lovesome visage met my view,
Graced with high goodlihead;
And more enamoured
Than eye, my soul keeps up its dying strain,
Faith, ardour, hope, blaspheming still amain.
How void my misery is of all relief
Thou mayst e'en feel, so sore I call thee, sire,
With voice all full of woe;
Ay, and I tell thee that it irks me so
That death for lesser torment I desire.
Come, death, then; shear the sheaf
Of this my life of grief
And with thy stroke my madness eke assain;
Go where I may, less dire will be my bane.

No other way than death is left my spright,
Ay, and none other solace for my dole;
Then give it[262] me straightway,
Love; put an end withal to my dismay:
Ah, do it; since fate's spite
Hath robbed me of delight;
Gladden thou her, lord, with my death, love-slain,
As thou hast cheered her with another swain.

My song, though none to learn thee lend an ear,
I reck the less thereof, indeed, that none
Could sing thee even as I;
One only charge I give thee, ere I die,
That thou find Love and unto him alone
Show fully how undear
This bitter life and drear
Is to me, craving of his might he deign
Some better harbourage I may attain.

Weeping I demonstrate
How sore with reason doth my heart complain
Of love betrayed and plighted faith in vain.

[Footnote 261: _i.e._ on my heart.]

[Footnote 262: _i.e._ death.]

The words of this song clearly enough discovered the state of
Filostrato's mind and the cause thereof, the which belike the
countenance of a certain lady who was in the dance had yet plainlier
declared, had not the shades of the now fallen night hidden the
blushes that rose to her face. But, when he had made an end of his
song, many others were sung, till such time as the hour of sleep
arrived, whereupon, at the queen's commandment, each of the ladies
withdrew to her chamber.

HERE ENDETH THE FOURTH DAY
OF THE DECAMERON

_Day the Fifth_

HERE BEGINNETH THE FIFTH DAY OF THE DECAMERON WHEREIN UNDER
THE GOVERNANCE OF FIAMMETTA IS DISCOURSED OF THAT WHICH HATH
HAPPILY BETIDED LOVERS AFTER SUNDRY CRUEL AND MISFORTUNATE
ADVENTURES

The East was already all white and the rays of the rising sun had made
it light through all our hemisphe