John Fletcher

“ First let our great God cease to keep my flocks,
That being left alone without a guard,
The Wolf, or Winters rage, Summers great heat,
And want of Water, Rots; or what to us
Of ill is yet unknown, full speedily,
And in their general ruine let me feel.
Amo. I pray thee gentle Shepherd wish not so,
I do believe thee: 'tis as hard for me
To think thee false, and harder than for thee
To hold me foul. ”

“ Enter Amaryllis.
Amar. Hail Shepherd, Pan bless both thy flock and thee,
For being mindful of thy word to me.
Sul. Welcom fair Shepherdess, thy loving swain
Gives thee the self same wishes back again,
Who till this present hour ne're knew that eye,
Could make me cross mine arms, or daily dye
With fresh consumings: boldly tell me then,
How shall we part their faithful loves, and when?
Shall I bely him to her, shall I swear
His faith is false, and he loves every where? ”

“ Thy Brother of his brightness, giving day
Again from Chaos, whiter than that way
That leads to Joves high Court, and chaster far
Than chastity it self, yon blessed star
That nightly shines: Thou, all the constancie
That in all women was, or e're shall be,
From whose fair eye-balls flyes that holy fire,
That Poets stile the Mother of desire,
Infusing into every gentle brest
A soul of greater price, and far more blest
Than that quick power, which gives a difference,
'Twixt man and creatures of a lower sense.
Clor. Shepherd, how cam'st thou hither to this place? ”

“ To seek you out, of whose great good the air
Is full, and strongly labours, whilst the sound
Breaks against Heaven, and drives into a stound
The amazed Shepherd, that such vertue can
Be resident in lesser than a man.
Clor. If any art I have, or hidden skill
May cure thee of disease or festred ill,
Whose grief or greenness to anothers eye
May seem impossible of remedy,
I dare yet undertake it. ”

“ I banish thee, with lustful Turpentine,
You that intice the veins and stir the heat
To civil mutiny, scaling the seat
Our reason moves in, and deluding it
With dreams and wanton fancies, till the fit
Of burning lust be quencht; by appetite,
Robbing the soul of blessedness and light:
And thou light Varvin too, thou must go after,
Provoking easie souls to mirth and laughter;
No more shall I dip thee in water now,
And sprinkle every post, and every bough
With thy well pleasing juyce, to make the grooms
Swell with high mirth, as with joy all the rooms. ”

“ Hath not some newer love forc'd thee forget
Thy Ancient faith?
Per. Still nearer to my love;
These be the very words she oft did prove
Upon my temper, so she still would take
Wonder into her face, and silent make
Signs with her head and hand, as who would say,
Shepherd remember this another day.
Amo. Am I not Amaret? where was I lost?
Can there be Heaven, and time, and men, and most
Of these unconstant? Faith where art thou fled? ”

“ There's ne'r a Shepherdess in all the plain
Can kiss thee with more Art, there's none can feign
More wanton tricks.
Per. Forbear, dear Soul, to trie
Whether my Heart be pure; I'll rather die
Than nourish one thought to dishonour thee.
Amar. Still think'st thou such a thing as Chastitie
Is amongst Women? Perigot there's none,
That with her Love is in a Wood alone,
And would come home a maid; be not abus'd
With thy fond first Belief, let time be us'd:
Why dost thou rise?
Per. My true heart thou hast slain.
Ama. Faith Perigot, I'll pluck thee down again. ”

“ Teach the young Maidens strictness, that the grooms
May ever fear to tempt their blowing youth;
Banish all complements, but single truth
From every tongue, and every Shepherds heart,
Let them still use perswading, but no Art:
Thus holy Priest, I wish to thee and these,
All the best goods and comforts that may please.
Alex. And all those blessings Heaven did ever give,
We pray upon this Bower may ever live.
Priest. Kneel every Shepherd, whilest with powerful hand
I bless your after labours, and the Land
You feed your flocks upon. ”

“ Fell by the hand of Pirrhus, may to thee
Be otherwise compar'd, than some dead Tree
To a young fruitful Olive.
Daph. I can love, But I am loth to say so, lest I prove
Too soon unhappy.
Clo. Happy thou would'st say,
My dearest Daphnis, blush not, if the day
To thee and thy soft heats be enemie,
Then take the coming Night, fair youth 'tis free
To all the World, Shepherd, I'll meet thee then
When darkness hath shut up the eyes of men,
In yonder Grove: speak, shall our Meeting hold?
Indeed you are too bashful, be more bold,
And tell me I.
Daph. ”

“ Than the new Milk we strip before day-light
From the full fraighted bags of our fair flocks:
Your hair more beauteous than those hanging locks
Of young Apollo.
Amo. Shepherd be not lost,
Y'are sail'd too far already from the Coast
Of our discourse.
Peri. Did you not tell me once
I should not love alone, I should not lose
Those many passions, vows, and holy Oaths,
I've sent to Heaven? did you not give your hand,
Even that fair hand in hostage? ”

“ From the mountain, and e're day
Bear a Lamb or kid away,
Or the crafty theevish Fox,
Break upon your simple flocks:
To secure your selves from these,
Be not too secure in ease;
Let one eye his watches keep,
Whilst the t'other eye doth sleep;
So you shall good Shepherds prove,
And for ever hold the love
Of our great god. Sweetest slumbers
And soft silence fall in numbers
On your eye-lids: so farewel,
Thus I end my evenings knel. ”

“ Enter Clorin.
Clor. See where he lyes; did ever man but he
Love any woman for her Constancie
To her dead lover, which she needs must end
Before she can allow him for her friend,
And he himself must needs the cause destroy,
For which he loves, before he can enjoy?
Poor Shepherd, Heaven grant I at once may free
Thee from thy pain, and keep my loyaltie:
Shepherd, look up. ”

“ Stay there, thou constant Clorin, if there be
Yet any part of woman left in thee,
To make thee light: think yet before thou speak.
Clor. See what a holy vow for thee I break.
I that already have my fame far spread
For being constant to my lover dead.
The. Think yet, dear Clorin, of your love, how true,
If you had dyed, he would have been to you.
Clor. Yet all I'le lose for thee.
The. Think but how blest A constant woman is above the rest. ”

“ Amo. So, this work hath end: Farewel and live, be constant to thy friend That loves thee next.
Enter Satyr, Perigot runs off.
Satyr. See the day begins to break,
And the light shoots like a streak
Of subtil fire, the wind blows cold,
Whilst the morning doth unfold ”

“ I cannot, no I must enjoy thee, Boy,
Though the great dangers 'twixt my hopes and that
Be infinite: there is a Shepherd dwells
Down by the Moor, whose life hath ever shown
More sullen Discontent than Saturns Brow,
When he sits frowning on the Births of Men:
One that doth wear himself away in loneness ”

“ Some bitter North-wind blast my flocks and me.
Ama. You swore you lov'd, yet will not do my will.
Per. O be as thou wert once, I'll love thee still.
Ama. I am, as still I was, and all my kind,
Though other shows we have poor men to blind. ”

“ Hath crown'd the head of her long loved Shepherd
With gaudy flowers, whilest he happy sung
Layes of his love and dear Captivitie;
There grows all Herbs fit to cool looser flames
Our sensual parts provoke, chiding our bloods,
And quenching by their power those hidden sparks
That else would break out, and provoke our sense
To open fires, so vertuous is that place:
Then gentle Shepherdess, believe and grant,
In troth it fits not with that face to scant
Your faithful Shepherd of those chaste desires
He ever aim'd at, and—
Amo. ”

“ With holy hand, whose vertuous power
Is at once to heal and draw.
The blood returns. I never saw
A fairer Mortal. Now doth break
Her deadly slumber: Virgin, speak.
Amo. Who hath restor'd my sense, given me new breath,
And brought me back out of the arms of death?
God. I have heal'd thy wounds.
Amo. Ay me!
God. Fear not him that succour'd thee:
I am this Fountains god ”

“ Holding this trustie Boar-spear in my hand,
And falling thus upon it.
Enter Amaryllis, running.
Amar. Stay thy dead-doing hand, thou art too hot
Against thy self, believe me comely Swain,
If that thou dyest, not all the showers of Rain
The heavy clods send down can wash away
That foul unmanly guilt, the world will lay
Upon thee. ”

“ Enter Perigot.
Per. Night do not steal away: I woo thee yet
To hold a hard hand o're the rusty bit
That guides the lazy Team: go back again,
Bootes, thou that driv'st thy frozen Wain
Round as a Ring, and bring a second Night
To hide my sorrows from the coming light ”

“ Than ever skilfull hand did give relief
Dwells on my soul, and may be heal'd by you,
Fair beauteous Virgin.
Clor. Then Shepherd, let me sue
To know thy grief; that man yet never knew
The way to health, that durst not shew his sore.
Then. Then fairest, know, I love you.
C [l] or. Swain, no more,
Thou hast abus'd the strictness of this place,
And offred Sacrilegious foul disgrace
To the sweet rest of these interred bones,
For fear of whose ascending, fly at once,
Thou and thy idle passions, that the sight
Of death and speedy vengeance may not fright
Thy very soul with horror. ”

“ All these I'le venture for, and more,
To do her service all these woods adore.
Clor. No other service, Satyr, but thy watch
About these thickets, lest harmless people catch
Mischief or sad mischance.
Satyr. Holy Virgin, I will dance
Round about these woods as quick
As the breaking light, and prick
Down the Lawns, and down the vails
Faster than the Wind-mill sails.
So I take my leave, and pray
All the comforts of the day,
Such as Phoebus heat doth send
On the earth, may still befriend
Thee, and this arbour.
Clo. And to thee, All thy Masters love be free. ”

“ To seek her Perigot, yet cannot hear
His Voice; my Perigot, she loves thee dear
That calls.
Per. See yonder where she is, how fair
She shows, and yet her breath infefts the air.
Amo. My Perigot.
Per. Here.
Amo. Happy.
Per. Hapless first: It lights on thee, the next blow is the worst.
Amo. Stay Perigot, my love, thou art unjust.
Peri. Death is the best reward that's due to lust. ”

“ A Man made out of Snow, and freer use
An Eunuch to my ends: but since he's here,
Thus I attempt him. Thou of men most dear,
Welcome to her, that only for thy sake,
Hath been content to live: here boldly take
My hand in pledg, this hand, that never yet
Was given away to any: and but sit
Down on this rushy Bank, whilst I go pull
Fresh Blossoms from the Boughs, or quickly cull
The choicest delicates from yonder Mead,
To make thee Chains, or Chaplets, or to spread
Under our fainting Bodies, when delight
Shall lock up all our senses. ”

“ Whose chaste flame is not quencht to be.
Clor. Join your hands with modest touch,
And for ever keep you such.
Enter Perigot.
Per. Yon is her Cabin, thus far off I'll stand, And call her forth; for my unhallowed hand I dare not bring so near yon sacred place. Clorin come forth, and do a timely grace To a poor Swain.
Clo. What art thou that dost call? Clorin is ready to do good to all: Come near.
Peri. I dare not.
Clor. Satyr, see Who it is that calls on me.
Sat. There at hand, some Swain doth stand, Stretching out a bloudy hand. ”

“ Soul of affection, and have often had
Rings, Belts, and Cracknels sent me from the lad
That feeds his flocks down westward; Lambs and Doves
By young Alexis; Daphnis sent me gloves,
All which I gave to thee: nor these, nor they
That sent them did I smile on, or e're lay
Up to my after-memory. But why
Do I resolve to grieve, and not to dye?
Happy had been the stroke thou gav'st, if home;
By this time had I found a quiet room
Where every slave is free, and every brest
That living breeds new care, now lies at rest,
And thither will poor Amoret.
Per. Thou must. ”

“ Of day; give me your names, and next your hidden power.
This is the Clote bearing a yellow flower,
And this black Horehound, both are very good
For sheep or Shepherd, bitten by a wood-
Dogs venom'd tooth; these Ramuns branches are,
Which stuck in entries, or about the bar
That holds the door fast, kill all inchantments, charms,
Were they Medeas verses that doe harms
To men or cattel; these for frenzy be
A speedy and a soveraign remedie,
The bitter Wormwood, Sage, and Marigold,
Such sympathy with mans good they do hold ”

“ Hold your hand unto the flame,
If thou beest a perfect dame,
Or hast truely vow'd to mend,
This pale fire will be thy friend.
See the Taper hurts her not.
Go thy wayes, let never spot
Henceforth seize upon thy blood.
Thank the Gods and still be good.
Clor. Young Shepherdess now ye are brought again
To Virgin state, be so, and so remain
To thy last day, unless the faithful love
Of some good Shepherd force thee to remove;
Th [e] n labour to be true to him, and live
As such a one, that ever strives to give
A blessed memory to after time.
Be famous for your good, not for your crime. ”

“ Through much neglect, and more ill governance,
Whether the wounds they have may yet endure
The open Air, or stay a longer cure.
And lastly, what the doom may be shall light
Upon those guilty wretches, through whose spight
All this confusion fell: For to this place,
Thou holy Maiden, have I brought the race
Of these offenders, who have freely told,
Both why, and by what means they gave this bold
Attempt upon their lives.
Clor. Fume all the ground,
And sprinkle holy water, for unsound
And foul infection 'gins to fill the Air:
It gathers yet more strongly ”