Il Pastor Fido, or The Faithful Shepherd · chunk 6 of 71
Dymoke, Tailboys / Guarini, Giovanni Battista · published 1602 · first performed or written 1601 (Annals) pastoral unassigned nearest T21 Cupid, Venus and the nymphs · 505 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
Falling a sacrifice upon the sacrifice. At such a strange and cruel spectacle, The Nymph amazed stand twixt life and death, Scarce yet assured whether she wounded were With grief, or with the sword. At last, assoon As she recovered had, her sprite, and speech, She plaining says. O faithful valiant love! O too late known! that by thy death hast given Me life and death at once. If 't were a fault To leave thee so? behold I'll mend it now, Eternally uniting both our souls, And therewithal she takes the sword, all warm, With the blood of her too late loved friend, And strikes it through her heart, falling upon Amintas, that was scarcely dead as yet, And felt perchance that fall. Such was their end, To such a wretched end did too much love, And too much treachery conduct them both. O wretched Shepherd, and yet fortunate, That hadst so large and famous scope, to show Thy troth, and waken lively pity of thy death Within another's breast. But what did follow? Was Cynthia pleased, found they a remedy? Somewhat it slaked, but yet not quite put out: For after that a year was finished, Her rage began a fresh, so that of force They driven were, unto the Oracle: To ask new counsel, but brought back again An answer much more woeful than the first. Which was, to sacrifice them: and each after year, A maid, or woman, to our angry power, e'en till the third and past the fourth degree: So should ones blood for many satisfy. Besides, she did upon th' unhappy sex, Impose a wretched and a cruel law. And (if you mark their nature) in observable. A law recorded with vermilion blood: What ever maid or woman broken had Their faith in love, and were contaminate, If they should find none that would die for them▪ They were condemned without remission. To these our grievous great calamities, The fathers hoped to find a happy end, By this desired marriage day. For afterward Having demanded of the Oracle What end the heavens prescribed had our ill, Answer was given in such like words as these: No end there is to that which you offends, Till two of heavens issue love unite; And for the ancient fault of that false wight, A faithful Shepherds pity make amends. Now is there not in all Arcadia Other bows left, of that celestial root: Save Amarillis, and this Silvio, Th' one of Pan's seed, th' other of Hercules. Nor to our mischief yet hath never happed, That male and female met at any time Till now. Therefore good reason Montane hath To hope, though all things sort not to the Oracle, Yet here's a good foundation laid: the rest High fates have in their bosoms bred, And will bring forth at this great marriage day. O poor Mirtillo! wretched man! So many cruel enemies? such wars? To work my death cannot great Love suffice? But that the Fates, their arms will exercise.
seed 43: T2 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Falling a ſacrifice vpon the ſacrifice. At ſuch a ſtraunge and cruell ſpectacle, The Nymphe amazed ſtand twixt life and death, Scarce yet aſſur'd whether ſhe wounded were With griefe, or with the ſword. At laſt, aſſoone As ſhe recouered had, her ſpright, and ſpeech, She plaining ſaies. O faithfull valiant loue! O too late knowne! that by thy death haſt giu'n Me life and death at once. If t' were a fault To leaue thee ſo? behold I'le mend it now, Eternally vniting both our ſoules, And therewithall ſhe takes the ſword, all warme, With the blood of her too late loued friend, And ſtrikes it through her hart, falling vpon Amintas, that was ſcarcely dead as yet, And felt perchance that fall. Such was their ende, To ſuch a wretched end did too much loue, And too much trechery conduct them both. O wretched Shepheard, and yet fortunate, That hadſt ſo large and famous ſcope, to ſhowe Thy troth, and waken liuely pittie of thy death Within anothers breſt. But what did follow? Was Cinthia pleaſd, found they a remedie? Somewhat it ſlak't, but yet not quite put out: For after that a yeare was finiſhed, Her rage began a freſh, ſo that of force They driuen were, vnto the Oracle: To aske new counſell, but brought back againe An anſwere much more wofull then the firſt. Which was, to ſacrifice them: and each after yeare, A maid, or woman, to our angry power, Eu'n till the third and paſt the fourth degree: So ſhould ones blood for many ſatisfie. Beſides, ſhe did vpon th' vnhappie ſexe, Impoſe a wretched and a cruell lawe. And (if you marke their nature) in obſeruable. A law recorded with vermilian blood: What euer maid or woman broken had Their faith in loue, and were contaminate, If they ſhould find none that would die for them▪ They were condemn'd without remiſſion. To theſe our greeuous great calamities, The fathers hop'd to finde a happie ende, By this deſired marriage day. For afterward Hauing demaunded of the Oracle What end the heauens preſcribed had our ill, Anſwere was giu'n in ſuch like words as theſe: No end there is to that which you offends, Till two of heauens iſſue loue vnite; And for the auncient fault of that falſe wight, A faithfull Shepheards pittie make amends. Now is there not in all Arcadia Other bowes left, of that celeſtiall roote: Saue Amarillis, and this Siluio, Th' one of Pans ſeed, th' other of Hercules. Nor to our miſchiefe yet hath neuer hapt, That male and female met at any time Till now. Therefore good reaſon Montane hath To hope, though all things ſort not to the Oracle, Yet here's a good foundation laid: the reſt High fates haue in their boſomes bred, And will bring forth at this great marriage day. O poore Mirtillo! wretched man! So many cruell enemies? ſuch warres? To worke my death cannot great Loue ſuffice? But that the Fates, their armes will exerciſe.