University of Virginia Library

Egloga tertia.

Menalcas. Coridon.
Cor.
A great mishap, and griefe of mynde,
is him befalne of late,
Which causeth him, against his wyll,
to lose his olde estate.
A lustie flocke hath Titirus,
that him Dametas gaue,
Dametas he; that Martir died,
whose soule the heaues haue,
And in this flocke, full many Yewes
of pleasaunte forme do goe,
with thē almighty Rāme doth ronne,
that workes all Woers woe.
My Rāme, whē he the pleasaūt dames
had vewed rounde aboute,
Those groūde of battayle, with his foe
and thought to fyght it oute.
But all to weake, (alas) he was,
althoughe his harte was good,
For when his enemye him espied,
he rāne woth cruell moode.
And with his croked weapon smote,
him sore vpon the syde,
A blowe of force, that stayde not there
but to the legges dyd glyde.
And almoste laamd the woer quyte.
(suche happes in loue there be:)
This is the cause, of all his griefe
and waylynge that you se.

Men.
Well Coridon let hym go halte,
and let vs both go lye,
In yonder busshe of Iuniper,
the Beasts shall fede hereby.
A pleasaunt place here is to talke:
good Coridon begyn,
And let vs knowe the Townes estate,
that thou remaynest in.

Cor.
The Townes estate? Menalcas oh
thou makste my harte to grone,
For Uice hath euery place posseste,
and Uertue thence is flowne.
Pryde beares her selfe, as Goddesse chiefe
and boastes aboue ye Skye,
And Lowlynes an abiecte lyes,
with Gentlenes her bye,
Wyt is not ioynde with Symplenes,
as she was wont to be,
But sekes the ayde of Arrogance,
and craftye Polycie.
Nobylitie begyns to fade,
and Carters vp do sprynge,
Then whiche, no greater plague can hap,
nor more pernicious thynge.
Menalcas I haue knowen my selfe,
within this thyrtye yeare,
Of Lordes and Auncient Gentelmen
a hundreth dwellynge theare,
Of whom we Shephardes had reliefe
suche Gentlenes of mynde,
Was placed in theyr noble Hartes,
as none is nowe to fynde.
But Hawtynes and proude Disdayne
hath nowe the chiefe Estate,
For syr Iohn Straw, & syr John Cur,
wyll not degenerate.
And yet, they dare account thē selues
to be of Noble bludde.
But Fisshe bred vp, in durtye Pooles,
wyll euer stynke of mudde.
I promysse the Menalcas here,
I wolde not them enuye.
Yf any spot of Gentlenes,
in them I myght espye.
For yf theyr Natures gentell be,
thoughe byrth be neuer so base,
Of Gentelmen (for mete it is)
they ought haue name and place:
But whē by byrth, they base are bred,
and churlisshe harte retaine,
Though place of gentleman thei haue
yet churles they do remayne.
A prouerbe olde, hash ofte ben harde
and nowe full true is tryed:
An Ape, wyll euer be an Ape,
thoughe purple garments hyde.
For seldom, wyll the mastye course,
the Hare or els the Deare:
But styll, accordynge to his kynde.
wyll holde, the hogge by theare.
Unfitte are danghill knights to serue
the towne, with Speare in fielde:
Nor strange it semes, (a sudain Chop)
to leape from whyp, to shielde.
The chiefest man, in all our towne,
that beares the greatest swaye,
Is Coridon no kynne to me,
a Neteherd thother daye
This Coridon come from the Carte,
In honour chiefe doth sytte,
And gouernes vs: because he hath,
a Crabbed, Clownish wytte.
Nowe se the Churlysh Crueltye,
that in hys harte remayns.
The selye Sheape ye Shephards good,
haue fosterd vp wyth Paynes,
And browght awaye, from Stynkyng dales
on pleasant Hylles to feade:
O Cruell Clownish Coridon,
O cursed Carlish Seade:
The simple Shepe, constrayned he,
theyr Pasture swete to leaue,
And to theyr old corrupted Grasse.
enforceth them to cleaue.
Such Shepe, as wold not them obaye
but in theyr Pasture byde.
with (cruell flames,) they did cōsume
and vex on euery syde.
And wt the shepe, ye Shephardes good,
(O hatefull Hounds of Hell,)
They did torment. and dryue thē out,
in Places farre to dwell.
There dyed Daphnes for his Shepe,
the chiefest of them all.
And fayre Alexis flamde in Fyre,
who neuer perysshe shall.
O Shephards wayle, for Daphnes deth,
Alexis hap lament,
And curs the force of cruell hartes,
that them to death haue sent.
I, synce I sawe suche synfull syghts,
dyd neuer lyke the Towne,
But thought it best to take my sheepe,
and dwell vpon the downe.
Wheras I lyue, a pleasaunt lyfe,
and free from cruell handes,
I wolde not leaue, the plesaunt fyelde
for all the Townysh Landes.
For syth that Pryde, is placed thus,
and Uice set vp so hye:
And Crueltie doth rage so sore,
and men lyue all awrye:
Thynkste yu? ye God, wil long forbere,
his scourge, and plague to sende?
To suche as hym do styll despyse
and neuer seke to mende?
Let them be sure he wyll reuenge.
when they thynke leaste vpon.
But looke a stormy showre doth ryse,
whiche wyll fall heare anone.
Menalcas best we nowe departe,
my Cottage vs shall keepe,
For there is rowme for the, and me,
and eke for all our sheepe:
Som Chestnuts haue I there in store
with Cheese and pleasaunt whaye,
God sends me Uittayles for my nede,
and I synge Care awaye.