202
The second Booke of
Cant. I.
My liefest Lord she thus beguiled hadFor he was flesh: (all flesh doth frayltie breed)Whom when I heard to beene so ill bestadWeake wretch I wrapt my selfe in Palmers weed,And cast to seek him forth through danger & great dreed
Now had fayre Cynthia by euen tournesFull measured three quarters of her yeare,And thrise three tymes had fild her crooked hornes,Whenas my wombe her burdein would forbeare,And bad me call Lucina to me neare.Lucina came: a manchild forth I brought:The woods, the Nymphes, my bowres, my midwiues weare,Hard helpe at need. So deare thee babe I bought,Yet nought to dear I deemd, while so my deare I sought
Him so I sought, and so at last I fowndWhere him that witch had thralled to her will,In chaines of lust and lewde desyres ybowndAnd so transformed from his former skill,That me he knew not, nether his owne ill;Till through wise handling and faire gouernaunce,I him recured to a better will,Purged from drugs of fowle intemperaunce:Then meanes I gan deuise for his deliuerance.
Which when the vile Enchaunteresse perceiu'd,How that my Lord from her I would repriue,With cup thus charmd, him parting she deceiud;Sad verse, giue death to him that death does giue,And losse of loue, to her that loues to liue,So soone as Bacchus with the Nymphe does lincke,So parted we and on our iourney driue,Till comming to this well, he stoupt to drincke:The charme fulfild, dead suddeinly he downe did sincke.
Which
