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قراءة كتاب The Faithful Shepherdess The Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (Volume 2 of 10).

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The Faithful Shepherdess
The Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (Volume 2 of 10).

The Faithful Shepherdess The Works of Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher (Volume 2 of 10).

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دار النشر: Project Gutenberg
الصفحة رقم: 7

Cloe. See mine arms are full
Of entertainment, ready for to pull
That golden fruit which too too long hath hung
Tempting the greedy eye: thou stayest too long,
I am impatient of these mad delayes;
I must not leave unsought these many ways
That lead into this center, till I find
Quench for my burning lust. I come, unkind. [Exit Alexis.

Daph. Can my imagination work me so much ill,
That I may credit this for truth, and still
Believe mine eyes? or shall I firmly hold
Her yet untainted, and these sights but bold
Illusion? Sure such fancies oft have been
Sent to abuse true love, and yet are seen,
Daring to blind the vertuous thought with errour.
But be they far from me with their fond terrour:
I am resolv'd my Cloe yet is true. [Cloe within.
Cloe, hark, Cloe: Sure this voyce is new,
Whose shrilness like the sounding of a Bell,
Tells me it is a Woman: Cloe, tell
Thy blessed name again. Cloe. [within] Here.
Oh what a grief is this to be so near,
And not incounter!

Enter Cloe.

Clo. Shepherd, we are met,
Draw close into the covert, lest the wet
Which falls like lazy mists upon the ground
Soke through your Startups.

Daph. Fairest are you found?
How have we wandred, that the better part
Of this good night is perisht? Oh my heart!
How have I long'd to meet ye, how to kiss
Those lilly hands, how to receive the bliss
That charming tongue gives to the happy ear
Of him that drinks your language! but I fear
I am too much unmanner'd, far too rude,
And almost grown lascivious to intrude
These hot behaviours; where regard of fame,
Honour, and modesty, a vertuous name,
And such discourse as one fair Sister may
Without offence unto the Brother say,
Should rather have been tendred: but believe,
Here dwells a better temper; do not grieve
Then, ever kindest, that my first salute
Seasons so much of fancy, I am mute
Henceforth to all discourses, but shall be
Suiting to your sweet thoughts and modestie.
Indeed I will not ask a kiss of you,
No not to wring your fingers, nor to sue
To those blest pair of fixed stars for smiles,
All a young lovers cunning, all his wiles,
And pretty wanton dyings, shall to me
Be strangers; only to your chastitie
I am devoted ever.

Clo. Honest Swain,
First let me thank you, then return again
As much of my love: no thou art too cold,
Unhappy Boy, not tempred to my mold,
Thy blood falls heavy downward, 'tis not fear
To offend in boldness wins, they never wear
Deserved favours that deny to take
When they are offered freely: Do I wake
To see a man of his youth, years and feature,
And such a one as we call goodly creature,
Thus backward? What a world of precious Art
Were meerly lost, to make him do his part?
But I will shake him off, that dares not hold,
Let men that hope to be belov'd be bold.
Daphnis, I do desire, since we are met
So happily, our lives and fortunes set
Upon one stake, to give assurance now,
By interchange of hands and holy vow,
Never to break again: walk you that way
Whilest I in zealous meditation stray
A little this way: when we both have ended
These rites and duties, by the woods befriended,
And secrecie of night, retire and find
An aged Oak, whose hollowness may bind
Us both within his body, thither go,
It stands within yon bottom.

Daph. Be it so. [Ex. Daph.

Clo. And I will meet there never more with thee, Thou idle shamefastness.

Alex. [within] Chloe!

Clo. 'Tis he That dare I hope be bolder.

Alex. Cloe!

Clo. Now Great Pan for Syrinx sake bid speed our Plow. [Exit Cloe.

_Actus Tertius. Scena Prima.

Enter Sullen Shepherd with Amaryllis in a sleep.

Sull. From thy forehead thus I take
These herbs, and charge thee not awake
Till in yonder holy Well,
Thrice with powerful Magick spell,
Fill'd with many a baleful word,
Thou hast been dipt; thus with my cord
Of blasted Hemp, by Moon-light twin'd,
I do thy sleepy body bind;
I turn thy head into the East,
And thy feet into the West,
Thy left arm to the South put forth,
And thy right unto the North:
I take thy body from the ground,
In this deep and deadly swound,
And into this holy spring
I let thee slide down by my string.
Take this Maid thou holy pit,
To thy bottom, nearer yet,
In thy water pure and sweet,
By thy leave I dip her feet;
Thus I let her lower yet,
That her ankles may be wet;
Yet down lower, let her knee
In thy waters washed be;
There stop: Fly away
Every thing that loves the day.
Truth that hath but one face,
Thus I charm thee from this place.
Snakes that cast your coats for new,
Camelions that alter hue,
Hares that yearly Sexes change,
Proteus alt'ring oft and strange,
Hecate with shapes three,
Let this Maiden changed be,
With this holy water wet,
To the shape of Amoret:
Cynthia work thou with my charm,
Thus I draw thee free from harm
Up out of this blessed Lake,
Rise both like her and awake. [She awakes.

Amar. Speak Shepherd, am I Amoret to sight?
Or hast thou mist in any Magick rite;
For want of which any defect in me,
May make our practices discovered be.

Sul. By yonder Moon, but that I here do stand,
Whose breath hath thus transform'd thee, and whose hand
Let thee down dry, and pluckt thee up thus wet,
I should my self take thee for Amoret;
Thou art in cloths, in feature, voice and hew
So like, that sense cannot distinguish you.

Amar. Then this deceit which cannot crossed be,
At once shall lose her him, and gain thee me.
Hither she needs must come by promise made,
And sure his nature never was so bad,
To bid a Virgin meet him in the wood,
When night and fear are up, but understood,
'Twas his part to come first: being come, I'le say,
My constant love made me come first and stay,
Then will I lead him further to the grove,
But stay you here, and if his own true love
Shall seek him here, set her in some wrong path,
Which say, her lover lately troden hath;
I'le not be far from hence, if need there be,
Here is another charm, whose power will free
The dazeled sense, read by the Moons beams clear,
And in my own true map make me appear.

Enter Perigot.

Sull. Stand close, here's Perigot, whose constant heart Longs to behold her in whose shape thou art.

Per. This is the place (fair Amoret) the hour
Is yet scarce come: Here every Sylvan power
Delights to be about yon sacred Well,
Which they have blest with many a powerful Spell;
For never Traveller in dead of Night,
Nor strayed Beasts have faln in, but when sight
Hath fail'd them, then their right way they have found
By help of them, so holy is the ground:
But I will farther seek, lest

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