The Poetical Works of - OUDL Home

But euer hggen in watch and ward,
From soddein force theyr flocks for to gard
HOBBINOLL
Ah Diggon, thilke same rule were too straight,
All the cold season to wach and waite
We bene of fleshe, men as other bee
Why should we be bound to such miserce ?
What euer thing lacketh chaungeable rest, 240
Mought needes decay, when it is at best
DIGGON
Ah but Hobbinol, all this long tale,
Nought easeth the care, that doth me forhaile
What shall I doe ? what way shall I wend,
My piteous plight and losse to amend ?
Ah good Hobbinol, mought I thee praye,
Of ayde or counsell in my decaye
SEPTEMBER 455
GLOSSE
The Dialecte and phrase of speache in this Dialogue,
seemeth somewhat to differ from the
tomen The cause whereof is supposed to be,
by occasion of the part) here in meant, -who
being very freend to the Author hereof, had
bene long in forraine countryes, and there seene
many disorders, which he here recounteth to
Hobbinoll
Bidde her) Bidde good morrow For to bidde, is
to praye, whereof commeth beadis for prayers,
and so they say, To bidde his beades s to saye
his prayers
Wightly) quicklye, or sodenlye
Chaffred) solde
Dead at mischiefe) an \nusuall speache, but much
vsurped of Lidgate, and sometime of Chaucer
Leefe) dare Ethe) easie
Thrice thre moones) nine monethes.
Measurtd)for traueled Wae) woe Northernly
Leked) encreased Caruen) cutte
Kenne) know Cragge) neck
State) stoutely Stanck) wearie or fainte
And nowe) He applieth it to the tyme of the yeare,
which is in thend of haruest, which they call the
fall of the leafe at which tyme the Westerne
wynde beareth most swaye
A mocke) Imitating Horace, Debes ludibrium
ventis
Lome) lefte Soote) swete
Vncoutht) vnknowen
Hereby there) here and there.
As the brighte) Translated out of Mantuane
Lmprise) for enterprise Per Syneopen
Contek) strife Trode) path
Marrie that) that is, their soules, which by pepish
Exorcismes and practises the) damme to hell
Blacki) hell Gange) goe Mister) maner
Mirke) obscure "Warre) worst
Crurmenall) purse Brace) compasse
1 neheson) occasion
Ouergrast) ouergrowen with grasse
Galage) shoe The grosse) the whole
Buxome and bent) meeke and obedient
Saxon king) K Edgare, that reigned here in
Brytanye in the yeare of our Lorde Which
king caused all the Wolues, whereof then was
store in thys country, by a proper policie to be
HOBBINOLL
Now by my soule Diggon, I lament
The haplesse mischief, that has thee hent,
Netheksse thou seest my lowly saile, 250
That froward fortune doth euer auaile
But were Hobbinoll, as God mought please,
Diggon should soone find fauour and ease
But if to my cotage thou wilt resort,
bo as I can, I wil thee comfort
There mayst thou ligge in a vetchy bed,
Till fayrer Fortune shewe forth her head
DIGGON
Ah Hobbinol, God mought it thee requite
Diggon on fewe such freends did euer lite
Diggons Embleme 260
Inopem me copia fecit
destroyed So as neuer since that time, there
haue ben Wolues here founde, vnlesse they were
brought from other countryes. And therefore
Hobbinoll rebuketh him of intruth, for saying
there be Wolues in England
Nor in Christendome) This saying seemeth to be
strange and vnreasonable but indede it was
wont to be an olde prouerbe and coraen phrase
The original whereof was, for that most part of
England in the reigne of king Lthelbert was
christened, Kent onely except, which remayned
long after in mysbeliefe and vnchristened. So.
that Kent was counted no part of Christendome*
Great hunt) Executing of lawes and rustice
Enaunter) least that
Inly) inwardly Afforesayde
Privie or pert) openly sayth Chaucer
Roflfy'i The name of a slu pehearde in Marot his
AEglogue of Robin and the Kinge Whome he
here commendeth for greate care and wise
gouernance of his flock
Colin cloute) Nowe I thinke no man doubteth but
by Colin is euer meante the Authour selfe
whose especiall good freend Hobbinoll sayth he
is. or more rightly Mayster Gabriel Haruey of
whose speciall commendation, aswell in Poetrye
as Rhetorike and other choyce learning we haue
lately had a sufficient tryall in diuerse his workes,
but specially in his Musarum Lachrymae, and his
late Gratulationum Valdinensium which boke 111
the progresse at Audley in Essex, he dedicated
in writing to her Maiestie Afterward presenting
the same in print \nto her Highnesse at the
worshipfull Maister Capells in Hertfordshire
Beside other his sundrye most rare and very
notable writings, partely vnder vnknown Tytles,
and partly vnder counterfayt names, as hys
Tyrannomastix, his Ode Natalitia. his Rameidos,
and esspecially that parte of Philomusus, his
diuine Anticosmopolita, and diuers other of lyke
importance As also by the names of other
shephcardes, he couereth the persons of diuers
other his familiar freendes and best acquayn
taunce
This tale of Roffy seemeth to coloure some parti
cular Action of his But what, I certemlye
know not