University of Virginia Library

Eglogue second.

Damon. Melibeus.
Goodmorrow Damon.
Da.
Goodmorrow good Melibeus.
What your comely daughter, whose loue so many desired
Is now wedded I heare to a Citizen, is she so dainty,
That none but Citizens will please her? or are ye so wealthie,
That you scorne vs Heards, your mates and fellowes? I fear me,
Once before she die, sheell wish she had wedded an heardsman.

Mel.
Peace Damon, content your self, first heare the defendant,
Ere you giue iudgement, lets sit down friendly together
On this sunny bank, whilst Tytans fiery glances
Warm our limbs, and melt hory snowes, Ile tel the beginning
And end of their loue, end, midst, and originall of it.
When my girle was young, to Cupids fiery weapons
And not yet subiect, then had my neighbour Alexis,
A little sonne, both borne in a day, th' one loued ech other:
As brother and sister, as twaine of one issue begotten:
And as children vse, they two would dallie together,
Sport & play, both went to the school, as yeares came vpon thē:
So their loue encreast, yeares made this amitie greater:
Age made loue increase, and stil my neighbour Alexis
(As most men are woont) esteeming worst of his owne arte,
Set his sonne to the schoole, to scooles of Apollo:
Wholly in ioy he liu'd, what sportes, the cuntrey did affoord,
What playes, what pastimes, those he vsde, al labor abhorring,
Time brought choise of sports, each quarter sundry pleasures:
In spring time when fields are greene, when euery bramble
Looketh fresh, when euery bush with melodie soundeth,
Of little birds rising, before bright Tytan appeared,
Into the fieldes did he goe, which then faire Flora bedecked,
With redolent blossoms, O how grateful to the sences
Were th' odorifferous smels which when Aurora to Phebus
Gan to set ope her gates, the fragrant flowers affoorded,
O how to heare did he ioy the musicall harmony, which then
Each little bird did make. He would go then with a spud staffe
Vnto the leauie vvoods, the dens where Connies had hidden
Their yong ones to seeke, to find yong birds he delighted:
Greatly now did he ioy, the lightfooted hare to run after:
With may yelping hounds, the swift-foot Deere by the forrest,
To pursue with dogs, with an hauke to encounter a partridge:
At this time the top, the tennis ball was a pastine:
At this time no smal delight he toke in a foteball:
When Lodie Ver had run her race, and Phebus ascending
Vnto the highest, began to scortch vvith fiery glances
Floras fruites, and Vers gay giftes, when Rie with a sickle
Down to be cut began, and emptie barnes to be filled.
Then to the Chrystall lake and siluer riuer of Alphus
Vsde he to goe (Good Lord) how greatly to bath him he ioyed
In his running stream, what pleasure companie meeting,
Took he to sport on's reedy banks: somtimes with an angle,
And false shew of a bait glittering fish craftilie taken:
Wold he twitch frō his waues, with nets oft times he deceu'd them;
Now by the mountaines high, and forrests leauy to gather
Stawberies and Damasens no smal delight did he count it.
But vvhy recite I to thee these sports, thou these mery pastimes
Knowst wel ynough, thou knowst what ioies the cuntery yieldeth.
Winter & autum brought not a few ripe apples in autum
Peares and nuts to gather he vsde, all which he reserued,
Winters want to releeue. When gloomie Winter appeared,
When hoarie frosts did each thing nip, vvhen Isacles hanged
on ech house, with milk-white snows whē th' earth was al hiddē
Forth vvith a fouler he vvas to the vvelsprings & to the fountains
& to the running lakes, vvhose euer mooueable vvaters
Frost neuer alter could, there for the long-billed hernshue,
And little Snype did he set snares, vvith tvvigs craftily limed.
Pitfals novv for birds did he make, the musicall Ovvsle,
The little Robbin and the Thrush now greatlie bewayling,
winters want with doleful tunes did he strike with a stone-bow.
Cardes and dice brought now great sport, sitting by the fire,
Bowles ful of ale to quaffe off, ripe peares and mellowed apples
To deuour, to cracke small nuts, now he counted a pleasure.
But what need many words, least ouer tedious I should
Vnto thee bee, many playes, and pastimes here I will omit:
I will omit his gun, I will not speak of his hand-bow:
Which with a twanging string, he so many times hath bended
But to be briefe, his life, his greatest toyle was a pleasure.
And might I speake as I thinke, I would say boldly that he liu'd
More in ioy than Gods, sprong of celestiall issue.
But Fate is peruerse, Fortune a friend to none alwaies:
This merie life the gods, the country gods which inhabit
Earthly seats did note, (for to them Ioue in Olympus,
Yet vouchsafes not a place) they saw't and murmured at it,
Each one did complaine that he so merilie liued:
Each one did complaine that he them neuer adored.
Not far from thence in a wood, in a vast and briery forrest,
There is a famous groue, with Oaks and pine trees abounding
which neuet axe hath tucht, whose tops the clouds cut asunder
These no star could pearce, no sun-beam could euer enter:
Heere nere came Boreas, heere nere came fiery Tytan.
Temperature here alwayes abides, the temperate aire
Causeth a dayly spring, here blossoms dayly do flourish:
Hearbs are green, which a lake, & chrystal stream by the forrest:
With myld-sliding waues doth nourish with liquid humor,
In midst of this groue the mild Creatresse of all things;
Hath by woondrous arte a stately pallace erected:
And from craggie rockes, great seats hath wisely created:
God Syluanus his haule, it need no carued vpholders,
Nor stately pillers to vnderprop, his gorgious hanging
Nought but heauen ouerhangs, Atlas himselfe doth vphold it.
Hither al the Gods, hither al the progeny rurall
In came, each tooke a seat, each sate by Syluan in order,
At the higher end of the haule in a chair with gems very costly
With leauy wreaths on his head sat great Syluanus adorned.
Next sate rusticke Pan, next him sate beautiful Alphus.
Alphus a riuer-god, next him God Bacchus, all hanged
with red-streamed grapes, next him Lady Ceres arrayed
With eary wreaths of wheat: next her dame Flora bedecked
With sweet-smelling hearbes: then sat nymphs, Fayries & half-gods
Syluans, Satyrs, Fauns, with al the rustical ofspring,
Now giuing statutes, now rebels sharply reforming:
And checking sinners, at length they found them agreeued
With sweet Alexis son, that he them neuer adored,
Despisde their Deities, their gifts that he dayly abused:
Foorthwith each god agreed to banish him from his empire,
And kingdome for a time. Saith great Syluanus, he neuer
Til seuen yeares be past, my fragrant empire hereafter,
Shall by my leaue sport in, thus am I fully resolued
Neither saith God Pan, my realmes and flourishing empire
Where many flocks do feed, til seuen yeares fully be passed:
Shal he come in by my leaue, thus am I fully resolued.
I banish him also fro my banks so redy, saith Alphus,
And I (saith Bacchus) fro my faire and beautiful Orchards,
And I (saith Ceres) fro my fields and corn-bearing empire:
And ful this seuen yeare shall he be (saith Flora) depriued
Of freedome, and shal beare the seruile yoke of a maister,
And dearly shall he smart for these his wanton abuses.
This the gods decreed, thus firmely was it enacted:
And a day was set. They now inspired Alexis,
And mooued him to send his son, his sonne little Faustus,
Vnto the cittie to learne a trade, this he fully beleeued,
Was done for his good. Th' appointed time now approched,
Now the day was at hand, good Lord what pittifull howling,
Made that house, when he did depart, his father Alexis,
Now gan sad looke, and at this his heauy departure,
These most woful words with an hart most sorowful vttered.

Thy dayes greene blossoms, thy yeeres yong plants doe resemble,
but my time imitates Swans white and hoary feathers,
To labor and take pains, thy years do wil thee, my white haires
forewarne that death is readie to strike daylie:
Now therfore, O my son, these words I charge thee remember,
Which to thee thy father, so duty binds me speaketh,
Like litle Bees fro their hiues nowe must thou bee banished of Bees
and ants learn, they wil teach thee, my son, to labour:
They will teach thee to worke, lo the Bee, she gathereth hony,
and th' Ant corne, winters pennurie wisely fearing.
So must thou take paines, whilst time wil let thee, for old age
thy body, though now strong, wil very quickly weaken,
A raynie day wil come, crooked age wil (I say) creep vpon thee
enemies vnto worke, enemies vnto profit.
A trade thou must learne, now must thou dwell in a cittie,
which hath both vertues, and manie vices in it:
These thou must eschew, these must thou greedilie follow,
these bring perdition, those credit and great honour:
Bur first thy maker see that thou serue aboue all things,
serue him, he made thee, loue him, he will thee gouerne:
Be loyall and gentle, to thy maister trustie, thy dutie
so requires, be to al affable, lowly, louing:
And marke this one thing, detest euil companie chieflie:
for it wil doubtlesse lead thee to follie: shun it.
Shun womens faire lookes, Venus is faire but to be shunned:
Shees hurtfull, of her flatery see thou take heed:
As to the net with a call smal birds are craftily allured,
with false shew of a baite, as little fish be taken:
Euen so womens looks entrap young nouices oft times,
see thou beware they be naught, flie thē I warn thee, fly them
To know mens desire medle not, but speak wel of each one,
so shalt thou get same, and loue of all thy neighbours:
Shun playes and theaters, go to sermons, here many vices:
there thou shalt learne to magnifie God thy maker.
Both mony and counsell I thee giue, set more by my counsel,
Than mony, thou shalt be rich ynough if thou do thus:
More precious it is then gems which Tagus affoordeth,
then golden fleeces which Phasis Ile hap in it.
So fare well my sonne, God blesse and keep thee, remember
these things, and God wil surely preserue thee, Farewell.
This once said, he shed many teares, his mother as heauy,
Skreeking out, did bid him adue, my daughter Alinda
Seemed half mad with grief, she skies with dollorous ecchoes
Made to resound, amōg many words, these sadly pronouncing
I will with thee goe, I wil be banished also,
Ile take also part of thine hard destiny, Faustus,
But now must he depart, time vrg'd his heavy departure:
Now needs must he go hence, farewel to the watery riuers,
Farwel he said to the fields, to the woods, & greenleaued forrest
And to the town whō he thought surely he shuld neuer again see
Now was he gone quite away, and at length came to the cittie,
Where great god Thamasis, with an huge & horrible murmur
Guideth his vncoth waues, here was the place where he rested,
Here was he forste to abide the seruile yoke of a master,
Here what euils he abode, what miserie sufferd, I need not
Tel thee: needlesse twas to tel thee't Damon, imagine
That many griefes he abode, much toyle and slauery suffred,
Many reproches he bore, oft times my daughter Alinda
Sent priuie gifts vnto him, he greeted her oft with a token,
& which was most rare, their loue which whē they wer infants
First began, neither ire of Gods, time an eater of all things,
Nor proud waspish Fate, able was any whit to diminish,
But the more fate, fretting time, and gods cruel anger
Sought by threatning force, the same to cancell or alter,
More greater it did waxe, she sent, I remember a napkin
With needle wrought vnto him, wherin this posie she feined,
Though time fret, gods chafe, and peruerse destinie thunder,
her mind yet neuer shall thine Alinda varie.
This gift he receiu'd, and opportunity chauncing
a thing to him rare, this wofull letter he framed,
Faustus to his loyall Alinda.
Faustus , infaustus, forsaken, banished, exilde,
in these sad writings, sendeth Alinda greeting.
Soonet my dear-loue each starre which shines in Olympus,
each litle sand maist thou count by the watery sea-shore:
Each bird which flyeth, each leafe in woods shady growing,
each scaled fish which swims in a frothy riuer,
Then halfe the miseries which thy poore Faustus abideth:
Ah, but I feare too much, least thou be grieued at it.
What ioy? what comfort haue I wretch? tis all in Alinda:
Oh but that name oft much dolour also causeth:
No sooner its named, but ioy of sence me depriueth,
no sooner its named, but teares fro mine eies doe trickle.
Ioy in that thou standst in such aduersitie stedfast,
teares in that from thee, destinie me so withholds,
But yet though fate frown, though gods pursue me with anger
though Fortune plague me, penurie pinch me dayly:
Greeue not Alinda for it, when I was exiled, imagine
then that I died, I say, greeue not Alinda for it:
And if in hope thou liu'st, say death shal neuer hereafter
take fro me a second loue, still will I liue a widow,
And it may fall out, gods taking pittie, that once I
shal to both our contents vnto thee safelie returne:
Then what thing mortall, what thing celestiall each where,
shal ioyful Faustus from his Alinda detaine it:
Not golden apples, which rich Hisperia yeeldeth,
not little gems wherewith Tagus in Iude floweth,
How many mo miseries, poore wretch, how many Caribdis,
hoping to inioy thee, would I not easily go through.
Be stable and constant, whatsoeuer destinies happen,
thy Faustus wil stand, be stil Alinda stable:
No gem I send thee, yet a costlie iewell I send thee,
that which I want my selfe, farewel I send thee my Loue,
This to my daughter he sent, and opportunitie fitting,
She this epistle framed, and to him priuilie sent it.
Know'st thou my Fastus, by the superscription, or seale
who to thee this dolefull and heauy dittie frameth:
Tis thine Alinda my loue, which in this dittie saluteth
her Faustus, whose griefes are to thy sorrowes equal.
But feare not Faustus, liue in hope, Ioue doth not all times:
thunder, delay wil gods cruel anger abate:
In time the Lyon his fierce seuerity leaueth,
soft drops of water mollifie craggie pibbles:
In time the heifer to the yoke is easly reduced:
the stifle-neck'd colt doth yeeld to the rusty bridle:
Then feare not Faustus, liue in hope, frost doth not at al times
each thing nip, time wil gods cruel anger asswage.
The troian Captain, Venus ofspring, faithles Eneas,
in time outwore th' ire of great and angry Iuno
Ile be Penelope, be thou my loyal Vlysses,
Ile be Perilla, be thou my trustie Naso.
And be most certaine, my mind I wil neuer alter
my fate whos'euer, Destinie please to varie
But fire and water, cold, heat, loue and enuie, desire
and hate shall first and sooner agree together.
Stream-bounting fishes forsake their waterie channels,
and in greene pastures, and shadie medowes abide
Earth shal beare starres, heauen shal be cleft with a coulter,
then any but Faustus shal his Alinda court.
Faustus adue, to the gods, thy trustie and faithfull Alinda,
for thy safe returne prayes dailie, Faustus adue.
This he receiu'd, and now the griefes and sorrowes he suffred,
though greater and manie mo, yet now far lesser he deemed,
Da.
O rare fidelitie, O faith immooueable, worthy,
Worthy to be rehearst to all posterities after:
Shouldst thou remooue their loue, I tel the friend Melibeus,
If thou shouldst, thou hadst deseru'd with Tantalus endlesse
Paines to receiue. But loe, the withered grasse is all hidden
With hoarie snowes, our sheep want meat.

Mel.
Let's hastilie therfore
Go fetch them fodder, which bleat so gredilie for it.