University of Virginia Library

Eglogue first.

Tyterus. Thirsis.
Th.
Ah Tyterus, Tyterus, how can I cease to be pensiue?
One o'mine ewes last night, hard fortune, died in eaning,
One o'mine ewes, a great ew, whose fruit I chiefly did hope of,
Eaned a tidie lambe, which she no sooner had eaned,
But the Foxe did it eat, whilst I slept vnder a thicket:
Thus haue I lost mine Ewe, my lamb the Fox thus hath eaten:
Ah Tyterus, Tyterus, how can I cease to be pensiue?

Tyt.
Hard fortune neighbor, but what? wil heauines help you?
Wil griefe get your sheep againe? cast care away therefore,
Shun dolor, vse patience, patience in miserie profits:
To smile is wisdome when waspish destinie thunders.

Th.
Good counsell Tyterus, but not so easily follow'd,
Man is borne in griefe, and grieueth at euery mishap.
I thinke we shepheards take greatest paines of all others,
Sustaine greatest losses, we be tyred with daylie labour,
With colde in winter, with heat in summer oppressed,
To manie harmes our tender flockes, to manie diseases
Our sheepe are subiect, the thiefe praies ouer our heardlings,
And worse then the thief, the Fox praies ouer our heardlings,
Thus we poor heardsmen are pincht and plagu'd aboue other.

Tyt.
Truth, but I know not why, we do not only deserue it,
But lets be content, sith Fortune hath so prouided.
And rather heark to my tale, sith vnder this shadie valley
Either of vs do sit, sith both our flockes be together,
Lets now tell our ancient loues, least sleepe créèpe vpon vs,
And the craftie Foxe, who priuiliy lurks in a thicket,
Or in these huge holes, our lambes should greedilie murther:
Better is it to wake, then sleepe, what thing euer happens.

Th.
Content, yet fro my mind this griefe yet cannot I banish,
Begin first your selfe, you first made mention of it.

Tyt.
Wel, Ile now begin, Venus aid me, sweet Venus aide me,
Ayd me Cupid once my friend, the prosperous euent
Of my loue to rehearse. Not far from hence in a village
Was I borne, in a merrie towne rich in shadie valleyes,
Rich in grounds, in soyle fertile, in cattell abounding:
With my father I liu'd, he was calde rich Melibeus;
Rich Melibeus was my Sire, olde Mepsa my mother.
Long time single I liu'd, long time vnmaried I was:
He would oft to me say, when shall I be called a Grandsire,
She would oft to me say, when shall I be called a Grandam:
Flora doth hope for thee, the lusty daughter of Aldus,
Ianus hopes thou shalt be to his daughter an husband:
I despising loue, hating the name of a woman.
Would them both desire to let me single abide still,
For loue I did detest, I did hate a libidinous Hymen.
But marke how't fell out, I fed my sheepe in a pasture
Neere to the wood, twas summer time, and I very wearie,
Downe all alone me laid, no sooner downe had I laid me,
But sleepe shut mine eyes, neere to this wood abode hunters,
Hunters, who let slip at an hare, the groue she recou'red,
And got away, the dogs returnde, and ran to my cattell:
My sheepe from them ran, great harme they did to my cattel:
They did a Wether kil, they kild a douty good Ew-lambe.
Vp I rose, my sheep I mist, and nought but a carcasse
Of my Wether I sawe, the clawes and skuls of an Ewe-lambe.
Out alasse I cride, I am vndone, spoyled and vndone,
Long time amazed I stood, one while false Destinie blaming,
And drowsie sleep, who closd mine eies whilst merciles hūters
Suffered hounds my sheep to deuoure, like Mercury sometimes
On's sleep-aluring pipe who plaid, while he murthered Argus,
Argus set with an hundred eies: or like to the Fouler,
Who on a whistle playes most sweetly, whilst hee deceiueth
Foolish birds: thus standing amaz'd, my neighbour Alexis
Came to me, crying out, stroken also with the same arrow,
He made doleful mone, seuen of mine Ewes be deuoured,
And the rest are strayed away, sweet Tyterus help me,
Help me (saith he) to seeke them againe, I laboured also
Of the same disease, we two went sadly together
Through desert mountaines, large fieldes, and arable pastures,
Seeking our chac'd heards: at length in a brierie valley,
Between two forrests, some of Amintas his heardlings
Found we lying downe, and seeking still for his other,
Vnder a shade by chaunce he saw Galatea, he saw her,
And burnt in her loue, poore vvretch he cried, he sighed,
Making skies resound his sad and pittiful ecchoes,
And vnmindfull quite of his heardling, he wholly delighted
In talking of her, and passing by her, I wild him
To reiect this loue, which would bring beggery with it,
He with a sigh gan strait exclame, O happie, thrise happy
Should I be if when, the fates, and destinie cals me,
In her lap mine head might lie, and her pretie fingers
Might close vp my key-cold eres: O wood-mightie Syluan,
Keep I beseech thee all sweet hearbs, let not greedy cattell
Plucke them vp, reserue them til my Ladie be buried:
Then let al the ground be straw'd with sauourie blossoms,
And write vpon her tomb, Here lieth a maide, which a goddesse
Would haue bene to her Loue, had she not bene ouer-austere,
Long thus he liu'd ie deep despaire, al companie shunning:
And at length (poore wreth) his daies in misery ended.
Back againe I return'd in an other field then I sought them.
Like one half mad I ran, I found some hard by the milhedge,
Some by the forrest side, my notted Ram stil I missed:
Him I sent my boy to seeke, he wandered al day,
In shady woods till night, and wearie thought to returne him thence,
But twas darke, and making hast, a trench he fel into,
Made to deceiue wild beasts, and could by no means get away
Thus my boy was in hold my Ram was caught in a thicket,
Vp next morn I rose, musing where Willie remained,
Forth I went, twas holie-day, I asked of ech one,
If they saw my ram, and if they saw little Willy,
Willy no wher was found, I sought him through shady mountains
Through vast caues and wood, I cride, I shouted, I hollow'd,
But twas all in vaine, at length a stranger I met with,
Into the pits to looke, who was new come to the forrest,
Him did I aske also, but he saw not my little Willie:
We two together walkt, when we came neere to the pitfall,
Hearing vs two talke, like a mouse in a cheese he did exclame,
Into the trench we look'd, who could not laugh to behold it,
A Fox falne therein, did stand with Will in a corner:
Will did feare the Fox, the Fox did feare little Willy,
Out we pluckt him first, his fellow prisoner after.
Glad was Will he was out, and I was gladder I found him,
Home we returnde, and as we returnd, loe destiny fawning,
Found I my Ram in a thicket tyde, I greatly reioyced:
Summer it was, it was midday, the Sun was at highest,
Will led home my Ram, I softly followed after,
Will went through the fields, but I went through shady pastures
Shunning Titans beams, but ah vnfortunat Heardsman,
Shunning an outward heat, a fire I purchased inward.
Vnder a tree, by Damons cloase, very many resorted,
Maids and men did thither flocke, there merily piped.
Lucidas on his new bagpipe, then Pollio danced,
Ianus leapt and skipt, then thy young vncle Amintas
Daunc'd I remember with many moe too long to repeat nowe.
Here I staid, this crue I viewd, I spied Alexis
Daunce with a Lasse, a gallant Lasse, me thought she did excel
All the rest in beautie, in shape, in comelie behauiour:
Phillida was her name, I thought each ioynt of her heauenly:
Looke what parts lay hid, those I far fairer imagin'd.
Ah, how she pleasde my mind, her cheeks wer ruddy like aples,
With red streames besprent, her hair as browne as a berrie:
Black were her eies, her hands did shew as was a good huswife,
No want in her I saw, for where she squinted a little,
That did grace her I thought, thus was I caught on a sudden.
Ah, how oft I wisht my selfe in place of Alexis,
He to dallie had learn'd, to daunce I neuer had vsed,
And then I sham'd to begin. But marke what followed after;
Codra to daunce did come, the lusty daughter of Aldus:
Her when Alexis espide, he with all speed Phillida leauing,
Caught her by the white hand, at this my Phillida frowned,
She did Alexis loue, but Alexis Codra desired:
In stept I to her strait, I wild her not to be sorry,
I will be thy loue (said I) care not for Alexis,
I will a woing come, from me she flang in an anger,
And with a scornefull looke, wel (saith she) some body loues me.
Home then I went dismaid, and sick, my countenance heauie,
Sotted were my sences all, my mind verie pensiue,
One while I laid me downe, of such idle fantasies hoping,
That sleepe would me depriue, therein was I greatly deceaued.
No sooner had sleep closde mine eies, but Phillida foorthwith
Into my mind did come, still I thought she daunc'd with Alexis:
Ah how my mother greeu'd, when she did see me so pensiue,
She fetcht milke and ale, and for me she made a posset:
She fetcht flower and egs, and for me she made a pudding:
But no meat would downe with me, my father as heauy,
Vnto the wise-man went, he was a physition also,
He said I was in loue, some deuil had told it him, I think,
Then to me forthwith he came, he charg'd me with it, he praid me
To disclose my mind, and he would do what he could do:
Then confest I my loue, tis (said I) Phillida father,
Philida, Damons daughter it is, whose loue thus I burne in,
Be content, my father said, her loue will I sue for,
Well doth Damon know Melibeus chests be not emptie,
At this I comfort tooke, rose, went int' field to my cattell,
Both full of hope and feare. To Damon went Melibeus,
Tolde him all the tale, and for his daughter he prayed,
I giue my consent, but I feare, quoth he Phillida wil not,
She shall like and loue, for she hath very may reiected.
These newes brought to me as I sate alone by mine heardling:
Sonne, saith he, go thy selfe, speake to Philida, Damon
Will giue his good wil, if thou canst also get her loue.
Home foorthwith I went, my self I finely bedecked,
Comb'd mine head, I washt my face, my spruse-lether ierkin
On did I put my ruffes, my yellow-lether galigaskins,
Then sull of hope and feare I went, my Phillida spinning,
Sate by the doore, I went vnto her, I colde her, I kist her,
Proferd her many gifts, but she refusde many profers:
Crau'd of her, her good will, but she did flatly deny me,
Wild me leaue my sute, and not proceed any further.
Impatient of repulse, her three times after I wooed:
Gists many pence me cost, three times againe she repeld me:
Desperate altogether then with bewitched Amintas,
Into the woods I went, and merrie company leauing,
In vncouth mountaines, in deserts and shady valleyes,
All my delight I tooke, I neuer look'd to my cattel:
They for a pray were left to the Fox, to the wolfe to the Lyon,
And had I not bene helpt, I should haue dy'd with Amyntas.
But now Fortune smilde, with Alexis Phillida dayly
Vsde to sport and play, vnto him she dayly resorted,
She brought him conserues, she brought him sugered almonds
He not louing her, but with her flattery mooued,
Lay with her, and in time with childe poore Phillida prooued:
He then fearing least he should her marrie by constraint,
Fled from his Vncle in hast (for he remain'd) with his vncle)
Phillida fearing least, she should be mocked of each one,
Look'd more blyth on me, as I sate vnder a Mirtle,
She past by, me thought, and smyled vpon me,
Her lookes fauour shewed, then againe my sute I renued,
Went and woed her againe, and far more tractable founde her:
Next day to Damons house I went, and with me my sire,
There were cakes and ale, and each one greatlie reioyced:
Then we were made sure, and wedding day was appointed,
Which at length did come, the time long wisht for approched;
We twaine were conioynd, that day we merrily passed,
Great good cheare we made, Licidas and Pollio piped,
All th' whole countrie daunc'd: with credit thus was I wedded:
Which when Alexis heard, with all speed home he returned.
And see Thirsis, I pray, what a quiet wise haue I gotten,
She yet neuer scowl'd she neuer frown'd on Alexis,
But look'd mildly on him, though he so greatly abusde her,
Heele now come to my house, and sit with me by the fire,
Heele now sit by my wife, whilst I goe looke to my cattel:
We two be great friends, and to thee (Thirsis) I tel it,
Thee for a friend I take, to my biggest boy is he father,
But verie few do it know. A large ground now haue I plowed,
And tis more than time to vnyoke my wearied horses:
Thirsis, I haue to thee now declarde the history pleasant
Of my loue: Rehearse yours, as you promised erewhile.

Th.
Wel. I begin to declare't: O Pan melodious help me:
But see neighbour I pray, Tytan is caried headlong
Into the sea, see, clouds covnite, a storme is a breeding:
And pitchie-night drawes on apace, lets hastily therefore,
Deuide our cattell, to the cotes lets speedily driue them.

Tyt.
Let's run apace, til again we meet you shal be my debter.