“And ye, faire Damsels! shepheards deare delights, That with your loves do their rude hearts possesse, When as my hearse shall happen to your sightes, Vouchsafe to deck the same with cyparesse; And ever sprinckle brackish teares among, 530 In pitie of my undeserv’d distresse, The which, I, wretch, endured have thus long. “And ye, poore Pilgrims! that with restlesse toyle Wearie your selves in wandring desart wayes, Till that you come where ye your vowes assoyle*, 535 When passing by ye reade these wofull layes On my grave written, rue my Daphnes wrong, And mourne for me that languish out my dayes. Cease, Shepheard! cease, and end thy undersong.” [* _Assoyle_, absolve, pay.] Thus when he ended had his heavie plaint, 540 The heaviest plaint that ever I heard sound, His cheekes wext pale, and sprights began to faint, As if againe he would have fallen to ground; Which when I saw, I, stepping to him light, Amooved* him out of his stonie swound, 545 And gan him to recomfort as I might. [* _Amooved_, roused.] But he no waie recomforted would be, Nor suffer solace to approach him nie, But, casting up a sdeinfull eie at me, That in his traunce I would not let him lie, 550 Did rend his haire, and beat his blubbred face, As one disposed wilfullie to die, That I sore griev’d to see his wretched case. Tho when the pang was somewhat overpast, And the outragious passion nigh appeased, 555 I him desyrde, sith daie was overcast And darke night fast approched, to be pleased To turne aside unto my cabinet*, And staie with me, till he were better eased Of that strong stownd** which him so sore beset. 560 [* _Cabinet_, cabin.] [** _Stownd_, mood, paroxysm of grief.] But by no meanes I could him win thereto, Ne longer him intreate with me to staie, But without taking leave he foorth did goe With staggring pace and dismall looks dismay, As if that Death he in the face had seene, 565 Or hellish hags had met upon the way: But what of him became I cannot weene. AMORETTI AND EPITHALAMION. WRITTEN NOT LONG SINCE BY EDMUNDE SPENSER. PRINTED FOR WILLIAM POSBONBY. 1595. G. W. SENIOR*, TO THE AUTHOR. [* These commendatory Sonnets first appeared in the first folio edition of Spenser’s entire works (1611). G. W., as Todd conjectures, may be George Whetstone. C.]