His conscience told him, he deserv'd not death, For he deprav'd not _Thisbe_ of her breath: But then suspicion thought, he causd her dye, But conscience swore, suspition told a lye. At this suspicion prompted loue in th'eare, And bad him shew his verdict, and come neare, Which soone he did, and fate among the rest, As one whom _Pyramus_ esteemed best: For when proud Loue gaue in his faultie plea, He askt if he were guiltie, Loue said yea, And with the youth, fond youth by loue entangled, Agreed his guiltlesse body should be mangled. 29 Resolv'd to die, he sought the pointed blade, Which erst his hand had cast into the shade, And see, proud Chance, fell Murthers chiefest frend, Had pitcht the blade right vpwards on the end, Which being loth from murther to depart, Stood on the hilt, point-blanke against his hart: At which he smil'd, and checkt his fearefull hand, That stubbornely resisted his command. And though (quoth he) thou scorn'd to doe my will, What lets me now my minde for to fulfill? Both Fate and Fortune to my death are willing, And be thou witnesse of my minds fulfilling. 30 With that he cast himselfe vpon the sword, And with the fall his tender brest through gor'd: The angry bloud, for so his bloud was sheed, Gusht out, to finde the author of the deed, But when it none but _Pyramus_ had found, Key cold with feare it stood vpon the ground, And all the bloud, I meane that thus was spilt, Ran downe the blade, and circled in the hilt, And presently congeald about the same, And would haue cald it by some murtherous name, Could it haue spoke, nere sought it any further, But did arrest the Rapier of the murther. 31 And as the child that seeth his father slaine, Will runne (alas) although he runne in vaine, And hug about the shedder of his bloud, Although God wot, his hugging do small good, Euen so his bloud, the ofspring of his heart, Ran out amaine, to take his fathers part, And hung vpon the rapier and the hilt, As who should say, the sword his bloud had spilt: Nor would depart, but cleaue about the same, So deare it lov'd the place from whence it came: For sure it was poore _Pyramus_ was murthered, Nor by pursute, could his poore bloud be furthred. 32 When this was done, as thus the deed was done, Begun, alas, and ended too too soone, Faire _Thisbe_ strucken pale with cold despaire, Came forth the Caue into the wholsome aire: And as she came, the boughs would giue her way, Thinking her _Venus_ in her best array. But she (alas) full of suspicious feare, Least that the late feard Lion should be there, Came quaking forth, and then start backe againe, Fearing the beast, and yet she fear'd in vaine. She fear'd the Lion, Lions then were feeding, And in this feare, her nose gusht out a bleeding. 33