drown'd The yeare with winter storms all rent and wasted Hath now fresh youth and gentler seasons tasted The warmer sunne his bride hath newly gown'd With firie arms clipping the wanton ground And gets an heav'n on earth that primrose there Which 'mongst those violets sheds his golden hair Seems the sunnes little sonne fixt in his azure spheare 3 Seest how the dancing lambes on flowrie banks Forget their food to minde their sweeter play Seest how they skip and in their wanton pranks Bound o're the hillocks set in sportfull ranks They skip they vault full little caren they To make their milkie mothers bleating stay Seest how the salmons waters colder nation Lately arriv'd from their sea-navigation How joy leaps in their heart shew by their leaping fashion 4 What witch enchants thy minde with fullen madnes When all things smile thou onely fitt'st complaining Algon Damon I onely I have cause of sadnesse The more my wo to weep in common gladnesse When all eyes shine mine onely must be raining No winter now but in my breast remaining Yet feels this breast a summers burning fever And yet alas my winter thaweth never And yet alas this fire eats and consumes me ever Damon 5 Within our Darwin in her rockie cell A Nymph there lives which thousand boys hath harm'd All as she gliding rides in boats of shell Darting her eye where spite and beauty dwell Ay me that spite with beautie should be arm'd Her witching eye the boy and boat hath charm'd No sooner drinks he down that poisonous eye But mourns and pines ah piteous crueltie With her he longs to live for her he longs to die Algon 6 Damon what Tryphon taught thine eye the art By these few signes to search so soon so well A wound deep hid deep in my fester'd heart Pierc't by her eye Loves and deaths pleasing dart Ah she it is an earthly heav'n and hell Who thus hath charm'd my heart with sugred spell Ease thou my wound but ah what hand can ease Or give a medicine that such wound may please When she my sole Physician is my souls disease Damon 7 Poore boy the wounds which spite and Love impart There is no ward to fence no herb to ease Heav'ns circling folds lie open to his dart Hells Lethe's self cools not his burning smart The fishes cold flame with this strong disease And want their water in the midst of seas All are his slaves hell earth and heav'n above Strive not i' th' net in vain thy force to prove Give woo sigh weep pray Love's only cur'd by love Algon 8 If for thy love no other cure there be Love thou art cureles gifts prayers vows and art She scorns both you and me nay Love ev'n thee Thou sigh'st her prisoner while she laughs as free What ever charms might move a gentle heart I oft have try'd and shew'd the earnfull smart Which eats my breast she laughs at all my pain Art prayers vows gifts love grief she does disdain Grief love gifts vows prayers art ye all are spent in vain Damon 9 Algon oft hast thou fisht but sped not straight With hook and net thou beat'st the water round Oft-times the place thou changest oft the bait And catching nothing still and still dost wait Learn by thy trade to cure thee time hath found In desp'rate cures a salve for every wound The fish long playing with the baited hook At last is caught Thus many a Nymph is took Mocking the strokes of Love is with her striking strook Algon 10 The marbles self is pierc't with drops of rain Fires soften steel and hardest metals try But she more hard then both such her disdain That seas of tears Aetna's of love are vain In her strange heart weep I burn pine or die Still reignes a cold coy carelesse apathie The rock that bears her name breeds that hard stone With goats bloud onely softned she with none More precious she and ah more hard then diamond 11 That rock I think her mother thence she took Her name and nature Damon Damon see See where she comes arm'd with a line and hook Tell me perhaps thou think'st in that sweet look The white is beauties native tapestrie 'T is crystall friend yc'd in the frozen sea The red is rubies these two joyn'd in one Make up that beauteous frame the difference none But this she is a precious living speaking stone Damon 12 No gemme so costly but with cost is bought The hardest stone is cut and fram'd by art A diamond hid in rocks is found if sought Be she a diamond a diamond's wrought Thy fear congeales thy fainting steels her heart I 'le be thy Captain boy and take thy part Alcides self would never combat two Take courage Algon I will teach thee woo Cold beggars freez our gifts thy faint suit breeds her no. 13 Speak to her boy Al. Love is more deaf then blinde Damon She must be woo'd Al. Love's tongue is in the eyes Damon Speech is Love's dart Al. Silence best speaks the minde Damon Her eye invites Al. Thence love and death I finde Damon Her smiles speak peace Al. Storms breed in smiling skies Damon Who silent loves Al. Whom speech all hope denies Damon Why should'st thou fear Al. To Love Fear 's neare akinne Damon Well if my cunning fail not by a gin Spite of her scorn thy fear I 'le make thee woo and winne 14 What ho thou fairest maid turn back thine oare And gently deigne to help a fishers smart Nicaea Are thy lines broke or are thy trammels tore If thou desir'st my help unhide the sore Ah gentlest Nymph oft have I heard thy art Can soveraigne herbs to every grief impart So mayst thou live the fishers song and joy As thou wilt deigne to cure this sickly boy Unworthy they of art who of their art are coy 15 His inward grief in outward change appeares His cheeks with sudden fires bright-flaming glow Which quencht end all in ashes storms of teares Becloud his eyes which soon forc't smiling cleares Thick tides of passions ever ebbe and flow And as his flesh still wastes his griefs still grow Nicaea Damon the wounds deep rankling in the minde What herb could ever cure what art could finde Blinde are mine eyes to see wounds in the soul most blinde Algon 16 Hard maid t' is worse to mock then make a wound Why should'st thou then fair-cruel scorn to see What thou by seeing mad'st my sorrows ground Was in thy eye may by thy eye be found How can thy eye most sharp in wounding be In seeing dull these two are one in thee To see and wound by sight thy eye the dart Fair-cruel maid thou well hast learn'd the art With the same eye to see to wound to cure my heart Nicaea 17 What cures thy wounded heart Algon Thy heart so wounded Nicaea Is 't love to wound thy love Algon Loves wounds are pleasing Nicaea Why plain'st thou then Al. Because thou art unwounded Thy wound my
stopt with stifeling mire Through th' idle pipe with piercing waters soking His tender sides with sharpest stream provoking Thrusts out the muddy parts rids the miry choking 41 The second lean and lank still pill'd and harri'd By mighty bord'rers oft his barns invading Away his food and new-inn'd store is carri'd Therefore an angry colour never fading Purples his cheek the third for length exceeds And down his stream in hundred turnings leads These three most noble are adorn'd with silken threads 42 The formost of the base half blinde appeares And where his broad way in an Isthmos ends There he examines all his passengers And those who ought not scape he backward sends The second Aeols court where tempests raging Shut close within a cave the windes encaging With earthquakes shakes the Island thunders sad presaging 43 The last down-right falls to port Esquiline More strait above beneath still broader growing Soon as the gate opes by the Kings assigne Empties it self farre thence the filth out-throwing This gate endow'd with many properties Yet for his office sight and naming flies Therefore between two hills in darkest valley lies 44 To that Arch-citie of this government The three first pipes the ready feast convoy The other three in baser office spent Fling out the dregs which else the kitchin cloy In every one the Hepar keeps his spies Who if ought good with evil blended lies Thence bring it back again to Hepars treasuries 45 Two severall covers fence these twice three pipes The first from over-swimming takes his name Like cobweb-lawn woven with hundred stripes The second strength'ned with a double frame From forein enmitie the pipes maintains Close by the Pancreas stands who ne're complains Though prest by all his neighbours he their state sustains 46 Next Hepar chief of all these lower parts One of the three yet of the three the least But see the Sunne like to undaunted hearts Enlarges in his fall his ample breast Now hie we home the pearled dew ere long Will wet the mothers and their tender young To morrow with the day we may renew our song CANT III. THe Morning fresh dappling her horse with roses Vext at the lingring shades that long had left her In Tithons freezing arms the light discloses And chasing Night of rule and heav'n bereft her The Sunne with gentle beams his rage disguises And like aspiring tyrants temporises Never to be endur'd but when he falls or rises 2 Thirsil from withy prison as he uses Le ts out his flock and on an hill stood heeding Which bites the grasse and which his meat refuses So his glad eyes fed with their greedy feeding Straight flock a shoal of Nymphs shepherd-swains While all their lambes rang'd on the flowry plains Then thus the boy began crown'd with their circling trains 3 You gentle shepherds and you snowie fires That sit around my rugged rimes attending How may I hope to quit your strong desires In verse uncomb'd such wonders comprehending Too well I know my rudenesse all unfit To frame this curious Isle whose framing yet Was never throughly known to any humane wit 4 Thou Shepherd-God who onely know'st it right And hid'st that art from all the world beside Shed in my mistie breast thy sparkling light And in this fogge my erring footsteps guide Thou who first mad'st and never wilt forsake it Else how shall my weak hand dare undertake it When thou thy self ask'st counsel of thy self to make it 5 Next to Koilia on the right side stands Fairly dispread in large dominion Th' Arch-citie Hepar stretching her commands To all within this lower region Fenc't with sure barres and strongest situation So never fearing foreiners invasion Hence are the walls slight thinne built but for sight fashion 6 To th' Heart and to th' Head-citie surely ti'd With firmest league and mutuall reference His liegers there theirs ever here abide To take up strife and casuall difference Built all alike seeming like rubies sheen Of some peculiar matter such I ween As over all the world may no where else be seen 7 Much like a mount it easily ascendeth The upper part 's all smooth as slipperie glasse But on the lower many a cragge dependeth Like to the hangings of some rockie masse Here first the purple fountain making vent By thousand rivers through the Isle dispent Gives every part fit growth and daily nourishment 8 In this fair town the Isles great Steward dwells His porphyre house glitters in purple die In purple clad himself from hence he deals His store to all the Isles necessitie And though the rent he daily duly pay Yet doth his flowing substance ne're decay All day he rent receives returns it all the day 9 And like that golden starre which cuts his way Through Saturns ice and Mars his firy ball Temp'ring their strife with his more kindely ray So 'tween the Splenions frost and th' angry Gall The joviall Hepar sits with great expence Cheering the Isle by his sweet influence So slakes their envious rage and endlesse difference 10 Within some say Love hath his habitation Not Cupids self but Cupids better brother For Cupids self dwells with a lower nation But this more sure much chaster then the other By whose command we either love our kinde Or with most perfect love affect the minde With such a diamond knot he often souls can binde 11 Two purple streams here raise their boiling heads The first and least in th' hollow cavern breeding His waves on divers neighbour grounds dispreads The next fair river all the rest exceeding Topping the hill breaks forth in fierce evasion And sheds abroad his Nile-like inundation So gives to all the Isle their food and vegetation 12 Yet these from other streams much different For others as they longer broader grow These as they runne in narrow banks impent Are then at least when in the main they flow Much like a tree which all his roots so guides That all the trunk in his full body hides Which straight his stemme to thousand branches subdivides 13 Yet lest these streams might hap to be infected With other liquours in the well abounding Before their flowing chanels are detected Some lesser delfs the fountains bottome sounding Suck out the baser streams the springs annoying An hundred pipes unto that end employing Thence run to fitter place their noisome load convoying 14 Such is fair Hepar which with great dissension Of all the rest pleads most antiquitie But yet th' Heart-citie with no lesse contention And justest challenge claims prioritie But sure the Hepar was the elder bore For that small river call'd the Nurse of yore Laid boths foundation yet Hepar built afore 15 Three pois'nous liquours from this purple well Rise with the native streams the first like fire All flaming hot red furious and fell The spring of dire debate and civile ire Which wer
with courage to recall And rouze her fainting head which down as oft would fall 30 All so a Lilie prest with heavie rain Which fills her cup with showers up to the brinks The wearie stalk no longer can sustain The head but low beneath the burden sinks Or as a virgin Rose her leaves displayes Whom too hot scorching beams quite disarayes Down flags her double ruffe and all her sweet decayes 31 Th' undanted Maid feeling her feet denie Their wonted dutie to a tree retir'd Whom all the rout pursue with deadly crie As when a hunted Stag now welnigh tir'd Shor'd by an oak 'gins with his head to play The fearfull hounds dare not his horns assay But running round about with yelping voices bay 32 And now perceiving all her strength was spent Lifting to listning heav'n her trembling eyes Thus whispring soft her soul to heav'n she sent Thou chastest Love that rul'st the wandring skies More pure then purest heavens by thee moved If thine own love in me thou sure hast proved If ever thou my self my vows my love hast loved 33 Let not this Temple of thy spotlesse love Be with foul hand and beastly rage defil'd But when my spirit shall his camp remove And to his home return too long exil'd Do thou protect it from the ravenous spoil Of ranc'rous enemies that hourely toil Thy humble votarie with loathsome spot to foil 34 With this few drops fell from her fainting eyes To dew the fading roses of her cheek That much high Love seem'd passion'd with those cries Much more those streams his heart and patience break Straight he the charge gives to a winged Swain Quickly to step down to that bloudie plain And aid her wearie arms and rightfull cause maintain 35 Soon stoops the speedie Herauld through the aire Where chaste Agneia and Encrates fought See see he cries where your Parthenia fair The flower of all your armie hemm'd about With thousand enemies now fainting stands Readie to fall into their murdring hands Hie ye oh hie ye fast the highest Love commands 36 They casting round about their angrie eye The wounded Virgin almost sinking spi'd They prick their steeds which straight like lightning flie Their brother Continence runnes by their side Fair Continence that truely long before As his hearts liege this Ladie did adore And now his faithfull love kindled his hate the more 37 Encrates and his Spouse with flashing sword Assail the scatter'd troops that headlong flie While Continence a precious liquour pour'd Into the wound and suppled tenderly Then binding up the gaping orifice Reviv'd the spirits that now she 'gan to rise And with new life confront her heartlesse enemies 38 So have I often seen a purple flower Fainting through heat hang down her drooping head But soon refreshed with a welcome shower Begins again her lively beauties spread And with new pride her silken leaves display And while the Sunne doth now more gently play Lay out her swelling bosome to the smiling day 39 Now rush they all into the flying trains Bloud fires their bloud and slaughter kindles fight The wretched vulgar on the purple plains Fall down as thick as when a rustick wight From laden oaks the plenteous akorns poures Or when the blubbring ayer sadly lowres And melts his sullen brow and weeps sweet April showers 40 The greedy Dragon that aloof did spie So ill successe of this renewed fray More vext with losse of certain victorie Depriv'd of so assur'd and wished prey Gnashed his iron teeth for grief and spite The burning sparks leap from his flaming sight And forth his smoking jawes steams out a smouldring night 41 Straight thither sends he in a fresh supply The swelling band that drunken Methos led And all the rout his brother Gluttonie Commands in lawlesse bands disordered So now they bold restore their broken fight And fiercely turn again from shamefull flight While both with former losse sharpen their raging spite 42 Freshly these Knights assault these fresher bands And with new battell all their strength renew Down fell Geloios by Encrates hands Agneia Moechus and Anagnus slew And spying Methos fenc't in 's iron vine Pierc't his swoln panch there lies the grunting swine And spues his liquid soul out in his purple wine 43 As when a greedy lion long unfed Breaks in at length into the harmlesse folds So hungry rage commands with fearfull dread He drags the silly beasts nothing controlls The victour proud he spoils devours and tears In vain the keeper calls his shepherd peers Mean while the simple flock gaze on with silent fears 44 Such was the slaughter these three Champions made But most Encrates whose unconquer'd hands Sent thousand foes down to th' infernall shade With uselesse limbes strewing the bloudie sands Oft were they succourd fresh with new supplies But fell as oft the Dragon grown more wise By former losse began another way devise 45 Soon to their aid the Cyprian band he sent For easie skirmish clad in armour light Their golden bowes in hand stood ready bent And painted quivers furnisht well for fight Stuck full of shafts whose heads foul poyson stains Which dipt in Phlegethon by hellish swains Bring thousand painfull deaths and thousand deadly pains 46 Thereto of substance strange so thinne and slight And wrought by subtil hand so cunningly That hardly were discern'd by weaker fight Sooner the heart did feel then eye could see Farre off they stood and flung their darts around Raining whole clouds of arrows on the ground So safely others hurt and never wounded wound 47 Much were the Knights encumbred with these foes For well they saw and felt their enemies But when they back would turn the borrow'd blows The light-foot troop away more swiftly flies Then do their winged arrows through the winde And in their course oft would they turn behinde And with their glancing darts their hot pursuers blinde 48 As when by Russian Volgha's frozen banks The false-back Tartars fear with cunning feigne And poasting fast away in flying ranks Oft backward turn and from their bowes down rain Whole storms of darts so do they flying fight And what by force they lose they winne by slight Conquerd by standing out and conquerours by flight 49 Such was the craft of this false Cyprian crue Yet oft they seem'd to slack their fearfull pace And yeeld themselves to foes that fast pursue So would they deeper wound in nearer space In such a fight he winnes that fastest flies Flie flie chaste Knights such subtil enemies The vanquisht cannot live and conqu'rour surely dies 50 The Knights opprest with wounds and travel past Began retire and now were neare to fainting With that a winged Poast him speeded fast The Generall with these heavy newes acquainting He soon refresht their hearts that 'gan to tire But let our weary Muse a while respire Shade we our scorched heads from Phoebus parching fire CANT XII THe shepherds guarded from the sparkling heat Of blazing aire upon the flowrie banks Where
lea And horses trampling on his ycie face Where Phoebus prison'd in the frozen glasse All winter cannot move his quenched light Nor in the heat will drench his chariot bright Thereby the tedious yeare is all one day and night 14 Yet little thank and lesse reward he got He never learn'd to sooth the itching eare One day as chanc't he spies that painted boat Which once was his though his of right it were He bought it now again and bought it deare But Chame to Gripus gave it once again Gripus the basest and most dung-hil swain That ever drew a net or fisht in fruitfull main 15 Go now ye fisher-boyes go learn to play To play and sing along your Chamus shore Go watch and toyl go spend the night and day While windes waves while storms tempests roar And for your trade consume your life and store Lo your reward thus will your Chamus use you Why should you plain that lozel swains refuse you Chamus good fishers hates the Muses selves abuse you Thomal 16 Ah Thelgon poorest but the worthiest swain That ever grac't unworthy povertie How ever here thou liv'dst in joylesse pain Prest down with grief and patient miserie Yet shalt thou live when thy proud enemie Shall rot with scorn and base contempt opprest Sure now in joy thou safe and glad dost rest Smil'st at those eager foes which here thee so molest Thirsil 17 Thomalin mourn not for him he 's sweetly sleeping In Neptunes court whom here he sought to please While humming rivers by his cabin creeping Rock soft his slumbering thoughts in quiet ease Mourn for thy self here windes do never cease Our dying life will better fit thy crying He softly sleeps and blest is quiet lying Who ever living dies he better lives by dying Thomal 18 Can Thirsil then our Chame abandon ever And never will our fishers see again Thirsil Who 'gainst a raging stream doth vain endeavour To drive his boat gets labour for his pain When fates command to go to lagge is vain As late upon the shore I chanc't to play I heard a voice like thunder lowdly say Thirsil why idle liv'st Thirsil away away 19 Thou God of seas thy voice I gladly heare Thy voice thy voice I know I glad obey Onely do thou my wandring whirry steer And when it erres as it will eas'ly stray Upon the rock with hopefull anchour stay Then will I swimme where 's either sea or shore Where never swain or boat was seen afore My trunk shall be my boat my arm shall be my oare 20 Thomalin me thinks I heare thy speaking eye Woo me my posting journey to delay But let thy love yeeld to necessitie With thee my friend too gladly would I stay And live and die were Thomalin away Though now I half unwilling leave his stream How ever Chame doth Thirsil lightly deem Yet would thy Thirsil lesse proud Chamus scorns esteem Thom. 21 Who now with Thomalin shall sit and sing Who left to play in lovely myrtils shade Or tune sweet ditties to as sweet a string Who now those wounds shall ' swage in covert glade Sweet-bitter wounds which cruel love hath made You fisher-boyes and sea-maids dainty crue Farewell for Thomalin will seek a new And more respectfull stream ungratefull Chame adieu Thirsil 22 Thomalin forsake not thou the fisher-swains Which hold thy stay and love at dearest rate Here mayst thou live among their sportfull trains Till better times afford thee better state Then mayst thou follow well thy guiding fate So live thou here with peace and quiet blest So let thy love afford thee ease and rest So let thy sweetest foe recure thy wounded breast 23 But thou proud Chame which thus hast wrought me spite Some greater river drown thy hatefull name Let never myrtle on thy banks delight But willows pale the badge of spite and blame Crown thy ungratefull shores with scorn and shame Let dirt and mud thy lazie waters seise Thy weeds still grow thy waters still decrease Nor let thy wretched love to Gripus ever cease 24 Farewell ye streams which once I loved deare Farewell ye boyes which on your Chame do float Muses farewell if there be Muses here Farewell my nets farewell my little boat Come sadder pipe farewell my merry note My Thomalin with thee all sweetnesse dwell Think of thy Thirsil Thirsil loves thee well Thomalin my dearest deare my Thomalin farewell Dorus. 25 Ah haplesse boy the fishers joy and pride Ah wo is us we cannot help thy wo Our pity vain ill may that swain betide Whose undeserved spite hath wrong'd thee so Thirsil with thee our joy and wishes go Myrtil 26 Dorus some greater power prevents thy curse So vile so basely lives that hatefull swain So base so vile that none can wish him worse But Thirsil much a better state doth gain For never will he finde so thanklesse main FINIS ECLOG III. MYRTILVS A Fisher-lad no higher dares he look Myrtil sat down by silver Medwayes shore His dangling nets hung on the trembling oare Had leave to play so had his idle hook While madding windes the madder Ocean shook Of Chamus had he learnt to pipe and sing And frame low dirties to his humble string 2 There as his boat late in the river stray'd A friendly fisher brought the boy to view Coelia the fair whose lovely beauties drew His heart from him into that heav'nly maid There all his wandring thoughts there now they staid All other fairs all other love defies In Coelia he lives for Coelia dies 3 Nor durst the coward woo his high desiring For low he was lower himself accounts And she the highest height in worth surmounts But sits alone in hell his heav'n admiring And thinks with sighs to fanne but blows his firing Nor does he strive to cure his painfull wound For till this sicknesse never was he sound 4 His blubber'd face was temper'd to the day All sad he look't that sure all was not well Deep in his heart was hid an heav'nly hell Thick clouds upon his watrie eye-brows lay Which melting showre and showring never stay So sitting down upon the sandy plain Thus 'gan he vent his grief and hidden pain 5 You sea-born maids that in the Ocean reigne If in your courts is known Loves matchlesse power Kindling his fire in your cold watry bower Learn by your own to pity others pain Tryphon that know'st a thousand herbs in vain But know'st not one to cure a love-sick heart See here a wound that farre outgoes thy art 6 Your stately seas perhaps with loves fire glow And over-seeth their banks with springing tide Mustring their white-plum'd waves with lordly pride They soon retire and lay their curl'd heads low So sinking in themselves they backward go But in my breast full seas of grief remain Which ever flow and never ebbe again 7 How well fair Thetis in thy glasse I see As in a crystal all my raging pains Late thy green fields slept in their even plains
cure on this my plaint is grounded Nicaea Cures are diseases when the wounds are easing Why would'st thou have me please thee by displeasing Algon Scorn'd love is death loves mutuall wounds delighting Happie thy love my love to thine uniting Love paying debts grows rich requited in requiting Damon 18 What lives alone Nicaea starres most chaste Have their conjunctions spheares their mixt embraces And mutuall folds Nothing can single last But die in living in increasing waste Nicaea Their joyning perfects them but us defaces Algon That 's perfect which obtains his end your graces Receive their end in love She that 's alone Dies as she lives no number is in one Thus while she 's but her self she 's not her self she 's none Nicaea 19 Why blam'st thou then my stonie hard confection Which nothing loves thou single nothing art Algon Love perfects what it loves thus thy affection Married to mine makes mine and thy perfection Nicaea Well then to passe our Tryphon in his art And in a moment cure a wounded heart If fairest Darwin whom I serve approve Thy suit and thou wilt not thy heart remove I 'le joyn my heart to thine and answer thee in love 20 The sunne is set adieu Algon 'T is set to me Thy parting is my ev'n thy presence light Nicaea Farewell Algon Thou giv'st thy wish it is in thee Unlesse thou wilt haplesse I cannot be Damon Come Algon cheerly home the theevish night Steals on the world and robs our eyes of sight The silver streams grow black home let us coast There of loves conquest may we safely boast Soonest in love he winnes that oft in love hath lost FINIS ECLOG VI. THOMALIN Thirsil Thomalin A Fisher-boy that never knew his peer In daintie songs the gentle Thomalin With folded arms deep sighs heavy cheer Where hundred Nymphs hundred Muses inne Sunk down by Chamus brinks with him his deare Deare Thirsil lay oft times would he begin To cure his grief and better way advise But still his words when his sad friend he spies Forsook his silent tongue to speak in watrie eyes 2 Under a sprouting vine they carelesse lie Whose tender leaves bit with the Eastern blast But now were born and now began to die The latter warned by the formers haste Thinly for fear salute the envious skie Thus as they sat Thirsil embracing fast His loved friend feeling his panting heart To give no rest to his increasing smart At length thus spake while sighs words to his grief impart Thirsil 3 Thomalin I see thy Thirsil thou neglect'st Some greater love holds down thy heart in fear Thy Thirsils love and counsel thou reject'st Thy soul was wont to lodge within my eare But now that port no longer thou respect'st Yet hath it still been safely harbour'd there My eare is not acquainted with my tongue That either tongue or eare should do thee wrong Why then should'st thou conceal thy hidden grief so long Thom. 4 Thirsil it is thy love that makes me hide My smother'd grief from thy known faithfull eare May still my Thirsil safe and merry ' bide Enough is me my hidden grief to bear For while thy breast in hav'n doth safely ride My greater half with thee rides safely there Thirsil So thou art well but still my better part My Thomalin sinks loaden with his smart Thus thou my finger cur'st and wound'st my bleeding heart 5 How oft hath Thomalin to Thirsil vowed That as his heart so he his love esteem'd Where are those oaths where is that heart bestowed Which hides it from that breast which deare it deem'd And to that heart room in his heart allowed That love was never love but onely seem'd Tell me my Thomalin what envious thief Thus robs thy joy tell me my liefest lief Thou little lov'st me friend if more thou lov'st thy grief Thom. 6 Thirsil my joyous spring is blasted quite And winter storms prevent the summers ray All as this vine whose green the Eastern spite Hath di'd to black his catching arms decay And letting go their hold for want of might Mar'l winter comes so soon in first of May. Thirsil Yet see the leaves do freshly bud again Thou drooping still di'st in this heavie strain Nor can I see or end or cause of all thy pain Thom. 7 No marvel Thirsil if thou dost not know This grief which in my heart lies deeply drown'd My heart it self though well it feels his wo Knows not the wo it feels the worse my wound Which though I rankling finde I cannot show Thousand fond passions in my breast abound Fear leagu'd to joy hope and despair together Sighs bound to smiles my heart though prone to either While both it would obey 'twixt both obeyeth neither 8 Oft blushing flames leap up into my face My guiltlesse cheek such purple flash admires Oft stealing tears slip from mine eyes apace As if they meant to quench those causelesse fires My good I hate my hurt I glad embrace My heart though griev'd his grief as joy desires I burn yet know no fuel to my firing My wishes know no want yet still desiring Hope knows not what to hope yet still in hope aspiring Thirsil 9 Too true my fears alas no wicked sprite No writhel'd witch with spells or powerfull charms Or hellish herbs digg'd in as hellish night Gives to thy heart these oft and fierce alarms But Love too hatefull Love with pleasing spite And spitefull pleasure thus hath bred thy harms And seeks thy mirth with pleasance to destroy 'T is Love my Thomalin my liefest boy 'T is Love robs me of thee and thee of all thy joy Thomal 10 Thirsil I ken not what is hate or Love Thee well I love and thou lov'st me as well Yet joy no torment in this passion prove But often have I heard the fishers tell He 's not inferiour to the mighty Iove Iove heaven rules Love Iove heav'n earth and hell Tell me my friend if thou dost better know Men say he goes arm'd with his shafts and bow Two darts one swift as fire as lead the other slow Thirsil 11 Ah heedlesse boy Love is not such a lad As he is fancy'd by the idle swain With bow and shafts and purple feathers clad Such as Diana with her buskin'd train Of armed Nymphs along the forrests glade With golden quivers in Thessalian plain In level race outstrips the jumping Deer With nimble feet or with a mighty spear Flings down a bristled bore or els a squalid bear 12 Love 's sooner felt then seen his substance thinne Betwixt those snowy mounts in ambush lies Oft in the eyes he spreads his subtil ginne He therefore soonest winnes that fastest flies Fly thence my deare fly fast my Thomalin Who him encounters once for ever dies But if he lurk between the ruddy lips Unhappie soul that thence his Nectar sips While down into his heart the sugred poison slips 13 Oft in a voice he creeps down through the eare Oft from a blushing cheek he
lights his fire Oft shrouds his golden flame in likest hair Oft in a soft-smooth skin doth close retire Oft in a smile oft in a silent tear And if all fail yet Vertue 's self he 'l hire Himself 's a dart when nothing els can move Who then the captive soul can well reprove When Love and Vertue 's self become the darts of Love Thom. 14 Sure Love it is which breeds this burning fever For late yet all too soon on Venus day I chanc't Oh cursed chance yet blessed ever As carelesse on the silent shores I stray Five Nymphs to see five fairer saw I never Upon the golden sand to dance and play The rest among yet farre above the rest Sweet Melite by whom my wounded breast Though rankling still in grief yet joyes in his unrest 15 There to their sportings while I pipe and sing Out from her eyes I felt a firie beam And pleasing heat such as in first of Spring From Sol inn'd in the Bull do kindly stream To warm my heart and with a gentle sting Blow up desire yet little did I dream Such bitter fruits from such sweet roots could grow Or from so gentle eye such spite could flow For who could fire expect hid in an hill of snow 16 But when those lips those melting lips I prest I lost my heart which sure she stole away For with a blush she soon her guilt confest And sighs which sweetest breath did soft convey Betraid her theft from thence my flaming breast Like thundring Aetna burns both night and day All day she present is and in the night My wakefull fancie paints her full to sight Absence her presence makes darknes presents her light Thirsil 17 Thomalin too well those bitter sweets I know Since fair Nicaea bred my pleasing smart But better times did better reason show And cur'd those burning wounds with heav'nly art Those storms of looser fire are laid full low And higher love safe anchours in my heart So now a quiet calm does safely reigne And if my friend think not my counsel vain Perhaps my art may cure or much asswage thy pain Thom. 18 Thirsil although this witching grief doth please My captive heart and Love doth more detest The cure and curer then the sweet disease Yet if my Thirsil doth the cure request This storm which rocks my heart in slumbring ease Spite of it self shall yeeld to thy behest Thirsil Then heark how Tryphons self did salve my paining While in a rock I sat of love complaining My wounds with herbs my grief with counsel sage restraining 19 But tell me first Why should thy partial minde More Melite then all the rest approve Thom. Thirsil her beautie all the rest did blinde That she alone seem'd worthy of my love Delight upon her face and sweetnesse shin'd Her eyes do spark as starres as starres do move Like those twin-fires which on our masts appear And promise calms Ah that those flames so clear To me alone should raise such storms of hope and fear Thirsil 20 If that which to thy minde doth worthiest seem By thy wel-temper'd soul is most affected Canst thou a face worthy thy love esteem What in thy soul then love is more respected Those eyes which in their spheare thou fond dost deem Like living starres with some disease infected Are dull as leaden drosse those beauteous rayes So like a rose when she her breast displayes Are like a rose indeed as sweet as soon decayes 21 Art thou in love with words her words are winde As flit as is their matter flittest aire Her beautie moves can colours move thy minde Colours in scorned weeds more sweet and fair Some pleasing qualitie thy thoughts doth binde Love then thy self Perhaps her golden hair False metall which to silver soon descends Is 't pleasure then which so thy fancie bends Poore pleasure that in pain begins in sorrow ends 22 What is 't her company so much contents thee How would she present stirre up stormy weather When thus in absence present she torments thee Lov'st thou not one but all these joyn'd together All 's but a woman Is 't her love that rents thee Light windes light aire her love more light then either If then due worth thy true affection moves Here is no worth Who some old hagge approves And scorns a beauteous spouse he rather dotes then loves 23 Then let thy love mount from these baser things And to the highest love and worth aspire Love 's born of fire fitted with mounting wings That at his highest he might winde him higher Base love that to base earth so basely clings Look as the beams of that celestiall fire Put out these earthly flames with purer ray So shall that love this baser heat allay And quench these coals of earth with his more heav'nly day 24 Raise then thy prostrate love with towring thought And clog it not in chains and prison here The God of fishers deare thy love hath bought Most deare he loves for shame love thou as deare Next love thou there where best thy love is sought My self or els some other fitting peer Ah might thy love with me forever dwell Why should'st thou hate thy heav'n and love thy hell She shall not more deserve nor cannot love so well 25 Thus Tryphon once did wean my fond affection Then fits a salve unto th' infected place A salve of soveraigne and strange confection Nepenthe mixt with Rue and Herb-de-grace So did he quickly heal this strong infection And to my self restor'd my self apace Yet did he not my love extinguish quite I love with sweeter love and more delight But most I love that Love which to my love ha's right Thom. 26 Thrice happy thou that could'st my weaker minde Can never learn to climbe so lofty flight Thirsil If from this love thy will thou canst unbinde To will is here to can will gives thee might 'T is done if once thou wilt 't is done I finde Now let us home for see the creeping night Steals from those further waves upon the land To morrow shall we feast then hand in hand Free will we sing and dance along the golden sand FINIS ECLOG VII The PRIZE Thirsil Daphnis Thomalin AVrora from old Tithons frosty bed Cold wintry wither'd Tithon early creeps Her cheek with grief was pale with angerred Out of her window close she blushing peeps Her weeping eyes in pearled dew she steeps Casting what sportlesse nights she ever led She dying lives to think he 's living dead Curst be and cursed is that wretched fire That yokes green youth with age want with desire Who ties the sunne to snow or marries frost to fire 2 The morn saluting up I quickly rise And to the green I poste for on this day Shepherd and fisher-boyes had set a prize Upon the shore to meet in gentle fray Which of the two should sing the choicest lay Daphnis the shepherds lad whom Mira's eys Had kill'd yet with such wound he gladly dies Thomalin
his sleep Though th' hast a wife fir young and fair An heritage heirs to advance Yet canst thou not command an heir For heirs are Gods inheritance He gives the seed the bud the bloom He gives the harvest to the wombe And look as arrows by strong arm In a strong bow drawn to the head Where they are meant will surely harm And if they hit wound deep and dead Children of youth are even so As harmfull deadly to a foe That man shall live in blisse and peace Who fills his quiver with such shot Whose garners swell with such increase Terrour and shame assail him not And though his foes deep hatred bear Thus arm'd he shall not need to fear PSAL. 137. To be sung as See the building WHere Perah's flowers Perfume proud Babels bowers And paint her wall There we laid asteeping Our eyes in endlesse weeping For Sions fall Our feasts and songs we laid aside On forlorn willows By Perah's billows We hung our harps and mirth and joy defi'd That Sions ruines should build foul Babels pride Our conqu'rours vaunting With bitter scoffes and taunting Thus proudly jest Take down your harps and string them Recall your songs sing them For Sions feast Were our harps well tun'd in every string Our heart-strings broken Throats drown'd and soken With tears and sighs how can we praise and sing The King of heav'n under an heathen king In all my mourning Ierusalem thy burning If I forget Forget thy running My hand and all thy cunning To th' harp to set Let thy mouth my tongue be still thy grave Lie there asleeping For Sion weeping Oh let mine eyes in tears thy office have Nor rise nor set but in their brinie wave Proud Edoms raging Their hate with bloud asswaging And vengefull sword Their cursed joying In Sions walls destroying Remember Lord Forget not Lord their spightfull cry Fire and deface it Destroy and raze it Oh let the name of Sion ever die Thus did they roare and us and thee defie So shall thy towers And all thy princely bowers Proud Babel fall Him ever blessed Who th' oppressour hath oppressed Shall all men call Thrice blest that turns thy mirth to grones That burns to ashes Thy towers and dashes Thy brats 'gainst rocks to wash thy bloudie stones With thine own bloud and pave thee with thy bones PSAL. I. BLessed who walk'st not in the worldlings way Blessed who with foul sinners wilt not stand Blessed who with proud mockers dar'st not stay Nor sit thee down amongst that scornfull band Thrice blessed man who in that heav'nly light Walk'st stand'st and sitt'st rejoycing day and night Look as a thirstie Palm full Iordan drinks Whose leaf and fruit still live when winter dies With conqu'ring branches crowns the rivers brinks And summers fires and winters frosts defies All so the soul whom that clear light revives Still springs buds grows and dying time survives But as the dust of chaffe cast in the aire Sinks in the dirt and turns to dung and mire So sinners driv'n to hell by fierce despair Shall frie in ice and freez in hellish fire For he whose flaming eyes all actions turn Sees both to light the one the other burn PSAL. 130. FRom the deeps of grief and fear O Lord to thee my soul repairs From thy heav'n bow down thine eare Let thy mercie meet my prayers Oh if thou mark'st what 's done amisse What soul so pure can see thy blisse But with thee sweet mercie stands Sealing pardons working fear Wait my soul wait on his hands Wait mine eye oh wait mine eare If he his eye or tongue affords Watch all his looks catch all his words As a watchman waits for day And looks for light and looks again When the night grows old and gray To be reliev'd he calls amain So look so wait so long mine eyes To see my Lord my Sunne arise Wait ye saints wait on our Lord For from his tongue sweet mercie flows Wait on his crosse wait on his word Upon that tree redemption grows He will redeem his Israel From sinne and wrath from death and hell AN HYMNE WAke O my soul awake and raise Up every part to sing his praise Who from his spheare of glorie fell To raise thee up from death and hell See how his soul vext for thy sinne Weeps bloud without feels hell within See where he hangs heark how he cries Oh bitter pangs Now now he dies Wake O mine eyes awake and view Those two twin-lights whence heavens drew Their glorious beams whose gracious sight Fills you with joy with life and light See how with clouds of sorrow drown'd They wash with tears thy sinfull wound See how with streams of spit th' are drencht See how their beams with death are quencht Wake O mine eare awake and heare That powerfull voice which stills thy fear And brings from heav'n those joyfull news Which heav'n commands which hell subdues Heark how his eares heav'ns mercie-seat Foul slanders with reproaches beat Heark how the knocks our ears resound Heark how their mocks his hearing wound Wake O my heart tune every string Wake O my tongue awake and sing Think not a thought in all thy layes Speak not a word but of his praise Tell how his sweetest tongue they drownd With gall think how his heart they wound That bloudie spout gagg'd for thy sinne His life lets out thy death lets in AN HYMNE DRop drop slow tears and bathe those beauteous feet Which brought from heav'n the news and Prince of peace Cease not wet eyes his mercies to intreat To crie for vengeance sinne doth never cease In your deep flouds drown all my faults and fears Nor let his eye see sinne but through my tears On my friends picture who died in travel THough now to heav'n thy travels are confin'd Thy wealth friends life and countrey all are lost Yet in this picture we thee living finde And thou with lesser travel lesser cost Hast found new life friends wealth and better coast So by thy death thou liv'st by losse thou gain'st And in thy absence present still remain'st Upon Doctor Playser WHo lives with death by death in death is lying But he who living dies best lives by dying Who life to truth who death to errour gives In life may die by death more surely lives My soul in heaven breathes in schools my fame Then on my tombe write nothing but my name Upon my brothers book called The grounds labour and reward of faith THis lamp fill'd up and fir'd by that blest Spirit Spent his last oyl in this pure heav'nly flame Laying the grounds walls roof of faith this frame With life he ends and now doth there inherit What here he built crown'd with his laurel merit Whose palms and triumphs once he loudly rang There now enjoyes what here he sweetly sang This is his monument on which he drew His spirits image that can never die But breathes in these ' live words and speaks to th' eye In these
the fisher in whose heart did reigne Stella whose love his life and whose disdain Seems worse then angry skies or never quiet main 3 There soon I view the merry shepherd-swains March three by three clad all in youthfull green And while the sad recorder sweetly plains Three lovely Nymphs each several row between More lovely Nymphs could no where els be seen Whose faces snow their snowy garments stains With sweeter voices fit their pleasing strains Their flocks flock round about the horned rammes And ewes go silent by while wanton lambes Dancing along the plains forget their milky dammes 4 Scarce were the shepherds set but straight in sight The fisher-boyes came driving up the stream Themselves in blue and twenty sea-nymphs bright In curious robes that well the waves might seem All dark below the top like frothy cream Their boats and masts with flowres and garlands dight And round the swannes guard them with armies white Their skiffes by couples dance to sweetest sounds Which running corners breath to full plain grounds That strikes the rivers face and thence more sweet rebounds 5 And now the Nymphs and swains had took their place First those two boyes Thomalin the fishers pride Daphnis the shepherds Nymphs their right hand grace And choicest swains shut up the other side So sit they down in order fit appli'd Thirsil betwixt them both in middle space Thirsil their judge who now 's a shepherd base But late a fisher-swain till envious Chame Had rent his nets and sunk his boat with shame So robb'd the boyes of him and him of all his game Thirsil 6 So as they sit thus Thirsil 'gins the lay You lovely boyes the woods and Oceans pride Since I am judge of this sweet peacefull fray First tell us where and when your Loves you spied And when in long discourse you well are tried Then in short verse by turns we 'l gently play In love begin in love we 'l end the day Daphnis thou first to me you both are deare Ah if I might I would not judge but heare Nought have I of a judge but an impartiall eare Daph. 7 Phoebus if as thy words thy oaths are true Give me that verse which to the honour'd bay That verse which by thy promise now is due To honour'd Daphne in a sweet tun'd lay Daphne thy chang'd thy love unchanged aye Thou sangest late when she now better staid More humane when a tree then when a maid Bending her head thy love with gentle signe repaid 8 What tongue what thought can paint my Loves perfection So sweet hath nature pourtray'd every part That art will prove that artists imperfection Who when no eye dare view dares limme her face Phoebus in vain I call thy help to blaze More light then thine a light that never fell Thou tell'st what 's done in heav'n in earth and hell Her worth thou mayst admire there are no words to tell 9 She is like thee or thou art like her rather Such as her hair thy beams thy single light As her twin-sunnes that creature then I gather Twice heav'nly is where two sunnes shine so bright So thou as she confound'st the gazing sight Thy absence is my night her absence hell Since then in all thy self she doth excell What is beyond thy self how canst thou hope to tell 10 First her I saw when tir'd with hunting toyl In shady grove spent with the weary chace Her naked breast lay open to the spoil The crystal humour trickling down apace Like ropes of pearl her neck and breast enlace The aire my rivall aire did coolly glide Through every part such when my Love I spi'd So soon I saw my Love so soon I lov'd and di'd 11 Her face two colours paint the first a flame Yet she all cold a flame in rosie die Which sweetly blushes like the mornings shame The second snow such as on Alps doth lie And safely there the sunne doth bold defie Yet this cold snow can kindle hot desire Thou miracle mar'l not if I admire How flame should coldly freez and snow should burn as fire 12 Her slender waste her hand that dainty breast Her cheek her forehead eye and flaming hair And those hid beauties which must sure be best In vain to speak when words will more impair Of all the fairs she is the fairest fair Cease then vain words well may you shew affection But not her worth the minde her sweet perfection Admires how should it then give the lame tongue direction Thom. 13 Unlesse thy words be flitting as thy wave Proteus that song into my breast inspire With which the seas when loud they rore and rave Thou softly charm'st and windes intestine ire When 'gainst heav'n earth and seas they did conspire Thou quiet laid'st Proteus thy song to heare Seas listning stand and windes to whistle fear The lively Delphins dance and brisly Seales give eare 14 Stella my starre-like love my lovely starre Her hair a lovely brown her forehead high And lovely fair such her cheeks roses are Lovely her lip most lovely is her eye And as in each of these all love doth lie So thousand loves within her minde retiring Kindle ten thousand loves with gentle firing Ah let me love my Love not live in loves admiring 15 At Proteus feast where many a goodly boy And many a lovely lasse did lately meet There first I found there first I lost my joy Her face mine eye her voice mine eare did greet While eare eye strove which should be most sweet That face or voice but when my lips at last Saluted hers those senses strove as fast Which most those lips did please the eye eare touch or taste 16 The eye sweares never fairer lip was eyed The eare with those sweet relishes delighted Thinks them the spheares the taste that nearer tried Their relish sweet the soul to feast invited The touch with pressure soft more close united Wisht ever there to dwell and never cloyed While thus their joy too greedy they enjoyed Enjoy'd not half their joy by being overjoyed 17 Her hair all dark more clear the white doth show And with its night her faces morn commends Her eye-brow black like to an ebon bow Which sporting Love upon her forehead bends And thence his never-missing arrow sends But most I wonder how that jetty ray Which those two blackest sunnes do fair display Should shine so bright night should make so sweet a day 18 So is my love an heav'n her hair a night Her shining forehead Dian's silver light Her eyes the starres their influence delight Her voice the sphears her cheek Aurora bright Her breast the globes where heav'ns path milkie-white Runnes 'twixt those hills her hand Arions touch As much delights the eye the eare as much Such is my Love that but my Love was never such Thirsil 19 The earth her robe the sea her swelling tide The trees their leaves the moon her divers face The starres their courses flowers their springing pride Dayes