Flowers of prime, pearls couched all in gold, Light of our days, that glads the fainting hearts Of them that shall your shining gleams behold, Salve of each sore, recure of inward smarts, In whom virtue and beauty striveth so As neither yields: behold here, for your gain, Gismund's unlucky love, her fault, her woe, And death; at last her cruel father slain Through his mishap; and though you do not see, Yet read and rue their woful tragedy. So Jove, as your high virtues done deserve, Grant you such pheers[6] as may your virtues serve With like virtues; and blissful Venus send Unto your happy loves an happy end.
Gismund, that whilome liv'd her father's joy And died his death, now dead, doth (as she may) By us pray you to pity her annoy. And, to requite the same, doth humbly pray, Heavens to forefend[7] your loves from like decay. The faithful earl doth also make request, Wishing those worthy knights whom ye embrace, The constant truth that lodged in his breast. His hearty love, not his unhappy case, Befall to such as triumph in your grace. The king prays pardon of his cruel hest,[8] And for amends desires it may suffice. That by his blood he warneth all the rest Of fond fathers, that they in kinder wise Intreat the jewels where their comfort lies. We, as their messengers, beseech ye all On their behalfs to pity all their smarts. And for ourselves (although the worth be small) We pray ye to accept our humble hearts, Avow'd to serve with prayer and with praise Your honours, all unworthy other ways.[9]
CUPID. TANCRED, _the King_. GISMUNDA, _the King's Daughter_. LUCRECE, _her Aunt_. GUISCARD, _Count Palurin_. RENUCHIO, _Captain of the Guard_. JULIO, _Lord Chamberlain_. MEGAERA. CHORUSES.[11]
Tancred, the Prince of Salerne, overloves His only daughter (wonder of that age) Gismund, who loves the County[13] Palurin Guiscard, who quites her likings with his love: A letter in a cane describes the means Of their two meetings in a secret cave. Unconstant fortune leadeth forth the king To this unhappy sight, wherewith in rage The gentle earl he doometh to his death, And greets his daughter with her lover's heart. Gismunda fills the goblet with her tears, And drinks a poison which she had distill'd, Whereof she dies, whose deadly countenance So grieves her father, that he slew himself.