Hope is my life, but feare the same doth waste:
She answered him: I vnderstand thee not,
And lesse beleeue thee (Shepherd) what thou saiest.
He saith: The pale and pinching care
Hath beene so pleasant to my minde,
That how much more fals to my share,
The more I doe desire to finde:
I craue no guerdon for my painefull lot,
But as I loue, to be belou’d as fast:
She answered him: I vnderstand thee not,
And lesse beleeue thee (Shepherd) what thou saiest.
He saith: My death should now redresse
My paines, but for the greeuous ill
Which I should feele (faire Shepherdesse)
In leauing of to see thee still:
But if I see thee sad, a harder knot
Of greefes I feele, and greater death doe tast:
She answered him: I vnderstand thee not,
And lesse beleeue thee (Shepherd) what thou saiest.
He saith: In seeing thee I die,
And when I see thee not, I paine,
In seeking thee, for feare I flie,
I haue to finde thee out againe.
As old Proteus was woont to change his cote,
Figure, and shape which long time did not last:
She answered him: I vnderstand thee not,
And lesse beleeue thee (Shepherd) what thou saiest.
He saith: I doe pretend to craue
No more good then my soule can get:
Bicause with that small hope I haue,
(Me thinkes) I doe offend thee yet.
For suffring for thy sake the smallest iot
Of wounding greefe a thousand ioies I tast:
She answered him: I vnderstand thee not,
And lesse beleeue thee (Shepherd) what thou saiest.
Whilest Belisa was singing both her songs, Felicia commaunded a Nymphe to ouersee and set in order a gallant sport and pastime, which was prepared be∣fore, and which should presently insue, which she so well executed, that euen then, when the Shepherdesse had ended her song, they heard a great noise and hurly bur∣ly in the riuer hard by, as it were the beating of oares in the water. Whereupon all of them went towards it, and being come to the riuer side, they saw twelue little ships comming in two seuerall nauies from the riuer beneath, brauely depainted with diuers colours, and verie richly set forth. Sixe of them bore sailes of white and crimosin damaske, and their displayed flags in the tops, & streamers in their poupes
