 | Sicelides A Piscatory |  |
Scen. 1.
Enter Perindvs, Armillvs, Cvma.Perindus.
Cvma ! beare home our spoyles, and conquering weapons,
And trusse them on a wreath as our iust trophie:
And when Cancrone returnes, returne to mee.
Exit Cuma
Thus: if but thus: yet thus my state is better,
While lesser cares do laugh and mocke the greater;
This change is best when changing I frequent,
Euen now that moyst, now this drie element,
When with this scepter, setting on the Land,
The scalie footlesse people I command:
When riding on my wooden horse, I see
The Earth that neuer mooues, remooue from me.
And why my friend doth not this guise beseeme me?
In this I am not wretchlesse as you deeme me.
Ar.
Not that I censure, but demande the cause,
Why being borne, and bred, in shepheards lawes;
You haue our Hills, and Downes, and Groues forsaken,
And to these Sands, and Waues your selfe betaken.
Shepheard or fisher, I am still the same,
I am a sea guest not for gaine, but game.
Ar.
A gamesome life? thus with vnarmed armes
To fight gainst windes, and winters sharpe alarmes,
And paddle in chill Neptuns Icie lappe?
But if in fishing any plesaure be,
In Shepheards life there is much more say we.
Per.
Yet Fishers life with me doth most consort,
This sporting serues to moralize my sport:
Viewing the stormes, and troublesome waues; I finde
Some thing in nature rest-lesse as my minde:
Each captiue fish tels me that in deaths snare,
My heart is not the onely prisoner.
Ar.
Walke along the shore—
Oft there he walkes
Oft there with me or with the waues hee talkes.
Per.
There in the tide I see fleete fortunes changing,
And state of man, weake state: that's neuer standing:
But rises still, or fals all as the maine,
That ebs to flow, or flowes to ebbe againe.
Yet fortune I accuse thee not for raging,
Let others plaine, I neuer felt the changing,
But wast thou at the first, and so art still,
Before I knew what's good I knew the ill:
And since of all my goods thou first bereau'st me,
I neere expected good, thou neere deceiud'st me;
Therefore although Oracle from whence
I late ariu'd, would feede vaine confidence;
Yet since so sure assurance thou doest giue mee,
Still of the two fortune I must beleeue thee.
Ar.
Vaine feare when th' Oracle doth promise good;
The heauens decrees by chance weere neere withstood.
You feare without a cause, oft cause-lesse fright,
Is th' onely cause that makes that on vs light
Which most wee feare, euer a iealous eye
Makes enemies by fearing emnity.
What fearefull tempest doe the waues foretell,
When seas without a storme to mountaynes swell.
Ar.
Ill is inuited when it is suspected
And griefe already come where he's expected.
Per.
The greatest euills oft are where thee shew not,
I feare the more, because my feare I know not.
Musicke! how sad it sounds; my damped heart
Tells me in these sad straines I beare a part:
I wrong thee fate, or else thou now doest straine thee
Which some vnused welcome t' entertaine me.
| Sicelides A Piscatory | |