Know then, fair fhepherdefs, no honeft swain
Taught me the duties of the peaceful plain;
Unus'd to fweet content, no flocks I keep,
Nor browzing goats that overhang the fleep.
Born where Orchomenos' proud turrets fhine,
I trace my birth from long illuftrious line,
Why was I train'd amidst Arcadia's court?
Love ever revels in that gay refort.

Whene'er Evander past, my fmitten heart
Heav'd frequent fighs, and felt unusual smart.
Ah! hadft thou feen with what sweet grace he mov'd!
Yet why that wish? for Laura then had lov’d.

LAURA.

Distrust me not; thy fecret wrongs impart.

DIONE.

Forgive the fallies of a breaking heart.
Evander's fighs his mutual flame confeft,
The growing paffion labour'd in his breast;
To me he came; my heart with rapture sprung.
To see the blushes, when his faultering tongue
First said, I love. My eyes confent reveal,
And plighted vows our faithful paffion seal :
Where's now the lovely youth; he's loft, he's flain,
And the pale corfe lies breathlefs on the plain!

LAURA.

Are thus the hopes of conftant lovers paid?
If thus-ye Powers, from love defend the maid!

Pz

DIONE.

Now have twelve mornings warm'd the purple eaft,
Since my dear hunter rouz'd the tusky beast;
Swift flew the foaming monfter through the wood,
Swift as the wind, his eager fteps pursued:
'Twas then the savage turn'd; then fell the youth,
And his dear blood diftain'd the barbarous tooth.

LAURA.

Was there none near? no ready fuccour found?
Nor healing herb to ftaunch the spouting wound?

DIONE.

In vain through pathless woods the hunters croft,
And fought with anxious eye their master loft;
In vain their frequent hollows echo'd fhrill,
And his lov'd name was fent from hill to hill;
Evander hears you not. He's loft, he 's flain,
And the pale corfe lies breathless on the plain.

LAURA.

Has yet no clown (who, wandering from the way, Beats every bush to raise the lamb aftray)

Obferv'd the fatal spot?

DIONE.

O, if ye pafs

Where purple murder dyes the wither'd grass,
With pious finger gently close his eyes,

And let his grave with decent vedure rife. [Weeps.

LAURA.

Behold the turtle who has loft her mate;

Awhile with drooping wing the mourns his fate;

Sullen,

Sullen, awhile fhe feeks the darkest grove,
And cooing meditates the murder'd dove ;
But time the rueful image wears away,
Again the 's chear'd, again she seeks the day.
Spare then thy beauty, and no longer pine.

DIONE.

Yet fure fome turtle's love has equal'd mine,
Who, when the hawk has snatch'd her mate away,

Hath never known the glad return of day.

When my

fond father faw my faded eye, And on my livid cheek the roses die;

When catching fighs my wafted bofom mov'd,
My looks, my fighs, confirm'd him that I lov'd.
He knew not that Evander was my flame,
Evander dead! my paffion ftill the fame!
He came, he threaten'd; with paternal fway,
Cleanthes nam'd, and fix'd the nuptial day:
O cruel kindness! too feverely prett!

I fcorn his honours, and his wealth detest.

LAURA.

How vain is force! Love ne'er can be compell'd.

DIONE.

Though bound my duty, yet my heart rebell'd.
One night, when fleep had hufh'd all bufy fpies,
And the pale moon had journey'd half the fkies,
Softly I rofe and drefs'd; with filent tread,
Unbarr'd the gates, and to these mountains fled.
Here let me footh the melancholy hours!
Clofe me, ye woods, within your twilight bowers!

Where my calm foul may fettled forrow know,
And no Cleanthes interrupt my woe

With importuning love

[Melancholy Mufic is heard at a distance, On yonder plain

Advances flow a melancholy train;

Black cyprefs boughs their drooping heads adorn.

LAURA.

Alas! Menalcas to his grave is borne.
Behold the victim of Parthenia's pride!

He faw, he figh'd, he lov'd, was fcorn'd, and dy'd.

DIONE.

Where dwells this beauteous tyrant of the plains? Where may I fee her?

LAURA.

Afk the fighing fwains.

They beft can speak the conquefts of her eyes;
Whoever fees her, loves; who loves her, dies.

DIONE.

Perhaps untimely fate her flame hath crofs'd,
And fhe, like me, hath her Evander loft.
How my foul pities her!

LAURA.

If pity move

Your genercus bofom, pity those who love.
There late arriv'd among our fylvan race
A ftranger fhepherd, who with lonely pace
Vifits those mountain-pines at dawn of day,
Where oft' Parthenia takes her early way

Το

To rouze the chace; mad with his amorous pain,
He stops and raves; then fullen walks again.
Parthenia's name is borne by paffing gales,
And talking hills repeat it to the dales.
Come, let us from this vale of forrow go,
Nor let the mournful fcene prolong thy woe. [Exeunt.

SCENE II. *

Shepherds and Shepherdeffes (crowned with garlands of cyprefs and yew) bearing the body of Menalcas.

I SHEPHERD.

Here gently reft the corse With faultering breath Thus fpake Menalcas on the verge of death. "Belov'd Palemon, hear a dying friend; "See, where yon hills with craggy brows afcend, "Low in the valley where the mountain grows, "There firft I faw her, there began my woes. "When I am cold, may there this clay be laid! "There often ftrays the dear, the cruel maid; "There as the walks, perhaps you'll hear her say, (While a kind gushing tear fhall force its way) "How could my ftubborn heart relentless prove? "Ah, poor Menalcas all thy fault was love!"

2 SHEPHERD.

When pitying lions o'er a carcafe groan,
And hungry tigers bleeding kids bemoan;

This and the following fcene are formed upon the

novel of Marcella in Don Quixote,