University of Virginia Library

Prologue

Wt h an houer glass in his right hand wc h he turnes & setts vpon ye table a quiuer of arrowes at his back. & bow in ye left hand
Nim.
Ô, how wingd time whirls all things into change;
though some yeares past, it seemes but yesterday,
(Soe fresh doe actions of good princes liue
after they'r dead): this Ile for gouernour
had such a one, and our protekterix
Such a lieutenant, as, 'thin twenty yeares,
(about the tyme He Sway'd) our groues were filld
with Oliue, and soe flourisht in that calme
and prosperous security, (such ift
be manedgd well, nor drawe into a snare)
That 'twas the enuy of the whol world besides:
then, vncontrould the preists did sacrefice,
the people, each contented with his owne,
past their tymes friendly, shepards on the hills
whilst their flocks fed, made musick to them freely:
And those broake vp the ground, with cheerefull hopes
promisd themselues a future crops reward;
Nor was there feare in any thing, but what
we by commaund pursude, and woods did hide,
The nimble footed hart, and swifter roe,
with other beasts of chase, as boar, & woolf,
thes with our Toyles wee stayed and Iauelins slew
those other with these shaftes we ouertooke
hands his quiuer
as with the wynde, they past our Ambushments,
And haueing seisd the Quarry, did present
it at his feete who lou'd to beare his share
in all thes innocent delights; then all
for to pay thankes, for the past good successe,
and implore future, brought our labours tribute
to our chast Queene and mistris, who aloane
Gouernd this clime, and did procure soe kinde
an Aspect from her brother, that noe soyle
could paralell it in fertillety:
(the other plannetts had their raignes else where).
Nor bore we influence with the Pleyades,
but if the ground at any time waxt dry,
A cloudy bagg from Iunoes treasury
opend, and scattered siluer drops, and pearle,
mingled together, which sowen on the mead,
I know not by what art, or chimestry
Nature did vse, cam vp in Golden flowres
amidst the grasse, which daggled to the knees,
soe pregnant one, in temperature soe kinde
and bounteous tother, nothing of distast
could passe the censure of graue Psunodarke
The greatest Scholler Gallen euer had;
(he had a purge for all mallignant humors).
him did Irenepois, till's death keepe by him:
But then attempting with his skill too farr
to lay the indigested crudeties,
The change of tymes had vapourd into mist,
mist of his ayme, and was to banishment
for that presumption sent, where euer sithence
he quietly hath slept, But we beene wakend,
for, as before our cheifest care was bent
to trace our game from feede to harbouring,
soe we our selues through the distemperatures
which multiplyed still for want of cure,
haue beene pursude soe hotly by th'alarmes
of new arbiterments, that groue, nor forrest
although ther briers now, and thornes abound,
wher Oliue once was cheife, can harbour giue
suffitient to protect, from the fierce stormes
such furie menaceth; soe that the people
with mutuall sence, of what they did endure
bring sacrifize vnto our Goddess temple,
some from the coppice wt the snare or ginn
shall bid them first good morrow with, and others
Of that the sylver brooke shall synke their hooke with,
some, of that store, part of the salery
Ceres shall pay them for their sweate, and toyle
and others from the fould some principall
and noted Kid, or lambe, All supplicate
as not forgetting the tranquillety
Those Halcion daies afforded, wherein great
Irenepois commanded, nor the skill,
that Esculapian Psunodark had showne
Shee would procure the last to be recalld
(The others bliss forbad such Sacreledge)
for to recouer if not too farr spent
the desperate greifes oppress our Ile soe sore,
to free the same from all obnoxiousnesse,
by haueing freedome from that banishment,
which as I here shee'l yeild to, and if thus,
Candy againe will become glorious
Exit