Classic Poem

Songs : of shepards, rusticall roundelayes
fframed on ffancyes, whistled on reeds,
songs to solace young Nimphes vpon holydayes,
are to unworthy ffor wonderffull deeds.
Phebus Aeminius or worthy Cylen[i]us,
his lofty Genius may seem to declare
In verse better coyned, or verse more refined,
how states diuined once hunted the hare.

Starres inamoured w i th pastimes Olimpicall,
stares & planetts tha t bewtiffull showne,
wold noe longer tha t earthlye men only shall
swim in pleasures, & they but looke on
Round about horned Lucina the swarmed,
& her informed how minded they were,
Eche god & goddesse, to take humane bodyes,
as Lords & Ladyes, to ffollow the hare.

chast dyana aplauded the motyon,
w i th pale p ro serpina sate in her place,
Lights the welkin & gouernes the Ocean
whilest shee conducted her nephews in chase,
& by her example her ffavour to trample
the cold & ample earth, leaueth the ayre,
Neptune the watter, the wind liber pater,
& Mars the slaughter, to ffollow the hare.

Light young Cupid, horsset vpon Pegasus,
borrowed of Muses w i th Kisses and prayers;
strong Alcydes vpon cloudye caucasus
mounts a Centaure tha t proudlye him beares;
Postylyon of the skye, light heeld Mercurye,
makes his courser ffly as fflight as the ayre;
yellow Appollo the Kenell doth ffollow,
w i th whoope and hallow after the hare.

Hymen vshers the Ladyes: Astrea
the iust tooke hands w i th Minerua the bold,
Ceres the browne w i th the bright Cyther[e]a,
Thetis the wanton, Bellona the old,
shame-ffast Aurora, w i th suttle Pandora,
& May w i th fflora did company beare;
Iuno was stated too hye to be mated,
but, O shee hated not hunting the hare.

drowned Narssissus ffrom his Metamorphisis
raised w i th Eccho, new manhoode did take;
snoring Somnus vpstarted in cinaris,
tha t this 1000 d yeeres was not awake,
to see clubffooted old Mulciber booted,
& Pan p ro moted on Aeolus mare;
proud Æolous pouted, proud Aeolus shouted;
& Momus fflowted, but ffollowed the hare.

deepe Melampus & cuning Ignobytes,
Nappy, & tigre, & harpye, the s[k]yes
rends w i th roring, whilest hunter like Hercules
sounds they plentiffull horne to their cryes.
[Till with varieties To solace their Pieties
The wary Deities Repos'd them where]
wee shepards weare seated, the whilest wee repeated
what wee conceited of their hunting the hare.

yooung Amyntas supposed the gods came to breathe,
after some battell, themselues on the ground;
Thirsis thought they starres came to dwell here beneath,
& tha t herafter they world wold goe round;
Corydon aged, w i th Phillis engaged,
was much inraged w i th iealous dispayre,
but ffeare rewarded, & he was p er swaded,
when I thus aplauded their hunting the hare:

" starres but shadowes where, states were but sorrow,
tha t noe motyon, nor tha t no delight;
Ioyes are Iouyall, delight is the Marrow
of liffe, & action the apple of light;
pleasure d[e]pends vpon no other ends,
but ffreely lends to eche vertue a share;
only is mesure the Iewell of treasure;
of pleasure the treasure is hunting the hare. "

ffowre broad bowles to the Olimpicall rector
tha t Troy borne Egle does bring on his knee!
Ioue to Pheobus Carrouses in nector,
And he to H ERMES , & H ERMES to mee,
where-w i th infused, I pipet & I mused
in verse vnused, this sport to declare.
O tha t the rouse of Ioue, round as his spheere may moue,
helth to all tha t loue hunting the hare!