University of Virginia Library

The .ij. Egloge entituled FORTVNATVS.

Faustus. Fortunatus.
Faustus
How hapt (my frēd) you com so late?
a weeke is past and gone:
What bred thy stay? annoyes thy shepe
the soyle they feede vpon?

Fortunat'
O Faustus, Pade the floud that fletes
and runnes alongst our grounds
Was woxen egall with the banks:
it had so past his bounds,
That we not forcyng on our flocks,
for priuate profits sake
And common safetie were constraynde
both day and night to make
A Bay to beate the waters backe
and cause them to recoyle,
For feare lest Padus wold haue drownd
and ouerflowne our soyle.

Faustus
Yea Padus sundry times when he
doth swell aboue his banks,
(As Tityrus can witnesse well)
playes many spitefull pranks.

Fortunat'
Euen as thou sayst, perhaps he doth,
when out of meane and tyme
He boyles by force of Sommer blase,
and boue the banke doth clyme.
But now the yeare requires the same,
for from the frosty hills
The Winter snow descendeth downe:
The Mount with water fills
The slacked flouds, and doth discharge
him selfe: the floud as fast
Conuayes his burden and the waues
to gultching Seas doth cast.
They play the part that men are wont:
for when the heauy packe,
Doth pinche our limmes, we cast it on
our needy neighbours backe.

Fortunat'
But now the chanell hath reuokde
his spoutyng spring agayne.

Faustus
O Fortunatus (wonder tis
and monstrous thing to sayne)
Though Padus doe decrease, our lake
with greater sourge doth swell:
The Citie swimmes aloft the streame,
a straungie tale to tell.
The vaultes and sellars ditches are,
in whirries men resort
Unto the barrells, drawers haue
a ioily glee and sport,
To goe by water with their Jacks
and fetche the wyne away
By bottels full, that earst full drie
in secrete sellar lay.
On Townish men (though happy they
appeare to open sight)
Yet many times vnhappy haps,
and cruell chaunces light.

Fortunat'
From euery pleasure doth aryse
displeasure in the ende:
And aye from euery blessed happe
doth balefull lucke depende.

Faustus
Thus much of Padus hath ben tolde,
now let's recite our Loue:
Since friendly Venus thervnto
in eche respect doth moue.
The weather is full warme we see,
the soyle is greene to viewe:
The foules about the field do syng,
now euery thing doth mewe,
And shiftes his rustie winter robe.

Fortunat'
Thou haste in shepheards verse
Declarde thy loue, but I will gyn
anothers to reherse,
(A shepherd whō thou knowst full wel)
to make it playne in sight
What force there rests in Venus flame,
and shewe hir stately might.
Amyntas poore (God watte) and borne
vnluckie vnder signe:
Six calues of egall age possest,
and had as many kine.
Whome as he draue to pasture with
a Bull that father was
To all the hierd: It was his chaunce
by Coytus to passe.
A place where Myncius with his cleare
and siluer chanell flowes
And swiftly all the grassy soyle
and meadowes ouergoes.
A Castell new with battled walls
there faceth on the floode:
High raysed vp that Coyte hight,
and on the marishe stoode.
Here resting him by Riuers side
where grew a goodly vine,
That wt his boughs did shade ye bāks
and waters passing fine,
He stayde to catth the gliding Fish
with baited hooke and line.
Twas Haruest time, ye scorching beams
of scalding Phœbus rayes
Had singde the soyle, the Nightingale
had layde aside hir layes.
The ground was withred in such wyse
as neither flocke coulde feede
Theron by day, nor deawe was left
for Grassehoppers at neede,
By night to moist their crikyng chaps.
Here whylst he spent the tyde
About the Riuer, and this fonde
and vayne deuise applyde.
The Bull first vexed with the Waspe,
and next with curres they say,
And last by filching Souldiers meane
was quite conuayde away,
Not to be found in field. Which when
the Boy had vnderstoode,
He gat hym to a Mountayne by
and cried out a good
For Bull vnhaply lost of late,
and all the countrey sought
With greedy gazing eye. But when
he sawe it booted nought
And that his payne could not preuaile:
his bended Bowe he tooke,
And painted Quiuer full of shafts
and for his beast gan looke
Through woods wher was no haunted path,
through euery flock & fold,
Through pastures eke to see where he
his Bullocke might behold.
About Benacus bankes he went,
and Mountes with Oliue tree
Beset, and places where both Figge
and Uine was greene to see.
At length a haughtie hill he hent,
where did a Chappell stande
Of Sulphur, and from thence he cast
his eies about the lande,
And ouerviewde Benacus bounds,
and all the countrey rounde,
To see where in that coast there were
his Bullock to be founde.
It was Sainct Peters day by course
and custome of the yere,
The youth of euery village by,
at after noone was there:
And vnderneath a greenysh Elme
that shadowed all the soyle,
At sounde of pleasant countrey pipe
they dauncde, and kept a coyle.

Faustus
The country Cloines can not be tamde
by any kinde of arte,
Unquiet they delight in sweate:
when Priest hath done his parte,
And mornyng Prayers ended are,
the Holy day (when all
Should ceasse from toyle) impaciēt they
of rest and hunger, fall
To fillyng of their greedy mawes
and tossyng of the cup:
And hye to daunce, as soone as myn-
streil gyns to pype it vp:
They treade it tricksie vnder tree,
one skippes as he were mad,
An other iumpes as twere an Oxe
vnto the Aultar lad.
The sacred soyle (that synne it were
to turne with toyling share,
And cut with crooked culter) they
can not endure to spare:
But friske theron like frātike fooles
vnwieldy wights (God wot)
With leaden legs and heauy heeles
about the Churchyarde trot.
And all the day do crie and laugh,
and lay their lips to pot.

Fortunat'
Thou dolt, why dost thou chat of this?
thy selfe a rustike borne:
The maners of the countrey Cloines,
and rustike route doest scorne.
Thou dost thy self cōdemne withall,
thou art thy proper foe.

Faustus
Tushe of Amyntas let vs chat,
let all these matters go.
I spake it but in sporte (my friende)
I trust you take it so.
He stayde, and leaning gaynst his staffe
ymade of Acer tree,
Did stint from trauaile till the heate
might somwhat swaged bee.
O most vnhappy haplesse youth,
in shade a greater flash
Will seaze thy corps: shut vp thine eyes
least whilst Diana wash
Hir louely limmes in siluer streame
thou naked hir espie:
Or lende a listning eare vnto
the Syrens when they crie.
Thy lucke with Narcisce heauy lore,
may well compared bee:
For whilst in Well he sought to slake
his thirst, the more was hee
(Unlucky lad) with drought attachde:
so whilst thou doest deuise
This outward heate to flee, an in-
warde flame doth thee surprise.
How much had better bene (I pray)
and happier for thee,
(Unlesse the fatall Gods would had
thy destnie so to bee)
To thy remainder flocke in fielde
to haue returned backe,
And kepte thy Kye, and let alone
the Bull that was a lacke:
And taken in good part the losse
of that one beast alone,
Than thus, in seeking nought to finde
thy selfe to haue forgone.

Faustus
Oh Friende, who is not wise become
when things are at the wurst?
Tis naught to giue aduise in fine
that should bene had at furst.
The counsell that comes after all
thyngs are dispatcht at last,
Is like a showre of rayne that falls
when sowing time is past.

Fortunat'
Among the rest of all the route
a passing proper Lasse,
A white haird trull of twenty yeares
or neere aboute there was:
In stature passyng all the rest,
a gallant Girle for hewe:
To be cōpard with Townish Nimphs
so faire she was to viewe.
Hir forhead cloth with gold was purlde
a little here and theare:
With copper claspe about hir necke
a kerchiefe did she weare.
That reached to hir breast and paps:
the Wench about hir wast,
A gallant gaudy ribande had
that girte hir body fast.
In Peticote of countrey stuffe
Mockadoe like, she goes:
Twas plaited braue, ye length was such
it hoong nie to hir toes.
As soone as hir the youth had spide,
he perisht by and by:
By sight he sucked in the flame,
and meane of wanton eye:
He swallowde vp the blinding fyre,
and in his belly plast
The coles that neither waues could quēch
nor rainie imber wast,
No not inchātmēts, witches words,
it cloong so close and fast.
Forgetful he of former flocke,
and damage done with waues,
Was all inraged with this flash,
at night he nought but raues.
The season that for quiet sleepe
by nature poynted was,
In bitter plaintes and cruell cries,
this burning Boy did passe.
I sundry times for pities sake
his growing flame to stay,
And stop the frantike furie, would
to hym full often say:
O lamentable lad, what God
hath forcde thee thus to fare?
But sure it was no worke of Gods
that bred this bitter care.
Nay rather twas the cruelst impe,
and spitefulst fiende of hell,
Of those with Lucifer that from
the skies to dungeon fell,
That nine dayes space were tumbling downe:
I pray thee make me show
And call to mynde where euer yet
thou any man dydst know
By foolish loue aduauncde to wealth,
or any office borne:
Or raisde by meanes therof his house,
or stufft his barnes with corne?
Dydst euer any knowe that hath
therby enlargde his bounds:
Increaste his flocke, or for his hierd,
ygotten fruitful grounds?
Among so many countreys tell
me, if thou heardst of one,
At any tyme through all the earth
I thinke was neuer none.
There are that to their bloudy boordes
our crushed bodies beare,
And butcherlike (with greedy teeth)
our rented corses teare.
There are, I say, whom spitefull fiends
vnto suche practise dryue:
Yet is there no such kynde of men
so cruell here alyue:
No countrey is so barbarous,
is none so sauage seckte,
As doth not hate the womans loue
and fansies fonde reiecte.
Thence brawles ar bred, thēce chidings come,
thence broiling warre & strife
Yea often eke with sheading bloud
the cruell losse of life.
By meanes therof are Cities sackt,
and Bulwarks beate to grounde:
Moreouer Lawes and sacred Bookes
in yron chaines ybounde,
Forbid and giue vs charge to flee
in any case this Loue:
With words expresly Cupide they
and all his toyes disproue.
Amyntas had no sooner heard
the name of Lawes rehearst,
But aunswered (for in Citie he
a Boy was fostred earst)
Thou goest about to farre surmount
by giuing this aduise
The Catos both, and to be thought
both circumspect and wise.
This errour and this madnesse beares
eche where a cruell swaye:
Man flattreth with him self, and would
be counted crafty, aye
A creature able to forsee:
yet many a snare and gin
And ditche that he him selfe hath delu'de
the Miser falleth in.
He first was free, but to his necke
him selfe did frame the yoke:
In seruile chaine him selfe he bounde,
and bands of freedome broke.
So weightie are those Lawes (my selfe
haue seene the Bookes ere this)
As neither predecessours, nor
our selues can kepe ywis:
Nor aftercommers shall obserue
the meanyng of the same.
Behold the foolish wit of man,
that thinkes such feate to frame,
As to the heauens to aspire:
and hopes at length to get
Among the glistryng starres aloft
a stately roome and seate.
Perhaps when life is lost, he shall
into a foule conuarte:
And then his feathred soule with wyngs
to welkin shall departe.
And then (quod I) what brawle is this?
since God dyd so deuise
The lawes, twere fowle offence for mā
his statutes to despise.

Faustus
These are debates of great affaires
and weighty things in deede.

Fortunat'
Wott'st thou what kind of mā I was?
though ragged be my weede,
And I a rustike now to see:
then both in force and mynde
And lookes, I was a roysting lad.
Thou shouldst not lightly fynde
A shepeheard to be matchte with me.

Faustus
And yet if bolte vpright
Thou stalke with countnance cast aloft
thou wilt appeare in sight,
A second Marius to be:
let Barbar shaue thy face
With razer, and in countenance thou
wilt matche with Carbos grace.

Fortunat'
Amyntas would like aunswer make
when I his follie blamde:
But to proceede: when God had man
in perfect figure framde,
He did repine therat and thought
the pleasures he allowde
Too passing were: and did restrayne
our lust with law, and bowde
Our Rebell minds with new decrees:
as Horsemen vse to tie
Theyr iades with brakes about ye iawes
for feare they goe awrie.
Herein Loue maks me shew my minde,
and fansie freely tell:
Who so debarres his wife to goe
in common doth not well,
But enuious may accompted be.
But yet this spitefull hate
The cloake of honest custome doth
in some respect abate.
For whilst ech man vnto him self
(not forcing common good)
Reseru'd his priuate ioyes, and to
his marriage bargain stood.
A common custome is incrochte
that Honestie is hight,
Good fayth to make such pieuish lawes
twas mad and foolish spight.
A hatefull thing is Loue (God wotte)
and pleasure spitefull eke.
Then I no longer daring to
the Youth athwarte to speake,
Shooke of the raging wanton Boy
that seemde berefte of sense:
And on my former voyage I
eftsone departed thence.

Faustus
Seest how this vile Affection fonde
our inwarde eyes of mynd
Shutts vp in such despiteous sorte,
and makes vs men so blinde,
As headlong we to errors runns
and to deceiptfull snare:
Till tyme we bee in wilfull trappe
and nipt with cutting care?

Fortunat'
Oh, dost thou see (frend Faustus) how
the pitchy cloudes vpon
Mount Baldus to a cluster goe,
and ioyne them selues in one?
It hayles, for feare our cattell bee
dispersed, let's bee gone.