University of Virginia Library

The sixth Booke of Diana of George of Montemayor.

[I see thee iolly Shepherd merry]

I see thee iolly Shepherd merry,
And firme thy faith and sound as a berry.
Loue gaue me ioy, and fortune gaue it,
As my desire could wish to haue it.
What didst thou wish, tell me (sweete louer)
Whereby thou might'st such ioy recouer?
To loue where loue should be inspired,
Since there's no more to be desired.
In this great glory, and great gladnes,
Think'st thou to haue no touch of sadnes?
Good fortune gaue me not such glory,
To mocke my loue, or make me sorie.
If my firme loue I were denying,
Tell me, with sighes would'st thou be dying?
Those wordes in iest to heare thee speaking,
For very greefe my hart is breaking.
Yet would'st thou change, I pray thee tell me,
In seeing one, that did excell me?
O noe, for how can I aspire,
To more then to mine owne desire.
Such great affection dost thou beare me
As by thy wordes thou seem'st to sweare me?
Of thy deserts, to which a detter
I am, thou maist demaund this better.
Sometimes me thinkes, that I should sweare it,
Sometimes me thinkes, thou should'st not beare it.
Onely in this, my hap doth greeue me,
And my desire, not to beleeue me.
Imagine that thou dost not loue mine,
But some braue beautie that's aboue mine.
To such a thing (sweete) doe not will me,
Where faining of the same doth kill me.
I see thy firmnes gentle louer,
More then my beautie can discouer.
And my good fortune to be higher
Then my desert, but not desier.

[Passed contents]

[If teares cannot with tendernesse relent thee]

Syrenus.
If teares cannot with tendernesse relent thee,
How can my song thy cruelty assured,
Since nought of mine could euer yet content thee:
What hart was euer that so much endured?
That to deride thou neuer canst suffice thee,
A greefe that hath the worlds wonder procured.
Ah blinde conceite, let loue nor time disguise thee,
And such a thought of change that neuer told me
But to thy good and my content aduise thee.
Ah wilt thou in such cares and greefes enfold me,
Fierce Shepherdesse, and in such lamentations
To spend my dolefull yeeres, wilt thou behold mo?
A hart that's thine, dispos'st thou in such fashions?
Intreat'st thou thus a soule to thee affied,
That the lest greefe it is to suffer passions?

Syluanus.
Loue such a knot, that's endles thou hast tied,
That's blinde, and thou, and I more blinde intended:
And she is blinde, for whom my life's denied:
For I sawe not my life, and pleasure ended,
Nor she how I for her to death imploy me,
Nor thou, that I in flames am thus incended.
Fell Loue, shall faire Diana now destroy me
With absence? then conclude (since hate surrounds it)
To end my life, and fortunes that annoy me.
Ioy's slowe, time flies, and with his shortnes wounds it,
Hope dies, an amorous thought liues still augmented:
Loue shortens it, prolongs it, and confounds it.
To speake I am ashamed thus tormented,
And though it greeues me, yet with ceaslesse payning
Without the same I cannot liue contented.

Syrenus.
O soule, forsake not now thy dolefull plaining,
And you my wearied eies
Cease not in swelling teares my cheekes to steepe,
Since you haue learn'd to weepe,
And waile the chiefest cause of all my cries.

Syluanus.
And waile the chiefest cause of all my cries:
Yet (cruell Shepherdesse)
Sometimes they were of my most sweete content.
O thoughts in sorrow spent,
How small time lasts a ioy and happines?

Syrenus.
How small time lasts a ioy and happines,
And that sweete gracious smile,
(Fortune) wherewith I sawe thee not accoyd?
Now all is well imployd
In him, whom time doth counsell and beguile.

Syluanus.
In him, whom time doth counsell and beguile,
Loue works his behest:

[_]

The pagination of the source document has been followed.

But in his things who can him well aduise?
Or his deceites who spies?
O cruell Shepherdesse, O cruell brest.

Syrenus.
O cruell Shepherdesse, O cruell brest
Whose crueltie is no
Whit lesse then her braue beautie and her grace,
And my mishap and case:
How to my cost my sorrowes doe I knowe?

Syluanus.
My Shepherdesse, in white and red more cleere,
Then both those roses pluckt, in May we see:
And brighter then the sunne beames sent
From their coruscant Orient
By morning, that vpon thy foldes appeere:
How can I liue, if thou forgettest me?
My Shepherdesse, thy rigour then impaire,
For crueltie becomes not one so faire.

Syrenus.
My faire Diana more resplendant, then
The Emerauld, or Diamond in the night:
Whose beautious eies doe cease
My sorrowes, that increase,
If gently that (perhaps) to me they bend.
So maist thou with thy flocke so faire and vvhite,
Come to my shadovved sheepefold in the heate,
That such a vvretch thou vvould'st not ill intreate.

Syluanus.
My Shepherdesse, when that thy yellow haire
Thou combest in the beames of shining sunne,
Dost thou not see the same obscured?
My pride and ioy by them procured?
That am from hence beholding it so faire,
Woon now with hope, now with despaire vndone,
But so maist thou thy beautie braue enioy,
As thou wouldst giue, a meane in such annoy.

Syrenus.
Diana, whose sweete name in all these hils
The wilde beastes tames, and crueltie rebates:
And whose surpassing beautie to it
Doth subiect fortune, and vndoe it.
And feares not loue, but wars against his wils:
Respecting not occasion, time, nor fates.
To thee thy flockes and folds such ioy may giue,
As carelesse of my greefe thou wouldst not liue.

Syluanus.
The heate is past (Syrenus) and doth cease,
The Shepherds to their folds begin to goe,
And wearie grashoppers doe hold their peace:
The night will not stay long, which, hid belovve,
Is comming in, vvhile Phœbus in our skie
Doth heere and there his vading light be stovve:
Therefore before the darkest shade shall lie
Vpon the ground, and vvhile the vvren doth sing
In top of this greene Sicamour on hie,
Our vvandring flockes together let vs bring,
And driue them vvhere Diana novv doth stay
For vs, vvhile in the vvoods our voices ring.

Syrenus.
My friend, Syluanus, goe not yet avvay,
Since all his beames not yet the sunne doth hide,
And that vve haue sufficient of the day.
There's time for vs and for our flocke beside,
And time to driue them to the riuer cleere.
For in this meade to day they shall abide:
And, Shepherd, let my song be ended heere.