Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, LAMON'S TALE, by PHILIP SIDNEY


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First Line: A shepherd's tale no height of style desires
Last Line: Which thus breathed out with earthquake of his heart:


A shepherd's tale no height of style desires
To raise in words what in effect is low;
A plaining song plain-singing voice requires,
For warbling notes from inward cheering flow,
I then, whose burdened breast but thus aspires
Of shepherds two the silly case to show
Need not the stately Muses' help invoke
For creeping rhymes, which often sighings choke.
But you, O you, that think not tears too dear
To spend for harms, although they touch you not,
And deign to deem your neighbours' mischief near
Although they be of meaner parents got:
You I invite with easy ears to hear
The poor-clad truth of love's wrong-ordered lot.
Who may be glad, be glad you be not such;
Who share in woe, weigh others have as much.
There was (O seldom blessed word of was!)
A pair of friends, or rather one called two,
Trained in the life which on short-bitten grass
In shine or storm must set the clouted shoe:
He that the other did in some years pass,
And in those gifts that years distribute do
Was Klaius called (ah Klaius, woeful wight!)
The later born, yet too soon, Strephon hight.
Epirus high was honest Klaius' nest;
To Strephon Aeol's land first breathing lent;
But East and West were joined by friendship's hest,
As Strephon's ear and heart to Klaius bent,
So Klaius' soul did in his Strephon rest.
Still both their flocks flocking together went,
As if they would of owners' humour be;
And eke their pipes did well, as friends, agree.
Klaius for skill of herbs, and shepherds' art,
Among the wisest was accounted wise;
Yet not so wise, as of unstained heart;
Strephon was young, yet marked with humble eyes
How elder ruled their flocks, and cured their smart,
So that the grave did not his words despise.
Both free of mind; both did clear-dealing love;
And both had skill in verse their voice to move.
Their cheerful minds, till poisoned was their cheer,
The honest sports of earthy lodging prove;
Now for a clod-like hare in form they peer;
Now bolt and cudgel squirrels' leap do move;
Now the ambitious lark with mirror clear
They catch, while he (fool!) to himself makes love.
And now at keels they try a harmless chance;
And now their cur they teach to fetch and dance.
When merry May first early calls the morn
With merry maids a-Maying they do go;
Then do they pull from sharp and niggard thorn
The plenteous sweets (can sweets so sharply grow?);
Then some green gowns are by the lasses worn
In chastest plays, till home they walk a-row;
While dance about the may-pole is begun;
When, if need were, they could at quintain run.
While thus they ran a low, but levelled, race,
While thus they lived (this was indeed a life!)
With nature pleased, content with present case,
Free of proud fears, brave beggary, smiling strife
Of climb-fall court, the envy-hatching place;
While those restless desires in great men rife
To visit so low folks did much disdain;
This while, though poor, they in themselves did reign.
One day (O day, that shined to make them dark!)
While they did ward sun-beams with shady bay,
And Klaius, taking for his younglings cark
(Lest greedy eyes to them might challenge lay)
Busy with ochre did their shoulders mark
(His mark a pillar was devoid of stay:
As bragging that, free of all passions' moan,
Well might he others bear, but lean to none):
Strephon with leavy twigs of laurel tree
A garland made on temples for to wear,
For he then chosen was the dignity
Of village-lord, that Whitsuntide, to bear;
And full, poor fool, of boyish bravery
With triumph's shows would show he naught did fear.
But fore-accounting oft makes builders miss;
They found, they felt, they had no lease of bliss.
For ere that either had his purpose done,
Behold (beholding well it doth deserve)
They saw a maid, who thitherward did run
To catch her sparrow, which from her did swerve,
As she a black silk cap on him begun
To set, for foil of his milk-white to serve.
She chirping ran; he peeping flew away;
Till hard by them both he and she did stay.
Well for to see they kept themselves unseen,
And saw this fairest maid, of fairer mind,
By fortune mean, in nature born a queen,
How well apaid she was her bird to find;
How tenderly her tender hands between
In ivory cage she did the micher bind;
How rosy moistened lips about his beak
Moving, she seemed at once to kiss and speak.
Chastened but thus, and thus his lesson taught,
The happy wretch she put into her breast
Which to their eyes the bowls of Venus brought,
For they seemed made even of sky-metal best,
And that the bias of her blood was wrought.
Betwixt them two the peeper took his nest,
Where, snugging well, he well appeared content
So to have done amiss, so to be shent.
This done, but done with captive-killing grace,
Each motion seeming shot from beauty's bow,
With length laid down she decked the lonely place.
Proud grew the grass that under her did grow;
The trees spread out their arms to shade her face;
But she, on elbow leaned, with sighs did show
No grass, no trees, nor yet her sparrow might
To long-perplexed mind breed long delight.
She troubled was (alas that it mought be!)
With tedious brawlings of her parents dear,
Who would have her in will and word agree
To wed Antaxius, their neighbour near.
A herdman rich of much account was he,
In whom no ill did reign, nor good appear.
In some such one she liked not his desire;
Fain would be free; but dreadeth parents' ire.
Kindly, sweet soul, she did unkindness take
That bagged baggage of a miser's mud
Should price of her, as in a market, make.
But gold can gild a rotten piece of wood;
To yield she found her noble heart did ache;
To strive she feared how it with virtue stood.
These doubting clouds o'er-casting heavenly brain,
At length in rows of kiss-cheek tears they rain.
Cupid, the wag, that lately conquered had
Wise counsellors, stout captains, puissant kings,
And tied them fast to lead his triumph bad,
Glutted with them, now plays with meanest things.
So oft in feasts with costly changes clad
To crammed maws a sprat new stomach brings;
So lords, with sport of stag and heron full,
Sometimes we see small birds from nests do pull.
So now for prey these shepherds two he took,
Whose metal stiff he knew he could not bend
With hearsay, pictures, or a window-look,
With one good dance, or letter finely penned,
That were in court a well proportioned hook,
Where piercing wits do quickly apprehend:
Their senses rude plain objects only move,
And so must see great cause before they love.
Therefore love armed in her now takes the field,
Making her beams his bravery and might;
Her hands, which pierced the soul's seven-double shield,
Were now his darts, leaving his wonted fight.
Brave crest to him her scorn-gold hair did yield;
His complete harness was her purest white.
But fearing lest all white might seem too good,
In cheeks and lips the tyrant threatens blood.
Besides this force, within her eyes he kept
A fire, to burn the prisoners he gains,
Whose boiling heat increased as she wept:
For even in forge cold water fire maintains,
Thus proud and fierce unto the hearts he stepped
Of them, poor souls; and cutting reason's reins,
Made them his own before they had it wist.
But if they had, could sheephooks this resist?
Klaius straight felt, and groaned at the blow,
And called, now wounded, purpose to his aid:
Strephon, fond boy, delighted, did not know
That it was love that shined in shining maid;
But lickerous, poisoned, fain to her would go,
If him new-learned manners had not stayed.
For then Urania homeward did arise,
Leaving in pain their well-fed hungry eyes.
She went; they stayed; or, rightly for to say,
She stayed in them, they went in thought with her;
Klaius indeed would fain have pulled away
This mote from out his eye, this inward burr.
And now, proud rebel, gan for to gainsay
The lesson which but late he learned too fur:
Meaning with absence to refresh the thought
To which her presence such a fever brought.
Strephon did leap with joy and jollity,
Thinking it just more therein to delight
Than in good dog, fair field, or shading tree;
So have I seen trim books in velvet dight
With golden leaves, and painted babery,
Of silly boys please unacquainted sight;
But when the rod began to play his part
Fain would, but could not, fly from golden smart.
He quickly learned Urania was her name,
And straight, for failing, graved it in his heart;
He knew her haunt, and haunted in the same,
And taught his sheep her sheep in food to thwart;
Which soon as it did bateful question frame
He might on knees confess his faulty part,
And yield himself unto her punishment,
While nought but game the self-hurt wanton meant.
Nay, even unto her home he oft would go,
Where bold and hurtless many plays he tries,
Her parents liking well it should be so,
For simple goodness shined in his eyes.
There did he make her laugh, in spite of woe,
So as good thoughts of him in all arise,
While into none doubt of his love did sink,
For not himself to be in love did think.
But glad Desire, his late embosomed guest,
Yet but a babe, with milk of sight he nursed;
Desire, the more he sucked, more sought the breast,
Like dropsy folk still drink to be a thirst;
Till one fair even an hour e'er sun did rest,
Who then in Lion's cave did enter first,
By neighbours prayed, she went abroad thereby,
At barley-break her sweet swift foot to try.
Never the earth on his round shoulders bare
A maid trained up from high or low degree
That in her doings better could compare
Mirth with respect, few words with courtesy,
A careless comeliness with comely care,
Self-'gard with mildness, sport with majesty:
Which made her yield to deck this shepherds' band;
And still, believe me, Strephon was at hand.
A-field they go, where many lookers be,
And thou, seek-sorrow Klaius, them among;
Indeed, thou said'st it was thy friend to see,
Strephon, whose absence seemed unto thee long,
While most with her, he less did keep with thee,
No, no; it was in spite of wisdom's song,
Which absence wished; love played a victor's part;
The heaven-love loadstone drew thy iron heart.
Then couples three be straight allotted there;
They of both ends the middle two do fly,
The two that in mid place, Hell called were,
Must strive with waiting foot and watching eye
To catch off them, and them to hell to bear,
That they, as well, as they, Hell may supply:
Like some which seek to salve their blotted name
With others' bolt, till all do taste of shame.
There may you see, soon as the middle two
Do coupled towards either couple make,
They, false and fearful, do their hands undo,
Brother his brother, friend doth friend forsake,
Heeding himself, cares not how fellow do,
But of a stranger mutual help doth take:
As perjured cowards in adversity
With sight of fear from friends to frembed do fly.
These sports shepherds devised such faults to show.
Geron, though old, yet gamesome, kept one end,
With Cosma, for whose love Pas passed in woe;
Fair Nous with Pas the lot to Hell did send;
Pas thought it hell, while he was Cosma fro.
At other end Uran did Strephon lend
Her happy-making hand, of whom one look
From Nous and Cosma all their beauty took.
The play began: Pas durst not Cosma chase,
But did intend next bout with her to meet;
So he, with Nous to Geron turned their race,
With whom to join fast ran Urania sweet;
But light-legged Pas had got the middle space,
Geron strave hard, but aged were his feet,
And therefore finding force now faint to be
He thought grey hairs afforded subtlety.
And so when Pas hand-reached him to take,
The fox on knees and elbows tumbled down;
Pas could not stay, but over him did rake,
And crowned the earth with his first touching crown;
His heels, grown proud, did seem at heaven to shake;
But Nous, that slipped from Pas, did catch the clown.
So laughing all, yet Pas to ease somedel,
Geron with Uran were condemned to hell.
Cosma this while to Strephon safely came,
And all to second barley-break are bent.
The two in Hell did toward Cosma frame,
Who should to Pas, but they would her prevent.
Pas, mad with fall, and madder with the shame,
Most mad with beams which he thought Cosma sent,
With such mad haste he did to Cosma go
That to her breast he gave a noisome blow.
She, quick, and proud, and who did Pas despise,
Up with her fist, and took him on the face.
'Another time', quoth she, 'become more wise'.
Thus Pas did kiss her hand with little grace,
And each way luckless, yet in humble guise,
Did hold her fast, for fear of more disgrace;
While Strephon might with pretty Nous have met;
But all this while another course he fet.
For as Urania after Cosma ran,
He, ravished with sight how gracefully
She moved her limbs, and drew the aged man,
Left Nous to coast the loved beauty nigh.
Nous cried, and chafed, but he no other can;
Till Uran, seeing Pas to Cosma fly,
And Strephon single, turned after him.
Strephon so chased did seem in milk to swim.
He ran, but ran with eye o'er shoulder cast,
More marking her, than how himself did go,
Like Numid lions by the hunters chased,
Though they do fly, yet backwardly do glow
With proud aspect, disdaining greater haste;
What rage in them, that love in him did show:
But God gives them instinct the man to shun,
And he by law of barley-break must run.
But as his heat with running did augment,
Much more his sight increased his hot desire:
So is in her the best of nature spent;
The air her sweet race moved doth blow the fire.
Her feet be pursuivants from Cupid sent,
With whose fine steps all loves and joys conspire.
The hidden beauties seemed in wait to lie
To down proud hearts that would not willing die.
Thus fast he fled from her he followed sore,
Still shunning Nous to lengthen pleasing race:
Till that he spied old Geron could no more,
Then did he slack his love-instructed pace;
So that Uran, whose arm old Geron bore,
Laid hold on him with most lay-holding grace.
So caught, him seemed he caught of joys the bell.
And thought it heaven so to be drawn to hell.
To hell he goes, and Nous with him must dwell.
Nous sware it was no right, for his default.
Who would be caught, that she should go to Hell;
But so she must. And now the third assault
Of barley-break among the six befell.
Pas Cosma matched, yet angry with his fault;
The other end Geron with Uran guard;
I think you think Strephon bent thitherward.
Nous counselled Strephon Geron to pursue,
For he was old, and eas'ly would be caught;
But he drew her as love his fancy drew,
And so to take the gem Urania sought,
While Geron old came safe to Cosma true,
Though him to meet at all she stirred nought.
For Pas, whether it were for fear or love,
Moved not himself, nor suffered her to move.
So they three did together idly stay,
While dear Uran, whose course was Pas to meet,
(He staying thus), was fain abroad to stray
With larger round, to shun the following feet.
Strephon, whose eyes on her back parts did play,
With love drawn on, so fast with pace unmeet
Drew dainty Nous, that she not able so
To run, brake from his hands, and let him go.
He single thus, hoped soon with her to be
Who nothing earthly, but of fire and air,
Though with soft legs, did run as fast as he.
He thrice reached, thrice deceived, when her to bear
He hopes, with dainty turns she him doth flee.
So on the downs we see, near Wilton fair,
A hasty hare from greedy greyhound go,
And past all hope his chaps to frustrate so.
But this strange race more strange conceits did yield:
Who victor seemed was to his ruin brought;
Who seemed o'erthrown was mistress of the field.
She fled, and took: he followed, and was caught.
So have I heard to pierce pursuing shield
By parents trained, the Tartars wild are taught,
With shafts shot out from their back-turned bow.
But ah! Her darts did far more deeply go.
As Venus' bird, the white, swift, lovely dove
(O happy dove, that art compared to her!)
Doth on her wings her utmost swiftness prove,
Finding the gripe of falcon fierce not fur:
So did Uran the narr the swifter move
(Yet beauty still as fast as she did stir)
Till with long race dear she was breathless brought,
And then the Phoenix feared to be caught.
Among the rest that there did take delight
To see the sports of double-shining day,
And did the tribute of their wondering sight
To nature's heir, the fair Urania, pay,
I told you Klaius was the hapless wight
Who earnest found what they accounted play.
He did not there do homage of his eyes,
But on his eyes his heart did sacrifice.
With gazing looks, short sighs, unsettled feet,
He stood, but turned as girosol to sun:
His fancies still did her in half way meet,
His soul did fly as she was seen to run.
In sum, proud Boreas never ruled fleet
(Who Neptune's web on danger's distaff spun)
With greater power, than she did make them wend.
Each way, as she, that age's praise, did bend.
Till spying well she well nigh weary was,
And surely taught by his love-open eye,
His eye, that even did mark her trodden grass,
That she would fain the catch of Strephon fly,
Giving his reason passport for to pass
Whither it would, so it would let him die.
He that before shunned her to shun such harms
Now runs, and takes her in his clipping arms.
For with pretence from Strephon her to guard
He met her full; but full of warefulness,
With inbowed bosom well for her prepared;
When Strephon, cursing his own backwardness.
Came to her back, and so with double ward
Imprison her, who both them did possess
As heart-bound slaves; and happy then embrace
Virtue's proof, fortune's victor, beauty's place.
Her race did not her beauty's beams augment.
For they were ever in the best degree;
But yet a setting forth it some way lent,
As rubies' lustre when they rubbed be.
The dainty dew on face and body went
As on sweet flowers when morning drops we see;
Her breath, then short, seemed loath from home to pass,
Which more it moved, the more it sweeter was.
Happy, O happy, if they so might bide
To see her eyes, with how true humbleness
They looked down to triumph over pride!
With how sweet saws she blamed their sauciness:
To feel the panting heart, which through her side
Did beat their hands, which durst so near to press;
Late near a cross I met an ugly cat.
'For, but by charms, how fall these things on me
That from those eyes where heavenly apples been,
Those eyes, which nothing like themselves can see,
Of fair Urania, fairer than a green
Proudly bedecked in April's livery,
A shot unheard gave me a wound unseen?
He was invisible that hurt me so;
And none invisible but sprites can go.
'When I see her my sinews shake for fear;
And yet, dear soul, I know she hurteth none;
Amid my flock with woe my voice I tear,
And, but bewitched, who to his flock would moan?
Her cherry lips, milk hands and golden hair
I still do see, though I be still alone.
Now make me think that there is not a fiend
Who, hid in angel's shape, my life would end.
'The sports wherein I wonted to do well
Come she, and sweet the air with open breast,
Then so I fail, when most I would do well,
That at me so amazed my fellows jest.
Sometimes to her news of myself to tell
I go about, but then is all my best
Wry words, and stammering, or else doltish dumb;
Say then, can this but of enchantment come?
'Nay, each thing is bewitched to know my case:
The nightingales for woe their songs refrain;
In river as I looked my pining face,
As pined a face as mine I saw again.
The courteous mountains, grieved at my disgrace,
Their snowy hair tear off in melting pain.
And now the dropping trees do weep for me,
And now fair evenings blush my shame to see.
'But you, my pipe, whilom my chief delight,
Till strange delight, delight to nothing ware;
And you, my flock, care of my careful sight,
While I was I, and so had cause to care;
And thou, my dog, whose truth and valiant might
Made wolves (not inward wolves) my ewes to spare:
Go you not from your master in his woe:
Let it suffice that he himself forego.
To see, to feel, to hear, to taste, to know
More than, besides her, all the earth could show.
But never did Medea's golden weed
On Creon's child his poison sooner throw
Than those delights through all their sinews breed
A creeping, serpent-like, of mortal woe:
Till she brake from their arms (although indeed
Going from them, from them she could not go)
And fare-welling the flock, did homeward wend,
And so that even the barley-break did end.
It ended, but the others' woe began:
Began, at least, to be conceived as woe,
For then wise Klaius found no absence can
Help him, who can no more her sight forego.
He found man's virtue is but part of man,
And part must follow where whole man doth go;
He found that Reason's self now reasons found
To fasten knots, which fancy first had bound.
So doth he yield; so takes he on his yoke.
Not knowing who did draw with him therein;
Strephon, poor youth, because he saw no smoke,
Did not conceive what fire he had within:
But after this to greater rage it broke,
Till of his life it did full conquest win,
First killing mirth, then banishing all rest,
Filling his eyes with tears, with sighs his breast.
Then sports grew pains; all talking tedious;
On thoughts he feeds; his looks their figure change;
The day seems long, but night is odious:
No sleeps but dreams; no dreams, but visions strange,
Till finding still his evil increasing thus
One day he with his flock abroad did range,
And coming where he hoped to be alone
Thus, on a hillock set, he made his moan:
'Alas! What weights are these that load my heart!
I am as dull as winter-starved sheep,
Tired as a jade in overloaden cart;
Yet thoughts do fly, though I can scarcely creep;
All visions seem, at every bush I start;
Drowsy am I, and yet can rarely sleep.
Sure I bewitched am, it is even that;
'For though, like wax, this magic makes me waste.
Or like a lamb whose dam away is fet
(Stol'n from her young by thieves' unchoosing haste)
He treble baas for help, but none can get;
Though thus, and worse, though now I am at last,
Of all the games that here e'er now I met:
Do you remember still you once were mine,
Till my eyes had their curse from blessed thine.
'Be you with me while I unheard do cry;
While I do score my losses on the wind;
While I in heart my will write e'er I die,
In which by will my will and wits I bind
Still to be hers, about her aye to fly,
As this same sprite about my fancies blind
Doth daily haunt: but so, that mine become
As much more loving, as less cumbersome.
'Alas! A cloud hath overcast mine eyes,
And yet I see her shine amid the cloud.
Alas! Of ghosts I hear the ghastly cries,
Yet there, me seems, I hear her singing loud.
This song she sings in most commanding wise:
"Come, shepherd's boy, let now thy heart be bowed
To make itself to my least look a slave:
Leave sheep, leave all, I will no piecing have."
'I will, I will, alas, alas, I will!
Wilt thou have more? More have, if more I be.
Away, ragg'd rams, care I what murrain kill?
Out, shrieking pipe, made of some witched tree;
Go, bawling cur, thy hungry maw go fill
On yond foul flock belonging not to me.'
With that, his dog he henced, his flock he cursed;
With that (yet kissed first) his pipe he burst.
This said, this done, he rase, even tired with rest,
With heart as careful, as with careless grace;
With shrinking legs, but with a swelling breast;
With eyes which threatened they would drown his face;
Fearing the worst, not knowing what were best,
And giving to his sight a wand'ring race,
He saw behind a bush where Klaius sat:
His well known friend, but yet his unknown mate,
Klaius the wretch, who lately yelden was
To bear the bonds which time nor wit could break
(With blushing soul at sight of judgement's glass,
While guilty thoughts accused his Reason weak)
This morn alone to lonely walk did pass
Within himself of her dear self to speak,
Till Strephon's plaining voice him nearer drew,
Where by his words his self-like cause he knew.
For hearing him so oft with words of woe
Urania name, whose force he knew so well,
He quickly knew what witchcraft gave the blow
Which made his Strephon think himself in hell;
Which when he did in perfect image show,
To his own wit, thought upon thought did well,
Breeding huge storms within his inward part,
Which thus breathed out with earthquake of his heart:





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