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previous section The Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch
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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.
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