Pans Pipe, Three Pastorall Eglogues, in English Hexameter With Other Poetical Verses delightfull. For the further delight of the Reader, the Printer hath annexed hereunto the delectable Poeme of the Fisher-mans Tale [by Francis Sabie] |
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Pans Pipe, Three Pastorall Eglogues, in English Hexameter | ||
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.
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
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,
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
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,
Pans Pipe, Three Pastorall Eglogues, in English Hexameter | ||