Page images
PDF
EPUB

ARGOL.

Ah, Myco! half my flock would I bestow,
Should Colinet to me his cunning show:
So trim his fonnets are, I pr'ythee, swain,
Now give us, once, a sample of his strain ;
For wonders of that lad the shepherds say,
How fweet his pipe, how ravishing his lay!
The sweetness of his pipe and lay rehearse;
And ask what boon thou willest for thy verse.
MY CO.

Since then thou lift, a mournful song I chufe:
A mournful fong relieves a mournful Muse.
Faft by the river on a bank he fate,
To weep the lovely maid's untimely fate,
Fair Stella hight: a lovely maid was fhe,
Whose fate he wept, a faithful fhepherd he.
Awake, my pipe; in every note express
Fair Stella's death, and Colinet's difirefs.

O woeful day! O, day of woe to me! "That ever I should live fuch day to fee!

That ever he could die! O, most unkind,

40

44

48

52.

"To go and leave thy Colinet behind!

56

"From blameless love, and plighted troth to go,

"And leave to Colinet a life of woe !"

Awake, my pipe; in every note express

Fair Stella's death, and Colinet's diftrefs.

68

"And yet, why blame I her? Full fain would the With dying arms have clafp'd herself to me;

"I clafp'd

64

"I clafp'd her too, but death prov'd over-strong; "Nor vows nor tears could fleeting life prolong: "Yet how fhall I from vows and tears refrain?" "And why fhould vows, alas ! and tears be vain ?” Awake, my pipe; in every note exprefs Fair Stella's death, and Collinet's diftrefs.

68

72

"Aid me to grieve, with bleating moan, my sheep, "Aid me, thou ever-flowing stream, to weep; "Aid me, ye faint, ye hollow winds, to figh, "And thou, my woe, affift me thou to die. "Me flock, nor ftream, nor winds nor woes, relieve; "She lov'd through life, and I through life will grieve.” Awake, my pipe; in every note express.

Fair Stella's death, and Colinet's diftrefs.

76

"Ye gentler maids, companions of my fair, "With down-cast look, and with dishevel'd hair, "All beat the breaft, and wring your hands and moan.; Her hour, untimely, might have prov'd your own; 80 « Her hour, untimely, help me to lament;

"And let your hearts at Stella's name relent."

Awake, my pipe; in every note exprefs

Fair Stella's death, and Colinet's distress.

"In vain th' indearing luftre of your eyes "We dote upon, and you as vainly prize.

84

"What though your beauty bless the faithful swain, "And in th' enamour'd heart like queens ye reign; 88 "Yet in their prime does death the fairest kill, "As ruthless winds the tender bloffoms fpill."

Awake,

Awake, my pipe; in every note express

Fair Stella's death, and Colinet's diftrefs.

"Such Stella was; yet Stella might not live! "And what could Colinet in ransøm give ? "Oh! if or mufic's voice, or beauty's charm, "Could milden death, and stay his lifted arm, "My pipe her face, her face my pipe might fave, “Redeeming each the other from the grave."

Awake, my pipe; in every note express Fair Stella's death, and Colinet's distress.

“Ah, fruitless wish! fell death's uplifted arm "Nor beauty can arreft, nor mufic charm. "Behold! oh, baleful fight fee where she lies! "The budding flower, unkindly blafted, dies: "Nor, though I live the longest day to mourn, “ Will she again to life and me return.”

Awake, my pipe; in every note express Fair Stella's death, and Colinet's distress.

"Unhappy Colinet! what boots thee now, "To weave fresh girlonds for thy Stella's brow? No girlond ever more may Stella wear, "Nor fee the flowery season of the year, "Nor dance, nor fing, nor ever fweetly smile, "And every toil of Colinet beguile."

Awake, my pipe; in every note express Fair Stella's death, and Colinet's diftress.

"Throw by the lily, daffodil, and rose;

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

Wreaths of black yew, and willow pale, compofe,

120

"With baneful hemlock, deadly nightfhade, drefs'd, "Such chaplets as may witnefs thine unreft, "If aught can witnefs: O, ye fhepherds tell, "When I am dead, no fhepherd lov'd fo well!"

Awake, my pipe; in every note exprefs Fair Stella's death, and Colinet's diftrefs.

124

"Alack, my fheep! and thou, dear spotlefs lamb, "By Stella nurs'd, who wean'd' the from the dam, "What heed give I to aught but to my grief, "My whole employment, and my whole relief! 128 "Stray where ye lift, fome happier master try : "Yet once, my flock, was none fo blefs'd as I." Awake, my pipe; in every note express ̧· Fair Stella's death, and Colinet's diftrefs.

132

"My pipe, whofe foothing found could paffion move, "And first taught Stella's virgin heart to love, "Shall filent hang upon this blafted oak,

Whence owls their dirges fing, and ravens croak: 136 "Nor lark, nor linnet, fhall my day delight, "Nor nightingale fufpend my moan by night: "The night and day shall undistinguish'd be, "Alike to Stella, and alike to me."

No more, my pipe; here ceafe we to express Fair Stella's death, and Colinet's distress.

Thus, forrowing, did the gentle fhepherd fing,

And urge the valley with his wail to ring.
And now that sheep-hook for my fong I crave.

140

$144

ARGOL.

ARGOL.

Not this, but one more coftly, fhalt thou have, Of season'd elm, where studs of brass appear,

To speak the giver's name, the month, and year; 148
The hook of polish'd steel, the handle torn'd,
And richly by the carver's fkill adorn'd.

O, Colinet, how fweet thy grief to hear!
How does thy verfe fubdue the listening ear!
Soft falling as the ftill, refreshing dew,

To flake the drought, and herbage to renew:
Not half fo fweet the midnight winds, which move
In drowsy murmurs o'er the waving grove,

152

156

Nor valley brook that, hid by alders, speeds

O'er pebbles warbling, and through whispering reeds,

Nor dropping waters, which from rocks diftil,

And welly-grots with tinkling echoes fill.

160

Thrice happy Colinet, who can relieve

Heart-anguish fore, and make it sweet to grieve!

And next to thee fhall Myco bear the bell,

Who can repeat thy peerless fong fo well:

164

But fee! the hills increafing shadows cast;

The fun, I ween, is leaving us in haste :

His weakly rays faint glimmer through the wood,

And bluey mists arise from yonder flood.

168

MY CO.

Bid then our dogs to gather in the sheep.

Good thepherds, with their flock, betimes fhould fleep. Who late lies down, thou know'ft, as late will rife, And, fluggard-like, to noon-day fnoring lies,

172

« PreviousContinue »