Classic Poem

Actus Quintus. scena Prima

Elpine, Chorus. Elp:

Doubtlesse the lawes wherewith Love governeth
His Empire evermore, are neither hard
To follow, nor unjust; and those his workes
Which many men do condemne wrongfully,
Are full of providence, and mistery.
Lo with what art,
And by how many unknowne wales, he leades
His votaries unto their happinesse;
And placeth them among the highest joyes
And pleasures of his amorous Paradise,
When oftentimes they feele themselves sunk downe
Ev'ne to the very bottome of all ills.
Behold Aminta with his headlong fall,
Aspires unto the top of all delight;
O happy' Aminta; and so much the more
Happy now, as unfortunate before.
This thy example makes me hope no lesse,
That once at last my lovelesse faire (that covers
Under those freindly smiles, such cruelty)
Will with true pitty heale the wounds, that shee
Hath with her fained pittie made in me. Cho:

Yon is the rev'rend Elpine; and me thinkes
Speakes of Aminta' as if he were alive,
Calling him happy, blest, and fortunate.
Ah hard condition of unhappy lovers;
He belike counts him fortunate, that dyes
For love, and is belov'd (when he is dead)
Of her he lov'de so well; and this he calls
The paradise of love; O with how light
And poore rewards the wing'd Love-god contents
His servants. Art thou (Elpine) then indeed
In such a pittifull estate, as that
Thou canst terme fortunate, the miserable
Death of the poore Aminta? and wouldst thou
So farr thy life to loves subjection bowe,
And undergoe the like fate? Elp:

Freinds be merry
What of his death perhaps ye have heard, is false. Cho:

That were a welcome newes.
Did he not throw himselfe downe headlong then
From yon high Mountaines topp? Elp:

'Tis true he did.
But 'twas a fortunate and happy fall;
That look'd so like death; and is proov'd to him
Not life alone, but a most joyfull life;
For now he lyes lull'd in the tender lapp
Of his beloved one that seemes much more
Fonde of him now, then she was coy before;
Drying each teare he lets fall, with a sighe,
Or with the like, freindly requiting it.
But I am going to finde out Montano
Her Father, and conduct him where they bee;
For there wants nothing else but his consent,
To both their boundlesse joyes accomplishment. Cho:

Their age, their bloud and birth, their mutuall loves,
And all agree; and the good oulde Montano
Will be glad doubtlesse of posteritie,
And to' arme his gray haires with so sweet a guard;
So that his will no doubt shall second theirs.
But thou (good Elpine) tell what god, what fate
In that so dangerous, and deadly fall
Preserv'd Aminta. Elp:

I am well content;
Heare then, heare that which with these eyes I saw;
I was before my Caves mouth, which ye knowe
Lyes at the hills foote, on the valleyes brimme;
There Thirsi' and I were reasoning together
Of the faire shee that in the selfe same nett
Had first insnar'd him, and me afterward;
When I preferring my lov'de servitude
Before his free state; all at once we heard
A shreeke; and saw a man fall from above,
Upon a bushy knowle; for on the side
Of the steepe hill, there growes (all of a heape,
And as 'twere wove together,) a round masse
Of brambles, thornes, and certaine weedes among;
There first he light before he lower fell;
And though hee made way through them with his weight,
And fell downe to the ground before our feete;
Yet so that stop abated the falls force,
As 'twas not mortall; though so dangerous
As that he lay a while devoyd of sense,
And as a dead man without show of motion.
We with amazement, and compassion were
Dumbe-strucken at the sudden spectacle:
And knowing him, and knowing soone (with all)
He was not dead, nor perhaps like to die,
Appeaz'd his woe, and eas'd him all we could.
Then Thirsis made me throughly' acquainted with
Th' whole passage of his loves. But while we sought
To bring him to himselfe againe, and sent
To fetch Alphesibeo (t' whom Appollo
Taught th'art of Phisicke, when he gave his Harp
And Lute to me) came Daphne, and Silvia,
Who (as I heard) had bin to seeke him out
Whom they suppos'd dead. But when Silvia
Had found and knew him, and beheld his cheekes
And lips so bloudlesse, and discoloured,
As the wanne Violet's hue their palenesse past;
And saw him languish, as if then he had
Bin drawing his last breath; shee gave her sorrowes
A liberall passage through her earnest cryes;
And beating her faire brest, falls downe upon him,
Laying her face on his, and on his lipps
Her lipps. Cho:

And did not bashfull shame restraine
Her more, who is so strict, and so severe? Elp:

Bashfulnes oft barrs weak loves of their longings,
But is too weake a curbe for a strong love.
But then, as if her eyes had bin two fountaines,
She drown'd his colde face with her powring teares;
Whose water was of so great force, and vertue,
That he reviv'd; and op'ning his dimme eyes,
He sighes foorth a hollow' Ay mee, from the bottome
Of his sad brest; shee caught the heavy sound
Of that same bitter breath; and mingled it
With her sweet breath; and so restor'd, and heal'd him.
Then; who can say? who can imagine what
Both of them thought, and at that instant felt?
Each now assur'd of others life? and he
Intangled in so lov'd, and loving armes?
He that loves firmly may imagine it,
Yet hardly too; but no tongue sure can tell it. Cho:

Is then Aminta safe belike, and well,
And so cleare from all danger of his death? Elp:

He's safe, and well; save that he has a little
Battred his flesh, and somwhat scratcht his face;
But 'twill be nothing; and he wayes it not.
Thrise happy ne, t'have giv'n so great and high
A signe, and earnest of his Constancie;
And now injoyes the fruit of his firme love;
To which his sad indurings, and paines past,
Proove pleasing and sweet sawces at the last.
But peace be wi' yee'! I must goe seeke about
Till I have found the good Montano out.

Chorus.

I Know not whether the much sowre
This (now blest) Lover (serving, burning,
Now dispairing, and still mourning)
Hath felt; may in one happy' houre
Be thoroughly repay'd againe
With pleasure equall to his paine,
But if the good more pleasing be,
And come more welcome, after wee
Have felt the ill; I doe not crave
(O Love ) this happiness to have.
Let others be so blest by thee,
And graunt the Nimph I love, may bee
Wonne with a little lesse adooe;
Less pray'rs, less service when I wooe;
And let the sawce to our loves, be
Not so much paine, and misery:
But sweet disdaines, repulses sweet;
Fall off a little, and straite meete.
That after a short frowne or twayne,
New peace, or truce may knit our hearts againe.