University of Virginia Library

The second Scene.

Amyntas, Thyrsis.
Thyrsis.
Harmeles sheepe and lambs eate grasse: and greedy deuouring
Woolues eate harmeles sheepe and lambs: but surly Cupido
Surly Cupido feeds himself on streames of abounding
Teares, and's neuer fild, and yet stands euer a feeding.

Amyntas.
No, no, Thyrsis, alas: Loue lacks no teares of Amyntas,
Surly Cupido's full, stuft full with teares of Amyntas,
And thyrsts now for blood, seeks blood of woful Amyntas,
And what he seeks, he shal haue; I'le quēch theyr thirst by my hartblood,
Blynde boy's, proud gyrles thirst: and glut theyr eyes with aboundant
Streames of purpled gore of tootoo wretched Amyntas.

Thyrsis.
O bloody word, fowle word, ô God forbid that Amyntas
Should or think, or woork any outrage vnto Amyntas.
Cast of these fancies, leaue these toyes, pluck vp a mans-hart:
If bony Phillis scorne, and make but a mock of Amyntas,
Yet shal Amyntas finde as braue gyrls as bony Phillis.

Amyntas.
Finde braue gyrls? ô griefe: if Amyntas finde not Amyntas,
How can he finde others? ô how shal he finde bony Lasses,
If that he loose himself? ô how shal I seeke any other,
Since my setled soule and hart are like to an aged
And well grounded tree, which now is come to the full groath,
And will rather breake, than bend, or yeeld to be turned.
Hate augments my loue; her frownes geue fyre to my fancy,
As gentle spaniel, whom beating makes to be louing.

Thyrsis.
Feare in a feareful man frets more than plagues that he feareth:
Hope, and haue, in time any man may gaine any woeman.
Long time mighty Lions at length hath brought to the brydle,
And wyldest Tygers at length are tam'de in a long tyme.

Amyntas.
Yea, but alas long tyme's too long for wretched Amyntas:
Death must speedely speede, noe wretch can abyde any long tyme.

Thyrsis.

Amyntas.
Know ô Thyrsis then, know this mine infinite anguish,
Which these hills well know, which these sweete watery wells know,
And yet no man knowes: my fatall howre is aproaching,
My death drawes so neare, that now its time to prouide some
Time to prouide some friend, which may and wilbe reporter
Of death and deaths cause, which wil for a friendly remembrance
Death and cause of death ingraue in barck of a beech tree,
Hard by the damned place, where corps of murdred Amyntas
Bloodles corps shall lie, that when that braue bony damsel
That pytiles Phillis shall chaunce that way to be passing,
Her prowde foote, and yet sweete foote may ioy to be treading
Treading and trampling these baleful boanes of Amyntas.
And that serpents tong, thus take a delite to be vaunting;
This death is my triumph, these bruysed boanes my trophæum;
That such strange trauelers as this way chaunce to be wandring,
And forren Pastors that passe by the graue of Amyntas,
May know this conquest, and make it know'n to the countrey.
And perchaunce (ô noe, that's too too good for Amyntas)
Yet perchaunce one day may once come, when bony Phillis
When bony sweete Phillis, now moou'd with a louely repentance,
Louely remorse, may take some small compassion on mee,
And, when tis too-late, lament this losse of Amyntas,
Sheading some sweete teares for death of murdred Amyntas,
His death; whom when hee lyu'd, herself did cause to be dying;
Saying, O that hee were, that hee were not a murdred Amyntas,
O that he liued now, and were my louer Amyntas.
But now harck and marck of cares and woe the beginning.

Thyrsis.
Say on then, for I harck and marck perchaunce to a better
End, than thou thyself canst yet conceaue or imagin.

Amyntas.
When that I was but a wagg, yong wagg, soe yong, that I could scarce
Reach mine outstretcht arme to the bending bowes of a plumtree;
T'was my luck (ill luck) t'acquaint myself with a braue gyrle,
Brauest gyrle that spreades her golden locks to the tender
Wynde, faire Phillis I meane, but alas what meant I to meane her?
Phillis a flame to the soule, and Phillis a flowre to the forrest,
Phillis a Townish gyrls disgrace, and grace to the countrey,
Phillis a fame to the Parck and Phillis a shame to the Pallace,
Phillis that first made Cydippe for to be mother,
Phillis that first made that rich Montanus a father:
With that Phillis I was (most woeful was, when I am not)
With that Phillis I lyu'd (ô luckles lyu'd, when I lyue not)
Phillis a turtledoue, and faithful turtle Amyntas:
Both our bowres were nye, which made vs both to be neighbours,
Both our mynds more nye, which causd vs both to be fryendly:
Both our ages lyke, which first was cause of a lyking,
Both our lyues more lyke, which stil gaue fyre to a fancie.
If that Amyntas were disposed for to be fishing,
Phillis a fishing went: if Amyntas meant to be fowling,
Phillis a fowling went: if Phillis longd for a filberd,
Yonker Amyntas clymbde: if Phillis would be a hunting,
Whoe but Amyntas then, but greene-coate Huntsman Amyntas?
Eithers sport was lyke, and eythers portion æquall.
But when Amyntas thus bestow'd himself on his angling,
Other bayts and hookes tooke secreate hould of Amyntas:
Whilst that Amyntas thus layd trapps and snares for a Redbrest,
White-brest layd new snares and hidden trapps for Amyntas:
Whilst that Amyntas I say ran pricking after a Pricket,
Farre more poysned darts haue prickt hart-roote of Amyntas.
For, by degrees there grew (as an hearb that grows of her owne self)
In my brest there grew, but I wist not whence, a desiring
Still to be with Phillis, poore foole, and stil to be gazing
On those burning lamps, whence stil stil I sucked a sweetnes,
Strange kinde of sweetnes which ended stil with a sowrenes.
Oftentimes did I sigh, yet knew no cause of a sighing,
And was a louer afore that I knew what t'was to be louing:
But now Thyrsis, I know, and mark, Ile tell thee the manner.

Thyrsis.
Say on Amyntas then; this matter's worthy the marking.

Amyntas.

Thyrsis.
And what man, madman, can thinke it possible, if that
Once shee doe heare these plaints, but that shee'le yeeld to be louing?

Amyntas.
O good Thyrsis, I doubt, for I neuer gin to be speaking,
But shee recoyls fro my words, as subtile snake fro the charmer.

Thyrsis.
Doubt not, I hope ere long, Ile cause her friendly to heare thee.

Amyntas.
If thou get that I speake, then nought shal I get by my speaking.
Mopsus alas Mopsus foretould me my desteny long-since,
Soothsayer Mopsus that knows what mysterie secreate
And hidden vertues in stones and hearbs be abyding,
And by the flight and chirpe of byrds can tell many wonders.

Thyrsis.
What? that coosnyng squyre, that brokes and sells to the ould wyues
Pelting pills in a box, and so scrapes coyne fro the countrey?
Hope yet Amyntas a while; for I know ther's matter of hoping:
Only because Mopsus say's there's no matter of hoping:
Hope, and meete mee againe in this same place: for I doubt not
But that in one halfe howre, I'le bring good newes to Amyntas.

Chorus.