And sayd, "Ah sir, my liege lord, and my love,
Shall I accuse the hidden cruell fate,
And mightie causes wrought in heaven above,
Or the blind god, that doth me thus amate,
For hoped love to winne me certaine hate?
Yet thus perforce he bids me do, or die.
Die is my dew; yet rew my wretched state,
You, whom my hard avenging destinie
Hath made iudge of my life or death indifferently:
"Your owne deare sake forst me at first to leave
My fathers kingdom"-there she stopt with teares;
Her swollen hart her speech seemd to bereave,
And then againe begun; "My weaker yeares,
Captiv'd to fortune and frayle worldly feares,
Fly to your fayth for succour and sure ayde:
Let me not die in languor and long teares." [may'd?
Why, dame," quoth he," what hath ye thus dis-
What frayes ye, that were wont to comfort me
affrayd?"
"Love of yourselfe," she saide, "and deare constraint,
Lets me not sleepe, but waste the wearie night
In secret anguish and unpittied plaint,
Whiles you in carelesse sleepe are drowned quight."
Her doubtfull words made that redoubted knight
Suspect ber truth; yet since no' untruth he knew,
Her fawning love with foule disdainefull spight
He would not shend; but said, "Deare dame, I rew
That for my sake unknowne such griefe unto you
grew :
"Assure your selfe, it fell not all to ground;
For all so deare, as life is to my hart,
I deeme your love, and hold me to you bound:
Ne let vaine fears procure your needlesse smart,
Where cause is none; but to your rest depart."
Not all content, yet seemd she to appease
Her mournefull plaintes, beguiled of her art,
And fed with words, that could not chose but please:
So, slyding softly forth, she turnd as to her ease.
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