University of Virginia Library

The Argument.

The Autor penneth, wherof he hath no proofe,
But as in dreame, so doth his knowledge come:
Hee warnes all those whose case it doth behooue,
To flie these panges, or els to taste of some,
VVhich hee displayeth, as proper vnto Loue:
The wofull state, of those which run that race,
By others fate, which hertofore did prooue,
VVhom hee by heapes, hath brought into this place:
But if that loue do bring no pinching payne,
The Autor sayth, hee will recant agayne.

When as my dazled eyes, by Sopor were opprest,
God Morpheus with his fethered limmes would let mee take no rest,
But with his wonted guise, did feede my minde with dreames,
And shewed to mee, faire Helicon, with all the siluer streames.
The mansion of the dames: with euery Laurell tree,
With Herbers, Brookes, and pleasant flowres, that on Parnassus bee.
From firy Phœbus throne, to Pluto his pudled Denne,
Yea all that lay in Neptunes gulfes, and in Leerna Fenne.
Nothing was then concealed, each God in his degree,
From Iupiter and Iunos right, vnto the Furies three:
My Angell then was bent, to visite euery place,
For why, hee sayd that it was long, since hee did run that race:
And though that weary way, were tedious steppes to mee,
Yet thought I not my labour lost, such strange delights to see.
Within a valley low, there stoode a Castle hye,
Which by the might of Phœbus beames, did glister in mine eye.
No man could passe therto, to foe nor yet to freend,
But that hee should assure himselfe, some hill for to assend:
For why? before the walles, (which were exceeding good)
By Natures free munition, foure hugy hilles there stood,
Which seemed a great defence to feare the foming foe,
Menacinge feare to faynting hartes, and to the dastard woe.
And yet about the hilles great beaten pathes there were,
Which did the store of passengers vnto that place declare.
Wherwith I was amazde, this strange deuise to see,
Yet durst I not demaund my God, what building it should bee.
But when hee did perceiue, how trembling I did stand,
Feare not (quoth hee) (and therwithall hee tooke mee by the hande)
For lo that shining place beeing situate in the vale
The Castle and the fortresse strong, of Venus men doo call.
The Ualley where it stands, hath Smyrdo vnto name,
By whole consent of heauenly Gods, allotted to this dame.
The Father of the Gods, with Iuory staffe in hand,
Hath giuen vnto his Daughter deere, this sweete and fertill lande.
And euery forrain coast, doo yeeld her homage due,
Some sacrifice vnto her shrine, her wrath for to eschue,
Beholde the hilles (quoth hee) which compasse in the same,
And beare in minde if that thou canst in order euery name.
The first vnto the North, is called Change of Ioy,
For hee that entreth on the same, is entred to annoy.
The second Ficklenesse, the second chance in loue,
Now hot, now cold, now quicke, now dead: as many men doo prooue.
The thirde is Apetite, as red as raging fire,
Such is the chance of louers poore, to vanquish their desire.
The fourth is Crabbed Care, imployd with streekes of red,
Upon this Mount alas I rue, lay many Captiues ded.
My guyde there stayd, but I desirous of the same,
Did aske of him why euery Hill, inioyd that proper name.
Within eche Hill (quoth hee) a furious Feend doth rest,
And in the hill hath digged a Denne, to bee his nightly nest.
The Mountes enioy the name, and doth that title win,
As doth that hellish hound inioy, which hath his Den therin.
None entreth to the Forte, which will displayne to fight,
With him which stands, with club in hand, and challeng it by right.
And none shall passe the Mount, but hee shall him withstand,
And hee shall quite him passing well, that shall not feele his hand.
Yea Hercules him selfe, which erst had bin at Hell,
And bound the barking Cerberus, which in the Lake did dwell:
Could not resist these strokes, nor warde these battering blowes,
But yeelded him to Crabbed Care, as well his toombe forshowes.
And dying on the Mount, with fire it is suspected,
Hee hath his Tombe and Monument within that hill erected.
For none can come to Loue, or to her Castle rare,
But that hee must ascend them all in order as they are.
Good syr (quoth I agayne) I pray declare to mee,
What is the cause that in this place so many pathes there bee?
For if the case were such, as you haue erst declared,
The passage should bee perilous and much for to be feared.
Morpheus replyde agayne, I finde none other cause,
Why such resort of mortall men, vnto her tent shee drawes,
But that shee dooth delight the minde of man and beast,
And tickleth forth the willing minde, vnto Dame Venus neast.
For first in Saturns dayes, when men did simply liue,
Shee shewed forth that was vnknowen, and preceptes shee did giue.
In Venus trade and did instruct them in such sorte,
That euer since to Venus Uale, they cease not to resorte:
Yea since those flourishing dayes, shee fed their fansies so,
And opened vnto them the doore, which erst they did not know.
That now in euery Region, a costly shryne she hath,
From whence vnto her Mansion, there lyeth a beaten path:
A path I say she hath, which comes from euery place,
For to conduct those passengers, which roune in Cupids race.
Lo see the path of Troy, where Troylus lyeth dead,
And see where good Diophœbus by Greekes is murdered.
Corebus with the loue, vnto Cassandra borne,
Among the rest do couched lye, on carking care forlorne.
There Paris hath a Tombe, far distant from the rest,
A gorgious Tombe no doubt it was, excelling all the best,
Upon ech ende therof a furious Feend doth lye,
The one doth sound a dolefull Trumpe vnto the cloudy skye:
Wherwith ech place resounds, as well the vale as hill,
The other shouteth oft and shrickes, with trembling voyce and shryl.
And with his rauening mouth doth neuer cease to teare,
The bones of Paris which longe since, vpon the Mountaine were.
Oh syr (quoth I to Morpheus) what meane those dolefull mones,
And what meanes hee, that often shrykes and feedes vpon the bones?
The one (quoth hee) who sounds, his Trumpe vnto the sky,
It is Defame which will not let, yonge Paris fact to die.
The other Enuie hight: whose cankred minde doth fret,
And with Defame agaynst the Knight, his hand and tooth hath set.
But muse not then (quoth hee) though Paris lyeth here,
For through Defame and Enuies force, his facte is euery where.
The Troyans lye by heapes, next vnto them is Greece,
Where lyeth the Dame which did betray her fathers golden Fleece.
And Laodomia in like care doth rest her heauy head,
Because her loue and only ioy, Proteselaus is dead.
Here Cephalus entred is, and wayleth still with care,
For that hee killed his Procris deare, before hee was aware:
Hee wisht full ofte as Acteon did hartely wish the same,
That hee had neuer knowne his Bowe, nor vsed the hunters game.
One thing in Grecian Path, did make mee for to muse,
And for my ignorance of the same Morpheus did mee excuse.
Two gorgious Tombes there were, the one agaynst the other,
(It seemed at first vnto my eyes, as Castor and his brother)
Aboue these tombes there stood a woman faire and bright,
And not far of with franticke sworde, there stood a raging knight.
And all did seeme to wayle, and mourne most piteously,
Except the armed knight which smilde, when as the rest did cry.
My Morpheus saide, the Queene, faire Clitemnestra hight,
Which with Ægistus kild her spouse, which came from Troian fight.
Orestes then in rage, for Agamemnons death,
Did shed Aegistus vitall blood and stopt his mothers breath.
Orestes then returnde vnto his sence againe,
Did rule in Agamemnons steed, and in his roume did raine:
So hee began to smile, when all the rest were slayne,
And they beeing payd for duty due, in Crabbed Care remaine.
Within this Grecian path, while that wee taried still,
Beholde foure birdes which orderly, did fly about the hill.
The Nightingale complainde, the Lapwing fled for feare,
The Swallow shee no doubt was swifte, the Phesant lyude in care,
In care all foure they nest, in care they do remaine,
The Father, Wife, and silly childe, with sister there complaine.
Now haue wee past from Greece, and vnto Carthage came,
Where Hanniball among the rest, did win immortall fame.
From Dido vnto Thrace, from Phillis vnto Rome,
Where Porcia with Lucrecia, be linked in one Tombe,
And Camma lyeth behinde, as faythfull as the best,
But these haue almost passed care, and come to perfite rest.
Orestilla lyeth there where Cataline doth couch,
Tarpeia lyeth by Tatius, for gold doth make them touch.
Pompeia lyeth there, whom Clodius seekes to couer,
And eke Terentia Tullyes wife, about the hill doth houer.
A thousand more there were, which on that mount did sleepe,
Whom Crabbed care with other feends vpon the mount did keepe.
But as we passed those Tombes, of all the Roman rout,
And when by chance wee had espide religious persons out:
One Monument there was, excelling all the rest,
The forme so strange can not depart out of my fearfull brest.
The Tombe did crosse the path, when none beside did so,
Whose lefte side seemed a man to bee, the right a woman show:
A monstrous key of length, her left hand alwayes beares,
And on her head of glistering golde, a triple Crowne shee weares.
And with a glauncing looke, and with a stretched right hand,
Shee doth receiue a liuely youth, which naked there doth stand.
Oh sir (quoth I to him) which was my carefull guide,
In all the Mount the like to this, I haue not seene beside.
Quoth Morpheus this is shee which all the Church beguilde,
Whom all men thought to bee a man, till that shee had a childe.
Pope Ioane shee hath to name, whom once within the Lake,
I shewed vnto Robinson, as our viage wee did make.
Her tombe did crosse the path, because the passers bye,
When as they saw her shamefull fact, to her reproche should cry.
The young man it is hee, which was her Minion euer,
For whom vpon this Hill for aye, with care they shall perseuer.
The Roman path wee lefte, when wee had vewed at will,
The Roman Knights and Monuments, which were within that Hil.
From thence to Babilon, where Thisbe did complaine,
Because that valiant Piramus, through her default was slaine.
Then did the Theban path appeare within my sight,
And Hemon with Antigona, did well inioy their right.
There Cadmus shrined was, Hermione iust harde by
Whose tombes were garnished with golde, where crawling serpents lye
Semeles there was layd, next to her fathers side,
For whom her deare twise borne Bacchus most carefully prouide.
And Ino with her childe, is taken from the sea,
And in the Mount with Athamas, haue long time been all three.
Creusa, creons childe, which was yonge Iasons deare,
Whom scorching fire consumed from yerth, hath her abiding heare.
But yet one tombe there was, among the Theban route,
Which till I had perceiued well, did make mee stand in doubt:
For why hard by the same, did flow a litle flood,
Where many women washt their hands, imbrued with liuely blood.
It was Agaue the Queene, which Pentheus had rent,
Because that hee disdayned the feastes, of Baccus to frequent:
And yet her only sonne, about her tombe remayne,
The partes of him whom shee and hers, with cruell hand had slayne.
And many more there were, whose tombes I would haue seene
Which for their long antiquity, with mosse be couered cleene.
Verona path we left, where Romeus doth lye,
Where Iuliet with Iconia, inioy a place therby.
Gualfrido lyeth in Venis, Barnardo doth the same,
And eke Arestons only childe which Gnosia hath to name.
All Germany I thinke, eche towne that therin was,
Had captiues there, which tediousnesse, do cause mee to let passe:
At last my guide did smile, and thus to mee hee sayd,
Loe here what English prisoners, in Crabbed care are stayd.
Great heapes of valiant knights, of noble youthfull peeres,
Which in the feelde most Martially haue broken many speres:
Among the which I spied, those which I will not name,
Least yt my pen through my default, perhaps should purchace blame.
Both Abbots, Friers and Monkes, and all that learned rout,
Hermites and holy Hipocrites, which now bee rooted out.
In care nere Venus vale, they had a place to lye,
Wheras they haue their monuments wheras they chanced to die.
Among the which I romed: desirous for to see,
If any of those learned Clarkes, were knowen before of mee.
Wherof perhaps I could, rescite you many a one,
Which liued in ioy, but now in care, do make a dreadfull mone.
At last I spied out Bond, that fat and lazy Frier,
Which died wheras faire Astoloth would graunt to no desire.
This Champion liued by loue, as Larkes do liue by leekes,
He wept, hee wailde, he sighed so much, hee could not see for cheekes.
Of Ireland and of Wales came many a carefull wight,
And out of Cornwale valiantly came Labeale Isoundes knight.
From path to path wee went, as Morpheus did giue leaue,
Hee showd mee all that did beseeme, my knowledge to conceaue.
At last wee entered in, the valley by the hill,
And left the lofty mount of Care, which wee had vewde at will.
And loe, into the vale, when as wee were discended,
And come vnto the Castle wall, as Morpheus had pretended:
Upon the Castle strong, and in Dame Venus Forte,
Her cumly shape and rosiall hew, was drawne in seemely sorte.
And in her hand shee helde, an Iuory Combe most clere,
And by the ayde of Phœbus beames did kembe her golden heare.
Wherat I was amazde, but Morpheus helpeth mee out,
And with his sweete and sugred speeche, assoylde me of my doubt.
The Iuory Combe (quoth hee) which Venus hath in hand,
In trymming of her christall haire, will let thee vnderstand,
That those which doo delight, to run in Venus vale,
Will trim themselues, as some brush ware, before it come to sale.
For as Dame Venus doth, so all her darlings do,
This is the cause quoth hee againe, why shee is pointed so:
The Castle gate wee did approche and would not stay,
The Porters let God Morpheus passe, but mee they thrust away.
Sir boy quoth one to mee (a grim and vgly knaue,)
Come not so nye, stand backe in time, and seke thy selfe to saue.
To whom God Morpheus sayd, my freend, content thee still,
That hee should passe vnto this place, it is my minde and will.
Commaund not mee quoth hee, and therwith gan to raue,
Quoth Morpheus then from Heauen and Hell, authority I haue.
I am the God of dreames, which passe through euery vale,
Resist not then, let him approche into the Castle wall:
The knaue when hee perceiued, that it was so indeede,
Of with his cap and crowching low, hee let mee in with speede.
Affliction kept the gate, as fearce as Satyre wylde,
And Doubt was his companion, yet hee was somwhat milde.
The Porters prison was bedecked all with greene,
And chaunging coulers now and then, were often to be seene.
Out of the narrow grates did Cleopatra prye,
And beckned with her trembling hand to valiant Antony:
Naera with Carmona which waited on this Dame,
With Plyos poyson made an ende, and here do repe their shame.
Whom often Cleopatra kisse, and often them imbrace,
And ioyning heades, they do lament their hap and heauy case.
And as I pryed by chaunce, I saw a damsell morne,
With ragged weedes and Layers spots, a wight to much forlorne.
Quoth Morpheus durst thou see, wheras that caytiffe lyes,
Much like the wretched Crocodill, beholde now how shee cryes.
That is Pandare his Nice, and Calcas only childe,
By whose deceits and pollicies, young Troylus was beguilde.
Shee is kept in affliction where many other are,
And veweth Troylus lying dead, vpon the Mount of Care.
Shee wepte, shee sighed, shee sobd, for him shee doth lament,
And all too late, yea to to vaine, her facte shee doth repent:
How could that stedfast Knight, (quoth I) loue such a dame?
Morpheus replied in beauty bright, shee bare away the fame:
Till that shee had betrayd, her Troylus and her dere,
And then the Gods assignd a plague, and after set her here.
An other wretched wight, within Affliction kept,
Who for her false periured faith, lamented sore and wept.
Eriphile, shee it was, and spronge of Grecian blood,
(Yet all the Grecian pollicyes, could neuer do her good)
Who for desire of coyne betrayd her louing make,
And now shee must content herselfe, a traytresse due to take.
Kinge Pretus wife is here, alas alas what tho?
Affliction helde her in so fast, shee is like to die for woe.
Galatea shee poore soule, must holde her selfe content,
Which fayne would wepe if other could, preuaile which do lamente,
What should I say, a thousand moe, within this prison were,
Whom neither time nor memory, will suffer to declare.
But all that therin were, haue layd their ioy apart,
And giue themselues to vtter plaints, imbrued with swelling smart.
From thence wee marched forth vnto a litle Lake,
The spring was swift although but small, the course did neuer slake.
Leander here did row, here Helena did dwell,
Achilles loueth Polixena, and drinketh at this Well.
Here Aeolus daughter deere, here Silla Nisus daughter,
And here Pasiphæ oft did drinke, and neuer thirsted after.
One thing was very strange, which at this Well was seene,
Within the brooke in ritch aray there stood a gallant queene.
And on the banke a Bull, with guilted hornes did stay,
Which when shee would haue issued out, did stop her in the way.
Wherat I wondred much, and greatly was dismayde,
And asking Morpheus of that [illeg.], hee quickly to mee sayd:
The Queene shee Diete hight, which was King Lycus wife,
A Theban borne in Nicteus daies, the fates did graunt her life.
Who through a ielious minde: and false surmised loue,
Such discorde in the Theban Court, this diuelish Dame did moue.
That if young Amphion, and Zetus his dere brother,
Had not brought reskew happely: this Bull had slaine their Mother.
Whose ielosie the Gods, in such displeasure tooke,
That they haue placed this roringe Bull, to keepe her in the brooke
An other Dame there was, which at this Well did liue,
Which neuer ceast for to assay to fill an empty Siue.
And when the cause therof, on Morpheus I did aske,
Hee sayd the Gods allotted it, to be the Ladies taske.
Which all in vayne bestowed, (vnto her pinchinge payne)
Her loue vpon Narcissus faire: which in the woods complayne:
Neare to the litle Lake, a Dungeon grounded was,
As blacke as pitche throughout the which, this runninge streame did passe
Dispaire did kepe the same, which was both stout and strong,
A wofull wretch whose greedy gorge, delighted much in wrong.
Poore Captiues in distresse, hee keepeth many a one,
Whose flintie hart doth oft reioyce, when other make their mone.
Hipsiphale which loued, king Peleus Nephew deare,
Erigone which hanged her selfe: hath purchast house roome here.
Here Dianeira lyeth which kilde her selfe for wo,
And Hero which on fominge floods, her life sought to vndo.
Euadne hath a place, Dispaire doo loue her well,
With thousands more within that place, which were to long to tell.
Among the rest one stood, ready to come away,
Bat that Dispaire through fayned tales, did cause her for to stay.
Quoth Morpheus, see the Queene, that weares the mourning gowne,
Shee fled from ritch Pigmalion, and built vp Carthage towne.
This false Report (quoth hee) a foe vnto good fame,
Hath plaide his part vpon that wight, which neuer deserude the same
For in the court of chastitie, her deedes be fresh and new,
A crowne of Glory shee deserues, if that shee had her due.
For Poets say, shee loued, Æneas Knight of Troy,
And when hee priuily fled from thence, her selfe shee did distroy.
But tatling Poets lye, Aeneas was vnknowne,
And Troyan seede in Carthage towne, by him was neuer sowne.
Iarbas griped with loue, and could not her attayne,
(For once shee made a faithfull vow, that chast shee would remayne)
Laide seege vnto the towne, Dame Dido to mollest,
But shee to saue her plighted othe, to die did thinke it best.
And with a glittering blade, shee banisht breathing life,
This was the constant ende of her, which was Sicheus wife.
This sayd, wee left Dispaire, and all his raging traine,
(With watery teares for Didos sake, my Morpheus did complaine.)
Wee past the gallant court, and entered very far,
Unto the place where Venus sate, while Cupid went to war.
There Ceres kept with her, and Bacchus did the same,
And Mars stoode waiting at the doore, desirous of the game.
The house was full of Clyents, eche corner had great store,
God Morpheus as his custome was, hee entred in before.
Whom when Dame Venus saw, shee quickly gan to rise,
Saluting him with cumly cheare, and in most curteous wise.
My Lord (quoth shee to him) how doth my auncient sire,
And how doth Neptune in the seas, and Pluto in the fire.
While Morpheus tolde his tale, I vewed among the rout,
To see if some acquainted freend, by chance I could finde out.
No Englishmen were there, of Wales a worthy bande,
Whom, when they came to greet mee well, I could not vnderstande.
Wherby no doubt I lost, the truth of euery case,
And many a harty welcominge vnto that princely place.
But if my Cuntry men, had layne in Venus Uale,
Then might I haue discribed at large, the trueth of euery tale.
Thus while I pryed about, in euery vacant place,
And while I saw God Morpheus, was still with Venus grace.
And Venus did perceiue mee, to Morpheus thus shee sayd,
My Lorde the presence of this lad, doth make vs sore dismayde.
Feare not (quoth Morpheus then) there is no cause to doute,
For hee which is within your Court, can neuer issue out.
Wherwith I trembled sore, for feare hee sayd to true,
I wept, I wailde, and thus I sayd, I haue my wages due.
Then Venus sat her downe, among her Lordly peeres,
And Mars his souldiers guarded her, with Billes, with Bowes and speeres.
I asked Morpheus then, whither Cupid did resorte?
Hee sayd that hee was marchte to feelde, against Dianas court.
Whom I would faine haue seene, but time did it deny,
And Morpheus sayd tis time to goe, the starres be in the sky.
But yet hee promised mee, against another day,
For to addresse himselfe agayne, to shew mee all that way.
Wherwith hee pluckt mee backe, and said, come let vs go,
I was preparde with willing minde, for why I wisht it so.
The way wee past before, wee entred in againe,
Where fearce Affliction and Doubt, as Porters did remaine.
By Care and Appetite, Ficklenesse and Change of Ioy,
By euery Path, and euery Tombe, wee past the former way.
(Quoth Morpheus now adue) till Cupids Host do fight,
Then will I haue thee to the feelde, and shew thee all that sight.
Wherwith I wakte and saw, what folly I had seene,
And what in vision did appeare, as it had perfite beene.
Parnassus now is gone, and Helicon his streame,
And though this Treatise bee not true, yet sure it is a dreame.