University of Virginia Library

Egloga secunda.

Dametas.
My beasts, go fede vpon ye plaine,
and let your herdman lye,
Thou seest her mind, & fearst yu nowe,
Dametas for to dye?
Why stayest yu thus? why doste yu stay?
thy lyfe to longe doth laste:
Accounte this flud, thy fatall graue,
syth time of hope is paste.
What meanst thou thus to linger on?
thy life wolde fayne departe,
Alas: the wounde doth fester styll,
of cursed Cupids darte.
No salue but this, can helpe thy sore,
no thynge can moue her minde
She hath decreed, that thou shalt dye,
no helpe there is to finde.
Nowe syth there is, no other helpe,
nor ought but this to trye,
Thou seest her mind: why fearste thou than?
Dametas for to dye.
Long hast thou serued, & serued true,
but all alas, in vayne,
For she thy seruyce, nought estemes,
but deales the griefe for gayne.
For thy good wyll, (a gay rewarde)
Disdayne, for Loue she gyues,
Thou louest her while thy life doth last,
she hates the, wile she liues.
Thou flamste, when as yu seest her face
with Heate of hye desyre,
She flames agayne, but how? (alas)
with depe disdaynfull Ire.
The greatest pleasure is to the,
to se her voyde of Payne,
The greatest gryefe to her agayne,
to se thy Health remayne.
Thou couetste euer her to fynde,
she sekes from the to flye,
Thou seest her mynd, why fearst thou than?
Dametas for to dye?
Doste thou accounte it best to kepe,
thy lyfe in sorowes styll?
Or thynkste thou best it now to lyue,
Contrarye to her wyll?
Thynkste thou thy lyfe for to retaine?
when she is not content,
Canste thou addicte: thy selfe to lyue?
and she to murder bent.
Doste thou entende agayne, to sewe
for mercye at her handes?
As soone thou mayst go plow ye rocks,
and reape vpon the Sandes.
Draw nere O mighty Herd of beasts
syth no man els is bye,
Your Herdman longe that hathe you kept,
Dametas nowe must dye.
Resolue your Brutisshe eies to teares
and all togyther crye,
Bewayle the wofull ende of Loue,
Dametas nowe must dye.
My pleasaunt Songs, nowe shall you here
no more on Mountaines hye,
I leaue you all, I must be gone.
Dametas nowe must dye:
To Titirus I you resyne,
in Pasture good to lye,
For Titirus shall kepe you thoughe,
Dametas nowe must dye.
O cursed Cause, that hath me slayne,
My trothe alas to trye,
O Shephardes all, be Wytnesses,
Dametas here doth dye.