MEDUSA

¶Oh foolish Love, and loovers that look not to their state, But swim against the tide, and then repent when 'tis too late. If we could learn to seek to them, that unto us do sue: The match were made, and we should have no cause at all to rue. When we be coy, and hold our Friends aloof at cap and knee: The Mars is marred, and every eye our folly then doth see. ¶What talk you there Attilia ? ¶Mistress, they will. ¶Here is and Egg of a black Hen, a quill plucked from a Crow, Who with this pen writes on this Egg, a charm y e I do know And names the party whom they Like: the same shall Love again, What think you of this remedy? ¶Lo here a spoonful of a Virgins milk, Incorporated with a piece of dow: Powdered with cinders of fine Spanish Silk, And steeped in the licquor of a Slow. On thone side write Venus and Cupid's name: On tother his that Love, then take the same And broil it on the coals unto a crust, Basting it well with honey dropes and oil: Give it to him you Love, to kindle lust, And then your suit shall never suffer foil. This will so bind the gallant whom you choose: That he shall never him self hereafter lose. ¶Here are two hearts, the one was taken out of a black Cat: The other from a Pigion: here is the blood of a Bat. Here is a piece of Virgin wax, héers and enchanted Bean, To make you go invisible, ¶Here's things will make men melt in fits of Love, A wanton Goats brain, and the Liver of a purple Dove. A Cocks eye, and a Capons spur, the left leg of a Quail: A Goose bill, and a Ganders tongue, a mounting Eagles tail. But sith they must be taken in thincreasing of the Moon: Before the rising of the Sun, or when the same is down. And closely wrapped in Virgin parchment on a Friday night: I will not trouble you with these. ¶Here is the Image of a man, made out in Virgin wax, Which being pricked, or toasted in the flame of burning Flax. He that you Love shall come and throw him self before your feet: More humble then a Lamb, to do what you shall think is meet. ¶We must withdraw our selves aside, and work it out of sighed: ¶'Tis almost one a clock, the fittest hour to bind the Sprites: And compass every thing, that best may further your delights. ¶Enter the Chapel, we will make as though we meant to pray: ¶This water and this oil I have, is conjured as you see, In the name of those Sprites that written on this Image been. Now must I write the name of him whom you so much do love: Then bind these sprites, him to the Like affection for to move. I charge you as you mean to purchase favour in his sighed: And by the virtue of mine art, tell me his name aright. ¶Fortunio. ¶Your name upon the breast, his on the forehead must I write, Then conjure, now it is the stillest time of all the night. ¶I conjure Thee thou waxed Image here, By Venus fruitful womb that Cupid bore: That in Fortunios name thy force appear, To comfort fair Victoriam full of care. That by the virtue of mine Art thou be: In this her grief a present remedy: I conjure Thee Fortunio at the length, By head, eyes, ears, thy liver and thy heart: Thy Guts, thy veins, flesh, blood, bones, sinews, strength, Thy lights, thy lungs, feet, hands, and every part. That presently thy breast be set on fire: And all thy bowels boil with hight desire. Look that by night thou take no quiet rest, By day thou loath thy comfortable food: Let every joy be daggers to thy breast, See, hear, and touch nought that may do Thee good. Till fancy make Thee for a lover meet, And throw Thee down before Victoria's feet. Look that she never pass out of thy mind, But paint her heavenly face in every thought: Love her above all Creatures of her kind, Prosper not, till by Thee her joys be wrought. But waste as this melts at the candles flame: Amen, fiat, fiat, in Cupid's name. ¶With oil of Virgin wax I Thee anoint, And sign, and mark Thee with the holy Cross: In Venus name, I water every joint. That Love by Thee may never suffer lose. ¶It must be pricked, and set in greater heat: Then the Spirits bound, before it do the feat. ¶I Conjure you the Sprites, whose names are on this Image writ: And now rehearse you one by one, in order as you fit. Nettabor, Temapttor, Vigilator, Somniator, Astarot, Berliche, Buffon, Amachon, Suchon, Sustani, Asmodeus. ¶I conjure you, you foul infernal knot of baser Sprites, By the most Mighty power and force of that great God of Love: Both by the Bow and dreadful dint of all his feathered Flights, And by his wingges, and by the smoke of loovers scalding sighs. And by the smart and sorrow, that this troubled dame doth prove: By all the Planets that our hearts, to hate or liking move. By the desires of her that hath Victoriam unto name: By Venus Fillet, and the golden pleasures of her game. Break lose I say, and trudge with hasty foot out of your den, Hunt and pursue, bestir your selves to seek Fortunio out: Forsake with speed the stinking fog of that your ugly fen, Possess, and chase him, see that you return no more again, Till you haoue brught him down and humbled him, if he be stout, Driven him with your tormenting gnaw, the City round about. Go make his bed of Thistles, and his seat of pricking thorn: Until you bring him hither unto her that is forlorn. ¶Now must I stick a needle in his heart, And prick him with the point, before we part. ¶If that I strike the needle through, the gentleman will die: ¶Now have I done, follow and throw your Tapers out of hand, Into this Tomb that as you see, hard by us here doth stand: Set fire unto their feet, and toast the corpses of the dead, That long have slept within this place since they were buried. ¶Mistress it will, and you th'euent thereof shall shortly see: ¶All is mine, ho, ho. ho. All is mine, ¶No Pamphila, for such a mistress thou art far unfit. What talkest thou of thy name, and honour likely to be lost, By learning of mine Art? which should be honoured of the most. And more esteemed then Physic. ¶That's easy to be proved, For, as by Physics learned skill, diseases be removed. So by my cunning, every smart that does afflict the mind, Is put to chase, for every grief, a remedy I find. ¶I have. ¶Of diverse things, simple, and mixed, according to my trade. ¶Whom serve you then? ¶Yet farther, let me crave your name. ¶What's her disease? ¶How fareth she with it? ¶Whom loves she? ¶And how long hath she been so? ¶What if I help her? tell me who shall please me for my pain? ¶A loving servant, go thy ways and leave it all to me. But hark Thee. ¶Let me have passage to her lodging free. That when she little thinks thereof, my Medcins I may make, By virtue of the which, her wounded heart may comfort take. The less she looks for remedy, the more is her delight, when t'is obtaynde. ¶Content, for it is night. And yonder comes Fedele with Fortunio hand in hand, To shun suspect, they shall not see us talking here to sta ̄ de. Exit. ¶Mytoyle so great, reward so small, that every man doth give, Hath made me weary of my trade, uncertain how to live. ¶I was abroad to fell my wares, at every Ladies gate. But being overtaken thus by night, I High me home, Till Fortune send a better market, for the world is done. ¶Nothing but words, Nothing but wind: ¶Not so, for by the carriage that within my pretty Pack I have, I enter in those Ladies chambers, that I find both fine and brave. And under colour of the trifles I bear about to fell, I plead for such as you good Sir, that feel by love the force of hell. ¶Calls Gorgets, Hears, Powders to make a Ball, Vallentia Gloves, and Venice Rolls, to rub the tooth withal. Laces, Purses, Rings, Busks, Wyers, and Glasses fine, Bracelettes, Perfumes, Stilled waters, Sops in wine. Pins, Bodkins, Stays, and other kind of stuff, No more but tell me what you lack, and you shall have enough. A thousand knacks I have, to utter, which I must be slow, Because they are so secret, as becomes not you to know. ¶Wherein? ¶I doubt it is too harden a task, she loves Fedele so, That she by no means can be won, Fedele to forgo. ¶The best I can I will, And ransack every corner of my wits to show my skill. Either it must be done by craft, or Magic, which you please, ¶Sir, first by deceit I'll try how I can bring the same about, If shifts do fail, Enchanted herbs shall put you out of doubt. I will unto her lodging straight, and stay your coming there, Within and hour or half, to follow, see you do not fear. I'll tell her that I mean to bring Fedele to her bed, When lights are out, and sleep is crept into her father's head. When you are in and half unbraced, a tumult will I make, And call her father up, you in her chamber there to take. You know age will suspect the worst, and when he sees you so, Will force you then to marry her, whither she will or no. Beside, when that the bruit her of is blown in every place, Fedele and all other suitors, will forsake the chase. Lo, thus by subtlety you shall possess the dame you crau'de, And yet by me when all is told, her honour shall be saved. ¶I go, forget not you to come. Exit. ¶Mine, alas good Sir, you do me injury, I grant that after I had brought my young mistress to bed, Feeling the sleep shut up mine eyes, and drooping with my head, I laid me down to take my rest, and so with haste forgotten, To lock the doors about the house, and how it comes God wot, I can not tell, but when I fetched a nap and wooke again, I herd a bustling in the dark, and then did I complain. And cried aloud to you for help, whereat immediately, This Gentleman withdrew him self, and forth began to fly. ¶Now man and wife, Ottaviano Harken unto me, Although this Gallant in Virginia's chamber you did see. Yet is her honour as it was, unspotted by the same, And kept by me, which ever had regard unto her name. Fortunio made his moan and said, he lou'de Virginia best, Virginia for Fedeles sake could never take her rest. His mind was on Victoriam, Virginia light esteemed, Now that Virginia's life and liberty might be redéemde. I brought Fortunio to the house when she was fast a sleep, And close this night into her chamber both of us did creep. I made him to unbrace him self, and presently did call For you to come, as though some greater matter did befall. You came, he fled, and now is taken in Fedeles sighed, As though Virginia had dishonoured been by him this night. Which is not so, but this was done to blear the gazers eyes, To pleasure him, and save her life, this thing did I devise.