The tryumphes of Fraunces Petrarcke, translated out of Italian into English by Henrye Parker knyght, Lorde Morley. The tryumphe of loue. Of chastitie. Of death. Of fame. Of tyme. Of diuinitie Trionfi. English Petrarca, Francesco, 1304-1374. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A09533 of text S110435 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 19811). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 147 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 52 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A09533 STC 19811 ESTC S110435 99845979 99845979 10913 2240934053

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A09533) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 10913) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 348:20) The tryumphes of Fraunces Petrarcke, translated out of Italian into English by Henrye Parker knyght, Lorde Morley. The tryumphe of loue. Of chastitie. Of death. Of fame. Of tyme. Of diuinitie Trionfi. English Petrarca, Francesco, 1304-1374. Morley, Henry Parker, Lord, 1476-1556. [104] p. In Powles church-yarde at the sygne of the holy Ghost, by Iohn Cawood, prynter to the Quenes hyghnes, [Printed at London : [1555?]] A translation of: Trionfi. The words "of loue. .. Of diuinitie." are bracketed together on the title page. Printer's name and place of publication from colophon; publication date conjectured by STC. Signatures: A-N⁴. Includes: Vyrgyll in his epigrames of Cupide and dronkenesse. Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. eng eebo The tryumphes of Fraunces Petrarcke, translated out of Italian into English by Henrye Parker knyght, Lorde Morley. The tryumphe of loue. Of chastitie. Petrarca, Francesco, 1555 104 24249 7 0 0 0 0 0 2.89 B The rate of 2.89 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the B category of texts with fewer than 10 defects per 10,000 words. 2003-04 Assigned for keying and markup 2003-05 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-11 Sampled and proofread 2004-11 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2005-01 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion

The tryumphes of Fraunces Petrarcke , translated out of Italian into English by Henrye Parker knyght , Lorde Morley .

Of Loue . Of Chastitie . Of Death . Of Fame . Of Tyme . Of Diuinitie .

I. C.

❧ Unto the mooste towarde yonge gentle Lorde Matrauers , sonne and heyre apparaunt to the worthy and noble Earle of Arundel , your poore frende Henry Parker knyght , Lorde Morley , prayeth to God that the vertue whiche doth floryshe in you in this youre tender age , maye more and more increase in you , to the comfort of all that loue you , vnto the laste age .

THe fables of Isope ( mooste towarde younge Lorde ) are not only had in com mendation amonge the Phi losophers , as with Plato , Ari stotle , & diuerse other of the moste excellent of them : but also the deuines , when in theyr preachynges there cometh to theyr purpose any matter , to rehearse to the rude people , they alledge the allegorye sence of them , to the muche edification of the hearers . I saye therfore , that amonge other his wyttye fables ( not to you noble gentleman vnknowen ) he telleth , how that the cocke scrapynge on a doungehill , found a precious stone , and when he sawe it , disdayninge , he spurned it from hym , sayinge , what haue I to do with the , thou canste not serue me to no kynde of vse , and so dispysynge it , left it where as it laye on the dongehyll styll .

Euen so there be a nomber of that sorte , that percase when they shall eyther heare redde , or them selfe reade this excellent tryumphes , of this famous clercke Petrarcha , shall lytle set by them , and peraduenture caste it from them , desyrynge rather to haue a tale prynted of Robyn Hoode , or some other dongehyll matter then of this , whiche I dare affirme , yea , and the Italians do the same , that the deuine workes set aparte , there was neuer in any vulgar speche or language , so notable a worke , so clerckely done as this his worke . And albeit that he setteth forth these syxte wonderfull made triumphes all to the laude of hys Ladye Laura , by whome he made so many a swete sonnet , that neuer yet no poete nor gentleman could amend , nor make the lyke , yet who that doth vnderstande them , shall se in them comprehended al morall vertue , all Phylosophye , all storyall matters , and briefely manye deuyne sentences theologicall secretes declared . But alas who is he that will so reade them , that he wyl marke them , or what prynter wyll not saye , that he may winne more gayne in pryntynge of a merye ieste , then suche lyke excellente workes , suerlye ( my good Lorde ) very fewe or none , whyche I do lamente at my harte , consyderynge that aswell in French , as in the Italyan ( in the whyche both tongues I haue some lytle knowledge ) there is no excellente worke in the latyn , but that strayght wayes they set it forth in the vulgar , moost commonly to their kynges and noble prynces of theyr region and countreys : As one of late dayes that was grome of the chaumber with that renowmed and valyaunte Prynce of hyghe memorye , Fraunces the Frenche kynge , whose name I haue forgotten , that dydde translate these tryumphes to that sayde kynge , whyche he toke so thankefully , that he gaue to hym for hys paynes an hundred crounes , to hym and to his heyres of inheritaunce to enioye to that value in lande for euer , and toke suche pleasure in it , that wheresoeuer he wente amonge hys precyous Iewelles , that booke was alwayes caryed with hym for his pastyme to loke vpon , and as muche estemed by hym , as the rychest Diamonde he hadde : whiche sayde booke , when I sawe the coppye of it , I thoughte in my mynde , howe I beynge an Englyshe man , myght do aswell as the Frenche man , dyd translate this sayde worke into our maternall tounge , and after much debatyng with my selfe , dyd as your Lordshyppe doth se , translate the sayde booke to that moost worthy kynge our late soueraygne Lorde of perpetuall memorye kynge Henrye theyghte , who as he was a Prynce aboue all other mooste excellente , so toke he the worke verye thankefullye , merueylynge muche howe I coulde do it , and thynkynge verelye I hadde not doone it , wythoute helpe of some other , better knowynge the Italyan tounge then I : but when he knewe the verye treweth , that I hadde traunslated the worke my selfe , he was more pleased therewith then he was before , and so what his highnes dyd with it , is to me vnknowen , one thynge is , that I dyd it in suche hast , that doubtles in many places ( yf it were agayne in my handes ) I thynke I coulde well amende it , albeit that I professe , I haue not erred moche from the letter , but in the ryme , whiche is not possible for me to folow in the translation , nor touche the least poynt of the elegancy that this elegant Poete hath set forth in his owne maternall tongue . But as it is , if in the translation there be anye thynge to be amended , or any wyll depraue it , I shall , praye you ( mooste noble younge Lorde ) the very myrroure of al the yonge noble gentelmen of this realme in vertue , in learnynge , and in all other feates appertayning to such a Lorde as you be , to defende it aagaynst those that will more by enuy than by know ledge depraue it , and then I do not feare but those that knowe and can speake the Italian , will beare with the simple translation , and commende the worke , as it is so muche commendable , that it can not be to dere bought , I desyre god noble yonge gentleman , to make the lorde Matrauers an olde gentleman , and then thy worthy father the Earle of Arundell my most speciall good Lorde and frend , shall make an olde Earle and lyue vsque in senium et senectum .

Dixi Henry Morelye .
The first Chapter of the Tryumphe of Loue . IN the tyme of the Renewinge of my suspyres By the swete remembraunce of my louely desyres That was the begynnynge of soo longe a payne The fayre Phebus the bull dyd attayne And warmyd had the tone and tother horne Wherby the colde wynter stormes were worne And Tytans chylde with her frostye face Ran from the heate to her aunciente place Loue , grefe , and complaynt , oute of reason Had brought me in such a case that season That myne eyes closed , and I fell to reste The very Remedye to such as be oppreste And there on the grene , as I reposed fast Sodenly me thought , as I myne eyes vp cast I sawe afore me a maruelous great lighte wherin as well comprehend then , I myghte Was doloure ynough wyth smale sporte & play And thus in my dreame musyng , as I laye I sawe a great Duke victorious to beholde Tryumphyng on a chayre , shynyng as golde Muche after the olde auncient sage wyse That the bolde Romayns vsed in there guyse When to the Capytoll the vyctors were brought With right riche Robes curiously were wrought I that such sightes was not wont to se In this noyous worlde wherein I fynde me Uoyde from the olde valure & yet more in pryde Sawe comming towardes me ther on euery side Dyuerse men wyth straunge and queynte arraye Not vsyd amonge vs at this present daye Which made me wonder what persons theishuld be As one glad to learne , and some new thinges to se There sawe I a boye on a firye chayre on hyghte Drawen with foure coursers all mylke whight Wyth bowe in hande and arrowes sharpe & keene Against whome no shylde nor helme so sheene Myght in no wyse the mortale stroke wythstand When he shote wyth his most dreadfull hande To this also a straunge sight to se Two wynges vpon his shoulders had he wyth coloures more then I can wryte or tell A thousande dyuers this I noted well And all the rest were nakyd to the skynne Aboute the chayre where that this boye was in Some laye there deade gapynge on the grounde Some with his dartes had taken meny a wound Some were prysoners and could not scape away But folowed styll the chayre nyght and day I that sawe this wonderfull straunge sight To know what it mente , dyd that I myght Tyll at the last I dyd perceaue and se My selfe to be amonge that company So had loue led me on that dawnce That as it lyked her , so must I take the chawnce I then among that great number in that place Lokyng here and there in eche mannes face Yf any of myne Acquayntaunce I coulde se But none was there except perchaunce that he By age or death or payne was chaunged quyte As that I neuer had hym knowen by syght Wyth folowing that great kyng in that houre That is the grounde and cause of all dolowre Thus all astonied as I loked here and there All sodenly afore me then dyd there appeare A shadowe much more sadde for to regarde Than all the reste that I had sene or harde This sayd shadowe called me by name And sayd by loue is gotten all this fame Whereat I marueyled and sayde to hym agayne How knowest thou me , to learne I wold be faine For who thou arte I doo not knowe at all So wonderous derke is here this ayre and all That I can nether perceaue nor yet well se What man thou art nor whence that thou should be To that anone this shadowe to me sayde I am thy frende thou nedest not be dismayde And borne in Toscane where thou was borne perdye Thyne auncient frende if that thou lyst to se His wordes whiche that I knewe by dayes paste By his speche , I knewe hym at the last All though his face , I coulde not then well se And thus in talkyng together went we And he beganne and thus to me dyd saye It is right longe and thereto many a day That I haue loked the my frynde to se Amonge vs here in this our companye For thy face was to me a token playne That ones thou shouldest know loues payne To whome I made aunswere and sayde These wordes by me they cannot be denayde But the sorowe the daunger and the dreade That louers haue at the ende for theyr meade So put me in feare , that I left all asyde Leste that my seruyce should be cleane denyde Thus sayd I and when he well perceyued Myne entention and my wordes conceyued Smylynge he sayde what flame of fyre Hath loue kyndled in thy hartys desyre I vnderstode then lytle what he ment For his wordes vnto my heade then went As fyrme and fast sure set anone As they had bene prynted in a marbell stone And thus for the newe game that I begane I prayde hym tell me of verie gentlenes than What people these were that afore me went He aunswered bryfely to myne intente That I should knowe what they should be And be shortly one of theyr companye And that it was my destany and lotte That loue shoulde tye for me such a knotte That I shoulde fyrst chaunge my heade to graye Or that I coulde vnclose that knot away But to fulfyll thy yonge desyre sayth he I shall declare what kynde of men they be And fyrst of the capteynes of them all His maner playne declare the I shall This is he that loue the worlde doth name Bytter as thou shalt well conceyue the same And much the more when the tyme shall be That thou shalt be amonge this companie A meke chylde in his lustye yonge age And in elde one all full of rage Well knoweth he that thys hath prouyd When thou by hym art heaued and shoued Thy selfe shall well see and vnderstand What a maister thou hast then in hande This god hath his fyrst byrth of ydelnes Noryshed with mankyndes foly and wantones And of vayne thoughtes plesaunt and swete To a sage wyse man nothynge mete Callyd a god of the people most vayne All be it he geueth for theyr rewarde and payne Some the death forthwyth out of hande Some alonge tyme in miserye to stand To loue I say them that loues not hym Fast tyed and fetred both cheke and chynne Nowe haue I declared to the this goddes feste Nowe wyl . I tell the in order of the reste Hym that thou seest that so lordely doth go And leadeth wyth hym his loue also It is the valeaunte Cesar , Iulius Wyth hym is quene Cleopatra the beutiouse She tryumphes of hym and that is good ryghte That he that ouercame the worlde by myght Should hymselfe ouer commen be By his loue euen as thou mayest se The next vnto hym is his sonne deare The great Augustus that neuer had peare That louyde more iustly then Cesar playne By request hys Lynya he dyd obtayne The thyrde is the dyspytefull tyraunte Nero That furyously as thou seest doth go And yet a woman hym ouercame Wyth her regardes Lo she made hym tame Beholde the same , is the good Marcus Worthy to haue prayse for his lyfe vertuouse Full of phylosophy both the tounge and breste Yet for Fausteyn he standeth as arreste The tother two that stand hym by . That loke both twayne so fearefullye The tone is Denyse the tother Alexander That well was rewarded for his s●●aunder The tother was he that soore complayned Under Autander wyth teares vnfayned The death of Crensa and toke awaye The loue from hym as the poete doth saye That toke from Enander his sone deare Among the rest thou mayest se hym here Hast thou harde euer reason heretofore Of one that neuer would consent more To hys stepmothers foull and shamefull desires But flye from her syght and her attyres But wo alas that same chast honest mynde Was his death as thou mayst playnely fynde Because she chaunged hyr loue vnto hate Phedra she hyght that caused the debate And yet was it hyr owne Death also A sore punyshment vnto both them two To the sens that deceyued Adryan Wherefore it is full often founde than That one that blameth another parde He hym selfe is more to blame then he And who so he be wythouten any doubte That by fraude or crafte doth go aboute Another that trusteth hym for to beguyle Yt is good reason that wyth that selfe wyle He be seruyd wyth that same sawse Lo what it is a louer to be false , This is he the famouse worthy knyght That betwyxt two systers standeth vpryghte The tone by hym was cruelly slayne The tother his loue in ioye dyd remayne : He that goeth with hym in the route It is Hercules , the stronge , fierce , and stoute That loue caused to folowe hyr daunce : The tother whiche in louynge had hard chaunce It is Achylles the Greke so bolde That for Polexemes loue dyed , as it is tolde . There mayst thou see also Demophone And Phylys hys loue , that sore dyd mone Hys absence , wherby that she dyed . Lo those that stande vpon the tother syde Is Iason , and Medea that for his loue Deceaued hyr father his trueth to proue The more vngentle is Iason in dede That gaue hyr suche rewarde for hyr mede . Hysyphyle foloweth and she doth wayle also For the barbarouse loue was taken hyr fro Next in ordre there commeth by and by He that hath the name moost excellently Of bewtye , and with hym commeth she that ouersone behelde his beutye Wherby ensued innumerable of harmes Thoroughe out the world by Mars charmes Beholde I praye the among the companye Enone complaynynge full heauely For Parys that dyd hyr falsly betraye And toke in hyr stede fayre Helen awape Se also Menelaus the Grekysse kynge For his wyfe Helene in greate mournynge And Hermon the fayre Horestes for to call And Laodome that standeth all apall Crye for hyr loue the good Protheossolaus And Irgia the faythfull for Pollynisus Here I pray the , the greuous lamentynges The syghes , the sorowes , and the bewaylynges Of the myserable louers in this place That are brought into so dolorous case That there spyrytes they are about to rendre Unto the false God that is so sclendre I can not nowe tell the all the names That the false God of loue thus tames Not onely men that borne be mortall But also the hyghe greate Goddes supernall Are here in this greate and darke presse What shulde I any more nowe rehearse Se where Uenus doth stande with Mars Whose heade and legges the yron doth enbrase And Pluto and Preserpyne on the other syde And Iuno the ielyous for all hyr pryde And Apollo with his gaye golden lockes That gaue vnto Uenus scornes and mockes yet in Thessalia with this boyes fyrye darte This great God was pearsed to the harte And for conclusion , the Goddes and Goddesses al Of whome Uarro doth make rehearsall Beholde how afore loues'chayre they goo Fast fettred and chayned from toppe to too And Iupiter hym selfe , the great myghty kynge Amonge the other , whiche is a maruelous thing .
The second Chapter of the Tryumphe of Loue . ALl musynge wyth greate admiration As one astonnyed to see the fasshyon Nowe here , nowe there , I loked all aboute To se the order of this greate huge route And as my harte from thought to thought past I sawe twayne together at a caste Hande in hand they went in the prease Reasonynge together they dyd not sease . Theyr straunge habyte , and theyr araye And theyr language more straunge I saye Was vnto me so darke and obscure That what they ment I knowe not be ye sure . Tyll my felowe by his interpretation Of that whiche they talked made declaration And then when I knewe what they were Into theyr presence I drewe me nere And perceaued that the one spirite was Frende to the Romaynes that there dyd passe The to ther contrary a perpetuall foo I lefte hyr then , and to the tother dyd goo and sayde : O Masinissa I the praye For Scypyons sake which thou dydst loue alway And for Sophonysba that standeth the by That I am so bolde be thou not angrye To demaunde the what thou doest here Masinissa aunswered with a sad chere I do desyre to knowe what thou shulde be For it is I tel the a great wonder vnto me That thou doest spye my great affection whiche that I be are with suche dilection To this my loue , and to my tother frende That desyre of me , and I wyll condescende To all that thynge that thou wylt haue me do I aunswered gently , O hyghe prynce not so My poore estate desyreth no suche mede A small lytle fyer farre of in dede Bryngeth forth but a small lyght : But thy royall fame , O noble knyght Is euery where blowen and spredde This duke afore whome thou arte ledde I praye the gently kynge expresse Whether he doth lede you both in peace You and Sophonysba , for I suppose That twayne suche louers as together goese In all the worlde were harde to fynde : He aunswered and sayde , thy wordes are so kind That although thou knowe hole the case Of all my loue howe greuous that it was Yet wyll I tell the thy fancy to appease And thy mynde to set at rest and ease , That noble Duke that onlye had my harte So true and sure , and fast in euery parte That I in frendshyp with Lelins may compare Whersoeuer his worthy baner dyd fare , There was I , wyth that moste worthy knyght But not so fortunate as he deserued by ryght For full of goodnes and grace was he Aswell wyth soule as in the fayre bodye Nowe after the Romaynes by singler honoure Had sprede theyr armes by myght and power To the extreme partes of the occident Thither wyth this valeaunt Scipion I went There was I , in loue fyrst taken than Wyth this Sophonisba this swete woman And she with me in such a feruent guyse That I affirme and with so true aduyse That neuer two louers loued better Nor two true louing hartes nor sweter Agreade in one nor yet neuer shall But the tyme of duryng alas it was but small For sone vanished away our louely chere As I tell the yf that thou wilt me here For albeit , I toke her to my wyfe And thought with her to haue led my lyffe The bond was broken forthwith in twayne By his holy wordes that more myght certayne Then all the worlde in such faruente case The knot he losed and I my selfe gaue place And nowe wonder for I in hym dyd see So highe vertue in all kynde of degree That as I may say by good comparison He is all blynde that cannot see the sonne And albeit that iustice was offence To oure true loue yet his high prudence And his deare frendshyppe dyd me compell For to folo we his sage worthy councell In honour a very father was he And in loue a chylde in yche degree A brother in yeres which me constrayned Wyth heuy harte with sighes depe payned Scipio to obeye whereby my wyfe Was constrayned for to lose her lyfe And that wyllingly rather then she Into vyle seruitude brought should be And I my selfe the mynister was To my great doloure to execute this case So ardently she desired the death That I my selfe as the trueth sayeth To her prayer dyd then condiscend To my great heuynes this was the ende I sent her venyme for to drynke Wyth such a sorowe as thou mayest thynke Y feuer thou feltes of loues woo and payne That it semeth my harte wolde brest in twayne She knoweth this and so well knowe I Be thou the Iudge and thynk I do not lye Thus loste I my dere hope and luste To kepe my fayth and not to be vniuste Unto my Scipio nowe seke yf thou may Yf thou caust se in all this great arraye Or ells perceaue in all this louers daunce So wonderfull and so straunge a chaunce Wyth these wordes that he declared to me Calling to minde as I myght playnely se The hoote fyery loue betwixt them twayne My harte euen there so relentyde playne As doth the snowe agaynst the feruent sonne When that his beames to sprede he hath begonne And this as these twayne passed by I harde her say and that right hastely This felowe pleased me nothing at all I am determined ye and euer shall To hate hym and all his nacion When that I harde her speake of this facion I sayd Sophonisba I praye the be in peace For bryfelye the truth to the to reherse Two times the Romaynes thy cartage oppressed That as theyr subiectes to be they all confessed The thirde tyme they destroyde it cleane That nowe vnneth thereof is nothyng sene Sophonisba answered to me agayne With short wordes and in great disdaine Yf Aufrike wept Italie had no nede For to make bost of theyr lucky spede Aske those that your hystoryes do wryte For they the trueth of both perties do endite Thus they went both together in fere Among the great prease here and there Smiling and talkyng that I ne might No more of them haue after that a sight Then as one that at aduenture doth ride To knowe the right way on euery syde Nowe standeth , nowe goeth , nowe hyeth apase Euen so my fancye at that time it was Doubtefull and desyring to knowe by proue Howe faruently these twayne dyd loue Tyll at the last as I cast myne eye Upon the lyft hande I sawe me by One that had this straunge effecte To seme angry because he dyd abiecte His wyffe which he loued aboue all other By pytie to geue her to a nother And reioysed much so for to doo And all together as louers they dyd goo Talkynge of this merueylouse case And of Syrya that countre where it was I drue me nere to these spirites thre That were aboute , as farre as I can see To haue gone from thense another way And to the first of them thus dyd I say I pray you sayde I , a whyle for to abyde A none the fyrste he dyd cast his heade asyde When that he harde me speake Italyan And wyth a ryght angrye countenaunce than He stode styll and streyght began to tell That which I thought to be a great maruell Thou desyrest my frende to knowe sayeth he What I am and what that I should be I am Selencus brifely to discus And this afore the is my sonne Antiocus Which had great warre with the Romaines nation But right agaynste fierce hath no dominion This woman that thou sest was fyrst my wyfe And after was his for to saue hys lyfe It was then ●efull for vs so to doe Her name is Stratonica she was called so And oure chaunce by loue was thus deuyded And vnder this facyon the matter was guyded My sonne was contented to release to my hande His great kyngdome and all his large lande I vnto hym my loue and lady deare When that I sawe hym for to chaung his chere And day by daye to drawe vnto the death So that vnneth he myght not drawe his breath . I maruayled muche what the cause shoulde be Secretely my wyfe for trueth loued he That not disclosinge his wofull payne My dere sonne by loue was well nere slayne And had ben deade , but that the wyse phisician Disclosed to me the very cause than Of all his sycknes whiche he kept close Surely this came of a vertuouse purpose And of a wonderous fatherly pytie of me Sayinge these wordes awaye went he So that I coulde vnneth bydde hym farewell And this was all that then he dyd me tell After that the shadowe thus was gone Syghynge and sadde , I made great mone Because I myght not to hym disclose my hart But styll as I stode thus musynge aparte I knowe that Zerzes the great kynge of Perce Whiche ledde an Army as hystories reherce Of men innumerable , had neuer such a sort As there was of louers barrayne of comforte So that myne eyes coulde not well suffyse To se theyr straunge fashyons and theyr guyse Uaryable of tounges , and of so dyuers landes That amonge a thousand one that there standes I knewe not , theyr person nor theyr name Nor yet in hystorye coulde descryue the same Parseus was one , and fayne I woulde desyre Howe Andromeda dyd hyr selfe so attyre That although she blacke were pardie Borne in Ethiope that whote countrie yet her fayre eyne , and her cryspe heare This Parseus harte in loue so dyd steare That as his loue the virgyn dyd he take And neuer after dyd that mayde forsake There was also the folysh louer playne That loued his owne pycter vayne That therby vnwysely he was brought to death And after as the hystorye playnly sayth He was conuerted by the diuine power Unto a fayre goodly pleasaunt flower Without for to brynge any frute at all And by hym emong these louers thrall Was she that was turned vnto a stone And now aloude doth aunswer euery one When she is called with voyce clere Next vnto this Ecco that dyd appeare Was yphys that had her selfe in hate Wyth other dyuers , in a full pyteouse state Whiche were to longe theyr names for to reherse Eyther in prose , or elles in ryme or verse But yet of some I wyll declare and tell Of Alcione and Ceice that loued so well That loue they had so ioyned for euer That nothynge could make them to disseuer Nowe clepyng now kyssynge , as they dyd flye Serchynge the kyngedome of Esperye Now restynge together on a salte stone And by the Sea theyr nestes to make alone And I sawe also amonge that great route As here and there I loked me about The cruell doughter of kynge Nysus With flyght she fledde which is maruelouse Allauta was amonge them in the presse With theyr gay golden apples doubtles She was vanquyshed yea and ouercome By Hyppomone lo this is all and some Glad he semed to haue had the vyctory And amonge the other of this companye I sawe Atys and Galathea in his lappe And Poliphemon with greate noyse and clappe And Glanco shouynge amonge the sorte Crying for his loue without comforte Carmenite and Pico , of Italy sometyme kynge Turne to a byrde , which was a meruelouse thing There sawe I also Egeria complayne Because Syllayn was turned certayne Into a greate harde rocke of stone Whiche in the sea maketh many to mone Amonge the other that I haue rehearsed Was Cauase , by hyr father oppressed In the tone hande a penne dyd she holde A sworde in the tother , with pale face and colde Pygmalion was there among the reste With his wyfe Alyf that he loued best And amonge these I harde a thousande synge In Castallia where these Poetes brynge These louers with them more then I reherse In prose , in ryme , in metre , and in verse And at the last Cydippe dyd I see Scorned with an apple there was she .
The thyrde chapter of the tryumphe of Loue . SO muche was my hearte a marueld of this syght That I stode styll as one that had no myght To speake or looke but to holde hys peace As desyreous to haue some councell doubtles When that my frende gentylly to me sayde Why doest thou muse ? Why arte thou dismayde ? Shewe forth a better chere and porte And se how that I am one of the sorte That wyll I , nyll I , must folowe the rest . Brother sayde I , and thou knowest best Myne entention , and the hote loue I feale Whiche is so whote that it cannot keale So that suche busynes doth trauayle my mynde That what I wolde saye I leaue behynde . He aunswered and sayde , I do heare it all And well vnderstande by thy memoriall Thou wouldest knowe yet what these other be And I shall shewe thee yf thou wylte heare me Seest thou yondre great man of honoure That is Pompeus so great of power That hath with hym Cornelia the chaste Complaining of the vyle Tholome the vnstedfast That betrayed so noble and worthy a man The tother is the great and myghtie grecian Alexander the lorde of lordes all Egystus and Clytemistra see where they stall And howe by them one may soone fynde Loue vnconstant waueryng and blynde More faste loue founde she that standeth by Ipermistra it is that fayre swete ladye See also where Piramus doth goo And with hym Thisbe that he loued soo That in the derke mette oft together Leander in the see and Ero at the fenester And hym that thou doest se so pensyle and sadde It is Ulixes that so chaste a wyfe hadde That dyd longe abyde hys returne from Troy Nowe on Cyres he hath all his ioye And yonder man that thou doest aduerte That made all ytaly sore for to smerte It is Amilcar sonne in very deade That made all the Romaynes to feare and dread And althoughe he made yche man to quake A vyle wench prysoner doth hym take And yonder woman with the short heare Loke howe she foloweth here and there All though she were quene of Ponto Her husbande whersoeuer he doth goo As a seruaunte and not as a wyfe She ledde wyth hym a full harde lyfe The tother thou seest is Porcia the true The chastiste wyfe that euer man knewe Because that yron men dyd her forbyde The fyre she swallowed tyll she were dede Beholde where is Iulia that soore complayned That she best loued her husband vnfayned And yet he louide hys second wyfe better There could to her be no payne greater Turne thyne eyes on the other syde And see the olde holy father begylde And dysdayne not for to take the payne To serue seuen yeares to haue Rachell agayne O lyuely loue that with labour doth encrease See the father of this Iacob neuerthelesse And the graundefather of Sara take delyght Thus doth loue wyth his power and myght After loke howe loue cruell and euyll Ouercame Dauide and made hym to kyll His faythfull seruaunt which he repented sore In a derke place he dyd repentaunce therefore A lyke mysty cloude pyte to thynke vpon So ●erkyd the great wysedome of Salomon That well neare it quenched hys hygh fame Se also I praye the among the same He that louyde and hatyd in a whyle And it is he that Thamar dyd beguyle Wherefore she complayned to Absolone Of hyr mysfortune she made wondre mone And lytle afore hym see there he went The stronge Sampson that sore dyd repent For putting his heade in his loues lappe Tellyng her hys secretes he hadde hard happe After beholde amonge swordes and speares Iudeth that hent hym by the heares The proude Holiferne vanquished by loue Whereby she sauyde her citie from reproue There was no moo but she and hee mayde That dyd thys wonders acte at that abrayde Doest thou not see Sychen afore thine eyes Emonge the circumcysed people howe he dyes Scorned in lyke maner as the tother was Thys was loue that brought hym to that case Lo where thou mayest see the greate Assuerus That for to heale hys malady amarouse Left the tone and toke hym to a sweter There is no remedy agaynst loue better Then one nayle to knocke out with a nother A stronge example this is among the other But nowe wylt thou see in one tyrantes hart Loue and crueltie which is a diuers parte Beholde Herodes howe he doth complayne Thys myscheuouse tyrante inhumayne To late repentyd soo doth dyuers mo The deade ones done , it cannot be vndoo Maryamne hys loue he calleth and clepeth And all in vayne wherefore he wepeth And lo there one may beholde and see Three fayre swete Dameselles where they be Pocry and the good gentle Arthemesia And in there companye there standeth Deidamin These were not soo good but the other be as yll That foloweth this loues tryumphe styll Semiramis and Biblia , and Mirra , the gent That of theyr vyle loue do soore repente I am not aduysed theyr offences to name Therefore I leue it for very pure shame Nowe foloweth then that fyll bokes wyth lyes Launslote and Trystram that for Ysode dyes And Quene Queynor with other louers moo But specially the fayre gentle Darmino That made for his loue great complaynte And she for hym wexed pale and faynte Thus spake my frende , & I which herkened well All these hystories that he to me dyd tell Stode astonied as in dreade and feare Of hurt to come that hastyth nere and nere Pale and wane as he that is so taken Oute of his tombe newe rysen and awaken When that all sodenly by me there stode The fayrest yonge mayden of face and mode That euer I sawe whyter then a doue Which vnprouided toke me soore in loue And although that I dyd pretende By strength agaynst her me to defende And that I , would resyst in the place A man of armes in such a soden case Yet for hyr wordes and with her smyling there She bounde me fast and toke me prysoner And euyn then for trueth in that degree My frende drue nere and smyling sayde to me In my nere wysperyng nowe speake thou may What loue is and all her nyce playe Nowe mayest thou knowe it as well as I Both we be spottyd wyth one maladye I than was one of this great arraye That more dyd lament the trueth , I saye Of other mens loue that prosperde well Then of myne owne doloure of which I tell And as he that repenteth all to late Of hurte taken vnwysely allgate So of my loues beautie dyd I make Myne owne death which wyllyngly I take By loue , by ielozy , by enuye also Burnynge lyke fyre thus dyd I loue in woo The fyre was kyndled in that most fayrest face Euen as a sycke man that an appetyte base And desyreth that to hym semeth swete Yet to this helth it is nothynge mete Euen so was I vnto all other pleasure Deaf and blynde , out of all measure Folowynge hyr by so doubtfull wayes That it to remember , those tymes and dayes I tremble and quake when therof I do thynke More then I can wryte with pen paper and ynke So that from the tyme that this befell Myne eyes for moysture semed a well My harte was pensyfe , my lodginge was in dede Brokes sprynges , and ryuers , so dyd I lede My lyfe in busshes , in grouets , and in woodes Amonge the stones , I sought none other goodes And to this so many papers whyte As in hyr prayse I payned to endyte When after I tore them into peces smal I was compelled agayne to wryte them all And all in loues cloystre what is done I know it well it cannot be vndone That there is feare , and there is hope also Who wyll it rede , and take hede thereto In my forehead there maye ye se it playne All my sorowe , my doloure , and my payne And for all this , that wylde ioly dame That is the causer of all this same Goeth afore me and careth not at all Whether that I flete , I synke , or fall So is she proude in vertue set so hye That in hyr selfe she taketh glorye To haue me so fast hyr seruaunt bounde That I knowe not howe to heale my wounde And to this it is a maruelouse thynge The God of loue this great myghtye kynge It seemeth of hyr he is soore afearde When that she lyst to loke hymin the bearde So that hope doth me so ofte forsake That loue hym selfe no remedy can make For when he wyll any thynge with this mayde She doth not as other do that are afrayde But as one that is free she goeth in the race Not bounde , but at lydertie with hyr fayre face And no wondre for she doth appeare Emonge the starres as the Sonne cleare Hyr porte is synguler hyr wordes are maruelous Hyr heare spred as the golde moost beutiouse The eyen kyndled with a celestiall lyght That well content to burne is my delyght Who can compare with hyr angelyke demure It passeth my connyng ye maye be sure As muche as the Sea passeth a lytle broke For who on good maners doth prye and looke A newe thynge it is , and not afore seene Nor after shall not so dulse and sheene So that all tounges hyr beutye to expresse Are and shal be muete doubtelesse With suche a one am I taken , and with hyr tyde And she free from all loue on euery syde O wycked starre that my destanye doth leade Howe is it that I haue no better speade Day and nyght vpon hyr I do call But she nothyng bouse to pytie at all Nor scant will tary to heare what I saye Alas for pytye well mourne I maye A harde lawe it is thus to loue be kynde The waye not ryght , but crooked for to fynde But yet to folowe it why shulde I saye naye When that not onely men doth goe that waye But the Goddes also that be celestiall Are not free from this payne at all He that is a louer ful well knowes this How that the hart from the bodye departed is How nowe he is in warre , and forthwith in peace Howe when his loue doth shewe vngentlenes He wyll not be aknowen , but his malady hyde Thoughe that it prycke hym both backe and syde This euell feele I , and yet more there to When with my loue I haue to do The bloude for feare renneth to my harte And streyght abroade in my vaynes doth starte I knowe also howe hydde vnder the floure The serpent lyeth the louer to deuoure How alwayes the louer lyeth in dread and doute In great suspecte for to be put oute By another , and so no rest I take Neyther when I slepe , nor when I wake I knowe also howe to seke the place Where my loue is ay wont to passe And yet I stand in feare hyr to fynde Althoughe hyr selfe is prynted in my mynde I knowe also my selfe howe to beguyle With louynge and mornynge a great whyle Folowynge the damesell it is euen so That wyll burne me folowyng , yet after I go I knowe moreouer how loue cryes and calles And wyll not be shytte out with dores nor walles But puttes by reason , and wyll not go awaye Tyll he pearce the harte , and all I saye I knowe also how s●●● a gentle harte Is tyed with a small lace and cannot ▪ start When the sences haue the better hande And reason put by , and wyll not withstande I knowe to this how that loue doth shote How he flyes and strykes without geuyng boote How he threateth and robbeth with forse & might And thus wronges his seruauntes against alright and I am not ignoraunt how vnstable is his whele The hope doubtfull alwayes for to fele The doloure sute , his promyse vntrue Ay desyrous to chaunge for thynges newe And how to this in the bones doth rest The hyd fyre that lyeth so opprest In the louers vaynes , and that with such a wound That at the last it bryngeth hym to the ground In conclusion I know loue so to be Inconstaunt , waueryng , and fearefull trust me Hauyng in it a lytle small swetenes Mengled with extreme payne and bytternes When he woulde speake , cannot though he would Sodeyne scilence when his tale should be tolde A shorte laughynge with complaynt styll & longe Gall tempred with hony this is the louers songe .
The fourth Chapter of the Tryumphe of Loue . AFter that my fortune thus hade me broughte And loue soo sore in my hart wroughte That cut were al my weake sely vaynes My lybertie gone and I in wofull paynes I that afore was wylde as any harte Was made then tame for my parte As well as all the other that were there And well knew theyr trauayle and theyr fere And wyth what wyte , crafte and chaunce I and they were brought to loues daunce And then as that I loked all aboute If I myght spye among that hudge route Any person of cleare and high name That by wryting haue eternall fame I sawe hym that Erudyce dyd call Apon Pluto the great god infernall And folowed her as these hystories tell Downe vnto the depe dongeon of hell And dying dyd his loue clepe and call I sawe also euyn among them all Alceo Macreon and the wyse Pyndarus That in loue were all thre studiouse Uyrgyll was there . I say in lyke case Wyth other excellent poetes in that place The tone was Ouyde the tother Catullo Propercius also and eke Tubullo That of loue wrote many a verse and songe And with this excellent Poetes amonge Was a Grecian that with her swete style Of loue full many a songe dyd fyle Ay lokyng thus about me here and there I sawe in a grene fielde with sadde chere People that of loue reasonyng went Dant with beatryce fayre and gent Lo on the tother syde I might also se Cino of Piscoia wyth hym trust me Guydo of Rezzo and in that place Two other Guydos in lyke manner and case The tone of them was borne in boleyne The tother was a very ryght Cicelien Senicio and Francisco so gentle-of condicion And Arnolde and Daniell in lyke facion A great maker and dyuyser of loue And dyd great honour to his Citie aboue There was Peter also the Clerke famouse And Rambaldo with his stile curiouse That wrote for his beatryce in mont ferrato The olde Peter and with hym Geraldo Filile to that in Marsill bare the name And the prayse from Geneway by the same Geffray Rudell that sought his death Alasse vpon the water as he hymselfe dyd passe There was also Wilbon at that houre That in wryting to his Peramoure Passyd many other in his dayes Among these other that of loue sayes Was Amerego , Barnardo , Hugo , and Anselme That in stede of speare , shilde , and helme Was theyr tounge and theyr fayre speach The loue of theyr Ladyes to besech I turned myne eyes from that companye And streight wyse I dyd there espye The good Thomaso that gate great prayse In Boleyne that citie in hys dayse O fleyng swetenes O paynefull wery lyfe What chaunce hath taken wyth woo and strife These my deare fryndes away from me Why am I not styll in theyr company Well may I perceaue howe feble and frayle Is mans lyfe all full of trauayle Well may I say it is none other thing But as a dreame or a shadowe passyng Or as a fable that when it is tolde The wynde and whether doth it holde Unneth was a lytle past the rule Of the commen lernars in scole When fyrste I dyd Socrates workes se And Lelius howe fayre they dyd agree Wyth these men I entende styll to goo Which I haue named hether vnto As those whose laude : no man can well rehearse Neyther in ryme , in prose , nor yet in verse Wyth these two and dyuerse other in my dayes Haue I searched many dyuers wayes And from these noo man can me deuyde But for alwayes I wyll wyth them abyde Untyll the houre come ▪ that I shall dye For wyth these two gotten yet haue I The gloriouse Laurell wherewith my heade As a garlande all aboute is spredde In memory of her of which I wryte Uerses of prayses as I can endyte But of her which I so much commend For all my seruyce that I do pretend I cannot get neyther boughe nor lefe But payne , heauines , doloure , and grefe And or I wryte the cause why she doth so I wyll wryte of the pensyfe woo That these vnwyse louers haue to loue The thyng is so farre my wytte aboue That for great Omer or for wyse Orpheus It were well mete they shoulde it dyscusse Then in folowing of my golden penne I wyll declare howe I and all these men Folowing this god by Dykes and by Dales With peynes and busines and with many tales This chylde vnto his kyngdome came Where Uenus hys mother was resydent than But so ouerwhart thyder was the wayes By busshes and woodes and other brayes That not one amonge all wyste where he was Nor howe it was wyth hym nor in what case There lyeth beyonde Egeo that grete see A delectable yle to beholde and se Because the sonne softly doth it warme The byrdes there full swetely charme In the myddes of this yle now expressed Is there a mountayne fayre ydressed With fayre flowres , and fayre cleare water That it taketh awaye all sadde matter From the hartes of suche as be there This is the lande to Uenus moost dere Wherein the olde auncient men Made to this Uenus a temple then And yet of vertue it is so barrayne I saye That as it was , so it is at this daye In that selfe same place tryumpheth this Lorde Of vs and other that he doth bynde in corde Of all nations , from Tyle vnto Inde Innumerable of all men one maye fynde This Prynce in token of his great victory That he hath obteyned of louers so gloriouslye Caryeth with hym of poore louers the spoyle To gyue to hys wanton mother in that soyle Fyrst of all the louers thoughtes in his lappe He hath with hym fast closed in a trappe Uanytie embraseth hym , and with hym doth go Fugytyue pleasure doth folowe hym also In wynter Roses he caryeth about In Somer yse , this great God so stoute Doutefull hope before and behynde Shorte Ioye , wauerynge and blynde Penaunce and sorow doth folowe the rest As in Rome and in Troy , when it was opprest Thus with a noyse and a huge shoute Redounded the valleye there all aboute With a consent of byrdes fayre and swete And the ryuers that ranne by the strete Were of coloure breifly to endyte Greene , blewe , redde , yalowe and whyte And euer the Ryuars rynnyng in that place When that the tyme of greate heate was Apon the freshe fayre greene flowres To comforte the herbers and the bowres Shadowes softe to kepe the sonne away The wether temperate by nyght and daye The Sonne nether to hoote nor to colde Plenty of deynties eate who woulde And pleasures dyuers to make a symple wytte Haue an olde feble harte for to vse it It was about the Equinoctiall lyne than When the fayre bryght Phebus began To chase the longe wynter nyghtes awaye And prougne laughes early afore daye In that tyme and in that selfe howre This great God of so hyghe powre Woulde tryumphe then , and there worshipped be O our vnstable fortune for to se We ne coulde but as this God vs leade Hym to worshyppe , se howe we speade What death , what sorow , woo and payne Hath the louer , his purpose to attayne Nowe for to declare this matter by and by This Goddes chayre , where that they sat on hye There was about it errour and dreames And glosynge ymages of all nations and realmes False opynion was entrynge the gate And slypper hope stode by theyr ate Wery rest , and rest with wo and payne The more hygher he clam the lesse he dyd obtayn Damnable lucre was not wantynge there Nor profitable hurte alwayes in fere Cleare dishonoure , and glory obscure and darke False lealtie lefte not there to warke Nor beguyldynge fayth , nor furious busynes Nor slowe reason lacked not in the presse A pryson open , entre who woulde When he was in gotten oute he ne coulde Within trouble , confusion , and mysery A sure sorowe a myrth vncertaynly Lyppary nor Ischa , nor Uolcan boyls not so Strongile and Mongebell put therto As boyled the place where the castell was And briefly whosoeuer thyther dyd pas Is there bounde in hote and in colde In darkenesse euerlastynge in that holde Holden and tyed and kept by forse Crying for mercy tyll that he be horse In this castell syghynge for Sorga and Arno Was I prysoner many a longe daye so That by my wytte , I coulde no meanes fynde Oute for to gette there I was so blynde One remedye at the leaste there I founde Whyles that I was in loue thus bounde My wytte on hyghe thynges was euermore set To knowe what loue is whiche was so great That I therby coulde well discerne What was to be done in suche harme And thus hauynge great compassion Of suche that were in loues pryson My harte relented euen as doth the snowe Agaynst the hoote Sonne ye may me trowe Merueylynge to se so many noble men To be in so darke a pryson there and then None otherwyse but as one that doth se A pycture well made in conformyte Goeth the foote forwarde it for to espye And yet loketh backwarde with his eye So at that tyme I loked all aboute To consydre this greate companye and route .
The ende of the Tryumphe of Loue .
The excellent Tryumphe of Chastitie . WHen that I sawe euyn afore my face In one tyme and in one Selfe place The hyghe god that reigneth aboue And men mortall subdewede also by loue By theyr example and by there great ●all Some profyte to my selfe then dyd I call And some comeforte it was also to me Euen as other were I for to be When Phebus a god was taken in that lure And the yonge Leader a man pure Both twayne strycken wyth loues darte And Iuno and Dydo lasyd with that parte Not that Dydo that men doth wryte That for Eneas wyth death was dyte But that noble Lady true and iuste For Sychen her ioye and hartes luste I ought not to morne thoughe that vnware I were taken in loues craftie snare Being but a very yonge man of age For to be vanquished wyth such a rage And yf that my Lady that I loue best Wyll not with loue in no wyse be opprest But be mine enemies in such a thyng I haue no cause of great mournyng For as muche as I do call to mynde What hurt by that , that she should fynde I knowe also that by her reason She doth so guyde her in eche season That loue by her is so abatyd That it doth seme this god is hatyd Which when that loue dyd playnely se He was so chafed trust ye well me That the lyghtnyng that falles from the skye And beryth downe all euen by and by Nor the lyon soo woode in his rage So assayde not that tyme for to assuage Wyth all his argumentes that he coulde make This Lady I reason of prysoner to take Nor she agayne I say for her parte When that she well and wisely dyd aduert What Cupyde was aboute wyth her to do The whurling wind flieth not so faste so As she agaynst hym wyth vertue went Tolet this great god of his intent What should I say Etna that hyll That boyleth and burneth euermore still Maketh not a more terrible soune When that Enchelado would shake it downe Nor Sylla nor Carrybdys when angry they be Then loue assayde you may trust me To wyne my Lady in suche wyse When that he sawe hyr loue dyspyse Eche man there drue hymselfe aparte The great horrible stryfe for to aduert Up to a place that were meruelously hye To loke to , what ende this should applye Thys god that the vanquer as is tolde Of mortall men both of yonge and olde Toke in his ryght hand Arrowe sharpe and kene And in the tother a bowe bryght and shene And drewe it vp this Lady to feare In great hast and anger vp to his eare And this dyd he in such great violence That a Leoparde that maketh pretence The fugytyfe hart for to cache and take Coulde not more hasty haste make Then loue dyd wyth his fyery face This fayre Lady with craft to compase I that sawe the maner and the guyse Was soore moued in double wyse Pyte ferde me lest that I shoulde se So swete a Creature vanquished for to be Desyre agayne would haue be gladde That I my purpose myght then haue hadde But vertue that with the good is euer Shewed at that tyme that he dyd neuer Forsake hym that hym doth truste This fayre Lady my hartes luste When she dyd se the stroke at hande Was neuer mayster that doth withstand In the shyppe on the parlouse Rocke to fall Then she that then and forth with all Dyd awaye from loues stroke glyde Wyth such a honestie one euery parte and syde Which then apperyd in her swete face That loues fyery darte had there no place I that stode styll with wonderouse sadde entent To se wher vnto this matter went Hopyng the vyctorie to me should fall And that I shulde he hyrse hole and all As one that hath or he would speake Wrytten in hys heade and harte eke What he wolde say euen so do I Thynke to say euen by and by My lorde yf that you wynne the fyelde Bynde me with her for I doo yelde And let me neuer from her depart Whyles that the lyfe is in my harte And yf that vnworthy that I be To be with this Lady in company All though for euer in loue I dure Here styll wyth you do tye me sure Whyles that I mynded thus for to saye She loked on me that moste swete may Wyth such a graue and a wyse sadde chere That for to speake it I dreade and feare For I not onely that haue smale wytte But that man also for to declare it That had the moste excellent wytte and reason Should haue marueyled at that tyme & season For this loues golden and fyery shafte Euen by it selfe there it fell aparte Seyng the honestie as I haue here tolde In my loues breste that then was colde So that Camilla that fayre ladye gent That with the lyfte brest to battell went Nor Cesar in Tessalia agaynst Pompeus Was nothyng to speake of so Ualerouse As she was agaynst loue there and than That euery stronge shielde breake it can Armed was she with all her route With vertues compassed all about O what a gloryouse bande there was That agaynst loue with hyr dyd passe Twayne and twayne and hande in hande This noble army together dyd stande Honestie and shamefastnesse they went before A great gyfte of God for euermore That made this Lady for to shewe and shyne Not lyke no mortall but lyke deuyne Wyt and sobernes folowed the trace Well set in hyr harte without arrace And perseueraunce came with the reste Whiche kept her honour not to be opprest Fayre entreatynge was not behynde Nor clemesse nor curtesy that is so kynde Purytie of heart and feare of shame Was there in presence loue to tame Olde wyse thoughtes in a yonge tender age And gratiouse concorde all fury to asswage And beuty lacked not , with a chast clene thoughte All these agaynst loue my Lady broughte With the fauoure of heauen that halpe therto And the blessed holy saynetes ayde also That vnneth my syght coulde well susteyne To se suche a company in that playne There sawe I this felowshyp take the spoyle A thousande palmes in that great soyle Awaye from the handes of them that were Louers in that companye there and there The sodeyne throwe that fierse Hannibal Had of Scipion the captayne generall Of the Romaynes when he had obteyned So many victories so many maymed Nor the great Golyas was not more abashed When with the stone his heade was dashed By Dauid yonge and tendre of age Nor Cirus more astonied in that rage When that the wydow the vengeaunce did make For the death of Hermon , and for hyr loues sake As was loue whiche stode in the place Muche lyke after the fashion and case As he that thynkes hymselfe safe and sounde And with a pange doth fall to the grounde Euen so there dyd loue poorely stande Unto hys eyes puttynge vp his hande As he that both with angre and feare Euen with a moment appeared there And he so chaufed with his aduenture That the ragyouse Sea ye may be well sure Nor Mongebello nor yet Enchelydo Neuer more chaufed then he dyd tho Thus passed this great company gloryouse That I dyd se tryumphynge thus But theyr excellency for to declare My counynge and my wytte is all to bare I therfore wyll tourne to my fayre Ladye And to the rest of hyr chast company She had this excellent dame victoriouse A whyte vesture , gaye and gloryouse The shielde in hande of pure Iasper cleane That euyll sawe Medusa that Quene With a pyller in the myddes fynely set A chayne with a Dyamount therto was fret And a Thopasion a preciouse stone Used sometyme and nowe cleane gone I sawe hyr there euen afore myne eyes So bynde loue in suche a wonderouse wyse That it semed vengeaunce I say ynowe To make hym stoupe , to make hym for to bowe And I therefore dyd nothynge then repent What my loue dyd , I was therwith content What more shulde I nowe saye or wryte It passeth my connyng , it passeth my myght The sacred and holy virgins to tell Caliope and Clio I knowe it well With the rest of the muses nyne Shulde lacke eloquence that to defyne But parte of them of moost hygh honeste I wyll declare what persons they shulde be Lucrecia on the ryght hande there she stode And swete Penolope so mylde of mode These twayne had broken in pecis small Loues bowe his dartes , arrowes and all And pulled his wynges quyte from hys backe Thus this greate God dyd go to wracke Uirginea with hir fierce father was there With swearde in hande and armed clere That chaunged the state of Rome towne And raysed vp libertie that was put downe And after that one myght beholde and se Of the Germaynes maydens a huge company That for to saue them from vyllany Were all contented with good wyll to dye Iudith the Ebrewe the wyse and the stronge With the Grekes Lady she was amonge That leped into the great perylious See To kepe hyr body from all vyllanye With these swete sorte I sawe diuers moo That in this tryumphe forth dyd goo Tryumphynge of Loue that tryumphed before Yet amonge other there sawe I more The meke vyrgyn of Uesca there she was That proued hyr chastitie by suche a case She bare fayre water in a large Seue Wherby she voyded all and yll repreue Hersilia also passed with that route Wyth all hir Sabyns that stode there aboute And emong these other fayre Ladyes free I sawe hyr of muche hyghe state and degree That for hyr husbande was content to dye And not for Eneas so affyrme I Let the vulgar people then holde theyr peace It is that Dydo that I do here rehearse That honest loue broughte vnto an ende And not vayne wanton loue that dyd her offende At the last I dyd se one of that lande Where as the large ryuer of Arno doth stande Closed hyr selfe vp in a secrete place To kepe hyr vyrgynitie , but woo alas alas Hyr fayre thought by force it was lette There emonge other I sawe her sette This excellent tryumphe whereof I wryte Went with great glory euen forth ryght To Baia the seasone all softe and fayre To the place sometyme that Sibilla dyd repayre Callyd Cumana by her surname And from thens passyng by the same Streyght to Linterna that castell they went In that smale citie where it is bent Dwellyd that vallyaunt Romayne than That was surnamed Scipion the Affrican There the tone salutyd gently the tother And euermore among the one and the other Not she that was fayrest but chastyst and best Was most honored among all the rest It pleased then this Romayne for to goo Among the other there in ordre also Unto the temple that Sulpicia made Where all the hole flame that loue hade They quenched it out and from thense all went Unto that fayre temple wyth good entent Of honorable chastitie so is the ryght name Because there appertayneth vnto the same To kyndle good wyll in a gentle harte Speciaily to noblenes that thereto doth aduert In that holy temple there offered this Lady The gloriouse spoyle of her high victorye And leues of the Laurell tre there dyd she spred Of hyr freshe garlande aboute her fayre hed There the younge louer the Toscan left asyde The wounde that was both large and syde That loue had geuen hym and all because To fle the suspect to folowe loues lawes Where as was with hym dyuerse other mo The gentle and faythfull true Ypolito And Iosephe the Ebrue honest and iuste That vanquisshed loue and all his foule luste
The Tryumphe of the excellente Poete Fraunces Petrarcha , of fearful death mooste elegantlye wrytten , ye that reade it , remember it .
THis most noble and mooste gloryouse Ladye That nowe is a spirite & in the earth doth lye And somtyme was the hygh pyller of valour Turned from hyr warre with laude and honour Gladde to haue ouer comen an enemy so great That with his wyt turneth all men vnder feet With none other armour she dyd this deade But with a chast hart at the tyme of nede With a swete face and with a clene thoughte And with an honest speche this hath she wrought It was a newe wondre for to beholde and se Loue to be ouercome in suche wyse and degre Hys bowe broken his arrowes cast asyde That slayne had so many men of pryde And taken prysoners infinite of men This noble Lady with hyr company then Turned ( as sayde is ) from that hygh victory All together going vnder a fayre canapye There was but fewe no meruayl at all Uertuous glory is rath and euer shall But those that were present in that place Eche one by them selues it is a playne case Semed well worthy of laude to reherse Of Poete or Oratour in prose or verse , Hyr vyctoriouse standerde was this In a greene felde a whyte armyne is With a chayne of golde about his necke A fayre Topazion therto dyd it decke Nothynge after mortall mens rate Was nether theyr speche nor yet theyr gate But all deuyne for to beholde and se Happy are those that haue suche destanye They semed all fayre bryght starres The Sonne in the myddes that not debarres The lyght away , but geueth them lyght Hauynge on theyr fayre heades on hyght Rose garlandes and vyolets fresh and gay And as a louynge gentle hart alwaye Getteth honour for his vertuouse lyfe So past this company without debate or stryfe When that all sodenly there dyd appeare A sadde blacke baner that approched nere And a woman wrapped all in blacke With suche a fury and with suche a wracke . That vnneth I cannot the truth tell In the tyme of the great myghty gyauntes fell Were any so lothesome for to beholde and see Unto this Lady so gastly moued he And sayde O swete and excellent mayde That goest here moost perfytely arayde With youth and beautye and doste not se The terme that I shall present arrest the I am the same importune cruell best Callyd death fearefull that doth arrest All creatures wyth my greate force and myght Or the daye end● makyng it the nyght It is I that hath quite and cleane wastyd The great grekes nation and also hastyd The noble Troyans vnto theyr declyne And last of all hath made to ende and fyne The Romaynes glory wyth this blade kene That prycketh and cutteth all away cleane And infinite of other barbarouse nations Using euermore these wayes and facions When that they loke not for me at all Wyth sodeyne stroke I make them downe to fall A thousand thoughtes of men frayle and vayne I haue broken this is true and certayne And nowe to you when lyfe semeth best Here am I comen your body to arrest Or any harde fortune to you chaunce to fall I wyll you take and ende not one but all This excellent Lady hauing no peare In al the worlde wyth sad and wise chere Aunswered vnto death there present agayne In these chast companyes this is true & playne Thou hast no reason nor yet noo power And lesse of all other in me at this houre Onely the spoyle that thou shalt haue It is my chast body vnto the graue That well knoweth one as well as I That take well my death most heauely Hys lyfe on my health all doth depende But vnto the this is thy small ende It shal be to me no displeasure at all To departe the frayle worlde lo this is all This cruell beast with hyr wyse reason Was no lesse marueld at that tyme and season Than one that doth a thynge in soden haste And when the dede is so done and paste Doth blame hym selfe of that that he hath done Euen so dyd this terrible monster soone And when he had hym selfe paused a whyle With a more softe speache , and gentle style Thou ( sayes he ) that present here doest guyde This fayre chast bande on euery syde That hast not yet my fearefull stroke assayde By my councell be not so sore afrayde For that I wyll nowe do is for the best To make the fle ( O mayde ) from age opprest Whiche hath alwayes longynge thervnto Muche grief and dolour with payne & longe wo And to this nowe present , disposed I am Thou fayre creature and swete woman To do the suche honor present in this place That thy spirite shall from the body passe Without feare , dolour , or grief at all Be of good comfort O mayde , I haue sayde all This Angelyke creature when she had harde What death had sayde , agayne aunswerd As it pleaseth Christ our Lorde almyghtye That ruleth and tempereth all thynges eternally Do thou vnto her as thou doest to all men Thus this fayre Lady aunswered there and then And lo euen there present all sodenly Full of dead bodyes theyr great place dyd lye In such a number that them for to rehearse It cannot be countyd in prose nor yet in verse Of Cateya of Marow of Spayne and Inde Innumerable deade of all mankynde There were those that men happy dyd call Kynges Emperours and Bysshoppes all Now be they poore as poore as beggers be stones Where is there ryches & honour trowe ye Theyr scepters theyr crownes with theyr preciouse Theyr myters of purple dected for the noones Gone is all theyr glory and theyr freshe luste A foole is he that to such thinges doth truste But those that wyll nedes hope thervnto At length shall se the matter to be so Them selues vtterly scornyd and beguyled When all theyr fancys shal be quyte exiled O blynde fooles euen worse then madde For all the pleasures and ioyse ye haue hadde To your olde mother ye muste nedes passe And your names forgotten and turned to was What profyte hath it then bene vnto you Wyth swerde and blode strong nacions to subdue To mucke vp treasure and your soules to defyle It had bene better to haue lyued a whyle Porely in thys world with browen bread & water But nowe wyll I returne agayne to my matter I say than whan the extreme houre was come Of thys fayre Lady this is all and some And that she must the doubtfull passe assay That puttes all the worlde in dreade and fraye There came to se her of women many one To knowe and se or that the lyfe were gone What payne the fayre Creature dyd abyde Both fryndes and Neybors diuers on eche syde And so as they her great beautie dyd beholde Death dissolued the fayre here of golde And so the fayrest flower that euer was He dyd roote vp Alas I say Alas Not for no hate that he to her then hadde But in heauen for to make her spirite gladde O howe many complayntes and bewaylinges Syghes and teares and other lamentinges Were there than among the women all When that , that fayre bryght eyes celestiall For which many a swete songe I made Many a sonete many a freshe balade Were closed and shot vp Alas O wo is me This fayre Creature what trowe ye then did she Syt styll and glade in quiete and pease And gether the fructe of her vertuousnesse Go thy wayes O deare godes well content In peace and quiet with all thy vertues excellent But litle it auayled agaynst deathes myght Then if he haue agaynst such a one ryght What shall it be trowe ye of the reste O humayne hope with al mysery opprest In a fewe myghtes so swete a mayde Goone and past in so short a brayde So many teares for her death sprede Thou that seste it or heryst it redde Thinke what it is the worlde for to truste When such a creature is turned vnto dust It was for truth the sixe day of Apryll That loue to loue hyr dyd me compell And euen that same selfe houre and daye Death dyd take my loue and ioye awaye And nowe as fortune is wont for to chaunge Hath broken the knot and eke the raunge With suche sorowe vnto my wofull harte That I am afrayde I saye , as for my parte To tell it ether in verse or in ryme It was to me so sorowfull a tyme Uertue sayde they that were present there Excellent beutye and moost womanly chere Nowe is deade and gone what shall we be When she is past the death as we do se Where shall hyr peere or lyke be seene agayne So great perfection in one for to remayne So swete a speache so Angelyke a voyce This aboue all other was the choyce And the spyryt when it shulde depart As they myght se and periytly aduerte With all other vertues gatheredin one Where as it went the ayre moost bryghtly shone None euyll aduersary was so hardy there Afore hyr presence to stande or appeare With foule semblaunt to put hyr in dread Tyll death his assaute had done in dede But after that when all the feare was past And by disperation they sure at the last Eche one dyd beholde that moost swete face How preciouse it was , how full of grace Not dyssolued with no vyolent payne But passynge awaye with an easy vayne Euen as a swete lyght that commeth to decay Lytle and lytle consumynge awaye When that the byrth lycoure is past and gone The flame extincte then lyght is there none Not pale she laye but whyter then the snow That the wynde agaynst the hyl doth blowe As he that wery is , and woulde haue rest So she laye when death had hyr oppreste And as one that slepeth softe and quietlye So myght they all then and there espye Dreadful death that fooles haue in disgrace Fayre and beutifull in that swetest face .
The seconde Chapter of the Tryumphe of death . THe nyghte folowynge the this horrible chaunce Fell , to my hartesioye & pleasaunce That made in maner the sone lese his lyght And from the erth toke also all delyght And the fayre flowre in heauen on hygh set My guyde gone and I with sorowe fret And blynde lefte from al ioye and pleasure The swete softe season pleasaunt be ye sure With the colde that spredde was in the ayre Afore Aurora moste delicate and fayre Taketh awaye with his holsome streames All vntrue and fayned false dreames Euen at that tyme to me dyd appeare Semblaunt to that season a mayde fayre & cleare Crowned with ryche orient pearles whyte And for to encrease the more my delyght Hyr fayre hande stretche forth then dyd she And softely syghyng gently spake to me Doest thou not knowe me sayth she me tell Hyr that sometyme thou dyddest loue so well Of whome thy harte was all set on fyre And made the forsake all foule and vyle desyre Thus sayinge with a sadde sobre countenaunce She sat her downe my ioye and my pleasaunce And made me syt by hyr euen there Apon a bancke me thought we twayne were Whiche was shadowed with the Lawrell tree A greate beche therby well myght I see And I so set muche lyke in suche a case As he that speaketh and wepeth a great pace Soo dyd I aunswer vnto this Lady deare O thou fayre creature without to haue a peare Howe shoulde it be that I the shoulde forgette Sythyns that euer my hart on the was set Arte thou alyue or deade I longe to knowe I am alyue sayes she thou mayst me trowe And thou arte deade and soo styll shal be Tyll that the last houre that taketh the From the earth , now marke wel what I saye The tyme is shorte , and oure wyll alwaye Is longe , and therefore I the rede What thou wylt saye that it be sayde with spede Lest that the daye that commeth at the hande Make thou shalt not here no longer stande Then sayde I O Lady swete and pereles That hast proued I se it doubtles What lyfe and death are both certayne Tel me yf death be so great a payne She aunswered forthwith and to me sayde Mens blynde opinion makes it to be frayde But for to tell the what it is in deade Death is dissoluynge of all doubte and dread And cleane delyuers vs from a pryson darke Specially to hym that gently doth warke But vnto hym that hath done amys And all on couetousnesse his harte set is It is a payne and doloure infinite But I that from that am free and quyte For this death whiche I dyd assaye For whiche thou hast mourned to this daye Woulde make the mery and all thy soores heale If halfe the ioye thou haddest that I do feale Thus spake she , and hyr celestyall eyes Deuoutly she lyfte vp vnto the skyes And that rodye lyppes more swete then rose She helde them styll tyll I dyd purpose Silla , Nero , Cayus , and Maryus With these tyrauntes put Maxentius Syckenes in the brest and in the flanckes Payne of burnyng , feuers and cranckes Makes the death more bytter then gall She aunswered me then forthwith all I cannot ( sayes she ) for truth denye But that the payne moost certaynlye That goeth afore that the death doth come Is wonder greuouse this is all and some But that which greuith most of all Is the feare of losse of the lyfe eternall But the spirite that comfortes hym in good And with his harte doth dread his rodde Unto hym I say what is the death But euen a syght and a short stopping breath This by my selfe dyd I well knowe and se At the laste houre when death dyd take me The body was sycke but the soule was well When that I harde one by me there tell O howe wreched and miserable is he That compteth the dayes of the infenyte That Laura is in and thinketh euery day A thousand dayes I dare ryght wel say Her excelente person to se and to beholde And neuer after se , his comfort should Sekes for her the water and the lande And neuer for her in quyete doth stande But alwayes folowinge one maner of style Howe that he may in euery tyme and whyle On her to thynke on her with penne to wryte On her to speake on hye for to endyte This beryng casting myne eyes asyde Hyr amonge the other there I espyde That often moued me , the for to loue And kyndled in thy hart farre aboue The loue I bare alwayes vnto the I knowe her well that it was very she That much comfortyd me or I dyed With her wise wordes on euery syde And playnely to the when that I was In my best tyme , and in that honest case In youth but tendre , and vnto the moost dere Whiche made many and dyuers here and there To speake both and ofte of the and me The lyfe wherein thou sawest me for to be Was but bytter I sweare nowe on my fayth To the respecte of my most pleasaunt death Whiche to men mortall is very rare So that when my lyfe awaye dyd fare Euen at that poynt I was moost mery and glad Sauynge that of the great pytie I hadde To departe this worlde trust thou me As one in exyle his owne countre to se Then sayde I to hyr euen there agayne On the fayth Madame whiche you are certayne That I ought you without for to chaunge Tell me nowe and be not to me straunge For you knowe all seynge that gloryous syght Aboue oure knowledge the eternall light Had you euer pitie in your harte Of my greate sorowes , and paynes smarte Not leauynge aparte your hygh chast wayes Whiche that you vsed with me alwayes Nowe shewynge to me a swete dysdayne Nowe a swete angre to double my payne Nowe shewynge a peax wrytten in your eyes That hylde me so tyed and in suche wyse That doubtfull I was in what case I stoode Many yeares thus I in loue abode Scant had I these wordes to hyr sayde When that I sawe euen at a brayde That swete smylyng and fayre countenaunce That somtyme was my ioye and plesaunce My comforte , my lust , and my reioysinge In this wise to me moste graciouse speking From the my hart was neuer deuyded Nor neuer shall but that I prouided Dyuers tymes with my wyse regard I tempered thy loue that well neer thou had marde Because there was as than none other way Oure feruent loue with honest for to stay Therefore in lyke case as thou sest a mother Correcte her deare chylde for no nother But all to brynge her to good frame Euen so dyd I then vse the same And sayde to my selfe full many a season This man not louys but burnes out of reason Wherefore it behoueth me for to prouyde In this hard daungerouse case on euery syde And surely full euyll prouydeth he That loketh outwarde and doth not se What is inwarde in such a peryllous case This in my pitefull harte toke then place And thys to the as a brydell was than As thou seest by a horse reuled by a man Wherefore somtime I shewed me wonders glade Somtyme agayne to be as sober and sadde And yet I loued as hoote and true as you Allwayes sauing the chosen honest dowe Which soo my will than and euer opprest That reason reulde my desyre at the lest And when that agayne I dyd beholde and se Thy sorowe to greuouse and paynefull for to be Swetely and gently on the myne eyes I sett Thy helth and welfayre agayne for to gett Thys was euer my wise honest wayes That I honestly vsed with the in those dayes And when I sawe the teres droppyng auayle Downe thy pale chekes lyke vnto the hayle Then I dyd pray and softly then I sayde Here it is necessarye I geue anone an ayde And when that thou were forthwith agayne Into to much hope my loue for to attayne Anone vnto my selfe euen thus sayde I Here of necessitie must be had a remedye A harde and strayt byt I muste nowe put to Thus with dyuers colours many mo Myth hoote with grene with golde with white I kepte the alwayes styll in honest plyte Thou knowest this well and hast it tolde And in many a swete sonet it encolde When she had sayde these wordes to me playne With tremblyng voyce I sayd to her agayne Your wordes to me should be passyng were For the greate loue and most fetuant here That I haue euer borne my ioy to you If I beleuyde them faythfully to be true O vnfaythfull man then answered she Why shoulde I say these wordes vnto the If that my wordes were not true and iuste Nowe then I tell the disclose my hart I muste If in this world lyuing to my sight I toke in the luste pleasure and delight I kept it secret where thou I say agayne Thy loue to all men dydest make it playne There was no dyfference in our loue at all But that my true loue was ioyned all In moost honest wyse so for to be But nowe one thynge I wyll demaunde of the When that thy swete balettes I dyd synge Dyddest thou then doubte of me in any thynge ? I thynke playnly nay and therfore thus Though for a tyme I was contrarius By louynge straunge and semyng so to be A thousande tymes thou mayst trust me With my thoughte alwayes so I farde Thou haddest of me an inwarde swete regarde And more thy mynde at that tyme to appease I wyl tell the that thynge that shal the please It greueth me sore that I was not borne By thy fayre citie I saye to the therforne Althoughe my countre full pleasaunt be I woulde my nest had ben nere to the Lest that percase thy mynde shulde chaunge And loue some other amonge so great a raunge To these wordes no worde then I sayd The thyrde celestial speare had so arrayde And lyfte in loue so sore my louynge thought That aunswer hyr at that tyme coulde I nought Then she to me with a benigne loue and chere I haue in this world by the great honour here And shal haue alwaye marke wel what I shal say The nyght is past now commeth the bryght daye Yf that to me thou wylt more saye swete hart Be short I byd the for I must hence departe O sayde I , myne owne swete Lady dere For al the sorowe and payne I haue had here In louinge you these wordes so fayre and swete Doth recompence my loue and makes all mete But from you thus for to be seperate playne Is vnto me a deadly mortall payne But one thynge nowe to me you must declare Or that ye from my wofull presence fare Shall I lyue longe tell me after you Or shortly as I woulde O Lady you ensue She aunswered gently as farre as she coulde tell Longe after hyr on earth here should I dwell
The ende of the Tryumphe of Death .
❧ The excellent Tryumphe of Fame .
AFter that deathe had triumphed in that face Which often of me had tryumphed in lyke case And that the sonne of our world was dead and past This ougly and dispytefull beaste at the last Pale and horrible and proude for to se With hyr blacke baner awaye goeth she When that she had extincte our quyte Of perfyt beutye the very clere lyght Then as I dyd loke about on euery part Commyng towardes me there I dyd aduert Hyr that mans lyfe for euer doth saue And pulleth hym out alyue from his graue This gloryous fayre Lady muche lyke was she Unto that bryght starre that goeth trust me In the orient or the cleare day appeare Euen in lyke maner was this Ladyes chere So that there is no mayster in no Scole Can take vpon them to descrybt that Sole That I go aboute with symple wordes to tell So muche great in glory ths Lady dyd excell That all the element about her dyd shyne Not as a mortall but lyke a thyng deuyne Grauen in theyr foreheades were the names Of the honorable people whose hyghe fames By valure and vertue can neuer dye Folowynge this noble fame there sawe I Many of those of whyche I tofore haue rehersed That by loue ( as sayd is ) were sore oppressed On her ryght hand there fyrst in my syght Was Cesar and Scipion that honorable knyghte But which of them twayne next to fame was I do not remember but there they both dyd pas The tone in vertue the tother in loue Was taken though he semed somewhat aboue And then forthwith was shewed vnto me After these twayne captaynes that so excellent be Men of hyghe valure armed full bryght As vnto the capitall they went full ryghte By that selfe waye that sacra called was Or by via lata wherevnto they dyd passe They came in suche an honest ordre as I saye And had wrytten and graued this is no nay Theyr excellent names in theyr foreheads on hie And euen as I behelde them thus attentyfely Their maner , their port , their chere & eueri thing To these twayne most hyest in ordre folowyng Ensued the tone his neuew to hymdere The tother his sonne that neuer yet had pere And those that thou seest with the swerd in the hand The twayn fathers & the sonnes that by him stand Agaynst these enemies that Italy dyd inuade Armed in bryght stele they no dreade hadde Two there folowed fyrst , and twayne after past But he that in ordre was semyng to be laste In dede of the thre was worthyest of fame And after these of excellent and renoumed name Euen as the Ruby most oriently doth shyne Went he with his hand and with his councel fyne It was Claudius that with his wyse foresyght As a'swyft byrde that taketh his flyght So dyd he go to the fielde at Metaurus And pulled vp the wede , this knyght gloryouse He had eyes and tymes conuenient for to spy And wynges as a byrde to execute it by and by There folowed then after in that worthy race The great old captayne that let not to byd bace Unto the fierce captayne Hannibal and ther vnto Adioyned vnto hym was a nother Fabio Twayne named Catones with these also went And two noble Paulus wyse to all intent Two Brutus and also twayue Marcellus And one renowmed worthy captayne Regulus That more truly layde Rome then I saye that he Loued his owne selfe excedyng in degree There was there also Curio and Fabricius That with theyr wyse pouertie maruelouse Were more prayse worthy then myde was Or Crassus with all the great golde that he has For golde made them vertue to expell And pouertye these twayne in glory to excell There folowed these twayne euen syde by syde Cincinato to whom the Romaynes cryed For helpe in theyr extreme daunger and nede He was equall to the tother twayne in dede Camillus ensued the noble valyaunt knyght That had liuer dye for the maintenaunce of right Then otherwise to do but as a bertuouse man The fauour of heauen brought hym to Rome than Where enuy had banyshed hym from the towne Home to his countrye this knight of high renoun There was also the vallyaunt & fresh Torquatus That slewe his owne welbeloued son Cheualerus Rather then he would knyghtly ordre breake He would be childles thus the olde stories speake Both the twayne Decius were also in the place That theyr cruell enemies cleane for to deface Uowed them selfes alas , and that willingly O cruell vowe them selfes forth with to dye No lesse dyd he the vallyaunt hardy Curio That entred vnto the great large hole so That horrybly was opened in Rome the riall towen Wyllyngly hymselfe therein he entred downe Munnio Lenio went also in ordre there And the good noble Attibio with a manly chere Titus Flamius that the grekes dyd subdue Most with gentle pytie there dyd he ensue There was also there in the presse he that made A great large circle in Syria with hys rode And with his hardy and ferse loke & countenaunce To his wyll & intent so was this romaines chaunce He the great and pussaunt kyng so constrayned That all his hole request thereby he obteyned And by hym in good ordre ther was also he That kept as he was armed most valliauntly The hyll from his cruell enymies all And after in that same place hym selfe had a fall And with this company was the most valiaunt man That kept the brydge from all Toscan And next in ordre vnto this hardy knyght Stode that ferse warrear that in great dispyte Burnte hys ryght hand because he fayled To fley the king his enemie which he then assayled Euen in the mides of all his noble men Thys was a merueylouse hardy dede there & then And I sawe also there in the hugh prese He that fyrst vanquished on the great Seese The Cathagines and scatred all abroade By Cycell and Sardinia by euyll chanse al that rode I sawe among the others him with the graue sight Called Appius that with his forse and myght Kept the men bulgar people in great bread & awe So strayt and hard he bound pore men to a lawe And after as all about I dyd cast myne eye I dyd that person among other rest espye That with his swete facyons vsyd hym soo That next the fyrst in fame he myght goo But that the ende turnyd vnto blame Wherefore I may ryght well affirme the same That often it is sene a long prolonged lyfe Turneth good renowne into payne and stryfe And certenly he was no lesse in fame and myght But as Bacus and great Alcides by ryght Or as to Thebus the good Impaminundawas Among the other nobly he dyd there pas And after this great and worthy myghty man I sawe folowing among the other than Hym that in his yonge flowryng age Had great lawde and prayse for his vassalage And euen asmuch as thys ferse champion Was terrible and cruell in his naturall regyon He that folowed hym was as merciable I know noo Duke to be more commendable There went in ordre after by and by He that wyth hys wysedome sapiently The noble volumines he was there in the prese Hys lawde is praysed and shall neuer sease Cosso was there Philon and Rutilio And the hardy captayne Lucio Dentato With Marco , Sergio and Sceua the bolde In armys as lyghtnyng one myght them behold Their harnes broken their shelde in twenty places Persyde thorowe with swordes dartes & mases The last of them that there was in dede With no lytle fame the rest dyd succede And after these noble men afore rehearsed Dyd folowe ferse Marius which reuersyd Ingurta of Numedy the myghty kyng And the Cymbers that with them dyd brynge The Almaynes in fury and in rage Thys Marius dyd their great myght asswage There went by the Marius by and by Fuluius Faccus that with witty polecy Destroyed those that at Rome dyd rebell But he that folowed dyd farre passyng exell It was Fuluio so was his very name Well worthy among other to folowe fame There was also one Romayne named Graccus that had among the people much matter contrariouse To his ruyne at the last in Rome towne There was he thys knyght of high renowne And he also that much fortunate semyde Though by me he cannot so be demyde Was there and after hym there came The two worthy Marcelles in ordre than That kept all close in theyr hartes I say Theyr secretes they went aboute alway These two had great prayse in Numyddia In Macedon also and in the Y le of Creta And inlyke maner in the Realme of Spayne Three vallyaunt famouse Knyghtes for certayne And I sawe also euen at that tyde The good Uaspacian and by his famouse syde His eldest sonne but not his cruell brother He was not worthy to be amonge the other And so folowed after in good ordre than Narua the auncient and gentle Traian Helio and Adrian and the mercifull Antonius With fayre succession vnto Macronius That were no more couetouse of croune imperial Then desirous for to lyue in vertuous naturall And whiles that I thus loked all aboute I sawe fyue Kynges amonges that rowte The syxte an euyll happe dyd hym take As one that foloweth vice & vertue doth forsake
The seconde Chapiter of Fame . FUll of greate and infynyte maruayle I stode beholding these noble Romaynes well Whiche of al other badde neuer no peere And as I reuolued their famous actes cleere Whiche I haue sene in bookes wrytten and tolde More was there of them dyuers and manyfolde Then I haue here in this place set in by name Therfore I nowe for this tyme passe the same To loke vpon straungers vertuous and excellent The fyrst was Hannybal that in ordre went The next was he that syngyng made his men To haue the vyctory , and there folowed then Achylles the Greke , that in his hauynge dayes Gate by his prowes a great laude and prayse Twayne noble worthy Troyans were there also And twayne hardy Persiens in ordre ther did go Philip of Macedon , and his sonne Alexander That dyd bryng downe the Persiens great power Unto subiection , as in olde bookes we fynde And conquered thervnto al the regyon of Inde After noble fame they passed in that place And another named Alexander folowed a pace Not farre from the tother that went before But O fortune howe doest thou euermore Dynyde those that in the put theyr truste From true honoure thou arte so vniuste There ensued in ordre there by and by The gloryouse captayne valyaunt and worthy Of Thebes that ryall Citie of hygh renowne There was also he that had the famous crowne And twayne Achilles , and the wyse Ulixes And the hardy valiaunt greke Dyomedes Nestor the sage that lyued so many yeares There was the olde kynge amonge his peeres Agamenon the great and the kynge Menelaus That both his two wyues to to vngracious Muche hurt vnto the hole worlde dyd they Folowed hardy Leonydes that purposed I saye To his men a harde dyner , but hardyest of all Was the supper whereto he dyd them call With a fewe men he dyd a meruelouse dede Amonge the other there this captayne yede There was also the fayre knyght Alcibiades That dyd straunge & great wonders in Athenes With his fayre eloquent speche and fayre face Amonge the rest he was there in that place Melciedes was next that made all Grece free His sonne folowed the example ofpytye That alyue and dead his father dyd ensue And among the other in preace there I knewe The nustoctes and the valyaunt Theseus Arystides and the good faythfull Fabricius Whiche theyr vnkynde countrey I do saye Woulde not suffre theyr bodyes to lye in claye Alas this was a foule and an vnkynde dede So to reward them for theyr well doynge mede The good Phocion folowed whom I did regard For his good dedes they gaue hym lyke rewarde And as I turned here and there my syght I sawe Pyrrus that noble warlyke knyght And the good gentle kynge Masinises That semed angry because that doubtles Amonge the Romaynes that he was not set With hym I knewe Iero of Syracuse the greate And cruell Amylcar deuyded from these twayne It was he that yssued from the fyre and rayne A manyfest token that nether helme nor shielde Agaynst false fortune can neuer wynne the fyelde There was Sciphas much after that rate & sorte and Brennius for all his great pryde and porte That was cast downe by Apollos temple syde after the other in ordre there he hyde In dyuers straunge garmentes and araye Went this tryumphe onwarde on theyr waye And I that chaunced to cast my loke asyde I sawe a great huge number go and ryde amonge them one that would Gods temple make and he fyrst began it for his loue and sake This was the fyrst I saye in all that rowte But he that fynyshed that worke out of doubte That holy buyldyng of whiche that I do meane Was not inwarde so vertuouse nor so cleane as the fyrst good kynge wheron I do saye Nowe he that folowed him in that greate arraye Was he that spake to God face to face There was few or none that euer had such grace And after hym in lyke order by and by Came he that stayde the Sonne so wonderly Tyll he his enemies had taken and slayne O gentle trust most sure and certayne In seruynge God as dyd this noble knyght With symple worde to stay the heauenly lyght , I sawe after hymwhere that there went Our olde father whiche for good entent God badde he shoulde his lande forsake And he for that shoulde possesse and take The place that was helthfull to all mankynde Electe of God there dyd he that countre fynde Folowed after this father his sonne moost dere And his welbeloued neuew also he was there Whiche had the yoke in hauynge wyues two There was with hym the chast Ioseph also That from his father went full many a daye Thus here and there castynge myne eyes alwaye I sawe the iuste and good kynge Ezethias And Sampson that so stronge and myghtye was And not farre distaunt from hym there went he That made the great wonderfull shyppe of Noe And he also that the great hygh towre began Charged with synne and with errour than The good valyaunt Iudas that noble knyght He there folowed after in ordre ryght That would not his holy godly lawe forsake Alas he for Iustice the death dyd take My desyre with seyng all these noble men Was well nere fully satisfyed there and then When that sodenly I dyd there espye Of worthy ladyes a more gorgeous company That pleased my syght as much or more As all the syght that I had sene before There sawe I goyng together in a bande Antiope and Arithia well armyd stand And fayre swete Ipolita sory and sadde Because that no comforth of her sonne she had And Manylipe that vanquished Hercules And her Suster alsowas there in prese The tone Hercules toke vnto hys wyfe The tother with Theseus led her lyfe There folowed the hardy wydowe that dyd se Hyr dere sone slayne most constantly And reuenged hys death vpon kyng Cyrus It was a noble hardy acte and valerouse She abatyd therby so his gloriouse fame That wel nere it blotted his dedes & eke his name There was also she her selfe that lost her ioye By great mysfortune comming vnto Troye And among other that bolde Lady of Italye That domagid bi armes the Troians maruelously And euen by her went that hardy Lady That halfe her fayre here bounde vp curiously And let the tother for to hange besyde Tyll she abatyd the babilonicall pryde Cleopatra that was burnte with loues fyre There she was with all her hote desire And among the thickest of the prese Was Xenobia which was doutelesse Wondre fayre and swete for to beholde Soo much of hardines her high harte dyd holde That with her helme of stele on her hedde She put in daunger in feare and eke in dreade The high mightye Emperoure of Rome towne Tyll fortune vnkynde dyd thrawe her downe That at the last she was made I saye Unto the Romaynes a great huge pray And albeit that I do here forgete Both men and women that wer highe and great Yet the chast Iudeth wyll I call to mynde That slewe dronken Holyferne in loue blynde And dronken as he lay routing in his bedde Wyth hys owne sworde she smote of his hedd But alas why do I present her forget That noble gentelman among the rest to sett Which pride brought from his trone doue opprest To lyue seuen yeares as a brutyshe beste Or why do I not remember in this place Zorastro that the fyrst Inuentor was Of arte magyke of Errour the ground Or why art not thys twayne here founde That passyd Euphrates and put Italye to sorow Or Metridates that both euen and morowe To the Romaynes was ennemie perpetuall And wynter and somer fled ouer all Great thynges in fewe wordes I do tell Where is kyng Arthur that dyd excell And the thre Cesares surnamed Augustus One was of Aufryke a Prynce gloriouse The tother he was of the Regyone of Spayne And the thyrde of the country of Lorrayne But setting this nobles for a whyle a syde The good Godsrey after fame faste hyde Surnamed Bulleyne that toke with his hand Iherusalem the Cytie and eke the holy lande Nowe alas I say a place neclecte of vs Wherfore ryght well I may saye thus Go ye proude and wreched christen men And consume the tone the tother then And care not for shame among you at all Though dogges possesse the sepulcre royall Alas why do you suffer it for pitie But after these as farre as I coulde se Fewe or none was that deserued fame Sauing that behynde there went by name One Sarracene that dyd much payne and wo To christen men it is euen playnely soo and Saladyne after dyd folowe a great pase and one Duke of Lancaster after there was That with sheilde , and swerde , and bowe & launce Was a sharpe scourge vnto the realme of fraunce and thus marueylyng as I'lokte all aboute as one that was desyrouse amongest the route To se more of these valliaunt men At the last I dyd behold there and then Twayne worthy men that lately alas dyd dye There they went in that honorably companye The good kyng Robert of Cecyll he was there That with his wyse syght sawe fare and nere and my good Columnes went in that arraye Uallyaunt and free and constant alway .
The thirde Chapiter of Fame . I Coulde not in noo wyse away put my syght From these greate honorable men of myght When as me thoughte one to me dyd saye Loke on the lefte hande there see thou may The dyuyne Plato that goeth I say full nye Unto the marke of fame euen by and by Next vnto Plato Aristotle there he is Pytagoras foloweth that mekely calde Iwys Phylosophy he dyd geue it that name Socrates and Xenophontes folowed the same And that fyery olde auncient man To whome the musys were so fraudely than That dyscryued Argo Micena and Troye Howe that for Helene they lost all their ioye And he dyd wryte of Laertes sonne also And of Achilles that was the Troyanes woo He was the fyrst paynter it is so tolde Of the auncient and venerable actes olde There went with hym in that place hand in hand The Mantuan poete I do well vnderstand Stryuyng which of them should goo before And there folowed after in hast more and more He that as he passyde in that noble passe It semed the flowres dyd spryng on the grasse It is he the most eloquent Marcus Tullius The selfe same eyes and the tunge gloriouse Unto all the Latynes there there was he And after hym there came Demostyne That semyd to be not very well content Because he was not accompted most excellent To goo hymselfe next vnto worthy fame He toke it to be to hym great wrong and shame He semyd to be alyghtnyng all one fyre But next vnto hym all full of grete desyre Went Eschyues which myght perceaue and se Howe vnmete he was vnto Demostyne I cannot saye in ordre nether wryte nor tell Of one and other that dyd there exell Nor howe I dyd them se nor when Nor who went foremost nor hynmost then For it were so to do to great a wondre They went not fare these clarkes a sondre But so thycke that both eye and mynd In lokyng on them theyr names I could not find But well I knowe that Solon he was there That planted soo good holsome frute to bere And yet to lytle effect at length it was With hym the syx wyse sage grekes dyd pas Which Grece doth boste of for theyr wyt In one bande together they were knyt and I dyd with these also well beholde Uarro which all our nacione had enrolde As theyr Duke the thyrde in place was he Of all the Romaynes in that high degree The more that I lokte vpon hym there The more his face semed fayre and clere Crispo Salustius went with him hande in hande And Tytus Liuius by hym dyd there stande Scant contented but lokyng very sadde Because the fyrst honoure there he ne had And as I loked fast on this Tytus Liuius Came by me the excellent naturall Pluuius Quick in wrytyng but quycker to the death To muche boldenes dyd stoppe alas his breath I sawe after hym the great clarcke Plotinus That wenyng by hys lyfe solytariouse To haue preuented his harde chaunce & destenye yet fell he therin for truth this is no lye His sage foresyght dyd profyt hym nothyng When necessitie therto dyd hym brynge There was in lykewyse among the rest also Crasso , Antonio , and sage Hortensio Sergius , Galba , and the disdayning Licinius Whiche were to muche proude and to to curiouse For with theyr tunges vntrue and vniuste They sclaundered Cicero they were the lesse to trust There folowed after Lucides in that pres That ordeyned with wisedome the howres doutles And wrote of the batrels & wher they were done And Herodotus with his style holesome And he beganne the crafty sciense of Geometre The triangle and the rounde Arball in degre And of the quadrant fyrme and fast also The Sophisticall Porphirus next hym dyd go And falsely dysputed agaynst our religion And he of ●oo that with his disputacion Made muche matter in his Amphorisomis Apollo and Esculapius with hym is Howbeit they were so auncyent and olde That scant I could decerne what they would There was one in that preace of Pargamo His science is now past it is verye so But in his tyme it was muche set by Anaxarco without dread most hardye And Denocrates more fyrme then a stone So that there coulde no euyll temptation Moue hym to any thinge that was vyle Or by vnclennes his chast body defyle There folowed hym self there Archemenides With sadde regarde he stode in that pres And the pensyfe Democryte next in ordre there Blynde of both his eyes he had no pere There was Hyppia also of great auncient age That durst affyrme that he was so wyse and sage That he knewe and vnderstode all thynge Archisilao ensued not much vnlyke such rekening That he accompted by hys scyence playne All thynge to be doubtfull and certayne I sawe Heraclito with wordes couert and close And Diogenes folowyng his sensual purpose That lytle shamed his desyre to ensue Amonge the other this straunge clerke I knewe And he that shewed a gladde mery chere When al his landes were lost and other gere There was also Dicearco the curyouse Quintilian , Sceneke , and Plutarke the famouse And after these excellent and connynge men I sawe a great number together then Disputinge of dyuers sundry cases Not to knowe but to fynde secret places One contrarye vnto the tother alwayes That it semed there clateryng was lyke iayes With a romblynge as the shyppes that be In a raygne tempest vpon the large see Euen as Lyons and serpentes hurle together Withoute profyte nowe hyther nowe thyther Was there disputation and after these than Wyttye Carneades that well lerned man That coulde with speach a case so fyle That were it true or false hys subtyll style It was harde his craft to knowe and discerne He lyued longe without all syknes and harme Tyll false enuy agaynst hym dyd soo aryse That he coulde not although he were wyse Resyst the fury of them that hym hatyd Nor the veneme that agaynst hym was debatyd There was also the bablyuge Epicurus That agaynst Cirus was greatlye contrariouse That affirmed oure soules neuer to dye This Epycure cleene contrary dyd denye And sayd that our soules were very mortall And perysshes as best soules do with the body all Wherby he deserued to haue reproue and blame And scant worthy for to folowe fame I sawe dyuers other folowinge thys secte Lyppo and Metrodorus and Aristippus the electe For theyr excellent conniuge that they then hade Praysed greatly though theyr saynges were bad There was also that Phylozopher that in very dede Spune the subtle and wonderouse crafty threde Hys wyt was so excellent and his learning so fine That he semed to haue a knowledge deuyne zemone the Father of the Stoykes secte Aboue the rest he was best electe Well declared he as he dyd there stande By the palme and closyng of his hande Howe the truth was in eche season and case For he so declared it with his wyse face The vayne argumentes from the true euen so That many after hym dyd ensue and go Here I do leue to speake more of the rest And nowe wyll tell of that thyng which is best .
The ende of the Tryumphe of Fame .
❧ The excellent and moste dyuyne Tryumphe of Tyme . FRome hys golden harboroughe & restyng place The fayre Aurora going afore his face Yssewed out the sonne so clear & syrmely set With radient and bryght beames burnished & bet , That thou woldest haue said euen with a thought Thys faire swete planet was gotten vp a loft Thus vp rysen in lyke maner and guyse As do these sage men sober sadde and wyse He loked all about and to hymselfe he sayde What doest thou nowe I se well at this brayde Yf to thyne one selfe thou take no better hede All thy great glory wyl be gone in dede Take thou then I aduyse the good and wise cure For yf that it be very certeyne and sure That worthy men by fame dyeng do not dye Thys vniuersall and fyrme course eternally Of the large heuen most sure and certayne Shal be accompted at the last but vayne And yf fame mortall foreuer do encrease That a litle short houre shuld cause to scase I se my great excellence shall soone declyne And howe can I haue a worse ende and fyne Than to haue no more in the heuenly skye Than man in earth that dying cannot dye That thynkes my selfe equall by speciall grace Aboue all other to haue the highest place In the great wyde and large see Occeane Foure horses of myne are there and than That with great studye . I nourishe and dresse In theyr rennyng course of infinitie switenesse And yet for all theyr great wonderfull hoste Cannot a mortall man that is dead and past Put in forgetting neyther his laude nor fame It muste neades greue and anger me that same Not onely I my selfe the chefe in my degree But the thyrde or seconde wold therat greued be I must than hast my selfe with a great zele Agaynst these men for the wrong that I fele In doublyng my course to there double harme For I do enuy there same that is so farme That after a thousand and a thousand yeares Theyr high renow me and theyr glory cleres Much more after theyr death then in theyr lyfe Which playne is vnto me a perpetuall stryfe That am nowe no higher nor in no better rate Than I was or the earth was in his firste state Goyng in compasse with my beames bryght By thys great to und bole which is infinite When this fayre beautifull sonne had thus sayde Dysdaynyng furth with and euen at a brayde She toke her course far more swyfter I say Then Faukon that from a high flyeth to the praye Her wonders swiftnes I can nether tel nor write For it is not possible for me it to endyte Noo I say with my thought to expresse it in dede So that to remember it I am in feare and dreade Then I saye when that wyttely I mynded this I compted oure lyfe to be a vyle thynge as it is and none other nor no better but a terrible vanite To put oure hartes on that which sone doth fle So fast away that euen with a thought Wenyng to holde hym we holde hym noughte He whosoeuer doth loke vnto his state Let hym sone prouyde for hym selfe algate Whyles he hath his fre wyl in his propre myghte In thynges that be stable to set his delyght For when I sawe the tyme goo so fast After his guyde that maketh post hast I wyll not saye it , for tell it I ne can For I sawe euen at one verye poynte than The yse and the rose one after the other Nowe colde nowe hote euen with the tother That for to tell it is a maruelous case Howe after the tone the tother hyeth apase He that with a wyse iudgement this markes Shall se by true experience all these warkes Whiche lytle I noted in my yonge lusty age And that maketh me nowe with my selfe to rage For then I confesse all my hoole delyght Was in folowyng my folysh appetyte But now afore my feble eyes is a glasse Wherein I spye my greate faulte that was Styll goynge downeward to my last ende & fyne Remembryng therto howe fast it doth declyne I was a chylde euen this same present daye And nowe an olde man prest to passe away ▪ So that for a very truth to tell it I shall Lesse then a sely daye is oure lyfe mortall Cloudy and colde , and ful of woo and payne That semeth to be fayre , and yet is but vayne This is the vnstable hope of all our kynde Why are we then so proude why are we so blynd ? When no man knoweth hys lyfe nor his death And this note onely as the sage man sayeth Doth not touche me but all that be alyue The fast course of the Sonne doth away dryue That plainly and manifestly the truth note I shal The ruyne of the worlde is knowen to vs all Then ye yonge men that be in your fresh lust Measure the tyme longe and put therto your trust Folyshly I say playnly why cal ye not to mynd Afore consydered hurte lesse hurteth by kynde Onles I blowe these wordes to you in vayne But I do tel you note it for truth and certayne ye that do not mynde , nor well remember this With a slepy lytargy your braynes combred is For the howres flyes a pace , so doth the dayes The monethes and the yeares , folowes alwayes Together in a breif shorte distaunce and tyme So that yf ye well and wysely note this ryme We must all mortall men to another countre pas And all our great glory shal be turned to was God ye not then agayne the truth I do saye But amende your euyl lyues whyles that ye may Do not abyde tyll dreadfull death you take As the most part of the vnwytty doth I vndertake O that ye wyll not this well vnderstande Of fooles there is doubtles an infinite bande Sythens then I do knowe and playnly se This great planet howe fast it doth fle Which tyme when I myght , by folye I haue not taken But with muche great losse this tyme forsaken I sawe amonge these vnwyse foles all A nation that by theyr science lytle cared at all Nor feared not oft tyme the course rabidouse These I saye remoued and people most gloriouse Whiche hystorians hath taken in theyr garde And poetes also that wrote howe that they farde Of this it semed then the sonne had enuye Whiche by them selfe so mounted to hyghe glorye Passyng awaye from the madde vulgar quyte By the honorable vertuous wayes noble & right He hasted then this Sonne a wonders spedy pas With moche more forse then euer there was And to his swyft horses he doubled the meate Passynge by the great beare this planet great So that the quene of whome I haue sayde Would haue departed from the sonne at the brayde I haue hard saye , I wote not well of whome That euen as a wede wasteth our glory is goone And that all our fame is but blynde and derke And a perpetual forgetfulnes al our labor & werk And he sayd further that all the longe yeares And the processe also of the lusters and speares And of worldes infinite hereafter for to come Shall vanysh awaye our fame al and some Doubtles of as many it is playne euen so As are betwyxt these places Peneo and Hebro Or as far a sunder as that ryuer of zanto Is distaunt by measure from the valey of Thebrs And that oure glory is to be sayde by ryght Euen as we se the ayer fayre and bryght Made darke and hydde with a mysty cloude And breifly this alwayes note wel we should A hasty longe rynnyng awaye of the tyme As a poyson to fame to cause it to declyne Our Tryumphs shal passe our pompes shal decay Our lordshyppes our kyngdomes shall all awaye And al thynge also that we accompt mortall Tyme at the length shal clene deface it al And to this those that are but meanly good They affirme and say playne that who so vnderstode Not onely our bodyes sone away doth passe But all our wyttes and eloquence in lyke case Thus not goyng but flying the world doth go Nor resysteth nor tarieth not it is playne so Tyl he haue brought al false worldly luste To no better thynge but to bare ashes and duste Why than hath humayne glory so much by pryde When that it is very playne sene on euery syde Although the vulgar doth not this thinge marke We shuld wel by ryght experience know this wark That these foles do bable they wote not what If that the case were our short lyfe declyned not So sone nor so swyftly vnto the last ende Al the hye fame where to that men pretende Euen as the smoke doth vanyshe awaye So at the last al thynges do playne decay This hearing me think it standes with good reason Not for to deny the truth at no season But to agre to that thynge we do wel know Euen by comparison as the sonne melteth the snow So doth the tyme put awaye and shall Not a thousande famouse but at the last them all Though that the moost part thynke it be not so O therfore I saye , howe blynde are they therto That thynke it muche better for to die in age Then lyinge in the cradle to go that passage To how many men had it ben far passing better ? Yea : and I affyrme it a. M. tymes more sweter To haue dyed beyng yonge then to haue died old Many excellent clarckes doth it by reason holde That muche more fortunate the vnborne chylder Then chyldren that be borne such payne to se But the great number hath alway greatest error be If it were so certayne and ther vnto so sure That after a longe lyfe shuld come a longe fame Who be they I pray you that wyll folow the same The couetous time turneth al thinge vp so doune And our great fame that doth so hyghly soune It is no nother to be named but a second death Nor stay is there none as the true truth sayth Thus tryumpheth tyme and hasteth so a pace That all our glory and same it doth deface . The ende of the Tryumphe of tyme .
The excellent and moste Deuyne Tryumphe of Dyuynitie . SYthyns that vnder the heauen nothing I se Stable and fyrme but all mere vanitie I remembred my selfe and to my selfe dyd say In whome doest that trust tell me I the pray Softly I am answered vnto that lord I trust That of his promise is so faythfull and iust That who so in hym hath a true perfect sayth Shall neuer be dysceyued so his wordes sayth For well I se the false worlde dyd me but scorne And I knowe what I am & what I was beforne And I se the tyme not for to go but to flye And I know not in dread of whome to be sorye But of my selfe that haue deserued blame That haue not or nowe remembred the same The faulte is in me that longe I say or this Shuld haue considered my great foly I wys And so opened myne eyes & not fallen to slothe To haue perceyued and knowen the troughe In differing my lyfe vnto the last combrous age Which by course of tyme continually do asswage But slowe was neuer the deuyne grace To call me to goodnes and vertue apase In hym I put my trust that yet in me shall be High operacion from all euell to flye Thus with my selfe disputing to and froo I thought euen very thus yf that it be soo These thinges that in this wise turne about the ski And guides & gouernes it in ordre so merueloussi After so much turnyng and reuoluing to and froo What ende shall I haue I would fayne knowe soo And as that I was solitarie in this meditacione It semed to me I sawe a wonderfull facion I newe fayre worlde stable and eterne And this olde world that semeth so ferme The sonne and the stares and the heauen rounde And the great se also with the earth and ground To vanyshe clene awaye & in theyr rome & place A newe merier world made by godes grace What great trowe ye then admiracion had I When I sawe the sonne firmament and the skye Stand fyrme on one fote sure stable and faste That with his swyft course runnyng at the laste Changed all thinges mortall and then restrained His thre partes brought to one part vnfayned And then no distinction no difference of them at al But the herbe and grasse and flowers with all All bareyne and bare before and behynde Which variacion doth naturally behynde Much bitter sorowe to our nature frayle All at ones together then and there to fayle Then the thought passeth as the sonne the glasse And much more for nothing the powre hase It for to holde or elles for to restrayne O what grace shall that be for man to attayne To se in that place the euerlasting god And none euell at all which of the tyme woode Onely commeth and goeth here and there To be out of doubte of all dread and feare The sonne than shall haue no more his place Neyther in the hornyd bull nor in lyke case In the fyshe in which two variable sygnes Uarieth the yerbes the season and the tymes Nowe we do sowe and after we do reape Nowe creasynge nowe discresing so is our heape But happye and blessed be those spirites certenly That be found in that holy state eternally Sure and very certayne in honor to encrease Without terme or tyme neuer to sease O howe happye is he that fyndeth that way To passe this Rabidus and dul passage I say That is called in this vnstable world a lyfe And is so troublouse and so ful of stryfe Blynd and wretched I say are the mortal That hoopeth in thynges that sone doth fall Which tyme taketh away with a thought And turneth al our fancis and foly to nought Surely they are both vnwise deffe and frayle Poore of iudgment and of Counsayle Yea & worse then like in dead & wretched therto That doth not as our deutie is regard hym so That with his becke may trouble and appease The clementes al as it doth hym please Whome to honour we are not bound onlye But the Aungels that sit in the heauen hye Are contented of the thousand partes as one With the sight of his godhed in his gloriouse trone And so stand stedfast with a feruent Intention Are not our myndes then worthy of reprehencion To loke on that which in the very ende Commeth to no profite therevnto to pretende For that which we so fast gather together With much paine in mani years hether & thether With great and troubles cumbrance of mynd To day and to morowe at the last we fynde As the shadowe doth passe away and glyde Euen at the poynt so shall all our pryde Then remember ye well I truly counsell this That after goddes great dreadfull iudgement is Was and shal be shall haue no more time and place But one eternitie together in one selfe space Nor further there shal be none obiecte at all To hurte by our sight our weake memoriall Which is the occacion and the very cause Many an vnprudent person in vanitie to pause That the lyfe present semeth but a playe Thinking they are to morowe as to day But then all otherwyse shal be no diuision at all But litle and litle the hole vniuersall Shal be together and wynter and somer paste And tyme quiete gone and no lenger laste Nor these yeares that we do nowe presently name Shall haue nomore the domynion of fame But ones theyr famouse that shall neuer disseuer But in eternitie to endure famouse foreuer O happie are those soules that are in that way Of which so much I nowe speake of and say In ioy glory and rest styll to Endure That are and shal be perpetually , so sure And amonge the other that so gracious be Most blessed of all other playnly is she That cruell death kylled or she came to age There shal be seene in that angelyke vysage The honest wordes the thought cleane and chast That nature had set in her in olde tymes past And forbecause that euery thought and thynge Is playne and manyfest to the eternall kynge When the blessed elect soules turned be Unto the moost happy state of theyr fyrst degre With the poyntinge of the fynger euen then Shal be sayde how , where , and also when Lo this is he whiche that loue deteyned And longe and many a day lamented & complained And yet was most fortunate for to se the cheare Aboue al other ioyes in the world of his lady dere And she also of whome that wepyng I synge Shall of her selfe haue greate maruelyng To beholde and fele in euery wyse and degre Her selfe aboue all other in Ioy and felicitie When this shal be God wote I cannot tell But she that is nygh of the great goddes councel This hygh preuy secrete in parte doth know And for to declare and tel that I trowe It is as I do ymagin very nygh at hande And when that commeth men shal vnderstande How euyl they theyr wanton tyme haue spent In gettyng worldly goodes landes and rent Wenyng for euer them to holde and possesse And yet for the final conclusion it is doubtles They shal se them selues in very dede Mockt and scorned to trust vnto suche mede No secrete nor hyd thing shal be then and there But all secretes vnshote open playne and cleare All our conscience whether it be bright or darke Before al the world shall appeare our werke And then the myghtie and gloriouse king celestiall That in his fearefull Iudgment is not percial As reason is and as it ought to be His wise Iudgment therto shall agre And when that sentence is both gone and past Eche man his viage with great dread and hast As the wylde beastes that hast them fast to flye Afore the barkyng doges for feare they in be Euen in lyke wyse scattered here and there Shal be these proude men with all there gay gere And playnely perceaue that to there hurt it was All such lucre when these thinges come to pas But those that by grace haue brydled such delight In refraining their vayne and couetouse appetite And measured false fortune with an honest vse Be mery together without fraude and abuse Those be sure and certayne for to be With the saintes in perpetuall ioy and felicitie These fyue Tryumphes that I haue here rehearsed And vnder a straunge colour them expressed Haue newe by godes sufferaunce an ende With this the sixt whereto I dyd pretend Then ye that rede thys thynke this state eterne and thinke that the tyme that doth discerne This vnstable world turnyng to and froo and fearefull gastly death it is playne so all shall vanyshe doubtles foreuer away Beleue me this is sure after the last day And those that haue worthely by vertuouse fame Spent well there tyme lyuing without blame And by vertue made both death & tyme to fere Whyles that they lyued in this frayle world here In theyr most freshe and lustye young courage They shall aryse tryumphantly about that age With beautie immortall and high fame eterne Neuer after that tyme for to feele no harme But then afore all other that there shall be In that endles glory we shal beholde and se My fayre swete lady of whome so much I write More beauteous then the sonne in his hyest light There is a litle ryuer Gebenna men it call Where first in loue I chaunched for to fall There loue dyd make me so longe a cruel awarre That yet I dread to thynke vpon that starre Happy is that stone that couereth that swet face Wherin there resteth so much beautie and grace If that then I were happy in thys lyfe it to se Here on this vyle earth so perfect in degree After that this swete gratiouse Lady hath taken That same fayre dispoyle that semyth now forsaken What shal it be I praye you to tel me this Then to beholde hyr eternall blysse . The ende of the Tryumphes of Fraunces Petrarcke .
Uyrgyll in his Epigrames of Cupide and Dronkenesse . Nec viui nec tu veneris capiares Amore THat wonderous wytty Uirgil that so wel cold endight The wayes to wyne to vertue righte harde for to attayne In his sentēsiouse verses declareth with reason right Howe that both wyne and women doth put a man to payne He sayth in passyng measure with eyther of these twayne It is a thyng abhominable . Nowe here what he doth tell Although my ryme be rude to touche so high a vayne Yf that ye marke this doctrine doubtles ye shall do well . Thus sayeth our famouse poete loue not to much wyne Nor yet on wanton Uenus set not to much thy mynde For lyke as wanton Cupide thy strength doth quyte declyne So doth thys wyne thy force and all thy senses bynde Maketh a man to slacker and stumble as the blynde That he forgetes hym selfe his enemie to repell Altereth and defaseth mans nature and his kynde Yf that ye marke this doctrine doubtles ye shall do well Uenus is ful of pleasure who can to this say nay But if it fall to rage then reason goeth asyde Then turneth it to werynes and to a greuouse playe Most paynefull to hymselfe when he is most in pryde Unneth his secrete pastymes the foole he doth not hyde No more then doth the dronkerd that all on wyne doth smell They are not much vnlyke when reason hath them tryed If that ye note this doctrine doubtles ye shall do well Who that with wine is whitled no counsell will he kepe Aswell his frende as foo shall knowe all his entent Who so with Lady Uenus in brased armes doth slepe Doth now and then disclose that thing he doth repent And this is not the worse that on this twayne is ment These bryng in warre and wo the one the other to quell Somtime but for a tryfle tyll lyfe and all be spent If that ye note this doctryne doubteles ye shall do well . Parys by Uenus councell brought Helene vnto Troy Though that the pryce was swet the ende was passyng sower For many a worthy warryor therby dyd lese theyr Ioye And Troy turned vnto Asshes both castel wall and towre This wanton wylfull dalyeng raysyd so great a shoure That of that happe that happened the worlde doth speake & tel Loo howe Uenus can flatter when she thinketh to deuoure If that ye note this doctrine doubtles ye shall do well . Then yf that wyne and Uenus haue ones the vpper hande And on the one or both the mynde set in a rage All honestie is excluded and wytt tyed in a band And vertue fayre and dread fast locked in a cage Although he be a lorde yet serues he as a page Two periouse noughty vices worse then a fend of hell Where that these monsters rule right hard for to aswage If that ye note this doctryne doubtles ye shall do well . Wyll ye then be wise and learne to rule these twayne Do as oure Uirgill counseles and ye shall lyue in reste Tye vp both wyne and Uenus fast fetered with a chayne Lest that with theyr rewardes the mynde be not opprest Let wyne but quenche thy thurst so is that lycour best Let Uenus serue to multiply our nature that doth excel But and ye passe these bondes then is the goodnes ceast If that ye note this doctryne , doubtles ye shall do wel Measure is more worth then golde or precious stone And in forsakynge measure a good thynge turnes to vyce To to muche at length hath caused many a one For to descende as fast as they dyd vp aryse Then thus for to conclude I count hym perfyt wyse That rules hym selfe in measure and toto doth repell So vse both wyne and wemen that ye be not to nyse If that ye note this doctryne doubtles ye shall do well Finis .
Epitaphium Henrici Parkeri Equitis Domini Morley , quod ipse adhuc uiuens composuit & suo sepulchro inscribi uiscit .

Clste parum quaeso uiator & pauca hee uerbalege , cum inter-mor tales dalcius nihil est quam amicitia , uera teste inuoco Iesum Christum eternum iudicem me inclitum Henricum Comite Arundel , tam ardenter dum uita comes fuit amasse Vt moriens hoc cor meum sibi familieque sue commen dabam felicem me rudicans quod nec ipsa mors qui cuncta consumit rapit calcat suppeditat non potuit qui pars mei corporis diuinissima ut puta sedes animi immorta les in loco ubi tam fidelis & Carus amicus quiesset ibi , & cor meum quiesseret . Diui dei pari uirgine Mariae praecare quietem . Viue & uale .

Auctores incerte . Transit honor mundi , non transit gloria cels Ipse simul fugies ; si fugitiua tenes Nil tibi continuum breuitas mutabilis eni Nil patitur tutum , mortis amara dies The englysh of these verses . The honour of the false world doth passe But the glory of heauen none ende has If then thou folowe false fugitiue felicitie Thy selfe shal be fugitiue it must so be Then remember nothynge continueth euer The short mutable tyme that taryeth neuer Suffers to no man no suerty for to haue Tyl bytter death doth lay hym in his graue Finis .

❧ Printed at London in Powles churchyarde at the sygne of the holy Ghost , by Iohn Cawood , Prynter to the Quenes hyghnes .

Cum priuilegio Regiae Maiestatis .