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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.]

Constable, Henry (1562-1613)

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The Booke speaketh to the Buyers.

The Authour to the Reader.

R. W. to the Reader, in the Authours behalfe.

The Forrest of Fancy.

[Thy cruell dealing hath procurde]

A warning to yong men to flye the flattery, and shun the deceiptes of dissembling dames.

A plaine description of perfecte friendship.

An Inuectiue against couetous persons.

Of fayned friendship.

The commodities of Mariage.

Of the wickednesse of women and howe prone they are to the procatious of the flesh.

What small trust there is to be reposed in friendes or kinsfolkes.

A Letter written by a yong maiden to a Louer of hers, wherein she detecteth the trechery of many men, and their great dissimulation.

A yong man enamoured of a very fayre Gentlewoman, declareth the dollorous passions that he suffereth for her sake, and craueth mercy at her handes.

Certaine Verses written in commendation of the Nut cornell.

A Louer whose friend for his sake was frowardlye delte withal, writeth vnto her, to perswade her with pacience, to suffer it for a season.

An admonition to Maisters, how they should behaue themselues towardes their seruauntes.

A yong man finding her to whome he had plighted promise, to be fraught with another mans fruicte, wrighteth vnto her as followeth.

A pretty fancy of the fynding of a Whyte, wherein is collourablely included the course of a Captiue Louer, in purchasing his desyred purpose.

How Altamenes hauing vnwares slaine his owne Father Cartareus died for sorrow, when he had knowledge thereof.

The Authour writeth this in commendation of his mistresse.

An Exhortation to Pacience.

The Aucthour wrighting to a friend of his, that was toward mariage, exhorteth her to make choyse of a wyse and verteous person.

Of the great patience and clemency of King Antigonus.

What misery and misfortunes mankinde is continually subiecte vnto.

A louer hauing long concealed his loue, at the last reuealeth it and craueth grace at the handes of his beloued mistresse.

Certaine verses written in commendation of the Rose.

Of a Souldyer who for couitousnesse of a little money, lost his owne lyfe.

The complaint of one Sidaspo, who was imflamed with loue through the bewty of his seruaunt Aletha.

A Letter which the said Sidaspo sente to his seruaunt Aletha.

The abiect Louer complaineth of the crueltye and disdainefull lookes of his Lady.

A commendation of the Cock.

A commendacion of the Robin redde brest.

The long acquainted Louer writeth to his beloued, whose grace he desyred.

Of one Vrbina a Virgin vestall, taken in adulterye.

Of one Cianippus, who in his dronkennesse deflowred his owne daughter ciane.

Of one Ceselius Bassus a Carthagenian, who deceiued the Emperour Nero.

The tragedy of Meliager, sonne to Oeneus King of Calcedonia.

Lenuoy.

A yong Gentlewoman wrighteth this for aunswere to a Gentlemans Letter, that craued her loue and exhorteth her to keepe promise with him, wherein excusing her selfe, by her ouer yong yeres, and his vnhabillitye; she prayeth him to cease of his sute.

The lamentable complaint of a louer, who notwithstanding his diuerse daungerous trauailes, and continual sorrow sustained coulde fynd no fauor at al at her hands that was the causer of his callamity but cruell contemt, to counteruayle his curtesy.

How foolish women are in the choyse of their Louers.

Varinus hauing found in the night time that which plesed his fancy he commendeth it much, and craueth to be accepted for her seruant whom he intyrely loued.

The great loue that Itafernes wyfe bare to her brother.

The straunge pangs of a pore passionate Louer.

Of the thankefulnesse of a Dragon towardes a man that had brought him vp.

R. D. Being inflamed with the loue of a very bewtifull Gentlewoman, by a sodaine view that he tooke of her, doth colourably declare his case vnto her.

An aunswere to a Letter that was not onely darke, but also so disordered, as their could no sence be perceiued in it.

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A louer hauing long concealed his loue, at the last reuealeth it and craueth grace at the handes of his beloued mistresse.

Like as the silly soule,
That feeles himself distrest,

With heauy burthen on his backe,
doth seeke to be at rest.
So I whome loue long tyme,
hath led in Captiue bandes,
Enforced am at last to sue
for fauour at thy handes,
That hast my hart in holde,
who onely mayst apply,
Some pleasaunt potion to asswage
the greeuous mallady,
Which long with little ease,
and most incessaunt greefe.
Hath me conserude, twixt life and death,
deuoyde of all releefe.
But needes I must confesse,
There is no fault in thee:
That I doe want my wished will,
the blame doth bide in mee.
For feare, Loues mortall foe,
which caused me to hyde
My secrete sorrowes long sustainde,
from thee in whome doth byde,
The cure of all my care,
hath made me faile to finde,
The thing that most might ioy my harte,
and ease my troubled minde.
But now all feare expulst,
Loue, hope, and hote desyre,
Hath forced me in lew of paine,
to craue deserued hyre.
Which gwerdon either graunt,
else shalt thou shortly see,
That life will leaue my loathsome corpes,
and all by meanes of thee,
Which loth I am should chaunce,
least to thy great reproch,

It blazed be, that thou art she
that set my bale abroche,
Take pitty on my payne,
peruse my dolefull vearse.
Let trickling teares and secret sighes,
into thy intrailes pearce.
Oh rue my rufull state,
my youthfull yeares respect,
And let the tormentes I sustaine,
enforce thee to reiect
All retchlesse rigour, take, imbrace,
loue, like, and neuer leaue.
The wight that will in spight of spight,
to thee for euer cleaue,
Who heare in lew of loue,
doth vow himselfe to thee,
Thy slaue, thy seruaunt, and thy friend,
till dying day to be.

Finis.