pleasing you and my diligence in pleasuring her THE Duke hearing the friendly and faythfull protestation of the good Ladie Melytta tolde her that although it were great trouble for one of her age to frame her selfe as a companion to such young youth and that some care belonged to such a charge yet hée woulde so counteruaile her painefull labour with princely lyberalitie that both she and all Alexandria should haue cause to speake of his bountie MElytta thanking the Duke for such vndeserued curtesie setting her householde affaires in good order repaired to the Court as spéedely as might be But leauing her with Castania againe to Cwydonius Who now béeing aryued at Alexandria pinched wyth pouertie and distressed with want hauing no coyne left wherewith to counteruaile his expences thought it his best course if it were possible to compasse the Dukes seruice repairing therefore to the Court he had not staied there thrée dayes before hée found fit opportunitie to offer his seruice to Orlanio whome verie duetifully hée saluted on this manner TYE report right worthie Prince of your incomparable courtesie and pearlesse magnanimitie is so blazed abroade throughout all Countries by the golden trumpe of Fame that your grace is not more loued of your subiects which tast of your liberall bounty then honoured of straungers which onely heare of your princely vertue Insomuch that it hath forced me to leaue my natiue soile my parents kindred and familiar friendes and pilgrimelyke to passe into a straunge Countrie to trie that by experience héere which I haue heard by report at home For it is not right worthie sir the state of your Countrie which hath allured me for I déeme Bohemia whereof I am no lesse pleasant then Alexandria neither hath want of liuing or hope of gaine intised me for I am by birth a Gentleman and issued of such parents as are able with sufficient patrimonie to maintaine my estate but the desire not onely to sée but also to learne such rare curtesie and vertuous qualities as fame hath reported to be put in practise in your Court is the onely occasion of this my iourney Now if in recompence of this my trauaile it shall please your grace to vouchsafe of my seruice I shall thinke my selfe fully satisfied and my paines sufficiently requited Orlanio hearing this dutifull discourse of Gwydonius marking his manners and musing at his modestie noting both his excellent curtesie and exquisite beautie was so inflamed with friendlye affection towarde this young youth that not onely he accepted of his seruice but also preferred him as a companion to his sonne Thesandro promising that since he had left his Countrie and parents for this cause he would so counteruaile his dutifull desert with fauour and friendshippe as he shoulde neuer haue cause to accuse him of ingratitude Gwydonius repaying heartie thankes to the Duke for his vndeserued curtesie béeing nowe brought from woe to weale from despaire to hope from bale to blisse from care to securitie from want to wealth yea from hellish miserie to heauenly prosperitie behaued himselfe so wisely and warily with such curtesie in conuersation and modestie in manners that in short time hée not hnely purchased credite and countenaunce wyth Orlanio but was most entirely liked loued of ThersaÌ„dro Now there remained in the Court a young knight called Signor Valericus who by chaunce casting his glauncing eies on the glittering beautie of Castania was so fettered in the snare of fancie and so intangled with the trap of affection so perplexed in the Laborinth of pinching loue and so inchaunted with the charme of Venus Sorcerie that as the Elephant reioyceth greatly at the sight of a rose as y â— bird Halciones delighteth to view y e feathers of the Phoenix and as nothing better contenteth a Roe buck then to gaze at a red cloth so ther was no obiect that could allure the wauering eies of Valericus as the surpassing beautie of Castania yea his onely blisse pleasure ioy and delight was in féeding his fancie with staring on the heauenlye face of his Goddesse But alasse her beautie bredde his bane her lookes his losse her sight his sorowe her exquisite perfections his extreame passions that as the Ape by séeing the Snaile is infected as the Leoparde falleth in a traunce at the sight of the Locust as the Cockatrice dyeth with beholding the Chrisolito so poore Valericus was pinched to the heart with viewing her comely countenaunce was griped with galding griefe and tortured with insupportable tormentes by gasing vppon the gallant beautie of so gorgeous a dame Yea he so framed in his fancie the forme of her face and so imprinted in his heart the perfection of hir person that the remembrance thereof would suffer him take no rest but he passed the daie in dolour the night in sorrow no minute without mourning no houre without heauinesse that falling into pensiue passions he began thus to parle with himselfe Why how now Valericus quoth hée art thou haunted with some hellish hagge or possessed with some frantike fury art thou inchanted with some magical charme or charmed with some bewitching Sorcerie that so sodainely thy minde is perplexed with a thousand sundrie passions alate frée and now fettered alate swimming in rest and now sinking in care erewhile in securitie now in captiuitie yea turned from mirth to mourning froÌ„ pleasure to paine from delight to despight hating thy selfe and louing her who is the chiefe cause of this thy calamitie Ah Valericus hast thou forgot the saying of Propertius that to loue howsoeuer it be is to loose and to fancie howe charie so euer thy choice be is to haue an ill chaunce for Loue though neuer so fickle is but a Chaos of care and fancie though neuer so fortunate is but a masse of miserie for if thou inioye the beautie of Venus thou shalt finde it small vauntage if thou gette one as wise as Minerua thou mayst put thy winninges in thine eye if as gorgeous as Iuno thy accompts being cast thy gaine shall be but losse yea be shée vertuous be â—he chaâ—t be she courteous be she constant be she rich be she renowmed be she honest be she honourable yet if thou be wedded to a woman thinke thou shalt finde in her sufficient vanitie to counteruaile her vertue that thy happinesse will be matcht with heauinesse thy quiet with care thy contentation with vexation that thou shalt sowe séede with sorrowe and reape thy corne with sadnesse that thou shalt neuer liue without griefe nor dye without repentaunce for in matching with a wife ther is such mischifes and in mariage such miseries that Craterus the Emperour wishing some sinister Fortune to happen vpon one of his foes prayed vnto the Gods that he might be maried in his youth and dye without issue in his age counting mariage such a combersome crosse and a wife such a pleasant plague that he thought his foe could haue no worse torment than to be troubled with such
she might staye still in the chamber of presence whether presently Thersandro was sent for who curteously and curiously dooing his obysaunce to the Duke deliuered his Embassage in this manner WHere-as riâ—ht worthie sir Oâ—lanio the Duke of Alexandria more vnwittingly then wilâ—ully denyed certaine tribute which hée confesseth both hée and his predecesâ—ours haue paide to you and your aunâ—estâ—urs Hearing that heerevppon your grace meanetâ— rather to wage battaile then to loose anie parte of your due although he feareth not your force as one able euery way to withstand it nor passeth of your puissaunce as a Potentate sufficient to resist your power Yet the care hée hath of his subiectes safetie and the loue hee hath to preserue the life of his commons the regard he hath to paie and performe that which conscience and custome requireth and lastly meaning with Tully Iniquissimam pacem iustissimo bello anteponere Hée hath sent mée both to sue for conditions of peace and to pay the tribute which if your grace shall refuse of force he must put his hope in the hazard of Fortune THersandro hauing thus pythelye performed his charge Clerophontes tolde him that vpon a sodaine he woulde not dispatche so waightie a matter but meant first both to consulte and take counsaile of his Nobles which done within thrée dayes hée shoulde haue an aunswere In the meane time hée commaunded Lucianus the Steward of his house verie courteouslye to intreate both Thersandro and his traine and to feast them with such sumptuous fare as they might haue cause most highly to extoll his magnificence But leauing Clerophontes to consult with his learned counsaylours and Thersandro to companie with the lustie Courtiers againe to Lewcippa who while this young youth was telling of his â—ale neuer markte the matter but the man nor regarded not the parle but respected the person neuer noted the contents but viewed his countenance In such sort that shée was so scorched with the fire of fancie and so scalded with the flame of affection so bewitched with his beautie and so inueagled with his bountie as hée was the onelye man that made her checke at the praie bate at the Lure and wyllingly yéelde to the first assaulte of fancie And on the other side Fortune so fauoured that Thersandro printing in his heart the perfection of Lewcippas person felte his fréedome so fettered by the viewe of her heauenly face and so snared in the beames of her amorous glaunces that hée wisht that eyther this discention had neuer growen or that hée hadde not béene the deliuerer of the message for hee felt his heart alreadie so ouergrowen wyth good-will towardes this younge Princesse as no salue but her selfe was able to mittigate his sorrowe no medicine but her courteâ—â—e was able to cure his calamitie and hée thought to preferre his sute to his professed foe was follie to linger still in loue was death and miserie to séeke for helpe at her handes neyther woulde the present state permitte him nor time suffer him to prosecute his purpose daunted with these diuerse doubtes to auoyde the melancholike motions that molested his minde hée presently went from his lodging to the Court that by companie he might driue awaie these dumpes where hée found in the great chamber diuerse Ladies and Gentlemen passing awaie the time in pleasaunt parle amongst whom was that pearelesse Paragon princely Lewcippa who after due reuerence done to the Gentlewomen in generall was singled out by Thersandro and courted in this wise MAdame quoth hée if anie creature hath iust occasioâ— to accuse either Nature or the Gods of iniustice man onelye hath the greatest cause to make this complaint for there is none eyther so depriued of reason or deuoide of sence which by some naturall instinct dooeth not skilfully presage of perills before they come and warily preuent ere they be past The Goates of Lybia knowe certainelye when the Canicular dayes beginne wherein commonlye they fall blinde and therefore by eating the hearbe â—olopodium they prouidentlye preuent their disease When the Lyon leaueth his Lawnes and raungeth in forraine Desertes hée alwayes foresheweth a drought When the Fish called Vâ—anascapos sinketh downe to the bottome of the Sea hée bewrayeth greate tempestes to bée imminent But man is so farre from this secrete foresight that not onelye hée cannot deuine of these ensuinge daungers but rather wilfullye or willing pusheth himselfe into most manifest perills which madame I speake as féeling my selfe distressed with this want For if I had bene indued with this sacred prescience perfectly to presage of ensuing perilles I had not ben crossed with such cares as I am like to incur nor hadde cause to repent this my present arriuall But sith lacke of such skill hath procured my losse and that when the hurt is had it is too late to take héede though reuealing of my mishappe cannot heale my miserie nor repeating of my paines redresse my sorrowe yet I meane to participate my passions to your good grace that though you cannot or will not mittigate my maladie yet you maye pittie my estate which will somewhat ease my heauinesse I came to your Fathers Court madame a frée man of Alexandria and am lyke to retourne a captiue of Metelyne I arriued deuoyde of care and am lyke to departe drenched with calamitie I landed frée from affection but feare to passe hence fraught with fancie my charge was onely to parle of peace but my chaunce is to discourse of passions Yea your beautie hath so fettered my fréedome and so snared my heart in the linkes of your loue that it shall neuer bée raced out by anye sinister meanes of Fortune although I sée it is almost impossible to obtayne it For I doubte our parents are lyke to proclaymâ— themselues professed foes and the vrgent necessitie of my affayres forceth mée to departe so spéedelye as want of time wyll not suffice to make tryall of my loue whereby I might claime a sufficient guerdon for my good wyll yet howsoeuer the matter shall happe whether my hope be voide or my happe be vaine I meane madame to remaine yours for euer Lewcippa tooke such delight in hearing Thersandro discourse so louingly as she could scarely kéepe her countenaunce from bewraying the pleasure she conceiued in this parle séeing that her loue was requited with lyking and her fancie incountered with the like affection Yet least Thersandro should thinke her too curteous if she shuld come at the first call and very light of loue to like at the first looke she framed him this aunswere SIr quoth she if of your sute for conditions of peace there insue no better successe than the reuealing of your passions shall reape pittie at my handes or if the intreatie for truce be as lightly respected by my Father as either your person or petition is regarded by me you are like to carrie home cold newes to your couÌ„trey and to vaunt that you bad faire but bought little that your Haruest was long
loued Helena Sparta had neuer reioyced nor Troy ben brought to ruine But did not I cause him to goe to Menelaus vnder coulour of Embassage to Court vnto his wife to leade her awaie by force and after to defend his vniust quarrel against all Greece Who had spoken of the loue of Dido if he had not deuised to goe a hunting that she might haue the better commoditie to communicate with Aeneas that by such priuate familiaritie he might not be ashamed to take from her that which long before most willingly she would haue giuen him I beléeue no mention had béene made of Artemizia if I had not caused her drinke the cynders of her husbands dead carcasse for else who had knowen whether she had loued her husband more then other women The effect and issues of things alwayes make them to be praised or dispraised If thou makest men to loue yet I am oft times the chiefest cause But if any straunge aduenture or greate effect chaunceth in that thou hast no part but the onely honour belongeth vnto me Thou rulest nothing but y â— heart the rest I gouerne yea I leade thée I conducte thée and thine eyes serue thée to no more vse then the beames of the Sunne to a blinde man But to the ende thou knowe mée from hence foorth and that thou mayst giue mée thankes for conducting thée carefullye Beholde nowe howe greatlye thine eyes dooe profite thée Follie putteth out Cupids eies Loue. Alasse Iupiter O my mother Venus what auayleth it to bée thy sonne so feared so redoubted both in heauen and in earth if I be subiect to bée iniured as the most vile slaue in the worlde Alasse haue I thus lost mine eies by an vnknowen woman Folly Take héede sond foole another time to rayle vppon those who perhappes are of more force and puissaunce then thou Thou hast offended the Quéene of men thou hast outraged her who gouerneth the heart the braine and the minde Under whose shadowe euerie one once in his lyfe shroudeth himselfe and ther remaineth either long or short time according to his merite thou hast displeased her who procureth thy renowme thou hast contempned her who hath aduaunced thée and therfore hath this misfortune fallen vpon thy head Loue. Alasse how is it possible for me to 〈◊〉 her whom I neuer knew or to reuerence that person whom before I neuer sawe but if thou hast borne me such great good will as thou saist pardon this my offence and restore me my sight Folly To restore thée thine eyes is not in my power but I will couer the place to hide the deformitie Folly couereth Cupids face with a Scarfe and giueth him wings And in liew of this haplesse lucke thou shalt haue these wings which shal cary thée whether thou wilt wish Loue. But where hadst thou this vaile so readie to couer my deformitie Folly It was giuen me as I came hether by one of the destinies who told me it was of that nature that if it were once fastned it could neuer be vnloosed Loue. How vnloosed am I then blinde for euer O vile and traiterous wretch coulde it not suffice to pull out mine eyes but to take awaie the meanes that the Gods cannot restore them now I sée the sentence verified on my selfe that it is not good to take a present at the hande of an enimie O cruell destinies O cursed daie shall not the heauens the earth and the seas haue cause to waile sith loue is blinde But why doe I complaine héere in vaine it is better for me to sue to the Gods for reuengement The second discourse Loue goeâ—â— from the Pallace of Iupiter lamenting to himselfe his mischiefe Loue. Alasse in what miserable case am I what can eyther my bowe or mine arrowes auaile me nowe can I not cause whom I 〈…〉 â—oue but without respect of persons euerie one is in daunger of my darts Hetherto I haue onely caused daintie damsells and young youths to loue I did choose out the brauest blouds and the fairest and most well featured men I did pardon vile and base persons I excused the deformed creatures and let olde age remaine in peace But now thiâ—king to hit a young gallaunt I light vpon some olde â—â—â—ting lecher in stéed of some braue Gentleman I strike some filthie foule lurden And it shall happen I dâ—â—bt that they shall bée most fortunate in their loue so that by patrimonie presence or wealth they shall soonest winne the fauour of women and by this meanes my kingdome shall come to ruine when men sée in it such disorder and euill gouernment Venus hauing long sought Cupid now meeteth him I haue carefully long sought thée my deare sonne meruailing what the cause shoulde bée that thou hast not bene present at the banket of Iupiter Who is greatly incensed against thee not onely for thy absence but for the complaintes which are 〈◊〉 out against thée by sundrie poore artificers labouring men pesaunts slaues hand maides olde men and toothlesse aged women crying all vnto Iupiter that they loue thinking themselues greatly iniured in this respect that the passion which is proper to worthy and noble men should be inflicted vpon them which are of the base and vildest sort Loue. Had not the great misfortune which is chaunced vnto me happened I had neither bene absent from the banquet nor these gréeuous complaints had not bene inferred against mée Venus Why and art thou hurt Who hath thus vailed thine eies Loue. Folly hath not onely pulled them out but also hath put this bande before mine eies which can neuer be taken away Venus O cursed enimie of all wisedome O haplesse wretch vniustly called a Goddesse and more vnrightly tearmed immortall hast thou depriued me of my chiefest delight and felicitie O disaster loue O dissolute mother O wofull Venus who séest thy sonne thy ioy and onely care thus cruelly depriued of his sight Well since thy mishap is so great I vowe that euerie one that shall loue what fauour or happie successe so euer he shall haue shall not be without some care trouble or calamitie that hée vaunt not himselfe to be more happie then the sonne of Venus Loue. Cease off good mother from these sorrowfull complaints redouble not my griefe by these your dolorous discourses suffer mée to beare mine owne misfortune and wish not euill vnto them which shall bée my subiectes Venus Well let vs then goe to Iupiter and complaine of this cursed inchauntresse The third discourse Venus If euer thou hadst pittie of my plaintes most iust Iupiter when thou sawest me labour to saue my son Aeneas from the furie of the raging Seas and to defend him from other daungers in the which he was present at the siege of Troy If my teares for the death of my deare Adonis moued thée to compassion The surpassing sorrow that I doe conceiue for the great iniurie offered to Cupid I hope shall moue thée to pittie If teares wold suffer me I would
but to dryue him more into dolefull dumpes she retourned him this dampe Castania to Signor Valericus AS it is impossible Signor Valericus to strayne moyst licour out of the drye flint to procure flaming heat in that which alreadie is nipped with chilling colde to force the sturdie streames to run against their common course so as harde it is to winne vnwilling loue eyther with teares for trueth For if thy birth and patrimonie coulde counteruaile my parentage if my Father were content to knitte vp the knotte yet neyther his commaunde nor thy intreatie shoulde not make me to choose without my owne loue or liking Sith then thou arte the man whome I rather loath than like cease from thy sute make a vertue of necessitie and asswage the flame thy selfe which no other will quench By importunate persisting in thy purpose where no hope is thou proouest thy selfe rather a desperate sotte than a discréete souldiour To hoppe against the Hill is extreame fondnesse to stryue agaynst the streame méere follye then Valericus auoyde the one and eschew the other for if thou wilt séeke to gaine my good wil thou shalte tourne the endlesse stone with Sisiphus and therefore take my naye for an answere For if I wold I can not and if I coulde I will not And so farewell No waye yours Castania VAlericus hauing receyued this rigorous Letter from ruthlesse Castania séeing with what great disdaine she reiected his dutifull deuotion and howe with coye countenaunce and lowring lookes she rewarded his loyall loue hée beganne with reason somewhat to represse his rage and with wisedome to redresse his witlesse follye for comparing her crueltie with his owne courtesie and her wilfull disdaine with his willyng dutye his disordinate desire beganne not onely to decay but his extreame loue tourned to extreame hate in so much that forced with despight hée sent her in reuenge these raging lynes Valericus the despised to despitefull Castania DIogenes béeing demaunded why so extreamelye hée hated women aunswered because quoth he they be women so if thou aske of me why so rudely I raile agaynst thy recklesse folly I aunswere because thou arte Castania whose mercilesse minde is so misledde with ingratitude and whose currish nature is foyled with carelesse inconstancie that lyke Menechmus Supreptus his wife thou doost not begin to loue ere agayne thou séekest tâ— hate Thou playest Castania lyke the young Eagles which béeing hatched vp by the Birde Osyphaga neuer séeke to pearke on loftye Mountes but to sitte in durtye Dales and lyke the gréedie kyte which leaueth the swéete flesh to praye on the stincking carrion But why doo I so farre forget my selfe Is shée to bée blamed that leaueth her choyce to haue a better chaunce or is the Fawlchon to bée accused of bastardie that leaueth the Starlyng to praye on the Larke No and no doubt such is thy case for if it be true that all speaketh or at the least suspecteth thou art lyke by thy louers Parentage to become a greate Potentate for if armes bée the bewrayer of auncient discentes no doubte hée is come of an olde house Yea thy Father Orlanio maye reioyce if hée lyue to sée the daye that his Daughter shall bée so well wedded as to such a wranglyng Wisarde But Pasiphae preferred a Bull before a King and Venus a sméered Smith before Mars the God of Battayle Tush Psomneticus was Father to Rhodopes Children whosoeuer begatte them and that Cloake is of a course spinning that cannot kéepe off the raine Farewell Liuing he hopes to reuenge thy iniuries Wofull Valericus CAstania no sooner had read these despitefull lynes of Valericus but her minde fried with the flames of furie and her breast boyled with raging wrath in such sort that she coulde not be in quiet nor take any rest she busied her selfe so carefully in studying with what kinde of reuenge she might best wreake her wrathe vppon him and requite his spitefull speaches At last womanlike she found her tongue the best wepon and with that she plagued him in this sorte Castania to Valericus neither health nor good hap THE Mastiffe Dogge Valericus can neuer queste lyke a Spaniell but hée must alwayes barke lyke a Curre it is naturall for the Pye to chatter for the Iaye to iangle and for thée to rayle and rage like a franticke foole Dooest thou thinke Valericus by brauling like a beggar to become a king or by thy moodlesse follye to obtaine my fauour no as I knowe thy knauerie so I passe not for thy brauerie neither can those vaunts stande for payment where the partie is prickte for a péeuish paltring patch It is no maruell if thy doggish letters sauoure of Diogenes doctrine for in troth thou art such a Cinicall kinde of Dunâ—e that thy fond felicitie is in biting bitterly those whom otherwise thou canst not reuenge In déede gentle Balaams Asse if I had bene so lyght as to haue loued you I myght iustlye haue bene accused to haue bene a Curre or a Kystrell for in faith she that féedes her fancie on thy face maye onely reape this profite to fill her eyes full with the figure of a foole For my louers Armes Valericus they are imblased in such a coate as it is harde for thée to controwle But I know thou boastest y â— thou hast gotten thy Antiquitie by conquest and kéepest thy Letters patentes in the beggers borâ— Thus adieu Sir Dunce the more you mislike mee the better I loue my selfe Thy detested foe Castania VAlericus his heart was so hardened with hate as he was nothing dismayed with this rigorous reply but thought himselfe halfe satisfied that he hadde thus kindly toucht her to the quicke praying the Gods that sith it was not in his possibilitie to make any sufficient reuenge they would by some sinister meanes requite hir crueltie But leauing him to his dumpes at last to Gwydonius who besides the beautie of his bodie and the bountie of his minde whereat all Alexandria wondred had by good gouernment and perfect practise obtained such a dexteritie in all things as in feates of armes no man more forward in exercise none more actiue in playe none more polliticke in parle none more pleasant amongst his auncients very wise amongst the youthfull who more merrie so that there was no time person nor place whereto he aptly applyed not himselfe insomuch that he entered into such fauour and familyaritie with Thersandro and Castania that he was the onely man whose companie they desired to enioye But especially Castania who by casting a gazing glaunce some time vpon the beautie of Gwydonius felte a certayne restraint of libertie in her affections an alteration of minde and as it were a ciuill assault within her selfe but hauing small practise in the pangs of loue shée could not coniecture the secret cause of these her sodaâ—â—e passions thinking that as it was a toye lyghtlye taken so it would as lightly be left and vpon this still she rested conceiuing
such tumbling waues such fearefull surges such roaring stremes such hideous goulfs as it made the passage séeme a thousand times more perillous This terrible sight was such a cooling Card to my former conceits as hope was turned to feare blisse to bale supposed happinesse to assured heauinesse And yet my fancie was not quenched but rather far the more inflamed my desire was not diminished but augmented my liking no lesse but rather inlarged so that to liue in loue without hope was loathsome to séeke redresse was losse of life to want my wish was horror to inioy my will was hell to liue in care without comfort was calamitie to séeke for cure was more thâ— miserie not to possesse y e pray was hellish daunger to venture for the prize was haples death Thus crossed with cares daunted with such diuers doubts desperate hope so repulsed direfull feare y â— incouraged by ventrous desire I hadde either obtained my wish or wanted of my will if your Ladyshippe had not so sodainely wakened me out of my slumber Thus madame Castania you haue heard my dreame now the doubt is whether it had ben better to haue ventured vppon the brickle bridge and so either desperatly to haue ended cares with death or else valiantly to haue inioyed desire with renowme or still like a fearefull dastard to haue ended my dayes in lingering loue with myserie Castania hearing the surmised dreame of Gwydonius both smelled the fetch and smiled at the follie of this young youth knowing that these fantastical visions and presupposed passions would in time if he tooke not héed proue but too true to preuent therefore such imminent perills shée nipt her young nouice on the pate with this parle GWydonius quoth shée I haue listened to thy drousie dreame with déep deuotion by so much the more desirous attentiuely to heare it by howe much the more I finde it straunge and wonderfull yea so straunge as if I my selfe had not wakened thée out of thy slumber I would either haue thought it a fained vision or a fantasticall inuention but sith these Gentlemen héere present mine owne eyes are witnesses thine owne tongue a testimonie of thy talke suffice I beléeue it though I can not diuine it to giue a verdit where the euidence is not vnderstood is vanitie to yéeld a reason of an vnknowen case is méere folly and to interpret so straunge a dreame without great practise is but to skip beyond my skill and so lay fast in the mire Yet least I might séeme to promise much and performe nothing I will decide your doubt if you please to take my doome for a censure It is a saying Gwydonius not so common as true that the hastie man neuer wantes woe and that hée which is rash wythout reason seldome or neuer sléepeth without repentaunce To venture amiddest the Pikes when perills cannot bée â—schewed is not fortitude but folly to hazarde in daungers when death ensueth is not to bée worthely minded but wilfully mooued Uertue alwayes consisteth betwéene extremities that as too much fearefulnesse is the signe of a quaking coward so too much rashnesse betokeneth a desperate Ruffian Manhoode Gwydonius consisteth in measure and worthynesse in fearing to hazard without hope But to giue a verdite by thine owne voyce I perceiue thou art guiltie of the same crime for when the bricklenesse of the Bridge portended death and the surging Seas inferred losse of lyfe yet desire draue thée to aduenture so desperate a daunger Better it is Gwydonius to liue in griefe then to die desperatelye without grace better to choose a lingering lyfe in miserie then a spéedie death without mercie better to bée tormented wyth haplesse fancie then with hellish fiends for in lyfe it is possible to represse calamity but after death neuer to redresse miserie Tully Gwydonius in his Tusculans questions discoursing of the happinesse of life and heauinesse of death sayth that to lyue we obtaine it of the louing Gods but to die of the vnluckie destinies meaning heereby that lyfe though neuer so loathsome is better then death though neuer so welcome whereby I conclude Gwydonius that to liue carfully is better then to die desperatly Gwydonius perceiuing that Castanias parle was nothing to the purpose and that shée toucht not that point whereof hée desired most to bée absolued but meant to shake him off wyth a fléeâ—elesse aunswere beganne to drawe her to the Trappe wyth this traine MAdame Castania quoth he I confesse that rashnesse neuer raigneth without repentaunce nor hastie hazarding without haplesse harmes that he which aduentureth desperate daungers is a foole he that passeth ineuitable perills is worse then an Asse Yet from these so generall rules Madame I exempt these perticular exceptions namely Loue Necessitie which two are tied w tin no bonds nor limitted within no law for whom y e diuel driues he must néedes run be the passage neuer so perillous and whom Loue or Necessitie forceth he must venture be the daunger neuer so desperate for as there is no enterprise so easie which to an vnwilling man séemeth not verie hard to bée atchieued so there is no incounter so combersome where will wisheth that séemeth not passing easie to bée perfourmed nowe this will is with nothing sooner pricked forwarde then either with the force of Loue or sting of necessitie So that whosoeuer aduentureth in a daunger though neuer so desperate is not to be blamed if inforced by fancie or incouraged by affection and especially where the perill is in possibilytie to bee passed without death and in the performaunce thereof the possession of such a prise as the passionate person more estéemeth then lands limmes or lyfe it selfe bée it neuer so swéete In which case madame my cause consisteth For the Ladie who was an heauenly obiect to my glasing eies was so beautified with the giftes of nature and so perfectly pollished with more then naturall perfection that with the only view of such diuine beutie my sences were so besotted my wit will so inueigled my affection so inflamed any fréedome so fettered yea Loue alreadie had made so greate a breach into the bulwarke of my breast that to obtaine so gorgeous a Goddesse I thought death no daunger though neuer so direfull nor losse of lyfe no torment though neuer so terrible In déed Gwydonius quoth Thersandro I agrée with thée in this poynt that there is no carpet Knight so cowardly that wold not passe most perillous pikes to possesse so liuely a Dame as thou doost decypher nor no dastard so daunted with dread which would not greatlye indanger himselfe to inioy so louely a damsell in y â— fruition of whom consisteth nothing but ioy blisse rest contentation of minde delight happinesse yea all earthlye felicitie And yet Sir quoth Gwydonius your sister Castania condemnes me of follye in ventring for so precious a price when as hope perswaded me that no hazarde could be haples and assured me that Loue
mée I aunswere that as he which is wounded of the Bores tuske if his sore take aire is verie hardly healed as hée which stroken with a Scorpion if his wound take wind can neuer be cured so madame many inward maladies carry this nature that if they be once discoueredâ— they are far the more hardly recouered that it is better to conceale them with griefe then reueale them in hope of reléefe Not so Castania your principle is not true for if your passions procéeded of loue which of all other inward sores requireth greatest secrecie yet vndoubtedly y â— more it is discouered the sooner it is curâ—d for as the stoâ—e of Armenia béeing couered with sande burneth most extreamly and no sooner taketh aire but it cooleth so the firie flames of loue raked vp in silence frie most furiously but béeing by discourse disâ—losed they soone conuert from flame to fume and smoke Wherfore good Castania impart vnto me the matter which doeth import thée so néere and I sweare vnto thée by the sacred rites of Caeres which is so honoured in Alexandria that if thou doost loue where thy friends do not like and thy wish be contrarie to their will yet I will séeke all meanes possible to redresse thy sorrowe Alasse good madaâ—â—e rather then you shoulde thinke mée so incredulous or suspitious as not to beléeue your oth or doubt of your secret dealing I will without delay make you priuie to the cause of my paine what perill so euer I incurre by reuealing it So it is Melytta that the perfection of Gwydonius his exquisite qualities and excellent vertues haue fiercely assaulted the fort of my fancie as I am perforce constrained to resigne my libertie captiue vnto his curtesie and to make his person the prison of my heart This lucklesse and vnlikely loue madame is the cause of my care the sum of my sorrowe this frantike affection hath driuen my drouping heart to shew forth these drousy looks this is it which hath made me an enimie to my selfe a foe to all good companie to delight in nothing but sorrow solitarinesse yea this is the sore which if in time it be not salued will preuent by death all other miseries And is this quoth Melytta the paine that so greatly perplexeth you is this the â—â—re which so coÌ„bers thy conscience is this the daunger which driues thée into such deepe distresse Doest thou thinke so superstiâ—iously of Gwydonius or so abiectly of thy selfe y â— thou deemest this 〈◊〉 impossible to be brought to passe no no doubte not Castania I my self dare absolutely promise thée that thy loue shall sort to such happie successe as thou thy self doest séeke for And with that Melytta staied by a sodaine sight shée had of y â— Saint that Castania so hartely serued for Gwydonius was entering in at the chamber doore with a dish of delicates which Orlanio hearing his Daughter was sicke had sent her Melytta séeing y â— Cupid began to fauor the cause of his clients in giuing them such fit opportunitie to discouer their cares weÌ„t her way leauing Gwydonius y â— first man to play his part in this tragicall Comedie who seeing his goddesse thus surprised with sicknesse was so galled with griefe so pinched with hellish passions so tortured with extreame torments y â— his colour began to change he fetcht a deep sigh or two which Castania hearing she perceiued w tout touching his pulses the cause of these his sodain passions In fine such melancholike motions so amazed his minde that he was almost mute in his message yet at length incouraging himselfe he presented it vnto her in this wise Madame quoth he the Duke your Father hearing of your sodain sicknesse in token of his fatherly affection amongst all his dainties hath sent you this dish which he thinks most méete for your diet wishing your Ladyship to let no doubtfull motions distresse your minde nor no carefull thoughtes cumber your conscience for you shall lacke nothing if you reueale to him your want which either your will or wish can desire And truely madame to manifest my willing duetie if the prayers of a poore Gentleman may be heard of the heauenly Gods I wish that before you tast of this foode it may turne to Nectar whereby not onely your sicknesse should be salued but your diuine beautie and vertue according to desert shuld be crowned with immortalitie Castania perceiuing with what seruent affection Gwydonius vttered these wordes began to chéere vp her selfe in hope y â— her good will should not be repaied with ingratitude taking therfore the present at his hands and liking it neuer the worse for his sake that brought it she returned him this replie Gwydonius quoth she as I haue cause most reuerently to accept of my fathers louing curtesie to repay his natural affection with most dutiful obedience so I haue cause to thanke thée for thy paines and to thinke wel of thée for thy wish promising in recompence of thy good will if in any respect I may plesure thée to séeke and sue to my father for preferment Madame I account the performance of my message no paine but pleasure and I think my selfe as much honoured by this office thrice more happie theÌ„ if I shuld in Ganimedes place present the cup to Iupiter But Madame sith that to stop the streame is to make the floud flow more fiercely to represse the fire is to make it flame more furiously and to restraine the force of loue is to kindle a greater flame least too long delaie shoulde bréede too great daunger and by concealing my sorrow I shuld make the sore incurable I thought good either presently to heare the curteous sentence of my lyfe or the cruell doome of my death So it is Madame that too long gasing vpon the beames of your heauenly beautie to narrowlye construing ouer your vertuous conditions I remaine so caught in the snare of your bounty so thralled in the thridde of your vertue that the staie of my life hangeth in your hands either to driue me downe to hellish miserie or to hoist me vp to heauenly felicitye For although I haue not héeretofore by duetifull seruice made manifest the loyaltie of my loue yet since I first framed in my fancie as in a mirrour the shape of your surpassing beautie my heart hath bene crossed with such cruell Camizados for your sake as if with the Target of hope I had not withstoode the furious force of such raging furies I had by dispaire bene dashed against most dangerous rocks Sith theÌ„ Madam y â— sight of your swéet face hath fast fettered my fancie in the linkes of loue as without your meanes I can neither bée redressed nor released I humbly desire you neither to resist the motion of my wel meaning nor to reiect the deuotion of my good will but to accept your poore Gwydonius as a faithfull seruant Castania hearing diligently the faithfull discourse of distressed
bewraie the cause of my sorrow but behold my sonne in what plight he is and thou shalt easily perceiue the cause of my complaint Iupiter Alasse my deare daughter what doe these teares preuaile knowest thou not what fatherly affection I haue alwaies borne thée what doest thou distrust that I wyll not succour thée or that I cannot Venus No I neither doubt the one nor distrust the other I onely demaund iustice against Folly the most outragious furie in the world which hath thus grieuously abused Cupid Folly Most mightie and soueraigne Iupiter beholde I am héere readie to answere to Venus complaints and to debate my right against Cupid Iupiter Folly I will neither accuse nor excuse thée vntill I haue heard the defence of the one as well as the plaint of the other least I should be thought parciall neither for the more auoiding of iniustice in the matter wil I suffer you to plead your owne causes but Venus choose you one of the Gods and Folly take you an other Venus I choose Appollo to defend my cause Folly And I Mercurie to maintaine my right Iupiter Then Apollo Mercurie prepare your selues to plead well in your clients cases and Apollo since you take the plaintiefes part let vs heare what you can say Apollo THe common people right soueraigne Iupiter although their minds be sotted almost seÌ„celes yet they haue al way had loue in such sacred estimation y â— they haue carefully rewarded theÌ„ w t the titles of honor dignity which haue excelled in y â— holy affection estéeming this only vertue if so rightly it may be tearmed sufficient of a maÌ„ to make one a God The Scithians for this cause canonized Pilades Orestes erecting temples vnto theÌ„ calling theÌ„ the Gods of amitie Castor Pollux were made immortal by this meanes not in y â— they were brothers but in y â— which is rare their loue was inuiolable Howe hath fame blazed abroad y â— loue of Dauid Ionathas y â— amitie of Pithias Damon of Titus Gysippus But y â— better to make manifest y â— force of loue amitie I will alledge the saying of Darius who opening a Pomgranat being demanded wherof he would haue as many as ther were graines within answered of Zopyres this Zopyre was his faithful friend by the meanes of whom he conquered Babylon I remember also a certaine Syrian demanding a maide in marriage and being willed to shew of what wealth he was said that he had no other riches but two friends estéeming himself rich inough with such possessions to craue y â— daughter of a great lord in mariage Did not loue cause Ariadne saue Theseus life Hyperminestra redéeme Linceus froÌ„ danger Medea frée Iason from perill Haue not many poore soldiers ben aduanced to high dignities by y â— meanes of loue yea doth not all pleasure profit procéed to man by loue causing him to looke w t an amiable countenance to speake pleasantly and to be curious in his ieastures although by nature he be dull sottish of a fierce looke What causeth a man to go braue fine in his apparell séeking euerie day new fashions but loue What procureth Gentlewomen to haue their haire frizeled crisped and embrodered with golde to be dressed after the Spanish French or Italian fashion but Loue. Painting their faces if they be foule with liuely colours But if they be faire they so carfully kéepe their beautie from the parching heate of Summer from the chilling colde of Winter from Wine raine and age as they remaine almost euer young not so much as forgetting to haue their shooes made fine and neate because the curiousnesse of men is such as they leaue not to looke from the crowne of the head to the soale of the foote to haue their iemmes iewells ouches ringes perfumed gloues and what not In fine what beautie or brauerie is in the apparell eyther of man or woman all proceedeth of Loue. Shall I saie that Musicke was onely inuented by loue yea truely for eyther it mittigateth the passions wherewith men are perplexed or else augmenteth their pleasure so that dayly they inuent diuerse kindes of instrumentes as Lutes Citrons Uiolls Flutes Cornets Bandoras whereon they plaie Madrigalis Sonnettes Pauins Measures Galiardes and all these in remembraunce of Loue as he for whom men doe more then for anie other What causeth men to iust tourney runne at tilt and combat but loue Who caused Comedies shews Tragedies and Masks to be inuented but Loue. Wherof commeth it that men delight to rehearse their amorous chaunces and straunge passions and to relate them to their companions some praising the courtesie of his Ladie another condempning his mistresse crueltie yea recounting a thousande mishappes which happen in theyr loues as Letters disclosed euyll reportes suspitious iealousie sometimes the husband comming home sooner than either the louer would or the wife doeth wish sometimes coniecturing without cause and other times beléeuing nothing but trusting vppon hys wiues honestie To be short the greatest pleasure after loue is to tell what perillous daungers are passed But what maketh so many Poets in the worlde is it not Loue the which séemeth to be the plaine song whereon all Poets doo descant yea there is few which write vppon any serious matter but they close vp their worke with some amorous clause or els they are the worse accepted Ouid hath celebrated the fame of Cupid Petracke and Virgil Homere and Liuâ—us Sapho yea that seuere Socrates wrote somewhat of his loue Aspasia Tush who rightly can denye that Loue is not the cause of all the glorie honour profite and pleasure which happeneth to man and that without it he cannot conuenientlye lyue but shall runne into a thousande enormities All this happie successe came by Loue as long as hée had his eyes but now being depriued of his sight and accompanied with Folly it is to be feared nay certainly to be beléeued that he shall be the cause of as manie discommodities mischiefes and mishaps as hethertoo hée hath bene of honour profit and pleasure The noble men which loued their inferiours and the subiects which dutifully serued their Lords shall be meruailously chaunged by the meanes of folly for the master shall loue his seruaunt onely for his seruice and the seruaunt his master onely for commoditie Yea there is none so addicted vnto vertue but if once he loue he shall presently commit some foolish touch and the more straight and firme loue is the greater disorder there shall be by the meanes of Folly There will returne into the world more then one Biblis more then one Semyramis then one Myrrha then one Canace then one Phaedra There shall be no place in the world vnspotted The high walls and treâ—lissed windowes shall not kéepe the Nunnes and Uestall Uirgins in sauegard Olde age shall tourne her aged affections into fond fancies and wanton desires Shame shall lyue as an exile There shall
be no difference betwéene the Noble and the pesaunt betwéene the Infidell and the Moore the Turke and the Iewe the Ladie the Mistresse and the hand-maide But ther shall insue such a confused inequalitie that the faire shal not be matched with the wel featured but shal be oft times ioyned with fowle and deformed persons Great Ladies and noble Dames shall fall in loue with them whome before they would disdaine to accept as their seruants And when the loyall and faithfull Louers haue long languished in the loue of some beautifull Dame whose mutuall good will they haue gayned by deserte then Folly will cause some fickle false flatterer to enioye that in one hower which in all their life they coulde not attayne I passe ouer the continuall debates and quarrells that shall ensue by Folly whereof shall spring woundes massacres and most fearefull murthers And I greatly feare that wheras Loue hath inuented so many laudable sciences and brought foorth so many commodities that now he will bring great idlenesse accompanied with ignoraunce that he will cause young Gentlemen to leaue feates of armes to forsake the seruice of their Prince to reiect honourable studyes and to appplye them selues to vaine songs and sonnets to chambring and wantonnesse to banketting and gluttonie bringing infinite diseases to their bodies and sundrie daungers and perills to their persons for there is no more daungerous companie than of Folly Behold O souereigne Iupiter the mischiefes and miseries that are like to insue if Folly be appointed companion to Loue. Wherefore I in the person of all the Gods beséech your Maiestie to graunt that Loue maye not be ioyned with her and that Folly may gréeuously be punished for the outrage she hath done to Cupid As soone as Apollo had ended his Oration Mercurie in defence of Folly beginneth to speake in this wise Mercurie WHereas right worthie Iupiter Apollo hath with his painted eloquence set out the praises of Loue and hath sought with his filed phrases to discredit Folly I hope when your Maiestie shall throughlye heare the cause decyded you will commende his Eloquence more than his reasons For it is not vnknowen vnto you and all the Gods that Folly is no whit inferiour vnto Loue and that Loue should be of no force without her neyther could his kingdom indure without her help ayde and counsayle I praye you call to remembraunce how Folly incontinently after Man was placed in Paradise beganne most imperiously to rule and hath euer since continued in such credite as neuer any Goddesse had the like raigning and ruling amongest men from time to time from age to age as the onely Princesse of the worlde Insomuch that who haue bene more honored than fooles Who was more subiect vnto Folly than Alexander the great which féeling himselfe to suffer hunger and thirst to be subiect to sorrow and sicknesse not able to kéepe himselfe from dronkennesse yet would be honoured for a God What kinde of people hath bene in greater credit than Philosophers and who more fooles Did not Aristotle most foolishly dye for sorrowe because he knewe not the ebbing and flowing of the sea Did not Crates in casting his treasure into the sea commit a wise déede What folly shewed Empedocles by his straunge coniectures what say you to Diogenes tunne and to Aristippus flatterie Who so throughly considereth their opinions shal finde them subiect to the state of Folly How many other sciences are there in the world which are altogether foolish and yet the professors of them had in high reputation amongest men They which are Calculators of Natiuities makers of charecters casters of figures are they not Friers of this fraternitie Is it not Folly to be so curious as to measure the heauen the height of the starres the breadth of the earth and the deapth of the sea and yet the professors heereof are highly estéemed onely by the meanes of Folly Nay how could y â— world continue if the daungers troubles calamities and discommodities of mariage were not couered by folly Who would haue coasted the seas if Folly had not ben his guide to commit himselfe to the mercie of y â— winde the waues to liue in daunger of fearefull surges and and perillous Rockes to trafficke with sauage and barbarous people onely incensed by the meanes of Folly And yet notwithstanding by this meanes the common wealth is maintained knowledge and learning augmented the properties of hearbes stones and birdes beastes perfectly searched out What Follye is it most daungerously to passe into the bowels of y e earth to dig for yron and seeke for golde How many Arts and occupations shuld be driuen out of the world if Folly were banished truly the most part of men should either beg for want or dye for hunger How should so many Aduocates Procurators Sergeaunts Atturneyes Scriueners Imbroderers Painters and Perfumers liue if Lady Folly were vtterlye exiled Hath not Folly inuented a thousand deuices to drawe a man from idlenesse as Tragedies Comedies Dauncing schooles Fencing houses wrastling places and a thousand other foolish sports Hath she not made men hardie venterous to fight with Lyons Boares Bulles onely to gaine honour to passe other in folly What did Antonie and Cleopapatra when they straue who should spend most in beastly banketting What caused Caesar lament that he had not begun to trouble the worldâ—in that age wherin Alexander had conquered the greatest part Why did diuers séeke to fill vp the valleyes to make plaine the mountaines to drye vp riuers to make bridges ouer the sea as Claudius the Emperour did What made Rhodope build the Pyramides and Artemisia frame the sumptuous sepulcher but Folly In fine without this Goddesse man should be carefull heauie and whollye drowned in sorrow whereas Folly quickeneth his spirite maketh him sing daunce leape and frame himselfe altogether to pleasure It is not possible that Loue shuld be without the daughter of youth which is Folly For Loue springeth of sodaine and sundry causes by receyuing an Apple as Cydippe by looking out at a Windowe as Scylla by reading in a Booke as the Ladye Frauncis Rymhi some fall in loue by sight some by hearing but all liuing in hope to obtane their desires And yet some haue loued without anye naturall cause as Pigmalion who fell in Loue with his marble picture I pray you what Sympathia could there be betweene a lyuely youth and a dead stone what was it then but Folly that kindled this flame what forced Narcissus to fall in Loue with his owne shadowe but Folly Yea what aduenture is passed in loue without Folly For the Philosophers define Folly to be a depriuation of Wisedome and Wisedome is altogether without passions of the which when Loue shall be voyde then no doubt the sea shall be without waues and the Fire without heate Consider but a young man which onely placeth his delight in amorous conceiptes decking dressing and perfuming himselfe most delicately who passeth out