Classic Poem

ACTVS. I. SCENA. I .

Ergastus. Melibaeus.

How is it Melibaeus that we finde
Our Country, faire Arcadia , so much chang'd
From what it was; that was thou knowst of late,
The gentle region of plaine honesty,
The modest seat of vndisguised truth,
Inhabited with simple innocence:
And now, I know not how, as if it were
Vnhallowed, and diuested of that grace,
Hath put off that faire nature which it had,
And growes like ruder countries, or more bad.
Mel. Indeed Ergastus I haue neuer knowne
So vniuersall a distemperature,
In all parts of the body of our state,
As now there is; nor euer haue we heard
So much complaining of disloyalty,
Among'st your yonger Nymphes, nor euer found
Our heardsmen so deluded in their loues,
As if there were no faith on either side.
We neuer had in any age before
So many spotlesse Nymphes, so much distain'd
VVith blacke report, and wrongfull infamy;
That few escape the tongue of malice free.
Erg. And me thinkes too, our very aire is chang'd,
Our wholesome climate growne more maladiue;
The fogges, and the Syrene offends vs more
(Or we made thinke so), then they did before.
The windes of Autumne, now are sayd to bring
More noysomnesse, then those do of the Spring:
And all of vs feele new infirmities,
New Feuers, new Catarres, oppresse our powers;
The milke wherewith we cur'd all maladies,
Hath either lost the nature, or we ours.
Mel. And we that neuer were accustomed
To quarrell for our bounds, how do we see
Montanus and Acrysius interstriue
How farre their seuerall Sheep-walkes should extend,
And cannot be agreed do what we can:
As if some vnderworking hand strake fire,
To th'apt inkindling tinder of debate,
And fostred their contention and their hate.
Erg. And me thinkes too, the beauty of our Nymphes
Is not the same, as it was wont to be.
That Rosie hew, the glory of the Cheeke,
Is either stolne, or else they haue forgot,
To blush with shame, or to be pale with feare:
Or else their shame doth make them alwayes blush;
For alwayes doth their beauties beare one hew,
And either Nature's false, or that vntrue.
Mel. Besides their various habits grow so strange,
As that although their faces certaine are,
Their bodies are vncertaine euery day,
And alwayes differing from themselues so farre,
As if they skorn'd to be the same they are.
And all of vs are so transform'd, that we
Discerne not an Arcadian by th'attyre;
Our ancient Pastorall habits are despis'd,
And all is strange, hearts, clothes, and all disguis'd.
Erg. Indeed vnto our griefe we may perceiue,
The whole complection of Arcadia chang'd:
Yet cannot finde the occasion of this change:
But let vs with more wary eye obserue
Whence the contagion of these customes rise,
That haue infected thus our honest plaines,
With cunning discord, idle vanity,
Deceiptfull wrong, and causlesse infamy;
That by th'assistance of our grauer Swaines,
We now at first, may labour to preuent
The further course of mischiefes, and restore
Our late cleane woods, to what they were before.
Mel. Content Ergastus , and euen here will be
A place conuenient for so fit a worke:
For here our Nymphs, and heardsmen on this Greene,
Do vsually resort, and in this Groue
We may obserue them best, and be vnseene.

ACT. I. SCEN. II.

Colax. Techne.

C O me my deare Techne , thou and I must plot
More cunning proiects yet, more strange designes
Amongst these simple grosse Arcadians here,
That know no other world, but their owne plaines;
Nor yet can apprehend the subtle traines
We lay, to mocke their rurall ignorance.
But see, here comes two of their amorous Swaines
In hote contention; let vs close conuay
Our selues, here vnderneath this couerture,
And ouer heare their passionate discourse.
Tech. Colax , this place well such a purpose fits;
Let vs sit close, and faith, it shall goe hard,
Vnlesse we make some profit by their wits.

Carinus. Amyntas.

Car. Now fond Amyntas , how cam'st thou possest
With such a vaine presumption, as thou art,
To thinke that Cloris should affect thee best,
When all Arcadia knowes I haue her heart?
Am. And how Carinus canst thou be so mad,
T'imagine Cloris can, or doth loue thee,
When by so many signes as I haue had,
I finde her whole affection bent to me?
Car. What are those signes by which you come to cast,
And calculate the fortune of your hopes?
Am. More certaine signes then thou canst euer shew.
Car. But they are more then signes, that I can shew.
Am. Why let each then produce the best he can,
To proue which may be thought the likeliest man.
Car. Content Amyntas , and do thou begin.
Am. And I am well contented to begin.
First if by chance, whil'st she at Barley-breake
With other Nymphes, do but perceiue me come,
Streight lookes her cheeke with such a Rosie red,
As giues the setting Sunne vnto the West
When morrow tempests are prefigured.
Car. Euen so that hew prognosticates her wrath,
Which brings to thee the stormy windes of sighes.
Am. And if I finde her with her fellow Nymphes
Gathering of flowers by some sweet Riuers side,
At my approach she straight way stands vpright,
Forgets her worke, and downe lets slide her lap,
And out fall all her flowers, vpon the ground.
Car. So doth the silly sheepe forget to feed,
When it perceiues the greedy Wolfe at hand.
Am. And is she meet but with my dog, she takes
And strokes him on the head, playes with his eares,
Spits in his mouth, and claps him on the backe,
And says, come, come Melampus go with me.
Car. She may loue what is thine, but yet hate thee.
Am. Whilst at a Chrystall spring the other day,
She washt her louely face, and seeing me come,
She takes vp water with her dainty hand,
And with a downe-cast looke besprinckles me.
Car. That shewes that shee vvould gladly quench in thee
The fire of loue, or else like loue doth beare,
As did the Delian Goddesse, vvhen she cast
Disdainefull vvater on Acteons face.
Am. As Siluia , one day, sate vvith her alone,
Binding of certaine choice selected hearbes
To her left arme, against bewitching spels,
(And I at the instant comming) shee perceiu'd
Her pulse vvith farre more violence to beat
(As sh'after told me) then it did before.
Car. The like is felt vvhen natures enemy,
The hatefull feauer, doth surprise our powers.
Am. And euen but yesternight, she going before
With other maides, and seeing me following her,
Lets fall this dainty Nosegay, hauing first
Bestow'd a kisse thereon, to th'end I might
Receiue it so, and with it doe the like.
Car. Poore withred fauours, they might teach thee know,
That shee esteemes thee, and thy loue as light
As those dead flowers, shee vvore but for a show
The day before, and cast away at night.
Am. Now friend Carinus , thou that mutterest so
At these plaine speaking figures of her loue,
Tell by vvhat signes thou doest her fauours proue?
Car. Now silly man, doest thou imagine me
So fond to blab the fauours of my loue?
Am. Was't not a pact agreed twixt thee & me?
Car. A pact to make thee tell thy secrecy.
Am. And hast thou then betrayd my easie trust,
And dallied with my open simplenesse?
Car. And fitly art thou seru'd, that so wilt vaunt
The imagin'd fauours of a gentle Nymph;
And this is that vvhich makes vs feele that dearth
Of grace, t'haue kindnes at so hie a rate.
This makes them vvary how they doe bestow
The least regard of common curtesie,
When such as you, poore, credulous, deuout,
And humble soules, make all things miracles
Your faith conceiues, and vainely doe conuert
All shadowes to the figure of your hopes.
Am. Carinus now thou doest me double wrong,
First to deride my easie confidence,
And then t'vpbrayd my trust, as if my tongue
Had heere prophan'd faire Cloris excellencie
In telling of her mercies, or had sin'd
In vttering th'honour of a modest grace
Bestowing comfort, in so iust a case.
Car. Why man, thou hast no way deseru'd her loue.
Am. Desert I cannot vrge, but faith I can;
If that may haue reward, then happy man.
Car. But you know how I sau'd her from the hands
Of that rude Satyre, vvho had else vndone
Her honour vtterly; and therefore ought
My loue of due, raigne soueraigne in her thought.
Am. But how that free, and vnsubdued heart,
Infranchis'd by the Charter of her eyes,
Will beare the imposition of a due
I doe not see, since loue knew neuer Lord
That could command the region of our will.
And therefore vrge thy due, I for my part,
Must plead compassion, and a faithfull heart.
Car. Plead thou thy faith, whilst I will get thy loue,
For you kinde soules doe seldome gracefull proue.
Am. The more vnkind they, who should better way
Our honest vowes, and loue for loue repay;
But oft they beare the penance of their will,
And for the wrong they doe, they speed as ill.

SCEN. III.

Colax. Techne.

Col. Alas poore fooles, how hotely they contend
Who shall possesse a prey that's yet vngot.
But Techne , I must by thy helpe forestall
The mart of both their hopes, and whilst they shall
Pursue the Ayre, I must surprise their gaine. [ game? ]
And fitly now, thou maist occasion take
By these aduantages discouered here,
T'impresse in Cloris tender heart that touch
Of deepe dislike of both their vanteries,
As may conuert her wholly vnto me.
Tec. Why will you then Dorindas loue forsake,
For whom you traueld so, and made me take
Such labour to intice her to your loue?
Col. Tush Techne , we desire not what we haue
But what we would; our longings neuer stay
With our attaynings, but they goe beyond.
Tec. And vvhy? Dorinda is as faire as she.
Col. That I confesse, but yet that payes not me,
For Cloris is another, and tis that,
And onely that, vvhich, Techne , I desire.
Some thing there is peculiar, and alone
To euery beauty, that doth giue an edge
To our desires, and more vve vvill conceiue
In that vve haue not then in that vve haue.
And I haue heard, abroad vvhere best experience
And vvit is learnd, that all the fairest choyce
Of vvoemen in the vvorld, serue but to make
One perfect beauty, vvhereof each brings part.
One hath a pleasing smile, and nothing else:
Another but some silly Mole to grace
Th'aire of a disproportion'd face;
Another pleases not but vvhen she speakes,
And some in silence onely gracefull are:
Some till they laugh, we see, seeme to be faire,
Some haue their bodies good, their gestures ill,
Some please in Motion, some in sitting still,
Some are thought louely, that haue nothing faire,
Some againe faire that nothing louely are.
So that we see how beauty doth consist
Of diuers peeces, and yet all attract,
And therefore vnto all my loue aspires;
As beauty varies, so doth my desires.
Tec. Ah but yet Colax doe not so much wrong
Vnto a Nymph, now when thou hast subdu'd
And won her heart, and knowst she holdst thee deare.
Col. Tush, wrong is as men thinke it, and I see
It keepes the world the best in exercise
That else would languish, and haue nought to doe.
Discord in parts, makes harmon' in the whole.
And some must laugh, whilst other some condole.
And so it be not of the side we are,
Let others beare it; what neede we to care?
And now Dorinda something hath to doe,
Now, she may sit, and thinke, and vexe and plot
For ease, and ioying of her full delight
Would but haue dull'd her spirits, and marrd her quite.
Tec. Alas, yet I must pitty her, poore soule
In this distresse, I being on my selfe
Of the frayle corporation, and doe know
That she will take it very grieuously.
And yet in troth sh'is seru'd but well inow,
That would neglect Mirtillus honest loue,
And trust strong protestations, and new othes;
Be wonne with garded words, and gawdy clothes.
Col. Well, well, Dorinda shall not waile alone,
She shall haue others to consort her mone:
For since my last returne from Telos Court
I haue made twenty of their coyest Nymphs
Turne louers, with a few protesting words
And some choyce complementall periuries;
I made Palaemon , to suspect the faith
Of his chast Siluia , and chast Siluia his;
In hope thereby to worke her loue to me
I wrought coy Daphne to infringe her vow
Made to Menalcas ; and I told her how
Those setters which so heauily were laid
Vpon our free affections, onely were
But customary bands, not naturall.
And I thinke Techne thou hast done thy part
Here, in this gentle region of kind hearts,
Since thou cam'st hither, for I see thou thriu'st.
Tec. Indeed whilst I in Corinth did remaine,
I hardly could procure the meanes to liue,
There were so many of my trade, that sold
Complexions, dressings, tiffanies and tyres;
Deuisors of new fashions and strange wyers,
Bedbrokers, Night wormes, and Compositors;
That though I knew these arts as well as they
Yet being so many we could get small pay.
Here, who but Techne now is all in all?
Techne is sent for, Techne onely shewes
New strange deuises to the choycest Nymphes:
And I thinke Techne teaches them those trickes,
As they will not forget againe in hast.
I haue so opened their vnapt conceits
Vnto that vnderstanding of themselues,
As they will shew in time they were well taught,
If they obserue my rules, and hide a fault.
Col. Ah well done Techne . Thus must thou and I
Trade for our profit with their ignorance,
And take our time, and they must haue their chance
But pray thee Techne , doe not thou forget
To lay a traine for Cloris . So adue
Tec. Colax I will not, and the rather too,
For that I beare a little leaning loue
To sweet Amyntas ; for me thinkes he seemes
The loueliest Shepheard all Arcadia yeelds,
And I would gladly intercept his loue.

SCEN. IIII.

Melibaeus. Ergastus.

S O this is well; Here's one discouery made;
Here are the heads of that distemperature,
From whence these strange debaushments of our Nymphes
And vile deluding of our Shepheards springs:
Here is a monster, that hath made his lusts
As wide as is his will, and left his will
Without all bounds, and cares not whom he wrongs,
So that he may his owne desires fulfill;
And being all foule himselfe, would make all ill.
This is that Colax that from forraine lands,
Hath brought home that infection that vndoes
His countrey goodnesse, and impoysons all.
His being abroad would marre vs quite at home:
Tis strange to see, that by his going out,
He hath out-gone that natiue honesty,
Which here the breeding of his countrey gaue.
For here I doe remember him a child,
The sonne of Nicoginus of the Hill;
A man though low in fortune, yet in minde
High set; a man still practising
T'aduance his forward sonne beyond the traine
Of our Arcadian breed; and still me thought
I saw a disposition in the youth,
Bent to a selfe conceited surlinesse,
With an insinuating impudence.
Erg. A man the fitter made for Courts abroad
Where I would God he had remained still,
With those loose-liuing wanton Sybarites,
Where luxurie, had made her outmost proofe.
From whence I heare he comes, and hither brings
Their shames, to brand vs with the like reproach.
And for this other viper which you saw,
I doe remember how she came of late
For succour to these parts, and sought to teach
Our younger maides to dresse, and trie our Flaxe,
And vse the Distaffe, and to make a hem,
And such like skill, being skill enough for them;
But since I see she hath presum'd to deale
In points of other science, different farre
From that plaine Art of honest huswifery,
And as it seemes hath often made repaire
Vnto the neighbour Cities round about;
From whom she hath these strange disguises got
T'abuse our Nymphes, and as it seemes desires
To sute their mindes as light as their attires;
But we shall soone preuent this growing plague:
Of pride and folly, now that she descry
The true symptoma of this malady;
And by this ouerture thus made we trust
We shortly shall discouer all the rest.