her in the genial South land.' In another Eclogue
(April) the subduing beauty is described as 'the
Widdowes daughter of the Glen,' surely a Northern
address. On these words the well-informed E.K.
remarks: 'He calleth Rosalind the Widowes daughter of
the glenne, that is, of a country hamlet or borough,
which I thinke is rather sayde to coloure and concele
the person, than simply spoken. For it is well known,
even in spighte of Colin and Hobbinol, that she is a
gentlewoman of no meane house, nor endowed with anye
vulgare and common gifts, both of nature and manners:
but suche indeede, as neede neither Colin be ashamed to
have her made known by his verses, nor Hobbinol be
greved that so she should be commended to immortalitie
for her rare and singular virtues.' Whoever this
charming lady was, and whatever glen she made bright
with her presence, it appears that she did not
reciprocate the devoted affection of the studious young
Cambridge graduate who, with probably no apparent
occupation, was loitering for a while in her vicinity.
It was some other--he is called Menalacas in one of his
rival's pastorals--who found favour in her eyes. The
poet could only wail and beat his breast. Eclogues I.
and VI. are all sighs and tears. Perhaps in the course
of time a copy of the _Faerie Queene_ might reach the
region where Menalcas and Rosalind were growing old
together; and she, with a certain ruth perhaps mixed
with her anger, might recognise in Mirabella an image
of her fair young disdainful self{4}. The poet's
attachment was no transient flame that flashed and was