VIRGIL's GNAT,

To the most noble and excellent Lord,

THE EARL OF LEICESTER.

Wrong'd, yet not daring to express my pain,

To you (great Lord) the causer of my care,
In cloudy tears my cafe I thus complain

Unto your felf, that only privy are;
But if that any Oedipus, unware,

Shall chance, through power of fome divining fpright,
To read the fecret of this riddle rare,

And know the purport of my evil plight,
Let him be pleased with his own insight,
Ne further feek to glose upon the text;
For grief enough it is to grieved wight
To feel this fault, and not be further vext:
But what fo by my felf may not be shown,
May by this Gnat's complaint be cafily known

Wherefore ye Sifters, which the glory be

Shall bring forth fruit, this Muse shall speake to Of the Pierian streams, fair Naiades,

thee

In bigger notes, that may thy sense allure,
And for thy worth frame fome fit poefy;
The golden offspring of Latona pure,
And ornament of great Jove's progeny,
Phœbus fhall be the author of my fong,
Playing on ivory harp with filver ftrong.

Go to, and dancing all in company,
Adorn that god. And thou, holy Pales!
To whom the honeic care of husbandry
Returneth by continuall fuccefs,

Have care for to purfue his footing light,
Through the wide woods and groves, with green
leaves dight.
E e j

Mongft heavenly ranks, where blessed fouls do reft; There his milk-dropping goats be his delight,

And let long lafting life with joyous glee,
As thy due meed that thou deservest beft,
Hereafter many years remembred be
Amongst good men, of whom thou oft art bleft.
Live thou for ever in all happiness. =
But let us turn to our first bufinefs.

1X.

The fiery fun was mounted now on hight
Up to the heavenly towers, and fhot each where
Out of his golden charet gliftering light,
And fair Aurora with her rofie hair,
That hateful darknefs now had put to flight,
When as the shepherd fecing day appear,
His little goats 'gan drive out of their stalls,
To feed abroad where pafture best befalls.

X.

To an high mountains top he with them went,
Where thickest grafs did cloath the open hills;
They now amongst the woods and thickets ment,
Now in the valleys wandring at their wills,
Spread themselves far abroad through each defcent;
Some on the foft green grafs feeding their fills,
Some clambring through the hollow cliffs on hie,
Nibble the bushy fhrubs which grow thereby.

XI.

Others the utmoft boughs of trees do crop
And brouze the woodbine twigs that freshly bud;
This with full bit doth catch the utmost top
Of fome foft willow or new growen ftud;

And fruitfull Palcs, and the forest green,
And darkfom caves in pleasant vallies pight,
Whereas continuall fhade is to be feen,
And where fresh fpringing wells, as cryftal net
Doe always flow to quench his thirsty heat.

XVI.

This with fharp teeth the bramble-leaves doth lop, And how his limbs, refolv'd through idle ka

And chaw the tender prickles in her cud, "The whiles another high doth over-look

Her own like image in a crystal brook.

Unto fweet fleep he may fecurely lend
In fome cool fhadow from the fcorching heat.
The whiles his flock their chawed cuds do at