University of Virginia Library

SCEN 1.

The Direction.
Hysiphyle Orion Florida with attendaunts, Men and women Huntresses on either syde. Hysiphyle with a Ghirlond Imperiall of Bayes. They kist at their meeting Then Hypsiphyle spake as followes.
Hypsiphyle Orion Florida.
Hyp.
My Lord Orion, you be right welcome
To Eluida, how does his Grace? I pray.

Or.
At my departure from Court I left him
In Health, In token of which with these your
Ladiship he greetes, See.

Hyp.
Sir, I thank you.
And where lyes the Court now?

Or.
At Obera.

Hyp.
My Cosens, they do well? all.

Or.
All right well.

Hyp.
Myne eyes haue a Rheume with sitting late,
And therefore, Florida, with liuing Toung
Deliver them vp, thou, vnto our eares.

Flor.
To my louing Cosen Hypsiphyle Greeting.

I am giuen to vnderstand, that not onely thourough the Negligence
of you, but also by that of your fellow Huntresses my frutefull
and florishing Forest of Eluida goeth to decaye, And that such

abuses do daily rise thereby. Wherefore this is the cause that I
by these my Letters now thought it meet to require you That you
surrender the sayd Forrest together with the Appurtenaunces
thereto belonging to my well beloued kinsman Orion right
famous for his skill and Industry thourough our Forrests and
chases, As for the sayd abuses they will appeare the better vpon
the Reformation of them. This I charge you perfourme and to
perfourme it willingly, For I will beleeue the complaint of my
Keepers. Obera, from our Faery Court there, And from the
last yeare of the Reigne of Julius our Father to this the present
yeare of our Reigne

See the number in one of our Almanacks.

And the forty and fifth day of this present
Greace 1647.

Your louing Cosen Oberon.

Hyp.
Come you lyke to Laureate victors crownd?
Then with Mineruaes Oliues Bound? Sit you
Sure, For if you can not proue such abuses
To be in Eluida as you suppose
By my Faith you nimbd not furth so lightly
My fingers the Forrest of the Faeryes.

Or.
Madame, if I were disposd so, I could
Produce those abuses that daily be
Comitt in Eluida that in the end
you would with shame subscribe to your error

Hyp.
Wherein, I pray you. Repeate them if you may.

Or.
No sooner was I entered the Park
But I found, loe, Heardes of Bulls and Boares
Rooting those Commons which my Deere should feede,
Besyde such spoilings and vp turnings where
They came, that such was the Hauock thereby
They pilled not onely the Barks well grown
But eate the young Sprigges in their growth too, So
That they starud the Poore Deere for want of shelter.

Hyp.
Better I hope, my Lord, to let the Swyne
Route those woodes, then the Soyle by its ranknes
Should smother the Bucks in their greace. For such
Heades as they feede better on a short grasse
Then on larger commons.

Or.
Admit they doe,
Yet they should not vndoe the tender Plants
That serue for shelter vnto you and them.

Hyp.
If but of the Plants you do complaine so
Greater Trees will our wants supplye, So that
By the vniointed tattars of your talk
I do see you do come rather to cauill
Then to redresse those Things, that be amisse.

Or.
If so, why do you let the Brakes, I praye,
To Multiplye with Toades and snakes? When as
Y'haue a charme giu'n you by your Ancestours
T'expell the venemous from off your Soyle?

Hyp.
I graunt, wee haue a powrfull charme and that
Verifyde by long Experience, But so
Multitudinous the Frye wee had neede,
Ibis or ophiophagi to ridde
Our Forrest of so Fructeous a Foe.

Or.
Neuer, I weene, Since Eluida hath beene,
In Eluida such errors haue beene seene.

Hyp.
Faeryes may alter Things as their pleasure,
That if any Thing w' haue spent our Tyme
The same may be redrest in Twink of eye.
At what then may your Lordship so complaine?

Or.
Haue I not cause, think you? to complaine,
Seeing the Pales and Saults to be broake downe,
That in twenty places Malignant witches,
In shapes of Polecattes, Lizards, and weasells,
May creepe in betweene to bewitch the Fawnes?

Hyp.
That's the Syluans' office, my Lord, not ours.

Or.
Wee pay our Syluans, but you pay yourselues.

Hyp.
I dart it to you back, For I'll be sworne
Wee haue not onely pawnd our Bowes and quivers
But sold that Gland wee daily feede on
To satisfye your turne

Or.
other wordes would
Better beseeme your Modesty, Lady.
Yet what's the cause Honnest Hysiphyle,
Syluius with his Bands of Forresters
Spoiles the game, murdreth Fawnes, affrights the Doaes?
Committing lyke outrages, whilst you run
Tripping ore the greenes, that for twise-ten bucks
I told before I can now tell but one?

Hyp.
The Rot hath consumd them, thats the cause.

Or.
If not for you the Rot had neuer beene.

Hyp.
Since Cankers swarmd, wee could ne're clench the soyle.

Or.
Stand you? to teare at vs, Hoa, wee haue
Our Commission, by the vertue of which
I require you what be the Lawes you vse?
When lyke Pigmies you ride against thee Deere.

Hyp.
On Rammes and Goates wee compase in the Beast,
With Cymbales, Basons Piping and Tooting,
With goades, with Potguns, Scarcrowes and with reedes,
Then his Parts diuided into shares, wee
Bestowe the Miser in Baskits all along

Or.
Be you not ashamd? First to come in Troupes
Upon a Fugitiue, but also then
With notes of Triumphe make him to bewayle
Th'vnkindnes of his Keepers? I discharge you

Hyp.
Will you enforce vs? our cause not yet hearde?
My Lord, fore I do loose my right, I will
Vse all the Points of woodmanship I haue
Gainst you, win the Crown weare you it and mee,
And loe, in pawn, I hurle him vp our Tropheye.

She hurld her ghirlond Imperiall vp to Front of the Fane or Chappell.

Or.
Lady, Since you be so Peremptory
I'll accept the Pawn, and vse my whole Skill
To win you and it. Better open Foe
Then Foe conceald

Hyp.
Neuer weild I Bowe I
Make you not forgoe the feild with shame

Or.
Neuer strike I Buck if before night you
Recant not your humour

Hyp.
Come on your wayes,
My totall Skill shall be layd furth against you.

Or.
Swift Delia for vs

Hyp.
And she for vs.