imagination of the suspect that I had of her honestie hath bredde in her so great despite and hatred against me that to be reuenged of me she hath hitherto perseuered therein which greeuous torment she is not onely content to lay vpon me but when she sees me before her eies flies from my presence as the fearefull Hinde from the hungry and pursuing Hounde So that by the loue which thou owest thy selfe I pray thee good Shepherdesse iudge whether this be a sufficient cause to make her thus abhorre me and if my fault on the other side be so great that it deserues such endles and extreme hate Filemon hauing made an end of the cause of his greefe and iniurie wherewith his Shepherdesse tormented him Amarillis began to shape her answer thus This Filemon faire Shepherdesse that sits before thee hath loued me well I must needes confesse or at the least made a fine shewe thereof and such haue his seruices beene towards me that to say otherwise of him then he deserues it would ill beseeme me But if for his sake in lieu and recompence of that affection I haue not reiected the suites and seruice of many iolly Shepherds that feede their flockes vpon these downes and in these pleasant vales and also for his loue haue not contemned many countrey youthes whom nature hath enriched with no lesse perfections then himselfe let himselfe be iudge For the infinite times that with their amorous sutes I haue beene importuned and those wherein I haue kept that firmnes due to his faith haue not I thinke beene at any time out of his presence which neuerthelesse should be no sufficient cause for him to make so small account of me as to imagine or suspect any thing of that wherein I am most of all bounde to my selfe For if it be so as he knowes well enough that for the loue of him I haue cast off many that died by mine occasion how coulde I then forget or reiect him for the loue of another A thousand times hath Filemon watched me not leesing a steppe that the Shepherd Arsileus and I haue troden amiddes these greene woods and pleasant vales but let him say if he euer heard Arsileus talke to me of loue or if I answered him any thing touching such matter What day did Filemon euer see me talke to Arsileus whereby he might conceiue any thing else by my words but that I went about to comfort him in such great forrow as he suffered And if this be a sufficient cause to make him thinke ill of his Shepherdesse who can better iudge it then himselfe Behold then faire Shepherdesse how much he was giuen to false suspects and wrongfull iealousie that my wordes could neuer satisfie him nor worke with him to make him leaue off his obdurate minde by absenting himselfe from this valley thinking therby to haue made an end of my daies wherein he was deceiued when as he rather ended his owne ioy and contentment if for me at the least he had euer any at all And this was the michiefe besides that Filemon being not onely content to beare mee such a kinde of vniust iealousie whereof he had so small occasion as now faire Shepherdesse thou hast seene hee did likewise publish it at euerie feast in all bridales wrestlings and meetings that were made amongst the Shepherds of these hilles And this thou knowest good Shepherdesse howe it did preiudice mine honour more then his contentment In the ende hee absented himselfe from mee which course since hee hath taken for a medicine of his malladie which it seemes hath the more increased it let him not finde fault with me if I haue knowne how to profit my selfe more thereby then he hath And now that thou hast seene faire Shepherdesse what great content that I felt when thou toldst the Shepherd Arsileus so good newes of his Shepherdesse that I my selfe was most earnest with him to haue him go and seeke her out it is cleere that there could not be any thing between vs that might ingēder such cause of suspition as this Shepherd hath wrongfully cōceiued of vs. So that this is the cause that hath made me not only so cold in the loue that I did beare him but not to loue any more wherby to put mine honor good name in hazard of false suspects since my good hap hath brought me to such a time that without forcing my selfe I may do it at mine own choise libertie After Amarillis had shewed the small reason the Shepherd had to giue so great credit to his iealous imaginations and the libertie wherein time and her good fortune had put her a naturall thing to free harts the woefull Shepherd replied in this sort I doe not denie Amarillis but that thy wisedome and discretion is sufficient to cleere thee of all suspition But wilt thou now make nouelties in loue inuent other new effects then those which we haue heretofore seene When a louer would loue well the least occasion of iealousie torments his foule how much more when those were greater which by thy priuie conuersation and familiaritie with Arsileus thou hast giuen me Dost thou thinke Amarillis that for a iealousie certainties are needfull Alas thou deceiuest thy selfe for suspicions be the principall causes of their entrance which was also no great matter since I beleeued that thou didst beare Arsileus good will the publishing whereof was as little preiudiciall and lesse offensiue to thine honour since the force of my loue was so great that it made mee manifest the ill that I did feare And though thy goodnes assured mee when at stealth and deceite of my suspectes I thought thereof yet I alwaies feared least some aduerse successe might befall vnto me if this familiaritie had beene still continued But to that thou saiest faire Shepherdesse that I absented my selfe I answere that vpon a stomacke or to giue thee any offence or greefe thereby I did it not but to see if I could haue any remedie in mine owne not seeing the cause of my great mishap and greefe before mine eies and bicause my pursutes might not also offende thee But if by seeking remedy for so great an ill I went against that which I owed thee what greater punishment can I haue then that which thy absence hath made me feele If thou saiest thou didst neuer loue Arsileus it giues me greater occasion to complaine of thee since for a thing of so small importance thou didst forsake him who so greatly desired to serue thee So that I haue the more cause to accuse thee the lesse thy loue was to Arsileus And these are the reasons Amarillis and manie more which I do alleage not in mine owne excuse and fauour whereby I thinke not to helpe my selfe at all since in matters of loue they are woont to profite so little onely requesting thee gentle Amarillis that thy clemencie and the faith which I haue euer borne thee may be of my side and mooue thee
Fortune brought me to Dardancas seruice whose beautie and golden vertues are the woonder of our age When Disteus had read the letter softly to himself for he would not read it aloud before he had viewed the contents of it he said to Anfilardus I would haue read this letter vnto thee Anfilardus if I had thought it would haue made thee glad or sorrie and also bicause it is so obscurely written that I can scarce vnderstand one clause thereof The contents of it perswade me not to be carefull nor trouble my wits by inquiring out the cause of her departure vntill time doth manifest it when as then she saieth she shall be as free from fault as I from complaint With this also she writes me that she is content with Dardaneas seruice for proofe whereof she extols her highly with onely two wordes saying That she is the woonder of our age She that is of such excellent beautie saide Anfilardus enchased with all precious gems of vertue deserues no lesse assuring you Sir that Palna if with so much truth she iustifies that which she hath done as she hath reason for that she hath spoken may be blameles and excused to all the worlde wherein I must needes say she hath beene wise hauing no good discharge and excuse of her fault by putting you in a doubtfull loue and hope of a thing you knowe not to the ende that in the meane while you might forget and ouerpasse your anger by such thoughts and that she might not neede heereafter to excuse her-selfe I told thee not long since saide Disteus that though I feele Palnas absence very neere yet I must dissemble it with thee by meanes whereof happe good or ill I will still shewe one semblant prouided that I know the cause of it for indeed I could neuer perswade my selfe that this was no more but a dreame since I had euer so great confidence in her loue and fidelitie Whereupon I thinke some iust cause must needes mooue her to doe it for my behoofe and benefit as she writes vnto me which though it were not so I will not Anfilardus otherwise conceiue nor imagine In that which toucheth the fauour you do me said Anfilardus by imparting to me the contents of the letter I am bound to kisse your handes And in the rest as in this you shew my Lord your selfe what you are and maintaine the title of your noble minde In these and like speeches they spent a pretie time though Disteus sometimes altered his talke asking him of Dardaneas qualities beautie and wit for he tooke a great delight to heare that so many good parts in so high a degree were iointly found in one woman which Anfilardus did so brauely set forth as one that knew them well and to whom he was so much bound that the eloquence of the golden mouthed Lord of Ithaca had beene needlesse there All which was to cast an amorous and secret powder into Disteus foule that he might thereafter haue been set on fire On the other side mine Aunt Palna with great respect of dutie and discretion discoursed sometimes vnto Dardanea but with far fet circumstances of Disteus his honorable disposition and noble vertues which she so wisely insinuated as if she meant nothing lesse then to praise him Disteus now gaue leaue to his imaginations to be only imploied in Dardaneas beauty so that he loued melancholy sadnes abandoned al sports publick places He now delighted only in solitarines not only the company of strangers but of his own friends serūats was troublesom vnto him who neuer suspected that any amorous thought had so forcibly raigned in him but rather attributed this alteratiō to the greef that he had for Palnas absēce which if they had not beleeued they wuld not haue left to aske him the cause therof though it had bin but in vaine when he himself did scarce know it Disteus spent som daies in these considerations wherein his fansies being not meanly occupied he vsed these words O God how needlesse is it for thee my mother to tell me what reason thou hadst to leaue me for this excellent Ladie O ten times art thou happie that hast before thee as often as thou wilt the cleerest mirrour of our times Onely heerem from this day foorth I will not cease to blame thee for leauing me so late if any fit occasion had beene offered thee to defend thee with the shield of Dardaneas bountie and beautie for both which all mortall men are bound to serue and obey her Thou hast soone performed thy word that at length I should see thy iust cause Pardon therefore good mother my errour by reproouing thee although the same if thou dost marke it well was not my fault but the great loue that I did euer beare thee But wretch that I am what haue I done by not answering thy wise and louing letter and thrise vnhappy mee if thy nephew returned the sharpe answere from the venemous mouth of thy vnwoorthy sonne Ah then thou shalt haue more reason to detest the vnfruitfull milke thou gauest him then he had to condemne thee for thy iust departure and with greater cause to curse the vngratefull nouriture that thou hast bestowed on him then he hath now to blame thy forced absence O Disteus inconsiderate youth how rash wert thou in answering Palna thy graue and wise mother and how ill hast thou deserued to aduantage thy selfe by her gentlenes and helpe And thus thinking he had done a hainous offence by not answering her in haste he called for inke and paper and going about to write he was a good while in suspence and knew not how to begin for faine he would haue shewed her how willing he was not onely to forgiue her but also to haue craued pardon of her both which he durst not doe neither was it wisedome before Palna had cleerely made her iustification And therefore he wrote in such sort that my Aunt might take no offence thereat and did what became him the tenour whereof was this Disteus his letter to Palna BIcause thou maist haue no defence whereby thou maist not be bound to shew that innocencie which thou saiest thou hast and maist also vnderstand how I haue better plaied the part of an humble sonne then thou of a louing mother I haue strained my selfe to take pen in hand to answere thee By and by after I had read thy letter I would haue setled my selfe to this taske wherein I had so many contraries of I and no that not knowing what to determine or to which of both to adhere I haue till now suspended it If the loue I beare thee did sollicite me to do it the anger thou gauest me did forbid it If the faith which euer thou foundest in me did admonish me thereof the disloyaltie that then I sawe in thee did disswade me from it If my good minde towards thee did force an I thy impietie to me did forge a No. So
disprooues And can as lesse diminish our estates Since they themselues haue writ as ill of men Beleeue not then their lying toongs and pen. Yet this doth cause some small and little change And alteration in our great desarts For they must needes and sure it is not strange Considering their vile malicious harts In what soeuer they doe write or say To speake the woorst of women that they may But yet among these Authors thou shalt finde Most famous women and most excellent Peruse their works but with indifferent minde And thou shalt see what numbers they present Of good and honest Dames before thine eies Of louing faithfull holy chaste and wise They doe adorne the world with goodly graces And with their vertues giue it golden light The shining beautie of their sweetest faces Doth fill each hart and eie with great delight They bring all comforts gladnes peace and ioy And driue away all sorrowes and annoy By them false men of bad and wicked mindes You get great honour glorie and renowne And for their sakes inuenting sundry kindes Of verses get sometimes the Laurell crowne And for their loue in Martiall feates againe To golden praise and fame you doe attaine You therefore that imploy your wits and time In searching out the course of others liues If that you finde some woman toucht with crime Amongst so many widowes maides and wiues Condemne not all for one poore soules offence But rather hold your iudgements in suspence And if so many Dames so chaste and faire Cannot subdue your proud and hautie harts Behold but one whose vertues are so rare To whom the heauens so many goods imparts That onely she possesseth in her brest As many giftes nay more then all the rest The brauest men and most heroicall And those that are most perfect in conceate I see this Lady far excell them all With her diuine perfections and so great Which Orpheus did sing vpon a day As on his harpe most sweetely he did play Saying That in that happy land where white And chalkie cliffes are steept in Brittish seas A morning star should rise exceeding bright Whose birth will siluer Cynthia much displease In that her golden light and beauties gleames Shall far surpasse her brothers borrowed beames And such a Lady shall she be indeede That she shall ioy each hart with happy chaunce Her woorthy house wherein she shall succeede With titles of great praise she shall aduaunce And make the same more glorious and more knowne Then euer did the Affrican his owne Make triumphes then for birth of such a dame And let each hart be glad that hath beene sorie Retoice Meridian springs from whence she came You linage her she honours you with glorie Her name from East to West from North to South Is well esteem'd and knowne in euery mouth Come then you Nymphes resigne to her your powers Faire Nymphes that follow Cynthia in her chace Come waite on her and strowe the ground with flowers And sing in honour of her matchlesse grace And Muses nine that dwell in mount Parnasse Let verse nor song without her praises passe Thou dar'st not Rome in seeing her presume With Brutus stately Iland to compare But sooner wilt thy selfe with greefe consume To see how far she doth excell those faire Ladies of Rome renowned in their daies In cuery thing wherein they got most praise In bountie Porcia she shall much exceede In wisedome passe Cornelia Pompeies wife In honour Liuia so haue her stars decreed And chaste Sulpitia in modestie of life Her beautie and the vertues in her brest Eugeria staines and conquers all the rest This is the Thought that honours my desire This is my Parnasse and Aonian spring This is the Muse that giues me holy fire This is the Phoenix with her golden wing This is the star and power of such might That giues me glorie spirit plume and light Petrarke had left his Laura all alone Folchet Aldagias praise with loftie stile Guilliaum the Countesse of Rossiglion Raymbald his Lady Morie Verdefueille To grace his verse he would be sides refuse The Countesse of Vrgiel for his Muse Anacreon Euripile defied And Americ Gentile Gascoignes light Raymbald the Lordof Vacchieres denied Of Monferrato Beatrice to delight With sweetest verse to win her noble grace Sister vnto the Marquis Boniface Arnoldo Daniel had as much repented Bouilles praise his Lady long agon Bernard had neuer with his verse contented The faire Vicountesse of Ventideon Though these were Dames of beautie and renowne Gracing each Poet with a Laurell crowne If they had seene this Lady in their time Who all their giftes and beauties doth possesse They had strain'd foorth inuention verse and rime To celebrate so high a Patronesse On her their thoughts and pens they had imployed Happy so rare a Muse to haue enioyed This did Orpheus sing with sweetest verse And Eccho answered to his siluer voice And euery time he did the same rehearse The land and sea did presently reioice To heare the ioyfull newes of such an one By whom their honour should be so much knowne Now then from this day foorth and euermore Let wicked men their false opinions leaue And though there were not as there is such store Of woorthy Dames as vainly they conceiue This onely one with honour shall recall And amplifie the glorte of vs all The praise and defence of women and the braue grace and sweet note wherewith Belisa sung it pleased and delighted them all passing well Wherefore Don Felix acknowledging himselfe ouercommed Belisa was well content and Arsileus her husband not a little proude All the men there consessed all to be true that was said in the song and sung in the fauour of women and all that to be false that was said and sung in the dispraise and disgrace of men and especially those verses which inluriously inuayed against their falshood deceits and dislembled paines in loue with affirmation rather of their firmer faith and truer torments then they outwardly expressed That which most of all pleased Arsileus was the answere of Florisia to Melibeus bicause it was no lesse pithie then pleasant and also bicause he had sometimes heard Belisa sing a song vpon that matter which delighted him very much Wherefore he praied her to reioice so noble and merie companie as that was by singing it once againe Who bicause she could not denie her deere Arsileus although she was somewhat wearie with her last song to the same tune did sing it and this it was POore Melibee of loue and hope forgot Told to Florisia greefes that he hadpast She answered him I vnderstand thee not And lesse beleeue thee Shepherd what thou saiest He saith Mypeerelesse Shepherdesse Behold the paine wherewith I die Which I endure with willingnesse And seeke that greefe which I would flie My hot desires doe burne and die I wot Hope is my life but feare the same doth waste She answered him I vnderstand thee not And lesse beleeue thee Shepherd
they thinke by any meanes to receiue it If I should tell thee faire Shepherdesse that I could helpe thy greefe what doth it auaile if the same will not giue thee leaue to beleeue me To tell thee that in thine owne iudgement and discretion thou dost help thy selfe I know thou hast it not so free that thou canst do it Of one thing yet good Shepherdesse thou maist be assured that there is no meanes in the whole world to rid thee from this painfull life which I would not giue then if it lay in my power And if this good will deserueth any thing at all I beseech thee for their sakes that are heete present and for mine owne to tell vs the cause of thy greefe because there are some in this companie that haue as great neede of remedie and whom loue hath driuen to so narrow a streight that if Fortune do not succour them the sooner I knowe not what will become of their liues The Shepherdesse hearing Doria speake these wordes came out of her melancholie cell and taking her by the hand carried her vnto a fountaine in a little greene meadowe not farre off Whither the Nymphes and Shepherdes went after them and about the same sat them downe altogither when golden Phoebus had made an end of his diurnall course and siluer Diana began hers with such brightnes as if it had beene midday Where being in such sort as you haue heard the faire Shepherdesse began to tell this which followeth AT that time faire Nymphes of the chaste Goddesse when I was free from loue I heard once a certaine thing the experience whereof did afterwardes beguile me finding it cleane contrarie to that which I heard reported For it was tolde me that there was no kind of greefe but by telling it was some lighting ease to her that did suffer it I finde that there is not any thing that more augments my mishap then to call it to memorie and tell it her that is free from the like For if I thought otherwise I durst not beleeue me recount vnto you the historie of my annoies But because it is true that the telling of it to you shall be no cause of comfort to my balefull soule which are the two causes most abhorred of me giue eare and you shall heare the most strange and haples accidents that euer fell in loue Not farre from this valley towards that part where the sunne doth set there is a village in the middes of a forrest neere to two riuers which with their currants do water and giue life to the greene trees whose shadowed bowes are so delightfull and thicke togither that one house may hardly be discerned from another Euerie one of them hath their limits rounde about them where the gardens in sommer time are decked with fragrant flowers besides the aboūdance of pleasant orchards which are there naturally brought foorth though helped by the industrie of them which in great Spaine are called Freemen by reason of the antiquity of their houses linage In this place was the vnfortunate Belisa borne for this name I tooke from the funt where I would to God I had left and lost my life Heere liued also a certaine Shepherd one of the chiefest for birth and riches that was in all that countrey called Arsenius and married to the fairest Shepherdesse in all her time but vntimely death because her destinies woulde haue it so or else for auoyding some other inconuenience that her beautie might haue caused did within a fewe yeeres after she was married cut asunder her vital thred The greefe that Arsenius felt for the death of his beloued Florida was so extreme that he was almost in danger of loosing his life the which yet he preserued by the comfort of a sonne she left behinde her called Arsileus whose beautie and comely feature so farre excelled others that they matched the gifts so highly commended and descended to him from Florida his mother And yet did Arsenius for the losse of her leade the most sorrowfull and desolate life that might be But seeing his Sonne in sufficient yeeres to set him to some vertuous exercise knowing That idlenes in boyes was the curse of vices and an enimie to vertue he determined to sende him to the famous Academie of Salamanca with intent to haue him learne those sciences which make men mount vppe to higher degrees then men and so sent him thither indeede But fifteene yeeres being nowe past since the death of his mother it fell out that I going on a daie with others of our neighbours daughters to the market kept in a prettie towne not farre from ours vnfortunate Arsenius to his owne harme and alas to mine and to the preiudice of his haplesse sonne by chance espied me This sight kindled an extreme kinde of loue in him as it appeered afterwardes by the strange effects he shewed for he endeuoured to make me know it sometimes in the fielde as I was going to carrie the Shepherds their dinner sometimes againe as I was going to the riuer to rince my clothes and somtimes for water to the fountaine where he neuer missed of purpose to meete me But I that was till then but a nouice in matters of loue although by heare-saie I vnderstoode some of his disordinate effects sometimes dissembled the matter as though I vnderstoode not his meaning and sometimes made but a mocke of them and was angry to see him so importunate and earnest But my wordes were not able to defende my selfe from his continuall suites nor the great loue he bare me suffered him to leaue of to woe me more and more And in this sort I passed away more then fower yeeres in which space he left not of his fond attempt nor I to resolue with my selfe to giue him the lest fauour in the worlde About this time came his haplesse sonne Arsileus from his studie who amongst other sciences that he had studied was so brauely seene in Poetrie and Musicke that he excelled all others in his time His father tooke such exceeding ioy in him that he could neuer be out of his sight and not without great reason bicause Arsileus was such an one indeed that he deserued to be beloued not onely of his father whom nature constrained to loue as his sonne but of euery one else in the worlde And so in our towne he was so much esteemed and regarded of the cheefest and vulgar sort that they talked amongst themselues of no other thing then of the great wisedome graces gentilitie and many other good parts more which beautified the flourishing prime of his youth Arsenius was so secret to his sonne that by no meanes he would let him vnderstand any thing touching his loue whom although Arsileus had seene on a day very sad yet he durst not aske him the cause of his heauines but rather thought those passions to be the reliques of that sorrow which yet for the vntimely death of his faire mother remained in his
therof thou wouldest but remember how much I haue loued do yet loue thee here hast thou thy sword in thy hand let none therefore but thy selfe reuenge the offence that I haue done thee When the Knight heard Felismenas words and knew them all to be as true as he was disloyall his hart by this strange sudden accident recouered some force againe to see what great iniurie he had done her so that the thought thereof and the plenteous effusion of blood that issued out of his woundes made him like a dead man fall downe in a swoune at faire Felismenas feete Who with great care and no lesse feare laying his head in her lap with showers of teares that rained from her eies vpon the Knights pale visage began thus to lament What meanes this cruell Fortune Is the periode of my life come iust with the last ende of my Don Felix his daies Ah my Don Felix the cause of all my paine if the plenteous teares which for thy sake I haue shed are not sufficient and these which I now distill vpon thy louely cheekes too fewe to make thee come to thy selfe againe what remedie shall this miserable soule haue to preuent that this bitter ioy by seeing thee turne not into occasion of vtter despaire Ah my Don Felix Awake my loue if thou dost but sleepe or beest in a traunce although I would not woonder if thou dost not since neuer any thing that I could do preuailed with thee to frame my least content And in these and other lamentations was faire Felismena plunged whom the Portugall Shepherdesses with their teares and poore supplies endeuored to incourage when on the sudden they saw a faire Nymph comming ouer the stony causey that lead the way into the Ilande with a golden bottel in one hand a siluer one in the other whom Felismena knowing by and by saide vnto her Ah Doria could any come at this time to succour me but thou faire Nymph Come hither then thou shalt see the cause of al my troubles the substance of my sighs the obiect of my thoughts lying in the greatest danger of death that may be In like occurrents saide Doria vertue and a good hart must take place Recall it then faire Felismena and reuiue thy daunted spirits trouble not thy selfe any more for nowe is the ende of thy sorrowes and the beginning of thy contentment come And speaking these wordes she besprinkled his face with a certaine odoriferous water which she brought in the siluer bottle whereby he came to his memorie againe and then saide vnto him If thou wilt recouer thy life Sir Knight and giue it her that hath passed such an ill one for thy sake drinke of the water in this bottle The which Don Felix taking in his hande drunke a good draught and resting vpon it a little founde himselfe so whole of his wounds which the three knights had giuen him and of that which the loue of Celia had made in his brest that now he felt the paine no more which either of them had caused in him then if he had neuer had them And in this sort he began to rekindle the old loue that he bare to Felismena the which he thought was neuer more zealous then now Whereupon sitting downe vpon the greene grasse hee tooke his Lady and Shepherdesse by the hands and kissing them manie times saide thus vnto her How small account would I make of my life my deerest Felismena for cancelling that great bond wherein with more then life I am for euer bound vnto thee for since I enioy it by thy means I thinke it no more then right to restore thee that which is thine owne With what eies can I behold thy peerelesse beauty which though vnaduisedly I knew not to be such yet how dare I for that which I owe thee cast them in any other part What wordes are sufficient to excuse the faults that I haue committed against thy faith and firmest loue and loyaltie Wretched and accursed for euer shall I be if thy condition and clemencie be not enclined to my fauour and pardon for no satisfaction can suffice for so great an offence nor reason to excuse me for that which thou hast to forget me Truth it is that I loued Celia well and forgot thee but not in such sort that thy wisedome and beautie did euer slide out of my minde And the best is that I knowe not wherein to put this fault that may be so iustly attributed to me for if I will impute it to the yoong age that I was then in since I had it to loue thee I shoulde not haue wanted it to haue beene firme in the faith that I owed thee If to Celias beautie it is cleere that thine did farre excell hers and all the worlds besides If to the change of time this shoulde haue beene the touchstone which should haue shewed the force and vertue of my firmenes If to iniurious and trayterous absence it serues as little for my excuse since the desire of seeing thee should not haue been absent from supporting thy image in my memorie Behold then Felismena what assured trust I put in thy goodnes that without any other meanes I dare put before thee the small reason thou hast to pardone me But what shall I doe to purchase pardon at thy gracious hands or after thou hast pardoned me to beleeue that thou art satisfied for one thing greeues me more then any thing else in the world and this it is That though the loue which thou hast borne me and wherewith thou dost yet blesse me is an occasion perhaps to make thee forgiue me and forget so many faults yet I shall neuer lift vp mine eies to behold thee but that euerie iniurie which I haue done thee will be worse then a mortal incision in my guiltie hart The Shepherdesse Felismena who saw Don Felix so penitent for his passed misdeedes and so affectionately returned to his first thoughts with many teares told him that she did pardon him bicause the loue that she had euer borne him would suffer her to do no lesse which if she had not thought to do she would neuer haue taken so great paines and so many wearie iourneyes to seeke him out and many other things wherewith Don Felix was confirmed in his former loue Whereupon the faire Nymph Doria came then to the Knight and after many louing words and courteous offers in the Ladie Felicias behalfe passed betweene them she requested him and faire Felismena to goe with her to Dianas Temple where the sage Ladie with great desire to see them was attending their comming Don Felix agreed thereunto and taking their leaue of the Portugall Shepherdesses who wondered not a little to see what had happened and of the woefull Shepherd Danteus mounting vpon the horses of the dead Knights that were slaine in the late combate they went on their waie And as they were going Felismena told Don Felix with great ioy
Commaund him therefore I beseech you righteous Iudges to offer no violence to me for carrying away what is mine owne The Iudges not knowing what to determine in so doubtfull a case Carpostus said I know not graue Iudges why in a matter so manifest as this you should suspend your iust iudgment but that without delay you should proceed to definitiue sentence vnles you seem to make any more doubt herein which if you doe I will cleere it if it please you to send the child backe againe to my lodging by this boy who shall incontinently returne with him againe for whom I will in the meane time remaine heere a pledge bicause it shall not be saide that I tooke possession of him before sentence giuen That being graunted him he willed the boy that brought me but secretly in his eare to carrie me backe and to bring the other childe not forgetting to put on his owne coats who did it incontinently and hauing brought Parthenius there before them all without any more adoe he ranne to his Father Sarcordus and to his knowen nurse Sarcordus wife The Iudges seeing so strange an alteration and thinking he did what he listed with the child for they tooke me and Parthenius to be both one commaunded to lay hands on him for a notable Sorcerer To whom Carpostus seeing whereabout they went said Though here I am worthie Iudges at your disposition and commaund yet do me this fauour I beseech you to suspend your doome vntill you see the end of this matter it may be you will delight your selues with the conueiance rare sequele of it And then he bad the boy carrie back the child commaunding him softly in his eare to bring me and the other childe backe againe but both naked And this he deuised because Parthenius might not be knowen by his coats But before we cam he requested the Iudges to command Sarcordus his wife to go aside or to put themselues amongst the prease of the people so that the child when he was commight not see them They did so behold we were both broght naked thither and playing togither at the sight whereof the standers by maruelled verie much and they that came to behold the fame of that which was past wondring yet a great deale more and others that came after vs in the streetes looking vpon one another in signe of admiration spake not a word but opened their hands and sometimes lifted vp their eies to heauen in token of great wonder admiration Then with a loud voice Carpostus before we came spake thus One of these children is mine the other is Sarcordus his Let him therefore take his owne But bicause the child by seeing him may not know him let him come to claime him behinde the people and I will also hide me heere Sarcordus being therefore come in manner aforesaide and not able to discerne which was his my nurse saide Now do you see graue Iudges and good people assembled to behold the ende of this debate howe I haue this day to delight you with a rare noueltie presented before your eies the strangest wonder in the world bicause you might not woonder at me nor repute me for such a foole as you haue taken me for that which these fewe daies past I haue done with Parthenius beleeuing he was my sonne and bicause you might see whether I had iust cause to claime him with assurednes for mine owne or not They were all passing glad to see this strange conclusion and tooke him for a very wise man in that he had so well contriued the matter to saue his credit And with great reason saide Lord Felix though all was done in my opinion by Calastas counsell albeit I cannot also otherwise thinke but that Carpostus was very wise by knowing how to gouerne himselfe so well against the whole towne When he had saide thus Delicius proceeded in his discourse saying They put on our garments againe and to giue either their owne was no lesse variance and as great difficultie as before for if we of our selues had not made our selues knowne to our nurses either of vs going to his owne we might haue both gone naked home againe But from that time we entred both into such a mutuall league of amitie that by no meanes they coulde part vs asunder for much force had one God I knowe not that reigned in vs ouer each others soule diuining the great and inuiolable friendship that should be betweene him and me I feare me noble Sir and the rest that you would a good while since haue asked me what was become of my deere brother Parthenius for so we euer called one another and other questions that you haue left of not to interrupt mee in my tale Delicius would haue passed on farther but his falling teares would not permit him Wherefore Cynthia came to him saying Drie vp thy teares Shepherd and tell on thy tale for by doing this thou shewest the small confidence and hope thou hast in my Lady Felicias helpe whereas I my selfe haue also diuers times tolde thee before that thy sorrowes shall be remedied Delicius then wiping his eies saide Thou tellest me O Nymph by that which I shew the small trust I haue in Felicia but I tell thee that by thy speech thou dost manifest how little thou art acquainted with my greefe and how lesse thou knowest of like passions to which knowledge I wish thou maiest neuer attaine since ignorance in such matters is much more expedient I could tell thee much about these effects if I thought not to offende this woorthie companie but onely one word I will tell thee That hope doth not pardon the punishment although it doth lighten it a little But thou seemest Shepherde saide Polydora to know the very secrets of our harts bicause as thou hast tolde true touching the desire we had to know what was become of thy deere brother thou didst chaunce to say that we would not giue thee leaue for answers and replies wherefore dissembling thy greefe for a while tell out the rest as thou hast begun With a good will saide Delicius But let it not greeue you woorthie personages if you heare not now of my beloued brother considering that the great greefe which I suffer for him must nowe suffice and that the processe of my historie shall in conuenient place declare it amplie vnto you and if not so at some other time you shall know it when you shall see what great reason I haue to solemnize such a memory with these and many more teares The fame of this strange accident I told you of and of our great likenes within a fewe daies after came to the eares of old Synistius gouernour of the kingdome where we were borne who was placed there by Rotindus king of Eolia for the which cause Synistius commanding that wee should be brought vnto him as well for our great likenes as for the great beautie which we were reported to haue
how much thy departure greeues me but onely to content and please thee for heere will I staie vntill I know what the immortall Gods will determine with me Scarce coulde my louing brother stande vpon his feete when from mine owne mouth he heard that I was enamoured of the faire damsell bicause he had also no lesse then my selfe as by a strange chance I afterwards knew it yeelded vp to her his loue and libertie But bicause it was either my good or ill happe to manifest my passion first Parthenius dissembled his in lieu that I might carie the guerdon away So that on the oneside he was very glad that one thing offred it selfe whereby I might receiue the first fruits of his true friendship and was sorrie on the other to see that his greefe was remedilesse Which perfect function of amitie I would in very truth haue no lesse performed towards him if he had first opened his loue of her vnto me as afterwards I did though yet for all this I must remaine his debtor But bicause I might not perceiue the great good turne he did me and he by disclosing it haue lost the merite thereof he did not onely dissemble it right-out but by words and demonstration made as if no such matter had beene And albeit he striued with himselfe not to loue Stela yet was he not able to performe it but as I saie hidde it in such sort that it might not be perceiued Whereupon to that which I had saide he answered thus The Gods neuer suffer me to profite nor pleasure my selfe with such a leaue deere brother For thou art my father mother to forsake thee I meane not to seeke them out Let them pardon me whosoeuer they be for since they left me in my infancy perhaps without iust occasion it shal be no part of impietie for me to denie them in their old age being warranted by so iust an excuse Many other friendly speeches passed betweene vs both that wheron we concluded was this To go to the next town bicause itwas late there by som other course if at the least some happie meanes did obuiate our desires to informe vs what that Damsell was thereupon to aduise vs what was best to be done Comming therefore neere vnto a little towne not farre from that place we espied this reuerend old Parisiles almost in the very same robes that he now weares who turned his eies on euerie side to see if he might perceiue her comming for whom it seemed he had long looked and lamented To whom in the end a certaine raunger that a farre off came crossing ouer the lawnes appeared who being come vnto him spake some fewe words togither but what we could not heare for we had hid our selues a prettie way off and fewe they were For by and by the sorrowfull old man with a pitifull outcrie fell into a great swoune The raunger seeing him in such a trance thinking he was dead and fearing least his sudden death as he thought might haue beene laide to his charge ran presently away as fast as euer he could when as we all in vaine called and cryed out alowd vnto him so that for that time we could not know the cause of the good old mans sorrow One thing I haue noted in thy disoourse saide Lord Felix that thou euer with reuerence and humanitie entreatest olde Parisiles who as not long since it seemed would haue killed thee And with great reason answered Delicius to whom I doe not onely wish well because he is Father to faire Stela but honour him for his high deserts But returning to my discourse seeing the ranger would not stay we went to the noble Parisiles who was lying as abouesaid distraught of his sences and perceiuing that he came not to himselfe again we both went to seeke out some water to sprinkle on his face ech of vs going a sundry way to bring it the sooner to him Which when after too long seeking as we thought we could not finde we returned backe againe and before we came to the place where we left him we heard him lamenting in this sort O World false world and like to hell belowe Alake of fi lt hinesse and puddle mud A sea where teares and miseries doe flowe A trauell without ease or hope of good A pit of sorrow and of endlesse woe A region full of brambles thornes and brakes Ameadow full of adders toades and snakes A ceaslesse greefe afalse delight and pleasure Of men that goe on wheeles and dancing scope Of him that counteth thee his trust and treasure And of thy worldlings false and vainest hope A heape of woes that hath no end nor measure A hideous hill of care and dwelling place Of monsters and of paine an endlesse race A poison sweete a hony full of gall A dungeon of despaire a dismall field Of wretchednes of seruitude and all Infections that ten thousand deathes doth yeeld A hell a filth a miserie and thrall A care a greefe a paine a plague a sore A slauerte a death and what is more Many that haue endur'd thy yoke of paine Haue gone about in colours to depaint Thy wicked slightes with which thou still dost traine Distressed soules vnto an endlesse plaint And weeping where my cleerest light is hid There wretched man my life I meane to rid By this lamentation whereunto we gaue an attentiue eare we vnderstood the cause of his complaint That the Woodman belike had told him how Stela flying from Gorphorost had cast her selfe into the riuer but not that which afterwardes succceded We were no lesse glad to heare the newes of that we so much desired to knowe as to giue him good tidings whom it behooued vs to make as much beholding to vs as we could for seruing our owne turnes But as we were now determined to goe and talke with him my brother said Let vs stay for if this be Father to thy new Mistresse it is not best that he should now knowe vs when we our selues knowe not what we haue to doe nor how our matters not yet well commenced will fall out And since he saide he will goe to the riuer there to be the minister of his owne death I thinke it best for vs to follow him and demanding what he seekes and whither he goes to tell him what hath passed which I also thinke best to be done when it is somewhat darke bicause speaking to him then he may not knowe vs another time whereas if it might afterwards auaile vs by knowing vs to be the same men that brought him these good newes we shall not want meanes to tell him that at our owne pleasure We thought this to be good counsell and did therefore put it so well in practise that the good olde man being thereby comforted vp a little went backe againe and in requitall of these good newes offered me that was the teller of them his lodging that night Which courtesie of his
he could do it well bicause there was no cause as I told you to vse him well but onely that he was brother to her that was his onely ioy But the page thinking it proceeded of ignorāce want of good education mended I think the matter with his Lord touching my homely answer Sagastes woondred and not without great reason when he heard that it was I that had so manfully taken his part and with that false opinion which from that time he had of my valour he went home thinking stil it was I by whom he receiued so great a benefit Disteus also when he saw Sagastes gone went home to his own house where he found me with fear for his long tarying carefully attending his returne But when I saw him so ill entreated I began to chaunge colour thinking he had beene hurt and therefore said vnto him What meanes this Sir How come you home in this sort Trouble not thy selfe said Disteus for I haue no hurt and now that thou hast seene how in thy apparell because I would not be knowen in Dardaneas house I went to see thine Aunt and my mother So I also told thee that thine Aunt was to send thee of an errant the which bicause it lay in my way I would also dispatch The errant therefore that Dardanea did will thee to do was this But giue good eare and loose not a word of that which I will tell thee bicause it behooues thee much and also bicause we may not both be taken in a lye I say Dardanea requested thee to goe watch her brother who as it was told her was accustomed to goe night by night out of his house and to see whither he went But it fell out that this night my selfe doing that which was committed to thy charge after a good while that Sagastes came foorth I followed him and after this he told me particularly all the successe as you haue now heard and somewhat more When I heard of the singular fauour and helpe that Disteus had done to Sagastes I was astonished to see that with so great zeale and courage he had succoured him who was his mortall enemie and therefore saide vnto him You haue filled me Sir full of woonder for it is beyond all sence and conceit that you should be mooued to put your life in danger for one that would bereaue you of yours Stay said Disteus and hearken how the matter fals out thou shalt know the whole cause whereby thou shalt vnderstand how much thou art beholding vnto me Thou must therfore know that to heare the musick the better as I told thee I came somwhat neere thinking that by wearing thy apparell I might not haue been knowen and bicause Dardanea might not thinke of thee the worse that being present there thou didst not helpe her brother in so great danger I thought good not for any loue I bare him whom I would rather haue pursued to death then to defende him from it but for thy sake Placindus to put my person in hazard And therefore bicause it might bee thought that thou wert the man that came to helpe him when I stept in before him I saide Accept this small token of good will Lord Sagastes for my Mistresse Dardaneas sake your vertuous sister And now therefore that thou knowest how al hath hapned and that I charged thee not to forget the least part thereof giue eare to the end whereunto this particular discourse of mine is adressed To morrowe thou shalt goe to my mother and carrie her a letter from me and tell her what thou hast done touching that busines which she had giuen thee in charge wherein all the whole matter shall consist First bicause she may aduise thee howe to behaue thy selfe with Dardanea and with anie other that perhaps may aske thee howe this matter passed Secondly bicause she may set downe some good order for that which is needfull to be done After this thou shalt go and speake with Sagastes to stand to thy word or rather mine to saie better where as thine Aunt shall instruct thee and as I haue aduised thee thou shalt speake vnto him Thou shalt also carrie this sword with thee bicause I thinke he will aske for it for the good proofe that it made on the rapiers and daggers there If he would know where thou hadst it tell him that when thine Aunt was with me I gaue it thee and so I am sure hee will bestow some suites of apparell on thee in recompence of thine which were spoiled and defaced in his defence But thou must do me so much pleasure not to take them at his hands but rather tell him that thou carest not for any other recompence then that thou didst it for Dardaneas seruice being Mistres to thine Aunt In doing whereof thou shalt not onelie binde me to bestow this and more on thee but also her when she shall know howe thou didst aduenture thy life for her sake to requite this good turne and euer hereafter to make more account of thy manhood and fidelitie And by denying to take any reward at Sagastes hands oblige her moreouer to thine Aunt The next daie in the morning I carried the letter that Disteus had written that night to mine Aunt and told her all that had passed As Placindus went on thus telling the pleasant discourse of Disteus and Dardaneas loues they all bent their cares to a certaine noise that a horse and his Master made he to take him that ran vp and downe without his bridle and the horse vnwilling to be caught bicause he liked his libertie better Which when Placindus saw with a merrie countenance he aroseland said I beseech you sage Lady and noble companie pardon me for it shall ill become me if I goe not to helpe that Gentleman to get his horse againe And without more adoe he went and left them all laughing and somewhat greeued to see how abruptly he left them for so small a matter To whom Felicia spake thus Thinke it not a small occasion that hath made him leaue you thus for it should ill beseeme him indeede as he well considered no lesse if he did not helpe him that ran after his horse bicause he is a great friend to Disteus called Martandrus who as you must knowe went out long since in company of Delicius and Parthenius to seeke out Disteus and Dardanea wherefore you should be the rather glad of his comming at this time bicause better then Placindus he can tell you out the rest of these loues that Placindus hath begun If it be so said Lorde Felix and the Shepherdes it shall not be likewise amisse for vs all to helpe him And so rising vp they helped Martandrus to get his horse againe But Martandrus who thou dost bring me I am not so for I know not whether I may recken them in the number of good or consort them amongst the ill On the one side by giuing credit to thy words I
to seeke him at his owne house where finding the doore open knewe he was not come and therefore staied for him there vntill he came But when he had awaited there a good while in vaine he suspected he had taken some of his friends houses and therefore went home againe to his sisters lodging vowing to be well reuenged of Disteus though he would faine haue that night satisfied his vnruly anger which was not a little augmented when hee founde neither Dardanea nor Palna maruelling verie much to see howe quiet all his sisters seruants were and howe strange they made it all when Sagastes demaunded the matter of them Disteus that was going home to his house when hee sawe a farre off a great number of people before his doore it made him thinke as it was true indeed that Sagastes was waiting for him whereupon he went to my house whereby he made me knowe what great affiance he had in my friendship which I accounted no small credit vnto me I doubt not Gentlemen but any that hath beene attentiue to my tale will aske me how Sagastes came first to his enemies house since Disteus went before out of the mans house which he was constrayned to take for refuge Wherevnto it may be easily answered that Disteus going as you know almost naked and therefore leauing the open and common streetes to goe about by lanes and secret places came later then Sagastes But when Disteus vnlooked for came into my house without calling but shutting the doore after him least any had followed him he came into my study And his hap was so good that he found me al alone I did not a little woonder to see him in such sort and therefore demaunded the cause of his comming in such a manner Who answered me that he had no time for so large a report but prayed me to giue him some apparell and a horse and what else was needfull for him which I onely denied him not but also preparing my selfe to beare him company he would in no wise let me for he meant to conceale vntill he could no longer his secret loue and affection from me He therefore being apparelled and furnished with the best offensiue and defensiue weapons he could choose out went to helpe Dardanea least her harebraine brother in his furie might haue laide violent hands vpon her or else to die in the quarrell before she should suffer any harme at all Going therefore about this matter he met with Placindus that was comming to seeke him out by his Aunts commaundement whom he asked if he knew any thing Placindus told him how he should finde Dardanea and Palna in his house and that he should goe thither quickly bicause Dardanea was the most sorrowfullest woman in the world for his danger Disteus went thither out of hand but knowing that place to be nothing so conuenient and secret as their present necessitie required bicause by missing Palna Sagastes would out of hand come thither he brought them to my house willing Placindus to lye still and take his rest bicause he might thereby make them beleeue that he knew nothing of the matter All three might come secretly to my house bicause as siths that was not farre from Placindus lodging so were they both out of the concurse of people and walke of neighbours and also bicause Sagastes was gone to the King to complaine of the iniurie that Disteus had done him whom he requested to commaund a search to be made in all suspected houses that were thought most fit to harbour him and Dardanea and Palna The King not only granted hereunto for as you know he desired to haue the least occasion whereby he might throw downe Disteus partie to pleasure Sagastes but tooke this matter vpon him as his owne and sware to behead Disteus and as many as were culpable and euerie one that afterwards helpt him And therefore to fauour him the more made Sagastes himselfe iudge in his owne cause bicause he might take the greater reuenge at his own pleasure Who when he saw so good a means for his desire without more ado beset Disteus house with a priuy watch hauing first searched it all thorow where missing him he went straight to seeke out his sister They emploied all diligence and labour they thought needfull to bring their purpose to effect but my house they ouerslipt bicause as it was not pliable enough to Disteus his partie nor I my selfe held for his friend so was I free from all suspicion that I kept him But when they could not finde him he commaunded a proclamation to be made that euery one vpon paine of his head that harboured them or knew where they were should bring them foorth and afterwards apprehended Anfilardus and Placindus and as many as they suspected could tel of them threatning them to cruel torments yea and putting some in practise though all in vaine to their purpose It could not choose but kill Disteus his hart to see the ruine of his house and the imprisonment of his friends and familie who did neuerthelesse comfort himselfe not a little bicause it was for his Lady and Mistresse sake whom he had nowe in happie possession the which thing he forgot not by many sweete and louing words to manifest vnto her who could not for all this be comforted though she made him not priuie to her inward greefe when she thought of the vniust and ill name a thing that greeued her more then death that was spred abroad of that which she esteemed more then life and when she entred into consideration and feare of the imminent danger wherein her beloued husband was by meanes of the great searching and awaites that Sagastes had laide in all places to finde them out Wherefore taking him aside she saide thus vnto him I know well my Lord that my Fortune would not leaue me without some sorrowfull occurrent in so sweete an estate nor to doe lesse with me then euer turne most bitterly against the pretence of my content It greeues me to see thee take and taste some part of my sorrow wherein yet I do comfort my selfe againe that I shall not be the last in offring vp my life for the least danger for thy sake since I was the first in sacrificing my soule to thy will obtesting almightie God that as I had no force with my feeble iudgment to gainsay thy desire I had also sufficient valour with my life to deliuer thee from these most wrongfull turmoyles I see thee heere in great extremities for mine owne I account but small and therefore my opinion concurring with my desire is that since for many daies we are neither safe heere nor in any other part of the kingdome are like to be no lesse thou wouldst resolue to conuey vs into any place where wee might in more safety ouer passe this cruell storme of Fortune assuring thee my deere Lord that if I sawe thee free from danger I would not take care for the rest
much as her life was worth if that Shepherd whom she hated more then death did either finde or had any knowledge of her They promised her so to do though verie sorie for her sudden and hastie departure Alcida as fast as she could hye her recouered a thicke wood not far from the fountaine and fled with such celeritie and feare as if she had beene pursued by some hungrie and cruell Tygre Immediately after the Shepherd wearied with extreme trauell and trouble came to that place which Fortune it seemed condolent for his griefe had offered him and that cleere fountaine and Dianas companie for some lightning of his paine who being faint after his painfull iourney and seeing the Sunne in the pride of his heat the place verie pleasant the trees casting forth coole shades the grasse fresh and greene the fountaine cleere cristalline and Diana passing faire thought good to rest himselfe a while though the earnest care and haste of that he went seeking and the ceaselesse desire he had to finde it gaue his wearied bodie no place of rest nor ease to his afflicted minde The which Diana perceiuing shewed her selfe as courteous towards him as Delius iealous eie who was present would giue her leaue and yet entertained the strange Shepherd with sweete words as well for his owne deserts which she deemed not small as also for that she perceiued him tormented with the like grief that she was The Shepherd cheered vp by Dianas friendly welcome and seemely fauours of a miserable man thought himselfe happie by finding out so good a chaunce But they being thus togither Diana by chaunce casting her eie aside could not see her husband Delius who newly surprised in Alcidas loue when Diana tooke least heed of him and while she was entertaining the newe Shepherd pursued amaine the Shepherdesse that fled away and tooke the verie same way with a strong resolution to follow her euen to the other part of the world Diana not a little perplexed to see her husband wanting so on the sudden called and cried a good while togither on the name of Delius but all in vaine to get an answere from him in the wood or to make him leaue of his fonde pursuite who rather running after her as fast as he could thought at the last to sease vpon his beloued Alcida Whereupon when Diana perceiued that Delius appeared in no place she shewed her selfe a most sorrowfull woman for him and lamented in such pitifull sort that the Shepherd to comfort her said thus vnto her Afflict not thy selfe thus without reason faire Shepherdesse and beleeue not thine owne imaginations so greatly preiudicially to thy rest and quiet for the Shepherd whom thoumissest is not so long since wanting that thou maiest haue anie cause to thinke that he hath forsaken thee Pacifie then thy selfe a little for it may be that when thy backe was turned he hauing some desire to change place secretly got away vnwilling perhaps that we shoulde see him go for seare of staying him being inuited by the coole shades of those greene Sicamours and by the fresh and pleasant winde that is gently blowing them or else perhaps discontended for my comming hither thinking my companie troublesome whereas now without it he may merrily passe the heate of the day away To this answered Diana By these words gracious Shepherd which thy toong hath vttered and forced cheere which thou dissemblest who cannot conceiue the greefe that consumes thy life Thou shewest well that loue is thy torment and art accustomed to deceiue amorous suspicions by vaine imaginations For it is a common tricke of louers to work their thoughts to beleeue false and impossible things bicause they would not credite things that are certaine and true Such comforts gentle Shepherd auaile more to quote out the sorrow of my greefe by thee then to remedie my paine For I know well enough that my husband Delius is fledde after a most faire Shepherdesse who went but euen now from hence and in regarde of the great and feruent loue wherewith he beheld her and sighes which for her sake came smoking from his hart I do verily beleeue knowing moreouer how stedfastly he performes that he imagines or takes in hand that he will not leaue following that Shepherdesse though he thinke to come neuer in my sight againe And that which greeues me most is that I know her disposition to be so rigorous and her hart so great an enimie to Loue that she will not onely shew him no pitic but with great despite contemneth the most soueraigne beautie and greatest deserts that may be At these very wordes the sorrowfull Shepherd thought that a mortall dart pierced his chill hart and therefore saide Vnhappie me most wretched Louer what greater reason haue not these harts not made of stonie flint to be sorrowfull for me when thorow out the worlde I seeke the most cruell and pitilesse Damsell that liues on earth Ah faire Shepherdesse thou hast good cause to be sorrie for thy husband for if she whom he followes be so cruelly conditioned as this then must his life be in great danger By these words Diana cleerely perceiued what his greefe was and that the Shepherdesse that ranne away at his comming was the very same whom in so many parts of the worlde he had sought And so she was indeede for when she began to flie from him she tooke the habite of a Shepherdesse by that meanes not to be knowne nor discourered But for that present time Diana dissembled with the Shepherd and woulde tell him nothing of the matter to keepe her worde and promise which she had giuen Alcida at her departure And also bicause it was now a good while since she was gone and ranne with such haste thorow the thicke wood that it was impossible for him to ouertake her All which if she should tell the Shepherd she thought would serue for nothing else but to adde a fresh wounde to an old sore and to trouble his minde more by giuing him some little hope to attaine to his purpose when by no meanes he was able to obtaine it But bicause she desired to know what he was the summe of his loue and the cause of her hate she said vnto him Comfort thy selfe Shepherd in these thy complaints and of curtesie tell me their cause for to lighten them I would be glad to know who thou art and to heare the successe of thy mishap the report whereof will be no doubt delightfull to thee if thou beest so true a louer as I do take thee He then without much entreatie both of them sitting downe by the cleere fountaine began thus to say My greife is not of such quality that it may be told to al kind of people though the good opinion I haue of thy deserts and wisedome and the confidence which thy vertues and peerelesse beautie do suggest to mee vrge me to lay open before thee the totall summe of my life if so it
greefe may any comfort giue Loue vnto feare subiected euer driue A soule to coldest ice O bitter woe That he whom Fortune did contrarie so Continually with iealousie must liue The fault I must Montanus lay on thee And all my greefe on thee I doe complaine O cruell soule that pitie dost disdaine For if thou hadst but taken part with mee I would not care though gainst me did conspire Heauen Earth and Loue and Fortune in their ire After that the Shepherdesse had sweetely sung enlarging the raines of her bitter and dolefull complaint she powred out such abundance of teares and gaue so many sighes that by them and by the wordes she spake they knew that a cruell deceit of her iealous husband was the cause of all her greefe But bicause they would know better what she was and the cause of her passion they went to the place where she was and found her sitting al alone in the shadowe which the thicke boughes made on euerie side vpon the fine and greene grasse neere to a little spring which rising out of the foote of an oke ranne by diuers waies thorow that little woode They curteously saluted her and she although it greeued her that they had interrupted her lamentation yet iudging by their countenances that they were Shepherds of good regard was not greatly discontented at their comming hoping to haue had the fruition of their good company therefore said vnto them To my remēbrance faire Shepherd and Shepherdesse I neuer receiued so great contenment that might be compared with this in seeing you now since the time that I was vniustlie forsaken of my cruell husband which is so great that though continuall greefe compels me to ceaselesse plaints yet will I make a pause of them a little while to enioy your peaceable and discreete companie To this Marcelius answered I praie God I may neuer see my torments cease if that it greeues me not to see thine and the same maiest thou also beleeue of faire Diana whom thou seest in my companie The Shepherdesse hearing Dianas name running vnto her did with the greatest gladnes that might be embrace her shewing a thousand louing signes and making the most on her in the world bicause she was desirous long since to knowe her for the great report that she heard of her wisedome and beautie Diana maruelling to see herselfe so entreated by a Shepherdesse whom she knewe not requited her yet with like curtesies againe and desiring to know who she was saide vnto her The great fauours that thou hast done me and the pittie which I take of thy complaints make me desirous to know what thou art wherefore tell vs faire Shepherdesse thy name and discourse vnto vs the cause of thy greefe bicause that after thou hast tolde it thou shalt see how our harts will helpe thee to passe it away and our eies readie to bewaile it The Shepherdesse then with a gracious speech began to excuse herselfe from telling the substance of her owne fall yet vrged in the ende by their importunate requestes she sat downe againe vpon the grasse and began thus to saie By the report of Seluagia that was borne in my towne and in thine too faire Diana which is now married to the Shepherd Syluanus thou hast beene told I thinke of the vnfortunate name of Ismenia that is now beginning to tell her sorrowfull tale And I thinke that she tolde thee at large when she was in thy towne howe against my will I deceiued her in the Temple of Minerua in the kingdome of Portugall and how by my owne deceite I was ouertaken then perhaps she hath also tolde thee how I fained to loue Montanus her mortall enimie to be reuenged of Alanius who for the loue that he did beare her forgot me quite and how this fained loue with the riper knowledge of his vertues and accomplishments fel out at last so true that by means of it I suffer this intolerable sorrow greefe which euen now I complained of Therefore passing on farther in the history of my life thou shalt vnderstand that when Filenus father to Montanus came sometimes to my fathers house about certaine of his affaires and bargaines that he had with him for flockes of sheepe and had espied me on a time although somewhat aged yet he was so extreemely enamoured of me that he became almost out of his wits A thousand times a daie he wooed me and euery hower reckoned vp to me his greefes but all in vaine for I would neither harken vnto him nor regard his wordes Yet bicause he was a man of more sufficiencie and of fewer yeeres then many other in his case I did not altogither forget him and the rather for his sonne Montanus sake whose loue had made me now his captiue before The old man knew not of the loue that Montanus did beare me for he was alwaies so carefull and dutifull a son and so discreetly handled the matter that the father had not any notice thereof fearing mightilie if it had beene knowne his fathers displeasure and that with bitter and angrie wordes he might haue iustly corrected him for it And as wisely did the father conceale from his sonne Montanus his owne follie for the better to chastise and amend what he thought amisse in his sonne he was very vigilant not to discouer his owne and greater faults Although for all this he neuer ceased with continuall suites to sollicite my loue importuned me to take him for my husband He discoursed to me a thousand odde matters and made me as many great offers he promised me many costly garments rich iewels and sent mee many letters thinking by those meanes if not to ouercome me at least to mollifie my hard refusals He was a Shepherd in his flourishing age no lesse commended for al youthful sports then cunning in all pastorall exercises one that could tell a smooth tale and with great wisedome and discretion bring his purpose to good effect And bicause you may the better beleeue me I will rehearse vnto you a letter that once he wrote vnto me the which although it altered my minde nothing yet it greatly contented me and thus it said Filenus letter to Ismenia FAire Shepherdesse The cause was Loue Who to acquaint thee with his paine This fault and blame in me did moue To write to thee But to be plaine Who would not be both shent and blamed In thy sweete loues to be inflamed But if my letter doe offend Thy modest eares as to too bold Then vnderstand that in the end The feare I haue to be controld My soule with paine and greefe hath fild And hath the same already kild I haue to thee ten thousand times My torments told wherein I liue Sometimes by speech sometimes by rimes Which first to me thy selfe didst giue The which no more thou dost requite Then mocke vnto thy great delighte With open mouth thou laugh'st at mee And makest it thine onely game To see me
beleeue that which from thy very thoughts and affection thou dost tell me I imagine oftentimes that as thou supposest that I loue thee not by louing thee more then my selfe so must thou thinke that thou louest me by hating me Behold Syrenus how time hath dealt better with thee then thou didst imagine at the beginning of our loues with safetie yet of mine honour which owes thee all that it may wherein is not any thing that I would not doe for thy sake beseeching thee as much as I may not to trouble thy minde with iealousie and suspicions bicause thou knowest how few escape out of their hands with safetie of life which God giue thee with all the content that I wish thee Is this a letter saide Syrenus sighing to make one thinke that obliuion could enter into that hart from whence such wordes came foorth And are these wordes to be passed so slightly out of memorie And that she then spake them and now forget me O sorrowfull man with what great content did I reade this letter when my Mistresse had sent it me and how many times in the same hower did I reade it ouer againe But for euery pleasure then with seuen folde paine I am now apaide and fortune could doe no lesse with me then to make me fall from one extreme to another For it had ill beseemed her with partiall hand to exempt me from that which to all others she is commonly wont to doe About this time from the hill beneath that led from the village to the greene medowe Syrenus might perceiue a Shepherd comming downe pace by pace and staying awhile at euery step sometimes looking vp to heauen and sometimes casting his eies vpon the greene medow and faire riuer bankes which from aloft he might easily view and discouer the thing which more augmented his sorrow seeing the place where the beginning and roote of his mishap did first growe Syrenus knew him by and by and looking towardes the place from whence he came saide Vnfortunate Shepherd though not halfe so much as I am that art a corriuall with me in Dianas loue to what end haue thy bootelesse suites serued thee and the disdaine that this cruell Shepherdesse hath done thee but to put them all on my score But if thou hadst knowen that the finall summe of all thy paines should haue bene like to mine what greater fauour hadst thou found at fortunes hands by preseruing thee still in this haplesse estate of life then by throwing me headlong downe from it when I did lest suspect it But now despised Syluanus tooke out his bagpipe and playing on it a little with great sorrow and greefe did sing these verses following I Am a louer but was neuer loued Well haue I lou'd and will though hated euer Troubles I passe but neuer any mooued Sighes haue I giuen and yet she heard me neuer I would complaine and she would neuer heare me And flie from loue but it is euer neere me Obliuion onely blamelesse doth beset me For that remembreth neuer to forget me For euery ill one semblant I doe beare still To day not sad nor yesterday contented To looke behinde or go before I feare still All things to passe alike I haue consented I am besides my selfe like him that daunceth And mooues his feete at euery sound that chaunceth And so all like a senselesse foole disdaines me But this is nothing to the greefe that paines me The night to certaine louers is a trouble When in the day some good they are attending And other some doe hope to gaine some double Pleasure by night and wish the day were ending With that that greeueth some some others ease them And all do follow that that best doth please them But for the day with teares I am a crying Which being come for night I am a dying Of Cupid to complaine who euer craue it In waues he writes and to the windes he crieth Or seeketh helpe of him that neuer gaue it For he at last thy paines and thee defieth Come but to him some good aduise to lend thee To thousand od conceits he will commend thee What thing is then this loue It is a science That sets both proofe and study at defiance My Mistresse loued her Syrenus deerely And scorned me whose loues yet I auouched Left to my greefe for good I held it cleerely Though narrowly my life and soule it touched Had I but had a heauen as he once shining Loue would I blame if it had bene declining But loue did take no good from me he sent me For how can loue take that he neuer lent me Loue 's not a thing that any may procure it Loue 's not a thing that may be bought for treasure Loue 's not a thing that comes when any lure it Loue 's not a thing that may be found at pâ—…re For if it be not borne with thee refraine it To thinke thou must be borne anew to gaine it Then since that loue shuns force and doth disclame it The scorned louer hath no cause to blame it Syrenus was not idle when Syluanus was singing these verses for with his sighes he answered the last accents of his wordes and with his teares did solemnize that which he conceiued by them The disdained Shepherd after he had ended his song began to reuolue in his minde the small regarde he had of himselfe and how for the loue of his cruell Mistresse Diana he had neglected all his busines and flockes and yet he reckoned all this but small He considered that his seruice was without hope of recompence a great occasion to make him that hath but small firmnesse easily cut off the way of his loue But his constancie was so great that being put in the middes of all the causes which he had to forget her who neuer thought of him with his owne safetie he came so easily out of them and so cleerely without preiudice to the sincere loue which he bare his Shepherdesse that without any feare he neuer committed any ignorance that might turne to the hurt or hinderance of his faith But when he sawe Syrenus at the fountaine he woondred to see him so sad not that he was ignorant of the cause of his sorrow but bicause he thought that if he had tasted but the lest fauour that Syrenus had sometimes receiued at Dianas handes such a contentment had bene ynough for him all his life time He came vnto him and imbraced him and with many teares on both sides they sat them downe vpon the greene grasse Syluanus beginning to speake in this sort God forbid Syrenus that for the cause of my mishap or at the lest for the small remedie thereof I should take delight or reuenge in thine which though at mine owne pleasure I might well doe yet the great loue which I beare to my Mistresse Diana woulde neuer consent thereunto nor suffer me to goe against that which with such good will and liking she had sometimes fauoured
imperfection was incident to all women but to my Mistresse Diana in whom I euer thought that nature had not omitted to frame euery good and perfect thing But Syluanus after this prosecuting his historie saide vnto him When I came neere to the place where Diana was I sawe her fixing her faire eies in the cleere fountaine where vsing her accustomed maner she began to say O woefull eies how sooner shall you want teares to water my cheekes then continuall occasions to powre you out O my Syrenus I would to God before the winter with his blustring stormes despoyles the greene medow of fresh and fragrant flowers the pleasant vallies of fine and tender grasse and the shadowed trees of their greene leaues that these eies may behold againe thy presence so much desired of my louing soule as mine is eschewed and perhaps hated of thine With this she lifted vp her diuine countenance and by chance espied me and going about to dissemble her sorrowfull complaint she coulde not so cunningly doe it but that her teares made it too manifest by stopping the passage of her dissimulation She rose vp at my comming and saide Sit downe heere Syluanus and see how thou art now to mine owne cost sufficiently reuenged of me Now doth this miserable woman pay thee home againe those paines which thou didst suffer as thou saidst for her sake if it be true that she was euer or yet is the cause of them Is it possible Diana saide I againe that these eares may heare these wordes In the end I perceiue I am not deceiued by saying that I was borne to discouer euery day new kindes of torments for thy sake and thou to requite them with the greatest rigour in the world Dost thou now therefore doubt that thou art the cause of my greefe If thou art not who dost thou imagine can deserue so great loue as this or what hart in the world but thine had not before this bene mollified and made pitifull by so many teares And to these I added many other wordes which now I doe not so well remember But the cruell enemie of my rest cut off my wordes saying If thy toong Syluanus fondly presumeth to speake to me againe of these matters and not to entertaine the time with talke of my Syrenus I will at thine owne pleasure leaue thee to enioy the delight of this faire fountaine where we now sit For knowest thou not that euery thing that intreates not of the goodnes of my Shepherd is both hatefull and hurtfull to my eares And that she that loueth well thinketh that time but ill imploied which is not spent in hearing of her loue Whereupon fearing least my wordes might haue bene an occasion to haue made me loose that great content and happines that I had by her sweete sight and presence I sealed them vp with silence and was a good while without speaking a worde onely delighting my selfe with the felicitie I had by contemplating her soueraine beautie vntill night with greater haste then I desired came on when both of vs then were constrained to goe homewards with our flockes to our village Then Syrenus giuing a great sigh saide Thou hast tolde me strange things Syluanus and all wretched man for the increase of my harmes since I haue tried too soone the small constancie that is in a womans hart which for the loue that I beare to them all for her sake in very trueth greeues me not a little For I would not Shepherd heereafter heare it spoken that in a moulde where nature hath conioined such store of peregrine beautie and mature discretion there should be a mixture of such vnworthy inconstancie as she hath vsed towards me And that which comes neerest to my hart is that time shall make her vnderstand how ill she hath dealt with me which cannot be but to the preiudice of her owne content and rest But how liues she and with what contentment after her marriage Some tell me saide Syluanus that she brookes it but ill and no maruell for that Delius her husband though he be as thou knowest enriched with fortunes giftes is but poore in those of nature and good education For thou knowest how lowtish of spirit and body he is and namely for those things which we Shepherds take a pride in as in piping singing wrestling darting of our sheepehookes and dauncing with the wenches on Sunday it seemes that Delius was borne for no more but onely to beholde them But now good Shepherd said Syrenus take out thy Kit and I will take my Bagpipe for there is no greefe that is not with musicke relented and passed away and no sorrow which is not with the same againe increased And so both the Shepherdes tuning and playing on their instruments with great grace and sweetnesse began to sing that which followeth Syluanus SYrenus what thought'st thou when I was viewing thee From yonder hedge and in great greefe suspending me To see with what affliction thou wert ruing thee There doe I leaue my flocke that is attending me For while the cleerest sunne goeth not declining it Well may I be with thee by recommending me Thine ill my Shepherd for that by defining it Is passed with lesse cost then by concealing it And sorrow in the end departs resigning it My greefe I would recount thee but reuealing it It doth increase and more by thus recording me How in most vaine laments I am appealing it My life I see O greefe long time 's affoording me With dying hart and haue not to reuiue me it And an vnwonted ill I see aboording me From whom I hop'd a meane she doth depriue me it But sooth I hop'd it neuer for bewraying it With reason she might gain say to contriue me it My passions did sollicite her essaying yet With no importune meanes but seemely grounding them And cruell loue went hindering and dismaying it My pensiue thoughts were carefully rebounding them On euery side to flie the worst restraining them And in vnlawfull motions not confounding them They prai'd Diane in ils that were not fayning them To giue a meane but neuer to repell it thee And that a wretch might so be entertaining them But if to giue it me I should refell it thee What wouldst thou doe O greefe that thus adiuring it Faine would I hide mine ill and neuer tell it thee But after my Syrenus thus procuring it A Shepherdesse I doe inuoke the fairest one And th' end goes thus vnto my cost enduring it Syrenus Syluanus mine a loue of all the rarest one A beautie blinding presently disclosing it A wit and in discretion the waryest one A sweete discourse that to the eare opposing it The hardest rocks entendereth in subduing them What shall a haplesse louer feele in loosing it My little sheepe I see and thinke in viewing them How often times I haue beheld her feeding them And with her owne to foulde them not eschewing them How often haue I met her driue and speeding them Vnto
awrie and contrarie to that which I euer coniectured and knew by thy behauiour and conditions For I thought when I heard thee talke of thy loue that in the same thou wert a Phoenix and that none of the best louers to this day came euer neere to the extreme that thou hadst by louing a Shepherdesse whom I knowe a cause sufficient ynough not to speake ill of women if thy malice were not greater then thy loue The second that thou speakest of a thing thou vnderstandest not for to blame forgetfulnes who neuer had any triall thereof must rather be attributed to follie and want of discretion then to any thing else For if Diana did neuer remember thee how canst thou complaine of her obliuion I thinke to answere saide Syluanus both these pointes if I shall not wearie thine eares with hearing me To the first saying That I wish I may neuer enioy any more content then now I haue if any by the greatest example that he is able to alleage me can with wordes set downe the force and power that this thanklesse and disloyall Shepherdesse whom thou knowest and I would I knew not hath ouer my subiected soule But the greater the loue is I beare her the more it greeues me that there is any thing in her that may be reprehended For heere is Syrenus who was fauoured more of Diana then any louer in the world of his Mistresse and yet she hath now forgotten him as thou faire Shepherdesse and all we doe know To the other point where thou saiest that I haue no reason to speake ill of that whereof I neuer had experience I say that the Phisition may iudge of that greefe which he himselfe neuer had and will further satisfie thee Seluagia with this opinion of me that I beare no hate to women nor in very trueth wish them ill for there is nothing in the world which I would desire to serue with more reuerence and affection But in requitall of my zealous loue I am but ill intreated and with such intolerable disdaine which made me speake so much by her who takes a pride and a glorie in giuing me such cause of greefe Syrenus who had held his peace all this while said to Seluaggia If thou would'st but listen to me faire Shepherdesse blamelesse thou wouldest hold my riuall or to speake more properly my deere friend Syluanus But tell me what is the reason that you are so inconstant that in a moment you throwe a Shepherde downe from the top of his good hap to the deepest bottome of miserie knowest thou whereunto I attribute it To nothing else but to your owne simplicitie bicause you haue no perfect vnderstanding to conceiue the good nor knowe the value of that you haue in your handes You meddle with loue and are vncapable to iudge what it meanes how doe you then knowe to behaue your selues in it I tell thee Syrenus saide Seluagia that the cause why Shepherdesses forget their louers is no other but bicause they are forgotten of them againe These are things which loue doth make and vndoe things which time and place alters and buries in silence but not for the want of womens due knowledge in them of whom there haue bene an infinite number in the world who might haue taught men to liue and to loue if loue were a thing that might be taught or learned But yet for all this there is not I thinke any baser estate of life then a womans for if they speake you faire you thinke them by and by to die for your loue if they speake not to you you thinke them proude and fantasticall if their behauiour be not to your liking you thinke them hypocrites They haue no kind of pastaunce which you thinke not to exceede if they holde their peace you say they are fooles if they speake you say they are so troublesome that none will abide to heare them if they loue you the most in the world you thinke they goe about to deceiue you if they forget you and flie the occasions of bringing their good names in question you say they are inconstant and neuer firme in one minde and purpose So that the good or ill woman can doe no more to please your mindes then neuer to exceede the limits of your desires and dispositions If euery one faire Seluagia saide Syrenus were indued with this finenesse of wit and graue vnderstanding as thou art they woulde neuer giue vs occasions to make vs complaine of their small regarde in their loue But bicause we may knowe what reason thou hast to finde thy selfe so much aggreeued with it so may God giue thee comfort needefull for such an ill as thou wouldest vouchsafe to tell vs the substance of thy loue and all the occurrents which haue hitherto befallen thee therein For it seemes thou canst tell vs more of ours then we are able to informe thee to see if his effects which thou hast passed will giue thee leaue to speake so freely as thou dost for by thy wordes thou seemest to haue more experience in them then any woman that euer I knewe If I were not the most tried woman in them saide Seluagia I am at the lest the worst intreated by them as any euer was and such an one who with greater reason then the rest may complaine of loues franticke effects a thing sufficient to make one speake ynough in it And bicause by that which is past thou maiest knowe that which I now suffer to be a diuellish kinde of passion commit your misfortunes a while to silence and I will tel you greater then euer you heard before IN the mightie and inuincible kingdome of Portugall run two great riuers which wearied with watring the greater part of our Spaine not far from one another enter into the maine Ocean Betweene both which are situated many olde and ancient townes by reason of the great fertilitie of the soile which hath not the like in the whole world The inhabitants liues of this prouince are so much sequestred and estranged from things that may disturbe the minde that there is not any but when Venus by the mightie handes of her blinde sonne meanes to shew her power who troubles his minde more then to sustaine a quiet life by maintaining a meane and competent liuing with those things which for their poore estates are requisite The mens endeuours are naturally disposed to spend their life time in sufficient content the womens beauties to take it from him who liueth most assured of his libertie There are many houses in the shadowed forrestes and pleasant vales the which being nourished by the siluer deaw of soueraine heauen tilled by their inhabitants fauourable sommer forgetteth not to offer vp into their handes the fruites of their owne trauels and prouision for the necessitie of their liues I liued in a village neere to great Duerus one of these two riuers where Minerua hath a most stately temple built vnto her the which in
Thither he came and there we were talking together as long as time woulde giue vs leaue and the loue of my side at the lest was so strongly confirmed betweene vs that though the deceit had bene discouered as not many daies after it was knowne it was yet of so great force and vertue that it coulde neuer make me alienate my minde and affection from him And I also beleeued that Alanius loued me well and that especially from that time he was greatly enamoured of me though afterwardes in effect he did not so well declare it so that for certaine daies together our loue happily continued and was handled with the greatest secrecie that might be which was not yet so great but that subtile Ismenia in the end perceiued it who seeing her selfe to be the onely cause thereof and most in fault not onely by deceiuing me but by ministring occasion to Alanius of discouering himselfe and by that which passed to fall in loue with me and to forget her as indeede he did for very greefe was almost out of her wits but that with this poore hope she comforted her selfe againe that if I knew the trueth I would immediately forget and cast him off wherein she was not a little deceiued for as he afterwardes loued me more and more so by his seuerall beauties and singular deserts I was more obliged to loue and honour him But Ismenia purposing to open the deceite which by her owne follie and suttletie she had framed wrote me this letter following Ismenias letter to Seluagia IF we are bound to loue those well Seluagia that loue vs there is nothing in the world which I ought to esteeme deerer then thy selfe but if to hate them that are the cause why we are forgotten and despised I leaue it to thine owne discretion I would put thee in some fault for casting thine eies vpon my Alanius but wretched woman what shall I doe that am the organ of mine owne mishap O Seluagia to my greefe I sawe thee and well could I excuse that which I passed with thee but in the end such fonde prankes haue seldome good successe For laughing but one little hower with my Alanius and telling him what had passed betweene vs I must now weepe and lament all my life time if my greefe at the lest may not mooue thee to some remorse of pitie I beseech thee by all I may that the discouerie of this deceite may suffice and so worke with thee to make thee forget my Alanius and restore this haplesse Shepherdesse to that which being not a little thou art able to doe if loue will permit thee to graunt me this fauour which I request at thy hands When I had read this letter and imparted it to Alanius he then at large vnfolded vnto me the maner of her deceit but not one word of the loue that was betweene them both whereof I made no great reckoning for I was so assured of that which he seemed to beare me that I woulde neuer beleeue that any passed or future thoughts might haue bene an occasion to haue made him afterwardes forget me But bicause Ismenia might not by my silence thinke me discurteous I answered her letter thus Seluagias letter to Ismenia I Knowe not faire Ismenia whether I may iustly accuse thee or giue thee thankes for disposing my minde and affection in this sort nor can resolue with my selfe whether of these two I should doe vntill the successe of my loue doe counsell me heerein On the one side I am sorie for thy ill hap on the other I see that thou wentst foorth as it were to meete and imbrace it Seluagia was free when thou didst delude her in the temple and is now subiect to his will into whose handes thou wouldst needes deliuer her Thou praiest me to leaue off the loue that I beare Alanius with that which thou thy selfe wouldst doe in this behalfe I may easily answere thee Yet one thing makes me very sad that thou art greeued for that for which thou hast no iust cause of complaint which to the patient therof giueth the greatest paine in the world I do often consider thinke of those faire eies with which thou didst behold me and of that sweete face which after many importunate requestestes thou didst shew me and it greeues me Ismenia that such faire things and so like to my Alanius should suffer any sorrow and discontentment at all Behold then what remedie is left for thy greefe that for the bountie which thou hast vsed towardes me by giuing me the most precious gemme thou hadst I kisse thy faire and daintie hands which curtesie of thine being so great God graunt that by some meanes or other I may be able to requite If thou seest my Alanius there tell him I pray thee what reason he hath to loue me for he knoweth already how much he hath to forget thee And God glue thee the content thou desirest which may not be to the cost of that which I haue by seeing my affection so happily and well imploied Ismenia could not reade this letter to the end for in the middest of it her sighes and teares which she powred out were so many that she thought at that very time to haue lost her life She laboured as much as she could to make Alanius forsake me and deuised so many meanes for the same purpose as he to shun those places and occasions whereby he thought he might see her Not that he meant her any harme thereby but bicause he thought by doing so in some part he requited the great loue that I bare him All the daies that he liued in this minde there escaped not any wherein I sawe him not for he passed euermore that way feeding his flockes which from our towne did leade to his He accounted no trauels nor troubles too great which he did for my sake and especially if he thought I regarded them Day by day Ismenia inquired after him and neuer ceased to seeke him out who being sometimes tolde by others and sometimes knowing her selfe that he was in our towne had no patience at all to suffer such a corsiue at her hart And yet for all this there was not anything that contented and pacified her troubled minde more then when she could get some little time to speake with him But as necessitie is so ingenious and politike that it seekes out remedies where mans wit can scarce imagine any despised Ismenia aduentured to helpe her selfe by one which I woulde to God had neuer entred into her thought by faining that she extremely loued another Shepherd called Montanus who a long time had loued and serued her before And as she purposed so she put it in practise to trie if by this sudden change she might draw Alanius to that which so much she desired For there is not any thing which a man thinks he hath most sure though making but a small account thereof but that the losse of it if on a
Page played his part by depainting foorth their properties in their liuely colours And because I thought nothing more commodious for my rest and for the enioying of my desire then to follow Fabius his counsell I answered him thus In truth I determined to serue none but now since fortune hath offered me so good a seruice and at such a time when I am constrained to take this course of life I shall not do amisse if I frame my selfe to the seruiee of some Lord or Gentleman in this Court but especially of your Master because he seemes to be a woorthy Gentleman and such an one that makes more reckoning of his seruants then an other Ha thou knowest him not as well as I said Fabius for I promise thee by the faith of a Gentleman for I am one in deede for my father comes of the Cachopines of Laredo that my Master Don Felix is the best natured Gentleman that euer thou knewest in thy life and one who vseth his Pages better then any other And were it not for those troublesome loues which makes vs runne vp and downe more and sleepelesse then we woulde there were not such a Master in the whole worlde againe In the end faire Nymphes Fabius spake to his Master Don Felix as soone as he was come foorth in my behalfe who commanded me the same night to come to him at his lodging Thither I went and he entertained me for his Page making the most of me in the worlde where being but a fewe daies with him I sawe the messages letters and gifts that were brought and caried on both sides greeuous wounds alas coruiues to my dying hart which made my soule to flie sometimes out of my body euery hower in hazard to leese my forced patience before euery one But after one moneth was past Don Felix began to like so well of me that he disclosed his whole loue vnto me from the beginning vnto the present estate and forwardnes that it was then in committing the charge thereof to my secrecie and helpe telling me that he was fauoured of her at the beginning and that afterwards she waxed wearie of her louing and accustomed entertainment the cause whereof was a secret report whosoeuer it was that buzzed it into her eares of the loue that he did beare to a Lady in his owne countrey and that his present loue vnto her was but to entertaine the time while his busines in the Court were dispatched And there is no doubt saide Don Felix vnto me but that indeede I did once commence that loue that she laies to my charge but God knowes if now there be any thing in the world that I loue and esteeme more deere and precious then her When I heard him say so you may imagine faire Nymphes what a mortall dagger pierced my wounded heart But with dissembling the matter the best I coulde I answered him thus It were better sir me thinkes that the Gentlewoman should complaine with cause and that it were so indeed for if the other Ladie whom you serued before did not deserue to be forgotten of you you do her vnder correction my Lord the greatest wrong in the world The loue said Don Felix againe which I beare to my Celia will not let me vnderstand it so but I haue done her me thinkes the greater iniurie hauing placed my loue first in an other and not in her Of these wrongs saide I to my selfe I know who beares the woorst away And disloyall he pulling a letter out of his bosome which he had receiued the same hower from his Mistresse reade it vnto me thinking that he did me a great fauour thereby the contents whereof were these Celias letter to Don Felix NEuer any thing that I suspected touching thy loue hath beene so farre from the truth that hath not giuen me occasion to beleeue more often mine owne imagination then thy innocencie wherein if I do thee any wrong referre it but to the censure of thine owne follie For well thou mightest haue denied or not declared thy passed loue without giuing me occasion to condemne thee by thine owne confession Thou saiest I was the cause that made thee forget thy former loue Comfort thy selfe for there shall not want another to make thee forget thy second And assure thy selfe of this Lord Don Felix that there is not any thing more vnbeseeming a Gentleman then to finde an occasion in a Gentlewoman to leese himselfe for her loue I will saie no more but that in an ill where there is no remedie the best is not to seeke out any After he had made an end of reading the letter he said vnto me What thinkest thou Valerius of these words With pardon be it spoken my Lord That your deedes are shewed by them Go to said Don Felix and speake no more of that Sir saide I they must like me wel if they like you because none can iudge better of their words that loue well then they themselues But that which I thinke of the letter is that this Gentlewoman would haue beene the first and that Fortune had entreated her in such sort that all others might haue enuied her estate But what wouldest thou counsell me saide Don Felix If thy griefe doth suffer any counsell saide I that thy thoughts be diuided into this second passion since there is so much due to the first Don Felix answered me againe sighing and knocking me gently on the shoulder saying How wise art thou Valerius and what good counsell dost thou giue me if I could follow it Let vs now go in to dinner for when I haue dined I will haue thee carie me a letter to my Lady Celia and then thou shalt see if any other loue is not woorthy to be forgotten in lieu of thinking onely of her These were wordes that greeued Felismena to the hart but bicause she had him before her eies whom she loued more then her-selfe the content that she had by onely seeing him was a sufficient remedie of the paine that the greatest of these stings did make her feele After Don Felix had dined he called me vnto him and giuing me a speciall charge what I should do because he had imparted his griefe vnto me and put his hope and remedie in my hands he willed me to carie a letter to Celia which he had alreadie written and reading it first vnto me it said thus Don Felix his letter to Celia THe thought that seekes an occasion to forget the thing which it doth loue and desire suffers it selfe so easily to be knowne that without troubling the minde much it may be quickly discerned And thinke not faire Ladie that I seeke a remedie to excuse you of that wherewith it pleased you to vse me since I neuer came to be so much in credit with you that in lesser things I woulde do it I haue confessed vnto you that indeede I once loued well because that true loue without dissimulation doth not suffer any thing
to be hid and you deere Ladie make that an occasion to forget me which should be rather a motiue to loue me better I cannot perswade me that you make so small an account of your selfe to thinke that I can forget you for any thing that is or hath euer been but rather imagine that you write cleane contrarie to that which you haue tried by my zealous loue and faith towards you Touching all those things that in preiudice of my good will towards you it pleaseth you to imagine my innocent thoughts assure me to the contrarie which shall suffice to be ill recompenced besides being so ill thought of as they are After Don Felix had read this letter vnto me he asked me if the answer was correspondent to those words that his Ladie Celia had sent him in hers and if there was any thing therein that might be amended Whereunto I answered thus I thinke Sir it is needlesse to amende this letter or to make the Gentlewoman amendes to whom it is sent but her whom you do iniurie so much with it Which vnder your Lordships pardon I speake bicause I am so much affected to the first loue in all my life that there is not any thing that can make me alter my minde Thou hast the greatest reason in the world said Don Felix if I coulde perswade my selfe to leaue of that which I haue begun But what wilt thou haue me do since absence hath frozen the former loue and the continuall presence of a peerelesse beautie rekindled another more hot and feruent in me Thus may she thinke her-selfe saide I againe vniustly deceiued whom first you loued because that loue which is subiect to the power of absence cannot be termed loue and none can perswade me that it hath beene loue These words did I dissemble the best I could because I felt so sensible griefe to see my selfe forgotten of him who had so great reason to loue me and whom I did loue so much that I did more thē any would haue thought to make my selfe still vnknowen But taking the letter and mine errant with me I went to Celias house imagining by the way the wofull estate whereunto my haplesse loue had brought me since I was forced to make warre against mine owne selfe and to be the intercessour of a thing so contrarie to mine owne content But comming to Celias house and finding a Page standing at the dore I asked him if I might speake with his Ladie who being informed of me from whence I came tolde Celia how I would speake with her commending therewithall my beautie and person vnto her and telling her besides that Don Felix had but lately entertained me into his seruice which made Celia saie vnto him What doth Don Felix so soone disclose his secret loues to a Page but newly entertained he hath belike some great occasion that mooues him to do it Bid him com in let vs know what he would haue In I came to the place where the enimie of my life was with great reuerence kissing her hands I deliuered Don Felix his letter vnto her Celia tooke it and casting her eies vpon me I might perceiue how my sight had made a sudden alteration in her countenance for she was so farre besides her-selfe that for a good while she was not able to speake a worde but remembring her-selfe at last she saide vnto me What good fortune hath beene so fauourable to Don Felix to bring thee to this Court to make thee his Page Euen that faire Ladie saide I which is better then euer I imagined bicause it hath beene an occasion to make me behold such singular beautie and perfections as now I see cleerely before mine eies And if the paines the teares the sighes and the continuall disquiets that my Lord Don Felix hath suffred haue greeued me heeretofore now that I haue seene the source from whence they flow and the cause of all his ill the pittie that I had on him is now wholly conuerted into a certaine kinde of enuie But if it be true faire Lady that my comming is welcome vnto you I beseech you by that which you owe to the great loue which he beares you that your answer may import no lesse vnto him There is not anie thing saide Celia that I would not do for thee though I were determined not to loue him at all who for my sake hath forsaken another For it is no small point of wisedome for me to learne by other womens harmes to be more wise and warie in mine owne Beleeue not good Lady saide I that there is any thing in the worlde that can make Don Felix forget you And if he hath cast off another for your sake woonder not thereat when your beautie and wisedome is so great and the others so small that there is no reason to thinke that he will though he hath woorthelie forsaken her for your sake or euer can forget you for any woman else in the worlde Doest thou then know Felismena saide Celia the Lady whom thy Master did once loue and serue in his owne countrey I know her saide I although not so well as it was needfull for me to haue preuented so many mishaps and this I spake softly to my selfe For my fathers house was neere to hers but seeing your great beautie adorned with such perfections and wisedome Don Felix can not be blamed if he hath forgotten his first loue onely to embrace and honour yours To this did Celia answer merily and smiling Thou hast learned quickly of thy Master to sooth Not so faire Ladie saide I but to serue you woulde I faine learne for flatterie cannot be where in the iudgement of all there are so manifest signes and proofes of this due commendation Celia began in good earnest to aske me what manner of woman Felismena was whom I answered that touching her beautie Some thought her to be very faire but I was neuer of that opinion bicause she hath many daies since wanted the chiefest thing that is requisite for it What is that said Celia Content of minde saide I bicause perfect beautie can neuer be where the same is not adioyned to it Thou hast the greatest reason in the world said she but I haue seene some Ladies whose liuely hewe sadnes hath not one whit abated and others whose beautie anger hath encreased which is a strange thing me thinkes Haplesse is that beauty said I that hath sorrow anger the preseruers mistresses of it but I cānot skill of these impertinent things And yet that woman that must needes be molested with continuall paine and trouble with greefe and care of minde and with other passions to make her looke well cannot be recknoed among the number of faire women and for mine owne part I do not account her so Wherein thou hast great reason said she as in all things else that thou hast saide thou hast shewed thy selfe wise and discreete Which I haue deerely bought said I
so deerely againe it seemed that fortune would make an end of all my ioy with the most haplesse euent that was euer seene before For thus it was that Arsileus and I appointing to meete together on a certaine night too darke and dismall for me bicause I neuer since knew perfectly what day meant we concluded that he should come into my fathers orchard and I to my chamber windowe which opened right vpon a Mulberie tree whereon he might easily get vp to be necre vnto me there to talke togither of our matters Accursed Belisa that shalt neuer conceiue to what purpose I brought him to such danger when as euery day sometimes in the fielde sometimes at the riuer side and sometimes at the wood when I carried my kine to pasture and sometimes when I driue my sheepe to the folde he might at pleasure haue talked with me as he did many daies before But my hard hap was the cause that fortune would be paied for the content which she had lent me till then with making me liue all my life time without it For now the appointed hower which was the ende of his daies and the beginning of my woes being come Arsileus came iust at the time and to the very place where both of vs talking together of those things which they may imagine that haue sometimes loued well his wretched father Arsenius that accustomed many nights to walke vp and downe about our house to see if he could see me which if I had so well remembred for it was so far out of my thoughtes as if I had neuer knowen any such matter I would neuer haue consented to put him in such danger in the ende happened to come thither that night and iust at that hower when his sonne was in the tree and so priuily that though he had quickly espied vs we could neither heare nor see him And knowing it was I that was speaking out at the window but not his sonne that was in the Mulberie tree not imagining who he might be it was the principall cause of our ill successe For thereupon he conceiued such great wroth and iealousie that without any noise at all he bied him home where bending a Crossebowe and putting a poisoned arrow in it came againe to the place where we were and aimed so right at his sonne that the arrow pearcing his tender hart he fell immediately downe dead from the tree saying How little time my deere Belisa doth fortune lend me to serue thee according to my great good will desire Which wordes he could scarce vtter when the accursed father who by his speech knew that he was the homicide of his owne sonne with a desperate outcrie saide Thrise wretched and accursed may I euer be if thou art my sonne Arsileus who seemest to be no other by thy voice Whereupon comming vnto him and by the light of the moone that shone vpon his face knowing him well and that he had giuen vp the ghost he saide Since cruell Belisa my vnfortunate sonne by thy means hath bene slaine it is not meete that the murdering father suruiue to lament his vntimely death At which wordes taking out his Woodknife he thrust it into his hart and fell downe presently dead O vnhappie chaunce O strange case neuer heard of nor seene before O greeuous scandale to their eares that shall he are the lamentable discourse of my balefull tragedie O miserable Belisa may thy guiltie hart thinke of these things and not take that way which both father and sonne haue taken for thy sake Alas it shall be great impietie not to mingle thy blood with theirs who desired so much to serue thee But when wretched soule I sawe this vnluckie accident without any more adoe I left my fathers house and went vp and downe wearying the heauens with importunate complaints and burning the aire with smokie sighes vntill I came to this place where accusing cruell fortune and hatefull death that had in so short time taught me to feele the woundes of their cruell dartes I haue liued sixe monethes without seeing or speaking to any person and not desirous of any companie or consolation whatsoeuer Faire Belisa hauing made an end of her pitifull tale began to weepe so bitterly that euery one there was forced with their teares to helpe to bewaile her dire misfortune And adding further she saide This is faire Nymphes the sorrowfull historie or rather dolefull tragedie of my haplesse loues and of their bloodie successe Behold then if this be such an ill that fortune or time may cure and remedie O Arsileus how often did I feare it without thinking of that which I iustly feared But she that will not beleeue her feare and preuent it let her not maruell when she sees that come to passe which she feared for well I knew thou couldst not be any long time without meeting me and that my ioy could endure no longer then when Arsenius thy father perceiued any thing of our loues I woulde to God it had so fallen out that the greatest hurt that he could haue done me had bene but to banish thee his sight and our towne For an ill which is cured with time may with lesse harme be suffered O Arsenius the death of thy sonne is no impediment to the greefe that I also conceiue for thine for the loue which thou didst continually beare me thy vertuous and pure zeale wherewith thou didst euer loue me thy bountie and cost bestowed on me the tempestuous and ill nightes that thou hast passed for my sake will let me doe no lesse then lament and bewaile thy disastrous end for by this time I had bene married vnto thee if thy sweete sonne Arsileus had not come to our towne If I should say that I did not loue thee well I should deceiue the world for in the end there is no woman if she knowes she is truly beloued but will loue little or much againe although otherwise she manifest the same But now my toong holde thy peace since thou hast told more then thou wert asked And pardon me faire Nymphes if I haue bene tedious in my sorrowfull narration bicause so great mishaps cannot be comprised in fewe wordes Whilest the Shepherdesse was telling that which you haue heard Syrenus Syluanus Seluagia and faire Felismena and the three Nymphes coulde not giue eare without some secrete teares although the Nymphes as women neuer touched with loue felt her paine and greefe but not the circumstances of it But faire Doria seeing the comfortlesse Shepherdesse did not leaue of her bitter complaint began to comfort her in this sort Let thy teares cease Belisa since thou seest what small remedie thou hast of them and waigh that two eies are not able to bewaile so great a greefe But what sorrow can there be which is not ended or endes not her that suffers it and yet I could shew thee the way whereby I could a little lighten thy paine Wherefore I pray thee goe with vs
saist but fortune shal neuer do me such despite to make me ouercommed by any but onely by whom I haue long since suffered my self to be conquered And this onely content doth remaine to me of my prison wherevnto my misfortune hath now brought 〈◊〉 The Gouernour did not then marke the Moore his words so much nor to what end he spake them but vsing the mercy that the valiant conquerour is woont to vse to the forlorne man of Fortune he helped him to rise vp and to binde vp his woundes which were not so great but that he might get vpon his horse and so all of them with their prisoner tooke the next way home to Alora The Gouernour as he rode did continually cast an eie vpon the Moore whom he thought with himselfe a goodly man of person and gracious of visage remembring therewithall howe stoutly he had defended himselfe but thought his sadnes too great for so braue a minde as he carried and because he intermixed his sorrow with sighes which were tokens of greater greefe then could be imagined in so braue a man and also desirous to knowe more of the matter he said vnto him Behold Sir knight how the prisoner that leeseth his hart magnanimitie for feare of imprisonment doth hazard the law of his libertie and that in Martiall affaires aduersitie must be entertayned with as merrie a countenance as by this greatnes of minde it may deserue to enioy prosperitie againe And these sighes are not me thinkes beseeming that valour and courage which thou hast shewed by tryall of thy person neither are thy wounds so mortall that thy life is in hazarde whereof besides thou hast shewed not to make so much account but that thou wouldest willingly haue left it for thine honours sake If there be then any other occasion of thy heauines tell it me for by the faith of a gentleman I sweare vnto thee that I will vse as much curtesie and friendship towards thee as thou shalt not haue occasion to repent thee that thou hast tolde me it The Moore hearing the Gouernours gentle speech whereby he argued in him a braue and noble minde and his curteous and friendly offer to helpe him thought it no point of wisedome to conceale the cause of his greefe from him because by his milde wordes and gracious countenance he had such great hope of helpe and fauour that lifting vp his face which with the waight of sorrow he went carying in his bosome he saide vnto him How art thou called Sir Knight that dost thus comfort me in my sadnesse whereof thou seemest to haue some feeling and the which thou dost enforce me to tell thee My name is Rodrigo of Naruaez and Gouernour I am of Alora and Antiquera of both which townes of garrison the King of Aragon my Lord and Master hath appointed me Chiefetaine When the Moore heard this with a merrier countenance then before he said I am glad that my misfortune hath beene so fortunate to make me fall into thy handes of whose force and manhoode I haue beene long since informed the triall whereof though it had cost me deerer coulde not haue greatly greeued me since it doth so greatly content me to see my selfe his prisoner whose vertues valour and dexteritie in armes doth importune euery ones eares so much And becauie the subduing of my person doth oblige me to esteeme thee the more and that thou maist not thinke it is any kinde of pusyllanimitie or feare in me without some other great occasion which lies not in my power to forsake that makes me so sad and pensiue I praie thee gentle Knight by that thou art to cōmand thy gentlemen to ride on before because thou maist know that neither the paine of my greene woundes nor the greefe of my present captiuitie is cause of my heauie thoughts The Gouernour hearing these words made greater reckoning of the Moore and because he was verie desirous to be thorowly resolued what he was he willed his gentlemen to ride on before and they two comming on faire and softly behind the Moore fetching a profound sigh from his soule began thus to saie IF time and triall of thy great virtues most valiant Gouernour and that golden fame wherewith they are spread in euery place had not penetrated my hart with desire of knowing them now put them manifestly before mine eles these words which thy will doth enforce me to relate should be now excused and the discourse which I meane to tell thee of a life continually enuironed with disquiets suspects the least whereof being as thou wilt iudge no lesse worse then a thousand deaths remaine vntold But as I am on the one side assured of that I speake and that on the other thou art a worthie kinght and noble gentleman and hast either heard or els thy selfe passed the like passion to mine Know that my name is Abyndaraez the yoonger in difference of an vncle of mine my fathers brother who is also called so Descended I am from the noble house of the Abencerrajes in Granada by whose vnluckie destinies I did learne to be vnfortunate And because thou maist know what theirs was and maist by them the better coniecture what may be expected of mine Thou shalt vnderstand that in Granada was a noble linage of Lords and Knights called Abencerrajes whose valiant deeds and graue personages as well in martiall aduentures as in peaceable and wise gouernment of our common-wealth were the mirrours of that kingdome The olde men were of the Kings counsell the yoong gentlemen exercised their minds and bodies in feates of armes in the seruice of Ladies and gentlewomen and by shewing in euery point their valour and gentilitie And as they were honoured of the popular sort and welbeloued among the principall for in all those good parts that a gentleman should haue they farre excelled others so were they very well thought of with the King They did neuer any thing in war abroad nor in counsell at home that their experience was not correspondent to their expectation whose valour bountie and humanitie was so highly commended that for a common example it was euer alleaged That there was neuer Abencerraje coward niggard or ill disposed person In the citie they were the masters of braue inuentions for apparell In the Court of maskes daunces and triumphes and in the court and citie in the seruice and courting of Dames passing gracious For neuer did Abencerraje loue and serue any Ladie of whom he was not fauoured nor any Ladie were she neuer so faire and amiable thinke her selfe worthie of the name title of an Abencerraje his mistresse They liuing therfore in as great prosperitie honor and reputation that might be came fortune an enemie to the rest and contentment of happie men to cast them downe from that ioyfull estate to the most vnfortunate and greeuous condition of disgrace that might be The beginning whereof was that the King hauing done a certaine iniury to the Abencerrajes
they made an insurrection wherein with ten gentlemen more of their kinred they conspired to kill the King land to diuide the kingdome amongst themselues so to be reuenged of the vnworthie disgrace receiued by him This conspitacie whether it was true or false was discouered before it could be put in practise and they apprehended and condemned to die before the citizens had intelligence thereof who without all doubt for the great loue they bare them would haue risen not consenting that iustice should haue beene done vpon them For carying them to exequution it was the strangest spectacle in the world to see the lamentations that some made the priuie murmuring of one to another and the bootlesse excuses that for compassion of these gentlemen were generally made in all the citie They ran all to the King and offered to buie his mercie with great summes of gold and siluer but such was his seueritie that it expelled all motions of pitie and clemencie Which when the people beheld they began to weepe and lament againe The Lords Knights and gentlemen did weepe and mourne with whom they were wont to keepe companie The tender Ladies and Damsels of the Court wept whom they loued and serued And all the whole citie wept for the great honour and auctority that such noble citizens gaue them The lamentations and outcries were so many and so loud as if the earth had sunke or the world beene drowned anew But the King who to all these teares lamentations and pitifull outcries did stop his eares commaunded that his definitiue sentence should be presently executed So that of all that house and linage there remained not one man aliue that was not beheaded that day except my father and mine vncle who were not found complices in that conspiracie These ils resulted to them besides this miserable chaunce that their houses were ruinated they proclaimed traitours to the King their goodes lands and possessions confiscated And that no Abenceraje should liue any longer in Granada except my father and mine vncle and they but with this condition that if they had any issue they should send the men children as soon as they were borne to be brought vp out of the citie neuer to returne into it againe and if they were women and marriageable to be married out of the Realme When the Gouernor heard the strange discourse of Abyndaraez and the termes wherewith he complayned of his misfortune he could not stop his teares but did shew by them the sensible greefe which of such a disastrous accident could not be but felt And therefore turning himselfe to the Moore saide vnto him Thou hast good cause Abyndaraes to be sorrie for the fall of thy noble house and kinred whose heads I thinke coulde neuer hatch so great treason And were it for no other proofe but that so worthie a gentleman as thy selfe came out of it this onely were sufficient to make me beleeue that they neuer pretended such wickednes This gentle opinion which thou hast of me said the Moore and of the goodnes of my auncestors I know not worthie Gouernour how to requite but onely with vnfained and humble thankes But now when I was borne into the world with the inheritance of the selfe same mishap of my kinred they sent me because they would not infringe the Kings edict to be nursed and brought vp in a certaine fort belonging sometimes to the Christians called Cartama committing the charge and care of me to the Gouernor thereof with whom my father had ancient familiaritie acquaintance A man of great account in the kingdome vpright in the maner of his life and verie rich but chiefly in a daughter that he hath which is the greatest â—…ie which I account of in this life the which I wish I may neuer enioy if in any â—…g but onely her I euer tooke content pleasure With her was I brought vp 〈◊〉 my childhood for she was borne but three yeeres after me and as we were â—…erally thought of all to be brother and sister for like such was our education so did we also thinke our selues to be The loue that I did beare Xarifa for thus is the Lady called that is mistresse of my libertie were but little if I could tell it Let it â—…fice that time hath so confirmed the same that I would giue a thousands liues if â—…ad them but to enioy one momentarie sight of her faire face Euerie day encreased our age but euerie hower augmented our loue and so much that now me thought I was made of another kind of mettall then of consanguinitie I remember that Xarifa being on a day in the orchard of the Iesemynes dressing her faire head by chaunce I espied her amazed at her singular beautie and how me thought it greeued me that she was my sister And by the extreme passion of my loue driueÌ„ out of my musing I went to her who as soone as she saw me with open armes came to receiue me And sitting vpon the fountaine by her she said vnto me Why hast thou good brother left me so long alone It is sweete Ladie said I againe a good while since I hauing sought thee in euerie place found not any that could tell me what was become of thee my hart at last coniectured where thou wert Buttel me now I pray thee what certaintie hast thou that we are brother and sister No other saide she then of the great loue I beare thee and to see how euerie one doth call vs so and that my father doth bring vs vp like his sonne and daughter And if we were not brother and sister saide I wouldest thou then loue me so much as thou dost Oh seest thou not saide she that we shuld not be suffered to go so coÌ„tinually together al alone if we were not But if we were depriued of this ioy that which I feele in my selfe is a great deale more At which words her faire face being tainted with a vermillion blush she said vnto me What couldest thou leese by it if we were brother and sister My selfe and thee to said I. I vnderstand thee not said she but me thinkes being brother and sister it binds vs to loue one another naturally Thy onely beauâ—… said I doth oblige me to this brotherhood which rather qualifieth my loue 〈◊〉 sometimes distempers my thoughts At which words blushing for too much bolâ—…es casting downe mine eies I saw her diuine figure in the cristalline fountaine so liuely represented as if it had beene she her selfe and in such sort that wheresoeuer she turned her head I still beheld her image and goodly counterfaite truely translated into verie hart Then said I softly to my selfe O if I were now drowned in this fountaine where with pride I behold my sweete Lady how more fortunate should I die then Narcissus And if she loued me as I do her how happie should I be And if fortune would let vs liue euer together what a happie life should I
cause that I loued him well whose sight I euer enioyed before mine eies But Syluanus turning his eies to her saide This debt I shoulde with great reason my life requite if it were such a thing that might with life bee paied which God grant thee saide Seluagia since without the same mine shoulde be woorse then a continuall death Syrenus seeing the amorous words on both sides with a smiling countenance saide vnto them It is well that euery one can so well acquite himselfe for his good turne done him that the one will neither be in debt nor the other haue any indebted to him and yet in mine owne opinion it is better that you reioyce so much and so louingly entreate of your amorous affections my selfe not being a thirde in them With these and other speeches the newe Louers and carelesse Syrenus passed away the time and length of the way which they made an end of about sunne set And before they came to the fountaine of the Sicamours they heard a voice of a Shepherdesse sweetely singing whom they knew by and by for Syluanus hearing her saide vnto them This is Diana doubtlesse that singes at the fountaine of the Sicamours It is she indeede said Seluagia Let vs go behinde these Myrtle trees neere vnto her bicause we may heare her the better Agreed saide Syrenus although the time hath beene when her musicke and sight delighted me more then now But all three going into the thicket of Myrtle trees and bicause it was about the going down of the Sunne they sawe faire Diana neere to the fountaine shining with such surpassing beautie that they stoode as men that had neuer seene her before amazed and in a woonder Her haire hung downe loose from her head behinde and gathered vp with a carnation stringe which parted them in the middes her eies were fixed on the ground and somtimes looking into the cleere fountaine and wiping away some teares that nowe and then trickled downe her beautifull cheekes she sung this Dittie WHen that I poore soule was borne I was borne vnfortunate Presently the Fates had sworne To foretell my haplesse state Titan his faire beames did hide Phoebe ' clips'd her siluer light In my birth my mother dide Yong and faire in heauie plight And the nurse that gaue me sucke Haplesse was in all her life And I neuer had good lucke Being maide or married wife I lou'd well and was belou'd And forgetting was forgot This a haplesse marriage mou'd Greeuing that it kils me not With the earth would I were wed Then in such a graue of woes Daily to be buried Which no end nor number knowes Yong my father married me Forc't by my obedience Syrenus thy faith and thee I forgot without offence Which contempt I pay so far Neuer like was paide so much Iealousies doe make me war But without a cause of such I doe goe with iealous eies To my foldes and to my sheepe And with iealousie I rise When the day begins to peepe At his table I doe eate In his bed with him I lie But I take no rest nor meate Without cruell iealousie If I aske him what he ailes And whereof he iealous is In his answere then he failes Nothing can he say to this In his face there is no cheere But he euer hangs the head In each corner he doth peere And his speech is sad and dead Ill the poore soule liues ywisse That so hardly married is The time was once when Dianas teares and dolefull song and the sorrow that by her sadde lookes she expressed might haue so much mooued Syrenus hart as put the Shepherdes life in such danger that all other remedies but onely proceeding from the same had beene impossible to haue helpt it whose eies and hart since now they were deliuered out of that dangerous prison tooke no delight to beholde Diana nor greeued at her sorrowfull lamentations And the Shepherd Syluanus had lesse cause in his minde to be condolent for any greefe that Diana had considering she neuer had the smallest regard of the greatest woes which he passed for her sake Onely Seluagia helped her with her teares fearefull by the fall of her ioy of her own fortune whereupon she said to Syrenus There is no perfection beautie nor fauour in natures gift which she hath not liberally bestowed on Diana bicause her beautie is peerelesse her wit and discretion admired her good graces excellent and all other her commendable parts which a Shepherdesse should haue not to be seconded since in the lest of them that made her such a woonder in our age there was neuer any yet that excelled her Onlie one thing she wanted which I euer suspected and feared and this was her good Fortune which woulde neuer accompanie her to haue made her liue a contented and ioyfull life which to speake the truth she euer well deserued She that so vniustly hath taken it from so many saide Syrenus by great reason should not enioy such a happie estate which I speake not that I am not sorrie to see this Shepherdesse so sorrowful but for the great reason I haue not to wish her any content at all Saie not so said Seluagia for I cannot thinke that Diana hath offended thee in any thing What offence did she by marrying compelled thereunto by the constraint of her parents and kinsfolkes and not by her owne will And after she was married what could she do hauing due regarde to her honor and honestie but forget thee Truly Syrenus thou shouldest haue greater cause to complaine of Diana then I haue heard thee hitherto alledge In truth Syrenus saide Syluanus Seluagia hath so great reason for that she saith that none can well disprooue it And if there be any that of ingratitude can iustly accuse her it is I who loued her more then my selfe she requiting it so ill againe and with such cruell contempt as thou knowest well enough Seluagia casting an amorous eie vpon him saide But thou didst not deserue my beloued Shepherd to be so ill entreated since there is no Shepherdesse in the worlde that may not thinke her-selfe blest to enioy thy happy loue About this time Diana perceiued that their talke was of her for the Shepherds were so loude that she might heare them very well Wherfore rising vp and looking among the Myrtle trees she knew the Shepherdes and the Shepherdesse that was sitting betweene them Who perceiuing that she had espied them came to her and curteously saluted her and she them againe with a good grace and countenance asking them where they had beene so long a time Whom they answered with another kinde of wordes and countenance then they were wont to do which seemed so strange to Diana that though she tooke no care for any of their loues yet in the end it greeued her to see them so much altered from that they were wont to be and especially when she perceiued what great ioy Syluanus tooke in beholding faire Seluagia And
I am certaine saide Polydora thou thinkest not so of me for thou knowest how thy cares haue touched me neerer then any other to whom thou didst euer impart them But tell me what is that Shepherd of thy towne that is called Alfeus The greatest Coniurer said Belisa and the most cunning Magician that is I thinke in Europe who did once fondly spend his time in louing and seruing me He is a man faire Nymph whose dealing and conuersation is altogether with Diuels which he makes to take such shapes vpon them as he list himselfe so that many times thou wouldst thinke thou wert talking with thy familiar acquaintance into whose shape he transformeth some spirit or other when indeede thou art talking with a very Diuell Thou must therefore knowe faire Shepherdesse saide Polydora that the same Alfeus with his enchantments and diuellish deuises hath beene the cause of the deceite wherein hitherto thou hast liued and of the infinite teares that for the same thou hast powred forth bicause knowing that Arsileus was to speake with thee that night as it was concluded betweene you he caused two spirits to take the shapes of Arsileus and his father vpon them And Arsileus desiring to talke with thee effected that that should fall out which with thine eies thou didst that night beholde Bicause thinking they were dead thou mightest despaire and kill thy selfe or do that at the least which thou hast already done When Belisa heard what faire Polydora did tell her she was so farre beside her-selfe that for a while she could not speake one word but comming to her-selfe again she said vnto her Thou hast told me faire Nymph strange things if my sorrow woulde giue me leaue to beleeue them By that loue which thou saiest thou dost beare me tell me I beseech thee how thou knowest it or of whom thou hast vnderstoode that those two which I sawe dead before mine eies were not Arsenius and Arsileus Of no other saide Polydora but of Arsileus himselfe What of Arsileus saide Belisa Is it possible that my Arsileus doth liue and so nigh to blesse me with these happy newes I will tell thee how possible it is saide Polydora if thou wilt go with me for before we come yonder to those three hedges which thou seest before thee I will shew thee the man that shal restore thy decayed hope and restore thee thy life againe O soueraigne Deities said Belisa what words do I heare That the renuing of my ioyes felicitie is so apparant and that my Arsileus is there Why dost thou not leade me faire Nymph to the place where I may see him and die at his feete with ioy of his happy sight Ah thou dost not loue me Polydora so much as thou saiest This did the faire Shepherdesse speake with an vncertaine kinde of ioy and doubtfull hope of that which she so much desired But Polydora rising vp and taking her by the hand and the Nymphes Cynthia and Doria who for ioy also to see Belisas good happe would not stay behinde went to the brooke where Arsileus was And before they came a temperate aire that came from the place where he sat rauished their sences with the sweete voice of the enamoured Shepherd who had not yet left off his musicke but still began a fresh to sing vpon this old prouerbe Good fortune come and tarrie With the glosse that he himselfe did descant vpon it to his owne purpose The Glosse WHat motions times and changes What waies what vncouth ranges What slights what disillusions What gladnes in conclusions Haue risen of such sorrowes One faith yet all these borrowes And one goodloue assureth And my misfortunes cureth And since from greefe they varie Good fortune come and tarie Good hap thou still dost mooue thee So light as not behooues thee And if thus to content me Thou thinkest to repent thee Then better is my smarting For if thou goest At parting My sense and wits forsake me But if more sure to make me Thou com'st my soule to marrie Good fortune come and tarrie But if I come in vaine heere Or liue deceiu'd to plaine heere For wretched men what feare not To loose my life then weare not The same more safe each hower O feare strange is thy power For th' ill thou figurest euer But since such beautie neuer Did any falshood carrie Good fortune come and tarrie When Belisa heard Arsileus his musicke she felt such inward ioy as the like did neuer any whereupon resoluing with her selfe to shake off all former sorrowe that had appalled that surpassing beautie which nature had bountifully bestowed on her and decaied those pleasant lookes and comely fauour the onely source of Arsileus his teares and sighes in her sweete and alluring face now on a sudden with a renewed grace and excellent beautie whereat the Nymphes were not a little amazed she spake in this sort saying This is without doubt the voice of my Arsileus if I doe not deceiue my selfe by calling him mine When the Shepherd did see the cause of all his passed cares and present contents before his eies the ineffable ioy that he conceiued thereat was so great that his hart vnable to comprehend it was troubled in such sort that at that instant he could not vtter a word To whom the Nymphes perceiuing in what a traunce the sight of his Shepherdesse had put Arsileus most louingly came when the Shepherd suspending that for a litle while which the present ioy wrought in him with many teares saide With what wordes am I able to expresse the satisfaction that fortune hath made me for so many greefes and troubles as for thy sake sweete Shepherdesse Belisa I haue endured O who may giue me now a new hart and not so distempered with sorrowfull thoughts to receiue into it such vnspeakable ioy as thy happy sight presents me O fortune I haue no more to request of thee and thou no more to giue me yet onely one thing I aske thee That since it is thy fashion to giue no supreme happinesse without extreme heauinesse the great force of this vnexpected ioy which thou hast giuen me this seuenfold happy day may with little sorrowe in liew of such a soueraigne sweete and with such an opposite as may but a while countermaund this sweete content be mildly and with fauour tempered And faire Nymphes in whose sacred guard and ampare such great treasure hath bin diuinely preserued where it could neuer haue beene better imployed let your harts reioice with mine at this infinite ioy that reuiues it which thing if you your selues haue sometimes loued well shall seeme no lesse then due to my restored good O faire Shepherdesse why dost thou not speake vnto me doth it greeue thee to see me or dost thou take no delight in seeing thy Arsileus hath his greeuous sight troubled thy toong or the extreme ioy thereof hindered the passage of thy golden wordes Whom Belisa answered thus The ioy which I haue to see
thee my deere Arsileus were but little if with words it might be told Let it suffice thee to know in what continual panges and dangers of my life thy supposed death hath put me and by that thou shalt see what a world of ioy thy renewed life hath brought to this my mournfull soule At the ende of which words by reason of an issue of swelling teares ascending vp from the center of her sorrowfull hart into her eye brinkes she was not able to vtter out the rest of her minde which the tender harted Nymphes being mollified with the milde and pitifull words of both these louers to one another did helpe and accompany with theirs And bicause night was comming on they went all to Felicias house telling to each other the discourse accidents of their liues which till then they had both passed Belisa asked her Arsileus for his father Arsenius who told her that as soone as he knew she was gon he went to one of his Farmes not far from thence where he liues as quiet and contented a life as he could wish hauing put all mundane affaires in obliuion whereat Belisa was verie glad and so they came to the Palace of sage Felicia where they were welcommed with great ioye and feast whose hands Belisa kissed many times saying euermore that shee was the cause of her good Fortune And so did Arsileus to whom Felicia shewed an earnest will to do euer for him what lay in her power The end of the fifth booke The sixth Booke of Diana of George of Montemayor AFter that Arsileus was gone Felismena staied still with the Shepherdesse Amarillis that was with him demaunding of one an other the course of their liues a common thing to them that finde themselues in like places And as Felismena was telling the Shepherdesse the cause of her comming thither a iolly Shepherd came to the Coate though very sad by his countenance and gate When Amarillis sawe him she rose vp in great haste to be gone but Felismena taking hold by her garment and suspecting what the cause of her sudden departure might be said vnto her It were not reason Shepherdesse that I should receiue this discourtesie at thy hands who desires so much to serue thee But as she striued to be gone from thence the Shepherd with many teares said vnto her My desire is Amarillis hauing respect to that which thou makest me suffer not to see thee sorie for this vnfortunate Shepherd but to consider what belongs to thy wisedome and beautie and that there is nothing in the worlde worse beseeming a Shepherdesse of thy braue qualities then to intreate one so cruelly that loues thee so entirely Beholde these wearied eies Amarillis that haue shed so many teares and then thou shalt see what reason thine haue to shew themselues so angrie against this miserable man Alas that thou fliest away from me not seeing the reason thou hast to abide my presence Stay Amarillis and harken to my complaints and to my iust excuses and if thou wilt not answere me at all yet I will be content so that thou staiest still What can it hinder thee to heare him whom it hath so deerely cost to see thee And looking vpon Felismena with many teares he besought her not to let her goe who with sweete and gentle wordes intreated the Shepherdesse not to vse him with so small pitie whom he shewed to loue more then himselfe or that she would at the lest harken vnto him since she could not hurt hir selfe much by doing so litle But Amarillis said Intreat me not faire Shepherdesse to giue eare to him who beleeues his thoughts more then my words For behold this Shepherd that stands in this fained sort before thee is one of the most disloyall men that euer liued one of them that most of al troubles our simple louing Shepherdesses with his false deceits dissimulatiōs Then said Filemon to Felismena My onely request and desire is faire Shepherdesse that thou wouldst be iudge in the cause betweene Amarillis and me wherein if I am found culpable or the iust prouoker of that anger and ill opinion that she hath wrongfully conceiued against me that then I may loose my life and if she be that I may haue no other thing for satisfaction but her confession how much she hath iniured and owes me To leese thy life said Amarillis I am sure thou wilt not bicause thou wilt not wish thy selfe so much harme nor me so much good as for my sake to put thy life in aduenture But I am content that this faire Shepherdesse be iudge if it please her betweene vs to consider of our reasons and to declare which of vs both is more worthie of blame Agreed said Felismena and let vs sit downe at the foote of this greene hedge neere to the flourishing meadow before our eies for I will see what reason you haue to complaine of one another After they were all three set downe vpon the greene grasse Filemon began thus to say I trust faire Shepherdesse if thou hast at any time beene touched with the force of Loue that thou shalt plainly perceiue what small reason Amarillis hath to be angrie with me to conceiue so ill an opinion of the vnstained faith I beare her which makes her surmise that which neuer any other Shepherdesse hath euer yet imagined of her louing Shepherd Knowe therefore faire Shepherdesse that the fates not onely when I was borne but long before determined that I should loue this faire Shepherdesse which fits before thy faire my sorrowfull eies whose intents I haue answered with such effect as there is no loue I thinke like mine nor any ingratitude like to hers It fell out afterwardes that from my childehood seruing her in the best manner I coulde there are fiue or sixe moneths past since my mishap brought a Shepherd hither called Arsileus who went vp and downe seeking a Shepherdesse called Belisa which by some ill successe of Fortune wandred like an exile heere and there amongst these woodes groues And as his sorrow was very great it fell out that this cruell Shepherdesse either for great pittie she tooke of him or for the little she had of me or for what cause else she knowes best herselfe woulde neuer be out of his companie To whom if by chance I did but speake thereof she was ready to kill me with anger for those eies which thou seest there procure death no lesse when they are angry then life when they are milde and gentle But now when all my sences were thus occupied mine eies with teares my eares with hearing denials my thoughts with a bitter taste of sorrow my soule with a rare and vnspeakeable kind of affection and my vnderstanding with the greatest iealousie as the like neuer any had I made my complaint to Arsileus with sighes and to the earth and these groues with pitifull and bitter lamentations shewing them what iniuries Amarillis did me Her deceiued
and feeble body Syrenus his libertie and obliuion and Syluanus his new content were not so great but that their harts did melt with pitie at Dianas sorrowfull words and afflictions for the passions and effects which with her dolefull speeches so liuely she represented were so manie that might haue mooued the cruell Tygres to tendernes and compassion In all this complaint she spake not a worde almost that was not accompanied with a greeuous sigh Seluagia therefore who by experience knew well how much a great greefe aggrauateth the hart that suffers it felt Dianas paine no lesse then both the Shepherds But aboue all the rest a certaine Shepherd who bicause he woulde not be seene stoode closely behinde a great Oke yet as neere vnto her as he could to heare her the better to see her face The three Shepherds that were not far off perceiued him though he saw them not againe And it was woorthy of admiration to see how astonished he stoode at Dianas beautie augmented if it might be with the burning anger and anguish of her greeuous thoughts and enameled with the cristalline teares which he sawe trickle downe from her cleere eies vpon her Rosie cheekes so that the Shepherd did neither stirre hand nor foote nor did once put togither a common and naturall thing in all men his moouing eie-lids But Diana vnable to take some little rest and ease in any place rising vp from the harde groūd she went into those bushy thickets next vnto hir which was as great a griefe vnto the vnknowne Shepherd as if his tender hart had been rent out of his panting brest For seeing Diana gone and that she would not harken to his request for he praied her to stay a little longer he made haste to followe her But thinking with himselfe that it contented her better to be alone he went not after her bicause he woulde not in any thing offende her but sitting downe againe and taking out his Rebecke he began to sing this song following FAire Shepher desse Diana Where dost thou now thy figure hide More bright then cleere Diana When to her full course she is hide Venus the Goddesse faire Of beauties all the souer aine Wonders at this affaire That now her beauties doe not raine A sunnie beame thou art And who beholdes thy heauenly dies Thou wound'st with natures art And wounded in his passions dies Thou art a Dimond well From whence sweete liquor floweth fast Ambrosium thou art well From which mine eies shall neuer fast Each thing in thee thou hast To make thee perfect in each part If now thou would'st but haste To pitie not my soule to part This wager will I beare And lay Thou wantest not an ounce More cruell then a Beare To be or Tygre or an Ounce Cruell thou art in praying For thee I burne as flames in Kill Those that to thee are praying For mercie thou dost scorne and kill My soule thine absence teares And giues vnto the same againe Torments my torments teares Teares that doe make so small a gaine More bitter then the gall Thy absence is or Sallow wan With sorrow it doth gall My hart and makes me pale and wan In beautie not a peere Thou hast for it exceedes the rest But where it doth appeere Thy crueltie there giues no rest O what a foole am I To wish to see her in this plaine That from her mouth an I Will not afford but No so plaine No paine I doe deserue For words hauing worse deeds essaid For whom Loue thus doth serue It is not much this to haue said If that thou mean'st to seale Thy crueltie in deedes to leaue How can I then conceale The same in song among these leaues Faire Shepherdesse who bad Thee flie from me If thou dost waigh So base a thing and bad Deserues not glory any way They maruelled much at the Shepherdes new kinde of song and how hee wrested the selfe same words to fall in ryme that were of different significations to whom at last they came who perceiuing he was espied held his peace And after they had saluted each other Syrenus said Whosoeuer thou art iollie Shepherd so may not thy louing flockes be deuoured of the hungrie wolues nor want the sweete and coole shades in burning summer nor taste of the foule waters in seeking out cleere streames and fountaines that thou wouldest hold on thy song for this Shepherd and faire Shepherdesse here shall plaie vnto thee whose merie Bagpipes and sweete songs haue not once but a hundred times stayed the nimble footed Faunes and Satyres in their swift flight and made the faire Nymphes to come out of their greene arbours to listen to them Shepherd saide Firmius againe for this was his name thy manner of adiuring me is but of little force since it shall greeue me little or nothing whether my flockes be torne by rauening wolues when deeper matters then these trouble my mind which more then deuouring wolues teare my hart a sunder But yet for the respect which thou hast told me of these Shepherds which I beleeue no lesse I would be glad to giue you all the pleasure I could but since I haue it not my selfe nor am desirous to haue it in this sort it is impossible that you should take any by my meanes and the more since by those signes of ioye that by their countenance may bee gathered they haue little neede to borrowe it from him that hath none at all We will not denie said Seluagia but that which thou hast said is true that so much and more readie we are to shew our ioye as thou art to manifest thy sorrow which is not by that we our selues haue seene of many daies nor howers continuance bicause it seemes to bee to speake in plainer termes for loue of the faire Shepherdesse Diana And if it be so the sorrow cannot be much which in so small a time cannot do any great harme I will not deny Shepherdesse said Firmius nor confesse vnto thee that Dianas beautie hath destroyed my content But admit she were the cause thereof thou hast but little skill it seemes and lesse experience in Cupides woundes for thou sayest that in a small time a great wound cannot be made as if it were needfull for loue to haue some longer time to make a deep perfect wound to touch one to the quick Thou knowest mine but a little said Seluagia by not confessing that it is not onely greater then thine or any others that were euer borne Thou hadst not said amisse said Firmius if thou didst adde in thine opiniō It needed not said Seluagia and lesse need haue I said Firmius by thy loue to know mine own if at the least I had any at al. By not confessing it said Seluagia thou shewest the litle interest thou hast in loue and perhaps the great propertie said Firmius that I haue in griefe and sorrow bicause I dare not tell it Why said Seluagia who doth hide the
glorie of thy thoughts My small desertes said Firmius So much the better said Seluagia bicause the glorie is greater Nay the worse for this said Firmius bicause the fall shall be the greater Thou art a great master of words said Seluagia Nay of workes said Firmius I haue not seene them hitherto said Seluagia To this last Firmius would not answer againe But Syrenus that maruelled all this while at the sharpe and wittie answers of the vnknowen Shepherd put himselfe betweene them both to ende this strife as also for that he saw Syluanus somewhat altered seeing his Shepherdesse vrged so much although he discreetly tempered himselfe with Firmius his moderate and mild answers which made him hold his peace which otherwise he would not haue done wherefore Syrenus said No more gentle Shepherds as you loue your selues Then Seluagia acknowledging her fault and the modestie of the Shepherd she looked on him with a milde and sober countenance saying Pardon me good Shepherd for the force of my great loue vrged me to say thus much But I said Firmius must rather craue pardon for if there be any offence it is of my side I am glad saide Syrenus that you are friendes againe and that you will not fall out for so small a matter I knewe thee Syrenus saide Syluanus when once thou wouldest not iudge it so light a thing as now thou dost But of friendship Shepherd looking vpon Firmius he saide tell vs since thou hast shewed thy selfe so wise in euery thing how that may be which thou didst say That loue doth make his operations as perfect in a short time as in a longer for me thinkes it should be cleane contrarie to reason and experience I meane if it be not by some extraordinarie and secret science as Felicia doth a Ladie not meanely experimented in those operations On the otherside I woulde faine know the cause thereof if at least there be any for to make a change in our selues which is but an easie matter in comparison we must haue the helpe of some time how much more then is it requisite for so great a worke as that which Cupid makes In base and simple Cottages in my natiue fieldes replied Firmius I woulde haue thee also aske this question where so wise and learned a Shepherd abides who is able not onely to satisfie thy doubts heerein but what else thou wouldst desire to knowe But as concerning this matter I remember I heard him say That as the Sunne when it appeeres doth in the very point and instant powre downe all his brightnes without wasting any time perfectly giues vs his light So Cupid whom he called the God of loue when he takes possession of the louers hart doth in an instant with his full and absolute force command and raigne there This comparison said Syluanus doth not like me so well Why so said Firmius for according to the same saide Syluanus we should all loue in equall proportion and degree if loue with all his force in such sorte wounded euerie one which I will not confesse Shepherd said Firmius thou hast so well touched the matter to the quicke that I must needs yeeld my selfe ouercommed and yet without shame since the meaning therof exceedes my pastorall condition and conceit But giue me leaue a little and I will bethinke me if I can remember how he resolued the like obiection But this I thinke and the rest is slid out of my memorie and yet me thinkes I should remember it and haue it at my toongs end And now I call it to minde though I know not whether so well as he spake it But howsoeuer it is you must accept it in such rude sort as I shall tell it you He said if Cupid wrought more in one hart then in another that this proceeded not of Cupids part who assailes all equallie but of the better disposition of the hart where he makes his impression and for this he brought a pretty comparison For with examples he made vs Countrey-fellowes vnderstand this and manie other things bicause by them we might remember the better what hee told vs. But the example was this That as the Sunne or fire doth sooner heat a piece of wood then a stone giuing as much heate to the one as to the other bicause the wood is apter and better disposed to receiue the heate then the stone so loue maketh a greater impression in one hart then in another by reason of the better disposition of one then of another He added moreouer that as the stone resisteth heate better then the wood and after it is once hot more hardly leeseth that heat then the wood which more easily receiued it so he that most resisteth loue and being after subiect vnto it with greater difficultie deliuers himselfe then he who suffered himselfe but easily to be ouercommed by it And with this aske me no more of this matter for as I now remember no more so was not then my weake capacity able to attaine to the knowledge conceit of those things which he alleaged And yet I know not how I vnderstood this for when we were satisfied thinking we had knowen it sufficiently and that in our iudgements there was no more to conceiue you might haue seene him chaunge the whole matter againe and gainesay his former propositions so that he quite vndid all that he said before and confuted his former examples by other cleerer assertions and more apparaunt reasons that he had in store and when we were inclined to this place he turned vs againe to the other and then to the contrarie at his pleasure so that he wrought vs like weakelings on euerie side as liked him best making vs euer incline to that which he last of all alleaged In the end though he had set all cleerely down before vs yet when he list he marred and darkened all againe If he had spoken said Syrenus in any other thing but in loue his company had beene as fit and acceptable to me as thine is now But truely it was a strange sufficiencie in a Shepherd to do what thou hast told vs for there is no reason me thinks to refell that which thou hast said by that experience which sometimes I haue had in like matters But tell mee yoong Shepherde where did this Shepherde learne so much I knowe not saide Firmius For as I am a straunger in these partes soe is hee in those But I imagine that loue and his good iudgemente were his best Schoolemasters there For as I perceiued by him hee had in both no small experience and was as wee heard but a Shepherd in habit and that his misfortunes had clad him in pastorall weedes They must no doubt be very great said Syrenus when they brought him to so poore an estate Doe you not know them well said Firmius No said Syluanus and therefore I pray you tell them vs. It were too long and troublesome a taske for me answered Firmius to tell them now and
sing and bicause thou art such a friend to wailing and sadnes it were not meete thou shouldst sing at my will and pleasure but to leaue it to thine own But yet let vs tune concord with these Shepherds and aske them what thou shalt sing Thou commest too late to agree and concord with vs now said Syrenus but bicause it pleaseth thee so entreat him to expresse by his song the cause of his sorrow and passions Let him sing what thou wilt saide Diana and what hee will bicause thou maist not say that I neuer knew how to consorme my selfe with thee Then did Firmius take his Rebecke and began to sing in manner following SHepherds giue eare and now be still Vnto my passions and their cause And what they be Since that with such an earnest will And such great signes of friendships lawes You aske it me It is not long since I was whole Nor since I did in euery part Sreewill resigne It is not long since in my sole Possession I did knowe my hart And to be mine It is not long since euen and morrow All pleasure that my hart could finde Was in my power It is not long since greefe and sorrow My louing hart began to binde And to deuoure It is not long since companie I did esteeme a ioy indeede Still to frequent Nor long since solitarily I liu'd and that this life did breede My sole content Desirous I wretched to see But thinking not to see so much As then I sawe Loue made me knowe in what degree His valour and braue force did touch Me with his lawe First he did put no more nor lesse Into my hart then he did view That there did want But when my brest in such excesse Of liuely flames to burne I knew Then were so scant My ioies that now did so abate My selfe estranged euery way From former rest That I did knowe that my estate And that my life was euery day In deathes arrest I put my hand into my side To see what was the cause of this Vnwonted vaine Where I did feele that torments hied By endlesse death to preiudice My life vvith paine Bicause I savve that there did vvant My hart wherein I did delight My deerest hart And he that did the same supplant No iurisdiction had of right To play that part The iudge and robber that remaine Within my soule their cause to trie Are there all one And so the giuer of the paine And he that is condemn'd to die Or I or none To die I care not any way Though without why to die I greeue As I doe see But for bicause I heard her say None die for loue for I beleeue None such there bee Then this thou shalt beleeue by mee Too late and without remedie As did in breefe Anaxarete and thou shalt see The little she did satisfie With after greefe The Shepherdes gaue a diligent eare to Firmius song to see if by the same hee would giue some light of the loue that he did beare to Diana but he was so vigilant to the contrarie that though hee reported the cause of his passion yet they could vnderstand no more then they did at the beginning It was needlesse for the three Shepherdes to know Firmius passion by hearing him sing who wished rather that he had manifested it by words that he might not afterwards denie it or to say better confesse it when any such speech shoulde bee offered thereof For whensoeuer they tolde him of it he spake of it so obscurely that hee neither confessed nor denied that he loued her And so to this intent he finely cloaked with Syrenus that Diana by his meanes should demand the cause of his sorrow thinking with himself that for any thing that might ensue being demanded by her he woulde not deny to manifest it vnto her But if he could haue concealed his loue as well by deedes as he did by wordes the Shepherds might haue beene as wise as at the first for euer knowing it But it fell not out so to Diana who vnderstood well by his last verse that all the rest were onely ment of her for it answered to the latter end of her speech when they both talked so secretly togither And so she made great account of Firmius for his wittie and short answer Euery one commended his singing and Diana as well for this and for that which he sung on the Baggepipe as also for that which he had spoken to Syrenus was somewhat enclined to like him thinking verie well of that which he had sung and spoken Considering besides that the trouble which the Shepherd felt being in her presence was no small cooling carde and a sharpe bridle to his toong For this feare which Diana cleerely perceiued was for her sake she soone tooke away bicause Firmius might be more accepted of her if there were at the lest any thing acceptable or pleasant to one that found her-selfe in so miserable an estate as she was But when the song was ended Diana said she would depart bicause she had staied there a great while and would go seeke out her husband Delius who would not willingly haue beene one moment out of her sight and companie Being determined therefore to depart Syrenus entreated her to take her Baggepipe againe with her if so it pleased her bicause none other should vnwoorthely enioy such a sweete Trophee as Firmius had made of it She tooke it bicause she thought thereby to shewe some especiall fauour to Firmius And taking it from the tree she said vnto it God knowes I do not carrie thee as a meane to ease or mittigate my passion and sorrow my intent being cleane contrarie for though I might seeke some fauour and helpe to sustaine them being so many as they are yet will I not aduantage me with any such remedy but I do take thee with me bicause those Shepherds might not haue an occasiō to blame me for discurtesie When she had spoken this she turned to them and asked them when they would depart who told her in the morning for now they had set all things in good order and durst not stay any longer bicause Felicia about that time would looke for their comming whom they had promised to returne assoone as they had set their flockes in good order and in the custodie of some faithfull Shepherdes Their departure greeued Diana not a little though she woulde not manifest so much but saide Since it is then so the Gods be fauourable vnto you and be your guides They thanked her againe and praied her not to sorget to looke to their affaires as they would be carefull for hers and charged her besides to thinke vpon Firmius and his busines and to supply his wants if in their absence he stoode in need of any thing And that the pleasures and fauours that she did him they would esteeme as much as if she had bestowed them on themselues since hee remained there to keepe and
Felix Felismena the three Nymphes and the Shepherds desirous to knowe who these fower were and for what cause Parisiles in so great an anger would haue killed the Shepherd that lay asleepe and all the rest of his fortunes would faine haue demanded the same on him But yet they did not bicause they suspected he would not tell it them Whereupon they reserued it till Felicia was come to entreat her to mooue Parisiles or the rest thereof bicause they knewe they could not then excuse themselues Lord Felix therefore with the rest praied Parisiles to obey the sage Felicia by discoursing some noueltie vnto them But they seemed importunate troublesome vnto him for he would not willingly haue beene one moment from the louing embracements of his beloued daughter Stela so did not one minute when from any other forced thing he ceased cast his tender eies off her whereby he gaue Stela no meanes to looke vpon the vnknowne Shepherd on whom her eies and hart attended but euery time that she might steale a looke from her Father Parisiles making as though she sat not well or as though she would spit or cough then with earnest desire and affection she beheld him But in the end the old man hauing no good excuse to acquite himselfe from Felicias commaund nor from the requests of that faire companie which so seriously demaunded it of him began to say in this sort My louing Sonnes for by the priuiledge of mine age I may call you so for as much as the greater part of my life hath beene dedicated to the worship and seruice of our most soueraigne Gods and especially of our Goddesse Isis whose vnworthy Priest from the entrance of my youth I haue beene it would be most agreeable to my condition to entreat of the maner that ought to be obserued in worshipping of her and how much we are bound to performe the same But bicause you haue for your Ladie and mistresse for so I take her to be bicause you do accompanie and follow her the sage Felicia to whom not I my selfe the lowest of all Priests but the best in all the world may iustly be disciples it must needes be a part beyonde all courtesie and good manners to enterprise any such taske And this difficultie besides doth offer it selfe to my minde in that I know not with what historie to delight al your eares For the difference of estates which in this noble companie I perceiue strikes a doubt into my minde vpon the choise of my discourse considering with my selfe that that which will please some will perhaps offend others To these Shepherdes I could present some things requisite for their poore estate and vocations and profitable for them and their flockes and some curious secretes which they shoulde knowe happily neuer yet thought on amongst Shepherdes As likewise from whence the playing on the fluite or Bagpipe first came and when the honour of their God Pan and the customes and rites which in old times they obserued in their sacrifices were first in vse and why those are decaied and other now admitted in their places To you noble personages I could present a thing perhaps which would best fit your desires whereof loue was first engendred and how he worketh and for what cause the God of Loue doth keepe no reason being honored as a God we holding it for a rule infallible That the Gods are iust and that in all things they obserue due iustice and equitie And this is that which I would more willingly entreate of bicause in these meadowes heere a question was once mooued which touched not the simplicitie of the Shepherd that did aske it But bicause to declare it well it were necessary to entreate of the powers of the soule and the duties thereof and what place euery one of them hath in mans body a disputation more fit for Philosophers schooles then for the fieldes where none but flockes are I will not explaine it reseruing it onely for any one that will thereof be priuately instructed But bicause I haue heere a thing before mine eies which filleth me with admiration although it may be that many that haue beene heere haue perhaps touched the same I will make my beginning thus Do you not see how nature and arte the one borrowing that of the other wherein either of them was defectiue haue done their vtmost in making this Iland or meadow calling it as it shall best please you the very paterne of the Elysian fieldes But leauing aside many things that I could note vnto you about this matter I will declare vnto you why this Oke is placed heere in the middes of these Laurell trees bicause you may vnderstand that there was nothing done nor placed heere but with great wisedome and conceite The loues of Apollo and Daphne are sufficiently knowen vnto you I meane of Apollo with Daphne as also the preheminences wherewith this God endowed the Laurell tree whereinto this Nymph was transformed But how Doria at these words interrupting his discourse saide Me thinkes noble Parisiles thou hast plaied the part of a gentleman Sewer that hast at our chiefest appetite taken away our best dishes Since then these noble personages pointing to Lord Felix and Felismena whom the subiect of loue did more narrowly touch and these Shepherds pointing to Syrenus Syluanus and Seluagia to whom the first point belonged haue let thee passe on without interruption my selfe to whom it chiefely appertaines to heare the accidents of so famous a Nymph bicause I am one my selfe will not with my will giue thee leaue to proceed any farther before thou hast told vs the beginning of Apollos loues why Daphne refused and disdained so high a God Syluanus and Seluagia blushing for shame and anger that Doria had pointed to Lord Felix and Felismena and not to them when she saide that the questions of loue belonged more to Lord Felix and Felismena taking Parisiles by the hande saide And how thinkest thou Nymph Are we in respect of these two so farre from loue that to them onely and not to vs the treatise of this demand is more appertaining Euery one laughing at the Shepherds words Doria answered I haue made a fault Shepherds and so I confesse it It pleaseth me well faire Nymph said Parisiles to obey thee heerein But if I begin at the very beginning it may be I shall not make an end before the sage Lady commeth where being constrained to end abruptly I shall perhaps do you more wrong then if I had not begun at all Leaue not of for this saide Felismena for if it be so we will request her to giue vs leaue to heare out the rest Since then you will haue it so saide Parisiles giue attentiue eare for I will recite it vnto you as I did see it written in Apollo his Temple THat deluge of reuengement being past Determined that was by Gods aboue For guilt of wickednes of mortall men The earth of moisture yet
preordinate course from the Gods which we cannot attaine to saide she in bare conceite considering that they for the most part giue to those whom they loue wished ease and content when they thinke themselues farthest from it These and many other things did she discourse with him But the vnknown Shepherd that staied in the companie of Lord Felix Felismena the Nymphes and the Shepherdes Felicia being gone began thus to saie TOuching the first thing you demaund of me noble Lord and the rest to tell you who I am I know not how to resolue you therin for that not many yeeres since I knew these parts my parents not being those whom I tooke them to be and with desire to know who they were I came with a certaine friend of mine the halfe part of mine owne soule out of our supposed owne countrey The Gods made him and me not onely in body face and condition but in fortune and maner of life so like that it might be said they gaue vs two soules for one bodie or two bodies for one soule and so he knoweth no more nor lesse then my selfe who his father or mother is We beleeued we were brethren but that in distinct places with different persons we were brought vp I with a yoong and courteous Shepherd he with an old and reuerend Shepherdesse I who am called Delicius was brought vp in a little village in Tinacria in the corner called Pachinus and in the house of a Shepherd called Carpostus my friend whose name is Parthenius in another village in the second corner of one of the three which that Iland hath called Pelorus in the house of another Shepherd called Sarcordus From this base estate fortune lifted vs vp on high wherein we liued a while but bicause you may heare the braue and strange meanes whereby our good or ill hap did guide vs to it I will now tell it you wherein I must aduise you to carrie the names of my deere friend and mine in memorie as also of our nurses if you will delight you with the rare accident It happend that Carpostus my nune I being then but three yeeres old went about certaine busines to the place where my Parthenius was nursed who seeing him play with other children in the street stood halfe amazed thinking it was I so like were we to one another and that from out some Cannon I had beene shot into that place but yet he maruelled more when the child after he was come to him had kissed him against his will with his weake forces endeuored to winde himselfe from him At the crie that Parthenius gaue his nurse came out and with sharpe wordes blamed Carpostus who not so patiently endured her but that he had offered had it not beene for some of the townesmen which came running out at that noyse to haue rudely intreated her But he still affirmed obstinately that it was his child and made such adoe about it that of all of them there he was reputed for a man out of his wits In the end Carpostus held his peace seeing it was no point of wisedome to be opposite against the whole towne who affirmed with one voice that it was the child of that woman and seeing moreouer that the child ranne away from him which more perswaded him to the contrarie of that which he thought in his minde he was content to be quiet But the more he viewed the childes face handes qualities gesture age and stature the more he found himselfe incredulous And so much that he could not otherwise thinke but that the woman had bewitched them al or that he was surely in a dream To be briefe he returned as soone as he could to his owne towne in great feare and doubt not to haue found me there But the ioy that he conceiued in seeing me when he came home and with what a glad countenance I ranne vnto him as I was wont to doe made no lesse alteration in his minde the which my nurse Carpostus perceiuing with a moderate laughter said vnto me It is not long since my childe thou didst denie me for children sons our nurses called vs requested by them so to do that did first put vs to them to be brought vp And comming to his wife he asked her if I had beene at any time from home since his departure who answered no but some little while when I went to play with other children abroad But why said she Carpostus then told her all that had happened at which strange noueltie she wondred not a little and more when he told her of the great resemblance of vs both And who would indeed haue laughed hartily at the deceite but that her husband grew verie pensiue and sad which she considering well with her selfe asked him if any other thing had happened vnto him or what the matter was for if it were no more but that he might haue greater cause to be glad she said then sorrie Carpostus answered that he had made so great adoe in the towne affirming it was his childe that they might iustly iudge him for a sencelesse and drunken foole After my nurse Calasta for so she was called who was euer accounted suttle and wise had thought a little vpon the matter she resolued vpon this which you shall now heare And thus it was My nurse Carpostus and his wife carried me closely bicause I might not beé seene to the towne where Parthenius was brought vp where being verie priuately kept and Calasta tarying with me secretly at the Inne Carpostus went againe to seeke out little Parthenius and hauing founde him beganne to wrangle as before affirming still it was his sonne and that hee woulde prooue it before the best in the towne or anie Iustice else when as most of the townes-men that had flocked togither to see his madnes the other time before were laughing againe at his headlesse folly that nowe yet another time hee stoode stiffely in his former errour who neuerthelesse tooke away the childe Parthenius and for all that they could do to the contrarie running as fast as euer he could caried him home to the Inne It was woorthie the sight to see how he caried the childe that cried out amaine and how the people ranne after him fearing least like a frantike man he would haue done it some harme The bruite whereof being spred abroad Sarcordus nurse vnto Parthenius ranne vp and downe in a great heate to seeke Carpostus out fearing least some harme might befall to his little childe And hauing quickly found him in talke with other people in the street for by this time he had left the childe priuily with Calasta and me he woulde faine haue had a blowe or two with him but that the dissuasions of his neighbours staied his vnbrideled furie as also for the gentle and milde words that Carpostus gaue him who knowing him to be his father father he called him for he knew him for none other saide thus vnto him
when we were children tooke vs from our fathers and not long after sent vs to Rotindus who also hearing that rare report which fame had blowen abroad of vs sent for vs to keepe Agenestor his nephew companie to whom he was Grandfather by the mothers side being then but one yeere yoonger then vs both As it was strange to see what intensiue loue euery one did beare vs so were the vnspeakable fauours and affection which the yoong prince Agenestor shewed vs so great that needes we must to content him lie altogither in one chamber for whose sake like panie I will tell you what the song was and whatsoeuer else you shall commaunde me since such an one did sing it whom I shall neuer forget nor the song it selfe while I haue either life or memorie IF to my musickes skill Apollo might his praises all resigne And if vnto my will My speech were so diuine That Mercurie for greefe thereat might pine And if that eloquence So famous of Minerua sweete did seeme yet But râ—…ude irreuerence To mine and each one deeme it But harsh and plac't with mine but base esteeme it And if I were adorn'd With hundred mouthes of iron and like wit Or if I had bene borne With Dimond toongs admit Or sawe my selfe in euery part so fit The ruine nor the fall Of those whom Ioue from scaled heauen did throwe Nor that great floud when all The drowned world did flowe I would not tell nor time in them bestowe Onely by me thy praise O Chastitie with honour should be told And with thy heauenly waies I would no lesse vnfold Those goodly partes that thou dost still vphold Thou art a weeder out Of vices from the place of vertues graine And thou dost go about Our honours to maintaine And dost our soules from cancred vice restraine The onely way and signe Thou art that doth the soule to vertue leade A captaine most diuine That vnder foote dost tread Thy foes Thy fort and tower no force doe dread Foule leacherie doth kill Reason if that it conquered hath the same And captiue to her will Doth make it to her shame So to the maid the Mistresse subiect came Thou chastitie dost free Reason if to thy gate she bend her pace In more supreme degree And she in euery place Is onely free that doth thy lawe imbrace The soule with sweetest balme Thou fillest and the senses dost refine And therewith all the palme Of beautie most diuine Thy figure beares where brauely it doth shine The vaine thoughts of the minde Which reason cannot with her counsell tame Nor friendly discipline Thy wisedome doth reclame And apt to each good art the soule dost frame Being sincere and pure Thou ioinest vs to things pure and sincere And so thou dost assure Those that thy robe doe weare Friends vnto God a conscience free from feare In vaine I heere doe waste These wordes wherewith thy praises I pretend Better it were at last In action to commend Thee then with words And so I make an end Hauing made an end of her sweete song perceiuing that she came not againe we rose vp softly to see who had so much ioyed the Forest filling it with so sweete harmonie But casting our eies to the place from whence the delicate voice came a sudden noyse and rushing of the riuer waters hard by made vs suddenly looke that way The cause whereof was the passage of a most fierce Shepherd that in great haste came wading thorow the riuer He was of stature so huge and high that no common tall man might reach with his head aboue his middle to whose high and maine growth each lim of his bodie was proportionablie correspondent In euerie part he was so hairie that the skinne of his bodie might hardly haue beene discerned if the haire like to the bristles of wild Boares had not growen right forth His eies were terrible to behold and full of foggie flesh his wearing of wilde beastes skinnes from whom he rent tooke them was sodden hard for his defence against their sharpe teeth his sleeues came no further on his armes then almost to his elbowes and his hose but a little beneath his knees On his head he ware a broad Shell of a sea Tortuse which serued him for his morion His scrip that hung downe behind his shoulders was made of a wild goates skinne Almost a whole Pine tree big enough for the mast of some tall ship serued him for his sheepe-hooke the end whereof was poynted with sharpe and tempered steele The cause of his passing thorow the riuer in such haste was to follow as we afterwards perceiued a certaine Damsell which was singing the song which you haue heard on the other side of the riuer Whose faire sight filled vs with no lesse wonder then the fierce shew of the huge and monstrous Shepherd with a pale and shiuering feare As soone as the faire virgin had set eie on Gorphorost for so was this deformed fellow called with incredible swiftnes she began to flie away and comming to passe neere vnto the place where we were we iudged her to be some Nymph resembling in face like a faire boy or a boy transformed in countenance like to a faire Nymph for her habit was not altogither manlike nor in euerie point apparelled like a woman Her disshiueled haire in brightnes surmounting the fine Arabian gold in curled lockes hung dangling about her snow-white forehead and from the middes of her head which with a crowne of Laurell and sweete coloured flowers was graced in faire and looâ—… tresses hung carelesly downe The which being spread abroade vpon her euen shoulders and with a sweete sight falling downe beneath her fine waste were gathered vp by the said Laurell crowne bicause they might not hide such singular beautie nor hinder the light of her radiant eies On her bodie she wore a fine little doublet of a most perfect purple tynsell the like I thinke not to be imagined the same being richly died and wouen as curiously as art could deuise and so fit for her sightly bodie that it seemed it was endowed with vnderstanding desiring by no meanes to be seuered from it the which at her faire and smooth necke for some greater respect was somewhat carelesly loose The purple colour of this little doublet with the glimmering beames of her snow-white face reflecting vpon it was represented with such a heauenly grace like to that orient blush which a crimson vale pearced by the Sunnc bright beames is wont to cast vpon some white Palace A little wind gathered by the speede of her swift running fashioned a delicate lap of the same colour of the doublet the white and azure border whereof came downe but a little beneath the calfe of her fine legge when but halfe a light greene busquin wrought all before with flowers of golde was discouered to our dazeled eies with certaine Scarpines or shooes such as Mercurie men say was woont to weare to defend
with thankes repaying I made an excuse that I had some busines another way and bad him farewell wherewith I went backe againe to Parthenius and the olde man homeward to his house The next morning for there we passed away the same night we went to the place where Stela had cast her selfe into the riuer attending there her comming foorth and being come foorth to see if we might talke with her But before we came we espied the virgins olde Father walking vp and downe along the riuer bankes And going neerer vnto him to see if he offered to cast himselfe into the riuer we sawe how wearie of walking he sat him downe and then with as lowde a voice as his greefe would giue him leaue heard him in this sort singing to his deerest daughter DAughter that in this deere And christ all riuer hast thy dwelling place With Nymphes O har ken heere To me a little space Parisiles thy wofull fathers case Deny not him thy sight Who euer did for thee himselfe despise The absence of thy light And heauenly shining eies Vnto his soule a bitter death applies Which so consumes his breath That liuing thus his life he doth defie For such a life is death And he would rather die Then leaue to liue without thy companie Ioy now and doe not stay An aged man consum'd with greefe vnlesse That thou wilt haue him say The loue thou didst professe To him was all but fain'd as he may gesse Why dost thou stay so long A wretched soule with comfort to sustaine O come and breake this strong And mourning vale in twaine Of his affliction miserie and paine My soule thou woont'st with glee To heare this voice but either I am not As once I woont to bee Or thou art chang'd I wot Or thy poore father els thou hast forgot But first I pray to God Then such obliuion in thy brest should bee My vitall period May finish not to see My selfe forgot of her that loued mee Come then my hart and cleere Thee of this doubt this fauour let me trie If not this riuer cleere Shall hide me by and by For there with thee I meane to liue or die If the waues of the riuer and the neighbour sea being mooued to ruthe and pitie seemed to stay and the noise of them both with his dolefull voice made gentle and calmed ceased a while that his tender complaints might be the better heard how much more would you haue iudged our harts being wrought with pitie and compassion to be mollified with the amorous plaints wherwith the pitifull old man did cal vpoÌ„ faire Stela For it might be wel vnderstood by his impatience how much he loued her when as he thought euery moment he staied there a thousand yeeres But there passed not much time when the waters being gently opened out of the middes of them rose a faire companie of Nymphes with garlands of diuers colours vpon their yellow haire in the middes of which appeered faire Stela like chaste Diana amongst her gracious quire of Nymphes At whose sight old Parisiles for the incomparable ioy he had to see his desired daughter and we to see our new beloued Mistresse fell all downe to the ground but raised vp againe with the sweetenes of a Set-song a consort of heauenly musick which the Nymphes had made amongst themselues we harkened to that which was sung as followeth PArisiles thy dolefull song and playning Thy piteous sighes and weeping without measure To comfort thee haue made this goodly quire Leaue their aboades and stately seates of pleasure Afflict not then thy selfe but cease thy paining And let thy wearied soule to rest aspire Let plaints begun retire And be in ioy and happy gladnes ended And be not now offended Parisiles or carefull for thy daughter For hither we haue brought her In good estate for thee to see her knowing That more then this to both we all are owing If that the Gods are iust in any wise Then are they bound to helpe those that doe pray To them for helpe and in their seruice liue Then since that you your selues did euer giue To follow them and choose the better way In honouring vs by deede and sacrifice The best we can deuise Of all good turnes that may your loue requite Belongs to you of right Parisiles the Gods in heauen doe knowe In sea and earth belowe Thy things and haue of them a greater care Then thou maist thinke and of thy happy fare For which thing they themselues had first ordeined That Stela the most monstrous Shepheard flying Should cast her selfe into this cleerest riuer For knowing what her fates and stars would giue her Their influence with all their helpe denying By secret meanes her fortune they restrained And such a signe that rained Ouer her head that threat'ned to destroy her And present to annoy her They therefore will she liue within our bowres Vntill these lucklesse howres Doe passe and while this signe and fate expires Vnwoorthy her deserts and high desires The Sonne of Goddesse Cytherea shall Heer after be the cause of her despaire The cruell wounding her with doubtfull loue And so this loue that shall so doubtfull fall Great strife in her and many wars shall moue Not knowing which to choose that is most faire Her brest loues sweete repaire Continu ally shall wauer on two men Inclining now and then Her loue to one then to another straight Poore soule she shall await In this suspence not knowing to define To whether of them both she should incline And thinke not that th' immortall Gods intended To bar these loues that heere I am declaring Nor their successe would euer haue denied For being to a vertuous end applied Either of both they would not haue suspended Alas it is their fate such woes preparing Not one nor other sparing Both for one cause in one loue shall be chained And both alike be pained But yet the Gods shall euer be procuring That Stela then enduring These â—ardest haps shall not with those be placed Whom Fortune alwaies checkes and hath disgraced But thou must comfort thee aboue the rest If of these three the hard and cruell fate Cannot be shunn'd their ioies that must adiourne After these woes Fortune shall make them blest Shewing her face milde and propitiate Gentle and sweete Then shall they cease to mourne Forâ—…e her wheele shall turne Annoyes to ioyes their sighes to sweetest songs Shall turne and all their wrongs Shall cease Their woes their miseries and teares Their sorrowes greefes and feares Shall be one day conuerted into ioy Which neuer after Fortune shall destroy Thy daughter then Parisiles imbrace And so restore her to this place againe The heauens must haue their race Then let them run And cease to mourne in vaine This beuie of faire Nymphes when they had ended their propheticall song came to the riuer side and with a maruellous sweete consent did put into Parisiles armes his welbeloued daughter Betweene whom
the one side by the hope that Felicia promised them and by knowing that those louers were onely by her meanes recured but sad on the other that by imagination they could not finde out some way or remedie for their paines and passions which were so strange that though to their owne content they craued it yet they could not deuise how to their owne wils and desires they might enioy it For both of them equally loued Delicius and Parthenius but Stela especially who desired not to haue Delicius loue her if Parthentus forgat her nor esteemed of Parthemus his loue if Delicius had despised her Onely Delicius amids such sportes and pastimes as were offered there was far from all comfort by finding himselfe absent from his deere friend Parthenius without whose presence he cared not to enioy his sorrowfull life And the danger besides which shall bee heerafter spoken of wherein he knew his deere friend to be was euery hower so sensibly represented to his greeuous thoughtes that he was many times determined to goe and deliuer him or else to die in that resolution but that he was prohibited on the one side and had no force on the other to forsake Stela the ioy and light of his darke and mournfull life The seldome enioying of whose woonted sweete sight and discontinued speech with her by reason of old Parisiles applied more matter to the heauie burden of his greefe So that he though all the rest did sing and play could neuer be perswaded to keepe them companie from the which but with faint and fained reasons he for the most part excused himselfe Whereupon when opportunely he could do it he closely conuayed himselfe out of their company whose discontentment his yoong Shepherdesses with watchful eie perceiuing it did not a little greeue theÌ„ But sage Felicia seeing how little her promised hope preuailed with the fearefull Shepherd on an euening before them all saide thus vnto him I woulde neuer leaue to complaine on thee sorrowfull yoong Shepherd if I knewe not the great reason thou hast to bee so sad And therefore I beseech you that be heere not to be offended with the course of his melancholike life nor take it in ill part if hee cannot pleasure you as you woulde praying you besides to do me so much fauour not to aske him any more then he is willing of himselfe to tell you and to attende the time when with his gratefull conuersation and sweete discourses he shall fill your hands full Of curtesie then good Shepherd and for shame do no more then what thou shalt see most auailing thy content since we are so glad by al the meanes we can to giue it thee Then answered Delicius I can receiue no greater fauour in any thing most gracious and prudent Ladie vnlesse it be the enioying of my Parthenius his presence then in that which you haue alreadie done me which especiall benefits since my abilitie is so small must needs remaine without due requitall For though in signe of subiection my willing minde and person woulde bee euer ready at your command and seruices yet it were but a friuolous and vndiscreet part to promise you that which by all reason is alreadie due vnto it Don Felix Felismena the Shepherds and the Nymphes with one voice said That they were not a little glad to see Delicius take content in any thing who gaue them many thankes for it crauing pardon of them for the great strangenes he vsed amongst them At whose hands and of Felicia and the rest obtaining a friendly pardon hee passed away his sorrowes all alone going often into that thicke woode to lament his hard and sinister haps wherein he could not choose but many times haue lost himselfe if the shining turrets of Felicias pallace had not brought him thither again when he would Amongst many other daies that heere and there some went to sport themselues in diuers places it fell out that the Shepherdes Syrenus Syluanus and Seluagia for Felicia and Don Felix had gone one way and the rest of the companie another were one day all alone with old Parisiles in a quadrant of the rich pallace to whom Syrenus saide Since it hath pleased you woorthie Parisiles the fewe daies that you haue beene heere to content all our louers with your pleasant and amorous historie of Câ—pid their idolatrous God my selfe that haue not to do with this blinde boye why haue you refused to gratifie with some pleasant discourse touching a Shepherds state The first day that we enioyed your happie companie you propounded diuers things concerning the same from that time surcharging me with more then a meane desire to heate them discoursed by you And especially the manner of the sacrifice of our God Pan and how at the first it was vsed to be done and from what time it was held in reuerence and all the rest that you propounded about this matter So that your tale shall come nowe in good time and to very good purpose since we are heere all Shepherds and alone Whereupon I pray you noble Parisiles ease my impatient minde of the burden of this desire I cannot my friend Syrenus answered Parisiles but obey thee wherein thou crauest to be resolued since it is a thing appertaining to my office to declare the rights and honors due to our Gods and also a conuenient mysterie for you to know and a thing especially belonging to Pan the great God of Shepherds As touching the first you haue great cause to make no small account of your functions and estates when not onely Pan but many other of our Gods haue vsed the like besides many great Emperours Kings worthie personages that haue not disdained this simple and contented kinde of life which was the first charge and vocation that our forefathers in the primitiue world embraced whose names impertinent for you to know and tedious for me to report I meane to leaue vntold So that you must not maruell if I told you that the first to whom we offered sacrifice was this God I know well that I should take my beginning by declaring what God this is but bicause he hath none I cannot put it in any other thing but in himselfe For to say that Pan and Faunus is all one as almost all authors auerre I haue no reason to beleeue it when by them themselues I meane to refell it For they say that Faunus was the sonne of Picus Father to Latinus Pan the sonne of Demogorgon God of the earth To say also as they affirme that Pan and Syluanus is all one it is false for a certaine Autenticall author after he had told that Pan the God of Shepherds came said that Syluanus also came with a root of a tree into the which Cyparisus was transformed Whereupon it is cleerely gathered that one cohereth but ill with the other That which they hit neerest of Syluanus is that he is the God of the dregs of the Elements wherof all
the euening dewe of approching night came stealing on apace with her sable coloured horses when Hercules with his company tooke vp a caue neere to the vineyards of Lidia wherein while supper was a preparing for the seruants Iole for her pleasure or for some other merrie conceit that she had in her head did put her apparell vpon mightie Hercules vnripping the seames to make it fitter for him and tearing that which was too streight On her-selfe she put the Lyons skin and tooke his club on hir shoulder and in her hands her husbands bowe and arrowes In this sort they supped and laid them downe to sleepe and with this habite each of them in a bed by themselues as time and place affoorded them began to sleepe for it was not lawfull for them that night to lie togither bicause the next day they were to offer vp sacrifice to Bacchus And now Pan burning in impatient loue about midnight which was very darke for what doth not a louer enterprize came into the caue and found the seruants what with their great cheere and wine at supper and what with their sports afterwards fast a sleepe thinking the same might be also the cause of their Master and Mistresse sleepe His good fortune therefore falling out so well conducted him to the place where Iole was happie man if he had knowne his good happe where groping vp and down and feeling the Lyons pawe with feare he lifted vp his hand thinking it was Hercules that lay there as the musing traueller by the high way his foote that hath vnawares troden vpon some snake or hidden adder he sawe not Going therefore from thence he met by chance with the couch where Hercules in a habite different from his person lay a sleepe whom when Pan touched and selt Ioles soft and delicate garments thinking he had founde that he sought for at the beds feete began to mount vp and lifting vp his clothes in lieu of finding a soft and tender skin felt a hard flesh and full of haire Hercules awaked out of his sleepe gaue the poore louer such a blowe with his fist that he smote him from the bed to the ground where he laie all along Iole awaked at the noise and calling to her seruants for light found the sillie God on the grounde complaining for the blowe he had receiued which made not onely Hercules and his men but his beloued Iole laugh apace at the infortunate louer You therefore see heere my friends why the God deceiued by the garments doth so much hate them It is well saide Syrenus But tell vs I beseech you as you haue begun how we should know him to bee the God of all by his picture They paint him with two hornes answered Parisiles like to the sunne beames and to the hornes of the Moone his face redde like a firie flame in imitation of the firie Element In his brest a star called Nebrides in representation of the starres which starre I thinke was made of a wilde goates or Hearts skinne bicause Nebrides is as much in signification as a wilde Goate or Heart which skins they vsed in Bacchus sacrifices whereby we may easily gather that he is God of all aboue From the mids of his body downward they paint him full of haire and bristled to signifie the trees and wilde beasts with Goates feete to shew the hardnes of the earth And let this suffice for this time With these and many other like curiosities that the Shepherds demanded of Parisiles the night came on to his great contentment The verie same day as I said Felicia carried with her Stela And Lord Felix Felismena and the Nymphes with Crimine went by themselues to another place To whom after they were set vnder the shadow of some thick Sallowes Lord Felix said So may all thy fortunes succeed happily to thee faire Nymph and according to thine owne desire by seeing thy selfe in the greatest prosperitie in the world as thou wilt deigne to tell vs why Stela and thy selfe go wandring vp and downe so sorrowfull in the company of this faire yoong Shepherd and how long since it is you had acquaintance with him Thou commandest me Lord Felix said Crimine to renew the summe of my sorrowes and extremest griese Alas who can stop my teares from their continuall flowing by awaking such tormenting memories Who can quench my scalding sighes that with such a heauie recitall will come smoking out of my balefull breast How can I tell you my excessiue misfortunes in order since there was neuer any in my innumerable passions Let it content you Lord Felix and you faire Ladies to knowe that you haue before your eies the most haplesse woman of all our sexe and in your presence the verie summe and pattern of all disastrous virgins Hauing thus spoken a profound sigh accompanied with abundant teares hindered the rest of her dolefull words whereupon they came all together to comfort her Felismena saying Beleeue me faire Nymphe my Lord Don Felix woulde neuer haue requested this at thy hands if he had thought to haue giuen thee the least griefe in the world but that he and all we were desirous by knowing the cause of thy sorrowfull life to helpe thee as much as we could in thy cares and troubles O happie Ladie said Crimine how much art thou deceiued and the rest that thinke there is any remedie for my mishaps But for the loue and friendship you shew me and for that which I beare to you all giue attentiue eare vnto my words and vnderstand my misfortunes for I will satisfie you in that which Lord Felix hath demaunded of me And because you may knowe how far my mishaps haue extended and to what end my miseries haue driuen me Know that I am forced to loue one that hath no power to loue me againe that it is not in my power not to account her my deerest friend that entreats me like a cruell foe Which thing because it may perhaps seeme hard to you to beleeue you must vnderstand that I loue this Shepherd that is our guide in our trauels as much as I can can in truth as much as I wil. I loue also Parthenius his friēd as much as I will will truely as much as I can for as it cannot be discerned which is Delicius and which Parthenius and the one impossible to be knowen from the other for like two drops of water they resemble one another so much so cannot I tell which of them I loue most louing both in equall balance of extreme affection I thought once to be content and happie by being beloued of one of them whereof when I was perswaded I was not yet satisfied I cannot with reason complaine of them since both or at the least Delicius I think nay firmly beleeue that my suspition is not in vaine hath forced himself as much as may be to loue me by working al the means he could which neuer yet lay in his
power to do Wherby you see that I haue placed my loue on him that cannot though faine he would requite it with his againe But you will aske me perhaps in whom the cause impediment consisteth that they are not answerable to that which both are so iustly owing me To this I answere my greatest and deerest friend I haue in this worlde bicause for hir both are alike wounded with Cupids inuincible flight she dying no lesse in both their loues And who this is you may easily gesse for she can be no other then Stela And yet I sweare to you by all that a true louer can protest that I neuer wished Stela any ill though she is now and hath euer beene the cause why I am not beloued of these two peerelesse Shepherds For I could for mine owne part do no more in her cause then she doth in mine and though I hated her besides yet it stoode me in hand to be her friend when by her meanes I enioyed Delicius sight hope by the same to see Parthenius But bicause you may know how we lost our liberties and they remained without theirs I will onely tell you that which maketh for this purpose The same day as they afterwards tolde vs that Stela by the ordinance of the Gods came to our company for now you know that I am one of the Nymphes of the renowned and famous riuer Duerus Parthenius and Delicius did see Stela and both of them equally loued her though then it seemed not so for Parthenius concealed his affection bicause Delicius had manifested his before But when Delicius tolde that he was enamoured of Stela they agreed to stay in a forrest hard by to see if somtimes comming out of the riuer they might haue some occasion to talke with her But when she came out and they offred to come towards vs that went in company of her we fled away and ran back againe to our riuer Who perceiuing it was not possible to talke to her in that sort concluded to deceiue vs by wearing Shepherds weeds and leauing of their courtly apparell Thus therefore attending daily for vs Stela and I came foorth and as they saw vs though they made no shewe thereof one of them plaied aloud on his Baggepipe to inuite vs I thinke vnto their musicke which when we heard as it was a thing not vsed there manie daies before we came somewhat neere and hid our selues behinde a companie of thicke Sallowes But they who by stealth were looking on vs perceiuing their deuise to haue a good beginning made as though they had not seene vs and betweene themselues praied one another to play or sing some song In the end Parthenius getting the vpper hand Delicius tooke his Rebecke whereon he so sweetely played and sung to it that we thought Apollo had committed some newe fault to become a Shepherd againe and that it was euen he that made that sweete melodie The song was of great sentence the inuention wittie and the forme of it curious wherefore lend an attentiue care to the one and the other if you desire to delight you with it NEuer a greater foe did loue disdaine Or trodon grasse so gay Nor Nymph greene leaues with whiter hand hath rent More golden haire the winde did neuer blowe Nor fairer dame hath bound in white attire Or hath in lawne more gracious features tied Then my sweete Enemie Beautie and chastitie one place refraine In her beare equall sway Filling the world with woonder and content But they doe giue me paine and double woe Since loue and beautie kindled my desire And cruell chastitie from me denied All sense of tollitie There is no Rose nor Lillie after raine Nor flowre in wonth of May Nor pleasant meade nor greene in sommer sent That seeing them my minde deliteth soe As that faire flowre which all the heauens admire Spending my thoughts on her in whom abide All grace and giftes on hie Me thinkes my heauenly Nymph I see againe Her necke and breast display Seeing the whitest Ermine to frequent Some plaine or flowers that make the fairest showe O Gods I neuer yet beheld her nier Or far in shade or sunne that satisfied I was in passing by The meade the mount the riuer wood and plaine With all their braue array Yeeld not such sweete as that faire face that 's bent Sorrowes and ioy in each soule to bestowe In equall partes procur'd by amorous fire Beautie and loue in her their force haue tried To blinde each humane eie Each minde and will which wicked vice doth staine Her vertues breake and stay All aires infect by fire are purg'd and spent Though of a great foundation they did growe O body that so braue a soule dost hire And blessed soule whose vertues euer pried Aboue the starrie skie Onely for her my life in ioies I traine My soule sings many a lay Musing on her new seas I doe inuent Of soueraine ioy wherein with pride I rowe The deserts for her sake I doe require For without her the springs of ioy are dried And that I doe defie Sweete fate that to a noble deede dost straine And lift my hart to day Sealing her there with glorius ornament Sweete seale sweete greefe and sweetest ouerthrowe Sweete miracle whose fame cannot expire Sweete wound and golden shaft that so espied Such heauenly companie Of beauties graces in sweete vertues died As like were neuer in such yeeres descried Now as Delicius had ended his song and Stela thinking that he had made an end indeede of singing and playing although it was not so for Delicius was requesting Parthenius to play on his Rebecke and to sing she saide vnto me Tell me faire Crimine Enioyeth this solitarie place oftentimes such like voices ioyned with such heauenly sweetenes If it be so I cannot but in some sort complaine of the amitie lately commenced and confirmed betweene vs in that I haue not spent the time in such pleasure and delight as now by the sweetenes of this musicke and fine song we haue amply had After that cruell Gorphorost my deere friend saide I whom the Gods confound for bereauing vs of a great part of our pleasures began to dwell in these partes this is the first Bagpipe and Rebecke that in this forrest hath beene long since touched of so many Shepherdes and Shepherdesses that haue continually plaied and sung in other times before when they fed their sheepe heere and passed away the heate of the day vnder these greene trees whereupon I maruell no lesse at the noueltie of this accident then at the rare melodie of the song for I neuer heard the like since I first dwelt in this place nor that euer delighted my senses so much But bicause they begin to play and sing againe let vs goe a little to them for they seeme to be milde and courteous youthes and such that make a shew to haue some respect and reuerence of vs that be Nymphes When I had
knowe is not vaine The God Hymen not beeing hatefull to mee I coulde perhappes submit my selfe to this onely fault But I beseech the Gods the earth may first swallowe mee vp and Iupiter with his thunderbolt smite me to the mournfull shades of Acheron and perpetuall night before I violate thee O chastitie or breake thy holy bondes The chaste minde that euer I haue borne shall accompanie me to my graue But I know it offends me not by thinking to which of both I shoulde encline if my firme intent should turn to any side which of them both excels the other in disposition feature and beautie to loue the one more for that and forsake the other for this I cannot discerne who are so like that if they themselues beheld one another they could not knowe the one from the other Great is the goodnes of Parthenius for euen to the hazard of his life he offered it for safetie of his friend What wittie and readie answeres for Delicius What wisedome to make my companion helpe his and me not to forsake him and that fierce Gorphorost might not hurt him Parthenius in the end deserued well my loue but yet I thinke he goes not beyond Delicius who needed not the fauour of his brother to helpe him and could no doubt haue done no lesse then he And though he neuer had occasion to shew the sharpnes of his wit his pithie wordes and wittie answeres from the which he was cut off from the very beginning yet how cleerely by all his sweete songs and ditties that he made did he manifest it What verses did he carue in the tree or rather in my hart how modest by refraining not to offend me to speake of that which concerned him most O God and what great reason haue I then to loue him But who beleeues not that Parthenius if he had also loued me would not haue done as much Alas then for me to whether of them shall I incline Must Delicius be despised bicause he loues me and for desiring so much my loue againe Must I consent that he die bicause he desireth to liue with me Must he be guerdoned with vnworthy death for so high a desert of his great loue O haplesse Delicius I would I had neuer seene thee or thou not cast thine eies vpon me Thou well deseruest my loue if I had not vowed chastitie and if my importunate destinies had not threatened me with marriage But must Parthenius be reiected bicause he loues me not as Delicius doth For this he is more woorthie to be admitted into my loue It imports but little that he loue mee not so I loue him that hath so many good parts in him woorthy to be beloued That which most of all forceth me to his loue is that I cannot suffer with patience that Crimine should loue him But whither do I range in these wandring thoughts what need I take such care for them after so many whom I haue despised Why doe I thus torment my selfe Their beautie mooues me not and yet the same might well do it who are but yet boies They themselues mooue me not but their yong and flourishing youth But let them go hence in a good hower now that of mine owne free will I haue counselled them and the rather since marriage is denied mee Let them go and seeke forth some other loues since none that are wise will reiect them But alas for me this leaue is too harde With these last words not able to passe on further though many other things remained still in my minde I held my peace my toong was silent but my hart did still speake And with these and like wordes and praises poore soule without knowing what I did and rude in such affaires I loued without the sence of loue I conceiued the fire without seeing it and nourished a wound in my vaines without feeling it Three or fower daies passed in the which we went not to the Shepherds bicause Crimine came not foorth for seeing herselfe disdained of Parthenius she endeuoured to forget him by her absence which kindled her fire the more So that I would haue beene now glad that Parthenius had loued Crimine in lieu of seeing him and Delicius For the which I many times importuned her that we might go see them by putting her in mind of the hope that Delicius had giuen her but for all this she forced herselfe not to come before him There remained now but two daies to come of the time prefixed for Parthenius departure when not able to endure so long an absence I spake thus vnto her It might not a little reioice me deere sister if we went to see the Shepherds bicause I promised to speake with Parthenius before he went Crimine desiring the same no lesse then I as I imagined answered me saying Thou maiest go good friend although I will not denie that I desire to see mine enimie But this haplesse loue is so cruell that I cannot choose in the end but tell thee the truth that my going this time will auaile me as little I know as other times before Behold thou canst not tell Crimine saide I what Delicius hath done for thee in recompence of the good turne he owes thee for the promise he made thee and if this were not so remember that certaine daies past my selfe hauing lesse occasion and will to go yet onely to content thee I went thither So that thou art bounde now to performe my request when I was then so willing to do thy command Thou hast ouercommed saide she I will nor cannot gainsay thy forcible reasons Whereupon we went to the Shepherds whom when I espied gone aside for on purpose they were talking very earnestly togither I saide to my companion They should now talke of some great matters and it may bee Delicius is talking about thy affaires Nay about thine answered she againe And it was true indeed For both of them were in counsell togither as afterwards we knew it Being come to the Shepherds we found such an alteration in them that it seemed very strange to vs. What will you more but that Delicius seemed to haue changed the loue that he did beare me to bestow it on Crimine when he had greatest reason to loue me Who at the last time when I spake to him got more of me then euer he did before I coulde not by any meanes know the cause of this sudden change Truth it is that as I had perceiued Delicius loue to Crimine to be but colde as that I also held him for such an one who would not change without great occasion and not able to coniecture it by any fault of mine owne I haue suspected and Crimine thinkes no lesse but that Delicius by some waies should know of Parthenius secret loue to me and by sayning that he had forgot mee it was to giue place to his deere friend in my loue Which if it be so as we beleeue
although we could neuer get it of him it is Gentlemen one of the noblest deeds of friendship that was euer seene to this day For in more then a whole yeere that we accompanied togither he neuer solicited me for himselfe but for his friende beholding me euer with such modestie as if we had beene both borne in one bellie But I pray thee tell vs said Doria what meanes he vsed to shew that he did not loue thee That I will said Stela bicause there remaines now but litle of my tale for our long peregrination with many misfortunes that we haue passed shal be kept for some fitter time When we were come before the Shepherds Delicius shewed a certaine kinde of greater libertie and boldnes in his words and more merrines in his countenance then he was woont to do Whereat both of vs maruelling not a little and asking him the cause he answered Times are not euer all one nor equall Stela The fire many times mollifies that which is harde The finest plaister be it neuer so well tempered if it be too much charged fals downe againe So much water may be cast on the greatest fire that it will put it quite out My great loue serued me nothing at all to make thee gentle and thy extreme disdaine hath auailed me to make me forget thee I had grounded well mine affection on thee but thou hast choaked it with a multitude of torments sorrowes cares Great was the flame that burned cōtinually in my brest but thou hast quenched it with excessiue water of thy cold disfauours with th' abundance of my teares So that from this day thou maiest well match thee with one who is more vertuous wise constant then I am who may in iust proportion bee more answerable to thee in euery thing then my selfe for I confesse I am not sufficient for it Yet I will not denie but that I am now as truely and as much deuoted to thy seruice as euer I was before whereof thou maiest make triall if it please thee in whatsoeuer thou wilt command mee though in another kinde of respect then in these daies past We were all three looking with what libertie he tooke his leaue of my loue and maruelled more at his change Delicius had tolde Parthenius before of his determination but he neuer beleeued all till then when he verily thought his companion did not loue me bicause face to face so constantly he tolde mee it thinking if it had beene otherwise it had not beene possible for him to haue vsed the boldenesse nor courage by speaking to me in such sorte At this noueltie I stoode astonished and a certaine kind of remorse and repentance me thought troubled mee for handling him and mine owne matters so ill but dissembling it as well as I coulde I saide O howe glad am I to heare these good wordes Shepherd From this time forwarde I will loue thee more then euer I did But I know not said Crimine what I may say vnto thee friend Delicius neither can I sound the cause of such a sudden alteration Tell me if thou hast any occasion to complaine of Stela For heere I will cause her to make thee amends without the consent of such a breach The Gods be contrarie to me in all my desires saide Delicius if I haue any iust complaint of her but onely of my hap And by them I sweare vnto thee that I do this bicause I finde it most expedient for me Wherefore if thou desirest my good thou shouldst not speake to me about it In faith Crimine said I thou art verie pleasant how long I pray you had you leaue to trouble your selfe with my matters and such as like me not at all Bicause it should like thee wel said Crimine I spake it If such things liked me well said I smiling there is Parthenius who hath no lesse good parts in him to be loued then his friend if they haue not both perhaps agreed togither about this matter This did I speake but in iest but loue did not iest with me at all I would not make this agreement said Delicius if it were not for that which I loue most in this life which I wish thou wouldst loue leauing him to saile with the greatest prosperitie in the seas of thy happie loue Delicius laboured so much in the end by shewing himselfe also so appassionate for Crimine but truely but now that Parthenius discouered himselfe the next day to be my open louer and for Delicius his sake had kept it so long close which was the cause he said why he could neuer be mooued to loue Crimine I had not then beene a little proud and glad as I should be now if I had then knowen or did now know that I was equally beloued of them both as I loue them both alike Crimine had no end of her ioy and content thinking that she was in good earnest beloued of Delicius the which he cunningly shewed by words and deeds But now she is not I thinke in such glorie and content bicause he is as cold in her loue again although he euer makes her some shew thereof The last day of respit wherein Parthenius was to depart was now come when the night before Delicius said to Parthenius Since it is thy will deere brother to absent thy selfe from me a hard and heauie chaunce it shall be needfull for me to goe to morrow to Gorphorost and speake to him in thy behalfe bicause with the instructions that thou hast giuen me I may know from henceforth how to conuerse with him and as thou shalt afterwards aduise me how I may entertaine his company It may be he will keepe me till night Thinke not therefore much if I stay so long This agreement Delicius made with Parthenius bicause he had now determined to goe and seeke out his parents and to leaue Parthenius with me for he neuer meant to goe seeke out Gorphorost nor to speake with him at all but onely to absent himselfe secretly as afterwards he informed vs of it He knew or at the least suspected that Parthenius would not consent to haue him goe without him and therefore thought it good to vse this dissimulation bicause he would not haue him nor vs passe the hard traunce of his greeuous departure Hereupon he went towards the riuer and neere to the place where he was wont to stay for Gorphorost wrote this with a knife in an Elme in letters that might be discerned a good way off My deere friende Parthenius thou shalt feele by thy selfe if thy absence will not breede an extreme sorrow in me but bicause this is forced and necessarie I thinke it best for thee to tarie still since thou hast so great reason for it That which I commende to thy charge for the friendship betweene vs both is to make no change of place nor of thy faire yoong Shepherdesse for this shall be the greatest pleasure that thou maist doe
vpon his bodie it can do no harme but he that in high and loftie houses lodgeth though the thunderclap smite him not may be killed or wounded with the stones timber or some other thing that may fall from thence And may also be burned or choaked with the smoke of the fire that is kindled in the wood all which by experience haue beene often seene But bicause of good will you inuite me to do that which you request me I will go in although I was determined to lay me downe and sleepe if I had found out some fit place for the purpose bicause the thunderclap spareth those they say that are asleepe Thou wilt liue too long said Seluagia since with so many defences thou dost arme thy self Heereof thou maiest be ascertained said the Shepherd for there is not any who desires his life and health more then I do So me thinkes said Seluagia and the cause of it must be that thou art not in loue Naie rather the contrarie said the Shepherd which my song did euen now speake of Dost thou loue then saide Seluagia I loue said he with the greatest blisse and ioy as thou hast euer heard of Not onely heard but seene said Seluegia For they are before thee And this do I say said he And I that said she Leaue of these speeches said Lord Felix and let vs go in And do vs so much pleasure good Shepherd to tell vs by the way if thou beest in loue I am said he Are these loues thine own said Lord Felix They are mine said he none others I say not so said Lord Felix but if they be properly of thee thy selfe I haue not so many good parts said the Shepherd to be enamoured of my selfe and yet there is not any I thinke that loues me as much as I do my selfe But leauing this aside I loue as much as possiblie I may a most faire yoong Shepherdesse Thy loue is not perfect said Lord Felix bicause thou saiest there is none whom thou louest as much as thy selfe Why doth this hinder it said the Shepherd that it is not perfect Why not said Lord Felix Then by this I vnderstand said the Shepherd that there is none that loues in this degree But rather beleeue the contrarie saide Lord Felix for heere thou seest some who woulde gladly hazard their heades for them whom they loue This is an easie thing saide the Shepherd to saie it And easier said Lord Felix to do it I promise you sir saide the Shepherd if death knocked at your dore and if it were in your election to go with it your selfe or to sende your loue that it might be seene what I say But rather that which I affirme saide Lord Felix I thinke it a hard matter saide the Shepherd With these demands and answers they came to the Temple where they rested themselues and feasted that new guest who was well entertained of the sage Felicia bicause she knew him woorthie of it After they had made an end of their great dinner all of them requested him to sing the song that he came singing when he left it off at their sight He saide he was well content and glad if they woulde lende an eare vnto it not for his voice which was not woorth it but for the matter which deserued any good whatsoeuer But requesting that some instrument might play to him bicause his song might be the better set foorth Doria by Felicias command tooke a Harpe and tuning it to the highest note that he would sing the rest being all attentiue to him he began thus LOuers record my memorie and name For one that is more happie then the rest And solemnize my conquest and my fame which I haue got in being onely blest Extoll my glorie to the loftie sunne Which with this famous triumph I haue wonne To be the happiest man that hath beene borne Of all that haue to loue allegeance sworne What louer yet was found vnto this howre Though in his loue most fauour'd he had beene Of greefe that had not tasted yet some sowre And had not felt some paine and sorrowes seene Or who hath with such sweete his loue endured Though of his Mistresse he were most assured And though she loued him with truest hart That felt not yet a little iealous smart Amongst all these I onely am exempted From sorrowes troubles from mishaps and paines With both handes full I liue in ioies contented And more if I did tell yet more remaines Secure I am that in my happy brest Vile iealousie shall neuer build her nest And that I may with greefe be neuer paid A strong and firme foundation I haue laid Nothing in all the world shall breake this chaine If cruell death doth spare me with her dart And yet if loue in sepulcher remaine Death shall not there dissolue it in my hart See then how that most strong it needes must be Since to my will I wrought the same in me And for you may not say that I doe mooue it With blazons harke with reasons I will prooue i Who to himselfe could be so inhumane Vnlesse he were depriued of his wit That swimming in a pleasant Ocean Of ioies would wish for greefe not finding it Such ioies I taste as neuer more I could My loue admits no sadnes though I would For yet admit that I would now procure it My loue is such that it will not endure it I haue good fortune at mine owne commaund Since I haue fauours at mine owne free will My loue to her her loue to me is pawn'd Which fortunes spite and time shall neuer spill But now if ought with greefe my minde may mooue It is to haue Corriuals in my loue But they my ioy and glorie doe augment For more they are the more is my content If any care for these Corriuals dooe These faithfull louers in my brest remaine Then see how that with earnest suites I wooe And seeke them for my Shepherdesse againe And truly if it lay within my power A thousand I would send her euery hower But since I am so rude and but a clowne I cannot set her golden praises downe If that with all the faire one should resort Shewing her vertues and each goodly grace Little should then my homely praise import Hauing the world at her commaund and trace For saying naught her praise she better would Her selfe disclose though I said all I could And how much more since I want skill and art Of her to blazon foorth the meanest part But now behold how far from that aboue I haue estraied my promise and intent My promise was with reasons now to prooue That crosse nor care my ioies could not preuent I know not if by rashnes or aduice It was my thought that did my toong entice For when I thinke to praise my Shepherdesse Then straight my toong doth in her fauour presse It takes no heede and hath but small remorce To whom what where how oft why
thou purpose to destroy me When wilt thou make an end with woundes to noy me Not stretching foorth thy cruell hand to kill me Tell me the cause why dost thou so much will me To visit thee and with such words dost ioy me That to my death I rather would imploy me Then by such present pangs and greefes to spill me Woe to my soule since this doth cause thy sorrow That such a little fauour thou hast done me Little it is in sooth if it be peased With all my teares that neuer yet haue ceased To fall that to my death haue almost woon me They great this small those giue I this I borrow Firmius had scarce done when Faustus asked Diana how she knew that his loue to her was so small Who answered In that hoping to enioy thee inflamed in my loue thou complainest no purpose of a few teares thou hast spilt for my sake as if these were not as incident and requisite for loue as pasture for sheepe and oyle for the lamp To which wordes Faustus taking vp his Rebecke did thus answere her THou dost desire My life as thou dost say To see me in thy loues inflam'd at lest And yet an vncouth meanes thou dost suggest Which is to giue me care from day to day Dost thou not see the fier to decay Waxe cold and quench't within my louing brest With swelling teares which trickle without rest Out of mine eies to see thy hard delay The meade with raine her goodly greene redeemes The oile doth in the lampe the flame maintaine And loue with teares augmented is no lesse But loue the lampe and meadow as it seemes If that too much of these they doe containe Is spent is quench't and drowned in excesse As Faustus had thus made an ende Firmius said for all that I coulde not then heare he tolde me afterwards we are well content Diana that thou delightest thy selfe with our sorrowes since thou wilt take no pleasure in any of our other things if thy sweete voice in lieu of that might sound in our desired eares with some happie song Diana excused herselfe requesting them to pardon her saying she coulde not therein pleasure them since she wanted so much her owne content of minde They endeuouring to comfort her gaue her some hope saying that in the end sorrowes and griefes are not perpetuall and that she should remember that common song that saith Continuall griefe and sorrow neuer wanteth c. Bicause therefore you may see said Diana how ill this saying is vnderstoode tune your Bagpipe with your Rebecke and walking towards our flockes bicause it is now time to gather them vp although I thought not to doe it yet will I sing as well as I can vpon this theame and you shall take the tune of the song as of a woman so much tuned in miseries and mishappes as nothing more Firmius and Faustus made no delay And then Diana like a desperate woman with a mournsull and sorrowfull voice began thus taking for her first verse that which they had alreadie alleaged for her comfort COntinuall greefe and sorrow neuer wanteth Where feeding hope continues not decaying But euermore despaire that greefe recanteth From former course of minde doth cause estraying The glosse Riuers arise and run into the seas And waters without number day by day And yet the same seeme neuer to decay But new doe spring and run and doe increase So endlesse woes arise and multiplie Redoubled one vpon anothers head For one in truth is with another fed Still doe they come and yet they neuer die For since their fertill rootes each moment planteth Continuall greefe and sorrow neuer wanteth Torments of minde and vilest miseries Are sworne to dwell within a haplesse soule And there her ioies and pleasures doe controule As to my selfe my sweete content denies Then let not any Louer thinke to gaine The meanest thing that liues in any hope But liuing so to fall into a scope And wander in a world of greefe and paine For miseries men say continue staying Where feeding hope continue not decaying Who knowes it not Alas I knowe it well That if a wofull soule is hoping still She seldome doth enioy her mind and will But that her hope must euer be her hell So of this hope that flatters me I finde And doe confesse that with the same I liue But still in feare and therefore I would giue It for despaire to ease my doubtfull minde I wish not this false hope my iotes that scanteth But euermore despaire that greefe recanteth If any whit of goodnes euer came By vile despaire it comes to me in prime And it could neuer come in better time Then to be hoping still to haue the same The wisest and most prudent man at last Wanting the good that long he doth attend Which nourished by hope he did suspend Seeing the time that fed his hope is past And all his ioy by hope that is decaying From former course of minde doth cause estraying The Shepherds importuned Diana to proceed in her song or else if it pleased her to take some new matter for it was to be thought that Dianas song pleased them wel but they could not obtaine it at her hands for she rather requested them to sing something whilest they were going towardes their flockes Firmius then remembring that which a little before she had told him that he loued her not so much as he might began thus to tune his voice Faire Shepherdesse Iean no more But faine I would Loue thee more if that I could As this made also for Faustus purpose for the same cause he likewise sung to the same effect And so Firmius and Faustus sung by turnes and answered one another as followeth Firmius OF mine owne selfe I doe complaine And not for louing thee so much But that indeede my power is such That my true loue it doth restraine And onely this doth giue me paine For faine I would Loue her more if that I could Faustus Thou dost deserue who doth not see To be belou'd a great deale more But yet thou shalt not finde such store Of loue in others as in mee For all I haue I giue to thee Yet faine I would Loue thee more if that I could Firmius O trie no other Shepherd swaine And care not other loues to prooue Who though they giue thee all their loue Thou canst not such as mine obtaine And would'st thou haue in loue more gaine O yet I would Loue thee more if that I could Faustus Impossible it is my friend That any one should me excell In loue whose loue I will refell If that with me he will contend My loue no equall hath nor end And yet I would Loue her more if that I could Firmius Behold how loue my soule hath charm'd Since first thy beauties I did see Which is but little yet to mee My freest senses I haue harm'd To loue thee leauing them vnarm'd And yet I would Loue thee more if
vnto them Now Fortune beginnes to smile vpon you Parisiles and my daughters and will nowe lift you vp to her triumphant chariot and desist not to carrie you in it vntill she hath placed you higher then you may imagine Happie was the hower wherin you saw the yong Shepherds Parthemus and Delicius and happy that time when first they sawe you for that you by them and they by you shall on ioy a supreme and ioyfull estate And bicause you may know who these yoong fortunate Shepherds are presupposed they are the sonnes of Corineus and Dinia of whom Partheus began to tell you so many strange things The right name of this Shepherd Shepherdesse is Disteus Dardanea Who these be you shal by by know of this Pilgrim their seruant who hath sought for them many yeres togither besides many others that haue made the same iourney amongst the which the yong Prince of Aeolia wandreth vp down seeking out Delicius and Parthenius for the which no meane ioy shall befall to all So that whatsoeuer you shall heare of Disteus and Dardanea you must know that they are these Shepherds whose counterfeit names are these aforesaid and parents to Delicius and Parthenius And I assure you that if you three thinke that you haue deserued the crowne of vnformnate and haplesse weights Disteus and Dardanea their company may presume that the palme of disastrous men should not be denyed them But bicause you may know who they are and for what cause wandring from their countrey they passe away their life in so poore an estate tarie for me heere and I will bring you one hither who shall tell you all the whole matter which I promise you though it touch you will not make you a little glad to heare the strange discourse thereof Parisiles therefore Stela and Crimine remayning there all alone you may now imagine if desirous to see him that should tell that which so faine they would haue knowen especially Stela and Crimine that without comparison cared not to know any other matter then this Felicia sent a Nymph to call Placindus to her who was now gone to view the sumptuous Palace who being come before her she saide thus vnto him O worthie example of a loyall seruant doubt not but that thy good deeds though lately shall be rewarded by the highest assuring thy selfe that the deferring thereof shall more augment the requitall For otherwise if good deeds were not requited by some waies we might haue iust occasion to complaine of his diuine power I say by some meanes as touching that he hath promised vs bicause otherwise he oweth vs nothing but we are rather perpetually obliged to his diuine essence not onely that he hath made vs rationall creatures the highest estate in nature when it lies in his celestiall power to fashion vs to that which is accounted the lowest most seruile in the world vnto the likenes whereof though he might haue made vs who was besides no lesse able to leaue vs without being which is the greatest infelicitie next after eternall damnation But leauing this aside as well bicause larger time then that we haue were necessarie for it as also bicause the place doth not require it I will according to this tell thee in briefe that heere in this house thou hast made an end of thy great iourney finding in the same that which thou couldst not find in so manie countries Here shall thy trauels end and all the troubles of these Gentlemen and with greater prosperitie you shall returne to your desired heauen Here you shall shortly see how many of you wander vp and downe like banished men and more then you thinke of In conclusion in a few daies thou shalt see in this Temple of chaste Diana thy louing Lord and Ladie and thy deer Aunt Placindus at so ioyfull newes breaking off so sweete a speech and not knowing how to requte her prostrate vpon the ground kissed her hands Felicia tooke him vp againe saying It is therefore needfull for thee as a thing that concernes thy Lord and Ladie to tell the beginning of their banishment and the cause of thy long trauell to two faire Nymphes and a reuerend old man whom thou shalt finde attending thy comming in a great broad court before the Palace hall Placindus to obey the sage Felicias commaund without any answer went to the place where she appointed him She that now had caused Lord Felix Felismena Syluanus and Seluagia Danteus and Duarda and the Nymphes to be all togither whiles she was speaking to Placindus being gone to them said Follow you me all None then refusing went after her and came where Placindus Stela and Crimine were iust at that time that Placindus began to tell his discourse To whom Felicia said Because thou maist not want an auditorie for so noble a tale behold my selfe that comes with my companie to take part of it Wherefore let vs all sit downe and thou Placindus without any more courtesies do that which I did of late request thee The end of the sixth booke The seuenth Booke of the second Part of Diana of George of Montemayor THey were all now silent and set downe in order when Placindus being place in the middes began thus to say Of the descent and famous pedegree of Eolus king of Aeolia whom afterwards they called the God of the windes and of whom that countrey tooke the name sprung out two illustrous houses Of the one a most mightie man called Sagastes was cheefe The other a vertuous yoong Gentleman called Disteus made most famous who though in possessions and reuenewes he was not equall to the other yet in vertue wherewith his minde was bountifully enriched farre surpassed him Betweene these two houses was an ancient quarrell and emulation by reason that neither of them would allow any equalitie both still contending for superioritie which to him that desires to beare rule and command is a great and heauie burden Truth it is that in the time of these two principall men Disteus his partialitie went somewhat by the woorse bicause king Rotindus that then reigned fauoured not a little the contrarie part onely for that Sagastes resembled him so much in his bad conditions and disorder of life For both of them were proude cruell libidinous enimies to vertue and imbracers of all kinde of vice whereunto Disteus was a mortall enimie So that the king with continuall fauours enriched Sagastes and fauoured his followers and with perpetuall hatred procured to impouerish Disteus and persecute his friends There were but fewe in the whole kingdome that for feare did not whatsoeuer Sagastes commanded though they hated him in their mindes and none that by their good wils would haue denied to fulfill Disteus pleasure in all things who loued him deerely in their secret harts So that they obeied Sagastes openly for respect of the king and loued Disteus secretly for his owne deserts Who yet with vertuous and sincere
that if I was bound by the one I was restrained by the other whereupō in this doubtfull pretence not knowing what way to choose that which perswaded me to write had beene ouercomed if the desire that I had to heare of thy excuse and the weightie hope I know not whereof thou gauest me had not succoured helpt it which did driue me from the doubt I had and forced me to write vnto thee though I must needs confesse that albeit I read thy letter neuer so well yet I know not how to answer it since in no clause therein I find good construction for that which seemed most cleere was most obscure where in manner of a consolatorie letter thou tellest me That thou art well and content in minde as if my comfort depended thereon Whereas thou hadst pleased me better by affirming the contrarie bicause by being discontent thou mightest repent thee and by repentance amend and by amendment come backe againe vnto me But with that which in proofe of thy content thou saiest That thou art with Dardanea c. thou pleasest me as little For what haue I to do with any thing touching her whereof thou dost write vnto me So that I must either affirme that I vnderstand it not or thinke it was not to the purpose which shall be a greater inconuenience then the first since it must redound to condemne thee for a foole a thing far vnwoorthie thy selfe if with this chaunge thou dost not lay fault vpon fault The Gods take account of the intent thou hadst to leaue me And as for other greetings in the beginning heereof or requestes in the end I will not giue thee vntill I heare of thy excuse if thou hast any at all After he had written this letter he caused me to be sought out in all haste and being come before him requested me to carie it foorthwith to mine Aunt The ioy was not small that shee receiued with the letter that came to her from her sonne Disteus although it was to her confusion and shame For she that doth perfectly loue desires though it be to her owne harme to see the things of her beloued but she was a great deale gladder when she sawe with what mildnesse and humanitie it was written The solitarie life that Disteus as I told you did so much loue and leade was now growen to such a seconde nature that all companie was irkesome vnto him but onely Anfilardus as well for that it was represented to his thoughtes that he had beene Dardaneas seruant as also bicause he euer answered sincerely to his purpose by telling him continually of her soueraigne graces This kinde of sadde and priuate lise of Disteus came to the eares of his beloued Palna which greeued her not a little thinking that it was onely for her absence for remedie whereof she wrote him a letter wherein she accused him of want of faith since he fulfilled not his promise which was Not to entertaine nor make any shew of greefe vntill he knewe the cause of her departure and requested him by all possible meanes to shake off all that sadnes by the exercise of his person in armes and courtly sports as he was woont to do Disteus answered her again protesting with solemne oath that he was rather glad she was with Dardanea from whence he said the cause of his sollitarines did not proceed but that without knowing the reason thereof he found himselfe more altered in minde then he was wont to be after he had receiued her first letter and had heard her name Dardanea that on the one side he delighted in hearing it and on the other not knowing the cause trembled when he heard it in the end he requested her if she woulde euer doe him any pleasure to work the means that he might see Dardanea for though he had seen her when she was a maide yet was it not as it should be according to the great and renowned fame that now was bruted of her All this that he wrote to her was her great ioy seeing how he drew towards the end that she pretended but it troubled hir mind not a little to thinke how she might satisfie Disteus though it was her only desire to shew him faire Dardanea bicause she found no fit opportunity by reason of her regular modestie and priuate life The daily care and studie that both of them had to bring this to effect discouered a secret way to put both their desires in practise which was that on a night whereon they had agreed bicause it might bee the more secret if any fit occasion or opportunitie were offered mine Aunte shoulde send for me as though she had some busines for me and that Disteus in my apparell should go in my steede whereof they both aduised me feining that it was onely to goe see mine Aunt who woulde not yet trust me with such secret affaires Mine Aunt staied certaine daies before she tooke this busines in hand though opportunitie was many times offered and deferred the time so long that he began to complaine on her and thought that all were but words and promises for hee that with earnest desire is attending that whereon his minde doth euer runne doth hardly beleeue any thing though indeede it was not so who pondering the matter well should haue rather considered that some great obstacle occurred in her minde concerning the performance of his request which made such a stop in the meanes and furtherance of it that holding her for a great while in suspence she knewe not what to do And this it was that if Disteus on the sudden had seene faire Dardanea the first sight of that excellent beautie the extreme ioy thereof might haue caused some sudden alteration and traunce in him to haue made Dardanea suspect something which mine Aunt would not for all the worlde had hapned least her Mistres might haue taken some displeasure at them both which thing made not a little for their good beginning But as mine Aunt was very discreet and wise so did she obuiate this doubt with a sudden remedie for to preuent any such extreme passion that by such a sight and ioy hemight haue had she thought to moderate it with some present thought of no lesse greefe and sorrow And thus it was that now performing that that was agreed vpon betweene them he should come when the night began to waxe somewhat darke in my apparell but sending for him in my name she fained that it was to go for a Chirurgian to heale Dardaneas arme the which by opening a great chest the lidde by chance fell downe on and brused very much The greefe that he conceiued by these heauie news was so great that he would now haue changed the ioy that he expected by Dardaneas sight in lieu that this mischance had not happened vnto her For he felt it so sensibly that he had almost no hart to goe but yet encouraged himselfe least I might haue perceiued it
see my brother free from harme which I pray the Gods may be true and on the other see not wherein thou meanest to place mine honour with thy pretences which the Gods also permit may not be hurtfull It likes me well to see my brother in health and safe from wounds but it would greeue me more to haue mine honour only in thought called in question I am glad to know that my brother hath beene defended in so great danger but sorrie that it was by Disteus Thou mightest haue pleased me well Palna and no lesse contented thy selfe if with these good newes thou hadst onely told me that Sagastes was free from danger and not proceeded further to tell me by whose means he escaped it There was no cause I thinke for that which toucheth me so neere will not giue me leaue to vnderstand it otherwise why Disteus helpe should be hidden from others and onely made knowen to me And bicause I finde the thought thereof so highly to offend mine honor I will therefore not onely speake of it but as though I had heard it in a dreame quite forget it commaunding thee if now thou meanest not to go to thy Disteus againe neuer hereafter to open thy mouth in any thing touching this matter or that hath but a taste thereof vpon paine of my highe displeasure and abridging of that good will which I haue hitherto borne thee And that Placindus besides offer not to put foote in my house or else not to enter in that where Disteus dwels When shee had saide thus without tarrying any longer to heare the fained excuse that Palna had alreadie prepared in a great anger shee went vp to her chamber where musing more deepely vpon the matter the noble vertues of Disteus and his bounteous minde was presented to her tender thoughts since for her mans sake and in defence of his mortal enimy he exposed himselfe to so manifest danger and his approoued manhood and braue courage whereby he got the victorie of his enimies occurring ioyntly to her minde and therewithall the golden praises which Palna had so many times insinuated in her eares all which she knewe his generall fame did confirme made her so content in minde as that to a newe borne passion accompanied with sweete ioy but of what she knewe not yet she gaue a friendly welcome Who being in these milde considerations Sagastes came in with Placindus for assoone as he had spoken to his Aunt he went to kisse Sagastes hands to comfort her if perhaps she had knowne any thing of that which was past And as he found her all alone and very pensiue he thought that the late danger of his life had driuen her into that sadde and melancholike moode whereupon he deferred not to tell her all in order what had passed thinking she had not knowne it To all which she gaue an attentiue eare for she tooke great pleasure to heare him tell it But when hee tolde any thing of Placindus whom as I saide she knew to be Disteus her colour went and came but especially when he tolde that with valiant speed when they had both drawne foorth their rapiers he stept in betweene them desiring him to keepe out and to accept that small token of dutie and good will for the seruice he owed to his Mistres Dardanea The often changing of her colour in her face gaue him no occasion of suspect who thought it rather proceeded of feare and of thinking in what great danger he had like to beene After a fewe speeches past he tooke her aside and charged her to gratifie Placindus telling her that he would take nothing of him and so hee went his waies Palna was not present at any of these things bicause she would not be an eie sore to her Mistres with her presence vntill her anger was somewhat past who did not for all this loose her hope but meaning to handle the matter wisely warned Placindus not to goe openly into Disteus house excusing the matter to him and that it was to no other ende but that none might suspect that it was he that helped Sagastes And bicause Sagastes and Dardanea if they did knowe that he resorted thither woulde not beare him such good will as they were woont Palna by no meanes would make Disteus priuie of Dardaneas answer and command bicause she woulde not giue him so bad newes knowing that without great greefe of minde hee coulde not suffer them It is not needfull Gentlemen to tell you heere what Sagastes did vntill he knew who those were that assailed him Let it suffice that they were reconciled to Sagastes who pardoned them bicause they might do the like to Placindus And Beldanisus coulde not choose but pacisie himselfe seeing that Marthea had cast him off and was married to Sagastes At whose marriage which with sumptuous and solemne feast and all kind of courtly sports too long to tell was celebrated in the Citie Disteus in disguised sort was euer present And in Tylt and Tourney which for the greater honour thereof Sagastes had ordeined got so much glory and reputation that as his heroicall deedes and gracious demeanours were the common speeches of al the kingdome so did the praises of his valour and prowesse importune so much Dardaneas cares that she was forced to loue him a little more especially when by some secret meanes she vnderstoode that she was the onely cause why all those tryumphs were done in honor of her loue seruice The which also in particular by Disteus countenances and shewes she not vainely gessed although with great regard of modestie and reuerence he so behaued himselfe that whatsoeuer he did to make his feruent passion knowne to his discredit nor to her dishonour did any waies redound And now was she sorrie and wished that she had not so sharpely chidden Palna bicause she might haue somtimes spoken to her of Disteus and durst not go foorth to meete her in the way bicause she woulde not acquaint her with the secrets of her hart And needlesse it was to speake to her of it who by secret and hidden signes conceiued more then by words Dardanea durst vtter For Palna like a wise and suttle woman made as though she did not vnderstand that whereof she yet doubted least thereby she might haue fallen into some newe errour being not fully assured of Dardaneas minde And this she did to make her more gentle and to discouer her minde more apparantly thereby to conduct her affaires to a better end Disteus in the meane time made all possible haste with Palna to bring him againe to the sight of his Mistres or at least to manifest his paine vnto her or else to giue her a letter from him All which Palna considering to be somewhat hard did choose the least aduising him therefore to write and promising him to finde out some way or other to conueigh his letter into Dardaneas handes without any suspicion or danger at all For the better effecting
I might well passe ouer this new bond my sweetest Lady answered Disteus with many more already past wherein after that I was thine thou hast so much obliged me since I was neuer able yet to discharge them the which vnlesse the vnspeakable loue which I haue borne thee and wherein I meane to die doth not with fauour come in part of their account and satisfaction must still remaine the more my greefe in their former force when as the disproportion of my small abilitie can neuer counteruaile their encreasing value I haue remembred and weighed that with my selfe which thou didst command me but would not hitherto tell thee so much fearing to giue thee any occasion of sorrow by absenting thy selfe from thy friends and kinsfolkes and from thy house and quiet rest to carie thee to some vncouth place amongst strangers to liue in pouertie and vnrest If you regard this my Lord saide Dardanea you do also forsake this and much more But admit I leaue all this and you nothing at all in not leauing you I might well thinke I left nothing at all No more of this said Disteus but were it not fonfeare of thy trouble and harme I woulde desire no other heauen in this world then to haue thee continually in my presence But let vs make my mother priuie of it who will counsell vs as she hath done what is best for vs and direct vs in all our matters They therefore calling Palna vnto them and telling her their mindes she saide And knowe yee my good sonne and daughter that Martandrus and I were also talking of the same matter who is no lesse troubled in minde fearing there will be a search made in his house whereby great harme may befall vs and no good to him at all I would not tell you of it bicause you might not thinke he did it for any feare that concerned him When she had said thus she called me before them and Disteus began to say thus vnto me If I knewe thee not to be a faithfull friend Martandrus I would not haue put the weight of so great affaires in thy trust and secrecie nor omit with words since I cannot with deedes to gratifie that which thou hast done for me But as I haue experimented and doe yet trie the contrarie I hope thou wilt not blame me if I make not some outwarde and apparant shewe of thankes for it But for the present remedie of our dangerous estate wee are determined to flie the furie of our king with the absence of our persons for which escape we craue not onely thy aduise but assistance and how it may be done without our discouerie Concerning that supposed debt saide I which you my good Lord confesse you owe me I will not answer you but only touching that which you haue committed to my charge since it hath pleased you to make mine the greater by hauing amongst all others chosen me out for your onely friende which I esteeme more then all that I did euer for you in my whole life all which were it ten times more is nothing in respect of this fauourable trust which you repose in me As for the rest let euery one of vs thinke what we haue to do and how to take the best course Al fower of vs therfore laying our heads togither in counsel after a great while euery one hauing told his opinion as mine was thought the best so was it allowed chosen which was That since Sagastes had placed watchmē in the citie gates especially by night that none might passe vnles he were knowne what he was the best way to get out was that I should cause three cartes to come that euening from my farme for they knew I had a Farme but three miles out of the city to bring certaine prouision from thence for my house other things though I had no need of them So that the cartes might come thither at Sunset go emptie backe againe the same night when it began to waxe darke bicause seeing them to go home againe without any thing they might not suspect our drift and yet though they had looked narrowly into the Carts might as little haue suspected any such matter for vnder them I had deuised to binde certaine great sackes at length with their mouthes open in each a peece euerie one to put themselues and to send the Carters after they had vnladen bicause they might not be priuie to it to some place or other while in the meane time I dispatched our secret affaires hauing made meanes before in my Farme that it might not be knowen of any All which was done in such sort that there was not as much as any suspition of the matter The same night that I carried them to my Farme we all went to counsell what way we might best deuise for three of them to go out of the kingdome to some solitarie place where they might not be pursued and liue vnknowen And our conclusion was that Disteus should take one of those Carts and make himselfe a Carter and Dardanea and Palna in poore apparell goe out of the kingdome and in the best manner they could in habits cleane different from their estates passe into Tynacrta and that from that place where they made their aboade write to me of their successe Still did Sagastes set watch and ward in euerie place for it was his chiefest desire to catch Disteus that none of them might escape whose eruell purpose yet and not without reason the furie of his anger did chaunge For as he knew that all men loued Disteus and that all his friends if without iust cause he apprehended and punished him would discouer themselues and bandie against him and by these meanes perhaps draw himselfe into great danger So was he not a little content to see the head of the contrarie side taken away and his capital enimie absent whereby he thought to do well enough with the rest But yet he knew not that his sister was likewise gone with him but thought she was in some of her kinsfolkes houses So that Disteus being absent Sagastes might confiscate his goods and condemne him for a traitour since he appeered not at the Kings call by whose commaund Sagastes seised indeed vpon all Disteus lands and his Sisters goods which were not a fewe Heere is no time to tell you Gentlemen of the teares that were spent betweene me and my noble guests at their departure But that Disteus prayed me by my selfe or by my friends to helpe Anfilardus and Placindus the best I could and to get them out of prison for this was the onely thing he said that did trouble him So that they being gone from me and I from them in body Disteus went as I told you to Tynacria where as afterwards I vnderstoode buying a little flocke of sheepe to dissemble his noble condition with this base estate they were some daies there perhaps with more harts ease then in Eolia bicause they
enioyed there without any feare and danger their sweete contents and were well beloued and reuerenced of all the Shepherds thereabouts who endeuoured to do them all the pleasure they could sometimes with rurall sports and games other times with dances and pastorall musicke To all which Disteus so well applyed himselfe that in a short time he farre excelled them all And so for this respect as for his affabilitie and mildnes by knowing how to conuerse with all that Shepherd thought himselfe vnhappie that had not some priuate friendship with Coryneus for so he named himselfe after he had changed his habit and Dardanea that named her selfe Dinia was no lesse acceptable to all the Shepherdesses and Palna called Corynea like her sonne was reuerenced of them all When all three went from me Dardanea was gone two moneths with childe but what God sent her or what became of the childe she brought foorth I know not for they had not dwelta whole yeere in that countrey when they went away for what cause or whither I also know not The cause whereof considering the time wherein they went away I suspect was this That in this meane while King Rotyndus married with the Kings sister of that Prouince where they were whose wife 's brother a little while after being dead an vncle of hers called Synistius aspired to the kingdome as Competitor with her For the which cause Rotyndus making warre against him with little losse of his men got the victorie whereupon a peace was concluded betweene them and the gouernment of the kingdome by the intercession of Agenesta his niece for so was the Queene called giuen frankly to Synistius So that Disteus as soone as the noyse of this warre was bruted abroad went as I coniecture bicause he would not be knowen from that countrey with his pettie family From which time I could neuer heare more of them though manie daies haue passed since Ansilardus and Placindus went out to seeke them And omitting mine own trauels Gentlemen and manie troubles that I passed in the like enterprise because they make not any whit to the purpose of your demaund I will onely tell you how theese two seruants of theirs went out so soone being as I told you before imprisoned and I so late being as you haue also heard at libertie When King Rotyndus married his Queene in ioy of the feast all the prisoners were let goe amongst whom Anfilardus and Placindus came out and sixe moneths after to make Sagastes suspect it the lesse by venturing their liues for vpon paine of death it was commanded that none should goe seeke out Disteus they went to the place where I told them they were At which place when they could not find them they cōcluded by seuering themselues to seeke them out appointing to meete at that place a yeere after to know how they had sped and bicause the one might not goe that way or take in hand that the other did Whereof as of all things else though they for the space of sixe yeeres from time to time informed me yet I know not how nor by what sinister meanes it came to passe that in more then twelue yeeres after the end of the foresaid time expired I neuer heard any newes of them nor of their master Whereat being greatly greeued in minde I endeuoured to seeke out some good meanes or rather fained occasion to go about the same errant whereunto by the Kings most streight edict I could neuer directly accommodate my self in regard of which iourney if hope might haue perswaded me to finde them out I would not haue neglected both that and all paines abroad and affaires at home whatsoeuer But being in this impatient desire two braue yoong youths most highly fauoured of Agenestor Prince of Eolia with whom they were both brought vp were also determined to seeke out their parents knowing that those were not the same for whom they had till then taken them These yoong Gentlemen Delicius and Parthenius for so they were called leauing aside how much for their rare giftes and virtues they deserued the loue of all of purpose I endeuoured to make my special friends to this effect that as they were in great fauour with the King and Queene by their meanes and intercession to the Prince I might finde such fauour with them all that if Disteus and his companie were perhaps found out they might get their pardon and be restored againe to their former estates and reputation which we thought might easily be obtained since King Rotyndus by the good examples of his virtuous Queene Agenesta whom God preserue for many yeeres by her holy life conuersation had almost now forsaken his old cōditions Wherby gentlemen we may note how the good examples of a vertuous wife doe oftentimes worke to amend and correct the lewde disposition of a vitious husband And therefore it is saide that the wise is the mirrour of the husband and the woman to the man bicause the man looking into her as into a cleere glasse may frame his life and minde to her modestie and semblance And contrarie the man is the womans glasse for the selfesame cause and reason Wherefore Rotindus loued not now Sagastes so well as in times past and liked lesse his lewde conditions which sauoured nothing of vertue whereon if any humane thought or action be not grounded it is not durable any long time for as vice is nothing being the priuation of vertue so is that of no stabilitie and permanence which is grounded vpon it The fame of Delicius and Parthenius departure and the end thereof was in a few daies spred ouer all the citie whereat though most were sorie yet some who enuied their deserued fauour for noble vertue is euer accompanied with base enuie were not wanting that ioyed to see that day This fit occasion therefore for the effecting of that which you shall heare offering it selfe to my semblable desseignes comming vnto them I vsed these wordes As I cannot be sorie Gentlemen and my deere friends for your departure since it is a thing that concernes you so much So am I not a little glad that it hath so happily fallen out for my determinations if in this iourney my poore companie for onely yours heerein I desired shall not be any waies troublesome vnto you And bicause you may knowe the forcible cause that mooues me heereunto I will vpon that fidelitie and trust which with all men but especially with me you haue alwaies vsed most frankly tell it you As it is not vnknowen to you I thinke what great friendship hath been betweene Disteus and me and for my part shall euer be while my soule shall rule this earthly body So must you know againe that I concealed and kept him close vntill I found out the meanes to put him in some safetie of his life and not content with this would if he had giuen me leaue or if it had not beene preiudiciall to his secret departure haue
accompanied him to the extremest danger of mine owne since which time I haue had a great desire to seeke him out the which for two causes I haue left of The one bicause two of his seruants who had no little care of that busines haue many daies since gone from hence to seeke him out The other depending of this bicause it behooued me to remaine here still to procure his pardon and leaue if he had beene found to come to his owne againe When Anfilardus and Placindus went hence there was an agreement betweene vs that they should aduise me of all they knew the which thing being not performed certaine daies after I coniecture that they are either dead or not at libertie With this hope or to terme it better despaire I haue though meanly to this point fed my thoughts The which being of late so mightily increased and Fortune presenting to my desires so good an occasion for my secret departure and occasion taking away all suspicion that I goe to seeke Disteus but onely to accompanie you tels me that there remaines nothing else but your fauourable acceptance of my companie into yours onely to passe out of the citie and afterwardes if it please you to diuide our selues or doe as likes you best To this like discreete and aduised youthes being faithfull to me their friend and loyall to Rotindus their king they answered thus As Disteua and Dardaneas misfortunes although we know them not Martandrus haue not a little as yet they doe most iustly greeued vs for their rare vertues and goodnes that thorow out this kingdome we haue alwaies heard of them so if our seruice might in any thing auaile either you or them we would most willingly shew the arguments of our good will which couets nothing else but fit meanes to make some triall thereof yet not denying that small seruice wherein our slender abilities doe consist prouided we doe not any thing in priuate or publike against that wherein we are bound to our soueraine Lord the king without whose countenance and woonted fauour we are no bodie But we haue thought of a better and more conuenient way whereby more then your request shall be performed and wherein we will not faile in our duties to our king nor to you nor in friendships holy lawes And it is That as the yoong Prince as it is well knowen vnto you doth not meanely loue vs and is not wel content by as much as I can perceiue by him with those extremities which are done to this Gentleman so by these as also by the Queenes meanes I hope to get leaue of the king for you not onely to depart in our companie but to seeke them out assuring your selfe that after they are found all shall be well ynough for though we come not so soone againe yet we will leaue a supplication in his behalfe with the Queene and the yoong Prince which fauour if we cannot obtaine we will furthermore so handle the matter that you nor any else shall take no harme or blame for this For by committing the matter into the Queene and Princes handes we wil trauel take such paines therein as though from vs from no other it only came Do Gentlemen said I againe as it please you best and heorewithall beleeue me that for their sakes I would not be sorie for any harme that might redound to me so that it might fall out to their good They are much beholding to you saide they but I more bound to them saide I. In the ende after a few daies they got leaue to seeke whom they would the which being bruted ouer all the citie gaue no small content to Disteus his friendes And thus without staying any longer I went with Delicius and Parthenius out of Eolia all three of vs prouiding necessaries for so vncertaine and long a iourney wherein after a while diuiding our selues such hath my fortune been that in two yeeres space since I went out I neuer heard any newes of them but onely those which Placindus when I found him heere hath tolde me of Delictus and the best of the Ladie Felicia that hath assured me that shortly I shall see them all here whereof I haue no doubt since she hath saide it That which hath happened to me in so long a trauell and the troubles that I passed as well for that I account them light for so good a cause as this and that by the fauours of the Gods I shall soone enioy their wished companie as also for that which you commanded me to do it makes so small to the purpose that I will with your good leaue omit to report So that Sir speaking to Don Felix you plainely see who Corineus Dinia and Corinea are and the cause of their exile and of our long iourney And pardon me if I haue beene too long since your demaund required no lesse Parisiles and all the rest yeelding him great thankes for that he had told them answered him that the fault was rather greater by making so short an end to so pleasant a historie and that he did not prolong it with recitall of his trauels and aduentures which befell to him in seeking out Disteus Let it not trouble you now saide Felicia for not onely this but the successe of Disteus life and his mishaps and theirs that did participate his company and fortunes in this iourney with those occurrents that befell to Plactndus in his trauels and that which hapned to others that went out to seeke Parthenius and Delicius shall haue their fit time wherein you shall take no small delight to heare them With this hope said Lord Felix we will content vs although it will be later then we desire Whereupon returning now to the Temple and eight daies being past Felicia said to Syluanus and Seluagia It is nowe time my sonne daughter that the friendship which to this hower you haue borne Syrenus be showen and because you may know that it may be made manifest vnto you what great need he hath both of his friends and of you you must vnderstand that when you shall come to your fieldes you shall finde many Shepherds doing their last duties to Delius as this day dead who as I told you was many daies since very sicke And as of purpose I sent Syrenus before now by vertue of a new drinke which at his departure I gaue him to rekindle that quenched flame of Dianas loue in his brest a thing no lesse conuenient to his weale then consonant to my will so would I not that in the meane time while he was with vs the two foresaide Shepherds being not a little enamoured of her and not woorthie to be cast off should be preferred before him both which haue beene and are yet not a little entred into her good liking Now therefore is the time wherein he needeth most of all your help and no lesse requisite for you to go finde him out assuring you that it will not
pitie on her but they rather gaue to the Traitour sufficient prouision who went to imbarke himselfe againe with Clenarda whom poore soule at her perill she must needes follow from which time hitherto I neuer saw nor heard any newes of them There was I left all alone bound hand and foote and pinched with intolerable hunger But that which most of all greeued me was Alcidas want and sorrow who was likewise left alone in the Iland Formentera and in lieu thereof regarded not mine owne which was presently remedied For at the noise of my loude and lamentable outcries certaine Marriners came to me who being more pitifull then those before gaue me some meate to stanche my extreme hunger And at my incessant request they armed for my sake a Fregantine and carrying with them some store of meate and wine with weapons and other necessaries embarked themselues in my companie and within a short time with swift and speedie oares it came to the Iland of Formentera where Alcida was left a sleepe But for all that I could doe by seeking vp and downe in it and hallowing in euerie place and calling aloud on Alcidas name I could neither finde her nor by any signe perceiue that she was there I then thought that she had desperately throwen her self into the sea or else that she had beene deuoured of wilde beasts But yet seeking vp and downe the plaines and shoares and all those rockes and caues and most secret corners of the Ilande in a peece of a rocke made in forme of a quarriâ—… found these verses with a sharpe point of steeled knife engrauen which said thus O Sandie desart and drie barren meade Thou that hast heard the sound of my lament O swelling seas fierce winde to changing bent Chang'd with my sighes that are in sorrow bread Hard recke wherein for euer may be read My torment heerein grauen and permanent Truly report my paines which you present For that Marcelius heere hath left me dead My sister stolne he hath forgotten mee His faith his sailes and then my hope forlorne Commend I to the windes and witnes yee That loue I will not any man that 's borne To scape those seas where calmes are neuer any Nor combat foes that are so fierce and many I cannot tell thee faire Shepherdesse how deepe a wound my soule felt when I read these letters knowing that for anothers fault and vile deceit and by the hard euent of cruell fortune I was so suddenly abhorred of Alcida wherefore resoluing with my selfe not to lead a life replenished with such woes and miseries I woulde forthwith with one of their swordes haue pierced my heauie hart had not one of those marriners who suspected such a thing by maine force hindred mee from it With comfortable words therefore they brought me backe againe halfe dead into their Fregatte and being mooued at my importunate and pitifull praiers for a peece of money caried me towards the coast of Italy and landed me in Gayeta in the kingdome of Naples Where enquiring of euery one that I knew and met after Alcida and publishing certaine tokens of her at the last by certaine Shepherds which came thither in a ship of Spaine I heard some newes of her which ship passing by Formentera found hir there al alone tooke her in and that she had taken vpon her the habite of a Shepherdesse with as strong a resolution to hide her-selfe from me as strange to liue vnknowne in those disguised weedes Which when I vnderstood I also apparelled my selfe like a Shepherd the better to finde her out and wandring vp and downe and seeking her thoroughout all that kingdome coulde neuer finde her nor heare which way she was gone vntill a long time after I vnderstoode that she knew how I had notice of her which made her flie the farther from me and to passe into Spayne in a shippe of Genua Then I embarqued my selfe presently to follow her and hither I am come into Spayne where hauing troden the greatest part of it in seeking her vp and downe haue not yet found any one that coulde tell mee any newes of this cruell one whom with so great greefe and trouble of minde and bodie I am continually seeking and can neuer finde This is faire Shepherdesse the tragedie of my life this is the cause of my death and this the processe of al mine ils In which so sad discourse if I haue been too tedious the fault is thine since my vnwilling toong by thy importunate requestes was constrained to tell it And that which now I craue of thee gentle Shepherdesse is that thou wouldest not trouble thy selfe to applie any remedies to my sorrowe nor comfort my cares nor to stop the teares which with so iust cause are due to my cordiall greefe Marcelius hauing ended his sorrowfull historie began to make a most dolefull complaint and to sigh so forciblie that it was great pittie to beholde him Faine would Diana haue told him tidings of his Alcida which was not long since in her companie but to performe her worde which she had promised not to discouer her vnto him and also for that she sawe it would but haue tormented him more by giuing him notice of her who extremely hated him helde her peace And rather wished him to comfort himselfe by entertaining an assured hope and confidence of his future gladnes since she herselfe doubted not before it was long to see him very ioyfull in the presence of his beloued Mistresse For if it was true as he beleeued that Alcida went wandring vp and downe in the companie of Shepherdesses and Nymphes of Spaine she could not then saide Diana bee long vnhidden from him and so she promised him to cause an enquirie and search to bee made in the strangest remote and solitarie places and in the fieldes most frequented by them but especially charging him to haue a regarde to his owne life and promising him to performe that which she had offered For which vnexpected curtesies Marcelius yeelding her infinite thankes would haue taken his leaue saying that after a fewe daies he thought to returne thither againe and to giue her a full account of al those accidents that in seeking out Alcida might happen vnto him But Diana staying him saide I will not be so great an enimie to mine owne content to let thee goe out of my companie but would rather bicause I see my selfe forsaken of my husband Delius as thou art of thy Alcida haue thee staie and eate if it please thee a little of my simple cheere to refresh thy selfe who hast it seemes no small need thereof And after when the shadowes of the trees and hils waxe greater we will both go home to our village wherewith that rest which continuall greefe will suffer vs to take we will passe the night away and in the morning betimes hasten vs towardes the Temple of chaste Diana where the sage Lady Felicia makes her abode whose secret wisedome will minister
would be best me thinkes if both did sing one song and one answere another in it for it shall be lesse troublesome to them and more pleasant to vs. All of them seemed to take great delight at that kinde of singing bicause they knew how the readines and liuelines of their wits would be shewed and tried by it And so Syluanus and Arsileus seeming to be well content leading their daunce about againe sung in manner following Sylu. SHepherd why dost thou hold thy peace Sing and thy ioy to vs report Arsil My ioy good Shepherd should be lesse If it were told in any sort Sylu. Though such great fauours thou dost win Yet deigne thereof to tell some part Arsil The hardest thing is to begin In enterprises of such arte Sylu. Come make an end no cause omit Of all the ioies that thou art in Arsil How should I make an end of it That am not able to begin Sylu. It is not iust we should consent That thou shouldst not thy ioies recite Arsil The soule that felt the punishment Doth onely feele this great delight Sylu. That ioy is small and nothing fine That is not told abroad to many Arsil If it be such a ioy as mine It can be neuer told to any Sylu. How can this hart of thine containe A ioy that is of such great force Arsil I haue it where I did retaine My passions of so great remorce Sylu. So great and rare a ioy as this No man is able to withhold Arsil But greater that a pleasure is The lesse it may with words be told Sylu. Yet haue I heard thee heeretofore Thy ioies in open songs report Arsil I saide I had of ioy some store But not how much nor in what sort Sylu. Yet when a ioy is in excesse It selfe it will vnfold Arsil Nay such a ioy should be the lesse If that it might be told The Shepherds would haue sung one verse or two more when a goodly companie of faire Nymphes as Felicia had appointed came to the fountaine and euerie one playing vpon her seuerall instrument made strange and delightfull harmonie One of them plaied on a Lute another on a Harpe another made a maruellous sweet countertenour vpon a Recorder another with a peece of a fine quil made the siluer stringed Cyterne sweetely to sound others the stringes of the base Viall with rosined haires others with Virginals and Violins made delicate changes in the aire and filled it with so sweete musicke that in a manner it astonished them that heard it and made them to maruell no lesse at it These Nymphes were strangely apparelled and passing faire to behold euerie one in her proper colours their locks of golden haire hanging loose to the wauering winde with fine coronets on their heads and sweete flowers tied togither with threds of gold and siluer The Shepherds seeing this melodious quier of angels left of the daunce that they had begun and sat downe giuing attentiue eare to the heauenly musicke and concent of the sundrie sweete instruments that they plaied on which ioyned sometimes with cleere and delicate voices mooued strange and rare delight Then came out by and by sixe Nymphes apparelled with crimosin Satten embrodered with flowers leaues of gold and siluer wearing rich caules vpon their heads which were filled and wrought with Rubies and Emerauldes from the which hung downe vpon their fairest browes Diamantes of incomparable value with pendants at their eares of the rarest Pearles and richest Diamonds that could be founde They had crymosin Buskins on their legs that were finely printed and gilt with their bowes in their hands and their quiuers of arrowes hanging behinde their shoulders In this sort they began to dance to the sound that the instruments made but with so braue a grace that it was a rare sight to behold them And being in the middes of their dance there lept out on the sudden a stately white Hart marked all ouer with little blacke spots which seemed very pleasant to the eie his painted hornes with golde were large high and branchie In breefe it was such an one as Felicia could best deuise to make that companie sport When the Nymphes espied the Hart they ranne rounde about him and dancing neuerthelesse without missing one straine of the musicke that plaied still with a braue concord they began to shoote at him the which leaping from one side to another after the arrowes were once flien out with manie nimble and pretie skips did the best to defend himselfe But after they had a pretie while sported themselues with this pastime the Hart beganne to breake out from them amongst the orchards and courts the Nymphes pursuing him amaine vntill they chased him out of the Garden who with their ioyfull cries and pleasant hallowing made a delicate noise which the other Nymphes Shepherds seconded with their voices taking a most singular delight in this dance And with this sport the Nymphes made an end of their musicke In the meane time sage Felicia bicause there should not want some profitable lesson to be gathered out of those pleasures for the direction and instruction of life meaning to trie their conceits about the obscure mysteries and significations of that dance saide to Diana Canst thou tell me faire Shepherdesse what is ment by the chase of this goodlie Hart besides the thing it selfe To whom she saide againe I am not so wise gracious Ladie that I am able to expounde mysteries nor to dissolue your hard questions Why then will I tell thee said Felicia what matter is conteined vnder that inuention The Hart is mans hart made faire with delicate thoughts and rich with quiet content It submitteth it selfe to humane inclinations which shoote mortall arrowes at it but with discretion remoouing it selfe into diuers parts and applying it selfe to honest exercises it must defend it selfe from so many hurtfull arrowes that ayme so cruelly at it And when it is pursued of them it must flie away speedilie thereby to saue it selfe though those humane and fraile inclinations which shoote such arrowes will not cease to pursue it and will neuer leaue to accompanie it vntill it escapes out of the orchard of life How can I vnderstand saide Diana so difficult and Morall a conclusion as this when as the questions and Riddles which wee Shepherdesses exercise and disport our selues with to this but plaine and easie I could neuer yet dissolue nor expound Make not thy selfe so vnskilfull saide Seluagia since I haue knowne the contrarie in thee and that there was neuer any Riddle so hard but was easie enough in thy vnderstanding In good time saide Felicia for now we may wel try her cunning which pastime wil affoord no lesse delight then the other before Propound her therfore euery one of you a Riddle for I know Diana will acquite herselfe with you all It liked them all well but Diana who had not such confidence in her cunning that she durst oppose her skil to such difficult
Shepherd as thy selfe but by hauing her beauties and virtues with thy delicate comparisons and daintie verses so highly commended And she being beloued of thee it cannot be otherwise imagined but that her perfections of bodie and vertues of minde are most rare and excellent And that which doth not a little helpe to the accomplishment of her gifts is the delight and dexteritie that she hath in hunting for which thou didst compare her with Diana bicause it is one of the braue qualities which make both Nymphes and Shepherdesses to be thought more beautifull and gracious and most worthie of golden praises For I my selfe did sometime know a Shepherd in our towne and my Ismenia and Seluagia knew him also verie well who being enamoured of a Shepherdesse called Argia was with none of her passing graces more captiuated then with her singular cunning in shooting and delight that she had in her bowe which was continually in her hande and her quiuer of steely headed arrowes at her backe wherewith shee hunted wounded and killed the nymble footed Does wilde beastes and simple birdes For which delight her louing Shepherd named Olympius did sometimes sing a pretie Sonnet made of the skill beautie and cruelty of that Shepherdesse fayning a challenge and contention betweene her the Goddesse Diana and Cupid whether of them three should shoote best a fine and delicate conceit which sometimes to delight me I euer haue by hart With this Clenarda stept foorth and said It is reason Montanus that we enioy part of that delight with thee in hearing it And nothing can please me better then to heare thee sing it for the great loue and deuotion that I haue to that exercise I am content said Montanus if I shall not seeme troublesome with it That cannot cause any trouble saide Polydorus which with so generall delight shall be heard Montanus then playing on his pipe sung Olympius Sonnet which was this DIana Loue and my faire Shepherdesse Did in the field their chiefest cunning trie By shooting arrowes at a tree neere by Whose barke a painted hart did there expresse Diana stakes her beautie mercilesse Cupid hâ—…we Argia her libertie Who shewed in her shot a quicker eie A better grace more courage and successe And so did she Dianas beautie win And Cupids weapons by which conquer'd prize So faire and cruell she hath euer bin That her sweete figure from my wearied eies And from my painfull hart her cruell bowe Haue stolne my life and freedome long agoe This Sonnet was maruellous delightfull to them all and the sweetnes wherwith Montanus sung it a great deale more And after they had discoursed of euery particular part and matter of it Felicia seeing the night came on and thinking she had feasted and sported her guests that day sufficiently made a signe by her countenance that she would say something whereupon they left of their mirth and talke for a while and with attentiue mindes harkened vnto her and silence being kept with her accustomed grauitie she thus began to speake I am vndoubtedly perswaded noble Lordes and Ladies and you worthy Shepherds that since the time that you came to my house you haue no cause to complaine of my fauours bestowed on you nor of the diligence and seruice of my Nymphes employed for your sakes For the desire which I had to please you all was so great and the delight which I take to helpe distressed men to their contentment so proper to my nature that me thinks if I had done a great deale more for you it had bin but little in respect of that which your virtues deserue Onely Narcisus with the crueltie of Melisea and Turianus with the disdaine of Eluinia remaine discontent amongst you all Whom it shall now satisfie to comfort themselues with hope of their future felicities since that my word which was neuer stained with deceit and lye hath assuredly promised them a speedie and full contentment by those meanes which shall be most expedient for them I see old Engerius glad with his sonne his daughters and his sonne in law and not without cause since for loue of them he hath passed so many dangers and suffered such extreme paine sorrow and anguish of minde Felicia hauing ended her speech Eugerius wondered greatly at her wisedome and the rest were satisfied and well content with so gentle and courteous instructions wherby they gathered out of them profitable lessons to lead from thence forth a virtuous and happie life And so all of them rising from their places about the fountaine and following the sage Ladie went out of the garden into the Palace euerie one to their seuerall lodgings accommodating their mindes to the ioyfull feasts princely sports of the next day following The which and that which happened to Narcisus Turianus Taurisus and Berardus with the delectable historie of Danteus and Duarda the Portugale Shepherds which for certaine respects is omitted heere and many other things of great delight pleasure and profit are handled in the second Part of this Booke All these three Partes were finished the first of May 1583. Boto el amor en Yâ—…go Faultes escaped Page 7. line 35. reade debt page 40. line 3. read See p. 60. l. 18. r. Ash colour veluet hose p. 62. l. 45. r. be not deuided p. 73. l. 42. r. nurse p. 80. l. 20. r. brake with p. 88. l. 34. r. Ill. p. 99. l. 40. r. Vique p. 104. l. 36. r. temerous p. 139. l. 31. r. such beautie p. 145. l. 13. r. away and l. 46. r. hap p. 149. l. 10. r. And she p. 153. l. 1. r. heades p. 163. l. 22. 23. or to mistrust p. 174. l. 11. r. all goodes p. 190. l. 29. r. not them p. 195. l. 1. r. turne amaine p. 208. l. 39. r. mids was greene to shew that in the mids of p. 213. l. 22. r. sure p. 228. l. 11. r. But rude p. 230. l. 31. r. legge where p. 253. l. 24. r. As aires p. 257. l. 19. r. a gloze and l. 47. r. with our pag. 282. l. 1. r. was now pag. 284. l. 25. r. loth p. 286. l. 35. r. with rurall p. 309. l. 39. r. dorre p. 311. l. 1. r. were wrought p. 331. l. 32. r. vertuous p. 340. l. 3. r. she spake
stormes and tempests and now am safely arriued in the secure hauen of content and rest And though thy paine be neuer so great yet hath not mine I dare boldly say beene lesse And since for the same I found out a happie remedie banish not hope from thy minde shut not vp thine eies from the truth nor thine eares from the substance of my words Are they words said Diana that shall be spent to remedie my loue whose workes exceed the compasse and helpe of wordes But yet for all this faine would I know thy name and the cause that hath brought thee into our fields the which if thou wilt vouchsafe to tell me shall so greatly comfort me that I will for a while suspend the complaints that I haue begun a thing perhaps which may not a little auaile for the lightning of my griefe My name said the Shepherdesse is Alcida but the rest which thou demandest of me the compassion which I haue of thy voluntarie greefe will not suffer me to declare before thou hast embraced my wholsome remedies though perhaps vnsanerie to thy distempered taste Euery comfort said Diana shall be most gratefull to me that commeth from thy hands which neuerthelesse is not able to roote out the strong loue in my brest nor to remooue it from thence without carying my hart with it burst in a thousand peeces And though it might yet I woulde not liue without bicause I woulde not leaue to loue him who being once forgotten of me tooke so sudden and extreme a reuenge of my vniust crueltie Nay then said Alcida thou giuest me no little hope and confidence of thy recouerie since now thou louest him whom thou hast heeretofore hated hauing learned thereby the pathway to obliuion and acquainted thy will with contempt and the more since betweene these two extremes loue and hate there is a meane which thou must embrace and follow To this Diana replied and said Thy counsell faire Shepherdesse contents me very well but I thinke it not sure enough for my safetie nor the best in common reason for my auaile For if my will were put betweene loue and hate I shoulde sooner yeelde to loue then to hate bicause being neerer to it mightie Cupid with greater force woulde assaile and ouercome me To this Alcida answered Do not honor him so much who deserues it so little calling him mightie who may be so easily ouercommed especially by those that choose out the meane aboue said for therein doth vertue consist and where that is all harts are armed with force and constancie against loue Thou mightest better terme those harts cruell harde vntamed and rebellious said Diana which pretend to repugne their proper nature and to resist the inuincible force of loue And yet when they haue oppugned it as much as they list in the end they haue little cause to bragge of their stoutnes and lesse helpe to defende them with their foolish hardines For the power of loue ouercomes the strongest holdes and makes most way thorow where it is most resisted of whose maruels and memorable deedes my beloued Syrenus did on a day sing in this verie place at that time when his remembrance was so sweete as now most bitter to my soule The which Sonnet and all his other Ditties which he then made and sung I well remember hauing euer a great care not to forget them for certaine causes which perswaded me to register the words and deeds of my deerest Syrenus in perpetuall memory But this which intreats of the mightie force of Loue saith thus THat mighty Loue though blinde of both his eies Doth hit the Center of the wounded hart And though a boy yet Mars he foiles with dart Awaking him where in his net he lies And that his flames doe freeze me in such wise That from my soule a feare doth neuer start Most base and vile yet to the highest part Strengthued by land and sea of heauen it flies That he whom Loue doth wound or prisoner take Liues in his greefes and with his giues content This is his might that many woonder at And that the soule which greatest paine doth shake If that it doth but thinke of Loues torment The feare of such a thought forgetteth that No doubt said Alcida but the forces of loue are well extolled But I would rather haue beleeued Syrenus if after hauing published the furie of Cupids arrowes to be so great and after hauing commended the hardnes of his chaines he had not also found out the meanes to set himselfe at libertie And so I maruell that thou wilt so lightly giue credit to him who makes not his word and deed all one For it is very cleere that the Songs and Sonnets are a kinde of a vaine and superfluous praises whereby louers sell their ils for dangerous things when that so easily of captiues they become free and fall from a burning desire to a secure obliuion And if louers feele passions it proceedeth of their owne will and not of loue which is not but a thing imagined of men a thing neither in heauen nor earth but in his hart that entertaines it whose power if any he haue onely by the default of those he vsurpes who of their owne accord suffer themselues to be ouercommed offering him their harts for tribute and putting their libertie into his hands But bicause Syrenus Sonnet may not so easily passe without an answere giue eare to this which as it seemes was made in countermaund of that and long agoe it is since I heard a Shepherd called Aurelius sing it in the fields of Sebetho and as I remember thus it said LOue is not blinde but I which fondly guide My will to tread the path of amorous paine Loue is no childe but I which all in vaine Hope feare and laugh and weepe on euery side Madnes to say that flames are Cupids pride For my desire his fier doth containe His wings my thoughts most high and soueraine And that vaine hope wherein my ioies abide Loue hath no chaines nor shaftes of such intent To take and wound the whole and freest minde Whose power then we giue him is no more For loue 's a tale that Poets didinuent A dreame of fooles an idoll vaine and blinde See then how blacke a God doe we adore Dost thou therefore thinke Diana that any one endued but with reasonable vnderstanding will trust to things in the ayre as thou dost What reason hast thou so truely to worship a thing so vnruly and false as the supposed God of loue is who is fained by fond and vaine heads followed by dishonest mindes and nourished in the braines of idle wantons These are they who gaue to Loue that name which makes him so famous thorow out all the world For seeing how fonde men for louing well did suffer so many sursaults feares cares iealousies changes and other infinite passions they agreed to seeke out some principall and vniuersall cause from whence as from a fountaine all
these effects should arise And so they inuented the name of Loue calling him a God bicause he was of many nations and people feared and reuerenced and painted him in such sort that whosoeuer sawe his figure had great reason to abhorre his fashions They painted him like a Boy bicause men might not put their trust in him Blinde bicause they might not followe him Armed bicause they might feare him with flames of fire bicause they might not come neere him and with wings because they might knowe him vaine and inconstant Thou must not vnderstande faire Shepherdesse that the power which men attribute to Loue is or may be any waies his But thou must rather beleeue that the more they magnifie his might and valour the more they manifest their weaknes and simplicitie For in saying that Loue is strong is to affirme that their will is weake by suffering it so easily to be ouercommed by him To saie that Loue with mightie violence doth shoote mortall and venemous arrowes is to include that their harts are too secure carelesse when that so willingly they offer themselues to receiue them To say that Loue doth streightly captiuate their soules is to inferre that there is want of iudgement and courage in them when at the first bruntes they yeelde nay when sometimes without any combate they surrender their libertie into their enimies hands and finally all the enterprises which they tell of Loue are nothing else but matter of their miseries and arguments of their weakenes All which force and prowesse admit to be his yet are they not of such qualitie that they deserue any praise or honour at all For what courage is it to take them prisoners that are not able to defend themselues What hardines to assaile weake and impotent creatures What valour to wounde those that take no heede and thinke least on him What fortitude to kill those that haue alreadie yeelded themselues What honour with cares to disturbe those that are mery and ioyfull What woorthie deede to persecute vnfortunate men Truely faire Shepherdesse they that would so much extoll and glorifie this Cupid and that so greatly to their cost serue him should for his honour giue him better praises For the best name that amongst them all he gets is to be but a cowarde in his quarrels vaine in his pretences liberal of troubles and couetous in rewards Al which names though of base infamie they sauour yet are those woorse which his affectionate seruants giue him calling him fire furie and death terming Louing no better then to burne to destroy to consume and to make themselues fooles and naming themselues blinde miserable captiues madde inflamed and consumed From hence it comes that generally all complaine of Loue calling him a Tyrant a Traytour vnflexible fierce and vnpitifull All Louers verses are full of dolour compounded with sighes blotted with teares and sung with agonies There shalt thou see suspicions there feares there mistrustes there iealousies there cares and there all kindes of paines There is no other speech amongst them but of deathes chaines darts poysons flames and other things which serue not but to giue torments to those that emploie their fancies in it and feare when they call vpon it Herbanius the Shepherde famous in Andolozia was troubled too much with these termes when in the barke of a Poplar with a sharp bodkin insteed of his pen in presence of me wrote these verses following HE that in freedome iets it proude and braue Let him not liue too carelesse of himselfe For in an instant he may be a slaue To mighty Loue and serue that wanton elfe And let that hart that yet was neuer tamed Feare at the last by him to be inflamed For on that soule that proudly doth disdaine His heauie lawes and liues with loftie will Fierce Loue is woont t' inflict a cruell paine And with most sharpe and dire reuenge to kill That who presumes to liue without his power In death he liues tormented euery hower O Loue that dost condemne me to thy iaile Loue that dost set such mortall coles on fire O Loue that thus my life thou dost assaile Intreated ill tormented by thine ire Hencefoorth I curse thy chaines thy flames thy dart Wherewith thou bind'st consum'st and kill'st my hart And now let vs come to Syrenus Sonnet whereby he seemes to make men beleeue that the imagination of Loues enterprises sufficeth to ouercome the furie of the torment For if his operations be to kill to wound to make blind to burne to consume to captiuate and to torment he shall neuer make me beleeue that to imagine things of paine doth lighten the griefe which must rather as I thinke giue greater force and feeling to the passion For when it is more in imagination it remaineth longer in his heart and with greater paine torments it And if that be true which Syrenus did sing I much maruell that he receiuing so deepe a taste in this thought hath now so easily changed it by meanes of so cruell obliuion not onely of loues operations but also of thy beautie which ought not for any thing in the world to be forgotten Alcida had scarce finished these last words when Diana lifting vp her eies for she suspected somewhat perceiued her husband Delius comming downe from the side of a little hill bending his steps towards the fountaine of the Sicamours where they were togither whereupon cutting off Alcidas discourse she said vnto her No more gentle Shepherdesse no more for we will finde fitter time hereafter to heare out the rest and to answer thy weake and common arguments For behold my husband is comming downe yonder hill towards vs and therefore I thinke it best to turne our talke to some other matter and with the tune of our instruments to dissemble it and so let vs begin to sing bicause when he is come neere vnto vs he may not be displeased at the manner of our conuersation whereupon Alcida taking her Cytern and Diana her Bagpipe began to sing as followeth Prouencall Rythmes Alcida WHile Titan in his Coach with burning beames Ouer the world with such great force doth ride That Nymphes and their chaste companies abide In woods and springs and shallowe shadowed streames And while the prating grashopper replies Her song in mourning wise Shepherdesse sing So sweete a thing That th' heauens may bee By hearing thee Made gentle on their owne accord to power Vpon this meade a fresh and siluer shower Diana Whiles that the greatest of the Planets staies Iust in the mids betweene the East and west And in the field vpon the mowers brest With greater heate doth spread his scorching raies The silent noise this pleasant fountaine yeeldes That runs amids these fieldes Such musicke mooues As woonder prooues And makes so kinde The furious winde That by delight thereof their force they stay And come to blowe as gently as they may Alcida You running riuers pure and christalline That all the yeere doe make