are come downe vpon earth to liue But harken to the Song Glory to glories King And peace all men among These Queristers doe sing Angels they are as also Shepheards hee Whom in our feare we doe admire to see Let not amazement blinde Your soules said he annoy To you and all mankinde My message bringeth ioy For loe the worlds great Shepheard now is borne A blessed Babe an Infant full of power After long night vp-risen is the morne Renowning Bethlem in the Sauiour Sprung is the perfect day By Prophets seene a farre Sprung is the mirthfull May Which Winter cannot marre In Dauids Citie doth this Sunne appeare Clouded in flesh yet Shepheards sit we here FINIS E. B. ¶ Arsileus his Caroll for ioy of the new mariage betweene Syrenus and Diana LEt now each Meade with flowers be depainted Of sundry colours sweetest odours glowing Roses yeeld forth your smels so finely tainted Calme windes the greene leaues moue with gentle blowing The Christall Riuers flowing With waters be encreased And since each one from sorrow now hath ceased gladnes From mournfull plaints and sadnes Ring forth faire Nimphs your ioyfull Songs for Let Springs and Meades all kinde of sorrow banish And mournfull harts the teares that they are bleeding Let gloomie cloudes with shining morning vanish Let euery bird reioyce that now is breeding And since by new proceeding With mariage now obtained A great content by great contempt is gained gladnes And you deuoyd of sadnes Ring forth faire Nimphs your ioyfull Songs for Who can make vs to change our firme desires And soule to leaue her strong determination And make vs freeze in Ice and melt in fires And nicest hearts to loue with emulation Who rids vs from vexation And all our minds commandeth But great Felicia that his might withstandeth gladnes That fill'd our hearts with sadnes Ring forth faire Nimphs your ioyfull Songs for Your fields with their distilling fauours cumber Bridegroome and happy Bride each heauenly power Your Flocks with double Lambs encreas'd in number May neuer tast vnsauorie grasse and sower The Winters frost and shower Your Kids your pretie pleasure May neuer hurt and blest with so much treasure To driue away all sadnes Ring forth faire Nimphs your ioyfull Songs for gladnes Of that sweet ioy delight you with such measure Betweene you both faiâ—e issue to ingender Longer then Nestor may you liue in pleasure The Gods to you such sweet content surrender That may make mild and tender The beasts in euery mountaine And glad the fields and Woods and euery Fountaine Abiuring former sadnes Ring forth faire Nimphs your ioyfull Songs for gladnes Let amorous birds with sweetest notes delight you Let gentle windes refresh you with their blowing Let fields and Forrests with their good requite you And Flora decke the ground where you are going Roses and Violets strowing The Iasmine and the Gilliflower With many more and neuer in your bower To tast of houshold sadnes Ring forth faire Nimphs your ioyfull Songs for gladnes Concord and peace hold you for aye contented And in your ioyfull state liue you so quiet That with the plague of iealousie tormented You may not be nor fed with Fortunes diet And that your names may flie yet To hills vnknowne with glorie But now because my breast so hoarce and sorrie It faints may rest from singing End Nimphs your Songs that in the clouds are ringing FINIS Bar. Yong. ¶ Philistus farewell to false Clorinda CLorinda false adiew thy loue torments me Let Thirsis haue thy heart since he contents thee Oh griefe and bitter anguish For thee I languish Faine I alas would hide it Oh but who can abide it I can I cannot I abide it Adiew adiew then Farewell Leaue my death now desiring For thou hast thy requiring Thus spake Philistus on his hooke relying And sweetly fell a dying FINIS Out of M. Morleys Madrigalls ¶ Rosalindes Madrigall LOue in my bosome like a Bee doth sucke his sweet Now with his wings he playes with me now with his feete Within mine eyes he makes his nest His bed amidst my tender brest My kisses are his daily feast And yet he robs me of my rest Ah wanton will ye And if I sleepe then pierceth he with prettie slight And makes his pillow of my knee the liue-long night Strike I my Lute he tunes the string He musicke playes if I but sing He lends me euery lonely thing Yet cruell he my heart doth sting Whilst wanton still ye Else I with Roses euery day will whip ye hence And binde ye when ye long to play for your offence I le shut mine eyes to keepe ye in I le make you fast it for your sinne He count your power not woorth a pin Alas what hereby shall I winne If he gaine-say me What if I beate the wanton Boy with many a rod He will repay me with annoy because a God Then sit thou safely on my knee And let thy bower my bosome be Lurke in mine eyes I like of thee O Cupid so thou pitty me Spare not but play thee FINIS Thom. Lodge ¶ A Dialogue Song betweene Syluanus and Arsilius Syl. SHepheard why do'st thou holde thy peace Sing and thy ioy to vs report Arsil My ioy good Shepheard should be lesse If it were tolde in any sort Syl. Though such great fauours thou do'st winne Yet daigne thereof to tell some part Arsil The hardest thing is to begin In enterprizes of such Art Syl. Come make an end no cause omit Of all the ioyes that thou art in Arsil How should I make an end of it That am not able to begin Syl. It is not iust we should consent That thou shoul'dst not thy ioyes recite Arsil The soule that felt the punishment Doth onely feele this great delight Syl. That ioy is small and nothing fine That is not tolde abroad to many Arsil If it be such a ioy as mine It neuer can be tolde to any Syl. How can this hart of thine containe A ioy that is of such great force Arsil I haue it where I did retaine My passions of so great remorse Syl. So great and rare a ioy is this No man is able to with-hold Arsil But greater that a pleasure is The lesse it may with words be told Syl. Yet haue I heard thee heretofore Thy ioyes in open Songs report Arsil I said I had of ioy some store But not how much nor in what sort Syl. Yet when a ioy is in excesse It selfe it will oft-times vnfolde Arsil Nay such a ioy would be the lesse If but a word thereof were tolde FINIS Bar. Yong. ¶ Montanus Sonnet VVHen the dogge Full of rage With his irefull eyes Frownes amidst the skies The Shepheard to asswage The furie of the heate Himselfe doth safely seate By a Fount Full of faire Where a gentle breath Mounting from beneath tempereth the ayre There his flocks Drinke their fill And with ease repose While sweet sleepe doth close Eyes from toyling ill But
must begin And from hence-forth this question neuer make If that thou should'st a secret Louer take Of force it doth behooue That thou should'st be belou'd and that againe Faire Mistresse thou should'st loue For to what end what purpose and what gaine Should such perfections serue as now in vaine My loue is of such art That of it selfe it well deserues to take In thy sweet loue a part Then for no Shepheard that his loue doth make Sweet life doe not my secret loue forsake FINIS Bar. Yong. Another of the same by Firmius the Shepheard IF that the gentle winde doth moue the leaues with pleasant sound If that the Kid behinde Is left that cannot finde her Dam runnes bleating vp and downe The Bagpipe Reede or Flute onely with ayre if that they touched be With pitty all salute And full of loue do◠brute thy name and sound Diana seeing thee A faire Mayd wed to prying Ielousie The fierce and sauage beasts beyond their kinde and nature yet With pitteous voyce and brest In mountaines without rest the selfe same Song doe not forget If that they stay'd at Faire and had not passed to prying Iealousie With plaints of such despaire As moou'd the gentle ayre to teares The Song that they did sing should bee One of the fairest as euer I did see Mishap and fortunes play ill did they place in Beauties brest For since so much to say There was of beautie sway they had done well to leaue the rest They had enough to doe if in her praise their wits they did awake But yet so must they too And all thy loue that woe thee not too coy nor too too proud to make If that thou wilt a secret Louer take For if thou hadst but knowne the beautie that they heere doe touch Thou would'st then loue alone Thy selfe nor any one onely thy selfe accounting much But if thou do'st conceaue this beauty that I will not publique make And mean'st not to bereaue The world of it but leaue the same to some which neuer peere did take Sweet life doe not my secret loue forsake FINIS Bar. Yong. ¶ Damelus Song to his Diaphenia DIaphenia like the Daffa-down-dilly White as the Sunne faire as the Lilly heigh hoe how I doe loue thee I doe loue thee as my Lambs Are beloued of their Dams how blest were I if thou would'st proue me Diaphenia like the spreading Roses That in thy sweetes all sweetes incloses faire sweet how I doe loue thee I doe loue thee as each flower Loues the Sunnes life-giuing power for dead thy breath to life might moue me Diaphenia like to all things blessed When all thy praises are expressed deare Ioy how I doe loue thee As the birds doe loue the Spring Or the Bees their carefull King then in requite sweet Virgin loue me FINIS H. C. ¶ The Shepheard Eurymachus to his faire Shepheardesse Mirimida VVHen Flora proud in pompe of all her flowers sate bright and gay And gloried in the dewe of Iris showers and did display Her mantle checquer'd all with gaudie greene Then I alone A mournfull man in Ericine was seene With folded armes I trampled through the grasse Tracing as he That held the Throne of Fortune brittle glasse And loue to be Like Fortune fleeting as the restlesse winde Mixed with mists Whose dampe doth make the clearest eyes grow blinde Thus in a maze I spied a hideous flame I cast my sight And sawe where blithely bathing in the same With great delight A worme did lie wrapt in a smoakie sweate And yet t was strange It carelesse lay and shrunk not at the heate I stood amaz'd and wondring at the sight while that a dame That shone like to the heauens rich sparkling light Discourst the same And said My friend this worme within the fire Which lyes content Is Venus worme and represents desire A Salamander is this princely beast Deck'd with a Crowne Giuen him by Cupid as a gorgeous creast Gainst Fortunes frowne Content he lyes and bathes him in the flame And goes not forth For why he cannot liue without the same As he so Louers liue within the fire Of feruent loue And shrinke not from the flame of hote desire Nor will not moue From any heate that Venus force imparts But lie content Within a fire and waste away their harts Vp flew the Dame and vanish'd in a cloud But there stood I And many thoughts within my minde did shroud My loue for why I felt within my heart a scorching fire And yet as did The Salamander t was my whole desire FINIS Ro. Greene. ¶ The Shepheard Firmius his Song SHepheards giue eare and now be still Vnto my passions and their cause and what they be Since that with such an earnest will And such great signes of friendships lawes you aske it me It is not long since I was whole Nor since I did in euery part free-will resigne It is not long since in my sole Possession I did know my hart and to be mine It is not long since euen and morrow All pleasure that my heart could finde was in my power It is not long since griefe and sorrow My louing heart began to binde and to deuoure It is not long since companie I did esteeme a ioy indeede still to frequent Nor long since solitarilie I liu'd and that this life did breede my sole content Desirous I wretched to see But thinking not to see so much as then I saw Loue made me know in what degree His valour and braue force did touch me with his law First he did put no more nor lesse Into my heart then he did view that there did want But when my breast in such excesse Of liuely flames to burne I knew then were so scant My ioyes that now did so abate My selfe estranged euery way from former rest That I did know that my estate And that my life was euery day in Deaths arrest I put my hand into my side To see what was the cause of this vnwonted vaine Where I did finde that torments hied By endlesse death to preiudice my life with paine Because I saw that there did want My heart wherein I did delight my dearest hart And he that did the same supplant No iurisdiction had of right to play that part The Iudge and Robber that remaine Within my soule their cause to trie are there all one And so the giuer of the paine And he that is condemn'd to die or I or none To die I care not any way Though without why to die I greeue as I doe see But for because I heard her say None die for loue for I beleeue none such there be Then this thou shalt beleeue by me Too late and without remedie as did in briefe Anaxerete and thou shalt see The little she did satisfie with after griefe FINIS Bar. Yong. ¶ The Shepheards praise of his sacred Diana PRaised be Dianaes faire and harmelesse light Praised be the dewes wherwith she moists the ground
reliefe I feare a mayd that I shall die If that be all the Shepheard sayd heigh hoe the Shepheard sayd He make thee wiue it gentle Mayde and so recure thy maladie Hereon they kist with many an oath heigh hoe many an oath And fore God Pan did plight their troath so to the Church apace they hie And God send euery pretty peate heigh hoe the pretty peate That feares to die of this conceit so kinde a friend to helpe at last Then Maydes shall neuer long againe heigh hoe to long againe When they finde ease for such a paine thus my Roundelay is past FINIS Thom. Lodge ¶ The Shepheards Sonnet MY fairest Ganimede disdaine me not Though silly Shepheard I presume to loue thee Though my harsh Songs and Sonnets cannot moue thee Yet to thy beauty is my loue no blot Apollo Ioue and many Gods beside S'dain'd not the name of Country Shepheard Swaines Nor want we pleasures though we take some paines We liue contentedly A thing call'd pride Which so corrupts the Court and euery place Each place I meane where learning is neglected And yet of late euen learnings selfe 's infected I know not what it meanes in any case We onely when Molorchus gins to peepe Learne for to fold and to vnfold our Sheepe FINIS Rich. Barnefield ¶ Seluagia and Siluanus their Songs to Diana Sel. I See thee iolly Shepheard merrie And firme thy faith and sound as a berry Sil. Loue gaue me ioy and Fortune gaue it As my desire could wish to haue it Sel. What didst thou wish tell me sweet Louer Whereby thou might'st such ioy recouer Sil. To loue where loue should be inspired Since there 's no more to be desired Sel. In this great glory and great gladnes T'hinkst thou to haue no touch of sadnes Sil. Good Fortune gaue me not such glory To mock my Loue or make me sorrie Sel. If my firme loue I were denying Tell me with sighs would'st thou be dying Sil. Those words in ieast to heare thee speaking For very griefe this hart is breaking Sel. Yet would'st thou change I pre-thee tell me In seeing one that did excell me Sil. O no for how can I aspire To more then to mine owne desire Sel. Such great affection do'st thou beare me As by thy words thou seem'st to sweare me Sil. Of thy deserts to which a debter I am thou maist demaund this better Sel. Sometimes me thinks that I should sweare it Sometimes me thinks thou should'st not beare it Sil. Onely in this my hap doth grieue me And my desire not to beleeue me Sel. Imagine that thou do'st not loue mine But some braue beautie that 's aboue mine Sil. To such a thing sweet doe not will me Where fayning of the same doth kill me Sel. I see thy firmenesse gentle Louer More then my beautie can discouer Sil. And my good fortune to be higher Then my desert but not desire FINIS Bar. Yong. ¶ Montanus his Madrigall IT was a Vallie gawdie greene Where Dian at the Fount was seene Greene it was And did passe All other of Dianaes bowers In the pride of Floraes flowers A Fount it was that no Sunne sees Cirkled in with Cipres trees Set so nie As Phaebus eye Could not doe the Virgins scathe To see them naked when they bathe She sate there all in white Colour fitting her delight Virgins so Ought to goe For white in Armorie is plaste To be the colour that is chaste Her taffata Cassock you might see Tucked vp aboue her knee Which did show There below Legges as white as Whales bone So white and chaste was neuer none Hard by her vpon the ground Sate her Virgins in a round Bathing their Golden haire And singing all in notes hie Fie on Venus flattering eye Fie on Loue it is a toy Cupid witlesse and a boy All his fires And desires Are plagues that God sent from on hie To pester men with miserie As thus the Virgins did disdaine Louers ioy and Louers paine Cupid nie Did espie Greeuing at Dianaes Song Slily stole these Maides among His bow of steele darts of fire He shot amongst them sweet desire Which straite flies In their eyes And at the entrance made them start For it ranne from eye to hart Calisto straite supposed Ioue Was faire and frolique for to loue Dian she Scap'd not free For well I wote heere vpon She lou'd the Swaine Endimion Clitia Phaebus and Chloris eye Thought none so faire as Mercurie Venus thus Did discusse By her Sonne in darts of fire None so chaste to check desire Dian rose with all her Maydes Blushing thus at Loues braides With sighs all Shew their thrall And flinging thence pronounc'd this saw What so strong as Loues sweet law FINIS Ro. Greene. ¶ Astrophell to Stella his third Song IF Orpheus voyce had force to breathe such musiques loue Through pores of sencelesse trees as it could make them moue If stones good measure daunc'd the Thebane walls to build To cadence of the times which Amphyons Lyre did yeeld More cause a like effect at least-wise bringeth O stones O trees learne hearing Stella singeth If Loue might sweet'n so a boy of Shepheards broode To make a Lyzard dull to taste Loues daintie food If Eagle fierce could so in Grecian Mayde delight As his light was her eyes her death his endlesse night Earth gaue that Loue heau'n I trow Loue defineth O Beasts O Birds looke Loue loe Stella shineth The birds stones and trees feele this and feeling Loue And if the trees nor stones stirre not the same to proue Nor beasts nor birds doe come vnto this blessed gaze Know that small Loue is quicke and great Loue doth amaze They are amaz'd but you with reason armed O eyes O eares of men how are you charmed FINIS S. Phil. Sidney ¶ A Song betweene Syrenus and Syluanus Syrenus VVHo hath of Cupids cates dainties praied May feed his stomach with them at his pleasure If in his drinke some ease he hath assayed Then let him quench his thirsting without measure And if his weapons pleasant in their manner Let him embrace his standard and his banner For being free from him and quite exempted Ioyfull I am and proud and well contented Syluanus Of Cupids daintie cates who hath not prayed May be depriued of them at his pleasure If wormewood in his drinke he hath assayed Let him not quench his thirsting without measure And if his weapons in their cruell manner Let him abiure his standard and his banner For I not free from him and not exempted Ioyfull I am and proud and well contented Syrenus Loue 's so expert in giuing many a trouble That now I know not why he should be praised He is so false so changing and so double That with great reason he must be dispraised Loue in the end is such aiarring passion That none should trust vnto his peeuish fashion For of all mischiefe he 's the onely Master And to my good a torment and disaster Syluanus
so cleare and bright By making here there your thoughts estray Tell me what will you feele before her sight Hence solitarinesse torments away Felt for her sake and wearied members cast Off all your paine redeem'd this happy day O stay not time but passe with speedy hast And Fortune hinder not her comming now O God betides me yet this griefe at last Come my sweet Shepheardesse the life which thou Perhaps didst thinke was ended long agoe At thy commaund is readie still to bow Comes not my Shepheardesse desired so O God what if she 's lost or if she stray Within this wood where trees so thicke doe grow Or if this Nimph that lately went away Perhaps forgot to goe and seeke her out No no in her obliuion neuer lay Thou onely art my Shepheardesse about Whose thoughts my soule shall finde her ioy and rest Why comm'st not then to assure it frō doubt O seest thou not the Sunne passe to the West And if it passe and I behold thee not Then I my wonted torments will request And thou shalt waile my hard and heauie lot FINIS Bar. Yong. ¶ Another of Astrophell to his Stella IN a Groue most rich of shade Where Birds wanton musique made May then young his pyed weedes showing New perfum'd with flowers fresh growing Astrophell with Stella sweet Did for mutuall comfort meet Both within them-selues oppressed But each in the other blessed Him great harmes had taught much care Her faire necke a foule yoake bare But her sight his cares did banish In his sight her yoake did vanish Wept they had alas the while But now teares them-selues did smile While their eyes by Loue directed Enterchangeably reflected Sigh they did but now betwixt Sighs of woes were glad sighs mixt With armes crost yet testifying Restlesse rest and liuing dying Their eares hungry of each word Which the deare tongue would afford But their tongues restrain'd from walking Till their hearts had ended talking But when their tongues could not speake Loue it selfe did silence breake Loue did set his lips a-sunder Thus to speake in loue and wonder Stella Soueraigne of my ioy Faire triumpher of annoy Stella starre of heauenly fire Stella Loadstarre of desire Stella in whose shining eyes Are the lights of Cupids skies Whose beames where they once are darted Loue there-with is strait imparted Stella whose voyce when it speakes Sences all asunder breakes Stella whose voyce when it singeth Angels to acquaintance bringeth Stella in whose body is Writ each Character of blisse Whose face all all beautie passeth Saue thy minde which it surpasseth Graunt O graunt but speech alas Failes me fearing on to passe Graunt O me what am I saying But no fault there is in praying Graunt O deere on knees I pray Knees on ground he then did stay That not I but since I loue you Time and place for me may moue you Neuer season was more fit Neuer roome more apt for it Smiling ayre alowes my reason The birds sing now vse the season This small winde which so sweet is See how it the leaues doth kisse Each tree in his best attyring Sence of loue to loue inspiring Loue makes earth the water drinke Loue to earth makes water sinke And if dumbe things be so wittie Shall a heauenly grace want pittie There his hands in their speech faine Would haue made tongues language plaine But her hands his hands repelling Gaue repulse all grace excelling Then she spake her speech was such As not eares but hart did touch While such wise she loue denied As yet loue she signified Astrophell said she my Loue Cease in these effects to proue Now be still yet still beleeue me Thy griefe more then death doth grieue mee If that any thought in me Can taste comfort but of thee Let me feede with hellish anguish Ioylesse helplesse endlesse languish If those eyes you praised be Halfe so deere as you to me Let me home returne starke blinded Of those eyes and blinder minded If to secret of my hart I doe any wish impart Where thou art not formost placed Be both wish and I defaced If more may be said I say All my blisse on thee I lay If thou loue my loue content thee For all loue all faith is meant thee Trust me while I thee denie In my selfe the smart I trie Tirant honour doth thus vse thee Stellaes selfe might not refuse thee Therefore deere this no more moue Least though I leaue not thy loue Which too deepe in me is framed I should blush when thou art named There-with-all away she went Leauing him to passion rent With what she had done and spoken That there-with my Song is broken FINIS S. Phil. Sidney ¶ Syrenus his Song to Dianaes Flockes PAssed contents Oh what meane ye Forsake me now and doe not wearie me Wilt thou heare mee O memorie My pleasant dayes and nights againe I haue appai'd with seauen-fold paine Thou hast no more to aske me why For when I went they all did die As thou do'st see O leaue me then and doe not wearie me Greene field and shadowed valley where Sometime my chiefest pleasure was Behold what I did after passe Then let me rest and if I beare Not with good cause continuall feare Now doe you see O leaue me then and doe not trouble mee I saw a hart changed of late And wearied to assure mine Then I was forced to recure mine By good occasion time and fate My thoughts that now such passion hate O what meane ye Forsake me now and doe not wearie mee You Lambes and Sheepe that in these Layes Did sometime follow me so glad The merry houres and the sad Are passed now with all those dayes Make not such mirth and wonted playes As once did ye For now no more you haue deceaued me If that to trouble me you come Or come to comfort me indeed I haue no ill for comforts need But if to kill me Then in some Now my ioyes are dead and dombe Full well may ye Kill me and you shall make an end of me FINIS Bar. Yong. ¶ To Amarillis THough Amarillis dance in greene Like Fairie Queene And sing full cleere With smiling cheere Yet since her eyes make heart so sore hey hoe I hill loue no more My Sheepe are lost for want of foode And I so wood That all the day I sit and watch a Heard-mayde gay Who laughs to see me sigh so sore hey hoe I hill loue no more Her louing lookes her beautie bright Is such delight That all in vaine I loue to like and loose my gaine For her that thanks me not therefore hey hoe I hill loue no more Ah wanton eyes my friendly foes And cause of woes Your sweet desire Breedes flames of Ice and freeze in fire You scorne to see me weepe so sore hey hoe I hill loue no more Loue ye who list I force him not Sith God it wot The more I waile The lesse my sighs and teares preuaile What shall