# The Shepheardes Calender/December

December.
Ægloga Duodecima.
ARGVMENT.
Th Æglogue (euen as the first beganne) is ended with a complaynte of Colin to God Pan. wherein as weary of his former wayes, he proportioneth his life to the foure seasons of the yeare, comparing hys youthe to the spring time, when he was fresh and free from loues follye. His manhoode to the sommer, which he sayth, was consumed with greate heate and excessiue drouth caused throughe a Comet or blasinge starre, by which hee meaneth loue, which passion is comenly compared to such flames and immoderate heate. His riper yeares hee resembleth to an vnseasonable harueste wherein the fruites fall ere they be rype. His latter age to winters chyll & frostie season, now drawing neare to his last ende.
Colins Embleme.
GLOSSE.
Tityrus) Chaucer as hath bene oft sayd.
Lambkins) young lambes.
Als of their) Semeth to expresse Virgilsverse Pan curat oues ouiumque magistros.
Deigne) voutchsafe.
Eabinet) Colinet) diminutines.
Mazie) For they be like to a maze whence it is hard to get out agayne.
Peres) felowes and companions.
Musick) that is Poetry as Terence sayth Qui artem tractant musicam, speking of Poetes.
Derring doe) aforesayd.
Lions house) He imagineth simply that Cupid, which is loue, had his abode in the whote signe Leo, which is in middest of somer; a pretie allegory, where of the meaning is, that loue in him wrought an extraordinarie heate of lust.
His ray) which is Cupides beame or flames of Loue.
A Comete) a blasing starre, meant of beautie, which was the cause of his whote loue.
Venus) the goddesse of beauty or pleasure. Also a signe in heauen, as it is here taken. So he meaneth that beautie, which hath alwayes aspect to Venus, was the cause of all his vnquietnes in loue.
Where I was) a fine discription of the chaunge of hys lyfe and liking; for all things nowe ​seemed to hym to haue altered their kindly course.
Lording) Spoken after the maner of Paddocks and Frogges sitting which is indeed Lordly, not remouing nor looking once a side, vnlesse they be sturred.
Then as) The second part. That is his manhoode.
Cotes) sheepecotes. for such be the exercises of shepheards.
Sale) or Salow a kind of woodde like Wyllow, fit to wreath and bynde in leapes to catch fish withall.
Phæbe sayles) The Eclipse of the Moone, which is alwayes in Cauda or Capite Draconis, signes in heauen.
Venus) s. Venus starre otherwise called Hesperus and Vesper and Lucifer, both because he seemeth to be one of the brightest starres, and also first ryseth and setteth last. All which still in starres being conuenient for shepheardes to knowe as Theocritus and the rest vse.
Raging seaes) The cause of the swelling and ebbing of the sea commeth of the course of the Moone, sometime encreasing, sometime wayning and decreasing.
Sooth of byrdes) A kind of sooth saying vsed in elder tymes, which they gathered by the flying of byrds; First (as is sayd) niuented by the Thuscanes, and frō them deriued to the Romanes, who(as is sayd in Liuie) were so supersticiously rooted in the same, that they agreed that euery Noble man should put his sonne to the Thuscanes, by them to be brought vp in that knowledge.
Of herbes) That wonderous thinges be wrought by herbes, aswell appeareth by the common working of them in our bodies, as also by the wonderful enchauntments and sorceries that haue bene wrought by them; insomuch that it is sayde that Circe a famous sorceresse turned mē into sondry kinds of beastes & Monsters, and onely by herbes: as the Poete sayth Dea saeua potentibus heibis &c.
Kidst) knewest.
Eare) of corne.
Scathe) losse hinderaunce.
Euer among) Euer and anone.
This is my) The thyrde parte wherein is set sorth his ripe yeres as an vntimely haruest, that bringeth little fruite.
The flagraunt flowres) sundry studies and laudable partes of learning, wherein how our Poete is seene, be they witnesse which are priuie to his study.
So now my yeere) The last part, wherein is described his age by comparison of wyntrye stormes.
Carefull cold) for care is sayd to coole the blood.
Glee mirth)
Hoary frost) A metaphore of hoary heares scattred lyke to a gray frost.
Breeme) sharpe and bitter.
Adiew delights) is a conclusion of all. where in sixe verses he comprehendeth briefly all that was touched in this booke. In the first verse his delights of youth generally. in the second, the loue of Rosalind, in the thyrd, the keeping of sheepe, which is the argument of all Æglogues. In the fourth his complaints. And in the last two his professed frendship and good will to his good friend Hobbinoll.
Embleme.