Fen. How like you this, shepherd? was not this gear gotten on a holyday?

Shep. Faith, your folly may deserve pardon, because it hath delighted: but beware of presuming, or how you offer comparison with persons so near deities: Behold where they are that have now forgiven you, whom should you provoke again with the like, they will justly punish that with anger, which they now dismiss with contempt. Away!

To the Masquers.

[They retire.

And come, you prime Arcadians forth, that taught By Pan the rites of true society,

From his loud music all your manners wrought,

And made your commonwealth a harmony, Commending so to all posterity

Your innocence from that fair fount of light, As still you sit without the injury

Of any rudeness, folly can, or spite:

Dance from the top of the Lycæan mountain,
Down to this valley, and with nearer eye
Enjoy, what long in that illumin'd fountain
You did far off, but yet with wonder, spy.

HYMN I.

I Nym. Of Pan we sing, the best of singers, Pan, That taught us swains how first to tune our lays,

Cho.

And on the pipe more airs than Phœbus can. Hear, O you groves, and hills resound his praise.

2 Nym. Of Pan we sing, the best of leaders, Pan,

That leads the Naiads and the Dryads forth;

And to their dances more than Hermes can.

Cho.

Hear, O you groves, and hills resound his worth.

3 Nym. Of Pan we sing, the best of hunters, Pan, That drives the hart to seek unused ways, And in the chase more than Sylvanus can. Hear, O you groves, and hills resound his praise.

Cho.

2 Nym. Of Pan we sing, the best of shepherds, Pan, That keeps our flocks and us, and both leads forth,

Cho.

To better pastures than great Pales can.
Hear, O you groves, and hills resound his
worth.

And while his powers and praises thus we sing,
The valleys let rebound, and all the rivers ring.

The Masquers descend, and dance their Entry.

HYMN II.

Pan is our All, by him we breathe, we live,

We move, we are; 'tis he our lambs doth rear,
Our flocks doth bless, and from the store doth give
The warm and finer fleeces that we wear.
He keeps away all heats and colds,
Drives all diseases from our folds;
Makes every where the spring to dwell,
The ewes to feed, their udders swell;
But if he frown, the sheep, alas!
The shepherds wither, and the grass.

Cho. Strive, strive to please him then, by still increasing thus

The rites are due to him, who doth all right for us.

THE MAIN DANCE.

Ech.

Ech.

Ech.

Ech.

HYMN III.

If yet, if yet,

Pan's orgies you will further fit,
See where the silver-footed fays do sit,
The nymphs of wood and water;
Each tree's and fountain's daughter!
Go take them forth, it will be good
To see them wave it like a wood,
And others wind it like a flood;
In springs,
And rings,

Till the applause it brings,

Wakes Echo from her seat,
The closes to repeat.

The closes to repeat.

Echo the truest oracle on ground,
Though nothing but a sound.
Though nothing but a sound.
Beloved of Pan the valleys queen.
The valleys queen.

And often heard, though never seen.
Though never seen.

Here the Revels.

After which re-enter the Fencer.

Fen. Room, room, there; where are you, shepherd? I am come again, with my second part of my bold bloods, the brave gamesters; who assure you by me, that they perceive no such wonder in all is done here, but that they dare adventure another trial. They look for some sheepish devices here in Arcadia, not these, and therefore a hall! a hall! they demand.

Shep. Nay, then they are past pity, let them come, and not expect the anger of a deity to pursue them, but meet them. They have their punishment with their fact they shall be sheep.

Fen. O spare me, by the law of nations, I am but their ambassador.

Shep. You speak in time, sir.

The THEBANS enter for the 2 ANTIMASQUE, which danced,

Shep. Now let them return with their solid heads, and carry their stupidity into Boeotia, whence they brought it, with an emblem of themselves, and their country. This is too pure an air for so gross brains. [They retire.

To the Nymphs.

End you the rites, and so be eas'd
Of these, and then great Pan is pleas'd.

HYMN IV.

Great Pan, the father of our peace and pleasure,
Who giv'st us all this leisure,

Hear what thy hallow'd troop of herdsmen pray
For this their holyday,

And how their vows to thee they in Lyceum pay.

Cho. So may our ewes receive the mounting rams,
And we bring thee the earliest of our lambs:
So may the first of all our fells be thine,
And both the beestning of our goats and kine;
As thou our folds dost still secure,

And keep'st our fountains sweet and pure;
Driv'st hence the wolf, the tod, the brock,
Or other vermin from the flock.

That we, preserv'd by thee, and thou observ'd by us,
May both live safe in shade of thy lov'd Manalus.

Shep. Now each return unto his charge,

And though to-day you've liv'd at large,

5 The tod,] i. e. the fox. WHAL.

And well your flocks have fed their fill,
Yet do not trust your hirelings still.
See yond' they go, and timely do
The office you have put them to;
But if you often give this leave,
Your sheep and you they will deceive.