University of Virginia Library

Arnalte to Belisa.

I have deare sister plainly understood
What you have told me for my future good:
For which I thanke thee, yet let my reply.
Assure thee that most consid'ratly
I have premeditated on each word,
The which your goodnesse did to me afford;
And in the thought of that imagination,
Each poynt disturbs me with a vehement passion;
So that they joyntly have surpriz'd my heart
With far worse pangsthan raw-bon'd death doth dart;
For anxious griefe within my breast tooke place,
And swam in teares, which did o're-flow my face.
And this deare sister, most especially
I have endur'd for thy sake: for why,
All other torments I can lightly beare;
But as concerning thee I much doe care,
For you I grieve; I doe not moane the smart,
Which Vulture-like still preys upon my heart:
I dis-esteeme it in respect of thee,
For why loves warrant hath deliver'd me,
Thus I shall be perhaps excus'd by some,
And eke inforc'd to undergoe the doome
Of divers others; let 'em speake and spare not,
In this respect, alas, alas I care not:
For the pure vertue which is truely knowne,
Cannot be injur'd, or disgrac'd by none;
Thus shall th'opinions which are held of me,
Prove most part false, and feigned for to be.
Thou dost prepose that 'twil be thought 'mongst men,
That more for feare of Yerso's kindred, then
Through the afflictions of my torments, I
Doe take this journey, and away doe flye.
Fearing I should receive the selfe-same pay,
Which I paid Yerso, when I did him slay.
Oh thinke not so, but be thou confident,
That ther's not one, who ever nobly meant,
Or truely lov'd, as will imagine such
A base conceit as may my honour smutch:
For well they know the worth of valour bides
Ever most constant where true love resides:
And eke more-o're, I am not so unknowne,
But that my worth (of Fames loud Trumpet blowne)
It is sufficient to obscure and shroud
Such base reports in darke oblivions Cloud.
Thou dost intreat me also to remember
My goods, my servants, and my safety tender:
As for my servants, I so thinke of them,
That if ther's any that will follow, when
I shall depart from this unpleasing place.
Their company with thanks I will embrace,
Rather t'expresse th'indulgent love I beare
Vnto their kindnesse, or their friendly care,
Than that I want or have necessity
Of their assistance, or society.
Now for my wealth and treasures, from this time
You are their Mistris, for I make them thine;
And for the rest, oh deeme me not to be
S'ignoble base, as that I would leave thee
Alone, forlorne, desolate, and forsaken,
Wretched, opprest, but if, thou art mistaken:
For e're we part, with care I will provide,
That I may see thee, e're I goe, a Bride
Ioyn'd to a husband, who shall still remaine
With thee (I absent) to maintaine thy fame.
And now I will one thing of thee require,
And this it is; deare sister I desire
That thou'lt take courage to thee; and that when
I shall retire from the sight of men,
Your lamentations put me to no trouble,
Nor your bewailings my afflictions double.
And lastly Sister; for I thinke 'twill be
The last request I e're shall make to thee;
Let me intreat thee that continually
Thou'lt plaine and taxe Lucenda's cruelty;
Ever remembring my untimely Fate,
And utter ruine, caused by her hate:
Yet if you see there's any likely-hood,
Or expectation for my future good,
Or that she should repent her, and bemoane
The ills I suffer, under which I groane
With endlesse tortures; let that expiate
Alone thy wrath, no other vengeance take:
Since in this hap, the happy meanes doth lye,
The which alone can gaine my liberty.
Thus I will cease to entertaine your eares
With my sad words, breath'd out with sighes & teares,
'Cause Ile avoyd thy importunity,
And fond objection of thy vaine reply.
At these my words my sisters tongue was ty'd,
Her lips were bar'd, she never more reply'd
One word or accent, the which might disswade
My resolution, or my breast invade
With contradiction this my fixt intent
She ne're essayd to alter, or prevent
Then being healed of my wounds, I went
Vnto the King, and shew'd him my intent,
Beseeching him most friendly to bestow
A husband on my sister, who might show
Such constant friendship, and such mutuall love,
As doth the Turtle to the harmlesse Dove.
This on his royall word he promis'd me
For to accomplish: then thrice Noble hee
Having performed what I did require,
And satisfi'd most nobly my desire,
With urgent treaties importun'd my stay,
And disadvis'd me from so strange a way;
Preposing to me that it was ill done,
On this my course so rashly for to runne,
Leaving my Countrey and my habitation,
My goods, my sister, to court desolation:
But since his will and mine did disagree,
In our resolves there was no harmony:
For the opinion which he did propound,
On the same key, with mine they did not found;
Thus, diff'ring both in our opinions, I
Tooke my last leave, leaving his Majesty
Sufficiently assured, that my will
I would accomplish, and my mind fulfill.
At which the King was so displeas'd, that he
Would not vouchsafe his gracious leave to me:
Yet ne'rethelesse, casting all things aside
Which may prevent me, though my friends decide
The case, most strongly urging, how that I
Did runne the hazard of much misery:
I weigh'd it not, or did I heed the cryes
Which ran like Rivers from the swolne eyes
Of my sweet sister, intermixt with groanes
And sad laments, of force to soften stones.
But after many loving Ceremonies,
And kind fare-wells, I did with watry eyes
Take my last leave of all my friends and kin,
And then my journey I did straight begin,
Which soone was spread abroad, and shrill report
As soon had blaz'd it in the King his Court:
Which being told his Grace, (although my fame
I must confesse such honour could not claime)
He did vouchsafe so farre to honour me
Himselfe, and Nobles in their gallantry.
As to conduct me onward in my way
Vnto a place that from the City lay
Some Furlongs distant: now excuse me friend,
If to thy eares I doe not recommend
The words we had at parting, or else show
The sighes & groanes which from our hearts did flow.
For without tediousnesse I cannot tell
The passages which 'twixt us then befell:
But let that passe, and know my weeping cryes
And brynie teares which trickled from the eyes
Of my kind Sister, at that time did sever
Both she and I, not for a time, but ever.
And then the King and his attendants they
Return'd to Court, I follow'd on my way;
Continuing which, I soone did feele my smart
To be disburden'd of much anxious smart:
So that I found this course farre to surpasse
My residence, which in rich Thebes was.
For my misfortunes rather chose to bide
With Beares and Lyons, than for to reside
Longer with men, indu'd with reason, thought
Their qualities a brutish diffrence shew.
Then having travell'd many dayes, I found
My selfe arriv'd by chance on this same ground,
So desolate, so uncoth, so o're-growne,
As thy hard passage unto thee hath showne.
But having gained this sad, solitary,
Rough, ragged mountaine, being e'ne a weary,
Consid'ring of its private scituation,
Resolv'd t'erect thereon this habitation
Of such materialls as might signifie
Lucenda's hatred and strange cruelty.
Thus friend y'ave heard the summe of all my griefe,
And how I've liv'd supprest without reliefe:
Thou also know'st what sad afflictions I
Have undergone through my firme cōstancy;
And eke what battells and assaults I have
Sustain'd for love, who us'd me as his slave.
But now kind friend, if my Discourse hath stay'd
Thee from thy businesse; and likewise delay'd
Thy purpos'd journey, least wise if a man
Involv'd in woes and sorrows as I am,
Have not deserv'd that thou shouldst troubled be
In such a sort, as thou hast beene by me:
Let me beseech thee that thou wilt suspence
Thy then just anger, and remit th'offence
Of such a wretched Caitiffe, who must still
Live fraught with sorrow and heart-killing ill.
Moreover Sir, sith that thou do'st intend,
This day being past, to hasten to the end
Of thy set journey, beare still in thy minde
How thou hast pawn'd thy faith, and left behind
A serious promise, justly to relate
To courteous Ladies my most wretched state.
Thus vertuous Ladies, our sad loving Knight
His sad misfortunes did unto me recite,
And eke discover'd all such accidents,
Dispaires, mischances, woes, and discontents
As e're he suffer'd; now if I have prov'd
As tedious to yee, as I left him mov'd
With anxious passions, giving entertaine
To his heart-tort'ring martyrdome and paine:
Yet if you please (rare ones) yee may dispence
With your distasts, and pardon my offence;
For I assure yee honourd Ladies, this
Which I have done, (although perhaps amisse)
Hath onely beene t'obey and satisfie
His sad requests and importunity:
As also to discharge my promise, and
Acquit my faith, which did engaged stand,
Not to offend your eares, or else presume
Your patiences with words to importune.
Also I doe repose and eke confide
So great a trust and confidence beside
On your good natures, that you will connive
At my mistakes, & with your goodnes strive
For to supply my want and my default,
Not once observing my ill-ordred talke:
But the desire which I have, to show
The service which unto your Sexe I owe:
For it hath beene the sole efficient cause,
By which (Rare Ladies) I induced was,
Rather t'incurre the taxes of sharpe blame,
Than in the least respect to dismaintaine
Your more retyr'd Recreations, when
Yee shall repaire unto your Bookes, or Pen,
Cloy'd with excesse of farre more choise delight,
And pleasant pastime than I can recite:
Besides, I credit that yee are endew'd
With such bright-shining vertues, and infus'd
With so much goodnesse, yea, so richly drest
With gracious pitty harbour'd in your brest,
That the compassion which yee shall expresse
For the ill-usage and the wretchednesse
Of our sad Lover, may perhaps invade
Your gentle bosomes, and in fine perswade
Your gracious selves t'accept then in good part
This the rehearsall of his anxious smarts,
Which I have publish'd, being (Dames) confin'd
Thereto by his command which did me bind,
And eke incite yee to requite my paines
With thanks, for why I seeke no other gaines.
Likewise (yee best of women) that you'l daigne
To second him, so to with-stand his paine,
Assisting him, thereby to undergoe
The weighty burden of his grievous woe,
Taxing th'unkindnesse of this new-made Nun,
The cruell Authresse of his Martyrdome;
Who through her desp'ratenes hath caus'd our Knight
Who most intirely lov'd her, to delight
In the acquaintance of ill-look't dispaire,
And fellowship of heart-lamenting care;
So that he hath retird, himselfe confin'd
Vnto a place cohering with his mind;
Alone sequester'd, most recluse, where he
Dayly expects heart-easing Death to free
Him from his passions which torment his heart
With endlesse tortures, and unheard of smart.
Now if's strange chance have not sufficient force
T'infuse some pitty, or some sad remorse
Within your bosomes, yet he doth intreate
(Yee all by me) to harbour this conceite,
That he doth rather cherish and maintaine
His immense torments and extreamest paine,
Since faire Lucenda therein doth delight;
Than for to live in the most happiest plight.
That ever any mortall man possest,
Since she deny'd him this true happinesse.
But yet he hopes through processe of fleet time,
Or through her vertues which most brightly shine,
That shee'l forget the too fond foolish love
Of her dead Husband, and at length remove
All thought of him, and in the end confesse
That she hath wrong'd me with her churlishnesse.
Now if this happy turne shall chance to fall,
Ere Destiny for his faint breath shall call,
He will remaine content; or if it come
When he possesses his time-lasting home,
His spirit will rejoyce, his joynt-falne bones
Repose more softer, though inhum'd 'mongst stones:
Thus you may see the hope with which I left
The mournfull Knight, of joy quite bereft:
And eke the end of his discourse, the which
Although it be not copiously enrich't
With sweet-tun'd words, or high Cothurnick straines.
Compos'd by Rethorick, or inventions paines,
Yet pray accept it; it may serve for want
Of better matter, (which I know's not scant)
To entertaine your Suitors, when they be
Familiar in your honour'd company:
Vnto whose vertues and your famous graces
Adorn'd I hope with more than common faces,
My selfe and service I doe recommend,
And vow to be your Servant till my end.