though we languish And live a while in anguish We know Love shall prevail Love's sweet conceivings Are no abortive heavings Our mindes for to assail No pleasant baits can us allure agen For we are carried Our mindes are married To things above the common reach of men Oh Arm of Flesh how weak wilt thou he then But yet we wander Vnseen of each by-stander In uncouth wayes These desert places Wâ—hardly ken the traces Of sheep that strayes We wander up and down and passe the springs And see no creature Of form and feature That we can love as these despised things And we well know that same hath flying wings But obthe dearest In my affection nearest My heart deth sail to tell How I have loved Since first my minde approved The vertue that doth dwell Within that brest that swells with things divine From whose out-flowings These tender growings Refresh the sense as with inspiring Wine And in these rayes the deity doth shine I heard one talking As I alone was walking On yonder lovely Plain With words of scorning Rich minder but poor adorning Love's honour for to stain But I will hold it for a point of faith The worst transgressions In Love's expressions The Law of Love which is as strong as death Commands to hide as long as there is breath I le stay and rest me Thy sweetnesse hath possest me And I have faith in this Thou wilt not fail me Though long delayes may quail me And I much joy may misse The thirsty soul alas brooks no delay And time comes flying There 's no denying There 's no intreats will make him for to stay Bald time farewell for ever and a day My minde reposes As on a bed of Roses Although sometimes I finde Some contradiction Which may prove but a fiction For to oresway my minde But when I overlook those lovely Hills With heart uprising And highly prizing That influence that Hills and Vallies fills Right sweetly then my swaying passion stills Friends now you see the noblenesse of love That consters all things to the better part And is content and willing to remove All blocks and rubs that sweet affection thwart Malignant nature and revengefull spleen Sends quite a swimming in the ragefull waves Of black confusion never to be seen To blast our good intentions with their braves But there 's a friend that keeps by yonder Plains That drives his flock so neer the Hazlewoods That to my knowledge mighty losse sustains And very lately I have understood By some of his acquaintance not unknown To some of us here present that his losse Is extraordinary that he is grown Unto a melancholly humour and so crosse That he will scarce admit society With any friends that come in loving sort For to advise but saith they come to spie That so they may his weaknesses report But I dare say not any one that 's here Can take delight to view his moody fits But as a matter that concerns them neer Abhors the seat where Scorn and Envy sits For we were alwayes better taught I 'm sure And see our Master's practise every day A noble president he gives for to inure Nature compels our wills for to obey Oh Sacred streams of Heavens influence Divine inspiring How can we forget The spring of thy divine intelligence That every day our barren soyl doth wet And makes our coast of desert places spring With various sweets and flowers of the prime Forsaken and despised Valleys sing With rich abounding plenty in our clime By the still waters glyding through the Plains Contentedly we sit and spend our hours Wherewith supply of Pastures green sustains And every day refresh with dews and showers The heritage of thrice adored Pan Which makes them bring forth twins when they do come From Washing Where the streams of love began The time of love a rich increase sends home But stay a while I purpose to relate The matter of his losse whereof I spake That so we may his case commiserate And sympathizing his our sorrows make He shall be namelesse at this time least I Should add unto his sorrows for I swear I would not do him the least injury Though I might gain the fleece his flock doth wear But to be brief our Master set him forth With Sheep-hook in his hand and with a flock Of Kids and Lambs that were of mighty worth Which after he had led beyond the Rock That stands beneath that high aspiring Hill Which you may view with your perspective Glasse A mighty Wood the upland grounds doth fill And by that Wood he every day did passe In handsome order for a while he kept His pretty Lambs and fed them with great care But so it was one afternoon he slept Out comes a Woolf and too and fro did stare But when he saw no creature to resist His hungry madnesse he began to catch At Kids and Lambs but by good hap he miss't The principall yet other two did snatch And worried them and kill'd and suckt their blood And drew them to the Wood that was so nigh The flock the while without resistance stood Amazed yet did neither bleat nor cry But yet thus much I dare be bold to say Had he but bin awak't and bin aware He would have fought and made a bloody fray For two or three of them he would not care But so it was the young man he began To rouze himself and looking all about He saw his flock were fled and then he ran To bring them in again and made no doubt Of any losse because he saw so many That did present themselves unto his view Thought all was well yet neither there was any Appearance whereupon he fearlesse grew Well that pass'd on and then it was not long But there befell another losse was worse For on a day when he was gone among The western Lads as 't was sometimes his course To go a merry making and to leave Hisslock along the Hedge-rows safely feeding At least he thought them safe nor did conceive The least suspect of such like danger breeding When he was gone out of the Wood there comes A fell devouring Beast a furious Bore His Tusks stood out and at the mouth he fomes And running on some half a dozen tore And of the Lambs made such a heavy wrack That 't was a wonder to behold the spoil How he their flesh did tear and bones did crack But having fill'd his paunch did back recoyl The flocks were all disperst among the Bryars Who fled for Shelter to the Thorny Hedge At last runs forth a Bear and quickly tires And worried half a score and took their pledge But all this while the Shepherd did forget His flock that in dispair ran to and fro But he amongst his boon companions set His resolution yet he would not go Ah silly Lambs resistlesse in your harms Wasted and spoyl'd yet shew no discontent Spoyl'd of all yet nere assuming arms Can you subsist in this your element
when we are at repast He walks among us kindly in the Hall And bids us eat and drink and make no waste Be cheerfull friends for ye are welcome all We have a day another day in chase Wherein wee l bid our Neighbours Swayns to bring The Lasses of the Plaines who with sweet Grace Can play upon the Violet and sing And there 's a Damsell I have heard some tell Can play upon the Lute exactly and can raise The minde of all the hearers with a spell Which to the soul another soul conveyes This I have heard and I beleeve in part That Aiery notes do steal away the sence And secretly conveyes another heart Who in admiring of some excellence Soars up aloft fill'd with extream desire To reach up to the center still doth hover And fain would close draws neer and would draw nigher Till with eternity all covered over Forgetâ—ing things below is well content To presse unto the mark that mighty prize And swallowed up in life and ravishment Drown'd with delight looks up with fixed eyes Unto the Hills not daring to look down Upon the empty pleasures that do bring Fears losses and amazements leaden Crown Whose best adorning is the Serpents sting Such Musick I have oft desired to hear Though I disdain not for to hear a Song Even of the meanest Swayn if he doth steer His course the lowly vallies all along In the mean time I le drink to honest Sisse To Dorothy and Isabella kinde I should be sorry any here to misse And to the Shepherdesses there behinde You sit as if you had no skill in love Or if faint-hearted do digresse from kinde We â—hepherds are disposed for to rove With random words sometimes to shew our minde Think not our mindes are altogether vain And full of folly cause we let our tongues To speak to you like men or entertain A minde to work your prejudice or wrongs Yet know that we are men and love like men We eat and drink and sleep like other creatures For you to love and we not love agen Were altogether to forget our natures We live like men and we do love our like Like in affection is the strongest tie Who that denies at natures Law doth strike For like rejoyceth when his like stands by This is in Pan our noble Master who Is much delighted when he doth behold Fair Innocency ranging to and fro Amongst the Lambs and Kidlings of our fold The greatest Joy he doth and can expresse Is to behold his flocks and heards to flourish But when he doth behold them in distresse He blames the Shepherds that are slack to nourish The tender Lambs committed to their charge Who at their will may lead them where they list But are contented they should run at large Which if they would but whistle with their fist Or if loves eccho's were but sometimes heard To peirce the Hils and Vallies where they wander A check of love would make them so afear'd T were needlesse for a dog to be commander And if a Shepherd shall for vertues cause Despise his fellow then me thinks I see A Devill that 's incarnate for his Claws And cloven Feet are manifest to me Oh then my soul take heed thou come not there Where such ill spirits haunt for where they dance The circle of their foul enchants appear And of Pans nature shew their ignorance Into their secrets let not my soul come Avaunt you Gipsies fickle fortune tellers Go dance the round where you finde better roome In younder Meadow with the fairy dwellers Where Screetch-Owls and the dismall Satyres haunt Inventing mischief foul malignant spirits Croaking ill luck like Envies blast that daunt Where male-contents infernall dales inherits Though we are men and live and die as men Yet we have thoughts that slee beyond the sphears Transcendent thoughts that knows both where and when To flee away beyond the common fears When in a hubbub all the world appears And the foundations fail and mountains tremble As if the Clouds would fall about their ears Our spirits then we presently assemble For they have wings to bear us to a place Beyond the raging waves wherewith a song Of exultation misty clouds do chace Away those vapours that our sight doth wrong Will. Stay Brother stay you go beyond your bounds You speak to men and women that do carry More flesh then spirit such high things confounds The memory of weaklings le ts not vary Speak in our Language for we understand Our mother tongue with that we travell far Le ts not forget that we have flocks at hand And too rich Pasture may our Kidlings mar We know thou art and hast bin long in love And ere 't be long we trust thou shal't obtain Thy strong desire and we do well approve And hope thy longing will not be in vain Thy sweet affections can no way miscarry Thou art but young take heed soar not too high But stay with us a while good honest Harry And in a lower stile thy measures try Come sing a song and we will bear a part In joy and sorrow and we will expresse Our best affections and each loving heart I dare be bold to say doth think no lesse Harry Then tune your Pipes sweet friends and I le begin And set your strings unto a lowly strain Yea all of you that in Loves bands have bin And bear a part with me a rurall Swayn For now I sing of Love but I want words For to expresse the things my minde affords The Argument of the Song THe longing soul stirs up her holy fires And in a Song sends forth her strong-desires To her most dear and best beloved Christ Whose sweet society she long hath miss't The Song O Thou the fairest fair without compare Whose kinde embraces passing pleasing are Whose unctions sweet from head to feet Oredows thy comely parts Eustaming mindes and making joyfull hearts And for the sent of odours spent And rare composed smell The fairest Virgins love thee passing well Vouchsafe to cover these black spots of mine With these same white and spotlesse robes of thine And then though I deformed lie And black I shall appear A comely Virgin in thine eye and dear Sore sick of love unapt to move Oh let thy gentle hand Reach forth thy comforts or I cannot stand Oh when wilt thou transport me to that place Where no disturbance shall prevent thy grace Where fill of love oreflowings prove That we may there injoy In that sweet bed of love without annoy For when I minde thy kisses kinde When first in love we fell That now me thinks thy absence proves a Hell If thou defire to see me yet alive Make haste and see how I for breath do strive Oh come away make no delay And sow thy precious seed For nothing else our sweet delight will breed Big swoln with grief there 's no relief Can wipe my weepings dry Oh come and give me children else I die For unto me
thou art more lovely far Then any beauties to my senses are And wheresoere thy shinings are And thy image I espie Me thinke it is 〈◊〉 to mine eye Yea then even then would I take part with thee For though 〈…〉 I have inforced bin To yeeld unto that 〈◊〉 betraying sin 〈…〉 field from friends exil'd When I 〈…〉 alone 〈…〉 came none 〈…〉 safety most Alâ—â— poor 〈◊〉 I sude Strong 〈◊〉 and shares that hands and jeet do binde If I have 〈…〉 on ary wight Or ought 〈…〉 my chief â—â—light Siace first that 〈◊〉 did wound my heart That none but thee can â—â—re Then in 〈…〉 let me still indure Yea let me â—e exil'd from thee And never see thy face If in my heart thou misse the chiefest place And yet methinks I wish my self no harms Were I in Hell inclused in thine Arms Lesse cause of fear more comforts there Then in Heavens flying fame For they might passe but thou art still the same These empty things have flying wings The soaring soul flees higher Thou art the center of her chief defire For yesternight when I was half a sleep Me thought I saw thee walking on the deep Whose comely feet the waves did greet With friendly threatnings kinde Thy steps a deep impression left behinde The raging waves that erst while raves When thou in love dost chide With trembling silence thy rebukes abide If it be thee Lord bid me come apace I know 't is thee thy words oreflow with grace Then sink or swim I le go to him A sea of love I see If I be drown'd I care not I le to thee Oh 't is my choice 't is Davids voice My soul is knit to thine A strangers voice was never so divine Prove me my dear and try if thou canst finde If my affections be not to thy minde If I withstand thy sweet command Then let me bear the blame And in thy love put me to publike shame Or if 't is meet first shew the shect Where Virgin thoughts did lie And thou shalt see the signe of chastity Ralph Dost thou want words sweet friend Why now I see Thou canst comply as well as any man Dost think equivocation may passe free And be well taken We thy words can scan Say what thou wilt we know thee If thou hide Thy self within a Wood wee l thee descry Though in a Grove of Woods thou wouldst abide Yet we will trace thee in a Sympathy And we can walk with thee within thy cloud Whose Pearl-like dew drops words of sweet desire My genius tells me sure thou art not proud Although thy humble breathings do aspire To speak in lofty words yet we professe Though thou comply we love thee nere the lesse Harry T is true indeed and I acknowledge it I do comply and so I think I may And I account it manners and 't is fit In friendly terms to grant and to gainsay But he whose friendship is but complement And onely complementall I count base That course is quite without my element From me such thoughts I quite away do chase I love my friend that is my friend indeed And he shall know my inmost secrecies The choicest Cates on which my soul doth feed That doth support me in my miseries I will not spare but freely will impart The treasure of my soul and where 't is hid The wants and the aboundings of my heart My faults for which I have bin soundly chid My hopes and fears my joyes and discontents My nakednesse my shame I will discover My vildnesse and the joyfull ornaments I will not hide from thee my friend my lover Will. Thanks Harry we have born our parts with thee But thou hast born the burden of thy Song I would thy soul from anguish were as free As I could wish I trust thou shalt ere long Receive thy hearts desire but stay a while With patience wait but prethee set no time The Pilgrims chat doth longsome way beguile And loves transgressions none doth count a crime Onely beware of this do not reveal Loves secrets on thy life as yesterday A friend of ours but stay I will conceal His name for fear he run the more astray For on a day and 't is not long ago I heard him tune an Oaten-pipe so well That if I should account him for a foe And should his folly to the Milk-maids tell He would forget his musiâ—k and neglect His little flock committed to his charge And with a neer conceit of disrespect Despair the bounds of folly would enlarge John No Brother stay be silent for a while We have a rule that 's left by noble Pan A principle that hangs upon the file That 's legible to read for every man And for memoriall stands upon record Let all your things sweet friends be done in love You are my friends and I can well afford My name which all your Shepherds well approve Shall be impos'd upon you My commands Are far from being grievous unto those Whose sweet affections well inclined stands And I no other burden do impose Loves yoak is casie and the burthen light Sweet is the yoak no bitternesse at all No slavish fearfull toyl that doth affright Therein's no danger for to stand or fall Ralph Now we perceive right well the very cause Thou lov'st to sit alone upon these Hills Not with intent to nullifie the Laws And liberty of Shepherds with thy will For all the liberty that we injoy Consists in this if Love but once command We are content and willing to obey No Shepherd on these Downs will it withstand If any Shepherds Lad presume to break The Law of Love of purpose and shall tell Her secrecies and shall account them weak They such a one will presently expell To their society he shall not come The very Milk-maids will begin to hisse Yea such a fellow shall not have a crum Of any dainties no not of a kisse His Curds and Cream that he was wont to have At noon times in the Dairey when the heat Of Summer made him kindnesse for to crave Though much he needed not for to intreat He with the Hindes shall stand and cool his feet Beg for a favour and receive a flout The poorest Kitchin-maid that he doth meet When time shall serve will make him stand without And is not he well serv'd that shall disclose The secrets of his friend to do him harm When his chief trust he doth in him repose With many friendly walkings arm in arm When promises of constant loving hearts Viewing wherein his strength and weaknesse lies Against the very course of Love imparts To friend and foe his inmost secrecies Now honest William do not hold us long But prethee tell the subject of this Song Will. Well then in sober sadnesse I will tell The subject of his Song though I may misse For to expresse the words he fram'd so well But to my best remembrance it was this The SONG COme you sweet affections all View the
fields grow gray When gray turns white expect not long to stay Cease pretty Birds forgo your sugred notes The pleasant Hills and Vallies change their coats The dainty flowers gain'd with great expence Are stinking ripe and fouly mar the sense The fairest beauty ever mortall saw Who like the Loadstone humane eyes doth draw When living breath doth cease she is laid by And is no more an object to the eye Ah dying glory now I see thy face The time the persons and the lovely place I see I see thou livest amongst the graves And times best champions are but golden slaves As little Riv'lets run from every Spring And to the River all their treasure bring Then all in one runs freely to the main And from the Ocean nere returns again The mother Earth is ready to embrace And entertainment gives to all her race She huggs her children sweetly in her Arms With mutuall kisses fearlesse of all harms Tom. Well fare thy heart my friend and friend to all And foe to none me thinks I do admire This charity that comes at every call And from distressed friends didst nere retire Thou art so like our noble master who With patience bears and waits for our return And in our wandring wheresoever go And almost lost is sad when we do mourn And now I wonder thou canst imitate So well our masters goodnesse and art changed Into his likenesse Thou that wast of late Quite from the wayes of Pan almost estranged Now I perswade my self thy flook and thee Have kept so long upon these flowery plains That thou some vision manifest didst see Such lovely light me thinks thy brest retains And thus I thought there 's something in the winde That makes the Lad thus lovely in our sight His entercourse with Pan for when I minde Things past and gone yet living in the light And when I call to minde the neer relation He hath to us and we to one another It brings me to a higher contemplation Nor will â—or dare nor can we such things smother So far am I from being envious To see thy flock to prosper in thy keeping That I rejoyce thy flock increaseth thus And I oft think of thee awake and sleeping Yea in my dreams me thinks sometimes I see Our master Pan and thee converse together And then me thought these words he spake to thee Go fetch thy flock and bring them up all hither And let me see those Lambs of my desire For I am pleased well to see thy care I see thy heart 's upright and love entire And I consider what thy watchings are I weigh thy pains and how thou break'st thy sleep To keep thy flocks in frosty winter nights And in the heat of summer thou dost keep Them from the wicked vermine that affrights Yea. I have often heard thy Songs of night When I pass't by the Sheep-coats undiscern'd In such like breathings I take great delight And to my joy thou hast contentment learn'd Thou art contented if it Hail or Snow For any weather thou art well provided And clothed with content what winde ereblow Content and thee are seldom times divided In blustring storms and tempests flashing fire Of thunder and of lightning I have known Thee sit and sing then for a while retire Untill the storm be past and over-blown This was my dream and when I did awake My thoughts were then the same and so are still And would a greater matter undertake Then I will speak of that I may fulfill My former promise when with hand in hand And heart in heart we pass'd along the Hills We thought we had the Mountains at command And could remove them quite against their wille But when we saw our weaknesse we began For to be think how far we were unable To undertake what never any man But Pan himself that 's onely imitable Bold resolutions then again we made When we went to descry what pastures lay Where we found Giants ready to invade And kept our Southern Shepherds at a bay They stopt the passages where we were wont To lead our flocks to water and the Well Was anciently in every mans account To be our masters and the old men tell They have Records to show it was a gift Of Pans donation many yeers ago And albeit they make a dogged shift To keep them from it where they will or no Yet we do purpose er 't be long to try A title with them and to make them show By what authority they do deny Our flocks their Water and our Grasse do mowe But let us cease our chat a little while And sing a Song our time for to beguile The SONG I Wonder most That some do boast Of their great roast Yet still are lank and lean â—is lean as rakes Souls food forsakes And pleasures takes Amongst the beasts unclean Who wanting wings to flie so bie The Eagles food cannot espie Some toyâ— and sweat And tâ—â— Ayr doth beat To geâ—◠〈◊〉 meat Th◠〈…〉 have some feeding 〈…〉 her fair She â—â—st repair 〈…〉 former breeding Poâ—r soul thou wantâ—st the Eagie cye The Lamb like nature to espie The Dove like eye Rate chastity Doth â—aâ—â—awry If â—â—c hâ—r maâ—e be missing And there 's no wight â—â—ees in her sight Can work delight She brâ—â—ks not others kissing Pâ—r soâ—d thou canst not rest espie Bâ—â—ause thou wantâ—st the Dove like eye Then come and see All you that be Or bond or free Ho cery soul that flies And aâ—n would rest Within that brest Where souls are blest And to your being bies The thirsty soul brooks no delay You that have wings make haste away Come noble hearts That act your parts With roy all darte And â—â—afts of deadly woundings Ride on and hie Victoriously Let Arrows flie Vnto your foes confoundings As long as they do breathing lie Ply them with darts of Amity Come David play A roundelay Thy musick may These furious fiends send packing And for loves sake A circle make And save our stake For we of love are lacking For wicked Saul is hard to please Thy musick onely can give case I have a friend That stayes behinde Sticks in my minde I pitty his mistaking He is so blinde He cannot finde The Lamb like kinde But with the Wolves partaking Our Sheep and Lambs he doth detest And loves the Woolvish nature best Come hither Grace Stay here a space And view the face Of yonder Bride preparing Her noble dresse She doth expresse In humblenesse And meeknesse for her wearing Sweet soul such ornament indeed Is fittest for thy marriage weed The souls desires Vncooling fires Short breath aspires Ah who can case her longings Thy husband he That loveth thee Will set thee free From other lovers wrongings The bed of love that 's kept unseen With Curtains drawn is fresh and green Hence evill eye That comst to spie Our 〈…〉 Our 〈…〉 do not touch 〈…〉 not near 〈…〉 fear 〈…〉 grutch 〈…〉 â—sares that transcend Bâ—yon thy thoughts that
of imitation are not hid My houshold servants and my Shepheards who I put in trust with all my flocks have learn'd For to be kinde to all both friend and foe And by that signe the difference is discern'd If they have learn'd of others or of me If they have learn'd of me they will be kinde To one another all things shall be free Their very hearts are open to their friend Hath he two Coats and see his friend go bare Naked and destitute of clothing cold His fairest russet garment he 'l not spare Wert better then his best a thousand fold And he that hath provision in his Scrip. And will deny a Shepherd in his need And in contempt begin to hang the lip And of his plenty will not let him feed Let him be banisht quite beyond the Plains And be confin'd within some narrow bounds Untill such time that he a sense retains And so doth feel a Shepherds wants and wounds For I have travell'd far and never knew Nor never heard of any Shepherd yet That ever came where love of kindnesse grew That could or did those noble Plants forget Ralph But Brother Will reports do go of thee And it is known to some that 's here among us That thy expressions have been far more free With some Companions prethee do not wrong us Why should'st thou hide from us thy loveliest strains Thy Song of Sorrow prethee come and sing it I know thy breast diviner things contains Thy Harp hangs by I wonder thou 'lt not string it For t'other day as I was passing by I heard thee sing but though I crafty were Thou didst perceive my craft when I did lie Behinde a Bush thy lovely strains to hear Make us partakers of thy mirth and moans We are thy friends thy welfare is our joy Wilt thou relate thy sorrows to the stones That have no ears nor wit for to be coy We know thy nature we can simpathize With thee although thou fall as low as Hell And in the lowest Region memorize Light in the depth of darknesse with a Spell Out of the Flint we can produce a fire And water too for to refresh the sense If from thy self thou shouldâ—st a while retire We have a Spell will bring thee back from thence And 't is in vain for thee to stand aloof For we will bring thee forward with a witnesse And though I think thy breast is envie proof Thy humble station shewes thy noble fitnesse Will. And there 's reports and some reports are true That thou hast store of Pictures pray thee tell I am thy friend and I have very few Yet I have learn'd and can distinguish well Yea I have skill in Physiognomy And by thy looks I can perceive thy heart Shew me thy Palm I le reade thy destiny If not in full yet I le be bold in part Tom. Art thou a Fortune-teller Brother Will I pray thee tell my fortune if thou can For I have heard thou hast got pretty skill In Palmestry I honour such a man Will. Fortune doth favour Fools wise men are poor The poor are humble humble fears no frowns Proud sturdy Beggars beg from door to door Fierce hunger cares nor fears to break stone-wals Stone-wals are strong and yet they are but stones Compact of slime unsensible of sense They cannot cry if one should break their bones Nor humane Charms produce one tears expence I see thy heart now at thy fingers ends And I perceive a Pearl stands in thy eye Thy hands are full of crosses that portends Thou must be beaten to humility And thou lov'st Pictures well then hear me speak I care not for thy coyn if thou hadst more Thou think'st thou' rt strong but I perceive thee weak Hadst thou Pans Picture thou would'st nere be poor Shew me thy foot or give me but the length Or shew the Circle where thy foot did stand I dare be bold I 'le shew where lies thy strength And name the Planet that doth countermand If any one should shoot an Arrow here Amongst us all I dare be bold to tell From whence it came if once the shaft appear Let me but handle it and view it well If I do'nt tell if it be Jonathans Or other shafts that came from Esaus Bow Or from the private arme of any mans I 'le pawn my credit I will plainly show Yea I can tell if he that shot the same Had ever been with David in the Plain For mingled souls will manifest the flame Of pure affections alwayes in the main And thou lov'st Women too too well I hear A woman is thy Master thus 't was told Among the Shepherds lately and I fear 'T will prove a certain blemish for I hold A woman should be silent and submit And not presume to teach that should be learning Discretion is content to stay at home and sit To hear her Husbands words of more concerning What should a woman know but for to learn To know her Husband from another man That knowledge is sufficient to discern This depth of understanding pray thee skan Harry But now in sober-sadnesse Brother Will Let 's lay by jesting tell me thy conceiving What dost thou think of our uplandish Phil And speak thy minde all by-respects out leaving Thy hidden language I well understand I know thou speakâ—st more languages then one Thy speech bewraies thou 'st matter at command I know thou walk'st not on these Downs alone I know what company thou dost frequent Him whom thou lovest is our chief delight Then love him still it is not my intent To seek for to deprive thee of thy right We are not jealous for 't is our desire That every Shepherd that doth trace these Hils In conversation would draw something nigher I dare be bold 't would much augment their skils Will. Thy servant Brother and it is my joy To be imploy'd by thee in any thing If thou command thou shalt not finde me coy In any service might contentment bring To thee or thine do thou but speak the word I 'le shew my readinesse to give content If I deny then put it on Record If thou don't finde me more then complement Tres humble service in the low'st degree I will perform nothing shall come amisse Such vildnesse is no bondage unto me For 't is my joy the feet of love to kisse And I abhor his folly that doth utter Words of despight against our growing friends For to my grief sometimes I 've heard him mutter Words which did seem to work his private ends Though like an Angell he sometimes hath seem'd To me and to my friends and in my soul I honoured him and mightily esteem'd His words as Oracles without controul But when I heard him utter words of scorn ' Gainst better then himself I blest me than And sometimes crost my self as one forlorne And speaking in my self I thus began Oh All in all if thou be'st All in all Where is thy glory wilt thou take
place of Pan 's abiding And you Shepherds great and small Bring your stocks to his residing Shepherdesses of the Plains Bring your instruments well stringed You whose Virgin brests retains Darts that flew from Heaven winged Noble hearts of Heavens choice Bring your flames of sacred firing You that can expresse by voice Raptures of divine inspiring Bring your Lutes and let us hear And we will your measures follow Wee l the burden help to hear By the guidance of Apollo Hand in hand and heart in heart We will tread our pacing measures Like affections none can part Twinning arms nere-ending pleasures Those whom Heavens hand hath joyn'd Who will dare to put a sunder Can Heavens darlings be unkinde That would be a mighty wonder Natures bounds who can forget T is Pan 's nature to be loving He the waves their bounds hath set Their presumption still reproving But Pan 's nature overflows Lofty Hills and brings them under In the Sea they stand in Rowes Mollifi'd and rent in sunder In his name we will rejoyce In his nature we will wander Through the desarts are our choice Where compell'd by no Commander We can no commands they Though they 〈◊〉 with strong perswading Nature taught as to gainsay And 〈◊〉 the wills ineading But methinks Thear a voice From the 〈◊〉 of safe assuring Who in safety do 〈◊〉 Yet in bonds themselves inuring But another veice rass'd by Freely 〈◊〉 in my hearing He come forth my Dove and bie Thee to a place of better cheering New the 〈◊〉 Winter's past Haâ— and Snow and Weather beatings 〈◊〉 Sol away hath chast Though with sweet and fair intreatings Shadows 〈◊〉 and get you hence Come â—o more to hurt our seeing To thy nothingnesse from whence Thou dericest all thy being Now the lovely Spring is come And each Bird in safety singeth Counting every place their home Where their Airy-wings them bringeth Sweet affections they flee high Far above all dying being Almost to eternity From the hands oâ— Fowlers freeing Yesternight Tâ—past alone By the light of Luna 's shining Purposely to hear a Song I perceived the friendly twining Of the Trees and Bushes kinde Who most friendly kiss't each other Arm iâ— Arm their Branches twin'd Like the childe that hugs the mother Passing further by a Dale Full of thoughts and sweet conceivings There I heard a Nightingale Whose sweet mirth was sense bereavings Oh thought I if Songs of night Be so joyfull in our hearing Raviâ—ments of greater might Will be seen at Sun's appearing Now the gladsome Sun doth rise And the Earth in her best dressing And each Bird doth memorize Pan 's great acts and might expressing How he hath destroyed quite Welves and Foxes Bears and Lions And deliver'd by his might The distressed Lambs of Sion ' s. Now rejoyce thou little Hill Little in thine estimation Thou shalt be beloved still And a Crown of exaltation Shall be given unto thee Who art Pan 's delight and pleasure Thou ab thou art onely she Vnto whom he brings his treasure All his living Springs abide In thy Brest thou Queen of Nations And from thee they do divide Into streams whose elevations Soon descending to the plains Where each Shepherds Boy resorteth Which their thirsty soul sustains Where our Lambs and Kidlings sporteth Yet I heard not long ago Shrew'd reports of Shepherds striving For a Well whose springs did flow With sweet streams of soul reviving The contention grew so hot Almost unto Daggers drawing But the anger was forget By Pan 's wisedom over-awing We are called by thy name Oh thou mighty Pan whose dwelling Is beyond the common fame All our Shepherds far excelling For from thee they do derive All their wisedom how to order And their tender flocks to drive Till they come to Canaan 's border Like an Oyntment powred forth Whose sweet sent enflames the senses Orâ—â—nâ— oâ—our of great worth Purchased with great expences Right so precious for to hear Is thy name and sweetly soundeth And from Hills and Dales do rear Ecchoes that thy fame resoundeth Every Shepherds Boy that walks All along these Downs and Mountains Of his bounty alway talks T'other day by yonder Fountains Sate each lovely Shepherdesse Singing Songs and Musick playing Each one in her Virgins dresse With Love's ornaments arraying These were the words but I will tell you more Upon a day when all alone he sate Under a Hill upon his head he wore A kinde of Wreath well wrought and delicate With dainty Flowers that well I cannot name As Roses Violets Hearts-ease Columbines The tender Lilly Tulips of great fame Wall-Flowers and Honey-Suckles that entwines Sweet-Marjoram and Sweet-Bryer Cowslips Marigolds Primroses pretty Dazies Jilly-Flowers The Hollyoak in doubles manifolds And many more brought in by April showers There wanted nothing but the Lawrell-Bay Me thought it did become the Lad so well That in affection I am bold to say Most Lads upon these Downs he did excell But to be brief I crept upon all four And secretly unseen I came so neer him 'T was ten to one I came in such an hour When he began to sing to over-hear him Upon his Pipe he played and sweetly sing I hearkned to his tunes with great delight Then in a rage his Pipe away he flung Yet all this while I kept me from his sight All this I speak that so I might remove The prejudice that I perceive remains Within your Brests the dwelling place of love Who with delight Pan's precepts entertains For we are servants unto noble Pan And have and do observe his nature well His noâ—le kindnesse unto every man With love he useth onely to compell This is his nature and it is no shame To imitate his nature with desire Not onely to be called by his name But to a further neernesse to aspire Not onely for to love his likenesse sweet When with delight we view those gladsome beams But with his nature one another greet And from that nature send forth lovely streams As streams of mercy and of suffering long Patient in waiting seeking every hour To win with love without compulsion strong And without fury hear what others say And now sweet friends you that desire to hear The matter of his Song I pray draw neer The SONG Come neer affections And help with thy directions To sing this Song of love And we together Will take a part of either The same more light will prove For now dismay'd I sit and make my moan And I am searfull It will prove direfull A burden heavy for to bear alone T will break my heart I think that thou bear none And now I wonder To hear some speak like Thunder Love's darlings for to awe And to affright them As if they would endite them And give Love's bounds a Law Love that so deep and past their ouring wounds But love is boundlesse Her Law is groundlesse Love cannot be contain'd in humane bounds Nor will we yeeld to them on such small grounds For