Beaumont's friends were Fletcher's; and Fletcher must have known Browne. It has always seemed strange to me that, when enumerating in his _Britannia's Pastorals_ the pastoral poets of England,--half a dozen of them, his personal acquaintances,--Browne should have omitted Fletcher to whom he was deeply indebted for literary inspiration. Between 1610 and 1613 he had, in his _First Book of Britannia's Pastorals_ (Song 1, end; Song 2, beginning), borrowed the story of Marina and the River-God, as regards not only the main incident but also much of the poetic phrase, from the _Faithfull Shepheardesse_--the scene in which Fletcher's God of the River rescues Amoret and offers her his love. The borrowing is not at all a plagiarism, but an elaboration of the Amoret episode; and, as such, the imitation is indirect homage to the quondam pastoralist living close by in Southwark. I hesitate to enter upon quest of literary surmise. But some young lion of research might be pardoned if he should undertake to prove that the description of the shepherd Remond which Browne introduces into his first Song just before this borrowing from Fletcher's pastoral drama is homage to Fletcher, pure and direct: Remond, young Remond, that full well could sing, And tune his pipe at Pan's birth carolling: Who for his nimble leaping, sweetest layes, A lawrell garland wore on holidayes; In framing of whose hand dame Nature swore That never was his like nor could be more.[88] Conjectural reconstruction of literary relationships is perilously seductive. But it is only fair to apprise the young lion of the delightful certainty that though the trail may run up a tree, it abounds in alluring scents. He will find that no sooner has Browne's Marina concluded the adventure borrowed from Fletcher than she falls in with Remond's younger companion, "blithe Doridon," who, in the _Second Book_ of the _Pastorals_, written in 1614-15, swears fidelity to Remond-- Entreats him then That he might be his partner, since no men Had cases liker; he with him would goe-- Weepe when he wept and sigh when he did so;[89] and that, in the second Song of the _First Book_,[90] Doridon, who also is a poet, is described at a length not at all necessary to the narrative, and in terms that more than echo the description of the beauty of Hermaphroditus in the poem of that name which has been traditionally attributed to Beaumont. This Doridon is a genius: Upon this hill there sate a lovely swaine, As if that Nature thought it great disdaine That he should (so through her his genius told him) Take equall place with swaines, since she did hold him Her chiefest worke, and therefore thought it fit, That with inferiours he should never sit.... He is "fairest of men"; when he pipes "the wood's sweet quiresters" join in consort--"A musicke that would ravish choisest eares." He is, as I have said, a poet,--