And he would rather die,
Then leaue to liue without thy companie.
Ioy now, (and doe not stay)
An aged man consum’d with greefe, vnlesse
That thou wilt haue him say,
The loue thou didst professe
To him, was all but fain’d, as he may gesse.
Why dost thou stay so long
A wretched soule with comfort to sustaine?
O come and breake this strong,
And mourning vale in twaine
Of his affliction, miserie, and paine.
My soule, thou woont’st with glee
To heare this voice: but either I am not,
As once I woont to bee,
Or thou art chang’d, I wot,
Or thy poore father els thou hast forgot.
But first I pray to God,
Then such obliuion in thy brest should bee,
My vitall period
May finish, not to see
My selfe forgot of her, that loued mee.
Come then my hart, and cleere
Thee of this doubt, this fauour let me trie:
If not, this riuer cleere
Shall hide me by and by,
For there with thee I meane to liue or die.
If the waues of the riuer, and the neighbour sea being mooued to ruthe and pitie, seemed to stay, and the noise of them both with his dolefull voice made gentle and calmed, ceased a while, that his tender complaints might be the better heard, how much more would you haue iudged our harts (being wrought with pitie and compassion) to be mollified with the amorous plaints, wherwith the pitifull old man did cal vpō faire Stela. For it might be wel vnderstood by his impatience, how much he loued her, when as he thought euery moment he staied there a thousand yeeres. But there passed not much time, when the waters being gently opened, out of the middes of them rose a faire companie of Nymphes, with garlands of diuers colours vpon their yellow haire: in the middes of which appeered faire Stela like chaste Diana amongst her gracious quire of Nymphes. At whose sight old Parisiles, for the incomparable ioy he had to see his desired daughter, and we to see our new beloued Mistresse, fell all downe to the ground, but raised vp againe with the sweetenes of a Set-song & a consort of heauenly musick, which the Nymphes had made amongst themselues, we harkened to that which was sung, as followeth.
