A Small Treatise betwixt Arnalte and Lucenda Entituled The Evill-intreated Lover, Or The Melancholy Knight Originally written in the Greeke Tongue, by an unknowne Author. Afterwards Translated into Spanish; after that, for the Excellency thereof, into the French Tongue by N. H. next by B. M. into the Thuscan, and now turn'd into English Verse by L. L. [i.e. Leonard Lawrence] a well-wisher to the Muses |
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Arnalte to the Traveller.
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 | A Small Treatise betwixt Arnalte and Lucenda Entituled The Evill-intreated Lover, Or The Melancholy Knight |  |
Arnalte to the Traveller.
Thus friend y'ave heard the answer Yerso made,But when he plaind of this sweet vertuous maid,
Renowned Lucenda, I began to swell,
Being impoyson'd with a fiend of Hell.
Suspition scorcht me, raging jealousie
Did burne my heart, which in hot flames did frie:
But howsoe're I made no outward show,
How that the fire inwardly did glow:
For I conjectur'd that these fantasies
From too much love and fondnesse did arise.
Somtimes I doubt him, which being scarcely thought,
Those thoughts I banish, set them all at nought,
And then I way his kindnesse, and his proffer:
Our ancient friendship, how he neare did offer
The least unkindnesse, and I then imbrace,
To make his house my dwelling for a space.
The giddy Moone did scarcely three times run
Her mighty course, or hath the glorious Sun
(With fiery Steeds, and flaming Chariot hurl'd)
Thrice bid good-morrow to the nether world,
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I was defrauded, and, alas, deceiv'd:
For though I watcht, or heedfully did look,
I could not see her, though this paines I tooke.
Thus worse and worse my paines did daily grow,
And in so many kindes I did it show,
That divers people did thereof take note,
That variously they did of it report,
And that so publicke, that my sister deare,
The kinde Belisa, came of it to heare;
And she considering of my present paine,
And future ills I might at length sustaine,
With care endeavour'd, adding all her skill,
To finde the reason of my grieving ill.
Through her intreaties she did so much learne,
That she did see, perceive, and eke discerne,
That all my woes and paines they did arise
From the faire fountaines of the Christall eyes
Of sweete Lucenda; thus resolv'd, she speeds
To finde her out which caus'd my heart to bleed,
Alt'ring her course of life, striving to be
Farre more familiar than she wont to be
With Dame Lucenda, though long since 'twixt them
Love and affection had conversant beene,
The daies great King, bright-ey'd Hiperion,
In golden triumph brightly shining runne
His wonted Progresse o're and o're againe,
Himselfe to bathe in the coole Westerne Maine,
E're that my sister could gaine swift-wing'd time
To be propitious unto her designe.
But on a day, about the time which we
Call the Meridian, when the Sunne we see
With hottest raies, and fiery breath to clime
Th'Ecclipticke Pole, my sister then did dine
With faire Lucenda, and then dinner past,
Shee did retire with her welcome guest
To a with-drawing roome, there to repose,
Where when they were my sister this disclos'd.
| A Small Treatise betwixt Arnalte and Lucenda Entituled The Evill-intreated Lover, Or The Melancholy Knight | |