The triumphs of love: chastitie: death: translated out of Petrarch by Mris Anna Hume.

THE TRIUMPH OF CHASTITIE.

CHAP. I.

The Argument.

Chastitie binds the winged god, And makes him subject to her rod.

WHen to one yoke at once I saw the height Of Gods and men subdu'd by Cupids might; I tooke example from their cruel fate, And by their sufferings eas'd my owne hard state: Since Phoebus and Leander felt like paine,Line 5 The one a God, the other but humane.

One fnare catcht June, and the Carthage Dame, (Her Husbands death prepar'd her funerall flame, 'Twas not a cause that Virgil maketh one) I need not grieve, that unprepar'd, alone,Line 10 Unarm'd, and young, I did receive a wound, Or that my enemy no hurt hath found By Love; or that she cloath'd him in my sight, And tooke his wings, and marr'd his winding flight: No angry Lions send more hideous noyseLine 15 From their beat breasts, nor clashing thunders voyce Rends Heav'n, frights Earth, and roareth through the aire With greater force, then Love had rais'd, to dare Encounter her, of whom I write; and she As quicke and ready to assaile, as he:Line 20 Enceladus when Aetna most he shakes, Nor angry Scylla, nor Charibdis makes So great and frightfull noyse, as did the shock Of this (first doubtfull) battel, none could mock Such earnest warre; all drew them to the heightLine 25 To see what maz'd their hearts, and dimn'd their sight. Victorious Love a threatning dart did show His right hand held; the other bore a bow, The string of which he drew just by his eare; No Leopard could chase a frighted DeereLine 30

(Free, or broke loose) with quicker speed, then he Made haste to wound; fire sparkled from his eye: I burn'd, and had a combat in my brest, Glad t' have her company, yet 'twas not best (Me thought) to see her lost, but 'tis in vainLine 35 T' abandon goodnesse, and of fate complaine: Vertue her servants never will forsake, As now 'twas seen, she could resistance make: No Fencer ever better warded blow, Nor Pilot did to shore more wisely rowLine 40 To shun a shelfe, then with undaunted power She wav'd the stroke of this sharp Conquerour. Mine eyes and heart were watchfull to attend, In hope the victory would that way bend It ever did; and that I might no moreLine 45 Be barr'd from her; as one, whose thoughts, before His tongue hath utter'd them, you well may see Writ in his looks; O! if you victour be Great Sir, (said I) let her and me be bound Both with one yoke; I may be worthy found,Line 50 And will not set her free, doubt not my faith: When I beheld her with disdain and wrath So fill'd, that to relate it, would demand A better Muse then mine: Her vertuous hand

Had quickly quench't those guilded fiery darts,Line 55 Which dipt in beauties pleasure, poyson hearts. Neither Camilla, nor the warre-like hoast, That cut their brests, could so much valour boast; Nor Caesar in Pharsalia fought so well, As she 'gainst him, who pierceth coats of mail;Line 60 All her brave vertues arm'd, attended there, (A glorious troup!) and marched paire by paire: Honour and blushes first in ranke; the two Religious vertues make the second row; (By those she other women doth excell)Line 65 Prudence, and Modesty, the twins that dwell Together, both were lodged in her brest; Glory and Perseverance ever blest: Fair Entertainment, Providence without, Sweet courtesie and purenesse round about▪Line 70 Respect of credit, feare of infamy; Grave thoughts in youth, and what not oft agree, True Chastitie, and rarest beauty; these All came 'gainst Love, and this the heav'ns did please And every generous soule in that full height,Line 75 He had no power left to beare the weight! A thousand famous prizes hardly gain'd She tooke; and thousand ••lorious palms obtain'd,

Shooke from his hands; the fall was not more strange Of Hannibal, when Fortune pleas'd to changeLine 80 Her minde, and on the Romane youth bestow The favours he enjoy'd; nor was he so Amaz'd, who frighted th' Isralitish hoast Struck by the Hebrew boy, that quit his boast▪ Nor Cirus more astonisht at the fallLine 85 The Jewish widow gave his Generall: As one that sickens suddenly, and feares His life, or as a man tane unawares In some base act, and doth the finder hate; Just so was he, or in a worse estate:Line 90 Feare, griefe and shame, and anger in his face Were seen, no troubled Seas more rage, the place Where huge Typheus grones; nor Etna when Her Giant sighs, were mov'd as he was then. I passe by many noble things I see;Line 95 (To write them, were too hard a taske for me) To her and those that did attend, I go; Her armour was a robe more white then snow; And in her hand a shield like his she bare Who slew Medusa, a faire pillar there Of Jasp was fixt, and with a chain (first wetLine 100 In Lethe floud) of Jewels fitly set,

Diamonds mixt with Topasses (of old 'Twas worne by Ladies, now 'tis not) first hold She catch't, then bound him fast, then such revengeLine 105 She tooke, as might suffice▪ my thoughts did change; And I who wisht him victory before, Was satisfi'd, he now could hurt no more. I cannot in my rimes the names contain Of blessed Maids that did make up her train▪Line 110 Calliope nor Clio could suffice, Nor all the other seven for th' enterprise▪ Yet some I will insert may justly claime Precedency of others. Lucrece came On her right hand: Penelope was by,Line 115 Those broke his bow, and made his arrowes ly Split on the ground, and pull'd his plumes away From off his wings: after Virginia Nere her vext father, arm'd with wrath and hate, Fury, and ir'n and Love, he freed the stateLine 120 And her from slavery, with a manly blow: Next were those barbarous women, who could show They judg'd it better die, then suffer wrong To their rude Chastitie: the wise and strong The chaste Hebraean Judith, followeth these;Line 125 The Greeke that sav'd her honour in the Seas.

With these and other famous soules I see Her Triumph over him, who us'd to be Master of all the world: Amongst the rest The vestall Nunne I spide, who was so blestLine 130 As by a wonder to preserve her fame. Next came Hersilia the Romane Dame (Or Sabine rather) with her valarous train, Who prove all flanders on that sexe are vain. Then 'mongft the forraign Ladies, she whose faithLine 135 T' her husband (not Aeneas) caus'd her death; The vulgar ignorant may hold their peace, Her safety to her Chastitie gave place; Dido I mean, whom no vain passion led, (As fame belies her) last, the vertuous MaideLine 140 Retir'd to Aruns, who no rest could finde, Her friends constraining power forc't her minde; The Triumph thither went, where salt waves wet The Bayan shore, eastward; her foot she set There on firme land, and did Avernus leaveLine 145 On the one hand, on th' other Sybils Cave, So to Lencernus marcht, the Village where The noble Africane lies buried; there The great newes of her Triumph did appeare As glorious to the eye, as to the eare,Line 150

The fame had been; and the most chaste did show Most beautifull; it griev'd Love much to go Anothers prisoner, expos'd to scorne, Who to command whole Empires seemed borne. Thus to the chiefest City all were led,Line 155 Entring the Temple which Sulpitia made Sacred; it drives all madnesse from the minde; And chastities pure Temple next we finde, Which in brave soules doth modest thoughts beget, Not by Plebeians entred, but the greatLine 160 Patrician Dames; there were the spoyles displaid Of the faire victresse; there her palmes she laid, And did commit them to the Thuscan youth, Whose marring scarres beare witnesse of his truth: With others more, whose names I fully knew,Line 165 (My guide instructed me) that overthrew The power of Love: 'mongst whom of all the rest, Hyppolito and Joseph were the best.

The end of this Chapter.

ANNOTATIONS Upon the Triumph of CHASTITIE.

PHoebus and Leander, 5. line.] Phoebus lo∣ved Daphne, and Leander Hero.

Juno, 7. line.] Juno loved Jupiter so much, that shee was troublesomly jealous, if shee can be called jealous, that had so much wrong.

Carthage dame, 7. line.] Dido, shee burned her selfe in her husbands funerall pile, lest she should bee compelled to marry an importunate suiter, or bring warre on her Countrey.

Camilla, 57. line.] She was Queene of the Amazons: it is said, they cut off their right brests, that they might shoot with the more ease.

Caesar in Pharsalia, 59. line.] That famous battell, in which he overcame Pompey the great and made way to the Empire.

Religious vertues, 64. line.] Faith and Hope, Italian Commentarie.

The twinnes, 69. line.] Justice and Fortitude, Italian Commentarie.

The Romane youth, 81. line.] Scipio, who o∣vercame Hannibal.

Typheus groans, 95. line.] Typheus was one of the Giants that warred with heaven: there was a mountaine throwne upon him, under which when hee groanes, it sends forth smoke, fire, and stones▪ with great noise.

Nor Aetna, 95. line.] Another mountaine, which was cast upon Enceladus another Giant: the smoke and fire of all these burning moun∣tains, proceeds from the Giants that lie oppres∣sed under them.

Slew Medusa, 100. line.] The shield of Perseus▪ which turned all that beheld it, to stones.

Jasp. 101. line.] Jasp hath a qualitie to make one chaste.

Lethe flood, 103. line] Forgetfulnesse, an ex∣cellent cure for Love, and the tooth-ake.

Diamonds, &c. 104. line.] Diamonds is thought maketh the wearers constant: Topasses make chaste, for which two causes they were worn by Ladies of old; but I hope they are not needfull now.

Calliope, &c. 112. 113. line.] the nine Muses.

Lucrece, 114. line.] A knowne Story, shee

killed her selfe after Tarquin had ravished her.

Penellope, 115. line] The chaste wife of Ʋlisses.

Virginia, 118. line.] Virginia being a beau∣tifull young Maid▪ was adjudged a bondwoman by Appius Claudius, that hee might obtain his owne base ends: her father seeing no other way to preserve her liberty and chastity, killed her, which occasioned the alteration of that govern∣ment, by which Appius had his power, and gave liberty to the people.

Judged it better die, 123. line.] Their hus∣bands, fathers▪ brothers, &c. being killed and chased by Marius, they hanged themselves, I∣talian Commentarie.

The Greeke, &c. 126. line.] Hippo a Greci∣an maide▪ who being embarked against her will by one who intended to dishonour her, leapt in to the Sea, and drowned her self, Italian Com∣mentarie.

The vestall Nunne, 130 line.] Called Tucia, who cleared her selfe from a false accusation, by carrying water in a sive.

Hirsilia, 132. line.] Wife to Romulus, shee with the other Romane wives, all Sabine wo∣men, who had been stollen from their kindred, seeing their husbands ready to fight with their fathers, brothers, cousins, &c. ranne in betwixt them, and opposing themselves to the naked

swords, staid the fury of the fight, brought them to a parley, and so to an agreement.

Dido I mean, 139. line.] Petrarch it seems was much troubled at the wrong done to Dido, by Virgil; who to honour his Aeneas, will needs have it, that she forfeit her honour to him, when in true History, it is knowne hee never see her: this he glanceth at in her defence three severall times, for which I thanke him.

Retired to Arnus, 141. line.] One Piccarda, who rendered her selfe a Nunne, but was taken out by her friends, and compelled to marry, Ita∣lian Commentar.

Baian shore, 144. line.] Baiae, is a Citie in Campania, called so from the hot bathes that are in it: it lieth alongst the Coast of the Mediter∣ran sea, south-east from the mouth of Tiber, and giveth name to the Bay neare it, where Lauret∣ta landed.

Avernus, 145. line.] A great Lake nere Baiae.

Sybils cave, 146. line.] A cave not farre from Avernus, where Sybilla called Cumea, was wonted to give her answers.

Linternum, 147. line.] A little Village in Campania, honoured by the death and buriall of the elder Scipio.

By Sulpitia, 156. line.] Sulpitia was a ver∣tuous and learned Lady of Rome, who lived

and wrote in the time of Domitian: it seemeth she hath beene chosen to dedicate that Temple or Altar to Venus▪ which hath power to curbe unreasonable passions, for the chastest women did worship Venus for that end, belike as the In∣dians worship the Devil.

Thuscan youth, 163. line.] A beautifull yong man▪ who pittying the miseries of those wo∣men that doted on him, and wearied with their importunities, marred his owne face.

My guide, 164. line.] His old Thuscan friend, who described The Triumph of Love to him ere he was one of the traine▪ doth now de∣scribe The Triumph of Chastitie.

Hippolito and Joseph, 169. line.] Hippolito rejected the unlawfull Love of his stepmother, and Joseph the solicitation of his masters wife.