Collected Works of Michael Drayton

by Michael Drayton

Oft on his pype a roundelay he playd.

  As meeke he was as any lambe might be,

  Nor never lyv’d a fayrer youth then he:

  His dainty hand, the snow it selfe dyd stayne,

  Or her to whom Jove showr’d in golden rayne: 140

  From whose sweet palme the liquid pearle dyd swell,

  Pure as the drops of Aganippas well:

  Cleere as the liquor which fayre Hebe spylt;

  Hys sheephooke silver, damask’d all with gilt.

  The staffe it selfe, of snowie ivory, 145

  Studded with currall, tipt with ebony;

  His tresses, of the ravens shyning black,

  Stragling in curies along his manly back.

  The balls which Nature in his eyes had set,

  Lyke diamonds inclosing globes of jet: 150

  Which sparkled from their milky lids out-right,

  Lyke fayre Orions heaven-adorning light.

  The stars on which her heavenly eyes were bent,

  And fixed still with lovely blandishment,

  From whom so oft disguised shee was seene, 155

  As shee celestiall Phoebe had not beene:

  Her dainty buskins lac’d unto the knee,

  Her pleyted frock, tuck’d up accordingly:

  A nymph-like huntresse, arm’d with bow and dart

  About the woods she scoures the long-liv’d hart. 160

  She climes the mountains with the light-foot fauns,

  And with the satyrs scuds it or’e the launes.

  In musicks sweet delight she shewes her skill,

  Quavering the cithron nimbly with her quill,

  Upon each tree she carves Endimions name 165

  In Gordian knots, with Phoebe to the same:

  To kill him venson now she pitch’d her toyles,

  And to this lovely raunger brings the spoyles;

  And thus whilst she by chaste desire is led

  Unto the downes where he his fayre flocks fed, 170

  Neere to a grove she had Endimion spide,

  Where he was fishing by a river side

  Under a popler, shadowed from the sun,

  Where merrily to court him she begun:

  Sweet boy (qd she) take what thy hart can wish, 175

  When thou doost angle would I were a fish,

  When thou art sporting by the silver brooks,

  Put in thy hand thou need’st no other hooks;

  Hard harted boy Endimion looke on mee,

  Nothing on earth I hold too deere for thee: 180

  I am a nimph and not of humaine blood,

  Begot by Pan on Isis sacred flood:

  When I was borne upon that very day,

  Phoebus was seene the reveller to play:

  In Joves hye house the gods assembled all, 185

  And Juno held her sumptuous festivall,

  Oceanus that hower was dauncing spy’de,

  And Tython seene to frolick with his bride,

  The halcions that season sweetly sang,

  And all the shores, with shouting sea-nymphes rang,

  And on that day, my birth to memorize, 191

  The shepheards hold a solemne sacrifice:

  The chast Diana nurst mee in her lap,

  And I suckt nectar from her downe-soft pap,

  The well wherein this body bathed first, 195

  Who drinks thereof, shall never after thirst;

  The water hath the lunacie appeased,

  And by the vertue, cureth all diseased;

  The place wherein my bare feete touch the mold,

  Made up in balls, for pomander is sold. 200

  See, see, these hands have robd the snow of white,

  These dainty fingers, organs of delight:

  Behold these lyps, the load-stones of desire,

  Whose words inchant, like Amphyons well-tun’d lyre,

  This foote, arts just proportion doth reveale, 205

  Signing the earth with heavens own manuel seale.

  Goe, play the wanton, I will tend thy flock,

  And wait the howres as duly as a clock;

  lie deck thy ram with bells, and wreathes of bay.

  And gild his homes upon the sheering day; 210

  And with a garlond crown thee shepheards king,

  And thou shalt lead the gay gyrles in a ring;

  Birds with their wings shall fan thee in the sun,

  And all the fountaynes with pure wine shall run,

  I have a quier of dainty turtle-doves, 215

  And they shall sit and sweetly sing our loves:

  Ile lay thee on the swans soft downy plume,

  And all the winde shall gently breath perfume,

  Ile plat thy locks with many a curious pleate,

  And chafe thy temples with a sacred heate; 220

  The Muses still shall keepe thee company,

  And lull thee with inchaunting harmony;

  If not all these, yet let my vertues move thee,

  A chaster nymph Endimion cannot love thee.

  But he imagin’d she some nymph had been, 225

  Because shee was apparrelled in greene;

  Or happily, some of fayre Floras trayne,

  Which oft did use to sport upon the plaine:

  He tels her, he was Phoebes servant sworne,

  And oft in hunting had her quiver borne, 230

  And that to her virginity he vowed,

  Which in no hand by Venus was alowed;

  Then unto her a catalogue recites

  Of Phoebes statutes, and her hallowed rites,

  And of the grievous penalty inflicted, 235

  On such as her chast lawes had interdicted:

  Now, he requests, that shee would stand aside,

  Because the fish her shadow had espide;

  Then he intreats her that she would be gone,

  And at this time to let him be alone; 240

  Then turnes him from her in an angry sort,

  And frownes and chafes that shee had spoil’d his sport.

  And then he threatens her, if she did stay,

  And told her, great Diana came this way.

  But for all this, this nymph would not forbeare, 245

  But now she smoothes his crispy-curled haire,

  And when hee (rudely) will’d her to refrayne,

  Yet scarcely ended, she begins agayne:

  The ewes (qd she) with milk shall daily spring,

  And to thy profit yeerely twins shall bring, 250

  And thy fayre flock, (a wonder to behold)

  Shall have their fleeces turn’d to burnisht gold;

  Thy batefull pasture to thy wanton thewes,

  Shall be refresht with nectar-dropping dewes,

  The oakes smooth leaves, sirropt with hony fall, 255

  Trickle down drops to quench thy thirst withall:

  The cruell tygar will I tame for thee,

  And gently lay his head upon thy knee;

  And by my spells, the wolves jawes will I lock,

  And (as good sheepheards) make them gard thy flock,

  Ile mount thee bravely on a lyons back, 261

  To drive the fomy-tusked bore to wrack:

  The brazen-hoofed yelling bulls Ile yoke,

  And with my hearbs, the scaly dragon choke.

  Thou in great Phoebes ivory coche shalt ride, 265

  Which drawne by eagles, in the ayre shall glide:

  He stay the time, it shall not steale away,

  And twenty moones as seeming but one day.

  Behold (fond boy) this rozen-weeping pine,

  This mournfull larix, dropping turpentine, 270

  This mounting teda, thus with tempests torne,

  With incky teares continually to mourne;

  Looke on this tree, which blubbereth amber gum,

  Which seemes to speak to thee, though it be dumb,

  Which being senceles blocks, as thou do’st see, 275

  Weepe at my woes, that thou might’st pitty mee:

  O thou art young,
and fit for loves profession,

  Like wax which warmed quickly takes impression,

  Sorrow in time, with floods those eyes shall weare,

  Whence pitty now cannot extort a teare. 280

  Fond boy, with words thou might’st be overcome,

  ‘But love surpriz’d the hart, the tongue is dumbe,

  But as I can, He strive to conquer thee;

  Yet teares, and sighes, my weapons needs must bee.

  My sighs move trees, rocks melting with my tears,

  But thou art blind; and cruell stop’st thine eares: 286

  Looke in this well, (if beautie men alow)

  Though thou be faire, yet I as fayre as thou;

  I am a vestall, and a spotles mayd,

  Although by love to thee I am betrayd: 290

  But sith (unkinde) thou doost my love disdayne,

  To rocks and hills my selfe I will complaine.

  Thus with a sigh, her speeches of she broke,

  The whilst her eyes to him in silence spoke;

  And from the place this wanton nymph arose, 295

  And up to Latmus all in hast shee goes;

  Like to a nymph on shady Citheron,

  The swift Ismasnos, or Thirmodoon,

  Gliding like Thetis, on the fleet waves borne,

  Or she which trips upon the eares of corne; 300

  Like swallows when in open ayre they strive,

  Or like the foule which towring falcons drive.

  But whilst the wanton thus pursu’d his sport,

  Deceitfull love had undermin’d the fort,

  And by a breach (in spight of all deniance), 305

  Entred the fort which lately made defiance:

  And with strong siedge had now begirt about

  The mayden skonce which held the souldier out.

  ‘Love wants his eyes, yet shoots he passing right,

  His shafts our thoughts, his bowe hee makes our sight. 310

  His deadly piles are tempred by such art,

  As still directs the arrowe to the hart:

  He cannot love, and yet forsooth he will,

  He sees her not, and yet he sees her still,

  Hee goes unto the place shee stood upon, 315

  And asks the poore soyle whether she was gon;

  Fayne would he follow her, yet makes delay,

  Fayne would he goe, and yet fayne would he stay,

  Hee kist the flowers depressed with her feete,

  And swears from her they borrow’d all their sweet.

  Faine would he cast aside this troublous thought, 321

  But still like poyson, more and more it wrought,

  And to himselfe thus often would he say,

  Heere my love sat, in this place did shee play,

  Heere in this fountaine hath my goddesse been,

  And with her presence hath she grac’d this green.

  Now black-brow’d night plac’d in her chaire of jet,

  Sat wrapt in clouds within her cabinet,

  And with her dusky mantle over-spred,

  The path the sunny palfrayes us’d to tred; 330

  And Cynthia sitting in her christall chayre,

  In all her pompe now rid along her spheare,

  The honnied dewe descended in soft showres,

  Drizled in pearle upon the tender flowers;

  And Zephyre husht, and with a whispering gale, 335

  Seemed to harken to the nightingale,

  Which in the thorny brakes with her sweet song,

  Unto the silent night bewrayd her wrong.

  Now fast by Latmus neere unto a grove,

  Which by the mount was shadowed from above, 340

  Upon a banck Endimion sat by night,

  To whom fayre Phoebe lent her frendly light:

  And sith his flocks were layd them downe to rest,

  Thus gives his sorrowes passage from his brest;

  Sweet leaves (qd he) which with the ayre do tremble,

  Oh how your motions do my thoughts resemble, 346

  With that milde breath, by which you onely move,

  Whisper my words in silence to my love:

  Convay my sighes sweet civet-breathing ayre,

  In dolefull accents to my heavenly fayre; 350

  You murmuring springs, like doleful instruments

  Upon your gravell sound my sad laments,

  And in your silent bubling as you goe,

  Consort your selves like musick to my woe.

  And lifting now his sad and heavy eyes 355

  Up, towards the beauty of the burnisht skies,

  Bright lamps (qd he) the glorious welkin bears,

  Which clip about the plannets wandring sphears,

  And in your circled maze doe ever role,

  Dauncing about the never-mooving pole; 360

  Sweet nymph, which in fayre Elice doost shine,

  Whom thy surpassing beauty made divine,

  Now in the artick constellation,

  Smyle sweet Calisto on Endimion:

  And thou brave Perseus in the northern ayre, 365

  Holding Medusa by the snaky hayre,

  Joves showre-begotten son, whose valure tryed,

  In seaventeene glorious lights are stellified;

  Which won’st thy love, left as a monsters pray;

  And thou the lovely fayre Andromida, 370

  Borne of the famous Etheopian lyne,

  Darting these rayes from thy transpiercing eyne,

  To thee the bright Cassiopey, with these,

  Whose beauty strove with the Neriedes,

  With all the troupe of the celestiall band, 375

  Which on Olimpus in your glory stand;

  And you great wandring lights, if from your sphears

  You have regard unto a sheepeheards teares,

  Or as men say, if over earthly things

  You onely rule as potentates and kings, 380

  Unto my loves event sweet stars direct,

  Your kindest revolution and aspect,

  And bend your cleere eyes from your thrones above

  Upon Endimion pyning thus in love.

  Now, ere the purple dauning yet did spring, 385

  The joyfull lark began to stretch her wing,

  The now the cock the mornings trumpeter,

  Playd hunts-up for the day starre to appeare,

  Downe slydeth Phoebe from her christall chayre,

  Sdayning to lend her light unto the ayre, 390

  But unto Latmus all in haste is gon,

  Longing to see her sweet Endimion;

  At whose departure all the plannets gazed,

  As at some seld-seene accident amazed,

  Till reasoning of the same, they fell at ods, 395

  So that a question grew amongst the gods,

  Whether without a generall consent

  She might depart their sacred Parliament?

  But what they could doe was but all in vaine,

  Of liberty they could her not restraine: 400

  For of the seaven sith she the lowest was,

  Unto the earth she might the easiest passe;

  Sith onely by her moysty influence,

  Of earthly things she hath preheminence,

  And under her, mans mutable estate, 405

  As with her changes doth participate;

  And from the working of her waning source,

  Th’ uncertaine waters held a certaine course,

  Throughout her kingdome she might walk at large

  Wherof as empresse she had care and charge, 410

  And as the sunne unto the day gives light,

  So is she onely mistris of the night;

  Which whilst shee in her oblique course dooth guide,

  The glittering stars apeare in all their pride,

  Which to her light their frendly lamps do lend, 415

  And on her trayne as hand-maydes doe attend,

  And thirteene times she through her sphere doth run,

  Ere Phcebus full his yearly cou
rse have don:

  And unto her of women is assign’d,

  Predominance of body and of mind, 420

  That as of plannets shee most variable,

  So of all creatures they most mutable,

  But her sweet Latmus which she lov’d so much,

  No sooner once her dainty foote doth touch,

  But that the mountaine with her brightnes shone 425

  And gave a light to all the horizon:

  Even as the sun which darknes long did shroud,

  Breakes suddainly from underneath a clowd,

  So that the nimphs which on her still attended,

  Knew certainly great Phoebe was discended; 430

  And all aproched to this sacred hill,

  There to awayt their soveraigne goddesse will,

  And now the little birds whom nature taught,

  To honour great Diana as they ought,

  Because she is the goddesse of the woods, 435

  And sole preserver of their hallowed floods,

  Set to their consort in their lower springs,

  That with the musicke all the mountaine rings;

  So that it seemd the birds of every grove

  Which should excell and passe each other strove,

  That in the higher woods and hollow grounds, 441

  The murmuring eccho every where resounds,

  The trembling brooks their slyding courses stayd,

  The whilst the waves one with another playd,

  And all the flocks in this rejoycing mood, 445

  As though inchaunted do forbeare their food:

  The heards of deare downe from the mountains flew,

  As loth to come within Dianas view,

  Whose piercing arrowes from her ivory bowe,

  Had often taught her powerfull hand to knowe; 450

  And now from Latmus looking towards the plains

  Casting her eyes upon the sheepheards swaines,

  Perceiv’d her deare Endimions flock were stray’d

  And he himselfe upon the ground was layd;

  Who late recald from melancholy deepe, 455

  The chaunting birds had lulled now asleepe:

  For why the musick in this humble kinde,

  As it first found, so doth it leave the minde;

  And melancholy from the spleene begun,

  By passion moov’d, into the veynes doth run; 460

  Which when this humor as a swelling flood

  By vigor is infused in the blood;

  The vitall spirits doth mightely apall;

  And weakeneth so the parts organicall,

  And when the sences are disturb’d and tierd, 465

  With what the hart incessantly desierd,

  Like travellers with labor long opprest,

  Finding release, eft-soones they fall to rest.

  And comming now to her Endimion,

  Whom heavy sleepe had lately ceas’d upon, 470

  Kneeling her downe, him in her armes she clips,