THE COURTIER’S LIFE

     Second Eclogue

     CORNIX

     Some men deliteth beholding men to fight,
     Or goodly knights in pleasaunt apparayle,
     Or sturdie soldiers in bright harnes and male,
     Or an army arrayde ready to the warre,
     Or to see them fight, so that he stand afarre. 
     Some glad is to see those ladies beauteous
     Goodly appoynted in clothing sumpteous: 
     A number of people appoynted in like wise
     In costly clothing after the newest gise,
     Sportes, disgising, fayre coursers mount and praunce,
     Or goodly ladies and knightes sing and daunce,
     To see fayre houses and curious picture,
     Or pleasaunt hanging or sumpteous vesture
     Of silke, of purpure or golde moste oriente,
     And other clothing divers and excellent,
     Hye curious buildinges or palaces royall,
     Or chapels, temples fayre and substantial,
     Images graven or vaultes curious,
     Gardeyns and medowes, or place delicious,
     Forestes and parkes well furnished with dere,
     Cold pleasaunt streams or welles fayre and clere,
     Curious cundites or shadowie mountaynes,
     Swete pleasaunt valleys, laundes or playnes,
     Houndes, and such other things manyfolde
     Some men take pleasour and solace to beholde.

     But all these pleasoures be much more jocounde,
     To private persons which not to court be bounde,
     Than to such other whiche of necessitie
     Are bounde to the court as in captivitie;
     For they which be bounde to princes without fayle
     When they must nedes be present in battayle,
     When shall they not be at large to see the sight,
     But as souldiours in the middest of the fight,
     To runne here and there sometime his foe to smite,
     And oftetimes wounded, herein is small delite,
     And more muste he think his body to defende,
     Than for any pleasour about him to intende,
     And oft is he faynt and beaten to the grounde,
     I trowe in suche sight small pleasour may be founde. 
     As for fayre ladies, clothed in silke and golde,
     In court at thy pleasour thou canst not beholde. 
     At thy princes pleasour thou shalt them only see,
     Then suche shalt thou see which little set by thee,
     Whose shape and beautie may so inflame thine heart,
     That thought and languor may cause thee for to smart. 
     For a small sparcle may kindle love certayne,
     But skantly Severne may quench it clene againe;
     And beautie blindeth and causeth man to set
     His hearte on the thing which he shall never get. 
     To see men clothed in silkes pleasauntly
     It is small pleasour, and ofte causeth envy. 
     While thy lean jade halteth by thy side,
     To see another upon a, courser ride,
     Though he be neyther