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 Argument
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 | The Eclogues of Alexander Barclay |  |
The Argument
In colde Ianuary when fire is comfortable,And that the fieldes be nere intollerable,
When shepe and pastours leaueth fielde & folde,
And drawe to cotes for to eschue the colde,
What time the verdure of ground and euery tree,
By frost and stormes is priuate of beautee,
And euery small birde thinketh the winter longe,
Which well appeareth by ceasing of their songe.
At this same season two herdes freshe of age
At time appoynted met both in one cotage,
The first hight Faustus, the seconde Amintas,
Harde was to knowe which better husbande was,
For eche of them both set more by his pleasour
Then by aboundaunce of riches or treasour.
Amintas was formall and proper in his geare,
A man on his cloke should not espye a heare,
Nor of his clothing one wrinkle stande a wry,
In London he learned to go so manerly,
High on his bonet stacke a fayre brouche of tinne,
His purses lining was simple, poore and thinne:
But a lordes stomake and a beggers pouche
Full ill accordeth, suche was this comely slouch,
In the towne and citie so longe ietted had he
That from thence he fled for det and pouertie,
No wafrer, tauerne, alehouse or tauerner,
To him was there hid while he was hosteler,
First was he holsteler, and then a wafrer,
Then a costermonger, and last a tauerner,
About all London there was no proper prim
But long time had bene familier with him,
But when coyne fayled no fauour more had he,
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But shepheard Faustus was yet more fortunate,
For alway was he content with his estate,
Yet nothing he had to comfort him in age,
Saue a milch cowe and a poore cotage,
The towne he vsed, and great pleasour he had
To see the citie oft time while he was lad.
For milke and butter he thither brought to sell,
But neuer thought he in citie for to dwell,
For well he noted the mad enormitie,
Enuy, fraude, malice and suche iniquitie
Which reigne in cities, therefore he led his life
Uplande in village without debate and strife.
When these two herdes were thus together met,
Hauing no charges nor labour them to let,
Their shepe were all sure and closed in a cote,
Them selues lay in litter pleasauntly and hote.
For costly was fire in hardest of the yere,
When men haue moste nede then euery thing is dere,
For passing of time and recreation,
They both delited in communication,
Namely they pleaded of the diuersitie
Of rurall husbandes and men of the citie.
Faustus accused and blamed citizens,
To them imputing great faultes, crime and sins:
Amintas blamed the rurall men agayne,
And eche of them both his quarell did maynteyne,
All wrath despised, all malice and ill will
Cleane layde apart, eche did rehearse his skill,
But first Amintas thus to speake began,
As he which counted him selfe the better man.
FINIS
| The Eclogues of Alexander Barclay | |