The Shepherds Hunting, Eclogue 5
To Master W. F. of the Middle Temple.
The fift Eglogue.
ARGVMENT.
ROGET here ALEXIS moues,
To embrace the Muses loues;
▪Bids him neuer carefull seeme,
Of anothers disesteeme▪
Since to them it may suffize,
That themselues can iustl… prize.
ROGET.
ALEXIS.
ALEXIS if thy worth doe not disdaine
The humble friendship of a meaner …
Or some more needful busines of the day
Vrge th…e to be too hasty on thy way;
Come (g…ntle Shepheard) rest thee here by me,
VnderUnder the shadow of this broad-leau'd tree:
For though I seeme a stranger, yet mine eye
Obserues in thee the markes of curtesie:
And if my iudgement erre not, noted too
More then in those that …ore would seeme …o doe;
Such vertues thy rare modesty doth hide
Which by their proper luster I …spy'd;
And though long mask'… in silence they hauehave beene
I hauehave a wisedome through that silence seene:
Yea, I hauehave learned knowledge from thy tongue,
And heard when thou hast in concealement sung:
Which me the bolder and more willing made
Thus to inuit… thee to this homely shade.
And though (it may be) thou couldst neu…r spye
Such worth in me, I might be knowne thereby,
In thee I doe; for here … y neighbouring sheepe
VponUpon the border of these down… I keepe:
Where often thou at Pastorals and playes,
Hast grac'd our Wakes on Sommer Holy dayes:
And many a …ime with thee at this cold spring
M…rl, to heare your learned shepheards sing,
Saa them disporting in the shady grouc…,
And in chaste Sonn…ts …ooe their chaster loues:
When I endued with the meanest skill,
Mongst others hauehave beene vrg'd to tune my quill,
Where cause but l…ttle cunning I had got)
Perhaps thou saw'st me, though thou knew'st me not
ALFXIS.
Yes Roget, I doe know thee and thy name,
Nor is my knowledge grounded all on fame,
Art not thou hee, that but this other yeere.
S…ard'st all the Wolues and Foxes in the sheere?
And in a ma…ch at Foot-ball lately try'd
(Hauing scarce twenty Satyres on thy side)
Held'd pla…: and though assailed, kept'st thy stand
Gainst all the best-try'd Ruffi…ns in the land?
Did'st thou not then in dolesull Sonnets mone,
When the beloued of great Pan was gone;
And at the wedding of faire THAME & RHINE,
Sing of their glories to thy Valentine?
I know it, and I must confesse that long
In one thing I did doe thy nature wrong:
For till I markt the aime thy Satyres had,
I thought them ouerbold and Roge… mad;
But since I did mo…e neerely on thee looke
I soone perceiu'd that I had all mistooke;
I saw that of a Cynicke thou mad'st show
Where since I finde that thou wert nothing so,
And that of many thou much blame hadst got
When as thy Innocence deseru'd it not.
But this too good opinion thou hast seem'd
To hauehave of me (not so to be esteem'd)
Preuailes not ought to stay him who doth feare
Hee rather should reproofes then praises heare
Tis true, I found thee plaine and honest to,
Which made me like, then louelove as now I doe.
And Roget though a stranger this I say
Where I d…e louelove I am not coy to stay.
ROG…T.
Thankes gentle S…aine that dost so soone vn…olde
What I to thee a… gladly wo…ld hauehave tolde
And thus thy wonted curtesie exprest
In … entertaining this request:
Sure I should … my o…ne content
Or wrong thy louelove to stand on complemen…,
Who hast acquaintance in one word begunne
As well as I could in an age hauehave done:
Or by an ou…rweaning slownesse mar…e
What thy more wisedome hath brought on so farre
Then sit thou downe and Il'… my minde declare
As free…, as if wee familiars were:
And i… thou wilt but daigne …o giuegive me eare
Some…hing thou maist f…r thy more profit heare,
ALEXIS.
Willingly Roget I thy wish obey.
ROG…T.
Then know Alexis from that very day
When as I saw thee at that Shepheards Coate
VVhere each I thinke o… other tooke first noate,
I meane that Pastor who by Tauies springs
Chast Shephear…s louc… in sweetest numbers sing…,
And with his Musicke (to his greater fame)
Hath late made proud the fairest Nimph… of Thame.
E'ne then mee thought I did espy in the…
Some vnperceiu'd and hidden worth to be,
Which in thy more apparant vertues shin'd
And among many I in thought deuin'd,
By something my conceit had vnderstood
That thou wert markt one of the Muses brood,
That made me louelove thee: And that louelove I beare
Begat a Pitty, and that Pitty Care:
… I had to s…e good parts conceal'd,
Care I had how to hauehave tha… good r…ueal'd,
Since '… a f…u't … no excuse
To possesse much a…d yet put nought in vsus…:
Heereon I vow'd (if … … eue… …
The first … that I would … to g…t
Should be but … is, that …hou … shew th… skill,
Ho… thou could'st …une thy ve…ses to … …:
And teach thy Muse in … … … long,
To she… the Art th…u … supprest so long:
Which if my new acquaintance may ob…aine
Roget will euer honour this dayes gaine.
….
Alas! my small experienc… scarce c…n tell
So much as where those … the Muses dwell,
Nor (…hough my … … … trauels on)
Shall I ere reach to drinke of Hellicon;
… … so … be to taste
What … … … ames but oue…-flow in waste,
An… … Parnassus, wher… it low'st doth lye,
I …eare my skill would hardly flagge so hye.
ROGET.
D spayre not Man, the Gods hauehave … nought
So d…ere that may not be with labour bought,
Nor need … paine be great since Fate and Heauen
That (as a bl…ssing) at thy … hauehave giuen.
ALEXIS.
Why say they had?
RO…ET.
Then vse their gifts thou must,
Or be vngratefull, and so be vniust:
F…r if it cannot tru…y be deny'd,
Ingrati…ude mens benefits doe hide;
Then more vng…atefull must he be by oddes
Who doth conceale the bounty o… the G…ds.
ROGET.
That's true indeed, but Enuy haunteth those
Who seeking fame their hidden skill disclose:
Where else they might (obscur'd) from her espying,
Escape the blasts and danger of enuying:
Critickes will censure our best straines of Wit,
And pu…blinde Ignorance misconster it.
All which i… bad, yet worse then this doth follow,
Most hate the Muses, and contemne Apollo.
ALEXIS.
So let them: why should we their hate esteeme?
Is't not enough we of our selues can deeme?
Tis more to their disgrace that we scorne them
Then vntounto vsus that they our Art contemne;
Can we hauehave better pastime then to see
Their grosse heads may so much deceiued be,
As to allow those d…ings best where wholly
We … them to their face, and flout their folly:
Or to behold blacke Enuy in her prim…,
Die selfe-consum'd whilst we vie liues with time:
And in despight of her, more fame attaine
Th…n all her malice can wipe out againe?
ROGET.
Yea but if I apply'd me to those straines,
Wh… should driue forth my flocks vntounto the plaines.
Which whilst the Muses rest, and leasure craue,
Must …atering, folding, and attendance hauehave.
For if I leaue with wonted care to cherish
Those tender heards: both I and they should perish
AL…XIS.
Alexis now I see thou dost mistake,
There is no meaning thou thy charge forsake;
Nor would I wish thee so thy selfe abuse
As to neglect thy calling for thy Muse:
But let these two so of each other borrow,
That they may scason mirth, and lessen sorrow.
Thy flocke will helpe thy charges to desray,
Thy muse to passe the long and tedious day.
Or whilst thou …un'st sweet measures to thy Reed
Thy sheep to listen will more neere thee feed,
The wolues will shun them, birds …boue thee sing,
And Lambkins dance about thee in a Ring;
Nay which is more: in this thy low estate
Thou in contentment shalt with Monarkes mate:
For mighty Pan, and Ceres to vsus grants
Our fields and flockes shall helpe our outward wants.
The Muses teach vsus songs to put off cares,
Grac'd with as rare and sweet conceits as theirs:
And we can thinke our Lasses on the greenes
As faire, or fairer, then the fairest Queenes;
Or what is more then most of them shall doe,
Wee'le make their iuster sames last ionger to,
Hauing our Lines by greatest Princes grac'd
When both their name and memory's defac'd.
Therefore Alexis though that some disdaine
The heauenly musicke of the Rurall plaine,
What is't to vsus, if they (or'e seene) contemne
The dainties which were nere ordain'd for them?
And though that there be other some enuy
The praises due to sacred Poesie,
Let them disdaine and fret till they are weary,
We in our selues hauehave that shall make vsus merry:
VVhichWhich he that wants, and had the power to know it,
VVould giuegive his life that he might dye a Poet.
ALEXIS.
A braue perswasion.
ROGET.
Here thou see'st me pent
VVithin the iawes of strict imprisonment;
A forlorne Shepheard, voyd of all the meanes,
Whereon Mans common hope in danger leanes:
Weake in my selfe. Exposed to the Hate
Of those whose Enuyes are ins…tiate:
Shut from my Friends, banish'd from all delights,
Nay worse; excluded from the sacred Rites.
Here I doe liue (mongst out-lawes markt for death)
As one vnfit to draw the common breath,
Where those who to be good did neuer know
Are barred from the meanes should make them so.
I suffer, cause I wish'd my Countrey well,
And what I more must beare I cannot tell.
I'me sure they giuegive my body little scope,
And would allow my Minde as little Hope,
I wast my Meanes, which of it selfe is slender,
Consume my Time (perhaps my Fortunes hinder)
And many Crosses hauehave, which those that can
Conceaue no wrong that hurts another man
Will not take note of, though if halfe so much
Should light on them, or their owne person touch,
Some that themselues (I feare) most worthy thinke
With all their helpes would into basenesse shrinke,
But spight of Hate, and all that spight can doe,
I …an be patient yet, and merry to;
That s…nder Muse of mine, by which my Name,
Though scarce deseru'd hath gaind a little fame,
Hath made me vntounto such a Fortune borne,
That all misfortunes I know how to scorne;
Yea, midst these bands can sleight the Great'st that be
As much as their disdaine misteemes of me.
This Caue whose very presence some affrights
I hauehave oft made to Eccho forth delights,
And hope to turne, is any Iustice be,
Both Shame and Care on those that wisht it me:
For while the world ranck villanies affords.
I will not spare to paint them out in words;
Because I thus into these troubles runne,
I knew what man could act, e're I begun;
And I'le fulfill what my Muse drawes me to,
Maugre all Iayles, and Purgatories to.
For whil▪st she … me honest … about▪
… or shee I know will … … …ut:
And if by Fate … power of some,
Must in the worlds eve leaue me ouercome.
They shall finde one … … …o … I …ow,
It cannot …eele a … ouerthrow.
This Hope and trust that great power did in…use,
That first inspir'd into my brest … …,
By whom I doe, and euer will con…
All these ill h…, my foes desp…, and them.
ALEXIS.
Thou hast so well (young Roget) plavd thy part
I am almost in louelove with that sweet Art:
And if some power will but … my song▪
Alexis will not be obscured long.
ROGET.
Enough kinde Pastor: But oh▪ yonder see
Two honest Shepheards walking h…ther be,
C…ty and Willy, that so dearely louelove,
Who are repayring vntounto yonder Groue:
Let's follow them▪ for neuer brauer Swaines
Made musicke to their f…ockes vponupon these plaines.
They are more worthy, and can better tell
What …are contents doe with a Poet dwell.
Then whiles our sheep the short sweet grasse do shear,
And till the long shade of the hils appeare▪
Wee'l… heare them sing: for though the one be yong,
Neuer was any that more sweetly sung.
FINIS.