CORISCA

Who calls me? Dear Amarillis dearer then Mine eyes, my life, whither go you alone? You have her found that will not partly from you. And even now, thus was I thinking with my self, Were I her soul how could she stay away so long? And therewithal you came my deer, and yet You do not love your poor Corisca. Ask you why so? and you a bride to day. A bride, and yet from me you keep it. Yet will you feign? T'is you that jest. Most certain true. Do not you know thereof? I herd it of my brother Ormin: and to say the troth, There is no other talk. But you look pale. This news perhaps does trouble you. Unto a better life You shall revive, for this you should be merry, Why do you sighs? let that poor wretch go sighs. Mirtillo, whom even now I found Ready to die: and surely he had died Had I not promised him this marriage to disturb, Which though I only for his comfort said, Yet were I fit to do it. I: and the means. Easily: So you thereto disposed be to yield. I it disclose! Ground open first thy jaws And swallow me up by a miracle. If so for this thou sighest good reason thou Dear Amarillis hast. How oft he said? A thing so fare to one that can despise it? So rich a lemme to one that knows it not: But you too crafty are to tell the troth. What let's you now to speak? Sister you have a mischievous disease, I'had rather have the pox. the f ver, or the fistula, But trust to me, you'll quickly leave the same: Once do but master it, and then t'is gone. Oh Amarillis, who (too wise) conceals Her ill, at last great folly she reveals. Hadst thou but at the first discovered This thought to me, thou hadst be loose ere this. Now try Corisca's art, you could not have Entrusted you into more subtle faithful hands. But when you shall be freed by my help From this same captive husband, will you not Provide you of another Lover then? Trust me you cannot faithful Mirtillo. You know there is not at this day a swain For value, honest troth and beauty, worthier Of your affection. And you will let him die, Without so much as saying so. Yet hear him once. Give him this comfort yet before he die. Leave that to him. Small hurt thou hast. If you may fail in this then in the rest. I you may fail. Adieu. No not a word, unless You promise me. To nothing else. I'll make him think it was by chance. Assoon As you have herd him speak. So shall he do. Oh what a toil t'is to reform your simpleness: All parts saving his tongue we'll surely tie. Will you ought else? When ̄ will you do't? Go. But take heed you do it warily. But hear what I am thinking on. To day About noon time among these shadow trees Come you without your Nymph's, here shall you find Me to that end, with me shall be Nerine, Aglaure, Elisa, Phillis, and Licoris, all mine own. As wise as faithful good companions. Here may you now (as often you have done) Play at blind buff. Mirtill will easily think, That for your sport and not for him you came. I understand, and well advised, let me alone, I'll make them vanish when I see my time: Go, and forget not now to love your poor Corisca. So she is gone. Small force will serve to batter down this rock, Though she have made defence to my assault, Yet will she never his abide. I know too well How hearty prayers of a gracious Love Can tempt a tender wenches heart. Yet with this sport I'll tie her so, shee'le scarcely think it sport. I'll by her words, will she or nill she, spy And pierce into the bowels of her heart, I'll make me mistress of her secrets all. Then I'll conduct her so that she shall think Her most unbridled love and not my art Hath brought her in to play this wretched partly. Oh I am dead, Ah turn My Amarillis, turn again, I taken am. O me my hear. Speak you to me Satir? I am Corisca gentle Satir, but not now So pleasing to thine eyes as I have be. I le to thee for another. Thou stranglest me as if I were a dog. Good Satir give me leave to speak to thee. How can I speak? let me go: Upon my faith I will not run away. And canst thou be so cruel to that hair For which thou oft hast sworn t'were sweet to die, And that thou coulst not suffer too much ill for me? O heavens, o fa es, whom shall a woman trust? O gentle Satir do not make a scorn Of her that thee adores. If so thy heart Be not of marble made, behold me at Thy feet, if ever I offended thee (o Idol of My soul) I pardon crave. By these same strong And more then manlike knees which I embrace, By that same love thou sometime barest to me, By that same sweetness which thou wontest to draw Thou saidst out of mine eyes calling them stars, Now wretched fountains of these bitter tears, I pray thee pity me, let me but go. O me my head, stay yet do not deny Me one poor favour yet. Hear me but once. Ah courteous Satir, what wilt thou make of me? No pity then? Art thou resolved of this? O villain indiscreet, unseasonable. Half a man, half a goat, and all a beast: Dried Carogne, defect of wicked nature. Dost thou believe Corisca loves not thee? It is most true. What should I love in thee: This goodly bunch of that beslavered beard, These goatlike ears, that stinking toothless cave? These are to thee. Half goat to thee. I if thou durst. Villain what wilt thou do? Where be thy teeth? I will not come. Spite of thy heart I will not. I must spite of my heart Go out and speak. Why stayest thou fearful wretch? Until she come into thy arms? let her take thee, Give me thy (fool) go and meet with her. Trust me had I not unawares to him Thrust him on her, this labour had be lost. Here do I take this dart, and in this grove I turn me to observe what follows. I all have herd, Be not afraid, did I not say I loved you, And yet you are afraid? and hides your self From her that loves you so Why do you blush? This blushing is a common fault. That which you cannot hide you will confess. Cruel unto Mirtillo, but more cruel to your self. Cicute and Aconite do grow from hoisome roots. I see no difference betwixt this cruelty That does offend, and pity helping not. These sighs good sister Are but weakness of your heart Th'are fit For women of small worth. You are too nice, were every woman so, Had all such straight respects Good times farewell, Small practisers are subject to this pain. The law does never stretch unto the wise. Believe me should blameworthy all be slain, The country then would soon prove womanless. It needful was, theft should forbidden be To them that closely could not cover theft. This honesty is but and art to seem so, Let others as they list believe, I'll think so still. And who forbids thee fool? This life's too short To pass it over with one only love: Men are too sparing of then favours now, (Whether't be for want, or else for frowardness The fresher that we are, the dearer still: Beauty and youth once gone w'are Like Be hives That hath no honey, no nor yet no wax. Let men prate on they do not feel our woes, For their condition differs much from ours, The elder that they grow, they grow the perfectest: If they lose beauty, yet they wisdom gain: But when our beauty fades that oftentimes Conquers their greatest wits, straight fades all our good, There cannot be a vilder thing to see Then and old woman. Therefore ere thou age attain, Know me thy self, and use it as thou shouldst. What were a Lion worth did he not use his strength? What's a men wit worth that lies idly by? Even so our beauty proper strength to us, As force to Lyons, wisdom unto men, We ought to use while it we have. Time flies Away and years come on, our youth once lost We Like cut flowers never grow fresh again. And to our hoary hairs love well may run, But Lovers will our wrinkled skins still shun. I have not seen so obstinate a fool, But since you are resolved I am agreed. But tell me do you think your Silvio is As true a friend to faith as you to chastity? Silvio and enemy to love? Oh fool, These that are nice put thou no trust in them: Loves theft is never so securely done As hidden under veil of honesty, Thy Silvio loves (good Sister ) but not thee. Nor goddess, nor a Nymph. Know you Lisetta? Even she. Each day he feigns that he on hunting goes. About noontime when others busy are, He his companions shuns, and comes alone By a back way, unto my garden there, Where a shadow hedge does close it in, There does she hear his burning sighs his vows, And then she tells me all, and laughs at him. Now hear what I think good to do. Nay I Have don't for you already. You know the law That ties us to our faith, does give us leave Finding our spowses in the act of perfidy, Spite of our friends the marriage to deny, And to provide us of and other if we list. Now hear! Lisetta by my appointment hath Promised to meet unwary Lover here In Thy same Cave, and now he is the best Contented youth that lives, attending but the hour There would I have you take him. I'll be there To bear you witness oft't, for else we work In vain, so are you free from this same noisome knot Both with your honour, and your father's too. Observe my words. In amid of this same cave Upon the right hand is a hollow stone, I know not if by Art or nature made, A little Cave all linde with Ivy leaves, To which a little hold aloft gives light, A fit and thankful receptacle for loves theft. Prevent their coming and attend them there: I'll haste Lisetta forward, and as soon As I perceive your Silvio enter, so will I: Step you to her, and as the custom is, Weel carry both unto the Priest, and there dissolve This marriage knot. What matter's that? Think you Montanus dare His private to a public good compare? But do not stay now, enter me betime. All places ( Amarillis ) temples are, To hearts devout, you'll slack your time too much. Go then dispatch. Now if I err not, am I at good pass, Only this staying troubles me, yet may it help, I must go make new snares to train in Coridon. I'll make him think that I will meet him there, And after Amarillis send him soon, Then by a secret way I'll bring Diana's Priests: Her shall they find, and guilty doom to death. My rival gone ( Mirtillo ) sure is mine, See where he comes. While Amarillis stays I'll somewhat try him. Love now once inspire My tongue with words, my face with heavenly fire. Here weeping sprights of hell new torments hear, New sorts of pain, a cruel mind behold Included in a look most merciful, My love more fierce then the infernal pit, Because my death cannot suffice to glut Her greedy will, and that my life is but A multitude of death's command me live, That to them all my life might living give. I'll make as though I herd him not, I hear A lamentable voice plain hereabout, I wonder who it is, o my Mirtillo. How feel you now your self after your long Discourse with your so dearly loved Nymph? So much more mighty waxes love as from Our hearts the force is he receives (deer Mirtillo ) For as the Bear is wont with licking to give shape To her mishapen brood, that else were helpless born. Even so a Lover to his bore desire, That in the birth was shapeless, weak and frail. Giving but form and strength begetteth love: Which while t'is young and tender, then t'is sweet, But waxing to more years, more cruel grows, That in the end ( Mirtillo ) and mueterate affect Is ever full of anguish and defect. For while the mind on one thought only beats; It waxes thick by being too much fixed. So love that should be pleasure and delight, Is turned to melancholy, and what worse is, It proves at last, or death, or madness at the least: Wherefore wise is that heart that often changes love. Oh wretched shepherd, ill thou knowest to use Love in his kind, love one that hates thee, one That flies from thee, fie man, I had rather die. Oh brave exploit, Lover magnanimous, Like and enraged beast or senseless rock, There cannot be a greater damned plague, More mortal poison to a soul in love. Then is this faith. Unhappy is that heart That let it self be gulled with vain fantas nes Of this erroneous and unseasonable Disturber of these amorous delights. Tell me poor man with this thy foolish virtue of constancy, What lovest thou in her that does thee despise? Lovest thou the beauty that is none of thine? The joy thou hast not? the pity thou wantest? The reward thou dost not hope for? if thou deemest right, Thou lovest thine ill, thy grief, thy very death, Th'art mad to hunt thus that thou canst not have. Lift up thy self ( Mirtillo ) happily thou wantest ome choice of friends, thou finds none to thy mind. Wilt thou then die for her that thee disdains? Do not deceive thy self, perhaps thou thinkest She does dissemble in this deep despite, And that she loves thee well for all this show. O that thou knewest what unto me she ever says. (What would he do, did he but know her love?) How I bewail thee wretched frenzy man: Tell me didst thou ever any love beside? For ought that I can see you never tried Love but in cruel moods, but in disdain. O if you had but proved him one time kind, Prove him but so, & you shall see how sweet a thing It is enjoy a grateful Nymph; sheel'e you adore, Shee'le make your Amarillis bitter to your taste. How deer a thing it is wholly to have What you desire, and be nought barred thereof. Here your Nymph sighs to cool your scalding sighs, And after say (my deer) all that you see is yours. If I be fair, I am only fair for you: Only for you I cherish these my cheeks, My locks, my breast, your deer hearts only lodge. But this (alas e) is but a brook to that Great Sea of sweets which we in love might taste, Which none can utter save by proof. Here me ( Mirtillo ) how Like I was to-have said My heart) a Nymph as gentle as the wind Does blow upon with hair of glistering gold, As worthy of your love as you of hers, Praise of these woods, love of a thousand hearts, By worthy youths in vain solicited, You only loves more then her heart, her life, If you be wise do not despise her then. She Like a shadow to thy self will be, A faithful follower of thy footsteps ever, One at thy word, obedient at thy beck, All hours of day and night at thy command. Do not forsake this rare adventure then, No pleasure in this earth so sweet as this, It will not cost a tear, no not a sighs. A joy accommodated to thy will, A sweetness tempered sweetly to thy taste, Is't not a treasure worth the having (man)? Leave then the feet of flying hopeless trace, And her that follows thee, scorn not embrace. I feed you not with Hope's of vanity. If you desire to see her, you shall see her straight. Prove it but once, and then return again Unto thy solitary grief, so mayest thou see What are those joys that in loves pleasures be. Be not you cruel yet to rob her life, That on your eye, depends, you know what t'is To beg with poverty, if you desire Pity your self, do it not her deny. (O truly blind, unhappy senseless man) To whom preservest thou faith? trust me I am loath Augment thy grief, but for the love I bear thee I cannot choose. Thinkest Amarillis is unkind For zeal she to religion bears? Or unto chastity? Thou art a fool, The room is occupied and thou must weep While others laugh. What? now th'art dumb. You'll not believe me then? Live wretched man, live and revenged be. Well theres no remedy, I must rehearse That which will vex thy heart. Seest thou that cave? That is the true custodian of her faith And her religion. There thee to scorn she laughs, There with thy torments does she sauce the joys Of thy thrice happy rival. There to be plain Thy faithful Amarillis oft is wont To dally in the arms of a base shepherd slave. Go sighs, preserve thy faith, there's thy reward. The more thou seekest, the worse thou findest still. I have not seen't, yet mayest thou if thou wilt, For even this day is order taken this hour, That they may meet. Hide thee but somewhere here, And thou shalt see her first go in, then he. See where she comes, Softly descending by the Temples way. Seest thou her? Do not her stealing feet bewray her stealing heart? Attend thou here and thou shalt see effect. Is Amarillis dead? Then does Dorinda live? Her wound not mortal was. What Art her healed so soon? Great virtue of and herb, but much more great For fortune of a woman hast thou told. Still thou wilt be that amorous Linco. Now Amarillis hath resigned her life, I will go see what deer Mirtillo does. See where Ergasto is, he comes in time. How jocund is this man? He speaks of Silvio and Dorinda sure, Well, we must live, tears are no sooner ebbed, But straight the flood of joy comes hussing in Or Amarillis, not a word he speaks Only takes care to joy with them that joy. Why 'tis well done, for else this humane life Would still be full of sighs: whither away Ergasto goest so pleasantly, unto some marriage? To my contentment even now I herd it all Of Linco, and doth somewhat mitigate The grief I for my Amarillis feel. Of Silvio and Dorinda man. Why is not Amarillis dead? Was she not then condemned unto death? She was condemned, but soon released again. Tellest thou me dreams? or dreaming do I hear? Yes, yes, Argasto, see how glad I am. If he say true, then thou Corisca hast lost all. Ah me it is too true, this is the fruit Thou from thy store of vanities must reap. Oh thoughts, oh my desires, no less unjust Then false and vain. Thus of and innocent I sought the death to have my beastly will , So bloody cruel was I then, so blind. Who opens now mine eye ? Ah wretch, I see My fault most oule that seemed felicity. Why tris est thou Corisca ? now's fit time impetrate, ear'st thou thy pain? Beheld, thy pain cannot be greater then thy fault. and blessed couple, of the skies And earth b loved, since to your glorious fate This day hath me kely bowed all earthly force, reason she do bow that gainst the same set a work a l of her earthly force. Now , I will not deny the same which you desired, But you enjoy it, for you worthy were. You do enjoy the loyalest man alive. And you Mirtillo do enjoy the chastest Nymph the world hath bred. Believe you me, For whetstone was unto your , And to her chastity. But courteous Nymph, before Your anger do descend on me, behold Your face, there shall you find the force Both of my fault, and of your pardon too: For in the virtue of such worthiness, You cannot choo but cause of pardon find. Beside you the self am fire That did inflame unfortunate desire. I have pardon me, And that . You and your mirth I to the Gods commend. Now crown my temples with triumphant Baize, Victorious ten ples, this day happily I combated have in the field of Love, And vanquished: this day both heaven and earth, Nature and Art, Fortune and Destiny, Both friends and enemies have fought for me. The wicked Satire whom I hated so, Hath helped me much: for it was better that Mirtillo should, then Coridon, be taken, To make her fault more likely and more ill: What though Mirtillo taken be, he'll soon be free, To her alone the punishment is endue. Oh solemn victory, On famous triumph, Dress me a Trophy amorous deceits, You in this tongue, in this same precious breast Are above Nature most omnipotent. Why stay I now? t'is time for me to go, Until the Law have judged my rival dead, Perhaps the Priest may draw the troth from me: Fly then Corisea, danger t'is to lie, For them that have no feet wherewith to fly I'll hide me in these woods until I may Return enjoy my joys: happy Corisea, Who ever saw a braver enterprise? He had a heart most hard, or rather had No heart at all, nor any humane sense, That did not pity thee poor wretched Nymph, And felt no sorrow for thy misery: Only to see a Damsel captivate, Of heavenly countenance and so sweet a face, Worthy the world should to thee consecrate Temples and Sacrifices, led to the Temple For a Sacrifice, surely t'were a thing That with dry eyes I think none could behold: But who knows how and wherefore thou Wertenberg born? Titirus daughter, Montan'es daughter in law, That should have been, and that these two are they Which do uphold Arcadia, and that thy self A dainty Nymph, so fair of form, The natural confines of this thy life, Approachest now so near the bounds of death: He that knows this, and does not plain the same, He is no man, but beast, in humane shape. Satir hold fast. Farewell, I would thy neck were broke. Why hopelessly? O simple fool, Is this the let? Which is more ancient among us, Diana's law or loves? this in our breasts Is bred and grows with us, Nature her self With her own hands imprints in our hearts breasts: And where this law commands, both heaven & earth obey. That same's his heart. What do you now with me treacherous toys, Vild frenzies of the body, spots of the soul? You long enough have me betrayed here, Go get you to the earth, for earth you are, You wear arms erst of lascivious love, Trophies of chastity now may you prove.