The Storie at Large: Part 4
In bondage free I live, yet free am fettered faste;
In pleasure paine, in paine I find a thousand pleasures plaste:
I frye, yet frosen am, I freese amid the fire;
I have my wish, and want my will, yet both as I desire.
I love and live by lokes, and loking workes my woe:
Were love no god, this life were strange, but as he is, not so;
For through his awkward fitts, I suck such sweete in sower,
As I a yeare of dole would bide, to have one lightning hower.
I like no life, but such as worketh with his will,
His wil my wish, my wish to love, betyde good luck or ill,
No choyce shall make mee chaunge, or fancie new desire,
Although desire first blew the cole that set my thoughtes on fire.
But fire, frostes and all, such calme contents doth move,
As forst I graunt there is no life to that is led in love.
Yea, base I thinke his thought, that would not gladly die
To leade but halfe of halfe an houre in such delight as I.
Now, thou, deare dame, that workste these sweete effectes in mee,
Vouchsafe my zeale, that onely seeke to serve and honour thee.
So shall my thralled brest for fancies free have scope;
If not, it helpes, I have free will to love and live in hope.
Roberto Rinaldo .
These verses, although they were in number few, yet the sweetnes of the tune, together with the rareness of the invention, running altogether uppon contraries, made them to be singularly well liked, especially of mystresse Giletta, who could now no longer dissemble her love: in so much as, to further occasion of knowledge, shee requested of her servaunt to have a coppie of the said verses. Rinaldo, of nothing more desirous then with courtesie and service to present his mystresse, having this sonet already faire written, first satisfied her request, with the delivery thereof, and next solicited his owne sorrowes, with these persuading wordes.
My good mystresse, I am glad (quoth hee) your eare was so ready to heare my straunge estate discoursed, as that your heart consenteth (in perusing this worthlesse sonet) to continue in your remembraunce my sower passions, never appeased, though sometimes comforted with the sweete effects of hope. So that, if it please you to note the sequele of my life, you shal easily see the subjection of my libertie; which knowne, I no otherwise conceive of your courteous disposition, but so often as you reade my craving woords, seing them confirmed in works, so often you wil be ready to perfect my unsure hope with assured hap; I meane, bestowe your love on him, who, were it not to do you service, would through the extremitie of love rather wish to die then live. My good servaunt (quoth Giletta) I thinke your cure stands not uppon such necessitie, but reason in time may qualifie your raging fire, and wysedome warme your frosen feares, or, at the least wife, warne you from such untemperate affections. O! no, (quoth Rinaldo): time hath made both extreemes more extreeme, for when as reason would have quenched my burning love with the thought of my unwoorthines, the remembraunce of your worthines made my heate more servent: when hope would have warmed my frosen doubtes with the knowledge of your great pitie and compassion, the consideration of my base desert streight made my cold more cruell: so that, intertayning time with these thoughtes, time hath brought both extremities now to such a mischiefe, that necessitie (perforce) commaundes mee to seeke qualification at your handes, in whose good will the temperature consisteth.
I thinke (quoth Giletta) my milde disposition, in very deede, makes you a greate deale more desirous; yea your knowledge of my inward lyking by my outward lookes discovered, makes you so earnest a suter; but if I were persuaded your love to be as great in zeale as in showe, yet for that I know not whether it tends to honestie or my dishonour, I can hardly aunsweare your sute: if any way; with the spoile of my good name you seeke to seede some soule affection, your love I loth, and so you sue in vaine. O! my sweete mystresse (quoth Rinaldo) your words at one instant have joynde two contraries in such mortall fight, as to whom the victorie will incline is as yet doubtful, I meane hope and despaire; for I, earnestly beholding your lokes when as you said they shewde you loved in very deede, to my judgement I sawe in them the very image of love: therewithall (quoth I) to my selfe, Love cannot hate the welwillers of love . But as I was continuing this fancie, with the continuance of other your comfortable speaches, on the foudaine, an Yf , distrusting my loyaltie, cleane altered the case: for (trust mee, swete mystresse) my faithful love, unspotted with villanous desire, when you used those speaches, streight murmured at your suspicion; yea, dread still persuades mee your over often mistrust will hinder the acquitall of my deserte; and yet hope, desirous of victory, wills mee not to bee discomforted thorough your wise misdoubte, least silence in mee should woorke in you a greater suspicion. Wherefore, before God and you, I protest with my heart, yea if you please to use the world for after witnes, I wil sweare unto you all, I never had the thought that tended unto your dishonour: then dashe (good lady) this hard condition of soule desire from out the other covenaunts of love, and take my vow of faithfulnes for the warrantyse of my honest and true intent. Sutes must have an end, and sorrowes a salve, either by the benefite of fortune, or violence of death; for I, thorough the extremitie of sorrow, being now brought to the exigent of desperation, am forst to sue unto you for attonement, prefenting unto mee, in this case, both the image of good fortune and death; of good fortune, if you love where you are loved; of death, if you hate where you are honoured. Sufficient triall you have had of my loyaltie. Since so (good lady), say yea or no: either answere wil worke appeasement of my sorrowes, the one with death, the other with delighte. Soft! (quoth Giletta) haste makes waste, your harvest is yet in grasse; you may very well stay for aunsweare. These words with a smylyng countenaunce delivered, shee forced to departe, yet not in such hast but that Rinaldo had leysure ynoughe to rob her of a kisse; which fed him with such a sweete conceite, as that hee was persuaded, with the assault of importunancie, on the next adventure to conquer her straungnes, and attaine good will, so that, to lay his siedge with the better advauntage, to her doubtfull woordes hee thus replied.
In pleasure paine, in paine I find a thousand pleasures plaste:
I frye, yet frosen am, I freese amid the fire;
I have my wish, and want my will, yet both as I desire.
I love and live by lokes, and loking workes my woe:
Were love no god, this life were strange, but as he is, not so;
For through his awkward fitts, I suck such sweete in sower,
As I a yeare of dole would bide, to have one lightning hower.
I like no life, but such as worketh with his will,
His wil my wish, my wish to love, betyde good luck or ill,
No choyce shall make mee chaunge, or fancie new desire,
Although desire first blew the cole that set my thoughtes on fire.
But fire, frostes and all, such calme contents doth move,
As forst I graunt there is no life to that is led in love.
Yea, base I thinke his thought, that would not gladly die
To leade but halfe of halfe an houre in such delight as I.
Now, thou, deare dame, that workste these sweete effectes in mee,
Vouchsafe my zeale, that onely seeke to serve and honour thee.
So shall my thralled brest for fancies free have scope;
If not, it helpes, I have free will to love and live in hope.
Roberto Rinaldo .
These verses, although they were in number few, yet the sweetnes of the tune, together with the rareness of the invention, running altogether uppon contraries, made them to be singularly well liked, especially of mystresse Giletta, who could now no longer dissemble her love: in so much as, to further occasion of knowledge, shee requested of her servaunt to have a coppie of the said verses. Rinaldo, of nothing more desirous then with courtesie and service to present his mystresse, having this sonet already faire written, first satisfied her request, with the delivery thereof, and next solicited his owne sorrowes, with these persuading wordes.
My good mystresse, I am glad (quoth hee) your eare was so ready to heare my straunge estate discoursed, as that your heart consenteth (in perusing this worthlesse sonet) to continue in your remembraunce my sower passions, never appeased, though sometimes comforted with the sweete effects of hope. So that, if it please you to note the sequele of my life, you shal easily see the subjection of my libertie; which knowne, I no otherwise conceive of your courteous disposition, but so often as you reade my craving woords, seing them confirmed in works, so often you wil be ready to perfect my unsure hope with assured hap; I meane, bestowe your love on him, who, were it not to do you service, would through the extremitie of love rather wish to die then live. My good servaunt (quoth Giletta) I thinke your cure stands not uppon such necessitie, but reason in time may qualifie your raging fire, and wysedome warme your frosen feares, or, at the least wife, warne you from such untemperate affections. O! no, (quoth Rinaldo): time hath made both extreemes more extreeme, for when as reason would have quenched my burning love with the thought of my unwoorthines, the remembraunce of your worthines made my heate more servent: when hope would have warmed my frosen doubtes with the knowledge of your great pitie and compassion, the consideration of my base desert streight made my cold more cruell: so that, intertayning time with these thoughtes, time hath brought both extremities now to such a mischiefe, that necessitie (perforce) commaundes mee to seeke qualification at your handes, in whose good will the temperature consisteth.
I thinke (quoth Giletta) my milde disposition, in very deede, makes you a greate deale more desirous; yea your knowledge of my inward lyking by my outward lookes discovered, makes you so earnest a suter; but if I were persuaded your love to be as great in zeale as in showe, yet for that I know not whether it tends to honestie or my dishonour, I can hardly aunsweare your sute: if any way; with the spoile of my good name you seeke to seede some soule affection, your love I loth, and so you sue in vaine. O! my sweete mystresse (quoth Rinaldo) your words at one instant have joynde two contraries in such mortall fight, as to whom the victorie will incline is as yet doubtful, I meane hope and despaire; for I, earnestly beholding your lokes when as you said they shewde you loved in very deede, to my judgement I sawe in them the very image of love: therewithall (quoth I) to my selfe, Love cannot hate the welwillers of love . But as I was continuing this fancie, with the continuance of other your comfortable speaches, on the foudaine, an Yf , distrusting my loyaltie, cleane altered the case: for (trust mee, swete mystresse) my faithful love, unspotted with villanous desire, when you used those speaches, streight murmured at your suspicion; yea, dread still persuades mee your over often mistrust will hinder the acquitall of my deserte; and yet hope, desirous of victory, wills mee not to bee discomforted thorough your wise misdoubte, least silence in mee should woorke in you a greater suspicion. Wherefore, before God and you, I protest with my heart, yea if you please to use the world for after witnes, I wil sweare unto you all, I never had the thought that tended unto your dishonour: then dashe (good lady) this hard condition of soule desire from out the other covenaunts of love, and take my vow of faithfulnes for the warrantyse of my honest and true intent. Sutes must have an end, and sorrowes a salve, either by the benefite of fortune, or violence of death; for I, thorough the extremitie of sorrow, being now brought to the exigent of desperation, am forst to sue unto you for attonement, prefenting unto mee, in this case, both the image of good fortune and death; of good fortune, if you love where you are loved; of death, if you hate where you are honoured. Sufficient triall you have had of my loyaltie. Since so (good lady), say yea or no: either answere wil worke appeasement of my sorrowes, the one with death, the other with delighte. Soft! (quoth Giletta) haste makes waste, your harvest is yet in grasse; you may very well stay for aunsweare. These words with a smylyng countenaunce delivered, shee forced to departe, yet not in such hast but that Rinaldo had leysure ynoughe to rob her of a kisse; which fed him with such a sweete conceite, as that hee was persuaded, with the assault of importunancie, on the next adventure to conquer her straungnes, and attaine good will, so that, to lay his siedge with the better advauntage, to her doubtfull woordes hee thus replied.
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