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

OCTOBER.]'HE SHEPHERD'S CALENDAR. 77
And, had not Roffy run to the steven,1 called The English Poet,I which book being lately
Lowder had been slain that same even. - come to my hands, I mind also by God's grace, upon
H. God shield, man, he should so ill have farther advisement, to publish.
thrive,.All for he did his devoir belive! 2 Pers. Cuddie.
If such be wolves, as thou hast told,
7ow might we, Diggon, them behold P. CUDDIE,forshame, hold up thy heavyhead,
And let us cast with what delight to chase
D. How, but, with heed and watchfulness, And weary this long ling'ring Phoebus' race.
Forstallen 3 them of their wiliness:
Forstallen3 them of their wiliness: *Whilom thou wont the shepherds' lads to lead
Forthy 4 with shepherd sits not 5 play,
orty4 ith shepher t pla, In rhymes, in riddles, and in bidding base;13
)Or sleep, as some doen, all the long day;,
Or dleep, as some doen, all the long day; Now they in thee, and thou in sleep, art dead.
But ever liggen 6 in watch and ward,.From sudden force their flocks for to guard. C. Piers, I have piped erst 14 so long with pain,
H. Ah! Diggon, that same rule were too That all mine oaten reeds be rent and wore,
strait, And my poor Muse hath spent her spared store,
All the cold season to watch and wait: Yet little good hath got, and much less gain.
We be of flesh, men as others be, Such pleasance makes the grasshopper so poor,
Why should we bound to such misery? And lig so laid,15 when winter doth her strain.
Whatever thing lacketh changeable rest, The dapper 6 ditties, that I wont devise
M/ust needs decay, when it'is at best.
D).Ah! butn, whbbinol all this long tale To feed youth's fancy and the flocking fry,
D. Ah! but, Hobbinol, all this long tale Delighte much; what I the bet forthy?7
XDelighten much; what I the bet forthy9 17
Naught easeth the care that doth me forhale;
bsdo? what way shall I wend, They have the pleasure, I a slender price:
What shall Ndo? what way shall I wend,8
What piteoushall ghtand loss-to amen? I beat the bush, the birds to them do fly:
[Iy piteous plight and loss to amend?
y p s ph W? hat good thereof to Cuddie can arise?
Ah! good Hobbinol, might I thee pray'Of aid or counsel in my decay? 9 P. Cuddie, the praise is better than the price,
H. Now by my soul, Diggon, I lament The glory eke much greater than the gain:
The hapless mischief that has thee hent; 0 O what an honour is it, to restrain
Nathless thou seest my lowly sail, The lust of lawless youth with good advice,
That froward Fortune doth ever avail: n Or prick them forth with pleasance of thy vein,
IBut, were Hobbinol as God might please, Whereto thou list their traipid wills entice!
Diggon should soon find favour and ease:
But if to my cottage thou wilt resorte: Soon as thou gin'st to set thy notes in frame,
O how the rural routs to thee do cleave!
So as I can I will thee comf6rt;
There may'st thou lig 6 in a vetchy bed,2 Seemeth thou dost their soul of sense bereave,'Till fairer Fortune show forth her head. All as the shepherd 18 that did fetch his dame
D. Ah, Hobbinol, God may it thee requite! From Pluto's baleful bow'r withouten leave;
Diggon on few such friends did ever light. His music's might the hellish hound did tame.
Diggon on few such friends did ever light.
C. So praisen babes the peacock's'spotted
DIGGON'S EMBLEM: train,
_Inopem me copia fecit. (Plenty has made me And wonder at bright Argus' blazing eye;
poor.) But who rewards him e'er the more forthy,4
Or feeds him once the fuller by a grain?
Such praise is smoke, that sheddeth in the sky;
Such words be wind, and wasten soon in vain.
OCTOBER. P. Abandon then the base and viler clown;
Lift up thyself out of the lowly dust,
EGLOGLA DECIMA.-ARGUMENT. r And sing of bloody Mars, of wars, of giusts;19.1z Cuddie is set out the perfect pattern of a Poet, which, Turn thee to those that wield the awful crown,
finding no maintenance of his state and studies, To doubted20 knights, whose woundless 2 armour
complaineth of the contempt of Poetry, and the rusts
causes thereof: specially having been in all ages, And helms unbruised waxen daily brown.
andgeven amongst the most barbarous, always of
singular account and honour, and being indeed so There may thy Muse display her fluttering wing,
worthy and commendable an art; or rather no art, And stretch herself at large from east to west;
but a divine gift and heavenly instinct, not to be Whether thou list in fair Elisa 22 rest,
gotten by labour and learning, but adorned with
both; and poured into the wit by a certain En- Or, f thee please i bigger notes to sig,
thousiasmos and celestial inspiration, as the Author Advance the Worthy 23 whom she loveth best,
hereof elsewhere at large discourseth in his book That first the White Bear to the stake did bring.
I Noise, cry. 15 Lie so faint. 16 Pretty.
2 Promptly did his duty. 17 What am I the better on that account?
3 Hinder, balk. 4 Therefore. 18 Orpheus.
5 It befits not (to). 6 Lie. 19 Tournaments, jousts. 20 Redoubted.
7 Distress, distract. 8 Go, turn. 21 Unwounded. 22 Queen Elizabeth.
9 Ruin, calamity. 10 Seized upon. 23 The Earl of Leicester, whose cognizance was the
Il Lower. 12 A bed of pease straw. bear and ragged staff; he is represented in "The
13 At the game of prison base. 14 Before. Faerie Queen" by Prince Arthur.
20