The poetical and dramatic works of Sir Charles Sedley Collected and Edited from the Old Editions: With a preface on the text, explanatory and textual notes, an appendix containing works of doubtful authenticity, and a bibliography: By V. de Sola Pinto |
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| CXVIII. | CXVIII THE FIFTH PASTORAL |
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 | The poetical and dramatic works of Sir Charles Sedley |  |
170
CXVIII
THE FIFTH PASTORAL
Mopsus Menalcas
Menalcas
Oh Mopsus! since thus luckily we meet,
Thou good to pipe, I Verses to repeat:
Why sit we not in this delightful Shade,
Which Hazles mixt with lofty Elms have made?
Mopsus
As you exceed in Years and Worth, to you
I must Menalcas! give Precedence due,
Whither a lovely Seat we chuse to take,
Where wanton Zephyrs waving Shadows make,
Or in yond Cave round which the clasping Vine,
Loaden with Purple Grapes do's sweetly twine.
Menalcas
Amyntas only of our Mountain Swains,
Presumes to equal thy delicious Strains.
Mopsus
And what if that bold Swain presume to do
Yet more, and equal great Apollo too?
Menalcas
Mopsus! begin, if either Alcon's Praise,
Or Loves of Phillis have employ'd thy Lays:
Or wou'd you the Disputes of Codrus try?
Begin, thy Goats shall brouze securely by,
And Tityrus guard them with a watchful Eye.
Mopsus
No, but the Verses that I lately made,
And on the Bark of a green Beech display'd,
And nicely measur'd, and exactly weigh'd,
I'll try; then let Amyntas, if he dare,
The Skill you boast he has, with mine compare.
Menalcas
As much as Shrubs in Sight and Value yield
To the pale Olives that adorn the Field,
As the mean Swallow that neglected grows
171
(If I may claim a proper Judge to be)
So much Amyntas must submit to thee.
Mopsus
But now my Boy! thy Commendation wave,
For see already we've approach'd the Cave.
For see already we've approach'd the Cave.
The pitying Nymphs thro' ev'ry Grove and Plain,
Bewail'd th' untimely Fate of Daphnis slain,
Did vast Regret and Lamentation show,
Ye Hazles, and ye Streams, confess'd their Woe!
When his dear Mother (most of all distress'd)
His bleeding Corps in strict Embraces press'd,
She did (with Rage and Sorrow fill'd) exclaim,
And all the Gods and Stars severely blame;
In those sad Days no lab'ring Swain for Drink
Drove his fed Ox to the cool River's Brink:
The Brooks were then by Cattles Feet unstain'd,
And hung'ry Herds their needful Food disdain'd;
That furious Lions, Daphnis! mourn'd thy Fate,
The Woods and unfrequented Hills relate.
Bewail'd th' untimely Fate of Daphnis slain,
Did vast Regret and Lamentation show,
Ye Hazles, and ye Streams, confess'd their Woe!
When his dear Mother (most of all distress'd)
His bleeding Corps in strict Embraces press'd,
She did (with Rage and Sorrow fill'd) exclaim,
And all the Gods and Stars severely blame;
In those sad Days no lab'ring Swain for Drink
Drove his fed Ox to the cool River's Brink:
The Brooks were then by Cattles Feet unstain'd,
And hung'ry Herds their needful Food disdain'd;
That furious Lions, Daphnis! mourn'd thy Fate,
The Woods and unfrequented Hills relate.
By Daphnis taught Armenian Tygers drew
The peaceful Chariot; Daphnis did renew
The Rights of Bacchus and religious Chear,
And deck'd with Ivy wreaths the trembling Spear.
The peaceful Chariot; Daphnis did renew
The Rights of Bacchus and religious Chear,
And deck'd with Ivy wreaths the trembling Spear.
As spreading Vines o'er other Trees have Place
In goodly Show, as them their Product grace:
As lusty Bulls the lowing Herds adorn,
And Fields are beautify'd by standing Corn,
Thou wert the Grace of thine; in Sorrow due
To thy sad Fate, ev'n from the Plains withdrew,
Pales herself with great Apollo too.
In goodly Show, as them their Product grace:
As lusty Bulls the lowing Herds adorn,
And Fields are beautify'd by standing Corn,
Thou wert the Grace of thine; in Sorrow due
To thy sad Fate, ev'n from the Plains withdrew,
Pales herself with great Apollo too.
Where oft the golden Grain we us'd to strow
Wild Oats and Darnel now insulting grow;
Where once the soft blue Violet appear'd,
And once its Head the Daffodilly rear'd,
With mingled Scent and Beauty sweetly grew,
Now Burs and bristly Thistles vex the View.
Wild Oats and Darnel now insulting grow;
Where once the soft blue Violet appear'd,
And once its Head the Daffodilly rear'd,
With mingled Scent and Beauty sweetly grew,
Now Burs and bristly Thistles vex the View.
Let Earth be strow'd with Leaves, and let a Shade
Be o'er the Brooks and murm'ring Fountains made,
Ye Shepherds! thus Daphnis himself commands,
And claims this Service from your grateful Hands;
Then to his sacred Memory with Care
Erect a Tomb, and place these Verses there,
‘I Daphnis, known hence to the starry Sky,
Kept a fair Flock, but fairer much was I.’
Be o'er the Brooks and murm'ring Fountains made,
Ye Shepherds! thus Daphnis himself commands,
And claims this Service from your grateful Hands;
172
Erect a Tomb, and place these Verses there,
‘I Daphnis, known hence to the starry Sky,
Kept a fair Flock, but fairer much was I.’
Menalcas
Oh Bard Divine! thy Verses charm me so,
Not they a more delicious Pleasure know,
Who rest on tender Grass their weary Limbs,
Or quench their raging Thirsts in running Streams.
Thy Master's Skill thou hast not only gained
With warbling Pipe, but with thy Voice obtain'd.
Oh glorious Youth! each way compleatly bless'd,
Equal to him thou shalt be now confess'd!
Not they a more delicious Pleasure know,
Who rest on tender Grass their weary Limbs,
Or quench their raging Thirsts in running Streams.
Thy Master's Skill thou hast not only gained
With warbling Pipe, but with thy Voice obtain'd.
Oh glorious Youth! each way compleatly bless'd,
Equal to him thou shalt be now confess'd!
Such as they are, I'll now repeat my Lays
To thee, and Daphnis to the Stars we'll raise:
Daphnis we'll place among the Stars, for he
Good Will and Favour also bore to me.
To thee, and Daphnis to the Stars we'll raise:
Daphnis we'll place among the Stars, for he
Good Will and Favour also bore to me.
Mopsus
Then such a Gift, what wou'd I rather chuse?
The Youth was worthy of the choicest Muse:
And Stimicon much my Desire has rais'd,
Who to me lately these thy Verses prais'd.
Menalcas
The candid Daphnis th' unaccustomed Seat
Of Heav'n surveys, and far beneath his Feet,
Beholds the passing Clouds with vast Surprize,
And num'rous Stars that glitt'ring grace the Skies;
Therefore a mighty Transport fills the Plains,
Pan and the rural Nymphs, and rustick Swains,
And gen'rous Mirth each where unbounded reigns,
Now prouling Wolves neglect their Rage and Wiles,
The Net no more the tim'rous Deer beguiles;
All Hatred, Fraud, and fierce Contention cease.
Daphnis loves Leisure and the Joys of Peace.
Of Heav'n surveys, and far beneath his Feet,
Beholds the passing Clouds with vast Surprize,
And num'rous Stars that glitt'ring grace the Skies;
Therefore a mighty Transport fills the Plains,
Pan and the rural Nymphs, and rustick Swains,
And gen'rous Mirth each where unbounded reigns,
Now prouling Wolves neglect their Rage and Wiles,
The Net no more the tim'rous Deer beguiles;
All Hatred, Fraud, and fierce Contention cease.
Daphnis loves Leisure and the Joys of Peace.
The high rough Hills to Heav'n their Voices raise,
The hollow Rocks rejoycing sound his Praise.
The very Shrubs advance his Name on high,
And, oh Menalcas! he's a God, they cry.
Then to thy own, oh! kind and gracious be,
Four goodly Altars here erected see;
Receive, oh Daphnis! Adoration due,
Two Altars are thy Right, Apollo's Two;
Two Bowls of Milk will I before thee lay,
And two of Oil, a yearly Off'ring pay,
And being first with gallant Chear supply'd.
In cooling Shades in Summer's sult'ry Tide,
In Winter's Season by the Fire's side!
New Wine in plenteous Streams I'll pour to thee,
That like the Liquor of the Gods, shall be,
Dametas then a chearful Lay shall sing,
And Lictius Egon make the Vallies ring:
Alph[e]sibæus too shall featly trip
In antic Jiggs, and like a Satyr skip.
The hollow Rocks rejoycing sound his Praise.
The very Shrubs advance his Name on high,
And, oh Menalcas! he's a God, they cry.
Then to thy own, oh! kind and gracious be,
Four goodly Altars here erected see;
Receive, oh Daphnis! Adoration due,
173
Two Bowls of Milk will I before thee lay,
And two of Oil, a yearly Off'ring pay,
And being first with gallant Chear supply'd.
In cooling Shades in Summer's sult'ry Tide,
In Winter's Season by the Fire's side!
New Wine in plenteous Streams I'll pour to thee,
That like the Liquor of the Gods, shall be,
Dametas then a chearful Lay shall sing,
And Lictius Egon make the Vallies ring:
Alph[e]sibæus too shall featly trip
In antic Jiggs, and like a Satyr skip.
These things shall to thy Honour e'er be paid,
When to the Nymphs our solemn Vows are made,
And when of rural Gods we crave the usual Aid.
When to the Nymphs our solemn Vows are made,
And when of rural Gods we crave the usual Aid.
While Boars on Mountains Tops delight to stray,
While in the Silver Streams the Fishes play,
While Grashoppers are fed with Morning Dew,
And Bees their Toils in flow'ry Fields pursue.
Thy Honour, Name and Praise with ev'ry Swain,
Shall in Request eternally remain.
While in the Silver Streams the Fishes play,
While Grashoppers are fed with Morning Dew,
And Bees their Toils in flow'ry Fields pursue.
Thy Honour, Name and Praise with ev'ry Swain,
Shall in Request eternally remain.
As still to Bacchus and to Ceres we
Offer our Vows; the Husbandman to thee,
The fame with Zeal shall yearly give, and thou
Shalt claim th' Observance of each offer'd vow.
Offer our Vows; the Husbandman to thee,
The fame with Zeal shall yearly give, and thou
Shalt claim th' Observance of each offer'd vow.
Mopsus
What for such Lines, what Gift shall I bestow
On thee, that my Esteem may fitly show?
For not the coming of a Southern Breeze,
That softly stealing Whistles thro' the Trees,
Cou'd with its rustling Noise delight me more,
Nor Billows striking on the sounding Shore,
Nor Streams that trickle from a steepy Hill,
And stony Vallies with their Murmurs fill.
Menalcas
But let me first a grateful Present make,
This Pipe in Token of my Friendship take.
Two Strains this taught me; Coridon the Fair
Alexis lov'd, his Lord's delicious Care.
And, tell Dametas! whose'n Sheep these are?
174
Take thou this Crook that from me oft in vain
Antigenes, tho' lovely, strove to gain,
Deserving not Menalcas! to be scorn'd,
With equal Knots and shining Brass adorn'd.
| The poetical and dramatic works of Sir Charles Sedley | |