University of Virginia Library

Actus Tertius.

Scena Prima.

Enter Sullen Shepherd with Amaryllis in a sleep.
Sull.
From thy forehead thus I take
These herbs, and charge thee not awake
Till in yonder holy Well,
Thrice with powerful Magick spell,
Fill'd with many a baleful word,
Thou hast been dipt; thus with my cord
Of blasted Hemp, by Moon-light twin'd,
I do thy sleepy body bind;
I turn thy head into the East,
And thy feet into the West,
Thy left arm to the South put forth,
And thy right unto the North:
I take thy body from the ground,
In this deep and deadly swound,
And into this holy spring
I let thee slide down by my string.
Take this Maid thou holy pit,
To thy bottom, nearer yet,
In thy water pure and sweet,
By thy leave I dip her feet;
Thus I let her lower yet,
That her ankles may be wet;
Yet down lower, let her knee
In thy waters washed be;
There stop: Fly away
Every thing that loves the day.
Truth that hath but one face,
Thus I charm thee from this place.
Snakes that cast your coats for new,
Camelions that alter hue,
Hares that yearly Sexes change,
Proteus alt'ring oft and strange,
Hecate with shapes three,
Let this Maiden changed be,
With this holy water wet,
To the shape of Amoret:
Cynthia work thou with my charm,
Thus I draw thee free from harm
Up out of this blessed Lake,
Rise both like her and awake.

[She awakes.
Amar.
Speak Shepherd, am I Amoret to fight?
Or hast thou mist in any Magick rite;
For want of which any defect in me,
May make our practices discovered be.

Sul.
By yonder Moon, but that I here do stand,
Whose breath hath thus transform'd thee, and whose hand
Let thee down dry, and pluckt thee up thus wet,
I should my self take thee for Amoret;
Thou art in cloths, in feature, voice and hew
So like, that sense cannot distinguish you.

Amar.
Then this deceit which cannot crossed be,
At once shall lose her him, and gain thee me.
Hither she needs must come by promise made,
And sure his nature never was so bad,
To bid a Virgin meet him in the wood,
When night and fear are up, but understood,
'Twas his part to come first: being come, I'le say,
My constant love made me come first and stay,
Then will I lead him further to the grove,
But stay you here, and if his own true love
Shall seek him here, set her in some wrong path,
Which say, her lover lately troden hath;
I'le not be far from hence, if need there be,
Here is another charm, whose power will free
The dazeled sense, read by the Moons beams clear,
And in my own true map make me appear.

Enter Perigot.
Sull.
Stand close, here's Perigot, whose constant heart
Songs to behold her in whose shape thou art.

Per.
This is the place (fair Amoret) the hour
Is yet scarce come: Here every Sylvan power
Delights to be about yon sacred Well,
Which they have blest with many a powerful Spell;
For never Traveller in dead of Night,
Nor strayed Beasts have faln in, but when sight
Hath fail'd them, then their right way they have sound
By help of them, so holy is the ground:
But I will farther seek, lest Amoret
Should be first come, and so stray long unmet.
My Amoret, Amoret.

[Ex. Amaryllis, Perigot.
Per.
My Love.

Amar.
I come my Love.

Sull.
Now she has got
Her own desires, and I shall gainer be
Of my long lookt for hopes as well as she.
How bright the moon shines here, as if she strove
To show her Glory in this little Grove,
Enter Amoret.
To some new loved Shepherd. Yonder is
Another Amoret. Where differs this
From that? but that she Perigot hath met,
I should have ta'n this for the counterfeit:
Herbs, Woods, and Springs, the power that in you lies,
If mortal men could know your Properties!

Amo.
Methinks it is not Night, I have no fear,
Walking this Wood, of Lions, or the Bear,
Whose Names at other times have made me quake,
When any Shepherdess in her tale spake
Of some of them, that underneath a Wood
Have torn true Lovers that together stood.
Methinks there are no Goblins, and mens talk,
That in these Woods the nimble Fairies walk,
Are fables; such a strong heart I have got,
Because I come to meet with Perigot.
My Perigot! who's that, my Perigot?

Sull.
Fair maid.

Amo.
Ay me, thou art not Perigot.

Sull.
But I can tell ye news of Perigot:
An hour together under yonder tree
He sate with wreathed arms and call'd on thee,
And said, why Amoret stayest thou so long?
Then starting up, down yonder path he flung,
Lest thou hadst miss'd thy way: were it day light,
He could not yet have born him out of sight.

Amor.
Thanks, gentle Shepherd, and beshrew my stay,
That made me fearful I had lost my way:
As fast as my weak Legs (that cannot be
Weary with seeking him) will carry me,
I'll seek him out; and for thy Courtesie
Pray Pan thy Love may ever follow thee.

[Exit.
Sull.
How bright she was, how lovely did she show!
Was it not pity to deceive her so?
She pluckt her Garments up, and tript away,
And with her Virgin-innocence did pray
For me that perjur'd her. Whilst she was here,
Methought the Beams of Light that did appear
Were shot from her; methought the Moon gave none,
But what it had from her: she was alone
With me, if then her presence did so move,
Why did not I essay to win her Love?
She would not sure have yielded unto me;
Women love only Opportunitie,
And not the Man; or if she had deny'd,
Alone, I might have forc'd her to have try'd
Who had been stronger: O vain Fool, to let
Such blest Occasion pass; I'll follow yet,
My Blood is up, I cannot now forbear.
Enter Alex. and Cloe.
I come sweet Amoret: Soft who is here?
A pair of Lovers? He shall yield her me;
Now Lust is up, alike all Women be.

Alex.
Where shall we rest? but for the love of me,
Cloe, I know ere this would weary be.

Clo.
Alexis, let us rest here, if the place
Be private, and out of the common trace
Of every Shepherd: for I understood
This Night a number are about the Wood:
Then let us chuse some place, where out of sight
We freely may enjoy our stoln delight.

Alex.
Then boldly here, where we shall ne're be sound,
No Shepherds way lies here, 'tis hallow'd ground:
No Maid seeks here her strayed Cow, or Sheep,
Fairies, and Fawns, and Satyrs do it keep:
Then carelesly rest here, and clip and kiss,
And let no fear make us our pleasures miss.

Clo.
Then lye by me, the sooner we begin,
The longer ere the day descry our sin.

Sull.
Forbear to touch my Love, or by yon flame,
The greatest power that Shepherds dare to name,
Here where thou sit'st under this holy tree
Her to dishonour, thou shalt buried be.

Alex.
If Pan himself, should come out of the lawns,
With all his Troops of Satyrs and of Fawns,
And bid me leave, I swear by her two eyes,
A greater Oath than thine, I would not rise.

Sull.
Then from the cold Earth never shalt thou move,
But lose at one stroke both thy Life and Love.

Clo.
Hold gentle Shepherd.

Sull.
Fairest Shepherdess,
Come you with me, I do not love you less
Than that fond man, that would have kept you there
From me of more desert.

Alex.
O yet forbear
To take her from me; give me leave to dye
By her.

[The Satyr enters, he runs one way, and she another.
Sat.
Now whilst the Moon doth rule the Skie,
And the Stars, whose feeble light
Give a pale Shadow to the night,
Are up, great Pan commanded me
To walk this Grove about, whilst he
In a corner of the Wood,
Where never mortal foot hath stood,
Keeps dancing, musick, and a feast
To entertain a lovely Guest,
Where he gives her many a Rose,
Sweeter than the breath that blows
The leaves; Grapes, Berries of the best,
I never saw so great a feast.
But to my Charge: here must I stay,
To see what mortals lose their way,
And by a false fire seeming bright,
Train them in and leave them right.
Then must I watch if any be
Forcing of a Chastitie:
If I find it, then in haste
Give my wreathed horn a Blast,
And the Fairies all will run,
Wildly dancing by the Moon,
And will pinch him to the bone,
Till his lustful thoughts be gone.

Alex.
O Death!

Sat.
Back again about this ground,
Sure I hear a mortal sound;
I bind thee by this powerful Spell,
By the Waters of this Well,
By the glimmering Moon beams bright,
Speak again, thou mortal wight.

Alex.
Oh!

Sat.
Here the foolish mortal lies,
Sleeping on the ground: arise.
The poor wight is almost dead,
On the ground his wounds have bled,
And his cloaths foul'd with his blood:
To my Goddess in the Wood
Will I lead him, whose hands pure,
Will help this mortal wight to cure.

Enter Cloe again.
Clo.
Since I beheld yon shaggy man, my Breast
Doth pant, each bush, methinks, should hide a Beast:
Yet my desire keeps still above my fear,
I would fain meet some Shepherd, knew I where:
For from one cause of fear I am most free,
It is impossible to ravish me,
I am so willing. Here upon this ground
I left my Love all bloody with his wound;
Yet till that fearful shape made me be gone,
Though he were hurt, I furnisht was of one,
But now both lost. Alexis, speak or move,
If thou hast any life, thou art yet my Love.
He's dead, or else is with his little might
Crept from the Bank for fear of that ill Spright.
Then where art thou that struck'st my love? O stay,
Bring me thy self in change, and then I'll say
Thou hast some justice, I will make thee trim
With Flowers and Garlands that were meant for him;
I'll clip thee round with both mine arms, as fast
As I did mean he should have been embrac'd:
But thou art fled. What hope is left for me?
I'll run to Daphnis in the hollow tree,
Whom I did mean to mock, though hope be small,
To make him bold; rather than none at all,
I'll try him; his heart, and my behaviour too
Perhaps may teach him what he ought to do.

[Exit.
Enter Sullen Shepherd.
Sul.
This was the place, 'twas but my feeble sight,
Mixt with the horrour of my deed, and night,
That shap't these fears, and made me run away,
And lose my beauteous hardly gotten prey.
Speak gentle Shepherdess, I am alone,
And tender love for love: but she is gone
From me, that having struck her Lover dead,
For silly fear left her alone and fled.
And see the wounded body is remov'd
By her of whom it was so well belov'd.
Enter Perigot and Amaryllis in the shape of Amoret.
But these fancies must be quite forgot,
I must lye close. Here comes young Perigot
With subtile Amaryllis in the shape
Of Amoret. Pray Love he may not 'scape.

Amar.
Beloved Perigot, shew me some place,
Where I may rest my limbs, weak with the Chace
Of thee, an hour before thou cam'st at least.

Per.
Beshrew my tardy steps: here shalt thou rest
Upon this holy bank, no deadly Snake
Upon this turf her self in folds doth make.
Here is no poyson for the Toad to feed;
Here boldly spead thy hands, no venom'd Weed
Dares blister them, no slimy Snail dare creep
Over thy face when thou art fast asleep
Here never durst the babling Cuckow spit,
No slough of falling Star did ever hit
Upon this bank: let this thy Cabin be,
This other set with Violets for me.

Ama.
Thou dost not love me Perigot.

Per.
Fair maid,
You only love to hear it often said;
You do not doubt.

Amar.
Believe me but I do.

Per.
What shall we now begin again to woo?
'Tis the best way to make your Lover last,
To play with him, when you have caught him fast.

Amar.
By Pan I swear, I loved Perigot,
And by yon Moon, I think thou lov'st me not.

Per.
By Pan I swear, and if I falsely swear,
Let him not guard my flocks, let Foxes tear
My earliest Lambs, and Wolves whilst I do sleep
Fall on the rest, a Rot among my Sheep.
I love thee better than the careful Ewe
The new-yean'd Lamb that is of her own hew;
I dote upon thee more than the young-Lamb
Doth on the bag that feeds him from his Dam.
Were there a sort of Wolves got in my Fold,
And one ran after thee, both young and old
Should be devour'd, and it should be my strife
To save thee, whom I love above my life.

Ama.
How shall I trust thee when I see thee chuse.
Another Bed, and dost my side refuse?

Per.
'Twas only that the chast thoughts might be shewn
'Twixt thee and me, although we were alone,

Ama.
Come, Perigot will shew his power, that he
Can make his Amoret, though she weary be,
Rise nimbly from her Couch, and come to his.
Here take thy Amoret, embrace and kiss.

Per.
What means my Love?

Ama.
To do as lovers shou'd
That are to be enjoy'd, not to be woo'd.
There's ne'r a Shepherdess in all the plain
Can kiss thee with more Art, there's none can feign
More wanton tricks.

Per.
Forbear, dear Soul, to trie
Whether my Heart be pure; I'll rather die
Than nourish one thought to dishonour thee.

Amar.
Still think'st thou such a thing as Chastitie
Is amongst Women? Perigot there's none,
That with her Love is in a Wood alone,
And would come home a maid; be not abus'd
With thy fond first Belief, let time be us'd:
Why dost thou rise?

Per.
My true heart thou hast slaine.

Ama.
Faith Perigot, I'll pluck thee down again.

Per.
Let go, thou Serpent, that into my brest
Hast with thy cunning div'd; art not in Jest?

Ama.
Sweet love, lye down.

Per.
Since this I live to see
Some bitter North-wind blast my flocks and me.

Ama.
You swore you lov'd, yet will not do my will.

Per.
O be as thou wert once, I'll love thee still.

Ama.
I am, as still I was, and all my kind,
Though other shows we have poor men to blind.

Per.
Then here I end all Love, and lest my vain
Belief should ever draw me in again,
Before thy face that hast my Youth misled,
I end my life, my blood be on thy head.

Ama.
O hold thy hands, thy Amoret doth cry.

Per.
Thou counsel'st well, first Amoret shall dye,
That is the cause of my eternal smart.

[He runs after he.
Ama.
O hold.

Per.
This steel shall pierce thy lustful heart.

[The Sullen Shepherd steps out and uncharms her.
Sull.
Up and down every where,
I strew the herbs to purge the air:
Let your Odour drive hence
All mists that dazel sence.
Herbs and Springs whose hidden might
Alters Shapes, and mocks the sight,
Thus I charge you to undo
All before I brought ye to:
Let her flye, let her 'scape,
Give again her own shape.

Enter Amaryllis in her own shape.
Amar.
Forbear thou gentle Swain, thou dost mistake,
She whom thou follow'dst fled into the brake,
And as I crost thy way, I met thy wrath,
The only fear of which near slain me hath.

Per.
Pardon fair Shepherdess, my rage and night
Were both upon me, and beguil'd my sight;
But far be it from me to spill the blood
Of harmless Maids that wander in the Wood.

Ex. Amar.
Enter Amoret.
Amor.
Many a weary step in yonder path
Poor hopeless Amoret twice trodden hath
To seek her Perigot, yet cannot hear
His Voice; my Perigot, she loves thee dear,
That calls.

Per.
See yonder where she is, how fair
She shows, and yet her breath infects the air.

Amo.
My Perigot.

Per.
Here.

Amo.
Happy.

Per.
Hapless first:
It lights on thee, the next blow is the worst.

Amo.
Stay Perigot, my love, thou art unjust.

Peri.
Death is the best reward that's due to lust.
[Exit Perigot.

Sul.
Now shall their love be crost, for being struck,
Ile throw her in the Fount, lest being took
By some night-travaller, whose honest care
May help to cure her. Shepherdess prepare
Your self to die.

Amo.
No Mercy I do crave,
Thou canst not give a worse blow than I have;
Tell him that gave me this, who lov'd him too,
He struck my soul, and not my body through,
Tell him when I am dead, my soul shall be
At peace, if he but think he injur'd me.

Sul.
In this Fount be thy grave, thou wert not meant
Sure for a woman, thou art so innocent.
She cannot scape, for underneath the ground,
flings her into the well.
In a long hollow the clear spring is bound,
Till on yon side where the Morns Sun doth look,
The strugling water breaks out in a Brook.

[Exit.
[The God of the River riseth with Amoret in his arms.
God.
What powerfull charms my streams do bring
Back again unto their spring,
With such force, that I their god,
Three times striking with my Rod,
Could not keep them in their ranks:
My Fishes shoot into the banks,
There's not one that stayes and feeds,
All have hid them in the weeds.
Here's a mortal almost dead,
Faln into my River head,
Hallowed so with many a spell,
That till now none ever fell.
Tis a Female young and clear,
Cast in by some Ravisher.
See upon her breast a wound,
On which there is no plaister bound.
Yet she's warm, her pulses beat,
Tis a sign of life and heat.
If thou be'st a Virgin pure,
I can give a present cure:
Take a drop into thy wound
From my watry locks more round
Than Orient Pearl, and far more pure
Than unchast flesh may endure.
See she pants, and from her flesh
The warm blood gusheth out afresh.
She is an unpolluted maid;
I must have this bleeding staid.
From my banks I pluck this flower
With holy hand, whose vertuous power
Is at once to heal and draw.
The blood returns. I never saw
A fairer Mortal. Now doth break
Her deadly slumber: Virgin, speak.

Amo.
Who hath restor'd my sense, given me new breath,
And brought me back out of the arms of death?

God.
I have heal'd thy wounds.

Amo.
Ay me!

God.
The SONG.

Amo.
Immortal power, that rul'st this holy flood,
I know my self unworthy to be woo'd
By thee a god: for e're this, but for thee
I should have shown my weak Mortalitie:
Besides, by holy Oath betwixt us twain,
I am betroath'd unto a Shepherd swain,
Whose comely face, I know the gods above
May make me leave to see, but not to love.

God.
May he prove to thee as true.
Fairest Virgin, now adieu,
I must make my waters fly,
Lest they leave their Channels dry,
And beasts that come unto the spring
Miss their mornings watering,
Which I would not; for of late
All the neighbour people sate
On my banks, and from the fold,
Two white Lambs of three weeks old
Offered to my Deitie:
For which this year they shall be free
From raging floods, that as they pass
Leave their gravel in the grass:
Nor shall their Meads be overflown,
When their grass is newly mown.

Amo.
For thy kindness to me shown,
Never from thy banks be blown
Any tree, with windy force,
Cross thy streams, to stop thy course:
May no beast that comes to drink,
With his horns cast down thy brink;
May none that for thy fish do look,
Cut thy banks to damm thy Brook;
Bare-foot may no Neighbour wade
In thy cool streams, wife nor maid,
When the spawns on stones do lye,
To wash their Hemp, and spoil the Fry.

God.
Thanks Virgin, I must down again,
Thy wound will put thee to no pain:
Wonder not so soon 'tis gone:
A holy hand was laid upon.

[Exit.
Amo.
And I unhappy born to be,
Must follow him that flies from me.