis me malcontent;
I firmelie keip within my mynd, and earnistlie in thought,
To hate him for his nationis saik who our distructioun wrought.”
Than this to hir I spak agane, “do this for my requeist:
O Sophonsiba, be at peace, and put your mynde to rest;
Your Carthage hes be these our handis bene wrackt and ruined thryse,
and at the thrid tyme all vpraisd and on the ground now lyiss.”
Bot quicklye she this spak agane, “shaw me this other thing:
quhen Afrik weipt, did Italye than ather laugh or sing?
For proofe heirof cast ower your bookes, and these your stories wryte,
And they will shaw gif yow enquyre, for thay of bothe Indyte.”
And thus our freind, hir lowe also, did smyling than depairt,
and to the thikkest of the Troup thair stepps they did convert,
So that these eyes, these lights of myne, that on thame gaised afore,
through multitude evin of the press culd not behoulde thame more.

Than as a man by doutfull wayes dois at adventure ryde,
now standis now restis at euerye place, and can not tell quhat syde
Or yit quhat way to turne him to, bot looketh heir and thair,
so that his doubtfull wandring thoughts his passage dois empair,
Evin so the number of these men who captiwed went with lowe
did mak my going doubtfull slow whair evir I did mowe.
And yit I had a more desyre and semed more content
To know how muche, and through what fyre, these lovers all wer brent:

Quhair on my left hand I had espyed, without the commoun way,
evin one who dois resemble him who earnistlye dois pray,
And cowittis things with greit desyre, and in his suit hes sped,
bothe blythe and blushinglie departs his former stepps to tred;
Evin in suche sort I saw that king who gawe his loving wyiff
and chosen spous vnto his sone to lenght his lingring lyiff.
O lowe! o lowe in high degre! O courtesie most strange!
O wounder greit more far agane to see hir in that change
And that excambion so content that she but blusht for ioy!
This marching on they to thair troupe did then thame selfis conwoy,
Conferring on thair sweit desyris, bot sighing that she cost
The Syrian scepter, and hir crowne and kingdome thairby lost.

I drew me neir vnto these spreitts that wer about to stay,
consulting how that thay might go and tak a nother way,
And saying to the formest man that narest wes my syde,
“I pray the now maist instantlye that thow wold me abyde;”
And he evin at the first resound of that my latine toung,
with troubled face depaint with Ire vnto a musing doung,
Restraned his stepps to know who cald, and quiklie did dewyne
what wes my will and my desyre, and so me answered syne:
“I am Seleucus heir, with me Antiochus gois, my sone,
who had grit warrs against yow all, and bothe by them vndone;
Bot right nor reason contrar force hes nather rowme nor place;
and this is she first wes my wyiff whome now my sone dois brace,
Whome I did quyte and did resing to be his lauchefull wyiff
To free from death and chase away the danger of his lyiff,
To whiche his lowelie hid desyris and closet secreit flame
conducted him, and so that gift wes lawchfull than but blame.
Stratonica she named is, and so our chanse and lott
is, as thow seist, indiuisible, and, by this sing, the knott

Of this our long and lasting lowe is yit so tewche and strong
that no thing that can seperat which first was ws among;
Schee was content to quyte to me the kingdome, I my wyiff,
than my belowed deirlye spouss, and he agane his lyiff;
So warlye went he in his lowe, so far by reason furth,
that he more maid him so estemed of one and other wurth;
And if it had not bene by skill, by help and ayd discreit
of that expert physicien, with practise full compleit,
Who well espyed where lay the caus that did his helth doun ding,
his youth, evin in hir flowris, had endit and finisht in hir spring:
For he in scilence and in lowe did ryn vnto his death,
his feitt him failed, his voyce was waik, his powers, lyfe, & breath;
Fates caused him lowe, his vertew maid him hyde It to the end,
and my paternall pietie the succour hes extend.”
Thus as he spak, than as a man that dois mak change for change
of hailsing others mutuallye dois boythe by other range,
So at the end of these his words he turned his stepps and heill,
that I with grit difficultie might bid him than fairweill.

Than after that from these my eyes the shade away had gone,
which wer with pittie heavie maid, I sighing progrest one,
For that my hart from these words was not vnbound nor losed,
bot reuthfullie remembered that which he to me disclosed.
At last to me that tyme wes said, “thow standeth to to muche
vpone one thought in dywers so and of varietie suche,
Whiche shortnes of the slyding tyme, as thow to weill dois knaw,
will not permit in large discourse that I thame to the shaw.”
Not Xerxes to the seis of grece conwoyed suche a band
of armed men by Nawall host as thair with thame did stand,

Evin suche a trowpe of lowers all, both nacked, bound, and tane,
as that my eyes vnable wer to suche a sight sustane;
They wer in toungis so different, and of suche dywers landis,
as scarslye I evin one can name of thousands led in bandis,
So that the storye whiche I wryte, and Poeme I compyle,
sall be of these, and thame a few, whome I thair knew that whyle.

And Perseus first sall prease in place, whose lowe maid me desyre
to knaw how that Andromeda did sett his hart on fyre,
And how in Æthiopia land that virgine, blak of hew,
did with hir eyes and crisped hair him to his lowe subdew.
Nixt him wes thair that lower vane quhose bewtye was his wrack,
Who through to muche desyre wes quyte destroyed and all sackt,
And onelie pwir maid by his welth and by abundance skant,
and now transformed in a flour that seid and fruitt dois want.
Besydis him was that Echo nymphe who for Narcissus cryed,
whose corse wes changed in a stone, and voyce in rocks was dryed.
With hir wes Iphis in that rank, so bent vnto hir deathe,
That hate hir selff for others lowe, and reft hir self of breathe;
And manye other damned soules condamned to lyke pane,
and in thair marche did all lyke cross and fortoun hard sustane,
A Pepill who through to muche lowe did lothe in lyfe to liwe,
through rigour of thair cairles dames whose pryde thame most did griwe:
Quhair also I did thair perceawe of this our aige ane ost,
whose names for to recount or tell wer work and labour lost.

With thame wer those whome lowe hes maid Eternall marrowis two,
Trew, iust, and fayithfull Ceice, and constant Alcio,
Who at the borders of the seis, and at the shoers his syde,
did big thair nests evin at the best and calme of wintar tyd.
Along from thame wes Esacus who pansiwe thair did stand,
and searching for Eperia, now sitting on the land,
Than on the watrie floods agane, and now to mount more highe,
and Sylla, Nisos cruell chyld, far from hir father flie.
Thair than I Atalanta saw, be aples thrie of gould
and with the bewtye of a face ourcummed and contrould;
With hir, hir lower, Hippomenes, who far abowe the rest
of all that Troupe of lowers wer and wretched rinners best,
Who only by his valeur did hir vowes and othes supplant,
And Ioyfull of the victorie so marching on did vant.

Among the faboulus lovers vane which poetts dois reherse
was Galatea, atis eik, and Polipheme so ferse,
Who Atis slew whils as he did within hir bosome ly;
and so with noyse and rumour greit these thrie than passed by.
Thair Glaucus fleting on the wawes to enter in that band
but Sylla whome he did desyre and with such ȝeale demand,
And blameing Circe named her a lower fell and ferss;
with them wes then these other two which Ouid dois reherss,
Canence with hir Picus chaist, sumtyme one of our kingis,
bot now by Circe maid a fowle that chatters and not singis,
Whose sorcerye did change him from his name and browdered robbs,
for which hir weilbeloued lowe ay sighing waillis and sobbs.

I saw lykwise Egenas teares, and Scylla haif for bones
in place thairof a hard sharpe rock, that sounds, that rores and grones,

And from hir name the crage so called, so that vnto that sie
whair it is plaist dois ever grow greit shame and infamie.
I Also Canace beheld who haveing in one hand
a fatal, nacked sworde, as did hir father hir command,
And in hir right a Pen to wryte in doole and deip dispair,
and to hir lower than hir lowe hir dolent deathe declair.
With hir wes thair Pigmalion, with him his dame did byid,
and thousandis moe, who singing then wer at the fountanis syid
Of Aganipp and Castalie; whear then I saw in end
Cydippe with that aples scorned Accontius did hir send.

Finis.2. cap.

III. The thrid chapter of the first Triumphe of Loue.

So Muche my hart wes then amaised, so much of mervell full,
that I thair stoode, euen as a man that stupid stands and dull,
And can not speik, bot holdis his toung, and lwikis if anye man
be neir of yit him round about to giwe him counsell than,
When that my shaddow and my freind began thus for to say:
“quhat dois thow now, quhat looks thow on, quhairon thy thoughs dois stay?
Knawis thow not weill that I am one evin of this troupe and band
whome lowe dois leade, with whome I go, that can not him with stand?”
Than answered I: “my brother deir, thow best my state dois knaw,
and als the lowe that in my breist dois to suche kendling grow,
Whose force is suche that evin what thingis of the I suld requyre
togeather with suche lyke affairis ar stayid by greit desyre.”

Than he thus spak agane and said: “alreddie I hawe knawen,
thought thow through Silence speik no thing, what thow woldest hawe the shawen.
Sen thow wold know what folk be these and pepill thow hes spyed,
I will the tell if to my toung the vse be not denyed.

Behold that greit and glorious man so honoured of all,
he Pompei is, that leidis with him Cornelia with all,

Who with hir salt and wattrye teares condooles his dolent death,
which Ptolome that vyld did caus through terrour more then wreath.
He whome thow seis more farrer off is that greit valiant greik,
conductour of the valiant ost, And heir Egistus eik,
That murderer, adulterer, that poltroun, paliard preist.
This cruell Clytemnestra is, that cruell godles beist
Be whome it may now weill be knowen, and be thame we may fynde
if lowe inconstant be and vane, Incensat, furious, blynde.
Bot yit behold yon other Dame of gretar fayith and lowe,
that fayithfull Hypermestia fair, and so did Linus prowe.
See Pyramus and Thisbe both to stand the shadow by,
with Hero at the window, and in seis Leander ly.
This shaddow that thow pansiwe seis is that Vlisses whome
his chaistfull wyiff dois long exspect and prayeth to come home,
Bot Circes that enchantiress through lowe dois him detane,
and dois empesh his fordwart stepps, and maks him stay agane.
This other whome thow dois behold it is Amilcars sone,
bold Hanniball, who stoutlye did with the Romans conione,
Whome Rome thought not in manye yeares nor Italie might abaise,
yit hes ane abiect woman him of Pulia led in lace.

Sche that with hair both cutt and short dois follow so hir lord
was quene of Pontus, that for lowe dois now to this accord
With servile clothis and suche attyre Mithridates to serwe,
that in his Iornayis and conflicts from him did never swerwe.

This other Dame Is Portia bould, Brutus fayithfull wyiff,
that sharps hir sword hard by the coalis and ends by tham hir lyiff;
Thair also Iulia thow may sie, that weped for hir spous,
for that vnto his second flamms he more Inclynes and bowes.

Now turne thyne ene and thame conwert vnto that other syde,
whair our greit father, Iacob scorned, dois with these folke abyde,
And yit for all that dois not forthink or mened from hir to swerwe
for whome with constant loyall lowe he twyse sevin yeres did serwe.
O lywelie lowe! O force most strange that dois not only lest,
bot growis be griefis, and alwayis Is by troubles more encrest!
Behold the father of this man, with him his guidshir toe,
departing from his duelling place, and Sara lyk to doe.
Than after lwik how cruell lowe and weked Dauid wan,
enforceing him to do that work from whence he after than
Within a dark and secreit cawe, withdrawing him a part,
weipt for his faults and for his sinnis in anguish of his hart.

Behold also how suche a mist and suche lyke darkned clwde
dois so obscure his sone his face and darknes owershrude,
And cower the praise of all his witt, and mak the sam be smored,
which publisht wes through all the world by our supernall lord.
Than Amnon spye whoe at one tyme did Thamar lowe and hate,
and how she Then to Absalon hir brother did repeate,
Disdanefull and maist dolorous, the caus of all hir woe,
his raging lust and hate agane his kyndnes to ourthroe.

Before a litill thow may see one stronger more then wyse,
I Sampson meane, who with his wyiff did foolishly dewyse,
And through hir clattering trifling tryes than she did than delair,
did putt his heid within hir lappe, that cutt away his hair.

Beholde also how that amangis so manye speares and swordis,
loue, sleip, and als a wedow fair, with manie plesant wordis,
And with hir cumlye clenelye cheikis, accumpaned with hir maid,
hes killed holipherne the proude, and vengeance him repayid,
And thay returnyng to thair toun, and in thair handis his heid,
at midnyght gevin god the thankis, to which thay haist with speid.
See Sichem, and with him his bloode, how that the same is mixt
with circumcisioun and with death, and with the slaughter nixt
OF bothe his father and all these that pisht aganis the wall.
o force of lowe both strong and greit that maid suche suddane fall!
beholde Assuerus in what sort he begging seikis his lowe,
that he in peace may heir possess, and how he dois remowe
And so vnloose his former knottis, and frie him of these bandis
that bound him fast, I meane his wyiff that keipt not his commandis,
And how that be ane other knott agane he hes him bound,
whiche onlye is the salve that may in contrare lowe be found;
And all suche malice to efface thair is no better thing,
Euen as a wadge and other doith and nail and naill furth bring.

Now wold thow sie within one hart the bitter with the sweitt,
and lothesomnes with lowe agane evin in one mynd to fleit,

Behold Herodes, cruell, fearse, of kyndnes full and rage,
whome lowe with crueltie and hate so long tyme dois assuage;
Regaird how that the first dois burne and lye in fervent flame,
and after how he gnawes [his] hart in memorie of the same,
And calling for his Marion, which than dois not him heir,
To late he now repented him of suche his rage seveir.

Beholde agane these other thrie both good of lyfe and lowe,
Deidamia with Arthemise and Procris so did prowe;
Now sie lykwyse these thrie so curst and toucht with raging flame,
Semiramis, with Biblis eik, and Myrrha, voyde of Schame,
how ewerye one of thame appeiris for shame to blush and stay,
that thay can hawe no licence for to walk with tham that way,
But for to tak the throwen streit, and evin of that denyde.
beholde that Troupe that fillis with dreames the papers on all syd,
Quhose workis dois mak the vulgar sort to reid thame and requyre,
and vanelye through thair erring dreames so for thame haif desyre,
These ar the wandring loveing knights of Arthurs table round,
wheare Geneure with hir Lancelot with others may be found,
As Tristan with Isota fair, the king of Cornuallis wyiff,
And als that counte of Aremine who lost for lowe thair lyiff.”
Lord Paul of Matatestas houss, and Franschescina fair
in makking mone and sad lamentis and wailing marched thair.

Thus as my freind and shaddow spak I at that tyme did stand
Evin as a man that is afrayid for ill that is at hand,
And trembleth fast before he heir the Trumpet shaw his dome,
and feilis his dolent deathe befoir the same by sentence come:

So was my state evin at that tyme; my face such cullour keipt
as one drawin furth evin of his grawe wherin he long did sleip;
Quhen than with palish face and wan befoir me I espyde
a lywelye Nymphe, more fairer than a dow, stand by my syde,
Who thair me twik and captiwe led; and I who wold have sworne
To haif defended well my selff, and men of armes ourborne,
Was with the smyrcling of her eyes and smyling of hir face
and with hir plesant gracious words than snared in hir lace.

As I was thinking on this thing, and for the treuthe to shaw,
My freind more nerer did approche and towardis me did draw,
And lawghin rounded in my eare (whose laughter caused my wo
That at my losses he suld smyle) and thus began he so:
“Now hes thow licence for to speik evin quhat thow [ ] and pleis,
To shaw how lowe evin in his moode dois both the pane and eiss,
Sen now we both saill in one bark, and both one liquour lik,
and bothe Together marked lyke and touched with one pik.”
I Than becam as one of those who more is discontent
of others happ and better lwck and prosperous event
Than of my loss and haples chance, and so more grewed wes I
when as I did the Dame me led in peace and fredome spy;
And after as to late my loss and dommage I did knaw,
so from the bewtye of my dame I maid my death to grow.
For brunt with lowe and with his flame, and with Inwy enrage
And Ielousie was than my hart which no thing culd asswage;
Nor wold I turne my staring eyes away from hir fair face,
bot as a man by feawers weakt so semed I in that cace,

Who, thought he seik and feaverous be, yit hes a gredie will
For that whiche to his taist is sueit bot to his helth is Ill;
So that to anye other Ioy whiche more might glaid my mynde
my eares war deaffe and stopped bothe, my eyes wer shutt and blynde
In following hir whose steppis me led by manie doubtfull pace,
so that in thinking on the same I tremble yit, allace.

For ay since syne my eyes through teares wer on the ground fixt wak,
my hart was sad and pansiwe ay; the Ins that I did tak
And solitarye resting place was then the wellis and woods,
The fountanis, rivers, mountanis, hillis, the craggie rokkis, and floods;
Sensyne the Papers and the scrollis which I haif sperst alwayes
with thoughts, with teares, with Ink, to pen my panis and paint hir praise,
Sometymes through lowe, sometymes through wreath, I forced was and spyte
To teare them all in peaces small, and ower agane to wryte.

Sensyne I know how lowe retanis within his cloyster now
Doubt, dreid, dispair, and deip distrust, and hope with constant wow:
So that the man that weill wold knaw the feates and fruittis of lowe,
the panis, the plagues, the lingring tymes, that lowers hourlie prowe,
Gif he can reade, than lift his eyes vnto my forrett now,
whan he sall sie all these effectis fair writtin on my brow.
And hir I sie so cairles walk, that fair and gallant dame,
not toucht with rewth for all my panis, bot cairless of the same,

And rekles bothe of them and me, she taketh no account
Now whither I sink or yit I fleit, I fall or yit I mount;
Sic graces now dois grow in hir, such bewtye she dois shroude,
that of hir vertew now she gois and of my spuilȝei proude.

And on the other part I spy, and seis on other syde,
Evin lowe him self to stand in feare, and from hir him to hyd;
Althought he winneth all the world, he can not hir subdew,
so that past hope of help am I, nor lowe can mak reskew;
In my defence thair none that standis, no succour comes to me
and in my ayde no boldnes can nor force can mak supplie.
For lowe him self in whome I hoipe and confidence dois byde,
whose custume is most cruellie to flyte if lowers hyde,
And fleish with myne thair skin from thame, [dois] dalley with his dame,
and flattringlye carressis hir, yit cairis she not the same;
Nor anye be that more or less may force yit or constrane
This Rammage and rebelling mayde with lowe for to remane,
Bot going be hir self allone, and frie from lowe his lace,
with drawis hir from his enseingȝe a long and distant space.

And trewlye in hir bewtye shee, and in hir port and pace,
and in hir smyles and high disdanis, and in hir wordis and grace,
Sche in this sort surpassis so, compared with other dames,
evin as the sun the litill sparkis excedeth be his flames;
So fair appeiris hir hair to be that they do seme of goulde,
all shaking softlye by the winde which dois thair tress vnfoulde;
Her eyes lyke hevinlie lamps and lighs that so inflams my hart,
that through thair grace I am content that they incress my smart.
Quho can with hir behaviour and angelyke adress,
with maners meik and custumes high, compair or yit expres?

For he who would in poeme prease condinglie to report
hir vertewus deidis and glorious acts, I think he suld come short:
It far my learning dois surpass, my wawering pen dois shake,
my style, my verse, my voyce, my phraise ar owerbass and wake;
No pen can more depaint hir praise or yit aduance hir glore
than litill strandis the largest seis dois be thair course mak more.

O thingis most new, and never sene befoir vnto this day,
nor more bot ones, nor after sall thair glorye more bewray!
It is a thing sall never be, hir lyke sall never cume,
and on hir vertew and hir grace all voyces salbe dume.

So do I finde my self now bound, and she in fredome frie,
and I exclaming in this sort, “O starr, how gydis thow me?
O cursed starr! o fates vniust! what thingis do ye portend?
how chanseth It that for my panis I rype no fruit in end?”
I day and night bewaillis my woe, and ay dois call and pray
To hir quho cairis not for my moane, nor yit to heir will stay,
So that with grit difficultie, with trawell, toyle, and pane,
I skarslye for ten thousand wordis can one obtane agane.
O law seveir of Cupidis court! yit thought it crooked be
and inderect, yit must we all to follow it aggrie,
Becaus It is so ancient, so vniuersall ould,
that it conioynes to the heavin earth so law & could,
Whose potent power and strong effect not onlye men hes proven,
bot evin the Manhoode of the gods by it hes bene ourthrowen.

And now sen lowe hes me subdewed I knaw and haif espyed
how that he dois the hart of man far from his corss dewyid,

And how he can gif pane and peace, long lasting weiris with trewis,
and doolefull tydingis to dispair, and than more better newis,
And how he forces outwardly men for to hyde thair woe,
when Inwardly thair breistis brunt, suppose it seme not so;
And how evin in one instant tyme the blwid in haist departis,
and quiklye from his vanes dois rin and in his cheikis convertis,
If so it chance that anye feare dois than his mynde posses,
or shamefastnes constrane him blush or terrour him oppres.
I knaw how that the serpent lyis all hid within the floure,
The snaris, the girnis, the Nettis, and baitts, the loweris dois devoure;
And also how he Ielous walkis and sleipis in dreid and doubt,
suspecting ay his riwall foe by lowe shuld thrust him owt.
I also know how this my lyfe dois languish by dispair,
and how I dieing never die, nor death can end my cair;
I also know how for to trace the fitsteppis of my foe,
and how for feare to find hir syne I stand in dreid than goe;
I also know in quhat a sort and quhat a guyse so strange
the lingring lower in his lowe dois him transforme and change,
And how among so longsome sighs and shortned smylingis I
can change my state, my will, and hew, and cullour sone thairbye;
And how to liwe and stand but lyfe, when as my wofull hart
Is soundred from his spreit and soule, her lyiflie vitall part.
I also know how lowe hes led me in this danse this whyle
a thousand wayes and vane deceittis my selff for to beguyle;
I also know how for to burne in following so my fyre
wheare it dois flie, and how at hand so fresis my desyre,
And farder of dois rage agane, and burne in gretar flame,
and nearer than how I congeall and fresis in the same.
I also know how lowe dois bray and rout abowe the mynd,
and how it dois all reasoun smore and chaise vnto the mynd;

I also know the dywers artis that lowe through craft dois vse
For to subwert the lowers hart, and how him to abuse;
I know how that a gentle mynd Is suddanlie disgraist,
and how that be a litill Cord it stronglie Is vnlaist
When it is left vnto hir selff, disarmed of reason than,
and when none Is to mak defence aganis the lustis of man.
I also know how luiff dois shutt, and than dois flie away,
how that he boastis and stryketh both, and puttis all in a fray;
I also know how that he rubbis and playis the theif perforce,
how that he revis and spuilȝeis all his pillage but remorce;

And how instable is his wheill, how doubtfull is his hoipe,
how certan is his wrack and woe, and how his course and scope
Is for to mak such promesis that ar of fayith dewoide,
by which the trew and fayithfull hart is scorned and destroide.
I also know how in his bonis the raging flam dois lurk,
how in his vanis the hiddin hurt dois his consumptioun wurk,
From whence dois cum his oppin death and fyre through smoakis exprest,
that secreitlie in secreit did harbour in his breist.

In end, for one conclusioun, I know the lowers lyfe
to be inconstant, wandring, vane, and full of sturt and stryfe,
both feirfull and bothe hardye to, and how dois lowe repay
the litill sweit with bitterness so long to lest for ay;
I know thair custumes, maners, vse, thair sighis, thair gronis & song,
thair brokken words, thair suddane peace, thair silence, dombe and long,
Thair shortest smylis, thair long complaints, thair teares, þair grevous fall,
thair pleasouris with displeasour crost, thair honye mixt with gall.

Finis 3. cap.

IV. The 4. Chap. of the Fi[r]st Triumphe of Lowe.

Quhen after that my fortoun had and lowe me forwards thrust
within ane others force and strenght, and so had brought to dust
And cutt in two the vains, and nervis, and fredome of my will
and libertie, which long tyme I frie remaned still,
Than I who was afore als frie and wyld as hony hart
was quiklyie tamed and sone subdewed with litill pane and art,
And brought to knaw the lukles lott and vnexspected chanse
with these my marrowis miserable whome lowe led in his danse.
Than did I spye thair Trawell, panis, thair cummer, and lament,
The throwin wayes, the crwiked lanis, the paith, and stratis they went,
And be what art and laubour they conducted thairto wer,
quhair all that lowelie flok and troupe did then so wandring err.
And quhillis I rold in ewerye syd my gasing restles ene,
gif I culd spy thair any man whose fame so cleir hes bene
Be historeis of ancient tymes, or Poems in our dayes,
in whiche more late and recentlie included is his praise,

I saw evin then fair Orpheus, of him I first will tell,
who onelie lowed Euridices, and following hir to hell
Obtened hir with him agane, yit lost hir thane agane,
And being deid yit callis on her with toung most could in vane

I Alceus saw, so pregnant, promp, of lowe that culd indyte,
And Pindar with Anacreon that of the same did wryte,
Who had thair muse, thair rymes, and verse all penned in behowe
Of Cupids court, whose Poems lay within the Port of lowe.
I Virgill saw, and him about his brawe companions stwide,
brawe Poettis of ane high ingyne and of a mirrie mwide,
Whose works this world so estemes that they them first elect,
extolling thame in highest praise and honorable respect,
Ouidius with Corinna caught, and Tibull, Plania,
Propertius who so whotlie song in praise of Cynthia;
Catullus also thair I spyed, whome Lesbia led in lowe,
with hir that lerned Sapho greik, that passionis lyke did prowe,
Resounding with hir noble voyce, with Poettis who wer thair,
hir swetest songs, and shew hir style to gallant be and raire.

So lwiking heir and thair agane, to this and to that syid,
vpone ane flowrye plesant grene I quiklye than espyid
A Pepill speiking on to walk, and reasoning as they went:
and so I saw than first appeir evin Dant incontinent
With Beatrice, Seluaggia nixt, and Cin of pistol bred;
and Guido of Aresso was with thame in that trowpe led,
That semed for to be displeased, and angrie, malcontent,
that he was not thair first with lowe and formest with him went;
With them two other Guidos wer and those of Scicilie,
and that gude natured Bolonguese, a honest man was he;
Sennicio with Franceschin thair lykwyse did tham shaw,
the gentlest men and courtesest that evir men did knaw.
And after such a sort of folk In vulgar clothis I spyed,
and habittis of suche strange attyre that marched on that syd:
Amongst them first they wer in preiss Arnaldo Daniell,
a maister gritt in Cupids court that did in lowe excell,
Who yit dois by his plesant speiche and his Inventionis new
renown his natiwe countrey soyle by these thair sight and vew.

Thair also was whome lightlye lowe with litill pane ourcame—
on Peter, and Arnaldo wes the other of less fame.
Thair also was these sort of men subdewed by gretar war,
two of one name, Rombaldi cald, that song in mountferrar
Vpoun thair Dames, fair Beatrice; with him Giraldus, loe,
and aged Peter of Averne; with him was Felchetto
That gaue the name to Marseils toun, and did from Genis awfer,
and changed his countrye, clothes, and state, and better had for war.
Giaufre Ruda also was who more through lowe than wreath
did vse the speid of saillis and ores to speid his fereth death;
And also thair that William was who with his lowers songs
dois frie his name from all decay, that muche his praise prolongs;
Amerigus, and Bernard to, and Hugo with Arselme,
and thousand moe who vsed ther toungs for lanss, sword, bukler, helme.

And now since it is semelie than my dollour I dewyd,
I hawe conwert my daseled eyes all weryed to that syd,
Wheare I haif spyed my fayithfull freind, good Thomas that dois grace
Belongna toun with lasting fame, and makis his praise encress,
And by his songs and sonetts so Messina makis to grow
more fatt in praise, and ratcher more, and more in brawer show.
O fleing sueit! o faiding ioy! o weryed panefull Lyfe!
who is it that dois vnto me procure this sturt and stryfe?
Who is it hath than tane from me my freind and onelie Ioy?
who quiklye now befoir his tyme dois him to grawe conwoy,
But whome and but whose cumpanie, such now is my mishapp,
that I can nather space nor pase nor forther go a stapp?
Well now I knaw which thing I might hawe better knowen afore,
how that the lyfe of mortall men, whairin so muche we glore

And lyketh in the same to liue, is but a stage of noyes,
a seik mans dreame, or foolis conceat, and fable full of toyes.

I was a litill sumwhat furth owt of the vulgar way,
when Socrates and Lelius did first thame selfis bewray;
With thame it me behowed than to walk and farder go,
and searche for leirning in thair workis and for thair scyence know.

O what abundance of my freinds with vertew so decord
wes led at that Triumphant chair whose gifts non can record,
Whose ornat talk and eloquence nor witt can none reherse
in facill prose, in loftye style, in ryme, and staitlie verse!
And with these two I walking went, and searched dywers wayes,
to thame I opned wp my plaintis and hurt my hart assayes;
From thame no nather tyme nor place sall evir me dewyde,
bot as I wish to do I hoipe with tham so long to byde
Vnto the last gaspe of my breath, and never to reteir
vntill the Cynders of my corss be burned on the pire.
For with these two I hawe obtened that glorious laurell bough
which dois the Tempills of my heade environ and my brow,
Whiche hes perchance befoir the tyme my forrett so bedeckt,
in mynde of hir whome yit I lowe and dois so muche respect.
Bot yit of hir whose praise I paint and fillis my hart with thought,
I never culd get branche nor leaffe which I with service sought,
Nor anye pleasour culd obteane, so stable wes the rwit
and so vniust to which she leaned that I culd rype no fruitt;
From whense althought sumtymes my greiff and grevous doole did ryse,
as his who hes ressaued offence to stay his interpryse,
Yit she on whome my eyes did gase so rewled and ranged my will,
that now no more I do regrait that she refused me till

A mater swir of stately style and of heroicall verse
To which no dolts nor ignorantis can yit attane or perse,
Nor yit suche Poets of suche stuff of base and vulgar ryme,
may well conceawe how I did see Cupido tane that tyme.
But first to tell I will proceid, and first I will recount,
how lowe so leading ws in linkis did so ower ws surmount;
Than after this I sall furth shaw what he of hir sustaned,
and how my Dame did vanqueish lowe and all his artis disdaned.
This work and subiect is not myne, nor only maid by me,
bot long before by Orpheus pend and Homer semes to be.
Than followed we the noyse and sound of Cupids purple penns,
and of his fleing horss that ran through thousand dykis & denns,
And through a thousand hillis and daillis; at last in end we came
vnto his mothers countrie whair soiorned then that dame,
And in whiche way whair we through brayes, through brearis & busses went,
through montanis, medowis, hillis, and wooddis, our chaines did not relent,
Nor yit wer we vnloused of thame, but hurlet, meinȝeit, riwin,
as none of ws knew whair he was, nor wist how he wes drewin.

Beyond whair that Egeum sea dois sigh and murne so oft
thair lyes ane Ile delectable, more plesant, plane, and soft
Than anye vther Ile that is bothe wett and washt with see,
or warmed with the Sunnye beames or yit enflammed be.
In midst thairof thair is a hill of shaddow full and grene,
with sawour sweit and fragrant sent, with water sweit & clene,
Whose vertew is and whose effect to tak owt of the mynde
all sad and pansiwe blottis & markis that hes with greif it pynde.

This is the land wherwith so much fair Venus is content,
which consecrat was to that Quene that tyme be mens consent
Whillis as the treuth was lying hid and veritie vnshowen,
and chryist his incarnatioun was not reweilled nor knowen.
And yit albeit this day it be of vertew leane and bair,
yit dois it holde and it retenis some custumes keiped thair,
That seames to these whose reasoun lowe & vertew dois exclude
both pleasant, sweit, and verye douce, and bittar to the gude.

Thair than Triumphed ower ws that souerane gentle lord,
and caried at his golden chair thair coupled in a cord
These whome he twik in circling so the world round about
Evin from the Inds to Thule Ile, the westmest part without;
Thair in that place he did expose his spoyle, his pray, and gane,
and from his bosome pulled furth the Louers thoughtis most vane.
He had thair Vanitie in his armes, thair Sudden fleing Ioy,
thair constant woe, thair solide greiff, thair stable firme anoy,
Thair roses gathered in that tyme when wintaris blast dois boast,
Thair Ice evin on the hatest dayes, at Midsommer thair froist;
He also had before him than Distrust and doubtfull hope,
and bakward on his shulders than agane he caryed bound with rope
Repentance with displeasour sore, and anguish with anoy,
most lyke the same that wes in Rome & in the waisted Troy.
The valley quhair this Triumphe was with murmour did rebound
off watters, brookes, of Birdis and fowles, that gaif a clamorous sound,
Whose bankis wer all imbroudered with flouers of variant hew,
some whyte, some grene, and some agane red, ȝellow, & some blew;

And thair besydis cleir riwers from so lywelie fountanis ran,
whair than vpone the colde freshe herbis the Sunn to shyne began.
Thair also was a shaddow thick of Treis both high and fair,
owt of the which than did cum owt a sweit and breathing air;
And after when the wintar tyd dois mak the seasoun coulde,
yit thair the Sun so dois his flames most temperatlie vnfoulde,
And so dois mak the place and ground and meits almost lew warme,
and through a Idilnes all slow the simple hartis incharme.
And as that place so wes the tyme and seasoun than I say,
quhen as the Æquinoctiall lyne dois victor mak the Day,
And when that Progne laughs and chantis and dois at morning spring,
Returning to hir sister than on thair lowers to sing.
O trustles stay! o stayles fayithe of all our chanse and lott!
for to resist or to withstand that lord It vailed nott:
within that place, that seasoun, tyme, and in that instant hower,
whaire lowe required ws from our eyes at larger dew to power,
He in that hour that place and tyme whome vulgar dois adore
wald than Triumphe in chariot bright as victor full of glore.
So thair I saw what service he and servill death dois prowe,
and to what vengeance is he brought that is infect with lowe:
And sen the tyme and place is showen, so will I now declair
which things war than plaist round about his high Triumphant chair.
First Errour, nixt deluding dreames, and deadlie Shapes and paill,
And fals opinioun at the Port That dois ower myndis prewaill,

Than slipper hope and Slyding trust wes in the ladder stapps,
and Damned gane with ganing lost that castis men in mishapps.
The nature of the Greis was suche that they that highest went
The lawer and the deiper doun agane was thair dissent;
Than Weryed rest was on the heigh, and thair repose in pane
with oppin Shame and glore obscwre and duskish did remane
Vnfayithfull Fayithe, Disloyall lowe, and othes bot trew in shaw,
Solistfull furye, madfull cair, and reasoun, sweir and slaw.
Tuix these a preiss it was to which we cam by oppin way,
but narowlie with straitnes pane our owtgait did assay;
The steps thairof and enteres was both dounward sliding quik,
the passage owt and going furthe wes high and rair vnthik;
Within wes all confusioun, and trouble mixt with noy,
a fray of Certen Woe and doole and of incertan Ioy.
These Illis did never broyle so fast nor bray in burning rage
of Vulcan, ishia, lippari, whose flams non can asswage,
Nor Strombolis with Ætna, mount Montgibell cald by name,
as did that place and presoun strong combur in burning flame;
So that I think he hates him self, and less him self dois lowe,
that would be practise know that yok and by his perrell prowe.

Within that Cage and dungeoun dark, that preasoun stark & strong,
we captiuat wer prisoneris, and thair enclosed long,
Wheare that my hairis and wonnted flight wer turned be tymes ecclips,
and vnto pailnes all the fresh and rudenes of my lipps;
So that my soule, so toucht with cair for that hir fredome past,
which greit desyre makis prompt and light, was conforted at last,

When as it spyed (thought but in dreme) these thingis so hard & strange
coequall with my state and plagis, and so go in thair change.
Bot vewing thair so manye spreittis which in that pitt did wun,
my piteous hart did melt lyke snow so sett against the Sun;
And lyke as one who in short tyme dois vew sum picturis long,
wherin ar draught and variant lynes and storeis tham among,
With one fwte fordwart goeth on, yit after with his Ee
dois backwart lwkt with better sight the more to mark and see,
Evin so did I thair cast my eyes and roll thame round about
the more perfytlie for to vew that band agane and rowt.

Finis Triumphi amoris.