University of Virginia Library



2. Phillis Funerall.

The second part of the Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch.

The first day.

Now bonylasse Phillis was newly betroathd to Amyntas
By rich Montanus consent; whoe yet, for a long tyme
Wedding day differd, til his owne byrth day was aproaching:
That twooe solempne feasts ioynd fryendly togeather in one day
Might with more meryment, and more concurse be adorned.
Soe men on earth purpose, but Gods dispose in Olympus:
For, when as each thing was by the Father duly prepared,
And byrthwedding day now nere and nearer aproached,
Wedding by brydes death was most vntymely preuented,
And fathers byrth-day, deaths-day to the daughter apoynted;
Deaths-day lamented many dayes by the woeful Amyntas,
Deaths-day which hastned deaths-day to the mourneful Amyntas:
Whose mournyng all night all day, did weary the Mountaynes,
Weary the woods, and winds, and caues, and weary the fountayns.
But when he saw in vayne his cheeks with teares to be watred,
Cheeks all pale and wan, yet could not fynde any comfort;
Comfortles then hee turns at length his watery countnance
Vnto the water streames; and there his playnts he begynneth:
Heare, ô Brooke, these playnts, heare, ô sweete brooke, my bewaylings,
And conuey them downe to thy kinsmans watery kingdome,


Downe to the world-washing main-sea with speedy reflowing:
World-washing mayne-sea will then conuey to the worlds-end
This greeuous mournyng by the shore, by the sands, by the desert,
Desert, sands, and shore fit witneses vnto my mournyng.
And greate God Neptune perchaunce his mightyly-thundring
Triton will commaund to recount what I feele, what I suffer,
Raging heate of loue passing outragius Ætna.
Soe th' infamous fame of wretched louer Amyntas,
Blowne from th' east to the west by the sounding tromp of a Triton.
Through deepe seas passing, at length may pierce to Auernus
And fyelds Elysian, where blessed sowles be abyding;
And there meete Phillis, sweete sowle of Phillis among them,
Sweete sowle of Phillis, stil stil to be mournd of Amyntas.
O what a life did I leade, what a blessed lyfe did I leade then,
Happy Shepheard with a louing lasse, while desteny suffred?
Vnder a Beech many tymes wee sate most sweetly togeather,
Vnder a broade Beech-tree, that sunbeames might not anoy vs,
Eyther in others arms, stil looking eyther on other,
Both many tymes singing, and verses both many making,
And both soe-many woords with kisses soe-many myngling:
Sometymes her whyte neck, as white as mylk, was I tutching,
Sometymes her prety papps and brests was I bould to be fingring,
Whilst Phillis smyling and blushing hangd by my bosome,
And these cheeks of myne did stroake with her yuory fingers.
O ioyfull spring-tyme with pleasures wished abounding,
O those blessed days, whilst good luck shinde fro the Heauens.
But since Phillis, alas, did leaue most cursed Amyntas,
Paines haue plagued, alas, both flesh and bones of Amyntas,
Noe day riseth, alas, but it hears these groanes of Amyntas,
Noe night commeth, alas, that brings any rest to Amyntas,
Night and day thus, alas, stil Phillis troubleth Amyntas:
Now if northern blasts should sound theyr feareful alarum,
And boistrous tempests come thundring downe fro the Heauens,
Soe that I were compeld with Sheepe and Kidds fro the pastures
Down to the broade-brauncht trees & thick-sett groaues to be skudding,
There to remayne for a whyle, and all for feare of a scowring,
Phillis then doe I want, then my sweete Phillis is absent,
Phillis then doe I want, whose woont was then to be harcknyng
All that I could of loue, or goddesse louely remember:
Songs of lusty Satyrs, and Fauni fryends to the Mountayns,


And cherefull Charites; such songs, as none but I only,
Only Amyntas made, for none compar'd with Amyntas.
But now Phillis I want; and whoe shall now be my Phillis?
Whoe shall marck what I sing, what I say, forsaken Amyntas?
Yf that I prayse Phillis, these hills giue prayse to my Phillis,
And Phillis, Phillis from rocks with an Eccho reboundeth.
Yf that I groane, these trees with bending, yeeld many groanyngs,
And very ground for griefe shews her complexion altred:
Soe this ground, these trees, these rocks, and Eccho resounding,
All that I heare, that I see, geu's fresh increase to my sorrow.
Let those happy Shepherds keepe company fryendly togeather,
And I alone, yeelding due mournyng vnto my Phillis,
Ile now wander alone, stil alone by the rocks, by the Mountayns,
Dwelling in darck dens, by the wylde beasts only frequented,
Where noe path for man, where noe man's scene to be passing:
Or to the woods ile goe soe darck with broad-shadoe braunches,
That noe sunne by the day, noe moone by the night doe behould mee,
And that I heare noe voyce but Goblyns horrible outcries,
Owles balefull skrikings, and Crowes vnlucky resoundings.
There shal these myne eyes be resolud in watery fountayns,
There shall these fountayns flow ouer a long by the pastures.
There wil I make such playnts, as beasts shall mourne by my playnyngs,
Such playnts, as strong trees shall rent and ryue fro the rooting,
Make wylde Panthers tame, and mollyfy lastly the flynt stone.
And, if I needs must sleepe, ile take but a napp by my sleeping,
On bare and could ground these lyms all weary reposing:
Noe greene turfe to my head shall stand in steede of a pillow,
Noe bows or braunches geeue cou'ring vnto my carkas,
That some fowle serpent may speedyly geue my deaths-wound,
That this poore sowle may from flesh and blood be released,
And passing Stygian waters, may come to the fayre fyelds
Elysian fayre fyelds, and dayly resort to my Phillis.
Meane while, fryendly Shepherds & plow-men, marck what I tel you;
Disdaigne daynty Venus, geue noe ground vnto the yong Boy,
Yong Boy, but strong Boy, take heede, take heede by Amyntas,
Th' one with a fyre hath burnt, and th' other pierst with an arrow
Flesh and blood and bones, what's worse than a fyre, than an arrow?
O bitter fortune of too too wretched Amyntas.


The second day.

As soone as mornyng her shynyng rayes fro the Mountaynes
Had shewne foorth, and driu'n all starr-light quyte fro the heauens,
Then that vnhappy shepherd still plagu'd with vnhappyly louing,
Left those barren bancks, and waters noe pyty-taking:
And on a crookt sheephooke his lyms all weary reposing,
Clymed aloft to the hills, but, alas, very fayntyly clymed,
Kydds, and Goates, and Sheepe, dryuing, good man, to the Mountayns,
For Sheepe, Goats, and kyds, with pastures better abounding,
Then by the way thus he spake, to the Sheepe, to the Goats, to the yong Kydds.
O poore flock, it seems you feele these pangs of a Louer,
And mourne thus, to behould your mournefull mayster Amyntas.
Your woont was, some part to be bleating, some to be skipping,
Some with bended browes, and horned pates to be butting,
Sheepe to be gnapping grasse, and Goates to the vines to be clymyng.
But now noe such thing, but now noe lust to be liuely,
Sheepe and sylly Shepherd with luckles loue be besorted:
You for Amyntas mourne, for Phillis mourneth Amyntas;
O with what miseries poore mortall men be molested?
Now doe I know right wel what maks you thus to be mournyng,
Thus to be tyred, thus to be quayled, thus to be drooping;
Phillis, whyle she remaynd, mylkt my Goats euer at eunyng,
Goats that brought home duggs stretcht with mylk euer at eunyng.
Phillis brought them flowrs, and them brought vnto the wels-prings,
When dogg-dayes raigned, when fyelds were all to be scortched,
Whilst that I lay sleeping in cooling shade to refresh mee.
Phillis againe was woont with Amyntas Sheepe to be washing,
Phillis againe was woont my sheepe thus washt to be shearing,
And to the sweete pastures my Sheepe thus shorne to be dryuyng,
Then from Fox and Woolf my Sheepe thus driu'n to be keeping,
And in fyelds and coates my flock thus kept, to be closing;
Least by the Northerne wynds my Sheepe might chaunce to be pinched,
Least by the frost or snow my Kyds might chaunce to be greeued:
Phillis lou'd you soe, soe Phillis loued Amyntas,
Phillis a guyde of yours, and Phillis a fryend of Amyntas.
But sweete Sheepe, sweete Goats, spare not to be lyuely, for all this,


Looke not vpon my weeping face soe sadly, for all this,
Harcken not to my plaints and songs all heauy, for all this.
Harcken not to my pype, my pipe vnlucky, for all this,
But sweete sheepe, sweete goats, leaue of your mayster Amyntas,
Leape and skyp by the flowring fields, and leaue of Amyntas,
Clymbe to the vynes, and tender trees, and leaue of Amyntas;
Clymbe to the vines, but run for life for feare of a mischif,
When th' ould Silenus with his asse com's laesyly trotting.
Let mee alone, mee alone lament and mourne my beloued,
Let me alone celebrate her death by my tears by my mourning:
Lyke to the siluer Swan, whoe seeing death to be comming,
Wandreth alone for a whyle through streames of louely Caïster;
Then to the flowring bancks all feynt at length he repayreth,
Singing there, sweete byrd, his dying song to Caïster,
Geuing there, sweete byrd, his last farewell to Caïster,
Yeelding vp, sweete byrd, his breath and song to Caïster.
How can Amyntas lyue, when Phillis leaueth Amyntas?
What for fyelds, for woods, for meddows careth Amyntas,
Meddows, woods, and fyelds, if my sweete Phillis abandon?
Mighty Pales fro the fyelds, fro the meddows learned Apollo,
Faunus went fro the woods, when Phillis went from Amyntas;
Noe good sight to my eyes, noe good sound came to my hearing.
But let Phillis againe come back, and stay with Amyntas,
Then shal woods with leaues, and fields with flowrs be abounding,
Meddows with greene grasse to the poore mans dayly reioycing,
Mighty Pales to the fields, to the meddows learned Apollo,
Faunus coms to the woods, if Phillis come to Amyntas;
Noe bad sight to my eyes, noe bad sound coms to my hearing.
Come then, good Phillis, come back, if Desteny suffer,
Leaue those blessed bowres of sowls already departed;
Let those sparckling eyes most like to the fire to the christall,
Ouercome those haggs and fiends of feareful Auernus,
Which haue ouercome those starrs of cheareful Olympus.
And by thy speech more sweete than songs of Thracian Orpheus,
Pacify th' infernall Furies, please Pluto the grim God,
Stay that bawling curr, that three-throate horrible Hellhound.
Sweete hart, come to thy friend, to thy friend come speedily sweetehart,
Speedily come, least griefe consume forsaken Amyntas.
Phillis I pray the returne, if prayers may be regarded,
By these teares of myne from cheeks ay rueful abounding,


By those arms of thine which sometime clasped Amyntas,
By lipps thyne and myne ioyned most sweetly together,
By faith, hands, and hart with true syncerity pledged,
By songs, by wedding with great solempnity vowed,
By iests, and good-turns, by pleasures all I beseech thee,
Help and succor alas thy forlorne louer Amyntas.
Or, by thy teares intreate those Nymphs of desteny fatall,
Noe-pity-taking Nymphs intreate that I lyue not alone thus,
Pyn'de thus away with griefe, suffring vnspeakable anguish:
But let death, let death come speedily giue me my pasport,
Soe shal I finde faire fyelds, faire seates, faire groues by my dying,
And in fields, in seats, in groues faire Phillis abyding.
There shal Phillis againe in curtesie striue with Amyntas,
There with Phillis againe in curtesie striue shal Amyntas,
There shal Phillis againe make garlands gay for Amyntas,
There for Phillis againe gay garlands make shal Amyntas,
There shal Phillis againe be repeating songs with Amyntas,
Which songs Phillis afore had made and song with Amyntas.
But what alas did I meane to the whistling windes to be mourning,
As though mourning could restore what Desteny taketh?
Then to his house; full sad, when night approacht, he returned.

The third day.

And now since buriall of Phillis louely the third day
At length appeared, when poore distressed Amyntas
Loost his Kidds fro the fould, and sheepe let forth fro the sheepecoate,
And to the neighbour hills full set with trees he resorted:
Where, as amidst his flock, his Lasse thus lost, he bewayleth,
And maks fond wishes with deepe sighes interrupted,
And he relenting ayre with his outcries all to be beateth;
Eccho could not now to the last woord yeeld any Eccho
All opprest with loue, for her ould loue stil she remembred,
And she remembred, stil, that sweete Narcissus her ould loue,
With teares all blubbred, with an inward horror amazed.
When she begins to resound her sobbs stil stay the resounding,
When she begins her speech, her griefe stil stoppeth her halfe-speech,


With which her woont was with louers sweetly to dally.
During these her dumps, thus againe complaineth Amyntas,
During his complaynts she with all compassion harkneth.
O what a warre is this, with loue thus stil to be striuing?
O what a wyld-fyre's this conueyd to my hart by the blynd-boy?
That neither long tyme can bring any end to my striuing,
Nor teares extinguish this wylde-fyre throwne by the blynde boy?
Then then, alas, was I lost, ô then then, alas, was I vndoone,
When the coral-colored lips were by me greedily viewed,
And eyes like bright starrs, and fayre browes dayntily smyling,
And cherefull forehead with gold-wyre all to be decked,
And cheeks all white-red, with snow and purple adorned,
And pure flesh swelling with quick veynes speedily mouing,
And such fine fingers, as were most lyke to the fingers
Of Tithonus wife platting th' ould beard of her husband.
What shal I say to the rest? each part vnited in order,
Each part vnspotted, with long roabs couered each part.
What shal I say to the rest? many kisses ioynd to the sweete woords,
And many woords of weight in like sort ioynd to the kisses,
Vnder a greene lawrell sitting, and vnder a myrtle,
Myrtle due to Venus, greene lawrell due to Apollo.
That lytle earthen pott these ioys hath now fro me snatched,
That lytle earthen pot where Phillis bones be reserued:
O thrice happy the pot, where Phillis bones be reserued,
And thrice happy the ground, where this pot shalbe reserued.
Earth and earthen pot, you haue the belou'd of Amyntas,
Natur's sweete dearling, and only delyte to the Countrey,
And sunne of this soyle, of these woods only Diana.
O thryce happy the earth, but much more happy the earth-pot.
O thrice happy the grasse, that grows on graue of a Goddesse,
And shooting vpwards displays his top to the heauens.
Sweete blasts of Zephyrus shal make this grasse to be seemly,
Noe sythe shal tutch it noe serpent craftily lurking
With venymous breathing, or poyson deadly shal hurt it;
Noe Lyonesse fowle pawes, Beares foote, beasts horne shal abuse it,
Noe byrds with pecking, noe vermyn filthy by creeping,
Noe winters hoare frost, no night-deaws dangerus humor,
Noe rage of Suns-heate, noe stars, or power of heauens.
Noe boistrous tempest, noe lightnings horrible outrage,
Dryue hence, good plow-men, driue hence your wearied oxen,


And you friendly shepherds, keep back your sheep fro the graues grass,
Least your sheepe vnwares may chaunce by my Loue to be harmed,
Least by the bulls rude rage her bones may chaunce to be bruysed,
Whilst with foote and horne hee the graues-ground teareth asunder.
Make haste you yongmen, make haste all you prety damsells,
With sacred water this sacred place to besprynkle,
Burne piles of beech-trees, and then caste on the Sabæan
Spyce to the pyles burning, send sweete perfumes to the heauens,
Cynnamon, and Casia, Violets, and loued Amomum;
Red-colored Roses, with Beare-breech cast ye togeather.
And then on euery side set tapers sacred in order,
And beate your bare brests with fysts all weary with anguish,
And sing sweete epitaphs, lifting your voyce to the heauens,
Sing sowre-sweete epitaphs in death and praise of a Goddesse.
Wanton fleshly Satyrs, and Fauni friends to the mountains,
Nymphs addict to the trees, and in most gracius order
Three Graces ioyning, shall beare you company mourning.
And I myself will dresse, embalme, and chest my beloued,
And, folowing her coarse, all pale, and wan as a dead man,
Weary the woods with plaints, and make new streames by my weeping
Such streames as no banck shall barr, streames euer abounding,
Such streames as noe drought shall drye, streames neuer abating.
With mee Parnassus, with mee shall mourne my Apollo,
And Uenus, all chafed, that Desteny tooke my beloued.
And that same vile boy, which first did ioyne me to Phillis,
His lamp shall lay downe, and paynted quyuer abandon,
And with his owne prety teares trickling, and sweetly beseeming,
Help me to mourne, although that he gaue first cause to my mourning.
But, what alas doe I meane to repeate these funeral outcries,
Stil to repeate these plaints, and stil toolate to repeate them?
Thrice hath Phœbus now displayd his beames fro the mountains,
Thrice hath Phœbus now descended downe to the mayn-sea,
Since my belou'd was dead, since our good company parted,
Since Phillis buryed, since all solempnities ended,
Since my delytes, poore wretch, were all inclosd in a coffyn.
Yet doe I mourne here stil, though noegood come by my mournyng,
Adding teares to my teares, and sorrows vnto my sorrows,
And noe stay to my teares, and noe rest coms to my sorrows.
O strong boy, strong bow, and ô most dangerus arrow.


Now doe I fynde it a payne, which first did seeme but a pleasure,
Now doe I feele it a wound, which first did seeme but a smarting,
When strong boy, strong bow shot first that dangerus arrow.
Thus did Amyntas mourne, and then came home by the Sun-set,

In these verses,

Eccho could not now to the last woord yeeld any Eccho
All opprest with loue, for her ould loue stil she remembred,
And she remembred stil that sweete Narcissus her ould loue, &c.

Some litle men fynde great fault, that this word, stil, being twice vsed, is but an idle repetition to make vp the verse. Where, if they could see, that in the first place it is an Aduerb, & an Adiectiue in the second, they might aswel bee stil, and not speake any thing, as stil talk, and yet say noething.

The like reprehension was that of him, whose wits were soe weakened with passions, that he fell downe of his horse, with singing, Downe a Downe. This man, first moued by the peremptory Preface of the Lawyers Logike (which yet could tutch none but the galled back) and reading there in the Analysis of Stanfords Crowne Pleas, that in Homieidijs, &c. although in times past Voluntas reputabatur pro facto, yet it was not soe vsed in these dayes, but only in the Princes case, and certaine special and honorable personages mencioned by Statute in H.7. time: thought it a wondrous fault, that I did but Digitum ad fontem intendere, and not literally repeate euery word at large out of Saunders case in Plowden, where I bring in his mynistring of poyson with a murdring intent, as a medium in framing of a Syllogisme: whereas alas euery chylde knowes, that Saunders action did effect death, euen to his owne confusion. Better might hee haue reprehended the misprysion of the Printer, whoe Pag. 74. should haue left out Higgs, and put in Mynshew, the very lyuing image of Syr Philip Sydneys Damætas.


The fourth day.

Thrice had shining Sunne withdrawne his face fro the heauens,
And earth all darckned since Phillis friendly departed;
And, when fourth day came, then againe true-louer Amyntas
Myndeful of ould loue stil, tooke noe ioy flock to be feeding,
But stil alone wandring through fyelds, to the bancks, to the waters,
Leaned his head on Bank, and eyes cast downe to the waters,
With teares incessant his cheeks full watery washing.
What now resteth, alas, to be doone of woeful Amyntas?
Noe sence, noe knowledge in these vnsensible ashes,
In graue noe feeling, in death ther's noe-pity-taking.


Phillis maks but a iest, dead Phillis mocketh Amyntas,
Phillis breaks her faith, and plays with Pluto the black-Prince,
Pluto the black-Prince now enioys those ioys of Amyntas.
Speake on, good sweete Nymphs, if you can shew any tydings,
Whether among those trulls that wayte on Queene of Auernus,
My Queene and Empresse, my Phillis chaunce to be spinning?
Speake, for I feare, for I feare, shee'le neuer come to Amyntas.
Father Syluanus, Syluanus good to the mountains,
And flocks on mountains, ô help most helples Amyntas,
Help by thyself by thy friends, thou God, cause Gods to be helping:
For my relligion, for my deuotion help mee,
Either let Phillis be returned back to Amyntas,
Or let Amyntas dy, that death may succor Amyntas.
And thou naughty Cupide, yet say on, geue mee thy counsail,
What shal I dooe? shal I dy? shal Amyntas murder Amyntas?
Dy then Amyntas: death will bring Phillis to Amyntas.
O hard-harted Loue, thou see'st what I beare, what I suffer,
Hart with flames, and eyes with mourneful water abounding,
Head with cares possest, and soule ful of horrible anguish:
This thou see'st, and sure I doe know, it greeues thee to see this,
Though they call thee tyrant, though soe thou iustly be called,
Though thy nature passe Busiris beastly behauyour:
For, what makes me to mourne, may cause thee to yeeld to my mourning:
One rude rock, one winde, and one tempestuus outrage
Batters, breaks, and beats my ship, thy ship to the quicksands;
Our harmes are æquall, thy shipwrack's like to my shipwrack;
Loue did loue Phillis, Phillis was lou'd of Amyntas,
Phillis Loues dearling, Phillis dearling of Amyntas;
Deearling, crowne, garland, hope, ioy, health, wealth of Amyntas,
And what more shal I say? for I want woords fit for Amyntas.
And thou churhsh ground, now cease any more to be fruitefull,
Cease to be deckt with flowrs and all in greene to be mantled:
Thy flowre is wyth'red, my garland lately decayed,
Phillis thyne and myne with death vntymely departed.
Whose sweete corps thou bar'st, whose footesteps in thee be printed,
And whose face thou didst admyre for bewty renowmed.
Belch out roaring blasts with gaping iawes to the heauens,
That those roaring blasts may scowre by the skies, by the heauens,
And foule strugling stormes cast downe fro the clowds, fro the heauens,
For such fowle weather will best agree with a mourner.


Howle and mourne thou earth, and roare with an horrible outcry,
Howle as then thou didst, when mountains were to the mountains
Put, by thy cursed broode, to be clyming vp to Olympus.
When great flakes of fire came flashing downe fro the heauens,
When thy crawling sons came tumbling downe from Olympus.
Howle as Lady Ceres did then when Prince of Auernus
Stole her daughter away from fields that ioyned on Ætna,
Vnto the dungeons darck, and dens of his hellish abyding.
Thou ground, forgetfull what was by duty requyred,
Shouldst send vnbidden, with Phillis, teares to Auernus.
Her blessed burden thou wast vnworthy to beare vp,
Therefore tender gyrle in flowring age she departed.
O frowning fortune, ô starrs vnluckily shyning,
O cursed byrth-day of quyte forsaken Amyntas,
Phillis, alas, is chaungd, Phillis conuerted in ashes,
Whose prety lipps, neck, eyes, and haire soe sweetely beseeming,
Purple, snow, and fyre, and gold-wyre seem'd to resemble.
Tithonus faire wife coms always home by the Sun-set,
Euery night coms home to that ould Tithonus her husband,
Sweete Cephalus leauing, and gray-beard harti'y kissing:
But my Phillis, alas, is gone, is gone to Auernus,
Gone too-far to returne, and this tormenteth Amyntas.
White is black, and sweete is sowre to the sense of Amyntas,
Night and day doe I weepe and make ground moyst by my weeping,
Mourne, lament, and howle, and powre forth plaints to the heauens:
Soe doe the Nightingales in bushes thorny remaining,
Sing many dolefull notes and tunes, sweete harmony making,
Theyr yong ones mourning, their yong ones dayly bewayling.
Phillis, alas, is gone, shee'le neuer come to Amyntas,
Neuer againe come back, for Death and Desteny stay her,
Stay her among those groues and darcksome dens of Auernus,
Where's noe path to returne, noe starting hole to be scaping;
Desteny, Death, and Hell, and Cerberus horrible Hel-hound,
Loathsome streames of Styx, that nyne times compas Auernus,
Stay her amongst those Haggs in dungeons ougly for euer:
Only the name and fame, and her most happy remembraunce
Stil shal abyde, shal lyue, shall floorish freely for euer.
Thus did Amyntas plaine, and then came faintily homeward.


The fifth day.

Since Phillis buriall with due celebration ended,
Phœbus againe aduanc't his blazing face fro the maine-sea,
And with morning starre dispelling night fro the heauens,
Quickly the fifth tyme brought broade day-light vnto Amyntas:
But yet Phillis in hart, in mynde, and sowle of Amyntas
Stil did abyde, and stil was Phillis mournd of Amyntas.
Noe care of dryuing his kydds and goats to the mountains,
Noe care of folowing his sheepe and lambs to the pastures,
But daye-light loathing, and dayes woork wonted abhorring,
Straight to the woods doth hee walk, in noe mans company walking.
Where he the weeping flowre making all weary by weeping,
Vntuned speeches caste out, and desperat outcryes.
Where with sighes, to the windes, with teares, increase to the waters
Stil did he geue, and stil vaine loue most vainly bewayled.
As louing Turtle seeing his lately beloued
Turtle-doue throwne downe from a tree with a stone or an arrow,
Can not abyde Sun-beames, but flies fro the fields, fro the meddows,
Vnto the darkest woods, and there, his desolat harbor
Maks in a Cypresse tree, with lyghtning all to be scorched,
Or with Winters rage and black storms fowly defaced:
Where, on a rotten bowe his lyms all heauy reposing,
Stil doth he grone for griefe, stil mourne for his onely beloued:
Then consum'd with greeuous pangs, and weary with anguish,
Downe to the ground doth he fall with feynting wings fro the bare bow,
Beating dust with wings, and feathers fowly beraying,
Beating brest with beck, till blood come freshly abounding:
Soe did Amyntas mourne, such true-loue made him a mourner.
O what a vile boy's this, what a greeuous wound, what a weapon?
O what a dart is this that sticks soe fast to my hart roote,
Lyke as a roote to the trunck, or lyke as a vyne to the elme tree?
O pityles loues-god, poore Louers how be we plagued?
O strong dart of Loue, which each thing speedily pearceth.
This dart God Saturne, God Mars, and great God of all Gods


Ioue hymselfe did wound vnles that fame doe bely them:
Although God Saturne were ould, and lyke to a crusht crabbe,
Although Mars were arm'd with try'de Vulcanian armor,
Although Ioue with fyre and thunder maketh a rumbling.
Yea thine owne mother, thine owne inuincible arrow
Hurt, and prickt those papps which thou wast wont to be sucking,
Neyther spar'st thou him that raigns in watery kingdome,
Neyther spar'st thou him that rules in feareful Auernus:
Pluto knows what it is, with a paltery Boy to be troubled,
Neptune knows what it is, by a blynde boys check to be mated:
Then since heauens, seas, and hells are naught by thee spared,
Earth and earth-dwelling louers must looke to be pinched.
O what gaping earth will Amyntas greedyly swallow?
O what gulf of seaes and deepes wil quyckly deuoure him.
And bring him lyuing to the dead-mens sowls in Auernus?
Gods of skies (for loue hath pierst oft vp to the heauens)
If pyty moue your harts, if you from stately Olympus
Can vouchsauf to behold these inward wounds of Amyntas,
Free this troubled sowle from cares and infynit anguish,
End these endles toyles, bring ease by my death to my deaths-wound.
O that I had then dyde, when Phillis lyu'd with Amyntas,
In fyelds, when Phillis sang songs of loue with Amyntas,
In fyelds, when Phillis kist and embraced Amyntas,
In fyelds, when Phillis slept vnder a tree with Amyntas,
Blest had Amyntas beene, if death had taken Amyntas.
Soe my Phillis might haue sitten downe by my death-bed,
Closing these eye-lidds of dead, but blessed Amyntas,
Blest, that hee dy'de in her arms, that his eyes were closd with her owne hands.
But what alas doe I meane for death thus stil to be wishing
Foole that I am? for death coms quyckly without any wishing.
Inward grief of troubled sowle hath brought me to deaths-dore,
Woonted strength doth sayle, my lyms are faynty with anguish;
Vitall heate is gone, like vnto a smoke or a vapor,
Yesterday but a boy, and now gray-headed Amyntas.
O luckles louers, how always are we bewitched,
What contrarieties, what fancies flatly repugnant,
How-many lyues, deaths, hopes, feares, ioyes, cares still doe wee suffer?
O that I could forget Phillis many tymes am I wishing,
O that I had dyde for Phillis many tymes am I wishing,
Thus distracted I am ten thousand tymes by my wishing,


Lyke to a shipp, through whirling gulfes vnsteedyly passing,
Floating here and there, hence thence, with danger on each syde,
Fearing Scyllaes iawes, and mouth of greedy Charybdis,
Whylst by the rage of sea, bruysde shipp sticks fast to the quyck-sands,
And by the mighty rebounding waues is lastly deuoured.
But what alas doe I meane myne ould loue still to be mourning,
Forgetting pastures, and flocks, and vines by my mourning?
My naked pastures with floods are lyke to be drowned,
My fyelds vntilled with thorns are lyke to be pestred,
My poore Sheepe and Goats with could are lyke to be pinched,
My prety black bullock will come noemore to my white cowe,
And by the swines fowle snowt my vines are lyke to be rooted,
For want of walling, for want of customed hedging.
Rank bows in vine-tree there's nobody now to be cutting,
Cutt bows with withy twiggs there's nobody now to be bynding,
Pecking Pyes from grapes there's nobody now to be keeping.
You rocks, help me to mourne; rocks, pinetrees loftyly bearing,
You woods, help me to mourne; woods always woont to be sylent,
You wells, help me to mourne; wells cleare and lyke to the Christall.
Vines forelorne, forsaken shrubs, lament with Amyntas.
On you rocks many tymes Phillis was woont to be walking,
In you woods many tymes Phillis was woont to be sitting,
With you wells many tymes Phillis was woont to be smyling.
And you vines and shrubs Phillis was woont to be fingring.
Now t'was iust darck night, and home came seelly Amyntas.

The sixth day.

Since Phillis buryall, sixtymes sprang light fro the Mountayns,
Six tymes had Titan brought back his coach fro the mayn-sea,
And flying horses with salt waues all to be dashed,
With puft-vp nosthrils greate fyre flames lustyly breathing.
When to the wyld woods went careles, yet careful Amyntas,
Leauing flock in fould, noe creatures company keeping,


Beating brest with fist, with teares face fowly defacing,
Filling ways as he went with such and soemany waylings,
As were sometymes made by the sweete Rhodopcian Orpheus,
When by the rocks of Thrace, by the fatall water of Hæbrus,
His sweete Euridice with most sweete voyce he bewayled,
When sweete voyce, sweete harpe ioyned most sweetly togeather,
Made both byrds and beasts, both stocks and stones to be mournyng.
Euery beast in fyeld wisheth day-light to be comming,
Mornyng starr by the byrds in fylds is sweetly saluted,
As soone as shee begins by the breake of day to be peeping;
Euery beast in fyeld wisheth darck night to be commyng,
Eu'ning starr to the kydds well fed, coms hartyly welcome,
As soone as she begyns by the nights approach to be shynyng,
Neyther day nor night can please displeased Amyntas,
All day long doe I mourne, and all night long am I playnyng,
Noe day's free fro my playnts, and noe night's free fro my mourning.
Whosoe thincks it strange, that thus tormented Amyntas
Can thus long endure, who thincks it strange, that Amyntas
Lyues, yet taks noe rest, but stil lius, stil to be dying;
This man knows not alas, that loue is dayly triumphant,
Loue can abyde noe law, loue always lou's to be lawles,
Loue altreth nature, rules reason, maystreth Olympus
Lawes, edicts, decrees: contemns Ioue mightyly thundring,
Ioue, that rules and raigns, with a beck that bendeth Olympus.
Loue causd Hippolitus with bryr's and thorns to be mangled,
For that he had fowle loue of lusting Phædra refused.
Loue made Absyrtus with systers hands to be murdred,
And in peeces torne, and here and there to be scattred.
Loue forc't Pasophae mans company long to be loathing,
And, for a whyte Bulls flesh, Bulls company long to be lusting.
Loue and luring looks of louely Polixena, caused
Greekish Achilles death, when he came to the Church to be wedded.
Loue made Alcides, that greate inuincible Heros,
Master of all monsters, at length to be whipt by a Mystres.
Loue drownd Læander swymmyng to the bewtiful Hero,
Vnto the towne Cestos from towne of cursed Abydos.
Loue made loue, that's ruler of earth and ruler of heauen,
Lyke to a selly Shepherd, and lyke to the fruytful Echidna,
Lyke to a fyre, to a Swan, to a Showre, to a Bull, to an Eagle,
Sometymes Amphitrion, sometymes Dyctinna resembling.


But what neede I to shew this blynde Boys surly behauyour,
Lewd prancks, false policies, sly shifts, and wyly deuises,
Murdring mynde, hard hart, dead hand, bent bow, bloody arrowes?
Nobody knows better what bitter grief is abounding
In lou's lewd kingdome, than luckles louer Amyntas.
Whether I goe to the groaues, or whether I clymbe to the Mountayns,
Whether I walk by the bancks, or whether I looke to the fountayns,
Loue stil wayts at an inch, and neuer leaues to be pinching,
Euery thing complayns, and aunswereth vnto my playnyngs,
Euery thing geus cause and fresh increase to my mournyngs.
If that I mourne in woods, these woods seeme al to be mournyng,
And broade-brauncht oake trees their vpright topps to be bowing.
Yf that I sigh or sob, this pine-tree straight by the shaking,
This peareles pine-tree for company seem's to be pyning,
As though himself felt th' enduring pangs of Amyntas.
And that byrde of Thrace, my woeful company keeping,
Cry's and calls for Itys, with monstrous villany murdred,
Murdred alas by the merciles hart and hands of a Mother,
Eaten alas by the cursed mouth and teeth of a father.
And poore Turtle-doue, her mates good company myssing,
Sits on a naked bowe, and keepes mee company mournyng.
When that I clymbe to the ragged rocks, & creepe to the Mountayns,
Staying feeble knees with a staffe, for feare of a falling,
If that I then curse death, and rayle on desteny fatall,
For marring that face, those cheeks, those yuory fingers
Of my sweete Phillis; Phillis coms back with an Eccho,
Eccho returns Phillis, fyue tymes fro the rocks, fro the Mountayns.
Euery beast which hears these woefull playnts of Amyntas,
Coms and setts him downe twixt leggs of woeful Amyntas,
Sustring back to be stroakt with staff of mourneful Amyntas:
As that good Lyonesse, which first was cur'de by a Romayne,
In Romayne theater gaue life for lyfe to the Romayne.
O, if such pyty were in Desteny noe-pyty-taking,
Phillis I should not mysse, nor Phillis mysse of Amyntas.
Yf that I come to the bancks, and cast myne eyes to the waters,
Waters augmented by these my watery fountayns,
Then these fowle-mouth'd froggs with iarring tunes doe molest mee:
Soe that I am compeld with bowing knees to be praying,
Praying vnto the Nymphs in bowres of water abyding,
That they would vouchsafe to receaue my carkas among them,


And fro the sight of man, fro the light of sunne to remoue it,
As that loued Hylas they sometymes fryendly receaued.
But yet I wish in vayne, and nought can I get by my wishing,
And of my wishing these lewd windes make but a whistling,
Soe noething contents poore malcontented Amyntas,
Clogd with an heape or cares, and closd in a hell ful of horror.
Then to his homely Cabin, by the moone light hasted Amyntas.

The seuenth day.

Six nights now were past, and seu'nth day hastened onward,
When, with fretting cares all spent and wasted Amyntas,
Went to the wood starkwood with greate extremyty weeping,
And to the dull deaff wynds his late losse freshly bewayling.
O how much this Amyntas is altred from that Amyntas,
Which was woont to be capten of euery company rurall?
Noething nymble I am with willow staff to be threshing,
Nor with toothed rake round hey-cocks for to be making.
Noething nymble I am my branched vines to be cutting,
Nor with sharp-edg'd suck my fruytefull soyle to be plowing.
Noething nymble I am my scabbed Sheepe to be curing,
Nor with leapping lads, with tripping trulls to be dancing.
Noething nymble I am sweetete rymes and songs to be making,
Nor sweete songs and rymes on pleasant pipe to be playing.
My sence is dulled my strength extreamely decayed,
Since that fayre Phillis my loue did leaue me for euer,
Whoe was worthy to liue and worthy to loue mee for euer.
Phillis, fayre Phillis, thou dearling deare of Amyntas,
What lasse durst compare with dearling deare of Amyntas
For witt, for learnyng for face, for seemely behauyour?
My sweete lasse Phillis was noemore lyke to the graygownes,
And contrey mylk-mayds, than Nightingale to the Lapwing,
Rose to the greene willow, or syluer Swan to the Swallow.
Phillis amydst fayre mayds did fayre mayds company countnance,


As ripe corne doth fyelds, as clustred grapes doe the vinetrees,
As stout Bulls doe the droues, as bay leaues bewtify gardens.
Phillis name and fame, which is yet freshly remembred,
Passed abroade soe farr, soe farr surpast Amaryllis,
As that it yrckt and greeu'd disdanigeful prowd Amaryllis,
Whoe stil thought herself for bewties prayse to be peareles:
But let her hart ful of hate stil pyne, let her eyes ful of enuy
Stil be resolud in teares, Phillis surmounts Amaryllis,
Phillis dead is alyue, and soe shall lyue to the worlds end,
Phillis prayse shall scape from death and graue to the worlds end.
But what auayls it alas, dead Phillis now to be praysing?
Phillis alas is dead, its too late now to be praysing,
And to renew ould thoughts and fond conceipts by my praysing.
Better it is to be low, and neuer clymbe to a kingdome,
Than fro the scepter againe to be tumbled downe to the dunghill.
For what auayles it now, that Phillis lulled Amyntas
Luld him a sleepe in her arms, and slept herself with Amyntas,
Vnder a cooling shade from scorching beames to defend vs,
Which sight made Æglon, and Mopsus teeth to be watry?
Or what auayls it now t'haue gathred ioyntly togeather
Fragrant hearbs and flowrs by the mantled fyelds, by the meddows,
Daffadil, and Endyue, with mournyng flowre Hyacinthus,
Thyme, Casia, Violets, Lillies, and sweet prety Roses,
For Nymphs and wood-gods gay garlands duly preparing?
Or what auayl's it now, t'haue pluckt at Strawbery brambles,
Blackbery bryr's t'haue spoyld, t'haue bared Mulbery branches,
With such contrey fruyte our basketts heauyly loading?
Or what auayls it now, t'haue geu'n her soemany kisses?
Or t'haue taken againe in lyke sort soemany kisses?
Or what auayl's it now, t'haue drawn our talk to the eu'nyng?
Or t'haue made our names with boxtree barck to be growing,
Names and vowes which nought but death could cause to be broken?
Woeful wretch that I am, Phillis forsaks mee, for all this,
And forsaken of her, death hath possest mee, for all this.
And yet I am not sick (vnles that loue be a sicknes)
But death coms creeping, and lingring lyfe is a flytting,
And this differring of death is woorse than a dying.
Lingring fyre by degrees hath spent and wasted Amyntas,
As Meleager of ould, whose life was left in a fyrebrand,
Fyrebrand cast to the fyre by the murdring hands of a mother,


When fatall fyrebrand burnyng did burne Meleager.
Euery day doe I weepe and euery howre am I wayling,
Euery howre and day dismall to the wretched Amyntas,
Yea mutch more wretched, than that poore silly Prometheus,
Whoe, for his aspyring, for stealing fyre from Olympus,
Was by the Gods decrees, fast bound with chaines to the mountayne
Caucasus, huge and cold, where hee's compelled an Eagle,
Eagle still feeding, with his owne hart still to be feeding.
O Pan, ô Fauni, that loue with mayds to be lyuely,
Leaue your pipes, your songs, your dance, leaue of to be lyuely,
Ioyne your teares with Amyntas teares, and mourne with Amyntas,
And mourne for Phillis, for Phillis leaueth Amyntas.
Phillis for your sake fine wafers duly prepared,
Phillis pleasd your eyes, whilst Phillis dayntyly danced.
Phillis amydst fayre mayds was deemed stil to be fayrest,
And gaue grace to the rest with her eyes and comely behauyour,
As fayre lawrell trees be adornd with bewtiful Iuye,
As fine gold is adornd by the shynyng light of a Iasper.
Since death of Phillis, noe ioys enioyeth Amyntas,
Euery good thing's gone, Phillis tooke euery good thing,
Contrey soyle laments, and Contrey-men be a weeping.
And thou garden greene now powre foorth playnts with Amyntas,
Phillis thy sweete bancks and beds did water at eu'nyng,
Phillis amydst thy flowrs always was woont to be walking;
But now noe walking, but now noe water at eu'ning,
Now best flowre is dead, now Phillis gone fro the garden.
And you Christall springs with streames of syluer abounding,
Where fayre Phillis sawe fayre Phillis face to be shynyng,
Powre foorth floods of teares from those your watery fountayns.
Phillis will noemore see Phillis sit by the fountayns,
Phillis will noemore her lipps apply to the fountayns,
Lipps, to be ioynd to the lipps of Ioue that ruleth Olympus.
And you darcksome dales and woods aye wont to be silent,
Where she amydst the Shepherds and toyling boisterus Heardsmen
Her mylk-white shee-goats many tymes was woont to be feeding,
Lament and mourne for this Nymphs vntymely departure.
But Pan, and Fauni, but garden greene of Amyntas,
But you springs and dales, and woods ay woont to be sylent,
Leaue of your mournyng, ile geue you leaue to be silent,
Leaue to be silent stil, geue you mee leaue to be mournyng,


Leaue to be mournyng stil, let this most heauy departure
This death of Phillis bring wished death to Amyntas,
Here did he pause for a while, and home at night he returned.

The eyghth day.

Now since fayre Phillis was chested duly, the eighth tyme
Night gaue place to the light, and eu'ning vnto the mornyng:
Whē to the woods so wilde, to the wilde beasts dangerus harbors,
Forsaking hye ways, by the bye wayes passed Amyntas:
And there setts hym downe all wearyed vnder a Myrtle,
For grief stil groanyng, with deepe sighs heauyly pantyng,
Stil Phillis namyng, stil Phillis fayntyly callyng.
And must one wench thus take all the delyte fro the contrey?
And must one wench thus make euery man to be mournyng,
Euery man whose flocks on these hills vse to be feeding?
And must Æglon weepe? and must that fryendly Menalcas
Weare his mournyng roabe, for death of my bony Phillis?
And must good Corydon lament? must Tityrus alter
His pleasant melodies, for death of my bony Phillis?
And must Damætas for grief leaue of to be louing?
Must Amaryllis leaue, for death of my bony Phillis?
And must drooping bull consume as he goes by the meddow,
Must Sheepe look lowring for death of my bony Phillis?
And must sighs seeme wyndes, must teares seeme watery fountayns?
And must each thing change for death of my bony Phillis?
O then what shal I doe for death of my bony Phillis?
Syth that I lou'd bonylasse Phillis more dearly than all these,
Syth that I lou'd her more than I loue these eyes of Amyntas,
O then what shal I dooe forlorne forsaken Amyntas,
What shal I doo but dy, for death of my bony Phillis?
Phillis whoe was woont with bowe and shafts to be shooting,


Phillis whoe was woont my flock with care to be feeding,
Phillis whoe was woont my mylch shee-goates to be mylking,
Phillis whoe was woont (most handsome wench of a thousand)
Either clowted creame, or cakes, or curds to be making,
Either fine baskets of bul-rush for to be framing,
Or by the greene meddowes gay dancing dames to be leading:
Phillis whose bosome filberds did loue to be filling,
Phillis for whose sake greene lawrell lou'd to be bowing,
Phillis, alas, sweete Lasse Phillis, this braue bony Phillis,
Is dead, is buried, makes all good company parted.
O how oft Phillis conferd in fields with Amyntas?
O how oft Phillis did sing in caues with Amyntas,
Ioyning her sweete voyce to the oaten pipe of Amyntas?
O how oft Phillis clypt and embraced Amyntas?
How many thousand tymes hath Phillis kissed Amyntas,
Bitten Amyntas lips, and bitten againe of Amyntas,
Soe that Amyntas his eyes enuy'de these lipps of Amyntas?
O sweete soule Phillis, w'haue liu'd and lou'd for a great while,
(If that a man may keepe any mortall ioy for a great while)
Lyke louing turtles, and turtle-doues for a great while,
One loue, one lyking, one sense, one soule for a great while,
Therefore one deaths-wound, one graue, one funeral only
Should haue ioyned in one both loue and louer Amyntas.
O good God, what a grief is this that death to remember?
For, such grace, gesture, face, feature, beauty, behauiour
Neuer afore was seene, is neuer againe to be lookt for.
O frowning fortune, ô death and desteny dismall;
Thus be the poplar trees that spread their tops to the heauens,
Of their flowring leaues despoyld in an howre, in a moment:
Thus be the sweete violets, that gaue such grace to the garden,
Of theyr purpled roabes despoyld in an howre, in a moment.
O how oft did I cry, and roare with an horrible howling,
When for want of breath Phillis lay faintyly gasping?
O how oft did I wish, that Phœbus would fro my Phillis
Driue that feauer away, or send his son from Olympus,
Whoe, when Lady Venus by a chaunce was prickt with a bramble,
Healed her hand with his oyles and fine knacks kept for a purpose?
Or that I could perceaue Podalyrius order in healing,
Or that I could obtaine Medæaes exquisit oyntments,
And baths most precious, which ould men freshly renued:


Or that I were as wise as was that crafty Prometheus,
Whoe made pictures liue with fire that he stole from Olympus.
Thus did I call and cry, but no-body came to Amyntas:
Then did I rayle and raue, but nought did I get by my rayling:
Whylst that I cald and cryde, and rag'd, and rau'd as a mad-man,
Phillis, alas, Phillis by the burning fits of a feuer,
Quickly before her daye, her dayes vnluckily ended.
O dismal deaths-day, with black stone stil to be noted,
Wherein noe Sun shinde, noe comfort came fro the heauens,
Wherein clustred clowds had cou'red lightsom Olympus.
Wherein noe sweete byrd could finde any ioy to be chyrping,
Wherein loathsome snakes from dens were loath to be creeping,
Wherein fowle scritch owles did make a detestable howling,
And from chymney-top gaue woefull signes of a mischif.
O first day of death, last day of life to Amyntas,
Which noe day shall dryue from soule and hart of Amyntas,
Til Neptune dryde vp, withdraw his flouds fro the fishes,
And skaled fishes liue naked along by the sea-shore.
For since Phillis went and left forsaken Amyntas,
Ioyes and pleasures went, and left forsaken Amyntas:
Perplexed speaking and vayne thoughts only remained,
Immoderate mourning, and mad loue only remained.
Thou Ioue omnipotent, which doest with mercy remember
Mortall mens myseries, which knowst what it is to be louing:
And thou God Phœbus, that sometymes dryu'n from Olympus,
Feeding sheepe didst loue, help luckles Louer Amyntas
Feeding his poore sheepe, help poore man, yong man Amyntas:
Thou that abridgest breath, and mak'st our light to be darknes,
Cut this threede of life, dispatch and bring me to darknes
Infernall darknes, fit place for mourner Amyntas.
Soe shal Amyntas walk and talk in darksom Auernus,
Soe shal Amyntas loue with Phillis againe be renued,
In fields Elysian Phillis shall liue with Amyntas.
Thus doe I wish and pray, this praying is but a pratling,
And these wishing woords but a blast, but a wynde, but a whistling:
Dy then, Amyntas, dye: for dead is thy bony Phillis.
Phœbus went to the sea: to the poore house hasted Amyntas.


The nynth day.

Since Phillis buriall, now faire Aurora the nynth time
Shewd her shining face, and Phœbus lightned Olympus:
When, from couch all wet with teares, confounded Amyntas
Raysd his crazd carkas, with minde stil abroade to be wandring
Vnto the wylde beasts dens, and feareful vnhospital harbors,
Where was noething els, but certaine death to be lookt for.
But whilst naked lyms with roabes all ragged he cou'red,
Oft did he call and cry for Phillis, for bony Phillis,
With deepe sighs and groanes stil Phillis, Phillis, he called:
And then drest, vp he gets, and gets himself to the desert,
Desert dens, mans sight and Suns light euer abhorring.
There, by the woods wandring, and loue vnlucky bewayling,
More and more did he feede that wonted wound of a louer;
Lyke as a trembling Hart, whose hart is pierst with an arrow,
Runs, and yet running, his death stil beareth about him,
Runs to the thickest groaues, yet bleeds and sweats as he runneth,
Runs, and soe with toyle and griefe, death hasteneth onward:
Then with teares doth he seeke Dictamus flowre by the desert,
Seeks, but can not finde Dictamus flowre by the desert:
Lyke to the trembling Hart, went hartles louer Amyntas;
And thus againe at length (his cheekes with water abounding)
From sullen silence, abruptly began to be raging.
Since Phillis lockt vp that starr-light liuely for euer,
Since faire Phillis slept that long sleepe, what shal Amyntas
Thinke, conceaue, contryue, or what shal Amyntas imagin,
What shal Amyntas dooe, that Amyntas goe not a begging?
For noe care is of health, no care of wealth in Amyntas,
Noe ioy, noe comfort, but Phillis abydes in Amyntas.
Whoe wil fodder now in winter geue to my bullocks?
Whoe wil now any more bring my white Bull to my Heyfer?


Whoe wil goats and kyds to the ragged rocks be a driuing?
Whoe wil sheepe and lambs from rau'ning woolues be defending?
Whoe wil looke to my rams, and wash theyr fleece in a riuer?
Whoe wil anoynt scabd sheepe, least-that contagius humor
Once get strength, make way, and spoyle whole flock of Amyntas?
Whoe wil let them blood, when raging fire of a feuer
Runneth along by the bones, and marrow quickly deuoureth?
Whoe wil tender sheepe dryue vp fro the fields, to the mountains,
When deepe brooke (increast with raine or snow from Olympus)
Driaes downe wonted walls, and banks all beateth asunder,
Ouerflowing fields, and pastures fowly defacing?
O poore flock, poore heard, ô life and loue of Amyntas,
Phillis life and loue is gone, ô wretched Amyntas.
Eu'n as a Merchant man, whoe lost his ware by a shipwrack,
And ship left on sands with blynde rocks broken a sunder,
Swyms on a boord staggring, with salt-waues all to be dashed,
Dryu'n hence thence with wyndes, and knows noe place to be landing,
Wandring here and there, and sees noe starres to be shyning:
Soe twixt hope and feare, twixt life and death doth Amyntas
Dayly delay his dayes, yet deaths wound beareth about him.
For since Phillis alas in a dead sleepe slipt from Amyntas,
Inconstant, wandring, distracted, moydred Amyntas
Rangeth alone by the rocks, by the woods, by the dens, by the deserts,
Deserts, dens, and woods, and rocks, where no-body walketh,
No-body dare approach for feare of slippery serpents,
And crawling adders with baleful poyson abounding:
And yet I cannot fynde, what I seeke, what I looke, what I long for,
Phillis I meane, by the rocks, by the woods by the dens, by the deserts.
Since that time, that time of griefe and woe the beginning,
Neither Sun by the day, nor Moone by the night did Amyntas
Euer see Seeping though weake and weary by watching.
And no foode I desire, for I feede too fast on a fancy,
Loue fills fainty stomack, and euery part of Amyntas:
And I desire noe drinck, for I drinck vp watery fountains
Fountains of salt teares still trickling, euer-abounding,
Lyke showres in wynter, driu'n downe with wyndes from Olympus.
O most mighty Pales, which stil bar'st loue to the countrey
And poore countrey-folk, hast thou forgotten Amyntas
Now when as other Gods haue all forsaken Amyntas?
Thou on whose feast dayes Bonefires were made by Amyntas,


And quyte leapt ouer by the bouncing dauncer Amyntas?
Thou for whose feast dayes great cakes ordayned Amyntas,
Supping mylk with cakes, and casting mylk to the bonefyre?
And thou surly Cupid, thou churlish dame Cytheræa,
With whose prayse I did once, whilst Phillis aboad with Amyntas,
Make these fields to resound, make beasts and men to be wondring,
On pitiful poore wretch is noe care, noe pity taken?
What? shal I noething get for making soemany offrings,
Soemany sweete perfumes, for saying soemany prayers,
All with a garland greene, with leaues of Myrtle adorned?
Are Gods vnthankfull? can noe grace come from Olympus?
Are Gods vnmindefull? why then, what meane I to worship,
Worship I knowe not what for a God, when it is but an Idoll?
For, noe guerdon, alas, noe good thing's left for a good man.
Poore foole, what did I meane, on Gods or starrs to be rayling,
As though stars or Gods could alter Destenies order?
Poore, foole, what did I meane incessant teares to be sheading,
Stil to the hills, to the woods, to the fields, to the floods to be wayling,
Since these hills, these woods, these fields, these floods to my weeping
Can lend noe feeling, can aford noe sence to my wayling?
Yet wil I call Phillis, though noe-body come by my calling,
And weepe for Phillis, though noegood come by my weeping:
Thus wil I dooe: Many men, many mindes; this pleaseth Amyntas.
And yet I cannot abide any more by the woods to be ranging,
And this liuing death, this dying life to be leading:
Dy then Amyntas, dy, let Amyntas murder Amyntas;
Soe shal that grym Syre, and fowle-fac't Prince of Auernus
Some pity take, when he sees this wound of murdred Amyntas,
This wound wide and large; and losse of grau's but a smal losse.
Soe shal Amyntas walk, and Phillis walk with Amyntas
Through those pleasant groaues, and flowring fields of Auernus.
But yet againe to his house with doubtfull mynde he returned.


The tenth day.

Since that fatall day and howre vnlucky, the tenth time
Faire Aurora betymes by the dayes breake, rose from her husband
Husband old and cold, and droue darck clowds from Olympus,
Making way to the Sun, taking her way to the yonker
Braue yonker Cephalus, whom faire Aurora desired.
Æolus, of purpose Auroraes fancy to further,
Sent forth sweete Zephyrus with tender breath to be blowing,
And moyst dew by the fields with whistling blast to be diying,
Least nights colde moysture might stay theyr louely proceedings,
Stay braue Æolides, stay fayre Aurora fro kissing.
Euery thing did smile, woods, fields, ayre, watery fountains,
Euery Larck did sing, and made sweete myrth to the Morning,
And chereful Charites with gold-locks gayly bedecked,
Daunced along by the fields in due and gracias order;
And th' vnruly Satyrs by the sound of a paltery piper,
Leapt and skipt by the woods in most lasciuius order.
Only Amyntas loath'd these sports and these prety pastimes
Only Amyntas mournd, and owld grifes only remembred,
Leauing house and home, and deserts only frequenting,
Scratching face with nayles, and Phillis freshly bewayling.
O what meanes Phillis? can Phillis cast of Amyntas?
O consider, alas, consider careful Amyntas,
And forget not, alas, forget not faithful Amyntas,
Whoe for Phillis sake, for loue and fancy to Phillis
Beares this fire in his hart, and stil this fire is a feeding.
What meanes Phillis, alas, in those fayre fields to be walking,
In those Elysian faire fields, and leaue me behinde her?
What's there noemore care of flock in Phillis abyding?
What? noe care of loue, noe care of louer Amyntas?
O vnthankfull wench, if this thing come by thy causing,


And accursed Fate, if Desteny cause thee to leaue mee.
See what a strange effect these cares haue wrought in Amyntas,
Needles cares haue driu'n all needful cares from Amyntas.
Noe care, no comfort in driuing goats to the mountains,
When rising Phœbus displays his beames in a morning;
Noe care, noe comfort in bringing sheepe to the sheepe-coates,
When sitting Phœbus withdraws his face in an eu'ning.
Rimes are quite set aside, and seu'n-hoald pipe is abandond,
Rimes that I playd on pipe; pipe vsed at euery dauncing:
Leather bottel's lost, and tarr-box broken asunder,
Shoone and myttens gone, and sheepehooke cast in a corner,
And litle ould Lightfoote hath lost his Maister Amyntas
Whose watchfull barking made woolues afraid to be byting.
See how Phillis death doth make my Goates to be dying:
Noebody giues them Thyme and other flowrs to be gnapping,
Noebody giues them drinck and water fresh to be sippping,
Noebody brings them back to the fold, or shade to refresh them.
See how Phillis death doth make my sheepe to be dying,
Whil'st th' vnlucky Shepheard neglects his sheepe to be feeding,
Lambs in woefull wise by the woolues are dayly deuoured,
Eawes in loathsome sort with scabbs are fowly molested,
And theyr wooll with dust and durt is filthily fowled.
O but, alas, poore foole, whil'st thou thus rayl'st on Olympus,
Phillis faire, perchaunce, in pleasant fields of Auernus
Keepeth better goates, and better sheepe is a feeding,
Leauing this poore flock, and theyr poore master Amyntas.
And must only my death cause endles plagues to be ended?
And shal I neuer dy, til time that Desteny poynted?
O, what a life is this, with life and death to be striuing?
And yet I loue this life, this strife, and euery moment
Reason yeelds to my rage, and rage giues place to my reason:
And whil'st breath shal abyde in burning breast of Amyntas,
Perpetuall sobbing shall make these sides to be smarting,
Perpetuall plaining shal make this mouth to be sounding,
Perpetuall weeping shal make these eyes to be swelling.
As soone as Titan with face all fyry returneth,
With violent clamors great clowds wil I cast on a cluster.
As soone as darck night doth spread her mantle among vs,
With teares stil trickling, Ile make springs euer abounding:
What loue's lyke to my rage, what fancie's lyke to my folly,


That not a day, not an houre, not a moment scapeth Amyntas,
But stil Amyntas mourns, since Phillis graue was a making?
That lewd Lord of Loue drew my destruction onward,
That boy bred my bane, my death vntimely procured,
When by the sight of a Lasse, by the flaming eyes of a Virgin,
Fire did pierce by my flesh, to my soule, to my bones, to my marrow,
And there burns and boyls lyke scalding sulphur of Ætna.
Whoe would thinke thou Loue couldst beare such hate to a louer?
Or wouldst woork such harme to a countrey-man that is harmeles?
But bloody boy thou art, thou bearst bloody minde, bloody weapons.
And thou most spitefull Nemesis, whose hasty reuenging
Hands are euer at hand, whose mynde is mutable alwayes,
At miseries laughing, at mens felicity grudging,
Why durst thou deale with, what didst thou meane to be medling
With louing Phillis, with Phillis Louer Amyntas?
If that Phillis I kist, or Phillis kissed Amyntas,
If that Phillis I clypt, or Phillis clipped Amyntas,
If that I spent many howres in talking vnder a Myrtle,
Wast any greate offence, any greate disgrace to a goddesse?
Wee were contrey folk, twooe seeliest sowles of a thousand;
Those golden Diadems, that state of a King or a Kingdome
More fitt for Nemesis: Phillis more fitt for Amyntas:
Who would thinck thou couldst on beggers thus be triumphing?
Why should silly Shepheards be molested thus by a Goddesse?
Nay godlesse Nemesis: for thou doost noe-body goodnes,
And where's noe goodnesse, whoe thinks there can be a Goddesse?
And thou most hellish Lachesis, more fierce than a Furie,
What reason foundst thou such mischif for to be working,
That by the gryping paines, by the cold-hoate fits of an ague,
Phillis fit for a man, shuld dy thus afore she be fitted?
O why shouldst thou take all comfort quite fro the countrey,
And make countreymen thus comfortlesse to be mourning?
Could not that sweete face, nor that most seemely behauyour,
Nor that league of loue stil lasting leade thee to mercy?
But thy delite is death, and blood thou only desirest,
Therefore bring me to death, take liuing blood from Amyntas,
For my delite is death, death only desireth Amyntas,
And to procure quick death, its fully resolu'd by Amyntas,
That faire Phillis againe may loue her louer Amyntas.
And yet about eu'ning with staggring stepps he retyred.


The eleuenth day.

Now th' eleuenth day from death of Phillis aproached,
Which to the former rage that long possessed Amyntas,
Dogged new conceipts with more resolution added.
And shal I stay, qd he, now? shal I wayte for greater aboundance
Of sowle-tormenting horrors? shal I stil be a dying,
And yet liuing stil? Did I thrust my brest on a poynted
Dart, when Phillis liu'd, though Phillis fled from Amyntas?
Yea, did an vntrue tale, did a heare-say woork in Amyntas
Soe, that he threw himself fro the hill topp desperat, head-long,
Hearing Phillis death by Fuluia falsly reported?
And shal Amyntas now, when he knows, when he sees, when he looks on,
Lookes on Phillis alas, and see's her fayntyly gasping,
Lookes, and sees her alas, her last, last breath to be yeelding,
Lookes, and sees those eyes with fathers hands to be cloased,
(Eyes by Amyntas his hands more worthyly for to be cloased)
Lookes, and sees, (dead sight) her sacred sace to be cou'red,
And corps embalmed; shal hee now, now feare to be dying?
Daphne stayd darts-wound, and causd it, not to be deaths-wound,
Desteny made downefall for that tyme not to be mortall;
But neyther Daphne, nor cursed Desteny hencefoorth
Shall withdraw this knife from bleeding brest of Amyntas.
Yf Daphne could not, nor cursed Desteny would not
Keepe Phillis from death; why should they keepe me fro Phillis?
Once it was my chaunce my naked louely Diana
For to behould by the well; but alas my louely Diana
Her poore Actæons trueloue vnkyndely requyted,
And freed Phillis did fly from freer Amyntas.
Afterwards, forsooth, our wedding day was apoynted;


Apples tutcht my chyn, to my lipps streames louely aproached;
But when Tantalus hoapte his fruyte and streames to be tutching,
Apples fled fro my chyn, fro my lipps streames louely retyred,
Brydall by buryall was most vntymely preuented.
Now, if woorse doe remayne, let come, let come to Amyntas
Ere that Amyntas dy, for he meanes noemore to be trifling,
But this self-sacrifice to the sweetest Saint to be offring.
Goe poore Sheepe and Kydds, sometyme the delite of Amyntas,
Seeke now somewhere els both boughes and grasse to refresh you,
Make your way by the fyelds, and neuer staye for Amyntas,
Lodg your selus at night, and neuer looke for Amyntas:
Some pytyfull goodman wil take compassion on you,
And feede you wandring, and bring you home by the eu'nyng.
Now shal I neuer more your hornes with flowrs be adornyng,
Now shal I neuer more your selus to the fyelds be a dryuyng,
Now shal I neuer more see you creepe vp to the Mountayns,
Now shal I neuer more sitt downe and sing in a valley.
Thinck it noe strange thing if Woolus dooe chaunce to deuoure you,
Sith that Woolues are lyke to deuoure your master Amyntas,
Vnles some good man this carkas chaunce to be cou'ring.
Goe poore louing dogg ould Light-foote, seeke thee a master,
Get thee a new master, since thyne ould master Amyntas
Gets hym another dogg, fowle Cerberus horrible helhounde.
Now shal I neuer more geue Light-foote bones to be gnawing,
Now shal I neuer more cause Light-foote glooues to be fetching:
Yf, for thy feeding from a whelp, thou meane to be thankfull,
Then keepe rau'nyng Woolus from wounded corps of Amyntas.
Pype, fitt for meryment, vnfitt for mourner Amyntas,
Hang on this myrtle, til good luck send the a master,
More blessed master, than tentymes cursed Amyntas.
Roses fayre and red, which Phillis lou'd to be wearing,
Keepe stil fayre and red, keepe fresh and louely for euer,
My red blood shal stil geue new supply to the rednes.
Yuychurch farewell; farewel fayre Pembrokianaes
Parck and loued lawndes; and, if fayre Pembrokiana
Scorne not my farewel, farewell fayre Pembrokiana.
Hills and dales farewell, you pleasant walks of Amyntas,
Floods and wells farewell, sweete looking glasse of Amyntas.
Now shal I neuer more my sorrows vtter among you,
Now shal I neuer more with clamors vaynly molest you,


Handkercher farewell, sweete work of my bony Phillis,
Handkercher many tymes made moyst with teares of Amyntas,
Now shal thy Gelyflowrs; which wanted nought but a rednes,
Proue perfect Gelyflowres; my blood shal geue them a rednes,
Soe shal Phillis woork in part be the woork of Amyntas.
Hart of gold, farewell, which Phillis gaue to Amyntas,
Signe of a louing hart, which greeues my heart to be leauing:
And would neuer leaue, vnles that I meant in a moment,
This my liuing hart, and hart of gold to be leauing.
Wedding ring, farewell, shee's gone, whose yuory finger
Should haue been thy grace: full well did I cause to be grauen
In thy golden round, those words as true as a Gospell,
Loue is a bitter-sweete, fit woords for bitter Amyntas.
Farewell knife at last, whose poynt engrau'd in a thousand
Barcks of trees that name, sweete name of my bony Phillis,
And hard by that name this name of Louer Amyntas:
Soe that in euery ash, these names stood, Phillis Amyntas,
And each Beech-tree barck, bare these names, Phillis Amyntas:
Pastors dayly did ask, what folk are, Phillis Amyntas?
Nymphs did dayly demaund, who wrote this, Phillis Amyntas?
But now, loued knife, thy paine is somwhat abridged,
Now write Phillis alone, and noemore, Phillis Amyntas:
Now write Phillis alone; but let not an ash, or a beech-tree
Beare soe blessed a name, which only belongs to Amyntas:
My brest shalbe the barck, write Phillis name in Amyntas:
And since sharpned poynt shal finde soe tender a subiect,
Strike, engraue, cut, launse, spare not to be mightily wounding:
Let faire Phillis name to the eyes of louely beholders
With blood-red letters in Amyntas his hart be apearing.
Yet this murdring stroake to an other time he referred.


The twelfth day.

And now since Phillis dead corps was layd in a coffyn
Twelfth day came at last, when weake, yet wakeful Amyntas
Spy'de through tyles of his house fayre Phœbus beames to be shynyng:
Which when he saw, then in haste hymself he began to be stirring,
And with trembling knees, with mynde extreamely molested;
Passed along to the fyelds where graue of Phillis apeared,
Meanyng there to the graue, to the ghost, to the scattered ashes
His last lamenting in woeful wise to be making.
But when he saw fresh flowrs and new grasse speedyly start vp,
And Phillis sweete name ingrau'n by the hande of Amyntas,
Then did he stay, and weepe, with an inward horror amased:
And at length his knees on graue there fantyly bowing,
With dolorous groanyngs his fatall howre he bewayled.
This day, this same day, most blessed day of a thowsand,
Shall be the first of ioy, and last of anoy to Amyntas,
This shall bring mee myself to myself, and bring mee to Phillis.
Let neyther father nor mother mourne for Amyntas,
Let neyther kinsman, nor neighbour weepe for Amyntas,
For Venus, only Venus doth lay this death on Amyntas,
And Phillis sweete sowle in fayre fyelds stays for Amyntas.
Yf you needs will shew some signe of loue to Amyntas,
Then when life is gone, close vp these eyes of Amyntas,
And with Phillis corps lay this dead corps of Amyntas,
This shal Phillis please, and Phillis louer Amyntas.
And thou good Thyrsis, dryue foorth those Sheepe of Amyntas,


Least that Amyntas Sheepedy with theyr master Amyntas.
And thou good Daphne, when soe thou gang'st to the Mountayns,
Dryue on Phillis Goates, fayre Phillis Goates to the Mountayns;
For now, now at length, ile leaue this life for a better,
And seeke for mending in a most vnnatural ending.
Must then Amyntas thus but a stripling murder Amyntas?
O what an imperious princesse is Queene Cytheræa?
For, stil-watching loue would neuer let me be resting,
Nor neuer sleeping since Phillis went from Amyntas.
And noe longer I can susteigne these infynit horrors
And pangs incessant, which now are freshly renued
And much augmented; therfore am I fully resolued
Of lingring loues wound to be speedily cur'd by a deaths-wound.
Thus when he had contryu'd in his hart this desperat outrage,
And meante fully to dy, with an hellish fury bewitched,
What doe I stay, qd he, now? tis losse of tyme to be lingring:
Then with a fatall knife in a murdring hand, to the heauens
Vp did he looke for a while, and groan'd with a deadly resounding,
With thease woords his life and lamentation ending.
Gods and ghosts forgiue, forget this fault of Amyntas,
Pardon I craue of both, this knife shall bring me to Phillis,
And end these myseries, though desteny flatly deny it.
Eu'n as he spake these woords, downe fell deepe-wounded Amyntas,
Fowling hands and ground with streames of blood that abounded.
And good-natur'd ground pytying this fall of Amyntas,
In most louing wise, very gently receaued Amyntas,
And when he fell, by the fall, in mournefull sort, she resounded.
Iupiter in meane-tyme, and th' other Gods of Olympus,
When they saw this case (though greate things were then in handling)
Yet lamented much, and then decree'd, that Amyntas
Sowle should goe to the fyelds where blessed Phillis abydeth,
And bloody corps should take both name and forme of a fayre flowre
Call'd Amaranthus then, for Amyntas fryendly remembrance.
Whil'st these things by the Gods were thus decree'd in Olympus,
Senses were all weake, and almost gone from Amyntas,
Eyes were quyte sightles, deaths-pangs and horror aproached.
Then with his head half vp, most heauyly groaned Amyntas,
And as he groan'd, then he felt his feete to the ground to be rooted,
And seeking for a foote could fynde noe foote to be sought for,


For both leggs and trunck to a stalk were speedily changed,
And that his ould marrow to a cold iuyce quickly resolued,
And by the fame could iuyce this stalk stil lyuely apeared.
Which strange change when he felt, then he lifted his arms to the heauēs,
And, when he lifted his armes, then his arms were made to be branches;
And now face and hayre of Amyntas lastly remayned;
O what meane you Gods to prolong this life of Amyntas?
O what meane you Gods? with an hollow sound he repeated,
Vntil his hollow sound with a stalk was speedily stopped,
And fayre face and hayre bare forme and shape of a fayre flowre,
Flowre with fayre red leaues, fayre red blood gaue the begynnyng.
Then with bow and shafts, and paynted quyuer about hym,
Vprose Lord of loue from princelyke seate in Olympus,
And, when t'was too late, laments this losse of a louer,
Speaking thus to the Gods of this new flowre of Amyntas.
Myrtle's due to Venus, greene laurel's deare to Apollo,
Corne to the Lady Ceres, and vines to the yong mery Bacchus,
But thou fayre Amaranthus, gentlest flowre of a thowsand,
Shalt be my flowre henceforth, and though thou camst from a bleeding,
Yet blood shalt thou staunch, this guyft wil I geue the for euer:
And by the pleasant parke where gentlemynded Amyntas
Lately bewayld his loue, there thy leaues louly for euer,
Boyes and gyrls and Nymphs, shall take a delite to be plucking,
Take a delyte of them theyr garlands gay to be making.
And now in meane tyme whylst these things were thus a working,
Good louing neighbours for a long tyme myssed Amyntas,
And by the caues of beasts, by the dungeons darck, by the deserts,
And by the hills and dales, by the wells and watery fountayns,
Sought for Amyntas long, but neuer met with Amyntas.
Downe in a dale at last, where trees of state, by the pleasant
Yuychurches parck, make all to be sole, to be sylent,
Downe in a desert dale, Amaryllis found Amaranthus,
(Nymph, that, Amyntas lou'd, yet was not lou'd of Amyntas)
Founde Amaranthus fayre, seeking for fayrer Amyntas;
And with fayre newe flowre fayre Pembrokiana presented.
Who, by a strayte edict, commaunded yearely for euer
Yuychurches Nymphs and Pastors all to be present,
All, on that same day, in that same place to be present,
All, Amaranthus flowre in garlands then to be wearing,


And all, by all meanes Amaranthus flowre to be praysing,
And all, by all meanes his Amyntas death to be mournyng.
Yea, for a iust monyment of tender-mynded Amyntas,
With newfound tytles, new day, new dale she adorned,
Cal'd that, Amyntas Day, for loue of louer Amyntas,
Cal'd this, Amyntas Dale, for a name and fame to Amyntas.
FINIS.