As soon as darkness once was come, straight Thisbe did devise A shift to wind her out of doors, that none that were within Perceived her; and muffling her with clothes about her chin, That no man might discern her face, to Ninus' tomb she came Unto the tree, and set her down there underneath the same. Love made her bold. But see the chance, there comes besmeared with blood About the chaps, a lioness all foaming from the wood, From slaughter lately made of kine to staunch her bloody thirst With water of the foresaid spring. Whom Thisbe, spying first Afar by moonlight, thereupon with fearful steps gan fly And in a dark and irksome cave did hide herself thereby. And as she fled away for haste she let her mantle fall, The which for fear she left behind not looking back at all. Now when the cruel lioness her thirst had staunched well, In going to the wood she found the slender weed that fell From Thisbe, which with bloody teeth in pieces she did tear. The night was somewhat further spent ere Pyramus came there. Who seeing in this subtle sand the print of lion's paw, Waxed pale for fear. But when that he the bloody mantle saw All rent and torn; one night (he said) shall lovers two confound, Of which long life deserved she of all that live on ground. My soul deserves of this mischance the peril for to bear. I, wretch, have been the death of thee, which to this place of fear Did cause thee in the night to come, and came not here before. My wicked limbs and wretched guts with cruel teeth therefore Devour ye, O ye lions all that in this rock do dwell. But cowards use to wish for death. The slender weed that fell From Thisbe up he takes, and straight doth bear it to the tree, Which was appointed erst the place of meeting for to be. And when he had bewept and kissed the garment which he knew, Receive thou my blood too (quoth he), and therewithal he drew His sword, the which among his guts he thrust, and by and by Did draw it from the bleeding wound, beginning for to die, And cast himself upon his back. The blood did spin on high As when a conduit pipe is cracked, the water bursting out Doth shoot itself a great way off, and pierce the air about. The leaves that were upon the tree besprinkled with his blood Were dyed black. The root also, bestained as it stood A deep dark purple colour, straight upon the berries cast, Anon scarce ridded of her fear with which she was aghast, For doubt of disappointing him comes Thisbe forth in haste, And for her lover looks about, rejoicing for to tell How hardly she had 'scaped that night the danger that befell. And as she knew right well the place and fashion of the tree (As which she saw so late before) even so when she did see The colour of the berries turned, she was uncertain whether It were the tree at which they both agreed to meet together. While in this doubtful stound[4] she stood, she cast her eye aside,