Il Pastor Fido, or The Faithful Shepherd · chunk 59 of 71
Dymoke, Tailboys / Guarini, Giovanni Battista · published 1602 · first performed or written 1601 (Annals) pastoral unassigned nearest T22 Shepherds, flocks and Pan · 493 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T22: shepherd, pan, shepherds, love, sheep, flocks, fair, shepherdess, swain, away.
Yea sacred Priests, the Altars ready make, shepherds devout, reiterate your sounds, And call upon the name of our great Goddess. O daughter of great Ioue. etc. Now Shepherds stand aside, nor you my servants Come not near, except I call for you. Valiant young man, that to give life else where, Abandonest thine own, die comforted thus far: 'tis but a speedy sigh, which you must pass; For so seems death to noble minded spirits, That once performed, this envious age, With thousands of her years shall not deface The memory of such a gentle deed: But thou shalt live the example of true faith, But for the Law commands thee sacrificed, To die without a word: Before thou kneelst, If thou hast aught to say, say it, and hold thy peace For ever after that. Father, let it be lawful that I call thee so, For though thou gav'st not, yet thou tak'st my life: My body to the ground I do bequeath, my soul To her that is my life: But if she die, As she hath threatened to do; ay me, What part of me shall then remain alive, Oh death were sweet, if but my mortal parts Might die, and that my soul did not desire the same: But if his pity aught deserves that dies, For sovereign pity then courteous father, Provide she do not die; and with that hope More comforted, I'll pay my destinies, Though with my death you me from her disjoin, Yet make her live, that she may me retain. Scarce I contain from tears: o frail mankind! Be of good cheer my son, I promise thy desire, I swear it by this head, this hand take thou for pledge. Then comforted, I die all comforted: To thee my Amarillis do I come, Soul of the faithful Shepherd, as thine own Do thou receive, for in thy loved name My words and life I will determine straight: So now to death I kneel, and hold my peace. On sacred Ministers, kindle the flame With Frankincense and Myrrh, and Incense throw thereon That the thick vapour may on high ascend. O daughter of great Ioue. etc. WHat Countrymen are here, so bravely furnished Almost all in a Livery? Oh what a show Is here? how rich, how full of pome it is? Trust me, I think it is some Sacrifice. Reach me (Nicander) the golden Basin, That contains the juice of Bacchus' fruit. Behold 'tis ready here. So may this faultless blood Thy breast (Oh sacred Goddess) mollify, As do these falling drops of Wine extinguish This blazing flame. So, take the Basin, there; Give me the silver Ewer now: Behold the Ewer. So may thine anger cease with that same faithless Nymph Provoked as doth this fire, this falling stream extinguish. This is some Sacrifice, but where's the holocaust? Now all is fit, there wants nought but the end. Give me the Axe.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Yea ſacred Prieſtes, the Aulters ready make, Shepheardes deuout, reiterate your ſoundes, And call vpon the name of our great Goddeſſe. O daughter of great Ioue. &c. Now Shepheards ſtand aſide, nor you my ſeruants Come not neare, except I call for you. Valiant young man, that to giue life els where, Abandoneſt thine owne, die comforted thus farre: T'is but a ſpeedie ſigh, which you muſt paſſe; For ſo ſeemes death to noble minded ſprightes, That once perform'd, this enuious age, With thouſandes of her yeeres ſhall not deface The memorie of ſuch a gentle deed: But thou ſhalt liue the example of true fayth, But for the Law commaundes thee ſacrifiz'd, To dye without a word: Before thou kneelſt, If thou haſt ought to ſay, ſay it, and hold thy peace For euer after that. Father, let it be lawfull that I call thee ſo, For though thou gau'ſt not, yet thou tak'ſt my life: My bodie to the ground I do bequeath, my ſoule To her that is my life: But if ſhe die, As ſhe hath threatned to do; aye mee, What part of me ſhall then remaine aliue, Oh death were ſweete, if but my mortall parts Might die, and that my ſoule did not deſire the ſame: But if his pittie ought deſerues that dyes, For ſoueraigne pittie then courteous father, Prouide ſhe do not die; and with that hope More comforted, Ile pay my deſtenies, Though with my death you me from her disioyne, Yet make her liue, that ſhe may me retaine. Scarſe I containe from teares: ô frayle mankind! Be of good cheare my ſonne, I promiſe thy deſire, I ſweare it by this head, this hand take thou for pledge. Then comforted, I die all comforted: To thee my Amarillis do I come, Soule of the faythfull Shepheard, as thine owne Do thou receiue, for in thy loued name My wordes and life I will determine ſtraight: So now to death I kneele, and hold my peace. On ſacred Miniſters, kindle the flame With Frankenſence and Mirrhe, and Incenſe throw thereon That the thicke vapoure may on high aſcend. O daughter of great Ioue. &c. WHat Countrymen are here, ſo brauely furniſhed Almoſt all in a Liuerie? Oh what a ſhow Is heere? how rich, how full of pome it is? Truſt mee, I thinke it is ſome Sacrifize. Reach mee (Nicander) the golden Baſon, That containes the iuice of Bacchus fruite. Behold t'is ready here. So may this faultles blood Thy breſt (Oh ſacred Goddeſſe) mollifie, As do theſe falling droppes of Wine extinguiſh This blaſing flame. So, take the Baſon, there; Giue me the ſiluer Ewer now: Behold the Ewer. So may thine anger ceaſe with that ſame faithles Nimph Prouok't as doth this fire, this falling ſtreame extinguiſh. This is ſome Sacrifize, but where's the holocauſt? Now all is fit, there wantes nought but the end. Giue me the Axe.