The Complete Poems of Richard Barnfield/The Isham MS./The Shepherdes Confession

by Richard Barnfield

THE SHEPHERDES CONFESSION.

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To thy shrifte (greate chaplen of the familie of loue) com̄s y^e passionat shephard of the westerne playnes to confes his faultes & to offer sacrifice for his offences. I haue loud, a foole y^t I was & haue obtained. fy blab ^t I tell but trustinge to thy secresy let me open that thinge y^e w'tting wherof is the greateste contente in loue. when in the blominge of my youth & in the florishinge time of the yere I first tooke vpō me y^e charge of a shepherd, Phillis my fath^rs neighbo^rs Daughter draue likewise her fath^rs flocke. at noone time as it often happens a monge vs shepherds I to a void the heate of the sonne vsed to w^thdraw my self to a foūtaine springinge in he^r sheepgate where beinge my custome to meete her as on[e] day vnder y^e couerlet of a rocke wh're gazing on y^e cristall streame, in the watry glas, she did see the shadowe of Bellin my ram̄e how he was moūted one the yeaw to p'forme the duty of marra^dg. She asked me what the rāme did. I said he got on the yeaws backe to discrie if on the the (sic) hedge were any better food (& holy preist let me confesse my falte) I then spake as I thought but y^e wily Phillis p'cevying my simplicity turnes her head and smiles as if her countenance should say what a foole is this. But longe she had not remaynd thus when on the leaues of a marygolde she saw a busy bee gathring hony. Willie saith shee for so am I cald, shall I be thy bee & sucke thy hony of thy lips? By the cleerenes of her posicons I hauinge my vnderstandinge now erected replied yee Phillis so y^t like y^e marigold y^u wilt only to my bright beames ly open. O the crafte of women, how putly vpon my wordes did shee frowne & turne a way. I affeard of her displeasure said sweet Phil why looke yo^u from me? haue I offended. Dere then turne those eys nay fix them vpon me soe shall the flames thereof in burninge me be iust punishers of mine offence. W^th y^t I wold haue initated the gras where on we lay by clasping her in my armes but she t'ninge aside, espies my iuory pipe, and as women delight in faire thinges & yet through theire natures couetousnes doe rather take then giue, so now to make p'fit of her anger, she told me by no meanes I shoud enter acquaintance againe vnles franckly and freely I would giue her my white pipe. I made answer y^t giue it I could not but if she would lay the browne mazer her mother gaue her to my whistle vpon any wager I would try the venter. wee a greed & y^e bargaine was who in runinge should firste come to the bush at y^e bottom of the hill, he should haue the prize, we set forwarde & step for step, stroke for stroke she kept w^th me nay was often times before me till drawinge neere y^e marke she begane to fainte & speechles fell downe. I whose mind was more on takinge her vp then on winninge the wager imployd my strength to y^e thrusting of her vp againe. This kindnes of mine in shewinge, I neglected my profit in comparisō of her suer footing did so deeply p'ce [= pierce] her as shee thought it not enough to giue me y^t curious wrought mazer confessinge it to be mine as won̄e by maine speedines but w^th all shee pn̄ted it me replenished w^th a most reviving liquo^r. I not to seeme defectiue in curteous bounty gaue her my pipe. she refusd the p'p'ty [= property] & only craued y^e vse of it to chere vp her spirites when she was in her melancholy dūps. Phi: said I if you returne me my pipe yet it is yo's at commaund and as for yo^r mazer since it is houshold stuf & y^t I am no huswif I p^r thee take it home againe but sweet Phi keepe it neatly. only I desire you woldst bringt a feild adayes, y^t when through heat I shall grow thirsty w^th the liquo^r thereof I may alay my drought. Thus for y^t time we p'ted & often since to y^e high delightfull quenchinge of my most furious flames out of y^t iolly polished mazor haue I caroused. But here is my misfortune, for this offence I come now to aske p'done, my fair tressed Ph amonge other of her delightes kept shut vp in a cage a bird called a wagtaile. him she fed w^th her owne hand, him she stroked, him she plaid w^thall. I cominge on a time to this cage & pittying to see y^t poore foule in captiuitie w^ch was free by the laws of kind vnpent the cage dore & out flue the bird. Ph: findinge her play fellow gone & y^t through my falte, O hils O downs into what arage was shee driuen. I was the man y^t invied her content, twas I y^t had bereaud her of her morninges thought, he^r repose at euen, her make [=mate] by day and he^r valiant gûid by night, so y^t transported w^th this tempestuos passion away she flinges from me & neu^r sine cold I regaine her fauo^r. how often sine haue I sued for grace by crowninge those lam̄s w^th garlandes w^ch I knew to be her fauorites. how often haue I brought her a robbin redbreste & told h^r y^t although he be sulle [=sullen] & sollitary, yet is he a most kind & faithfull bird, how often haue I p^rsented her y^e nighting gale w^th this commend'con y^t he vseth to sleepe w^th a pricke at his breste, and yet she scornes my guiftes & w^th despitfull thretninge makes answer to my passionat intreatinges y^t vnles I find her lady bird againe I must neu^r vēter to come in her p'n̄c. I haue so wandred the woodes & made so many a tree brāchles for y^e search of this wagtaile as now beinge not able to wag any further, I am com vnto thy shrine sine she will not here me, to confes my greuos fault & offer sacrifice for y^e sinne. If my oblacon be of force to moue thy spirit, to fore tell me I shall recou^r my La: bird againe who shalbe more bounde to thy holynes then thy poore shephard Willie? But if my offence haue not merite[d] such fauo^r as to say y^e truth what can he deserue in y^e sight of loue, who hath wilfully lost his wagtaile yet accept this sacrifice w^ch I bringe vnto thee. This viall w^ch I offer is a viall of teares w^ch I haue wept for my los w^ch eydew being but small in quantity because y^e glas is but little & britel, may as a misticale relik be kept in thy temple to shew maidens should not greue to much for the los of so brikle athinge as is virgins maiden head. Holy father I haue cōfesse[d] all I attend thine absolution. Finis.

FINIS.