The Shepherds Hunting, Eclogue 2
The second Eglogue.
ARGVMENT.
CVDDY tells how all the Swaines,
Pitty ROGET on the Plaines:
Who requested, doth relate
The true cause of his estate,
Which bro…e o…f becau'e '…was long.
They begin a three-mans Song.
WILLY.
CVDDY.
ROG…T.
ROget, thy olde friend Cuddy here and I,
Are come to visite thee in these thy bands,
Whil'st both our Floc…es in an Inclosure by
Doe picke the thinne gra…se from the fallowed lands.
He tells me thy restraint of liberty
Each one throughout the Country vnderstands:
And there is not a gentle-natur'd Lad,
On all these 'Downes but for thy sake is sad.
CVDDY.
Not thy acquaintance and thy friends alone.
Pitty thy close restraint, as friends should doe:
But some that have but scene thee for thee moane:
Yea, many that did neuer see thee to.
Some deem… thee in a fault, and most in none;
So diuers wayes doe diuers rumours goe:
And at all meetings where our Shepheards be,
Now the maine Mewes that's extant is of thee▪
ROGET.
Why, this is somewhat yet: had I but kept
Sheepe on the Mountaiues, till the day of doome,
My name should in obscurity hauehave sl…pt,
In Brakes, in Briars▪ shrubbed Furze and Broome▪
Into the worlds wide care it had not crept,
Nor in so many mens thoughts found a roome:
But what cause of my s…ffe in…s doethey know?
Good Cuddy t…ll me how doth rumour goe.
CVDDY.
Faith 'tis vncertaine, some speake this, some that:
Some dare say nought, yet seeme to thinke a cause,
And many a one prating he knowes not what;
Comes out with Prouerbes and olde auncient sawes,
As if he thought thee guiltlesse, and y…t not:
Then doth he speake halfe sentences, then pawse:
That what the most would say, we may suppose,
But what to say the rumour is, none knowe….
ROGET.
Nor care I greatly, for it skills not much,
What the vnsteady common-people deemes,
His conscience doth not alwaies feele least touch,
That blamelesse in the sight of others seemes:
My cause is honest, and because 'tis such,
I holde it so, and not for Mens esteemes:
If they spea…e iustly well of me, I'me glad;
If …, eu…ll, it ne're makes me sad.
WILLY.
I like that minde, but Roget you are quite
Beside the matter that I long to heare:
Remember what you promis'd yester-night,
Youl'd put vsus off with other talke I feare;
Thou know'st that honest Cuddies heart's vpright,
And none but he, except my selfe is neare:
Come therefore, and betwixt vsus two relate
The true occasion of thy present state.
ROGET.
My friends I will; You know I am a Swaine,
That kept a poore Flocke here vponupon this Plaine,
Who though it seemes, I could doe nothing lesse,
Can make a Song, and woe a Shepheardesse,
And not alone the fairest where I liue,
HaueHave heard me sing, and fauours daign'd to giuegive:
But though I say'…, the noblest Nimph of Thame,
Hath grac'd my Verse vntounto my greater same.
Yet being young, and not much see▪ing praise,
I was not noted out for … …,
N…r f…eding …lockes, yea▪ nowne as others be:
For the delight that most … me
Was … Foxes, W…lues, and Beasts of Pray▪
That spoi…e our Foulis, and beare our L…mbs a…ay:
F…r this as a…so for the louelove I beare
VntoUnto m… Country, … by all …are
Of …. or of …, with desire
… to keepe that state I had entire,
And like a true gro… … man sought to speede
My selse … … of ra e and choysest …,
Whose Names and Natures ere I further goe,
… you are my friends I'le let you know.
My … esteemed D … that I did finde,
Was by … of …lde … kinde;
A Bra…e, which if I doe not ayme amisse,
For all the world is …ust i…e one o… his;
She's named LoueLove, and scarce yet know…s her duty;
Her Damme s my L…d es pretty Beagle …
I bred her vp my selfe with wondrous charge,
Vntill she grew to be exceeding large,
And waxt so wanton that I did abhorre it,
And put her out amongst my Neighbours for it.
The next is Lust, a Hound that's kept abroad,
Mongst some of mine acquaintance, but a Toad
Is not more loathsome: 'tis a Curre will range
Extreamely, and is euer …ull of mange,
And cause it is infectious, she's not wunt
To come among the rest, but when they hunt.
Hate is the third, a Hound both despe and long.
His Sire is True, or else supposed wrong.
He'le hauehave a snap at all that passe him by,
And yet pursues his game most eagerly.
VVith him goes Eni…e coupled, a leane Curre…
And she'le hold out hunt we …e're so farre,
She pineth much, and seedeth little to,
Yet stands and snarleth at the …est that doe.
Then there's Reuenge, a wondrous deepe-mouth'd dog,
So fleet, I'me faine to hunt him with a clog,
Y…t many times he'le much out-strip his bounds,
And hunts not closely with the other Hounds,
He'le venter on a Lion in his …
Curst … was his damme, and wrong his Sire.
This Choller is a Brache, that's very olde,
And spends her mouth too much to hauehave it holde:
She's very teasty, an vnpleasing Curre,
That …ites the very stones, if they but sturre:
Or when that ought but her displeasure moues,
She'le bite and snap at any one she loues:
But my quicke-sented'st Dogge is Iealousie,
The truest of this breede's in Italy:
The Damme of mine would hardly fill a Gloue,
It was a Ladies little Dogge, call'd LoueLove:
The Sire a poore deformed Curre nam'd Feare,
As shagged and as rough as is a Beare,
And yet the Whelpe turn'd aft…r neither kinde,
For he is very large, and ne're-hand blinde.
At the first sight he hath a pretty culler,
But doth not seeme so when you view him fuller.
A vile suspitious beast, his lookes are bad,
And I doe feare in time he will grow mad.
To him I couple Auarice, still poore,
Yet she deuoures as much as twenty more:
A thousand Horse she in her paunch can put,
Yet whine as if she had an empty gut,
And hauiug gorg'd what might a land hauehave found,
She'…e catch for more, and hide it in the ground.
Am…ition is a Hound as greedy full,
But he for all the daintiest bits doth cull:
He scornes to licke vp crummes beneath the Table,
… f…tch't from boa…ds and shelues if he be ab c,
Nav, he can climbe if neede be, and for that,
With him I hunt the Martine and the Cat.
And yet sometimes in mounting he's so quicke,
He fet…hes falls, are like to breake his necke.
Feare is well-mouth'd, but subiect to …,
A stranger cannot make him take a crust.
A little thing will soone his courage quaile,
And 'twixt his legges he euer claps his taile.
VVith him Despaire often coupled goes,
Which by his roaring mouth each hunts-man knowes.
None hath a better minde vntounto the game,
But he giues off, and alwayes seemeth lame.
My blo…d-hound Cruelty. as swift as winde,
Hunts to the death, and neuer comes behinde;
Who but she's strapt and musled to withall,
Would eate her sellowes, and the pray and all,
And yet she car…s not much for any food,
Vnlesse it be the purest harmelesse blood.
All thes… are kept abroad at charge of menny,
They doe not cost me in a yeare a penny.
But there's two coupling of a midling size,
That seldome passe the sight of my owne eyes.
Hope, on whose head …'ue led my life to pawne.
Compassion, that on eueryevery one will fawne.
This would when 'twas a Whelpe with Rabets play,
Or Lambs, and let them goe vnhurt away:
Nay, now she is of growth, she'le now and then,
Catch you a Hare, …nd let her goe agen.
The two last, Ioy and Sorrow, 'tis a wonder,
Can ne're agree, nor ne're …ide fa…re …sunder.
Ioye's …uer wanton, and no order knowes,
She'le run at Larkes, or stand and barke at Crowe….
… goes by her, and ne'…e moues his eye,
Yet both doe s…rue to helpe make vp the cry:
Then comes behinde all these t… beare the base,
Two … more of a larger Race,
Such wide mouth'd Trollops, that 'twould doe you good
To heare their loud land Ecchoes tea…e the wood.
… Uanity, who by his gaud… hide,
May farre away from all the rest be spide,
Though huge, yet quick, for he's now here, now there,
Nay, looke about you, and he's eueryevery w…ere,
And euer with the rest, and st ll in chase:
Right so, Inconstancie fills eueryevery place,
And y…t so strange a sickle natur'd Hound,
Look… for him, and he's no where to be found,
Wea…enesse is no faire dogge vntounto the eye,
And yet he hath his proper quality:
But there's Presumption when he heat hath got,
He drownes the Thunder, and the Canon-shot:
And when at Start he his full roaring makes,
The earth doth tremble, and the Heauen shakes.
These were my Dogges, tenne couple iust in all,
Whom by the name of Sa…yres I doe call:
Mad Curres they be and I can ne're come night them,
But l'me in danger to be bitten by them.
Much paines I tooke, and spent dayes not a fewe,
To make them keepe together, and hunt true:
Which yet I doe suppose had neuer bin,
But that I had a Scourge to keepe them in.
Now when that I this Kennell first had got,
Out of my owne demeanes I hunted not,
Saue on these Downes, or among yonder Rockes,
After those Beas…s that spoyl'd our Parish Flockes:
Nor during that time, was I euer wont,
With all my Kennell in one day to hunt:
Nor had done yet, but that this other yeere,
Some Beasts of Pray, that haunts the Desarts heere
Did not alone for many nights together
Deuoure, sometime a Lambe, sometime a Weather,
And so disquiet many a poore mans Heard,
But that of loosing all they were afeard:
Yea, I among the rest did sare as bad,
Or rather worse for the best *Hopes.Ewes I had,
(Whose breed should be my meanes of … & gaine)
Were in one Euening by these Monsters …:
Which Mischiefe I resolued to repay,
Or else grow desp'rate, and hunt all away,
For in a fury (such as you shall see
Hunts-men in missing of their sport will bee)
I vow'd a Monster should not lurke about,
In all this Prouince, but I'de finde him out,
And there-vponupon without respect or care,
How lame, how full, or how vnfit they were.
In hast vnkennell'd all my roaring crew,
Who were as mad as if my minde they knew,
And e're they trayl'd a flight-shot, the fierce Curres
Had rows'd a Hart, and through Brakes and Furres.
Follow'd at gaze so close that LoueLove and Feare
Got in together, so had surely there
Quite ouer throwne him, but that Hope thrust in
… both, and sau'd the pinching of his skin,
Whereby he scap't, till coursing ouerthwart,
… came in, and grip'd him to the hart,
I hallowed in the resdue to the fail,
And for an entrance there I flesh't them all,
Which hauing done, I dip'd my staffe in blood,
And on…ard led my Thunder to the …ood,
Where what they did, I'le tell you out anon,
My keeper calls me, and I must be gon.
Goe if you please a while, attend your Flockes,
And when the Sunne is ouer yonder Rockes,
Come to this Ca…e againe where I will be,
If that my Gardian so much fauour me.
But e're we part, let each one sing a straine,
And then goe turne your Sheepe into the Plaine
WILIY.
I am content.
CVDDY.
As well content am I.
ROGET.
Then Will, Begin, and we'le the rest supply.
SONG.
WILLY.
SHepheard would these Gates were ope,
Thou might'st take with vsus thy fortune.
ROGET.
No, I'le make this narrow scope,
Since my Fate doth so importune
Meanes vntounto a wider hope.
CVDDY.
Would thy Shepheardesse were here.
Who beleu'd, loues thee so deerely.
ROGET.
Not for both your Flockes I sweare.
And the same they yeeld you yearely,
Would I so much wrong my Deare,
Yet to me, nor to this Place,
Would she now be long a stranger,
She would holde it no disgrace,
(… she … not more my danger)
Where I am to shewber face.
WILLY.
Shepheard, we would wish no harmes,
But something that might co…tent thee.
ROGET.
Wish me then within her armes,
And that wish will ne're repent me,
If your wishes might proue charmes.
WILLY.
Be thy Prison her embrace,
Be thy ayre her sweetest breathing.
CVDDY.
Be thy prospect her fayre Face,
For each looke a kisse bequeathing,
And appoint thy selfe the place.
ROGET.
Nay pray, hold there, for I should scantly then;
Come meet you heere this afternoone agen:
But fare you well. since wishes hauehave no power,
Let vsus depart, and keepe the pointed hours.
FINIS.