Page [151]

[one-half-first]

[/one-half-first]
[one-half]

To thee thy flockes and folds such ioy may giue,
As carelesse of my greefe thou wouldst not liue.

Syluanus.
The heate is past (Syrenus) and doth cease,
The Shepherds to their folds begin to goe,
And wearie grashoppers doe hold their peace:
The night will not stay long, which, hid belovve,
Is comming in, vvhile Phoebus in our skie
Doth heere and there his vading light bestovve:
Therefore before the darkest shade shall lie
Vpon the ground, and vvhile the vvren doth sing
In top of this greene Sicamour on hie,
Our vvandring flockes together let vs bring,
And driue them vvhere Diana novv doth stay
For vs, vvhile in the vvoods our voices ring.

Syrenus.
My friend, Syluanus, goe not yet avvay,
Since all his beames not yet the sunne doth hide,
And that vve haue sufficient of the day.
There’s time for vs and for our flocke beside,
And time to driue them to the riuer cleere.
For in this meade to day they shall abide:
And, Shepherd, let my song be ended heere.

All the while that the Shepherds were singing, the Shepherdesse iwas leaning her faire face vpon her hand, whose sleeue falling downe a little from her wrest, discouered an arme whiter then the driuen snow, she held her eies downe to the ground, powring out such plentie of teares, as were sufficient arguments of more inward griefe and paine, then she would (though faine) haue then vttered. And as the Shepherds ended their song, with a deepe sigh, in company whereof it seemed that her soule would haue flowen out, she rose vp, & without taking her leaue, went downe along the valley, dressing her golden haire, whose vaile hung intangled be∣hinde in a bow, when she rose vp. And if the Shepherds had not tempered the great pitie which they had of her, with the little that she had of them, neither the one nor the others hart had beene able to indure it. And so all of them went to gather vp their sheepe, that (scattered abroad) went skipping vp and downe the greene meadow.

The end of the sixth booke.

The seventh Booke of Diana of George
of Montemayor.

AFter that Felismena had reconoiled Amarillis & Filemon, & left them with full purpose and resolution, the one neuer to do any thing to the discontentment and complaint of the other: be∣ing now gon from them, she went downe along the valley, wherein she wandred many daies without hearing any newes, that might affoorde her the least content, that she desired: and yet carrying with her an assured hope of sage Felicias wordes,

[/one-half]