COme sir TYRANNE lordly LOVE,

You that awe the gods aboue,

As their creatures, here below,

With the scepter, call'd your bow;

And doe all their forces beare

In the quiuer that you weare,

Whence no sooner you doe draw

Forth a shaft, but is a law:

Now, they shall not need to tremble,

When you threaten, or dissemble,

Any more; And, though you see

Whom to hurt, you ha' not free

Will, to act your rage. The bands

Of your eyes, now tye your hands.

All the Triumphs, all the spoiles

Gotten by your artes, and toiles,

Ouer foe, and ouer friend,

O're your mother, here must end.

And you, now, that thought to lay

The world wast, must be my pray.

CRuell SPHYNX, I rather striue

How to keepe the world aliue,

And vphold it; without mee,

All againe would Chaos. bee.

Tell me, Monster, what should moue

Thy despight, thus, against LOVE?

Is there nothing faire, and good,

Nothing bright, but burns thy blood?

Still, thou art thy selfe, and made

All of practice, to inuade

Clearest bosomes. Hath this place

None will pittie CVPIDS case?

Some soft eye, (while I can see

Who it is, that melts for mee)

Weepe a fit. Are all eyes here

Made of marble? But a teare,

Though a false one; It may make

Others true compassion take.

I would tell you all the storie

If I thought you could be sorie.

And, in truth, thers none haue reason,

Like your selues, to hate the treason.

For it practis'd was on beautie,

Vnto whom LOVE owes all dutie.

Let your fauour but affright

SPHYNX here, I shall soone recite

Euery passage, how it was.

DOe, Ile laugh, or cry alas. (lookes

Thinks, poore LOVE, can Ladies

Saue him frõ the SPHYNXEs hookes?

NO, but these can witnesse beare

Of my candor, when they heare

What thy malice is; or, how

I became thy captiue now:

And it is no small content;And it no small content;

Falling, to fall innocent.

Know, then, all you Glories here,

In the vtmost East there were

Eleuen Daughters of the morne.

Ne're were brighter Beuy borne,

Nor more perfect beauties seene.

The eldest of them was the Queene

Of the Orient, and 't was sed,

That shee should with Phœbus wed.

For which high-vouchsafed grace,

He was lou'd of all their race.

And they would, when he did rise

Doe him earely sacrifice

Of the rich, and purest gumme,

That from any plant could come;

And would looke at him as farre

As they could discerne his carre:

Grieuing, that they might not euer

See him; and when night did seuer

Their aspects, they sate and wept

Till he came, and neuer slept:

In so much, that at the length

This their feruour gate such strength,

As they would a iorney proue,As they would a iourney proue,

By the guard, and ayde of LOVE,

Hither to the farthest West:

Where, they heard, as in the East,

He a Palace, no lesse bright,

Had, to feast in euery night

With the Ocean, where he rested

Safe, and in all state inuested.

I, that neuer left the side

Of the faire, became their guide.

But behold, no sooner landing

^a On this Ile, but this commanding

Monster SPINX, the enemyMonster SPHYNX, the enemy

Of all actions great, and high,

Knowing, that these rites were done

To the wisdome of the sunne,

From a cliffe surpriz'd them all.

And, though I did humbly fall

At her lions feete, and pray'd

As shee had the face of maydAs shee had the face of mayd,

That shee would compassion take

Of these ladies, for whose sake

LOVE would giue himselfe vp; shee,

Swift to euill, as you see

By her wings, and hooked hands,

First did take my offred bands

Then, to prison of the night,

Did condemne those sisters bright,

There, for euer to remaine,

'Lesse they could the knot vn-straine

Of a riddle, which shee put

Darker, then where they'are shut:

Or, from thence, their freedomes proue

With the vtter losse of LOVE.

They vnwilling to forego

One, who had deserued so

Of all beautie, in their names,

Were content to haue their flames

Hid in lasting night, e're I

Should for them vntimely die.

I, on th' other side as glad

That I such aduantage had

To assure them mine, engag'd

Willingly my selfe, and wag'd

With the monster, that if I

Did her riddle not vntieDid her riddle not vntie,

I would freely giue my life

To redeeme them, and the strife.

Ha'you said, Sir? will you try,

Now, your knowne dexterity?

You presume, vpon your artes.

Of tying, and vntying hearts:

And it makes you confident,

But, anone, you will repent.

No SPHYNX, I do not presume,No, SPHYNX, I do not presume,

But some little heart assume

From my Iudges heere, that sit

As they would not loose LOVE yet.

You are pleasant, Sir, 'tis good.

LOVE do's often change his mood.

I shall make you sad agen.

I shall be the sorier, then.

Come, Sir, lend it your best eare.

I begin t'haue halfe a feare.

First, Cupid, you must cast about

To find a world the world without,

Wherein what's done, the eie doth doe;

And is the light, and treasure too.

This eye still moues, and still is fixed,

And in the powers thereof are mixed

Two contraries; which time, till now,

Nor Fate knew where to ioyne, or how.

Yet, if you hit the right vpon,

You must resolue these, all, by on.

SPHYNX, you are too quick of tongue:

Say't againe, and take me'álong.

I say, you first must cast about

To finde a world, the world without.

I say, that is alreadie done,

And is the new world i'the Moone.

Cupid, you doe cast too farre;

This world is neerer by a starre.

So much light Ile giue you to'it.

Without a Glasse? Well, I shall do't.

Your world's a Lady, then, each creature

Humane, is a world in feature.

Is it not?

Yes, but finde out

A world you must, the world without.

Why, if her seruant be not here,

She doth a single world appeare

Without her world.

Well, you shall runne.

Nay, SPHYNX, thus far is wel begunne.

Wherein what's done, the eye doth doe,

And is the light, and treasure too.

That's cleare as light; for wherein lies

A Ladies power, but in her eyes?

And not alone her grace, and power,

But oftentimes, her wealth, and dower.

I spake but of an eye, not eyes.

A one eyd Mistresse that vnties.

This eye still moues, and still is fixed.

A rolling eye, that, natiue there,

Yet throwes her glaunces euery where;

And, being but single, faine would doo

The offices, and artes of two.

And in the powers thereof are mixed

Two contraries.

That's smiles, and teares,

Or fire, and frost; For either beares

Resemblance apt.

Which time, till now,

Nor Fate knew where to ioyne, or how.

How now CVPID? at a stay?

Not another word, to say?

Doe you finde by this, how long

You haue beene at a fault, and wrong?

SPHYNX, it is your pride, to vexe

Whome you deale with, and perplexe

Things most easie: Ignorance

Thinkes she doth her selfe aduance,

If of problemes cleare, shee make

Riddles, and the sense forsake,

Which came gentle from the Muses,

Till her vttring, it abuses.

Nay, your rayling will not saue you:

CVPID, I of right must haue you.

Come my fruit full issue forth,

Dance, and shew a gladnesse, worth

Such a captiue, as is LOVE,

And your mothers triumph proue.

NOw, ^b go take him vp, & beare him

To the cliffe, where I will teare him

Peece-meale, and giue each a part

Of his raw, and bleeding heart.

Ladies, haue your lookes no power

To helpe LOVE, at such an hower?

Will you loose him thus? adiew,

Thinke, what will become of you,

Who shall praise you, who admire,

Who shall whisper, by the fire

As you stand, soft tales, who bring you

Prettie newes, in rimes who sing you.

Who shall bathe him in the streames

Of your blood, and send you dreames

Of delight.

Away, goe beare him

Hence, they shall no longer heare him.

GEntle ^c LOVE, be not dismay'd.

See, the Muses pure, and holy,

By their Priests haue sent thee ayde

Against this brood of Folly.

It is true, that SPHYNX their dame

Had the sense first from the Muses,

Which in vttring shee doth lame,

Perplexeth, and abuses.

But they bid, that thou should'st looke

In the brightest face here shining,

And the same, as, would a booke,

Shall helpe thee in diuining.

'Tis done,'tis done. I haue found it out,

Britayne's the world, the world without.

The King's the eye, as we do call

The sunne the eye of this great all.

And is the light and treasure too;

For 'tis his wisdome all doth doo.

Which still is fixed in his brest,

Yet still doth moue to guide the rest.

The Contraries which Time till now

Nor Fate knew where to ioyne, or how

Are maiestie, and LOVE; which there,

And no where els, haue their true sphear.

Now SPHYNX, I'haue hit the right vpon,

And doe resolue these All by on:

That is, that you meant Albion.

'Tis true in him, and in no other,

LOVE, thou art cleare absolued.

Vanish Follies, with your mother,

The riddle is resolued.

SPHYNX must flie, when Phœbus shines,

And to ayde of LOVE enclines.

Appeare then you my brighter charge,

And to light your selues enlarge,

To behold that glorious starre,

For whose loue you came so farre,

While the monster, with her elues,

Do præcipitate themselues.

A Crowne, a crowne for LOVES bright head,

Without whose happie wit

All forme, and beautie had beene dead,

And we had di'd with it.

For what are all the graces

Without good formes, and faces?

Then Loue recieue the due rewardThen Loue receiue the due reward

Those Graces haue prepard.

And may no hand, no tongue, no eie

Thy merit, or their thankes enuie.

VVHat gentle formes are these that moue

To honour Loue?

They are the bright and golden lights

That grace his nights.

And shot from Beauties eyesAnd shot from Beauties eyes,

They looke like faire AVRORAS streamesThey looke like faire AVRORAS streames,

They are her fairer daughters beames,

Who now doth rise.

Then night is lost, or fled away

For where such Beautie shines, is euer day.

O What a fault, nay, what a sinne

In Fate, or Fortune had it beene,

So much beautie to haue lost!

Could the world with all her cost

Haue redeem'd it?

No, no, no.

How so?

It would Nature quite vndoe,

For losing these, you lost her too.

HOw neere to good is what is faire!

Which we no sooner see,

But with the liues, and outward aire

Our senses taken be.

We wish to see it still, and proue,

What waies we may deserue,

We court, we praise, we more then loue,

We are not grieu'd to serue.

VVHat iust excuse had aged Time,

His wearie limbes now to haue eas'd,

And sate him downe without his crime,

While euerie thought was so much pleas'd!

But he so greedie to deuoure

His owne, and all that he brings forth,

Is eating euerie piece of houre

Some obiect of the rarest worth.

Yet this is rescued from his rage,

As not to die by time, or age.

For beautie hath a liuing name,

And will to heauen, from whence it came.

NOw, now. Gentle Loue is free, and Beautie blest

With the sight it so much long'd to see.

Let vs the M__uses PRIESTS, and GRACES goe to rest,

For in them our labours happie bee.

Then, then, angrie Musique sound, and teach our feet,

How to moue in time, and measure meet:

Thus should the M__uses PRIESTS, and GRACES goe to rest,

Bowing to the Sunne, throned in the west.