of loue it is so farre without the compasse of reason and bounds of nature that there can no reason no cause no coniectur bee geuen of it Neither what it is working sutch diuers effects neither whence it is procéedinge of so diuers causes neither whether it will béeing neuer satisfied Therfore no earthly thing but some supernal power sure it is as your selues I thinke will say by that time you haue harde the History of Curiatius who was sodenly strocken therewith as if it had béene with some thunder or lightning from heauen For you shall vnderstande this gentleman dwelling in a towne named Albania situate néere vnto the Cittie of Rome hee made dayly repaire vnto Rome both in respect of profit as to deale with marchants in matters of waight and in respect of pleasure as to frequent the felowship of lusty younge Gentlemen whiche flourished in that Cittie Now it was his chaunce as hee strayed about the stréetes to sée a proper Gentlewoman named Horatia sittinge at her Fathers dore to take the aire and to recreate her selfe with the sighte of those that passed by and notwithstandinge he had neuer séene her before yet through the deuine power of loue he was so blasted with her beautie that he presently proclamed her the soueraigne of his thoughtes and gouerness◠of all his doinges And hauinge passed by her twise or thrise with lookes shewing his loue and salutations signifiyng his sute he could not be so satisfied but banishing bashfulnes he couragiously incoūtred her in this māner Gentlewoman God saue you and send you that which you wish and to wish that which I would God Misteris may it please you to know that though my féete haue force to cary my body from this place yet my harte will not suffer mée to turne my head from beholdinge your swéet face whiche is the cause that hath made mée thus boldly to intrude my selfe into your company But setting your goodnesse against my rudenesse I doubte not but you will attribute it rather to abundaunce of good-will then to want of good behauiour and rather take it for good meaning then yll manner But if it please you not thus frindly to interpret it yet at least I beséech you not to impute it to my boldnesse but to your owne beautie for as the Larketaker in his day net hath a glasse whereon while the birdes sit and gaze they are taken in the net so your face hath sutch a glisteringe glasse of goodlynesse in it that while I gazed thereon I was caught in the snares of Cupid Or as the Spider in her webbe doth fast winde the litle Flie so your beauty doth so fast binde mee in the beames thereof that I am faine presently to yéelde my selfe a pray to your good pleasure humbly béeseeching you to account of mee not accordinge to my deserts which as yet are none but accordinge to the loyall seruice which I faithfully vow hereafter to do vnto you Neither meane I to craue other rewarde for my seruice but onely that it will please you in good parte to accept it Horatia hauinge harkened to this talke with a certaine disdainfull and solemne scilence made him this waspishe answer Gentleman this libertie of spéeche in you sheweth the lightnesse of your loue for as I haue harde those that loue most speak least as hearing their cogitations conuersant in the contemplation of the Saints whom they serue but your smooth tale and fine filed words shew that your practise is rather fainedly to pretende loue then faithfully to loue And for my part I would not you should think me either so simple as to beléeue your coloured words either so ouergone in lykinge of my selfe but that I take the commendation which you giue mee rather for triflinge mockinge then true meaninge and I promise you I had rather you woulde vse some other to exercise your eloquence on then my selfe for that I neither like of your vnlykely loue neither meane to be framed to your folly Your comming to mée vpon no acquaintaunce contenteth mee well inough for that I may leaue your company when I lyst and so turned in at the dore frō him The Gentleman séeing her rigorousnesse to excéede his owne rudenesse laying aside a litle more good manner tooke hir fast by the arme desiringe her to stay a worde or twaine which he vttered to this effect O good Misteris goe not about to torment hym so terribly whiche loueth you so intirely depriue mee not of that sight which doth onely work my delight absent not your selfe from him whom nothinge vnder the Sunne pleaseth but your presence And whereas you chalenge my lybertie of spéeche may it like you to vnderstand that though this sodaine loue hath made me loose in a maner the remembraunce of my selfe and caused mee to bee carlesse and negligent in all other affaires though of neuer so great importance yet the beeholdinge of your séemely selfe doth so reuiue my sences and quicken my spirits that it maketh all my partes to doe their part in praying for pittie and praysing your person wherein if I should bee speechelesse I might iustly be thought to spare the trueth and spighte your perfection And that my loue is modest without mocking true without triflynge and vehement without vanytie I take the heauens to witnes and beesids let this be practised for proofe that if it please you to imploy mée you shall finde mée as spéedy to end my lyfe to doe you good as ready to spende my time to doe you seruice Mary saith she perchaunce so for I thinke I shall finde you neither spéedy in the one neither ready in the other But thei that haue once passed the bounds of shamefastnesse may euer after lawfully bee impudent and you that haue beegunne to scoffe and gybe thinke by authorytie you may continue in it sutch a one I count you to bee and so I account of you And so left my youth without dores Who séeinge him selfe so coursly accounted of fell to raginge to him selfe in this manner Ah the brauery of these fine girles the more they are courted the more they are coy the more humbly they are sued vnto the more loftyly they looke And if a man practise them in the way of marriage good God what shew of shamefastnesse will they make what visors of vyrginitie will they put on what colours of continencie wil they set foorth what charinesse wil they make of their chastitie they neuer forsooth meane to marrie sayinge that single life is the only swéet life that marriage is inuented rather for necessitie then for any goodnesse that is in it that their yéeres yet require no hast of marriage that if God would giue them grace their freinds would not force them to the contrarie they would neuer know what man meaneth while they liue Whereas in very deede they desire nothyng more then marriage neither couet any thing more then the company of men Agayne if a man making loue in
thou art rated at to high a price to be reached auaunte foule beastly baâ—de thy counsell is withoute conscience thy aduice without honesty they which cleaue to thy help shall bée serued as he whiche ready to fall from a hedge catcheth holde of a sharpe bryer to staye himselfe they y follow thy phisick shal do as he which to heale his agâ—e slew himself they which prouide for their fathers peace and preseruation as thou wouldest haue mée to doe shalt with the Daughters of Pelias kill their Father to make hym younge agayne They which loue their Father as thou wouldst haue me to do shall with Thais to her Phaedria shut hym out of the dores and out of his kingdome for loue But what doe floudes drowne fieldes before they finde a bâ—ack can one be exalted without anothers wracke Can I be preferred to pleasure without some others paine But it gréeues mee my father shoulde bee pinched for my pleasure Why it is reason the greife should be theirs whose is the gaine But it is perilous for mee to enterprise so great a matter Why is it not reason the perill should be mine in pursuing when the pleasure shall bee mine in possessing but alas it nippeth mee nere to lose my father the victory to winne my selfe my loue Why alas gréeuous woundes must haue smarting playsters and those medicines euer soonest heale vs whiche most gréeue vs And shall I then preferre mine owne pleasure before my fathers profit why euery one ought to be nerest to them selues and their wisdome is nothing worth which are not wise for them selues Nay rather shall I preferre the commodytie of King Minos before the commodytie of King Nysus why Nysus is my father why Minos will be my Phere why Nysus gaue me lyfe Why Minos wyll yéelde mee loue Why Nysus made mee a maide Why Minos wil make mée a mother Why Nysus cherised mee beeing young Why Minos wyll make mutch of mée beeinge olde why nature bindeth mee to loue my father why God commaundeth mee to loue my husband Ah foole doe I call hym husbande who wyll not haue mee doe I call him phere who forceth not of mee Is it lykely hee will receiue a runnagate from her cittie a beetrayer of her Father Can hee think to finde mee faithfull towards him that am faithlesse to mine owne father Tush hee will attribute all this to loue and loue mée y better for it He will excuse beare with my doings by the exaÌ„ple of his owne daughter Ariadne who betraied him to her louer Thesius by the exaÌ„ple of Medea who betraied her father to Iason by the example of Hyppodamé who procured y death of her father by matching with Pelops And therfore al doubtes done away I wil without delay put the policie of Pandar â–ª in practise The night following sutch hast her hot loue required she shewd her selfe Misteris of her word though not of her selfe and performed that which shee sayde she would For her father beeing a sleepe shée got softly to him and cut of his precious haire which had in it sutch vertue Which done shée went to King Minos and presented him therewith who in most reprochefull wordes reprehended her déede and in most disdainfull sort reiected her loue But she not meaning to leaue her loue while shee had lyfe leapt into the sea to swim after him as hee sayled away And so quenched her desire in the bottome of the sea You see here Gentlewomen she y would not looke vpoÌ„ her Iphis coulde not be looked vpon by her Minos Shee that would make no account of her inferriour could not be accounted of by her superiour For it is a plaine case and therfore looke to it that they which deale rigorously with other shall bée rudely dealt withal themselues But I am by this story chiefely to admonish you that you pull not of your fathers haire that is y you pul not their harts out of their bodies by vnaduisedly castinge your selues away in matching in marriage with those who are not meet for you That is to pull of your fathers haire when you shall cast of the bridle of obedience rashly run at randon rudely neglect his precepts and presumptuously place your selues in marriage contrarie to his pleasure that is to pull of your Fathers haire But Soueraigne now your father is gone I will giue you more sound advice I will admonishe you all not to pull of your owne haire that is not to binde your selues to the froward faust of your politique parents but to make your choice in mar riage according to your owne mindes for ouer widowes you sée Fathers haue no prehemineÌ„ce of power touching their marriages and you are not to know that mariage is a contract consisting of the frée consent of both the parties and that onely is required in the consummation of marriages and the Rodians haue this law that onely the mothers haue rule ouer the Daughters But mum lupus in fabula I must I say admonish you y as your parents gaue you your bodies so they may dispose of them That you requight all their loue care and cost at least with obedience I must tel you that if you honour not them your dayes will bee short on earth I must tell you that Rauens will pull out the eye that blindeth the Father and neglecteth the good instruction of the mother as Solomon sayd Curiatius and Horatia CVRIATIVS a young Gentleman of the Citie of Albania in ITALY fallinge into extreame loue with Horatia a young Gentlewoman of the Cittie of Rome after longe sute and many delayes obtaineth her graunt to bee his wife But in the meane time contention fallinge out beetwene the two Citties Curiatius is slaine in the fielde by Horatius brother to the said Gentlewoman to whom hee was assured Whose death Horatia most pittifully bewaylinge her brother greatly disdayneth thereat and cruelly thrusteth her to the harte with his Swoord SUrely Gentlewomen either according to Ouid his opinion Forma numen habet Beutie hath some diuinity or Godhead in it or els contrary to the common opinion loue is some heauenly influence and no earthly accident For of euery earthly and mortall motion there may some probable reason or naturall cause bee giuen as euery lyving creature desireth that whiche is good and agréeable to it nature bicause euery thinge is déere to it selfe and desireth the conseruation of it selfe in it kinde As the earth draweth downward beecause it is heauy the fyre flyeth vpward beecause it is light the water contrarie to it nature oftentimes ascendeth to the top of high hyls to avoyde vacantnesse The aire for the same cause often times discendeth into the pores of the earth as cholerike complexions are soonest intensed to anger beecause they abound with heate as women are not so subiect to anger as men beecause they are more colde of nature And so of all humaine actions natural effectes there may be some probable reason and naturall cause yéelded But
effect and séeyng the cause of this chaunce was good I doubt not but the effect wil folow accordyngly and if any euill do insue therof I trust it will light on my head through whose negligence it happened Agrip. answered As I know not the cause so I feare not the effect greatly and in deed as you say hethervnto you haue had the worst of it for that thereby you haue been put to double paynes If that bée all saith hée rather then it shalbée sayd any euill to haue insued of this chaunce I will perswade my selfe that euery payne whiche you shall put mee to shal be double delight and treble pleasure vnto mee You must vse sayth shee then great eloquence to your selfe to perswade you to sutch an impossibility Oh if it please you sayth hee there is an oratour which of late hath taken vp his dwelling within mee who hath eloquence to perswade mee to a far greater matter then this If sayth shee hee perswade you to thinges no more behouseful for your selfe then this if you follow my counsayle you shall not giue him house roome long Madame sayth hee it is an assured signe of a free and freendly minde to giue good counsayle but it is harde for one in bondage and out of his owne possession to followe it For what knoweth your honour whether hée haue already taken intire possession of the house wherin hée is which if it bee so what wit is able to deuise a writ to remoue him from thence If sir sayth shée hée entred by order of law and payd you truely for it it is reason hée inioy it marie your folly was greate to retaine sutch a tenant but if hée intruded himselfe by force you may lawfully extrude him by strength In déede sayth hée hée entred vi et armis forcibly but after vpon certaine parlance passed betwéene vs I was content hée should remaine in peacible possession marie hee hath payd mee nothinge yet but hee promiseth so frankely that if the perfourmance follow a house with beames of beaten golde and pillers of precious stones will not counteruaile the price of it yea if I were placed in quiet possession therof I would thinke my self ritcher I wil not say then the Emperour but which is most then god him selfe who possesseth heauen and earth and as the hope of obtayning the effecte of that promise heaueth mee vp to heauen so the doubt to bee deceiued therof driueth mee downe to hell And what ioyly fellow sayth shee is this that promiseth so frankely will hée not promise golden hils and perfourme durty dales Would to god sayth hee your semely selfe were so well acquainted with him as I am then would I make you iudge of the worthynesse of the thinge hee hath promised for that you know the goodnes thereof none better The lady smellinge the drift of his deuises and seeinge the ende of his talke seemed to tend to loue and that touching her owne selfe thought not good to draw on their discourse any longer but concluded with this answere As I am altogether ignorant what your obscure talke meaneth so care I not to bee acquainted with any sutch companion as your Landlord is for so methinkes by you I may more fitly call him then terme him your tenaunt and so departed away into her lodginge Germanicus likewise his Misteris beeing gone gat him to his chamber to entertaine his amarous conceites and béeing alone brake forth into these wordes O friendly fortune if continually hereafter thou furiously frowne vpon mée yet shall I all the dayes of my life count my selfe bound vnto thee for the onely pleasure which this day thou hast done mee in giuinge mee occasion of talke with her whose aungels voice made sutch heauenly harmony to my heauy heart that where before it was plunged in perplexity it is now placed in felicity and where before it was oppressed with care it is nowe refreshed with comfort Yea euery louely lookes of her is able to cure mee if I were in most deepe distres of moste daungerous disease euery sweete woord proceeding from her sugred lips is of force to fetch mee from death to life But alas how true do I trie that saying that euery commodity hath a discommodity annexed vnto it how dooth the remembraunce of this ioy put mee in minde of the annoy which the losse of this delight will procure mee Yea it maketh all my sences shake to thinke that some other shall inioy her more woorthy of her then my selfe and yet who in this court nay in all Christendome nay in the whole worlde is worthy of her No if shée neuer haue any vntill shée haue one worthy of her euery way shee shall neuer haue any And shall I then beeing but a poore gentleman seeke to insinuate my selfe in place so high Shall I by my rude attempt purchase at least the displeasure of her friendes and parentes and perchaunce hers also whom to displease would be no lesse displeasant vnto mée then death Alas and must loue needes bee rewarded with hate Must curtesy néedes bée counteruayled with crueltie Must goodwil needes be returned with displeasure Is it possible y bounti should not abide where beuty doth aboūd that curtesy should not accompany her comlinesse Yes I am sure at the least she wil suffer me to loue her though her younge yeeres high estate will not suffer her to loue mee though shée will not accept me for husband yet I am sure shee will not reiecte mée for seruaunt and though shee will not receiue my seruice yet I doubt not but shee will courteously take the tendringe therof vnto her And touchinge her parentes displeasure what care I to procure the ill will of the whole world so I may purchase her good will. Yea if I should spend the most precious bloud in my body in the pursuite of so pereles a péece I would count it as welbestowed as if it were shed in the quarrell of god my prince or country For shée is the goddesse whom I wil honour with deuotion shée is the prince whom I will obey with duty shee is the country in whose cause and quarrell I will spend life liuing and all that I haue Neither is there mutch cause why her friendes should storme much at the matter for though my lands reuenewes are not great yet am I of y bloud royall nere kinsman to themperour who wil not suffer me to want any thing pertayning to my estate degree Why Alerane a youth like my self practised the mightie emperour Otho his daughter darling Adalesia stole her away married her and do I sticke to attempt the like with one of far meaner estate though of far more worthinesse And though frowning fortune tossed him for a while in y tempestious seas of aduersiti yet at the length he arriued at the hauen of happy estate and was reconciled to the good grace and fauour of the Emperour againe And though at the first my
sute of the beseiger Neither is y prisoner to bée pitied who beeinge iudge ioyed only in staerity and cruelty neither is that clientes cause to bée considered who beeing a counsaylor dealt in the cases of other without conscience The gentlewoman séeinge her selfe thus reprochfully repulsed in very colorike conceites consumed away and died I am héere gentlewomen to admonish you not to suffer your selues to be caryed away with couetousnesse you sée to what miserable ende it brought this maried disloyall couple and as wel for your sakes as mine owne I would wish you who are indued with wealth sufficient to make a man as they say who are at your owne disposition and choice not to yéeld your selues as a pray to any who hath no néede of your wealth neither will gratefully accept your goodes but rather frankly to bequeath your selues to some poore younger brother who may thinke himself made by marrying you who may thanke his wise onely for his wealth who may impute his happinesse onely to hauing you whom you may binde to you by benefits who will no doubt indeuour to counterpeise your lyuing with his loue and your goodes with his good will who will rather serue you then séeke superiorytie ouer you who will rather be your man then your master your Liege then your Lorde your subiect then your soueraigne wherby you shal liue as you list your profits shall pleasure you your gooddes shall do you good And what so euer bee your common saying that you must as well loue to liue as liue to loue yet surely in my fancie I thinke it farre better for a married couple to liue together without liuinge then without loue for what litle liuing will suffice nature who knoweth not but what lothed liues be where loue doth lack looke but into the liues of the parties but now reported vnto you And if you credite not my report of them no more but marke your poore neighbours how quietly and merily they passe theyr time in pouertie assisted only by the calme of contentment and loue and then conuert your eyes to the view of many oother estates and looke how vnpleasantly and vncontentedly they spende their daies molested by the stormes of strife debate and hate Which contemplation I hope wil so confirme your iudgements that you will alwaies prefer loue before liuing or at least not so to respect th one as to neglect the other or at least if it be posible to ioine the one with the other Another thing also the death of Eriphile may driue into your mindes that you rage not lyke tyraunts ouer those whom your beautye hath made your bonslaues for you must know that it is more glory to vse the victory moderately then to get it mightely and farre more holdes haue bene woonne by clemencie then by crueltie For when the inhabitants know the captaines curtesie they wil rather yéeld to his assured mercy then stand to the doubtfull euent of battayle so gentlewomen if you minde to make breach into the harts of many and to win the fort of their faithes vnto you if you craue to conquer the goodwilles and to be courted with the seruice of suters you must with modestie make much of them with curtesie counteruaile their kindnesse with gratefulnesse accept their good wil with liberalitie requight their loue and with honest plainenesse answer to their demaundes you must not féede them with falshod draw them en with delay and torment them with trifling as Eriphile dyd her Infortunio to her owne infortunate hap as it luckely afterwards did light for it is Gods word and will that such measure as is met shall be measured againe and they that delight to drowne other in dolour shall not swimme long in pleasure them selues I knowe not what effecte my wordes will take for that I know not how you courtlye dames accounte of my cunninge but before mine owne face I am able to assure you this that the girles of our parish think that welch Sir Richard him selfe can not make a better preache then I can but it may be you wil thinke me ouer saucy with my lisping lips to prefer persuasions to them who are as voyde of folly euery way as my selfe of wit any way Yet considering how quietlye you tooke the rude railing of Amphiaraus against you I neede not doubt but that you will take in good part wordes whiche are well ment towardes you and if not follow them yet not mislike them and rather waigh the will of the speaker then the worth of the wordes Icilius and Uirginia ICILIVS a younge Gentleman of Rome fallynge in loue with Virginia is refused by her friendes for want of sufficient wealth but priuily contracteth himselfe vnto her and departeth into the warres Appius Claudius burning with vnchaste lust of the same mayden the better to obtayne her causeth Clodius his client to clayme her for his bondslaue and giueth wrongfull iudgement on his side But Virginius her father at her ernest request slayeth her with his owne handes to preserue her virginitie from the villainie of Appius who for that fact is cast into prison where desperatly hee doth himself to death IT is a doubt often debated but not yet decided whether loue discendeth from the heauens deriueth of our owne nature procéedeth of the similitude of manners commeth of acquaintance and familiarity taketh originall of our education and bringinge vp together whether it ariseth of beauty or of vertue whether it entreth in at the eyes or first bée rooted in the hart whether the cause come from the party that loueth or the party loued or whether it bée in our power to loue or to leaue I leaue to other to resolue vpon for for my part I yeeld god thankes for it I haue as yet been so litle troubled with loue that I know not what it is nor from whence it commeth and when I muse theron I am as bad troubled as Symonides was to thinke and say what god was but if an opinion grounded vpon reason without any proper experience on mine owne part may take place I thinke loue cheifly to bee grounded vpon the similitude of manners shewed and signified by familiarity and abode together For it is daily seene that those parties who at the first incountry and vew haue rather disâ—iked then loued ech other by continuance of conuersation and by conferring eche others conditions and nature together haue fallen into the fire of most feruent affection For true loue and faythful freindship is to will and to nill one thinge to haue one obiect of appetite and to haue like effect of affection I know there are infinite instances to bee giuen to this assertion for that some haue beene surprised with loue only vpon a louing looke some vpon a curteous word some vpon a single sight some vpon a vaine vision some vpon a doubtful dreame some vpon an vncertaine report and some some other way But as one swallow makes not sommer so one
resteth for mee onely to beewayle my euill hap to lament my luckelesse loue and neuer to attempt that I am like neuer to attaine vnto By this time the earth was couered with a darke mantell and by reason that the Sun was departed out of our Horizon the light of the starres which the Sun lendeth them béegan to appeare in the firmamente where vpon this poore passionate louer weried with woe disposed him selfe to rest but hee whose bane loue hath brued neither by night nor by day neither in company nor solitary neither sléeping nor waking can take any rest or quiet For hee was no sooner in a slumber but the goddesse of his deuotions presently presented her selfe béefore him sayinge Myne owne why doest thou thus torment thy selfe for my sake who suffer no litle greife to see thy great sorrow wherfore be bolde to aske any thing at my hands honestly and bee sure I will graunt it willingly for I perswade my selfe the heauens haue reserued mee for thée Icilius hearinge as hée hoped this heauenly voice and séeing as hée thought that saint by his bed side with open armes reached to imbrace her but béeinge awaked with open eyes hée saw hee was deceiued which sodaine fall from heauen to hell tooke away his breath from him for a while but béeing come to him selfe hée began to cry out in this carefull manner O God is it not sufficient to vexe mée with vanities in the day time vnlesse thou torment mée with visions also in the night haue I not woe inough awake but that béesides I must haue sorrow in sleepe What gréeuous offence haue I committed that deserueth sutch gréeuous punishment if this bée the rewarde of them that loue woe woe bée to them that hate thou hast commaunded vs all to loue one another and if thou thus punishe the fulfillers of thy law what shall béecome of the transgressors therof but if thou bee disposed to punish mée and displeased with my deedes neuer suffer mée hereafter to do any thynge but cast mée into sutch a sleepe wherin I was erwhile and therein let mée continue continually O happy was Endymion who longe time inioyed the like sleepe O ten times happie are the dead if death bée any thynge like this sleepe But O hundred times vnhappie am I to whom wakyng is waylefull wheras to all thynges els it is ioyfull But was this but a vision which deluded mee was it but a dreame whiche I doated on And if it were but a dreame doth it portend nothyng and may there be effect in dreames Yea god wot commonly the contrary or as Cato saith wée sée sleeping that which wée wish for wakyng So that neither in dreaming nor doing neither in sleepyng nor séeyng neither in thinkyng nor sayinge finde I any cause of comfort or see any signe of solace This youthe passed his time so longe in these and sutch like passions that the carefull cariage of his eyes bewrayed his carefull minde and his pale countenance his painfull case Which a special fréend of his perceiuyng tooke sutch compassion and pitie on his painfull state that hée sought all meanes possible to sift out the cause of his sorrow to the intent to séeke some medicine for his maladie And hauyng oportunitie of time and place hée brake with him in this sorte Good freende if I should shew you what great sorrow I sustayne by your heauinesse you would perchaunce iudge my words to proceede rather of flattery and trifling then of truth but no more but trie how willyng I wil be to ease your payne and by that iudge how greatly it gréeueth mee But how great so euer my gréeif bee my wonder is more then great to sée you transfourmed from the estate of a pleasant Gentleman into sutch solitarie regardes that you séeme rather a Tymon of Athens then a courtier of Italy and so mutche the more cause I haue of meruayle by how mutch lesse I sée any apparent cause which should worke any sutch alteration in you For if want of worldly wealth coulde worke your woe why you want nothyng if you would eate golde as they say you might haue it If losse of freendes molest you why you haue an infinite number whiche loue you intirely If you bee disposed to trauayle to see straunge countries your parents wil bee well pleased with your departure If you bee wearie of your single life your freendes will foorthwith prouide for your Marriage If any repulse receyued of any dayntie dame doo daunt you why the Goddes them selues haue suffred the like as Daphne a seely damsel refused the God Phoebus Syrinx a simple mayde reiected the God Pan with infinite other If you haue fixed your fancie in place you thinke impossible to possesse why you haue reason to rule your affection you haue wit to compasse your desire you haue fréends to further it you want nothynge to finish it With this his colour beegan to chaunge and hee fetcht a deepe sighe or two whereby his freend perceiued hee had touched the cause of his calamitie and sore of his sorrow praying him very ernestly to vnfolde the secrets of his thoughtes vnto him sayinge two wittes are better then one and that which you blinded perchaunce by loue can not see I stirred vp by desire to doo you good may perceiue And for secrecy in your affaires assure your selfe that neuer Pithias to his Damon Pylades to his Orestes nor Gysâ—ppus to his Titus was more true then I will bee to you And though your learninge and wit to knowe what is best for your owne behalfe bee far better then mine yet the simplenesse of my wit shal bee supplied with the sincerenesse of my will which shal be alwayes so ready prest to pleasure you that if my seruice may satisfie you you shall commaund mee if my company may content you I will neuer be out of your sight if I may any way stand you in any steede account mee your owne only Icilius hearing this friendly discourse could not but say in his heart O friend vnfained O loue most loyall O curtesy incomparable and imbracinge fast his freend in his armes sayd if al the miseries in the world did muster in multitudes about mee yet this thing only is of force to fence mee from their furies to thinke I inioy so firme a friend as your selfe are and if I may liue but to requite some part of your good wil it is the second felicity I loke for in this life But touching the cause of my perplexity I must craue pardon if I make courtsy to disclose it for that many euils cary this nature rather to bee concealed with griefe then reuealed in hope of releife And as a greene wound by taking the aire spredeth farther abroad and is the hardlier healed so I thinke my tormente and greife beeinge once discouered would not bee so easely cured If sayth his frend the originall of your euil proceede of loue as in my fancy it doth then vndoubtedly the
her father Virginius Apius answered that hee thought it good the matter should hange in suspence vntill the returne of her supposed father but it was no reason but that hee who pretended yea and had prooued to haue sutch right to her should haue her in his custody vntill the matter were more examined and vpon his honour hée promised shee should bee foorth comminge to appeare at the time of her fathers approche The people hearinge this iniurious iudgment of Appius rather murmured at it then durst make resistance against it by reason wherof Marcus Cloudius béegan to draw the maid to bee defloured as the tiger in Hyrcane wooddes haleth the lambe to bée deuoured But god the righter of al wrongs and protector of all pure virgins preuented the perill which hong ouer her head sent home from the warres to succour her her vncle Numitorius and her spouse Icilius who hearinge the haynousnesse of the matter presently presed to the place where Appius sate in iudgement but hee commaunded his officers to kéepe Icilius backe whervpon Icilius inueighed against him in this sort Albeit O Appius by force you keepe mee from keepeinge mine owne out of your handes yet shall you not stay my toung from detecting the villany which you indeuour to doe For the truth is this virgin is betrothed to mée and my minde is to marrie her a chast maide therfore assure your selfe if it lie in mee to let shee shal not remaine one minute of an houre out of her fathers house Is it not sufficiente for you to depriue the people of the cheife pillors of their liberty but that our wiues and children also must liue in slauery to your tirranny Exercise your cruelty on our bodies at least let chastity bee in safety Ought princes to giue light of life to their people and wil you make your selfe a mirrour of mischeife to your posterity But if you minde to take her away from vs by force and from her her virginity neuer thinke to doe it while I haue any breath left in my body for in this iust cause and quarrell of my wife life shall sooner leaue mee then loyalty Appius thinkinge the power of Icilius would preuaile aboue his for that the multitude meruaylously inclined to his side sayd hée would haue another time to represse the rebellious rage of Icilius and touchinge the maide for her fathers sake hee was content to defer the pronouncinge of sentence against her vntill the nexte court day that her father might bee present in the meane while hée would intreate Marcus Cloudius to forbeare his right but if her father came not by the next court day hee would defer the execution of iustice for no mans plesure Presently vpon this hee dispatched letters to the captaine generall of the army that hee should not in any wise dismisse Virginius or suffer him to come home but Icilius had sent for him with such spéede that he had leaue to depart beefore those letters came to the captayne so it pleased god to preuent the pollicy and wicked purpose of Appius Now Virginius béeinge come to Rome went with his daughter to the iudgement place and did there lamentably implore the helpe of the people sayinge while I with the rest of the souldiours haue hazarded our liues in the defence of you and your children I am in daunger to haue mine owne daughter dispoyled wheras by my helpe our city is preserued from enemies I my selfe am brought to sutch misery as if it were taken by our enemies and vtterly razed to the ground For what greater villany can bée done to the vanquished then to sée béefore their eyes their wiues and children desloured and defiled But neighbours and freindes if you suffer mée to sustaine this iniury assure your selues your staffe standeth next to the dore and looke no longer to bée husbands ouer your wiues and parentes ouer your children then it shall please these tirantes to giue you leaue Any euill at the first entring in of it may easely bée auoyded but let one or two presidentes passe patiently without resisting and it will run into a custome and from thence to a law and you will neuer bée able after to rid your handes of it And if your owne safety driue you not to succour mée yet let my old yeeres my hoary heires the honest port which I haue euer maintained and the chast life of my daughter moue you to put to your handes to helpe redresse my wronge By this time Appius was come to the iudgement place with a great troupe of armed men and séeing Virginius there contrary to his expectation and perceyning no colour of law could cloud his dooings hée set down his owne will for a law and sayd hée would defraud Marcus Cloudius no longer of his right and séeinge the maide was conuicted by proufe and witnes to bée his bond maid he gaue sentence that he should presently haue her away not suffering her father to alleage any thing for her fréedome Virginius seeing this extreeme dealing of Appius threatningly shooke his hands at him saying I haue béetrothed my daughter to Icilius not to thee O Appius I haue brought her vp to bee an honest maried woman not thy harlot What doest thou thinke vnder the pretence of bondage to make her bound to thy beastlinesse Appius not regarding his rayling caused his officers to make the multitude giue place to Marcus Cloudius that hee might quietly cary away his bond mayd by reason wherof Virginia was left voide of helpe and rescue which her father perceiuing and séeing him self not able to deliuer her out of her enemies handes to defer the time hopinge still for helpe hée vsed this pollicy hée desired Appius hee might haue his daughter aside and betwéene her nurce and her examine the matter that if it were found hée were but her fained father hée might the more willingly depart with her Which béeing by Appius graunted they thrée went aside together where Virginia fell downe vpon her knees and made this ruthles request vnto her father I perceiue deare father it is not without great cause that the philosophers were of this opinion that the greatest felicity is neuer to bée borne and the second soone to die now séeing by your meanes I am depriued of the first I beseech you by your meanes let mee inioy the second and to counteruayle the lucklesse and lothsome life which you haue giuen mée vouchsafe to bestow on mee an honourable death And as by your fatherly care I haue continued a continent virgin hetherto so by your furthering aide I praye you let mee dye an honest mayde presently least my life hereafter contaminate y commendation of my life heretofore and seeing I can bee no longer suffred to liue honestly good father let mee die honourably For an honourable death is alwayes to bee preferred beefore an infamous life of euils the least is to bee chosen and death of body is to bee counted a lesse euill then distructiō
beauty and cumlinesse continue not wheras curtesy and clemency remaine for euer Consider that vertue is the true beauty which carrieth coÌ„mendacion with it at al times which maketh men loue those whom they haue neuer seene and which supplieth all other wantes whatsoeuer Did not Antonius that lusty gallant of this city prefer Cleopatra that blacke Egiptian for her incomparable curtesy before all the blasinge starres of this citty and did not the puisant knight Persey in respect of her vertue fetch Andromade from the blacke Indians Wherby you see that bounty before beutie is alway to be preferred Whiche bounty I beseeche you imbrace both to preserue my life and your owne good name Alas what renowme shall you reape by killinge cruelly him that loued you intirely What glory shall you get by driuing into dispaire him y was drawen into desire towardes you No pitty is the onely patheway to prayse and mercy is the meane to make you immortall At the ende of the next measure shée replied in this sorte Why Gentleman doe you thinke it cruelty not to condiscend to the requestes of euery one that maketh loue Doe you count it vice not to yéeld to the assaultes of euery lasciuious young man Doe you make so mean a count of mariage that you thinke it meet for a maide so rashly to enter into it without sufficient knowledge of your selfe ignorante of your life and conuersation not knowing your state parentes or freindes againe without the consent of my freindes without their good will and furtherance and which is most of all without mine owne loue and likinge No I will haue more tryall of him whom I meane to marry then I haue had of you â–ª and I wil féele in my self more feruent affection towards him then as yet I doe beare you You must consider it is not for a day or a yéere that man and wife must continue together but euen for the whole terme of their life and that they may not for any respecte chaunge beeinge once chayned together but muste remaine content the one with the other in solace and in sorrowe in sicknesse and in safenes in plenty and in penury Way againe that the happy life of the wife only consisteth in the loyall loue of her husband and that shee reposeth her selfe only in the pleasure shee hath in him She for the most part sitteth still at home shee hauketh not shee hunteth not shee diseth not shee in a manner receiueth no other contentation but in his company Hee is the only play which pleaseth her hee is the only game which gladdeth her hee is the field shee delighteth to walke in hee is the forrest shee forceth to hunt in So that in my iudgement in takinge a husbande no héede can bee to wary no choyce to chary And therefore you must make a count that mariage is a matter neither so rashly to bee required as you doe neither so easely to bee graunted as you would haue mee to doe And if you adhibite any credite to my counsayle I would wish you to sowe the seede of your sute in a more fertill soyle for in mee no graftes of grauntes or flowers of affirming will by any meanes growe but only double denialles and ragged repulses His replie here to with diuers other discourses whiche passed beetwéen them I wil omit lest I should weary you with the weary toyle whiche hée made of it And besides I would not you should take example by her to hang of so straungly when you are sued to so humbly and not to faine dislikinge so deepely when in deed you loue intirely For notwithstanding all his ernest suâ—e hee could not receiue so mutch as one good worde of good will. At length the dauncinge beeinge done the banquet was beegunne wherevppon their talke ceased but his loue dayly increased in so mutch that hée fully resolued with himselfe hopinge thereby somewhat to bee eased of his greife to forsake country friendes lyuinge and all that hée had And there vpon wrote a letter vnto her to this effect Séeinge most mercylesse Misteris neither my person can please you neither my lyuinge lyke you neither my calling content you neither my singular affection towards you cause you to requite it with lyke loue I meane vtterly to abandon the place of your abode and to bestow my selfe in some sutch fare country whyther not so much as y report of your vertue and beuty shall come hopinge therby somwhat to appease my paine and to asswage the rygour of my raginge loue For as the sence of seeinge is most sharp so is that paine most pinching to see the thing one séeketh and can not possesse it Lyke as the Greyhounde is gréeued to see the Hare if hée bee kept in slippe and the Hauke the Partridge if she bée tyed in lunes and as the common saying is y which the eye séeth the hart géeueth Likewise to heare of your happie marriage with some other would bée litle better then death vnto mée to think any other should inioy that which by law of loue is proper to my selfe and to heare of your vnlucky linking with any would bee death it selfe vnto mee to thinke that my only ioy should liue in annoy Therfore I thinke the best way to mitigate my martirdome is to absente my selfe from both hearing and seeing I could reaue my self of life and so rid my selfe of strife but alas to imbrue my hands with mine owne bloud would but bring to my body destruction to my soule damnation to my freindes desolation and to your selfe defamation Where as by contynuinge my carefulll life I may at least or at laste make manifeste the constancy of my loue to the whole world â–ª and some way imploy my selfe to doe you seruice For assure your selfe this that what land soeuer I shall lodge in my hart and body shall bee dedicated to doe you duty and seruice And thus ready to goe to seaward I stay only to know whether it stand with your good pleasure to commaund mee any seruice yours while hee is CVRIATIVS Horatia hauing red this letter and thinking shee had sufficiently sounded y depth of his deuotion towards her returned him this comfortable answer Albeit sir I nothinge doubt of your departure out of your country for that nothing is more deere to any man then his owne natiue soyle and besides I know you vse it only for a meane to moue mee to mercy yet to confesse the truth the secret good will which longe since I haue borne you will not suffer mee to conceale from you any longer the secrets of my thoughtes Therfore you shall vnderstand I haue not vsed this straungnesse towardes you for that my minde hath bene enstraunged or alienated from you but only to try the truth of your good will towardes mee For if for one repulse or two like an ill hound which for one losse or twain giueth ouer the chase you would haue giuen ouer your sute â–ª I might haue iudged
of sutch vnnatural and vntimely death O furious féende not god of loue why dost thou thus diuelishly deale with my daughter O ten times cursed bee the time that euer Cephalus set foote in this court At the name of cephalus the maide beegan to open her eies which before had dazeled which her mother perceiuing saide beeholde daughter thy Cephalus is safely returned and come to see thee Wherewith shee start from the bed whereon they had laied her and staring wildly about the chamber when shee coulde not sée him shee sunk downe againe Now her parents perceiuing what possession loue had takē of her thought it labour lost to indeuour to alter her determination but made her faithful promise shee should haue their furtherance and consent to haue her cephalus to husbande at his returne wherewith shee was at length made stronge to indure the annoy of his absence It were tedious to tell the prayers the processions the pilgrimages the Sacrifices the vowes shee made for his safe returne let this suffice to declare her rare good will towardes hym that hearing of his happie comming towards the courte shee feared least his sodayne sight would bring her sutche excessiue delight that her sences shoulde not bee able to support it and therfore got her into the highest place of the house and beheld him comming a far of and so by litle and litle was partaker of his presence and yet at the méetinge shee was more frée of her teares then of her tounge for her greetinge was only wéeping word shee could say none Cephalus inflamed with this her vnfaigned loue made all the freindes hee could to hasten the mariage beetweene them But the olde saying is hast maketh waste and bargains made in spéede are commonly repented at leasure For married they were to both their inexplicable ioy which shortly after turned to both their vnspeakable annoy For the increase is small of seede to timely sowen the whelpes are euer blinde that dogs in haste doe get the fruites full sone doe rot which gathered are to sone the mault is neuer swete onlesse the fier bee softe and hee that leapeth before hee looke may hap to leape into the brooke My meaning is this that Cephalus his share must needes bée sorow who would so rashly and vnaduisedly enter into so intricate an estate as wedlocks is The Philosophers will vs to eate a bushell of salte with a man béefore wée enter into strict familiarity with him but I thinke a whole quarter litle inoughe to eate with her with whom wee enter into sutch a bond that only death must dissolue Which rule if Cephalus had obserued hée had preserued him selfe from most irkesome inconueniences But hee at all aduentures ventred vppon one of whom he had no trial but of a litle triflynge loue I like but litle of those mariages which are made in respecte of ritches lesse of those in respect of honours but least of al of those in respecte of hasty foolish and fond affection For soone hot soone colde nothing violent is permanent the cause taken away the effecte vanisheth and when beuty once fadeth whereof this light loue for the most part ariseth goodwill straight fayleth Wel this hot loue she bare him was the only cause of his hasty and heauy bargaine for womanlines she had none her yeres were to young vertue shee had litle it was not vsed in the court modesty shee had not mutch it belongeth not to louers good gouernment and stayed wit shee wanted it is incident to few woomen to bee shorte his choyce was grounded rather vpon her goodlinesse then godlinesse ▪ rather vppon her beauty then vertue rather vppon her affection then discretion But sutch as hee sowed hee reapte sutch as hee sought hee founde sutch as hee bought hee had to wit a witles wenche to his wife Therefore I would wishe my freindes euer to sow that which is sound to seeke that which is sure to buie that which is pure I meane I would haue them in the choice of sutch choyce ware cheifly to respect good conditions and vertue that is the only seed which wil yéeld good increase that is the onely thinge worthy to bee sought that is the only thinge which can not bée too derely bought And who soeuer he bee that in any other respecte whatsoeuer entreth into the holy state of matrimony let him looke for no better a pennyworth then Cephalus had which was a lothsome life and desolate death For within a yeere or two after they had bene maried his fancy was in a manner fully fed and his disordinate desire of her began to decay so that hee beegan plainly to see and rightly to iudge of her nature and disposition which at first the parciality of his loue or rather outrage of his lust would not permit him to perceiue And seeing her retchles regardes and light lookes which shee nowe vsed towardes al men rememberinge therewithall howe lightly hee him selfe won her hee began greatly to doubt of her honest dealinge towardes him and hauing occasion of far iourny and longe absence from her hée wrought this practise to try her truth Hee told her his aboade from her must of necessity bee fourty wéekes but at the halfe yeeres end by that time his haire was wildly growen hee apparelled him self altogether contrary to his wonted guise and by reason of his haire so disguised him selfe that hee was not knowen of any which done his necessary affayres dispatched he returned into his owne country and came to his owne house in manner of a straunger which trauayled the country where hee founde his wife in more sober sorte then hée looked for and receiued sutch courteous entertainment as was conuenient for a guest Hauing soiourned there a day or two at conueniēt time hée attempted her chastity in this sorte If faire Gentlewoman no acquaintance might iustly craue any credite or litle merites great méed I would reporte vnto you the cause of my repaire and craue at your handes the cure of my care but séeinge there is no likelyhoode that either my wordes shalbée beléeued or my woe releeued I thinke better with paine to conceale my sorrow then in vaine to reueale my sute The Gentlewoman somewhat tickled with these triflinge woords was rather desirous to haue him manifest the mistery of his meaning then willing hée should desist from his purpose and therefore gaue him this answere I am Sir of opinion that credite may come diuers wayes besides by acquaintance I my self haue knowen mutch good done to many without desert and therefore if your wordes bée true and your desire due doubte not but you shal bée both credited and cured For the truenesse of my wordes sayth he I appeale to the heauens for witnesse for the duenesse of my desir◠I appeale to your curtesy for iudgment The wordes haue to vtter are these There chaunced not longe since to traueile thorowe the countrie wherein lyeth my liuing a Knighte named Cephalus and though