COLIN CLOVTS
come home againe.
He fhepheards boy (beft knowen by
that name)
That after Tityrus firft fung his lay,
Laies of fweet loue, without rebuke
Sate (as his cuftome was) vpon a day,
Charming his oaten pipe vnto his peres,
The shepheard fwaines, that did about him play:
Who all the while with greedie liftfull eares,
Did ftand astonisht at his curious skill,
Like hartleffe deare, difmayed with thunders found.
At last when as he piped had his fill,
He refted him and fitting then around,
One of thofe groomes (a iolly groome was he,
As euer piped on an oaten reed,
And lou'd this fhepheard dearest in degree,
Hight Hobbinol) gan thus to him areed.
Colin my liefe, my life, how great a loffe
Had all the fhepheards nation by thy lacke?
And I poore fwaine of many greatest croffe :
That fith thy Mufe firft fince thy turning backe
Was heard to found as fhe was wont on hye,
Haft made vs all fo bleffed and fo blythe.
Whileft thou waft hence, all dead in dole did lie:
The woods were heard to waile full many a fythe,
And all their birds with filence to complaine:
The fields with faded flowers did feem to mourne,
And all their flocks from feeding to refraine:
The running waters wept for thy returne,
And all their fifh with languour did lament:
But now both woods and fields, and floods reuiue,
Sith thou art come, their cause of meriment,
That vs late dead, hast made againe aliue :
But were it not too painfull to repeat
The paffed fortunes, which to thee befell
In thy late voyage, we thee would entreat,
Now at thy leisure them to vs to tell.
To whom the fhepheard gently answered thus, Hobbin thou tempteft me to that I couet :
For of good passed newly to discus,
By dubble vfurie doth twife renew it.
And since I saw that Angels blessed eie,
Her worlds bright fun, her heauens faireft light,
My mind full of my thoughts fatietie,
Doth feed on sweet contentment of that fight:
Since that fame day in nought I take delight,
Ne feeling haue in any earthly pleasure,
But in remembrance of that glorious bright,
My lifes fole bliffe, my hearts eternall threasure.
Wake then my pipe, my fleepie Mufe awake,
Till I haue told her praifes lafting long :
Hobbin defires, thou maift it not forfake,
Harke then ye iolly fhepheards to my fong.
With that they all gan throng about him neare,
With hungrie eares to heare his harmonie:
The whiles their flocks deuoyd of dangers feare,
Did round about them feed at libertie.
One day (quoth he) I fat, (as was my trade)
Vnder the foote of Mole that mountaine hore,
Keeping my sheepe amongst the cooly shade,
Of the greene alders by the Mullaes fhore:
There a ftraunge fhepheard chaunft to find me out,
Whether allured with my pipes delight,
Whose pleasing found yfhrilled far about,
Or thither led by chaunce, I know not right:
VVhom when I asked from what place he came,
And how he hight, himselfe he did ycleepe,
The fhepheard of the Ocean by name,
And faid he came far from the main-fea deepe.
He fitting me befide in that same shade,
Prouoked me to plaie fome pleasant fit,
And when he heard the musicke which I made,
He found himselfe full greatly pleasd at it:
Yet æmuling my pipe, he tooke in hond
My pipe before that æmuled of many,
And plaid theron; (for well that skill he cond)
Himfelfe as fkilfull in that art as any.
He pip'd, I fung; and when he fung, I piped,
By chaunge of turnes, each making other mery,
Neither enuying other, nor enuied,
So piped we, vntill we both were weary,
There interrupting him, a bonie swaine, That Cuddy hight, him thus atweene bespake: And/fhould it not thy readie course restraine, I would request thee Colin, for my fake,
To tell what thou didst fing, when he did plaie.
For well I weene it worth recounting was,
VVhether it were fome hymne, or morall laie,
Or carol made to praise thy loued lasse.
Nor of my loue, nor of my loffe (quoth he)
I then did fing, as then occafion fell:
For loue had me forlorne, forlorne of me,
That made me in that defart chofe to dwell.
But of my riuer Bregogs loue I foong,
VVhich to the fhiny Mulla he did beare,
And yet doth beare, and euer will, so long
As water doth within his bancks appeare.
Of fellowship (said then that bony Boy)
Record to vs that louely lay againe :
The ftaie whereof, fhall nought these eares annoy, 100 VVho all that Colin makes, do couet faine.
Heare then (quoth he) the tenor of my tale,
In fort as I it to that fhepheard told :
No leafing new, nor Grandams fable ftale,
But auncient truth confirm'd with credence old.
Old father Mole, (Mole hight that mountain gray
That walls the Northfide of Armulla dale)
He had a daughter fresh as floure of May,
VVhich gaue that name vnto that pleasant vale;
Mulla the daughter of old Mole, fo hight
The Nimph, which of that water course has charge,
That springing out of Mole, doth run downe right
To Butteuant, where spreading forth at large,
It/giueth name vnto that auncient Cittie,
VVhich Kilnemullah cleped is of old:
VVhose ragged ruines breed great ruth and pittie,
To trauailers, which it from far behold.
Full faine fhe lou'd, and was belou'd full faine,
Of her owne brother riuer, Bregog hight,
So hight because of this deceitfull traine,
VVhich he with Mulla wrought to win delight.
But her old fire more carefull of her good,
And meaning her much better to preferre,
Did thinke to match her with the neighbour flood,
VVhich Allo hight, Broad water called farre :
And wrought fo well with his continuall paine,
That he that riuer for his daughter wonne :
The dowre agreed, the day assigned plaine,
The place appointed where it should be doone.
Nath leffe the Nymph her former liking held;
For loue will not be drawne, but must be ledde,
And Bregog did fo well her fancie weld,
That her good will he got her first to wedde.
But for her father fitting ftill on hie,
Did warily ftill watch which way fhe went,
And eke from far obferu'd with iealous eie,
VVhich way his course the wanton Bregog bent,
Him to deceiue for all his watchfull ward,
The wily louer did deuise this flight:
First into many parts his ftreame he shar'd,
That whileft the one was watcht, the other might
Paffe vnespide to meete her by the way;
And then befides, those little ftreames fo broken
He/vnder ground fo closely did conuay,
That of their paffage doth appeare no token,
Till they into the Mullaes water slide.
So fecretly did he his loue enioy:
Yet not fo fecret, but it was defcride,
And told her father by a fhepheards boy.
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