University of Virginia Library

SCE. 3.

Chorus, Ergasto.
Shepheardes, haue you not heard our Demi-God
Montanus, worthy sonne of Hercules discent,
Hath slaine the dreadfull Boore, that did infest
All Arcady, and now he doth prepare
To satisfie his Vowes, if we will thankefull bee
For such a benefite, lets go and meete him,
And giue him all the reuerence that we can.

Er.
Oh dolefull fortune! Oh most bitter chaunce!
Immedicable wounde, Oh mornefull day!

Cho.
What voyce of horror and of plaint heare wee?

Er.
Starres foomen to our good, thus mocke you vs?
Did you so high our hopes lift vp, that with
Their fall you might vs plague the more?

Cho.
This seemes Ergasto, and t'is surely hee.

Er.
Why do I Starres accuse, accuse thy selfe,
That brought'st the Yron to Loues Anuile so,
Thou didst it strike, thou mad'st the sparkes fly out
From whence this fire growes so vnquenchablet
But heauens do know my pittie brought me to't.
Oh haples Louers, wretched Amarillis,
Vnfortunate Titirus, childles father,
Sad Montanus, desolate Arcadia:
Oh miserable we; and to conclude,
All that I see, speake, heare, or thinke, most miserable.

Cho.
What wretched accident is this that doth containe
So many miseries? Gow' Shepheards Gow'!
Lets meete with him: Eternall heauenly powers,
Will not your rage yet cease? Speake good Ergasto,
What lamentable chaunce is this thou plainst?

Er.
Deare friendes, I plaine vs all the ruine of Arcadia.

Cho.
What's this?

Er.
The prop of all our hopes is downe.

Cho.
Ah speake more plaine.

Er.
Daughter of Titirus,
The onely branch of her decaying stocke,
Hope of our health, which to Montanus sonne,
Was by the heauens promist and destenied,
Whose marriage should haue freed Arcadia,
Wise Amarillis, Nimph celestiall,
Patterne of honor, flowre of chastetie:
My hart wil not giue me leaue to speak.

Ch.
Why, is she dead?

Er.
Nay doom'd to death.

Cho.
Ay me, what's this.

Er.
Nay worse, With infamie.

Cho.
Amarlllis infamous.

Er.
Found with the adult'rour, & if hence ye go not soone,
Ye may her see led captiue to the Temple.

Cho.
Oh rare! but wicked, valure of this female sexe,
Oh chastetie, how singuler thou art,
Scarce can a man say any woman's chast,
Saue she that ne're was try'd; vnhappy age:
But curteous Shepheard, tell vs how it was?

Er.
This day betime you know Montanus came,
With th'naples father of the wretched Nimph,
Both by one selfe deuotion led, which was
By pray'rs, to haste the marriage to good end:
For this the Sacrifizes offered were,
Which solemnly perform'd with good aspectes:
For neuer were there seene intrailes more faire,
Nor flames more bright, by which the blind Diuine
Mooued, did to Montanus say: This day
With Amarillis shall your sonne be wed:
Goe quickly and prepare the marriage feast.
Oh blindly done, blind Prophets to beleeue,
The fathers and the standers by were glad,
And wept, their hartes made tender with this ioye.
Titirus was no sooner gone, but straight we heard
And saw vnhappy fearefull signes, the messengers
Of sacred ire: at which so sodaine and so fierce,
Each stood amaz'd, the Priestes inclosed were
VVithin the greater Cloysture, we without,
VVeeping were saying holy pray'res, when loe
The wicked Satyre audience earnest craues
Of the chiefe Priest: and for this was my charge,
I let him in, to whom he thus begins.
Fathers, if to your Vowes the Incense and
The Sacrifizes be not answerable,
If on your Aulters purely burne no flames,
Woonder not, for in Ericinaes Caue,
A treacherous Nimph prophanes your holy Lawes:
And in adultry her fayth doth breake.
Come Ministers with me, wee'le take in the fact.
A while th'vnhappy father breathes, thinking he had
Found out the cause of this so dismall signes,
Straight he commaundes chiefe Minister Nicander go
With that same Satyre, and captiud to bring
Them to the Temple both: him straight accompanied
With all our troupe of vnder Ministers,
The Satyre by a darke and crooked way,
Conductes into the Caue: the young-man scar'd
Without torch-light, so sodainely assail'd:
Assayes to fly vnto that outward issue,
But it the Satyre closed hath too fast.

Cho.
What did you then?

Er.
I can not tell you how
Amaz'd we were, to see her that we taken had,
To be Titirus daughter, whom no sooner we
Had layd hold on, but out Mirtillo steps,
And throwes his Dart, thinking to wound Nicander:
And had the steele hit as he did direct,
Nicander had been slaine: but shrinking backe,
Whether by chaunce or wit, he shund the harme:
But the strong Dart pierced his hayrie cloathes,
And there stucke fast, Mirtillo not being able
It to recouer, captiue taken was.

Cho.
What's come of him?

Er.
He by an other way is led.

Cho.
VVhat shall he do?

Er.
To get more out of him,
Besides, perhaps he shall not skotfree scape:
For hauing so offended our high Priest,
Yet would I could haue comforted the wretch.

Cho.
Why could you not?

Er.
Because the Law forbids
Vsunder Ministers to speake with gultie folkes:
For this I came about, and left the rest,
Prouoking heauens with teares and prayers deuout,
To turne away this dreadfull storme from vs:
And so pray yee, and there with all farewell.

Cho.
So shall we do, had we but once performd
Our duetie vnto Siluio, eternall Gods
In pittie, not in furie, shew your selues supreame.