And pyping still he spent the day,
So merry as the popingay;1
Which liked2 Dowsabel:
That would she ought, or would she nought,
This lad would never from her thought;
She in love-longing fell.
At length she tucked up her frocke,
White as a lilly was her smocke,
She drew the shepheard nye;
But then the shepheard pyp'd a good,
That all his sheepe forsooke their foode,
To heare his melodye.
The sheepe, quoth she, cannot be leane,
That have a jolly shepheard's swayne,
The which can pipe so well:
Yea but, sayth he, their shepherd may,
If pyping thus he pine away
In love of Dowsabel.
Of love, fond boy, take thou no keepe,4
Quoth she; looke thou unto thy sheepe,
Lest they should hap to stray.
Quoth he, So had I done full well,
Had I not seen fayre Dowsabell
Come forth to gather Maye.
With that she gan to vaile her head,
Her cheeks were like the roses red,
But not a word she sayd:
With that the shepheard gan to frowne,
He threw his pretie pypes adowne,
And on the ground him layd.
Sayth she, I may not stay till night,
And leave my summer-hall undight,
And all for long of thee.
My coate," sayth he, nor yet my foulde
Shall neither sheepe nor shepheard hould,
Except thou favour mee.
Sayth she, Yet lever where I dead,
Then I should lose my mayden-head,
And all for love of men.
Sayth he, Yet are you too unkind,
If in your heart you cannot finde,
To love us now and then.
1 Popingay-parrot.
4 Keepe-heed.
3A good-a good deal. 5 Coate-cot.