the temple and you there shall see Amyntas and his Celia both of them Your children too and enemies before Profest to love who yet were even now For love both hasting to a wilful death Why do I hold you thus and one by one Declare your joyes go to the temple straight And there behold this Isle this little Isle Fill'd with as great a joy as much content As such a little Isle can comprehend The sad despairing lovers are espous'd This Island from an horrid tribute freed The day is come O thousand thousand times Most happy day the day is come when once This little Isle is set at liberty Sir O you supernal powers Orm. Serpilla Ser. But Why doe you still delay the time the hours The flitting hours of mans quick fading life Are too too short and too too long the woes That doe attend it still doe not retard your bliss Go to the temple straight go you your selves And their behold your joyes Sir Le ts go Ormino lets go that once Yet ere we dye these eyes of ours may be Blest with this unexpected happiness Orm. Le ts go but whither thou Sireno guide My fainting steps for I know not which way To move my trembling foot Act 5 Scen 9. Narete S•rpi•la Nar. HEre me Serpilla stay I held my peace With pain 't is true but yet I held my peace Nor would I let my doubts disturb the joyes O• t•ese two good old Shepheards here but yet I understand them not thou do'st let loose With too too large a stream the torrent of So many comforts on a narrow heart Infuse it gently therefore drop by drop And tel me first that Thirsis and that Phillis which Before were Niso and fair Cloris call'd Those whom but now the Thr•cian Captain led To a most certain death shall they now live Serp. They both shall live and are become withall The most contented happy lovers that Ere yet did sigh for love Nar. And was it not then true that for desire Cruel desire of their long wisht for death The Thra•ian Emperour did with such rage Demand them of the King of S•irna Serp. That I cannot tell but sure I am that Thrace Is th' onely authour of their happiness Nar. Yet Cloris did affirm it here but she Was certainly deceiv'd by the fraud Of him in Smirna that conceal'd them both And with good cause Melisso did suspect That he did but dissemble what he said That so they both of them for fear of death Might labour with the greater art to keep Themselves from being known Serp. 'T is true Oronte saith it too Nar. O then how vain is humane providence He sought to cover that by fear of death Which now desire of death hath brought to light But for the fault about the hoop of gold Which here was carelesly thrown on the ground For the contempt against the image shewn How could Oronte find a means to save The guilty person thus against the Law Serp. Their case was dangerous and for my part I gave them both for dead and mourned for Their hard mishap but see how it fell out Wearied with following Niso whom I fought I sate me down close by the temple side Where straight a rumour was disperst abroad I know not well from whence that all in hast Oronte then was coming and did bring Unto the temple two unhappy wights Before condemn'd to dye for their contempt Unto the royal image of his Lord At whose sad coming the proud Thracians seem'd To laugh for joy and so from thousand tongues Sent forth one cry that reacht to heaven it self Exclaming let him dye O let him dye But presently Oronte darts about A fierce imperious look at which they all Amaz'd in silence mutter'd not a word When he reply'd Hear O you Thracians hear The supream Laws of Thrace have onely force Within the Thracian Empire and against Those that do serve the Thracian Emperour But Scyros is not as you now beleeve Subject unto that Empire hear your selves Th' Imperial decree which in this Ring This very Ring it self in which engrav'd The royal Image stands is written here In fair Egyptian Charracters and then I le read it with a voyce so audible And I with that attention heard it read And have it fixed so within my heart As I dare confidently swear I can Repeat it word for word Nar. O then repeat it as thou hop'st for bliss Serp. Phillis and Thirsis two descended from Sireno and Ormino when they come Where ever Heaven shines there let men know Love made them lovers faith combin'd them so That they were both contracted Destiny Had made them slaves the King hath set them free And for their sakes Scyros is from this day Free'd from the tribute which it us'd to pay Thus he and casting then a look that way These he replied these are those happy two Whom their more gracious stars could make so dear To Heaven and to their King these same are they I know them very well let that suffice To you O Thracians And do you two live Quoth he then turning with a gentle smile To those two happy lovers live you still And live still to enjoy your constant love By free possession of your spousal rites Let these sad Mothers take into their Arms Again their little children and let all With chearful acclamations sound aloud The liberty of Scyros Nar. O amongst all whom the blest sun doth warm With his reviving heat and when the Sea Bathes with his quiet waves dearly belov'd And by Celestial providence now made Most happy Isle the winds shall now no more Conveigh thy mournful sighs above the waves After thy dear lost children but the babes Whom thou do'st generate shall bless their birth And be by thee sustained whilest they live And when they dye rest in thy graves in peace That so thou mayst to thy dear issue be A fruitful Mother and a careful Nurse And left a Tombe to free them from the curse Of wandring souls that find no sepulchres But Phillis then and Thirsis what said they Or how did they behave themselves Serp. Their first encounter was like such as seem'd Retir'd for fear and much perplexed with The suddain tremblings of a doubtful heart Bashful and nice and being thereto drawn Even by Orontes self who joyn'd their hands They seemed to embrace unwillingly And kiss as 't were by force But having fuel thus put to their fire It quickly then encreased to a flame And each hug'd other so as you may see The twining Ivy when it seeks to clasp A full grown Elme as if it seem'd to say It could not well subsist without that stay Then might you see from one to others mouth A thousand kisses in an instant sent And whilst their amorous lips as overcharg'd Stood sucking here and there loves Nectar thus That sweetness followed and that Rubie Die So grac't those lips as that they seem'd to me Flowers that did bear
and when I have declar'd The mournful story of my ravishment Be thou content to leave me here alone Clo. Go on I prethee Celia That very day when thou about to take Thy journey to those Solemn Festivals Which in the Holy Isle they celebrate To the great Goddess camest to take thy leave Of me at my poor Cell I to restrain Those Tears which thy departure forct me to As if I had foreseen woes me that soon I should have have far more urgent cause to give Full scope to their impetuous Torrent I gave my self the liberty to sport And dally with that nimble frisking Kid Whose gentle Gamesomeness was wont to chear All my sad froward thoughts whilest they were such As could admit of any gamesomeness That harmless Beast or in his harmless shape My perverse fortune by a thousand trains• Of wanton sports entic't me to that Shore Where the proud Sea hath wrought it self so near Unto the Woods that shaddows seem to swim And flouds repose themselves under the shade There whilst I spent some time to gather up Such Cockle Shels as Nature had adorn'd With various pride that I might weave them streight Into a collor for my pretty Kid Behinde me I could hear the rushing noise Of a rude boisterous creature and ere scarce I well could turn mine eyes I might perceive Close at my back I know not which to say A man or beast Whose fury came so fast As flung the smaller Sands into my face And forc't me shut mine eyes Thus neither seeing how nor yet by whom I felt my self snatcht up and born away Fain would I have cryed out but my weak voice Not daring to put sorth it self retired And fled in silence to my throbbing Heart Whilest I as one half dead could not recall My straggling sences back till I was brought Into the inmost parts of those thick Woods And found my self become the wretched prey Of a most horrid Monster I found my self and tremble yet to think What then I found close graspt within the Arms Of that mishapen Cent aur that foul fiend Whom thou mayst yet if thou hast so much heart Lodg'd in thine eyes behold and wonder at Thy self within the Temple Clo. Alas my hair stands upright on an end To hear him but describ'd Celia There to a sturdy Oak he bound me fast And re-enforct his base inhumane bonds With the then danglinst Tresses of my hair Ingrateful hair ill-nurtur'd wicked Locks The cruel wretch then took up from the foot Both my loose tender garments and at once Rent them from end to end Imagine then Whether my crimson red through shame was chang'd Into a pale wan tincture yea or no I that was looking towards Heaven then And with my cries imploring ayd from thence Upon a suddain to the Earth let fall My shamefac't eyes and shut them close as if Under mine eye-lids I could cover all My naked Members but considering well His fell intent with a deep groaning sigh To him I said behold me ready now Fit for thy ravenous throat come quickly come And satiate thy beastly hunger Clo. And why his hunger say poor silly wretch Celia That being once devour'd I might at least Within his paunch conceal my nakedness Clo. And dost thou then beleeve that Centaurs use To feed upon young tender Maids Celia Nerea beleeves it not but laught aloud When first I told it her but prithee say Why should he so desire to have me bound And naked as I was but that he might Swallow me up alive and with more ease Conveigh me piece-meal gliding down his throat And even then he came with open Arms And snatcht to gripe me by the naked Brest When lo two Shepheads running fast for hast Came in unto my rescue Clo. Oh! how my heart 's reviv'd and who were those Whom Heaven in pitty chose out for thine ayde Celia Amyntas old Sirenos Son whose joy And whole delights in Hunting with his friend Niso a stranger whom thou dost not know Ay me poor soul Clo. What! art thou sighing still Celia I have good cause Clo. But how came it to pass that in a place So far remote two Shepherds should arrive Both at one instance Celia Amyntas was within the Valley where He stood to Watch his Toyls and Niso came From the Sea shore whither but then the Winds Had brought him from a Country far away And both brought thither by my shrieking cries They both arriv'd together where the one Lets fly his Dart the other shoots a Shaft And neither one nor other mist his aime The cruel Centaur thus but lightly hurt In his left shoulder and in his right arme Lost some small blood which was supply'd with rage And so betwixt them three there soon begun A fierce and bloody fight till that proud beast Scorning that two such Stripling should have power So to withstand his fury thought at once To strike a deadly blow by which he meant To speed them both and brandashing his Beam The Tree which happily some pitty felt Of my sad state did so involve it in The knotty intricacies of his boughs As it fell from his hand And he that found his Arme thus without armes And without heart his heart betook him streight To a most shameful slight and from the Woods Whilest he up towards the Mountains took his way It was his fortune to fall in those Toyls Which to catch other beasts Amyntas had Before plac't in the Yale Clo. And so the insolent proud villain was Himself made now their prey Celia The Shepherds followed him but yet not far Ere they fell to the Earth through loss of blood Which from their wounds did like a Torrent flow And ran even to my feet sad Messenger Of their approaching ends to crave mine ayd I shall now tell thee Cloris what will seem A wonder to thee yet it is most true Pitty to see their case made me to strain My self with so much force as I got free From all my bonds even from those self same bonds I freed my self to give another aide Which I a thousand times had tried before For mine own safety and could not unloose When I was free I had almost for hast Run to them naked but consider now A strange affection Clo. And what hast thou told yet that is not strange Celia When I was got where those two Shepherds lay Half dead half living and in reason should Have stopt their bleeding wounds up with my Vail I first beheld the one and then the other To this I went and afterwards to that Desiring still to help them both at once And yet gave help to neither as not well Resolv'd to whom I first should lend my help At last I did begin but knew not where And whilst my hand was busie about one My heart ran to the other so that I Could not well know to which I wisht more ease Clo. What didst thou do at last Celia All that I could
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
both honey and the Bee So that at last you might perceive the cleer And lively beams of their quick piercing eyes Grow faint and dul as overcome with sence Of too much pleasure and extream delight And I that saw it sayd within my self Ah me 't were to be fear'd these two would dye But that ther 's hope that in a skirmish of So many kisses neithers soul can find A way to vanish and leave them behinde Narete And could poor Phillis then so soon put off The thought of her disdain could she so soon Forget the injury of that new flame Wherein her Thirsis burnt for Celia Serp. It seems that yet thou do'st not understan The laws of loves kind duels thou must know A venie of sweet kisses one to one is able to give satisfaction For any injury love can sustain But if thou dost consider all things well Tirsis did her no wrong he was deceiv'd And did beleeve her dead and t is well known That loves great empire though 't be vast and larg Doth not extend beyond the bounds of life Love hath no jurisdiction ore the dead Nor can his fire raise any kindly heat Amongst those frozen reliques those cold bones Besides all this if any mark can rest Of fault in Thirsis he hath shed those tears That may suffice to wash away the stain And what can she have more poor soul in deep Repentance for his errour he did here Submit himself to death and happy was That Errour that could find a way to make So generous amends Or rather happy was that errour which By erring thus could find a way to make So many blest whom it did not offend His love to Celia was the happy cause Of all our happiness for thence it came That Thirsis was first known to Phillis then Phillis to him and last of all that both Were to the Thracians known Nar. Thou saist exceeding true and now behold How full of windings and obscurity Those secret wayes are which the Gods do use Who would have thought them so in sum 't is true That heaven is a labyrinth in which Who seeks to spy out what th' eternal fates Have there decreed may easily lose himself But then I fear least Celia's fervent love Which yet is fuming hot should still disturb If not young Thirsis with his late quencht heat Yet Phillis with a jealous freezing cold 'T is not a task of easie labour thus Within an instant to extinguish quite Both love and jealousie Serp. What is it thou do'st dream if Thirsis be Son to Ormino must he not then be Brother to Celia too Nar. Forgetfull that I am these many strange And unexpected changes have almost Depriv'd me of my sence Thirsis it is true A brother unto Celia and their love Must now be at an end But what becomes Of C•lia and of A•yntas the• I cannot yet conceive a way to find A wisht for end to their de•pairing greef Serp. In that same very point of time behold A fatal point of time they came unto The Temple Where fair Celia sees fast tied Within the arms of Phi••is her belov'd And yet beleeved Niso guess you then What posture she was in She straight grew pale With jealous rage and cold as any stone And that she died not then I think the cause Was onely that her grief pend up her soul Within her froze• heart Thirsis that saw it quickly freed himself From those imbraces wherewithall he held His Phillis in his Arms And running straight Unto her said O my dear C•lia My dearest Sister but no more my love I am Ormino's son Thirsi• and so Become thy brother our affections er'd For nature should have guided them not love Let us submit then to a lawfull love And spend our erring flames where they may find Fit objects for their heat She whom I did beleeve dead long ago Is sister to Amyntas and my spou•e Espoused to me in her infancy Thou that art now my Sister shalt enjoy Amyn•as for thy husband both your loves Deserve it well and I am well content All that did hear him smil'd and she that yet Amaz'd perhaps at such a sudden change Well understood it not when more at large And more distinctly she had been inform'd Her fancy freed her heart inlightened with The sence of truth made her clear up her looks And give a cheerfull smile Nar. But then what said she Serp. Nothing but half asham'd she did cast down Her eyes unto the ground when yet her heart Sent through her eyes two gentle tears that fell Like tears of joy and gladnesse to declare The sweet content she found Nar. O thou most blest Amyntas who hath kept The laws of love and friendship so intire As that 'mongst friends and lovers thou may'st raise Statues of joy and of eternal praise O thou most blessed Celia see the Hervens Have hitherto been pious lookers on And pittifull beholders of thy woes O heaven O earth O sea O we most happy all But you dear lovers above all the rest Phillis and Thirsis O for ever blest Serp. Since thou art satisfied I now will go And tell these joyfull news in other parts Nar. See how the heavens in an instant have Dissolv'd the most intricate hard knots That ever turning fortune yet did knit And that when unto humane reason they Appear'd indissolable such the strange Eternal power is of high providence And now may future ages fill their Scenes With stories of our unexpected joy Such is the Will of heaven in disport And in th' Abissus of his secret power Thus to confound poor silly mortal men You therefore that with high presumption think By humane wisdom to discover all The secret workings of eternal fate Learn from this wonderfull successe to know That he alone can see these sacred things Who shuts his eyes and trusts what heaven brings FINIS