MENAPHON'S ROUNDELAY. WHEN tender ewes,* brought home with evening sun, Wend to their folds, And to their holds The shepherds trudge when light of day is done, The eagle, Jove's fair bird, did perch; A little fly his harbour then did search, The eagle frown'd, and shook his † royal wings, From thence to hie: Afraid, in haste, the little creature flings, Fearful, to perk him by the eagle's side: The speedy post of Ganymede replied, The fly crav'd pity, still the eagle frown'd: Disgrac'd, displac'd, fell grovelling to the ground : And with a royal mind said to the fly, Be not in awe, I scorn by me the meanest creature die; *When tender ewes, &c.] The beginning of this roundelay bears some resemblance to the opening of Gray's Elegy. this] The 4to. of 1589 "her." DORON'S DESCRIPTION OF SAMELA. LIKE to Diana in her summer weed, Goes fair Samela; Whiter than be the flocks that straggling feed, When wash'd by Arethusa faint they lie, Is fair Samela; As fair Aurora in her morning grey, Like lovely Thetis on a calmed day, Whenas her brightness Neptune's fancy move, Her tresses gold, her eyes like glassy streams, Her cheeks, like rose and lily yield forth gleams, Thus fair Samela Passeth fair Venus in her bravest hue, And Juno in the shew of majesty, For she's Samela: Pallas in wit, all three, if you well view, DORON'S JIG. THROUGH the shrubs as I 'gan* crack For my lambs, little ones, 'Mongst many pretty ones, Nymphs I mean, whose hair was black As the crow; Like the snow Her face and brows shin'd, I ween; A bonny pretty one, As bright, buxsom, and as sheen, On her knee That lull'd the god whose arrow + warms Such merry little ones, Such fair-fac'd pretty ones, As dally in love's chiefest harms : Such was mine, Whose grey eyne Made me love. I 'gan to woo This bonny pretty one; I woo'd hard a day or two, Till she bade Be not sad, Woo no more, I am thine own, Thy truest pretty one: Thus was faith and firm love shown, As behoves MELICERTUS' DESCRIPTION OF HIS MISTRESS. TUNE on, my pipe, the praises of my love, How fair she is that makes thy music mount, Shall I compare her form unto the sphere, Whence sun-bright Venus vaunts her silver shine? Ah, more than that by just compare is thine, Whose crystal looks the cloudy heavens do clear! How oft have I descending Titan seen His burning locks couch in the sea-queen's lap, And beauteous Thetis his red body wrap In watery robes, as he her lord had been! Whenas my nymph, impatient of the night, Bade bright Arcturus* with his train give place, Whiles she led forth the day with her fair face, And lent each star a more than Delian light. Not Jove or Nature, should they both agree * Arcturus] Both 4tos. "Atræus." MELICERTUS' MADRIGAL. WHAT are my sheep without their wonted food? No turtle without pheere. * The day without the sun doth lour for woe, The stars from earthly humours gain their light, It feeds, it fails, it ends. Kind looks, clear to your joy behold her eyes, * Whereto this solace tends! pheere] See note* vol. i. p. 111. + Infuse] The 4to. of 1589 Insues," that of 1616 "Infudes." |