Februarie. [headnote]
February woodblock illustration.
Ægloga Secunda. ARGVMENT ARGUMENT .

THis This Æglogue is rather morall and generall, 1. then: than then than bent to any secrete or particular purpose. It specially conteyneth a discourse of old age, in the persone of Thenot an olde Shepheard, who for his crookednesse and vnlusti-nesse, unlusti-nesse, is scorned of Cuddie an vnhappy unhappy Heardmans boye. The matter ve-ry well accordeth with the season of the moneth, the yeare now drouping, & and as it were, drawing to his last age. For as in this time of yeare, so thẽ then in our Februarie. So bodies there is a dry & and withering cold, which congealeth the crudled blood, and frieseth the wetherbeatẽ wetherbeaten flesh, with stormes of Fortune, & and hoare frosts of Care. To which purpose pnrpoſe purpoſe purpoſe the olde man telleth a tale of the Oake and the Bryer, so liuely lively and so feelingly, as if the thing were set forth in some Pic-ture before our eyes, more plainly could not appeare.

CVDDIE CUDDIE . THENOT. AH Ah for pittie, wil rancke Winters rage, These bitter blasts neuer never ginne tasswage? The kene cold blowes through my beaten hyde, All as I were through the body gryde. My ragged rontes all shiver and shake, As doen high Towers in an earthquake: They wont in the wind wagge their wrigle tailes, Perke as Peacock: but nowe it auales avales . . THENOT. Lewdly complainest thou laesie ladde, Of Winters wracke , for making thee sadde. Must not the world wend in his commun course From good to badd, and from badde to worse, From worse vnto unto that is worst of all, And then returne to his former fall? Who will not suffer the stormy time, Where will he liue live tyll the lusty prime? Selfe haue have I worne out thrise threttie yeares, Some in much ioy joy , many in many teares: Yet neuer never complained of cold nor heate, Of Sommers flame, nor of Winters threat: Ne euer ever was to Fortune foeman, But gently tooke, that vngently ungently came . . And euer ever my flocke was my chiefe care, Winter or Sommer they mought well fare. CVDDIE CUDDIE . No marueile marveile Thenot, if thou can beare Cherefully the Winters wrathfull cheare: For Age and Winter accord full nie, This chill, that cold, this crooked, that wrye. And as the lowring Wether lookes downe, Februarie. fol.4 A . . 4. I wonne So semest thou like good fryday to frowne. But my flowring youth is foe to frost, My shippe vnwont unwont in stormes to be tost. THENOT. The soueraigne soveraigne of seas he blames in vaine, That once seabeate, will to sea againe . . So loytring liue live you little heardgroomes, Keeping your beastes in the budded broomes: And when the shining sunne laugheth langheth laugheth once, You deemen, the Spring is come attonce . . Tho gynne you, fond flyes, the cold to scorne, And crowing in pypes made of greene corne, You thinken to be Lords of the yeare. But eft, when ye count you freed from feare, Comes the breme winter with chamfred browes, Full of wrinckles and frostie furrowes: Drerily shooting his stormy darte, Which cruddles the blood, and pricks the harte. Then is your carelesse corage accoied, Your carefull heards with cold bene annoied . . Then paye you the price of your surquedrie, With weeping, and wayling, and misery. CVDDIE CUDDIE . Ah foolish old man, I scorne thy skill, That wouldest me, my springing youngth to spil. I deeme, thy braine emperished bee Through rusty elde, that hath rotted thee: Or sicker thy head veray tottie is, So on thy corbe shoulder it leanes amisse. Now thy selfe hast lost both lopp and topp, Als my budding braunch thou wouldest cropp: But were thy yeares greene, as now bene myne, To other delights they would encline . . Tho wouldest thou learne to caroll of Loue Love , And hery with hymnes thy lasses gloue glove . Tho wouldest thou pype of Phyllis prayse: But Phyllis is myne for many dayes: Februarie. Thenot I wonne her with a gyrdle of gelt, Embost with buegle about the belt. Such an one shepeheards woulde make full faine: Such an one would make thee younge againe. THENOT. Thou art a fon, of thy loue love to boste, All that is lent to loue love , wyll be lost. CVDDIE CUDDIE . Seest, howe brag yond Bullocke beares, So smirke, so smoothe, his pricked eares? His hornes bene as broade, as Rainebowe bent, His dewelap as lythe, as lasse of Kent. See howe he venteth into the wynd. Weenest of loue love is not his mynd? Seemeth thy flocke thy counsell can, So lustlesse bene they, so weake so wan, Clothed with cold, and hoary wyth frost. Thy flocks father his corage hath lost: Thy Ewes, that wont to haue have blowen bags, Like wailefull widdowes hangen their crags: The rather Lambes bene starued starved with cold, All for their Maister is lustlesse and old. THENOT. Cuddie, I wote thou kenst little good, So vainely taduaunce tadvaunce thy headlesse hood. For Youngth is a bubble blown vp up with breath, Whose witt is weakenesse, whose wage is death, Whose way is wildernesse, whose ynne Penaunce, And stoopegallaunt Age the hoste of Greeuaunce Greevaunce . But shall I tel thee a tale of truth, Which I cond of Tityrus in my youth, Keeping his sheepe on the hils of Kent? CVDDIE CUDDIE . To nought more Thenot, my mind is bent, 95. Then: Than Then Than to heare nouells novells of his deuise devise : They bene so well thewed, and so wise, What euer ever that good old man bespake . . Februarie. fol.5 B.1 Thy THENOT. Many meete tales of youth did he make, And some of loue love , and some of cheualrie chevalrie : But none fitter 100. then: than then than this to applie . . Now listen a while awhile , and hearken the end. THere There grewe an aged Tree on the greene, A goodly Oake sometime had it bene, With armes full strong and largely displayd, But of their leaues leaves they were disarayde: The bodie bigge, and mightely pight, Throughly rooted, and of wonderous hight: Whilome had bene the King of the field, And mochell mast to the husband did yielde, And with his nuts larded many swine. But now the gray mosse marred his rine, His bared boughes were beaten with stormes, His toppe was bald, & and wasted with wormes, His honor decayed, his braunches sere. Hard by his side grewe a bragging brere, Which proudly thrust into Thelement, And seemed to threat the Firmament . . Yt was embellisht with blossomes fayre, And thereto aye wonned to repayre The shepheards daughters, to gather flowres, To peinct their girlonds with his colowres. And in his small bushes vsed used to shrowde The sweete Nightingale singing so lowde: Which made this foolish Brere wexe so bold, That on a time he cast him to scold, And snebbe the good Oake, for he was old. Why standst there (quoth he) thou brutish blocke? Nor for fruict, nor for shadowe serues serves thy stocke: Seest, how fresh my flowers bene spredde, Dyed in Lilly white, and Cremsin redde, With Leaues Leaves engrained in lusty greene, Colours meete to clothe a mayden Queene. Februarie. Whose Thy wast bignes but combers the grownd, And dirks the beauty of my blossomes rownd. The mouldie mosse, which thee accloieth, My Sinamon smell too much annoieth. Wherefore soone I rede thee, hence remoue remove , Least thou the price of my displeasure proue prove . So spake this bold brere with great disdaine: Little him answered the Oake againe, But yielded, with shame and greefe adawed, That of a weede he was ouerawed overawed . . ouercrawed. ouercrawed. Yt chaunced after vpon upon a day, The Husbandman Huſ-bandman huſbandman huſbandmans husbandmans selfe to come that way, Of custome for to seruewe servewe his grownd, And his trees of state in compasse rownd. Him when the spitefull brere had espyed, Caus lesse Causlesse complained, and lowdly cryed Unto his Lord, stirring vp up sterne strife: O my liege Lord, the God of my life, Pleaseth you ponder your Suppliants plaint, Caused of wrong, and cruell constraint, Which I your poore Uassall Vassall dayly endure: And but your goodnes the same recure, Am like for desperate doole to dye, Through felonous force of mine enemie. Greatly aghast with this piteous plea, Him rested the goodman on the lea, And badde the Brere in his plaint proceede. With painted words tho gan this proude weede, (As most vsen usen Ambitious folke:) folke): His colowred crime with craft to cloke. Ah my soueraigne soveraigne , Lord of creatures all, Thou placer of plants both humble and tall, Was not I planted of thine owne hand, To be the primrose of all thy land, With flowring blossomes, to furnish the prime, And scarlot berries in Sommer time? How falls it then, that this faded Oake, Februarie. fol.6 B. 2. For Whose bodie is sere, whose braunches broke, Whose naked Armes stretch vnto unto the fyre, Unto such tyrannie doth aspire: Hindering with his shade my louely lovely light, And robbing me of the swete sonnes sight? So beate his old boughes my tender side, That oft the bloud springeth from wounds wyde: Untimely my flowres forced to fall, That bene the honor of your Coronall. And oft he lets his cancker wormes light Upon my braunches, to worke me more spight: And oft his hoarie locks downe doth cast, Where with my fresh flowretts bene defast. For this, and many more such outrage, Crauing Craving your goodlihead to aswage The ranckorous rigour of his might, Nought aske I, but onely to hold my right: Submitting me to your good sufferance, And praying to be garded from greeuance greevance . To this the To this this To this, this To this, this Oake cast him to replie Well as he couth: but his enemie Had kindled such coles of displeasure, That the good man noulde stay his leasure, But home him hasted with furious heate, Encreasing his wrath with many a threate. His harmefull Hatchet he hent in hand, (Alas, that it so ready should stand) And to the field alone he speedeth. (Ay little helpe to harme there needeth) Anger nould let him speake to the tree, Enaunter his rage mought cooled bee: But to the roote bent his sturdy stroke, And made many wounds in the wast Oake. The Axes edge did oft turne againe, As halfe vnwilling unwilling to cutte the graine: Semed, the sencelesse yron dyd feare, Or to wrong holy eld did forbeare. Februarie. My For it had bene an auncient tree, Sacred with many a mysteree, And often crost with the priestes crewe, And often halowed with holy water dewe. But sike fancies weren foolerie, And broughten this Oake to this miserye. For nought mought they quitten him from decay: For fiercely the good man at him did laye. The blocke oft groned vnder under the blow, And sighed to see his neare ouerthrow overthrow . In fine the steele had pierced his pitth, Tho downe to the earth he fell forthwith: His wonderous weight made the grounde to quake, Thearth shronke vnder under him, and seemed to shake. There lyeth the Oake, pitied of none . . Now stands the Brere like a Lord alone, Puffed vp up with pryde and vaine pleasaunce: But all this glee had no continuaunce. For eftsones Winter gan to approche, The blustring Boreas did encroche, And beate vpon upon the solitarie Brere: For nowe no succoure was seene him nere. Now gan he repent his pryde to late: For naked left and disconsolate, The byting frost nipt his stalke dead, The watrie wette weighed downe his head, And heaped snowe burdned him so sore, That nowe vpright upright he can stand no more: And being downe, is trodde in the durt Of cattell, and brouzed, and sorely hurt. Such was thend of this Ambitious brere, For scorning Eld CVDDIE CUDDIE . Now I pray thee shepheard, tel it not forth: Here is a long tale, and little worth. So longe haue have I listened to thy speche, That graffed to the ground is my breche: Februarie. fol.7 B.iii. Rather My hartblood is welnigh frorne I feele, And my galage growne fast to my heele: But little ease of thy lewd tale I tasted. Hye thee home shepheard, the day is nigh wasted . .
Thenots Embleme. Jddio Iddio perche è vecchio, Fa suoi al suo essempio.
Cuddies Embleme. Niuno vecchio, Spaventa Iddio.
GLOSSE. Kene) sharpe. Gride) perced: an olde vvord word much vsed used of Lidgate, but not found (that I know of) in Chaucer. Ronts) young bullockes. VVracke Wracke ) ruine or Violence, vvhence whence commeth shipvvracke shipwracke : and not vvreake wreake , that is vengeaunce or vvrath wrath . Foeman) a foe. Thenot) the name of a shepheard in Marot his Æglogues. The soueraigne soveraigne of Seas) is Neptune the God of the seas. The saying is borovved borowed of Mimus Publianus, vvhich which vsed used this prouerb proverb in a verse. Improbè Neptunum accusat, qui iterum naufragium facit. Heardgromes.) Heardgromes) Chaucers verse almost vvhole whole . Fond Flyes) He compareth carelesse sluggardes or ill husbandmen to flyes, that so soone as the sunne shineth, or yt wexeth any thing vvarme warme , begin to flye abroade vvhen when sodeinly they be ouertaken overtaken vvith with cold. cold: colde: colde. But eft when) A verye excellent and liuely lively description of VVinter Winter , so as may bee indif-ferently taken, eyther for old Age, or for VVinter Winter season. Breme) chill, bitter. Chamfred) chapt, or vvrinckled wrinckled . Accoied) plucked dovvne downe and daunted. Surquedrie) pryde. Elde) olde age. Sicker) sure. Tottie) vvauering wauering wavering . Corbe) crooked. Herie) worshippe. Phyllis) the name of some mayde vnknowen unknowen , whom Cuddie, whose person is secrete, lo-ued. lo-ved. The name is vsuall usuall in Theocritus, Virgile, and Mantuane. Belte) a girdle or wast band. A fon) a foole. lythe) soft & and gentile. Venteth) snuffeth in the vvind wind . Thy flocks Father) the Ramme. Crags) neckes neckes. Februarie. at the Rather Lambes) that be evved ewed early in the beginning of the yeare. Youth is) A verye moral and pitthy Allegorie of youth, and the lustes thereof, compared to a vvearie wearie vvayfaring wayfaring man. Tityrus) I suppose he meane Chaucer, whose prayse for pleasaunt tales cannot dye, so long as the memorie of hys name shal liue live , & and the name of Poetrie shal endure. VVell Well thevved thewed ) that is, Bene moratæ, full of morall wisenesse. There grew) This tale of the Oake and the Brere, he telleth as learned of Chaucer, but it is cleane in another kind, and rather like to Æsopes fables. It is very excellente for pleasaunt descriptions, being altogether a certaine Icon or Hypotyposis of disdainfull younkers. Embellisht) beautified and adorned. To wonne) to haunt or frequent. Sneb) checke. VVhy Why standst) The speach is scorneful & and very presumptuous. Engrained) dyed in grain. Accloieth) encombreth. encombrerh. accombreth. accumbreth. Adavved Adawed ) daunted & and confounded. Trees of state) taller trees fitte for timber vvood wood . Sterne strife) said Chaucer .s. fell and sturdy. O my liege) A maner of supplication, vvherein wherein is kind-ly coloured the affection and speache of Ambitious men. Coronall) Garlande. Flourets) young blossomes. The Primrose) The chiefe and vvorthiest worthiest vvorthiest. worthiest. Naked armes) metaphorically ment of the bare boughes, spoyled of leaues leaves . This colou-rably he speaketh, as adiudging adjudging hym to the fyre. The blood) spoken of a blocke, as it vvere were of a liuing living creature, figuratiuely figuratively , and (as they saye) κατ’ εἰκασμόν κα]τ’ ἐικα[σμ]όν . Hoarie lockes) metaphorically for vvithered withered leaues leaves . Hent) caught. Nould) for vvould would not. Ay) euermore evermore . VVounds Wounds ) gashes. Enaunter) least that. The priestes crevve crewe ) holy vvater water pott, wherewith the popishe priest vsed used vfed vſed to sprinckle & and hallovve hallowe the trees from mischaunce. Such blindnesse vvas was in those times, which the Poete supposeth, to haue have bene the finall decay of this auncient Oake. The blocke oft groned) A liuelye livelye figure, vvhiche whiche geueth geveth sence and feeling to vnsensible unsensible creatures, as Virgile also alfo alſo sayeth: Saxa gemunt grauido gravido &c. etc. Boreas) The Northerne vvynd wynd , that bringeth the moste stormie vveather weather . Glee) chere and iollitie jollitie . For scorning Eld) And minding (as shoulde seme) to haue have made ryme to the former verse, he is conningly cutte 84. of: off of off by Cuddye, as disdayning to here any more. Galage) a startuppe or clovvnish clownish shoe. Embleme. This embleme is spoken of Thenot, as a moral of his former tale: namelye, that God, vvhich which is himselfe most aged, being before al ages, and vvithout without beginninge, maketh those, vvhom whom he loueth loveth like to himselfe, in heaping yeares vnto unto theyre dayes, and blessing them vvyth wyth longe lyfe. For the blessing of age is not giuen given to all, but vnto unto those, vvhome whome God will so blesse: and albeit that many euil evil mẽ men reache vnto unto such fulnesse of yeares, and some also vvexe wexe olde in myserie and thraldome, yet therefore is not age euer ever the lesse blessing. For euen even to such euill evill men such number of yeares is added, that they may in their last dayes repent, and come to their first home. So the old man checketh the rashheaded boy, for despysing his gray and frostye heares. VVhom Whom Cuddye doth counterbuff with a byting and bitter prouerbe proverbe , spoken indeede Februarie. fol.8 B.4. and at the first in cõtempt contempt of old age generally. for For it vvas was an old opinion, and yet is cõtinued continued in some mens conceipt, that mẽ men of yeares haue have no feare of god at al, or not so much as younger folke. For that being rypened with long experience, and hauing having passed many bitter brunts and blastes of vengeaunce, they dread no stormes of Fortune, nor wrathe of Gods, nor daunger of menne, as being eyther by longe and ripe vvisedome wisedome armed against all mischaunces and aduersi-tie, adversi-tie, or vvith with much trouble hardened against all troublesome tydes: lyke vnto unto the Ape, of which is sayd in Æsops fables, that oftentimes meeting the Lyon, he vvas was at first sore aghast & and dismayed at the grimnes and austeritie of hys coun-tenance, but at last being acquainted vvith with his lookes, he vvas was so furre fo furre ſo furre ſo farre from fea-ring him, that he would familiarly gybe and iest jest with him: Suche longe experience breedeth in some men securitie. Although it please Erasmus Era[ſi]mus Eraſmus Eraſmus, Eraſmus, a great clerke and good old father, more fatherly and fauourablye favourablye to construe it in his Adages for his own behoofe, That that by the prouerbe proverbe Nemo Senex metuit Iouem Iovem , is not meant, that old men haue have no feare of God at al, but that they be furre from su-perstition and Idolatrous regard of false Gods, as is Iupiter Jupiter . But his greate lear-ning notwithstanding, it is to plaine, to be gainsayd, that olde men are muche more enclined to such fond fooleries, 119. then: than then than younger heades.
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