GAUDINA

I must deer father crave here at your feet, for mine offence your pardon to obtain, From whom to fly, I yield it was not meet, yet Love (my Lord) in me so soar did rain: As victor once repulse he would not bear, but bade me seek my love in place each where. You understand my Lord the course I kept, you see the gods have brought this gear to end, These fatal lifts could not be over leapt, but needs my will to their great might must bend: For fault to you their force I must oppose, I am your child of me you may dispose. But yet my Lord consider all the toil, which I have passed to compass this my love? Shall old conceit at length receive the foil, whose force I feel not minding to remove? When Love forsaken shall revive again, alas my Lord how soar will be my pain: To be constrained not once to cast a look, where I tofore did pitch my whole delight? To leave him thus, for whom I all forsook, how can true love abide such poisoned spite? Whats to be said in this unequal fight, where love denies what nature claims of right? Oh Cupid be content with that is passed, thus long to thee I have my service vowed, Let nature now prevail at last, what she demands hold it not disalowd: And shall I then forsake my former joy? nay my Gaudina death were less annoy. Plaint hath found mean, and love hath wone his right, from whom but death no force shall sever me, Dame Nature be content, here in thy sighed my Love I do release and yield to thee, Yet neither love nor nature may possess, but only death the mother to redress. You may so with persuasions deal I think, as he to your demand may seem to yield, But inwardly that he from me will shrink, no reason can such ground bring for her shield: Yet to do that which both you do desire, apart with you my self I will retire. Well, Contarenus well, what shall ensue? you are the cause whose yielding makes me yield, Yet of my word for ever hold this true, whereon you may assured comfort built: Till death my soul and body shall depart, your love shall lodge in some partly of my heart. A dainty choice my Lord you offer me, old rooted love still wedded to conceit, With rueful look appearing in mine eye, and to your suit presenting still debate, Whom Countries good and nature bids obey, whereby my tongue knows not whats best to say. But good my Lord sith you which may command, do give me leave for my defence to plead, May it please you in short to understand, how things have passed betwixt him and me indeed, Which being herd, if you be not content, my will to yours shall presently be bent: How worth in him did work love first in me, in Princely state while I did live at home, Your self therewith displeased did right well see, which banishing him enforced me to room, Because the bait which love for us had laid, held us so fast as it could not be stayed. By land and Sea I wandered far and near, not finding rest till Sibil told me plain, het hap of that I hoped remained here, where I should rest and finish all my pain: Success confirmed her speech, and here I found, to whom by chained link love hath me bound. For farther link in marriage to proceed, because therein I had not your consent, I followed still Apollos holy reed, whose priest in that restrained mine intent, And wild me not to marriage to give place, till he should Like of whom I took my raze. Our state is thus, our love which thus did grow, stands in these terms, in other terms yet free, I loved where I liked which reft me fro, I hasted on the thing I liked to see: I sought, I found, our love remaineth still, so to pass forth, if it be your good will. Alas that such a spirit cannot persuade, Alas that state and virtue sunder so, Alas of worth no more account is made, but thus from thee my love must I needs go. Well sith he yields which hath most right in me, Ah Countries good I yield my self to thee. Alas my Lord, it is but Fortune's gift, to have dissent brought down from Princes train, The persons worth is virtues worthy drift, which by desert the highest place should gain. Care not for birth though it be never so base, but virtue reke which craves the highest place. Th'assault is great, yet love bids keep the field, what all this time hath my long travel wone? If now by light attempt I hap to yield: these reasons helte before my flight begun: What is now said but then the same was true? the ground is old though flowers be fresh and new. When he by slight was so withdrawn from me, then did my love condemn these reasons all, And shall I now sith nothing else I see, by yielding thus procure both present thrall? I rather choose to wander with him still, then so to change and countermand my will. I feel a false alarm as though there were, a fitter match to be found out for me; No Contarenus no, I smel this gear, to try if so I would relent from thee: No our consents have joined this faithful link, till thou sayest nay I will not from thee shrink. And yet in thee if slender shows take place, I'll never yield for honour of my kind, Let men remove and slightly turn their face, in woman's breast more stay they still shall find: My parents pardon me my country stay, for what is said from Love I will not stray. Yet Contarenus think what is in you, if virtues worth and weight in you be great, And such as none but blind can disallow, why should persuasions then us two defeat, As who say, any else might better seem. then you and I to rule so great a realm, Birth bears me out, and virtue bears up you, and why should any then thereof mislike? As certain proof shall still prevail I trow, before that is uncertain how to Like. You are to choose my friend, make answer so as you do not procure us endless woe.