"And eke you Virgins, that on Parnasse dwell, "Whence floweth Helicon, the learned well, 66 Helpe me to blaze "Her worthy praise, "Which in her sexe doth all excell. "Of fayre Elisa be your silver song, “that blessed wight, "The flowre of Virgins: may shee florish long "For shee is Syrinx daughter without spotte, "Of heavenly race, "No mortall blemishe may her blotte. "See, where she sits upon the grassie greene, "(O seemely sight!) "Yclad in Scarlot, like a mayden Queene, "and ermines white: "Upon her head a Cremosin coronet, "Tell me, have ye seene her angelick face, "like Phoebe fayre? "Her heavenly haveour, her princely grace, "The Redde rose medled with the White yfere, "In either cheeke depeincten lively chere : "Her modest eye, "Her Majestie, "Where have you seene the like, but there? "I saw Phœbus thrust out his golden hedde, 50 70 "But, when he sawe howe broade her beames did spredde, "it did him amaze. "He blusht to see another Sunne belowe, "Ne durst againe his fyrye face out showe. "Let him, if he dare, "His brightnesse compare "With hers, to have the overthrowe. "Shewe thyselfe, Cynthia, with thy silver rayes, "and be not abasht: "When shee the beames of her beautie displayes, "O, how art thou dasht! "But I will not match her with Latonaes seede; "Such follie great sorow to Niobe did breede : "Now she is a stone, "And makes dayly mone, "Warning all other to take heede. "Pan may bee proud that ever hee begot "such a Bellibone; "And Syrinx rejoyse that ever was her lot "Soone as my younglings cryen for the dam “And I her shepherds swayne, "Albee forswonck and forswatt I am. 80 90 "I see Calliope speede her to the place, "where my Goddesse shines; "And after her the other Muses trace, "with their violines. "Bene they not Bay braunches which they doe beare, "All for Elisa in her hand to weare? "Lo! how finely the Graces can it foote "to the Instrument: "They dauncen deffly, and singen soote, "in their meriment. "Wants not a fourth Grace, to make the daunce even? "Let that rowme to my Lady bee yeven. "She shalbe a Grace, "To fyll the fourth place, "And reigne with the rest in heaven. "And whither rennes this bevie of Ladies bright, 66 "raunged in a rowe? 'They bene all Ladyes of the lake behight, "that unto her goe. 'Chloris, that is the chiefest Nymph of al, "Of Olive braunches beares a Coronall: "Olives bene for peace, "When wars doe surcease: "Such for a Princesse bene principall. 120 "Ye shepheards daughters, that dwell on the greene, "hye you there apace: "Let none come there but that Virgins bene, "to adorne her grace: 130 And, when you come whereas shee is in place, "See that your rudenesse doe not you disgrace : "Binde your fillets faste, "And gird in your waste, "For more fineness, with a tawdrie lace. "Bring hether the Pincke and purple Cullambine, "with Gelliflowres ; "Bring Coronations, and Sops in wine, 66 worne of Paramoures: "Strowe me the ground with Daffadowndillies, 140 "And Cowslips, and Kingcups, and loved Lillies: "The pretie Pawnce, "And the Chevisaunce, "Shall match with the fayre flowre Delice. "Now ryse up, Elisa, decked as thou art “in royall aray; "And now ye daintie Damsells may depart "echeone her way. "I feare I have troubled your troupes to[o] longe, "Let dame Elisa thanke you for her song: 'And, if you come hether "When Damsines I gether, “I will part them all you among." 150 The. And was thilk same song of Colins owne making? Ah, foolish Boy! that is with love yblent; Great pittie is, hee be in such taking, For naught caren that bene so lewldly bent. Hob. Sicker I hold him for a greater fon, THENOTS EMBLEME. O quam te memorem Virgo! HOBBINOLLS EMBLEME. O dea certe ! 160 MAYE. EGLOGA QUINTA. ARGUMENT. In this fift Eglogue, under the person of two shepheards, Piers and Palinodie, be represented two formes of pastoures or Ministers, or the protestant and the Catholique; whose chiefe talke standeth in reasoning, whether the life of the one must be like the other; with whom having shewed, that it is daungerous to mainteine any felowship, or give too much credit to their colourable and feyned good will, he telleth him a tale of the foxe, that, by such a counterpoynt of craftines, deceived and devoured the credulous kidde. PALINODE. PIERS. Palinode. S not thilke the mery moneth of May, Our bloncket liveryes bene all to sadde For thilke same season, when all is ycladd With pleasaunce: the ground with grasse, the Wods |