 | Love's Labyrinth |  |
Scæn. 3.
Enter Melecertus.Ay, ay, it shall be so. Oh Melecertus,
Yonder is the finest shepherdess that ever
The moon held the candle of her light to; the
Shepherd Menaphon has got her to him, as
If because he is the Kings shepherd, he
Must have the Queen of Shepherdesses.
Mel.
Hast seen her, Doron? and dost know her name?
Dor.
Seen her? ay, and sigh to see her too; her name, I
Think, is Stamela—no, no,—Samela, Samela,
Ay, ay, that's her name, I have it now, I would
I had her too.
Mel.
What kind of woman is she, canst thou tell?
Dor.
Ay, or else I were naught to keep sheep.
Mel.
Can thy tongue paint her forth to mine ear?
36
Ay, ay, legible, I warrant you.
Her eyes are like two diamonds, I think, for
I never saw any before; and her locks are
All gold, like the golden fleece our shepherds
Tell of.
Mel.
It were good vent'ring for that golden fleece,
Doron, as Jason long since did for his.
Dor.
Her hands are all ivory, like the bone-haft
Of my best knife, her alablaster, and her
Eyes black as my blackest lamb, her cheeks
Like roses red and white that grow together.
What think you of her now? have I not made
A fair picture on her?
Mel.
Ay Doron, were this picture painted to
The life, as thou hast here described it,
It could not chuse but make an absolute,
Rare, and compleat piece of deformitie.
Dor.
Nay, nay, if you don't like it, I don't
Care, but I had it out of an old book of
My brother Moron's, they call 'm
Rogue-mances, I think: my brother
Ha's a whole tumbrel full on 'm, he's
Such a Bookish block-head—
Mel.
Nay, be not angry, Doron, I believe
Thou mean'st a beautie beyond expression:
And such an one I had, till envious fate
Rob'd me of her, and all my joyes at once,
Heavens envying at my happiness,
Sent death to fetch her from me, and she's dead,
Dead, Doron, dead,—she's dead to me, and to
The world, and all but to my memorie.
weeps.
Dor.
Fie, Melecertus, what dost mean to
Weep? what, wilt thou make dirt of
Her ashes with thy teares?
37
Well, Doron, we forget our flocks, and we
Shall miss the shepherds merry meeting.
Dor.
That's true, and there will be the shepherdesses
Too, and Menaphon will bring his fine
Mistris thither; there shalt thou see her,
But first mask thine eyes, lest thou lose
Them, and become love-blind, as I am.
Good Melecertus take the pains to lead me.
Exeunt.
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