Ceafe foolish man (faide he halfe wrothfully)
To feeke to heare that which cannot be told :
For the huge anguish, which dooth multiplie
My dying paines, no tongue can well vnfold:
Ne doo I care, that any should bemone
My hard mishap, or any weepe that would,
But feeke alone to weepe, and dye alone. /
Then be it fo (quoth I) that thou art bent
To die alone, vnpitied, vnplained,
Yet ere thou die, it were conuenient
To tell the cause, which thee thereto constrained :
Leaft that the world thee dead accufe of guilt,
And say, when thou of none shalt be maintained,
That thou for fecret crime thy blood haft fpilt.
Who life dooes loath, and longs to be vnbound
From the strong fhackles of fraile fleth (quoth he)
Nought cares at all, what they that liue on ground
Deeme the occafion of his death to bee:
Rather defires to be forgotten quight,
Than question made of his calamitie,
For harts deep forrow hates both life and light.
Yet fince fo much thou feemft to rue my griefe,
And car'ft for one that for himfelfe cares nought,
(Signe of thy loue, though nought for my reliefe:
For my reliefe exceedeth liuing thought)
I will to thee this heauie cafe relate,
Then harken well till it to end be brought,
For neuer didst thou heare more haplesse fate.
Whilome I vfde (as thou right well doest know)
My little flocke on wefterne downes to keepe.
Not far from whence Sabrinaes ftreame doth flow,
And flowrie bancks with filuer liquor fteepe :
Nought carde I then for worldly change or chaŭce,
For all my ioy was on my gentle sheepe,
And to my pype to caroll and to daunce.
It/ there befell, as I the fields did range
Feareleffe and free, a faire young Lioneffe,
White as the natiue Rofe before the chaunge,
Which Venus blood did in her leaues impresse.
I fpied playing on the graffie plaine
Her youthfull sports and kindlie wantonnesse,
That did all other Beafts in beawtie ftaine.
Much was I moued at fo goodly fight;
Whose like before, mine eye had feldome feene,
And gan to caft, how I her compasse might,
And bring to hand, that yet had neuer beene :
So well I wrought with mildnes and with paine,
That I her caught difporting on the greene,
And brought away faft bound with filuer chaine.
And afterwards I handled her fo fayre,
That though by kind fhee ftout and faluage were,
For being borne an auncient Lions hayre,
And of the race, that all wild beaftes do feare;
Yet I her fram'd and wan fo to my bent,
That shee became fo meeke and milde of cheare.
As the leaft lamb in all my flock that went.
For fhee in field, where euer I did wend,
Would wend with me, and waite by me all day:
And all the night that I in watch did fpend,
If caufe requir'd, or els in fleepe, if nay,
Shee would all night by me or watch or fleepe;
And euermore when I did fleepe or play,
She of my flock would take full warie keepe./
Safe then and safest were my fillie sheepe,
Ne fear'd the Wolfe, ne fear'd the wildest beast:
All were I drown'd in careleffe quiet deepe :
My louely Lioneffe without beheast
So careful was for them, and for my good,
That when I waked, neither most nor least
I found mifcaried or in plaine or wood.
Oft did the Shepheards, which my hap did heare,
And oft their laffes which my luck enuyde,
Daylie refort to me from farre and neare,
To fee my Lyoneffe, whofe praises wyde
Were fpred abroad; and when her worthineffe
Much greater than the rude report they try'de,
They her did praise, and my good fortune blesse
Long thus I ioyed in my happinesse,
And well did hope my ioy would haue no end:
But oh fond man, that in worlds fickleneffe
Repofedft hope, or weenedft her thy frend,
That glories most in mortall miseries,
And daylie doth her changefull counfels bend
To make new matter fit for Tragedies.
For whileft I was thus without dread or dout,
A cruell Satyre with his murdrous dart,
Greedie of mischiefe, ranging all about,
Gaue her the fatall wound of deadly smart :
And reft from me my fweete companion,
And reft fro me my loue, my life, my hart :
My Lyoneffe (ah woe is me) is gon.
Out/ of the world thus was the reft away,
Out of the world, vnworthy fuch a spoyle;
And borne to heauen, for heauen a fitter pray :
Much fitter than the Lyon, which with toyle
Alcides flew, and fixt in firmament;
Her now I feeke throughout this earthly foyle,
And seeking miffe, and miffing doe lament.
Therewith he gan afresh to waile and weepe,
That I for pittie of his heauie plight,
Could not abftain mine eyes with teares to steepe:
But when I faw the anguifh of his spright
Some deale alaid, I him befpake againe.
Certes Alcyon, painefull is thy plight,
That it in me breeds almoft equall paine.
Yet doth not my dull wit well vnderstand
The riddle of thy loued Lionesse ;
For rare it seemes in reafon to be skand,
That man, who doth the whole worlds rule poffeffe
Should to a beaft his noble hart embase,
Then fighing fore, Daphne thou kneweft (quoth he)
She now is dead; ne more endur'd to say:
But fell to ground for great extremitie,
That I beholding it, with deepe difmay
Was much appald, and lightly him vprearing,
Reuoked life, that would haue fled away,
All were my felfe through grief in deadly drearing. /
Then gan I him to comfort all my best,
And with milde counfaile ftroue to mitigate
The stormie passion of his troubled brest,
But he thereby was more empassionate:
As ftubborne fteed, that is with curb reftrained,
Becomes more fierce and feruent in his gate,
And breaking foorth at laft, thus dearnely plained.
I What man henceforth that breatheth vitall aire,
Will honour heauen, or heauenly powers adore?
Which fo vniuftly do their iudgements fhare;
Mongft earthly wights, as to afflict so fore
The innocent, as thofe which do tranfgreffe,
And doe not fpare the beft or faireft, more
Than worft or fowleft, but doe both oppreffe.
If this be right, why did they then create
The world fo faire, fith fairenesse is neglected?
Or why be they themfelues immaculate,
If purest things be not by them refpected?
She faire, the pure, moft faire, moft pure fhe was,
Yet was by them as thing impure reiected:
Yet fhe in purenesse, heauen it selfe did pas.
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