Glosse.
Gars thee greete) causeth thee to weepe and complain.
Forlorne) left & forsaken.
Attempred to the yeare) agreeable to the season of the yeare. that is
Aprill, which moneth is most bent to shoures and seasonable rayne: to
quench, that is, to delaye the drought, caused through drynesse of
March wyndes.
The Ladde) Colin Clout) The Lasse) Rosalinda.
Tressed locks) wrethed & curled.
Is he for a ladde) A straunge manner of speaking .s. what maner of Ladde is
he?
To make) to rime and versifye. For in this word making, our olde Englishe
Poetes were wont to comprehend all the skil of Poetrye, according to
the Greeke woorde [poiein], to make, whence commeth the name of Poets.
Colin thou kenst) knowest. Seemeth hereby that Colin perteyneth to some
Southern noble man, and perhaps in Surrye or Kent, the rather bicause
he so often nameth the Kentish downes, and before, As lythe as lasse of
Kent.
The Widowes) He calleth Rosalind the Widowes daughter of the glenne, that
is, of a country Hamlet or borough, which I thinke is rather sayde to
coloure and concele the person, then simply spoken. For it is well
knowen, euen in spight of Colin and Hobbinoll, that shee is a Gentle
woman of no meane house, nor endewed with anye vulgare and common gifts
both of nature and manners: but such indeede, as neede nether Colin be
ashamed to haue her made knowne by his verses, nor Hobbinoll be greued,
that so she should be commended to immortalitie for her rare and
singular Vertues: Specially deserving it no lesse, then eyther Myrto
the most excellent Poete Theocritus his dearling, or Lauretta the
diuine Petrarches Goddesse, or Himera the worthye Poete Stesichorus hys
Idole: Vpon whom he is sayd so much to haue doted, that in regard of
her excellencie, he scorned & wrote against the beauty of Helena. For
which his praesumptuous and vnheedie hardinesse, he is sayde by
vengeaunce of the Gods, thereat being offended, to haue lost bothe his
eyes.
Frenne) a straunger. The word I thinke was first poetically put, and
afterwarde vsed in commen custome of speach fo forenne.
Dight) adorned. Laye) a songe. as Roundelayes and Virelayes.
In all this songe is not to be respected, what the worthinesse of her
Maiestie deserueth, nor what to the highnes of a Prince is agreeable,
but what is moste comely for the meanesse of a shepheards witte, or to
conceiue, or to vtter. And therefore he calleth her Elysa, as through
rudenesse tripping in her name: & a shepheards daughter, it being very
vnfit, that a shepheards boy brought vp in the shepefold, should know,
or euer seme to haue heard of a Queenes roialty.
Ye daintie) is, as it were an
Exordium ad
preparandos animos.
Virgins) the nine Muses, daughters of Apollo and Memorie, whose abode the
Poets faine to be on Parnassus, a hill in Grece, for that in that
countrye specially florished the honor of all excellent studies.
Helicon) is both the name of a fountaine at the foote of Parnassus, and
also of a mounteine in Baeotia, out of which floweth the famous Spring
Castalius, dedicate also to the Muses: of which spring it is sayd, that
when Pegasus the winged horse of Perseus (whereby is meant fame and
flying renowme) strooke the grownde with his hoofe, sodenly thereout
sprange a wel of moste cleare and pleasaunte water, which from thence
forth was consecrate to the Muses & Ladies of learning.
Your siluer song) seemeth to imitate the lyke in Hesiodus
argureon melos.
Syrinx) is the name of a Nymphe of Arcadie, whom when Pan being in loue
pursued, she flying from him, of the Gods was turned into a reede. So
that Pan catching at the Reedes in stede of the Damosell, and puffing
hard (for he was almost out of wind) with hys breath made the Reedes to
pype: which he seeing, tooke of them, and in remembraunce of his lost
loue, made him a pype thereof. But here by Pan and Syrinx is not to bee
thoughte, that the shephearde simplye meante those Poetical Gods: but
rather supposing (as seemeth) her graces progenie to be divine and
immortall (so as the Paynims were wont to iudge of all
Kinges
and Princes, according to Homeres saying.
Thumos de megas esti diotrepheos Basileos,
time d' ek dios esti philei o metiea
Zeus)
could deuise no parents in his iudgement so worthy for her, as Pan the
shepeheards God, and his best beloued Syrinx. So that by Pan is here
meant the most famous and victorious King, her highnesse Father, late
of worthy memorye K. Henry the eyght. And by that name, oftymes (as
hereafter appeareth) be noted kings and mighty Potentates: And in some
place Christ himself, who is the verye Pan and god of Shepheardes.
Cremosin coronet) he deuiseth her crowne to be of the finest and most
delicate flowers, instede of perles and precious stones, wherewith
Princes Diademes vse to bee adorned and embost.
Embellish) beautifye and set out.
Phebe) the Moone, whom the Poets faine to be sister vnto Phaebus, that is
the Sunne. Medled) mingled.
Yfere) together. By the mingling of the Redde rose and the White, is meant
the vniting of the two principall houses of Lancaster and of Yorke: by
whose longe discord and deadly debate, this realm many yeares was sore
traueiled, & almost cleane decayed. Til the famous Henry the seuenth,
of the line of Lancaster, taking to wife the most vertuous Princesse
Elisabeth, daughter to the fourth Edward of the house of Yorke, begat
the most royal Henry the eyght aforesayde, in whom was the firste vnion
of the Whyte Rose and the Redde.
Calliope) one of the nine Muses: to whome they assigne the honor of all
Poeticall Inuention, and the firste glorye of the Heroicall verse.
other say, that shee is the Goddesse of Rhetorick: but by Virgile it is
manifeste, that they mystake the thyng. For there in hys Epigrams, that
arte semeth to be attributed to Polymnia, saying: Signat cuncta manu,
loquiturque Polymnia gestu.
which seemeth specially to be meant of Action and elocution, both
special partes of Rhetorick: besyde that her name, which (as some
construe it) importeth great remembraunce, conteineth another part. but
I holde rather with them, which call her Polymnia or Polyhymnia of her
good singing.
Bay branches) be the signe of honor & victory, & therfore of myghty
Conquerors worn in theyr triumphes, & eke of famous Poets, as saith
Petrarch in hys Sonets.
Arbor vittoriosa triomphale,
Honor d'Imperadori & di Poeti, &c.
The Graces) be three sisters, the daughters of Iupiter, whose names are
Aglaia, Thalia, Euphrosyne, & Homer onely addeth a fourth .s. Pasithea)
otherwise called Charites, that is thanks. whom the Poetes feyned to be
the Goddesses of al bountie & comelines, which therefore (as sayth
Theodontius) they make three, to wete, that men first ought to be
gracious & bountiful to other freely, then to receiue benefits at other
mens hands curteously, and thirdly to requite them thankfully: which
are three sundry Actions in liberalitye. And Boccace saith, that they
be painted naked, (as they were indeede on the tombe of C. Iulius
Caesar) the one hauing her backe toward vs, and her face fromwarde, as
proceeding from
vs: the other two toward vs, noting
double thanke to be
due to vs for the benefit, we haue done.
Deaffly) Finely and nimbly. Soote) Sweete. Meriment) Mirth.
Beuie) A beauie of Ladyes, is spoken figuratiuely for a company or troupe.
the terme is taken of Larkes. For they say a Beuie of Larkes, euen as a
Couey of Partridge, or an eye of Pheasaunts.
Ladyes of the lake) be Nymphes. For it was an olde opinion amongst the
Auncient Heathen, that of euery spring and fountaine was a goddesse the
Soueraigne. Whiche opinion stucke in the myndes of men not manye yeares
sithence, by meanes of certain fine fablers and lowd lyers, such as
were the Authors of King Arthure the great and such like, who tell many
an vnlawfull leasing of the Ladyes of the Lake, that is, the Nymphes.
For the word Nymphe in Greeke signifieth Well water, or otherwise a
Spouse or Bryde.
Bedight) called or named.
Cloris) the name of a Nymph, and signifieth greenesse, of whome is sayd,
that Zephyrus the Westerne wind being in loue with her, and coueting
her to wyfe, gaue her for a dowrie, the chiefedome and soueraigntye of
al flowres and greene herbes, growing on earth.
Olives bene) The Oliue was wont to be the ensigne of Peace and quietnesse,
eyther for that it cannot be planted and pruned, and so carefully
looked to, as it ought, but in time of peace: or els for that the Oliue
tree, they say, will not growe neare the Firre tree, which is dedicate
to Mars the God of battaile, and vsed most for speares and other
instruments of warre. Whereupon is finely feigned, that when Neptune
and Minerua strove for the naming of the citie of Athens, Neptune
striking the ground with his mace, caused a horse to come forth, that
importeth warre, but at Mineruaes stroke sprong out an Oliue, so note
that it should be a nurse of learning, and such peaceable studies.
Binde your) Spoken rudely, and according to shepheardes simplicitye.
Bring) all these be names of flowers. Sops in wine a flowre in colour much
like to a Coronation, but differeing in smel and quantitye. Flowre
delice, that which they vse to misterme, Flowre de luce, being in
Latine called Flos delitiarum.
A Bellibone) or a bonibell. homely spoken for a fayre mayde or Bonilasse.
Forswonck and forswatt) ouerlaboured and sunneburnt.
I saw Phaebus) the sunne. A sensible Narration, and present view of the
thing mentioned, which they call
parousia.
Cynthia) the Moone so called of Cynthus a hyll, where she was honored.
Latonaes seede) Was Apollo and Diana. Whom when as Niobe the wife of
Amphion scorned, in respect of the noble fruict of her wombe, namely
her seuen sonnes, and so many daughters, Latona being therewith
displeased, commaunded her sonne Phoebus to slea al the sonnes, and
Diana all the daughters: whereat the vnfortunate Niobe being sore
dismayed, and lamenting out of measure, was feigned of the Poetes, to
be turned into a stone vpon the sepulchre of her children. for which
cause the shepheard sayth, he will not compare her to them, for feare
of like mysfortune.
Now rise) is the conclusion. For hauing so decked her with prayses and
comparisons, he
returneth all the thanck of
hys laboure to
the excellencie of her Maiestie.
When Damsins) A base reward of a clownish giuer.
Yblent) Y, is a poeticall addition. blent blinded.
Embleme
This Poesye is taken out of Virgile, and there of him vsed in the person of
Æneas to his mother Venus, appearing to him in likenesse of one of
Dianaes damosells: being there most divinely set forth. To which
similitude of diuinitie Hobbinoll comparing the excelency of Elisa, and
being through the worthynes of Colins song, as it were ouercome with
the hugenesse of his imagination, brusteth out in great admiration, (O
quam te memore virgo?) being otherwise vnhable, then by soddein
silence, to expresse the worthinesse of his conceipt. Whom Thenot
answereth with another part of the like verse, as confirming by his
graunt and approuaunce, that Elisa is nowhit inferiour to the Maiestie
of her, of whome that Poete so boldly pronounced, O dea certe.
