Remember thou mist me but I will not fail thee and strikes it twice or thrice into his body The murderer cries out fearfully He would have ended him but desirous to know from whence this should come he leaves him yet with some part of life Andronico's friends came with their swords in their hands and thinking this enterprise was followed run up and down the streets to find out the Complices of Valfran but finding none the Justice is sent for into whose hands the Traitor is remitted who confessed in the place that he was incited to this base act unworthy a Gentleman as he was because he saw his Master could not meet Andronico to end their quarrel and that he could not endure that a meaner then his master should resist him so strongly Philippin advertised of this accident loving Valfran as much as he hated Andronico knows not of which side to range himself For if he sustain the traitor he covers himself with shame and infamy and although he protest will be thought partaker in the treason and to renounce him would be to imbrace the cause of his enemy and abandon his friend But honour bears him above friendship and blaming this way as altogether shamefull and illbecoming a generous courage he disavows Valfran yet beseeches the Justice to content themselves with his wounds without putting him to a shamefull death But they were found such as they prevented the punishment of justice for three days after he dyed God by a secret pitty giving him that time to acknowledg his faults which he did demanding a thousand pardons of Andronico for his attempt and understanding the disavow of Philippin which had left him in the point of his greatest necessity cries O how great is the ingratitude of worlings how frail their strength whose amity is enmity to that of God's This death shewed the justice of God which leaves no evil unpunished increased justice in men satisfied Andronico purged Philippin and by this example teaches us the truth of the celestial oracle spoken by the mouth of King David in his Psalm Lean not on th' arm of Princes nor rely On sons of men or humane policy From whom no succors can arrive or come Which can anticipate or divert thy doom When the contracted breath doth upwards draw And like some exhalation flie away The body suddenly returns to earth To take her burial where she took her birth Leaving all empty projects far behind Like atoms scatter'd in the fleeting wind All that Philippin could protest against Valfran notwithstanding in the opinion of the world this shamefull stain rests in his forehead that he was not only cause but also consenting to this abominable act for the fault of the servant is often thrown on the master This raised marvellously the estimation of Andronico who was quitted for stabbing of Valfran Oh how much did Elise find herself bound to him for all this how much love did she protest to him and to keep in her memory an eternal acknowledgment For Andronico was not content to employ his tongue in the defence of her honour in all companies but vowed he would expose his life a thousand times for her protection She must have been insensible to have neglected so many obligations Philippin pursues still his first point to be disengaged in marriage from Elise persevering in his ordinary mockeries and calling Andronico his Rival for so he had been when he first knew Elise being then a Maid and wondring he should contradict him in this separation which he esteemed ought to have been sought by Andronico if he had any design to marry her Thus into what strange speeches was he not transsported saying he should but be too happy being refused and was very glad to yield him a good as he was sorry to take from him And full of many other nipping taunts which I will leave to the conjecture of a good judgment rather then to soil the whiteness of these pages Amongst all these small riots there was great hatred and almost all the Town took part with the one or the other side Those which held with Philippin trumpeted every where the violence Timoleon had used on his will to make him yield to this marriage And Scevole being rich wanted not enviers which rejoyced to see these troubles in his family But this party was least For the insupportable insolence and pride of Philippin in his words and actions made him odious to those which had no interest in his cause So that justice and vertue fighting for Elise made the side of Andronico much more strong and puissant His modesty and discretion contributed not a little to the good will that was borne him by many There was not any that esteemed not Elise to have been happier being his then Philippin's for contentment having been preferred before wealth and riches it is not to be doubted she should have enjoyed as much in the company of this mean Gentleman as this great Lord which uses her with so much cruelty and disdain As things were in this estate there happens to be a marriage not far from Philippins lodging which are common friends to both our Opposites They are both invited to the feast but besought with all affection not to quarrel there for not hindring a Company that was assembled to be only merry and make good cheer Which they both solemnly promise to those that invite them in so free a planner that their inviters hoped I know not what of reconcilation But here is a strange web made For you shall know that Pyrrhe weary to live so long without seeing the issue of his daughters process and not able to support seeing himself the shamefull proverb and object to all his neighbours by a secret suggestion of the devil as it 's to to be believed lets himself be led by the spirit of vengeance esteeming Philippin dealt underhand with his adversary to abuse his patience and the honour of his daughter holding his reputation in suspence during the length of this pursuit He could not come to his ends of Philippin at Bellerive nor at Gold-mount because in the Country he always went so well accompanied in time of his defiance that he had no means to approach him He imagines that walking the streets without suspect it would be easie to surprise him and take the life of him that had made him lose his honour stealing it traiterously as he had ravished and stole his daughter Ill designs are as soon taken as thought on and pernicious counsels as soon followed as proposed For at first discovery he made to his son Herman he offers to execute this enterprise and Pyrrhe himself would be of the party but Herman conjures him to keep his house for the conservation of his goods to the end that if it should come to be discovered after the blow he might having passed the Alps or crossed the seas be assisted by his meanes in Italy or in Spain Pyrrhe though with much
At which name this poor dying man seem'd to enjoy new life of such strength is the empire of Love in the most violent pangs of death His soul took strength at this feeble hope to encourage his body and by little and little the hopes of life came again but yet so leisurely he recovered as rather languishing then living they knew not what to do to restore him Timoleon having many houses had him conveyed from one to another to try if the change of air would give him health but it comes as heavy as lead although his sickness came post certainly it is easie to descend says the Poet but very hard to get up The farther he went from Bellerive the worse he was because he was further off Vaupre where was the only remedy of his longings and the only air that could recover him The end of the first Book ELISE OR Innocencie guilty The Second Book NOt far from the Pyrene Mountains amongst many very pleasant habitations there is a little Hill that for the beauty and fertility of it the inhabitants call Gold-Mount Here Timoleon hath a Castle that hath two properties which lightly are not found together being both strong and fair invironed with a pleasant country and accommodated with all the delights one can desire in a Country-house He commands Philippin to be removed thither and accompanies him himself But by reason they separated him from the Center of his affections all these sweet delights of this pleasant Country were to him bitter and unpleasing they are constrained to bring him back again to Bellarive where when as he began by little and little to get strength helped by the hope he had not to be any more crossed in his love Timoleon having made Scipion tell him that now he thought no more of those promises which he had made him that he did it but to cozen his disease he fell suddenly into such a terrible frensie that whereas in his first sickness they thought only of the loss of his life this second they thought to take away his wits for this troubled him so strangely and produced such unformed actions and fearfull words as none had ever heard tell of the like raving Here is Timoleon more afflicted then ever and the Physitians much troubled to find the cause of this new disease of body not any way considering the troubles of his mind but only by conjectures drawn from the sympathie of the two principal parts which compose our being they imagine that having been bred at Paris and at Court the air of the Country is not so natural as that of the Town for him and that his sadness causes these strange humours in his spirit Timoleon is perswaded the same and resolves to bring him to a place where the frequenting of company might divert him from these melancholy fits Billerive is but a dayes journey from one of the principal Cities in France where he may go without passing the bounds of his exile which was not limited but within his own Province There are more store of Physitians and remedies at hand and spiritual Comforters in greater number His rank and quality noted in the Country made him at first coming visited by many of the chiefest persons of remark Time which is the great Physitian of the affliction of the spirit having drawn away the clouds which suffocated the reason of Philippin renders him now more fit for consolation then he had been before and this house in Town seeming more like the life and air of the Court his first element gives him some ease of his many sufferings Here of a sudden he is returned to his senses and perfect health yet nevertheless always his heart returns towards Vaupre as loving that side of the North. Many visits he hath every day as much for the respect of his father as for the sweetness of his own conversation Though not quite healed of his wound nothing is so pleasing to him as to steal by himself sometimes to contemplate his thoughts in the object he could not see but with the eyes of his understanding As many men as attend him are as so many Watches so that he might say as the holy Scripture saith So many domesticks as many enemies Timoleon which saw this fire was covered with ashes not quite out pressed in part with desire to divert his son from this affection prejudicial to the greatness of his house and partly with desire to see him married which of necessity must be done sometimes consulting if he should send him into Italy or to travel into Spain or to imploy him in the Town in those exercises which young Noblemen ordinarily use His friends counselled him not to send him into those strange Countries so suddenly after his sickness it is his only son the light of his eyes the staff of his age this changing of Country will not change his affection as marriage would All conclude that marriage was a tye that would settle him in peace and bring him comfort and assure his house withdrawing him from all these youthfull passions Timoleon makes choise of this forced to it by his domestick necessities for his so long having been a Courtier living at a great height of expence had brought him much behind-hand and in great debts having been constrained to mortgage a good part of his estate A good portion would clear all this This deliberation made known there would not need much time to find a fit Match for him as being of so noble a house the best in that Town would be very proud of his alliance to match their daughter so honorably A Magistrate of a soveraign Company wonderfull rich having but two Daughters the eldest being married to one of the Officers of this Estate the second we will call Elise for two reasons for truly she bore the name of the famous Cousin visited by the Mother of our blessed Saviour when she was with child of the Forerunner of Messias and because methinks she hath somthing in her innocencie found fit to be compared to the Queen of Carthage whom the Prince of the Roman Poets that pleasing lyre hath taxed with having committed a fault with Aeneas of which she is revenged by those which have written the true history of her chaste carriage This younger was a Maid although but indifferently endowed with the gifts of nature in what concerns the face in so much as she was judged better for a Wife then for a Mistress but on the other side she was so endowed with vertue and with that which most esteem riches that this abundance of gold was able to make any one to think deformity it self fair Timoleon sees this Maid for his Son and like him which more considered her wealth then her form finds that this great portion would quite clear all his affairs and disengage all his house He speaks with Scevole thus we will name this Magistrate father of this Gentlewoman who is not slow in opening his eyes on
this great alliance and promises to set all his rest and to make Elise his absolute heir universal so it may be accomplished To ask obtain is all one thing She is something elder then the Youth but that is no matter that 's the least Timoleon cares not for that he shall have crowns in abundance and which is more an Officer which will maintain and govern all the businesses of his house He concludes it absolutely with Scevole who doubts nothing of the obedience of his daughter though Timoleon cannot assure himself of his sons Yet resolved to imploy his force where love could get no place one day having called him makes a speech to him with all the sweetness he could borrow of his pride and greatness of his spirit He shewed him the debts and necessities of his house of which the fall and ruine was at hand if it were not restored by some rich Match and therefore counselled him to think seriously on it forgetting his unworthy thoughts of that Isabel which had almost lost him his life and wits too and to bestow his love upon some Lady of the City without thinking longer of this Country-wench Doth not he play the father of Sampson seeking to turn his son from the marriage of Dalilah His son finding himself used with all sort of sweetness having heretofore found nothing but rough carriage found himself touched in the tendrest of his affections But as it is impossible that a new Vessel should lose the smell and colour of the liquor with which it hath been first fill'd he was in great pain how to answer his father according to his desire And yet not willing to set him abroad to no purpose he esteemed it better to direct his speech with that government as might not seem altogether to oppose him He began to consider the necessities of his house yet not esteeming them other but that his father might repair them with good husbandry But when he was urged by his father to seek a Match in the Town after having excused himself of his tenderness of years unapt for that Timoleon having taken him at that word told him he ought not then to do it with Isabel Sir I believe it replied he that marriages are made in heaven and practised on earth and it is hard to resist the influence of this cause being concluded above to that point And therefore he besought him to pardon him having received of God free-will and not of him Although the respect he ought him might hinder him from marrying yet his authority should not be so tyrannous as to make him take a wife against his will For hot being possible to have both he could never be others then hers whom the heavens and his consent had first given him Scarce had Timoleon patience to hear his last word with a dying liberty when putting himself into his accustomed threats and revilings yet withholding himself in the midst of this torrent as impetuous as impious for fear to put this young Lord into those extremities which his violent cruelty had heretofore reduced him to So constraining his nature he cast himself on rebellion and disobedience and ingratitude of children saying they were accompanied with the pride of liberty that without any wisdom or experience they will make laws to their fathers and by their sottish love and particular fancies bring desolation to their house With this his choler made him utter many frivolous threats as That if he did not marry he would disinherit him and give him his curse if he should ever marry with his Vassal reproaching him of baseness and poorness of spirit withall speaking many invective words against this Gentlewoman by reason of her skill in so many exercises the rock and wheel being fitter for her To all which Philippin answered with silence excusing himself that having given his word and promise in writing given and received he could not before God nor men take other wife but Isabel without deceiving her Hereupon Timoleon consulted with Scevole yet hiding most part of his displeasure and these denials of Philippin This foolish Boy says he being abroad one day falls in love with a Tenants daughter of mine a Gentleman here by and so far as he hath promised marriage Can this promise bind him To which Scevole answered no but that all these private contracts secret practises and flying oaths promises by word or by writing were as air or running water Timoleon joyed as if Scevole had given him life goes and consults with the Theologians which teach him the same doctrine the last Councel of Oecumenie declaring null all marriages clandestine He returns to his son of whom he promised himself an assured victory For having demanded of him if he would submit himself to his obedience if he did shew him that all his oaths and signings were worth nothing now this youth esteeming them in full strength yielded to give him all honour and respect He brings a company of Lawyers and Divines to decide this difficulty before him but he esteeming it a trick would not believe them He gives him liberty to go to any of the Town to enquire himself where having found conformity in all he was much astonished finding himself taken by the nose to the prejudice of his affection He must doubt no more Whilst he strives to hinder these baits and to kick against the pricks the more he fills his way and puts himself into blame and ill opinion of all and encourages his father to use his authority who hath no watch but on his goods He is reprehended of rebellion and disobedience here is heaven and earth against him stoned with the reasons of all those which have no feeling or sense of his love One day seeing himself vanquished by his fathers propositions which like a cunning Fencer pressed him still further after having put the shame in his face and turned all the fault on him Sir answered he they which will ask a reason for Love may as well seek fresh water in the sea or birds in the floods and fishes in the air For the reason of Love is Love it felf whose empire is so strong as it maintains it self good against our selves forcing us to do that we would not and making us do that we ought not 'T is true these promises by words or writing are nothing in right but yet in deed for the one and the other are in being That which I received of Isabel is in your power but that which I writ and sealed is in her hands I know not how to resolve my self of this shamefull denial as long as these are in being firm for they will serve for an eternal reproach of my infidelity which will be to my perpetual shame Is this the cause quoth Timoleon that withholds you from shewing your duty in obeying my commands Why whether Pyrrhe will or no it shall be very easie for me to break and make it of no effect He suddenly
doth give us leisure She living retired with her father under the wings of her mother Sophy with as much will and obedience as when she was a Maid Oh if she had not tempred the rage of her fathers anger against Philippin what would he not have done to have brought this deboist son-in-law to his duty and obedience See but what a good disposition she is of to procure all good to him which had used her so cruelly and so shamefully sent her away But it may be her goodness was not commendable in this for hindring the course of justice which reduces sometime to good the most desperate for fear of punishment So that being patient and hoping that this foolish love would be past over quickly out of the fancy of this cruel man whom though lost as he was she loved as her life she inspires patience into Scevole although he had much ado to suffer these outrages We have told you how she was great with child and because she did not nourish the fruit in her body but with bread of grief and â—ink of tears we must not wonder if brought to bed before 〈◊〉 time a son came into the world without life for grief had stifled it in his mothers womb Philippin being both its father and deaths-man This pittiful creature thought to carry with herself that she had brought forth into the sepulchre Too happy Elise if dying thus thou hadst not been reserved to a trespass unworthy thy fair life I will leave take to speak of her excellent vertues which she practised during this horrible travel which she thought should have put her in her grave what holy and Christian thoughts sustained her courage during these assaults She receives all the Sacraments of the Church with that devotion that edified all those which saw these actions they thought their hearts would have cleft with pitty She asks a thousand pardons of her parents filled with grief to see her in this estate Committing to her sister Leonore the pardon she demanded of Philippin whose cruelties she even honoured in this extreme agony She lost so much blood as she thought verily to have rendred up her soul by this flux the Physitians believing no less But as this languishing death is rather tedious then violent leaving their judgments with a great clearness and understanding she had leisure to write this Letter in her extremities which she would have subscribed with her blood to touch with pitty the insensible heart of her welbeloved Adversary VVe will report it thus NOw that this soul of mine is ready to leave the miserable body that could never find grace before your eyes and being now at point to flie into the arms of the welbeloved heavenly Bridegroom Permit thrice beloved and most lovely Philippin to this wretched Elise to open her heart unto thee which hath always been entirely and invariably thine that in taking of you and of the world my last leave I may present before you for my farewell these dying words since after so many sweet testimonies of friendship we must part the remembrance of which is death in the most cruel death it self that I should prove change in a courage which had promised me never should be capable of infidelity It is long since I would have left my life if the laws of God had not forbid my passage which I go to free with as little grief as life being deprived of your favour is pleasing to me Alas must I for having honoured â—â—u so religiously endure that usage more fit for an infidel I will not contest with you if it be with reason that I have fâ—â— the effects so contrary to their cause For your will being my rule and my reason makes me against my judgment believe that all you have done to me rigorously I feel is full of equity and justice So that examining my conscience upon the duties I was bound to give you and finding my self not guilty of any thing I think that for a punishment of my other sins God hath permitted you to take my respects for wrongs and my humilities for outrages Had I been treated in the form of offenders I should have understood the cause of my punishment before undergone But I was struck with thunder before the lightning appeared and sooner condemned then heard The which I say not to complain for fear to turn this complaint into an offence to hurt you in thinking to s atisfie you humbly asking pardon for all I have failed in to your service For although my duty and condition bound me to give you all sort of obedience and fidelity it is true I was more carried by my love then for any other consideration of civil respect I think without vanity being the creature in the world which hath best loved you and which thinks not to have given other subject to offend you but the excess of her ardent affection But almost the perfection of love is in excess who sees not but this fault carries its excuse in its accusation and if blamed is commendable It may be if she had not been so fervent in affection you had esteemed her more but her extremity made you less accept it so that you have no way heretofore comprehended it but like a weak vapour dispersed as soon as risen since in a moment it is dead in your remembrance Alas what is become of that happy time in which not having other care but to please you you seemed to study nothing but to content me in yielding me love for love in which consisted the feast of our felicities Whither are those fair dayes gone in which you received no contentment but by my me nor did any thing but by my counsel as I lived not but for you nor breathed not but to please you Times and dayes too happy and whereof the sweet enjoying is converted for a fault to my memory Alas must I for having been invariable be so lightly changed and a fading beauty with so little consideration be preferred before a solid goodness But why do I lose my self in this complaint having had a des ign to sâ—â—ther it in my soul for fear to offend you All I fear is that this Letter should trouble by pitty the repose my ashes desire to contribute to your new flames Happy beyond my merit if I may do you service by my death by making the unjust legitimate Of all my ills I accuse my ill fortune not attributing them to any but to my own faults not deserving of you but that just hatred with which you have pursued my indignities That which comforts me in the griefs that bury me is that the cause of my sufferings lightens my grief I apprehend only that this paper soils not with some shadow of reproach and with some touch of ingratitude so many perfection as I have always loved and honoured in your person for which the least supportable rigors have seemed not only tolerable but sweet my affection