HKB
<See note 21 for the stories of the lovers in the next two stanzas>
That, in despite of Diana the chaste, Full many a bowe broke hung on the wall, Of maidens, such as go their time to waste In her service: and painted over all Of many a story, of which I touche shall A few, as of Calist’, and Atalant’, And many a maid, of which the name I want.* *do not have
Semiramis, Canace, and Hercules, Biblis, Dido, Thisbe and Pyramus, Tristram, Isoude, Paris, and Achilles, Helena, Cleopatra, Troilus, Scylla, and eke the mother of Romulus; All these were painted on the other side, And all their love, and in what plight they died.
When I was come again into the place That I of spake, that was so sweet and green, Forth walk’d I then, myselfe to solace: Then was I ware where there sat a queen, That, as of light the summer Sunne sheen Passeth the star, right so over measure out of all proportion She fairer was than any creature.
And in a lawn, upon a hill of flowers, Was set this noble goddess of Nature; Of branches were her halles and her bowers Y-wrought, after her craft and her measure; Nor was there fowl that comes of engendrure That there ne were prest,* in her presence, *ready <22> To take her doom, and give her audience. receive her decision
For this was on Saint Valentine’s Day, When ev’ry fowl cometh to choose her make,* mate Of every kind that men thinken may; And then so huge a noise gan they make, That earth, and sea, and tree, and ev’ry lake, So full was, that unnethes there was space *scarcely For me to stand, so full was all the place.
And right as Alain, in his Plaint of Kind, <23> Deviseth* Nature of such array and face; *describeth In such array men mighte her there find. This noble Emperess, full of all grace, Bade ev’ry fowle take her owen place, As they were wont alway, from year to year, On Saint Valentine’s Day to stande there.
That is to say, the fowles of ravine birds of prey Were highest set, and then the fowles smale, That eaten as them Nature would incline; As worme-fowl, of which I tell no tale; But waterfowl sat lowest in the dale, And fowls that live by seed sat on the green, And that so many, that wonder was to see’n.
There mighte men the royal eagle find, That with his sharpe look pierceth the Sun; And other eagles of a lower kind, Of which that clerkes well devise con; which scholars well There was the tyrant with his feathers dun can describe And green, I mean the goshawk, that doth pine* cause pain To birds, for his outrageous ravine. *slaying, hunting
The gentle falcon, that with his feet distraineth* grasps The kinge’s hand; <24> the hardy sperhawk eke, pert The quaile’s foe; the merlion <25> that paineth Himself full oft the larke for to seek; There was the dove, with her eyen meek; The jealous swan, against his death that singeth; in anticipation of The owl eke, that of death the bode bringeth. *omen
The crane, the giant, with his trumpet soun’; The thief the chough; and eke the chatt’ring pie; The scorning jay; <26> the eel’s foe the heroun; The false lapwing, full of treachery; <27> The starling, that the counsel can betray; The tame ruddock,* and the coward kite; robin-redbreast The cock, that horologe is of thorpes lite. *clock little villages
The sparrow, Venus’ son; <28> the nightingale, That calleth forth the freshe leaves new; <29> The swallow, murd’rer of the bees smale, That honey make of flowers fresh of hue; The wedded turtle, with his hearte true; The peacock, with his angel feathers bright; <30> The pheasant, scorner of the cock by night; <31>