Flo.
See, your guests approach;
Address your self to entertain them sprightly,
And let's be red with mirth.

Shep.
Fie, daughter; when my old wife liv'd, upon
This day she was both pantler, butler, cook,
Both dame and servant; welcom'd all, serv'd all;
Would sing her song, and dance her turn; now here
At upper end o'th' table, now i'th' middle;
On his shoulder, and his; her face o' fire
With labour; and the things she took to quench it
She would to each one sip. You are retired,
As if you were a feasted one, and not
The hostess of the meeting: pray you bid
These unknown friends to's welcome, for it is
A way to make us better friends, more known.
Come, quench your blushes, and present your self
That which you are, mistress o'th' feast. Come on,
And bid us welcome to your sheep-shearing,
As your good flock shall prosper.

Per.
Sirs, welcome. [To Pol. and Cam.
It is my father's will, I should take on me
The hostessship o'th' day; you're welcome, Sirs.
Give me those flowers there, Dorcas. Reverend Sirs,
For you there's rosemary and rue, these keep
Seeming and savour all the winter long:

Grace and remembrance be unto you both,
And welcome to our shearing.

Pol.
Shepherdess,
A fair one are you, well you fit our ages
With flowers of winter.

Per.
Sir, the year growing ancient,
Nor yet on summer's death, nor on the birth
Of trembling winter, the fairest flowers o'th' season
Are our carnations, and streak'd gilly-flowers,
Which some call nature's bastards; of that kind
Our rustick garden's barren, and I care not
To get slips of them.

Pol.
Wherefore, gentle maiden,
Do you neglect them?

Per.
For I have heard it said,
There is an art, which in their pideness shares
With great creating nature.

Pol.
Say there be,
Yet nature is made better by no mean,
But nature makes that mean; so over that art,
Which you say adds to nature, is an art
That nature makes; you see, sweet maid, we marry
A gentler scyon to the wildest stock,
And make conceive a bark of baser kind
By bud of nobler race. This is an art
Which does mend nature, change it rather; but
The art it self is nature.

Per.
So it is.

Pol.
Then make your garden rich in gillyflowers,
And do not call them bastards.

Per.
I'll not put
The † ^notedibble in earth, to set one slip of them:
No more than were I painted, I would wish

This youth should say 'twere well; and only therefore
Desire to breed by me. Here's flowers for you;
Hot lavender, mints, savoury, marjoram,
The mary-gold, that goes to bed with th' sun,
And with him rises, weeping: these are flowers
Of middle summer, and, I think, they are given
To men of middle age. Y'are welcome.

Cam.
I should leave grazing, were I of your flock,
And only live by gazing.

Per.
Out alas;
You'd be so lean, that blasts of January
Would blow you through and through. Now my fairest friends,
I would I had some flowers o' th' spring, that might
Become your time of day; and yours, and yours,
That wear upon your virgin-branches yet
Your maiden-heads growing: O Proserpina,
For the flowers now, that, frighted, thou let'st fall
From Dis's waggon! daffadils,
That come before the swallow dares, and take
The winds of March with beauty; violets dim,
But sweeter than the lids of Juno's eyes,
Or Cytherea's breath; pale primroses,
That die unmarried, ere they can behold
Bright Phœbus in his strength, a malady
Most incident to maids; bold oxlips, and
The crown-imperial; lillies of all kinds,
The flower-de-lis being one. O these I lack
To make you garlands of, and my sweet friend
To strow him o'er and o'er.

Flo.
What? like a coarse?

Per.
No, like a bank, for love to lie and play on;
Not like a coarse; or if, not to be buried
But quick, and in mine arms. Come, take your flowers,

Methinks I play as I have seen them do
In Whitson pastorals: sure this robe of mine
Does change my disposition.

Flo.
What you do,
Still betters what is done. When you speak, sweet,
I'd have you do it ever; when you sing,
I'd have you buy and sell so; so give alms;
Pray so; and for the ord'ring your affairs,
To sing them too. When you do dance, I wish you
A wave o'th' sea, that you might ever do
Nothing but that; move still, still so,
And own no other function. Each your doing,
So singular in each particular,
Crowns what you're doing in the present deeds,
That all your acts are Queens.

Per.
O Doricles,
Your praises are too large; but that your youth
And the true blood which peeps forth fairly through it,
Do plainly give you out an unstain'd shepherd,
With wisdom I might fear, my Doricles,
You woo'd me the false way.

Flo.
I think you have
As little skill to fear, as I have purpose
To put you to't. But come, our dance I pray;
Your hand, my Perdita; so turtles pair
That never mean to part.

Per.
I'll swear for 'em.

Pol.
This is the pettiest low-born lass that ever
Ran on the green-sord; nothing she does, or seems,
But smacks of something greater than her self,
Too noble for this place.

Cam.
He tells her something
That makes her blood look on't: good sooth she is

The Queen of curds and cream.

Clo.
Come on, strike up.

Dor.

Mopsa must be your mistress; marry garlick to mend her kissing with.

Mop.

Now in good time.

Clo.

Not a word, a word, we stand upon our manners, come strike up.

Pol.
Pray, good shepherd, what fair swain is this
Who dances with your daughter?

Shep.
They call him Doricles, and he boasts himself
To have a worthy feeding; but I have it
Upon his own report, and I believe it:
He looks like sooth; he says he loves my daughter,
I think so too; for never gaz'd the moon
Upon the water, as he'll stand and read
As 'twere my daughter's eyes: and, to be plain,
I think there is not half a kiss to chuse
Who loves another best.

Pol.
She dances featly.

Shep.
So she does any thing, tho' I report it
That should be silent; if young Doricles
Do light upon her, she shall bring him that
Which he not dreams of.

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