that you may make question of my good will yet if the care I haue had to instruct your youth haue not giuen you sufficient knowledge of it I would you should take notice of it because I desire to do for you You know that my sonne Azahyde who tooke you and brought you to mee hath a daughter whom I loue as my selfe and because I determine to passe the few dayes behinde in quietnesse and tranquillity I haue a purpose tomarry you to her and to giue you so good a part of my wealth that I may liue with you so long as it pleaseth God And thinke not that I haue had this purpose on a sudden for it is long since I prepared for euery thing In the first place I was desirous to know what your humor was euen when you were a childe to iudge if you could frame your selfe to be with me for that in such an age there could be but little art and so might we see as naked all the affections of a soule and finding you such as I wished Azahyde to be I thought good to settle the repose of my last dayes vpon you and for that cause I put you to study knowing well that there is nothing makes a soule more capable of reason than the knowledge of things And during your long absence from me I haue determined to marry my young daughter to you who to please me desires it almost as much as my selfe It is true she would gladly know who and of what place you are And to satisfie her I haue enquired of Azahyde many times in what place he tooke you but he hath alwayes told me that he knew nothing but that it was at the riuer of Rosne of the prouince of Viennois and that you were giuen by one that brought you two dayes iourney for exchange of some armors But it may be you can remember better for you might be about fiue or sixe yeeres of age and when I asked him whether the cloaths which you then wore might not giue some coniecture of what parents you were descended he answered no for that you were then so young that hardly could one iudge by your habit of what condition you were So that my sonne if your memory doe not helpe you herein there is no body can free vs of this paine So the good old Abariel held his peace and taking me by the hand besought me to tell him all that I knew Whereto after all the thankes I could giue him as well for the good opinion he had of me as for the nourture hee had giuen me and for the marriage which hee propounded I made him answere that in truth I was so yong when I was taken that I had no remembrance neither of my parents nor of my condition This is replyed the good old man somewhat combersome yet we will not let to proceed further prouided you like of it not greatly caring to speake with Azahyde but to know your good will And when I had answered him that I were very ingratefull if I did not wholy obey his commandement at that instant causing mee to go aside he sent to seeke out his sonne and to tell him his purpose which before my returne hee knew of by his daughter and the feare of losing the goods which Abariel would giue vs made him so much to dislike it that when his father spake to him of it hee so long reiected it and with such reasons that in the end the good old man not being able to get his consent told him frankely Azahide if you will not giue your daughter to whom I will I wil giue my goods to whom you would not and therefore resolue to agree to Siluander or I will chuse him to be mine heire Azahyde who was very couetous and fearing to lose that good seeing his father in these termes came better to himselfe and besought him to giue him some few dayes space to think of it whereas his father being a good old man easily condescended desiring to do all things with gentlenesse and after told me of it yet he needed not haue done it for I perceiued so much by the eyes and speech of his sonne who began to deale so roughly with me that I could hardly endure it Now during the time that he had taken he commanded his daughter who had a better minde then hee on paine of death for he was a man of blood and murther to make shew to the old man that she was sorry her father would not satisfie his will and that she could not helpe it but with her disobedience that she was ready to marry me secretly and when it was done time might worke her fathers content and this he had in purpose to procure my death The poore wench was much entāgled for on the one side the ordinary threatnings of her father whose mischieuous nature she knew too well egged her on to play this part on the other side the loue which from her childhood shee bare me with held her So it was that her tender yeeres for shee had not passed aboue halfe an age would not let her haue resolution enough to denie and so al trembling she came to vse that speech to the good man who receiued it with that confidence that after hee had kissed her fore-head twice or thrice at last he resolued to put it in practice as she had sayd and enioyned me so peremptorily that notwithstanding all the doubts I had in it I durst not contradict it Now the resolution was taken in such sort that I was to climbe thorow a window into the chamber where I must marry her secretly This Towne is seated on the vtmost bounds of the Allobroges on the side of the Heluecians and it is on the banks of the great lake Leman in such sort that the waues beat vpon the houses and then disgorge themselues into Rosne which passeth thorow the middest of it The meaning of Azabyde was because their lodgings were that way to draw mee vp with a cord halfe the height of the wall and then to let me fall into the lake where being drowned they might neuer heare more newes of mee because that Rosne with his swiftnesse would haue carried me farre off or touching on the hard rocks I might haue beene so bruised that no man could haue knowne me And without doubt his designe had taken effect for I was resolued to obey the good Abariel had it not beene that the day before this was to be done the poore wench that was commanded to shew me good countenance that I might be the more abused moued with compassion and out of horrour to bee the cause of my death could not hold from discouering it to mee all trembling saying to mee a little after You see Siluander in sauing your life I procure mine owne death for I know well Azahyde will neuer pardon me but I had rather dye an innocent then liue guilty of your death After I
talk of another matter sayd to me Know you how Fleurials Aunt doth I answered that since he went I knew nothing Truely sayd she I would be very sorry if the old woman should not do well you haue reason sayd I Madam for she loues you and you haue had many seruices of her which are not yet fully acknowledged If she liue said she I will do it and after her I will remember Fleurial for her sake Then I answered Both the seruices of the aunt those of the Nephew deserue some good recompence and especially Fleurial for his faithfulnesse and affection cannot be bought It is true sayd she but because you speake of Fleurial what great matter had you to say to him or hee to you when he went away I answered coldly I recommended mee to his aunt Recommendations sayd she were not so long then she came neerer me and layd her hand on my shoulder Tell truth continued shee you spake of some other thing And what might it bee replied I if it were not that I had no other businesse with him Now I know sayd she that at this present you dissemble why did you say you had no other businesse with him and haue had so much for Lindamor O! Madam I little thought you would haue remembred a man so vnfortunate and then holding my peace I fetched a deepe sigh What is the matter sayd she that you sigh tell me true where is Lindamor Lindamor answered I is no more then earth How cried shee out Lindamor is no more No indeed answered I the cruelty which you haue vsed towards him hath rather slaine him then the strokes of his enemy for going from the combat and knowing by the report of many the euill satisfaction which you had of him he would neuer suffer himselfe to be dressed and because you haue such a desire to know that was it that Fleurial told mee whom I commanded to assay if he could wisely withdraw the letters which wee haue writ him to the end that as you haue lost the remembrance of his seruices by your cruelty so might I consume in the fire the memories which might remaine O God sayd she what is that you tell me Is it possible he should be so lost It is you sayd I that may say you haue lost him for his part hee hath gained by dying since by death hee hath found rest which your cruelty will neuer permit him while hee liued Ah! Leonide sayd she you tell me these things to put mee to paine confesse the truth hee is not dead Would to God it were so sayd I but for what cause should I tell you I answere his death or life are indifferent to you and specially since you loued him so little you may be glad to be exempted for the importunity he would haue giuen you for you are to beleeue that if he had liued hee would neuer haue ceased from giuing such proofes of his affection as that of Polemas Indeed then sayd the Nymph I am sorry for the poore Lindamor and sweare vnto you that his death touches me more to the quicke then I though it would but tell me had he neuer no remembrance of vs at his end and did hee not shew to be grieued to leaue vs See Madam sayd I a question which is not vsuall He died for your sake and you aske if hee remembred you Ah! that his memory and his sorrow had not bin too great for his helth I beseech you talke no more of him I assure my selfe he is in the place where he receiues the reward of his fidelity and where it may bee hee shall see himselfe reuenged at you cost You are in choler sayd she You must pardon me sayd I Madam but this is the reason that constraines me to speake thus for there is none that can giue more testimony of his affection and fidelity then I and of the wrong you haue done him to giue him so vnworthy a recompence for so many seruices But sayd the Nymph let vs set this aside for I know that in some thing you haue reason but I haue not done so much wrong as you impute And tell mee I pray you by the loue you beare me if in his last words hee remembred mee and what they were Must you sayd I triumph in your soule at the end of his life as you haue done ouer al his actions since he begā to loue you If this must be to your contentment I will satisfie you As soone as he knew that you went about to blemish the honor of his victory and that in stead of pleasing you he hath by this fight got your hatred it shal neuer be sayd he O iniustice that thou shalt for my cause lodge longer in so faire a soule I must by my death wash away my offence Then hee tooke all the clouts which hee had on his wounds and would no more suffer the hand of the Chirurgion his wounds were not mortall but the ranckling brought it to those termes that he perceiued small strength in him to liue he called Fleurial and being alone hee sayd My friend Fleurial thou now lofest him that had great care to do thee good but you must arme your selfe with patience since it is the will of heauen I would yet haue one piece of seruice from thee which shall better please me then that thou euer didst And hauing drawne from him a promise that hee would do it hee continued You must not faile in what I bid you As soone as I shall be dead rip vp my belly and take out the heart and carry it to the faire Galathee and tell her that I send it her that at my death I may keepe nothing that belongs to any other At these last words hee lost both speech and life Now this foole Fleurial that hee may not bee wanting in that which was commanded him by a person whom he held so deare hath brought hither the heart and without me would present it to you Ah! Leonide sayd she is it certaine he is dead Oh God that I knew not his sicknes and you would neuer tell me of it I would haue found some remedy O what a loss haue I sustained how great is your fault Madam answerd I I knew nothing for Fleurial stayed with him to attend him because he had none of his owne but if I had knowne I thinke I should not haue spoken to you of it I knew your mind was so far remoued from that subiect At these words resting her head on her arme she commanded me to leaue her alone to the end as I thought that I might not see her teares which already encreased their drops but hardly was I gone before shee called me backe and without lifting vp her head shee bid mee command Fleurial to bring her that which Lindamor had sent her in what fashion he listed And presently I went out fully assured that the knights affaires for whom I pleaded would fall out
least of your desires Then the shepheardesse answered in choler Let vs leaue this discourse Licidas and thinke it cannot turne to your brothers benefit but if he haue beguiled me and left me displeased that I no sooner found out his deceits and craft he is gone with a great spoyle and faire markes of his vnfaithfulnesse You make me amazed replied Licidas wherein haue you found that which you reproach him with Shepheard added Astrea the story would be too long and grieuous content your selfe if you know it not you onely are in ignorance and all along this riuer of Lignon there is not a shepheard but can tell you that Celadon loued in a thousand places and not to goe farre yesterday I heard with mine owne eares the discourse of loue which he had to his Aminthe for so he called her whereto I had made longer stay but for shame and to tell true I had some businesse else-where that stood mee more vpon Then Licidas as one transported cries out I will no more enquire the cause of my brothers death it is your iealousie Astrea and iealousie grounded on great reason to be the cause of so great euill Alas Celadon at this time I see well thy prophecies fall out true of thy suspitions when thou saidest this wench will put thee to so much paine that it will cost thee thy life yet knewest thou not on which side this blow should be giuen Afterward addressing himselfe to the shepheardesse Is it credible said he Astrea that this disease is so great that it can make you forget the commandements which you haue so often enioyned him I can witnesse that fiue or sixe times at the least he hath falne on his knees before you to entreat you reuoke them Doe you not remember that when he came out of Italy it was one of your first ordinances and that within yonder bowre where I saw you meete together so often hee besought you to award him death much rather then to make shew to loue any other Astrea would he say while I liue I shall remember the very words it is not for that I refuse but because I am vnable to obserue this iniunction that I cast my selfe at your feete and beseech you that to make proofe what power you haue ouer me you command me to die rather then to ferue any other whomsoeuer but Astrea And you answered him my sonne I require this proofe of your loue and not your death which cannot be without mine owne for besides I know it is most hard to you yet will it bring vs a commodity which we especially are to looke after which is to shut vp both the eyes and mouthes of the most curious and reproachfull whether hee oftentimes replied hereto and whether hee made all the refusall which the obedience to which his affection bound him vnto you might permit I referre to your selfe if you haue the minde to remember it so farre am I from thinking he euer disobeyed you but for this onely cause and in truth it was so heauy an imposition that at all times when he returned from the place where he was enforced to dissemble he was compelled to take his bed as if he came from some great piece of seruice and there he would rest himselfe some while and then he vndertooke it afresh But now Astrea my brother is dead so it is whether you beleeue it or not beleeue it it will doe him neither good nor hurt so that you are not to thinke that I speake to you in his behalfe but onely for the truths sake yet may you credit me as you thinke good if I sweare vnto you that it is not aboue two daies since I found him engrauing of verses on the barke of these trees that stand by the great meddow on the left hand of the Beech and I assure my selfe that if you will vouchsafe to turne your eyes you may perceiue it was he that cut them for you may too well know his characters if forgetfull of him and of his passed seruices you haue not lost the remembrance of whatsoeuer concernes him but I am assured the gods will not suffer it for his satisfaction and your punishment The verses are these MADRIâ—AL I Haue my selfe at such a bent Although my Loue be violent That I can gaine this fauour small To say I doe not loue at all But to dissemble loue else-where Tâ— adore an eye the conquering part As I doe yours with trembling feare I know not how to haue the hart And if it must be that I die Dispach me hence then presently It may be some seuen or eight daies past that hauing had occasion to go for a time ouer the riuer of Loyre by way of answer he wrote me a letter which I am willing you should see and if in reading it you confesse not his innocency I will beleeue that you haue purposely lost for his sake all kinde of iudgement and then taking it out of his pocket he read it to her It was thus INquire no more what I doe but know that I continue alwaies in my ordinary paine To loue and not to dare shew it not to loue and sweare the contrary deare brother is all the exercise or rather the punishment of thy Celadon They say true contraries cannot be at one time in one place yet Loue and dissembled loue are ordinarily in my actions but wonder not at it for I am compelled to the one out of perfection and to the other by the commandement of Astrea If you thinke this manner of life strange remember that Miracles are the ordinary workes of gods and what would you my Goddesse should worke in me but Miracles It was long before Astrea would answer because the words of Licidas had almost put her beside her selfe So it was that iealousie which as yet helâ— some force in her soule made her take the paper as doubting if Celadon writ it And although she well knew it was he yet argued she the contrary in her mind following the custome of many moe persons who will alwaies strongly maintaine a thing as if it were their opinion And much about that time came diuers shepheards from seeking Celadon where they found no notice of him but his hat which was nothing to the sad Astrea but a fresh renewing of sorrow And because she remembred her selfe of a sleight which loue made them deuise and she was loth it should be knowne she made signe to Phillis to take it and then euery one betooke them to their lamentations and praises of the poore shepheard and there was not any that repeated not some vertuous action onely she that felt most was inforced to fit mute and to make lesse shew knowing well that the maine wisedome in loue is to hold affection hidden or at least not to discouer it vnprofitably And because the violence she did her selfe herein was great and she could hold out no longer she drew neere to Phillis and prayed her
this cause since you appoint me to tell you a part of my life I coniure you by our loue neuer to speake of it and both of them hauing sworne she tooke againe her discourse in this sort The History of Diane IT would be very strange if the discourse which you desire to know of me might not be offensiue to you since faire wise shepheardesses it hath made me endure so much displeasure that I thinke not I shall at this time vse more words in telling it then it hath cost me teares in suffering it And since it pleaseth you that at last I shall renew that grieuous remembrance suffer me to abridge it that I may in some sort lessen the happinesse wherein I am by the memory of passed troubles I assure my selfe that though you neuer sawe Celion and Belinde yet you haue heard they were my father and mother and it may be haue knowne the crosses which they had for the loue of the one to the other which lets mee from telling them though they were presages of those I met with But you must know that after the cares of loue were ended in marriage that they might not remayne ydle suites of law and sundry troubles beganne to grow and so plentifully that wearied with charge of processe to make an accord many among the rest a neighbour of theirs named Phormion trauayled so that their friends were of aduice at last that to end all suits they should giue some promises of future alliance betweene them and because neither the one nor the other as yet had any children as hauing not beene long married they swore by Theurales on the Altar of Belenus that if they both had but one sonne and one daughter they should marry together and ratified this alliance with so many oathes that hee which brake them should be the most periured creature in the world Some time after my father had a sonne which was lost when the Gothes and Ostrogots ransacked this prouince Somewhat after that was I borne but so vnluckily for my selfe that my father neuer sawe me being borne after his death This was the cause that Phormion seeing my father dead and my brother lost for these Barbarians had carryed him away and it may be kill'd him or left him to die for want and that my vnkle Dinamis was gone out with displeasure of this losse resolued if he might haue a sonne to pursue the effect of those promises It fell out that some while after his wife lay downe but it was of a daughter and because his wife was old and he feared he should haue no more by her hee made it be giuen out that it was a sonne and vsed so great warinesse that neuer any body heeded it a tricke easie enough because there was no person that would suppose that he would vse such a deceit and vntill a certayne age it is hard by the face to know any thing and the better to deceiue the most crafty he called her Filidas And when she came to age he caused her to vse the exercise fit for young shepheards whereto she was not very vnâ—â—t The dessigne of Phormion was seeing me without father and without vnkle to make himselfe master of my good by this fayned marriage and when Filidaâ— and I should be greater to marry me to one of his nephews which he loued best And indeed he was not deceiued in his former dessigne For Belinde was too religious towards the gods to fayle in that whereto she knew her husband was bound It is true that seeing me taken out of her owne hands for presently after this dissembled marriage I was deliuered into them of Pharmion she tooke so great griefe that not being able to stay longer in this countrey she went to the lake Leman to be mistris of the Vestals and Druydes of Euiens as the old Cleoâ—tin informed her from the Oracle Now behold me in the hands of Phormion who shortly after brought me home to him his nephew to whom he meant to giue me who was named Amidor This was the beginning of my paines because his vnkle let him know that by reason of our young age the marriage of Filidas and me was not so assured but if the one could not like of the other hee could not well breake it yet if it should happen hee wished rather hee should marry me then another that he should make vse of this aduertisement with so much discretion that no man might take notice of it endeuouring in the meane time to winne me to his loue in such sort that I gaue my selfe to him if euer I came to be free This yong shepheard had so good a conceit of this dessigne that as long as this fancie lasted he could not tel how good occasion I had to reioyce my selfe for him About this time Daphnis an honest and wise shepheardesse came from the coast of Furan where she had abode many yeeres and because we were neighbours the conuersation which we had together by chance made vs so good friends that I beganne to be more vexed then of wont for I must confesse that the humor of Filidas was so vnsupportable to me that I could not almost indure it so that the feare which she had that I might come to more knowledge made her so iealous of me that I might not scarce speake to any body Things standing on these termes Phormion on a sudden faâ—leth sicke and the same day was choked with a Catar that he could not speake nor giue any order to his affayres nor mine Filidas at the first was astonished at last seeing her selfe absolute mistris of her selfe and of me resolued to keepe this authority considering that the liberty which the name of a man brings is much more pleasing then the seruitude to which our Sexe is more subiected Besides that shee was not ignorant that when she should discouer her selfe to be a maide she should giue no small cause of talke to all the country These reasons made her continue the name which she had during her fathers life and fearing now more then euer that some one might discouer what she was she held me so strait that I was seldome without her But faire shepheardesses since it pleaseth you to know my young passages you must when you heare them excuse them and withall haue this beliefe of me that I haue had so many and so great troubles for louing that I am no more sensible on that side hauing beene so hardened that loue hath neyther so strong nor so sharpe armes that he can pierâ—â—â—e Alas it is the shepheard Filander of whom I will speake Filander that first could giue me some feeling of loue and who being no more hath carried away all that that might be capable in me Truely interrupted Astrea eyther the loue of Filander hath beene very little or you haue vsed great discretion for that indeed I neuer heard speech of it Which is a rare thing for that the euill
him and giue him the most cruell displeasure that any might haue O Lindamor how vayne are these thy propositions At this time Clidaman being departed with Guymantes to seeke the aduentures of armes and then hee went to the army of Merone and though hee went priuately yet his actions made him well enough knowne and because Amasis would not haue him stay there in that sort she leuied all the forces she could make to send to him and as you know gaue the charge to Lindamor and kept Polemas for gouerner vnder her of all her prouinces vntill the comming of her sonne which she did as well to giue satissaction to these two great personageÌ„s as to separate them a little for euer since the returne of Lindamer they haue had some brabble together were it for that there is nothing so secret which in some sort is not discouered and for that Polemas had some coniecture that it was hee against whom he fought or that loue only was the cause so it was that all men knew how little good will they bare each to other Now Polemas was wel content and Lindamor went away with no ill wil the one that he might be neere his Mistrisse the other that hauing occasion to do seruice to Amasis he might thereby binde her hoping by this way to make easie the passage to that good which hee aspired But Polemas that knew by the eye how much hee was out of fauour and contrarily how many fauours his riuall had receiued hauing now no hope neither in his seruices not in his merits ran to subtilty And behold how he sets vp a man but the most crafty and deceitful that euer was in his mistery whom without acquainting any in the Court he caused secretly to see Amasis Galathee Siluie Silere me and all the other Nymphs and not only shewed him their face but told him what he knew of theÌ„ all namely the things most secret whereof being an old Courtier hee was well informed and after desired him to faine himselfe to be a Druid or great diuine Hee came into that great wood of Sauigneu neere the faire gardens of Mont-brison where by asmall riuer where he might passe ouer he made his lodging and tarried there some while seeming to be a great diuiner so that the bruite of him came to vs and specially Galathee went to him to know her fortune This crafty companion could so well play his part with such circumstances and ceremonies that I must confesse the truth I was deceiued as well as others So it was that the conclusion of his cunning was to tell her that the heauens had giuen her by influence the choice of a great good or a great euill and it was wisedome to choose That both the one and the other was to proceed from that which shee should loue and if she neglected his aduice she should be the vnhappiest woman in the world and contrarily most happy if she made a good election that if she would beleeue him he would giue her so certaine knowledge both of the one and the other that she had no more to do but to discerne them And looking in her hand and after on her face hee sayd Such a day being within Marsellis you shall see a man clad in such a colour if you marry him you are the most miserable in the world Then hee let her see in a mirrour a place which is by the riuer of Lignon said You see this place go at such an houre you shall finde the man that shall make you most happy if you marry him Now Climanthe so is this deceiuer called had eunningly knowne both the day that Lindamor was to depart and the colour of his cloaths and his dessine was that Polemas seeming to go hunt should be at the place which he shewed in the glasse Now heare I pray you how all fell out Lindamor failed not to come forth apparelled as Climanthe had foretold and that day Galathee who had good remembrance of Lindamor stood so astonied that she could not answere to what hee sayd The poore knight thought it was for the griefe of his departure so farre off so that after he had kissed her hand hee went away to the Army more contented than his fortune required If I had knowne she had beene of that opinion I would haue endeuoured to haue diuerred her from it but shee kept it so secret from me that as then I had no knowledge of it Afterward the day drew on that Climanthe had told her that she should finde about the Lignon him that should make her happy Shee would not tell mee all her dessigne onely shee let me vnderstand if the Druyde were true in that which he said that the Court was so empty that there was no pleasure in it that for a while Solitarinesse would be more pleasing that she was resolued to goe to her Palace of Isour as priuately as shee could possibly and that of her Nymphs she would haue but Siluie and me her Nurce and the little Merill As for me that was cloyed with the Court I sayd that it would be fit to withdraw a while and so letting Amasis know that she would take physicke shee might be gone the next morning But it was her Nurce that confirmed her in that opinion for this good old woman that loued her Nurce-child very tenderly easily being drawne to credite these predictions as for the most part all of her age are counselled her to it and pressed her so that finding her already so inclined It was an easie thing to thrust her into this Labyrinth For my part I was neuer more astonied for suppose there be but three persons in this great building But the Nymph which well marked the day that Climanthe had set prepared the euening before to goe thither and in the morning dressed her selfe the most to her aduantage she could and commaunded vs to doe the like In that sort we went in a Coach to the place assigned where being arriued by chance at the houre which Climanthe had sayd we found a shepheard almost drowned and halfe couered with mud and grauell whom the fury of the water had cast on our shore This shepheard was Celadon I know not if you know him who by chance being faine into Lignon wanted of drowning himselfe but wee came so fitly that wee saued him for Galathee be leeuing it was hee that was to make her happy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 time beganne to loue him so as shee thought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paine to her vs lay him in the Coach and then to the Palace he all this whiâ—â— not coming to himselfe As then the saâ—â— the fright of death the scratchâ—â— he had in his face kept him that his beauty could not be perceiued And for my part I ourse the Inchanter and Diuine vvhich was the cause we tooke so much paine for I sweare I neuer had the like in my life But after hee came to himselfe and that his face
to aske your pardon for the fault I know not of but onely to make you see that it is the end I choose to put him out of the world whom you make shew to haue in such horror But she whom choler had transported without turning her eyes to him struggled with that fury that she escaped from him and left nothing but a ribon on which by chance he had layd his hand She was wont to weare it on her garment before sometimes to set out her partlet with sometimes to winde about flowers when the season serued at this time it had a ring at it which her father had giuen her The sorrowfull shepheard seeing her depart in such choler stood a long time without moouing not knowing what hee held in his hand though he had his eyes on it At last with a deepe sigh comming out of his pensiuenesse and knowing the ribon Be witnesse said hee O deare string that rather then I would breake one of the knots of my affection I choose to lose my life to the end that when I am dead and that the cruell shall see thee about me thou maist assure her that there is nothing in the world can be better loued then she is of me and a Louer worse vnderstood then I. And then fastning it about his arme and kissing the ring And thou said he the token of an intire and perfect amity be content not to part from me at my death to the end that this may remaine with me at least for a gage from her who hath made me such promise of affection He had scarce ended these words when turning his eyes toward Astrea hee cast himselfe into the riuer with his armes acrosse In this place was Lignon very deepe and the streame strong for there was a world of waters and the casting back of the rocke made a kinde of counter-mount so that the shepheard was long before hee could sinke to the bottome and yet longer before hee could rise vp and when hee appeared the first was a knee and after an arme and then ouer-whelmed suddainely with the working of the waues hee was carried farre off vnder the water In the meane time was Astrea set on the banke seeing that which she had so dearely loued and which she could not yet hate so neer to death for her cause was surprised with such feare that in stead of giuing helpe she fell into a swoune so neere the brink that at her first mouing which she made when shee came to her selfe which was long time after shee fell into the water with such danger that all that some shepheards that were there could doe did but saue her with the helpe of her clothes which held her aboue the water they had leasure to draw her to the shoare but so farre besides her selfe that without any feeling of her part they brought her to the next Lodge which they found to belong to Phillis where some of her companions shifted her wet clothes shee not beeing able to speake shee was so much dismayed both for the danger her selfe had runne into and for the losse of Celadon who in the meane time was carried by the water with such violence that hee was driuen aland a farre off on the other side of the riuer among some little shrubs but with small signe of life As soone as Phillis who at that time was from home knew the accident befalne her companion shee set her selfe to runne with all her might and had it not beene that Licidas met her she could not haue beene stayed by any other whosoeuer he had beene yet she told him in few words the danger into which Astrea had runne not speaking any thing of Celadon and indeed she knew nothing of him This shepheard was Celadons brother betweene whom the heauens had tied a knot more straite then that of parentage on the other side Astrea and Phillis besides that they were cousin germanes were so linked with so straite an amity that it well deserues to be compared to that of the two brethren that if Celadon had simpathy with Astrea Licidas had no lesse inclination to serue Phillis nor Phillis to loue Licidas By fortune at this time that they came in Astrea opened her eyes and they were very much changed from that they were wont to be when victorious Loue shewed it selfe triumphant ouer all those which saw them and which they saw their looke was slow and abated their lids heauy and sleepy and their brightnesse turned into teares but teares holding of a heart all inflamed whence they came and of those eyes scorching as they passed by which burnt vp both with loue and pitty all those that were neere her when she perceiued her companion Phillis it was a new cause of astonishment and much more when she saw Licidas and though shee were vnwilling that they which were by should know the principall cause of her euill yet was she compelled to tell him that his brother had endangered himselfe while he sought to helpe her This shepheard at these newes was so amazed that without longer stay he ran to the vnlucky place with all the shepheards leauing Astrea and Phillis alone who afterwards set themselues to follow them but so sadly that though they had much to say yet were they not able to speake In the meane time the shepheards comming to the banke side and casting their eyes now this way and after that way found no shew of that they sought for except it were some that falling more low found a great way off his hat which the streame of the water had driuen downe and which by chance was staied among some trees which the washing of the riuer had loosened at the roote and impaired This was all the newes they could meete with of that they sought for hee was farre enough driuen away in a place where it was impossible for them to finde him because that before Astrea could be recouered of her swounding Celadon as I haue said driuen by the water fell on the other shore among some trees where hee might hardly be seene And while he was thus betweene death and life there came to that place three faire Nimphs whose loose hayre hung wauing on their shoulders crowned with a garland of diuers pearles they wore their bosome bare and the sleeues of their garments trust vp to the elbow from whence issued a very fine lawne that gathered vp ended toward the hand where two great bracelets of pearle seemed to fasten it Euery of them had at their side a quiuer full of arrowes and bore in her hand a Bow of Iuory the lower part of their garment before turned vp behinde that their gold-wrought buskins were seene to the mid-legge It seemed they came thither for some desire for one of them spake thus This is the place see heere the bending of the riuer behold where it comes with violence from aboue dashing against the other shore which breakes the force of it
Among others the yong Ligdamon was one this man fell to Siluie a Nymph indeed amiable enough but not for him who had formerly set his mind otherwhere And certainely it was his good fortune to bee absent then for hee would neuer haue done the fained homage to Siluie that Amasis commanded and that might haply haue wrought him some disgrace for you must know gentle shepheard that he was brought vp very young among vs being not aboue ten yeeres of age when he was placed heere for the rest so faire direct in all his actions that there was not a woman that thought not well of him and aboue all Siluie being very neere his age At the beginning their ordinary conuersation ingendred the amity of a brother to a sister such as their knowledge was capable to receiue By degrees as Ligdamon grew in age so likewise he encreased in affection so that his childhood changing into a state more settled about the age of foureteene or fifteene yeeres he beganne to change his will into desires and by little and little his desires into passions and yet he liued with that discretion that Siluie had neuer knowledge that her selfe caused this desire When he attained to some good vnderstanding and that he knew his euill he iudged within a while what small hope there was of healing not one of Siluies humours being likely to be hid from him So that the ioy and liuelinesse which was in his countenance and all his actions were turned into sadnesse and his sadnesse into so heauy a melancholy that there was no body but might perceiue the alteration Siluie was not one of the last that asked him the cause but she could draw out nothing but broken answers In the end seeing him continue still in this manner of life one day when she beganne to complayne of his small amity and reproching him that she had obliged her to conceale nothing from her she heard that he was no more able to restraine himselfe but that a deepe sigh escaped from him in stead of answer This brought her to be of opinion that loue might be the cause of his euill And see if the poore Ligdamon did not discreetly carry his actions since she was neuer able to imagine her selfe to be the cause I beleeue well that the humour of this Nymph which shrunke not a iot from this purpose might be in part the occasion For hardly do we thinke of a thing estranged from our owne intents But it must be confessed that heerein his wisedome was great and his coldnesse also that it could so wholy couer the heate of his affection She then pressed him more then before that if it be loue she promised him all the assistance and all the good offices that might be hoped for from their amitie The more he did to auoyde it the more she desired to know it in the end not being able to defend it any longer he protested to her it was loue but he had made an oath neuer to name the party For sayd he to loue is a great presumption in me but constrayned by so many beauties it may be excused and to dare name her what excuse can couer the discouery of my rashnesse Is this the friendship presently answered Siluie which you beare me Truly replyed Ligdamon I haue done it and your commandement also which I beseech you set before your eyes and this glasse which will make you see what you desire to know At that word he tooke vp that which hung at her girdle and held it before her eyes Think you how she was surprised incontinently knowing what he would say and she hath since sworne to me that she thought at first it had beene Galathee of whom he would haue spoken In the meane time that he had stood to behold her she stood as rauished to consider his simplicity in choller against him but much more against her selfe seeing well she had drawne this declaration by force from his mouth Notwithstanding her high courage would not suffer her to make any long defence for the lustice of Ligdamon For at an instant she lifts her selfe vp and without speaking to him departs full of despite that any durst presume to loue her arrogant beauty that iudgeth none worthy of it The faithfull Ligdamon stayed but without a soule and as an insensible Statue In the end comming agayne to himselfe he went as well as he could to his lodging out of which he went not some good time because the knowledge which he had of the small loue of Siluie touched him so to the quick that he fell sicke so that there was small hope of life when he resolued to write her such a letter The losse of my life was not of force sufficient to discouer vnto you the rashnesse of your seruant without your expresse commandement yet if you iudge that I must die and hold my peace say also that your eyes must haue had lesse absolute power ouer me For if at the first summons which their beauty made me I could not defend my selfe from giuing them my soule how hauing beene so often vrged could I haue refused the acknowledgement of that gift yet if I haue offended in offering my heart to your beauty I am willing for the fault I haue committed in presenting to such merits a thing of so small valew to sacrifice vnto you my life without sorrowing for the losse eyther of the one or of the other sith they be no more pleasing vnto you This letter was brought to Siluie when she was alone in her Chamber It is true that I came in at the same time and indeed well for Ligdamon for behold the humour of this fayre Nymph She had conceiued so great a despite toward him after he had discouered his affection that not only she blotted out the remembrāce of the amity passed but so lost her will that Ligdamon was like a thing indifferent to her So that when she heard that euery one despaired of his recouery she was no more moued at it then if she had neuer seene him I that particularly obserued it could not tell what to iudge of it but that her youth made her easily lose the loue of men absent But when now I saw her refuse that which one deliuered her in his behalfe I knew well that they needed no bad messenger between them This was the cause that I took the letter that she had refused and which the young boy that brought it by his masters commaundement had left on the table She then lesse heedfull then she would haue beene ranne after me and intreated me not to reade it I will see it sayd I and it be but for the deniall you make Then beganne she to blush and said Reade it not good sister binde me to you for it I coniure you by our friendship And what shall that be then answered I if it may suffer you to conceale any thing from me Thinke you that if it allow
better their country in stead of Gaul take the name of Frannce While I was entred into armes among the Franks the Gauls the Romans the Burgonians the Visigots and the Huns my brother was among them of loue armes so much the more offensiue for that they turne all their blowes vpon the heart his disaster was such if now I may bee suffered to cal itso that being bred vp by Clidaman he saw the faire Siluie but seeing her hee saw his death also not hauing liued since that but as drawing towards his tombe t◠tell you the cause I cannot for being with Childerick I knew nothing but that my brother was in extremity though I found al the cōtentments that might be as being regarded of my Master beloued of my companions cherished and honored generally of all for a certaine good opinion they conceiue of me for affaires that fell out which it may be got me with them more authority credit then my age and capacity might merit I could not knowing the sicknesse of my brother stay longer time with Childerick but taking leaue of him promising him to returne very shortly I came backe with the haste that my loue required As soone as I was come many ranne to tell him that Guymantes was come for so they call me His loue gaue him strength enough to lift vp himselfe in his bed he imbraced me with the most intire affection that one brother could do to another It would serue but to trouble you and wound my selfe afresh to recount vnto you the things which our amity wrought betweene vs. So it was that either 2. or 3. daies after my brother was brought to that extremity that he could hardly draw his breath and yet that cruell loue inclined him more to sighing then to the necessity hee had of breathing and in all his raging fits we could heare nothing but the name of Siluie I to whom the displeasure of his death was so violent that I could hardly dissemble wished so much euill to this vnknowne Siluie that I could not hold from cnrsing her which when my brother heard and his affection as yet greater then his disease hee enforced himselfe to speake this Brother if you will not bee my greatest enemy for beare I beseech you these imprecations which cannot but displease mee much more then my disease I had much rather not bee at all then that they should take effect and being vnprofitable what will it auaile you vnlesse it be to witnesse to me how much you hate that which I loue I know well my losse will trouble you and therein I haue more feeling of our separation then of my end But since euery man is borne to dye why with me do you not thanke the heauens which haue chosen me the fairest death and the most faire murderer that euer man had The extremity of my affection and the extremity of the vertue of Siluie are the armes by which her beauty is serued to put me into my griefe and why do you bewaile me wish euill to her to whom I wish more good then to my soule I thinke hee would haue said more but his strength failed and I more wet with teares of pitty then when against Attila I was all on a sweat vnder my armor and my armes sprinkled with bloud all ouer me Brother she that takes you from yours is the most vniust that euer was and if she be faire the gods haue done the iniustice in her for either they should haue changed her face or her heart Then Aristander hauing gotten a little more strength replied to me For Gods sake Guymantes blaspheme no more in this sort beleeue that Siluie hath an heart answerable to her face that as the one is full of beauty so the other is of vertue that if for louing her I die doe not you wonder because that if the eye cannot without dazeling abide the beames of one Sun without cloudy how may not my soule remaine dazeled at the beames of so many Suns which glister in this faire that if I haue scarce tasted such diuinities without death I may haue the contentment of him that dies to see Iupiter in his diuinity I would tell you that as her death giues witnesse that no other had euer seene so much of diuinity as shee so that no man euer loued so much of beauty nor so much of vertue as I. Now I that came from an exercise that made mee beleeue there was no loue forced but voluntary with which men go on flattering themselues in idlenesse said to him Is it possible that one sole beauty should be the cause of your death My brother answered he I am in such extremity that I thinke I cannot answere your demands but said he on taking me by the hand for brotherly loue and for our particular which binds vs yet faster I adiure you to promise me one gift I did so Then he said on Beare as from me this kisse to Siluy and then he kissed my hand and obserue that which you finde of my last will and when you see this Nympho you shall know that which you demand of me At this word with a blast his soule flew vp his body lay cold in my armes The affliction that I felt in this losse as it cannot be imagined but by him that hath beene in it so it cannot be conceiued but by the heart that suffered it and hardly can the word reach that which the thought may not attaine so that without longer abode in bewailing this disaster I wil say Madam that as soone as my dolours would suffer me I haue set my selfe on the way as well to render you the homage which I owe you and to demand iustice of you for the death of Aristander as to fulfill my promise which I made him against his homicide and to present that which by his last will he left in writing to the end that I may call my selfe as iust an obseruer of my word as his affection hath beene inuiolable But at the instant when I was presented before you and that I meant to open my mouth against this murderer I haue found my brothers words so true that not only I excuse his death but desire and require the like This shall bee then Madam with your permission which I will performe and then making a great reuerence to Amasis he chose from among vs Siluie and resting one knee on the ground he said Faire murtherer though on this faire brest there fall but one teare of pitty at the newes of the death of the person which was so much yours you cease not to haue entire honourable victory yet if you iudge that to so many flames which you haue lighted in him so small a drop shall not bee a great asswagement receiue at least the burning kisse which hee bequeaths you when presently his soule turned into this kisse which he set in this faire hand rich indeed with the
both that they sware so firme a league betweene them that they neuer after separated and this was the first day that Astrea came out of her lodging So that these her two faithfull companions were now with her but they were no sooner set down but they might perceiue farre off Semire who came to finde her This shepheard had long time beene amorous of Astrea and knowing that she loued Celadon thought that he was the cause of his bad successe beeing now perswaded that hauing driuen away Celadon he might easily obtain his place he came to seeke her out that he might beginne his designe but he was much deceiued for Astrea hauing found out his craft conceiued such an hatred against him that when shee spyed him shee would lay her hand ouer her eyes that she might not see him and desired Phillis to tell him from her that he should neuer present himselfe to her And these words were spoken with such a change of looke and so great a vehemency that her companions easily found out her great stomake which more readily incensed Phillis against the shepherd When he heard this message hestood so confused in his thoughts that it seemed he could not moue At last ouercome enforced by the acknowledgement of his error he said Discreete Phillis I protest the heauens are iust in giuing me more sorrow then an heart is able to beare since they cannot equall their punishment according to mine offence hauing beene the cause of the breach of the fairest and most intire loue that euer was But that the gods may not more rigorously chastise me tell this faire shepheardesse that I aske pardon both of her and of the cinders of Celadon assuring her that the extreme affection which I bare her without more was the cause of this fault that banished from her and from her eyes iustly offended I may goe lamenting all my life long At this word hee went away so vncomfortable that his repentance mooued Phillis to some pittie and beeing come backe to her companions shee told them his answer Alas sister sayd Astrea I haue more reason to fly this wicked man then to weepe iudge you if I ought not this is he without more that hath beene the cause of all my sorrow How sister said she is Semire the cause of your sorrow Hath he such power ouer you If I durst tell you his wickednes sayd Astrea and mine owne folly you would say that he hath vsed the greatest Arte that the craftiest spirit could inuent Diane knowing that that was the cause that she spake no more plainely to Phillis for that it was yet but eight or ten dayes that they grew to that familiarity said to them that it was no part of her purpose to take any thing from them by constraint And you faire shepheardesse said shee turning to the sad Astrea giue me occasion to thinke that you loue me not if you be more reserued to me then to Phillis for that though it be not long that I haue inioyed the good of your familiarity yet are you to be no lesse assured of my affection then of hers Phillis then answered I assure my selfe that Astrea will alwayes speake as freely before you as before her selfe her humor being not to loue by halues since she hath sworne to be such she hath nothing in her soule to conceale It is true continued Astrea and that which held me from saying more was onely for that the putting the weapon againe into the wound will but poyson it Yet so it is replied Diane that oftentimes you must vse the weapon to heale it and for me I thinke that to speake freely of the disease to a friend is to make him a party and if I durst desire you it would be a great satisfaction to know what your life hath beene as my selfe also will not make it dainty to tell you mine when you shall be desirous to know it Since you will haue it so answered Astrea that you haue a mind to partake in my sorrowes I will so that afterwards you impart to me of your contentments and that in the meane time you suffer me to vse that breuity in the discourse which you desire to vnderstand from me and truly an history so vnfortunate as mine will not please but by being short And being all three set in a round she began to speake in this manner The History of Astrea and Phillis THey that know what it is when friendship or hatted passe from father to son may well conceiue Celadons fortune and mine and without doubt may affirme that they be not deceiued For faire Diane I beleeue you haue often heard speech of the old hatred betweene Alce Hippolite my father and mother and of Alcippe and Amarillis the father mother of Celadon their displeasures accompanying them euen to their graue which hath beene cause of so great trouble among the shepheards of this Country that I assure my selfe there is no man ignorant of it along the shore of the cruell and dishonoured Lignon And yet it seemeth that Loue to shew his power of persons so opposite would vnite two so straitly that nothing could breake the lines but death For hardly had Celadon reached to the age of foureteene or fifteene yeeres and I of twelue or thirteene but that at an assembly which was had at the Temple of Venus which is on the top of this mountaine seated in the Plaine right ouer against Montsur about a mile from the Castle of Monbusor this young shepheard sawe me and as he hath told me since he had long before conceiued a good liking vpon the report which was made of me But the let which I told you our fathers tooke from him all meanes and I must tell you that I do not thinke he bare a greater liking then did I for I know not how when I heard speech of him my heart danced in my belly and this was but a presage of the troubles which since befell mee on that occasion Now at the instant when he saw me I know not how he found matter of loue in mee so that within a while after hee resolued to loue me and to serue me And it seemeth that at this first view both the one and the other of vs was at this passe that wee must loue so that as often as it was told mee that hee was the sonne of Alcippe I found a certaine change in my selfe which was not ordinary and thenceforth all his actions began to please me and much more agreeing to my liking then of all the other yong shepheards of his age and for that as yet he durst not come neere me that speech was denied him his lookes at his commings and goings spake to me so often that at last I knew he had a longing to tell me more and to effect it at a game that was kept at the foot of the mountaine vnder the old elmes that yeelded a pleasant shade he vsed such
fire of his loue nor the admirable beauties of those Romanes diuert him from the least part of what he had promised me O God with what contentment came he to meete me he besought me by his brother that I would giue him opportunity to speake with me I thinke I haue yet his letter Alas I haue more charily preserued that which came from him then himselfe And then she drew out letters which she had receiued from him and pulling out the first for they were all layd in order after she had wiped her eyes she read these words FArre Astrea my banishment hath beene ouercome of my patience God grant the like of your loue I went out with such griefe and am returned with so great contentment that not perishing neither in going nor comming I shall alwaies giue proof that one may not die neither of too much pleasure nor too much displeasure Let me then see you that I may recount my fortune vnto you that are my onely Fortune Faire Diane it is impossible I should remember the discourse which we had without wounding my selfe so that the least stroke is as greeuous to me as death During the absence of Celadon Artemis my Aunt and the mother of Phillis came to see her kinsfolke and brought with her this shepheardesse poynting to Phillis And because our fashion of liuing better pleased them then that of the shepheards of Alleer she resolued to dwell with vs which was no small contentment to vs for by this meanes we grew familiar and though the friendship was not so strait as it fell out afterward yet her humour so pleased me that I passed ouer many vnquiet houres reasonably well with her And when Celadon was returned and that he had some while conuersed with her he gaue so good a iudgement that I may truely say he is the ground of the strait amity which hath since beene betweene her and me It was about this time that he being of the age of seuenteene or eighteeneyeeres I of fifteene or sixteene we beganne to carry our selues with more wisedome so that to hide our loue I intreated him or rather I constrayned him to make loue to all the shepheardesses that had any shew of beauty that the suite he made to mee might be iudged to be rather common then particular I say I constrayned him because I thinke but for his brother Licidas he would neuer haue giuen his consent For after he had many times falne on his knees before me to call backe the charge I gaue him in the end his brother told him that it was necessary for my contentment it should be so and that if he knew no other remedy he might therein helpe himselfe by his imagination and when he spake to others he should conceit to himselfe it was to me Alas the poore shepheard had good reason to make such difficulty for he ouer-well foresaw that from it would arise the cause of his death Excuse me wise Diane if my teares interrupt my discourse seeing I haue so iust cause that it were impiety to forbid them me And after she had dryed her eyes shee renewed her discourse in this manner And because Phillis was vsually with me it was she to whom at the first he addressed himselfe but with such inforcement that I could hardly refraine from laughter and because Phillis thought he was in earnest and that she vsed him as they ordinarily doe him that beginneth to be a suiter I remember that seeing himselfe rudely handled he often sung this song which he made on that subiect A SONG VPon a certaine fountaines bankes Which moldy mosse all ouer-growes Whose water with a winding flowes Wandring through plaines in many crankes A shepheard gazing on the waue Sâ—â—g to his pipe these verses graue Cease one day cease too faire for me Before my death cruell to be Can it be that this grieuous paine Which I for louing you indure If gods be not cal'd iust in vaine At last may â—e no good procure Or can it be that such a Loue May neuer any pittie mooue The rather being great and true As that with which I honor you Those eyes whose wanton passages Haue often made me hope in vaine Full of so many forgeries Will they forsweare themselues so plaine They oft haue told me that her heart At last would rigor force to part Agreeing to which false report The rest of her faire face consort But how faire eies of shepheardesse Shall they to such false courses yeeld As are the Courtiers practices It seemes these beauties of the field Though without fucus on their skin Yet can they paint their heart within And learne a lesson in their schooles To giue but words the bane of fooles Enough it is high time O faire To end this ouer-cruell fit And thinke that beauty n'er so rare Which hath not sweetnesse mixt with it Is as an eye that wants day-light And faire that is without loue quite As most vnworthy of that cole Is like a body wanting soule Sister interrupted Phillis I remember it well you speake of and I shall make you laugh at the manner of his speech to me For for the most part it was with such broken language that we had need of an Interpreter to make vs vnderstand them and vsually when he was to name mee he would call me Astrea But see what our inclination is I knew well that Nature had in some sort preferred Celadon before Licidas yet not being able to tell you the reason Licidas was more welcome to me Alas sister sayd Astrea you bring to my remembrance the speech which he vsed about that time of you and of this faire shepheardesse sayd she turning to Diane Faire shepheardesse said he to me the wise Bellinde and your Aunt Artemis are infinitely happy in hauing such daughters and our Lignon is much bound to them since by their meanes it hath the happinesse to see vpon her shores these two faire wise shepheardesses And beleeue me if I know any thing they only deserue the amity of Astrea and therefore I aduise you to loue them for I perceiue by that little knowledge I haue of them that you shall finde great contentment in their familiarity Would to God one of them would vouchsafe to respect my brother Licidas with the like affection that I beare And for that at that time I had no great knowledge of you fayre Diane I answered that I desired he should rather serue Phillis and it fell out as I wished for the ordinary conuersation he had with her at the first brought forth familiarity betweene them and at last he loued in earnest One day when he found her at leisure he resolued to declare his affection with much loue and with the fewest words he could Faire shepheardesse said he you haue knowledge enough of your selues to beleeue that those which loue you can not but loue you infinitely It can not be that my actions haue giuen you any knowledge
before men and gods that as she is the most faire and the most vnfaithfull in the world so I am the most faithfull and most affectionate that liues with assurance notwithstanding neuer to haue contentment but in my death We no sooner cast our eyes on this writing but we knew it all three to be from Celadon which was the cause that Licidas ran to draw out the others which floated on the water but the streame had carried them so farre that hee could not come by them yet we ghessed thereby that hee abode about the head of the Lignon which caused Licidas in the morning to goe seeke him luckily and vsed such diligence that three dayes after he found him in solitarinesse so changed from that that he was wont that he might scarce know him but when hee told him that he must come to me and that I so commanded him he could hardly be perswaded but that his brother came to deceiue him At last the letter which hee brought from me gaue him such contentment that within few dayes hee came to his former countenance and came to finde vs out yet not so soone but that Alcippe dyed before his returne and some few dayes after Amarillis followed him And then wee were of opinion that fortune had done her worst against vs since these two were dead that contraried vs most But it fell not out so by the mischiefe that the suite of Corebe went on so that Alce Hippolite and Phocion would giue mee no rest and yet it was not from them that our mischiefe came though Corebe were in part a cause for when hee came to make suite to mee because hee was very rich hee brought with him many shepheards among whom was Semire a shepheard indeede repleate with good qualities if he had not beene the most pērfidious and subtill fellow that euer was As soone as hee cast his eye on me he had a purpose to serue me forgetting the friendship that Corebe bare him And because Celadon and I to cloke our amity had layd a plot as I told you to dissemble he to make loue to al the shepheardesses and I to suffer indifferently the wooing of all sorts of shepheards hee thought at first that the good acceptance that I gaue him was the breeder of some greater affection and he had not so soone knowne what was betweene Celadon and me if by mischance he had not found my letters For though to his last losse it was well knowne hee loued mee yet there were few that thought I loued him I carried my selfe so coldly since Celadons last returne And because the letters which Alcippe had found at the foote of the tree cost vs deare wee would no more rely on those we wrote our selues but inuented a new trick which wee thought more assured Celadon had fastened to a corner of his hat on the inside a little piece of felt so cunningly that he could hardly see it and this was locked with a button on the out-side where he fayned to bind vp the brimme of his hat in that he put his letter and making shew to play either he cast me his hat or I tooke it from him or he let it lye or fayning to runne or leap better cast it on the ground and so I tooke and returned the letter I know not by what misfortune one day when I had one in my hand to giue him running after a Wolfe which came neere my flocks I let it fall vnhappily for me which Semire that came after took vp and saw it was thus The letter of Astrea to Celadon DEare Celadon I haue receiued your letter which was as welcome to me as I know mine are to you and I finde nothing that doth not satisfie me except the thankes you giue which me thinkes is to no purpose neither for my loue nor for Celadon who of long time is wholly giuen mine For if they be not yours know you not that whatsoeuer wanteth that title can neuer please mee And if they be yours why do you giue me separated that which at once I haue receiued when you gaue your selfe to me Vse it no more I pray you if you would not haue me thinke that you haue more ciuility then Loūe After he had found this letter he purposed to speake to me no more of Loue vntill he had done some euill to Celadon and began in this sort In the first place hee besought me to pardon him for being so rash that hee durst raise his eyes on me which my beauty compelled him to doe but he well knew his smal merit and therefore he protested to me neuer to mistake more onely he desired me to forget his boldnesse And after that he made himselfe so great a friend familiar to Celadon that it seemed there was nothing which hee loued more and to abuse mee the more hee neuer met me without finding some occasion to speake to the aduantage of my shepheard couering his intent so cunningly that no man would thinke that he had any such designe These praises of the person whom I loued as I told you deceiued me so that I took extreme pleasure to entertaine him and so two or three moneths passed right happily for Celadon and me but this was as I beleeue the more to make me feel that which since I cease not nor euer shall cease to bewaile At this word in place of speech her tears represented her displeasures to her cōpanions with such abundance that neither the one nor the other durst open their mouth fearing to increase her sorrow for the more you labor by Reason to dry the teares the more they increase their springs At last she began again thus Alas wise Diane how can I remember this accident not die From that time Semire was so familiar both with Celadon and me that for the most part we were together And when hee thought hee had gotten sufficient credit with mee to perswade that which he meant to vndertake One day when he found me alone after we had long talked of diuers treasons that the shepherds did to the shepheardesses whom they made shew to loue But I wonder much said he that there bee so fewe shepheardesses that take heede to their deceits though otherwise they be very circumspect That is answered I for that Loue hath shut vp their eyes Without fayning replyed he I beleeue so for otherwise it were not possible but you should know what they would doe to you and then holding his peace he seemed to prepare himselfe to say more but as if he repented that he had told me so much he beganne againe in this sort Semire Semire what thinkest thou to doe Seest thou not that shee delights in thy deceit Why wilt thou trouble thy selfe And then addressing himselfe to me he went on I see well faire Astrea that my discourse hath brought you some displeasure But pardon me for that I haue bin compelled to it by the affection which I haue
In beauty other beauties farre As doth the Moone by night deface The brightnesse of each other Starre Though Filander spake these words high enough yet Daphnis heard but some of them by reason she was farre off but taking it somewhat remote she drew toward him without being seene as softly as she could though he were so intentiue to his imagination that had she beene before him he would not haue perceiued it as he since swore to me Hardly had she got neere him but she might heare him fetch a deepe sigh loud enough and after with a lowe voyce say And why will not my fortune haue me as fit to serue her as she is worthy to be serued and why may not she as well receiue the affections of them that loue her as shee giue them extreme passions Ah Callyre how pernitious to my repose hath your disguising beene and my boldnesse punished with a right iust infliction Daphnis heard Filander very attentiuely and though he spake plaine yet could she not comprehend what he meant abused by the opinion that he was Callyre this was the cause that bending an care more curiously she heard him lifting his voyce somewhat higher say But ouer-bold Filander who shall euer excuse thy fault or what great chastisement shall equall thine error Thou louest this shepheardesse and seest not that how much her beauty commands so much her vertue forbids thee how often haue I warned thee and yet thou wouldest not beleeue me Accuse none other of thine euill but thine owne folly At this word his tongue stayed but his eyes and sighes in stead of it beganne to giue testimony what her passion was whereof he had discouered but a little And to diuert him from his thoughts or rather to continue them more sweetly he rose vp to walke as he vsed and so suddenly that he perceiued Daphnis though to hide her selfe she fled away But he that had seene her to know who it was pursued her to the entry of a very thicke wood where he ouertooke her and thinking she had discouered that which he had so concealed halfe in choler sayd What curiosity Daphnis is this to come and spie me out in the night heere It is answered Daphnis smiling to learne of you by craft that which I should not know otherwise and herein she thought she spake to Callyre not hauing yet discouered that it was Filander Well held on Filander thinking to be discouered what great newes haue you learned All sayd Daphnis that I desired to know Will you then sayd Filander satisfie your selfe with your curiosity As well answered she as you and you are like to finde hurt of your deceit For this keeping about Diane and this great affection which you make shew of to her will bring you in the end but trouble and displeasure O God! cryed Filander Is it possible I should be discouered Ah discreet Daphnis since you know so well the cause of my abode heere you haue in your hands my life and my death but if you will bethinke you of what I am and what offices of amity you haue receiued from me when occasion is presented I will rather beleeue that you wish my good and contentment more then my despayre and ruine Daphnis as yet thought she spake to Callyre and had opinion that this feare was because of Gerestan who would take it euill if hee vnderstood that she did this office to her brother and to assure him sayd You ought to be so farre from doubting that I know of your affayres that if you had informed me I should haue yeelded all the counsell and all the assistance which you could desire of mee But tell mee this dessigne from poynt to poynt that your freenesse may binde me more to your seruice than the mistrust you haue had of me gaue me offence I will O Daphnis sayd he prouided that you promise me not to tell it to Diane vntill I giue consent This is a discourse answered the shepheardesse which we shall make to no good purpose to her her humor heerein being more strange then you are aware of That is my griefe sayd Philander hauing from the beginning knowne that I enterprise a dessigne almost impossible For when my sister and I resolued to change habit shee taking mine and I hers I well fore-sawe that all that would be to mine aduantage was that I might conuerse more freely with her for some few dayes so disguised that she might not know me for Filander How interrupted Daphnis all surprized how for Filander and are not you Callyre The shepheard that thought she had knowne it before was halfe mad to be discouered so foolishly but seeing the fault was past and that he could not call backe the words he had spoken thought it to some purpose to preuent her and sayd You may see Daphnis if you haue cause to be sorry for me and to say that I trust you not since so freely I discouer vnto you the secret of my life For that which I will tell you is of that moment that as soone as any other knowes it there is no more hope of health in me but I will rely and so referre my selfe to your hands that I cannot liue but by you Know then shepheardesse that you see before you Filander in the habit of his sister and that loue in me and compassion in her haue beene the cause of our disguising and after went discoursing vnto her his extreme affection the fauours he had of Amidor and Filidas the inuention of Callyre to change habit the resolution to go to her husband attired like a man Briefly all that had passed in this affayre with such demonstration of loue that though at the beginning Daphnis wondred at his hardinesse and at his sisters yet so it was that she lost that wonder when she knew the greatnesse of his affection iudging that they might draw him into more great follies And albeit that if they had called her to thier counsell when they vndertooke the enterprize she would neuer haue aduised them to it yet seeing the effect had sorted to some good she resolued to assist him in all that was possible sparing neyther labour nor care nor art which she iudged fit to imploy and hauing made promise with all assurances of friendship she gaue the best aduice she could which was by little and little to engage me into his loue For sayd she Loue among women is one of those wrongs the words whereof offend more then the blowe It is a worke that none is ashamed to doe prouided the name be hidden So that I hold them the best aduised which cause themselues to be beloued of their shepheards before they speake a word to them of loue So that I oue is a creature that hath nothing rude in it but the name being otherwise so pleasing that there is none offended at it And therefore that Diane may entertayne it it must be without naming it especially without seeing it and
in loue to him And as for the recompences which you demand for the seruices and for the letters which Laonice carried from one to the other let her remember the contentment which she receiued how many happy daies she passed before this deceit which otherwise she should haue speÌ„t miferably let her ballance her seruices with that payment I assure myselfe shee shall bee found their debtor Thou saist Hylas that Tircis hath be guiled her This is no beguiling but a iust punishment of Loue that hath made her blowes fall on her owne selfe since her purpose was not to serue but to delude the wise Cleon that if she haue cause to coÌ„plaine of any thing it is that of two deceyuers she hath beene the lesse crafty See Siluander how briefly I haue thought fit to answer the false reasons of this shepheard and there remaines nothing but to make Laonâ—ce confesse that she hath done wrong to pursue this iniustice which I will easily doe if it please her to answer me Faire shepheardesse said Phillis tell me doe you loue Tircis well Shepheardesse replyed she no man that knowes me doubted euer of it If it were of constraint replyed Phillis that he were to goe farre off and that some other came in the meane time to woo you would you change this loue No sayd she for I should alwayes hope hee would come backe And reioyned Phillis If you knâ—w he would neuer returne would you cease louing him No certainely answered she O faire Laonice continued Phillis thinke it not then strange that Tyrcis who knowes that his Clâ—on for her merits is lifted vp into heauen who knoweth that from aboue shee sees all his actions and ioyes in his fidelity will not change the loue he bare her nor suffer that the distance of place should separate their affections since all the discommodities of life haue no more to do Thinke not as Hylas hath sayd that neuer any came backe ouer the floud of Acheron Many who haue beene beloued of the gods haue gone and returned and whom shall we rather thinke than faire Cleon whose birth hath beene beheld by the Destinies with so sweet and fauourable an eye that she neuer loued any thing whereof she gayned not the loue O Laonice if it were permitted your eyes to see the Diuinitie you might behold this Cleon who without doubt is at this houre in this place to defend her cause and is at mine â—are to prompt the words that I must speake Then you would iudge that Hylas hath done wrong to say that Tyrcis loues but cold cinders Me thinks I see her in the midst of vs clothed with immortality in stead of a frayle body and subiect to all accidents which reproches Hylas for the blasphemies which he hath vsed against her And what wilt thou answer Hylas if the happy Cleon say to thee Thou inconstant wouldst trayne vp my Tyrcis in thy vnfaithfulnesse if he haue heeretofore loued me thinkest thou it was my body if thou sayst Yes I answer He ought to be condemned since no louer is euer to withdraw himselfe from a loue begunne to loue the ashes which I haue left him in my coffin so long as they endure If hee confesse he loued my spirit that is my principall part then why inconstant will hee change that will at this time when it is more perfect than euer it was Heeretofore so will the misery of the liuing haue it I might be iealous I might be importunate I must serue I was marked by more then him but now freed from all imperfections I am no more capable to beare his displeasures And thou Hylas thou wouldst with thy sacrilegious inuentions turne from me him in whom onely I liue in earth and by a cruelty more barbarous than hath beene heard of assay to lay on me another death Wise Siluander the words which I deliuer sound so sensibly in mine eares that I doe not thinke but you heare them and feele them at your heart This is the cause that to leaue this diuinity speaking in your soule I will hold my peace after I haue onely told you that loue is so iust that you are to feare the punishments in your selues if the pitty of Laonice rather than the reason of Cleon moue and carry you At this word Phillis rising with a curteous reuerence made signe she would say no more for Tyrcis When Laonice would haue made an answer Siluander forbade it saying It was not now time to defend her selfe but to heare onely the sentence which the gods pronounced by his mouth and after he had some while considered with himselfe the reasons of them both hee pronounced such a sentence The iudgement of Siluander THe principall poynt of the causes debated before vs is to know if Loue may die by the death of the thing beloued Whereupon wee say that a loue that may perish is no true loue for it ought to follow the subiect that gaue it birth Therefore it is that they which loue the body onely must enclose all their loues of the body in the same tombe where it is shut vp but they that beyond this loue the spirit ought with their loues to flie after this beloued soule to the highest heauens no distances being able to separate them Therefore all these things well considered we ordayne That Tyrcis alwayes loue his Cleon and that of the two loues which may be in vs the one shall follow the body of Cleon to the tombe and the other the spirit into heauen In like sort it is ordered That suites of Laonice be forbidden that shee no longer disquiet the repose of Cleon for such is the will of the gods that speakes in me Hauing sayd thus without regarding the complaynts and reproches which he foresawe in Laonice and Hylas hee made a great reuerence to Leonide and the rest of the company and so went away without other companion than Phillis who would stay no longer to heare the sorrowes of this shepheardesse And because it was late Leonide withdrew into the Hamlet of Diane for that night and the shepheards and shepheardesses as they were accustomed except Laonice who infinitely offended with Siluander and Phillis sware not to goe out of that Countrey before she had done them some notable displeasure it seemed that Fortune brought her as shee could haue wished For hauing left that company and being placed in the thickest of the wood to mourne at liberty at the last her good spirit set before her eyes the insupportable contempt of Tyrcis how much vnworthy he was to be beloued of her and made her so ashamed of her fault that a thousand times she sware to hate him and for his cause Siluander and Phillis It fell out while these things thus passed in her memory that Licidas which some dayes before beganne to be euill satisfied with Phillis by reason of some coldnesse which he thought he found in her perceiued Siluander to come talking with her It was
sayd Phillis I haue found him very sad this euening and I cannot tell what hath befalne him but he hath so coniured me to come hithor that I cannot delay it I beseech you to walke â—here-about while we are together for aboue al he desires I should be alone I will do answered Astrea what pleaseth you but take heed it bee not euill thought of to see you talke with him at so vnfit houres especially being alone in this darke place It is for that cause answerd Phillis that I haue put you to the paine to come hither therefore I pray you to walke so neere vs that if any one come on vs hee may thinke that we three are together While they talked thus Diane and Paris preÌ„ssed Hylas to tell them his life to satisfie the commandement of his Mistris and though he made much difficulty yet at last hee began in this sort The History of Hylas YOu will then mine owne faire Mistris and geÌ„ntle Paris that I tell you the aduentures befalne me since I began to loue Thinke not that my refusal was for that I knew not what to say for I haue loued too much to want matter but rather for that I haue too little day to haue the leysure not to tell you all that would be too long but not to begin alone Yet since for obedience I must satisfie your wil I pray you harken to me while I put you in mind that all things are subiect to some superior power which almost enforceth vs to actions which it pleaseth vs and that whereto mine enclines so violeÌ„tly is loue for otherwise it may be you wold woÌ„der to see me so carried that there is no chaine either of duty or obligation that may withhold me And I freely confesse that if euery one must haue some inclination of nature mine is of inconstancy for which I am not to bee blamed since the heauens ordaine mee so Haue this consideration before your eyes while you heare the discourse which I am to make Among the principal Countries that the Rosne in his swift course visits after it hath receiued Arar Isere Durance other riuers he comes dashing vpon the ancient walls of the towne of Arles chiefe of that country and the most peopled and richest of the Romane prouince Neere this faire towne there incamped a great while since as I heard our Druides tell a great Captaine named Cains Marins before the notable victory which he got against the Cimbres Cimmerieux and Celtoseites at the foote of the Alpes who being deuided by the deepe Scitique Ocean with their wiues and children purposing to sacke Rome were so ouerthrowne by this great captaine that there remained not one aliue and if the Romane armes had spared any one the barbarous fury that was in their courage made them turne their owne hands against themselues and in rage kill themselues that they might not liue being vanquished Now the Romane army to assure their allies and friends of their common wealth comming to encampe as I told you neere that towne and according to the custome of that wary nation compassing their campe with trenches it fel out that being nere to Rosne this riuer which is most violeÌ„t and which threatens and beates incessantly his bankes by little and little in time met with these large deepe ditches and with maine strength entring into the chanell which he found already made runs with such fury that makes the ditches stretch out to the sea where hee goes discharging himselfe by this meanes two wayes for the ancient course hath alwayes followed his ordinary way and this new one is growne so great that it equalls the greatest riuers making betweene both a most delectable and forcible Iland and because they were the trenches of Cains Marins the people by corruption of the word call it Carmage of his name and since for that the place is inuironed with these two armes of Rosne and the midland sea they call it the Isle of Camarge I would not haue sayd so much about the originall of this place had it not bene that it was the countrey of my natiuity and where they of whom I am descended haue long time dwelt for by reason of the fertility of the place and that it is as it were cut out from the rest of the land there is a number of shepheards that are withdrawne thither which for the abundance of pasturage they call Pasture and my fathers haue alwayes bene held in some consideration among the principall were it for that they were thought good and vertuous men were it for that they had honestly and after their condition acquired the goods of fortune so they left me sufficiently prouided for when they died which was without doubt too soone for me for my father died the day that I was borne and my mother bred me vp with all manner of delicatenesse an only child or rather a marred child endured but till I was twelue yeeres of age Iudge what master of an house I was like to proue among other imperfectious of youth I could not auoyd that of presumption supposing there was not a shepheard in all Camarge which ought not respect me But when I was a little aduanced and that Loue began to mingle with this presumption mee thought all the shepheardesses were in loue with me and that there was not one which receiued not my loue with obligation And that which fortified me in this opinion was that a faire and wise shepheardesse my neighbour called Carlis made me all the honest showes which neighbour-hood might challenge I was so yong as yet that none of the incommodities which loue vses to bring to the louer by his violent transports could reach me that I felt nothing but sweetenesse and on that subiect I remember that some time I went singing these verses A SONNET On the sweetnesse of Loue. VVHen speakes my shepheardesse or rather when she sings Or with her eies sweets glaâ—ce to mine she daz'ling brings Loue seemes to talke in her and with her gracious sounds Rauishes vs by thâ—â—are with charmes our sight confounds Not as you see him when he cruelly torments The hearts that are possest with passions violent But then when like a child full wantonly he moues Plaies on his mothers lap and formes a thousand loues Nor when he sports himselfe with those the Paphean maids Nor when on graces lap himselfe to rest he laid You could see him so pleas'd as neere my shepheardesse But when he burteth so may we him Loue confesse He is so when he playes and makes his place of rest In Carlis bosome sweete as on his mothers brest Though the age wherein I was suffered me not to know that it was Loue yet forbare I not to delight my selfe in the company of that shepheardesse and to vse those deuices wherewith I vnderstood that they whom they call Louers serued their turne so that the long continuance made many thinke that I knew more
Amasis and Clidaman tied him to stay some long time To deferre his departure he could not and to goe was death At last heÌ„e resolued presently to write to her yet a course rather to hazzard then to hope for any good fortune Fleurial did what hee could to present it speedily to Galathee but he could not doe it for that she feeling this displeasure at her heart was not able to beare this dis-vnion but with such griefe that she was constrained to keepe her â—ed out of which she rose not many dayes Fleurial at last seeing Lindamor gone tooke the hardinesse to seeke her chamber and I must tell you true because I wished ill to Polemas I did what I could to piece vp this affection of Lâ—ndamor and for this cause I gaue meanes for Fleurial to enter If Galathee were surprized iudge you for shee looked rather for any thing then that yet she was constrained to dissemble and to take that which he presented which were but flowers in appearaÌ„ce I would be in the chamber that I might be of the counsell and to bring somewhat that might be to the contentment of poore Lindamor And indeed I was not altogether vnprofitable for after Fleurial was gone and that Galathee found her selfe alone she called me and told me shee thought to haue bene exempted from the importunity of the letters of Lindamor when hee had bene gone but for ought she saw he had nothing to be his warrant I that would serue Lindamor though hee knew nothing of it knowing the Nymph to bee in an humor to talke of him made it very cold knowing well that if I contraried her at first it was the way to lose all and to affirme that which shee sayd would serue the more to punish her for though she were not well satisfied toward him yet loue as yet was the more strong and in herselfe she was willing that I should take Lindamorâ— part not to giue me way but to haue more occasion to speake of him and put her choler out of her soule so that hauing all these considerations before mine eyes I held my peace the first time she spake to mee She that would not haue this silence added But what thinke you Leonide of the arrogancy of this man Madame sayd I I know not what to say but if he haue fayled he must do penance But sayd she what may I thinke of his rashnesse why goes he disgracing me with his tales had hee no other fitter discourse then of me and then after she had looked on the letter he writ I haue some what else to do that he continues to write to me to this I answered nothing After she had held her peace a while she sayd And why Leonide answere you me not haue I not reason to complaine Madame sayd I is it your pleasure I should speake freely You shall please mee sayd shee I must tell you then continued I that you haue reason in all except it bee when you seeke for reason in loue for you must know that he that referrs himselfe to the lawes of iustice puts the principall authority out of himselfe which is to be subiect but to himselfe so that I conclude that if Lindamor haue failed in that he loues you he is culpable but if by the lawes of reasou and prouidence it is you that deserue chastisment that will put loue that is free and commands others vnder the seruitude of a superior And why sayd she haue I not heard it sayd that loue to make it praise worthy must be vertuous If this be so he must bee tied to the lawes of vertue Loue answered I is a thing some what greater then this vertue of which you speake and therefore it giues it selfe lawes without the publishing of any other person but since you command me to speake frankly tell me Madam are not you more culpable then hee both in that for which you accuse him and in that which concernes loue for if hee haue had the hardnesse to say he loued you you are the cause in that you haue sufferd him Though it bee so answered shee yet by discretion he was bound to conceale it Complaine you then sayd I of his discretion and not of his loue But hee hath more occasion to complaine of your loue since vpon the first report at the first conceit that hath beene giuen you you haue chased from you the loue you bare him without taxing him that he hath bene wanting in affection Excuse me Madam if I speake so frankly you do the greatest wrong in the world to vse him in this sort at least if you would condemne him to so great a punishmeÌ„t it ought not to be without coÌ„uincing him or at leastwise to make him blufh at his errour She stood somewhile before shee answered me at last she sayd Well Leonide the remedy shall be timely enough when hee returnes not that I am resolued to loue him nor to permit him to loue me but to tell him where in hee hath failed and so I shall content you and bind him from importuning mee more if hee bee not aâ— impudent as rash It may be Madam you will deceiue your selfe to think it will be time enough at his returne if you knew what the violencies of loue are you would not beleeue that these delayes were like other affairs at least looke on the letter That is to no purpose replied she for by this time he is well gone and with that word she gaue it mee and saw it was thus The letter of Lindamon to Galathee SOmtimes loue at this time the despaire of loue hath put the pâ—n into my hâ—â—d with a purpose if it returne mee no asswagement to change it into a sword which promiseth 〈◊〉 a full though a crâ—â—ll healing This blaâ—â—â— paper which you haue sent me for an answere is a true testimony of my innocency since it is as if it had sayd you haue found nothing to accuse me of but it is also an assurance to me of your disdaine for from whence can this silence proceed vnlesse it be from â—t the one contents mee in my selfe the other makes mee despaire in you If you haue any remembrance of my faithfull seruice for pitty I demand of you or life or death I depart the most desperate that euer had cause of despaire It was an effect of Loue which brought a change in the carriage of Galathee for I sawe her much mollified but this was no small proofe of her lofty humour not to giue knowledge of it and not beeing able to commaund her countenance which was become pale shee so tyed her tongue that she spake no word which might accuse her of relenting but going out of her chamber to walke in the garden not speaking a word of the Letter for the Sunne beganne to grow lowe and her disease which was but trauaile of spirit might finde more refreshing out of the house than in the bed so after she was quickely made
left the battaile Polemas had neuer confessed that you or any other should haue heard O poore Lindamor how must I bewaile thy fortune And what is it thou canst doe when thy most notable seruices are offences and iniuries But well Madame it may be you shall not haue long time to vse these cruelties for a most pittifull death may bring end to your mistakings and his punishment and it may be euen now when I speake he is no more and if it be so the Nymph Galathee is the onely cause Why doe you accuse me said she Because replyed I that when you would haue separated them and in recoyling your knee touched the ground hee would haue helped you vp in the meane time that courteous Polemas whom you commend so much wounded him in two or three seuerall places out of that aduantage where I saw the blood make the ground red but if hee dye for this it is lesse euill then that he receiues from you for seeing himselfe mistaken hauing done his endeuour this me thinks is a displeasure to which no other can be equalled But Madame may it please you to remember that heretofore you haue sayd to me in complayning of him that to blot out these speeches of Polamas he knew no other remedy hee was to serue himselfe of sword and blood And now hee hath done that which you iudged he should doe and yet you finde it not well done If Siluie and some other Nymphs had not interrupted vs before I had left off my discourse I had well aswaged this great minde of the Nymph but seeing so many persons we changed our talke And yet my words were not without effect though shee would make no shew of it to me but by a thousand passages I found the truth for from that day I resolued neuer to speake to her more of him vnlesse she asked me some newes She on the other side looked that I should speake first and so more then eight dayes passed without speech But in the meane time Lindamor was not without care to know both what was said of him in Court and what Galathee thought of him He sent Fleurial to me for this cause and to giue me word in a letter He did his message so well that Galathe◠tooke no notice of it his Billet was thus The Billet of Lindamor to Leonide MAdam who doubts of my innocency shall bee no lesse guilty against the truth yet if the closed eyes see not the light though without shadow it shine on them I may be suffered to doubt that my Lady for my misery hath her eyes shut against the brightnesse of my iustice bind mee by assuring her that if the blood of my enemy cannot wash away the staine with which he hath gone about to defile me I wil voluntarily adde thereto mine own that I no otherwise preserue my life which is hers but that her rigour shall make mee ready to render it I enquired particularly of Fleurial how he fared if there were any that knew him and I vnderstood that hee had lost much blood and that much hindred his healing but there was no danger that to bee knowne it could not bee because the Herald was a Franke of the army of Meroue who kept about the banks of Rhine at that time and they that attended him were not suffered to go out of doores and that his Aunt and Sister tooke him but for the knight that fought with Polemas whose valour and liberality wonne them to serue him with that care that they were not to doubt but he would be better that hee had commanded him to come know of me what the bruite was in the Court and what he was to do I answered him that hee should carry to Lindamor that all the Court was full of his valour though he were vnknowne that for the rest hee should looke to his healing and that I for my part would bring what I could to his contentment Thus I gaue him mine answere and told him the day before your departure When Galathee comes into the garden inuent some occasion to go to see your Aunt and take leaue of her for it is necessary for our busines that I speake with you againe He failed not and by fortune the next day the Nymph being come toward euening into the garden Fleurial came to make his reuerence and would speake with her but Galathee that thought it was to giuer her letters from Lindamor stood so confused that I saw her change colour and looked pale like death And because I feared Fleurial would perceiue it I came forward said to her Madam here is Fleurial that would go to see his Aunt because she is sicke and desires you to giue him leaue for some few dayes Galathee turning her eies and words to mee asked what her disease was I thinke answered I it is so many yeeres passed that it takes from her all hope of recouery Then she turned to Fleurial and sayd Go and returne quickly but not before she be well if it be possible for I loue her well for the speciall good will which shee hath alwayes borne mee At this word she held on her walking and I set my selfe to speake to him and shewed in my gesture more then indeed of displeasure and admiration that the Nimph might note it at last I told him See Fleurial you 〈◊〉 sacrer and wise thereon depends all our good or all your euill and aboue all do what Lindamor shall command you After he had promised me he went his way and I disposed my countenance the best I could to sadnesse and displeasure and sometimes when I was in place where the Nymph only might he are I fained to sigh and lift vp mine eies to heauen and strike my hands together and to be short I did al I could imagine to giue her some suspition of what I would She as I told you that looked alwayes when I should speake of Lindamor seeing I sayd nothing but on the contrary auoided all occasions and in stead of that pleasant humor which made mee bee esteemed of among my companions I had but a troubled melancholy by little and little began to bee of opinion that I would giue it her but not all for my purpose was to make her beleeue that Lindamor going from the combat was so sore wounded that he was dead that pity might obtaine that of that glorious soule which neither affection nor seruices could Now as I told you my plot was so well fitted that it fell out as I did fore cast for though she would dissemble yet could she not choose but be as liuely touched for Lindamor as any might be And so seeing me sad and mure she imagined either he was in very hard case or some thing worse and felt her selfe so pressed with this vnquietnesse that she could not possibly longer hold out her resolution Two daies after that Fleurial was gone she made me come into her cabinet and seeming to
our sheepe are astonied and dye when they be long in a great water and yet fishes delight and are nourished in it Because answered the Druyde it is against their nature And think you father sayd he that it is lesse against the nature of a shepheard to liue among so many Ladies I am a shephard borne and nothing can please me that is not of mine owne condition But is it possible added the Druid that ambition which seemes to be borne with man cannot make you part from your woods or that beauty whose allurements are so strong for a yong hart cannot diuert you from your former purpose The ambitioÌ„ that euery one ought to haue said the shepherd t is to do wel that which we are to do and in that to bee the foremost among them of his condition and the beauty which wee are to regard and which ought to draw vs is that which we may loue not that which wee should reuerence and may not looke on but with the eie of respect Why sayd the Druide do you conceit to your selfe that there is a greatnesse among men to which merit and vertue cannot attaine Because answered the the shepheard I know that all things are to bee contained within the termes that nature hath set them and that as there is no likelihood that a Ruby faire perfit though it be may becoÌ„e a DiamoÌ„d so he that hopes to raise himselfe higher or to speake truer to change nature and make himselfe other then that he is loses in vaine both his time and hispaines Then the Druide astonished at the considerations of the shepheard and well pleased to see him so far remoued from the dessines of Galathee began againe in this sort Now my child I praise the gods for that wisedome which I find in you and assure you that if you carry your selfe thus you shall giue the heauens cause to continue to you all sort of felicity Many borne vp by their vanity haue gone out of themselues vpon hope more vaine then these that I haue propounded But what is befalne them Nothin g but after a long and incredible paine repentance for being so long time abused You may thanke heauen that hath giuen you this knowledge before you haue occasion to haue their repentance and you are to entreat it to preserue you that you may continue in the tranquility and sweete life wherein you haue liued hitherto But since you aspire not to these greatnes nor these beauties what is it then O Celadon that may stay you here among them Alas answered the shepheard it is only the will of Galathee who holds me almost like a prisoner It is very true that if my sicknesse had permitted me I had attempted to haue escaped by one meanes or other though I knew the enterprise was full of difficulty and if I could not haue the helpe of any other setting all respects apart I would haue gone away by force for Galathee held mee so short and the Nymphs when she is not here and little Merill when the Nymphs cannot stay that I know not which way to turne my foote but they are at mine elbow And when I would speake to Galathee shee sets on me with reproches in such a choler that I must confesse I dare speake no more to her and this aboad hath bene so troublesome to mee that I may accuse it as the principall cause of my disease Now if you euer had pitty on a person afflicted deare father I adiure you by the great gods whom you so worthily serue by your naturall bounty and by the honorable memory of that great Pâ—lion your father to take pitty on my life and ioyne your wisedome to my desire to setmee free from this offensiue prison for so I may terme the stay I make in this place Adamas very glad to heare with what an affection he besought him embraced him kissed his forehead and after sayd Yes my sonne be assured I will do what you demand of me and as soone as your weakenesse will suffer I will fit you with means to go hence without violence only hold on your purpose and looke to your health And after many other discourses he left him but with such contentment that if Adamas would haue permitted him hee would haue risen at that inastnt In the meane time Leonide that would not leaue Galathee long in the error wherein Climante had put her that euening when she saw Siluie and the little Meril withdrawne kneeled downe by the bed-side and after some ordinary speech she went on O Madam what newes haue I met with in this iourney and newes which concernes you and I would not for any thing but I had knowne it to cleere your errour And what is it answered the Nymph It is added Leonide there hath beene put on you the cunningst practice that euer loue inuented and me thinks you should not grieue at my iourney though I had done no other thing That Druide who is the cause of your stay here is the wickedst man and the most crafty that euer set himselfe to beguile any And then she told her from point to point what she had heard from Clemanthe's mouth and of Polemas and that all this practice was inuented but to dispossesse Lindamor and set Polemas in his place At the first the Nymph stood a little astonished in the end the loue of the shepheard that flattered her perswaded that Leonide spake this out of despight and to turne her from the loue of the shepheard that she might possesse him alone So that shee beleeued nothing of that shee had told her but contrarily turning into laughter she sayd Leonide goe to bed it may be to morrow you will rise vp more wife and then you shall know better to hide your craft and with this word turned to the other side somewhat smiling which offended Leonide so sore that shee resolued to set Celadon at liberty whatsoeuer it might cost her And in this purpose the same euening she went to seeke her vncle to whom she vsed this language Father since you see that Celadon is so well what would you haue him do here longer I haue not concealed from you what Galathees will is Iudge what mischiefe may befall I would haue freed the Nymph from the abuse whereto this Impostor Climanthe had perswaded her but she is so wonne to Celadon that all that labour to withdraw her are declared enemies so that the surest way is to remoue this shepheard from thence which cannot be done without you for the Nymph hath such an eye to me that I can turne no way but shee heeds me and suspects mee Adamas was some what astonied to heare his neece talke thus and was of opinion that she feared the good will which shee bare the shepheard was perceiued and she would preuent it yet iudging that to cut off the roots of these louers the best meanes was to remoue Celadon and sayd to his neece the sooner to
to Bellinde IF I haue deserued to be soroughly vsed as I haue bene by you I choose rather to dye then to suffer it but since it is to your contentment I receiued it with little more pleasure then if in exchange you had awarded mee death notwithstanding since I am dedicated to you it is reasonable that you should absolutely dispose of me I will endeuour then to obey you but remember you that so long as this constraints lasteth so many dayes of my life must bee crossed out for I can neuer call it life that brings more griefe then death Abridge it then rigâ—â—ous shepheardesse if there be any one sparke not of amity but euen of pitty It was impossible but Bellinde must haue feeling of these words which shee knew came from an entire affection but it was not possible for these words to diuert her from her dessigne She aduertised Amaranthe that the shepheard should loue her that her health only kept back the knowledge of it This aduertisement hastened her recouery so that she gaue proofe that for the health of the body the health of the minde is most profitable How extreme was this constraint to Celion and what paine did he endure It was such that he waxed leane and so changed that he might not be knowne But behold what the seuerity was of this Shepheardesse It was not sufficient to handle Celion thus for iudging that Amaranthe had yet some suspition of their amity shee resolued to push those affaires so forward that neither of them both might gaine-say it Euery man saw the apparant suit that the shepherd made to Amaranthe for it was openly declared and the father of the shepheard knowing the commendable vertues of Leon and how much honoured his familie had alwaies beene did not mislike this suite One day Bellinde desirous to sound him propounded it as a friend and he that iudged it fit agreed willingly to it and this marriage was farre forward without the knowledge of Celion But when he perceiued it he could not be letted from finding a meane to talke with Bellinde to giue her such reproches that she was almost ashamed and the shepheard seeing he must vse other remedy than words ranne presently to the best that was to his father to whom he made this speech I shall be very sorry to disobey you at any time and lesse in this than any other I see you like well of the alliance of Amaranthe you may well know that there is not a shepheardesse that I affect more yet I loue her for a mistris but not for a wife and I beseech you commaund me not to tell the cause The father at this speech suspected that he had found some bad condition in the shepheardesse and in his soule commended his sonnes wisedome that had that command ouer his affections so that blowe was broken and for that the thing was so farre passed that many knew it many also asked why it proceeded so coldly the father could not choose but say somewhat to his most familiars and they to others that at last it came to Amaranthe who at the first tormented her selfe much but afterward setting before her selfe what her folly was to seeke to make him loue her by force by little and little she fell off and the first occasion that shee sawe fit and conuenient to marry her selfe shee tooke hold on So these louers were eased of a burden so hard to be borne But this was not but that they might be ouer-charged with another much more heauy Bellinde was now of age to be married and Philemon infinitely desirous to bestow her to haue in his old dayes the contentment to behold himselfe renewed in that which might come of her Hee would haue receiued Celion but Bellinde that shunned marriage euen as death had forbidden the shepheard to speake onely shee had promised him that if shee were constrayned to marry shee would giue him notice of it that hee might demaund her which was the cause that Philemon beholding the coldnesse of Celion would not offer her vnto him And in the meane time Ergaste a principall shepheard of that Countrey and who was well esteemed of euery one for his commendable vertues procured that shee was demaunded and because hee would not haue it vented before hee were assured he which managed the businesse dealt so secretly and warily as the promise of marriage was as soone knowne as it was demaunded For Philâ—mâ—â— assuring himselfe of the obedience of his daughter bound himselfe by word and after told her of it At the first shee found the resolution hard which she was to take because he was a man whom she had neuer seene yet that good spirit that neuer stoopes vnder the burden of misfortune raysed vp it selfe presently ouercomming that displeasure and would not suffer onely her eye to giue figne of sorrow for that consideration But she could neuer obtaine this ouer her selfe for Celion and of necessity her teares must pay the errour of her ouer-obstinate hatred of marriage So it was that to satisfie in some sort her promise she aduertised the poore shepheard that Philemon would marry her On the sudden hauing the permission so much desired hee so sollicited his father that the same day he spake with Philemon But now was no time for which the father of Bellinde was much grieued for hee loued him better than Ergaste O God! what was the sorrow when he knew the award of his misfortune hee went out of the house and ceased not vntill he found out the shepheardesse At the meeting he could not speake but his face manifested well enough what Philemons answer was And though she stood in as great need of good counsell as he and strength to support this blowe yet would she declare her selfe as wel vn-vanquished by this displeasure as she had alwayes gloried to be in all others But likewise would she not appeare to be so insensible but the shepheard might haue some knowledge that she felt her euill and that it displeased her Whereupon she demaunded to what the demand which hee made to her father amounted The shepheard answered her with the same words that Philemon had said to him adding so many complaints and desperate laments that she had beene a Rocke if she had not beene moued Yet shee interrupted him fighting against her selfe with more vertue than is credible and told him that complaints are proper to weake spirits and not to persons of courage That he did himselfe great wrong and her also to vse that language And sayd she at last what is become of that good resolution which you said you would haue against all accidents but the change of my amity and can you haue an opinion that any thing can shake it Do you not see that these words can not boot vs anything but to make them that heare vs conceiue an euill opinion of vs For Gods sake do not set a stayne in my fore-head which with such paine I
that I desire it should be the cause of your contentment I know the long seruice which this shepheard hath done you I know with how much honour hee hath wooed you I know with what affection he hath continued these many yeeres and moreouer with what sincere and vertuous amity you haue affected him The knowledge of all these things makes me desire death rather than to be the cause of your separation Thinke not that it is Ielousie that causeth mee to speake in this manner I shall neuer enter into any doubt of your vertue since I haue heard with mine eares the wise discourse which you haue had with him No more thinke you but that I beleeue that losing you I shall likewise lose the best fortune that I could wish for but the onely cause that driueth mee to giue you to him whose you ought to be is this O wise Bellinde that I will not buy my contentment with your euerlasting displeasure and truely I should thinke my selfe to be culpable both before God and men if by my occasion so good and vertuous an amity should be broken off betvveene you I therefore come to tell you that I choose rather to depriue my selfe of the best alliance that euer I shall haue to set you in your former libertie and to giue you backe againe the contentment which mine would haue taken from you And besides that I thinke to do and performe that which I beleeue my duetie commaundeth me it shall be no small satisfaction to me to thinke that if Bellinde be contented Ergaste was an instrument of her contentment Onely I doe require that if heerein I binde you being the cause of the re-vnion of your amity you will be pleased to receiue mee as a third to you two and that you will yeeld mee the same part of goodwill which you promised to Celion when you did thinke to marry Ergaste I meane that I may be a friend to you two and be receiued as a brother Can I faire Nymph shew you the contentment vnhoped for of this shepheardesse I thinke it is impossible for she was so surprized that she knew not with what words to thanke him but taking him by the hand she went to sit downe on the turfes of the fountaine where after she had paused a while and seeing the good will wherewith Ergaste bound her she declared all along what had passed betweene Celion and her and after a thousand kinds of thankes which I omit for seare of troubling you she besought him to goe seeke him for that the transport of Celion was such that hee would not come backe with any man in the world that should seeke him for that he would neuer beleeue that good will of his whom he had neuer giuen such cause to if it were assured him by any other But on the contrary he would imagine it were a trick to bring him backe Ergaste that desired in any case to end the good worke he had begunne resolued to be gone the nextday with Diamis the brother of Celion promising her not to come backe without bringing him with him Beeing then departed with this purpose after hee had sacrificed to Thautates to desire him to direct them to the place where they might find Celion they tooke the way that first offered it selfe to them But they had sought long in vaine before they had any newes if himselfe transported with fury had not resolued to returne into Forrests to kill Ergaste and then with the same weapon to pierce his owne heart before Bellinde not being able to liue and know that another enioyed his good In this rage hee set himselfe on his way and because hee nourished himselfe but with hearbes and fruits which hee found along the way hee was so feeble that he could scarce goe and had not his rage carried him hee could not haue done that yet must he diuers times of the day rest him especially when sleepe pressed him It fell out that wearied in this sort hee lay downe vnder some trees which gaue a pleasing shadow to a Fountaine there after he had some while thought of his displeasures he fell asleep Here Fortune who delighted her selfe with the griefes shee had wrought him disposes to make him intirely happy Ergaste and Diamis passed by this way and by chance Diamis went first on the sudden when he saw him he knew him and turning softly came to aduertise Ergaste who very ioyfull would haue gone to embrace him but Diamis held him backe saying I beseech you Ergaste doe nothing herein that may turne to euill my brother if at once wee should tell him this good newes would dye with ioy and if you knewe the extreme affliction that this accident hath brought him you would be of the same minde Therefore me thinkes it will bee better that I tell it him by little and little and because hee will not beleeue me you may come after to confirme it Ergaste finding this aduice good got behind some trees where he might see them and Dianis went to him And it must needes be that he was inspired by some good Angell for if at the first Celion had spyed Ergaste it may be that following his resolution he had done him some displeasure Now at the time that Dianis came towards him his brother awaked and beginning againe his ordinary entertainements hee set himselfe to complaine in this manner A PLAINT BEsides the wees of humane state Lighting on nought to comfort me Vnlesse it be to wayle my Fate I sigh for death which will not be My shield is hope that cannot fall But that same sword that entting is Which mischiefe angers me withall Is euils too assur'd to misse I hope in my long misery To see my dole some end to haue But how I must not hope to see Vnlesse it be within my grane Count you him not most miserable And all the gods his enemies Whose hope that is most fauourable In death and in his last Fate lies Where are the thoughts of courage high Resolu'd for euill heretofore But where am I or who am I I vnderstand my selfe no more My soule through griefe is so confus'd That what as now it seemes to crane It on a suddaine leaues refar'd Then whom with ease she might it haue Brought to this state it cannot see Nor what it hath nor what it is O wherefore then must we needes be When euery thing tastes â—s amisse Dâ—amis would not come suddenly on him but after hee had harkened somewhile he made a noyse purposely that hee might turne his head towards him and seeing that he beheld him astonished hee went softly to him and after he had saluted him he sayd I thanke God brother that I haue found you so fitly to doe you the message that Bellinde sendes you Bellinde sayd he presently It is possible she should haue any remembrance of me betweene the armes of Ergaste Ergaste said Diamis hath not Bellinde betweene his armes and I hope
these words Ah Damon how lying is this Spring to our vndoing since it made mee see Melide neare vnto you whom I now see die for so dearely louing me So these faithfull louers knew well the falsehood of this Fountaine and more assured then euer of their affection they dyed embracing Damon of the wound and shee for griefe of his death Behold the shepheardesse set against the rock couered with mosse and see Damon leaning his head in her lappe and who to giue her the last farewell reached foorth his arme and necke to her seeming to straine and raise himselfe a little to kisse her in the meane time shee all couered with blood held his head and bowing her selfe to come neare his face layd her hand vnder him for to heaue him vp a little This olde gray headed which is by them is Mandrake the magitian who finding them dead curses her Art detesteth her diuels teares her hayre and batters her brest with blowes The gestures of lifting her hands aboue her head holding her hands ioyned and contrarily casting downe her head almost hiding her chinne in her bosome folding and tossing the body in her lappe are signes of her violent displeasure and of the sorrow which she had for the losse of two so faithfull and peâ—â—â—â—t louers besides the losse of all her contentment The face of this olde woman is hidden but consider the maner of her hayre how it hangs downe low and to the nape of the necke and those that are more short seeme to sticke vp Behold a little farther off Cupid weeping see his bowe and arrowes broken his torch put out and his scarffe all wet with teares for the lesse of two so faithfull louers Celadon was all the while very attentiue to the discourse of the wise Adamas and often repented himselfe for his want of courage that could not finde a like remedy to that of Damon and because the consideration of this held him some while mute Galathee as shee went out of the caue and taking Celadon by the hand what thinke you sayd shee of these loues and of these effects That these are answered the shepheard the effects of imprudence and not of loue and it is a popular errour to couer our owne ignorance or to excuse our faults to attribute alwayes to some diuinitie the effects whereof the causes are hidden from vs. And how sayd she thinke you there is no loue If there be sayd the shepheard it should bee nothing but sweetnesse But howsoeuer it bee you speake Madame to one so ignorant as any that liues for besides that my condition will not permit â—mee to know much my grosser spirit hath made me much more incapable Then the sad Siluy replyed It is some while since I saw you in a place where one might hardly beleeue this of you for there were so many beauties for you to take and you are too honest a man to suffer your selfe to be taken Faire Nymph answered the shepheard in what place soeuer this was since you were there it is without question there was much beautie there but as too much fier burns rather then warmes so your beauties are too great for our rusticke hearts and make themselues rather admired then beloued and rather adored then serued With such talke this faire company went to their lodging whither the houre of repast called them The end of the eleuenth booke THE TVVELFTH BOOKE OF ASTREA AND CELADON BY that time the day began to appeare Leoâ—ide following the resolution which in the euening Adamas her companion and Celadon had taken together came into the shepheards chamber to put on him the habite which her vncle had brought But the little Merill that by the commandement of Galathee ordinarily tarried with Celadon to spy Leoâ—ides actions as well as to waite on the shepheard hindred them long time from doing it At last some noyse they made in the court caused Merill to go foorth that hee might bring them some newes Then presently Celadon rose and the Nymph behold to what Loue abases her helped him to cloath himselfe for he could not do it without her Within a while after see the little Merill that came running backe so fast that he must needs take them in the manner but Celadon that had an eye to him got into a wardrobe expecting when he should returne He was no sooner entred but hee asked where Celadon was He is within the wardrobe sayd the Nymph he will come presently but what would you with him I would tel him answered the boy that Amasis is comming hither Leonide was a little surprised fearing shee should not be able to finish what she had begun yet to take some counsell with Celadon she sayd to Merill little Merill I pray thee runne to informe my Lady of it for it may be she will be ouertaken The child ran out and Celadon comes laughing forth at these newes And why sayd the Nymph do you laugh Celadon at her comming you may wel be taken No such thing sayd he onely hold you on in dressing mee for I may easily steale away in the confusion of so many Nymphes But while they wereabout their businesse see Galathee commeth in so suddenly that Celadon could not get into the Cabinet you may well iudge that the Nymph and Celadon were surprised but the subtilty of Leonide was greater and quicker then it was credible for seeing Galathee enter she tooke hold on Celadon who would haue run to hide himselfe and turning toward the Nymph did what she could to stay him Madame sayd she if it please you not to do somewhat that my Lady your mother come not hither we are all vndone for my part I haue done what I could to disguise Celadon but I feare I cannot bring it about Galathee who at the first knew not what to iudge of this Metamorphosis commended the spirit of Leonide for inuenting this shift and comming neerer to consider Celadon so well disguised vnder this habit that she could not hold from laughter answered the Nymph Friend we had bin vndone but for you for there was no meane to hide the shepheard from so many persons as come with Amasis where being clad in this habit we are not onely more assured but withall I would haue you let your other companions see her that they may take her for a maide And then she went on the other side and was rauished in beholding him for his beauty by these ornaments made the greater show In the meane time Leonide the better to play her part told her that she might be gone for feare lest Amasis came suddenly on her So the Nymph after she had resolued that Celadon should call himselfe the kinswoman of Adamas named Lucinde went out to entertaine her mother after she had commanded Leonide to bring her where they were as soone as she could be drest I must confesse the truth sayd Celadon after she was gone in my life was I neuer more astonished then at