Glosse.
THIS Æglogue seemeth somewhat to resemble that same of Theocritus, wherein
the boy likewise telling the old man, that he had shot at a winged boy
in a tree, was by hym warned, to beware of mischiefe to come.
Ouerwent) overgone. Alegge) to lessen or aswage.
To quell) to abate. Welkin) the skie.
The swallow) which bird vseth to be counted the messenger, as it were, the
fore runner of springe.
Flora) the Goddesse of flowres, but indede (as saith Tacitus) a famous
harlot, which with the abuse of her body hauing gotten great riches,
made the people of Rome her heyre: who in remembraunce of so great
beneficence, appointed a yearely feste for the memoriall of her,
calling her, not as she was, nor as some doe think, Andronica, but
Flora: making her the Goddesse of all floures, and doing yerely to her
solemne sacrifice.
Maias bowre) that is the pleasaunt fielde, or rather the Maye bushes. Maia
is a Goddes and the mother of Mercurie, in honour of whome the moneth
of Maye is of her name so called, as sayth Macrobius.
Lettice) the name of some country lasse.
Ascaunce) askewe or asquint. For thy) therefore.
Lethe) is a lake in hell, which the Poetes call the lake of forgetfulnes.
For Lethe signifieth forgetfulnes. Wherein the soules being dipped, did
forget the cares of their former lyfe. So that by loue sleeping in
Lethe lake, he meaneth he was almost forgotten and out of knowledge, by
reason of winters hardnesse, when al pleasures, as it were, sleepe and
weare out of mynde.
Assotte) to dote.
His slomber) To breake Loues slomber, is to exercise the delightes of Loue
and wanton pleasures.
Winges of purple) so is he feigned of the Poetes.
For als) he imitateth Virgils verse.
Est mihi namque domi pater, est iniusta nouerca
&c.
A dell) a hole in the ground.
Spell) is a kind of verse or charme, that in elder tymes they vsed
often to say ouer euery thing, that they would haue preserued, as the
Nightspel for theeues, and the woodspell. And herehence I thinke is
named the gospell, as it were Gods spell or worde. And so sayth
Chaucer, Listeneth Lordings to my spell.
Gange) goe An Yuie todde) a thicke bushe.
Swaine) a boye: for so he is described of the Poetes, to be a boye .s.
alwayes freshe and lustie: blindfolded, because he maketh no difference
of Personages: wyth diuers coloured winges, .s. ful of flying fancies:
with bowe and arrow, that is with glaunce of beautye, which prycketh as
a forked arrowe. He is sayd also to haue shafts, some leaden, some
golden: that is, both pleasure for the gracious and loued, and sorow
for the louer that is disdayned or forsaken. But who liste more at
large to behold Cupids colours and furniture, let him reade ether
Propertius, or Moschus his Idyllion of wandring loue, being now most
excellently translated into Latine by the singuler learned man Angelus
Politianus: Whych worke I haue seene amongst other of thys Poets
doings, very wel translated also into Englishe Rymes.
Wimble and wighte) Quicke and deliuer.
In the heele) is very Poetically spoken, and not without speciall
iudgement. For I remember, that in Homer it is sayd of Thetis, that
shee tooke her young babe Achilles being newely borne, and holding him
by the heele, dipped him in the
River of
Styx. The vertue
whereof is, to defend and keepe the bodyes washed therein from any
mortall wound. So Achilles being washed al ouer, saue anely his hele,
by which his mother held, was in the rest invnluerable [invulnerable]:
therfore by Paris was feyned to bee shotte with a poysoned arrowe in
the heele, whiles he was busie about the marying of Polyena in the
temple of Apollo. Which mysticall fable Eustathius vnfolding, sayth:
that by wounding in the hele, is meant lustfull loue. For from the
heele (as say the best Phisitions) to the preuie partes there passe
certaine veines and slender synnewes, as also the like come from the
head, and are carryed lyke little pypes behynd the eares: so that (as
sayth Hippocrates) yf those veynes there be cut a sonder, the partie
straighte becometh cold and vnfruiteful. which reason our Poete wel
weighing, maketh this shepheards boye of purpose to be wounded by Loue
in the heele.
Latched) caught. Wroken) reuenged.
For once) In this tale is sette out the simplicitye of shepheards opinion
of Loue.
Stouping Phaebus) Is a Periphrasis of the sunne setting.
Embleme.
Hereby is meant, that all the delights of Loue, wherein wanton youth
walloweth, be but follye mixt with bitternesse, and sorow sawced with
repentaunce. For besides that the very affection of Loue it selfe
tormenteth the mynde, and vexeth the body many wayes, with
vnrestfulnesse all night, and wearines all day, seeking for that we
can not haue: euen the selfe things which best before vs liked, in
course of time and chaung of ryper yeares, whiche also therewithall
chaungeth our wonted lyking and former fantasies, will then seeme
lothsome and breede vs annoyaunce, when yougthes flowre is withered,
and we fynde our bodyes and wits aunswere not to suche vayne iollitie
and lustfull pleasaunce.
[Printers ornament]
