V.

« And Bellamoure again fo well her pleas'd "With daily fervice, and attendance due, That of her love he was entirely feiz'd,

"And clofely did her wed, but known to few. "Which when her father understood, he

grew

"In fo great rage, that them in dungeon deep "Without compaffion, cruelly he threw, "Yet did fo ftraightly them afunder keep, "That neither could to company of th'other, tr creep.

VI.

Nathlefs Sir Bellamoure whether through ચંદ grace,

"Or fecret gifts, fo with his keepers wrought, "That to his love, fometimes he came in place, "Whereof her womb unwift to wight, was fraught

66

"And in due time a maiden child forth brought, "Which she straightway (for dread left if her "Sire

1

"Should know thereof, to nay he would have fought)

"Deliver'd to her handmaid, that (for hire) "She fhould it caufe be foftred under ftrange

"attire.

VII.

"The trufty damfel bearing it abroad "Into the empty fields, where living wight "Mought not bewray the fecret of her load, "She forth 'gan lay unto the open light

"The

"The little babe, to take thereof a fight:
"Whom whilest she did with watry eyne be-
hold,

Upon the little breaft (lyke cryftal bright)
She mote perceive a little purple mold,
That like a rofe, her filken leaves did fair
" unfold.

VIII.

"Well fhe it marks, and pitied the more, "Yet could not remedy her wretched case; "But closing it again, like as before, "Bedew'd with tears, there left it in the place: "Yet left not quite, but drew a little space "Behind the bushes, where fhe her did hide, "To weet what mortal hand the heavenly ૬ grace,

"Would for the wretched infant's help provide, For which it loudly call'd, and pitifully 66 cry'd.

IX.

"At length a fhepherd that thereby did keep. "His fleecy flock upon the plains around, "Led with the infant's cry, that loud did 26 weep;

"Came to the place, where when he wrapped "found

"Th'abandon'd fpoil, he foftly it unbound: "And feeing there that did him pity fore, "He took it up, and in his mantle wound; "So home, unto his honeft wife it bore, "Who as her own it nurft, and named ever"more."

A& 3. fc. 7. p. 326. Enter Clown..
Clown. Hilloa, loa.

Sheph. What ar't fo near: If thou'lt fee a thing to talk of, when thou art dead and rotten, come bither.] Sir Gyles Goofecap (fee the comedy fo called, Act 4.) feems to have been of the fame caft with this fimple fhepherd.

66

Goofecap. Dead! 'Slight, that cannot be "man; I know he would have fent to me, "an it had been fo."

Id. ib.

Shepherd. It was told me, I fhould be rich by the fairys. This is fome changeling, open't, what's within, boy.] An allufion to the vulgar notion of fairies changing children in the cradle. He has the like thought, First Part of King Henry Fourth, Act 1. fc. 1.

King Henry, fpeaking of Hotspur, in comparison, fays:

"Whilft I, by looking on the praise of him,

"See riot, and difhonour stain the brow "Of my young Harry. O could it be prov'd "That fome night-tripping fairy had ex"chang'd,

"In cradle-cloaths, our children where they lay,

"And call'd mine Percy, his Plantagenet, "Then would I have his Harry, and he mine. "But let him from my thoughts

And Spenfer has the like thought.

For well I wote thou springest from ânçi

❝ent race

"Of Saxon kings, that have with mighty hand,

And many bloody battle ear biên

in High reard their royal throne in Britain land, su yd or Stolig bust 57T

"And vanquish'd them, unable to withstand: "From thence a a fairy thee unweeting reft, There as thou flept in tender, fwadling band, "And her base elfin-brood there for thee left. "Such men do changelings call, fo chang'd by fairy theft." Spenser's Fairy Queen, Book 1, Canto 19, 35. Id. ib. Enter Time, as Chorus.] Enter Time, the Chorus. Folio, 1632.

Sc. 7. Chórus.

T2

Impute it not a crime To me or my paffage, that I fide O'er fixteen years, and leave the gulf untry'd.]

The growth untry'd, Folio, 1632. Sir Thomas Hanmer, and Mr. Theobald. Mr. Warbur ton calls this reading nonsense. See his reason. Act 4. fc.4.p.336. Enter Florizel and Perdita. Flo. These your unusual weeds to each part of you do give a life: No Shepherdess but Flora, peering in April's front, this your sheep-fheering is as a meeting of the petty gods, and you the queen on't,] Spenfer, fpeaking of Calidore's first meeting with Paftorella, Book 6. Canto 9, &c. fays; IX. S

And foothly fure The was full fair of face, "And perfectly well Thaped in every limb,, "Which he did more augment with modest 66 grace, "And

And comely carriage of her count'nance trim, "That all the reft like leffer lamps did dim: Who, her admiring as fome heavenly wight, Did for their fovereign goddess her esteem, And caroling her name both day and night, The fairest Paftorella her by name did hight." XI.

"Her while Sir Calidore viewed well,

"And mark'd her rare demeanure, which him Late το feem'd

"So far the mean of Thepherds to excel, “As that he in his mind her worthy deem'd, "To be a prince's Paragone efteem'd;

He was unawares furpriz'd in fubtil bands "Of the blind boy, ne thence could be re"deem'd

By any skill out of his cruel hands,

Caught like the bird, which gazing still on "others, ftands.”

Sc. ibid.

"Perdita, Sir, my gracious lord,

"To chide at your extreams, it not becomes me: "Ob pardon that I name them, your bigh felf, "The gracious mark o'th land, you have obscured, "With a fwain's wearing.] Thus Calidore difguifed himself for the love of Paftorella. Book 6. Canto 9. 34, &c.

XXXIV.

"So there that night, Sir Calidore did dwell, "And long while after, whilst him list remain, Daily beholding the fair Pastarel,

And feeding on the bait of his own bane;

S2

"Dur