of his delight, by not looking on her, whom he accounted his chiefest felicitie, and making this the occasion and matter of the song, he sung to his beloued Ismenia in manner following.
TVrne thy faire eies (wherein my shame
I see) faire Shepherdesse, aside:
For looking on me with the same,
To looke on thee, I am denide.
With thy two sunnes so dost thou giue,
And cast me beames with pearcing eie,
That though by seeing thee I liue,
Yet when thou look’st on me I die:
Eies that are of such art and frame,
Thou must beware to keepe aside,
For looking on me with the same,
To looke on thee I am denide.
Like as the snowe vnto the sunne,
And as the marke vnto the fight,
As cloudes are with the windes vndone,
As waxe before the fires light:
So doe thy fairest eies with shame
Confound me, and my soule deuide:
For looking on me with the same,
To looke on thee I am denide.
Behold what mightie loue is bent
To doe, and fortune doth ordaine
To make my sorrowes still augment
By the sweete guerdon of my paine.
Thine eies doe feede my amorous flame,
And sight of them my life doth guide:
But if thou view’st me with the same,
To looke on thee I am denide.
Melisea, who was all this while dauncing against her will with Narcisus, whom she could not abide, with a disdainfull song thought to be reuenged on this griefe, and iust to the purpose of those paines and griefes, wherewith the Shepherd said he died euerie daie for her sake, making but a mocke and iest of them, did sing thus.
YOng Shepherd) turne aside, & moue
Me not to follow thee,
For I will neither kill with loue,
Nor loue shall not kill mee.
Since I will liue, and neuer fauour showe,
Then die not for my loue I will not giue:
For I will neuer haue thee loue me so,
As I doe meane to hate thee while I liue.
That since the louer so doth proue
His death, as thou dost see,
Be bold I will not kill with loue,
Nor loue shall not kill mee.
Narcisus tooke no meane griefe to heare the cruell song of his deerest Loue, but encouraging himselfe with the hope that Felicia had giuen him, and forced by the constancie and fortitude of his enamoured hart, he answered her with two staues, which he adioyned to a certaine old song, that said thus.
IF to belou’d it thee offends,
I cannot choose but loue thee still:
And so thy greefe shall haue no end,
Whiles that my life maintaines my will.
O let me yet with greefe complaine,
Since such a torment I endure:
Or else fulfill thy great disdaine,
To end my life with death most sure.
For as no credit thou wilt lend,
And as my loue offendes thee still,
So shall thy sorrowes haue no end
Whiles that my life maintaines my will.
If that by knowing thee, I could
Leaue of to loue thee as I doe,
Not to offend thee, then I would
Leaue of to like and loue thee too,
But since all loue to thee doth tend,
And I of force must loue thee still,
Thy greefe shall neuer haue an end,
Whiles that my life maintaines my will.
