R. Linche? THE LOVE OF DOM DIEGO AND GYNEURA. 233

1596.

With that, DIEGO shows him all his love,

his penance; her first love, and now her hate. But he requested him hence to remove,

and, at his house, the rest he should dilate: Which he denied ; only he now doth write, By this his friend, unto his Heart's Delight:

"Dear Love!" quoth he, "when shall I home return ? when will the coals of hate be quenched with love? Which now in raging flames my heart do burn.

O, when wilt thou, this my disdain remove?

Ask of this bearer! be inquisitive,

And he will tell thee, in what case I live!"

"Inquire of her, whose hawk hath caused this woe, if for that favour, ever I did love her.

And she will curse me, that did use her so!

and she will tell thee, how I loved another. 'Twas thee, GYNEURA! 'twas thy fairest self! I held thee, as a pearl; her, drossy pelf!"

"Then, when thou hast found out the naked truth; think of thy DIEGO, and his hard hap!

Let it procure of thee some moving ruth,

that thou hast, causeless, cast him from thy lap! Farewell, my Dear! I hope this shall suffice To add a period to thy cruelties."

The messenger (to spur forth her desires,
and hasten her unto his well-loved friend)
Tells her, how he lies languishing in fires
of burning griefs which never will have end:
Bids her to fly to him, with wings of zeal!
And thus DIEGO's pains, he doth reveal.

234 THE LOVE OF DOM DIEGO AND GYNEURA. [R. L[inche?]

"O adamantic-minded Maid," quoth he,

'why linger you in this ambiguous thought?

Open thine eyes, no longer blinded be!

those wounding looks, thy Lover dear hath bought! Unbolt thy heart's strong gate of hardest steel! O let him now the warmth of pity feel!"

"O let him now the warmth of pity feel,

that long hath knocked cold-starven at thy door! Wanting Love's food, he here and there doth reel like to a storm-tossed ship, that's far from shore. Feed him with love, that long hath fed on cares! Be anchor to his soul, that swims in tears!"

"GYNEURA! let him harbour in thy heart!
rig and amend his trouble-beaten face!

O calm thy hate, whose winds have raised his smart!
see him not perish in this woful case!
And for in sea-salt tears, he long hath lived;
Let him, by thy fresh water be relieved!"

"O shall I tell thee, how I found him there,
his house wherein he live (if live he did,
Or rather spend his time in dying fear)
was built within the ground, all darksome hid
From PHŒBUs' light, so ugly hell-like cave,
In all the world again you cannot have!"

"All made of rugged hard-favoured stones,

whose churlish looks afford the eye no pleasure: In whose concavity, winds breathed hoarse groans; to which sad music, Sorrow danced a measure. O'ergrown it was, with mighty shadeful trees; Where poor DIEGO, sun nor moon ne'er sees."

1596.

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1596.

"To this black place, repairèd every morn

the fair OREADES, pity-movèd girls, Bringing to poor DIEGO so forlorn

moss to dry up his tears, those liquid pearls.

Full loth they were to lose such crystal springs,

Therefore this sponge-like moss, each of them brings."

"'Here, dry,' say they, 'thou love-forsaken man !
those glassy conduits, which do never cease,
On the soft-feeling weed! and, if you can,

We all intreat, your griefs you would appease!
Else wilt thou make us pine in griefful woe,

That ne'er knew care, or love, or friend, or foe!'"

Straight, like a shooting comet in the air,

away depart these sorrow-pierced Maids!

Leaving DIEGO in a deep despair,

who now, his fortune, now, his fate upbraids.
'O heavens,' quoth he, how happy are these trees,
That know not love, nor feel his miseries.'"

"Melts not thy heart, GYNEURA! at his cares!
are not thy bright transparent eyes yet blind
With monstrous deluge of o'erflowing tears?

remains there yet disdains within thy mind? Disgorge thy hate! O hate him not, that loves thee; Maids are more mild than men; yet pity moves me !

"Break, break in pieces that delicious chest!
whiter than snow on Hyperboreal hill.
Chase out Disdain, deprive him of his rest;
murder and mangle him, that rules thy will!
Be it ne'er said, that fair GYNEURA's beauty,
Was overpeised by causeless cruelty!"

236 THE LOVE OF DOM DIEGO AND GYNEURA. [R. Linche

"Cruel to him that merits courtesy!

loathed of thee, that doth deserve all love! Basely rejected, scorned most churlishly,

that honours thee above the saints above! True Love is priceless, rare, and therefore dear. We feast not royal kings with homely cheer!"

"Too long it were, to tell thee all his merits;
for in delay consists his long-looked death.
Post haste of thine must, now, revive his spirits;
or shortly he will gasp his latest breath!
Speak, fair GYNEURA! speak, as I desire!
Or let thy vain-breathed speeches back retire!"

Look, as a man late taken from a trance,
stands gazing here and there, in senceless wise;
Not able of himself his head t'advance;

but standeth like a stone, in death-like guise :
So looked GYNEURA, hanging down her head,
Shaming that Folly, her so much had led.

Repentant sorrow would not let her speak,
the burning flames of grief did dry her tears;
Yet, at the last, words out of prison brake,

that longed to utter her heart's inward cares :
And stealingly there glides with heavy pace
A rivulet of pearl along her face.

"O cease," quoth She, "to wound me any more,
with oft repeating of my cruelties !

Thou of thy tears, kind man! hath shed great store;
when I, unkinder maid! scarce wet mine eyes!

O let me now bewail him once for all!

'Twas none but I, that caused his causeless thrali!"

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1596.

"Eternal JOVE, rain showers of vengeance on me!

plague me, for this black deed of wrongful hate! Be blind mine eyes! they shall not look upon thee, DIEGO! till thou be compassionate!

And when thou dost forgive what I have done,
Then shall they shine like shortest-shaded sun!"

"O slack thy swift-paced gallop, wingèd Time!
turn back, and register this my Disdain!
Bid poets sing my hate in ruthful rhyme!
and pen sad Iliads of DIEGO's pain!
Let them be writ in plain-seen lines of glass,
To shew how loving, he; I, cruel was!"

Hereat she paused. "Tell me, sweet Sir!" quoth She, "how I might see my dear-embosomed friend?

That now (if what is past may pardoned be)

unto his griefs, I may impose an end!" Wherewith, they both agreed that, the next day, They would enjourney them without more stay.

Long were they not! ("Desire still goes on ice

and ne'er can stay till that he hath his wish." Men's willing minds each thing doth soon entice to haste to that, which they would fain accomplish.) But that they came, as having a good guide, Unto the place where they, DIEGO spied.

Sacred PYMPLÆIDES endip my quill

within the holy waters of your spring! Infuse into my brain some of your skill! that joyfully of these, I now may sing, These lovers now, 'twixt whom late dwelt annoy, Swimming in seas of overwhelming joy.