University of Virginia Library



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.