II. SCEN. III Montanus Lidia Phillis VVhat pleasure can I take to chase wild beasts When I my selfe am chac'd more egarly By mine owne passions and can finde no rest Let them who haue their heart at libertie Attend those sports I cannot be from hence Where I receiu'd my hurt here must I tread The maze of my perplexed miserie And here see where shee is the cause of all And now what shall I doe what shall I say How shall I looke how stand which vtter first My loue or wrath Alas I know not which Now were it not as good haue beene away As thus to come and not tell what to say Phil. See Lidia see how sauagely hee lookes Good let vs goe I neuer shall endure To heare him bellow Lid. Prethee Phillis stay And giue him yet the hearing in respect Hee loues you otherwise you shew your selfe A sauage more then hee Phil. Well it I heare I will not answere him a word you shall reply And prethee Lidia doe reply for mee Lid. For that wee shall Phillis doe well enough When he begins who seemes is very long To giue the onset sure the man is much Perplexed or he studies what to say Phil. Good Lidia see how he hath trickt himselfe Now sure this gay fresh suite as seemes to mee Hangs like green Iuy on a rotten tree Lid. Some beasts doe weare gray beards beside your goates And bear with him this suit bewraies yong thoghts Mon. Ah was it not enough to be opprest With that confounding passion of my loue And her disdaine but that I must be torne With wrath and enuie too and haue no veine Free from the racke of suffrings that I can Nor speake nor thinke but most distractedly How shall I now begin that haue no way To let out any passion by it selfe But that they all will thrust together so As none will be expressed as they ought But something I must say now I am here And be it what it will loue enuie wrath Or all together in a comberment My words must be like me perplext and rent And so I 'le to her Phi. Lidia see he comes Lid. He comes indeed and as me thinkes doth More trouble in his face by farre then loue Mon. Faire Phillis and too faire for such a one shew Vnlesse you kinder were or better then I know you are how much I haue endur'd For you although you skorne to know I feele And did imagine that in being a man Who might deserue regard I should haue bin Prefer'd before a boy But well I see Your seeming and your being disagree Phi. What Lidia doth he brawle what meanes he thus To speake and looke in this strange sort on me Mon. VVell modest Phillis neuer looke so coy These eyes beheld you dallying with a boy Phi. Me with a boy Montanus when where how Mon. To day here in most lasciuious sort Lid. Ah ha belike he sawe you Phillis when This morning you did striue with Cloris boy To haue your garland which he snatcht away And kept it from you by strong force and might And you againe laid hold vpon the same And held it fast vntill with much adoe He wrung it from your hands and got away And this is that great matter which he saw Now fye Montanus fye are you so grosse T' imagine such a worthy nymph as shee VVould be in love with such a youth as he VVhy now you hauc vndone your credit quite You neuer can make her amends for this So impious a surmise nor euer can Shee as shee reason hath but must despise your grossenesse who should rather haue come in And righted her then suffer such a one To offer an indignity so vile And you stand prying in a bush the while Mon. VVhat do I heare what am I not my selfe How haue mine eyes double vndone me then First seeing Phillis face and now her fact Or else the fact I saw I did not see And since thou hast my vnderstanding wrong'd And traytour-like giuen false intelligence VVhereby my iudgement comes to passe amisse And yet I thinke my sence was in the right And yet in this amaze I cannot tell But howsoere I in an errour am In louing or beleeuing or in both And therefore Phillis at thy feet I fall And pardon craue for this my grosse surmise Lid. But this Montanus will not now suffise You quite haue lost her and your hopes and all Mon. Good Lidia yet intreate her to relent And let her but command me any thing That is within the power of man to do And you shall finde Montanus will performe More then a Gyant and will stead her more Then all the heardsmen in Arcadia can Lia. Shee will command you nothing but I wish You would a little terrifie that boy As he may neuer dare to vse her name But in all reuerence as is fit for her But doe not you examine him a word For that were neither for your dignity Nor hers that such a boy as he should stand And iustifie himselfe in such a case Who would but faine vntruths vnto your face And herein you some seruice shall performe As may perhaps make her to thinke on you Mon. Alas this is a worke so farre so low Beneath my worth as I account it none Were it t' incounter some fierce mountaine beast Or monster it were something fitting mee But yet this will I doe and doe it home Assure you Lidia as I liue I will Phi. But yet I would not haue you hurt the youth For that were neither grace for you nor mee Mon. That as my rage will tollerate must be ACT. II. SCEN. IV. Cloris Clarindo HEere comes my long expected messenger God grant the newes hee brings may make amends For his long stay and sure I hope it will Me thinkes his face bewraies more iollytie In his returning then in going hence Cla. Well all is wel no Amarillis hath Supplanted Siluias love in Thirsis heart Nor any shall but see where Cloris lookes For what I shall not bring her at this time Clo. Clarindo though my longing would be faine Dispatch'd at once heare my doome pronounc'd All in a word of either life or death Yet doe not tell it but by circumstance Tell me the manner where and how thou foundst My Thirsis what he said how look'd how far'd How he receau'd my message vsed thee And all in briefe but yet be sure tell all Cla. All will I tell as neere as I can tell First after teadious searching vp and downe I found him all alone like a hurt Deare Got vnder couer in a shadie groue Hard by a little christall purling spring Which but one sullen note of murmur held And where no sunne could see him where no eye Might ouerlooke his louely primacy There in a path of his owne making trode Bare as a common way yet led no way Beyond the turnes he made which were but short With armes acrosse his hat downe on his eyes As if
waile her now Thi. Long since Palaemon thinke you any length Of time can euer haue a powre to make A heart of flesh not mourne not grieue not pine That knows that feels that thinks as much as mine Pal. But Thirsis you know how her father meant To match her with Alexis and a day To celebrate the nuptials was prefixt Thi. True he had such a purpose but in vaine As oh it was best knowne vnto vs twaine And hence it grew that gaue vs both our feares That made our meeting stealth our parting teares Hence was it that with many a secret wile Wee rob'd our lookes th' onlookers to beguile This was the cause oh miserable cause That made her by her selfe to stray alone Which els God knowes she neuer shold haue done For had our libertie as open beene As was our loues Siluia had not beene seene Without her Thirsis neuer had we gone But hand in hand nor euer had mischance Tooke vs asunder shee had alwaies had My bodie interpos'd betwixt all harmes And her But ah we had our libertie Laid fast in prison when our loues were free Pa. But how knowst thou her loue was such to thee Thi. How do I know the Sun the day from night Pal. Womens affections doe like flashes proue They oft shew passion when they feele small loue Thir. Ah do not so prophane that precious sexe Which I must euer reuerence for her sake Who was the glorie of her kinde whose heart In all her actions so transparant was As I might see it cleere and wholly myne Alwayes obseruing truth in one right line How oft hath she bene vrg'd by fathers threats By friends perswasions and Alexis sighs And teares and prayers to admit his loue Yet neuer could be wonne how oft haue I Beheld the brauest heardsmen of these plaines As what braue heardsman was there in the plaines Of all Arcadia that had not his heart VVarm'd with her beames to seek to win her loue Ah I remember well and how can I But euer more remember well when first Our flame began when scarce we knew what was The flame we felt when as we sate and sigh'd And lookd'vpon each other and conceiu'd Not what we ayld yet something we did ayle And yet were well and yet we were not well And what was our disease we could not tell Then would we kisse then sigh then looke thus In that first garden of our simplenesse Wee spent our childhood but when yeeres began To reape the fruite of knowledge ah how then Wold she with grauer looks with sweet stern brow Check my presumption and my forwardnes Yet still would giue me flowers still would me shew What she would haue me yet not haue me know Pal. Alas with what poore Coyne are louers paid And taken with the smallest bayte is laid Thi. And when in sports with other company Of Nimphes and shepherds we haue met abroade How would she steale a looke and watch mine eye Which way it went and when at Barley breake It came vnto my turne to rescue her With what an earnest swift and nimble pace Would her affection make her feet to run And farther run then to my hand her race Had no stop but my bosome where to end And when we were to breake againe how late And loath her trēbling hand wold part with mine And with how slow a pace would shee set forth To meet th e'ncountring party who contends T' attaine her scarce affording him her fingers ends Pal. Fie Thirsis with what fond remembrances Doest thou these idle passions entertaine For shame leaue off to waste your youth in vaine And feede on shadowes make your choice anew You other Nimphes shall find no doubt will be As louely and as faire and sweete as she Thi. As faire and sweete as she Palaemon peace Ah what can pictures be vnto the life VVhat sweetnes can be found in Images VVhich all Nimphes els besides her seemes to me She onely was a reall creaturee shee VVhose memory must take vp all of mee Should I another loue then must I haue Another heart for this is full of her And euermore shall be here is shee drawne At length and whole and more this table is A storie and is all of her and all Wrought in the liueliest colours of my bloud And can there be a roome for others heere Should I disfigure such a peece and blot The perfectst workmanship loue euer wrought Palaemon no ah no it cost too deere It must remaine intire whilst life remaines The monument of her and of my paines Pal. Thou maiest be such a fond Idolater To die for loue though that were very strange Loue hath few Saints but many confessors And time no doubt will raze out all these notes And leaue a roome at length for other thoughts Thi. Yes when there is no spring no tree no groue In all Arcadia to record our loue And tell me where we were the time we were How we did meete together what we said Where we did ioy and where we sate dismai'd And then I may forget her not before Till then I must remember one so deere VVhen euery thing I see tells me of her And you deere Reliques of that martred Saint My heart adores you the perpetuall bookes Whereon when teares permit mine eye still looks Ah you were with her last and till my last You must remaine with me you were reseru'd To tell me shee was lost but yet alas You cannot tell me how I wold you could White spotlesse vaile cleane like her womanhood Which whilome coveredst the most louely face That euer eye beheld Was there no message sent From her by thee Ah yes there seemes it was Here is a T made with her blood as if Shee would haue written Thirsis I am slaine In seeking thee sure so it should haue beene And so I reade it and shall euer so And thou sweet remnant of the fairest haire That euer wau'd with winde Ah thee I found When her I hop'd to finde wrapt in a round Like to an O the character of woe As if to say O Thirsis I die thine This much you tell me yet dumbe messengers Of her last minde and what you cannot tell That I must thinke which is the most extreame Of wofulnesse that any heart can thinke Pal. There is no dealing with this man I see This humour must be let to spend it selfe Vnto a lesser substance ere that we Can any way apply a remedy But I lament his case and so I know Do all that see him in this wofull plight And therefore will I leaue him to himselfe For sorrow that is full hates others sight Thir. Come boy whilst I contemplate these remaines Of my lost loue vnder this myrtle tree Record the dolefull'st song the sighingst notes That musicke hath to entertaine bad thoughts Let it be all at flats my boy all graue The tone that best befits the griefe I haue The Song Had sorrow euer fitter place To
some note Although so darkly drawne as that his eyes Cannot expresly reade it yet it showes Him somthing which he rather feels then knowes The song of the second Chorus Desire that is of things vngot See what trauaile it procureth And how much the minde endureth To gaine what yet it gaineth not For neuer was it paid The charge defraide According to the price of thought ACT. III. SCEN. I. Charinus the father of Thirsis Palaemon PAlaemon you me thinkes might something work With Thirsis my aggreeued sonne and sound His humour what it is and why he thus Afflicts himselfe in solitarinesse You two were wont to be most inward friends And glad I was to see it knowing you To be a man well tempred fit to sort VVith his raw youth can you doe nothing now To win him from this vile captiuity Of passion that withholdes him from the world Pal. In troth Charinus I haue oftentimes As one that suffred for his grieuances Assayd to finde a way into the cause Of his so strange dismay and by all meanes Aduis'd him make redemption of himselfe And come to life againe and be a man With men but all serues not I finde him lockt Fast to his will alleadge I what I can Char. But will he not impart to you the cause Pal. The cause is loue but it is such a loue As is not to be had Cha. Not to be had Palaemon if his loue be regular Is there in all Arcadia any shee Whom his ability his shape and worth May not attaine he being my onely sonne Pal. Shee is not in Arcadia whom he loues Nor in the world and yet he deerely loues Cha. How may that be Palaemon tell me plaine Pal. Thus plainly he 's in loue with a dead woman And that so farre as with the thought of her Which hath shut out all other he alone Liues and abhorres to be or seene or knowne Cha. What was this creature could possesse him so Pal. Faire Siluia old Medorus daughter who Was two yeares past reported to be slaine By sauage beasts vpon our countrey shore Cha. Is that his griefe alas I rather thought It appertain'd vnto anothers part To wayle her death Alexis should doe that To whom her father had disposed her And shee esteemed onely to be his Why should my sonne afflict him more for her Then doth Alexis who this day doth wed Faire Galatea and forgets the dead And here the shepheards come to celebrate His ioyfull nuptials with all merriment Which doth increase my cares considering The comforts other parents doe receiue And therefore good Palaemon worke all meanes You can to win him from his peeuish will And draw him to these shewes to companies That others pleasures may inkindle his And tell him what a sinne he doeth commit To waste his youth in solitarinesse And take a course to end vs all in him Pal. Assure your selfe Charinus as I haue So will I still imploy my vtmost powre To saue him for me thinks it pittie were So rare a peece of worth should so be lost That ought to be preserued at any cost ACT. III. SCEN. II. Charinus Medorus MEdorus come we two must sit and mourne Whilst others reuell We are not for sports Or nuptiall shewes which will but shew vs more Our miseries in beeing both depriu'd The comforts of our issue which might haue And was as like to haue made our hearts As ioyfull now as others are in theirs Med. In deed Charinus I for my part haue Iust cause to grieue amidst these festiuals For they should haue been mine This day I should Haue seene my daughter Siluia how she would Haue womand it these rites had bene her grace And shee had sat in Galateas place And now had warm'd my heart to see my bloud Preseru'd in her had shee not beene so rapt And rent from off the liuing as shee was But your case is not pararell with mine You haue a sonne Charinus that doth liue And may one day to you like comforts giue Cha. Indeed I haue a sonne but yet to say he liues I cannot for who liues not to the world Nor to himselfe cannot be said to liue For euer since that you your daughter lost I lost my sonne for from that day he hath Imbrakd in shades and solitarinesse Shut himselfe vp from sight or company Of any liuing and as now I heard By good Palaemon vowes still so to doe Med. And did your sonne my daughter loue so deare Now good Charinus I must grieue the more If more my heart could suffer then it doth For now I feele the horrour of my deede In hauing crost the worthiest match on earth Now I perceiue why Siluia did refuse To marrie with Alexis hauing made A worthier choice which oh had I had grace To haue foreseene perhaps this dismall chance Neuer had bene and now they both had had Ioy of their loues and we the like of them But ah my greedy eye viewing the large And spacious sheep-walkes ioyning vnto mine Whereof Alexis was possest made me As worldlings doe desire to marry grounds And not affections which haue other bounds How oft haue I with threats with promises VVith all perswasions sought to win her minde To fancie him yet all would not preuaile How oft hath shee againe vpon her knees VVith teares besought me Oh deare father mine Doe not inforce me to accept a man I cannot fancie rather take from mee The life you gaue me then afflict it so Yet all this would not alter mine intent This was the man shee must affect or none But ah what sinne was this to torture so A hart forevow'd vnto a better choice VVhere goodnesse met in one the selfe same point And vertues answer'd in an equall ioynt Sure sure Charinus for this sinne of mine The gods bereaft me of my childe and would Not haue her be to be without her heart Nor me take ioy where I did none impart Cha. Medorus thus wee see mans wretchednesse That learnes his errours but by their successe And when there is no remedie and now Wee can but wish it had beene otherwise Med. And in that wish Charinus we are rackt But I remember now I often haue Had shadowes in my sleepe that figures bare Of some such liking twixt your childe and mine And this last night a pleasing dreame I had Though dreams of ioy makes wakers minds more sad Me thought my daughter Siluia was return'd In most strange fashion and vpon her knees Craues my good will for Thirsis otherwise She would be gone againe and seene no more I at the sight of my deare childe was rapt With that excesse of ioy as gaue no time Either for me to answer her request Or leaue for sleepe to figure out the rest Cha. Alas Medorus dreames are vapours which Ingendred with day thoughts fall in the night And vanish with the morning are but made Afflictions vnto man to th' end he might Not rest in rest but toyle both day and night
felt what loue was in his daies Pal. Well Thirsis well how euer you doe guilde Your passions to indeere them to your selfe You neuer shall induce me to beleeue That sicknesses can be of such effect And so farewell vntill you shall be well SCEN. V Medorus Charinus O Gods Charinus what a man is this Who euer heard of such a constancie Had I but knowne him in enioying him As now I doe too late in losing him How blest had bene mine age but ah I was Vnworthie of so great a blessednesse Cha. You see Medorus how no counsell can Preuaile to turne the current of his will To make it run in any other course Then what it doth so that I see I must Esteeme him irreuocably lost But harke the shepheards festiuals begin Let vs from hence where sadnesse were a sinne Here was presented a rurall marriage conducted with this Song From the Temple to the Boord From the Boord vnto the Bed We conduct your maidenhead Wishing Hymen to affoord All the pleasures that he can Twixt a woman and a man ACT. IIII. SCEN. I. Thirsis solus I Thought these simple woods these gentle trees Would in regard I am their daily guest And harbour vnderneath their shadie roofes Not haue consented to delude my griefes And mock my miseries with false reports But now I see they will afflict me too For as I came by yonder spreading Beech Which often hath the Secretarie beene To my sad thoughts while I haue rested me if loue had euer rest vnder his gentle shade I found incaru'd and faire incaru'd these words Thy Siluia Thirsis liues and is return'd Ah me that any hand would thus adde scorne Vnto affliction and a hand so faire As this may seeme to be which were more fit Me thinkes for good then to doe iniurie For sure no vertue should be ill imployd And which is more the name of Siluia was Caru'd in the selfe same kinde of character Which shee aliue did vse and where with all Subscrib'd her vowes to me who knowes it best Which shews the fraud the more more the wrōg Therefore you stars of that high court of heauen Which do reueale deceits and punish them Let not this crime to feit a hand To couzin my desires escape your doome Nor let these riots of intrusion made Vpon my lonenesse by strange company Afflict me thus but let me haue some rest Come then refresher of all liuing things Soft sleepe come gently and take truce with these Oppressours but come simple and alone VVithout these images of fantasie Which hurt me more then thou canst do me good Let me not sleepe vnlesse I could sleepe all SCEN. II. Palaemon Thirsis ALas he here hath laid him downe to rest It were now sinne his quiet to molest And God forbid I should I will retire And leaue him for I know his griefes require This poore releeuement of a little sleepe Thi. What spirit here haunts me what no time free Ah is it you Palaemon would to God You would forbeare me but a little while You shew your care of me too much in this Vnseasonable loue skarce kindnesse is Pal. Good Thirsis I am sorie I should giue The least occasion of disease to you I will be gone and leaue you to your rest Thi. Doe good Palaemon goe your way farewell And yet Palaemon stay perhaps you may By charmes you haue cause sleep to close mine eies For you were wont I doe remember well To sing me Sonnets which in passion I Composed in my happier daies when as Her beames inflam'd my spirits which now are set And if you can remember it I pray Sing me the song which thus begins Eyes hide my loue Which I did write vpon the earnest charge Shee gaue vnto me to conceale our loue The Song Eyes hide my loue and doe not shew To any but to her my notes Who onely doth that cipher know Wherewith we passe our secret thoughts Belie your lookes in others sight And wrong your selues to doe her right Pal. So now he sleeps or else doth seeme to sleep But howsoeuer I will not trouble him SCEN. III Clarindo Thirsis SEe where he lies whom I so long to see Ah my deere Thirsis take thy quiet rest I know thou needst it sleepe thy fill sweete loue Let nothing trouble thee be calme oh windes Be still you heards chirp not so loud sweet birds Lest you should wake my loue thou gentle banke That thus art blest to beare so deare a weight Be soft vnto those dainty lymmes of his Plie tender grasse and render sweet refresh Vnto his wearie senses whilst he rests Oh could I now but put off this disguise VVith those respects that fetter my desires How closely could I neighbour that sweet side But stay he stirres I feare my heart hath brought My feete too neere and I haue wakened him Thi. It will not be sleepe is no friend of mine Or such a friend as leaues a man when most He needes him See a new assault who now Ah t is the boy that was with me erewhiles That gentle boy I am content to speake With him he speakes so pretily so sweet And with so good respectiue modesty And much resembles one I knew once well Come hither gentle boy what hast thou there Cla. A token sent you from the nymph I serue Thi. Keepe it my boy and weare it on thy head Cla. The gods forbid that I a seruant should Weare on my head that which my mistresse hath Prepar'd for yours Sir I beseech you vrge No more a thing so ill becomming me Thi. Nay sure I thinke it better will become Thy head then mine and therefore boy thou must Needes put it on Cla. I trust you lonenesse hath not so Unciviled you to force a messenger To doe against good manners and his will Thi. No good my boy but I intreate thee now Let me but put it on hold still thy head It shall not be thy act but onely mine Let it alone good boy for if thou saw'st How well it did become thee sure thou wouldst Now canst thou sing my boy some gentle song Cla. I cannot sing but I could weepe Thi. VVeepe why Cla. Because I am not as I wish to be Thi. VVhy so are none be not dipleas'd for this And if you cannot sing tell me some tale To passe the time Cla. That can I doe did I but know what kinde Of tale you lik'd Thi. No merry tale my boy nor yet too sad But mixed like the tragicke Comedies Cla. Then such a tale I haue and a true tale Beleeue me Sir although not written yet In any booke but sure it will I know Some gentle shepheard moou'd with passion must Record it to the world and well it will Become the world to vnderstand the same And this it is There was sometimes a nymph Isulia nam'd and an Arcadian borne Faire can I not avouch shee was but chaste And honest sure as the euent will prooue VVhose mother dying