The Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch Conteining the affectionate life, and vnfortunate death of Phillis and Amyntas: That in a Pastorall; This in a Funerall: both in English Hexameters. By Abraham Fravnce |
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 | The Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch |  |
The fifth Acte
first Scene.
Elpinus. Chorus.Lou's æternall lawes are most vnworthily blamed,
Vpright laws in deede, in shew though somwhat vnæquall.
And greate Lord of loue his men with mercy protecteth,
And yet, with iustice, with due moderation ordreth.
O by what strange meanes and wondrous ways, fro the dungeon
Of despayre, to the bowre of blisse doth he bring in a moment
His louing subiects? loe, gentle-mynded Amyntas
Eu'n to the highest poynt of ioy hath clymbd by a downefall,
Vnto a loues Paradise, by a hell ful of infynit horror.
Blessed Amyntas now; soemuch more blessed Amyntas
Now, by how much then more wretch more cursed Amyntas.
Now may Elpinus conceaue some matter of hoping
By thine example, that he shall haue fortunat ending
Of these loueles toyles, and most vnluckly begynnyngs.
Chorus.
Sage Elpinus coms, and speaks strange words of Amyntas,
As, that hee were yet aliue; and thinks his state to be happy,
For that he dy'de for loue, and by death, bought to be loued.
Bitter bowre of blisse, where monstrous murder aboundeth,
Louing fooles Paradise, that leaues his life to be loued.
What meanes Elpinus soe woeful an end to be wishing?
Elpinus.
Fryends leaue of mournyng: you heard false news of Amyntas.
Chorus.
What, did hee not leap downe?
Elp.
Yes downe to his only desyred
Ioyes, and past by the shade of a feareful death, to a heauen,
And now leaneth his head on brest of sweete bony Phillis,
Sweete bony Phillis now, more louing now by a thousand
Parts, then loueles afore; and sucks those sweetly beseemyng
Teares from Phillis her eyes, with a mouth with Nectar abounding.
And now nothing els is wanting vnto the full ioy
Of thease louing sowls, but that Montanus is absent;
And Montanus I seake, whose woord maks absolut ending.
Chorus.
Theyre yeares are æquall, and theyre affection æquall,
Happy to haue this stay and comfort vnto his ould age.
But shew yet, what luck, what God soe saued Amyntas.
Elpinus.
Heare, ô heare then that, whereof these eyes the beholders
Were, and whereof now this tong may well be reporter.
By my caue did I syt with Thyrsis down by the downe-fall,
Talking of my loue, loueles yet louely Lycoris:
When from an high wee saw some man fall downe on a soddayn.
There was a heape of thorns and bows compact on a cluster
Somewhat aboue our heads; 'twas his hap there first to be lighting:
Which although by the swing and weight it bursted a sunder,
And all came tumbling, and fell downe flatly before vs,
Yet by this encounter that fall prou'd not to be mortall,
Though fore and painefull, making him lye as amased
One whole howre and more, as vnable his eyes to be op'nyng.
Wee twooe, astonyed to behold soe feareful an obiect,
Stood starck dumme for a while, although wee knew t'was Amyntas;
But perceauing that this fall seem'd not to be mortall,
Our whole endeuours w'apply'de, his woe to be swaging,
And sent one forth-with, for cunnyng Alphesibœus,
Alphesibœus whom that greate God learned Apollo
Made to be skilful in hearbs, when he gaue mee the guyft to be singing.
But now in meane tyme, when Thyrsis gan to rehearse mee
All those secrete woes and forepast pangs of Amyntas,
Daphne and Phillis did meete vs there on a soddayne,
Daphne and Phillis, whoe sought bruysd bones of Amyntas
Whom they thought to be dead, as then was told mee by Daphne.
Were, and whereof now this tong may well be reporter.
By my caue did I syt with Thyrsis down by the downe-fall,
Talking of my loue, loueles yet louely Lycoris:
When from an high wee saw some man fall downe on a soddayn.
There was a heape of thorns and bows compact on a cluster
Somewhat aboue our heads; 'twas his hap there first to be lighting:
Which although by the swing and weight it bursted a sunder,
And all came tumbling, and fell downe flatly before vs,
Yet by this encounter that fall prou'd not to be mortall,
Though fore and painefull, making him lye as amased
One whole howre and more, as vnable his eyes to be op'nyng.
Wee twooe, astonyed to behold soe feareful an obiect,
Stood starck dumme for a while, although wee knew t'was Amyntas;
But perceauing that this fall seem'd not to be mortall,
Our whole endeuours w'apply'de, his woe to be swaging,
And sent one forth-with, for cunnyng Alphesibœus,
Alphesibœus whom that greate God learned Apollo
Made to be skilful in hearbs, when he gaue mee the guyft to be singing.
But now in meane tyme, when Thyrsis gan to rehearse mee
All those secrete woes and forepast pangs of Amyntas,
Daphne and Phillis did meete vs there on a soddayne,
Daphne and Phillis, whoe sought bruysd bones of Amyntas
Whom they thought to be dead, as then was told mee by Daphne.
But when Phillis saw her longlookt louer Amyntas,
Discolored, bruysed, sorewounded, then with a raging
Voyce, and beaten breast on Amyntas flatly she falleth,
Face to Amyntas face and mouth to the mouth of Amyntas:
Discolored, bruysed, sorewounded, then with a raging
Voyce, and beaten breast on Amyntas flatly she falleth,
Face to Amyntas face and mouth to the mouth of Amyntas:
Chorus.
Was not Phillis abasht, vnseemely to ly on Amyntas?
Elpinus.
Shame to a feynthart loue doth sometimes serue for a brydle;
But trueloue indeede contemns soe basheful a brydle.
Afterward with teares his bloodles cheeks she bewashed,
And those teares soe wrought that Amyntas quyckly reuyued,
Op'ned his eyes, and breathd; which breath soe luckily vttred
Encountring Phillis sweete breath was louely receaued.
But trueloue indeede contemns soe basheful a brydle.
Afterward with teares his bloodles cheeks she bewashed,
And those teares soe wrought that Amyntas quyckly reuyued,
Op'ned his eyes, and breathd; which breath soe luckily vttred
With what an endles ioy these twooe lay sweetly togeather,
Eyther in others arms, and eyther sure of an others
Life and loue, louers may thinck, none els can imagin.
Eyther in others arms, and eyther sure of an others
Life and loue, louers may thinck, none els can imagin.
Chorus.
Is then Amyntas saulfe, that he needs not feare any danger?
Elpinus.
Saulfe and sound, but that those thornes haue partly defaced
His fayre cheekes, and sydes did somwhat chaunce to be bruysed:
But that's iust nothing, and woorks noe woe to Amyntas,
(Happy Amyntas now, that shew'd such signe of a louing
Hart, and soe at last obteynd to be lou'd of a louing
Soule, his passed paines, make present ioyes to be greater)
As yourselues shall see: for Phillis coms with Amyntas
Hytherward hard by: myself must first to the lodging
Of rich Montanus, perswading hym to be yeelding
Vnto the purposd match; and thyther they be apoynted
Shortly to com, this way: and now its tyme to be walking.
The second Scene.
Amyntas, Phillis.Deare life, when shal I once haue full possession of you?
Phillis.
When tyme com's, Ile tell: fruyte too-soone pluckt, is a sowre-fruyte.
Amyntas.
If too-late, rotten.
Phill.
Then pluck when tyme is apoynted.
Amyntas.
O yet, come sweete light of these myne eyes to the harbor,
And ten-thousand woes with a good-turne once be requyting.
Phillis.
What good-turne would you?
Amyn.
That which cost you not a dodkin,
And yet would content my minde much more than a treasure.
Phillis.
What's that? I vnderstand not yet what may be the meanyng.
Amyntas.
Harck in your eare then.
Phil.
Fy, noe: is that but a tryfle?
Amyntas.
Yet let's sleepe for a while; for your sake long was I watching.
Content.
Amynt.
O sweete Nymphe.
Phil.
But stay, and stir not a finger:
As you sleepe, Ile tell, what flowrs I doo keepe for a brydes-wayne.
Amyntas.
How can I heare in sleepe?
Phil.
What pleasure then can Amyntas
Take, when he sleepes by my side, if he feele noething when he sleepeth?
And yet I can not sleepe, for ioy, that I found my Amyntas.
Amyntas.
Then let's kisse: kist mouth is nothing woorse for a kissing:
Soe Bee sucks sweete flowrs, flowrs noething woorse for a sucking;
And you kisse roses, then thinck my lips to be roses.
Phillis.
Well: but these roses soe kist, ask not to be kissed:
Then let Amyntas stay, till Phillis meane to be kissing.
Amyntas.
Yf nought els, yet geue mee leaue those eyes to be kissing,
Those faire eyes, and soe shal I seeme fayre sowle to be kissing.
Phillis.
You would kisse myne eyes: which euer afore, with a thousand
Sighs and sobs you curst, for throwing darts at Amyntas.
Amyntas.
Now I desyre your eyes of purpose for to be kissing,
Thereby soe to declare by this soe louely a token,
That your murdring eyes, my cursing lips be for euer
Now made faithfull fryends, and all contention ended.
And, if Phillis thinck herself not fully reuenged,
Then let her owne teethe byte these lying lipps of Amyntas.
Phillis.
If that Amyntas cease myne eyes any more to be cursing,
Why should Phillis then for spyte his lips be a byting?
Amyntas.
If noe kynde of kisse from Phillis may be procured,
Yet let an embracement to Amyntas his arms be aforded.
Phillis.
With good will.
Amynt.
Most good; what better will to Amyntas?
Phillis.
But yet stay: Phillis must first get a boone of Amyntas.
Amyntas.
O what guyft shal I graunt? what boone seeks my bony Phillis?
Phillis.
Fowre or fiue apples fro the tree that growes by the hil-topp.
How can I come to the tree for bry'rs and soe-many bushes?
Phillis.
Ile bring you soe neare, as you may easily tutch it.
Amyntas.
If that I may clasp it, then doubt not, Phillis, Amyntas
Will clymbe vp to the tree, or shake downe soe many apples.
Phillis.
Ist true? clypt Phillis must then looke soe to be serued.
Amyntas.
My life, geue me the leaue, this faire red rose to be putting
In this bosome, where my hart hath made his abyding,
Phillis.
O soe might you prick your hart with thorns of a red rose,
Or take it fro my brest perchaunce, and geue it an other.
Amyntas.
Graunt me this one grace yet: this fauour dooe me for all this,
Geue me thy snowe-white hand, to be clypt and kist of Amyntas.
Phillis.
Soe by the hard-gryping, hoate-kissing Louer Amyntas,
Phillis snowe-white hand may melt, or chaunce to be bruysed.
Amyntas.
What kinde of loue's this, that Phillis bear's to Amyntas.
Phillis.
Discreate and sober.
Amynt.
Well, then this shalbe my sober,
And yet louely request; Sit downe, that I may be beholding
That faire Phillis face, and heare her sweetly resounding,
Phillis.
Phillis must needs yeeld, when Amyntas duly demaundeth.
Amyntas.
They sing these Asclepiades.
Sweete face, why be the heu'ns soe to the bountifull,
Making that radiant bewty of all the starrs
Bright-burning, to be fayre Phillis her ornament?
And yet seeme to be soe spytefuly partial,
As not for to aford Argus his eyes to mee,
Eyes too feawe to behould Phillis her ornament?
Phillis.
First and lastly belou'd, only my only ioy,
Why hath not thy belou'd soemany lou'ly harts
As those Partriches haue of Paphlagonia?
One brest is not enough for to reteigne my ioy,
More harts would that I had for to receaue my loue,
As those Partriches haue of Paphlagonia.
Amyntas.
Let come fayre Helene, Troys tribulation,
Or braue Endymions sweete speculation,
Or Nymph Idalian friendly to passion:
None but Phillis alone pleaseth Amyntas eyes:
None but Phillis alone woundeth Amyntas hart:
Phillis.
Let come that prety Boy, fonde of his owne image,
Or Codd sse Mynion kylde by an ougly Boare,
O youthfull Ganymede rapt by the Thunderer:
Phillis stretcheth alone hands to Amyntas hands.
Phillis turneth alone eyes to Amyntas eyes,
Phillis ioyneth alone hart to Amyntas hart.
Or Codd sse Mynion kylde by an ougly Boare,
O youthfull Ganymede rapt by the Thunderer:
Phillis stretcheth alone hands to Amyntas hands.
Phillis turneth alone eyes to Amyntas eyes,
Phillis ioyneth alone hart to Amyntas hart.
O, this Amyntas name enchaunts my soule, that I can not
Leaue this Amyntas name: my tonge stil runs on Amyntas,
And my harte, and mynde, and soule stil thincks on Amyntas:
And yet, Amyntas, I know, its more than tyme to be going:
Elpinus longe since hath made all known to my father,
And my father, I know, his new son longs to be knowing.
Leaue this Amyntas name: my tonge stil runs on Amyntas,
And my harte, and mynde, and soule stil thincks on Amyntas:
And yet, Amyntas, I know, its more than tyme to be going:
Elpinus longe since hath made all known to my father,
And my father, I know, his new son longs to be knowing.
Amyntas.
Let mee help you vp: your hand is in hand of Amyntas
Now at last surprysde: yet I ask but a kisse for a ransome.
Chorus.
Yf that such sowre sawce for sweetest meates be reserued;
Yf that Amyntas must serue, loue, weepe, dy for a Phillis,
Yf those great pleasures with greate payns must be procured,
Then good loue, geaue those greate matters vnto the greate-men.
Let my Loue soone loue; let a sawdrey lace, or a thymble,
Or yong nightingale suffice my fancy to further:
Let not such torments and martyrdoms be requyred
My poore simple ioyes, and pleasures lowely to season:
But sweete-bitter woords, but kinde and louely repulses,
And such falling out, as may be a speedy renuing
And fresh increasing of loue: let such be the louing
Iarres, and warres, as peace and truce may end in a moment.
| The Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch | |