University of Virginia Library

The first Egloge of Mantuan, intituled FAVSTVS.

Fortunatus. Faustus.
Fortunat'
Frend Faustus, pray thee, since our flock
in shade and pleasaunt vale
Doth chewe the cudde: of auncient loue
let vs begin to tale.
Least if by hap vnhappy sleepe
our senses should begyle,
Some sauage beast in sprouted corne
our cattell catch the while:
For many such about the fields
do lurking lye in wayte.
Wherfore to watch is better far
than sleepe in my conceyte.

Faustus
This place, this self same shady bushe
that shrowds vs from the heate,
Knows how I haue bē cloyd with cares
and Cupids coales yfreat
These .iiij. yeares space, or .ij. at least
if I remember well.
But synce we are at leasure both,
and pleasaunt is to tell:
I will begin the whole discourse
and shewe thee how it fell.
Here I, whilst in my tender youth
of cattell should had care,
Would spread my garmēt on the soyle,
and bolte vpright would stare
Into the open Skyes alofte:
with dolefull drops of bryne
And heauy playnt recounting of
this curssed fate of myne.
No pleasure I in quiet tooke,
no labour did delight
My pensiue brest, my Sense was dull,
quight buried was my Sprite:
As is the stomacke of the sicke
whom no good taste allures
Of lothsome meate, nor patients mynd
to appetite procures.
Delight of Musicke was berefte,
for Pipe I did not passe
Compacted of vnegall quilles,
my bowe but lothsome was.
The slyng & hound were hateful both,
no pleasure I did put
In foulyng then, twas yrkesom eke
with knyfe to cracke the Nut.
To make the bulrushe basquet, or
to guyle the fishe with gyn,
Or searche ye brakes for breeding byrds
I forced not a pyn.
Palester playes, and casting lots
with finger I ne wayd:
Nor former games that pleasant were
ere I this grief assayd.
Wilde grapes to gather was a gall,
and Strawberries to pull.
I mournd as Tereus wife is wonte,
that hauyng beake as full
Of foode as it can hold, when she
retourns from hir repast
And sees hir yonglings borne away,
she wareth all agast:
And from the byll downe fals the bayte,
hir heart begyns to quayle,
And to the neighbour bushe she flies
hir cruell haps to wayle
For broud so lately borne away.
Or as the gallant cowe
That hauyng loste hir louing calfe
in field begins to lowe.
And hauing filld the place with noyse
and crying out a good:
Repaires to shade and eates no grasse
nor dips hir flaps in floud.
But why do I with long discourse
thy lystnyng eares offend?
This processe makes me both my tyme
and words in waste to spend.
This is the summe of all my tale,
it grieu'd my weary sprite
That miser I with these myne eyes
did see the lothsome light.
And if thou longyng for to learne
the whole effect, shouldst say:
Who (Faustus) to these dredfull rockes
did thee compell I pray?
Frind (Fortunatus) I will shewe
the very trouth to thee.
My little girle that Galla hight
had so entrapped mee
With feature of hir friendly face
and lookes of louyng eye,
As in hir crafty cobweb doth
Arachne catche the flye.
For why hir ruddy cheekes did striue
with Corall for their hue:
A pretty round and fully face,
a seemely sight to viewe.
And of hir eyes though one there were
that stode in little steede;
Yet when I did recompte hir yeares
and passyng shape in deede:
I did mislyke Dianas face,
I sayd hir feature was
Not worth a rushe, my Galin did
hir blasing beautie passe.

Fortunat'
Loue (Faustus) blynds the senses sore,
it guiles the gazing eyes:
It reaues the freedome from the minde
of man in monstrous wyse.
It doth bewitch our weakned sprites.
I verily suppose
Some Hellishe Impe doth force this fire
and fowly ouerthrowes
And out of hooke doth heaue our harts:
Loue is not as they say
A heauenly God, but bitter gall,
and errour from the way.

Faustus
Besides I had no hope at all
my wisshed good to gayne:
Though she (good heart) did rue my case,
and pitied Faustus payne,
And by hir becks, & wanton wyncks
hir flame appeared playne
For what soeuer way she went
(a cruell canckred mate)
Hir married Sister hir ensude
and followde Gallas gate.
The hard and churlish Mother eke
vpon the Wench did watch:
Eche thing did hinder myne intent.
Euen as the Cat to catch
The pretty, perte, & prickeard Mouse
obserues with earnest eye
The clouen cranie, and the beast
on bacon flitche doth prie

Fortunat'
The porred paunch and stuffed maw
commendeth fasting much:
And they that are not dry, at those
that long for lycour grutche.

Faustus
Twas time with crooked sythe to sheare
the corne that grewe in fielde,
The Barly all about the landes
a golden gleame did yelde.
The Mother (as the custome is)
came with hir Daughters both,
To gather vp the shatered sheaues
which reaper ouergoth.
For she wiste nothing of our Loue,
or made as though she had
Not knowen a white therof: I thinke
she was not halfe so made
But that she found it well ynough,
and did dissemble sore:
For she in deede (I stand assurde)
had vnderstoode before
Hir daughter had a Leueret tane
in paune of my good will:
A payre of stocke Dooues eke she had
to kepe or else to kill.

Fortunat'
The wāt of wealth good nurture marrs
the poore is prone to fall:
He slydes into the snare of sinne
and is to vices thrall.

Faustus
The virgin gathering vp hir grips,
came after me a pace,
With open breast and naked foote
and sleeuelesse armes, in case
As fittest was for scorching heate
and sommers scalding blase,
With wreathes bough about hir brows
to kepe hir beauty bright:
For cause the heate wil hurt the hue
and make it swarth to sight,
In sorte that Louers neuer will
conceiue therof delight.
And euer as she did approche
my shattred sheafe I shooke:
And as from out my fist it fell
that vp my Minion tooke.
For women neyther can conceale
their griefs and wasting gleede,
Nor conquer cares, ne yet defer
the same till time of neede:
Such lightnesse rayns in thē by kind
as out it shall with speede.

Fortunat'
Who so doth loue is light God wotte,
not womankinde alone,
But very they that deemed are
to sitte in Pallas throne,
And wisedoms gaudy garland weare
about their tryed hed:
Yea those of poudred purple that
and Senate robes are sped.
Whom I in stately sorte haue seene
like Royall Kings to walke,
And earst in proud presumptuous sorte
about the streates to stalke.
And thou perhaps affectiond so
werte madder of the twayne,
And lighter eke: thou shattredst corne,
she tooke it vp agayne.
Thou gau'st ye graine ye she receiu'd,
I pray thee tell me now
Which was the wysest of the both,
the littell trull or thou?
Speake on, for talke is it that must
dryue sleepe from heauy brow.

Faustus
The angry Beldam looking backe
with shriueled visage prates,
And cride why (Galla) whither goest?
why doest thou leaue thy mates?
Come hither (Galla) here among
the Alder boughes I haue
Founde out a pleasant shady plotte
from Phœbus flames to saue
Our ouerchaufed limmes with heate,
the whisling ayre doth cause
The trembling leaues to make a noyse,
tis beste here right to pause.
O hatefull words to Faustus eares:
go gentle winds I pray
And beare (quod I) with nymble gale
this curssed sounde away.
If any Shepherd bring his flocke
into a fertile vayne,
And will not let them feede their fill
but dryue them backe agayne,
Or hauyng fedde, will stay the streame
and neuer let them drinke,
But force them to forgoe the floud:
wouldst thou not surely thinke
That man to be a monster fell
and natures cruell foe,
And stony hearted that could vse
his sielly cattle soe?
That voyce to me more griefull was
than Iunos husbands threats,
Whē down he flings his flasshing flaks,
and earth with Imber beats.
I would not, but I could not choose
but backward cast myne eye:
And Galla looking vnder brow,
gan out of hand reply.
She bent hir friendly blincks as fast,
and rold hir eyes aside:
Which by and by the chiding Dame
by spitefull fortune spide.
And call'd vpon the wanton Wench:
but Galla bent the more
To worke, refusde to lend an eare
to hir that chid so sore.
As she with foote pursude my pace,
so did she eke in hart:
Then I full like a craftie childe,
(for Loue ministers art
And doth instructe his thrals with dole)
would often sing a song,
And often on the Reapers crie,
and haruest folks among.
A crafty cloake to make the Dame
and wedded Sister leeue
That Galla to theyr cleping cries
no eare at all did geeue.
With sythe I shore adoun the briers,
for that I would be sure
The pricks to Gallas tender feete
no domage should procure.

Fortunat'
Who so doth loue (no doubt) is slaue
and follows (like a thrall
Inchaynde) his chosen Maistresse foote
till yoke his necke do gall.
Sweete blowes to beare he is compeld
vpon his beastly corse,
He bides the goade, and like an Oxe
doth drawe the plough perforce.

Faustus
And thou as far as I can learne,
haste felte Cupidos darte.

Fortunat'
Tushe tys a common euill, who hath
not played some frantike parte?

Faustus
This paynfull pleasure of the mind,
this sugred venom grewe
From day to day to more and more,
more cruell twas to viewe.
Euen as the heate of Phœbus flames
augment their scortching blast
And partching powre frō lesse to more,
till nine of clocke be past.
I wore agaste lyke one that was
of late berefte his wits,
Besides my selfe (no doubt) I was,
and rackte with furious fits.
Unmindfull beast I was become,
I tooke no nightly rest:
Twas easie eke to know my grief,
The browe bewrayes the brest.
Which thing as sones my Father spide,
more gentle he became
Than earste, for that him self had felte
the force of Cupids flame.
And knew thereof the burden well
how heauy twas to beare:
Wherfore in courteous sorte he sayde.
Sonne Faustus bannishe feare,
And tell thy father what thou aylste,
and hidden haste in harte:
(Unhappy boy) this face declares
that thou haste felt the darte
Of Loue, come off, and take no shame
but tell me how thou fare:
Bewraye to me thy pensiue thought
that breedes this cutting care.

Fortunat'
Yea, though the father checke his child
and vse a bended browe,
His mynd is frindlier than his face,
he loues him well ynowe.

Faustus
I seing that my Sire became
so courteous, out of hand
Confest the matter, and declarde
how thoe the case did stand.
I crau'd his helpe, he straight behight
that he would do his best:
And so (or eare the winter frost
with glare the ground opprest)
The kinsfolk and the Father had
betrothde the Mayd to mee.
But she and I could neuer deale
alone, but some would see
And warely watch what coyle we kept:
I was a Tantal right,
I stode amyd the water, but
I could not drinke a whit.
O Lord how often leauing plough
and Oxen all alone,
When she was sole at home, haue I
vnto hir mothers gone?
I would deuise excuses store,
the plough tayle, or the yoake,
The share, ye chaynes, ye spittestaffe eke
my subtill craft to cloake.
And all at Mother lawes I fette,
I could not want a iotte,
But yet (good Wen̄ch) hir company
I could not haue God wotte.
I was not slack to doe my due,
to fish, to foule, to hunte:
I thoe began and practisde feates
that I of yore was wonte.
What soeuer was my lucke to catche,
what game so ere I kilde,
To mother lawes I bore, and was
surmisde a courteous childe.
At midnight once (as promis was
betwixte the Wench and mee)
I came vnto hir Mothers house,
in hope to had some glee:
The Dogges (not sleepy then) at dore
some theefe surmisde to bee.
With open iawes on me they ranne,
I leapte a hedge in hast.
And so with much adoe escapde
the curssed Curres at last:
With such deuises all the colde
and Winter time we past,
The Spring was come, ye groues were greene,
the vine began to spread:
The ploughman Barly gan to sow,
for Wheat had taken head.
Lamperydes those glistring foules
with glowing wings did flie,
Which did declare to husbandmen
that haruest tyme was nie.
Behold, the mariage daye was come,
a wedded wight I was:
What neede so many words? at night
to bed in post we passe.
A wisshed time to both God wotte,
my Barke with blessed blast
And merrie gale of winde vnto
the hauen came at last.
Then with a slaughtred Oxe two days
we kepte a solemne feast,
And vnderneath a spreading tree
the tables were addrest.
Oenophilus was there, on whom
full fraught with Bacchus wares
And making sporte, with willing eyes
the whole assemble stares.
With pipe was Tonius eke at hand,
who after meate to showe
His skill, the paynted bagpipe raught,
and gan theron to blowe.
His alie cheekes with blasting breath
full wide he made to stroute,
When he began to puffe the pipe,
he stared all aboute,
And lifted vp his bittle browes,
and from his lungs full oft,
He drew his winde to fill the bagge,
that being stuffed toft,
And broosed with his elbow downe,
did yelde his sounde aloft.
With finger frisking here and there,
as he was piping aye:
He call'd the youth from table, and
inuited them to play,
And hoppe about the open streetes,
and daunce away the day.
There are since that three winters past,
fourth Sommer comes in place:
I see if any good day there bee,
it flies away apace.
Is nothing pleasant in this worlde
but passeth by in hast:
But hatefull happes and vilest things
we see doe longest last.

Fortunat'
O Fauste, doest see? to yonder vine,
the flocke doth go with speede,
Wherfore least we be taxed sore,
tis time to trudge in deede.