 | The Woman in the Moone |  |
Scena. 1.
Enter Sol and take his seate.Sol.
In looking downe vpon this baser worlde,
I long haue seene and rude Pandoraes harmes,
But as my selfe by nature am inclinde,
So shall she now become, gentle and kinde,
Abandoning all rancour, pride, and rage,
And changing from a Lion to a Lambe,
She shalbe louing liberall and chaste,
Discreete and patient, mercifull and milde,
Inspired with poetry and prophesie,
And vertues apperteyning womanhoode.
Enter Pandora with Gunophilus
Pand.
Tell me Gunophilus how doth Stesias now?
How fares he with his wound? vnhappy me,
That so vnkindely hurt so kind a friende,
But Stesias if thou pardon what is past,
I shall rewarde thy sufferaunce with loue,
These eyes that were like two malignant starres,
Shall yeeld their comfort with their sweet aspect.
And these my lippes that did blaspheme thy loue,
Shall speake thee fayre and blesse thee with a kisse,
And this my hand that hurt thy tender side,
Shall first with herbes recure the wound it made,
Then plight my fayth to thee in recompence.
And thou Gunophilus I pray thee pardon me,
That I misdid thee in my witles rage,
As time shall yeelde occasion be thou sure,
I will not fayle to make thee some amends.
Gunop.
I so content me in this pleasaunt calme.
Enter foure shepherdes.
Learc.
We follow still in hope of grace to come,
Iphi.
O sweete Pandora deigne our humble suites.
Melos.
O graunt me loue or wound me to the death.
Pand.
Stand vp: Pandora is no longer proud,
But shames at folly of her former deedes,
But why standes Stesias like a man dismayde?
Draw neare I say and thou with all the rest.
Forgiue the rigour of Pandoraes hand,
And quite forget the faultes of my disdayne.
Now is the time if you consent all foure,
VVherein Ile make amends for olde offence.
One of you foure shalbe my wedlocke mate,
And all the rest my welbeloued friendes:
But vowe you here in presence of the Gods,
That when I choose, my choyse shall please you all.
Ste.
Then make I vowe, by Pallas shepherds Queene,
That Stesias will alowe Pandoraes choyse.
But if he speede that lesse deserues then I,
Ile rather dye, then grudge or make complaynt.
Melos.
I sweare the like by all our country gods,
Iphi.
And I by our Dianes holy head.
Learc.
And I by Ceres and her sacred Nymphes.
Pand.
Then loue and Hymen blesse me in my choyse.
You all are young and all are louely fayre,
All kinde, and curteous and of sweete demeane,
All right and valiaunt, all in flowring prime,
But since you graunt my will his libertie,
Come Stesias take Pandora by the hand,
And with my hand I plight my spotles fayth.
Ste.
The word hath almost slayne me with delight.
Learc.
The worde with sorowe killeth me outright.
Melos.
O happy Stesias, but vnhappy me,
Iphi.
Come let vs goe and weepe our want elswhere
Exeunt.
Pand.
Their sad depart would make my hart to earne,
VVere not the ioyes that I conceaue in thee:
Go, go, Gunophilus without delay,
Gather me balme and cooling Violets,
And of our holly hearbe Nicotian,
And bring with all pure hunny from the hyue,
That I may heere compound a wholsome salue,
To heale the wound of my vnhappy hand.
Gunoph.
I goe.
Stesias.
Blest be the hand that made so happy wound,
For in my sufferance haue I wonne thy loue,
And blessed thou, that hauing tryed my faith,
Hast giuen admittance to my harts desert,
Now all is well, and all my hurt is whole,
And I in paradise of my delight.
Come louely spouse, let vs go walke the woods,
VVhere warbling birds recorde our happines:
And whisling leaues make musick to our myrthe,
And Flora strews her bowre to welcome thee.
Pand.
But first sweet husband, be thou ruld by me,
Go make prouision for some holy rytes:
That zeale may prosper our new ioyned loue,
And by and by my selfe will follw thee.
Ste.
Stay not my deere, for in thy lookes I liue.
Exit.
Pand.
I feele my selfe inspyrd, but wot not how,
Nor what it is, vnlesse some holy powre:
My heart foretels me many things to come,
And I am full of vnacquainted skil:
Yet such as wil not issue from my tongue,
But like Siballaes goulden prophesies,
Affecting rather to be clad in verse,
(The certaine badge of great Apolloes gift)
Then to be spred and soyld in vulgar words,
And now to ease the burden of my bulke,
Like Sibill, thus Pandora must begin,
Come my Pandora, Stesias stayes for thee.
Pand.
Peace man, with reuerence here & note my words,
For from Pandora speakes the Lawreat God.
Utopiæ Stesias Phœnici soluis amorem,
Numina cælorum dum pia præcipiunt.
And backward thus the same, but double sence.
Præcipiunt pia dum celorum Numina, amorem
Soluit Phœnici Stesias Utopiæ.
He soberly repeating these verses, first forward and then. backward, sayeth.
Stesi.
If soluere amorem signifie to loue,
Then meanes this prophesie good to Stesias:
But if it signifie to withdrawe loue,
Then is it ill aboadement to vs both:
But speake Pandora while the God inspyres.
Pand.
Idaliis prior hic pueris est: æquoris Alti
Pulchrior hec nymphis, & prior Aoniis.
And backward thus, but still all one in sense.
Aoniis prior, & nymphis hec pulchrior alti
Æquoris est: pueris hic prior Idaliis.
He soberly repeating these also, backward and forward, sayeth:
Stesi.
Forward and back, these also are alike
And sence all one, the pointing only changd:
They but import Pandoraes praise and mine.
Pand.
Euen now beginneth my furie to retyre,
And now with Stesias hence wil I retyre.
Exeunt.
| The Woman in the Moone | |