malice And wisht I had bin borne just such a one Del. Your state is better Madam as you are Syl. But I confesse the rather cause there was One amongst them of a more comely grace Though none of them did seeme uncomely to me Call'd Thyrsis and with him me thought I could Draw out my life rather then any other Such things my fancie then suggested to me So well he sung so passionate his love Shew'd in his verse thereto so well exprest As any one would judge it naturall Yet never felt he flame till this of me Often he came and oftner was desir'd Of me nor did I shame in publique there Before my father to commend his graces Which when I did the whole Court as they use Consented with me and did strive to make them Greater then I or any else could thinke them At last I was surpriz'd I could not helpe it My Fate with love consenting so would have it Then did I leave the Court I 've told thee all Del. T is strange but Madam though in that disguise How could you hope a stranger to be lov'd Of him you held so deare Syl. I fain'd my selfe Of Smyrna and from thence some Goats I had And Sheepe with them a rich commoditie Neare him I bought me land to feed them he Seem'd glad of it and thinking me a stranger Us'd me with such civilitie and friendship As one would little looke for of a shepheard And did defend me from the avarice Of the old shepheards which did thinke to make A prey of what I had At length I saw He did addresse himselfe with feare to me Still gazing on me knowing my love to him I easily beleev'd he lov'd me too For love alas is ever credulous And though I was resolv'd having my end Which was no more then to discourse with him Never to let him know what flame I felt Yet when I saw his teares and heard his vowes Perswasive speakers for affection I could not choose but open to his view My loving heart yet with this caution That he should ever beare respect unto My honor and my virgin chastitie Which then he vow'd and his ambition Never was more then to attaine a kisse Which yet he hardly got thou seest sweete Delia How willingly I dwell upon this Theame But canst thou helpe me now that I have open'd My wound unto thee Del. Alas I would I could Invent the way to cure you I should soone Apply my helpe yet stay this day it is The shepheards come to Court Syl. 'T is true they come But what is that to me if Thyrsis come not Or if he come how shall he know me his Or I injoy his companie Del. Let me alone To worke out that Syl. Thou dreamst thou canst not do it Del. I le undertake it but how shall I know him Without inquiring which must breede suspition Syl. True and beware thou aske the Majestie Which sits upon his brow will say 't is he Thyrsis my love but yet perhaps at this time If I my selfe not flatter thou shalt know him By his eies cast downe and folding of his armes And often sighs that interrupt his words For if his sorrow weares the liveries Which mine does for his absence by these signes Thou shalt descrie him Del. These are silent markes Yet will I not despaire to finde him out Syl. But when thou hast what wilt thou say to him Del. Give me but leave to use my mother wit You would be gone together would you not Syl. Thou speak'st my thoughts do this and I will crowne Thy faith thou shalt be Queene in steed of me Del. If you could crowne me with your vertues Madam I should be a Queene indeed in the meane time As I am Delia I le do this busines Sil. Do it and when th' hast don the God of love Reward thee with thine owne desires for this Del. Madam withdraw I heare your keepers comming SCENA 2. Cleander Eubulus SIr you have put a bridle on my passions And given my soule the libertie it wisht I now intreate your pardon for beginning A thing of so great consequence without Leave and advice from you Eu. T is well Cleander It will behove you then to be reserv'd And locke this secret up for 't is no jesting With Kings that may command our lives and fortunes You now perceive her whom we call the Princesse To be your sister and the love you beare her Must be a brothers freindship not a lovers Passionate heate but yet she must not know That I her father am and you her brother And trust me son had I not seene despaire Of life in you which this love brought you too I should not have reveal'd what now you know Cle. It was a comfort Sir I doe confesse That came in time to rescue me from death So great her scorne was and my love so violent Eu. Now you 're at peace I hope Cle. I am but if I be too curious in asking where The Kings son is I shall desire your pardon For sure it were injustice to deprive So great a Prince of that which he was borne too Eu. You are too far inquisitive yet because I have ingag'd you in a secret of As great importance this I will not hide The King I told you when his wife grew neere The time of her deliverie sent to know Of our great Oracle whether the childe should be Female or Male and what should be their fortune Cle. What said the Oracle have you the answere Eu. It onely was imparted unto me And this it is which I have never shewen To any but the Queene here take and reade it If ere thy issue male thou live to see The childe thou thinkst is thine thine shall not be His life shall be obscure twice shall thy hate Doome him to death Yet shall he scape that Fate And thou shalt live to see that not long after Thy onely son shall wed thy onely daughter This Oracle is full of mysterie Eu. It is and yet the King would needs interpret That should it prove a man-childe t was a Bastard And being loth that one not of his blood As he conceiv'd by this should be his heire Told me in private that if it were Male He would not have it live yet fearing most To publish his dishonor and his wives He charg'd me not reveale it unto any But take the childe and see it made away And make the world beleeve it was still borne Cle. And did you so Eu. No for indeed I durst not For any thing become a murderer Cle. How did you then Eu. I went unto the Queene Shew'd her the state she was in and besought her To be as carefull of me as I was Of her and we would worke a better end Then she expected so we both agree'd That if the Childe she then did labour with Prov'd to be Male I should with care conceale The birth of it and put a female childe Insteed
cruell fate Angry with men that gave us hearts alike And fortunes so asunder you 're a Cedar I a poore shrub that may looke up unto you With adoration but ne're reach your height Syl. But Thyrsis I do love you love and death Do not much differ they make all things equall The Monuments of Kings may shew for them What they have bin but looke upon their dust The color and the weight of theirs and beggers You 'le finde the same and if 'mongst living men Nature has printed in the face of many The characters of noblenesse and worth Whose fortune envies them a worthy place In birth or honor When the greatest men Whom she has courted beare the marks of slaves Love sure will looke on those and lay aside The Accidents of wealth and noble blood And in our thoughts wil equall them with Kings Thy. 'T is true divinest Lady that the soules Of all men are alike of the same substance By the same maker into all infus'd But yet the severall matters which they worke on How different they are I neede not tell you And as these outward Organs give our soules Or more or lesse roome as they are contriv'd To shew their lustre so againe comes fortune And darkens them to whom the Gods have given A soule divine and body capable Of that divinity and excellence But 't is the order of the Fates whose causes We must not looke into But you deare Madam Nature and fortune have conspir'd to make The happiest alive Syl. Ay me most wretched What pleasure can there be in highest state Which is so crost in love the greatest good The Gods can tell how to bestow on men Thy. Yet some do reckon it the greatest ill A passion of the minde form'd in the fancy And bred to be the worst disease of reason Syl. They that thinke so are such as love excludes Men full of age or foule deformitie No Thyrsis let not us prophane that deity Love is divine the seed of every thing The cause why now we live and all the world Thy. Love is divine for if religion Binds us to love the Gods who never yet Reveald themselves in any thing to us But their bright Images the fairest creatures Who are our daily objects loving them Wee exercise religion let us not Be scrupulous or feare the Gods have care Of us and of our piety Syl. But take heed We cannot be too warie many things Oppose our wills yet if you thinke it fit And this nights silence will so favour us Wee le goe together if we quit this Countrie It is no matter all the world to me Will be Arcadia if I may injoy Thy company my love Thy. No Sylvia Pardon mee deare if still I call you so Enjoy your fortunes thinke how much your honor Must suffer in this act For me I finde It is enough that I have ever lov'd you Now let me at the light of your bright eie Burne like the bird whose fires renew her nest I shall leave you behind me to the world The Phenix of true love and constancy Nor is that bird more glorious in her flames Then I shall be in mine though they consume me Syl. It must not be for know my dearest shepheard I shall not tell one minute after thee I finde my soule so linkt to thine that death Cannot divide us Thy. What then shall we do Shall we resolve to live thus till we gaze Our eies out first and then lose all our senses In their succession shall we strive to leave Our soules breath'd forth upon each others lips Come let us practise this our envious Fates Cannot deny us Cleander enters Cle. What a sight were this To meete her father This would make him mad Indeed and execute his rage himselfe Madam your father 's here Syl. Ha Delia Cleander is it thou then I 'me betraid The second time but must thy fortune make thee The instrument of my undoing still Cla. Shepheard I will not honor thee so much As to enquire thy name thou hast don that Thou wilt pay deare for And I hope thy death Will take away the blot of this disgrace Th' hast laid upon the Princesse Thy. If you do this You le make me happy it was this I lookt for My triviall acts of life this of my death Will recompence with glory I shall die To save my Princesse and what 's more to save The life of her life her unspotted honor Blest Lady though you are as innocent And chaste as purest Virgins that have yet Seene nothing in a dreame to warme their blood Yet the malicious world the censuring people That haste to cast durt on the fairest things Will hardly spare you if it once be knowne That we were here together As for me My life is nothing but variety Of griefe and troubles which with constancy I have borne yet t is time that now I die Before I do accuse the Gods that have Brought me to this and so pull on my death A punishment Will you be mercifull And end me quickly Cle. Shepheard know for this Thy resolution which in noble bloods I scarce have found I willingly would grant What thou desir'st But somthing must be knowne Before that time either from you or you Syl. I know Cleander it is me you aime at I do confesse this shepheard is my love For his sake I did leave the Court and thee Unworthy as thou art to be his Rivall Cle. Madam my duty bids me speake to you Not as a lover now but as you are My Princesse and the daughter of my King I would not for the world have those desires Which I had then for sure my bolder love Would have transgrest the limits of all duty And would have dar'd to tell you that this shepheard Was not a match for great Arcadias heire Nor yet one fit for my Competitor 'T is not his outward feature which how faire It is I do not question that can make him Noble or wise Whereas my birth deriv'd From ancient Kings and yeares not far unsuiting Those of your owne to these my education To you well knowne perhaps might make me worthy Of being your servant Syl. Canst thou looke on this This piece Cleander and not blush to boast Thy follies thus seeking to take away From his full vertue if but this one act Of his appeare unto the world as know It shall for I le not shame to publish him Though I die for it will it not devoure Thy empty glories and thy puft up nothings And like a grave will burie all thy honors Do take his life and glory in that act But be thou sure in him thou shalt kill two Cle. What meane you madam Syl. Not to live a minute After his death Gle. That all the Gods forbid Syl. No they command it rather that have made Our soules but one Cleander thou wert wont To be more courteous and I do see Some pitie in thee if not for
embraces of my love and me shall be Such as the Cyprian boy from our abundance Shall take his fires to kindle other hearts Yet leave with us a flame which we will cherish And keepe alive unto eternitie Do. Women are ever credulous most then When knowledge of the truth would but afflict them I dare not now distrust you though I knew What you have said were false it has a semblance Of such a pleasing truth Give me thy hand And take thou mine whilst we walke thus intwin'd I shall thinke Daphnis never was unkind SCENA 4. Eubulus Cleander to them Thyrsis Sylvia WHat are they dead Is the Kings will obey'd Cle. No Sir they live and Hymen in his bands Has ty'd them both the happiest knot that ere Knit two such equall hearts and loves together Oh I am ravish'd with the newes my joy Is greater now then if sh 'had beene the daughter Unto our King and I had married her Eu. I am amaz'd pray Jove thou beest not mad Cle. Somewhat exalted Sir beyond my my selfe But yet not mad Goe Sir unto the King Tell him Cleander lives to make him happy Eu. Sure thou wilt come unto thy selfe anon Prethee bethinke thee Cle. Yes Sir I doe thinke And know that I have newes to make him live And you an age yet longer Eu. This is strange Cle. T is true Eu. But what is true Cle. T is true my Sister Shall be a Queene Eu. If she doe live I thinke She will but yet you know we were commanded To cut that life off Cle. But your hastie sonne That came so speedy with a fatall message Was not so forward now they both doe live And both are married Eu. Jupiter forbid Cle. The Fates command it 't is their proper worke The Shepheard is a Prince your Prince and mine And married to my Sister Eu. Ha! what 's that Prithee digest thy troubled thoughts and tell me What Prince is this thou mean'st Cle. Archigenes Eu. Thou dream'st it cannot be Cle. No then come forth You royall paire and testifie your selves Enter Thyrsis and Sylvia Syl. Father your blessing Eu. Ha! Cle. Nay I 've told all She knowes she is your daughter looke Sir here Here we must place our reverence Eu. Who 's this Cle. Not yet then looke upon this Circle that You know for certaine though you know not him Eu. 'T is it it is the same Archigenes Sonne of Euarchus and Eudora This is my character and this my seale Thy. Sir I have heard that by your piety My infant life was sav'd now by the goodnesse Deriv'd from you unto your sonne I have Not onely found my life but my content The summe of all my hopes this Lady here Without whose love my life had bin a torment Syl. And I the happiest maide that ever was Conducted by the power of simple love Have found in place of him I thought a shepheard A Princely lover Eu. Rise Calligone The Gods are just I see that favoring My innocence have brought this match about But say Cleander what Fate guided thee To this discovery Cle. Sir should I tell you How many waies I cast to save my sister After the fatall message which I brought I should be tedious and keepe you from What you do long to heare In short I soone Resolv'd to make away this royall shepheard And knowing that in this affaire to keepe it Secret dispatch was needefull I commanded A servant of whose faith and courage I Was well assur'd to kill him in my presence Eu. 'T is strange thou should'st be present at a murder Cle. 'T was a necessity was laid upon me Because I would be sure to see him dead I bad him choose his death when manfully He said he car'd not how so he might die I knew to strangle him was the readiest way Which death himselfe was ready to embrace This his so noble resolution Did stande me from mine my servants hands Trembled for feare Presaging what a sinne they were to act He bad him be assur'd he would not start And often call'd him to dispatch him quickly Syl. What man could have a heart for such a deed And see his face Cle. The Prince before he came To put the fatall twist about his necke Besought me as I ever hop't for peace I should preserve the Princesse this I promis'd And whatsoever else he would desire He answered nothing now but hasty death Then stripping off his doublet I espide With a quick eye this golden Circle here When hastily I bid my servant hold And let him goe He ask't me why I staid I told him that about his necke was Sacred He would have rent it off but I forbad it Eu. What did you then Cle. Sir I did well remember What I had heard of th' Oracle and you Which with the computation of his yeares I found agreeing to make up a truth Which you before assur'd me then I ask't him Whether he would be married to the Princesse Before he died he thought that I had mockt him And said I practis'd Tyrannie upon him Then went I to my sister and desir'd The same of her in fine I saw them both Joyne hands and hearts together but the Prince Thought this a dreame of life which certaine death Would wake him from untill I did assure him Of his great State and that his love whom now He thought to be the Princesse was my Sister All which I did referre unto your knowledge Eu. This day for ever let it holy be And you whom love has brought through deepe despaire Unto the haven of your happinesse Enjoy each other freely Of you brave shepheard But now my Prince I shall enquire anon Where and with whom you liv'd Thy. Sir the shepheard Whom I call father stayes without Montanus His name is by whose gentle hands as he as often told me I was rescu'd first From cold and death since under his kind roofe fosterd and bred as his Eu. Goe call him in Enter Montanus Mirtillus you 're welcome both you may applaud your fortune That brought you such a Shepheard stay all here Whilst I goe to the King This day will adde More yeares unto his life when he shall say no day shone brighter on Arcadia Exit Mon. We are both come to doe our duties to you as being sent for and Mirtillus with me To celebrate your joyes within a while The Shepheards and the Nymphs will all be here Thy. My old companions shall be welcome all As you are now I never shall forget Your courtesie nor theirs Syl. Nor I the Nymphs Once my deare fellowes but you Mirtillus Though you did scorne to love yet could you sing Well if you listed of it Cle. Can shepheards then despise that Deity which we adore Mi. Madam I reverence it in you The perfect'st patterne of a constant lover And in the honour of your Nuptialls I have a Song which if your Grace will heare 'T will entertaine the time Syl. Let it be sung Song