Classic Poem

Thirsis. Chorus.

Thi :

O Savage cruelty: O th' ungratefull minde
Of a most most ungratefull Mayde; O Sexe
Full of ingratitude: and thou lewd Nature,
Nigligent mistresse, and maker of things,
Wherefore, ah wherefore mad'st thou womankinde
So faire, and sweet, and milde onely without;
And didst forget to make their insides good?
Poore youth, I feare 'has made away himselfe
Ere this; alas I cannot finde him out:
Three houres from place to place, & wher I left him
Have I bin seeking him; but cannot finde
Or him, or any print of his strai'd foot:
Sure sure hee's dead.
I will goe aske yon Swaines I see, if they
Can tell me any tydings of him. Friends
Did you not see Aminta, 'or happly heare
Newes of him lately? Cho :

Thou dost seeme to me
Full of distraction, what is't troubles thee?
How cam'st thou so' out of breath, and to sweat so?
What ayl'st thou? say what is't thou fear'st or wantest; Thi :

I feare Amintas harmes; tell me I pray'
Saw yee him not? Cho :

Not since he went with you
Awhile agon, but what d'yee feare in him. Thi :

Alas I feare
Lest he have slaine himselfe with his owne hand. Cho :

Slaine with his owne hand? how so? what might cause
Such vengeance on himselfe? Thi :

Why love, and hate. Chor :

Two powerfull enemies:
What cannot they doe, when they meet together?
But speake yet clearer. Thir :

His too much love, and her too much disdaine
Whom he lov'd so. Cho :

Ah tell thy story out;
This is a way of passage, and ere long
Perhaps some one will bring us newes of him,
Or himselfe come. Thi :

I'le tell it willingly;
For 'tis not just that such ingratitude
Should rest without the due deserved blame.
Aminta heard (and I had told it him,
And was his conduct too, the gods forgive mee)
That Silvia was with Daphne gone to' a Founte
To wash themselves; thither then (not without
A thousand doubts and feares in him) we went;
And twenty times we turn'd againe, (his heart
Being all against it,) but that I was faine
Almost against his will to force him onn;
But drawing neere unto the Fount, we heard
A sadd lamenting voice; and all at once
Daphne we spy' de wringing her hands, and straite
Seeing us comming, ah runne, runne (shee cryes)
Silvia's deflowr'd. Th' inamoured Aminta
No sooner heard it, but swift as a Pard
He flung away; and I made after him:
Nor farre we went, when loe before our eyes
We saw the young mayde nak'd as at her birth,
Fast fettred by the faire haire to a tree;
About whose branches in a thousand knotts
The curles were link'd, and entertwin'de, the girdle
That wont to decke, and guard her mayden loynes,
Serv'd as an actor in her ravishment;
Binding her armes about the trees hard trunke;
The tree it selfe became a helper too,
For by her feete a branch or two grew out,
Which (easie bending) both her tender leggs
Had fastned to the tree; and face to face
A beastly Satyr stood; who but ev'ne then
Had newly made an ende of binding her,
All the defence shee could (poore soule) shee made;
But sure 'twould have but little steeded her,
Had not we come. Aminta with his dart
Flue like a Lyon
Upon the Satyr; and I gathered stones;
Whereat he fledd; and gave Aminta leasure
To feast his greedy eyes with her faire limbes,
Which trembling seem'd as tender, white, & soft,
As unprest curds new from the whay divided.
Full was her face of anger, griefe, and spight;
He gently accosting her with modest lookes,
Spake thus; O lovely Silvia pardon me;
Pardon my hands for daring to approache
So neere these beauteous limbes of thine; alas
It is necessity inforceth them,
Necessitie t' unloose these bands of thine;
And let it (I beseech thee) not displease thee,
That Fate has rais'd them to this happinesse. Cho :

Words that would mollifie a heart of flint;
But what reply made shee? Thir :

Why none at all.
But with a looke full of disdaine, hung downe
The head, and hidd her faire lapp all she could;
He stood unbrayding her intangled' tresses,
And sighing said (the whiles,) O how unworthy
Is this rude trunke of so faire knots as these?
See what advantage have Loves votaries,
That (like this tree) have with so pretious bands
Their hearts entwin'd: Cruell plant, couldst thou see
This haire thus injur'd, that thus honours thee?
Then with his hands her hands he faire unlooz'd,
In such a sort, as that he seem'd affraide
To touch them, yet desir'd to touch them still:
Then stoop'd he downe t' untye her feet; when shee
Finding her late bound hands at libertie,
Said with a scornefull, and disdayning looke;
Shepherd, I am Diana's ; touch me not;
Leave me, I shall unbinde my feete my selfe. Cho :

Ah that the soft brest of a mayde should harbor
Such pride; O Curtesie full ill repayde. Thir :

Straite he with reverence withdrew himselfe,
Not lifting once his eyes to looke on her;
Barring himselfe of his delight; that shee
Might lay no blame on his immodestie.
I that was hid neere hand, and saw all this,
And heard it all, was ev'ne exclaiming on her,
But that I curb'd my selfe; see the strange creature;
After she was with much adoe got loose,
Away shee hurryed strait, swift as a Doe,
Without so much as " Thanke yee, or farewell;
And yet knew well, shee had no cause to feare;
So modest and respectfull was Aminta. Cho :

Why fled she then? Th :

Perhaps she thought it shew'd
Better; and argued more her modestie. Cho :

Her foule ingratitude: but what did then,
What said the poore Aminta? Thir :

I cannot tell.
For (angry) after I ranne amaine
To have oretane, and staid her; but in vaine;
For soone I lost her; and againe returning
Unto the Fountaine where I left Aminta,
I found him not; and my heart much misgives me
Of some selfe ill befaine him; for I knowe
He was resolv'd (before this hapned him)
To ende his life and miseries together. Cho :

It is the common use and art of Lovers
To threaten their owne deaths; but rarely shall
We see th' effect in any of them all. Thi :

Pray heav'ne he be not of those rare ones then. Cho :

Tush feare him not. Thi :

Well I'le downe to the Cave
Of the sage Elpine; thither he perhaps
Will be retyr'de, if he be yet alive;
For there he wont full oft to' allay and ease
The rage of his bitter calamities,
With the sweet sound of Elpines Reeds; that winn
And draw with their alluring voice, to heare them,
The hard stones from the craggy mountaine topps;
Make flouds and waterfounts runne with pure milke;
And oft the rough bark'd trees against their kindes
Distill sweet honny from their bitter rindes.