Page:The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (IA b30323241).pdf/15

T was in the time that the earth begins to put on her new apparell againſt the approch of her louer, and that the Sun running a moſt euen courſe, becomes an indifferent arbiter betweene the night and the day; when the hopeleſſe ſhepheard Strephon was come to the ſands, which lie againſt the Iſland of Cithera; where viewing the place with a heauy kind of delight, and ſometimes caſting his eyes to the Iſleward, he called his friendly riuall, the paſtor Claius vnto him, and ſetting firſt downe in his darkened countenance a dolefull copie of what he would ſpeake: O my Claius, ſaide he, hither we are now come to pay the rent, for which we are ſo called vnto by ouer-buſie Remembrance, Remembrance, reſtleſſe Remembrance, which claymes not only this dutie of vs, but for it will haue vs forget our ſelues. I pray you when we were amid our flocke, and that of other ſhepheards ſome were running after their ſheepe ſtraied beyond their bounds, ſome delighting their eyes with ſeeing them nibble vpon the ſhort & ſweet graſſe, ſome medicining their ſicke ewes, ſome ſetting a bell for an enſigne of a ſheepiſh ſquadron, ſome with more leaſure inuenting new games of exerciſing their bodies and ſporting their wits: did Remembrance graunt vs any holiday, either for paſtime or deuotion, nay either for neceſſary foode or naturall reſt? but that ſtill it forced our thoughts to worke vpon this place, where we laſt (alas that the word laſt ſhould ſo long laſt) did graze our eyes vpon her euer floriſhing beautie: did it not ſtill crie within vs? Ah you baſe minded wretches, are your thoughts so deeply bemired in the trade of ordinary worldlings, as for reſpect of gaine ſome paultry wooll may yeeld you, to let ſo much time paſſe without knowing perfectly her eſtate, eſpecially in ſo troubleſome a ſeaſon? to leaue that ſhore vnſaluted, from whence you may ſee to the Iſland where ſhe dwelleth? to leaue thoſe ſteps vnkiſſed where in Vrania printed the farewell of all beautie? Wel then, Remembrance commaunded, we obeyd, & here we find, that as our remembrance came euer cloathed vnto vs in the forme of this place, ſo this place giues new heate to our feauer of our languiſhing remembrance. Yonder my Claius, Vrania lighted, the verie horſe (me thought) bewayled to be ſo disburdned: and as for thee, poore Claius, when thou wentſt to help her downe, I ſaw reuerence and deſire ſo deuide thee, that thou didſt at one inſtant both bluſh and quake, and in ſtead of bearing her, weart readie to fall