Brother his brother, friend doth friend forsake, Heeding himself, cares not how fellow do, But of a stranger mutual help doth take: As perjur’d cowards in adversity With sight of fear, from friends, to friend, do fly. These sports shepherds devis’d such faults to show. Geron, though old, yet gamesome, kept one end With Cosma, for whose love Pas passed in woe. Fair Nous with Pas the lot to hell did send: Pas thought it hell, while he was Cosma fro. At other end Uran did Strephon lend Her happy making hand, of whom one look From Nous and Cosma all their beauty took. The play began: Pas durst not Cosma chase, But did intend next bout with her to meet, So he with Nous to Geron turn’d their race, With whom to join, fast ran Urania sweet: But light legg’d Pas had got the middle space. Geron strove hard, but aged were his feet, And therefore finding force now faint to be, He thought gray hairs afforded subtlety. And so when Pas’s hand reached him to take, The fox on knees and elbows tumbled down; Pas could not stay, but over him did rake, And crown’d the earth with his first touching crown: His heels grown proud did seem at heav’n to shake, But Nous that slipp’d from Pas, did catch the clown. So laughing all, yet Pas to ease some dell Geron with Uran were condemn’d to hell. Cosma this while to Strephon safely came, And all to second Barley-break are bent: The two in hell did toward Cosma frame; Who should to Pas, but they would her prevent. Pas mad with fall, and madder with the shame, Most mad with beams which we thought Cosma sent, With such mad haste he did to Cosma go, That to her breast he gave a noisome blow. She quick, and proud, and who did Pas despise, Up with her fist, and took him on the face, “Another time,” quoth she, “become more wise.” Thus Pas did kiss her hand with little grace, And each way luckless, yet in humble guise Did hold her fast for fear of more disgrace, While Strephon might with pretty Nous have met, But all this while another course be set. For as Urania after Cosma ran; He ravished with sight how gracefully She mov’d her limbs, and drew the aged man, {115} Left Nous to coast the loved beauty nigh: Nous cry’d and chaf’d, but he no other can. ’Till Uran seeing Pas to Cosma fly, And Strephon single, turn’d after him: Strephon so chas’d did seem in milk to swim. He ran, but ran with eye o’er shoulder cast, More marking her, than how himself did go, Like Numid lions by the hunters chas’d, Though they do fly, yet backwardly do glow With proud aspect, disdaining greatest haste: What rage in them, that love in him did show. But God gives them instinct the man to shun, And he by law of Barley-break must run. But as his heat with running did augment, Much more his sight increas’d his hot desire: So is in her the best of nature spent, The air her sweet race mov’d doth blow the fire,