University of Virginia Library

ACTVS. 1.

SCENA 1.

Thyrsis
, Montanus.

Mon.
Alas poore shepheard!

Thy.
It shall affoord no shade to any thing
That hither us'd to come for its releife;
But henceforth be for ever infamous:
That when some gentle shepheard passes by,
And sees this ground rent with the crooked plough,
Here, he may say, here 'twas that Sylvia
Was lost, and then shall turne another way.

Mon.
Good Thyrsis, do not make so much of griefe,
Y'have fed it with too many teares already,
Take comfort now.

Thy.
What has my present state
To doe with comfort? if you see the trees
Widdow'd of leaves, the earth growne hard, and spoild
Of the greene mantles which she wont to weare,
You wonder not if winter then appeare.

Mon.
By these we know that season.

Thy.
And must I,
When she is gone, whose Sun-like eyes did cherish
An everlasting Summer in my life,
Feele any spring of joy to comfort me?
No father, griefe with me is best in season.

Mon.
But whilst you mourne thus, who looks to your flock?

Thy.
All as the shepheard is, such be his flocks,
So pine and languish, they, as in despaire
He pines and languishes, their fleecy locks
Let hang disorder'd, as their Masters haire,
Since she is gone that deckt both him, and them.
And now what beauty can there be to live
When she is lost that did all beauty give?

Mon.
But yet, mee thinks, for one that is a stranger,
Scarce knowne to any here, but by her name,
These plaints are overmuch: besides there are
In fruitfull Arcady as faire as she,
I'me sure more rich and wise, make out of them
A choise. Nerina is as faire as she,
Dorinda's flocks are more then Silvia's,
And carry on their backs more wooll then hers.

Thy.
Let such base Pesants, as the Gods do hate,
Admire their wealth, and them, for what they have,
Their bodies, and their soules materiall
Alike, of drossie substance are compounded,
And can contemplate nothing but the earth.
No, Silvia, whom some better God (perhaps
For the reward of my well tuned pipe)
Sent downe to me made up of ayre, and fire,
Though since, because I knew not how to use
With faire respect a gift so great as she,
Has justly reft her from me, is so much,
So great a part of me, that in her absence,
Amidst my griefe I feele some little joy,
To see how much of me each minute wasteth,
And gives me hope that when I shall dissolve
This earthly substance, and be pure as she
(For sure the Gods have taken her undefil'd)
I may injoy her lookes, and though it be
Prophane to touch a hallowed thing like her,
I may adore her yet, and recompence
With my religion the proud thoughts I had
once to injoy her.

Mo.
See how fond you are
T'embrace a shadow, and to leave the substance.
The love of Hylas to Nerina has
More hopes then yours; though she be yong and coy
Yet whilst Nerina is, and Hylas too,
One time or other, they may both haue joy

Thy.
May they prove happy in each others love,
And nothing please, but what each other do,
For so liv'd Thirsis and his Silvia,
Whilst Silvia was, and Thirsis was her loue,
What ever Thirsis pip'd pleasd Silvia,
Thirsis admird what ever Sylvia sung
And both their joyes were equall, or but one,
Well I can now remember (and it is
Some comfort to remember what I moane)
That when our loves began, how first I gaz'd
On her,, and she was pleasd that I should looke
Till greedily I had devour'd the hooke.
Love gave me courage then to speake my thoughts,
And gave her pitty to receive my words,
They linkt our hearts together: from that time
When ere she saw me strike the furious Boare,
(Though then my case she ru'd, and sigh'd full oft)
Yet was she pleas'd to see my victory,
And I receiv'd my vigour from her eye.
Then would she make me Chaplets of the best
And choicest flowers to adorne my head:
Which when I wore, methought I then did graspe
The Empire of the world; but what of that?
The more I then enjoy'd of heavenly blisse,
The more my present griefe and passion is.

Mon.
Well Thyrsis, since my words doe but renew
The story of your griefe, I'le leave to use
Perswasions to you; for 'tis time I see,
And not my words, must cure your maladie

Exit.
Thy.
That time must put a period to my life,
Or else it never will unto my griefe:
Come Boy, and under this same hanging bow,
The note which thou attemperst to my words,
Sing, and be happier then thy Master, Boy.

Boy.

Thy.
Enough: I'le sigh the rest out: Goe my boy,
Be carefull of thy tender Lambes, whilst I
Seeke out some hidden place to pine and dye.

SCENA SECUNDA.

Hylas
, Mirtillus.
Beleeve Mirtillus, never any love
Was bought with other price then love alone,
Since nothing is more precious then it selfe.
It being the purest abstract of that sire,
Which wise Prometheus first indu'd us with;
And he must love that would be lov'd againe.

Mi.
Why? who can say Mirtillus does not love,
Mirtillus, he who has imploy'd his youth
Ever in service of the fairest Nymphs.

Hy.
Mirtillus cannot love.

Mi.
No, gentle Hylas?
This Ribband, and this haire you see me weare
Are they not ensignes of a lover? say
What shepheardesse whom ever Swaine thought faire,
Has not Mirtillus courted, and obtaind
Some favour from? but you will thinke because
I do not fold my armes, and sigh, and spend
The dayes the Gods have given me to rejoice,
In whining passion, walking still alone,
Now proud with hopes, then cast downe with despaire,
Unequall to my selfe in every thing,
I cannot love. No, Hylas, know I love
Dorinda, Cloris, Amarillis, all
Whom ever love did to his Altars call:
And when this Mistresse frownes, I am content
To take another, when that flame is spent
By time, or put out by a Rivall, straite
A third supplies her place, perhaps more worthy,
If lesse, because she loves, Ile thinke her so.

Hy.
Alas, Mirtillus, I doe pitty thee,
Pittie the error which thou wandrest in,
That thinkst thou lov'st, and know'st not what it is,

Mi.
Why what is love say you, if mine be not?

Hy.
I know Mirtillus, that no lover yet
Purchas'd a lasting pleasure without griefe;
For love has gall in it, as well as honie,
And so compounded, that who so ere will taste
The sweetes of it, must take the bitter too,
Out of both which is made our constancy,
You that embrace the false delights alone,
Are a faign'd lover, or more truly none.

Mi.
I know not what you meane by constancy,
I'me sure I loue the fairest.

Hy.
Still you erre,
For if you lov'd the fairest, none had bin
The object of your choise but my Nerina,
Nerina, she the glory of these woods
The only subject of all shepheards song.

Mi.
She has her share of beautie with the rest,
And I confesse she's fit for love as any;
But why she onely should take up your breast,
And shut out all that have a right as good,
Whose equall, or transcendent beautie pleades
As just a title to't, as hers can do,
I cannot reach the reason, but admire
Your faith, and what you praise, your constancie.

Hy.
Mirtillus, though I know your stubborn heart
Could never entertaine a lovers thought,
Yet did I thinke you would have bin more tender
How you prophan'd a name so sacred as
Nerina's is, whom never any Swaine
Nor rurall God, nor Satyr, though he be
Of savage kinde would ever violate;
Nerina in whose forme love ever dwells
Attended by the Graces, which do range
Themselves in order 'bout her comely face,
Whose breasts without are hills of whitest snow,
Within the seate of blamelesse modestie,
Regard of honor, and pure chastity
Nor may a loose thought ever harbor there
To tempt such lovers as you seeme to be.
Is it for that you slight her?

Mi.
No, I loue her
As I do others, with whom I compare her.
But you that loue with such intemperance,
Make of your love a glasse, wherein you see
Each thing much greater then indeed it is:
My loves too cold you say, but I am sure
Yours is too hot for any to endure:
A meane perhaps 'twixt these I might approve

Hy.
You might, if there were any meane in love.

Mi.
But whilst we talke thus, see, the flame has caught you,
your beauteous flame Nerina is at hand
Dorinda with her, dare you stay th'encounter.

Hy.
No let's with draw, and watch her where she gos.

SCENA III.

Nerina
, Dorinda.
Dorinda , I have mist the chase to day,
Such is my chance, and he that lodg'd the deere,
Told me it was the fairest in these Woods.

Do.
The Gods doe love you sure, that have left
Your thoughts so free for sport; mine are not so.

Ne.
Thou art in love, I warrant, art thou not?

Do.
That angry God pursues me in his fury,
And forces me to love where I am scorn'd.
Haplesse Dorinda, why should he despise thee?
Many a Swaine, and many a rurall God
Have sought thy favors, and have sought in vaine,
Now thou art justly punisht with disdaine.

Ne.
Trust me Sweet-heart, I cannot choose but wonder,
To thinke that one of such a comely grace
(I doe not flatter you) could sue to any
For love, who are much fitter to be lov'd:
Scorne him asmuch as he does thee, for men
Love us no more, when we love them agen.

Do.
Ah good Nerina, you have spoken truth:
It may warne other Nymphs by my example
How they professe their loves to any man:
I'me past the cure, he that wounded me,
Has left me quite disarm'd, and robb'd me of
All those defensive arts which men will say
Are naturall and proper to our sexe:
I cannot change a face, or weepe one teare,
Or laugh against my will, so violently
My Fate hath thrust me to this love, that all
My faculties confesse their weaknesse, and
My flame is got so much above my reach,
I can not put it out, nor smother it.

Me.
Alas poore wench, tell me who is the man
Made up of so much rigid cruelty,
That I may shun him where soere I goe.

Do.
Do not you know him?

Me.
No.

Do.
I heare he boasts
To every shepheard, and to every Nymph,
How much I love him.

Me.
Then it must be Daphnis.

Do.
Venus forgive me, if I do disclose him,
But he will do't himselfe: Tis he Nerina.

Me.
Daphnis, that woes my father to win me,
He is my daily suitor, now I know
How much he owes to pitty, and to thee:
Untill he pay that debt, I shall despise him.

Do.
Why, do not you love him as much as I?

Me.
Love him? I know no greater misery,
Then to love one that's not of humane race,
A Tyger rather, but a Tyger is
More milde then he.

Do.
For loves sake say not so.
He has a manly feature, and does shew
As much of grace in his comportment, as
The best of shepheards can, him Titan made
Of better clay, then he did other men:
Although his heart be flint, and hardest rocke.
Yet is his heart so hard, or are my parts
Rather unequall to his high deserts?
For he can love I see, since you he loves,
And you deserve it: had he thought me worthy,
He would have lov'd me too; but as I am
Worthlesse Dorinda, I am made his scorne,
And I had rather be so, then Nerina
Should want a servant such as Daphnis is.

Me,
Prethee no more of him, I hate his name
As much, as I would do the losse of honor,
Which he injuriously would rob me off,
No, no, Dorinda, if by love I be
Inthrald to any, Daphnis is not he.

Do.
Why, is there any can deserve you more?

Me.
Yes many, that I could tell how to love
Rather then him: for why should I love him
Whilst Hylas lives and languishes for me?
Hylas who lov'd me in my infancy,
And being then a boy was never well
If I was absent, nor indeed was I
Content with any but his company.
Our flocks still fed together, I on him,
And he on me did feed his greedie eyes.
Since though his yeares have stild him man, he has
Continu'd that first love with such respects,
So full of innocence and simple truth,
That howsoere my outward coynesse is,
My heart within tells me, 'tis onely his:
Ay me! my father! prithee let's away.

Do.
But Daphnis comes with him, for loves sake stay.

SCENA QVARTA.

Hylas, Mirtillus, Charinus, Daphnis.
Pan be as cruell to his flocks and him,
As he has bin to me.

Mi.
Go, leave your cursing,
And follow her, let me alone with him.

Cha.
Ha! have I found you? Hoh! Nerina, stay,
Your father calls you; was not that my daughter
That made away so fast?

Mi.
Who, she thats gon?
Beleeve your eies no more, they are false to you.
Could you take one for her, thats nothing like her.
Twas Cloris went from us.

Cha.
Ist possible?

Mi.
Tis true.

Da.
I thought, that it had bin my love.

Cha.
I durst have sworne that she had bin my daughter,
What made she here? 'Twill nere be otherwise;
Young women will be chatting with young men,
What ere their father say. It was not so
When I was young, a boy, as you are, shepheards.

Mi.
Wee are not men with him, till after fiftie.

Cha.
We never durst keepe company with women,
Nor they with us, each one did carefully
Attend his charge: And when the time was come
That we grew ripe in yeares, and were staid youths,
Our Fathers would provide us wives: we did not
Carve for our selves, as now a daies they doe:
But now our children thinke themselves as wise,
Nay wiser then their Fathers, and will rule 'em:
They can no sooner peepe out of the shell,
But they must love forsooth; I would faine know,
Whether 'twere fit a Maide should be in love,
(I speak now of that skittish girle my daughter
Before she aske her Fathers leave and liking?

Da.
Tis true Charinus, 'twere not fit indeed:
Who should bestow the daughter, but the Father?

Mi.
But Shepheards did you never heare, that once
There was an Age, the nearest to the Gods:
An age we rather praise then imitate;
When no mans will, nor womans was inforc'd,
To any bent, but its owne motion:
Each follow'd Natures lawes, and by instinct
Did love the fairest, and injoy'd their wishes;
Love then not ty'd to any interest
Of blood or fortune, hastned to his end,
Without controll, nor did the Shepheard number
Her sheepe that was his choice, but every grace
That did adorne her beauteous minde or face;
Riches with love then were not valued,
Pure uncompounded love, that could despise
The whole worlds riches for a Mistresse eyes.
Pray tell me Daphnis, you are young and handsome,
The lover of our fairest Nymph Nerina:
Would you for all that fruitfull Sicilie
Can yeeld, or all the wealth of Persia,
Change one poore locke of your faire Mistresse haire,
Whilst she is yours, and you her shepheard are.

Da.
Would she were mine, I'de aske no portion.

Mi.
Spoke like a Lover of the ancient stampe.

Cha.
Sonne, sonne, she shall be yours: why? am not I
Her Father, she my daughter; may not I
Bestow her where I please?

Mi.
Yes if she like
The man, she will bestow her selfe, ne're feare it.

Cha.
What? she bestow herselfe without my leave?
No, no, Mirtillus, you mistake my daughter.
I cannot get her once to thinke of marriage,
And truely I do muse to see a wench,
That in all other things (although I say it)
Has wit at will, can pin her sheepe in fold
As well as any, knowes when to drive them home:
And there she can do twenty things as well:
Yet when I speake to her of marriage,
She turnes the head, shee'le be a Dryade, she
Or one of those fond Nymphs of Dians traine.

Mi.
Old man, beleeve her not, she meanes not so,
She loves to keepe the thing for which she is
So much belov'd, I meane her Maidenhead;
Which, whilst she has, she knowes to play the Tyrant,
And make us slaves unto her scornefull lookes:
For beauty then it selfe most justifies,
When it is courted, if not lov'd, it dies.

Cha.
Well, we will thinke of this: Come Daphnis, come,
I see you love my daughter, and you onely
Shall have her, it is I that tell you so,
That am her Father.

Da.
Thanke you good Charinus:
But I had rather she had told me so.