A Courtlie controuersie of Cupids Cautels Conteyning fiue Tragicall Histories, very pithie, pleasant, pitiful, and profitable: Discoursed uppon wyth Argumentes of Loue, by three Gentlemen and two Gentlewomen, entermedled with diuers delicate Sonets and Rithmes, exceeding delightfull to refresh the yrkesomnesse of tedious tyme. Translated out of French as neare as our English phrase will permit, by H. VV. Gentleman [i.e. Henry Wotton] |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
A brawle of Poictow.
|
 | A Courtlie controuersie of Cupids Cautels |  |
340
A brawle of Poictow.
The Louer.So long as I suche fauoure founde,
to flowe from my faire Ladies face,
As by hir to be vouched bounde,
to serue as slaue, hir noble grace,
My happy state and settled minde
possessed more contented stay,
Than any liuing prince may finde,
though all the world should him obay.
341
So long as of a seruant true,
the faithfull guage of loyall Loue
Posseste my hart, and I did viewe
his seruice soughte his faith to proue,
I could not change this weale of mine,
nor once reward hym with dispight,
To be partaker with a Queene
in worldly wealth and al delight.
The Louer.
But after she had learnde to knowe,
by vertue of hir looking glasse,
The beautie whiche did worke my woe,
and giues me cause to crie alas,
I had no power my hope to aide
by any meane, when I did viewe
Another, whom my maistresse saide,
should ioy the loue that was my due.
The Lady.
But after this vnconstant wretche
of other damoysells had a sighte,
And sought by many a suttle fetche,
to make them owners of my right:
Aduaunting he coulde cull his choice,
sufficiently to domage me,
And with the fairest Dames reioyce,
and please his wicked fantasie.
The Louer.
Beholde what slender confidence
remaineth in this slipper kinde,
This is the goodly recompence,
for seruing long a man shall finde,
The loyaller his vsage is,
more patiently he suffers paine,
342
and lesse in fine shal be his gaine.
The Lady.
Beholde whereto the promise tende
of these dissembling liers all,
That sweare and stare while life shall ende,
to serue their dames at euery call:
It is no more, but at their wills
to seeke our bodies to abuse,
VVhereof they vaunt and scoffe their fills,
and finally do vs refuse.
The Louer.
Therfore right happy shall he bee,
and alwayes compted ware and wise,
That can their seruile bondage flee,
and shunne the snares of loues deuise:
Vnhappy was the dismall daye,
when firste my lucklesse desteny,
Allotted my poore hearte, to praye
vpon such cankerde miserie.
The Lady.
Therefore suche creatures shall be bleste,
as can eschue this flaming fire,
And quite forbeare to be a gueste
vnto this torment of desire.
Treade not the trace that I haue gone,
you honeste dames that dwell in ioy,
Nowe subiecte vnto care and mone
vnder the lawe of all annoye.
The Louer.
But sith that force enforceth me,
of force perforce to giue consent
To loue and like my libertie,
to liue therein I am content:
343
than neuer, Shunne the baite of bale,
VVhiche moues oure wishes to debate,
and dayly setteth peace at sale.
The Lady.
But sith in time I muste prouide,
perforce to arme my wofull harte,
The cruell pearcing blowes to bide,
that Cupid striketh with his darte:
The hurte is hard to heale, some saye,
that long is kepte from Surgeons cure,
VVhiche warneth me to seeke the waye
to ease the care that I endure.
The Louer.
Yet if my cruell carelesse foe
with pitifull repentante eie
VVould yeelde to me, and to no moe,
the happy state of amitie,
Then woulde I dye to please hir minde,
and aye embrace hir as my wife,
My body restlesse shoulde she finde
to do hir good, my terme of life.
The Lady.
Yet if my faithlesse flitting friend,
woulde finde a daye to come againe,
And do his homage in the ende
vnto our loue and aye remaine:
I woulde with all my harte repent,
that fortune falsed my beheste
And if he coulde be so content,
my harte shoulde be his place of reste.
The Louer.
Come then the comforte of my mind
come then my solace and my ioye
344
our loue thus wronged with annoy:
Haste darling deare to salue the sore
that long hath soughte to waste my harte,
The griefe whereof wil gripe me more,
except we kisse ere we departe.
The Lady.
Come then my life and my desire,
my wished spouse and wedded guage,
The scorching flames and brainsicke fire,
are quenched quite of iealous rage
I neuer will recite to thee,
the thing that may displease thy mynde,
So that thou wilt remaine to mee
a carefull husband, and a kinde.
The Louer.
Faire Dame, let vs performe the summe
of al our passed auntient loue,
And let vs spende oure life to come,
In combate of this warre we proue:
Alas when pale and earthly colde
doth close vs in our fatall graue,
Oure louing flames you maye be bolde,
shall lose the heate that louers craue.
The Lady.
My friend, our gallant youthfulnesse,
and foolishe loue will waste awaye,
VVhen feeble age our limmes shall presse,
and bring our bodies to decaye:
But sooner shall the flaming fire
Burne in the depth of raging Seas,
Then euer we will wante desire,
eche others louing minde to please.
| A Courtlie controuersie of Cupids Cautels | |