The Poets VVillovv Or, The Passionate Shepheard: With sundry delightfull, and no lesse Passionate Sonnets: describing the passions of a discontented and perplexed Lover. Diuers compositions of verses concording as well with the Lyricke, as the Anacreonticke measures; neuer before published: Being reduced into an exact and distinct order of Metricall extractions [by Richard Brathwait] |
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To Eliza, a pastorall Hymne.
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 | The Poets VVillovv |  |
To Eliza, a pastorall Hymne.
------ Et ortum referre iuuat:
Inclitæ domus alta trophæa petit,
Non minus genere preripiens decus,
quam forma nitida laudes dispergens suas.
ibid.
Inclitæ domus alta trophæa petit,
Non minus genere preripiens decus,
quam forma nitida laudes dispergens suas.
ibid.
Mounseur de Tygres, man of great estate,
Had but one daughter, whom he did esteeme:
Whose front confronting beautie, Vesta sate,
And all those graces which we gracious deeme,
Then which a rarer sight was neuer seene,
Since beautie lost her beautie and decaied
In Idas mount: as I haue heard it said.
Had but one daughter, whom he did esteeme:
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And all those graces which we gracious deeme,
Then which a rarer sight was neuer seene,
Since beautie lost her beautie and decaied
In Idas mount: as I haue heard it said.
Her haire like Phæbus raies disparcling gould,
Sent such a lustre where she passed by,
That some haue thought as I haue heard it told,
Faire Cytheræas traine approched nie:
Such was the vertue of her piercing eie,
And some that dwelt neere to Elysa saie,
The nights she walk'd on seem'd as light as day.
Sent such a lustre where she passed by,
That some haue thought as I haue heard it told,
Faire Cytheræas traine approched nie:
Such was the vertue of her piercing eie,
And some that dwelt neere to Elysa saie,
The nights she walk'd on seem'd as light as day.
Many poore swaines would nose gaies sweet cōpose
Of eglantine, the dasie, and the dill,
Which they did consecrate: and she would choose
Some flower among the rest which she kept still
In her ambrosian bosome, where an hill
Of sweeter flowers and branches seem'd to be,
Then any mount or groue in Hesperie.
Of eglantine, the dasie, and the dill,
Which they did consecrate: and she would choose
Some flower among the rest which she kept still
In her ambrosian bosome, where an hill
Of sweeter flowers and branches seem'd to be,
Then any mount or groue in Hesperie.
Yet of this beautie nature had bestow'd,
She was not proud, but of that humble straine,
As by her modest blush more faire she show'd,
Then to be courted by a countrie swaine,
Of farre more worth then pastures could containe:
For she was faire, so faire and full of fauour,
As Pan the shephard-god made sute to haue her.
She was not proud, but of that humble straine,
As by her modest blush more faire she show'd,
Then to be courted by a countrie swaine,
Of farre more worth then pastures could containe:
For she was faire, so faire and full of fauour,
As Pan the shephard-god made sute to haue her.
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But Pans tann'd skinne pand not with her smoth downe,
She better seem'd to be Apolloes Queene,
The seedes of vertue were so fully growen
Vertue her selfe might take her for her theame:
Deriued sure from some celestiall streame:
For such a streame distreamd frō her pure minde
Of gracious gifts, that like it's hard to finde.
She better seem'd to be Apolloes Queene,
The seedes of vertue were so fully growen
Vertue her selfe might take her for her theame:
Deriued sure from some celestiall streame:
For such a streame distreamd frō her pure minde
Of gracious gifts, that like it's hard to finde.
This beauties mirror grac'd with such a feature,
Had a more lustre, then that countrie swaine,
Or any rurall hogge or homebred creature,
Could hope by their deserts ere to attaine,
Such precious Iewels must be got by paine,
Where euery tripping Satyre can supplie
A decent measure in loues symmetrie.
Had a more lustre, then that countrie swaine,
Or any rurall hogge or homebred creature,
Could hope by their deserts ere to attaine,
Such precious Iewels must be got by paine,
Where euery tripping Satyre can supplie
A decent measure in loues symmetrie.
This gracious Queene fram'd for a higher court,
VVas by a poet suted: but his pen
Seem'd too too rude for her, whose spread report
Had driuen an admiration in all men,
And sacred wood-gods that suruiued then,
VVherefore (as coy) this poet she did scorne,
And eke the wreath which did his head adorne.
VVas by a poet suted: but his pen
Seem'd too too rude for her, whose spread report
Had driuen an admiration in all men,
And sacred wood-gods that suruiued then,
VVherefore (as coy) this poet she did scorne,
And eke the wreath which did his head adorne.
Shall I (quoth she) a rithmer entertaine,
A comicke iester to my Nuptiall bed,
The harsh-discordant tunes of euery swaine,
To be with ends of poems nourished,
Or with a vaine phantastique humor fed?
O no, I cannot brooke the laurell wreath,
Or marrie such as loue to sell their breath.
A comicke iester to my Nuptiall bed,
The harsh-discordant tunes of euery swaine,
To be with ends of poems nourished,
Or with a vaine phantastique humor fed?
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Or marrie such as loue to sell their breath.
I am not borne of that deiected stemme,
Nor haue I my beginning from that roote,
That I should match my selfe with worthlesse men,
Or in a bed of poems set my foote,
VVhere loue enuiron'd is with feare and doubt,
Prophets and poets they can write and sing,
But women they affect another thing.
Nor haue I my beginning from that roote,
That I should match my selfe with worthlesse men,
Or in a bed of poems set my foote,
VVhere loue enuiron'd is with feare and doubt,
Prophets and poets they can write and sing,
But women they affect another thing.
It is not laies sung in Dianas groue,
Nor of Astræas beautie can procure,
The height of our affection or our loue:
Nor can our sweete respect with them endure,
VVho liue as if they were of loue secure.
Maids are not pleas'd with fruitlesse contemplatiō
But leaues the knowledge, loues their recreation.
Nor of Astræas beautie can procure,
The height of our affection or our loue:
Nor can our sweete respect with them endure,
VVho liue as if they were of loue secure.
Maids are not pleas'd with fruitlesse contemplatiō
But leaues the knowledge, loues their recreation.
This my position is, nor will I yeelde
Vnto the fickle iudgement of the vaine,
Who seeke to winne me, yet must lose the field:
That labour's lost which doth produce no gaine:
Nere can I loue a poets wanton straine,
For this I finde, they that of loue write best,
In actions of true loue can doe the least.
Vnto the fickle iudgement of the vaine,
Who seeke to winne me, yet must lose the field:
That labour's lost which doth produce no gaine:
Nere can I loue a poets wanton straine,
For this I finde, they that of loue write best,
In actions of true loue can doe the least.
Mounseur de Tygres hearing what she said,
VVas well content, for he no poet lou'd:
And therefore (as it seem'd full of delaied
Th' effecting of their loues at first approu'd,
VVhich by some accident at last remou'd:
And therefore in all hast tooke hold of time,
Belike for to extract his daughters line.
VVas well content, for he no poet lou'd:
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Th' effecting of their loues at first approu'd,
VVhich by some accident at last remou'd:
And therefore in all hast tooke hold of time,
Belike for to extract his daughters line.
This thus resolu'd (for she was well resolu'd)
Mounseur de Tygres did a contract make
With young Gastylio: who in nets inuolu'd
Part for himselfe, and partly for her sake,
In weale and woe his mistris state partakes:
As it was fit, for fitting it should be,
That man and wife haue one communitie.
Mounseur de Tygres did a contract make
With young Gastylio: who in nets inuolu'd
Part for himselfe, and partly for her sake,
In weale and woe his mistris state partakes:
As it was fit, for fitting it should be,
That man and wife haue one communitie.
Both did adore one Idole, both repair'd
Vnto one Saint; set in a gorgeous shrine,
With Pomane pompe lest it should be impair'd,
Talking of rites, they cal'd them most diuine:
Whose columns framed loosing wise did shine
With burning Tapers on their Altars hung:
Vnder the staires whereof the Flamines sung.
Vnto one Saint; set in a gorgeous shrine,
With Pomane pompe lest it should be impair'd,
Talking of rites, they cal'd them most diuine:
Whose columns framed loosing wise did shine
With burning Tapers on their Altars hung:
Vnder the staires whereof the Flamines sung.
And least I should defraud you of that state
Which so transparently appear'd to all
In those solemnis'd rites, Ile explicate,
How, when, and where, these mariage hests befell:
Which thus in briefe I doe intend to tell:
That you may show in after-times to come,
No rites more solemne then the rites of Rome.
Which so transparently appear'd to all
In those solemnis'd rites, Ile explicate,
How, when, and where, these mariage hests befell:
Which thus in briefe I doe intend to tell:
That you may show in after-times to come,
No rites more solemne then the rites of Rome.
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| The Poets VVillovv | |