it will not become you to give ear Unto the dreams and fancies of a Soul Grown frantick in her Passion it is true And I will not deny but that she hath Her part in that same fatal ring but yet No share at all in the offence for when Or where was it she threw it or who can Bear witnesse of the fact I threw it there Just there before you on that craggy cliffe Which to the River lends a rugged Path I know the place full well Per. 'T is true and there close by the River side I took it up Niso. Fillino saw me when I threw it there Poor simple Fillino who wants the wit To frame a Lie and he will witnesse it Clo. Cruel though thou hast rob'd me of Both life and soul permit me yet at least The liberty to die Oro. What do'st thou say Perindo me thinks now In these their riper looks I do perceive The lively semblance of that sweet aspect Their younger age did bear Niso. Do'st thou my Phillis haply grieve to see That I that am thus guilty of thy death Should die for any other cause but thine Per. See what a strife love works sure these are they These are those pretty little Lovers mark How love himself is grown up with their age And he that like a Child in Thracia seem'd To play the little wanton in affection now Shews forth a perfect love which draws them thus Do you observe it to contend and strive How death in one may th' other keep alive Oron. Tel me young maid thy name where wer 't thou born• Who was thy father tell me that Mel. Her name is Cloris and Melisso mine She is my daughter and we both were born Within the fruitful fields of Smyrna Cloris Cloris of Smyrna and the daughter of Melisso I was cal'd whilst I desir'd Under these feigned names to fly from death But now I am no more that Cloris no I now am Phillis and in Thracia Some time I liv'd that Phillis I am now Whose death thy cruel Lord so much desires More of my self I know not this may serve If onely now thou aymest at my death Oron. Cheating old dotard darst thou then to me With such an impudent and shameless face Vent thy pernitious lies Mel. Mercy great Sir mercy I crave my life Lies now within your power Arban of Smyr•a tursted to my care The charge of this young maid and to avoyd Both hers and his and mine own danger thus I labour'd to conceal the truth Oron. Thou speak'st confusedly still nor am I yet Well satisfied in what I did demand Tell me in plainer terms how first she came To live within thy power Mel. Sir I will tell you but restrain a while Your just incensed rage Ah me Oron. Leave off those sighs and answer me with speed Mel. Then when the King of Smyrna did assault The Thracians confines with his armed Troops One of his men that Arban whom but now I named to you took as prisoners This Nimph then but a child and with her too A Boy about her age Niso. And lo Oron. Peace not a word but thou go on Mel. Their looks their cloaths and their behaviour Seem'd to declare their fortune was not mean And therefore Arban much delighted with So rare a booty fearing least the King Might afterwards deprive him of his joy Keeps them conceal'd Nor cares he to obey A strict decree that every souldier should Deposite in his Royal hands such spoyls And all such prisoners as he had got Mean while the King of Thracia full of rage With threatening terms demands his children back Nor can I tell whether that strict demand Proceeded from desire to see them dead Clo. Oh? did not Arban tell thee that it did Hast thou not told me so a thousand times From whence then on a suddain rise these doubts Mel. Arban 't is true did tell me so but yet Perhaps with art he feign'd it purposely You Sir are like to know Oro. I know full well proceed Mel. The King of Thracia urgeth his demand The King of Smyrna hears no news of them And yet desires to send them back to Thrace So to appease the high displeasure of His now incensed enemy and to obtain A speedy wisht for peace And therefore straight proclames just punishment To him that should conceal and large reward To him that should discove• what he sought Arban that fear'd his yet conceal'd theft At last might come to light conveighs them both By night unto the neighbouring mountains where He oft times us'd to hunt and there •e chang'd Their habit and their names fully resolv'd They should unknown lead a rude ru••ick life In country base attire and that the •ne Might not be by the other sooner known To me he gave this maiden and the boy Unto Dametas an inhabitant Of a remoter tract Besides as one that knew 't was ill to tr•st Two loving souls in two such tender breasts He made the two young lovers each beleeve The other surely dead Oron. And how from Smyrna then art thou become A dweller here in Scyros Mel. The fury of the War increased still And as if it intended to assault High heaven it self it first ascended up Into those towring hills and I Poor I alas when I beheld with grief An inundation of fierce armed men To break in round about when I beheld Troops of proud furious horsemen swarm below And fill the neighbouring Vales when I did hear The shril mouth'd Trumpets eccho from the hills With fearfull Birds and harmlesse heards of Beasts I took me to my flight and hither came Where my Progenitors at first did live I flying came to Scyros but Ay me Where can we flie from that which Heaven wills Since the great power of Heaven all places fills Oro. And of the youth Mel. I can tell nothing more of him Niso. If for his death thou askest after him Great sir he is not far behold me here I am that Thirsis whom Arbano gave Unto Dametas and with him I liv'd Untill last April when the warmer Sun Return'd again to melt the Icy snow Then I alone within a steerlesse Bark By an impetuous torrent far from help Was driven off to sea where onely fate Provided me of Sails and in short space I know not how but I was safe convey'd And cast upon this Shore Clo. Sir I begin to faint grief breaks my heart And if thou make not hast it will deprive Thee of the honour of my death Niso. Give ear to me Sir and let her alone At least till I be dead Oro. I do both hear and understand enough I see that both of you desire to die And I will give you both content Per. Alas what wil you do Sir Oro. Perindo peace Mel. Ay me I go for 't is not possible That living I should here behold my death Oro. But let us go unto the Temple straight That in a place of greater eminence And with more
not but already understand That when the Thracian bold Grand Signior first Mel. O sad beginning from a Tyrants name Sir Subdu'd unto his barbarous Empire all The Towns and Cities seated round the Coasts Of the Aegean Sea He a most cruel tribute then impos'd Not of fine Wool nor of our woolly flocks Not of our horned Heards of Gold or Gems The baser off-spring of Dame Natures Womb But of our proper Children which to us Are the dear gifts of Heaven of those sweet Imps And tender Infants which from two years old Had not yet breath'd out five years of their Age Mel. I know it well Sir He then doth every fifteen years imploy A Captain from these Coasts to bear away Those pretty little slaves who from each place Some ten a hundred or a thousand takes According as the place abounds in store And from this most unhappy Island here Great onely in the sorrows which it feels Twenty and twenty he exacts by course Such as amongst a thousand chosen first By his own will shall by a cursed lot Be destin'd to his power That cursed lot which fifteen years agone Made poor Ormino and my self become Above all forlorn Parents most forlorn Alas I cannot hold from sad laments Each minute that I think on 't Then then I say this self same man this same Oronte snatcht from him Thirsis his son From me my daughter Phillis and from both Our very hearts O me most wretched man Mel. Could not the children of Ormino then And of Siren which are descended from The great Achilles those young Imps of love Through whom all Scyros is so famous grown Be spar'd in Scyros Is there no regard In Kings to those that are deriv'd from Kings Sir O no Melisso no Kings Royal blood Without a Royal Scepter brings smal good And who dos't thou beleeve would think to find Under a lowly Hut a Shepheards Weed Amidst our simple manners Royal Seed Mel. If men cannot Sireno yet Heaven should Bright Heaven which sees what yet the Sun nere saw And Heaven may one day yet some pitty take And some Compassion of our Misery But tell me then is he that 's here arriv'd A Thracian Captain and a Thracian born Sir A Thracian of Bisantium and the great Servant and Favorite of the Thracian King If all be true which when his fatal foot Last trode in Scyros I was made beleeve And his great charge it is to take a care Of all these tributes upon which his thoughts Are so intentive as he hath not past One day of his due time since fifteen yeers Are this day just compleat and he return'd Hither again to re•ovate our woes As if both Winds and Waters had conspir'd To bring him flying hither Mel. No more new cares even now suggest themselves Unto my thoughts and bid me hast away Sir Go and be happy as thy heart can wish And I will to the Temple bend my steps And thence unto the place where under Tents Oronte lies lodg'd by the Ocean shore To learn at least if my poor Phillis came Alive unto the Thracian strand Act. 1 Scen 2. Cloris Melisso CLo. Celia my Celia But shee 's not here nor answers to my call Mel. Ah daughter Cloris Clo. Alas my father whither now so fast Why with so sad a look Mel. To thee I come my child Clo. To me so troubled woes me what 's the cause What is the sad misfortune that you bring Mel. Thracians arriv'd in Scyros to this shore Death comes conducted by thine enemies Thou know'st too well how that great Tyrant seeks And thirsteth for thy bloud Clo. Ah me Thirsis ô Thirsis Ah my dearest Soul Mel. But fear not daughter and yet prithee fear Fear yea and tremble too a surer Guard Then fear is cannot now preserve thee safe In thine own hands thy welfare then consists And to a tender maidens heart and easier help Cannot be well prescrib'd then fear Clo. You are deceiv'd Sir Heaven yet d•nies To grant me such a favour as to fear Whil'st I am unresolv'd and cannot learn Whether my Thirsis be alive or dead I cannot well tell whether I should fear Or rather seek mine end O Thirsis Thirsis If I a thousand times on thy loud name Have cal'd in vain at least in this so great So suddain danger answer me and say Art thou alive or dead Dead or alive my Thirsis tell me Dear Where must I seek thee out amongst the cold And naked shadows of uncloathed souls Or amongst living Men Mel. Poor silly fool See how her fancy raves Still upon love Dost thou beleeve that death Bears such an Amorous look that thou darst play Thus with thy love whilest he sits on thy Brow Clo. If my lov'd Thrisis be amongst the dead Death cannot but seem lovely then to me And if perhaps dear Father you have sought Out of a needless pitty to my woe Still to conceal his death High Heaven then I know not which to say Reward or pardon this your pious fraud For what is past already But since Fate By these rude Thracians hands doth open now So large a Path unto my wished end Cease then at last that merciful deceit Which is to me so cruel For if death Have seiz'd upon my Thirsis then I know That Death and He expect me both below And since he fees me now so neer the Bark That may transport me thither loe me thinks I see him come to meet me and whilest he Kinde loving soul puts forth his hand to me Shall I turn back from him Ay me Mel. With those deep sighs let all thy fancies end Thy Thirsis lives I say thy Thirsis lives But thou art too incredulous I oft Have sworn by Heaven and Earth t is true yet thou Wilt not beleeve it see I swear again Again he lives and to thy love he lives And to thy Spousal Rites and to thy Life His Life he still preserves Clo. Is it then true and may it be beleev'd Lives yet my Thirsis shall I ever see That day when I may see him once again Mel. Thou shalt if thou wilt but attend the time Clo. But when how long how long shall that time be Mel. Not long Dost thou not see that Heaven which brings And Marshals all our days is restless still And in continual motion hastens on With all the speed it can Suffer the Fates then to produce their Will In their appointed time and force them not By an abortive Birth to bring thy Hopes To an untimely end Clo. What shall I doe then where which way shall I Defend my Life from cruel Thracians Hands Already I do fear and tremble Mel. Even Hope it self hath taught thee now to fear Clo. Will you that in the Fields the Woods the Caves I hide my self or seek remoter parts Mel. But what remoter Parts can be found out Where thou mayst follow either Beasts or Heards And not a Thracian trace thee by thy steps A Fair young Maid
it divided was made one entire And perfect circle but the Charracters Were then defac't and cut off in the midst Whose half on this part was and half on that The King devided them and then begirt With either parts the naked tender necks Of his two spoused Imps And to them said This one day shall be witnesse of your Love And of the favour which I bear you both Which said he turn'd his face as it appeares Or to restrain or to conceal his tears And I remov'd your children streight from thence And with such goods as then most precious were Conveigh'd them to my Castle as afraid Oh fond and foolish humane providence Of those foul broyls and rapines which are wont Most commonly to wait upon our funerals At such great Princes falls In this mean space a false alarum spread As false a rumour that the King was dead And those that wish't it did beleeve it true 'Mongst whom the King of Smyrna past for one Who thus emboldened on a suddain flew Upon the Thracian confines and advanc't His armes so far till at the last he came Unto that Castle and begirt it round By night took sackt and burnt it to the ground Orm. And were our children there Ay-me consum'd In that so fatal flame Oron. One of my servants whom the darksome shade Of gloomy night befriended to escape The enemies fierce hand assur'd me that One of the Smy•na souldiers snatch't them both Alive out of the flames Orm. And live they prisoners then in Smyrna still Oron. I fear it much For mark The news of all this barbarous excess Arrived soon at Court when yet the King Had onely so much sence and livelyhood As serv'd to hear it told He heard the wrong And injuries he suffer'd and his heart Inflam'd therewith Just anger did so warm His frozen blood as that it soon recal'd His flitting soul that it might once more prove A trusty Minister to execute His just revenging wrath But his faint enemy when once he heard That he yet lived the rumour of whose death Had onely given courage to his fears Betook him quickly to a shameful flight And to appease the Kings just anger first And next that with more ease he might escape Unto Bisantium he sent the spoyls And all the prisoners he had Orm. And our poor children too Oront Those onely wanted those were onely they Were missing whom alone the King desired And for this cause a far more mortal war And a more deadly hatred he proclaim'd Against the King of Smyrna if ere long Untouch't uncharm'd he did not send him back Those pretty slaves whom he alone did lack The one denies to have them in his power The other will by no means give belief To such a lean excuse but needs will have His children or a most severe revenge Thus both sides vow themselves to Armes again And by the fierceness of a cruel War The fruitful fields of Smyrna are layd wast And buryed in destruction so that now Smal hope remains that ever we shall see Your children more whom we have thus in vain Laboured to finde under the ruines of That poor decaying Kingdom Orm. O most unhappy children Sir But parents more unhappy far then they Oront Unhappy children and unhappy Sires But yet in this more happy then the rest That their unhappiness hath been bewail'd With floods of tears sent from his sacred eyes And blood of thousand shed in their revenge Orm. Unhappy tears unhappy blood so shed Unable to restore life to the dead Per. These poor old Shepherds weep and at their plaint Oronte seems a little troubled 'T were not amiss then to divert them Sir The Sun already mounts the highest track Of his most glorious Sphere that to the West He may descend with a more swift carreer And yet as you know well no choise is made Of such young Infants as we come to finde No Trumpet yet accustomed to proclaim Your safe arrival here hath summon'd them To meet you in the Temple Oront Let us return then to our Tents and you Sad Shepherds • ā• us to some shady path Towards the Sea and let this comfort you Dead or alive where ere your children be In Heaven or Earth they needs must win the love Of men below or of the gods above Sir Kind gentle Sir The gods above vouchsafe To you that comfort which cannot be found For us on this uncomfortable ground Act. 2. Scen. 2. Serpilla Celia Serp. WHat ho Celia Celia Woes me speak softly Serp. Why what i' st that thou fear'st Celia Do'st thou not see my Father there Serp. Hee 's going hence and cannot hear us speak But thou in vain do'st hide thy self from me Those very sighs which now thou breathest sorth Into the ayre whilst yet thou do'st beleeve That nothing in these Woods can hear thy plaints But Heaven it self have told me thy distress And courage Wench 't is a disease of love Which is not mortal 't is a pleasing ill Which generates encrease but doth not kill But whereon do'st thou look turn turn again Thy face this way alas poor silly soul Thy blushing cheeks speak what thy tongue for shame Dares not profess and in that language which Nature permits them tells me that their part Lies in the flame which doth consume thy heart If thou do'st love then why do'st thou for shame Conceal thy love Why do'st thou keep it clos'd Within thy brest and bear a rugged brow A fair smooth cheek is a rich Theatre On which true love ascending from the heart Glories to such his power Even I my self once lov'd Ergasto well And thy fair Mother lov'd Ormino too Yet neither of us both are now asham'd That still the valleys eccho out our loves Aegeria burns in young Armillo's flame Vrinda loves Licandor and thy dear Beloved Cloris that fair lovely Maid Cloris that once profest her self to love So great a stranger if thou know'st it not Lives onely now and onely sucks in ayre To breath it out in sighs of sad despare And though from thee she doth conceal her flame Because she thinks thee so insensible Of loves kinde heat yet unto me she tells Her amorous thoughts And whilst I with disdain Reproov'd her once for too much cruelty In living without love she sadly said Oh no Serpilla no poor Cloris lives Without a lover but not without love I love a Shepherd in another world And such an one as though for ought I know He now lies buryed in an earthen Urn Yet I resolve the ashes of his bones Shall be the onely fuel to my flame Oh happy maid whom fate hath so far blest To burn in one love and no more Celia Oh me most wretched then Serp. What doth afflict thee is the falshood of Thy faithless lover cause of this despair Celia Oh peace Serpilla peace press me no more To tell the horror of my deadly sore Serp. Wilt thou not apprehend me then The world goes
was it then Fil. The noysom feeding of a poysonous hearb Ah me was the cause of all Cel. What of a poysonous hearb then this way sure The heavens have shew'd me now a means to dye O all ye gracious Gods can it be true That any pitty to my lasting woes Should then ascend to heaven Fil. The Kid ascend to heaven what butting then Will there be seen 'twixt him and Capricorn Cel. But let me yet beware lest the mistake Of a poor siily boy should bring my thoughts Of death into a by-word and a scorn Tell me my boy how do'st thou know the Kid Dyed by a poysonous hearb Fil. I le tell thee When the Suns hot burning beams About the mid time of the day gan rage I led thy flocks unto those shady Meades Not far from hence do'st thou not know them those Which 'twixt the Rivers and the Woods are fraught With such fresh springing grass and ever green Where being once arriv'd observe me Celia And whilst the bellowing of the heards apply'd Unto the sound of my small Oaten-pipe Seem'd to salute the fresh green pasture there Thy pretty Kid Ah my dear pretious joy Thy pretty little Kid all full of play Running and Skipping with such wanton frisks Playd with the grass in such a pleasing way As that I do not say my self no no But to say true even all thy gentle flock Left off their feeding and stood gazing on The pretty sport he made Celia Be brief be brief my Filino I have no time To tattle now tell quickly what I ask Filino Softly give ear Within the twinkling of an eye he ran Quite cross the Meadow till at the last he came Unto that little streaming Brook which runs Next to the Hill and there began to feed Upon an Hearb which yet I never saw Grow any other where and there did graze With such an Appetite and eat so fast As it did fatten me to see him taste And relish it so well But on a suddain Oh sad heavy chance I saw him trembling fall and think you not That in an Instant I flew to him straight I look't upon him cal'd him prest his Limbs He look't on me again and seem'd to moan His sad estate and trembling seem'd to say Ah Filino I dye Thus did I see his eyes grow dark and dim Those pretty eyes of his I saw retire Into his head his eye-lids closed up And thus alas I saw him dye Celia But yet I am not satisfied perhaps He did but saint and onely seem'd to dye Perhaps it came too by some other means Then by the hearb he fed on Th' art a child Poor Filino as yet and little knowst What doth belong to cattle or their food Filino Well! but Nerete that grave hoary Beard That reverend peece of age is he a child And knows he nothing too what doth belong To hearbs and beasts Celia What did Nerete say Filino He at my cryes came running in and found Me standing by the Kid with weeping eyes To whom when I related had the cause Of all my moan Oh wicked hearb quoth he Drive Felino go drive thy flock from hence Unto some other place which said he straight Ran to the Kid and drew him from the place Where then he lay unto the Rivers side But I had not the heart to see him thrown Into the water so But wailing ran To find thee out Celia Nerete doth deserve to be beleev'd The death then of my Kid is certain now And so 's the cause thereof come Filino Come le ts away Filino And whether Celia To find out that same Hearb Filino And what to do Celia Let not that trouble thee Filino Ah! with what eyes shall ever I behold That Meade again Celia Come quickly Felino what i' st thou dost Filino I look at Nerea that 's coming here Ah let me stay a while for she is wont For every kiss I give her to bestow An Apple on me Celia Nerea follow me quickly and take heed Thou dost not anger me Filino I come I come see if she fly not hence Like to an arrow from a Bow Act. 3. Scen. 3. NISO NEREA. Niso. AH were but now Amyntas here That he might know the story of my death And of her cruelty Ner. He hath already heard and griev'd to hear it I met with him when Celia went from me And told him all the sute that I had made To her and how unkindly she refus'd To give an ear thereto and him I left Close by the River mourning like a friend For thy misfortune Niso. Go on then tell me what didst thou reply Ner. Ah cruel Nymph said I then to her straight And wilt thou not admit a loving soul Unhappy in his love at least to tell The nature of his grief Niso. And she Ner. There 's not a Shepheard she made answer then Whether a strange or a native born There 's not a Shepheard that dares be so bold As to importune Celia for her love Each man flies from me every man that 's wise Locks up his words in silence and if yet There be a man that suffers for my sake Let him relate his sorrows to the trees And be assur'd that trees and plants will prove Less deaf than Celia and more apt to love Niso. O cruel and most savage heart Ner. Tush this was nothing her fierce angry looks Spake more than did her tongue for all her speech Was full of such obscurity as I Could hardly understand her what she meant But then I saw her cheeks grow pale as death Her ruby lips too lost their colour quite I did not see her weep but yet I saw Her eyes full fraught with grief though free from tears And then as if she had disdain'd her self And such fond looks as those she shakt her head And suddainly her eyes grew red with rage And shot out flames of anger till at last I could perceive her in a threatning wise Brandish her dart I know not well at whom Niso. At me without all doubt and I my self Even I my self will straight present her with This naked breast and with this hand tear up This wound again which is but newly clos'd That so her Shaft may find a shorter way Yea and a wider passage to my heart And since that cruel she denies to hear The story of my woes she yet shall hear The sad relation of my fatal death And so perhaps in that same point of time When her fair hand shall fling her dart at me In that same happy point of time I may At least before I dye say that I dye Ner. Unhappy Shepheard ah alass those eyes Those lovely eyes of thine must not alone Drop brimsh tears but even I must needs My self weep with thee too for company But Niso my sweet youth 't is fit I should Give him some comfort I will not deny But it is true that Celia shew'd her self Beyond all measure cruel yet who knows But that