The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis paraphrastically translated out of Latine into English Hexameters by Abraham Fraunce |
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| 8. | The eight Lamentation. |
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 | The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis |  |
The eight Lamentation.
Since death of Phillis, since Phillis burnt by Amyntas,
Since Phillis burnt bones were chested duly, the eighth time,
Night gaue place to the light, and euning vnto the morning:
When to the woods so wilde, to the wilde beasts dangerus harbors,
Forsaking hye wayes, by the bye wayes passed Amintas:
And there sets him downe al wearied vnder a myrtle,
For griefe stil groning, with deepe sighs heauily panting,
Stil Phillis naming, stil Phillis feintily calling.
And must one wench thus take all the delights fro the countrey?
And must one wench thus make euery man to be mourning?
Euery man whose flocks on these hills vse to be feeding?
And must Æglon weepe, and must that friendly Menalcas
Weare his mourning roab, for death of my bony Phillis?
And must good Coridon lament, must Tityrus alter
His pleasant melodies, for death of my bony Phillis?
And must Damœtas for griefe leaue of to be louing?
Must Amarillis leaue, for death of my bony Phillis?
And must drooping bull consume as he goes by the meddowe?
Must sheepe looke lowring, for death of my bony Phillis?
And must sighs seeme windes? must teares seeme watery fountains?
And must each thing change for death of my bony Phillis?
O then what shal I do, for death of my bony Phillis?
Since that I lou'd bonylasse Phillis more dearely then al these.
Since that I lou'd her more then I loue these eyes of Amyntas.
O then what shal I do forlorne forsaken Amintas,
What shal I doe, but die, for death of my bony Phillis?
Phillis who was wont my flocke with care to bee feeding,
Phillis who was wont my mylch shee goats to be milking,
Phillis who was wont, (most handsome wench of a thousand)
Either clouted creame, or cakes, or curds to be making,
Either fine basketts of bulrush for to be framing,
Or by the greene meddows gay dauncing dames to be leading,
Phillis whose bosome filbeards did loue to be filling,
Phillis for whose sake greene laurel lou'd to be bowing,
Phillis, alas, sweete lasse Phillis, this braue bony Phillis,
Is dead, is buried, maks all good company parted.
O how oft Phillis conferd in fields with Amintas?
Whilst for nymphs of woods gay garlands framed Amintas.
O how oft Phillis did sing in caues with Amintas,
Ioyning her sweete voice to the oaten pipe of Amintas?
O how oft Phillis clypt and embraced Amintas,
How many thousand times hath Phillis kissed Amintas,
Bitten Amintas lipps, and bitten againe of Amintas?
So that Amintas his eyes inuied these lipps of Amintas.
O sweete soule Phillis w'haue liu'd and lou'd for a great while,
(If that a man may keepe any mortal ioy for a great while)
Like louing Turtles and Turtledoues for a great while:
One loue, one liking, one sence, one soule for a great while,
Thefore one deaths wound, one graue, one funeral only
Should haue ioyned in one both loue and louer Amintas.
Since Phillis burnt bones were chested duly, the eighth time,
Night gaue place to the light, and euning vnto the morning:
When to the woods so wilde, to the wilde beasts dangerus harbors,
Forsaking hye wayes, by the bye wayes passed Amintas:
And there sets him downe al wearied vnder a myrtle,
For griefe stil groning, with deepe sighs heauily panting,
Stil Phillis naming, stil Phillis feintily calling.
And must one wench thus take all the delights fro the countrey?
And must one wench thus make euery man to be mourning?
Euery man whose flocks on these hills vse to be feeding?
And must Æglon weepe, and must that friendly Menalcas
Weare his mourning roab, for death of my bony Phillis?
And must good Coridon lament, must Tityrus alter
His pleasant melodies, for death of my bony Phillis?
And must Damœtas for griefe leaue of to be louing?
Must Amarillis leaue, for death of my bony Phillis?
And must drooping bull consume as he goes by the meddowe?
Must sheepe looke lowring, for death of my bony Phillis?
And must sighs seeme windes? must teares seeme watery fountains?
And must each thing change for death of my bony Phillis?
O then what shal I do, for death of my bony Phillis?
Since that I lou'd bonylasse Phillis more dearely then al these.
Since that I lou'd her more then I loue these eyes of Amyntas.
O then what shal I do forlorne forsaken Amintas,
What shal I doe, but die, for death of my bony Phillis?
Phillis who was wont my flocke with care to bee feeding,
Phillis who was wont my mylch shee goats to be milking,
Phillis who was wont, (most handsome wench of a thousand)
Either clouted creame, or cakes, or curds to be making,
Either fine basketts of bulrush for to be framing,
Or by the greene meddows gay dauncing dames to be leading,
Phillis for whose sake greene laurel lou'd to be bowing,
Phillis, alas, sweete lasse Phillis, this braue bony Phillis,
Is dead, is buried, maks all good company parted.
O how oft Phillis conferd in fields with Amintas?
Whilst for nymphs of woods gay garlands framed Amintas.
O how oft Phillis did sing in caues with Amintas,
Ioyning her sweete voice to the oaten pipe of Amintas?
O how oft Phillis clypt and embraced Amintas,
How many thousand times hath Phillis kissed Amintas,
Bitten Amintas lipps, and bitten againe of Amintas?
So that Amintas his eyes inuied these lipps of Amintas.
O sweete soule Phillis w'haue liu'd and lou'd for a great while,
(If that a man may keepe any mortal ioy for a great while)
Like louing Turtles and Turtledoues for a great while:
One loue, one liking, one sence, one soule for a great while,
Thefore one deaths wound, one graue, one funeral only
Should haue ioyned in one both loue and louer Amintas.
O good God what a griefe is this that death to remember?
For such grace, gesture, face, feature, beautie, behauiour,
Neuer afore was seene, is neuer againe to be lookt for.
O frowning fortune, ô death and desteny dismal:
Thus be the poplar trees that spred their tops to the heauens,
Of their flouring leaues despoil'd in an houre, in a moment:
Thus be the sweete violets that gaue such grace to the garden,
Of their purpled roabe despoyld in an houre, in a moment.
For such grace, gesture, face, feature, beautie, behauiour,
Neuer afore was seene, is neuer againe to be lookt for.
O frowning fortune, ô death and desteny dismal:
Thus be the poplar trees that spred their tops to the heauens,
Of their flouring leaues despoil'd in an houre, in a moment:
Thus be the sweete violets that gaue such grace to the garden,
Of their purpled roabe despoyld in an houre, in a moment.
O how oft did I roare and crie with an horrible howling,
When for want of breath Phillis lay feintily gasping?
O how oft did I wish that Phœbus would fro my Phillis
Driue this feuer away: or send his sonne from Olympus,
Who, when lady Venus by a chaunce was prickt with a bramble,
Healed her hand with his oyles, and fine knacks kept for a purpose.
Or that I could perceiue Podalyrius order in healing,
Or that I could obtaine Medæas exquisite ointments,
And baths most precious, which old men freshly renewed.
Or that I were as wise, as was that craftie Prometheus,
Who made pictures liue with fire that he stole from Olympus.
Thus did I cal and crie, but no body came to Amintas,
Then did I raile and raue, but nought did I get by my railing,
Whilst that I cald and cry'd, & rag'd, and rau'd as a mad man,
Phillis,, alas, Phillis by the burning fitts of a feuer,
Quickly before her day, her daies vnluckily ended.
O dismal deaths day, with black stone still to be noted,
Wherin no sunne shin'd, no comfort came fro the heauens,
Wherein clustred clouds had cou'red lightsome Olympus,
Wherein no sweete bird could finde any ioy to be chirping,
vvherein loathsome snakes from dens were loath to be creeping,
vvherein foule skriche owles did make detestable howling,
And from chimney top gaue woful signes of a mischiefe.
O first day of death, last day of life to Amintas,
vvhich no day shal driue from soule and hart of Amintas,
Til Neptune dry'de vp withdrawe his fludds fro the fishes,
And skaled fishes liue naked along by the sea shore,
Till starrs fal to the ground, til light harts leap to Olympus.
For since Phillis went and left forsaken Amintas,
Ioyes and pleasures went and left forsaken Amintas.
Perplexed speaking, and vaine thoughts only remayned,
Immoderate mourning, and mad loue onely remayned.
Thou Ioue omnipotent, which doest with mercie remember
Mortall mens miseries: which knowst what it is to be louing,
And thou god Phœbus that sometimes driu'n from Olympus
Feeding sheepe didst loue, helpe luckles louer Amyntas
Feeding sheepe and goats, help poore man, yong man Amintas.
Thou that abridgest breath, thou daughter deare to the darknes,
Cutt this thread of life, dispatch and bring mee to darknes,
Infernal darknes, fit place for mournful Amintas.
So shal Amintas walke and talke in darksome Auernus,
So shal Amintas loue with Phillis againe be renued,
In fields Elysian Phillis shal liue with Amintas.
Thus do I wish and pray, this praying is but a pratling,
And these wishing words but a blast, but a winde, but a whistling,
Dye then Amyntas Dye, for dead is thy bony Phillis.
When for want of breath Phillis lay feintily gasping?
O how oft did I wish that Phœbus would fro my Phillis
Driue this feuer away: or send his sonne from Olympus,
Who, when lady Venus by a chaunce was prickt with a bramble,
Healed her hand with his oyles, and fine knacks kept for a purpose.
Or that I could perceiue Podalyrius order in healing,
Or that I could obtaine Medæas exquisite ointments,
And baths most precious, which old men freshly renewed.
Or that I were as wise, as was that craftie Prometheus,
Who made pictures liue with fire that he stole from Olympus.
Thus did I cal and crie, but no body came to Amintas,
Whilst that I cald and cry'd, & rag'd, and rau'd as a mad man,
Phillis,, alas, Phillis by the burning fitts of a feuer,
Quickly before her day, her daies vnluckily ended.
O dismal deaths day, with black stone still to be noted,
Wherin no sunne shin'd, no comfort came fro the heauens,
Wherein clustred clouds had cou'red lightsome Olympus,
Wherein no sweete bird could finde any ioy to be chirping,
vvherein loathsome snakes from dens were loath to be creeping,
vvherein foule skriche owles did make detestable howling,
And from chimney top gaue woful signes of a mischiefe.
O first day of death, last day of life to Amintas,
vvhich no day shal driue from soule and hart of Amintas,
Til Neptune dry'de vp withdrawe his fludds fro the fishes,
And skaled fishes liue naked along by the sea shore,
Till starrs fal to the ground, til light harts leap to Olympus.
For since Phillis went and left forsaken Amintas,
Ioyes and pleasures went and left forsaken Amintas.
Perplexed speaking, and vaine thoughts only remayned,
Immoderate mourning, and mad loue onely remayned.
Thou Ioue omnipotent, which doest with mercie remember
Mortall mens miseries: which knowst what it is to be louing,
And thou god Phœbus that sometimes driu'n from Olympus
Feeding sheepe didst loue, helpe luckles louer Amyntas
Feeding sheepe and goats, help poore man, yong man Amintas.
Thou that abridgest breath, thou daughter deare to the darknes,
Cutt this thread of life, dispatch and bring mee to darknes,
Infernal darknes, fit place for mournful Amintas.
So shal Amintas walke and talke in darksome Auernus,
So shal Amintas loue with Phillis againe be renued,
In fields Elysian Phillis shal liue with Amintas.
Thus do I wish and pray, this praying is but a pratling,
And these wishing words but a blast, but a winde, but a whistling,
Dye then Amyntas Dye, for dead is thy bony Phillis.
Phœbus went to the sea: to the poore house hasted Amintas.
| The Lamentations of Amyntas for the death of Phillis | |