ASPEN. 



33 



Fair seemly pleasaunce each to other makes^ 



With goodly purposes there as they sit ; 

 And in his falsed fancy he her takes 



To be the fairest wight that lived yet ; 

 Which to express he bends his gentle wit. 



And thinking of those branches green to frame 

 A garland for her dainty forehead fit, 



He plucked a bough ; out of whose rift there came 

 Small drops of gory blood, that trickled down the same, 



" Therewith a piteous yelling voice was heard, 

 Crying, ' O spare with guilty hands to tear 

 My tender sides, in this rough rind embard ; 



But fly, ah fly far hence away, for fear 

 Lest to you hap that happened to me here, 



And to this wretched lady, my dear love ; 

 O too dear love, love bought with death too dear !' 

 Aston'd he stood, and up his hair did hove, 

 And with that sudden horror could no member move. 



" At last, when as the dreadful passion 



Was overpast, and manhood well awake. 

 Yet musing at the strange occasion. 



And doubting much his sense, he thus bespake ; 

 ' What voice of damned ghost from Limbo lake. 



Or guileful spright, wand'ring in empty air. 

 Both which frail men do oftentimes mistake, 



Sends to my doubtful ears these speeches rare. 

 And rueful plaints, me bidding guiltless blood to spare ?' 



Then, groaning deep : — ' Nor damned ghost,' quoth he, 



* Nor guileful spright to thee these words doth speak ; 

 But once a man, Fradubio — now a tree : 



Wretched man ! wretched tree ! whose nature weak, 

 A cruel witch, her cursed will to wreak. 



Hath thus transform'd, and placed in open plains, 

 ^Vliere Boreas doth blow full bitter bleak. 



And scorching sun does dry my secret veins ; 

 For though a tree I seem, yet cold and heat rne pains. ' " 



D 



