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That novv I doe begin to feele their paines.
They are not ils of Loue, that vvound me soe,
For if they vvere, then should I passe them all,
As thousands, vvho haue died in Cupids vvoe.
Fortune it is, that turnes, and makes me fall
From euery meane occasion, path, and way,
Wherby I might but shew my painfull thrall.
How can the causer of my passion (say)
Helpe them, if that their paine he neuer knowes,
But there’s no loue, where reason beareth sway,
To how much ill is fortune drawing those,
Whom she makes loue? since nothing can restore
(sea, earth nor Sunne, moone, stars nor any showes)
Or giue delight, vnlesse one loue before.
And all is thus, and wretched thus am I,
Whom time perswades and hinders more and more.
Cease now my verse, since loue with angrie eie
Beholds, how soone of him I doe complaine,
And for my harmes doe craue his remedie.
Complaine not oft, for feare of his disdaine,
Now hold your peace, since I seale vp my wordes,
And when you see Loues fell, and angrie vaine,
Cease, for Loues wroth no remedie affoordes.

These verses of the Shepherdesse Belisa pleased the Nymphes and Shepherdes, no lesse then the sweete and sorrowfull note, wherewith she sung them, who (prose∣cuting the historie of her mishap) said: But Arsileus was not farre frō thence, when I sung these verses, for hauing gone foorth that day a hunting, & being in the thic∣kest of the woode to passe away the heate of the day, it seemed he heard vs, and as one, that loued musicke well, came softly pacing amongst the thickest trees that were neere vnto the fountaine, bicause he might from thence the better heare vs. But our musicke being ended, he came straight to the fountaine, whose sudden sight engendred a forcible passion of ioy and feare in my amazed soule. Which was no great maruell, bicause an enamoured hart may be as well sursaulted with a sud∣den ioy, as with an vnexpected sorrow. He came to vs where we were set, and cur∣teously saluting vs, in very good sort, and with a good grace requested pardon of vs; That certes (faire Nympes) when I begin to thinke of the sweete behauiour, and ripened wisedome of vnfortunate Arsileus, I do not thinke that his sinister fates and fortune were the cause, that death tooke him away so quickly from my sight, but rather that the worlde was not woorthie to enioye any longer so singular a youth, on whom nature had bestowed so many perfections of beautie and en∣riched with so many gifts of the minde, as that hee left not his like behinde him. After hee had saluted vs, and leaue obtained (which hee humblie requested of vs) to passe away the heate of the daye in our companie, hee cast his eies vpon me (which had hee neuer done, happie had we both beene) and was (as it ap∣peered afterwardes by diuers signes, whereby hee manifested his affection to me) extremely ouercome in my loue. Vnhappie I, (that needed not to looke on him to loue him, being so much enwrapped in his, by seeing him before, as hee was nowe in mine after hee had seene me) lifted vp mine eies to beholde him at the ve-

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