University of Virginia Library

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.