Classic Poem

Beautie, leave off to brag, thy bravery is but brayd:
Thou mayst (God wot) thy visard vaile, thy wanton maskes are wrayd.
Thy toyes in thy attire, thy plumes forsells thy pride,
Thy coynes, thy caules, thy curling cost, thy surfling helpes are spide.
Thy gases are for guestes that garish showes wil eye,
Else who so blinde but that he can a painted visage spie;
Then goe, and market keepe where chasse is sowld for corne.
I hould (God wot) thy vauntes as vaine; thy lures and love I scorne:
For I beloved am of one that thee doth passe
In faith as much as finest gold excelles the coursest brasse.
She needes no frizling feates, nor bumbaste for her breastes,
No glittring spangles for the gase, no jerkyns, jagges, nor jestes;
Her onely selfe a sunne, when thou art judge a starre,
Her sober lookes workes more regard then all thy ruffling farre.
The reason is, the heavens, to reape the praise alone,
Did frame her eyes, her head, and handes of pearle and precious stone;
Which jewells needes no helpe their beauties for to blase,
When bravery shadowes fowle defectes, or serves for wanton gase.
Besides her feature rare, her further fame to raise,
Her witt, her wordes, her workes in showe, doth winne a world of praise.
Then, beautie, have no scorne, thy roome for to resigne
To her, whose sundry markes of grace thus shewes shee is divine.
If not, thy champion chuse, if any dare avowe
I doe the[e] wronge thee to abuse, and her so to allowe,
And him I challenge forth, by force of fight to prove
Shee hath no match whom thus in heart I honour, serve, and love.
Roberto Rinaldo .
These verses, although they were too affectionately written, yet for two causes they were of Giletta very well lyked: the one was thoroughe the humour, wherewith moste women are infected, desirous to be praised; the other, for that Rinaldo was the man that had soe highlye commended her, whom she wished to be as farre overseene in affection, as in his invention: and although she acquited not his paines with her penne, yet with other courtefies shee sufficiently wrought his contentment. In this sort, in absence with letters, in presence with lokes, signes, and loving greetings, now and then with a stollen kisse interjoyned, for a space these lovers, the one the other delighted. But (oh!) I sighe to report, how soudainly fortune threatened the spoile of their desires, yea, when they thought themselves of her favor most assured: such are the chaunges and chaunces of love. But sith her thretning (after a number of griefes by these two lovers suffered) tourned into grace, with more willingnes I enter into discourse of their sorrowes as followeth.
Rinaldo (unhappily) matched with an ague, through the extremitie of his malladie was forst to keepe his chamber, so that by this accident exiled from the sight of his faire maistresse, the furie of his fever was no sooner overpaste, but streight he was chaunged with fearful fancies, continually dreading how that his absence would turne his ladies love to mislyking. Thus hourely visited with untemperate fittes (poore man) hee was brought so lowe as that, a live, hee represented the very image of death. Good Giletta, sorrowing the long absence of her Rinaldo, in the ende hearing the unwelcome newes of his daungerous sicknes, presently fared as though shee had felt the extremitie of his fitts: one while she determined to goe her selfe and comfort him, streight she dreaded the suspicion that might growe thereof; especially for that Seignor Frizaldo, by the procurement of her friends, was so hot a suter, as without some jelous thought he could never part her fighte. Yet, notwithstanding all these hinderaunces, in the ende she was resolved to visite her lovinge Rinaldo, not by secret stealth, but with such a chosen companie, as it could be no otherwise thoughte but that onely for courtesie she went to comfort him. Seignior Frizaldo (with the rest of the gentles) would needes waite of mistresse Giletta, whose service, I am assured, was yll accepted, and himselfe to Rinaldo worse welcome. But secrete griefes, shadowed with sained good will. Giletta outwardly for his curtesie thanked Frizaldo, and went with him and the rest to Rinaldoes lodging: which courtly company, at their first comming, were brought into the sickmans chamber, whom when Giletta espyed to lye languishing on his bedde, to comforte him first of all she used this greeting. How fares my good servaunt? (quoth shee). Rinaldo, on the soudaine vewing his ladie, was so overcome with soudaine joy, as on the soudaine, the aunswere of his estate was farre to seeke: which when Giletta perceived, in this sort shee continued her comforting woordes. What man! (quoth shee) be of good cheere; a lustie hart will soone conquere this sicknes, dismay not your selfe with feare. By this time a sighe had untyde Rinaldoes tongue, who very softly, for feare of suspicion, thus replied: In very deede, sweete mystresse (quoth hee) if I had had the use of my hart, longe or this my griefes had beene eased: but, ah! my hart else where attends; it is Giletta (and none else) that may dispose the same. Well (quoth shee) since I have the use thereof, I am taught by good authoritie to keepe the sounde from the sicke: your body is now distempered with a fever, your heart with mee fareth no worse then mine; so that at the least I will have the bestowing therof, till I see you in perfect health, yet thinke that the comfort both of mine and your owne shal be applyed for your reliefe. Here Giletta gave libertie unto the rest for to greete Rinaldo, who bestowed their talke (as they thought) to his great delight; but Rinaldo, that rather regarded the sober lookes and modest behaviour of Giletta then the shyning braverie of the rest, gave small eare unto their plesaunt prattle; yea, seemed halfe offended with the continuance thereof, as who would saye, the sight of their wantonnes wrought a fresh remembrance of his wretchednes. And truly there can be no greater torment unto the pensive wight then to be throwne into the companie of the pleasant; not for that he repineth at them, but that he cannot attaine their happinesse. The company perceyving the small comforte Rinaldo toke in their persuasions, on the soudaine became silente, so that Giletta had now libertie to make an ende of her tale: who (for that night drue neare) knit it uppe with this farewell. I see wel, good servaunt (quoth shee) that our company (although wee came for courtesie) is rather a cumber then a comfort to your sorrowes, and therefore wee will now betake you to God. But to witnesse I alwayes with your contentment, vouchsafe this posie of giliflowers, which carrieth this vertue, that about whose head they bee bestowed, the same wighte shal not bee much frighted with fearefull fancies. God graunt that be true (quod Rinaldo) for trust mee, sweete mystresse, the disquietnes of my minde hurtes mee more then the distemperature of my body; but howe much of thisvertue saileth in your flowers, so much I already finde in your friendly woordes; and to continue in remembraunce your care to cure my miseries, weare you, good mystresse, this rosemary braunche. Giletta, willingly receyving the same, for that she was to depart, with the help of another gentlewoman raised Rinaldoes pillowes, and layde his bedde furniture handsomly about him, where Giletta bowing over him to amende some thinge oute of order, by fortune left with Rinaldo a kisse, the comforte whereof exiled the griefe hee should else have conceived by her departure. But I am assured this poore stolen kisse no more pleased Rinaldo then it offended Frizaldo, who (God wot) with great impatiencie murmured at these two lovers familiaritie; and although the rest toke no heede of their speaches, yet his jelious suspicion both read the letters of their flowers, and wrested out the sense of their subtile wordes. Neverthelesse (for the place sake at that time) hee hidde his conceyved hatred towards Rinaldo with a friendly farewell, but in the waye homeward, hee pincht Giletta with this scoffinge request: Away with this rosemary (quoth hee) left it hide some infection (being sometime sicke Rinaldoes). That maye offende you (quoth Giletta); if it were any wayes infected by this time the open ayre hath purged it, but if before this time, I my selfe am infected, it smally helpes to throwe away this poore braunch, and so your counsel is out of season; and yet for the same I courteously thancke you. Well, quoth Frizaldo, snuffinge at this aunsweare, you were best to perfecte your delighte, to weare a rose with your rosemarie; meaning the first letters of those two flowers aunsweared her lovers name, Roberto Rinaldo. These woordes stroake poore Giletta dead, and yet shee pretily (dissemblinge her knowledge of Frizaldoes minde) found out meanes to cutte off those crosse speaches with arguments that meetely well contented him. But, poore wench, so soone as shee was bestowed alone in her chamber, solitarinesse wroughte a freshe remembraunce of Frizaldoes doubtfull woordes; but yet, after shee had a space bewayled her fortunes, shee wisely entered into the consideration of her owne estate, and waying howe greatly that Frizaldo was favoured of her friendes, and on the contrarie parte, Rinaldo of small accompte, shee concluded (to please all her friendes and contente both her lovers) to use this policie. Frizaldo, whom shee smally esteemed, shee mente to feede with courteous delayes; Rinaldo, whom in deede shee honoured, shee determined in heart to love, and in showe to hate; thinking by this meanes that she should extinguish and quench Frizaldos jelous suspicion, which in very deede contraried her imagination. For although he liked Gilettas intertaynment, yet hee continually feared her affection towardes Rinaldo; yea, hee eyed her with such mistrust, as that shee could hardly finde occasion to acquainte her Rinaldo with this devise. Notwithstanding, hopinge of favourable time to execute her purpose, shee continued her fained good will towards Frizaldo, but Rinaldo shee would neither see, send, nor write unto: who, wonderinge at this insolencie and straungenes, although hee had hardly recovered his empayred health, yet hee adventured abroade to learne the cause of this soudaine alteration. But his overmuch temeritie and makinge hast herein had wroughte wofull waste of his life had not God wonderfully saved him. For, repayringe unto the place of his wonted joy and accustomed comforte, hee sound his mystresse dallying with a fresh gallant: on him shee would not vouchsafe to looke; yea, if on occasion hee saluted her by the name of hys mystresse, very disdainfully and scornefully, or not at all, shee aunsweared him: on him shee frowned with a curst countenaunce: on his enimie shee fleared with a delight-some favour: with him shee would not speake: with his enimie shee continually talked. Which unfriendly welcome was far worse (God wot) to Rinaldo then his late sicknes; but worst of al he digested the report of the courtiers, who (inferring on their familiaritie) gave out for certainty that Segnior Frizaldo should marie with mystres Giletta. These newes poore Rinaldo was like ynough to credite, himselfe seeing such apparaunte proofe thereof; yea, hee credited them so farre, as hee could not away with any thought of hope: in so much that scorning both courte and companie, as one forsaken of himselfe, hee forthwith went unto his chamber, wheras passionately discoursinge on his harde fortunes, which plaint hee powdred with a thousand sighes, by chaunce hee fastned his eye on the jewel which Giletta had bestowed on him; and with little lust reading the posie thereof, supposing she had falsified her vowe, toucht with the proofe of his wretchednes, hee forthwith wrote these under written verses: