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<DATE>2014-04-08</DATE>
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<NAME>Alexis Jakobson</NAME>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B11341">
<STC T="S">1356.4</STC>
<STC T="C">S108351</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99844010</BIBNO>
<VID>176406</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<PB REF="1">
<P><HI>A mo&s;t lamentable and <HI>Tragicall hi&s;torie, contey|ning</HI></HI> the outragious and horrible <HI>ty|rannie which a Spanishe gentlewoman</HI> named <HI>Violenta</HI> executed vpon her louer <HI>Didaco,</HI> becau&s;e he e&s;|pou&s;ed another beyng fir&s;t betrothed vnto her.</P>
<P><HI>Newly tran&s;lated into English meter, by T. A. 1576.</HI></P>
<P><HI>&para; Imprinted at London</HI> by Iohn Charlewood for Thomas Butter dwelling in Paules Churchyarde n&eacute;ere to S. Au&s;tines gate at the &s;igne of the Shippe. <HI>1576.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>&para; To the Right wor&s;hip|full <HI>Sir Thomas Gre&s;sham <HI>Knight, &amp;c.</HI></HI> T. A. <HI>wy&s;heth</HI> Ne&s;tors yeares with increa&s;e of vertue and pro&s;peritie.</HEAD>
<P><HI>_TO di&s;cour&s;e of the</HI> furious tirannie of the boo|cherly <HI>Medea,</HI> in di&s;mem|bring the innocent infante <HI>Ab&s;yrtus</HI> her owne naturall brother, and &s;cattering his martyred limmes in the hie waye where her father shoulde pa&s;&s;e, were but a lo&s;te labour. Or to vnfold the the horrible crueltie of the bea&s;tly <HI>Progne,</HI> in murthering her owne chylde <HI>Iphis,</HI> and ro&s;ting his fleshe, to pre&s;ent the &s;ame ro her husbande <HI>Tereus</HI> in a Banquet, were but vaine taken traueyle, and time alto|gether mi&s;pended, which might other|wy&s;e haue beene farre better employed. Tho&s;e are but Ethnicke examples, farre fette, and a wonderfull waye di&s;tant from our climate both by Sea and Lande: and committed among &s;uch barbarous people,
<PB REF="3"> that had no knowledge of any God nor yet of any &s;parke of Ciuilitie. Neyther shall wee neede to traueyle &s;o farre for the matter. Let vs but ca&s;t our eyes ouer the &s;ea here into Spaine, that lyeth in the hart of Chri&s;tendome, where God is knowen and honoured, mutiall amitie frequented, and all kinde of good order and ciuilitie ob&s;erued, and let vs &s;ee what hath there happened. Surely, an example &s;o terrible, thar it would moue any true Chri&s;tian to teares, yea and make his haire to &s;tand vp|right, for horror, in thinking of &s;o dete&s;ta|ble a fact: which in fewe wordes was this: <HI>Didaco,</HI> a Spanishe knight, borne, and brought vp in <HI>Valence,</HI> fell in loue with a poore mayden named, <HI>&V;iolenta,</HI> of paren|tage very ba&s;e, but of per&s;onage mo&s;t ex|cellent. And lingering lo~g in fru&s;trate &s;ute (for he &s;ought his purpo&s;e by meanes not corre&s;pondent to hone&s;tie) not beyng a|ble to &s;uppre&s;&s;e the vehemencie of his af|fections, he maried her priuilie, and lyued in great bli&s;&s;e the &s;pace of a .xij. moneth, hauing recour&s;e in the nyght time to her hou&s;e. Howbeit in th'end he beganne to loath his former match and acquainting him&s;elfe with another dame of equall cal|ling</P>
<GAP DESC="missing">
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="poem">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>&leaf; The Tragicall Hi&s;torie of <HI>Didaco, and &V;iolenta.</HI></HEAD>
<L>_WHere <HI>Phoebus</HI> firie foming &s;t&eacute;edes,</L>
<L>Their re&s;tles race doo ende:</L>
<L>And leauing our <HI>Horizon,</HI> to</L>
<L>Th' <HI>Antipodes</HI> doo wende,</L>
<L>Right there dooth lye a famous &s;oyle.</L>
<L>Who&s;e farthe&s;t boundes of land:</L>
<L>Enuirond with the brini&s;he floods,</L>
<L>Of Ocean Sea doo &s;tand.</L>
<L>Who&s;e weary warning weltring waues,</L>
<L>Again&s;t the Cliffes doo rore:</L>
<L>And tumble foorth their rowling &s;treames,</L>
<L>And &s;urges to the &s;hore.</L>
<L>And then deuiding foorth it &s;elfe,</L>
<L>In &s;euerall armes againe:</L>
<L>Dooth on his &s;welling tides, the waight</L>
<L>Of fl&eacute;eting Barke &s;u&s;tayne.</L>
<L>Whereby an hougy heape of wealth.</L>
<L>And fruites of &s;undry &s;ortes:</L>
<L>By entertraffique from a farre,</L>
<L>Are leuied to the Portes.</L>
<L>Long entercour&s;e of nations &s;traung.</L>
<L>Haue &s;o enrichte the &s;ame:</L>
<L>That this from all <HI>Europaes</HI> boundes,</L>
<L>Hath borne away the fame.</L>
<PB REF="4">
<L>Our former auncetors haue tearmde,</L>
<L>The &s;ame <HI>He&s;peria</HI> hight:</L>
<L>But tract of time pre&s;ound, the name</L>
<L><HI>Iberia</HI> for to write.</L>
<L>Both names by great dexteritie,</L>
<L>And iudgement founde, againe</L>
<L><HI>Hi&s;pania</HI> the &s;ame at la&s;t,</L>
<L>Was callde, in Engli&s;he Spaine.</L>
<L>Spayne therefore &s;lowyng ofte in wealth,</L>
<L>In buildinges fine and braue:</L>
<L>Of all the nations round about,</L>
<L>De&s;erues the crowne to haue.</L>
<L>The plea&s;aunt planted &s;oyle thereof,</L>
<L>In eche re&s;pect excels:</L>
<L>The pompou&s;e Ilande <HI>Paphos,</HI> where</L>
<L>The godde&s;&s;e <HI>Venus</HI> dwelles.</L>
<L>And gorgeous gli&s;tering <HI>Guidos</HI> eke,</L>
<L>Whereas her throne dooth re&s;t:</L>
<L>Or faire <HI>Ephe&s;us</HI> where was kept.</L>
<L>A &s;olemne y&eacute;erely fea&s;t.</L>
<L>In cha&s;te <HI>Dianaes</HI> &s;acred fance,</L>
<L>Who&s;e building fine and rare:</L>
<L>Of all the monuments in Gr&eacute;ece,</L>
<L>The cheefe&s;t glory bare.</L>
<L>All the&s;e I &s;ay mu&s;t &s;toupe, when as</L>
<L>Recorded is the fame:</L>
<L>Of woorthy Spayne, and y&eacute;elde they mu&s;t,</L>
<L>All honour to the &s;ame.</L>
<PB REF="4">
<L>If Champions &s;toute were requi&s;ite,</L>
<L>For Mars his grie&s;&s;ely traine:</L>
<L>A mighty campe of warlike Impes,</L>
<L>Might &s;oone be had in Spayne.</L>
<L>In prowes like the Romane knightes,</L>
<L>Who&s;e force &s;o fierce in f&eacute;elde:</L>
<L>Con&s;trainde the hunger &s;tarued Iewes,</L>
<L>Vnto their yoke to yeelde.</L>
<L>And raunged foorth &s;o farre in fine,</L>
<L>That all the worlde at la&s;t:</L>
<L>Was &s;ubiect to their &s;eruitude,</L>
<L>When many a broyle was pa&s;t.</L>
<L>In courage, not inferiour,</L>
<L>Vnto the Troiane knightes:</L>
<L>Who&s;e valiant hartes and noble force,</L>
<L>Was tryde in &s;undry fyghtes.</L>
<L>Again&s;t the grie&s;&s;ely Grecian crue,</L>
<L>Who&s;e engins &s;trong did &s;hake:</L>
<L>The Troiane walles &s;o &s;toutly, that</L>
<L>The very grounde did quake.</L>
<L>And &s;o in fine (but hauing fyr&s;t</L>
<L>Su&s;tayned many a foyle)</L>
<L>Did woorke the finall fall thereof,</L>
<L>In tearme of ten yeeres toyle.</L>
<L>But yf the woorthy Troiane knightes,</L>
<L>Had had a Spani&s;he band,</L>
<L>Then &s;urely the &s;tately walles of Troy,</L>
<L>Vnto this day &s;hould &s;tand.</L>
<PB REF="5">
<L>And yf that age &s;o practi&s;ed were.</L>
<L>And &s;kild in feates of warre:</L>
<L>The raging Macedonian route,</L>
<L>Had neuer rom'd &s;o farre.</L>
<L>A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">aine, if Territories braue,</L>
<L>Or &s;tately Towers on hye:</L>
<L>With woorthy pray&s;e de&s;erue, to be</L>
<L>Extolled to the &s;kye.</L>
<L>Then Spayne in that re&s;pect, is not</L>
<L>Inferior to the re&s;t:</L>
<L>But for the beautie rare thereof,</L>
<L>Coequall to the be&s;t.</L>
<L>Who&s;e farthe&s;t limits with pro&s;pectes.</L>
<L>Of Cities large and &s;trong:</L>
<L>Are fortified about and fen&s;te,</L>
<L>With bulwarkes great among.</L>
<L>In beautie like the &s;tately forte,</L>
<L>Which <HI>Dido</HI> once did frame:</L>
<L>When &s;he exiled from her land,</L>
<L>To mightie Afrike came.</L>
<L><HI>Valence</HI> among the re&s;t, this day</L>
<L>A Citie of pa&s;&s;ing fame:</L>
<L>Through regions farre and neere, in Spayne,</L>
<L>Dooth beare a princely name.</L>
<L>A fortre&s;&s;e and a rampiar &s;trong,</L>
<L>That gardeth all the land:</L>
<L>A bra&s;en wall for to repul&s;e,</L>
<L>The force of forraine hand.</L>
<PB REF="5">
<L>Maintayned with a lu&s;ty troupe,</L>
<L>Or warlike Impes be&s;ide:</L>
<L>Who&s;e valiaunt actes haue purcha&s;te fame,</L>
<L>Through regions farre and wyde.</L>
<L>Among the re&s;t not long agoe,</L>
<L>There dwelt a woorthy knight:</L>
<L>Deriu'd from auncient royall race,</L>
<L>His name <HI>Didaco</HI> hight.</L>
<L>In chiualrie to <HI>Hector</HI> like,</L>
<L>Like <HI>Hercules</HI> in might:</L>
<L>In policy <HI>Vli&s;&s;es</HI> mate,</L>
<L>Like <HI>Hannibal</HI> in fight.</L>
<L>In martiall prowes ioyning aye,</L>
<L>Him &s;elfe to <HI>Mars</HI> a&s;&s;ignde:</L>
<L>So that for courage &s;toute, his peere</L>
<L>In Spayne was hard to finde.</L>
<L>He knewe the &s;kill by &s;tayed arme,</L>
<L>The quiuering launce to &s;hake:</L>
<L>To to&s;&s;e the thirling darte a farre,</L>
<L>And make the pike to quake.</L>
<L>To brandi&s;he braue the blade &s;o bright,</L>
<L>At barriers to contend:</L>
<L>The glauncing &s;hafte with twanging bowe,</L>
<L>From marke to marke to &s;end.</L>
<L>At tylt to trye the &s;turdy &s;trength,</L>
<L>Of &s;tately &s;teede in f&eacute;elde:</L>
<L>And eke to cra&s;e the &s;hiuering &s;peare,</L>
<L>On cre&s;te of gli&s;tering &s;hielde.</L>
<PB REF="6">
<L>If euer warlike wight had cau&s;e,</L>
<L>In warlike feates to vaunt:</L>
<L>That knewe by &s;etled &s;trength, his foes</L>
<L>In furious fight to daunt.</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> then, <HI>Didaco</HI> he,</L>
<L>Might ioy aboue the re&s;t:</L>
<L>Who&s;e actes had purcha&s;te him a name,</L>
<L>Superior to the be&s;t.</L>
<L>What great delight did he conceaue,</L>
<L>To marche in mid&s;t of f&eacute;elde:</L>
<L>Protected with a fatall blade,</L>
<L>And eke a gli&s;tering &s;hielde.</L>
<L>Sometime to trauer&s;e foorth his ground,</L>
<L>His foe for to entrappe:</L>
<L>And then retyring backe agayne,</L>
<L>To &s;hunne the afterclap.</L>
<L>And mounting eft the prauncing &s;t&eacute;ede,</L>
<L>To gall with dent of &s;purre:</L>
<L>Who&s;e &s;wiftne&s;&s;e was a remedie,</L>
<L>From daungers to recurre.</L>
<L>None better knewe with &s;kill to guide,</L>
<L>God Mars his pompous trayne:</L>
<L>Or to direct his winges and troupes,</L>
<L>In order in the playne.</L>
<L>Long practizd had this Iouiall Impe,</L>
<L>His gr&eacute;ene and youthfull dayes:</L>
<L>To winne the &s;purres in chiualrie,</L>
<L>And martiall actes of pray&s;e.</L>
<PB REF="6">
<L>Enioying &s;till his libertie,</L>
<L>Not knowyng Venus yoke:</L>
<L>Vnexpert in the panges of loue,</L>
<L>And cur&s;ed Cupides &s;troke.</L>
<L>He neuer haunted Venus Court,</L>
<L>Ne yet her carped troupe:</L>
<L>Such weaklinges he abhord, his mind</L>
<L>To no &s;uch thing would &s;toupe,</L>
<L>He let that pa&s;&s;e to amorous knightes,</L>
<L>Who&s;e &s;eruile yeeres were &s;pent:</L>
<L>In &s;eruice of dame Venus, whyle</L>
<L>Her Courte they did frequent.</L>
<L>To leane to Cupids &s;eruile lore,</L>
<L>He counted it a payne;</L>
<L>The glauncing gl&eacute;es of amorous dames,</L>
<L>Such toyes he counted vayne.</L>
<L>Such execi&s;e vnfit for Mars,</L>
<L>Or Mars his warlike band:</L>
<L>To bowe to &s;uch a &s;hrine, would not</L>
<L>With Mars his honor &s;tand.</L>
<L>No, no, God Mars his votaries,</L>
<L>Delight in Trumpets &s;ound,</L>
<L>To heare the battering bullet, foorth</L>
<L>From Engine to rebound.</L>
<L>To to&s;&s;e the iron tipped pike,</L>
<L>To gird the dart at length:</L>
<L>To &s;hake the warlike per&s;ing launce,</L>
<L>By &s;leight of &s;etled &s;trength.</L>
<PB REF="7">
<L>To trauer&s;e foorth his grounde, to place</L>
<L>His troupes in batayle ray:</L>
<L>To &s;et his gari&s;ons, &s;ometime</L>
<L>To marche, &s;ometime to &s;tay.</L>
<L>Long Winter watches to endure,</L>
<L>To beare the furious force:</L>
<L>Of nipping colde, to ioye in armes,</L>
<L>And &s;trength of baughtie hor&s;e.</L>
<L>And not to loyter by the fyre,</L>
<L>Like Cupids carpet crue:</L>
<L>Which homage yeelde to Venus lawes,</L>
<L>And bid god Mars <HI>Adieu.</HI></L>
<L>And lingering long in louers lore,</L>
<L>The&s;e Impes in fine are faine:</L>
<L>A colde pur&s;ute to render vp,</L>
<L><HI>with trauayle for their payne.</HI></L>
<L>No, no, <HI>Didaco</HI> doth pretend,</L>
<L>To runne another race:</L>
<L>To honour Mars, and not to &s;ue</L>
<L>Nor &s;eeke for Venus grace.</L>
<L>Let them that haue abandoned,</L>
<L>The race that I wyll runne:</L>
<L>Submit them &s;elues to Venus lure,</L>
<L>And Mars his practi&s;e &s;hun.</L>
<L>Who&s;e fainting fingers farre vnfit,</L>
<L>To handle &s;peare or &s;hield:</L>
<L>With amorous lynes their duetie may,</L>
<L>Vnto their Ladyes y&eacute;eld.</L>
<PB REF="7">
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> of that Cloy&s;ter yet,</L>
<L>Wyll not a brother be:</L>
<L>That brotherhood I &s;ay doth not,</L>
<L>Accoro with his degree.</L>
<L><HI>Adien</HI> therefore dame Venus thou,</L>
<L><HI>Adien</HI> ye weakelinges all:</L>
<L>Who&s;e humour &s;uckes the filthy dregges,</L>
<L>Of Venus poy&s;oned gall.</L>
<L>Cupide <HI>Adieu</HI> thou elui&s;he dwarfe,</L>
<L>In &s;pite of this thy bowe:</L>
<L>And percing dartes <HI>Didaco</HI> he,</L>
<L>Wyl not thy godhead knowe,</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> cruell warre proclaymes,</L>
<L>Vnto thy de&s;perate arte:</L>
<L>He nought regardes the percing &s;troke,</L>
<L>Of this thy poy&s;oned darte.</L>
<L>Sound out alarum loude, and woorke</L>
<L><HI>Didacos</HI> ch&eacute;efe annoy:</L>
<L>Doo what thou can&s;t, ile make thee graunt.</L>
<L>Thou deal&s;te not with a boy.</L>
<L>Helpe godde&s;&s;e Venus, helpe thy &s;onne,</L>
<L>Expre&s;&s;e part of thy cure:</L>
<L><HI>Didaco,</HI> &s;pite of both, wyll not</L>
<L>Be &s;ubiect to your lure.</L>
<L>A&s;&s;ayle me both at once I &s;ay,</L>
<L>Shewe here your heauenly &s;kyl:</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> &s;inges, in &s;pite of both,</L>
<L>Ile be a warrier &s;till.</L>
<PB REF="8">
<L><HI>The godde&s;&s;e Venus</HI> whyle &s;he &s;ate,</L>
<L>In her &s;upernall throne:</L>
<L>Reuoluing proud <HI>Didacos</HI> vauntes,</L>
<L>Vnto her &s;elfe alone.</L>
<L>And pondering, that a mortall wight,</L>
<L>Her godhead did reiect:</L>
<L>To Cupid &s;he addre&s;t her tate,</L>
<L>In this, or lyke effect.</L>
<L>Cupide thy mothers onely care,</L>
<L>And meane of good &s;ucce&s;&s;e:</L>
<L>Attend myne he&s;tes incontinent,</L>
<L>Thereto thy &s;elfe addre&s;&s;e.</L>
<L>And as thou art the &s;onne of Mars,</L>
<L>And mighty in thy kinde:</L>
<L>To &s;hewe thy force without remor&s;e,</L>
<L>To plea&s;e thy mothers minde.</L>
<L>My griefe is thyne, not myne alone</L>
<L>But common to vs both:</L>
<L>A mortall wight with vaunting bragges,</L>
<L>Our power deuine dooth lothe,</L>
<L>Ha&s;t thou not yet, long time or this,</L>
<L>By Trumpe of bla&s;ting fame:</L>
<L>Heard of a ryght redouted knight,</L>
<L><HI>Didoco</HI> calld by name.</L>
<L>He he it is that &s;hakes our throne,</L>
<L>With many a thundring vaunt:</L>
<L>Howe that our power is not of force,</L>
<L>His courage for to daunt.</L>
<PB REF="8">
<L>And &s;hall a mortall wight pre&s;ume,</L>
<L>Our godhead to prouoke?</L>
<L>Shal he from Venus &s;cot free &s;cape?</L>
<L>And &s;hun god Cupides &s;troke?</L>
<L>And &s;hall this youngling vndertake</L>
<L>With Venus to contend?</L>
<L>Shall he pre&s;ume agayn&s;t our forte</L>
<L>His batterie for to bend?</L>
<L>Where then &s;hall Venus godhead lye?</L>
<L>Her art? her power deuine?</L>
<L>For&s;ooth euen pro&s;trate in the du&s;t,</L>
<L>And voyde of name in fine.</L>
<L>Who hencefoorth wyll adore my &s;hrine?</L>
<L>Or Venus godhead knowe:</L>
<L>Or &s;hortly on myne aulters, who</L>
<L>Due honour wyll be&s;towe?</L>
<L>My ioy and dearling deare, why is</L>
<L>Thy bowe vnbent &s;o long?</L>
<L>Why &s;hall we beare this iniurie,</L>
<L>Or tollerate &s;uch wrong.</L>
<L>If this &s;hould pa&s;&s;e, the brute &s;hal raigne,</L>
<L>By euery humaine wight:</L>
<L>That Cupids bowe is out of force,</L>
<L>And wants his woonted might.</L>
<L>Eclip&s;ed &s;hall our honour be,</L>
<L>Farewel god Cupids name:</L>
<L>And dame Venus power, none nowe,</L>
<L>Acknowledge wyll thy name.</L>
<PB REF="9">
<L>Bend vp I &s;ay thy twanging bowe,</L>
<L>And with thy golden darte:</L>
<L>In open &s;treetes whereas he walkes,</L>
<L>Goe wound <HI>Didacos</HI> hart,</L>
<L>Fyr&s;t whet thy denting &s;hafte his point,</L>
<L>Then drawe thy &s;tryng &s;o farre:</L>
<L>That &s;o this youth may learne, what is</L>
<L>With Venus for to warre.</L>
<L>Thou knowe&s;t right well his wonted haunt,</L>
<L>In Valence citie bright:</L>
<L>Euen in the Gold&s;mithes rowe doth walke,</L>
<L>This right renowmed knight.</L>
<L>Fayre <HI>Violenta</HI> &s;he it is,</L>
<L>The in&s;trument mu&s;t woorke:</L>
<L>Theffect of this the late deui&s;e,</L>
<L>Whiche in my bre&s;t doth lurke.</L>
<L>On her enamored &s;hall he be,</L>
<L>When fyr&s;t he vewes her face:</L>
<L>And mauger all his vauntes, &s;hal &s;toupe,</L>
<L>To &s;&eacute;eke and &s;ue for grace.</L>
<L>So &s;hal dame Venus godhead lyue,</L>
<L>Her fame &s;hall not decay:</L>
<L>The memory of Cupids acte,</L>
<L>Shalbe aduauncte for aye.</L>
<L>Nowe dearling myne, I haue di&s;playd,</L>
<L>The &s;umme of myne entent:</L>
<L>Expecting here howe thou the &s;ame.</L>
<L>To execute art bent.</L>
<PB REF="9">
<L>Deare Lady, qu&eacute;ene, and mother mine,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Cupide</HI></NOTE></L>
<L>Your Cupids only &s;tay:</L>
<L>Your part it is for to commaund,</L>
<L>My duetie to obey.</L>
<L>Behold my bended bowe, behold,</L>
<L>My pearcing &s;haftes are pre&s;t:</L>
<L>And me in eche re&s;pect full bent,</L>
<L>To execute your he&s;te.</L>
<L>Long &s;ince I vewed his glorious vauntes.</L>
<L>And yet I &s;till decr&eacute;ed:</L>
<L>To &s;uffer him his humour fond,</L>
<L>With folly for to feede.</L>
<L>He hath not been the fir&s;t perdie,</L>
<L>That &s;purned at my lore:</L>
<L>The wound is not pa&s;t cure, my dart</L>
<L>Hath launcte as great a &s;ore.</L>
<L>He neuer yet was priuiledge,</L>
<L>From Cupids heauenly power:</L>
<L>Ile teache him well inough to come,</L>
<L>And goe at Venus lure.</L>
<L>I mightie Ioue enamoured,</L>
<L>On Ledyes gli&s;tering face,</L>
<L>And cau&s;d him, chaung int' &s;hape of Swanne:</L>
<L>His Lady to embrace.</L>
<L>And then &s;hall he, a humaine wight,</L>
<L>Depriud' of mortall race:</L>
<L>Pre&s;ume &s;o much vpon his &s;trength,</L>
<L>As Cupide to deface?</L>
<PB REF="10">
<L>No, no, ile &s;one his courage coole,</L>
<L>Ile tame this newcome ge&s;te.</L>
<L>That from his &s;cornefull lippes at la&s;t,</L>
<L><HI>Peccaui</HI> I wyll wre&s;te,</L>
<L>Nowe Ladie mother mine adue,</L>
<L>Your Cupide wyll attend,</L>
<L>The comming of this Champion &s;tout,</L>
<L>My golden howe to bend.</L>
<L>In hope t' achiue this feate &s;o well,</L>
<L>That all the worlde may knowe:</L>
<L>Howe Cupide wyll not &s;ticke, his arte</L>
<L>In Venus cau&s;e to &s;howe.</L>
<L>This &s;ayde from &s;kies vnto the Earth:</L>
<L>He takes his flight amayne.</L>
<L>And ouer Valence towne his winges</L>
<L>His naked corps &s;u&s;tayne.</L>
<L>Right &s;oone the &s;hout <HI>Didaco</HI> comes,</L>
<L>Frequenting &s;till his gy&s;e,</L>
<L>And veweth al the &s;treetes about.</L>
<L>With glaunce of rowllyng eyes.</L>
<L>Thus raunging long at la&s;te his eyes,</L>
<L>On <HI>Violenta</HI> ca&s;t.</L>
<L>Wherewith blinde Cupids poy&s;oned &s;hafte,</L>
<L>From bowe &s;o fiercely bra&s;t.</L>
<L>That glidyng through the Ayre at la&s;t,</L>
<L>It touchte &s;o nere the quicke,</L>
<L>So that thinfected point thereof,</L>
<L>Dyd in his &s;tomacke &s;ticke.</L>
<PB REF="10">
<L>He f&eacute;eling efte his &s;ecret wound,</L>
<L>As mute he &s;toode aga&s;te.</L>
<L>And groning once or twi&s;e, in fyne,</L>
<L>Int' this complaynt be bra&s;te.</L>
<L><HI>O Heauen, o,</HI> earth, o Ioue aboue,</L>
<L>What meanes this &s;odayne &s;troke?</L>
<L>Did euer poore <HI>Didaco</HI> yet</L>
<L>Thy power diuine prouoke?</L>
<L>What &s;odayne marirdome is this?</L>
<L>What pinching pangues of hell?</L>
<L>The fates agayn&s;t the fr&eacute;edome, of</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> doe rebell.</L>
<L>Oh what infernall mon&s;ter thus:</L>
<L>Doth worke <HI>Didacos</HI> thrall.</L>
<L>What fury fell of <HI>Stigian</HI> Lake.</L>
<L>Hath nowe con&s;piro my fall?</L>
<L>Oh pinching panges of &s;eruitude,</L>
<L>What iu&s;t de&s;ert dyd make</L>
<L>The gods on poore <HI>Didacos</HI> lyfe,</L>
<L>Suche vengeance for to take?</L>
<L>O godde&s;&s;e Venus bowe thyne eares,</L>
<L>Of mercy to my playnt:</L>
<L>At le&s;twy&s;e to the&s;e parching flambes,</L>
<L>Apply thou &s;ome re&s;traint.</L>
<L>Powre not forth al thy penalties,</L>
<L>Vpon one &s;imple wight</L>
<L>But nowe whereas I mercy craue,</L>
<L>Doo mitigate thy &s;pite:</L>
<PB REF="11">
<L>What honor &s;hall redound to thee,</L>
<L>By plaguing thus the gho&s;t:</L>
<L>Of one poore captiue knight (alas)</L>
<L>In treble tormentes to&s;te.</L>
<L>O qualifie thy burnyng rage,</L>
<L>Repre&s;&s;e thy boyling ire:</L>
<L>De&s;til the droppes of mercie, on</L>
<L><HI>Didacos</HI> feruent fyre.</L>
<L>I vowe my &s;elfe thy &s;eruaunt then.</L>
<L>Thy bond&s;laue and thy thrall:</L>
<L>With duetifull obedience,</L>
<L>To come when thou &s;halt call.</L>
<L>And &s;ith I haue tran&s;gre&s;te thy lawes,</L>
<L>And &s;purned at thy &s;tate:</L>
<L>Yet mercie graunt, <HI>Repentaunce due,</HI></L>
<L><HI>Doth neuer come to late.</HI></L>
<L>O Cupide thou, who&s;e fatall &s;haft,</L>
<L>Hath thirld my wounded hart:</L>
<L>Some pitie to thy pri&s;oner &s;hewe,</L>
<L>And mitigate his &s;mart.</L>
<L>Due homage I wyll yeeld to thee,</L>
<L>Thy power I wyll confe&s;&s;e:</L>
<L>And pray&s;es to thy &s;acred name,</L>
<L>With thankfull voyce expre&s;&s;e.</L>
<L>My former vauntes I here recant,</L>
<L>The palme to thee I render:</L>
<L>With thy cele&s;tiall power to &s;triue,</L>
<L>My force is farre to &s;lender.</L>
<PB REF="11">
<L>Reuoluing thus he throwes him&s;elfe,</L>
<L>Vpon his pen&s;iue bed:</L>
<L>A thou&s;and heapes of wauering thoughtes,</L>
<L>Turmoyles his doubtfull head.</L>
<L>Oh <HI>Violenta</HI> bright, quod he,</L>
<L>Of bewtie pa&s;&s;ing rare:</L>
<L>Who&s;e orient hue of face hath trapt,</L>
<L>My &s;ences all in &s;nare.</L>
<L>Why did cur&s;t fortune to vs both,</L>
<L>Such haples hap a&s;&s;igne:</L>
<L>That thy de&s;cent, and race, is not</L>
<L>Coequall vnto myne?</L>
<L>What helli&s;he hagge did gyde the glaunce,</L>
<L>Of this my raunging vewe:</L>
<L>That th'amorous gl&eacute;e of th&eacute;e (poore girle)</L>
<L>My &s;ences &s;hould &s;ubdue?</L>
<L>What &s;pitefull con&s;tellacion, did</L>
<L>Enuy thy luckle&s;&s;e fate,</L>
<L>To &s;pring of line vnequall for,</L>
<L>Heroicall e&s;tate?</L>
<L>At lea&s;t to all tho&s;e giftes &s;o rare,</L>
<L>Wherwith thou art po&s;&s;e&s;t:</L>
<L>Why did not Nature pitie plant,</L>
<L>Within thy &s;tonie bre&s;t?</L>
<L>The rare perfection which &s;he framd,</L>
<L>In th&eacute;e by heauenly art:</L>
<L>Wilbe eclip&s;ed with the cloude,</L>
<L>Of this thy &s;auage hart.</L>
<PB REF="12">
<L>Right &s;ure I am, yea to to &s;ure,</L>
<L>Thou wilt not once relent:</L>
<L>Vnto tho&s;e thou&s;and &s;eas of teares,</L>
<L>Which I for thee haue &s;pent.</L>
<L>Thy heauie hardned eares will not,</L>
<L>Vnto my charmes encline:</L>
<L>But &s;uffer poore <HI>Didaco</HI> &s;till,</L>
<L>In languor for to pine.</L>
<L>Thy &s;tomacke, &s;turdie, &s;tonie, &s;terne,</L>
<L>Alas will neuer bend:</L>
<L>To poore <HI>Didacos</HI> flowing teares,</L>
<L>Who&s;e dolors haue no end.</L>
<L>O cruell, crabbed, cur&s;ed fate,</L>
<L>O hap of all mo&s;t harde:</L>
<L>What de&s;perate dolefull de&s;tenie,</L>
<L>Haue you for me preparde?</L>
<L>What gilt of mine hath wrought &s;uch cau&s;e</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> to enthrall:</L>
<L>On her, who&s;e hart as hard is bent,</L>
<L>As is the bra&s;en wall?</L>
<L>In nature like the Adamant,</L>
<L>Who&s;e &s;ub&s;tance will not yeld:</L>
<L>Though thou&s;and &s;houres from top of hou&s;e,</L>
<L>Were on the &s;ame di&s;tild.</L>
<L>But oh my <HI>Violenta</HI> why</L>
<L>Do I thy rigor blame?</L>
<L>Why vomite I &s;uch foule de&s;pite,</L>
<L>Again&s;t thy &s;acred name?</L>
<PB REF="12">
<L>I neuer felt thy furious moode,</L>
<L>I neuer tride thy &s;pite:</L>
<L>Ne yet that thou did&s;t loyall loue,</L>
<L>with rigor rude requite.</L>
<L>Dame nature framing this thy forme,</L>
<L>When &s;he her &s;kill expre&s;te:</L>
<L>She might as well engraffe the &s;parkes,</L>
<L>Of pitie in thy bre&s;t.</L>
<L>And &s;o per<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ie &s;he did. Why then</L>
<L>Do I (mad man) accu&s;e:</L>
<L>Thy &s;undry vertues with reproche?</L>
<L>And eke thy name abu&s;e.</L>
<L>Ioue graunt, there re&s;t not in thine hart,</L>
<L>Of pitie &s;uch a want:</L>
<L>That I may iu&s;t occa&s;ion haue:</L>
<L>Thy pray&s;es to recant.</L>
<L>Thus beating &s;till his bu&s;ied braine,</L>
<L>With many a wauering thought:</L>
<L>With thou&s;and checkes he bannes the fates,</L>
<L>That this his thraldome wrought.</L>
<L>Againe rebuking this his rage,</L>
<L>With bit of rea&s;ons lore:</L>
<L>Reuokes eft&s;oone the cur&s;es, which</L>
<L>He thundered out before.</L>
<L>Fie fond <HI>Didaco,</HI> fie (quod he)</L>
<L>Sith Ioue appoynts it &s;o:</L>
<L>Thy teares do but renue thy griefe,</L>
<L>And aggrauate thy woe.</L>
<PB REF="13">
<L>Why do&s;t thou &s;purne again&s;t the fates?</L>
<L>Thy burthen thou mu&s;t beare,</L>
<L>Exclaime no more on Venus, why</L>
<L>Do&s;t thou her godhead feare.</L>
<L>Why rail&s;te thou thus on Cupids bowe?</L>
<L>Why &s;purn&s;te thou at his &s;troke?</L>
<L>No, no, thy &s;tout vntamed necke,</L>
<L>Mu&s;t bowe vnto his yoke.</L>
<L>Thou ha&s;t not bene the fir&s;t, or this</L>
<L>That ta&s;ted of his dart,</L>
<L>Ne yet &s;halt be the la&s;t perdie,</L>
<L>That he &s;hall make to &s;mart.</L>
<L>As valiant knightes, as thou, or this</L>
<L>Haue bended at his becke:</L>
<L>And borne the waight of Cupids yoke,</L>
<L>Vpon their tamed necke.</L>
<L>Where is Hercules that worthy wight,</L>
<L>That made the world to wonder?</L>
<L>Who in his Cradle tare the Iawes,</L>
<L>Of Scorpions twaine a&s;under.</L>
<L>Why, was not he for all his might,</L>
<L>Enthrald in Venus lure:</L>
<L>And forc'te his Ladies loue in fine.</L>
<L>By teares for to procure?</L>
<L>Yes &s;ure if credite ought be due,</L>
<L>To Poets learned lore:</L>
<L>If that their volumes he peru&s;de,</L>
<L>As gemmes of pa&s;&s;ing &s;tore.</L>
<PB REF="13">
<L>Then this they &s;ay, that Hercules,</L>
<L>His Ladies loue to winne:</L>
<L>Was faine in womans habite, on</L>
<L>A di&s;taffe for to &s;pinne.</L>
<L>And all that he had wrought by day</L>
<L>In turning of his wheele:</L>
<L>At night he was con&s;traynde, the &s;ame,</L>
<L>Vpon his rocke to r&eacute;ele.</L>
<L>If loue of <HI>Lidian Omphale,</HI></L>
<L>Were of &s;uch pa&s;&s;ing might:</L>
<L>The traunced &s;ences for to daunt,</L>
<L>Of this renouned Knight.</L>
<L>As to enioyne &s;uch p&eacute;eui&s;h ta&s;kes,</L>
<L>To Mars his chiefe&s;t &s;aint:</L>
<L>What marueile then, I &s;ay, if loue</L>
<L>Hath made <HI>Didaco</HI> faint?</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> thou art not a god,</L>
<L>Nor &s;prong of heauenly line:</L>
<L>But &s;ubiect to mortalitie,</L>
<L>The fates did &s;o a&s;&s;igne.</L>
<L>And was not mightie Ioue him&s;elfe,</L>
<L>Who with his &s;tately becke:</L>
<L>Could cau&s;e the heauens and earth to quake,</L>
<L>And &s;urging &s;eas could checke,</L>
<L>Why, was not he, I &s;ay, a thrall,</L>
<L>And &s;laue to Venus lure?</L>
<L>Could his cele&s;tiall deytie,</L>
<L>His maladie recure?</L>
<PB REF="14">
<L>Could be &s;uch &s;acred influence,</L>
<L>Into his vaines in&s;till:</L>
<L>His fixed fancie to remoue?</L>
<L>Had Ioue &s;uch heauenly &s;kill?</L>
<L>No, no, his honor to withdrawe,</L>
<L>That feate farre pa&s;te his Art:</L>
<L>His wound to d&eacute;epe was trenched in,</L>
<L>By bloodie <HI>Cupidoes</HI> dart.</L>
<L>So farre vnable to expell,</L>
<L>his late conceaued flame:</L>
<L>That euery houre did mini&s;ter,</L>
<L>A faggot to the &s;ame.</L>
<L>In fine con&s;trained his deytie,</L>
<L>To chaunge into &s;hape of bull:</L>
<L>Was faine that practi&s;e for to proue,</L>
<L>In hope to wynne his trull.</L>
<L>Why then if mightie Ioue him&s;elfe,</L>
<L>Who rules the loftie &s;kie:</L>
<L>For all his &s;ecrete god head, yet</L>
<L>In flames of loue did frie.</L>
<L>Then fond <HI>Didaco</HI> cea&s;e at la&s;te,</L>
<L>Gain&s;t <HI>Cupides</HI> lore to &s;purne:</L>
<L>Who made the mightie Ioue aboue.</L>
<L>In feruent amours burne.</L>
<L>He was a God and forc'te to yelde,</L>
<L>But thou a mortall man:</L>
<L>And &s;pronge of humaine progenie,</L>
<L>Wilt kicke at <HI>Cupide</HI> than?</L>
<PB REF="14">
<L>No, no <HI>Didaco</HI> bend thy wittes,</L>
<L>Some other way to proue:</L>
<L>Adapt thy &s;elfe to <HI>Venus</HI> lore,</L>
<L>And learne to liue by loue.</L>
<L>Renounce thy triple trenching launce,</L>
<L>Dete&s;t thy fatall blade:</L>
<L>Abandon now thy gli&s;tering targe,</L>
<L>Of golde and amber made.</L>
<L>Farewell all martiall practi&s;es,</L>
<L>Bid grie&s;ely Mars <HI>Adieu:</HI></L>
<L>And all his traine: be dubde a knight,</L>
<L>Of <HI>Venus</HI> courtly crue.</L>
<L>Re&s;igne thy warlike exerci&s;e,</L>
<L>To guyde a pompous traine:</L>
<L>Thou taken ha&s;t another charge,</L>
<L>In hand. Such toyes are vaine.</L>
<L>Farewell ye Impes of Chiualrie,</L>
<L>That Mars his bands do rule:</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> taken hath degree,</L>
<L>Within another &s;choole.</L>
<L>A prentice now to <HI>Cupids</HI> trade,</L>
<L>And Ladie <HI>Venus</HI> thrall:</L>
<L>Fa&s;t bound in &s;acred &s;oleme vowe,</L>
<L>To come when they &s;hall call.</L>
<L>Ten thou&s;and times ye Spani&s;h knightes,</L>
<L>In prowes that excell,</L>
<L>And all the band of Mars his badge,</L>
<L>Ten thou&s;and times farewell.</L>
<PB REF="15">
<L>Well now <HI>Didaco</HI> frame thy &s;elfe,</L>
<L>To take a &s;econd vewe:</L>
<L>Of that &s;o amorous gl&eacute;e, which fir&s;t</L>
<L>Thy &s;ences did &s;ubdue.</L>
<L>With flowing teares from eyes di&s;tild,</L>
<L>With many a pen&s;iue grone:</L>
<L>With thou&s;and &s;ignes of loyaltie,</L>
<L>Goe make to her thy moue.</L>
<L>Vnfold tho&s;e re&s;tles agonies,</L>
<L>Expre&s;&s;e the endles &s;marte:</L>
<L>Which &s;ince th'encounter of her vewe,</L>
<L>Haue &s;laine thy poore true harte.</L>
<L>Perchaunce, &s;he is not of haggards kind,</L>
<L>Nor hart &s;o hard is bend:</L>
<L>But thy di&s;tylling teares in fine,</L>
<L>May moue her to relend.</L>
<L>But if thy profered loyall loue,</L>
<L>with &s;terne replies be fed:</L>
<L>Then farewell life, and libertie,</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> thou art dead.</L>
<L>Hap glad, or &s;ad, I meane to prooue,</L>
<L>If that my re&s;tles flame:</L>
<L>With thou&s;and flouds of teares expre&s;te,</L>
<L>My Ladyes hart may tame.</L>
<L>Perchaunce my plaints may mollifie,</L>
<L>Her hard and &s;tonie minde:</L>
<L>And that the planges which I &s;u&s;taine,</L>
<L>Some &s;w&eacute;ete remor&s;e may finde.</L>
<PB REF="15">
<L>Re&s;olued thus within his minde,</L>
<L>From bed he ro&s;e againe:</L>
<L>And layes his faintie limmes, within</L>
<L>A &s;w&eacute;ete perfumed bayne.</L>
<L>And ca&s;ting on his Spani&s;h Cape,</L>
<L>Directes his trembling pace:</L>
<L>Into gold&s;mithes rowe, to haue a vewe,</L>
<L>Of <HI>Violentas</HI> face.</L>
<L>And often trauer&s;ing the &s;tr&eacute;etes,</L>
<L>Adioyning to her boure:</L>
<L>To ca&s;t a &s;ecrete glaunce, &s;ometimes</L>
<L>His eyes he doth inure.</L>
<L>Full many a pilgrimage he made.</L>
<L>His fancie for to f&eacute;ede:</L>
<L>Vnto the &s;hrine of this his &s;aint,</L>
<L>Before he once could &s;p&eacute;ede.</L>
<L>In fine when many an amorous glaunce,</L>
<L>He wre&s;ted had in vaine:</L>
<L>Vnto the temple, where he knewe,</L>
<L>The godde&s;&s;e did remaine.</L>
<L>In th'end Dame fortune fickle Dame,</L>
<L>In lieu of former &s;pite:</L>
<L>Preferres this doting amorous Impe,</L>
<L>Vnto his ladyes &s;ight.</L>
<L>Who tooke the pre&s;ent offer &s;traight,</L>
<L>And co&s;ting thwart the way:</L>
<L>With bonnet vayld vnto the ground,</L>
<L>Before his &s;aint doth &s;tay.</L>
<PB REF="16">
<L>She not forgetting yet the trade,</L>
<L>And courteous gy&s;e of Spayne:</L>
<L>Doth with a courtly braue <HI>Boniour,</HI></L>
<L>Salute the knight agayne.</L>
<L>Whereat his fond conceytes did &s;inke,</L>
<L>So deepe into his braine:</L>
<L>So that the flaming humor &s;traight,</L>
<L>Re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">yrde into euery vayne.</L>
<L>And feeding on a fru&s;trate hope,</L>
<L>With vi&s;age wanne and pale:</L>
<L>In this effect vnto his dame,</L>
<L>He frames his trembling tale.</L>
<L>If that the dames of de&s;tenie,</L>
<L>The twi&s;te in twayne had &s;hred:</L>
<L>By which the vitall breth into,</L>
<L>My panting vaynes is led.</L>
<L>If they I &s;ay had fined my fate,</L>
<L>Before mine eyes did &s;ee:</L>
<L>The forme of this thy heauenly face,</L>
<L>Adornd with &s;uch a glee.</L>
<L>Then Madame, neuer had I felt,</L>
<L>The feuers of &s;uch payne:</L>
<L>Ne had your bewtie brued the bale,</L>
<L>That I poore man &s;u&s;tayne.</L>
<L>At lea&s;t wi&s;e this &s;traunge martirdome,</L>
<L>That rackes my wounded hart:</L>
<L>Farre ea&s;ier were to tolerate,</L>
<L>And le&s;&s;er were my &s;mart,</L>
<PB REF="16">
<L>Thine orient bewtie eke, which fir&s;t</L>
<L>My &s;ences did enthrall:</L>
<L>Might better be di&s;pen&s;t withall,</L>
<L>For this my fatall fall.</L>
<L>A fall &s;ayd I? nay rather downe,</L>
<L>To Limbo lake deiecte:</L>
<L>If mercy thine be not a meane,</L>
<L>My &s;tate for to erecte.</L>
<L>Thy face hath captiuate my witts,</L>
<L>And traunc'te my &s;ences &s;o:</L>
<L>That euery houre with thou&s;and thoughtes</L>
<L>Doth aggrauate my woe.</L>
<L>And doubtles (dame) except your grace,</L>
<L>That did my thrall procure:</L>
<L>Prepare &s;ome &s;peedie remedie,</L>
<L>My feuer to recure.</L>
<L>The&s;e handes of mine &s;hall execute,</L>
<L>The cur&s;ed fates behe&s;te:</L>
<L>With bloudie knife to perce the hart,</L>
<L>In this turmoyled bre&s;t.</L>
<L>And when this breathles corps of mine,</L>
<L>Shalbe interd in mould:</L>
<L>This Epitaph &s;hall there be fixt,</L>
<L>For all men to behold.</L>
<L><HI>Stay pa&s;&s;enger, a knight within,</HI></L>
<L><HI>This &s;ecrete vaute doth he:</HI></L>
<L><HI>VVho pyning long with re&s;tles loue,</HI></L>
<L><HI>At la&s;t for loue did die.</HI></L>
<PB REF="17">
<L>Then Ladie &s;halt thou noted be,</L>
<L>And pointed at of all:</L>
<L>As &s;he who&s;e hardned hart did worke.</L>
<L>The poore <HI>Didacoes</HI> thrall.</L>
<L>O harden not thine heauie eares,</L>
<L>Again&s;t the grieuous grone:</L>
<L>Of poore <HI>Didaco,</HI> whom thy loue</L>
<L>Hath cau&s;de to make his mone.</L>
<L>Recount the re&s;tles agonies,</L>
<L>Record the endles &s;mart:</L>
<L>And pyning pa&s;&s;ions, that turmoyle</L>
<L>And racke <HI>Didacoes</HI> hart.</L>
<L>O thinke vpon that hell of paines,</L>
<L>That raunge within my minde:</L>
<L>Thinke on my mortall martirdome,</L>
<L>That no reliefe can finde.</L>
<L>Stoppe not thine eares, as doth the A&s;pe,</L>
<L>Again&s;t my piteous plaints:</L>
<L>But harken to the re&s;tles toyle,</L>
<L>That thus my &s;oule atteints.</L>
<L>And &s;ure I thinke, if that the &s;ound</L>
<L>Of the&s;e my drery teares:</L>
<L>With &s;eas of &s;obbing &s;ighes expre&s;te,</L>
<L>Might perce your hardned eares.</L>
<L>The vehemence therof no doubt,</L>
<L>Would openly define:</L>
<L>The furious force of the&s;e turmoyles,</L>
<L>Wherein (poore man) I pine.</L>
<PB REF="17">
<L>Although ten thou&s;and flouds of teares,</L>
<L>Cannot at full expre&s;&s;e:</L>
<L>The lingring languor, and the woe</L>
<L>That doth myne hart oppre&s;&s;e.</L>
<L>This &s;aid, with many a &s;ecrete grone,</L>
<L>Di&s;playing forth his ca&s;e:</L>
<L>The brini&s;he teares di&s;tilling downe,</L>
<L>Embrude his blubbered face.</L>
<L>That who had &s;&eacute;ene his tragicall lookes,</L>
<L>In ge&s;turing his part:</L>
<L>Would &s;ay his tongue did truly tell,</L>
<L>The me&s;&s;age of his hart.</L>
<L>She &s;omwhat ba&s;ht at this di&s;cour&s;e,</L>
<L>Which he poore man expre&s;te:</L>
<L>With ge&s;ture &s;&eacute;emely &s;et, in fine</L>
<L>This &s;hort replie addre&s;te.</L>
<L>My <HI>Seigniour Didaco</HI> if your youth,</L>
<L>In martiall practi&s;e &s;pent:</L>
<L>And perfect &s;kill in Chiualrie,</L>
<L>Which v&s;e to you haue lent.</L>
<L>Or if your brute iblazd abroade,</L>
<L>With golden trumpe of fame:</L>
<L>Cannot enforce you to repre&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>This bruti&s;h raging flame.</L>
<L>Why, then with hitt of rea&s;ons lore,</L>
<L>Re&s;trayning your de&s;ire:</L>
<L>Endeuour for to quench the &s;parkes,</L>
<L>Of this turmoyling fire.</L>
<PB REF="18">
<L><HI>Didaco,</HI> once you numbered were,</L>
<L>The floure of Mars his traine:</L>
<L>And throughly tried in all re&s;pectes,</L>
<L>That vnto warre pertaine.</L>
<L>And haue not you full ofte or this,</L>
<L>With golden cre&s;ted &s;hield:</L>
<L>And with a fatall &s;licing blade,</L>
<L>March&s;te formo&s;t in the field.</L>
<L>You &s;undry times haue made you foes,</L>
<L>With terror for to quake:</L>
<L>And eke the bra&s;en bulwarkes &s;trong,</L>
<L>With Engins force to &s;hake.</L>
<L>And then &s;hall he whom thou&s;and foes,</L>
<L>Could not &s;ubdue in fight:</L>
<L>Be made a &s;eruile &s;laue and thrall,</L>
<L>To <HI>Cupids</HI> onely might?</L>
<L>What &s;hame is this to you, who er&s;t</L>
<L>In fight haue wonne &s;uch fame:</L>
<L>Yet now at la&s;t to want the force,</L>
<L>Your owne de&s;ires to tame?</L>
<L>But &s;ure not you alone &s;u&s;tayne,</L>
<L>The force of <HI>Cupids</HI> flame:</L>
<L>But I poore girle as well haue felt,</L>
<L>The furie of the &s;ame.</L>
<L>And yet &s;o farre to my de&s;ires.</L>
<L>I neuer loa&s;e the rayne:</L>
<L>But that I know by rea&s;ons rule,</L>
<L>The brydle to re&s;traine.</L>
<PB REF="18">
<L>And &s;ure <HI>Didaco</HI> if your &s;ute,</L>
<L>To hone&s;t purpo&s;e tend:</L>
<L>If vnder cloke of loyall loue,</L>
<L>No trea&s;on you pretend.</L>
<L>Then <HI>Violenta</HI> vowes her &s;elfe,</L>
<L>Your &s;eruant for to be:</L>
<L>Till tearme of the&s;e her dayes &s;halbe,</L>
<L>Abridgde by fares decr&eacute;e.</L>
<L>But if to glut your lu&s;t, you vile,</L>
<L>Your purpo&s;e to obtaine:</L>
<L>In faith your labour is but lo&s;t,</L>
<L>And all your trauaile vaine.</L>
<L>And ther fore be&s;t it were in time,</L>
<L>Your fancie to forgoe:</L>
<L>Lea&s;t further fo&s;tering of the &s;ame,</L>
<L>Do aggrauate your woe.</L>
<L>This &s;aid within the doores &s;he flange,</L>
<L>And &s;o her aun&s;were ended:</L>
<L>With &s;cornefull &s;coffes, and furious face</L>
<L>As though &s;he were offended.</L>
<L>He &s;illy &s;oule when this reply,</L>
<L>So &s;terne, had cut his combe:</L>
<L>With minde &s;urpri&s;ed with thou&s;and panges,</L>
<L>In fine returneth home.</L>
<L>And ca&s;ting downe his faynting corps,</L>
<L>Vpon his re&s;tles bed:</L>
<L>Renues the wonted heape of plaints,</L>
<L>Within his wauering head.</L>
<PB REF="19">
<L>O poore <HI>Didaco,</HI> what de&s;ert,</L>
<L>Or worthy guilt of thine:</L>
<L>Enflamd the furious helli&s;h fates,</L>
<L>Thy life for to repine?</L>
<L>What mou'd their mindes for to directe,</L>
<L>Thy wanton glauncing eye:</L>
<L>On her who forceth not thy griefe,</L>
<L>Though thou&s;and times thou die?</L>
<L>O Cupid thou, thou iudge vniu&s;te,</L>
<L>Vniu&s;te&s;t iudge of all:</L>
<L>Do thou in equall balance pay&s;e,</L>
<L>The burthen of my thrall.</L>
<L>Thy golden quiuer ran&s;acke vp,</L>
<L>And with the &s;elfe &s;ame dart:</L>
<L>Wherwith thou fir&s;t did&s;t perce my bre&s;t,</L>
<L>Wound <HI>Violentas</HI> hart.</L>
<L>O let not poore <HI>Didaco</HI> pine,</L>
<L>In re&s;tles languor &s;till:</L>
<L>Who&s;e fru&s;trate plaints, with piteous &s;ounds,</L>
<L>The vacant-ayre doe fill.</L>
<L>Who&s;e griefe &s;ucceedes a &s;econd griefe,</L>
<L>Who&s;e plaints fre&s;h plaints en&s;ueth:</L>
<L>Who&s;e racking martirdome would mo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">,</L>
<L>A &s;tonie rocke to ruthe.</L>
<L>Some &s;ay that Orpheus with the tune,</L>
<L>Of &s;yluer &s;ounding &s;tringe,</L>
<L>Cau&s;de tr&eacute;es to moue and birdes to carpe,</L>
<L>And &s;tones to leape and &s;pringe.</L>
<PB REF="19">
<L>The groning gho&s;tes of <HI>Stigian</HI> lake,</L>
<L>Were all i&s;triken mute:</L>
<L>To heare the &s;oleme ditties &s;ound,</L>
<L>Recorded on his lute.</L>
<L>The &s;taruing Tantalus that &s;toode,</L>
<L>The weltring floud within:</L>
<L>And pines though Apples touch his no&s;e,</L>
<L>And water reach his chinne.</L>
<L>When once be heard this hermony,</L>
<L>(Though &s;taruing &s;till he &s;toode:)</L>
<L>He forced not the fruite, ne yet</L>
<L>The water of the floud.</L>
<L>Thou &s;weting <HI>Si&s;iphus</HI> amayne,</L>
<L>Who&s;e &s;traunge and endles ta&s;ke:</L>
<L>Requires an endles time to doe,</L>
<L>And endles toyle doth a&s;ke.</L>
<L>Who toil&s;te in tumbling vp thy &s;tone,</L>
<L>Vnto the top of hill:</L>
<L>And yet for all thine Art, the &s;ame,</L>
<L>Comes rowling downward &s;till.</L>
<L>Orpheus his lute did lullaby,</L>
<L>Thy traunced &s;ences &s;o:</L>
<L>That thou did&s;t re&s;t vpon thy &s;tone,</L>
<L>And cleane forgot&s;t thy woe.</L>
<L>You <HI>Belides</HI> which for to fill,</L>
<L>The hog&s;heads take &s;uch payne:</L>
<L>And yet the water that you poure,</L>
<L>Comes gu&s;&s;hing forth againe.</L>
<PB REF="20">
<L>The &s;iluer &s;ound of Orpheus lute:</L>
<L>Your myndes did &s;o enchaunte:</L>
<L>That you forgat the ta&s;ke which er&s;t.</L>
<L>Did v&s;e your &s;pirites to daunt,</L>
<L>Irion, thou, who&s;e &s;nakie whele,</L>
<L>For euer turneth round:</L>
<L>The &s;ame had not the power to moue,</L>
<L>At Orpheus heauenly &s;ound.</L>
<L>The rauening vulture eke con&s;traynd,</L>
<L>His talents to withdrawe:</L>
<L>And forced not with becke to rent,</L>
<L>Promethus mangled mawe.</L>
<L>The gr&eacute;edie gripe which er&s;t was wont,</L>
<L>To play his cur&s;ed part:</L>
<L>Doth loath his pray, and cea&s;e to teare.</L>
<L>Poore <HI>Titius</HI> rented hart.</L>
<L>But if thou <HI>Si&s;iphus</HI> &s;hould&s;t vewe,</L>
<L>My re&s;tles plaints and moone:</L>
<L>I thinke thine hand would cea&s;e to rowle,</L>
<L>The fatall tumbling &s;tone,</L>
<L>Thou Tantalus, and all the gho&s;tes,</L>
<L>That lurke in <HI>Stygian</HI> lake:</L>
<L>Wheras your helli&s;h howling throates.</L>
<L>A mon&s;trous noy&s;e do make.</L>
<L>Thou <HI>Pluto</HI> with thy grie&s;ely trayne.</L>
<L>And all th'infernall crue:</L>
<L>Would bend your eares to heare my plaints,</L>
<L>And eke my dolors rue.</L>
<PB REF="20">
<L>The martirdome that mortifyes,</L>
<L>My mu&s;ing mazed minde:</L>
<L>The dayly re&s;tles agonies,</L>
<L>Which no reliefe can finde.</L>
<L>The percing panges and endles toyles,</L>
<L>which I poore man &s;u&s;tayne:</L>
<L>Would moue an hart of flint, to rue</L>
<L>The rigor of my payne.</L>
<L>I frie, I free&s;e, I burne, I broyle,</L>
<L>I &s;tarue, I <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 word"> I fume:</L>
<L>I liue and die, I die and liue,</L>
<L>In languor I con&s;ume.</L>
<L>O poore <HI>Didaco</HI> wretched wight.</L>
<L>which liuing, &s;till do&s;t die:</L>
<L>Who&s;e limmes within the &s;mothering flames,</L>
<L>Of <HI>Aetna</HI> &s;ulphure frie.</L>
<L>O martird man con&s;umd away,</L>
<L>In &s;tormes of treble thrall:</L>
<L>Thou bear&s;t &s;he &s;hadow of a man,</L>
<L>And art no man at all.</L>
<L>But from a man into a gho&s;t,</L>
<L>The de&s;tenies did thee chaunge:</L>
<L>Full like th'infernall furies which,</L>
<L>In Plutoes kingdome raunge.</L>
<L>Therfore <HI>Didaco</HI> arme thy &s;elfe,</L>
<L>Again&s;t the fates decr&eacute;e:</L>
<L>Sith that thy toile with nought but death,</L>
<L>Shall counteruayled bee.</L>
<PB REF="21">
<L>Yet wretched man what do&s;t thou meane,</L>
<L>Thy traueile to re&s;igne?</L>
<L>Thy &s;ute, if well pur&s;ued it be,</L>
<L>May haue &s;ucce&s;&s;e in fine.</L>
<L>Some &s;ay there is no fort &s;o &s;trong,</L>
<L>Though founded on a rocke:</L>
<L>But that a golden key hath power,</L>
<L>And force to breake the locke.</L>
<L>Therfore, where loue doth want the &s;kill,</L>
<L>Thy purpo&s;e for to reache:</L>
<L>There hazard once to put in proofe,</L>
<L>If Coyne can make the breache.</L>
<L>Thy Lady is not of royall race,</L>
<L>But of a meane de&s;cent:</L>
<L>Therfore thy golden chaines perchaunce,</L>
<L>May cau&s;e her to relent.</L>
<L>When this was &s;ayd, with trembling fi&s;te,</L>
<L>He frames his louing lines:</L>
<L>The faithfull charge wherof, vnto</L>
<L>His &s;eruaunt be a&s;&s;ignes.</L>
<L>Sir hundred Ducats therewithall,</L>
<L>To &s;end he doth not faile:</L>
<L>To proue, where feruent &s;ute was vaine,</L>
<L>If gold could there preuaile.</L>
<L>The Po&s;t, who of this Emba&s;&s;age,</L>
<L>The full effect had &s;cand:</L>
<L>Surrenders vp the &s;igned briefe,</L>
<L>To <HI>Violentas</HI> hand.</L>
<PB REF="21">
<L>Who hauing vewde with rowling eye,</L>
<L>The tenure of the &s;ame:</L>
<L>Could not repre&s;&s;e her rage, but forth,</L>
<L>It bur&s;t into a flame.</L>
<L>What moues your mai&s;ters mind, (quod &s;he)</L>
<L>Such battery for to bend:</L>
<L>Again&s;t the fort where &s;ure he is,</L>
<L>The beare foyle in th'end.</L>
<L>And did he thinke, his wi&s;hed pray,</L>
<L>With golden trappes to trayne:</L>
<L>Where lingring loue with re&s;tles &s;ute,</L>
<L>His purpo&s;e could not gayne.</L>
<L>Goe, bid him proue &s;ome other dames.</L>
<L>With this his tangling tale:</L>
<L>For <HI>Violenta</HI> hath not &s;et,</L>
<L>Her cha&s;titie to &s;ale.</L>
<L>The loue of other wanton dames,</L>
<L>Let him with golde procure:</L>
<L>That are more prone and pliable,</L>
<L>Vnto his bea&s;tly lure.</L>
<L>Poore <HI>Violentas</HI> loue, is not</L>
<L>With money to be &s;olde:</L>
<L>The price of her Virginitie,</L>
<L>She mea&s;ures not with golde,</L>
<L>And &s;ure the breache thereof, &s;hall not</L>
<L>With golden &s;iege be wrought:</L>
<L>Where loue with profered &s;eruice once,</L>
<L>Thereto preuayled nought.</L>
<PB REF="22">
<L>Therfore de&s;ire him cea&s;e his &s;ute,</L>
<L>And fru&s;trate trauayle end:</L>
<L>For &s;ure he &s;hall not wynne his will.</L>
<L>By meanes he doth pretend.</L>
<L>This dolefull newes, the Po&s;t vnto</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> doth di&s;play:</L>
<L>Recounting all the ca&s;e at large,</L>
<L>In chamber where he lay.</L>
<L>Who when he heard that all his driftes,</L>
<L>Her loue could not attayne:</L>
<L>And how that this vnce&s;&s;ant toyle,</L>
<L>And trauayle was in vayne.</L>
<L>Full faine God wotte poore man he would,</L>
<L>Haue quencht this raging fyre:</L>
<L>But yet he wanted force and &s;trength,</L>
<L>To brydle his de&s;ire.</L>
<L>O <HI>Violenta</HI> fayre, quod he,</L>
<L>Why did the fates decr&eacute;e:</L>
<L>That thou by line all race art borne,</L>
<L>Inferiour farre to m&eacute;e.</L>
<L>In thee alone (poore girle) doth re&s;t.</L>
<L>The cau&s;e of lyfe of death:</L>
<L>Thy &s;tonie hart will force me yeld,</L>
<L>This brittle borowed breath.</L>
<L>But &s;ith dame rea&s;on is exild,</L>
<L>And fancie beares the &s;way:</L>
<L>That wi&s;domes rule is not of force,</L>
<L>Affection to allay.</L>
<PB REF="22">
<L>But wit and will with wauering thoughts,</L>
<L>Do combate in my brayne,</L>
<L>N&eacute;edes mu&s;t I proue &s;ome &s;traunge deui&s;e,</L>
<L>My purpo&s;e to obtayne.</L>
<L><HI>Didaco,</HI> why is thy fond mynd,</L>
<L>With lu&s;ting humors led:</L>
<L>Why doe&s;t thou not with nuptiall bands,</L>
<L>Adioyne her to thy bed.</L>
<L>For&s;ooth thy rea&s;on is becau&s;e,</L>
<L>Shee is not of royall line:</L>
<L>But of ba&s;e parentage deriu'd,</L>
<L>Vnequall farre for thine.</L>
<L>And then &s;hould&s;t thou conioyne thy &s;elfe.</L>
<L>To &s;uch a one as &s;hee?</L>
<L>Fie, no, that match were farre vnfit,</L>
<L>And not for thy degr&eacute;e.</L>
<L>Why foole doth true nobilitie,</L>
<L>Con&s;i&s;t in bloud alone?</L>
<L>Is there no meane, but noble race,</L>
<L>To clime to honors throne?</L>
<L>Yes, fooli&s;h man, the vertues rare,</L>
<L>That harber in her bre&s;t:</L>
<L>Haue power to &s;cale the &s;t&eacute;epie mount,</L>
<L>where honors &s;eate doth re&s;t.</L>
<L>When nature this her image formd,</L>
<L>Her giftes &s;he did not &s;cant:</L>
<L>But to to prodigall the &s;ame,</L>
<L>In this one p&eacute;ece did plaint.</L>
<PB REF="23">
<L>Why then if natures noble gyftes,</L>
<L>That gly&s;ter in her face:</L>
<L>May counterpay&s;e the dignitie,</L>
<L>And fame of royall race.</L>
<L>Then doubt not, <HI>Violenta</HI> bright,</L>
<L>To take vnto thy mate:</L>
<L>Who&s;e vertues matche the titles, of</L>
<L>Heroicall e&s;tate.</L>
<L>And &s;ure I meane if fates agr&eacute;e,</L>
<L>Euen th&eacute;e poore girle to choo&s;e:</L>
<L>If thou wilt dayne for to accept,</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> to thy &s;pou&s;e.</L>
<L>And hauing thus his minde re&s;olu'd,</L>
<L>Within his wauering bre&s;t:</L>
<L>On <HI>Violenta</HI> nowe a fre&s;he,</L>
<L>The on&s;et he addre&s;t.</L>
<L>Madame, if Spou&s;all vowes be demed,</L>
<L>The touch&s;tone for to be:</L>
<L>Whereby men try the &s;acred bonds.</L>
<L>Of perfect amitie.</L>
<L>Then haue you gotte, if &s;o you plea&s;e,</L>
<L>Such one to be your feere:</L>
<L>Who, then thimperiall crowne of Spaine,</L>
<L>E&s;teemes your loue more deere.</L>
<L>He is not borne of ba&s;e degree,</L>
<L>Ne yet of ra&s;call race:</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> I euen I am he,</L>
<L>The knight you &s;hall embrace.</L>
<PB REF="23">
<L>Whom, from his faith no daungers great.</L>
<L>Nor perilles &s;hall remoue:</L>
<L>If that you doe him worthy deme,</L>
<L>For to enioye your loue.</L>
<L>She raui&s;hed with ioye, to heare,</L>
<L>The knight this tale recite:</L>
<L>Her foltring tongue within her mouth,</L>
<L>Stoode mute and &s;peachles quite.</L>
<L>At la&s;t with &s;hamefa&s;t ba&s;hfulnes,</L>
<L>She &s;et a&s;ide the vaile:</L>
<L>Of &s;ilence, and to this effect,</L>
<L>She framd her &s;ugred tale.</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> you perdie haue forgde,</L>
<L>This long di&s;cour&s;e of loue:</L>
<L>To vndermine my meaning, and</L>
<L>My con&s;tancie to proue.</L>
<L>But yet a&s;&s;ure your &s;elfe of this,</L>
<L>If that your meaning tend:</L>
<L>Vnto no wor&s;e effect then this,</L>
<L>That you in words pretend.</L>
<L>Though <HI>Violenta</HI> be deriu'd,</L>
<L>Of parentage but ba&s;e:</L>
<L>Yet &s;ure in zeale of loyall loue,</L>
<L>She will not geue you place.</L>
<L>And further hopes, for to behaue,</L>
<L>Her &s;elfe &s;o well in fine:</L>
<L>That you &s;hall haue no cau&s;e to wi&s;he,</L>
<L>Her per&s;on to re&s;igne.</L>
<PB REF="24">
<L>Not for the worthie&s;t dame in Spayne,</L>
<L>Though &s;he in dignitie:</L>
<L>Do farre &s;urmount the ba&s;enes, of</L>
<L>My &s;imple pedegr&eacute;e.</L>
<L>Hereat his motions of delite,</L>
<L>Beginning to renue:</L>
<L>Doth with a precious Emerald,</L>
<L>Confirme his plighted vowe.</L>
<L>And printing many an amorous ki&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>Her orient lippes vpon,</L>
<L>Debateth of the Nuptiall rites,</L>
<L>And howe to haue them done.</L>
<L>Wherof they both concluded thus,</L>
<L>To be a meane mo&s;t fit:</L>
<L>That &s;ome vnknown &s;trange mini&s;ter</L>
<L>That &s;acred knot &s;hould knit.</L>
<L>And that before the twinkling &s;tarres,</L>
<L>were from the heauens fled:</L>
<L>Or flaming <HI>Phoebus</HI> &s;hould di&s;play,</L>
<L>His glorious gli&s;tring head:</L>
<L>And &s;o re&s;olu'd, before day light,</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> did her wed:</L>
<L>Where &s;he by plighted vow was made</L>
<L>Partaker of his bed.</L>
<L>And &s;pending all that ioyfull day,</L>
<L>In &s;eas of braue delight:</L>
<L>Enioye alike the benefite,</L>
<L>Of that long wi&s;hed night.</L>
<PB REF="24">
<L>Thus twelue ful moneths had pa&s;&s;ed one,</L>
<L>Deuoyd of all annoy:</L>
<L>And no deui&s;e was left vnprou'd,</L>
<L>That might augment their ioy.</L>
<L>In briefe he neuer was at ea&s;e,</L>
<L>But in his ladies &s;ight:</L>
<L>And &s;he did neuer ioy, without</L>
<L>The pre&s;ence of her knight:</L>
<L>Thus euery night in couert wi&s;e.</L>
<L>He marcheth to her boure:</L>
<L>To &s;taunch his gr&eacute;edie lu&s;ting thri&s;t,</L>
<L>And toyes to put in vre.</L>
<L>So long he haunted this recour&s;e,</L>
<L>Vnto his Idolls &s;hrine:</L>
<L>That <HI>Violentas</HI> hone&s;ty,</L>
<L>Was doubted of in fine.</L>
<L>Some demd becau&s;e that he &s;o &s;oft,</L>
<L>From home to her retired:</L>
<L>He v&s;ed more homely valiance,</L>
<L>Then hone&s;tie required.</L>
<L>Wherby her fame defamed was</L>
<L>With this &s;urmi&s;ed blot:</L>
<L>Which by the oft repayring of</L>
<L><HI>Didaco,</HI> &s;he had got.</L>
<L>But &s;he who&s;e blameles con&s;cience,</L>
<L>Was giltles of the crime:</L>
<L>Referres the triall of her cau&s;e,</L>
<L>To cour&s;e of further time.</L>
<PB REF="25">
<L>Although (the bruted fal&s;e &s;urmi&s;e,</L>
<L>Of people to deface:)</L>
<L>She prayes her &s;pou&s;e to take her home,</L>
<L>Vnto his dwelling place.</L>
<L>But he that know with long delayes,</L>
<L>Her fancie for to f&eacute;ede:</L>
<L>Protractes the time, and neuer to</L>
<L>Her iu&s;te reque&s;t agr&eacute;ed:</L>
<L>And hauing purcha&s;ed the whole,</L>
<L>Po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of her harte:</L>
<L>He knewe the meanes, her doting minde,</L>
<L>As plea&s;de him to conuert.</L>
<L>That gathering by her amorous looke,</L>
<L>Her loue did &s;till enflame:</L>
<L>By litle he withdrewe his mynde,</L>
<L>And zeale more cold became.</L>
<L>And leauing now the gy&s;e, which er&s;te,</L>
<L>He v&s;ed to frequent:</L>
<L>Accu&s;tometh at &s;undry times,</L>
<L>Him&s;elfe for to ab&s;ent.</L>
<L>And when&s;oeuer he repayred,</L>
<L>Her companie vntyll:</L>
<L>Was &s;till to glut his greedy lu&s;t,</L>
<L>And neuer for good will.</L>
<L>In fine he loathes his former matche,</L>
<L>And pondering in his brayne:</L>
<L>What great reproche, his honor was,</L>
<L>In daunger to &s;u&s;tayne.</L>
<PB REF="25">
<L>If brute &s;hould now be blazd abroade,</L>
<L>That he had tane to mate:</L>
<L>A girle, who&s;e linage was &s;o farre,</L>
<L>Vnfit for his e&s;tate.</L>
<L>To this effect he bends his toyle,</L>
<L>And trauelles all doth frame:</L>
<L>What way he &s;oone&s;t might preuent,</L>
<L>The cau&s;e of &s;uch defame.</L>
<L>Wheron acquainting &s;traight him&s;elfe,</L>
<L>with dames of noble race:</L>
<L>In fine he founde one to &s;upply,</L>
<L>Poore <HI>Violentas</HI> place,</L>
<L>Of qualities &s;o excellent,</L>
<L>And bewtie pa&s;&s;ing rare:</L>
<L>That might with any Spani&s;h dame,</L>
<L>In eche re&s;pect compare.</L>
<L>He taking efte the benefite,</L>
<L>Of this &s;o happy fate:</L>
<L>The nuptiall rites to con&s;ecrate,</L>
<L>Doth in his minde debate.</L>
<L>Procuring &s;uch triumphant &s;howes,</L>
<L>And choy&s;e of princely &s;portes:</L>
<L>That all the crue of Spani&s;h knightes,</L>
<L>To vewe thereof re&s;ortes.</L>
<L>The prauncing cour&s;ers &s;ome be&s;tride,</L>
<L>with percing launce in re&s;t:</L>
<L>The mightie troncheons do rebound,</L>
<L>Icra&s;de on helmets cre&s;t.</L>
<PB REF="26">
<L>Some try their &s;kill at bended bowes,</L>
<L>At barriers braue &s;ome fight:</L>
<L>And &s;ome with ma&s;kes of rare deui&s;e,</L>
<L>The lookers on delight.</L>
<L>The &s;traunge confects of daintie cates,</L>
<L>The choy&s;e of plea&s;ant wine:</L>
<L>The curious cour&s;e of co&s;tly knacks.</L>
<L>With iunkers pa&s;&s;ing fine.</L>
<L>Did make the Spani&s;h knights to mu&s;e,</L>
<L>That bruted was the fame:</L>
<L>How that no fea&s;t in twentie yeares,</L>
<L>Was iudged of &s;uch fame.</L>
<L>The noy&s;e wherof the vulgar &s;ort,</L>
<L>So worthylie di&s;playes:</L>
<L>That vnto <HI>Violentas</HI> eares,</L>
<L>I blazd was the prai&s;e.</L>
<L>Who hearing that <HI>Didaco</HI> he,</L>
<L>Had fal&s;ifyed his vowes:</L>
<L>In that, again&s;t his othe, he tooke</L>
<L>Another dame to &s;pou&s;e.</L>
<L>With &s;cratching nayles &s;h&eacute;e rent her haire,</L>
<L>And braue attaire defac'te:</L>
<L>And in her clo&s;et all alone:</L>
<L>Into this complaint &s;h&eacute;e bra&s;te,</L>
<L>O wretched girle what fate hath wrought,</L>
<L>The&s;e plunging panges of thine?</L>
<L>What &s;tarre at thy natiuitie:</L>
<L>So luckle&s;&s;ely did &s;hine.</L>
<PB REF="26">
<L>O rage of re&s;tles helli&s;h thralles,</L>
<L>O &s;tinge of endles &s;mart:</L>
<L>O &s;eas of thou&s;and great annoyes,</L>
<L>That racke my wounded hart.</L>
<L>O cur&s;ed fates, why did you not,</L>
<L>Then execute your &s;pite:</L>
<L>On this tormented corps of myne,</L>
<L>When fir&s;t it came to light.</L>
<L>O wretched wight then had&s;t thou bene,</L>
<L>Ten thou&s;and times ible&s;t.</L>
<L>If thou had&s;t bene interd in mawe,</L>
<L>Of &s;ome deuouring bea&s;t.</L>
<L>Or if into the &s;urging &s;eas,</L>
<L>Thou had&s;t bene throwne at once:</L>
<L>Where mon&s;ters fell, with grating Iawes,</L>
<L>Might tire thy rotten bones.</L>
<L>Then &s;hould&s;t thou not haue langui&s;ht thus,</L>
<L>In gulfes of treble payne:</L>
<L>Ne knowne the furie of &s;uch panges,</L>
<L>As now thou do&s;t &s;u&s;taine.</L>
<L>Accur&s;ed be that cur&s;ed houre,</L>
<L>wherin thy tender eyes:</L>
<L>At time of thy natiuitie,</L>
<L>Beheld the azurd &s;kies.</L>
<L>O fal&s;e <HI>Didaco</HI> periurd wight,</L>
<L>Did euer my de&s;ert:</L>
<L>Geue cau&s;e to alienate thy vowes,</L>
<L>Once plighted with thy hart.</L>
<PB REF="27">
<L>O periurd Ia&s;on faithles man,</L>
<L>why ha&s;t thou thus deceau'd:</L>
<L>The wight that tru&s;ted th&eacute;e &s;o well,</L>
<L>And all her ioyes bereui'd.</L>
<L>Is this thy care of plighted faith?</L>
<L>Is this thy &s;acred vowe?</L>
<L>Is this the true performance, which</L>
<L>Thy promi&s;e doth en&s;ue.</L>
<L>O haples hap and dolefull chaunce,</L>
<L>That euer thy tangling tonge:</L>
<L>Made breache into my Virginitie,</L>
<L>which I pre&s;eru'd &s;o longe.</L>
<L>O caylife wretch, and can thine eyes,</L>
<L>Su&s;taine for to behold:</L>
<L>The&s;e raging panges and martirdome,</L>
<L>wherein I am enrold?</L>
<L>Is this the guerdon of the fayth,</L>
<L>which I haue v&s;de alway:</L>
<L>Now like a bea&s;t and reprobate,</L>
<L>Thus to be ca&s;t away?</L>
<L>Why did not Ioue con&s;ent, my line</L>
<L>More noble for to bee:</L>
<L>That I might worke a full reuenge,</L>
<L>Of this thy villanie?</L>
<L>But &s;ith the heauens haue denyed,</L>
<L>Me (wretched girle) that fate:</L>
<L>With tooth and nayle, ile toyle to &s;hake,</L>
<L>The ground of thine e&s;tate.</L>
<PB REF="27">
<L>And that my grudging hart may &s;till,</L>
<L>At thy &s;ucce&s;&s;e rebell:</L>
<L>With mortall hate ile pro&s;ecute,</L>
<L>Thine odious gho&s;t to hell.</L>
<L>Thus thundering out the raging flames,</L>
<L>That from her &s;tomacke &s;pringe:</L>
<L>With howling &s;hrikes and fren&s;ie plaints,</L>
<L>She makes the hou&s;e to ringe,</L>
<L>Wherat her mother with her mayd,</L>
<L>Hight Iamque by name:</L>
<L>And eke her &s;onne, for to appea&s;e,</L>
<L>Her daughters fury came,</L>
<L>All they with hol&s;ome preceptes, toile</L>
<L>To qualifie her rage:</L>
<L>But all their witt had not the &s;kill,</L>
<L>Her howling to a&s;&s;wage,</L>
<L>Whereat her mother with her &s;onne,</L>
<L>Away with teares are gone:</L>
<L>And leaue her pencing forth her plaints,</L>
<L>To Iamque alone.</L>
<L>The mayd with &s;undry rea&s;ons &s;&eacute;ekes,</L>
<L>Her mi&s;tres to entreate:</L>
<L>To quench at la&s;t the &s;mothering &s;moke,</L>
<L>Of that turmoyling heate.</L>
<L>Deere dame (&s;he &s;ayd) why doth di&s;daine,</L>
<L>Thus boyle within your bre&s;t:</L>
<L>Or why doth rancor ran&s;acke thus,</L>
<L>Your mynd from &s;etled re&s;t,</L>
<PB REF="28">
<L>Why raunge you thus in rage, wherin</L>
<L>Nought el&s;e but griefe ye finde?</L>
<L>Repr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;e the&s;e furious fits and calme,</L>
<L>This tempe&s;t of your minde.</L>
<L>Know this you haue not fir&s;t bene trapt,</L>
<L>In mens alluring net:</L>
<L>Ne &s;hall you be the la&s;t perdie,</L>
<L>That &s;halbe tangled yet.</L>
<L>Did not periurd Demophoon,</L>
<L>Leaue <HI>Phillis</HI> on the &s;trand:</L>
<L>When &s;ecretely by night embarke,</L>
<L>He launced from the land?</L>
<L>And <HI>The&s;us, Aruidue</HI> bright,</L>
<L>Where he &s;uch loue did finde:</L>
<L>At la&s;t in de&s;ert <HI>Maxos</HI> Ile,</L>
<L>Left her poore girle behinde.</L>
<L>Why then turmoyle you thus your &s;elfe,</L>
<L>In flouds of endles teares:</L>
<L>Sith he re&s;pecteth nought the panges,</L>
<L>That your vext con&s;cience beares,</L>
<L>Be &s;ure he forceth nought the griefes,</L>
<L>And horror that you f&eacute;ele:</L>
<L>But that which you &s;et next your hart,</L>
<L>He &s;etteth next his heele,</L>
<L>Therefore cea&s;e of tho&s;e trickling feares,</L>
<L>which from your eyes di&s;till:</L>
<L>And then referre your cau&s;e, vnto</L>
<L>The triall of my &s;kill.</L>
<PB REF="28">
<L>I hope or long &s;o happely,</L>
<L>My traueyle to be&s;towe:</L>
<L>That you vpon his life may take,</L>
<L>Reuengement of your woe.</L>
<L>Meane time with pacience arme your &s;elfe,</L>
<L>And ea&s;e your heauie hart:</L>
<L>While I meane while do put in proofe,</L>
<L>Some practi&s;e of myne Arte.</L>
<L>Dame <HI>Violenta,</HI> ea&s;de with this,</L>
<L>Di&s;cour&s;ing of her mayde.</L>
<L>Sw&eacute;ete Iamque (quod &s;he) if thou,</L>
<L>Can doe as thou ha&s;t &s;ayde.</L>
<L>Twelue hundred Crownes of readie coyne.</L>
<L>Ile render to thine hand:</L>
<L>Whereby thou may&s;t conuay thy &s;elfe,</L>
<L>Into &s;ome vnknowen land.</L>
<L>And neuer to returne againe,</L>
<L>Into thy natiue &s;oyle,</L>
<L>But leaue me to &s;u&s;tayne theuent:</L>
<L>And hazard of the broyle.</L>
<L>Then my&s;tres myne &s;ayd &s;he, attend</L>
<L>To that I &s;hall recite:</L>
<L>Your chiefe&s;t charge is this: you mu&s;t</L>
<L>A dolefull &s;croll endi&s;e.</L>
<L>Contayning &s;uch infernall panges,</L>
<L>And pa&s;&s;ions of the minde:</L>
<L>That you by meanes therof, no re&s;t</L>
<L>Nor ea&s;e at all can finde.</L>
<PB REF="29">
<L>Then next rip vp the poy&s;oned &s;ore,</L>
<L>Of that &s;o &s;tinging &s;mart:</L>
<L>Which for th' exce&s;&s;iue loue of him,</L>
<L>Hath &s;laine your loyall harte.</L>
<L>Next adding that he might renue,</L>
<L>The cau&s;e of your delight:</L>
<L>If he &s;ometimes will take the paynes,</L>
<L>To vi&s;ite you by night.</L>
<L>As er&s;te he v&s;ed for to doe,</L>
<L>When this is done, proc&eacute;ede:</L>
<L>In &s;uch a methode as you knowe,</L>
<L>May be&s;t his fancie f&eacute;ede.</L>
<L>And when you haue di&s;playde at large,</L>
<L>The meaning of your will:</L>
<L>Commit the charge thereof, to be</L>
<L>Directed by my &s;kill,</L>
<L>I trow that force of fyled phra&s;e,</L>
<L>His wittes &s;hall &s;o enchaunt:</L>
<L>That he with fr&eacute;e con&s;ent, &s;ometime</L>
<L>To vi&s;ite you, &s;hall graunt.</L>
<L>And when he in the dead of night,</L>
<L>His &s;ounde&s;t re&s;t doth take:</L>
<L>We'le &s;et him then in &s;uch a traunce,</L>
<L>That he &s;hall neuer wake.</L>
<L>O gentle Iamque, &s;ayd &s;h&eacute;e,</L>
<L>If thy deui&s;e take place:</L>
<L>Then ha&s;t thou &s;ure for euer wonne,</L>
<L>Poore <HI>Violentas</HI> grace.</L>
<PB REF="29">
<L>This &s;ayd, to frame her fayned lynes,</L>
<L>Her fi&s;te &s;he doth directe:</L>
<L>The &s;tile whereof imported this,</L>
<L>Or el&s;e the like effecte.</L>
<LETTER LANG="eng">
<P><HI>Seignieur Didaco,</HI> I am per&s;uaded that if you will vouch&s;afe to peru&s;e the tenure of the&s;e my la|mentable lines, you will be moued with &s;ome re|mor&s;e and compa&s;sion, in contemplation of the true image of my wretched life purtraied &amp; true|lie de&s;cribed in the &s;ame, which through your di&s;|loyaltie and breach of promi&s;e is con&s;umed, and &s;pent with &s;o manie riuers of vnce&s;&s;ant teares and lamentations, that many times I marueyle with my &s;elf that nature, amid&s;t &s;o many martirdomes, hath neuer yet had the force to &s;eparate that vni|tie which coupleth my &s;oule vnto this turmoyled carca&s;&s;e. Alas howe many thou&s;and times a day haue I called for death, to abridge and interrupte the cour&s;e of the&s;e myne vnhappie dayes. And yet she reclineth not vnto my crie? Alas howe many Millions of times euery day hath my tormented minde bene vanquished with the extremitie of this intollerable hell of vexations, expecting &s;till the time when I may take mine <HI>&V;ltimum vale</HI> of all worldly delightes, being now arriued at the vt|termo&s;t panges of death. But what is this in com|pari&s;on of the horror that oppre&s;&s;eth my waue|uering minde when time requireth that I should
<PB REF="30"> then take &s;ome re&s;t. And recreation of my dayly traueyles, for if it chaunce that mine eyes fall a &s;leepe immediately my cogitations are &s;urpri&s;ed with dreadfull and horrible vi&s;ions repre&s;enting the perfect figure of her that enioyeth my place, which of all my other calamities is the sharpe&s;te &s;word vnto my &s;orowfull &s;oule. But oh me happy gi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">le if I were able to di&s;&s;olue the perfection of mine outragious loue toward thee, grounded vp|on the rocke of immoueable affection, wherby the remembrance of thy di&s;loyaltie might be vtterly extinguished. And extirped from the &s;ecrete clo|&s;et of my rauished mind then shuld thy trechery no more burthen my tormented con&s;cience. But &s;ith my de&s;ire is fru&s;trate of effect, come hyther I &s;ay thou cruell &amp; hard harted man and with &s;ome &s;igne of humanitie, mollifie the rage of my conti|nu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ll calamities, the vewe whereof will repre&s;ent vnto thine eyes the liuely pourtraiture of my re&s;t|les agonies. And if euer &s;parke of pitie did warme thy fro&s;en hart, arme thy &s;elfe with greater cruel|tie then euer thou was wont to doe, and come hy|ther with &s;peede to make her &s;obbe her la&s;t &s;ighes whom thou mo&s;t traiterou&s;ly ha&s;t deceaued. For in doing otherwi&s;e thou maie&s;t peraduenture to late, bewaile thy bea&s;tly crueltie, and the vntimely death of me poore de&s;olate wretch, and mi&s;erable caytife.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Violenta.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</LETTER>
<PB REF="30">
<L>This done, the brini&s;h trickling teares of,</L>
<L>Di&s;tilled from her eye:</L>
<L>Write would &s;he faine, but that the wordes,</L>
<L>Within her mouth did die.</L>
<L>And ca&s;ting by the in&s;trumentes,</L>
<L>That did this Engine frame,</L>
<L>With &s;eale &s;he &s;ignes it vp, and to</L>
<L>Her mayde &s;he yeldes the &s;ame.</L>
<L>Holde Iamque &s;he &s;ayd and if,</L>
<L>Thou play thy part &s;o fine:</L>
<L>As I in forging of the&s;e lines,</L>
<L>At large haue vttered myne.</L>
<L>I doubt not, but or long we &s;hall.</L>
<L>Entrap the traytour &s;o:</L>
<L>That he &s;hall quite forget the meanes,</L>
<L>To worke poore maydens thrall.</L>
<L>Sh&eacute;e hauing once receyued the briefe,</L>
<L>With &s;peede doth po&s;t away:</L>
<L>Vnto the palaice where &s;he knewe,</L>
<L>The knight <HI>Didaco</HI> lay.</L>
<L>Where hauing once attaynd vnto,</L>
<L>The &s;p&eacute;eche of him alone:</L>
<L>In this effect the traytorous bagge,</L>
<L>Her Iudas tale begonne,</L>
<L><HI>Seignieur Didaco:</HI> in my&s;teries,</L>
<L>Of learning I am mute:</L>
<L>But &s;ure I am this &s;igned briefe,</L>
<L>Importes &s;ome earne&s;t &s;ute.</L>
<PB REF="31">
<L>For naught but drouping, all this day,</L>
<L>And griefe hath vexte my dame:</L>
<L>And eke amid&s;t a thou&s;and &s;ighes,</L>
<L>She did this letter frame.</L>
<L>And &s;ure to &s;ay the truth, you &s;&eacute;eme,</L>
<L>To offer her great wrong:</L>
<L>Becau&s;e that from her hou&s;e, you doe</L>
<L>Ab&s;ent your &s;elfe &s;o long.</L>
<L>As for your breach of Mariage,</L>
<L>At that &s;he naught repines:</L>
<L>And rea&s;on to, if that &s;he waye,</L>
<L>The difference of your lines:</L>
<L>But this one pange aboue the re&s;t,</L>
<L>Doth aggrauate her woe:</L>
<L>Becau&s;e you &s;ee her not &s;ometimes,</L>
<L>As er&s;t you v&s;de to doe.</L>
<L>God wotte, &s;he &s;illie &s;oule would thinke,</L>
<L>Her &s;elfe of Ioue mo&s;t ble&s;t:</L>
<L>If that &s;ome nightes &s;he might obtaine,</L>
<L>By your &s;weete &s;ide to re&s;t.</L>
<L>And by that meanes, the &s;econd place</L>
<L>Of your loue to po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e:</L>
<L>If this &s;he had, then ea&s;de &s;he were,</L>
<L>Of this &s;o great di&s;tre&s;&s;e.</L>
<L>And &s;ure &s;ir Knight you may do well,</L>
<L>Your fancie for to bend:</L>
<L>In &s;&eacute;eing her &s;ometimes, vnto</L>
<L>Her &s;ute to conde&s;cend.</L>
<PB REF="31">
<L>So may you iu&s;tly vaunt that you,</L>
<L>As braue a &s;pou&s;e retayne:</L>
<L>And eke as faire a paragon,</L>
<L>As any liues in Spayne.</L>
<L>This &s;aid, &s;he renders vp the briefe,</L>
<L>Vnto <HI>Didacoes</HI> hand:</L>
<L>Who, when with chri&s;tall rowling eye,</L>
<L>Th'effect thereof had &s;cand.</L>
<L>His dumpi&s;h mynd was for a &s;pace,</L>
<L>with wauering fancies led:</L>
<L>For loue, and hate with motions &s;traunge,</L>
<L>Did combate in his head,</L>
<L>At la&s;t he &s;ayd: de&eacute;ere Iamque,</L>
<L>Thy mi&s;tres certifye:</L>
<L>That time permits me not as now,</L>
<L>To frame a new replye.</L>
<L>But that Ile vi&s;ite her before,</L>
<L>The ry&s;ing of the &s;onne:</L>
<L>To morow morne, and there di&s;cour&s;e,</L>
<L>The &s;umme of that is donne.</L>
<L>She glad, with fayned reuerence,</L>
<L>Premi&s;d away doth trotte:</L>
<L>And, till &s;he was within the doores,</L>
<L>To runne &s;he cea&s;eth not.</L>
<L>Where to her dame the order of,</L>
<L>Her toile &s;he doth di&s;play:</L>
<L>And how <HI>Didaco</HI> would be there,</L>
<L>The next en&s;uing day.</L>
<PB REF="32">
<L>Her my&s;tres hearing this di&s;cour&s;e,</L>
<L>Her &s;orowes all were gone;</L>
<L>And hard embracing Iamque,</L>
<L>This wi&s;e replyed anone.</L>
<L>Sweete wench if thou ha&s;t framd the grynne,</L>
<L>This traytour to begyle:</L>
<L>Be &s;ure of this, that for my part,</L>
<L>I haue not &s;lept the while.</L>
<L>But after &s;undry thoughtes, I haue</L>
<L>Deui&s;de this pretie fetche,</L>
<L>To execute our brochery,</L>
<L>On this fal&s;e periurd wretch,</L>
<L>Thy chiefe&s;t charge is this: thou mu&s;t</L>
<L>A mightie rope prepare:</L>
<L>Wherwith, when fa&s;t he is a &s;l&eacute;epe,</L>
<L>We may this traytor &s;nare.</L>
<L>Next that two mon&s;trous chopping kniues,</L>
<L>Mu&s;t for this feate be bought:</L>
<L>Although the price be neuer &s;o great,</L>
<L>Yet &s;pare thou not for ought.</L>
<L>That done let me my &s;elfe alone:</L>
<L>Our practize to fulfill:</L>
<L>Thou mai&s;t referre that knacke,</L>
<L>To tryall of my &s;kill.</L>
<L>I trow that or he pa&s;&s;e from hence,</L>
<L>Ile charme my youth &s;o well:</L>
<L>That he, who v&s;de him in &s;uch &s;ort,</L>
<L>Shall neuer haue time to dwell.</L>
<PB REF="32">
<L>The cur&s;ed wench, to ready bent,</L>
<L>To doe as &s;he decr&eacute;ed:</L>
<L>For &s;lowes no time but doth prepare.</L>
<L>The in&s;trumentes with &s;peede.</L>
<L>The time drue on when he poore man,</L>
<L>To Iamque did &s;ay:</L>
<L>That he his former wife would &s;&eacute;e,</L>
<L>Before the breake of day.</L>
<L>And &s;o what time the clocke &s;troke foure,</L>
<L>His &s;eruaunt he doth wake:</L>
<L>Two Spani&s;h Iennets of the be&s;t,</L>
<L>For iourney pre&s;t to make.</L>
<L>And mounted on their cour&s;ers braue,</L>
<L>In &s;hade of vgly night:</L>
<L>Euen at the turning of the &s;tr&eacute;ete,</L>
<L><HI>Didaco</HI> doth alight.</L>
<L>And to his man commits his hor&s;e,</L>
<L>Commaunding him to ryde:</L>
<L>Into the countrie, where he &s;hould,</L>
<L>Vntill the morowe abyde.</L>
<L>And then before that <HI>Phoebus</HI> lampe,</L>
<L>Di&s;played her wonted fire:</L>
<L>To him at <HI>Violentas</HI> hou&s;e,</L>
<L>In ha&s;t he &s;hould retyre:</L>
<L>Meane time his Iennets to be&s;towe,</L>
<L>Within &s;ome &s;ecrete Inne:</L>
<L>For none might know how he that while,</L>
<L>Had with his louer bin.</L>
<PB REF="33">
<L>This &s;ayd he marcht with &s;peedie pace,</L>
<L>Vnto his former wife:</L>
<L>Preparing &s;yllie &s;oule, his throte,</L>
<L>Vnto the hangmans knife.</L>
<L>And knocking &s;oftly at the gate,</L>
<L>Where Iamque did waite:</L>
<L>She into her my&s;tres clo&s;et doth,</L>
<L>Conuay <HI>Didaco</HI> &s;traight.</L>
<L>The knight, who ere his comming, had</L>
<L>A fine excu&s;e prepard:</L>
<L>Doth greete her with a friendly ki&s;&s;e.</L>
<L>Enquiring how &s;he feard.</L>
<L><HI>Didaco,</HI> you in word<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> (quod &s;he)</L>
<L>Seeme carefull for my &s;tate:</L>
<L>Although your &s;tomacke inwardly.</L>
<L>Repineth at my fate.</L>
<L>I trowe your giltie con&s;cience,</L>
<L>Will te&s;tifie the payne:</L>
<L>Which I poore girle vnce&s;&s;antly,</L>
<L>Both day and night &s;u&s;tayne.</L>
<L>The furie of which martirdome,</L>
<L>Hath brought my &s;oule &s;o lowe:</L>
<L>That &s;till I looke when as the breath,</L>
<L>My carca&s;&s;e will forgoe.</L>
<L>And yet the letter which I &s;ent,</L>
<L>I wrote not to this ende:</L>
<L>In hope it would your &s;tonie hart,</L>
<L>To rue mine angui&s;he bend.</L>
<PB REF="33">
<L>For &s;ure I am you will not cea&s;e,</L>
<L>To worke their endles thrall:</L>
<L>Which to the&s;e glo&s;ing words of yours,</L>
<L>To credence geue at all.</L>
<L>Wherof I wretched wench, at fir&s;t</L>
<L>Vnwitting of your trade:</L>
<L>Of this your trecherous villany,</L>
<L>To plaine a proofe haue made.</L>
<L>He fearing, lea&s;t her boyling rage,</L>
<L>Would more and more enflame:</L>
<L>With often ki&s;&s;ing of her ch&eacute;eke,</L>
<L>This forg'd reply doth frame.</L>
<L>Madame why doubt you of my faith?</L>
<L>My match was but pretended:</L>
<L>For willingly vnto the &s;ame,</L>
<L>I neuer conde&s;cended.</L>
<L>And though I was enfor&s;te to take,</L>
<L>Another to my wife:</L>
<L>Yet &s;ure or long, ile cut in twayne,</L>
<L>The fillet of her lyfe.</L>
<L>And when my practize once hath wrought,</L>
<L>Her cur&s;ed finall end:</L>
<L>The remnant of my vitall race,</L>
<L>with th&eacute;e (my deare) ile &s;pend.</L>
<L>And then in tearme of further time.</L>
<L>It plainely &s;hall appeare:</L>
<L>How that <HI>Didaco</HI> is the knight,</L>
<L>That holdes thy loue mo&s;t deare.</L>
<PB REF="34">
<L>Thus chaunting on the plea&s;ant cordes,</L>
<L>Of this his tangling tonge:</L>
<L>With filed phra&s;e he &s;eekes to frame,</L>
<L>Excu&s;e for former wronge.</L>
<L>Sh&eacute;e loth to loo&s;e the benefite,</L>
<L>Of this &s;o fit a time:</L>
<L>Doth &s;eeme to hold the knight excu&s;de,</L>
<L>For that pretended crime.</L>
<L>And with a forced &s;miling face,</L>
<L>(But with a Iudas bre&s;t.)</L>
<L>In this effect vnto the knight,</L>
<L>Her aun&s;were &s;he addre&s;t.</L>
<L><HI>Didaco,</HI> I am content this once,</L>
<L>To thinke your aun&s;weres iu&s;t:</L>
<L>Although your d&eacute;edes haue geuen me cau&s;e,</L>
<L>Your &s;ayings to in&s;tru&s;t,</L>
<L>But &s;ure your loue &s;o rooted is,</L>
<L>Within my burning hart:</L>
<L>That n&eacute;edes the crime mu&s;t heynous be,</L>
<L>That may the &s;ame auert:</L>
<L>Therfore I will con&s;trayne my &s;elfe,</L>
<L>To thinke your &s;aying true:</L>
<L>If you to vi&s;ite me &s;ometimes,</L>
<L>By night, will plight your vowe.</L>
<L>For if at certaine times I might,</L>
<L>Your companie enioye:</L>
<L>Than would I thinke my &s;elfe ible&s;t,</L>
<L>And fr&eacute;e from all annoye.</L>
<PB REF="34">
<L>He &s;illie man, right glad to &s;&eacute;e,</L>
<L>Her furie to repre&s;te:</L>
<L>With &s;acred vowe and plighted faith,</L>
<L>Accorded to her he&s;te.</L>
<L>Thus while they both no truth at all,</L>
<L>But d&eacute;epe di&s;&s;embling ment:</L>
<L>Darke <HI>Nox</HI> with mantle black approchte,</L>
<L>And <HI>Phoebus</HI> race was &s;pent,</L>
<L>And while the remnant of the night,</L>
<L>with &s;p&eacute;edie pa&s;&s;age flyes:</L>
<L>At la&s;t god <HI>Morpheus</HI> charmes attachte,</L>
<L><HI>Didacoes</HI> drou&s;y eyes,</L>
<L>That able &s;carce to keepe a wake,</L>
<L>His weary drouping head:</L>
<L>With <HI>Violenta</HI> croucheth downe:</L>
<L>Within his fatall bed.</L>
<L>Then Iamque rakes vp the fire,</L>
<L>And takes the light away:</L>
<L>And &s;oftly from the bed, &s;he doth</L>
<L><HI>Didacoes</HI> &s;word conuaye.</L>
<L>Next that the cur&s;ed trayterous bitch,</L>
<L>Beneath the bed doth grope:</L>
<L>(As though &s;he &s;omwhat had to doe,)</L>
<L>And maketh fa&s;t the rope:</L>
<L>And marching to the chamber doore,</L>
<L>To goe her way doth fayne:</L>
<L>But hauing hard the &s;ame full fa&s;t,</L>
<L>Returneth in againe,</L>
<PB REF="35">
<L>And &s;o when <HI>Somnus</HI> deadly charmes,</L>
<L>Had all his vaines po&s;&s;e&s;t:</L>
<L>And throughly drencht his heauy limmes,</L>
<L>In gulfe of careles re&s;t.</L>
<L>Preci&s;ely Iamque be&s;turres,</L>
<L>her &s;elfe in &s;hade of night:</L>
<L>And into <HI>Violentas</HI> handes,</L>
<L>Directs the rope aright.</L>
<L>Who when &s;h&eacute;e had with nimble fy&s;t,</L>
<L>be&s;towde the &s;ame full fa&s;t:</L>
<L>The end againe cro&s;&s;e thwart the bed,</L>
<L>To Iamque &s;hee ca&s;t.</L>
<L>Who foulding it about her armes,</L>
<L>With bum flat clapt on floore:</L>
<L>Hoy&s;tes vp her f&eacute;ete again&s;t the bed,</L>
<L>To pull when he &s;hould &s;turre.</L>
<L>This done, her my&s;tres takes in hand,</L>
<L>Her fatall caruing blade:</L>
<L>And &s;earching &s;ecretely, wheras</L>
<L>Th'a&s;&s;alt might &s;oon&s;te be made.</L>
<L>Forthwith his tender throte with knife,</L>
<L>So fiercely &s;he doth pricke:</L>
<L>That glyding thorow, the poynt therof</L>
<L>Did in the pillowe &s;ticke.</L>
<L>He &s;yllie &s;oule when fir&s;t he felt,</L>
<L>The cur&s;ed &s;troke &s;he &s;trake:</L>
<L>With fru&s;trate hands poore man he &s;triues,</L>
<L>Re&s;i&s;tance for to make.</L>
<PB REF="35">
<L>Wherwith the deadly &s;naring rope,</L>
<L>His wittes did &s;o appall:</L>
<L>That hand or foote to &s;aue him&s;elfe,</L>
<L>He could not &s;tirre at all.</L>
<L>And f&eacute;eling efte a &s;econd charge,</L>
<L>His naked throte vpon:</L>
<L>Both &s;trength to &s;triue, and &s;peach to &s;peake,</L>
<L>Were quite bereft and gone.</L>
<L>Shee like a vile <HI>Medea</HI> fell,</L>
<L>Her deueli&s;h rage prouokes:</L>
<L>And on his wretched rented corps,</L>
<L>Redoubleth &s;till her &s;trokes.</L>
<L>So long with dent of trenching blade,</L>
<L>His martird limmes &s;he tyred:</L>
<L>Tyll that his &s;enceles corps at la&s;t,</L>
<L>The grudging gho&s;t expyred.</L>
<L>Nowe, Iamque my girle, quod &s;h&eacute;e,</L>
<L>With &s;peede prepare a light:</L>
<L>So &s;hall we quickly &s;ee if that,</L>
<L>This feare be wrought aright.</L>
<L>Where hauing vewde with firie lookes,</L>
<L>His breathles corps at full:</L>
<L>The clo&s;ed eyes from forth his head,</L>
<L>With &s;cortching knife doth pull.</L>
<L>And hauing throughly launc'te the &s;ame,</L>
<L>With many a grie&s;ely ga&s;he:</L>
<L>At la&s;t with choler hotte enflamd,</L>
<L>Her venome forth doth fla&s;he.</L>
<PB REF="36">
<L>Re&s;igne you trayterous lampes, I &s;ay,</L>
<L>The fort you er&s;t po&s;&s;e&s;t:</L>
<L>Come forth for aye, come forth: for there</L>
<L>You &s;hall no longer re&s;t.</L>
<L>Come forth from this your &s;hameles &s;iege,</L>
<L>Where you &s;o long did byde:</L>
<L>For nowe your fount of fayned teares,</L>
<L>Is cleane exhau&s;t and dride.</L>
<L>Then haling forth his &s;enceles tongue,</L>
<L>With force of murtherous hand:</L>
<L>When &s;he with many a mon&s;trous &s;la&s;he,</L>
<L>The forme thereof had &s;cand.</L>
<L>O tickling tangling, tongue quod &s;he,</L>
<L>That vttered&s;t nought at all:</L>
<L>But d&eacute;epe deceyt in cloake of loue,</L>
<L>And hony mix&s;t with gall.</L>
<L>How long did&s;t thou turmoyle in vayne,</L>
<L>With this thy cannon &s;hotte:</L>
<L>Or that of my Virginitie,</L>
<L>Thou had&s;t the conque&s;t gotte.</L>
<L>Whereof depriued by thy meanes,</L>
<L>Ile ha&s;ten eke to death:</L>
<L>For hauing lo&s;t that precious gemme,</L>
<L>Nought profits vitall breath.</L>
<L>Then launching in a violent hole,</L>
<L>Into his &s;welling bre&s;t:</L>
<L>With tygers nayles &s;he rents the hart,</L>
<L>From where it er&s;t did re&s;t.</L>
<PB REF="36">
<L>And hauing caru'd the &s;ame at large.</L>
<L>With dent of launcing blade:</L>
<L>With thundering checkes again&s;t the &s;ame,</L>
<L>Her inuectiue &s;he made.</L>
<L>O hart more hard then Adamant,</L>
<L>Who&s;e Anduill did prepare:</L>
<L>The trapping toyles and gaging grynnes,</L>
<L>Which me poore girle did &s;nare.</L>
<L>Why could I not thy former thoughtes,</L>
<L>So perfectly de&s;crie:</L>
<L>As thy materiall &s;ub&s;tance now,</L>
<L>I vewe with perfect eye.</L>
<L>Then had I not poore wretch (alas)</L>
<L>In the&s;e thy trappes bene tane:</L>
<L>Ne had thy ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">tery brued the bale,</L>
<L>Of my vnhappy bane.</L>
<L>This &s;aid &s;he bathes her deueli&s;h nayles,</L>
<L>within his blood a fre&s;he:</L>
<L>And cuts her cur&s;t anatomy,</L>
<L>Vpon his mangled-fle&s;he.</L>
<L>Then he wing all his other partes,</L>
<L>So long &s;hee wreakes her teene:</L>
<L>That no one place in all his limmes,</L>
<L>Deuoyd of &s;carres was &s;eene.</L>
<L>Now Ianique my d&eacute;ere &s;he &s;ayd,</L>
<L>This ta&s;ke doth yet remayne:</L>
<L>That we this mon&s;trous mangled bea&s;t,</L>
<L>Vnto the windowe traine.</L>
<PB REF="37">
<L>For as by meanes of his deceyt,</L>
<L>My &s;hame abroade is blowen:</L>
<L>So will I eke that this reuenge.</L>
<L>Should openly be knowen.</L>
<L>This &s;ayd, they both the martird corps,</L>
<L>Vnto the windowe drewe:</L>
<L>And then with violent hands the &s;ame,</L>
<L>Vpon the pauement threwe.</L>
<L>Now take this golde my girle &s;he &s;ayd,</L>
<L>In guerdon of thy payne:</L>
<L>And &s;p&eacute;ede thee hence into Africa,</L>
<L>And neuer come againe.</L>
<L>The mayde with teares doth take her leaue,</L>
<L>And purpo&s;de &s;o to doe:</L>
<L>Long time before, although her dame,</L>
<L>Had not adui&s;de her &s;o.</L>
<L>Which done this boocher frames her &s;elfe,</L>
<L>Some quiet &s;l&eacute;epe to take:</L>
<L>Becau&s;e all night to worke her feate,</L>
<L>Sh&eacute;e tooke &s;uch paynes to wake.</L>
<L>O mon&s;trous helli&s;h hagge, that forth</L>
<L>From <HI>Plutoes</HI> kingdome brake:</L>
<L>O hydeous hi&s;&s;ing <HI>Hydra</HI> buge,</L>
<L>That lurkes in <HI>Lerna</HI> lake.</L>
<L>O bitch for &s;prong of &s;erpents &s;&eacute;ede,</L>
<L>And not of humayne &s;tocke:</L>
<L>But &s;o&s;terd vp in de&s;ert groues,</L>
<L>Within &s;ome holowe rocke:</L>
<PB REF="37">
<L>Where fo&s;tered thou wa&s;te with milke;</L>
<L>From ramping tygers dugge:</L>
<L>Which thou among&s;t the craggy cliffes,</L>
<L>With &s;auage chappes did&s;t tugge.</L>
<L>The raging &s;enceles Lions brode,</L>
<L>Within them&s;elues agree:</L>
<L>Dete&s;ting all again&s;t their makes,</L>
<L>Iniurious for to b&eacute;e.</L>
<L>But thou deriu'd of humayne race,</L>
<L>Endued with rea&s;on to:</L>
<L>Aduenture&s;t vpon &s;uch factes,</L>
<L>As they abhorre to doe.</L>
<L>O curtall cur&s;t, of woman kind,</L>
<L>Vnworthy of the name:</L>
<L>But aye for to be bayted at,</L>
<L>With trumpe of blacke defame.</L>
<L>You Ladies all who&s;e weeping eyes,</L>
<L>This hy&s;torie peru&s;e:</L>
<L>At rarenes of this mon&s;trous fact,</L>
<L>No marueyle though ye mu&s;e.</L>
<L>But as the &s;plendant bla&s;ing lampe,</L>
<L>Doth neuer burne &s;o bright:</L>
<L>As when a darke&s;ome &s;hade doth &s;&eacute;eme,</L>
<L>For to eclip&s;e his ligh.</L>
<L>So you, d&eacute;ere dames who&s;e vertuous minds,</L>
<L>Abandon all &s;uch wayes:</L>
<L>By contrarie of this foule facte,</L>
<L>De&s;erue immortal pray&s;e.</L>
<PB REF="38">
<L>But now this charge at la&s;t remaynes,</L>
<L>To pro&s;ecute the acte:</L>
<L>Although my mazed mynd abhorres,</L>
<L>So thinke vpon the facte.</L>
<L>No &s;ooner had the day app&eacute;ered,</L>
<L>And <HI>Phoebus</HI> &s;howne his head:</L>
<L>But that this mon&s;trous murther &s;traight,</L>
<L>Through all the towne was &s;pred.</L>
<L>That great concour&s;e from euery where,</L>
<L>Re&s;orted to the place:</L>
<L>In mightie companies, to &s;canne,</L>
<L>The &s;trangenes of the ca&s;e.</L>
<L>But yet the &s;illie martirs face,</L>
<L>And limmes were mangled &s;o,</L>
<L>That though the multitude were great,</L>
<L>Not one the man did know.</L>
<L>Some iudgde there had a fray bene made,</L>
<L>And &s;o the partie &s;laine:</L>
<L>Some this, &s;ome that, but none of all,</L>
<L>Could to the truth attaine.</L>
<L>She leaning all this while alone,</L>
<L>And vewing of the thronge:</L>
<L>At la&s;t with manly courage mou'd,</L>
<L>She &s;teppes the preafe among.</L>
<L>My mai&s;ters all (quod &s;he) you &s;eeme,</L>
<L>To diuer&s;ly to &s;canne:</L>
<L>With iudgements contrary, the ca&s;e</L>
<L>Concerne this &s;ayd man.</L>
<PB REF="38">
<L>And yet &s;carce two are of one mynde,</L>
<L>For &s;ome &s;ay <HI>that</HI> &s;ome <HI>this.</HI></L>
<L>And eche man thinkes his verdite be&s;t,</L>
<L>But all the marke do mi&s;&s;e.</L>
<L>The meaning of this my&s;tery,</L>
<L>By me mu&s;t be reuealed:</L>
<L>Which el&s;e (no doubt) in couert wi&s;e,</L>
<L>Long time would lie concealed,</L>
<L>Therefore your li&s;tening eares I &s;ay,</L>
<L>Vnto my words apply:</L>
<L>This is the Lord <HI>Didaco</HI> he,</L>
<L>That &s;laine on grounde doth lye.</L>
<L>But fir&s;t becau&s;e it is requi&s;ite,</L>
<L>His friends the ca&s;e &s;hould know,</L>
<L>Let them be &s;traight accited, then</L>
<L>Th'effect of all ile &s;howe.</L>
<L>Whereon <HI>Didacos</HI> kin&s;folkes all,</L>
<L>Were &s;omoned to the place:</L>
<L>In pre&s;ence of the Iudge, &s;o heare</L>
<L>The &s;canning of the ea&s;e:</L>
<L>Which done, this helli&s;h <HI>Hydra</HI> forth,</L>
<L>Was led the &s;tr&eacute;etes throughout:</L>
<L>Vnto the iudgement hall, which their</L>
<L>Was pe&s;tered with the rout.</L>
<L>Where with a quiet countenance,</L>
<L>And con&s;cience voyde of grudge:</L>
<L>She frames her loath&s;ome long di&s;cour&s;e,</L>
<L>In hearing of the iudge.</L>
<PB REF="39">
<L>Howe that the knight long fift&eacute;ene monethes,</L>
<L>Had langui&s;ht &s;tyll in loue:</L>
<L>And neuer any re&s;t attaynd,</L>
<L>His panges for to remoue.</L>
<L>But lingring long, and not of force,</L>
<L>His fancie to repre&s;&s;e:</L>
<L>That euery day with thou&s;and thoughts,</L>
<L>Augmented his di&s;tre&s;&s;e.</L>
<L>In fine re&s;olu'd, what way he might,</L>
<L>His hotte con&s;umption cure:</L>
<L>By &s;acred &s;olemne nuptiall bands,</L>
<L>He wanne me to his lure.</L>
<L>But hauing fal&s;ifyed at la&s;t,</L>
<L>His former plighted vowes:</L>
<L>He ca&s;t me of and cho&s;e eft&s;one,</L>
<L>Another Dame to &s;pou&s;e.</L>
<L>Therefore becau&s;e my fame by him,</L>
<L>Into the lap&s;e was brought:</L>
<L>With helpe of Ianique my mayde,</L>
<L>This due reuenge I wrought.</L>
<L>Wherefore pronounce your righteous doome,</L>
<L>Of death vpon my acte:</L>
<L>Or el&s;e the&s;e hands of myne &s;hall take,</L>
<L>Reuengement of the facte.</L>
<L>This &s;ayd, &s;he cea&s;de, with gr&eacute;edie eyes,</L>
<L>Vpon the iudges bent:</L>
<L>Who with di&s;tilling teares amayne,</L>
<L>The heauie hap lament.</L>
<PB REF="39">
<L>And after due enquirie made,</L>
<L>The ca&s;e &s;o playne did lye:</L>
<L>That forc'te they were by righteous doome,</L>
<L>To iudge this hagge to die.</L>
<L>From whence &s;he was vnto the place,</L>
<L>Of execution led:</L>
<L>Where with the &s;troke of fatall blade,</L>
<L>Shee lo&s;t her cur&s;ed bead.</L>
<L>And nowe this dolefull Tragedy,</L>
<L>To end, my mu&s;e decreed:</L>
<L>Inough to make a &s;tonie hart:</L>
<L>With bracki&s;h teares to bl&eacute;ede.</L>
<L>Loe here you amorous knightes a gla&s;&s;e,</L>
<L>Wherein you plaine may vewe,</L>
<L>The future fate and la&s;t euent:</L>
<L>That louers liues en&s;ue,</L>
<L>Why then enforce you not your &s;elues.</L>
<L>Such humors to repre&s;&s;e:</L>
<L>And to preuent by rea&s;ons lore,</L>
<L>The cau&s;e of your di&s;tre&s;&s;e.</L>
<L>With brydle of di&s;cretion &s;&eacute;eke,</L>
<L>This fire for to allay:</L>
<L>That <HI>Phoebe</HI> may po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e the fort,</L>
<L>Where <HI>Venus</HI> bare the &s;waye.</L>
<L>Con&s;ider this, if wi&s;edomes bit,</L>
<L>You de&s;perately let fall:</L>
<L>You hazard ra&s;hely on the rocke,</L>
<L>Of euerla&s;ting thrall.</L>
<PB REF="40">
<L>Or el&s;e if long pur&s;ute, with teares,</L>
<L>Your remedie procure:</L>
<L>Yet commonly tho&s;e wi&s;hed ioyes,</L>
<L>Do neuer long endure.</L>
<P>The &s;omme of both is this</P>
<L>Hay glad or &s;ad, hap weale or woe,</L>
<L>Hap hoped ioy, or payne:</L>
<L>Yet both in this one i&s;&s;ue end,</L>
<L><HI>In loue nought is but vayne,</HI></L>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<BYLINE>(&abquod;) Thomas Achelley.</BYLINE>
<PB REF="40">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
