b Thou for whom Jove would swear-] In this line, unless some epithet to "Jove" has been lost, "swear" is employed as a dissyllable.

c My flocks feed not, &c.] These verses, under the title of The Unknown Sheepheard's Complaint, and subscribed Ignoto, are printed in "England's Helicon." They are found also, with music, in Weelkes's Madrigals, 1599. That Shakespeare had any hand either in them or in the poor effusion beginning, "It was a lording's daughter," &c. is inconceivable.

Whenas thine eye hath chose the dame,

And stall'd the deer that thou shouldst strike,
Let reason rule things worthy blame,
As well as fancy partial might: k

Take counsel of some wiser head,
Neither too young, nor yet unwed.

And when thou com'st thy tale to tell,
Smooth not thy tongue with filed' talk,
Lest she some subtle practice smell,-
A cripple soon can find a halt ;-

But plainly say thou lov'st her well,
And set thy person forth to sell.m

What though her frowning brows be bent,
Her cloudy looks will clear " ere night;

woe," &c.

the cause of all my moan:] So Weelkes's Madrigals, and 'England's Helicon." "The Passionate Pilgrim" has, "my kAs well as fancy partial might :] This is very probably corrupt, but the change proposed by Steevens, "partial tike," is unendurable; and we have no faith in the reading said to be derived from a MS. of this poem in the possession of Mr. Collier,

Query,

"As well as partial fancy like," &c.

"As well as fancy martial might"? Compare, "Lucrece,"

1

"A martial man to be soft fancy's slave!" filed talk,-] Polished diction.

m And set thy person forth to sell.] A reading supplied by a manuscript copy of this poem, of the age of Shakespeare, which Malone used. The Passionate Pilgrim" has,

her person forth to sale."

n will clear-] So the MS. just referred to. "The Passionate Pilgrim" reads, "will calm," &c.

And then too late she will repent,
That thus dissembled her delight;
And twice desire, ere it be day,
That which with scorn she put away.

What though she strive to try her strength,
And ban and brawl, and say thee nay,
Her feeble force will yield at length,
When craft hath taught her thus to say,-
"Had women been so strong as men,
In faith you had not had it then."
And to her will frame all thy ways;
Spare not to spend,-and chiefly there
Where thy desert may merit praise,
By ringing in thy lady's ear:

The strongest castle, tower, and town,
The golden bullet beats it down.

Serve always with assured trust,
And in thy suit be humble-true;
Unless thy lady prove unjust,
Seek never thou to choose anew:

When time shall serve, be thou not slack
To proffer, though she put thee back.

The wiles and guiles that women work,
Dissembled with an outward show,
The tricks and toys that in them lurk,
The cock that treads them shall not know.
Have you not heard it said full oft,

A woman's nay doth stand for nought?

Think women love to match with men,
And not to live so like a saint:
Here is no heaven; they holy then
Begin when age does them attaint."
Were kisses all the joys in bed,
One woman would another wed.
But soft! enough,-too much I fear;
For if my mistress hear my song;
She will not stick to ring mine car,
To teach my tongue to be so long;

Yet will she blush, here be it said,
To hear her secrets so bewray'd.

XVIII.

Live with me, and be my love,d
And we will all the pleasures prove
That hills and valleys, dales and fields,
And all the craggy mountain yields.
There will we sit upon the rocks,
And see the shepherds feed their flocks,

a Begin when age does them attaint.] This is the lection of the MS. followed by Malone; it is poor stuff, but it has the advantage of being intelligible, which cannot be said of the corresponding stanza in "The Passionate Pilgrim,"

"Think women still to strive with men,

To sin and never for to saint;

There is no heaven by holy then,

When time with age shall them attaint."

b For if-] So the MS. "The Passionate Pilgrim" reads, "Lest that," &c.

c She will not stick to ring mine ear,-] The reading of the MS. used by Malone. That of "The Passionate Pilgrim" is,"to round me on th' ear," &c.

d Live with me, and be my love,-] This beautiful song, which

By shallow rivers, to whose falls
Melodious birds sing madrigals.

There will I make thee a bed of roses,
With a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle,
Embroider'd all with leaves of myrtle.

A belt of straw and ivy buds,
With coral clasps and amber studs ;
And if these pleasures may thee move,
Then, live with me and be my love.

LOVE'S ANSWER.

If that the world and love were young,* And truth in every shepherd's tongue, These pretty pleasures might me move To live with thee and be thy love.

XIX.

As it fell upon a day

In the merry month of May,
Sitting in a pleasant shade
Which a grove of myrtles made,
Beasts did leap, and birds did sing,

Trees did grow, and plants did spring;
Everything did banish moan,

Save the nightingale alone :
She, poor bird, as all forlorn,
Lean'd her breast up-till a thorn,
And there sung the dolefull'st ditty,
That to hear it was great pity:
"Fie, fie, fie," now would she cry,
"Tereu, tereu !" by and by;
That to hear her so complain,
Scarce I could from tears refrain;
For her griefs, so lively shown,
Made me think upon mine own.
Ah, thought I, thou mourn'st in vain!
None takes pity on thy pain:

Senseless trees they cannot hear thee;
Ruthless beasts they will not cheer thee,
King Pandion he is dead;

All thy friends are lapp'd in lead;
All thy fellow-birds do sing,
Careless of thy sorrowing.
Even so, poor bird, like thee,
None alive will pity me."

XX.

Whilst as fickle Fortune smil'd, Thou and I were both beguil'd :

is imperfectly given here, will be found complete at p. 687, Vol. I. It is generally supposed to have been written by Marlowe. e If that the world and love were young,-] The present version of the "Answer" is also defective. Compare the copy in "England's Helicon," where it bears the signature, often adopted by Sir Walter Raleigh, of Ignoto. See also Percy's "Reliques," Vol. I. p. 237, edit. 1812.

fbeasts, &c.] From the abridged version of this poem in "England's Helicon." "The Passionate Pilgrim" has " bears,"

Every one that flatters thee
Is no friend in misery.
Words are easy, like the wind;
Faithful friends are hard to find
Every man will be thy friend,

Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend ;
But if store of crowns be scant,
No man will supply thy want.
If that one be prodigal,
Bountiful they will him call:
And with such-like flattering,
Pity but he were a king.
If he be addict to vice,
Quickly him they will entice;

If to women he be bent,
They have him at commandement;
But if fortune once do frown,
Then farewell his great renown;
They that fawn'd on him before,
Use his company no more.
He that is thy friend indeed,
He will help thee in thy need;
If thou sorrow, he will weep;
If thou wake, he cannot sleep:
Thus of every grief in heart
He with thee doth bear a part.
These are certain signs to know
Faithful friend from flattering foe.

LET the bird of loudest lay,"
On the sole Arabian tree,
Herald sad and trumpet be,

To whose sound chaste wings obey.

But thou shrieking harbinger,
Foul pre-currer of the fiend,
Augur of the fever's end,b

To this troop come thou not near!

From this session interdict
Every fowl of tyrant wing,
Save the eagle, feather'd king:
Keep the obsequy so strict.

Let the priest in surplice white,
That defunctive music can,
Be the death-divining swan,
Lest the requiem lack his right.

And thou, treble-dated crow,
That thy sable gender mak'st
With the breath thou giv'st and tak'st,
'Mongst our mourners shalt thou go.

a Let the bird of loudest lay,-] "In 1601 a book was published, entitled Loves Martyr, or Rosalins Complaint, Allegorically shadowing the Truth of Love, in the constant Fate of the Phoenix and Turtle. A Poem enterlaced with much Varietie and Raritie; now first translated out of the venerable Italian Torquato Cæliano by Robert Chester. With the true Legend of famous King Arthur, the last of the nine Worthies; being the first Essay of a new British Poet: collected out of diverse authentical Records. "To these are added some new Compositions of several modern Writers, whose names are subscribed to their several Workes; upon the first Subject, viz. the Phoenix and Turtle.'

"Among these new compositions is the following poem, subscribed with our poet's name. The second title prefixed to these verses, is yet more full. Hereafter follow diverse Poetical Essaies on the former Subject, viz. the Turtle and Phoenix. Done by the best and chiefest of our modern Writers, with their Names subscribed to their particular Workes. Never before extant.

"And now first consecrated by them all generally to the Love and Merit of the true-noble knight, Sir John Salisburie.'

Here the anthem doth commence :-
Love and constancy is dead;
Phoenix and the turtle fled

In a mutual flame from hence.

So they lov'd, as love in twain Had the essence but in one; Two distincts, division none: Number there in love was slain.

Hearts remote, yet not asunder; Distance, and no space was seen "Twixt the turtle and his queen: But in them it were a wonder.

So between them love did shine, That the turtle saw his right Flaming in the phoenix' sight; Either was the other's mine.

Property was thus appall'd, That the self was not the same Single nature's double name

Neither two nor one was call'd.

"The principal writers associated with Shakspeare in this collection are Ben Jonson, Marston, and Chapman. The above very particular account of these verses leaves us, I think, no room to doubt of the genuineness of this little poem."-MALONE. b Augur of the fever's end,-] Compare, "A Midsummer Night's Dream," Act V. Sc. 2,

"Now the wasted brands do glow,
Whilst the scritch-owl, scritching loud,
Puts the wretch that lies in woe,

In remembrance of a shroud."

c That defunctive music can,-] That funereal music knows. d But in them-] Except in them.

e Property was thus appall'd,-] "Property" means here propriety. The sense of fitness was appall'd.

f Single nature's double name-] This may be right, though we have sometimes thought the genuine reading was,"Single natures, double name," &c.