Or kill the gallant knight: Unto the silly damsel. But one must be refused, Alas! she could not help it. Thus art with arms contending For now my song is ended. XVII. On a day (alack the day!) Through the velvet leaves the wind, 5 On a day (alack the day !)] This poem, in a more complete state, and with the addition of two lines only found there, may be seen in "Love's Labour's Lost," Vol. ii. p. 335. The poem is also printed in " England's Helicon," (sign. H) a miscellany of poetry, first published in 1600, where "W. Shakespeare" is appended to it. It is not necessary for us here to point out the more minute variations. Thou for whom Jove would swear XVIII. My flocks feed not, My ewes breed not, My rams speed not, Heart's denying', Causer of this. All my merry jigs are quite forgot, Wrought all my loss; O frowning Fortune, cursed, fickle dame! Inconstancy More in women than in men remain. In black mourn I, All fears scorn I, Love hath forlorn me, Living in thrall : Heart is bleeding, O cruel speeding! My flocks feed not,] In "England's 'Helicon," 1600, this poem immediately follows "On a day (alack the day!)" but it is there entitled "The unknown Shepherd's Complaint," and it is subscribed Ignoto. Hence we may suppose that the compiler of that collection knew that it was not by Shakespeare, although it had been attributed to him in "The Passionate Pilgrim" of the year preceding. It had appeared anonymously, with the music, in 1597, in a collection of Madrigals by Thomas Weelkes. 7 Love is DYING,] "Love's denying" in "England's Helicon." Heart's DENYING,] "Heart's renying" in " England's Helicon." My shepherd's pipe can sound no deal', Procure to weep, In howling-wise, to see my doleful plight. Through heartless ground, Like a thousand vanquish'd men in bloody fight! Clear wells spring not, Sweet birds sing not, Forth their dye'; Flocks all sleeping, Nymphs back peeping All our pleasure known to us poor swains, Thy like ne'er was "My shepherd's pipe can sound no DEAL,] "Deal" is part, and "no deal" is therefore no part." My shepherd's pipe cannot sound." " have 1 My sighs so deep,] Both editions of "The Passionate Pilgrim With for "My," which last not only is necessary for the sense, but is confirmed as the true reading by Weelkes' Madrigals, 1597. 2 Green plants bring not Forth their dye ;] So both editions of the "Passionate Pilgrim" and "England's Helicon." Malone preferred the passage as it stands in Weelkes' Madrigals : "Loud bells ring not But the variation was, perhaps, arbitrarily introduced for the sake of the music. Malone says, by mistake, that "The Passionate Pilgrim" reads "Forth: they die," and modern editors have followed him in this error, not having consulted the old copies. 3 Farewell, sweet LASS,] "The Passionate Pilgrim" and "England's Helicon" both have love for "lass," which the rhyme shows to be the true reading, as it stands in Weelkes' Madrigals, 1597. For a sweet content, the cause of all my moan' Must live alone, Other help for him I see that there is none. XIX. When as thine eye hath chose the dame', And stall'd the deer that thou shouldst strike, As well as partial fancy like : Take counsel of some wiser head, And when thou com'st thy tale to tell, But plainly say thou lov'st her well, What though her frowning brows be bent, That thus dissembled her delight; the cause of all my MOAN :] So "England's Helicon" and Weelkes' Madrigals: "The Passionate Pilgrim," 1599, has woe for "moan." When as thine eye hath chose the dame,] In some modern editions, the stanzas of this poem have been given in an order different to that in which they stand in “The Passionate Pilgrim,” 1599: to that order we restore them, and that text we follow, excepting where it is evidently corrupt. The line, "As well as partial fancy like," we have corrected by a manuscript of the time. The edition of 1599 reads, "As well as fancy party all might," which is decidedly wrong. Malone substituted "As well as fancy, partial tike." The manuscript by which we have corrected the fourth line of the stanza also gives the two last lines of it thus: "Ask counsel of some other head, Neither unwise nor yet unwed." But no change from the old printed copy is here necessary. In the manuscript the whole has the initials of Shakespeare's names at the end. And set thy person forth to sell.] So the manuscript in our possession, and another that Malone used: the old copies read, with obvious corruption, "And set her person forth to sale." And twice desire, ere it be day, That which with scorn she put away. What though she strive to try her strength, And to her will frame all thy ways: The strongest castle, tower, and town, Serve always with assured trust, When time shall serve, be thou not slack The wiles and guiles that women work, Think, women still to strive with men But soft! enough,-too much, I fear; 7 She will not stick to warm my ear,] So the manuscript in our possession : "The Passionate Pilgrim," 1599, has it, "She will not stick to round me on th' ear," which cannot be right. |