Classic and Contemporary Poetry
CLIO, NINE ECLOGUES IN HONOUR OF NINE VIRTUES: 7. OF HOSPITALITY, by WILLIAM BASSE Poet's Biography First Line: Good day to jeffrey (if I am not mistake) Last Line: Cujus sunt gregibus cognita vox et amor. Subject(s): Wedding Song; Epithalamium | ||||||||
Nando. Ieffrey. Perigot. Nando GOOD day to Jeffrey, (if I not mistake). Ieffrey Like (if mistake not I) for Nando's sake. Nando How leades thou life and lambes, and whereaway? I scarcely twice haue seene thee, since the day That thy Mæcenas, that renowned Lord, The Lady wed who by the chrystall fourd Was Mistresse of that Castle, white and strong Neare Chilterne hilles, where we led flocks along. T'was at this Ilands most renowned Towne, (Place fittest for a match of such renowne), Where, at that wedding, thou a speech didst make Whereof I once from thee did coppy take, Since beg'd or stolne from me, (the common lot Of novelties): if thou hast not forgot, Pitie thou should'st! vouch-safe it to rehearse: It was a plaine, but honest, peice of verse. Ieffrey How think'st thou (Nando) things so long fore-past, In that so plaine and simple age, may last To these more dainty dayes? or who but thou Fancyes so olde esteeme or relish now? Perigot Yes: That doe I: and that's one more then he: And so doe all that truely honest bee, If truely honest be the verse, though plaine; And I haue heard thou hast no greater straine. Though fame allowes no life to vicious ryme, No vertuous verse is subiect unto tyme. All things, though old, to those that neuer knew Nor neuer heard of them before, are new. Age does not worth diminish but prolong: True Muse is (like Apollo) alwayes young. What's vile is old or dead as soone as borne; What euers good more dayes doe more adorne. Ieffrey As I haue seene a Shepheardesse contriue A way to keepe a gather'd rose aliue, So this my withering fancy, by the merit Of your desires, doth thus it selfe inherit. I that n'ere gaz'd on Cheap-sides glistring rowe, Nor went to bed by the deep sound of Bowe, But lent my dayes to siluer-couler'd sheepe, And from strawne cotes borrow'd my golden sleep, (On deare occasion you may thinke to draw To Citie him that neuer Citie saw) Arriu'd these walles and towers of sumptuous pride To seeke my deare Lord, whose faire flock I guide, And for whose absent worth my tender feares Haue far'd a little Tems of mine owne teares. And as (which I, poore Swaine, with blushes say: Though wherefore should I so?) I lost my way Some hundred times in these amazefull streets, The wing'd and quiuer'd Loue at last me meets; Him had I known so well in our green Downe, That he forgot not mee in this gay Towne; And leades me to this place, which he though blinde Better then I with my best eyes could finde: And, while conducted betwixt him and care, I did, as captiue led by keeper, fare. But at this hallow'd threshold now receiu'd By him that weares the robe of saffron weau'd, The smileing Hymen, I such sweetnes found As hearts redeem'd may feele that haue been bound; And by his sacred counsell wish'd to frame These rites to you (Fayre and illustrious Dame), To whose rare graces here I can make no Compare, since I no gemmes nor iewells know, But in your modest smiles (me thinks) I view Our Starre by day, and Summers rose anew. More then I mourn'd his absence, I reioyce Now in my rare Commanders rarer choice. And as his sweet and richly founded Place Your stately and well-shaded Towers embrace, My Muse shall sing of your united name In shades of Sherborne and by streames of Thame, Songes that beyond these suddain straynes aspire Shall in their iust desart and true desire, That longs till all my Mates in joviall sort Dance to my pipe and this more sweet report. Such was the speech that Hymens high occasion Gaue first life to; this second, your perswasion. Perigot No sure: If of it selfe thy Muse could dye, It might haue endles life from cause so hye. Nando But what occurrents there befell thee more? So noble eares could not so giue thee ore. Jeffrey Tis true, but I my part haue much forgot But theirs (which was their Noblenes) cannot. Amongst the rest a Lady faire, (to try My wits, it seem'd; or else I know not why), Was pleas'd to me a question to propose Which either shee, or I, did out of prose Transforme into a slender dresse of ryme, Wherein it liues, though poorely, to this time. Betwixt two Suiters sat a Lady fayre: Vpon her head a garland did she weare; And of th'enamour'd two the first alone A garland wore (like her), the other none. From her owne head she tooke the wreath she wore And on his plac'd it who had none before: And then (marke this) their browes were both about Beset with garlands, and she sat without Beholding these Cor-rivals on each side Of her, thus plac'd and deck'd in equall pride, She from the first mans head the wreath he had Tooke off, and therewith her owne browes she clad: And then (marke this) she and the second were In garlands deck'd, and the first man sate bare. Now which did she loue best, of him to whom She gaue the wreath, or him she tooke it from? Nando In my conceit she him would rather haue From whom she tooke, then him to whom she gaue. For, to bestow, many respectes may moue: But, to receiue, none can perswade but Loue. She grac'd him much on whom her wreath she placed, But him whose wreath she wore she much more graced: For where she giues she there a Seruant makes, But makes her selfe a servant where shee takes. Then where she takes she honors most, and where She doth most honor she most loue doth beare. Perigot In my conceit she lou'd the man the more To whom she gaue the garland that she wore. An action such (me thinkes) seemes to expresse That he, who that posses'd, should her possesse. Where she the garland took and left him bare, Might be his brows for Willow to prepare. Receiuing does not always service proue, But giuing is alwayes true signe of Loue. On him whose wreath she weares she much confers; But bindes him to more honor that weares hers: And then if she, is fayre, be truely kinde, Most loue she beares where she most lookes to finde. Nando Now (Ieff) what was the answer that you gaue? Jeffrey That I (with little greife) forgotten haue; Though likely tis I sayd like one of you. All is but guesse where none can tell what's true. The depth of Ladyes minde no other knowes (She knowes) and tis no answer to suppose. He may him-selfe thinke in her greatest grace, Vpon whose head she did her garland place, And he whose wreath she wore may thinke the same, (Loue all things doth to his owne vantage frame): But he, in one or both, must needs be blinde; And what himselfe sees not he hopes to finde. Two Lovers may be equall in desart; The diffr'ence is in the Beloueds heart. Wise Ladyes thoughts are to them selues alone; And better pleas'd to be admir'd then knowne. Tis like she lou'd one best: but is more blest If him she haue she loues, and loues her best. Nando How may we now requite thy loue and paine? Ieffrey My paines with pitie, loue with loue againe. Nando Nay (gentle Jefferey) from thy repast We haue (I feare) caus'd thee too long to fast. Walke with my freind and me unto my Bower, And helpe to entertaine one pleasant hower, That in th' enjoyance of so kinde a freind Will but too swiftly hasten to his end. My Dame to night a cheese-cake me allowes, Whose borders are as browne as are her browes; But curds within as candid as her favour, Sprinkled with cynamonds delightfull savour. We haue Queene-apples, some within to see As beauteous as without: (as nymphes should bee): And Russettings that, like true Shepheards, hide Wilde disposition in a rough out-side: Poore fare; yet so much richer for thy sake As hearty wish and welcome may it make. Jeffrey Thy lookes and tongue both so performe their part As shewes they haue Commission from thy heart. These dayes of ours (Nando) no kinder qualitie Produce, in great or small, then Hospitalitie. It seemes thou canst remember I haue been In noble houses, and I there haue seene And tasted too their bountious entertaine (Which may it euerlastingly remaine). Continuance is the life of all well doeing, And thereunto all blessings come a wooing. And I haue far'd with Shepheards such as you; And loueing euer to my power to doe The good that I in others see and praise, Haue had my fellow Shep-heards in my dayes; Not to requite, for so I was not able, But t'imitate heart free and hospitable. As the rich farmers favour do's refine His plenteous fare, and turnes his ale to wine; The Shepheards loue so makes his poore repast A banquet, and his whey like ale to tast: And, at the greatest table and the least, Loue and free welcome makes them both a feast. Perigot I that am idle and haue least to doe All our three flocks the while may looke unto. Nando No Perigot; wee cannot spare such freind, Whose worth is not invited to attend. As wee, so let our flocks, together feed: Sheep will agree where shep-heards are agreed: And as for fitchet, fox, or such as those, Inward agreement feares no outward foes. Sheep learne the voyce of Shep-heards that them keep; And mutuall loue shepheards may learne of sheep. Nando's Emblem Grex humilis vocem discit Pastoris amantis Perigot's Emblem Pastor ad exemplum discat amare gregis Jeffrey's Emblem Flix is Pastor qui ovis est Pastoris Olympi, Cujus sunt gregibus cognita vox et amor. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...POEM FOR A WEDDING by GLYN MAXWELL BRIDAL SONG by GEORGE CHAPMAN (1559-1634) ESTONIAN BRIDAL SONG by JOHANN GOTTFRIED VON HERDER THE SERGEANT'S WEDDIN' by RUDYARD KIPLING THE PHOENIX AND THE TURTLE by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE EPITHALAMION by EDMUND SPENSER ELEGY ON MR. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE by WILLIAM BASSE |
|