Which a grove of myrtles made,

Beasts did leap and birds did sing,
Trees did grow and plants did spring;
Everything did banish moan,
Save the nightingale alone:
She, poor bird, as all forlorn,
Lean'd her breast up-till a thorn,
And there sung the dolefull'st ditty,
That to hear it was great pity:
"Fie, fie, fie," now would she cry;
“Tereu, Tereu!" by and by;
That to hear her so complain,
Scarce I could from tears refrain;
For her griefs so lively shown
Made me think upon mine own.
Ah, thought I, thou mourn'st in vain!

None takes pity on thy pain:

Senseless trees they cannot hear thee;
Ruthless beasts they will not cheer thee:

King Pandion he is dead;

All thy friends are lapp'd in lead;

All thy fellow birds do sing,

Careless of thy sorrowing.

14" Tereu, Tereu!"] The usual note of the nightingale. It is sometimes given in the fuller form “Jug, Jug, Jug, Tereu." "Tereu" may have some reference to Tereus, whose cruel treatment of Philomela, sister of his wife Progne, led in the myth to Philomela's transformation into the nightingale. Cf. Tit. Andr., II, iii, 43, and note. 22 beasts] Thus England's Helicon. Barnfield's Poems and Jaggard's editions of the poem read "beares."

23 Pandion] King of Athens, father of Philomela and her sister Progne.

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40

Even so, poor bird, like thee,

None alive will pity me.

Whilst as fickle Fortune smiled,
Thou and I were both beguiled.

Every one that flatters thee
Is no friend in misery.

Words are easy, like the wind;
Faithful friends are hard to find:
Every man will be thy friend

Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend;
But if store of crowns be scant,
No man will supply thy want.
If that one be prodigal,
Bountiful they will him call,
And with such-like flattering,
"Pity but he were a king;"
If he be addict to vice,
Quickly him they will entice;
If to women he be bent,
They have at commandment:
But if Fortune once do frown,
Then farewell his great renown;
They that fawn'd on him before
Use his company no more.

27-28 Even so ...
.. pity me] These lines are not found in Barnfield's
text of 1598 nor in Jaggard's editions of The Passionate Pilgrim.
They only figure in England's Helicon, 1600, and conclude the
fragment which is there printed of this poem.

29 Whilst as fickle Fortune] Collier began a new poem here; a division which some editors have unwisely followed.

He that is thy friend indeed,
He will help thee in thy need:
If thou sorrow, he will weep;
If thou wake, he cannot sleep;
Thus of every grief in heart
He with thee doth bear a part.
These are certain signs to know
Faithful friend from flattering foe.