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544
COLIN
Therefore vmustly thou doest wyte them all, For him the greatest of the Gods we deeme,
For that which thou miskkedst in a few Borne without Syre or couples, of one kynd,
Blame is (quoth he) more blamelesse generall, For Venus selfe doth soly couples seeme, 801
Then that which pnuate errours doth pursew Both maleandfemale, through comrmxtureioynd,
For well I wot, that there amongst them bee, So pure and spotlesse Cuptd forth she brought,
Full many persons of right worthie parts, 752 And in the gardens of Adorns nurst
Both for report of spotlesse honestie,
Where growing, he his owne perfection wrought,
And for profession of all learned arts, And shortly was of all the Gods the first
Whose praise hereby no whit impaired is, Then got he bow and shafts of gold and lead,
Though blame do light on those that faultie bee, In which so fell and puissant he grew,
For all the rest do most what fare amis, That loue himselfe his powre began to dread,
And yet their owne misfarmg will not see And taking vp to heauen, him godded new
For either they be puffed vp with pride, From thence he shootes his arrowes euery where
Or fraught with enuie that their galls do swell, Into the world, at randon as he will, 812
Or they their dayes to ydlenesse diuide, 761 On vs fraile men, his wretched vassals here,
Or drownded lie m pleasures wastefull well, Like as himselfe vs pleaseth, saue or spill
In which like Moldwarps nouslmg still they So we him worship, so we him adore
lurke,
With humble hearts to heauen vphfted hre,
Vnmyndfull of chiefe parts of manlinesse, That to true loues he may vs euermore
And do themselues for want of other worke, Preferre, and of thtir grace vs dignifie
Vaine votaries of laesie loue professe, Ne is thereshepheard,neyetshepheardsswaine,
Whose seruice high so basely they ensew, What euer feeds m forest or in field, 820
That Cupid selfe of them ashamed is, That dare with euil deed or leasing vaine
And mustnng all his men in Venus vew, Blaspheme his powre, or termesvnworthie yield
Denies them quite for seruitors of his 770 Shepheard it seemes that some celestial! rage
And is loue then (said Corylas) once knowne Of loue (quothCuddy) isbreath'd into thy brest,
In Court, and his sweet lore professed there ? That powreth forth these oracles so sage,
I weened sure he was our God alone
Of that high powre, where with thou art possest
And only woond in fields and forests here But neuer wist I till this present day
Not so (quoth he) loue most aboundeth Albe of loue I alwayes humbly deemed,
there
That he was such an one, as thou doest say,
For all the walls and windows there are writ, And so religiously to be esteemed 830
All full of loue, and loue, and loue my dearc, Well may it seeme by this thy deep insight,
And all their talke and studie is of it
That of that God the Priest thou shouldest bee
Ne any there doth braue or valiant seeme, So well thou wot'st the mystene of his might,
Vnlesse that some gay Mistresse badge he As if his godhead thou didst present sec
beares 780 Of loues perfection perfectly to speake,
Ne any one himselfe doth ought esteeme, Or of his nature rightly to define,
Vnlesse he swim in loue vp to the eares Indeed (said Colin) passeth reasons reach,
But they of loue and of his sacred kre, And needs his priest t'expresse his powre diuine
(As it should be) all otherwise deuise,
tor long before the world he was y'bore
Then we poore shepheards are accustomd here, And bad aboue in Venus bosome deare 840
And him do sue and,serue all otherwise For by his powre the world was made of yore,
For with lewd speeches and licentious deeds, And all that therein wondrous doth appeare
His mightie mysteries they do prophage, For how should else things so far from attone
And vse his ydle name to other needs, And so great enemies as of them bee,
But as a complement for courting vaine 790 Be euer drawne together into one,
So him they do .not serue as they professe, And taught in such accordance to agree ?
But make him strue to them for sordid vses, Ihrough him the cold began to couet heat,
Ah my dread Lord, that doest liege hearts And water fire, the light to mount on hie,
possesse,
And th'heauie downe to peize, the hungry t'eat
Auenge thy selfe on them for their abuses And voydnesse to seeke full satietie 850
But we poore shepheards, whether rightlv so, So being former foes, they wexed friends,
Or through our rudenesse into errour led, And gan by litle learne to loue each other
Do make religion how we rashly go,
So being knit, they brought forth other kynds
To seruc that God, that is so greatly dred, Out of the fruitfull wombe of their great mother.