A poore Knight his Pallace of priuate pleasures Gallantly garnished, with goodly Galleries of strang inuentio[n]s and prudently polished, with sundry pleasant Posies, & other fine fancies of dainty deuices, and rare delightes. Written by a student in Ca[m]bridge. And published by I. C. Gent |
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 | A poore Knight his Pallace of priuate pleasures |  |
Thus when Desire had tolde his tale, to Dian and her traine,
Diana quickly answered, Sir knight returne againe.
Let Cupid doo his worst hee can, his force I doo not feare,
Ne will I yeeld vnto his lawes, nor none that with mee are,
Wherwith a lofty shout and noyse, vnto the skye was raysde,
And Dians courage and good will, of all the rout was praysde.
Desire beeing hot with raging hate, did thus reply againe,
I doo lament the rufull lot, of them which shalbe slaine.
For loe as doth the rauening woolfe, the sheepe in strength excell,
So Cupid with his martiall might these stately wordes can quell.
That neither Captaine shall be lefte, nor souldier for to fyght,
Of all this rout, whose hands bee prest, against my Lord his might.
Then Modesty, Dianas guide, in her behalfe did say,
Although wee die in Dians cause, our deathes we do not way.
This sayd, Desire returnd againe, and vnto Cupid went,
And shewed at large, Dianas wordes, as of her whole intent.
And that within the silent wood, wheras Eurota flow,
Fidelity did holde his campe, their force to ouerthrow.
And added this that neither Mars, with all his waighty stroke,
Nor all the Gods should bring her necke, vnder God Cupids yoke.
Then Cupid sent Desire before, the Ambush for to tame,
Or els perforce to scatter them, before the army came.
Desire doth seeke to bee reuengde, of his appointed foe,
And wandring in the Laurell woods vnto Eurota goe.
Wheras Fidelity was prest, his force for to withstand,
And in defence of Dians right, did fight longe hand to hand.
But what could Thisbe then resist, when Pyram came in sight,
Or when as worthy Troylus came, how could Dame Cressid fight.
Phedra shee was content to yeelde, Desire did force her so,
And from Dianas faithfull freend, to Cupids campe to go.
What shall I say, Dianas host, which in the wood did stay,
Was sore abasht, Fidelity was chased quite away.
And many yeelded recreant, not able to deny,
Desire perforce did force them so, eyther to yeeld or dye.
But rather then Dame Cressid would, so quickly seeme as dead,
Shee vowed her selfe from Troylus true, to flattering Diomede.
So that the periured Grecian, or els the Troyan knight,
Should haue Dame Cressid vnto loue, yea both if so it might.
Thus while Desire do cleare the coast, and make the passage free,
The host marcht on into the feeld, with thundring harmony.
The noise wherof do beate the skies, and eke from thence reboundes,
And Mars his musicke in the seeld, aloft Tantara soundes.
The souldiers set them selues in rankes, the winges to succor go,
Audacity by Mars his will, hee had commaunded so.
But Dian and her worthy traine, when as her freend was fled,
And for the losse of all those freends, with fury was much led,
And oft repeating worthily, my harts take cheere (quoth shee)
My life for yours, continue still, so shall you victors bee.
The souldiers fought so valyantly, the Captaines did so well,
That Cupid gan to crouch for feare, and Dian did excell.
Audacity then shooke for feare, when Chastity withstood,
And Constancy shee followed fast, to see the forrain blood.
And if God Cupids pollicy, a reskue had not found,
Both Venus and her darlings deare, had flatlyng fell to ground.
But Pollicy came rushing in, and sent forth mighty Ioue,
Who then discended from the skyes, to serue the God of loue.
Who vanquished Dame Dians host, and made them for to tremble,
And sundry kindes of vgly shapes, hee reast not to dissemble.
Aurora loued the snowy Bull, and Leda loued the Swan,
And Io lickt her fathers face, which then was pale and wan.
For as the Woolfe among the lambes, so Ioue among the host,
I meane among Dame Dians flocke, of whom shee vaunt and boste
But when as Fame had sounded forth, and Brute had blased his wil,
That Ioue did vanquish worthily, with Pollicy and Skill.
Then Danæ fled her way for feare, vnto Acrisius Towre,
Till Iupiter through Pollicy discended in a showre.
Achilles then began to rage, before that Troy was sackte,
And craued of Pollicy his guide, the armur that hee lackte.
Who armed him corragiously, in Maydens feate aray,
Till Derdanna swelling wombe, his pollicy did bewray.
And Licomedes was deceiude, the father of the May,
And therfore could not stop the steps, of young Achilles way.
Then clodius rushed in in haste, Pompeya for to quell,
Bedect like to the vestall Dames, wheras his loue did dwell.
Thus Cupid was incorraged, with all his warlike trayne,
Diana which was erst aloft, is now beat downe agayne.
And all the Gods and Souldiers eke, did play their parts so well
That Cupid is extolde to heauen, and Dian fell to Hell.
Medusa Gorgon hearing this, to Pallas alter fled,
Hoping by her assisting hand, in time to bee releeued.
Whom mighty Neptune through deceit, intangled in such sort,
That shee forsook Dianas campe, and fled to Venus Court.
Then Phedra whom desire had brought, from Dian and her traine,
Ceased not in Cupids cause to fight, till Hyppolite was slayne.
With Pollicy came Gluttony, and Idlenesse his mate,
And Drowsinesse hee followed fast, for feare hee came to late.
Antonius resisted long, Queene Cleopatras host,
But yet at last through Gluttony, did yeeld to her request.
When Constancy had seene the force and hauocke of their foes,
Shee vowed, both life and lands, and fame, in Dians cause to lose,
Rather then Cupid should preuaile, vnto their vtter shame,
And all Dame Dians valiant wights, accorded in the same.
And ioyning harts and hands in one, that battered Cupid so,
That hee was neare constraind againe, out of the feeld to go.
There Temperance stood stifly too, and Labor laid on lode,
Sobriety did helpe at neede, when they in danger stoode.
But yet alas, this wished ioy, was soone brought to an ende,
For Curtesy came rushing forth, and brought Delight his freend.
For to reuenge this fresh assalt of Dian and her traine,
And to renew the wonted state, of Cupid once againe.
With him came Duke Protesilaus, with him came Alcyde stout,
Hee sought for Laedomia, this found Dianeira out.
Hector vanquished Andromache, that worthy wight of Troy,
And Pryamus with Hecuba, did liue in perfit ioy.
Thus when Dianas Souldiers, began to slip away,
Through Curtesy, a thousand fled, to Cupid in one day.
And few there were, which would remain, with Dian to abide,
But yeeld them selfe vnto Delight, betide what might betide.
Who pardned euery one of those, which came with free consent,
And did remit eche ones offence, before hee did repent.
Then Pluto posted out for rage, which did this while abide,
And kept the winge with Cruelty, which lay on the left side.
Who sent forth tryple Cerberus, that deuillish dogge of Hel,
To fetch away Proserpina, which then in Greece did dwell.
Then Appius swelled with rage, Virginia to deflowre,
Achilles spryte, did rage from Hell, Polixina to deuowre.
Lucrecia was tooke in trip, Rage was her forrain foe,
Apollo cursed Cassandra faire, for Rage did will him so.
Thus cruell Rage, with Curtesy, and with his freend Delight,
With fond Desire, and Pollicy, which weare God Cupids might.
Haue chased away Dianas force, that shee her selfe must flye,
Or yeeld to those, whose bloody harts, would cause her for to dye.
And to a pleasant vally hard by (her trayne beeing very small,)
Shee did conuay herselfe, by flight, as wofull of her fall.
Quoth Morpheus marke this well my freend, and note her trayne I pray
Which when I purposed for to doo, their backes were turnd away.
So was I much vnable left, their names for to rescite,
Which taried with Diana faire, when shee was put to flight.
And lo my guide himselfe, could not their names vnto mee shew,
But this hee bad mee publish forth, the Souldiers were not few.
Whom Cupid with his louely rout, perswade with might amayne,
But yet Diana fled so fast her foes returnd agayne.
And vnto Cupid his curious tent, they went for to returne,
With bibbing Baccus and his mate, a while for to soiorne.
But as they gan for to returne, to their appointed rome,
Beholde they saw a virgin pure, which gallantly did come,
(Although to late) to ayd her deare, which then had lost the day,
But Theseus stepped from the rout, and stepped in her way.
Oh then (quoth I) vnto my guide, whom keepes hee in the tent,
Tis Hellena, which too to late, vnto Dame Dian went.
(Quoth Morpheus then) whose chastity, was won by Theseus might,
Who when ten yeeres had run their race, was tooke in Dians fight.
Thus while my God did end his talke, Cupid at pallace is,
With all his souldiers banketting, with heauenly ioy and blisse.
The feast indured, very long, the triumphe was not small,
These ioy their goodly victory, the other rue their fall.
At last a trumpet gan to sound, and Preco sayd his will,
That Venus did commaund them all, no captiue for to kill.
But that with ioy, eche one should wend, and with his prisoner play,
Till Beauty should commaund them all, to walke an other way.
Then euery God departed forth, vnto his heauenly seate,
And led with him such prisoners, as hee did thinke it meete.
Then Mars with Iron armes did kisse, his darling and his deere,
And that without suspicion, for Vulcan was not there.
And after sayd adew my deere, then shee from couch discended,
And tooke God Morpheus by the hand, sith fate haue mee befreended.
My Lord (quoth shee) reioyce with mee, & thanke the heauenly might,
And you shall wend no further now, but rest with me this night.
With whom my God departed thence, beckning his hand at mee,
As who should say, goe pack away, I cannot come to thee.
Wherwith my Angell left mee cleane, and Sopor did the same,
And I to former sence and wit, at Natures pleasure came.
Diana quickly answered, Sir knight returne againe.
Let Cupid doo his worst hee can, his force I doo not feare,
Ne will I yeeld vnto his lawes, nor none that with mee are,
Wherwith a lofty shout and noyse, vnto the skye was raysde,
And Dians courage and good will, of all the rout was praysde.
Desire beeing hot with raging hate, did thus reply againe,
I doo lament the rufull lot, of them which shalbe slaine.
So Cupid with his martiall might these stately wordes can quell.
That neither Captaine shall be lefte, nor souldier for to fyght,
Of all this rout, whose hands bee prest, against my Lord his might.
Then Modesty, Dianas guide, in her behalfe did say,
Although wee die in Dians cause, our deathes we do not way.
This sayd, Desire returnd againe, and vnto Cupid went,
And shewed at large, Dianas wordes, as of her whole intent.
And that within the silent wood, wheras Eurota flow,
Fidelity did holde his campe, their force to ouerthrow.
And added this that neither Mars, with all his waighty stroke,
Nor all the Gods should bring her necke, vnder God Cupids yoke.
Then Cupid sent Desire before, the Ambush for to tame,
Or els perforce to scatter them, before the army came.
Desire doth seeke to bee reuengde, of his appointed foe,
And wandring in the Laurell woods vnto Eurota goe.
Wheras Fidelity was prest, his force for to withstand,
And in defence of Dians right, did fight longe hand to hand.
But what could Thisbe then resist, when Pyram came in sight,
Or when as worthy Troylus came, how could Dame Cressid fight.
Phedra shee was content to yeelde, Desire did force her so,
And from Dianas faithfull freend, to Cupids campe to go.
What shall I say, Dianas host, which in the wood did stay,
Was sore abasht, Fidelity was chased quite away.
And many yeelded recreant, not able to deny,
Desire perforce did force them so, eyther to yeeld or dye.
But rather then Dame Cressid would, so quickly seeme as dead,
Shee vowed her selfe from Troylus true, to flattering Diomede.
So that the periured Grecian, or els the Troyan knight,
Should haue Dame Cressid vnto loue, yea both if so it might.
Thus while Desire do cleare the coast, and make the passage free,
The host marcht on into the feeld, with thundring harmony.
The noise wherof do beate the skies, and eke from thence reboundes,
And Mars his musicke in the seeld, aloft Tantara soundes.
The souldiers set them selues in rankes, the winges to succor go,
Audacity by Mars his will, hee had commaunded so.
But Dian and her worthy traine, when as her freend was fled,
And for the losse of all those freends, with fury was much led,
My life for yours, continue still, so shall you victors bee.
The souldiers fought so valyantly, the Captaines did so well,
That Cupid gan to crouch for feare, and Dian did excell.
Audacity then shooke for feare, when Chastity withstood,
And Constancy shee followed fast, to see the forrain blood.
And if God Cupids pollicy, a reskue had not found,
Both Venus and her darlings deare, had flatlyng fell to ground.
But Pollicy came rushing in, and sent forth mighty Ioue,
Who then discended from the skyes, to serue the God of loue.
Who vanquished Dame Dians host, and made them for to tremble,
And sundry kindes of vgly shapes, hee reast not to dissemble.
Aurora loued the snowy Bull, and Leda loued the Swan,
And Io lickt her fathers face, which then was pale and wan.
For as the Woolfe among the lambes, so Ioue among the host,
I meane among Dame Dians flocke, of whom shee vaunt and boste
But when as Fame had sounded forth, and Brute had blased his wil,
That Ioue did vanquish worthily, with Pollicy and Skill.
Then Danæ fled her way for feare, vnto Acrisius Towre,
Till Iupiter through Pollicy discended in a showre.
Achilles then began to rage, before that Troy was sackte,
And craued of Pollicy his guide, the armur that hee lackte.
Who armed him corragiously, in Maydens feate aray,
Till Derdanna swelling wombe, his pollicy did bewray.
And Licomedes was deceiude, the father of the May,
And therfore could not stop the steps, of young Achilles way.
Then clodius rushed in in haste, Pompeya for to quell,
Bedect like to the vestall Dames, wheras his loue did dwell.
Thus Cupid was incorraged, with all his warlike trayne,
Diana which was erst aloft, is now beat downe agayne.
And all the Gods and Souldiers eke, did play their parts so well
That Cupid is extolde to heauen, and Dian fell to Hell.
Medusa Gorgon hearing this, to Pallas alter fled,
Hoping by her assisting hand, in time to bee releeued.
Whom mighty Neptune through deceit, intangled in such sort,
That shee forsook Dianas campe, and fled to Venus Court.
Then Phedra whom desire had brought, from Dian and her traine,
Ceased not in Cupids cause to fight, till Hyppolite was slayne.
And Drowsinesse hee followed fast, for feare hee came to late.
Antonius resisted long, Queene Cleopatras host,
But yet at last through Gluttony, did yeeld to her request.
When Constancy had seene the force and hauocke of their foes,
Shee vowed, both life and lands, and fame, in Dians cause to lose,
Rather then Cupid should preuaile, vnto their vtter shame,
And all Dame Dians valiant wights, accorded in the same.
And ioyning harts and hands in one, that battered Cupid so,
That hee was neare constraind againe, out of the feeld to go.
There Temperance stood stifly too, and Labor laid on lode,
Sobriety did helpe at neede, when they in danger stoode.
But yet alas, this wished ioy, was soone brought to an ende,
For Curtesy came rushing forth, and brought Delight his freend.
For to reuenge this fresh assalt of Dian and her traine,
And to renew the wonted state, of Cupid once againe.
With him came Duke Protesilaus, with him came Alcyde stout,
Hee sought for Laedomia, this found Dianeira out.
Hector vanquished Andromache, that worthy wight of Troy,
And Pryamus with Hecuba, did liue in perfit ioy.
Thus when Dianas Souldiers, began to slip away,
Through Curtesy, a thousand fled, to Cupid in one day.
And few there were, which would remain, with Dian to abide,
But yeeld them selfe vnto Delight, betide what might betide.
Who pardned euery one of those, which came with free consent,
And did remit eche ones offence, before hee did repent.
Then Pluto posted out for rage, which did this while abide,
And kept the winge with Cruelty, which lay on the left side.
Who sent forth tryple Cerberus, that deuillish dogge of Hel,
To fetch away Proserpina, which then in Greece did dwell.
Then Appius swelled with rage, Virginia to deflowre,
Achilles spryte, did rage from Hell, Polixina to deuowre.
Lucrecia was tooke in trip, Rage was her forrain foe,
Apollo cursed Cassandra faire, for Rage did will him so.
Thus cruell Rage, with Curtesy, and with his freend Delight,
With fond Desire, and Pollicy, which weare God Cupids might.
Haue chased away Dianas force, that shee her selfe must flye,
Or yeeld to those, whose bloody harts, would cause her for to dye.
Shee did conuay herselfe, by flight, as wofull of her fall.
Quoth Morpheus marke this well my freend, and note her trayne I pray
Which when I purposed for to doo, their backes were turnd away.
So was I much vnable left, their names for to rescite,
Which taried with Diana faire, when shee was put to flight.
And lo my guide himselfe, could not their names vnto mee shew,
But this hee bad mee publish forth, the Souldiers were not few.
Whom Cupid with his louely rout, perswade with might amayne,
But yet Diana fled so fast her foes returnd agayne.
And vnto Cupid his curious tent, they went for to returne,
With bibbing Baccus and his mate, a while for to soiorne.
But as they gan for to returne, to their appointed rome,
Beholde they saw a virgin pure, which gallantly did come,
(Although to late) to ayd her deare, which then had lost the day,
But Theseus stepped from the rout, and stepped in her way.
Oh then (quoth I) vnto my guide, whom keepes hee in the tent,
Tis Hellena, which too to late, vnto Dame Dian went.
(Quoth Morpheus then) whose chastity, was won by Theseus might,
Who when ten yeeres had run their race, was tooke in Dians fight.
Thus while my God did end his talke, Cupid at pallace is,
With all his souldiers banketting, with heauenly ioy and blisse.
The feast indured, very long, the triumphe was not small,
These ioy their goodly victory, the other rue their fall.
At last a trumpet gan to sound, and Preco sayd his will,
That Venus did commaund them all, no captiue for to kill.
But that with ioy, eche one should wend, and with his prisoner play,
Till Beauty should commaund them all, to walke an other way.
Then euery God departed forth, vnto his heauenly seate,
And led with him such prisoners, as hee did thinke it meete.
Then Mars with Iron armes did kisse, his darling and his deere,
And that without suspicion, for Vulcan was not there.
And after sayd adew my deere, then shee from couch discended,
And tooke God Morpheus by the hand, sith fate haue mee befreended.
My Lord (quoth shee) reioyce with mee, & thanke the heauenly might,
And you shall wend no further now, but rest with me this night.
With whom my God departed thence, beckning his hand at mee,
As who should say, goe pack away, I cannot come to thee.
And I to former sence and wit, at Natures pleasure came.
| A poore Knight his Pallace of priuate pleasures | |