University of Virginia Library

ACT V.

SCENE I.

Elpinus, Chorus.
Elpin.
Oh Love! how rigid are thy Laws?
How much must all that once subject
Themselves to thee, endure before
They taste the promis'd joy?
Who, who would not have curst thy power,
Rebell'd against thy sway, and sought
Some other way to bliss? if poor
Amintas had not scap'd the deaths
Thy usage tempted him to seek.
Ev'n we, who have ador'd thee long
With much fidelity and zeal;
We, who have rais'd thy name above
All other Gods, to whom we make
Our own Apollo yield; should then
Have taught our Children to forget
Thy worship, and forsake thy Temples.
But now that our Amintas lives,
We'll, if 'tis possible, forget
Thy Cruelty, to bless thy Care.

Chorus.
The Sage Elpinus comes and talks
As if Amintas were alive:
Ah Shepherd! didst thou know the things
Which we have heard to day; the ills
That Love has brought on all, thou wouldst
Have little reason to forget
His Cruelty, or bless his Care.

Elpin.
Rejoyce, my friends, rejoice, the news
You heard is false; Amintas lives.

Chor.
Ah! what, Elpinus, dost thou say?
How dost thou comfort us? Is't false?
Did he not fling himself but now
From yonder Hill among the Rocks?
Ah! tell us how he was preserv'd? what pow'r,
What God was by, to save him at his fall?

Elpin.
Hear then what I shall say, no more
Than I have with these eyes beheld.
I've in the Desart Vale a Cave,
Where Thyrsis came to me to day,
Where, while we talkt of that proud Nymph
Whose Fetters formerly he wore,
And I at present wear, we heard
A voice, and lookt up tow'rds the hill;
Whence, down the Precipice, we saw
A Body tumble on a Bush.
Just by my Cave, and near the Mount,
A few tall Bushes rise from Box,
And other Trees, which all unite
In one; on these we saw him fall:
But, carry'd by the Body's weight,
He rowl'd off thence, and at our feet
Fell next; the Bushes sav'd the blow
So much, we took him up alive.
He was yet speechless, and 'twas long
E're we had any other signs
Of Life, besides his sighs and groans, which shew'd
Us that he breath'd: But, oh!
When we perceiv'd who 'twas, what tongue
Can tell the fright which we were in?
Pity and wonder struck us dumb:
Yet thinking by his breath, he might
Still live, we were a little calm'd.

Chor.
Oh wonderful Escape! Oh thou
Hadst cause, Elpinus, to applaud
The Care and Providence of Love.

Elp.
Thyrsis then told me what had past,
The secret of his Love, and how
Despair had hurry'd him to this.
We fetch'd the Remedies we had
At hand, and for Alfibeus sent,
Who by Apollo has been taught
The Art of Physick; when he came,
He told us quickly, there were hopes.
And as we wept to see him still
Lye speechless in his arms he said
We should not be surpriz'd at that;
For, having searcht him well, he found
No wounds, nor any thing which might
With reason make us fear: 'Tis true,
He said he might be some time in a Trance,
But after would recover soon.
And having then perform'd his Art,
He order'd men to bear him home,
Who at a little distance hence,
Are coming with our Friend.

Chorus.
What Fools are men in Love? how apt
To be deceiv'd, how ready oft
To joyn with those they love to cheat themselves?
What mischiefs have their false despairs,
And groundless hopes begot? How near
Was poor Amintas rash mistake,
Depriving us of what we all
Expected in our time to see,
The grace and pleasure of these woods?

Elp.
Alfibeus with his charge appears,
And in his Looks we may discern,
How much Amintas safely glads
His soul as well as ours.

SCENE II.

Elpinus, Chorus, Thyrsis, Alfibeus, and Amintas born on a Couch.
Alfib.
Oh Swains!
Oh Nymphs! Oh all that ever lov'd
This youth, and who of ye that heard
Him sing, Or saw him at our sports,
But heard and saw him with delight?
To Phæbus, and to Love, address
Your vows, that once more you may hope
To hear and look on him with pleasure.

SCENE III.

Elpinus, Thyrsis, Alfibeus, Chorus, Daphne, Sylvia, Amimtas lying on a Couch.
Daphne.
Ah Shepherds join your pray'rs with mine.
Use all the Arguments which Grief
And Pity can inspire, to save
This Maid from ruine.
Stay, Sylvia, stay, till you've perform'd
What you resolv'd, and what you owe
Amintas Spirit, till the hands
Which you your self confess'd would please
His Ghost, to see 'em gather up
His bones, had laid 'em in a Grave.

Sylv.
Some God, alas! has done what I
Resolv'd to do, and to revenge
Amintas wrongs, deny'd my hands
The glory of so just a deed.
Tell me, ye Powers! ah tell me where
You have convey'd my Love, and laid
His mangled Limbs? Direct me where,
That I may see 'em e're I dye:
That I may feast my cruel eyes
With objects equally severe:
And if I can, instruct my heart
To be more barbarous to my self,
Than e're it was to him.

Daph.
Cease, prithee Sylvia cease your tears,
And don't torment thy self too much
For ills, thy sorrows can't retrieve.

Sylv.
See, Daphne, how these Shepherds smile
At my Despair, how unconcern'd
They hearken to my griefs; ev'n I,
As savage as I was, scarce saw
Amintas mourn with so much ease.

Daph.
Hence, Shepherds hence, and don't disturb.
The wretched with untimely joy.

Sylv.
Not that I court your pity, or
Expect compassion, but methinks
Amintas death should touch your hearts;
And you should still consider me
As one Amintas lov'd. But oh!
You look on me as one that hated him,
You see his murderer in me, and set
Your souls against the cause of so much woe.
Oh! that you all could in this minute lose
Your native tenderness, and that your rage
Were equal to your hate, that I might soon
Be sent to meet him in those blissful plains,
Where he himself will treat me with more love.

Alfib.
Sylvia forbear these sad complaints,
And don't afflict your self for things
Which heaven has wonderfully made
The subject of our joy, Amintas lives.

Syl.
Ha, Daphne, whither are we got?
I heard a voice, which said Amintas lives;
And in the midst of grief invites to joy.
Ha! see what heavenly vision strikes my eyes,
Behold it well, my Friend, and tell me then
If any thing but my Amintas self
Could look more lovely. 'Tis Amintas self,
I know him now: I feel him at my heart,
It dances in my breast, and bids me do
What Love commands and you must all excuse.

[Falls on Amin.]
Chorus.
How can Sylvia do all this?
She who is so proud and nice
One would think should be asham'd.

Elpin.
Shame sometimes, where Love is weak,
Keeps some Maids from being free;
But when it grows strong, like hers,
Love's too powerful for shame.

Syl.
Where, where is he who said Amintas lives?
Let him come here, and tell me if he can,
Why his eyes languish, why he looks so pale?
Why lifeless, when his Sylvia clasps him thus,
And deaf to all she says? Ah speak, my Love,
Inform me if my glances hurt thy eyes,
And drive away thy Soul from what it loaths.
Whoe're thou art that said Amintas lives,
'Twas falsely said, and with a vile intent
To shew me hope, and leave me in despair.
He lives indeed, but in a better world,
Whence now methinks I hear him call on me,
And Sylvia's name is in Elysium sung.

Amin.
Where am I? on what happy Region thrown?
What Musick wakes me from the arms of death,
And charms me with the name of my belov'd?
Oh! all ye Glorious Spirits, who in peace
And perfect bliss possess these sacred Groves,
Direct me to the Bow'r, where Sylvia waits
For me, whom now she can no longer hate,
Since all Paradice are friends.

Sylv.
He speaks, he lives, and injur'd as he was,
Talks kindly of me still. Look up Amintas,
Look on thy Sylvia with thy usual joy,
And let thy Eyes speak kindly, like thy Tongue.

Amin.
Who breathes new life into me with her kisses,
And quickens me with her embraces? Ha! my Love,
My Sylvia winding in my arms! I can scarce
Spare time to ask the meaning of these things?
Have not I seen you all, and been your friend?
And is not this the darling of my Soul?
Yes, yes, 'tis she; her Beauty shews 'tis she,
Nor could I feel such Transports with another.

Alfib.
His Love prevents my Art, and he revives
Faster than I expected.

Elpin.
But I fear
The violence of such excessive bliss
Will prejudice his health.

Chorus.
I rather think
Its violence will help to cure him.
Alfibeus you must tell him what's
Most proper for his safety.

Alfib.
I believe
His safety is secur'd in Sylvia's Love.
How fares Amintas?

Amin.
Oh, all is well, and I begin to think
Love has for me done Miracles to day.

Thyr.
Love has indeed done Miracles to save
Thy life, and soften Sylvia's heart.

Syl.
Tell us no more, 'twill interrupt our bliss.
Let him not know what dangers he has scap'd;
When he reflects how barb'rous I have been
He'll loath me for my Cruelty, and hate
A Maid who so unjustly hated him.

Amin.
Oh Sylvia! we'll not think of what is past,
I'll not enquire how I became so blest,
But thank the Gods and thee for what I know.
As for the rest, thou could'st not but just;
And love decreed the troubles we have known,
To shew his Pow'r, and make our bliss the greater.

Elp.
There's nothing wanting but Montano's word,
To make 'em both as happy as they wish.

Cho.
They need not question his content,
He longs to see his Daughters Sons,
To sport about him and revive
His Age, and soon will grant what they desire.

Alfib.
Then let us to her Fathers house repair
And see him join their hands and share his joy.

Amint.
You all may by my fate perceive
The Laws which Love prescribes Mankind,
By which Eternally he rules
His Empire here,
Are not fantastical and hard,
As sometimes we suppose his works,
Tho they're mysterious, are wise
And such as we should ne're condemn,
With how much art, thro' hidden ways,
And paths unknown, he leads to bliss.
And when we think him ready to destroy,
He opens Paradice, and leaves our Souls enjoy.