And waked againe with griefe';
The while thilke same unhappie ewe,
Whose clouted legge her hurt doth shewe,
Fell headlong into a dell.

And there unioynted both her bones:
Mought her neck bene ioynted attones,

She shoulde have neede no more spell; Th' elfe was so wanton and so wood, (But now I trowe can better good,)

She mought ne gang on the greene. Wil. Let be, as may be, that is past; That is to come, let be forecast:

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Long wandring up and downe the land,

With bow and bolts in either hand,

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And utter his tender head?

Flora nowe calleth forth eche flower,

And bids make readie Maias bower, That newe is upryst from bedd:

Tho shall wee sporten in delight,
And learne with Lettice to wexe light,
That scornefully lookes askaunce;

Tho will wee little Love awake,
That nowe sleepeth in Lethe lake,

And pray him leaden our daunce.
Tho. Willye, I ween thou be assot;
For lusty Love still sleepeth not,

But is abroade at his game.

Wil. Howe kenst thou, that hee is awoke? Or hast thy selfe his slomber broke?

Or made privie to the same?

Tho. No; but happily I him spide,
Where in a bush he did him hide,

With winges of purple and blewe;

And, were not that my sheepe would stray,
The privie markes I would bewray,
Whereby by chaunce I him knew.
Wil. Thomalin, have no care for-thy;
My selfe will have a double eye,

Ylike to my flocke and thine;
For, alas! at home I have a syre,
A stepdame eke, as hote as fyre,

That dewly adayes counts mine. Tho. Nay, but thy seeing will not serve, My sheep for that may chaunce to swerve, And fall into some mischiefe: For sithens is but the third morow That I chaunst to fall asleepe with sorow,

As thicke as it had hayled.

Tho pumie stones I hastly hent,

And threw; but nought avayled:

Ver. 53, Mought her neck bene ioynted attones,

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Ver. 65. With bow and bolts in either hand,] That is, with bow and arrows. Todd.

Ver. 66.

Ver. 73.

tooting.] Looking about. TODD.

the thicke,

Might see the moving of some quicke,] Thicke, thicket. Quicke, living creature. TODD.

BB

He was so wimble and so wight,
From bough to bough he lepped light,
And of the pumies latched:
Therewith affrayd I ranne away;
But he, that earst seemd but to play,
A shaft in earnest snatched,

And hit me running in the heele:
For then I little smart did feele,

But soone it sore increased;

And now it ranckleth more and more, And inwardly it festreth sore,

Ne wote I how to cease it.

Wil. Thomalin, I pitie thy plight,
Perdie with Love thou diddest fight;

I know him by a token:
For once I heard my father say,
How he him caught upon a day,
(Whereof he will be wroken,)
Entangled in a fowling net,

Which he for carrion crowes had set

That in our peare-tree haunted:
Tho said, he was a winged lad,

But bowe and shaftes as then none had,
Els had he sore been daunted.
But see, the welkin thicks apace,
And stouping Phoebus steepes his face;
Yts time to haste us homeward.

WILLYES EMBLEME.

To be wise and eke to love,
Is graunted scarce to gods above.

THOMALINS EMBLEME.

Of hony and of gaule in love there is store; The hony is much, but the gaule is more.

GLOSSE.

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This Aeglogue scemeth somewhat to resemble that same of Theocritus, wherein the boy likewise telling the olde man, that he had shot at a winged boy in a tree, was by him warned to beware of mischiefe to come.

Overwent, overgone.

Alegge, to lessen or asswage.

To quell, to abate.

Welkin, the skie.

The swallow, which bird useth to be counted the messenger, and as it were the forerunner, of spring.

Flora, the Goddesse of flowers, but indeed (as saith Tacitus) a famous harlot, which with the abuse of her bodie having gotten great riches, made the people of Rome her heire who, in remembrance of so great beneficence, appointed a yearely feast for the memoriall of her, calling her, not as she was, nor as some do thinke, Andronica, but Flora: making her the Goddesse of flowers, and doing yearely to her solemne sacrifice.

Maias bower, that is, the pleasant field, or rather the May bushes. Maia is a Goddesse, and the mother of Mercurie, in honor of whom the moneth of May is of her name so called, as saith Macrobius.

Lettice, the name of some Countrey lasse.
Ascaunce, askew, or asquint.

For thy, therefore.

Lethe, is a lake in hell, which the poets call the lake of forgetfulnesse. For Lethe signifieth forgetfulnesse. Wherein the soules being dipped, did forget the cares of their former life. So that by sleeping in Lethe lake, he meaneth he was almost forgotten, and out of knowledge, by reason of winters hardnesse, when all pleasures, as it were, sleepe and weare out of mind.

Assotte, to dote.

His slomber, to break loves slumber, to exercise the delights of love and wanton pleasures.

Wings of purple, so is he faigned of the poets.

For als, he imitateth Virgils verse:

"Est mihi namque domi pater, est iniusta noverca, &c."

A dell, a hole in the ground.

Spell, is a kinde of verse or charme, that in elder times they used often to say over every thing that they would have preserved, a the nightspell for theeves, and the woodspell. And here nence, I thinke, is named the Godspel or word. And so saith Chaucer, Listeneth Lordings to my spel.

Gang, go.

An yrie todde, a thicke bush.

Swaine, a boy: For so is he described of the poets, to be a boy, s. alwayes fresh and lustie; blindfolded, because he maketh no difference of personages; with diverse coloured wings, s. full of flying fancies; with bowe and arrow, that is, with glaunce of beautie, which pricketh as a forked arrow. He is saide also to have shaftes, some leaden, some golden: that is, both pleasure for the gracious and loved, and sorrowe for the lover that is disdained or forsaken. But who list more at large to behold Cupids colours and furniture, let him read either Propertius, or Moschus his Idyllion of Wandring Love, being nowe most excellently translated into Latine, by the singular learned man Angelus Politianus; Which worke I have seene amongst other of this Poets doings, verie well translated also into English rimes.

Wimble and wight, quicke and deliver.

In the heele, is very poetically spoken, and not without special judgement. For I remember that in Homer it is said of Thetis, that she tooke her yong babe Achilles being newly borne, and, holding him by the hele, dipped him in the river of Styx. The vertue whereof is, to defend and keepe the bodies washed therein from any mortall wound. So Achilles being washed al over save onely his heele, by which his mother held, was in the rest invulnerable; therefore by Paris was faigned to bee shotte with a poysoned arrow in the heele, whiles he was busie aboute the marrying of Polyxena in the Temple of Apollo. Which mystical fable Eustathius unfolding, saith; that by wounding the heele, is meant lustfull love. For from the heele (as say the best physitions) to the privie partes there passe certaine veines and slender sinewes, as also the like come from the head, and are caried like little pypes behind the eares; so that (as saith Hipocrates) if those veynes there be cut a sunder, the partie straight becommeth cold and unfruitfull. Which reason our poet well weighing, maketh this shepheards boy of purpose to be wounded by Love in the heele.

Latched, caught.

Wroken, revenged.

For once: In this tale is set out the simplicity of shepherds opinion of love.

Stouping Phabus, is a Periphrasis of the sunne setting.

EMBLEME.

Hereby is meant, that all the delights of love, wherein wanton youth walloweth, be but follie mixt with bitternesse, and sorrow sawced with repentance. For besides that the very affection of Love it selfe tormenteth the minde, and vexeth the bodie manie waies, with unrestfulnesse all night, and wearinesse all day, seeking for that wee cannot have, and finding that wee would not have; even the selfe things which best before us liked, in course of time, and change of riper yeares, which also therewithall chaungeth our wonted liking and former fantasies, will then seeme loathsome, and breed us annoyance, when youths flower is withered, and we find our bodies and wits answere not to such vaine iollitie and lustfull pleasance.

"Chloris, that is the chiefest nymph of all, "Of olive braunches beares a coronall:

"Olives bene for peace,

"When warres do surcease:

"Such for a princesse bene principall.

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GLOSSE.

Gars thee greet, causeth thee weep and complaine.
Forlorne, left and forsaken.

Attempred to the yeare, agreeable to the season of the yeere, that is Aprill, which moneth is most bent to showers and seasonable raine: to quench, that is, to delay the drought, caused through drinesse of March winds.

The lad, Colin Clout.

The lasse, Rosalinda.

Tressed locks, withered and curled.

Is he for a lad? a strange maner of speaking, s. what maner of lad is he?

To make, to rime and versifie. For in this word, making, our olde English Poets were wont to comprehend all the skill of Poetrie, according to the Greeke word Poicin, to make, whence commeth the name of Poets.

Colin thou kenst, knowest. Seemeth hereby that Colin pertaineth to some Southern noble man, and perhaps in Surrey or Kent, the rather because he so often nameth the Kentish downes, and before, As lithe as lasse of Kent.

The widowes, He calleth Rosalinde the widowes daughter of the glenne, that is, of a countrey hamlet or borough, which I thinke is rather said to colour and conceale the person then simply spoken. For it is well knowne, even in spight of Colin and Hobbinoll, that she is a gentlewoman of no meane house, nor endued with any vulgar and common giftes, both of nature and maners: but such in deede, as neede neither Colin be ashamed to have her made knowne by his verses, nor Hobbinoll be greeved, that so she should be commended to immortalitie for her rare and singular vertues: Specially deserving it no lesse, then either Myrto the most excellent Poet Theocritus his darling, or Lauretta the divine Petrarches goddesse, or Himera the worthy poet Stesichorus his idol; upon whom he is said so much to have doted, that, in regard of her excellencie, he scorned and wrote against the beautie of Helena. For which his presumptuous and unheedie hardinesse, he is sayd by vengeance of the gods, thereat being offended, to have lost both his eies.

Frenne, a stranger. The word I thinke was first poetically put, and afterward used in common custome of speech for forrene.

fold, should know, or ever seem to have heard of, a Queenes royaltie.

Ye daintie, is, as it were, an Exordium ad præparandos animos.

Virgins, the nine Muses, daughters of Apollo and Memorie, whose abode the Poets feigne to be on Parnassus, a hill in Greece, for that in that countrey specially flourished the honour of all excellent studies.

Helicon, is both the name of a fountaine at the foote of Parnassus, and also of a mountain in Bæotia, out of the which floweth the famous spring Castalius, dedicate also to the Muses: of which spring it is saide, that, when Pegasus the winged horse of Perseus (whereby is meant fame and flying renowme) stroke the ground with his hoofe, sodainly therout sprang a well of most cleare and pleasant water, which from thence was consecrate to the Muses and Ladies of learning.

Your silver song, seemeth to imitate the like in Hesiodus argurion melos.

Syrinx, is the name of a Nymph of Arcadie, whom when Pan beeing in love pursued, she, flying from him, of the Gods was turned into a reede. So that Pan catching at the reeds, in stead of the Damosell, and puffing hard, (for he was almost out of winde,) with his breath made the reedes to pipe, which he seeing, tooke of them, and, in remembrance of his lost love, made him a pipe thereof. But here by Pan and Syrinx is not to bee thought, that the shepheards simplie meant those poeticall Gods: but rather supposing (as seemeth) her graces progenie to be divine and immortall (so as the painims were wont to iudge of all kings and princes, according to Homers saying,

"Thumos de megas esti diotrepheos basileos,
"Time d'ek dios esti, philei de e metieta Zeu,)"

could devise no parents in his iudgement so worthy for her, as Pan the shepheards God, and his best beloved Syrinx. So that by Pan is here meant the most famous and victorious king, her highnesse father, late of worthie memorie king Henrie the eight. And by that name, oftentimes (as hereafter appeareth) bee noted kings and mightie potentates: And in some place Christ himselfe, who is the very Pan and God of shepheards.

Cremosin coronet, he deviseth her crowne to bee of the finest and most delicate flowers, in stead of pearles and precious stones wherewith princes diademes use to be adorned and embost.

Embellish, beautifie and set out.

Phebe, the Moone, whom the poets feign to be sister unto Phœbus, that is, the Sunne.

Medled, mingled.

Yfere, together. By the mingling of the Redde rose and the White, is meant the uniting of the two principall houses of Lancaster and Yorke: by whose long discord and deadly debate this realme many years was sore travailed, and almost cleane decaied. Till the famous Henry the seventh, of the line of Lancaster, taking to wife the most vertuous princesse Elizabeth, daughter to the fourth Edward of the house of Yorke, begat the most royall Henrie the eight aforesaid, in whom was the first union of the White rose, and the Redde.

Calliope, one of the nine Muses: to whom they assigne the honour of all poeticall invention, and the first glorie of the Heroical verse. Other say, that she is the Goddesse of Rethoricke: but by Virgill it is manifest, that they mistake the thing. For there, in his Epigrams, that Art seemeth to be attributed to Polymnia, saying:

"Signat cuncta manu, loquiturque Polymnia gestu." Which seemeth specially to be meant of Action, and Elocution, both special parts of Rethoricke: beside that her name, which (as some construe it) importeth great remembrance, containeth another part. But I holde rather with them, which call her Polymnia, or Polyhymnia, of her good singing.

Bay branches, be the signe of honour and victorie, and therefore of mightie conquerours worne in their triumphs, and eke of famous poets, as saith Petrarch in his Sonets:

"Arbor vittoriosa triomphale,

"Honor d' Imperadori et di Poeti, &c."

The Graces, be three sisters, the daughters of Iupiter, (whose names are Agalaia, Thalia, Euphrosyne: and Homer onely addeth a fourth, s. Pasithea, otherwise called Charites, that is, thankes. Whom the poets fained to be goddesses of all beautie and comelinesse, which therefore (as saith Theodontius) they make three, to weete, that men first.ought to bee gracious and bountifull to other freely; then to receive benefits at other mens hands curteously; and thirdly, to requite them thankefully which are three sundrie actions in liberalitie. And Boccace saith, that they bee painted naked (as they were in deed on the tombe of C. Iulius Cæsar) the one having her backe towards us, and her face fromward, as proceeding from us: the other two toward us: noting double thanke to be due to us for the benefit we have done. Deffly, finely and nimbly.

Soote, sweete.

Meriment, mirth.

Bevie, a bevie of ladies, is spoken figuratively for a companie or a troup; the terme is taken of larkes. For they say a bevie of larkes, even as a covey of partridges, or an eye of phesants.

Ladies of the lake, be Nymphes. For it was an old opinion among the auncient heathen, that of every spring and fountaine was a goddesse the Soveraigne. Which opinion stuck in the minds of men not many years sithence, by meanes of certaine fine fablers, and loude lyers, such as were the authors of King Arthure the great, and such like, who tell many an unlawfull leasing of the Ladies of the Lake, that is, the Nymphes. For the word Nymph in Greece, signifieth Well-water, or otherwise, a Spouse or Bride.

Bedight, called or named.

Chloris, the name of a Nymph, and signifieth greennesse, of whom is said, that Zephyrus the Westerne wind being in love with her, and coveting her to wife, gave her for a dowrie the chiefdome and soverain tie of all flowres, and greene hearbs, growing on the earth.

Olives bene, the Olive was wont to be the ensigne of peace and quietnes, either for that it cannot be planted and pruned, and so carefully looked to as it ought, but in time of peace: or else for that the olive tree, they say, will not growe neare the Firre tree, which is dedicate to Mars the God of battaile, and used most for Speares, and other instruments of warre. Whereuppon is finely fained, that, when Neptune and Minerva strove for the naming of the Citie of Athens, Neptune striking the ground with his Mace, caused a horse to come forth, that importeth war, but at Minervaes stroke sprung out an Olive, to note that it should be a nurse of learning, and such peaceable studies.

Bind your, spoken rudely, and according to shepheards simplicitie.

Bring, all these be names of flowers. Sops in wine, a a flower in colour much like to a Carnation, but differing in smell and quantitie. Flowre delice, that which they use to misterme flowre deluce, being in Latine called Flos delitiarum.

A bellibone, or a bonnibel, homely spoken for a fair maid, or bonilasse.

Forswonck and forswatt, overlaboured and sunne

burnt.

I saw Phœbus, the sunne. A sensible narration, and a present view of the thing mentioned, which they call Parousia.

Cynthia, the Moone, so called of Cynthus a hill, where she was honoured.

Latonaes seede, was Apollo and Diana. Whom when as Niobe the wife of Amphion scorned, in respect of the noble fruit of her wombe, namely her seaven sonnes, and so many daughters; Latona, being therewith displeased, commaunded her sonne Phœbus to slay all the sonnes, and Diana all the daughters: whereat the unfortunate Niobe being sore dismaied, and lamenting out of measure, was fained by the Poets to be turned into a stone, upon the Sepulchre of her children: for which cause the Shepheard