Scepter thou willt make them bend And bring their Crowns and lay them at thy feet And lay aside their Honour when they see How apt their weak foundations are to fleet And how thy Kingdome is from changes free And now though other powers oversway'd And overlorded us besides thy power Yet by thy power we wil not be dismay'd Although they come in troopes for to devour Because there is a glory that out-shines The proud fantasticke foolish painted glory Of earthly spirits that still undermines To make thy power but an empty story In every Age unto Eternity Thy Kingdome Power and Glory is made known Though over-clouded in a Mystery To carnall view the beauty not showen Yet we have seen it in the Wildernesse In low despised valleyes therefore we What we have seen and heard we will confesse whilest we have being and our life in thee A concluding SONG NOw let our prayses Be unto him that raises Our mindes from thrall That mighty Giver Of life yet ever Liver Who by his Call And sweet and lovely voice doth bring to light That which lay hidden And guests are bidden To feast of things right sweet he doth invite Where we may eat and drink with great delight He hath prepared No delicates are spared For his great Feast And he is able For to prepare a table For every guest Even in the barren wildernessed lands There where no Water Nor dewes do scatter But parcht with heat and dry consuming Sands There even there his furnisht Table stands In all our walkings And our poor childish tal kings If thou draw neer Our hearts with burning Shall mitigate our mourning Thy presence dear Shall make our Water pleasant wine to be The bread that 's broken Sall be a token And we shall know that it is thee even thee Thy hands and feet are manifest to see Come you beloved That have my words approved And drink your fill That nights of Sorrow May be forgot to Morrow For comforts still Drinke and be drunken best beloved Friends Cast out your fearing Heer 's time of chearing This goodly Fountain streams of plenty Sends And on forsaken valleys down descends Avant Imposters Stand back Fantasticke boasters And cease your suit 'T is vain perswading No more of your invading Wee 'l not dispute What you can say of your beloved Peer For our beloved Is best approved To be the fairest and the loveliest deer The very thoughts of him our soul doth cheer Then vain despairing Flee hence and cease thy daring And mighty shew And leave thy prying Our liberty of denying Take this to know The Eagles way no man can understands his way in flying Is past descrying His noble sight at foggy Mists ne're stands But through the clowds a speedy way commands Come noble hearted Within whose breasts are darted Joves Arrowes keen Whose deep Impressions And wounds that want expressions Are to be seen The eye the eye that lovely piercing eye Content and willing With Loves sweet killing In life and death it is no Miserie in loves sweet bonds and chaines to live and die Rejoyce ye valleys And overtrodden allies The time is neer Though disrespected And seemingly neglected It shall appear God is as mighty in the lowest plaines where reeds are Shaken despis'd forsaken Forlorne and lost as yet no hope retaines There even there his mighty presence raignes Why stand ye gazing With doubtfull hearts amazing And lift up eyes Sweet Friends your longing And strong conceits come thronging With doubts arise Returne returne sweet friends and wait a while Your too much loving Things apt to moving May prove a snare the senses to beguile This lovely Flesh must suffer an exile Now the remainings Of these our soules sustainings So rich in taste Those precious leavings Of plentifull receivings Let us not waste Let 's gather up the breakings and behold How Pans increasins and secret blessings Shall fill more baskets full then can be told His treasuere's full of all things new and old FINIS
found and have discern'd in part A far more excellent and lovely way Then ever yet was faund by humane Art Though they went seeking a whole Summers day And now 't is almost naturall to us To know our Shepherds voice from others pratings For no decoy can imitate him thus To follow to the death in imitatings Well then I think it is no Heresie To mingle souls with kisses when we finde Life-blood run through the Veins and can espie Nature rejoyce to elevate the minde For as the Face doth answer when the Face Makes signes to speak and cannot chuse but speak And understands full well the secret trace Of overcharged mindes that needs must break And when we see by nature every thing is glad to see his likenesse and desires For to produce his likenesse when the spring And streams of love sends forth uncooling fires Even so 't is in the lofty soaring soul That-slees beyond the raging waves and Sees A Bed of Roses where she means to roul And will not stay in regions that do freeze And as the earth sends forth her rich increase And earthly mindes rejoyce in earthly things So multiplying souls will never cease Till they inclose eternity with wings Blush then ye mortals ah Why will you die How can you live on these decaying pleasures Your life is hid alas you cannot spie Nothing but emblems of some future treasures No substances but shadows Why d' ee you stand Here all the day Are you not hired yet Look yonder Sirs why don't yee see the hand That points to working ere the Sun be set Must all our time be spent in taking care In looking after Asses Can you see No further then the manger of your fare Will nothing with your poor conceits agree But Oxford Husks Will words your bellies fill Or can you like Camelions live by ayr Will knowledge from the Eastern winde distill Or Eagles feed on fancies of dispair Eagles have eyes and they can see afar And Moles have eyes but undermine the earth But 't is poor Musick stops at every jar But humble souls nere want some holy mirth Marsh his mickle Monument THe Shepherds Boy perceives the Winter gone And being loth to loose his precious time Looks out and sees the lovely spring come on Joyfull to take the season in the prime Begs liberty of Pan for half a day To recreate him with his fellow Swayns A place appointed for disport and play Where they right kindly each one entertain Whose countrey kindnesse friendly complements Was Welcome Tom and John and Ned and Will Harry and Phil and Ralph with fair intents Neer to a Wood sate down beneath a Hill In Countrey-Gray and Russet comely Weeds With Sheep-Hooks in their hands engraven fine And at their Girdles stuck their Oaten Reeds And every one a bush of Eglantine Under a spreading Tree made Arbour wise Nature and Art did sympathize together To keep out Sol yet Sol did wayes devise And with his rayes did force a passage thither But mark how soon the Milk-maids misse their mates Their loving Mates are gone to merry making With watry Eyes Sicely and Doll relates Their sorrows and of sorrows each partaking Fair Isabel and Dinah range the field Where they might see the frisking Lambs at play The Shepherdesses at the last beheld Them as some strangers who had lost their way Saying Ho come hither for we know your mindes We know you seek the Shepherds Lads I le tell You where to finde them for ye are our friends And fellow-servants and we love you well T is our desire you run to Sisse and Doll And bid them bring their Cates the best they can And wee l be ready or within a call For to accommodate you Then they ran And brought the news The Milkmaids they provide Their Curds and Cream Fresh-Cheese and other chear Custands and Cheese-Cakes of the best beside A Pasted wall well fill'd with good red Deer They quickly dresse themselves in Milk-white sleeves Kercheifs and Aprons Hand-Cuffes Lac'd and Purl'd And without asking fairly took their leaves As if intending for another world Like nimble Does they trace the flowery plains The Shepherdesses met them on the Green And making haste for want of time complains Lest over-late they should in love be seen As if compos'd of love and overjoy'd To see their Mates came rudely rushing in The Shepherds were with better mirth imploy'd Yet to comply at least they do begin Welcome sweet friends kinde Dorothy and Sisse And Isabella fair and all the rest You Shepherdesses help to work our blisse As by your coming have right well exprest Come sit you down and wee l pertake with you Of your choice dainties sith it is your will And what is ours we freely will bestow And for our friendship you may claim itstill The Maidens they present their dishes fine Rudely yet sweetly for it was their love On natures Carpet saying Come and dine Our true affections did this voyage move To come and seek you Now we know your haunt Wee l visit you sometimes against your will There 's something sure in you that doth enchant That made us follow you unto this Hill Each Shepherd had his Bottle by his side Full of good Liquor some of every sort Cider and Perry Beer well Clarified And Bottle-Ale that gave a good report Wine and Metheaglin of the British making Excesse consists not in variety The sober usage sets no heads on aking For there was Nectar alwayes standing by When all were set in order in the place One of the Shepherds Lads they call'd him Harry A sober youth stept up and he said Grace And with much gravity himself did carry The GRACE THou All in all thou onely God of Love That in all Creatures every where dost move Thou God of life and of immortall Being Thou onely Seer come and help our seeing Sweetnesse it self yet flowing to each creature Making partakers of thy lovely nature Enflame our mindes now we are come together And with thy breathing bid us welcome hither That we may see thee in these outward things And elevated with immortall Wings May flie beyond our selfnesse and forget That arm of Flesh that doth support us yet And come and view thee at a higher Table And feeding on these breakings may be able In thine own language for to talk of thee And in thy noble wayes to walk with thee Refresh our spirits with thy living food And with thy wisedom our eternall good That we thy goodnesse and thy sweetnesse may Declare in this our everlasting day Friends now you see your chear fall to I pray And let 's be merry we are servants all To mighty Pan he 's able to defray Far greater charge and will when time doth fall For he hath flocks upon a thousand Hills And on the plains hath Herds of Cattell store His Corn and Wine each Grange and Village fills He 's alwayes giving yet is never poor And at noon times
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
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
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
with the daws for we have seen Enough to make us loath you and your coates 'T is not your countrey Grey will make us ween You simple-honest you must change your notes Our Masters servants now begin to learn To know and can distinguish words and words But words are winde they 're able to discern What sollid substance frothy words affords Now you may sit and talk and tell us tales What other Shepherds said and what they did But what do you who answers to your calls For underneath your coats there 's rapine hid Now you may pawn your Sheep-hooks if you will And throw away your Pipes or if you please Make musick to the Woolves for they have skill To dance after your Piping for their ease You tell us of your pains and watchings often When we are in our folds securely sleeping And with such rubs as these you work and soften Our sheepish nature of your care in keeping If you take care are you not well rewarded Are you not cloathed with the finest Wool Though you forget your flock none more regarded And though they pine you have your bellies full And yet you say It fares with us poor hearts Even as with Carriers Horses who must bear And do expect no pity for our parts Till underneath the weight we sinking are Ned. What art thou angry John do'st thou do well For to expresse thy passion in this sort I preethee be advis'd for I can tell 'T is good for to be cautious of report For some reports be false though some be true And some will out of envy utter forth Their very spleenish nature and there 's few Attain to moderation of much worth When I passe by a Shepherd that doth wear An honest russet-coat I do comply And do him fitting reverence for I swear With any reason I cannot deny To give him good respect at least in shew That wears the coat of gravity though he Wears underneath his hood a brazen brow And is not what he should or ought to be For orders sake I shew him good respect For thus I think he 's good or should be so He 's foreman of a flock that should direct His Masters sheep the steps that they should go But 't is thy zeal I cannot blame thee much And yet our Master saith Lay down your Arms Put up your Swords I have no need of such I have no thought to work you humane harms I am for peace I have no minde to fight My Shepherds must not strive my sheep are quiet There 's nothing in their nature to affright Their wantonnesse did nere intend to ryot Perhaps the Lambs will run at barley break And wantonly will frisk it on the Downs For to expresse their joyfulnesse But speak If you ere saw a sheep use killing frowns Perhaps they 'l break the Hedges for to finde Out better pasture sometimes spoil the corn And yet not well contented in their minde Wander in desart places till forlorn But let that passe let 's learn for to forgive And to forget unkindnesse and let 's presse Unto a further pitch till we arive Even at the lowest cell of humblenesse And there let 's sit and sing under that shade Where Envy cannot peep to mar our pleasures The arbour that of old our Master made And therein takes delight to lay his treasures Will. Ah Brother Ned hast thou no better learnd Then thus to reverence foolish painted clothes Thine eye I 'm sure hath better things discern'd I dare be bold such things thy judgement lothes A Cobler is a Christian wilt thou look Upon his servile clothes with high disdain That 's not Gods eye I 'm sure and who can brooke Ah who can bear this base indignity Christ did not with his Rabby Doctours sit So much to hear them as for to oppose Their vanity and their great want of wit With an intent his treasure to disclose Where is the Scribe the crafty scribling Scribe The Worlds disputer rhetorician railer Boasting their great descent of Levies Tribe And in the Arm of flesh is aprevailer Leave offering to this Idoll now my friends Must we be alwayes children alwayes learning Of them that Preach themselves for their base ends For bread and cheese and pocket up their earnings But now because my word perhaps may fright thee I 'll sing a Song a little to delight thee The Song You that mindlesse Of unkindnesle Sit and sing away your hours In the Season When fair Reason Sits amongst the lovely flowers Where Birds singing Musick bringing To the Arbour of delight With such fitnesse With a witnesse Our Hobgoblins doth affright Natures chearing Voices clearing Come and help us bear a part Ease our longing Of Arts wronging Nature far surpasseth Art Nature's springing Helps our singing Give us natures wings to flie That will chear us And t will bear us Almost to eternity View the paving Where no waving Nor shadow of a change No appearing Of base fearing Can on the Meadows range View these building And the guilding And the noble Wreathes of Fame View the stories And the glories Of Loves never dying name Mark the Traces And the Graces Mark the shooes the soul doth wear Sweet affections Rare perfections In her steps there doth appear Mark the talkings And the walkings Of the lovely soul divine To the Center At adventure She wholly doth incline Where espying In her flying Far above the common Sphears Lovely beings Glorious seeings Which the longing soul uprears Who aspiring With desiring Both in nature and in name Though estranged Would be changed For to be the very same If I should use plain terms and call thee theef I think I should not wrong thee for I think Thou hast deceiv'd the gods and to be brief Without equivocation by this drink I 'll speak my minde thus I conceive of thee That thou hast got admittance to the place Where thou Heavens flames of sweet content didst see And being sped of such a noble grace Stole from the Altar in the heat of day Fire in thy Vessell and in Embers hid it And now 't is manifest thou dost assay To blaze it as thine own but we have spi'd it Will. Now where 's your charity I see you shoot At random now If Jonathan were here I dare be bold I de know him by his foot His Shafts of love would flie beyond us there But now I see thâ—art marry'd to thy minde Thy Freedom is but Bondage I could wish That thou wouldst never marry for I finde In troubled waters thou delight'st to fish Ah Will 't is well with thee that sitst among Thy fellow-Shepherds playing in the shade Whâ—lâ—t we are pester'd with a fearfull throng Of men of Mars that all our Coasts invade That spoil our mirth and hinder all our joys Our scattered flocks amazing with their noise Come we are friends let 's lay by discontent And let us sing The SONG AS of late In Babylon we sate By the waves Whose stout