PROTHALAMION: OR, A SPOUSALL VERSE, MADE BY EDM. SPENSER. IN HONOUR OF THE DOUBLE MARRIAGE OF THE TWO HONORABLE AND VERTUOUS LADIES, THE LADIE ELIZABETH, AND THE LADIE KATHERINE SOMERSET, DAUGH TERS TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE EARLE OF WORCESTER, AND ESPOUSED TO THE TWO WORTHIE GENTLEMEN, M. HENRY ESQUYERS. 20 VOL. V. (1596.) PROTHALAMION: OR, A SPOUSALL VERSE. CALME was the day, and through the trembling ayre Sweete-breathing Zephyrus did softly play 1 A gentle spirit, that lightly did delay1 Hot Titans beames, which then did glyster fayre; Through discontent of my long fruitlesse stay Along the shoare of silver streaming Themmes; And all the meades adornd with dainty gemmes, And crowne their paramours Against the brydale day, which is not long3: 10 15 Sweet Themmes ! runne softly, till I end my song. 1 Delay, allay. 2 Rutty, rooty. 3 Long, distant. There, in a meadow by the rivers side, And each one had a little wicker basket, In which they gathered flowers to fill their flasket, The tender stalkes on hye. Of every sort which in that meadow grew 2 25 2 They gathered some; the violet, pallid blew, The virgin lillie, and the primrose trew, To deck their bridegroomes posies 80 85 Against the brydale day, which was not long: song. With that I saw two Swannes of goodly hewe The snow which doth the top of Pindus strew 40 Nor Jove himselfe, when he a swan would be Yet Leda was, they say, as white as he, 1 Entrayled, interwoven. 2 Flasket, a long, shallow basket. 45 3 Feateously, dexterously. 4 Lee, stream. |