"What though our cruel parents angry be? "What though our friends, alas! are too unkind ? "Time, that now offers, quickly may deny, "And foon hold back fit opportunity.

"Who lets flip Fortune, her fhall never find; "Occafion, once pass'd by, is bald behind.” She foon agreed to that which he requir'd, For little wooing needs, where both confent; What he fo long had pleaded, the defir'd : Which Venus feeing, with blind Chance confpir'd,'. And many a charming accent to her sent,

That she (at last) would frustrate their intent. Thus Beauty is by Beauty's means undone, Striving to close those eyes that make her bright; Just like the moon, which feeks t' eclipfe the fun, Whence all her splendor, all her beams, do come :: So fhe, who fetcheth luftre from their fight, Doth purpofe to destroy their glorious light.

Unto the Mulberry-tree fair Thisbe came;
Where having refted long, at laft fhe 'gan..
Against her Pyramus for to exclaim,

Whilft various thoughts turmoil her troubled brain »
And, imitating thus the filver swan,

A little while before her death, she fang:

THE

COME, Love! why stayeft thou? the night
Will vanish ere we taste delight :

The moon obfcures herself from fight,
Thou abfent, whose eyes give her light.

II.

Come quickly, dear! be brief as time,
Or we by morn shall be o'erta'en ;
Love's joy's thine own as well as mine;
Spend not therefore the time in vain.

HERE doubtful thoughts broke off her pleafant fong,
And for her lover's stay sent many a figh;

Her Pyramus, fhe thought, did tarry long,
And that his abfence did her too much wrong.
Then, betwixt longing hope and jealousy,
She fears, yet 's loth to tax, his loyalty.

Sometimes the thinks that he hath her forfaken;
Sometimes, that danger hath befallen him :
She fears that he another Love hath taken ;
Which, being but imagin'd, foon doth waken

Numberless thoughts, which on her heart did fling
Fears, that her future fate too truly fing.

WHILE the thus mufing fate, ran from the wood
An angry lion. to the crystal springs,

Near to that place; who coming from his food,
His chaps were all befmear'd with crimson blood:
Swifter than thought, fweet Thisbe ftrait begins
To fly from him; fear gave her fwallows' wings.
As the avoids the lion, her defire

Bids her to stay, left Pyramus fhould come,
And be devour'd by the ftern lion's ire,
So fhe for ever burn in unquench'd fire...

But fear expels all reasons; she doth run
Into a darksome cave, ne'er feen by fun.
With hafte she let her loofer mantle fall;
Which, when th' enraged lion did espy,
With bloody teeth he tore in pieces fmall;
While Thisbe ran, and look'd not back at all;
For, could the fenfelefs beaft her face defcry,
It had not done her fuch an injury.

The night half wafted, Pyramus did come;"
Who, feeing printed in the yielding fand
The lion's paw, and by the fountain some
Of Thisbe's garment, forrow ftruck him dumb :
Just like a marble statue did he stand,
Cut by fome skilful graver's artful hand.

Recovering breath, at Fate he did exclaim,
Washing with tears the torn and bloody weed:
"I may,” said he, "myself for her death blame
"Therefore my blood shall wash away that shame :

"Since the is dead, whose beauty doth exceed "All that frail man can either hear or read."

This spoke, he drew his fatal sword, and said,
"Receive my crimson blood, as a due debt
"Unto thy conftant love, to which 'tis paid :
"I strait will meet thee in the pleasant shade

"Of cool Elyfium; where we, being met, "Shall taste those joys that here we could not get." Then through his breast thrusting his fword, life hies From him, and he makes hafte to feek his Fair: And as upon the colour'd ground he lies, His blood had dropt upon the mulberries;

With which th' unspotted berries ftained were,
And ever fince with red they colour'd are.
At laft fair Thisbe left the den, for fear
Of disappointing Pyramus, fince the
Was bound by promise for to meet him there :
But when she saw the berries changed were

From white to black, fhe knew not certainly
It was the place where they agreed to be.
With what delight from the dark cave she came,
Thinking to tell how she escap'd the beast!
But, when the faw her Pyramus lie, flain,
Ah! how perplex'd did her sad soul remain !

She tears her golden hair, and beats her breast,
And every fign of raging grief exprest.

She blames all-powerful Jove; and strives to take
His bleeding body from the moiften'd ground.
She kiffes his pale face, till she doth make
It red with kiffing, and then feeks to wake

His parting foul with mournful words; his wound
Washes with tears, that her sweet speech confound.

But

But afterwards, recovering breath, said she,
"Alas! what chance hath parted thee and I?
"O tell what evil hath befall'n to thee,
"That of thy death I may a partner be:

"Tell Thisbe, what hath caus'd this tragedy !" He, hearing Thisbe's name, lifts up his eye; And on his Love he rais'd his dying head: Where, ftriving long for breath, at last, said he, "O Thisbe, I am hafting to the dead,

"And cannot heal that wound my fear hath bred:
"Farewell, fweet Thisbe! we must parted be,
"For angry Death will force me foon from thee.”

Life did from him, he from his mistress, part,
Leaving his Love to languish here in woe.
What shall she do? How fhall fhe ease her heart?
Or with what language speak her inward smart ?
Ufurping Paffion Reason doth o'erflow,

She vows that with her Pyramus she'll go :

Then takes the fword wherewith her Love was flain,
With Pyramus's crimson blood warm still;
And said, "Oh stay, bleft soul, awhile refrain,
That we may go together, and remain

"In endless joys, and never fear the ill

"Of grudging friends !"-Then she herself did kill.

To tell what grief their parents did sustain,
Were more than my rude quill can overcome;
* Much did they weep and grieve, but all in vain,
For weeping calls not back the dead again.

Both in one grave were laid, when life was done;
And these few words were writ upon the tomb :