answered Siluander the lesser yeelds alwaies to the greater part where you are these shepheardesses must doe as you doe And why added Diane disdainefull shepheard esteeme you so slenderly of vs You should rather thinke answered Sluander that it is for the good opinion I haue of you that I thus speake for if I thought hardly of you I would not say that you were a part of this great Nymph since that thereby I make you no whit her inferiour but that she deserues to be beloued and respected for her beauty for her merits and for her condition and you for your beauties and merits You mock your selfe Siluander answered Diane I would haue you thinke that I haue sufficient to winne the affection of an honest shepheard She spake thus for that hee was so farre from all Loue that among them hee was alwaies called the vnsensible and she delighted to make him talke Whereto he answered Your conceit may be as pleaseth you yet I must tell you that for effecting this you want one of the principall parts And what is that said Diane The will replyed he for your will is so contrary to this effect that said Phillis interrupting him Siluander would neuer loue more The shepheard hearing her speake drew aside to Astrea saying that they ouer-charged him and that hee was wronged when so many set against him The wrong said Diane is turned onely to me for this shepheardesse seeing me in the hands of so strong an enemy and conceauing a sinister iudgement of my courage and force would haue helped me It is not in this said he faire shepheardesse that she hath offended you for she had had small iudgement if she thought not your victory certaine but it was for that seeing me already vanquished she would robbe you of the honor in attempting to giue me a blow at the end of the combate but I know not what her meaning was for if you meddle no further I assure you she shall not so easily get this glory as she thinkes Phillis who of her nature was pleasant and who on this day resolued to passe away the time for Leonide answered him with a certaine lifting vp of her head It is good Siluander that you haue an opinion that to vanquish you is a thing to be desired and honourable for me I say for mee who will place this victory among the least that euer I wanne You should not so much vnder-valew it said the shepheard since this serues not but to be the first that hath conquered me As much replyed Phillis as there is honour to bee the first in that which is of worth so much shamefull is it in the contrary Ah shepheardesse interrupted Diane speake not so of Siluander for if all the shepheards which are lesse then he should bee vnder-valewed I know not him that we are to esteeme See Diane answered Phillis the first blowes by which you come ouer him without doubt he is yours It is the custome of these haggard wilde spirits to suffer themselues to be taken at the first attracts and for that they haue not beene acquainted with such fauours they receiue them with such a taste that they haue not power to resist them Phillis spake these words to mock him yet it fell out that the gracious defence of Diane made the shepheard thinke that he was bound to serue her by the lawes of courtesie And after that that opinion and the perfections of Diane had that power ouer him that hee conceaued this bud of Loue that time and conuersation might encrease as we will tell you afterwards This disputation held some while among the shepheardesses to the good contentment of Leonide who wondred at their gentle spirit Phillis at last turning her selfe to the shepheard said But whereto serue so many wordes If it bee true that you are such let vs come to the proofe of it and shew me what shepheardesse makes any speciall account of you She answered the shepheard whom you see me make especiall account of You meane added Phillis that you seeke not after any but that proceeds from want of courage Much rather replyed Siluander from want of will And then going onward And you which vnder-valew me so much tell vs what shepheard it is whom you loue so especially All them who haue spirit and courage answered Phillis For whosoeuer sees that which is louely without louing it wanteth spirit or courage That reason sayd Siluander bindes you then to loue me or accuse your selfe of great want But let vs not speake so generally name one in particular whom you loue Then Phillis with a countenance graue and seuere I would with a good will there were boldnes enough to vndertake it That is then added Siluander for want of courage Rather said Phillis want of will Wherefore then cryed out Siluander would you it should be thought more out of want of will in you than in me Would it be well sayd the shepheardesse that the actions which do besit you should be permitted me Would you thinke well of it if I should runne play on the Lute or leape as you do But our disputation is too long about so bad a subiect let Diane set downe the conclusion and see if I be not confident in the iustnesse of my cause since I take a partiall iudge I shall be alwayes answered Diane according to the reason of my knowledge Well sayd Phillis when words cannot make good that which they would vphold is he not bound to come to his proofes Yes without doubt answered Diane Condemne then this shepheard sayd Phillis to giue proofe of the merit which hee sayes is in him and that on this occasion to vndertake to serue and loue a shepheardesse of that sort that he will enforce her to confesse that hee deserues to be beloued that if he cannot that hee freely acknowledge his little valour Leonide and the shepheardesses found this proposition so reasonable that by a common voyce it was enacted Not sayd Diane smiling that he be constrayned to loue her For in Loue Constraint can do nothing and his birth must grow from a free will But I ordayne that hee serue and honour her as you say My Iudge answered Siluander though you haue condemned mee without hearing me yet will I not appeale from your sentence but onely I require that she whom I must serue may merit and know how to acknowledge my seruice Siluander Siluander sayd Phillis because your cunning fayles you seeke out starting-holes But I will put you besides all these meanes by her whom I will name for it is Diane in whom there is wanting neyther spirit to know your merit nor desert to giue you will to serue her For my part answered Siluander I acknowledge more then you can speake prouided that it be no profaning of her beauties to serue them for wages Diane would haue spoken and excused her selfe of this charge but at the request of Leonide and Astrea she consented yet with this
duties are of an honest man I not onely not mistrust a fauourable iudgement but hold for certaine that if you were in the roome of Tircis you would be ashamed to be noted for such an error I will hold my selfe then from seeking out more reasons for this cause which is so cleere of it selfe that all other light would serue but for a shaddow and I will onely say that the name which he beares of man ties him to the contrary of that he doth and that the lawes and ordinances of heauen and of nature command him to dispute no longer about this cause Doe not the duties of courtesie ordaine to render good turnes receiued Doe not the heauens command that for enery seruice some reward should bee giuen And doth not Nature constraine to loue a fayre woman that loues him and to abhorre rather then to cherish a dead body But this quite contrary for the fauors receiued of Laonice he renders discourtesie and in stead of seruices which himselfe confesses she hath done him seruing him so long vnder the couerture of Cleons loue he payes her with ingratitude and for the affectioÌ„ which she hath borne him from her cradle he makes no shew but of misprisall Are you so honest a man Tircis and doe you so seeme to know the gods and yet me thinkes this shepheardesse is such an one that were it not that her influence easts her into misfortune it were more proper for her to make others feele then for her selfe to feele the wrongs where of she complaines If thou beest a man knowest thou not that it is proper to a man to loue the liuing and not the dead And if thou acknowledge the gods knowest thou not that they can punish them that contradict their ordinances and that Loue neuer pardons him that neuer loues If thou confessest that from the cradle she hath serued thee and loued thee O God shall it be possible that so long an affection and so pleasing seruices should at last be payd with contempt But be it that this affection and these seruices being voluntary in Laonice and not sought for of Tyrcis may weigh little with an ingratefull soule yet will I not beleeue that you will award O iust Siluander but that the deceiuer is to giue satisfaction to the party deceiued and as Tircis by his dissimulation hath so long time deluded this fayre shepheardesse shall he not be bound to repayre this iniury to her with as much true affection as he hath made her take lies and falshoodes that if euery one ought to loue his like will not you our Iudge ordayne that Tyrcis loue a person liuing and not one dead and place his loue there where he may liue and not among the cold a shes in a coffin But Tyrcis tell mee what may be thy dessigne after thou hast met with a floud of teares the sad relickes of the poore Cleon thinkest thou that thou canst rayse her vp agayne with thy fighes and teares Alas they pay Caron but once and they neuer but once enter into his boate You may well call her backe from thence but he is deafe to such cryes and neuer sendeth out person that comes aboord him It is impiety Tyrcis to goe about tormenting the rest of those whom the gods call away Loue is ordayned for the liuing and the Coffin for those that are dead Desire not to confound their ordinances in such sort that to a dead Cleon thou giue a liuing affection and to a quicke Laonice a graue And herein doe not arme thy selfe with the name of Constancy for it hath no right to it Dost thou thinke it fit that a man should go naked because he hath worne out his first garments Beleeue me it is as much worthy of laughter to heare thee say that because Cleon is dead thou wilt neuer loue more Re-enter re-enter into thy selfe confesse thine error cast thee at the feet of this Fayre acknowledge thy fault and so thou shalt auoyde thy constraint whereto our iust Iudge by his sentence will subiect thee Hylas ended in this sort to the great contentment of all but Tyrcis whose teares gaue notice of his griefe Then Phillis after she had commandement from Siluander lifting vp her eyes to heauen answered thus to Hylas The answer of Phillis for Tyrcis OFaire Cleon which vnderstandest from heauen the iniury which they purpose to doe thee inspire me with thy Diuinity for such I will esteeme thee if the Vertues may euer make a mortall become diuine and worke so that my ignorance may not weaken the reasons that Tyrcis hath that he should neuer loue but thy perfections And you wise shepheard that knowes better what I should speake in her defence than I can conceiue supply the wants which are in me by the abundance of reasons which are in my cause and to beginne I will say Hylas that all the reasons which thou hast alledged to prooue that beeing beloued one ought to loue though they be false yet they are agreed vpon for good but wherefore wilt thou conclude by it that Tyrcis must leaue the loue of Cleon to beginne a new with Laonice Thou demaundest things impossible and contraries impossible because no man is bound to do more than he can and how wouldst thou haue my shepheard loue if hee haue no will Thou laughest Hylas when thou hearest me say that hee hath none It is true interrupted Hylas what hath he done with it He that loueth answered Phillis hath giuen his very soule to the person beloued and the will is but one power But replyed Hylas this Cleon to whom you would he should be sent being dead hath nothing remaining of a person and so Tircis is to take that againe which was his Ah! Hylas Hylas answered Phillis you speake as if Loue were a Nouice for the donations which are made by his authority are alwaies irreuocable And what reioyned Hylas shall become of this will since the death of Cleon This little losse said she hath followed that great extreme losse which he had in losing her for that if pleasure be the obiect of the will since now he can haue no more pleasure what hath he to doe with will and it hath followed Cleon so that if Cleon be no more no more is his will for he neuer had it but for her but if Cleon be yet in any place as the Druides teach vs this will is in her hands so content to be in that place that if shee her selfe would dâ—â—â—e it away it would not returne to Tircis as knowing well it should bee vnprofitable but would goe into her coffin to rest with the beloued bones And this being so why accuse you the faithfull Tircis of ingratitude if it be not in his power to loue elsewhere And see how you command not onely a thing impossible but contrary to it selfe for if euery one bee bound to loue that that loues him why will you not that he loue Cleon who neuer fayled
least of your desires Then the shepheardesse answered in choler Let vs leaue this discourse Licidas and thinke it cannot turne to your brothers benefit but if he haue beguiled me and left me displeased that I no sooner found out his deceits and craft he is gone with a great spoyle and faire markes of his vnfaithfulnesse You make me amazed replied Licidas wherein haue you found that which you reproach him with Shepheard added Astrea the story would be too long and grieuous content your selfe if you know it not you onely are in ignorance and all along this riuer of Lignon there is not a shepheard but can tell you that Celadon loued in a thousand places and not to goe farre yesterday I heard with mine owne eares the discourse of loue which he had to his Aminthe for so he called her whereto I had made longer stay but for shame and to tell true I had some businesse else-where that stood mee more vpon Then Licidas as one transported cries out I will no more enquire the cause of my brothers death it is your iealousie Astrea and iealousie grounded on great reason to be the cause of so great euill Alas Celadon at this time I see well thy prophecies fall out true of thy suspitions when thou saidest this wench will put thee to so much paine that it will cost thee thy life yet knewest thou not on which side this blow should be giuen Afterward addressing himselfe to the shepheardesse Is it credible said he Astrea that this disease is so great that it can make you forget the commandements which you haue so often enioyned him I can witnesse that fiue or sixe times at the least he hath falne on his knees before you to entreat you reuoke them Doe you not remember that when he came out of Italy it was one of your first ordinances and that within yonder bowre where I saw you meete together so often hee besought you to award him death much rather then to make shew to loue any other Astrea would he say while I liue I shall remember the very words it is not for that I refuse but because I am vnable to obserue this iniunction that I cast my selfe at your feete and beseech you that to make proofe what power you haue ouer me you command me to die rather then to ferue any other whomsoeuer but Astrea And you answered him my sonne I require this proofe of your loue and not your death which cannot be without mine owne for besides I know it is most hard to you yet will it bring vs a commodity which we especially are to looke after which is to shut vp both the eyes and mouthes of the most curious and reproachfull whether hee oftentimes replied hereto and whether hee made all the refusall which the obedience to which his affection bound him vnto you might permit I referre to your selfe if you haue the minde to remember it so farre am I from thinking he euer disobeyed you but for this onely cause and in truth it was so heauy an imposition that at all times when he returned from the place where he was enforced to dissemble he was compelled to take his bed as if he came from some great piece of seruice and there he would rest himselfe some while and then he vndertooke it afresh But now Astrea my brother is dead so it is whether you beleeue it or not beleeue it it will doe him neither good nor hurt so that you are not to thinke that I speake to you in his behalfe but onely for the truths sake yet may you credit me as you thinke good if I sweare vnto you that it is not aboue two daies since I found him engrauing of verses on the barke of these trees that stand by the great meddow on the left hand of the Beech and I assure my selfe that if you will vouchsafe to turne your eyes you may perceiue it was he that cut them for you may too well know his characters if forgetfull of him and of his passed seruices you haue not lost the remembrance of whatsoeuer concernes him but I am assured the gods will not suffer it for his satisfaction and your punishment The verses are these MADRIâ—AL I Haue my selfe at such a bent Although my Loue be violent That I can gaine this fauour small To say I doe not loue at all But to dissemble loue else-where Tâ— adore an eye the conquering part As I doe yours with trembling feare I know not how to haue the hart And if it must be that I die Dispach me hence then presently It may be some seuen or eight daies past that hauing had occasion to go for a time ouer the riuer of Loyre by way of answer he wrote me a letter which I am willing you should see and if in reading it you confesse not his innocency I will beleeue that you haue purposely lost for his sake all kinde of iudgement and then taking it out of his pocket he read it to her It was thus INquire no more what I doe but know that I continue alwaies in my ordinary paine To loue and not to dare shew it not to loue and sweare the contrary deare brother is all the exercise or rather the punishment of thy Celadon They say true contraries cannot be at one time in one place yet Loue and dissembled loue are ordinarily in my actions but wonder not at it for I am compelled to the one out of perfection and to the other by the commandement of Astrea If you thinke this manner of life strange remember that Miracles are the ordinary workes of gods and what would you my Goddesse should worke in me but Miracles It was long before Astrea would answer because the words of Licidas had almost put her beside her selfe So it was that iealousie which as yet helâ— some force in her soule made her take the paper as doubting if Celadon writ it And although she well knew it was he yet argued she the contrary in her mind following the custome of many moe persons who will alwaies strongly maintaine a thing as if it were their opinion And much about that time came diuers shepheards from seeking Celadon where they found no notice of him but his hat which was nothing to the sad Astrea but a fresh renewing of sorrow And because she remembred her selfe of a sleight which loue made them deuise and she was loth it should be knowne she made signe to Phillis to take it and then euery one betooke them to their lamentations and praises of the poore shepheard and there was not any that repeated not some vertuous action onely she that felt most was inforced to fit mute and to make lesse shew knowing well that the maine wisedome in loue is to hold affection hidden or at least not to discouer it vnprofitably And because the violence she did her selfe herein was great and she could hold out no longer she drew neere to Phillis and prayed her
so that she went on since the place is taken I see a double difficulty arise against our enterprise This happy shepheardesse hath much offended him and a generous heart will hardly suffer a disdaine without any sence of it Madam answered Leonide on the one side I wish you were contented and on the other I am well pleased with the discōmodities for you do your selfe so much wrong if you continue thus that I know not if euer you can deface it Thinke you though you be neuer so secret that this life of yours will not bee knowne and what will become of you if it be discouered the iudgement which was neuer wanting in the rest of your actions is it possibile that in this accident it should faile you what would you iudge of another that should lead this life You will answer you do no euill Ah Madam it is not sufficient for a person of your quality to bee voyd of crime but you be so also of blame If this were a man worthy of you I could brook it wel but though Celadon be one of the chiefe of this country yet is he but a shepheard and is knowne for no other And this vaine opinion of good or ill lucke shall it haue such power ouer you that it shall so much abate your courage that you will equall these keepers of sheepe these Rusticks and these halfe-Sauages to yourselfe for Gods sake come to your selfe and consider with what minde I speake these words She had gone forward had not Galathee in choler interrupted her I haue told you I would not haue you vse this discourse I know not on what I shall resolue when I aske your counsell giue it me and once for al talke no more to me of it if you will not displease me At this word she turned on the other side in such furie that Leonide knew well she had throughly angred her Indeed there is nothing strikes more to the quicke then to oppose honor against Loue for though all the reasons of Loue be vanquished yet will Loue stil be strong in his will Soone after Galathee turnes againe and sayes I neuer thought till now that you had had a minde to be my gouernor but now I begin to haue such a beliefe that you figure such a thing to your selfe Madam answered she I neuer mistooke my selfe so much but I know what I owe to you but since you take in so ill part that which my duty made me speake I protest from henceforth I will neuer giue you occasion for this cause to enter into choler against me This is a strange thing in you replied Galathee that you must alwayes haue reason in your opinion what likelihood is there that any should know that Celadon is here There are no more then we three Merill my Nurse his mother as for Merill he goes not forth and besides he hath discretion enough for his age for my Nurse her fidelity is well knowne to me and it is partly by her desire that all is thus carried for as hauing told her what the Druide foretold me she that loues me more tenderly then if I were her owne child counselled me not to contemne this aducrtisement and because I propounded the difficulty of the great number which would resort to the place where I am her selfe aduised me to make shewe that I would take phisicke And what is your purpose sayd Leonide To worke so answered she that this shepheard may wish me well and till that be not to let him go away that if once he come to loue me I may leaue the direction of the rest to Fortune Madame sayd Leonide God giue you all the contentment you desire But suffer me to tell you this once you go about to ruine your selfe in your reputation What time must there bee to the rooting out of an affection so thorowly grounded which he beares to Astrea whose beauty and vertue they say is without a second But presently interrupted the Nymph She scornes him she is angry with him she hath driuen him away thinke you not he will haue courage enough to leaue her Oh! Madam put this out of your hopes said Leonide if he haue no coragē he will neuer feele this and if he haue a man generous will neuer turne aside for the difficulties Remember your selfe for example how many contempts haue you layd on Lindamer and how cruelly haue you handled him and what hath he done the lesse for these disdaines or cruelties But be it so that Celadon because he is a shepheard haue not the courage of Lindamor and that he hath bentat the blowes of Astrea what good hope you there of thinke you that a spirit once deceiued will easily be deceiued the second time in one kind No no Madam howsoeuer he be both by birth conuersation of the homelier sort yet can he not be so but he wil dread the fire when the smart of it is yet in his soule There must be and that is it which you may best hope for some time allowed to heale him soundly of this burning before he can turne his eyes vpon some such like obiect And what time will it aske and in the meane time can it be possible to let but that the gard which is in the base court will come to the knowledge of it or in seeing him for you cannot alwaies keepe him close in one chamber or by the prattle of Merill who as discreet as he is for his age yet is but a child Leonide said shee cease to trauell longer in this businesse my resolution is such as I told you if you wil make me beleeue you loue me fauour my designe in what you may and for the rest referre it to my care This morning if the weakenesse of Celadon permit it mee thought yesterday he was reasonable well you may lead him into the garden for this day I finde my selfe not well and I shall hardly rise out of my bed tell towards night Leonide being very sad gaue no other answere but that she would be ready to do that that might be to her content While they were thus discoursing Meril did his message and hauing found the shepheard awake gaue him the good morrow in the name of the Nymph and presented to him the papers Oh! how presently he raised himselfe in the bed he made him open the curtaines and windowes not hauing the leasure to rise such haste he made to see that which had cost him so much sorrow Hee opened the little bag and after hee had many times kissed it O secretary said he of my life most happy how camest thou into the hands of strangers At this word he layd all the letters on the bed that he might see if he wanted any one he placed them in their order according to the time he receiued them and seeing there remained a little scrowle he opened it and read these words CEladon I would have you know that Galathee
Among others the yong Ligdamon was one this man fell to Siluie a Nymph indeed amiable enough but not for him who had formerly set his mind otherwhere And certainely it was his good fortune to bee absent then for hee would neuer haue done the fained homage to Siluie that Amasis commanded and that might haply haue wrought him some disgrace for you must know gentle shepheard that he was brought vp very young among vs being not aboue ten yeeres of age when he was placed heere for the rest so faire direct in all his actions that there was not a woman that thought not well of him and aboue all Siluie being very neere his age At the beginning their ordinary conuersation ingendred the amity of a brother to a sister such as their knowledge was capable to receiue By degrees as Ligdamon grew in age so likewise he encreased in affection so that his childhood changing into a state more settled about the age of foureteene or fifteene yeeres he beganne to change his will into desires and by little and little his desires into passions and yet he liued with that discretion that Siluie had neuer knowledge that her selfe caused this desire When he attained to some good vnderstanding and that he knew his euill he iudged within a while what small hope there was of healing not one of Siluies humours being likely to be hid from him So that the ioy and liuelinesse which was in his countenance and all his actions were turned into sadnesse and his sadnesse into so heauy a melancholy that there was no body but might perceiue the alteration Siluie was not one of the last that asked him the cause but she could draw out nothing but broken answers In the end seeing him continue still in this manner of life one day when she beganne to complayne of his small amity and reproching him that she had obliged her to conceale nothing from her she heard that he was no more able to restraine himselfe but that a deepe sigh escaped from him in stead of answer This brought her to be of opinion that loue might be the cause of his euill And see if the poore Ligdamon did not discreetly carry his actions since she was neuer able to imagine her selfe to be the cause I beleeue well that the humour of this Nymph which shrunke not a iot from this purpose might be in part the occasion For hardly do we thinke of a thing estranged from our owne intents But it must be confessed that heerein his wisedome was great and his coldnesse also that it could so wholy couer the heate of his affection She then pressed him more then before that if it be loue she promised him all the assistance and all the good offices that might be hoped for from their amitie The more he did to auoyde it the more she desired to know it in the end not being able to defend it any longer he protested to her it was loue but he had made an oath neuer to name the party For sayd he to loue is a great presumption in me but constrayned by so many beauties it may be excused and to dare name her what excuse can couer the discouery of my rashnesse Is this the friendship presently answered Siluie which you beare me Truly replyed Ligdamon I haue done it and your commandement also which I beseech you set before your eyes and this glasse which will make you see what you desire to know At that word he tooke vp that which hung at her girdle and held it before her eyes Think you how she was surprised incontinently knowing what he would say and she hath since sworne to me that she thought at first it had beene Galathee of whom he would haue spoken In the meane time that he had stood to behold her she stood as rauished to consider his simplicity in choller against him but much more against her selfe seeing well she had drawne this declaration by force from his mouth Notwithstanding her high courage would not suffer her to make any long defence for the lustice of Ligdamon For at an instant she lifts her selfe vp and without speaking to him departs full of despite that any durst presume to loue her arrogant beauty that iudgeth none worthy of it The faithfull Ligdamon stayed but without a soule and as an insensible Statue In the end comming agayne to himselfe he went as well as he could to his lodging out of which he went not some good time because the knowledge which he had of the small loue of Siluie touched him so to the quick that he fell sicke so that there was small hope of life when he resolued to write her such a letter The losse of my life was not of force sufficient to discouer vnto you the rashnesse of your seruant without your expresse commandement yet if you iudge that I must die and hold my peace say also that your eyes must haue had lesse absolute power ouer me For if at the first summons which their beauty made me I could not defend my selfe from giuing them my soule how hauing beene so often vrged could I haue refused the acknowledgement of that gift yet if I haue offended in offering my heart to your beauty I am willing for the fault I haue committed in presenting to such merits a thing of so small valew to sacrifice vnto you my life without sorrowing for the losse eyther of the one or of the other sith they be no more pleasing vnto you This letter was brought to Siluie when she was alone in her Chamber It is true that I came in at the same time and indeed well for Ligdamon for behold the humour of this fayre Nymph She had conceiued so great a despite toward him after he had discouered his affection that not only she blotted out the remembrāce of the amity passed but so lost her will that Ligdamon was like a thing indifferent to her So that when she heard that euery one despaired of his recouery she was no more moued at it then if she had neuer seene him I that particularly obserued it could not tell what to iudge of it but that her youth made her easily lose the loue of men absent But when now I saw her refuse that which one deliuered her in his behalfe I knew well that they needed no bad messenger between them This was the cause that I took the letter that she had refused and which the young boy that brought it by his masters commaundement had left on the table She then lesse heedfull then she would haue beene ranne after me and intreated me not to reade it I will see it sayd I and it be but for the deniall you make Then beganne she to blush and said Reade it not good sister binde me to you for it I coniure you by our friendship And what shall that be then answered I if it may suffer you to conceale any thing from me Thinke you that if it allow
to witnesse cannot with-hold you from making a new election before my face At the same time Licidas taking the fayre hand of Phillis after a great sigh hee sayd Faire hand wherein I had entirely placed my will can I liue and know that thou delightest to be borne to another heart then mine then mine I say that haue merited so much of fortune if a man may be worthy by the most great most sincere and by the most faithfull loue that euer was I could not heare the other words that Licidas went on with for I was constrained to answer Celadon Shepheard shepheard said I all these words of faithfulnesse and of amity are more in your mouth then in your heart and I haue more cause to complaine of you then to heare you But because I make no more reckning of any thing that comes from you I will not vouchsafe to complaine so should you doe if your dissimulations would suffer you But since our affayres be at these tearmes go on Celadon loue Phillis well serue her well her vertues deserue it and if in speaking vnto you I blush it is for spite that I haue loued that which was so vnworthy and hath so grossely deceiued me The astonishment of Celadon was so great hearing the reproches I vsed to him that he stayed a long time not able to speake a word which gaue me opportunity to heare what Phillis answered Licidas Licidas Licidas let him that ownes me demaund me You call me fleeting and you know well that that terme agrees best with your actions But thinke you in complaining first you can purge the wrong you doe me I falter not but your selfe for it is more shame to you to change then it is losse to me in your change But that which offends me is that you will accuse me for your owne fault and faine a good reason of your owne vnfaithfulnesse Yet it is true that he that deceiueth a brother may fayle her that is not so neere him And then turning her selfe to mee she sayd And you Astrea thinke that the gayne you haue made by diuerting him from my amitie can no longer last then vntill some other obiect present it selfe though I know well your perfections haue that power that if it be not an heart all of feathers they are able to slay it Phillis replyed I the proofe shall witnesse that you are a flatterer when you speake so of the perfections which are in me since hauing depriued me of Celadon they must needes be feeble not being able to hold him after they had gotten him Celadon falling on his knee before me It is not said he that I misprize the merits of Phillis but I protest before all the gods that she hath not kindled the least sparke of loue in my soule and that I beare with lesse griefe the offence you doe me in changing then that you commit against my affection in blaming it of inconstancy It is to no purpose wise Diane to particularize all our discourse for they would be too long and might offend you so that before we parted we were so well reduced to our good sences that I must tell you we acknowledged the small reason we had to suspect one another And we haue good cause to thanke heauen that we made this declaration all foure together for I thinke otherwise it had beene impossible to roote out this errour from our soule and for my owne part I assure you that nothing could haue made mee vnderstand reason if Celadon had not spoken after this manner before Phillis Now since that time we went with lesse heede then we were wont But to leaue this trauaile I enter into another no lesse troublesome for we could not so well dissemble but Alcippe that lay in watch knew that his sonnes affection to mee was not altogether extinct and for his more assurance hee looked so heedfully to his actions that noting with what curiosity he went alwaies to the old Willow where we layd our letters one morning he came first and after he had long sought noting the path which wee had made on the grasse by often going hee tooke it for his guide and the tract brought him right to the foote of the tree where he found a letter which I had layd there ouer-night It was thus The letter of Astrea to Celadon YEsterday we went out of the temple where we were assembled to bee present at the houres which they did to Pan and Siringue celebrating their day I should haue sayd feasting if you had beene there but the loue I bare you is such that not the diuine things if it may be lawfull for me to say so without you can please mee I finde my selfe so vnfit for our common businesse that but for the promise which I made to write daily to you I know not if this day you should haue heard any newes from me Receiue them then at this time for my promise set When Alcippe had read this letter he layd it in the same place againe and hiding himselfe to see the answer his sonne was not slacke in comming and not finding any paper he writ on the backe of my Letter and hath told me since it was thus The Letter of Celadon to the Shepheardesse Astrea YOu binde me and vnbinde me at one time pardon me if this word offend you when you tell me you loue me can I haue any greater obligations to all the gods But the offence is not small that you had not written at this time but for that you promised me For I am indebted to your promise and not to your loue Remember I beseech you that I am not yours because I haue promised you but because I am truly yours and that in like sort I desire not Letters for the conditions that are betweene vs but for the sole witnesse of your goodwill not welcomming them as merchandises but as being sent me from an entire good will Alcippe knew not who the shepheardesse might be to whom this letter was directed for there was no name to it but see how it came from a spirit that would be crosse he thought not much of his paine to stay in that place aboue 5. or 6 houres to see who she should be that would come to seeke it assuring himselfe the day would not be fully past but some one would come fetch it It was late before I went but presently when he sawe me for feare lest I should take him he turned himselfe and made shew as if he were asleepe And I that I might giue no cause of suspition turning my pace fayned to take another way He contrarily well satisfied for his payne as soone as I was gone tooke the Letter and carried it with him Whereupon incontinently hee made his dessigne to send away his sonne for that he would not in any case there should be alliance betweene vs for the extreme hatred betweene Aloe and him but rather to the contrary hee had a purpose to
this cause since you appoint me to tell you a part of my life I coniure you by our loue neuer to speake of it and both of them hauing sworne she tooke againe her discourse in this sort The History of Diane IT would be very strange if the discourse which you desire to know of me might not be offensiue to you since faire wise shepheardesses it hath made me endure so much displeasure that I thinke not I shall at this time vse more words in telling it then it hath cost me teares in suffering it And since it pleaseth you that at last I shall renew that grieuous remembrance suffer me to abridge it that I may in some sort lessen the happinesse wherein I am by the memory of passed troubles I assure my selfe that though you neuer sawe Celion and Belinde yet you haue heard they were my father and mother and it may be haue knowne the crosses which they had for the loue of the one to the other which lets mee from telling them though they were presages of those I met with But you must know that after the cares of loue were ended in marriage that they might not remayne ydle suites of law and sundry troubles beganne to grow and so plentifully that wearied with charge of processe to make an accord many among the rest a neighbour of theirs named Phormion trauayled so that their friends were of aduice at last that to end all suits they should giue some promises of future alliance betweene them and because neither the one nor the other as yet had any children as hauing not beene long married they swore by Theurales on the Altar of Belenus that if they both had but one sonne and one daughter they should marry together and ratified this alliance with so many oathes that hee which brake them should be the most periured creature in the world Some time after my father had a sonne which was lost when the Gothes and Ostrogots ransacked this prouince Somewhat after that was I borne but so vnluckily for my selfe that my father neuer sawe me being borne after his death This was the cause that Phormion seeing my father dead and my brother lost for these Barbarians had carryed him away and it may be kill'd him or left him to die for want and that my vnkle Dinamis was gone out with displeasure of this losse resolued if he might haue a sonne to pursue the effect of those promises It fell out that some while after his wife lay downe but it was of a daughter and because his wife was old and he feared he should haue no more by her hee made it be giuen out that it was a sonne and vsed so great warinesse that neuer any body heeded it a tricke easie enough because there was no person that would suppose that he would vse such a deceit and vntill a certayne age it is hard by the face to know any thing and the better to deceiue the most crafty he called her Filidas And when she came to age he caused her to vse the exercise fit for young shepheards whereto she was not very vnâ—â—t The dessigne of Phormion was seeing me without father and without vnkle to make himselfe master of my good by this fayned marriage and when Filidaâ— and I should be greater to marry me to one of his nephews which he loued best And indeed he was not deceiued in his former dessigne For Belinde was too religious towards the gods to fayle in that whereto she knew her husband was bound It is true that seeing me taken out of her owne hands for presently after this dissembled marriage I was deliuered into them of Pharmion she tooke so great griefe that not being able to stay longer in this countrey she went to the lake Leman to be mistris of the Vestals and Druydes of Euiens as the old Cleoâ—tin informed her from the Oracle Now behold me in the hands of Phormion who shortly after brought me home to him his nephew to whom he meant to giue me who was named Amidor This was the beginning of my paines because his vnkle let him know that by reason of our young age the marriage of Filidas and me was not so assured but if the one could not like of the other hee could not well breake it yet if it should happen hee wished rather hee should marry me then another that he should make vse of this aduertisement with so much discretion that no man might take notice of it endeuouring in the meane time to winne me to his loue in such sort that I gaue my selfe to him if euer I came to be free This yong shepheard had so good a conceit of this dessigne that as long as this fancie lasted he could not tel how good occasion I had to reioyce my selfe for him About this time Daphnis an honest and wise shepheardesse came from the coast of Furan where she had abode many yeeres and because we were neighbours the conuersation which we had together by chance made vs so good friends that I beganne to be more vexed then of wont for I must confesse that the humor of Filidas was so vnsupportable to me that I could not almost indure it so that the feare which she had that I might come to more knowledge made her so iealous of me that I might not scarce speake to any body Things standing on these termes Phormion on a sudden faâ—leth sicke and the same day was choked with a Catar that he could not speake nor giue any order to his affayres nor mine Filidas at the first was astonished at last seeing her selfe absolute mistris of her selfe and of me resolued to keepe this authority considering that the liberty which the name of a man brings is much more pleasing then the seruitude to which our Sexe is more subiected Besides that shee was not ignorant that when she should discouer her selfe to be a maide she should giue no small cause of talke to all the country These reasons made her continue the name which she had during her fathers life and fearing now more then euer that some one might discouer what she was she held me so strait that I was seldome without her But faire shepheardesses since it pleaseth you to know my young passages you must when you heare them excuse them and withall haue this beliefe of me that I haue had so many and so great troubles for louing that I am no more sensible on that side hauing beene so hardened that loue hath neyther so strong nor so sharpe armes that he can pierâ—â—â—e Alas it is the shepheard Filander of whom I will speake Filander that first could giue me some feeling of loue and who being no more hath carried away all that that might be capable in me Truely interrupted Astrea eyther the loue of Filander hath beene very little or you haue vsed great discretion for that indeed I neuer heard speech of it Which is a rare thing for that the euill
the first I was so vnaccustomed to make such answers that I assured my selfe shee would take small pleasure in them yet that I might deny him nothing I assayed to acquit my selfe the best I could At this word setting himselfe on one of his knees because we were set round taking one of my hands he beganne in this sort I should neuer haue thought faire mistrisse considering so great perfections in you that it should be permitted to a mortall to loue you if I had not proued in my selfe that it is impossible to see you and not to loue you but knowing well that heauen is too iust to command you a thing impossible I haue held for certaine that it pleased you should bee beloued since it suffered you to bee seene On this beleefe I haue fortified with reason the hardinesse I had to behold you and in my heart blesse that weakenesse which as soone subiected me to you as my eye was turned on you Now if the lawes ordaine that to euery one is to be giuen that which is his thinke it not euill faire shepheardesse that I giue you my heart since it is so acquired by you that if you refuse it I will disauow it for mine At this word he held his peace to heare what I would answer but in such a fashion that had hee not beene in the habit he wore hardly might one doubt he spake in earnest And not to contradict that I promised him I made him this answer Shepheardesse were the prayses which you giue me true I might haply beleeue that which you tell mee of your affection but knowing well that they be but flatteries I cannot beleeue but that the rest are dissimulation This too much wounds your iudgement sayd he to me to doubt of the greatnesse of your merit but with such excuses you are accustomed to refuse the things which you like not of I may truely sweare by Teutates and you know well I will not beperiured that you neuer refused any thing that was giuen you from a better nor more intire good will I know well answered I that the shepheards of this countrey are accustomed to vse more words where there is lesse truth and that they keepe among them as a thing approued that the gods doe not harken to nor punish the forswearing of the amorous if it be the peculiar fault of your shepheards I referre my selfe to your knowledge but I that am a stranger should haue no part of their blemish no more then I commit their fault and yet from your owne more cruel words must I draw some satisfaction for my selfe for though the gods doe not punish the oathes of Louers if I be not as it seemeth you make doubt of the gods will not forbeare to send mee the chastisement of periury and if they doe forbeare you shal be constrained to confesse that not being punished I am then no dissembler and if I be a lyer and am not punished you must confesse that I am a Louer And therefore on which side soeuer your fayre spirit turneth it selfe it knowes not how to deny that there is no beauty on earth where Diane is fayre and that neuer beauty was beloued as yours is of that shepheard that lies at your knees and in this case implores the succours of all the Graces to draw one from you which hee thinkes he merits if a perfect Louer euer found merit If I be faire replyed I I referre it to the eyes which behold me with sound iudgement but you cannot deny that you are periured and a dissembler and I must tell you Callire that the confidence with which you spake to mee like a man makes mee resolue neuer to beleeue words since being a woman you know so well to disguise And why Diane said he then smiling interrupt you so often your seruants discourse Do you wonder that being Callire I speake to you with such affection Thinke that there is no weakenesse of condition that shall euer make me diminish but it must rather be an occasion of preseruing it both more violent more eternall since there is nothing which so much diminisheth the heat of desire as the inioying of that which is desired and this not being to be had betweene vs you shal alwaies euen to my coffin be beloued and I alwaies a Louer And yet if Tiresias after he had beene a woman became a man why may not I hope that the gods may do me as great a fauour if it pleased you Beleeue me faire Diane since the gods doe nothing in vaine there is no likelihood that hauing placed in mee so perfect affection they will suffer me to labour in vaine and if nature haue made me a woman my extreme loue will make me such as shall not bee vnprofitable Daphnis who saw that this discourse went sharpely on and that it might be dangerous that this Louer should suffer himselfe to be carried so farre as to speake the thing that might discouer him to Amidor interrupted him saying Without doubt Callire your loue shall not vnprofitably be bestowed so long as you serue this fayre shepheardesse no more then the candle which spends not it selfe in vaine so long as it giues light to them that are in the house for all the rest of the world being but to serue this fayre you shall haue well bestowed your time when you haue spent them in her seruice But let vs change our discourse said Amidor for see here comes Filidas who will take no pleasure to heare it though you be a woman And presently Filidas came who made vs all rise to salute him But Amidor that passionately loued the fained Callire when his cousin arriued made that vse of the time that stealing away with Filander from the company and taking her vnder the arme began to speake thus Is it possible faire shepheardesse that the words you vse to Diane be true or haue you onely spoken them to shew the beauty of your spirit Beleeue me Amidor answered he I am no dissembler and I neuer said any thing more truely then the assurance which I haue giuen her of my affection and if in any thing I haue failed in the truth it was because I spake lesse then I feele but heerein am I to bee excused since there bee not wordes good enough to conceaue Whereto hee answered with a great sigh Since it is so faire Callyre I can hardly beleeue but you will much better conceiue the affection is borne you since you feele the same blowes wherewith you wound others more then them that are altogether ignorant and that shall be the cause that I will not goe to seek out other words to shew you what I suffer for you nor other reasons to excuse my boldnesse then those you haue vsed in your speech to Diane onely I will adde this consideration to the end you may know the greatnesse of my affection that if the blow which cannot bee auoyded must be iudged according to
pleaseth you to doe vs this honour we receiue it as we are bound to receiue with reuerence the graces which the heauens are pleased to doe vs. At these last wordes they tooke her to them and led her to Diane's Hamlet where she was receiued with so good countenance and with such ciuility that shee wondred how it was possible that persons so accomplished should bee brought vp among the woods and pastures After dinner they spent the time in deuices and demands which Leonide made and among others she enquired what was become of a shepherd named Celadon who was the sonne of Alcippe Diane answered that some while agoe he was drowned in Lignon And his brother Licidas is he married said she Not yet said Diane I think he hath no great haste for the displeasure for his brother is yet too fresh in his memory And by what misfortune said she did he miscarry He would haue succoured said Diane this shopheardesse who was falne in before him and then she shewed her Astrea The Nymph who without making any such shew tooke heede to Astreas actions seeing that on that remembrance she changed her countenance and to hide this blushing she held her hand before her eyes knew that shee loued him in good earnest and to discouer more held on And was the body neuer found No sayd Diane onely his hat was found which was stayed at one of the trees which the streame of water had made bare at the roote Phillis who knew that if this discourse held further it would draw teares from the eyes of her companion who had much adoe to restraine them that she might interrupt it But great Nymph said she what good fortune for vs was that that brought you to this place At our first meeting said Leonide I haue told you it It was onely to haue the good of knowing you and to enter league with you desirous to haue the pleasure of your company Since that is it replyed Phillis if you finde it good it will be fit to goe as vsually wee doe to our accustomed exercises and so you shall take more notice of our fashiō of life especially if you will giue vs leaue to vse in your presence the liberties of our villages That is it said Leonide I would haue requested of you for I know that cōstraint is neuer pleasing I come not hither to displease you In this sort Leonide taking Diane by the one hand and Astrea with the other they went forth and with many discoursings came to a wood which runnes along to the banke of Lignon and there hauing more moysture grew thicker and made the place more like a forrest They were scarce set when they heard one sing neere them and Diane was the first that knew the voyce and turning toward Leonide Great Nymph sayd she doe you take pleasure to heare the discourse of a young shepheard who hath nothing of the village but the name and the habit for hauing beene alwaies brought vp in the great Townes and among ciuill persons he hath lesse touch of our woods then of any other thing And who is he answered Leonide It is replyed Diane the shepheard Siluander who hath made abode among vs but 25. or 30. moneths And of what Family said the Nymph is he It is an hard matter added Diane to tell you for himselfe knowes not who is his father and mother only he hath some light coniecture that they were of the Forrests and for this cause when hee could hee returned hither with resolution to goe no more away and indeed our Lignon would haue great losse if hee should for I doe not thinke there was a more accomplished shepheard of long time You praise him too much answered the Nymph to make me desirous to see him let vs goe to entertaine him If he perceiue vs here said Diane and he thinke you desire it he will not faile to come soone enough to vs. And it fell out as she sayd for the shepheard by fortune walking abroad seeing them turned his pace towards them immediately and saluted them But because he knew not Leonide he made as though he would hold on his way when Diane said to him Is it so Siluander that you haue learned this ciuility in the great Townes to thrust your selfe into so good company and then to say nothing The shepheard answered smiling Since I haue offended by interrupting you I may the lesse hold on in the fault and so as I thinke may my error be lesser That is not it answered Diane that makes you part hence so soone but rather for that you finde nothing here worth your stay yet if you turne your eyes on this Nymph I assure my selfe that if you haue eies you will not thinke you can finde better else-where That which drawes any thing replyed Siluander must haue some sympathy with it but you may not thinke it strange that being no such betweene so great worth and my imperfections that I haue not felt this attract which you reproach me for Your modesty interrupted Leonide hath made you put this vnlikenesse betweene vs but thinke you it is in the body or in the soule For the body your countenance and the rest which we see of you deny it if it be in the soule it seemes if you haue it reasonable it differs nothing from ours Sluander knew well he was not now to talke to shepheardesses but with a person of an higher straine which made him resolue to answer with stronger reasons then he was vsed to haue among the shepheardesses and therefore he sayd thus The price faire Nymph of all things in the world is not valewed according to that we see of them but according to the proper vse of them for otherwise a man who is the most esteemed should be the least since there is no creature which surpasseth not him in some things peculiar one in strēgth another in swiftnesse another in sight another in hearing such like priuiledges of the body But whē we cōsider that the gods haue made al these creatures to serue man and man to serue God we must confesse that the gods haue thought best of him And by this reason I would tell you that to know the price of any thing we must haue an eye to the seruice the gods haue appointed it for there is no likelihood but that they know best the true value of euery thing Now in doing thus with you and mee who would not say but the gods are much mistaken in vs if being equall in merit they serue themselues of you as a Nymph and of me as a shepheard Leonide in her mind commended the gentle spirit of this shepheard which so well defended so bad a cause and to giue him occasion to speake on she said Though this may bee allowed in respect of mee yet wherefore is it that these shepheardesses cannot stay you since according to your speech they are to haue this conformity with you Wise Nymph
in loue to him And as for the recompences which you demand for the seruices and for the letters which Laonice carried from one to the other let her remember the contentment which she receiued how many happy daies she passed before this deceit which otherwise she should haue speÌ„t miferably let her ballance her seruices with that payment I assure myselfe shee shall bee found their debtor Thou saist Hylas that Tircis hath be guiled her This is no beguiling but a iust punishment of Loue that hath made her blowes fall on her owne selfe since her purpose was not to serue but to delude the wise Cleon that if she haue cause to coÌ„plaine of any thing it is that of two deceyuers she hath beene the lesse crafty See Siluander how briefly I haue thought fit to answer the false reasons of this shepheard and there remaines nothing but to make Laonâ—ce confesse that she hath done wrong to pursue this iniustice which I will easily doe if it please her to answer me Faire shepheardesse said Phillis tell me doe you loue Tircis well Shepheardesse replyed she no man that knowes me doubted euer of it If it were of constraint replyed Phillis that he were to goe farre off and that some other came in the meane time to woo you would you change this loue No sayd she for I should alwayes hope hee would come backe And reioyned Phillis If you knâ—w he would neuer returne would you cease louing him No certainely answered she O faire Laonice continued Phillis thinke it not then strange that Tyrcis who knowes that his Clâ—on for her merits is lifted vp into heauen who knoweth that from aboue shee sees all his actions and ioyes in his fidelity will not change the loue he bare her nor suffer that the distance of place should separate their affections since all the discommodities of life haue no more to do Thinke not as Hylas hath sayd that neuer any came backe ouer the floud of Acheron Many who haue beene beloued of the gods haue gone and returned and whom shall we rather thinke than faire Cleon whose birth hath beene beheld by the Destinies with so sweet and fauourable an eye that she neuer loued any thing whereof she gayned not the loue O Laonice if it were permitted your eyes to see the Diuinitie you might behold this Cleon who without doubt is at this houre in this place to defend her cause and is at mine â—are to prompt the words that I must speake Then you would iudge that Hylas hath done wrong to say that Tyrcis loues but cold cinders Me thinks I see her in the midst of vs clothed with immortality in stead of a frayle body and subiect to all accidents which reproches Hylas for the blasphemies which he hath vsed against her And what wilt thou answer Hylas if the happy Cleon say to thee Thou inconstant wouldst trayne vp my Tyrcis in thy vnfaithfulnesse if he haue heeretofore loued me thinkest thou it was my body if thou sayst Yes I answer He ought to be condemned since no louer is euer to withdraw himselfe from a loue begunne to loue the ashes which I haue left him in my coffin so long as they endure If hee confesse he loued my spirit that is my principall part then why inconstant will hee change that will at this time when it is more perfect than euer it was Heeretofore so will the misery of the liuing haue it I might be iealous I might be importunate I must serue I was marked by more then him but now freed from all imperfections I am no more capable to beare his displeasures And thou Hylas thou wouldst with thy sacrilegious inuentions turne from me him in whom onely I liue in earth and by a cruelty more barbarous than hath beene heard of assay to lay on me another death Wise Siluander the words which I deliuer sound so sensibly in mine eares that I doe not thinke but you heare them and feele them at your heart This is the cause that to leaue this diuinity speaking in your soule I will hold my peace after I haue onely told you that loue is so iust that you are to feare the punishments in your selues if the pitty of Laonice rather than the reason of Cleon moue and carry you At this word Phillis rising with a curteous reuerence made signe she would say no more for Tyrcis When Laonice would haue made an answer Siluander forbade it saying It was not now time to defend her selfe but to heare onely the sentence which the gods pronounced by his mouth and after he had some while considered with himselfe the reasons of them both hee pronounced such a sentence The iudgement of Siluander THe principall poynt of the causes debated before vs is to know if Loue may die by the death of the thing beloued Whereupon wee say that a loue that may perish is no true loue for it ought to follow the subiect that gaue it birth Therefore it is that they which loue the body onely must enclose all their loues of the body in the same tombe where it is shut vp but they that beyond this loue the spirit ought with their loues to flie after this beloued soule to the highest heauens no distances being able to separate them Therefore all these things well considered we ordayne That Tyrcis alwayes loue his Cleon and that of the two loues which may be in vs the one shall follow the body of Cleon to the tombe and the other the spirit into heauen In like sort it is ordered That suites of Laonice be forbidden that shee no longer disquiet the repose of Cleon for such is the will of the gods that speakes in me Hauing sayd thus without regarding the complaynts and reproches which he foresawe in Laonice and Hylas hee made a great reuerence to Leonide and the rest of the company and so went away without other companion than Phillis who would stay no longer to heare the sorrowes of this shepheardesse And because it was late Leonide withdrew into the Hamlet of Diane for that night and the shepheards and shepheardesses as they were accustomed except Laonice who infinitely offended with Siluander and Phillis sware not to goe out of that Countrey before she had done them some notable displeasure it seemed that Fortune brought her as shee could haue wished For hauing left that company and being placed in the thickest of the wood to mourne at liberty at the last her good spirit set before her eyes the insupportable contempt of Tyrcis how much vnworthy he was to be beloued of her and made her so ashamed of her fault that a thousand times she sware to hate him and for his cause Siluander and Phillis It fell out while these things thus passed in her memory that Licidas which some dayes before beganne to be euill satisfied with Phillis by reason of some coldnesse which he thought he found in her perceiued Siluander to come talking with her It was
about the village to see when his new mistrisse would come forth and as soone as hee spyed her hee came toward her singing these verses STANZA'S On an high raysed Desire HOpes like Ixions in boldnesse Disdaining heauens dire menacoâ— Will you aspire aboue your size With Icarus t'assaile the skie Is but to tumble from on hiâ— Forbeare not yet to enterprizâ—â— Euen so sometimes Prometheus With brest peckt by birds raâ—enous His torments did immortall make By stealing downe Celestiall fire He said to this good I aspire To doe what none dares vndertake My heart on rock of constaney Deuoured by my paciency Will say The sprights of loftiest size Haue they not dar'd to steale that coale So may this glory take my soule To doe what none dares enterprize Eccho that for Narcissus loue Bewrayes her griefe the rocks to moue Comforts her selfe in her dismay And tels them in her angry moode If I of this be not belou'd There is no other else that may Phillis that was of a pleasant disposition and would well discharge her selfe of the experiment whereto she had beene enioyned turning to Diane Mistrisse said she will you hereafter giue any credit to the words of this shepheard Yesterday he loued you not at all now hee is dead at least for loue Since he would say so much he ought to begin in a better houre to serue you or pause somewhile before he proffer such words Siluander was so neere that he might heare Phillis that made him cry out a farre off O mistrisse shut your eares against the euill words of mine enemy And then being come at them Ah naughty Phillis said he is it so that by the ruine of my contentment you seeke to build your owne You doe well answered Phillis to talke of your contentment haue not you with others this perfection of the most part of shepheards wâ—o out of a vanity say they are infinitely content and fauoured of their mistrisse though contrarily they bee hardly vsed talke you of contentment You Siluander haue you the boldnesse to vse these words in the presence euen of Diane what will you say in other places when you haue the sawcinesse to talke so before her She had gone on but that the shepheard after he had saluted the Nymph and the shepheardesses interrupted her thus You would haue my mistrisse mislike that I should speake of the contentment which I haue in her seruice and why will you not haue me say so if it be true Is it true answered Phillis see what vanity this is will you say yet that she loues you and that she cannot liue without you I may not say replyed the shepheard that it is so but I may well say I wish it were so but you seeme to thinke it so strange that I say I haue contentment in the seruice which I tender my mistris that I am coÌ„pelled to aske you if you haue not At least said she if I haue I doe not brag of it It is ingratitude replyed the shepheard to receiue good from any without thanks and how is it possible we can loue that person to whom we are vnthankfull By that interrupted Leonide I iudge that Phillis loues not Diane There are few that giue not the same iudgement answered Siluander and I beleeue she thinks so her selfe If you haue reasons good enough you may perswade me replyed Phillis If there want nothing but reason to proue it said Siluander I haue no more to doe for whether I proue a thing or deny it it cannot make it other then it is so that since I want but reasons to prooue your small loue what haue I to doe to conuince you That that is to be done that you loue not Diane belongs to you to prooue Phillis here staid a little troubled to answer and Astrea said to her It seemes sister you approue that which the shepheard saith I doe not approue it answered she but I am much troubled to disproue it If it be added Diane you loue me not at all for since Siluander hath found the reasons which you demand and against which you cannot resist you must confesse that that which he saith is true At this word the shepheard came to Diane and said Faire and iust mistrisse is it possible that this enemy shepheardesse hath yet the hardinesse not to suffer me to say that the seruice which I yeeld to you brings me contentment when this cannot be for the answer which you make so much to mine aduantage In saying answered Astrea that Phillis loues her not she doth not say therefore you do loue her or that she loues you If I could heare these words answered he I loue you or you loue me out of my mistrisses mouth it should not be a contentment but a transport that rauisheth me from my selfe for ouer-great satisfaction and yet if hee that holds his peace seeme to consent to that he heares why may not I say my faire mistrisse confesses that I loue her since without contradiction she heares what I say If Loue replyed Phillis consist in words you would haue more then all other men together for I doe not thinke they will euer faile you as bad a cause as you haue Leonide tooke wonderfull pleasure at the discourse of these shepheardesses and had it not beene for the payne wherein she was for the disease of Celadon she would haue tarried many dayes with them for albeit she knew he was out of his feuer yet she could not but feare his relapse That was the cause she desired them to take with her the way of Laigneu to the riuer for that she might the longer enioy their company They agreed willingly for besides courtesie so commaunded them they were exceedingly pleased with her company So then taking Diane on the one side and Astrea on the other shee went toward the Buttresse But Siluander was deceiued who by chance was gone furder from Diane than was Phillis so that she tooke that place that he desired Whereat Phillis being very glorious went mocking the shepheard saying that his Mistris might easily iudge that hee was too slouthfull to serue her Shee may grant so much answered he to your importunity but not to your affection For if you loued her you would not haue left mee the place you had That should rather be a signe of the contrary sayd Phillis if I suffer another to come neerer than my selfe for if the party that loues desires almost to be transformed into the thing beloued hee approacheth neerest and so attaynes the perfection of his desires The louer answered Siluander that hath more regard to his owne contentment than of the person beloued deserues not that title at all So that you which regard more the pleasure which you take in being neere your Mistris than you do her commodity may not say you loue her but your selfe onely For if I were in the place you are I would helpe her to goe and you do but let her If my
that you may make question of my good will yet if the care I haue had to instruct your youth haue not giuen you sufficient knowledge of it I would you should take notice of it because I desire to do for you You know that my sonne Azahyde who tooke you and brought you to mee hath a daughter whom I loue as my selfe and because I determine to passe the few dayes behinde in quietnesse and tranquillity I haue a purpose tomarry you to her and to giue you so good a part of my wealth that I may liue with you so long as it pleaseth God And thinke not that I haue had this purpose on a sudden for it is long since I prepared for euery thing In the first place I was desirous to know what your humor was euen when you were a childe to iudge if you could frame your selfe to be with me for that in such an age there could be but little art and so might we see as naked all the affections of a soule and finding you such as I wished Azahyde to be I thought good to settle the repose of my last dayes vpon you and for that cause I put you to study knowing well that there is nothing makes a soule more capable of reason than the knowledge of things And during your long absence from me I haue determined to marry my young daughter to you who to please me desires it almost as much as my selfe It is true she would gladly know who and of what place you are And to satisfie her I haue enquired of Azahyde many times in what place he tooke you but he hath alwayes told me that he knew nothing but that it was at the riuer of Rosne of the prouince of Viennois and that you were giuen by one that brought you two dayes iourney for exchange of some armors But it may be you can remember better for you might be about fiue or sixe yeeres of age and when I asked him whether the cloaths which you then wore might not giue some coniecture of what parents you were descended he answered no for that you were then so young that hardly could one iudge by your habit of what condition you were So that my sonne if your memory doe not helpe you herein there is no body can free vs of this paine So the good old Abariel held his peace and taking me by the hand besought me to tell him all that I knew Whereto after all the thankes I could giue him as well for the good opinion he had of me as for the nourture hee had giuen me and for the marriage which hee propounded I made him answere that in truth I was so yong when I was taken that I had no remembrance neither of my parents nor of my condition This is replyed the good old man somewhat combersome yet we will not let to proceed further prouided you like of it not greatly caring to speake with Azahyde but to know your good will And when I had answered him that I were very ingratefull if I did not wholy obey his commandement at that instant causing mee to go aside he sent to seeke out his sonne and to tell him his purpose which before my returne hee knew of by his daughter and the feare of losing the goods which Abariel would giue vs made him so much to dislike it that when his father spake to him of it hee so long reiected it and with such reasons that in the end the good old man not being able to get his consent told him frankely Azahide if you will not giue your daughter to whom I will I wil giue my goods to whom you would not and therefore resolue to agree to Siluander or I will chuse him to be mine heire Azahyde who was very couetous and fearing to lose that good seeing his father in these termes came better to himselfe and besought him to giue him some few dayes space to think of it whereas his father being a good old man easily condescended desiring to do all things with gentlenesse and after told me of it yet he needed not haue done it for I perceiued so much by the eyes and speech of his sonne who began to deale so roughly with me that I could hardly endure it Now during the time that he had taken he commanded his daughter who had a better minde then hee on paine of death for he was a man of blood and murther to make shew to the old man that she was sorry her father would not satisfie his will and that she could not helpe it but with her disobedience that she was ready to marry me secretly and when it was done time might worke her fathers content and this he had in purpose to procure my death The poore wench was much entāgled for on the one side the ordinary threatnings of her father whose mischieuous nature she knew too well egged her on to play this part on the other side the loue which from her childhood shee bare me with held her So it was that her tender yeeres for shee had not passed aboue halfe an age would not let her haue resolution enough to denie and so al trembling she came to vse that speech to the good man who receiued it with that confidence that after hee had kissed her fore-head twice or thrice at last he resolued to put it in practice as she had sayd and enioyned me so peremptorily that notwithstanding all the doubts I had in it I durst not contradict it Now the resolution was taken in such sort that I was to climbe thorow a window into the chamber where I must marry her secretly This Towne is seated on the vtmost bounds of the Allobroges on the side of the Heluecians and it is on the banks of the great lake Leman in such sort that the waues beat vpon the houses and then disgorge themselues into Rosne which passeth thorow the middest of it The meaning of Azabyde was because their lodgings were that way to draw mee vp with a cord halfe the height of the wall and then to let me fall into the lake where being drowned they might neuer heare more newes of mee because that Rosne with his swiftnesse would haue carried me farre off or touching on the hard rocks I might haue beene so bruised that no man could haue knowne me And without doubt his designe had taken effect for I was resolued to obey the good Abariel had it not beene that the day before this was to be done the poore wench that was commanded to shew me good countenance that I might be the more abused moued with compassion and out of horrour to bee the cause of my death could not hold from discouering it to mee all trembling saying to mee a little after You see Siluander in sauing your life I procure mine owne death for I know well Azahyde will neuer pardon me but I had rather dye an innocent then liue guilty of your death After I
that she would vse this language to me When that shall be said Paris you shall haue but the more obligation to her It is true said Hylas but I shall not be afraid to binde my selfe in part to her to whom I am already so entirely Your obligations said Diane are not of those that continue for euer you can reuoke them when you will If the one answered he bring losse the others haue aduantage and aske Phillis if she be not well eased that I am of that humour for if I were otherwise she might make some account of my seruice With the like discourse Diane Paris many other shepheardesse came to the great medow where they vsed to meet before they went home and Paris giuing the good night to Diane and the rest of the company tooke his way by the side of Laigneu But in the meane time Licidas was talking with Phillis for the ielousie of Siluander had tormented him so that he could not stay vntill the next morning to tell her what was in his heart He was so farre besides himselfe that he tooke no heed who heard him but thinking he had beene alone with her after two or three great sighs he sayd Is it possible Phillis that the heauens haue preserued my life so long to feele thy vnfaithfullnesse The shepheardesse that looked for some other discourse was so surprized that she could not answer him And the shepheard seeing her mute and thinking it was to inuent some excuse went on You haue reason faire shepheardesse not to answer for your eies say as much indeed too plainely for my quie And this silence tells and assures mee but too well of what I demand and which I would not know The shepheardesse that felt her selfe offended at these words answered him in anger Since mine eies speake so much for me why will you haue mee answer in another fashion And if my silence giue you more knowledge of my small loue than my actions passed could of my good will thinke you I can hope to giue you better proofe by my words But I wel see what it is Licidas you would make an honest retreit you haue a designe elsewhere and because you dare not without giuing your sicklenesse some reasonable couerture you faine to your selfe Chimres and build vp occasions of displeasure wheâ—e you know well there is no cause purposely to make me blamed for your fault But Licidas bring foorth your reasons let vs see what they are or if you will not do it giue backe shepheard without accusing me of the errour which you haue committed and for which I shall doe long penance but let it content you to leaue the mortall displeasure but not the blame which you goe about to raise by your ordinary complaynts where with you importune both heauen and earth The doubt which I haue had replyed the shepheard makes me complaine but the assurance which you giue mee by your egre words makes me die And what is your feare answered the shepheardesse Iudge replyed he if it may be small since the complaints that proceed of it importune both heauen and earth as you cast in my teeth If you will know it I will tell you in few words I feare that Phillis loueth not Lieidas Yet shepheard sayd Phillis you may thinke I loue you not and beare in your memory what I haue done for you and for Olympe Is it possible that the actions of my life passed should returne before your eyes when you conceiue these doubts I know well answered the shepheard that you haue loued me and if I had beene in doubt my payne should not be such as I now seele but I feare that a wound as great as it is if it bring not death may heale in time so that which Loue hath made you do for me is by this time so fully healed that hardly the skarre onely may be seene Phillis at these vvords turning her head aside and her eyes with a playne gesture of discontentment Since shepheard said she that vntill novv by the offices and those testimonies of affection vvhich I haue done you I perceiue I haue got nothing assure your selfe that which I complaine most of is the paine and time which I haue employed about it Licidas knevv vvell the shepheardesse was much mooued but himselfe vvas so ouercome of ielousie that he could not hold from ansvvering her This anger shepheardesse giues me but more knovvledge of that vvchich I feared for to trouble ones selfe for the speech vvhich an ouer-great affection hat sometime brought out is it not a signe he vvas neuer touched Phillis hearing this reproach came a little to her selfe and turning her face to him You see Licidas all dissembling displeases me in any but I cannot beare it in them with whom I would liue How now hath Licidas the hardnesse to tell me that he doubts the loue of his Phillis and I not thinke hee dissembles and vvhat testimony may be giuen that I haue not giuen you Shepheard shepheard beleeue me these words make me thinke hardly of the assurance which sometimes you haue giuen me of your affectioÌ„ For it may be you deceiue me in that which concerns you as it seemes you deceiue your selfe in that that touches me or as you think you are not beloued being indeed more then the rest of the world so you imagine you loue when indeed you doe not Shepheardesse answered Licidas if my affection were of that common sort that haue more of apparence then of effect I would condemne my selfe when the violence of it did transport mee beyond reason or when I demand of you great proofes of a great amity but since it is not of that kinde and that you know well it imbraces whatsoeuer is greater know you not that extreme loue neuer goes without this feare though it haue no cause and for the little it hath this feare changes it selfe into iealousie and iealousie into paine or rather into madnesse wherein I finde my selfe While Licidas and Phillis talked thus thinking their words were heard but of them two and that they had no other witnesses but the trees Siluander as I told you lay like a skout and lost not a word Laonice on the other side which had beene asleepe in that place awaked at the beginning of their speech and knowing them both was infinitely glad to be found to so good purpose assuring her selfe that they would not part vntill they had acquainted her with much of their secrets where with she hapned to serue her owne turne to their ruine And it fell out as she hoped for Phillis hearing Licidas say that he was iealous demaunded very loude both of whom and wherefore Shepheardesse answered the foolish Licidas aske you me that question Tell me I pray you whence proceeded that great coldnesse towards me of late and from whence that familarity which you haue in so strait a sort with Siluander if the loue which you were wont to beare me be
know not what will become of her So as I may well say I ueuer sawe such a curiosity nor so strange a dreame as she hath had since she endured this euill But this is not all your wisedome sage Adamas in this which I am to tell you must worke one of his ordinary effects Your Neece is so ouertaken with Celadon as I know not if Galathee be more Aboue all â—elousie is so mingled among them and I haue endeuoured to excuse and abate the blowes of it the best I could yet I am out of hope for the time to come Therefore it is that I thanke God for your comming for without fiction I know not how things can be carried without you you must excuse me if I speake to you so freely of that which touches you the 〈◊〉 which I beare them both enforces me to it Thus ended Silâ—â—â— â—er discourse with such a demonstration of mistake to see this euill life that Adamas thought well of her for it and to giue beginning not to the healing of the shepheard but of the Nymphs for that euill was the greater Adamas asked what her aduice was For my part said she will you beginne to remoue from them the cause of this euill which is the shepheard but this must be done with some cunning for that Galathee will not let him goe You haue reason answered the Druyde but while we labour to doe that we must take heede that he fall not in loue with them for that youth and beauty haue no small sympathy and so we trauaile in vaine if he happen to loue them O Adamas said Siluie if you knew Celadon as I doe you would neuer haue this feare he is so farre in loue with Astrea that all the beauty of the world cannot please him and after we shall haue enough to looke to other things than to his healing Faire Siluie said the Druide you speake well like one that neuer knew what Loue meant and as one that neuer felt his forces This little god the more power he hath ouer euery thing the more sport he makes with euery thing so that when there is least likelihood that he should doe any thing it is then especially that he is pleased to make his power to be knowne Liue not you with that confidence for that as yet there was neuer any sort of vertue that could be exempted from Loue. Chastity it selfe could not witnesse Endymion Why presently said Siluiâ— O wise Adamas doe you presage so great a disaster To the end said he that you might arme your selfe against the forces of that god for feare that being ouer-assured in the opinion that it is impossible you bee not ouertaken before you are prepared I haue heard say that Celadon is so goodly so discreete and accomplished that there is no perfection wanting in him which may winne loue If it be so there is danger for that the treasons of loue are so hard to discouer that as yet there was neuer the man that could doe it Leaue the paine to me said she and onely see what you will haue me doe in this businesse we talke of Me thinks said the Druyde this warre must be made by the eye and when I haue seene how the world goes wee will dispose of our affaires to the least hurt that wee can and in the meane time let vs keepe our dessigne secret Then Siluiâ— left him to his rest and went to seeke Galathee who with Leonide was about the bed of Celadon for hauing knowne he was awake neither of them had the power to stay longer from the sight of him The welcomes that he gaue to Leonide were not small for for the courtesie with which she bound him he loued and esteemed well of her though Siluies humour pleased him better Within a while after they fell in talke of Adamas commending his Wisedome his Wit and Bounty whereupon Celadon asked if hee were not the Sonne of the great Pelion of whom he had heard spoken so many maruailes It is the same answered Galathee who is come expressely for your disease O Madame answered the shepheard it must be a good Physician that can heale that but I thinke when he shall know it he will sooner despaire of my health than dare to vndertake the cure Galathee thought he spake of the sicknesse of his body But sayd she is it possible you should thinke you are still sicke I assure my selfe if you will within two dayes you may leaue your bed It may be Madame answered Leonide hee is neuer the better for that for sometimes we carry our sicknesse so hidden that our selues know nothing till we be in extremity Their discourse had held longer had not the Druyde come to finde them that he might see what was necessary for his purpose He found him well disposed for his body for the disease had spent his fury and came to decline but when hee spake to him hee iudged his spirit distempered though he was not of beleefe that it was for these Nymphs and knowing that the wise Physician ought alwaies to apply his remedy to the euill that is ready to offer violence hee resolued to begin his cure on Galathee And on this designe desirous at once to be certified of the will of Celadon at night when al the Nymphs were gone he tooke heed that Meril might not bee by hauing shut the doore hee spake in this sort I thinke Celadon your astonishment is not small to see your selfe suddenly raysed to so good a fortune as that you now possesse for I assure my selfe it is beyond your hope that being borne as you are a shepheard and bred in the villages you now see your selfe cherished of the Nymphs made much of and serued I will not say of Ladyes that haue beene vsed to be commanded but by her that absolutely commands ouer this Countrey A fortune indeede which the greatest haue desired but whereto none could attaine but your selfe for which you are to praise the gods and giue them thanks that they may continue it to you Adamas talked thus to him that he might draw him to tell the truth of his affection thinking that by this meanes making shew to approue it he should make him best discouer it Whom the shepheard answered with a great sigh Father if this be a good fortune then must my taste bee distempered for I neuer felt more bitter Wormewood than that which this fortune that you call good hath made me taste since I came to bee in the state wherein you see me And how added the Druyde the better to couer his craft is it possible you should haue so small knowledge of your good that you see not to what greatnesse this aduenture hath raysed you Alas answered Celadon it is that which threatens a greater fall Why doe you feare said Adamas that this good lucke will not last I feare answered the shepheard it will last longer then I desire But wherefore is it that
thus to you I would not haue you thinke that I haue diminished this good will for it shall accompany mee to my graue and yet it may be you would do it if I had not forewarned you but bind me by beleeuing that my life and not my amity may diminish These words put Celion into much paine not knowing whereto they tended at last hee answered that hee attended her will with great ioy and great feare with ioy for that he could imagine nothing more beneficial to him then the honor of her commandements and with feare for that he knew not for what cause she threatned him yet death it selfe could not be vnwelcome to him if it befell him by her commandement Then Bellinde held on Since besides your sayings at this time you haue alwayes giuen mee that witnesse of this assurance which you make mee that with reason I cannot doubt I will make no more difficulty not to intreate but to coniure Celion by all the amity with which he fauours his Bellinde to obey her at this time I will not command him a thing impossible much lesse draw him from the affection which he beares me rather on the contrary I will if it may be that he encrease it more and more But before I passe further let me know I beseech you if euer your amity hath bene of other quallity then it is now Celion then shewing a countenance lesse troubled then that which before the doubt had constrained him to haue answered that he began tâ—â—â—ope well hauing receiued such assurance that to satisfie her demand hee would againe auow that hee hath loued her with the same affections and passions and with the same desires that youth did vsually produce in hearts transported furthest by loue and that therein he would not except any one that since her commandement had such power ouer him it had got the like ouer his passion that his sincere amity had so far surpassed his loue that he did not thinke hee should offend a sister to loue her with that mind On my faith brother replyed the shepheardesse for so I will hold you the remainder of my life you so bind me by liuing thus with mee that neuer any of your actions euer got more ouer my soule then this But I cannot see you longer in paine Know then that that which I would haue of you is onely that preseruing inuiolably this good amity which you now beare me you place your loue on one of the fairest shepheardesses of Lignon You may say this is a strange office for Bellinde yet if you consider that she of whom I speake would haue you for her husband and that she is after you the person whom I most loue for it is Amaranthe I assure my selfe you will not wonder at it She hath intreated and I command you by all the power I haue ouer you She made haste to giue him this coÌ„mandement fearing that if she staied long she should not haue the power to resist the supplications which she foresaw What thinke you faire Nymph became of this poore Celion he grew pale like a dead man and so besides himselfe that hee could not for a good while bring forth a word At last when he could speake with such a voyce as they haue that are in the midst of punishment he cryed out Ah cruell Bellinde haue you preserued my life till now to take it from me with such inhumanity This commandement is too cruell to let me liue and my affection too great to let mee die without despaire Alas suffer me to dye but let me die faithfull that if there be no meane to recouer Amaranthe but by my death I may sacrifice my self most willingly for her health the change of this commandement shall be no lesse witnesse that I am beloued of you then whatsoeuer you shall be able to do to me Bellinde was moued but not changed Celion sayd shee let vs leaue all these idle words you shall giue me lesse occasion to beleeue what you say to me if you will not satisfie the first request which I make you Cruell presently sayd the afflicted Celion if you will that I change this amity what power haue you more to comand me but if you wil not that I chaÌ„ge it how is it possible to loue vertue and vice and if it be not possible why for proofe of my affection will you haue a thing which cannot be Pitty thought to ouercome her and though she had â—uch paine for the griefe of the shepheard yet was it some contentment which could not be paralelled to know her selfe so perfectly beloued of him that shee loued so deare and is may bee might haue got something ouer her resolution had it not 〈◊〉 that she would put from Amaranthe all opinion that shee was attainted with her euil though she loued the shepheard and was well beloued yet she enforced her pitty which already had brought forth some teares into her eyes to returne into her heart without giuing knowledge that it was come and in the end that she might not fall againe into the same paine she went away and at her departing she sayd Account of me as pleases you I am resolued neuer to see you vntill you haue effected my praier and your promise and thinke that this resolution shall ouer-liue your obstinacy If Celion were besides himselfe seeing himselfe so farre from all consolation and resolution he may iudge that hath loued So it was that hee stood two or three days like a man lost running into the woods and flying from all those whom formerly he had conuersed with At last an old shepheard a great friend of his fathers one indeed that was very wise and who had alwayes loued Celion passing well seeing him in this case and doubâ—ing there was no passion strong enough to worke such effects but loue so sifted him on all sides that he made him discourse his paine where to he gaue some asswagement by his good counsell for in his youth he had often passed thorow the same straights And at last seeing him a little tractable he mocked at him for that he had such paine for so small a matter telling him that the remedy was so easie that hee might be ashamed that it should bee knowne that Celion esteemed wise by euery man and a person of courage should haue so little vnderstanding that hee knew not how to resolue in an accident that was not very difficult or at the worst could not dissemble and then hee went on But it had bene fit that at the beginning you had made these difficulties for so she shall thinke your affection extremee and this shall tie her to loue you the more but since you haue made that demonstration it wil suffice that to content her you make shew of that which shee commands This counsell at last was receiued of Celion and executed as it was propounded It is true that he wrote this letter to Bellinde before Celions letter
was very aduised and was not ignorant of the affaires of this shepheardesse but that he had heard speech of the loue which Colion bare her suddenly entred into conceit that this flocke was his and that Bellinde went to seeke him Now though he made no doubt of the chastity of his mistris yet did he easily beleeue that shee hated him not thinking that so long a suite could not haue beene continued if shee had misliked it And to satisfie his curiosity as soone as he sawe her vnder the trees and that she could not spie him fetching a compasse somevvhat about hee hid himselfe among some bushes where hee perceiued the shepheardesse set on the turffes which were raised about the Fountaine in the fashion of seates and Celion on his knees by her What an assault receiued he at this sight Yet for that hee could not heate what they sayd hee went softly and he came so neere them that there was nothing but an hedge which compassing about the fountaine like a pale shaddowed him From that place then casting his eyes betvveene the opening of the leaues and being very attentiue withall to their discourse he heard the shepheardesse answer him And how Celion is it power or will to please me that makes you wanting in this occasion Shall this accident haue more force ouer you than the power you haue giuen me Where is your courage Celion or rather where is your amity Haue you not heeretofore ouercome for the loue you beare me greater misfortunes than these If it be so where is the affection or where is the resolution that made you doe it Would you haue me beleeue that you haue lesse now than you had then Ah shepheard consent thou rather to the shortening of my life than to the lessening of that goodwill which you haue promised me and as hitherto I haue had that power ouer you that I listed so for the time to come let nothing be able to diminish the same Ergaste heard that Celion answered her Is it possible Bellinde that you can enter into doubt of mine affection and of the power you haue of me Can you haue so great a want of vnderstanding and can the heauens be so vniust that you can forget those testimonies which I haue giuen you and that they haue suffered that I should suruiue the good opinion which you are to haue of mee You Bellinde you may call into question that which neuer any one of my actions nor of your commaundements left doubtfull At least before you take so disaduantagious opinion against me demaund of Amaranthe what she beleeues demaund the respect which makes me silent demaund of Bellinde her selfe if euer shee imagined any thing difficult that my affection did not surmount But now that I see you entirely anothers and after the end of my disappoynted loue leauing you in the armes of a more happy man than my selfe I must be gone and banish my selfe for euer from you Alas can you say it is want of affection or of will to obey you if I feele a paine more cruell than that of death How shepheardesse can you thinke I do loue you if without dying I know you another mans Will you say it should be loue and courage that make me insensible of this disaster rather in truth shall it not be neither loue nor courage to suffer this without dispaire O shepheardesse oh that you and I shall be a Fable a long while for if this weaknes which makes me vnable to liue and support this misfortune makes you doubt of my affection on the contrary that great constancy and that extreme resolution which I see in you is to me an ouer-certaine assurance of your small amity But withall why must I hope more of you when another O the cruelty of my destiny is to enioy you At this word the poore shepheard fell on the knees of Bellinde without strength or sence If the shepheardesse were touched to the quicke as well at the words as at the swowning of Celion you may iudge faire Nymph since she loued him as much as was possible and she must dissemble that she had no feeling of this dolorous separation When she saw him in a swownd and that she thought she was not heard but of the Sicomors and the water of the fountaine vnwilling to hide from them the displeasure which she had kept so secret from her companions and those whom she ordinarily sawe Alas said she wringing her hands Alas O soueraigne goodnesse take me out of this misery or out of this life for pitty either breake off my cruell disaster or let my cruell disaster breake me And there casting downe her eyes on Celion And thou sayd she ouer-faithfull shepheard which art not miserable but in that thou louest miserable me let the heauens be pleased either to giue thee the contentments thou deseruedst or to take me from the world since I am the only cause that thou sufferest the displeasures which thou meritest not And then holding her peace a while she beganne againe O how hard a thing it is to loue well and to be wise withall For I see well my father hath reason to giue mee to the wise Ergaste whether for his merits or for his substance But alas what doth this knowledge auaile me if Loue forbid mine affection to delight in him I know that Ergaste merits more and I can hope for nothing more to my benefit than to be his But how can I giue my selfe to him if Loue haue already giuen mee to another Reason is on my fathers side but Loue is for me and not a loue lately borne or that hath no power but a Loue which I haue conceiued or rather which the heauens haue caused to be borne with me which grew vp with me from my cradle and which by so long tract of time is so insinuated into my soule that it is more my soule than my soule O God! can I hope to put it off without losse of life And if I cannot vndoe it tell me Bellinde what will become of thee In bringing out these words the great teares fel from her eyes and running downe along her face wet both the hand and cheeke of the shepheard who by little and little comming to himselfe caused the shepheardesse to breake off her complaints and wiping her eyes for feare lest hee should marke it changing both her countenance and voyce she spake to him in this sort Shepheard I will confesse that I haue a feeling of your paine it may be as much as your selfe and that I cannot doubt of your goodwill vnlesse I were the most mis-vnderstanding person in the world But to what end serue this acknowledgement and those feelings since the heauens haue subiected me to him that hath giuen mee being would you haue me so to be that I disobey him But be it that affection more strong preuaile aboue duty shall we therefore Celion be at rest Is it possible if you loue me that
you can haue any contentment to see me all the rest of my life long full of displeasures and griefes And can you thinke that the blame which I shall incurre whether for disobeying my father or for the opinion that euery one shall haue of our life passed to my disaduantage can leaue me one moment of quieâ—nesse It may be this will be more credible of another than of me that haue alwayes so blamed them that haue carried themselues thus that the shame to see my selfe falne into their fault will be more insupportable to me than the most cruell death which the heauens may ordaine Arme your selfe therefore with this resolution O shepheard that as for the time passed our affection neuer made vs coÌ„mit any thing that was against our duty though our loue were extreme so for the time to come we must not suffer that it compell vs to doe it Besides that to things which haue no remedy complaints seeme vnprofitable Now it is certaine that my father hath giuen me to Ergaste and that gift can neuer be reuoked but by Ergaste himselfe Iudge you what hope wee can haue euer that will be It is true that hauing disposed of my affection before my father did of me I promised and swore to you before all the gods and particularly before the deities which dwell in this place that for affection I would be yours vntil I were in my tombe that there was neither father nor husband nor tyranny of duty should euer make me doe against the oath which I haue made you The heauens haue giuen me to a father that father hath giuen my body to an husband As I may not contradict heauâ—â— so my duty forbids me to refuse the appoyntment of my father But neither the heauens nor my father nor my husband shall euer keep me from hauing a brother whom I will loue as I haue promised him whatsoeuer may come of it At these last words foreseeing that Celion would fal againe to plaints and teares to put it off she rose and taking him by the head kissed his brow and bidding him farewell and going away Shepheard God grant thee as much contentment said she in thy iourney as thou leauest me little in the case I am in Celion had neither the strength to answer her nor the courage to follow her but being risen and holding his armes acrosse he went accompanying her with his eyes as farre as he could see her and when the trees tooke away his view lifting vp his eyes to heauen all laden with teares after many great sighs he ranne away on the other side without care either of his flocke or of any thing he left in his cabbin Ergaste who lay hid behinde the bush and had heard their discourse was more satisfied with the vertue of Bellinde than hee could expresse admiring both the force of her courage and the greatnes of her honesty And after he had long stayed rauished with this thought considering the extreme affection that was betweene these two louers hee beleeued that it would be an act vnworthy himselfe to be cause of their separation and that the heauens had ordained him to meet with that farewell so fitly but to let him see the great errour which he went about to commit vnawares Being then resolued to worke for their contentment all he could possibly hee set himselfe to follow Celion but he was by this time so farre gone that he knew not how to ouertake him and thinking to find him in his cabbin he tooke a narrow path that led directly to it But Celion was gone a contrary way for without speaking to any of his kinred or friends he went wandring many dayes without any other purpose than to flie from men and fed on the wilde fruits which extreme hunger enforced him to gather in the woods Ergaste that sawe his purpose was broken on that side after a day or two's search went to finde out Bellinde hoping to know of her what way he had taken and by chance he found her at the same place where she had bid Celion adieu all alone on the side of the Fountaine at that time meditating on the last accident that befell her in that place the remembrance whereof brought teares from the depth of her heart Ergaste that sawe her long before came purposely to take her in the most priuate sort hee could possibly and seeing her teares like two Springs runne downe into the Fountaine he had so much pitty that he swore not to take a good nights sleeâ—â— vntill hee had remedied her displeasure And to lose no time aduauncing himselfe at once towards her he saluted her Shee that sawe her selfe ouertaken with teares in her eyes that shee might hide them making shew to wash her selfe and nimbly casting her hands into the water wet her face all ouer so that if Ergaste had not seene her teares before he could hardly haue knowne she wept which yet made him more to wonder at her vertue At that time she painted in her face a smiling countenance and turning to the shepheard said to him with a fashion of courtesie I thought to haue beene a lone gentle shepheard but for that I see you are come for the same cause as I thinke that brought me hither I would say to refresh you and without fayning see the best Spring and the most fresh that is in this Plaine Wise and faire shepheardesse answered Ergaste smiling you haue reason to say that the same cause which made you come hither hath likewise brought me For it is true but where you say that you and I come to refresh our selues I must contradict it for that neither of vs had it for our purpose For my part said the shepheardesse I confesse I may be deceiued for you but for mine owne particular you must permit me to say that there is none that knowes more than my selfe I grant sayd Ergaste that you know more than all others But you shall not therefore make mee confesse that the cause that brought you hither is the very same you haue spoken of And what thinke you then sayd she it was At this word she laid her hand on her face seeming to rubbe her eye-browes but indeede to hide in some sort the rednesse which was risen Which Ergaste marking and willing to free her of the paine wherein hee sawe her answered thus Faire and discreet shepheardesse you must vse no more dissimulation with mee that know as well as you that which you do thinke you haue most secret in your soule and to manifest vnto you that I lie not I tell you that at this present you are heere at this waters side thinking with great displeasure on the last adieu which you gaue vnto Celion in this place where you are I sayd shee presently all ouertaken Yes you said Ergaste but be not greeued that I know it For I doe so esteeme of your vertue and worth that it shall be so farre from hurting you