"Pan may be proud that ever he begot "Such a bellibone,

"And Syrinx rejoice, that ever was her let "To bear fuch an one.

"Soon as my younglings crying for the dam,
"To her will I offer a milk-white lamb:
"She is my goddess plain,

"And I her fhepherd's fwain,
"Albe forfwonk and forfwat I am.

"I fee Calliope fpeed her to the place, "Where my goddess shines,

"And after her the other Mufes trace "With their violines.

"Been they not bay-branches which they date "All for Eliza in her hand to wear? "So fweetly they play,

"And fing all the way,

"That it a heaven is to hear.

"Lo, how finely the Graces can it foot "To the inftrument :

"They dauncen deffly, and fingen foote "In their merriment ;

"Wants not a fourth Grace to make the wall "Let that room to my Lady be yoven, "She fhall be a Grace

"To fill the fourth place.

"And reign with the rest in heaven.

" And whither renns this bevy of ladies brig'i Ranged in a row?

"They, been all Ladies of the Lake behight "That unto her go.

"Cloris, that is the chiefeft nymph of all, "Of olive branches bears a coronall: «Olives been for peace, "When wars do furceafe: "Such for a princess been principal.

"Ye fhepherds' daughters that dwell on they "Hye you there apace :

"Let none come there but that virgins beet, "To adorn her grace :

"And when you come, whereas fhe is in p "See that your rudeness do not you difgrax "Bind your fillets faft,

"And gird in your waste,

"For more fineness, with a taudry lace.

"Bring hither the pink and purple cullur "With gylliflowers;

"Bring coronations, and fops in wine, « Worn of paramours:

"Strow me the ground with daffadown "And couflips, and kingcups, and loved t "The pretty pawnce "And the chevifaunce

"Shall match with the fair flowre-delice.

"Now tife up, Eliza, decked as thou art "In royal ray;

"And now ye dainty damfels may depart "Each one his way.

That to the many a horn-pipe plaid,
Whereto they dauncen each one with his maid.
To fee thefe folks make fuch jouisaunce,
Made my heart after the pipe to daunce:
Tho to the green wood thy speeden them all,
To fetchen home May with their musical;
And home they bringen in a royal throne,
Crowned as a king; and his queen attone
Vas Lady Flora, on whom did attend
"A fair flock of fairies, and a fresh bend
f lovely nymphs. (O that I were there,
'o helpen the ladies their May-bush bear!)

h Piers, been not thy teeth on edge, to think
low great fport thy ginen with little swink?
PIERS. Perdy, fo far am I from envy,
hat their fondness inly I pity:
I

'hofe faitours little regarden their charge, While they, letting their sheep run at large, affen their time, that should be sparely spent, a luftihed and wanton meriment.

hilk fame been fhepherds for the devel's sted, That playen while their flocks be unfed : Well it is feen their sheep be not their own, That letten them run at random alone : But they been hired for little pay, If other that caren as little as they What fallen the flock, fo they han the fleece, nd get all the gain, paying but a piece. mufe what account both thefe will make, he one for the hire which he doth take, nd th' other for leaving his Lord's task, Then great Pan accounted of thepherds fhall afk.

F PAL. Siker now I fee thou speakest of spight,
all for thou lackest some dele their delight.
(as I am) had rather be envied,

ll were it of my foe, that fonly pitied;
nd yet, if need were, pitied would be,
ather then other fhould fcorn at me;
or pitied is mishap that has remedy,
ut fcorned been deeds of fond foolery.
What shoulden fhepherds other things tend,
han fith their God his good does them fend,
eapen the fruit thereof, that is pleasure.
he while they here liven at eafe and leisure?
or when they been dead their good is ygo,
hey fleepen in reft, well as other moe:

ho with them wends what they spent in cost,
But what they left behind them is loft.
Good is no good but if it be spend;
God giveth good for none other end.
PIERS. Ah! Palinode, thou art a world's child:
Who touches pitch, mote needs be defil'd,
But fhepherds (as Algrind used to say)
Mought not live like as men of the lay.
With them it fits to care for their heir,
Enaunter their heritage do impair :
They must provide for means of maintenance,
And to continue their wont countenance :
But fhepherd must walk another way,
Sike worldly fovenance he must for-say.
The fon of his loins why should he regard,
To leave enriched with that he hath ipar'd?
Should not thilk God that gave him that good
Eke cherish his child, if in his ways he stood ?

For if he miflive in lewdness and luft,
Little boots all the wealth and the trust
That his father left by inheritance;
All will be foon wafted with misgovernance:
But through this, and other their mifcreance,
They maken many a wrong chevisance,
Heaping up waves of wealth and woe,
The floods whereof shall them overflow.
Sike mens folly I cannot compare
Better then to the ape's foolith care,
That is fo enamoured of her young one,

(And yet, God wote, fuch caufe has the none)

That with her hard hold and straight embracing,
She stoppeth the breath of her youngling.
So oftentimes, whenas good is ment,

Evil enfueth of wrong intent.

The time was once, and may again retorn,
(For ought may happen that hath been beforn)
When fhepherds had none inheritance,
Ne of land nor fee in fufferance,

But what might arife of the bare sheep,
(Were it more or less) which they did keep,
Well I wis was it with fhepherds tho,
Nought having nought feared they to forgo,
For Pan himself was their inheritance,
And little them ferved for their maintenance.
The shepherd's God fo well them guided,
That of nought they were unprovided;
Butter enough, honey, milk, and whey,
And their flocks' fleeces them to array,
But tract of time, and long profperity,
(That nource of vice, this of infolency)
Lulled the thepherds in fuch fecurity,
That not content with loyal obeyfance,
Some gan to gape for greedy governance,
And match themfelves with mighty potentates,
Lovers of lordships, and troublers of states,
Tho 'gan fhepherds fwains to look aloft,
And leave to live hard, and learn to lig foft:
Tho under colour of thepherds, fome-while
There crept in wolves, full of fraud and guile,
That often devoured their own fheep,

And often fhepherd that did 'em keep;
This was the first fourfe of fhepherd's forrow,.)
That now nill be quit with bale nor borrow.

PAL. Three things to bear been very burdenous,
But the fourth to torbear is outrageous:
Women.that of love's longing once luft,
Hardly forbearen, but have it they must:
So when the cholar is enflamed with rage,
Wanting revenge is hard to affwage:
And who can counfel a thirsty foul,
With patience to forbear the offer'd boul?
But of all burdens that a man can bear,
Moft is a fool's talk to bear and to her.
I ween the giant has not fuch a weight,
That bears on his fhoulders the heaven's height.
Thou findefi fault where nys to be found,
And buildeft ftrong wark upon a weak ground:
Thou raileit on right without reason,
And blameft 'em much for fmall encheafon.

How wolden fhepherds live if not fo
What, fhould they pinen in pain and woe?
Nay, fay I thereto, by my dear borrow,
If I may reft, I nill live in forrow,
Ft j

Sorrow ne need to be haftened on,

For he will come without calling anon.
While times enduren of tranquillity,
Ufen we freely our felicity;

For when approachen the ftormy ftowers,

We mought with our shoulders bear off the fharp fhowres;

And footh to fain, nought feemeth fike ftrife,
That fhepherds fo twiten each other's life,
And layen their faults the worlds beforen,
The while their foes done each of hem fcorn.
Let none miflike of that may not be amended;
So conteck foon by concord nought be ended.

PIERS. Shepherd, I lift no accordance make With a fhepherd, that does the right way forfake,

And of the twain, if choice were to me,
Had leaver my foe than my friend he be ;
For what concord han light and dark fam?
Or what peace has the lion with the lamb?
Such faitours, when their false hearts been hid,
Will do as did the fox by the kid.

PAL

Now Piers, of fellowship tell us that faying;

For the lad can keep both our flocks from ftray

Was too very foolish and unwife;
For on a time, in fommer feason,
'The goat her dam, that had good reafon,
Yode forth abroad unto the green wood,
To broufe, or play, or what the thought good;
But, for fhe had a motherly care
Of her young fon, and wit to beware,
She fet her youngling before her knee,
That was both fresh and lovely to fee,
And full of favour as Kid mought be.
His velvet head began to fhost out,

And his wreathed horns 'gan newly sprout,
The bloffoms of luft to bud did begin,

And fprung forth rankly under his chin,

"Thy father, (that word fhe spake with pain, For a figh had nigh rent her heart in twain) "Thy father, had he lived this day, "To fee the branches of his body display, "How would he have joyed at this fweet fight? "But ah' falfe Fortune fuch joy did him fpight, "And cut off his days with untimely woe,

Betraying him unto the trains of his foe. "Now I, a wailful widow behight, "Of my old age have this one delight, "To fee thee fucceed in thy father's ftead, "And flourish in flowers of luftihead; "For even fo thy father his head upheld, "And fo his haughty horns did he weld." Tho marking him with melting eyes, A thrilling throb from her heart did arife, And interrupted all er other speech,

With fome old forrow that made a new breach :

Seemed fhe faw in her youngling's face The old lineaments of his father's grace. At last her fullen filence she broke, And 'gan his new-budded beard to stroke. "Kiddy, (quoth fhe) thou kenft the great care have of thy health and thy welfare, Which many wild beasts liggin in wait "For to entrap in thy tender state; "But moft the Fox, maister of collufion, "For he has vowed thy last confufion. "For thy, my Kiddy, be ruled by me, "And never give truft to his treacheree; "And if he chance come when I am abroad, "Spar the yate faft, for fear of fraud; "Ne for all his worst, nor for his best, "Open the door at his request."

So fchooled the goat her wanton fon, That anfwer'd his mother, All fhould be done. Tho went the penfive dame out of door, And chaunc'd to stumble at the threshold-floor; Her fumbling step somewhat her amazed, (For fuch as figns of ill luck been difpraised) Yet forth the yode, thereat half aghatt, And Kiddy the door sparred after her faft. It was not long after she was gone, But the falfe Fox came to the door anone; Not as a fox, for then he had be kend, But all as a poor pedlar he did wend, Bearing a trufs of trifles at his back, As bells, and babies, and glaffes in his pack; A biggen he had got about his brain; For in his head-piece he felt a fore pain; His hinder heel was wrapt in a clout, For with great cold he had got the gout: There at the door he caft me down his pack, And laid him down, and groaned, alack! ak! Ah! dear Lord! and sweet Saint Charity, That fome good body would once pity me.

Well heard Kiddy all this fore conftraint, And leng'd to know the cause of his complaint; Tho creeping close behind the wicket's click, Privily he peeped out through a chink, Yet not fo privily but the Fox him fpied, For deceitful meaning is double eyed.

"Ah! good young maifter (then 'gan he c "Jefus blefs that fweet face I efpy, "And keep your corps from the carefull Rota "That in my carrion carcafs abounds."

The Kid pitying his heavinets,
Afked the caufe of his great diftress,
And also who, and whence that, he were?

1ho he, that had well ycond his lear, Thus medled his talk with many a tear : "sick, fick, alas! a little lack of dead, "But I be relieved by your beastly-head. "I am a poor fheep, aibe my colour dun, "For with longer travel I am brent in the fun! "And if that my grandfire me faid to be true, "Siker I am very fybbe to you, "So be your goodlihead do not difdaio "The bafe kindred of fo fimple twain. "Of mercy and favour then I you pray "With your aid to foreftall my near decay."