already I Have found a way to ease thy mind I have A little money left and therewithal Soon shall I purchase a small flock for thee Where thou shalt live secure and free from fear Enjoy thy little with content there is A shepherd lately dead whose flock I 'll buy And thou shalt be it's Mistris Samela Sam. Uncle my thanks shall ever ready be For you as always is your care for me But let your haste prevent my comming griefs For griefs have wings wherewith they flie to us Comforts are leaden-heel'd and move but slow Lam. Fear not I will dispatch it suddenly The shepherd Doron's brother's lately dead And he hath the disposal of the flock As soon as I can find him we will try If reasonable price will make them ours Enter Doron See where he comes preventing me Doron The merry shepherd whither away so fast Dor. I 'm running for my life Sir my brother 's Lately dead and I 'm afraid death will catch Me too if I don't make haste I 'm sure Carmela has halt cut the thred of my Life in twain with the hook of her crueltie Besides Moron's sheep are roving to find Their master and they 'l go till they lose Themselves if I find them not the sooner Lam. Moron what was he a kin to a fool Dor. Why he was my own brother Sir Lam. I thought so Dor. I must be gone Lam. Nay stay Doron what wilt thou take and we Will ease thee of the trouble of thy sheep Dor. By my troth Sir and you shall have them but What will you give me and you shall have His flock ay and me too if you will for Gives him gold I think Carmela wont't Lam. Will these content thee for thy sheep Dor. Ay marry this is something lik you Shall have them Sir were there as many Of them as there are hairs on their Backs They talk of a golden fleece But I think I have made their fleeces Gold now Come Sir I 'll deliver you the sheep Exeunt Scaen. 6. Enter Menaphon Forlorn forsaken and the object made Of all the shepherds storms what shall I do Love is no god Fortune is blind and can Not help sleep flies and cares possess my head Mirth makes me melancholy company Yields me no comfort when I am alone A thousand fancies do distract my thoughts And when I try to drown my cares in wine They swim aloft and will be uppermost I 'll try if I can sing my cares asleep Ye restless cares companions of the night That wrap my joyes in clouds of endless woes Spare not my heart but wound it with your spight Since love and fortune prove my equal foes Farewel my hopes farewel my happy dayes Welcom sweet grief the subject of my layes Enter Pesana Pes Now will I take time by the fore-lock and Creep into Menaphon's breast through the cracks His minion Samela has made in it Aside Friend Menaphon what is your courage cool'd Men. Cold entertainment hath my courage cool'd Pes You know where you might have been let in long E're this without assault or batterie But you 'r serv'd in your kind for being coy Now you have met with your mate friend I hope Men. She set my heart on fire by her presence That will not be put out by her absence Pes Then I see you mean to follow her with Your suit and service still for all her scorn Men No she hath wounded me too deep to make Pursuit after her therefore let her go Pes Now then you know what 't is to be slighted So once you slighted me now I 'll slight you Exit Men. Ah cruel love whose musick is compos'd Of Lovers jars an discords mixt with sighs If I turn traytor once more unto love I 'll rob him of his deitie and pull His little Kingdom down I 'll pull his wings And with the quils made into pens and dipt In saddest lovers tears in stead of ink I 'll Satyres write against his tyrannie Exit Scaen. 7. Enter King Agenor Plusidippus and Euriphila Kin. Why then my Plusidippus will you leave Us and your fortunes It is my resolve To make you heir to my crown my Son And Successor Plu. Great Sir I would not be Fondly injurious to my self or you Or so prophane unto the gods to slight Their and your gifts when proffer'd me so fair I must obey their dictates and my vowes Which call me to Arcadia till when I cannot rest Give me your Royal leave To go I will engage my hopes and all My future happinesses to return In so short a time as you shall limit me Kin. Then daughter since it must be so I can Not tell how to denie his just request But see you part with him in friendship And The like Sir I require of you to her Exit Plu. Far be it from me to denie so fair Requests Lady in signe hereof I take This parting kiss and may it cancel all Miscarriages and seal Loves covenants And thus I take my leave but for a while Eur. Then take thee this my dearest heart and bear It with thee may it be a charm to keep Thy chaste affections from a Strangers love May your return shorten my tedious hours Since I neglect mine own content for yours Exeunt Scaen. 8. Enter 2 Lords 1 Lo. It seems our Kink hath pretty well out-grown His griefs and now he meditates new Loves 2 Lo. The fire of love hath thaw'd his frozen breast And turn'd his cold December into May His Scepter 's chang'd into a sheep-hook He Is gone on pilgrimage to seek a wife Amongst the shepherdesses there is one Whom I have seen and he is gone to see May vie with Juno for precedencie Who in the habit of a Country lass Carries a Prince-like countenance and grace In th' Arcadian Plains she keeps a flock Of sheep whose innocence and whiteness she Surpasseth whilst the shepherds daily strive VVho shall bid fairest for this fairer prize 1 Lo. And he 'l out-bid them all if that will do But what a motley mixture will it be To see his grey hairs joyned with her green And springing youth The strange effects of love VVell may she be his nurse but not his wife VVhat 's love in young is dotage in old men 2 Lo. Love can create an Autumn Spring infuse New spirits in the old and make them young Besides Honour 's a bait frail women know Not to resist who would not be a Queen Exeunt Scaen. 9. Enter Samela Once more doth Fortune flatter me with hopes Of a contented life now am I free From jealous Menaphon's suspitions And without fear enjoy my wished love Enter Melecertus See where he comes the picture drawn to th' life Of my dead Maximus my former joy Mel. All hail unto the fairest Samela And to her happy flock I envie them She is their Mistris I her servant am Long since my heart was hers may she but please To take that kindly which I
think You 'l be a miracle of folly if you Don't love me now Car. What small Poet have you hired To make a miracle of my name Dor. Nay I have more yet and better That I found in the Nichodemus Of Complements that 's a sweet book 'T is a very magazine of Poetrie a Store-house of wit do but hear Them Carmila Car. Let 's hear them Doron are they Worth a laughing at Let 's hear Dor. Well well it is no laughing matter but I 'm Sure your laughing ha's made me crie Now Carmila you must imagine that 't is I and only I say this to you and none but you For the unhappy wag ha's so fitted my Fancie as if 't were made for no bodie but me Excellent Mistris brighter than the Moon Than scowred pewter or the silver spoon Fairer than Phoebus or the morning Star Dainty fine Mistris by my troth you are Thine eyes like Diamonds shine most clearly As I 'm an honest man I love thee dearly What think you now Carmila is not this Admirable if these strong lines will Not draw your love I know not what will Car. Had it been your own mother-wit Doron I could have like't it well But for you to father the brat of Another's brain is too ridiculous I like your love much better than your Hackney lines but bought wit's best Dor. If you like not my lines because they are None of mine you will not love my Heart neither for that 's not mine but yours Car. Yes Doron if you have given me your Heart I will not die in your debt but Give you mine in exchange for yours Dor. Than welcome to me my new found heart We 'l live and love and never part Exeunt Scaen. 7. Enter Melecertus Revenge shall soon o're-take this proud boy who Committed hath so bold a rape upon My Samela He had been better to Have lodged snakes in his breast than to steal This spark that shall consume him and his nest Samela Samela that name alone Infuseth spirits into me inflames My soul with vengeance till I recover My dearest love Enter Menaphon Men. Now shall I be reveng'd on Samela And on her Melecertus both at once I 'll make her know neglected love may turn To hate and vengeance take the place of scorn Well met friend Melecertus what alone Mel. I 'm solitarie since my mate is gone Men. Your mate has taken flight she 's on the wing But I can tell thee where she nests and bring Thee guickly where thou shalt retrive the game Mel. If thou wilt do this Menaphon I shall Be studious to requite thy love with mine I pay thee sterling thanks and services Men. I will not sell my favours to my friends My work is all the wages I expect Come follow me I 'll lead thee to the place Where the fresh gamesters have thy love in chase Exeunt Scaen. 8. Enter King Damocles in his Royal robes Plusidippus and Samela prisoners Kin. Now Sir you see the shepherd is become A King and though you have deserved death Yet since you have but acted our commands We here release you and not onely so But entertain you with all due respect At once belonging to our neighbour-Prince And near Allie the King of Thessaly Some secret power doth force me love him so That if I had a daughter to bestow I 'de wish no other Son-in-law but him Now my Sephestia what would I give Thou wert alive I had thee and thou him Sam. He little thinks I am so near or that It is his daughter he would make his wife Kin. Thus Gentlewoman you are once more faln Into my hands I am th' Arcadian King Be sudden therefore to give me your love Or else forfeit your life for your contempt Think on 't and chuse which you 'l rather do Sam. Sir I am still the same I was before My love like to a mighty rock stands fast Disdaining the proud billows of your threats Crowns cannot tempt nor Kings command my love My love is free and cannot be compell'd True love admits no partners is content With one and Cupids statute law forbids Pluralities of loves Kin. Since y' are so stiff You will not bow I 'll make you bend or break Enter Menaphon with Melecertus Mel. I am betray'd by this base Menaphon Kin. Here comes my Rival when I have dispatch'd Him to the other world your plea is spoil'd My sword shall cut your gordian knot in two Your ghosts may wed your bodies never shall I 'll be his Executioner my self I 'll trust no other eyes to see it done Sam. Now is it time t' unmask and let him know He wounds his daughter through her Lovers sides She kneels Father your furie once expos'd me to The greedie jaws of death which yet more kind In pitie sav'd my life you sought to lose I 'm your Sephestia Father know your child Mel. And is it possible Sephestia lives Once more t' enjoy her truest Maximus Sam. My Maximus I 'm thy Sephestia Oh that our Plusidippus too were here Plu. And I am he my name is Plusidippus Seph My dearest son 't is he now were my joys Compleat indeed were but my Uncle here Mel. I am so wrapt with joy I scarce can get Breath to express my thanks unto the gods Men. What will become of me I shall be hang'd Or lose my place at least I 'll get me home Amidst their mirth they will not think on me Exit Kin. My onely daughter Dear Sephestia And you kind Maximus I ask Both of you pardon for your injuries And for requital thus I do create Thee King of Arcadie and may the gods Requite your sufferings and forgive my crimes Long may ye live and happy may your dayes Be sun-shine all and know no clouds nor night Enter Lamedon And that we may not leave one string untun'd My brother comes to make our consort full The best of brothers and the best of friends Thanks for your care of her whom you have made Your daughter by a better claim than mine Now let the whole land swim in mirth and load The altars with their thankful sacrifice Unto the kinder deities who through A sea of woes have sent us happiness Let 's in and hear the strange adventures have Befaln your heaven-protected persons griefs Grow less by telling joyes are multiplied Although against them all things seem to strive At last just men and lovers alwayes thrive FINIS Fragmenta Poetica OR Poetical Diversions WITH A PANEGYRICK UPON HIS SACRED MAJESTIE' 's Most happy Return on the 29. May 1660. By THO. FORDE Philothal LONDON Printed by R. and W. Leybourn for William Grantham and are to sold at the Signe of the Black Bear in St. Pauls Church-yard 1660. Poetical Diversions For Christmass-day 1 Shepherd WHat have we slept or doth the hastie Sun Bring back the day before the night be done 2 Shep. What melodie is this that charms our ears Is it the musick of th'harmonious
now past recoverie It is but folly to weep for the dead Pursue no more fled joyes turn and receive Those comming pleasures which do court your hand To take them If thou wilt listen to my love Sam. I like my grief much better than thy love Men. Why so nice and coy fair Lady Prethee why so coy If you deny your hand and lip Can I your heart enjoy Prethee why so coy For thy flitting joyes are past I will give thee joyes at last Joyes that shall create each other Make thee both a wife and mother Sam. Y 're merry Menaphon but I can't joyn In consort with you Seek some other mate I have no heart to give nor hand to take Your gift Another reaps what you have sown And like t' enjoy what you have hop'd in vain Men. Another reap what I have sown Is this Your gratitude you so much boasted of Have I supplied your wants with plenty and With scorn do you repay my charitie Did I relieve you in distress for this By Pan the god of shepherds or return Love for my love or be turn'd out of doors Sa. My heart ne're knew what baseness meant it 's full Of thankful thoughts for your civilities If those will satisfie I 'll employ all Th'exchequer of my breast but as for love Alas that is not in my power to give Men. I saw your loose eyes at the shepherds feast Rov'd every where but Melecertus was The mark they aym'd at most Well get you gone Expect no more from me but slight and scorn Exit Sam. My grief was ominous and did presage This sad mishap was I not cross'd enough Before when will my suff'rings have an end Well I 'll go seek my Uncle Lamedon The comfort and companion of my woes Exit Scaen. 4. Enter Euriphila Love bids me go but reason bids me stay Reason â— thou hast no share in love I 'll on Love is a passion passions know no lawes The gods themselves cannot be wise and love Enter Plusidippus passing by Friend Plusidippus hark who would have thought You so faint-hearted that a maidens frowns Could turn the edge of your affections Plu. No madam but your scorn hath whet the edge Of my resolves to seek some other clime May prove more temperate Arcadia is The place I aym at where I 'm told there dwels A Lady of that beautie that the world Can't shew her second thither am I bound Eur. You do but jest I hope I 'm sure I did No other for I love thee with my heart Offers him gifts And may these signs confirm it that I do Plu. I must not dwell at these signs well I may Bait for a while but cannot make a stay Aroadia is the place I visit must That is the center whereunto I tend And where my labours hope to find an end Eur. What must a Lady wooe you to accept Her favours Come what need hast thou to seek Offers him her gifts again Dangers and love abroad who hast at home The onely daughter of a King who courts Thee for thy love what mean those silent looks Hear me my Plusidippus what still mute Plu. Th' attractive of that beautie I have seen But in a picture will not let me rest Until I see that creature so divine Arcadia is blest withal to be The happy casket of so rich a jewel Eur. By all the love thou ow'st my fathers care I do adjure thee to stay here with me And in mine arms I 'll lodge thee until time Shall make thee King of Thessaly mean-while Let me be happy in th' enjoyment of Thy companie and seek not toils and care When thou mayst live more happy here than thou Canst wish or find in any other place Plu. My Genius prompts me that I must not rest Here for the gods do seem to call me hence And their decrees I may not break nor will Exit Eur. This scorn tormenth me yet can I not Repay his hate with hate but I do love Him more Love this is tyrannie in thee Enter Agenor King Here comes my Father may his newes be good Kin. Now forward girle did I for this provide An husband for you do you thus reward My love to you to slight him whom I love Your scornes will force him from our Court to flie And now I hear he 'l to Arcadia Eur. Believe it Sir 't is far from me to wish Or be the cause of his departure hence Kin. Yes yes your peevishness I hear's the cause Nay I my self have heard with shame to think You so much scorn'd a man I so much lov'd Did I grace him that you should disgrace him Eur. Great Sir the greatest loss is mine none Can tell with what an heavy heart I shall Be forc'd to part with him And therefore if You please to use your power to stay him here You may so be my father the second Time by preserving the life you gave me Which without his presence is nothing worth As you tender the life of a daughter Or the welfare of a maid endeavour His stay or I shall follow him to death Kin. I 'll find him out and try what power I have Upon him I suppose my kindnesses To him may well deserve his acceptance They have not been such as should wearie him Nor is a Crown a thing to be slighted Nor easily obteined yet his stay May purchase mine and 't is an easie rate Exeunt Scaen. 5. Enter Lamedon Samela Lam. What Neece still weeping cannot curing time Invent a plaister for thy wounds but that They still thus bleed afresh what is the cause Sam. Dearest Uncle who hitherto have been The onely Partner and Physician Of all my griefs unless your skill can fit A cure unto my present cares I must Yeild to their strength for with continued Batteries they so assault me now that I must be forc'd to sink under their weight Lam. Why what new cross hath hapned unto thee That thus renews thy grief Come tell it me And doubt not of my readiness to trie All means for thy relief but first 't is fit I know the cause the first step to the cure Unbosome then thy grief and give it vent Is Menaphon as kind as he was wont Sam. That name it is that is my sorrows spring From whence these tears do flow 't is he alone Unkind and false base-minded Menaphon Lam. Out with it all and tell me how he hath Abused thee and I will try to right Thee and requite him for his injuries Sam. When as he saw I would not satisfie His foolish fancie for which cause alone He hitherto hath entertained us And not for to relieve our wants he sees His hopes are frustrated and I despise His clownish love he turn'd me out of 's doors Where shall we lie we are expos'd unto The mercie of the kinder elements The heavens must be our canopie and th' earth Our bed the poor flocks our companions Lam. Well fear not Samela
enough from troubling of our state Distance and danger shall they first subdue Before they gain our Crown the slavish waves Shall be their subjects let them go and and win The trydent of great Neptune waters King I mean to set them forth 1 Lo. What means my Liege Kin. Nay I 'm resolv'd since that they do no more Regard my favour they shall feel my frowns O ye Coelestial Deities where are Your power and wonted justice now become All things run head-long and the feet forget Their duty to their Head and traitors turn Breaking the bonds of government that now A Princes power or Fathers care's contemn'd And only recompenc'd with slight and scorn Lam. But Sir though she her duty do forget To you yet is she still your child and may Be easily reclaimed Shall one misdeed Forfeit all former loyalty She us'd To be more ready to give than you Could be to ask Come let the weight of that O're-poize your anger and this light offence Kin. I 'll hear no more all pity now is gone And anger hath the castle of my breast So strongly fortified whole valleys of Requests can never move cease then your suit To which my ears are deaf and tongue is mute 1 Lo. Heaven is not so impregnable but that Entreaties may both siege and conquer it If that your daughter hath run on the score Of one offence will nothing cancel it Kin. My resolution 's writ in Adamant 1 Lo. Dread Sir and may not tears then blot it out Kin. Nor all the liquid drop the sea contains Shall quench my rage for now I have forgot All pitie of a father and that wretch Shall feel what 't is to lose a fathers love Since she will needs slight and contemn our care I 'll have a Bark provided without oar Or sail or pilot but the wilful wind And wayes true emblemes of their giddy act And therein with her brat and matc imbarqu'd Shall seek their fortunes And see you it done Without delay our Will admits no time T' expostulate no more than alteration 1 Lo. O good my Lord command my service in Some nobler act than this and do not try My faith in that for which I 'de rather die Than do 't What heir shall succeed your self In the Arcadian Diadem if thus you drown The Sun of all our hopes which must Supply your place when as your Sun shall set In darkest clouds of death must night ensue And seize upon our Horizon O let Some pity of our drooping state prevail Kin. All will not do I 'll have it done then go Or stay and pull my vengeance on thy head Will you turn traytor too to our commands As you tender our favour or your safety Go execute my will without delay 1 Lo. And must my safety prove their ruin can They not live but I must die I 'll do 't Perhaps the tyrant-waves may prove more kind Than is their King My Liege I 'l ease your mind Lam. And must they they only prove poor hearts A sacrifice to fury for their love I 'll be companion of their fortune We Will leave this cursed land which is nought else But a dry sea of miseries in which We dayly float the sea can never be More merciless O what a maze of woe Do lovers tread dire fate that for their love Are recompenc'd with hatred Farewel world Thou ball of fortune banded to and fro And never quiet we will try what fate A waits us in the sea it can't be worse Than here we suffer by our dearest friends Kin. Well brother since you are so weary of The world pray take your share with them and care Of her I leave her unto you and to The mercies of the waves and so adicu Exit Scaen. 2. 2 Lo. Was ever man so resolute to undo What an whole age can't recompence again To cast away a Lady of that worth That bankrupt nature cannot furnish forth Her Parallel A beauty that would tempt The gods to lust But guarded with an eye So modestly severe it would strike dead All lustful hopes of the hot ravisher See where she comes like Phoebus newly rose From Thetis bed Little doth she suppose The cruelty of her once happy Father In having such a daughter now not fit T' enjoy a blessing which he values not Seph What news my Lord Is the ice of my fathers Anger broken Hath the sun of counsel Thaw'd his frozen breast 1 Lo. Ay into a flood Seph What meanes this passion Speak man for I am Prepar'd it can't be worse than I expect 1 Lo. Why then it is Let me first drown my self In mine own tears and vent my mind in sighs Madam you may guess sooner than I can tell Seph Prethee torment me not thus with delays More tedious than the thing can be what e're It is Come I am armed with the shield Of patience my breast is mischief-proof 1 Lo 'T is easier far to tell than execute I wish my task were done with telling it Madam He hath made me the sad Over-seer Of that dire act which he so fears to speak Silence will not relieve it may protract The doing of that horrid fact which who Shall hear will loath the name of father for Your fathers sake who when perhaps y' are gone By 's want will prize your worth the more and love You better than he ever did before Thus are we taught to value of the light By the dull silence of the darker night Sep. But to your story and my doom which sure Must needs be great that it can find no vent Come ease your shoulders of this burthen lay It on mine who have deserved it 1 Lo. Lady wonder not at our unwillingness To tell what we had rather wish our tongues Out than to be th' unhappy messengers Of such sad news the truth whereof must rob Arcadia of it's richest choisest Gem That doth adorn her Princely Diadem By venturing all our hopes to the mercy Of the cruel waves He hath prest to be Your only Pilot being ship't alone With your dear babe and husband without sail Or oar to contradict the lawless seas In their unbounded raging tyranny Whose heedless rigour yet may hap to prove More kind unto you than your fathers love Sep. Heavens will be done But had another hand Inflicted this it would have lighter seem'd Yet is there comfort in his cruelty That hath not parted me from him for whom All this will be but light his company Will sweeten all my sorrows and convert My mourning into mirth Can I be sad Enjoying him will only make me glad Enter Lamedon Lam. I cannot win my brother to reverse His cruel sentence but it must be done Dear Neece I 'm thy companion misery Shall never make my friendship to turn edge But at the lowest ebb of fortune shall My love still flow the sea shall never quench That flame which virtue once hath kindled in My breast nor shall it meet
or be put out With any cold extinguisher but death If many shoulders make griefs burthen light Then so shall ours and may mine cease to be When they shall cease to bear their equal part And sympathize with thee as doth my heart Seph Uncle my thanks How rare it is to find A friend in misery Men run from such Like Deer from him is hunted with the dogs As if that misery infectious were Men fly with Eagles wings away But creep like snails when they should succour lend I cannot therefore chuse but prize your love Who dare be true unto your friend a name Nearer than that of kindred or of blood This is th' effect of noblest virtue which Ties firmer knots than age can e're undo Such is the knot my Maximus and I Have tied spight of my fathers anger it Shall hold when envy 's tired to invent Mischiefs in vain to cut the knot in two Which heaven hath knit too fast to loose again Alas fond man who thinks to unravel what The gods have wove together 'T is in vain Scaen. 3. 1 Lo. Lady time cals upon you not to stay Lest by a fond delay you call upon His fury to convert into some worse And sudden punishment which may deny All hopes of future safety of all ills The least is always wisely to be chosen Seph Go and prepare that floting grave which must Devour's alive I will attend you here Before when will my dearest find his grief In finding me thus lost without relief Exeunt Manet Sephestia Why doth my Love thus tarry surely he Forgotten hath the place or time or else He would not stay thus long but can I blame Him to be slow to meet his ruine I Could wish he would not come at all that so He yet might live although I perish but How fondly do I wish to be without Him without whom alas I cannot live 'T were as impossible as without air He 'tis for whom I suffer and with him All places are alike to me See where He comes who is sole keeper of my heart Enter Maximus Max. My dear Seph Ah dear indeed for whom thy life Must pay the shot of cruelty enrag'd Max. What meanes my love is' t she or do I dream Sure this cannot be she whose words were wont To be more sweet than honey soft as oil These words more sharp than daggers points ne're came From her I know What sayst thou my sweet Seph The same truth will not suffer me to speak Other lest I should injure her O that 'T were possible so to dispense with truth Not to betray our selves I know not what to say Max. Heavens bless us what a sudden change is here Love who hath wrong'd thee tell me that I may Thrid their lives upon my sword make their Dead trunks float in their own blood till they blush At their own shame Tell me my heart who is' t Seph Alas poor soul thou little dreamst what sad News do's await thine ears my tongue doth fail Not daring once to name the thing must be Our loves sad end and dire Catastrophe My fathers fury Oh that that name I once delighted in should odious be To mine affrighted senses But for thee Alone it is I grieve not for my self Max. Be 't what it will so that it be but in Relation to thy love I will embrace And hug and thank that malice too that so Invented hath a means whereby I may But testifie my loyalty to thee For whose sweet sake I would encounter with Legions of armed furies sacrifice My dearest blood unto thy service which I more esteem than all the wealth the world Can boast of 'T is thee alone I value Above whatever mens ambitious thoughts Can fathom with their boundless appetites Seph This flame of love must now be quenched in The foaming sea we are design'd a prey Unto the fury of winds and waves The deadly Barque's providing which must be Our moving habitation the sea Must be our Kingdom and the scaly frie Our subjects This this the portion is Of fortunes frowns and fathers fiercer hate Fly fly my dearest Maximus and save My life in thine oh stay no longer here weeps Max. Why dost thou torment thy self before Thy time wilt thou anticipate the sea And drown thy self in tears Deny me not To share with thee in suffering as well As I have done in pleasure 't is for me This storm is rais'd were I once cast away His rage would cease I I have wrong'd thee And I 'll be just to thee and to my word draws I 'll ope the sluces of my fullest veins And set them running till they make a flood Wherein I 'll drown my self He offers to kill himself She stays his hand Seph Thine heart lies here 'T is here lock't up securely in my brest First open that and take it out for death Shall ne're divorce me from thy company I will attend thee through those shady vaults Of death or thou shalt live with me Dost think This body possible to live without A soul or without thee Have pitie on Thy tender babe whose life depends on thine And make not me widow and him orphan With unadvised rashness Sheath thy sword Max. Mine eyes will ne're endure it to behold Thee miserable no no death first shall draw A sable veil of darkness over them Pardon my rashuess I will live with thee And tire thy fathers rage with suffering So he 'l but suffer thee to live in mirth The greatest sorrow shall not make me sad Seph Here comes my father cerainly his rage Will know no bounds I fear it will Break forth into some desperate act on me Max. Although he be a King which sacred name I reverence and as a mortal god Adore he shall not dare to injure you Before my face first shall he wear my life Upon his sword if he but dare to touch Thy sacred self Scaen. 4. Enter Damocles Kin. How now light-skirts have you got your Champion To shield you from our anger know I have Not yet forgot the name of father though You thus have slighted it but as a King We must be just to punish your contempt Did you so well know your beauty to be Proud of it and yet so little value it As thus to throw it all away at once Well get you gone Since that you have esteem'd A strangers love before your lovalty To me or my care to you a stranger shall Inherit what you were born to had not Your fond affections forc'd this vile exchange Max. Sir for your fury will not suffer me To call you father think not your daughter Undervalued by her love to me Her love ran not so low as to be stoop'd To meet with crime who am a Prince no less Than is your self Cyprus my Kingdome is Kin. What drew you hither then you must needs know It is no less than treason for to steal An heir to our crown what drew you hither Max.
Hither I came drawn by that forcible Attractive for to offer up my self A sacrifice at th' altar of her love Tost with a sea of miseries I came To anchor in the haven of her heart And if this be treason I shall not blush To be esteem'd a traytor But if not Then pardon me if bolder innocence Doth force me tell you 't is not just in you Thus to oppose what Heavens have decreed Believe me Sir it 's neither safe nor just For you to violate the lawes of fate Kin. Let not your pride so far transport you that You tax our justice I shall scourge your haste Into a leisurely repentance when The sea shall teach you that your teares and th' wind That sighs become your headlong rash attempts Max. Great Sir lay what you will on me I scorn To crave your favour for my self but yet Let Nature prompt you to be merciful To her who is a chief part of your self Kin. No as ye have joyn'd your selves in mirth so Will I joyn ye too in mourning and because Two no good consort make my brother shall Bear a third part in your grave harmonie Seph Father let me the heavy burthen bear Of this sad song alone let all your fierce Justice center in my breast Kin. No more Our sentence is irrevocable nought Shall satisfie me else I 'll have it done 1 Lo. My Liege the barque is ready and attends Your pleasure the commands of Kings are not To be gain-said or broken for the will Of heaven is obey'd in doing them Seph We do obey it then and willingly Father for yet I can't forget that name Although these injuries would raze it out My memorie I will not now dispute But readily obey your will and know The pleasures of your Court should not entice Me shun this comming terrour which will be More welcome to me by my companie And thus I take my leave Here may you find She kneels That happiness you wish and we shall want Whilest that we prove our selves loves Confessors If not his Martyrs Kin. I will hear no more Away with them my Lord you know the place Our sentence and the time I long to see Me and my Kingdom from these monsters free Max. Arcadia adieu Thou hast before Been famous for the happiness of loves Now mischief hath usurp't the seat and may It be the object of the gods hatred Since Love's the subject of their crueltie Come dearest let us winde our selves so close That envie may admire and so despair To enter here where love possession keeps Exe in t Scaen. 5. Kin. Now shall I live secure for now there is None left whose nearness to our blood might edge Their hopes by killing us to gain our Crown Kings lives are never safe from those that wish Their ends which must initiate them into Th' enjoyment of a Kingdom this same crown Is such a bait unto ambitious spirits 'T is never safe upon the wearers head Enter Artaxia weeping Why weeps my dear Art Ask why I do not weep Poor Artaxia are my tears denied me Ask why I do not rave tear my hair thus Why such a weight of sorrow doth not rob So much of woman from me as complaints Or rather why do I not cloud the skie With sighs till at the last with one bold stab My own hand take from insulting fortune This miserable object of her sport Ask why I do not this not why I weep Kin. Or stint thy teares or mingle mine with them By a relation of their cause these eyes Trust me Artaxia are not yet drawn dry Nor hath strong sorrow e're exhausted them To make them bankrupt of a friendly tear But not a fond one Why Artaxia Why dost thou hasten those that come too fast Sorrow and age clear up thy clouded brow Art Ah Damocles how hast thou lost thy self And art become a monster not a man Thus to deprive me of my onely joy The onely stay and comfort of mine age Which now must fall Break heart and give My sorrows vent Ah! my Sephestia's gone For ever lost unto the world and me Kin. Content thy self not I but justice hath Depriv'd us of her Justice that is blind To all relations and deaf to intreats Of fond nature or fonder affection Art Ah cruel justice Justice no tyranny This is Death be my friend joyn once more My dear Sephestia and me I come Stabs her self Sephestia I come curs'd world farewel Kin. Help help Artaxia my dear help help Sephestia doth live she is not dead Art Oh 't is too late oh-oh-oh She dies Enter 2 Lords 2 Lor. Heavens what a sight is here The Queen she 's dead stark dead what shal we do This wretched land is fruitful grown of late Of nothing else but miseries and woes Jove sends his darts like hail-shot no place free Kin. Ah miserable man I am a wretch Who thus have lost two jewels that the world Can't recompence I know not what to do Now could I tear my self in pieces that I have Thus parted friends left my self alone Offers to kill himself I am resolv'd I will no longer live 2 Lo. Stay good my Liege live repent of what Y'have done you have killd enough already Kin. If I should kill my self and lose my crown I were better live Call us a Council quickly But my wife my dearest Artaxia That I could breath life into thee again Or else were with thee 2 Lo. He 's not yet so mad Kin. O ye powers above what mean ye thus To wrack us mortals with such blacker deeds Than hell it self or remove them or take All senses from us Bear the bodie in And summon all our Lords with speed t' attend Upon us that we may find out from whence It is we suffer this sad influence Exit 2 Lo. Unhappy King he hath undone himself And all the Land His sublimated rage Hath sowne a crop of mischiefs which no age Can parallel great-belly'd time is big With sorrows and our next succeeding times Must reap the harvest of his bloody crimes Exit Finis Actus primi Act. 2. Scaen. 1. Enter Menaphon and Doron Men. HOw mad a thing is Love Is makes us lose Our senses whilest we wander in a maze Of endless torments sometime with his smiles The cunning thief doth flatter us with hopes And tantalize our expectations when Strait our winged joyes are gone and we Do wrack our selves with future coming fears A mistris frowns doth cloud our clearer skie 1. Fond love no more Will I adore Thy feigned Deity Go throw thy darts At simple hearts And prove thy victory 2. Whilst I do keep My harmless sheep Love hath no power on me 'T is idle soules Which he controules The busie man is free Enter Doron Dor. Ah Menaphon my Sister Pesana a pies On her I had almost forgot her name with come Thinking on her business Men. VVhy what 's thy business Doron tell me Dor. My business 't is
Doron for I cannot may not will not love thee Dor. Out you gossip not love me go get You spin on Ixions wheel Car. No Lovers spin on that and so must you Exeunt Scaen. 8. Enter Menaphon Men. How fond was I when I as vainly strove To keep my heart against the god of Love I little thought his power when I resolv'd To live and not to love Nature I see Cannot subsist without loves harmonie In vain I shut the door and bolted it With resolution strait the thief Thorough the casements of mine eyes got in And stole away my heart as once of old He serv'd the merry Greek Anacreon Whose fancie fits my fortune Here it is Loves Duel Cupid all his Arts did prove To invite my heart to love But I alwayes did delay His mild summons to obey Being deaf to all his charms Strait the god assumes his Arms. With his bow and quiver he Takes the field to Duel me Armed like Achilles I With my shield alone defie His bold challenge as he cast His golden darts I as fast Catch'd his Arrows in my shield Till I made him leave the field Fretting and disarmed then The angry god returns agen All in flames stead of a dart Throws himself into my heart Useless I my shield require When the Fort is all on fire I in vain the field did win Now the Enemy's within Thus betray'd at last I cry Love thou hast the victory Alas what heart 's so fortify'd to prove The sev'ral batteries of the god of love What ear 's not charm'd with th'rethorick of a voice Whose single note would silence all the Quire Of the Aërial feather'd Choristers What eye would not be blinded to behold Those eyes which cast a cloud upon the Sun And bring his light under disparagement Enter Sephestia Witness that face whose Shrine hath made me blind How fares my fairest guest Seph The better for Your courteous entertainment may the gods Be favourable to your flocks as you Have friendly been to us Men. May I presume To crave your name and to enquire how Hard-hearted fortune could be so unjust To injure innocence Signe she is blind Seph My name is Samela my parentage But mean the wife of a poor Gentleman Of Cyprus now deceas'd How arriv'd here Pray do not now enquire time may reveal What present sorrows force me to conceal Men. I will not press your yet fresh bleeding wounds With a rude hand 't is time and patience Must work the cure the gods allow a salve For ev'ry sore but we must wait on them Their time is best for when we strive to heal Our wounds too fast they do but fester more Rest here content a Country life is safe Fortune o're-looks our humble cottages We are not pain'd with wealth nor pin'd with want Our sheep do yield us milk for food and wooll To make us cloaths hunger cold we slight Envie hath here no place we 'l friendship keep Free from all jars and harmless as our sheep Sam. O happy life would I had never known Other than this which by comparison Renders mine odious to my memorie Exit weeping Men. Sorrow sits heavy on her heart but shews More lovely in her face those tears appear Like chrystal dew upon the blushing rose Beauty thus veil'd is more inviting than Shining out in it's unclouded splendor Fortune I hate thee for thy spight to her But thank thee for thy courtesie to me In sending her for shelter to my house Kind love assist me now and I will be Her constant servant and thy votarie Exit Finis Act. 2. Act. 3. Scaen. 1. Romanio and Eurilochus with Plusidippus Rom. THis present to the King of Thessaly Will gain us both reward and pardon too For all our former Pyracies upon His seas and ships Eur. Ay he hath ne're a son For to inherit the Thessalian Crown Hereby this lad may gain a Kingdom whilst We seek but our liberties and lives For time to come and pardon for what 's past This is the place the King doth oft frequent When publick cares oppress his Royal head Here he unloads the burthen of his thoughts And changes cares for recreation See where he comes God save your Majestie Rom. Long live Agenor King of Thessaly Enter King Kin. What meanes this bold intrusion who are ye That dare presume into our private walks Eur. Pardon great Sir we come not to offend Your sacred Majestie but to present Shews Plusidippus to the King You with this living gift Kin. This is a gift Indeed where had ye him or what 's his birth Rom. Please you dread Sir grant us your pardon then We shall declare unto you what we know Kin. Take it we freely pardon ye Now speak Eur. Then be it known unto your Majestie VVe the two famous Pyrats are you have So long laid wait to take but all in vain Roving upon the coasts of Arcady VVe found this beauteous youth upon the shore VVhom we suppose the seas had wrack't but sav'd His life which we have nourish'd ever since And now bequeath unto your Majestie For which we beg no recompence but this To seal our pardons for our former faults Kin. Look that for time to come ye honest be lives And for what 's past we freely pardon ye Rom. Thanks Royal Sir the remnant of our VVill we spend in your service and so give Again our lives which you have given us VVhen they were forfeit to your laws and you Exeunt Kin. This is a welcome gift VVhat a divine Beautie doth sparkle in his countenance Surely he cannot be of mortal race Descended but Jove himself hath sent him To be the happy heir of my Kingdom Immortal Jove I thank thee for this gift Thou couldest not have sent a welcomer My pretty lad where wer 't thou born canst tell Plu. I know not Sir my name is Plusidippus Kin. Come follow me now have I found at once An husband for my danghter an heir For the Thessalian Crown Thrones are supplied forth By Jove who when the root is withered Can make more heav'nly branches to sprout Which may in time grow mighty trees to shade And shelter all their liege-subjects under Exeunt Scaen. 2. Menaphon solus Strike home great Cupid with thy flaming dart As yet thou dost but dally with my heart 'T is rather scratch'd than wounded I do hate A luke-warm love give me a love flames high As it would reach the element of fire From whence it came a low and creeping flame Befits a chimney not a lovers breast Give me a love dare undertake a task VVould fright an Hercules into an ague A love dare tempt the boldest fate and die An honour'd captive or bold conquerour Give me a daring not a whining love A love grows great with opposition A love that scorns an easie task things great And noble always are most difficult This is the love blind Cupid I would have A love that brings home trophies or a
Will never make good voyage but be tost Upon the waves and all her lading lost He by his wilful rage hath cast away Himself and floats upon the waves of ruine Let 's try if we can waft him safe to shore Lend him our helping hands lest he do sink Into that deep and black gulf of despair 1 Lo. Let 's after him and try what we can do In saving him we save our Kingdom too Exeunt Scaen. 5. Enter Menaphon with Samela and Pesana after them Melecertus leading Doron Pes Hey day what 's here my brother Doron Mel. Doron conceits himself that he is blind Dor. Ay Doron's as blind as any door what Creep I here upon Carmila oh Carmila The very sight of thee hath recovered mine Eyes again He stumbles on Samela in Carmila's cloaths Men. Nay now I see Doron th' art blind indeed That dost not know Carmila from her cloaths No no 't is Samela not Carmila Dor. Which is my Carmila good Melecertus Shew me where she is Mel. It seems Doron Carmila is not here Dor. Why what do I do here then I thought It was something I miss'd onely I Mistook for I had thought it had Been my eyes were lost but now I See it is my Carmila is missing whom I had rather see than my own eyes Pes This is my corrival in Menaphon's love Mel. She is a beautie indeed and since my Sephestia is drown'd without compare I cannot blame Menaphon but envie Him rather for his so happy choise O happy yet to me unhappy beautie That doth as in a glass present unto My frighted senses the remembrance of My loss which unless by this fair piece Cannot be recompenced by the world Mistris y' are welcome to our company Dor. By my troth Mistris you are very welcome As I may say unto our meeting Sam. Thanks shepherds I am a bold intruder Into your company but that I am Brought by your friend and my host Menaphon Mel. Mistris your presence is Apologie Sufficient yet do we owe him thanks That by his means we have the happiness T' enjoy your sweet societie in this Our rural meeting when shepherds use To cheer themselves with mirth pleasant tales Sam. I hope my company shall not forbid The Banes between your meeting your mirth Mel. Then by your leave fair shepherdess I will Begin with you If the gods should decree To change your form what shape would you desire Sam. I would be careful how to sail between The two rocks of immodest boldness or Of peevish coyness therefore to answer Unto your question I would be a sheep Men. A sheep Mistris why would you be a sheep Sam. Because that then my life should harmless be My food the pleasant Plains of Arcadie My drink the curious streams my walks Spacious and my thoughts as free as innocent Dor. I would I were your Keeper Mel. But many times the fairest sheep are drawn Soonest unto the shambles to be kill'd Sam. And sure a sheep would not repine at that To feed them then who fed her long before Pes Then there 's more love in beasts than constancie In men for they will die for love but when When they can live no longer not before Men. If they 'r so wise it is their mother-wit For men have their inconstancies but from You women as the sea it's ebbs and tides Hath from the moon Your embleme to an hair Dor. Menaphon if you hate my sister I 'll Love yours for 't in spight of your teeth Pes Your mother surely was a weather-cock That brought forth such a changeling for your love Is like the lightning vanished as soon As it appears a minute is an age In your affections You once loved me Dor. Ay I would you lov'd him no better Men. If that I be so changing in my love It is because mine eye 's so weak a Judge It cannot please my heart upon trial Pes If that your eye 's so weak then let your eares Be open to your loves appeals and plaints Sam. Come for to end this strife pray let us hear Th' opinion of good Doron who 's so mute As if h 'had lost his tongue too with his eyes Dor. By my fay fair Mistris I was thinking All this while with my self whether in being shape A sheep you would be a ram or an ewe Sam. An ewe no doubt if I should change my I would not change my Sex and horns are held The heaviest burthen that the head can bear Dor. I think then I were best be an ewe too So I might be sure to have no horns But I would not greatly care to wear horns Were I a ram were it but where you were and gives An ewe Men. VVell shepherds come the day declines Us timely warning for to fold our flocks Exeunt Scaen. 6. Manet Melecertus VVere my Sephestia living I should think This sheperdess were she Such was her shape Such was her countenance her very voice Doth speak her my Sephestia But alas How fondly do I dream I do embrace A cloud in stead of Juno Yet I love And like her ' cause she is so like my Love VVe love the pictures of our absent friends And she 's the living picture of my dear My dear Sephestia Me thinks I feel A kind of sympathy within my brest To like and love her of all women best Forgive me my Sephestia if thou livest If I do love another for thy sake Thy likeness is the loadstone which doth draw My heart to her that nothing else could move Exit Scaen. 7. Enter Pesana Thou most impartial deitie of Love Can there be two Suns in Loves Hemisphere Or more loves in one heart than one that 's true Or can the stream of true love run in more Channels than one Shall I be thus paid For my love to false Menaphon Hereafter Venus never will I adore thee nor Will I offer up so many Evening Prayers unto Cupid as I have done Was ever poor maid so rewarded with An inconstant lover as I daily am With this same fickle-headed Menaphon Enter Doron How now Pesana what 's the newes with thee Pes News marry 't is the news I complain of Were Menaphon the old Menaphon that He was wont to be I should not complain Dor. Come plain Pesana must not grutch to give Way unto fine Samela that hath turn'd his Heart and if he do not turn again Quickly he 'l be burnt on that side well Be content a while by that time he hath loved Her as long as he did thee he 'l be as Weary of her as he is now of thee Pes But in the mean time Doron I must be A stale to her usurps my right in him Dor. Ay that 's the reason he doth not care For thee because thou art stale Thus do poor lovers run through The briars and the brambles of difficulties And sometimes fall into the ditch of undoing Pes Good Doron be my friend to
Menaphon And mind him of his former love to me Or I shall learn at last to slight him too Dor. Ay ay he has a sister just such another As himself I 'm zure she has e'en broken My poor heart in twain and if it be Piec'd again it will never be handsom Exeunt Scaen. 8. Enter Lamedon How happy are these shepherds here they live Content and know no other cares but how To tend their flocks and please their Mistris best They know no strife but that of love they spend Their days in mirth and when they end sweet sleeps Repay and ease the labours of the day They need no Lawyers to decide their jars Good herbs and wholsom diet is to them The onely Aesculapius their skill Is how to save not how with art to kill Pride and ambition are such strangers here They are not known so much as by their names Their sheep and they contend in innocence Which shall excell the Master or his flocks With honest mirth and merry tales they pass strife Their time and sweeten all their cares Whilst Courts are fill'd with waking thoughtful Peace and content do crown the shepherds life Finis Act. 3. Act. 4. Scaene 1. Enter King of Thessaly and his daughter Euriphila Kin. DAughter it is enough we will it see You shew your dutie in obeying us Since I have made choise of him for my Son Accept him for your husband He 's a man Ancient in virtues although young in yeares He 's one whose worth is far beyond his age Eur. Father it grieves me that the cross Fates have Forc'd me to hate the man you so much love Cupid hath struck me with his leaden dart can he I cannot force my own affections Kin. How 's this you hate him whom I love Be th' object of your hate who is alone The subject of my love and reverence He whom the gods in mercie have design'd The happy Successor unto my crown And to your love Bethink your self again Eur. Great Sir the gods themselves are subject to That little deitie of love can I Withstand his power or love against his will Force cannot work on love which must be free And uncompell'd else can it not be true Nor lasting Sir urge me no more in vain Kin. What a strange change is here Your will was wont Freely to stoop to all my just desires Is it now grown so stiff 't will not be bent By my commands I know thou dost but feign Eur. I would obey your will could I command Mine own affections or chuse my love Kin Do it or else by Jove whom I present I 'll punish thy neglect I cannot think Thy words and thoughts agree Surely to love Is natural why then not to love him Whom nature made to be belov'd He hath Artillery enough about him to take in The stoutest heart at the first summons Well Think on 't Euriphila when I am gone I 'll leave thee here Lovers are best alone Exit Scaen. 2. Eur. How rarely have I play'd this part hid My love under a mask of hate but now Me thinks I feel the fire of love to rage More fiercely in my breast for being kept So close it will break out too soon I must Invert the course of love and woo him first Enter Plusidippus He comes and fitly Cupid instruct me now To war and conquer in this bloodless fight That wins the field by flight and not by force Yet must I veil my love still and seem coy Till by a falfe retreat I make him fall Into those snares I set and wish him in What means this bold intrusion do'st befit You to intrude into my privacies Plu. Lady the fault 's not mine fortune hath led Me to this place mine ignorance I hope Will plead mine innocence As I have found Your Royal Fathers noble favours far Exceed my hopes or my requital let Not your frownes strike dead whom he hath rais'd To life crueltie cannot lodge within That tender breast was onely made for Love Eur. Dare you presume to talk of love to me Am I a mate fit for your choice Be gone And seek some shrub may fit your lowness best Plu. Madam this storm becomes you not It is Degenerate from your noble Fathers strain I cannot think this should proceed from one That is the Heir to his name and worth Eur. My fathers ears shall ring with this that he Hath warm'd a viper which would bite him now And entertain'd a guest would rob his host Plu. Lady my spirit tels me that my birth Is not so base as you conceit I mean To try my spirit and my fortunes in Mars his Camp but not in Venus Courts Since nature's so unkind as not to let Me know what honour I was born unto I 'll win some to my name by actions which Shal speak me noble I had thought t' have made You the fair goddess at whose shrine I meant T' have offer'd up and sacrific'd my self And all my services but cause you prove So rough I will not harbour here but seek The world through for an altar worthy of My labours So fair proud farewel Exit Eur. Art gone I did not well to tempt a part I knew not how to act to hide a flame I could not well conceal for hereby have I drove him quite away Euriphila Thou wer 't too blame Well I will after him And try if I can fetter him with gifts Whom love cannot entangle Mars is his god Not Venus once more will I try and shew Him plainly how I love him Juno help And thou O little deitie of Love Besiege the castle of his stubborn breast Bend all thy batteries unto his heart Make it the mark of all thy golden darts Let him no more resist but know thy power That Mars with all his armour nor his forts Castles or coats of mail can fence him from Thy little piercing shafts which wound unseen And I will try what work a womans arts Can make against these stubborn warriors hearts Exit Scaen. 3. Enter Samela I have but one heart to bestow and that Must not be Menaphou's mine eyes do fix On Melecertus the best counterfeit Of my lost Maximus I cannot yet Think on that name but it doth seem to chide My hasty choise and drown my love in tears She weeps Enter Menaphon Men. What mean these sudden passions Samela Hast thou not here all thou canst wish what dost Thou want can make one happy but content Sam. 'T is true I nothing want that a poor wretch Can wish for but this happiness doth mind Me of my fore-past happiness that 's lost Is' t possible the vein of true love can Be broken and the wound not bleed afresh At every thought Alas my heart 's so full Of tears and grief that some will over-flow Men. Had thy tears power to raise the dead again Then were they lawful and commendable But since that tears are fruitless and your friends Like water spilt
freely give Sam. But Melecertus can I hope to find You real unto me whose worth I know Cannot but be engag'd already to Some more deserving creature than poor I. Mel. Lady my services were never due To any but to one which bond harsh death Hath cancelled to make me yours alone Sam. You call death harsh for freeing you from them And would you be in the like bonds again Mel. Your heavenly likeness doth compel me to 't You are the same but in another dress Let me no longer therefore strive to win That fort I so much covet to be in Sam. Then Melecertus take thy Samela Mel. Oh happy word oh happy fate the gods If they would change with me should give me odds Finis Act. 4. Act. 5. Scaen. 1. Enter King Damocles like a Shepherd THus Jove chang'd shapes to satisfie his love He laid his god-head by my Kingdome I Have for a time forsaken and exchang'd My royal robes for shepherds weeds How light Me thinks I feel my self having laid by My crown with its companions heavy cares Enter Plusidippus But who comes here His paces to me tend Plu. Shepherd well met but why without a flock What hath the rot consum'd thy sheep or are They gone astray Kin. No not my sheep but I Aside So far I almost know not where or what I am to seek as yet I know not whom Plu. This old man dotes and knows not what he sayes Where is thy bag-pipe and thy merry layes That shepherds use to have in readiness Surely thou art no shepherd but some goat Crept lately into a sheeps habit Dost Thou know the field of the fair Samela Kin. This boy will be my Rival for that name Aside Sounds like the creatures that I seek for No Go seek your Stamela I know no such Plu. This is intolerable I will scourge Enter Samela passing by Draws Thee into better manners But that divine Appearance makes my spirits calm and strikes An awful reverence into my breast This is the beautie of th' Arcadian Plains Sh' has shot her rayes so home into my heart But partial fame was niggardly and base In giving but a glimpse of this rare beautie Sam. D' you know me Sir or have you lost your way Plu. I cannot likely lose my way where I Do find such glistring goddesses as you Indeed the force of such a light may rob Me of the office of mine eyes and make Them dark with too much brightness can I chuse But gaze upon the Sun when first I see 't Sam. I think you lost your wits or else your eys That you mistake a glo-worm for the sun And make a goddess of a shepherdess Plu. Lady if I have lost my wits or eyes It was with seeking you whose beautie drew Me hither for your sake alone have I Shook hands with Thessaly and all my friends Onely to joyn my hands and heart with you Sam. I should be loth to give my hand unto So sudden a conclusion and my heart Is neither in my power or possession Plu. Fair Shepherdess my errand is in love To yield my heart into your hands 't is yours By gift and conquest I 'm at your command Sam. If that you are at my command be gone I cannot will not listen to your words Exit Plu. And have I left my dear Euriphila For this I see beautie makes women proud I would I were at Thessaly again There should I welcome be unto Euriphila Whose heart I know's my fellow-traveller Her salt tears by this time would make a sea Wherein I might swim back again with ease Exit Scaen. 2. Kin. I see this youth 's repul'st and he is young And stout and well deserving how shall I Hope to prevail with her if lively youth She do despise then much more cripling age Nor do I know what arguments to use Unless to tell her that I am a King And lay my Crown and Scepter at her feet Which she will scarce believe my shepherds hook Will not be taken for a scepter nor This poor cap for th' usurper of a crown I have a way whereby to work my will And this young man shall be my instrument There stands a castle hard by whither he Perforce shall carry her I 'll work my will Upon her when I have her there confin'd Enter Plusidippus Plu. I will revenge this scorn if force or wit Will do I 'll make her pride come down Kin. Be wise Young man and valiant and I will tell Thee how thou shalt obtein thy full desire Plu. But tell me how and then let me alone To act what e're it be Kin. A Castle stands Near by guarded with crows and negligence Thither thou mayst by force convey her and Then force her unto what entreaties can't Plu. Old man if I do gain her by thy means Thou shalt not want reward I know the place Where she doth tend her flock and I 'l watch her As she doth them and when I see my time I will convey her where you shall direct Exit Kin. I will attend you here Now must I plot To get her in my power and then I shall Advance her to a crown against her will But yet I cannot think Honour should need An Advocate womens ambitious thoughts height Do swim aloft they love to be above Their neighbours envying ev'ry one whose Doth over-look and seemeth to upbraid Their lowness by comparison their minds Are always climbing up to honours hill And pride and self-conceit are the two wings Which elevate their thoughs to flie aloft Enter Plusidippus with Samela Plu. Now Mistris Coy y' are not in your own power But mine Old shepherd take thee charge of her Exit Kin. Lady you see what folly 't is for you To denie men what they can take without Your leave Now must you yield unto the Knight Of Thessaly But if you will be wise And see a good when proffer'd you may be A Queen by granting of my suit who am King of Arcadia although thus disguis'd Sam. My father Damocles 't is he now sues aside To me his dauughter He 's incestuous grown Kin. This is too woman-like to turn away From your own happiness And it is strange That honour doth not tempt her thou shalt have A Crown and Kingdom at thy sole command And change these rural weeds for princely robes If thou wilt be my wife pleasure for pain And plenty for thy povertie What sayst Sam. Your potent batteries and golden baits Might win perhaps on some ambitious soul They nothing move me to remove my love Already plac'd on Melecertus He He onely doth and shall possess my heart Kin. A shepherd Shall a shepherds basnesse stand In competition and out-weigh a King A subject be before his Sovereign Prefer'd Oh how prepostrous are the minds Of these fond women Come be well advis'd And change that pettie pebble for a pearl 'T is in my power to make thee happy or With one breath to blast the
flower of thy hopes And to repay thy folly with thy shame Do not go on to kindle such a fire Within my breast as shall consume both thee And all that cross the current of my will Sam. I have already sad experience of The wilde effects of his enraged will aside Yet such the crosness of my fortune is I must again be made the subject of His furious tyrannie but I 'm resolv'd Know Sir I value more my minds content Than all the gawdie shows Courts can present I am too well confirmed in the bliss And sweet content attends a Country life To leave it for the giddy-headed Court. Besides my true affections are so riveted Unto my Melecertus that nor frowns Nor flatteries shall part my heart from him Cease therefore farther to commence a suit Nature forbids me grant and you to ask Kin. And have I with my Kingly robes laid by My Kingly mind No it shall ne're be said A womans will hath contradicted mine But 't is by policie that I must work Since I have laid my Kingly power aside I 'll set my brains o'th'tenter hooks and stretch Them to their uttermost abilities To win this scornful beautie to my wife Or else revenge it with her dearest life Exit Scaen. 3. Sam. My life hath hitherto been chequer'd with Varietie of fortunes sometimes with A white of happiness and then a black Of miserie thus loves bright day of mirth Is follow'd with a darker night of woe How fair of late my fortune seem'd to be And now alas o're-cast with blackest clouds Of discontents wherein I labour with Important suits I cannot may not grant No no my Melecertus I am firm To thee nor shall the rain of tears Or winds of threats remove me from thy love Be thou but constant nay I know thou art I will not wrong thee with so foul a thought As once to doubt thou canst be otherwise Enter Plusidippus Plu. You 're from your shepherds now or their defence Presume not they can rescue you 't is past Their skill or power to force you from mine arms Sam. Alas fond boy I scorn thy threats as much As I hate thee or slight thy boasted strength Were but my Melecertus here he would Whip thy rudeness into better manners Plu. 'T is well you are a woman not a man And have no other weapon but your tongue Which you are priviledg'd to use and we To laugh at But in short if you 'l accept My love and service then shall you be safe And happy Souldiers cannot talk but with Their swords and then they strike gain-sayers dumb Sam. All this is nothing for your words nor swords Shall not remove me from my dearest friend He hath my heart and I have nothing left But hate if you 'l accept of that 't is all That I can give or you receive from me Plu. You must be dealt with as we use to do With sullen birds I 'll shut you up and then Perhaps you 'l sing another note you are Not yet in tune you are too high for me But I will take you lower I will plough Your heart with grief and then perhaps it will Better receive the seed of my true love Sam. Sooner the turtle shall forget her mate Than I my Melecertus and when I Can't see him with mine eys my mind shall rove Wing'd with desire throughout the spacious world And find no rest until it meet with him And though our bodies never meet our souls Shall joyn and love each other after death Thus is true love immortal and shall never Die but with our souls shall live for ever Plu. Shepherd who e're thou art I cannot chuse But envie thee thy happiness who hast So true a love I cannot but admire This noble soul and love her though she hate Me for 't I 'll treat her civilly and it I can't obtain her for a wife she shall My goddess be and I 'll adore her name Though at a distance Lady will you walk Exeunt Scaen. 4. Enter King Damocles It is an ill wind that blows no man good Though the Thessalian lad have got the prize In his possession it shall not be long But I will have them both in mine I have Dispatch'd a letter to my Lords to send Me suddenly some servants to assist Enter Menaphon My plot Now Menaphon what is the newes Men. Great Sir the messenger 's return'd and brought The men you sent for they are here at hand Kin. 'T is well direct them to the castle that I told you of and give them charge to seize Upon the buzzard and his prey and bring Them both to me mean-time go you and find Out Melecertus that I may be sure Of him for he 's my rival in my love Men. My Liege all shall be done to your desire Exit Kin. Blest policie thou far exceed'st dull strength That wanders in the dark of ignorance Wanting the eye of wisedome both to guide And to defend it from approaching harms Thus art with ease doth move the pondrous load Which strength could never master or remove The Foxes tail must piece the Lions skin Little Ulysses with his wit did more Against the foe than Ajax with his strength Exit Scaen. 5. Enter Samela It is some comfort yet that I can change My prison though I am a pris'ner still Would I could change my companie as soon But ah most wretched Samela who wert Born to misfortunes and to nothing else As if that I alone were fortunes mark At which she onely ayms her angry darts The morning of mine age was clouded with Mishaps and now my noon is like to be The fatal night unto my miserie My Gaoler is so kind as if he meant To bribe my love but these are gilded pills I cannot swallow Should my Father get Me into his possession once again I were as bad or worse I know too well His passion to hope any help from him I 'll tell him plainly who I am and trie If time have dull'd the edge of 's crueltie Perhaps the kinder gods may move his heart To pitie and convert his rage to love He is my father still and though unkind To me yet can I not forget I am His child and owe a dutie to his name He is my King and so I must obey His will if I must suffer let it be From his rather than from a strangers hands Exit Scaen. 6. Enter Doron reading I think I am provided now if Poetrie Will do 't my Carmila is mine these Wittie knaves what fine devices they Have got to fetter maidens hearts The Poet Orpheus made the Thracian Dames dance after his pipe and Ovid Charm'd the Emperours daughter with His Poetrie there are some secret Charms in these same verses sure Enter Carmila Let me see here what I have got Ha Carmila look here I think You 'l love me now Reads Carmila A Miracle Car. A miracle for what Doron Dor. Why a miracle of beautie and I
Sphears Angels Peace shepherds peace glad tidings we ye bring Your God hath got a Son and ye a King And he hath sent us with this newes to tell Who late was Ours is your Immanuel Up up to Bethlehem there shall you see An Human shape enclose the Deitie Behold a cratch imprisons him whose hands Have fram'd the earth and curbs the sea with bands He now begins to be that no beginning knew He now begins to live who being gave to you Go see th' Eternal God a child 's become The ever-speaking Word himself lies dumb Who by his word feeds all is fed by meat Th' Almighty King of Heaven hath left his seat And now keeps Court on earth haste ye and see The cratch his throne beasts his attendance be And all to be your Saviour and to free Ye men from sin and Satans slaverie Chorus of Angels Glory to God on high and peace on earth Good will to men by this our God-mans birth Shepherds Come let 's go see these wonders which are told Let what our ears have heard our eyes behold Soliloquie Croud in my soul and see amongst the rest And by thy sight oh be for ever blest Hark how the Angels sing the heavens rebound And earth with th'eccho of th'Angelick sound Never till now were the well-tuned Sphears Heard to make melodie to mortal ears Now every pretty bird with 's warbling throat To 's new-born Maker elevates a note See how the earth being big with pride to be Out-gone by heaven puts on her liverie Of mirth and laughs with joy to hear Her Maker now will please to dwell on her The whole world was agreed to entertain The King of peace who now began his reign Mars shrunk for fear Bellona hid her head When peace was born all discords lay for dead Then why should bloody characters descrie The blessed day of his Nativitie O let the purest white note out that morn From all the rest when Innocence was born On the Nativitie 1. Hail holy tide Wherein a Bride A Virgin and a Mother Brought forth a Son The like was done Except her by no other 2. A Virgin pure She did endure After her Son or rather It may be said Shew as a maid And this Son was her Father 3. Here riddles vex And do perplex The eye of humane reason Heaven did combine With earth to joyn To consecrate this season 4. Hail blessed Maid For by thine aid Eternal life is Ours Thou didst lie in And without sin The son of God was yours 5. Hail happy birth Wonder of Earth And heaven the Angels sing Anthems to thee As glad to see Their new-born heavenly King 6. Though thou art poore Kings thee adore And precious presents bring They kneel to you And humbly bow As to some sacred thing 7. Thou that art able To turn a stable Into a Temple come Possess my heart Cleanse every part And take it for thy home For Christmass-day LEnd me a pen pull'd from an Angels wing That I the news of this blest day may sing Or reach a feather of that holy Dove Wherewith to shew this miracle of love Darkness is turn'd to light mid-night to morn Who can be silent when the Word is born Hark how the Angels sing they bow and more Than Persians they this rising Sun adore The Court 's remov'd and the attendants flie To wait upon this humane Deitie He who was cloath'd with glorious Majesty Is veil'd with flesh the better to comply With mortal eyes dis-robes himself of light Lays by his beams stoops to our weaker sight And with his other favours this doth give That man may see the face of God and live The Son of God becomes the son of man That men may be the sons of God again Here God is man and man is God he takes Our nature to him not his own forsakes A mortal God Immortal man in one Thus heaven and earth are in conjunction See how the shepherds flock and Kings as proud To be his subjects to his presence croud Haste haste my soul there 's danger in delay Since thou hast nothing else to offer lay Thy self down at his feet pray him to make His lodging in thee as he deign'd to take Thy nature on himself But stay fond soul He 's puritie it self thou art too foul To lodge so bright a guest in whose pure eyes Heavens and Angels are deformities Yet see he smiles and beckens thee to come As if he meant to take thee for his home To wash thee with his blood do not repine Thy sins are His His righteousness is thine Hark he invites himself to be thy guest Whose presence is thy physick and thy feast Behold he bowes the heavens and comes down Takes up thy Cross that thou mayst wear his Crown And in exchange assumes thy povertie Pays all thy debts sets thee at libertie He sues to serve thee and expects no more Thou shouldst give him than he gave thee before His work is all his wages and his will Is all his hire be thou obedient still Love him as he loves thee and ' cause th' art poor Give him thy self thy all He asks no more Lord 't is not fitting thou shouldst come Into so base a room First with thy spirit cleanse my heart And by thy powerful art Thine and my enemies expel Make an Heaven of my Hell Then for ever in me dwell But Lord if thou vouchsafe to dwell Within so dark a cell Take thou charge of the familie And let me dwell with thee Thine is the cost be thine the care That Satan have no share For thou wilt find no room to spare For Christmas-day Invocat The Day thy day is come O thou most glorious Sun When thou didst veil thy self that we Mortals might thy glory see Lend me a ray of light That I may see to write And Carol forth thy praise In ever-living layes Thyrsis WHat made the Sun poste hence away So fast and make so short a day Damon Seeing a brighter Sun appear He ran and hid himself for fear Asham'd to see himself out-shin'd Leaving us and night behind He sneak'd away to take a nap And hide himself in Thetis lap When loe a brighter night succeeds A night none of his lustre needs A night so splendent we may say The day was night and night was day Thyrsis See Damon see how he doth shroud His baffl'd glory in a cloud From whence he peeps to see the Sun That hath his lusters all out-done Damon But ventring on he spies a star More glorious than his Hesper far Which with a fair and speaking ray Told plainly where his Master lay Ambitious then to steal a sight He saw it was the God of light Then strait he whips away his team The well lost minutes to redeem And flies through all the world to tell The newes of this great miracle It was not long before he came Unto the lofty house of fame Where every whisper every sound
that there I may Deceive th' approaches of discovering day I 'll seek some gloomy cave where I may lie Entomb'd alive in shades of secrecie There seeing none nor any seeing me I will indulge my tears with libertie Out of Italian I am a child and cannot love Ah me that I my death must prove Wilt thou that I thee adore Cruel thou must be no more Torments my heart cannot bear Nor must any grief come there To Henry the 4th out of Bahusius O mighty King glory of Princely race Thy Kingdoms safety and it 's chiefest grace We wish our Muse worthy thy worth t' adorn She nothing more desires can nothing less perform Thou grace of arms mak'st war a sport to be To labour's rest to wake is sleep to thee Thy call makes souldiers whom th' hast so in awe Thy word is a decree thy beck a law Thou lead'st them on thy deeds serve for commands They learn their dutie from thy feet and hands Thou conquer'st e're thou fight'st fortune's decree Assures thee triumph 'fore the victorie Thy helmet lawrel fights all trophies be To fight and conquer is all one with thee Thy mercie strives thy sword for to reprieve And when thou strik'st thy foe thy self doth grieve Though forc'd to fight to expiate their deed Thine eyes do weep fast as thy foes do bleed Pardons are thy revenges whilst thy sword Doth wounds dispence thy hand doth help afford Like dreadful lightning to the war thou com'st Conquerour than conquer'd milder thou return'st To conquer others were too small but thou A nobler triumph o're thy self dost show Loves Duel out of Anacreon CUpid all his arts did prove To invite my heart to love But I alwayes did delay His mild summons to obey Being deaf to all his charms Strait the god assumes his arms With his bow and quiver he Takes the field to duel me Armed like Achilles I With my shield and spear defie His bold challenge as he cast His golden darts I as fast Catch'd his arrows in my shield Till I made him leave the field Fretting and dis-armed then Th' angry god returns agen All in flames ' stead of a dart Throws himself into my heart Useless I my shield require When the fort is all on fire I in vain the field did win Now the enemy 's within Thus betray'd at last I cry Love th' hast got the victory With a Letter to Aglaia Goe happy paper view those eyes Where beauties richest treasure lies The quiver whence he takes his darts Wherewith he wound 's poor mortalls hearts But yet fond paper come not near Those all-consuming flames for fear Thou perish by their cruell art That have inflam'd thy masters heart Yet if thou wil't so hardy be To venture on a batterie On that presuming Castle say Wonder not I have found the way For fairest Lady hereby know The dart came first from your own Bow Excuse for absence You need inflict no other banishment The fault it self 's my greatest punishment Oft would I pardon crave but still my Muse Prompts me foul weather is a fair excuse If that will not suffice then let this be That I have none my best apologie Convict me of my crime and as 't is meet I 'le do you daily Penance in a sheet But prove me absent first and then I l'e write apologies or burn my Pen. Planets are where they worke not where they move I am not where I live but where I Love With Herberts Poeme The Poet 's now become a Priest and layes His Poem at your feet expects no Bayes But your acceptance kind'le it with your eyes And make this Offering prove a Sacrifice The Vestal fire that 's in your breast will burn Up all his drosse and make it Incense turne And then your smile a second life will give Hee 'l fear no death if you but bid him live Pardon this bold ambition t is his drift To make the Altar sanctifie the Gift Visit this Temple at your vacant houres T was Herberts Poem once but now t is Yours On the death of M. A. S. Fain would I pay my tribute to thy Herse And sigh thy death in never dying verse But I in vain invoke my Muse for she Alas is dead with him for company Like to those Indian wives who count the thred Of their life ended when their Mate is dead When souls thus linck'd divorce one cannot part Without the breaking of the others heart To vent my sorrowes yeelds me no relief He grieves but little that can tell his grief Let others less concern'd this truth approve And strive to shew their Wit more than their Love My grief confutes the Laws of Numbers I Whilst others Write will Weep thine Elegie Each line my tears a Colons charge defray Verses have Periods but no Period they Reader since He my better half is gone My heart is but his Monumentall Stone On which this Epitaph inscrib'd shall be I di'd in him and yet he lives in me Laus votum vitae Beatae Out of Lipsius EQuall unto the Gods is he And much above what Mortalls be Who the uncertain day of fate Nor wisheth nor repineth at T'whom impotent Ambition nor The hope of gaine 's Solicitor Whom Princes thundring threats can't move No nor the darts of angry Jove But seated in Securitie Laughs at the vulgars vanitie Whose life 's thread 's spun so ev'n that there Can not be seen th' least knot of care O might I but thus far aspire To shape my life to my desire Nor Offices nor Wealth I 'de crave Nor with white Stee'ds in triumph brave To lead along poor Captiv'd Slaves I in vast Solitude should dwell A neighbour to the Muses Well Orchards and Gardens to frequent There would I seat my sole content So that when as full ripened Death Shall put a period to my breath Tedious to none and without strife Calmely to end my aged life On T. Bastard and his Epigrams That thy names Bastard friend is thy hard fate Thy Births I 'm sure are Legitimate Well may'st a Bastard be all Common race To thy diviner wit must need give place No Jove himself begat thee and thy Birth Gets in us Wonderment as well as mirth Momus to Bastard The proverb sayes Bastards remember it Must fling no stones least they their father hit Answer Momus stand off gald backs will winch t is true Here 's Salt or we should never hear of you Again to Bastard Bastard that is of best wit say the Dutch Then as thy name is so 's thy nature such What if the multitude laugh at thy Name Know their disprayses do advance thy fame To the Reader Out of Faius Who will read these None Why nor mock nor jeere Nor Baudry wishd by many comes not here But one or other hap'ly they may finde Preferring good before Jests he will minde But if none read griefe doth not me assault For if none read then none can find a fault Upon His