some-thing of that Pamphilus stept to comfort her and though I could not doo that yet I gotte thus much knowledge of her that this being the same Leucippe to whome the vnconstant Pamphilus had betrothed himselfe which had moued the other Ladies to such indignation as I tolde you neither her worthines which in trueth was great nor his owne suffering for her which is woont to endeare affection could fetter his ficklenes but that before his mariage-daye appointed he had taken to wife that Baccha of whome she complained one that in diuers places I had heard before blazed as the most impudently vnchaste woman of all Asia and withall of such an imperiousnes therein that she would not stick to employe them whome she made vnhappie with her fauour to drawe more companions of their follie in the multitude of whome she did no lesse glorie then a Captaine would doo of being followed by braue Souldiers waiwardly proud and therefore bold because extreamely faultie and yet hauing no good thing to redeeme both these and other vnlouely parts but a little beautie disgraced with wandring eyes and vnwaied speeches yet had Pamphilus for her left Leucippe and withal left his faith Leucippe of whom one look in a cleer iudgement would haue bene more acceptable then all her kindnesses so prodigallie bestowed For my selfe the remembrance of his cruell handling Dido ioyned to this stirred me to seeke some reuenge vpon him but that I thought it should be a gayne to him to lose his life being so matched and therefore leauing him to be punished by his owne election we conueyed Leucippe to a house thereby dedicated to Vestall Nunnes where she resolued to spend all her yeares which her youth promised should be many in bewayling the wrong and yet praying for the wrong doer But the next morning we hauing striuen with the Sunnes earlines were scarcely beyond the prospect of the high turrets of that building when there ouertoke vs a young Gentleman for so he seemed to vs but indeede sweete Ladie it was the faire Zelmane Plexirtus daughter whom vnconsulting affection vnfortunately borne to me-wardes had made borrowe so much of her naturall modestie as to leaue her more-decent rayments and taking occasion of Andromanas tumultuous pursuing vs had apparelled her selfe like a page with a pitifull crueltie cutting of her golden haire leauing nothing but the short curles to couer that noble heade but that she ware vpon it a faire head-peece a shielde at her back and a launce in her hand els disarmed Her apparell of white wrought vpon with broken knots her horse faire and lustie which she rid so as might shew a fearefull boldnes daring to doo that which she knew that she knew not how to doo and the sweetenes of her countenance did giue such a grace to what she did that it did make hansome the vnhansomnes and make the eye force the minde to beleeue that there was a praise in that vnskilfulnesse But she straight approached me and with fewe woords which borrowed the help of her countenance to make themselues vnderstoode she desired me to accept her into my seruice telling me she was a noblemans sonne of Iberia her name Daiphantus who hauing seene what I had done in that court had stolne from her father to follow me I enquired the particularities of the maner of Andromanas following me which by her I vnderstood she hiding nothing but her sexe from me And still me thought I had seen that face but the great alteration of her fortune made her far distant from my memorie but liking very well the yong Gentleman such I tooke her to be admitted this Daiphantus about me who well shewed there is no seruice like his that serues because he loues For though born of Princes bloud brought vp with tēderest education vnapt to seruice because a woman and full of thoughts because in a strange estate yet Loue enioyned such diligence that no apprentise no no bondslaue could euer be by feare more readie at all commaundementes then that yong Princesse was How often alas did her eyes say vnto me that they loued and yet I not looking for such a matter had not my conceipt open to vnderstand them how often would she come creeping to me betweene gladnes to be neere me and feare to offend me Truely I remember that then I meruailed to see her receiue my commandements with sighes and yet do them with cheerefulnes sometimes answering me in such riddles as I then thought a childish inexperience but since returning to my remēbrance they haue come more cleere vnto my knowledge and pardon me onely deare Lady that I vse many words for her affection to me deserues of me an affectionate speach But in such sort did she serue me in that kingdom of Bythinia for two moneths space In which time we brought to good end a cruell warre long maintained betweene the king of Bythinia and his brother For my excellent cousin and I diuiding our selues to either side found meanes after some triall we had made of our selues to get such credit with them as we brought them to as great peace between themselues as loue towards vs for hauing made the peace Which done we intended to returne through the Kingdome of Galatia towarde Thrace to ease the care of our father and mother who we were sure first with the shipwracke and then with the other dangers we dayly past should haue little rest in their thoughts till they saw vs. But we were not entred into that kingdome when by the noise of a great fight we were guided to a pleasant valey which like one of those Circusses which in great cities some-where doth giue a pleasant spectacle of running horses so of either side stretching it selfe in a narrow length was it hemd in by wooddy hilles as if indeed Nature had meant therein to make a place for beholders And there we behelde one of the cruellest fightes betweene two Knights that euer hath adorned the most martiall storie So as I must confesse a while we stood bewondred another while delighted with the rare brauery therof til seeing such streames of bloud as threatned a drowning of life we gallopped toward them to part them But we were preuented by a dosen armed Knights or rather villains who vsing this time of their extreame feeblenesse all together set vpon them But common daunger brake off particular discord so that though with a dying weakenes with a liuely courage they resisted and by our help draue away or slue those murdering attempters among whom we hapt to take aliue the principall But going to disarme those two excellent Knights we found with no lesse wonder to vs then astonishment to themselues that they were the two valiaunt and indeede famous Brothers Tydeus and Telenor whose aduenture as afterward we made that vngratious wretch confesse had thus fallen out After the noble Prince Leonatus had by his fathers death succeeded in the kingdome of Galatia he forgetting all former iniuries
walked hard by them carying many vnquiet contentions about her the Ladies sate them downe inquiring diuerse questions of the shepheard Dorus who keeping his eie still vpon Pamela answered with such a trembling voice and abashed countenance and oftentimes so far from the matter that it was some sport to the young Ladies thinking it want of education which made him so discountenaunced with vnwoonted presence But Zelmane that saw in him the glasse of her owne miserie taking the hand of Philoclea and with burning kisses setting it close to her lips as if it should stand there like a hand in the margine of a Booke to note some saying worthy to be marked began to speake these words O Loue since thou art so changeable in mens estates how art thou so constant in their torments when sodainly there came out of a wood a monstrous Lion with a she Beare not far from him of litle lesse fiercenes which as they ghest hauing bene hunted in Forests far off were by chaunce come thether where before such beastes had neuer bene seene Then care not feare or feare not for themselues altered some thing the countenances of the two Louers but so as any man might perceiue was rather an assembling of powers then dismaiednes of courage Philoclea no sooner espied the Lion but that obeying the commandement of feare she lept vp and ran to the lodge-ward as fast as her delicate legs could carrie her while Dorus drew Pamela behind a tree where she stood quaking like the Partridge on which the Hawke is euen ready to seaze But the Lion seing Philoclea run away bent his race to her-ward and was ready to seaze him selfe on the pray when Zelmane to whome daunger then was a cause of dreadlesnes all the composition of her elements being nothing but fierie with swiftnesse of desire crost him and with force of affection strake him such a blow vpon his chine that she opened all his body wherewith the valiant beast turning vpon her with open iawes she gaue him such a thrust thorow his brest that all the Lion could do was with his paw to teare of the mantle and sleeue of Zelmane with a little scratch rather then a wound his death-blow hauing taken away the effect of his force But there withall he fell downe and gaue Zelmane leasure to take of his head to carrie it for a present to her Ladie Philoclea who all this while not knowing what was done behind her kept on her course like Arethusa when she ran from Alpheus her light apparell being carried vp with the winde that much of those beauties she would at another time haue willingly hidden was presented to the sight of the twise wounded Zelmane Which made Zelmane not folow her ouer hastily lest she should too soone depriue her selfe of that pleasure But carying the Lions head in her hand did not fully ouertake her till they came to the presence of Basilius Neither were they long there but that Gynecia came thether also who had bene in such a traunce of musing that Zelmane was fighting with the Lion before she knew of any Lions comming but then affection resisting and the soone ending of the fight preuenting all extremitie of feare she marked Zelmanes fighting And when the Lions head was of as Zelmane ran after Philoclea so she could not find in her hart but run after Zelmane so that it was a new sight Fortune had prepared to those woods to see these great personages thus runne one after the other each carried forward with an inward violence Philoclea with such feare that she thought she was still in the Lions mouth Zelmane with an eager and impatient delight Gynecia with wings of Loue flying she neither knew nor cared to know whether But now being all come before Basilius amazed with this sight and feare hauing such possession in the faire Philoclea that her bloud durst not yet to come to her face to take away the name of palenesse from her most pure whitenes Zelmane kneeled downe and presenting the Lions head vnto her Only Ladie said she here see you the punishment of that vnnaturall beast which contrary to his owne kind would haue wronged Princes bloud guided with such traiterous eies as durst rebell against your beauty Happy am I and my beautie both answered the sweete Philoclea then blushing for feare had bequeathed his roome to his kinsman bashfulnes that you excellent Amazon were there to teach him good manners And euen thankes to that beautie answered Zelmane which can giue an edge to the bluntest swords There Philoclea told her father how it had hapned but as she had turned her eyes in her tale to Zelmane she perceiued some bloud vpoÌ„ Zelmanes shoulder so that starting with the louely grace of pitty she shewed it to her Father and mother who as the nurse sometimes with ouer-much kissing may forget to giue the babe sucke so had they with too much delighting in beholding and praysing Zelmane left of to marke whether she needed succour But then they ran both vnto her like a father mother to an onely childe and though Zelmane assured them it was nothing would needes see it Gynecia hauing skill in surgery an arte in those daies much esteemed because it serued to vertuous courage which euen Ladies would euer with the contempt of cowardes seeme to cherish But looking vpon it which gaue more inward bleeding wounds to Zelmane for she might sometimes feele Philocleas touch whiles she helped her mother she found it was indeed of no importance yet applied shee a pretious baulme vnto it of power to heale a greater griefe But euen then and not before they remembred Pamela and therefore Zelmane thinking of her friend Dorus was running back to be satisfied when they might all see Pamela comming between Dorus and Dametas hauing in her hand the paw of a Beare which the shepheard Dorus had newly presented vnto her deâ—iring her to accept it as of such a beast which though she deserued death for her presumption yet was her witt to be esteemed since she could make so sweet a choice Dametas for his part came piping and dauncing the meriest man in a parish But when he came so neere as he might be heard of Basilius hee would needs breake thorow his eares with this ioyfnll song of their good successe NOw thanked be the great God Pan which thus preserues my loued life Thanked be I that keepe a man who ended hath this bloodie strife For if my man must praises haue what then must I that keepe the knaue For as the Moone the eie doth please with gentle beames not hurting sight Yet hath sir Sunne the greatest praise because from him doth come her light So if my man must praises haue what then must I that keepe the knaue Being all now come together and all desirous to know each others adueÌ„tures Pamelas noble hart would needs gratefully make known the valiaÌ„t mean of her safety which directing her speach to her
might lamentably consider with what face he might looke vpon his till then ioy Philoclea when the next light waking should deliuer vnto her should perchaunce be the last of her hurtles life And that the first time she should bend her excellent eyes vpon him shee should see the accursed aucthor of her dreadfull end euen this consideration more then any other did so set it selfe in his well disposed minde that dispersing his thoughts to all the wayes that might be of her safetie finding a verye small discourse in so narrowe lymits of time and place at length in many difficulties he saw none beare any likelyhood for her life but his death For thē he thought it would fal out that when they foūd his body dead hauing no accuser but Damaetas as by his speach he found there was not it might iustly appeare that either Philoclea in defending her honour or els he himself in dispaire of atchieuing had left his carcase profe of his intent but witnes of her clearenes hauing a small while staied vpon the greatnes of his resolution and loked to the furthest of it be it so said the valiant Pyrocles neuer life for better cause nor to better end was bestowed for if death be to follow this doing which no death of mine could make me leaue vndon who is to die so iustly as my self And if I must die who can be so fit executioners as mine owne hands Which as they were accessaries to the doing so in killing me they shall suffer their owne punishment But then arose ther a new impediment for Damaetas hauing caried away any thing which he thought might hurt as tender a man as himselfe hee coulde finde no fit instrument which might geue him a finall dispatch at length makinge the more haste leaste his Lady should awake taking the Iron barre which being sharper something at the one end then the other he hoped ioynd to his willing strength might breake of the former threed of mortallitie truely said he fortune thou hast well perseuered mine enemie that wilt graunt me no fortune to be vnfortunate nor let me haue an easie passage now I am to troubl thee no more But said he O bar blessed in that thou hast done seruice to the chamber of the paragon of life since thou couldest not help me to make a perfitter escape yet serue my turne I pray thee that I may escape from my selfe there withall yet once looking to fetch the last repast of his eyes and newe againe transported with the pittifull case hee lefte her in kneeling downe he thus prayed O great maker and great ruler of this worlde saide hee to thee do I sacrifice this bloud of mine and suffer Lorde the errors of my youth to passe away therein and let not the soule by thee made and euer bending vnto thee be now reiected of thee neither be offended that I do abandon this body to the gouernment of which thou hadst placed me without thy leaue since how cā I know but that thy vnsearchable minde is I should so doe since thou hast taken from me all meanes longer to abide in it And since the difference stāds but in a short time of dying thou that hast framed my soule enclyned to do good howe can I in this smal space of mine benefit so much all the humane kinde as in preseruing thy perfittest workmanship their chiefest honour O iustice it selfe howsoeuer thou determinest of me let this excellent innocency not bee oppressed Let my life pay her losse O Lord geue me some signe that I may die with this comfort And pawsing a little as if he had hoped for some token and when soeuer to the eternall darknes of the earth she doth followe me let our spirits possesse one place and let them bee more happie in that vniting With that word striking the barre vpon his harte side withall the force he had and falling withall vpon to giue it the thorower passage the barre in troth was to blunt to do theffect although it pearced his skinne and brused his ribbes very sore so that his breath was almost past him But the noyse of his fall draue away sleepe from the quiet sences of the deere Philoclea whose sweete soule had an earely salutation of a deadly spectacle vnto her with so much more astonishment as the falling a sleepe but a litle before she had retired her selfe from the vttermost pointe of wofulnes and sawe now againe before her eyes the most cruell enterprise that humane nature can vndertake without discerning any cause therof But the liuely printe of her affection had soone taught her not to stay long vpon diliberation in so vrgent a necessitie therefore getting with speede her weake though well accorded limmes out of her sweetned bedd as when Iuells are hastely pulled out of some riche coffer she spared not the nakednes of her tender feete but I thincke borne as fast with desire as feare carried Daphne she came running to Pyrocles and finding his spirits somthing troubled with the fall she put by the barre that lay close to him and strayning him in her most beloued embracement my comforte my ioye my life saide shee what haste haue you to kill your Philoclea with the most cruell torment that euer Lady suffred Do you not yet perswade your selfe that any hurte of yours is a death vnto me And that your death shoulde bee my hell Alas if any sodaine mislike of mee for other cause I see none haue caused you to loath your selfe if any fault or defect of mine hath bred this terriblest rage in you rather let mee suffer the bitternes of it for so shal the deseruer be punished mankind preserued from such a ruine I for my part shall haue that comforte that I dye by the noblest hande that euer drew sword Pyrocles greued with his fortune that he had not in one instant cut of all such deliberation thinking his life onely reserued to be bound to bee the vnhappie newes teller Alas said he my onely Starre why doe you this wrong to God your selfe and me to speake of faultes in you no no most faultlesse most perfet Lady it is your excellencie that makes me hasten my desired end it is the right I owe to the generall nature that though against priuate nature makes me seek the preseruation of all that she hath done in this age let me let me dye There is no way to saue your life most worthy to be conserued then that my death be your clearing then did he with farre more paine and backward loathnes then the so neere killing himselfe was but yet driuen with necessitie to make her yeeld to that hee thought was her safetie make her a short but pithie discourse what he had heard by Damaetas speeches confirming the rest with a plaine demonstratiō of their imprisonment And then sought he new meanes of stopping his breath but that by Philocleas labour aboue her force he was stayed to heare her In whom a
no time nor place will euer bee forgiuen you They that yet trusted not to his courtesie bad him stande further off from his sword which he obediently did So farre was loue aboue al other thoughts in him Then did they call together the rest of their fellowes who though they were fewe yet according to their number possesâ—ed many places And then began these sauage Senators to make a consultation what they should do some wishing to spoile them of their Iewels and let them go on their iourney for that if they carried them back they were sure they should haue least parte of their pray others preferring their old homes to any thing desired to bring them to Basilius as pledges of their surety and ther wanted not which cried the safest way was to kill them both to such an vnworthy thraldom were these great and excellent personages brought But the most part resisted to the killing of the Princesse fore-seing their liues would neuer bee safe after such a fact committed and beganne to wish rather the spoyle then death of Musidorus when the villaine that had his legge cut off came scrawling towardes them and being helped to them by one of the companie began with a growning voice and a disfigured face to demaunde the reuenge of his blood which since hee had spent with them in their defence it were no reason he should be suffered by them to die discontented The onely contentment he required was that by their helpe with his own hands he might put his murderer to some cruel death he would faine haue cried more against Musidorus but that the much losse of bloud helped on with this vehemencie choked vp the spirits of his life leauing him to make betwixt his body and soule an ill fauoured partition But they seing their fellow in that sorte die before their faces did swell in newe mortall rages All resolued to kill him but nowe onely considering what manner of terrible death they should inuent for him Thus was a while the agrement of his slaying broken by the disagrement of the manner of it extremitie of cruelty grew for a time to be the stop of crueltie At length they were resolued euery one to haue a pece of him and to become all aswell hangmen as iudges when Pamela tearing her heare and falling downe among them somtimes with al the sorte of humble praiers mixt with promises of great good turnes which they knew her state was able to performe sometimes threatning them that if they kild him and not her she would not onely reuenge it vpon them but vpon all their wiues and children bidding them consider that though they might thinke shee was come away in her fathers displeasure yet they might be sure hee would euer shewe himselfe a father that the Gods woulde neuer if shee liued put her in so base estate but that she should haue abilitie to plague such as they were returning a fresh to prayers and promises and mixing the same againe with threatninges brought them who were now growne colder in their fellowes cause who was past aggrauating the matter with his cryes to determine with themselues there was no way but either to kil them both or saue them both As for the killing already they hauing aunsweared themselues that that was a way to make them Cittezens of the woodes for euer they did in fine conclude they would retourne them backe againe to the King which they did not doubt would bee cause of a greate reward besides their safetie from their fore-deserued punishment Thus hauing either by fortune or the force of those two louers inward working vertue setled their cruel harts to this geÌ„tler course they tooke the two horses and hauing set vpon them their princely prisoners they retorned towards the lodge The villaines hauing decked al their heads with lawrel branches as thinking they had done a notable acte singing and showting ranne by them in hope to haue brought them the same day againe to the King But the time was so farre spent that they were forced to take vp that nights lodging in the middest of the woods Where while the clownes continued their watch about them nowe that the night according to his darke nature did add a kind of desolation to the pensiue harts of these two afflicted louers Musidorus taking the tender hand of Pamela bedewing it with his tearesâ— in this sort gaue an issue to the swelling of his harts grief Most excellent Lady said hee in what case thinke you am I with my selfe howe vnmerciful iudgements do I lay vpon my soule now that I know not what God hath so reuerssed my wel meaning enterprise as in steed of doing you that honour which I hoped and not without reason hoped Thessalia should haue yeelded vnto you am now like to become a wretched instrumeÌ„t of your discomfort Alas how contrary an end haue al the enclinations of my mind taken my faith falls out a treason vnto you and the true honour I beare you is the fielde wherein your dishonour is like to bee sowen But I inuoke that vniuersal and only wisdome which examining the depth of harts hath not his indgement fixed vpon the euent to beare testimonie with me that my desire though in extremest vehemencie yet did not so ouercharge my remembrance but that as farre as mans wit might be extended I sought to preuent al-things that might fall to your hurt But now that all the euil fortunes of euil fortune haue crossed my best framed entent I am most miserable in that that I cannot only not geue you helpe but which is worst of all am barred from giuing you counsail For how should I open my mouth to counsaile you in that wherein by my councel you are most vndeseruedly fallen The faire and wise Pamela although full of cares of the vnhappie turning of this matter yet seing the greefe of Musidorus onely stirred for her did so treade downe all other motions with the true force of vertue that she thus aunswered him hauing first kissed him which before she had neuer done either loue so coÌ„maunding her which doubted how long they should enioy one another or of a liuely spark of noblenes to descend in most fauour to one when he is lowest in affliction My deere and euer deere Musidorus said shee a greater wronge doe you to your selfe that will torment you thus with griefe for the fault of fortune Since a man is bound no further to himselfe then to doe wisely chaunce is only to trouble them that stand vpon chaunce But greater is the wronge at least if any thinge that comes from you may beare the name of wrong you doe vnto me to thinke me either so childish as not to perceaue your faithful faultlessnes or perceauing it so basely disposed as to let my harte be ouerthrown standing vpon it selfe in so vnspotted a purenes Hold for certaine most worthy Musidorus it is your selfe I loue which can no more be diminished by these showers