University of Virginia Library

Enter two Shepheardesses, Pelopœa and Alope.
Pel.
Good morrow.

Alop.
So to you, faire Shepheardesse.

Pel.
What newes in our Arcadia?

Alop.
I know none:
For well you wot it is no newes with us,
That men should prove inconstant.

Pel.
Thinke you so?

Alop.
Thought's free.

Pel.
I pray can you define me Thought?

Alop.
Let me bethinke my selfe, I thinke I can:
For I have thought of many things e're now.

Pel.
But can you guesse what I thinke?

Alop.
I (perhaps)
May jumpe with your conceit, come neere't at least.
Of colours there are none so opposite
As white and blacke: and of the Elements
Than fire and water none more contrary:
Nor is there ought so antipathy'de in men,
As what they thinke and speake.

Pelop.
Now let me helpe you:
Mens thoughts like Courtiers clokes are often shifted,
And change as oft as they are truly sifted.

Alop.
This then hath been the cause of womens sorrow;
Men thinke to day ill, to do worse to morrow:
Witnesse Amphrisa's servant.

Pel.
Pitty 'tis,
So faire a body, and so sweet a soule
Should be so foulely dealt with. Her false Lover
Vnkindely hath forsooke her.

Alop.
That's the reason
Shee's growne into so deepe a melancholy.
I wonder any woman dare trust man,
Since, like as the Chamelions change themselves
Into all perfect colours saving white;
So they can to all humors frame their speech,
Save only to prove honest.

Pel.
You say well.
But as no wormes breed where they feele no warmth,
No Vultures watch where they can finde no prey;
No Pirat roves but where he hopes for spoile:
So none of these false servants wait, but where
They finde a yeelding Mistresse.

Alop.
Indeed light minds are catcht with little things,
And Phancie smels to Fennell.

Pel.
But Amphrisa
Is held to be the wisest shepheardesse
That lives in our Arcadia.

Alop.
But I have heard,
Late wit and cheated wisedome to be counted
Next neighbours unto folly. Shepheards now,
The holier that they seeme in outward shew,
The hollower are their hearts. By subtill sophistry
(As I have heard) the best Philosophy
May be perverted. And mens flatteries
Are iust like Circes riches, which can turne
Vain-glorious fooles to Asses, credulous Fooles
To Woodcocks, pretty wanton Fooles to Apes,
And proud Fooles into Peacocks.

Pel.
But amongst these,
Amphrisa had no place.

Enter Amphrisa seeming discontented.
Alop.
See, here she comes
That for her selfe can answer.

Pelop.
But 'twere sinne
In us, not to be answer'd, thus to suffer her
To pale the cheerefull bloud in her faire cheeks,
Through wilfull passion. Which I'le not endure.

Alop.
Then rowse her from these dumps.

Pel.
You'r sad, Amphrisa:
Sweet may we know the cause?

Amphrisa.
You have prevented
A strange conceit which somewhat troubled me;
But by your interruption almost lost.

Pel.
Nay recollect your selfe, pray let us hear't.

Amph.
I was thinking, why Parrasius, drawing Youth,
Made Love to tickle one side with a feather,
To move a smile; and with the other hand
To sting it with a Scorpion.

Pel.
You'r stung then.
But I was thinking on Praxiteles,
Who drew his mistresse thus: Looke on her one way,
She laught upon him: Strait before, she wept:
But change the side, and cast your eye adverse,
And then she appear'd sleeping. And so you,
Fit but your phansies unto such a face,
You'l ne're complain of servant.

Amph.
Then it seems,
My storie 's told aforehand.

Alop.
Yes, and rumor'd
Through all Arcadia.

Amph.
And none pitty me?

Pel.
There's none so marble brested, but doth melt
To heare of your disaster.

Amph.
Is there one,
To whom the cause of my disease is knowne,
That can prescribe me cure for't?

Pelop.
Without feeling
Your pulse, I know the nature of your griefe:
You have an heate, on which a coldnesse waits,
A paine that is endur'd with pleasantnesse,
And makes those sweets you eat have bitter taste:
It puts eies in your thoughts, eares in your heart:
'Twas by desire first bred, by delight nurst,
And hath of late been wean'd by jelousie.

Amp.
But how can these disgusts be remedy'd,
Which Reason never yet could comprehend?

Pel.
By patience.

Amp.
That's a physicke all prescribe,
But few or none doth follow. Pray what is't?

Pel.
It is the best receit that can be tooke
Both against love and fortune (Crost in both.)

Alop.
To wish the best, to thinke vpon the worst,
And all contingents brooke with patience.
Is a most soveraigne medicine.

Pelop.
And moreover;
What cannot be redrest with peevishnesse,
Ought to bee borne with patience.

Alop.
Patience?
She is so like to Fortitude her selfe,
That by her sweet aspect she appeares to be
Her sister or her daughter.

Pel.
The onely remedy for injuries, is
By patience to forget them. And more noble
It is to yeeld your selfe in triumph to't
Then to be drawne by force.

Amp.
You have prevaild,
For I am now your Patient; and intreat you,
Like skild Phisitians, study for my health.

Alop
From their Doctors
The sick expect more art then eloquence:
And therefore what defect you find in words,
Expect in our Prescriptions.

Enter their Queene and two Nymphs.
Queen
I never was with pastime better pleas'd;
So cleare a morning, and such temperate ayre;
The Sun so bright, yet sparing of his heat,
Made all the toyle we tooke (to chace the Stag)
To seeme no labour, but an exercise.
The wily beast to shun our swift pursute,
Forsooke the Plaines, to take the mountaine tops.
Yet maugre the opposure of the Rocks
And clifts depending to molest our speed
Our well-tride Nymphs, like wild Kids clim'd those hils,
And thrild their arrowie Iavelins after him:
Nor left the chace, till all those golden heads
Were new stain'd in his blood.

1. Nymph.
It prov'd, great Queene
Your active Nymphs were better breath'd than he,
For whom we could not overtake, we tyr'd:
That done, we toucht our Beagles, and so made
Both hills and vallies eccho to his death.

2. Nymph.
He stood so long, and made us stray so far,
Amongst the Swaines and lovely Shepheardesses,
That use to graze their Flocks upon these downes;
The Sun must needs passe the Meridian,
E're we can reach the Lodge.

Qu.
The Arcadian Girles
Are of no common beauty; as their habits
Much grace the fields; so many of those features
Mine eye by chance hath glanc't on in the Chace,
In mine opinion would become the Court.
They say, these virgins are acute in wit,
And fluent in conceit, to speake or sing;
As having oft drunke from the Muses spring.

1. Nym.
See, Royall Queene, where three (not of the meanest
Or least to be respected) are retyr'd.

Qu.
Be not too lowd, These bowes will shelter us;
Let's listen how they fashion their discourse,
And how far short the Folds and Cottages
Come of the Court or City.

Amp.
Nay pray prescribe. 'Tis said of all Physitians
What good comes by their Physick, the Sun sees:
But in their art, if they have bad successe,
That the earth covers. Howsoe're I suffer,
You blamelesse are.

Alop.
All those that are unskilfull
Will flatter griefe 'till it grow desperate.
But though you know the use of Physick sweet,
To taste it is unsavory.

Amp.
Howsoever I am prepar'd.

Pel.
Imagin first, You never had a servant.

Alop.
Not so: for who can know the sweet of ease,
That never was in paine?

Pel.
Or say she had,
Thinke that he ne're playd false.

Alop.
A meere relapse,
Before the first be cur'd, to thinke him faithfull,
Were but to enter her disease anew,
To make her griefe more violent.

Amp.
But one speake:
The medicine that's propos'd of contraries,
Can ne're breed peace of mind.
For I perceive, those that are sound themselves,
Have still more will to help, than skill to cure.

(Qu.
All, solid sence.)
For I perceive, those that are sound themselves,
Have still more will to help, than skill to cure.

Pel.
Well, Mistresse Doctor I'le give way to you.

Alop.
Thinke then you had a servant, and he false;
For whose sake never more trust perjur'd man.
And though some say Iove winks at Lovers Oathes,
'Tis (after) with broad eyes to punish them.
Words should not credit men, but men their words:
For he that breaks his promise lies to heaven;
And whom Heaven hates, who but would feare to love?
Most cursed 'tis to flatter and forsweare;
And dearth of oathes is blessed barrennesse.
You'r sicke at heart: the only help for that
Is, Let your heart abhorre his trecherie,
And him, for it. You'r pain'd too in the head,
She presents a wreath of willow
For that here's balm made of a willow wreath.
Let this charm'd circle but impale your brows,
'Tis present help for both.

Amp.
Make this apparant.

Alop.
Thus: All th' Arcadian Swains & Nymphs that see
Your browes ingirt with this forsaken wreath
Will take note of his falshood, and your faith;
Your innocence, and his inconstancie:
And those that weare teares in their eies for you,
Of love and pitty, to be thus abus'd,
Will steep their tongues in wormwood and in gall,
To brand him for his open perjury;
Their pitty, with your patience join'd,
(With this to boot) will prove an absolute cure.

Amph.
Some ease I finde already, crowne me then.

She is crowned with Willow.
Alop.
May, wheresoe're your head you softly pillow,
Be ne're more troubled, whil'st thus wreath'd in willow.

Amph.
Nor shall it, Alope, for from this houre,
Hearts griefe nor heads paine shall of me have power.
I now have chac'd hence sorrow.

Queen.
This conceit
Hath tooke me highly; and great pitty 'tis,
That such choice wits should finde no other eares
Than those that Swains, and flocks, and fowls have. Wit
So spent, is only treasur'd in the aire.
The earth hath least part on't. Virgins, Good day.
Nay, do not fall too low.

Pel.
You are our Queen

Alop.
And Lady of our fortunes.

Qu.
By that title
I do command you then to spare your knees.
Nay rise.

Amp.
'Tis only by your Grace and goodnesse
We breathe and live.

Qu.
It is enough to me,
That you present us such acknowledgement.
And as for you, faire Virgin, I could wish
Your Willow were a Lawrel. Nay, so 'tis:
Because all such may be styl'd Conquerors,
That can subdue their passions.

Alop.
Our feare is,
That if our rude discourse have toucht your eare,
The coursenesse might offend you.

Qu.
Pleas'd us highly:
Which that you may perceive in mee's vnfeignd,
I charge you, as I am your Soveraignesse,
All coynesse and evasion set apart,
To be most free in language.

Pel.
Imposition
That comes from you is vnto us a Law,
Which ought to be kept sacred.

Qu.
I'le as freely
Command then, as you willing are t'obey,
For were I not a Queen, I'de wish to be
As one of you, a witty Shepheardesse.
Pray sing me somthing of your countrey life,
To make me more in love with't.

Amp.
Tis our feare; A life that is so meane, so ill exprest
As needs it must bee, (if impos'd on us)
May make you rather loath it.

Qu.
I had thought
Courts onely had beene fill'd with complement,
Of which I see, the cottage is not cleare.

Amp.
Give not our simple truth, and feare to offend,
A character we know not (gratious Queene)
But howsoever, if you make us faulty,
You have the power to pardon.

Qu.
And presume
That's granted, e're the offence be.

Amp.
Then thus, Madam.
She sings.

Qu.
Nay, faire ones, what you have begun in song,
Continue in discourse: Wee would heare more
Of your pleas'd life.

Amp.
Your highnesse may command.

Amp.
The Shepheard with his home-spun Lasse
As many merry houres doth passe,
As Courtiers with their costly Girles,
Though richly deckt in gold and pearles:
And though but plaine, to purpose woo,
Nay oft-times with lesse danger too.

Pel.
Those that delight in dainties store,
One stomack feed at once, no more.
And when with homely fare we feast,
With us it doth as well digest:
And many times wee better speed;
For our wild fruits no surfets breed,

Amp.
If we sometimes the Willow weare,
By subtill Swaines that dare forsweare.
We wonder whence it comes, and feare,
Th' have beene at Court, and learn'd it there.
If any Lady then shall please,
Whose cheeke lookes pale through my disease,
By any faithlesse servant, or false friend,
(Being cur'd my selfe) this I can give or lend.

She offers the willow.
Qu.
Beleeve't, a sweet conclusion: for oft-times
Such things fall out. But we have further heard
(Besides what now our eares are witnesse to)
That as your words keepe time, your voices tune;
So hath the curious motion of your feet
Beene taught to know true measure. You can dance?

Amp.
Yes royall Princesse, as we sing and speake,
After such rurall fashion.

Qu.
If no worse,
It may become a Theatre of eyes,
Yet wrest no blushes from you. Will you then,
Since that we parallell in number thus,
Helpe us to fill a measure?

Pelop.
So wee thought
There might no jarring discords grow from us,
To spoile your better musick.

Qu.
No such feare.
Come then, such musicke as the place will yeeld,
Wee'l instantly make vse of.

Musicke sounds, and they dance the measure.
Qu.
Compleat in all: You have made us now Eie-witnes
Of what, Relation sparingly hath spoke.
To encourage which, and that so great a merit
Passe not without some meed, receive these favors,
And weare them for our sake.
Iewels given.
Time bids us part.
Greater than these we have for you in store,
And mean hereafter to employ you more.