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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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.
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 | The Forrest of Fancy |  |
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.
As late I walkte abrode for my delight,To put all foolish fancies from my minde,
It was my chaunce vpon a plot to light,
Wherein I did great cause of comfort fynde,
A goodly Garden garnisht euery where,
With fragrant flowers of sondry sort and sent.
No straunge deuice could he that wanted there;
That euer wit of man might well inuent,
A goodly christall spring ran through this place,
Whose bankes with sundry trees was brauely deckt,
To shew ech thing by course, would craue long space,
And yet some part I should of force neglect,
But that which made me most of all to muse,
Was to behold ech thing so well conuaide,
And could not finde that any one did vse,
To make abode therein, yet halfe afrayde
(Though cause were none) I durst not enter in,
But stoode as one amasde, this sight to see,
That whosoeuer then had present bene,
Would not haue thought that life had lodgde in me,
My sences failde, my feete were fixed fast,
My sight waxt dimme, yet staring stoode I still,
But comming to my selfe againe at last,
And seing there no signe of any ill,
Nor none that would my passage once restraine,
But that the gates wide open stoode to all,
I banisht feare which earst procurde my paine,
And did determine what so should befall,
To enter in, and view it round about,
And so I did in deede without anoyt,
But all thinges turnde vnto my treble ioy.
When as I fully had ech thing suruaide.
And fed my fancy as it likte me best,
Into an Arbour I my selfe conuaide.
And there lay downe to take my quiet rest,
Into a heauy sleepe straight wayes I fell,
And then me thought there did appeare in place
Two gallant Dames, whose bewty did excell,
Whereof the one beholding long my face,
At last with stealing steppes approcht more neare,
And drawing forth a knyfe in dreadfull wise,
Did pierce, the part which I esteemde most deare,
Which done from of the ground she gan to ryse,
And by and by did vanish out of sight,
Which way or how, I could not well perceiue,
Wherewith I wakened (being sore afright)
So much it did my quiet rest bereaue,
And then my naked body I behilde,
To see if any wound would there appeare,
But euery place with flesh was fully filde,
No wound was seene, ech place was fayre and cleare,
But when I rose, with mind to walke from thence,
Such grisly greefe did gripe my tender hart,
As for a time it hindred my pretence,
And from that place I scarce had power to part,
Yet as I could, although my pase were slowe,
I at my lodging did at last ariue,
And layde me downe in greefe which still did grow,
And greater waxe, and happy helth depriue,
I sought Phisitions helpe, my hurt to heale,
But Phisick could ne whit at all preuaile,
And therefore still I must the same conceale,
And as a wight forlorne my woe bewayle,
Untill the louely Dame that did the deede.
Uouchsafe her grace to ease my present greefe.
Or if she please to render me releefe,
Which if she once refuse I am right sure,
My lothed lyfe that hope doth now prolong,
Shall not long time be able to indure,
But die I must, because she doth me wrong.
Finis.
| The Forrest of Fancy | |