University of Virginia Library

A Pastoral Poem Sacred to the Memory of The honourable Lord Basil Hamiltoun.

SPEAKERS.

• Amintor Brother to Amarillus.
• Doron Huntsman.
• Alexis Huntsman.
• Corinda Servant to Amarillus.
• Amarilla Wife to Amarillus.
• Amarillus chief Huntsman.
• Shepherds,
• Nymphs,
• Satyrs,
• Attendents, &c.

DORON, ALEXIS.
DORON,
Wandring I went alongst a River side,
Whose soft & murmuring streams do sweetly glide
Thro' many fertile fields with silent motion,
Paying their tribute to the foaming Ocean.
Long did I gaze on these Hesperian fields,
And trampling under foot what Flora yields,
A Nobler Landskip did arrest mine Eyes
Where flow'rs do blush like to the morning Skyes,
Where Shepherds sit on beds of Rose and Lilies,
Tuning their Pipes in praise of Amarillus;
And other Swains sit pipeing by the Floods,
On Amarillas, Glory of the Woods.
Whilest Fauns and lightfoot Satyres hear the sound,
And Dance Levalto's on the flowry ground.
And all the happy Tenents of the Shade,
At Amarill's name seem to be glad.

Alexis)
O worthy Doron, whither shall we go
To trace the Footsteps of the timerous Doe?

Doron)
In yonder Plain, there we will make our sport
Where Amarillis doth resort—

Alexis)
They discover Amintor in a Melancholy Posture

Amintor)
No, Doron, no, you do mistake my Grief
And 'tis not in your pow'r to give relief;
These petty things that trouble other Swains,
Do never Rack Amintors wiser Brains;
But ah! my fears come from another sourse:
(For the eternal fate must have its course)
Alas! I fear my Amarillus fall
Which would undo th'Arcadian Shepherds all.

Alexis.)
Mournful Amintor, spend not foolish tears,
Upon such, idle, vain fantastick Fears;
I saw him early in the dawning morn,
He wak'd the Buckbear, with his blowing horn,
Nobly he did pursue the flying Deer,
And through his savage heart he thrust a Spear.
How did the neighbouring Huntsmen stand amaz'd!
Wondring, admiring, look'd and on Him gaz'd;
How nobly at the sport rode Amarillus!
He might a Patron been to great Achilles;
And Hannibal might thought it no disgrace
To've yeilded to our Hero in this place.
Why weeps Amintor then? what is the cause
That from his eyes this suddain deluge draws?

Amintor.)
By Heaven's I wont believe it to be true,
But still my former Grief I will renew:
And to th'Arcadiam Shepherds bid adieu.
To unfrequented Desarts I will fly,
And never more behold the Azure Sky,
But in Eternal Desolation ly.
Behold there comes Corinda, all in rage,
I see his face doth doleful things persage:
O had Amintor never seen the light!
Or else were wrapt in everlasting night.
O day with wonders fraught! O day of anguish!
All things in Nature now begin to languish,
Rivers do murmur o'er their purling brooks,
And Phæbus on poor mortals wond'ring looks.
The flowrs shrink in the Meads; the Cedars tall
Looking on man their verdent leaves let fall.
Ah! see Corinda runs, he runs with speed,
To tell that Amarallis now is Dead.
Say, wretch'd Carinda say, what brought yow here?

ENTERS CORINDA.
Corinda.)
You know my business too well I fear.
Cannot yow read into Corinda's face,
What is the thing that brought me to this place?
I seek my Amarillus hereabout
I've search'd all day but cannot find him out
I've rune ore hills, o're daills, and verdent Plains,
And by the flowery banks of Nith's fair streams
Through horrid Abysses and Mountains high,
Whose endless tops seem to uphold the Sky:
To melancholy groves I made my moans,
Whilst echoing Rocks re-echo'd back my groans.
Thro' solitary Woods and dismal Cells,
I lookt in Fountains and I peept in Wells,
Wearied I trode alongst the neighbouring ground,
But all in vain he is not to be found:
But when I spy'd Amintor in the shade,
How on a suddain did my Heart grow glad!
I wip'd the flowing tears from off mine eyes,
And bid adieu to former miseries.
Long did my eyes look on this lovely feast
I held a strange Donalma in my breast:
Noble Amintor leave this wretched Grove,
And as a Brother, shew a Brothers Love.

Amintor.)
By all the Gods I'le go, O Bless'd be Pan,
How happy's Amarillus in a Man!
Success attends the bold; we'l go about him,
'Tis better for to dye than live without him:
If he were dead all Mortals would confess
This world were nothing but a Wilderness.
The wing'd Musicians in the Air that fly
Would warble furth a mournful melody,
They'd sing his Obsequies, and then they'd dye.
Oh! what a dismal face would be on earth?
All things would then forget their former mirth,
And curse the very hour that gave them Birth.
Behold the Sun descends our Horizon,
Wearied with hearing mortals make their moan.
He now has almost finished the day,
Yet still we squander precious time away.

Exeunt Amyntor & Coridon, Manent Doron & Alexis.
Alexis.)
Doron, let you and I stay still at home,
Sorrow is soon enough when it doth come.
Can shepherds think to stop the Heavens decree?
Or can the Gods take any bribery?
We to their sacred Altars will repair,
And bless the Heavenly powers for their care;
We'le take the fatted calf from out the Flock,
We'le offer Incense, make their Altars smoak

Enter Amarilla, attended with Nymphs, Naïds, &c.
Doron)
Illustrious Princess, Glory of the shade,
Since thy appearance here, darkness is fled,
Thy presence makes to us a second day,
And all the airy Phantoms fly away:
Shepherds thy absence did bewail and mourn
Now overjoy'd they are at thy return.
We wisht each silent gale of wind to bear
Our message, and to waft it in your ear.

Re-enter Amintor with a disjected Countenance.
Amarilla)
Strange changes do appear throughout this place,
Especialy into Amintors face,
That comely visage formerly so fair
Seems now the very emblem of dispair.
What! doth Urania fly thy lovely arms?
Hates thy Embraces, flyes thy lovely charms?
Or hath some savage monstruous beast of prey
Assaulted thee, and met thee in the way?

Amintor.)
It was not beasts of prey disform'd me so;
It is a thing Am'rilla must not know.
The thing that makes Amintor look so sad,
When known, will surely make the World run mad.
The loss in general doth concern us all.
But ah! ye're ruin'd by this suddain fall.

Amarilla.)
Ah! say no more, Amintor, stay go on,
What! is our Amarillus dead and gone?
I'le fly to Caverns in the earths dark womb,
Or with my Amarillus to the tomb.
Let mournful fiends in hellish echoes yell,
Let them inflict the torments that's in Hell,
Let Cataracts of wrath fall down on me
And with my Amarillus let me die.
Ile go,—

Swoons,
Amintor.)
Help Doron, help, assist us O great Pan!
Ah! by the Gods, her face is pale and wan!
Vermilion blushes now no more adorn,
Her lovely cheeks but all sadly forlorn;
Dearest Amarilla, rise and awake.

Amarilla looking up faintly,
Amar.)
Let me the torments of of the Damn'd partake;
Great God to snatch away this glorious Sun
When he his course had newly but begun!
Old folk like ripen'd fruit fall in the Grave;
But oh the young, the Generous, and Brave,
The noble, witty, generous, and just,
To be so soon mingled with common dust!
But say, Corinda, say how was he hurl'd
By cruel death into another World?
Did envying Angels fly from their abode,
And in a trice take this our Demigod?
For sure he made a better use of Breath
Than in a trivial way to yield to Death.

Amintor.)
Ah! say no more: is Amarillus dead?
By this you do but break the bruised Reed
Alas! too true; but what I mourn for most
Is in so mean a way he should be lost.
Ah Cursed River! cursed be thy streams,
And all the Scaly flocks that in thee swims:
Let Nymphs and Swains thy doleful Banks abhor,
Sink down to Styx, on Earth appear no more.