ensigne of iustice if reason be your Captaine generall to leade you I doubt not but soone to turne to a retire for if it be good will which you beare me I must néedes grant you duly deserue the like againe but when you are able to prooue it good will to deflowre my chastitie to bereaue me of my good name to dispoile me of my honour to cause me to transgresse the bonds of honestie to infringe my faith towards my husband to violate the sacred rites of Matrimonie with other innumerable enormities when I say you are able to prooue these to proceede from affection then will I willingly yéeld consent to your request But sée the vnreasonablenes of your suite would you haue me in shewing courtesie towards you commit crueltie towards my selfe Should I in extending mercie to you bring my selfe to miserie Should I place you in pleasure and displace my selfe of all ioy For what solace can a woman purchase hauing lost her chastitie which ought to be the ioy iâ—well and ienâ—me of all Gentlewomen of what calling and countenance soeuer Your appeale from your owne cause to my courtesie bewrayeth the naughtinesse thereof for if it be not ill why stick you not too it if it be good why appeale you from it But séeing you haue constituted me iudge in this case you know it is not the part of a iudge to deale partially or to respect the man more then the matter or to tender more my owne case then your cause therefore indifferently this sentence definitiue I giue I condemne you henceforth to perpetuall silence in this suite and that you neuer hereafter open your mouth herein being a matter most vnséemely for your honour and most preiudiciall to my honestie and in abiding this sentence if you can be coÌ„tent with honest amitie for the courtesie which I haue found at your hands and for the good wil which you pretend to beare me I promise you you shal enioy the second place in my heart and you shall finde me friendly in all things which either you with reason can aske or I with honestie grant Maechander hauing heard this angell thus amiably pronouncing these words was so rapt in admiration of her wisedome and rauished in contemplation of her beautie that though she had not inioyned him to silence yet had he not had a word to say and least his lookes might bewray his loue and his countenance discouer his case he secretly and sodainely withdrew himselfe into his chamber to studie what face to set on the matter and casting himselfe vpon the bed after he had dreamed a while vpon his doating deuises at length he awaked out of his wauering thoughts and recouering the possession of his senses againe he sung this mournefull Dittie Maechanders Sonnet O Cupid thou which doest in haâ—ty skies Amongst the great and mightie gods soiourne And eke that present art with terreine wightâ— To cause their hearts with louers lawes to burne To thee O God whose bowe and golden shaâ—â— Doth wound both gods and men alike And causest euery one to yeeld themselues to thee And subiects to become for all Dianaes spite To thee I make and sweare my fixed vowe If I by help of thee my wished ioyes attaine Then must I onely praise thy mighty bowe And subiect will to thee alwayes remaine By this time the Play was ended and his guests readie to depart whereupon he was driuen to come forth of his chamber to take leaue of them and bidding his mistres good night he gaue her such a looke that his very eyes séemed to pleade for pittie so that what his tongue durst not his eyes did His guests being gone he disposed himselfe to rest but loue willed him otherwise to employ that night which was in examining particularly euery point of her answere And though the first part séemed somewhat sharp and rigorous and the second conteined the confutation of his cause yet the third and last part seemed to be mixt with mettall of more milde matter which he repeated to himselfe a thousand times and thereupon as vpon a firme foundation determined to raise vp his building againe which the two former parts of her answere had vtterlie ransackt to the ground But mistaking the nature of the soyle whereon the foundation was laid his fabrike as if it had béen set in the sand soone came to ruine for by that promise of friendship which she kindlie made him he sinisterly conceiued hope of obteining that which she neither with honour could promise nor with honestie performe and feeding himselfe with that vaine hope in great brauerie as in a manner assured of the victorie he wrote vnto her to this effect Machander to Varrona wisheth what he wants himselfe ALbeit good mistres you haue inioyned my tongue to silence yet my hands are at libertie to bewray the secrets of my heart and though you haue taken my heart prisoner yet my head hath free power to pleade for release and reliefe Neither would I you should count me in the number of those cowardly souldiers who at the first Canon that roareth giue ouer the siege for I haue been alwayes setled in this opinion that the more hard the sight is the more haughtie is the conquestâ— and the more doubtfull the battaile the more doughtie the victorie And as it is not the part of a politike Captaine to put himselfe in perill without hope of gaine or praise so to winne the bulwarke of your brest I count it a more â—ich bootie then Caesar had in ransacking so many Cities and a most râ—â—e praise then euer Alexander had in subduing so many nations And though my presumption may seeme great in assaulting one as is your sweete selfe yet seeing in all degrees of friendship equalitie is chiefly considered I trust you will cleare me of crime that way neither would I you should thinke my flight so free as to stoope 〈…〉 the haughtie Hawke will not pray on carion so neither will courtlie silks practise countrie sluts 〈◊〉 because I 〈◊〉 that to be in you which both concerneth my caâ—â—ing and consenteth with my fancie I haue chosen 〈◊〉 to for the◠〈◊〉 of my deuotions humbly 〈…〉 that it may not be said your name hath bin called vpon in vaine â—hereby you may loose that honour which I in 〈…〉 vnto you The benefit which you bestow on me 〈…〉 the second place in your heart as I mus◠〈…〉 though somewhat vnthankfullie so must I craue a greater though 〈…〉 heart and bodie are yours 〈…〉 amends Weigh the matâ—â—â— vprigh 〈…〉 casâ— courteouslie and take compassion on me 〈…〉 Yours altogether Maechander To this letter â—e 〈◊〉 this passion MY boate doth passe the straights of seas incenst with fire Fild with forgetfulnesse amidst the winters night A blind and carelesse boy brought vp by fond desire Doth guide me in the sea of sorrow and despight For euery oare he sets a ranâ—e of foolish thoughts And cuts in stead of waue a hope
in the middest of his talke told him that to dallie with suspected friends was with the Swans to sing against their death and that if some had intended any such secret mischiefe it might haue 〈◊〉 better brought to passe then by 〈◊〉 the conspiracie therefore he did ill to misconsture of his good meaning 〈◊〉 his intent was to hinder murther not to become a murderer and to coÌ„firme his promise if it pleased him with his wife to flâ—â— out of Arcadia for the safegard of his life he would goe with him and if then he found not such a practise to be pretended let his imagined treacherie be repayed with most monstrous torments Lysimachus hearing the solemne protestation of the seruant attributed credit thereto willing him to abide at his house a day or two that thereby the man which should accomplish this stratageme being discouered he might with more securitie auoide the ensuing danger Now when the 〈◊〉 was growne by many houres aged Conscionato who had giuen Lysimachus to vnderstand of this intended purpose might espy where his fellow Christophero do mala mente came posting to his house amaine which thing after Lysimachus had knowne aiming himselfe for the purpose as hauing a sword obscured by the couerture of his cloake walked downe a groue which Christophero perceiuing and séeing none néer for his succour with his cutlax violently rushed vpon him but Lysimachus hauing euermore an eye vpon him with facilitie auoided the blowe and with such courage threw him to the ground falling vpoÌ„ his chest with so willing a waight that Christophero yéelded nature her one and Lysimachus the victorie He forthwith informed the chiefe officers of the cittie of these accidents who examining very effectually the matter found Maechander a duating leacher wherupon they not only amersed him a great fine to be paid to Lysimachus and Varrona but put him for euer after from bearing any office in that cittie Thus where these two louers deliuered from their enemies and reckoned now famous for their vertues through all Arcadia This strange euent spread abroade through all the countrie and as same flies swift and farre so at length it came to the eares of Syllanus who hearing by sundry reports the same of their forwardnesse how Lysimachus coueted to be most louing to his daughter and she most dutifull to him and both to striue to exceed one another in loyaltie and glad at this mutuall agreement he fell from the furie of his former melancholy passion and satisfied himselfe with a contented patience that at last he directed letters to his sonne in law that he should make repaire to his house with his daughter Which newes was no sooner come to the eares of this married couple but prouiding for all things necessarie for the furniture of their voiage they posted as fast as they could to the sea coast Where taking shippe and hauing a prosperous gale in a day and a night they were set on shore in Thessalia who spéedily arriâ—ing at their fathers house found such friendly entertainment at the old mans hand that they counted this smile of fortune able to counteruaile all the contrarie stormes that the aduerse Planets had inflicted vpon them Syllanus for the safe recouery of his daughter surprised with exceeding great ioy wait the last end of his liues legeÌ„d Lysimachus after the death of his father in lawe was created Duke of Hypatae and being willing to recompence old Procyon of a shepheard made him a knight Toxeus was preferred into the kings seruice being substituted Captain of his guard and because I will not blot from your thoughts the remembrance of all those actions Conscioanato by act of parliament was made BaroÌ„ of Cypera their farme in Arcadia made sure to Alexis Et haeredibussuis in perpetuuÌ„ These two louers thus floating in the top of louers gallantise transtreated the sea of their life in so peaceable a calme turning all their actions with the swéet consents of mutuall amitie that they were accounted the onely presidents of married gouernment What should I say they liued a mirrour to men a wonder to women and a maze to all which when it changeth expect for newes Now to close vp this comicall Catastrophe with a tragicall stratageme I will relate vnto you the historie of Valintine brother to Lysimachus and the fortunes of those two suborned villaines as in the beginning hereof I promised The Historie of Valentine and the two Beggars VAlentine vtterly forgetting the abuses which he had offred his brother thought himself so surely seated as no sinister chance or dismal influence might remoue She that is coÌ„stant in nothing but inconstancie began in a faire skie to produce a tempest thus It fell out as he frequented the court of Diocles King of Macedonia that he fired his eyes on the face of a noble gentlewoman named Fuluia daughter of Hermodius And as the mouse mumpeth so long at the baite that at length she is taken in the trap so he bit so long at the baite of her beautie that at length he was caught in Cupids snare And on a time as she was at cardes in the presence chamber this youth Valentine stood staring in her face in a great studie which Fuluia perceiuing to bring him out of it prayed him to reach her a bowle of wine which stood vpon a cupboord by and as he approached therewith to the place of her presence his senses were so rauished with the sight of her swéete face that he let the bowle fall â—oorth of his hands and retiring back with séemely shamefastnes went for more and being come therewith she thanked him for his paines saying I pray God that the fall of the wine hinder not my winning and bring me ill luck for I know many that cannot away to haue salt or drinke or any such like thing fall towards them Madame said Valentine I haue often heard it disputed in Schooles that such as the cause of euery thing is such will be the effect and séeing the cause of this chance was good I doubt not but the effect will follow accordingly and if any euill doth ensue thereof I trust it will light on my head through whose negligence it happened Fuluia answered as I know not the cause so I feare not the effect and in déede as you say hitherto you haue had the worst of it for that thereby you haue béen put to double paines If that be all said he rather then it shall be said any euill to haue ensued of this chance I will perswade my selfe that euery paine which you shall put me to shall be double delight and vnto me treble contentation You must vse quoth she then great eloquence to perswade you to such an impossibilitie Oh if it please you said he there is an Oratour which of late hath taken vp his dwelling within me who hath eloquence to perswade to a farre greater matter then this If said she he perswade you to things no more behoofefull for
made no better prouision for lights and other things necessarie then such as you speake oâ— they might soone haue slipt into the mire but as I perceiue by your words you are disposed to iest and be merrie so I am content for this once to be made the instrument thereof thereby to ease some part of the paines which you are like to take in receiuing such troublesome guests as we are and for our cheere you neede take no thought for it shall be so much too good for vs by how much lesse we haue deserued any at all your hands After this amorous encounter he caused the company to sit downe to the banquet and so disposed the matter that Varrona sat at the table right ouer against him whereby he freely â—ed his eyes on that meat which coÌ„uerted rather to the norishment of sicknes then to wholesome humors of health For as the finest meats by one in extremitie of sicknes resolue not to pare blood to strengthen the bodie but to watrish humours to feed the leuer and disease so though her face and lookes were fine and swéet and brought delight to all the beholders eies yet to him they wrought onely torment vexation of mind And notwithstanding he perceiued her beauty to bréed his bane and her lokes to procure the losse of his libertie that as the Cocatrice by sight only slaieth so she by curteous countenance only killed wounded his heart yet would he not refraine his eyes from beholding hir but according to the nature of the sickly patient which chiefly desireth that which most of all is forbidden him he so incessantly threw his passionate glaunces towards her that his eyes were altogether bleared with her beautie and she also at the length began to perceiue his louing looks towards her which made her looke pale in token of the little pleasure she tooke in his toyes of the great feare she had least some other shuld mark them wherby her good name might come in question The banquet being ended euery one of theÌ„ prepared themselues to heare a stage play which was theÌ„ readie to be performed But Maechander being able to play but one part which was of a poore distracted louer determined to goe forward with the tragedie alreadie begun betwéene Varrona and him and séeing her set out of her husbands sight placed himselfe by her and entered into reasoning with her to this purpose If faire Varrona this simple banquet had bene so swéet and pleasant to your séemely selfe and the rest as your sight is delightfull to me I am perswaded you would not haue changed your chéer for Nectar and Ambrosia which the Poets faine to be foode of the gods but séeing there was no cause of delight in the one the other containeth that in it which may coÌ„tent the Gods theÌ„selues I shal desire you in good part to accept the one and courteously to accept me worthy to enioy the other And though I haue not heretofore by dutifull seruice manifested vnto you the loyaltie of my loue yet if my poore hart could signifie vnto you the assaults which it hath suffered for your sake I doubt not but that you would confesse that by force of loue I had woon you were worthy to weare you For albeit by humane lawes your husband onely hath interest in you yet by natures lawes which being more ancient ought to be of more authoritie he ought to enioy you which ioyeth most in you which loueth you best endureth most paine for your sake And for proofe of natures lawes may it please you to consider the qualitie of the she wolfe who alwaies chooseth that wolfe for her make who is made most leane and foule by following her besides that my tytle marcheth vnder the ensign of iustice which is a vertue giuing to euery one according to his deserts that the reward of loue is onely loue againe I know you are not ignorant For all the Gods in the world are not able to requite good will the one belonging to the mind the other incident to the bodie but from the equitie of my cause I appeale to your good grace fauour and at the barre of your beautie I humbly hold vp my hands meaning to be tryed by your owne courtesie my owne loyaltie minding to abide your sentence either of coÌ„sent vnto life or denial vnto death Varrona hearing this discourse looked one while read for shame another while pale for anger neither would disdain let her make him answer nor grief giue her leaue to hold her peace but staÌ„ding in a maze betwéene silence and speaking at length she brake of the one and burst out into the other in this sort If sir your banquet had bene no better then this your talke is pleasant vnto me I am perswaded the dishes would haue bene taken whole from the table without touching but as the one was far better theÌ„ the company deserued so the other for a far worse woman might more fitly haue séemed if your sweet meat haue such sower sawce the next time you send for me I will make you such an answere as was made to Craterus the Emperour by Diogenes when he sent for him to make his abode with him in his court who answered he had rather be fed at Athens with salt then to liue with him in all delicacie so for my part I promise you I had rather be fed at home with bread water theÌ„ pay so déerly for dainty dishes Touching the paines you haue endured for my sake I take your words to be as false towards me as you wold make my faith towards my husbaÌ„d But admit they were true séeing I haue not bin the cause of theÌ„ I count not my selfe bound in conscience to counteruaile them only I am sory they were not bestowed on some more worthie your estate and lesse worthie an honest name then my selfe which being the chiefe riches I haue I meane most diligently to keepe The interest which cauellingly you claime in me as it consisteth of false premises so though they were true yet the conclusion which you infer thereof followeth not necessarilie For were it so that your loue were greater towards me then my husbands which you cannot induce me to beléeue yet séeing he by order of lawe hath first taken possession of me your title succeeding his your succession sute must néeds be cold naught for as your selfe saith of lawes so of titles the first are euer of most force and the most ancient of most authoritie Your woluish example though it shew your foxely braine yet doth it in force no such proofe to your purpose but that by my former reason it may be refelled for that the wolfe is free from the proper possession of any but therein truly you obserue decorum in vsing the example of a beast in so brutish a cause for like purpose like proofe like man like matter Your manly marching vnder the
in a fault whenâ—â— not so much as in thought I committed such a fact he hath to satisfie his malitious mind without cause deuised this false crime I confesse O Lord my selfe to be a most grieuous offender and to deserue far greater punishment but not for this deeâ—â— Heaâ— then my prayer and let the innocencie of my case pleade before thy diuine maiestie if it be thy will preuent his practises confound his counsels and let him which hath digged the pit for others fall into the 〈◊〉 himselfe Thou hast neuer as 〈◊〉 ô Lord 〈◊〉 the succourlesse without help but hast deliuered them which feare theâ— from all aduersitie Noâ— who hath trusted in thy mercie which hath come to mishapâ— or who hath 〈◊〉 his hope in thee and hath suffered harme So ô Lord if it be thy will thou canst disclose the deuise of this my brother Valentine and vnfold the follies of these false witnesses help thou ô Lord for in thee is my trust The people bearing the salcuâ—◠〈◊〉 â—ations of 〈◊〉 Lysimachus thought he had spoken these words to excuse his fault but not that he was guiltlesse of the fact giuing more credit to the speeches of Valentine and is the oathes of the man countenanced out by the Bourgomasters then to the 〈◊〉 of a yong man supposing his spéeches were more of custome to choake his follies then of conscience to cleere himselfe of that crime returned him backe againe to prison till the day assigned for his punishment Where beeing deeply grieued and yet smothering his sorrowes with patience he lay the rest of the day When night was come Fortune that was carefull other champion began to smile and brought it so to passe that as Lysimachus was walking vp the battlements of the Castell wherein hee was prisoner he espied from whence he might leape downe withouthurt and so escape away with securitie Glad of this as a man most valiant and trusting to his fortunes couragiouslie skipt downe with little preiudice which being performed he trudged amaine to the sea shore where boording a Foist which by chance there lay at Ancour hée boised vp Sayle as hauing the winds somewhat benigne purposing thither to direct his course whither Fortune and Aeolus would conduct him whom for a while we will leaue and returne againe to Valentine The morrow was the day of punishment and Valentine was so desirous to sée the execution performed that he passed the night with little sléepe but as soone as Phoebus had vayled the curtaine of the night and made Aurora blush with giuing her the Bezolas labras in her siluer couch he got him vp and dispatcht an officer to the Iaylor to produce his prisoner to execution who returned him this answere Non est inuentus This newes draue Valentine into a great melancholie that presentlie he went to the Sheriffes giuing them to vnderstand of this information whose hearts were so set on fire that they straight raised all the countrie and made hue and crie after him But Lysimachus knowing full well the secret wayes that led vnto the sea coast stole away priuilie through a part of the Prouince of Mygdonia and escaped safe to the sea Valentine séeing himselfe thus brought into a fooles paradize despairing of his brothers recouerie as a man carelesse what should become of him tooke horse and rode home where he trusted séeing the stop was remoued which galled him to the quicke to end the currant of his yéeres in all contented quietnes hauing heaued vp to promotion those two vassailes of sinne whose lamentable fortunes together with the principall member shall at large hereafter be declared These unexpected accidents compelled Lysimachus to leaue his natiue countrie Macedonia and in forreiâ—â— places to purchase more fauourable fortunes with whome wee will nowe begin Lysimachus hauing for the space of thrée or foure dayes sayled without descrying land sole Lord ouer the vessell as hauing none to comfort him at last he might discouer the coast of Thessalia whereon as a man ioyfull of land he was cast vpon which â—â—stening the Prince he chanced on 〈◊〉 that led into the chick of a Forrest where wandring without meate he was almost famished at last hunger growing on so extreame like a mad man he ranged vp and downe the woods seeking to encounter some wilde beast with a Iauelin which he made at his entrance into the chickâ—â— He had not gone far but he espied a Shepheard desirous therefore to be relieued by his fauours he saluted him thus Shepheard for so far thy attire warrants me courteous for so much thy countenance imports if a distressed person whom fortune hath wronged and the seas haue fauoured if I may count it fauour to liue and want may without offence craue so far ayd as to know some place where to rest my wearie and weather-beaten bones thanks thou shalt haue as thy due and more thou canst not haue for my abilities deny me to perfourme a déeper debt But if any wayes it please thée to command me vse me as far as the power of a poore Gentleman will stretch The Shepheard hearing him speake so grauely made him this answere Stranger your degrée I know not therefore pardon if I giue lesse title then your estate meriteth Fortunes frownes are Princes fortunes and Kings are subiect to chance and destinie Mishap is to be salued with pittie not with scorne and we that are fortunes darlings are bound to relieue them that are in distresse therefore follow me and you shall haue such succour as a Shepheard may affoord Lysimachus was passing glad and Procyon for so was the Shepheards name led the way who being desirous to infer some occasion of parly began his prattle thus If thou be a man of such worth as I valew thée by thy exteriour lineaments make discourse vnto me what is the cause of thy preâ—â—nt misfortunes for by the furrowes in thy face thou séemest to be crost with mishaps but whatsoeuer or whosoeuer let me craue that fauour to heare the tragick cause of thy estate Lysimachus séeing by the Shepheards lookes that he was desirous to heare the discourse of his fortunes briefly shaped him this replie In that your lookes sées my griefe and your thoughts pittie my woes my tongue shall giue you thanks the bountie of sorrowes tennant and my heart pray that the gods may be as friendlie to your flocks as you are fauourable vnto me How I arriued here gentle Shepheard inquire not least it be tedious for thée to heare it and a double griefe for me to rehearse it Procyon not willing to occasionate offence as hauing affection pourtrayed in his visage he conueyed him home to his house as soone as he was arriued there he began at the doore to entertaine him thus Sir this is my cottage wherein I liue content and your lodging where please it you you may rest quiet I haue no rich clothes of Aegipt to couer the walls nor store of plate to discouer any
trées the world elements and euery thing reuersed shall fall to their former Chaos Hauing thus plight their troth each to other séeing they could not haue the full fruition of their loue in Thessalia for that Syllanus consent would neuer be granted to so meane a match Varrona determined as soone as time and opportunitie would giue her leaue to prouide a great masse of money and many rich and costly iewels for the easier carriage and then to transport themselues and their treasure into Thracia where they would leade a contented life vntill such time as either she should be reconciled to her father or else by succession being the sole child her father had come to the Dukedome This deuise was greatlie praised of Lysimachus for he feared if the Duke her father should but heare of the contract that his furie would be such as no lesse then death would stand for painment He therefore told her that delay bred danger that many mishaps did fall out betwéene the cup and the lip and that to auoyd anger it were best with as much spéede as might be to passe out of Thessalia least fortune might preuent their pretence with some new despight Varrona whom loue pricked forward with desire promised to dispatch her affaires with as great haste as either time or opportunitie would giue her leaue and so resting vpon this point after many imbracings and swéete kisses they departed Varrona hauing taken her leaue of her best beloued Lysimachus went immediately home her merrie countenance giuing no suspition of mistrust at all Lysimachus poore soule was no lesse ioyfull that being a Shepheard fortune had fauoured him so as to reward him with the loue of a Ladie hoping in time to be aduanced from that condition to be the husband of a rich Princesse So that he thought euery houre a yeare till by their departure they might preuent danger not ceasing still to go euery day to his Shéepe not so much for the care of the flocke as for the desire he had so sée his loue and swéete heart Varrona who oftentimes when opportunitie would serue priuately repaired thither albeit her fathers prohibition to the contrary to feede her fancie with the sweete content of Lysimachus presence And albeit she neuer went to visit him but most secretly yet her oft repaire made her not only suspected but knowne to diuers of their neighbours who for the good will they bare to old Procyon told him secretly of the matter wishing him to aduertise Lysimachus of it that he would if it were possible restraine his libertie In the meane time Varrona was not slacke in her affaires but applied her matters with such diligence that she prouided all things fit for their iourney Treasure and Iewels she had gotten great store thinking there was no better friend then mony in a strange country rich attire she had prouided for Lysimachus and because she could not bring the matter to passe without the help and aduise of some one she made the old seruant of hers called Toxeus who had serued her from his childhoode priuie to her affaires who séeing no perswasions could preuaile to diuert her from her setled determination gaue his consent and dealt so secretlie in the cause that within short space he had gotten a Ship readie for their passage The Mariners seeing a fit gale of wind for their purpose wished Toxeus to make no delayes least if they pretermitted this good weather they might stay long ere they had such a faire winde Toxeus fearing that his negligence should hinder the iourney in the night time conueighed the Trunkes full of treasure into the Ship and by secret meanes let Lysimachus vnderstand that the next morning they meant to depart he vpon the newes slept very little that night but got him vp earely and went to his sheepe looking euery minute when he should sée Varrona Now see the valiantnes of a virgin or rather consider the force of loue which maketh the weake strong the witlesse wise the simple subtile yea and the most cowards most couragious For that morning Varrona attired her selfe in one of her Pages apparell and trudged out of the towne as if she had béen sent on some message and so fast as her faint legges but strengthened by loue could carrie her she hasted through the woods to the fields where the saint whom she only honoured was readie to receiue her who though at the first he knew her not but thought she had béen Cupid or Mercurie fallen from the heauens yet at length by her louing lookes cast vpon him he knew who it was and embracing her fast in his armes said If Iupiter swéete wench should sée thée in this Pages apparell no doubt but he would forgoe his Ganymede and take thée vp into heauen in his stéede O most soueraigne Ladie and Mistres what seruice shall I be able euer to do you which may counteruaile this kindnes what dutie can be a due recompence to this good will If I by any meanes can requite this curtesie I neuer doubt to be déemed vngratefull while I liue But accept good Ladie I beséech you that which is in me to performe which is the faithfullest heart that euer was vowed to Ladie which when it swerueth from you let the torments of Tantalus Tytius Sysiphus and all the ruthfull rout of hell be heaped vpon me Varrona hearing him so earnest said Few words most worthie Lysimachus are enough to win credit to a matter alreadie belieued for only vpon confidence of your constant faithfull heart towards me I haue thus vnaduisedly aduentured mine honour as you see desiring you not sinisterlie to thinke of this my attempt being boldned thereto by the great loue which I bare towards you by the loyaltie which I looke for of you towards me Ah said Lysimachus if I should make any ill interpretatiō of your vertuous loue and sincere affection towards me I were the veriest villaine on earth for I take God to witnes I take your forward will for such friēdly fauour that I doubt my deserts will neuer be able to answer thereto as I desire and with that he aptly ended his talk vpō her mouth Now frō thence they posted to the hauen where the Ship lay not daring any longer to stay for feare of apprehēsion by posts which should be sent after thē Whither so soone as they were come the Mariners were readie with their Cock-boate to set them aboord where being coucht together in a cabbin they horsting their maine sailes weighed anchor and haled into the deepe hauing a lustie gale in the poope which draue them gallantly forward But on the next morning about the breake of the day the aire began to be ouercast the winds to rise the seas to swell yea presently there arose such a fearefull tempest as the Ship was in danger to be swallowed vp with euery sea the maine mast with y◠violēce of the wind was throwne ouer-boord the sayles were torne the tackling
planted it in you For God and nature do nothing vainely or after a vile manner And in that some do amisse in rebelling against her their owne scrupulous nicenesse is the cause when they will impose vpon themselues heauier burdens then they are well able to sustaine and refuse those which nature hath appointed them to beare being indéede but light What talke you sir said she so much of nature and of creatures without reason as though we ought to follow either the instinct of the one or the example of the other I haue béen alwayes taught that reason is the rule whereby our actions ought to be directed and that we ought to lay before vs the déeds of creatures indued with reason to follow and imitate For if you stick so strictly to the example of brute beasts you should vse the company of women but once or twice at the most in a yéere as most of them do with their females whereto I am sure you would be loth to be tyed Madame replied he a Gentlewoman of this citie hath alreadie answered this obiection for me Why then quoth she will you condemne their doings in some points and place them for patternes to be practised by other some Yea why not said he otherwise you might generally take exception against the example of men for that some men in some matters do amisse The good euer is to be vsed and the euill reiected Doth not euery man so soone as his daughter is arriued to ripe yéeres trauaile to bestow her in marriage whereby she may enioy the fruites of loue and participate with pleasures incident to that estate whereby they plainely shewe that the cause why they beget them with pleasure and bring them vp with paine is to haue them enter into that trade of life wherein not onely themselues may liue happily abounding in all pleasure but also by the fertill fruite of their bodie make their mortall parents immortall that when they shall be blasted with age and withered away the issue of their seede may begin gréenely to growe and flourishly to spring to the great comfort both of father and daughter For what pleasure the Grandfather taketh in the sporting pastime of his proper daughters prettie children I thinke you partly vnderstand and what delight the mother taketh in the toyes of her little sonne you soone shall perfectlie perceiue if it please you fréely to followe the friendlie counsaile which I frankly pronounce vnto you For do you thinke if virginitie were of such vertue that parents would not rather paine themselues to kéepe their daughters modest maydes then straine themselues and their substance to ioyne them in Iunoes sacred bond Yes perswade your selfe if â—our mother were so assured she would rather lock you vp câ—ose in her closet then suffer any to enioy the soueraigne sight of your beautie or once aspire to your spéech whereby you might be perswaded to some other kind of life But she experienced by yéeres knoweth what is best for your behoofe and would you should follow her example and make no conscience to loose that which she herselfe hath lest which except she had we had mist so rare a iewell as your séemely selfe is which what a detriment it had béen to my selfe I dare not say least you should count vertue vanitie and truth trifling flatterie But to our purpose you perceiue as I said your parents pleased with the accesse of Gentlemen vnto you whereby you may conceiue their minde is you should accept such seruice as they profer and partake with those pleasures which they prefer vnto you Why sir said she you altogether mistake the meaning of men in this matter for when fathers tender marriages to their daughters it is not for any minde they haue to haue them married but onely for feare least they should fall to follie other waies for knowing the fickle frailtie of youth and our propensâ—ues to grauitie and weakenesse they prouide vs marriages to preuent mischiefes and seeing of euils the least is to be chosen they count wedlock a lesse euill then the lightnes of our life and behauiour Alas good Madame said Valentine why do you so much prophane the holie state of Matrimony as to count it in the number of euils whereas the Gods themselues haue entred into that calling whereas Princes pleasantly passe their time therein whereas by it onely mankind is preserued and amisse and loue amongst men continued of the woorthinesse whereof I am not sufficient to open my lips Sir said Fuluia I speake it not of my selfe but according to the opinion of the most wise and learned Philosophers that euer liued amongst whom one Aminius so much misliked of marriage that being demanded why he would not marrie answered because there were so many inconueniences incident to that estate that the least of them is able to sley a thousand men Why Madame replied he you must consider there is nothing in this mortall life so absolutely good and perfect but that there be inconueniences as well as commodities thereby incurred by that reason you may take the Sunne out of the world for that it parcheth the Sommer gréene and banisheth away the beautie of those that therein blaze their faces But to leaue naturall and humane lawes and come to diuine precepts proceeding from Gods owne mouth doth not God say It is not good for a man to liue alone and therefore made Eue for an help and comforter Likewise in diuers places of Scripture he doth not onely commend marriage vnto vs saying Marriage and the bed vndefiled are honourable but also commaundeth vs to it saying You shall forsake father and mother and follow your wiues Why sir said she and doth not God say It is good for a man not to touch a woman And if thou be vnmarried remaine so But why alleadge you not this text It is better to marry then to burne whereby is plainely shewed that marriage is but a meane medicine for the burning in concupicence and lust But because we entred into these misteries I could refer you to an historie where it is reported that in heauen Uirgins chiefely serue God and set foorth his glorie And Mahomet the great Turke when he was in heauen said he sawe there Uirgins who if they issued from heauen would lighten the whole world with their brightnes and if they chanced to spit into the sea they would make the whole water as swéete as hony but here is no mention of married folkes Belike said he those Uirgins are like your selfe and then no maruaile though God be delighted with the sight of them which perchance is the cause he hath them in heauen to attend vpon him as first Hebe and after Ganymedes did vpon Iupiter But generally of women the histories record that by bringing foorth of children they shall be honoured and inioy a place in heauen which must be by marriage if honestly But because I am perswaded that it is only for argumeÌ„t sake that you
disalow marriage and that you pretend otherwise in words then you intend to do in works I am content to giue you the honour of the field and thus far to yeels my consent to your opinion that virginitie considered of it owne nature simply without circumstance is better then matrimony but because the one is ful of perill the other fraught with pleasure the one full of ieopardie the other full of securitie the one as rare as the blacke swanne the other as common as the black crowe of good things I thinke the more common the more commendable I said she I haue gotten any conquest thereby I thanke mine owne cause not your courtesie who yéelds when you are able to stand no longer in defence Nay Madame say not so quoth he for in that verie yéelding to your opâ—â—â—on 〈◊〉 marriage better then virginitie for that it is more common neither would I haue you turne my silence 〈◊〉 this matter in lacke of knowledge or reprehend me if I spare to inforce further proofe in a matter alreadie sufficiently prooâ—ed no more then you would rebuke the spanniell which ceaseth to hunt when he seeth the hawke seazed on the paâ—tridge But you may maruaile madam what is the cause that maketh me perswade you thus earnestly to marriage which as mine owne vnworthynesse willeth me to hide so your incomparable courtesie enâ—â—rageth me to disclose which maketh me thinke that it is no small cause which can make you greatly offended with him who beareth you great good will and that what sute soeuer I shall prefer vnto you you will either graunt it or forgiue it pardon or pittie it Therefore may it please you to vnderstand that since not long since I tooke large view of your vertue and beautie my heart hath bene so inflamed with the bright beames thereof that nothing is able to quench it but the water which floweth from the fountaine that first infected me and if pittie may so much preuaile with you as to accept me I dare not say for your husband but for your slaue and seruant assure your selfe there shal no doubt of danger driue me from my duetie towards you neither shall any Ladie whatsoeuer haue more cause to reioyce in the choice of her seruant then shall your selfe for that I wil account my life no longer pleasant vnto me then it shall be imployed in your seruice Fuluia dying her little chéekes with vermilion red and casting her eyes on the ground gaue him this answere As I am to yéeld you thanks for your good wil so am I not to affoord consent to your request for that I neither mind to marrie nor thinke my selfe worthie to retaine such a seruant But if I were dâ—â—pâ—sed to receiue you any way I thinke the best manner meane enough for your worthinesse Immediately hereupon there came company vnto them which made them breake off their talke and Fuluia being got into her chamber began to thinke on the sute made vnto her by Valentine and by this time Cupid had so cunningly carued and ingraued the idoll of his person and behauiour in her heart that she thought him worthie of a farre more excellent wife then her selfe and perswading her selfe by his words and lookes that his loue was loyall without lust true without trifling and faithfull without faigning she determined to accept it if her parents would giue thereto their consent Now Valentine nothing dismayed with her former deniall for that it had a courteous close so soone as opportunitie serued set on her againe in this sort Now Madame you haue considered my case at leisure I trust it will stand with your good pleasure to make me a more comfortable answere I beseech you sir said she rest satisfied with my former resolution for other as yet I can make you none Alas Madame quoth he the extremitie of my passion will not suffer long prolonging of remorse wherefore I humbly entreat you presently to passe your sentence either of bale or blisse of saluation or damnation of life or death or if the heauens haue conspired my confusion and that you meane rigorously to reiect my good wil I meane not long to remaine aliue to trouble you with any tedious sute for I account it as good reason to honour you with the sacrifice of my death as I haue thought it conuenient to bestow vpon you the seruice of my life Alas quoth she this iesting is nothing ioyfull vnto me and I pray you vse no more of it for the remembrance of that which you vtter in sport maketh me féele the force thereof in good earnest for a thousand deaths at once cannot be so dreadfull vnto me as once to thinke I liue to procure the death of any such as you are If said he you count my words sport iest and daliance assure your self it is sport without pleasure iest without comfort and daliance without delight as tract of time shall truly maniâ—est But if you loue not to heare of my death why like you not to giue me life which you may doe onely by consent of your good will Why sir quoth she you know my consent consisteth not in my selfe but in my parents to whom I owe both duetie and honour therefore first it behooueth you to demaund their consent Why Madame quoth he shall I make more account of the meaner parts then of the head you are the chiefe in this election and therefore let me receiue one good word of your good will and then let heauen and earth doe their worst It is not the coyne countenance or credit of your parents that I pursue for to purchace such a treasure as is your good will I could be content all the dayes of my life to be obnoxious vnto all calamities so that you be mainteyned according to your desire and worthinesse Well said she séeing I am the onely marke at which you shoote assay by all meanes to get my friends good liking and if you leuell any thing straight me you shall not misse Valentine vpon this procured the Kings letters for in his fauour he was highly interested to her father in this behalfe who hauing pervsed them said he trusted the King would giue him leaue to dispose of his owne according to his pleasure and that his daughter was too néere vnto him to sée her cast away vpon one who for lacke of yéeres wanted wisedome to gouerne her and for lacke of lands liuing to mainteine her And calling his daughter before him he began to expostulate with her in this sort Daughter I euer heretofore thought you would haue béen a solace and comfort to my old yeeres and the prolonger of my life but now I see you will increase my hoaâ—â—e haires and be the hastner of my death Doth the tender care the carefull charge and chargeable cost which I haue euer vsed in bringing you vp deserue this at your hands that you should passe a graunt of your good will in marriage without my consent Is
of his eleuation vnto prosperitie vtterly casting behind them the remembrance of their former state and condition This Insolainder was so blinded with promotion that vpon hope of a little commoditie purchased by his maisters death sought as I said by all meanes to worke his ruine which being perceiued for God will not suffer such vilde attempts to be practised Valentine prosecuted the matter so earnestly against him that hée was throwne into prison where for shame of his déede and dread of deserued punishment he did himselfe desperately to death Now Delfridus séeing his mistres too firmely fortified in vertue to be by consent vanquished by villanie determined also by death to remoue the obstacle And as nothing is so impossible which frantike furie will not enterprise nothing so shamefull which vnbridled desire will not vndertake nothing so false which fleshly filthines will not forge so to bring his purpose to passe as Valentine on a time in ill time passed through a blinde lane of the citie he throwded himselfe in a corner and as he came by shot him thorough with a Pistoll which done he forthwith repaired home making grieuous lamentation but in a counterfait manner for the cruell murder of his most louing and affectionate maister as he tearmed him â—uluia hearing of this vnnaturall déede and by circumstances knowing Delfridus to be the authour thereof tearing her haire scratching her face and beating her bodie against the ground so soone as the flouds of teares had flowen so long that the fountaine was drie so that her speech might haue passage which before the teares stopped she began to crie out in this carefull manner O God what iniustice is this to suffer the earth to remaine polluted with the bâ—oud of innocents Didst thou curse Cain for killing his brother Abell and wilt thou not crucifie Delfridus for slaying Valentine Is thy heart now hardened that thou wilt not or are thy hands now weakened that thou canst not preserue thy seruants from the slaues of Satan If there be no safetie in innocencie wherein shall wee repose our selues If thou be not our protector who shall defend vs If the wicked vanquish the vertuous who shall set foorth thy honour and glorie or who will so much as once call vpon thy name But what meane I wretched wight to exclaime against God as the authour of my euill whereas it is onely my selfe that am guiltie of my husbands death It is I that pampred vp my beautie to make it glister in the sight of euerie gazing eye in the thriftlesse threed whereof this miscreant was intangled that to vnwinde himselfe thereout â—ée hath wrought all this mischiefe It is I that would not detect his doings to the view of the world whereby the perill which hung ouer my husbands head might haue bée â—e prâ—uented And séeing I haue beene the cause of his death shall I béeing a murderer remaine aliue Did 〈◊〉 seeing the dead carkasse of her husband Câ—iâ— cast on shore willinglie cast her selfe into the Sea â—o accompanie his death and shall I sée my sweete belouâ—d true Valentineâ—laine â—laine and not drinke of the same cup Did true 〈◊〉 goare hee gorgeous bodie with the same sword wherewith princely Pyramus had prickâ— himselfe to the heart and are not my hands strong ynough to do the like Did Iulietta die vpon the corps of her Romeo and shall my bodie remains on earth Valentine being buried No gentle death come with thy direfull dart and pierce my painefull soule and with one death rid me out of a thousand at once For what thought do I thinke on my Valentine which doth not procure me double death What thing do I see belonging to him which is not a treble torment vnto me But it is cowardlinesse to wish for death and courage valiantly to take it Yes I can and will bestow my life for my Valentines sweete sake But O God shall the varlet remaine aliue to triumph in his treacherie and vaunt in his villanie Shall I not loe his fatall day before my finall end It is his blood that will be a most sweete sacrifice to the ghost of my Valentine and then can I end my life contentedly when I haue offred vp this acceptable sacrifice And vntill such time as I haue opportunitie hereto I will prolong my wofull dâ—yes in direfull griefe and only the hope of reuenge shall heauilie hold my loathsome life and sorrowfull â—oule together For other canâ—â— why I should desire life I haue not for that I am vtterly depriued of all ioyes of life For as the bird that is bruised with some blow lieth aloft in the â—eaues and heares his fellowes sing and is not able to vtter one warbling note out of his mournefâ—â—l voice but rather hates the harmony which other birds do make so I my heart being broken sit solitary alone and see some hâ—ng about their husbands necks some closely clip them in their armes some trifle with them some talke with them all which redoabâ—â— my paine to thinke my selfe destitute of those pleasures yea to a wretched wounded heart that dwels in dole euery pleasant sight turnes to bitter anguish and the onely obiect which shall euer content my eyes shall be the destruction of that Iudas which hath brought me to this desolation Now Delfridus thinking that time had taken away her â—eares and sorrow and supposing that neither she or any other had suspected him for the murder of Valentine began to enter into she lifts of luâ—â— againe and with a new encounter of incontinencie to set vpon her But she so much abhorred him that if she had but heard his name it caused her nature to faile in her and all her senses to faint so that when he sawe no possibilitie to impell her to impictie he meant to sollicite her in the way of marriage and caused her neere kinsfolks and friends to moue his suite vnto her for he was a man well countenanced of many who laboured very earnestlie in the matter and were so importunate vpon her that no answere would satisfie them Now Fuluia seeing she could not be rid of her friends and foreseeing that by this meanes she might be fréed from her enemie agreed to take him to husband And the day of solemnizing the marriage being come they went togither to the temple of Diana where all things according to custome being consummated the Bride-wife as the vse was dranke to her husband in wine as he thought but indeed in poison which she had prouided of purpose and when she saw he had drunke vp his death she said vnto him Go now and in steed of thy marriage bed get thee a graue for thy marriage is turned to murder a punishment iust for thy outragious lost and mercilesse designement for vengeance asketh vengeance and blood blood and they that sowe slaughter shall be sure to reape rume and destruction Now Delfridus hearing these words and féeling the force of the poison to worke within him assayed all