[57] I as I am) seemeth to imitate the commen prouerb, Malim Inuidere mihi omnes quam miserescere.
[61] Nas) is a syncope, for ne has, or has not: as nould, for would not.
[69] Tho with them) doth imitate the Epitaphe of the ryotous king Sardanapalus, whych caused to be written on his tombe in Greeke: which verses be thus translated by Tullie.
„ Hæc habui quæ edi, quæque exaturata libido
„ Hausit, at illa manent multa ac præclara relicta.
which may thus be turned into English.
„ All that I eate did I ioye, and all that I greedily gorged:
„ As for those many goodly matters left I for others.
Much like the Epitaph of a good olde Erie of Deuonshire, which though much more wisedome bewraieth, then Sardanapalus, yet hath a smacke of his sensuall delights and beastlinesse. the rymes be these.
„ Ho, Ho, who lies here?
„ I the good Erle of Deuonshere,
„ And Maulde my wife, that was ful deare,
„ We liued together lv. yeare.
„ That we spent, we had:
„ That we gaue, we haue:
„ That we lefte, we lost.
[75] Algrind) the name of a shepheard. [76] Men of the Lay) Lay men. [78] Enaunter) least that.
[82] Souenaunce) remembraunce. [91] Miscreaunce) despeire or misbeliefe.
[92] Cheuisaunce) sometime of Chaucer vsed for gaine: sometime of other for spoyle, or bootie, or enterprise, and sometime for chiefdome.
[111] Pan himselfe) God. according as is sayd in Deuteronomie, That in diuision of the lande of Canaan, to the tribe of Leuie no portion of heritage should bee allotted, for GOD himselfe was their inheritaunce.
[121] Some gan) meant of the Pope, and his Antichristian prelates, which vsurpe a tyrannical dominion in the Churche, and with Peters counterfet keyes, open a wide gate to al wickednesse and insolent gouernment. Nought here spoken, as of purpose to deny fatherly rule and godly gouernaunce (as some malitiously of late haue done to the great vnreste and hinderaunce of the Churche) but to displaye the pride and disorder of such, as in steede of feeding their sheepe, indeede feede of theyr sheepe.
[130] Sourse) welspring and originall. [131] Borrowe) pledge or suertie.
[142] The Geaunte) is the greate Atlas, whom the poetes feign to be a huge geaunt, that beareth Heauen on his shoulders: being in deede a merueilous highe mountaine in Mauritania, that now is Barbarie, which to mans seeming perceth the cloudes, and seemeth to touch the heauens. Other thinke, and they not amisse, that this fable was meant of one Atlas king of the same countrye, (of whome may bee, that that hil had his denomination) brother to Prometheus who (as the Grekes say) did first fynd out the hidden courses of the starres, by an excellent imagination, wherefore the poetes feigned, that he susteyned the firmament on hys shoulders. Many other coniectures needelesse be told hereof.
[145] Warke) worke. [147] Encheason) cause, occasion.
[150] Deare borow) that is our sauiour, the commen pledge of all mens debts to death.
[159] Wyten) blame. [158] Nought seemeth) is vnseemely.
[163] Conteck) strife contention.
[160] Her) theyr, as vseth Chaucer. [168] Han) for haue.
[168] Sam) together.
[174] This tale is much like to that in Æsops fables, but the Catastrophe and end is farre different. By the Kidde may be vnderstoode the simple sorte of the faythfull and true Christians. By hys dame Christe, that hath alreadie with carefull watchewords (as heere doth the gote) warned his little ones, to beware of such doubling deceit. By the Foxe, the false and faithlesse Papistes, to whom is no credit to be giuen, nor felowshippe to be vsed.
[177] The gate) the Gote: Northernely spoken to turne O into A. [178] Yode) went. afforesayd.
[182] She set) A figure called Fictio. which vseth to attribute reasonable actions and speaches to vnreasonable creatures.
[187] The bloosmes of lust) be the young and mossie heares, which then beginne to sproute and shoote foorth, when lustfull heate beginneth to kindle.
[189] And with) A very Poeticall πθος.
[191] Orphane) A youngling or pupill, that needeth a Tutour and gouernour.
[193] That word) A patheticall parenthesis, to encrease a carefull Hyperbaton.
[196] The braunch) of the fathers body, is the child.
[205] For euen so) Alluded to the saying of Andromache to Ascanius in Virgile.
Sic oculos, sic ille manus, sic ora ferebat.
[208] A thrilling throb) a percing sighe.[217] Liggen) lye.
[219] Maister of collusion) .s. coloured guile, because the Foxe of al beasts is most wily and crafty.
[224] Sperre the yate) shut the dore.
[232] For such) The gotes stombling is here noted as an euill signe. The like to be marked in all histories: and that not the leaste of the Lorde Hastingues in king Rycharde the third his dayes. For beside his daungerous dreame (whiche was a shrewde prophecie of his mishap, that folowed) it is sayd that in the morning ryding toward the tower of London, there to sitte vppon matters of counsell, his horse stombled twise or thrise by the way: which of some, that ryding with hym in his company, were priuie to his neere destenie, was secretly marked, and afterward noted for memorie of his great mishap, that ensewed. For being then as merye, as man might be, and least doubting any mortall daunger, he was within two howres after, of the Tyranne put to a shamefull deathe.
[240] As belles) by such trifles are noted, the reliques and ragges of popish superstition, which put no smal religion in Belles: and Babies .s. Idoles: and glasses .s. Paxes, and such lyke trumperies.
[244] Great cold.) For they boast much of their outward patience, and voluntarye sufferaunce as a worke of merite and holy humblenesse.
[247] Sweete S. Charitie.) The Catholiques comen othe, and onely speache, to haue charitye alwayes in their mouth, and sometime in their outward Actions, but neuer inwardly in fayth and godly zeale.
[251] Clincke.) a key hole. Whose diminutiue is clicket, vsed of Chaucer for a Key.
[257] Stoundes) fittes: aforesayde. [262] His lere) his lesson. [263] Medled) mingled.
[265] Bestlihead.) agreeing to the person of a beast. [269] Sibbe.) of kynne.
[276] Newell) a newe thing. [273] To forestall) to præuent. [282] Glee) chere, afforesayde.
[299] Deare a price.) his lyfe, which he lost for those toyes.
[304] Such ende) is an Epiphonèma, or rather the morall of the whole tale, whose purpose is to warne the protestaunt beware, howe he geueth credit to the vnfaythfull Catholique: whereof we haue dayly proofes sufficient, but one moste famous of all, practised of Late yeares in Fraunce by Charles the nynth.
[305] Fayne) gladde or desyrous.
[309] Our sir Iohn) a Popishe priest. A saying fit for the grosenesse of a shepheard, but spoken to taunte vnlearned Priestes.
[315] Dismount) descende or set. [316] Nye) draweth nere.
Embleme.
Both these Emblemes make one whole Hexametre. The first spoken of Palinodie, as in reproche of them, that be distrustfull, is a peece of Theognis verse, intending, that who doth most mistrust is most false. For such experience in falsehod breedeth mistrust in the mynd, thinking nolesse guile to lurke in others, then in hymselfe. But Piers thereto strongly replyeth with another peece of the same verse, saying as in his former fable, what fayth then is there in the faythlesse. For if fayth be the ground of religion, which fayth they dayly false, what hold then is there of theyr religion. And thys is all that they saye.
June.
Ægloga sexta.
ARGVMENT.
This Æglogue is wholly vowed to the complayning of Colins ill successe in his loue. For being (as is aforesaid) enamoured of a Country lasse Rosalind, and hauing (as seemeth) founde place in her heart, he lamenteth to his deare frend Hobbinoll, that he is nowe forsaken unfaithfully, and in his steede Menalcas, another shepheard receiued disloyally. And this is the whole Argument of this Æglogue.
&nb
sp; HOBBINOLL. COLIN CLOVTE.
Lo Colin, here the place, whose pleasaunt syte
From other shades hath weand my wandring mynde.
Tell me, what wants me here, to worke delyte?
The simple ayre, the gentle warbling wynde,
5
So calme, so coole, as no where else I fynde:
The grassye ground with daintye Daysies dight,
The Bramble bush, where Byrds of euery kynde
To the waters fall their tunes attemper right.
COLLIN:
O happy Hobbinoll, I blesse thy state,
10
That Paradise hast found, whych Adam lost.
Here wander may thy flock early or late,
Withouten dreade of Wolues to bene ytost:
Thy louely layes here mayst thou freely boste.
But I vnhappy man, whom cruell fate,
15
And angry Gods pursue from coste to coste,
Can nowhere fynd, to shroude my lucklesse pate.
HOBBINOLL.
Then if by me thou list aduised be,
Forsake the soyle, that so doth thee bewitch:
Leaue me those hilles, where harbrough nis to see,
20
Nor holybush, nor brere, nor winding witche:
And to the dales resort, where shepheards ritch,
And fruictfull flocks bene euery where to see.
Here no night Rauens lodge more black then pitche,
Nor eluish ghosts, nor gastly owles doe flee.
25
But frendly Faeries, met with many Graces,
And lightfote Nymphes can chace the lingring night,
With Heydeguyes, and trimly trodden traces,
Whilst systers nyne, which dwell on Parnasse hight,
Doe make them musick, for their more delight:
30
And Pan himselfe to kisse their christall faces,
Will pype and daunce, when Phœbe shineth bright:
Such pierlesse pleasures haue we in these places.
COLLIN.
And I, whylst youth, and course of carelesse yeeres
Did let me walke withouten lincks of loue,
35
In such delights did ioy amongst my peeres:
But ryper age such pleasures doth reproue,
My fancye eke from former follies moue
To stayed steps: for time in passing weares
(As garments doen, which wexen old aboue)
40
And draweth newe delightes with hoary heares.
Tho couth I sing of loue, and tune my pype
Vnto my plaintiue pleas in verses made:
Tho would I seeke for Queene apples vnrype,
To giue my Rosalind, and in Sommer shade
45
Dight gaudy Girlonds, was my comen trade,
To crowne her golden locks, but yeeres more rype,
And losse of her, whose loue as lyfe I wayd,
Those weary wanton toyes away dyd wype.
HOBBINOLL.
Colin, to heare thy rymes and roundelayes,
50
Which thou were wont on wastfull hylls to singe,
I more delight, then larke in Sommer dayes:
Whose Echo made the neyghbour groues to ring,
And taught the byrds, which in the lower spring
Did shroude in shady leaues from sonny rayes,
55
Frame to thy songe their chereful cheriping,
Or hold theyr peace, for shame of thy swete layes.
I sawe Calliope wyth Muses moe,
Soone as thy oaten pype began to sound,
Theyr yuory Luyts and Tamburins forgoe:
60
And from the fountaine, where they sat around,
Renne after hastely thy siluer sound.
But when they came, where thou thy skill didst showe,
They drewe abacke, as halfe with shame confound,
Shepheard to see, them in theyr art outgoe.
COLLIN.
65
Of Muses Hobbinol, I conne no skill:
For they bene daughters of the hyghest Ioue,
And holden scorne of homely shepheards quill.
For sith I heard, that Pan with Phœbus stroue,
Which him to much rebuke and Daunger droue:
70
I neuer lyst presume to Parnasse hyll,
But pyping lowe in shade of lowly groue,
I play to please my selfe, all be it ill.
Nought weigh I, who my song doth prayse or blame,
Ne striue to winne renowne, or passe the rest:
75
With shepheard sittes not, followe flying fame:
But feede his flocke in fields, where falls hem best.
I wote my rymes bene rough, and rudely drest:
The fytter they, my carefull case to frame:
Enough is me to paint out my vnrest,
80
And poore my piteous plaints out in the same.
The God of shepheards Tityrus is dead,
Who taught me homely, as I can, to make.
He, whilst he liued, was the soueraigne head
Of shepheards all, that bene with loue ytake:
85
Well couth he wayle hys Woes, and lightly slake
The flames, which loue within his heart had bredd,
And tell vs mery tales, to keepe vs wake,
The while our sheepe about vs safely fedde.
Nowe dead he is, and lyeth wrapt in lead,
90
(O why should death on hym such outrage showe?)
And all hys passing skil with him is fledde,
The fame whereof doth dayly greater growe.
But if on me some little drops would flowe,
Of that the spring was in his learned hedde,
95
I soone would learne these woods, to wayle my woe,
And teache the trees, their trickling teares to shedde.
Then should my plaints, causd of discurtesee,
As messengers of all my painfull plight,
Flye to my loue, where euer that she bee,
100
And pierce her heart with poynt of worthy wight:
As shee deserues, that wrought so deadly spight.
And thou Menalcas, that by trecheree
Didst vnderfong my lasse, to wexe so light,
Shouldest well be knowne for such thy villanee.
105
But since I am not, as I wish I were,
Ye gentle shepheards, which your flocks do feede,
Whether on hylls, or dales, or other where,
Beare witnesse all of thys so wicked deede:
And tell the lasse, whose flowre is woxe a weede,
110
And faultlesse fayth, is turned to faithlesse fere,
That she the truest shepheards hart made bleede,
That lyues on earth, and loued her most dere.
HOBBINOL.
O carefull Colin, I lament thy case,
Thy teares would make the hardest flint to flowe.
115
Ah faithlesse Rosalind, and voide of grace,
That art the roote of all this ruthfull woe.
The Shorter Poems Page 11