280

Those same the shepheard told me, were the fields
In which dame Cynthia her landheards fed;
Faire goodly fields, then which Armulla yields
None fairer, nor more fruitfull to be red."
The first, to which we nigh approched, was
An high headland thrust far into the sea,
Like to an horne, whereof the name it has,
Yet seemd to be a goodly pleasant lea:
There did a loftie mount at first us greet,
Which did a stately heape of stones upreare,
That seemd amid the surges for to fleet,
Much greater then that frame, which us did beare:
There did our ship her fruitfull wombe unlade,
And put us all ashore on Cynthias land.
"What land is that thou meanst, (then Cuddy sayd)
And is there other then whereon we stand?"

285

291

300

For that same land much larger is then this,
And other men and beasts and birds doth feed:
There fruitfull corne, faire trees, fresh herbage is,
And all things else that living creatures need.
Besides most goodly rivers there appeare,
No whit inferiour to thy Fanchins praise,
Or unto Allo, or to Mulla cleare:
Nought hast thou, foolish boy, seene in thy daies."
"But if that land be there (quoth he) as here,
And is theyr heaven likewise there all one?
And, if like heaven, be heavenly graces there,
Like as in this same world where we do wone ?"
"Both heaven and heavenly graces do much more
(Quoth he) abound in that same land then this.
For there all happie peace and plenteous store
Conspire in one to make contented blisse :
No wayling there nor wretchednesse is heard,
No bloodie issues nor no leprosies,

No griesly famine, nor no raging sweard,

305

310

315

320

No nightly bodrags, nor no hue and cries;
The shepheards there abroad may safely lie,
On hills and downes, withouten dread or daunger:
No ravenous wolves the good mans hope destroy,
Nor outlawes fell affray the forest raunger.
There learned arts do florish in great honor,
And Poets wits are had in peerlesse price:
Religion hath lay powre to rest upon her,
Advancing vertue and suppressing vice.
For end, all good, all grace there freely growes,
Had people grace it gratefully to use:
For God his gifts there plenteously bestowes,
But gracelesse men them greatly do abuse."

325

330

"But say on further, then said Corylas, The rest of thine adventures, that betyded." "Foorth on our voyage we by land did passe, (Quoth he) as that same shepheard still us guyded, Untill that we to Cynthiaes presence came: Whose glorie greater then my simple thought, I found much greater then the former fame; Such greatnes I cannot compare to ought: But if I her like ought on earth might read, I would her lyken to a crowne of lillies, Upon a virgin brydes adorned head, With roses dight and goolds and daffadillies;

335

Ver. 282. Like to an horne, &c.] Cornwall. TODD. Ver. 315. bodrags,] Rather bordrags, i. e. bordragings, as in the F. Q. ii. x. 63. Where see the note on the word. Tone.

Or like the circlet of a turtle true,
In which all colours of the rainbow bee;
Or like faire Phebes garlond shining new,
In which all pure perfection one may see.
But vaine it is to thinke, by paragone

310

3-15

370

Of earthly things, to iudge of things divine:
Her power, her mercy, and her wisdome, none
Can deeme, but who the Godhead can define.
Why then do I, base shepheard, bold and blind,
Presume the things so sacred to prophane !
More fit it is t' adore, with humble mind,
The image of the heavens in shape humane."
With that Alexis broke his tale asunder,
Saying "By wondring at thy Cynthiaes praise,
Colin, thy selfe thou mak'st us more to wonder,
And her upraising doest thy selfe upraise.
But let us heare what grace she shewed thee,
And how that shepheard strange thy cause ad-

vanced."

366

360

"The Shepheard of the Ocean (quoth he) Unto that Goddesse grace me first enhanced, And to mine oaten pipe enclin'd her eare, That she thenceforth therein gan take delight, And it desir'd at timely houres to heare, All were my notes but rude and roughly dight; For not by measure of her owne great mynd, And wondrous worth, she mott my simple song, But ioyd that country shepheard ought could fynd Worth harkening to, emongst the learned throng.”

Why? (said Alexis then) what needeth shee That is so great a shepheardesse her selfe, And hath so many shepheards in her fee, To heare thee sing, a simple silly elfe?

365

370

375

380

35

Or be the shepheards which do serve her lacsic,
That they list not their mery pipes applie
Or be their pipes untunable and craesie,
That they cannot her honour worthy lie?"
"Ah! nay (said Colin) neither so, nor so:
For better shepheards be not under skie,
Nor better hable, when they list to blow
Their pipes aloud, her name to glorifie.
There is good Harpalus, now woxen aged
In faithful service of faire Cynthia:
And there is Corydon though meanly waged,
Yet hablest wit of most I know this day.
And there is sad Alcyon bent to mourne,
Though fit to frame an everlasting dittie,
Whose gentle spright for Daphnes death doth tourn
Sweet layes of love to endlesse plaints of pittie.
Ah! pensive boy, pursue that brave conceipt,
In thy sweet Eglantine of Meriflure;
Lift up thy notes unto their wonted height,
That may thy Muse and mates to mirth allure.
There eke is Palin worthie of great praise,
Albe he envie at my rustick quill:
Aird there is pleasing Alcon, could he raise
His tunes from laies to matter of more skill.
And there is old Palemon free from spight,
Whose carefull pipe may make the hearer rew:
Yet he himselfe may rewed be more right,
That sung so long untill quite hoarse he grew.
And there is Alabaster throughly taught
In all this skill, though knowen yet to few;
Yet, were he knowne to Cynthia as he ought,
His Eliseis would be redde anew.

Who lives that can match that heroick song,

300

395

400

Ver. 365. she mott my simple song.] Perhaps mott is the preterperfect of mete, i. e. measure. T. WARTOM. Ver. 403. His Eliseis &c.] This is preserved among the

415

Nor Po nor Tyburs swans so much renowned,
Nor all the brood of Greece so highly praised,
Can match that Muse when it with bayes is crowned,
And to the pitch of her perfection raised.
And there is a new shepheard late up sprong,
The which doth all afore him far surpasse ;
Appearing well in that well tuned song,
Which late he sung unto a scornfull lasse.
Yet doth his trembling Muse but lowly flie,
As daring not too rashly mount on hight,
And doth her tender plumes as yet but trie
In loves soft laies and looser thoughts delight.
Then rouze thy feathers quickly, Daniell,

420

426

430

435

440

And to what course thou please thy selfe advance :
But most, me seemes, thy accent will excell
In tragick plaints and passionate mischance.
And there that Shepheard of the Ocean is,
That spends his wit in loves consuming smart:
Full sweetly tempred is that Muse of his,
That can empierce a Princes mightie hart.
There also is (ah no, he is not now!)
But since I said he is, he quite is gone,
Amyntas quite is gone and lies full low,
Having his Amaryllis left to mone.
Helpe, O ye shepheards, helpe ye all in this,
Helpe Amaryllis this her losse to mourne:
Her losse is yours, your losse Amyntas is,
Amyntas, floure of shepheards pride forlorne:
He whilest he lived was the noblest swaine,
That ever piped in an oaten quill:
Both did he other, which could pipe, maintaine,
And eke could pipe himselfe with passing skill.
And there, though last not least, is Aetion;
A gentler shepheard may no where be found:
Whose Muse, full of high thoughts invention,
Doth like himselfe heroically sound.
All these, and many others mo remaine,
Now, after Astrofell is dead and gone :
But, while as Astrofell did live and raine,
Amongst all these was none his paragone.
All these do florish in their sundry kynd,
And do their Cynthia immortall nake:
Yet found I lyking in her royall mynd,
Not for my skill, but for that shepheards sake." 455
Then spake a lovely lasse, hight Lucida ;
"Shepheard, enough of shepheards thou hast told,
Which favour thee, and honour Cynthia :
But of so many nymphs, which she doth hold
In her retinew, thou hast nothing sayd;

445

450

460

Manuscripts in Emmanuel College, Cambridge; and is numbered 1. 4. 16. It is entitled, Elisais, Apotheosis poetica, sive, De florentissimo imperio et rebus gestis augustissimæ et invictissimæ principis Elizabethæ D. G. Angliæ, Franciæ, et Hiberniæ, Reginæ. POEMATIS in duodecem libros tribuendi LIBER PRIMUS. Authore GULIELMO ALABASTRO, Cantabrigiensi Colleg. Trin. It is dedicated to queen Elizabeth. TODD.

Ver. 429. That spends his wit in loves consuming smart:] Most of Sir Walter Raleigh's verses appear to have been of the amatory kind. TODD.

Ver. 434. Amyntas &c.] Amyntas is Ferdinando, Earl of Derby; which poetical name he received also from Nash. TODD.

46:

That seems, with none of them thou favor foundest,
Or art ingratefull to each gentle mayd,
That none of all their due deserts resoundest."
"Ah far be it (quoth Colin Clout) fro me,
That I of gentle mayds should ill deserve:
For that my selfe I do professe to be
Vassall to one, whom all my dayes I serve;
The beame of beautie sparkled from above,
The floure of vertue and pure chastitie,
The blossome of sweet ioy and perfect love,
The pearle of peerlesse grace and modestie :
To her my thoughts I daily dedicate,
To her my heart I nightly martyrize:

To her my love I lowly do prostrate,

470

To her my life I wholly sacrifice:

475

My thought, my heart, my love, my life is shee, And I hers ever onely, ever one :

One ever I all vowed hers to bee,

One ever I, and others never none."

481

Then thus Melissa said; "Thrise happie Mayd,
Whom thou doest so enforce to deifie :
That woods, and hills, and valleyes thou hast made
Her name to eccho unto heaven hie.

But say, who else vouchsafed thee of grace?"
"They all (quoth he) me graced goodly well, 483
That all I praise; but, in the highest place,
Urania, sister unto Astrofell,

In whose brave mynd, as in a golden cofer,
All heavenly gifts and riches locked are;

491

450

More rich then pearles of Ynde, or gold of Opher,
And in her sex more wonderfull and rare.
Ne lesse praise-worthie I Theana read,
Whose goodly beames though they be over dight
With mourning stole of carefull wydowhead,
Yet through that darksome vale do glister bright:
She is the well of bountie and brave mynd,
Excelling most in glorie and great light:
She is the ornament of womankind,
And courts chief garlond with all vertues dight.
Therefore great Cynthia her in chiefest
grace
Doth hold, and next unto her selfe advance,
Well worthie of so honourable place,
For her great worth and noble governance.
Ne lesse praise-worthie is her sister deare,
Faire Marian, the Muses onely darling:
Whose beautie shyneth as the morning cleare,
With silver deaw upon the roses pearling.
Ne lesse praise-worthie is Mansilia,

500

505

510

515

Best knowne by bearing up great Cynthiaes traine:
That same is she to whom Daphnaida
Upon her neeces death I did complaine:
She is the paterne of true womanhead,
And onely mirrhor of feminitie:
Worthie next after Cynthia to tread,
As she is next her in nobilitie.
Ne lesse praise-worthie Galathea seemes,
Then best of all that honourable crew,
Faire Galathea with bright shining beames,
Inflaming feeble eyes that her do view.
She there then waited upon Cynthia,
Yet there is not her won; but here with us
About the borders of our rich Coshma,
Now made of Maa, the Nymph delitious.
Ne lesse praisworthie faire Neæra is,
Newra ours, not theirs, though there she be;
For of the famous Shure, the Nymph she is,
For high desert, advaunst to that degree.
She is the blosome of grace and curtesie,
Adorned with all honourable parts:
She is the braunch of true nobilitie,

520

528

630

536

Belov'd of high and low with faithfull harts.
Ne lesse praisworthie Stella do I read,
Though nought my praises of her needed arre,
Whom verse of noblest shepheard lately dead
Hath prais'd and rais'd above each other starre.
Ne lesse praisworthie are the sisters three,
The honor of the noble familie:
Of which I meanest boast my selfe to be,
And most that unto them I am so nie:
Phyllis, Charillis, and sweet Amaryllis ;
Phyllis, the faire, is eldest of the three:
The next to her is bountifull Charillis:
But th' youngest is the highest in degree.
Phyllis, the floure of rare perfection,
Faire spreading forth her leaves with fresh delight,
That, with their beauties amorous reflexion,
Bereave of sence each rash beholders sight.
But sweet Charillis is the paragone

540

546

560

565

Of all the shepheards daughters which there bee,
And yet there be the fairest under skie,
Or that elsewhere I ever yet did see,
A fairer Nymph yet never saw mine eie:
She is the pride and primrose of the rest,
Made by the Maker selfe to be admired;
And like a goodly beacon high addrest,
That is with sparks of heavenlie beautie fired.
But Amaryllis, whether fortunate
Or else unfortunate may I aread,
That freed is from Cupids yoke by fate,
Since which she doth new bands adventure dread;-
Shepheard, what ever thou hast heard to be
In this or that praysd diversly apart,
In her thou maist them all assembled see,
And seald up in the threasure of her hart.
Ne thee lesse worthie, gentle Flavia,
For thy chaste life and vertue I esteeme:
Ne thee lesse worthie, curteous Candida,
For thy true love and loyaltie I deeme.
Besides yet many mo that Cynthia serve,
Right noble Nymphs, and high to be commended:
But, if I all should praise as they deserve,
This sun would faile me ere I halfe had ended.
Therefore, in closure of a thankfull mynd,
I deeme it best to hold eternally
Their bounteous deeds and noble favours shrynd,
Then by discourse them to indignifie."

570

575

580

So having said, Aglaura him bespake : "Colin, well worthie were those goodly favours 585 Bestowd on thee, that so of them doest make, And them requitest with thy thankfull labours. But of great Cynthiaes goodnesse, and high grace, Finish the storie which thou hast begunne."

"More eath (quoth he) it is in such a case How to begin, then know how to have donne. For everie gift, and everie goodly meed, Which she on me bestowd, demaunds a day; And everie day, in which she did a deed, Demaunds a yeare it duly to display.

590

Which load the bunches of the fruitfull vine;
Offring to fall into each mouth that gapes,
And fill the same with store of timely wine.
Her lookes were like beames of the morning sun,
Forth looking through the windowes of the east,
When first the fleecie cattell have begun
Upon the perled grasse to make their feast.
Her thoughts are like the fume of franckincence,
Which from a golden censer forth doth rise,
And throwing forth sweet odours mounts fro thence
In rolling globes up to the vauted skies.
There she beholds, with high aspiring thought,
The cradle of her owne creation,

625

631

I feele my selfe like one yrapt in spright.
For when I thinke of her, as oft I ought,
Then want I words to speake it fitly forth:
And, when I speake of her what I have thought,
I cannot thinke according to her worth.
Yet will I thinke of her, yet will I speake,
So long as life my limbs doth hold together;
And, when as death these vitall bands shall breake,
Her name recorded I will leave for ever.
Her name in every tree I will endosse,
That, as the trees do grow, her name may grow:
And in the ground each where will it engrosse,
And fill with stones, that all men may it know. 635
The speaking woods, and murmuring waters fall,
Her name Ile teach in knowen termes to frame:
And eke my lambs, when for their dams they call,
Ile teach to call for Cynthia by name.
And, long while after I am dead and rotten,
Amongst the shepheards daughters dancing rownd,
My layes made of her shall not be forgotten,
But sung by them with flowry gyrlonds crownd.
And ye, who so ye be, that shall survive,
When as ye heare her memory renewed,
Be witnesse of her bountie here alive,

640

645

Till Thestylis at last their silence brake,
Saying; "Why Colin, since thou foundst such grace
With Cynthia and all her noble crew;
Why didst thou ever leave that happie place,
In which such wealth might unto thee accrew 655
And back returnedst to this barrein soyle,
Where cold and care and penury do dweli,
Here to keep sheepe, with hunger and with toyle?
Most wretched he, that is and cannot tell.”

Happie indeed (said Colin) I him hold,
That may that blessed presence still enioy,
Of fortune and of envy uncomptrold,

660

670

The which in court continually hooved,
And followd those which happie seemd to bee.
Therefore I, silly man, whose former dayes
Had in rude fields bene altogether spent,
Durst not adventure such unknowen wayes,
Nor trust the guile of fortunes blandishment;
But rather chose back to my sheep to tourne,
Whose utmost hardnesse I before had tryde,
Then, having learnd repentance late, to mourne
Emongst those wretches which I there descryde."
Shepheard, (said Thestylis) it seemes of spight
Thou speakest thus gainst their felicitie,
Which thou envíest, rather then of right
That ought in them blameworthie thou doest spie."
"Cause have I none (quoth he) of canered will
To quite them ill, that me demeand so well:
But selfe-regard of private good or ill
Moves me of each, so as I found, to tell
And eke to warne yong shepheards wandring wit,
Which, through report of that lives painted blisse,
Abandon quiet home, to seeke for it,

And leave their lambes to losse misled amisse.

For, sooth to say, it is no sort of life,

681

686

691

695

For shepheard fit to lead in that same place,
Where each one seeks with malice, and with strife,
To thrust downe other into foule disgrace,
Himselfe to raise: and he doth soonest rise
That best can handle his deceitfull wit
In subtil shifts, and finest sleights devise,
Either by slaundring his well deemed name,
Through leasings lewd, and fained forgerie;
Or else by breeding him some blot of blame,
By creeping close into his secrecie;
To which him needs a guilefull hollow hart,
Masked with faire dissembling curtesie,
A filed toung furnisht with tearmes of art,
No art of schoole, but courtiers schoolery.
For arts of schoole have there small countenance,
Counted but toyes to busie ydle braines;

700

720

For each mans worth is measured by his weed,
As harts by hornes, or asses by their eares:
Yet asses been not all whose eares exceed,
Nor yet all harts that hornes the highest beares.
For highest lookes have not the highest mynd, 715
Nor haughtie words most full of highest thoughts:
But are like bladders blowen up with wynd,
That being prickt do vanish into noughts.
Even such is all their vaunted vanitie,
Nought else but smoke, that fumeth soone away:
Such is their glorie that in simple eie
Seeme greatest, when their garments are most gay.
So they themselves for praise of fooles do sell,
And all their wealth for painting on a wall;
With price whereof they buy a golden bell,
And purchace highest rowmes in bowre and hall:
Whiles single Truth and simple Honestie
Do wander up and downe despys'd of all;
Their plaine attire such glorious gallantry
Disdaines so much, that none them in doth call." 730
"Ah! Colin, (then said Hobbinol) the blame

725

Ver. 710. As base, or blunt,] Blunt is ignorant, or uncivilised. TODD.

Which thou imputest, is too generall, As if not any gentle wit of name

Nor honest mynd might there be found at all.
For well I wot, sith I my selfe was there,
To wait on Lobbin, (Lobbin well thou knewest,)
Full many worthie ones then waiting were,
As ever else in princes court thou vewest.
Of which, among you many yet remaine,
Whose names I cannot readily now ghesse:
Those that poore Sutors papers do retaine,
And those that skill of medicine professe,
And those that do to Cynthia expound
The ledden of straunge languages in charge:
For Cynthia doth in sciences abound,
And gives to their professors stipends large.
Therefore uniustly thou doest wyte them all,
For that which thou mislikedst in a few."

"Blame is (quoth he) more blamelesse generall, Then that which private errours doth pursew; 750 For well I wot, that there amongst them bee Full many persons of right worthie parts, Both for report of spotlesse honestie, And for profession of all learned arts, Whose praise hereby no whit impaired is,

Though blame do light on those that faultie bee;
For all the rest do most-what far amis,

And yet their owne misfaring will not see:
For either they be puffed up with pride,

753

Or fraught with envie that their galls do swell, 700
Or they their dayes to ydlenesse divide,
Or drownded lie in pleasures wastefull well,
In which like moldwarps nousling still they lurke,
Unmindfull of chiefe parts of manlinesse;
And do themselves, for want of other worke,
Vaine votaries of laesie Love professe,
Whose service high so basely they ensew,
That Cupid selfe of them ashamed is,

And, mustring all his men in Venus vew,
Denies them quite for servitors of his."

765

770

"And is Love then (said Cory as) once knowne In Court, and his sweet lore professed there! I weened sure he was our god alone,

And only woond in fields and forests here :"

776

"Not so, (quoth he) Love most aboundeth there. For all the walls and windows there are writ, All full of love, and love, and love my deare, And all their talke and studie is of it. Ne any there doth brave or valiant seeme, Unlesse that some gay Mistresse badge he beares: 780 Ne any one himselfe doth ought esteeme, Unlesse he swim in love up to the eares. But they of Love, and of his sacred lere, (As it should be) all otherwise devise,

790

Then we poore shepheards are accustomd here, 78%
And him do sue and serve all otherwise.
For with lewd speeches, and licentious deeds,
His mightie mysteries they do prophane,
And use his ydle name to other needs,
But as a complement for courting vaine,
So him they do not serve as they professe,
But make him serve to them for sordid uses:
Ah! my dread Lord, that doest liege hearts possesse,
Avenge thy selfe on them for their abuses.
But we poore shepheards whether rightly so, 795
Or through our rudenesse into errour led,
Do make religion how we rashly go

To serve that god, that is so greatly dred;

Ver. 744. The ledden &c.] Dialect; a corruption, Mr. Tyrwhitt says, of Latin. TODD.

Where growing he his owne perfection wrought, 805
And shortly was of all the gods the first.
Then got he bow and shafts of gold and lead,
In which so fell and puissant he grew,
That love himselfe his powre began to dread,
And, taking up to heaven, him godded new.
From thence he shootes his arrowes every where
Into the world, at randon as he will,

On us fraile men, his wretched vassals here,
Like as himselfe us pleaseth save or spill.
So we him worship, so we him adore

With humble hearts to heaven uplifted hie, That to true loves he may us evermore Preferre, and of their grace us dignifie :

810

815

820

825

Ne is there shepheard, ne yet shepheards swaine,
What ever feeds in forest or in field,
That dare with evil deed or leasing vaine
Blaspheme his powre, or termes unworthie yield."
"Shepheard, it seemes that some celestiall rage
Of love (quoth Cuddy) is breath'd into thy brest,
That powreth forth these oracles so sage
Of that high powre, wherewith thou art possest.
But never wist I till this present day,
Albe of Love I alwayes humbly deemed,
That he was such an one, as thou doest say,
And so religiously to be esteemed.
Well may it seeme, by this thy deep insight,
That of that god the priest thou shouldest bee:
So well thou wot'st the mysterie of his might,
As if his godhead thou didst present see."

930

835

840

845

850

"Of Loves perfection perfectly to speake, Or of his nature rightly to define, Indeed (said Colin) passeth reasons reach, And needs his priest t' expresse his powre divine. For long before the world he was ybore, And bred above in Venus bosome deare: For by his powre the world was made of yore, And all that therein wondrous doth appeare. For how should else things so far from attone, And so great enemies as of them bee, Be ever drawne together into one, And taught in such accordance to agree? Through him the cold began to covet heat, And water fire; the light to mount on hie, And th' heavie downe to peize; the hungry t' eat, And voydnesse to seeke full satietie. So, being former foes, they wexed friends, And gan by litle learne to love each other: So, being knit, they brought forth other kynds Out of the fruitfull wombe of their great mother. Then first gan heaven out of darknesse dread For to appeare, and brought forth chearfull day: Next gan the earth to shew her naked head, Out of deep waters which her drownd alway: And, shortly after, everie living wight Crept forth like wormes out of her slimie nature. 860 Soone as on them the suns life-giving light Had powred kindly heat and formall feature, Thenceforth they gan each one his like to love, And like himselfe desire for to beget: The lyon chose his mate, the turtle dove Her deare, the dolphin his owne dolphinet; But man, that had the sparke of reasons might More then the rest to rule his passion,

855

Chose for his love the fairest in his sight,
Like as himselfe was fairest by creation:
For Beautie is the bayt which with delight
Doth man allure for to enlarge his kynd;
Beautie, the burning lamp of heavens light,
Darting her beames into each feeble mynd:
Against whose powre, nor God nor man can fynd
Defence, ne ward the daunger of the wound;
But, being hurt, seeke to be medieynd

Of her that first did stir that mortall stownd.
Then do they cry and call to Love apace,
With praiers lowd importuning the skie,
Whence he them heares; and, when he list shew

grace,

Does graunt them grace that otherwise would die.
So Love is lord of all the world by right,
And rules their creatures by his powrfull saw:
All being made the vassalls of his might,

880

Through secret sence which therto doth them draw.
Thus ought all lovers of their lord to deeme:
And with chaste heart to honor him alway:
But who so else doth otherwise esteeme,
Are outlawes, and his lore do disobay.
For their desire is base, and doth not merit
The name of love, but of disloyall lust:
Ne mongst true lovers they shall place inherit,
But as exuls out of his court be thrust."
So having said, Melissa spake at will;
"Colin, thou now full deeply hast divynd
Of Love and Beautie; and, with wondrous skill,
Hast Cupid selfe depainted in his kynd.

To thee are all true lovers greatly bound,
That doest their cause so mightily defend:
But most, all wemen are thy debtors found,
That doest their bountie still so much commend.”
"That ill (said Hobbinol) they him requite,
For having loved ever one most deare:
He is repayd with scorne and foule despite,
That yrkes each gentle heart which it doth heare.”
"Indeed (said Lucid) I have often heard
Faire Rosalind of divers fowly blamed
For being to that swaine too cruell hard;
That her bright glorie else hath much defamed. **
But who can tell what cause had that faire Mayd
To use him so that used her so well;

9is

Or who with blame can iustly her upbrayd,
For loving not? for who can love compell?
And, sooth to say, it is foolhardie thing,
Rashly to wyten creatures so divine;
For demigods they be and first did spring
From heaven, though graft in frailnesse feminine.
And well I wote, that oft I heard it spoken,
How one, that fairest Helene did revile,
Through judgement of the gods to been ywroken,
Lost both his eyes and so remaynd long while,
Till he recanted had his wicked rimes,
And made amends to her with treble praise.
Beware therefore, ye groomes, I read betimes, 95
How rashly blame of Rosalind ye raise."