Glosse.
Iouisaunce) myrth.
Souenaunce) remembraunce.
Herie) honour.
Welked) shortned or empayred. As the Moone being in the waine is sayde of
Lidgate to welk.
In lowly lay) according to the season of the moneth Nouember, when the
sonne draweth low in the South toward his Tropick or returne.
In fishes haske) the sonne, reigneth that is, in the signe Pisces all
Nouember. a haske is a wicker pad, wherein they vse to cary fish.
Virilaies) a light kind of song.
Bee watred) For it is a saying of Poetes, that they haue dronk of the Muses
well Castlias, whereof was before sufficiently sayd.
Dreriment) dreery and heauy cheere.
The great shepherd) is some man of high degree, and not as some vainely
suppose God Pan. The person both of the shephearde and of Dido is
vnknowen and closely buried in the Authors conceipt. But out of doubt I
am, that it is not Rosalind, as some imagin: for he speaketh soone after
of her also.
Shene) fayre and shining. May) for mayde. Tene )sorrow.
Guerdon) reward. Bynempt) bequethed. Cosset) a lambe brought vp
without the dam. Vnkempt) Incompti Not comed, that is rude and vnhansome.
Melpomene) The sadde and waylefull Muse vsed of Poets in honor of Tragedies:
as saith Virgile Melpomene Tragico proclamat maesta boatu.
Vp griesly gosts) The maner of Tragicall Poetes, to call for helpe of Furies
and damned ghostes: so is Hecuba of Euripides, and Tantalus brought in
of Seneca. And the rest of the rest.
Herse) is the solemne obsequie in funeralles.
Wast of) decay of so beautifull a peece. Carke) care.
Ah why) an elegant Epanorthosis. as also soone after. nay time was long ago.
Flouret) a diminutine [diminutiue] for a little floure. This is a notable
and sententions [sententious] comparison A minore ad manus.
Reliuen not) liue not againe .s. not in theyr earthly bodies: for in heauen
they enioy their due reward.
The braunch) He meaneth Dido, who being, as it were the main braunch now
withered the buddes that is beautie (as he sayd afore) can nomore
flourish.
With cakes) fit for shepheards bankets. Heame) for home. after the
northern pronouncing. Tuict [tinct]) deyed or stayned.
The gaudie) the meaning is, that the things, which were the ornaments of her
lyfe, are made the honor of her funerall, as is vsed in burialls.
Lobbin) the name of a shepherd, which seemeth to haue bene the louer & deere
frende of Dido. Rushrings) agreeable for such base gyftes
Faded lockes) dryed leaues. As if Nature her selfe bewayled the death of the
Mayde. Sourse) spring.
Mantled medowes) for the sondry flowres are like a Mantle or couerlet
wrought with many colours.
Philomele) the Nightingale. whome the Poetes faine once to haue bene a Ladye
of great beauty, till being rauished by hir sisters husbande, she
desired to be tur
ned into a byrd of her name. whose complaintes
be very well set forth of Ma. George Gaskin a wittie gentleman, and the
very chefe of our late rymers, who and if some partes of learning
wanted not (albee it is well knowen he altogyther wanted not learning)
no doubt would haue attayned the excellencye of those famous Poets. For
gifts of wit and naturall promptnesse appeare in hym aboundantly.
Cypresse) vsed of the old Paynims in the furnishing of their funerall Pompe.
and properly the [signe] of all sorow and heauinesse.
The fatall sisters) Clotho Lachesis and Atropodas, [da]ughters of Herebus
and the Nighte, whom the Poetes fayne to spinne the life of man, as it
were a long threde, which they drawe out in length, till his fatal howre
& timely death be come; but if by other casualtie his dayes be
abridged, then one of them, that is Atropos, is sayde to haue cut the
threde in twain. Hereof commeth a common verse.
Clotho colum baiulat, lachesis trahit, Atrhopos [Atropos]
occat.
O trustlesse) a gallant exclamation moralized with great wisedom and
passionate wyth great affection.
Beare) a frame, whereon they vse to lay the dead corse.
Furies) of Poetes be feyned to be three, Persephone Alecto and Megera, which
are sayd to be the Authours of all euill and mischiefe.
Eternall might) is death or darknesse of hell. Betight) happened,
I see) A liuely Icon, or representation as if he saw her in heauen present.
Elysian fieldes) be deuised of Poetes to be a place of pleasure like
Paradise, where the happye soules doe rest in peace and eternal
happynesse.
Dye would) The very e[x]presse saying of Plato in Phaedone.
Astert) befall vnwares.
Nectar and Ambrosia) be feigned to be the drink and foode of the gods:
Ambrosia they liken to Manna in scripture and Nectar to be white like
Creme, whereof is a proper tale of Hebe, that spilt a cup of it, and
stayned the heauens, as yet appeareth. But I haue already discoursed
that at large in my Commentarye vpon the dreames of the same Author.
Meynt) Mingled.
Embleme.
Which is as much to say, as death biteth not. For although by course of
nature we be borne to dye, and being ripened with age, as with a timely
haruest, we must be gathered in time, or els of our selues we fall like
rotted fruite from the tree: yet death is not to be counted for euil,
nor (as the Poete sayd a little before) as doome of ill desert) For
though the trespasse of the first man brought death in to the world, as
the guerdon of sinne, yet being ouercome by the death of one, that dyed
for al, it is now made (as Chaucer sayth) the grene path way to lyfe. So
that it agreeth well with that was sayd, that Death byteth not (that is)
hurteth not at all.
