my fortune and the rigorous influence of my starres not onely doe not suffer me but maketh it to me almost impossible And although hope sometime promiseth it vnto me yet I find that it is truely as Plato calleth it The waking man his Dreame Loue then said the young man is the cause of this habite which thou wearest of thy pilgrimage It is so said Pamphilus and by that thou mayest know the quality of my euill and the difficulty of my cure Oh said the young man pittifully sighing what a grieuous story dost thou renew in me A history like vnto mine said Pamphilus if not said the other yet at the least of Loue By thy faith then said Pamphilus doest thou loue I not onely Loue said the other but am also more vnhappy then thou thinkest for a stranger and a Pilgrim and no lesse outraged by fortune Tell me then said Pamphilus in looking earnestly vpon him thy name and of what Countrey thou art for in all the yeares of my banishment I could neuer finde any man so miserably persecuted as my selfe and in this I haue more occasion then all men to bewaile my destinies A Christian said the stranger ought neuer to bewaile the destinies nor thinke that good or euill fortune depend of them Although many ancient Philosophers haue beleeued that there is a kinde of Deuils and certaine imaginary women which they call Parquae which giue the spirit vnto the creature at the birth an opinon rather worthy of laughter then beliefe It being most certaine that this name Destiny is onely to be attributed to the decree of God who truly seeth and knoweth all thinges before they be and the ordering of them caÌ„not depend of any thing but of him I know well said Pamphilus that the Poets haue called these Parquaes destiny and the Philosophers especially the Stoyques haue beleeued that it is an order or disposition of second causes as from the Planets vnder the influence of which we are borne which rule and determine all the inferiour good and euill effects which doe happen to man So said Ptolomy Democritus Crisippus and Epicurus who also ascribe to Destiny all the inclinations the vices and the vertues the desires and passions euen vnto the actions and thoughts which some haâ—â— endeuoured to proue by the authority of Boeceus who saith that the order of Destiny mooueth the Heauen and the Starres tempereth the Elements and tyeth humane actions to their causes by a most indissolueable knot But leauing a part a matter of so long a discourse from whence is sprung the error of the Priscillianists who doe beleeue that the soule and the body are necessarily subiect vnto the Starres and many other errors which doe succeed this first I desire thou shoulst know that I speake according vnto custome which willeth that this name Desteny and other Christian Idiomes be taken for misfortune beleeuing that neuerthelesse that God by his Diuine prouidence speaketh by the Destiny as men expresse the conceptions of their minds by their wordes Thy face saith the young man promiseth no lesse then what I haue heard come from thy mouth for thy presence and aspect is an index of thy noblenes as thy tongue is of knowledge which worketh in me a great pleasure and desire to tell thee my Name my Countrey quality and my misfortunes which if thou please to hearken vnto with patience I will as briefely as I can relate The History of Pamphilus and Celio THe Citty of Toledo in the hart of Spaine strong by Scituation noble by Antiquity famous for the preseruatioÌ„ of the Christian Faith euer sithence the time of the Gothes generous both in Learning and Armes hauing a temperate Heauen and a fertile Earth inuironed with the famous Riuer Tagus which is it selfe also begirt with a high but a pleasant Hill Is the place where my now liuing Parents were borne as also my selfe although my Ancestors in former times came from those parts of Austuria which are called Santillana the ancient title of the house of Mendosa there was I brought vp in my more tender yeares But when my Parents thought I was capable of Learning they sent me to the Vniuersity of Salamanqua with such company as was fit for a man of my place to the end that besides the Latine tongue which I knew already I might study the knowledge of the Law Heere I am constrained to make a long digression because that of the history of another dependeth the foundation of mine My Father had other Children Lisard his eldest sonne who was in Flaunders with the Archduke Albert where hee got no small reputation principally in the siege of Ostend and Nisa a Daughter and if I bee not partiall one of most excellent beauty who liued in that honour and good name vnto which shee was bound by the noblenes of her birth and the care of such Parents Vnto these tearmes was the youngman proceeded in his discourse whereat Pamphilus exceedingly troubled couered his face with his hands whereof the other demaunding a reason Pamphilus said vnto him that his griefe which had brought him vnto that estate wherein he found him was returned againe yet hee thought it was with lesse violence then it had formerly done All this Pamphilus feyned because the story which the Toledan tolde him was his owne proper story and this Nisa whom he called his Sister was the Pilgrim whose wits were lost out of the apprehension of Pamphilus his Death So doe acts dissembled many times meete and sometimes doe then appeare most when they are most indeauoured to bee hidden I will not proceed in my story said he if thou finde not thy selfe so well that thou maist hearken vnto me for there is no time worse imployed then that which one looseth in speaking to them which giue no eare to the speaker Thou maist proceed said Pamphilus being desirous to vnderstand the estate of his owne affaires for I finde my griefe begins to leaue me eased by thy presence and thy words I must aduertise thee then said the young man that there was in Madreele a braue Knight and a great friend of my fathers with whome he had great inwardnes of acquaintance euer since the warres of Granado and I thinke they were together in that famous Battell of Lepanto from this friendship it followed that at the end of some yeares they treated of the Marrying of my Sister Nisa with one of this Knights sonnes of whome I now speake and the young mans name was Pamphilus But while these things were a doing the Father of Pamphilus dyed and the proposition of marriage ceased Pamphilus who by the renowne that went of my Sister as also by her Picture was taken in her Loue and grew wonderfull sad and melancholy and falling from one imagination to another in the end hee resolued vpon this which I shall tell thee that thereby thou maist see how innocent those were who without the light of Faith did anciently beleeue it Fortune
who most complained of his cruelty and had the truest feeling of it was Tiberia his Sister who was both faire and discreet aboue all the Ladies in Valence who affecting the gentlenes and faire spirit of our vnfortunate Pilgrim did not see but by his eyes and did not breath but from him Iacinth told them that Pamphilus was mad and that it was necessary hee should be cured before the disease increased too farre The Father of this Knight who was very Learned blamed exceedingly this precipite course saying that in all infirmities there was nothing more dangerous then Physicke out of season and swore that he should be had out of the Hospitall to bee cured in his house Tiberia confirmed this piety saying that reward due vnto him they being not so poore but that they had meanes sufficient to haue him cured in their house with greater care of his health and lesse scandall to his honour Iacinth replyed that he was a Stranger that no body knew him But all the houshold were so much against him blaming him for ingratitude especially his Father his Sister that he was constrayned to tell them what he knew Whereat in imagining the cause all of them were astonished and wondred They thought that Pamphilus was a spy who went disguised vnder the habite of a Pilgrim and that fearing to be knowne by some one hee vsed this subtilty to saue his life for although he spake Spanish neuerthelesse by his faire face and exceeding beauty he seemed a stranger and by his actions a Gentleman With this confession Iacinth remained in their good opinion the house was much troubled and Tiberia was full of pittifull griefe and care for Pamphilus his life who being in Prison among the mad folkes in the iudgement of many the very center of greatest misery imagined himselfe to bee in most glorious happines To this new Madman the more ancient gaue place and Pamphilus with diuers faynings counterfetings of his face endeauoured to expresse his madnes which fashion of his seeming vnto them as tokens of rashnes they put him into the Prison with Irons on his handes where to confirme them the more in their opinion of his madnes hee said so many wordes so farre from the matter that hee did merit a beleefe There he stayed some fewe dayes before he could see his beloued Nisa suffering most insupportable discommodities difficult to be spoken and almost impossible to bee beleeued In the meane time Celio went by Saragosse into France to finde his beautifull and beloued Finia whom hee had lost where being come hee heard the newes of the Peace which was proclaimed betweene the two Nations which made him rest that night with more contentment out of the facility which it brought to his designe staying for the Light of the morning to cleere his passage ouer the Mountaines into France The end of the Second Booke The Third Booke WHilest the sad and afflicted Celio entred into France by the Mountaines of Iaca to see if hee could finde his deere Finia our Pilgrim Pamphilus hauing gotten out of the Prison as a mad man whose fury was ouer was admitted to the table where others did eate where also sate his saire Nisa neare vnto whom he did alwaies indeauour to sit and there and in all other conuenient places he tolde her his Fortunes She blamed him for putting himselfe into this place although shee did acknowledge how she was tyed vnto him for this his great folly Pamphilus as a true I ouer who onely aymed at the end of his loue which was to Marry her and who had sworne by a thousand oathes to resist the violence of his desires vntill a lawfull marriage would suffer him to accomplish them said vnto her in comforting her that if shee had suffered this misery for him and that they ought to be all one there was no reason but hee should haue his part of this misery to the end that equall in all thinges their marriage might bee without aduantage of one side or other and that his Loue vnto her did preuaile so farre as not to let passe one day without seeing her notwithstanding any danger and although his honour were thereby in hazard The seruants of the house did not hinder their speaking together because that Nisa being apparelled like a man and hauing a care that her hayre should not discouer her sexe euery body did beleeue that she was as she seemed to bee For although that her beauty were extreame yet the world hath not any so great but it appeareth little being much neglected especially seeing that if Art doe not polish the beautifullest and finest Diamonds and that they bee not set in golde with inamilling and other necessary ornaments they shew not the luster grace nor beauty which they haue being artificially cut and set in a foyle by cunning workmen The misery of this kinde of life seemed vnto our two Louers as nothing in regard of the former trauels which they had suffered as I haue heard it often said by many and I my selfe know by experience that if two Louers may see and speake together they haue no feeling of the miseries which doe serue them as meanes to attaine thereunto Oh what will not those which Loue resolue of What is it which doth not seeme possible vnto them Whar trauels can weary them And what dangers can make them feare O Loue strong as death seeing that a Louer liuing in that which he loueth and being dead in himselfe hath no more feeling of torment then a body depriued of a soule With what teares were these two seperated at night by the cruell officers of this Prison If it bee cruelty to deale rigorously with mad folkes with what care and languishment did they attend the day that they might see one the other what discreet follies did they vtter in publicke full of equiuocations to deceiue those who heard them and to diuert the euils which they suffered And with what amorous discourses did they in particuler warme their desires to marry How much doth he commend Nisa's vertue and the chast but louing defence which shee made of her honour for Pamphilus being a man had yeelded often vnto his passion if shee had not moderated his violence With what grace they gaue madly fauours one vnto another of the vildest thinges they could finde vpon the ground which Pamphilus stucke in his hat in steed of Iewels or feathers which he was wont to weare But fortune enuying their contentednes euen in this misery would not let them liue in this place at rest but arming himselfe a new against them euen at that time when as they thought by Iacinthes helpe to get out of that Prison There came vnto this Citty an Italian Earle of the house of Anquilora called Emelio who desiring to haue a Foole with him promised a great Almes vnto their house if they would giue him a mad-man who hauing lost his fury might entertaine him with sport Those
my Death didst not thou suffer new Shipwracke at Marselles And finally wounded by thy iealous Brother lyest now in a strange Countrey either sicke or dead Seeing all this is so how can I apprehend the least motion of leauing thee Where is my courage or am I not Pamphilus of Luxan Is this the vertuous blood of those valiant Gouernors who so nobly defended the walles of Madreele from the Moores of Toledo It is not possible I am not my selfe my misfortunes haue changed me into something else To bee in Loue and to be a Coward is a manifest contrariety yet to deny that I Loue is to say the Sun is darkenes and the night Lightnes especially since I cannot say but that I haue seene Nisa But seeing I doe confesse that I haue seene her how can I say but that I loue her And if I loue her how can I leaue her And if I haue left her wherefore doe I liue So did Pamphilus accuse himselfe for hauing left Nisa for any danger no more nor no lesse then as one who trauailing vpon the way remembreth something of importance which he had forgotten at home breaking off from his discourse and from his company turneth back againe to his lodging where hee thinkes he shall neuer come time enough with the same hast Pamphilus taketh his way back again to Barcelon from which both in hast and feare he had departed A strong chayne of Louers which tyed to their desired beauty shortens it selfe by the force which lengthens it vntill it returne vnto its centure Beauty without doubt which lifting vp the vapors of the Louers eyes seemeth to drawe vnto its selfe the very waighty and earthy part in despite of all resistance made by the naturall waight and as the Sun oftentimes conuerteth into burning beames the humor which is concealed in the Clouds so Beauty conuerteth into fire all the teares and sadnesses of Louers Fewe Leagues had Pamphilus iourneyed from the famous Collony of the Romans when as going downe a Hill it being so late as that the Sunne had left no light in the West but as it were a golden girdle which inuironing the Horizon did seeme as a Crowne vnto the neighbouring night hee heard a voyce grieuously complaining in a Meadow which shadowed with high Rockes was very darke The couragious Pilgrim went into it and sawe a man lying vpon the Grasse amongst the Trees which were watered with a fresh Brooke of whome demaunding the cause of his complaint hee intreated him to come vnto him if he desired to knowe before he yeelded vp his soule caused by three mortall woundes which were made in his body Pamphilus approached vnto him although with some distrust and lifting him vp leaned his head against a Tree I am a Knight said the wounded man treacherously murthered by his hands who hath receiued most good turnes from mee There is a Monastery in these fields which is not farre from hence if thou canst carry me vpon thy shoulders thither thou shalt bee the Encas of my soule and I the Anchises saued peraduenture from the eternall Fire which I haue merited Pamphilus layde downe his Palmers staffe oh how hurtfull it is to leaue ones weapons vpon any occasion whatsoeuer taking him in his armes And remembring that he had so carryed Iacinth hee thought with himselfe that seeing he was come to carry others vnto the Graue hee was not farre from thence himselfe and comforted himselfe with this that if he were not Death himselfe he was yet his Beere So iourneying towards the Monastery with the wounded man who with broken speaches interrupted by his approaching Death recited the cause thereof The Pilgrim being come vnto the Gate and seeing by the cleere light of the Moone in the front thereof the Image of our Blessed Lady the Virgin said vnto the wounded man that hee should recommend his soule whilest he knocked at the gate At whose knocking the Porter being come and informed by the Pilgrim of the accident answered tht with like dissimulation certaine Bandoleers of Iara had one night robbed the Monastery and for that cause hee could not open the gate without the superiours License Pamphilus intreated him to dispatch but there being a long Garden betweene the Monastery and Cell before he could return the Knight dyed in his armes Pamphilus looked pale dismayde with the accident and almost as dead as he and incouraging him to this fearefull and sharpe passage layde a Crosse of two Mirtle bowes vpon his stomacke Instantly hee heard a troope of Horse whose masters being diuided into diuers paths did seeke for the Dead man By their words and their diligence the Pilgrim knewe their designe and calling them shewed them him whom they sought for telling them how hee had found him Amongst them was his Brother who seeing Pamphilus bloody and in a Pilgrims habit which is enough to make an honest man suspected cryed out Oh thou Castillian traytor thouhast murthered him to rob him And at the very instant the same friend who had killed this poore Knight and who the better to couer his treason accompanying the Brother tooke holde of the Pilgrims arme thou robber infamous assassiuator what hath made thee murther the noblest Knight which was in this Countrey Sirs replyed Pamphilus I found him in a Meadow hard by bewayling his death which hee said was wrought by the hand of one whome he did accompt his best friend and out of compassion and at his intreaty I brought him to this Monastery where he departed this life in my armes But Tansiles who was this Traytor which had killed him fearing least the Pilgrim might discouer something which hee might haue heard from the dying man concerning his treason pulling out a Pistoll from the pommell of his saddle gaue fire and aymed it directly at his head Yet Heauen not permitting that it should goe off for Saintes and Angels doe alwayes assist the innocent the Pilgrim liued O let him liue said Tirsus so was the dead mans brother called for it is much better that keeping him in Prison hee may confesse his owne crime and whether he killed him for to rob him or whether some enemy of my Brother Godfreyes did not hyer him to murther him The traytor answered to Tirsus and to the others who did accompany him that blood yet warme of his friend would not suffer him to delay his reuenge so long Yet all their opinions preuailing against his the innocent Pamphilus was bound hand and foot vpon a Horse and dead Godfrey laid vpon another It is a iust Iudgment said Pamphilus by the way for my leauing of Nisa wounded and Iacinth almost dead Doe you not heare said Tirsus without doubt this Nisa is the woman for whose sake he hath committed this murther and Iacinih some friend who led my Brother to the place All of them beleeued what Tirsus said and the traytor Tansiles iuterpreted Pamphilus his dispaires in such sort that euery one beleeued that
was constrayned to leade hee resolued one night to lye in some place where he might be better accommodated then in these Deserts and entring into a Citty which diuideth the two Kingdomes hee enquired for a Lodging But no body being willing to entertaine him seeing him so euilly apparelled his feete bloody his face tanned his hayre knotted shagged he went vnto the Hospitall the last refuge of misery Pamphilus found the gates open at that time but without light asking the cause he was tolde that in regard of a strange noyse which euery night was there heard which hath happened euer since the Death of a stranger who came thether to Lodge no body hath dwelt there yet hee might as they said enter in if he would for he should find there a man of holy life in a little Chappell who indured for the honour of God all those illusions and who would shew him a place where he might lye without danger Pamphilus then entred into a darke obscure place and after some fewe steps he might see a great way off a dim light of a Lampe vnto which place hee addressed himselfe and called the holy man What wouldst thou haue thou wicked Spirit answered the holy man Thou doest mistake mee said Pamphilus I am a Pilgrim who doe endeauour to seeke a lodging for this night Then he opened the doore where Pamphilus sawe a man of a middle stature and age with a long Beard and hayre a Gowne of course rugge downe vnto his anckles the Chappell was little and Altar venerable the basse whereof did serue him for his Bed hee had a Stone for his pillowe his Staffe for his companion and a Deaths head for his looking-glasse How durst thou come into this place said hee vnto the Pilgrim did no man aduertise thee of the disquiet Lodging which is heere I haue beene tolde it answered the Pilgrim but I haue suffered so much Labour in my trauailes so much Cruelty in imprisonments so many heauy misfortunes and colde entertainments that no disquiet can be newe vnto mee The poore man then lighted a Candle at the Lampe which burned before the Altar and without saying any thing commaunded the Pilgrim to followe him he went through a Garden which lay wilde as a Forest or wildernes where hauing shewed him a part of the house amongst some Cypres Trees hee vnlocked the doore of a Chamber and said vnto him seeing thou art young and accustomed to trauailes enter heere make the signe of the Crosse and bee not dismayde nor astonished but sleepe Pamphilus taketh the Candle and setting it vpon a stone which lay there biddeth his Host good night and shutteh the doore There was a Bed in the Chamber good enough to rest vpon especially for a man who hath layne so many nights vpon the ground this inuited him to vncloath himselfe and taking one of the shirts which Flerida at his departure had giuen him he put it on and went into it Hardly had he reuolued in his imagination the confusion of his life a thing which often the body being at rest is represented vnto the minde when as sleep which is truely called the Image and brother of Death possessed his sences with that force which doth accustomably vse vnto weary Pilgrims All that part which the Sunne abandoneth when it goeth downe vnto the Indyes was in a deepesilence when as the noyse of some Horses awaked Pamphilus he thought he was stirring as it many times happeneth vnto Trauailers and that his bed did moue as a Ship or a Horse which did carry him Neuertheles remembring that hee was in the Hospitall and the causes for which it was vnhabitable he opened his eyes he sawe Horsemen enter by two and two into the Chamber who lighting Torches which they had in their handes at the Candle which he had left burning by him they cast them against the seeling of the Chamber where they stucke fast with their bottomes vpward and their tops downwards which dropped downe burning flames vpon his bed and vpon his clothes He couereth himselfe aswell as possibly he could leauing a litle hole to looke out that he might see whether his bed did burne or no when as instantly he sawe the flames out and that vpon a Table which was in the corner of the Chamber foure of them were at Primero they passed discarded and set vp money as if they had truely playde so long till at length they debating vpon a difference they fell into quarrell in the Chamber which made such a noyse with clashing of Swords that the miserable Pamphilus called vpon for helpe our Lady of Gadalupe which was onely left of all the shrynes in Spaine vnuisited although it were in his owne Country of Toledo Because holy places neare vnto one are many times left vnuisited out of a hope which is had that they might bee visited at any time Neuertheles the clattering of the swordes and all other noyse for the space of halfe an houre ceased and he was all of a sweat out of the very feare he had yet now well satisfied to see himselfe in their absence at some rest not thinking that they would come againe when instantly hee felt that the bed and the clothes were pulled away from him by the outtermost corners and he sawe at the same time a man come in with a Torch in his hand lighted followed by two others the one with a great brasen Bason and the other sharpening a little Knife Then began hee to tremble and all his hayre stood an end he would haue spoken but he was not able when they were neere him he who held the Torch put it out and Pamphilus thinking that they would kill him and that the Bason was to receiue his blood put his handes forth against the knife and felt that they laide hold on him hee gaue a great cry the Torch instantly kindled againe and he sawe himselfe betweene two Mastiffe dogs who held him fast in their teeth Iesus cryed out Pamphilus at which name all these fanstasticke illusions vanished away leauing him so weary and so affrighted with their company that hee would not stay there any longer but going out into the Garden by which he was entred he went vnto the Chamber of the good Hermite who seeing him so pale weake and naked opened him the doore and said vnto him haue your Hosts heere giuen you an euill nights Lodging So ill said Pamphilus that I haue not rested all night and yet I haue left them my clothes to pay for it The good man receiued him aswell as he could telling him how many others with like successe had beene so vsed and many other discourses wherewith he past away the night vntill morning Those who doe not knowe the nature quality and condition of Spirits will accompt of this history as a fable wherefore I doe not thinke it vnfit to aduertise them that there are some fallen from the lowest Quire of Angels who out of the