When this was done, as thus the deed was done, Begun, alas, and ended too too soone, Faire _Thisbe_ strucken pale with cold despaire, Came forth the Caue into the wholsome aire: And as she came, the boughs would giue her way, Thinking her _Venus_ in her best array. But she (alas) full of suspicious feare, Least that the late feard Lion should be there, Came quaking forth, and then start backe againe, Fearing the beast, and yet she fear'd in vaine. She fear'd the Lion, Lions then were feeding, And in this feare, her nose gusht out a bleeding.
Her sudden bleeding argued some mischance, Which cast her doubtfull senses in a trance, But of the Lion troubled _Thisbe_ thought, And then of him, whom fearefully she sought: Yet forth she went, replete with iealous feare, Still fearing, of the Lion was her feare: And if a bird but flew from forth a bush, She straightwaies thought, she heard the Lion rush. Her nose left bleeding, that amaz'd her more Then all the troublous feare she felt before: For sudden bleeding argues ill ensuing, But sudden leauing, is fell feares renewing.
By this she came into the open wood, Where _Pyramus_ had lost his dearest bloud, And round about she rolles her sun bright eyes For _Pyramus_, whom no where she espies; Then forth she tript, and nearly too she tript, And ouer hedges oft this virgin skipt. Then did she crosse the fields, and new mown grasse, To find the place whereas this arbour was: For it was seated in a pleasant shade, And by the shepheards first this bowre was made. Faire _Thisbe_ made more haste into the bower, Because that now was iust the meeting hower.
But comming thither, as she soone was there, She found him not, which did augment her feare: But straight she thought (as true loue thinks the best) He had beene laid downe in the shade to rest, Or of set purpose hidden in the reeds, To make her seeke him in the sedgie weeds, For so of children they had done before, Which made her thoughts seeme true so much the more: But hauing sought whereas she thought he was, Shee could not finde her _Pyramus_ (alas) Wherefore she back return'd vnto the arbor, And there reposd her after all her labor.
To one that's weary drowsie sleepe will creepe, Weary was _Thisbe_, _Thisbe_ fell asleepe, And in her sleepe she dreamt she did lament, Thinking her heart from forth her brest was rent, By her owne censure damn'd to cruell death, And in her sight bereft of vitall breath. When she awak't, as long she had not slept, She wept amaine, yet knew not why she wept: For as before her heart was whole and sound, And no defect about her could be found, She dreamt she hurt, no hurt could she discouer, Wherefore she went to seeke her late lost louer.