But with all this happiness, To behold that Shepherdess! To whose eyes all Shepherds yield; All the fairest in the field. Fair AGLAIA! in whose face Lives the Shepherd's highest grace. In whose worthy-wonder praise; See what her true Shepherd says! 'She is neither proud nor fine, But in spirit more divine; She can neither lower nor leer, But a sweeter smiling cheer; She had never painted face, But a sweeter smiling grace; She can never love dissemble; Truth doth so her thoughts assemble, That, where wisdom guides her will, She is kind and constant still. All in sum, she is that creature, Of that truest comfort's nature, That doth show (but in exceedings) How their praises had their breedings! 'Let, then, Poets feign their pleasure, In their fictions of Love's treasure; Proud high spirits seek their graces In their idol painted faces! My love's spirit's lowliness, In affection's humbleness, Under heaven no happiness Seeks, but in this Shepherdess!

For whose sake, I say, and swear
By the Passions that I bear,
Had I got a Kingly grace,
I would leave my Kingly place,
And in heart be truly glad
To become a Country Lad,
Hard to lie, and go full bare,
And to feed on hungry fare;
So I might but live to be,
Where I might but sit to see,
Once a day, or all day long,
The sweet subject of my Song.
'In AGLAIA'S only eyes,
All my worldly Paradise!'

A SWEET CONTENTION BETWEEN

LOVE, HIS MISTRESS, AND BEAUTY.

LOVE and my Mistress were at strife, Who had the greater power on me?

Betwixt them both, O, what a life! Nay, what a death, is this to be! She said, She did it with her eye! He said, He did it with his dart! Betwixt them both (a silly wretch !) 'tis I that have the wounded heart!

She said, She only spake the word that did enchant me, 'pearing sense. He said, He only gave the sound, that entered heart without defence. She said, They were her only hairs, on which the dainty Muses wait. He said, He was the only mean[s] that entered Muses in conceit. She said, Her beauty was the mark that did amaze the highest mind. He said, He only made the mist, whereby the senses grew so blind. She said, That only for her sake, the best would venture life and limb!

He said, She was too much deceived! They honoured her, because of him!

Long while, alas, She would not yield; but it was She that ruled

the roast:

Until, by proof, She did confess, If he were gone; her joy were lost! And then She cried, 'O dainty LOVE! I now do find it is for thee, That I am loved and honoured both; and thou hast power to conquer me!'

But when I heard her yield to LOVE, O, how my heart did leap for joy! That now I had some little hope to have an end of mine annoy. For though that FANCY, Beauty found, a power all too pitiless; Yet LOVE would never have the heart to leave his Servant comfortless!

But as, too soon, before the Field, the trumpets sound the overthrow; So, all too soon, I joyed too much! for I awaked; and nothing so!

'On a hill there grows a flower,
Fair befall the dainty sweet!
By that flower, there is a bower;
Where the heavenly Muses meet.
'In that bower, there is a chair,

Fringed all about with gold;
Where doth sit the fairest Fair
That ever eye did yet behold.
'It is PHILLIS fair and bright,
She that is the Shepherds' joy!
She that, VENUS did despite ;

And did blind her little boy.
'This is she, the wise, the rich,

That the World desires to see.
This is ipsa quæ, the which

There is none but only she!

'Who would not this face admire!
Who would not this Saint adore!
Who would not this sight desire;
Though he thought to see no more!
'O, fair eyes! yet let me see
One good look; and I am gone!
Look on me! for I am he,
Thy poor silly CORIDON!

'Thou that art the Shepherds' Queen!
Look upon thy silly Swain!
By thy comfort have been seen
Dead men brought to life again!'

RARE NEWS.

NEWS from the heavens!

All wars are at an end!

'Twixt Higher Powers a happy Peace concluded. Fortune and Faith are sworn each other's friend;

And Love's desire shall never be deluded! Time hath set down the compass of his course; Nature, her work; and Excellence, her art; Care, his content; and Cruelty, his curse;

Labour, his desire; and Honour, his desert. Words shall be deeds; and Men shall be divine! Women, all Saints, or Angels, in degrees! Clouds shall away! The sun shall ever shine! Heavens shall have power to hinder none of these! These are the Articles of the Conclusion; Which, when they fall, then look for a confusion!

A SWEET PASTORAL.

GOOD Muse! rock me asleep with some sweet harmony! This weary eye is not to keep thy wary company! Sweet LOVE, be gone a while! Thou knowest my heaviness! Beauty is born but to beguile my heart of happiness.

See, how my little flock, that loved to feed on high, Do headlong tumble down the rock, and in the valley die. The bushes and the trees, that were so fresh and green, Do all their dainty colour leese; and not a leaf is seen! The blackbird and the thrush, that made the woods to ring, With all the rest, are now at hush; and not a note they sing! Sweet PHILOMEL, the bird that hath the heavenly throat, Doth now, alas, not once afford recording of a note! The flowers have had a frost! Each herb hath lost her savour; And PHILLIDA the Fair hath lost the comfort of her favour.

Now all these careful sights so kill me in conceit, That now to hope upon delights, it is but mere deceit! And therefore, my sweet Muse! that know'st what help is best, Do now thy heavenly cunning use! to set my heart at rest; And, in a dream, bewray what Fate shall be my friend: Whether my life shall still decay; or when my sorrow end?

SAY, that I should say, 'I love ye!'
Would you say, "Tis but a saying!'
But if Love in prayers move ye;

Will you not be moved with praying?

Think, 'I think that Love should know ye!'
Will you think, "Tis but a thinking!'
But if Love, the thought do show ye;
Will ye loose your eyes with winking?