at should make me blush, I have no more."
This said; her coat hoodwinked her fearful eyes,
And into water desperately she flies. 80
'Tis said the slippery stream held up her breast,
And kindly gave her what she liked best.
And I believe some wench thou hast affected,
But woods and groves keep your faults undetected.
While thus I speak the waters more abounded,
And from the channel all abroad surrounded.
Mad stream, why dost our mutual joys defer?
Clown, from my journey why dost me deter?
How would'st thou flow wert thou a noble flood?
If thy great fame in every region stood? 90
Thou hast no name, but com'st from snowy mountains;
No certain house thou hast, nor any fountains;
Thy springs are nought but rain and melted snow,
Which wealth cold winter doth on thee bestow.
Either thou art muddy in mid-winter tide,
Or full of dust dost on the dry earth slide.
What thirsty traveller ever drunk of thee?
Who said with grateful voice, "Perpetual be!"
Harmful to beasts, and to the fields thou proves,
Perchance these[377] others, me mine own loss moves. 100
To this I fondly[378] loves of floods told plainly,
I shame so great names to have used so vainly.
I know not what expecting, I ere while,
Named Acheloeus, Inachus, and Nile.[379]
But for thy merits I wish thee, white stream,[380]
Dry winters aye, and suns in heat extreme.

FOOTNOTES:

[368] Not in Isham copy or ed. A.--In the old copies this elegy is
marked "Elegia v." The fifth elegy (beginning "Nox erat et somnus," &c.)
was not contained in Marlowe's copy.

[369] Old eds. "redde-growne."

[370] So Dyce for "rushest" of the old eds.

[371] So Dyce for "arrowes" of the old eds.

[372] The original has "Inachus in Melie Bithynide pallidus isse."
&c.--Dyce suggests that Marlowe's copy had "in _media_ Bithynide."

[373] Old eds. "Aesope."

[374] Old eds. "shame."

[375] "Loca sola."

[376] The original has "Desit famosus qui notet ora pudor" (or "Desint
... quae," &c.)

[377] "Forsitan haec alios, me mea damna movent."

[378] "Demens."

[379] Old eds. "Ile."

[380] Marlowe read "nunc candide" for "non candide."

ELEGIA VII.

Quod ab amica receptus, cum ea coire non potuit, conqueritur.

Either she was foul, or her attire was bad,
Or she was not the wench I wishe