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Bartolo di Fredi Scenes from the Lives of the Holy Hermits ca. 1380-90 tempera on panel Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin |
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Gabriel Mälesskircher St Vitus, St Modestus and St Crescentia in the Lion's Den 1476 oil on panel Staatsgalerie in der Burg zu Burghausen |
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Master of Frankfurt Festival of the Archers ca. 1490 oil on panel Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp |
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attributed to Benedetto Bordone Leda giving Birth to Two Eggs 1499 woodcut illustration (from the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili of Francesco Colonna published in Venice by Aldus Manutius) Hamburger Kunsthalle |
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Girolamo di Benvenuto St Catherine of Siena interceding with Christ to release the dying Sister Palmerina from her pact with the Devil ca. 1505 tempera on panel (predella fragment) Harvard Art Museums |
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Marcantonio Raimondi Human-Headed Serpent addressing a Youth ca. 1505 engraving Hamburger Kunsthalle |
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Bacchiacca (Francesco Ubertini) Search for and Discovery of the Stolen Cup (scenes from the story of Joseph) 1515 oil on panel Galleria Borghese, Rome |
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Hans Baldung Martyrdom of St Dorothy 1518 tempera on panel Národní Galerie, Prague |
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Domenico Campagnola The Judgment of Midas ca. 1520 drawing Hamburger Kunsthalle |
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Valerio Belli The Sacrifice of Iphigenia ca. 1525 bronze relief Bode Museum, Berlin |
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Jörg Breu the Elder The Story of Samson ca. 1525-30 oil on panel Kunstmuseum Basel |
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Lucas Cranach the Elder The Fountain of Youth 1546 oil on panel Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin |
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Giorgio Ghisi after Giovanni Battista Scultori Capture of Troy by the Greeks ca. 1546-50 engraving Nasjonalmuseet, Oslo |
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Jan van Hemessen The Calling of Matthew ca. 1548 oil on panel Romanian National Museum of Art, Bucharest |
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Anonymous Netherlandish Artist Abraham's Servant discovering Rebecca as Bride for Isaac ca. 1550 drawing Kupferstichkabinett, Kunstmuseum Basel |
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Anonymous Italian Artist Odysseus and Polyphemus ca. 1550 drawing Kupferstichkabinett, Kunstmuseum Basel |
Thus discoursing, tossing upon her Bed, she remain'd; fed not, nor slept all that night: the next morning, early going to the Garden Woods, whither she sooner came then Pamphila, where being a while, and sitting under the same Ashe, wherein the other affectionate afflicted princesse had written the Sonnet, shee was invited, either by her owne passion, or the imitation of that excellent Lady, to put some of her thoughts in some kind of measure, so as shee perplexed with love, jealousie, and losse as shee beleev'd, made this Sonnet, looking upon the Sunne, which was then of a good height.
The Sunne hath no long journey now to goe
While I a progresse have in my desires,
Disasters dead-low-water-like do show
The sand, that overlook'd my hop'd for hyres.
Thus I remaine like one that's laid in Briers,
Where turning brings new paine and certaine woe,
Like one, once burn'd bids me avoid the fires,
Like one, once burn'd bids me avoid the fires,
But love (true fire) will not let me be slow.
Obedience, feare, and love doe all conspire
A worth-lesse conquest gain'd to ruine me,
A worth-lesse conquest gain'd to ruine me,
Who did but feele the height of blest desire
When danger, doubt, and losse, I straight did see.
Restless I live, consulting what to doe,
And more I study, more I still undoe.
"Undoe," cride she, "alas I am undone, ruind, destroyed, all spoild by being forsaken, restlesse affliction which proceeds from forsaking: yet would I bee beholding to this Enemie of mine, if forsaking in my torments would possesse me, so I might remaine forsaken by them: but that must not bee, I must onely know pleasure, happinesse, and the chiefe of happinesses love, from my beloved. Forsake mee, but paine, torture, and shame will still abide, and dwell with me."
– from The Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania, by the right honourable the Lady Mary Wroath, daughter to the right noble Robert, Earle of Leicester, and neece to the ever famous and renowned Sʳ Phillips Sidney knight, and to ye most excellant Lady Mary Countess of Pembroke, late deceased (London: John Marriott and John Grismand, 1621)