THE DESCRIPTION OF THE SHEPHERD AND HIS WIFE. Ir was near a thicky shade, That broad leaves of beech had made, That breast and bosom in did wrap, To shroud him from the wet aloft: A leather scrip of colour red, Nor Menalcas, whom they call ** Fair she was as fair might be, With drops of blood, to make the white She wore a chaplet on her head; THE SHEPHERD'S WIFE'S SONG. AH, what is love? It is a pretty thing,. For kings have cares that wait upon a crown, Ah then, ah then, If country loves such sweet desires do gain, What lady would not love a shepherd swain? His flocks are folded, he comes home at night, As merry as a king in his delight; And merrier too, For kings bethink them what the state require, If country loves such sweet desires do § gain, He kisseth first, then sits as blithe to eat liefer] i. e. more dear, more agreeable. may] i. e. maid. Where] i. e. Whereas. § do] The 4to. omits this word of the burden in all the stanzas except the first. For kings have often fears when they do sup, If country loves such sweet desires do gain, To bed he goes, as wanton then, I ween, For kings have many griefs affects to move, If country loves such sweet desires do gain, Upon his couch of straw he sleeps as sound, For cares cause kings full oft their sleep to spill, If country loves such sweet desires do gain, Thus with his wife he spends the year, as blithe For kings have wars and broils to take in hand, If country loves such sweet desires do gain, HEXAMETRA ALEXIS IN LAUDEM OFT have I heard my lief Coridon report on a love-day, When bonny maids do meet with the swains in the valley by Tempe, How bright-ey'd his Phillis was, how lovely they glanced, When from th' arches ebon-black flew looks as a lightning, That set a-fire with piercing flames even hearts adamantine: Face rose-hu'd, cherry-red, with a silver taint§ like a lily: Venus' pride might abate, might abash with a blush to behold her; Phoebus' wires compar'd to her hairs unworthy For she's quite bereft of her love, and left of the praising; Juno's state and Pallas' wit disgrac'd with the graces That grac'd her whom poor Coridon did choose for a love-mate. Ah, but had Coridon now seen the star that Alexis Alexis : Once was she lik'd and once was she lov'd of wanton Alexis; Now is she loath'd and now is she left of trothless Alexis. Here did he clip and kiss Rosamond, and vow by Diana, Likes and loves so dear that he melts to sighs None so dear to the swain as I, nor none so when he sees her, Did Coridon but see those eyes, those amorous eye-lids, From whence fly holy flames of death or life in a moment! beloved; Here did he deeply swear and call great Pan for a witness, That Rosamond was only the rose belov'd of Alexis, Ah, did he see that face, those hairs that Venus, That Thessaly had not such another nymph to Fair Tempe, the gladsome grove of greatest Apollo, Shrubs, and dales, and neighbouring hills, that heard when he swore him, Witness all, and seek to revenge the wrongs of a virgin! Had any swain been lief to me but guileful Alexis, Had Rosamond twin'd myrtle-boughs, or rosemary branches, Sweet hollyhock, or else daffodil, or slips of a bay-tree, And given them for a gift to any swain but Alexis, Well had Alexis done t' have left his rose for a giglott: But Galate ne'er lov'd more dear her lovely Menalcas Than Rosamond did dearly love her trothless Alexis; * Endymion was ne'er belov'd of his Cytherea Half so dear as true Rosamond belov'd her Alexis. [down to the willows, Now, seely lass, hie down to the lake, haste And with those forsaken twigs go make thee a chaplet; [brooks, by the rivers, Mournful sit, and sigh by the springs, by the Till thou turn for grief, as did Niobe, to a marble; Melt to tears, pour out thy plaints, let Echo reclaim them, [Alexis. How Rosamond, that lovèd so dear, is left of Now die, die, Rosamond! let men engrave o' thy [Alexis, Here lies she that loved so dear the youngster Once beloved, forsaken late of faithless Alexis, Yet Rosamond did die for love, false-hearted tomb-stone, Alexis! PHILADOR'S ODE THAT HE LEFT WITH THE DESPAIRING LOVER. WHEN merry autumn in her prime, Of vines and corn, and mickle more With heart's grief and eyes' gree,† A chaplet that did shroud the beams Venus' honour for her fair; § For stately stepping, Juno's pace When heart and thought did both amaze, Then amongst them all did I Catch such a wound as I must die, If Galate oft say not thus, 'I love the shepherd Tityrus.' 'Tis love, fair nymph, that doth pain Tityrus, thy truest swain; True, for none more true can be And with a smile away she goes, As one that little car'd to ease * love] The 4to. "liue." eyes] An error, I believe, caused by the occurrence of the word in the next line. |