From JOHN FLETCHER'S The Faithful Shepherdess, n.d. [1609-10.]

THE SATYR AND CLORIN.

HROUGH yon same bending plain

THE

That flings his arms down to the main,
And through these thick woods have I run,
Whose bottom never kissed the sun
Since the lusty spring began;
All to please my Master Pan,
Have I trotted without rest
To get him fruit; for at a feast
He entertains, this coming night,
His paramour, the Syrinx bright.
But, behold a fairer sight!
By that heavenly form of thine,
Brightest fair, thou art divine,
Sprung from great immortal race
Of the gods; for in thy face
Shines more awful majesty,
Than dull weak mortality
Dare with misty eyes behold,

And live: therefore on this mould

Lowly do I bend my knee

In worship of thy deity.

Deign it, goddess, from my hand,
To receive whate'er this land
From her fertile womb doth send
Of her choice fruits; and but lend

Belief to that the Satyr tells:
Fairer by the famous wells

To this present day ne'er grew,
Never better nor more true.
Here be grapes, whose lusty blood
Is the learned poet's good,

Sweeter yet did never crown

The head of Bacchus; nuts more brown
Than the squirrel's teeth that crack them;
Deign, oh fairest fair, to take them!
For these black-eyed Dryope

Hath often-times commanded me

With my clasped knee to climb:

See how well the lusty time

Hath decked their rising cheeks in red,
Such as on your lips is spread!

Here be berries for a queen,

Some be red, some be green;

These are of that luscious meat,

The great god Pan himself doth eat :

All these, and what the woods can yield,
The hanging mountain, or the field,

I freely offer, and ere long

Will bring you more, more sweet and strong;

Till when, humbly leave I take,

Lest the great Pan do awake,

That sleeping lies in a deep glade,

Under a broad beech's shade.

I must go, I must run

Swifter than the fiery sun.

GREAT GOD PAN.

ING his praises that doth keep

SIN

Our flocks from harm,

Pan, the father of our sheep;

And arm in arm

Tread we softly in a round,

Whilst the hollow neighbouring ground

Fills the music with her sound.

Pan, oh, great god Pan, to thee

Thus do we sing!

Thou that keep'st us chaste and free

As the young spring;

Ever be thy honour spoke,

From that place the morn is broke,

To that place day doth unyoke!

THE WANTON SHEPHERDESS.

COME, shepherds, come!

Come away
Without delay,

Whilst the gentle time doth stay.
Green woods are dumb,
And will never tell to any

Those dear kisses, and those many
Sweet embraces, that are given;
Dainty pleasures, that would even
Raise in coldest age a fire,
And give virgin-blood desire.

Then, if ever,

Now or never,

Come and have it:

Think not I

Dare deny,

If you crave it.

THE EVENING KNELL.

HEPHERDS all, and maidens fair,

SHE

Fold your flocks up, for the air

'Gins to thicken, and the sun

Already his great course hath run.
See the dew-drops how they kiss
Every little flower that is,
Hanging on their velvet heads,
Like a rope of crystal beads:
See the heavy clouds low falling,
And bright Hesperus down calling
The dead Night from under ground;
At whose rising mists unsound,

Damps and vapours fly apace,
Hovering o'er the wanton face
Of these pastures, where they come,
Striking dead both bud and bloom :
Therefore, from such danger lock
Every one his loved flock;

And let your dogs lie loose without,
Lest the wolf come as a scout
From the mountain, and, ere day,
Bear a lamb or kid away;
Or the crafty thievish fox
Break upon your simple flocks.
To secure yourselves from these,
Be not too secure in ease;
Let one eye his watches keep,
Whilst the t'other eye doth sleep;
So

you shall good shepherds prove,
And for ever hold the love

Of our great god. Sweetest slumbers,
And soft silence, fall in numbers

On your eye-lids! So, farewell!

Thus I end my evening's knell.

THE HOLY WELL.

ROM thy forehead thus I take

FR

These herbs, and charge thee not awake

Till in yonder holy well

Thrice, with powerful magic spell,

Filled with many a baleful word,

Thou hast been dipped. Thus, with my cord

Of blasted hemp, by moonlight twined,

I do thy sleepy body bind.