The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney :: :: University of Virginia Library

As I my little flocke on Ister banke
(A little flocke; but well my pipe the couthe)
Did piping leade, the Sunne already sanke
Beyond our worlde, and ere I got my boothe
Each thing with mantle black the night doth scothe;
Saving the glowe worme, which would curteous be
Of that small light oft watching shepheards see.

The welkin had full niggardly enclosed
In cofer of dimme clowdes his silver groates,
Icleped starres; each thing to rest disposed:
The caves were full, the mountaines voide of goates:
The birds eyes closd closed their chirping notes.
As for the Nightingale woodmusiques King,
It August was, he daynde not then to sing.

Amid my sheepe, though I sawe nought to feare
Yet (for I nothing sawe) I feared sore;
Then founde I which thing is a charge to beare
As for my sheepe I dradded mickle more
Then ever for my selfe since I was bore.
I sate me downe: for see to goe ne could,
And sange unto my sheepe lest stray they should.

The songe I sange old Lanquet had me taught,
Lanquet, the shepheard best swift Ister knewe,
For clerkly reed, and hating what is naught,
For faithfull hart, cleane hands, and mouth as true:
With his sweet skill my skillesse youth he drewe,
To have a feeling tast of him that sitts
Beyond the heaven, far more beyond your witts.

He said, the Musique best thilke powers pleasd
Was jumpe concorde betweene our wit and will:
Where highest notes to godlines are raisd,
And lowest sinke not downe to jote of ill:
With old true tales: he woont mine eares to fill,
How sheepheards did of yore, how now they thrive,
Spoiling their flock, or while twixt them they strive.

He liked me, but pitied lustfull youth:
His good strong staffe my slippry yeares upbore:
He still hop'd well, because he loved truth;
Till forste to parte, with harte and eyes even sore,
To worthy Coriden he gave me ore,
But thus in okes true shade recounted he
Which now in nights deepe shade sheep heard of me.

Such maner time there was (what time I n'ot)
When all this Earth, this damme or mould of ours
Was onely won'd with such as beastes begot:
Unknowne as then were they that builded towers:
The cattell wild, or tame, in natures bowers
Might freely rome, or rest, as seemed them:
Man was not man their dwellings into hem.

The beastes had sure some beastly pollicie:
For nothing can endure where order n'is.
For once the Lion by the Lambe did lie;
The fearefull Hinde the Leopard did kisse:
Hurtles was Tygers pawe and Serpents hisse.
This thinke I well, the beasts with courage clad
Like Senators a harmeles empire had.

At which whether the others did repine,
(For envie harbreth most in feeblest hartes)
Or that they all to chaunging did encline,
(As even in beasts their dammes leave chaunging partes)
The multitude to Jove a suite empartes,
With neighing, blaying, braying, and barking,
Roring, and howling for to have a King.

A King, in language theirs they said they would:
(For then their language was a perfect speech)
The birdes likewise with chirpes, and puing could
Cackling, and chattering, that of Jove beseech.
Onely the owle still warnde them not to seech
So hastily that which they would repent:
But sawe they would, and he to deserts went.

Jove wisely said (for wisedome wisely sayes)
O beasts, take heed what you of me desire.
Rulers will thinke all things made them to please,

And soone forget the swincke due to their hire,
But since you will, part of my heav'nly fire
I will you lende; the rest your selves must give,
That it both seene and felte may with you live.

Full glad they were and tooke the naked sprite,
Which streight the Earth yclothed in his claye:
The Lion, harte; the Ounce gave active might;
The Horse, good shape; the Sparrow, lust to playe;
Nightingale, voice, entising songes to saye.
Elephant gave a perfect memorie:
And Parot, ready tongue, that to applie.

The Foxe gave crafte; the Dog gave flatterie;
Asse, pacience; the Mole, a working thought;
Eagle, high looke; Wolfe secrete crueltie:
Monkie, sweet breath; the Cow, her faire eyes brought;
The Ermion, whitest skinne, spotted with nought;
The sheep, mild-seeming face; climing, the Beare;
The Stagge did give the harme eschewing feare.

The Hare, her sleights; the Cat, his melancholie;
Ante, industrie; and Connie, skill to builde;
Cranes, order; Storkes, to be appearing holie;
Camæleon, ease to chaunge; Ducke, ease to yelde;
Crocodile, teares, which might be falsely spilde:
Ape great thing gave, though he did mowing stand,
The instrument of instruments, the hand.

Ech other beast likewise his present brings:
And (but they drad their Prince they ought should want)
They all consented were to give him wings:
And aye more awe towards him for to plant,
To their owne worke this priviledge they graunt,
That from thenceforth to all eternitie,
No beast should freely speake, but onely he.

Thus Man was made; thus Man their Lord became:
Who at the first, wanting, or hiding pride,
He did to beastes best use his cunning frame;
With water drinke, herbes meate, and naked hide,
And fellow-like let his dominion slide;
Not in his sayings saying I, but we:
As if he meant his lordship common be.

But when his seate so rooted he had found,
That they now skilld not, how from him to wend;
Then gan in guiltlesse earth full many a wound,
Iron to seeke, which gainst it selfe should bend,
To teare the bowels, that good corne should send.
But yet the common Damme none did bemone;
Because (though hurt) they never heard her grone.

Then gan the factions in the beastes to breed;
Where helping weaker sort, the nobler beastes,
(As Tygers, Leopards, Beares, and Lions seed)
Disdaind with this, in deserts sought their restes;
Where famine ravine taught their hungrie chestes,
That craftily he forst them to do ill,
Which being done he afterwards would kill.

For murthers done, which never erst was seene,
By those great beastes, as for the weakers good,
He chose themselves his guarders for to bene,
Gainst those of might, of whom in feare they stood,
As horse and dogge, not great, but gentle blood:
Blith were the commons cattell of the fielde,
Tho when they saw their foen of greatnes kilde.

But they or spent, or made of slender might,
Then quickly did the meaner cattell finde,
The great beames gone, the house on shoulders light:
For by and by the horse faire bitts did binde:
The dogge was in a coller taught his kinde.
As for the gentle birds like case might rewe
When falcon they, and gossehauke saw in mewe.

Worst fell to smallest birds, and meanest heard,
Whom now his owne, full like his owne he used.
Yet first but wooll, or fethers off he teard:
And when they were well us'de to be abused,
For hungrie teeth their flesh with teeth he brused:
At length for glutton taste he did them kill:
At last for sport their sillie lives did spill.

But yet ô man, rage not beyond thy neede:
Deeme it no glorie to swell in tyrannie.
Thou art of blood; joy not to see things bleede:

Thou fearest death; thinke they are lothe to die.
A plaint of guiltlesse hurt doth pierce the skie.
And you poore beastes, in patience bide your hell,
Or know your strengths, and then you shall do well.

Thus did I sing, and pipe eight sullen houres
To sheepe, whom love, not knowledge, made to heare,
Now fancies fits, now fortunes balefull flowers:
But then I homewards call'd my lambkins deare:
For to my dimmed eyes began t'appeare
The night growne old, her blacke head waxen gray,
Sure shepherds signe, that morne should soone fetch day.