University of Virginia Library

Scen: 9.

Narete, Serpilla.
Nar.
Here me Serpilla, stay, I held my peace
With pain 'tis true, but yet I held my peace,
Nor would I let my doubts disturb the joyes
Of these two good old Shepheards here, but yet
I understand them not, thou do'st let loose
With too too large a stream, the torrent of
So many comforts on a narrow heart,
Infuse it gently therefore drop by drop,
And tel me first, that Thirsis, and that Phillis which
Before were Niso, and fair Cloris call'd,
Those whom but now the Thracian Captain led
To a most certain death, shall they now live?

Serp.
They both shall live, and are become withall
The most contented happy lovers that
Ere yet did sigh for love.

Nar.
And was it not then true, that for desire,
Cruel desire of their long wisht for death,
The Thracian Emperour did with such rage
Demand them of the King of Smirna?

Serp.
That I cannot tell, but sure I am that Thrace
Is th'onely authour of their happiness.

Nar.
Yet Cloris did affirm it here, but she
Was certainly deceiv'd by the fraud
Of him in Smirna that conceal'd them both,
And with good cause Melisso did suspect
That he did but dissemble what he said,
That so they both of them for fear of death
Might labour with the greater art to keep
Themselves from being known.

Serp.
'Tis true Oronte saith it too.

Nar.
O then how vain is humane providence?
He sought to cover that by fear of death
Which now desire of death hath brought to light.
But for the fault about the hoop of gold
Which here was carelesly thrown on the ground
For the contempt against the image shewn,
How could Oronte find a means to save
The guilty person thus against the Law?

Serp.
Their case was dangerous and for my part
I gave them both for dead, and mourned for
Their hard mishap; but see how it fell out,
Wearied with following Niso whom I sought,
I sate me down close by the temple side,
Where straight a rumour was disperst abroad,
I know not well from whence, that all in hast
Oronte then was coming, and did bring
Unto the temple two unhappy wights,
Before condemn'd to dye for their contempt
Unto the royal image of his Lord:
At whose sad coming the proud Thracians seem'd
To laugh for joy, and so from thousand tongues
Sent forth one cry that reacht to heaven it self,
Exclaming let him dye, O let him dye:
But presently Oronte darts about
A fierce imperious look, at which they all
Amaz'd in silence mutter'd not a word
When he reply'd, Hear O you Thracians, hear
The supream Laws of Thrace have onely force
Within the Thracian Empire, and against
Those that do serve the Thracian Emperour,
But Scyros is not as you now beleeve
Subject unto that Empire, hear your selves
Th' Imperial decree which in this Ring,
This very Ring it self, in which engrav'd
The royal Image stands, is written here
In fair Egyptian Charracters, and then
Ile read it with a voyce so audible,
And I with that attention heard it read,
And have it fixed so within my heart,
As I dare confidently swear I can
Repeat it word for word.

Nar.
O then repeat it as thou hop'st for bliss.

Serp.
“Phillis, and Thirsis, two descended from
“Sireno, and Ormino, when they come,
“Where ever Heaven shines, there let me know
“Love made them lovers, faith combin'd them so
“That they were both contracted: Destiny
“Had made them slaves; the King hath set them free
“And for their sakes, Scyros is from this day
“Free'd from the tribute which it us'd to pay,
Thus he: (and casting then a look that way)
These (he replied) these are those happy two
Whom their more gracious stars could make so dear
To Heaven, and to their King, these same are they
I know them very well, let that suffice
To you O Thracians: And do you two live
(Quoth he) then turning with a gentle smile
To those two happy lovers) live you still
And live still to enjoy your constant love,
By free possession of your spousal rites.
Let these sad Mothers take into their Arms
Again their little children, and let all
With chearful acclamations sound aloud,
The liberty of Scyros.

Nar.
O amongst all whom the blest sun doth warm
With his reviving heat, and when the Sea
Bathes with his quiet waves, dearly belov'd,
And by Celestial providence now made
Most happy Isle! the winds shall now no more
Conveigh thy mournful sighs, above the waves,
After thy dear lost children: but the babes
Whom thou do'st generate, shall bless their birth,
And be by thee sustained whilest they live,
And when they dye rest in thy graves in peace,
That so thou mayst to thy dear issue be
A fruitful Mother, and a careful Nurse,
And left a Tombe to free them from the curse,
Of wandring souls, that find no sepulchres,
But Phillis, then and Thirsis, what said they,
Or how did they behave themselves?

Serp.
Their first encounter was, (like such as seem'd
Retir'd for fear, and much perplexed with
The suddain tremblings of a doubtful heart)
Bashful and nice, and being thereto drawn
Even by Orontes self, who joyn'd their hands
They seemed to embrace unwillingly,
And kiss as 'twere by force;
But having fuel thus put to their fire,
It quickly then encreased to a flame,
And each hug'd other so, as you may see,
The twining Ivy when it seeks to clasp,
A full grown Elme, as if it seem'd to say
It could not well subsist without that stay.
Then might you see from one to others mouth
A thousand kisses in an instant sent,
And whilst their amorous lips as overcharg'd
Stood sucking here, and there loves Nectar thus,
That sweetness, followed, and that Rubie Die,
So grac't those lips as that they seem'd to me
Flowers that did bear both honey, and the Bee,
So that at last you might perceive the cleer,
And lively beams of their quick piercing eyes,
Grow faint and dul, as overcome with sence
Of too much pleasure, and extream delight,
And I that saw it, sayd within my self
Ah me! 'twere to be fear'd these two would dye,
But that ther's hope that in a skirmish of
So many kisses, neithers soul can find
A way to vanish, and leave them behinde.

Narete.
And could poor Phillis then so soon put off
The thought of her disdain? could she so soon
Forget the injury of that new flame
Wherein her Thirsis burnt for Celia?

Serp.
It seems that yet thou do'st not understan
The laws of loves kind duels, thou must know
A venie of sweet kisses one to one is able to give satisfaction
For any injury love can sustain:
But if thou dost consider all things well
Tirsis did her no wrong, he was deceiv'd,
And did beleeve her dead; and tis well known
That loves great empire though't be vast and larg,
Doth not extend beyond the bounds of life,
Love hath no jurisdiction ore the dead,
Nor can his fire raise any kindly heat
Amongst those frozen reliques, those cold bones:
Besides all this, if any mark can rest
Of fault in Thirsis, he hath shed those tears
That may suffice to wash away the stain,
And what can she have more? poor soul in deep
Repentance for his errour, he did here
Submit himself to death, and happy was
That Errour that could find a way to make
So generous amends.
Or rather happy was that errour which
By erring thus could find a way to make
So many blest, whom it did not offend.
His love to Celia was the happy cause
Of all our happiness, for thence it came
That Thirsis was first known to Phillis, then
Phillis to him, and last of all, that both
Were to the Thracians known.

Nar.
Thou saist exceeding true, and now behold
How full of windings and obscurity
Those secret wayes are, which the Gods do use.
Who would have thought them so? in sum 'tis true
That heaven is a labyrinth, in which
Who seeks to spy out what th'eternal fates
Have there decreed may easily lose himself.
But then I fear least Celia's fervent love
Which yet is fuming hot, should still disturb
If not young Thirsis with his late quencht heat,
Yet Phillis with a jealous freezing cold,
'Tis not a task of easie labour thus
Within an instant to extinguish quite
Both love and jealousie.

Serp.
What is it thou do'st dream? if Thirsis be
Son to Ormino, must he not then be Brother to Celia too?

Nar.
Forgetfull that I am! these many strange
And unexpected changes, have almost
Depriv'd me of my sence: Thirsis it is true
A brother unto Celia, and their love
Must now be at an end. But what becomes
Of Celia and of Amyntas then?
I cannot yet conceive a way to find
A wisht for end to their despairing greef.

Serp.
In that same very point of time (behold
A fatal point of time) they came unto
The Temple: Where fair Celia sees fast tied
Within the arms of Phillis her belov'd,
And yet beleeved Niso, guess you then
What posture she was in: She straight grew pale
With jealous rage, and cold as any stone
And that she died not then, I think the cause
Was onely that her grief pend up her soul
Within her frozen heart.
Thirsis that saw it, quickly freed himself
From those imbraces wherewithall he held
His Phillis in his Arms: And running straight
Unto her said. O my dear Celia.
My dearest Sister, but no more my love,
I am Ormino's son, Thirsis, and so
Become thy brother, our affections er'd
For nature should have guided them, not love,
Let us submit then to a lawfull love,
And spend our erring flames, where they may find
Fit objects for their heat.
She whom I did beleeve dead long ago
Is sister to Amyntas, and my spouse,
Espoused to me in her infancy,
Thou that art now my Sister shalt enjoy
Amyntas for thy husband, both your loves
Deserve it well, and I am well content
All that did hear him, smil'd, and she that yet
Amaz'd perhaps at such a sudden change
Well understood it not, when more at large
And more distinctly she had been inform'd,
Her fancy freed her heart inlightened with
The sence of truth, made her clear up her looks
And give a cheerfull smile.

Nar.
But then what said she?

Serp.
Nothing but half asham'd she did cast down
Her eyes unto the ground, when yet her heart
Sent through her eyes, two gentle tears that fell
Like tears of joy and gladnesse, to declare
The sweet content she found.

Nar.
O thou most blest Amyntas who hath kept
The laws of love, and friendship so intire
As that 'mongst friends and lovers thou may'st raise
Statues of joy, and of eternal praise.
O thou most blessed Celia! see the Hervens
Have hitherto been pious lookers on,
And pittifull beholders of thy woes
O heaven! O earth! O sea! O we most happy all!
But you dear lovers above all the rest,
Phillis and Thirsis, O for ever blest!

Serp.
Since thou art satisfied, I now will go
And tell these joyfull news in other parts.

Nar.
See how the heavens in an instant have
Dissolv'd the most intricate hard knots,
That ever turning fortune yet did knit,
And that when unto humane reason they
Appear'd indissolable: such the strange
Eternal power is of high providence,
And now may future ages fill their Scenes
With stories of our unexpected joy
Such is the Will of heaven, in disport,
And in th' Abissus of his secret power,
Thus to confound poor silly mortal men,
You therefore that with high presumption think
By humane wisdom to discover all
The secret workings of eternal fate.
Learn from this wonderfull successe, to know
That he alone can see these sacred things
Who shuts his eyes, and trusts what heaven brings.