Part 6

Thus doing, your names shall flourish in the printers’ shops: thus doing, you shall be of kin to many a poetical preface: thus doing, you shall be most fair, most rich, most wise, most all: you shall dwell upon superlatives: thus doing, though you be “Libertino patre natus,” you shall suddenly grow “Herculea proles,”

“Si quid mea Carmina possunt:”

thus doing, your soul shall be placed with Dante’s Beatrix, or Virgil’s Anchisis.

But if (fie of such a but!) you be born so near the dull-making cataract of Nilus, that you cannot hear the planet-like music of poetry; if you have so earth-creeping a mind, that it cannot lift itself up to look to the sky of poetry, or rather, by a certain rustical disdain, will become such a Mome, as to be a Momus of poetry; then, though I will not wish unto you the ass’s ears of Midas, nor to be driven by a poet’s verses, as Bubonax was, to hang himself; nor to be rhymed to death, as is said to be done in Ireland; yet thus much curse I must send you in the behalf of all poets; that while you live, you live in love, and never get favour, for lacking skill of a sonnet; and when you die, your memory die from the earth for want of an epitaph.

POEMS.

TWO PASTORALS,

Made by Sir Philip Sidney, upon his meeting with his two worthy friends and fellow poets, Sir Edward Dyer and M. Fulke Greville.

JOIN mates in mirth to me, Grant pleasure to our meeting; Let Pan, our good god, see How grateful is our greeting. Join hearts and hands, so let it be, Make but one mind in bodies three.

Ye hymns and singing skill Of god Apollo’s giving, Be pressed our reeds to fill With sound of music living. Join hearts and hands, so let it be, Make but one mind in bodies three.

Sweet Orpheus’ harp, whose sound The stedfast mountains moved, Let there thy skill abound, To join sweet friends beloved. Join hearts and hands, so let it be, Make but one mind in bodies three.

My two and I be met, A happy blessed trinity, As three more jointly set In firmest band of unity. Join hearts and hands, so let it be, Make but one mind in bodies three.

Welcome my two to me, The number best beloved, Within my heart you be In friendship unremoved. Join hearts and hands, so let it be, Make but one mind in bodies three.

Give leave your flocks to range, Let us the while be playing; Within the elmy grange, Your flocks will not be straying. Join hearts and hands, so let it be, Make but one mind in bodies three.

Cause all the mirth you can, Since I am now come hither, Who never joy, but when I am with you together. Join hearts and hands, so let it be, Make but one mind in bodies three.

Like lovers do their love, So joy I in you seeing: Let nothing me remove From always with you being. Join hearts and hands, so let it be, Make but one mind in bodies three.

And as the turtle dove To mate with whom he liveth, Such comfort fervent love Of you to my heart giveth. Join hearts and hands, so let it be, Make but one mind in bodies three.

Now joinéd be our hands, Let them be ne’er asunder, But link’d in binding bands By metamorphosed wonder. So should our severed bodies three As one for ever joinéd be.

DISPRAISE OF A COURTLY LIFE.

WALKING in bright Phœbus’ blaze, Where with heat oppressed I was, I got to a shady wood, Where green leaves did newly bud; And of grass was plenty dwelling, Decked with pied flowers sweetly smelling.

In this wood a man I met, On lamenting wholly set; Ruing change of wonted state, Whence he was transforméd late, Once to shepherds’ God retaining, Now in servile court remaining.

There he wand’ring malecontent, Up and down perpléxed went, Daring not to tell to me, Spake unto a senseless tree, One among the rest electing, These same words, or this affecting:

“My old mates I grieve to see Void of me in field to be, Where we once our lovely sheep Lovingly like friends did keep; Oft each other’s friendship proving, Never striving, but in loving.

“But may love abiding be In poor shepherds’ base degree? It belongs to such alone To whom art of love is known: Seely shepherds are not witting What in art of love is fitting.

“Nay, what need the art to those To whom we our love disclose? It is to be uséd then, When we do but flatter men: Friendship true, in heart assured, Is by Nature’s gifts procured.

“Therefore shepherds, wanting skill, Can Love’s duties best fulfil; Since they know not how to feign, Nor with love to cloak disdain, Like the wiser sort, whose learning Hides their inward will of harming.

“Well was I, while under shade Oaten reeds me music made, Striving with my mates in song; Mixing mirth our songs among. Greater was the shepherd’s treasure Than this false, fine, courtly pleasure.

“Where how many creatures be, So many puffed in mind I see; Like to Juno’s birds of pride, Scarce each other can abide: Friends like to black swans appearing, Sooner these than those in hearing.

“Therefore, Pan, if thou may’st be Made to listen unto me, Grant, I say, if seely man May make treaty to god Pan, That I, without thy denying, May be still to thee relying.