LUCRECE

Suffices this (good Niece) that you have said, For I perceive what sundry passion Strive in your breast, which oftentimes ere this Your countenance confused did bewray, The ground whereof since I perceive to grow On joust respect of this your sole estate, And skilful care of fleeting youths decay, Your wise foresight such sorrowing to eschew I much commend, and promise as I may To break this matter, and impart your mind, Unto your father, and to work it so, As both your honour shall not be impeached, Nor he unsatisfied of your desire. Be you no farther grieved, but return Into your chamber. I shall take this charge, And you shall shortly truly understand What I have wrought, and what the king affirms. I leave you to the fortune of my stars. The heavens I hope will favour our request. My Niece shall not impute the cause to be In my default, her will should want effect: But in the king is all my doubt, least he My suit for her new marriage should reject. Yet shall I prove him: and I herd it said, He means this evening in the park to hunt, Here will I wait attending his approach. Si as I always have employed my power, And faithful service, such as lay in me, In my best wise, to honour you and yours: So now, my bounden duty moves me, Your majesty most humbly to entreat, With patient ears, to understand the state, Of my poreneece, your daughter. That is exempted by the law of kind, No more then may with right of reason stand. He cannot hear, anger hath stopped his ears, And overlove his judgement hath decaide. Ah my poor Niece, I shrewdly fear thy cause. Thy joust complaint shall never be relieved. Niece, on the point you lately willed me To treat of with the king in your behalf, I brake even now with him so far, till he In sudden rage of grief, ere I scarce had My tale out told, prayed me to stint my suit, As that from which his mind abhorred most. And well I see his fancy to refute, Is but displeasure gainde, and labour lost. So firmly fixed stands his kingly will, That till his body shall be laid in graven, He will not partly from the desired sighed Of your presence, which silder he should have, If he had once allied you again, In marriage to any prince or peer. This is his final resolution. Therefore my counsel is, you shall not stir, Nor further wade in such a case as this: But since his will, is grounded on your love, And that it lies in you, to save or spill, His old fore-wasted age: you ought t'eschew, The thing that grieves so much his crazed heart, And in the state you stand, content your self: And let this thought, appease your troubled mind, That in your hands, relies your father's death, Or blissful life, and since without your sighed, He cannot live, nor can his thoughts endure, Your hope of marriage, you must then relent, And overrule these found affections: Least it be said, you wrought your father's end. What lies in me by comfort or advice, I shall discharge with all humility. Pity, that moves every gentle heart, To rue their griefs, that be distressed in pain, Enforceth me, to wail my nieces smart, Whose tender breast, no long time may sustain, The restless toil, that her unquiet mind, Hath caused her feeble body to endure, But why it is, (alack) I must not find, Nor know the man, by whom I might procure Her remedy, as I of duty ought, As to the law of kindship, does belong, With careful heart, the secret means I sought, Though small effect, is of my travel sprung: Full often as I durst, I have assayed, With humble words, the princes to require, To name the man, which she hath so denayed, That it abashed me, further to desire, Or ask from whence, those cloudy thoughts pro ceed, Whose stony force: that smoky sighs forth send. Is lively witness, how that carefnll dread, And hight desire, within her do contend. Yet she denies, what she confessed of yore, And then conjoined me, to conceal the same: She loved once, (she says) but never more, Nor ever will, her fancy thereto frame: Though daily, I observed in my breast, What sharp conflicts, disquiet her so soar, That heavy sleep cannot procure her rest, But fearful dreams present her evermore Most hideous sights her quiet to molest. That starting oft therewith she does awake, to muse upon those fancies which torment Her thoughtful heart with horror, that does make Her cold chil sweat break forth incontinent From her weak limbs: and while the quiet night Gives others rest, she turning to and from Does wish for day. But when the day brings light, She keeps her bed, there to record her woe. As soon as when she riseth flowing tears Stream down her cheeks, immixed with deadly groans Whereby her inward sorrow so appears, That as salt tears the cruel cause bemoans. In case she be constrained to abide In press of company, she scarcely may Her trembling voice restrain it be not spied From careful plaints her sorrows to bewray. By which restraint the force does so increase, When time and place give liberty to plain. That as small streams from running never cease, Till they return into the seas again: So her laments we fear will not amend, Before they bring her Princely life to end. To others talk when as she should attend, Her heaped cares her senses so oppress, That what they speak, or whereto their words tend She knows not, as her answers do express. Her chief delight is still to be alone, Her pensive thoughts within themselves worser bore, But whereupon this restless life is grown, Since I know not nor how the same t'abate. I can no more but wish it as I may, That he which knows it would the same allay, For which the Muses with my song shall pray. She lives my Lord, & hath her outward health, But all the danger of her sickness lies In the disquiet of her princely mind: Since went Princes hath intoumb'd her Lord Her late diseased husband of renown: Brother, I see, and very well perceive, She hath not clos'de together in his graven, All sparks of nature, kindness, nor of love: But as she lives, so living may she feel, Such passion as our tender hearts oppress, Subject unto that impressions of desire: Forwell I wot, my niece was never wrought, Of steel, nor carved from the stony rock, Such stern hardness, we ought not to expect, In her, whose princely heart, and springing years, Yet flowering in the chiefest heat of youth, Is led offorce, to feed on such conceits, As easily befalls that age, which asks ruth Of them, whom nature binds by foresight Of their graven years, and careful love to reach, The things that are above their feeble force: And for that cause, dread Lord although. Her gentle heart abhors such ruthless thoughts. She craves the right that nature challenges. The kings continued ̄ mandment always should be joust. Just to command: but justly must he charge. The kings command concerns the body best. In endue obedience to their open wrong.