IV.

“Why doo I longer live in lifes despight, And doo not dye then in despight of death! Why doo I longer see this loathsome light, And doo in darknesse not abridge my breath, 445 Sith all my sorrow should have end thereby, And cares finde quiet! Is it so uneath* To leave this life, or dolorous to dye? [* _Uneath_, difficult.]

“To live I finde it deadly dolorous, For life drawes care, and care continuall woe; 450 Therefore to dye must needes be ioyeous, And wishfull thing this sad life to forgoe. But I must stay; I may it not amend; My Daphne hence departing bad me so; She bad me stay, till she for me did send. 455

“Yet, whilest I in this wretched vale doo stay, My wearie feete shall ever wandring be, That still I may be readie on my way When, as her messenger doth come for me; Ne will I rest my feete for feeblenesse, 460 Ne will I rest my limmes for frailtie, Ne will I rest mine eyes for heavinesse.

“But, as the mother of the gods, that sought For faire Euridyce, her daughter dere, Throughout the world, with wofull heavie thought, So will I travell whilest I tarrie heere, 466 Ne will I lodge, ne will I ever lin*, Ne, when as drouping Titan draweth nere To loose his teeme, will I take up my inne**. [* _Lin_, cease.] [** _Inne_, lodging.]

“Ne sleepe, the harbenger* of wearie wights, 470 Shall ever lodge upon mine eye-lids more, Ne shall with rest refresh my fainting sprights, Nor failing force to former strength restore: But I will wake and sorrow all the night With Philumene*, my fortune to deplore; 475 With Philumene, the partner of my plight. [* _Harbenger_, one who provides lodging or repose.] [** _Philumene_, Philomel.]

“And ever as I see the starre to fall, And under ground to goe to give them light Which dwell in darknesse, I to mind will call How my faire starre, that shind on me so bright, 480 Fell sodainly and faded under ground; Since whose departure, day is turnd to night, And night without a Venus starre is found.

“But soon as day doth shew his deawie face, And cals foorth men unto their toylsome trade, 485 I will withdraw me to some darkesome place, Or some dere* cave, or solitarie shade; There will I sigh, and sorrow all day long, And the huge burden of my cares unlade. 489 Weepe, Shepheard! weepe, to make my undersong. [* Qu. _derne_, lonely? Or, _drere?_]