¶ Rowlands Song in praise of the fairest Beta. +Printed as part of the third eclogue of Drayton’s Idea The Shepherd’s Garland , (1593), sigs. C4-D1v, which is substantially revised in Poemes Lyrick and Pastorall (1606), sigs. D4-D6; pastoral in praise of Elizabeth I. Author: Michael Drayton. Structure (May/Ringler): 72: 12×6 a12a14bb8cc14
O Thou siluer Thames, ô clearest christall flood, Beta alone the Phænix is of all thy watry broodoffspring, creatures that live in the river . The Queene of Virgins onely she, And thou the Queene of floods shalt be. (5) Let all the Nimphs be ioyfull then, to see this happy day: Thy Beta now alone shall be the subiect of my Laya short lyric or narrative poem intended to be sung .
With dainty and delightsome straines of sweetest Virelayes, +A song or short lyric piece, of a type originating in France in the 14th century, usually consisting of short lines arranged in stanzas with only two rhymes. Often the end-rhyme of one stanza is the chief one of the next, although this is not the case with Drayton’s poem. Come louely Sheepheards sit we down, & chaunt our Betas praise. And let vs sing so rare a verse, (10) Our Betas praises to rehearse: That little birds shall silent be, to heare poore Sheepheards sing: And Riuers backward bend their course, & flow vnto the spring. +Proverbial, ‘Streams back to their springs do never run’, Tilley, Proverbs , S931.
Range all thy Swannes faire Thames together on a ranke: And place them duly one by one vpon thy stately banke. (15) Then set together all a-good, Recordingreciting; possibly more specifically, the swans will sing a tune in undertone to produce a sub-song (to the silver flood) to the siluer flood: And craue the tunefull Nightingale to helpe ye with her Laya short lyrice or narrative poem intended to be sung ; The Osellouzell, blackbird and the Thrustlecockemale song-thrush , chiefe musique of our May.
O see what troupes of Nimphs been sportingplaying on the strands, (20) And they been blessed Nimphs of peace, with Oliues in their hands. How merrily the Muses sing,