The earliest of these English mythological plays, alike in date of production and of publication, was George Peele’s Arraignment of Paris, ’A Pastorall.  Presented before the Queenes Majestie, by the children of her Chappell,’ no doubt in 1581, and printed three years later.[206] It partakes of the nature of the masque in that the whole composition centres round a compliment to the Queen, Eliza or Zabeta—­a name which, as Dr. Ward notes, Peele probably borrowed along with one or two other hints from Gascoigne’s Kenilworth entertainment of 1575.  The title sufficiently expresses its mythological character, and the precise value of the term ‘pastoral’ on the title-page is difficult to determine.  The characters are for the most part either mythological or rustic; the only truly pastoral ones being Paris and Oenone, whose parts, however, in so far as they are pastoral, are also of the slightest.  It is of course impossible to say exactly to what extent the fame of the Italian pastoral drama may have penetrated to England—­the Aminta was first printed the year of the production of Peele’s play, and waited a decade before the first English translation and the first English edition appeared[207]—­but no influence of Tasso’s masterpiece can be detected in the Arraignment; still less is it possible to trace any acquaintance with Poliziano’s work.

After a prologue, in which Ate foretells in staid and measured but not unpleasing blank verse the fall of Troy, the silvan deities, Pan, Faunus, Silvanus, Pomona, Flora, enter to welcome the three goddesses who are on their way to visit ‘Ida hills,’ and who after a while enter, led by Rhanis and accompanied by the Muses, whose processional chant heralds their approach.  They are greeted by Pan, who sings: 

    The God of Shepherds, and his mates,
    With country cheer salutes your states,
    Fair, wise, and worthy as you be,
    And thank the gracions ladies three
      For honour done to Ida.

When these have retired from the stage there follows a charming idyllic scene between the lovers Paris and Oenone, which contains the delightful old song, one of the lyric pearls of the Elizabethan drama: 

    Oenone. Fair and fair, and twice so fair,
        As fair as any may be;
      The fairest shepherd on our green,
        A love for any lady.

    Paris. Fair and fair, and twice so fair,
        As fair as any may be;
      Thy love is fair for thee alone,
        And for no other lady.

    Oenone. My love is fair, my love is gay,
      As fresh as bin the flowers in May,
      And of my love my roundelay,
      My merry, merry, merry roundelay,
        Concludes with Cupid’s curse—­
      They that do change old love for new,
        Pray gods they change for worse!

    Both. They that do change old love for new,
      Pray gods they change for worse!