Minor Poems of Michael Drayton Part 28

_Motto._ Why doth the Sunne against his kind, Stay his bright Chariot in the skies, _Perkin._ He pawseth almost stroken blind, With gazing on her heauenly eies:

_Motto._ Why doe thy flocks forbeare their foode, Which somtyme was their chiefe delight, 10 _Perkin._ Because they neede no other good, That liue in presence of her sight:

_Motto._ How com those flowers to florish still, Not withering with sharpe winters breath?

_Perkin._ She hath robd nature of her skill, And comforts all things with her breath:

_Motto._ Why slide these brookes so slow away, As swift as the wild Roe that were, _Perkin._ O muse not shepheard that they stay, When they her heauenly voice do heare. 20

_Motto._ From whence com all these goodly swayns And lonely nimphs attir'd in greene, _Perkin._ From gathering garlands on the playnes, To crowne thy _Siluia_ shepheards queen.

_Motto._ The sun that lights this world below, Flocks, Brooks and flowers, can witnesse bear, _Perkin._ These shepheards, and these nymphs do know, Thy _Syluia_ is as chast, as fayre.

_From Eclogue ix_

_Rowland._ Of her pure eyes (that now is seen) _Chorus._ Help vs to sing that be her faithful swains _Row:_ O she alone the shepheards Queen, _Cho:_ Her Flocke that leades, The G.o.ddesse of these medes, These mountaines and these plaines.

_Row:_ Those eyes of hers that are more cleere, _Cho:_ Then silly shepheards can in song expresse, _Row:_ Then be his beams that rule the yeare, _Cho:_ Fy on that prayse, 10 In striuing things to rayse: That doth but make them lesse.

_Row:_ That doe the flowery spring prolong, _Cho:_ So much the earth doth in her presence ioy, _Row:_ And keeps the plenteous summer young: _Cho:_ And doth a.s.swage The wrathfull winters rage That would our flocks destroy.

_Row:_ _Ioue_ saw her brest that naked lay, _Cho:_ A sight alone was fit for _Ioue_ to see: 20 _Row:_ And swore it was the milkie way, _Cho:_ Of all most pure, The path (we vs a.s.sure) Vnto _Ioues_ court to be.

_Row:_ He saw her tresses hanging downe.

_Cho:_ That too and fro were mooued with the ayre, _Row:_ And sayd that _Ariadnes_ crowne, _Cho:_ With those compar'd: The G.o.ds should not regard Nor _Berenices_ hayre. 30

_Row:_ When she hath watch'd my flockes by night, _Cho:_ O happie were the flockes that she did keepe: _Row:_ They neuer needed _Cynthia's_ light, _Cho:_ That soone gaue place, Amazed with her grace, That did attend thy sheepe.

_Row:_ Aboue where heauens hie glories are, _Cho:_ When as she shall be placed in the skies, _Row:_ She shall be calld the shepheards starre, _Cho:_ And euermore, 40 We shepheards will adore, Her setting and her rise.

APPENDIX

In this Appendix, I have collected certain fugitive pieces of Drayton's; chiefly commendatory verses prefixed to various friends' books. The first song is from _England's Helicon_, and is, I think, too pretty to be lost. Three of the commendatory poems are in sonnet-form, and their inclusion brings us nearer the whole number published by Drayton; of which there are doubtless a few still lacking. But I have tried to make the collection of sonnets as complete as possible.

From _England's Helicon_ (1600) p. 97.

Rowlands _Madrigall._

Faire Loue rest thee heere, Neuer yet was morne so cleere, Sweete be not vnkinde, Let me thy fauour finde, Or else for loue I die.

Harke this pretty bubling spring, How it makes the Meadowes ring, Loue now stand my friend, Heere let all sorrow end, And I will honour thee. 10

See where little _Cupid_ lyes, Looking babies in her eyes.

_Cupid_ helpe me now, Lend to me thy bowe, To wound her that wounded me.

Heere is none to see or tell, All our flocks are feeding by, This Banke with Roses spred, Oh it is a dainty bed, Fit for my Loue and me. 20

Harke the birds in yonder Groaue, How they chaunt vnto my Loue, Loue be kind to me, As I haue beene to thee, For thou hast wonne my hart.

Calme windes blow you faire, Rock her thou gentle ayre, O the morne is noone, The euening comes too soone, To part my Loue and me. 30

The Roses and thy lips doo meete, Oh that life were halfe so sweete, Who would respect his breath, That might die such a death, Oh that life thus might die.

All the bushes that be neere, With sweet Nightingales beset, Hush sweete and be still, Let them sing their fill, There's none our ioyes to let. 40

Sunne why doo'st thou goe so fast?

Oh why doo'st thou make such hast?

It is too early yet, So soone from ioyes to flit Why art thou so vnkind?

See my little Lambkins runne, Looke on them till I haue done, Hast not on the night, To rob me of her light, That liue but by her eyes. 50

Alas, sweete Loue, we must depart, Harke, my dogge begins to barke, Some bodie's comming neere, They shall not find vs heere, For feare of being chid.

Take my Garland and my Gloue, Weare it for my sake my Loue, To morrow on the greene, Thou shalt be our Sheepheards Queene, Crowned with Roses gay. 60

_Mich. Drayton._

FINIS.

From T. Morley's _First Book of Ballets_ (1595).

Mr. M.D. to the Author.

Such was old _Orpheus_ cunning, That sencelesse things drew neere him, And heards of beasts to heare him, The stock, the stone, the Oxe, the a.s.se came running, Morley! but this enchaunting To thee, to be the Musick-G.o.d is wanting.

And yet thou needst not feare him; Draw thou the Shepherds still and Bonny la.s.ses, And enuie him not stocks, stones, Oxen, a.s.ses.

Prefixed to Christopher Middleton's _Legend of Humphrey Duke of Gloucester_ (1600).

To his friend, Master _Chr. M._ his Booke.

Like as a man, on some aduenture bound His honest friendes, their kindnes to expresse, T'incourage him of whome the maine is own'd; Some venture more, and some aduenture lesse, That if the voyage (happily) be good: They his good fortune freely may pertake; If otherwise it perrish in the flood, Yet like good friends theirs perish'd for his sake.

On thy returne I put this little forth, My chaunce with thine indifferently to proue, Which though (I know) not fitting with thy worth, Accept it yet since it proceedes from loue; And if thy fortune prosper, I may see I haue some share, though most returne to thee.

_Mich. Drayton._

Prefixed to John Davies of Hereford; _Holy Roode_ (1609).

_To_ M. IOHN DAVIES, _my good friend_.

_Such men as hold intelligence with Letters, And in that nice and Narrow way of Verse, As oft they lend, so oft they must be Debters, If with the _Muses_ they will haue commerce: Seldome at _Stawles_, me, this way men rehea.r.s.e, To mine _Inferiours_, not unto my _Betters: _He stales his _Lines_ that so doeth them disperse; I am so free, I loue not _Golden-fetters_.