The Canterbury tales and Faerie queene &c., &c., &c., ed. for popular perusal with current illustrations and explanatory notes, by D. Laing Purves.

SEPTEMBER.] THE SHEPHERD'S CALENDAR. 575
D. Her was her, while it was daylight, Well-away the while I was so fond 22
But now her is a most wretched wight: To leave the good, that I had in hand,
For day, that was, is wightly 1 past, In hope of better that was uncouth! 23
And now at erst 2 the dark night doth haste. So lost the dog the flesh in his mouth.
H. Diggon, aread3 who has thee so dight; 4 My silly sheep (ah! silly sheep!)
Never I wist thee in so poor a plight. That hereby there I whilom us'd to keep,
WVhere is the fair flock thou wast wont to lead? All 24 were they lusty as thou didst see,
Or be they chaffer'd,5 or at mischief dead? 6 Be all starved with pine and penury;
D. Ah! for love of that is to thee most lief,7 Hardly myself escaped thilk 25 pain,
Hobbinol, I pray thee gall not my old grief; Driven for need to come home again.
Such question rippeth up cause of new woe, H. Ah, fon! 26 now by thy loss art taught
For one, opened, might unfold many mo'. That seldom change the better brought:
H. Nay, but sorrow close shrouded in heart, Content who lives with tried state,
I know, to keep is a burdenous smart: Need fear no change of frowning Fate;
Each thing imparted is more eath 8 to bear: But who will seek for unknown gain,
When the rain is fallen, the clouds waxen clear. Oft lives by loss, and leaves with pain.
And now, sithens 9 I saw thy head last, D. I wot not, Hobbin, how I was bewitch'd
Thrice three moons be fully spent and past; With vain desire and hope to be enrich'd:
Since when thou hast measured much ground, But, sicker, so it is, as the bright star
And wander'd, I ween, about the world round, Seemeth ay greater when it is far:
So as thou can many things relate; I thought the soil would have made me rich,
But tell me first of thy flock's estate. But now I wot it is nothing sich; 27
D. My sheep be wasted (woe is me therefor!) For either the shepherds be idle and still,
The jolly shepherd that was of yore And led of their sheep what way they will,
Is now nor jolly, nor shepherd more. Or they be false, and full of covetise,
In foreign coasts men said was plentJ; And casten to compass many wrong emprise:
And so there is, but all of misery: But the more be fraught with fraud and spite,
I deem'd there much to have eked 10 my store, Nor in good nor goodness taken delight,
But such eking hath made my heart sore. But kindle coals of conteck 28 and ire,
In those countries, where as I have been, Wherewith they set all the world on fire;
No being for those that truly mean; Which when they thinken again to quench,
But for such as of guile maken gain, With holy water they do them all drench.
No such country as there to remain; They say they con29 to heav'n the highway,
They setten to sale their shops of shame, But by my soul I dare undersay 30
And maken a mart of their good name: They never set foot in that same trode,31
The shepherds there robben one another, But balk 32 the right way, and strayen abroad.
And layen baits to beguile their brother; They boast they have the devil at command,
Or they will buy his sheep out of the cote, But ask them therefor what they have pawn'd:
Or they will carven 11 the shepherd's throat. Marry! that great Pan boughtwith dear borrow,33
The shepherd's swain you cannot well ken,12 To quit 34 it from the black bower of sorrow.35
But 13 it be by his pride, from other men; But they have sold that same long ago;
They looken big as bulls that be bate, 4 Forthy 36 woulden draw with them many mo'.
And bearen the crag 15 so stiff and so state16 But let them gang 37 alone a God's name;
As cock on his dunghill crowing crank.l7 As they have brewed, so let them bear blame.
H. Diggon, I am so stiff and so stank,' H. Diggon, I pray thee speak not so dirk; s8
That uneath 19 may I stand any more; Such mister saying 39 me seemeth too mirk. 40
And now the western wind bloweth sore, D. Then, plainly to speak of shepherds mostThat now is in his chief sovereignty, what,4'
Beating the withered leaf from the tree; Bad is the best (this English is flat);
Sit we down here under the hill; Their ill'haviour gars 4 men missay 43
Then may we talk and tellen our fill, Both of their doctrine and their fay.44
And make a mock at the blustering blast: They say the world is much warre45 than it wont,
Now say on, Diggon, whatever thou hast. All for her shepherds be beastly and blunt.46
D. Hobbin, ah Hobbin! I curse the stound 20 Other say, but how truly I n'ot,47
That ever I cast to have lorn 21 this ground: All for they holden shame of their cote:
1 Quickly, suddenly. 27 Nothing of the kind. 28 Strife.
2 At once. 3 Explain, relate. 29 Know. 30 Say in contradiction.
4 Treated. 5 Sold. 31 Path. 32 Swerve from.
6 Or dead by mischance. 7 Dear. 8 Easy. 33 That which Christ redeemed with great pledge
9 Since. 10 Increased. i.e., their souls.
11 Cut. 12 Recognise. 34 Deliver. 35 From Hell.
13 Unless. 14 Baited, well-fed. 36 Therefore. 37 Go.
15 Neck. 16 Stoutly. 38 Darkly. 39 Such kind of speech.
17 Vigorously, merrily. 18 Weary. 40 Obscure. 41 Generally.
19 Scarcely. 20 Hour; German, "Stunde." 42 Makes, causes. 43 Say evil.
21 Left. 22 Foolish. 44 Faith. 45 Worse; Scottic, "waur."
23 Unknown. 24 Although. 46 Unpolished, uneducated.
25 The same. 26 Fool. 47 Know not.