ERASTUS

Why when Perseda wilt thou not assure me? But shall I Like a mastless ship at sea, Go every way and not the way I would: My love hath lasted from mine infancy, And still increased as I grew my self, When did Perseda pastime in the streets, But her Erastus over-eyed her sport: When didst thou with thy sampler in the Sun, Fit sowing with thy feres, but I was by Marking thy lily hands dexterity: Comparing it to twenty gracious things. When didst thou sing a note that I could hear, But I have framed a ditty to the tune, Figuring Perseda twenty kind of ways. When didst thou go to Church on holidays, But I have waited on thee too and from: Marking my times as Falcons watch their flight. When I have missed thee how have I lamented, As if my thoughts had be assured true. Thus in my youth, now since I grew a man, I have persevered to let thee know, The meaning of my true hearts constancy: Then be not nice Perseda as women wont, To hasty lovers whose fancy soon is fled: My love is of a long continuance, And merits not a strangers recompense. Nay my Perseda knows, and then 'tis well. And sweet Perseda accept this ring, To equal it, receive my heart to boot, It is no boot, for that was thine before? And far more welcome is this change to me. Then sunny days to naked Savages, Or news of pardon to a wretch condemde, That waits for the fearful stroke of death. As careful will I be to keep this chain, As does the mother keep her children, From waterpits, or falling in the fire. Over mine armour will I hang this chain, And when long combat makes my body faint, The sighed of this shall show Persedas name, And and fresh courage to my fainting limbs. This day the eager Turk of Tripolis, The Knight of Malta, hououred for his worth, And he thats titled by the golden spur. The More upon his hight barbarian horse, The fiery Spaniard bearing in his face, The empress of a noble warrior. The sudden Frenchman, and the bigbound Dane, And English Arthers hardy men at arms, Eclipped Lyons of the western world: Eke one of these approved combatants, Assembled from several corners of the world, Are hither come to try their force in arms, In honour of the Prince of Cipris nuptials. Amongst these worthies will Erastus troop, Though Like a Gnatamongst a hive of Bees: Know me by this thy precious carkanet, And if I thrive, in valour as the glass That takes the Sunbeam burning with his force: I'll be the glass, and thou that heavenly Sun, From whence I'll borrow what I do at chieve. And sweet Perseda unnoted though I be, Thy beauty yet shall make me known ere night. counsel me not, for my intent is sworn, And be my fortune as my love deserves. Go sirrah, bid my men bring my horse, and a dosen slaves. Wish me good hap Perseda and I'll win Such glory, as no time shall ere raze out, Or end the perjod of my youth in blood. My sweet Perseda. Thanks worthy sir, whose favourable hand, Hath entered such a youngling in the war, And thanks unto you all, brave worthy sirs, Impose me task, how I may do you good, Erastus will be dutiful in all. What you want in shoes, isle give you in blows. Ah treacherous Fortune, enemy to Love, Didst thou advance me for my greater fallen, In dallying war, I lost my chiefest peace, In hunting after praise, I lost my love, And in loves shipwreck will my life miscarry, Take thou the honour, and give me the chain, Wherein was linked the sum of my delight. When she delivered me the Carkanet, Keep it quoth she, as thou wouldst keep my self: I kept it not, and therefore she is lost, And lost with his is all my happiness, And lose of happiness is worse then death. Come therefore gentle death and ease my grief, Cut short what malice Fortune misintends, But stay a while good Death, and let me live, Time may restore what Fortune took from me: Ah no, great losses seldom are restored. What if my Chain shall never be restored, My innocence shall clear my negligence. Ah! but my love is cerimonious, And looks for justice at her lovers hand, Within forced furrows of her clowding brow, As storms that fallen amid a sun shine day, I read her joust desires, and my decay. Desire persuades me on, fear puls me back. Tush I will to her, innocence is bold, How fares Perseda my sweet second self? And till I came whereas my love did dwell, My pleasure was but pain, my solace woe. Matchless Perseda, she that gave me strength, To win late conquest from many victor's hands, Thy name was conqueror, not my chivalry: Thy looks did arm me, not my coat of steel, Thy beauty did defend me, not my force. Thy favours boar me, not my light foot Steed, Therefore to thee I owe both love and life. But wherefore makes Perseda such a doubt, As if Erastus could forget himself: Which if I do, all vengeance light on me. Ah stay my sweet Perseda hear me speak. Then view my tears, that plead for innocence, If words & tears displease, then view my looks, That plead for mercy at thy rigorous hands. If words, nor tears, nor looks, may win remorse, What then remains for my perplexed heart? Hath no interpreters but words, or tears, or looks. Hard doom of death before my case be known, My judge unjust, and yet I cannot blame her, Since Love and jealousy missead her thus. My self in fault, and yet not worthy blame, Because that Fortune made the fault, not Love. The ground of her unkindness grows, because I lost The precious Carcanet she gave to me: Lucina hath it, as her words import, But how she God it, heavens knows, not I, Yet this is some aleagement to my sorrow, That if I can but get the Chain again, I boldly then shall let Perseda know, That she hath wronged Erastus and her friend: Ah Love, and if thou be'st of heavenly power, Inspire me with some present stratagem, It must be so, Lucina's a frank Gaimster, And Like it is, in play sheele hazard it, For if report but blasen her aright, She's a frank gaimster, and inclined to play, Ho Piston? Ah virtuous Lamps of ever turning heavens, Incline her mind to play, and mine to win, Nor do I covet but what is mine own, Then shall I let Perseda understand, How jealousy had armed her tongue with malice, Ah were she not Perseda whom my heart, No more can fly, then iron can Adamant, Her late unkindness would have changed my mind. Sirs thus it is, we must in mummery, Unto Lucina, neither for love nor hate, But if we can, to win the chain she wears, For though I have some interest therein, Fortune may make me master of mine own, Rather then isle seek justice gainst the Dame, But this assure your selves it must be mine, By game, or change, by one devise or other. The rest isle tell you when our sport is done. What store of Crowns have you brought? Yes, but what of that? Come sirs lets go, Drumsler pray for me, And isle reward thee: and sirrah Pistrn, Mar not our sport with your foolery. Gentlemen, each thing hath sorted to our wish, She took me for Fernando, marked you that: Your gold shall be repairde with double thanks, And fellow Drumsler, isle reward you well. Yes sir, a guarded suit from top to toe. He lewdly lies that calls me treacherous. Nay Gentlemen, fly you and save yourselves, Least you partake the hardness of my fortune. Ah fickle and blind guidresse of the world, What pleasure hast thou in my misery? Wast not enough when I had lost the Chain, Thou didst bereave me of my dearest love, But now when I should reposesse the same, To cross me with this hapless accedent: Ah if but time and place would give me leave, Great ease it were for me to purge my self, And to accuse fell Fortune, Love and Death. For all these three conspire my tragedy, But danger waits upon my words and steps, I dare not stay, for if the Governor Surprise me here, I die by marshal law, Therefore I go. But whither shall I go? Ifinto any stay a dioyning Rhodes, They will betray me to Phyllippos hands, Forloue, or gain, or flattery. To Turkey must I go, the passage short, The people warlike, and the king renowned, For all heroical and kingly virtues, Ah hard attempt, to tempt a foe for aid, Necessity yet says it must be so, Or suffer death for Ferdinandos death, Whom honours title forced me to misdoe, By checking his outrageous insolence. Piston, here take this chain, and give it to Perseda, And let her know what hath befallen me, When thou hast delivered it, take ship and follow me, I will be in Constantinople. Farewell my country dearer then my life; Farewell sweet friends, dearer then country soil, Farewell Perseda, dearest of them all, Dearer to me, then all the world beside. I worthy Lord a forlorn Christian. Thy virtuous fame, and mine own misery. If any ignoble or dishonourable thoughts, Should dare attempt, or but creep near my heart: Honour should force disdain to root it out, As air bred Eagles, if they once perceive, That any of their brood but close their sighed, When they should gaze against the glorious Sun, They straight way seize upon him with their talents, That on the earth it may untimely die, For looking but a scue at heavens bright eye. Then this my gracious Lord is all I crave, That being banished from my native soil, I may have liberty to live a Christian. The least of these surpass my best desert, Unless true loyalty may seem desert. I, if my Sovereign say content, I yield. My gracious Sovereign, without presumption, If poor Erastus may once more entreat, Let not great Solimans command, To whose behest I vow obedience, Enforce me sheath my slaughtering blade, In the deer bowels of my countrymen: And were it not that Soliman hath sworn, My tears should plead for pardon to that place: I speak not this to shrink away for fear, Or hide my head in time of dangerous storms, Employ me else where in thy foreign wars, Against the Persians or the barbarous More, Erastus will be foremost in the battle. 'Tis not my country, but Phylippos wrath, It must be told, for Ferdinandos death, Whom I in honours cause have reft of life, Say Piston whats the news at Rhodes, I thats the grief, that we are parted thus. Come follow me and I will hear the rest, For now I must attend the Emperor. Peace fool, a sable weed fits discontent, Away, be gone. I must confess that Solyman is kind, Passed all compare, and more then my desert, But what helps gay garments, when the minds oppressed, What pleases the eye, when the sense is altered, My heart is over whelmed with thousand woes, And melancholy leads my soul in triumph, No marvel then if I have little mind, Of rich embroidery or costly ornaments, Of honours titles, or of wealth, or gain, Of music, viands, or of dainty dams, No, no, my hope full long ago was lost, And Rhodes it self is lost, or else destroyed, If not destroide, yet bound and captivate, If captivate, then forced from holy faith: If forced from faith, for ever miserable, For what is misery, but want of God, And God is lost, if faith be overthrown. A worthy man though not Erastus friend, Fair blossom, likely to have proved good fruit. I there it is, now all my Friends are slain, And fair Perseda murdered or deflowerd. Ah gracious Solyman now show thy love, In not denying thy poor suppliant: Suffer me not to stay here in thy presence, But by my self lament me once for all, Here if I stay, I must suppress my tears, And tears suppressed will but increase my sorrow. My sweet and best beloved: And I for thee, or else I had not lived. Ah pardon me great Soliman, for this is she, For whom I mourned more then for all Rhodes, And from whose absence I derived my sorrow. Even from my childhood have I tendered thee, Witness the heavens of my unfeigned love. Perseda, these days are our days of joy. What could I more desire then thee to wife, And that I have: or then to govern Rhodes, And that I do, thanks to great Soliman, I that was before he knew thee to be mine, But now Perseda, lets forget old griefs, And let our studies wholly be employed, To work each others bliss and hearts delight. Welcome Lord Brusor. What hasty news brings you so soon to Rhodes? Although to me you never come to soon. Were there no ships to cross the Seas withal, My arms should frame mine oars to cross the seas, And should the seas turn tide to force me back. Desire should frame me wings to fly to him, I go Perseda thou must give me leave. Lord Brusor come 'tis time that we were gone. What thinks Lord Brusor of this strange arrest, Hast thou entrapped me to this treachery: Intended well I wot without the leave Or licence of my Lord great Soliman. Heavens her you this, and drops not vengeance on them The other wit. The rest, and worst, will I discourse in brief, Will you consent quoth he to fire the fleet, That lies hard by us here in Bosphoron, For be it spoke in secret here quoth he, Rhodes must no longer bear the turkish yoke, We said the task might easily be performed, But that we lacked such drugs to mix with powder, As were not in his galleys to be God, At this he leapt for joy, swearing and promisiug, That our reward should be redoubled: We came aland not minding for to return, And as our duty and aleageance bound us, We made all known unto great Soliman, But ere we could summon him a land, His ships were passed a kenning from the shore, Belike he thought we had bewrayed his treasons. That these are Synons and my self poor Troy. I see this train was plotted ere I came, What boots complaining where no remedy: Yet give me leave before my life shall end, To moan Perseda, and accuse my friend. Alas, how can he but be short, whose tongue Is fast tide with galling sorrow. Farewell Perseda, no more but that for her: Inconstant Soliman, no more but that for him, Unfortunate Erastus, no more but that for me: Lo this is all, & thus I leave to speak. How now sirrah, what are you crying? Get you away sirrah, I advise you Meddle with no Chains of mine, You paltry knave, how durst thou be so bold, To cry the chain, when I bid thou shouldst not, Did I not bid thee only underhand, Make privy inquiry for it through the town, Least public rumor might advertise her, Whose knowledge were to me a second death? I. Desire Guelpio & signior Julio come speak with me And bid them bring some store of crowns with them, And sirrah, provide me four Visards, Four Gowns, a box, and a Drum, For I intend to go in mummery, My gracious Lord, when ̄ Erastus does forget this favour, Then let him live abandoned and forlorn. Why then to thee, or unto any else, I here protest by heavens unto you all, That never was there man more true or joust, Or in his deeds more loyal and upright, Or more loving, or more innocent, Than I have be to gracious Soliman, Since first I set my feet on Turkish land. I never saw them I until this day.