The Shorter Poems

  Which death, or loue, or fortunes wreck did rayse,

  Your string could soone to sadder tenor turne,

  10

  And teach the woods and waters to lament

  Your dolefull dreriment:

  Now lay those sorrowfull complaints aside,

  And hauing all your heads with girland crownd,

  Helpe me mine owne loues prayses to resound,

  15

  Ne let the same of any be enuide,

  So Orpheus did for his owne bride,

  So I vnto my selfe alone will sing,

  The woods shall to me answer and my Eccho ring.

  [2]

  Early before the worlds light giuing lampe,

  20

  His golden beame vpon the hils doth spred,

  Hauing disperst the nights vnchearefull dampe,

  Doe ye awake and with fresh lusty hed,

  Go to the bowre of my beloued loue,

  My truest turtle doue,

  25

  Bid her awake; for Hymen is awake,

  And long since ready forth his maske to moue,

  With his bright Tead that flames with many a flake,

  And many a bachelor to waite on him,

  In theyr fresh garments trim.

  30

  Bid her awake therefore and soone her dight,

  For lo the wished day is come at last,

  That shall for al the paynes and sorrowes past,

  Pay to her vsury of long delight,

  And whylest she doth her dight,

  35

  Doe ye to her of ioy and solace sing,

  That all the woods may answer and your eccho ring.

  [3]

  Bring with you all the Nymphes that you can heare

  Both of the riuers and the forrests greene:

  And of the sea that neighbours to her neare,

  40

  Al with gay girlands goodly wel beseene.

  And let them also with them bring in hand,

  Another gay girland

  For my fayre loue of lillyes and of roses,

  Bound trueloue wize with a blew silke riband.

  45

  And let them make great store of bridale poses,

  And let them eeke bring store of other flowers

  To deck the bridale bowers.

  And let the ground whereas her foot shall tread,

  For feare the stones her tender foot should wrong,

  50

  Be strewed with fragrant flowers all along,

  And diapred lyke the discolored mead.

  Which done, doe at her chamber dore awayt,

  For she will waken strayt,

  The whiles doe ye this song vnto her sing,

  55

  The woods shall to you answer and your Eccho ring.

  [4]

  Ye Nymphes of Mulla which with carefull heed,

  The siluer scaly trouts doe tend full well,

  And greedy pikes which vse therein to feed,

  (Those trouts and pikes all others doo excell)

  60

  And ye likewise which keepe the rushy lake,

  Where none doo fishes take,

  Bynd vp the locks the which hang scatterd light,

  And in his waters which your mirror make,

  Behold your faces as the christall bright,

  65

  That when you come whereas my loue doth lie,

  No blemish she may spie.

  And eke ye lightfoot mayds which keepe the deere,

  That on the hoary mountayne vse to towre,

  And the wylde wolues which seeke them to deuoure,

  70

  With your steele darts doo chace from comming neer,

  Be also present heere,

  To helpe to decke her and to help to sing,

  That all the woods may answer and your eccho ring.

  [5]

  Wake, now my loue, awake; for it is time,

  75

  The Rosy Morne long since left Tithones bed,

  All ready to her siluer coche to clyme,

  And Phœbus gins to shew his glorious hed.

  Hark how the cheerefull birds do chaunt theyr laies

  And carroll of loues praise.

  80

  The merry Larke hir mattins sings aloft,

  The thrush replyes, the Mauis descant playes,

  The Ouzell shrills, the Ruddock warbles soft,

  So goodly all agree with sweet consent,

  To this dayes merriment.

  85

  Ah my deere loue why doe ye sleepe thus long,

  When meeter were that ye should now awake,

  T’awayt the comming of your ioyous make,

  And hearken to the birds louelearned song,

  The deawy leaues among.

  90

  For they of ioy and pleasance to you sing,

  That all the woods them answer and theyr eccho ring.

  [6]

  My loue is now awake out of her dreame,

  And her fayre eyes like stars that dimmed were

  With darksome cloud, now shew theyr goodly beams

  95

  More bright then Hesperus his head doth rere.

  Come now ye damzels, daughters of delight,

  Helpe quickly her to dight,

  But first come ye fayre houres which were begot

  In Ioues sweet paradice, of Day and Night,

  100

  Which doe the seasons of the yeare allot,

  And al that euer in this world is fayre

  Doe make and still repayre.

  And ye three handmayds of the Cyprian Queene,

  The which doe still adorne her beauties pride,

  105

  Helpe to addorne my beautifullest bride

  And as ye her array, still throw betweene

  Some graces to be seene,

  And as ye vse to Venus, to her sing,

  The whiles the woods shal answer and your eccho ring.

  [7]

  110

  Now is my loue all ready forth to come,

  Let all the virgins therefore well awayt,

  And ye fresh boyes that tend vpon her groome

  Prepare your selues; for he is comming strayt.

  Set all your things in seemely good aray

  115

  Fit for so ioyfull day,

  The ioyfulst day that euer sunne did see.

  Faire Sun, shew forth thy fauourable ray,

  And let thy lifull heat not feruent be

  For feare of burning her sunshyny face,

  120

  Her beauty to disgrace.

  O fayrest Phœbus, father of the Muse,

  If euer I did honour thee aright,

  Or sing the thing, that mote thy mind delight,

  Doe not thy seruants simple boone refuse,

  125

  But let this day let this one day be myne,

  Let all the rest be thine.

  Then I thy souerayne prayses loud wil sing,

  That all the woods shal answer and theyr eccho ring.

  [8]

  Harke how the Minstrels gin to shrill aloud

  130

  Their merry Musick that resounds from far,

  The pipe, the tabor, and the trembling Croud,

  That well agree withouten breach or iar.

  But most of all the Damzels doe delite,

  When they their tymbrels smyte,

  135

  And thereunto doe daunce and carrol sweet,

  That all the sences they doe rauish quite,

  The whyles the boyes run vp and downe the street,

  Crying aloud with strong confused noyce,

  As if it were one voyce.

  140

  Hymen io Hymen, Hymen they do shout,

  That euen to the heauens theyr shouting shrill

  Doth reach, and all the firmament doth fill,

  To which the people standing all about,

  As in approuance doe thereto ap
plaud

  145

  And loud aduaunce her laud,

  And euermore they Hymen Hymen sing,

  That al the woods them answer and theyr eccho ring.

  [9]

  Loe where she comes along with portly pace,

  Lyke Phœbe from her chamber of the East,

  150

  Arysing forth to run her mighty race,

  Clad all in white, that seemes a virgin best.

  So well it her beseemes that ye would weene

  Some angell she had beene.

  Her long loose yellow locks lyke golden wyre,

  155

  Sprinckled with perle, and perling flowres a tweene,

  Doe lyke a golden mantle her attyre,

  And being crowned with a girland greene,

  Seeme lyke some mayden Queene.

  Her modest eyes abashed to behold

  160

  So many gazers, as on her do stare,

  Vpon the lowly ground affixed are.

  Ne dare lift vp her countenance too bold,

  But blush to heare her prayses sung so loud,

  So farre from being proud.

  165

  Nathlesse doe ye still loud her prayses sing,

  That all the woods may answer and your eccho ring.

  [10]

  Tell me ye merchants daughters did ye see

  So fayre a creature in your towne before?

  So sweet, so louely, and so mild as she,

  170

  Adornd with beautyes grace and vertues store,

  Her goodly eyes lyke Saphyres shining bright,

  Her forehead yuory white,

  Her cheekes lyke apples which the sun hath rudded,

  Her lips lyke cherryes charming men to byte,

  175

  Her brest like to a bowle of creame vncrudded,

  Her paps lyke lyllies budded,

  Her snowie necke lyke to a marble towre,

  And all her body like a pallace fayre,

  Ascending vppe with many a stately stayre,

  180

  To honors seat and chastities sweet bowre.

  Why stand ye still ye virgins in amaze,

  Vpon her so to gaze,

  Whiles ye forget your former lay to sing,

  To which the woods did answer and your eccho ring.

  [11]

  185

  But if ye saw that which no eyes can see,

  The inward beauty of her liuely spright,

  Garnisht with heauenly guifts of high degree,

  Much more then would ye wonder at that sight,

  And stand astonisht lyke to those which red

  190

  Medusaes mazeful hed.

  There dwels sweet loue and constant chastity,

  Vnspotted fayth and comely womanhood,

  Regard of honour and mild modesty,

  There vertue raynes as Queene in royal throne,

  195

  And giueth lawes alone.

  The which the base affections doe obay,

  And yeeld theyr seruices vnto her will,

  Ne thought of thing vncomely euer may

  Thereto approch to tempt her mind to ill.

  200

  Had ye once seene these her celestial threasures,

  And vnreuealed pleasures,

  Then would ye wonder and her prayses sing,

  That al the woods should answer and your echo ring.

  [12]

  Open the temple gates vnto my loue,

  205

  Open them wide that she may enter in,

  And all the postes adorne as doth behoue,

  And all the pillours deck with girlands trim,

  For to recyue this Saynt with honour dew,

  That commeth in to you.

  210

  With trembling steps and humble reuerence,

  She commeth in, before th’almighties vew,

  Of her ye virgins learne obedience,

  When so ye come into those holy places,

  To humble your proud faces;

  215

  Bring her vp to th’high altar that she may

  The sacred ceremonies there partake,

  The which do endlesse matrimony make,

  And let the roring Organs loudly play

  The praises of the Lord in liuely notes,

  220

  The whiles with hollow throates

  The Choristers the ioyous Antheme sing,

  That al the woods may answere and their eccho ring.

  [13]

  Behold whiles she before the altar stands

  Hearing the holy priest that to her speakes

  225

  And blesseth her with his two happy hands,

  How the red roses flush vp in her cheekes,

  And the pure snow with goodly vermill stayne,

  Like crimsin dyde in grayne,

  That euen th’Angels which continually,

  230

  About the sacred Altare doe remaine,

  Forget their seruice and about her fly,

  Ofte peeping in her face that seemes more fayre,

  The more they on it stare.

  But her sad eyes still fastened on the ground,

  235

  Are gouerned with goodly modesty,

  That suffers not one looke to glaunce awry,

  Which may let in a little thought vnsownd.

  Why blush ye loue to giue to me your hand,

  The pledge of all our band?

  240

  Sing ye sweet Angels, Alleluya sing,

  That all the woods may answere and your eccho ring.

  [14]

  Now al is done; bring home the bride againe,

  Bring home the triumph of our victory,

  Bring home with you the glory of her gaine,

  245

  With ioyance bring her and with iollity.

  Neuer had man more ioyfull day then this,

  Whom heauen would heape with blis.

  Make feast therefore now all this liue long day,

  This day for euer to me holy is,

  250

  Poure out the wine without restraint or stay,

  Poure not by cups, but by the belly full,

  Poure out to all that wull,

  And sprinkle all the postes and wals with wine,

  That they may sweat, and drunken be withall.

  255

  Crowne ye God Bacchus with a coronall,

  And Hymen also crowne with wreathes of vine,

  And let the Graces daunce vnto the rest;

  For they can doo it best:

  The whiles the maydens doe theyr carroll sing,

  260

  To which the woods shal answer and theyr eccho ring.

  [15]

  Ring ye the bels, ye yong men of the towne,

  And leaue your wonted labors for this day:

  This day is holy; doe ye write it downe,

  That ye for euer it remember may.

  265

  This day the sunne is in his chiefest hight,

  With Barnaby the bright,

  From whence declining daily by degrees,

  He somewhat loseth of his heat and light,

  When once the Crab behind his back he sees.