XXI.
THE SHEPHERD'S RESOLUTION.
This beautiful old song was written by a poet, whose name would have been utterly forgotten, if it had not been preserved by _Swift_, as a term of contempt. _Dryden_ and _Wither_ are coupled by him like the _Bavius_ and _Mævius_ of Virgil. _Dryden_, however, has had justice done him by posterity: and as for _Wither_, though of subordinate merit, that he was not altogether devoid of genius, will be judged from the following stanzas. The truth is, _Wither_ was a very voluminous party-writer: and as his political and satyrical strokes rendered him extremely popular in his life-time; so afterwards, when these were no longer relished, they totally consigned his writings to oblivion.
_George Wither_ was born June 11, 1588, and in his younger years distinguished himself by some pastoral pieces, that were not inelegant; but growing afterwards involved in the political and religious disputes in the times of James I. and Charles I. he employed his poetical vein in severe pasquils on the court and clergy, and was occasionally a sufferer for the freedom of his pen. In the civil war that ensued, he exerted himself in the service of the Parliament, and became a considerable sharer in the spoils. He was even one of those provincial tyrants, whom Oliver distributed over the kingdom, under the name of Major Generals; and had the fleecing of the county of Surrey: but surviving the Restoration, he outlived both his power and his affluence; and giving vent to his chagrin in libels on the court, was long a prisoner in Newgate and the Tower. He died at length on the 2d of May, 1667.
During the whole course of his life, _Wither_ was a continual publisher; having generally for opponent, _Taylor_ the Water-poet. The long list of his productions may be seen in Wood's _Athenæ._ _Oxon._ vol. ii. His most popular satire is intitled, _Abuses whipt_ _and stript_, 1613. His most poetical pieces were eclogues, intitled, _The Shepherd's Hunting_, 1615, 8vo. and others printed at the end of Browne's _Shepherd's Pipe_, 1614, 8vo. The following sonnet is extracted from a long pastoral piece of his, intitled, _The Mistresse_ _of Philarete_, 1622, 8vo. which is said in the preface to be one of the Author's first poems; and may therefore be dated as early as any of the foregoing.
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[This favourite song appeared in 1619, appended to Wither's _Fidelia_, and again in his _Juvenilia_ in 1633 in _Fair Virtue the mistress of Philarete_. It was reprinted again and again, and occurs in the Folio MS. (ed. Hales and Furnivall, vol. ii. p. 50).
Mr. Chappell refers to a copy in the Pepys Collection entitled, _A New Song of a young man's opinion of the difference between good_ _and bad women_, the first line of which is, "Shall I _wrestling_ in despaire?" This reading seems to have been pretty popular, as Mr. Chappell gives two instances of the tune being called "_Shall_ _I wrastle in despair?_" Mr. Chappell prints a song in the same metre and with a similar burden, which has been attributed on insufficient evidence to Sir Walter Raleigh. The first stanza is as follows:--
"Shall I like a hermit dwell On a rock or in a cell? Calling home the smallest part That is missing of my heart, To bestow it where I may Meet a rival every day? If she undervalues me What care I how fair she be."
_Popular Music of the Olden Time_, vol. i. p. 315.]
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Shall I, wasting in dispaire, Dye because a woman's faire? Or make pale my cheeks with care, 'Cause another's rosie are? Be shee fairer then the day, 5 Or the flowery meads in may; If she be not so to me,[403] What care I how faire shee be?
Shall my foolish heart be pin'd, 'Cause I see a woman kind? 10 Or a well-disposed nature Joyned with a lovely feature? Be she meeker, kinder, than The turtle-dove or pelican: If shee be not so to me, 15 What care I how kind shee be?
Shall a woman's virtues move Me to perish for her love? Or, her well-deservings knowne, Make me quite forget mine owne? 20 Be shee with that goodnesse blest, Which may merit name of Best; If she be not such to me,[404] What care I how good she be?
Cause her fortune seems too high,[405] 25 Shall I play the foole and dye?[405] Those that beare a noble minde,[405] Where they want of riches find,[405] Think what with them they would doe,[405] That without them dare to woe;[405] 30 And, unlesse that minde I see,[405] What care I how great she be?[405]
Great or good, or kind or faire, I will ne'er the more dispaire: If she love me, this beleeve; 35 I will die ere she shall grieve. If she slight me when I wooe, I can scorn and let her goe: If shee be not fit for me, What care I for whom she be? 40
FOOTNOTES:
[403] [Ver. 7. if shee thinke not well of mee, MS.]
[404] [V. 23. soe to me, MS.]
[405] [V. 25-32. this stanza is not in the MS.]