The Forrest of Fancy Wherein is conteined very prety Apothegmes, and pleasaunt histories, both in meeter and prose, Songes, Sonets, Epigrams and Epistles, of diuerse matter and in diuerse manner. With sundry other deuices, no lesse pithye then pleasaunt and profytable [by H. C.] |
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A pretty fancy of the fynding of a Whyte, wherein is
collourablely included the course of a Captiue Louer, in purchasing his desyred purpose.
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 | The Forrest of Fancy |  |
A pretty fancy of the fynding of a Whyte, wherein is collourablely included the course of a Captiue Louer, in purchasing his desyred purpose.
Not long agoe with bow in hande,and arrowes by my syde:
An Archer like I went abrode,
my cunning to haue tride,
And being entred in the field,
I cast mine eye a scaunce,
And loe a goodly glistering whyte,
before my face did glaunce,
Which pleasaunt sight did please me so,
as to suruay the same,
Me thought it did my hart much good,
and was my greatest game.
Narcissus fond did neuer gaze,
Upon his shadow more,
Nor by the Image which he made,
Pigmallyon set such store.
As I did by that prety whyte,
which so reuiude my hart,
I felt no paine nor smart.
But if I once did turne awaye
from it my dazeling eyes,
Good Lord: what cares within my brest,
did by and by arise.
So that as one berefte of sence,
as still as any stone:
I stoode at last and could not sturre,
But stared still vppon,
This passing white, much like to those,
whome worthy Perseus made,
For to behold grim Gorgons head,
that causde their force to fade.
And turnde them all to stockes of stone,
for their outragious pride,
In seeking causelesse his decay,
whome Ioue himselfe did guide,
Then rusht in reason by and by,
in comly collours clad:
And calde alowde, to cause me heare,
that earst no hearing had,
And when I was againe reuiude.
with countinaunce graue and sad,
Why standst thou sencelesse thus,
beholding of the thing,
That still the more thou lookest thereon,
the more thy paine doth spring.
Lookes will not serue to swage thy greefe,
they rather cause thy care,
Therefore to put my wordes in proofe,
see thou thy selfe prepare:
Resort with speede to pitties place,
intreate her for to wrighte,
Some piteous plaint in thy behalfe,
to shew thy painfull plight,
When she hath tryde thy truth,
Receiue thee as her seruaunt iust,
and on thy wo haue ruth,
Then teaching me which way I should,
the path to pitty finde,
And how I might in eche respect,
declare to her my minde.
She went her way I know not how,
but I to gaine releefe:
And purchase that which was in deede,
my ioy and comfort cheefe.
Did euery thing as she had wild,
and when I had obtainde,
At pitties hand my bill of plaint,
Straight wayes my steppes I straind,
To bewties bower and there ariude,
and knocking at the gate,
Straight starred out an ougly wighte,
whose hart did harbour hate.
He asked me what was my will,
and why I did resorte
Unto that place, to whome in breefe,
I made a true reporte
Of all my state, and why I came,
which done he sayde to me.
Alas pore Lad thou arte vnwise,
and voyde of skill I see:
What thinkest thou heare to purchase ease.
no no thou art deceaude,
Therefore depart, or else be sure,
thy wo will soone be weaude,
My mistresse she to lofty lookes,
to lende an eare to thee,
She will not harken to thy sute,
but if thou earnest be,
in Dungion deepe be sure
Thou shalt be cast, and during lyfe,
with daunger there indure,
Where sadnesse shall assayle thee still.
and sorrow seeke to share
Thy vitall thread, yet shalt thou liue,
and leade thy lyfe in care.
So long as destinies doe permit.
beware therefore I say,
Take heede in tyme, turne backe againe,
and seeke some surer way.
These wordes did fill my hart with feare,
and made me doubt to doe
The thing which comfort did commaund,
and fancy forst me to.
And had not hope bene hard at hande,
to harten me herein:
Dispayre had put me from that place,
such force his wordes did winne:
And in this sort sayde Hope to me,
Fond foole why doest thou flye,
The pleasaunt plot wherein thy rest,
and happy health doth lye.
Retourne againe, and feare thou nought,
thy practise put in proofe,
To Lady Bewty moue thy sute,
as best for thy behoofe,
For such her gracious goodnesse is,
as neuer will she bide,
That any suffer bale for ought,
but that when time hath tryde,
His true intent she will vouchsafe,
to him his hartes desyre
In eache respect, assure thy selfe,
then hope for happy hyre,
and sayd I would obay:
Wherewith she brought me to desyre,
who made no longer stay.
But led me vnto Bewties bower,
and bad me there attend:
Till she with all her traine came forth.
and meekely then to bende
My knee, in offering vp the bill,
vnto her gracious hande,
Desyring her to view the same,
my mynde to vnderstande.
Which I obserude in eache respect,
my bill she doth detaine,
God graunt it worke so good effect,
as I some hope may gaine.
To purchase that which pleaseth me,
much more then all the Golde
That Midas or King Cressus had,
my ioyes might not be tolde,
If I inioyde that Iewell rare,
That pearle, that precious whyte,
Which though it clad my corpes with care,
doth yeeld me great delight,
And if Dame bewties curtesy,
commit the same to me,
How much I would accoumpte thereof,
she would perceiue and see,
As Diamond deare I would it set,
in collour of my hart,
And keepe it still with busy care,
till death doe cleane conuert,
My corpes to clay from whence it came,
and leaue me voyde of lyfe,
Ye heauenly powers then graunt it me,
to make my ioyes more ryfe.
| The Forrest of Fancy | |