Prothalamion
Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900. | | Edmund Spenser. 1552–1599 | | 81. Prothalamion | |
CALME was the day, and through the trembling ayre | | Sweete-breathing Zephyrus did softly play | | A gentle spirit, that lightly did delay | | Hot Titans beames, which then did glyster fayre; | | When I, (whom sullein care, | 5 | Through discontent of my long fruitlesse stay | | In Princes Court, and expectation vayne | | Of idle hopes, which still doe fly away, | | Like empty shaddowes, did afflict my brayne,) | | Walkt forth to ease my payne | 10 | Along the shoare of silver streaming Themmes; | | Whose rutty Bancke, the which his River hemmes, | | Was paynted all with variable flowers, | | And all the meades adornd with daintie gemmes | | Fit to decke maydens bowres, | 15 | And crowne their Paramours | | Against the Brydale day, which is not long: | | Sweete Themmes! runne softly, till I end my Song. | | | | There, in a Meadow, by the Rivers side, | | A Flocke of Nymphes I chauncèd to espy, | 20 | All lovely Daughters of the Flood thereby, | | With goodly greenish locks, all loose untyde, | | As each had bene a Bryde; | | And each one had a little wicker basket, | | Made of fine twigs, entrayl`d curiously, | 25 | In which they gathered flowers to fill their flasket, | | And with fine Fingers cropt full feateously | | The tender stalkes on hye. | | Of every sort, which in that Meadow grew, | | They gathered some; the Violet, pallid blew, | 30 | The little Dazie, that at evening closes, | | The virgin Lillie, and the Primrose trew, | | With store of vermeil Roses, | | To decke their Bridegromes posies | | Against the Brydale day, which was not long: | 35 | Sweete Themmes! runne softly, till I end my Song. | | | | With that I saw two
CALME was the day, and through the trembling ayre | | Sweete-breathing Zephyrus did softly play | | A gentle spirit, that lightly did delay | | Hot Titans beames, which then did glyster fayre; | | When I, (whom sullein care, | 5 | Through discontent of my long fruitlesse stay | | In Princes Court, and expectation vayne | | Of idle hopes, which still doe fly away, | | Like empty shaddowes, did afflict my brayne,) | | Walkt forth to ease my payne | 10 | Along the shoare of silver streaming Themmes; | | Whose rutty Bancke, the which his River hemmes, | | Was paynted all with variable flowers, | | And all the meades adornd with daintie gemmes | | Fit to decke maydens bowres, | 15 | And crowne their Paramours | | Against the Brydale day, which is not long: | | Sweete Themmes! runne softly, till I end my Song. | | | | There, in a Meadow, by the Rivers side, | | A Flocke of Nymphes I chauncèd to espy, | 20 | All lovely Daughters of the Flood thereby, | | With goodly greenish locks, all loose untyde, | | As each had bene a Bryde; | | And each one had a little wicker basket, | | Made of fine twigs, entrayl`d curiously, | 25 | In which they gathered flowers to fill their flasket, | | And with fine Fingers cropt full feateously | | The tender stalkes on hye. | | Of every sort, which in that Meadow grew, | | They gathered some; the Violet, pallid blew, | 30 | The little Dazie, that at evening closes, | | The virgin Lillie, and the Primrose trew, | | With store of vermeil Roses, | | To decke their Bridegromes posies | | Against the Brydale day, which was not long: | 35 | Sweete Themmes! runne softly, till I end my Song. | | | | With that I saw two