University of Virginia Library

The Seventh Eglogve.

Palinode. Hobbinol.
Hobbinoll.
Such heauy frownes
Fortune for others keepes; but bends on me
Smiles would befit the seat of maiestie.
Hath Palinode
Made his abode
Vpon our plaines, or in some vncouth Cell,
That heares not what to Hobbinoll befell?
Phillis the faire, and fairer is there none,
To morrow must be linkt in marriage bands,
Tis I that must vndo her virgin Zone:
Behold the man, behold the happy hands.

Palinode.
Behold the man! Nay then the woman too:
Though both of them are very smal beholding
To any powre that set them on to wooe.
Ah Hobbinoll! it is not worth vnfolding
What shepheards say of her; thou canst not chuse
But heare what language all of Phillis vse;
Yet, then such tongues
To her belongs
More men to sate her lust. Vnhappy elfe!
That wilt be bound to her to loose thy selfe.
Forsake her first.

Hobinoll.
Thou most accurst!
Durst thou to slander thus the innocent,
The graces patterne, Vertues president?
She in whose eye
Shines modesty:
Vpon whose brow lust neuer lookes with hope?
Venus rul'd not in Phillis Horoscope.
Tis not the vapour of a Hemblocke stem
Can spoile the perfume of sweet Cynnamon;
Nor vile aspersions, or by thee or them
Cast on her name, can stay my going on.

Palinode.
On maist thou goe, but not with such a one,
Whom (I dare sweare) thou knowst is not a maid:
Remember, when I met her last alone,
As wee to yonder Groue for filberds straid,
Like to a new-strook Doe from out the bushes
Lacing herselfe, and red with gamesome blushes
Made towards the greene,
Loth to be seene:
And after in the groue the goatheard met:
What saidst thou then? If this preuaile not, yet
I'le tell thee moe.
Not long agoe
Too long I lou'd her, and as thou dost now,
Would sweare Diana was lesse chaste then she,
That Iupiter would court her, knew he how
To finde a shape might tempt such chastity:
And that her thoughts were pure as new-falne snow,
Or siluer swans that trace the bankes of Poe,
And free within
From spot of sin:
Yet like the flinte her lust-swolne breast conceal'd
A hidden fire; and thus it was reueal'd:
Cladon, the Lad
Who whilome had
The Garland giuen for throwing best the barre,
I know not by what chance or lucky star,
Was chosen late
To bee the mate
Vnto our Lady of the gleesome May,
And was the first that danc'd each holyday.
None would hee take but Phillis forth to dance,
Nor any could with Phillis dance but hee,
On Palinode shee thenceforth not a glance
Bestowes, but hates him and his pouerty,
Cladon had sheepe and lims for stronger lode
Then ere shee saw in simple Palinode;
Hee was the man
Must clip her than;
For him shee wreathes of flowers and chaplets made,
To strawberries inuites him in the shade
In sheering time:
And in the prime
Would helpe to clip his sheepe and gard his lambs,
And at a need lend him her choicest rams;
And on each stocke
Worke such a clocke
With twisted couloured thred, as not a Swaine
On all these downes could shew the like againe.
But as it seemes, the Well grew dry at last,
Her fire vnquench'd; and shee hath Cladon left.
Nor was I sorry; nor do wish to taste
The flesh whereto so many flyes haue cleft.
Oh Hobbinoll! Canst thou imagine shee
That hath so oft beene tryde, so oft misdone,
Can from all other men bee true to thee?
Thou knowst with mee, with Cladon, shee hath gone
Beyond the limites that a maiden may,
And can the name of wife those rouings stay?
Shee hath not ought
That's hid, vnsought:
These eyes, these hands, so much know of that woman
As more thou canst not; can that please that's cōmon?
No: should I wed,
My marriage bed
And all that it containes should as my heart
Be knowne but to my selfe; if wee impart
What golden rings
The Fairie brings,
Wee loose the Iem: nor will they giue vs more.
Wiues loose their value, if once knowne before.
Behold this Violet that cropped lyes,
I know not by what hand, first from the stem,
With what I plucke my selfe shall I it prise?
I scorne the offals of a Diadem.
A Virgins bed hath millions of delights,
If then good parents please shee know no more:
Nor hath her seruants nor her fauorites
That waite her husbands issuing at dore.
Shee that is free both from the act and eye
Onely deserues the due of Chastitie.
But Phillis is
As farre from this,
As are the Poles in distance from each other:
Shee well beseemes the daughter of her mother.
Is there a brake
By Hill or Lake
In all our plaines that hath not guilty beene
In keeping close her stealths; the Paphian Queene
Ne're vs'd her skill
To win her will
Of yong Adonis with more heart then shee
Hath her allurements spent to work on mee.
Leaue, leaue her, Hobinol; shee is so ill
That any one is good that's nought of her,
Though she be faire, the ground which oft we till
Growes with his burden old and barrenner.

Hobbinoll.
With much ado, and with no little paine
Haue I out-heard thy railing 'gainst my loue:
But it is common, what wee cannot gaine
Wee oft disualew; sooner shalt thou moue
Yond lofty Mountain from the place it stands,
Or count the Medowes flowers, or Isis sands,
Then stirre one thought
In mee, that ought
Can be in Phillis which Diana faire
And all the Goddesses would not wish their.
Fond man, then cease
To crosse that peace
Which Phillis vertue and this heart of mine
Haue well begun; and for those words of thine
I do forgiue,
If thou wilt liue
Heereafter free from such reproaches moe,
Since goodnesse neuer was without her foe.

Palinode.
Beleeue mee, Hobinoll, what I haue said
Was more in loue to thee then hate to her:
Thinke on thy liberty; let that bee weigh'd;
Great good may oft betide, if wee deferre,
And vse some short delayes ere marriage rites;
Wedlocke hath daies of toile as ioysome nights.
Canst thou bee free
From iealousy?
Oh no: that plague will so infect thy braine
That onely death must worke thy peace againe.
Thou canst not dwell
One minute well
From whence thou leau'st her; locke on her thy gate,
Yet will her minde bee still adulterate.
Not Argos eyes
Nor ten such spies
Can make her onely thine; for shee will do
With those that shall make thee mistrust them too.

Hobbinoll.
Wilt thou not leaue to taint a virgines name?

Palinode.
A virgine? yes: as sure as is her mother.
Dost thou not heare her good report by fame.

Hobbinoll.
Fame is a lyer, and was neuer other.

Palinode.
Nay, if shee euer spoke true, now shee did:
And thou wilt once confesse what I foretold:
The fire will bee disc[l]os'd that now lies hid,
Nor will thy thought of her thus long time hold.
Yet may shee (if that possible can fall)
Bee true to thee, that hath beene false to all.

Hobbinoll.
So pierce the rockes
A Red-breasts knockes
As the beleefe of ought thou tell'st mee now.
Yet bee my guest to morrow.

Pallinode.
Speed your plough.
I feare ere long
You'le sing a song
Like that was sung heereby not long ago:
Where there is carrion neuer wants a crow.

Hobinoll.
Ill tutor'd Swaine,
If on the plaine
Thy sheep hence-forward come where mine do feed,
They shall bee sure to smart for thy misdeed.

Palinode.
Such are the thankes a friends fore-warning brings.
Now by the loue I euer bore thee, stay!
Meete not mishaps! themselues haue speedy wings.

Hobbinoll.
It is in vaine. Farewell. I must away.