That
us, late dead, haft made againe alive :
But were it not too painefull to repeat
The paffed fortunes, which to thee befell
In thy late voyage, we thee would entreat,
Now at thy leifure them to us to tell."

35

To whom the fhepheard gently answered

thus; "Hobbin, thou tempteft me to that I covet : For of good paffed newly to difcus,

By dubble ufurie doth twife renew it.
And fince I faw that Angels bleffed eie,

40

Her worlds bright fun, her heavens faireft light,

45

My mind, full of my thoughts fatietie,
Doth feed on sweet contentment of that fight:
Since that fame day in nought I take delight,
Ne feeling have in any earthly pleasure,
But in remembrance of that glorious bright,
My lifes fole bliffe, my hearts eternall threasure.
Wake then, my pipe; my fleepie Muse, awake;
Till I have told her praises lasting long:

Hobbin defires, thou maist it not forfake;- 50
Harke then, ye iolly fhepheards, to my fong."
With that they all gan throng about him

neare,

With hungrie eares to heare his harmonie: The whiles their flocks, devoyd of dangers feare, Did round about them feed at libertie.

55

61

"One day (quoth he) I fat, (as was my trade) Under the foote of Mole, that mountaine hore, Keeping my theepe amongst the cooly fhade Of the greene alders by the Mullaes fhore: There aftraunge fhepheard chaunft to find me out, Whether allured with my pipes delight, Whofe pleafing found yflirilled far about, Or thither led by chaunce, I know not right: Whom when I asked from what place he came, And how he hight, himselfe he did ycleepe The Shepheard of the Ocean by name, And faid he came far from the main-fea deepe. He, fitting me beside in that same shade, Provoked me to plaie fome pleasant fit; And, when he heard the muficke which I made,

Ver. 58. Keeping my fheepe amongst the cooly fhade

65

Of the greene alders by the Mullaes Shore:] The Mulla (noted for excellent trouts and fine cels, alfo falmon, and fome carp, perch, and tench,) is the river Awbeg; which runs not far from Kilcolman, [Spenfer's refidence,] and washes Buttevant, Doneraile, Cafiletown-Roch, &c. To which ftream, and to the poet, thofe lines of Pope may juftly be applied: "O early loft, what tears the river fhed!"His drooping fwans on every note expire,

"And on his willows hung each Mufe's lyre." Spenfer alfo celebrates the Mulla, F. Q. vii. vi. 40. Smith's Hift. of Cork, vol. i. p. 342. TODD.

Ver. 69.

fit] Strain or air.

A fit, fays Mr. Steevens, was a part or divifion of a song; fometimes a ftrain in mufick; and fometimes a measure in dancing. The reader will find the word illustrated in the two former fenfes by Dr. Percy in the first volume of the Reliques of ancient Eng. Poctry, and in the latter by Mr. Steevens in his note on Shakspeare's Troil. and Creff. A. iii. S. i. See alfo F. Q. i. xi. 7. TODD.

He found himselfe full greatly pleasd at it: 71
Yet, æmuling my pipe, he tooke in hond
My pipe, before that æmuled of many,
And plaid theron; (for well that skill he cond;)
Himfelfe as fkilfull in that art as any.
He pip'd, I fung; and, when he fung, I piped;
By chaunge of turnes, each making other mery;
Neither envying other, nor envied,

So piped we, untill we both were weary.'

75

80

There interrupting him, a bonie fwaine, That Cuddy hight, him thus atweene bespake: And, thould it not thy readie course restraine, I would request thee, Colin, for my fake, To tell what thou didst fing, when he did plaie; For well I weene it worth recounting was, Whether it were fome hymne, or morall laie, Or carol made to praise thy loved laffe."

85

90

"Nor of my love, nor of my laffe, (quoth he) I then did fing, as then occafion fell: For love had me forlorne, forlorne of me, That made me in that defart choose to dwell. But of my river Bregogs love I foong,

Which to the fhiny Mulla he did beare,

Ver. 72.

amuling See also amuled in the next line. This verb is probably of Spenfer's coinage. TODD. Ver. 86. or morall laie,] Meaning his Faerie Queene, as Mr. Warton has observed; his "moralized fong," F. Q. Introduction, B. i. See alfo the Life of Spenfer.

TODD.

And yet doth beare, and ever will, fo long
As water doth within his bancks appeare."
"Of fellowship (faid then that bony Boy)
Record to us that lovely lay againe :

95

The ftaie whereof fhall nought thefe eares annoy,

101

Who all that Colin makes do covet faine." "Heare then (quoth he) the tenor of my tale, In fort as I it to that fhepheard told: No leafing new, nor grandams fable stale, But auncient truth confirm'd with credence old. "Old father Mole, (Mole hight that moun

tain gray

That walls the northside of Armulla dale ;) 105 He had a daughter fresh as floure of May, Which gave that name unto that pleasant vale; Mulla, the daughter of old Mole, fo hight The Nimph, which of that water course has charge,

110

That, fpringing outof Mole, doth run downe
right
To Buttevant, where, fpreading forth at large,
It giveth name unto that auncient Cittie,
Which Kilnemullah cleped is of old ;
Whofe ragged ruines breed great ruth and pittie
To travailers, which it from far behold.
Full faine fhe lov'd, and was belov'd full faine
Of her owne brother river, Bregog hight,

115

So hight because of this deceitfull traine,
Which he with Mulla wrought to win delight.
But her old fire more carefull of her good, 120
And meaning her much better to preferre,
Did thinke to match her with the neighbour
flood,

;

125

Which Allo hight, Broad-water called farre
And wrought fo well with his continuall paine,
That he that river for his daughter wonne :
The dowre agreed, the day affigned plaine,
The place appointed where it should be doone.
Nath'leffe the Nymph her former liking held;
For love will not be drawne, but must be
ledde ;

130

And Bregog did fo well her fancie weld,
That her good will he got her first to wedde.
But for her father, fitting ftill on hie,
Did warily ftill watch which way fhe went,
And eke from far obferv'd, with iealous eie,
Which way his course the wanton Bregog bent ;
Him to deceive, for all his watchfull ward, 136

Ver. 118. So hight because of this deceitfull traine,] The etymology of Bregog, according to Llhuyd, as Mr. Walker has obferved.to me, means falfe or lying. TODD.

Ver. 123.

Allo] See Mr. Walker's note on Strong Allo &c." F. Q. iv. xi. 41. And Smith's Hift. of Cork, vol. i. p. 328.

"And Allo, by fam'd Spencer ftil'd the ftrong,
"Impetuous from her mountains rolls along.-
"While gentle Mulla, his once favourite theme,
"Records his Mufe's truth in her flow-gliding stream."

TODD.