Note 43 — SPRING:
Reading edition
In place of the next speech of Strephon, and the reply of Daphnis, the dialogue continued thus in the original manuscript:
STREPHON. Go, flow'ry wreath, and let my Silvia know, Compared to thine how bright her beauties show; Then die; and dying, teach the lovely maid How soon the brightest beauties are decayed. DAPHNIS. Go, tuneful bird, that pleased the woods so long, Of Amaryllis learn a sweeter song; To heav'n arising then her notes convey, For heav'n alone is worthy such a lay.
The speech of Strephon is an echo of Waller's well-known song:
Go, lovely rose, Tell her that wastes her time and me, That now she knows When I resemble her to thee, How sweet and fair she seems to be. Then die, that she The common fate of all things rare May read in thee; How small a part of time they share, That are so wondrous sweet and fair.
The speech of Daphnis is from Dryden's Virgil, Ecl. iii. 113:
Winds, on your wings to heav'n her accents bear, Such words as heav'n alone is fit to hear.