commanded them that they should not presume to reade it before they came to the presence of Pandosto unlesse they would incurre the displeasure of Apollo The Bohemian Lords carefully obeying his command taking their leaue of the Priest with great reuerence departed out of the Temple and went to their Ships and as soone as Wind would permit them sayled towards Bohemia where in short time they safely arriued and with great Triumph issuing out of their ships went to the Kings Palace whom they found in his Chamber accompanied with other Noble-men Pandosto no sooner saw them but with a merry countenance he welcomed them home asking what newes They told his Maiesty that they had receiued answer of the god written in a Scrowle but with this charge that they should not read the contents before they came in the presence of the King and with that they deliuered him the Parchment But his Noblemen intreated him that sith therein were conteined either the safety of his Wifes life and honesty vr her death and perpetuall infamy that hee would haue his Nobles and Commons assembled in the Iudgement Hall where the Queene brought in as a prisoner should heare the contents If she were sound guilty by the Oracle of the god then all should haue cause to thinke his rigour procéeded of due desert if her Grace were found faultlesse then she should be cléered before all sith she had beene accused openly This pleased the King so that hée appointed the day and assembled all the Lords and Commons and caused the Quéene to be brought in before the Iudgement Seat commanding that the Iudgement should be read wherein she was accused of Adultery with Egistus and of conspiracy with Franion Bellaria hearing the contents was no whit astonished but made this chéerefull answer IF the Diuine powers be priuy to humane Actions as no doubt they are I hope my patience shall make Fortune blush and my vnspotted life shall staine spitefull discredit For although lying report hath sought to appeach mine honour and suspition hath intended to soyle credit with infamy yet where Vertue kéepeth the Fort report and suspition may assayle but neuer sacke How I haue led my life before Egistus comming I appeale Pandosto to the gods and to thy conscience What hath passed betwéene him and mee the gods onely know and I hope will presently reueale That I loued Egistus I cannot deny that I honoured him I shame not to confesse To the one I was forced by his vertue to the other for his dignities But as touching lasciuious lust I say Egistus is honest and hope my selfe to be found without spot For Franion I can neither accuse him nor excuse him I was not priuy to his departure And that this is true which I haue here rehearsed I referre my selfe vnto the Diuine Oracle BEllaria had no sooner said but the King commanded that one of the Dukes should reade the contents of the Scrowle which after the Commons had heard they gaue a great shoute reioycing and clapping their hands that the Quéene was cleare of that false accusation But the King whose conscience was a witnesse against him of his witlesse sury and false suspected iealousie was â—o ashamed of his rash folly that hee intreated his Nobles to perswade Bellaria to forgiue and forget these iniuries promising not onely to shew himselfe a loyall and louing Husband but also to reconcile himselfe to Egistu and Franion reuealing then before them all the cause of their secret flight and how trecherously hee thought to haue practised his death if the good minde of his Cup-bearer had not preuented his purpose As thus hee was relating the whole matter there was word brought him that his young Sonne Garinter was suddenly dead which newes so soone as Bellaria heard surcharged before with extreme ioy and now suppressed with heauy sorrow her vitall spirits were stopped that shée fell downe presently dead and neuer could be reuiued This sudden sight so appalled the Kings senses that hée sunke from his Seate in a swound so as hée was faine to be carried by his Nobles to his Palace where hée lay by the space of thrée daies without spéech His Commons were as men in despaire so diuersly distressed there was nothing but mourning and lamentation to be heard throughout all Bohemia their young Prince dead their vertuous Quéene bereaued of her life and their King and Soueraigne in great hazzard this tragicall discourse of Fortune so daunted them as they went like shadowes not men yet somewhat to comfort their heauy hearts they heard that Pandosto was come to himselfe and had recouered his spéech who as in sury brayed these bitter spéeches O Miserable Pandosto what surer witnes then conscience What thoughts more sowre then suspition what plague more bad then Iealousie Vnnaturall actions offend the gods more then men and causelesse cruelty neuer scapes without reuenge I haue committed such a bloudy fact as repent I may but recall I cannot Ah Iealousie a hell to the mind and a horrour to the conscience suppressing reason and melting rage a worse passion then frenzy a greater plague then madnesse Are the gods iust then let them reuenge such brutish cruelty my innocent Babe I haue drowned in the Seas my louing wife I haue slaine with slanderous suspition my trusty friend I haue sought to betray and yet the gods are siacke to plague such offences Ah vniust Apollo Pandosto is the man that hath committed the fault why should Garinter silly Child abide the paine Well sith the gods meaneto prolonge my daies to increase my dolour I will offer my guilty bloud a sacrifice to those guiltlesse soules whose liues are lost by rigorous folly And with that hée reached at a Rapier to haue murthered himselfe but his Péeres being present stayed him from such a bloudy act perswading him to thinke that the Common-wealth consisted on his safety and that those sheepe could not but perish that wanted a Shepheard wishing that if he would not liue for himselfe yet he should haue a care of his Subiects and to put such fancies out of his mind sith in sores past helpe salues doe not heale but hurt and in things past cure care is a corrosiue Withthese and such like perswasions the King was ouercome and began some what to quiet his mind so that so soone as he could goe abroad he caused his wife to be imbalmed and wrapt in Lead with her young Sonne Garinter erecting a rich and famous Sepulchre wherein he intombed them both making such solemne obsequies at her Funerall as all Bohemia might perceiue he did greatly repent him of his fore-passed folly causing this Epitaph to be ingrauen on her Tombe in Letters of Gold The Epitaph Here lyes intombde Bellaria faire Falsly accus'd to be vnchaste Cleer'd by Apollo's sacred doome Yet slaine by Jealousie at last What ere thou be that passest by Curse him that caus'd this Queene to die THis Epitaph being ingrauen Pandosto would once
and no newes heard of Dorastus Egistus being fearefull that he was deuoured with some wild beasts and with that made out a great Troupe of men to goe séeke him who coasted through all the Country and searched in euery dangerous and secret place vntill at last they met with a Fisher-man that was sitting in a little couert hard by the sea side mending his nets when Dorastus and Fawnia tooke shipping who being examined if hee either knew or heard where the Kings sonne was without any secresie at all reuealed the whole matter how he was sailed two dayes past and had in his company his man Capnio Porrus and his faire daughter Fawnia This heauy newes was presently carried to the King who halfe dead for sorrow commanded Porrus wife to be sent for shee being come to the Palace after due examination confessed that her neighbours had oft told her that the Kings sonne was too familiar with Fawnia her daughter Whereupon her husband fearing the worst about two dayes past hearing the King should goe a hunting rose early in the morning and went to make his complaint but since she neither heard of him nor saw him Egistus perceiuing the womans vnfained simplicity let her depart without incurring further displeasure conceiuing such secret griefe for his sons wretchlesse folly that hee had so forgotten his honour and Parentage by so base a choice to dishonour his father and discredit himselfe that with very care and thought he fell into a quartaine feuer which was so vnfit for his aged yéeres and complexion that hee became so weake as the Physicians would grant him no life But his sonne Dorastus little regarded either father Countrey or kingdome in respect of his Lady Fawnia for Fortune smiling on this yong nouics sent him so lucky a gale of wind for the space of a day and a night that the Marriners lay slept vpon the hatches but on the next morning about the breake of the day the ayre began to ouer-cast the winds to rise the seas to swell yea presently there arose such a fearefull tempest as the ship was in danger to be swallowed vp in euery sea the maine mast with the violence of the wind was throwne ouer-boord the sailes were torne the tackling rended a sunder the storme raging still so furiously that poore Fawnia was almost dead for feare but that she was greatly comforted with the presence of Dorastus The tempest continued thrée dayes all which time the Marriners euery minute looked for death and the aire was so darkened with clouds that the master could not tell by the compasse in what coast they were But vpon the fourth day about ten of the clocke the winde began to cease the sea to waxe calme and the skie to be cléere and the Marriners descried the coast of Bohemia shooting off their Ordinance for ioy that they had escaped such a fearefull tempest Dorastus hearing that they were arriued at some Harbour swéetly kissed Fawnia and bade herbe of good chéere When they told him that the Port belonged to the chiefe Citty of Bohemia where Pandosto kept his Court Dorastus began to bee sad knowing that his father hated no man so much as Pandosto and that the King himselfe had sought secretly to betray Egistus this considered he was halfe affrayd to goe on Land but that Capnio counselled him to change his name and his Countrey vntill such time as they could get some other Barke to transport them into Italy Dorastus liking this deuice made his case priuy to the Marriners rewarding them bountifully for their paines and charging them to say that he was a Gentleman of Trapolonia called Meleagrus The ship-men willing to shew what friendship they could to Dorastus promised to be as secret as they could or he might wish and vpon this they landed in a little village a mile distant from the City where after they had rested a day thinking to make prouision for their marriage the fame of Fawnia's beauty was spred throughout all the City so that it came to the eare of Pandosto who then being about the age of fifty had notwithstanding young and fresh affections so that the desired greatly to sée Fawnia and to bring this matter the better to passe hearing they had but one man and how they rested at a very homely house he caused them to be apprehended as Spies and sent twelue of his Guard to take them who being come to their lodging told them the Kings message Dorastus no whit dismayed accompanied with Fawnia and Capnio went to the Court for they left Porrus to kéepe the stuffe who being admitted to the Kings presence Dorastus and Fawnia with humble obeisance saluted his Maiesty Pandosto amazed at the singular perfection of Fawnia stood halfe astonished viewing her beauty so that hee almost forgot himselfe what he had to do at last with sterne countenance he demanded their names and of what Country they were and what caused them to land in Bohemia Sir quoth Dorastus know that my name is Meleagrus a Knight borne and brought vp in Trapolonia and this Gentlewoman whom I meane to take to my wife is an Italian borne in Padua from whence I haue now brought her The cause I haue so small a traine with me is for that her friends vnwilling to consent I entended secretly to conuey her into Trapolonia whither I was sayling and by distresse of weather I was driuen into these Coasts Thus haue you heard my name my Country and the cause of my voyage Pandosto starting from his Seat as one in choller made this rough reply MEleagrus I feare this smooth taâ—e hath but small truth and that thou couerest a foule skin with faire paintings No doubt this Lady by her grace and beauty is of higher degrée more méet for a mighty Prince then for a simple Knight and thou like a periured traytor hast bereft her of her Parents to their present griefe and her ensuing sorrow Till therefore I heare more of her Parentage and of her calling I will stay you both here in Bohemia Dorastus in whom rested nothing but Kingly valour was not able to suffer the reproaches of Pandosto but that he made him this answer IT is not meete for a King without due proofe to appeach any man of ill behauiour nor vpon suspition to inferre beliefe strangers ought to be entertained with courtesie not to be entreated with cruelty lest being forced by want to put vp iniuries the gods reuenge their cause with rigour Pandosto hearing Dorastus vtter these words commanded that he should straight be committed to prison vntill such time as they heard further of his pleasure but as for Fawnia he charged that she should be entertained in the Court with such courtesie as belonged to a stranger and her calling the rest of the ship-men put in the Dungeon Hauing thus so hardly handled the supposed Trapolonians Pandosto contrary to his aged yeeres began to be some what tickled with the beauty of Fawnia insomuch
that he could take no rest but cast into his old head a thousand new deuices at last he fell into these thoughts HOw art thou desired Pandosto with fresh affections and vnfit fancies wishing to possesse with an vnwilling mind and a hot desire troubled with a cold disdaine Shall thy mind yéeld in age to that thou hast resisted in youth Peace Pandosto blab not out that which thou maist be ashamed to reueale to thy selfe Ah Fawnia is beautifull and it is not for thine honour fond foole to name her that is thy captiue and another mans concubine Alas I reach at that with my hand which my heart would faine refuse playing like the bird Ibis in Aegypt which hateth serpents yet féedeth on their egges Tush hot desires turne oftentimes to cold disdaine Loue is brittle where appetite not reason beares the sway Kings thoughts ought not to climbe so high as the heauens but to looke no lower then honour better it is to pecke at the starres with the young Eagles then to prey on dead carcasses with the Vulture it is more honourable for Pandosto to dye by concealing loue then to enioy such vnfit Loue. Doth Pandosto then loue Yea Whom A maid vnknowne yea and perhaps immodest stragled out of her owne Country beautifull but not therefore chaste comely in body but perhaps crooked in minde Cease then Pandosto to looke at Fawnia much lesse to loue her be not ouertaken with a womans beauty whose eyes are framed by Art to euamour whose heart is framed by nature to inchant whose false teares know their due time and whose swéete words pierce déeper then sharpe swords Here ceast Pandosto from his talke but not from his loue for although he sought by reason and wisdome to suppresse this franticke affection yet he could take no rest the beauty of Fawnia had made such a déepe impression in his heart But on a day walking abroad into a Parke which was hard adioyning to his house he sent by one of his seruants for Fawnia vnto whom he vttered these words FAwnia I commend thy beauty and wit and now pitty thy distresse and want but if thou wilt forsake Sir Meleagrus whose pouerty though a Knight is not able to maintaine an estate answerable to thy beauty and yéeld thy consent to Pandosto I will both increase thée with dignities and riches No Sir answered Fawnia Meleagrus is a Knight that hath wonne me by loue and none but he shall weare me this smister mischance shall not diminish my affection but rather increase my good will thinke not though your Grace hath imprisoned him without cause that feare will make me yéeld my consent I had rather be Meleagrus wife and a begger then liue in plenty and be Pandosto's Concubine Pandosto hearing the assured answer of Fawnia would notwithstanding prosecute his suite to the vttermost séeking with faire words and great promises to scale the fort of her chastity swearing that if shee would grant to his desire Meleagrus should not onely be set at liberty but honoured in the Court amongst his Nobles But these alluring baites could not intice her mind from the loue of her new-betrothed mate Meleagrus which Pandosto séeing he let her alone for that time to consider more of the demand Fawnia being alone by herselfe began to fall into these solitary meditations AH infortunate Fawnia thou séest to desire aboue fortune is to striue aboue gods and fortune Who gazeth at the Sun weakeneth his sight They which stare at the skie fall of into déep pits hadst thou rested content to haue béen a shepheardesse thou néedest not to haue feared mischance better had it béen for thée by sitting low to haue had quiet then by climing high to haue falne into misery But alas I feare not mine own danger but Dorastus displeasure Ah swéet Dorastus thou art a Prince but now a prisoner by too much loue procuring thine own losse haddest thou not loued Fawnia thou hadst béen fortunate Shall I then bee false to him that hath forsaken kingdomes for my cause â—o would my death might deliuer him so mine honour might be preserued With that fetching a deepe sigh she ceased from her complaints and went againe to the Palace enioyning a liberty without content and proffered pleasure with small ioy But poore Dorastus lay all this while in close prison being pinched with a hardrestraint and pained with the burthen of cold heauy yrons sorrowed sometimes that his fond affection had procured him this mishappe that by the disobedience of his parent he had wrought his owne despight another while cursing the gods and Fortune that they would crosse him with smister chance vttering at last his passions with these words AH vnfortunate wretch borne to mishap now shyfolly hath his desert art thou not worthy for thy vase mind to haue bad fortune Could the destinies fauour thée which hast forgot thine honour and dignity Will not the gods plague him with despight that paineth his father with disobedience Oh gods if any fauour or iustice be left plague me but fauour poore Fawnia and shrowd her from the tyrannies of wretched Pandosto but let my death frée her from mishap and then welcome death Dorastus pained with these heauy passions sorrowed and sighed but in vaine for which he vsed more patience But againe to Pandosto who broyling in the heat of vnlawfull lust could take no rest but still felt his minde disquieted with his new loue so that his Nobles and Subiects maruelled greatly at his sodaine alteration not being able to coniecture the cause of this his continued care Pandosto thinking euery houre a yéere till he had talked once againe with Fawnia sent for her secretly into his chamber whither Fawnia though vnwillingly comming Pandosto entertain'd her very courteously vsing these familiar spéeches which Fawnia answered as shortly in this wise Pandosto Fawnia are you become lesse wilfull and more wise to preferre the loue of a King before the liking of a poore Knight I thinke ere this you thinke it is better to be fauoured of a King than of a subiect Fawnia Pandosto the body is subiect to victories but the mindes not to bée subdued with conquest honesty is to be preferred before honour and a dram of faith weigh downe a tunne of gold I haue promised Meleagrus my loue and will performe no lesse Pandosto Fawnia I know thou art not so vnwise in thy choyce as to refuse the offer of a King nor so vngratefull as to despise a good turne thou art now in that place where I may command and yet thou séest I intreat my power is such that I may compell by force and yet I sue by prayers Yéeld Fawnia thy loue to him which burneth in thy loue Meleagrus shall be set frée thy Countrey-men discharged and thou both loued and honoured Fawnia I sée Pandosto where lust ruleth it is a miserable thing to be a virgin but know this that I will alwayes preferre fame before life and rather choose
death then dishonour Pandosto séeing that there was in Fawnia a determinate courage to loue Meleagrus and a resolution without feare to hate him fléeing away from her in a rage hee sware that if in short time she would not be won by reason he would forget all courtesie and compell her to grant by rigour But these threatning words no whit dismayed Fawnia but that shee still both despighted and despised Pandosto While thus these two Louers stroue the one to winne loue the other to liue in hate Egistus heard certaine newes by Merchants of Bohemia that his sonne Dorastus was imprisoned by Pandosto which made him feare greatly that his sonne should be but hardly intreated yet considering that Bellaria and hée were cleered by the Oracle of Apollo from the crime wherewith Pandosto had vniustly charged them hee thought best to send with all spéede to Pandosto that hée should set frée his sonne Dorastus and put to death Fawnia and her father Porrus Finding this by the aduice of counsell the speediest remedy to release his sonne hée caused presently two of his ships to be rigged and thorowly furnished with prouision of men and victuals and sent diuers of his Nobles Embassadours into Bohemia who willing to obey the King and receiue their young Prince made no delayes for feare of danger but with as much spéed as might be sayled towards Bohemia the wind and seas fauoured them greatly which made them hope of some good hap for within thrée dayes they were landed which Pandosto no sooner heard of their arriuall but hee in person went to méet them intreating them with such sumptuous and familiar courtesie that they might well perceiue how sorry he was for the former iniuries he had offered to their King and how willing if it might be to make amends As Pandosto made report to them how one Meleagrus a Knight of Trapolonia was lately arriued with a Lady called Fawnia in his Land comming very suspitiously accompanied onely with one seruant and an old Shepheard the Ambassadours perceiued by the halfe what the whole tale meant and began to coniecture that was Dorastus who for feare to be knowne had changed his name But dissembling the matter they shortly arriued at the Court where after they had béene very solemnly and sumptuously feasted the Noblemen of Sicilia being gathered together they made report of their Ambassage where they certified Pandosto that Meleagrus was sonne and heire to the King Egistus and that his name was Dorastus and how contrary to the Kings mind he had priuily conueyed away that Fawnia intending to marry her being but daughter to that poore Shepheard Porrus Whereupon the Kings request was that Capnio Fawnia and Porrus might be murthered and put to death and that his sonne Dorastus might be sent home in safety Pandosto hauing attentiuely and with great maruell heard their Ambassage willing to reconcile himselfe to Egistus and to shew him how greatly he estéemed his fauour although loue and fancy forbad him to hurt Fawnia yet in despight of loue he determined to execute Egistus will without mercy and therefore hee presently sent for Dorastus out of prison who maruelling at his vnlooked for courtesie found at his comming to the Kings presence that which hee least doubted of his fathers Ambassadours who no sooner saw him but with great reuerence they honoured him and Pandosto embracing Dorastus set him by him very louingly in a chaire of state Dorastus ashamed that his folly was bewrayed sate a long time as one in a maze till Pandosto told him the summe of his fathers Ambassage which he had no sooner heard but he was touched to the quicke for the cruell sentence that was pronounced against Fawnia but neither could his sorrow nor perswasions preuaile for Pandosto commanded that Fawnia Porrus and Capnio should be brought to his presence who were no sooner come but Pandosto hauing his former loue turned into disdainefull hate began to rage against Fawnia in these termes THou disdainefull vassall thou currish kite assigned by the Destinies to base fortune and yet with an aspiring minde gazing after honour how durst thou presume being a begger to match with a Prince by thy alluring lookes to inchaunt the sonne of a King to leaue his owne Country to fulfill thy disordinate lusts O despightfull minde A proud heart in a begger is not vnlike a great fire in a small cottage which warmeth not the house but burneth it assure thy selfe thou shalt dye and thou old doting foole what folly hathbeene such as to suffer thy daughter to reach aboue thy fortune looke for no other meede but the like punishment But Capnio thou which hast betrayed the King and hast consented to the vnlawfull lust of thy Lord and Master I know not how iustly I may plague thée death is too easie a punishment for thy falshood and to liue if not in extreame misery were not to shew thée equity I therefore award that thou shalt haue thine eyes put out and continually till thou dyest grind in a mill like a brute beast The feare of death brought a sorrowfull silence vpon Fawnia and Capnio but Porrus séeing no hope of life burst forth in these spéeches PAndosto and ye noble Ambassadours of Sicilia séeing without cause I am condemned to die I am yet glad I haue opportunity to disburden my conscience before my death I will tell you as much as I know and yet no more then is true wheras I am accused that I haue béen a supporter of Fawnia's pride and shée disdained as a vile beggar so it is that I am neither father vnto her nor she daughter vnto me For it so hapned that I being a poore Shepheard in Sicilia liuing by kéeping other mens slocks one of my shéep straying downe to the sea-side as I went to seeke her I saw a little boat driuen vpon the shore wherin I found a babe os sixe dayes old wrapped in a mantle of scarlet hauing about the necke this chaine I pitying the child and desirous of the treasure carryed it home to my wise who with great care nursed it vp and set it to kéepe shéepe Here is the chaine and Iewels and this Fawnia is the child whom I sound in the boat what she is or of what Parentage I know not but this I am assured that she is none of mine Pandosto would scarce suffer him to tell out his tale but that he required the time of the yéere the manner of the boat and other circumstances which when he found agréeing to his count sodainely he lept from his seat and kissed Fawnia wetting her tender chéeks with his teares and crying My daughter Fawnia ah my swéet Fawnia I am thy father Fawnia this sudden passion of the King draue them all into a maze especially Fawnia and Dorastus But when the King had breathed himselfe a while in this new ioy he rehearsed before the Ambassadours the whole matter and how hee had entreated his wife Bellaria for Iealousie and that this was the child whom he sent to float in the seas Fawnia was not more ioyfull that she had found such a father then Dorastus was glad he should get such a wife The Ambassadors reioyced that their young Prince had made such a choice That those Kingdomes which through enmity had long time béene disseuered should now through perpetuall amity be vnited and reconciled The Citizens and subiects of Bohemia hearing that the King had found againe his daughter which was supposed dead ioyfull that there was an heire apparant to the Kingdome made Bone-fires and shewes throughout all the City The Courtiers and Knights appointed Iusts and Turneis to signifie their willing mindes in gratifying the Kings hap Eightéene dayes being past in these Princely sports Pandosto willingto recompence old Porrus of a Shepheard made him a Knight which done prouiding a sufficient Nauy to receiue him and his retinue accompanied with Dorastus and Fawnia and the Sicilian Ambassadours he sailed towards Sicilia where he was most princely entertained by Egistus who hearing this Comicall euent reioyced greatly at his sonnes good hap and without delay to the perpetuall ioy of the two young Louers celebrated the marriage Which was no sooner ended but Pandosto calling to mind how he first betrayed his friend Egistus how his iealousie was the cause of Bellaria's death that contrary to the law of nature he had lusted after his owne daughter moued with these desperate thoughts hee fell in a melancholly fit and to close vp the Comedy with a Tragicall stratagem he slew himselfe whose death being many daies bewayled of Fawnia Dorastus and his deare friend Egistus Dorastus taking leaue of his father went with his wife and the dead corps into Bohemia where after it was sumptuously intombed Dorastus euded his dayes in contented quiet FINIS