Classic Poem

Shepher-Lay -

As I my little flocke on Ister banke
(A little flocke, but well my pipe they couth)
Did piping leade, the sunne alreadie sanke
Beyond our world; and ere I got my booth,
Each thing with mantle black the night doth scoth;
Sauing the glow-worme, which would courteous be
Of that small light oft watching shepheards see.

The welkin had full niggardly enclosed
In coffer of dimme clouds his siluer groates,
Icleped starres; each thing to rest disposed,
The caues were full, the mountaines voide of goates;
The birds' eye clos'd, closed their chirping notes:
As for the nightingale, wood-musicke's king,
It August was, he daign'd not then to sing.

Amid my sheepe, though I saw nought to feare,
Yet (for I nothing saw) I feared sore;
Then found I which thing is a charge to beare:
As for my sheepe I dradded mickle more
Than euer for my selfe since I was bore.
I sate me downe, for see to goe ne could,
And sang vnto my sheepe lest stray they should

The song I sang old Lanquet had me taught —
Lanquet, the shepheard best swift Ister knew
For clearkly reed, and hating what is naught;
For faithfull heart, cleane hands, and mouth as true;
With his sweet skill my skillesse youth he drew
To haue a feeling taste of Him that sits
Beyond the heauen, farre more beyond our wits.

He said, the musicke best thilke powers pleas'd
Was iump concord betweene our wit and will,
Where highest notes to godlinesse are rais'd,
And lowest sinke not downe to iote of ill;
With old true tales he wont mine eares to fill,
How shepheards did of yore, how now they thriue,
Spoyling their flocke, or while, twixt them, they striue.

He liked me, but pittied lustfull youth,
His good strong staffe my slipperie yeares vpbore;
He still hop'd well because I loued truth;
Till forc't to part, with heart and eyes euen sore,
To worthy Coridon he gaue me ore.
But thus in okes' true shade recounted be,
Which now, in night's deepe shade, sheepe heard of me.

Such manner time there was (what time I n'ot)
When all this earth, this damme or mould of ours,
Was only won'd with such as beasts begot;
Vnknowne as then were they that builded towers;
The cattell wilde or tame, in Nature's bowers
Might freely rome, or rest, as seemed them;
Man was not made their dwellings in to hem

The beasts had sure some beastly policie, —
For nothing can indure where order n'is, —
For once, the lion by the lambe did lie,
The fearefull hinde the leopard did kisse,
Hurtlesse was tyger's pawe and serpent's hisse:
This thinke I well, the beasts with courage clad,
Like senators a harmelesse empire had:

At which whether the others did repine
(For enuie harbreth most in feeblest hearts),
Or that they all to changing did incline
(As euen in beasts their dammes love changing parts),
The multitude to Ioue a suit imparts,
With neighing, blaying, braying, and barking,
Roring and howling for to haue a king.

A king, in language theirs, they said they would,
For then their language was a perfect speech;
The birds likewise with chirps and puing could,
Cackling and chattering, that of Ioue beseech;
Onely the owle still warn'd them not to 'seech
So hastily that which they would repent,
But saw they would, and he to deserts went.

Ioue wisely said (for wisedome wisely sayes),
O beasts, take heede what you of mee desire:
Rulers will thinke all things made them to please,
And soone forget the swinke due to their hire;
But since you will, part of my heav'nly fire
I will you lend; the rest yourselues must giue,
That it both seene and felt may with you liue.

Full glad they were, and tooke the naked sprite,
Which straight the earth ycloathed in his clay;
The lyon heart, the ounce gaue actiue might,
The horse good shape, the sparrow lust to play,
Nightingale voyce, entising songs to say;
Elephant gaue a perfect memory,
And parrot readie tongue, that to apply.

The foxe gaue craft, the dogge gaue flatterie,
Asse patience, the mole a working thought,
Eagle high looke, wolfe secret crueltie,
Monkie sweet breath, the cow her faire eyes brought,
The ermion whitest skin, spotted with nought;
The sheepe mild-seeming face, climing the beare,
The stagge did giue the harme-eschuing feare.

The hare her sleights, the cat his melancholy,
Ant industry, and conny skill to build;
Cranes order, storkes to be appearing holy;
Chamelion ease to change, ducke ease to yeeld,
Crocodile teares, which might be falsely spild;
Ape great thing gaue, though he did mowing stand,
The instrument of instruments, the hand.

Each other beast likewise his present brings,
And but they drad their Prince they ought should want,
They all consented were to giue him wings;
And ay more awe towards him for to plant,
To their owne worke this priuiledge they grant,
That from thenceforth to all eternitie
No beast should freely speake, but onely he.

Thus Man was made, thus Man their lorde became;
Who at the first wanting or hiding pride,
He did to beasts best vse his cunning frame,
With water drinke, hearbs meat, and naked hide,
And fellow-like, let his dominion slide,
Not in his sayings saying I, but we,
As if he meant his lordship common be.

But when his seate so rooted he had found
That they now skild not how from him to wend,
Then 'gan in guiltlesse earth full many a wound,
Iron to seeke, which 'gainst it selfe should bend,
To teare the bowels that good corne should send;
But yet the common damme none did bemone,
Because, though hurt, they neuer heard her grone.

Then 'gan he factions in the beasts to breed;
Where helping weaker sort, the nobler beasts,
As tygers, leopards, beares, and lions seed,
Disdain'd with this, in desarts sought their rests;
Where famine rauine taught their hungry chests:
Thus craftily he forc't them to doe ill,
Which being done, he afterwards would kill.

For murther done, — which neuer earst was seene, —
By those great beasts, as for the weakers' good,
He chose themselues his guarders for to been
'Gainst those of might, of whom in feare they stood,
As horse and dogge, not great but gentle bloud:
Blithe were the commons' cattell of the field,
The when they saw their foen of greatnesse kild.

But they or spent or made of slender might,
Then quickly did the meaner cattell finde,
The great beames gone, the house on shoulders light;
For by and by the horse faire bitts did binde,
The dogge was in a coller taught his kinde;
As for the gentle birds, like case may rewe,
When falcon they and gosse-hawke saw in mew.

Worst fell to smallest birds and meanest heard,
Whom now his owne, full like his owne he vs'd.
Yet first but wooll or feathers off he tear'd:
And when they were well vs'd to be abus'd,
For hungry teeth their flesh with teeth he brus'd.
At length for glutton taste he did them kill,
At last for sport their silly liues did spill.

But yet, O man, rage not not beyond thy neede,
Deeme it no glory to swell in tyrannie;
Thou art of bloud, ioy not to see things bleede;
Thou fearest death, thinke they are lothe to die;
A plaint of guiltlesse hurt doth pierce the skie:
And you, poore beasts, in patience bide your hell,
Or know your strengths, and then you shall doe well.

Thus will I sing and pipe eight sullen houres
To sheepe, whom loue not knowledge made to heare,
Now fancie's fits, now fortune's balefull flowers:
But then I homewards call'd my lambkins deare,
For to my dimmed eyes began t' appeare
The night growne old, her blacke head waxen gray,
Sure shepheard's signe that Morne should soonne fetch Day.English