240
The second Booke of
Cant. IIII.
Eftsoones he came vnto th'appointed place,And with him brought Pryene, rich arayd,In Claribellaes clothes. Her proper faceI not descerned in that darkesome shade,But weend it was my loue, with whom he playd.All God, what horrour and tormenting griefeMy hart, my handes, mine eyes, and all assayd:Me liefer were ten thousand deathes priefe,Then wounde of gealous worme, and shame of such repriefe.
I home retourning, fraught with fowle despight,And chawing vengeaunce all the way I went,Soone as my loathed loue appeard in sight,With wrathfull hand I slew her innocent;That after soone I dearely did lament:For when the cause of that outrageous deedeDemaunded, I made plaine and euident,Her faultie Handmayd, which that bale did breede,Confest, how Philemon her wrought to chaunge her weede.
Which when I heard, with horrible affrightAnd hellish fury all enragd, I soughtVpon my selfe that vengeable despightTo punish: yet it better first I thought,To wreake my wrath on him, that first it wrought.To Philemon, false faytour PhilemonI cast to pay, that I so dearely bought;Of deadly drugs I gaue him drinke anon,And washt away his guilt with guilty potion.
Thus heaping crime on crime, and griefe on griefe,To losse of loue adioyning losse of frend,I meant to purge both with a third mischiefe,And in my woes beginner it to end:
That
