Then muse not Cupids sute no better sped,
Seeing in their loues the Fates were iniured.
The end of the first Sestyad.

THE ARGVMENT OF THE

SECOND SESTYAD.

Hero of loue takes deeper sence,

And doth her loue more recompence.

Their first nights meeting, where sweet kisses
Are th'only crownes of both their blisses.
He swims t’Abydus, and returnes ;
Cold Neptune with his beautie burnes,
VVhose suite he shuns, and doth aspire
Heros faire towre, and his desire.

Y this, sad Hero, with loue vnacquainted,
Viewing Leanders face, fell downe and fainted.
He kist her, and breath'd life into her lips,
Wherewith as one displeasde, away she trips.
Yet as she went, full often lookt behinde,
And many poore excuses did she finde,

To linger by the way, and once she ŝtaid,
And would haue turnde againe, but was afraid,

In offring parlie, to be counted light.
So on she goes, and in her idle flight,
Her painted fanne of curled plumes let fall,
Thinking to traine Leander therewithall.

He being a nouice, knew not what she meant,
But stayd, and after her a letter sent,

Which ioyfull Hero answerd in such sort,

As he had hope to scale the beauteous fort,
Wherein the liberall graces lock'd their wealth,
And therefore to her tower he got by stealth.
Wide open stood the doore, he need not clime;
And she her selfe before the pointed time

Had spread the boord, with roses strowed the roome,
And oft look't out, and mus'd he did not come.
At last he came, O who can tell the greeting
These greedie louers had, at their first meeting.
He askt, she gaue, and nothing was denied,
Both to each other quickly were affied.

Looke how their hands, so were their hearts vnited,
And what he did, she willingly requited.

(Sweet are the kisses, the imbracements sweet,
When like desires and affections meet,
For from the earth to heauen, is Cupid rais'd,
Where fancie is in equall ballance pais'd)
Yet she this rashnesse sodainly repented,
And turn'd aside, and to her selfe lamented,
D

As

As if her name and honor had been wrong'd,
By being possest of him for whom she long'd:
I, and shee wisht, albeit not from her hart,
That he would leaue her turret and depart.
The mirthfull God of amorous pleasure smil❜d,
To see how he this captiue Nymph beguil❜d.
For hitherto hee did but fan the fier,

And kept it downe that it might mount the hier.
Now waxt she iealous, least his loue abated,
Fearing her owne thoughts made her to be hated.
Therefore vnto him hastily she goes,

And like light Salmacis, her body throes
Vpon his bosome, where with yeelding eyes
She offers vp her selfe a sacrifice,

To slake his anger if he were displeas'd.
O what god would not therewith be appeas'd?
Like Æsops cocke, this iewell he enioyed,
And as a brother with his sister toyed,
Supposing nothing else was to be done,
Now he her fauour and good will had wone.
But know you not that creatures wanting sence
By nature haue a mutuall appetence,

And wanting organs to aduaunce a step,
Mou'd by Loues force, vnto ech other lep?
Much more in subiects hauing intellect,
Some hidden influence breeds like effect.

Albeit Leander rude in loue, and raw,
Long dallying with Hero, nothing saw
That might delight him more, yet he suspected
Some amorous rites or other were neglected:
Therefore vnto his bodie, hirs he clung,

She, fearing on the rushes to be flung,

Striu'd with redoubled strength, the more she striued,
The more a gentle pleasing heat reuiued,
Which taught him all that elder louers know,
And now the same gan so to scorch and glow,
As in plaine termes (yet cunningly) he crau'd it.
Loue alwaies makes those eloquent that haue it,
Shee, with a kind of graunting, put him by it,
And euer as he thought himselfe most nigh it,
Like to the tree of Tantalus she fled,

And seeming lauish, sau'de her maydenhead.
Ne're king more sought to keepe his diademe,
Than Hero this inestimable gemme.
Aboue our life we loue a stedfast frend,
Yet when a token of great worth we send,
We often kisse it, often looke thereon,
And stay the messenger that would be gon:
No maruell then, though Hero would not yeeld
So soone to part from that she deerely held.
Iewels being lost are found againe, this neuer,
Tis lost but once, and once lost, lost for euer.

Now had the morne espy'de her louers steeds,
Whereat she starts, puts on her purple weeds,
And red for anger that he stayd so long,

All headlong throwes her selfe the clouds among,
And now Leander fearing to be mist,

Imbrast her sodainly, tooke leaue, and kist.
Long was he taking leaue, and loath to go,
And kist againe, as louers vse to do.

Sad Hero wroong him by the hand, and wept,
Saying, let your vowes and promises be kept.
Then standing at the doore, she turnd about,
As loath to see Leander going out.

And now the sunne that through th❜orizon peepes,
As pittying these louers, downeward creepes,
So that in silence of the cloudie night,
Though it was morning, did he take his flight.
But what the secret trustie night conceal'd
Leanders amorous habit soone reueal'd,
With Cupids myrtle was his bonet crownd,
About his armes the purple riband wound,

Wherewith she wreath'd her largely spreading heare,
Nor could the youth abstaine, but he must weare
The sacred ring wherewith she was endow'd,
When first religious chastitie she vow'd:

Which made his loue through Sestos to bee knowne,
And thence vnto Abydus sooner blowne,

Than