Up griesly ghosts. The manner of the tragicall Poets, to call for helpe of Furies and damned ghosts: so is Hecuba of Euripides, and Tantalus brought in of Seneca. And the rest of the rest. Herse, is the solemne obsequie in funeralles. Ab why, an elegant Epanorthosis, as also soone after. Nay time was long ago. Floret, a diminutive for a little floure. This is a notable and sententious comparison, A minore ad maius,' Relive not, live not againe, i. not in their earthly bodies: for in heaven they receive their due reward. The braunch. He meaneth Dido, who being as it were the maine branch-now withered, the buds, that is, beautie (as hee sayd afore) can no more flourish. With cakes, fit for shepheards bankets. Heame, for home, after the Northern pronouncing. Tinet, dyed or stained. The gaudie. The meaning is, that the things which were the ornaments of her life are made the honour of her funerall, as is used in burials. Lobbin, the name of a shepheard, which seemeth to have beene the lover and deere friend of Dido. Rusbrings, agreeable for such base gifts. Faded lockes, dried leaves. As if Nature her selfe bewailed the death of the Mayde. Sourse, spring. Mantled medowes, for the sundrie flowers are like a mantle or coverlet wrought with many colours Philomele, the Nightingale. Whom the Poets faine once to have beene a Lady of great beautie, till, beeing ravished by her sisters husband, she desired to be turned into a birde of her name, whose complaints be very wel set forth of M. George Gas coin, a wittie gentleman, and the very cheefe of our late rimers, who, and if some parts of learning wanted not (albe it is well knowne he altogether wanted not learning) no doubt would have attaind to the excellencie of those famous Poets. For gifts of witte and naturall promptnes appeare in him aboundantly. Cypresse, used of the olde paynims in the furnishing of their funerall pompe, and properly the signe of all sorrow and heavinesse. The fatall sisters, Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, daughters of Herebus and the Night, whome the Poets faine to spin the life of man, as it were a long thred, which they draw out in length, till his fatall houre and timely death be come; but if by other casualtie his daies be abridged, then one of them, that is, Atropos, is said to have cut the threed in twaine. Hereof commeth a common verse, Glotho colum baiulat, Lachesis trahit, Atropos occat O trustlesse, &c. a gallant exclamation moralized with great wisedome, and passionate with great affection. Beere, a frame, whereon they use to lay the dead corps. Furies, of Poets are fained to be three, Persephone, Alecto, and Megera, which are said to be the authors of all evill and mischiefe. Eternal night, is death, or darkenesse of hell. I see, a lively Icon or representation, as if he saw her in heaven present. Elysian fields, be devised of Poets to be a place of pleasure like Paradise, where the happie soules do rest in peace and eternall happinesse. Die would, the very expresse saying of Plato in Phædone. Astart, befall unwares. Nectar and Ambrosia, bee fained to be the drinke and foode of the gods: Ambrosia they liken to Manna in Scripture, and Nectar to be white like creame, whereof is a proper tale of Hebe, that spilt a cup of it, and stayned the heavens, as yet appeareth. But I have already discoursed that at large in my Commentary upon the Dreames of the same Author. Meynt, mingled. EMBLEME. Which is as much to say, as death byteth not. For although by course of nature we be borne to dye, and being ripened with age, as with timely harvest, we must bee gathered in time, or else of our selves we fall like rotted ripe fruite from the tree: yet death is not to be coveted for evill, nor (as the Poet said a little before) as doome of ill desert. For though the tresspasse of the first man brought death into the world, as the guerdon of sinne, yet being overcome by the death of one that died for all, it is now made (as Chaucer saith) the greene pathway of life. So that it agreeth well with that was saide, that Death byteth not (that is) hurteth not at all. DECEMBER. AEGLOGA DUODECIMA. Argument. THIS Aeglogue (even as the first began) is ended with a com. plaint of Colin to god Pan; wherein, as wearie of his former waies, hee proportioneth his life to the foure seasons of the yeare; comparing his youth to the spring time, when hee was fresh and free from loves follie. His manhood to the sommer, which he saith, was consumed with great heate and excessive drouth, caused through a Comet or blazing Starre, by which hee meaneth love; which passion is commonly compared to such flames and immoderate heate. His ripest yeares he resembleth to an unseasonable harvest, wherein the fruits fall ere they be ripe. His latter age to winters chill and frostie season, now drawing neere to his last ende. THE That Colin hight, which well coulde pype and singe, There, as he satte in secret shade alone, 5 'O soveraigne Pan! thou god of shepheardes all, 'Which of our tender lambkins takest keepe, "And, when our flockes into mischaunce mought fall, Doest save from mischiefe the unwarie sheepe, Als of their maisters hast no lesse regard 11 Then of the flocks, which thou doest watch and ward; 'I thee beseeche (so be thou deigne to hear Rude ditties, tunde to shepheardes oaten reede, 'Or if I ever sonet song so cleare, 15 'As it with pleasaunce mought thy fancie feede,) 'Hearken a while, from thy greene cabinet, The rurall song of carefull Colinet. Whilome in youth, when flowrd my ioyfull spring, Like swallow swift I wandred here and there; "For heate of heedlesse lust me so did sting, 21 That I oft doubted daunger had no feare: I went the wastefull woodes and forrest wide, • Withouten dread of wolves to bene espide. 25 "I wont to raunge amid the mazie thicket, What wreaked I of wintrie ages waste?- • How often have I scaled the craggie oke, |