Classic Poem

Of which (sayd hee) I hope his princely letter,
Can better far then I informe your grace.
I thanke thee friend (sayd shee) but sighes did let her
To say the rest, such was her carefull case:
Transported for a while, she held her peace.
Words killing sighes, sighes killing words agame,
So that betwixt them her discours is slaine.

This airy combat, this debate of breath,
This speech restrayning strife, this sighing warre
Did euen bewray what she to shew was laith:
And makes the carrier to discerne her care,
Who sad to see a beauty matchlesse faire,
In such a plight (poore swaine) he smiling told her,
How much his louing Lord long'd to behold her.

By speech and iesture shee remarkes him them,
Vndoubted badges of a troubled minde,
And neither token, nor appeerance can
Of any harme by his behauiour find;
So that her feares they vanish with the winde.
And her disturbed thoughts of new takes hold,
Of better hopes which makes her somewhat bold.

She takes the letter, and with smyling cheere,
She opens and vnfoulds the seales with speed,
At the first view whereof it did appeere,
The crimson beauty of her cheekes did fade,
Which straight returnes into a brighter red,
In scarlet collour dying all her face,
Which to pale whitenesse soone againe giues place.

But howsoe'r her bloud thus went and came,
Vn-interrupted she reads out the letter,
And hauing read it still reads o're the same:
The more she reads, it seemes she likes it better,
The standers-by thought it some louely matter,
Which in the reading bred her so great pleasure,
Leaues her alone to read it at more leasure.

Thus left, and left in such a taking to,
She takes the poyson and remarkes it well,
Which she could not so vnamaz'dly doe,
But that her heart a sodaine change did feele:
Her dazled eyes began for feare to reell,
And if that honour had not come to aide her,
Fraile flesh and life to view it more had stai'd her.

Then enters straight a combat in her soule,
Betwixt her honour and her fearefull life,
Life wishes her to shun a death so soule:
Honour by death praies her to end all strife:
Life yet intreats for respit to her life,
And honour still protests that in no case,
But by her death she can avoide disgrace.

And addes this more, that if she ment to liue,
She needs would leaue her, and with her also
Her chastity, which heauily did greeue,
To be a prey to an insulting foe:
And praies her to accept of either two,
A glorious death with honour and with fame,
Or still to liue with foule reproach and shame.

But life againe those reasons t' ouerthrow,
A thousand sweet alluring baites doth lay
Before her eyes, thereby to make her know,
T' was inhumane her selfe to kill and slay:
Sayd she let skil-contending Doctors play,
Such tragicke fits that doe maintaine like fooles,
This honour in their Academicke schooles.

And whereas honour now would threaten thee,
That if thou liue, thou must quite claime, for aye
Thy wonted fame and spotlesse chastity,
Who shall accuse thee for the same I pray?
Thy husbands lost, captiu'd, gone, and away,
For that no ransome euer can redeeme him,
So that for dead I doubtlesse doe esteeme him.