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Sce. 4.
Titirus. Montanus. Damætas.[Titirus.]
So helpe me Gods, I know I now do speake
To one that vnderstands more then I do.
These Oracles are still more doubtfull then
We take them, for their words are like to kniues,
Which taken by the hafts, are fit for vse,
But by the edges held, they may do harme.
That Amarillis as you argue, is
By the high heauenly Destenies elected for
Arcadiaes vniuersall health: who ought
More to desire, or to esteeme the same
Then I that am her father? but when I regard
That which the Oracle foretold, ill do the signes
Agree with our great hopes: since loue should then
Vnite, how falls it out he flies from her?
How can hate and despight bring forth loues fruite?
Ill could he contradict had heau'ns ordain'd it.
But since he doth contrary it, t'is cleare,
Heauens do not will: for if so they would
That Amarillis should be Siluioes wise,
A Louer, not a Huntsman, him they would haue made.
Mon.
Do you not see he is a child as yet?
He hath attain'd scarcely to eighteene yeares,
All in good time he may yet taste of loue.
Taste of a beast, heele neueuer woman like.
Mon.
Many things alter in a yong mans heart.
Tit.
But alwaies loue is naturall to youth.
Mon.
It is vnnaturall where yeares do want.
Ti.
Loue alwaies flowres in our green time of age.
Mon.
It doth but flowre, t'is quite without all fruit.
Ti.
With timely flowres loue euer brings forth fruit.
Hither I came not for to ieast (Montane)
Nor to contend with you. But I the father am
Of a deare onely child, and (if't be lawfull so to say)
A worthy child, and by your leaue of many sought.
Mon.
Titirus, if the Destenies haue not ordain'd
This marriage, yet the faith they gaue on earth,
Bindes them vntoo't, which if they violate,
They violate their vow to Cinthia,
Who is enrag'd gainst vs, how much thou knowst.
But for as much as I discouer can,
The secret counsailes of th'eternall powers:
This knot was knit by th'and of Desteny.
All to good end will sort, be of good cheere.
I'le tell you now a dreame I had last night.
I sawe a thing which makes my auncient hope
Reuiue within my heart, more then before.
Tit.
Dreames in the end proue dreames, but what saw you?
Mon.
Do you remember that fame wofull night,
When swelling Ladon ouerflowd his bankes,
So that the fishes swam where birds did breed,
And in a moment did the rauenous floud,
Take men and beasts by heapes and heards away.
(Oh sad remembrance) in that very night
I lost my child, more deare then was my heart:
Mine onely child, in cradle warmly laid.
Liuing, and dead, dearely belou'd of me.
The Torrent tooke him hence ere we could prooue
To giue him succour, being buried quite,
In terrour, sleepe, and darknesse of the night:
Nor could we euer find the cradle where he lay,
By which I gesse some whirlpit swallowd both.
Who can gesse otherwise? and I remember now,
You told me of this your mishap before:
A memorable misaduenture sure,
And you may say, you haue two sonnes begot,
One to the woods, the other to the waues.
Mon.
Perhaps the pitious heauens will restore
My first sonnes losse, in him that liueth yet;
Still must we hope, now listen to my tale.
The time when light and darknesse stroue together,
This one for night, that other for the day,
Hauing watcht all the night before, with thought
To bring this marriage to a happie end,
At last, with length of wearinesse, mine eyes
A pleasing slumber closde, when I this vision sawe,
Me thought I sat on famous Alfeus banke,
Vnder a leauy plane tree with a bayted hooke,
Tempting the fishes in the streame, in midst
Whereof, there rose me thought an aged man:
His head and beard dropping downe siluer teares,
Who gently raught to me with both his hands
A naked childe, saying, behold thy sonne,
Take heed thou killst him not. And with that word
He diued downe againe. When straight the skies
Waxt blacke with cloudes, threatning a dismall showre,
And I afraid, the child tooke in mine armes,
Crying, ah heauens, and will you in an instant then,
Both giue and take away my child againe?
When on the sudden all the skie waxt cleare:
And in the Riuer sell a thousand bowes,
And thousand arrowes, broken all to shiuers.
The body of the plane tree trembled there,
And out of it there came a subtill voyce
Which said, Arcadia shalbe faire againe.
So is the Image of this gentle dreame
Fixt in my heart, that still me thinkes I see't:
But aboue all, the curteous aged man.
For this when you me met, I comming was
Vnto the temple for to sacrifize,
Tit.
Our dreames are rather representments vaine
Of Idle hopes, then any things to come:
Onely daies thoughts made fables for the night.
Mon.
The mind doth not sleepe euer with the flesh,
But is more watchfull then, because the eyes
Do not lead it a wandring where they goe.
Tit.
Well, of our children what the heauens disposed haue,
Is quite vnknowne to vs, but sure it is,
Yours gainst the law of nature feeles not loue.
And mine hath but the bond of his faith giu'n
For her reward. I cannot say she loues,
But well I wot she hath made many loue:
And t'is vnlike, she tastes not that she makes
So many taste. Me thinkes shee's alter'd much
From that she was: for full of sport and mirth,
Shee's wont to be. But t'is a grieuous thing,
To keepe a woman married and vnmarried thus.
For like a Rose that in some garden growes,
How daintie t'is against the Sunne doth rise,
Perfuming with sweete odours round about,
Bidding the humming bees to honey feast:
But if you then neglect to gather it,
And suffer Titan in his middayes course
To scorch her sides, and burne her daintie seat,
Then ere Sun-set, discoloured she falls,
And nothing worth vpon the shadow'd hedge.
Euen so a maid whom mothers care doth keepe,
Shutting her heart from amorous desires.
But if the piercing lookes of hungry louers eyes
Come but to view her, if she heare him sigh,
Her heart soone ope's, her breast soone takes in loue:
Which if for shame she hide, or feare containe,
The silent wretch in deepe desire consumes.
So fadeth beautie if that fire endure,
And leesing time, good fortune's lost be sure.
Mon.
Be of good cheare, let not these humane feares,
Confound thy spright, let's put our trust i'th' Gods,
Our children are their off-spring, and be sure
They will not see them lost that others keepe.
Go'w, let vs to the Temple ioyntly goe,
And sacrifize you a hee Goat to Pan,
I a young Bull, to mightie Hercules.
He that the heard makes thriue, can therewithall
Make him thriue, that with the profits of his heard
Hallowes the Altars. Faithfull Dametas,
Go thou and fetch a young and louely Bull,
As anie's in the heard, and bring it by the mountaines way,
I at the Temple will attend for thee.
Tit.
A he Goat bring Dametas from my heard.
Exeunt Mon. & Tur.
Da.
Both one and other I will well performe.
I pray the Gods (Montane) thy dreame do sort
Vnto as good an end as thou dost hope.
I know remembrance of thy sonne thou lost,
Inspires thee with a happie prophecie.
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