 | The Araygnement of Paris |  |
SCENA. IIII.
Pallas, Iuno, and Venus enter, Rhanis leading the way,Pan alone sings.The songe.
The God of sheepeheardes and his mates,
With countrie chere salutes your states:
Faire, wise, and worthie as you bee,
And thanke the gracious Ladies three,
For honour done to Ida. The birdes singe.
The songe being done, Iuno speakes.
Iuno.
Venus, what shall I saie, for though I be a dame deuine,
This welcome and this melodie exceedes these wittes of mine.
Ven.
Beleeue me, Iuno, as I hight thee soueraigne of Loue,
These rare delightes in pleasures passe the banquets of king Ioue.
Pall.
Then, Venus, I conclude, it easelie may be seene,
That in her chaste and pleasant walkes fayre Phœbe is a Queene.
Rha.
Diuine Pallas, and you sacred dames,
Iuno and Venus, honoured by your names:
Iuno, the wife and sister of kinge Ioue,
Faire Venus, Ladie president of loue:
That can afford but homely, rude and base,
It pleaze your godheads to accept in gree,
That gratious thought our happinesse shalbe.
My mistresse Dian, this right well I know,
For loue that to this presence shee doth owe,
Accountes more honoure done to her this day,
Then euer whilom in these woods of Ida.
And for our countrey gods, I dare bee bolde,
They make such cheere, your presence to beholde,
Such iouysaunce, such myrth and merryment,
As nothing els their minde might more content:
And that you doe beleeue it to bee so,
Fayre goddesses, your louely lookes doe showe.
It rests in fine, for to confirme my talke,
Yee dayne to passe alonge to Dians walke:
Where shee amonge her troupe of maydes attends
The fayre aryuall of her vvelcome friends.
Flora.
And vvee vvill vvayte vvith all obseruance due,
And doe iust honour to this heauenly crue.
Pan.
The god of sheepheardes, Iuno, ere thou goe,
Intends a lambe on thee for to bestovve.
Faun.
Faunus, high raunger in Dianas chace,
Presents a favvne to lady Uenus grace.
Sylu.
Syluanus giues to Pallas deitye,
This gallant bovve raught from the Oken tree.
Pom.
To them that doth this honour to our fieldes,
Her mellovve apples poore Pomona yeildes.
Iuno.
And gentle gods, these signes of your goodvvill
Wee take in vvorth, and shall accept them still.
Uen.
And Flora, this to thee amonge the rest,
Thy vvorkmanship comparinge vvith the best,
Let it suffize thy cunninge to haue,
To call kinge Ioue from forth his heauenly bovvre:
Hadst thou a louer, Flora, credit mee,
I thinke thou vvouldst beedecke him gallantly.
But vvende vve on, and, Rhanis, leade the vvay,
That kens the paynted pathes of pleasunt Ida.
Exeunt omnes.
| The Araygnement of Paris | |