The xijth Chapitre.
THISBE OF BABYLONE, more by the vnhappy fortune that she had in louynge Piramws then by any other notable deede, is put here emonge the noble and famows women. Nor of this woman we haue noo notable knowlege who, by the auncyent wryters, were hyr parenttes. But it is euydent that Piramus and she were nyghe neybours, and their howses ioynynge, the oone nyghe the other. By which neybourhed hauynge together continuall company, and bothe passynge goodely and fayre, as they grewe in age, so grewe their loue vnto extreme burnynge fyre, and that by sygnes the tone declarede vnto the tother. And so they bothe comen vnto laufull age, when that Thysbe was mariable, hyr father kept hyr styll at home, to th’entent to mary hyr, wherewith aswell Piramws as she were greately displeasede withall, sekynge busely the way how to commun and meete together. At the last they founde a clyft in the walle, whiche noo man afore had founde, at which clyfte they mett together, oft tymes with syghes and teares and lamentationes, in promyttynge peax, embracynge and perpetuall loue, whyles theyr lyues enduryde. And so with suche enflammynges they counseilled to run a way the next nyght and how they myght beguyle theym of their fathers houses, and who that fyrst escapyde, shulde goo to a wodde therby, where was a fayre fountayne, and not farr from thens the graue of Kynge Nynus, and he or she that fyrst came, shulde tary the cummynge of the tother. Thysbe, that percase more ardently louede, was the fyrst that deceiuyde hyr gardiens, and with a clooke cast ouer hyr heade, in the styll of the nyght, all aloone gatt oute of hyr fathers house, and, the moone gyuynge lyght to hyr way, all hastely wentt onwarde and came at the last to the well, tremblyng for euery lyght noyse she herde, and seynge cummynge to the welle a lyones, all affrayde, leuynge behynde hyr hyr vayle and hyr clooke, fledde vnto the wodde. The lyones, when she hadde well fedde, fyndynge ther the clooke and the vayle, with hyr blody mouthe taare it in pecys and after drynkynge of the welle wentt hyr way. Piramws, that had taryd sumwhat to longe leuynge hys fathers house, in the styll of the nyght came into the wodde, and fyndynge the clooke and the vayle of Thisbe tome and all foullyd with blody spottes here and ther, thywkynge verely that sum wylde beste had deuoured hyr, fyllyde all the place aboute hym with clamowr and crye, accusynge hywself that he was the cause of the deathe of that moste swete, louynge virgyne, and dispysynge for that hys lyue, hauynge his swerde aboute hym, toke the poynte therof and thrust it to hys hert and soo fell downe deade in the place. What more? Thisbe, extemynge the lyones to be goone, and ferynge leste Piramus shulde thynke she shulde tary to longe, by that way she wentt vnto the wodde, she caw agayne to the fountayne, and seynge ther Piramus, not all dede, but pantynge towardes death, for feare it had bene the lyones she drewe backe. But when by the lyght of the moone she perceyuyde it was hyr Piramus, and wenynge to haue enbrasyd hym, sawe the bloode gushe oute frome hys hert and hym at the poynte to dye, fyrst astonyde, and next cryenge oute, she assayde with spekywg, with kyssynge, and with wepynge, to haue callyde hym in vaync to lyf agayne; but when she couldnot haue noo worde on hym, thynkynge, as the trueth was, that he demyde hyr to haue bene deuourede and for that had slayne hymself, with syghes, and with the greatest lamentation that euer creature made, she prayde Piramus at the leste, yf ther were any sparke of lyf in hym, he shuld either speke or looke vpon hyr. A meruellouse thynge, all though he were euyn at the poynte to gyue vpp hys gooste, he lyft vpp hys heuy eyes vppon hys Thisbe! Whiche when Thisbe saw, withoute more delay, with that same self weypon that Piramus hadd slayne hymself, she thrust hyrself to the stomake, and so wher that enuyouse fortune woldnot the tone shulde not enbrase the tother alyue, she coulde not forbed but that the bloode of the tone shulde be mengled with the tother. Who shallnot haue pyte of thies two yonge folkes, or who is he that cannot lamente the hard chaunnce of twayne so true louers? Surely, he hath a stony herte that cannot do it. They louyde, yonge children, and by that dyd not deserue so blody an ende. I willnot say but loue in youthe is an offense, but not verey greate in single persones. Theyr offense myght well haue turnede into matrymony. The vngraciouse lote or chaunce offendyde, or ells percase their sorowfull fathers and mothers. Lytle and lytle the hôte loue of youthe shulde be refraynyde, leste, if we assay with to muche haste to drawe theym frome it, we leede theym by desperatione into perditione. The passione of Cupido is of immoderate power, and to yonge men wellnere a pestilence, and a comune euyll which neades we muste suffre, for nature hathe so wyllyde that in our youthe we shulde be styrrede to it, leste that in age we shulde not be of power to encreasce mankynde.