I flie, and say, that hope of death must measure
My minde with ioy, that doth my pleasures make.
According to my life in great disgrace,
And miseries, euen from my mothers wombe,
I thinke (and as I am in such a case)
That if I follow death with happie pace,
Death will not yet vnto my succour come.
I thinke sometimes (alas weake is my might)
To giue my selfe some comfort and some rest,
But they doe flie from me by day and night,
In me (poore wretch) they can take no delight,
And so my paines doe double in my brest.
It wearies me (for greefe doth euer range)
To be so long together in a place:
Yet my vnwearied greefes doe neuer change
Their place, but still my seldome ioies in strange
And cruell manner from my bre•… doe chace:
Heere stay my song, and tell the world my smart,
And let this tree with thee haue neuer end,
For with me shall my haunting greefe depart,
For it will neuer leaue my wofull hart,
Like to a trustic good and faithfull friend.
Lord Felix, as soone as Stela had made an ende of the song, turned him to Polydora, saying. Art thou now satisfied? So much said she, that for a little I would not sticke to say that it is better then the first. But knowest thou, what I thinke of it said Syrenus, That the first is finer & pretier, & this more sententious & witty, & with this I am pleased: and it came finely in when he said (& very wel) that first the ill came to him before any good, since without widow-hood he suffered like griefe to the Turtle Doue; for he esteemed it but a meane sorrow to be a widower, bicause it was a signe of sometime enioying the thing he loued. But it seemed a most greeuous thing vnto him, not hauing at any time the possession of the thing he loued, to be depriued of it. Truely said Felismena, thou art much beholding to him Stela, being so hard vnto him as thou wert, to cleere thee of all fault; and that none might be laid vpon thee, he said: Thou wert not cruell, onely attributing his disgrace to his ill for∣tune. But in one thing (said Doria) he shewed his infinite loue, more then in any thing else, when he said, he rested not in any place. I might well haue noted some∣thing said Syluanus, but that I would not hinder so pleasant a discourse. Tell on there∣fore faire Stela, as the Gods graunt thee thine owne desires. Hauing made an end of reading this, that was in the Sicamour (said Stela prosecuting her tale) neither of vs could speake for a good while, Crimine, for pitie, and I, for greefe. But afterwards Crimine said. Dost thou thinke Stela, that I had not reason to helpe thy great need? What had become now of Delicius, if thy rigour and hardnes had lasted till this time? That which is now (I answered) and if any other thing had happened, I would not haue greatly cared. Say not so (said Crimine) for therein thou dost offend thy self. After this we went to the accustomed place to the Shepherdes, bicause we thought
