Paynims attributed the birth and beginning of all creatures new comming into the world, it seemeth that he therefore to him assigned the beginning and first entrance of the yeare. Which account for the most part hath hitherto continued: Notwithstanding that the Egyptians beginne their yeare at September; for that, according to the opinion of the best Rabbines and verie purpose of the Scripture it selfe, God made the worlde in that Moneth, that is called of them Tisri. And therefore he commanded them to keepe the feast of Pavilions in the ende of the yeare, in the xv, day of the seventh Moneth, which before that time was the first. But our Authour respecting neither the subtiltie of the one part, nor the antiquitie of the other, thinketh it fittest, according to the simplicitie of common understanding, to begin with Ianuarie; weening it perhaps no decorum that Shepheards should be seene in matter of so deep insight, or canvase a case of so doubtful iudgement. So therefore beginneth he, and so continueth he throughout. JANUARIE. AEGLOGA PRIMA. ARGUMENT.-In this first Aeglogue Colin Clout, a Shepheards Boy, complaineth himselfe of his unfortunate love, being but newly (as seemeth) enamoured of a Country Lasse called Rosalinde: with which strong affection being verie sore travelled, he compareth his careful case to the sad season of the yeare, to the frostie ground, to the frosen trees, and to his owne winterbeaten flocke. And lastly, finding himselfe robbed of all former pleasance and delight, he breaketh his Pipe in peeces, and casteth himselfe to the ground. Neighbour towne, the next towne: expressing the Latin Vicinia. Stoure, a fit. Sere, withered. His clownish gifts, imitateth Virgil's verse: "Rusticus es Corydon, nec munera curat Alexis." Hobbinoll, is a fained country name, whereby, it being so common and usuall, seemeth to be hidden the person of some his very especiall and most familiar friend, whom he intirely and extraordinarily beloved, as peradventure shal be more largely declared hereafter. In this place seemeth to be some favor of disorderly love, which the learned call Pæderastice: but it is gathered beside his meaning. For who hath red Plato his Dialogue called Alcibiades; Xenophon, and Maximus Tyrius, of Socrates opinions; may easily perceive, that such love is to be allowed and liked of, specially so ment, as Socrates used it; who saith, that indeede he loved Alcybiades extreemely, yet not Alcybia des person, but his soule, which is Alcybiades owne self. And so is Pederastice much to be preferred before Gynerastice, that is, the love which inflameth men with lust toward womankind. But yet let no man thinke, that herein I stand with Lucian, or his divelish disciple Unico Aretino, in defence of execrable and horrible sinnes of forbidden and unlawfull fleshlinesse. Whose abhominable errour is fully confuted of Perionius, and others. I love, a pretie Eponorthosis in these two verses, and withal a paronomasia or playing with the word, where he saith I love thilke lasse alas, &c. Rosalinde, is also a fained name, which, being well ordered, will bewray the verie name of his love and mistresse, whom by that name he coloureth. So as Ovid shadoweth his love under the name of Corynna, which of some is supposed to be Iulia, the Emperor Augustus his daughter, and wife to Agrippa. So doth Aruntius Stella every where call his Ladie, Asteris and Ianthes, albeit it is well knowne that her right name was Violantilla: as witnesseth Statius in his Epithalamium. And so the famous paragon of Italy, Madonna Cælia, in her letters envelopeth her self under the name of Zima, and Petrona under the name of Bellochia. And this generally hath beene a common custome of counterfeiting the names of secrete personages. Avail, bring downe. Overhaile, draw over. EMBLEME. His Embleme or Posie is here under added in Italian, Anchora speme, the meaning whereof is, that notwithstanding his extreame passion and luckelesso love, yet, leaning on hope, he is somewhat recomforted. FEBRUARIE. AEG LOGA SECUNDA. ARGUMENT.-This Aeglogue is rather morall and generall then bent to anie secret or particular purpose. It speciallie containeth a discourse of olde age, in the person of Thenot, an old shepheard, who, for his crookednesse and unlustinesse, is scorned of Cuddie, an unhappie heardmans boy. The matter verie well accordeth with the season of the moneth, the yeare now drooping, and as it were drawing to his last age. For as in this time of yeare, so then in our bodies, there is a drie and withering cold, which congealeth the crudled blood, and frieseth the weatherbeaten flesh, with stormes of Fortune and hoare frosts of Care. To which purpose the olde man telleth a tale of the Oake and the Brier, so livelie, and so feelinglie, as, if the thing were set forth in some picture before our eies, more plainlie could not They woont in the winde wagge their wriggle tayles The. Lewdly complainest, thou laesie ladde, Who will not suffer the stormie time, 10 15 20 Cud. No marveile, Thenot, if thou can beare 25 This chill, that cold; this crooked, that wrye; 30 Such an one shepheards would make full faine; Cud. Seest how brag yond bullocke beares, 70 75 The. Cuddie, I wote thou kenst little good, The. The soveraigne of seas he blames in vaine, Keeping his sheepe on the hilles of Kent? That, once sea-beate, will to sea againe : Which cruddles the bloud and pricks the harte : Cud. Ah! foolish old man! I scorne thy skill, Ver. 8. Perke] Pert, or brisk. TODD. 35 Cud. To nought more, Thenot, my minde is bent Then to heare novells of his devise; 95 They bene so well thewed, and so wise, The. Many meete tales of youth did hee make, And some of love, and some of chevalrie; 100 40 45 50 Now listen a while and hearken the end. A goodly Oake sometime had it bene, The shepheards daughters to gather flowres, Ver. 84. availes. Drops or lowers. T. WARTON. Ver. 9. Lewdly] Foolishly. TODD. Ver. 30. So seemest thou like Good Friday to frowne;] This I presume is a proverbial expression. Good-Friday is said to frown, as being a fast-day. Thus a Lenten face is used to denominate sourness and severity of aspect. T. WARTON. Ver. 65. I wonne her with a girdle of gelt,] With a golden or gilded girdle. T. WARTON. 105 110 115 120 lustlesse] Languid or lifeless. TODD. thy headlesse hood;] For "thy heedlessness." Hoor is a termination denoting estate; as manhood, &c. T. WARTON. Ver. 89. Whose way is wildernesse, whose ynne penaunce, And stoope gallaunt Age, the hoast of Greevaunce.] The meaning of the last verse seems to be this: The tamer of whose gay gallantries is Old Age, the guest or companion of Misery. T. WARTON. Ver. 108. Whilome had bene &c.] Here is an ellipsis of a very important word. It, (that is, the Oak,) should have been inserted before had. T. WARTON. 130 135 Nor for fruit nor for shadowe serves thy stocke; 'Seest how fresh my flowers bene spredde, 'Dyed in lilly white and cremsin redde, With leaves engrained in lustie green; 'Colours meete to clothe a mayden queene? 'Thy waste bignes but combers the ground, And dirks the beautie of my blossomes round : The mouldie mosse, which thee accloyeth, 6 My sinamon smell too much annoyeth : Wherefore soone I rede thee hence remove, "Least thou the price of my displeasure prove.' So spake this bold Brere with great disdaine : Little him aunswered the Oake againe, But yeelded, with shame and grief adawed, That of a weede he was overcrawed. It chaunced after upon a day, The husbandman selfe to come that way, 'O my liege Lord! the god of my life, 140 145 150 155 With painted wordes tho gan this proude weede 160 (As most usen ambitious folke) His coloured crime with craft to cloke. 165 Ah, my Soveraigne ! lord of creatures all, 'Thou placer of plants both humble and tall, "Was not I planted of thine owne hande, To bee the primrose of all thy lande; With flowring blossomes to furnish the prime, And scarlet berries in sommer time? 'Howe falls it then that this faded Oake, 'Whose bodie is sere, whose braunches broke, 170 "Whose naked arms stretch unto the fire, Unto such tyrannie doth aspire; 'Hindering with his shade my lovely light, 'And robbing mee of the sweete sunnes sight? 'So beate his old boughes my tender side, 'That oft the bloude springeth from woundës wide; Untimely my flowres forced to fall, That bene the honour of your coronall: And oft hee lets his cancker-wormes light Upon my braunches, to worke me more spight; And oft his hoarie locks down doth cast, 'Wherewith my fresh flowrets bene defast: For this, and many more such outrage, Craving your goodlyhead to asswage The ranckorous rigour of his might; Ver. 126. T. WARTON. Ver. 134. 175 180 To this this Oake cast him to replie As halfe unwilling to cutte the graine; And often crost with the priestes crewes, 190 195 200 205 And often hallowed with holy-water dewe : But sike fancies weren foolerie, 210 Tho downe to the earth hee fell forthwith. There lyeth the Oake, pitied of none ! Now stands the Brere like a lord alone, For nowe no succour was seene him neere. 220 925 280 235 Cud. Now I pray thee, shepheard, tell it not forth: Here is a long tale, and little worth. Ver. 189. cast] Considered. TODD. 185 And snebbe &c.] Snebbe is chide or revile. dirks] Darkens. TODD. 240 245 Ver. 195. he hent in hand,] The word hent for seized, snatched, or took, is repeatedly used by Chaucer, and is also employed by the Scottish writers. TODD. Ver. 243. - frorne] Frorne is the passive participle of the verb freeze. TODD. Ver. 244. galage] It means a wooden shoe, from the French galoche. T. WARTON. Thenot, the name of a Shepheard in Marot his Aeglogues. The Soveraigne of Seas, is Neptune the god of the Seas. The saying is borrowed of Mimus Publianus, which used this proverbe in a verse: "Improbè Neptunum accusat, qui iterum naufragium facit." Heardgroomes, Chaucers verse almost whole. Fond flies, He compareth carelesse sluggardes, or ill husbandmen, to flies that so soone as the sunne shineth, or it waxeth any thing warme, begin to flie abroad, when suddenly they be overtaken with cold. But eft when, a very excellent and lively description of Winter, so as may be indifferently taken, either for old age, or for Winter season. Rather lambs, that be ewed early in the beginning of the yeare. Youth is, a verie moral and pithie Allegorie of youth, and the lusts thereof, compared to a wearie wayfaring man. Tityrus, I suppose he meanes Chaucer, whose praise for pleasant tales cannot die, so long as the memorie of his name shall live, and the name of poetrie shall endure. Well thewed, that is, Bene morata, Full of morall wisenesse. There grew, This tale of the Oake and the Brere, he telleth as learned of Chaucer, but it is cleane in another kind, and rather like to Aesops fables. It is verie excellent for pleasant descriptions, being altogether a certaine Icon or Hypotyposis of disdainfull younkers. Embellisht, beautified and adorned. To wonne, to haunt or frequent. Why standst, The speach is scornfull and verie presumptuous. Engrained, dyed in graine. Accloieth, accumbreth. Adawed, daunted and confounded. This Embleme is spoken of Thenot, as a morall of his former tale: namely, that God, which is himself most aged, being before all ages, and without beginning, maketh those, whom he loveth, like to himselfe, in heaping yeares unto their daies, and blessing them with long life. For the blessing of age is not given to all, but unto whom God will so blesse. And albeit that many evill men reach unto such fulnes of yeares, and some also waxe old in miserie and thraldome, yet therefore is not age ever the lesse blessing. For even to such evill men such number of years is added, that they may in their last dayes repent, and come to their first home: So the old man checketh the raw-headed boy for despising his gray and frostie haires. Whom Cuddie doth counterbuffe with a biting and bitter proverbe, spoken indeed at the first in contempt of old-age generally. For it was an old opinion, and yet is continued in some mens conceipt, that men of years have no feare of God at all, or not so much as yonger folke. For that being ripened with long experience, and having passed many bitter brunts and blasts of vengeance, they dread no stormes of Fortune, nor wrath of God, nor daunger of men, as being either by long and ripe wisedome armed against all mischaunces and adversitie, or with much trouble hardned against all troublesome tides: like unto the Ape, of which is said in Esops fables, that, oftentimes meeting the Lion, he was at first sore agast and dismaid at the grimnesse and austeritie of his countenance, but at last, being acquainted with his lookes, he was so farre from fearing him, that he would familiarly gybe and iest with him: Such long experience breedeth in some men securitie. Although it please Erasmus, a great clark, and good old father, more fatherly and favourably, to construe it in his Adages, for his owne behoofe, That by the proverbe, "Nemo senex metuit Iovem," is not meant, that olde men have no feare of God at all, but that they bee farre from superstition and idolatrous regard of false gods, as is Iupiter. But his great learning notwithstanding, it is too plaine, to be gainesaid, that old men are much more enclined to such fond fooleries, then yonger heades. |