exquiset harmony and order so may the actions of this providence which are not contingent to it self because it knoweth and foreseeth what will come to passe and all things come to passe that he foresees though no necessity be impos'd on contingent things seem to be confused and without order but there is nothing effected without Harmony and Concinnity and that happens which he judgeth best and most convenient for his creatures though their irregular thoughts may Judg other ways and exclame against a power through a false notion that doth nothing but what is good For though some being ignorant of the incomprehensible wisdom wonder at the contrarity of things which bring about like effects and variety of things which bring ofttimes contrary effects according to the innate disposition or order of things or men as we may see that riches may make this man vicious poverty may do the like by another Prosperity and Fortune may make some careless of a good name and conscience Prosperity and Fortune may make others desire to keep and exhibit the greater virtue So that that incomprehensible Gubernator that seems so instable to us is most stable in respect of himself And who seems blind unto us sees perspicually and orders all things according to the good of his Creatures as best knowing what is best for them and best agreeing to their constitutions for were there no adversity we could have no sence of pleasure in prosperity Therefore raile no more against Fortune in adversity for in so doing you speak against a providence that knows what best befits you and is most convenient for you but learn to be content with whatsomever state or condition shall betide you and think that to be most convenient for you These were the words of my good Tutor and the scholar of Cratippus who lov'd me and enrich'd me with the fruits of his labours At this instant Euripedes entred the room and so diverted Lonoxia's reply The time is insensibly elapsed said he since you first entred into discourse I am come to do the same office for you Lonoxia as you did for me yesterday in the grove I could not satisfy the naturall appitite of the body in turning over my books neither do I beleive your discourses to be more efficacious I have been hearing reply'd Lonoxia the opinion of an Athenian philosopher concerning our religion which if true makes the better part and the most knowing of the world fools and Idolaters Argelois is as much against fortune as you against Love both blind deities and incompetable but let 's not innovate any thing here for they are both banish'd our Cell But let us go take some refection if you please for I doubt I have done Argelois great injury in detaining him so long and you as great in robbing you of his company Both returning his complement in very handsome termes they followed a servant that came to give them notice that dinner attended them After they had taken that repast wherein temperance shew'd something of state Argelois of a sudden as 't were coming out of a dream and rising up from the place where he sat Your company Friends said he is made up of charmes and I professe it hath wrought that mirracle that could not have been effected by all the world besids you have made me insensible of the trouble I have put my frinds in to find me I know my absence will be insupportable to some and their care I know hath put them to much trouble But alas this is not all you have detain'd me from beholding those eyes that have enkindled so many flames in my heart and made me forget that I live not but by their gracious aspect Give me leave generous fathers to pay what I owe to my friends and my self I promise you to visit you oft and some other time to satisfy you in what you may desire to know of me and shall account my self happy if I may have an occasion to employ my life in your service Euripides smiling at his passion well wee 'l detain you no longer said he I see you are not able to take warning by others harms your passion is too strong to be converted but I am so zelous that I must needs represent to you the evills of this passion and give you some arguments for my aversion but it shall be in the grove where you may have the libery to leave me when you please Well wee 'le hear what you have to say reply'd Argelois and I make no question but Love will inspire his champion with words to defend him Argelois taking his leave of Lonoxia with abundance of obligatory speeches followed Euripedes out of the grote and walking to the place where he first encountered Euripedes they sat down on a pleasant banke under the covert of the thickest trees come adversarie said Argelios smiling let 's hear what you have to say against love Euripedes after a very little pause began thus I might well declame against Love if it were for no other thing but for the evills I have acquired by it so that I know it not altogether by oppinion but experience tells me it is evill and all the effects of it evill And on my side are those whom we terme Philosophers and searchers out of wisdome who knowing both the causes and the effects have found this passion vitious and full of absurdities and have given it most worthily the name of detestable and insipient and those enviegled with it fools and Mad-men I know this is too corrosive in the presence of so strong a lover but I know your generous soule will give me leave without adulation to speak my minde freely and take it as the effect of my love and affection that I desire the same good to you as to my selfe and that I cannot see another occupy that which is become odious to my self And though I know that it is almost impossible by naturall reason and the exhibition of never so perspicuous truths to perswade any from his passion especially when it hath fixed its roots in the breast and spread it selfe in the branches of desires yet I will exhibit to you the reasons I have to hate this passion beeing an evill and therefore worthy to be hated But before I shew the evil of 't I must confesse that love placed in some generous soules who can command this passion not to be evill but then as I think I told you yesterday that it is not a passion but some extention of the soul which it can continue or withdraw at pleasure But this that I speak of is evill of it selfe though it may be more or lesse perspicuable according to the generosity and basenesse the purity or impurity of such souls that it is placed in to shew this to you according to the weaknesse of my capacity I will begin first with the cause of this passion I omit to speake of Love in generall whether of naturall and simpathizeing Love
or Love proceeding from similitude of qualities or manners or of morall love generall or particular to men or naturall to children or parents all whose causes are indifferent and besides that passion on which I insist and which cannot be without diversity of sex as the other may But the cause of this as generally the chiefe cause of all love is an attractive power which causeth an expansion or emotion of the soule and spirits to an object which she thinks convenient for her and which must be a conception of need or want of the object Now privation it selfe is evill and love being privation and want of an object is therefore evill for the effect of it beeing desire seeks the possession of that object and so makes the love circular to attract that to the soule which she seemes to want Now if we then wanted nothing we should not desire any thing which shewes we are not compleat in our selves and desire being the exhibition of want and the effect of love shews that the foundation it self is evill for that it is grounded on want Then besides if you look upon the outward cause of attraction whether it be beauty or any other exterior quality of the object beloved and the possession of it desired which is alwayes suffulted with hope the very causes themselves being vanity or not worthy objects for the soules egression to or opperation upon that desire and that love cannot be good the causes themselves being not absolutely good but vain and transitory But this by the way the chief thing I proposed was to insist on the effects of this passion which plainly exhibit the evils of it and out of which as from the fountains head all other evill passions have sprung This also we may consider in relation to the body and to the soule First consider this in relation to the body and that must be relatively and as it is joyned with other passions whose motions cause the diversity of motions in the body Through this the body which is as it were the case of the soul is imbued through the conjunction of the soule with the body with pain with languishing with restlesseness and all the senss feel the effects of this passion upon the soul by exposing the body to danger by wounds by torments and oft times by death all which happen through the exuscitation of other passions Now the soule suffers innumerable evills for first all passions as griefe hatred envie wrath malice revenge disdain and divers other particular passions which spring from this love all which falling upon the body agitate it to diversity of motions and without rest causes the soule to a continuall solicitous care of obtaining the object of its desires which if once hope faile then dispair the foretunner of mischiefe carries the soule into wonderful precipitancies and if in its best estate that hope continues it is never without fear jealousie and a soâ—icitrous care of conserving the object of its love so that the soul is under a continuall agitation by those paâ—sions that necessarily accompany love and so cannot enjoy the rest it ought to have But now to leave this kind of Philosphicall discourse let us speake of it morally and let us consider the evill effects it hath produced in the world and then we will define it thus Love is a most fatall plague a most venemous poyson a most ardent and foolish desire and the source and fountaine of all evill Men when once they are entred into this passion quite lose their former natures for this passion contaminates their reaâ—on tyranizeth over their wills makes them subject to the egregious fancies of the object they seek to acquire it deprives them of Jugdment â—â—ills them with all manner of passions which caries them into aâ—l mannâ—â— of preciptation their minds are continually tost to and fro on the wheel of love being stimulated with that Oestrum they are jacted câ—â—â—â—ted agitated versated by this passion and fill'd with exanimation distinction direption and accompanyed with cares feares jealousies false and faint comforts disquiets languishings longings rage and what not that is evill and all but for the acquiring of a little vain pleasure which vanisheth assoon as 't is caught And besides all these folly lust sinne doings turbulent motions and precipitancies wait on lovers And if we should go about to summe up the bad consequences and effects of this passion with the evils it hath caused we should find them innumerable for what disturbances what commotions what hurly burlies what distractions what battalls what slaughtars hath it caused and what rapes what sinnes what polutions what sueds and what murthers hath it committed was it not the cause of the distruction of ancient Troy was it not the cause of the banishing Kings out of Rome Was it not the cause of the abolishing the Decemveri hath it not been the cause of many murders was it not the cause of the wicked and inhumane slaughter of Absyrtus the brother of Medea was it not the losse of Megara when Nisus lost his fatal hair by his daughter Scylla Alas it would be endlesse to recount these things so well known and generall hated and yet this dispicable unprofitable and dangerous passion cannot be shunned but embraced by those who acknowledge the evills of it but yet wilfully maintaine its interests They cannot take example by others nor shun the precipicies they see others fall into before their eyes but that they also must rush into them Neither can I see any good at all that this passion doth produce but on the contrary those that are free from it enjoy all the quiets felicity ease pleasures and freedome which the other are incapable of and which is most miserable of all of free men and unconstrained they become slaves subjects and bound to obey the motions of their owne passion and will of an inconsiderate mistris who it may be is as dispicable in the unblinded eye of another as she is lovely in his Nor let it serve any to excuse it by saying they are forced and cannot decusse it for it is impossible for all men to mastre this passion if they resolve to set their wills to doe it but so long as they account it good and best for them they are not able to overcome it because they doe not seek it truly but cherish and obey every motion that cometh from it But if they were once convinced of the evill of this passion and were resolved to forsake it I make no question of the possibility of their effecting it There may be divers wayes proposed for the decussion or prevention of this evill the chief of which as I suppose is a constant imployment of the mind either in study or armes whereby it may have no time to fall into that which as they say is accquired by a supine and idle life fit to entertaine such a guest and justly sent as a plague from the Gods to such a soule Other
ELIANA A NEW ROMANCE FORMED BY AN English Hand Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci Hor. Nihil est aptius ad delectationem Lectoris quam temporum varietates fortunaeque vicissitudines Hor. Aut prodesse volunt aut delectare Poetae Aut simul jucunda idonea dicere vita Hor. LONDON Printed by T. R. for Peter Dring at the Sun in the Poultrey next door to the Rose-Tavern An. Dom. 1661. TO THE READER THou seest here the fruits of some spare hours and of those which might justly have been given to sleep My desire is that thou mayest read them in the same manner as I wrote them that is Relaxare animum being tyred and wearied with more serious studies or weighty affairs By this means you shall neither tyre your self nor abuse your time using them for an innocent recreation This is but the first part of the whole Work and indeed but a kind of introduction to the rest This first appears as a Libament to your palate if liked it shall induce me to finish the rest if disliked I have already done too much and shall desist For I am none of those who dote upon their own fancies and Narcissus-like fall in love with the shadows of their own brain I make you my Judges and by your Votes I shall either proceed or give off Mistake me not I yield my self not to the mercy and judgement of those who are prejudiced against such writings in general and count it a part of their Creed to abhor them and whatever of good that appears under the title of a Romance These are not like the ingenious Bee who sucks honey out of the very weeds nor like the good Chimick who extracts the good and leaves the bad They fling all away in a lump despise the book for the covers-sake and disregard the matter because the title do'nt please them These I say sha'nt be my Judges nor shall their barkings discourage my future proceedings for they will be sure to condemn all though they never read a word They will cry out that they are bewitching frothy and apt to withdraw the mind of the Reader from graver studies But surely they are ignorant of the true ground and scope of these kind of Writings which is to depaint vertue and vice in their natural and genuine colours and to exhibit the fairness of the one the foulness of the other and the rewards of both They know not that Romances are not alwayes farc'd with Love-stories and toyes though those are intertexted for delight and that things Oeconomical Ethethical Physical Metaphysical Philosophycal Political and Theological as well as Amatory may be not unaptly nor unfitly exhibited The Divines will be angry if I tell them that many have found that in a Romance which hath induced them to be vertuous and converted them from the leud actions of vice which they could never find in their Sermons though they weekly frequented their Oratory The reason is it perswades more pathetically than they can a story giving life to the words and representing it in lively colours presseth it home upon the understanding where it is scarcely delible Neither do I submit my self to the Censure of those Critical Fellowes who would find fault with the Muses themselves or the Writings of Apollo I confess these will say I never took a nap upon Parnassus and that my pen was never dipt in the Heliconie fount The best is whilst I am unknown I can look over their shoulders and hear their opprobries without passion and ingaging my self to answer their follies I would have none to criticize or discant on any work till themselves have undergone the tryal of writing the like for 't is far easier to find fault than to know how to amend it I was of the same humour and in reading the works of others methought the most perfect seem'd sometime lame either in stile or story but in making tryal of my own invention I well understand humane frailty in a continued Series I confess the judicious may find matter enough to increpate the Author justly but the Critick may carp where there is no cause for they most times find fault where there is least need As I much regard the censure of the one so I very little value the carping of the other 'T is those Wits who have laid aside that Mordacity and who know how to distinguish betwixt the good and the bad which I constitute for my Judges With those fair and wise ones of the female sex whose delight I chiefly aim'd at If they find any thing that may content them 't will be inspiration enough for higher and better conceits and will be the greatest inducement for the perfecting of Eliana but if they pass hard censures upon this th 'le strike dead all desires of proceeding I am conscious of my own failings and that makes me remain incognito to receive either the disgrace or commendums of these juvinile Writings whilst I lye in obscurity and am ANONYMVS ELIANA BOOK the first FLora had new begun to spread her flowry-fragrant mantle upon the superficies of the Earth and to bespangle the verdant grass with her beauteous adornments thereby inviting troubled Lovers to ease those continual passions which possess their amorous Souls with the beholding the variety of her pleasing and delightfull Objects When the most passionate Angelois walking with a negligent pace and deeply ruminating on his amorolis affairs was entered into a grove free from the frequentations of any besides the ranging beasts and pleasing birds whose dulced Notes exulscetated him out of his melancholy contemplations Being well nigh in the midst of that solitary place he cast his eyes upon a bank which as if it had had some Soveranity over the rest of the earth thereabouts was more peculiarly crowned with all sorts of Sylvane flowers and the grass with a verdant lustre seem'd a repose for a troubled soul The Trees as if they had conspir'd together to guard the place from the scorching beams of Phaebus grew so thick with intermixing branches that it was impossible for him to peep on the beauty of the place whilst themselves bowing their proud tops did homage to its lustre And that there might not want any thing which might conduce to its exuperancy in quietude beauty and pleasure there ran not far from its verges a silver current which having a small discent made a pleasant murmur with forcing its way over the pibbles which opposed its quiet passage which noise seemed a base to the sweet trebles of the pretty birds who pearcht one every branch made a most harmonious noise Argelois seeing this place so agreeable to the solitude of his mind that he might more freely consider its beauty he cast himself upon that delightfull bank being under the thickest covert in the grove and letting his fancy for a space be carried about with these pleasing objects he lay beholding the beauty of the place and listning
though I were sensible of the paine yet I esteemed it as a pleasure and rejoyced in my own discontent I accounted it the happiest condition and pleased my self with my own phancy but now the experience of years with the dictates of Reason hath pulled away the vizor from the face of Love and now I see it nothing but a sense-pleasing phancy which banisheth reason from its Residence making a man lose that which makes him almost equal with the gods and submit to a passion altogether servil Argelois a little smiling said Surely love in an extraordinary manner hath crossed you that you are so much his adversary I will not go about to defend him though it be a most noble passion at least I think so because I know not but hereafter I may have cause enough to complain and speak against him and for that it is requisite that I cede to your more tryed experiences which makes me desirous to know the miseries love hath caused you and the good and bad fortune of your Life and if my poor condition may any wayes be able to stand you in stead you may assure your self of my service I thank you for your generosity replied the Love-opposing stranger my condition is too base for the help of so noble a hand I shall most willingly relate the full story of my life although I know you not but believe so generous a soul cannot harbour my destruction yet the apparent danger and hazard of my life in discovering my self might be a sufficient excuse had I not a more inward perswasion of your noble and generous disposition and an extraordinary impulse upon me to make known my various fortunes I have no other end that pricks me to this relation by which I lay my self open to dangers but that pity which I mention that impulse I speak of for I was not able longer to hear your complaints and not render to the assistence and if possible to snatch you from a precipice I see you even falling into all my Humanity Philosophy and experience Let it not seem strange that being thus a stranger I should thus freely disclose my self if I have any knowledge left in phisnomy I read in your face a generous and heroick soul which will not give the weaknesse of a kind heart an ungentle acceptance and consture this freedom in the worst sense I cannot but believe a good Fate in this accidental meeting therefore I am so free and plain Argelois much pleased with the strangers freedom and having a great desire to hear his fortunes and who he was told him the content he should receive by his relation and that he might not be interrupted through fear protested that whatever he related to him he might assure himself should never prejudice him or any way redound to his hurt The stranger giving him thanks for his verbal assurance and well satisfied in his behaviour and gentleness after a little pause to collect things in some method seeing him attend the motion of his tongue he began thus THE HISTORIE OF EVRIPEDES GOod fortune alwayes attends not an illustrious birth and great men are not alwayes happy for if a great birth could have engaged fortune and my former riches obtained my felicity I had not been in this condition which now you see me though I must confesse in this estate of Poverty and solitude I find more content then in my former greatnesse and tumultuous engagements in the world In the Countrey of Cilicia I first drew breath and not farre from the famous City of Nicopolis was I bred the greatnesse of my parents was eminently known in that Countrey though so great an estate through me hath found an overthrow I will not tell you of the nobility and and antiquity of my predecessors nor the great opulency of my parents I being their only child I wanted for nothing procurable neither for littrature nor armes to the latter of which in my youth I was much addicted The exercise of these employments took up my age of puberty and having been well grounded in both I desired to make use of my armes abroad but my parents denying me so dangerous an imployment I was constrained to abide under their indulgent wings being the joy and comfort of their old age I had scarce attained seventeen years when to my grief my mother departed into the Subterranean walks of the Stigean grove and before two years more had passed my father ran the like fortune being suddenly struck by the hand of the inexorable Parca My father seeing a stayednesse in me which was not usual to such young years left me sole Gardian to my self and with his death surrendred up those possessions which were sufficiently great Some time I spent in just tears for my parents losse till time had consumed the moisture of my eyes and wore away the sadnesse from my heart then having the reines in my own hand I purposed to put those resolutions into act which the indulgency of my parents had deterr'd For which end having two Uncles one the brother of my father the other of my mother I desired them to look to my estate at home whilest I sought renown abroad I made known my desires and urg'd them to grant my request they endeavoured to disswade me but in vain which seeing they promised to my joy to fulfil my desires The eldest son of my fathers brother named Araterus knowing my resolutions with great importunings got both my leave and his fathers to accompany me Having spent some time in furnishing our selves with what we wanted we departed from our own Countrey of Cilicia having none in our company but a faithful servant of my own named Meador Having furnished our selves with a ship at Tarsus with a prosperous winde we failed along the Tyrrhenean sea and for that our desires extended beyond the limits of an ordinary travel we were resolved to pass into the Atlantick Ocean and to view the utmost limits of the Romane Empire and so returning at leasure view the places of more fame This our resolution carried us beyond Herculus's pillars and passing the streight we entred into that vast and spacious sea which beats upon the coast of the Iberians The winde as it were repenting his former kindnesse on a sudden began to rise and Boreas with a full gale oppos'd out prow making Neptunes watry surges bear the ship aloft mounting it so high on those liquid rocks that it might receive the more dangerous precipiet we endeavoured to gain the shore but a contrary winde contraried our design and in spight of all our endeavours carried us far into the Ocean where we ran every moment the danger of death and to aggravate our miseries a dark and pitchy night overtook us with the continual assaults of this furious tempest against our floating Castle which sometimes had almost yielded to the battery of the winds having so unsteady a foundation as the waters When we perceived our endeavours
wayes may be taken as they lye convenient to the person but chiefly the diverting of the mind from thoughts which feed the fancie and inflame the soul and a seperation from the object with an intention of the mind on some other thing is the way to acquire a freedome from that slavery I have given you freely my oppinion of this passion I have so well experienced though indeed I enveigh not against it for the detrement I have receiv'd by it but for that it seems to me evill in it selfe and worthy of greater condemnation I know generous Argelios that your generosity will pardon this freedome of speech against that in which you are so interested Argelios seeing he had concluded return'd him an answer thus I will not spake for this passion because I am immerged in it thereby to justifie my self or oppose your gravity but because I think it justifiable therefore I will give you my poor conceptions of it There is scarcely any thing here on the earth that is so pure but that in it there may be found a commixion of drosse nothing so good but in 't there is retained some bad and nothing so convenient but it may have its discommodities We must not be therefore all spiders to extract the poyson and leave the virtue by that means we shall make every thing odious and abhorrible But we must as well denote the good as the evill the benefit as the discomodity of this passion and then you will see the ballance prepond on my side The last night I gave you some touches as I was able on the enormities of this passion which was the only thing that was evill in it But that I may answer so mething to what you have spoken against it since you are pleased to let my weakness exhibit it self I will briefly touch upon what you have said in order and as far as my memory will accommodate me shew that you have only considered the evils and exhorbitancies of this passion against which all those wise men you mention of all ages have declamed but the good it hath and is able to effect you have omitted it is against the irregularities that they have declared and not against the passion it selfe which is neither good nor evill of it selfe yet if it be as you say it effects all evills generally and is therefore to be condemned But I will shew that it is as capable of effecting good as evill and if I grant that evill is most comit monly effected by yet that is the fault of men not of the thing But to answer what you have said I will presuppose that your goodnesse will not be offended at what I shall deliver and that you will think it if I erre to be the weaknesse of my judgement and not the desire of my will and since truth is to be found out by opposition and discussion I hope it will be no peccation to oppose my conceptions to yours First I must deny what you say that this passion is evill of it selfe which is the chiefe and main point For if we conclude so then we must grant that all the passions of the soul are evill of themselves for they were all implanted in man at the same time and they are simply of one nature though different in effect which thing cannot be consentanious with the purity and justice of the Gods who created every thing good for what is evill we acquire it of our selves or have it infused by evill genij so that passions naturally are not evill but are made so by the use or rather the abuse of them Now if you grant as you cannot deny that the Gods created man good and pure what you have said to prove the evilenesse of this passion is to no effect For though this passion be conjoyned with desire which I grant is a token of need or want yet that want is not evill of it selfe for the Gods so created man and made him not alone and of himselfe able to subsist but indigent of some things For if man wanted nothing he were God for not to want is to be a creator therefore that privation you speake of is not evill for to desire which you call the badge of the wanâ— is as natural as to eat and drink and if to want be evill then man is wholly evil for he is made up of indigencies and desires In the next place you say that the objects of our love and desire are not absolutely good so that the causes or foundations being evil or rotten the effects or building cannot be good or found I say as all outward objects or any thing besides the Love and beutitude of the Gods themselves are not absolutely good so are they not absolutely evill but relie on our use or abuse of them For beauty is not evill of it selfe nor any outward accomplishment neither is it evill for us to desire it but the excesse or exorbitancy of desire may make it evill for if we do desire that which we cannot have without detriment to another or wrong to our selves or too much exceed in our desires then it is evill But when we bound them regularly they are not evill but may be used but further desire of it selfe is good for the only scope of it tends to the seeking of good as aversion the eschewing of evill but now if our desires are illuded by our judgements or are guided by our sense and not truly placed by our understandings and will then they are exorbitant and become evill and we oftentimes desire evills not as evils but being illuded in our judgements as good for so they are represented to our understandings and embraced by the will But now to the effects both upon body and soule I believe that I may parallel as much good that they receive by this passion to your evill For as Love and hatred are the Springs from whence all passions slow and receive a mixture of so these evils which you recount stow not soly from them but also those passions or emotions of the soule which we call good such then is joy estimation generosity humility magnanimity hope courage boldnesse pity compassion good-will gratitude lightheartednesse and the like all which serve as much to the comfort of soule and body and those you mention to the discomfort But now to follow you into your morality where you consider the evill effects proceeding from the exorbitancy so I will only ballance and exhibit the good that follows the regularity And first I will give it a contrary definition thus regular Love is a plant sprung from the Gods which sharpens virtue quickens fortitude produceth boldnesse makes smooth the rough makes accute the understanding and opens a passage for all virtues Love in its regularity causes men indeed to forsake their former rough hewen natures and to become humane it is as pollishment to or as a foil to set off the luster of stones to such it makes them
be ignorant of it and that it was requisite she should know it being best able to remove it for she doubted not but that some of her subjects had given him some cause for discontent unjustly and that I should therefore discover it though my Masters generosity would not permit himself to do it that she might punish the author of it for an example to others After I had heard this I told her that 't was requisite she should be obeyed in all things that I was sorry I could not exactly obey her commands for that I was ignorant that any of her subjects or any other had given him the least cause for discontent that I believed he had so acquired their loves by her favours that none would be so malicious as to do any extraordinary action that might disquiet my master and that I knew it was no small thing could move the tranquillity of his mind This answer nothing satisfying she prest me to tell her if that none oâ— her Subjects had given him any cause for this sadness and whether I were ignorant of the cause of it I knew not what to answer presently to this demand but bethinking my self I told her that certainly that though her favours were so immense as to make any man forget his own nâ—tive Countrey with joy having the happiness to be entertained in her service yet that I believed he could not remember his friends without a just and unblameable regret seeing at what a distance fortune had brought him from them I know not what it was whether she could perceive any thing by my countenance she did not believe me She told me that Araterus had given her the knowledge of the passages of his life and that not being tyed by the bonds of affection she did not believe those of nature could cause so great trouble and that if it were so she knew he would have desired her assistance for the reward of all his pains and good services for to have returned into his Countrey I replyed that it might be he could not be so disrespectfull as yet considering the esteem she had of him and the favours she had done him as to ask a thing which he imagined might be displeasing to her that although he were inferior to no Prince in his own Countrey and that the gods had given him an estate according to the Nobility of his birth where he might injoy all the happinesses there that he now enjoyed except her presence and service yet I believed that he preser'd that to all the rest and made him so back-ward in asking a thing which he could not but desire This I spake for the interest of Araterus and to beget a good opinion of his Nobility and birth in the Queen which took very good effect and much advantaged his love I am sorry said she that Araterus never intimated thus much to me before and I must lay all the blame on my ignorance that I have not respected him as I ought I know Madam replyed I that he esteems your service the greatest honour and happiness in the world That sha'nt excuse him said she for hiding from me his birth and quality But is it so as you tell me added she earnestly I saw that it would be for the interest of Araterus and if he prosecuted his Love I thought it would be impossible otherwise to arrive at a happy end thetefore being imboldened I amplified his birth and gave her such an ingenuous relation of him making him no less than a Prince that I saw a kind of joy sparkling in her eyes before I had finished my relation Many things concerning his Countrey and our adventures on the sea she had heard from him before and finding them to agree exactly with what I speak she made no question of the rest and believed that he hid his birth out of a generous humour having told her never any thing exactly of it Have you told me every thing said she have you omitted no passages But one Madam said I which I am not sure that I may tell without an infidelity to my master This made her the more pressing to know and I at last seeming vanquished by her impoâ—tunities told her how he met with a Prophesie that had fore-told him all had hapned to him since and that there were somethings in it yet remaining to be effected which it might be was the cause of his grief but that he kept them so secret that I doubted I had been unfaithfull for speaking so much I thought said she that you were not ignorant of your Masters sadness and I know not what good genius made me not to believe you but for your fault you must of necessity tell me what it is I seemâ—d extreme unwilling to tell her though I did all this out of a design but after that she had commanded me many times promising me that it should be no prejudice to me I told her I thought it did not become me to captuilate with her highness yet if it would please her Majesty not to ask me any more questions I would answer her I promise thee said she 'T is love then Madam said I that causeth Araterus's trouble I am conscious I have spoke too much but neither entreaties nor torments shall extract any thinâ— more from my mouth and I hope Madam that you will keep this last thing as a seâ—ret that I ought not to have told lest the knowledge of it cause my master â—o reward my infideliâ—y At that instant that I told her the câ—use of Araterus's sadness the Queen changed her countenance and notwithstanding her endeavours she could not hide some alterations in her face But I taking no notice of it made her an obeisance for a chain of Diamonds which she caused to begiven me and so dismist me bidding me not to fear but that she would do as I beg'd of her Returning presently to Araterus I gave him an exact account of what I had done telling him the oppinion of his birth would prove very advantaâ—ious for his Love neverthelesse I could hardly perswade him to acknowledg that for truth which I had spoke of him so far was he from accumulating honors to himself which he was conscious did not belong to him though he were assured that none there could convict him of an untruth I was fain to tell him if he would not acknowledge what I had said of him for a verity I should be accounted an impostor to the Queen which would reflect on him and it may be bring himself into such disesteem as not to be believed That what I had done was for his fidelity that on it depended the good or bad success of his love that 't was impossible otherwise to arrive at the end propos'd That he would both ruin me and undoe himselfe and both he looked upon I not better than impostors with such like reasons I was forc'd to perswade him to a thing which others would have been
to the pleasant notes of those wood Choresters whereby his senses with the pleasure were rapt into a sweet repose and for a season gave some ease to those inquietudes that possest his amorous breast But at last remaining in that kind of stupidity he was assaulted by a violent rushing in of those passions which had through that small repose received some stop to their wonted current but then overflowing the banks of his silence he uttered to the senseless trees that which his breast was too weak to contain Ah cruel and unsupportable flames said he that neither danger nor distress can quench what torments put you my soul to what cruelty do you exercise on a soul who so much adores your Deities and hath your power in so great veneration that it endures those pains you inslict without the least murmuring Why exercise you not your cruelty on those who oppose your regency and make them feel the heat of your penetrating flames Ah! no those polluted souls are not worthy your visitation nor their defiled breasts capable of receiving your sacred fires Seeing it is an honour to die by the hands of love I shall desire not to be freed its bonds but quickly to receive a welcome death for thus to live in continual torture is more than morâ—als are 〈…〉 bear And yet the continual sight of that fair deity the object of my love and passion makes me yet live to enjoy that blessed sight so that thâ—ough the assaults of pain and pleasure I am at once both kill'd and made alive It seems to me sometimes better to die than to live and sometimes better to live than die sometimes I pray for the one sometimes for the other But O you powers which rule us Mortals What need I sigh out my misery to you when you know and are the Causers of it Surely not for my disobedience but that I may know your power Ah! I must be content for ever to endure this torment which yet no other ever knew because hope is wanting I am like one who admires the Sun but may never reach him I love an object more requisite for the gods than man much less I who know not whence I am nor by what fortune I came into the world How dare I then aspire to serve a Princess so far beyond my reach I must blame ye Deities for binding me with an infragible chain so that it is not possible for me to live and not love Eliana whose very name transportes me Love her I cannot chuse that that I must do admire and adore her O Heavens me thinks I find some sparks of a generous soul which tells me I am not form'd out of the common earth of Plebians May your Divinities make known my stock and that may extricate me from this Labrinth of love and confusion or else with my life end my misery That I confess is the most feasible for such humble thoughts best befit mortals grouling at the shrine of such a supereminent divinity as I adore Dye ah that 's all my hopes The conclusion of these words shewed the unsuppertable burthen of his sorrowfull mind for pointing them with a sigh able to penetrate an obdurate heart he entred into so profound a cogitation with his eyes fixed on the earth that he heard not the obstrepency which one made in coming till he had approached him with these words Sir accidentally hearing the complaints of your too amorous soul and I know not by what power feeling your torments stirring up a pitty and curiosity together in my breast I have thus rudely adventured to approach you and also out of a desire I have prompted by a more than ordinary violence to enter a discourse with you and if it might be to shew you the precipices of this Tyrannous love by too many experimented Tryals I have before now observed your melancholy resort into these shades my habitation is nigh and unknown where I have a freedome to study at large Dictates of reason against such youthful excurrances Pardon Sir this rude addresse and exact what punishment you please after having given me the favour I desire Argelois at his first speaking had lifted up his eyes obscur'd as they were with the clouds of sadness to behold him who thus had disturb'd his melancholy humour and they were incountred with a gravity that allayed the cholor that began to arise through this disturbance but being suppressed through this grave object he arose and saluting him thus expressed himself Though it be the greatest of disturbances to be interrupted in these pleasing cogitations and nothing hardly lesse pardonable with a Lover yet the gravity which accompanies you and some intereor motion which moves me by I know not what power I am well satisfied with this your interruption and desire to know that laxating drogue which you seem to promise The stranger invited by Argelois seated himself by him on that pleasant bank exercising his eyes in beholding the incomparable features and most attracting graces which accompanied this Heroe and at last being not a little astonished that such a brave aspect should complain who deserved justly the title of incomparable I cannot but wonder said he that nature having dealt so favourable with you Love and fortune should so much oppose you for nature hath made you rather to be sued to by the fairest female than to sue to any whatsoever and given those graces which others want but love it seems crossing her intentions makes you leave that which you have to seek beauty where it is not to be found but in your self and fortune being of the conspiracy strives to make you equally miserable by hiding from you the knowledge of your extraction and birth this I understand by your complaints which though I may not help altogether yet I may give some remedy for those plagues of love I will shew you my experiences as marks to shun his deceits and shew you how my utter ruine came from thence which makes me have a just cause to complaine against sin and forwarn others that they may not precipitate themselves blinded with his deceits It may be sayes Argelois that the fault lay in your self not in Love and and through your own fault lost that which Love had ordained for you and so were the cause of your own misery which you impute to Love I know not iâ— I have err'd replyed the stranger but if I have it was because I was blinded for I account it altogether impossible for any to be deeply engaged in that folly for so I must term it and not to degress the precepts of wisdome I have had my share in it which made me hearing your complaints so far to pity your estate as to present my self before you to acquaint you with the experience I have had of him and though Love deal not with all men alike yet it is seen for a time he undoeth most When in my youth I felt those heart tormenting flames
acquainted the more grew our friendship and the more I perceived his good disposition I found him to harbour not a seeming but a true and generous amity desiring rather in deeds than in words to express his generosity I found a great relaxation in his conversation and a sweet engagement in his communication so that being familiarly acquainted with him in some short time he gave me an accompt what he was and of the enterprise he was then going about which because it is delightfull and that you have given your self up to hear these stories of loves follies I shall relate as near as I can to the form he gave it me in And that you may not think it strange that I should after so long time remember these eveniments you must know I had since my retirement collected them into a book which thus imprints them in my mind But thus he began his History Fortune that fickle Goddess made me believe she had changed her nature and caus'd me to accuse those who call'd her inconstant for as if in me only she meant to be immutable she ballanc'd all things with a constant hand neither could I accuse her with the least mutability She made me be born a Prince so bred me up and till of late in all the course of my life gave me no cause to complain But when that I assured my self to be her fortunate darling she precipitated me from the top of her moving wheel and conspiring with love to ruine me turned her smiles into frowns But that you may know went he on how she effected my precipitation I must tell you I am named Bruadenor Prince of the Veneti in Gaul where with a prodigious constancie I had remained till Love first arrested me One evening as I was walking by the side of a grove I had cast my eyes suddenly on an Object which as suddenly surprized me it was a Lady of incomparable beauty without any company who with a sad aspect seem'd to rest her self under the tree's umbrage This sight brought at first a kind of shivering but afterwards a burning into my breast so that I being unacquainted with this disturbance thought the Lady to be of the nature of the Basilisk who delates her poison through the eyes But though I felt my self wounded by my sight yet could I not withdraw my eyes from so lovely an object till I had discovered my self I then rendring her the courtesies which belonged to civility made bold to enquire the cause of that sad and solitary encounter in a place so dangerous and subject to rapines with all offering her my self and castle for her protection She answered me that solitude was consonant to her desires and that she had deserted others to be left alone But I still pressed her to accept of my protection and civility giving her the knowledge of whom I was and using all the perswasive Arguments I was capable of giving which at last wrought upon her for an acceptance Whilst with a softly pace we moved towards my Castle I told her that my desires were great to know who she was not so much out of curiosity as to know if any way the small power I had could render me any way serviceable to her manifesting by many words the great desire I had to de her service She answered me that all the services that could be rendred her could do her no good nothing but death alone was able to help her but she added that hitherto she had found no opportunity though sought to accomplish her desires and that therefore she expected nothing now but a continuation of her miseries This pressed me to a further enquiry to know the cause of this affliction which thus depressed her and though I uttered my inquisitions with many circumlocutions because I would not seem so boldly to intrude yet she perceived my desires and to satisfie me she said thus Lest you should have any sinister opinion of me whereby you may stain my honour in your thoughts I shall freely declare who I am and the occasion of my being unaccompanied although in so doing I shall discover the frailty and almost impudicity of my actions constrained by a passion which some call Love Before she proceeded I beseecht her not to conceive me guilty of such a crime as to think any thing but vertue harbored in so delicate a vessel protesting that my thoughts had not had the least intimation of any thing but what was agreeable to vertue and honour She replyed how that it could not be termed a crime if that I had conceived any maleopinion of her seeing that a just occasion had sprung from her encounter and seeing that I had rendred so great a testification of the purity of my thoughts by my actions she could not without running the hazard of ingratitude suffer me to remain in ignorance concerning her self and as with confidence she had trusted me with her honour so without fear she might relate the preceeding actions of her life After I had given her an assurance of my fidelity both for the one as the other she proceeded thus Love is a passion which differently possesses souls and with a different fire consumes our vitals if harbored in an immaculate breast and reanswered by the object beloved with as pure flames there is no content joy or pleasure like to the scorching influences proceeding from each other whereby they communicate the very essence of their love with as pure breathings as the sacred Deities the thoughts of so great a happiness hath oft times carried me into an extasie what then would be the fruition My desires have been as chast and flames as pure but that naked and blind deity hath fatally crost me which makes me love with so much anxiety and torment For Love not regarded and not meeting with the desired flames feeds on the life of the Lover and it may be hath caused that Simile which compares love to the continual feeding Eagle on the liver of Tityus which renewing makes him suffer continual unsufferable torment so that the preeminency of pain may be ascribed to it We see that those who feel and suffer extream pains to do and speak that which they would not were they not in that pain-forced frency So often-times Lovers through the great vexation and anxiety which they feel through the opposition of their Loves do most extravagant actions and women sometimes vary beyond the pudicity of their sex This I bring as a Prologue for a favorable construction of those actions in my relation which may seem to pass the bounds of womanly pudicity But briefly proceeded she to give you an account of my life it is this My name is Floria and I am the sole daughter of the great Lord of the Santones on the other side of the river Ligeris where till Love oppressed me I lived with as great content as pleasure but it fortuned that I was touched with its dart since which I
some hurt or other I went to Lilibilis where I received precomiums befitting his accomplishments not my merits But when I understood the content Amenia had taken in the sight of these small performances ordain'd purposely for her sake I sought to continue them and therefore begg'd Lilibilis to authorize those sports a day or two more with his presence I found him not difficult in granting a thing he desir'd which made him give notice of their continuance The next day the place being fill'd as the day before I entred the lists armed with a flame coloured armour the lower part seem'd like glowing coales whose flames compass'd my whole body and many rich stones artificially placed seem'd the sparks which proceed from the fire my Cask was covered with a plume of feathers arising like smoke out of those flames and falling in curles very near the colour of smoke made the flames seem more to the life At a distance they thought a flame of fire had entred the place but managing my courser to the upper end of the lists I did obesance to Lilibilis and the Ladies placing my self ready to receive those who would oppose me I had ordered this single running with spears that those whose actions were worthy that glory might the better be denoted by Amenia and all the rest of the spectators There was some distance of time after I was entred the lists before any presented themselves which I employed in the intuition of Amenia who seem'd like fair Cinthiaâ— amongst the lesser lights I left no part of those exhibited perfections free from a contemplation which would have lasted much longer had not the trumpets given notice of one who entering the lists awaited my coming At the second encounter I laid a foundation to my glory by his fall I will pass over the particular actions of that day as not much to the purpose and only tell you the gods graciously favouring me with the helping vigor infused into my soul by the beauty and sight of Amenia so far enabled me that I erected a trophie of glory to my self by the fall of all those who encountred me that day The next day was to be imployed in the same exercises which gave a great content to the spectators and raised my glory with thousands of applauses but I must truly tell you I affected none but those of Amenia which were as many and as great as could be expected from one of her quality and great modesty But Clotuthe gave me such encomiums doing me so great favours that I blushed and partly repented that I had done any thing whereby they might have any cause to attribute that to me which I knew my merits did not deserve Clotuthe studied occasions to hold me in discourse gave me a very pleasing mine put forth many ambiguous and quaint expressions passed many amiable looks upon me and sought all occasions of doing me any pleasure more than ever I perceiv'd her to do before but my opinion of her great virtue made me passe favourable interpretations on all her actions and thought those unusuall favours proceeded from the content she received in the sports exhibited by my meanes That night as I understood afterwards from Amenia her self when that every one was retired to their rest Aâ—enia whose fire augmented by my performances was now come to so great height that she thought she should have been consumed with its ardour and setching a sigh said within her self ' Ah Euripedes what need so many testimonies of thy valor be exhibited unless thy design be to captivate all those render them thy slaves that shall behold thy actions thy features and virtues are sufficient you need not have demonstrated your valor to have compleated your conquest ' Euripedes looking upon Argelois I would willingly said he with a different tone omit these or any other passages where speaking of my self I might seem vain-glorious by the relation could I perswade my self that I might be faithful in the progression or you pleas'd with the omission And truly it is so much against my humour that I find more aversness in the recounting any such passage than I should by permitting it to remain in silence Besides I fear Lonoxia would accuse me of infidelitie being well acquainted with my relation if I should omit any thing and make me a transgressor of my promise if I faile of an intire relation at least of what I can remember and if any other besides my self could give you the narration of my life I should have remitted it to them being a thing contrary to all that have any thing of pudor or virtue in them to relate any action or performance of glory or magnanimitie of themselves and very difficult to perform it without a seeming elation in the eyes of others I beseech you replyed Argelois omit not any thing for these considerations your modesty too much hides those actions which conduce to your glory which is much eclipsed by your own relation but I pray you to proceed and be not interrupted any more with these thoughts for I take extream delight in hearing the passages of your Amoretta's and were it not for the trouble I put you to in the relation I should not care how long you entertain'd me with this discourse I account it no trouble answer'd Euripedes but I finde a great content in that I think you take any pleasure in the recital of my fortunes I am more prolix in the relation of these first Amoretta's in that they were my more fortunate adventures and in which I found great delight than I intend to be in those which were the cause of my miseries but to leave this digression I will proceed with what brevity I may not doing injury to my story Those words which had not passage through her lips were accompanied with many suspirations which made Melanthe one that attended her and whom Amenia lov'd extreamly who lay in a pallet in the chamber think that she had not been well and therefore rising out of her bed took a taper which burn'd upon a side Table and approached her bed side Her sudden coming surpris'd her in her tears and suscitated through a feminine pudor a blush which adorned those cheeks on which those little â—ivolets had found a passage from the clear fountains of her eyes And being unwilling to be taken notice of though it were by her that she trusted with all her secrets in an action that she judg'd criminal she hid her face with the corner of the sheet and gave Melanthe leave to think it might be to avoid the annoyance of the light of the Taper But Melanthe being sensible of that grief which she saw appear through her mistresses eyes and heard by those ardent suspirations which in abundance proceeded from a most inward trouble she fell upon her knees by her bed side and began with the most mollifying and attracting expressions to draw from her the cause of her dolor She seeing
her still answer her but with silence and a few sobs which were not recalm'd since their first suscitation ' Madam went she on your silence to my implorations makes me think that I am criminal and seems to accuse me to have committed some unknown offence which may have suscitated these tears and been the cause of this pregravation Madam if it be so if I have offended though I am not conscious to the least known or wilful offence let me but know wherein and you shall see me exact a most just and vigorous punishment from my self for the least offence that may have any wayes disturbed your repose if you will not let me know wherein I have offended I will punish my self at all adventures in that I am not able to see these tears and think my self the cause without a resentment that punisheth my soul with unutterable afflictions Whilst she stopt to wipe away some tears from her eyes which her Ladys had begot Amenia discovering her face ' Melanthe said she thou hast no wayes offended me nor art thou guilty of these tears unless it be in telling me thou wilt inflict a punishment upon thy self not considering that in so doing thou wouldst afflict me speak no more of thy offeding those tears proceed from a farre different cause Madam replyed Melanthe truly afflicted for her Mistris if I have not offended as I ought to believe since you have spoken it why seem you to accuse me of infidelity in making me so great a stranger to your thoughts since you have formerly honour'd me by communicating them to me this argues that my disloyalty hath caused you to lessen your affections and withdraw those favours you have honour'd me with in denying me the knowledge of an affliction either out of a thought of distrust or that you now begin to hide your self from me I prosess Madam I desire not to know the least of your minde out of any curiosity but out of a desire I have and that I think my self capable to serve you which when I shall cease to be I shall not desire to be acquainted with them But let not any thought of my infidelity withhold you from making me the depositary of your secrets for if all the oaths and vowes that may be made can oblige you to believe me you shall have them if you say you dare trust me why do you withhold this from me if you dare not why do you suffer me so near you no no banish this wretch from your presence since you dare not trust her and take one whose fidelity may oblige you to do them that honour since mine cannot and though the gods destiny that I shall not live in your service they shall know they gave me not life without courage to sacrifice it to you which shall expiate those crimes which deterr'd me the happiness of being your confident Amenia conjur'd by this manifest testimony of her affection and by those tears which she shed in abundance but especially by that love which she alwayes bore her could not refraine laying aside the punctillioes of a Mistris and clasping her armes about her neck ' No no Melanthe said she it is not any distrust of thy fidelity nor the lessening that affection which I ever have born thee and shall still continue that makes me thus unwilling to discover my self to thee it is pudicity that ought to accompany such as I am and these tears are to delave a crime I can neither own nor clear my self of and a passion which I am not able to decusse nor would willingly entertain After a little respite thou shalt see went she on what confifidence I repose in thy fideliiy and how intirely I love thee in laying open my weakness my frailty and my infirmities to thee and confess that which pudicity makes me so lougth to own I put more than my life into thy hands I commit to thee my honour and my reputation and tell thee that which I cannot think on without the imputation of a crime Set away that candle Melanthe that will discover those blushes which will be essential to my discourse Melanthe obeying her I cannot continued she finde words apt to tell thee my egritude and thou canst not think with what reluctancy I am forced to acknowledge that which I cannot disown Thou hast been acquainted with all the actions of my life thou hast known how far both the Romans and Iberians have sought to intrude upon my liberty and thou hast known with what constancy I have kept it when others have yielded to those disquisitors But that which with so much care I have hitherto preserv'd is now insensibly lost and yielded to this stranger without seeking which I have obstinately deny'd all sutors Dost not thou wonder Melanthe to hear me confesse this and canst thou blame me for being so loth to utter it I have supprest it long enough but through its depression it hath rais'd its flames I have found the disturbance of my former repose ever since the first sight of this stranger but I thought my former constancy might have been able to extinguish them It is not the loss of a repose dearer to me than my life that can give me so much cause of trouble as the crime I commit in loving one who it may be hath not the least inclination for me O foolish O simple and weak Amenia hast thou confest thy self in love couldst not thou have dyed with a resentment so powerful and have manifested by thy wonted constancy that thou hadst been able to have conquer'd all things and made that tyrant god to have confest he had kill'd thee but not conquer'd thee but that thou must with the follies of thy tongue confesse those of thy heart O thief to rob me of a liberty so dear and precious to me O tyrant to torment me worser than with the pangs of death in making me confesse I love and with a passion uncurable but by death What sayest thou Melanthe I have told thee my disease knowst thou any cure for the Idalian fire dost not thou reprehend me dost not thou blame me for entertaining that which was impossible for me to resist But yet Melanthe preserve thy thoughts pure for my sake think not but that a thousand deaths shall give a period to this wretched life before the least action whereby any may gather a suspicion shall be exhibited nay or the least thought within my self which shall not be competable with my honour nevertheless I cannot but I must still say I preserve pure inclinations to Euripedes and shall sooner die than entertaine the thoughts of another The Love I beare thee hath exacted this confession from me in which I neither distrust thy fidelity nor thy help ' Madam answered Melanthe I confesse for these two or three dayes I have read a more than ordinary sadness in your looks but those characters were so vail'd that the most diligent Physiognomist could never
see the cause But since you have been pleas'd to take off that vail and to let me know the cause give me leave to tell you that I see no reason why you should afflict your self And I wonder that you account to Love a crime since it is enforced upon the will with so much rigor and violence we do not use to impute the crime to them who are forced against their wills to the commitment nor count them noxious that are forced contrary to their own spirits to commit an errour it is the consent of the will that makes us culpable which cannot be laid to your charge seeing there is so absolute a forcement and without the least indulgencie on your part your repugnancy shewing how unwilling you were to lose your liberty It is not in this as in other things where the will is able to make its choice for we are able and have so much power left us that rather than lose our honour with a generous resolution to sacrifice our Lives but in this we are so suddenly surprized that even the will is forced to that which you call a crime and then to offer a Life is not a choice but an expiation but of what of that which even the gods themselves had forc'd us to which would be blasphemy to say their actions are worthy of expiation and therefore you need not imagin that a crime nor think your self guilty when you are clear You see with what confidence aâ—l the world entertains this Deity few or none escaping the touches of his flame being once arrived at the age of puberty though some have it more violently injected than others There seems mighty difference in the actions of love in some he seems to be the causer of vice in others the causer of vertue which hath made some account him as they have seen his effects whether good or bad which difference is not to be imputed to the nature of Love which is constant pure and unchangable of it self but to the different dispositions of those people that possesse him and cleaving to the habit of their mind is regulated according to their dispositions and though in effect it keep its Soveraignty over the Will in that it cannot chuse but Love yet it leaves it free to act and gain the object that it Loves according to its own disposition or inclination and this is it that makes so many different faces in Love as there are different humours in men And this is manifest in that we see some to gain what they desire through the passion of Love become most mercilesse Tyrants seeking all the wayes of vice painting their way with blood using all wayes their evil hearts may suggest and yet in appearance caus'd by the passion of Love Others by the same passion seek to attain their wish'd desires by the rules of Vertue submission duty and obedience all things contrary to the former which makes Love either a virtue or a vice according to the actions and several dispositions of men or women therefore to Love is no crime but the impudicity of our actions that makes us criminal But Madam as the basenesse of our actions who are troubled with this passion be a disgrace to Love in the eyes of those who are not able to judge right of him so the goodnesse of their actions that are virtuously possest with the same passion redound to his Complement and without doubt having suffered by the impudicit action of others and knowing the severity of your humour he hath call'd you from all the world to restore him the good opinion he once had in the eyes of the world and lost by the folly of others Therefore Madam fea rt not that this deity will do any injury to so considerable a servant but expect him to infuse the like virtue and the like passion into the object of yours if he hath not already effected it and for the rest wherein my duty and fidelity is expected you need not doubt having vow'd my life to your service but that I will employ it to the utmost of my abilities In this manner Melanthe sought to ease the disquiets of Amenia who returned her an answer to what she had said and being somewhat setled reposing much in the abilities of Melanthe she made her to return to her bed and gave her self to a repose that might fit her for the intuition of the next dayes sports Had I had but that happinesse to have known with what affection Amenia beheld me I should not have felt those torments which I did endure that night and many others for her sake having past it over with Loves usual disquiets and very little sleep I arm'd my self with those flames which represented those within my breast and in the same manner at the hour appointed I entered the lists as I had done the day before I shall be brief and pass this over only I may tell you and I think without vanity that I dâ—d more that day than I had done both the dayes before to the admiration of all the Spectators not being moved out of my Saddle at the decursion of all those who that day I made to kiss the earth The better part of the day being spent and the long intermission since any had appeared to oppose me made us think the sports had been ended and we were about to break them up when there entered at the other end of the lists a Cavalier of a good port having his sword ready drawn armed with fair green armes and over them a strong paludament his caske was plumated with green and white intermixed he attracted all the eyes of the beholders upon him but his motion was so furious that it gave them hardly leasure to behold him His furious pace soon brought him up to me and being come near with a voyce that shew'd anger had prepossess'd him he said Proud man is this the way to raise your glory having ambitioned a happinesse thou art not worthy of by the breaking of a few reeds which is rather a sport for boys than an exercise for men if thou hast not lost all that courage which fame hath told us you shew'd against the Romanes let us see it in defending thy self against me who am thy mortal foe with as much animosity as thou hast shewn pusillanimity in maintaining these juvenile sports I am come purposely to deprive thee of a Life before these Spectators which cannot be in safety so long as I live and to let thee see on what weak foundations thy aspiring hopes are built He spake these words so loud that they were easile heard by Lilibilis Amenia and those that accompanied them Lilibilis thought he knew that voyce but the unexpected evenement and his bold carriage took off his imaginations from calling to his remembrance who it might be and only took care to prevent a combate he saw so much desir'd on both sides For whilst he uttered his audacious speech I
cast my eye on Amenia and very well perceiv'd by the palenesse of her Countenance what resentment it had upon her soul although I knew not but so sudden an evenement hapning to any other in her presence might have caus'd the same timorouâ—ness and that mov'd me more then his arrogancie with a desire I had to let her see how easily I could free my self from that presumptuous one whose vaunting speeches had suscitated her fear His words had no sooner flown from his mouth but I return'd him this answer ' Sir I know you not nor can I conceive what you mean by those ambitioned hopes you tax me with but as I do not care who you are so I do not care what you mean seeing you are come purposely to deprive me of my life I willingly grant it you if I cannot defend it I wont wrong your impatiencie in deterring your desired Combate but let you see how vainly you had preconceiv'd my death We immediately precipitated our selves one against another with a most violent encounter and had not his armes been good I had undoubtedly slain him at the first shock though I found his puissance not unequal to his boldness we reiterated our blowes so thick that those who Lilibilis had commanded to part us durst not come near us for fear of losing their own lives in seeking to save others Lilibilis seeing so violent an encounter agitated against his will descended from the place where he was and hazarded his own life to part us for casting himself between us with his sword drawn he stroke my Aversaries horse so violently over the head that the pain of the wound made him so curvet that he had like to have trampled him under his feet and do all what the stranger could he bruised Lilibilis's foot and cast my Adversary on his back Lilibilis commanded his Guard to seize on him and to have him to prison for his rash attempt and bold speeches in his presence I straight vaulted from my Horse and casting my self at Lilibilis feet ' I beseech you Sir said I do not expose me to the censure of all present for a debility which I am not guilty of in that I was not able to chastise his insolencie without your interposing I confess he hath deserv'd death for his insolencies in your presence this is all I beg for my Adversary that he may receive it as a man with his armes in his hand and by me who have most interest in it let not the Combate be defer'd any longer nor deter me the glory I was about to reap Lilibilis would not answer me till he had rais'd me up and then he replied I doubt not at all Euripedes of your ability in raming a stronger Adversary but his insolence doth not deserve to be so nobly punish't it would be too much glory for him to receive a death at your hands and will be too much trouble to me to see you deprive him of life with the hazard of one so dear to me let me desire you to let him suffer by the hands of executioners and not expect that honour from your hands I again besought Lilibilis and persisted with so many intreaties that at last he granted the Combat but with great reluctancie Lilibilis being returned to the place where he before sat the Guard left us to prosecute the Combat The stranger coming up to me I doubted not my Liberty said he softly ' When Lilibilis had known me however I cannot but take notice of your generosity which neverâ—heless cannot oblige me to abate any of that enmity which I bear you therefore expect the usage you could look for from your deadliest foe and think not your action hath oblig'd me to spare you I beg'd not the Combate replied I to gain your favour or to oblige you to an action which might not be for your own safety for I intend to prosecute you with the utmost of my vigor and give you that which you expect to render to others We straitwayes renew'd our Combate but with so much impetuositie that the Spectators had never seen the like my Adversary seem'd more furious and violent in his motion then at first and with his blowes seem'd to renew his strength and courage indeed he had the advantage on me in that I had travelled haâ—d all that day in those Justs which had he been to have maintain'd he would not have accounted so childish and by that reason I was something the less able to reanswer those strokes which came thundering upon my head I was abashed to see with what impetuousness he prosecuted me but considering in whose presence I fought and what consequence his fall was to the Complement of all my former performances I gathered all my strength together at that instant and falling upon him with so violent a surcharge I forc'd him to make use of all his skill for the defence of himself his armes were so good that it was a long time before I could draw one drop of blood but at last with a continual batterie I forced my Sword into his flesh upon his shoulder close by his neck the blood which incessantly ran from his wound soon died his armes and the ground with its crimson colour and much debilitated him I had received three wounds but not considerable nor were they any impediment in the heat I was in I found the greatnesse of my Adversaries wound by the weaknesse of his blowes and perceiv'd the Victory my own I thought to oblige him with these words which I directed to him ' I am unwilling Sir to take the advantage I have over you and to make a Valour fall at my feet which is considerable it was your own words made you my Enemy and having no greater cause as I know of to account you my foe your own words may likewise render you my friend go but and confesse your indiscretion at the feet of the renowned Lilibilis and I my self will help to implore your life His anger and dispight made the fire almost proceed from his eyes and thinking it would have oblig'd him I found it otherwise by his words ' Your friend said he no it is not the conservation of this life shall make me admit the least thought of friendship towards you were it in your power to give it me I hope yet and am assured on it too to see thee breath thy last at my feet With this with more fury then strength he lifted up his Sword stretching himself to render it the more violent in the interim irritated as I was through his disobliging speeches with a violent cast I made an entrance with my Sword as his arm was erected under his arm-pit which was the more enlarged through the violent falling of his own upon my head which made my Sword appear at his back he strook too home to do me any harm but clapsing his armes about me with great courage sought to fling me to the earth but having
a powerfull and secret Sympathie one with another and that life I have accounted amongst the most happiest of my dayes which I have spent in the company of Amenia whose innocent and pleasing conversation often put my soul into a posture of tranquillity and rapt my soul into a contemplative enjoyment of that which afterwards I received more really but hardly with more delight Thus I had almost passed over the winter in the sweet conversation of Amenia never breaking my imposed silence when Lilibilis had notice given him that the Chief of the Gallicians desired him with the chief of his men to meet them on the borders of the Austures that they might consult for the general good concerning their next Campaign and in what manner they should oppose their enemies They sent him word that Caesar was returned to Rome and had left the Legions with Antistius a valiant Captain and who with all speed was mustering his Forces to assail them and to begin the War though it was so soon Lilibilis soon departed with the chief of his Commanders leaving a great charge on Clotuthe to be carefull of me and desired me to contribute what I could to my health that I might be in a condition to render him that help which he hoped for from me and on which he depended more than on his Army I would have perswaded him to let me accompanie him but he utterly refused it in consideration that my weaknsse was not so well recovered but that so sudden a jorney might have thrown me into a relaps When I saw he would not let me accompany him I told him that I would cherrish my self as much as his absence possible could give me leave and that I only desired my life to loose it in his service to which I had destinated the remainder of my daies He replyed in very civil terms having nothing of Barbarism in him and after our mutual imbraces he departed leaving me to the care of those whose love had made them uncapable of having their care of my health augmented by his commands or entreaties The second day after Lilibilis his departue I was set in my chamber by the fire in a very deep melancholy ruminating on the different tyrannies of the God of Love and considering how deeply I was engaged in a passion that had cost me so many tears and so much trouble and yet had receiv'd nothing but a severe Law from the mouth of my goddess when her Melanthe suddenly entred my Chamber and surprized me in the midst of those tears which my ardent passion had extracted from my eyes That Maid whom affection had tied to my interests excused her so sudden and uncivil entrance as she termed it with very good language and desir'd my pardon for her incivilitie I soon made her understand how glad I was of her company and how much I desired an opportunity of entertaining her alone She told me she came from her Mistriss who had sent her to excuse her in that she had not seen me that day by reason of an indisposition which had made her keep her Chamber I replyed I was unworthy the honour she did me in taking so great a care of my well-fare and that I could entertain the assurance of my own death with less trouble then to understand she was indispos'd in her health The Maid reanswer'd that there was no fear of any danger in her Mistriss indisposition and that she made no question but that she would visit me the next day and pay me interest for that dayes neglect we spent some time in these interlocutions till at last after I had forc'd her to sit down I uttered my self in these terms ' Melanthe you cannot be ignorant of the cause of those tears you have surpriz'd me in which are but a small part to what I dailie and almost hourlie offer to a severitie which hath made me mute You know I have manifested my love and you do not ignore to what a cruel silence I was condem'd I have not hitherto transgressed it though all the world is ignorant with what torment I undergo it I continually sigh languish and spend my time in tears and yet dare not declare my misery which is the only and considerable ease others troubled with the like passion enjoy Was there ever such a Law impos'd on any as is on me which makes me live in the continual languishment of my soul and in the dailie conversation and intuition of the object of all my suspirations and still to lock up my lips by severity not to be parralel'd I know Melanthe though sickness hath not kil'd me that grief will if not mitigated by some relaxation but if I die it will be a happiness in that it is by keeping a Law impos'd upon me by that mouth which I so much adore whereby she shall see Euripedes can never be guiltie of transgressing the severest of her commands I find some ease in declaring this to thee what allevament should I find in disburdening my self to her but since she hath enjoyned the contrarie I must I will undergo it with silence to the death and last expiration of a soul totallie hers and which lives onlie to do her service She did not bid me Melanthe to speak of love to no body else therefore I hope I have not transgressed in speaking to you nevertheless I desire you not to make her acquainted with it lest her severity may impute it as a transgression to me I dare not sue or desire O Melanthe to have this imposition taken off but you may conceive with what joy I should receive the revocation of so strict a Law but I doubt I am faulty in in that I desire to have that taken off which was imposed by Amenia though it be more grievous and less easie to be born than death Sir replyed Melanthe your vertues have made me inseparably yours as far as the duty I owe my Mistriss and the pudicity of my sex give me leave I will not tell you how often I have endeavoured her to revoke that which she had impos'd upon you and which I saw you bore with a patience not to be parralel'd because my andeavours prov'd in vain to cause her revoke what she had once commanded I know the severity of her humour is such that she will endure the greatest afflictions rather than break it and this severity is very strange which she useth towards you strange in that she afflicts you whom she desires not to afflict and strange in that she no less afflicts her self in that she is so severe to you and that her humour is so strictly tyed to the severity of her own Law that she will rather endure what she suffers than break it She her self hath told you Sir therefore I may say it without any infidelity to my Lady that you are not indifferent to her but being tied by the cruel Lawes of duty cruel in that it makes her contradict
of yielding to her that the more I thought upon her the more odious she seem'd to me and in consideration of Amenia I rather began to hate her than love her My thoughts likewise exhibited to me the great trouble and vexation was like to ensue if she persisted in it but if my disdaine should cause her hatred as it was very likelie it should I saw on that hand as great danger and trouble as might be on the other I fear'd nothing but ruining my pretentions for Amenia by stratagems never wanting to inraged women My life I valued not but I fear'd she might procure my banishment which would be far more gâ—ievous than death A thousand thoughts came thronging into my mind all representing some disaster to ensue and methought this evement had already ruined my hopes I complain'd against the gods inveigh'd against Clotuthe spoke against my self and in these transports I spent a good part of the night before I came forth of the closet When I was in bed my imaginations hardly suffered me to take any sleep sometimes me thought I saw Clotuthe like a fury assailing me and endeavouring to tuine me by and by she was represented acting part of her resentment against Amenia using her with violence and rigor this gave me real cruciations though it were but a thought and made me often exclaim against her with the bitterest words I could invent then I saw her in my imaginations acting her own Tragedy this caus'd me no less feare and trouble on the other side in consideration that she was the wife of Lilibilis whom I very much honoured and lov'd these troublesome thoughts took away sleep and rest with some that love injected for Amenia and I hardly gain'd a slumber that night which also was interrupted with dreames of the like nature those Idaea's exhibiting themselves in my sleep The next day I was visited by Amenia and her presence dissipated part of those troubles which continually employed my imaginations and gave me that relaxation which nothing besides her self could do We passed our time as we us'd to do in very ordinary discourse and though she lov'd me well yet had she hardly the confidence to six her eyes upon mine when she spake and when she perceiv'd how intentively I beheld her my eyes taking that libertie which was denied my tongue it made her blush out of the knowledge that she understood those dumb orators yet was she so cruel as not to take off her imposition At last Amenia made me acquainted with her mothers sickness but she knew not the cause she desired me to go along with her to give her a visit I was afraid to discover it to Amenia by denying to go and I knew my presence would do her hurt in consideration that I was the cause of it I was very loth to do Clotuthe so much wrong as to discover her weakness to any which made me go after two or three times invitation wherein I could not deny Amenia I was troubled though least Clotuthe might discover her self by some action that my presence might cause but my chiefest trouble was least that visit might give her any encouragement to persist in her love or cause her to believe I would not be altogether averse from her or might yield to that which was so odious to me With this trouble I accompanied Amenia to Clotuthe's chamber we found none there but that woman who brought me her letter for Clotuthe desired few of her other womens companie being all ignorant of the true cause of her grief After Amenia had rendred her what she thought was required from her and testified what share she bore in her egritude by many words full of sweetnesse and compassion I approached her bed side but with so great fear and trembling that I could not express my self a great while her colour went and came very often at my approach which shew'd an extraordinary motion within her ' Madam said I after I had stood a while silent I cannot yield to any in the world that superiority of having a more sensible affliction of your egritude than my self and I cannot believe I injure truth if I say I feel little lesse dolor than your self How joyful should I be and how happy should I account my self if by the sacrifice of my life the gods would recover you to your pristine estate I should offer it with more content than I ever shall receive while you are in this condition and were your sickness depending upon my life only this moment should be the last of your grief She understood these words and perceiv'd what I meant by them I saw they had rais'd an extraordinary colour in her face and her eyes expressed the great desire she had to speak but Amenia's presence deterr'd her she was not more sorry than I was glad that she was there but that subtle woman who knew her desire found means to draw Amenia to the window and Melanthe who attended her stood at a distance out of respect Clotuthe glad of this opportunitie answered me softlie but so as I could hear her distinctly ' Eurâ—pedes said she without looking me in the face but hers was tinctured with â—eâ—â—â—â—ion all over I cannot reproach you for your virtue nor call you cruel though you slay me I am not ignorant what virtue is though I have not the power to folâ—ow it It shames me to our-live a fault I have committed against Lilibilis my own pudor and your virtue by the over-ruling of that implacable tyrant Love but I am so carefully watched that I cannot gain an opportunitie to expiate the crime of Lilibilis his wife by the victim of Clotuthe I have confessed O Euripedes that I have loved you I cannot deny it and to my shame I must still own it in that love I must die the bonds of dutie were too weak to restrain me from letting you know it and I should not have accounted it acceptable if you had been ignorant of it I die Euripedes and I die for you or rather for the fault of loving you if it can be imputed to me since the gods inspir'd it and forc'd my inclinations to it I know you are too generous to divulge it and if the fault of Clotuthe might give you an occasion to do it yet the love you bear Lilibilis will restrain you After a little respite Your heart cannot be capable of pity continued she no no Euripedos let me die to ease my self of that pain which is insufferable but I do not believe you desire I should live since you alone are the cause of it Her tears stopping the rest of her words she gave me time to answer her O Madam said I I have told you and do again that I never had more affection to do you service than now I have and shall ever retain it so long as my honour may not be blemish'd nor the precepts of vertue broken I value not the expiration of my life
Romans and I can attribute their gaining of that Victorie to nothing else or their good fortune Yet the Romans had little cause to rejoyce for their Victorie being gain'd with so great losse and blood on both sides for the remainders of both could not make up half the number of one party before they met We were not ignorant what was done on each side the Camp for we soon knew we all ranne the like fortune and that the same resistance on every side had caus'd the same internecation I had trouble enough at the losse of this Victory but a new surcharge more afflicted me when I heard that Lilibilis was slain upon the place besides the affection that I bore the man I had some cause to doubt that Amenia would vituperate me for his losse Gurgulonis with his partie put himself into Lancia whilst I made my retreat with mine to the Mountaines I got some to accompanie me and adventured when the Romans were retreated into their Camp to fetch off the body of Lilibilis and first bestowed many teares due to him as being my Entertainer as being the Father of Amenia and as being the valiant and noble Lilibilis Having first I say bestowed these teares upon his dead corpes which had received many wounds I sent it to Asturica to Clotuthe and Amenia and with it this Letter Euripedes to the fair Amenia IF the overflowing of your just teares can permit you to read these lines let them tell you I bewail your losse with the greatest dolor possible can be imagin'd and that I never felt more powerfull affliction for the losse of my own Parents than I do for the losse of the father of Amenia The Gods had been more Just and I more satisfied if I had been presented to you in the place of Lilibilis and that he had remain'd alive for the comfort of Amenia The desire I have to defend this Countrey to the utmost of my power and to revenge the death of Lilibilis but especially that obligation you put upon me at my abcession not wilfully to precipitate my self to death makes me survive so great a losse You may well take off that command for after the receiving so great a losse you cannot be sensible of a lesse and give me leave with those few men that have escaped the last battel to endeavour the revenge of Lilibilis by the shedding the last drop of my own blood I desire not but to die in the Encounter and by that to give you proofs of the affection of Euripedes I gave those men a charge that went with the body of Lilibilis to tell Clotuthe and Amenia that I could not leave those few men the Gods had left me to come to comfort them in their affliction without apparent danger of losing the Countrey and abandoning all to the Enemy and that I preserv'd my life only to do them service Whilst they went with that sorrowfull spectacle to Asturica I gather'd up the scattered forces that were left and retired to the Mountaines which kept us very safe and secure Carisius sent a party after us whilst himself went to beleaguer Lancia Those that follow'd us found that we were resolv'd enough and being gotten among strong Bulwarks we often fallyed forth upon them to their great disadvantage and though they far exceeded us in number yet could they not gain any advantage over us I would have perswaded my men to have hazarded a battel but I could by no meanes bring them to it because the Romans exceeded them They often attempted in vain to enter our holds and to beat us thence but they lost their men without effecting the least against us This made them leave us and retire to Carisius who wanted their help to besiege Lancia where he found notable resistance we fallied out upon their Rear and very much endamag'd them but we were fain to retire to the Rocks again for to secure our selves being so few in number and not able to oppose any considerable body without the help of those Sconces In this part of his relation he was interrupted by the bringing in of Supper and after they had taken that repast Euripedes led Argelois into a Chamber very well furnish'd which he had appointed for his Lodging Argelois desiring him to finish his Relation for that it was not very late and that he had no desire to sleep He as willing to satisfie his guest as might be placed himself between Lonoxia and him and after recollecting himself he proceeded The end of the second Book ELIANA BOOK the third IN this condition we remained sometime resting in those sconces after our labours to ease and refresh our selves whilst I sent out many of the Officers to collect what forces they could throughout the Countrey In this time of vacancy whilst I stay'd for the addition of those forces they could get I had time enough to exercise my immaginations on my Amoretta's and to ruminate very much on those affairs Such thoughts as these eased the trouble I had for Lilibilis death If thought I that Amenia has any inclinations to me and as she has told me her self that if by the laws of duty she were not bound to the contrary she would declare her self more for me and that I should not be so severely dealt withall may not I believe that the caprichious fortune hath not dealt unfavourable in taking away Lilibilis who was the only obstacle of my good Now she has no duty which she alwayes pleaded to fight against her inclinations if she has any to me Now I shall quickly see whether those words proceeded from her heart or only to keep me here for the interest of her Countrey Now her fortune is so hazardous as also Mandone's that it may be she will slie into my arms for protection and be glad to accept that proffer of leaving her Countrey rather then fall into the hands of the Romans whom she deadly hates By and by I should say thus within my self by reflecting upon the goodness of Lilibilis Mean spirited Euripedes thou oughtest not to admit these thoughts to mitigate thy just grief for the good Lilibilis nor is it just for thee to build any hopes by his fall thy love to him which should be built either from his friendship or his virtue should not be lessened by his death as to make thee forget his memory and to flatter thy grief with such hopes What if Lilibilis was the only obstacle of thy happiness he was the father of Amenia and thy friend thou wilt not be so impious as to rejoyce at his death though it enthrone thee in the highest felicitie and to have no other thoughts but to raise him from the grave thou wouldst forgo all whatsomever thou couldst pretend to from thy passion and deny thy self with so much magnanimity for the father of Amenia Thou poorly flatterest thy self to think that necessity will drive Amenia into thy arms no she is not so ignoble as to
the tapstry where I might hear and see what was spoke or done in theroome But not to be tedious in recounting that which is odious I there beheld with an imparallel'd agony the confirmation of my Jealouâ—ie there I saw her whom I had so long and so ardently lov'd embraceing another without blushes in her armes I should have manifested my indignation at that time had I not sworne to the maide not to discover my selfe for fear of detecting her which oath I kept with great difficulty With the helpe of my concealeresseâ— I departed but with how much griefe I cannot represent I confesse I was all most distracted through the continuall torment that it gave me The next day I departed for Cilicia with an intention never to returne more But being there and finding lesse likelyhood of possessing my estate then before Epamondas having through his power ruin'd the cheifest and ablest of my friends and also being throughly agitated by Love and danger I returned back to Thessalonica that I might in venting the one quench the other for notwithstanding this the fire of anger had mixt but contiguously with the flames of Love In that short time that I had been absent from her the exceeding grief and anguish of my soule had debillitated and dejected my body so much that she could hardly credit her eyes when she saw me returne in that condition When she knew the bad successe of my Jorney and in what condition my affairs stood she attributed my sadnesse and dejection to those evenements which she sought to drive away by unwonted expressions expressions of Love and kindneâ—â—â— which being but coldly received by me made her wonder at my cariage The more Love she expressed to me the more aversion I had to her and the more she sought to please me with adulation the more was my spirit excited against her dissimulation I had been there but a little time when I perceived that enemy of my repose to frequent the house of Cynthia as formerly which fight so stimulated my indignation that I was not able to smother it any longer and my anger then overcame my Love which till then it had struggled with He entred one day into the house when I was with Cynthia in her chamber who at that time full of blandiloquie sought to know the cause of my discontent and expressed very much affection and Love to me I was about to answer her when I saw this gentleman through the glasse window to come a long the Court which sight so excited my passion that poynting towards him I told Cynthia that he was the cause of all my trouble at which words I observed a very strange alteration in her countenance but she desireing to know in what he had offended me I told her that their too much familiarity had exsuscitated a Jealousie that could never be cured She seem'd with a world of Indignation to detest it and denying it with great passion and anger she would have left me useing many bitter words against me but taking her by the arme my eyes sparkling with indignation Ah false and perfidious woman said I canst thou with such impudence deny that which the Gods and thy own conscience do testifie to against thee For what reason did you deter that which I was about to prepetrate against my self had your mind desired my death why did you not effect it by persevering in your former rigor or in any other way besides defaming and defileing your self if you did never love me as I am sure you did not or if you did not count me worthy of it why did you use so much dissimulation and so much hypocrisie as to make me beleeve it but if you say you have Lov'd me and did intend to have effected the mariage according to your promise why have you so meretriciously been defil'd by another Ah cruel woman ah base and trecherous woman thou art not worthy of those servants that would sacrifize their lives at thy feete I confesse I have lov'd thee and that to the undoing of my self but the gods inflict upon me all the plagues that lye in their power to impose upon men if I thinke any more of Loving thee but of detesting thee as a monster and unworthy the name of a princesse After a little pause perceiving her in some astonishment I do not this proceeded I out of conjecture or stimulated only by Jealousie no my eares have been wittnesses of your amorous night discourses and my own eyes witnesses of your unchaste embraces I then discovered to her where I stood and when it was that I discovered their base doings When she saw that to her shame she was detected and that she could not denie a thing so palpable and so punctually prov'd against her enraged through shame she ran out of the roome leaveing me amidst the pangs of grief and returning within a short time with her fornicatour stood by to animate him that he might tragedize me but being too weake for that enterprize with three wounds I lay'd him at my feete and had slaine him had not Cynthia to save him cast her selfe upon him between my weapon and him offering her breasts to be pierced for his safety imploreing me with aboundance of tears not to spare her if I intended to take away her lovers life The sight of that white skinn and those teares so affected me that I could hardly utter these few words for the overflowing of my teares Ah Cynthia said I how much cause have I to detest you and how little do either of you deserve at my hands your lives are now in my power and I should not do any injustnesse if I sacrifized them to my just resentments But you shall live I will not murther that which once I adored when I thought vertue had been link'd with your beauty you shall Live that you may feele the heavy punishments of your Conscience which will plague you for your misdeeds and it may be cause remorse for what you have done against me for your sake I spare him who hath not to much power so wrong me by his strength as he hath by his effeminate beauty Live then to your owne shame Cynthia and let the Godesses of punishments inflict castigations equall to your deserts whilst I seek to deracinate thy memory out of my minde With these words I left Cynthia and immediatly after Thâ—ssalonica and returned to some friends in Cilicea where within a month after I heard that Cynthia had maried this gentleman which though I had resolved to forget her gave me so much grief and trouble that it put me into a violent feaver so hard it is for a deep rooted Love and settled affection to be decussed But time and patience which effects all things put a period to my sicknesse and restored me to my former health I then consulting with my friends and by their advice gained the help of the Romans who knowing of the great wrong I had
have done me being nothing but death could make me cease from affecting her yet seeing she could not be mine I would never desire any thing of her contrary to vertue and her honour and seeing that she restrained me for fear I should injure the life of Palemon I promised her that I would not effect any thing against him not for to gaine my liberty but to rid her of her fear and to shew her how obedient I would be to every thing that she desired and that for my liberty I wholly remitted it to her self being but requisit that she who commanded my soule should have the disposall also of my body and further that she needed not to doubt but that I would effect any thing that she could desire of me but that I would not do it to gaine my liberty but only for the affection that I bore her Agauve shewed her self extreamly joyfull that I had so freely promised her however she made me sware to do that which she would desire of me I would first have known what it had been but that she mightily desired the contrary so that at last I consented to take a blind oath imagining that the worst thing she could have commanded would have been to have banisht me from her and that I would not have done any thing against her husband but the proposull of this ambitious woman was quite another thing and which both amazed me and troubled me that I had swore to do it The King Palemon had had by his other Queen two children a Boy and a Girle the young Prince in whom all the people of the nation had treasured their hopes was at that time but two years old named Palemedon the young princesse Panthea the chiefest starre of beauty in our Horrizon was little more than a year old the Queen her mother dying bringing her forth into the world the King marrying Agauve as you have heard presently after the death of his other Queen whose birth beauty and virtue were unmatchable had by her the Prince Dardanus one truly noble and valiant as most of the world can witnesse Argelois here interrupting Euripedes I cannot be silent said he at the mentioning of the worthy Prince Dardanus and refrain from giving him those collaudations which are deserv'd by his merits having so highly experienced his generosity and do still bear the tokens of his favour none less ignore the valour of that Prince than my self which should I go about to declare would prove too large an interruption you 'l pardon this in that I give you to understand that I am well acquainted with him in whom the very quintessence of affability dwells and that I have heard him express great trouble for the loss of the little Palemedon whom you mention not considering his own interests and that he gain'd a Crown by his death but I perceiv'd both he and all the Court ignor'd by whom that child was taken away which it may be seeing you know so much of those affairs you may declare Argelois stoping sometime and seeing Euripedes did not proceed judging aright of the cause Let not this knowledge of me said he that I am conversant with Dardanus be any obstacle to your relation for if you dare to credit me I will engage my life that no danger shall accrew to you thereby Euripedes thankt him in very affable words and telling him that he would not doubt neither of his secresie nor generosity he proceeded in his relation thus Ambition the ground of all evil being seated in the breast of Agauve soone found the young Palemedon an obstacle to her desires and never beheld him but with an eye of envy Her evil Daemon suggesting her to most pernicious designes she thought of nothing more than betraying this young princely child into the arms of death that by his falâ— she might raise her son Dardanus to the Crown of Pontus This was the cause of her visite and this was the condition she would release me upon and to which she had made me most rashly swear that I should either effect or see effected the death of Palemedon She urg'd many arguments and reasons for the performance she confest the desire she had to have Dardanus raign she urg'd that thus I might revenge my self on the King â—gain my liberty perform my oath and shew her the greatness of my love that I would perpetrate a thing so contrary to my nature for her sake After I had heard her discover her self I was very much amazed at the temerity of my oath and sought by all perswasions to cause her to forego so mischievous a design But she still persisting in it with such fascinating adulation such carriage and flagitation still pressing me with the considerations of my love and oath that at last oh hainous to think it she made me yield to see it perpetrated although I would not do it my self I hope now your self will excuse me for my aversion to a passion that made me so enormiously consent to so wicked an act I must impose my whole fault on my passion for it was that which overcame me through her fascinating words and not my consideration of revenge or liberty I told you before that I knew by experience that Love hath been able to extingush the coles of vertue and enkindle those of vice Judge you therefore whether I speak without just cause against that which made me act against all Justice After I had a longe time sought to stop the stream of this exorbitant motion with the dam of perswasions and that I saw it still bore down with the impetuousness of her will not able longer to contradict her I was carried down with its rapidity in the slender boat of my affection where consenting to what she required I steer'd into a harbour of misery For being set at liberty on these sad terms I endured the continual wrack and torment of my conscience and I never thought of my perpetration without horror but having sworn to effect it and being still bound by the chains of my passion I enforc'd my self to resolutions of perpetration But in the mean time this cruel Agauve searing lest pity and vertue miâ—ht overcome me had gain'd three of her own Countrey men to assist me with a charge not to be perswaded by me if I endeavoured to hinder the execution of the infant after we should have it in our power promising them very considerable rewards for their assasin knowing that was most avidously desired by those fordid spirits Being conjoyned with these by the order of Agauve we remained some time secretly in Tomus awaiting an opportunity for our design which was propitiously offered us presently after The night before we seized on that young Prince being extreamly troubled in my thoughts at what I was about to perpetrate I felt a continual torment till sleep had freed me from those cogitations But being in the kingdome of the image of death me thought I met a
felicity and that the Gods themselves had a finger in my prosperities True indeed I receiv'd so great happinesse and content in the pleasing conversation of Atalanta that I blest the time though not the occasion that I left my fathers house whose terrible remembrances were now swallow'd up in my blessed felicities In a little time the habit and gestures which I had assimulated were grown so naturall and habituall as if I had accompanied them from my Infancie so that I had no fear of discovering my selfe by any inassuety Think not but Shame sometime set before me my muliebrity and upbraided me with meanness of spirit in leaving my more noble for so ignoble condition and in accommodateing my self to so great imbecillitie And in representing the future I found so many difficulties and unlikelynesses of effecting what I desired that sometimes I began to repent my designes I fear'd I should instead of her love acquire her hatred when that she should know how greatly I had deceived and abus'd her And to think of living allways in that condition without discovering my self would have given adaequate pain to my pleasures and have rackt me between two contraries But all objections both of honour and danger fled at her presence and then I found it as possible to think of leaving my condition as to transforme my self in verity into the sex I had assimulated so great was the pleasure I receiv'd in her company and so great was the power of affectionate Love to hold me I remain'd seven weeks in this Sardanapalean condition my flames still encreasing with my pleasures in which time Atalanta exhibited so perfect a friendship that it was impossible in the condition I was in to desire more To unite our amity in the greatest nearness she would have had me lain with her but fearing to be overcome with so great temptation I was allmost incivill to deny her But by her imposition we call'd one another sisters and seldom but when we rested were one minute out of the fight of each other Sometimes though in the midst of these pleasures I should evaporate sighs and in spight of all my delights the charctars of sadnesse would be wrot upon my face which proceeded from the suppression of my flames Atalanta taking them to be the reflections of my former distresses would apply such pleasing comforts and adapt such endeared expressions that I could not but find solace in them though the cause was far from that she suppos'd So that at the same time she was both the object of my sighs and Joy Although that extreamly courteous one sought to dispell my sadnesse with her dear expressions and actions and to administer all the solace she was able yet I perceiv'd that her heart was full of mestitude and that her dolor no ways decreased She had not as yet communicated the cause of it to me and I perceiv'd she did not desire I should take notice of it so that I would not exhibit my curiosity by asking it Besides I fear'd least in knowing it I should find my own ruin and that Love preoccupied her mind and was the cause of those troubles which best corresponded with that which I had secretly heard from her own mouth But that I might allevate Atalanta I exhibited a greater alacrity than the consideration of my pensive thoughts would willingly have admitted I sought all divertisements and made it my sole pragma to administer solace by diverse recreations Some times I would endeavour to divert her minde by the relation of divers stories and accidents some fabulated and some true and by many discourses on severall Subjects Sometimes again I sought to make her find some refreshment in the delicate viridias of the gardens and pleasing places of the groves and sometimes again I would exercise her in running in the Hypaethryums and paradromes of the house and when the imbrick Auster irrigated the ground in the Xystus And when the calmness of the evening gave leave we made use of her wonted solace upon the Tagus where my self often times us'd the oare for her transportation and I never visited the walke where in I first saw her without a benediction on the place She was naturally very nimble and she allways would be very well pleas'd with any exercise I would challeng'd her to wherein most times we did not exhibit our utmost industry or strength out of a desire to make our adversary conqueror One day having challeng'd her to run a race for some small jewel or other to such innocent sports had love made me to condescend I let her win the prize by a voluntary retardation But that cursory motion had dyed the cheeks of Atalanta of such a scarlet hew which rendred her so lovely that I could not but cry within my self Ah! murtherous Atalanta Schaeneis wounded only the Calydonian bore and used her shafts against the ferocious beasts but you insensibly wound my heart with inumerable shafts which proced from those lovely eyes whose sharpe Cuspides hath split the stony rock of my heart and given issue to whole streams of Love But coming up to her Atalanta said I facetiously you inherit as well the nature as the name of the Schâ—nean maid yet I hope you will not prove so rigerous to the vanquished but were I a man I should despise all danger to adventure for such a prize though I think that he must obtain the same gift of Venus which heretofore she bestow'd on Neptun's nephew who must overcome you You are very pleasant sister reply'd she smiling but I may thank your voluntary tardity that I am victoresse In many such innocently loveing striveings we sought to give each other victory glorying more in looseing than in winning And indeed I could not find greater content in the world than in the sight and content of Atalanta whom I had made the sole object of desires and sole businesse to serve If she was content I thought my self happy and if I saw serenity in her face from the clouds of Sorrow I received more Joy than if half the world had been given me to possesse Atalanta's governesse seeing the Love and care I bore to her and that I made it my whole businesse to divertize her perceiving also that Atalanta bore me a great deal of Love remitted her wholy to me finding a great easment of that burden which I had so willingly taken upon me so that I was very often alone with her and had opportunity enough to discover my self had not a timerous respect continually banisht those Cogitations and represented her just anger more terrible then death so that I was forc'd to smother those thoughts and content my self with the felicities I enjoy'd But whilst my resurging flames were suffocated with a continual depression they were as much sufflated by a continual presence which gave me an intollerable inustion made me do things almost enough to have discovered my passion had they not been so extreamly blinded by
with her attendâ—â—ts to come forth thereat who it may be were excited thither by my vociferation Marcipsius fearing his wickednesse should be discovered drew his sword and presâ—nting it to my breast swore if I departed not immediately he would transpierce my heart I was nothing solicitous of my life being enraged at his wickednesse so that I stopt not for his threats but continued calling him traitor stuprator and what ever rage first exhibited He made a thrust or two at me although he knew I had no weapon nor was of a sex to contend with him but I shifted well enough and to plague him the more I ran towards the Lady crying beware of this villaine this facinorous Marcipsius that trator that violator of faith and honesty that corruptor and vitiator of virgins The wicked Marcipsius cried out to them have a care of that mad man and running with his sword drawne made as if he had defended them till they were got within the posterne when he following them left me still craving the Gods to punish him for his Scelerity After I had wearied my self with exclaiming I return'd into the city and embarquing for Spain I at last after some retardation by the winds got safe to this place where I gave my fair mistresse this sad relation which was the cause of that heavy dolor you found her in when your sympathizing tears mixt with hers Wonder no more at her excesse of Laments since you know what cause she hath to complaine Atalanta's confident thus ended her discourse and casting her eye upon me to expect those words which I ought to have express'd against so egregious a perfidy she saw that I sat like an image wherein neither life nor soul had any residence She spake to me she toucht me she pull'd me but I neither hear'd nor felt for indeed grief so much augementd by the knowledg that I must loose the sovereign of my soul caus'd through my brothers wickednesse had taken away the use of all my senses and left me altogether impassible If before I could have lov'd her after her pollution I could not think now of enjoyning her after I knew it was my own brothers defilement Grief and amazedness held me a long time in this benummedness which the maid seing fearing some sudden sicknesse screem'd out being affrighted at my palenesse Atalanta came thither before I had recovered my selfe from that kind of Syncopy But in coming to my self ah cur'st traitor sigh'd I out ah inevitable ruin of my Life Atalanta wonder'd at the extraordinary passion and interest I shew'd at the knowledg of her misfortunes which did endear me the more unto her But seing me in that condition they would have conveigh'd me to bed till I at last perfectly recovering my self diverted their intentions and asham'd at the trouble I had put them to I excus'd it as well as I could Dear Sabane said Atalanta you are too much mov'd at the misfortunes of another I cannot but wonder that your magnanimous soul bearing your own so well should be so much troubled at the audition of mine The most saxean hearts madam replyed I cannot but commiserate your condition nor none that shall hear your misfortunes but will curse that perfidious Marcipsius But that which so much amazed me was that that wicked vitiator should be so blinded as not to see his own happynesse but should forsake a beauty to which the Gods themselves might have lay'd a clame as being too good for the best of men These words imbued the native virmilion of her cheeks with a deeper crimson in graine See see continued I poynting to the wall which at that time by reason of a damp stood full of moyst drops on his hard side the very stones send forth their sudor and seem to generate teares out of their rocky substance that they might make you see by their weeping they have some kinde of feeling of your misfortunes can you then wonder how I should be so much mov'd when inanimates else would convince me of obduratenesse I see replyed she a little smiling that there is no contending with one that out of all objects will raise some evincing argument I that before was a comforter lack'd now to be comforted I that allwayes coveted the company of Atalanta now oftentimes shun'd it that I might secreetly vent my complaints and feed my sadnesse with solitary soliloquies all things were quite altered and I could not but be amaz'd as griev'd at the versutous power of that mutable Goddess They all saw my change but they could not well divine what might be the reason of 't I was now wholly eaten up with sadnesse and consum'd my time in trouble in teares and complaints against heaven earth Marcipsius and my self In the very extreemity of my trouble I should oft cry out ah I am constrain'd I am constrained to leave thee Atalanta began to repay those comfortable speeches I was us'd to solace her with and to become my physitian as I had been hers which indeed insted of comforting me encreast my dolor when I thought on my loss for by how much the more she was good to me and by how much the more the goodnesse of her nature was exhibited by so much the more I bewail'd my losse and considered the greatnesse of my misfortune This grief and trouble continuing it at last induc'd me to a sicknesse which perplexed every one of that small family by reason of the Love they bore me but Atalanta principally seem'd to forget her own trouble to engage her self into mine and sought the acquireing of my health almost with the losse of her own In this sicknesse I found some relaxation of my grief and by degrees began to overcome it and to be contented with my fortune Not that I lost any part or jot of the love I bore Atalanta but framing my selfe seeing I could no longer love her as a mistres to love her as a sister and to keep my love entire without desire of any other possession then I enjoyed To comfort and please my self with this kind of Platonick love to love only for virtues sake to have a passion with out carnal defires I sought many arguments to maintaine it to my self that it was the best love and seem'd most Caelestiall I would thus sometimes say to my self What is a little moment of pleasure that I should endure thus much pain for it For what is all this grief but because I cannot enjoy Atalanta It is not because she loves me not or because she despises me but because I have lost that carnall pleasure which I had hop'd to enjoy Surely that Love cannot be good which so poorly covets for its own ends I love her why because I might enjoy her Shall I not love her â—ow I am sure I shall not enjoy her or shall I pine my self to death for that which often times quenches the flames of love No doubt but Marcipsius lov'd her before he enjoy'd
absent they receiv'd me with Joy and according to my desire let me live the remainder of my dayes in a solitary cave but accommodated with things convenient which was within the rock of the fortresse After allmost twenty years solitude time a little makeing me insensible of those things so long past I began to be more conversant amongst them and enquiring after the passages of the world I understood by them that were ignorant of few publique transactions that Marcipsius enjoy'd his fortune very little after that fatall battell for his neighbour King Juba a prince indued with the learning of the Grecians and the valour of Romans in his rising fortune had swallowed him up and buried him under the ruins of his greatnesse I used sometimes to take the sea in some of their vessells to recreate and relaxate my tyred spirits not to dispoyle any of their goods as I had formerly done and one time fortune at last to please me after these stormes shipwrack'd our vessel upon the coasts of Asia but it was to give me the greater calme for gaining the shore I travell'd up into the country having some jewells and gold which I sav'd from the shipwrack where I mett with Euripedes travelling with a few servants but both of us being altered by our years we knew not each other till in discoursing as we went together I knew him to be Euripides and making my self known to be Lonoxia we renew'd our former amity with tears of Joy Understanding the design he was going about and agreeing so fit to my wishes and desires I joyned my self with him and ever since have been his companion in this beloved grot I have given you the relation of my life with which fortune hath as often play'd as any and hath made it one of the greatest examples of her mutability I cannot but wonder what kind of deity it is that should take so much delight in the vicissitudes of things being a matter of impossibillity for her to permit any man to enjoy a content that is permanent nor is she to be won by sacryfices prayers or vows Lonoxia thus concluding Argelois stai'd some time reflecting on the many remarkable passages of his story But at last taking hold of the shutting up of his narration spake something of that clausion I have said he given good attention to your narration wherein there are many things worthy of denotation and wherein that Goddesse you speak of hath manifested her power But if you please I 'le tell you the opinion of a philosopher whose dictates I well remember since I learn'd them in the Academian shades concerning this Fortune which thought it may be different from the Common opinion seems not to deviate from reason nor to be dissentaneous to truth The common sort of people are constantly ignorant of the true notion of the Gods and meaning of those figures which they see represented to their eyes â— fram'd by the hands of men and only follow the vulgar opinions and common notions and dogma's testifying their obedience to receive upon trust what the priests or the wise men tell them fitted to their Jgnorance without any Inspection into mysteries So it is then that the Romans and other nations worship those Images whether of Jove Cyllenius Venus Fortune or any of the Gods as if they themselves appeared or their divinities were comprehended within those materialls when to confute that blindesse we often see them abused by sacrilegious persons without restriction or punishment The wise men themselves were the cause first of all of this infulse and false adoration for they knowing how fraile the comprehensions of vulgar minds were and that they were not able to conceive beyond the power or dictates of their senses nor comprehend a deity that is the Invisible Gubernator of all things fram'd certain Images to represent the power and different effects of one sole powerfull Numen that by those ocular demonstrations sitted to the abject capacities of the vulgar they might be put in minde of a supream invisible all-ruling power lest otherwise they might fall into an Impiety to believe there was no such Power or at least should be unmindfull of it without some thing formed to the sense to mind them of it and help forward their devotion seeing that things presented to the eye immediately stirs up our rememberance and causes a renewing or commemoration of those things we had forgot But of this their good intention there sprung up a great Impiety for the vulgar placeing divinity in those carved and gilded Images adored them for that uncontroulable power and imposing certain names and offices on them never look beyond those wooden objects And since for their confirmation through the covetousnesse and to the enriching of their priests or conservers some wicked men adding sorcery and charmes caused certain illusive miracles to be done or shown by these Images But this error is too inveterate to be contradicted or spoken against and so generally embraced that very few of the wisest Philosophers have preserved this verity But he that instructed me in these things wiser than the inspired Sybills who were instated by this power and prophefied of some glorious star which is about this time to appear that shall dispel these clouds of error and impiety hath them out of writings that he accounts as sacred as others the Delphick oracle and delivered them to me as his choycest secreets and greatest proof of his Love But to this Fortune you speak of a power or Goddesse that is accounted so caprichious and unstable the Romans according to their apprehensions of her by her effects have depicted her and plac'd her in the Pantheon in the form of a woman ' cause that sex is most mutable faining her the daughter of the sea to shew her inconstancy and the servant of the Gods because they accounted all sublunary things to be at her dispose and to be effected by her She was placed upon a globe to shew she praesided over the earth She had Cornucopiae in one hand to shew she gave plenty in the other a wheele to shew the mutability of it on which was the Image of Favour of a vitreous substance apt to be broken and lost She was also painted blinde and drawn by 4 blind horses they accounted her so by reason of the indifferency of her actions in sparing neither the princes nor the plebeians as Justice is and by reason of her confused and miscellaneous actions which seem'd a Chaos in their eyes and the productions of a blind deity But this said my tutor is but the Phantasies of those that cannot perceive the great Divinity who rules all things and by his providence effects all this that they atribute falsly to Fortune a blinde Goddesse indeed Nor are we able to comprehend this power for what we think disorderly and confused is most regular and agreeing as we see in some Machine or clock whose wheeles move contrary wayes yet all in an
had obay'd her she look'd upon him a prety while with great confusion at last she broke her resentment thus Cruell man said she softly with what heart art thou able to despise one that lies wounded at thy mercie how canst thou tryumph so insultingly over those wounds thy self hath given Ah! inhumane that hast forced me to breake those chaines of pudicity that should be inseparable to our sex and especially to those of my quality Was not my death able to move thee no I saw Joy seated in thy eyes when thou thought'st this wretched life would have expir'd would to all the powers of heaven I had lost these poor remaines of Beauty and life together since they have not power enough to compell so stuborne a heart to pity Argolois not enduâ—ing to hear her go on Madam said he give me leave to tell you you wrong me in saying I rejoyced at your sicknesse or hop'd for your death the gods know how innocent I am and what resentments I endured for your sake I had deserv'd to be eternally accursed if I had not prefer'd your life and content before my own But how often have I told you that the cause of my neglect of those favours you would do me which are so far beyond the capacity I am in that I cannot wiâ—â—hout sinning against your greatnesse have the least shaddow of a thought of receiving them Do's your highnesse do iustly to call me cruell and inhumane for my respect No Madam could I obey you without dishonoring you by so abject a creature as my selfe it should be seen how unwilling I should be to loose the crown of so great happinesse I know madam that the prince Arizobanes who adores you to be so far before me in desert and able to give you that crown which he hopes once to possesse that I should deserve the worst of torments if I should depâ—ive him of his hopes and you of a happinesse I am no ways able to give you by obaying you in yielding to amatch so inequall These are the ordinary caprichioes of a goddesle that torments chiesly the estates of princes replyed the faire Pannthea bur your excuses cannot hinder you justly from my accusations you 'r to cruell to take any pitty on a wretch that is forc'd by a power uncontroulable to beg it of you No I looke upon your excuses as feigned and as invented to deprive me of all hopes of obtaining him that I most Love whilst I live Ah Gods would you had made me lesse noble or this cruell inhumane more pitifull Madam said Argelois extreamly troubled at her words I truly honor you and I should account it the greatest happinesse the Gods could send me if they gave me but an occasion wherein I might shew you how little I esteem this Life when it might be employed in your service Dardanus casting his eye aside saw by his friends looks he desir'd to be eas'd of that paine he was in which made him returne with Eliana to the couch and placing themselves by them pass'd away the morning in divers discourses That strange fire of Love burnt so inlie the heart of Argelois that at last its hidden flames began to appear in the pale ashes of his face and to discover to others the torments he suffer'd so secreetly He never beheld that bright Sun but that his heart breath'd forth scorching sighs enkindled by its beams and endured perpetually a torment unexpressable when he fancied her conjoyn'd to his friend Dardanus He in the mean time not imagining the true griefe of his friend hid nothing of his procedings from him but told him the progresse of his sute and how reserv'd he found Eliana But one day above the rest finding forth his Argelois I am come said he to tell you that Tribulus hath promised within a short time to accomplishmy â—esires he saith that the princesse looks upon me worthy of the blessing of her self but she is extreamely avers to marriage However it will not belong my dear Argelois that we shall stay in this melancholy castel we will remove to the Court that we may have devertizements for you For I intend our Hymenean tryumph shall be glorious which cannot be except you discusse this sadnesse This was but small comfort to Argelois who found cruciations in every word yet endured the torments because they came from his friend I know none said he sighing that is worthy of the faire and virtues Eliana but your selfe and I admire that she can be insensible of all those charmes which accompany you and which are enough to allure the whole world to your obedience Modesty must be found in maidens and it is out of a pudicity and desire of being courted that makes her seeme so negligent of that which she most desires you are a good Interpreter of her thoughts reply'd Dardanus smiling but shall I beleive the like by you and take your words to be contrary to your desires if so my sister were happy after all her torments My Lord said Argelois I cannot heare those termes said Dardanus it is contrary to the law of our contracted friendship you put me in minde of them when you speak of the princesse Panthea replyed Argelois or else the transports of that Love you honor me with would make you utterly forget what I am and make my selfe unmindfull of my own condition Love reply'd Dardanus is not to be limmited to lawes it respects persons more than conditions you cannot but be assured that her Love is intire and you know that her pudicity would not have let her discovered the torments of a small flames they are unuterable and unexpressable were you sensible of the Cyprian torment yout self you would at least pitty another Argelois could not refrain from ingemminated sighs at those words but fearing he might discover himselfe by their continuation I am not said he so insensible of the princesses trouble and of that trouble which you impute to me the cause but that I have wished my selfe a thousand times of a birth sufficient to satisfie her desires and it is only for her sake that I deny my selfe so great a happinesse it may be others would not be of my mind but I cannot doe so great an injury to a princesse and the sister of Diadanus as to compare my basenesse to her greatnesse This might and should have been remedied at the first if I am the cause by my abscession but your commands made me stay to her detriment you know that this removall was chiefly for that end that she might forget that sight that was so fatall to her and now she is come hither you are the only soliciter of her sute Alas give leave that I may either die or depart rather than be the tormenter of so good and faire a soul or yeild to that conjunction which would be contrary to the will of the King and disgracefull to the princesse and your self I 'le speak no more of it dear
detract from its lustre and through which it will not shine with a splendency able to overcome it 'T was not cloathes that made her but she that made her cloaths beautifull And as the richest ornaments cannot contribute beauty to a face in which there is none so the meanest cannot detract from a beauty of it selfe naturally sweet though I confesse ornaments are not without their peculiar graces and settings ost to meaner beauties but Eliana's was so transcendent that as the meanest dresse could not detract from her beauty so the richest could adde nothing to it Argelois being diverted by Panthea from beholding that faire skin which carried albitude extraordinary and a heate through the gentle live of her bed which concorded with that of his heart he walked some turnes with those fair Princesses's and telling them the reason of his stay the last night made them acquainted with his engagement that day to visit Euripedes Panthea unwilling to be deprived of his company so long desired to accompany him and proposing it to Eliana she consenting they told him their intentions I had thought Madam said he to Eliana that you durst not have adventured into those woods again considering the danger you were in the last time you see there You see therefore said she I fear nothing under your protection Panthea interposing told them they ought not to let Euripedes expect Argelois whilst they spent the time in those discourses and give him cause to thinke he was capable of breaking this word Eliana following her councill they left him joyful that he should enjoy their company and went to put on those robes sutable to their qualities and estate They spent little time in dressing them having but very little humour to that court vanity and yet their ornaments wee so rich that they seemd to vie with their beauties Eliana had drest her self like one of the Nimphs or the goddesse Flora and as if she meant to sute with the time of the year she had put on a gown of a verdant hew branched with leavs and flowers so artificially that they made raire knots and poses which served for compartments to her gown Panthea's was a bright azure in which shone so many bright stones that it represented the firmament in its greatest lustre of starrs and by the which she would have intimated the constancy and charity of her affection Having sent for Argelois they entred a clariot and putting off their traine took none with them but Tribulus and their two confidents with the squires of Dardanus and Argelois Beeing arrived at the grove they sent back their Chariote and entring Euripedes groate received all the welcomes of that generous old man You will not increpat me for my stay said Argelois seeing I have brought such company that may excuse it 'T is enough said Euripedes and this company is so glorious that could my wishes be effected I should break that law which I have impos'd upon thy thoughts since I have turn'd Philosopher wish now to be great and potent only that I might give an entertainment some wayes corresponding to their virtue and greatnesse But were I a Prince it were impossible for me to recompence the decima of this favour in illuminating this darke grote with the incomparable lustre of their beauties Eliana and Panthea reanswering him vicissively made him at last leave these termes of perfection Meador who by the virtue of those oyntments which his carefull master had applyed found so much ease that he would not put this Princesse to the trouble of coming into his chamber but being helped on with his cloaths he was led into the chamber where Argelois and the two Princesses with the rest of the company stayed to hear him acquite himself of a relation which he knew they expected at his hands Euripedes had entertained them before with those civilityes that were to be expected at his hands therefore there being nothing now to be done but to audite his relation they caused him to sit down who obeyed and after he had taken some pleasure in beholding the beauty of his auditors directing his speech to Euripedes he began THE HISTORIE of ARATERUS VIrtue what ever the vicious thinke although she be often banded against by that power to which we attribute the name of inconstant and mutable at length overcomes her triumphs over her and wears the crowns of her victories with an immutable fortune But yet should she not receive this reward whilst the soule remaines in the domicill of flesh I am confident the Justice of the Gods would return it a hundred sold after she is departed to the Elysiume some indeed they reward here yet not denying those hereafter and pay their perseverance with rewards corresponding to their deserts Amongst the rest Araterus has tasted of their bounty which is in consideration of his virtue and though what we are able to do in consideration of those deities is nothing and not worthy the least rewards yet they are just and repay our wills and devoyres with happinesses transcending our merits and actions Had you seen the perills and dangers we past and the continuall prosecution of our ill fortune with the marchlesse patience of Aratearus you would have thought there had been no other powers than those which continually seek the destruction of mankind especially the virtuous but as he endured all mischances without murmuring so at last the Gods have repayed him I think without example I know by your own relation that the elapsion of so many years hath not made you forget the place and manner of our losse and I believe that your kinsman had the sight of those implorations of yours to the Gods which may be were the cause of his preservation After we had got those small preservations of life which grew on the verging branches of the green trees we returned to that place where we left you but finding neither you nor the child which fortune had cast on that place I know not whether we were more amazed or grieved At last griefe bursting forth into words and teares Araterus wept forth such complaints that testified how ardently he affected you but amazednesse sometimes stopping his speeches gave him time to consider which way you could be gone indeed sometimes he accused you for leaving him sometimes he inveighed against heaven and then against himself that he dared to speak against either But at last turning all against fortune he made her the sole cause of this accident For my part seeing you gone and believing that 't was impossible for us to escape death by famin in that plâ—ce I would have anticipated it by a voluntary precipitation into the sea which like a mad man I had effected had not Araterus by force more then entreaties deterred me After we had somwhat mitigated our grief by the effusion of our tears and emission of our complaints that we might not be guilty of our own deaths Araterus having changed my
ruin and subversion of us all unlesse the Queen yielded her selfe to his demands we dayly here out of Sinnana of the great preperation that he makes to invade us which enforces our Queen to raise her forces for her defence resolving to withstand his fury and defend her selfe against his injuries So that peace is now leaving the stage which she hath Kept so long and Mars is coming to act a new and bloody scene Cleoputulus so was our Entertainer called thus ended suscitating a desire in Araterus by this relation of the Wars to go and present himself to the Queen and desired to be listed amongst the number of her Soldiers He made his Hospitator acquainted with his mind who immediatly commending his intentions strengthned his desire and profered him any thing that might further his intentions Araterus after he had resolved upon it and had cloth'd himself after the manner of the Countrey in loose thin garments he took his leave of the kind and generous Cleopotulus and according to his directions took the way towards Sinda the chief City in that kingdome of Sornalea which stood at the ingulfing of a very long river into the sea of Bengan and which sprung from a lake amongst those mountains which serve for an impregnable Mure against the Tartars incursion into Sinana In this famous City Queen Amarillis kept her Court and to which after a few weeks travel we arrived All the Cities that ever we had seen before was nothing to this both for the extent fairness and pleasantness of it Should I tell you the bigness of it you would think it incredible and believe that I fabulate but those that are any thing acquainted with the buildings of the East will not so much wonder at it we entred it when the Sun had scarce ran two hours of his diurnal course and before we could attain the Pallace which stood in the midst of the city and though we went on horse back he had past as many from the Meridian It was so populous that you would have thought all the people of the Kingdom had met there as at a fare The houses were extream fair and well built being most of stone Round that large City ran a wall with battlements and towers with about a hundred gates so strong that it rendred it impregnable on the one side as it was washt with the river and the South side butted towards a kind of sine which breaking forth of the gulf came thorow the City to the Pallace walls on which continually floted thirty thousand boats And though there were so many people and that it was so vast a City yet every thing seemed so decent in so good order that in all that ever we had seen there was no thing like it At that instant one of Euripedes servants came to give him notice that their dinner waited on them which made Meador stop and give liberty to Euripedes to incite his guests to accept of that small repast which his Grot could afford Every one shewing the pleasure they received in Meadors relation could hardly be perswaded to spare so much time but at last following Euripedes they entred another room which they found furnished so deftly that it expressed he had been one of great estate After the handsome excuse of Euripedes for his mean accommodations for so illustrious persons they fell to their repast which they soon finished having a great desire to hear the conclusion of Meadors relation After they had dined they return'd to the same place where they were before and being seated Meador knowing their desires directing his speech as he did before to Euripedes he thus proceeded in his relation Having glutted our eyes with beholding the variety of Objects as we passed thorow the City we came at last to the Pallace about the time I have mentioned Having provided for our horses in those houses for entertainment we went to view the Pallace which we found agreeable with the rest of the City full of state and the structure mixed with strength and beauty It was mounted upon a little rising hill which made it shew to the City as the head to the body both for ornament and command It was not only the head of the City but of the whole kingdom at that time for in it sat her Majesty with her great Councel to determine concerning those things which the necessity of their affairs made them to resolve upon Having viewed the external part of it Araterus somewhat boldly for a stranger ascended a pair of staires which led us into divers stately Halls passing many of them we at last had lost our selves and knew not which way to return at last trying every turning and entrey we descended a pair of staires which brought us into a very large garden in which were near an hundred Partizans At the farther end of this garden was the Councel Chamber in which the Queen and her Council then was these Partizens being their common guard Ignorance often causes boldness for not knowing the custome of the Countrey we entred the garden which it seems was present death for any to do whilst the Council sat without the Certificate of the High-Priest to shew their urgent occasions The Partizans presently flocking about us asked us for our Certificates but our looks demonstring to them that we were ignorant of what they meant they streight-way cryed out Traitors and Spies and collimating their Javelins at us began to make us know into what error we had run Araterus would fain have had them understand that ignorance an I fortune had brought him ro that place but their noise and eagerness of endeavouring to deprive us of our lives took away the audition of his words and made him see that if his sword could not prove more effecacious thâ—n his speech he was there to finish his life after his travels and miseries We both drew for our defence and did what ever could be expected from men hemmed in on every side with death-threatning weapons We had both received many wounds but for every wound Araterus gave a death and for every drop of blood he shed whole pools of theirs and did things through desperateness that were ever after esteemed Miracles Valour must have at last given place to number and life to death if we had not been immediatly rescued The noise that proceeded from this Encounter was heard amongst the Councel which at the first approach imbued them all with fears of treachery and complottings All desired to know the cause of what they heard but every one was affraid to leave his seat least at their first peeping forth of doers they should meet with the instruments of death many of them knowing what belonged to a gown but very little to a sword they could order but not act At last Peomontile uncle to the Queen and one in whom Mars and Mercury made a pleasing conjunction left his seat and entring the garden found us both at the
went out of the place he was more really so For Love as if he had ment to make a kind of Triumph in his subjugation sat inthron'd and inviron'd with all kind of advantages in that place He stood a long time receiving those darts that were continually ejaculated from the two luminous orbs of Amarillis by that god who extendeth his dominion from the rising of glorious Titan to his immergency in the occidental waves and who leaveth no part of the world free from his subjugation and tyranny The Queen with no less fixed looks beheld Araterus and it seems receiving reciprocal wounds from his looks and actions Araterus as you know was every way handsome and in his face especially no despicable Throne for love They were mute all this while though their eyes spake an occult and magical language having indeed sometimes as great a power in love as the most rhetorical and pleasing tongues At last Araterus recollecting himself dissipated that kind of amazedness and conforming his body to his speech endeavoured with all the skiâ—l he had gained in that language to express himself Madam said he my silence it may be might cause you to suspect me and my stupidity render me as guilty of noxious intentions 't was nothing but the dazâ—ing lustre of your Majesty with the gravity of these Senators not being used to behold such state and glory that at first sight took away the power of speech and contracting all other faculties sent their powers to assist my sight in an intuition so pleasing and glorious I am a stranger Madam as you may well perceive by divers marks that make me different from your Nation And I was as I may say of another world but being upon the most caprichious element hurried on by the blasts of fortune and of storms I was cast on unknown Countryes through which I have travelled with danger and peril enough and at last being shipwrack'd on your Coasts I found an entertainment by one of your Subjects as generous as good till I had gain'd this smattering in your language which you hear who telling me the occasion of your approaching Wars he inspired me with a desire to serve you For this end I left his habitation with an intent to make you a proffer of my service Having devoted my self to you and entring the City this day being utterly ignorant of your Customes and Lawes and without any other design than of viewing the ornaments of your Pallace I have through my boldness and ignorance incurred a danger and I fear your Majesties displeasure But I hope my ignorance will exuscitate your clemency and gain a pardon for him who hath already devoted his life to your service and who desires no longer to live than that his life may be serviceable to your Majesty He had a very favourable audience of the Queen there being something of charms both in his tongue and face we were caused to withdraw and after a little while being brought in again Peomontile told Araterus that the Queen according to her wonted Clemency and natural inclinations of mercy to strangers and to those who were not wilfull Criminals had pardoned him his temerity and did accept of the service he profer'd That he should attend her after the Council was risen to receive those testimonies of her liberality which she was accustomed to give to those that so freely desired to serve her Araterus bowing to the ground with a very good grace gave her thanks for her favours which purchased him the kissing of her Robe a favour but seldome shewed they accounting all that belong to their Princes sacred Being departed we went to our lodging having our liberty by order from the Queen I perceived a great deal of trouble in the face of Araterus and discomposure in his looks Our long conversation and mutual miseries had made me very bold with him so that I asked him the reason of it He was unwilling at first to tell me accounting the cause ridiculous but at last he told me it proceeded from the beauty and splendor which accompanied the Queen and that he had endeavoured to allay those emotions knowing the disproportion between them but the more that he essaied it the more violent they grew He confessed he had imbib'd that which began to disturb his repose and which began to make him feel the inquietudes of those that love But accounting his most insulse and vain he was angry with himself for entertaining those motions though he knew not how to shun them I encouraged him in them and told him that 't was so decreed by heaven and that he was not to doubt it seeing that part of the prediction of Baercellizeg was fulfilled in our being brought to the utmost limits of the East That he had undergone the worst of the prediction and that he should not fear to see the best part also fulfilled I told him that this was the rich kingdom he shouâ—d possess Amarillis the fair and wise Princess he should enjoy That he might assure himself of her and therefore he should entertain those penetrations of love with joy and content Indeed whatever he said the thoughts of this Prophesie conduced much to his quieâ—ude inspiring him with hopes and banishing that despair the disproportion would have injected much supported his asâ—iring Love The Queen as we afterwards understood having felt those violencies and emotions which were raised in her breast at the sight of her prisoner and not being accustomed to the like wondred from whence they should proceed She could not imagine at first that it should be Love having to vigorously withstood all the Charms of her Adorers being the greatest and chiefest Princess in the East Endeavouring to divert those cogitations that this new disturbance raised she employed her self in ordering those â—mergent affairs which the necessity of state introduced Araterus presenting himself sometimes before the eye of her mind put her in remembrance of her promise and caused her to command Peomontile to see for Araterus whom he found walking in the Anti-chamber recogitating on the beauties and Majesties of Amarillis After their first civilities Araterus followed Peomontile thorow many Chambers into a fair Gallery supported with Pillars of Jasper and the Cornishes of Ebony set with Emralds and Saphirs At the upper end sat the Queen in a seat of lvory inlaid with Gold and precious stones of the Orient her elbow resting on the frame of her seat and her Crimson coloured cheeks kissing the lilies of her hands She was in a deep musing but at the first sight of Araterus she started into a composure and with a generous violence gave him a reception free from any open perturbation Araterus after his first reverence and permission to kiss the lower end of her vestment with the best of his language told her the immemsity of his desire to serve her This he performed with so pleasing and taking a language that not only the Queen but all those that stood
had against him either in assaulting him in an hostile way although her Armies were ready and sufficient enough to endamage him or to use that violence to him in the person of his Son which might satisfie to all the world That as the gods and the justness of her cause had rendred her victorious so her generosity and innate goodness had rendred her mercifull that thereby he might see she had no other ends then to conserve her kingdome in peace and prosperity though as he now knew she was able to defend her self from his and others Tyranny And lastly That she had sent him his son and had given him his liberty without ransome or intreary notwithstanding the wrongs he had done her and the ruin he had endeavoured for a requital of all her savours she had shewed him whilst he remained in her Court This letter so full of generosity and obligements wrought much on the King of Sinana who was raising an Army twice so big as the former to repair his losses and made him presently desist and receive those the Queen had sent with his son with caresses and acknowledgements The evil nature of that Prince was nothing moved with the Queens generosity and seeing himself out of her power he would have instigated his father against her and have perswaded him to go on with his levies but notwithstanding his insinuations the King sent an Embassador to the Queen with so many rich presents that it sufficiently ransomed the Prince and discharged the charges of the war giving him in charge also to conclude a peace more strict than before between them This was effected and they returned from the Queen very well satisfied with her generosity and liberality with presents worthy of her quality to the King their Master which as we heard he received with wonderfull acknowledgement and address Peace being thus concluded and every thing setled with prudence and care the Queen began to give ease to her thoughts and entertain those pleasing Idea's which in the midst of all her troubles often interrupted her The first thing she did was in rewarding those who had done valiantly and served her faithfully Araterus you may be sure tasted of her liberality she made him Birebasse or Governour of a province making him by her savours and his places the second in the Kingdome next to Peomontile There was none but said he deserved it and that the favours of the Queen could not be better bestowed the mouth of envy it self being stopt by his vertues by the port that he had carried amongst the people Indeed all spoke for him and desir'd to render him caresses acknowledgements his valour and vertue still lived in their memories and his continual Courtesie made it spring there eternally Truly his mediocrity was admirable for if in all his formet misfortunes I had noted a constancy hardly parallelable and that without dejection I could not observe in all his height of glory the least exultancy or pride but what he received was with a spirit full of tranquillity and he would never have received such high favours and honours but that he thought it would render him more considerable for his aspiring Love Indeed that still conserv'd its flames and all those heats that had agitated him in the wars proceeded from that he makeing me his confident often told me of its ardencies and how unsupportable they began to grow notwithstanding the hopes the prophesie and inclinations of the Queen inspired him with Those indeed maintained him in a tranquillity not usual with Lovers and conserved him from their disquiets a long time He found the favours of the Queen so obliging and her caresses and endearments so favourable that he began to hope he should arrive at the summe of â—his happiness The Queen being of an imperious humour had grievous contests with her love so that her soul was agitated continually with contrary and opposing thoughts And as she related her self to Araterus afterward they were such as these She considered the inequality between Araterus and her self that he was nothing but by her creation that her self was one of the potentest Queens of the East that she had out of an imperious humour refused the greatest Princes in the world that such a match would be a blur to her honour a grief to her Subjects and make her a scorn to her neighbours and to those Princes whom she had despised That to think to enjoy him any other way her vertue did prohibit and she believed that her kingdome could not tempt his Therefore she believed her love was to be despised rejected and strove against seeing it led her to such prejudice and inconveniencies This made her resolve often to chastise her self to hate her self and to account her self worthy of ignominy and scorn sometimes she would banish him or confine him to his Province or prohibit him the Court and by banishing him out of her memory repress those flames his presence fomented But this his innocency and what he had done for her opposed but chiefely love it self could not yield to his separation that exsuscitated for its defence such thoughts as these That although she were a Queen and enjoyed all the riches pomp and pleasure imaginable yet that Love was a content that far furpassed them all and so that if she should enjoy the greatest Prince on the earth it could not render her so happy as the enjoyment of one she loved should though ne're so mean That Araterus considering the disparity would without doubt want the imperious humours of Princes and make it the whole scope of his actions to serve her faithfully and love her continually That the gods never make any distinction of persons by their greatness but by their goodness not by their Nobility but by their vertue and that the meanest on earth if they follow the Precepts of vertue are capable of an Apotheosis and deification That seeing the gods respected not the Nobility of persons so much as their vertue they should endeavour to imitate them for the nearer they appproached to the gods in their actions the nearer they should be to them when extinct That her greatness and regality depended on the mutual wheele of fortune as if she should be cast from her Throne there would be but little signe of her highness greatness and regality That the Original of Soveranity was only usurpation got by the sword and fortune that in right the most vertuous should be the most noble That she was able to make Araterus equal with the greatest Princes in the East that what he had done for her had merited it that his valor and vertue deserved it that his person both for behaviour and make was not to be equalled that there was nothing to be objected to him but that he was no Prince which her love was to dispense with Between such diversity of thoughts she was continually cruciated and made her undergo a torment that could not be eased by
fear of punishment or hope of reward A Prince is left to his will so that his true nature will appear either vicious or vertuous when such as Araterus are often exceeding vicious humble courteous generous and what not in that estate which fortune hath brought them into in the world when coming to a Crown or higher pitch of dignity their former vertues are oft-times changed into vices and have made themselves as odious as they were before loved and esteemed Seeing then that men of mean conditions are so apt to fain those vertues they have not and to restrain those vices they are naturally prone to out of a lack of ability to act them and that if possessed with real vertues the danger of change of dignities and places most commonly works a Metamorphosis upon the heart especially from vertue to vice it will be far more safe for the Queen to take a noble Prince who having power to act what he pleaseth will not be changed when he comes to rule than one who it may be palliates his vices out of hope of reigning For you shall know how he acts as he is a Prince so may you expect him when he is a King Again consider how dishonourable it will be for the queen to stain that royal blood with the conjunction of so mean a person and for my part I believe that when the queen gave us this liberty of electing one to the dignity of enjoying her she never imagined that we would pitch upon one so inferior to her nor could she think that we could have any such thoughts as to believe she would ever act so unworthy her self She could not but think that we would elect a Prince amongst her Neighbours and many Sutours and because she would not be led by affection but by that which might conduce to the good of the Kingdome she remitted this election to us to choose which we thought best amongst those Princes that sued to her and I verily believe that if we nominate Araterus to her 't would make her take away the liberty she hath given us and repent her for our folly Do you think the people will subject to Araterus as their Soveraign to one whom they number among themselves and so inferior to the Majesty of a Prince The Sornaleans ' its true affect him much but not so much as to create him their King and I believe if ever he arrive to that dignity many which now love him will then hate him for these people were alwayes ambitious to have noble blood to rule them To conclude consider that the gods create Princes to rule and gives them only ability to reign well others indeed may usurp the place but they most commonly bring all men to ruin What I have said I hope tends only to the good of my Princess and the welfare and prosperity of my fellow Subjects Let all things be well weighed and considered that this man who hath ended a war happily may not bring upon us a peace implete with more misery Peomontile having heard Maurishia with a great deal of impatiency seeing him thus conclude and having an excellent memory he thus reanswered PEOMONTILE HIS ORATION My Lords I Beseech the same favour that you have granted my Lord Maurishia that is your patience and diligent attention to what I shall say I shall endeavour to answer this declamation and detect both his errors and weakness and I fear his maliciousness As we ought to speak here fully and freely for we ought to speak apertly and sincerely and as not swayed by the favour or fear of others so not drawn aside by the secret malice or grudge of our selves My Lord I doubt was conscious to his thoughts that he needed your candid interpretation of that which was not candidly spoken and covers the malice and envy he bears to Araterus with the vail of his 't is for the good of his Prince and welfare of his Countrey I should not speak thus bitterly but that the malice which runs along the veins of his speech urges me to it This business is weighty for by this conjunction we and ours hope for halcion dayes and therefore it is not to be concluded without debate The reasons and arguments against the election of forraign Princes I have before laid down which being yet unanâ—wered I think stand in some force among you I endeavoured then to shew you the conveniencies of our queens marriage with some younger Prince or if possible with one of this Nation The Qâ—een having graciously left it to our dispose ye all gave your opinions and I mine I had sought the whole kingdome in my thoughts and finding none fitter than this stranger I nominated him and that not without reason on my side I could give you many but they will be prolix and it may be I shall have a fitter occasion after I have removed those obstacles which my Lord Maurishia hath cast in against the approving of my Lord Araterus Their malignity is perpicuous enough though their weight is hardly considerable He first tells us of their disparity and therefore infers it is impossible to have a happy conjunction This may be answered in a word that there is no such disparity as he speaks of and although he cannot believe him to be a Prince yet the queen has and hath honoured him according to his dignity Those that are acquainted with him cannot but see all the marks of honour and nobility in his breast neither was it his own assumation or bragging that made it known but by an extraordinary way and contrary to his desire And why is it not a likely matter I pray that a Prince should suffer such common disasters as shipwrack and causial exil And what if he shew no desire to return being at such a vast distance from his Countrey and which cannot be effected without apparent danger of his life what and if he had no such ambitious mind but had rather serve the Queen than rule in his own Countrey must he for this be defamed and not counted what he is I am sure that as yet we have not found the least cause but that we should believe him and therefore I know no reason why we should not But however grant it were as my Lord Maurisâ—ia would have us believe and that there were such disparity as he speaks of yet that disparity of persons might not be any obstacle to agreement in affections as he would make us believe For the Queen I make no doubt will resolve to love and obey as duty requires him whom we shall choose and therefore it 's but a defacing those noble vertues of our queen to suppose that she should be so full of pride and disobedience as not to yield to him and the lawes of the gods being they require it If then she love him whom we chuse you need not fear but that amity concord and peace will continue they being altogether maintained by love There is no