PRIEST

Shepherds thus I purge away, Whatsoever this great day, Or the passed hours gave not good, To corrupt your maiden blood: From the high rebellious heat, Of the grapes and strength of meat. From the wanton quick desires, They do kindle by their fires. I do wash you with this water, Be you pure and fair hereafter. From your livers and your veins, Thus I take away the stains. All your thoughts be smooth and fair, Be you fresh and free as air. Never more let lustful heat, Through your purged conduits beat, Or a plighted troth be broken, Or a wanton verse be spoken: In a Shepherdess's ear, Go your ways you're all clear. Shepherds all, and maidens fair, Fold your flocks up, for the Air Gins to thicken, and the Sun Already his great course hath run, See the Due drops how they kiss Every little flower that is: Hanging on their velvet heads, Like a rope of crystal beads. See the heavy clouds loud falling And bright Hesperus down calling, The dead night from under ground, At whose rising mists unsound, damps, and vapours fly apace, Hovering over the wanton face, Of these pastures, where they come, Striking dead both bud and bloom, Therefore from such danger lock Every one his loved flock, And let your dogs lie lose without, Least the Wolf come as a scout From the mountain, and ere day Bear a Lamb or Kid away: Or the crafty thievish Fox, Break upon your simple flocks, To secure your selves from these, Be not too secure in ease, Let one eye his watches keep, While the tother eye does sleep. So you shall good Shepherds prove, And for ever hold the love Of our great God: sweeeest slumbers And soft silence fallen in numbers On your eyelids: so farewell, Thus I end my evening's knell. exeunt. Now let me know what my best Art hath done, Helped by the great power of the virtuous moon, In her full light, o you sons of earth, You only brood, unto whose happy birth Virtue was given, holding more of nature Then man her first born & most perfect creature. Let me adore you, you that only can, Help or kill nature, drawing out that span Of life and breath, even to the end of time, You that these hands did crop, long before prime Of day, give me your names, and next your hidden power. This is the Clo bearing a yellow flower: And this black Horehound, both are very good, For sheep or shepherd, bitten by a wood Dogs venomed tooth, these Ramuns branches are, Which stuck in entries, or about the bar That holds the door fast, kill all the enchantments, charms, Were they Medea verses that do harms To men or cattle: these for frenzy be A peedy and a sovereign remedy. The bitter Wormwood, Sage, and Marigold, Such sympathy with men good they do hold: This Tormen l whose virtue is to partly All deadly killing poison from the heart, And here Narcissus root, for swellings best: Yellow L cimacus, to give sweet rest To the faint Shepherd, killing where it comes, All busy gnats, and every fly that hums, For leprosy, Darnel, and Sellondine, With Calamint, whose we tues do resine The blood of Man, making it free and fair, As the first hour it breathed, or the best air. Here other to, but your rebellious use, Is not f rme, whose goodness is abuse, Therefore foul standergrasse, from me and mine I banish thee, with lustful Turpentine, You that entice 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 quenched by appetite, Robbing the soul of blessedness and light: And thou light Var in to, thou must go after Provoking easy souls to mirth and laughter, No more shall I dip thee in water now, And sprinkle every post, and every bow With thy well pleasing juice, to make the grooms, Swell with high mirth as with joy all the Rome's. Shepherds, rise and shake of sleep. See the blushing Morn does peep, Through the windows, while the Sum e To the Mountain tops is run, Gild all the vales below, With his rising flames which grow, Greater by his climbing still. Up you lazy grooms and fill, Bag and Bottle for the field, Clasp your cloaks fast lest they yield, To the bitter Northeast wind, Call the Maidens up and find. Who say longest, that she may, Go without a friend all day. Then reward yonr dogs and pray, Pan to keep you from decay, So unfold, and then away What not a Shepherd stirring sure the grooms, Have found their bed to easy, or the Rooms. Fillde with such new delight, and heat that they, Have both forgotten their hungry sheep, and day, Knock that they may remember what a shame, Sloth and neclect, lays on a Shepherds name. God pardon sin, show me the way that leads, To any of their haunts. Then this for me, Come Shepherd let me crave your company. exeunt. Sure they are lost for ever, 'tis in vain, To find them out, with trouble and much pain: That have a Ripe desire, and forward will, To fly the company of all, but ill: What shall be counseled: Now shall we retire? Or constant follow still, that first desire, We had to find them? Dost thou not blush young shepherd to be known, Thus without care, leaving thy flocks alone: And following what desire and present blood, Shapes out before thy burning sense, for good, Having forgotten what tongue hereafter may Tell to the world thy faleing off, and say Thou art regardless both of good and shame, Spurning at virtue, and a virtuous name: And Like a glorious desperate man, that buys, A poison of much price, by which he die Dost thou lay out for lust, whose only gain, Is foul disease, with present age and pain: And then a Grave: these be the fruits that grow, In such hight veins that only Beatrice to know, Where they may take most ease & grow ambtious, Through their own wanton fire, and pride de itious. Then wherefore hast thou wandered. 'Tis good to hear you Sheeph ard if the heart, In this well sounding Music bear his partly; Where have you left the rest, I have not seen, Since yesternight, we met upon this green, To fouled our flocks up, any of that train Yet have I walked these woods round and hauelaine All this long night under and aged tree Yet neither wandering Shepherd did I see, Or Shepherdess, or drew into mine ear, The found of living thing unless it were, The Nightingale, among the thick leaved spring That fits alone, in sorrow and does sing: Whole nights away in mourning, or the Owl, Or our great Enemy that still does howl. Against the Moons cold beams. Go and beware, Of after falling. This is a night of wonder, Amarill, Be Comforted, the holy gods are still, Revengers of these wrongs. Monster stay, Thou that art Like a canker to the state, Thou livest and brethest in, eating with debate, Through every honest bosom, forcing still, The vains of any men, may serve thy will. Thou that hast offered with a sinful hand, To seize upon this virgin that does stand, yet trembling here. Lust, and branded soul, Ye are better read then I, I must confess in Blood and Lechery: Now to the Bower and bring this beast along, Where he may suffer Penance for his wrong, First honoured virgin to behold thy face, Where all good dwells, that is, next for to try The truth of late report, was given to me: Those shepherds that have met with oule mischance, Through much neglect, and more ill governance, Whither 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 spite All this confusion full. For to this place, Thou holy maiden have I brought the raze, Of these offenders, who have freely told, Both why, and by what means, they gave this bold Attempt upon their live. Kneel every Shepherd, while with powerful hand, I bless you after labours, and the Land. You feed your flocks upon Great Pan defend you. From misfortune and amend you, Keep you from those dangers still, That are followed by your will: Give ye means to know at length, All your Riches all your strength. Cannot keep your foot from falling, To lewd lust, that still is calling, At your cottage, till his power, Bring again that golden hour: Of peace and rest, to every soul. May his care of you control, All diseases, sores or pain, That in after time may reign, Either in your flocks or you, Give ye all affections new. New desires and tempers new, That ye may be ever true. Now rise and go, and as you pass away, Sing to the God of sheep, that happy say: That honest Worser rus taught ye, Dorus he, That was the soul and God of melody. the all sing. All ye Woods, and Trees, and Bowers, All you virtues, and ye powers: That inhabit in the Lake's, In the pleasant springs or brakes. Move your feet, to our found: While we greet, all this ground. With his honour and his name. That defends our flocks from blame. He is great, and he is joust, He is ever good and must: Thus be honnerd, Daffodils, Roses, Pinks, and loved Lillies. Let us fling, While we sing, Ever holy, Ever holy. Ever honerd, ever young, Thus great Pan is ever sung. Exeunt. Retire a while, Behind this bushk, till we have known that vile Aboser of young maidens. Stay thy pace, Most loved Amarillis : let the chase, grow calm and milder, fly me not so fast, I fear the pointed Brambles have unlaced Thy golden Buskin's, turn again and see: Thy Shepherd follow, that is strong and free, Able to give thee all contentedly nt and case, I am not bashful virgin, I can please: At first encounter hug thee in mine arm, And give thee many kisses, soft and warm, As those the Sun prints on thy smiling cheek, Of Plums or mellow peaches I am sleek, And smooth as Neptune when stern Eolus, Lo ks up his surley winds and nimbly thus, Can show my Active youth why dost thou fly. Remmber Amarillis it was I, That killed Alexis for thy sake, and set, And everlasting hate betwixt Amoret, And her beloved Perigot it I, That drowned her in the well, where she must lie, Till time shall leave to be, then turn again: Tur e with thy open arms and clipp the swain That hath performed all this, turn turn I say: I must not be deluded, Bright Maid, I have performed your will, the swain In whom such heat, and black rebellions reign Hath undergone your sentence: Only the maid I have reserved, whose face shows much amendment, many a tear does fallen In sorrow of her fault, great fair recall Your heavy doom, in hope of better days Which I dare promise: once again, upraise her heavy Spirit, that near drowned lies In self cons ming care that never die. Where hast left the rest, that should have be Long before this, grazing upon the green: Their yet imprisoned flocks,