And oft, when Coridon unto her brought
Or litle sparrowes stolen from their nest,
Or wanton squirrels in the woods farre sought,
Or other daintie thing for her addrest,
And Cautere saoult lead the mine, as bee
The most in Fiscretas cras út sit:
Thereat wni i Coman, and his lip cosely
But Calibre of menwas indic
Tooke Gonion and wo him in his place.
That be should lead the dance, as was his.
fashion:
For Corisce mad dance, and trimly trace:
And when as Pastoria, bin to man.
Her Bowry garkoltoke from her owne head,
And plast on his, he did it sorce displace,
And did in put on Coriices instead.
Then Coridon wexe frolicke, that earst seemed
deard
Another time, when as they 1 dispose
To practise cues and maisteries to try.
They for their Judge did Pastorella chose;
A garland was the meed of victory :
There Cordon forth stepping openly
Dil chalenze Calidore to wrestling game:
For be, through long and perfect industry,
Therein well practisd was, and in the same
Thought sure tavenge his grudge, and worke
his foe great shame.
But Calidore he greatly did mistake,
For he was strong and mightily stiffe pight,
That with one fall his necke he almost brake;
And had he not upon him fallen light,
His dearest joynt he sure had broken quight.
Then was the oaken crowne by Pastorell
Given to Calidore as his due right;
But he, that did in courtesie excell.
Gave it to Coridon, and said he wonne it well.
Amongst that rusticke rout in all his deeds,
Thus did the gentle knigat himselfe abeare
Could not maligne him, but commend him
That even they, the which his rivals were,
He would commend his guift, and make the
Yet she no whit his presents did regard, [best;
Ne him could find to fancie in her brest:
For courtesie amongst the rudest breeds
This new-come shepheard had his market mard. Good will and favour. So it surely wrought
Old love is litle worth when new is more With this faire Mayd, and in her mynde the
Of perfect love did sow, that last forth brought
The fruite of joy and blisse, though long time
dearely bought.
One day, when as the shepheard swaynes
together
[glee,
Were met to make their sports and merrie
As they are wont in faire sunshynie weather,
The whiles their flockes in shadowes shrouded Thus Calidore continu'd there long time
To winne the love of the faire Pastorell,
And standing long astonished in spright,
And rapt with pleasaunce, wist not what to
Her to adorne, when so she forth doth wend But those three in the midst doe chiefe on her attend.
Whether it were the traine of beauties Queene,
Or Nymphes, or Faeries, or enchaunted show, They are the daughters of sky-ruling Jove,
With which his eyes mote have deluded beene. By him begot of faire Eurynome,
Therefore, resolving what it was to know,
Out of the wood he rose, and toward them did
Here leadest in this goodly merry-make,
Frequented of these gentle Nymphes alwayes,
Which to thee flocke to heare thy lovely
layes!
Tell me, what mote these dainty Damzels be,
Which here with thee doe make their pleasant
playes?
Right happy thou that mayst them freely see! But why, when I them saw, fled they away from me?'
The Oceans daughter, in this pleasant grove,
As he, this way comming from feastfull glee
Of Thetis wedding with acidee,
In sommers shade him selfe here rested weary:
The first of them hight mylde Euphrosyne,
Next faire Aglaia, last Thalia merry ;
Sweete Goddesses all three, which me in mirth
do cherry!
'These three on men all gracious gifts bestow,
Which decke the body or adorne the mynde,
To make them lovely or well-favoured show;
As comely carriage, entertainement kynde,
Sweete semblaunt, friendly offices that bynde,
And all the complements of curtesie:
They teach us how to each degree and kynde
We should our selves demeane. to low, to hie,
To friends, to foes; which skill men call Civility.
Therefore they alwaies smoothly seeme to
smile,
That we likewise should mylde and gentle be;
And also naked are, that without guile
Or false dissemblaunce all them plaine may see,
Simple and true, from covert malice free;
And eeke them selves so in their daunce they
bore,
That two of them still froward seem'd to bee,
But one still towards shew'd her selfe afore;
'Not I so happy,' answerd then that swaine, That good should from us goe, then come, in As thou unhappy, which them thence didst
Whom by no meanes thou canst recall againe;
For, being gone, none can them bring in place,
But whom they of them selves list so to grace.
'Right sory I,' (saide then Sir Calidore)
'That ill fortune did them hence displace;
my
But since things passed none may now restore,
Tell me what were they all, whose lacke thee
grieves so sore?
When thus that shepheard ended had his speach,
Had left, now gan afresh to rancle sore,
And to renue the rigour of his smart ;
Which to recure no skill of Leaches art
Mote him availe, but to returne againe
To his wounds worker, that with lovely dart
Dinting his brest had bred his restlesse paine;
Like as the wounded Whale to shore flies from
the maine.
So, taking leave of that same gentle Swaine,
He backe returned to his rusticke wonne,
To whome, in sort as he at first begonne,
Where his faire Pastorella did remaine:
He daily did apply him selfe to donne
Ne any paines ne perill did he shonne,
All dewfull service, voide of thoughts impure;
By which he might her to his love allure,
And liking in her yet untamed heart procure.
And evermore the shepheard Coridon,
What ever thing he did her to aggrate,
Did strive to match with strong contention,
And all his paines did closely emulate;
Whether it were to caroll, as they sate
Keeping their sheepe, or games to exercize,
Or to present her with their labours late;
Through which if any grace chaunst to arize
To him, the Shepheard streight with jealousie
did frize.
Sayd Calidore: 'Now sure it yrketh mee,
That to thy blisse I made this luckelesse breach, One day, as they all three together went
As now the author of thy bale to be, [thee: To the greene wood to gather strawberies,
Thus to bereave thy loves deare sight from There chaunst to them a dangerous accident:
But, gentle Shepheard, pardon thou my shame, A Tigre forth out of the wood did rise,
Who rashly sought that which I mote not see.' That with fell clawes full of fierce gourmandize,
Thus did the courteous Knight excuse his And greedy mouth wide gaping like hell-gate,
blame,
[frame. Did runne at Pastorell her to surprize;
And to recomfort him all comely meanes did Whom she beholding, now all desolate,
Gan cry to them aloud to helpe her all too late.
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