University of Virginia Library

The second Scene.

Ergastus. Chorus. Phillis. Daphne.
My hart with pyty melts, my sowl's soe drowned in anguish,
That noe sight, noe sound obiects itself to my sences,
But drawes teares fro my eyes, and horror brings to my hearing.
Chorus.
What's this newmans news, that makes hym looke thus amased?

Ergastus.
News of Amyntas death.

Phil.
This deaths-newes brings mee to deaths dore.

Ergastus.
Most noble Pastor, that these woods lately frequented,
Gentle, loued of all, to the Nymphs deare, deare to the Muses,
And but a stripling dy'de, and what death?

Chor.
O, let vs heare it,
O, let vs heare it alas, that wee may all be a mournyng
His mischaunce, our grief.

Phil.
O deare God, I dare not aproach hym,
Least that I heare these news, yet these news must I be hearing.
Hart of stone, hard hart, curst hart, what maks thee be fearing?


Goe and encounter these kniues, these darts that he bringeth
In sowle-wounding tongue, there shew thyself to be stony.
Pastor, I come for part of thease news rightly belonging
Vnto my damnable hart, and due, more due to my hearing
Than thou canst conceaue; then spare not freely to geue it.

Ergastus.
Phillis, I surely beleeue, that I heard this wretched Amyntas
With thy name his life and lamentation ending.

Daphne.
Il news differring, is a plague as great as an ill news.

Ergastus.
Late as I mended netts on a hill, soretroubled Amyntas,
Horribly vext and chaft, in face and action altred,
Past by my side in a rage: but I stept and hastened after,
And ouertook him; for I mus'd what might be the matter.
Good fryend Ergastus, qd hee then, now doe me a pleasure,
Come with Amyntas now, and marck what hee dooe's as a witnes,
Stand as a witnes by; but first sweare, soe to be standing,
And my deedes soe marckt, in noe respect to be hindring.
Here I alas poore foole (for whoe would euer imagin
Such a detestable act, as he purposd then to be woorking?)
Rapt out horrible oathes straight way, and sware by the mighty
Nightwandring Hecate, Pallas, Pomona, Priapus,
And Pan Pastors God, that I would performe what hee wild mee.
Then did he leade me along to a steepe and horrible hill topp,
All abrupt and rough, and made soe feareful a downefall,
That my lyms all quakt, when I lookt fro the hill to the valley.
Here did he pause for a while, and somewhat seem'd to be smyling,
Which rather made mee noe mischif for to bee deemyng
Then, qd he, what thou see'st, that tell to the Nymphs, to the Pastors,
And at last, these woords with a downe cast looke he resounded,
If that I could aswell commaund those greedy deuouring
Throates and teeth of Woolues, as I can soone leap from a hilltopp;
As my life did dye, ô then soe would I be dying;
Then should these my lyms and cursed corps be dyuyded,
As those tender ioynts, ô grief, were all to be mangled.
But since frownyng skies wil'd beasts now will not aford mee,
(Which yet I know in tyme wil come this flesh to be tearing)
This must serue, short death, though sharper death I deserued.
Phillis, I come straight way, Ile com to thy company, Phillis,


If thou doest not yet disdayne my company, Phillis.
If that I were but sure, that death brought end to thy anger,
And that my commyng would giue noe cause to molest thee,
Then should life with ioy leaue wel contented Amyntas;
Phillis, I come, scorne not, scorne not my company, Phillis.
Thus sayd, lightly he leapt, and headlong fell to the valley;
My soule quakt for feare.

Daph.
O griefe.

Phil.
O woeful Amyntas.

Chorus.
And why staydst him not? wast feare, thy oath to be breaking?

Ergastus.
O noe, for when I saw his mynde thus bent to that outrage,
Oaths (in such case vaine) I began to be lightly regarding.
And cought hould (naught hould) cought hould by a paltery gyrdle;
Paltery gyrdle brake by the swing, and weight of Amyntas:
Part with Amyntas went, and th' other part I reteigned.

Chorus.
O but wher's that corps, and bruysed bones of Amyntas?

Ergastus.
God knows; for by the fall my senceles soule was amased,
Neyther durst I behould his corps vnluckily quashed.

Chorus.
O strange news indeede, breakneck, breakheart of Amyntas.

Phillis.
O pytyles Phillis, wel may thy hart bee a stony
Hart, if breakeneck news can not yet breake it a sunder.
Yf false tales of death, her death, whoe hated Amyntas,
Tooke his life yet away; good reason then that Amyntas
True death, too true death, whoe my hate louely requyted,
Should take life from mee; and soe it shall, with an endles
Griefe of troubled sowle, or a too too slowly reuenging
Stroake of a murdring hande, or this same peece of a gyrdle,
Peece of a gyrdle alas: that left his mayster Amyntas
For good cause, that soe proud Phillis might be rewarded,
And his maysters death with Phillis death be requyted.
Luckles gyrdle alas of too too luckles Amyntas,
Take noe scorne for a while in a bosome vile to be lodged,
Sith to requyte, to reueng thou mean'st therein to be lodged.
Phillis should haue beene true turtle-doue to Amyntas
In this lightsome world, but Phillis prowdly denyed;
Therfore by thy meanes Phillis shall meete with Amyntas


In those darcksome dens, as Phillis rightly deserued.

Chorus.
Poore distressed soule, forbeare thyself to be plaguing:
His fact, not thy fault, drew his confusion onward.

Phillis.
Pastors, why doe ye mourne? What meane these heauy bewaylings?
Yf you mourne Phillis; Phillis noe mercy deserueth,
Sith this merciles hart to Amyntas mercy denyed:
Yf you mourne his death, whoe had noe cause to be dying,
Noe such mournyng can suffice for murdred Amyntas.
Dry those teares, Daphne, and wipe thy watery fountayns,
And come, yet come not for mee, but come for Amyntas,
Help mee to seeke and fynde, t'entombe those bones of Amyntas;
For this I stay yet aliue: this funeral obsequy only
Phillis can performe for balefull loue of Amyntas.
And though murdring hand pollute soe sacred an office,
Yet sith Phillis her hand performs soe sacred an office,
This wil Amyntas take as a most acceptable office.

Daphne.
Phillis, I yeeld my help his scattred bones to be searching,
But soe that Phillis make noe more talk of a dying.

Phillis.
All this whyle to myself did I lyue; but now to Amyntas,
Or to Amyntas bones, crusht bones soe long wil I liue yet,
And lyue noe longer; my life, his funeral ending.
Pastors: But yet wher's that way which leads to the downefall?

Chorus.
There: and t'hill stands thence but a lytle more than a furlong,

Daphne.
Come, let's goe, and search: Ile guyde thee; the place I remember.

Phillis.
Pastors al farewel; farewell fayre Pembrokianaes
Yuychurches parck, and fountaynes watery, farewell.

Chorus.
This Nymph taks her leaue, as though these soe many farewells
Wereher last farewell, which should cause deadly departure.