The Eclogues of Alexander Barclay From the original edition by John Cawood: Edited with an introduction and notes by Beatrice White |
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 | The Eclogues of Alexander Barclay |  |
The Argument
Codrus a shepheard lusty, gay and stoute,Sat with his wethers at pasture round about,
And poore Minalcas with ewes scarse fourtene
Sat sadly musing in shadowe on the grene.
This lustie Codrus was cloked for the rayne,
And doble decked with huddes one or twayne,
He had a pautner with purses manyfolde,
And surely lined with siluer and with golde,
Within his wallet were meates good and fine,
Both store and plentie had he of ale and wine,
Suche fulsome pasture made him a double chin,
His furred mittins were of a curres skin,
Nothing he wanted longing to cloth or foode,
But by no meane would he depart with good.
Sometime this Cod[ru]s did vnder shadowe lye
Wide open piping and gaping on the skye,
Sometime he daunced and hobled as a beare,
Sometime he pried howe he became his geare,
He lept, he songe, and ran to proue his might,
When purse is heauy oftetime the heart is light.
But though this Codrus had store inough of good,
He wanted wisedome, for nought he vnderstood
Saue worldly practise his treasour for to store,
Howe euer it came small forse had he therfore.
On the otherside the poore Minalcas lay,
With empty belly and simple poore aray,
Yet coulde he pipe and finger well a drone,
But soure is musike when men for hunger grone.
Codrus had riches, Minalcas had cunning,
For God not geueth to one man euery thing.
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And soone he knewe what maner man he was,
For olde acquayntaunce betwene them earst had bene,
Long time before they met vpon the grene,
And therfore Codrus downe boldly by him sat,
And in this maner began with him to chat,
Finis
| The Eclogues of Alexander Barclay | |