Unless she do him by the forelock take! Make haste, therefore, sweet Love! whilst it is prime : The doubt which ye misdeem, fair Love! is vain, When losing one, two liberties ye gain, And make him bond that bondage erst did fly. The gentle bird feels no captivity Within her cage, but sings and feeds her fill. There pride dare not approach, nor discord spill EPITHALAMION. Ye learned Sisters! which have oftentimes Been to me aiding, others to adorn Whom ye thought worthy of your graceful rhymes, That even the greatest did not greatly scorn To hear their names sung in your simple lays, But joyed in their praise; And when ye list your own mishaps to mourn Which death, or love, or fortune's wreck did raise, And teach the woods and waters to lament Your doleful dreariment: Now lay those sorrowful complaints aside; And, having all your heads with garlands crown'd, Ne let the same of any be envied! The woods shall to me answer, and my echo ring. Early, before the world's light-giving lamp Bid her awake! for Hymen is awake, And long since ready forth his masque to move, With his bright tead that flames with many a flake, And many a bachelor to wait on him In their fresh garments trim. Bid her awake therefore, and soon her dight! For lo the wished day is come at last That shall for all the pains and sorrows past And whilst she doth her dight, Do ye to her of joy and solace sing, That all the woods may answer, and your echo ring! Bring with you all the Nymphs that you can hear, Both of the rivers and the forests green; And of the sea that neighbours to her near : All with gay garlands goodly well beseen! For my fair Love, of lilies and of roses Bound true-love-wise with a blue silk ribbànd! And let them eke bring store of other flowers, And let the ground whereas her foot shall tread, The whiles do ye this song unto her sing! Ye Nymphs of Mulla, which with careful heed Bind up the locks the which hang scatter'd light, And in his waters, which your mirror make, Behold your faces as the crystal bright, That when you come whereas my Love doth lie And eke, ye light-foot Maids which keep the deer And the wild wolves which seek them to devour With your steel darts do chase from coming near! Be also present here, To help to deck her, and to help to sing, That all the woods may answer and your echo ring. Wake now, my Love! awake! for it is time: The merry lark her matins sings aloft, The thrush replies, the mavis descant plays, Ah, my dear Love! why do ye sleep thus long? For they of joy and pleasance to you sing, My Love is now awake out of her dreams, But first come ye, fair Hours! which were begot Do make and still repair; And ye three Handmaids of the Cyprian Queen! Help to adorn my beautifullest Bride! And as ye her array still throw between Some graces to be seen; And, as ye use to Venus, to her sing! The whiles the woods shall answer and your echo ring. Now is my Love all ready forth to come : The joyfullest day that ever sun did see! O fairest Phoebus! father of the Muse, Or sing the thing that mote thy mind delight, Then I thy sovereign praises loud will sing, Hark how the minstrels gin to shrill aloud And thereunto do dance and carol sweet, As if it were one voice, "Hymen, io Hymen! Hymen!" they do shout,— That even to the heavens their shouting shrill Doth reach, and all the firmament doth fill; To which the people standing all about As in approvance do thereto applaud, And loud advance her laud; And evermore they 66 Hymen! Hymen!" sing, That all the woods them answer and their echo ring. Lo where She comes along with portly pace, |