At shearing-times and yearly wakes, When Themilis his pastime makes, There thou shalt be; and be the wit, Nay more, the feast and grace of it. On holidays when virgins meet To dance the hays with nimble feet, Thou shalt come forth and then appear The queen of roses for that year; And having danced ('bove all the best) Carry the garland from the rest. In wicker-baskets maids shall bring To thee, my dearest shepherdling, The blushing apple, bashful pear, And shame-faced plum all simp'ring there: Walk in the groves and thou shalt find The name of Phillis in the rind Of every straight and smooth-skin tree, Where kissing that I'll twice kiss thee. To thee a sheep-hook I will send Be-prankt with ribands to this end, This, this alluring hook might be Less for to catch a sheep than me. Thou shalt have possets, wassails fine, Not made of ale but spiced wine; To make thy maids and self free mirth, All sitting near the glittering hearth. Thou shalt have ribbands, roses, rings, Gloves, garters, stockings, shoes and strings, Of winning colours that shall move Others to lust but me to love. These, nay, and more, thine own shall be If thou wilt love and live with me. FRAGMENT.[668] I walk'd along a stream, for pureness rare, Brighter than sun-shine; for it did acquaint The dullest sight with all the glorious prey That in the pebble-pavËd channel lay. No molten crystal, but a richer mine, Even Nature's rarest alchymy ran there,-- Diamonds resolv'd, and substance more divine, Through whose bright-gliding current might appear A thousand naked nymphs, whose ivory shine, Enamelling the banks, made them more dear Than ever was that glorious palace' gate Where the day-shining Sun in triumph sate. Upon this brim the eglantine and rose, The tamarisk, olive, and the almond tree, As kind companions, in one union grows, Folding their twining[669] arms, as oft we see Turtle-taught lovers either other close, Lending to dulness feeling sympathy; And as a costly valance o'er a bed, So did their garland-tops the brook o'erspread. Their leaves, that differ'd both in shape and show, Though all were green, yet difference such in green, Like to the checker'd bent of Iris' bow, Prided the running main, as it had been-- FOOTNOTES: [668] From _England's Parnassus_, 1600, p. 480, where it is subscribed "Ch. Marlowe." [669] The text of _England's Parnassus_ has "twindring," which is corrected in the _Errata_, to "twining." DIALOGUE IN VERSE.[670] JACK.