Part 11
And when it pleaseth thee to walke abroad, (Abroad into the fields to take fresh ayre:) The Meades with _Floras_ treasure should be strowde, (The mantled meaddowes, and the fields so fayre.) And by a siluer Well (with golden sands) Ile sit me downe, and wash thine yuory hands.
And in the sweltring heate of summer time, I would make Cabinets for thee (my Loue:) Sweet-smelling Arbours made of Eglantine Should be thy shrine, and I would be thy Doue. Coole Cabinets of fresh greene Laurell boughs Should shadow vs, ore-set with thicke-set Eughes.
Or if thou list to bathe thy naked limbs, Within the Christall of a Pearle-bright brooke, Paued with dainty pibbles to the brims; Or cleare, wherein thyselfe thy selfe mayst looke; Weele goe to _Ladon_, whose still trickling noyse, Will lull thee fast asleepe amids thy ioyes.
Or if thoult goe vnto the Riuer side, To angle for the sweet fresh-water fish: Arm'd with thy implements that will abide (Thy rod, hooke, line) to take a dainty dish; Thy rods shall be of cane, thy lines of silke, Thy hooks of siluer, and thy bayts of milke.
Or if thou lou'st to heare sweet Melodie, Or pipe a Round vpon an Oaten Reede, Or make thy selfe glad with some myrthfull glee, Or play them Musicke whilst thy flocke doth feede; To _Pans_ owne Pipe Ile helpe my louely Lad, (_Pans_ golden Pype) which he of _Syrinx_ had.
Or if thou dar'st to climbe the highest Trees For Apples, Cherries, Medlars, Peares, or Plumbs, Nuts, Walnuts, Filbeards, Chest-nuts, Ceruices, The hoary Peach, when snowy winter comes; I have fine Orchards full of mellowed frute; Which I will giue thee to obtain my sute.
Not proud _Alcynous_ himselfe can vaunt, Of goodlier Orchards or of brauer Trees Than I haue planted; yet thou wilt not graunt My simple sute; but like the honey Bees Thou suckst the flowre till all the sweet be gone; And lou'st mee for my Coyne till I haue none.
Leave _Guendolen_ (sweet hart) though she be faire Yet is she light; not light in vertue shining: But light in her behauiour, to impaire Her honour in her Chastities declining; Trust not her teares, for they can watonnize, When teares in pearle are trickling from her eyes.
If thou wilt come and dwell with me at home; My sheep-cote shall be strowd with new greene rushes: Weele haunt the trembling Prickets as they rome About the fields, along the hauthorne bushes; I haue a pie-bald Curre to hunt the Hare: So we will liue with daintie forrest fare.
Nay more than this, I haue a Garden-plot, Wherein there wants nor hearbs, nor roots, nor flowers; (Flowers to smell, roots to eate, hearbs for the pot,) And dainty Shelters when the Welkin lowers: Sweet-smelling Beds of Lillies and of Roses, Which Rosemary banks and Lauender incloses.
There growes the Gilliflowre, the Mynt, the Dayzie (Both red and white,) the blew-veynd-Violet: The purple Hyacinth, the Spyke to please thee, The scarlet dyde Carnation bleeding yet; The Sage, the Sauery, and sweet Margerum, Isop, Tyme, and Eye-bright, good for the blinde and dumbe.
The Pinke, the Primrose, Cowslip, and Daffadilly, The Hare-bell blue, the crimson Cullumbine, Sage, Lettis, Parsley, and the milke-white Lilly, The Rose, and speckled flowre cald Sops in wine, Fine pretie King-cups, and the yellow Bootes, That growes by Riuers, and by shallow Brookes.
And manie thousand moe (I cannot name) Of hearbs and flowers that in gardens grow, I haue for thee; and Coneyes that be tame, Yong Rabbets, white as Swan, and blacke as Crow, Some speckled here and there with daintie spots: And more I haue two mylch and milke-white Goates.
All these, and more, Ile giue thee for thy loue; If these, and more, may tyce thy loue away: I haue a Pidgeon-house, in it a Doue, Which I loue more than mortall tongue can say: And last of all, Ile giue thee a little Lambe To play withall, new weaned from her Dam.
But if thou wilt not pittie my Complaint, My Teares, nor Vowes, nor Oathes, made to thy Beautie: What shall I doo? But languish, die, or faint, Since thou dost scorne my Teares, and my Soules Duetie: And Teares contemned, Vowes and Oaths must faile; For where Teares cannot, nothing can preuaile.
Compare the loue of faire Queene _Guendolin_ With mine, and thou shalt [s]ee how she doth loue thee: I loue thee for thy qualities diuine, But She doth loue another Swaine aboue thee: I loue thee for thy gifts, She for hir pleasure; I for thy Vertue, She for Beauties treasure.
And alwaies (I am sure) it cannot last, But sometime Nature will denie those dimples: In steed of Beautie (when thy Blossom's past) Thy face will be deformed, full of wrinckles: Then She that lou'd thee for thy Beauties sake, When Age drawes on, thy loue will soone forsake.
But I that lou'd thee for thy gifts diuine, In the December of thy Beauties waning, Will still admire (with ioy) those louely eine, That now behold me with their beauties baning: Though Ianuarie will neuer come againe, Yet Aprill yeres will come in showers of raine.
When will my May come, that I may embrace thee? When will the hower be of my soules ioying? Why dost thou seeke in mirthe still to disgrace mee? Whose mirth's my health, whose griefe's my harts annoying. Thy bane my bale, thy blisse my blessednes, Thy ill my hell, thy weale my welfare is.
Thus doo I honour thee that loue thee so, And loue thee so, that so doo honour thee, Much more than anie mortall man doth know, Or can discerne by Loue or Iealozie: But if that thou disdainst my louing euer; Oh happie I, if I had loued neuer. _Finis._
_Plus fellis quam mellis Amor._
The second Dayes Lamentation of
the _Affectionate Shepheard_.
Next Morning when the golden Sunne was risen, And new had bid good morrow to the Mountaines; When Night her siluer light had lockt in prison, Which gaue a glimmering on the christall Fountaines: Then ended sleepe: and then my cares began, Eu'n with the vprising of the siluer Swan.
O glorious Sunne quoth I, (viewing the Sunne) That lightenst euerie thing but me alone: Why is my Summer season almost done? My Spring-time past, and Ages Autumne gone? My Haruest's come, and yet I reapt no corne: My loue is great, and yet I am forlorne.
Witnes these watrie eyes my sad lament (Receauing cisternes of my ceaseles teares), Witnes my bleeding hart my soules intent, Witnes the weight distressed _Daphnis_ beares: Sweet Loue, come ease me of thy burthens paine; Or els I die, or else my hart is slaine.
And thou loue-scorning Boy, cruell, vnkinde; Oh let me once againe intreat some pittie: May be thou wilt relent thy marble minde, And lend thine eares vnto my dolefull Dittie: Oh pittie him, that pittie craues so sweetly; Or else thou shalt be neuer named meekly.
If thou wilt loue me, thou shalt be my Boy, My sweet Delight, the Comfort of my minde, My Loue, my Doue, my Sollace, and my Ioy: But if I can no grace nor mercie finde, Ile goe to _Caucasus_ to ease my smart, And let a Vulture gnaw vpon my hart.
Yet if thou wilt but show me one kinde looke (A small reward for my so great affection) Ile graue thy name in Beauties golden Booke, And shrowd thee vnder _Hellicons_ protection; Making the Muses chaunt thy louely prayse: (For they delight in Shepheards lowly layes.)
And when th'art wearie of thy keeping Sheepe Vpon a louely Downe, (to please thy minde) Ile giue thee fine ruffe-footed Doues to keepe, And pretie Pidgeons of another kinde: A Robbin-red-brest shall thy Minstrell bee, Chirping thee sweet, and pleasant Melodie.
Or if thou wilt goe shoote at little Birds With bow and boult (the Thrustle-cocke and Sparrow) Such as our Countrey hedges can afford's; I haue a fine bowe, and an yuorie arrow: And if thou misse, yet meate thou shalt [not] lacke, Ile hang a bag and bottle at thy backe.
Wilt thou set springes in a frostie Night, To catch the long-billd Woodcocke and the Snype? (By the bright glimmering of the Starrie light) The Partridge, Phæsant, or the greedie Grype? Ile lend thee lyme-twigs, and fine sparrow calls, Wherewith the Fowler silly Birds inthralls.
Or in a mystie morning if thou wilt Make pit-falls for the Larke and Pheldifare; Thy prop and sweake shall be both ouer-guilt; With _Cyparissus_ selfe thou shalt compare For gins and wyles, the Oozels to beguile; Whilst thou vnder a bush shalt sit and smile.
Or with Hare-pypes (set in a muset hole) Wilt thou deceaue the deep-earth-deluing Coney? Or wilt thou in a yellow Boxen bole, Taste with a woodden splent the sweet lythe honey? Clusters of crimson Grapes Ile pull thee downe; And with Vine-leaues make thee a louely Crowne.
Or wilt thou drinke a cup of new-made Wine Froathing at top, mixt with a dish of Creame; And Straw-berries, or Bil-berries in their prime, Bath'd in a melting Sugar-Candie streame: Bunnell and Perry I haue for thee (alone) When Vynes are dead, and all the Grapes are gone.
I have a pleasant noted Nightingale, (That sings as sweetly as the siluer Swan) Kept in a Cage of bone; as white as Whale, Which I with singing of _Philemon_ wan: Her shalt thou haue, and all I haue beside; If thou wilt be my Boy, or else my Bride.
Then will I lay out all my Lardarie (Of Cheese, of Cracknells, Curds and Clowted-creame) Before thy male-content ill-pleasing eye: But why doo I of such great follies dreame? Alas, he will not see my simple Coate; For all my speckled Lambe, nor milk-white Goate.
Against my Birth-day thou shalt be my guest: Weele haue Greene-cheeses and fine Silly-bubs; And thou shalt be the chiefe of all my feast. And I will giue thee two fine pretie Cubs, With two young Whelps, to make thee sport withall, A golden Racket, and a Tennis-ball.
A guilded Nutmeg, and a race of Ginger, A silken Girdle, and a drawn-worke Band, Cuffs for thy wrists, a gold Ring for thy finger, And sweet Rose-water for thy Lilly-white hand, A Purse of silke, bespangd with spots of gold, As braue a one as ere thou didst behold.
A paire of Kniues, a greene Hat and a Feather, New Gloues to put vpon thy milk-white hand Ile giue thee, for to keep thee from the weather; With Phœnix feathers shall thy Face be fand, Cooling those Cheekes, that being cool'd wexe red, Like Lillyes in a bed of Roses shed.
Why doo thy Corall lips disdaine to kisse, And sucke that Sweete, which manie haue desired? That Baulme my Bane, that meanes would mend my misse: Oh let me then with thy sweete Lips b'inspired; When thy Lips touch my Lips, my Lips will turne To Corall too, and being cold yce will burne.
Why should thy sweete Loue-locke hang dangling downe, Kissing thy girdle-steed with falling pride? Although thy Skin be white, thy haire is browne: Oh let not then thy haire thy beautie hide; Cut off thy Locke, and sell it for gold wier: (The purest gold is tryde in hottest fier).
Faire-long-haire-wearing _Absolon_ was kild, Because he wore it in a brauerie: So that whiche gracde his Beautie, Beautie spild, Making him subiect to vile slauerie, In being hangd: a death for him too good, That sought his owne shame, and his Fathers blood.
Againe, we read of old King _Priamus_, (The haplesse syre of valiant _Hector_ slaine) That his haire was so long and odious In youth, that in his age it bred his paine: For if his haire had not been halfe so long, His life had been, and he had had no wrong.
For when his stately Citie was destroyd (That Monument of great Antiquitie) When his poore hart (with griefe and sorrow cloyd) Fled to his Wife (last hope in miserie;) _Pyrrhus_ (more hard than Adamantine rockes) Held him and halde him by his aged lockes.
These two examples by the way I show, To proue th'indecencie of mens long haire: Though I could tell thee of a thousand moe, Let these suffice for thee (my louely Faire) Whose eye's my starre; whose smiling is my Sunne; Whose loue did ende before my ioys begunne.
Fond Loue is blinde, and so art thou (my Deare) For thou seest not my Loue, and great desart; Blinde Loue is fond, and so thou dost appeare; For fond, and blinde, thou greeust my greeuing hart; Be thou fond-blinde, blinde-fond, or one, or all; Thou art my Loue, and I must be thy thrall.
Oh lend thine yuorie fore-head for Loues Booke, Thine eyes for candles to behold the same; That when dim-sighted ones therein shall looke They may discerne that proud disdainefull Dame; Yet claspe that Booke, and shut that Cazement light; Lest th'one obscurde, the other shine too bright.
Sell thy sweet breath to th'daintie Musk-ball-makers; Yet sell it so as thou mayst soone redeeme it: Let others of thy beauty be pertakers; Els none but _Daphnis_ will so well esteeme it: For what is Beauty except it be well knowne? And how can it be knowne, except first showne?
Learne of the Gentlewomen of this Age, That set their Beauties to the open view, Making Disdaine their Lord, true Loue their Page; A Custome Zeale doth hate, Desert doth rue: Learne to looke red, anon waxe pale and wan, Making a mocke of Loue, a scorne of man.
A candle light, and couer'd with a vaile, Doth no man good, because it giues no light; So Beauty of her beauty seemes to faile, When being not seene it cannot shine so bright. Then show thy selfe and know thy selfe withall, Lest climing high thou catch too great a fall.
Oh foule Eclipser of that fayre sun-shine, Which is intitled Beauty in the best; Making that mortall, which is els diuine, That staines the fayre which Womens steeme not least: Get thee to Hell againe (from whence thou art) And leaue the Center of a Woman's hart.
Ah be not staind, (sweet Boy) with this vilde spot, Indulgence Daughter, Mother of mischaunce; A blemish that doth euery beauty blot; That makes them loath'd, but neuer doth aduaunce Her Clyents, fautors, friends; or them that loue her; And hates them most of all, that most reproue her.
Remember Age, and thou canst not be prowd, For age puls downe the pride of euery man; In youthfull yeares by Nature tis allowde To haue selfe-will, doo Nurture what she can; Nature and Nurture once together met, The Soule and shape in decent order set.
Pride looks aloft, still staring on the starres, Humility looks lowly on the ground; Th'one menaceth the Gods with ciuill warres, The other toyles til he haue Vertue found: His thoughts are humble, not aspiring hye; But Pride looks haughtily with scornefull eye.
Humillity is clad in modest weedes, But Pride is braue and glorious to the show; Humillity his friends with kindnes feedes, But Pride his friends (in neede) will neuer know: Supplying not their wants, but them disdaining; Whilst they to pitty neuer neede complayning.
Humillity in misery is relieu'd, But Pride in neede of no man is regarded; Pitty and Mercy weepe to see him grieu'd That in distresse had them so well rewarded: But Pride is scornd, contemnd, disdaind, derided, Whilst Humblenes of all things is prouided.
Oh then be humble, gentle, meeke, and milde; So shalt thou be of euery mouth commended; Be not disdainfull, cruell, proud, (sweet childe) So shalt thou be of no man much condemned; Care not for them that Vertue doo despise; Vertue is loathde of fooles; loude of the wise.
O faire Boy trust not to thy Beauties wings, They cannot carry thee aboue the Sunne: Beauty and wealth are transitory things, (For all must ende that euer was begunne) But Fame and Vertue neuer shall decay; For Fame is toombles, Vertue liues for aye.
The snow is white, and yet the pepper's blacke, The one is bought, the other is contemned: Pibbles we haue, but store of Ieat we lacke; So white comparde to blacke is much condemned: We doo not praise the Swanne because shees white, But for she doth in Musique much delite.
And yet the siluer-noted Nightingale, Though she be not so white is more esteemed; Sturgion is dun of hew, white is the Whale, Yet for the daintier Dish the first is deemed; What thing is whiter than the milke-bred Lilly? Thou knowes it not for naught, what man so silly?
Yea what more noysomer vnto the smell Than Lillies are? what's sweeter than the Sage? Yet for pure white the Lilly beares the Bell Till it be faded through decaying Age; House-Doues are white, and Oozels Blacke-birds bee; Yet what a difference in the taste, we see.
Compare the Cow and Calfe, with Ewe and Lambe; Rough hayrie Hydes, with softest downy Fell; Hecfar and Bull, with Weather and with Ramme, And you shall see how far they doo excell; White Kine with blacke, blacke Coney-skins with gray, Kine, nesh and strong; skin, deare and cheape alway.
The whitest siluer is not alwaies best, Lead, Tynne, and Pewter are of base esteeme; The yellow burnisht gold, that comes from th'East, And West (of late inuented), may beseeme The worlds ritch Treasury, or _Mydas_ eye; (The Ritch mans God, poore mans felicitie.)
Bugle and Ieat, with snow and Alablaster I will compare: White Dammasin with blacke; Bullas and wheaton Plumbs, (to a good Taster,) The ripe red Cherries haue the sweetest smacke; When they be greene and young, th'are sowre and naught; But being ripe, with eagerness th'are baught.
Compare the Wyld-cat to the brownish Beauer, Running for life, with hounds pursued sore; When Hunts-men of her pretious Stones bereaue her (Which with her teeth sh'had bitten off before): Restoratiues, and costly curious Felts Are made of them, and rich imbroydred Belts.
To what vse serues a peece of crimbling Chalke? The Agget stone is white, yet good for nothing: Fie, fie, I am asham'd to heare thee talke; Be not so much of thine owne Image doating: So faire _Narcissus_ lost his loue and life. (Beautie is often with itselfe at strife).
Right Diamonds are of a russet hieu, The brightsome Carbuncles are red to see too, The Saphyre stone is of a watchet blue, (To this thou canst not chuse but soone agree too): Pearles are not white but gray, Rubies are red: In praise of Blacke, what can be better sed?
For if we doo consider of each mortall thing That flyes in welkin, or in waters swims, How euerie thing increaseth with the Spring, And how the blacker still the brighter dims: We cannot chuse, but needs we must confesse, Sable excels milk-white in more or lesse.
As for example, in the christall cleare Of a sweete streame, or pleasant running Riuer, Where thousand formes of fishes will appeare, (Whose names to thee I cannot now deliuer:) The blacker still the brighter haue disgrac'd, For pleasant profit, and delicious taste.
Salmon and Trout are of a ruddie colour, Whiting and Dare is of a milk-white hiew: Nature by them (perhaps) is made the fuller, Little they nourish, be they old or new: Carp, Loach, Tench, Eeles (though black and bred in mud) Delight the tooth with taste, and breed good blud.
Innumerable be the kindes, if I could name them; But I a Shepheard, and no Fisher am: Little it skills whether I praise or blame them, I onely meddle with my Ew and Lamb: Yet this I say, that blacke the better is, In birds, beasts, frute, stones, flowres, herbs, mettals, fish.
And last of all, in blacke there doth appeare Such qualities, as not in yuorie; Black cannot blush for shame, looke pale for fear, Scorning to weare another liuorie. Blacke is the badge of sober Modestie, The wonted weare of ancient Grauetie.
The learned Sisters sute themselues in blacke, Learning abandons white, and lighter hues: Pleasure and Pride light colours neuer lacke; But true Religion doth such Toyes refuse: Vertue and Grauity are sisters growne, Since blacke by both, and both by blacke are knowne.
White is the colour of each paltry Miller, White is the Ensigne of each comman Woman; White, is white Vertues for blacke Vyces Piller; White makes proud fooles inferiour vnto no man: White, is the white of Body, blacke of Minde, (Vertue we seldome in white Habit finde.)
Oh then be not so proud because th'art fayre, Vertue is onely the ritch gift of God: Let not selfe-pride thy vertues name impayre, Beate not greene youth with sharpe Repentance Rod: (A Fiend, a Monster, and mishapen Diuel; Vertues foe, Vyces friend, the roote of euill.)
Apply thy minde to be a vertuous man, Auoyd ill company (the spoyle of youth;) To follow Vertues Lore doo what thou can (Whereby great profit vnto thee ensu[e]th:) Reade Bookes, hate Ignorance, (the foe to Art, The Damme of Errour, Enuy of the hart).
Serue _Ioue_ (vpon thy knees) both day and night, Adore his Name aboue all things on Earth: So shall thy vowes be gracious in his sight, So little Babes are blessed in their Birth: Thinke on no worldly woe, lament thy sin; (For lesser cease, when greater griefes begin).
Sweare no vaine oathes; heare much, but little say; Speake ill of no man, tend thine owne affaires, Bridle thy wrath, thine angrie mood delay; (So shall thy minde be seldome cloyd with cares:) Be milde and gentle in thy speech to all, Refuse no honest gaine when it doth fall.
Be not beguild with words, proue not vngratefull, Releeue thy Neighbour in his greatest need, Commit no action that to all is hatefull, Their want with welth, the poore with plentie feed: Twit no man in the teeth with what th'hast done; Remember flesh is fraile, and hatred shunne.
Leaue wicked things, which Men to mischiefe moue, (Least crosse mis-hap may thee in danger bring,) Craue no preferment of thy heauenly _Ioue_, Nor anie honor of thy earthly King: Boast not thy selfe before th'Almighties sight, (Who knowes thy hart, and anie wicked wight).
Be not offensiue to the peoples eye, See that thy praiers harts true zeale affords, Scorne not a man that's falne in miserie, Esteeme no tatling tales, nor babling words; That reason is exiled alwaies thinke, When as a drunkard rayles amidst his drinke.
Vse not thy louely lips to loathsome lyes, By craftie meanes increase no worldly wealth; Striue not with mightie Men (whose fortune flies) With temp'rate diet nourish wholesome health: Place well thy words, leaue not thy frend for gold; First trie, then trust; in ventring be not bold.