That some such fearfull tumbling cast was neer 'T was well for me I tarried by the way A happy chance my father made me stay Though then I did suppose him foolishly T' have been a tedious Remora Had I Come at Lisetta's hour I might have seen Something which poyson to my eyes had been But what shall I do now arm'd with disdain Shall I revenge and mischief entertain No I have lov'd her and this act doth crave My pity not my anger Shall I have Pity on one deceiv'd me Mee she hath Deceiv'd her self leaving a man of faith To give her self a prey into the hand Of an ignoble Swain a stranger and A vagabond that will to morrow be More wavering more without faith then she Shall I take pains then to revenge a wrong That carryes with it the revenge along And quenches all my indignation so 'T is turn'd to pitie She hath scorn'd me though Sh' has honour'd me for she who thus could chuse Highly commends the man she doth refuse She scorn'd me who the way did never know How she should love receive or how bestow Who lik'd at random still or had this curse If two were offerd her to take the worse But tell me Coridon how can it be If scorn of being scorned move not thee To take revenge but that to have been crost By such a losse should do 't I have not lost Her whom I never had My self I have Regain'd whom I unto another gave Nor can't a losse be termed to remain Without a woman so unsure and vain In fine What have I lost Beautie without Vertue A head with all the brains pickt out A brest that hath no heart A heart that hath No soul in it A soul that hath no faith A shade a ghost a carcasse of affection Which will to morrow turn to putrefaction Is this a losse I will be bold to say 't 'T is a great purchase and a fortunate Is there no woman in the world but she Can Coridon want Nymphs as fair as she And far more true But she may well want one Will love her with such faith as Coridon Whom she deserv'd not Now if I should do That which the Satyr did advise me to Accusing her of vow-breach in my breath I know it lies to have her put to death But I have not an heart so Aspine I That with the wind of womans levitie It should be mov'd Too great a happinesse And honour 't were to their perfidiousnesse If with the trouble of a manly brest And breaking of the happy peace and rest Of an ingenous soul I were to be Reveng'd upon Corisca now For me Then let her live or to expresse it better By me not die Live for my Rivall let her Her life's revenge for me sufficient Live let her to dishonour to repent I know not how to envie him or loath Her but with all my heart do pity both Scena octava SILVIO ECCHO within O Goddesse of the slothfull blind and vain Who with foul hearts Rites foolish and profane Altars and Temples hallow to thy name Temples or Sanctuaries vile said I To protect Lewdnesse and impietie Under the robe of thy Divinity And thou base Goddesse that thy wickednesse When others do as bad may seem the lesse Giv'st them the reins to all lasciviousnesse Rotter of soul and body enemie Of reason plotter of sweet thee very The little and great World's calamitie Reputed worthily the Ocean's daughter That treacherous monster which with even water First soothes but ruffles into storms soon after Such windes of sighs such Cataracts of tears Such breaking waves of hopes such gulfs of fears Thou mak'st in men such rocks of cold despairs Tydes of desire so head-strong as would move The world to change thy name when thou shalt prove Mother of Rage and Tempests not of Love Behold what sorrow now and discontent On a poor pair of Lovers thou hast sent Go thou that vaunt'st thy self Omnipotent Go faithlesse Goddesse save that Nymph whom thou Hast poyson'd with thy sweets if thou knowst how From her swift deaths pursuing footsteps now O what a happy day was that for me When my chaste soul I did devote to thee Cynthia my great and onely Deitie True Goddesse unto whose particular shrine The fairest souls in all the Earth incline As thou in Heav'n do'st all the Starrs out-shine How much more laudable and free from pain The sports are which thy servants entertain Then those of faithlesse Ericina's train Wilde Boars are killed by thy Worshippers By wilde Boars miserably kild are hers O Bow my strength and joy My conquerers My Arrows Let that bug-bear Love come trie And match with you his soft Artillerie They whom you wound do in good earnest die But too much honour hence to thee would come Vile and unwarlike Boy to chastise whom I speak 't aloud a rod's enough Enough What art thou that reply'st Eccho or Love That so doth imitate the same The same Most wish'd but tell me true Art thou hee Hee The son of her that for Adonis once So miserably pin'd away Away Well of that Goddesse who was found in bed With Mars when the stars shot to see her shame And the chast Moon blush'd at her folly O ly What madnesse 't is to whistle to the winde Come if thou darest to the wide air I dare And I defie thee But art thou her son Legitimate or else a by-blow I glow O! the Smith's son that 's call'd a God A God Of what the follies of the world The world The Bawd thou art Art thou that terrible Boy That tak'st such sharp revenge upon those wights Who thy absurd commands digest not Iest not What punishments dost thou inflict on those Who in rebellion persevere Severe And how shall I be punish'd whose hard heart Hath alwayes been at odds with Love With Love When Sot if my chaste brest be to those flames More opposite then night to day To day So quickly shall I be in that streight Streight What 's she can bring me to adoring Dorin Dorinda is it not my little childe Thou wouldst say in thy lithping gibberish Ish. Shee whom I hate more then the Lamb the Wolf And who to this shall force my will I will And how and with what Arms and with what bow Shall it be happily with thine With thine Thou mean'st perchance when by thy wantonnesse It is unbent and the nerve broken Broken Shall my own bow after 't is broken too Make war on me and who shall break 't thou Thou 'T is plain now thou art drunk go sleep But say Where shall these miracles be wrought here Here. O fool and I am going now from hence See if thou hast not prov'd thy self to day A prophet with the wine inspir'd Inspir'd But stay I see unlesse I much mistake A greyish thing at couch in yonder Brake 'T is like a Wolf and certainly 't is one O what a huge one ' t is how over-grown O
too as to afford To thy afflicted Parent not one word Mir. Dear Father Peace Mon. Alas we are all spoild The sacrifice O Heavens is defil'd Mir. That blood that life which thou didst give to me Spent for a better cause can never be Mont. Did I not say his vow of silence hee Would break when he his Fathers tears should see Mirt. That such a grosse mistake I should commit My vow of silence I did quite forgit Mon. But Ministers why do yee gazing stay Him to the Temple quickly reconvay There in the holy Cloister again take The voluntary Oath of him then back Returning him with pomp along with you For a new Sacrifice bring all things new New fire and new water and new wine Quickly for Phoebus doth apace decline Scena quinta MONTANO CARINO DAMETA Mon. NOw thou old doting fool thank Heav'n thou art His Father for by Heav'n unlesse thou wert To day I 'd make thee feel my fury since Thou hast so much abus'd my Patience Knowst thou who I am Knowst thou that this wand Doth both Divine and Humane things command Car. Let not the Priest of Heav'n offended be For begging mercy Mont. I have sufferd thee Too long and that hath made thee insolent Dost thou not know when anger wanteth vent In a just bosome it is gathering strength Within and bursts out with more force at length Car. Anger was never in a noble mind A furious tempest but a gentle wind Of Passion onely which but stirs the soul Where Reason still doth keep her due comptroll Lest it should grow a standing pool unfit For vertuous action If I cannot get Thee to extend that mercy which I crave Afford me justice this I ought to have From thee For they who lawes to others give Ought not themselves without all law to live And he that is advanc'd to greater sway Him that requireth Justice must obey â—nd Witnesse I require it now of thee â—o't for thy self if thou wilt not for me Thou art unjust if thou Mirtillo slay Mont. I prethee how Car. To me didst thou not say Thou mightst not offer here a strangers blood Mon. I did and said what Heav'n commanded Car. Good This is a stranger then Mon. A stranger what â—he not then thy Son Car. All 's one for that Mon. Is 't that thou gott'st him in a forraign land Car. The more thou seek'st the lesse thou 't understand Mon. It skils not here where but by whom hee 's got Car. I call him stranger cause I got him not Mon. Is hee thy Son then and not got by thee Car. I said he was my Son not born of me Mon. Thy grief hath made thee mad Car. I would it had â— should not feel my grief if I were mad Mon. Thou art or mad or impious chuse thou whether Car. For telling the truth to thee I am neither Mon. How can both these son and not son be true Car. Son of my Love not of my Loins Mon. Go to He is no stranger if he be thy Son If he be not to thee no harm is done So Father or not Father th' art confuted Car. Truth is truth still though it be ill disputed Mont. That man that utters contradictions must Speak one untruth Car. Thy action is unjust I say again Mont. Let all this action's guilt Light on my head and on my Son 's Car. Thou wilt Repent it Mont. Thou shalt if thou wilt not take Thy hands from off me Car. My appeal I make To men and Gods Mon. To God despis'd by thee Car. And if thou wilt not hear hearken to me O Heav'n and Earth and thou great Goddesse here Ador'd Mirtillo is a Forraigner No Son of mine the holy Sacrifice Thou dost profane Mon. Blesse me good Heav'ns from this Strange man Say then if he be not thy Son Who is his Father Car. 'T is to me unknown Mo. Is he thy kinsman C. Neither M. Why dost thou then Call him thy Son Car. 'Cause from the instant when I had him first I bred him as mine own Still with a fatherly affection Ca. From Mo. Didst buy him steal him from whence hadst him Elis the gift of a strange man Mon. From whom Had that strange man him Ca. That strange man why he Had him of me before Mon. Thou mov'st in me At the same time both laughter and disdain What thou gav'st him did he give thee again Car. I gave to him what was his own then he Return'd it as his courteous gift to me Mo. And whence hadst thou since thou wilt make me mad For company that which from thee he had Car. Within a thicket of sweet Mirtle I Had newly found him accidentally Neer to Alfeo's mouth and call'd him thence Mirtillo Mon. With what likely circumstance Thou dost thy lye embroider Are there any Wild beasts within that Forrest Car. Very many Mon. Why did not they devour him Car. A strong flood Had carry'd him into that tuft of wood And left him in the lap of a small Isle Defended round with water Mon. Thou dost file One Lye upon another well And was The flood so pitifull to let him passe Undrown'd Such nurses in thy Country are The Brooks to foster infants with such care Car. He lay within a cradle which with mud And other matter gather'd by the flood Calk't to keep out the water like a Boat Had to that thicket carry'd him afloat Mon. Within a cradle lay he Car. Yes Mon. A child In swathing bands Car. A sweet one and it smil'd Mon. How long ago might this be Car. 'T is soon cast Since the great Flood some twenty yeers are past And then it was Mon. What horrour do I feel Creep thorow my veins Car. He 's silenc'd and yet will Be obstinate O the strange pride of those In place who conquer'd yeeld not but suppose Because that they have all the wealth with it They must be Masters too of all the wit Sure hee 's convinc'd and it doth vex him too As by his mutt'ring he doth plainly show And one may see some colour he would find To hide the errour of a haughty mind Mon. But that strange man of whom thou tel'st me what Was he unto the child his father Car. That I do not know Mon. Nor didst thou ever know More of the man then thou hast told mee Car. No. Why all these Questions Mon. If thou saw'st him now Should'st know him Car. Yes he had a beetle-brow A down-look middle-stature with black hair His beard and eye-browes did with bristles stare Mo. Shepherds servants mine approach Da. W' are here Mon. Which of these shepherds who do now appear To him thou talk'st of likest seems to thee Car. Not onely like him but the same is hee Whom thou talkst with and still the man doth show The same he did some twenty yeers agoe For he hath chang'd no hair though I am gray Mon. Withdraw and let Dameta onely stay Tell me dost thou know
May the good Gods pleas'd in their bounty be To make his coming prosperous to thee Mont. Father Tirenio what miracle Is this What mak'st thou from thy holy Cell Whom dost thou seek what news Tir. I come to speak With thee and news I bring and news I seek Mont. But why comes not the holy Order back With the purg'd offering and what doth lack Besides to th' interrupted Sacrifice Tir. O how much often doth the want of eyes Adde to the inward sight for then the soul â—â—â—â—-gadding forth but recollected whole Into it self is wont to recompence With the mind's eyes the blindnes of the sense It is not good to passe so slightly over Some great events unlookt for which discover In humane businesses an hand Divine Which through a cloud of seeming chance doth shine For Heav'n with Earth will not familiar be Nor face to face talk with Mortality But those great wondrous things which us amaze And on blind chance the more blind vulgar layes Are but Heav'ns voice the deathlesse Gods affect To speak to mortals in that Dialect It is their language mute unto our ears But loud to him whose understanding hears A thousand times most happy is that wight That hath an understanding pitcht so right The good Nicandro as thou gav'st command Was ready now to bring the sacred Band Whom I withheld by reason of a change That fell out in the Temple Which so strange Event comparing with what happen'd here At the same time to thee 'twixt hope and fear I know not how strook and amaz'd I stand Whereof by how much lesse I understand The cause so much the more I hope and fear Some happinesse or some great danger neer Mon. That which thou understandest not I do Too well and to my sorrow feel it too But is there ought in hidden Fate can shun Thy all divining Spirit Tir. O my Son If the Divine use of prophetick light Were arbitrary it would then be hight The gift of Nature not of Heav'n I find T is true within my undigested mind That there is something hidden in the deep Bosome of Fate which she from me doth keep And this hath mov'd me to come now to thee To be inform'd more cleerly who is he That 's found to be the Father of the youth To dye now if Nicandro told us truth Mon. Thou knowst him but too well Tirenio How wilt thou wish anon that thou didst know Or love him lesse Tir. I praise thee O my Son For taking pity and compassion On the afflicted 't is humanity How-ere let me speak with him Mon. Now I see Heav'n hath suspended in thee all that skill In Prophecie which it was wont t' instill That Father whom thou seek'st to speak withall Am I. Tir. Art thou his Father that should fall To Dian now an Immolation Mon. The wretched Father of that wretched Son Tir. Of that same Faithfull Shepherd who to give Life to another would himself not live Mon. Of him who dies his Murthresse life to save And Murthers me who unto him life gave Tir. But is this true Mo. Behold the witnesse Car. That Which he hath told thee is most true Tir. And what Art thou that speak'st Car. Carino thought to be Till now the young mans Father Tir. Was that he The Flood took from thee long agoe Mon. Yes yes Tirenio Tir. And dost thou stile for this Thy self a wretched Father O how blind Is an unhallow'd and terrestriall mind In what thick mists of errour how profound A night of Ignorance are our souls drown'd Till thou enlighten them from whom the Sun Receives his lustre as from him the Moon Vain men how can you boast of knowledge so That part of us by which we see and know Is not our vertue but deriv'd from Heav'n That gives it and can take what it hath giv'n O in thy mind Montano blinder far Then I am in mine eyes What Juggler What dazeling Divell will not let thee see That if this noble youth was born of thee Thou art the happiest Father and most deer To the immortall Deities that e're Begot Son in the world Behold the deep Secret which Fate did from my knowledge keep Behold the happy day with such a flood Expected of our tears and of our blood Behold the bessed end of all our pain Where art thou man come to thy self again How is it that thou onely dost forget That famous happy Oracle that 's writ In all Arcadian hearts How can it be That with thy deer son's lightning upon thee This day thy sense is not prepar'd and cleer The thunder of that heav'nly voice to hear Your Woe shall end when two of Race Divine Love shall Combine Tears of delight in such abundance flow Out of my heart I cannot speak Your Woe Your Woe shall end when two of Race Divine Love shall Combine And for a faithlesse Nymph's apostate state A Faithfull Shepherd supererogate Now tell me thou This Shepherd here of whom We speak and that should dye is he not come Of Divine Race Montano if hee 's thine And Amarillis too of Race Divine Then who I pray but Love hath them combin'd Silvio by parents and by force was joyn'd To Amarillis and is yet as far From loving her as Love and Hatred are Then scan the rest and 't will be evident The fatall voice none but Mirtillo meant For who indeed since slain Aminta hath Express'd such Love as he such constant Faith Who but Mirtillo for his Mistresse wou'd Since true Aminta spend his deerest bloud This is that work of Supererogation This is that faithfull Shepherds expiation For the Apostate false Lucrina's fact By this admir'd and most stupendious Act More then with humane blood the wrath of heav'n Is pacifi'ed and satisfaction giv'n Unto eternall Justice for th' offence Committed 'gainst it by a woman Hence It was that he no sooner came to pay Devotions in the Temple but streightway All monstrous omens ceas'd No longer stood Th' eternall Image in a sweat of blood The earth no longer shook the holy Cave No longer stank and shrikes no longer gave But such sweet harmony and redolence As Heav'n affords if Heav'n affect the sense O Providence eternall O ye Powers That look upon us from yon azure Towers If all my words were souls and every soule Were sacrific'd upon your Altars whole It were too poor a Hecatombe to pay So great a blessing with but as I may Behold I tender thanks and with my knee Touching the earth in all humilitie Look up on you that sit in thron'd in heav'n How much am I your debtor that have giv'n Me leave to live till now I have run o're Of my life's race a hundred yeers and more Yet never liv'd till now could never deem My life worth keeping till this instant time Now I begin my life am born to day But why in words do I consume away That time that should be spent in works Help Son To
lift me up Thou art the motion Of my decayed limbs Mon. Tirenio I have a lightnesse in my bosom so Lock't in and petrifi'd with wonder that I find I 'm glad yet scarcely know at what My greedy soule unto her self alone Keeps all her joy and lets my sense have none O miracle of Heav'n farre farre beyond All we have seen or e're did understand O unexampled Bounty O the great Great mercy of the Gods O fortunate Arcadia O earth of all that e're The Sun beheld or warm'd most blest most deer To Heav'n Thy weal's so deer to me mine own I cannot feel nor think upon my Son Twice lost and found nor of my self buoy'd up Out of the depth of sorrow to the top Of blisse when I consider thee but all My private joy set by the generall Is like a little drop in a great stream Shuffled and lost O happy dream no dream But a Celestiall vision Now agin Shall my Arcadia as thou said'st be in A flourishing Estate But why dost thou Stay here Montano Heav'n expects not now More humane Sacrifice from us No more Th' are times of wrath and vengeance as before But times of grace and love glad nuptiall bands Not horrid Sacrifices at our hands Our Goddesse now requires Tir. How long to night Mon. An hour or little more Tir. We burn day-light Back to the holy Temple let us go There let the daughter of old Titiro And thy Son interchange their Marriage vow To become Man and Wife of Lovers now Then let him bring her to his Father's straight Where 't is Heav'ns pleasure that these fortunate Descendents of two Gods should henceforth run United in one stream Lead me back Son And thou Montano follow me Mon. But stay That faith which formerly she gave away To Silvio she cannot now withdraw And give Mirtillo without breach of Law Car 'T is Silvio still Mirtillo was call'd so At first thy man told me and Silvio By mee chang'd to Mirtillo to which hee Consented Mon. True now I remember me And the same name I gave unto the other To keep alive the memory of 's Brother Tir. 'T was an important doubt Follow me now Mon. Carino to the temple too come thou Henceforth Mirtillo shall two Fathers own Thou hast a Brother found and I a Son Car. To thee a Brother in his love a Father To him a Servant in respect to either Carino will be alwayes And since I Find thee to me so full of courtesie I will the boldnesse take to recommend Unto thy love my second self my friend Mon. Share me between you Car. O eternall Gods Between our pray'rs slow-winding paths what odds There is by which we climb to Heav'n and those Directer lines by which to us Heav'n bowes Scena septima CORISCA LINCO Cor. SO it seems Linco that coy Silvio When least expected did a Lover grow But what became of her Lin. We carry'd her To Silvio's dwelling where with many a tear Whether of joy or grief I cannot tell His Mother welcom'd her It pleas'd her well To see her Son now marryed and a Lover But for the Nymph great grief she did discover Poor Mother-in-law ill sped though doubly sped One Daughter-in-law being hurt the other dead Cor. Is Amarillis dead Lin. 'T is rumour'd so That 's now the cause I to the temple go To comfort old Montano with this newes One Daughter-in-law he gains if one he lose Cor. Is not Dorinda dead then Lin. Dead would thou Wert half so live and jocund as Shee 's now Cor. Was 't not a mortal wound Li. Had she been slain With Silvio's pity she had liv'd again Cor. What Art so soon could cure her Lin. I will tell Thee all the cure Listen t' a miracle With trembling hearts and hands prepar'd to aid Women and men stood round the wounded Maid But she would suffer none to touch her save Her Silvio for the same hand which gave She said should cure the wound So all withdrew Except my self he and his Mother two T' advise the third to act Then Silvio Removing first from her blood-dapled snow Gently the cleaving garments strove to pluck The arrow out which in her deep wound stuck But the false wood forth coming gave the slip To th' iron head and left it in her Hip. Here here the lamentable cryes began It was not possible by hand of man Or iron instrument or ought beside To get it out Perchance t' ave open'd wide The wound b' a greater wound and so have made One iron dive after another had Effected the great cure But Silvio's hand Too pitifull too much with Love unmann'd The Surgeon was so cruelly to heal Love searches not with instruments of steel The wounds he makes As for the love-sick Maid In Silvio's hands her wounds grew sweet she said And Silvio said not yet discouraged Thou shalt out too thou shalt curst Arrow-head And with lesse pain then is believ'd the same Who thrust thee in can pull thee out again By using hunting I have learn'd to cure This mischief which my hunting did procure A plant there is much us'd by the wild Goat When there 's a shaft into her body shot She shew'd it us and Nature shew'd it her Remembred happily nor is it far From hence Streight went he to the neighb'ring hill And there a flasket with this Plant did fill Then came again to us thence squeesing out The juice and mingling it with Centry root And Plantain leafe thereof a pultise made O wonderfull as soon as that was laid Upon the sore the blood was stanched streight And the pain ceased and soon after that The iron coming without pain away Did the first summons of the hand obey The Maid was now as vigorous and sound As if she never had receiv'd the wound Nor mortall was 't for th' arrow having flown As hapt betwixt the muscles and the bone Pierc'd but the fleshy part Cor. Thou hast displaid Much vertue in a plant more in a Maid Lin. What afterwards between 'em happened May better be imagined then sed This I am sure Dorinda's well again And now can stir her body without pain Though thou believ'st Corisca I suppose H' ath giv'n her since more wounds then that but those As they are made b' a diffrent weapon so Themselves are of a diffrent nature too And such a trick this cruell Archer has Of hitting all he shoots at since he was A Huntsman that to shew hee 's still the same Now hee 's a Lover too he hits the Game Cor. Old Linco still Lin. Faith my Corisca still If not in strength I 'm Linco in my will Nor yet though my leafe's witherd am I dead But all my sap into the root is fled Cor. My Rivall thus dispatch'd I 'le now go see If I can get my deer Mirtillo free Scena octava ERGATO CORISCA. Erg. O Day with wonders fraught O day of mirth All Love and blessings all O happy earth O
heart Is he not blind And yet When I consider with what full aspect Her starry eyes their influence direct Into my brest she cannot have a dart Left in her quiver for another heart But why do they a gemme so precious throw To one that knows it not and scorns it so Erg. Because the Heav'ns did through this Marriage Unto Arcadia long ago presage Deliverance Hast not thou heard that here Is paid to the great Goddesse ev'ry yeer Of a Nymph's guiltlesse bloud a cruell and Unconscionable tribute by this Land Mirt. 'T is news to me nor let that strange appear Since I my self am but a stranger here And since I came by Fate 's decree and Love's Almost a constant Burgesse of the Groves But what strange crime deserv'd so sharp a doom How could such monstrous cruelty finde room In a Celestiall minde Erg. Of me then know From the first head the torrent of our wo A Story that would tears of pitie wrest From heart of oak much more from humane brest Whilest yet the Priesthood was not ty'd to age A youthfull swain of noble Parentage Then Dian's Priest Aminta was his name The Nymph Lucrina did with love enflame All creatures of her sex exceeded shee As much in beauty as unconstancie She long requited or at least to sight If looks and eyes have tongues she did requite The pure affection of the Love-sick lad And fed his hopes whilst he no Rivall had But when a rustick swain her favour sought See now a perfect woman in a thought She left the former with one sigh was shook With the faint batt'ry of one amorous look Her hearts new guest now takes up all the room Dislodg'd Aminta ere he knew for whom Haplesse Aminta who from that day forth Was so abhorr'd held of so little worth By that ungrate whom he did still adore That she would neither hear nor see him more If this unkindnesse cut the wretch to th' heart If he sigh'd wept and rav'd to thee who art Acquainted with Love's pangs I leave to ghesse Mir. O 'T was a torment no man can expresse Erg. When then his tears and prayers he had cast After his heart to Dian turn'd at last If ever with pure heart Goddesse quoth he And guiltlesse hand I kindled flame to thee Revenge my faith which a perfidious Maid Under safe conduct of her smiles betraid The Goddesse gentler then the Nymph was hears The faithfull Lover's and her servant's tears And prayr's and pity kindling her just ire By opposition did augment the fire Her pow'rfull bow into her hand she took And in ARCADIA'S wretched bosome stuck Arrows of death and catching Pestilence Invisible and therefore without fence Without remorse they execute her rage Without respect on every sex and age Nor Antidotes nor Med'cines here avail'd Nor flying now weak Art her Master fail'd And oft whilst he the remedy apply'd Before the Patient the Physitian dy'd The onely hope that 's left is from the skie So to the neerest Oracle they flie Which soon return'd an answer cleer enough But above measure terrible and rough That Cinthia was incenst but that the Land Might be reliev'd if by Aminta's hand That faithlesse Nymph Lucrina or some one For her of the Arcadian Nation Were as an offring to Diana slain So she when long sh' had prayd long wept in vain And long expected her new Lovers ayd To th' holy Altars like a Bride array'd And with what pomp Religion could devise Was led a miserable Sacrifice Where at those feet from which hers fled so fast The feet of her Idolater at last Bending her trembling knees she did attend From the offended youth a cruell end The sacred knife he boldly did unsheathe Rage and revenge his nostrils seem'd to breathe His eyes to sparkle turning then to her Said with a sigh death's hollow messenger Whom thou hast left Lucrina and whom took Learn by this blow And with that word he strook Himself and plung'd the knife in his own brest To th' haft In one both Sacrifice and Priest Fell bleeding at her feet whilst she amaz'd To see that dire unlookt for object gaz'd As one 'twixt life and death nor yet did know If grief had stab'd her or the threatned blow But when she found her tongue again and knew Distinctly what was acted there O true O brave Aminta bathing in a flood Of tears she said O Lover understood Too late who by thy death dost give to me Both life and death If in forsaking thee I sinn'd lo I redeem that sin of mine Wedding my soul eternally to thine This said that knife fresh reeking with the gore Of the now lov'd in death and purpled ore She drew from his pale brest and in her own Sheath'd it again then willingly sunk down Into Aminta's arms who yet had breath And felt perchance that lightning before death Such was this pair of Lovers tragick fall 'Cause he kept too much faith she none at all Mir. O haplesse swain yet happy in his Love Having so rich occasion to approve His spotlesse faith and dying to revive That spark in her he could not being alive But what became then of the poor diseas'd Did the plague cease was Cinthia's wrath appeas'd Erg. It did relent but was not quite put out For the same month the yeer being wheel'd about It burst out with more fury and did make A dire relapse This forc'd us to betake Our selves unto the Oracle agen Which utterd now a sadder doom That then And yeerly we to Nights offended Queen A Maid or Wife should offer past fifteen And short of twenty by which means the rage Which swallow'd thousands one death should asswage Moreover a hard law and weighing well The nature of that sex impossible To keep a law in bloudy letters writ On wretched women was impos'd by it That whatsoever Maid or Wife should prove In any sort a changeling in her love Vnlesse some friend would pay the penalty In stead of her should without mercy die This dire this nationall Calamitie The good old man hath hope to remedie By means of this desired Match because The Oracle after some little pawse Being ask'd again what end our woe should have To our demand this punctuall answer gave Your woe shall end when two of Race Divine Love shall combine And for a faithlesse Nymphs apostate state A faithfull Shepherd supererogate Now there are left in all Arcadia Of heavenly Stock no other slips this day But Silvio and Amarillis She From Pan descended from Alcides He. Nor had there ever to our much regret Of those two Lines a Male and Female met As now there do whence the believing Father Great hopes of good not without cause doth gather For though the things foretold by th' Oracle Be not fulfill'd yet in each particle This is the fundamentall point the rest Is still reserv'd in Fates own secret brest And of the Marriage one day shall ensue Mir. And all this
me I command Ay me Aglaura and Eliza tarry Betrayers of my innocence where are ye Unhand me villain Mir. I obey Am. This plot Corisca laid Now tell her what th' ast got Mir. O whither fly'st thou Cruell ere thou go Banquet thy eyes yet with my death for lo I pierce my bosome with this dart Am. Ay me What wilt thou do Mir. That which it troubles thee Perchance dire Nymph that any should be sed T' have done but thou Am. Ay me I 'm almost dead Mirt. And if this action to thy hand be due Behold the weapon and the brest Am. 'T is true Thou hast deserv'd it of me What could move Thy heart to such a high presumption Mir. Love Am. Love never causes rudeness Mir. Then conclude I was in love because I was not rude For if within thy arms thou caughtst me first I cannot well with rudenesse be asperst Since with so fair an opportunity To be audacious and to use with thee The Lawes of Love I had such power yet over My self I ev'n forgot I was a Lover Am. Upbraid me not with what I blind did doe Mir. I being in Love was blinder of the two Am. Pray'r and sweet language discreet Lovers use To winne their Loves not theft and cheats t' abuse Mir. As a wild beast enrag'd with want of food Rushes on travellers out of the wood So I that onely live on thy fair eyes Since that lov'd food thy crueltie denyes Or else my Fate if like a ravenous Lover Rushing to day upon thee from this Cover Where I had long been famish't I did prove One stratagem to save my life which Love Prompted me to then blame not cruell Maid Me but thy self for if as thou hast said Pray'r and sweet language onely should be us'd By discret Lovers which thou hast refus'd To hear from me thou by thy crueltie Thou by thy flight mad'st me I could not be A discreet Lover Am. If th'adst gi'n her over That fled from thee th'adst been a discreet Lover But know thou persecutest me in vain What wouldst thou have of me Mir. I 'd have thee daign Once'ere I die to hear me Am. See! as soon As thou hast askt thou hast receiv'd the boon Now then be gone Mir. Ah Nymph I 've scarcely yet Powr'd one small drop out to thee of the great Sea of my tears If not for Pitie's sake Yet for the Pleasure thou therein wilt take List ' to a dying man's last accents Am. Well To shun more trouble and thy hopes to quell To hear thee I 'm content But this before Say little quickly part and come no more Mir. Thou dost command me cruell'st Nymph to bind In volume too too small that unconfin'd Desire which scarcely humane thought though it Be as the soul that holds it infinit Hath line to fathom That I do love thee more then I do love My life if thou doubt'st Cruel ask this Grove And that will tell thee and with it each beast Each stupid stock there can the same attest Each stone of these high mountains which so oft I with the voice of my complaints made soft But what need I call any witnesse else To prove my love where so much beauty dwels Behold these flow'rs which make low earth so proud Those Stars which nail Heav'ns pavement all these crowd Into one ring A beautie like that same Is the high cause and forcer of my flame For as by nature Water doth descend The Fire unto the higher Regions tend The Air obliquely spread it self the Ground Lie still and heav'n about all these turn round So naturally do I incline to thee As to my chiefest good so naturally To those lov'd beauties as unto her sole With all her wing'd affections flyes my soul. And he that should imagine he had force Her from her dearest object to divorce Might with as much facility command The Air the Fire the Water and the Land The Heavens too from their accustom'd track And make the Pillars of the world to crack But since thou bidst me say but little I Shall say but little saying that I dye And shall doe lesse in dying since I see How much my death is coveted by thee Yet I shall doe alas all that is left For me to do of hopes in love bereft But cruell soul when I am in my grave Some pitie then upon my suffrings have Ah! fair and lov'd and that wert once the sweet Cause of my life whilst Heaven thought it meet Turn those bright lamps upon me as beni'ne And pitifull as ere I saw them shine Once ere I dye that I may dye in peace Let those fair amiable eyes release My life now bitter which once sweetned it And those bright Starres which my loves torches li't Light too my Funerall tapers and forerun As once my rising now my setting Sun But thou more hard then ere thou wert before Feel'st yet no spark of pity but art more Stiffe with my pray'rs Must I then talk alone Wretch that I am discourse I to a stone Say Dye at least it nothing else thou 'lt say And thou shalt see me dye O Love what way Canst thou not plague me when this Nymph that 's nurst In cruelty and for my blood did thirst Finding my death would now a favour be Ev'n that sad favour doth deny to me Nor will reply a syllable or daign One stabbing word to put me out of pain Am. To answer thee if I had promised As well as hear thee this were justly sed Thou call'st me cruell hoping that to shun That vice into the contrary I 'le run But know my ears are not so tickeled With that by me so little merited And lesse desired praise thou giv'st to me Of beauty as to hear my self by thee Stil'd Cruell which to be to any other I grant were vice t' is vertue to a Lover And what thou harshnesse call'st and crueltie Is in a woman perfect honestie But say that ev'n t' a Lover 't were a sin Yet tell me when hath Amarillis bin Cruell to thee was 't then when justice bad To use no pitie yet on thee I had So much that I from death deliver'd thee I mean when 'mongst a noble companie Of modest Virgins mingled thou didst cover With a Maid's habit a libidinous Lover And our chast sports polluting didst intrude 'Mongst kisses feign'd and innocent thy lewd And wanton kisses such an act as yet I blush as oft as I but think on it But at that time I knew thee not Heav'n knows And when I did my indignation rose Thy wantonnesse I from my mind did keep And suffred not the amorous plague to creep To my chast heart on my lips outer skin The poyson stuck but none of it got in A mouth that 's kiss'd perforce If it spit out the kisse is ne're the worse But what wouldst thou by that bold theft have got If I had to those Nymphs discover'd what Thou wert the Thracian women never
execution my designe My foe Dispatch'd his bleeding carcasse I will throw To my she-foe to be reveng'd on two At once The felf-same steel I 'le then imbrue In mine own blood so three shall die in brief Two by my weapon and the third of grief A sad and miserable tragedie Of both her Lovers shall this Tigresse see Of him she loves and him she scorns And this Cave which was meant the chamber of their blisse To her and to her minion shall become And which I more desire t' her shame a tombe But you dear footsteps which I long have trac'd In vain unerring path lead me at last To where my Love is hid To you I bow Your print I follow O Corisca now I doe beleeve thee now th' hast told me true Scena nona SATYR DOes he believe Corisca and pursue Her steps to Erycina's Cave a beast Hath wit enough to apprehend the rest But if thou dost believe her thou hadst need Have from her good security indeed And hold her by a stronger tie then I Had lately of her hair But stronger tie On her there cannot be then gifts This bold Strumpet her self to this young swain hath sold. And here by the false light now of this vaut Delivers the bad ware which he hath bought Or rather 't is Heav'ns justice which hath sent Her hither to receive her punishment From my revenging hands His words did seem T'imply she made some promise unto him Which he believ'd and by his spying here Her print that she is in the cave 't is cleer Do a brave thing then stop the mouth o' th' cave With that great hanging stone that they may have No means of scaping to the Priest then go And bring by the back-way which few do know His ministers to apprehend and by The Law deservedly to make her dye For 't is not unto me long since unknown That she contracted is to Coridon How-ever he because he stands in fear Of me to lay his claim to her forbear But now I 'le give him leave at once to be Reveng'd on her both for him self and me But I lose time in talk From this young Grove I 'le pull a tree up by the root to move The stone withall So this I think will do How heavie ' t is The stone hath a root too What if I min'd it with this trunk and so As with a leaver heav'd it from below Good good now to the other side as much How fast it sticks I did not think it such A difficult attempt as it hath prov'd The Center of the earth were easier mov'd Nor strength nor skill will do this work I see Or do's that vigour which was once in me Now fail me at my need What do ye do My perverse Stars I will in spight of you I will remove it yet The Divell haule Corisca I had almost said and all The sex of them O Pan Liceus hear And to move this be moved by my pray'r Pan thou that all things canst and all things art Thou once thy self didst woe a stubborn heart Revenge on false Corisca now thine own And my despised Love I move the stone Thus by the vertue of thy sacred name Thus rowls it by the vertue of the same So now the Fox is trapt and finely shut Where she had earth'd her self I 'le now go put Fire to the hole where I could wish to find The rest of women to destroy the kind CHORUS O Love how potent and how great thou art Wonder of nature and the world What heart So dull as not to feel thy pow'r What wit So deep and piercing as to fathom it Who knows thy hot lascivious fires will say Infernall spirit thou dost live and sway In the corporeall part But who so knowes How thou dost men to vertuous things dispose And how the dying flame of loose desires Looks pale and trembles at thy chaster fires Will say Immortall God i' th' soul alone Thou hast established thy sacred Throne Rare Monster wonderfully got betwixt Desire and Reason an affection mixt Of sense and intellect With knowing wilde With seeing blinde A God and yet a childe And such thou sway'st the Earth and Heaven too On which thou tread'st as we on t'other do Yet by thy leave a greater miracle A mightier thing then thou art I can tell For all thou do'st that may our wonder claim Thou dost by vertue of a womans name Woman the gift of heav'n or of him rather Who made thee fairer being of both the Father Wherein is Heav'n so beautifull as thou That rowls one goggle eye in its vast brow Like a grim Cyclop not a lamp of light But cause of blindnesse and Cymerian night To the bold gazer if that sâ—eâ—k it is A thundring voice and if it sigh the hisse Of earth-engendred windes Thou with the fair Angel-like prospect of two Suns which are Serene and visible doest still the windes And calm the Billows of tempestuous mindes And Sound Light Motion Beauty Majesty Make in thy face so sweet a harmony That heav'n I mean this outward heav'n must needs Confesse thy form the form of that exceeds Since beauty that is dead lesse noble is Then that which lives and is a place of blisse With reason therefore man that gallant creature That lords it over all the works of Nature To thee as Lady Paramount payes duty Acknowleding in thine thy Makers beauty And if hee Triumphs gain and Thrones inherit It is not because thou hast lesse of merit But for thy glory since a greater thing It is to conquer then to be a King But that thy conqu'ring beauty doth subdue Not onely man but ev'n his Reason too If any doubt hee in Mirtillo hath A miracle that may constrain his faith This wanted Woman to thy pow'r before To make us love when we can hope no more Actus Quartus Scena Prima CORISCA. MY heart and thoughts till now were so much set To train that foolish Nymph into my net That may dear Hair which by that Rogue was ta'ne From me and how to get it back again I quite forgot O how it troubled me To pay that ransome for my liberty But 't had been worse t' have been a prisoner To such a beast Who though he doth not bear A mouses heart might have mouz'd me For I Have to say truth fool'd him sufficiently And like a Horse-leech did him suck and drein As long as he had blood in any vein And now hee 's mov'd I love him not and mov'd He well might be if him I e're had lov'd How can one love a creature that doth want All that is lovely As a stinking plant Which the Physitian gather'd for the use He had of it when he hath strain'd the juice And vertue out is on the dunghill thrown So having squeez'd him I with him have done Now will I see if Coridon into The cave's descended Hah what do I view Wake I or sleep I or am
bounteous heav'n Cor. But see Ergasto's here How opportunely doth he now appear Erg. At such a time let every living thing Heav'n Earth Air Fire the whole world laugh and sing To hell it self let our full joyes extend And there the torments of the damn'd suspend Cor. What rapture 's this Er. Blest woods whose murmuring voyce When we lamented did lament rejoyce At our joyes too and wag as many tongues As you have leaves now dancing to the songs Of the pleas'd Birds and musick of the Air Which rings with our delight Sing of a pair Of noble Lovers the felicitie Unparalell'd Cor. He doth speak certainly Of Silvio and Dorinda Every thing I see would live How soon the shallow spring Of tears dryes up with us but the swoln river Of gladnesse tarries with the longer liver Of Amarillis who is dead there 's now No more discourse the onely care is how To laugh with them that laugh and t is well done Each man hath too much sorrow of his own Whither so glad Ergasto dost thou go Unto a Wedding happily Erg. I do Indeed Hast heard Corisca then the wonder O' th' two blest Lovers was 't not strange Cor. I underStood it of Linco now with joy of heart Which my great grief doth mitigate in part For the sad death of Amarillis Erg. How Whom dost thou speak of or speak I thinkst thou Cor. Why of Dorinda and of Silvio Erg. What Silvio what Dorinda Dost not know Then what hath past My joy its linage drawes From a more high stupendious noble Cause Of Amarillis and Mirtillo I Discourse the happiest Pair that this day frye Under the torrid Zone of Love Cor. Is not Then Amarillis dead Ergasto Erg. What Death She 's alive glad beauteous and a Wife Cor. Thou mock'st me Shepherd Er. No upon my life Cor. Was she not then condemn'd Er. She was 't is true But presently she was acquitted too Cor. Do I dream this or dost thou dreams relate Erg. Stay here a little thou shalt see her straight Come with her faithful and most fortunate Mirtillo from the temple where they 're now And interchanged have their Nuptiall vow Towards Montano's of the bitter root Of their long Loves to gather the sweet fruit O hadst thou seen mens joyes spring in their eyes If thou hadst heard the musick of their cryes The temple's still as full as it can hold Of numbers numberlesse Men women old Young Prelates Laymen are confounded there Together and distracted cannot bear Their joy With wonder every one doth run To see the happy couple every one Adores them every one embraces them Their pity one extols another's theme Their constant faith is or those graces giv'n To them by Nature or infus'd from Heav'n The laund the dale the mountain and the plain Resound the faithfull Shepherd's glorious name O happy happy Lover to become From a poor Swain almost a God so soon From death to life whilst I speak this to passe And change a winding-sheet which ready was For a remote despair'd-of Nuptiall Though it be much Corisca is not all But to enjoy her whom he seem'd t' injoy In dying for her her who would destroy Her selfe not to excuse but share his Fate His Mate in life and not in death his Mate This is such joy such ravishing joy is this As doth exceed all we can fancie Blisse And dost not thou rejoyce and apprehend A joy for Amarillis that 's thy Friend As great as that which I doe for my true Mirtillo Cor. Yes dost thou not see I doe Erg. O! if thou hadst present been Amarillis to have seen As the pledge of Faith when she Gave her hand to him and he As the pledge of Love did either Give or receive I know not whether A sweet inestimable kisse Surely thou hadst dy'd of blisse There was Scarlet there were Roses All the colours all the posies Art or Nature ere did mix Were excell'd by her pure cheeks Cover'd with a waving shield By her blushing Beauty held Stain'd with blood which did provoke From the striker a new stroke And shee coy and nice in show Seem'd to shun that shee might so With more pleasure meet the blow Leaving it in doubt if that Kisses were ravish'd or not With such admirable Art 'T was in part bestow'd in part Snatch'd from her And that disdain Which she did so sweetly fain Was a willing No an Act Mixt of Conquest and Compact Such a coming in her flying As shew'd yeelding in denying Such sweet anger at th' abuse In forcing her as forc'd him use That force again such art to crave The thing she would not yet would have As drew him the faster on To snatch that which would be gone O heav'nly kisse Corisca I Can no longer hold God bu'y I 'le marry too The Powr's above Give no true joy to men but Love Cor. If he Corisca have told truth this day Quite cures thy wits or takes them quite away Scena nona Chorus of Shepherds CORISCA AMARILLIS MIRTILLO Cho. HOly Hymen hear our pray'r And our Song The Earth hath not A more happy loving pair Both of them Divinely got Pull holy Hymen pull the destin'd knot Cor. Ay me Ergasto told me true I see This is the fruits wretch of thy vanitie O thoughts O wishes as unjust as vain And fond Would I an innocent have slain To compasse my unbridled will So blind So cruell was I Who doth now unbind Mine eyes Ah wretch what do I see my sin With the mask off just as 't is here within Cho. Holy Hymen hear our pray'r And our song The Earth hath not A more happy loving Pair Both of them divinely got Pull holy Hymen pull the destin'd knot See thou Faithfull Shepherd where After many a briny tear After many a stormy blast Thou art landed now at last Is not this behold her shee Heav'n and Earth deny'd to thee And thy cruell Destinie And her Icie Chastitie And thy degree so far beneath And 〈◊〉 Contract and thy Death Yet Mirtillo loe shee 's thine That sweet face those eyes divine Brest and hands and all that thou See'st and hear'st and touchest now And so often hast in vain Sigh'd for now thou dost obtain As thy constant Love's reward Yet thy lips hath silence barr'd Mir. ' Cannot speak I do not know Whether I 'm alive or no. Or if these things reall be Which I seem to hear and see Sweetest Amarillis mine For my soul is lodg'd in thine I from thee would gladly know Tell me Love are these things so Cho. Holy Hymen hear our pray'r And our song The Earth hath not A more happy loving Pair Both of them divinely got Pull holy Hymen pull the destin'd knot Cor. But why do you you still about me stay Arts to deceive the world arts to betray The body's robes but the souls rags For one I 'm sure shee 's cousen'd by you and undone Pack hence and as from worms ye had your birth Return to
Nor are the nerves of his compacted strength Stretch'd and dissolv'd into unsinnewed length Yet after all lest we should think it thine Thy spirit to his circle dost confine New names new dressings and the modern cast Some Scenes some persons alter'd had outfac'd The world it were thy work for we have known Some thank't prais'd for what was lesse their own That curious hand which to the life can trace The ayrs the lines and features of a face May with a free and bolder stroke expresse A varyed posture or a flatt'ring Dresse He could have made those like who made the rest But that he knew his own design was best JOHN DENHAM The Scene ARCADIA THE SPEAKERS SILVIO Son to Montano contracted to Amarillis LINCO An old man servant to Montano MIRTILLO In love with Amarillis ERGASTO Friend to Mirtillo CORISCA A wanton Nymph in love with Mirtillo MONTANO The chief Priest Father to Silvio TITIRO Father to Amarillis DAMETA An old man servant to Montano SATYR An old gotish fellow in love with Corisca DORINDA In love with Silvio LUPINO A Goat-herd servant to Dorinda AMARILLIS Daughter to Titiro NICANDRO Chief Minister to the Priest CORIDON In love with Corisca CARINO An old man supposed Father to Mirtillo URANIO An old man Friend to Carino MESSENGER TIRENIO A blind Prophet CHORUS of Shepherds Huntsmen Nymphs Priests IL PASTOR FIDO THE PROLOGUE Spoken by ALFEO a River of ARCADIA IF from old Fame and peradventure not Believ'd at all by you or else forgot O' th Amorous Brook ye heard the wonder ever Which to pursue the coy and flying River Of his beloved Arethusa ran O force of Love piercing the Ocean And the earth's hidden bowels to that Isle Where underneath the huge Etnean Pile Vpon his back the kicking Gyant lies Spitting despightfull flames at hostile Skies And leaves it doubtfull to the world that 's under If heav'n at him or he at heaven thunder That Brook am I. Though what you have been told Ye may your eyes ye cannot doubt Behold Leaving my loved Nymph and thridding back That well known way where I had made a track Through the great waters I in person rise And view with tears of gladnesse in mine eyes That ancient and that venerable earth From whose cold entrails I receiv'd my birth Not thrall'd and plundred as of late but free And beautifull as it was wont to be O my deer mother O Arcadia known By me thy son though so long absent owne Thy deer and being improv'd by travell now Thy great ALFEO and as fam'd as thou These be the streets once so renown'd these be The woods where the old russet honestie Did live and die unto this onely nook O' th iron world when she her flight had took From sinfull men the golden age retir'd Here that which elswhere is in vain desir'd Freedome unstrain'd and from suspicion free Flourish'd in peace and sweet securitie An unarm'd people had for their defence A wall of Vertue and of Innocence Stronger then that whose living stones were layd About great Thebes whilst he that built it playd For when tumultuous war flam'd most in Greece And other her more warlike Provinees Arcadia arm'd to this blest part alone This Sanctuary there was never known The least Alarum the least sound to come Or of a friends or of an en'mies Drum And so much Corinth Thebes Mycene hop't To triumph o're their foes as they were propt By this good people and their care were held Who were the Care of Heav'n whom heav'n upheld A blessed mutuall bulwark they did prove Those to these here and these to those above Those fought with weapons and these fought with Pray'r Nor though each here a shepherds habit ware And bore the name yet either in his meen Or exercises was the shepherd seen But some would place themselves as spyes to prie Into the Starres and Elements the high Secrets of Heav'n and Nature others here Were wholly giv'n to chase the fearfull Deer Others whom glory had inflamed more T' encounter with a Bear or tusked Bore Some swift in running some were terrible At Barriers some in wrastling did excell One threw a dart another drew a flight Both hit with cunning the intended white Some one thing some another did affect Each as his minde and fancie did direct The sacred Muses Most Virgins of yore In high esteem though now despis'd and poor But how transported hither where the Po Falls into Dora is Arcadia now This is the cloyster surely this the cave Of ancient Erycina and that brave Aspiring Temple yonder is the same Was consecrated to great Cynthia's name How then remov'd What new-come power can so Transplant a Land and all the People O Royall Infanta but a child in age Yet ev'n already as a Matron sage The vertue of your Name power of your Blood Great Catherina now 't is understood Wrought this from that great House descended which New Kingdoms daily and new worlds inrich Those great effects which we as wonders view Are naturall and usuall things with you As by that Sun which from the East doth rise So many excellent varieties Are brought into the world herbs flow'rs trees So many beasts fowl fish in earth ayr seas So by the living Sun of your bright eyes which in the now more worshipt West did rise New Provinces from every Clime about New Realms new Laurels and new Trophies sprout Low as my bottome then I bow to you Majestisk Daughter of that Monarch who Enjoyes an Empire so August so great That Phoebus in it doth both rise and set And Wife of him to whose brest hand and wit Heav'n did the wals of Italie commit But Alpian rocks are needed now no more Bulwarks nor horrid cliffes to stand before Fair Italie securer in your guard Then in those hils which have her entrance barr'd That bulwark so invincible in war You make soft Peace's Temple where from far Men come to worship her Long live as one Yee Royall pair this fair Conjunction Presages Christendome again shall boast Those many Eastern Scepters she hath lost This is a field worthy of none but you Magnanimous CHARLES and a field trodden toe By your brave Ancestors This Land is great Great are your names great bloud in you is met Great your designes your minds and your aspects Great off-spring too and deeds the world expects But whilst I prophesie and Fate prepares Circles of gold to crown your silver hairs Disdain not mighty Souls this flowry wreath Gatherd on Pindus by those Maids that breath Life in dead men Poor offring I confesse Yet such as if Devotion it expresse Ev'n Heav'n it self disdains not And if from Your smiling heav'n a fav'ring gale shall come This Lute which from its gentle warbling strings Sending still Musick to your ears now sings Soft Loves and pleasing Hymeneall Rites Shall turn a Trumpet to proclaim your Fights Actus Primus Scena Prima SILVIO LINCO With Huntsmen Sil. GO
purple and perfumed brest displayes But if it be not gatherd then and stay Till it be kist by the Meridian Ray Before the Sun to th' other world be fled Upon its mourning stalk it hangs the head So pale so shrunk so without life it showes That one can hardly say This was a Rose So a young Virgin whilst her Mothers care Shuts and preserves her from the blasting air Shuts her own bosom too against desire But if she find some amorous youth to eye her And hears him sigh she opes him straight her heart And in her tender brest receives Love's dart Then if by fear or else by maiden shame She be withheld from shewing of her flame Poor soul Concealment like a worm i' th' bud Lies in her Damask cheek sucking the bloud So all her beauty 's gone if that fire last And all her Lovers when her Beauty 's past Mont. Take courage Titiro do not embase Thy soul with mortall fears but nobly place Thy hopes above Heav'n favours a strong faith And a faint pray'r nere clomb that arduous path And if all men should pray to Heav'n at need And pray with hope much more should Heav'ns own Our childrens Pedigree it is Divine And Heav'n that shines on all will surely shine On its own Progenie Come Titiro Together to the Temple let us go Together offer thou a hee-goat there To PAN and I to HERCULES a Steer The Gods who blesse the herds will blesse no lesse Them who the Gods do with those blessings blesse Trusty Dametas go and quickly cull From my fair herd the best and gentlest Bull And bring him to me to the Temple straight Come by the hill the neerest way is that Tit. And good Dametas from my herd bring one Of the best Goats Dam. Both shall with speed be done May the high Gods pleas'd in their goodnesse be To blesse Montano this thy Dream to thee Ev'n to thy utmost wish this memory Of thy lost son is a good augury Scena quinta SATYR AS frosts to Plants to ripened Ears a storm To Flowrs the mid-day sun to Seed the worm To Stags the toyls to Birds the lime-twig so Is Love to man an everlasting Foe And he that call'd it fire pierc'd well into Its treach'rous nature for if fire thou view How bright and beautifull it is Approacht How warm and comfortable But then toucht O how it burns The monster-bearing earth Did never teem such a prodigious birth It cuts like razors like wild beasts devours And through a wood like winged lightning scowrs Where-ere it fixes its imperious foot Cottage and Pallace all must yeeld unto 't So Love if thou behold it in a pair Of starry eyes in a bright tresse of hair How temptingly it looks what kindly flames It breathes what peace what pardons it proclaims But in thy bosome if thou do it keep So that it gather strength and 'gin to creep No Tygresse in Hircanian mountains nurst No Lybian Lionesse is half so curst Nor frozen Snake fostred with humane breath His flames are hot as hell bonds strong as death He is Wrath's hangman Pitie's enemy And to conclude Love void of love But why Accuse I him Is he the Authour then Of all those pranks which mortal wights not when They are in love but out of their wits do Women perfidious women 't is to you That I impute Love's rancour all that 's naught In him from you is by infection caught He of himself is good meek as the Dove That draws the chariot of the Queen of Love But you have made him wild for though ye joy With your own hands to feed the winged Boy Yet do you shut each pore so of your brest That in your hearts He cannot build his nest And all your care pride pleasure ye do place In the meer outside of a simpring face Nor is 't your study how to pay true love And wager whether shall more constant prove To bind two souls in one and of one heart To make the other but the counter-part But how your silver hair with gold to hatch Then purse it up into a net to catch Poor souls withall and like gold valence let Some curles hang dangling ore your brows of jet How much against my stomack doth it go To see you paint your cheeks to cover so The faults of Time and Nature How ye make Pale Feulemort a pure Vermilian take Fill up the wrincles die black white a spot With a spot hide where 't is make 't where 't is not You tie a thred acrosse whereof one end Held in your teeth the other is sustein'd By your left hand whilst of the running knot Your right hand makes a noose to ope and shut Like shaving tongs This instrument you fit To your rough downy forheads and with it Shave all the down and the wild hairs which shoot Above their fellows pull up by the root And all the while such torment you are in That 't is at once a penance and a sin Nor is this all your qualities are much After your faces and your faith is such As are your works For what is there in you That is not counterfeit and painted too Do your lips ope before ye speak ye lye And if ye sigh ye lye most damnably False lights your eyes are and false weights your ears Your hearts false measures and false pearl your tears So talk or look or think or laugh or cry Seem or seem not walk stand or sit ye lye Nay there 's more yet your cousening those Most who on you do most repose Your loving most those who do least love you And chusing to die rather then be true These are the arts these are the wayes That make Love hatefull in our dayes All his faults then we may most justly lay On you or rather on our selves for they Sin that believe you Then the fault 's in me Perjur'd Corisca who did credit thee Come hither onely for my bane I think From Argos wicked streets of vice the sink Yet th' art so fly and play'st so well the Scout To keep thy deeds and thoughts from tracing out That 'mongst the chastest Dames thou jettst it now With honesty stampt on thy haughty brow What scorns have I receiv'd what discontent From this ungratefull woman I repent Yea blush I was so fond Example take By me unskilfull Lovers how ye make An Idol of a face and take 't for granted There 's no such divell as a woman sainted She thinks her wit and beauty without peer And o're thy slavish soul doth domineer Like some great Goddesse counting thou wert born As a thing mortall onely for her scorn Takes all that praise as tribute of her merit Which is the flattry of thy abject spirit Why so much serving so much admirations Such sighs such tears such humble supplications These are the woman's arms Let us expresse Ev'n in our Loves valour and manlinesse Time was when I as lusty as I am Thought tears
I Be not deceiv'd both by my self and by Another Here I shall that Sun behold Which I adore impart her beams of gold To my blest sight behold her flying feet Stop at my sad notes here upon the sweet Food of that lovely face I shall suffice After a tedious fast my greedy eyes Here here behold that proud one on me turn Her sparkling lamps if not to light to burn And if not fraught with amorous delight So kindly cruell as to kill outright Yet were 't but just that after so much pain As I have hitherto endur'd in vain Thou Love at length shouldst make the Sun appear To this benighted earth serene and cleer Hither Ergasto did direct me where Corisca and my Amarillis were To play at Blindman-busse but I can finde In this place nothing but my love that 's blind And so deceiv'd mis-led by a false guide To seek that light which is to me deny'd Pray Heav'n my hard and envious fate beneath This sugred Pill now have not hid my death This tedious stay afflicts me For those That go to meet their Loves each moment shows An age Perchance I have arriv'd too late And made for me too long Corisca wait Yet I made haste Now woe is me If I Have done this fault I will lie down and dye Scena secunda AMARILLIS MIRTILLO Chorus of Nymphs CORISCA. Am. BEhold the Buff Mirt. O sight Am. Come on Mirt. O voice That makes my heart both tremble and rejoyce Am. What do you do Lisetta where art thou That wert so eager of this sport but now And thou Corisca whither gone Mir. I finde Now it is true indeed that Love is blinde Am. You there that are appointed for my guides To hand and to support mee on both sides Before the rest of our Companions come Out of these trees conduct me to field-room Then leaving me alone amidst the plain Amongst our other fellows herd again So joyning all together make a ring About me round and let the sport begin Mir. But what shall I do Yet I cannot see Of what advantage this should be to me In my desires nor see I my north-starre Corisca Succour me blest Heav'n Am. O are Yee come at last yee wantons did you mean Only to bind my eyes Begin now then Chor. Love thou art not blind I know But dost onely appear so To blinde us if thy sight 's small Thou hast I 'm sure no faith at all Blinde or not thou try'st in vain Mee into thy net to train And to keep out of thy pound Off I get and traverse ground Blind as thou art thou couldst see more Then Argus hundred eyes of yore Thou couldst see blind as thou art Well enough to hit my heart But I were a fool indeed Should I trust thee now I 'm freed Sport with thee henceforth that will 'T is a sport with thee to kill Am. I but with too much warinesse you play Yee should strike first and after get away Approach me touch me and ye shall not fly Me then Mir. O ye high Gods In heav'n am I Or earth O heav'ns do your eternall rounds Move in such order warble such sweet sounds Cho. Well blind Archer since thou still Vrgest me to play I will Now I clap thy shoulder hard Now I fly unto my guard Strike and run and strike again And thou wheel'st about in vain Now I pinch thee now remove And have at thee now blind Love Yet thou canst not light on me Why because my heart is free Am. In faith Licoris I had surely thought T' ave caught thee there and 't was a tree I caught I dost thou laugh Mir. Would I had been that tree But do I not Corisca hidden see Amongst those brakes and she makes signes as who Should say that something she would have me do Cho. A free heart makes a nimble heel Ah traitour dost thou tempt me still With thy flattering false delight Thus then I renew the fight Slash and fly and turn and shove And about again blind Love Yet thou canst not light on me Why because my heart is free Am. Would thou wert puld up by the root base tree That I should ever thus be catching thee Deceived by the dancing of a bough I did suppose I 'd had Eliza now Mir. Corisca still is making signes to me And looks as shee were angry perhaps she Would have me mix with those Nymphs Am. Must I play With nothing but with trees then all this day Cor. I must come forth and speak or hee 'l not stir To her white liver and lay hold on her Why dost thou gape to have her run into Thy mouth At least if that thou dar'st not do Let her lay hold of thee Come give me here This dart and go to meet her fool Mir. How neer To impotence is strong desire O Love That thou shouldst make a man a coward prove Am. Play but once more for now I weary grow Troth y' are too blame for making me run so Chor. That triumphant God survey To whom amorous mortals pay Impious tribute See him snaffeld See him laught at See him baffeld As a hooded Hawke or Owle With light blinded when the fowle With their Armies flock about her Some to beat and some to stout her She in vain doth rowze and peck This and that way with her beak So we baffle and deride Thee blind Love on ev'ry side One doth pinch thy elbow black T'other has thee by the back And thy baiting does no good Nor thy pecking through thy hood Nor thy stretching out thy clawes But sweet meats have sowr sawce Birds are caught by playing thus So do Nymphs grow amorous Scena tertia AMARILLIS CORISCA MIRTILLO Am. I' Faith Aglaura art thou caught at last thou 'dst fain be gone but I will hold thee fast Cor. Surely unlesse at unawares by main Strength I had thrust him on her I in vain Had tyr'd my self to make him thither go Am. Thou wilt not speak now Art thou she or no Cor. I lay his Dart here by him and unto My bush return t' observe what will ensue Am. Thou art Corisca now it is most cleer I know thee by thy tallnesse and short hair 'T was thee I wish'd to catch that I might use thee Just as I list and thus and thus abuse thee And thus and thus Not yet But since 't was thou That boundst me do thou too unbinde me now Quickly my heart and thou shalt have of me The sweetest kisse that ere was given thee What dost thou stick at thy hand trembles what Art thou so weary If thy nails will not Let thy teeth do 't come fumbler let mee see I can my self untangle without thee Fye how with knots on knots it is perplext The best on 't is thou must be blinded next So now 't is loos'd Hah whom have we here Traitor avaunt I am unspirited Mir. Dear Soul do not strive to goe away Am. Unhand Forcer of Nymphs unhand
cannot yeeld pure streams Nor a bad heart good words And where the deed Is evident Defence offence doth breed What dost thou talk thou shouldst have guarded more Then thy life now thy chastitie before Why do'st thou cheat thy self Am. O miserie Must I then dye Nicandro must I dye None left to hear none to defend me left Of all abandon'd of all hope bereft Onely of such a mocking pity made The wretched object as affords no aid Nic. Be patient Nymph and give me cause to tell Though thou didst ill yet that thou suffredst well Look up to heav'n since thence thou drawst thy birth All good or ill we meet with upon earth From thence as from a fountain doth distill And as no good is here unmix'd with ill So punishment that 's ill to flesh and blood As to th' accompt we must make there is good And if my words have cut thee 't is but like A faithfull Surgeon who a vein doth strike Or thrusts his instrument into the wound Where it is mortallest and most profound In being cruell mercifull Then be Content with what is writ in Heav'n for thee Am. O 't is a cruell sentence whether it In heaven for me or in earth be writ Yet writ in heav'n I 'm certain it is not For there my innocence is known But what Doth that avail me if that dye I must That 's the straight narrow passage to be dust Nicandro that 's the bitter cup But oh By that compassion thou to me dost show Lead me not to the Temple yet stay stay Nic. Who fears to dye dyes ev'ry hour o' th' day Why hang'st thou back and draw'st a painfull breath Death hath no ill in 't but the fear of death And he that dies when he hath heard his doom Flyes from his death Am. Perchance some help may come Father dear father dost thou leave me too An onely daughters father wilt thou do Nothing to save me Yet before I die A parting kisse to me do not deny Two bosoms shall be pierced with one blow And from thy daughter's wound thy blood must flow O father once so sweet and deer a name Which I was never wont t' invoke in vain Thy belov'd Daughter's Wedding callst thou this To day a Bride to day a Sacrifice Nic. Good Nymph no more why dost thou bootlesly Stay thus tormenting both thy self and mee The time calls on I must convey thee hence Nor with my duty longer may dispense Am. Deer woods adieu then my deer woods adieu Receive these sighs my last ones into you Till my cold shade forc'd from her seat by dire And unjust steel to your lov'd shades retire For sink to hell it can't being innocent Nor soar to heav'n laden with discontent Mirtillo O Mirtillo most accurst The day I saw the day I pleas'd thee first Since I whom thou above thy life didst love Became thy life that thou my death mightst prove She dies condemn'd for kindnesse now to thee Whom thou hast still condemn'd of cruelty I might have broke my faith as cheap Ay me Now without fault or fruit I dye or Thee My deer Mirtill Nic. Alas she dies indeed Poor wretch Come hither shepherds with all speed Help me to hold her up O piteous case She finish'd in Mirtillo's name her Race Unhappy maid she breathes yet and I feel Some signes of life pant in her bosome still To the next fountain let us carry her Perchance cold water may recover there Her fleeting spirits Stay will not relief Be cruelty to her who dies of grief To prevent dying by the Axe How-e're Yet let not us our charitie forbear Men ought to lend their aid in present woe What is to come none but the Gods foreknow Scena sexta CHORUS of Huntsmen with SILVIO CHORUS of Shepherds with SILVIO Ch. Hun. O Glorious youth true child of Hercules That kilst so soon such monstrous beasts as these Ch. Sh. O glorious youth by whom lies slain and queld This Erimanthian Monster living held Invincible Behold the horrid head Which seems to breath death when it self is dead This is the famous Trophie noble Toile Of him whom we our Demy-god do stile Extoll his great name Shepherds and this day Keep ever solemn ever holy day Cho. Hunts. O glorious youth c. Ch. Sh. O glorious youth that do'st despise thine own For others safeties Vertue climbes her Throne By these steep stairs and the high Gods have set Before her Palace gates labour and sweat He that would land at joy must wade through woes Nor by unprofitable base repose Abhorring labour but from gallant deeds And vertuous labour true repose proceeds Cho. Hunts. O glorious youth c. Ch. Sh. O glorious youth by whom these Plains depriv'd Of tillage and of tillers long retriv'd Their fruitfull honours have The plough-man now Securely goes after the lazie plough Sowes his plump seed and from earth's pregnant womb Expects the wish'd fruits when the season 's come No more shall churlish tusk or churlish foot Trample them down or tear them up by th' root Nor shall they prosper so as to sustain A beast to be their own and others bane Cho. Hunts. O glorious youth c. Cho. Shep. O glorious youth as if presaging thine The Have'n to day doth in full glory shine Such peradventure was that famous Boar Alcides slew yet so thy act is more It being Silvio thy first labour as Of thy great Ancestor the third it was But with wilde Beasts thy infant valour playes To kill more monsters in thy riper dayes Cho. Hunts. O glorious youth c. Cho. Sh. O glorious youth how well are joyn'd in thee Valour and pietie See Cynthia see Thy devout Silvio's vow behold with white And crooked tusk as if in thy despight The proud head arm'd on this side and on that Seeming thy silver horns to emulate If then O powerfull Goddesse thou didst guide The young mans shaft he is in justice tyde To dedicate the Trophie unto thee By whom he did obtain the victorie Cho. Hunts. O glorious youth true child of Hercules That kill'st so soon such monstrous beasts as these Scena septima CORIDON I Have forborn till now to credit what The Satyr told me of Corisca late Fearing it might be some malicious lye Devis'd by him to shake my constancie For most improbable it seem'd that she In the same place where she expected me Unlesse the message which Lisetta brought To me from her were false should straight be caught With an adulterer And yet the truth To say here 's a shrewd token and it doth Perplex me much to see the mouth o' th' den Just in that manner he related then Shut and damm'd up with such a massie stone Ah false Corisca too well by mine own Experience of thy ungracious deeds I know thee now stumbling so oft thou needs Must fall at last So many frauds so many Lyes and vow-breaches might have warned any Whom folly or affection did not blear
in vain But dost thou breath nor art to pity barr'd Art thou a tender brest or marble hard I would not idolize fair Alablaster Led by the humane likenesse as thy Master And mine when on the outside he did look A harmlesse woman for a beast mistook I strike thee strike thee Love Nor can I wish For my revenge a greater plague then this Yet must I blesse the day that I took fire My tears and martyrdome All I desire Is that thou praise my faith my zeale but no Revenging me But courteous Silvio That to thy servant kneel'st why this to me Or if Dorinda must thy Mistresse be Obey her then the first command I give Is that thou rise the second that thou live Heav'ns Will be done with me I shall survive In thee and cannot dye whilest thou' rt alive But if thou thinkst unjust I should be found Without all satisfaction for my wound Be that which did it punish'd 'T was that Bow Let that be broke I 'm well revenged so Lin. A very heavie doom Sil. Come then thou mad Thou bloody actor of a deed so sad That thou maist ne're break thred of life again Thus do I break thee and thy thred in twain And send thee a uselesse trunk back to the wood Nor you ill sanguin'd with an innocents blood Which my deer Mistresse side so rudely rent Brothers in ill shall scape your punishment Not shafts nor flights but sticks since yee shall want Those wings and heads which garnisht you Avant Plum'd and disarmed Arms. How well O Love Didst thou foretell me this from yonder grove In a prophetick Eccho O thou high Conqu'rour of Gods and men once enemy Now lord of all my thoughts if 't is thy glory To tame a heart that 's proud and refractory Divert Death's impious shaft which with one blow Slaying Dorinda will slay Silvio Now thine so cruell death if it remove Her hence will triumph or'e triumphant Love Lin. Now both are wounded but the one in vain Unlesse the other's wound be heal'd again About it then Dor. Ah Linco do not pray Carry me home disguis'd in this array Sil. Why should Dorinda go to any house But Silvio's surely she shall be my Spouse ' Ere it be night either alive or dead And Silvio in life or death will wed Dorinda Lin. Now she may become thy Wife Since Amarillis is to marriage life And vertue lost Blest pair Ye Gods that doe Wonders with one cure now give life to two Dor. O Silvio I shall faint my wounded thigh Feebly supporting me Sil. Good remedy For that take heart th' art mine and Linco's care And I and Linco thy two crutches are Linco thy hand Lin. There ' t is Sil. Hold fast a chair Let 's make for her of our two arms Rest here Dorinda suffring thy right hand t' imbrace The neck of Linco thy left mine Now place Thy body tenderly that the hurt part May not be strain'd Dor. O cruell pricking dart Sil. Sit at more ease my Love Dor. It is well now Sil. Deer Linco do not stagger Lin. Nor do thou Swag with thine arme but steddy go and wary It will concern thee Ah! we do not carry A Boars head now in triumph Sil. Say my Deer How is it now Dor. In pain but leaning here My Heart to be in pain is pleas'd to be To languish health to die eternity CHORUS FAir golden Age when milk was th' onely food And cradle of the infant-world the wood Rock'd by the windes and th' untoucht flocks did bear Their deer young for themselves None yet did fear The sword or poyson no black thoughts begun T' eclipse the light of the eternall Sun Nor wandring Pines unto a forreign shore Or War or Riches a worse mischief bore That pompous sound Idoll of vanity Made up of Title Pride and Flattery Which they call Honour whom Ambition blindes Was not as yet the Tyrant of our mindes But to buy reall goods with honest toil Amongst the woods and flocks to use no guile Was honour to those sober souls that knew No happinesse but what from vertue grew Then sports and carols amongst Brooks and Plains Kindled a lawfull flame in Nymphs and Swains Their hearts and Tongues concurr'd the kisse and joy Which were most sweet and yet which least did cloy Hymen bestow'd on them To one alone The lively Roses of delight were blown The theevish Lover found them shut on triall And fenc'd with prickles of a sharp denyall Were it in Cave or Wood or purling Spring Husband and Lover signifi'd one thing Base present age which dost with thy impure Delights the beauty of the soul obscure Teaching to nurse a Dropsie in the veins Bridling the look but giv'st desire the reins Thus like a net that spread and cover'd lies With leaves and tempting flowrs thou dost disguise With coy and holy arts a wanton heart Mak'st life a Stage-play vertue but a part Nor thinkst it any fault Love's sweets to steal So from the world thou canst the theft conceal But thou that art the King of Kings create In us true honour Vertue 's all the state Great souls should keep Vnto these cels return Which were thy Court but now thy absence mourn From their dead sleep with thy sharp goad awake Them who to follow their base wils forsake Thee and the glory of the ancient world Let 's hope our ills have truce till we are hurld From that Let 's hope the sun that 's set may rise And with new light salute our longing eyes Actus Quintus Scena Prima VRANIO CARINO Vr. ALl places are our Country where w' are well Which to the wise is wheresoe're they dwel Car. It is most true Vranio and no man By proof can say it better then I can Who leaving long ago my Fathers house Being very young and then ambitious Of something more then holding of the plough Or keeping sheep travell'd abroad and now To the same point where I began return When my gilt locks are to the silver worn Yet a sweet thing it needs must be confest To any that hath sense is his first nest For Nature gave to all men at their birth Something of secret love unto that Earth Where they were born which never old doth grow In us but follows wheresoe're we go The Loadstone which the wary Mariner Doth as Directer of his travels bear Now to the rising Sun now to his set Doth never lose that hidden vertue yet Which makes it to the North retort its look So he that hath his native soil forsook Though he may wander far much compasse take I and his nest in forraign Countries make Yet that same naturall love doth still retain Which makes him wish his native soil again O fair Arcadia the sweetest part Of all the world at least to me thou art Which my feet trod on but my thoughts adore Had I been landed blindfold on thy shore Yet then I should have known thee such a floud
Of sudden joy runs races with my bloud Such a Magnetick powerfull sympathie And unaccustom'd tendernesse feel I. Thou then that my companion hast been In travels and in sorrowes shalt be in At my joyes too 't is reason thou shouldst go My half in happinesse as well as woe Vra. Companion of thy travels I have been Not of the fruit thereof for thou art in Thy native soil where thou repose maist find For thy tir'd body and more tired mind But I that am a stranger and am come So many leagues from my poor house and from My poorer and distressed Family Trailing my wearied lims along with thee For my afflicted body well may find Repose but not for my afflicted mind Thinking what pledges do behinde remain And how much rugged way I must again Tread over e're I rest Nor do I know Who else could have prevail'd with me to go From Elis in my gray unweildy age Not knowing why so long a pilgrimage Car. Thou knowst my sweet Mirtillo who was giv'n As a son to me by propitious Heav'n Some two months since came hither to be well By my advice or of the Oracle To speak more true which said Th' Arcadian air Was th' only means that could his health repair Now I that find it an exceeding pain Without so deer a pledge long to remain Consulting the same Oracle enquir'd When he 'ld return whom I so much desir'd The Answer was the same I tell thee now Vnto thy ancient Country return thou Where with thy sweet Mirtillo thou shalt be Happy for in that place by Heaven hee Is mark'd out for great things But till thou come Into Arcadia touching this be dumb Thou then my faithfullest Companion My lov'd Vranio who hast ever gone A share in all my fortunes hithertō Repose thy body and thou shalt have too Cause to repose thy minde 'twixt me and thee If Heav'n perform what it hath promis'd me All shall be common no successe can glad Carino if he see Vranio sad Vr. My deer Carino what I do for thee Rewards it self if it accepted be But what at first could make thee to forgo Thy native Country if thou lov'st it so Car. A love to Poetry and to the lowd Musick of Fame resounding in a crowd For I my self greedy of forraigne praise Disdain'd Arcadia onely should my Layes Hear and applaud as if my native Soile Were narrow limits to my growing Style I went to Elis and to Pisa then Famous themselves and giving fame to men There saw I that lov'd Egon first with Bayes With Purple then with Vertue deckt alwayes That he on earth Apollo's self did seem Therefore my heart and Harp I unto him Did consecrate devoted to his name And in his house which was the house of Fame I should have set up my perpetuall rest There to admire and imitate the best If as Heav'n made me happy here below So it had gi'n me too the grace to know And keep my happinesse How I forsook Elis and Pisa after and betook My selfe to Argos and Micene where An earthly god I worshipt with what there I sufferd in that hard captivity Would be too long for thee to hear for me Too sad to utter Onely thus much know I lost my labour and in sand did sow I writ wept sung hot and cold fits I had I rid I stood I bore now sad now glad Now high now low now in esteem now scorn'd And as the Delphick iron which is turnd Now to Heroick now Mechanick use I fear'd no danger did no pains refuse Was all things and was nothing chang'd my hair Condition custome thoughts and life but ne're Could change my fortune Then I knew at last And panted after my sweet freedome past So flying smoaky Argos and the great Storms that attend on greatnesse my retreat I made to Pisa my thoughts quiet port Where praise be giv'n to the Eternall for 't Upon my deer Mirtillo I did light Which all past sorrowes fully did requite Vra. A thousand thousand times that man is blest Can clip the wings of his aspiring brest Nor for the shadow of great happinesse Doth throw away the substance of the lesse Car. But who 'd have dreamt midst plenty to grow poor Or to be lesse by toiling to be more I thought by how much more in Princes Courts Men did excell in Titles and Supports So much the more obliging they would be The best enamell of Nobility But now the contrary by proof I 've seen Courtiers in name and Courteous in their meen They are but in their actions I could spie Not the least-spark or drachm of Courtesie People in shew smooth as the calmed waves Yet cruell as the Ocean when it raves Men in appearance onely I did finde Love in the face but malice in the minde With a streight look a squinting heart and least Fidelity where greatest was profest That which elsewhere is vertue is vice there Plain troth square dealing love unfeign'd sincere Compassion faith inviolable and An innocence both of the heart and hand They count the folly of a soul that 's vile And poor a vanity worthy their smile To cheat to lie deceit and theft to use And under shew of pity to abuse To rise upon the ruines of their Brothers And seek their own by robbing praise from others The vertues are of that perfidious race No worth no valour no respect of place Of Age or Law bridle of modestie No tie of love or blood nor memorie Of good receiv'd no thing 's so venerable Sacred or just that is inviolable By that vast thirst of Riches and desire Unquenchable of still ascending higher Now I not fearing since I meant not ill And in Court-craft not having any skill Wearing my thoughts caracterd in my brow And a glasse-window in my brest judge thou How open and how fair a mark my heart Lay to their Envie 's unsuspected dart Vra. Who now can boast of earth's felicity When Envie treads on vertues heels Car. O my Vranio If since my Muse and I From Elis past to Argos I had found Such cause to sing as I had ample ground To weep perchance in such a lofty key I 'd sung my Master's glorious Arms that hee Should have no cause for the felicity Of his Meonian trumpet to envie Achilles and my Country which doth bring Such haplesse Poets forth as Swan-like sing Their own sad fates should by my means have now A second Lawrell to impale her brow But in this age inhumane age the while The art of Poetry is made too vile Swans must have pleasant nests high feeding fair Weather to sing and with a load of care Men cannot climb Parnassus cliffe for he Who is still wrangling with his Destinie And his malignant fortune becomes hoarse And loses both his singing and discourse But now 't is time to seek Mirtillo out Although I find the places hereabout So chang'd and alter'd from their ancient wont I for Arcadia in
melting wax Or like the tugging of a deep-fixt dart By which the wound 's made greater and the smart Most true it is I shall a tale relate Which will demonstrate the unsure estate Of Lovers hopes and that how-ere the root Of Love be sweet it bears a bitter fruit In that fair season when Day 's wheels out-run The Night's 't was just a twelvemonth since this Sun Of Beauty this fair Pilgrim came to bring With her approach as 't were a second Spring To my then only rich and happy nest Elis and Pisa with her presence blest Brought by her Mother in those solemn dayes When Sacrifices and Olympick Playes Through all the world so famous are kept there In honour of the mighty Thunderer Shows worthy sure of those fair eyes But those Fair eyes themselves were farre the worthier shows Whence I who till that instant never knew What flames of Love did mean at the first view Of those bright lamps yeelded and never fought One stroke against her for I felt me thought Two fiery balls fly whizzing through my liver And Beauty a bold thief cry'd Stand Deliver Thy heart Mirtillo Erg. O Love's piercing steel Which they alone can understand that feel Mir. But now to see what cunning Love suggests Ev'n to the youngest and the simplest brests I made a deer young Sister of mine own Who was my cruell Nymph's companion Whilst she in Elis and in Pisa staid Acquainted with my pain This silly maid Was all the councell Love allotted me For managing my amorous bus'nesse she With her own garments decks me in great order And imps my short hair with a borrow'd border Then braids it all with flowrs hanging a bow And Quiver by my side and last doth show How I should frame my words and count'nance where No footsteps of a beard did then appear The hour approached she conducted me Where my Nymph us'd to play and there found we Some Noble Megarensian Maids whom Blood And Love linkt to her as I understood 'Mongst them was she like Royall Rose 'mongst low Born Violets And when as they had so For a good space without more pastime staid A Megarensian Virgin rose and said What at a time for Pastime so renown'd Shall we without our sports be idle found And have not Sisters we our weapons then To make mock-fights withall as well as men By my advice wee 'll practice our arms now Against our selves in jest as we must do In earnest one day against men Let 's kisse And wage a kissing warre and she that gi 's The best and sav'rest one shall have for meed This curious wreath All laught and cry'd Agreed Forthwith not staying for the word or signe These eager Amazons in battell joyn No ranks they kept no colours knew nor side But all confused and each each defy'd The Megarensian this perceiving straight To the disordered Troops sounds a retrait And after saith Let her deservedly The Judge of all our kisses be Whose mouth is fairest With one voice Of peerlesse Amarillis they made choice She sweetly bending her fair eyes Her cheeks in modest blushes dyes To shew through her transparent skin That she is no lesse fair within Then shee 's without or else her countenance Envying the honour done her mouth perchance Puts on her scarlet robes as who Should say And am not I fair too Erg. Blest man to be transform'd at such a time As if this accident thou couldst divine Mirt. The fair Judge takes her seat and now renews The amorous fight according to the use Of war by lots they march up one by one To try their mouthes by hers the Paragon Of sweetnesse or as I may term it well Of orient pearls a perfum'd Indian shell And the two lips a two-leav'd Coral door With honyed lock to ope and shut with more Facility upon the pearly treasure O my Ergast ' that I could tell the pleasure Of those sweet kisses But do thou hence ghesse it That mouth which tasted it cannot expresse it Extract then all the sweetnesse which remains In Hybla-combs in Cyprian Sugar-canes It will be nothing to that world of blisses I suckt from thence Erg. O happy theft sweet kisses Mirt. Sweet but yet lame the better half was missing The soul which gives perfection to kissing For though Love gave them Love restor'd them not Erg. But hadst thou not some fear when 't was thy lot To kisse Mirt. My heart Ergasto to say true Was at my mouth and my soul shrunk into A narrow volume 't was one kisse whence all My limbs stood tott'ring like an ill propt wall And when I came under the battery And within aim of her sure killing eye I fear'd the Majesty of that bright look Lest in the very act I should be took Of theft and guile which I was then about But straight her count'nance clearing me that doubt By a serene and unsuspecting smile I ventur'd boldly on Love stood the while Ergasto like a Bee hid in the leaves Of her lips Roses and whilst she receives The kisses of my mouth with hers unmov'd And passive I the honey onely prov'd But when she active likewise growes And thrusts out this and t'other rose Whether her gayety of heart it was Or my good luck for 't was not love alas When our two mouthes snapt like a bone well set And like two tallies that are brothers met O my deer sweet and num'rous treasure Do I out live so great a pleasure Then then I felt the sharp sweet dart The amorous sting piercing my heart Which was it seems restor'd me then That I might have it hurt agen I then as soon as I had found Her lips had giv'n me my deaths wound Was ready like some desperate gasping wight The weapon which had wounded me to bite When suddenly her sweet breath like the blast Of an inspiring Deity did cast An holy damp upon my sawcy blood Which all immodest and wild heat withstood Erg. O Modesty the block and Remora Which ever lies in the true Lovers way Mirt. Now all of them had had their turns and come With thoughts suspended to attend the doom When Amarillis judging mine t' exceed All th' others kisses plac'd the Victors meed That curious wreath with her own snowy hand Upon my head But O! no Lybian sand Beneath the Syrian dog ere broyl'd so much When he both barks and bites his rage is such As my whole heart was then on fire Betwixt fruition and desire And being never conquerd half so much As when I was a Conqu'ror such My boldnesse was that from my head I reacht the wreath to her and sed This is thy due for thee 't is meet Who with thy mouth hast made my kisses sweet And she most courteously accepting it For her fair hair made it a Coronet And crown'd mine with another which before Upon her own divine temples she wore Which is the same I now do bear and shall Heav'n willing to my Funerall
Wither'd as 't is to keep in memory That happy day but most to signifie My wither'd hopes Erg. Thy case doth pity and not envie claim Mirtillo or hereafter let thy name Be Tantalus for he that jests with Love Or playes with fire shall pain in earnest prove Poor youth thou took'st up transitory treasure At too much use and of thy theft the pleasure And punishment together didst receive But did she never the deceit perceive Mirt. I know not that Ergasto this I do Whilst shee thought Elis worthy of her view She was still bounteous to me of her eye And gracious smiles But my hard destinie Snatching her thence unwares to me almost I straight came flying hither where thou knowst My Father though he sojourn'd long abroad Yet still retains his wonted poor aboad I came and saw O sight my day begun In such a fair and smiling morn now run To its long West When I appear'd in place The lightning of disdain flash'd in her face Then did she bend her eyes and turn'd away These Meteors boad my death then did I lay Mean while that I should so by stealth depart My tender Father took deeply to heart And with the grief on 't an infirmity So terrible that he was like to die This forc'd me back which prov'd alas in one Health to the Father sicknesse to the Son For half a yeer of a Love-caused feaver I languisht and I think had languisht ever If my indulgent Father had not sought In time the Tripods Counsell whence he brought This Answer That th' Arcadian air alone Could make mee well again I thereupon Return'd Ergasto to revisite her O fallacy of that grand Sophister The Oracle who made my body whole To cause eternall sicknesse in my soule Erg. Thou hast related a strange tale in truth Mirtillo a case worthy of much ruth Without all doubt But oft a desperate state Hath prov'd the cause that cures as desperate Have sav'd the sick And now 't is time I goe To tell Corisca what from thee I know Expect me at the Fountain there will I Ere long be with thee Mirt. Go on prosperously And Heav'n at need that pity shew to thee Courteous Ergasto which thou shewst to me Scena secunda DORINDA LUPINO SILVIO She bringing in Silvio's Dog Dor. FAithfull and fortunate delight and care Of my fair Silvio and as proud as fair Thrice fortunate Melampo that I were Unto thy cruell Master half so deer With that white hand with which he gripes my heart He stroaks and he feeds thee He doth not part From thee by night nor part from thee by day Whilst I that so much love him in vain pray And sigh in vain And that which worse I bear Then all the rest he gives to thee such deer And lushious kisses one of which would make Me rich and I too kisse thee for his sake Happy Melamp ' O dog sent from above To steer the erring footsteps of blind Love Lead on sure guide whither Affection mee But Nature onely and Instinct drawes thee But list a little doth not a horn blow In this neer thicket Sil. Sogh Melampo Sogh Dor. That is if Love delude me not the sound Of Silvio's voice who seems to call his hound About these woods Sil. Melampo Sogh hogh hogh Dor. It is the very voice of Silvio Happy Dorinda to whom Heav'n hath sent The self same thing in search whereof I went I 'll hide the dog with that he holds so deer I may chance buy his love Lupino Lup. Here. Dor. Go take this dog and hide thee hereabout Conceiv'st thou me Lup. I do Dor. But come not out Untill I call Lup. I wo'n't Dor. Nay quickly man Lup. And do thou quickly take some order than That if the dog should have a hungry fit He may not swallow me up at a bit Dor. A Coward Hence Sil. O whither shall I steer My wretched steps to follow thee my deer Faithfull Melampo over hill and plain Till I am tir'd and foundred I in vain Have hunted for thee Cursed be the Doe Thou follow'dst But behold a Nymph may know Some news of him O vile encounter This Is she who with her importunities Torments me still but there 's no remedy Save patience now Fair Nymph didst thou see my Faithfull Melampo whom I slipt while-ere After a Doe Dor. I Silvio fair I fair Why dost thou call me fair if that I be Not fair in thy eyes Sil. Fair or fowl didst see My dog Answer me that if not I go Dor. So harsh to her adores thee Silvio Who would beleeve in that sweet shape could nest So sowr a soul Thou follow'st a wild beast That flyes thee over rocks and for a curre Vexest thy body and thy minde but her That follows thee and thy content doth prize Above the world thou fly'st and dost despise Ah! do not follow a wild flying Doe Let not a tame one caught already goe Do not unbind her Sil. Nymph I came in search Of my Melampo not to hear thee preach Adieu Dor. O fly not cruell Silvio I 'll tell thee news of thy Melampo Sil. Goe Thou mockst Dorinda Dor. By that love I swear That makes me Silvio's servant I know where He is Thou sayst he did a Doe pursue Sil. He did and straight I lost them both from view Dor. The Dog and Doe then at this present time Are in my pow'r Sil. In thy pow'r Dor. Yes in mine 'T was that I said Dost thou think much that shee Should love thy Dog ungratefull who loves thee Sil. My deer Dorinda give 'em to me straight Dor. Out Shittle-cock I 'm come to a fine state When beasts endeer me to thee But indeed My heart thou gettst them not without some meed Sil. And reason good I 'll give thee Let me see I 'll cousen her Dor. What wilt thou give to me Sil. Two fair Queen-apples I will give to thee Which my own fairer Mother gave to me The other day Dor. For apples I want none I could give thee two fairer of my own And sweeter too but that thou carest not For what I give Sil. Then wouldst thou have a goat Or Lambkin but my Father will not let Me make so bold with what is his as yet Dor. Nor Goat nor Lambkin do I care to have Thee onely Silvio and thy love I crave Sil. My love No more Dor. No more Sil. I g'it thee so Give me my Dog deer Nymph now and my Doe Dor. Ah that thou knewst the worth of what thou art So bounteous of and spak'st now from thy heart Sil. Nymph mark my words I finde thou talkst to me Still of a thing call'd Love what this should be I know not thou wouldst have me love thee and I doe as farre as I can understand With all my heart thou call'st me cruell I Am ignorant of what is crueltie How should I please thee Dor. In whom hop'st thou poor Dorinda whence dost thou expect thy cure From