Part 18
What is Loue but the desire Of the thing that fancy pleaseth? A holy and resistlesse fier, Weake and strong alike that ceaseth, Which not heauen hath power to let, Nor wise nature cannot smother, 30 Whereby _Phoebus_ doth begette On the vniuersall mother. That the euerlasting Chaine, Which together al things tied, And vnmooued them retayne And by which they shall abide: That concent we cleerely find, All things doth together drawe, And so strong in euery kinde, Subiects them to natures law. 40 Whose hie virtue number teaches In which euery thing dooth mooue, From the lowest depth that reaches To the height of heauen aboue: Harmony that wisely found, When the cunning hand doth strike Whereas euery amorous sound, Sweetly marryes with his like. The tender cattell scarcely take From their damm's the feelds to proue, 50 But ech seeketh out a make, Nothing liues that doth not loue: Not soe much as but the plant As nature euery thing doth payre, By it if the male it want Doth dislike and will not beare: Nothing then is like to loue In the which all creatures be. From it nere let me remooue Nor let it remooue from me. 60
_From Eclogue ix_
BATTE.
_Gorbo_, as thou cam'st this waye By yonder little hill, Or as thou through the fields didst straye Sawst thou my _Daffadill_?
Shee's in a frock of Lincolne greene The colour maides delight And neuer hath her beauty seen But through a vale of white.
Then Roses richer to behold That trim vp louers bowers, 10 The Pansy and the Marigould Tho _Phoebus_ Paramours.
_Gorbo._ Thou well describ'st the Daffadill It is not full an hower Since by the spring neare yonder hill I saw that louely flower.
_Batte._ Yet my faire flower thou didst not meet, Nor news of her didst bring, And yet my Daffadill more sweete, Then that by yonder spring. 20
_Gorbo._ I saw a shepheard that doth keepe In yonder field of Lillies, Was making (as he fed his sheepe) A wreathe of Daffadillies.
_Batte._ Yet _Gorbo_ thou delud'st me stil My flower thou didst not see, For know my pretie _Daffadill_ Is worne of none but me.
To shew it selfe but neare her seate, No Lilly is so bould, 30 Except to shade her from the heate, Or keepe her from the colde:
_Gorbo._ Through yonder vale as I did passe, Descending from the hill, I met a smerking bony lasse, They call her _Daffadill_:
Whose presence as along she went, The prety flowers did greet, As though their heads they downward bent, With homage to her feete. 40
And all the shepheards that were nie, From toppe of euery hill, Vnto the vallies lowe did crie, There goes sweet _Daffadill_.
_Gorbo._ I gentle shepheard, now with ioy Thou all my flockes dost fill, That's she alone kind shepheards boy, Let vs to _Daffadill_.
_From Eclogue ix_
_Motto._ Tell me thou skilfull shepheards swayne, Who's yonder in the vally set? _Perkin._ O it is she whose sweets do stayne, The Lilly, Rose, or violet.
_Motto._ Why doth the Sunne against his kind, Stay his bright Chariot in the skies, _Perkin._ He pawseth almost stroken blind, With gazing on her heauenly eies:
_Motto._ Why doe thy flocks forbeare their foode, Which somtyme was their chiefe delight, 10 _Perkin._ Because they neede no other good, That liue in presence of her sight:
_Motto._ How com those flowers to florish still, Not withering with sharpe winters breath? _Perkin._ She hath robd nature of her skill, And comforts all things with her breath:
_Motto._ Why slide these brookes so slow away, As swift as the wild Roe that were, _Perkin._ O muse not shepheard that they stay, When they her heauenly voice do heare. 20
_Motto._ From whence com all these goodly swayns And lonely nimphs attir'd in greene, _Perkin._ From gathering garlands on the playnes, To crowne thy _Siluia_ shepheards queen.
_Motto._ The sun that lights this world below, Flocks, Brooks and flowers, can witnesse bear, _Perkin._ These shepheards, and these nymphs do know, Thy _Syluia_ is as chast, as fayre.
_From Eclogue ix_
_Rowland._ Of her pure eyes (that now is seen) _Chorus._ Help vs to sing that be her faithful swains _Row:_ O she alone the shepheards Queen, _Cho:_ Her Flocke that leades, The goddesse of these medes, These mountaines and these plaines.
_Row:_ Those eyes of hers that are more cleere, _Cho:_ Then silly shepheards can in song expresse, _Row:_ Then be his beams that rule the yeare, _Cho:_ Fy on that prayse, 10 In striuing things to rayse: That doth but make them lesse.
_Row:_ That doe the flowery spring prolong, _Cho:_ So much the earth doth in her presence ioy, _Row:_ And keeps the plenteous summer young: _Cho:_ And doth asswage The wrathfull winters rage That would our flocks destroy.
_Row:_ _Ioue_ saw her brest that naked lay, _Cho:_ A sight alone was fit for _Ioue_ to see: 20 _Row:_ And swore it was the milkie way, _Cho:_ Of all most pure, The path (we vs assure) Vnto _Ioues_ court to be.
_Row:_ He saw her tresses hanging downe. _Cho:_ That too and fro were mooued with the ayre, _Row:_ And sayd that _Ariadnes_ crowne, _Cho:_ With those compar'd: The gods should not regard Nor _Berenices_ hayre. 30
_Row:_ When she hath watch'd my flockes by night, _Cho:_ O happie were the flockes that she did keepe: _Row:_ They neuer needed _Cynthia's_ light, _Cho:_ That soone gaue place, Amazed with her grace, That did attend thy sheepe.
_Row:_ Aboue where heauens hie glories are, _Cho:_ When as she shall be placed in the skies, _Row:_ She shall be calld the shepheards starre, _Cho:_ And euermore, 40 We shepheards will adore, Her setting and her rise.
APPENDIX
In this Appendix, I have collected certain fugitive pieces of Drayton's; chiefly commendatory verses prefixed to various friends' books. The first song is from _England's Helicon_, and is, I think, too pretty to be lost. Three of the commendatory poems are in sonnet-form, and their inclusion brings us nearer the whole number published by Drayton; of which there are doubtless a few still lacking. But I have tried to make the collection of sonnets as complete as possible.
From _England's Helicon_ (1600) p. 97.
Rowlands _Madrigall._
Faire Loue rest thee heere, Neuer yet was morne so cleere, Sweete be not vnkinde, Let me thy fauour finde, Or else for loue I die.
Harke this pretty bubling spring, How it makes the Meadowes ring, Loue now stand my friend, Heere let all sorrow end, And I will honour thee. 10
See where little _Cupid_ lyes, Looking babies in her eyes. _Cupid_ helpe me now, Lend to me thy bowe, To wound her that wounded me.
Heere is none to see or tell, All our flocks are feeding by, This Banke with Roses spred, Oh it is a dainty bed, Fit for my Loue and me. 20
Harke the birds in yonder Groaue, How they chaunt vnto my Loue, Loue be kind to me, As I haue beene to thee, For thou hast wonne my hart.
Calme windes blow you faire, Rock her thou gentle ayre, O the morne is noone, The euening comes too soone, To part my Loue and me. 30
The Roses and thy lips doo meete, Oh that life were halfe so sweete, Who would respect his breath, That might die such a death, Oh that life thus might die.
All the bushes that be neere, With sweet Nightingales beset, Hush sweete and be still, Let them sing their fill, There's none our ioyes to let. 40
Sunne why doo'st thou goe so fast? Oh why doo'st thou make such hast? It is too early yet, So soone from ioyes to flit Why art thou so vnkind?
See my little Lambkins runne, Looke on them till I haue done, Hast not on the night, To rob me of her light, That liue but by her eyes. 50
Alas, sweete Loue, we must depart, Harke, my dogge begins to barke, Some bodie's comming neere, They shall not find vs heere, For feare of being chid.
Take my Garland and my Gloue, Weare it for my sake my Loue, To morrow on the greene, Thou shalt be our Sheepheards Queene, Crowned with Roses gay. 60
_Mich. Drayton._
FINIS.
From T. Morley's _First Book of Ballets_ (1595).
Mr. M.D. to the Author.
Such was old _Orpheus_ cunning, That sencelesse things drew neere him, And heards of beasts to heare him, The stock, the stone, the Oxe, the Asse came running, Morley! but this enchaunting To thee, to be the Musick-God is wanting. And yet thou needst not feare him; Draw thou the Shepherds still and Bonny lasses, And enuie him not stocks, stones, Oxen, Asses.
Prefixed to Christopher Middleton's _Legend of Humphrey Duke of Gloucester_ (1600).
To his friend, Master _Chr. M._ his Booke.
Like as a man, on some aduenture bound His honest friendes, their kindnes to expresse, T'incourage him of whome the maine is own'd; Some venture more, and some aduenture lesse, That if the voyage (happily) be good: They his good fortune freely may pertake; If otherwise it perrish in the flood, Yet like good friends theirs perish'd for his sake. On thy returne I put this little forth, My chaunce with thine indifferently to proue, Which though (I know) not fitting with thy worth, Accept it yet since it proceedes from loue; And if thy fortune prosper, I may see I haue some share, though most returne to thee.
_Mich. Drayton._
Prefixed to John Davies of Hereford; _Holy Roode_ (1609).
_To_ M. IOHN DAVIES, _my good friend_.
_Such men as hold intelligence with Letters, And in that nice and Narrow way of Verse, As oft they lend, so oft they must be Debters, If with the _Muses_ they will haue commerce: Seldome at _Stawles_, me, this way men rehearse, To mine _Inferiours_, not unto my _Betters: _He stales his _Lines_ that so doeth them disperse; I am so free, I loue not _Golden-fetters_. And many _Lines_ fore _Writers_, be but Setters To them which cheate with_ Papers; _which doth pierse, Our Credits: when we shew our selues Abetters: To those that wrong our knowledge: we rehearse Often (my good _Iohn_; and I loue) thy_ Letters_; Which lend me Credit, as I lend my _Verse_._
Michael Drayton.
Prefixed to Sir David Murray's _Sophonisba_ &c. (1611).
_To my kinde friend_ Da: Murray.
In new attire (and put most neatly on) Thou _Murray_ mak'st thy passionate Queene apeare, As when she sat on the Numidian throne, Deck'd with those Gems that most refulgent were. So thy stronge muse her maker like repaires, That from the ruins of her wasted vrne, Into a body of delicious ayres: Againe her spirit doth transmigrated turne, That scortching soile which thy great subiect bore, Bred those that coldly but exprest her merit, But breathing now vpon our colder shore, Here shee hath found a noble fiery spirit, Both there, and here, so fortunate for Fame, That what she was, she's euery where the same.
M. DRAYTON.
Among the Panegyrical Verses before Coryat's _Crudities_ (1611).
_Incipit Michael Drayton_.
A briefe Prologue to the verses _following_.
Deare _Tom_, thy booke was like to come to light, Ere I could gaine but one halfe howre to write; They go before whose wits are at their noones, _And I come after bringing Salt and Spoones._
Many there be that write before thy Booke, For whom (except here) who could euer looke? Thrice happy are all wee that had the Grace To haue our names set in this liuing place. Most worthy man, with thee it is euen thus, As men take _Dottrels_, so hast thou ta'n vs. Which as a man his arme or leg doth set, So this fond Bird will likewise counterfeit: Thou art the Fowler, and doest shew vs shapes And we are all thy _Zanies_, thy true _Apes_. 10 I saw this age (from what it was at first) Swolne, and so bigge, that it was like to burst, Growne so prodigious, so quite out of fashion, That who will thriue, must hazard his damnation: Sweating in panges, sent such a horrid mist, As to dim heauen: I looked for Antichrist Or some new set of Diuels to sway hell, Worser then those, that in the _Chaos_ fell: Wondring what fruit it to the world would bring, At length it brought forth this: O most strange thing; 20 And with sore throwes, for that the greatest head Euer is hard'st to be deliuered. By thee wise _Coryate_ we are taught to know, Great, with great men which is the way to grow. For in a new straine thou com'st finely in, Making thy selfe like those thou mean'st to winne: Greatnesse to me seem'd euer full of feare, Which thou found'st false at thy arriuing there, Of the _Bermudas_, the example such, Where not a ship vntill this time durst touch; 30 Kep't as suppos'd by hels infernall dogs, Our Fleet found their most honest wyld courteous hogs. Liue vertuous _Coryate_, and for euer be Lik'd of such wise men, as are most like thee.
_Explicit Michael Drayton._
Prefixed to William Browne's _Britannia's Pastorals_ (1613).
To his Friend the AVTHOR.
Driue forth thy Flocke, young Pastor, to that Plaine, Where our old Shepheards wont their flocks to feed; To those cleare walkes, where many a skilfull Swaine To'ards the calme eu'ning, tun'd his pleasant Reede, Those, to the _Muses_ once so sacred, Downes, As no rude foote might there presume to stand: (Now made the way of the vnworthiest Clownes, Dig'd and plow'd vp with each vnhallowed hand) If possible thou canst, redeeme those places, Where, by the brim of many a siluer Spring, 10 The learned Maydens, and delightfull Graces Often haue sate to heare our Shepheards sing: Where on those _Pines_ the neighb'ring Groues among, (Now vtterly neglected in these dayes) Our Garlands, Pipes, and Cornamutes were hong The monuments of our deserued praise. So may thy Sheepe like, so thy Lambes increase, And from the Wolfe feede euer safe and free! So maist thou thriue, among the learned prease, As thou young Shepheard art belou'd of mee! 20
Prefixed to Chapman's Translation of Hesiod's _Georgics_ (1618).
To my worthy friend Mr. _George Chapman_, and his translated _Hesiod_.
_Chapman_; We finde by thy past-prized fraught, What wealth thou dost vpon this Land conferre; Th'olde _Grecian_ Prophets hither that hast brought, Of their full words the true interpreter: And by thy trauell, strongly hast exprest The large dimensions of the English tongue; Deliuering them so well, the first and best, That to the world in Numbers euer sung. Thou hast vnlock'd the treasury, wherein All Art, and knowledge haue so long been hidden: 10 Which, till the gracefull Muses did begin Here to inhabite, was to vs forbidden. In blest _Elizivm_ (in a place most fit) Vnder that tree due to the _Delphian_ God, _Musæus_, and that _Iliad Singer_ sit, And neare to them that noble _Hesiod_, Smoothing their rugged foreheads; and do smile, After so many hundred yeares to see Their Poems read in this farre westerne Ile, Translated from their ancient Greeke, by thee; 20 Each his good _Genius_ whispering in his eare, That with so lucky, and auspicious fate Did still attend them, whilst they liuing were, And gaue their Verses such a lasting date. Where slightly passing by the _Thespian_ spring, Many long after did but onely sup; Nature, then fruitfull, forth these men did bring, To fetch deep Rowses from _Ioues_ plentious cup. In thy free labours (friend) then rest content, Feare not _Detraction_, neither fawne on _Praise_: 30 When idle _Censure_ all her force hath spent, _Knowledge_ can crowne her self with her owne Baies. Their Lines, that haue so many liues outworne, Cleerely expounded shall base Enuy scorne.
_Michael Drayton._
Prefixed to Book ij. of _Primaleon_, &c. Translated by Anthony Munday (1619).
_OF THE WORKE_ _and Translation._
_If in opinion of iudiciall wit,_ Primaleons_ sweet Invention well deserue: Then he (no lesse) which hath translated it, Which doth his sense, his forme, his phrase, obserue. And in true method of his home-borne stile, (Following the fashion of a French conceate) Hath brought him heere into this famous Ile, Where but a stranger, now hath made his seate. He liues a Prince, and comming in this sort, Shall to his Countrey of your fame report._
M.D.
From _Annalia Dubrensia_ (1636).
TO MY NOBLE Friend Mr. ROBERT DOVER, on his braue annuall _Assemblies_ vpon _Cotswold_.
Douer, to doe thee Right, who will not striue, That dost in these dull yron Times reuiue The golden Ages glories; which poore Wee Had not so much as dream't on but for Thee? As those braue _Grecians_ in their happy dayes, On Mount Olympus to their _Hercules_ Ordain'd their games Olimpick, and so nam'd Of that great Mountaine; for those pastimes fam'd: Where then their able Youth, Leapt, Wrestled, Ran, Threw the arm'd Dart; and honour'd was the _Man_ 10 That was the Victor; In the Circute there The nimble Rider, and skill'd Chariotere Stroue for the Garland; In those noble Times There to their Harpes the Poets sang their Rimes; That whilst _Greece_ flourisht, and was onely then Nurse of all Arts, and of all famous men: Numbring their yeers, still their accounts they made, Either from this or that _Olimpiade_. So _Douer_, from these _Games_, by thee begun, Wee'l reckon Ours, as time away doth run. 20 Wee'l haue thy Statue in some Rocke cut out, With braue Inscriptions garnished about; And vnder written, _Loe, this was the man,_ DOVER, _that first these noble Sports began._ Ladds of the Hills, and Lasses of the Vale, In many a song, and many a merry Tale Shall mention Thee; and hauing leaue to play, Vnto thy name shall make a Holy day. The _Cosswold_ Shepheards as their flockes they keepe, To put off lazie drowsinesse and sleepe, 30 Shall sit to tell, and heare thy Story tould, That night shall come ere they their flocks can fould.
_Michaell Drayton._
NOTES
These notes are not intended to supply materials for the criticism of the text. So freely, indeed, did Drayton alter his poems for a fresh edition, that the ordinary machinery of an _apparatus criticus_ would be overtasked if the attempt were made. All that has been undertaken here is to provide the requisite information in places where the text followed seemed open to suspicion.
It may be added that the punctuation of the originals has in general been preserved; in a few flagrant instances, where the text as it stood was misleading, it has been modified. Such changes are not noted here.
2, 1, l. 14 vertues] vertuous 1619
3, 3, l. 1 Ioue] loue 1599, 1602, 1605
l. 3 them forth,] them, forth 1599. _But the 1619 version supports the reading in the text._
5, 8, l. 8 men] ones 1599: women 1619
l. 9 to 1599, 1619: of 1594
6, 9, l. 11 in] on 1602
10, l. 12 her] his 1602: their 1619
8, 14, l. 14 anatomize 1599. _But there is ground for believing that_ anotamize _represents a current pronunciation._
9, 15, l. 10 She'st] ? She'll
10, 17, l. 9 Were] Where 1594
18, l. 5 Elizia] Elizium 1599
11, 20, l. 10 whir-poole] whirl-poole 1602
l. 12 Helycon] Helicon 1602
14, 26, l. 5 Thy 1599 etc.: The 1594
15, 27, l. 4 Thus] This 1594
l. 12 depriued] ? depraued
18, 33, l. 3 Wishing] Wisheth 1599
19, 36, l. 13 And others] And eithers 1599
20, 37, l. 4 euer-certaine] neuer-certaine 1602
28, 1, l. 4 song] sung 1613
31, 10, l. 2 bids] bad 1619
l. 12 my ... his] his ... my 1619
37, 30, l. 14 hollowed] halowed 1605: hallow'd 1619. _But cf._ 94, l. 18.
38, 43, l. 3 Wherein 1602, 1605: Where, in 1619: Wherein 1599
39, 44, l. 4 Paynting] Panting 1608
l. 8 Wherein 1602, 1605, 1619: Where in 1599
40, 55, l. 7 forces heere,] forces, here 1619
56, _heading_ A Consonet] A Cansonet 1602
41, 57, l. 13 yet] then 1595
42, 17, ll. 4, 13 Promethius] Prometheus 1605
43, 27, l. 2 Who can he loue? 1608: Who? can he loue: 1619
l. 12 They resolute,] They resolute? 1608, 1619
44, 31, l. 4 appose] oppose 1608, 1619
l. 9 They 1619: The 1602, 1605, 1608
48, 47, l. 8 a 1619: and 1605, 1608
49, 51, l. 1 to 1608: _omitted in_ 1605
53, 21, l. 11 soe] ? loe
l. 13 Troth] Froth 1619
71, l. 16 scowles] scoulds 1606
l. 37 whome 1606: whose 1619
l. 41 rage 1606: age 1619
74, l. 25 he 1619: shee 1606
77, l. 34 some few 1606: some, few 1619
79, l. 10 their] ? there.
83, l. 72 Stuck] _The emendation_ Struck _is tempting (the form is somewhat uncommon but not unparalleled); especially in view of_ l. 80.
94, l. 18 hollow'd] _cf._ 37, 30, l. 14
96, l. 120 the] _no doubt a printer's error for_ they
97, l. 125 be lowe] belowe 1627
97, l. 126 whether] whethet 1627
98, l. 37 it] _omitted in_ 1627
101, l. 62 be] ? been
104, l. 88 him] ? them
l. 94 ceaze 1620: lease 1627
106, l. 37 his] _omitted in_ 1631
l. 56 warnd] warne 1627
110, l. 105 Neat] Next _conj. Beeching_
118, _heading_ Chaplaine] Chapliane 1627
120, l. 81 extirpe 1631: extipe 1627
146, l. 90 fett] sett _and_ frett _have been conjectured._
153, l. 92 debate] delate 1627
154, l. 115 claue] ? cleaue
156, l. 220 euery] euer 1627
174, l. 225 wither] whither 1630
177, l. 343 rawe] taw 1748
192, l. 18 there] they 1630
232, l. 12 vnto] vp to 1619
233, l. 53 fame] faire 1606
234, l. 66 moue] mock 1606
238, l. 25 feature] features 1619
240, l. 99 long] loue 1606
242, _Ecl. ij,_ l. 21 moane 1600: moans 1605
243, l. 55 But it if the Male doth want 1619
244, l. 37 along she went 1619: she went along 1606
245, l. 43 lowe] loud 1600, 1619
247, l. 37 glories 1619: glorious 1606
ERRATA
Page 94, l. 5 _for_ of said _read_ said
" 173, l. 170 _for_ you _read_ your
Oxford Printed at the Clarendon Press By Horace Hart, M.A. Printer to the University
End of Project Gutenberg's Minor Poems of Michael Drayton, by Michael Drayton