University of Virginia Library

The fourth day.

Thrice had shining Sunne withdrawne his face fro the heauens,
And earth all darckned since Phillis friendly departed;
And, when fourth day came, then againe true-louer Amyntas
Myndeful of ould loue stil, tooke noe ioy flock to be feeding,
But stil alone wandring through fyelds, to the bancks, to the waters,
Leaned his head on Bank, and eyes cast downe to the waters,
With teares incessant his cheeks full watery washing.
What now resteth, alas, to be doone of woeful Amyntas?
Noe sence, noe knowledge in these vnsensible ashes,
In graue noe feeling, in death ther's noe-pity-taking.


Phillis maks but a iest, dead Phillis mocketh Amyntas,
Phillis breaks her faith, and plays with Pluto the black-Prince,
Pluto the black-Prince now enioys those ioys of Amyntas.
Speake on, good sweete Nymphs, if you can shew any tydings,
Whether among those trulls that wayte on Queene of Auernus,
My Queene and Empresse, my Phillis chaunce to be spinning?
Speake, for I feare, for I feare, shee'le neuer come to Amyntas.
Father Syluanus, Syluanus good to the mountains,
And flocks on mountains, ô help most helples Amyntas,
Help by thyself by thy friends, thou God, cause Gods to be helping:
For my relligion, for my deuotion help mee,
Either let Phillis be returned back to Amyntas,
Or let Amyntas dy, that death may succor Amyntas.
And thou naughty Cupide, yet say on, geue mee thy counsail,
What shal I dooe? shal I dy? shal Amyntas murder Amyntas?
Dy then Amyntas: death will bring Phillis to Amyntas.
O hard-harted Loue, thou see'st what I beare, what I suffer,
Hart with flames, and eyes with mourneful water abounding,
Head with cares possest, and soule ful of horrible anguish:
This thou see'st, and sure I doe know, it greeues thee to see this,
Though they call thee tyrant, though soe thou iustly be called,
Though thy nature passe Busiris beastly behauyour:
For, what makes me to mourne, may cause thee to yeeld to my mourning:
One rude rock, one winde, and one tempestuus outrage
Batters, breaks, and beats my ship, thy ship to the quicksands;
Our harmes are æquall, thy shipwrack's like to my shipwrack;
Loue did loue Phillis, Phillis was lou'd of Amyntas,
Phillis Loues dearling, Phillis dearling of Amyntas;
Deearling, crowne, garland, hope, ioy, health, wealth of Amyntas,
And what more shal I say? for I want woords fit for Amyntas.
And thou churhsh ground, now cease any more to be fruitefull,
Cease to be deckt with flowrs and all in greene to be mantled:
Thy flowre is wyth'red, my garland lately decayed,
Phillis thyne and myne with death vntymely departed.
Whose sweete corps thou bar'st, whose footesteps in thee be printed,
And whose face thou didst admyre for bewty renowmed.
Belch out roaring blasts with gaping iawes to the heauens,
That those roaring blasts may scowre by the skies, by the heauens,
And foule strugling stormes cast downe fro the clowds, fro the heauens,
For such fowle weather will best agree with a mourner.


Howle and mourne thou earth, and roare with an horrible outcry,
Howle as then thou didst, when mountains were to the mountains
Put, by thy cursed broode, to be clyming vp to Olympus.
When great flakes of fire came flashing downe fro the heauens,
When thy crawling sons came tumbling downe from Olympus.
Howle as Lady Ceres did then when Prince of Auernus
Stole her daughter away from fields that ioyned on Ætna,
Vnto the dungeons darck, and dens of his hellish abyding.
Thou ground, forgetfull what was by duty requyred,
Shouldst send vnbidden, with Phillis, teares to Auernus.
Her blessed burden thou wast vnworthy to beare vp,
Therefore tender gyrle in flowring age she departed.
O frowning fortune, ô starrs vnluckily shyning,
O cursed byrth-day of quyte forsaken Amyntas,
Phillis, alas, is chaungd, Phillis conuerted in ashes,
Whose prety lipps, neck, eyes, and haire soe sweetely beseeming,
Purple, snow, and fyre, and gold-wyre seem'd to resemble.
Tithonus faire wife coms always home by the Sun-set,
Euery night coms home to that ould Tithonus her husband,
Sweete Cephalus leauing, and gray-beard harti'y kissing:
But my Phillis, alas, is gone, is gone to Auernus,
Gone too-far to returne, and this tormenteth Amyntas.
White is black, and sweete is sowre to the sense of Amyntas,
Night and day doe I weepe and make ground moyst by my weeping,
Mourne, lament, and howle, and powre forth plaints to the heauens:
Soe doe the Nightingales in bushes thorny remaining,
Sing many dolefull notes and tunes, sweete harmony making,
Theyr yong ones mourning, their yong ones dayly bewayling.
Phillis, alas, is gone, shee'le neuer come to Amyntas,
Neuer againe come back, for Death and Desteny stay her,
Stay her among those groues and darcksome dens of Auernus,
Where's noe path to returne, noe starting hole to be scaping;
Desteny, Death, and Hell, and Cerberus horrible Hel-hound,
Loathsome streames of Styx, that nyne times compas Auernus,
Stay her amongst those Haggs in dungeons ougly for euer:
Only the name and fame, and her most happy remembraunce
Stil shal abyde, shal lyue, shall floorish freely for euer.
Thus did Amyntas plaine, and then came faintily homeward.