O December. December. [headnote]
December woodblock illustration.
Ægloga Duodecima. Vndecima. Duodecima . duodecima. duodecima. ARGVMENT ARGUMENT .

THis This Æglogue ( euen even as the first beganne) is ended with a complaynte of Colin to God Pan. wherein Wherein as weary of his former wayes, he pro-portioneth his life to the foure seasons of the yeare, comparing hys youthe to the spring time, when he was fresh and free from loues loves follye. His man-hoode to the sommer, which he sayth, was consumed with greate heate and excessiue excessive drouth caused throughe a Comet or blasinge bla[st]inge bla[si]nge bla[ſt]ing bla[ſi]ng blazing blazing starre, by which hee meaneth loue love , which passion is comenly compared to such flames and immo-derate heate. His riper yeares hee resembleth to an vnseasonable unseasonable harueste harveste wherein the fruites fall ere they be rype. His latter age to winters chyll & and frostie season, now drawing neare to his last ende.
THe The gentle shepheard satte beside a springe, All in the shadowe of a bushye brere, That Colin hight, which wel could pype and singe, For he of Tityrus his songs did lere. There as he satte in secreate shade alone, Thus gan he make of loue love his piteous mone. December. fol. 49. 94. N.1. A good O soueraigne soveraigne Pan thou God of shepheards all, Which of our tender Lambkins takest keepe: And when our flocks into mischaunce mought fall, Doest saue save from mischiefe the vnwary unwary sheepe: Als of their maisters hast no lesse regarde, 12. Then: Than Then Than of the flocks, which thou doest watch and ward: I thee beseche (so be thou deigne to heare, Rude ditties tund to shepheards Oaten reede, Or if I euer ever sonet song so cleare, As it with pleasaunce mought thy fancie feede) Hearken awhile from thy greene cabinet, The rurall laurell lawrell lawrell song of carefull Colinet . . Whilome in youth, when flowrd my ioyfull joyfull spring, Like Swallow swift I wandred here and there: For heate of heedlesse lust me so did sting, That I of doubted daunger had no feare. I went the wastefull woodes and forest wyde, Withouten dreade of Wolues Wolves to bene espyed. eſpyed, eſpyed. eſpied. eſpide. eſpide. I wont to raunge amydde the mazie thickette, And gather nuttes to make me Christmas game: And ioyed joyed oft to chace the trembling Pricket, Or hunt the hartlesse hare, til shee were tame. What wreaked I of wintrye ages waste, Tho deemed I, my spring would euer ever laste . . How often haue have I scaled the craggie Oke, All to dislodge the Rauen Raven of her neste: Howe haue have I wearied with many a stroke, The stately Walnut tree, the while the rest Under the tree fell all for nuts at strife: For ylike to me was libertee and lyfe. And for I was in thilke same looser yeares, (Whether the Muse, so wrought me from my birth, Or I tomuch beleeued beleeved my shepherd peres) Somedele ybent to song and musicks mirth: mirth. mirth. December. Then A good olde shephearde, Wrenock was his name, Made me by arte more cunning in the same. Fro thence I durst in derring to derring to compare With shepheards swayne, what euer ever fedde in field: And if that Hobbinol right iudgement judgement bare, To Pan his owne selfe pype I neede not yield. For if the flocking Nymphes did folow Pan, The wiser Muses after Colin ranne. But ah such pryde at length was ill repayde, The shepheards God (perdie God was he none) My hurtlesse pleasaunce did me ill vpbraide upbraide , My freedome lorne, my life he lefte to mone. Loue Love they him called, that gaue gave me checkmate, But better mought they haue have behote him Hate . . Tho gan my louely lovely Spring bid me farewel, And Sommer season sped him to display (For loue love then in the Lyons house did dwell) The raging fyre, that kindled at his ray. A comett stird vp up that vnkindly unkindly heate, That that That reigned (as men sayd) in Venus seate. Forth was I ledde, not as I wont afore, When choise I had to choose my wandring waye: But whither whether whither luck and loues loves vnbridled unbridled lore Would leade me forth on Fancies bitte to playe . . The bush my bedde, the bramble was my bowre, The Woodes can witnesse many a wofull stowre. Where I was wont to seeke the honey Bee, Working her formall rowmes in Wexen frame : : The grieslie Todestoole growne there mought I se ſe ſ[ée] ſ[ée], ſee, And loathed Paddocks lording on the same . . And where the chaunting birds luld me asleepe, The ghastlie Owle her grieuous grievous ynne doth keepe. December. fol.50 N.2. And Then as the springe giues gives place to elder time, And bringeth forth the fruite of sommers pryde: Also my age now passed youngthly pryme, To thinges of ryper reason selfe applyed. And learnd of lighter timber cotes to frame, Such as might saue save my sheepe and me fro shame. To make fine cages for the Nightingale, And Baskets Baſ-kets Baſkets Baskets of bulrushes was my wont: Who to entrappe the fish in winding sale Was better seene, or hurtful beastes to hont? I learned als the signes of heauen heaven to ken, How Phœbe fayles, where Venus sittes and when. And tryed time yet taught me greater thinges, The sodain rysing of the raging seas: The soothe of byrds by beating of their wings, The power of herbs, both which can hurt and ease: And which be wont tenrage to tenrage t’enrage t’enrage the restlesse sheepe, And which be wont to worke eternall sleepe. But ah vnwise unwise and witlesse Colin cloute, That kydst the hidden kinds of many a wede: Yet kydst not ene to cure thy sore hart roote, Whose ranckling wound as yet does rifelye bleede. Why liuest livest thou stil, and yet hast thy deathes wound? Why dyest thou stil, and yet aliue alive art founde? Thus is my sommer worne away and wasted, Thus is my haruest harvest hastened all to rathe: The eare that budded faire, is burnt & and blasted, And all my hoped gaine is turnd to scathe. Of all the seede, that in my youth was sowne, Was nought but brakes and brambles to be mowne. My boughes with bloosmes boughes with blooſmes boughes and blooſmes boughes and bl[oo]ſmes boughs and blo[ſſ]oms boughs and blo[ſſ]oms that crowned were at firste, And promised of timely fruite such store, Are left both bare and barrein now at erst: The flattring fruite is fallen to grownd before, before. before, December. Here And rotted, ere they were halfe mellow ripe: My haruest harvest wast, my hope away dyd wipe. The fragrant flowres, that in my garden grewe, Bene withered, as they had bene gathered long . . Theyr rootes bene dryed vp up for lacke of dewe, Yet dewed with teares they han be euer ever among . . Ah who has wrought my Rosalind Rolalind Roſalind Roſalinde ROSALIND this spight To spil the flowres, that should her girlond dight? dight, dight? And I, that whilome wont to frame my pype, Unto the shifting of the shepheards foote: Sike follies nowe haue have gathered as too ripe, And cast hem out, as rotten and vnsoote. unsoote. vnſeote . . vnſoote. vnſ[oo]te. vnſoote. The loser Lasse I cast to please nomore, One if I please, enough is me therefore. And thus of all my haruest harvest hope I haue have Nought reaped but a weedye crop of care: Which, when I thought haue have thresht in swelling sheaue sheave , Cockel for corne, and chaffe for barley bare . . Soone as the chaffe should in the fan be fynd, All was blowne away of the wauering wavering wynd . . So now my yeare drawes to his latter terme, My spring is spent , , my sommer burnt vp up quite: My harueste harveste hasts to stirre vp up winter sterne, And bids him clayme with rigorous rage hys right. So nowe he stormes with many a sturdy stoure, So now his blustring blast eche coste doth scoure. The carefull cold hath nypt my rugged rynde, And in my face deepe furrowes eld hath pight: My head besprent with hoary frost I fynd, And Aud And by myne eie the Crow his clawe dooth wright. Delight is layd abedde, and pleasure past, No sonne now shines, cloudes han all ouercast overcast . Now leaue leave ye shepheards boyes your yonr your merry glee gleǝ gl[ée] glee , My Muse is hoarse and weary of thys stounde: December. fol.51 seemed Here will I hang my pype vpon upon this tree, Was neuer never pype of reede did better sounde . . Winter is come, that blowes the bitter blaste, And after Winter dreerie death does hast. Gather ye together my little flocke, My little flock, that was to me so liefe: Let me, ah lette me in your folds ye lock, Ere the breme Winter breede you greater griefe. Winter is come, that blowes the balefull breath, And after Winter commeth timely death . . Adieu delightes, that lulled me asleepe, Adieu my deare, whose loue love I bought so deare: Adieu my little Lambes and loued loved sheepe, Adieu ye Woodes that oft my witnesse were: Adieu good Hobbinol, that was so true, Tell Rosalind, her Colin bids her adieu . .
Colins Embleme.
GLOSSE. Tityrus) Chaucer: as hath bene oft sayd. Lambkins) young lambes. Als of their) Semeth to expresse Virgils verse Pan curat oues oves ouiumque oviumque magistros. Deigne) voutchsafe. Cabinet) Eabinet) Eabinet, Cabinet, Colinet) diminutives. dimi nutines. diminutiues. Mazie) For they be like to a maze whence it is hard to get out agayne. Peres) felowes and companions. Musick) that is Poetry as Terence sayth Qui artem tractant musicam, speking of Poetes. Derring doe) aforesayd. Lions house) He imagineth simply that Cupid, vvhich which is loue love , had his abode in the whote signe Leo, vvhich which is in middest of somer; a pretie allegory, vvhereof whereof the meaning is, that loue love in him wrought an extraordinarie heate of lust. His ray) vvhich which is Cupides beame or flames of Loue Love . A Comete) a blasing starre, meant of beautie, which vvas was the cause of his vvhote whote loue love . Venus) the goddesse of beauty or pleasure. Also a signe in heauen heaven , as it is here taken. So he meaneth that beautie, which hath alvvayes alwayes aspect to Venus, vvas was the cause of all his vnquietnes unquietnes in loue love . VVhere Where I was) a fine discription of the chaunge of hys lyfe and liking; for all things nowe December. weight seemed to hym to haue have altered their kindly course. Lording) Spoken after the maner of Paddocks and Frogges sitting which is indeed Lord-ly, not remouing removing nor looking once a side, vnlesse unlesse they be sturred. Then as) The second part. That is his manhoode. Cotes) sheepecotes, [ſh]eepecotes. [ſh]eepecotes, Shepecotes, Shepcotes, for such be the exercises of shepheards. Sale) or Salovv Salow a kind of vvoodde woodde like VVyllovv Wyllow , fit to vvreath wreath and bynde in leapes to catch fish vvithall withall . Phœbe Phæbe Phœbe Phoebe fayles) The Eclipse of the Moone, vvhich which is alwayes in Cauda or Capite Draco-nis, signes in heauen heaven . Venus) .s. Venus) ∙ſ. Ven[us], ſ. Venus, ſ. Venus.ſ. Venus.i. Ven[us]. i. Venus starre othervvise otherwise called Hesperus and Vesper and Lucifer, both because he seemeth to be one of the brightest starres, and also first ryseth and setteth last. All vvhich which skill [ft]ill in starres being conuenient convenient for shepheardes to knovve knowe as Theo-critus and the rest vse use . Raging seaes) The cause of the swelling and ebbing of the sea commeth of the course of the Moone, sometime encreasing, sometime wayning and decreasing. Sooth of byrdes) A kind of sooth saying vsed used in elder tymes, vvhich which they gathered by the flying of byrds; First (as is sayd) inuented invented niuented inuented by the Thuscanes, and frõ from them deriued derived to the Romanes, vvho who (as is sayd in Liuie Livie ) vvere were so supersticiously rooted in the same, that they agreed that euery every Noble man should put his sonne to the Thus-canes, by them to be brought broughr vp up in that knowledge. Of herbes) That vvonderous wonderous thinges be wrought by herbes, asvvell aswell appeareth by the common vvorking working of them in our bodies, as also by the vvonderful wonderful enchaunt-ments and sorceries that haue have bene vvrought wrought by them; insomuch that it is sayde that Circe a famous sorceresse turned mẽ men into sondry kinds of beastes & and Mon-sters, and onely by herbes: as the Poete sayth, ſayth ſaith ſaith, ſaith; Dea sæua sæva potentibus herbis &c. etc. Kidst) knewest. Eare) of corne. Scathe) losse, lo[ſſ]e lo[ſſ]e, hinderaunce. Euer Ever among) Euer Ever and anone. Thus This This Th[is] is my) The thyrde parte vvherein wherein is set forth his ripe yeres as an vntimely untimely haruest harvest , that bringeth little fruite. The fragraunt [fl]agraunt [fl]agraunt fragrant flovvres flowres ) sundry studies and laudable partes of learning, vvherein wherein how our Poete is seene, be they vvitnesse witnesse vvhich which are priuie privie to his study. So now my yeere) The last part, vvherein wherein is described his age by comparison of vvyntrye wyntrye stormes. Carefull cold) for care is sayd to coole the blood. Glee) mirth. Glee mirth) Glet,mirth, Glee,myrth, Glee,myrth. Glee,mirth. Hoary frost) A metaphore of hoary heares scattred lyke to a gray frost. Breeme) sharpe and bitter. Adievv Adiew delights) is a conclusion of all. Where vvhere in sixe verses he comprehendeth briefly all that vvas was touched in this booke. In the first verse his delights of youth generally. In in the second, the loue love of Rosalind, in the thyrd, the keeping of sheepe, vvhich which is the argument of all Æglogues. In the fourth his complaints. And in the last two his professed frendship and good vvill will to his good friend Hobbinoll. Embleme. The meaning wherof ís is that all thinges perish and come to theyr last end, but workes of learned vvits wits and monuments of Poetry abide for euer ever . And therefore Horace of his Odes a work though ful indede of great wit & and learning, yet of no so great December. fol.52weight and importaunce boldly sayth. Exegi monimentum ære perennius, Quod nec imber nec aquilo vorax &c. etc. Therefore let not be enuied envied , that this Poete in his Epilogue sayth he hath made a Calendar, that shall endure as long as time &c. etc. folowing the ensample of Ho-race and Ouid Ovid in the like. Grande opus exegi quod quæ quæ quod nec Iouis Iovis ira nec ignis, Nec ferrum ferum ferum ferrum poterit nec edax abolere vetustas &c. etc.
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