The hostess-ship o' the day. - [To Cam.] You 're

welcome, sir. —

Give me those flowers there, Dorcas.

For you there 's rosemary and

Reverend sirs,

rue; these keep

Seeming and savour all the winter long:

Grace and remembrance be to you both,
And welcome to our shearing!

Pol.

A fair one are you, - well
With flowers of winter.

Per.

Sir, the year growing ancient, Not yet on summer's death, nor on the birth

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Of trembling winter, the fairest flowers o' the season
Are our carnations and streak'd gilly vors,
Which some call nature's bastards; of that kind
Our rustic garden 's barren, and I care not

There is an art which in their piedness shares

With great creating nature.

Pol.

Say there be;

Yet nature is made better by no mean

But nature makes that mean: so, over that art 90

Which you say adds to nature, is an art

That nature makes. You see, sweet maid, we marry A gentler scion to the wildest stock,

And make conceive a bark of baser kind

By bud of nobler race.

This is an art

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Which does mend nature, change it rather; but

Pol. Then make your garden rich in gillyvors, And do not call them bastards.

I'll not put

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Per. The dibble in earth to set one slip of them; No more than were I painted I would wish This youth should say 'twere well, and only there

fore

Desire to breed by me. Here 's flowers for you:

Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram ;

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The marigold, that goes to bed wi' the sun
And with him rises weeping, these are flowers
Of middle summer, and I think they are given
To men of middle age. You're very welcome.
Cam. I should leave grazing, were I of your

flock,

And only live by gazing.

Per.

Out, alas!

You 'ld be so lean, that blasts of January

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Would blow you through and through. Now, my fair'st friend,

I would I had some flowers o' the spring that might
Become your time of day; - and yours, and yours,
That wear upon your virgin branches yet
Your maidenheads growing. O Proserpina,

For the flowers now that frighted thou let'st fall
From Dis's waggon! daffodils,

That come before the swallow dares, and take

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