MANNE.

Syr Rogerre, the parsone, hav hyred mee there, Comme, comme, lett us tryppe ytte awaie, We'lle wurke z and we'lle synge, and weylle drenche of stronge beer

As longe as the merrie sommers daie.

WOMANNE.

How harde ys mie dome to wurch!
Moke is mie woe.

Dame Agnes, whoe lies ynne the Chyrche
With birlettec golde,

Wythe geltend aumerese stronge ontolde,
What was shee moe than me, to be soe?

MANNE.

I kenne Syr Roger from afar
Tryppynge over the lea;
Ich ask whie the loverdsf son
Is moe than mee.

SYR ROGERRE.

The sweltrieg sonne dothe hie apace hys wayneh, From everich beme a semei of lyfe doe falle ; Swythynk scillel oppe the haie upponne the playne;

Methynckes the cockes begynneth to grem talle. Thys ys alyche oure doome; the great, the smalle, Moste withen and bee forwyned o by deathis darte. See! the swote flourettep hathe noe swote at alle : Itte wythe the ranke wede bereth evalleg parte. The craventr, warrioure, and the wyse be blentes, Alyche to drie awaie wythe those theie dyd bementet. MANNE.

All-a-boon u, Syr Priest, all-a-boon.

Bye yer preestschype nowe saye unto mee; Syr Gaufryd the knyghte, who lyvethe harde bie, Whie shoulde hee than mee

z Work.

a Drink. b Work. c A hood.

d Guilded. e Borders of gold and silver. f Lord's. g Sultry. h Car.

i Seed.

• Dried.

k Quickly. / Gather.

¿ Lament. u Asking a favour.

m Grow.

n-Wither.

Bee moe greate,

Inne honnoure, knyghtehoode and estate?

SYR ROGERRE.

Attourner thy eyne arounde thys haied mee,
Tentyfliey loke arounde the chaperz delle a;
An answere to thie barganette & here see,
Thys welkede flourette wylle a leson telle:
Aristd it blewe, itte florished, and dyd well,
Lokeynge ascaunceƒ upon the naighboure greene;
Yet with the deigned g greene y ttes rennome / felle,
Eftsoones ytte shronke upon the daie-brente i
playne,

Didde not yttes loke, whilest ytte there dyd stonde, To croppe ytte in the bodde move somme dred honde.

Sykek ys the waie of lyffe; the loverds entel
Mooveth the robber hym therfor to sleam;
Gyf thou has ethen, the shadowe of contente,
Beleive the trotheo, theres none moe hailep yan
thee.

Thou wurchestq; welle, canne thatte a trobble bee?
Slothe moe wulde jade thee than the roughest daie.
Couldest thou the kivercledr of soughlyss see,
Thou wouldst eftsoones see trothe ynne whatte
I saie;

Botte lette me heere thie waie of lyffe, and thenne Heare thou from me the lyffe of odber menne.

MANNE.

I ryse wyth the sonne,

Lyche hym to dryve the waynet,
And eere mie wurche is don

I synge a songe or twayneu.
I followe the plough-tayle,
Wythe a longe jubbz of ale.

g

Disdained.

b A song. f Disdainfully.

h Glory. i Sun-burut. k Such. A purse.

m Slay. n Ease. o Truth. p Happy. 9 Workest. r Hidden. Souls, Car, u Two, z A bottle.

Botte of the maydens, oh!
Itte lacketh notte to telle;

Syre Preeste mote notte crie woe,
Culde hys bull do as welle.

I daunce the beste heiedeygnesy,
And foile the wysest feygnes a.
On everych Seynctes hie daie
Wythe the mynstrelle am I seene,
All a footeynge it awaie,

Wythe maydens on the greene.

But oh! I wyshe to be moe greate,
In rennome, tenure and estate.

SYR ROGERRE.

Has thou ne seene a tree uponne a hylle, Whose unliste c brauncesd rechen far toe syghte; Whan fuired e unwersƒ doe the heaven fylle, Itte shaketh deereg yn doleh and moke i affryghte. Whylest the congeonk flowrette abessie/ dyghte, Stondethe unhurte, unquaced m bie the storme: Syke is a picten of lyffe: the manne of myghte Is tempest-chaft o, hys woe greate as hys forme; Thieselfe a flowrette of a small accounte, Wouldst harder felle the wynde, as hygher thee dydste mounte.

ECLOGUE THE FOURTH.

ELINOURE and JUGA.

NNE Ruddeborne bank twa pynynge Maydens

Ο sate,

Theire teares faste dryppeynge to the waterre cleere ;

Echone bementyngep for her absente mate,
Who atte Seynete Albonns shouke the morthynge q

speare.

y A country dance. Baffle. a Feints. b A musician. Unbounded. d Branches. e Furious. f Tempests. g Dire. i Much. le Dwarf. / Humility. m Unhurt. Tempest-beaten.

h Dismay. n Picture.

Lamenting. 9 Murdering.

The nottebrowne Elinoure to Juga fayre

Dydde speke acrooler, wythe languishment of eyne, Lyche droppes of pearlie dew, lemeds the quyvryng brine.

ELINOURE.

O gentle Juga! heare mie dernier plainte,
To fyghte for Yorke mie love ys dyghte in stele;
O mai ne sanguen steine the whyte rose peyncte,
Mai good Seyncte Cuthberte watche Syrre Ro-
berte wele.

Moke moe thanne deathe in phantasie I feele; See! see! upon the grounde he bleedynge lies; Inhild u some joice of lyfe, or else mie deare love dies.

JUGA.

Systers in sorrowe on thys daise-ey'd banke, Where melancholych broods, we wyll lamente; Be wette wythe mornynge dewe and evene danke; Lyche levyndez okes in eche the odher bente, Or lyche forlettenny halles of merriemente, Whose gastlie mitchesz holde the traine of fryghte, Where lethale a ravens bark, and owlets wake the pyghte.

ELINOURE.

No moe the miskynetteb shall wake the morne, The minstrelle daunce, good cheere, and morryce

plaie ;

No moe the amblynge palfrie and the horne Shall from the lessel c rouze the foxe awaie; I'll seke the forreste alle the lyve-longe daie; Alle neted amengee the gravde chyrche glebeƒ wyll

goe,

And to the passante Spryghtes lectureg mie tale of woe.

r Faintly. s Glistened. t Sad. u Infuse. r Blasted. y Forsaken. z Ruins. Deadly. b A small bagpipe. c A bush or hedge. d Night. e Among. f Church-yard. g Relate.

JUGA.

Whan mokie h cloudis do hange upon the leme Of ledeni Moon, ynn sylver mantels dyghte; The tryppeynge Faeries weve the golden dreme Of'Selynessk, whyche flyeth wythe the nyghte; Thenne (botte the Seynctes forbydde!) gif to a spryte

Syrr Rychardes forme ys lyped, I'll holde dystraughte

Hys bledeynge clai-colde corse, and die eche daie ynn thoughte.

ELINOURE.

Ah woe bementyngem wordes; what wordes can shewe!

Thou limed ryver, on thie linchen mai bleede, Champyons, whose bloude wylle wythe thie waterres flowe,

And Rudborne streeme be Rudborne streeme indeede !

Haste, gentle Juga, tryppe ytte oere the meade, To knowe, or wheder we muste waile agayne, Or wythe oure fallen knyghtes be mengedo onne the plain.

Soe sayinge, lyke twa levyn-blasted trees,

Or twayne of cloudes that holdeth stormie rayne;
Theie moved gentle oere the dewie mees,
To where Seyncte Albons holie shrynes remayne.
There dyd theye fynde that bothe their knyghtes
were slayne,

Distraughtep theie wandered to swollen Rudbornes syde,

Yelled theyre lethalle knelle, sonke ynn the waves and dyde.

h Black. i Decreasing. k Happiness. Lamenting. n Bank, o Mingled. p Distracted.

1 Linked.