Book XI, Chapter 65

WE left him form'd a Trauelet (braue Pilgrim Knight farewell,)
And Elenor (sweete Soule) in Loue, with whom she could not tell.
He trauels for to leaue his Loue, not caring where he lose it,
She for her Loue to finde, it skils not whom, so him that Oose it.
The greene-Knight, be whoso he shall, her heart had branded hers:
Wheare is that Second She that Loue for Vertue so prefers?
Her onely, speede howso he shall, his heart had branded his:
Wheare liues that second He that so, by louing, betterd is?
T'is often seene, Loue works in Man a weake deiected minde,
T'is euer seene, a Womans Loue doth alter as the winde:
Example then be Mandeuil for Men, not to be idle
In Amorous Passions: Labor is to loue, at least, a Bridle:
Example too be Elenor: But let vs say no more,
For Women euer alter, saith the Gospell preach't before.
Conclude we then, when Elenor and Mandeuil did die,
The Method of true louing did with them to Heauen flie,
For euer since too feruent in their Loue are Men, for most:
But, Iris-like, in Womens Hearts Loue too and fro doth poste.
One Stafford, of a Noble House, a Courtiour of good hauor,
A friend, and fast to Mandeuil, and in the Prince his Fauor,
From Gyprus, from his Friend receiu'd two Letters, one was his,
The other sent to Elenor: and that purported this.

Of you receiued I a Ring, a Token to your Minde,
If so I met it: and it is my fortune it so finde.
For if the Heart may, as it might, for Minde be vnderstood,
My Heart is yours, your Ring so mine: Harts interchang'd were good.
More did I feare, than euer in your Ladiship I found,
Disdainefull Lookes, frō those faire Eyes that me with loue did woūd.
Now speake I Loue, far from those Lookes so forceable to kill:
Howbeit that I loue is not to worke or wish you ill.
Not more than this (though Princes Frownes beare death with them) feard I:
For had you lou'd, the King mislikt, what had I for'st to die?
Wheare I haue been (were blasphemie from Women to detract)
Great store of Beauties haue I seene, but none as yours exact.
Courts also more than stately, with faire Ladies in the same:
Which seemed common Formes to me, remembring but your name.
When in the Holly-land I prayd, euen at the holy Graue,
(Forgiue me God; a sigh for sinne, and three for Loue I gaue,
Against the fearce Arabians I the Soldans Pay did take,
When oft, at Onset, for Saint George, Saint Elenor I spake.
The Amazones, those lustie Girles, beleeue me lik't me Well:
But nothing in the best of them but doth in you excell.
I look't vpon the sterile Lake where Heauen-fir'd Sodom was:
For one, thought I, here such as you not so had come to pas.
Most sweete and Soueraigne Balsamum in Indian Fields I saw:
More soueraign sweeter Sēts, thought I, my lips frō yours could draw.
Nere Aethiop when the spice-sweete Well of youth I saw, I saide,
My Lady lacketh not hereof, Perfection needs not Ayde.
I sawe (nor wonder you I should, who sees you sees as much)
The onely Phoenix: Foule, and Faier, but it, and you, none such.
But, flying thus about your Blaze, your Gnat doth burne his wings:
To my despairing Passion more your praised Bewtie brings.
Not Trauell tiers my Loue a whit, but Loue doth tire on me:
Which should I wish, me better, or you baser of degree?
Be still the same you are, let me exile my selfe for euer:
Two diffidenses I conceit will let me hope you neuer:
The first my selfe, vnworthy you, the latter, and the least,
The Kings Consent: But, well I wot, Loue is a Lordly Feast:
Aguize (so should you) so, and so despayre is part releast.
One comfort is, before you doome is Execution done:
My voluntary Banishment already is begon.
Which if you neuer shall repeale, shall neuer end, or when
(Ah, can I hope it?) should you, not for vs is England then.
Nor is it but our minds that make our natiue Homes our Graue)
As we to Ours, Others to theirs like parciall Fancie haue:
Transmute we but our Mindes, and then all one an Alien is,
As if a Natiue: One resolu'd makes euery Country his.
Your Answer that by Pen our speech to this return'd shall be,
Voutsafe it vnto Stafford, for an Other-I is he:
In perfect Friendship no suspect, for two are one in all,
Communitie or doubling ioy, or making griefe more small,
But would you to an Vnitie of hearts twixt vs incline,
Wheare Friendship is angelicall, our Loue should proue diuine.
More write I not: blest may you liue: teares ouertake this Line.

When (Stafford present) Elenor this Letter had perus'de,
She said, as else-where shall ensew: Now is in vs infus'de
Fresh matter of Discoueries. How Chancelor he speade
Is said before: of Russia thus remaineth to be reade.