The first Booke of Enamoured DIANA.
AFter that appassionate Syrenus by the vertue of the migh∣tie liquor which sage Felicia had giuen him, was now de∣liuered out of Cupids handes, Loue (working after his ac∣customed maner) wounded anewe the hart of carelesse Diana, reuiuing in her brest forgotten loues, bicause she should be captiue to one that was free, and liue tormen∣ted for the loue of one, who from the same was most ex∣empted: her greefe being thereby the more augmented, when it occurred to her thoughts that the small regard that in times past she had of Syrenus, was now an occasi∣on of his forgetfulnes, & of that great contempt that he did beare her. She was not only with these griefs, but with many more so fiercely assaulted, that neither the holy bonde of matrimonie, nor the reynes of seemely shame and modestie were able to staie or mitigate the furie of her immoderate loue, nor remedie the sharpnes of her cruell torments, vntill with lamentable complaints, and pitifull teares she mollified the hardest rockes, and sauage beasts. Wherefore being by chance on a sommers day at the fountaine of the Sicamours, about that time when the Sunne was eleua∣ted to the Meridian point, and there calling to minde the great content, that in that very place she had many times receiued of her beloued Syrenus, and counting her passed delights with her present greefes, and knowing that the beginning of her sor∣rowes, and the fault was onely in herselfe, she conceiued thereof such greefe and anguish of minde, and was with such dangerous affrightes sursaulted, that euen then she thought desired death would haue made an end of all her troubles. But af∣ter she had recouered some small vigour, yet the force of her passion, & the violence wherewith loue reigned in her brest, was neuerthelesse so great, that it compelled her to publish her torments to the simple birdes, which from the greene boughes were listening to her, and to the branchie trees that seemed to take compassion of her greefe, and to the cleere fountaine, that with the solemne murmur of the Chri∣stalline waters accorded with the notes of her dolefull song: And so to the sound of a sweete Baggepipe, which commonly she caried about her, she began to sing these verses following.
LOng haue I felt a silent paine of sorrow,
Cruell, by that my senses it importunes
To such extremes, that I am forc’t to borrow
This last releefe against my heauie fortunes,
To publish them vnto the windes, that stay them
Thorow out the world with pitie to conuay them.
Then gentle Aire, performe this due of pitie,
Let euery region know my greeuous anguish,
Breath out my paines, and tell in euery citie
The life of her, that in Loues want doth languish:
Forgotten of a Shepherd that disdaines her,
Who once did die euen for like loue that paines her.
