Opening the book…
A Description of Shepherds and Shepherdesses
The Shepherdesses which great Flocks doe keep,
Are dabl'd high with dew, following their Sheep,
Milking their Ewes, their hands doe dirty make;
For being wet, dirt from their Duggs doe take.
5 The Sun doth scorch the skin, it yellow growes,
Their eyes are red, lips dry with wind that blowes.
Their Shepherds sit on mountain’s top, that’s high,
Yet on their feeding sheep doe cast an eye;
Which to the mounts steep sides they hanging feed
10 On short moyst grasse, not suer’d to beare seed;
Their feet though small, strong are their sinews string,
Which make them fast to rocks and mountains cling:
The while the Shepherds leggs hang dangling down,
And sets his breech upon the hills high crown.
15 Like to a tanned Hide, so was his skin,
No melting heat, or numming cold gets in,
And with a voyce that’s harsh against his throat,
He straines to sing, yet knowes not any Note:
And yawning, lazie lyes upon his side,
20 Or strait upon his back, with armes spred wide;
Or snorting sleeps, and dreames of Joan their Maid,
Or of Hobgoblin wakes, as being afraid.
Motion in their dull braines doth plow, and sow,
Not Plant, and set, as skilfull Gardners doe.
25 Or takes his Knife new ground, that half was broke,
And whittles sticks to pin up his sheep-coat:
Or cuts some holes in straw, to Pipe thereon
Some tunes that pleaseth Joan his Love at home.
Thus rustick Clownes are pleas’d to spend their times,
30 And not as Poets faine, in Sonnets, Rhimes,
Making great Kings and Princes Pastures keep,
And beauteous Ladies driving flocks of sheep:
Dancing ’bout May-poles in a rustick sort,
When Ladies scorne to dance without a Court.
35 For they their Loves would hate, if they should come
With leather Jerkins, breeches made of Thrum,
And Buskings made of Freeze that’s course, and strong,
With clouted Shooes, tyed with a leather thong.
Those that are nicely bred, fine cloaths still love,
40 A white hand sluttish seemes in dirty Glove.
A Shepherds Imployment Is Too Meane an Allegory for Noble Ladies
To cover Noble Lovers in Shepherds weeds,
Of high descent, too humble thoughts it breeds:
Like Gods, when they to Men descend down low,
Take off the reverence, and respect we owe.
5 Then make such persons like faire Nymphs to be,
Who’re cloath’d with beauty, bred with modesty:
Their tresses long hang on their shoulders white,
Which when they move, doe give the Gods delight.
Their Quiver, Hearts of men, which fast are ty’d,
10 And Arrowes of quick flying eyes beside.
Buskings, that’s buckl’d close with plates of gold,
Which from base wayes their legs with strength doe hold.
Men, Champions, Knights, which Honour high doe prize,
Above the tempting of alluring eyes,
15 That seeke to kill, or at the least to binde
All evil Passions in a wandring minde,
To take those Castles kept by scandals strong,
That have by errours been inchanted long,
Destroying monstrous Vice, which Vertues eate,
20 These Lovers worthy are of praises great.
So will high Fame aloud those praises sing,
Cupid those Lovers shall to Hymen bring,
At Honours Altar joyne both hearts and hands,
The Gods will seale those Matrimoniall bands.
Attributions
"A Description of Shepherds, and Shepherdesses" by Margaret Cavendish from Pastoral Poetry of the English Renaissance: An Anthology © 2016 edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.
"A Shepherds Imployment Is Too Meane an Allegory for Noble Ladies" by Margaret Cavendish from Pastoral Poetry of the English Renaissance: An Anthology © 2016 edited by Sukanta Chaudhuri is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.
This page titled 3.4: Margaret Cavendish, Pastoral Poetry was last modified on Tue, 30 Jun 2026 16:17:13 GMT and is shared under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Kelsey Ford.
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