tune shoulde oppose hir selfe against me, I woulde spende my life
without any regard therof, not refusing to vndertake the laborsome and
great enterprise of the two gates shewed to the sonne of _Amphitrio_.

To spend the prime of my youth and pleasure of my yeers in the mortall
daungers of the merciles seas, and in the fearfull places of
_Trinacria_, with the excessiue trauels and terrors of _Ulysses_, in the
darke caue of the horrible _Polyphem_, the son of _Neptune_, to be
transformed in the companie of _Calypso_, although I lost my life, or
indured the most hard & long seruitude of _Androdus_, for all wearines
is forgotten where loue is vehement. To vndertake with the amorous
_Minalion_ and _Ileus_ to runne with _Atalanta_, or to com but in such
sort as the strong and mightie _Hercules_ for his loue _Deianira_, did
with the huge _Achelous_, so as I might atchieue so gratious a fauor,
and attaine to so high delight, as the remaining in these solacious
places, and aboue all to enioy the precious loue and inestimable good
wil of hir, more faire without comparison, then _Cassiopeia_, of better
fauour then _Castiamira_. Ah me, my life and death is in hir power! And
if so be that I seeme vnwoorthie of hir fellowshippe and amorous
commers, yet would God it might be granted me as a speciall rewarde and
priuiledge to looke vpon hir: and then I saide to my selfe, oh
_Poliphilus_, if these heauie and burthenous weights of amarous conceits
do oppresse thee; the sweetenes of the fruite doth allure thee
thereunto: and if the peremptorie dangers strike thee into a terror, the
hope of the supportation and helpe of so faire a Nymph will animate thee
to be resolute. Thus my thought being diuers, I said, Oh God, if this be
that desired _Polia_ which I see at this present, and whose precious
impression without intermission, I haue stil born in my burning and
wounded hart, fro the first yeers of my loue vntil this present, I am
contented with all sorrows, & besides hir, I desire no other request but
only this, that she may be drawne to my feruent loue, that it may be
with vs alike, or that I may be at liberty, for I am no longer able to
dissemble my griefe, or hide the extremity of my smart, I die liuing, &
liuing am as dead: I delight in that which is my griefe: I go mourning:
I consume my self in the flame, & yet the flame doth norish me, &
burning like gold in the strong cement, yet I find my self like cold
yce. Ah wo is me, that loue