MY Breast is so full of Compassion and Horror, that, where-ever I turn, all I look on, and all I hear, affrights and afflicts me.

What News does this Man bring, who appears so troubl'd in his Page  109 〈1 page duplicate〉 Page  111 Looks, and in his Speech?

I bring the sad News of Aminta's Death.

Alas! what says he?

The noblest Shepherd of these Woods, who was so gen∣teel, and comely, so dear to the Nymphs, and to the Muses, is Dead in the Prime of his Youth; Alas! by what sort of Death!

I beseech you tell us the Whole, that we may lament, and condole with you, his Misfortune, and our own.

Alas! I dare not approach to hear that, which yet I am forc'd to hear; cruel Heart! hard Heart of Stone! what art thou afraid of now? Go boldly on, against those killing Weapons, which that Man carries on his Tongue, and there display thy Fierceness. Shepherd, I come to share the Grief, you bring to all of us; for it concerns me, more than you are aware of; I receive it as my Due, don't then withhold it from me.

Nymph, I believe you, for just upon his Death, I heard the Wretch, with his last Breath, still calling on your Name.

Come on, begin the lamentable Sto∣ry.

I was upon the Middle of you Hill, where I had spread abroad some Nets of mine, when I saw Aminta pass by me, in Face and Action much chang'd from Page  113 what he us'd to be, confus'd and cloudy in his Looks. I ran so fast, that I over∣took and stay'd him; he said to me, Ergast∣us, I desire a Favour of you, which is, that you would come with me, to bear Witness of a certain Deed of mine: but I would have you first bind your Faith to me, with a strict Oath, that you will keep at a distance, and not stretch your Hand, to hinder me in that, which I am about to do. I (for who would have thought of so strange an Accident, and so desperate a Madness!) as he desired me, made horrible Protestations, invoking Pan, and Pales, Priapus, Pomona, and nightly Hecate. Then he went on, and conducted me, not by any Path, for there was no Path there, but through the wild Rocky Passages of the craggy Mountain, where a Precipice falls into a Valley. There we stood, I, looking down, found my self struck with Horror, and soon shrunk back: and he seem'd to smile a little, and look serenely, which Action made me less mistrust him, and spoke to me thus: See that you tell the Nymphs, and Shepherds, what you shall be∣hold, then looking down, he said, could I have here, as ready to my Will, the Throats and Teeths of greedy Wolves as I have these Precipices, I would not die of any other Death, than she did who was my Life: I would that these my miserable Page  115 Limbs, should be torn. •…as! as her deli∣cate Ones were. Since I can't have this, and Heaven denies to my Wishes those voracious Animals, who would come very opportunely now, I am content to Die some other Way: I'll choose that Way, which, though it ben't the proper one, yet how∣ever is the shortest: Sylvia, I follow you, I come to bear you Company if you don't disdain me: and I should die content, were I but sure, that my following you, would not disquiet you, and that your Hate was ended with your Life: Sylvia, I follow you; I come. This said, he threw himself Head∣long from the Precipice, and I turn'd all to Ice at the Sight.

Unhappy Aminta.

Ah me.

Why didn't you prevent him? perhaps the Oath you had made, hindered you from detaining him.

My Oath, no; for not regarding Oaths (which perhaps are invalid in such a Case) when I perceiv'd his desperate and cruel Design, I ran thither with my Hand; and, Page  117 as his hard Fate would have it, seiz'd him by that Girdle of Taffety which was round him; which (being too weak to sustain the Force, and the Weight of his Body, which rested all upon it,) remain torn in my Hand.

And what became of the un∣happy Corpse?

I know not, for I was so full of Horror and Pity, that my Heart would not suffer me to look again, to behold him dasht to Pieces.

O strange Accident!

Alas! sure I am made of Stones, because this News does not dispatch me: Ah! if the false reported Death, of one who hated him so much, has taken away his Life! good Reason were it that the real Death of him, who lov'd me so much, should take away my Life: And I am resolv'd it shall do so; and if it can't with Grief, yet it shall by the Sword, or with this Girdle; which, not without Reason, did not follow the Ruins of its sweet Master; but remains only to revenge on me my cruel Rigour, and his bitter End. O Girdle, unhappy Girdle, of a more un∣happy Master, don't disdain, to remain in so odious a Place, since you remain only to be an Instrument of Revenge and of Punish∣ment. Page  119 I ought certainly, I ought to have been in this World, the Companion of un∣happy Aminta. But since I would not be so, I will be, by thy Assistance, his Com∣panion in the World below.

Be com∣forted unhappy Maid, for 'tis Fortune's Fault, not Yours.

Shepherds, where∣fore do you Weep? if you are sorry at my Grief, I don't deserve Compassion, who knew not how to use it myself; if you la∣ment the Death of the miserable Innocent, this is too small an Expression of Grief for so great an Occasion: And you, Daphne, for Heaven's sake, dry up your Tears, if I am the Cause of them; but I must request you, not out of Compassion to me, but to him who was worthy of your Compassion, to assist me in seeking, and burying the unhap∣py Body. 'Tis that alone which keeps me from killing myself this very Moment: I will do this last Office for him, since there remains no other for me to do in Recom∣pence of the Love which he bore me; and though this Cruel Hand, might blemish the Piety of the Deed; yet I know, that what Page  121 ever is done by this Hand, will be grateful to him: for I know certainly he loves me still, as he has shewn, by Dying for me.

I am content to assist you in this Office; but think no more of Dying after you have done it.

Till now I have liv'd only to myself, and my own Cruelty: for what Time I have left I'll live to Aminta: and if I can't to him, I'll live to his cold unhap∣py Body. So long and no longer will I stay in the World, and then end at the same Time his Obsequies, and my Life. Shepherd, what way leads to that Valley, that lies at the Foot of the Precipice.

That Way leads thither, and 'tis not very far from hence.

Let us go, I'll go with you and shew you the Way, for I well re∣member the Place.

Adieu Shepherds, Mountains adieu, adieu ye Woods and Ri∣vers, adieu.

She speaks in such Man∣ner, as shews that she is dispos'd to take her last Farewel.