University of Virginia Library

Act I

Enter Consiliodorus with Philomusus and Studioso.
Consiliodorus
Now Philomusus doe youre beardless years,
Youre faire yonge springe time, and youre budded youth
Vrge mee to aduise youre younge vntutord thoughtes,
And giue gray bearded counsell to youre age.
Vnto an ould mans speache one minute giue,
Who manie yeare haue schooled how to liue;
To an aduisinge tounge one halfe houre tende:
Whatsoere I speake experience hath pend.
Perhaps this tounge, this mindes interpretor,
Shall neuer more borowe youre lisninge eare;
Eare youe returne from greene Parnassus hill
My corps shall lie within some senceless vrne,
Some litel graue my ashes shall inclose.
My winged soule gins scorne this slimie iayle
And thinke vpon a purer mansion.
Elde sum̄ons mee to appeare at Plutos courte
Amonge the shadie troups of aerie ghostes.
Ile therfore counsell youe while I haue time,
For feare youre faire youth wither in her prime.
Take good aduise from him that lous youe well,
Plaine dealing needes not Retoricks tinklinge bell.

Philomusus
Father, what ere youre louinge tounge shall vtter,
Ile drincke youre wordes with an attentiue eare:
Age in his speach a maiestie doth beare.

Studioso
I loue to heare loue play the oratoure.
Younge mens aduise can beare but litell swaye,
Counsell coms kindlie from a heade thats graye.

Consiliodorus
What wisdome manie winters hath begott
Tymes midwifrey at length shall bringe to light.
Youe twoo are Pilgrims to Parnassus hill
Where with sweet Nectar you youre vaines may fill,
Wheare youe maye bath youre drye and withered quills
And teache them write some sweeter poetrie
That may heareafter liue a longer daye.
There may youe bath youre lipps in Helicon
And wash youre tounge in Aganippes well
And teache them warble out some sweet sonnetes
To rauishe all the fildes and neighboure groues,
That aged Collin, leaninge on his staffe,
Feedinge his milkie flocke vppon the downs,
May wonder at youre sweete melodious pipe
And be attentiue to youre harmonie.
There may youre templs be adornd with bays,
There may youe slumber in sweet extasies,
There may youe sit in softe greene lauriate shade
And heare the muses warble out a laye,
And, mountinge, singe like larke in som̄ers daye.
There may youe scorne each Mydas of this age,
Eache earthlie peasant and each drossie clowne
That knoweth not howe to weighe youre worthiness,
But feedeth on beste corne, like a stall fedd ass
Whose statelie mouth in scorne by wheate doth pass.
I doe com̄ende youre studious intent
In that youe make soe faire a pilgrimage.
If I were younge, who nowe am waxen oulde,
Whose yontes youe see are dryde, benumd, and coulde,
Though I foreknewe that gold runns to the boore,
Ile be a scholler though I liue but poore.
If youe will haue a ioyfull pilgrimage
Youe muste be warie pilgrims in the waye.
Youe muste not truste eache glozinge flatteringe vaine,
Ofte when the sunn shins bright it straight will raine.
Consorte not in the waye with graceless boys
That feede the tauerne with theire idle coyne
Till there leane purses starue at last for foode.
O why shoulde schollers by vnthriftiness
Seeke to weaken theire owne poore estate?
Let schollers be as thriftie as they maye,
They will be poore ere theire last dyinge daye.
Learninge and pouertie will euer kiss:
Each carter caries fortune by his side,
But fortune will with schollers nere abide.
Eschewe all lozell, lazie, loiteringe gromes,
All foggie sleepers, and all idle lumps
That doe burne out theire base inglorious days
Without or frute or ioye of theire loste time.
Let lazie grill snorte till the midst of the day,
Be you industrious pilgrims in the way.
There is another sorte of smooth faced youthes,
Those Amorettoes that doe spend theire time
In com̄inge of their smother dangled heyre.
The[y] court a lookinge glass from morne till nighte.
Theise woulde entise youe to some curtezan
And tell youe tales of itchinge venerie;
But let not theire entisementes cause youre falls,
Esteeme them as faire rotten painted walls.
Nor will I haue youe truste each rugged browe,
Each simple seeminge mate, eache hearie chin:
Crafte ofte in suche plaine cottages doth in.
Associate youre selus with studious youthes
That, as Catullus saith, deuours the waye
Leades to Parnassus where content doth dwell.
Happie I wishe may be youre Pilgrimage,
Ioyfull may youe returne from that faire hill
And make the vallies heare with admiration
Those songs which youre refined tounge shall singe.
But what doe I prolonge my tedious speache,
Hindringe the forwarde hastninge of youre steps?
Goe happilie with a swifte swallowes winge
To Hellicon faire, that pure and happie springe.
Returne triumphant with youre laurell boughes,
With Phœbus trees decke youre deseruinge brows.
Hast, hast with speede vnto that hallowed well.
Soe take from mee a louinge longe farewell.

Philomusus
Farewell good father, and youre counsell sage
Be my safe guide in this my Pilgrimage.

Studioso
Farewell good vncle, and youre wise said says
Keepe mee from deuious and by wandringe wayes.

Consiliodorus
Farewell, farewell, to parte with youe is paine,
But haste, let not the sunn lighte burne in vain.

[Exit.]
Philomusus
Come Studioso, shall wee gett vs gone?
Thinks thou oure softe and tender feet canne bide
To trace this roughe, this harsh, this craggie waye
That leadeth vnto faire Parnassus hill?

Studioso
Why man, each lazie groome will take the paine
To drawe his slowe feete ore the clayie landes,
Soe he maie reste vppon a faire greene banke.
Theise pilgrims feete which nowe take wearie toile
Maie one day on a bedd of roses rest
Amidst Parnassus shadie laurell greene.

Philomusus
But cann wee hit this narowe curious waie
Where are such by wayes and erronious paths?
Saye whats the firste Ile wee muste trauell in?

Studioso

The firste lande that wee muste trauell in (as that

oulde Hermite toulde me) is Logique. I haue gotten Iacke
Setons mapp to directe vs through this cuntrie. This Iland
is, accordinge to his discription, muche like Wales, full of
craggie mountaines and thornie vallies. There are twoo
robbers in this cuntrie caled Genus and Species, that take
captiue euerie true mans Inuention that come by them;
Pacius in his returne from Parnassus hadd beene robt by
these twoo forresters, but for one Carterus, a lustie clubman,
much like the Pinder of Wakfield, that defended him.

Philomusus
Come let vs iorney on with winged pace,
Roughe way shall not dismay our studious mindes.
Let vs then hasten to our wished port,
Longe is our iorney, and the day is short.
Then Phœbus guide vs to thy Hellicon,
And when oure ruder pipes are taught to singe
The eccoinge wood with thy praise shall ringe.