Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, CLIO, NINE ECLOGUES IN HONOUR OF NINE VIRTUES: 2. OF GRATITUDE, by WILLIAM BASSE


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CLIO, NINE ECLOGUES IN HONOUR OF NINE VIRTUES: 2. OF GRATITUDE, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Jesper, how comes to pass you now alate
Last Line: Vertue to know, and use, is vertue twice.
Subject(s): Gratitude


Cuddy. Jesper
JESPER, How comes to pas you now alate
With hook so trim and scrip so laced shine?
Beware (young lad) thou 'pouerish not the state
Of thy fine flock, to make thy selfe so fine.
Shepheards, that long haue liu'd at thrifty rate,
And wealthy Neat-heards, that of pasture-kine
Good store of golden creame before hand haue,
Are seldom seene to deck themselues so braue.

Jesper
Cuddy, The more may thou and I condemne
Such as possesse and yet not use their wealth.
As he that thirstes in midst of pleasant streame,
And will not drinke, robs his owne self of health;
Vnused gaine is but a golden dreame,
And niggardnes unto it self a stealth.
Vse is the life of riches: take away
Both, life and use, both man and wealth are clay.

The man is truely rich on whom we see
The seemely arguments thereof appeare:
His wealth hath him, his riches hath not hee,
Who on himselfe doeth not the 'samples weare.
But know my little flock, and like degree,
Doe not this dressing ably yeild or beare;
For this fine hook, and scrip so gayly lac'd,
(No cost to me) rare bounty on me plac'd.

For which my fold, upon a solemne day,
To the faire hands of the bestower shall
A tender lambe full gratefully repay,
All stuck with flow'res as thick and sweet as fall
Of Sommers honey-dewes: whereto a lay
I will inuent to render it withall,
Set to as many notes as shall fulfill
All the divisions of mine oaten quill.

Cuddy
Borne wert thou (shepheard) on a lucky day,
Fauour to win, or fortunes to obtaine,
Such as, without destruction or decay
Vnto the sheep, so well becomes the swaine.
Alas! for us poore heards, whom euery way
Our niggard fortune hath in such disdaine,
That neither heard nor heardsman well can thriue,
Although for thrift we late and early striue.

I wot not what disaster hath fore-shew'd
My cattells ruth, what fate my thrift forbids,
What rauens death presaging song, or lewd
Witch-craft fore-speakes my miserable kids.
Some are with soares, with sicknesse some beshrew'd;
Some ore their eyes let fall their meagre lids:
Both old and young together often grone.
Direfull misfortune seldome comes alone.

Jesper
Yee wretched goat-heards thus cry out of fate,
Fortune, and starres, and witches wicked skill,
When 'tis more like your peruerse and ingrate
Behauiour is the cause of all your ill.
Who euer hopes for 'mendment of his state,
Must his ill manners mend and froward will.
This lesson learne of Pœmenarcha's Swayne:
There's none but ciuill shepheards in her traine.

Cuddy
Where haue I liu'd, that I till now that name
Did neuer heare reported on this greene?
Thou dost some idoll, Swaine, or fiction frame.

Jesper
O silly heardsman, that hast neuer seene
Thespe nor Tempe's shades; nor learn'd of Fame
That Pœmenarcha is the shepheards Queene;
The story of whose praise to sing or say
My wits too weake, and thine to bear away.

But thou this night beside my gentler sheep
May'st pen thy goats, and rest thy selfe with me.
Wee cider haue that will enchaunt thy lip,
And flawnes as yellow as the cow-slips bee.
Where something to her praise, that's in my scrip,
Thou by her sister Cynthia's light shall see;
For as she borrowes, and yet lends us light,
What Muse to me ha's lent, I'le lend thy sight.

Cuddy
Well hast thou done to minde me (gentle swaine)
That now the moone doth in her fulnes shine.
I may walke home with thee, and thou againe
With me retire from thine owne home to mine.
Though like to yours be not our entertaine,
Thy counsell sweet ha's made my heart like thine:
And thou shalt haue a quarter of the best
And fattest kid I haue, for supper drest.

Jesper
No keepe such feast of ven'son for some guest
Of better worth; thy offer is so kinde
It is to me more welcom then a feast,
To heare thy heart so thankefully inclin'd.
For Gratitude's a vertue of the breast,
That worke enough for both our breasts may finde,
From time the Queene of night begins to rise,
Vntill her brother gildes againe the skyes.

Iesper's Emblem
Vertue to know, and not to use, is vice.

Cuddye's Emblem
Vertue to know, and use, is vertue twice.





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