Dispaire that teacheth holy ones to die, when as affliction ministers her part: Had breathing now in Mirrha, and well nie, Like Venus, made her graspe a flaming heart. Cupid was borne at Etna, a hot sprite, Whose violence takes edge off from delight. For men deepe louing, oft themselues so waste, that proffer'd dainties, they want power to taste. Digresse no farther least thou proue obsceane, but tell by this how Nurse had broke the dore, And trembling both through age and feare, Forgot the naturall sence she had before Yet with her out-cries from the shades of death, cald Mirrhas spright, who with vnwilling breath re-enters flesh, scorning to giue it grace, with wonted beautie that adorn'd her face. She tooke the haltar, and held vp her chin, chafing her temples with a violent heate: Making her soule returne with torments in, as it went out, being come vnto retrait, Nurse heau'd her trembling body on the bed, Where sinking as in graue, she seemed dead: Chast had my verse bin, blessed Mirrhas hap, if here my pen could write thy Epitaph. When hauing gotten ope her heauie eyes, life-mocking death, with a fresh crimson hew, she thus bespake: if there be sorceries, Philters, inchauntments, any furie new That can inspire with irrelegious fire, The brest of mortall, that vntam'd desire Possesseth me, and all my bodies merrit, Shewes like a faire house, haunted with a spirit. The foure and twentie windes are not so fierce, as what doth blow the fewel in my breast: Not the soft oyle, _Apollo_ did disperse, on _Phaitons_ brow, to keep his sun-beam'd crest From face of heauenly fires, could ought preuaile Gainst raging br[=a]ds which my poore heart assaile scorch'd with materiall flames, wee soone do die and to purge sins, we imbrace purgatorie. But this a heate that nor in life or death, can render any humor but dispaire: Nor can it with the short cut of my breath, Take hence my shame, that shall suruiue mine heire Nor can the act (after tis done) content But brings with it eternall punishment, lesseneth the pleasure of the world to come, giues the iudge leaue, & strikes the guiltie dumb. The iealious nurse, did apprehend her straite, yet would extract the quintessence of all: And therefore childe (quoth she) vse no deceipt, but tel me freely whence these teares doe fall I am thy nurse, and from my aged brest Thou hadst thy second being, tell the rest. I doe coniure thee, by these siluer haires, which are grown white, the sooner in their cares.