The Bvcoliks of Pvblivs Virgilivs Maro Prince of all Latine Poets; otherwise called his Pastoralls, or shepeherds meetings. Together with his Georgiks or Ruralls, otherwise called his husbandrie, conteyning foure books. All newly translated into English verse by A. F. [i.e. Abraham Fleming] |
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The tenth and last Eclog of the mad loue of Cornelius Gallus.
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 | The Bvcoliks of Pvblivs Virgilivs Maro |  |
The tenth and last Eclog of the mad loue of Cornelius Gallus.
The Argument.
In this last eclog the poet aduaunceth the loue of Gallus, but yet so, as that he swarueth not from the persons and comparisons of shepheards. Touching the argument, it is all in maner taken out of Thirsis, that is, the first Idyll of of Theocritus, who handleth the like matter in all points in his Daphnis. How this Gallus was an excellent poet, and so familiar with Cæsar, and likewise so fauoured of him, that he gaue and bestowed vpon him the gouernment of Ægypt. Howbeit afterwards growing in suspicion of cōspiracie or treason against Cæsar, he was slaine at his commandement. Uirgill did so deerely loue this Gallus, that in praise of him he spent wel nigh all the end of the fourth booke of his Georgikes, which place the poet (Augustus Cæsar so charging him to doo) if we may beleeue the supposall of Seruius, after Gallus was put death, changed into the fable or talke of Aristus.
O Arethus [thou nimphe] grant me this labour last [of mine,]
Uerses a few are to be said of Gallus my [good freend,]
But which [said] verses let Lico-ris read hir selfe [also,]
Uerses [and songs] are to be said; who would denie to Gall
Uerses? nay then who would not write verses vnto his praise?]
[O Arethuse] begin [to sing.] So bitter Doris she,
Let hir not mix with thee hir streames, when thou shalt eb and flow
Under the flouds of sicill sea. [now] let vs chant and sing
The carefull loues of Gall, whiles that the litle flat nozde gotes
Shall crop and nip the tender twigs: we sing not to the deafe,
The woods doo answere euery thing [with sound of eccho shrill,]
O wenches you the Naiades, what woods, what groues held you?
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For neither any tops of [high] Parnassus hill, nor yet
Of Pindus [mount] made any stay [ne caused you to tarry,]
Nor Aganippe [spring which is with] in Aonia [land]
[Could make you stay,] yea euen the bayes beewaild & mon'd my Gall,
So did the shrubs and bushes lowe, so did the Menal mount,
Which beareth pinetrees, so likewise the very rocks and stones
Of Licey [mounteine] cold bewaile [and lamentably moorne]
For Gallus being vnderneath a solitarie rocke,
And round about him stand the sheepe ne shames at them of vs,
Nor let it shame thee poet great of cattell and of sheepe,
For faire Adonis fed [and gra-sed] sheepe by riuers [side,]
And shepheads too with swine herds slow came [to the poet Gall,]
Menalcas also wringing wet with [gathering] winter akorns,
All [these] after Gall from whense this loue [extreame of his should be.]
Apollo came himselfe and said, what Gallus art thou mad?
Lycoris all thy care and ioy doth follow another man,
Through [frost and] snow and dredfull campe [or tents of soldiers stout.]
Syluanus too with countrie pompe and honor on his head,
[A garland made of flours and leaues] came also vnto Gall,
Shaking his flouring feruls and his lilles [faire and] great.
God Pan of Arcadie he came, whom we saw [coloured] red
With bloudie berries of ebull tree, and also vermilion,
And [Pan] said vnto Gall, what mea-sure [or what end] shalbe
[Of this thy sadnes?] loue regards ne cares for such [behauiors,]
Neither is cruell loue content or satisfide with teares,
Nor grasse with riuers [watring them,] nor bees with cytise [flours]
Nor little shee gooes with the leaues [and tender sprigs of trees:]
But he pensife and sad dooth say, o you Arcadians [all,]
Who are alone the cunning men to sing [my wretched case]
O then how soft [and all at ease] my bone should take their rest,
If that your pipe hereafter shall report these loues of mine:
And would to god I had beene one of you, and eeke had beene
Either the keeper of your flocks, or dresser of [your vines,]
Or gatherer of your grapes full ripe, then truly whether shee,
Phillis, had beene my [louer deere,] or Amint [my delight]
Or any other raging loue (what then, if Amint bee
Both blacke [and swart] so violets and vaccins too are blacke:)
Yet Amint he should lie with me among the willow trees.
Under the limber bending vines [neere Mantua which doo grow:]
Phillis should gather garland floures, and Amint he should sing.
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And heere be medows soft [with grasse,] heere also is a wood,
Heere would I wasted be with age, [and spend my life] with thee,
New raging loue keeps me in armes of hard [and warlike] Mars,
Among the midst of weapons, and of foes against vs [bent.]
Alacke Lycoris thou art far away from country thine,
And all alone without me thou hard [wench] doost see the snow
Of Alpine [hills] and [feel'st] the cold-nesse of the [riuer] Rhene,
(Ne could I credit or beleeue a thing so great and strange)
Alacke Lycoris [o beware] least coldnesse doo the hurt,
Alacke Licoris least sharpe yse doo cut thy tender feete.
I will be gone and exercise, [or play] vpon the pipe
Of the sicilian shepherd, [who had Theocrit to name,]
Songs made by me in Calcid verse, [in old Zuphorions verse,
A poet borne in a Chalcis towne within the ile of Greece.]
It is decreed and purposed of me to suffer rather
[This miserie] in woods amoong the dens of beastes so wilde,
And graue in tender trees my bones; these trees shall spring and grow,
And you my [raging] loues [with them] shall likewise spring and grow.
In the meane time about the mount of Menal I will walke,
Mingled [and well accompanied] with nimphs [which there doo keepe]
Or I will hunt the bores so wilde, no cold shall me forbid.
[Ne let or hinder me] to com-passe round about with dogs
The woods vpon Parthenius hill. I seeme now to my selfe
To go through rocks and sounding woods, it is my pleasure too.
Out of a Parthian [bowe, at th' ends which tipped is with] horne
To shoot Cydonian arrows [swift,] as if so be this were
The medcine of our raging loue; or else [that Cupid hee]
That god may learne in mens mishaps [ah] gentle to become,
Those [nimphs] the Hamadryades [which liue and die with trees,
And cheefly with the okes] doo no-thing please me now againe,
No not my songs themselues: o woods remoue you hense againe,
Our labours cannot change ne turne [Cupid] that god [of loue,]
No not if Hebeus floud we should drinke vp amidst the cold,
Or go and suffer scythian snows of watrie winter season,
Nor if we should [in feeding] shift the sheepe of Æthiops [blacke]
Under the star of Cancer; when the barke in elmetree high
Dieng [with scortching heat of sun] doth dry and parch away.
Loue ouercommeth euery thing, and let vs yeeld to loue.
O [ladies] you Pierides, it shalbe [now] enough
That [I] your poet [Virgill] haue these [foresaid sonnete] soong,
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Of slender twigs [or ozier rods O you] Pierides
These songs you most shall make to Gall; to Gall, the loue of whome
Growes euery houre so much in me, as in the spring time fresh
The alnetree greene shoots vp itselfe [in tallnesse and in hight.
But let vs rise, the shade is woont to singers to be hurtfull,
The shadow of the iuniper is noisome, and to frute
The shadowes also do much harme: O you my little gotes
Full fed go home, the euening comes, my little gotes go home.
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