Not spending franklier than his flocke
Shall still defray the cost.

Well wot I, sooth they say, that say

More quiet nights and daies

The shepheard sleeps and wakes, than he

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Whose cattel he doth graize.

Beleeve me, lasse, a king is but
A man, and so am I:

Content is worth a monarchie,

And mischiefs hit the hie;

As late it did a king and his
Not dwelling far from hence,
Who left a daughter, save thyselfe,
For fair a matchless wench.'
Here did he pause, as if his tongue
Had done his heart offence.

The neatresse, longing for the rest,
Did egge him on to tell

How faire she was, and who she was.
'She bore,' quoth he, 'the bell

For beautie: though I clownish am,

I know what beautie is; Or did I not, at seeing thee, I senceles were to mis.

* * * * *

Her stature comely, tall; her gate
Well graced; and her wit

To marvell at, not meddle with,
As matchless I omit.

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A globe-like head, a gold-like haire,
A forehead smooth, and hie,
An even nose; on either side
Did shine a grayish eie:

Two rosie cheeks, round ruddy lips,
White just-set teeth within;

A mouth in meane; and underneathe
A round and dimpled chin.

Her snowie necke, with blewish veines,
Stood bolt upright upon

Her portly shoulders: beating balles
Her veined breasts, anon

Adde more to beautie. Wand-like was

Her middle falling still,

And rising whereas women rise: ***

And more, her long, and limber armes
Had white and azure wrists;

And slender fingers aunswere to

Her smooth and lillie fists.

A legge in print, a pretie foot;
Conjecture of the rest:

For amorous eies, observing forme,
Think parts obscured best.

With these, O raretie! with these
Her tong of speech was spare;

But speaking, Venus seem'd to speake,
The balle from Ide to bear.

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215

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With Phoebe, Juno, and with both
Herselfe contends in face;
Wheare equall mixture did not want
Of milde and stately grace.

Her smiles were sober, and her lookes
Were chearefull unto all:
Even such as neither wanton seeme,
Nor waiward; mell, nor gall.

A quiet minde, a patient moode,
And not disdaining any;

Not gybing, gadding, gawdy: and
Sweete faculties had many.

A nimph, no tong, no heart, no eie,

Might praise, might wish, might see; For life, for love, for forme; more good, More worth, more faire than shee.

Yea such an one, as such was none,
Save only she was such:

Of Argentile to say the most,

Were to be silent much.'

'I knew the lady very well,

But worthles of such praise,'

The neatresse said: 'and muse I do,
A shepheard thus should blaze
The [coate] of beautie1. Credit me,
Thy latter speech bewraies

Thy clownish shape a coinèd shew.
But wherefore dost thou weepe?'

1i.e. emblazon beauty's coat. Ed. 1597. 1602. 1612. read Coote.

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The shepheard wept, and she was woe,
And both doe silence keepe.

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In troth,' quoth he, 'I am not such,

As seeming I professe:

But then for her, and now for thee,

I from myselfe digresse.

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Her loved I (wretch that I am

A recreant to be)

I loved her, that hated love,
But now I die for thee.

At Kirkland is my fathers court,

And Curan is my name,

In Edels court sometimes in pompe,
Till love countrould the same:

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But now-what now?-deare heart, how now?

What ailest thou to weepe?'

The damsell wept, and he was woe,

And both did silence keepe.

'I graunt,' quoth she, it was too much.
That you did love so much:

But whom your former could not move,
Your second love doth touch.

Thy twice-beloved Argentile
Submitteth her to thee,
And for thy double love presents
Herself a single fee,

In passion not in person chang'd,
And I, my lord, am she.'

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They sweetly surfeiting in joy,

And silent for a space,

When as the extasie had end,

Did tenderly imbrace;

And for their wedding, and their wish
Got fitting time and place.

Not England (for of Hengist then

Was named so this land)

Then Curan had an hardier knight;

His force could none withstand:

Whose sheep-hooke laid apart, he then
Had higher things in hand.

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First, making knowne his lawfull claime

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In Argentile her right,

He warr'd in Diria,1 and he wonne

Bernicia1 too in sight:

And so from trecherous Edel tooke
At once his life and crowne,
And of Northumberland was king,
Long raigning in renowne.

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1 During the Saxon heptarchy, the kingdom of Northumberland (consisting of six northern counties, besides part of Scotland) was for a long time divided into two lesser sovereignties, viz. Deira (called here Diria) which contained the southern parts, and Bernicia, comprehending those which lay north.

XXV.

CORIN'S FATE.

Only the three first stanzas of this song are ancient; these are extracted from a small quarto MS. in the Editor's possession, written in the time of Q. Elizabeth. As they seemed to want application, this has been attempted by a modern hand.