University of Virginia Library

Scen. 2.

Filino. Celia.
Felino.
Oh me most miserable.
Oh my dear pretious, and my lovely joy!
Oh my lost treasure!

Celia.
What mournful voice thus sounds within mine ears?
Is not this Filino?

Filino.
Oh Celia weep, weep gentle Celia,
Do not so much as stay, till I have told
What cause thou hast to weep.

Celia.
And to what new misfortune can the Gods,
Preserve me yet in this smale hour of life.
What can there be that can disturb me more?
Speak quickly Filino, for well I know
The grief which hath already seiz'd my heart
Can leave no place for any new supply.

Fil.
Distressed Filino, unhappy Celia!
Thy joy, and all my wonted bliss,
The beauty of the Meades, flower of the fields,
The love of all thy flock, thy gentle kid
(O me! my heart will break to tell it out)
Thy gentle Kid is dead.

Cel.
O happy boy, since all thy sorrows are
Compriz'd within so poor a loss as this.
But say who was't that kild him?

Fil.
Beleeve 'twas neither Shepheard nor wild beast:
For I would then have dyed in his defence.

Cel.
What was it then?

Fil.
The noysom feeding of a poysonous hearb,
Ah me, was the cause of all.

Cel.
What of a poysonous hearb? then this way sure
The heavens have shew'd me now a means to dye.
O all ye gracious Gods can it be true
That any pitty to my lasting woes
Should then ascend to heaven?

Fil.
The Kid ascend to heaven? what butting then
Will there be seen 'twixt him and Capricorn?

Cel.
But let me yet beware lest the mistake
Of a poor silly boy should bring my thoughts
Of death into a by-word and a scorn.
Tell me, my boy, how do'st thou know the Kid
Dyed by a poysonous hearb?

Fil.
Ile tell thee. When the Suns hot burning beams
About the mid time of the day gan rage,
I led thy flocks unto those shady Meades
Not far from hence, do'st thou not know them? those
Which 'twixt the Rivers and the Woods are fraught
With such fresh springing grass, and ever green,
Where being once arriv'd, observe me Celia,
And whilst the bellowing of the heards apply'd
Unto the sound of my small Oaten-pipe,
Seem'd to salute the fresh green pasture there,
Thy pretty Kid, Ah my dear pretious joy!
Thy pretty little Kid, all full of play,
Running and Skipping, with such wanton frisks.
Playd with the grass; in such a pleasing way
As that, I do not say my self, no, no,
But to say true, even all thy gentle flock
Left off their feeding, and stood gazing on
The pretty sport he made.

Celia.
Be brief, be brief, my Filino, I have no time
To tattle now, tell quickly what I ask,

Filino.
Softly! give ear,
Within the twinkling of an eye, he ran
Quite cross the Meadow, till at the last he came
Unto that little streaming Brook which runs,
Next to the Hill, and there began to feed
Upon an Hearb, which yet I never saw,
Grow any other where, and there did graze,
With such an Appetite, and eat so fast,
As it did fatten me to see him taste,
And relish it so well.
But on a suddain, Oh sad heavy chance,
I saw him trembling fall, and think you not,
That in an Instant, I flew to him straight?
I look't upon him, cal'd him, prest his Limbs:
He look't on me again, and seem'd to moan
His sad estate, and trembling seem'd to say,
Ah Filino I dye.
Thus did I see his eyes grow dark and dim,
Those pretty eyes of his, I saw retire,
Into his head, his eye-lids closed up.
And thus alas I saw him dye:

Celia.
But yet I am not satisfied perhaps,
He did but faint, and onely seem'd to dye:
Perhaps it came too by some other means,
Then by the hearb he fed on: Th'art a child,
Poor Filino as yet, and little knowst
What doth belong to cattle or their food.

Filino.
Well! but Nerete, that grave hoary Beard,
That reverend peece of age, is he a child?
And knows he nothing too, what doth belong
To hearbs and beasts?

Celia.
What did Nerete say?

Filino.
He at my cryes came running in, and found
Me standing by the Kid with weeping eyes,
To whom when I related had the cause,
Of all my moan, Oh wicked hearb, quoth he:
Drive Felino, go drive thy flock from hence,
Unto some other place: which said he straight
Ran to the Kid, and drew him from the place
Where then he lay, unto the Rivers side:
But I had not the heart to see him thrown
Into the water so: But wailing ran
To find thee out.

Celia.
Nerete doth deserve to be beleev'd,
The death then of my Kid is certain now,
And so's the cause thereof, come Filino,
Come lets away.

Filino.
And whether?

Celia.
To find out that same Hearb.

Filino.
And what to do?

Celia.
Let not that trouble thee.

Filino.
Ah! with what eyes shall ever I behold
That Meade again?

Celia.
Come quickly Felino, what i'st thou dost?

Filino.
I look at Nerea, that's coming here?
Ah let me stay a while, for she is wont,
For every kiss I give her to bestow
An Apple on me.

Celia.
Nerea? follow me quickly and take heed,
Thou dost not anger me.

Filino.
I come, I come, see if she fly not hence,
Like to an arrow from a Bow.