(F) The | Faithfull | Shepherdesse. | Acted at | Somerset-House, | Before the King and Queen on Twelfth Night, 1633. | And divers times since, with great | Applause, at the Private House in | Black-Friers, by his Majesties | Servants. | Written by John Fletcher. | The Fifth Edition. | London, | Printed for G. Bedell and T. Collins, at the Middle | Temple-Gate in Fleet-street, 1665. The verso of the title-page bears the date March 3, 166-4/5. Licensed, Roger L'Estrange. As neither the Second Folio nor the Quartos print any list of the Characters it may be as well to give one here. Perigot. Old Shepherd. Thenot Priest of Pan. Daphnis. God of the River. Alexis. Satyr. Sullen Shepherd. Shepherds. Clorin. Cloe. Amoret. Shepherdesses. Amarillis. Scene: Thessaly. The following Dedicatory Verses were omitted from the Second Folio. _To my lov'd friend M. John Fletcher, on his Pastorall_. Can my approovement (Sir) be worth your thankes? Whose unkn[o]wne name and muse (in swathing clowtes) Is not yet growne to strength, among these rankes To have a roome and beare off the sharpe flowtes Of this our pregnant age, that does despise All innocent verse, that lets alone her vice. But I must Justifie what privately, I censurd to you: my ambition is (Even by my hopes and love to Poesie) To live to perfect such a worke, as this, Clad in such elegant proprietie Of words, including a mortallitie. So sweete and profitable, though each man that heares, (And learning has enough to clap and hisse) Arives not too't, so misty it appeares; And to their fi1med reasons, so amisse: But let Art looke in truth, she like a mirror, Reflects [Reflect, C, D] her comfort [consort, D--F], ignorances terror. Sits in her owne brow, being made afraid, Of her unnaturall complexion, As ougly women (when they are araid By glasses) loath their true reflection, Then how can such opinions injure thee, That tremble, at their owne deformitie? Opinion, that great foole, makes fooles of all, And (once) I feard her till I met a minde Whose grave instructions philosophical), Toss'd it [is, F] like dust upon a march strong winde, He shall for ever my example be, And his embraced doctrine grow in me. His soule (and such commend this) that commaund [commands, D, E, F] Such art, it should me better satisfie, Then if the monster clapt his thousand hands, And drownd the sceane with his confused cry; And if doubts rise, loe their owne names to cleare 'em Whilst I am happy but to stand so neere 'em. N. F. These verses are in A, B, C, D, E and F. In A and B they are signed 'N. F.,' in C-F they are signed 'Nath. Field.' The above text is that of A. To his loving friend M. _Jo. Fletcher_ concerning his Pastorall, being both a Poeme and a play: [concerning...play _omitted in_ D, E, F]