The Shepherds Hunting, Eclogue 1

The Shepherds Hunting · Eclogue 1

The first Eglogue.

ARGVMENT.

WILLY leaues his …locke a while,

Ui…ites … in exile;

Where though prison'…, he doth finde

He's still free that's free in Minde:

And … trouble no defence

Is so …irme as Innocence.

R…T.

WILLY.

WI…y, thou now full tolly tun'st thy Reed…,

Making the Aimphs enamou…d on thy straines,

And whilst thy harmelesse …locke vnscar…d feedes,

Hast tho contentment, of Hills. Groues, and Plaines:

Trust me, …oy thou and thy Muse so speedes

In such an Age, where so much mischiefe raignes:

And to my Care it some redresse will be,

Fortune hath so much grace, to smile on thee.

WILLY.

To smile on me? I nere yet knew her smile,

Vnlesse 'twere when she purpos'd to deceiue me;

Many a Trayne, and many a painted wile

She casts, in hope of Freedome to bereaue me:

Yet now, because she sees I scorne her guile

To fawne on sooles, she for my Muse doth leaue me,

And here of late, her wonted spite doth tend,

To worke me care, by frowning on my friend.

ROGET.

Why then I see her Copper-coyne's no starling,

'T will not be currant still, for all the guilding,

A Knaue, or …oole must euer be her Darling:

For they hauehave mindes to all occasions yeelding:

If we get any thing by all our parling

It seemes an Apple, but it proues a weilding:

But let that passe; sweet Shepheard tell me this,

For what beloued friend thy sorrow is.

WILLY.

Wrong me not Roget: do'st thou suffer heere,

And aske me for what friend it is I greeue?

Can I suppose thy louelove to me is deere,

Or this thy ioy for my content beleeue:

When thou think'st thy cares touch not me as neere,

Or that I pinne thy sorrowes at my sleeue?

Roget, my faith in thee hath had that trust,

I neuer thought to finde thee so vniust.

ROGET.

Why Willy? WILLY: Prethee do not aske me why,

Doth it diminish any of thy care,

That I in freedome maken melody,

And think'st I cannot as well somewhat spare

From my delight, to mone thy miscrie?

Tis time our Loues should these suspects forbeare:

Thou art that friend; which thou vnnam'd should'st know,

And not hauehave drawn my louelove in question so.

ROGET.

Forgiue me, and I'le pardon thy mistake,

A…d so shall this thy gentle-anger cease,

(I neuer of thy louelove will question make)

Whilst that the number o… our day…s encrease,

Yet to my se…fe, I much might seeme to take,

And something neere vntounto presumption prease:

To thinke me worthy louelove from such a spirit,

But that I know thy kindnesse, past my merit.

Besid…s; me thought thou spak'st now of a friend,

That se…m'd more grieu…us discontents to beare,

Some things I finde that doe in shew offend,

Which to my Patience little trouble are,

And they e're long I hope will hauehave an end,

Or though they hauehave not, much I doe not care:

So this it was made me that question moue,

And not suspect of honest Willies louelove.

WILLY.

Alas, thou art exiled from thy …locke,

And quite beyond the Desarts here confin'd,

Hast nothing to conuerse with but a Rocke,

Or at least Out-lawes in their Caues halfe pin'd,

And do'…t thou at thy owne misfortune mocke,

Making thy selfe to; to thy selfe vnkinde?

When heretofore we talk'… we did embrace:

But now I scarce can come to see thy face.

ROGET.

Yet all that, Willy, is not worth thy sorrow,

For I hauehave Mirth, here thou would'st not beleeue,

From de…pest ca…es the highest ioyes I borrow:

If ought chaunce out this day, may m…ke me grieue,

I'le learne to mend, or scorne it by to morrow,

This barren place yeelds somewhat to relieue:

For I hauehave found sufficient to content me,

And more true blisse, then euer freedome lent me.

WILLY.

Are Prisons then growne places of delight?

ROGET.

Tis as the conscience of the Prisoner is,

The very Grates are able to affright

The guilty Man, that knowes his deedes amisse,

All outward Pleasures are exiled quite,

And it is nothing (of it selfe) but this:

Abhorred-loanenesse, darknesse. sadnesse, paines,

Num'…-cold, sharp-hunger, scorching thirst & chaines.

WILLY.

And these are not…ing?

ROGET.

——Nothing yet to mee,

Onel… my friends restraint is all my paine,

And since I truly finde my conscience free

From that my loanen…sse to, I reape some gaine.

WILLY.

But graunt in this no discontentment be,

It doth thy wished liberty restraine,

And to thy soule I thinke there's nothing nearer,

For I could neuer heare thee prize ought dearer.

ROGET.

True, I did euer set it at a Rate,

Too deere for any Mortal's worth to buy,

Tis not our greatest Shepheard's whole estate,

Shall purchase from me, my least liberty,

But I am subiect to the powers of Fate,

And to obey them is no slauery:

They may do much, but when they hauehave done all,

OnelyOnly my body they may bring in thrall.

And 'tis not that (my Willy) 'tis my minde,

My minde's more pretious freedome I so weigh

A thousand wayes they may my body binde,

In thous…d … ▪ …ut … m… minde …etray,

And … …ce it is that I … …,

And beare with … th… my … away:

I'me … my selfe, a…d that I'de rat…er bee,

Then to be Lord of all th…e Downes in see.

WILLY.

No…ly … and I doe ioy to hear'…,

For 'tis the minde of Man indeede that's all,

There's n…ught so hard but a …rake … will bea…'t,

And … men co…t great … small,

The…'le looke on 'Death and Torment, yet not fear't,

Because they … tis rising so to …:

Ty…ants n av boast they to much power are borne,

Yet he hath more that Tyranies can scorne.

ROGET.

'Tis right, but I no Tyranies endure,

Nor … au… I suffred ought worth name of care.

WILLY.

What e're thou'lt call't, thou may'st, but I am sure,

Many more pine that much lesse payned are,

Thy looke me thinks doth say thy meaning's pure,

And by this past I finde what thou do'st da…e:

But I could neuer yet the reason know,

Why thou …rt lodged in this house of woe.

ROGET.

Nor I by Pan, no… neuer hope to doe,

But … it pleases some; and I doe gesse

…tly a cause that moues them there-vntounto,

Which neither will auaile me to expresse,

Nor thee to heare, and therefore let it goe,

We must not say, they doe so, that oppresse:

Yet I shall ne're to sooth them or the times,

Iniure my sel… by bearing others crimes.

WILLY.

Then now thou may'st speake freely, there's none heares,

But he wh…m I doe hope thou do'st not doubt.

ROGET.

True; but if dores and walles hauehave gott… eares,

And Closet-whisperings may be spread abou…:

Doe not blame him that in such causes feares

What in his Passion he may blunder out:

In such a place, and such strict times as these,

Where what we speake is tooke as others please.

But yet to morrow if thou come this way,

I'le tell thee all my story to the end,

Tis long, and now I feare thou canst not stay,

Because thy Flocke must watred be and pend,

And Night begins to muffle vp the day,

Which to informe thee how alone I spend,

I'le onelyonly sing a sorrie Prisoners Lay,

I f…m'd this Morne, which though it suits not fields,

Is such as fits me, and sad Thraldome yeelds,

WILLY.

Well, I will set my Kit another string,

And play vntounto it whil'st that thou do'st sing▪

SONNET.

ROGET.

NOw that my body dead-aliue,

Bereau'd of comfort lies in thr all.

Doe thou my soule begin to thriue,

And vntounto Honey, turne this Gall:

So shall we both through outward woe,

The way to inward comfort know.

For as that Foode my Flesh I giuegive,

Doth …eepe in me this Mortall breath:

So soules on Meditations liue,

And shunne thereby immortall 'Death:

Nor art thou euer nearer rest.

Then when thou find'st me most opprest.

…irst thinke my soule; if I hauehave Foes

That take a pleasure in my care,

And to procure these outward woes,

HaueHave thus entrapt me vnaware:

Thou should'st by much more …arefull bee,

Since greater Foes lay waite for thee.

Then when Mew'd vp in grates of steele,

Minding those ioyes mine cyes doe misse,

Thou find'st no Torment tho… do'st feele.

So … as Priuation is▪

Muse how the damn'd in s…ames that glow,

Pine in the losse of …lisse they know.

Thou seest there's giuen so great might

To some that are but clay … l,

Their very anger can affright.

Which if in any thou espie

Thus thinke of Mortall's frownes stri…e seare,

How dreadfull will Gods wrath appeare?

By my late hopes that now are crost,

Consider those that firmer bee,

And make the freedome I hauehave lo…t,

A meanes that may remember thee

Had Christ not thy Redeemer b…n,

What horrid … thou had'st beene in

These iron chaines the bolt's of steele.

Which other poore offenders grinde,

The wants, and cares which they doe feel…

May bring some greater thing to minde

For by their … thou shalt doe we…,

To thinke vponupon the paines of Hell.

Or when through me, thou … a Man

Condemn'd vntounto a mortall …,

How sad he lookes, how pale how wan,

Drawing with Feare his panting brea…h

Thinke i… in that such griefe thou see,

How sad will, Goe yee cuised bee.

Againe, when he that fear'd to Dye

(Past hope) doth see his Pardon brought,

Reade but the ioy that's in his eye,

And then … it to thy thought:

There t…inke betwixt my heart and thee,

How sweet will, come yee blessed, bee

Thus if thou doe, though closed …ere,

My bondage I shall deeme the lesse,

I neither shall hauehave cause to feare,

Nor yet bewa…le my sad distresse:

For whether li…e, or pine, or dye,

We shall hauehave bl…sse ….

WILLY.

Trust me I see the Cage doth some Birds good,

And if they doe not suffer too much wrong,

Will teach them sweeter descants then the Wood:

Beleeue't, I like the subiect of thy Song▪

It shewes thou art in no distempred moode,

But cause to heare the residue I long:

My Sheepe to morrow I will neerer bring,

And spend the day to heare thee talke and sing.

Yet e're we part, Roget to me areed,

Of whō thou learn'dst to make such Songs as these,

I neuer yet heard any Shepheards reede

Tune in mishap, a straine that more could please,

Surely thou do'st inuoke at this thy neede.

Some power, that we neglect in other layes:

For here's a Name, and words, that but few swaines

HaueHave mention'd at their meting on the Plaines.

ROGET.

Indeede 'tis true; and they are sore to blame,

They doe so much neglect it in their Songs,

For, thence proceedeth such a worthy fame,

As is not subiect vntounto Enuies wrongs:

That is the most to be respected name

Of our true Pan, whose worth sit… on all tongues:

And the most auncient Shepheards vse to praise

In sacred Anthemes sung on Holy-dayes.

He that first taught his Musicke such a s…raine,

Was that sweet Shepheard, who (vntill a King)

Kept She…pe vponupon the honey milkie Plaine,

That is enritch't by Iordans watering;

He in his troubl…s ca…'d the bodies paines,

By measures rais'd to the s…ules rauishing:

And his sweet numbers onelyonly most deuine,

Gaue the first being to this Song of mine.

WILLY.

Let his good spiri… eu'r with thee dw…ll,

That I might heare such Mulicke eueryevery day.

ROGET.

Thanks; but would now it pleased thee to play.

Yet sure'tis late thy Weather rings his Bell,

And Swaines to folde, or homeward driue away.

WILLY.

And yon goes Cuddy, therefore fare thou well:

I'le make his Sheepe for me a liule s…ay,

And if thou thinke it fit I'le bring him to,

Next morning hither.

ROGET.

Prethee Willy doo.

FINIS.