University of Virginia Library

The Prologue. Cvpid in habit of a Shepheard.

Who would beleeue that in this human forme,
And vnder these meane Shepherds weedes,
A godhead? nor yet of the lower ranke,
But the most mighty 'mong the gods; whose powre were hid
Makes oft the bloudy Sword of angry Mars
Fall from his hand; sterne Neptune hurle away
His powerfull trident; and great Ioue lay by
His thunderbolt: and thus attyr'de, I hope
My mother Uenus shall haue much adoe
To find her Cupid. For the troth to tell,
Sh'has made me play the run-away with her:
Because (forsooth) shee will sole mistresse bee,
And to her pleasure binde my shafts and mee;
And (vaine ambitious woman as shee is)
Would tye me to liue stil 'mongst Crownes, & Scepters,
And to high Courts confine my power and me;
And to my vnder-followers graunts to liue
Here in these woods; and to aduance their powres,
Ore silly Shepherds brests; but I that am
No childe, (though childish be my gate and lookes)
Will for this once, doe as shall please me best:
For not to her, but me allotted were
The euer awfull brande, and goulden bowe:
Therefore I purpose to conceale my selfe,
And runne from her entreates; (for other powre
Then to intreate, shee shall not haue ore me:)
I heare shee haunts these groues, and promiseth
Vnto the Nymphes and Shepherds, which of them.
Will bring me to her, kisses for their paines,
And more then kisses too; and cannot I
To them shall hide me from her, liberall be
Of kisses, and more too as well as shee?
The Nymphes I know will like my kisses best,
When I shall woe them that am god of loue:
Therefore my mother doth but looze her paine,
Here's none will bring her home her sonne againe.
But to be surer, that she may not know
Or finde me out by the vsd'e markes I beare,
I'ue layd my quiuer, bowe, and wings from me;
Yet come I not hither vnarm'de; this rodd
I carry is my brand, transformed thus,
And breathes out vnseene flame at eu'ry pore;
And this dart (though it haue no goulden head)
Of heu'nly temperis; and where it lytes
Inforceth loue; and eu'ne this day shall make
A deepe and curelesse wound in the hard brest
Of the most cruell Nymph, that euer yet
Hath bin a follower of Dianas traine;
Nor will I pitty Siluia more, (for so
Th'obdurate stony-brested Nymph is call'd)
Then erst I did the gentle-hearted Swaine
Aminta, many winters since, when he
(Poore wretch) then young, follow'd her younger stepps
From wood to wood in eu'ry game and sport:
And for more sure effecting my intent,
I'le pause a while till some remorse and pitty
Of the poore Shephedrs sufferings, haue a little
Thawde the hard yce congeal'd about her brest
With mayden peeuishnesse; and when I finde
She growes more plyant, will I launch her brest:
And this to doe with better ease and arte,
Amongst the feasting troopes of the crown'd Shepherds
That hither come to sport o' hollydayes,
I'le put my selfe; and heere, euen in this place
I'le giue the speeding blow vnseene, vnknowne.
To day these Woods shall heare another voyce
Of loue then ere before, and more refin'de;
My godhead heere shall in it selfe appeare
Present no longer in my Ministers:
I'le breath soft thoughts into their courser brests,
And make their tungs in smoothest nūbers moue;
For wheresoere I am, still am I Loue;
No lesse in Shepherds then in greatest Peeres;
And inequallity in people, I
Can temper as I please, such is my power.
The Rurall sound of homely Shepherds reede
I can make equall with the learned'st lyre,
And if my mother (which disdaines forsooth
To see me heere) be ignorant of this,
Shee's blinde, not I
Whom the blind world reputes blinde wrongfully.