sig: [A1] | |
¶Guystarde and Sygysmonde. | |
¶Here foloweth the amerous hystory of Guystarde and Sygysmonde / and of theyr dolorous deth by her father / newly translated out of laten in-to eng[l]yssheenglysshe] engysshe 1532 by wyllymm_walter seruaunt to syr Henry_Marney knyght chaunceler of the duchy of Lancastre. | |
sig: [A1v] [page blank] | |
sig: A2 | |
¶R._Coplande to the translatour. |
|
TH'ynflammate desyre / of your good intent | |
Newes to compyle / eschewynge ydelnesse | |
Cometh of grace / and of wysdome excellent | |
To occupy suche / as haue no besynesse | |
5 | Whiche vertu of doynge / moche harme doth oppresse |
For surely ydelnesse / is portresse of all synne | |
Euery vyce / redy to lette in | |
¶The wretched lyfe / of osyosyte | |
Engendreth slouth / pouerte and payne | |
10 | It is nouryce / of voluptuosyte |
And setteth the mynde on all thynges vayne | |
It sleeth the body / and troubleth the brayne | |
Unstedyeth the wyt / and wasteth good dede | |
And letteth vertu / and goodnesse to procede | |
15 | ¶Example playne / of ydle Sygysmonde |
Fedde deyntely / no maner werke to vse | |
Whiche caused ydelnesse / for to habonde | |
And vnto pleasure / set onely for to muse | |
Daunce / songe / and play / she dyd not refuse | |
20 | Whiche thynges assembled / engendred delyte |
Of naturall lust / to do her appetyte | |
¶Here lacketh besynesse / and good pastyme | |
Grace of good doynge / was from her exyled | |
Caught as a byrde / tangled with lyme | |
25 | Fyrst by one feder / and than with all begyled |
Ryght so who with this vyce is fyled | |
Take with one synne / all other dothe ensue | |
Ergo / good besynesse / is gate of vertue | |
¶Thus endeth the prologue. |
|
sig: [A2v] | |
¶How Sygysmonde after the deth of her husbande was enamored of one Guystarde a man of her faders hous. |
|
PRynce of Salerne somtyme was one Tanc[re]de Tancrede] Tancerde 1532 | |
A noble man gentyll lowly and sage | |
Greatly praysed for his manhode and ded | |
Yf he had not take vengeaunce in his age | |
5 | Of two louers / done by his fell courage |
For they loued eche other tenderly | |
By cruell meane he caused them to dy | |
¶This noble man had neuer other chylde | |
But a doughter of excellent beaute | |
10 | Prudent in her youthe sage and nothynge wylde |
Her father loued her ryght tenderly | |
So lothe he was to lese her company | |
That no man coude haue her in maryage | |
Tyll that she was aboue her lawfull age | |
15 | ¶Sygysmonde was the name of this lady |
Whiche was wedded with her faders counseyle | |
Unto the dukes sone of Campany | |
But in shorte tyme after theyr espousayle | |
Dethe with his darte her husbande dyd assayle | |
20 | After whose dethe she dyd not longe soiourne |
But to her father she dyd home retourne | |
sig: A3 | |
¶Of shape and persone she was well-fourmed | |
Her face and coloure fayre and amyable | |
Nature in beauty her so fornysshed | |
25 | That none to her was equiperable |
Her maner and wysdome commendable | |
In all her dedes she was excellent | |
More than to woman is expedyent | |
¶In her faders house she long soiournynge | |
30 | In welthe and ease and greate prosperyte |
Her faders mynde whan she had perceyuynge | |
How he in her had suche felycyte | |
That to mary her he wolde not agre | |
And how it sholde be shame for hym to requyre for: Wright emends to fro, but perhaps for='before, in the presence of' | |
35 | To accomplysshe her pleasure and desyre |
¶Wherfore she concluded in her mynde | |
Some gentyll man for her louer to chose | |
Whiche wolde vnto her be secret and kynde | |
With whome she myght her pleasure somtyme vse | |
40 | The chaunce of loue she coude no-wyse refuse |
Cupyde so sore her herte had set on fyre | |
That nede she must accomplysshe her desyre | |
¶Of nobles and other of meane degre | |
Her faders house was greatly fornysshed | |
45 | As noble housholders are wont for to be |
Sygysmonde theyr maners oft regarded | |
Amonge whome one out she had espyed | |
Uertuous / humble / stedfast / prew / and sage | |
How-be-it he was but of small lygnage | |
sig: [A3v] | |
50 | ¶This noble yonge man Guystarde had the name |
Upon whome ofte Sygysmonde her loke dyd cast | |
His noblesse her herte dyd sore enflame | |
And for she had full oft founde hym stedfast | |
Hym for to loue she was nothynge agast | |
55 | His sadde behauour wounded her [so] sore so] 1532 omits |
That loue in her encreased more and more | |
¶This yonge man lykewyse of wyt excellent | |
Perceyuynge the noblesse of this lady | |
In her loue so feruently he brent | |
60 | That nyght nor daye he coude rest quyetly |
To loue his mynde so moche he dyd apply | |
That by desyre he was so sore opprest | |
His paynfull loue he coude in no wyse dygest | |
¶Eche of other was sore enamoured | |
65 | Yet none of them knewe the others mynde |
Sygysmonde nothynge so moche desyred | |
As Guystarde in a secrete place to fynde | |
To whome she myght bewray her loue so kynde | |
To none other she durst shewe her purpose | |
70 | Leest they to her father wolde it dysclose |
¶She coueytynge her mynde for to fulfyll | |
All her mynde she wrote in a lettere | |
And in an holowe rede she put the byll | |
And to hym she gaue it with smylynge chere | |
75 | Byddynge hym to bere it to her chambere |
And to delyuer it vnto her mayd | |
To kyndle the fyre / it was good she sayd | |
sig: [A4] | |
¶Guystarde than toke the foresayd rede | |
Sayenge he wolde soone do her commaundement | |
80 | But in his thought he well ymagyned |
It was not gyuen hym but for some entent | |
Wherfore vnto his chambre he forth went | |
And brake the rede / wherin he dyd espy | |
The letter enclosed ryght secretly | |
85 | ¶Whan that he had ouer-red the byll well |
Wherin her purpose he had perceyued | |
He was so mery that no tongue can tell | |
The ioye whiche his herte had supprysed | |
For it was the thynge he moost desyred | |
90 | Wherfore he agreed her mynde to fulfyll |
Accordynge to the tenoure of the byll | |
¶R._Coplande to these louers in th'effect of theyr loue |
|
SE here in loue / the merueylous effect | |
Without foresyght / compassynge the ende | |
Onely of lust / the doynge to coniect | |
95 | As by this lady / whiche dyd condescende |
Unto this knyght / her mynde so to haue pende | |
Not regardynge / her state of wydowheed | |
Honour and good fame / forgetynge as deed | |
¶O folysshe Guystarde / O vnwyse Sygysmonde | |
100 | O newe P[yr]amus / O yonge wanton Thysbe / Pyramus] Pryamus 1532 |
Was no reason / nor fere in you founde | |
To pondre of Tancrede / the inwarde cruelte | |
O blynde loue / suche is thy properte | |
Youthe to enclose with thy lubryke fyre | |
105 | Nothynge regarded / but to do theyr desyre |
sig: [A4v] | |
¶Alas Guystarde, where is thy memory | |
Thou doost not pondre thy maysters gentylnesse | |
Whiche from thy youthe hath fostred tenderly | |
His house and doughter thou wylt pollute rechelesse | |
110 | Thou wylt dystayne / his honoure and noblenesse |
His loue thou lesest / his good worde and his dede | |
Beware / suche seruyce / suche is the wage or mede | |
¶How after that Guystarde had receyued the rede of Sygysmonde he founde the caue where-thorowe he went to her chambre. |
|
THere was a caue ioynynge vnto the place | |
Whiche was out of mannes remembraunce past | |
115 | For it was not vsed of longe space |
On the toppe therof in lyght for to cast | |
There was an hole whiche w[a]s so olde and wast was] wos 1532 | |
That thornes and breres dyd it ouer-growe | |
So that the entre therof none myght knowe | |
sig: B1 | |
120 | ¶And from the caue there was a secrete way |
Whiche of no creature was espyed | |
Unto the chambre where-as Sygysmonde lay | |
The way therof so longe was dysused | |
The dore of the sayd caue was fast barred | |
125 | Whiche passage was stopped so secretly |
That harde it was the entrynge to espye | |
¶Sygysmonde by the secrete introduccyon | |
Of loue from whose eyes nothynge can be hyd | |
Of the sayd caue she founde the entrynge soone | |
130 | And in-to it alone she descended |
Bothe length and depnesse she well regarded | |
And to Guystarde she made therof reporte | |
By wrytynge how he myght to her resorte | |
¶Guystarde of this beynge aduertysed | |
135 | Ordred all-thynge mete to his besynesse |
A ledder cote for hym he deuysed | |
From thornes and breres to kepe hym harmelesse | |
And in the nyght thyder he dyd hym dresse | |
And by a rope in-to the caue dyd slyde | |
140 | And there for her all nyght he dyd abyde |
¶In the mornynge whan the day gan to appere | |
Sygysmonde caused to auoyde by a trayne | |
The maydes whiche lay within her chambere | |
Sayenge that nyght she coude not slepe for payne | |
145 | And quyetly than to rest she wolde fayne |
And after them she locked fast the dore | |
Of her purpose she thought she wolde be sure | |
sig: [B1v] | |
¶In-to the caue she gothe incontynent | |
Fyndynge Guystarde / she oft dyd hym embrace | |
150 | In-to her chambre they bothe after went |
And vnto bedde they yede for theyr solace | |
Theyr pleasaunt lyfe they contynue a space | |
Enforsynge them-selfe to please eche other | |
Tyll it was tyme for them to dysseuer | |
155 | ¶Guystarde in-to the caue went secretly |
After whome she locked the dore full fast | |
And to her maydens she went hastely | |
But he durst not whyle the day dyd last | |
Go from the caue but whan mydnyght was past | |
160 | He went out so that none hym espyed |
And vnto his house fast he hym hyed | |
¶Often-tymes this custome they vsed | |
Theyr lyfe amorous ledynge couertly | |
Of a longe tyme it was not perceyued | |
165 | But fortune whiche is alway contrary |
By his harde chaunce these louers dyd dyscry | |
So that with sorowe ended theyr pleasure | |
There is no ioye that alway may endure | |
¶Tancrede alone vsed customably | |
170 | Unto his doughters chambre to resort |
And on her bedde to slepe somtyme wolde ly | |
Or els with her to fynde some game and sporte | |
In her talkynge he had full greate confort | |
And whan he had ben there a certayne space | |
175 | He wolde departe vnto some other place |
sig: B2 | |
¶He came vnto her chambre on a day | |
Whyle she was with her maydens in the gardyne | |
He seynge that she was besy in play | |
Besyde her bedde he dyd hymselfe declyne | |
180 | Afore his face he dyd drawe the curtyne |
A soft pylowe vnder his heed he cast | |
His wery body fell a_slepe full fast | |
Sygysmonde before her chambre wyndowes shyt shyt: =shut | |
For with Guystarde she had made apoyntment | |
185 | The same day to haue a mery fyt |
And whan she thought her tyme conuenyent | |
Out of the gardyne secretly she went | |
And vnto her chambre she resorted | |
And after her the dore she fast locked | |
190 | ¶She not knowynge her father there a_slepe |
The caue-dore she opened with her kay | |
And caused Guystarde out of it to crepe | |
And on the bedde as they were wont alway | |
Of Uenus they vsed the sporte and play | |
195 | So that by noyse and wordes that they dyd make |
Tancrede her father out of his slepe dyd wake | |
¶Tancrede from his slepe moued sodeynly | |
All theyr pastyme he well aduertysed | |
At the fyrst tyme he dyd thynke for to crye | |
200 | But in hym-selfe he well delybered |
By sylence his mynde sholde be better sped | |
And that he myght with delyberacyon | |
Upon them bothe take iust correccyon | |
sig: [B2v] | |
¶Where from noyse he kept hym-selfe full close | |
205 | These louers whan they had done theyr pleasure |
With glad semblaunt they bothe from the bedde rose | |
The dede they thought ryght secrete and sure | |
In-to the caue whiche was depe and obscure | |
Guystarde went in as he was wont to do | |
210 | And Sygysmonde dyd to her maydens go |
¶R._Coplande by exclamacyon to fortune. |
|
UNstable fortune / tomblynge as the see | |
Than yse more slypper / frosen after rayne | |
Here is thy dede / here is thy properte | |
Neuer in one / but chaungeable sodayne | |
215 | These two louers / by thy bryttle trayne |
Thou hast assembled / and now wylt dysceuer | |
A worthy acte / this is thy guyse euer | |
¶P[yr]am and Thysbe / thou goodly behyght Pyram] Pryam 1532 | |
Dydo to Ene / thou caused to combyne | |
220 | Arcyte to Emely / in sturdy fyght |
And Heleyn to Parys / holly to enclyne | |
Ypomyneus to Athelant of noble lyne | |
Troylus to Cresede / by reason of Pandare | |
At last vnwares / thou dydest them separe separe: =separate | |
225 | ¶O fortune harde / of chaunces moost extreme |
To brynge her father / O wycked slacke traytresse | |
Was there none other person in all the reme | |
For to dyscouer / theyr secret besynesse | |
None? no / alas / here is greate heuynesse | |
230 | Of ony other / it myght haue ben denayde |
But nay for-sothe / thou fortune hast them trayde | |
sig:
B3
¶How Guystarde was taken comynge out of the caue.
|
|
TAncrede for this chaunce beynge troubled | |
From the chambre secretly dyd yssue | |
And with watche-men the caue he enclosed | |
235 | Within the nyght Guystarde for to pursue |
As he came oute they toke this louer true | |
In his ledder cote as he was clothed | |
Before Tancrede they haue hym presented | |
¶Tancrede vnto hym spake thus cruelly | |
240 | Guystarde my kyndnesse hath not deserued |
That thou sholde do to me this vylany | |
Whiche with myne eyen this day I espyed | |
I haue alwaye the greatly fauoured | |
Thou hast dyshonoured me by thyne offence | |
245 | For kyndnesse shame thou doest me recompence |
sig: [B3v] | |
¶The true louer answered pyteously | |
Unto Tancrede sayenge syr for certayne | |
The harde chaunce of loue no man can deny | |
It is greater than is the power humayne | |
250 | From it I coude my-selfe in no wyse refrayne |
Your puyssaunce may not vnto loue compare | |
Loue is so greate that it wyll no man spare | |
¶This prynce for this beynge full of sorowe | |
Commaunded hym to be kept in prysone | |
255 | And after dyner on the nexte morowe |
Unto his doughters chambre he went ryght soone | |
All were auoyded saue they two alone | |
With heuy chere thus vnto her he sayd | |
Whiche knewe nothynge her councell was bewrayd | |
260 | ¶Sygysmonde I haue ben longe dysceyued |
By your honest vertu and sadde prudence | |
Whiche vnto me so stedfast appered | |
That in you I had so greate confydence | |
Thynkynge ye wolde neuer do suche offence | |
265 | No man coude haue made me it to byleue |
Yf with myne eyes the dede I dyd not preue | |
¶Thy heynous trespace doth my herte sore greue | |
Whiche contynually is in my thought | |
That the small tyme whiche I haue to leue | |
270 | In sorowe to ende thou hast it now brought |
At leest yf thou had mynded to be nought | |
Thou sholde haue taken one to thy degre | |
Conuenyent the lesse the faute had be | |
sig: [B4] | |
¶But of the multytude that vse my hall | |
275 | Thou hast chosen Guystarde thy loue to be |
Whiche is moost symple and poorest of them all | |
Not gentyll borne but come of lowe degre | |
Whome we haue nourysshed for charyte | |
Wherfore I am so wrapped in sorowe | |
280 | That what to do as yet I do not knowe |
¶Of Guystarde whiche is in captyuyte | |
What I wyll do I am delybered | |
But what punysshement I shall take on the | |
As yet my mynde is not determyned | |
285 | Loue wolde the offence to be pardoned |
The trespace requyreth vengeaunce certayne | |
Iustyce wolde punysshe / nature wolde refrayne | |
¶Therfore my mynde as yet is varyable | |
Not knowynge what to do ne what counceyll | |
290 | Sholde to this mater be moost profytable |
But I thought fyrst to knowe thy mynde and wyll | |
And vpon that my pleasure to fulfyll | |
These wordes sayd / he cast asyde his eye | |
And lyke a chylde he wept haboundauntly | |
295 | ¶Sygysmonde herynge her father thus speke |
And how Guystarde was put in pryson depe | |
For sorowe her herte in two dyd nyghe breke | |
Unneth from sownynge she coude her-selfe kepe | |
But lamentably she full fast dyd wepe | |
300 | Knowynge theyr loue to be dyscouered |
Whiche of longe-tyme had be full closely hyd | |
sig: [B4v] | |
¶She vaynquysshynge her femynyne courage | |
With constant mynde she dyd cease to lament | |
For angre she knyt the browes and vysage | |
305 | And for to dye in herte she dyd assent |
Yf Guystarde dyed by her faders Iudgement | |
Wherfore of dethe she beynge not dysmayd | |
Unto her father these wordes she sayd | |
¶Father your mercy I wyll not requyre | |
310 | Syth your mynde is my louer for to kyll |
I shall nothynge optayne of my desyre | |
And as for me it shall be at your wyll | |
Whyder that ye wyll my lyfe do saue or spyll do: Wright emends to 'to' | |
The one I knowe well I shall neuer get | |
315 | The other to haue I do not couet |
¶Wherfore your mercy I do now despyse | |
And with good reason for to purge my fame | |
Of this my dede lette it you now suffyse | |
That ye your-selfe of it are moost to blame | |
320 | For I had neuer come vnto this shame |
Yf it had not ben by your neclygence | |
Syth I dyd yll / it is but your offence | |
¶To loue Guystarde I knowlege and confesse | |
And euer shall whyle that my lyfe doth last | |
325 | Whiche is but short the trewthe for to expresse |
My herte and wyll shall euer be stedfast | |
Yf loue may be whan that the lyfe is past | |
Hym for to loue / my herte shall neuer sease | |
But and it may / it shall rather encrease | |
sig: C1 | |
330 | ¶Father ye sholde haue well consydred |
That I am not made of yron nor stone | |
But of your flesshe and nature engendred | |
And though that by age your courage is gone | |
Of youthe ye sholde haue consyderacyon | |
335 | How they be brent with ryght feruent desyre |
Of loue whiche doth theyr hertes sore set on fyre | |
¶Forthermore ye myght ryght well consyder | |
That ydelnese and delycate fedynge | |
In yonge people to lust is a breder | |
340 | And how I am in yonge age florysshynge |
And of my husbande hauynge knowledgynge | |
Of loue what the delycyousnes ment | |
Wherfore with desyre I sholde soone be brent | |
¶I beynge in voluptuosyte | |
345 | Bothe nyght and day my mynde I dyd apply |
My flamynge hete how quenched it myght be | |
Without mannes helpe I kn[e]we no remedy knewe: knowe 1532 | |
Wherfore my courage for to satysfy | |
In secrete wyse I thought to vse the game | |
350 | So that no man therof me sholde dyffame |
¶Loue and fortune my purpose forderynge | |
A secret caue they made me for to fynde | |
Wherof no man had ony knowledgynge | |
Whiche caue auaunced my desyre and mynde | |
355 | Thynkynge I myght secretly vse my kynde |
But of your knowlege I greatly meruell | |
The entrynge therof how that ye coude tell | |
sig: [C1v] | |
¶Guystarde I haue not loued faynedly | |
As moost women be wont of theyr vsage | |
360 | But of longe tyme I dyd dylygently |
Regarde his good maners and wysdome sage | |
His constaunt vertu / and manly courage | |
Or I wolde vnto hym ony loue cast | |
Whiche is so sure that it shall euer last | |
365 | ¶But for he is borne but of lowe degre |
Ye say to me the dede to be more shame to be] to be to me 1532 | |
By your sayenge as semeth vnto me | |
Fortune and not Guystarde ye do now blame | |
Unworthy men whiche bryngeth to greate fame | |
370 | And they that be worthy of greate renome |
She kepeth lowe vnder her fell thraldome | |
¶Of one man we toke our orygynall orygynall: =origin | |
Uertu maketh man to be excellent | |
Whose dede is good hym noble men may call | |
375 | Though your sayenge therto do not assent |
But ygnorant men thynke by theyr Iudgement | |
He is noble that is of greate estate | |
Though theyr maners be worthy for to hate | |
¶The dedes of your nobles remembre | |
380 | And the maners of Guystarde therwithall |
Certes yf ye wyll iustely consydre | |
Of noblenesse he shall be specyall | |
Noble vnnoble eyther ye may call eyther: Wright emends to rayther | |
Theyr byrthe and maners are full contrary | |
385 | From noblenesse they greately do vary |
sig: C2 | |
¶I take recorde therof of your reporte | |
Whome ye haue praysed so excellently | |
Of your affyrmynge I toke greate confort | |
His vertu ye so moche dyd magnyfy | |
390 | And without I am dysceyued truely |
There is no prayse to hym attrybuted | |
But that he hath it full well deserued | |
¶Yf he be poore yet he is excellent | |
His noble vertu doth enhaunce his name | |
395 | His youthe in your seruyce hath longe spent |
Yf he be poore therof ye be to blame | |
With rychesse ye myght haue raysed his name | |
Promocyon he hath deserued full well | |
Pouerte dooth not gentylnesse expell | |
400 | ¶And where ye be in ambyguyte |
How ye may do to punysshe myne offence | |
Of the sayd doute I wyll make your herte fre | |
To punysshe Guystarde yf ye do pretence | |
Upon me execute the same sentence | |
405 | I was the cause that he dyd the trespace |
Yf that he dye I coueyte not your grace | |
¶Dethe I fere not nor lyfe I wolde optayne | |
But of Guystarde yf ye take not mercy | |
Though ye wolde me spare I shall not refrayne | |
410 | But of my-selfe take vengeaunce cruelly |
And yf we haue deserued for do dye | |
Upon vs bothe accomplysshe your pleasure | |
For after hym my lyfe shall not longe dure | |
sig:
[C2v]
¶Robert_Coplande to the constauncy in loue of Sygysmonde.
|
|
O Constant lady / O lyght of louers shene | |
415 | O turtle true / thy louer so absent |
What myght thou more / than with courage clene | |
Offre thy-selfe / to dethe moost vyolent | |
For thy Guystarde / whiche hath his Iudgement | |
Alas my pen / for ruthe sorowe doth quake | |
420 | Onely for ruthe / that I haue for thy sake |
¶Alas swete woman / thou loued not for mede | |
Nor yet in comune / but stedfastly to one | |
Whiche secrete was in worde / thought and dede | |
And neuer loued but onely the alone | |
425 | Alas what sorowe / now that he is gone |
Doth the compasse / standynge all in drede | |
Herynge hym iudged / to deth by fyers Tancrede | |
¶Wyll none excuse / thy faders herte relent | |
And thou his chylde / O nature moost vntrewe | |
430 | Alas me-thynke I se the here present |
Berayned with teres / and asshy deedly hewe | |
Thou doost not praye his fauoure to eschewe | |
But hardyed in loue / makynge thy Iudgement | |
Wenynge therby / his herte for to relent | |
¶Finis. |
|
sig:
C3
¶How Guystarde was taken out of pryson and his herte cut oute of his body / and sente in a cuppe of golde to Sygysmonde.
|
|
435 | THis prynce perceyuynge his doughters courage |
Thought not that she wolde her sayenge fulfyll | |
But from her chambre he toke his passage | |
To sle his doughter it was not his wyll | |
But Guystarde he determyned to kyll | |
440 | After whose dethe he thought she wolde ref[r]ayne refrayne] refayne 1532 |
Forgettynge the loue that was with them twayne | |
¶He commaunded them that dyd kepe the Iayle | |
To strangle Guystarde by his fell iudgement | |
Secretly in the nyght they sholde not fayle | |
445 | And from his body his herte they sholde rent |
And there-withall they sholde do hym present | |
Whose commaundement they durst not dysobey | |
But executed it without delay | |
sig: [C3v] | |
¶Tancrede in a cuppe of golde put the herte | |
450 | And by a secret seruaunt he it sent |
Unto his doughter with this message smert | |
Sayenge your father sendeth you this present | |
That you sholde take conforte is his entent | |
Of that whiche ye loued best in your mynde | |
455 | Whome ye haue founde so stedfast true and kynde |
¶But Sygysmonde after her father was gone | |
Oute of her chambre her mynde to fulfyll | |
To the gardyne she went secret alone | |
And gadred venymous herbes to styll venymous] veynymous 1532 | |
460 | Where-with she myght her-selfe sodeynly kyll |
Yf Guystarde were slayne as she dyd suppose | |
Than by that venym her-selfe she wolde lose | |
¶But after this message was to her tolde | |
She toke the cuppe with a sadde countenaunce | |
465 | The herte therin sadly she dyd beholde |
She pondred within her remembraunce | |
That it was his herte she had no dowtaunce | |
Wherfore she sayd vnto the messangere | |
These wordes folowynge with heuy chere | |
470 | ¶Certayne my father hath well consydred |
This noble herte is not worthy to haue | |
Other sepulture to be entyred | |
For in a cuppe of golde sholde be his graue | |
So greate a gyft he neuer to me gaue | |
475 | With greate thankes haue me recommended |
For his kyndnesse can not be deserued | |
sig:
[C4]
¶R._Coplande by exclamacyon to Tancrede in executynge tyranny.
|
|
OUte on the tyraunt / O cruell Tancrede Tancrede] Trancrede 1532 | |
What hast thou done / fury to commyt | |
Beholde Guystarde withouten herte here blede | |
480 | Wo worth thy dome / and hasty shyttle-wyt |
Outrage alas how is thy reason quyt | |
Onely but dethe / fye out alas for wo | |
No pryson / banysshment / nor punysshynge but so | |
¶Thou hast not regarded the wordes of thy chylde | |
485 | Nor her answers / with promysse desperate |
But in angre thou hast / thy-selfe begylde | |
Now to repent / thou shalt it fynde to late | |
A se what cometh of domes abreuyate | |
But repentaunce / O fole insapyent | |
490 | Of folysshe Iudge / an hasty iudgement |
¶With dethe of one / thou thought to haue the other | |
Thou lesest bothe / and all with hastynesse | |
True loue of deth is the very mother | |
Recorde of Dido / as Uyrgyll doth expresse | |
495 | Dyanyra / Isyphyll / and Lucresse |
With many other whiche at this tyme I spare | |
And now by the is come these louers share | |
¶Finis. |
|
sig:
[C4v]
¶How Sygysmonde dyed after the herte of Guystarde was sent to her.
|
|
The sayd messengere with this dyd departe | |
Sygysmonde holdynge the cuppe tenderly | |
500 | With her lyppes often kyssed the herte |
Replenysshed with teres aboundauntly | |
With face pale for wo and melancoly | |
Beholdynge it with deedly countenaunce | |
In this wyse she wayled the wofull chaunce | |
505 | ¶O noble herte the pleasaunt hospytall |
Of my desyre whiche by greate cruelte | |
Hast fynysshed for me thy lyfe mortall | |
To knowe thy dethe it had suffysed me | |
Though with myne eyes I dyd it not se | |
510 | But me-thynke it is to me agreable |
Thou hast thy graue to the conuenable | |
sig: D1 | |
¶At thy last departynge there lacked nought | |
But the teres of thy louer so fre | |
Yet god hath put within my fathers thought | |
515 | Thy herte he hath sent hyder vnto me |
To fornysshe them at this thyne obseque | |
He knewe it loued me specyally | |
But with dry eyes I dyd thynke for to dy | |
¶I can desyre no better company | |
520 | Than thy noble herte at my departynge |
For to the it is ryght necessary | |
To haue knowlege of my lyfe the endynge | |
My soule with thyne to be is desyrynge | |
Ensemble that they may go theyr passage | |
525 | Where pleaseth god to theyr last pylgrymage |
¶These wordes sayd she dyd declyne her eye | |
Upon the cuppe wherin the herte was layde | |
Lyke a ryuer she wept haboundauntly | |
But noyse or cry she dyd not out-brayde | |
530 | As women be wont but with mynde dysmayde |
Full oft she kyssed there the deed herte | |
Complaynynge on fortune false and peruert | |
¶Her gentylwomen beynge there present | |
What the herte sygnyfyed they dyd meruayle | |
535 | And wherfore she dyd so greatly lament |
And for pyte they dyd wepe and wayle | |
Prayenge her to make to them rehersayle | |
The cause wherfore she made so muche sorowe | |
But in no wyse of her they myght it knowe | |
sig: [D1v] | |
540 | And whan she had wept suffycyently |
She dryed her eyen and ceased her wepynge | |
And to the herte she sayd thus pyteously | |
O noble herte best beloued of all-thynge | |
The offyce of loue I make now endynge | |
545 | For tyme it is that I sholde folowe the |
By cruell deth thy felowe for to be | |
¶This sayd she dranke the poyson without fere | |
And on her bedde downe her-selfe she layde | |
The deed herte to hers she helde harde and nere | |
550 | Abydynge her deth without noyse or brayd |
The madyens of this beynge sore afrayd | |
Suspectynge the drynke and lamentacyon | |
To Tancrede therof they made relacyon | |
¶Her father of this was greatly meued | |
555 | For he fered his doughters fell courage |
That her-selfe with some-thynge had greued | |
To her chambre he toke fast his passage | |
But the poyson no medycyne coude asswage | |
Wherfore he syghed and wept asperly | |
560 | Complaynynge his doughters harde desteny |
¶She prayed hym to cease so for to raue | |
And that he of his extreme charyte | |
Wolde burye her and Guystarde in one graue | |
And for she lyuynge suffred myght not be | |
565 | Secrete to vse famylyaryte |
That after her dethe she vncouertlye | |
Myght be layd by hym where-so he dyd lye | |
sig: D2 | |
¶Tancrede for wo and sorowe coude not speke | |
Sygysmonde felynge deth to approche fast | |
570 | And that her eye-strynges began to breke |
She badde them all farewell with mynde stedfast | |
With that her soule out of her body past | |
The herte full harde she helde vntyll her brest | |
Untyll that deth her lyfe had ouer-prest | |
575 | ¶Thus the loue of these louers fynysshed |
Tancrede after his wofull heuynesse | |
In one sepulture them bothe entered | |
Within the cyte of Salerne doutlesse | |
Full lyke a prynce with greate pompe and rychesse | |
580 | To these two louers Iesu of his grace |
Graunt mercy and in heuen to ha[u]e a place. Amen. | |
¶The lenuoy of R._Coplande. |
|
GO tragedy vnto thy translatoure | |
Bewayle to hym thy chaunce vnfortunate | |
Yf ought be amys / thyne impressoure | |
In addycyon / or sence myslytterate | |
5 | Pray hym of helpe / thy fautes to castygate |
And where nede is / to adde or elles detray | |
Pardon of mysmakynge / gladly thou hym pray | |
¶And hym requyre / accordynge to promys | |
His boke to acheue / he knoweth myne intent | |
10 | Whiche is of substaunce worthe many of this |
And more worthy / of mater excellent | |
How-be-it with this I do ryght well assent | |
sig: [D2v] | |
That he with Pamphletes many doth occupy | |
Whiche morall bokes / redeth not wyllyngly | |
15 | ¶And yf thou happe to reimpressyon |
Desyre them / the whiche shall be the cause | |
Though thou be yll / that no transgressyon | |
By them nor theyrs / be made in ony clause | |
Correccyon / I agre / but there a pause | |
20 | Folowe your copy / and lette th'amendynge alone |
He may yll mende two tonges that can but one | |
¶None be the maysters / that with me wyll dele | |
Than beware / my lytell boke I pray | |
From boyes / and lerners / lest they thy trowthe stele | |
25 | And holly thy fautes / vnto me lay |
Shewe forthe thy mater / what-euer that they say | |
Of loue / foly / fortune / hastynesse / and shame | |
Unto thyne auctour / and not to me the blame | |
¶And vnto them / whiche chayned be in loue | |
30 | Shewe example / of wylfull appetyte |
Ordre eche where / theyr courages to moue | |
Well cometh entent / taken of wyse respyte | |
Gyue councell / to leue sensuall delyte | |
Take the as myrrour / suche daunger to ensewe | |
35 | By harme of other / they may the same eschewe. |
FINIS |
|
sig:
D3
¶Thus endeth the amorous hystory of Guystarde and Sygysmonde. Imprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the Sonne by Wynkyn_de_Worde. In the yere of our lorde. M.CCCCC.XXXij.
|
|
sig: [D3v] | |
sig: [D4] | |
sig: [D4v] |