I lying vpon my bed, an oportune and meet freend to a wearie body, no
creature accompaning me in my chamber, besides the attender vppon my
body, and vsuall night lights, who after that she had vsed diuers
speeches, to the end shee might comfort me, hauing vnderstood before of
me, the originall cause of my hollow and deepe sighes, she indeuored hir
best to moderate, if at least she might, that, my perturbed and
pittifull estate. But when she sawe that I was desirous of sleepe, she
tooke leaue to depart.

Then I being left alone to the high cogitations of loue, hauing passed
ouer a long and tedious night without sleepe, through my barren fortune,
and aduerse constellation, altogether vncomforted and sorrowfull, by
means of my vntimely and not prosperous loue, weeping, I recounted from
point to point, what a thing vnequall loue is: and how fitly one may
loue that dooth not loue: and what defence there may bee made against
the vnaccustomed, yet dayly assaults of loue: for a naked soule
altogether vnarmed, the seditious strife, especially being intestine:
a fresh still setting vpon with vnstable and new thoughts.

In this sort brought to so miserable an estate, and for a long while
plunged in a deepe poole of bitter sorrowes, at length my wandring
sences being wearie to feede still vpon vnsauorie and fayned pleasure,
but directly and without deceit, vppon the rare diuine obiect: whose
reuerende _Idea_ is deeply imprinted within me, and liueth ingrauen in
the secret of my heart, from which proceedeth this so great and
vncessant a strife, continually renuing my cruell torments without
intermission. I began the conditions of those miserable louers, who for
their mistresses pleasures desire their owne deaths, and in their best
delights do think themselues most vnhappie, feeding their framed