The Complaint of the Shepheard Harp [...]us.

To a pleasant new Tune.
[figure]
Poore Harpalus, opprest with loue,
sate by a Cristall Brooke:
Thinking his sorrowes to remoue,
oft times therein to looke:
And hearing how on pibble stones,
the murmuring riuer ran,
As if it had bewaild his grones,
vnto[?] it thus began.
Faire streame (quoth he) that pitties me,
and heare my matchlesse mone,
If thou be going to the Sea:
as I doe now suppone,
Attend my plaints past all reliefe,
wich dolefully I breath,
Acquaint the Sea-Nymphz with the griefe▪
which still procures my death.
Who sitting in the cliffie Rockes,
may in their songs expresse,
While as they combe their golden locks,
poore Harpalus distresse:
And so parhaps some passenger,
that passeth by the way,
May stay and listen for to heare
them sing this dolefull Lay.
Poore Harpalus, a Shepheard Swaine,
more rich in youth then store:
Lou'd faire Philena, haplesse man,
Phulena, oh therefore.
Who still, remorslesse hearted maid,
tooke[?] pleasure in his paine:
And his good will poore soule, repaid
with vndeseru'd disdaine.
Nere Shepheard lou'd a Shepheardesse
more faithfully then he:
Nere Shepheard yet beloued lesse
of Shepheardesse could be.
How oft did he with dying lookes,
to her his woes impart?
How oft his sighs did testifie
the dolour of his heart?
How oft from Uallies to the Hils,
did he his griefe rehearse?
How oft re-ecchoed they his ills,
abacke againe (alas?)
How oft on Barkes of stately Pines,
of Beech of Holly-greene,
Did he ingraue in mournefull lines,
the griefe he did sustaine?
Yet all his plaints could haue no place,
to change Philenas mind:
The more his sorrowes did increase,
the more she prou'd vnkind:
The thought thereof with wearied care,
poore Harpalus did moue,
That ouercome with high despaire[?],
he lost both life and Loue.
D. M.
FINIS.

Printed by the Assignes of Thomas Symcocke.

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