and rest you of danger for sore haue I feared lest your maiestie should haue perished before you had beene aduertised Alas why in such dangers are you vnattended vpon when the foe is at the doore why is not the guard in a readinesse Ah royall Moscouite rowze thee and arise and honour the sequele of the greatest treason that euer was contriued Why what tidings bringeth Arsadachus said Protomachus Thus mighty prince said he yesternight very late when I entred Thebions chamber vnawares I found his page his master being absent laying certaine waste papers out of his pocket vpon his table perusing which as I was accustomed by reason of the neere familiarity betweene vs I found one among the rest where alas that subiects should be so seditious there was a conspiracy signed by Thebion Ctesides and others whose names I remember not to make your mightinesse away and Thebion to enioy the crowne the maner to execute their stratageme was when you least suspected this morning at which time Thebion by reason of his neere familiaritie and accesse to you should enter your chamber and murther you This paper when I had ouer-read I laide aside making semblance of no suspition resoluing this morning early to signifie the whole vnto your maiestie whose life is my libertie whose happines is my honour whose death were my vtter ruine and detriment Thebion a traitor quoth Protomachus are my fauours then so smally regarded is my curtesie rewarded with such cursednesse Well Arsadachus said he happy art thou in bewraying it and vnfortunate he and his confederates in attempting it for they all shal die This saide he presently attired himselfe laying certaine of his trustiest gentlemen in guard behinde the tapistrie of his priuy closet expecting the houre of a most cruell reuenge when as sodainely Thebion knocked at the doore and was presently admitted who had scarcely said God saue the emperour but euen in the bending of his knees hee was thrust through by Arsadachus and the other of the guard hearing the broile came and mangled him in peeces casting the residue to the Emperours lions according as hee had appointed Protomachus grudging at the sodaine death of Thebion began to chide Arsadachus for his haste saying that it was inconuenient for a subiect to be punished before hee were conuicted Conuicted said Arsadachus why doth your grace suspect his guiltinesse Beholde saide hee drawing out the poinyard which Thebion had at his back the instrumeÌ„t that should haue slaine you see saide hee taking the schedule out of his pocket the confederacie to betray you and should such a wretch liue then to iustifie No mightie Emperour my soule abhorres it the care I haue of you will not suffer it the loue I beare Margarita will not indure it The Emperour ouer-reading the writing and seeing the poinyard gaue credible beleefe and with teares of ioy imbracing Arsadachus he said thus Ah my sonne the gods haue blessed vs in sending vs such a friend who hath saued mee from imminent danger and will make me fortunate by marriage hold take thee said he my Margarita and with her enioy my empire and more take thou my loue which is so rooted in me toward thee that death may not vntwine it Arsadachus thanked the Emperour for this fauour and recomforted Margarita with sweete words being almost dead to see the stratageme passed Meane while the Emperour gaue present direction to hang all the other conspirators and put them to other tortures who presently without knowing why or licence to answere were tyrannously executed so great is the tyranny of princes which are subiect to light beliefe and led by subtil suggestions The rumour of this accident spread through the Court moued sundry imaginations in mens minds some praised Arsadachus some suspected the practise all feared for whereas iustice sleepeth being ouerborne with tyranny the most secure haue cause to feare among the rest Arsinous wept bitterly knowing in himselfe the vertue of Ctesides and remembring him of the murther of his deere Philenia hee could not cease but welme bedlam to crie out on the heauens whose tragedie we must now prosecute and leaue Arsadachus and his Margarita to their mery conceits and discourses Protomachus after that this late treason had beene discouered beganne to be more warie to keepe greater guard and to vse Arsinous and the rest of the nobilitie with lesse familiaritie who good old man hauing before time beene shrewdly hurt tooke this vnkindenesse to the heart for where greatest loue is there vnkindenesse is most grieuous for that cause almost desperate he sought out the emperour and finding opportunitie he humbling him on his knees beganne thus As Traiane dread Monarch was commended in Rome for bearing poore mens complaints so art thou condemned in Mosco for shutting thy gates against all kind of sutors so as nowadayes thou hearest by others eares workest by others hands and speakest by others mouthes where-through iustice is made a nose of waxe warmed and wrought according to all mens pleasures and the poore are left to complaine the which the gods if thou repent not wil shortly punish in thee Beleeue me good Emperour such as shut their gates against their subiects cause them not to open their hearts willingly to obey them and they that norish feare in their bosoms without cause make themselues guilty of some crime by their suspect Whâ—refore sliest thou the sight of those that loue thee shutting thy eares lest thou heare those complaints that haue already deaffed the heauens for equitie O prince looke abroad it behooueth thee doe iustice for it becommeth thee and heare olde Arsinous a haplesse father father doe I say being thus robbed of my children nay a desolate caitife and doe me right That iustice becommeth thee marke these reasons Homer desirous to exalt it could not say more but to call kings the children of the God Iupiter and not for the naturalitie they haue but for the office of iustice which they minister Plato saieth that the chiefest gift that the gods haue bestowed on man is iustice that therefore thou may seeme â—ightly descended of the gods vouchsafe me audience and to the end thou may boast thy selfe to enioy the least gift of the gods suâ—cour me Thou knowest my Philenia is â—laine but by whose hands thou knowest not thou hearest Minecius is murthered but by whom thou enquirest not thou hast rubbed the gall but not recured the wounde thou hast tempered the medicine but hast not ministred it yea thou hast refreshed the memorie of my griâ—fes very often but remedied them neuer Three moneths are past since thou hast made inquirie of my daughters death and she that I nourished vp twentie yeares and better is forgotten of all but her olde father lamented of none but Arsinous and can be reuenged by none but Protomachus O Emperour I heare their discontented griefe crying out in mine eares and appealing to thee by my tongue for iustice me thinkes bloudlesse Minecius standeth by
direction to gouern these sports They do said Margarita Then sit aside quoth he and giue place to your commander whereupon all the assembly laughed and Asaphus smilingly sate downe in the highest roome placing the Ladies opposite against theie louers and himselfe seated in his soueraintie began thus Since in bankets the place is not to be giuen for the maiestie but the mirth be not displeased though I preferre my selfe my subiects since I know this that I haue crothets in my head when I haue tasted the cup and no man is more apt to talke then I when I haue trafficked with good wine and were it not so you had no cause to waxe wroth with my presumption for as the mason preferreth not the attique stones in his building for nobilitie neither the painter his precious colours in limning for their liuelines neither the shipwright his Cretan cedar in framing for the sweetenesse so in festiualles the ghests are not to be placed according to the degrees but their dispositions for their liuelynesse not their liuelyhoods for where pleasures are sought for the person is smally regarded which considered I am iustified But to our purpose since loue is the affection that leadeth vs at him we will leuill our fancies canuassing this question amongst vs whether bee so best worketh by the eie the touch or the eare for of the fiue sences I thinke these three are most forcible Nowe therefore wee will and command you our masculine subiects said Asaphus to beginne to our feminine Philosophers and since you Arsadachus are of greatest hope incipe After they had all laughed heartily at the maiesticall vtterance of Asaphus and his imperious manner the yong Cuscan saide thus The Thebians in time past who confined vpon Pontus begat such children who when they beheld their parents killed them by their lookes as it faved with them so falleth it out with me who bethinking my selfe of those thoughtes which I haue conceiued in respect of loue am confounded in thinking of them such power hath fancie where it hath hold-fast I must therefore as they quelled the one kill the other or I shall die by thoughts as they did by lookes but since to die for loue is no death but delight I will aduenture to thinke talke and discourse of him and rather perish my selfe then suffer these pastimes to be vnperformed Our question is of loue faire ladies whereat you blush when I speake and I bowe when I thinke for he giueth me words to discourse and courage to decide for as Plato saith loue is audacious in all things and forward in attempting any thing hee yeeldeth speech to the silent and courage to the bashfull hee giueth industrie to the negligent and forwardnes to the sluggard making a courtier of a clowne and lighting on a currish Minippus hee softeneth him as iron in the â—â—te and maketh him a courtly Aristippus vnder his safeconduct therefore I will talke of him and with your patience I will satisfie you that loue hath soonest entrance by the eie and greatest sustenance by the sight for sight whereas it is stirred vp by many motions with that spirit which it darteth out from it self doth likewise disperse a certaine miraculous fierie force by which meane we both doe and suffer many things and as among all the senses the eie extendeth his power furthest so is his working most forcible for as the clay petrot draweth fire so the lookes do gather affection And that the forcible working of the eie may be prooued to exceed all other the senses what reason can be greater since according to euery affection of the heart or distemperature of the minde the radiations of the eie are correspondent if the heart be enuious the lookes dart ouâ— beames of fierce enuie as may be considered by that of Entelidas in Plutarchâ— Quondam pulcher erat crinibus Entelidus Sed sese ipse videns placidis in fluminis vndie Liuore infamis perdidit inuidiae Facinus attraxit morbum formamque perdidit For it is reported that this Entelidas taking a delight in his owne liuely beauty and beholding the same in a spring grew in enuy against the same and by that meanes fell into a sickenesse whereby he lost both health and beautie Narcissus neither by taste nor the ministerie of speech nor the office of scent affected his owne forme but his sight bereft him of his senses and the eie drew fancie to the heart for this cause the poets call Ladies eies Cupids coach the beames his arrowes placing all his triumph and power in them as the â—hiefest instrument of his seigniorie and that the eie only beside the ministerie of other senses procureth loue you may perceiue by these examples following Xerxes who despising the sea and scorning the land found out new meanes to nauigate and armies to choake the earth yet fell in loue with a tree for hauing seene a plantane in Lydia of huge greatnesse he staied vnder it a hote day making him a shelter of his shadow a louer of his loues and afterwardes departing from the same he adorned it with collars of golde and iewelles as if that that tree had beene his enamoured ouer which he appointed a guardian to assist it fearing lest any should doe violence vnto the branches thereof And what I pray you moued this affection in Xerxes but the eie A noble yong man of Athens loued so much the stature of good fortune erected neere vnto the Prytaneum that he embraced it and kissed it and offered a great summe of money to the Senate to redeeme the same and not attaining his suite hee slew himselfe and what wrought this in this noble yong man but the eie for this marble image had neither sent to delight the sent speach to affect the eare nor other meanes to moue affection it was then the sole force of the eie which conducteth to the heart each impression and fixeth each fancie in the same what resteth there then but to giue the honor to the eie which as it is the best part in a woman so hath it the most force in loue Soft saide Plicotus claime not the triumph before you heare the triall for if vertue and the whole praise thereof as the philosophers say consisteth in act let the touch haue the first place and the eie the second for lookes doe but kindle the flame where the touch both maketh it burne and when it listeth quencheth the furie Such as beholde Anter are healed of the falling sickâ—nesse saieth Arsadachus and they that sleepe vnder Sinilan at such time as the plant swelleth and beareth his floure are slaine Quoth Plicotus saffron floures procure sleepe the Amethist staieth drunkennesse by which reasons you ought to ascribe as much power to the scent as to the sight But heare me you detracters from the touch the hearb Alissus taken in the hand driues sighes from the heart Yea but said Arsadachus the mad elephant beholding the raine groweth wilde Yea but the wilde
A Margarite of America By T. Lodge Printed for Iohn Busbie and are to be sold in S. Dunstons church-yard in Fleet-street at the little shop next Cliffords Inne 1596 To the noble learned and vertuous Ladie the Ladie Russell T. L. wisheth affluence on earth and felicitie in heauen MAdam your deep and considerate iudgement your admired honor happy readings haue drawne me to present this labor of mine to your gracâ—ous hands and fauorable patronage wherein though you shall find nothing to admire yet doubt I not but you may meet many things that deserue cherishing Touching the subiect though of it selfe it seeme historicall yet if it please you like our English Sapho to look into that which I haue slenderly written I doubt not but that your memory shal acquaint you with my diligence and my diligence may deserue your applause Touching the place where I wrote this it was in those straits christned by Magelan in which place to the southward many wonderous Isles many strange fishes many monstrous Patagones withdrew my senses briefly many bitter and extreme frosts at midsummer continually clothe and clad the discomfortable mountaines so that as there was great wonder in the place wherein I writ this so likewise might it be maruelled that in such scantie fare such causes of feare so mightie discouragements and many crosses I should deserue or eternize any thing Yet what I haue done good Madame iudge and hope this felicitie from my pen that whilst the memorie therâ—of shal liue in any age your charitie learning nobilitie and vertues shall be eternized Oppian writing to Theodosius was as famous by the person to whome hee consecrated his study as fortunate in his labours which as yet are not mastered by obliuion so hope I Madame on the wing of your sacred name to be borne to the temple of Eternitie where though enuie barke at me the Muses shall cherish loue and happieâ—â—â— Thus hoping your Ladiship will supply my boldnesse with your bountie and affabilitie I humbly kisse your most delicate handes shutting vp my English duety vnder an Italian copie of humanitie and curtesie From my house this 4. of Maie 1596. Your Honors in all zeale T. LODGE ¶ To the Gentlemen Readers GEntlemen I am preuented in mine own hopes in seconding thrifts forward desires Som foure yeres since being at sea with M. Candish whose memorie if I repent not I lament not it was my chance in the librarie of the Iesuits in Sanctum to find this historie in the Spanish tong which as I read delighted me and delighting me wonne me and winning me made me write it The place where I began my worke was a ship where many souldiers of good reckning finding disturbed stomackes it can not but stand with your discretions to pardon an vndiscreete and vnstaied penne for hands may vary where stomacks miscary The time I wrote in was when I had rather will to get my dinner then to win my fame The order I wrote in was past order where I rather obserued mens haÌ„ds lest they should strike me then curious reason of men to condemne mee In a worde I wrote vnder hope rather the fish should eate both me writing and my paper written then fame should know me hope should acquaint her with me or any but miserie should heare mine ending For those faults gentlemen escaped by the Printer in not being acquainted with my hand and the booke printed in my absence I must craue you with fauour to iudge of and with your wonted curtesies to correct and according to Ecclesiasticall law giue vs on our confession absolution if you will not remember this that a countrie lasse for Ladies may tell them they curle too much and for Gentlemen that they are vnfashioned by their fashions To be short who liues in this world let him wincke in the world for either men prooue too blinde in seeing too litle or too presumptuous in condemning that they shoulde not Yours T. Lodge ¶ A Margarite of America for Ladies delight and Ladies honour THe blushing morning gan no sooner appeare from the desired bed of her old paramor remembring hir of hir Cephalus watered the bosome of sweete floures with the christal of hir teares but both the armies awaked by the harmonie of the birds that recorded their melody in euery bush began to arme them in their tents speedily visit their trenches Among the rest the two emperors the one Protomachus of Mosco the other Artosogon of Cusco considering with themselues the care Princes ought to haue that commaund multitudes the prefixed houre of their fight alreadie arriued sodainely armed themselues commanding their corronels by sound of trumpet to draw out their companies into the plain Then marched forth ech squadron deaffing the aire with their cries dimming the sunne with the reflexion of their costly curets their high lookes promised happy forwardnes and their haughtie hearts were portraied in their dreadlesse demeane At the last embattailed in due order the pikemen in a Macedonian phalanx the horsemen in their out-wings the shot as gards to the pikes al as protectors of their colours the fatall charge was sounded and both the armies marched forward to incounter when sodainly an old man whose sober lookes betokened his seuere thoughts whose morneful garments shadowed his melancholie minde bearing the Image of the Gods whom he most honoured betweene his armes and the homage a true subiect ought to haue in his heart thrust himselfe betweene both the armies when sending many sighes from his breast to famous pittie and teares from his eies to moue compassion he fixed both his hands on their knees who were neerely encountered to enter combate and began in their termes to perswade both the monarchs whilst both the armies withdrew their weapons to giue diligent attention to his words Stay your vnbridled furies O you Princes let not the world say that you who were borne to be the defenders of the monarchies are through your il-gouerned furies become the destroyers of mankinde Whereto tendeth this your vniust armes if for your priuate grudges oh how fond are you that to reuenge your mislikes are the murtherers of many innocents If to enlarge your signiories oh how vaine are you that seek to attaine that with bloud which you must keepe with care that labor to sell that with stripes which you haue bought with peace that trauel to loose your own estates and signiories for alitle name of souerainty Heare me O you Princes nay rather be aduised by me you haue spent huge treasures made many widdowes lost three yeares and for what I pray you for the right of one citie the whole confines and reuenewes whereof is not sufficient to acquit for one moneth of your charges O vnhappy Mantinea the cause of such hartburning O lawles name of seigniory the occasion of such sorrows Heare what Plutarch saith Ye potentates there is no warre that taketh head amongst men but of vice for either the loue of
wise-mens meanings Soiling the spring from whence his science flowed In all he gaines by perfect iudgement gained A hate of life that hath so long remained From height of throne to abiect wretchednesse From woonderous skill to seruile ignorance From court to cart from rich to rechlesnesse The ioyes of life haue no continuance The king the caitife wretch the lay the learned Their crowns woes wants wits with griefe haue erned The Iudgement seate hath brawles honour is hated The souldiers life is dayly thrall to danger The marchants bag by tempests is abated His stocke still serues for prey to euery stranger The scholler with his knowledge learnes repent Thus each estate in life hath discontent And in these trades and choice estates of liuing Youth steales on manly state and it on age And age with weakned limmes and mind misgiuing With trembling tongue repenteth youthly rage And ere he full hath learnd his life to gouerne He dies and dying doth to dust returne His greatest good is to report the trouble Which he in prime of youth hath ouerpassed How for his graines of good he reapt but stubble How lost by loue by follies hew disgraced Which whilst he counts his sonne perhaps attendeth And yet his dayes in selfe like follies endeth Thus mortall life on sodaine vanisheth All like a dreame or as the shadow fleeteth When sunne his beame from substance banisheth Or like the snow at once that dries and sleeteth Or as the rainebow which by her condition Liues by the Sunnes reflect and opposition Thus life in name is but a death in beeing A burthen to the soule by earth intangled Then put thou off that vaile that lets thy seeing O wretched man with many torments mangled Since neither childe nor youth nor staid nor aged The stormes of wretched life may be asswaged And with the Egyptian midst thy delicates Present the shape of death in euery member To make thee know the name of all estates And midst thy pompe thy nying graue remember Which if thou dost thy pride shall be repressed Since none before he dies is perfect blessed Thus sumptuous was the lodging of Protomachus but far more glorious the chamber of Margarita which seemed from the first day to be fashioned to her affections for ouer the entrance of the doores was drawen and carued out of curious white marble the faire goddesse of chastitie blushing at the sodaine interception of Acteon and her naked nymphes who with the one hand couering their owne secret pleasures with blushes with the other cast a beautifull vaile ouer their mistresse daintie nakednes the two pillers of the doore were beautified with the two Cupids of Auacreon which well shaped modestie often seemed to whip lest they should growe ouer wanton no sooner was the inward beauties of the chamber discouered but the worke wrought his wonder and the wonder it selfe was equalled by the worke for al the chastâ— Ladies of the world inchased out of siluer looking through faire mirrours of chrisolites carbuncles saphires greene Emeraults fixed their eies on the picture of eternitie which fixed on the toppes of a testerne seemed with a golden trumpet to applaud to them al in the tapistrie beutified with gold and pearle were the nine Muses curiously wrought who from a thicket beheld amorous Orpheus making the trees leape through his laments and as he warbled his songs the flouds of Hebrus staied their sources and the birds that beheld their comfort began likewise to carrol It was strange to thinke and more strange to behold in what order Art matched with nature and how the lymning painter had almost exceeded nature in life sauing that the beauteous faces wanted breath to make them aliue not cunning to proue them liuely Thus was both the emperor and his daughter lodged wanting neither delights of hunting nor other princely plesures to entertain them so curious was the good olde man in pleasing his emperor and master But among al other courtly delights Margarita met not the least who in this castle found a companion to accompanie hir in life and a chaste maide to attend her in loue who beside hir education which was excellent hir virtues such as equalled excellence hir beauty so rare as exceeded both was beloued by a noble lord of Moscouy who for his singularities in poetry science in feats of arms was rather the seignior then second of al the empire The enterchange of which affections was so conformable to the fancies of the princesse that she who was ordained to be the miracle of loue learnd by them their maners the true methode of the same for when Minecius courted his Philenia Margarita conceited her Arsadachus and by perceiuing the true heart of the one supposed the perfect habite of the other If at any time cause of discourtesie grew betwixt Philenia and her friend Margarita salued it hoping by that means to sacrifice to Loue to gratifie him in her fortunes which were to succeede How often would she make Minecius deserts excellent by her praise and he his Philenia famous by his poetrie It was a world to see in them that when loue waxed warm those louers waxed wittie the one to command the other to consent if at any time Minecius wrote an amorous sonnet Margarita should see it and if at any time Margarita read a sonet she would commend it to satisfie Philenia and in that Arsinous the father through the good opinion of Protomachus the Emperour thought not amisse of the marriâ—ge betweene his daughter and the Moscouite he rather furthered then frouned on their pâ—stimes and Minecius hauing aâ—â—iued her father and intangled the daughter in fancie soughâ— all meanes possible to satisfie her delights sometimes therefore vnder a pastorall habite he would hide him in the grâ—â—es and woods where the Ladies were accustomed to walke where recording a ruthful lay as they passed by hee through his harmonie caused them beleeue that the tree tattled loue such was his method in his melancholy fancies that his coate was accordant to his conceit and his conceit the miracle of conceits among the rest these of no small regard I haue thought good in this place to register which though but few in number are worthie the noting First being on a time melancholy by reson of some mislikes of his mistris he wrote these sonets in imitation of Dolce the Italian and presented them in presence of the Princes Margarita who highly commended them ouer the top whereof he wrote this in great Roman letters PIETATI If so those flames I vent when as I sigh Amidst these lowly vallies where I lie Might finde some meanes by swift addresse to flie Vnto those Alpine toplesse mountaines high Thou shouldst behold their Icie burthens thawe And crimson flowers adorne their naked backs Sweete roâ—es should inrich their winter wracks Against the course of kind and natures lawe Buâ— you faire Ladie see the furious flame That through your will destroyes me beyond measure
musicke cut off their merry talke and the sodaine disease of the Emperour brake vp the pastimes Whervpon euery prince and peere lord and knight taking leaue of their mistresses betooke them to their rest Onely Margarita in whose bosome loue sate enthroned in whose heart affections kept their watch being laide in her bed fared like Orlando sleeping in that bed his Angelica had lien with Medor each feather was a fur bush now turned she now tossed she now groueling on her face now bolt vpright hammering ten thousand fancies in her head at last breaking out into a bitter sigh she beganne thus Alas vnkind loue that seasonest thy delights with delaies Why giuest thou not poore ladies as great patience to endure as penance in their durance why are not thy affections like the figges of India which are both grafted and greene of themselues and no sooner sprung to a blossome but spread in the bud Why giuest thou Time swift wings to beginne thee and so long and slowe ere hee seaze thee I besâ—ech thee loue 〈◊〉 how she sighed when shee besought him plâ—ine thou the wings of Time lest he punish me for thy delay is so great that my disease is vnsufferable alas poore wretch that I am why prate I to loue or pray I for reliefe being assured that the beginning of loues knowledge is the ending of humane reason loue is a passion that may not be expressed conceiued beyond conceit and extinguished beside custome stay thy minde therefore foolish Margarita for it beganne first in thee beyond expectation and must end in thee beyond hope for as there are no reasons but nature to prooue why the swanne hateth the sparrow the eagle the Trochilus the asse the bee and the serpent the hogge so likewise in loue there can no cause but nature be alleadged either of his sodaine flourish or vehement fall his speedie waxing and slow waining Temper thy selfe therefore though loue tempt thee and waies thine oportunitie for the wanton if you fawne on him will flie you and setting light by him will leape vppon you Fond that I am why talke I thus idlely seeming with the prating souldiour to discourse of the forâ—resse I haue neuer conquered and of the fancies I shall neuer compasse Why doth not Arsadachus smile on mee as who knoweth not that the aspis tickleth when she pricketh and poisons that are delightfull in the swallow are deadly in the stomach why hath be not courted me these fiue moneths fond that I am the more neare am I to my fall for as the philosopher faith men are like to the poison of scorpions for as the sting of the one killeth in three dayes so the pride and crueltie of the other quelleth a kinde heart in lesse then a moment Woe is me I had rather neede Philoxenus to cure me of loue by his laies then Anippus to continue loue in me better were it for me to heare Tripander play then Arsadachus preach In these thoughts and this speech loue sealed vp her eies till on the morrow but what she dreamed I leaue that to you Ladies to decide who hauing dallied with loue haue likewise beene acquainted with his dreames On the morrow the day being farre spent and the court replenished with attendants Margarita arose and scarcely was shee attired but that a messenger came vnto her in the behalfe of the earle Asaphus beseeching her presence to grace his feast that day for that he had entertained and inuited Arsadachus and the best princes and ladies in Court by the Emperours consent to make a merry festiuall whereunto Margarita quickly condescended and thought euery houre two till noonetide at which time cordially attended she repaired to Asaphus house where were assembled of princes Arsadachus Plicotus and Sâ—â—lconos of ladies beside her selfe Calandra Ephania and Gerenia all these Asaphus entertained heartily placing them according to their degrees and feasted them with as great pompe and pleasure as he could imagine But when he perceiued their appetites quelled with delights their eares cloyed with musicke and their eies filled with beholding he being a Prince of high spirit began thus Princes and Ladies I haue inuited you to my house not to entertaine you with the pompe of Persia or the feast of Heliogabalus but to dine you according to the the directioÌ„ of the phisitions which is to let you rise with an appetite which both whetteth your memories and helpeth your stomackes and for that the after banker may as well please your humors as the former appeased your hunger I must beseeke you to rise froÌ„ this place and repaire vnto another where because the weather is hot and the time vnfit for exercise we will spende the time in pleasant discourse feeding our fancies with pleasant talke as we haue feasted our fast with curious cates To this motion all the assembly easily consented in that for the most part they had bin buzzing in their eares baiting their harts whereupon be brought them into a faire arbor couered with Roses and honisuckles paued with Camamile pinkes and violets garded with two pretie christall fountaines in euerie side which made the place more coole the soyle more fruitfull They all being entred this arbor A saphus being both learned pleasant witted began thus My ghests said he for name of Princes I haue sent them lately vnto pallaces now let each of you be thinke him of mirth not of maiestie I will haue no stoicall humor in this arbour but all shall be either louers or loues wel-willers and for that each of vs may bee more apt to talk of Venus we wil taste of her frend Bacchus for a draught of good wine if Lamprias in Plutarch may be beleeued whettes the conceits and be when he had drunke most debated best Aschilus therefore ere he had dipped his penne in the inks to write tragedies diued into the bottome of a wine put to find termes for as where the wolfe hath bitten most soundest the flesh is most sweetest so wheras wine hath warmed most hotely the tongue is armed most eloquently I therefore carowse to you my familiars and as I giue you licour to warme so will I crowne you with ioy and roses to alay then haue at loue who list for me thinks I am alreadie prepared for him This said be drunke vnto them and all the rest gaue him the pledge and being crowned after the manner of the philosophicall banquets they sate downe And Arsadachus spake thus Asaphus I haue heard that the motion is vaine vnlesse the action follow and delights that are talked of before such as like them except they grow in force breede more discontent in their want then pleasure in their report as therefore you haue hanged out the Iuie bush so bring forth the wine as you haue prefixt the garland so begin the race as you intimated delight so bring it to entrance Asaphus smiling replied thus Do then all these Ladies and braue louers giue me the honour and
bull tied to the figge tree and tasting thereof is no more wrathful said Plicotus ascribe therefore to the touch farre more then the sight heape all the argument that can be for the eies it breedeth the sickenesse but wee rather commend the hearbe that purgeth the disease then the humour that feedeth it the salue that healeth the wound than the corrosiue that grieueth it the floure that comforteth the braine and not that which cloyeth the same the touch therefore in loue should haue the prerogatiue which both reareth it and restraineth it and that the touch hath greater power then the sight what greater reason may be alleadged then this that we only see to desire especially to touch the furniture of all delight is the taste and the purgatorie in loue is to touch and want power to execute the affection as may appeare by this example In the dayes of Apollonius Tianeus who by euery man was held for the fountaine of wisedome there was an eunuch found out in Babylon who had vnlawfully conuersed with a paramour of the Kings for which cause the king demaunded of Apollonius what punishment the eunuch ought to haue for that his rash and bold enterprise no other answered Apollonius saue that he liue to behold and touch without further attempt With which answere the king being amazed demaunded why he gaue this answer To whome Apollonius replied Doub◠not you O king but that loue shall make him feele exceeding paines and martirdomes and like a simple flie he shall play so long with the flame vntill he fall to cinders And for further proofe the Egyptians as Ororius reporteth when as they would represent loue do make a net and the Phenitians describe him in a hand laide in fire approuing them by the touch which of all senses suffereth most and hath greatest power in the bodie Asaphus that was still all this while sodainely brake off the discourse saying thus What sense I pray you was that ye philosophers that perswaded Ariston of Ephesus to lie with an asse and to beget a daughter which was afterwards called Onoselino what sense had Tullius Stellus to be in loue with a mare of whome he begat a faire daughter which was called Sponano what made Cratis the Iloritane shepheard to loue a goate Pasiphae to fancie a bull◠Stilconos hearing that question replied thus Truely a senslesse desire which hauing no power of loue but instinct of life ought neither to be mentioned by modest tongues nor vttered in chaste hearing that loue which is gathered by the eie and grounded in the heart which springeth on the vniformitie of affection hauing in it selfe al the principles of musike as Theophrastus saith as griefe pleasure and diuine instruct that loue which the Graecians call Ghiciprion which is as much to say as bitter sweete of that we talke and no other which sacred affection I haue both tasted with the eie and tried by the touch haue found so many effects in both that as the sea ebbes and flowes by the motion of the moone the Tropi of Egypt waxe and waine according to the flouds and fall of Nilus so haue I by smiles and louers pleasures repulses found such a taste in loue that did not the eare claim some greater preheminence I should subscribe to you both but as loue beginneth by the sight and hath pleasure in the touch so gathereth he his eternitie from hearing by hearing Cupid a boy is made Cupid a god by hearing Cupid scarce fligd gathereth store of feathers for euen as breath extinguisheth fire in the beginning but when it is increased both nourisheth and strengtheneth it so loue that is couered members by the aire and scarce enabled and fashioned by the touch is angrie with those that discouer him but when he flies abroad and braggeth in his wrings he is fedde with sweete wordes and laughes at pleasant languish if he faint kinde wordes do releeue him if he be sicke perswasions purge him if hee misdeeme reasons recouer him in briefe by the eare loue sucketh by the eare loue thriueth and by the eare all his essence is fashioned and for that cause Melpomene and Terpsicore the Muses are gouernours of our hearing whereas not any muse or godhead hath any affectiō to the eie or touch for delight and gladnesse in loue proceedeth from eloquent perswasion which receiued by the eare changeth mooueth altereth and gouerneth all the passions of the heart Margarita blushing in that her turne was next draue Stilconos out of his text in this sort My lord saide shee if loue were gathered by the eare olde men for their wise discourses shoulde winne more credite then yong men for their worthy comlines or if by the touch loue had his triall the diuinitie of loue would be wronged by too much inhumanitie It must be the eie then which can discern the rude colt from the trained steed the true diamond from the counterfet glasse the right colour from the rude and the perfect beautie from the imperfect behauiour had not the eie the prerogatiue loue shoulde bee a monster no myracle and were the touch only iudge the soft Ermine for daintinesse the Seale for his softnesse the Marterne for his smoothe sweetenesse would exceede both Ladies best perfections and the finest skinne of the choicest louer If by the eare loue were discerned the Syren by her sweet song should winne more fauour then Sibilla for hir science and the flatterer should be held for the best fauourite let the eie therfore haue the prerogatiue which is both curious to beholde and emperious to conquer By it the heart may discouer his affections as well as fine phrases and more sweete hath oftentimes beene gathered by a smile then a touch for by the one we gather a hope of succeeding pleasure by the other a ioy in suspect for feare we be deceiued which beginneth in a minute and endeth in a moment All cattes are grey in the darke said Calandra and therefore good madam you doe well to preferre the eie Yea but said Ephania the eie had neede of a candle to light it or else perhaps the fatte were in the fire Well said Gerenia I will trust mine eare then for where neither the eie seeth nor the touch feeleth certainely by darke let me heare the words for they are the tell-troths Ah Gerenia said Stilconos trust them not for they that are false for the most part by day wil perhappes faile you in the night Leaue your talke quoth Asaphus and shut mee all these three sences in one and then tell me the felicitie when the eie shall giue earnest of the heart the heart take comfort by the eare the wordes we haue heard and the sights wee haue seene confirmed by touch this is the loue I had rather haue in mine armes then heare it in this place discoursed by argument Since therefore my subiects you are at my obeisance and vpon my direction are to doe homage to loue I giue