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Daphnis and Chloe

Excellently describing the weight of affection, the simplicitie of loue, the purport of honest meaning, the resolution of men, and disposition of Fate, finished in a Pastorall, and interlaced with the praises of a most peerlesse Princesse, wonderfull in Maiestie, and rare in perfection, celebrated within the same Pastorall, and therefore termed by the name of The Shepheards Holidaie. By Angell Daye
 
 

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The First Booke of the loves Pastorall, of Daphnis and Chloe.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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The First Booke of the loves Pastorall, of Daphnis and Chloe.

[To thee thou winged God, what ere thou bee]

To thee thou winged God, what ere thou bee
(A god thou art) we sheepheards fruits do bring
Let Daphnis and his heards be deare to thee,
And Chloes flocks eft cast this sacred spring.


[What may I call the sweete whence springs my sweetest ioy]

What may I call the sweete whence springs my sweetest ioy,
Or wherein rests that on such sweete depends so great annoy.
How haps that where I touch the aire hath sweetest breath
And in the selfe-same fume I find my cause of death
Whence sues that where I liue where most delight I see
In selfe-same mood my life consumes, & ioies confounded bee
Whereon engendred is the heat that breeds the flame
Sith tempered is with sweetest blasts the cause that mooues the same
What phisicke may I finde what art to cure the sore,
Which guided by the aide it seekes the wound makes still the more


[Sweete sweetned be the houres, the daies, the monthes and times]

Sweete sweetned be the houres, the daies, the monthes and times,
Wherein with sweete conceipts my soule, thy sweetned fauor climes
Sweete be thy lookes, thy touch, thy speach, thy gate and all
Ten thousand sweets betide thee still, whose sweetnes staines them all.
Ye floures whose motlie hues do pranke in Natures pride.
Do shrowd your selues, and for my sweete, your beauties lay aside.
Ye temprate westerne winds, whose aire yeilds sweetned breath
Denie your sweete to be as hers, whose sweet yeelds life or death
Ye deintie tuned fowles whose notes do decke the spring
Confesse in hearing of her soundes, your sweets small pleasure bring
Ye christall sacred springs, ye vales and mountaines hie,
Whose pleasant walkes her passage decks, and spreading fauours die


Agree with me in this, my sweete (surpassing far)
Excels the sweetnes of you all, and doth your pleasures bar.

[Those hears the golden wiers of my wel tuned sounde]

Those hears the golden wiers of my wel tuned sounde,
Become the pleasure of my panges, and make my ioyes abounde.
These seemely eies the glasse, whereof my fewture staies,
And forehead large, the field on which, depends my blisfull raies.
This mouth the deintie spring, that yeldes me cause of life,
These teeth the pearles of precious price, that cure mine inward grife.
These lips the curroll fresh, that comforts heart and mind,
These looks the guarders of my loue, by whom I fauor find,
Those cheeks the apples fresh, whereon Vermilion taint,
Be mixed with the siluer white, my sugred pleasure paint.
These pits in dented cheeks, are chaires for Beautie plaste,
Wherein, triumphant fauor sits, impugning woes to waste.
This necke of yu'ry white, confounder of my cares,
These hands the aids to further that, which loue for me prepares.
These feet the wished steps, whereout my ioies arise
From these and out of these ensue, what els I may deuise.
Thus decked in my ioyes, on her I gaze my fil
Whose shape hath power to comfort all, but neuer force to spill


[Ye brightest gleames within those percing eies]

Daphnis.
Ye brightest gleames within those percing eies
Whose glimpse retaines a shew of power deuine
Enclose your selues, for feare from loftie skies
Some enuious star do at your glory pine.

Chloe
Ye mightie powers, to whom these sacred groues
Right pleasing bene. And Nimphes that haunt this shade,
Enuie you not with wreake the hardye proues
That Natures selfe in Daphnis shape hath made



Daphnis
Alas if Phœbus should the heat for-thinke
That once for loue in burning breast he bare
And mazed at thy fewter, gin to shrincke
From her to thee, then woe betide my share.

Chloe
Alas if Venus stealing to her springs
In mind her sweet Adonis to embrace
Thy curled locks should vew whose beautie stings
And thee for him admire, then woe my case.

Daphnis
Excelling iewels, beare the choisest price
Things lesse in shewe, enuie alwaies the best:
Lesse Phœbe shines, when Tytan ginnes to rise
Where mightie force effects, there shrowds the least.

Chloe
Unmatched pearles, haue value still for showe
When best exceeds, who can denie the place
Though things be rated hie, yet this we knowe
It (needs) excels, whose weight hath highest grace,

Daphnis
Be honored then, thou Nimphe of all the flockes

Chloe
Be fairest thou of all that guide their heard

Daphnis
Let still thy name resound on hiest rockes

Chloe
And Chloe ne're be of thy chaunge afeard.



[To loue alas, what may I call this loue?]

To loue alas, what may I call this loue?
This vncouth loue, this passion wondrous straunge,
A mischiefe deadlie, such as for to proue
My heart would shunne, if powre I had to chaunge.
To chaunge said I? recant againe that sownd
Recant I must, recant it shall indeed
Sith in my heart so many things abound
As yeelds desert how ere my fancies speede.
Sweete is the lure that feeds my gazing eies
Sweete be the lookes, that whet my hot desire
Sweete is the harbour where my quiet'lies
But to vnsweete, the meanes for to aspire.


Yet must I loue? I must, and so I doe.
Suppoze it hard the thing whereat I reach
Who doubtes but pearles are for the best to wooe
And greatest mindes to highest actions stretch.
Be witnes yet (my flockes) of all my paine
And sacred groues that knowe my iust complaint
Let aie my loue within this barke remaine
Whom harmefull force haue neuer power to taint.


[What griefe alas, what hell vnto my woes?]

What griefe alas, what hell vnto my woes?
What sorrow may exceede my foule mishap?
What more excesse than mischiefe where it flowes?
Or deepe dispaire that all my woes doeth wrap?
Vnhappy downes, what ailed wicked spight
To reaue from you and me, our sweete delight.
My tender kiddes if ere your louing skips
You beare in minde, and on this pleasant dale
How manie times your young delightfull trips
Haue Daphnis mo'ud to mourne his bitter bale
Then for his sake that whilom was your guide
Yeeld foorth your plaints, and griefes to you betide.
Ye mournefull flockes dispersed where ye goe
To vncouth pastures yeeld my drearie tunes
Lamenting teares, and sighings full of woe
Wherein my thoughts for Chloes loue consumes
Let be your foode, and your tender walkes
Conceiue the sorrowe that my pleasure balkes
Returne to me your stately beards. Returne
My heart, my ioye, my comfort and my care,
My blisfull Chloe once againe returne.
Ye sacred Nymphs, or death for me prepare
Seale vp your springs, and praise in secret lie
If Chloes rape doe cause her Daphnis die.


[Ye heauens (if heauens haue power to iudge of things amisse)]

Ye heauens (if heauens haue power to iudge of things amisse)
Ye earthlie guides that swaie and rule, the stem of all my blisse,
Ye starres if you can iudge, ye Planets if ye knowe
Of haynous wrongs, that tendred beene to men on earth belowe,
Then iudge, repute, & deeme, giue sentence and diuine
Of all the wo that rues my hart, and causlesse makes me pine,
If right to men of right belongs with equall doome,
Then heauens I pray admit my teares, and do my plaints resume,
Your sacred powre it is that yeeldes me bale or boote:
The sighs I spend are else but waste, and vaine is all my sute.
I loue, alas, I loue, and loued long I haue,
My loue to labour turned is, my hope vnto the graue,
My fruit is time mispent, mispending breedes my gaine,
My gaine is ouer-rulde by losse, and losse breedes all my paine,
Here my gastly ghost could halt or go awrie,
I aske no fauour for my sute, but let me starue and die,


But if by fixed faith by trouth I sought to clime
By seruice long that nere should be shut vp by any time.
Yf onely zeale I beare to that I most desire
And choice reguard of purest thoughts hath set my heart on fire
Why should not my reward conformed be with those
Whose liues at happiest rate are led and craue aright suppose
If this be all I seeke, if sole for this I serue
Then heauens vouchsafe to graunt me this els let me die and sterue.