!

SIR WALTER RALEIGH,

Captaine of her Maiefties Guard, Lord Wardein of the Stanneries, and Licutenant of the Countie of Cornwall.

SIR,

THAT you may fee that I am not alwaies ydle as yee thinke, though not greatly well occupied, nor altogither undutifull, though not precifely officious, I make you prefent of this fimple Paftorall, unworthie of your higher conceipt for the meaneffe of the stile, but agreeing with the truth in circumstance and matter. The which I humbly befeech you to accept in part of paiment of the infinite debt, in which I acknowledge my felfe bounden unto you for your fingular favours, and fundrie good turnes, fhewed to me at my late being in England; and with your good countenance protect against the malice of evill mouthes, which are alwaies wide open to carpe at and mifconftrue my fimple meaning. I pray continually for your happineffe. From my houfe of Kilcolman, the 27. of December.

1591. [rather perhaps 1595.]

Yours ever humbly,

ED. SP.

That after Tityrus firft fung his lay,

Laies of fweet love, without rebuke or blame, Sate (as his custome was) upon a day,

Charming his oaten pipe unto his

5

peres, The shepheard fwaines that did about him play : Who all the while, with greedie listfull eares, Did ftand aftonifht at his curious skill,

Like hartleffe deare, difmayd with thunders found.

At laft, when as he piped had his fill,
He rested him and, fitting then around,

Ver. 2.

10

Tityrus] Chaucer. See vol. ii. p. cxxxiii. In this poem Spenfer has introduced many poets alfo of his own time, either by their real or fictitious names; of whom notice has been already taken in the Life of Spenfer. He has alfo celebrated the reigning Beauties, as well as Wits, of that age; "but Time," fays Mr. Hughes, "has blended them both in that common obfcurity that we can trace out but few of them by their true names.' I have ventured however, in the Life of the poet, to make fome additions to Mr. Hughes's account of these diftinguished characters. TODD.

Ver. 5. Charming &c.] See the note on F. Q. v. ix. 13. T. WARTON.

One of thofe groomes (a iolly groome was he,
As ever piped on an oaten reed,
And lov'd this fhepheard dearest in degree,
Hight Hobbinol;) gan thus to him areed.

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"Colin, my liefe, my life, how great a loffe Had all the shepheards nation by thy lacke! And I, poore fwaine, of many, greatest croffe! That, fith thy Mufe firft fince thy turning backe Was heard to found as fhe was wont on hye, 20 Haft made us all fo bleffed and fo blythe.

Whileft thou waft hence, all dead in dole did lie: The woods were heard to waile full many a fythe,

And all their birds with filence to complaine: The fields with faded flowers did feem to

mourne,

25

And all their flocks from feeding to refraine:
The running waters wept for thy returne,
And all their fifh with languour did lament:
But now both woods and fields and floods

revive,

Sith thou art come, their caufe of meriment, sa

Ver, 22. Whileft thou waft hence, all dead &c.] Virgil, Ecl. i. 39.

"Ipfæ te, Tityre, pinus,

"Ipfi te fontes, ipfa hæc arbufta, vocabant."

See alfo Ecl. vii. 55-59. And Ariftophanes, where the Chorus fing the praifes of Peace, Pac. 596.

“Ωςε σὲ τά τ' ἀμπέλια,

Καὶ τὰ νεὰ συκίδια,

Τἄλλα θ ̓ οσ ̓ ἐςὶ φυλά,

Προσγελάσεται σε λαβόν ̓ ἄσμενα. JORTIN,