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Scene. 1.
Siluio. Linco.[Siluio.]
Go you that haue enclos'd the dreadfull beast,
And giue the signe that's vsuall to our hunting,
Go swell your eyes and harts with hornes and shoutes.
If there be any swaine of Cinthia's troupe
In all Arcadia, delighted in her sports,
Whose generous affects are stung with care,
Or glory of these woods: let him come forth
And follow me, where in a circle small
(Though to our valure large) inclosed is
The ougly Bore, monster of nature & these woods.
That vast and fierce (by many harmes well knowne)
Inhabitant of Erimanthus, plague to the fields,
Terror to country clownes. Go then preuent
Not onely, but prouoke with hornes shrill sound,
Blushing Aurora out. Linco wee'le goe
And worship first the Gods: for there t'is best
We any worke begin.
Siluio I praise
Thy worshipping the Gods, but yet to trouble them
That are their ministers I do not praise.
The keepers of the temple are a sleepe,
They cannot see the day break for the mountaines top.
Sil.
To thee perhaps, that art not yet awake,
All things do seeme a sleepe.
(Lin.)
O Siluio,
Did nature on these youthfull yeares of thine
Bestow such beautie to be cast away?
Had I but such a ruddie cheeke? so fresh?
Farwell to woods, I'ld follow other sports:
I'ld weare my dayes in mirth: all sommer tide
In daintie shades, winter by the fire side.
Sil.
Thy counsell (Linco) is like vnto thy selfe.
Lin.
At other pleasures would I aime, were I Siluio.
Sil.
So would I, were I Linco, but I Siluio am,
Therefore I Siluioes deeds do like, not Lincoes.
Lin.
O foole, that seekst so farre for hurtfull beasts,
And ha'st one lodg'd so neare thy dwelling house.
Sil.
Art thou in earnest? or dost thou but iest?
Lin.
Thou iests, not I.
(Sil.)
And is he then so neare?
Lin.
As neare as t'is to thee.
(Sil.).
Where? in what wood?
Lin.
Siluio thou art the wood: the ougly beast
That's harbour'd there, is this thy beastlinesse.
Sil.
Was't not well gest of me thou didst but iest?
Lin.
A Nymphe so faire, so delicate! but tush
Why do I call her Nymphe, a Goddesse rather.
More fresh more daintie, then the morning rose.
More soft, more purely white then swanny downe.
(For whom there's not a shepheard mongst vs all so braue,
But sighes, and sighes in vaine) for thee alone
Reserues her selfe, ordaind by heau'n and men:
And yet thou neither thinkst of sighes or plaints.
O happie boy (though most vnworthily)
Thou that mighst her enioy, still fliest her Siluio,
Still her despisest. Is not then thy heart
Made of a beast, or or of hard Iron rather?
Sil.
If to relinquish loue be crueltie,
That I haue banisht loue my hart: but ioy
That thereby I haue ouercome this loue,
A beast more daungerous then th'other farre.
Lin.
How hast thou ouercome that which thou neuer prou'd.
Sil.
Not prouing it, I haue it ouercome.
Lin.
O if thou hadst but prou'd it Siluio once,
If thou but knewst what a high fauour t'were,
To be belou'd, and louing to possesse
A louing hart, It' am sure thou then wouldst say,
Sweet louely life why hast thou staid so long?
These woods and beasts leaue foolish child, and loue.
Sil.
Linco, I sweare a thousand and Nymphs I'le giue
For one poore beast that my Melampo kills:
Let them that haue a better taste then I
In these delights possesse them, I wil none.
Lin.
Dost thou tast ought, since loue thou dost not tast,
The onely cause that the world tasteth all?
Beleeue me boy, the time wil one day come
Thou wilt it taste. For loue once in our life
Will show what force he hath. Beleeue me childe,
No greater paine can any liuing proue,
Then in old limmes the liuely sting of loue.
Yet if in youth loue wound, that loue may heale:
But come it once in that same frozen age,
Wherefore oftentimes the disabilitie,
More then the wound we plaine. O mortall then,
And most intollerable are those paines.
If thou seekest pittie, ill if thou findst it not,
But if thou findst it ten time worse, do not
Protract it til thy better time be past,
For if loue do assaile thy hoary heares,
Thy silly flesh a double torment teares.
Of this which when thou wouldst thou canst not,
These woods and beasts leaue foolish boy & loue.
Sil.
As though there were no life but that which nurst
These amorous follies and fond extasies.
Tell me if in this pleasant time now flowres renew,
And the world waxeth yong againe; thou shouldst
In stead of flowry valleyes, fragrant fields,
And well clad woods: see but the oake, the ashe, the pine,
Without their leauy heares: graslesse the ground:
The meadowes want their floures. Wouldst thou not say
The world doth languish? nature did decay?
Now that same horror, that same miracle,
That monstrous noueltie thou hast thy selfe.
As loue in old men is ridiculous:
So youth without loue is vnnaturall.
Looke but about (Siluio) what the world hath
Worthy to be admir'd. Loue onely made
The heauens, the earth, the seas themselues do loue.
And that same starre that the dayes breake foretells,
Tasteth the flames of her thrise puissant sonne.
And at that houre, because perhaps she leaues
The stolne delights and bosome of her loue:
She darteth downe abroad her sparkling smiles.
Beasts in the woods do loue; and in the seas
The speedie Dolphins and the mightie Whales.
The bird that sweetly sings, and wantonly
Doth flie, now from the oake vnto the ashe,
Then from the ashe vnto the mirtill tree:
Sayes in her language I in loue do burne.
(Would I might heare my Siluio answere her the same!)
The Bull amid the heard doth loudly lowe,
Yet are those lowes but bidding to loues feasts.
The Lyon in the wood doth bray, and yet
Those brayes are not the voice of rage, but loue.
Well to conclude, all things do loue but thou,
Thou onely Siluio art in heauen, in earth,
In seas, a soule vncaple of loue.
Leaue, leaue these woods, these beasts, and learne to loue.
Sil.
Was then my youth committed to thy charge?
That in these soft effeminate desires.
Of wanton loue, thou shouldst it nurse and traine?
Remembrest not what thou, and what I am?
I am a man, and humane me esteeme,
With thee a man, or rather shouldst be so,
I speake of humane things. Which if thou skornst
Take heed least in dishumaning thy selfe,
A beast thou proue not sooner then a God.
Sil.
Neither so famous nor so valiant
Had bene that monster-famer, of whose blood
I do deriue my selfe, had he not tamed loue.
Lin.
See blind child how thou erst: where hadst thou bene
Had not that famous Hercules first lou'd?
The greatest cause he monsters tam'd was loue.
Knowest thou not that faire Omphale to please,
He did not onely chaunge his Lions skin
Into a womans gowne; but also turn'd
His knottie club into a spindell and a rocke.
So was he wont from trouble and from toyle
To take his ease, and all alone retire
To her faire lappe, the hauen of happie loue.
As rugged Iron with purer mettall mixt
Is made more fit (refin'd) for noble vse:
So fierce & vntam'd strength that in his proper rage
Doth often breake: yet with the sweets of loue
Well temper'd proueth truly generous.
Then if thou dost desire to imitate
Great Hercules, and to be worthy of his race,
Though that thou wilt not leaue these sauadge woods
Doo: follow them: but do not leaue to loue,
A Loue so lawfull as your Amarillis.
That you Dorinda flie I you excuse,
For t'were vnfit your mind on honour set,
Should be made hot in these amorous thefts:
A mightie wrong vnto your worthy spouse.
Sil.
What saist thou Linco? shee's not yet my spouse.
Lin.
Hast thou not solemnely receiu'd her faith?
Take heed proud boy, do not prouoke the gods.
Sil.
The gift of heauen is humane libertie,
May we not force repell, that force receiue?
Lin.
Nay if thou would'st but vnderstand! the heauens
So many fauours at thy nuptiall feast.
Sil.
I'm sure that gods haue other things to do
Then trouble and molest them with these toyes.
Linco, nor this, nor that loue pleaseth me,
I was a huntsman not a louer borne,
Thou that dost folow loue thy pleasure take.
Exit Sil.
Lin.
Thou cruel boy descended of the gods,
I scarce beleeue thou wert begot by man,
Which if thou wert, thou sooner wert begot
With venome of Meger and Ptisifo,
Then Venus pleasure which men so commend.
Exit Lin.
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