XXI.

"Therefore I doe not any one envy,

"Nor am envyde of any one therefore;

"They that have much, feare much to loose thereby, "And store of cares doth follow riches store : "The litle that I have grows dayly more "Without my care, but onely to attend it; "My lambes doe every yeare increase their score, "And my flockęs father daily doth amend it. "What have I but to praise th' Almighty that doth

XXII.

[send it? "To them that list the world's gay showes I leave, "And to great ones such follies doe forgive, "Which oft through pride doe their owne perill weave, “And through ambition downe themselves doe drive "To sad decay, that might contented live: "Me no such cares nor combrous thoughts offend, "Ne once my mind's unmoved quiet grieve, "But all the night in silver sleepe I spend, “And all the day to what I list I doe attend. XXIII.

"Sometimes I hunt the fox, the vowed foe "Unto my lambes, and him dislodge away; "Sometime the fawne I practise from the doe, "Or from the goat her kidde how to convay; "Another while I baytes and nets display, "The birds to catch, or fishes to beguyle: "And when I wearie am, I downe doe lay "My limbes in every shade, to rest from toyle, "And drinke of every brooke, when thirst my throte doth boyle.

XXIV.

"The time was once, in my first prime of yeares, "When pride of youth forth pricked my desire, "That I disdain'd amongst mine equall peares "To follow sheepe and shepheards base attire; "For further fortune then I would inquire, "And leaving home, to roiall court I sought, "Where I did sell myselfe for yearely hire, "And in the prince's gardin daily wrought; "There I beheld such vainenesse as I never thought. XXV.

"With sight whereof soone cloyd, and long deluded "With idle hopes, which them doe entertaine, "After I had ten yeares myselfe excluded "From native home, and spent my youth in vaine, "I gan my follies to myselfe to plaine,

"And this sweet peace, whose lacke did then appeare; "Tho backe returning to my sheepe againe, "I from thenceforth have learn'd to love more deare "This lowly quiet life which I inherite here."

XXVI.

Whylest thus he talkt, the knight with greedy care
Hong still upon his melting mouth attent,
Whose sensefull words empierst his hart so neare,
That he was wrapt with double ravishment,
Both of his speach, that wrought him great content,
And also of the obiect of his vew,

On which his hungry eye was alwayes bent,
That twixt his pleasing tongue, and her faire hew,
He lost himselfe, and like one halfe entraunced grew.

XXVII.

Yet to occasion meanes to worke his mind,
And to insinuate his hart's desire,

He thus replyde; "Now surely, Syre, I find
"That all this world's gay showes, which we admire,
"Be but vaine shadows to this safe retyre
"Of life, which here in lowlinesse ye lead,
"Fearelesse of foes, or Fortune's wrackfull yrę, -
"Which tosseth states, and under foot doth tread
"The mightie ones, affrayd of every chaunge's dread.
XXVIII.

"That even I, which daily doe behold

"The glorie of the great, mongst whom I won, "And now have prov'd what happinesse ye hold "In this small plot of your dominion, "Now loath great lordship and ambition, "And wish th' heavens so much had graced mee, "As graunt me live in like condition,

"Or that my fortunes might transposed bee "From pitch of higher place unto this low degree." XXIX.

"In vaine," said then old Melibee," doe men, "The heavens of their fortune's fault accuse, "Sith they know best what is the best for them; "For they to each such fortune doe diffuse, "As they doe know each can most aptly use: "For not that which men covet most is best, "Nor that thing worst which men do most refuse, "But fittest is that all contented rest "With that they hold : each hath his fortune in his

[brest.

XXX.

"It is the mynd that maketh good or ill, “That maketh wretch or happie, rich or poote; "For some, that hath abundance at his will, "Hath not enough, but wants in greatest store; "And other, that hath litle, asks no more, "But in that litle is both rich and wise; "For wisdome is most riches; fooles therefore "They, are which fortunes doe by vowes devize, "Sith each unto himselfe his life may fortunize." XXXI.

"Since then in each man's self," said Calidore, "It is to fashion his owne lyfe's estate,

"Give leave awhyle, good Father! in this shore "To rest my barcke, which hath bene beaten late "With stormes of fortune and tempestuous fate, "In seas of troubles and of toylesome paine, "That whether quite from them for to retrate "I shall resolve, or backe to turne againe, [taine. "I may here with yourselfe some small repose obXXXII.

"Not that the burden of so bold a guest "Shall chargefull be, or chaunge to you at all, "For your meane food shall be my daily feast, "And this your cabin both my bowre and hall: "Besides, for recompence hereof, I shall "You well reward, and golden guerdon give, "That may perhaps you better much withall, "And in this quiet make you safer live."

So forth he drew much gold, and toward him it drive.

XXXIII.

But the good man, nought tempted with the offer Of his rich mould, did thrust it farre away,

And thus bespake; “ Sir Knight, your bounteous "Be farre fro me, to whom ye ill display

[proffer "That mucky masse, the cause of mens decay, "That mote empaire my peace with daungers dread; "But if ye algates covet to assay

"This simple sort of life that shepheards lead, "Be it your owne; our rudenesse to yourselfe

XXXIV.

So there that night Sir Calidore did dwell,

[aread."

And long while after, whilest him list remaine,
Dayly beholding the fayre Pastorell,

And feeding on the bayt of his owne bane ;
During which time he did her entertaine
With all kind courtesies he could invent,
And every day, her companie to gaine,

When to the field she went, he with her went;
So for to quench his fire he did it more augment.
XXXV.

But she, that never had acquainted beene
With such quient usage, fit for queens and kings,
Ne ever had such knightly service seene,
But being bred under base shepheards wings
Had ever learn'd to love the lowly things,
Did litle whit regard his courteous guize,
But cared more for Colin's carolings

Then all that he could doe or ev'r devize: [spize.
His layes, his loves, his lookes, she did them all de-