The Faithful Shepherdess | Page 2

it will
bleed: a Feaver shakes me,
And the self same wind that makes the
young Lambs shrink,
Makes me a cold: my fear says I am mortal:

Yet I have heard (my Mother told it me)
And now I do believe it, if I
keep
My Virgin Flower uncropt, pure, chaste, and fair,
No Goblin,

Wood-god, Fairy, Elfe, or Fiend,
Satyr or other power that haunts the
Groves,
Shall hurt my body, or by vain illusion
Draw me to wander
after idle fires;
Or voyces calling me in dead of night,
To make me
follow, and so tole me on
Through mire and standing pools, to find
my ruine:
Else why should this rough thing, who never knew

Manners, nor smooth humanity, whose heats
Are rougher than
himself, and more mishapen,
Thus mildly kneel to me? sure there is a
power
In that great name of Virgin, that binds fast
All rude uncivil
bloods, all appetites
That break their confines: then strong Chastity

Be thou my strongest guard, for here I'le dwell
In opposition against
Fate and Hell.
Enter an old_ Shepherd, _with him four couple of Shepherds and
Shepherdesses.
Old Shep. Now we have done this holy Festival
In honour of our
great God, and his rites
Perform'd, prepare your selves for chaste

And uncorrupted fires: that as the Priest,
With powerful hand shall
sprinkle on [your] Brows
His pure and holy water, ye may be
From
all hot flames of lust, and loose thoughts free.
Kneel Shepherds, kneel,
here comes the Priest of Pan.
Enter Priest.
Priest. Shepherds, thus I purge away,
Whatsoever this great day,
Or
the past hours gave not good,
To corrupt your Maiden blood:
From
the high rebellious heat
Of the Grapes, and strength of meat;
From
the wanton quick desires,
They do kindle by their fires,
I do wash
you with this water,
Be you pure and fair hereafter.
From your
Liver and your Veins,
Thus I take away the stains.
All your
thoughts be smooth and fair,

Be ye fresh and free as Air.
Never
more let lustful heat
Through your purged conduits beat,
Or a
plighted troth be broken,
Or a wanton verse be spoken
In a
Shepherdesses ear;
Go your wayes, ye are all clear.

[They rise and sing in praise of Pan.
The SONG.
_Sing his praises that doth keep
Our Flocks from harm,_
Pan _the
Father of our Sheep,
And arm in arm
Tread we softly in a round,

Whilest the hollow neighbouring ground
Fills the Musick with her
sound._
Pan, O great God_ Pan, to thee
Thus do we sing:
Thou that keep'st
us chaste and free
As the young spring,
Ever be thy honour spoke,

From that place the morn is broke,
To that place Day doth
unyoke._
[Exeunt omnes but_ Perigot _and Amoret.
Peri_. Stay gentle _Amoret, thou fair brow'd Maid,
Thy Shepherd
prays thee stay, that holds thee dear,
Equal with his souls good.
Amo. Speak; I give
Thee freedom Shepherd, and thy tongue be still

The same it ever was; as free from ill,
As he whose conversation
never knew
The Court or City be thou ever true.
Peri. When I fall off from my affection,
Or mingle my clean thoughts
with foul desires,
First let our great God cease to keep my flocks,

That being left alone without a guard,
The Wolf, or Winters rage,
Summers great heat,
And want of Water, Rots; or what to us
Of ill
is yet unknown, full speedily,
And in their general ruine let me feel.
Amo. I pray thee gentle Shepherd wish not so,
I do believe thee: 'tis as
hard for me
To think thee false, and harder than for thee
To hold me
foul.
Peri. O you are fairer far
Than the chaste blushing morn, or that fair
star
That guides the wandring Sea-men through the deep,
Straighter
than straightest Pine upon the steep
Head of an aged mountain, and

more white
Than the new Milk we strip before day-light
From the
full fraighted bags of our fair flocks:
Your hair more beauteous than
those hanging locks
Of young Apollo.
Amo. Shepherd be not lost,
Y'are sail'd too far already from the Coast

Of our discourse.
Peri. Did you not tell me once
I should not love alone, I should not
lose
Those many passions, vows, and holy Oaths,
I've sent to
Heaven? did you not give your hand,
Even that fair hand in hostage?
Do not then
Give back again those sweets to other men,
You your
self vow'd were mine.
Amo. Shepherd, so far as Maidens modesty
May give assurance, I am
once more thine,
Once more I give my hand; be ever free
From that
great foe to faith, foul jealousie.
Peri. I take it as my best good, and desire
For stronger confirmation
of our love,
To meet this happy night in that fair Grove,
Where all
true Shepherds have rewarded been
For their long service: say sweet,
shall it hold?
Amo. Dear friend, you must not blame me if I make
A doubt of what
the silent night may do,
Coupled with this dayes heat to move your
bloud:
Maids must be fearful; sure you have not been
Wash'd white
enough; for yet I see a stain
Stick in your Liver, go and purge again.
Peri. O do not wrong my honest simple truth,
My self and my
affections are as pure
As those chaste