The Faithful Shepherdess Part 3

_Actus Tertius. Scena Prima.

_Enter_ Sullen Shepherd _with_ Amaryllis _in a sleep._

_Sull_. From thy forehead thus I take These herbs, and charge thee not awake Till in yonder holy Well, Thrice with powerful Magick spell, Fill'd with many a baleful word, Thou hast been dipt; thus with my cord Of blasted Hemp, by Moon-light twin'd, I do thy sleepy body bind; I turn thy head into the East, And thy feet into the West, Thy left arm to the South put forth, And thy right unto the North: I take thy body from the ground, In this deep and deadly swound, And into this holy spring I let thee slide down by my string.

Take this Maid thou holy pit, To thy bottom, nearer yet, In thy water pure and sweet, By thy leave I dip her feet; Thus I let her lower yet, That her ankles may be wet; Yet down lower, let her knee In thy waters washed be; There stop: Fly away Every thing that loves the day.

Truth that hath but one face, Thus I charm thee from this place.

Snakes that cast your coats for new, Camelions that alter hue, Hares that yearly s.e.xes change, _Proteus_ alt'ring oft and strange, _Hecate_ with shapes three, Let this Maiden changed be, With this holy water wet, To the shape of _Amoret_: _Cynthia_ work thou with my charm, Thus I draw thee free from harm Up out of this blessed Lake, Rise both like her and awake. [_She awakes_.

_Amar_. Speak Shepherd, am I _Amoret_ to sight?

Or hast thou mist in any Magick rite; For want of which any defect in me, May make our practices discovered be.

_Sul_. By yonder Moon, but that I here do stand, Whose breath hath thus transform'd thee, and whose hand Let thee down dry, and pluckt thee up thus wet, I should my self take thee for _Amoret_; Thou art in cloths, in feature, voice and hew So like, that sense cannot distinguish you.

_Amar_. Then this deceit which cannot crossed be, At once shall lose her him, and gain thee me.

Hither she needs must come by promise made, And sure his nature never was so bad, To bid a Virgin meet him in the wood, When night and fear are up, but understood, 'Twas his part to come first: being come, I'le say, My constant love made me come first and stay, Then will I lead him further to the grove, But stay you here, and if his own true love Shall seek him here, set her in some wrong path, Which say, her lover lately troden hath; I'le not be far from hence, if need there be, Here is another charm, whose power will free The dazeled sense, read by the Moons beams clear, And in my own true map make me appear.

_Enter_ Perigot.

_Sull_. Stand close, here's _Perigot_, whose constant heart Longs to behold her in whose shape thou art.

_Per_. This is the place (fair _Amoret_) the hour Is yet scarce come: Here every Sylvan power Delights to be about yon sacred Well, Which they have blest with many a powerful Spell; For never Traveller in dead of Night, Nor strayed Beasts have faln in, but when sight Hath fail'd them, then their right way they have found By help of them, so holy is the ground: But I will farther seek, lest _Amoret_ Should be first come, and so stray long unmet.

My _Amoret, Amoret_. [_Ex_. Amaryllis, Perigot.

_Per_. My Love.

_Amar_. I come my Love. [_Exit_.

_Sull_. Now she has got Her own desires, and I shall gainer be Of my long lookt for hopes as well as she.

How bright the moon s.h.i.+nes here, as if she strove To show her Glory in this little Grove,

_Enter_ Amoret.

To some new loved Shepherd. Yonder is Another _Amoret_. Where differs this From that? but that she _Perigot_ hath met, I should have ta'n this for the counterfeit: Herbs, Woods, and Springs, the power that in you lies, If mortal men could know your Properties!

_Amo_. Methinks it is not Night, I have no fear, Walking this Wood, of Lions, or the Bear, Whose Names at other times have made me quake, When any Shepherdess in her tale spake Of some of them, that underneath a Wood Have torn true Lovers that together stood.

Methinks there are no Goblins, and mens talk, That in these Woods the nimble Fairies walk, Are fables; such a strong heart I have got, Because I come to meet with _Perigot_.

My _Perigot_! who's that, my _Perigot_?

_Sull_. Fair maid.

_Amo_. Ay me, thou art not _Perigot_.

_Sull_. But I can tell ye news of _Perigot_: An hour together under yonder tree He sate with wreathed arms and call'd on thee, And said, why _Amoret_ stayest thou so long?

Then starting up, down yonder path he flung, Lest thou hadst miss'd thy way: were it day light, He could not yet have born him out of sight.

_Amor_. Thanks, gentle Shepherd, and beshrew my stay, That made me fearful I had lost my way: As fast as my weak Legs (that cannot be Weary with seeking him) will carry me, I'll seek him out; and for thy Courtesie Pray _Pan_ thy Love may ever follow thee. [_Exit_.

_Sull_. How bright she was, how lovely did she show!

Was it not pity to deceive her so?

She pluckt her Garments up, and tript away, And with her Virgin-innocence did pray For me that perjur'd her. Whilst she was here, Methought the Beams of Light that did appear Were shot from her; methought the Moon gave none, But what it had from her: she was alone With me, if then her presence did so move, Why did not I essay to win her Love?

She would not sure have yielded unto me; Women love only Opportunitie, And not the Man; or if she had deny'd, Alone, I might have forc'd her to have try'd Who had been stronger: O vain Fool, to let Such blest Occasion pa.s.s; I'll follow yet, My Blood is up, I cannot now forbear.

_Enter_ Alex, _and_ Cloe.

I come sweet _Amoret_: Soft who is here?

A pair of Lovers? He shall yield her me; "Now l.u.s.t is up, alike all Women be.

_Alex_. Where shall we rest? but for the love of me, _Cloe_, I know ere this would weary be.

_Clo_. _Alexis_, let us rest here, if the place Be private, and out of the common trace Of every Shepherd: for I understood This Night a number are about the Wood: Then let us chuse some place, where out of sight We freely may enjoy our stoln delight.

_Alex_. Then boldly here, where we shall ne're be found, No Shepherds way lies here, 'tis hallow'd ground: No Maid seeks here her strayed Cow, or Sheep, Fairies, and Fawns, and Satyrs do it keep: Then carelesly rest here, and clip and kiss, And let no fear make us our pleasures miss.

_Clo_. Then lye by me, the sooner we begin, The longer ere the day descry our sin.

_Sull_. Forbear to touch my Love, or by yon flame, The greatest power that Shepherds dare to name, Here where thou sit'st under this holy tree Her to dishonour, thou shalt buried be.

_Alex_. If _Pan_ himself, should come out of the lawns, With all his Troops of Satyrs and of Fawns, And bid me leave, I swear by her two eyes, A greater Oath than thine, I would not rise.

_Sull_. Then from the cold Earth never shalt thou move, But lose at one stroke both thy Life and Love.

_Clo_. Hold gentle Shepherd.

_Sull_. Fairest Shepherdess, Come you with me, I do not love you less Than that fond man, that would have kept you there From me of more desert.

_Alex_. O yet forbear To take her from me; give me leave to dye By her.

[_The Satyr enters, he runs one way, and she another_.

_Sat_. Now whilst the Moon doth rule the Skie, And the Stars, whose feeble light Give a pale Shadow to the night, Are up, great _Pan_ commanded me To walk this Grove about, whilst he In a corner of the Wood, Where never mortal foot hath stood, Keeps dancing, musick, and a feast To entertain a lovely Guest, Where he gives her many a Rose, Sweeter than the breath that blows The leaves; Grapes, Berries of the best, I never saw so great a feast.

But to my Charge: here must I stay, To see what mortals lose their way, And by a false fire seeming bright, Train them in and leave them right.

Then must I watch if any be Forcing of a Chast.i.tie: If I find it, then in haste Give my wreathed horn a Blast, And the Fairies all will run, Wildly dancing by the Moon, And will pinch him to the bone, Till his l.u.s.tful thoughts be gone.

_Alex_. O Death!

_Sat_. Back again about this ground, Sure I hear a mortal sound; I bind thee by this powerful Spell, By the Waters of this Well, By the glimmering Moon beams bright, Speak again, thou mortal wight.

_Alex_. Oh!

_Sat_. Here the foolish mortal lies, Sleeping on the ground: arise.

The poor wight is almost dead, On the ground his wounds have bled, And his cloaths foul'd with his blood: To my G.o.ddess in the Wood Will I lead him, whose hands pure, Will help this mortal wight to cure.

_Enter_ Cloe _again_.

_Clo_. Since I beheld yon s.h.a.ggy man, my Breast Doth pant, each bush, methinks, should hide a Beast: Yet my desire keeps still above my fear, I would fain meet some Shepherd, knew I where: For from one cause of fear I am most free, It is impossible to ravish me, I am so willing. Here upon this ground I left my Love all b.l.o.o.d.y with his wound; Yet till that fearful shape made me be gone, Though he were hurt, I furnisht was of one, But now both lost. _Alexis_, speak or move, If thou hast any life, thou art yet my Love.