PHYLLIS

Seek the delltes of love, who list, (if love be delightful) This life is my love, my bow and shafts be my treasure, Hunting is my joy; with stubborn beasts to be striving, Until I fell them down, and fearful beasts to be chasing. And, till woods want beasts, and quiver feathered arrows, Phillis shall not want any sweet sports or pretty pastimes. When that I seem to repent, or seem to bewray my repentance, Or say so with tears; let floods run back to the fountains, Let Wolves fly from the Lamb, and trembling Hare to the Greyhound, Let Bears range by the sea, and Dolphin swim by the desert. Well: let Amyntas deal as seems best to Amyntas, And love somewhere else; his love hath made me to hate him. Daphne leave this talk, or look no more for and answer: His love breeds my hate, when I hate to afford what he loves: He's not a Friend, but a foe, that my virgynyty seeks: Well: when I see trees weep, and hear their lovely bewailings And secret groanings, i'll frame myself to be loving. Good sweet Daphne peace, and tell this again to Lycoris, Terrify babes with bugs: its time to be gone to the Hunting Solemn great hunting which this same day is appointed In that pleasant parck, that sweetest parck of a thousand Yuychurches parck, pretty Yvychurch, that on hill top Flowering hill top sits, and looks down to the valleys, There, o there, I do hear (for so Philoveuia told me) There that Nymph, brave Nymph, that peareles Pembrokiana Yuychurches Nymph does mean herself to be present, And with her own person give grace and life to the pastime. I'll to my wonted well with Crystal water abounding, There will I leave this dust and sweat that I gate by my toiling Yesterday, when I made that lightfoot Do to be tumbling. And in truth joust cause had Fulvia for to believe so, Sith that I was not like from death's door so to be escaping. Whilst I ran after a wolf, I was all enclosed on a soddayne With dark dens and groves, and forced that chase to be leaving: But when I sought to retire and company lost to recover, There did I see this wolf (for I knew this Wolf by and arrow Which myself did shoot, and gave her a wound by the leaft care) There did I see this Wolf and more Wolves greedily praying On some beasts carcase late slain by them, but I could not Well discern what beast: this wounded Wolf in a fury Coms with a gored mouth, (it seems my face she remembered) And so makes onward, who had been worthily welcomed, Had not a tree by a chance my dart unworthily hindered. My dart mislighting, fell Wolf more fiercely approaching Drew so near, that I saw 'twas booteles now to be shooting, And darts were all spent: Therefore at last I retired And fled back for fear, but will Wolf hastened onward: Now mark what chanced, my lawn hanged down to my shoulders And stook fast to a bush, and stayed my flight, but I plucked, Yet bush held it fast; at last my lawn I relinquished For to reserve my life, and tore it away with a great partly Of my scattered hair and fear so forcibly urged Lightfooted Phillis, that a fearful death she avoided. As to my house full glad for joy I repaired, I met thee Daphne, there full sad by the way, and greatly amazed. And what mean's this, Alas? am I now so lightly regarded, That my life with, Alas, of Daphne must be remembered? Whose death? Daph. Death of Amyntas. Phil. Alas how died Amyntas? What strange news do I hear? what caused that death of Amyntas? Fear of Phillis death proved vain, and fear of Amyntas Death will prove vain too: life each thing lively procureth. Is this true? Daph. No doubt. Phil. But alas would nobody stay him? Oh let's go, let's run, let's seek and search for Amyntas. If that Amyntas died, when Phillis seemed to be dying, Then, sith Phillis lives, let Amyntas truly be living. Oh, this frets my soul Daphne, this deadly remembrance Of my scornful pride, that I then my Chastyty called, And it Chastyty was, but Chastyty noe-pyty-taking, Now I repent it alas, but now too late I repentyt. Oh that my love might once purchase life for Amyntas, Oh that Amyntas life with my life might be redeemed. Oh pytyles Phillis, well may thy heart be a stony Heart, if breakeneck news can not yet break it a sunder. If false tales of death, her death, who hated Amyntas, Took his life yet away; good reason then that Amyntas True death, too true death, who my hate lovely requited, Should take life from me; and so it shall, with and endless Grief of troubled soul, or a too too slowly revenging Stroke of a murdering hand, or this same piece of a girdle, Piece of a girdle alas: that left his master Amyntas For good cause, that so proud Phillis might be rewarded, And his masters death with Phillis death be requited. Luckless girdle alas of too too luckless Amyntas, Take no scorn for a while in a bosom vile to be lodged, Sith to requit, to revenge thou meanest therein to be lodged. Phillis should have been true turtledove to Amyntas In this lightsome world, but Phillis proudly denied; Therefore by thy means Phillis shall meet with Amyntas In those darcksome dens, as Phillis rightly deserved. Pastor's, why do you mourn? What mean these heavy bewailings? If you mourn Phillis; Phillis no mercy deserves, Sith this merciless heart to Amyntas mercy denied: If you mourn his death, who had no cause to be dying, No such mourning can suffice for murdered Amyntas. Dry those tears, Daphne, and wipe thy watery fountains, And come, yet come not for me, but come for Amyntas, Help me to seek and find, t'entombe those bones of Amyntas; For this I stay yet alive: this funeral obsequy only Phillis can perform for baleful love of Amyntas. And though murdering hand pollute so sacred and office, Yet sith Phillis her hand performs so sacred and office, This will Amyntas take as a most acceptable office. All this while to myself did I live; but now to Amyntas, Or to Amyntas bones, crushed bones so long will I live yet, And live no longer; my life, his funeral ending. Pastor's: But yet where's that way which leads to the downfall? Pastor's all farewell; farewell fair Pembrokiana's Ivy churches parck, and fountains watery, farewell. When time com's, I'll tell: fruit too-soone plucked, is a sour-fruit. What good-turn would you? What's that? I understand not yet what may be the meaning. Content. Amynt. Oh sweet Nymph. Well: but these roses so kissed, ask not to be kissed: Then let Amyntas stay, till Phillis mean to be kissing. You would kiss mine eyes: which ever afore, with a thousand Sighs and sobs you cursed, for throwing darts at Amyntas. If that Amyntas cease mine eyes any more to be cursing, Why should Phillis then for spite his lips be a biting? With good will. But yet stay: Phillis must first get a boon of Amyntas. Four or five apples from the tree that grows by the hilltop. I'll bring you so near, as you may easily touch it. Is't true? clipped Phillis must then look so to be served. Oh so might you prick your heart with thorns of a read rose, Or take it from my breast perchance, and give it and other. So by the hard-groping, hoate-kissing Lover Amyntas, Phillis snowwhite hand may melt, or chance to be bruised. Discreate and sober. Amynt. Well, then this shall be my sober, And yet lovely request; Fit down, that I may be beholding That fair Phillis face, and hear her sweetly resounding, Phillis must needs yield, when Amyntas duly demandeth. First and lastly beloved, only my only joy, Why hath not thy beloved somany lovely hearts As those Partridges have of Paphlagonia? One breast is not enough for to reteigne my joy, More hearts would that I had for to receive my love, As those Partridges have of Paphlagonia. Let come that pretty Boy, fond of his own image, Or goddess Minion kylde by and ugly Boar, Or youthful Ganymede rapt by the Thunderer: Phillis stretcheth alone hands to Amyntas hands Phillis turns alone eyes to Amyntas eyes, Phillis joineth alone heart to Amyntas heart. Oh, this Amyntas name enchants my soul, that I can not Leave this Amyntas name: my tongue still runs on Amyntas, And my heart, and mind, and soul still thinks on Amyntas: And yet, Amyntas, I know, its more than time to be going: Elpinus long since hath made all known to my father, And my father, I know, his new son longs to be knowing. Fie, no: is that but a trifle? But stay, and stir not a finger: As you sleep, I'll tell, what flowers I do keep for a brydes-wayne. Then pluck when time is appointed.