good opinion of the publick that whatever the should promote would infallibly succeed And it may not be improper to observe here what an influence Fame has on Certian Authors who having grown popular with their Fustian and Nonsence have in time deserv'd by writing well the Reputation their ill Verses acquird 'em ill usage has frequently the contrary effect and such as have done well when they have not met with the applause they deserv'd by endeavouring after to do better have made the first judgments that were made of 'em just Some think the measure of the Verse too short but Tasso drew me in to this Error if 't is one for since he thought the Italian which is the sweetest Language in the World wanted to be made yet more soft by the shortness of the measure I believ'd the English Heroick would be too Majestick and not so agreeable to the great simplicity which should every where appear in a Pastoral as Verse of seven or eight Syllables The management of the representation particularly that part on 't which I undertook was very ill contriv'd The small acquaintance I have had with such things did not qualify me to undertake what I did and the success was answerable to the contrivance I suppose every part of the Representation might have been orderd to more advantage tho the Actors performd theirs as well as could be expected and I question if any other Company would have done it better But be the Management or the Action what it will I am satisfy'd nothing could have drawn an audience to it when once they had heard what they were to be entertaind with and that their attention was required for three hours without one jest to divert ' em I saw this the first night and should have been much more discourag'd if some men of sense whose judgments I can safely depend on had not assur'd me that there was no reason for 't and that the could not without resentment see the partiality of several persons which might have been employ'd to more purpose against other who Court their applause and value their opinion more than I can SHEPHERDS Amintas Thyrsis Elpinus Ergastus Alfibeus SHEPHERDESSES Sylvia Daphne Nerina Chorus of Shepherds and Shepherdesses PROLOGUE Written by Mr. Dennis THis Play 's no English product but with toil Imported from a richer nobler Soil Then judge not rashly what in better times Great Tasso's Genius writ to warmer climes They who like Nature may suppose it good Tho Nature hut by few is understood She never is but by reflection seen And few are bold enough to look within As when a thoughtful man for sakes the Town And to some Country Solitude goes down With more than common pleasure he beholds The Woods the Lawns the Valleys and the Folds Natures bright Beauties every where he meets His Soul which long had been confin'd in streets With Rapture now her kindred objects greets These rural Scenes like pleasure may impart To those who value Nature more than Art And who have Souls to taste the Language of the Heart EPILOGUE OVr Author was afraid to have his Cause Come before Judges who dispence with Laws For those he sees are always kind to Fools But most severe to such as write by Rules They hate ev'n Nature too as much as Art And nothing but what 's monstrous will divert Those Plays alone that make 'em Laugh delight Where folly oft succeeds as well as Wit So merry in their humours we can scarce Engage 'em now with any thing but Farce What hopes then that our serious Scenes will do They 'll hardly spare 'em for their being new Their Novelty perhaps will give offence But above all we dread their Innocence Vnless the Fair in their defence appear From whom we hope we have the least to fear Love Pity Innocence of right belong To those to judge of who inspir'd the Song And if some persons fancy Farces best Because their own dear Pictures make the Jest The fair have much more reason to esteem The beauteous Images we draw from them To them the Soveraign Arbiters of Wit Our Author only would his Cause submit Whate're their censures are he 'll not presume To think 'em hard nor murmur at his doom As for the Criticks tho he cannot trust That they 'll be either merciful or just Yet if this Play is by the Ladies lik'd He thinks they 're too well bred to contradict ACT I. SCENE I. Daphne Sylvia Daphne SYlvia will you still persist In this strange disgust of Love Will you still refuse to hear Our Shepherds sighs and scorn their tears But if sighs end tears in vain Attempt to move your cruel heart Methinks the hopes that you might have To see a lovely Infant smile And call you Mother should succeed Change foolish Creature change your thoughts And be not constant to a Crime Sylvia Let others if they please be mov'd With sighs and tears and take delight To play with Love I 'll never quit The Forests never leave the Chace Whilst Beasts of prey are to be found I 'll range the Woods I 'll scour the Plains And with my Bow and Quiver find A better way to nobler sport Daphne Dull sport and an insipid life You Sylvia stubborn as thou art Will think so too when you begin To taste the sweets of Love ' So the first people who possest ' In Innocence the Infant World ' Fed on Acorns and when dry ' Drank the Waters of the Brook ' Beasts only now on Acorns seed ' And drink the Waters of the Brook ' And thus when you at last shall feel ' How pleasant 't is beneath a shade 'To sit and talk with one you love Then Sylvia you 'll repent and cry Ah fool I never lov'd till now You 'll throw away your Arrows break your Bow And curse the minutes you have lost Change foolish Creature change your thought And be not constant to a Crime Sylvia When I sit and task of Love Dogs shall be afraid of Hares Wolves of Lambs and Streams return To the Fountains whence they rose Bears shall then the Forests leave And Dolphins dance about the Plains Daphne I know your pride for I was once Wild and obstinate like you ' I was then as fair my Locks ' As white as yours my Lips as red ' Such Roses and such Lillies grac'd ' My Cheeks as flourish now on yours 'T was then so stupid was my taste ' The darling pleasure of my life 'To set my Lime-twigs lay my Nets ' And laugh as often as I saw ' The Birds entangled in my Snares I then delighted in the Chace And scorn'd with savage modesty The Shepherds whom my Charms had conquer'd I was then so far unjust As once to think it cause enough To hate 'em for their loving me And pleasing them displeas'd my self But oh what will not time effect What will not services and sighs Desert entreaties truth and tears What Sylvia will not
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