University of Virginia Library

Now gentle blastes, forerunners of the day,
Had summond hatefull Darknes packe away:
And Horror, Coachman vnto ougly night,
Made his blacke Steedes poast with all speed he might,
From foorth our Hemisphere, not daring bide
To looke vpon Aurorás gorgious pride.
And now from new spows'd wife, the fierie Sunne
Was risen, and from Ocean seas begunne,
To driue his golden Chariot, that he might
To all the world declare his glorious light.
When Thamesis, the fairest Queene on earth,
To solemnise her annuall day of birth,
Appareled in Robe of purest white,
All thicke of golden shimiring Spangles dight;
Which gainst the Sunne reflecting beames did cast,
As do the Starres, that in the heauens are plâst.
Her haire bound vp in knots like golden Wier,
And crownd with Garlands of sweete smelling Brier:
Vnto a Meddow by, his flowing streames
Did goe: where she from heat of Phœbus beames,
Vnder the coole shade of the spreading Trees,
Did meane to sport and sing sweete virolees.
With her faire Nimphes, each hauing in her hand,
To fill with precious flowers a little maund.

It was about the selfe same time of yeare,
When from the midst of heauen the Sunne doth beare
His scorching heate, and makes it swiftly role,
Vnto the Starres of the Antartique Pole.
Then when Pomona lades her slender bowes,
To serue Autumnus her diseased spowse.
Autumnus who in presse with naked feete,
From sweete ripe Grapes, make pleasant Wines to fleete.

In Iuorie hand faire Thames a Maund did hold,
Most rarely painted, and adornd with gold:
Which precious Iewell great Ocean did
To Doris giue, what time he did her wed:
Which precious rich Maund louely Doris after,
Did giue to Thames her derling and her daughter.

Vpon that Maund were many Histories
Depicted in such rare and curious wise,
That seemd as Art with Nature stroue t'excell
In the rare workmanshyp, for none could tell,
Saue Uulcane, who some sayd, did make the same,
How like to it, another Maund to frame.

There might y'haue scene a very stately Bed,
Made like a Boat; which certaine Tritons did
With their strong scalie backes vphold and stay,
All armde with Oares, all coullard like the Sea:
Bout whom, faire Sea-Nimphs sported chearfully,
Delighted with the Tritons company:
Where, on the poop, stood Neptune; who did hold
In his right hand his Trident tinde with gold.
And vnder his left arme a winding Shell,
Like those from whence (as ancient Poets tell)
The heades of Tiber and of Nilus ran,
Or ere their floodes vnto the salt Sea came.

Ioues braine-bred-daughter at the prow was placed,
Armed as then when she from heauen chaced
The hundred handed Titan to his graue,
Vpon the Fish that did Orion saue.
The Testerne like a Tile, all couered
With purple Veluet richly imbrodered,
With orient round Pearle was supported by;
Certaine faire Sea-Nimphes on whose head did lie,
The Arched Ribbes in very stately order,
As on so many columnes: on a border
Bout which was painted the imagerie
Of many Sea-gods, very curiously;
With Curtaines sutable thereto: whereon
The Romaine Lucrece liuelesse, pale, and wan,
Lay all besmeared in her owne goare blood,
Which with a Poyniard her owne hand had shod,
As sacrifice vnto her chastitie;
Which was bereau'd by Tarquine spightfully.
And there by cunning Woorkman curiously,
Was made a Land-shaft, in which one might see,
Steepe craggie Rockes, high Mountaines, shady Woodes,
Greene pleasing Fieldes, and crooked winding Floodes;
Where, in the middle of a pleasant Lawne,
There was a stately Fountaine sweetely drawne;
Whose water from a Harpies breast did fall,
Of Brasse, into a Cesterne paued all
With polisht Marblé, and with Porphire stone;
In which the Painter had his cunning showne,
In neately laying of his cullours, that
It seemd a true Fount, and no counterfect:
In which was chast Diana with her Nimphes,
All naked, bathing of their tender limbes;
On whom Acteon in the changed shape
Of fearefull Deare, full greedily did gape,
Turned thereto because he should not tell,
Had seene Diana naked in a Well:
By whom were made his wearie Hound that lapped
The water which from foorth the Fountaine drapped;
Whom fearing, he did seeke to flie: for as
His body, so his minde transformed was;
And on the hanger of a Hill hard by,
The Dogges pinching his hantches you might see;
A rewfull sight, yet could not be amended,
Since he Dianas grace had so offended.
And bout the Verges seemely to behold,
Trailes of Morisco workes were wrought in gold.

Thus louely Isis with his comely traine
Of beauteous Nimphes, into the Meddow came;
Where, on one side a shady Forrest grew;
To which Aurora oft her selfe withdrew,
To heare her Loues complaint, and where the Moone,
Oft stayde to looke vpon the Latmian Lowne:
In which did grow the tough and hardie Ashe,
The builder Oke; Holme fit for Carters lash,
Chast louely Daphne closed vnder rinde,
Incestuous Mirh, that weepeth still of kind:
Then peacefull Oliue, and the holsome Pine;
The sayling Firre, and eke the drunken Vine:
Vpon whose boughes, pearcht the lasciuious Sparrow,
The temperate Turtle, and the wight wingd Swallow,
Who flying singes, and singing studieth where,
With more art then with cost, her nest to reare:
The which, as patterne may be looked on
By rarest Archytect and cunningst man.
The little Owsle, and the mounting Larke;
The prettie Quaile, and charitable Storke,
Whose kindnesse to olde Parents children learne;
For oft to aged Parents you are more sterne.
High flying Cranes, by whose orderly flight,
Mars first was taught in rancked squadrons fight.
And Peacoks, which against the Sunne do reare
Their painted tayles with Argus eyes made faire.
With little Nightingales, who diuersly
With changed notes do make sweete melodie,
Feigning sometime a base, sometime a trebble,
Often a meane, then sweetely foorth do warble
A descant, which the mindes of standers by,
Doth rauish, hearing such sweete harmonie.

On th'other side, a secret Caue was seene,
Which for his fitnesse, often times hath beene
A refuge for those Nimphes, the which would shunne,
The scortching heate of Midday of the Sunne:
The entrance deckt with Mosse, pleasing the sight,
And alway fresh and greene for more delight,
To land-ward did there rise a Hill so high,
That wel-nie it did face the azurd skie:
From foote of which, did runne a purling Brooke
Through the Meade, with many a winding crooke:
Whose slyding streames the heauens calme seemd blew,
Whence store of pleasure to the eye-sight grew;
Yet clearer then was Aganippe Fount,
Or Acidalia, where the Charicts wount
To bath their Iuorie breastes and golden haire,
Ere they make readie Cithereas care.
About whose bankes did grow small tangled Trees,
Which made it seeme a heauen to gasers eyes:
Whose boughes the needie Wood-man neare had cut,
Nor hungrie Beast the tender shootes had brut.
And in the middle of that Meddow grew
A stately Beech, which his large armes foorth threw
To shadow them that vnder her should sport,
To which with Lea, Isis did resort
With Lea; on whose bankes Ardea was turned
Into a Bitterne, cause she Glaucus scorned.
Whilst Colne, and Kenet, with the faire Chrew went
To gather Flowers of most pleasing sent;
‘For there were Roses with Virmilion died,
‘Coole Dasies, and white Lillies; Summers pride:
‘The Marigold, that doth affect the Sunne,
‘Hiding her beautie when his light is gonne:
‘The Bee alluring Thime, the sweete Costmarie,
‘Gray Lauender, and strong senting Rosemarie,
And what else might be pleasing to the view,
Within this faire and princely Meddow grew:
But that which garnisht most this Paradise,
Were Isis louely looke, and sparkling eyes.
For marke how brighter Cinthia doth appeare
Aboue the Starres within her motiue Spheere:
So much more fairer did this louely Dame
Exceede those comely Nimphes, that which here came.

Not shee, whom Uenus gaue for the rich Ball,
The cause of tenne yeares warre, and Troyes fall:
Nor that faire Dame whom Ioue in shape of Swan,
Whylome did court, when he her loue first wan:
Nor yet Europa, whose loue made him take
A proude Bulles shape (tho then when he did make)
To looke like a faire vntamed Heyfer:
Had he turnd to a Bull, it had been better;
For Beautie might in any poynt compare
To Isis, tho they were exceeding faire.

You learned Muses, race of mighty Ioue,
That often sport within a sacred Groue,
In pleasant Tempe, and do dayly drinke,
Of those cleare waues that flow from Pinples brinke.
O you that guide their enterprises right,
Who take in hand to graue with rarest slight,
Vpon the Alter of Muemosine,
Within the Temple of Immortalitie,
Sweete pleasing beautie, which else subiect were,
In shade of lasting silence still to ere,
Guide me, that with your helpe I may begin
To frame Thams beautie; whose like neare hath bin:
And graunt these Rithmes, which slenderly are done,
May shew hereafter when as I am gone.
She was the fairst and most accomplisht Dame,
Excelling 'all whom Nature ere did frame.

Her heauenly Head the miracle of Nature,
Surpassing farre the fairest earthly creature:
With yelow Tramels all of beaten gold,
VVhich gasers thoughts in curled knots did hold;
Seemd ouerspred with flowers fresh and gay,
The mirtle Forests where the loues do play.
Like to a Table was her Front to see,
Of whitest Marble, seate of Maiestie:
VVell polished, as on a summers daie,
VVithouten waues vnited seemes the Sea:
VVhere Cupid had an Alter built to offer,
Their hartes that did refuse his lawes to suffer.

Her Eye-lids blacke, of Heben arches made,
VVere like the bow that Psiches husband had;
In which so liberall was Nature to her,
That euery one suspected (that did view her)
She onely 'made faire Isis to deceaue them:
And both of sight and iudgement to bereaue them.

‘Of different force were her two sparckling eyes,
‘Disdaine in th'one, grace in the other lyes:
Two eyes? O no, rather two heauenly Starres;
Th'one proffering Peace, the other threatning Warres:
In which Mars bastard Boy, his lodging tooke
Thence wounding them which at those starres did looke.
Her Nose did seeme (being somewhat highly raysed)
A little Hill betweene two Vallies placed.
Her round and tender Eare, white polished:
VVith Rubies hung her Cheekes embellished:
Cheekes which with liuely Cynab're ore spred.
Seemd like the Morning, new risse from her bed.
Not all those Flowers sprung from Princes gore,
Nor Amaranthus loues Flower made of Yore,
Like colour had to hers, which did amaze
Those carelesse eyes, that on her cheekes did gaze.
Full was her Mouth of thousand Odours sweete,
VVhere there in single ranckes did seemely meete
Bright orientall Pearles in stead of Teeth:
All which, embalmd the Heauens with their breath.
From thence sweete word and pleasing smiles did come,
All made to charme, and make beholders dome:
And which hard Rockes that standin Seas aloft,
Could by their mighty power, of hard make soft.
Round was her Chin, with in whose dimples lay
Enchaunting spels, tho seeming faire and gay.
Her Neck a stay, this little worlde to'pholde,
Of suorie was, or Alabaster mould,
Plast on two hils in whitnes that did passe.
Her snow-white Breasts that was Agenous lasse:
Betweene which hils, Loue often times did lurke,
When cruell stratagems he meant to worke.
Her little but long fingered Hand, more white
Then whitest Lillies that the Spring doth dight:
With enterchanged Vaines adorned was.
Her small feete such as some say Tethis has:
With which she nimbly could trip ore the Lawns,
And chace swift Row-bucks, and young wanton Fawns.

But for those parts the which her Garments hid,
What should we say? Surely dame Nature did
Keepe those thinges secret, least they should excell
All she had made in heauen, in earth, in hell
But O! what boots it to haue thinges surpasse,
Since fairest thinges do fade like Sommers grasse:
Alas nought in this worlde doth firmely stay,
But turneth still like Billowes of the Sea:
VVhich neare do cease to roule till with great rore,
Their rushing beat and breake against the shore.

And thou the cause of this vnstablenesse,
That dost delight in nought but ficklenesse;
VVhose customes neuer to abide in one,
But vseth headlong dayly throw vs downe,
VVhen we are rays'd by thy benignitie,
Vnto the top of all felicitie.

While thus with their faire Nimphs this louely Queene
VVas in this pleasant Meade, by them was seene
A Sheapheard, in the pride of all his dayes:
VVho whilst his tender Flocke on salts did grase,
Sate sencelesse, like an Image made of stone
Long while, at last fetching a deepe sad grone
Of inward griefe, the trewest signe of all;
They foorth his eyen perceiud salt teares to fall:
So after great Ioues hidious thunders past,
A cloude of raine, the heauens doth ouercast:
And when his teares were spent, with heauie cheare,
Sang to his Pipe this Song; which they did heare:
And hearing, could not choose but simpathise
His heauie griefe with water in their eyes.

O whither (quoth he) whither shall I flie,
To purchase ende vnto my miserie?
VVithin what Rocke, or to what desart place,
That neuer is enricht by Phœbus face?
Shall I vnfold in great and greeuous paine,
Which makes me wretcheder then any Swaine?
If there be any place where dayly cries
The Night-rau'n and the Owle, that by night flies,
Whereto no liuing wight doth ere resort:
From whence foule Winter neuer doth depart,
And where the Spring her verdure will not sowe,
A place of deadly horror and foule woe,
Where ougly sorrow dayly may present,
Her selfe before mine eyes me to torment:
That will I choose as best befitting mee,
In this distresse and great extremitie.

And you my little flocke, the small remaine
Of a farre greater, which once more my payne
Might with most neighbour flockes haue made compare
For number or for wooll, both fine and faire:
Then when for change of pasture sillie I,
In th'Aprill of mine age left Germanie;
Where I mongst Stadian bowers had nigh been slaine,
Cause I my Princesse honour did maintaine:
Which was, and is, more dearer vnto mee,
Then is the precious apple of mine eie:
And hoping for I wat not what to gaine,
To Englands pleasant soyle brought you againe.
Goe wander, goe; and take your libertie,
Grasing where is best pasture, while that I
Bewaile m'Icarian flight in mounting pride,
Plumed with waxe-forg'd-wings, which thought to ride
Aboue the cloudy welkin of the ayre,
To view the order their Latonas heire;
Holdeth in guiding of that glorious light,
That is the nourish of each liuing wight;
But was deceaud for comming neare the Sunne:
My winges did melt, and I did tumble downe.

O had I kept along the humble gill,
When first I did attempt to climbe the hill.
Or had I bounded mine ambitious minde,
Which carelesse thought to builde aboue the winde,
Sprung from remembraunce of those deedes were done
By my great Graundsirs, long-since dead and gone:
And a desire to register my'name,
Mought them within the sacred booke of fame:
Then might I now as I haue done before,
Pasture you still along this pleasant shore.

Or had not rather greete Chrusophilus,
Whose greedy humor passing couetous,
Thought all that went beside himselfe quite lost:
Mee too much wronged, and mee too much crost;
Whose soule with many filthy crimes made blacke,
Now fleetes about Auernus fearefull lake:
Then might I now as I haue done before,
Pasture you still along this pleasant shore.

For which, you Lordes of the infernall Bower,
Who ore deceassed soules haue mighty powet,
T'inflict, or to remit their punishment:
O doe you all at my request assent,
Ixion from his wheele a while to take;
And false Chrusophilus fast there to make.
Or if great Iunos wrath be not yet done,
Let Sisiphus t'hen leaue his rowling stone.
Or pull from Cawcasus Prometheus,
And let the Vulturs teare Chrusophilus.
Or if that may not be, Ioue angrie yet,
O then drag Tantalus foorth of his pit.
And let Chrusophilus vp to the chin,
Still, but in vaine, wade vp an'downe therein.
Let him at that faire seeming fruite, oft snatch;
Which thereby hanges, but neuer any catch.
A torment well beefitting such a wight,
Who liuing ore his owne, had neuer might;
And let his late made gentle ofspring, which
Are with stolne Plumes of others pride made rich:
Dispoyld thereof like to their Grandsirs fare,
Who vnto Ceres slauish seruants weare.
And for assenting to my wished boone,
Sad Hecatombes by mee shall be done,
And monthly I will offer a blacke Ramme,
As signe that I am thankfull for the same,
For had not he lately from mee bereft
Vniustly all my Sheepe, saue these few left;
To stanch his neuer satisfied lust
Of Golde, earths drosse, that doth consume with rust;
Then might I now, as I hane done before,
Pasture you still alongst this pleasant shore.
But since it cannot be as twas of late,
Since Fortune now hath giuen me the mate,
Dispoyld me quite of all my woonted mirth,
Clad me with woes, and throwne me to the earth:
And like a Tyrant triumphes ouer me,
That fore her prostrate on the ground doth lie;
Neare reckning whether it be iust and sound,
To trouble him, lies groueling on the ground.

O you the remnant of a greater flocke,
Goe get you gone, while to some desart rocke
I make repaire, where for my bed shall be
The cold dry ground, whereon I still will lie;
For morning mattens, mournings full of care:
For walkes, the wretched pathes of foule dispaire:
For meate, sad discontent: for drinke, salt teares:
For nightly sleepes, nought else but slumbring feares;
Till those last dueties I doe pay to Nature,
Which I am bound too, beeing a mortall creature:
What time my soule freed from this earthly gaile,
Where now it tyred lyes, shall to thee vaile:
Of faire Elisium fly, where voyde of paine,
Mongst blessed soules in ioy it shall remaine.
And thou sweete Pipe, the which wonts oft display
My wronges vnto these Woodes, these Rockes, and Sea,
And moouedst them at once to rew my lot,
When lyuing men seemd sencelesse, and would not;
But helde hard hartes, the which I do repent,
More harder farre, then hardest Adamant.
From that rude race, degenerating nought,
Which was of hard Stone, by Deiecalion wrought.
Here hang thou (therewith on a Beechen tree
He hung his Pipe) for now no more for thee,
Nor for thy sugred melodie I care,
(Quoth he) which done like one drownd in dispaire:
Thence heauie he departed, passing nought,
What Fortune, or foule Enuie could alot.

On whom, whilst ISIS lookt, perceiue she might
The Sea to swell, which did her much affright:
For she discerned on their toppes to ride
Great Neptune, poasting to the shore with speede.
Whose comming so amas'd the fearefull Thams,
(Who knew full well that he those scorching flames,
VVith her faire eyes within his breast had wrought,
VVould seeke to quench by farce, if he her caught)
As in a shadie Wood the hydeous stroke
Of ratling Thunder on the sodaine broke,
Doth scare the small Birdes, pearched on the spray:
And like how Fowle that by a Riuer play,
Spying a Falcon towring in the skie,
Straight leaue their sport, and for their safetie flie,
VVithouten order crying here and there:
So ISIS and her Nimphes, being in feare
Of hated Neptune, from thence straight gan fly,
Shreeking and crying very pitteously.

Aye me, What is this world but vanitie?
Subiect to change; full of vnconstancie:
Now is the Welkin glorious to the eie,
Clad in a Mantle of an asurd die.
And Phœbus now his faire light doth display,
When by and by a blacke Cloud foorth the Sea
Doth rise and darke the heauens were Iouiall,
Troubling both ayre and earth with waters fall.

Aye, now I see that mourning followes mirth,
That sorrow driueth pleasure from the earth;
That happinesse doth not long time remaine,
But ere it is at full begi'nes to waine:
That all in vaine man striues to keepe his state,
When dangerous stormes labour it to abate:
That vainely men doe boast of Fortunes fauours,
Since like a weather-cocke shee alwayes wauers,
Threatning them most, and bringing soonest vnder
Those, at whose fortunes most the world did wonder.

And strange, what ere within this world is done,
Ordayned was before this world begun:
So that great IOVE, who moderateth Heau'n
As soueraigne, and commaunds ore Gods and men:
At whose becke, earth and ayre, and all else moue,
Will not one enterprise the Fates to proue:
Whom neither prayers, nor ought else can resist,
Cause still th'are fixt, and still in one persist.