O fading Branches of decaying Bayes Who now will water your dry-wither'd Armes? Or where is he that sung the louely Layes Of simple Shepheards in their Countrey-Farmes? Ah he is dead, the cause of all our harmes: And with him dide my ioy and sweete delight; And cleare to Clowdes, the Day is turnd to Night. SYDNEY. The Syren of this latter Age; SYDNEY. The Blasing-starre of England's glory; SYDNEY. The Wonder of wise and sage; SYDNEY. The Subiect of true Vertues story; This Syren, Starre, this Wonder, and this Subiect; In dumbe, dim, gone, and mard by Fortunes Obiect. And thou my sweete _Amintas_ vertuous minde, Should I forget thy Learning or thy Loue; Well might I be accounted but vnkinde, Whose pure affection I so oft did proue: Might my poore Plaints hard stones to pitty moue; His losse should be lamented of each Creature, So great his Name, so gentle was his Nature. But sleepe his soule in sweet Elysium, (The happy Hauen of eternall rest:) And let me to my former matter come, Prouing by Reason, Shepheard's life is best, Because he harbours Vertue in his Brest; And is content (the chiefest thing of all) With any fortune that shall him befall. He sits all Day lowd-piping on a Hill, The whilst his flocke about him daunce apace, His hart with ioy, his eares with Musique fill: Anon a bleating Weather beares the Bace, A Lambe the Treble; and to his disgrace Another answers like a middle Meane: Thus euery one to beare a Part are faine. Like a great King he rules a little Land, Still making Statutes, and ordayning Lawes; Which if they breake, he beates them with his Wand: He doth defend them from the greedy Iawes Of rau'ning Woolues, and Lyons bloudy Pawes. His Field, his Realme; his Subiects are his Sheepe; Which he doth still in due obedience keepe. First he ordaines by Act of Parlament, (Holden by custome in each Countrey Towne), That if a sheepe (with any bad intent) Presume to breake the neighbour Hedges downe, Or haunt strange Pastures that be not his owne; He shall be pounded for his lustines, Vntill his Master finde out some redres. Also if any proue a Strageller From his owne fellowes in a forraine field, He shall be taken for a wanderer, And forc'd himselfe immediatly to yeeld, Or with a wyde-mouth'd Mastiue Curre be kild. And if not claimd within a twelue-month's space, He shall remaine with Land-lord of the place. Or if one stray to feede far from the rest, He shall be pincht by his swift pye-bald Curre; If any by his fellowes be opprest, The wronger (for he doth all wrong abhorre) Shall be well bangd so long as he can sturre. Because he did anoy his harmeles Brother, That meant not harme to him nor any other.