It is not long, since euen and morrow
All pleasure that my hart could finde,
Was in my power:
It is not long, since greefe and sorrow
My louing hart began to binde,
And to deuoure.
It is not long, since companie
I did esteeme, a ioy indeede
Still to frequent:
Nor long, since solitarily
I liu’d, and that this life did breede
My sole content.
Desirous I (wretched) to see
But thinking not to see so much
As then I sawe:
Loue made me knowe in what degree
His valour and braue force did touch
Me with his lawe.
First he did put no more nor lesse
Into my hart, then he did view
That there did want:
But when my brest in such excesse
Of liuely flames to burne I knew,
Then were so scant.
My ioies, that now did so abate
(My selfe estranged euery way
From former rest)
That I did knowe, that my estate
And that my life was euery day
In deathes arrest.
I put my hand into my side,
To see what was the cause of this
Vnwonted vaine,
Where I did feele, that torments hied
By endlesse death to preiudice
My life vvith paine.
Bicause I savve, that there did vvant
My hart, wherein I did delight
(My deerest hart)
And he that did the same supplant,
No iurisdiction had of right
To play that part.
The iudge and robber, that remaine
Within my soule, their cause to trie
Are there all one:
And so the giuer of the paine,
And he that is condemn’d to die,
Or I, or none.
To die I care not any way,
Though without why, to die I greeue,
As I doe see:
But for bicause I heard her say,
None die for loue, for I beleeue
None such there bee.
Then this thou shalt beleeue by mee
Too late, and without remedie
As did (in breefe)
Anaxarete, and thou shalt see,
The little she did satisfie
With after greefe.
The Shepherdes gaue a diligent eare to Firmius song, to see if by the same hee would giue some light of the loue, that he did beare to Diana; but he was so vigi∣lant to the contrarie, that though hee reported the cause of his passion, yet they could vnderstand no more then they did at the beginning. It was needlesse for the three Shepherdes to know Firmius passion by hearing him sing, who wished rather, that he had manifested it by words, that he might not afterwards denie it, or (to say better) confesse it, when any such speech shoulde bee offered thereof. For whenso∣euer they tolde him of it, he spake of it so obscurely, that hee neither confessed, nor denied that he loued her. And so to this intent he finely cloaked with Syrenus, that Diana by his meanes should demand the cause of his sorrow, thinking with himself, that (for any thing that might ensue) being demanded by her, he woulde not deny to manifest it vnto her. But if he could haue concealed his loue as well by deedes, as he did by wordes, the Shepherds might haue beene as wise, as at the first for euer
