The Shorter Poems

  haue I added a certain Glosse or scholion for thexposition of

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  old wordes and harder phrases: which maner of glosing and

  commenting, well I wote, wil seeme straunge and rare in our

  tongue: yet for somuch as I knew many excellent and proper

  deuises both in wordes and matter would passe in the speedy

  course of reading, either as vnknowen, or as not marked, and

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  that in this kind, as in other we might be equal to the learned

  of other nations, I thought good to take the paines vpon me,

  the rather for that by meanes of some familiar acquaintaunce

  I was made priuie to his counsell and secret meaning in them,

  as also in sundry other works of his. which albeit I know he

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  nothing so much hateth, as to promulgate, yet thus much

  haue I aduentured vpon his frendship, him selfe being for

  long time furre estraunged, hoping that this will the rather

  occasion him, to put forth diuers other excellent works of his,

  which slepe in silence, as his Dreames, his Legendes, his

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  Court of Cupide, and sondry others; whose commendations

  to set out, were verye vayne; the thinges though worthy of

  many, yet being knowen to few. These my present paynes if

  to any they be pleasurable or profitable, be you iudge, mine

  own good Maister Haruey, to whom I haue both in respect

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  of your worthinesse generally, and otherwyse vpon some par-

  ticular and special considerations voued this my labour, and

  the maydenhead of this our commen frends Poetrie, himselfe

  hauing already in the beginning dedicated it to the Noble and

  worthy Gentleman, the right worshipfull Ma. Phi. Sidney, a

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  special fauourer and maintainer of all kind of learning. Whose

  cause I pray you Sir, yf Enuie shall stur vp any wrongful

  accusasion, defend with your mighty Rhetorick and other

  your rare gifts of learning, as you can, and shield with your

  good wil, as you ought, against the malice and outrage of so

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  many enemies, as I know wilbe set on fire with the sparks of

  his kindled glory. And thus recommending the Author vnto

  you, as vnto his most special good frend, and my selfe vnto

  you both, as one making singuler account of two so very good

  and so choise frends, I bid you both most hartely farwel, and

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  commit you and your most commendable studies to the tuicion

  of the greatest.

  Your owne assuredly to

  be commaunded E. K.

  Post scr

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  Now I trust M. Haruey, that vpon sight of your speciall frends

  and fellow Poets doings, or els for enuie of so many vnworthy

  Quidams, which catch at the garlond, which to you alone is

  dewe, you will be perswaded to pluck out of the hateful

  darknesse, those so many excellent English poemes of yours,

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  which lye hid, and bring them forth to eternall light. Trust

  me you doe both them great wrong, in depriuing them of

  the desired sonne, and also your selfe, in smoothering your

  deserued prayses, and all men generally, in withholding from

  them so diuine pleasures, which they might conceiue of your

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  gallant English verses, as they haue already doen of your

  Latine Poemes, which in my opinion both for inuention and

  Elocution are very delicate, and superexcellent. And thus

  againe, I take my leaue of my good Mayster Haruey. from

  my lodging at London thys 10. of Aprill. 1579.

  The generall argument of the whole booke.

  Little I hope, needeth me at large to discourse the first Originall

  of Æglogues, hauing alreadie touched the same. But for the

  word Æglogues I know is vnknowen to most, and also mistaken

  of some the best learned (as they think) I wyll say somewhat

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  thereof, being not at all impertinent to my present purpose.

  They were first of the Greekes the inuentours of them

  called Æglogaj as it were αγον or αγονóμων. λóγο. that is

  Goteheards tales. For although in Virgile and others thespeak

  ers be more shepheards, then Goteheards, yet Theocritus

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  in whom is more ground of authoritie, then in Virgile, this

  specially from that deriuing, as from the first head and wel

  spring the whole Inuencion of his Æglogues, maketh Gote

  heards the persons and authors of his tales. This being, who

  seeth not the grossenesse of such as by colour of learning would

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  make vs beleeue that they are more rightly termed Eclogai,

  as they would say, extraordinary discourses of vnnecessarie

  matter, which difinition albe in substaunce and meaning it

  agree with the nature of the thing, yet nowhit answereth with

  the áνáλνσς and interpretation of the word. For they be not

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  termed Eclogues, but Æglogues. which sentence this authour

  very well obseruing, vpon good iudgement, though indeede

  few Goteheards haue to doe herein, nethelesse doubteth not

  to cal them by the vsed and best knowen name. Other curious

  discourses hereof I reserue to greater occasion. These xij.

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  Æclogues euery where answering to the seasons of the

  twelue monthes may be well deuided into three formes or

  ranckes. For eyther they be Plaintiue, as the first, the sixt,

  the eleuenth, and the twelfth, or recreatiue, such as al those

  be, which conceiue matter of loue, or commendation of special

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  personages, or Moral: which for the most part be mixed with

  some Satyrical bitternesse, namely the second of reuerence

  dewe to old age, the fift of coloured deceipt, the seuenth

  and ninth of dissolute shepheards and pastours, the tenth of

  contempt of Poetrie and pleasaunt wits. And to this diuision

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  may euery thing herein be reasonably applyed: A few onely

  except, whose speciall purpose and meaning I am not priuie

  to. And thus much generally of these xij. Æclogues. Now will

  we speake particularly of all, and first of the first. which he

  calleth by the first monethes name Ianuarie: wherein to some

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  he may seeme fowly to haue faulted, in that he erroniously

  beginneth with that moneth, which beginneth not the yeare.

  For it is wel known, and stoutely mainteyned with stronge

  reasons of the learned, that the yeare beginneth in March. for

  then the sonne reneweth his finished course, and the seasonable

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  spring refresheth the earth, and the plesaunce thereof being

  buried in the sadnesse of the dead winter now worne away,

  reliueth. This opinion maynteine the olde Astrologers and

  Philosophers, namely the reuerend Andalo, and Macrobius

  in his holydayes of Saturne, which accoumpt also was generally

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  obserued both of Grecians and Romans. But sauing the leaue

  of such learned heads, we mayntaine a custome of coumpting

  the seasons from the moneth Ianuary, vpon a more speciall

  cause, then the heathen Philosophers euer coulde conceiue,

  that is, for t
he incarnation of our mighty Sauiour and eternall

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  redeemer the L. Christ, who as then renewing the state of the

  decayed world, and returning the compasse of expired yeres

  to theyr former date and first commencement, left to vs his

  heires a memoriall of his birth in the ende of the last yeere and

  beginning of the next. which reckoning, beside that eternall

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  monument of our saluation, leaneth also vppon good proofe

  of special iudgement. For albeit that in elder times, when as

  yet the coumpt of the yere was not perfected, as afterwarde

  it was by Iulius Cæsar, they began to tel the monethes from

  Marches beginning, and according to the same God (as is

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  sayd in Scripture) comaunded the people of the Iewes to

  count the moneth Abib, that which we call March, for the

  first moneth, in remembraunce that in that moneth he brought

  them out of the land of Ægipt: yet according to tradition of

  latter times it hath bene otherwise obserued, both in gouern

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  ment of the church, and rule of Mightiest Realmes. For from

  Iulius Cæsar who first obserued the leape yeere which he

  called Bissextilem Annum, and brought in to a more certain

  course the odde wandring dayes which of the Greekes were

  called πεβανοντες. of the Romanes intercalares (for in

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  such matter of learning I am forced to vse the termes of the

  learned) the monethes haue bene nombred xij. which in the

  first ordinaunce of Romulus were but tenne, counting but

  CCCiiij. dayes in euery yeare, and beginning with March.

  But Numa Pompilius, who was the father of al the Romain

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  ceremonies and religion, seeing that reckoning to agree neither

  with the course of the sonne, nor of the Moone, therevnto

  added two monethes, Ianuary and February: wherin it seem-

  eth, that wise king minded vpon good reason to begin the

  yeare at Ianuarie, of him therefore so called tanquam Ianua

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  anni the gate and entraunce of the yere, or of the name of the

  god Ianus, to which god for that the old Paynims attributed

  the byrth and beginning of all creatures new comming into

  the worlde, it seemeth that he therfore to him assigned the

  beginning and first entraunce of the yeare. which account for

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  the most part hath hetherto continued. Notwithstanding that

  the Ægiptians beginne theyr yeare at September, for that

  according to the opinion of the best Rabbins, and very purpose

  of the scripture selfe, God made the worlde in that Moneth,

  that is called of them Tisri. And therefore he commaunded

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  them, to keepe the feast of Pauilions in the end of the yeare,

  in the xv. day of the seuenth moneth, which before that time

  was the first.

  But our Authour respecting nether the subtiltie of thone

  parte, nor the antiquitie of thother, thinketh it fittest according

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  to the simplicitie of commen vnderstanding, to begin with

  Ianuarie, wening it perhaps no decorum, that Shepheard

  should be seene in matter of so deepe insight, or canuase a

  case of so doubtful iudgment. So therefore beginneth he, and

  so continueth he throughout.

  Januarye.

  Ægloga prima.

  ARGVMENT.

  In this fyrst Æglogue Colin cloute a shepheardes boy complaineth him of his vnfortunate loue, being but newly (as semeth) enamoured of a countrie lasse called Rosalinde: with which strong affection being very sore traueled, he compareth his carefull case to the sadde season of the yeare, to the frostie ground, to the frosen trees, and to his owne winterbeaten flocke. And lastlye, fynding himselfe robbed of all former pleasaunce and delights, hee breaketh his Pipe in peeces, and casteth him selfe to the ground.

  COLIN Clovte.

  A shepeheards boye (no better doe him call)

  when Winters wastful spight was almost spent,

  All in a sunneshine day, as did befall,

  Led forth his flock, that had bene long ypent.

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  So faynt they woxe, and feeble in the folde,

  That now vnnethes their feete could them vphold.

  All as the Sheepe, such was the shepeheards looke,

  For pale and wanne he was, (alas the while,)

  May seeme he lovd, or els some care he tooke:

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  Well couth he tune his pipe, and frame his stile.

  Tho to a hill his faynting flocke he ledde,

  And thus him playnd, the while his shepe there fedde.

  Ye Gods of loue, that pitie louers payne,

  (If any gods the paine of louers pitie:)

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  Looke from aboue, where you in ioyes remaine,

  And bowe your eares vnto my dolefull dittie.

  And Pan thou shepheards God, that once didst loue,

  Pitie the paines, that thou thy selfe didst proue.

  Thou barrein ground, whome winters wrath hath wasted,

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  Art made a myrrhour, to behold my plight:

  Whilome thy fresh spring flowrd, and after hasted

  Thy sommer prowde with Daffadillies dight.

  And now is come thy wynters stormy state,

  Thy mantle mard, wherein thou maskedst late.

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  Such rage as winters, reigneth in my heart,

  My life bloud friesing with vnkindly cold:

  Such stormy stoures do breede my balefull smart,

  As if my yeare were wast, and woxen old.

  And yet alas, but now my spring begonne,

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  And yet alas, yt is already donne.

  You naked trees, whose shady leaues are lost,

  Wherein the byrds were wont to build their bowre:

  And now are clothd with mosse and hoary frost,

  Instede of bloosmes, wherwith your buds did flowre:

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  I see your teares, that from your boughes doe raine,

  Whose drops in drery ysicles remaine.

  All so my lustfull leafe is drye and sere,

  My timely buds with wayling all are wasted:

  The blossome, which my braunch of youth did beare,

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  With breathed sighes is blowne away, and blasted,

  And from mine eyes the drizling teares descend,

  As on your boughes the ysicles depend.

  Thou feeble flocke, whose fleece is rough and rent,

  Whose knees are weake through fast and euill fare:

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  Mayst witnesse well by thy ill gouernement,

  Thy maysters mind is ouercome with care.

  Thou weake, I wanne: thou leane, I quite forlorne:

  With mourning pyne I, you with pyning mourne.

  A thousand sithes I curse that carefull hower,

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  Wherein I longd the neighbour towne to see:

  And eke tenne thousand sithes I blesse the stoure,

  Wherein I sawe so fayre a sight, as shee.

  Yet all for naught: such sight hath bred my bane.