for the throte Capricornus for the knees Rafe I will heare no more signes if they be all such desperate signes but seeing you are I know not who to terme you shall I serue you I would faine serue Astron. I accept thee Rafe Happie am I for now shall I reach thoughts and tell how many drops of water goes to the greatest showre of rayne You shall see me catch the Moone in the clips like a Conny in a pursnet Astro. I will teach thee the Golden number the Epact and the Prime Rafe I wil meddle no more with numbring of gold for multiplication is a miserable action I pray sir what wether shall we haue this howre three-score yeere Astro. That I must cast by our Iudicials Astronomicall therefore come in with me and thou shall see euerie wrinkle of my Astrologicall wisedome and I will make the Heauens as plaine to thee as the high waie thy cunning shall sitte cheeke by iole with the Sunnes Chariot then shalt thou see what a base thing it is to haue others thoughts creepe on the grounde when as thine shall be stitched to the starres Rafe Then I shall be translated from this mortality Astro. Thy thoughts shall be metamorphosed and made haile fellowes with the Gods Rafe O fortune I feele my very braines moralized and as it were a certaine contempt of earthly actions is crept into my minde by an etheriall contemplation Come let vs in Exeunt Actus tertius Scaena quarta Diana Telusa Eurota Ramia Larissa Diana What newes haue we heere Ladies are all in loue are Dianaes Nimphes become Venus wantons is it a shame to be chast because you be amiable or must you needes be amorous because you are faire O Venus if thys be thy spight I will require it wyth more then hate well shalt thou know what it is to drib thine arrowes vp and downe Dianaes leies There is an vnknowne Nimph that straggleth vp and downe these woods which I suspect hath beene the weauer of these woes I saw her slumbring by the brooke side go search her bring her if you find vpon her shoulder a burne it is Cupid if any print on her backe like a leafe it is Medea if any picture on her left breast like a birde it is Calipso who euer it be bring her hether and speedilie bring her hether Telusa I will goe with speede Diana Goe you Larissa and helpe her Lurissa I obey Diana Nowe Ladies dooth not that make your cheekes blushe that makes mine eares glowe or can you remember that without sobs which Diana can not thinke on without sighes What greater dishonour could happen to Diana or to her Nimphes shame then that there can be any time so idle that shold make their heads so addle Your chast harts my Nimphes should resemble the Onix which is hotest when it is whitest and your thoughts the more they are assaulted with desires the lesse they should be affected You should thinke loue like Homers Moly a white leafe a blacke roote a faire shewe and a bitter taste Of all Trees the Cedar is greatest and hath the smallest seedes of all affections loue hath the greatest name the least vertue Shall it be said and shall Venus say it nay shall it be seene and shall wantons see it that Diana the goddesse of chastity whose thoughts are alwaies answerable to her vowes whose eyes neuer glanced on desire and whose hart abateth the poynt of Cupids arrowes shall haue her virgins to become vnchast in desires immoderate in affection vntemperate in loue in foolish loue in base loue Eagles cast their euill feathers in the Sunne but you cast your best desires vpon a shadowe The birdes Ibes lose their sweetnesse when they lose theyr sights and virgins all theyr vertues with theyr vnchast thoughts vnchast Diana calleth that that hath eyther any showe or suspicion of lightnesse O my deere Nimphes if you knewe howe louing thoughts staine louely faces you woulde bee as careful to haue the one as vnspotted as the other beautiful Cast before your eyes the loues of Venus truls their fortunes theyr fancies their ends What are they els but Silenus pictures without Lambes Doues with in Apes and Owles who like Ixion imbrace clowdes for Iuno the shadowes of vertue in steede of the substance The Eagles fethers consume the fethers of all others and loues desire corrupteth all other vertues I blush Ladies that you hauing beene heretofore patient of labours should nowe become prentises to idlenesse and vse the penne for Sonets not the needle for Samplers And howe is your loue placed vppon pelting boyes perhaps base of birth without doubt weake of discretion I but they are fayre O Ladies doe your eyes begin to loue collours whose harts was wont to loath them is Dianaes Chase become Venus Courte and are your holy vowes turnd to hollow thoughts Ramia Madame if loue were not a thing beyonde reason we might then giue a reason of our doings but so deuine is his force that it worketh effects as contrarie to that wee wishe as vnreasonable against that wee ought Larissa Lady so vnacquainted are the passions of loue that we can neither describe them nor beare them Diana Foolish gyrles how willing you are to follow that which you should flie but heere commeth Telusa Enter Telusa and other with Cupid Telusa We haue brought the disguised Nimphe c haue found on his shoulder Psiches burne and he confesseth himselfe to be Cupid Diana Howe now sir are you caught are you Cupid Cupid Thou shalt see Diana that I dare confesse my selfe to be Cupid Diana And thou shalt see Cupid that I will shewe my selfe to be Diana that is Conquerer of thy loose vntamed appetites Did thy mother Venus vnder the colour of a Nimphe sende thee hether to wounde my Nimphes Doth she adde craft to her malice and mistrusting her deitie practise deceite is there no place but my Groues no persons but my Nimphes Cruell and vnkind Venus that spighteth onely chastitie thou shalt see that Dianaes power shal reuenge thy pollicie and tame thys pride As for thee Cupid I will breake thy bowe and burne thine arrowes binde thy handes clyp thy wings and fetter thy feete Thou that fattest others with hopes shalt be fedde thy selfe with wishes thou that bindest others with golden thoughts shalt be bound thy selfe with golden fetters Venus rods are made of Roses Dianaes of Bryers Let Venus that great Goddesse raunsome Cupid that little God These Ladies heere whom thou hast infected with foolish loue shall both tread on thee and triumph ouer thee Thine owne arrow shall be shot into thine owne bosome and thou shalt be inamored not on Psiches but on Circes I will teach thee what it is to displease Diana distresse her Nimphes or disturbe her Game Cupid Diana what I haue doone cannot be vndone but what you meane to doe shall Venus hath some Gods to her friends Cupid shall haue all Diana Are you prating
at home It may be Gallathea foolish Gallathea what may be nothing Let mee followe him into the Woods and thou sweete Venus be my guide Exit Actus secundus Scaena quinta Enter Phillida alone Philli. Poore Phillida curse the time of thy birth and rarenes of thy beautie the vnaptnes of thy apparel and the vntamednes of thy affections Art thou no sooner in the habite of a boy but thou must be enamored of a boy what shalt thou doe when what best lyketh thee most discontenteth thee Goe into the Woods watch the good times his best moodes and transgresse in loue a little of thy modestie I will I dare not thou must I cannot Then pine in thine owne peeuishnes I will not I wil Ah Phillida doe something nay anie thing rather then liue thus Well what I will doe my selfe knowes not but what I ought I knowe too well and so I goe resolute eyther to bewray my loue or suffer shame Exit Actus tertius Scaena prima Telusa alone Telusa HOwe nowe what newe conceits vvhat strange contraries breede in thy minde is thy Diana become a Venus thy chast thoughts turnd to wanton lookes thy conquering modestie to a captiue imagination Beginnest thou with Piralis to die in the ayre and liue in the fire to leaue the sweete delight of hunting and to followe the hote desire of loue O Telusa these words are vnfit for thy sexe beeing a virgine but apt for thy affections being a Louer And can there in yeeres so young in education so precise in vowes so holy and in a hart so chaste enter eyther a strong desire or a wish or a wauering thought of loue Can Cupids brands quench Vestas flames and his feeble shafts headed with feathers pearce deeper the Dianaes arrowes headed with steele Breake thy bowe Telusa that seekest to breake thy vowe and let those hands that aymed to hit the wilde Hart scratche out those eyes that haue wounded thy tame hart O vaine and onely naked name of Chastitie that is made eternall and perish by time holy and is infected by fancy diuine and is made mortall by folly Virgins harts I perceiue are not vnlike Cotton trees whose fruite is so hard in the budde that it soundeth like steele and beeing rype poureth forth nothing but wool and theyr thoughts like the leaues of Lunary which the further they growe from the Sunne the sooner they are scorched with his beames O Melebeus because thou art fayre must I be fickle and false my vowe because I see thy vertue Fonde gyrle that I am to thinke of loue nay vaine profession that I follow to disdaine loue but heere commeth Eurota I must nowe put on a redde maske and blushe least she perceiue my pale face and laugh Enter Eurota Eurota Telusa Diana bid me hunt you out saith that you care not to hunt with her but if you followe any other Game then she hath rowsd your punishment shall be to bend all our bowes and weaue al our strings Why looke ye so pale so sad so wildly Telusa Eurota the Game I follow is the thing I flye my strange disease my chiefe desire Eurota I am no Oedipus to expound riddles and I muse how thou canst be Sphinx to vtter them But I pray thee Telusa tell mee what thou aylest if thou be sicke this ground hath leaues to heale if melancholie heere are pastimes to vse if peeuish wit must weane it or time or counsell Yf thou be in loue for I haue heard of such a beast called loue it shall be cured why blushest thou Telusa Telusa To heare thee in reckoning my paines to recite thine owne I saw Eurota howe amorouslie you glaunced your eye on the faire boy in the white coate and howe cunninglie now that you would haue some talke of loue you hit me in the teeth with loue Eurota I confesse that I am in loue and yet sweare that I know not what it is I feele my thoughts vnknit mine eyes vnstaied my hart I know not how affected or infected my sleepes broken and full of dreames my wakenesse sad and full of sighes my selfe in all thinges vnlike my selfe If this be loue I woulde it had neuer beene deuised Telusa Thou hast told what I am in vttering what thy selfe is these are my passions Eurota my vnbridled passions my intollerable passions which I were as good acknowledge and craue counsell as to denie and endure perill Eurota How did it take you first Telusa Telusa By the eyes my wanton eyes which conceiued the picture of his face and hangd it on the verie strings of my hart O faire Melebeus ô fonde Telusa but how did it take you Eurota Eurota By the eares whose sweete words suncke so deepe into my head that the remembrance of his wit hath bereaued mee of my wisedome ô eloquent Tyterus ô credulous Eurota But soft heere commeth Ramia but let her not heare vs talke wee will withdrawe our selues and heare her talke Enter Ramia Ramia I am sent to seeke others that haue lost my selfe Eurota You shall see Ramia hath also bitten on a loue leafe Ramia Can there be no hart so chast but loue can wound nor vowes so holie but affection can violate Vaine art thou vertue thou chastity but a by word when you both are subiect to loue of all thinges the most abiect If Loue be a God why should not louers be vertuous Loue is a God and Louers are vertuous Eurota Indeede Ramia if Louers were not vertuous then wert thou vicious Ramia What are you come so neere me Telusa I thinke we came neere you when wee saide you loued Eurota Tush Ramia t is too late to recall it to repent it a shame therfore I pray thee tell what is loue Ramia If my selfe felt onelie this infection I would then take vpon me the definition but beeing incident to so manie I dare not my selfe describe it but we will all talke of that in the Woodes Diana stormeth that sending one to seeke another shee looseth all Seruia of all the Nimphes the coyest loueth deadly and exclaimeth claimeth against Diana honoureth Venus detesteth Vesta and maketh a common scorne of vertue Clymene whose statelie lookes seemed to amaze the greatest Lordes stoopeth yeeldeth and fauneth on the strange boy in the Woods My selfe with blushing I speak it am thrall to that boy that faire boy that beautifull boy Telusa What haue wee heere all in loue no other foode then fancie no no she shall not haue the fayre boy Eurota Nor you Telusa Ramia Nor you Eurota Telusa I loue Melebeus and my deserts shal be aunswerable to my desires I will forsake Diana for him I will die for him Ramia So saith Clymene and shee will haue Him I care not my sweete Tyterus though he seeme proude I impute it to childishnes who beeing yet scarce out of his swath-clowtes cannot vnderstande these deepe conceits I loue him Eurota So doe I and I will haue him Telusa Immodest all that wee
Neptune if Venus can do any thing let her try it in this one thing that Diana may finde as small comfort at thy hands as Loue hath found curtesie at hers This is shee that hateth sweete delights enuieth louing desires masketh wanton eyes stoppeth amorous eares bridleth youthfull mouthes and vnder a name or a worde constancie entertaineth all kinde of crueltie shee hath taken my sonne Cupid Cupid my louely sonne vsing him like a prentise whypping him like a slaue scorning him like a beast therefore Neptune I intreate thee by no other God then the God of loue that thou euill intreate this Goddesse of hate Neptune I muse not a little to see you two in this place at this time and about this matter but what say you Diana haue you Cupid captiue Diana I say there is nothing more vaine then to dispute with Venus whose vntamed affections haue bred more brawles in heauen then is fitte to repeate in earth or possible to recount in number I haue Cupid and will keepe him not to dandle in my lappe whom I abhor in my hart but to laugh him to scorne that hath made in my virgins harts such deepe scarres Venus Scarres Diana call you them that I know to be bleeding woundes alas weake deitie it stretcheth not so farre both to abate the sharpnesse of his Arrowes and to heale the hurts No Loues woundes when they seeme greene rankle and hauing a smooth skinne without fester to the death within Therefore Neptune if euer Venus stoode thee in steed furthered thy fancies or shall at all times be at thy cōmaund let eyther Diana bring her Virgins to a continuall massacre or release Cupid of his martyrdome Diana It is knowne Venus that your tongue is as vnrulie as your thoughts and your thoughts as vnstaied as your eyes Diana cannot chatter Venus cannot chuse Venus It is an honour for Diana to haue Venus meane ill when she so speaketh well but you shal see I come not to trifle therefore once againe Neptune if that be not buried which can neuer die fancie or that quenched which must euer burne affection shew thy selfe the same Neptune that I knew thee to bee when thou wast a Sheepe-hearde and let not Venus wordes be vaine in thyne eares since thyne were imprinted in my hart Neptune It were vnfitte that Goddesses shoulde striue and it were vnreasonable that I shold not yeeld and therefore to please both both attend Diana I must honor her vertue deserueth no lesse but Venus I must loue I must confesse so much Diana restore Cupid to Venus and I will for euer release the sacrifice of Virgins if therefore you loue your Nimphes as shee doth her Sonne or preferre not a priuate grudge before a common griefe aunswere what you will doe Diana I account not the choyse harde for had I twentie Cupids I woulde deliuer them all to saue one Virgine knowing loue to be a thing of all the vainest virginitie to be a vertue of all the noblest I yeeld Larissa bring out Cupid and now shall it be saide that Cupid saued those he thought to spoyle Venus I agree to this willinglie for I will be warie howe my Sonne wander againe But Diana cannot forbid him to wounde Diana Yes chastitie is not within the leuell of his bowe Venus But beautie is a fayre marke to hit Neptune Well I am gladde you are agreed and saie that Neptune hath delt well wyth Beautie and Chastitie Enter Cupid Diana Heere take your sonne Venus Syr boy where haue you beene alwaies taken first by Sapho nowe by Diana howe hapneth it you vnhappie Elphe Cupid Comming through Dianaes woodes and seeing so manie fayre faces with fonde hearts I thought for my sport to make them smart and so was taken by Diana Venus I am glad I haue you Diana And I am gladde I am ridde of him Venus Alas poore boy thy VVinges clypt thy brandes quencht thy Bowe burnt and thy Arrowes broke Cupid I but it skilleth not I beare nowe myne Arrowes in mine eyes my Winges on my thoughts my brandes in myne eares my bowe in my mouth so as I can wounde with looking flye with thinking burne with hearing shoote with speaking Venus VVell you shall vp to heauen with mee for on earth thou wilt lose me Enter Tyterus Melebeus Gallathea and Phyllida Neptune But soft what be these Tyterus Those that haue offended thee to saue their daughters Neptune VVhy had you a faire daughter Tyterus I and Melebeus a faire daughter Neptune Where be they Meleb. In yonder Woods and mee thinkes I see them comming Neptune Well your deserts haue not gotten pardon but these Goddesses iarres Meleb. Thys is my Daughter my sweete Phillida Tyterus And this is my faire Gallathea Galla. Vnfortunate Gallathea if this be Phillida Phill. Accursed Phillida if that be Gallathea Galla. And wast thou all thys while enamoured of Phillida that sweete Phillida Phill. And couldest thou doate vpon the face of a Maiden thy selfe beeing one on the face of fayre Gallathea Neptune Doe you both beeing Maidens loue one another Galla. I had thought the habite agreeable with the Sexe and so burned in the fire of mine owne fancies Phillida I had thought that in the attyre of a boy there could not haue lodged the body of a Virgine so was inflamed with a sweete desire which now I find a sower deceit Diana Nowe things falling out as they doe you must leaue these fond fond affections nature will haue it so necessitie must Gallathea I will neuer loue any but Phillida her loue is engrauen in my hart with her eyes Phillida Nor I any but Gallathea whose faith is imprinted in my thoughts by her words Neptune An idle choyce strange and foolish for one Virgine to doate on another and to imagine a constant faith where there can be no cause of affection Howe like you this Venus Venus I like well and allowe it they shall both be possessed of their wishes for neuer shall it be said that Nature or Fortune shall ouer-throwe Loue and Fayth Is your loues vnspotted begunne with trueth continued wyth constancie and not to bee altered tyll death Gallathea Die Gallathea if thy loue be not so Phillida Accursed bee thou Phillida if thy loue be not so Diana Suppose all this Venus what then Venus Then shall it be seene that I can turne one of them to be a man and that I will Diana Is it possible Venus What is to Loue or the Mistrisse of loue vnpossible Was it not Venus that did the like to Iphis and Iauthes howe say yee are ye agreed one to bee a boy presently Phillida I am content so I may imbrace Gallathea Gallathea I wish it so I may enioy Phillida Melleb. Soft Daughter you must know whether I will haue you a Sonne Tyterus Take mee with you Gallathea I will keepe you as I begatte you a Daughter Melleb. Tyterus let yours be a boy and if you will mine shall not Tyterus Nay mine shall not for by that meanes my young sonne shall lose his inheritance Melleb. Why then gette him to be made a Maiden and then there is nothing lost Tyte. If there bee such changing I woulde Venus could make my wife a Man Melleb. Why Tyterus Because shee loues alwaies to play with men Venus Well you are both fonde therefore agree to thys changing or suffer your Daughters to endure harde chaunce Melleb. Howe say you Tyterus shall wee referre it to Venus Tyte. I am content because she is a Goddesse Venus Neptune you will not dislike it Neptune Not I Venus Nor you Diana Diana Not I Venus Cupid shall not Cupid I will not Venus Then let vs depart neither of them shall know whose lot it shal be til they come to the Churchdore One shall be doth it suffise Phillida And satis-fie vs both dooth it not Gallathea Galla. Yes Phillida Enter Rafe Robin and Dicke Rafe Come Robin I am gladde I haue mette with thee for nowe wee will make our Father laugh at these tales Diana What are these that so malepartlie thrust themselues into our companies Robin Forsooth Madame we are fortune tellers Venus Fortune tellers tell me my fortune Rafe We doe not meane fortune tellers we meane fortune tellers we can tell what fortune wee haue had these twelue monthes in the Woods Diana Let them alone they be but peeuish Venus Yet they will be as good as Minstrils at the marriage to make vs all merrie Dicke I Ladies we beare a very good Consort Venus Can you sing Rafe Baselie Venus And you Dicke Meanely Venus And what can you doe Robin If they duble it I will treble it Venus Then shall yee goe with vs and sing Hymen before the marriage Are you content Rafe Content neuer better content for there we shall be sure to fill our bellies with Capons rumpes or some such daintie dishes Venus Then follow vs Exeunt The Epilogue Galla. GOE all t is I onely that conclude al You Ladies may see that Venus can make constancie ficklenes courage cowardice modestie lightnesse working things impossible in your Sexe and tempering hardest harts like softest wooll Yeelde Ladies yeeld to loue Ladies which lurketh vnder your eye-lids whilst you sleepe and plaieth with your hart strings whilst you wake whose sweetnes neuer breedeth satietie labour wearinesse nor greefe bitternesse Cupid was begotten in a miste nursed in Clowdes and sucking onelie vpon conceits Confesse him a Conquerer whom yee ought to regarde sith it is vnpossible to resist for this is infallible that Loue conquereth all things but it selfe and Ladies all harts but their owne FINIS