_And albeit the gift be all too meane, Too meane an Offring for thine Iuorie Shrine; Yet must thy Beautie my iust blame susteane, Since it is mortall, but thy selfe diuine. Then (Noble Ladie) take in gentle vvorth, This new-borne Babe which here my Muse brings forth._ Your Honours most affectionate and perpetually deuoted Shepheard: _DAPHNIS_. [Illustration] [Illustration] [Illustration] The Teares of an affectionate Shepheard sicke for Loue. _OR_ The Complaint of _Daphnis_ for the Loue of _Ganimede_. [Illustration] Scarce had the morning Starre hid from the light Heauens crimson Canopie with stars bespangled, But I began to rue th'vnhappy sight Of that faire Boy that had my hart intangled; Cursing the Time, the Place, the sense, the sin; I came, I saw, I viewd, I slipped in. If it be sinne to loue a sweet-fac'd Boy, (Whose amber locks trust vp in golden tramels Dangle adowne his louely cheekes with ioy, When pearle and flowers his faire haire enamels) If it be sinne to loue a louely Lad; Oh then sinne I, for whom my soule is sad. His Iuory-white and Alabaster skin Is staind throughout with rare Vermillion red, Whose twinckling starrie lights do neuer blin To shine on louely _Venus_ (Beauties bed:) But as the Lillie and the blushing Rose, So white and red on him in order growes. Vpon a time the Nymphs bestird them-selues To trie who could his beautie soonest win: But he accounted them but all as Elues, Except it were the faire Queene _Guendolen_, Her he embrac'd, of her was beloued, With plaints he proued, and with teares he moued. But her an Old-Man had beene sutor too, That in his age began to doate againe; Her would he often pray, and often woo, When through old-age enfeebled was his Braine: But she before had lou'd a lustie youth That now was dead, the cause of all her ruth. And thus it hapned, Death and _Cupid_ met Vpon a time at swilling _Bacchus_ house, Where daintie cates vpon the Board were set, And Goblets full of wine to drinke carouse: Where Loue and Death did loue the licor so, That out they fall and to the fray they goe. And hauing both their Quiuers at their backe Fild full of Arrows; Th'one of fatall steele, The other all of gold; Deaths shaft was black, But Loues was yellow: Fortune turnd her wheele; And from Deaths Quiuer fell a fatall shaft, That vnder _Cupid_ by the winde was waft. And at the same time by ill hap there fell Another Arrow out of _Cupids_ Quiuer; The which was carried by the winde at will, And vnder Death the amorous shaft did shiuer: They being parted, Loue tooke vp Deaths dart, And Death tooke vp Loues Arrow (for his part.)