CALLISTO

What mean these horrid & these shrill alarms That fright the peaceful Court with hostle cries? Fear and amazement hurry through each chamber; Th'affrighted Ladies light the darkest rooms With their bright beauty's: whence (o whence you Gods) Are all you groans, cries, and inhumane sounds Of blood and death: Licaon, where is he? Why in this dire and sad astonishment Appears not he to comfort my sad fears, And cheer me in this dull distemperature? You affright me with your steel. You're one too many, and of all the rest, That bear men's figure, we can spare you best. What are you sir? Sir, I shall prove your love. You'll grant it me my Lord. You'll not revoke your word? This only freedom to your captive give That I a Nun and professed maid may live. Tush, it's all in vain, Dian I am now a servant of thy train. I claim your oath, all love with men adue, Dianae's Cloister I will next pursue. Madam, devotion drew me to your service, And I am now your handmaid. Hast gentle Lady, we shall lose our train, And miss Dianai's pastime in the chase, High then to stain our Javelins guilded points In blood of yond swift Stag, so hight pursued. Will you keep pace with me? And lose the honour to be first at fallen? Rather then leave you, I will lose the sport Come shall's lie down a little. You gripe too hard. Lean on me then. How? I do not Like this kissing. You kiss too wantonly. Nay fie what mean you? A man, how then? You are too wanton, and your hand too free. My bareness I have hid from sighed of skies, Therefore may bar it any Ladies eyes. O God you tickle me. Lord how you woo, I am weary of this toying. Thus would I rise, And fill the Dales and mountains with my cries. A man! (O heaven) to gain Elysiums bliss, I'de not be said that I a man should kiss. Come, lets go wound the Stag. Gods, Angels, men, help all a maid to free. To do me right, Help fingers, feet, nails, teeth, and all to fight. Help, help, for heaven sake help, I am pursued, And by my son, that seems to threat my life, What's he? false Jupiter? O thou most false, most treacherous, and unkind, Behold Calisto by her son pursued, Indeed thy son: this little savage youth Hath liued' amongst Tigers, Lyons, Wolves, and Bears, And since his birth partakes their cruelty. Archas his name: since I Diana left, And from her chased train was divorced, this youth I childed in a cave remote and silent. His nurture was amongst the savages. This day I by misfortune moved his spleen, And he pursued me with revenge and fury, And had I not forsook the shades and forests, And fled for rescue to these walled Towns, He had slain me in his fury: save me then, Let not the son the mother sacrifice Before the father's eye. No thou false man, for thy perjurious lustest I have abandoned human subtleties: There take thy son, and use him Like a Prince, Being son unto a Princess. Teach him Arts, And honoured arms. For me: I have abjured All peopled Cities, and betook my self To solitary desetts. Jove adue. Thou proving false, no mortal can be ttue Hence away, When we command, who dares presume to stay? To be alone I can. These did of late belong To King Lycaon (O injurious wrong) Give me a funeral garland to lament, That best becomes my wretched discontent. With reverence. Great Queen, I am sequestered from the world, Even in my soul hate men society, And all their lustest, suggestions, all Court-pleasures, And City-curiosities are vain, And with my finer temper ill agree, That now have vowed sacred verginity. I am my self. Uncivil stranger, you are much to rude, Into my private chamber to intrude: Go call the King my father.