And lyth as lasse of Kent. This mayden in a morne betime The honey-suckle, the harlocke, To deck her summer hall. Thus, as she wandred here and there, A shepheard sitting on a bancke, He lear'd his sheepe as he him list, To feede about him round; And all the woods did sound. In favour this same shepheards swayne Which helde proud kings in awe : Whom his lewd brother slaw. The shepheard ware a sheepe-gray cloke, That could be cut with sheere: His mittens were of bauzens skinne, His cockers were of cordiwir, His hood of meniveere. Alluding to "Tamburlaine the great, or the Scythian Shepheard," 1590, 8vo, an old ranting play ascribed to Marlowe. † Sc. Abel. His aule and lingell in a thong, And pyping still he spent the day, Which liked Dowsabel : That would she ought, or would she nought, This lad would never from her thought; At length she tucked up her frocke, But then the shepheard pyp'd a good, "Thy sheepe," quoth she, "cannot be leane, The which can pipe so well :" "Yea but," sayth he, "their shepheard may, If pyping thus he pine away In love of Dowsabel." "Of love, fond boy, take thou no keepe," Quoth he, "so had I done full well, With that she gan to vaile her head, But not a word she sayd: With that the shepheard gan to frowne, And on the ground him layd. 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 Sayth she, "I may not stay till night, And all for long of thee." "My coate," sayth he, "nor yet my foulde Sayth she, "Yet lever were I dead, Sayth he, "Yet are you too unkind, And I to thee will be as kinde Of curtesie the flower." "Then will I be as true," quoth she, As ever mayden yet might be Unto her paramour. With that she bent her snow-white knee, With that the shepheard whoop'd for joy, 100 105 110 115 120 VIII. THE FAREWELL TO LOVE. From Beaumont and Fletcher's play, intitled "The Lover's Progress." A. iii. sc. i. ADIEU, fond love! farewell you wanton powers! I am free again. Thou dull disease of bloud and idle hours, Bewitching pain, Fly to fools, that sigh away their time : My nobler love to heaven doth climb, And there behold beauty still young, That time can ne'er corrupt, nor death destroy, Immortal sweetness by fair angels sung, And honoured by eternity and joy : There lies my love, thither my hopes aspire, 10 IX. ULYSSES AND THE SYREN, -affords a pretty poetical contest between Pleasure and Honour. It is found at the end of "Hymen's Triumph a pastoral tragicomedie," written by Daniel, and printed among his works, 4to, 1623.*-Daniel, who was a contemporary of Drayton's, and is said to have been poet laureat to Queen Elizabeth, was born in 1562, and died in 1619. Anne Countess of Dorset, Pembroke, and Montgomery (to whom Daniel had been Tutor), has inserted a small Portrait of him in a fulllength Picture of herself, preserved at Appleby Castle, in Cumberland. This little poem is the rather selected for a specimen of Daniel's poetic powers, as it is omitted in the later edition of his works, 2 vols. 12mo. 1718. SYREN. COME, worthy Greeke, Ulysses come, Here may we sit and view their toyle, Enjoy the day in mirth the while, And spend the night in sleepe. * In this edition it is collated with a copy printed at the end of his "Tragedie of Cleopatra." London, 1607, 12mo. VOL. I. M ULYSSES. Faire nymph, if fame or honour were Then would I come and rest with thee, With danger seek it forth; To spend the time luxuriously SYREN. Ulysses, O, be not deceiv'd And rests on others' fame. Begotten only to molest Our peace, and to beguile (The best thing of our life) our rest, And give us up to toyle! 10 15 20 To make us feele our joy; 30 And ease findes tediousnes, as much SYREN. Then pleasure likewise seemes the shore, Whereto tendes all your toyle ; Which you forego to make it more, And perish oft the while. Who may disport them diversly, Find never tedious day; And ease may have variety, As well as action may. 35 40 |