| John Dryden (1631–1700). The Poems of John Dryden. 1913. | | | | Songs, Odes, and Lyrical Pieces | | Song of a Scholar and his Mistress |
| | who, being Cross’d by their Friends, fell Mad for one another; and now first meet in Bedlam.
[Musick within.]
[The Lovers enter at Opposite Doors, each held by a Keeper.]
Phillis. Look, 1 look, I see—I see my Love appear: | |
| ’Tis he—’Tis he alone; | |
| For like him 2 there is none: | |
| ’Tis the dear, dear Man, ’tis thee, Dear. | |
| |
| Amyntas. Hark! the Winds War; | 5 |
| The foamy Waves roar; | |
| I see a Ship afar, | |
| Tossing and Tossing, and making to the Shoar: | |
| But what’s that I View, | |
| So Radiant of Hue, | 10 |
| St. Hermo, St. Hermo, that sits upon the Sails? | |
| Ah! No, no, no. | |
| St. Hermo never, 3 never shone so bright; | |
| ’Tis Phillis, only Phillis can shoot so fair a Light; | |
| ’Tis Phillis, ’tis Phillis that saves the Ship alone, | 15 |
| For all the Winds are hushed, and the Storm is overblown. | |
| |
| Phillis. Let me go, let me run, let me fly to his Arms. | |
| |
| Amyntas. If all the Fates combine, | |
| And all the Furies join, | |
| I’ll force my way to Phillis, and break through the Charms. 4 [Here they break from their Keepers; run to each other, and embrace.] | 20 |
| |
| Phillis. Shall I Marry the Man I love? | |
| And shall I conclude my Pains? | |
| Now blest be the Powers above, | |
| I feel the Blood bound in my Veins; | |
| With a lively Leap it began to move, | 25 |
| And the Vapours leave my Brains. | |
| |
| Amyntas. Body join’d to Body, and Heart join’d to Heart; | |
| To make sure of the Cure; | |
| Go call the Man in Black, to mumble o’re his part. | |
| |
| Phillis. But suppose he should stay … | 30 |
| |
| Amyntas. At worst, if he delay; | |
| ’Tis a Work must be done; | |
| We’ll borrow but a Day, | |
| And the better the sooner begun. | |
| |
CHORUS of Both. At worst, if he delay, &c.[They run out together hand in hand. | 35 |
|
|
|
