University of Virginia Library

The shepheards holy-day, reduced in apt measures to Hobbinalls Galliard, or Iohn to the May-pole.

Mopso.
Come Marina let's away,
For both Bride and Bridegroome stay,
Fie for shame are Swaines so long,
Pinning of their head-geare on?
Pray thee see,
None but we,
Mongst the Swaines are left vnreadie,
Fie, make hast,
Bride is past,
Follow me and I will leade thee.

Mar.
On my louely Mopsus, on,
I am readie, all is done,
From my head vnto my foote,
I am fitted each way to't;
Buskins gay,
Gowne of gray,
Best that all our flocks do render,
Hat of stroe,
Platted through,
Cherrie lip and middle slender.

Mop.
And I thinke you will not find
Mopsus any whit behind,
For he loues as well to go,
As most part of shepheards do.
Cap of browne,
Bottle-crowne,
With the leg I won at dancing,
And a pumpe
Fit to iumpe,
When we shepheards fall a prancing.

Mar.
But I feare;

Mop.
What doest thou feare?

Mar.
Crowd the fidler is not there:
And my mind delighted is,
With no stroake so much as his.

Mop.
If not he,
There will be
Drone the piper that will trounce it.

Mar.
But if Crowd,
Strucke aloud,
Lord me thinks how I could bounce it!

Mop.
Bounce it Mall, I hope thou will,
For I know that thou hast skill,
And I am sure thou there shalt find,
Measures store to please thy mind;
Roundelayes,
Irish-hayes,
Cogs and rongs and Peggie Ramsie,
Spaniletto,
The Uenetto,
Iohn come kisse me, Wilsons fancie.

Mar.
But of all there's none so sprightly
To my eare, as tutch me lightly:
For it's this we shepheards loue,
Being that which most doth moue;
There, there, there,
To a haire,
O Tim Crowd, me thinks I heare thee,
Young nor old,
Nere could hold,
But must leake if they come nere thee.

Mop.
Blush Marina, fie for shame,
Blemish not a shepheards name;

Mar.
Mopsus why, is't such a matter,
Maids to shew their yeelding nature?
O what then,
Be ye men,
That will beare your selues so froward,
When you find
Us inclin'd,
To your bed and boord so toward?

Mop.
True indeed, the fault is ours,
Though we tearme it oft-times yours;

Mar.
What would shepheards haue vs do,
But to yeeld when they do wo?
And we yeeld
Them the field,
And endow them with our riches.

Mop.
Yet we know,
Oft-times too,
You'le not sticke to weare the breches.

Mar.
Fooles they'le deeme them, that do heare them
Say, their wiues are wont to weare them:
For I know there's none has wit,
Can endure or suffer it;
But if they
Haue no stay,
Nor discretion (as tis common)
Then they may
Giue the sway,
As is fitting to the woman.

Mop.
All too long (deare loue) I weene,
Haue we stood vpon this theame:
Let each lasse, as once it was,
Loue her Swaine, and Swaine his lasse:
So shall we
Honor'd be,
In our mating, in our meeting,
While we stand
Hand in hand,
Honest Swainling, with his Sweeting.

Dor.

Dym.
Agreed for me.

Tech.
And I am well content.

Cor.
On then, let's make our life a merriment.

Sap.
See where they come!
May Hymen aye defend them.

Lin.
And far more ioy then I haue had God send them.