owne nature sauing onely Man who while by the pregnancie of his imagination he striues to things supernaturall meane-while hee looseth his owne naturall felicitie Be wise and that wisedome shal be a God vnto thee be contented and that is thy heauen for els to thinke that those powers if there bee any such aboue are moued either by the eloquence of our prayers or in a chafe at the folly of our actions caries asmuch reason as if flies should thinke that men take great care which of them hums sweetest and which of them flies nimblest She woulde haue spoken further to haue enlarged and confirmed her discourse when Pamela whose cheeks were died in the beautifullest graine of vertuous anger with eies which glistered foorth beames of disdaine thus interrupted her Peace wicked womā peace vnworthy to breath that doest not acknowledge the breath-giuer most vnworthy to haue a tongue which speakest against him through whom thou speakest keepe your affection to your selfe which like a bemired dog would defile with fauning You say yesterday was as to day O foolish woman and most miserablely foolish since wit makes you foolish What dooth that argue but that there is a constancie in the euerlasting gouernour Woulde you haue an inconstant God since wee count a man foolish that is inconstant He is not seene you say and woulde you thinke him a God who might bee seene by so wicked eyes as yours which yet might see enough if they were not like such who for sport-sake willingly hood-winke themselues to receaue blowes the easier But though I speake to you without any hope of fruite in so rotten a harte and there bee no bodie else here to iudge of my speeches yet be thou my witnesse O captiuitie that my yeares shal not be willingly guiltie of my Creators blasphemie You saie because we know not the causes of things therfore feare was the mother of superstitiō nay because we know that each effect hath a cause that hath engendred a true liuely deuotion For this goodly work of which we are in which we liue hath not his being by Chaūce on which opiniō it is beyōd meruaile by what chaūce any braine could stumble For if it be eternall as you would seeme to conceiue of it Eternity and Chaunce are things vnsufferable together For that is chaunceable which happeneth and if it happen there was a time before it happned when it might haue not happened or els it did not happen and so if chaunceable not eternall And as absurd it is to thinke that if it had a beginning his beginning was deriued from Chaunce for Chaunce could neuer make all things of nothing and if there were substaunces before which by chaunce shoulde meete to make vp this worke thereon followes another bottomlesse pitt of absurdities For then those substaunces must needs haue bene from euer and so eternall and that eternall causes should bring forth chaunceable effectes is as sensible as that the Sunne shoulde bee the author of darkenesse Againe if it were chaunceable then was it not necessarie whereby you take away all consequents But we see in all thinges in some respect or other necessitie of consequence therefore in reason we must needs know that the causes were necessarie Lastly Chaunce is variable or els it is not to be called Chaunce but wee see this worke is steady and permanent If nothing but Chaunce had glewed those pieces of this All the heauie partes would haue gone infinitely downward the light infinitely vpwarde and so neuer haue mett to haue made vp his goodly bodie For before there was a heauen or a earth there was neyther a heauen to stay the height of the rising nor an earth which in respect of the round walles of heauen should become a centre Lastly perfect order perfect beautie perfect constancie if these be the children of Chaunce let wisedome be counted the roote of wickednesse But you will say it is so by nature as much as if you saide it is so because it is so if you meane of many natures conspiring together as in a popular gouernemēt to establish this faire estate as if the Elementishe and ethereall partes shoulde in their towne-house set downe the bounds of each ones office then consider what followes that there must needes haue bene a wisedome which made them concurre for their natures beyng absolute contrarie in nature rather would haue sought each others ruine then haue serued as well consorted partes to such an vnexpressable harmonie For that contrary things should meete to make vp a perfection without a force and Wisedome aboue their powers is absolutely impossible vnles you will flie to that hissed-out opinion of Chaunce againe But you may perhaps affirme that one vniuersal Nature which hath ben for euer is the knitting together of these many partes to such an excellent vnitie If you meane a Nature of wisdome goodnes prouidence which knowes what it doth then say you that which I seeke of you and cannot conclude those blasphemies whith which you defiled your mouth mine eares But if you meane a Nature as we speake of the fire which goeth vpward it knowes not why and of the nature of the Sea which in ebbing and flowing semes to obserue so iust a daunce and yet vnderstands no musicke it is but still the same absurditie superscribed with another title For this worde one being attributed to that which is All is but one mingling of many and many ones as in a lesse matter when we say one kingdome which conteines many citties or one cittie which conteines many persons wherein the vnder ones if there be not a superiour power and wisedome cannot by nature regarde to any preseruation but of themselues no more wee see they doo since the water willingly quenches the fire and drownes the earth so farre are they from a conspired vnitie but that a right heauenly Nature indeed as it were vnnaturinge them doth so bridle them Againe it is as absurde in nature that from an vnitie many contraries should proceede still kept in a vnitie as that from the number of contrarieties an vnitie should arise I say still if you banish both a singularitie and pluralitie of iudgement from among them then if so earthly a minde can lift it selfe vp so hie doo but conceaue how a thing whereto you giue the highest and most excellent kind of being which is eternitie can be of a base vilest degree of being and next to a not-being which is so to be as not to enioy his owne being I will not here call all your senses to witnes which can heare nor see nothing which yeeldes not most euident euidence of of the vnspeakeablenesse of that Wisedome each thinge being directed to an ende and an ende of preseruation so proper effects of iudgement as speaking and laughing are of mankind But what madd furie can euer so enueagle any conceipte as to see our mortal and corruptible selues to haue a reason and that this
lesse daungerous But after that yeares began to come on with some though more seldome shewes of a bloudie nature and that the prophecie of Musidorus destenie came to his eares deliuered vnto him and receiued of him with the hardest interpretation as though his subiects did delight in the hearing thereof Then gaue he himselfe indeede to the full currant of his disposition especially after the warre of Thessalia wherein though in trueth wrongly he deemed his vnsuccesse proceeded of their vnwillingnes to haue him prosper and then thinking himselfe contemned knowing no countermine against contempt but terror began to let nothing passe which might beare the colour of a fault without sharp punishment and when he wanted faults excellencie grew a fault and it was sufficient to make one guiltie that he had power to be guiltie And as there is no humour to which impudent pouertie cannot make itselfe seruiceable so were there enow of those of desperate ambition who would build their houses vpon others ruines which after should fall by like practises So as seruitude came mainly vpon that poore people whose deedes were not onely punished but words corrected and euen thoughts by some meane or other puld out of them while suspition bred the mind of crueltie and the effects of crueltie stirred a new cause of suspition And in this plight full of watchfull fearefulnes did the storme deliuer sweete Pyrocles to the stormie minde of that Tyrant all men that did such wrong to so rare a stranger whose countenaunce deserued both pitie and admiration condemning themselues as much in their hearts as they did brag in their forces But when this bloudy King knew what he was and in what order he and his cosin Musidorus so much of him feared were come out of Thessalia assuredly thinking because euer thinking the worst that those forces were prouided against him glad of the perishing as he thought of Musidorus determined in publique sort to put Pyrocles to death For hauing quite lost the way of noblenes he straue to clime to the height of terriblenes and thinking to make all men adread to make such one an enemie who would not spare nor feare to kill so great a Prince and lastly hauing nothing in him why to make him his friend he thought he woulde take him away from being his enemie The day was appointed and all things appointed for that cruell blow in so solemne an order as if they would set foorth tyranny in most gorgeous decking The Princely youth of inuincible valour yet so vniustly subiected to such outragious wrong carrying himself in all his demeanure so constantly abiding extremitie that one might see it was the cutting away of the greatest hope of the world and destroying vertue in his sweetest grouth But so it fell out that his death was preuented by a rare example of friendship in Musidorus who being almost drowned had bene taken vp by a Fisherman belonging to the kingdome of Pontus and being there and vnderstanding the full discourse as Fame was very prodigall of so notable an accident in what case Pyrocles was learning withall that his hate was farre more to him then to Pyrocles hee found meanes to acquaint him selfe with a noble-man of that Countrie to whome largely discouering what he was he found him a most fit instrument to effectuate his desire For this noble-man had bene one who in many warres had serued Euarchus and had bene so mind-striken by the beautie of vertue in that noble King that though not borne his Subiect he euer profest himselfe his seruaunt His desire therefore to him was to keepe Musidorus in a strong Castle of his and then to make the King of Phrygia vnderstand that if he would deliuer Pyrocles Musidorus would willingly put him selfe into his hands knowing well that how thirstie so euer he was of Pyrocles bloud he would rather drinke that of Musidorus The Nobleman was loath to preserue one by the losse of another but time vrging resolution the importunitie of Musidorus who shewed a minde not to ouer-liue Pyrocles with the affection he bare to Euarchus so preuayled that he carried this strange offer of Musidorus which by that Tyrant was greedelie accepted And so vpon securitie of both sides they were enterchanged Where I may not omitte the worke of friendshippe in Pyrocles who both in speache and countenance to Musidorus well shewed that he thought himselfe iniured and not releeued by him asking him what he had euer seene in him why he could not beare the extremities of mortall accidentes as well as any man and why he should enuie him the glorie of suffering death for his friendes cause and as it were robbe him of his owne possession But in this notable contention where the conquest must be the conquerers destruction and safetie the punishment of the conquered Musidorus preuayled because he was a more welcome praie to the vniust King and as chearefully going towardes as Pyrocles went frowardly fromward his death he was deliuered to the King who could not be inough sure of him without he fed his owne eies vpon one whom he had begon to feare as soone as the other began to be Yet because he would in one acte both make ostentation of his owne felicitie into whose hands his most feared enemie was fallen and withall cut of such hopes from his suspected subiects when they should knowe certainly he was dead with much more skilfull crueltie and horrible solemnitie he caused each thing to be prepared for his triumph of tyrannie And so the day being come he was led foorth by many armed men who often had beene the fortifiers of wickednes to the place of execution where comming with a minde comforted in that he had done such seruice to Pyrocles this strange encounter he had The excelling Pyrocles was no sooner deliuered by the kings seruants to a place of liberty then he bent his witte and courage and what would not they bring to passe how ether to deliuer Musidorus or to perish with him And finding he could get in that countrie no forces sufficient by force to rescue him to bring himselfe to die with him little hoping of better euent he put himselfe in poore rayment and by the helpe of some few crownes he tooke of that noble-man who full of sorrow though not knowing the secrete of his intent suffered him to goe in such order from him he euen he borne to the greatest expectation and of the greatest bloud that any Prince might be submitted himselfe to be seruant to the executioner that should put to death Musidorus a farre notabler proofe of his friendship considering the height of his minde then any death could be That bad officer not suspecting him being araied fit for such an estate and hauing his beautie hidden by many foule spots he artificially put vpon his face gaue him leaue not onely to weare a sworde himselfe but to beare his sworde prepared for the iustified murther And so Pyrocles taking his time when Musidorus
sisters help said she who remembers it better then I I will declare vnto you and first of Erona being the chiefe Subiect of this discourse this storie with more teares and exclamations then I liste to spende about it hee recounted Of late there raigned a King in Lydia who had for the blessing of his mariage this onely daughter of his Erona a Princesse worthie for her beautie as much praise as beautie may be prayse-worthy This princesse Erona being 19. yeeres of age seeing the countrie of Lydia so much deuoted to Cupid as that in euery place his naked pictures and images were superstitiously adored ether moued thereunto by the esteeming that could be no Godhead which coulde breed wickednes or the shamefast consideration of such nakednes procured so much of her father as vtterly to pull downe and deface al those statues pictures Which how terribly he punished for to that the Lydians impute it quickly after appeared For she had not liued a yeare longer whē she was striken with most obstinate Loue to a young man but of meane parentage in her fathers court named Antiphilus so meane as that hee was but the sonne of her Nurse and by that meanes without other desert became knowen of her Now so euill could she conceale her fire and so wilfully perseuered she in it that her father offering her the mariage of the great Tiridates king of Armenia who desired her more then the ioyes of heauen shee for Antiphilus sake refused it Many wayes her father sought to with drawe her from it sometimes perswasions sometimes threatnings once hiding Antiphilus and giuing her to vnderstand that he was fled the countrie Lastly making a solemne execution to be done of another vnder the name of Antiphilus whom he kept in prison But nether she liked perswasions nor feared threateninges nor changed for absence and when she thought him dead she sought all meanes as well by poyson as knife to send her soule at least to be maried in the eternall church with him This so brake the tender fathers hart that leauing things as he found them hee shortly after died Then foorth with Erona being seazed of the crowne and arming her will with authoritie sought to aduance her affection to the holy title of matrimonie But before she could accomplish all the solemnities she was ouertaken with a war the King Tiridates made vpon her only for her person towards whom for her ruine Loue had kindled his cruel hart indeed cruell and tyrannous for being far too strong in the field he spared not man woman and child but as though there could be found no foile to set foorth the extremitie of his loue but extremity of hatred wrote as it were the sonets of his Loue in the bloud and tuned them in the cries of her subiects although his faire sister Artaxia who would accompany him in the army sought all meanes to appease his fury till lastly he besieged Erona in her best citie vowing to winne her or lose his life And now had he brought her to the point ether of a wofull consent or a ruinous deniall when there came thether following the course which Vertue and Fortune led them two excellent young Princes Pyrocles Musidorus the one Prince of Macedon the other of Thessalia two princes as Plangus said and he witnessed his saying with sighes and teares the most accomplished both in body minde that the Sun euer lookt vpon While Philoclea spake those words O sweete wordes thought Zelmane to herselfe which are not onely a praise to mee but a praise to praise it selfe which out of that mouth issueth These 2. princes said Philoclea aswell to help the weaker especially being a Ladie as ta saue a Greeke people from being ruined by such whom we call and count Barbarous gathering to gether such of the honestest Lycians as would venture their liues to succour their Princesse giuing order by a secret message they sent into the Citie that they should issue with al force at an appointed time they set vpon Tiridates campe with so well-guided a fiercenes that being of both sides assaulted he was like to be ouerthrowen but that this Plangus being Generall of Tiridates hors-men especially ayded by the two mightie men Euardes and Barzanes rescued the footmē euen almost defeated but yet could not barre the Princes with their succoures both of men and victuall to enter the Citie Which when Tiridates found would make the war long which length seemed to him worse then a languishing consumption he made a challenge of three Princes in his retinue against those two Princes and Antiphilus and that thereupon the quarrell should be decided with compact that neither side should helpe his fellow but of whose side the more ouercame with him the victorie should remaine Antiphilus though Erona chose rather to bide the brunt of warre then venture him yet could not for shame refuse the offer especially since the two strangers that had no interest in it did willingly accept it besides that he sawe it like enough that the people werie of the miseries of war would rather giue him vp if they saw him shrinke then for his sake venture their ruine considering that the challengers were farre of greater worthinesse then himselfe So it was agreed vpon and against Pyrocles was Euardes King of Bithinia Barzanes of Hircania against Musidorus two men that thought the world scarse able to resist them and against Antiphilus he placed this same Plangus being his owne cousin germain and sonne to the King of Iberia Now so it fell out that Musidorus slewe Barzanes and Pyrocles Euardes which victory those Princes esteemed aboue all that euer they had but of the other side Plangus tooke Antiphilus prisoner vnder which colour as if the matter had bene equall though indeed it was not the greater part being ouercome of his side Tiridates continued his war and to bring Erona to a compelled yeelding sent her word that he would the third morrow after before the walles of the towne strike off Antiphilus head without his suite in that space were graunted adding withall because he had heard of her desperate affection that if in the meane time she did her selfe any hurt what tortures could be deuised should be layed vpon Antiphilus Then lo if Cupid be a God or that the tyranny of our owne thoughts seeme as a God vnto vs. But whatsoeuer it was then it did set foorth the miserablenes of his effectes she being drawne to two cōtraries by one cause For the loue of him commaunded her to yeeld to no other the loue of him commaunded her to preserue his life which knot might well be cut but vntied it could not be So that Loue in her passions like a right makebate whispered to both sides arguments of quarrell What said he of the one side doost thou loue Antiphilus ô Erona and shall Tiridates enioy thy bodie with what eyes wilt thou looke vpon Antiphilus when he shall know that an other
the prisoner by Musidorus set free and thither came Plexirtus of Trebisonde and Antiphilus then King of Lycia with as many mo great Princes drawen either by our reputation or by willingnes to acknowledge themselues obliged vnto vs for what we had done for the others So as in those partes of the woild I thinke in many hundreds of yeares there was not seene so royall an assemblie where nothing was let passe to doo vs the highest honors which such persons who might commaund both purses and inuentions could perfourme All from all sides bringing vnto vs right toyall presents which we to auoide both vnkindnes and importunitie liberally receiued and not content therewith would needes accept as from vs their crownes and acknowledge to hold them of vs with many other excessiue honors which would not suffer the measure of this short leisure to describe vnto you But we quickely aweary thereof hasted to Greece â—ward led thither partly with the desire of our parents but hastened principally because I vnderstoode that Anaxius with open mouth of defamation had gone thither to seeke me and was now come to Peloponnesus where from Court to Court he made enquyrie of me doing yet himselfe so noble deedes as might hap to aucthorize an ill opinion of me We therefore suffred but short delayes desiring to take this countrey in our way so renowmed ouer the worlde that no Prince coulde pretend height nor bigger lownesse to barre him from the sound thereof renowmed indeede not so much for the ancient prayses attributed thereunto as for the hauing in it Argalus and Amphialus two knights of such rare prowes as we desired especially to know and yet by farre not so much for that as without suffering of comparison for the beautie of you and your sister which makes all indifferent iudges that speake thereof account this countrie as a temple of deities But these causes indeed mouing vs to come by this land wee embarked our selues in the next porte whether all those Princes sauing Antiphilus who returned as he pretended not able to tarry longer from Erona conueied vs. And there found we a ship most royally furnished by Plexirtus who had made all thinges so proper as well for our defence as ease that all the other Princes greatly commended him for it who seeming a quite altered man had nothing but repentance in his eies friendship in his gesture and vertue in his mouth so that we who had promised the sweete Zelmane to pardon him now not onely forgaue but began to fauour perswading our selues with a youthfull credulitie that pechance thinges were not so euill as wee tooke them and as it were desiring our owne memorie that it might be so But so were we licensed from those Princes truely not without teares especially of the vertuous Leonatus who with the king of Pontus would haue come with vs but that we in respect of the ones young wife and both their new settled kingdomes would not suffer it Then would they haue sent whole fleetes to to guard vs but we that desired to passe secretely into Greece made them leaue that motion when they found that more ships then one would be displeasing vnto vs. But so committing our selues to the vncertaine discretion of the wind we then determining as soone as we came to Greece to take the names of Daiphantus Palladius as well for our owne promise to Zelmane as because we desired to come vnknowne into Greece left the Asian shore full of Princely persons who euen vpon their knees recommended our safeties to the deuotion of their chiefe desires among whome none had bene so officious though I dare affirme all quite contrarie to his vnfaithfulnes as Plexirtus And So hauing sailed almost two daies looking for nothing but when we might looke vpon the land a graue mâ—n whom we had seene of great trust with Plexirtus and was sent as our principall guide came vnto vs and with a certaine kinde manner mixt with shame repentance began to tel vs that he had takeÌ„ such a loue vnto vs coÌ„sidering our youth fame that though he were a seruant a seruant of such trust about Plexirtus as that he had committed vnto him euen those secretes of his hart which abhorde all other knowledge yet he rather chose to reueale at this time a most pernitious counsel then by councealing it bring to ruin those whom he could not choose but honour So went he on and tolde vs that Plexirtus in hope therby to haue Artaxia endowed with the great Kingdome of Armenia to his wife had giuen him order when we were neere Greece to finde some opportunitie to murder vs bidding him to take vs a sleepe because he had seene what we could do waking Now sirs said he I would rather a thousand times loose my life then haue my remembrance while I liued poysoned with such a mischiefe and therefore if it were onely I that knewe herein the Kings order then should my disobedience be a warrant of your safetie But to one more said hee namely the Captaine of the shippe Plexirtus hath opened so much touching the effect of murdering you though I think laying the cause rather vpon old grudge then his hope oâ— Artaxia And my selfe before the consideration of your excellencies had drawn loue and pittie into mind imparted it to such as I thought fittest for such a mischiefe Therefore I wishe you to stand vpon your garde assuring you that what I can doo for your safetie you shal see if it come to the pushe by me perfourmed We thanked him as the matter indeed deserued and from that time would no more disarme our selues nor the one sleepe without his friendes eyes waked for him so that it delaied the going forward of their bad enterprize while they thought it rather chaunce then prouidence which made vs so behaue ourselues But when we came within halfe a daies sayling of the shore so that they sawe it was speedily or not at all to be done TheÌ„ I remember it was about the first watch in the night came the Captaine and whispered the Councellour in the eare But he as it should seem disswading him from it the Captaine who had bene a pyrate from his youth and oâ—ten blouded in it with a lowde voice sware that if Plexirtus bad him he would not sticke to kill God him selfe And therewith cald his mates and in the Kings name willed them to take vs aliue or dead encouraging them with the spoile of vs which he said and indeed was true would yeeld many exceeding rich iewels But the Councellour according to his promise commanded them they should not commit such a villany protesting that hee would stand betweene them and the Kings anger therein Wherewith the Captaine enraged Nay said he then we must begin with this traitor him selfe and therewith gaue him a sore blow vpon the head who honestly did the best he could to reuenge himselfe But then we knew it time rather to encounter
hath the preheminence so that in that preheminence Nature counteruailes al other liberalities wherein she may bee thought to haue dealte more fauourably towarde mankind How doo men crowne thinke you themselues with glorie for hauing either by force brought others to yeelde to their minde or with long studie and premeditated orations perswaded what they would haue perswaded and see a faire woman shall not onely commaund without authoritie but perswade without speaking She shall not neede to procure attention for their owne eyes will chaine their eares vnto it Men venture liues to coÌ„quere she conqueres liues without venturing She is serued and obeyed which is the most notable not because the lawe so commaund it but because they become lawes themselues to obey her not for her parents sake but for her own sake She need not dispute whether to gouerne by Feare or Loue since without her thinking thereof their loue will bring foorth feare and their feare will fortifie their loue and shee neede not seeke offensiue or defensiue force since her onely lippes may stande for ten thousand shieldes and tenne thousand vneuitable shot goe from her eyes Beautie Beautie deere Neece is the crowne of the feminine greatnes which gifte on whom soeuer the heauens therein most nigardly do bestowe without question she is bound to vse it to the noble purpose for which it is created not onely winning but preseruing since that indeede is the right happines which is not onely in itselfe happie but can also deriue the happines to another Certainly Aunt said Pamela I feare me you will make me not only think my selfe fairer then euer I did but think my fairenes a matter of greater valew then heretofore I could imagine it For I euer til now conceaued these conquests you speake of rather to proceed from the weakenes of the conquered then from the strength of the conquering power as they say the Cranes ouerthrow whole battailes of Pygmees not so much of their Cranish courage as because the other are Pygmees and that wee see young babes thinke babies of woonderfull excellencie and yet the babies are but babies But since your elder yeares abler iudgement finde Beautie to be worthy of so incomparable estimation certainly me thinks it ought to be held in dearnes according to the excellencie and no more then we would do of things which we account pretious euer to suffer it to be defiled Defiled saide Cecropia Mary God forbid that my speech shoulde tend to any such purpose as should deserue so foul a title My meaning is to ioyne your beauty to loue your youth to delight For truely as coulours should be as good as nothing if there were no eyes to behold them so is Beauty nothing without the eye of Loue behold it and therfore so far is it from defiling it that it is the onely honoring of it the onely preseruing of it for Beauty goes awaye deuoured by Time but where remaines it euer flourishing but in the hart of a true louer And such a one if euer there were any is my son whose loue is so subiected vnto you that rather theÌ„ breed any offence vnto you it will not delight it selfe in beholding you There is no effect of his loue answered Pamela better pleaseth mee then that but as I haue often answered you so resolutely I say vnto you that he must get my parents consent and then he shall know further of my minde for without that I know I should offend God O sweet youth said Cecropia how vntimely subiect it is to deuotion No no sweet neece let vs old folks thinke of such precise considerations do you enioy the heauen of your age whereof you are sure and like good housholders which spend those thinges that will not bee kept so do you pleasantly enioy that which else will bring an ouer-late repentance when your glas shall accuse you to your face what a change there is in you Do you see how the spring-time is full of flowers decking it selfe with them and not aspiring to the fruits of Autumn what lesson is that vnto you but that in the april of your age you should be like April Let not some of them for whom alredy the graue gapeth and perhaps enuy the felicity in you which theÌ„selues cannot enioy perswade you to lose the holde of occasion while it may not onely be taken but offers nay sues to bee taken which if it bee not now taken wil neuer hereafter be ouertaken Your selfe know how your father hath refused all offers made by the greatest Princes about you wil you suffer your beauty to be hidden in the wrinckles of his peuish thoughts If hee be peuish said Pamela yet is he my father and how beautifull so euer I be I am his daughter so as God claimes at my hands obedience and makes me no iudge of his imperfectionsâ— These often replies vpon conscience in Pamela made Cecropia thinke that there was no righter waye for her then as shee had in her opinion set her in liking of Beautie with perswasion not to suffer it to be voide of purpose â—o if she could make her lesse feeling of those heauenly conceipts that then shee might easilie winde her to her croked bias Therefore employing the vttermost of her mischieuous witte and speaking the more earnestly because she spake as shee thought shee thus dealt with her Deare neece or rather deare daughter if my affection wish might preuaile therein how much dooth it increase trowe you the earnest desire I haue of this blessed match to see these vertues of yours knit fast with such zeale of Deuotion indeede the best bonde which the most politicke wittes haue founde to holde mans witte in well doing For as children must first by feare bee induced to knowe that which after when they doo know they are most glad of So are these bug-beares of opinioÌ„s brought by great Clearks into the world to serue as shewelles to to keepe them from those faults whereto els the vanitie of the worlde and weakenes of senses might pull them But in you Neece whose excellencie is such as it neede not to be helde vp by the staffe of vulgar opinions I would not you shoulde loue Vertue seruillie for feare of I know not what which you see not but euen for the good effects of vertue which you see Feare and indeede foolish feare fearefull ignorance was the first inuenter of those conceates For when they hearde it thunder not knowing the naturall cause they thought there was some angrie body aboue that spake so lowde and euer the lesse they did perceiue the more they did conceiue Whereof they knew no cause that grew streight a miracle foolish folkes not marking that the alterations be but vpon particular accidents the vniuersalitie being alwaies one Yesterday was but as to day and to morrow will tread the same footsteps of his foregoers so as it is manifest inough that all thinges follow but the course of their
And then melancholie only rich in vnfortunate remembrances brought before him all the mishaps with which his life had wrestled taking this not only as a confirming of the former but a presage of following miserie and to his harte alredy ouercome by sorrowfulnes euen trifling misfortunes came to fill vp the rolle of a grieued memorie labouring only his wits to pearce farther â—arther into his owne wretchednes So as all that night in despite of darknes he held his eyes open and the morning when the light began to restore to each body his colour then with curtaines bard he himselfe froÌ„ the enioying of it neither willing to feele the comfort of the day nor the ease of the night vntil his mother who neuer knew what loue meant but only to himward came to his bed side and beginning with louing earnestnes to lay a kind chiding vpoÌ„ him because he would suffer the weaknes of sorow to conquere the strength of his vertues he did with a broken peece-meale speach as if the teÌ„pest of passion vnorderly blewe out his words remember the mishaps of his youth the euils he had ben cause of his rebelling with Shame that shame increased with shamefull accidents the deaths of Philoxenus Parthenia wherein he found himselfe hated of the euer-ruling powers but especially and so especially as the rest seemed nothing when he came to that his fatall loue to Philoclea to whom he had so gouerned himselfe as one that could neither conquer nor yeeld being of the one side a slaue of the other a iaylor and with all almost vpbrayding vnto his mother the little successe of her large hoping promises he in effect finding Philoclea nothing mollified and now himselfe so cast downe as hee thought him vnworthy of better But his mother as she had plentifull cause making him see that of his other griefes there was little or no fault in himself and therfore there ought to be little or no griefe in him when she came to the head of the sore indeed seeing that she could no loÌ„ger patch vp her former promises he taking a desperat deafnes to all delaying hopes she confest plainly that she could preuaile nothing but the fault was his owne who had marred the yong Girle by seeking to haue that by praier which he should haue taken by authoritie That as it were an absurd cunning to make hie ladders to go in a plaine way so was it an vntimely and foolish flattery there to beseech where one might commaund puffing them vp by being besought with such a selfe-pride of superioritie that it was not forsooth to be held out but by a denial O God said Amphialus how wel I thought my fortune would bring forth this end of your labors assure yourself mother I wil sooner pull out these eies then they shall looke vpoÌ„ the heauenly Philoclea but as vpoÌ„ a heauen whence they haue their light to which they are subiect if they wil power downe any influeÌ„ces of comfort O happy I but if by the sacrifice of a faithful hart they wil not be called vnto me let me languish wither with languishing and grieue with withering but neuer so much as repine with neuer so much grieuing Mother ô Mother lust may wel be a tyrant but true loue where it is indeed it is a seruant Accursed more then I am may I be if euer I did approch her but that I friezed asmuch in a fearefull reuereÌ„ce as I burned in a vehemeÌ„t desire Did euer maÌ„s eye looke thorough loue vpoÌ„ the maiesty of vertue shining through beauty but that he becam as it wel becam him a captiue is it the stile of a captiue to write Our will and pleasure Tush tush sonne said Cecropia if you say you loue but withall you feare you feare lest you should offend offend and how know you that you should offend because she doth denie denie Now by my truth if your sadnes would let me laugh I could laugh hartily to see that yet you are ignorant that No is no negatiue in a womans mouth My sonne beleeue me a woman speaking of women a louers modesty among vs is much more praised then liked or if we like it so well we like it that for marring of his modestie he shall neuer proceed further Each vertue hath his time if you command your souldier to march formost and he for curtesie put others before him would you praise his modesty loue is your Generall he bids you dare and will Amphialus be a dastard Let examples serue doo you thinke Theseus should euer haue gotten Antiope with sighing and crossing his armes he rauished her and rauished her that was an Amazon and therfore had gotten a habite of stoutnes aboue the nature of a woman but hauing rauished her he got a child of her And I say no more but that they say is not gotten without consent of both sides Iole had her owne father killed by Hercules and her selfe rauished by force rauished and yet ere long this rauished and vnfathered Lady could sportfully put on the Lions skin vpon her owne faire shoulders and play with the clubbe with her owne delicate hands so easily had she pardoned the rauisher that she could not but delight in those weapons of rauishing But aboue all marke Helen daughter to Iupiter who could neuer brooke her manerly-wooing Menclaus but disdained his humblenes and lothed his softnes But so well she could like the force of enforcing Paris that for him she could abide what might be abidden But what Menelaus takes hart he recouers her by force by force carries her home by force inioies her and she who could neuer like him for seruiceablenesse euer aftâ—r loued him for violence For what can be more agreable then vpon force to lay the fault of desire and in one instant to ioyne a deare delight with a iust excuse or rather the true cause is pardon me ô woman-kinde for reuealing to mine owne sonne the truth of this mystery we thinke there wants fire where we finde no sparkles at lest of furie Truly I haue knowen a great Lady long sought by most great most wise most beautifull most valiant persons neuer wonne because they did ouer-superstitiously sollicite her the same Ladie brought vnder by an other inferiour to all them in all those qualities onely because he could vse that imperious maisterfulnesse which nature giues to men aboue women For indeede sonne I confesse vnto you in our very creation we are seruants and who prayseth his seruaunts shall neuer be well obeyed but as a ready horse streight yeeldes when he findes one that will haue him yeelde the same fals to boundes when he feeles a fearefull horseman Awake thy spirits good Amphialus and assure thy selfe that though she refuseth she refuseth but to endeere the obtaining If she weepe and chide and protest before it be gotten she can but weepe and chide and protest when it is gotten Thinke she would not striue but that
indeede you shall haue the ende you shoote at for in steede of one death you shall geue me a thousand and yet in the meane time depriue me of the helpe God may sende me Pyrocles euen ouerwayed with her so wisely vttred affection finding her determinacion so fixed that his ende should but depriue them both of a present contentment and not auoyde a comming euill as a man that ranne not vnto it by a sodayne qualme of passion but by a true vse of reason preferring her life to his owne nowe that wisedome did manifest vnto him that waye woulde not preuayle he retired himselfe with as much tranquillitie from it as before he had gone vnto it Like a man that had set the keeping or leauing of the bodye as a thing without himselfe and so had thereof a freed and vntroubled consideracion Therefore throwing away the barre from him and taking her vp from the place where he thought the consummating of all beawties very vnworthely lay suffring all his sences to deuoure vp their chiefest foode which he assured himselfe they should shortly after for euer be depriued of well said he most deere Lady whose contentment I preferre before mine own and iudgement esteeme more then mine owne I yeeld vnto your pleasure The gods send you haue not woon your owne losse For my part they are my witnesses that I thinke I do more at your commaundement in delayeng my death then another would in bestowing his life But now sayd he as thus farre I haue yeelded vnto you so graunt me in recompence thus much againe that I may finde your loue in graunting as you haue sound your authoritye in obteyning My humble suite is you will say I came in by force into your Chamber for so am I resolued now to affirme and that will be the best for vs both but in no case name my name that whtsoeuer come of me my house be not dishonored Philoclea fearing least refusall would turne him backe againe to his violent refuge gaue him a certayne countenance that might shewe she did yeeld to his request the latter part whereof indeed she meant for his sake to performe Neyther could they spend more wordes together for Philanax with twentie of the noblest personages of Arcadia after him were come into the Lodge Philanax making the rest stay belowe for the reuerence he bare to womanhood as stillie as he could came to the dore and opening it drewe the eyes of these two dolefull louers vpon him Philoclea cloasing againe for modestie sake within her bed the ritchesse of her beawties but Pyrocles tooke holde of his barre minding at least to dye before the excellent Philoclea should receyue any outrage But Philanax rested awhile vppon himselfe stricken with admiracion at the goodlie shape of Pyrocles whome before he had neuer seene and withall remembring besides others the notable acte he had done when with his courage and eloquence he had saued Basilius perchaunce the whole state from vtter ruyne he felte a kinde of relenting minde towardes him But when that same thought came waighted on with the remembraunce of his maisters death which he by all probabilities thought he had bene of Councell vnto with the Queene compassion turned to hatefull passion and lefte in Philanax a straunge medley betwixt pittie and reuenge betwixt lyking and abhorring O Lorde sayde hee to himselfe what wonders doth nature in our tyme to set wickednesse so beawtifully garnished and that which is straungest out of one spring to make wonderfull effectes both of vertue and vice to issue Pyrocles seeing him in such a muse neyther knowing the man nor the cause of his comming but assuring himselfe it was for no good yet thought best to begin with him in this sort Gentleman sayde hee what is the cause of your comming to my Lady Philocleas chamber is it to defende her from such violence as I might goe about to offer vnto her if it be so truly your comming is vayne for her owne vertue hath bene a sufficient resistaunce there needes no strength to be added to so inuiolate chastetie the excellencie of her mind makes her bodie impregnable Which for mine own part I had soone yelded to confesse with going out of this place where I found but little comfort being so disdainefully receiued had I not bene I know not by whom presently vpon my cōming hether so locked into this chamber that I could neuer escape hence where I was fettred in the most gilty shame that euer mā was seing what a paradise of vnspotted goodnes my filthy thoughts sought to defile If for that therfore you come alredy I assure you your arrāt is performed but if it be to bring me to any punishmēt whatsouer for hauing vndertaken so vnexcusable presumption Truly I beare such an accuser about me of mine own conscience that I willingly submit my selfe vnto it Only this much let me demaund of you that you will be a witnesse vnto the King what you heare me say oppose your selfe that neither his sodaine fury nor any other occasion may offer any hurt to this Lady in whome you see nature hath accomplished so much that I am faine to lay mine owne faultines as a foile of her purest excellency I can say no more but looke vppon her beawtie remember her bloud consider her yeares and iudge rightly of her vertues and I doubt not a gentlemans mind will then be a sufficient enstructer vnto you in this I may tearme it miserable chaunce happened vnto her by my vnbridled audacitie Philanax was content to heare him out not for any fauour he owed him but to see whether he would reueale any thing of the originall cause and purpose of the kings death But finding it so farre from that that he named Basilius vnto him as supposing him aliue thinking it rather cunning then ignorance Yong man said he whome I haue cause to hate before I haue meane to know you vse but a point of skill by confessing the manifest smaller fault to be beleeued hereafter in the deniall of the greater But for that matter all passeth to one end and hereafter we shal haue leisure by torments to seke the truth if the loue of truth it selfe will not bring you vnto it As for my Lady Philoclea if it so fall out as you say it shall be the more fit for her yeares comedy for the great house she is come of that an ill gouerned beawtie hath not cancelled the rules of vertue But howsoeuer it be it is not for you to teach an Arcadian what reuerent duty we owe to any of that progeny But said he come you with me without resistance for the one cannot auaile and the other may procure pitie Pitie said Pyrocles with a bitter smiling disdained with so currish an answere no no Arcadian I can quickly haue pitie of my selfe and I would think my life most miserable which should be a gift of thine Only I demaund this innocent Ladies securitie which vntill
protested the lawes of Arcadia would not allowe any iudgement of her although she her selfe were to determine nothing till age or marriage enabled her Then the Kings body being layde vppon a Table iust before Euarchus and all couered ouer with blacke the prisoners namely the Queene and two young Princes were sent for to appeare in the Protectors name which name was the cause they came not to knowledge how neere a kinseman was to iudge of them but thought him to be some Noble man chosen by the Country in this extremitye So extraordinary course had the order of the heauens produced at this time that both nephewe and sonne were not only prisoners but vnknowen to their vncle and father who of many yeares had not seene them And Pyrocles was to pleade for his life before that throne in which throne lately before he had saued the Kings life But first was Gynecia led foorth in the same weedes that the daye and night before she had worne sauing that in stead of Zelmanes garment in which she was founde she had cast on a long cloake which reached to the ground of russed course cloath with a poore felt hat which almost couered all her face most part of her goodly heare on which her hands had layd many a spitefull holde so lying vpon her shoulders as a man might well see had no artificiall carelesnes Her eyes downe on the ground of purpose not to looke on Pyrocles face which she did not so much shunne for the vnkindnes she conceaued of her owne ouerthrow as for the feare those motions in this short time of her life should be reuiued which she had with the passage of infinite sorrowes mortified Great was the compassion the people felt to see their Princesse state and beawtie so deformed by fortune and her owne desert whome they had euer found a Lady most worthy of all honour But by and by the sight of the other two prisoners drewe most of the eyes to that spectacle Pyrocles came out led by Sympathus cloathed after the Greeke manner in a long coate of white veluet reaching to the small of his legge with great buttons of Diamonds all along vppon it His neck without any coller not so much as hidden with a ruffe did passe the whitenes of his garments which was not much in fashion vnlike to the crimson rayment our Knightes of the order first put on On his feete he had nothing but slippers which after the auncient manner were tyed vp with certayne laces which were fastened vnder his knee hauing wrapped about with many pretty knots his naked legs His fayre auberne heare which he ware in great length and gaue at that time a delightfull shew with being sturd vp and downe with the breath of a gentle winde had nothing vppon it but a white Ribbin in those dayes vsed for a Diademe Which rolled once or twise about the vppermost parte of his forehead fell downe vppon his backe cloased vp at each ende with the richest pearle were to be seene in the world After him followed an other Noble man guiding the noble Musidorus Who had vpon him a long cloake after the fashion of that which we call the Apostles mantle made of purple Satten not that purple which we now haue and is but a counterfet of the Getulian purple which yet was farre the meaner in price and estimacion but of the right Tyrian purple which was neerest to a cullour betwixt our murrey and skarlet On his head which was blacke and curled he ware a Persian Tiara all set downe with rowes of so rich Rubies as they were inough to speake for him that they had to iudge of no meane personage In this sorte with erected countenaunces did these vnfortunate Princes suffer themselues to be ledd shewing aright by the comparison of them and Ginecia how to diuers persons compassion is diuersly to be sturred For as to Ginecia a Ladie knowne of great estate and greatly esteemed the more miserable representation was made of her sodaine ruyne the more mens heartes were forced to bewayle such an euident witnesse of weake humanitie so to these men not regarded because vnknowne but rather besides the detestacion of their facte hated as straungers the more they shoulde haue falne downe in an abiecte semblance the more in steed of compassion they shoulde haue gotten contempt but therefore were to vse as I may tearme it the more violence of magnanimitye and so to conquer the expectation of the lookers with an extraordinarye vertue And such effecte in deede it wrought in the whole assemblye theyr eyes yet standing as it were in ballance to whether of them they should most directe theyr sight Musidorus was in stature so much higher then Pyrocles as commonly is gotten by one yeares growth His face now beginning to haue some tokens of a beard was composed to a kinde of manlike beawtie His cullour was of a well pleasing brownenes the features of it such as they caried both delight and maiestie his countenance seuere and promising a minde much giuen to thinking Pyrocles of a pure complexion and of such a cheerefull fauour as might seeme either a womans face on a boy or an excellent boyes face in a woman His looke gentle and bashfull which bred the more admiracion hauing shewed such notable proofes of courage Lastly though both had both if there were any ods Musidorus was the more goodly and Pyrocles the more louely But assoone as Musidorus saw himselfe so farre forth led among the people that he knew to a great number of them his voyce should be heard misdoubting their intention to the Princesse Pamela of which he was more carefull then of his owne life euen as he went though his leader sought to interrupt him he thus with a lowde voyce spake vnto them And is it possible ô Arcadians sayd he that you can forget the naturall dutie you owe to your Princesse Pamela hath this soyle bene so little beholding to her noble Auncesters hath so long a time rooted no surer loue in your hearts to that line Where is that faith to your Princes blood which hath not only preserued you from all daungers heretofore but hath spred your fame to all the nations in the world Where is the iustice the Arcadians were wont to flourish in whose nature is to render to euery one his owne Will you now keepe the right from your Prince who is the only geuer of iudgement the keye of iustice and life of your lawes Do you hope in a fewe yeares to set vp such another race which nothing but length of time can establish Will you reward Basilius children with vngratefulnes the very poyson of manhood Will you betray your long setled reputation with the fowle name of traytors Is this your mourning for your Kings death to encrease his losse with his daughters misery Imagin your Prince do looke out of the heauens vnto you what do you thinke he could wish more at your hands then