ITTLE, I hope, needeth me at large to difcourfe the firft Originall of Eglogues, having alreadie touched the fame. But, for the worde Æglogues, I know, is unknowen to moft, and alfo miftaken of fome of the best learned (as they think,) I wyll fay fomewhat thereof, beeing not at all impertinent to my present purpose.

They were first of the Greekes, the inventours of them, called Eglogai, as it were αἰγών, or αἰγονόμων λόγοι, that is, Goteheards tales.' For although in Virgile and others the speakers be moft Shepheards and Goatheards, yet Theocritus, in whom is more ground of authoritie then in Virgile, this fpecially from that deriving, as from the first head and welfpring, the whole Invention of his Æglogues, maketh Goteheards the perfons and authors of his tales. This being, who feeth not the groffneffe of fuch as by

1 Æglogai, as it were alyov, or aiyoróμwr λoyo, that is, Gotebeards tales, &c.] A mistaken etymology; and derived from Petrarch. See Heinfius on Theocritus difcuffing this point, and the commentators on Virgil's Paftorals. T. WARTON.

2 the fpeakers be moft Shepheards and Goatheards.] In editions after the first these words were changed, perhaps rightly, to "the speakers be more Shepheards then Goatheards." C.

colour of learning would make us beleeve, that they are more rightly termed Eclogai, as they would fay, extraordinary difcourfes of unneceffarie matter: which definition, albe in substaunce and meaning it agree with the nature of the thing, yet no whit answereth with the avaλvois and interpretation of the worde. For they be not termed Eclogues, but Eglogues; which fentence this authour very well observing, upon good judgement, though indeede fewe Goteheards have to doe herein, nethelesse doubteth not to cal them by the used and best knowen name. Other curious discourses hereof I reserve to greater occafion.

Thefe xij Æglogues, every where answering to the seasons of the twelve monthes, may be well devided into three formes or ranckes. For eyther they be Plaintive, as the first, the fixt, the eleventh, and the twelfth; or recreative, fuch as al those bee, which conceive matter of love, or commendation of special perfonages; or Morall, which for the most part be mixed with fome Satyrical bitterneffe; namely, the second, of reverence dewe to olde age; the fift, of coloured deceipt; the seventh and ninth, of diffolute fhepheards and pastours; the tenth, of contempt of Poetrie and pleasant wits. And to this divifion may every thing herein bee reasonably applyed; a few onely except, whose speciall purpose and meaning I am not privie to. And thus much generally of thefe xij Æglogues. Now will we speake particularly of all, and

3 For they be not termed Eclogues, but Eglogues.] E. Johnfon, [Int. Temp.] in his Verfes prefixed to Browne's "Shepheards Pipe," a set of Paftorals, published in 1620, thus compliments the author:

"Not ÆGLOGUES your, but ECLOGUES: To compare :
Virgil's felected, yours elected, are.

He imitates, you make; and this your creature
Expreffeth well your name; and theirs, their nature."

Todd.

4 which conceive matter of love.] So the first edition; but it may be doubted whether the poet did not write" which concerne matter of love," and not" containe matter of love," as the paffage has fince been printed.

C.

first of the first, which hee calleth by the first monethes name, Januarie: wherein to fome hee may feeme fowly to have faulted, in that he erroniously beginneth with that moneth, which beginneth not the yeare. For it is wel knowen, and stoutly mainteyned with stronge reasons of the learned, that the yeare beginneth in March; for then the fonne reneweth his finished course, and the seasonable spring refresheth the earth, and the plefaunce thereof, being buried in the fadneffe of the dead winter now worne away, reliveth.

This opinion maynteine the olde Aftrologers and Philofophers, namely, the reverend Andalo, and Macrobius in his holydayes of Saturne; which accoumpt also was generally observed both of Grecians and Romans. But, faving the leave of fuch learned heads, wee mayntaine a custome of coumpting the feasons from the moneth January, upon a more speciall cause then the heathen Philofophers ever coulde conceyve, that is, for the incarnation of our mighty Saviour, and eternall redeemer the L. Christ, who, as then renewing the state of the decayed worlde, and returning the compaffe of expyred yeares to theyr former date and first commencement, left to us his heires a memoriall of his birth in the end of the last yeere and beginning of the next. Which reckoning, beside that eternall monument of our falvation, leaneth alfo uppon good proofe of fpecial judgement.

For albeit that in elder tymes, when as yet the coumpt of the yere was not perfected, as afterwarde it was by Julius Cæfar, they began to tel the monethes from Marches beginning, and according to the fame God (as is fayd in Scripture) comaunded the people of the Jewes, to count the Moneth Abil, that which wee call March, for the first moneth, in remembraunce that in that moneth he brought them out of the land of Ægipt: yet, according to tradition of latter times, it hath been otherwise observed, both in government of the Church and rule of Mightiest

Realmes. For from Julius Cæfar who first observed the leape yeere, which he called Biffextilem Annum, and brought into a more certain course the odde wandring dayes which of the Greekes were called upßaívovTES, of the Romans intercalares, (for in fuch matter of learning I am forced to use the termes of the learned,) the monethes have beene nombred xij, which in the first ordinaunce of Romulus were but tenne, counting but ccciiij dayes in every yeare, and beginning with March. But Numa Pompilius, who was the father of al the Romain ceremonies and religion, seeing that reckoning to agree neither with the course of the fonne nor of the moone, thereunto added two monethes, January and February; wherin it seemeth, that wife king minded, upon good reason, to begin the yeare at Januarie, of him therefore fo called tanquam Janua anni, the gate and entraunce of the yere ; or of the name of the god Janus, to which god for that the olde Paynims attributed the byrth and beginning of all creatures new comming into the worlde, it feemeth that he therfore to him affigned the beginning and first entraunce of the yeare. Which account for the most part hath hetherto continued: Notwithstanding that the Ægiptians beginne theyr yeare at September; for that, according to the opinion of the best Rabbins and very purpose of the Scripture felfe, God made the worlde in that Moneth, that is called of them Tifri. And therefore he commaunded them to keepe the feast of Pavilions in the ende of the yeare, in the xv. day of the seventh moneth, which before that time was the firft.

But our Authour refpecting neither the fubtiltie of thone part, nor the antiquitie of thother, thinketh it fittest, according to the fimplicitie of commen understanding, to begin with Januarie; wening it perhaps no decorum that Shepheard fhould be feene in matter of fo deepe infight, or canvase a case of so doubtful judgment. So therefore beginneth he, and fo continueth he throughout.

THE SHEPHEARDS CALENDER.

JANUARIE.

EGLOGA PRIMA. ARGUMENT.

IN this firft Eglogue Colin cloute, a fhepheardes boy, complaineth him of his unfortunate love, being but newly (as femeth) enamoured of a countrie laffe called Rofalinde: with which ftrong affection being very fore traveled, he compareth his carefull cafe to the fadde feafon of the yeare, to the froftie ground, to the frofen trees, and to his owne winterbeaten flocke. And lastlye, fynding himfelfe robbed of all former pleafaunce and delights, hee breaketh his Pipe in peeces, and cafteth him felfe to the ground.

So faint they woxe, and feeble in the folde,

That now unnethes their feete could them uphold.

5

a Colin Clout is Spenfer himself. See the Gloffe of E. K. The name