His snares he slily wins on every heart And beaten off by force prevails by art Daph. Love at first in storms appears Waited on by sighs and tears Love has touch'd thee tho too late Into fondness turn'd thy hate Ah Amintas Sylvia's chang'd Weeps for Love and thou' rt reveng'd Now thou mayst the Conquest boast Which if living thou hadst lost Thou hast Dying left behind Such a sting in Sylvia's mind As will work more mischief there Than thou ever feltst for her Bees thus can 't their Stings outlive But perish with the wounds they give If thou' rt as I believe a Spirit fled From the bright mansions of the dead From heavenly Groves and sacred streams To play unseen about her Limbs See Sylvia weeps behold how much she 's mov'd You lov'd alive and are when dead belov'd ' If Destiny had so decreed ' That thou shouldst for thy Mistress bleed ' If in her thoughts she had resolv'd that this ' Whene're she sold her Love should be the price ' 'T is thine now thou hast done thy part ' And with thy Life hast bought her heart Chor. Too vainly sold and bought too dear ' For him too hard too infamous for her Syl. Oh that my Love could fetch again his breath Or my heart purchase him of Death Oh that my Life could be the Price I 'd gladly part with it for his Daph Too late you 're pitiful and wise Your tears are useless and in vain your sighs ACT IV. SCENE II. Ergastus Chorus Sylvia Daphne Ergastus PIty and horror have so far Possest my Soul I know not what I hear or see but every thing I meet amazes and afflicts me Chor. What tydings hast thou brought which make Thy looks thus troubled and thy words Confus'd Ergast I bring the bitter news Of poor Amintas death Syl. What is' t he says Ergast The noblest Shepherd of these Woods The kind the gay the gentle Swain Our Virgins and the Muses darling Young as he was is dead but how Oh! who can tell or hear it told Chor. Tell all that we may mourn with thee His sad misfortunes and our own Syl. Oh! how can I stay to hear This most horrid story out Where is all my fierceness now Oh! my heart so haughty once Shew thy Pride and if thou canst Stay and hear it all unmov'd Speak then what thou hast to say Shepherd let me know the worst Tell it me I 'm most concern'd Speak I 'm ready for thy news Ergast Nymph I know thou art concern'd Dying the Despairing wretch Call'd on thee and with thy name Finish'd his unhappy Life Daph. Prithee begin the dismal tale Ergest Sitting on yonder Hill where I Had laid some Nets I saw but now Amintas run that way his looks Distracted and his carriage wild His eyes his mein so chang'd I thought That something strange might happen since I lest the Vale he spy'd and shunn'd me Fearing the worst I then pursu'd O'retook and stopp'd him he grew calm Begg'd me to go and see him do A thing which he pretended then He was oblig'd to do but first Forc'd me to swear I would not stir Beyond the bounds he set nor lift My hands to hinder him I swore By Pan by Pallas by Pomona And all our Sylvan Deities Alas not thinking what he meant I would not stir nor lift my hands Unless he gave me leave This done He led me to a Precipice Where from the margent of the H Directly down the pathless dale Between high Blocks appears my head Grew giddy I stepp'd back afraid To view the depth Amintas smil'd And look'd serenely which deceiv'd My fears and made me more assur'd Thus then he said Ergastus tell The Nymphs and Swains what thou shalt see Since since he cry'd and then look'd down The Gods will not permit my end To be the same with Sylvia's since My Limbs must not be torn like hers And I 'm deny'd the Paws and Teeth Of Wolves to use as they serv'd Her lovely Body I must take Whatever death they please to send These Rocks direct the way I wish I had deserv'd the same with hers But this is sure and short Oh see I follow thee my Sylvia don't Disdain my Company in death I 'd dye contented were I sure ' I would not displease thee I should then Oh Sylvia follow thee with joy I come I follow thee I come And saying this He threw him headlong down While my heart chill'd to see him fall Daph. Oh miserable youth Sylv. Oh Heavens Chorus But why Ergastus did you not prevent him Was it your Oath that ty'd your hands And kept you back Ergast No I despise Such Oaths and look on them as vain When I perceiv'd his folly went So far and his deliberate despair Ready to fling him from the Precipice I ran to save him and as fate Would have it came in time enough To catch him by the Girdle which The burthen of the Body broke And left it rent thus in my hands Cho. Where went the miserable Body then Ergast I know not what became of that Horror and Pity struck my soul So deeply I had not the heart To see it dash in pieces Cho. Oh strange Oh woful accident Sylv. Sure my heart is made of stone Or it must have bled to death E're the dismal tale was done Oh! if he could dye for me One who hated him so much When he falsely thought me dead What shall I do now I know He is certainly no more I must dye and dye 1 will Swords and Rocks are left for me This precious Girdle is preserv'd To revenge its gentle Lord. Unhappy Girdle Dear Remains Of thy more unhappy Lord Be not angry that thou' rt kept From thy Master 't is to be The Instrument of Vengeance On the Maid for whom he dy'd I should I own I should have been Amintas kind Companion here But since I can't be so I will By thy assistance quickly follow him And bear him company in Death Chor. Comfort thy sell poor Virgin 't is The hand of Fate and not thy fault Sylv. Why weepst thou Swain if 't is for me Weep not for I deserve no tears No pity I who never knew What pity was If 't is for him For poor Amintas thou mayst weep A Sea of Tears and yet want more Daphne if thou dost mourn for me For Heavens sake prithee mourn no more I beg not out of pity to my self But out of pity to the man Who merited thy Love that thou Wouldst help me gather up his Bones And lay 'em in a Grave 't is this Which only shall prolong my Life This friendly office all that I Can pay him for his heart shall be my care The Piety of such a deed By my vile bands will be denfil'd Yet I believe whate're these hands Shall do for him will please his Ghost Since spite of all his wrongs I 'm sure He lov'd me to the last Daph. I 'll go And help
you but you must not think Of dying after we 've perform'd Our duty to our friend Sylv. Hitherto l 've only liv'd For my self the little time That 's now left me I 'll devote To Amintas if I can't Live for him I 'll live at least For his pale unhappy Body I must put off death a while Till I 've seen it and then end With his Funeral my Life Shepherd lead us to the Vale To the fatal Precipice Ergast Keep this path you cannot miss the way Daph. Come I 'll conduct ye follow me I know the place 't is not far off Sylv. Farewel Shepherds farewel Plains Woods and Streams and all farewel Ergast She heartily repents her scorn And talks as if she never would return CHORUS Death in vain opposes Love Who conquers every Foe To his Empire all above Submit and all below What Love unites Death seldom parts And what he parts Love often joyns Triumphs o're Death resists his Darts And will himself alone command our minds ' Maids comply with Love in time ' E're your Error grows a Crime ' E're he makes you yield by force ' Ah consider 't will be worse 'To rebel and be subdu'd ' Than obey him as you shou'd ' When he summons you at first ' Tield or else expect the worst ' Late Repentance will be too ' Vseless to your Friend and you Death in vain c. ACT V. SCENE I. Elpinus Chorus Elpin OH Love how rigid are thy Laws How much must all that once subject Themselves to thee endure before They taste the promis'd joy Who who would not have curst thy power Rebell'd against thy sway and sought Some other way to bliss if poor Amintas had not scap'd the deaths Thy usage tempted him to seek Ev'n we who have ador'd thee long With much fidelity and zeal We who have rais'd thy name above All other Gods to whom we make Our own Apollo yield should then Have taught our Children to forget Thy worship and forsake thy Temples But now that our Amintas lives We 'll if 't is possible forget Thy Cruelty to bless thy Care Chorus The Sage Elpinus comes and talks As if Amintas were alive Ah Shepherd didst thou know the things Which we have heard to day the ills That Love has brought on all thou wouldst Have little reason to forget His Cruelty or bless his Care Elpin Rejoyce my friends rejoice the news You heard is false Amintas lives Chor. Ah! what Eipinus dost thou say How dost thou comfort us Is' t false Did he not fling himself but now From yonder Hill among the Rocks Ah! tell us how he was preserv'd what pow'r What God was by to save him at his fall Elpin Hear then what I shall say no more Than I have with these eyes beheld I 've in the Desart Vale a Cave Where Thyrsis came to mc to day Where while we talkt of that proud Nymph Whose Fetters formerly he wore And I at present wear we heard A voice and lookt up tow'rds the hill Whence down the Precipice we saw A Body tumble on a Bush Just by my Cave and near the Mount A few tall Bushes rise from Box And other Trees which all unite In one on these we saw him fall But carry'd by the Body's weight He rowl'd off thence and at our feet Fell next the Bushes sav'd the blow So much we took him up alive He was yet speechless and 't was long E're we had any other signs Of Life besides his sighs and groans which shew'd Us that he breath'd But oh When we perceiv'd who 't was what tongue Can tell the fright which we were in Pity and wonder struck us dumb Yet thinking by his breath he might Still live we were a little calm'd Chor. Oh wonderful Escape Oh thou Hadst cause Elpinus to applaud The Care and Providence of Love Elp. Thyrsis then told me what had past The secret of his Love and how Despair had hurry'd him to this We fetch'd the Remedies we had At hand and for Alfibeus sent Who by Apollo has been taught The Art of Physick when he came He told us quickly there were hopes And as we wept to see him still Lye speechless in his arms he said We should not be surpriz'd at that For having searcht him well he found No wounds nor any thing which might With reason make us fear 'T is true He said he might be some time in a Trance But after would recover soon And having then perform'd his Art He order'd men to bear him home Who at a little distance hence Are coming with our Friend Chorus What Fools are men in Love how apt To be deceiv'd how ready oft To joyn with those they love to cheat themselves What mischiefs have their false despairs And groundless hopes begot How near Was poor Amintas rash mistake Depriving us of what we all Expected in our time to see The grace and pleasure of these woods Elp. Alfibeus with his charge appears And in his Looks we may discern How much Amintas safely glads His soul as well as ours ACT V. SCENE II. Elpinus Chorus Thyrsis Alfibeus and Amintas born on a Couch Alfib. OH Swains Oh Nymphs Oh all that ever lov'd This youth and who of ye that heard Him sing Or saw him at our sports But heard and saw him with delight To Phaebus and to Love address Your vows that once more you may hope To hear and look on him with pleasure ACT V. SCENE III. Elpinus Thyrsis Alfibeus Chorus Daphne Sylvia Amimtas lying on a Couch Daphne AH Shepherds join your pray'rs with mine Use all the Arguments which Grief And Pity can inspire to save This Maid from ruine Stay Sylvia stay till you 've perform'd What you resolv'd and what you owe Amintas Spirit till the hands Which you your self confess'd would please His Ghost to see 'em gather up His bones have laid 'em in a Grave Sylv. Some God alas has done what I Resolv'd to do and to revenge Amintas wrongs deny'd my hands The glory of so just a deed Tell me ye Powers ah tell me where You have convey'd my Love and laid His mangled Limbs Direct me where That I may see 'em e're I dye That I may feast my cruel eyes With objects equally severe And if I can instruct my heart To be more barbarous to my self Than e're it was to him Daph. Cease prithee Sylvia cease your tears And don 't torment thy self too much For ills thy sorrows can't retrieve Sylv. See Daphne how these Shepherds smile At my Despair how unconcern'd They hearken to my griefs ev'n I As savage as I was scarce saw Amintas mourn with so much ease Daph. Hence Shepherds hence and don 't disturb The wretched with untimely joy Sylv. Not that I court your pity or Expect compassion but methinks Amintas death should touch your hearts And you should still consider me As one Amintas lov'd But oh You look on me as one that hated him You see his murderer in
me and set Your souls against the cause of so much woe Oh! that you ail could in this minute lose Your native tenderness and that your rage Were equal to your hate that I might soon Be sent to meet him in those blissful plains Where he himself will treat me with more love Alfib. Sylvia forbear these sad complaints And don 't afflict your self for things Which heaven has wonderfully made The subject of our joy Amintas lives Syl. Ha Daphne whither are we got I heard a voice which said Amintas lives And in the midst of grief invites to joy Ha! see what heavenly vision strikes my eyes Behold it well my Friend and tell me then If any thing but my Amintas self Could look more lovely 'T is Amintas self I know him now I feel him at my heart It dances in my breast and bids me do What Love commands and you must all excuse Falls on Amin. Chorus How can Sylvia do all this She who is so proud and nice One would think should be asham'd Elpin Shame sometimes where Love is weak Keeps some Maids from being free But when it grows strong like hers Love 's too powerful for shame Syl. Where where is he who said Amintas lives Let him come here and tell me if he can Why his eyes languish why he looks so pale Why lifeless when his Sylvia clasps him thus And deaf to all she says Ah speak my Love Inform me if my glances hurt thy eyes And drive away thy Soul from what it loaths Whoe're thou art that said Amintas lives 'T was falsely said and with a vile intent To shew me hope and leave me in despair He lives indeed but in a better world Whence now methinks I hear him call on me And Sylvia's name is in Elysium sung Amin. Where am I on what happy Region thrown What Musick wakes me from the arms of death And charms me with the name of my belov'd Oh! all ye Glorious Spirits who in peace And perfect bliss possess these sacred Groves Direct me to the Bow'r where Sylvia waits For me whom now she can no longer hate Since all Paradice are friends Sylv. He speaks he lives and injur'd as he was Talks kindly of me still Look up Amintas Look on thy Sylvia with thy usual joy And let thy Eyes speak kindly like thy Tongue Amin. Who breathes new life into me with her kisses And quickens me with her embraces Ha! my Love My Sylvia winding in my arms I can scarce Spare time to ask the meaning of these things Have not I seen you all and been your friend And is not this the darling of my Soul Yes yes 't is she her Beauty shews 't is she Nor could I feel such Transports with another Alfib. His Love prevents my Art and he revives Faster than I expected Elpin But I fear The violence of such excessive bliss Will prejudice his health Chorus I rather think Its violence will help to cure him Alfibeus you must tell him what 's Most proper for his safety Alfib. I believe His safety is secur'd in Sylvia's Love How fares Amintas Amin Oh all is well and I begin to think Love has for me done Miracles to day Thyr. Love has indeed done Miracles to save Thy life and soften Sylvia's heart Syl. Tell us no more 't will interrupt our bliss Let him not know what dangers he has scap'd When he reflects how barb'rous I have been He 'll loath me for my Cruelty and hate A Maid who so unjustly hated him Amin. Oh Sylvia we 'll not think of what is past I 'll not enquire how I became so blest But thank the Gods and thee for what I know As for the rest thou could'st not but bâ— jâ—â—… And love decreed the troubles we have known To shew his Pow'r and make our bliss the greater Elp. There 's nothing wanting but Mantanâ—'s word To make 'em both as happy as they with Cho. They need not question his consent He longs to see his Daughters Sons To sport about him and revive His Age and soon will grant what they desire Alfib. Then let us to her Fathers house repair And see him join their hands and share his joy Amint. You all may by my fate perceive The Laws which Love prescribes Mankind By which Eternally he rules His Empire here Are not fantastastical and hard As sometimes we suppose his works Tho they 're mysterious are wise And such as we should ne're condemn With how much art thro' hidden ways And paths unknown he leads to bliss And when we think him ready to destroy He opens Paradice and leaves our Souls in joy FINIS