_The Admonition by the Author to all young Gentlewomen, and to all
other Maids, being in love._
YE Virgins, that from CUPID's tents
do bear away the foil!
Whose hearts as yet with raging love
most painfully do boil:
To you, I speak! For you be they
that good advice do lack;
O if I could good counsel give,
my tongue should not be slack!
But such as I can give, I will
here in a few words express:
Which if you do observe, it will
some of your care redress.
Beware of fair and painted talk!
Beware of flattering tongues!
The Mermaids do pretend no good,
for all their pleasant Songs!
Some use the tears of crocodiles,
contrary to their heart:
And if they cannot always weep,
they wet their cheeks by Art.
OVID, within his _Art of Love_,
doth teach them this same knack:
To wet their hand, and touch their eyes;
as oft as tears they lack.
Why have ye such deceit in store?
have you such crafty wile?
Less craft than this, God knows, would soon
us simple souls beguile!
But will ye not leave off; but still
delude us in this wise?
Sith it is so, we trust we shall
take heed to feignèd lies.
Trust not a man at the first sight!
but try him well before:
I wish all Maids, within their breasts,
to keep this thing in store.
For trial shall declare this truth,
and show what he doth think:
Whether he be a Lover true,
or do intend to shrink.
If SCYLLA had not trust too much
before that she did try;
She could not have been clean forsake,
When she for help did cry.
Or if she had had good advice,
NISUS had livèd long!
How durst she trust a stranger, and
do her dear father wrong!
King NISUS had a hair by fate;
which hair while he did keep,
He never should be overcome,
neither on land nor deep.
The stranger, that the daughter loved,
did war against the King;
And always sought how that he might
them in subjection bring.
This SCYLLA stole away the hair,
for to obtain her will:
And gave it to the stranger, that
did straight her father kill.
Then she, who thought herself most sure
to have her whole desire,
Was clean reject, and left behind;
When he did home retire.
Or if such falsehood had been once
unto ŒNONE known;
About the fields of Ida wood,
PARIS had walked alone!
Or if DEMOPHOON's deceit,
to PHILLIS had been told;
She had not been transformèd so,
as Poets tell of old.
HERO did try LEANDER's truth
before that she did trust;
Therefore she found him unto her
both constant true and just.
For he always did swim the sea,
when stars in sky did glide;
Till he was drownèd by the way,
near hand unto the side.
She scrat[ched] her face, she tare her hair,
it grieveth me to tell,
When she did know the end of him
that she did love so well.
But like LEANDER there be few;
therefore, in time, take heed!
And always try before ye trust!
so shall you better speed.
The little fish that careless is
within the water clear.
How glad is he, when he doth see
a bait for to appear!
He thinks his hap right good to be,
that he the same could spy;
And so the simple fool doth trust
too much before he try.
O little fish, what hap hadst thou,
to have such spiteful fate!
To come into one's cruel hands,
out of so happy state.
Thou didst suspect no harm, when thou
upon the bait didst look:
O that thou hadst had LYNCEUS's eyes,
for to have seen the hook!
Then hadst thou, with thy pretty mates,
been playing in the streams;
Where as Sir PHŒBUS daily doth
shew forth his golden beams.
But sith thy fortune is so ill
to end thy life on shore;
Of this, thy most unhappy end,
I mind to speak no more.
But of thy fellow's chance that late
such pretty shift did make
That he, from fisher's hook did sprint
before he could him take.
And now he pries on every bait,
suspecting still that prick
For to lie hid in everything,
wherewith the fishers strike.
And since the fish, that reason lacks,
once warnèd, doth beware:
Why should not we take heed to that
that turneth us to care.
And I, who was deceivèd late
by one's unfaithful tears,
Trust now for to beware, if that
I live this hundred years.