Englands Helicon. Or The Muses harmony.

¶Cinthia the Nimph, her Song to faire Polydora.

NEere to the Riuer bankes, with greene And pleasant trees on euery side, Where freest minds would most haue beene, That neuer felt braue Cupids pride, To passe the day and tedious howers: Amongst those painted meades and flowers.

A certaine Shepheard full of woe, Syrenus call'd, his flocks did feede: Not sorrowfull in outward show, But troubled with such griefe indeed As cruell Loue is wont t'impart. Vnto a painefull louing hart.

This Shepheard euery day did die, For loue he to Diana bare: A Shepheardesse so fine perdie, So liuely, young, and passing faire, Excelling more in beauties feature: Then any other humane creature.

Who had not any thing, of all She had, but was extreame in her, For meanely wise none might her call, Nor meanely faire, for he did erre If so he did: but should deuise Her name of passing faire and wise.

Fauours on him she did bestow, Which if she had not, then be sure He might haue suffered all that woe Which afterward he did endure When he was gone, with lesser paine, And at his comming home againe.

For when indeed the hart is free From suffering paine or torment smart: If wisedome doth not ouer-see And beareth not the greatest part; The smallest griefe and care of minde: Doth make it captiue to their kinde.

Neere to a Riuer swift and great, That famous Ezla had to name: The carefull Shepheard did repeate The feares he had by absence blame, Which he suspect where he did keepe: And feede his gentle Lambs and Sheepe.

And now sometimes he did behold His Shepheardesse, that there about Was on the mountaines of that old And auncient Leon, seeking out.

From place to place the pastures best. Her Lambes to feede, her selfe to rest.

And sometime musing, as he lay When on those hils shee was not seene: Was thinking of that happy day, When Cupid gaue him such a Queene Of beautie, and such cause of ioy: Wherein his minde he did imploy.

Yet said (poore man) when he did see Himselfe so sunke in sorrowes pit: The good that Loue hath giuen me, I onely doe imagine it, Because this neerest harme and trouble: Hereafter I should suffer double.

The Sunne for that it did decline, The carelesse man did not offend With fierie beames, which scarce did shine But that which did of loue depend, And in his hart did kindle fire: Of greater flames and hote desire.

Him did his passions all inuite, The greene leaues blowne with gentle winde: Christaline streames with their delight, And Nightingales were not behinde, To helpe him in his louing verse: Which to himselfe he did rehearse.

FINIS.

Bar. Yong.