SILVIA

Oh Cloris, here have thou and I full oft Sat and be merry, in this shady Grove. Here have we sung full many a Roundelay, Told Riddles, and made Nosegays, laughed at love, And others passion, while my self was free, From that Intolerable misery, Whereto affection now inuassells me. Now Cloris I shall never more take joy To see, or to be seen, with mortal eye, Now sorrow must be all my company. I am undone Cloris, let that suffice. Oh Cloris if thou be, as once, I was Free, from that miserable plague of love, Keep thee so still, let my affliction warn Thy youth, that never man have power, to move Thy heart to liking, for believe me this, They are the most unfaithful impious raze Of creatures on the earth; never believe Their protestations, nor their vows, nor tears, All is deceit, none means the thing he swears. Trust a men faith? nay rather will I go And give my self a prey to Savage beasts, For all they seek, and all they labour for, Is but t'vndoe us, and when that is done, They go and triumph on the spoil the'haue won. Trust men, or take compassion when they grieve, Oh Cloris 'tis to cherish and relieve The frozen Snake, which with our heat once warmed, Will sting us to the heart in recompense, And o no marvel though the Satire shunned, To live with man, when he perceived he could, With one and the same breath blow heat and cold. Who would have ever thought Palaemons oaths Would have proved false? who would have judged the face That promised so much faith, and honesty, Had be the visor but of treachery? It's possible, Palaemon is untrue. Oh Cloris if thou didst but know how long, And with what earnest suit, he sought my love, What vows he used, what oaths, what tears among What shows he made, his constancy to prove, You would admire: and then again to see How I although I loved him with my heart Stood out, and would by no means urged be, To show the least affection of my partly. For I had herd that, which (o now too well) I find, that men were cunning, and would not Regard the thing that easily was God. And therefore I would try him, and not seem His vows, nor protestations to esteem, At length one day, here in this selfsame place, (Which I shall ever, and good cause I have To think on while I live) walking with me, After he had urged me most earnestly: Oh Silvia, said he, since nor oath, nor vow, Nor tears, nor prayers, have the power to move, Nor all that I can do, can make thee know How true a heart, I offer to thy love; I must try some way else to show the same, And make thy undiscerning wilful youth Know, though too late, (perhaps unto thy shame) Thy wayward error, and my constant truth: When thou mayest sighs, and say in grief of mind, Palaemon loved, and Silvia was unkind. With that wringing my hand, he turns away, And though his tears would hardly let him look, Yet such a look, did through his tears make way, As showed how sad a farewell there he took. And up towards yonder craggy Rock he goes, His arms incross'd, his head down on one side, With such a mournful pace, as showed his woes Weighed heavier then his passion could abide: Fain would I have recalled him back, but shame, And modesty could not bring forth his name: And feign would I have followed, yet me thought It did not fit the honour of a maid To follow one, yet still I sent from me, T'attend his going, fear, and a careful eye. At length when he was got to the top, I might perceive how with unfolded arms, And looks bent up to heaven, he stands, and turns His woeful face unto the other side, Whereas that hideous fearful downfall is: And seemed as if he would have thrown him off: And as I thought, was now upon the point: When my affrighted powers could hold no more, But pity breaking all those bans of shame, That held me back; I shrikd, and ran, God knows, With all the speed my feeble feet could make, And clammering up at length (with much ado) Breathless I God, and took him by the hand, And glad I had his hand, and was not come Too late to have it, and I pulled him back: But could not speak one word, no more did he, Sense seemed to fail in him, and breath in me. And on before I went, and led him on, And down conducted him into this plain. And yonder lo, under that fatal tree, Look Cloris there, even in that very place, We sat us down, my arm about his neck, Which Jove thou knowest held never man before: There only did my tears confer with his, Words we had none, it was enough to think, For passion was too busy now within, And had no time to come abroad in speech. And though I would have spoken, yet me thought I should not, but my silence told him this, That told too much, that all I was was his. O what he said, and what deep vows he made, When joy and grief, had let his senses lose. Witness o gentle tree under whose shade, We sat the while; witness if ever maid Had more assurances by oaths of man. And well may you bear witness of this deed, For in a thousand of your barks he hath Incarved my name, and underwrote his vows, Which will remain so long as you bear bows. But, Cloris, learn this lesson now of me; Take head of pity, pity was the cause Of my confusion, pity hâth undone Thousands of gentle nature's, in our sex, For pity is sworn servant unto love, And this be sure, where ever it begin To make the way, it lets your master in. Ah Cloris, Cloris, would I had no cause, He who beheld him wrong me in these woods, And herd him courting Nisa, and protest As deep to her, as he had done to me, Told me of all his wicked to eachery. Why it was Colax, one I know full well would not report untruths to gain the world, A man of virtue, and of worthy parts, He told me all and more then I will show, I would I knew not half of that I know Ah had he none but Nisa that base trull, The scorn and jest of all Arcadia now To serve his lustest, and falsify his vow? Ah had it yet be any else, the touch Of my disgrace, had never been so much But to be leaft for such a one as she, The stale of all, what will folk think of me? Cloris in troth, it makes me so much loath My self, loath these woods, and even hate the day, As I must hide my griefs out of the way I will be gone, Cloris, I leave thee here, I cannot stay, and prithee, Cloris, yet Pity thy poor companion Silvia's care, And let her fortune make thee to beware. Ah why Ergastus do you set our names So never together, when our hearts so far, Are distant from each other as they are? Indeed while we were one as once we were, And as we ought to be, were faith observed, Palaemon should not have be named without: A Silvia, nor yet Silvia without him. But now we may Ergastus, we are two. Palaemon, nay the greater wrong you do. I know you do, and all the world may know. It is no fault of mine Palaemon, that Your shame does come to be revealed here; I never told it you your self have not Concealed your work so closely as you should. Nay there he stands can tell what you have be. And sure is now in public here produced To testify your shame, but not set on But me I do protest, who rather would Have died alone in secret with my grief Then had your infamy discovered here. wherein my shame, must have so great a share. But Colax you saw how Palaemon did With Nisa falsify his vow to me. Ah let not this devise be wrought to guild My bitterness, to make me swallow' it now, That I might be another time beguiled With confidence, and not trust what I know. Could I Palaemon but unthink the thought Of th'ill first herd, and that it were not so, How blessed were I? but lo I see how doubt Comes in far easier then it can g to out. And in these Misery's of jealousy, Our ear hath greater credit then our eye. If this be so, why then Palaemon know, I likewise feel the love that was before Most in my heart, is now become far more: And now o pardon me you worthy raze Of men, it I in passion uttered ought In prejudice of your most noble sex; And think it was m'agrieued error spoke It knew not what, transported so, not I: And now I would that Cloris knew this much That so she might be undeceived too, Whom I have made believe so ill of men. But lo see where she comes, and as it seems Brings her belief already in her hand Prevents my act, and is confirmed before. Look Cloris look, my fears have idle be, Palaemon Loves me there is trust in men.