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 Hipocrates) yf those veynes there be cut a sonder, the partie straighte becommeth cold and vnfruiteful. which reason our Poete wel weighing, maketh this shepheards boye of purpose to be wounded by Loue in the heele.

[93] Latched) caught. [108] Wroken) reuenged.

[106] For once) In this tale is sette out the simplicitye of shepheards opinion of Loue.

[116] Stouping Phæbus) 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, and fynding that we would not haue: euen the selfe things which best before vs lyked, 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.

Aprill.

image

Ægloga Quarta.

ARGVMENT.

This Æglogue is purposely intended to the honor and prayse of our most gracious souereigne, Queene Elizabeth. The speakers herein be Hobbinoll and Thenott, two shepheardes: the which Hobbinoll being before mentioned, greatly to haue loued Colin, is here set forth more largely, complayning him of that boyes great misaduenture in Loue, whereby his mynd was alienate and with drawen not onely from him, who moste loued him, but also from all former delightes and studies, aswell in pleasaunt pyping, as conning ryming and singing, and other his laudable exercises. Whereby he taketh occasion, for proofe of his more excellencie and skill in poetrie, to recorde a songe, which the sayd Colin sometime made in honor of her Maiestie, whom abruptely he termeth Elysa.

THENOT. HOBBINOLL.

Tell me good Hobbinoll, what garres thee greete?

What? hath some Wolfe thy tender Lambes ytorne?

Or is thy Bagpype broke, that soundes so sweete?

Or art thou of thy loued lasse forlorne?

5

Or bene thine eyes attempred to the yeare,

Quenching the gasping furrowes thirst with rayne?

Like April shoure, so stremes the trickling teares

Adowne thy cheeke, to quenche thy thristye payne.

HOBBINOLL.

Nor thys, nor that, so muche doeth make me mourne,

10

But for the ladde, whome long I lovd so deare,

Nowe loues a lasse, that all his loue doth scorne:

He plongd in payne, his tressed locks dooth teare.

Shepheards delights he dooth them all forsweare,

Hys pleasaunt Pipe, whych made vs meriment,

15

Hy wylfully hath broke, and doth forbeare

His wonted songs, wherein he all outwent.

THENOT.

What is he for a Ladde, you so lament?

Ys loue such pinching payne to them, that proue?

And hath he skill to make so excellent,

20

Yet hath so little skill to brydle loue?

HOBBINOLL.

Colin thou kenst, the Southerne shepheardes boye:

Him Loue hath wounded with a deadly darte.

Whilome on him was all my care and ioye,

Forcing with gyfts to winne his wanton heart.

25

But now from me hys madding mynd is starte,

And woes the Widdowes daughter of the glenne:

So nowe fayre Rosalind hath bredde hys smart,

So now his frend is chaunged for a frenne.

THENOT.

But if hys ditties bene so trimly dight,

30

I pray thee Hobbinoll, recorde some one:

The whiles our flockes doe graze about in sight,

And we close shrowded in thys shade alone.

HOBBINOLL.

Contented I: then will I singe his laye

Of fayre Elisa, Queene of shepheardes all:

35

Which once he made, as by a spring he laye,

And tuned it vnto the Waters fall.

Ye dayntye Nymphs, that in this blessed Brooke

doe bathe your brest,

For sake your watry bowres, and hether looke,

40

at my request:

And eke you Virgins, that on Parnasse dwell,

Whence floweth Helicon the learned well,

Helpe me to blaze

Her worthy praise,

45

Which in her sexe doth all excell.

Of fayre Elisa be your siluer song,

that blessed wight:

The flowre of Virgins, may shee florish long,

In princely plight.

50

For shee is Syrinx daughter without spotte,

Which Pan the shepheards God of her begot:

So sprong her grace

Of heauenly race,

No mortall blemishe may her blotte.

55

See, where she sits vpon the grassie greene,

(O seemely sight)

Yclad in Scarlot like a mayden Queene,

And Ermines white.

Vpon her head a Cremosin coronet,

60

With Damaske roses and Daffadillies set:

Bayleaues betweene,

And Primroses greene

Embellish the sweete Violet.

Tell me, haue ye seene her angelick face,

65

Like Phœbe fayre?

Her heauenly haueour, her princely grace

can you well compare?

The Redde rose medled with the White yfere,

In either cheeke depeincten liuely chere.

70

Her modest eye,

Her Maiestie,

Where haue you seene the like, but there?

I sawe Phœbus thrust out his golden hedde,

vpon her to gaze:

75

But when he sawe, how broade her beames did spredde,

it did him amaze.

He blusht to see another Sunne belowe,

Ne durst againe his fyrye face out showe:

Let him, if he dare,

80

His brightnesse compare

With hers, to haue the ouerthrowe.

Shewe thy selfe Cynthia with thy siluer rayes,

and be not abasht:

When shee the beames of her beauty displayes,

85

O how art thou dasht?

But I will not match her with Latonaes seede,

Such follie great sorow to Niobe did breede.

Now she is a stone,

And makes dayly mone,

90

Warning all other to take heede.

Pan may be proud, that euer he begot

such a Bellibone,

And Syrinx reioyse, that euer was her lot

to beare such an one.

95

Soone as my younglings cryen for the dam,

To her will I offer a milkwhite Lamb:

Shee is my goddesse plaine,

And I her shepherds swayne,

Albee forswonck and forswatt I am.

100

I see Calliope speede her to the place,

where my Goddesse shines:

And after her the other Muses trace,

with their Violines.

Bene they not Bay braunches, which they doe beare,

105

All for Elisa in her hand to weare?

So sweetely they play,

And sing all the way,

That it a heauen is to heare.

Lo how finely the graces can it foote

110

to the Instrument:

They dauncen deffly, and singen soote,

in their meriment.

Wants not a fourth grace, to make the daunce euen?

Let that rowme to my Lady be yeuen:

115

She shalbe a grace,

To fyll the fourth place,

And reigne with the rest in heauen.

And whither rennes this beuie of Ladies bright,

raunged in a rowe?

120

They bene all Ladyes of the lake behight,

that vnto her goe.

Chloris, that is the chiefest Nymph of al,

Of Oliue braunches beares a Coronall:

Oliues bene for peace,

125

When wars doe surcease:

Such for a Princesse bene principall.

Ye shepheards daughters, that dwell on the greene,

hye you there apace:

Let none come there, but that Virgins bene,

130

to adorne her grace.

And when you come, whereas shee is in place,

See, that your rudenesse doe not you disgrace:

Binde your fillets faste,

And gird in your waste,

135

For more finesse, with a tawdrie lace.

Bring hether the Pincke and purple Cullambine,

With Gelliflowres:

Bring Coronations, and Sops in wine,

worne of Paramoures.

140

Strowe me the ground with Daffadowndillies,

And Cowslips, and Kingcups, and loued Lillies:

The pretie Pawnce,

And the Cheuisaunce,

Shall match with the fayre flowre Delice.

145

Now ryse vp Elisa, decked as thou art,

in royall aray:

And now ye daintie Damsells may depart

echeone her way,

I feare, I haue troubled your troupes to longe:

150

Let dame Eliza thanke you for her song.

And if you come hether,

When Damsines I gether,

I will part them all you among.

THENOT.

And was thilk same song of Colins owne making?

155

Ah foolish boy, that is with loue yblent:

Great pittie is, he be in such taking,

For naught caren, that bene so lewdly bent.

HOBBINOL.

Sicker I hold him, for a greater fon,

That loues the thing, he cannot purchase.

160

But let vs homeward: for night draweth on,

And twincling starres the daylight hence chase.

Thenots Embleme.

O quam te memorem virgo?

 

Hobbinols Embleme.

165

O dea certe.

GLOSSE.

[1] Gars thee greete) causeth thee weepe and complain. [4] Forlorne) left and forsaken.

[5] 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.

[10] The Ladde) Colin Clout. [11] The Lasse) Rosalinda.

[12] Tressed locks) wrethed and curled.

[17] Is he for a ladde) A straunge manner of speaking .s. what maner of Ladde is he?

[19] 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 ποimageεimageν, to make, whence commeth the name of Poetes.

[21] 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.

[26] 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 spighte 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 suche indeede, as neede nether Colin be ashamed to haue her made knowne by his verses, nor Hobbinol be greued, that so she should be commended to immortalitie for her rare and singular Vertues: Specially deseruing 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 and wrote against the beauty of Helena. For which his præsumptuous and vnheedie hardinesse, he is sayde by vengeaunce of the Gods, thereat being offended, to haue lost both his eyes.

[28] Frenne) a straunger. The word I thinke was first poetically put, and afterwarde vsed in commen custome of speach for forenne.

[29] Dight) adorned. [33] 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: and 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.

[37] Ye daintie) is, as it were an Exordium ad preparandos animos.

[41] 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.

[42] Helicon) is both the name of a fountaine at the foote of Parnassus, and also of a mounteine in Bæotia, 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 fro thence forth was consecrate to the Muses and Ladies of learning.

[46] Your siluer song) seemeth to imitate the lyke in Hesiodus imageimageγυimageimageον μimageλος.

[50] 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 diuine and immortall (so as the Paynims were wont to iudge of all Kinges and Princes, according to Homeres saying.

Θνμòς δimage μimageγας imageστimage δimageοτimageεφimageως βασimageλήως

τimageμimage δ’ imageχ δimageóς imageστimage, φimageλεimage δε ò μητimageετα Ζεimageς.)

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 himselfe, who is the verye Pan and god of Shepheardes.

[59] 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.

[63] Embellish) beautifye and set out.

[65] Phebe) the Moone, whom the Poets faine to be sister vnto Phæbus, that is the Sunne.

[68] Medled) mingled.

[68] 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, and 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.

[100] Calliope) one of the nine Muses: to whome they assigne the honor of all Poetical 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.