Classic Poem

SCANA II

Enter P ARIS and oe NONE .

Par. oenone, while we bin disposed to walk,
Tell me what shall be subject of our talk?
Thou hast a sort of pretty tales in store,
Dare say no nymph in Ida woods hath more:
Again, beside thy sweet alluring face,
In telling them thou hast a special grace.
Then, prithee, sweet, afford some pretty thing,
Some toy that from thy pleasant wit doth spring.
oen. Paris, my heart's contentment and my choice,
Use thou thy pipe, and I will use my voice;
So shall thy just request not be denied,
And time well spent, and both be satisfied.
Par. Well, gentle nymph, although thou do me wrong,
That can ne tune my pipe unto a song,
Me list this once, oenone, for thy sake,
This idle task on me to undertake.

They sit under a tree together.

oen. And whereon, then, shall be my roundelay?
For thou hast heard my store long since, dare say;
How Saturn did divide his kingdom tho
To Jove, to Neptune, and to Dis below;
How mighty men made foul successless war
Against the gods and state of Jupiter;
How Phorcys' imp, that was so trick and fair,
That tangled Neptune in her golden hair,
Became a Gorgon for her lewd misdeed, —
A pretty fable, Paris, for to read,
A piece of cunning, trust me, for the nones,
That wealth and beauty alter men to stones;
How Salmacis, resembling idleness,
Turns men to women all through wantonness;
How Pluto raught Queen Ceres' daughter thence,
And what did follow of that love-offence;
Of Daphne turned into the laurel-tree,
That shows a mirror of virginity;
How fair Narcissus tooting on his shade,
Reproves disdain, and tells how form doth vade;
How cunning Philomela's needle tells
What force in love, what wit in sorrow dwells;
What pains unhappy souls abide in hell,
They say because on earth they lived not well, —
Ixion's wheel, proud Tantal's pining woe,
Prometheus' torment, and a many mo,
How Danaus' daughters ply their endless task,
What toil the toil of Sisyphus doth ask:
All these are old and known I know, yet, if thou wilt have any,
Choose some of these, for, trust me, else oenone hath not many.
Par. Nay, what thou wilt: but sith my cunning not compares with thine,
Begin some toy that I can play upon this pipe of mine.
oen. There is a pretty sonnet, then, we call it Cupid's Curse ,
" They that do change old love for new, pray gods they change for worse! "
The note is fine and quick withal, the ditty will agree,
Paris, with that same vow of thine upon our poplartree.
Par. No better thing; begin it, then: oenone, thou shalt see
Our music figure of the love that grows 'twixt thee and me.

They sing; and while oe NONE singeth, he pipeth Incipit oe NONE .

oen. Fair and fair, and twice so fair,
As fair as any may be;
The fairest shepherd on our green,
A love for any lady.
Par. Fair and fair, and twice so fair,
As fair as any may be;
Thy love is fair for thee alone,
And for no other lady.
oen. My love is fair, my love is gay,
As fresh as bin the flowers in May,
And of my love my roundelay,
My merry merry merry roundelay,
Concludes with Cupid's curse, —
They that do change old love for new,
Pray gods they change for worse!
Ambo simul. They that do change, &c.
oen. Fair and fair. &c.
Par. Fair and fair, &c.
Thy love is fair, &c.
oen. My love can pipe, my love can sing,
My love can many a pretty thing,
And of his lovely praises ring
My merry merry roundelays,
Amen to Cupid's curse, —
They that do change, &c.
Par. They that do change, &c.
Ambo. Fair and fair, &c.

The song being ended, they rise, and oe NONE speaks .

oen. Sweet shepherd, for oenone's sake be cunning in this song,
And keep thy love, and love thy choice, or else thou dost her wrong.
Par. My vow is made and witnessed, the poplar will not start,
Nor shall the nymph oenone's love from forth my breathing heart.
I will go bring thee on thy way, my flock are here behind,
And I will have a lover's fee; they say, unkiss'd unkind.