Ægloga Quarta. Aprill.
ARGVMENT.
This
Æglogue is purposely intended to the honor and prayse of our most gracious
souereigne, Queene Elizabeth. The speakers herein be Hobbinoll and Thenott,
two shepheardes: the which Hobbinoll being before mentioned, greatly to haue
loued Colin, is here set forth more largely, complayning him of that boyes great
misaduenture in Loue, whereby his mynd was alienate and with drawen not onely
from him, who moste loued him, but also from all former delightes and studies,
aswell in pleasaunt pyping, as conning ryming and singing, and other his laudable
exercises. Whereby he taketh occasion, for proofe of his more excellencie and skill
in poetrie, to recorde a songe, which the sayd Colin sometime made in honor of
her Maiestie, whom abruptely he termeth Elysa.
Thenot. Hobbinoll.
[Thenot.]
Tell me good Hobbinoll, what garres thee greete
causeth thee weepe and complain.
?
What? hath some Wolfe thy tender Lambes ytorne?
Or is thy Bagpype broke, that soundes so sweete?
Or art thou of thy loued lasse forlorne
?
Or bene thine eyes attempred to the yeare
agreeable to the season of the yeare, that is Aprill,
which moneth is most bent to shoures and seasonable rayne: to quench,
that is, to delaye the drought, caused through drynesse of March wyndes.
,
Quenching the gasping furrowes thirst with rayne?
Like April shoure, so stremes the trickling teares
Adowne thy cheeke, to quenche thy thristye payne.
Hobbinoll.
Nor thys, nor that, so muche doeth make me mourne,
But for the ladde
, whome long I lovd so deare,
Nowe loues a lasse
, that all his loue doth scorne:
He plongd in payne, his tressed locks
dooth teare.
Shepheards delights he dooth them all forsweare,
Hys pleasaunt Pipe, whych made vs meriment,
He wylfully hath broke, and doth forbeare
His wonted songs, wherein he all outwent.
Thenot.
What is he for a Ladde
A straunge manner of speaking .s. what maner of Ladde is he?
, you so lament?
Ys loue such pinching payne to them, that proue?
And hath he skill to make
to rime and versifye. For in this word making, our olde Englishe
Poetes were wont to comprehend all the skil of Poetrye, according to the
Greeke woorde ποιειν, to make, whence commeth the name of Poets.
so excellent,
Yet hath so little skill to brydle loue?
Hobbinoll.
Colin thou kenst
knowest. Seemeth hereby that Colin perteyneth to some
Southern noble man, and perhaps in Surrye or Kent, the rather bicause he
so often nameth the Kentish downes, and before, As lythe as lasse of Kent.
, the Southerne shepheardes boye:
Him Loue hath wounded with a deadly darte.
Whilome on him was all my care and ioye,
Forcing with gyfts to winne his wanton heart.
But now from me hys madding mynd is starte,
And woes the Widdowes
He calleth Rosalind the Widowes daughter of the glenne, that
is, of a country Hamlet or borough, which I thinke is rather sayde to coloure
and concele the person, then simply spoken. For it is well knowen, euen
in spighte of Colin and Hobbinoll, that shee is a Gentle woman of no
meane house, nor endewed with anye vulgare and common gifts both of
nature and manners: but suche indeede, as neede nether Colin be ashamed
to haue her made knowne by his verses, nor Hobbinol be greued, that so
she should be commended to immortalitie for her rare and singular Vertues:
Specially deseruing it no lesse, then eyther Myrto the most excellent Poete
Theocritus his dearling, or Lauretta the diuine Petrarches Goddesse, or
Himera the worthye Poete Stesichorus hys Idole: Vpon whom he is sayd
so much to haue doted, that in regard of her excellencie, he scorned and
wrote against the beauty of Helena. For which his præsumptuous and
vnheedie hardinesse, he is sayde by vengeaunce of the Gods, thereat being
offended, to haue lost both his eyes.
daughter of the glenne:
So nowe fayre Rosalind hath bredde hys smart,
So now his frend is chaunged for a frenne
a straunger. The word I thinke was first poetically put, and afterwarde
vsed in commen custome of speach for forenne.
.
Thenot.
But if hys ditties bene so trimly dight
,
I pray thee Hobbinoll, recorde some one:
The whiles our flockes doe graze about in sight,
And we close shrowded in thys shade alone.
Hobbinol.
Contented I: then will I singe his laye
a songe. as Roundelayes and Virelayes. In all this
songe is not to be respected, what the worthinesse of her Maiestie deserueth,
nor what to the highnes of a Prince is agreeable, but what is moste comely
for the meanesse of a shepheards witte, or to conceiue, or to vtter. And
therefore he calleth her Elysa, as through rudenesse tripping in her name:
and a shepheards daughter, it being very vnfit, that a shepheards boy brought
vp in the shepefold, should know, or euer seme to haue heard of a Queenes
roialty.
Of fayre Elisa, Queene of shepheardes all:
Which once he made, as by a spring he laye,
And tuned it vnto the Waters fall.
Ye dayntye
Ye daintie is, as it were an Exordium ad preparandos animos.
Nymphs, that in this blessed Brooke
doe bathe your brest,
For sake your watry bowres, and hether looke,
at my request:
And eke you Virgins
the nine Muses, daughters of Apollo and Memorie, whose abode the
Poets faine to be on Parnassus, a hill in Grece, for that in that countrye
specially florished the honor of all excellent studies.
, that on Parnasse dwell,
Whence floweth Helicon
Helicon is both the name of a fountaine at the foote of Parnassus, and also
of a mounteine in Bæotia, out of which floweth the famous Spring Castalius,
dedicate also to the Muses: of which spring it is sayd, that when Pegasus
the winged horse of Perseus (whereby is meant fame and flying renowme)
strooke the grownde with his hoofe, sodenly thereout sprange a wel of moste
cleare and pleasaunte water, which fro thence forth was consecrate to the
Muses and Ladies of learning.
the learned well,
Helpe me to blaze
Her worthy praise,
Which in her sexe doth all excell.
Of fayre Elisa be your siluer song
seemeth to imitate the lyke in Hesiodus αργυρεον μελος.
,
that blessed wight:
The flowre of Virgins, may shee florish long,
In princely plight.
For shee is Syrinx
Syrinx is the name of a Nymphe of Arcadie, whom when Pan being in loue
pursued, she flying from him, of the Gods was turned into a reede. So that
Pan catching at the Reedes in stede of the Damosell, and puffing hard (for
he was almost out of wind) with hys breath made the Reedes to pype: which
he seeing, tooke of them, and in remembraunce of his lost loue, made him
a pype thereof. But here by Pan and Syrinx is not to bee thoughte, that
the shephearde simplye meante those Poetical Gods: but rather supposing
(as seemeth) her graces progenie to be diuine and immortall (so as the
Paynims were wont to iudge of all Kinges and Princes, according to Homeres saying.
Θυμος δη μεγας εστι διοτρεφεως βασιληως,
τιμη δ' εκ διος εστι φιλει δε ο μητιετα Ζευς.)
could deuise no parents in his iudgement so worthy for her, as Pan the
shepeheards God, and his best beloued Syrinx. So that by Pan is here
meant the most famous and victorious King, her highnesse Father, late of
worthy memorye K. Henry the eyght. And by that name, oftymes (as
hereafter appeareth) be noted kings and mighty Potentates: And in some
place Christ himself, who is the verye Pan and god of Shepheardes.
daughter without spotte,
Which Pan the shepheards God of her begot:
So sprong her grace
Of heauenly race,
No mortall blemishe may her blotte.
See, where she sits vpon the grassie greene,
(O seemely sight)
Yclad in Scarlot like a mayden Queene,
And Ermines white.
Vpon her head a Cremosin coronet
he deuiseth her crowne to be of the finest and most delicate
flowers, instede of perles and precious stones, wherewith Princes Diademes
vse to bee adorned and embost.
,
With Damaske roses and Daffadillies set:
Bayleaues betweene,
And Primroses greene
Embellish
the sweete Violet.
Tell me, haue ye seene her angelick face,
Like Phœbe
the Moone, whom the Poets faine to be sister vnto Phæbus, that is
the Sunne.
fayre?
Her heauenly haueour, her princely grace
can you well compare?
The Redde rose medled
with the White yfere
together. By the mingling of the Redde rose and the White, is meant
the vniting of the two principall houses of Lancaster and of Yorke: by
whose longe discord and deadly debate, this realm many yeares was sore
traueiled, and almost cleane decayed. Til the famous Henry the seuenth,
of the line of Lancaster, taking to wife the most vertuous Princesse Elisabeth,
daughter to the fourth Edward of the house of Yorke, begat the most royal
Henry the eyght aforesayde, in whom was the firste vnion of the Whyte
Rose and the Redde.
,
In either cheeke depeincten liuely chere.
Her modest eye,
Her Maiestie,
Where haue you seene the like, but there?
I sawe Phœbus
the sunne. A sensible Narration, and present view of the
thing mentioned, which they call παρουσια.
thrust out his golden hedde,
vpon her to gaze:
But when he sawe, how broade her beames did spredde,
it did him amaze.
He blusht to see another Sunne belowe,
Ne durst againe his fyrye face out showe:
Let him, if he dare,
His brightnesse compare
With hers, to haue the ouerthrowe.
Shewe thy selfe Cynthia
the Moone so called of Cynthus a hyll, where she was honoured.
with thy siluer rayes,
and be not abasht:
When shee the beames of her beauty displayes,
O how art thou dasht?
But I will not match her with Latonaes seede,
Was Apollo and Diana. Whom when as Niobe the wife of
Amphion scorned, in respect of the noble fruict of her wombe, namely her
seuen sonnes, and so many daughters, Latona being therewith displeased,
commaunded her sonne Phœbus to slea al the sonnes, and Diana all the
daughters: whereat the vnfortunate Niobe being sore dismayed, and lamenting
out of measure, was feigned of the Poetes, to be turned into a stone
vpon the sepulchre of her children. for which cause the shepheard sayth,
he will not compare her to them, for feare of like mysfortune.
Such follie great sorow to Niobe did breede.
Now she is a stone,
And makes dayly mone,
Warning all other to take heede.
Pan may be proud, that euer he begot
such a Bellibone
or a Bonibell. homely spoken for a fayre mayde or Bonilasse.
,
And Syrinx reioyse, that euer was her lot
to beare such an one.
Soone as my younglings cryen for the dam,
To her will I offer a milkwhite Lamb:
Shee is my goddesse plaine,
And I her shepherds swayne,
Albee forswonck and forswatt
ouerlaboured and sunneburnt.
I am.
I see Calliope
Calliope one of the nine Muses: to whome they assigne the honor of all
Poetical Inuention, and the firste glorye of the Heroicall verse. other say,
that shee is the Goddesse of Rhetorick: but by Virgile it is manifeste, that
they mystake the thyng. For there in hys Epigrams, that arte semeth to be
attributed to Polymnia, saying:
Signat cuncta manu, loquiturque Polymnia gestu.
which seemeth specially to be meant of Action and elocution, both special
partes of Rhetorick: besyde that her name, which (as some construe it)
importeth great remembraunce, conteineth another part. but I holde rather
with them, which call her Polymnia or Polyhymnia of her good singing.
speede her to the place,
where my Goddesse shines:
And after her the other Muses trace,
with their Violines.
Bene they not Bay braunches
be the signe of honor and victory, and therfore of myghty
Conquerors worn in theyr triumphes, and eke of famous Poets, as saith Petrarch in hys Sonets.
Arbor vittoriosa triomphale,
Honor d' Imperadori & di Poëti, &c.
, which they doe beare,
All for Elisa in her hand to weare?
So sweetely they play,
And sing all the way,
That it a heauen is to heare.
Lo how finely the graces
The Graces be three sisters, the daughters of Iupiter, (whose names are
Aglaia, Thalia, Euphrosyne, and Homer onely addeth a fourth .s. Pasithea)
otherwise called Charites, that is thanks. whom the Poetes feyned to be the
Goddesses of al bountie and comelines, which therefore (as sayth Theodontius)
they make three, to wete, that men first ought to be gracious and
bountiful to other freely, then to receiue benefits at other mens hands
curteously, and thirdly to requite them thankfully: which are three sundry
Actions in liberalitye. And Boccace saith, that they be painted naked, (as
they were indeede on the tombe of C. Iulius Cæsar) the one hauing her
backe toward vs, and her face fromwarde, as proceeding from vs: the other
two toward vs, noting double thanke to be due to vs for the benefit, we
haue done.
can it foote
to the Instrument:
They dauncen deffly
, and singen soote
,
in their meriment
.
Wants not a fourth grace, to make the daunce euen?
Let that rowme to my Lady be yeuen:
She shalbe a grace,
To fyll the fourth place,
And reigne with the rest in heauen.
And whither rennes this beuie
A beauie of Ladyes, is spoken figuratiuely for a company or troupe.
the terme is taken of Larkes. For they say a Beuie of Larkes, euen as a
Couey of Partridge, or an eye of Pheasaunts.
of Ladies bright,
raunged in a rowe?
They bene all Ladyes of the lake
Ladyes of the lake be Nymphes. For it was an olde opinion amongste the
Auncient Heathen, that of euery spring and fountaine was a goddesse the
Soueraigne. Whiche opinion stucke in the myndes of men not manye yeares
sithence, by meanes of certain fine fablers and lowd lyers, such as were
the Authors of King Arthure the great and such like, who tell many an
vnlawfull leasing of the Ladyes of the Lake, that is, the Nymphes. For the
word Nymphe in Greeke signifieth Well water, or otherwise a Spouse or Bryde.
behight
,
that vnto her goe.
Chloris
the name of a Nymph, and signifieth greenesse, of whome is sayd,
that Zephyrus the Westerne wind being in loue with her, and coueting her
to wyfe, gaue her for a dowrie, the chiefedome and soueraigntye of al
flowres and greene herbes, growing on earth.
, that is the chiefest Nymph of al,
Of Oliue braunches beares a Coronall:
Oliues bene
The Oliue was wont to be the ensigne of Peace and quietnesse,
eyther for that it cannot be planted and pruned, and so carefully looked to,
as it ought, but in time of peace: or els for that the Oliue tree, they say,
will not growe neare the Firre tree, which is dedicate to Mars the God of
battaile, and vsed most for speares and other instruments of warre. Whereupon
is finely feigned, that when Neptune and Minerua stroue for the
naming of the citie of Athens, Neptune striking the ground with his mace,
caused a horse to come forth, that importeth warre, but at Mineruaes stroke
sprong out an Oliue, to note that it should be a nurse of learning, and
such peaceable studies.
for peace,
When wars doe surcease:
Such for a Princesse bene principall.
Ye shepheards daughters, that dwell on the greene,
hye you there apace:
Let none come there, but that Virgins bene,
to adorne her grace.
And when you come, whereas shee is in place,
See, that your rudenesse doe not you disgrace:
Binde your
Spoken rudely, and according to shepheardes simplicitye.
fillets faste,
And gird in your waste,
For more finesse, with a tawdrie lace.
Bring
all these be names of flowers. Sops in wine a flowre in colour much
like to a Coronation, but differing in smel and quantitye. Flowre delice,
that which they vse to misterme, Flowre de luce, being in Latine called
Flos delitiarum.
hether the Pincke and purple Cullambine,
With Gelliflowres:
Bring Coronations, and Sops in wine,
worne of Paramoures.
Strowe me the ground with Daffadowndillies,
And Cowslips, and Kingcups, and loued Lillies:
The pretie Pawnce,
And the Cheuisaunce,
Shall match with the fayre flowre Delice.
Now ryse
Now rise is the conclusion. For hauing so decked her with prayses and
comparisons, he returneth all the thanck of hys laboure to the excellencie of
her Maiestie.
vp Elisa, decked as thou art,
in royall aray:
And now ye daintie Damsells may depart
echeone her way.
I feare, I haue troubled your troupes to longe:
Let dame Eliza thanke you for her song.
And if you come hether,
When Damsines
A base reward of a clownish giuer.
I gether,
I will part them all you among.
Thenot.
And was thilk same song of Colins owne making?
Ah foolish boy, that is with loue yblent
Y, is a poeticall addition. blent blinded.
:
Great pittie is, he be in such taking,
For naught caren, that bene so lewdly bent.
Hobbinol.
Sicker I hold him, for a greater fon,
That loues the thing, he cannot purchase.
But let vs homeward: for night draweth on,
And twincling starres the daylight hence chase.
Thenots Embleme.
O quam te memorem virgo?
Hobbinols Embleme.
O dea certe.
Embleme.
This Poesye is taken out of Virgile, and there of him vsed in the person of
Æneas to his mother Venus, appearing to him in likenesse of one of
Dianaes damosells: being there most diuinely set forth. To which similitude
of diuinitie Hobbinoll comparing the excelency of Elisa, and being
through the worthynes of Colins song, as it were, ouercome with the
hugenesse of his imagination, brusteth out in great admiration, (O quam te
memorem virgo?) being otherwise vnhable, then by soddein silence, to
expresse the worthinesse of his conceipt. Whom Thenot answereth with
another part of the like verse, as confirming by his graunt and approuaunce,
that Elisa is nowhit inferiour to the Maiestie of her, of whome that Poete
so boldly pronounced, O dea certe.