University of Virginia Library

The .vij. Egloge entituled POLLVX.

Alphus. Galbula.
Galbula.
As Sages sayde, when God
eche creature gan to make,
(No trifles I will tell, but such
of yore as Vmber spake)
Both Clownish countrey wights
and Shephierdes he ordainde:
The Tylman tough, vnmilde, in ci-
uill nurture neuer trainde,
Much like the lumpish clay
that Culter doth controll:
The Shephierd of a softer kinde
a sielly hurtlesse soule.
As simple as the Sheepe,
deuoide of wrathfull gall,
The Sheepe that yelds the milk, & likes
his keeper aye withall.
From flocke to Altare he
would bring when so he came
Sometime a Sheepe, a fatted Calfe,
sometime a sucking Lambe.
To Gods their honour due
he gaue with good intent:
His seruice so preuailde with them,
he so their Godheads bent,
As since the time the worlde
created was and made,
Unto this houre most gratefull was
to Gods the Shephierds trade.
And more than this, he callde
Assyrians a sort,
(Their names through care I haue forgot)
to Mace and Kingly port,
That Shephierds were afore:
who garnisht braue in Golde
And purple roabes, proude countries oft
in battaile haue controlde.
That Paris that behelde
three Goddesses in Ide,
With Paris eke the Syre that would
haue forc'd his sonne to haue dide,
A Shephierd was. When Moy-
ses fearde with heauenly fyre
Came barefoote through the fieldes to see
the signe with great desyre,
A shephierd then he was
and lately come from floud.
Apollo (as a bannisht man)
in Grece did thinke it good
His Godhead layde aside
a Shephierds charge to take,
And so th' Amphrisian fields to walke
and Bowe and shafts forsake.
Those sacred Angels eke
when Christ in Oxen stall
Was born, forspake for shephierds sake
that he would be a thrall.
And Shephierds being taught
the miracles diuine
Of heauenly birth, did first beholde
the thundring Impe with eyen.
The mightie Infant gaue
the Shephierds libertie
Before the wise and royall Kings
in Cradle him to see.
A Shephierd he him selfe
disdained not to call,
Those men he termed Sheepe that sim-
ple were and meeke withall.
And least you thinke I lie,
from Citie home againe
To Countrie as I came, In Church
I redde them painted plaine.
There portrayde are the Beasts
and little Lambes that lie
On soile beside their dames. A hu-
gie troupe from mountains hie
Of Gods on horsseback cōmes,
their Diademes do blaze
With glittring Golde, this sight doth make
the passers by to gaze.
No maruell then if Gods
appearde to Pollux sight:
In Uillages, in Sheepe and home-
lie Sheepecots they delight:
GOD is a guest to simple men,
the haughtie he doth spite.

Alphus.
Thou telst the truth, I wish
the fieldes as hurtlesse bee
Unto your Beasts. The Asse, the rack,
and Bullocke I did see.
I call to minde the route
that thither flockt apace,
Me thinkes I see the Kings of Inde
that brought their gifts in place.
One thing I craue, what kinde
of shape did Pollux see?
And if thou knowst it (Galbula)
do daine to tell it mee.

Galbula.
I knowe it well, and will
rehearse the storie true,
A worthie fact to tell or heare
for all men to ensue.
The froward Father, and
the Stepdame full of pride,
Had pressed Pollux necke with yoake
vneasie to abide,
In tender yeares when youth
sweete pleasures doth persuade:
But when he fealt his force to faile
through such a weary trade,
And sawe no Arte preuailde
their rigor to relent,
He thought it best to runne away:
and thus to flight ybent
His onely let was this,
he lou'd impatiently.
For doting loue (a common fault)
doth Youth accompany.
Loue of it selfe is strong,
the violence doth passe.
He went: At parture (these complaints
to me he wonted was
His dolours to declare)
with mourneful voice he spake:
Wilt thou (O Uirgin) shead thy teares
for such a traytors sake?
And when thou seest thy selfe
by Louer so betrayde,
Wilt thou bewaile the want of him
that such a pranke hath playde?
Wilt thou thy cruell Friend
remember in distresse?
Or shall that louyng breast of thine
a chillie colde possesse?
That breast that hath prouokte
so many weeping eyes,
Wilt thou wax wan for grief? wilt thou
sende sighings to the Skies?
I see the Uirgins eyes
hir eares, hir panting hart.
Alas may any cunning now
conceale my secrete smart?
A double dolour doth
distraine my troubled minde,
Hir griefe and my distresse: my woe
to waile is me assignde,
But not to hir: my fire
more couertly doth burne.
You Gods (I trust) will hir preserue
in health till my returne.
That after my exile
when I shall backe retire,
Our loue may haue a good successe
ere youthfull yeares expire.
Thus talking he did passe,
and would haue turnde againe:
Such loue had bleard the boy, such frensie
broylde in youthfull braine.
But now the Dice were cast,
decreed was the flight,
He vnderneath a Popple tree
sate downe a wofull wight.
Beholde a Uirgin crownde
with Garlande he did see,
Hir face, hir eyes, and habite were
Nymphlike in eche degree.
She did approche, and thus
the sorie boy bespake.
(Sweet Lad) where wilte thou wander now?
thy purposde pathes forsake.
Alas thou wottst not where
this way woulde bring thee streight,
Yet darst thou goe to places straunge:
and thinking no deceipt
To lurke in grassie fielde,
eche perill thou neglectst,
All safe thou deemst, & that which likes
thee best, thou most respectst
Like vnaduised youth.
The Adder knit in knot,
And lurking in the grasse doth bite
the man that sawe him not.
Th' vnware is soone begilde.
The Infant dares assay
Withouten dreade in burning Coales
with tender handes to play,
And thinkes it but a sport
vntill he feele the fire.
This Countrie traines the Passengers
at first with sweete desire,
And proffers pleasures rife
with ioyes exceeding all:
But entred once, foreseeing not
the hurte that may befall,
It setts a thousand snares
and planteth perills more.
This path as soone as you haue past,
that hill you see before
Leades to a shadie wood
where cruell beasts do dwell,
To dungeons deepe and lothsom vauts,
as blacke as any Hell.
And who so is intrapt
shal thence retire no more:
For first he hath a fillet swarth
and vaile his eyes before.
Then drawne about the wood
through sharpe and shrubby thornes,
To Monster he transformed is:
and whilst his tongue he turnes
And thinks to speake, he howles,
and coueting vpright
To go, he groueling creepes on foure,
the heauens are barrd his sight.
Beneath a Ualley darke,
a Pit with waters blake
Doth stand, and then a mountayn huge
doth ouerlooke the Lake.
Thus drawne to stinkyng Styx,
is headlong downe ycast
Into the filthy foorde, the Sinke
doth swallowe him in hast:
Thus damnde to Styx in shade
for aye he must abyde.
Alas, how many Shephierds through
these dotyng fitts haue dyde?
And perisht with theyr flocks?
but I am busie still
As one vntirde, to shewe the way
and wrest thee from the yll.
Wherfore do way delayes
and flie the flattring dore
That traines to death, go seeke the coast
that leades to secrete shore,
Against th' Idalian floods
where Carmelus is seene,
To lift his head aloft to Skies
bedeckt with Garlande greene.
To auncient fathers first
this Hill gaue dwellings good,
As caues and houses made of trees
within a brushy wood.
From thence Religion first
deriu'd his ofspring tooke,
And came amongst your hills, as from
his head, the running brooke,
And from one Grandsire as
do many Nephews sproute.
In those same woods, where Beechyboughes
are growing all about,
Where fattie Pix doth sweate
and Terebynth doth shed
His glewlike gum, and clammie iuyce.
There after thou hast led
A happie hurtlesse life
deuoide of vile offence:
Then into places euer greene
and flourishing from thence
I will aduaunce thee streight,
a better lodge to dwell:
Immortall shalt thou waxen then,
and (marke what tale I tell)
Thou shalt as fellowe made
vnto the heauenly States,
Get vp aboue the starres, and haue
the Nimphs vnto thy mates,
Both Hamadriads and
the hillie Orcads hight,
And Napes, Ladies that in sweetes
and Garlands doe delight:
With lawfull leaue to haue ye Skies
both vp and downe in sight.
Thus hauing tolde hir tale
to Skie the Uirgin flewe.
Thē Pollux sware his mind was turnd,
and heart ychangde a new
Forwent his furies fitte.
Euen as the firie flash
Is quencht, whē Padus with his streame
the frying fields doth wash:
So parted cruell Loue,
that earst his Arrowes shot
At him (good youth) that striuing would
those colde hote fitts forgot:
And so good Pollux he
to silent Cloyster came.

Alphus.
Yea mary, Gods some men inspire,
that looke not for the same,
But they with other wroth
and causelesse angry bee.

Galbula.
Such powre haue Gods on vs as on
our sielly sheepe haue wee.
This knowledge will suffice
vs simple Countrie clownes:
Let them contende for greater witte
that weare the Scarlet gownes
And in the Citie woonne.
Thus person Ianus tolde
Returnde from towne, and sayd he sawe
it writte in storie olde.

Alphus.
Nowe goes the Sunne to glade
he toucheth top of hills,
Wherfore that wee with him depart
his wonted parting wills.
O Galbula get vp
those trinkets on thy backe
The Scrippe is light, the bottle light,
no payne to beare the packe.
For though the burthen way
yet is it good to beare,
Do that, and I will fetch our flockes,
for nowe the day doth weare.