University of Virginia Library

SCENA. 1.

Vranio, Carino.
[Vranio.]
The place is euer good, where any thriues:
And euery place is natiue, to the wise.

Car.
True (good Uranio) I by proofe can tell,
That young, did leaue my fathers house, and sought
Strange places out, and now turne home gray hear'd,
That earst departed hence with golden lookes;
Yet is our natiue soyle sweete vnto him
That hath his sence: Nature doth make it deare,
Like to the Adamant, whom though the Marriner
Carry farre hence, sometime where as the Sunne
Is borne, and sometime where it dyes; yet still
The hidden vertue wherewith it beholdes,
The Northren Pole it neuer doth forgoe:
So he that goes farre from his natiue soyle,
And often times in straunger land doth dwell,
Yet he retaines the loue he to it bore.
O my Arcadia, now I greet thy ground,
And welcome good Uranio, for t'is meete
You do partake my ioyes, as you haue done my toyle.

Ura.
I may pertake your toyle, but not content,
When I remember how farre hence I left
My house and little houshold off: well may I rest
My limbes, but well I wot my hart will mone,
Nor saue thy selfe, could any thing haue drawne
Me from Elidis now: yet I know not
What cause hath made you trauaile to this place.

Car.
Thou knowst my deare Mirtillo, whom the heauens
Haue giu'n me: for my Sonne came hither sicke,
Heere to get health, according to the Oracle,
Which sayd onely Arcadia could restore it him:
Two monthes he hath been heere, and I not able to
Abide that stay, went to the Oracle
To know of his returne: which answered thus.
Returne thou to thy Countrey, where thou shalt
Liue merrily with thy Mirtillo deare:
Heauens haue determined great thinges of him;
Nor shalt thou laugh but in Arcadia.
Thou then my deare companion, merrie bee,
Thou hast a share in all my good, nor will
Carino smile, if my Uranio grieue.

Ura.
All labours that I for Carino take,
Heue their reward: but for to short the way,
I pray you tell what made you trauaile first.

Car.
A youthfull loue I vnto Musicke bore,
And greedinesse of forraine fame disdayning that
Arcadia onely should me prayse, made me
Seeke out Elide and Pisa famoue so,
Where I saw glorious Ægon crowned with Bayes,
With Purple next to Vertue euermore;
So that he Phebus seem'd: when I deuout
Vnto his powre did consecrate my Lute:
Then left I Pisa, and to Micene went,
And afterwardes to Argos, where I was
At first, adored like a God: but twilbe too
Too troublesome to tell the storie of my life.
I many fortunes tride sometime disdaind,
Sometime respected like a power deuine:
Now rich, then poore; now downe, then vp aloft:
But in the change of place, my fortunes neuer changd,
I learnd to know and sigh my former libertie;
And leauing Argos, I returned to
My homely Bowre I in Elidis had;
Where (Gods be prays'd) I did Mirtillo buy,
Who since, hath comforted all mine annoyes.

Ur.
Thrise happie they who can conteine their thoughts
And not through vaine and most immoderate hope,
Loose the sweete tasted fruite of moderate good.

Cu
Who would haue thought t'haue waxed poore in gold
I thought t'haue found in royall Paliaces
People of more humanitie, then heere,
Which is the noble ornament of worthy sprightes;
But I (Uranio) found the contrarie:
People in name and wordes right curtuous,
But in good deedes most scarse, and Pitties foes:
People in face, gentle and pleasant still;
But fiercer then th'outragious swelling Sea:
People with countenaunce all of charitie,
But throughly Couetous, and fraught with Enuie:
The greater showes they make, the lesse troth they meane
That which is vertue otherwhere, is there but vice:
Vprightest deedes, true loue, pittie sinceere,
Inviolable fayth, of hand and hart,
A life most innocent; these they esteeme
But cowards still, and men of sillie wittes:
Follies and vanities, that are rediculous,
Coosonage, lying, theft, and rapine clad:
In holinesse, by others downefalles and their losse,
Rich still to grow, to builde their reputation
On others infamie, to lay fine snares
To trap the innocent; these are the vertues of that place.
No merrit, worth, reuerence of age,
Of law, or of degree, no raines of shame,
Respect of loue or blood, nor memorie
Of any good receiued: and to conclude,
nothing to reuerend, pure, or iust can be,
That seemes forbidden to these gulfes of pride,
Of honour so ambitious: so couetous
Of getting still. Now I that alwayes liu'd
Vnwarie of their snares, and in my forehead had
All my thoughts written, my hart discouered;
You well may iudge, I was an open marke
To the suspicious shaftes of enuious folkes.

Ur.
What can be happie in that caytiue land,
Where Enuie euer Vertue doth commaund?

Ca.
If since I trauailed, my Muse had had
As good a cause to laugh as t'had to weepe,
Perhaps my stile would haue been fit t'haue sung
The armes, and honours, of my noble Lord,
So that he needed not to haue enuyed
The braue Meonian trumpet of Achilles fame.
I might haue made my Countries browes been girt
With happie Laurell too: But too inhumane is this age,
And too vnhappie guist of Poetrie.
The Swans desire a quiet nest, a gentle ayre,
Pernassius neuer knew this byting care.
Who quarrels with his fate and fortune still,
His voyce must needes be hoarse, his song but ill:
But now t'is time to seeke Mirtillo out.
Oh how this Countrey's chaungd! I scarcely know't:
But Straungers neuer want a guide that haue a tongue,
We will enquire to the next harbour house,
Where thou thy wearie limmes mayst well repose.