Page:Golden Treasury of English Songs and Lyrics.djvu/47

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Wake from thy nest, Robin-red-breast, Sing birds in every furrow; And from each hill, let music shrill Give my fair Love good-morrow! Blackbird and thrush in every bush, Stare, linnet, and cock-sparrow! You pretty elves, amongst yourselvesSing my fair Love good-morrow; To give my Love good-morrowSing birds in every furrow!T. Heywood


liii

PROTHALAIMON

Calm was the day, and through the trembling air Sweet-breathing Zephyrus did softly play — A gentle spirit, that lightly did delay Hot Titan’s beams, which then did glister fair; When I, (whom sullen care, Through discontent of my long fruitless stay In princes’ court, and expectation vain Of idle hopes, which still do fly away Like empty shadows, did afflict my brain) Walk’d forth to ease my pain Along the shore of silver-streaming Thames; Whose rutty bank, the which his river hems,Was painted all with variable flowers, And all the meads adorn’d with dainty gems Fit to deck maidens’ bowers, And crown their paramours Against the bridal day, which is not long: Sweet Thames! run softly, till I end my song.
There in a meadow by the river’s side A flock of nymphs I chancéd to espy, All lovely daughters of the flood thereby, With goodly greenish locks all loose untied As each had been a bride; And each one had a little wicker basket Made of fine twigs, entrailéd curiously,
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