worst But so were they carryed by the tyrannie of the winde and the treason of the sea all that night which the elder it was the more wayward it shewed it selfe towards them till the next morning knowne to be a morning better by the houre-glasse then by the day cleerenesse hauing runne fortune as blindly as it selfe euer was painted lest the conclusion should not aunswere to the rest of the play they were driuen vpon a rocke which hidden with those outragious waues did as it were closely dissemble his cruell mind till with an vnbeleeued violence but to them that haue tried it the shippe ranne vpon it and seeming willinger to perish then to haue her course stayed redoubled her blowes till she had broken her selfe in peeces and as it were tearing out her owne bowels to feede the seas greedinesse left nothing within it but despaire of safetie and expectation of a loathsome end There was to be seene the diuerse manner of minds in distresse some sate vpon the top of the poupe weeping and wailing till the sea swallowed them some one more able to abide death then feare of death cut his owne throate to preuent drowning some prayed and there wanted not of them which cursed as if the heauens could not be more angrie then they were But a monstrous crie begotten of manie roaring voices was able to infect with feare a minde that had not preuented it with the power of reason But the Princes vsing the passions of fearing euill and desiring to escape only to serue the rule of vertue not to abandon ones selfe lept to a ribbe of the ship which broken from his fellowes floted with more likelyhood to doo seruice then any other limme of that ruinous bodie vpon which there had gotten alreadie two brethren well knowne seruants of theirs and streight they foure were carryed out of sight in that huge rising of the sea from the rest of the ship But the peece they were on sinking by little and little vnder them not able to support the weight of so manie the brethren the elder whereof was Leucippus the younger Nelsus shewed themselues right faithfull and gratefull seruants vnto them gratefull I say for this cause Those two gentlemen had bene taken prisoners in the great warre the king of Phrygia made vpon Thessalia in the time of Musidorus his infancie and hauing beene solde into another countrie though peace fell after betweene these Realmes could not be deliuered because of their valor knowne but for a farre greater summe then either all their friends were able or the Dowager willing to make in respect of the great expences her selfe and people had bene put to in those warres and so had they remained in prison about thirteene yeares when the two young Princes hearing speaches of their good deserts found meanes both by selling all the Iewels they had of great price and by giuing vnder their hands great estates when they should come to be Kings which promises their vertue promised for them should be kept to get so much treasure as redeemed them from captiuitie This remembred and kindly remembred by these two brothers perchance helped by a naturall duetie to their Princes blood they willingly left holde of the boord committing themselues to the seas rage and euen when they mente to dye themselues praying for the Princes liues It is true that neither the paine nor daunger so moued the Princes hartes as the tendernesse of that louing part farre from glorie hauing so few lookers on farre from hope of reward since themselues were sure to perish But now of all the royall Nauie they lately had they had left but one little peece of one ship whereon they kept themselues in all trueth hauing enterchanged their cares while either cared for other ech comforting and councelling how to labour for the better and to abide the worse But so fell it out that as they were carryed by the tide which there seconded by the storme ran exceeding swiftly Musidorus seeing as he thought Pyrocles not well vpon the boord as he would with his right hand haue helped him on better he had no sooner vnfastned his hold but that a waue forcibly spoiled his weaker hand of hold and so for a time parted those friends each crying to the other but the noise of the sea drowned their farewell But Pyrocles then carelesse of death if it had come by any meanes but his owne was shortly brought out of the seas furie to the lands comfort when in my conscience I know that comfort was but bitter vnto him And bitter indeed it fell out euen in it selfe to be vnto him For being cast on land much brused and beaten both with the Seas hard farewell and the shores rude welcome and euen almost deadly tired with the length of his vncomfortable labour as he was walking vp to discouer some bodie to whom he might goe for reliefe there came streight running vnto him certaine who as it was after knowne by appointment watched with manie others in diuerse places along the coast who laide handes of him and without either questioning with him or shewing will to heare him like men fearefull to appeare curious or which was worse hauing no regard to the hard plight he was in being so wet and weake they carried him some miles thence to a house of a principall officer of that countrie Who with no more ciuilitie though with much more busines then those vnder-fellowes had shewed began in captious manner to put interrogatories vnto him To which he vnused to such entertainment did shortlie and plainely aunswere what he was and how he came thither But that no sooner knowne with numbers of armed men to garde him for mischiefe not from mischiefe he was sent to the Kings court which as then was not aboue a dayes iourney off with letters from that officer containing his owne seruiceable diligence in discouering so great a personage adding withall more then was true of his coniectures because he would endeare his owne seruice This country whereon he fell was Phrygia and it was to the King thereof to whome he was sent a Prince of a melancholy constitution both of bodie mind wickedly sad euer musing of horrible matters suspecting or rather condemning all men of euill because his minde had no eye to espie goodnesse and therefore accusing Sycophantes of all men did best sort to his nature but therefore not seeming Sycophantes because of no euill they said they could bring any new or doubtfull thing vnto him but such as alreadie he had bene apt to determine so as they came but as proofes of his wisedome fearefull and neuer secure while the feare he had figured in his minde had any possibilitie of euent A tode-like retyrednesse and closenesse of minde nature teaching the odiousnesse of poyson and the daunger of odiousnesse Yet while youth lasted in him the exercises of that age and his humour not yet fullie discouered made him something the more frequentable and
mediation of necessitie to a breathing time of truce being withdrawen a little one froÌ„ the other Anaxius stood leaning vpon his sword with his grim eye so setled vpon Zelmane as is wont to be the looke of an earnest thought Which Zelmane marking and according to the Pyroclean nature fuller of gay brauerie in the midst then in the beginning of danger What is it said she Anaxius that thou so deeply musest on Dooth thy brothers example make thee thinke of thy fault past or of thy comming punishment I thinke said he what spitefull God it should be who enuying my glory hath brought me to such a wayward case that neither thy death can be a reuenge nor thy ouerthrow a victorie Thou doost well indeed said Zelmane to impute thy case to the heauenly prouidence which will haue thy pride finde it selfe euen in that whereof thou art most proud punished by the weake sex which thou most contemnest But then hauing sufficiently rested themselues they renewed againe their combatte farre more terribly then before like nimble vaulters who at the first and second leape doo but stirre and as it were awake the fierie and aërie partes which after in the other leapes they doo with more excellencie exercise For in this pausing ech had brought to his thoughts the maner of the others fighting and the aduantages which by that and by the qualitie of their weapons they might worke themselues and so againe repeated the lesson they had said before more perfectly by the vsing of it Anaxius oftner vsed blowes his huge force as it were more delighting therein and the large protection of his shield animating him vnto it Pyrocles of a more fine and deliuer strength watching his time when to giue fitte thrustes as with the quick obeying of his bodie to his eyes quicke commaundement he shunned any harme Anaxius could do to him so would he soone haue made an end of Anaxius if he had not found him a man of wonderfull and almost matchlesse excellency in matters of armes Pyrocles vsed diuers faynings to bring Anaxius on into some inconuenience But Anaxius keeping a sound maner of fighting neuer offered but seeing faire cause and then followed it with wel-gouerned violence Thus spent they a great time striuing to doo and with striuing to doo wearying themselues more then with the very doing Anaxius finding Zelmane so neere vnto him that with little motion he might reach her knitting all his strength together at that time mainly foyned at her face But Zelmane strongly putting it by with her right hand sword comming in with her left foote and hand would haue giuen a sharpe visitation to his right side but that he was faine to leape awaye Whereat ashamed as hauing neuer done so much before in his life How this combate ended how the Ladies by the comming of the discouered forces were deliuered and restored to Basilius and how Dorus againe returned to his old master Damaetas is altogether vnknowne What aâ—terward chaunced out of the Authors owne writings and conceits hath bene supplied as foloweth AFter that Basilius according to the oracles promise had receiued home his daughters and settled himselfe againe in his solitary course and accustomed company there passed not many dayes ere the now fully recomforted Dorus hauing waited a time of Zelmanes walking alone towards her little Arbor tooke leaue of his master Damaetas husbandry to follow her Neere whervnto ouertaking her and sitting downe together among the sweet flowers whereof that place was very plentifull vnder the pleasant shade of a broad leaued Sycamor they recounted one to another their strange pilgrimage of passions omitting nothing which the open harted frendship is wont to lay forth where there is cause to coÌ„municate both ioyes sorows for indeed ther is no sweeter tast of frendship then the coupling of soules in this mutualitie either of condoling or comforting where the oppressed minde findes itself not altogether miserable since it is sure of one which is feelingly sory for his misery and the ioyfull spends not his ioy either alone or there where it may be enuyed but may freely send it to such a well grounded obiect from whence he shall be sure to receiue a sweete reflection of the same ioye and as in a cleere mirror of sincere good will see a liuely picture of his owne gladnes But after much discourse on eyther parte Dorus his hearte scarce seruing him to come to the pointe wherevnto his then comming had bene wholie directed as loth in the kindest sorte to discouer to his friend his owne vnkindnes at length one word emboldening another made knowne to Zelmane how Pamela vpon his vehement othe to offer no force vnto her till hee had inuested her in the Duchie of Thessalia had condiscended to his stealing her awaie to the next sea porte That besides the straunge humors she sawe her father more and more falling into and vnreasonable restraint of her libertie whereof she knewe no cause but light grounded iealosies added to the hate of that manner of life and confidence she had in his vertue the chiefest reason had wonne her to this was the late daunger she stoode in of loosing him the like whereof not vnlike to fall if this course were continued she chose rather to dye then againe to vndergoe That now they wayted for nothing else but some fit time for their escape by the absence of their three lothsome companions in whome follie ingendred suspicion And therefore now sayd Dorus my deere Cozen to whome nature began my friendship education confirmed it and vertue hath made it eternall heere haue I discoueâ—ed the very foundacion wherevpon my life is built bee you the Iudge betwixt mee aâ—d my fortune The violence of loue is not vnknowne to you And I knowe mâ— case shall neuer want pittie in your consideration How all the ioyes of my hearte doo leaue mee in thinking I must for a time be absent from you the eternall truth is witnesse vnto mee I knowe I should not so sensiblie feele the pangs of my last departure But this enchantment of my restlesse desire hath such authoritye in my selfe aboue my selfe that I am become a slaue vnto it I haue no more freedome in mine owne determinacions My thoughtes are now all bent how to carrie awaie my burdenous blisse Yet most beloued Cozen rather then I should thinke I doo heerein violate that holie bande of true friendship wherein I vnworthie am knit vnto you commaund mee stay Perchaunce the force of your commaundement may worke such impression into my hearte that no reason of mine owne can imprint into it For the Gods forbid the foule word of abandoning Pyrocles might euer be obiected to the faithfull Musidorus But if you can spare my presence whose presence no way serues you and by the diuision of these two Lodges is not oft with you nay if you can thinke my absence may as it shall stand you in stead by bringing such an armye hither as
good reason saye that the constant man abides the painefull surgery for feare of a further euill but he is content to waite for death it selfe but neither is true for neither hath the one any feare but a well choosing iudgement nor the other hath any contentment but onely feare and not hauing a harte actiuely to performe a matter of paine is forced passiuely to abide a greater damage For to doe requires a whole harte to suffer falleth easeliest in the broken minds And if in bodely torment thus much more in shame wherein since vallure is a vertue and vertue is euer limited we must not runne so infinitely as to thinke the valiant man is willinglie to suffer any thing since the very suffering of some things is a certaine proofe of want of courage And if any thing vnwillinglie among the chiefest may shame goe for if honour be to be held deere his contrarye is to be abhorred and that not for feare but of a true election For which is the lesse inconuenient either the losse of some yeares more or lesse for once we knowe our liues be not immortall or the submitting our selues to each vnworthy misery which the foolish world may lay vpon vs As for their reason that feare is contrary to hope neither do I defend feare nor much yeeld to the aucthoritye of hope to eyther of which great enclining shewes but a feeble reason which must be guided by his seruaunts and who builds not vppon hope shall feare no earthquake of despaire Their last alleadging of the heauenly powers as it beares the greatest name so it is the only thing that at all bred any combate in my minde And yet I do not see but that if God hath made vs maisters of any thing it is of our owne liues out of which without doing wrong to any body we are to issue at our owne pleasure And the same Argument would asmuch preuayle to say we should for no necessitie lay away from vs any of our ioyntes since they being made of him without his warrant we should not depart from them or if that may be for a greater cause we may passe to a greater degree And if we be Lieutenants of God in this little Castle do you not thinke we must take warning of him to geue ouer our charge when he leaues vs vnprouided of good meanes to tarrye in it No certainelie do I not answered the sorrowfull Philoclea since it is not for vs to appoint that mightie Maiestie what time he will helpe vs the vttermost instant is scope enough for him to reuoke euery thing to ones owne desire And therefore to preiudicate his determinacion is but a doubt of goodnes in him who is nothing but goodnes But when in deede he doth either by sicknes or outward force lay death vpon vs then are we to take knowledge that such is his pleasure and to knowe that all is well that he doth That we should be maisters of our selues we can shewe at all no title nor clayme since neyther we made our selues nor bought our selues we can stand vpon no other right but his guift which he must limit as it pleaseth him Neyther is there any proporcion betwixt the losse of any other limme and that since the one bends to the preseruing all the other to the destruction of all the one takes not away the minde from the actions for which it is placed in the world the other cuts off all possibilitie of his working And truly my most deere Pyrocles I must needes protest vnto you that I can not thinke your defence euen in rules of vertue sufficient Sufficient and excellent it were if the question were of two outward things wherein a man might by natures freedome determine whether he would preferre shame to payne present smaller torment to greater following or no. But to this besides the comparison of the matters vallewes there is added of the one part a direct euill doing which maketh the ballance of that side too much vnequall Since a vertuous man without any respect whether the griefe be lesse or more is neuer to do that which he can not assure himselfe is allowable before the euerliuing rightfulnes But rather is to thinke honoures or shames which stande in other mens true or false iudgements paynes or not paynes which yet neuer approach our soules to be nothing in regarde of an vnspotted conscience And these reasons do I remember I haue heard good men bring in that since it hath not his ground in an assured vertue it proceedes rather of some other disguised passion Pyrocles was not so much perswaded as delighted by her well conceaued and sweetely pronounced speaches but when she had cloased her pittiful discourse and as it were sealed vp her delightfull lippes with the moistnes of her teares which followed still one another like a precious rope of pearle now thinking it hye time Be it as you saye sayde hee most vertuous beawtye in all the rest but neuer can God himselfe perswade me that Pyrocles life is not well lost for to preserue the most admirable Philoclea Let that be if it be possible written on my Tombe and I will not enuye Codrus honour With that he would agayne haue vsed the barre meaning if that failde to leaue his braynes vppon the wall When Philoclea now brought to that she most feared kneeled downe vnto him and embracing so his legges that without hurting her which for nothing he would haue done he could not ridde himselfe from her she did with all the coniuring wordes which the authoritye of loue may laye beseeche him he would not nowe so cruelly abandon her he woulde not leaue her comfortlesse in that miserye to which he had brought her That then in deede she woulde euen in her soule accuse him to haue most fouly betrayed her that then she should haue cause to curse the time that euer the name of Pyrocles came to her eares which otherwise no death could make her do Will you leaue me sayde she not onely dishonoured as supposed vnchaste with you but as a murderer of you Will you geue mine eyes such a picture of hell before my neere approaching death as to see the murdred bodie of him I loue more then all the liues that nature can geue With that she sware by the hyest cause of all deuocions that if he did perseuer in that cruell resolucion she would though vntruly not onely confesse to her father that with her cōsent this acte had bene committed but if that would not serue after she had puld out her owne eyes made accursed by such a sight she would geue her selfe so terrible a death as she might think the paine of it would counteruaile the neuer dying paine of her minde Now therefore kill your selfe to crowne this vertuous action with infamy kill your selfe to make me whome you say you loue as long as I after liue change my louing admiracion of you to a detestable abhorring your name And so
as that she perceiued in her certaine flawes of il-concealed discontentmeÌ„t Insomuch that wheÌ„ Zelmane would sweeten her mouth with the praises of the sisters especially setting forth their noble gratefulnes in neuer forgetting welintended seruices inuoking the iustice of the gods not to suffer such treasures to be wroÌ„gfully hidden somtimes with a kind vnkindnes charging Artesia that she had ben abused to abuse so worthy persons Artesia though falsly wold protest that she had bin beguiled in it neuer meaning other matter theÌ„ recreatioÌ„ yet withall by alleaging how vngratefully she was dealt with it was easie to be seene it was the vnrewarding and not the euill employing her seruice which grieued her But Zelmane vsing her own bias to bowle neer the mistres of her own thoughts was content to lende her beleefe and withall to magnifie her desert if willingly she would deliuer whom vnwillingly she had imprisoned leauing no argument which might tickle ambition or flatter reuenge So that Artesia pusht â—orward by Clinias drawne on ward by Zelmane bound her selfe to that practise wherin Zelmane for her part desired no more but to haue armour and weapons brought into her chamber not doubting therwith to perfourme any thing how impossible soeuer which longing Loue can perswade and inuincible Valour dare promise But Clinias whose faith could neuer comprehende the misteries of Courage perswaded Artesia while he by corruption had drawne the guard of one gate to open it when he would appoint the time to the enemie that she should impoyson Amphialus which she might the easier do because she her selfe had vsed to make the broaths when Amphialus either wearied or wounded did vse such diet And all things alredy were ready to be put in execution wheÌ„ they thought best to break the matter with the two excellent sisters not doubting of their consent in a thing so behoofefull to theÌ„selues their reasons being that the Princesses knowing their seruice might be sure to preserue them from the fury of the entring souldiers whereof Clinias euen so could scarcely be sufficiently certaine and withall making them priuie to their action to binde them afterwardes to a promised gratefulnes towards them They went therefore at one time when they knew them to be alone Clinias to Philoclea and Artesia to Pamela and Clinias with no fewe words did set forth what an exploite was intended for her seruice But Philoclea in whose cleere minde treason could finde no hiding place told him that she would be glad if he could perswade her cosin to deliuer her and that she would neuer forget his seruice therein but that she desired him to lay downe any such way of mischiefe for that for her part she would rather yeeld to perpetuall imprisonment then consent to the destroying her cosin who she knewe loued her though wronged her This vnlooked-for answere amazed Clinias so that he had no other remedie in his minde but to kneele downe to Philoclea and beseech her to keepe it secret considering that the intention was for her seruice and vowing since she misliked it to proceed no further therein She comforted him with promise of silence which she perfourmed But that little auayled for Artesia hauing in like sort opened this deuice to Pamela she in whose mind Vertue gouerned with the scepter of Knowledge hating so horrible a wickednes and streight iudging what was fitte to doo Wicked woman said she whose vnrepenting harte can finde no way to amend treason but by treason now the time is come that thy wretched wiles haue caught thy selfe in thine owne nette as for me let the Gods dispose of me as shall please them but sure it shall be no such way nor way-leader by which I will come to libertie This she spake something with a lowder voice then she was woont to vse so as Cecropia heard the noise who was sooner then Artesia imagined she would come vp to bring Pamela to a window where she might see a notable skirmish happened in the Campe as she thought among themselues and being a cunning fisher in troubled waters streight found by their voices and gestures there was some matter of consequence which she desired Pamela to tell her Aske of her said Pamela and learne to know that who do falshoode to their superiours teach falshoode to their inferiours More she would not say But Cecropia taking away the each-way guiltie Artesia with feare of torture gat of her the whole practise so as Zelmane was the more closely imprisoned and Clinias with the rest of his corrupted mates according to their merites executed For as for Artesia shee was but lockt vp in her chamber Amphialus not consenting for the loue hee bare to Ismenus that further punishment should be laide vpon her But the noyse they heard in the campe was occasioÌ„ of the famous Prince Anaxius nephewe to the Giant Euardes whom Pyrocles slew A Prince of body exceedingly strong in armes so skilfull and fortunate as no man was thought to excell him of courage that knew not howe to feare partes worthie praise if they had not beene guyded by pride and followed by vniustice For by a strange composition of mind there was no man more tenderly sensible in any thing offered to himselfe which in the farthest-fette construction might be wrested to the name of wrong no man that in his owne actions could worse distinguish betweene Valour and Violence So proud as he could not abstaine from a Thraso-like boasting and yet so vnluckie a lodging his vertues had gotten he would neuer boast more then he would accomplish falsly accounting an vnflexible anger a couragious constancie esteeming feare and astonishment righter causes of admiration then Loue and Honour This man had foure sundrie times fought with Amphialus but Mars had bene so vnpartiall an arbiter that neither side gate aduauntage of the other But in the end it hapned that Anaxius found Amphialus vnknowen in a great danger and saued his life whereupon louing his owne benefite began to fauour him so much the more as thinking so well of himselfe he coulde not choose but like him whom he found a match for himselfe which at last grewe to as much friendship towardes him as could by a proud harte conceiued So as in this trauaile seeking Pyrocles to be reuenged of his vncles death hearing of this siege neuer taking paines to examine the quarrell like a man whose will was his God and his hand his lawe taking with him his two brothers men accounted little inferiour to him selfe in martiall matters and two hundred chosen horsemen with whome hee thought him selfe able to conquere the world yet commaunding the rest of his forces to follow hee himselfe vpon such an vnexpected suddainnesse entred in vpon the backe of Basilius that many with great vnkindnesse tooke their death not knowing why nor how they were so murdred There if euer did he make knowne the wonderfulnes of his force But the valiant and faithfull Philanax with well gouerned speed
better perswaded when no body was by that had heard her say she would not bee perswaded then began first the eyes to speake and the harts to crie out Sorrow a while would nedees speake his owne language without vsing their tongues to be his interpreters At last Zelmane brake silence but spake with the onely eloquence of amazement for all her long methodized oratione was inherited onely by such kinde of speeches Deare Ladie in extreame necessities we must not But alas vnfortunate wretch that I am that I liue to see this daye And I take heauen and earth to witnesse that nothing and with that her brest swelled so with spite and griefe that her breath had not leasure to turne it selfe into words But the sweet Philoclea that had alredie dyed in Pamela of the other side had the heauines of her hart something quickned in the most beloued sight of Zelmane ghessed somewhat at Zelmanes mind and therefore spake vnto her in this sort My Pyrocles saide shee I knowe this exceeding comfort of your presence is not brought vnto mee for any good-will that is owned vnto mee but as I suppose to make you perswade me to saue my life with the ransome of mine honour although no bodie shoulde bee so vnfit a pleader in that cause as your selfe yet perchance you woulde haue me liue Your honour God forbid saide Zelmane that euer for any cause I should yeeld to any touch of it But a while to pretend some affection til time or my libertie might worke somthing for your seruice this if my astonished senses would giue me leaue I would faine haue perswaded you To what purpose my Pyrocles said Philoclea of a miserable time what gaine is there hath Pamelaes example wrought no more in mee is a captiue life so much worth can euer it goe out of these lips that I loue any other but Pyrocles shall my tongue bee so false a traitor to my hart as to say I loue any other but Pyrocles And why should I do all this to liue O Pamela sister Pamela why shoulde I liue onely for thy sake Pyrocles I would liue but to thee I know too well I shall not liue and if not to thee hath thy loue so base allay my Pyrocles as to wish mee to liue sor dissimulation my Pyrocles my simplicitie is such that I haue hardly bene able to keepe a straight way what shall I doo in a crooked But in this case there is no meane of dissimulation not for the cunningest present answere is required and present performance vpon the answere Art thou so terrible ô Death No my Pyrocles and for that I doo thanke thee and in my soule thanke thee for I confesse the loue of thee is heerein my chiefest vertue Trouble mee not therefore deare Pyrocles nor double not my death by tormenting my resolution since I cannot liue with thee I will dye for thee Onely remember me deare Pyrocles and loue the remembrance of mee if I may craue so much of thee let me be thy last loue for though I be not worthy of thee who indeed art the worthiest creature liuing yet remember that my loue was a worthy loue But Pyrocles was so ouercome with sorrow which wisdome and vertue made iust in so excellent a Ladies case full of so excellent kindnes that words were ashamed to come forth knowing how weak they were to expresse his mind and her merit and therefore so stayed in a deadly silence forsaken of hope and forsaking comfort till the appointed gardians came in to see the fruits of Zelmanes labour and then Zelmane warned by their presence fell againe to perswade though scarcely her selfe could tell what but in sum desirous of delayes But Philoclea sweetly continuing constant and in the end punishing her importunity with silence Zelmane was faine to ende Yet crauing an other times conference shee obtained it and diuers others till at the last Cecropia founde it was to no purpose and therefore determined to follow her owne way Zelmane yet still desirous to win by any meanes respit euen wasted with sorrow and vncertaine whether in worse case in her presence or absence being able to doo nothing for Philocleas succour but by submitting the greatest corage of the earth to fall at the feete of Cecropia and craue stay of their sentence til the vttermost was seene what her perswasions might doo Cecropia seemed much to bee moued by her importunitie so as diuers dayes were wonne of painefull life to the excellent Philoclea while Zelmane suffred some hope to cherrish her minde especially trusting vpon the helpe of Musidorus who shee knew woulde not bee idle in this matter till one morning a noise awaked Zelmane from whose ouer-watchfull mind the tired body had stolne a little sleep streight with the first opening of her eyes Care taking his woonted place she ranne to the window which looked into the hall for that way the noise guided her and there might shee see the curtaine being left open euer since the last execution seuen or eight persons in a cluster vpon the scaffold who by and by retiring themselues nothinge was to bee seene thereupon but a basan of golde pittifully enameled with bloud and in the midst of it the head of the most beautifull Philoclea The horriblenes of the mischiefe was such as Pyrocles coulde not at first beleeue his owne senses but bent his woefull eyes to discerne it better where too well hee might see it was Philocleas selfe hauing no veile but beautie ouer the face which still appeared to be aliue so did those eyes shine euen as they were woont and they were woont more then any other and sometimes as they moued it might well make the beholder think that death therein had borowed her beautie and not they any way disgraced by death so sweet and pearsing a grace they caried with them It was not a pitie it was not an amazement it was not a sorrow which then laid hold on Pyrocles but a wilde furie of desperate agonie so that hee cried out O tyraunt heauen traytor earth blinde prouidence no iustice howe is this done how is this suffered hath this worlde a gouernment If it haue let it poure out all his mischiefes vpon mee and see whether it haue power to make mee more wrecthed then I am Did she excell for this haue I prayed for this abhominable hande that did it detestable deuill that commaunded it cursed light that beheld it and if the light be cursed what are then mine eyes that haue seene it And haue I seene Philoclea dead and doo I liue and haue I liued not to helpe her but to talke of her and stande I still talking And with that caried with the madnes of anguish not hauing a redier waye to kill himselfe hee ranne as hard as euer hee coulde with his head against the wall with intention to braine himselfe but the haste to do it made the doing the slower For as hee came to
each corner to newe discourses from discourses to wishes from wishes to prayers Especially the tender Philoclea who as she was in yeares yonger and had neuer lifted vp her minde to any opinion of souereignetie so was she the apter to yeelde to her misfortune hauing no stronger debates in her minde then a man maye saye a most wittie childehoode is woont to nourish as to imagine with her selfe why Philanax and the other noble men shoulde deale so cruelly by her that had neuer deserued euill of any of them And howe they could finde in their hartes to imprison such a personage as she did figure Pyrocles whome shee thought all the worlde was bounde to loue as well as shee did But Pamela although endewed with a vertuous mildenes yet the knowledge of her selfe and what was due vnto her made her hart full of a stronger disdaine against her aduersitie So that she ioyned the vexacion for her friend with the spite to see her selfe as she thought rebelliously detayned and mixed desirous thoughts to helpe with reuengefull thoughts if she could not helpe And as in pangs of death the stronger hart feeles the greater torment because it doth the more resist to his oppressour so her minde the nobler it was set and had already embraced the hyer thoughtes so much more it did repine and the more it repined the more helplesse wounds it gaue vnto it selfe But when great part of the night was passed ouer the dolefull musicke of these sweete Ladies complaints and that leasure though with some strife had brought Pamela to know that an Eagle when she is in a Cage must not thinke to do like an Eagle remembring with themselues that it was likely the next day the Lords would proceed against those they had imprisoned They imployed the rest of the night in writing vnto them with such earnestnes as the matter required but in such stiles as the state of their thoughts was apt to fashion In the meane time Pyrocles and Musidorus were recommended to so strong a guard as they might well see it was meant they should pay no lesse prise then their liues for the getting out of that place which they like men in deede fortifying courage with the true Rampier of patience did so endure as they did rather appeare gouernours of necessitie then seruaunts to fortune The whole summe of their thoughts resting vpon the safetie of their Ladyes and their care one for the other Wherein if at all their harts did seeme to receyue some softnes For sometimes Musidorus would feele such a motion to his friend and his vnworthy case that he would fall into such kinde speeches My Pyrocles would he say how vnhappy may I thinke Thessalia that hath bene as it were the middle way to this euill estate of yours For if you had not bene there brought vp the Sea should not haue had this power thus to seuer you from your deere father I haue therefore if complayntes do at any time become a mans hart most cause to complayne since my Countrie which receyued the honor of Pyrocles educacion should be a step to his ouerthrowe if humane chances can be compted an ouerthrowe to him that stands vppon vertue Oh excellent Musidorus aunswered Pyrocles howe do you teache me rather to fall out with my selfe and my fortune since by you I haue receyued all good you only by me this affliction to you and your vertuous mother I in my tendrest yeares and fathers greatest troubles was sent for succour There did I learne the sweete mysteries of Phylosophy there had I your liuely example to confirme that which I learned there lastly had I your friendship which no vnhappines can euer make me saye but that hath made me happy Now see how my desteny the gods knowe not my will hath rewarded you my father sends for you away out of your land whence but for me you had not come what after followed you knowe It was my loue not yours which first stayed you heere and therefore if the heauens euer held a iust proportion it were I and not you that should feele the smart O blame not the heauens sweete Pyrocles sayde Musidorus as their course neuer alters so is there nothing done by the vnreacheable ruler of them but hath an euerlasting reason for it And to saye the truth of these things we should deale vngratefully with nature if we should be forgetfull receyuers of her giftes and so diligent Auditors of the chaunces we like not We haue liued and haue liued to be good to our selues and others our soules which are put into the sturring earth of our bodyes haue atchieued the causes of their hether cōming They haue knowne honoured with knowledge the cause of their creation and to many men for in this time place and fortune it is lawfull for vs to speake gloriously it hath bene behouefull that we should liue Since then eternitie is not to be had in this coniunction what is to be lost by the separation but time which since it hath his ende when that is once come all what is past is nothing and by the protracting nothing gotten but labour and care Do not me therefore that wrong who something in yeares but much in all other deserts am fitter to dye then you as to say you haue brought me to any euill since the loue of you doth ouerballance all bodely mischiefes and those mischiefes be but mischiefes to the basermindes too much delighted with the kennell of this life Neither will I any more yeeld to my passion of lamenting you which howsoeuer it might agree to my exceeding friendship surely it would nothing to your exceeding vertue Add this to your noble speech my deere Cozen said Pirocles that if we complaine of this our fortune or seeme to our selues faultie in hauing one hurt the other we showe a repentance of the loue we beare to these matchlesse creatures or at least a doubt it should be ouerdeerely bought which for my part and so dare I aunswere for you I call all the gods to witnesse I am so farre from that no shame no torment no death would make me forgoe the least part of the inward honor essentiall pleasure and liuing life I haue enioyed in the presence of the faultlesse Philoclea Take the preheminence in all things but in true louing aunswered Musidorus for the confession of that no death shall get of me Of that aunswered Pirocles soberly smiling I perceiue wee shall haue a debate in the other world if at least there remayne any thing of remembrance in that place I do not thinke the contrarye sayde Musidorus although you knowe it is greately helde that with the death of bodye and sences whiche are not onely the beginning but dwelling and nourishing of passions thoughts and immaginations they fayling memorye likewise fayles which riseth onely out of them and then is there left nothing but the intellectuall parte or intelligence which voide of all morall vertues which stande in
protested the lawes of Arcadia would not allowe any iudgement of her although she her selfe were to determine nothing till age or marriage enabled her Then the Kings body being layde vppon a Table iust before Euarchus and all couered ouer with blacke the prisoners namely the Queene and two young Princes were sent for to appeare in the Protectors name which name was the cause they came not to knowledge how neere a kinseman was to iudge of them but thought him to be some Noble man chosen by the Country in this extremitye So extraordinary course had the order of the heauens produced at this time that both nephewe and sonne were not only prisoners but vnknowen to their vncle and father who of many yeares had not seene them And Pyrocles was to pleade for his life before that throne in which throne lately before he had saued the Kings life But first was Gynecia led foorth in the same weedes that the daye and night before she had worne sauing that in stead of Zelmanes garment in which she was founde she had cast on a long cloake which reached to the ground of russed course cloath with a poore felt hat which almost couered all her face most part of her goodly heare on which her hands had layd many a spitefull holde so lying vpon her shoulders as a man might well see had no artificiall carelesnes Her eyes downe on the ground of purpose not to looke on Pyrocles face which she did not so much shunne for the vnkindnes she conceaued of her owne ouerthrow as for the feare those motions in this short time of her life should be reuiued which she had with the passage of infinite sorrowes mortified Great was the compassion the people felt to see their Princesse state and beawtie so deformed by fortune and her owne desert whome they had euer found a Lady most worthy of all honour But by and by the sight of the other two prisoners drewe most of the eyes to that spectacle Pyrocles came out led by Sympathus cloathed after the Greeke manner in a long coate of white veluet reaching to the small of his legge with great buttons of Diamonds all along vppon it His neck without any coller not so much as hidden with a ruffe did passe the whitenes of his garments which was not much in fashion vnlike to the crimson rayment our Knightes of the order first put on On his feete he had nothing but slippers which after the auncient manner were tyed vp with certayne laces which were fastened vnder his knee hauing wrapped about with many pretty knots his naked legs His fayre auberne heare which he ware in great length and gaue at that time a delightfull shew with being sturd vp and downe with the breath of a gentle winde had nothing vppon it but a white Ribbin in those dayes vsed for a Diademe Which rolled once or twise about the vppermost parte of his forehead fell downe vppon his backe cloased vp at each ende with the richest pearle were to be seene in the world After him followed an other Noble man guiding the noble Musidorus Who had vpon him a long cloake after the fashion of that which we call the Apostles mantle made of purple Satten not that purple which we now haue and is but a counterfet of the Getulian purple which yet was farre the meaner in price and estimacion but of the right Tyrian purple which was neerest to a cullour betwixt our murrey and skarlet On his head which was blacke and curled he ware a Persian Tiara all set downe with rowes of so rich Rubies as they were inough to speake for him that they had to iudge of no meane personage In this sorte with erected countenaunces did these vnfortunate Princes suffer themselues to be ledd shewing aright by the comparison of them and Ginecia how to diuers persons compassion is diuersly to be sturred For as to Ginecia a Ladie knowne of great estate and greatly esteemed the more miserable representation was made of her sodaine ruyne the more mens heartes were forced to bewayle such an euident witnesse of weake humanitie so to these men not regarded because vnknowne but rather besides the detestacion of their facte hated as straungers the more they shoulde haue falne downe in an abiecte semblance the more in steed of compassion they shoulde haue gotten contempt but therefore were to vse as I may tearme it the more violence of magnanimitye and so to conquer the expectation of the lookers with an extraordinarye vertue And such effecte in deede it wrought in the whole assemblye theyr eyes yet standing as it were in ballance to whether of them they should most directe theyr sight Musidorus was in stature so much higher then Pyrocles as commonly is gotten by one yeares growth His face now beginning to haue some tokens of a beard was composed to a kinde of manlike beawtie His cullour was of a well pleasing brownenes the features of it such as they caried both delight and maiestie his countenance seuere and promising a minde much giuen to thinking Pyrocles of a pure complexion and of such a cheerefull fauour as might seeme either a womans face on a boy or an excellent boyes face in a woman His looke gentle and bashfull which bred the more admiracion hauing shewed such notable proofes of courage Lastly though both had both if there were any ods Musidorus was the more goodly and Pyrocles the more louely But assoone as Musidorus saw himselfe so farre forth led among the people that he knew to a great number of them his voyce should be heard misdoubting their intention to the Princesse Pamela of which he was more carefull then of his owne life euen as he went though his leader sought to interrupt him he thus with a lowde voyce spake vnto them And is it possible ô Arcadians sayd he that you can forget the naturall dutie you owe to your Princesse Pamela hath this soyle bene so little beholding to her noble Auncesters hath so long a time rooted no surer loue in your hearts to that line Where is that faith to your Princes blood which hath not only preserued you from all daungers heretofore but hath spred your fame to all the nations in the world Where is the iustice the Arcadians were wont to flourish in whose nature is to render to euery one his owne Will you now keepe the right from your Prince who is the only geuer of iudgement the keye of iustice and life of your lawes Do you hope in a fewe yeares to set vp such another race which nothing but length of time can establish Will you reward Basilius children with vngratefulnes the very poyson of manhood Will you betray your long setled reputation with the fowle name of traytors Is this your mourning for your Kings death to encrease his losse with his daughters misery Imagin your Prince do looke out of the heauens vnto you what do you thinke he could wish more at your hands then
how Daiphantus not without danger to himselfe had preserued him from the furious malice of the Helots and euen that day going to conclude the peace least in his absence he might receiue some hurt he had taken him in his companie and geuen him armour vpon promise he should take the parte of the Helots which he had in his fight perfourmed little knowing that it was against his father but saide Clitophon here is he who as a father hath new-begotten me and as a God hath saued me from many deathes which already laid hold on me which Kalander with teares of ioy acknowledged besides his owne deliuerance onely his benefite But Daiphanius who loued doing well for it selfe and not for thanks brake of those ceremonies desiring to know how Palladius for so he called Musidorus was come into that companie and what his present estate was whereof receiuing a brief declaratioÌ„ of Kalander he sent him word by Clitophon that he should not as now come vnto him because he held himselfe not so sure a master of the Helots mindes that hee would aduenture him in their power who was so welknowen with an vnfriendly acquaintce but that he desired him to returne with Kalander whether also he within fewe dayes hauing dispatched himselfe of the Helots would repaire Kalander would needes kisse his hand againe for that promise protesting he would esteeme his house more blessed then a temple of the gods if it had once receiued him And then desiring pardon for Argalus Daiphantus assured them that hee would dye but hee would bring him though till then kept in close prison indeede for his safetie the Helots being so animated against him as els he could not haue liued and so taking their leaue of him Kalander Clitophon Palladius and the rest of the Arcadians swearing that they would no further in any sorte molest the Helots they straight way marched out of the towne carying both their dead and wounded bodies with them and by morning were already within the limits of Arcadia The Helots of the other side shutting their gates gaue theÌ„selus to burye their dead to cure their wounds and rest their wearied bodies til the next day bestowing the cheerefull vse of the light vpon them Daiphanâ—us making a generall conuocation spake vnto them in this manner We are first said he to thank the Gods that further then wee had either cause to hope or reason to imagine haue deliuered vs out of this gulfe of daunger wherein we were alredie swallowed For all being lost had they not directed my return so iust as they did it had beene too late to recouer that which being had we could not keepe And had I not happened to know one of the principal men among them by which meanes the truce beganne betweene vs you may easily conceiue what little reason we haue to think but that either by some supplie out of Arcadia or from the Nobilitie of this Country who would haue made fruits of wisdom grow out of this occasion we should haue had our power turned to ruine our pride to repentance and sorrow But now the storme as it fell so it ceased and the error committed in retaining Clitophon more hardly then his age or quarrell deserued becomes a sharply learned experience to vse in other times more moderation Now haue I to deliuer vnto you the conclusion between the kings with the Nobilitie of Lacedaemon and you which is in all points as your selues desired aswell for that you would haue graunted as for the assurance of what is graunted The Townes and Fortes you presently haue are still left vnto you to be kept either with or without garrison so as you alter not the lawes of the Countrie and pay such dueties as the rest of the Laconians doo Your selues are made by publique decree freemen and so capable both to giue and receiue voice in election of Magistrates The distinction of names betweene Helots and Lacedaemonians to bee quite taken away and all indifferently to enioy both names and priuiledges of Laconians Your children to be brought vp with theirs in the Spartane discipline so you framing your selues to be good members of that estate to bee hereafter fellowes and no longer seruants Which conditions you see cary in themselues no more contentation then assurance For this is not a peace which is made with them but this is a peace by which you are made of them Lastly a forgetfulnesse decreed of all what is past they shewing them selues glad to haue so valiant men as you are ioyned with themâ— so that you are to take mindes of peace since the cause of war is finished and as you hated them before like oppressours so now to loue them as brothers to take care of their estate because it is yours and to labour by vertuous doing that the posteritie may not repent your ioyning But now one Article onely they stoode vpon which in the end I with your commissioners haue agreed vnto that I shoulde no more tarry heere mistaking perchance my humor and thinking me as seditious as I am young or els it is the king Amiclas procuring in respect that it was my ill hap to kill his nephew Eurileon but how so euer it be I haue condiscended But so will not we cried almost the whole assemblie councelling one an other rather to try the vttermost euent then to loose him by whom they had beene victorious But he as well with generall orations as particular dealing with the men of most credit made them throughly see how necessary it was to preferre such an opportunity before a vaine affection but yet could not preuaile till openly he sware that he would if at any time the Lacedaemonians brake this treatie come back againe and be their captaine So then after a few daies setting them in perfect order he tooke his leaue of them whose eyes bad him farwell with teares and mouthes with kissing the places where he stept and after making temples vnto him as to a demi-God thinking it beyond the degree of humanitie to haue a witt so farre ouergoing his age and such dreadfull terror proceed from so excellent beautie But he for his sake obtained free pardon for Argalus whom also vpon oath neuer to beare armes against the Helots he deliuered and taking onely with him certaine principall Iewells of his owne he would haue parted alone with Argalus whose countenance well shewed while Parthenia was lost he counted not himselfe deliuered but that the whole multitude would needs gard him into Arcadia Where again leauing them all to lament his departure he by enquirie gotte to the well-knowne house of Kalander There was he receiued with louing ioye of Kalander with ioyefull loue of Palladius with humble though dolefull demeanor of Argalus whom specially both he and Palladius regarded with gratefull seruisablenes of Clitophon and honourable admiration of all For being now well veiwed to haue no haire of his face to witnes him a man who had done acts
into thickest of the woods lamenting and euen crying out so pitifully that my seruant though of a fortune not vsed to much tendernes could not refraine weeping when he told it me He once ouertooke him but Amphialus drawing his sword which was the onely part of his armes God knowes to what purpose he carried about him threatned to kil him if he followed him and withal bad him deliuer this bitter message that he wel inough found I was the cause of all this mischiefe and that if I were a man he would go ouer the world to kill me but bad me assure myselfe that of all creatures in the world he most hated mee Ah sir Knight whose eares I think by this time are tired with the rugged waies of these misfortunes now weigh my case if at least you know what loue is For this cause haue I left my countrie putting in hazard how my people will in time deale by me aduenturing what perilles or dishonors might ensue onely to follow him who proclaimeth hate against me and to bring my necke vnto him if that may redeeme my trespasse and asswage his fury And now sir saide she you haue your request I pray you take paines to guide me to the next towne that there I may gather such of my company againe as your valor hath left me Palladius willingly condiscended but ere they began to go there came Clitophon who hauing bene something hurt by one of them had pursued him a good way at length ouertaking him and ready to kill him vnderstoode they were seruants to the faire Queene Helen and that the cause of this enterprise was for nothing but to make Amphialus prisoner whō they knew their mistresse sought for she concealed her sorrow nor cause of her sorrow frō no body But Clitophon very sory for this accident came backe to comfort the Queene helping such as were hurt in the best sort that he could and framing friendly constructions of this rashly vnder-taken enmitie when in comes an other till that time vnseene all armed with his beuer downe who first looking round about vpon the cōpany as soone as he spied Palladius he drew his sword making no other prologue let flie at him But Palladius sorie for so much harme as had already happened sought rather to retire and warde thinking he might be some one that belonged to the faire Queene whose case in his heart he pitied Which Clitophon seeing stept betweene them asking the new come knight the cause of his quarrel who answered him that hee woulde kill that theefe who had stollen away his masters armour if he did not restore it With that Palladius lookt vpon him and sawe that hee of the other side had Palladius owne armour vpon him truely saide Palladius if I haue stolne this armour you did not buy that◠but you shall not fight with me vpon such a quarrell you shall haue this armour willingly which I did onely put on to doo honor to the owner But Clitophon straight knewe by his words and voyce that it was Ismenus the faithfull and diligent Page of Amphialus and therefore telling him that he was Clitophon and willing him to acknowledge his error to the other who deserued all honour the yong Gentleman pulled of his head-peece and lighting went to kisse Palladius hands desiring him to pardon his follie caused by extreame griefe which easilie might bring foorth anger Sweete Gentleman saide Palladius you shall onely make me this amendes that you shall cary this your Lords armour from me to him and tell him from an vnknowen knight who admires his worthines that he cannot cast a greater miste ouer his glory then by being vnkind to so excellēt a princesse as this Queene is Ismenus promised he would as soone as he durst find his maister and with that went to doo his duetie to the Queene whom in al these encounters astonishment made hardy but assoone as she saw Ismenus looking to her picture Ismenus saide shee here is my Lord where is yours or come you to bring me some sentence of death from him if it be so welcome be it I pray you speake and speake quickly Alas Madame said Ismenus I haue lost my Lorde with that teares came vnto his eyes for assoone as the vnhappie combate was concluded with the death both of father and sonne my maister casting of his armour went his way forbidding me vpon paine of death to follow him Yet diuers daies I followed his steppes till lastly I found him hauing newly met with an excellent Spaniell belonging to his dead companion Philoxenns The dog straight fawned on my master for old knowledge but neuer was there thinge more pittifull then to heare my maister blame the dog for louing his maisters murtherer renewing a fresh his complaints with the dumbe counceller as if they might comfort one another in their miseries But my Lord hauing spied me rase vp in such rage that in truth I feared he would kill me yet as then he said onely if I would not displease him I should not come neere him till he sent for me too hard a commaundement for me to disobey I yeelded leauing him onely waited on by his dog and as I thinke seeking out the most solitarie places that this or any other country can graunt him and I returning where I had left his armour found an other in steede thereof and disdaining I must confesse that any should beare the armour of the best Knight liuing armed my selfe therein to play the foole as euen now I did Faire Ismenus said the Queene a fitter messenger could hardly be to vnfold my Tragedie I see the end I see my end With that sobbing she desired to be conducted to the next towne where Palladius left her to be waited on by Clitophon at Palladius earnest entreatie who desired alone to take that melancholy course of seeking his friend and therefore changing armours againe with Ismenus who went withall to a castle belonging to his master he continued his quest for his friend Daiphantus So directed he his course to Laconia aswell among the Helots as Spartans There indeede hee found his fame flourishing his monuments engraued in Marble and yet more durably in mens memories but the vniuersall lamenting his absented presence assured him of his present absence Thence into the Elean prouince to see whether at the Olympian games there celebrated he might in such concourse blesse his eyes with so desired an encounter but that huge and sportfull assemblie grewe to him a tedious louelinesse esteeming no bodie founde since Daiphantus was lost Afterward he passed through Achaia and Sicyonia to the Corinthians prowde of their two Seas to learne whether by the streight of that Isthmus it were possible to know of his passage But finding euerie place more dombe then other to his demaundes and remembring that it was late-taken loue which had wrought this new course he returned againe after two moneths trauaile in vaine to make a freshe searche in Arcadia
at the first liking of a likely beautie louing because they will loue for want of other businesse not because they feele indeed that diuine power which makes the heart finde a reason in passion and so God knowes as inconstantly leaue vpon the next chaunce that beautie castes before them So therefore taking loue vppon him like a fashion he courted this Ladie Artesia who was as fit to paie him in his owne monie as might be For she thinking she did wrong to her beautie if she were not prowde of it called her disdaine of him chastitie and placed her honour in little setting by his honouring her determining neuer to marrie but him whome she thought worthie of her and that was one in whome all worthinesse were harboured And to this conceipt not only nature had bent her but the bringing vp she receaued at my sister in lawe Cecropia had confirmed her who hauing in her widowhood taken this young Artesia into her charge because her Father had bene a deare friend of her dead husbandes had taught her to thinke that there is no wisdome but in including both heauen and earth in ones selfe and that loue courtesie gratefulnesse friendship and all other vertues are rather to be taken on then taken in ones selfe And so good a disciple she found of her that liking the fruits of her owne planting she was content if so her sonne could haue liked of it to haue wished her in mariage to my Nephew Amphialus But I thinke that desire hath lost some of his heate since she hath knowne that such a Queene as Helen is doth offer so great a price as a Kingdome to buie his fauour for if I be not deceaued in my good sister Cecrâ—pia she thinks no face so beautifull as that which lookes vnder a Crowne But Artesia indeede liked well of my Nephew Amphialus for I can neuer deeme that loue which in hauty harts proceeds of a desire onely to please and as it were peacock themselues but yet she hath shewed vehemencie of desire that way I thinke because all her desires be vehement in so much that she hath both placed her only brother a fine youth called Ismenus to be his squire and her selfe is content to waite vpon my sister till she may see the vttermost what she may worke in Amphialus who being of a melancholie though I must say truly courteous and noble mind seemes to loue nothing lesse then Loue and of late hauing through some aduenture or inward miscontentment withdrawne himselfe from any bodies knowledge where he is Artesia the easier condiscended to goe to the court of Laconia whether she was sent for by the Kings wife to whome she is somewhat allied And there after the war of the Helots this Knight Phalantus at least for tongue-delight made him selfe her seruaunt and she so little caring as not to showe mislike thereof was content onely to be noted to haue a notable seruaunt For truely one in my court neerely acquainted with him within these few dayes made me a pleasaunt description of their loue while he with cheerefull lookes would speake sorowfull words vsing the phrase of his affection in so high a stile that Mercurie would not haue wooed Venus with more magnificent Eloquence but els neyther in behauiour nor action accusing in himselfe anie great trouble in minde whether he sped or no. And she of the other side well finding how little it was and not caring for more yet taught him that often it falleth out but a foolish wittinesse to speake more then one thinkes For she made earnest benefite of his iest forcing him in respect of his profession to doo her such seruice as were both cumbersome and costly vnto him while he still thought he went beyond her because his harte did not commit the idolatrie So that lastlie she I thinke hauing in minde to make the fame of her beautie an oratour for her to Amphialus perswading her selfe perhaps that it might fall out in him as it doth in some that haue delightfull meate before them and haue no stomacke to it before other folkes prayse it shee tooke the aduauntage one daye vppon Phalantus vnconscionable praysinges of her and certaine cast-awaie vowes howe much hee would doo for her sake to arrest his woord assoone as it was out of his mouth and by the vertue thereof to charge him to goe with her thorow all the courts of Greece and with the chalenge now made to giue her beauty the principality ouer all other Phalantus was entrapped and saw round about him but could not get out Exceedingly perplexed he was as he confest to him that tolde mee the tale not for doubt hee had of him selfe for indeede he had little cause being accounted with his Launce especially whereupon the challenge is to be tryed as perfect as any that Greece knoweth but because he feared to offend his sister Helen and withall as he said he could not so much beleeue his loue but that he must thinke in his hart whatsoeuer his mouth affirmed that both she my daughters the faire Parthenia wife to a most noble Gentleman my wiues neere kinsman might far better put in their clayme for that prerogatiue But his promise had bound him prentice and therefore it was now better with willingnes to purchase thankes then with a discontented doing to haue the paine and not the reward and therefore went on as his faith rather then loue did lead him And now hath he already passed the courts of Laconia Elis Argos Corinth and as many times it happens that a good pleader maks a bad cause to preuaile so hath his Lawnce brought captiues to the triumph of Artesias beautie such as though Artesia be amoÌ„g the fairest yet in that coÌ„pany were to haue the prehemineÌ„ce for in those courts many knights that had bene in other far countries defended such as they had sene liked in their trauaile but their defeÌ„ce had ben such as they had forfaited the pictures of their Ladies to giue a forced false testimonie to Artesias excellencie And now lastly is he come hether where he hath leaue to trye his fortune But I assure you if I thought it not in dew and true consideration an iniurious seruice and churlish curtesie to put the danger of so noble a title in the deciding of such a dangerles combat I would make yong master Phalantus know that your eyes can sharpen a blunt Launce and that age which my gray haires onely gotten by the louing care of others make seeme more then it is hath not diminished in me the power to protect an vndeniable verity With that hee bustled vp himselfe as though his heart would faine haue walked abroad Zelmane with an inwarde smiling gaue him outward thanks desiring him to reserue his force for worthier causes So passing their time according to their woont they wayted for the comming of Phalantus who the next morning hauing alredy caused his tents to be pitched neere to a
a certaine Sycionian Knight was lost thorow want rather of valour then iustice her husband the famous Argalus would in a chafe haue gone and redeemed it with a new triall But shee more sporting then sorrowing for her vndeserued champion tolde her husbande shee desired to bee beautifull in no bodies eye but his and that shee would rather marre her face as euill as euer it was then that it should be a cause to make Argalus put on armour Then woulde Basilius haue tolde Zelmane that which she already knew of the rare triall of that coupled affection but the next picture made their mouthes giue place to their eyes It was of a young mayd which sate pulling out a thorne out of a Lambes foote with her looke so attentiue vppon it as if that little foote coulde haue bene the circle of her thoughts her apparell so poore as it had nothing but the inside to adorne it a shephooke lying by her with a bottle vpon it But with all that pouertie beauty plaid the prince and commanded as many harts as the greatest Queene there did Her beautie and her estate made her quicklie to be knowne to be the faire shepheardesse Vrania whom a rich knight called Lacemon farre in loue with her had vnluckely defended The last of all in place because last in the time of her being captiue was Zelmane daughter to the King Plexirtus who at the first sight seemed to haue some resembling of Philoclea but with more marking comparing it to the present Philoclea who indeed had no paragon but her sister they might see it was but such a likenesse as an vnperfect glasse doth giue aunswerable enough in some feitures and colors but erring in others But Zelmane sighing turning to Basilius Alas sir said she here be some pictures which might better become the tombes of their Mistresses thē the triumphe of Artesia It is true sweetest Lady saide Basilius some of them bee dead and some other captiue But that hath happened so late as it may bee the Knightes that defended their beauty knew not so much without we will say as in some harts I know it would fall out that death it selfe could not blot out the image which loue hath engrauen in them But diuers besides these said Basilius hath Phalantus woon but he leaues the rest carying onely such who either for greatnes of estate or of beauty may iustly glorifie the glory of Artesias triumph Thus talked Basilius with Zelmane glad to make any matter subiect to speake of with his mistresse while Phalantus in this pompous maner brought Artesia with her gentlewomen into one Tent by which he had another where they both wayted who would first strike vpon the shielde while Basilius the Iudge appointed sticklers and troumpets to whom the other should obey But non that day appeared nor the next till all ready it had consumed halfe his allowance of light but then there came in a knight protesting himselfe as contrarie to him in minde as he was in apparrell For Phalantus was all in white hauing in his bases and caparison imbroidered a wauing water at each side whereof hee had nettings cast ouer in which were diuers fishes naturally made and so pretily that as the horse stirred the fishes seemed to striue and leape in the nette But the other knight by name Nestor by birth an Arcadian in affection vowed to the faire Shepherdesse was all in black with fire burning both vpō his armour and horse His impresa in his shield was a fire made of Iuniper with this word More easie and more sweete But this hote knight was cooled with a fall which at the third course he receiued of Phalantus leauing his picture to keepe companie with the other of the same stampe hee going away remedilesly chafing at his rebuke The next was Polycetes greatly esteemed in Arcadia for deedes he had done in armes and much spoken of for the honourable loue he had long borne to Gynecia which Basilius himselfe was content not onely to suffer but to be delighted with he carried it in so honorable and open plainnes setting to his loue no other marke then to do her faithfull seruice But neither her faire picture nor his faire running could warrant him from ouerthrow and her from becomming as then the last of Artesias victories a thing Gynecias vertues would little haue recked at another time nor then if Zelmane had not seene it But her champion went away asmuch discomforted as discomfited Then Telamon for Polexena and Eurileon for Elpine and Leon for Zoana all braue Knights all faire Ladies with their going downe lifted vp the ballance of his praise for actiuitie and hers for fairenes Vpon whose losse as the beholders were talking there comes into the place where they ranne a shepheard stripling for his height made him more then a boy and his face would not allow him a man brown of complexion whether by nature or by the Suns familiaritie but very louely with all for the rest so perfectly proportioned that Nature shewed shee dooth not like men◠who slubber vp matters of meane account And well might his proportion be iudged for he had nothing vpon him but a paire of sloppes and vpon his bodie a Gote-skinne which hee cast ouer his shoulder doing all things with so pretie a grace that it seemed ignorance could not make him do a misse because he had a hart to do well holding in his right hand a long staffe so cōming with a looke ful of amiable fiercenes as in whō choller could not take away the sweetnes hee came towards the king and making a reuerence which in him was comely because it was kindly My liege Lord said he I pray you heare a few words for my heart wil break if I say not my mind to you I see here the picture of Vrania which I cannot tell how nor why these men when they fall downe they say is not so faire as yonder gay woman But pray God I may neuer see my olde mother aliue if I think she be any more match to Vrania then a Goate is to a fine Lambe or then the Dog that keepes our flock at home is like your white Greihounde that pulled downe the Stagge last day And therefore I pray you let me be drest as they be and my hart giues me I shall tumble him on the earth for indeede hee might aswell say that a Couslip is as white as a Lillie or els I care not let him come with his great staffe and I with this in my hand and you shall see what I can doo to him Basilius sawe it was the fine shepheard Lalus whom once he had afore him in Pastorall sportes and had greatly delighted in his wit full of prety simplicitie and therefore laughing at his earnestnesse he bad him be content since hee sawe the pictures of so great Queenes were faine to follow their champions fortune But Lalus euen weeping ripe went among the rest longing to
so full possession of the keies of her mind that it would receaue no message from her senses without that affection were the interpreter then streight grew an exceeding delight still to be with her with an vnmeasurable liking of all that Zelmane did matters being so turned in her that where at first liking her manners did breed good-will now good-will became the chiefe cause of liking her manners so that within a while Zelmane was not prized for her demeanure but the demeanure was prized because it was Zelmanes Then followed that most naturall effect of conforming ones selfe to that which she did like and not onely wishing to be her selfe such an other in all things but to ground an imitation vpon so much an esteemed authoritie so that the next degree was to marke all Zelmanes dooings speeches and fashions and to take them into her selfe as a patterne of worthie proceeding Which when once it was enacted not onely by the comminaltie of Passions but agreed vnto by her most noble Thoughts and that by Reason it selfe not yet experienced in the issues of such matters had granted his royall assent then Friendship a diligent officer tooke care to see the statute thorowly obserued Then grew on that not onely she did imitate the sobernes of her countenance the gracefulnesse of her speech but euen their particular gestures so that as Zelmane did often eye her she would often eye Zelmane and as Zelmanes eyes would deliuer a submissiue but vehement desire in their looke she though as yet she had not the desire in her yet should her eyes answere in like pearcing kindnesse of a looke Zelmane as much as Gynecias iealousie would suffer desired to be neere Philoclea Philoclea as much as Gynecias iealousie would suffer desired to be neere Zelmane If Zelmane tooke her hand and softly strained it she also thinking the knots of friendship ought to be mutuall would with a sweete fastnes shew she was loth to part from it And if Zelmane sighed she would sigh also when Zelmane was sad she deemed it wisdome and therefore she would be sad too Zelmanes languishing countenance with crost armes and sometimes cast-vp eyes she thought to haue an excellent grace and therefore she also willingly put on the same countenance till at the last poore soule ere she were aware she accepted not onely the badge but the seruice not only the signe but the passion signified For whether it were that her wit in continuance did finde that Zelmanes friendship was full of impatient desire hauing more then ordinarie limits and therfore she was content to second Zelmane though her selfe knew not the limits or that in truth true-loue well considered haue an infectiue power At last she fell in acquaintance with loues harbinger wishing First she would wish that they two might liue all their liues together like two of Dianas Nimphes But that wish she thought not sufficient because she knew there would be more Nimphes besides them who also would haue their part in Zelmane Then would she wish that she were her sister that such a naturall band might make her more speciall to her But against that she considered that though being her sister if she happened to be married she should be robbed of her Then growne bolder she would wish either her selfe or Zelmane a man that there might succeed a blessed marriage betwixt them But when that wish had once displaied his ensigne in her minde then followed whole squadrons of longings that so it might be with a maine battaile of mislikings and repynings against their creation that so it was not Then dreames by night began to bring more vnto her then she durst wish by day where-out making did make her know her selfe the better by the image of those fancies But as some diseases when they are easie to be cured they are hard to be knowne but when they grow easie to be knowne they are almost impossible to be cured so the sweete Philoclea while she might preuent it she did not feele it now she felt it when it was past preuenting like a riuer no rampiers being built against it till alreadie it haue ouerflowed For now indeed Loue puld off his maske and shewed his face vnto her and told her plainly that shee was his prisoner Then needed she no more paint her face with passions for passions shone thorow her face Then her rosie coulor was often encreased with extraordinarie blushing and so another time perfect whitnesse descended to a degree of palenesse now hot then cold desiring she knewe not what nor how if she knew what Then her minde though too late by the smart was brought to thinke of the disease and her owne proofe taught her to know her mothers minde which as no error giues so strong assault as that which comes armed in the authoritie of a parent so greatly fortified her desires to see that her mother had the like desires And the more iealous her mother was the more she thought the Iewell precious which was with so many lookes garded But that preuailing so farre as to keepe the two louers from priuate conference then began she to feele the sweetnesse of a louers solitarinesse when freely with words and gestures as if Zelmane were present shee might giue passage to her thoughts and so as it were vtter out some smoke of those flames wherewith else she was not only burned but smothered As this night that going from the one lodge to the other by her mothers commandement with dolefull gestures and vncertaine paces shee did willingly accept the times offer to be a while alone so that going a little aside into the wood where manie times before she had delighted to walke her eyes were saluted with a tuft of trees so close set together as with the shade the moone gaue thorow it it might breede a fearefull kinde of deuotion to looke vpon it But true thoughts of loue banished all vaine fancie of superstition Full well she did both remember and like the place for there had she often with their shade beguiled Phoebus of looking vpon her There had she enioyed her selfe often while she was mistresse of her selfe and had no other thoughts but such as might arise out of quiet senses But the principall cause that inuited her remembrance was a goodly white marble stone that should seeme had bene dedicated in ancient time to the Siluan gods which she finding there a fewe dayes before Zelmanes comming had written these words vpon it as a testimonie of her mind against the suspition her captiuitie made her thinke she liued in The writing was this YOu liuing powres enclosed in stately shrine Of growing trees you rurall Gods that wield Your scepters here if to your eares diuine A voice may come which troubled soule doth yeld This vowe receaue this vowe ô Gods maintaine My virgin life no spotted thought shall staine Thou purest stone whose purenesse doth present My purest minde whose temper hard doth showe My tempred
gouernement as to lay before your eyes the picture of his proceedings But in such sorte hee flourished in the sweete comforte of dooing much good when by an accasion of leauing his Countrie he was forced to bring foorth his vertue of magnanimitie as before hee had done of iustice He had onely one sister a Ladie lest I should too easilie fall to partiall prayses of her of whom it may be iustly saide that she was no vnfit branch to the noble stock whereof she was come Her he had giuen in mariage to Dorilaus Prince of Thessalia not so much to make a frendship as to confirm the frendship betweene their posteritie which betweene them by the likenes of vertue had beene long before made for certainly Dorilaus could neede no amplifiers mouth for the highest point of praise Who hath not heard said Pamela of the valiant wise and iust Dorilaus whose vnripe death doth yet so many yeares since draw teares from vertuous eyes And indeede my father is wont to speake of nothing with greater admiration then of the notable friâ—ndship a rare thing in Princes more rare betweene Princes that so holily was obserued to the last of those two excellent men But said she go on I pray you Dorilaus said he hauing married his sister had his marriage in short time blest for so are folke woont to say how vnhappie soeuer the children after grow with a sonne whom they named Musidorus of whom I must needes first speake before I come to Pyrocles because as he was borne first so vpon his occasion grew as I may say accidentally the others birth For scarcely was Musidorus made partaker of this oft-blinding light when there were found numbers of Southsayers who affirmed strange and incredible thinges should be performed by that childe whether the heauens at that time listed to play with ignorant mankinde or that flatterie be so presumptuous as euen at times to borrow the face of Diuinitie But certainly so did the boldnesse of their affirmation accompanie the greatnesse of what they did affirm euen descending to particularities what kingdoms he should ouercome that the king of Phrygia who ouer-superstitiously thought himselfe touched in the matter sought by force to destroy the infant to preuent his after-expectations because a skilfull man hauing compared his natiuity with the child so told him Foolish man either vainly fearing what was not to be feared or not considering that if it were a worke of the superiour powers the heauens at length are neuer children But so he did and by the aid of the Kings of Lydia and Crete ioining together their armies inuaded Thessalia and brought Dorilaus to some behind-hand of fortune when his faithfull friend and brother Euarchus came so mightily to his succour that with some enterchanging changes of fortune they begat of a iust war the best child peace In which time Euarchus made a crosse mariage also with Dorilaus his sister and shortly left her with child of the famous Pyrocles driuen to returne to the defence of his owne countrie which in his absence helped with some of the ill contented nobilitie the mighty King of Thrace and his brother King of Pannonia had inuaded The successe of those warres was too notable to be vnknowne to your eares to which it seemes all worthy fame hath glory to come vnto But there was Dorilaus valiantly requiting his friends helpe in a great battaile depriued of life his obsequies being no more solemnised by the teares of his partakers then the bloud of his enimies with so pearcing a sorrow to the constant hart of Euarchus that the newes of his sons birth could lighten his countenance with no shew of comfort although all the comfort that might be in a child truth it selfe in him forthwith deliuered For what fortune onely southsayers foretold of Musidorus that all men might see prognosticated in Pyrocles both Heauens and Earth giuing tokens of the comming forth of an Heroicall vertue The senate house of the planets was at no time so set for the decreeing of perfection in a man as at that time all folkes skilfull therein did acknowledge onely loue was threatned and promised to him and so to his cousin as both the tempest and hauen of their best yeares But as death may haue preuented Pyrocles so vnworthinesse must be the death of Musidorus But the mother of Pyrocles shortly after her childe-birth dying was cause that Euarchus recommended the care of his only sonne to his sister doing it the rather because the warre continued in cruell heat betwixt him and those euill neighbours of his In which meane time those young Princes the only comforters of that vertuous widow grewe on so that Pyrocles taught admiration to the hardest conceats Musidorus perchaunce because among his subiects exceedingly beloued and by the good order of Euarchus well perfourmed by his sister they were so brought vp that all the sparkes of vertue which nature had kindled in them were so blowne to giue forth their vttermost heate that iustly it may be affirmed they enflamed the affections of all that knew them For almost before they could perfectly speake they began to receaue conceits not vnworthy of the best speakers excellent deuises being vsed to make euen their sports profitable images of battailes and fortifications being then deliuered to their memory which after their stronger iudgements might dispense the delight of tales being conuerted to the knowledge of all the stories of worthy Princes both to moue them to do nobly and teach them how to do nobly the beautie of vertue still being set before their eyes and that taught them with far more diligent care then Grammaticall rules their bodies exercised in all abilities both of doing and suffring and their mindes acquainted by degrees with daungers and in sum all bent to the making vp of princely mindes no seruile feare vsed towards them nor any other violent restraint but still as to Princes so that a habite of commaunding was naturalized in them and therefore the farther from Tyrannie Nature hauing done so much for them in nothing as that it made them Lords of truth whereon all the other goods were builded Among which nothing I so much delight to recount as the memorable friendship that grew betwixt the two Princes such as made them more like then the likenesse of all other vertues and made them more neere one to the other then the neerenes of their bloud could aspire vnto which I think grew the faster and the faster was tied betweene them by reason that Musidorus being elder by three or foure yeares it was neither so great a difference in age as did take away the delight in societie and yet by the difference there was taken away the occasion of childish contentions till they had both past ouer the humour of such contentions For Pyrocles bare reuerence full of loue to Musidorus and Musidorus had a delight full of loue in Pyrocles Musidorus what he had learned either for body or minde
haue it in my praier booke I pray you said Philoclea let vs see it read it No hast but good said Miso you shal first know how I came by it I was a young girle of a seuen and twenty yeare old I could not go thorow the streate of our village but I might heare the young men talke O the pretie little eies of Miso O the fine thin lips of Miso O the goodly fat hands of Miso besides how well a certaine wrying I had of my necke became me Then the one would wincke with one eye and the other cast daiseys at me I must confesse seing so many amorous it made me set vp my peacocks tayle with the hiest Which when this good old woman perceiued O the good wold woman well may the bones rest of the good wold woman she cald me to her into her house I remember full well it stood in the lane as you go to the Barbers shop all the towne knew her there was a great losse of her she called me to her and taking first a soppe of wine to comfort her hart it was of the same wine that comes out of Candia which we pay so deere for now adaies and in that good world was very good cheape she cald me to her Minion said she indeed I was a pretie one in those daies though I say it I see a number of lads that loue you Well said she I say no more doo you know what Loue is With that she brought me into a corner where there was painted a foule fiend I trow for he had a paire of hornes like a Bull his feete clouen as many eyes vpon his bodie as my gray-mare hath dappels for all the world so placed This monster sat like a hangman vpon a paire of gallowes in his right hand he was painted holding a crowne of Laurel in his left hand a purse of mony out of his mouth hong a lace of two faire pictures of a man and a woman and such a countenance he shewed as if he would perswade folks by those aluremēts to come thither be hanged I like a tender harted wench skriked out for feare of the diuell Well said she this same is euen Loue therefore do what thou list with all those fellows one after another and it recks not much what they do to thee so it be in secret but vpō my charge neuer loue none of them Why mother said I could such a thing come frō the belly of the faire Venus for a few dayes before our priest betweene him me had told me the whole storie of Venus Tush said she they are all deceaued and therwith gaue me this Booke which she said a great maker of ballets had giuen to an old painter who for a litle pleasure had bestowed both booke and picture of her Reade there said she thou shalt see that his mother was a cowe and the false Argus his father And so she gaue me this Booke and there now you may reade it With that the remembrance of the good old woman made her make such a face to weepe as if it were not sorrow it was the carkasse of sorrow that appeared there But while her teares came out like raine falling vpon durtie furrowes the latter end of her praier booke was read among these Ladies which contained this POore Painters oft with silly Poets ioyne To fill the world with strange but vaine conceits One brings the stuffe the other stamps the coine Which breedes nought else but gloses of deceits Thus Painters Cupid paint thus Poets do A naked God blinde young with arrowes two Is he a God that euer flies the light Or naked he disguis'd in all vntruth If he be blind how hitteth he so right How is he young that tam'd old Phoebus youth But arrowes two and tipt with gold or leade Some hurt accuse a third with horny head No nothing so an old false knaue he is By Argus got on Io then a cow What time for her Iuno her Ioue did misse And charge of her to Argus did allow Mercury kill'd his false sire for this act His damme a beast was pardon'd beastly fact With fathers death and mothers guiltie shame With Ioues disdaine at such a riuals seed The wretch compell'd a runnagate became And learn'd what ill a miser state doth breed To lye to steale to pry and to accuse Naught in himselfe ech other to abuse Yet beares he still his parents stately gifts A horned head clouen feete and thousand eyes Some gazing still some winking wilye shiftes With long large eares where neuer rumour dyes His horned head doth seeme the heauen to spight His clouen foote doth neuer treade aright Thus halfe a man with man he dayly haunts Cloth'd in the shape which soonest may deceaue Thus halfe a beast ech beastly vice he plants In those weake harts that his aduice receaue He proules ech place stil in new colours deckt Sucking ones ill another to infect To narrow brests he comes all wrapt in gaine To swelling harts he shines in honours fire To open eyes all beauties he doth raine Creeping to ech with flattering of desire But for that Loue is worst which rules the eyes Thereon his name there his chiefe triumph lyes Millions of yeares this old driuell Cupid liues While still more wretch more wicked he doth proue Till now at length that Ioue him office giues At Iunos suite who much did Argus loue In this our world a hang-man for to be Of all those fooles that will haue all they see The Ladies made sport at the description and storie of Cupid But Zelmane could scarce suffer those blasphemies as she tooke them to be read but humbly besought Pamela she would perfourme her sisters request of the other part of the storie Noble Lady answered she beautifying her face with a sweete smiling and the sweetnes of her smiling with the beautie of her face since I am borne a Princes daughter let me not giue example of disobedience My gouernesse will haue vs draw cuts and therefore I pray you let vs do so and so perhaps it will light vpon you to entertaine this company with some storie of your owne and it is reason our eares should be willinger to heare as your tongue is abler to deliuer I will thinke answered Zelmane excellent Princesse my tongue of some value if it can procure your tongue thus much to fauour me But Pamela pleasantly persisting to haue fortune their iudge they set hands and Mopsa though at the first for squeamishnes going vp and downe with her head like a boate in a storme put to her golden gols among them and blind Fortune that saw not the coulor of them gaue her the preheminence and so being her time to speake wiping her mouth as there was good cause she thus tumbled into her matter In time past sayd she there was a King the mightiest man in all his country that had by his wife the fairest
daughter that euer did eate pappe Now this King did keepe a great house that euery body might come and take their meat freely So one day as his daughter was sitting in her window playing vpon a harpe as sweete as any Rose and combing her head with a combe all of precious stones there came in a Knight into the court vpon a goodly horse one haire of gold and the other of siluer and so the Knight casting vp his eyes to the window did fall into such loue with her that he grew not worth the bread he eate till many a sorry day going ouer his head with Dayly Diligence and Grisly Grones he wan her affection so that they agreed to run away togither And so in May when all true hartes reioyce they stale out of the Castel without staying so much as for their breakfast Now forsooth as they went togither often all to kissing one another the Knight told her he was brought vp among the water Nymphes who had so bewitched him that if he were euer askt his name he must presently vanish away and therefore charged her vpon his blessing that she neuer aske him what he was nor whether he would And so a great while she kept his commandement til once passing through a cruell wildernes as darke as pitch her mouth so watred that she could not choose but aske him the question And then he making the greeuousest complaints that would haue melted a tree to haue heard them vanisht quite away and she lay downe casting forth as pitifull cries as any shrich-owle But hauing laien so wet by the raine burnt by the Sun fiue dayes and fiue nights she gat vp and went ouer many a high hill and many a deepe riuer till she came to an Aunts house of hers and came and cried to her for helpe and she for pittie gaue her a Nut and bad her neuer open her Nut till she was come to the extremest misery that euer tongue could speake of And so she went and she went and neuer rested the euening where she went in the morning till she came to a second Aunt and she gaue her another Nut. Now good Mopsa said the sweete Philoclea I pray thee at my request keepe this tale till my marriage day and I promise thee that the best gowne I weare that day shal be thine Mopsa was very glad of the bargaine especially that it should grow a festiuall Tale so that Zelmane who desired to finde the vttermost what these Ladies vnderstood touching her selfe and hauing vnderstood the danger of Erona of which before she had neuer heard purposing with her selfe as soone as this pursuit she now was in was brought to any effect to succour her entreated againe that she might know as well the story of Plangus as of Erona Philoclea referred it to her sisters perfecter remembrance who with so sweet a voice and so winning a grace as in themselues were of most forcible eloquence to procure attention in this maner to their earnest request soone condiscended The father of this Prince Plangus as yet liues and is King of Iberia a man if the iudgement of Plangus may be accepted of no wicked nature nor willingly doing euill without himselfe mistake the euill seeing it disguised vnder some forme of goodnesse This Prince being married at the first to a Princesse who both from her auncesters and in her selfe was worthy of him by her had this sonne Plangus Not long after whose birth the Queene as though she had perfourmed the message for which she was sent into the world returned againe vnto her maker The King sealing vp all thoughts of loue vnder the image of her memorie remained a widdower many yeares after recompencing the griefe of that disioyning from her in conioyning in himselfe both a fatherly and a motherly care toward her onely child Plangus Who being growne to mans age as our owne eies may iudge could not but fertilly requite his fathers fatherly education This Prince while yet the errors in his nature were excused by the greenenes of his youth which tooke all the fault vpon it selfe loued a priuate mans wife of the principall Citie of that Kingdome if that may be called loue which he rather did take into himselfe willingly then by which he was taken forcibly It sufficeth that the yong mā perswaded himself he loued her she being a womā beautifull enough if it be possible that the onely outside can iustly entitle a beauty But finding such a chase as onely fledde to be caught the young Prince brought his affection with her to that point which ought to engraue remorse in her hart to paint shame vpō her face And so possest he his desire without any interruption he constantly fauouring her and she thinking that the enameling of a Princes name might hide the spots of a broken wedlock But as I haue seene one that was sick of a sleeping disease could not be made wake but with pinching of him so out of his sinfull sleepe his minde vnworthie so to be lost was not to be cald to it selfe but by a sharpe accident It fell out that his many-times leauing of the court in vndue times began to be noted and as Princes eares be manifolde from one to another came vnto the King who carefull of his onely sonne sought and found by his spies the necessarie euill seruaunts to a King what it was whereby he was from his better delights so diuerted Whereupon the King to giue his fault the greater blow vsed such meanes by disguising himselfe that he found them her husband being absent in her house together which he did to make him the more feelingly ashamed of it And that way he tooke laying threatnings vpon her and vpon him reproaches But the poore young Prince deceiued with that young opinion that if it be euer lawful to lie it is for ones Louer employed all his wit to bring his father to a better opinion And because he might bende him from that as he counted it crooked conceit of her he wrested him as much as he coulde possiblie to the other side not sticking with prodigal protestations to set foorth her chastitie not denying his own attempt but thereby the more extolling her vertue His Sophistrie preuayled his father beleeued and so beleeued that ere long though he were already stept into the winter of his age he founde himselfe warme in those desires which were in his sonne farre more excusable To be short he gaue himselfe ouer vnto it and because he would auoide the odious comparison of a yong riuall sent away his sonne with an armie to the subduing of a Prouince lately rebelled against him which he knew could not be a lesse worke then of three or foure yeares Wherein he behaued him so worthilie as euen to this country the fame thereof came long before his owne comming while yet his father had a speedier succes but in a far vnnobler conquest For while Plangus was away the old man growing
onely in age and affection followed his suite with all meanes of vnhonest seruants large promises and each thing els that might help to counteruaile his owne vnlouelines And she whose husband about that time died forgetting the absent Plangus or at lest not hoping of him to obtaine so aspiring a purpose lefte no art vnused which might keepe the line from breaking whereat the fishe was alredy taken not drawing him violently but letting him play himselfe vpon the hooke which he had so greedily swalowed For accompanying her mourning garments with a dolefull countenaunce yet neither forgetting handsomnes in her mourning garments nor sweetenes in her dolefull countenance her wordes were euer seasoned with sighes and any fauour she shewed bathed in teares that affection might see cause of pity and pity might perswade cause of affection And being growen skilful in his humors she was no lesse skilfull in applying his humors neuer suffering his feare to fall to a despaire nor his hope to hasten to an assurance shee was content he should thinke that she loued him and a certaine stolne looke should sometimes as though it were against her will bewray it But if thereupon hee grewe bolde hee straight was encouÌ„tered with a maske of vertue And that which seemeth most impossible vnto me for as neere as I can I repeate it as Plangus tolde it she could not only sigh when she would as all can doo weep wheÌ„ she would as they â—ay some can doo but being most impudent in her heart she could when she would teach her chekes blushing make shamefastnes the cloake of shamelesnes In sum to leaue out many particularities which he recited she did not only vse so the spurre that his Desire ran on but so the bit that it ran on euen in such a careere as she would haue it that within a while the king seing with no other eys but such as she gaue him thinking on other thoughts but such as she taught him hauing at the first liberal measure of fauors theÌ„ shortned of theÌ„ wheÌ„ most his Desire was inflam'd he saw no other way but mariage to satisfie his longing and her minde as he thought louing but chastly louing So that by the time Plangus returned from being notably victorious of the Rebels he found his father not onely maried but alredy a father of a sonne and a daâ—ghter by this woman Which though Plangus as he had euery way iust cause was grieued at yet did his griefe neuer bring foorth ether contemning of her or repining at his father But she who besides she was growen a mother and a stepmother did read in his eies her owne fault and made his conscience her guiltines thought still that his presence caried her condemnation so much the more as that she vnchastly attempting his wonted fancieâ— found for the reuerence of his fathers bed a bitter refusallâ— which breeding rather spite then shame in her or if it were a shame a shame not of the fault but of the repulse she did not onely as hating him thirst for a reuenge but as fearing harm form him endeuoured to doo harme vnto him Therefore did she trie the vttermost of her wicked wit how to ouerthrow him in the foundation of his strength which was in the fauour of his father which because she saw strong both in nature and desert it required the more cunning how to vndermine it And therefore shunning the ordinary trade of hireling sycophants shee made her praises of him to be accusations and her aduancing him to be his ruine For first with words neerer admiration then liking she would extoll his excellencies the goodlines of his shape the power of his witte the valiantnes of his courage the fortunatenes of his successes so as the father might finde in her a singular loue towards him nay shee shunned not to kindle some fewe sparkes of ielousie in him Thus hauing gotten an opinion in his father that shee was farre from meaning mischiefe to the sonne then fell shee to praise him with no lesse vehemencie of affection but with much more cunning of malice For then she sets foorth the liberty of his mind the high flying of his thoughts the fitnesse in him to beare rule the singular loue the Subiects bare him that it was doubtfull whether his wit were greater in winning their fauours or his courage in imploying their fauours that he was not borne to liue a subiect-life each action of his bearing in it Maiestie such a Kingly entertainement such a Kingly magnificence such a Kingly harte for enterprises especially remembring those vertues which in successor are no more honoured by the subiects then suspected of the Princes Then would shee by putting-off obiections bring in obiectioÌ„s to her husbands head already infected with suspitioÌ„ Nay would she say I dare take it vpon my death that he is no such sonne as many of like might haue bene who loued greatnes so well as to build their greatnes vpon their fathers ruine Indeed Ambition like Loue can abide no lingring and euer vrgeth on his owne successes hating no thing but what may stop them But the Gods forbid we should euer once dreame of any such thing in him who perhaps might be content that you and the world should know what he can do but the more power he hath to hurte the more admirable is his praise that he will not hurt Then euer remembring to strengthen the suspition of his estate with priuate ielousie of her loue doing him excessiue honour wheÌ„ he was in presence repeating his pretie speaches and graces in his absence besides causing him to be imployed in all such dangerous matters as ether he should perish in them or if hee preuailed they should increase his glorie which she made a weapon to wound him vntill she found that suspition began already to speake for it selfe and that her husbands eares were growne hungry of rumours and his eies prying into euery accident Then tooke she help to her of a seruant neere about her husband whoÌ„ she knew to be of a hasty ambition and such a one who wanting true sufficiencie to raise him would make a ladder of any mischiefe Him shee vseth to deale more plainely in alleaging causes of iealousie making him knowe the fittest times when her husband already was stirred that way And so they two with diuers wayes nourished one humour like Musitians that singing diuers parts make one musicke He sometime with fearefull countenaunce would desire the King to looke to himselfe for that all the court and Cittie were full of whisperinges and expectation of some soddaine change vpon what ground himselfe knew not Another time hee would counsell the King to make much of his sonne and holde his fauour for that it was too late now to keepe him vnder Now seeming to feare himselfe because he said Plangus loued none of them that were great about his father Lastly breaking with him directly making a sorrowful countenance and an
of shamefastnes and wanton languishing borrowed of her eyes the down-castlooke of modestie But we in the mean time farre from louing her and often assuring her that we would not so recompence her husbandes sauing of our liues to such a ridiculous degree of trusting her she had brought him that she caused him send vs worde that vpon our liues we should doo whatsoeuer she commaunded vs good man not knowing any other but that all her pleasures were directed to the preseruation of his estate But when that made vs rather pittie then obey his folly then fell she to seruile entreating vs as though force could haue bene the schoole of Loue or that an honest courage would not rather striue against then yeeld to iniurie All which yet could not make vs accuse her though it made vs almost pine away for spight to loose any of our time in so troublesome an idlenesse But while we were thus full of wearinesse of what was past and doubt of what was to follow Loue that I thinke in the course of my life hath a spot sometimes to poyson me with roses sometimes to heale me with wormewood brought forth a remedy vnto vs which though it helped me out of that distres alas the cōclusion was such as I must euer while I liue think it worse then a wracke so to haue bene preserued This King by this Queene had a sonne of tender age but of great expectation brought vp in the hope of themselues and already acceptation of the inconstant people as successour of his fathers crowne wherof he was as worthy considering his partes as vnworthie in respect of the wrong was thereby done against the most noble Plangus whose great desertes now either forgotten or vngratefully remembred all men set their sayles with the fauourable winde which blewe on the fortune of this young Prince perchaunce not in their harts but surely not in their mouths now giuing Plangus who some yeares before was their only champion the poore comfort of calamitie pittie This youth therefore accounted Prince of that region by name Palladius did with vehement affection loue a yong Ladye brought vp in his fathers court called Zelmane daughter to that mischieuouslie vnhappie Prince Plexirtus of whom already I haue and sometimes must make but neuer honorable mention left there by her father because of the intricate changeablenes of his estate he by the motherside being halfe brother to this Queene Andromana and therefore the willinger committing her to her care But as Loue alas doth not alwaies reflect it selfe so fell it out that this Zelmane though truely reason there was enough to loue Palladius yet could not euer perswade her harte to yeelde thereunto with that paine to Palladius as they feele that feele an vnloued loue Yet louing indeed and therefore constant hee vsed still the intercession of diligence and faith euer hoping because he would not put him selfe into that hell to be hopelesse vntill the time of our being come and captiued there brought foorth this ende which truely deserues of me a further degree of sorrow then teares Such was therein my ill destinie that this young Ladye Zelmane like some vnwisely liberall that more delight to giue presentes then pay debtes she chose alas for the pittie rather to bestowe her loue so much vndeserued as not desired vpon me then to recompence him whose loue besides many other thinges might seeme euen in the court of Honour iustly to claime it of her But so it was alas that so it was whereby it came to passe that as nothing doth more naturally follow his cause then care to preserue and benefite doth follow vnfained affection she felt with me what I felt of my captiuitie and streight laboured to redresse my paine which was her paine which she could do by no better meanes then by vsing the helpe therein of Palladius who true Louer considering what and not why in all her commaundements and indeed she concealing from him her affection which shee intituled compassion immediatly obeyed to imploye his vttermost credite to relieue vs which though has great as a beloued son with a mother faultye otherwise but not hard-harted toward him yet it could not preuaile to procure vs libertie Wherefore he sought to haue that by practise which he could not by praier And so being allowed often to visite vs for indeede our restraints were more or lesse according as the ague of her passion was either in the fit or intermission he vsed the opportunitie of a fit time thus to deliuer vs. The time of the marrying that Queene was euery year by the extreme loue of her husband and the seruiceable loue of the Courtiers made notable by some publike honours which did as it were proclaime to the worlde how deare shee was to that people Among other none was either more grateful to the beholders or more noble in it selfe then iusts both with sword launce mainteined for a seuen-night together wherein that Nation doth so excel both for comelines and hablenes that from neighbour-countries they ordinarilye come some to striue some to learne some to behold This day it happened that diuers famous Knights came thither from the Court of Helen Queene of Corinth a Lady whome fame at that time was so desirous to honor that she borrowed all mens mouthes to ioyne with the sounde of her Trumpet For as her beautie hath wonne the prize from all women that stande in degree of comparison for as for the two sisters of Arcadia they are far beyond all conceipte of comparison so hath her gouernment bene such as hath bene no lesse beautifull to mens iudgementes then her beautie to the eiesight For being brought by right of birth a woman a yong woman a faire woman to gouern a people in nature mutinously proud and alwaies before so vsed to hard gouernours as they knew not how to obey without the sworde were drawne Yet could she for some yeares so carry her selfe among them that they found cause in the delicacie of her sex of admiration not of contempt which was notable euen in the time that many countries about her were full of wars which for old grudges to Corinth were thought stil would conclude there yet so handled she the matter that the threatens euer smarted in the threatners she vsing so strange and yet so well-succeding a temper that she made her people by peace warlike her courtiers by sports learned her Ladies by Loue chast For by cōtinuall martiall exercises without bloud she made them perfect in that bloudy art Her sportes were such as carried riches of Knowledge vpon the stream of Delight and such the behauiour both of her selfe and her Ladies as builded their chastitie not vpon waiwardnes but choice of worthines So as it seemed that court to haue bene the mariage place of Loue Vertue and that herself was a Diana apparrelled in the garmēts of Venus And this which Fame only deliuered vnto me for yet I haue neuer
because subiect Then began shee to speake but with so prettie and delightfull a maiestie when she set her countenaunce to tell the matter that Pyrocles could not chuse but rebell so far as to kisse her She would haue puld her head away and speake but while she spake he kist it seemed he fedde vpon her words but she gate away How will you haue your discourse said she without you let my lips alone Hee yeelded and tooke her hand On this saide hee will I reuenge my wrong and so began to make much of that hand when her tale his delight were interrupted by Miso who taking her time while Basilius backe was turned came vnto them and tolde Philoclea she deserued she knew what for leauing her mother being euill at ease to keepe companie with straungers But Philoclea telling her that she was there by her fathers commandement she went away muttering that though her back her shoulders her necke were broken yet as long as her tongue would wagge it should do her errand to her mother And so went vp to Gynecia who was at that time miserably vexed with this manner of dreame It seemed vnto her to bee in a place full of thornes which so molested her as she could neither abide standing still nor tread safely going forward In this case she thought Zelmane being vpon a faire hill delightfull to the eye and easie in apparance called her thither whither with much anguish being come Zelmane was vanished and she found nothing but a dead bodie like vnto her husband which seeming at the first with a strange smel to infect her as she was redie likewise within a while to die the dead bodie she thought tooke her in his armes and said Gynecia leaue all for here is thy onely rest With that she awaked crying very loud Zelmane Zelmane But remembring her selfe and seeing Basilius by her guiltie conscience more suspecting then being suspected she turned her cal and called for Philoclea Miso forthwith like a valiant shrew looking at Basilins as though she would speake though she died for it tolde Gynecia that her daughter had bene a whole houre togither in secrete talke with Zelmane And sayes she for my part I coulde not be heard your daughters are brought vp in such awe though I tolde her of your pleasure sufficiently Gynecia as if shee had heard her last doome pronounced against her with a side-looke chaunged countenance O my Lorde said she what meane you to suffer these yong folkes together Basilius that aymed nothing at the marke of her suspition smilingly tooke her in his armes sweete wife said he I thanke you for your care of your childe but they must be youthes of other mettall then Zelmane that can endaunger her O but cryed Gynecia and therewith she stayed for then indeede she did suffer a right conflict betwixt the force of loue and rage of iealousie Manie times was she about to satisfie the spite of her minde and tell Basilius how she knewe Zelmane to bee farre otherwise then the outwarde appearance But those many times were all put backe by the manifolde obiections of her vehement loue Faine shee would haue barde her daughters happe but loth she was to cut off her owne hope But now as if her life had bene set vppon a wager of quicke rysing as weake as shee was shee gat vp though Basilius with a kindnesse flowing onely from the fountaine of vnkindnesse being indeed desirous to winne his daughter as much time as might bee was loth to suffer it swearing hee sawe sickenesse in her face and therefore was loath shee should aduenture the ayre But the great and wretched Ladie Gynecia possessed with those deuils of Loue and Iealousie did rid herselfe from her tedious husbande and taking no body with her going toward them O Iealousie said she the phrensie of wise folkes the well-wishing spite and vnkinde carefulnesse the selfe-punishment for others fault and selfe-miserie in others happinesse the cousin of enuie daughter of loue and mother of hate how couldest thou so quietly get thee a seate in the vnquiet hart of Gynecia Gynecia said she sighing thought wise and once vertuous Alas it is thy breeders power which plantes thee there it is the flaming agonie of affection that works the chilling accesse of thy feuer in such sort that nature giues place the growing of my daughter seemes the decay of my selfe the blessings of a mother turne to the curses of a competitor and the faire face of Philoclea appeares more horrible in my sight then the image of death Then remembred she this song which she thought tooke a right measure of her present minde VVYth two strange fires of equall heate possest The one of Loue the other Iealousie Both still do worke in neither finde I rest For both alas their strengthes together tie The one aloft doth holde the other hie Loue wakes the the iealous eye least thence it moues The iealous eye the more it lookes it loues These fires increase in these I dayly burne They feede on me and with my wings do flie My louely ioyes to dolefull ashes turne Their flames mount vp my powers prostrate lie They liue in force I quite consumed die One wonder yet farre passeth my conceate The fuell small how be the fires so great But her vnleasured thoughtes ran not ouer the ten first wordes but going with a pace not so much to fast for her bodie as slowe for her minde shee found them together who after Misos departure had left their tale and determined what to say to Basilius But full abashed was poore Philoclea whose conscience now began to know cause of blushing for first salutation receyuing an eye from her mother full of the same disdainefull scorne which Pallas shewed to poore Arachne that durst contend with her for the prize of well weauing yet did the force of loue so much rule her that though for Zelmanes sake she did detest her yet for Zelmanes sake shee vsed no harder words to her then to bid her go home and accompany her solitarie father Then began she to display to Zelmane the storehouse of her deadly desires when sodainly the confused rumor of a mutinous multitude gaue iust occasion to Zelmane to breake of any such conference for well shee found they were not friendly voices they heard and to retire with as much diligence as conueniently they could towards the lodge Yet before they coulde winne the lodge by twentie paces they were ouertaken by an vnruly sort of clownes and other rebels which like a violent floud were caried they themselues knewe not whether But assoone as they came within perfect discerning these Ladies like enraged beastes without respect of their estates or pitie of their sexe they began too runne against them as right villaines thinking abilitie to doo hurt to be a great aduancement yet so many as they were so many almost were their mindes all knitte together only in madnes Some cried Take
and the eyes delight Cherish the hiues of wisely painfull Bees Let speciall care vpon thy flock be staid Such actiue minde but seldome passion sees Philisides Hath any man heard what this old man said Truly not I who did my thoughts engage Where all my paines one looke of her hath paid Geron was euen out of countenance finding the words he thought were so wise winne so little reputation at this young mans hands and therefore sometimes looking vpon an old acquaintance of his called Mastix one of the repiningest fellows in the world and that beheld no body but with a minde of mislike saying still the world was amisse but how it should be amended he knew not sometimes casting his eyes to the ground euen ashamed to see his gray haires despised at last he spied his two dogges whereof the elder was called Melampus and the younger Laelaps in deede the iewells he euer had with him one brawling with another which occasion he tooke to restore himselfe to his countenance and rating Melampus he began to speake to his doggs as if in them a man should finde more obedience then in vnbridled young men Geron. Mastix Geron. DOwne downe Melampus what your fellow bite I set you ore the flock I dearly loue Them to defend not with your selues to fight Do you not thincke this will the wolues remoue From former feare they had of your good mindes When they shall such deuided weakenesse proue What if Laelaps a better morsell finde Then you earst knew rather take part with him Then iarle lo lo euen these how enuie blindes And then Laelaps let not pride make thee brim Because thou hast thy fellow ouergone But thanke the cause thou seest where he is dim Here Laelaps here in deed against the foen Of my good sheepe thou neuer trew's time tooke Be as thou art but be with mine at one For though Melampus like a wolfe doo looke For age doth make him of a woluish hew Yet haue I seene when well a wolfe he shooke Foole that I am that with my dogges speake grewe Come neerâ— good Mastix t is now full tway score Of yeeres alas since I good Mastix knewe Thou heardst euen now a yong man snebb me sore Because I red him as I would my son Youth will haue will Age must to age therefore Masttix What maruaile is in youth such faults be done Since that we see our saddest Shepheards out Who haue their lesson so long time begonne Quickly secure and easilie in doubt Either a sleepe be all if nought assaile Or all abroade if but a Cubb start out We shepeheards are like them that vnder saile Doe speake high wordes when all the coaste is cleare Yet to a passenger will bonnet vaile I con thee thanke to whom thy dogges be deare But commonly like currs we them entreate Saue when great need of them perforce apeare Then him we kisse whom before we beatt With such intemperance that each way grows Hate of the firste contempt of later feate And such discordtwixt greatest shepheards flowes That sport it is to see with howe greate art By iustice worke they their owne faultes disclose Like busie boyes to winne their tutors harte One saith He mockes the other saith he playes The third his lesson mist till all do smarte As for the rest howe shepeheardes spend their daies At blowe point hotcocles or els at keeles While Let vs passe our time each shepeheard saies So small accompt of time the shepeheard feeles And doth not feele that life is nought but time And when that time is paste death holdes his heeles To age thus doe they draw there youthfull pryme Knowing no more then what poore tryall showes As fishe tryall hath of muddy slyme This paterne good vnto our children goes For what they see their parents loue or hate Their first caught sence prefers to teachers blowes These cocklinges cockred we be waile to late When that we see our ofspring gaily bent Wemen man-wood men effeminate Geron. Fy man fy man what wordes hath thy tonge lent Yet thou art mickle warse then ere was I Thy too much zeale I feare thy braine hath spent We ost are angrier with the feeble flie For busines where it pertaines him not Then with the poisno'us todes that quiet lie I pray thee what hath ere the Parret gott And yet they say he talkes in greate mens bowers A Cage guilded perchaunce is all his lott Who of his tongue the lickowr gladly powrs A good foole call'd with paine perhapps may be But euen for that shall suffer mightie Lowers Let swannes example siker serue for thee Who once all birdes in sweetly-singing past But now to silence turn'd his minstralsie For he woulde sing but others were defaste The peacockes pride the pyes pild stattery Cormoraunts glutt Kites spoile king fishers waste The Falcons fercenes Sparrows letchery The Cockows shame the Gooses good intent Euen turtle toutcht he with hypocrisie And worse of other more till by assent Of all the birdes but namely those were grieued Of fowles there called was a parliament There was the swan of dignitie depriued And statute made he neuer shoulde haue voice Since when I thinke he hath in silence liued I warne thee therefore since thou maist haue choice Let not thy tonge become a firy matche No sword soe bytes as that euill toole annoyes Lett our vnpartiall eyes a litle watche Our owne demeane and soone we wondre shall That huntinge faultes our selues we did not catch Into our mindes let vs a little fall And we shall find more spottes then Leopards skinne Then who makes vs such iudges ouer all But farewell nowe thy fault is no great sinne Come come my currs t is late I will goe in And away with his doggs streight he went as if he would be sure to haue the laste worde all the assemblie laughing at the lustines of the olde fellowe who departed muttering to himselfe he had sene more in his daies then twentie of them But Basilius who neuer before had heard Philisides though hauing seldome failed to beat these metings desired him hee woulde begin some Ecloge with some other of the shepheardes according to the accustomed guise Philisides though very vnwilling at the Kings coÌ„maundemeÌ„t ofâ—red to sing with Thyrsis But he directly refused him seing he should within few dayes be maried to the faire Kala and since he had gotten his desire he would sing no more Then the king willed Philisides to declare the discourse of his owne fortunes vnknowen to them as being a stranger in that countrie but hee praied the King to pardon him the time being farre to ioyfull to suffer the rehearsall of his miseries But to satisfie Basilius someway hee began an Eclogue betwixt himselfe and the Echo framing his voice so in those desert places as what wordes he would haue the Echo replie vnto those he woulde sing higher then the rest and so kindelie framed a disputation betwixt himselfe and it which
hath the preheminence so that in that preheminence Nature counteruailes al other liberalities wherein she may bee thought to haue dealte more fauourably towarde mankind How doo men crowne thinke you themselues with glorie for hauing either by force brought others to yeelde to their minde or with long studie and premeditated orations perswaded what they would haue perswaded and see a faire woman shall not onely commaund without authoritie but perswade without speaking She shall not neede to procure attention for their owne eyes will chaine their eares vnto it Men venture liues to coÌ„quere she conqueres liues without venturing She is serued and obeyed which is the most notable not because the lawe so commaund it but because they become lawes themselues to obey her not for her parents sake but for her own sake She need not dispute whether to gouerne by Feare or Loue since without her thinking thereof their loue will bring foorth feare and their feare will fortifie their loue and shee neede not seeke offensiue or defensiue force since her onely lippes may stande for ten thousand shieldes and tenne thousand vneuitable shot goe from her eyes Beautie Beautie deere Neece is the crowne of the feminine greatnes which gifte on whom soeuer the heauens therein most nigardly do bestowe without question she is bound to vse it to the noble purpose for which it is created not onely winning but preseruing since that indeede is the right happines which is not onely in itselfe happie but can also deriue the happines to another Certainly Aunt said Pamela I feare me you will make me not only think my selfe fairer then euer I did but think my fairenes a matter of greater valew then heretofore I could imagine it For I euer til now conceaued these conquests you speake of rather to proceed from the weakenes of the conquered then from the strength of the conquering power as they say the Cranes ouerthrow whole battailes of Pygmees not so much of their Cranish courage as because the other are Pygmees and that wee see young babes thinke babies of woonderfull excellencie and yet the babies are but babies But since your elder yeares abler iudgement finde Beautie to be worthy of so incomparable estimation certainly me thinks it ought to be held in dearnes according to the excellencie and no more then we would do of things which we account pretious euer to suffer it to be defiled Defiled saide Cecropia Mary God forbid that my speech shoulde tend to any such purpose as should deserue so foul a title My meaning is to ioyne your beauty to loue your youth to delight For truely as coulours should be as good as nothing if there were no eyes to behold them so is Beauty nothing without the eye of Loue behold it and therfore so far is it from defiling it that it is the onely honoring of it the onely preseruing of it for Beauty goes awaye deuoured by Time but where remaines it euer flourishing but in the hart of a true louer And such a one if euer there were any is my son whose loue is so subiected vnto you that rather theÌ„ breed any offence vnto you it will not delight it selfe in beholding you There is no effect of his loue answered Pamela better pleaseth mee then that but as I haue often answered you so resolutely I say vnto you that he must get my parents consent and then he shall know further of my minde for without that I know I should offend God O sweet youth said Cecropia how vntimely subiect it is to deuotion No no sweet neece let vs old folks thinke of such precise considerations do you enioy the heauen of your age whereof you are sure and like good housholders which spend those thinges that will not bee kept so do you pleasantly enioy that which else will bring an ouer-late repentance when your glas shall accuse you to your face what a change there is in you Do you see how the spring-time is full of flowers decking it selfe with them and not aspiring to the fruits of Autumn what lesson is that vnto you but that in the april of your age you should be like April Let not some of them for whom alredy the graue gapeth and perhaps enuy the felicity in you which theÌ„selues cannot enioy perswade you to lose the holde of occasion while it may not onely be taken but offers nay sues to bee taken which if it bee not now taken wil neuer hereafter be ouertaken Your selfe know how your father hath refused all offers made by the greatest Princes about you wil you suffer your beauty to be hidden in the wrinckles of his peuish thoughts If hee be peuish said Pamela yet is he my father and how beautifull so euer I be I am his daughter so as God claimes at my hands obedience and makes me no iudge of his imperfectionsâ— These often replies vpon conscience in Pamela made Cecropia thinke that there was no righter waye for her then as shee had in her opinion set her in liking of Beautie with perswasion not to suffer it to be voide of purpose â—o if she could make her lesse feeling of those heauenly conceipts that then shee might easilie winde her to her croked bias Therefore employing the vttermost of her mischieuous witte and speaking the more earnestly because she spake as shee thought shee thus dealt with her Deare neece or rather deare daughter if my affection wish might preuaile therein how much dooth it increase trowe you the earnest desire I haue of this blessed match to see these vertues of yours knit fast with such zeale of Deuotion indeede the best bonde which the most politicke wittes haue founde to holde mans witte in well doing For as children must first by feare bee induced to knowe that which after when they doo know they are most glad of So are these bug-beares of opinioÌ„s brought by great Clearks into the world to serue as shewelles to to keepe them from those faults whereto els the vanitie of the worlde and weakenes of senses might pull them But in you Neece whose excellencie is such as it neede not to be helde vp by the staffe of vulgar opinions I would not you shoulde loue Vertue seruillie for feare of I know not what which you see not but euen for the good effects of vertue which you see Feare and indeede foolish feare fearefull ignorance was the first inuenter of those conceates For when they hearde it thunder not knowing the naturall cause they thought there was some angrie body aboue that spake so lowde and euer the lesse they did perceiue the more they did conceiue Whereof they knew no cause that grew streight a miracle foolish folkes not marking that the alterations be but vpon particular accidents the vniuersalitie being alwaies one Yesterday was but as to day and to morrow will tread the same footsteps of his foregoers so as it is manifest inough that all thinges follow but the course of their
owne nature sauing onely Man who while by the pregnancie of his imagination he striues to things supernaturall meane-while hee looseth his owne naturall felicitie Be wise and that wisedome shal be a God vnto thee be contented and that is thy heauen for els to thinke that those powers if there bee any such aboue are moued either by the eloquence of our prayers or in a chafe at the folly of our actions caries asmuch reason as if flies should thinke that men take great care which of them hums sweetest and which of them flies nimblest She woulde haue spoken further to haue enlarged and confirmed her discourse when Pamela whose cheeks were died in the beautifullest graine of vertuous anger with eies which glistered foorth beames of disdaine thus interrupted her Peace wicked womā peace vnworthy to breath that doest not acknowledge the breath-giuer most vnworthy to haue a tongue which speakest against him through whom thou speakest keepe your affection to your selfe which like a bemired dog would defile with fauning You say yesterday was as to day O foolish woman and most miserablely foolish since wit makes you foolish What dooth that argue but that there is a constancie in the euerlasting gouernour Woulde you haue an inconstant God since wee count a man foolish that is inconstant He is not seene you say and woulde you thinke him a God who might bee seene by so wicked eyes as yours which yet might see enough if they were not like such who for sport-sake willingly hood-winke themselues to receaue blowes the easier But though I speake to you without any hope of fruite in so rotten a harte and there bee no bodie else here to iudge of my speeches yet be thou my witnesse O captiuitie that my yeares shal not be willingly guiltie of my Creators blasphemie You saie because we know not the causes of things therfore feare was the mother of superstitiō nay because we know that each effect hath a cause that hath engendred a true liuely deuotion For this goodly work of which we are in which we liue hath not his being by Chaūce on which opiniō it is beyōd meruaile by what chaūce any braine could stumble For if it be eternall as you would seeme to conceiue of it Eternity and Chaunce are things vnsufferable together For that is chaunceable which happeneth and if it happen there was a time before it happned when it might haue not happened or els it did not happen and so if chaunceable not eternall And as absurd it is to thinke that if it had a beginning his beginning was deriued from Chaunce for Chaunce could neuer make all things of nothing and if there were substaunces before which by chaunce shoulde meete to make vp this worke thereon followes another bottomlesse pitt of absurdities For then those substaunces must needs haue bene from euer and so eternall and that eternall causes should bring forth chaunceable effectes is as sensible as that the Sunne shoulde bee the author of darkenesse Againe if it were chaunceable then was it not necessarie whereby you take away all consequents But we see in all thinges in some respect or other necessitie of consequence therefore in reason we must needs know that the causes were necessarie Lastly Chaunce is variable or els it is not to be called Chaunce but wee see this worke is steady and permanent If nothing but Chaunce had glewed those pieces of this All the heauie partes would haue gone infinitely downward the light infinitely vpwarde and so neuer haue mett to haue made vp his goodly bodie For before there was a heauen or a earth there was neyther a heauen to stay the height of the rising nor an earth which in respect of the round walles of heauen should become a centre Lastly perfect order perfect beautie perfect constancie if these be the children of Chaunce let wisedome be counted the roote of wickednesse But you will say it is so by nature as much as if you saide it is so because it is so if you meane of many natures conspiring together as in a popular gouernemēt to establish this faire estate as if the Elementishe and ethereall partes shoulde in their towne-house set downe the bounds of each ones office then consider what followes that there must needes haue bene a wisedome which made them concurre for their natures beyng absolute contrarie in nature rather would haue sought each others ruine then haue serued as well consorted partes to such an vnexpressable harmonie For that contrary things should meete to make vp a perfection without a force and Wisedome aboue their powers is absolutely impossible vnles you will flie to that hissed-out opinion of Chaunce againe But you may perhaps affirme that one vniuersal Nature which hath ben for euer is the knitting together of these many partes to such an excellent vnitie If you meane a Nature of wisdome goodnes prouidence which knowes what it doth then say you that which I seeke of you and cannot conclude those blasphemies whith which you defiled your mouth mine eares But if you meane a Nature as we speake of the fire which goeth vpward it knowes not why and of the nature of the Sea which in ebbing and flowing semes to obserue so iust a daunce and yet vnderstands no musicke it is but still the same absurditie superscribed with another title For this worde one being attributed to that which is All is but one mingling of many and many ones as in a lesse matter when we say one kingdome which conteines many citties or one cittie which conteines many persons wherein the vnder ones if there be not a superiour power and wisedome cannot by nature regarde to any preseruation but of themselues no more wee see they doo since the water willingly quenches the fire and drownes the earth so farre are they from a conspired vnitie but that a right heauenly Nature indeed as it were vnnaturinge them doth so bridle them Againe it is as absurde in nature that from an vnitie many contraries should proceede still kept in a vnitie as that from the number of contrarieties an vnitie should arise I say still if you banish both a singularitie and pluralitie of iudgement from among them then if so earthly a minde can lift it selfe vp so hie doo but conceaue how a thing whereto you giue the highest and most excellent kind of being which is eternitie can be of a base vilest degree of being and next to a not-being which is so to be as not to enioy his owne being I will not here call all your senses to witnes which can heare nor see nothing which yeeldes not most euident euidence of of the vnspeakeablenesse of that Wisedome each thinge being directed to an ende and an ende of preseruation so proper effects of iudgement as speaking and laughing are of mankind But what madd furie can euer so enueagle any conceipte as to see our mortal and corruptible selues to haue a reason and that this
vniuersalitie whereof wee are but the lest pieces shoulde bee vtterly deuoide thereof as if one shoulde saie that ones foote might be wise and him selfe foolish This hearde I once alledged against such a godlesse minde as yours who being driuen to acknowledge this beastly absurditie that our bodies should be better then the whole worlde if it had the knowledge whereof the other were voide he sought not able to answere directly to shifte it off in this sorte that if that reason were true then must it followe also that the world must haue in it a spirite that could write and read too and be learned since that was in vs commendable wretched foole not considering that Bookes bee but supplies of defects and so are praysed because they helpe our want and therefore cannot be incident to the eternall intelligence which needes no recording of opinions to confirme his knowledge no more then the Sunne wants waxe to be the fewell of his glorious lightfulnes This world therfore cannot otherwise consist but by a minde of Wisedome which gouernes it which whether you will allow to beâ— the Creator thereof as vndoubtedly he is or the soule and gouernour thereof most certaine it is that whether he gouerne all or make all his power is aboue either his creatures or his gouernement And if his power be aboue all thinges then consequently it must needes be infinite since there is nothing aboue it to limit it For beyond which there is nothing must needes be boundlesse and infinite if his power be infinite then likewise must his knowledge be infinite for else there should be an infinite proportion of power which he should not know how to vse the vnsensiblenesse whereof I thinke euen you can conceaue and if infinite then must nothing no not the estate of flies which you with so vnsauerie skorne did iest at be vnknowne vnto him For if it were then there were his knowledge bounded and so not infinite if knowledge and power be infinite then must needs his goodnesse and iustice march in the same rancke for infinitenes of power and knowledge without like measure of goodnesse must necessarily bring foorth destruction and ruine and not ornament and preseruation Since then there is a God and an all-knowing God so as he sees into the darkest of all naturall secretes which is the hart of Man and sees therein the deepest dissembled thoughts nay sees the thoughts before they be thought since he is iust to exercise his might and mightie to performe his iustice assure thy selfe most wicked woman that hast so plaguily a corrupted minde as thou canst not keepe thy sickenesse to thy selfe but must most wickedly infect others assure thy selfe I say for what I say dependes of euerlasting and vnremooueable causes that the time will come when thou shalt knowe that power by feeling it when thou shalt see his wisedome in the manifesting thy ougly shamefulnes and shalt onely perceiue him to haue bene a Creator in thy destruction Thus she saide thus she ended with so faire maiestie of vnconquered vertue that captiuitie might seeme to haue authoritie ouer tyrannie so fowly was the filthinesse of impietie discouered by the shining of her vnstayned goodnes so farre as either Cecropia saw indeed or else the guilty amazement of a selfe-accusing conscience made her eies vntrue iudges of their naturall obiect that there was a light more then humaine which gaue a lustre to her perfections But Cecropia like a Batte which though it haue eyes to discerne that there is a Sunne yet hath so euill eyes that it cannot delight in the Sunne found a trueth but could not loue it But as great persons are woont to make the wrong they haue done to be a cause to doo the more wrong her knowledge rose to no higher point but to enuâ—e a worthier and her will was no otherwise bent but the more to hate the more she found her enemie prouided against her Yet all the while she spake though with eyes cast like a horse that would strike at the stirrop and with colour which blushed through yellownesse she sate rather still then quiet and after her speech rather muttered then replied for the warre of wickednesse in her selfe brought forth disdainefull pride to resist cunning dissimulation so as saying little more vnto her but that she should haue leysure inough better to bethinke her selfe she went away repining but not repenting condemning greatly as she thought her sonnes ouer-feeble humblenesse and purposing to egge him forward to a course of violence For her selfe determining to deale wiâ—h neither of them both any more in maner of a suter for what maiestie of vertue did in the one that did silent humblenesse in the other But finding her sonne ouer-apt to lay both condemnation and execution of sorrow vpon himselfe she sought to mitigate his minde with feigned delayes of comfort who hauing this inward ouerthrow in himselfe was the more vexed that he could not vtter the rage thereof vpon his outward enemies For Basilius taught by the last dayes triall what daungerous effectes chosen courages can bring forth rather vsed the spade then the sworde or the sworde but to defende the spade girding about the whole towne with trenches which beginning a good way off from the towne with a number of well directed Pioners he still caryed before him till they came to a neere distance where he builded Fortes one answering the other in such sort as it was a pretie consideration in the discipline of warre to see building vsed for the instrument of ruine and the assayler entrenched as if he were besieged But many sallies did Amphialus make to hinder their working But they exercising more melancholie then choller in their resolution made him finde that if by the aduauntage of place fewe are able to defende themselues from manie that manie must needes haue power making themselues strong in seate to repell fewe referring the reuenge rather to the ende then a present requitall Yet oftentimes they dealt some blowes in light skirmishes eche side hauing a strong retyring place and rather fighting with manie alarums to vexe the enemie then for anie hope of great successe Which euerie way was a tedious comber to the impacient courage of Amphialus till the fame of this warre bringing thither diuerse both straungers and subiects as well of princely as noble houses the gallant Phalantus who refrained his sportfull delightes as then to serue Basilius whome he honoured for receyued honours when he had spent some time in considering the Arcadian manner in marching encamping and fighting and had learned in what points of gouernement and obedience their discipline differed from others and so had satisfied his minde in the knowledges both for the cutting off the enemies helpes and furnishing ones selfe which Basilius orders could deliuer vnto him his yong spirits wearie of wanting cause to be wearie desired to keepe his valure in knowledge by some priuate acte since the publique policie restrayned him
the rather because his olde mistresse Artesia might see whome she had so lightly forsaken and therefore demaunding and obteyning leaue of Basilius he caused a Heraulde to be furnished with apparell of his office and tokens of a peaceable message and so sent him to the gate of the towne to demaunde audience of Amphialus who vnderstanding thereof caused him both safely and courteously to be brought into his presence who making lowly reuerence vnto him presented his Letters desiring Amphialus that whatsoeuer they conteyned he would consider that he was onely the bearer and not the inditer Amphialus with noble gentlenesse assured him both by honourable speeches and a demeanure which aunswered for him that his reuenge whensoeuer should sort vnto it selfe a higher subiect But opening the Letters he found them to speake in this maner PHalantus of Corinthe to Amphialus of Arcadia sendeth the greeting of a hatelesse enemie The liking of martiall matters without anie mislike of your person hath brought me rather to the companie then to the minde of your besiegers where languishing in idlenesse I desire to refresh my minde with some exercise of armes which might make knowne the dooers with delight of the beholders Therefore if there be any Gentleman in your Towne that eyther for the loue of Honour or honour of his Loue will armed on horsebacke with launce and sworde winne another or loose himselfe to be a prisoner at discretion of the conquerour I will to morrowe morning by Sunne rising with a trumpet and a Squire onely attende him in like order furnished The place I thinke fittest the Iland within the Lake because it standes so well in the view of your Castell as that the Ladies may haue the pleasure of seeing the combate which though it be within the commaundement of your Castell I desire no better securitie then the promise I make to my selfe of your vertue I attende your aunswere and wish you such successe as may be to your honour rather in yeelding to that which is iust then in mainteyning wrong by violence AMphialus read it with cheerefull countenance and thinking but a little with himselfe called for inke and paper and wrote this aunswere AMphialus of Arcadia to Phalantus of Corinthe wisheth all his owne wishes sauing those which may be hurtfull to another The matter of your letters so fit for a worthy minde and the maner so sutable to the noblenesse of the matter giue me cause to thinke how happie I might accounte my selfe if I coulde get such a friende who esteeme it no small happinesse to haue mette with so noble an enemie Your chalenge shall be aunswered and both time place and weapon accepted For your securitie from any treacherie hauing no hostage woorthie to counteruaile you take my woord which I esteeme aboue all respectes Prepare therefore your armes to fight but not your hart to malice since true valure needes no other whetstone then desire of honour HAuing writte and sealed his letter he deliuered it to the Heraulde and withall tooke a faire chaine from off his owne necke and gaue it him And so with safe conuoy sent him away from out his Citie and he being gone Amphialus shewed vnto his mother and some other of his chiefe Counsailours what he had receyued and howe he had aunswered telling them withall that he was determined to aunswere the chalenge in his owne person His mother with prayers authorized by motherly commaundement his olde gouernour with perswasions mingled with reprehensions that he would rather affect the glorie of a priuate fighter then of a wise Generall Clinias with falling downe at his feete and beseeching him to remember that all their liues depended vppon his safetie sought all to dissuade him But Amphialus whose hart was enflamed with courage and courage enflamed with affection made an imperious resolution cutte off the tediousnesse of replyes giuing them in charge what they shoulde doo vppon all occasions and particularly to deliuer the Ladies if otherwise then well happened vnto him onely desiring his mother that she woulde bring Philoclea to a window whence she might with ease perfectly discerne the combat And so as soone as the morning beganne to draw dewe from the fairest greenes to washe her face withall against the approach of the burning Sunne hee went to his stable where himselfe chose out a horse whom though he was neere twentie yeere olde he preferred for a peece of sure seruice before a great number of yonger His colour was of a browne bay dapled thick with black spots his forhead marked with a white starre to which in all his bodie there was no part sutable but the left foote before his mane and taile black and thick of goodly and well proportioned greatnes He caused him to be trimmed with a sumptuous saddle of tawnie and golde ennamell enriched with pretious stones his furniture was made into the fashion of the branches of a tree from which the leaues were falling and so artificiallie were the leaues made that as the horse moued it seemed indeed that the leaues wagged as when the winde plaies with them and being made of a pale cloath of gold they did beare the straw-coloured liuerie of ruine His armour was also of tawnie and golde but formed into the figure of flames darckened as when they newelie brake the prison of a smoakie furnace In his shielde he had painted the Torpedo fish And so appointed he caused himselfe with his trumpet and squire whom he had taken since the death of Ismenus to be ferried ouer into the Iland a place well chosen for such a purpose For it was so plaine as there was scarcely any bush or hillock either to vnleuell or shadow it of length and breadth enough to trie the vttermost both of launce and sword and the one end of it facing the castle the other extending it selfe toward the campe and no accesse to it but by water there could no secret trecherie be wrought and for manifest violence ether side might haue time inough to succour their party But there he found Phalantus alredy waiting for him vpon a horse milke white but that vpon his shoulder and withers he was freckned with red staines as when a few strawberies are scattered into a dish of creame He had caused his mane and taile to be died in carnation his reines were vine branches which ingendring one with the other at the end when it came to the bitte there for the bosse brought foorth a cluster of grapes by the workeman made so liuely that it seemed as the horse champed on his bitte he chopped for them and that it did make his mouth water to see the grapes so neere him His furniture behind was of vines so artificially made as it seemed the horse stood in the shadow of the vine so pretily were clusters of rubie grapes dispersed among the trappers which embraced his sides His armour was blew like the heauen which a Sun did with his rayes proportionately deliuered guild in
suffering them to haue so full a course as it did exceedinglie weaken the estate of her bodie aswell for which cause as for that shee could not see Zalmane without expressing more then shee woulde how farr now her loue was imprisoned in extremitie of sorrow she bound her selfe first to the limits of her own chamber and after griefe breeding sicknes of her bed But Zelmane hauing now a full libertie to cast about euery way how to bring her conceaued attempt to a desired successe was ofte so perplexed with the manifould difficultie of it that sometimes she would resolue by force to take her a way though it were with the death of her parents somtimes to go away herself with Musidorus and bring both their forces so to winne her But lastly euen the same day that Musidorus by feeding the humor of his three loathsome gardiens had stolne awaye the Princes Pamela whether it were that loue ment to match them euerie waie or that her friendes example had holpen her inuention or that indeede Zelmane forbare to practise her deuise till she found her friend had passed through his The same daye I saye shee resolued on a way to rid out of the lodge her two combersome louers and in the night to carrie away Philoclea where vnto shee was assured her owne loue no lesse then her sisters woulde easely winne her consent Hoping that although their abrupt parting had not suffered her to demaund of Musidorus which way he ment to direct his iorney yet either they should by some good fortune finde him or if that course fayled yet they might well recouer some towne of the Helotes neere the frontieâ—es of Arcadia who being newly againe vp in armes against the Nobilitie shee knew would bee as glad of her presence as she of their protection Therefore hauing taken order for all thinges requisite for their going and first put on a sleight vndersute of mans apparel which before for such purposes she had prouided she curiously trimmed her self to the beautifâ—ing of her beauties that being now at her last triall she might come vnto it in her brauest armour And so putting on that kinde of milde countenaunce which doth encourage the looker on to hope for a gentle answere according to her late receaued maner she lefte the pleasant darkenes of her melancholy caue to goe take her dinner of the King and Queene and giue vnto them both a pleasant foode of seing the owner of their desires But euen as the Persians were aunciently wont to leaue no rising Sun vnsaluted but as his faire beames appeared clearer vnto theÌ„ wold they more hartely reioyce laying vpoÌ„ them a great fortoken of their following fortunes So was ther no time that Zelmane encouÌ„tred their eies with her beloued presence but that it bred a kind of burning deuotioÌ„ in theÌ„ yet so much the more glading their gredy soules as her couÌ„tenance were cleared with morefauour vnto theÌ„ which now being determinatly framed to the greatest desceÌ„t of kindnesse it took such hold of her infortunate louers that like children aboute a tender father from along voyage returned with louely childishnes hange about him and yet with simple feare measure by his countenance how farr he acceptes their boldnes So were these now throwne into so seruiceable an affection that the turning of Zelmanes eye was a strong sterne enough to all their motions wending no way but as the inchaunting force of it guided them But hauing made a light repaste of the pleasunt fruites of that countrye enterlarding their foode with such manner of generall discourses as louers are woont to couer their passions in when respecte of a thirde person keepes them from plaine particulars at the earnest entreatie of Basilius Zelmane first saluting the muses with a base voyal hong hard by her sent this ambassade in versified musicke to both her ill requited louers BEautie hath force to catche the humane sight Sight doth bewitch the fancie euill awaked Fancie we feele encludes all passions mighte Passion rebelde oft reâ—sons strength hath shaked No wondre then though sighte my sighte did tainte And though thereby my fancie was infected Though yoked so my minde with sicknes fainte Had reasons weight for passions ease reiected But now the fitt is past and time hath giu'ne Leasure to weigh what due deserte requireth All thoughts so spronge are from their dwelling driâ—'n And wisdome to his wonted seate aspireth Crying in me eye hopes deceitefull proue Thinges rightelie prizde loue is the bande of loue And after her songe with an affected modestie shee threwe downe her eye as if the conscience of a secret graunt her inward minde made had sodainely cast a bashfull vaile ouer her Which Basilius finding and thinking now was the time to vrge his painefull petition beseeching his wife with more carefull eye to accompanie his sickly daughter Philoclea being rid for that time of her who was content to graunt him any scope that she might after haue the like freedome with a gesture gouerned by the force of his passions making his knees his best supporters hee thus saide vnto her Yf either said he O Ladie of my life my deadly pangues coulde beare delaye or that this were the first time the same were manifested vnto you I woulde nowe but maintaine still the remembraunce of my misfortune without vrging any further reward then time and pittie might procure for me But alas since my martirdome is no lesse painefull then manifest and that I no more feele the miserable daunger then you know the assured trueth thereof why shoulde my tonge deny his seruice to my harte Why should I feare the breath of my words who daylie feele the flame of your workes Embrace in sweete consideration I beseech you the miserie of my Case acknowledge your selfe to bee the cause and thinke it is reason for you to redresse the effectes Alas let not certaine imaginatife rules whose trueth standes but vpon opinion keepe so wise a mind from gratefulnes and mercie whose neuer fayling laws nature hath planted in vs. I plainly lay my death vnto you the death of him that loues you the death of him whose life you maye saue say your absolute determination for hope it selfe is a paine while it is ouer mastered with feare and if you do resolue to be cruel yet is the speediest condemnation as in euills most welcome Zelmane who had fully set to her selfe the traine she would keepe yet knowing that who soonest meanes to yeelde doth well to make the brauest parley keeping countenaunce alofte Noble prince said she your wordes are to well couched to come out of a restlesse minde and thanked be the Gods your face threatens no daunger of death These are but those swelling speeches which giue the vttermost name to euerie trifle which all were worth nothinge if they were not enammeled with the goodly outside of loue Truely loue were verie vnlouely if it were halfe fo deadly as your louers still liuing tearme it
heauinesse which easely clothes it selfe in sleepe So as laid downe so neare the beautie of the worlde Philoclea that their neckes were subiect each to others chaste embracements it seemed loue had come thither to laye a plott in that picture of death how gladly if death came their soules would goe together The thirde Egloges THyrsis not with many painted words nor falsified promises had wone the consent of his beloued Kala but with a true simple making her know he loued her not forcing himselfe beyond his reach to buy her affection but giuing her such preatie presentes as neither coulde wearie him with the giuing nor shame her for the taking Thus the first Strawberies he could find were euer in a cleane washt dish sent to Kala thus poesies of the spring flowers were wrapt vp in a litle grene silke and dedicated to Kalas brestes thus somtimes his sweetest Creame sometimes the best Cakebread his mother made were reserued for Kalas taste Neither would hee stick to kil a lamb when she would be content to come ouer the way vnto him But theÌ„ lo how the house was swept rather no fire theÌ„ any smoke lefte to trouble her Then loue songes were not daintie when she would heare them and as much manerlie silence when shee would not in going to Church great worship to Kala. So that all the parish said neuer a maide they knew so well wayted on and when dauncing was about the Maypole no body taken out but she and he after a leape or two to shewe her his owne actiuitie woulde frame all the rest of his dauncing onely to grace her As for her fathers sheepe he had no lesse care of them then his owne so that she might play her as she would warranted with honest Thyrsis carefulnes But if he spied Kala fauourd any one of the flocke more then his fellowes then that was cherished shearing him so when shorne he must be as might most become him but while the wole was on wrapping within it â—â—me verses wherin Thyrsis had a speciall gifte and making the innocent beast his vnweting messinger Thus constantly continuing though he were none of the fayrest at length he wanne Kalas harte the honestest wenche in all those quarters And so with consent of both parents without which nether Thyrsis would aske nor Kala grant their marring day was appointed which because it fell out in this time I thinke it shall not be impertinent to remember a little our shepheards while the other greater persons are either sleeping or otherwise troubled Thyrsis mariage time once knowne there needed no inuiting of the neighbours in that valley for so well was Thyrsis beloued that they were already to doe him credit neither yet came they like Harpies to deuoure him but on bought a fat pigge the other a tender kidd the thirde a great goose as for chese milke butter were the gossips presents Thither came of strange shepheards onely the melancholy Philisides â—or the vertuous Coridon had long since left off al his ioyful solemnities And as for Strephon and Klaius they had lost their mistresse which put them into such extreme sorrowes as they could scarcely abide the light of the daye much lesse the eyes of men But of the Arcadian borne shepheardes thither came good olde Geron young Histor though vnwilling and vpright Dicus mery Pass and iolly Nico. As for Damaetas they durst not presume his pride was such to inuite him and Dorus they founde might not bee spared And there vnder a bower was made of bowes for Thyrsis house was not able to receaue them euery one placed according to his age The women for such was the maner of the country kept together to make good cheare among themselues from which otherwise a certaine painefull modestie restraines them and there might the sadder matrones giue good counsel to Kala who poore soule wept for feare of that she desired But among the shepheards was al honest libertie no feare of daungerous tel-tales who hunt greater prayes nor indeede mindes in them to giue tell-tales any occasion but one questioning with another of the manuring his ground and gouerning his flock the highest pointe they reached to was to talke of the holines of mariage to which purpose assoone as their sober dynner was ended Dycus insteede of thankes sange this songe with a cleare voice and cheerfull countenaunce LEt mother earth now decke her selfe in flowers To see her ofspring seeke a good increase Where iustest loue doth vanquish Cupids powers And ware of thoughts is swallow'd vp in peace Which neuer may decrease But like the turtells faire Liue one in two a well vnited paire Which that no chaunce may staine O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine O heau'n awake shewe forth thy stately face Let not these slumbring clowds thy beawties hide But with thy cheerefull presence helpe to grace The honest Bridegroome and the bashfull Bride Whose loues may euer bide Like to the Elme and Vyne With mutuall embracements them to twyne In which delightfull paine O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine Yee Muses all which chaste affects allow And haue to Thyrsis shewd your secret skill To this chaste loue your sacred fauours bow And so to him and her your giftes distill That they all vice may kill And like to lillies pure May please all eyes and spotlesse may endure Where that all blisse may raigne O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine Yee Nymphes which in the waters empire haue Since Thyrsis musick oft doth yeeld you praise Graunt to the thing which we for Thyrsis craue Let one time but long first close vp their daies One graue their bodies seaze And like two riuers sweete When they though diuers do together meete One streame both streames containe O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine Pan father Pan the god of silly sheepe Whose care is cause that they in number growe Haue much more care of them that them do keepe Since from these good the others good doth flowe And make their issue showe In number like the hearde Of yonglings which thy selfe with loue hast rearde Or like the drops of raine O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine Vertue if not a God yet Gods chiefe parte Be thou the knot of this their open vowe That still he be her head she be his harte He leane to her she vnto him do bow Each other still allow Like Oke and Mistletoe Her strength from him his praise from her do growe In which most louely traine O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine But thou foule Cupid syre to lawlesse lust Be thou farre hence with thy empoyson'd darte Which though of glittring golde shall heere take rust Where simple loue which chastnesse doth imparte Auoydes thy hurtfull arte Not needing charming skill Such mindes with sweet affections for to fill Which being pure and plaine O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine All churlish wordes shrewd answeres crabbed lookes All priuatenes selfe-seeking inward
refuse not misery purchased by mine owne merite Hard I must needes saye although till now I neuer thought I should haue had cause to saye is the destinie of womankinde the tryall of whose vertue must stande vpon the louing of them that employe all theyr industrie not to be beloued If Zelmanes young yeares had not had so much grauitie hidden vnder a youthfull face as your graye heares haue bene but the visar of vnfitting youthfulnes your vicious minde had brought some fruites of repentance and Gynaecia might then haue bene with much more right so basely despised Basilius that was more ashamed to see himselfe so ouertaken then Vulcan was when with much cunning hee proued himselfe a Cuckolde beganne to make certayne extrauagant excuses but the matter in it selfe hardly brooking any purgacion with the suddainnes of the time which barred any good conioyned inuention made him sometimes alledge one thing to which by and by he would bring in a contrarye one time with flat denyall another time with mitigating the fault now braue then humble vse such a stammering defensiue that Gynaecia the violence of whose sore in deede ranne another waye was content thus to fasten vp the last stitch of her anger Well well my Lorde sayde she it shall well become you so to gouerne your selfe as you may be fit rather to direct me then to be iudged of me and rather to be a wise maister of me then an vnskilfull pleader before me Remember the wrong you haue done is not onely to me but to your children whome you had of mee to your countrey when they shall finde they are commaunded by him that can not commaund his owne vndecent appetites lastly to your selfe since with these paynes you do but build vp a house of shame to dwell in if from those moueable goods of nature wherewith in my fyrst youth my royall parents bestowed me vppon you bearing you children and encrease of yeares haue withdrawen me consider I pray you that as you are cause of the one so in the other time hath not left to worke his neuer-fayling effectes in you Truly truly Sir very vntimely are these fyres in you it is time for vs both to let reason enioye his due soueraigntie Let vs not plant anewe those weedes which by natures course are content to fade Basilius that would rather then his life the matter had bene ended the best rethorike he had was flat demanding pardon of her swearing it was the very force of Apollos destenye which had caryed him thus from his owne bias but that nowe like as farre trauellers were taught to loue their owne countrie he had such a lesson without booke of affection vnto her as he would repay the debt of this error with the interest of a great deale more true honour then euer before he had done her neyther am I to geue pardon to you my Lord sayd she nor you to beare honour to me I haue taken this boldnes for the vnfayned loue I owe vnto you to deliuer my sorrowe vnto you much more for the care I haue of your well doing then for any other selfe fancie For well I knowe that by your good estate my life is mayntayned neyther if I would can I separate my selfe from your fortune For my parte therefore I clayme nothing but that which may be safest for your selfe my life will honor and what soeuer else shall be but a shadow of that bodie How much Basilius owne shame had found him culpable and had alreadie euen in soule read his owne condemnacion so much did this vnexpected mildnes of Gynaecia captiue his harte vnto her which otherwise perchaunce would haue growne to a desperat carelesnes Therefore embracing her and confessing that her vertue shined in his vice he did euen with a true resolued minde vowe vnto her that as long as he vnworthie of her did liue she should be the furthest and onlie limit of his affection He thanked the destenies that had wrought her honour out of his shame and that had made his owne striuing to goe amisse to be the best meane euer after to hold him in the right pathe Thus reconciled to Basilius great contentacion who began something to marke himselfe in his owne doings his hard hap guided his eye to the cuppe of golde wherein Gynaecia had put the lickourment for Zelmane and hauing fayled of that guest was now carrying it home agayne But he whome perchaunce sorrowe perchaunce some long disaccustomed paynes had made extremely thirstie tooke it out of her handes although she directly tolde him both of whome she had it what the effect of it was and the little proofe she had seene thereof hiding nothing from him but that she ment to minister it to another pacient But the Duke whose belly had no eares and much drouthe kept from the desiring a taster finding it not vnpleasant to his pallate dranke it almost off leauing very little to couer the cuppes bottome But within a while that from his stomacke the drincke had deliuered to his principall vaynes his noysome vapours first with a painefull stretching and forced yawning then with a darke yellownes dyeng his skinne and a colde deadlie sweate principally about his temples his bodie by naturall course longing to deliuer his heauie burden to his earthly damme wanting force in his knees which vtterly abandoned him with heauie fall gaue some proofe whether the operation of that vnknowne potion tended For with pang-like grones and gastly turning of his eyes immediatlie all his limmes stiffened and his eyes fixed he hauing had time to declare his case only in these wordes O Gynaecia I dye Haue care of what or how much further he would haue spoken no man can tell For Gynaecia hauing well perceyued the changing of his cullour and those other euill signes yet had not looked for such a sodaine ouerthrowe but rather had bethought her selfe what was best for him when she sodainely sawe the matter come to that periode comming to him and neyther with any cryes getting a worde of him nor with any other possible meanes able to bring any liuing action from him the height of all ouglie sorrowes did so horrible appeare before her amazed minde that at the first it did not only distract all power of speech from her but almost wit to consider remayning as it were quicke buried in a graue of miseries Her paynefull memorie had streight filled her with the true shapes of all the fore-past mischiefes her reason began to crye out against the filthye rebellion of sinfull sense and to teare it selfe with anguish for hauing made so weake resistance her conscience a terrible witnes of the inwarde wickednes still nourishing this debatefull fyre her complaynte nowe not hauing an ende to be directed vnto something to disburden sorrowe but a necessary downefall of inwarde wretchednes She sawe the rigour of the lawes was like to lay a shamefull death vpon her which being for that action vndeserued made it the more
and a Princesse aliue But once for them she might haue gone whether she would thinking it a sacriledge to touch her person when she finding she finding she was not a sufficieÌ„t oratour to perswade her own death by their haÌ„ds well said she it is but so much more time of miserie for my part I will not geue my life so much pleasure from hence forward as to yeeld to his desire of his own choise of death since all the rest is taken away yet let me excell in miserie Leade me therfore whether you will only happy because I can not be more wretched But neyther so much would the honest Shepheards do but rather with many teares bemoned this encrease of their former losse till she was faine to leade them with a very strange spectacle either that a Princesse should be in the hands of Shepheards or a prisoner should direct her gardiens lastly before either witnes or accuser a Lady condemne her selfe to death But in such monefull â—arch they went towards the other Shepheards who in the meane time had left nothing vnassaied to reuiue the King but all was bootles and their sorrowes encreased the more they had suffred any hopes vainly to arise Among other trialls they made to know at least the cause of his end hauing espied the vnhappy cup they gaue the little liquor that was left to a dogge of Damaetas in which within a short time it wrought the like effect although Damaetas did so much to recouer him that for very loue of his life he dasht out his braines But now all togither and hauing Gynaecia among them who to make her selfe the more odious did continuallie record to their mindes the excesse of their losse they yelded themselues ouer to all those formes of lamentacion that dolefull images do imprint in the honest but ouer tender hartes especially when they thinke the rebound of the euill falls to their owne smart Therefore after the auncient greeke maner some of them remembring the nobilitie of his birth continued by being like his Auncestors others his shape which though not excellent yet fauour and pittie drew all things now to the highest point others his peaceable gouernment the thing which most pleaseth men resolued to liue of their owne others his liberalitie which though it cannot light vpon all men yet men naturallie hoping it may be they make it a most amiable vertue Some calling in question the greatnes of his power which encreased the compassion to see the present change hauing a dolefull memorie how he had tempered it with such familier curtesie among them that they did more feele the fruites then see the pompes of his greatnes all with one consent geuing him the sacred titles of good iust mercifull the father of the people the life of his Countrie they ranne about his body tearing their beards and garments some sending their cryes to heauen other inuenting perticular howling musicke manie vowing to kill themselues at the day of his funeralls generallie geuing a true testimonye that men are louing creatures when iniuries put them not from their naturall course and howe easily a thing it is for a Prince by succession deeplie to sinke into the soules of his subiects a more liuely monument then Mausolus Tombe But as with such hartie lamentacion they dispersed among those woods their resounding shrikes the Sunne the perfectest marke of time hauing now gotten vp two howres iourney in his dayly changing Circle their voice helped with the only answering Echo came to the eares of the faithfull and worthy Gentleman Philanax who at that time was comming to visite the King accompanyed with diuers of the worthie Arcadian Lords who with him had visited the places adioyning for the more assurance of Basilius solitarines a thing after the late mutinie he had vsually done and since the Princesses returne more diligentlie continued which hauing nowe likewise performed thinking it as well his duty to see the King as of good purpose being so neare to receyue his further direction accompanied as aboue sayd he was this morning comming vnto him when these vnpleasant voices gaue his minde an vncertaine presage of his neere approching sorow For by and by he saw the bodie of his dearely esteemed Prince and heard Gynecias lamenting not such as the turtle-like loue is wont to make for the euer ouer-soone losse of her only loued make but with curfings of her life detesting her owne wickednes seeming only therefore not to desire death because she would not shew a loue of any thing The Shepheards especially Damaetas knowing him to be the second person in Aucthoritie gaue forthwith relacion vnto him what they knewe and had proued of this dolorous spectacle besides the other accidents of his children But he principally touched with his maisters losse lighting from his horse with a heauie cheare came and kneeled downe by him where finding he could do no more then the Shepheards had for his recouerie the constancie of his minde surprised before he might call together his best rules could not refraine such like words Ah deere maister sayd he what change it hath pleased the Almightie Iustice to worke in this place How soone not to your losse who hauing liued long to nature and to time longer by your well deserued glorie but longest of all in the eternall mansion you now possesse But how soone I say to our ruine haue you left the fraile barke of your estate O that the words in most faithfull dutie deliuered vnto you when you first entred this solitarie course might haue wrought as much perswasion in you as they â—prang from truth in me perchaunce your seruaunt Philanax should not nowe haue cause in your losse to bewayle his owne ouerthrowe And therewith taking himselfe and in deede euill fitteth it me sayde he to let goe my harte to womanish complaints since my Prince being vndoubtedly well it rather shewes loue of my selfe which makes me bewaile mine owne losse No the true loue must be proued in the honor of your memorie and that must be shewed with seeking iust reuenge vpon your vniust and vnnaturall enemies and farre more honorable it will be for your Tombe to haue the blood of your murderers sprinkled vpon it then the teares of your friendes And if your soule looke downe vppon this miserable earth I doubt not it had much rather your death were accompanyed with well deserued punishment of the causers of it then with the heaping on it more sorrowes with the ende of them to whome you vouchsafed your affection let them lament that haue wouen the webbe of lamentacion let theyr owne deathes make them crye out for your death that were the authors of it Therewith carying manfull sorowe and vindicatiâ—e resolucion in his face he rose vp so looking on the poore guiltlesse princesse transported with an vniust iustice that his eyes were sufficient herauldes for him to denounce a mortall hatred She whome furies of loue firebrands of her conscience shame of the
with me but that I finde not how to excuse your geuing ouer your body to him that for the last proofe of his treason lent his garments to disguise your miâ—erable mother in the most vile fact she hath coÌ„mitted Hard sure it will be to separate your causes with whome you haue so neerely ioyned your selfe Neither do I desire it said the sweetly weeping Philoclea whatsoeuer you determine of him do that likewise to me for I knowe from the fountaine of vertue nothing but vertue could euer proceede only as you finde him faultlesse let him finde you fauourable and build not my dishonor vpoÌ„ surmises Philanax feeling his hart more more mollifieng vnto her renewed the image of his dead master in his fancy and vsing that for the spurres of his reueÌ„gefull choller went sodainly without any more speach from the desolate Lady to whome now fortune seemed to threaten vnripe death and vndeserued shame among her least euils But Philanax leauing good guard vpon the Lodge went himselfe to see the order of his other prisoners whome euen then as he issued he found increased by this vnhoped meanes The noble Pamela hauing deliuered ouer the burthen of her fearefull cares to the naturall ease of a well refreshing sleepe reposed both mind body vpoÌ„ the trusted support of her princely shepheard wheÌ„ with the brayeng cryes of a rascall company she was robbed of her quiet so that at one instaÌ„t she opened her eyes the enraged Musidorus rose froÌ„ her enraged betwixt the doubt he had what theâ—e men would go about the spite he conceiued against their ill-pleasing presence But the clownes hauing with their hideous noyse brought them both to their feet had soone knowledge what guests they had found for in deede these were the skummy remnant of those rebels whose naughty minds could not trust so much to the goodnes of their Prince as to lay their hangworthy necks vpoÌ„ the constancy of his promised pardon Therfore wheÌ„ the rest who as shepe had but followed their fellowes so sheepishly had submitted theÌ„selues these only coÌ„mitted their safety to the thickest part of those desert woods who as they were in the constitution of their mindes little better then beastes so were they apt to degenerate to a beastly kinde of life hauing now framed their gluttonish stomackes to haue for foode the wilde benefites of nature the vttermost ende they had being but to drawe out as much as they could the line of a tedious life In this sorte vagabonding in those vntroden places they were guided by the euerlasting Iustice vsing themselues to bee punishers of theyr faultes and making theyr owne actions the beginning of their chastizements vnhappely both for him and themselues to light on Musidorus Whom as soone as they saw turned towards them they full well remembred it was he that accompanyed with Basilius had come to the succour of Zelmane and had left among some of them bloudie tokens of his valure As for Pamela they had many times seene her Thus fyrst sturred vp with a rusticall reuenge against him and then desire of spoyle to helpe their miserable wants but chiefly thinking it was the way to confirme their owne pardon to bring the Princesse backe vnto her father whome they were sure he would neuer haue sent so farre so sleightlie accompanyed without any other denouncing of warre set altogither vpon the worthy Musidorus Who being before hand asmuch enflamed against them gaue them so braue a welcome that the smart of some made the rest stand further off crying and prating against him but like bad curres rather barking then cloasing he in the meane time placing his trembling Lady to one of the Pyne trees and so setting himselfe before her as might shewe the cause of his courage grewe in himselfe but the effect was only employed in her defence The villaines that now had a second proofe how ill wordes they had for such a sword turned all the course of their violence into throwing dartes and stones in deede the only way to ouermaister the valure of Musidorus Who finding them some already touch some fall so neere his chiefest life Pamela that in the ende some one or other might happe to doo an vnsuccourable mischiefe setting all his hope in despaire ranne out from his Lady among them Who streight like so many swyne when a hardy mastife sets vpon them dispersed themselues But the first he ouertooke as he ranne away carying his head as farre before him as those maner of runnings are wont to doo with one blowe strake it so cleane off that it falling betwixt the handes and the body falling vppon it it made a shewe as though the fellow had had great haste to gather vp his head agayne Another the speede he made to runne for the best game bare him full butte agaynst a tree so that tumbling backe with a brused face and a dreadfull expectation Musidorus was streight vpon him and parting with his sword one of his legges from him left him to make a roaring lamentation that his morter-treading was marred for euer A third finding his feete too slowe aswell as his handes too weake sodaynely turned backe beginning to open his lippes for mercye But before hee had well entred a rudely compilde oration Musidorus blade was come betweene his iawes into his throate and so the poore man rested there for euer with a very euill mouthfull of an answere Musidorus in this furious chafe would haue followed some other of these hatefull wretches but that he heard his Lady cry for helpe whome three of this villanous crue had whiles Musidorus followed their fellowes compassing about some trees sodainly come vpon and surprized threatning to kill her if she cried and meaning to conuey her out of sight while the Prince was making his bloud-thirstie chase But she that was resolued no worse thing could fall vnto her then the being depriued of him on whome she had established all her comfort with a pittifull cry fetched his eyes vnto her who then thinking so many weapons thrust into his eyes as with his eyes he sawe bent against her made all hartie speede to her succour But one of them wiser then his companions set his dagger to her Alablaster throate swearing if hee threwe not away his sword he would presently kill her There was neuer poore scholler that hauing in stede of his booke some playing toy about him did more sodainly cast it from him at the child-feared presence of a cruell Scholemaister Then the valiant Musidorus discharged himselfe of his only defence wheÌ„ he saw it stood vpoÌ„ the instaÌ„t point of his Ladies life And holding vp his noble hands to so vnworthy audience O Arcadians it is I that haue done you the wrong she is your Princesse said he shee neuer had will to hurt you and you see shee hath no power Vse your choller vpoÌ„ me that haue better deserued it do not your selues the wrong to doe her any hurte which in