University of Virginia Library

SCE. 5.

Nicander, Amarillis.
[Nicander.]
Hee had a hart most hard, or rather had
No hart at all, nor any humane sence,
That did not pittie thee poore wretched Nimph,
And felt no sorrow for thy miserie:
Onely to see a Damfell captiuate,
Of heauenly countenance and so sweete a face,
VVorthy the world should to thee consecrate
Temples and Sacrifices, led to the Temple
For a Sacrifice, surely t'were a thing
That with dry eyes I thinke none could behold:
But who knowes how and wherefore thou wert borne!
Titirus daughter, Montan'es daughter in law,
That should haue been, and that these two are they
VVhich do vphold Arcadia, and that thy selfe
A daintie Nimph, so faire of forme,
The naturall confines of this thy life,
Approachest now so neare the boundes of death:
Hee that knowes this, and doth not plaine the saine,
He is no man, but beast, in humane shape.

Am.
If that my fault did cause my wretchednesse,
Or that my thoughtes were wicked, as thou thinkst
My deed, lesse greeuous would my death be then:
For it were iust my blood should wash the spots
Of my defiled soule, heauens rage appease,
And humane iustice iustly satisfie,
Then could I quiet my afflicted sprights,
And with a iust remorse of well-deserued death,
My senses mortifie, and come to death:
And with a quiet blow passe foorth perhaps
Vnto a life of more tranquilitie:
But too too much Nicander too much grieu'd
I am, in so young yeeres Fortune so hie,
An Innocent, I should be doom'd to die.

Nic.
Ah pleasd it heauens we had gainst thee offended,
Not thou offended gainst the heauenly powers:
For we alas with greater ease might haue
Restor'd thee to thy violated name,
Then thou appeasd their violated powers:
But I see not who thee offended hath,
Sauing thy selfe. Tell me? wert thou not found
In a close place with the Adulterer, alone
With him alone? Wer't thou not promised
Vnto Montanus sonne? Hast thou not broke thy fayth?
How art thou innocent?

Am.
I haue not broke
The Law, and I am innocent.

Ni.
Thou hast not broke
The law of Nature happely (Loue if thou likest)
But humane law and heauens thou hast transgrest,
(Loue lawfully.)

Am.
Both heauens & men haue er'd to me:
If it be true that thence our haps do come,
For is it reason in my destenie,
I beare the paine that's due to other's faultes?

Ni.
Peace Nimph, came vp thy toung in wilfull rage,
Let loose, do not condemne the Starres, for wee
Our selues procure vs all our miserie.

Am.
I none accuse in heau'n, but my ill fates.
And worse then them is shee, that mee deceiu'd.

Ni.
Then blame thy selfe, that hast deceiu'd thy selfe.

Am.
I was deceiu'd, but by an others fraude.

Ni.
T'is no deceite, to whom deceite is deare.

Am.
Then you I see condemne me for vnchast?

Ni.
I say not so, aske but your deedes, they're tell.

Am.
Deedes often are false tokens of the hart.

Ni.
The deedes we see, we cannot see the hart.

Am.
See what you will, I'am sure my hart is cleare.

Ni.
VVhat led you then into the Caue alone?

Am.
Simplicitie, and my too much beliefe.

Ni.
Trust you your Chastitie vnto your Loue?

Am.
I trusted my false friend, and not my Loue.

Ni.
VVhat friend was that, your amorous desire?

Am.
Orminoes sister, who hath me betrayde.

Ni.
Sweete trecherie, to fall into your loue.

Am.
I knew not of Mirtilloes comming I,

Ni.
VVhy did you enter then? and to what end?

Am.
Let it suffize not for Mirtilloes sake.

Ni.
You are condemn'd except y'haue better proofe.

Am.
Let her be asked of my innocencie.

Ni.
VVhat shee, that was the occasion of your fault?

Am.
Shee that betray'd mee, will you not her beleeue?

Ni.
VVhat fayth hath she that was so faythlesse then?

Am.
I by our Goddesse Cinthiaes name will sweare.

Ni.
Thy deedes haue mard the credite of thine oath:
Nimph, to be plaine, these are but dreames, and waues
Of muddy water, cannot wash cleane, nor guilty hartes
Speake troth; thou should'st haue kept thy chastitie
As dearely as the apple of thine eye.

Am.
And must I then thus (good Nicander) die?
Shall none me heare, nor none my cause defend?
Thus left of all, depriu'd of euery hope,
Onely accompanied with an extreame
Vnhappy Funerall pitty that not helpes mee.

Ni.
Nimph be content, and since thou wert so fond
In sinning, be more wise in suffering punishment:
Direct thine eyes to heau'n, thence art thou come,
And thence doth come all good or ill that haps,
As from a Fountaine doth a streame descend:
And though to vs it ill do seeme, as eu'ry good
Is mingled with some ill, yet there t'is good.
Great Joue doth know to whom all thoughtes are knowne:
So doth our Goddesse whom we worshyp heere,
How much I grieue for thee: and if I haue
Piers't with my wordes thy soule, like a Phisicion I
Haue done, who searcheth first the wound
VVhere it suspected is: be quiet then
Good Nimph, and do not contradict that which
Is writ in heau'n aboue of thee.

Am.
O cruell sentence, whether writ in heau'n
Or earth? In heau'n it is not writ,
For there miue innocencie is knowne: but what
Auailes it since I needes must die? Ah too too hard,
And too too bitter cupp. Ah good Nicander,
For pittie sake make not such haste with mee
Vnto the Temple! stay, Oh stay a little while!

Ni.
O Nimph, to whom death is so greeuous now,
Each moment seemes a death, it is thine ill to stay:
Death hath not so much harme, feare thereof;
Thou sooner dead, thy paine is sooner past.

Am.
Some helpe may come, deare father: father now
Dost thou leaue me, now leaue thine onely child.
VVilt thou not helpe me yet before I die?
Do not deny me yet thy latest kisse:
One blade shall wound both brestes, and out of mine
Thy blood must streame. Oh father! Oh sweete name
Sometime so deare which I ne're calld in vaine,
Make you your onely daughters marriage thus,
A morninges Bride, an euening Sacrifize?

Ni.
Nimph, Do not thus torment thy selfe and me,
T'is time I lead you to the Temple now,
My duetie t'is, I may not slacke it so.

Am.
Deare Woods farewell, my dearest Woods farewell,
Receiue my latest sighes vntill my soule
By cruell wound from this my body free,
Returne to seeke your loued shadowes out:
For Innocentes can not be doom'd to hell,
Nor mongst the blessed can despayrers dwell.
O Mirtillo, wretched was that day
That first I saw thee, and thy sight did please,
Since I my life must leaue, more deare to thee
Then thine, which prooues the occasion of my death.
VVilt thou beleeue that she is doom'd to death
For thee, that cruell euer was to thee,
To keepe me innocent? For mee too bold,
For thee too little daring was my will: how euer t'was,
I faultles die, fruitles, and without thee
My deare I die, my deare Mirt.

Ni.
Surely shee
Is dead and in Mirtilloes loued name her life
Hath finished: her loue and griefe the blade
Preuented hath: come helpe to hold her vp,
Shee lyueth yet, I feele her hart doth throb:
Carry her to the Fountaine here hard by,
Fresh water may restore her stonied sprights,
But were it not a deed of pittie now,
To let her die of griefe, and shun the blade:
No let vs rather succour now her life,
Wee do not know what heau'ns will do with her.