This did I never do but say I did Am I the first of Loves professed foes Whom he hath overcome Niso. I would thou wert so I might see thee once By Love in triumph brought into the troops Of his sworn servants then perhaps I might With confidence unfold the wound that now Lyes hid within and grates my bleeding heart Whereas I yet dare scarce let go a sigh Lest thou shouldst once take notice when it breaths Woes me how many have I forced back Even from my lips into my heart again And if at unawares one hath stoln out How have I fear'd lest while thou shouldst deride My feeling passion Love should in his rage Let sly his Dart at me for having spent His treasures so profusely before those Who do despise his power Amynt Niso thou art deceiv'd for even I Can pitty others sighs O that I could As soon give ease to him that sighs for love Perhaps I might a Shepheard then restore To life again who now lyes at deaths door But thou that long hast learn't to know Loves wiles Hear but his case and tell me then if yet In all Loves kingdom there may be found out A means to cure his ill Niso. I in loves Kingdom nothing know but how With art to drop Salt tears upon the flame That burns within my heart To weep and burn is all I know of love But is that Shepherd one whom I have seen Amyn. Yes thou hast seen him and dost love him too As dearly as thy life Niso. What 's she for whom he mourns Amyn. The fairest Nimph that ere these fruitful fields Of Scyros here have yet beheld display The dangling Tresses of her golden Hair That every gentle blast might therein weave A net to catch poor loving souls withal But more of her anone Thou first shalt hear The mournful story of her dying love Mournful indeed it is and yet but short Since one short hour brought him to misery Yet even he did once profess himself Loves open enemy till at the last His fate would have it so that by mis-chance He too was wounded in his Nimphs defence Niso. But for what cause Amyn. That thou shalt know hereafter now observe The Nimph thus far took pitty of his hurt That many a time and oft she bath'd his wounds In the distilled flouds of lukewarm tears And sweetly breathing on them with her sighs She seem'd to murmur out some powerful charme With which she hop't to mitigate his pain But whilst his tender hearted Surgeon thus Applyed her salves of pitty to his wounds She struck him to the heart when he poor soul Finding he had receiv'd a mortal blow Su'd for relief but in an instance she Turn'd all her pitty into cruelty And flying thence as from a Basilisque Could never since be drawn to see him more Niso. Oh my belov'd Amyntas I must needs Hug thee within these Armes and kiss thee for This pretty quaint disguise Amynt Canst thou imagine then who 't is I mean Niso. And canst thou think I can be ignorant Of him thou wouldst decipher though his name Be lock't up still in silence Amyn. Do thou pronounce it then for I confess I blush so for him that I dare not do 't Niso. I will and if thou do'st desire it in a voyce That 's audible to all the world 'T is Niso Niso do not blush for me For I shall bless my fates that it is so Go thou that livest free from loves command And from his amorous bonds lift up thy proud Untamed Crest to me this yoke is sweet And Niso doth profess himself to be The Shepheard thus subdu'd to loves behest She that with pitty wounded him at fi•st And kills him now with cruelty is cal'd The fairest C•lia for Celia alas For Celia I burn for her I sigh It cannot be deny'd Amyn. Though sigh for Celia sure it cannot be Nor can I yet beleeve it can be so It is another fuel feeds thy flame And all thy sighs sound out another name Niso. Wilt thou not then beleeve me or is this A gentle Artifice for my new love To tax my fault blame mine inconstancie If I have other fuel to my fire Or other heat to warme my fainting soul That fuel is to Ashes burnt by this And all that heat extinguisht by this flame If any other name sound in my sighes 'T is barely then a name a shaddow void Of any subject or a beauty spent And long agone extinct But now for Celia in lively flames I burn indeed and so shall burning die Unless Amyntas help me speedily Amyn. See see alas he seeks to me for help That gives me my deaths wound But I cannot beleeve thee yet say how And when did Love possess thee thus Niso. Whilst wounded there I lay almost extinct Within the arms of death the gentle gale Of her sweet breathing sighs under th' aspect Of two heart-killing Stars O fatal birth My love at first took life And Love becoming thus the Son of Death In imitation of his Mothers power Kils me and yet remains himself alive And thus I dye yet even after death My love must live and love eternally Amynt Thus Love hath in one strait and by one toyl Within in one instant gain'd a double spoyl Niso. As well then as thou feignest thou do'st know That under other shaddows thou hast now From point to point declar'd my malady Nor can I tell how long my silence should Thus blazon forth my wo Unless perhaps I told it in a dream Or talking idly at the point of death The Soul which then doth commonly reflect More truly on her self and so becomes Far wiser than she was hath publisht it Of purpose so to free her self from pain Or else perhaps to glory in the pride Of that fierce cruelty that vanquisht me Fair Celia her self hath made it known Wilt thou not answer me Amyntas is' t not so •myntas whither art thou gone out of thy self Thou seemest stupify'd do'st thou not hear What strong imagination thus transports Thy sences from their sence Amynt Doth Niso burn in love for Celia And is it true that he dissembles not But tell me then what if another should For love of Celia burn as well as he What saith thy heart could it then leave to love Niso. No rather leave to live ah me Thou strick'st my through and through if this be so There is no way but death Amynt No I 'll dye first my self clear up thy brow I spoke it but in jest Niso. I prithee good Amyntas leave to use Such bitter jests as these they come too near I 'll pardon thee this once because thou hast So little sense of Love Amynt What now is in my power shall be employ'd To work thee some relief but time goes on The Sun already from our Zenith bends His course to view the lowly Vales again And near the Temple old Narete staies Attending there to celebrate the pomp And solemn
so dear Daughter that thou see'st Young tender loves breeding in youthful hearts Like to young harmless Doves whilst one hath wings And dares to fly anothers downy plain But even then buds forth Whilst one swoln up with pride bears out his Brest And in a murmuring tone breaths out his love Expressing by the circles which he makes The endless Labyrinths of loves great maze Another with his belly on the ground Goes creeping on and by his whining noyse Sets out the passions of a childish love One peeps but even now out of the shell Whilst others sit to hatch their tender Chicks Do not then do not cruel maid conceal Thy passion still though late yet at the last Heaven showrs down vengeance on a faithless love Knowst thou not what Pelorus that Pelore Then whom yet never Nimph in Scyros knew A faithfuller true lover us'd to say Faith is a Deity by which true love At first possest a place in Heaven above Love voyd of faith quoth he is neither love Nor yet a God but an infernal spirit Which having in the foul sulphureous Lake Of burning Phlegeton kindled black flames Doth counterfeit therewith loves glorious light And so goes breathing forth his feigned fries For whose most horrible and wicked sin Oh just and most deserved punishment Which in the bottomless infernal Pit Disloyal lovers are tormented still By those infernal Monsters in the shape Of their betrayed loves Do not then still delay to tell thy woe And if from grief I cannot set thee free Pitty at least shall bear thee company Celia What 's that to me that neither hope for help Nor wish for pitty in my misery Serp. At least yet let me know thine enemie And I will never leave thee till he leave Either his life or else that faithless love Wherewith he thus torments thee Celia Life if thou wilt but love must ne'r be left Serp. Would'st thou then have him dye Celia By all means possible and if I find No other hand to execute my just And lawful vengeance reason then perswades That mine own hand should take the due revenge Of mine oppressed soul Serp. Oh cruel jealousie can then thy fierce And poysonous bait possess a Maidens heart But if I mean to mollifie her rage I then must sooth her in her own desires Take courage Celia for if there be need Even I my self will with these hands pull out That faithless heart of his But tell me then Who is that false disloyal man and how Hath he disturbed thus thy quiet thoughts Celia Now that I finde thee bent to my desires I le tell thee all but see thou doe not change Serp. Thou sooner shalt observe me change my soul Then any thing that I have now profest Celia And whosoe'r it be see that thou take No pitty to thy heart Serp. I would be cruel to my very self Were I my selfe unfaithfull to my Love Celia Heare then and I will tel thee now What rests conceal'd from all the world besides How shall I find a tongue to utter it But yet it bootes not to refrain my tongue When I want power still to restrain my heart Look here Serpilla look here is that foul That impious wretch even here within me rests My horrid enemy Loe I am she Even I am she that carry in my brest A faithless love a foul infernal spirit Burnt in a two-fold flame Ser. As sure as can be this unhappy Nimph Carries two youthful loves within her brest 'T was long ere she conceiv'd and now brings Twins Oh just revenge of love and could he not Make one shaft serve as able to subdue Unto his Laws thy stiff rebllious heart But tell me then who are those fatal loves Celia To what end should I now conceal their names Know'st thou not Niso and Amyntas yet Serp. Who they that lay for thy delivery Wounded almost to death Celia Those very men Serp. But how could love inflict a double wound Just in an instant in thy stubborn heart Celia I le tell thee now a wounder Love that before had ever found me arm'd Against his shafts and all his subtile trains By others wounds and through anothers heart Found passage into mine And whilst that they Wounded to death lay breathing forth their souls Love all besmeared with their goary blood Usurpt the shape of pitty and then arm'd Under this quaint disguise the traiterous boy Found means to wound my heart and after that Neglecting both mine Arrows and my Bow Despising Earth the Sea and Heaven it self I found no rest to my tormented soul Longer then I stood languishing besides Those wounded Shepherds and with weeping eyes Mixing my plaints with theirs There from their fainting foreheads I did wipe The cold distilled sweat there with these hands Did I still dress their wounds Oh cruel wounds That whilst I drest them could thus wound my soul Yet had I then some Truce with sorrow when I said within my self unhappy Maid What new found sighs are these whence can proceed This unaccustomed heat which boyleth thus In thine inflamed heart Ah silly fool Said then my heart to me this is nought elese But pitty well deserved pitty canst thou be So ignorant as not to know it then Or dost thou grudg them pitty who to save Thee from a fearful death lye dying now Thus whilst I thought it pitty and not love Flatring my passion I still nourisht it And still encreased my unknown desire But when I after came to know it well Oh too too late discovery when once I found them lovers then too late I found I was my self a woful lover too And by the light of their bright burning flame I saw mine own heart burning in the same Serp. And art thou then with equal love belov'd By both of them again this may abate The wounding sorrows of thy troubled soul But how did'st thou discover their desires Celia By many many tokens for me thought I heard within my self a murmuring sound Which eccho'd out their love and then my heart Answer'd that sound again and yet deceipt I know not how did so obscure my sence As I could not at first beleeve it true Till one day it fell out that whilst the poor Amy•tas lying in tormenting pain Which day and night afflicted him so sore That he could hardly finde an hour to rest Pitty so wrought as I obtained Truce Sometime with sorrow that I might invite With the soft accents of my slender voice His heavy eyes to sleep When he with a sad sigh sent from his heart Darted a look at me and to me said Ah my dear Celia when I see thee not I am but as one dead and canst thou think That when I see thee then 't is possible For me to sleep before those glorious beams Which shine out of thine eyes I thus surpris'd Straight fled feom him and ran unto the place Where wounded Niso lay opprest with pain And calling for mine ayd Where whilst
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
could both sigh and weep For others love No sigh no tear can fall Which can have power to purchase ought of thee And since that nothing but my death can please Let then my death beg pardon for my fault Such powerful Sutors should not be deny'd Deny not then the thing it onely craves For I will dye and do thou pardon me That 's all I beg both for my wandring soul And for this frame when it is turn'd to dust Cloris Shepherd the Heavens know and love can tell Whether thou hast done ill or no he can Punish thy fault and let him pardon thee I a mean Silly Shepherdess a poor Abused maid forsaken and forlorn Have no•disdain which he need to regard Who did so slenderly regard my love Niso. Ah me Clo. Ah Thirsis Thirsis Narete Phillis was she before now Thirsis he Clo. Thou falsifier of those amorous sighs Can it be thou that mournest can it be And thou that hast already kill'd me thus Can it be thou that with such fervent zeal Desirest now to dye and dye for me Cannot thy stony heart rest satisfied With my tormenting pain unless thou strive Even in thy pitty to be cruel too 'T is faigned pitty and those sighs are faign'd I know them too too well faign'd are thy tears Thy grief is feign'd and feigned thy desire Yet can I not endure to see thee greeve Thou I am sure thou dost but feign to greeve The very naming of thy death affrights My poor afflicted soul be quiet then And live since thou hast one will dye for thee Live and in peace enjoy thy new lov'd love In which if thou hadst freedom by the bruit Of my supposed and perhaps by thee Long wisht for death I do not now desire My life should be the accuser of thy faults Or interrupt thy joys No I will dye Take courage then I le dye and pray the Heavens They may not arm their fierce revengeful wrath Against thy faults for if thou didst offend This heart endures for thee such horrid pains That heaven may well accept my sufferings For all thy foul offence Why say I mine No they are thine I had them all from thee And I endure them all to set thee free Act 5. Scen. 4. Melisso Niso Cloris Narete Mel. O Cloris how I tremble yet Dost thou not know my child nor do not you Kind Shepheards know who is that wofull wight That most unhappy wight that on the ground Did cast the proud insulting image of The Thracian Emperour Niso. And why with so much fear dost thou desire To know the man Mel. Ah if thou know him go and bid him fly Fly swift away or he 's but a dead man And shall we not be gone too daughter for Here come the Thracians hard at hand And now In greater rage than ever Clo. Why should I fly away from Thracians now When Thracians are to me my best beloved Ni•o. But why should that man dye and for what cause Mel. Their barbarous Law condemns him that 's enough Clori• lets go dost thou not know too well Hast thou forgot le ts go Nar. I prethee stay and tell me what new wo Their barbarous fury brings us which is still Fruitfull in bringing forth our miseries Mel. I le tel you then but yet do you mean while Look well about lest any of them come The Thracians have a Law that wheresoere The royal image of their tyrant Lord Shall be by any seen it shall be there By him ador'd And 't is no less than forfeit of his life Who shall by chance on set purpose shew The least contempt to it whoere he be Nar. Inhumane Law see if proud man cannot Exhalt his horns so high till towring up At last he doth confront even heaven it self Niso. Shepheard proceed Mel. The Captain with his troops was going up Unto the Temple there to see brought in The tribute of our children which we pay And I conceal'd within the bushes sate To view them as they past when one of them Who sure did come this way addrest himself Unto their Captain and thus humbly said Behold great Sir and gave him in his hand I know not what but sure it was of Gold For in those bushes I could see no more And scarcely could perceive the gold to shine Behold quoth he the sacred image here Which even now I found upon the bank Of a swift running stream O sacriledg I found it there cast down upon the ground Without respect to him whose shape it bears At which the rest foaming with rage and ire I know not whether out of custom or As an effect of fury rent their clothes And then the Captain taking by the hand Him that had brought the news of that misdeed Withdrew aside and talking with him there I by a secret path thence stole away And sure they cannot be far off but see See where they come ah daughter le ts away Nar. No for by going thus they may conceive Thee guilty of the fact Act. 5. Scen. 5. Oronte Niso Cloris Melisso Narete Perindo Oront FOr ceatain this is it this is the Ring I know 't exceeding well but yet the Law The Law is plain against the faulty man And he without all hope must lose his head Who cast the royal image on the ground Niso. Now Phillis thou shalt see whether my grief And my desire be feigned yea or no Oront If I can find the wretch if I can find But who it was that did possess this Ring Niso. He 's found already Sir and comes to take At thy great hands deserved punishment The Ring is mine and I am he that threw The royal image here upon the ground This is the faulty hand and this the head Condemned for the fact to be cut off Send for the sword then that it may revenge So capital a crime Mel. O desperate attempt come let us flie Le ts fly my dearest Cloris hence from death Clo. Fly thou unto the place that likes thee best For I must seek my life by meeting death Sir this man labours but to find the means To dye for me The Ring is mine and this the neck which now It hath encompast many years for see It bears the fresh impressions of it still The Ring is mine and I Niso. Ah Cloris Nar. Ah me Perind Shepheards forbear keep silence and take he•d That no man dare to move his foot or tongue Oront Thou Nymph goe on Clo. The Ring is mine and I was she that threw The royal image here upon the ground And if by dying I may satisfie For such a foul offence let no man else Pay for the forfeit I have made for I Even I too have a head which once cut off And separated from this liveless trunk Can find a way to fall and drench in blood The fatal sword which shall revenge the wrong Offer'd unto this sacred image here Niso. O peace a while great Sir she raves for love And