spread He had also had notice with what violence the Commons to shew themselves passionate for the Kings service pursued Poliarchus seeing that being perswaded He was in Timocleas house had runne thither and without any respect had violently entred in 't to take and make Him prisoner In which having had no successe because Poliarchus was in a place of safety They neverthelesse discharged their choller upon His Fellow the Prince of Mauritania who was at last constrained to suffer Himselfe to be led captive unto Meleander as if it had beene He whom they sought after Arsidas then who had seene all these violences came to give Argenis notice of the state of Her Poliarchus His affaires At these pleasing news She was as much troubled to keepe backe Her soule and to hinder it from leaving the body as She had beene in the excesse of Her griefe But Joy setled Her minde againe insomuch that the rayes of this Sunne of the Court began to appeare againe During which time newes were brought unto Her that Poliarchus was led as a prisoner unto the Court But the intelligence which She had received by Arsidas of Archombrotus accident hindred this ill rumor from making an impression upon Her spirit So that this cloud was soone over As the Commons which had taken him were arrived at Court one of the Captaines of the Guard seeing so faire a prisoner in the hands of rusticall men ask'd of him who conducted Him what that Cavalleere had done whom they us'd so rigorously This Head of the common people having replyed that it was Poliarchus whom the King had commanded should be taken that He might be punish'd according to justice He began to smile and said unto this people that to speake the truth they had shewed their fidelity for the Kings service but that they had not sped in this occasion seeing their prisoner was not Poliarchus which was sought for Neverthelesse He was led before Meleander who after He had praised His subjects zeale address'd Himselfe unto Arcombrotus and made Him a thousand excuses for this offence happened not by His command but by the ignorance of this people who had mistaken themselves in His person The Prince of Mauritania though full of rage to see Himselfe so unworthily abused neverthelesse dissembled His choler making His complement with a very comely behaviour most humbly desired Him to believe that in what manner soever He could bee brought before Him He held it alwaies for a singular glory that He had the meanes to offer Him His service In fine neverthelesse shewing Himselfe more sensible of the injury done to His friend then to Himselfe He could not hinder Himselfe from representing his complaint and said with a haughty courage unto Meleander But concerning Poliarchus His disgrace which hath beene the subject of my mis-fortune Your Majesty will give me leave to tell Him that if accusations make crimes there will bee no innocence assured in the world since that the most just will by this meanes be exposed unto the rage of slander which is perpetually about Princes eares to surprise and give them all manner of ill impressions against those which they would put out of favour Your Majesty may be pleased to remember Licogenes his brazen face and the insolency of all his confederates Doe not You imagine also that those who have made such an outrage against the Crowne will spare Your best Servants Those who conspire against Kings and that will have their Empires to grow desolate doe first endeavour to corrupt and seduce those whom they know to bee most passionate for their service and when they cannot doe it make use of other crafts to cause their Masters to suspect their fidelity to the end that daring not to trust them any more they should remaine wholly â—â—â—sefull unto them I have learn'd of a Lady of this Court who by chance was in company with that Cavalleer when I first saw Him the great assistance which He hath given You in the Warre that those seditions have most unhappily kindled in the middest of Your Kingdome and the hurt which He hath done to Your enemies The griefe which they have conceived thereat hath caused them to seeke out the meanes to make Him away by open violence that they might rob You of that powerfull prop of Your State But this designe having fayled by the great valour that was in Him whom these cowards assaulted They now have had recourse unto vayled artificiall deceits And to circumvent Your goodnesse doe father upon an innocent the odiousnesse of an action where there 's no crime but that which proceeds from their perfidiousnesse Your Majesty who hath purchas'd so much glory by the true execution of Justice not onely amongst His subjects but also amongst strangers will reserve if He pleases an eare for Poliarchus to learne by His owne mouth the particulars of this encounter which troubles all Your Court and may be pleased to remember that though He were guilty it would alwaies bee a kinde of injustice to condemne Him and not heare His reasons And if Your Majesty will grant that I may finde out the truth of this businesse by those meanes which are used amongst Cavalleers I offer my selfe to enter in combate against the authors of this slaunder I am sure that having the Gods whom they have offended for their enemies and that having a continuall remorse in their consciences their armes will fall from their hands and that their cowardise will bee a visible proofe of the infamous treason whereof they have beene the inventors The King who was a generous Prince was not offended at Archombrotus His freedome but by the mildnesse of His face and speeches testified altogether the beliefe He had of Poliarchus His innocence and the esteeme He made of His friends great courage who offered Himselfe so freely to fight in the behalf of His cause All the Court made acclamations of joy at this lofty testimony which the Prince of Mauritania rendred unto Poliarchus Argenis who tooke the best part therein thank'd him with much curtesie and by this civility did put Herselfe in danger to spoile all seeing that Archombrotus who had nothing of the Moore but the name being kept backe in Her Fathers service and having gotten the reputation of the most valiant Cavalleere in the world after Poliarchus was surprised with vanity which made Him so farre to forget all His promises that He became His friends Rivall and endeavoured to rob Him of the Princesse In the meane time Argenis sends a dispatch by Arsidas to Poliarchus conjures Him by Her letters to believe that all these crosses of fortune were usefull onely to encrease Her love rather then to diminish it that Argenis will never be to any but to Poliarchus that She passionatly desired She might assure Him thereof with Her owne mouth but that She feares least comming to Court He should be knowen therefore let him take the surest party and if He thinkes
tokens which He gave of His contentment the teares were seene to trickle downe His cheekes in such abundance that all the company was astonied thereat At the instant forgetting Himselfe a little in point of ciuility He left the Prince of France alone and drew the Moore aside as to entertaine Him more privatly and with more liberty this negligence was nothing to what followed holding of Him aside takes Him about the necke imbraces and kisses Him and gives Him the most sensible testimonies which He could wish of His affection Not contented with that He sent in all hast for His Daughter to whom as She arrived He said softly some few words accompanied with an action which seemed to be an image of joy in His heart The Princesse taking no heed to what was so neere unto Her advances to salute the Moore with visible signes of Love Poliarchus remaines astonied at this spectacle and knowes not how to behave Himselfe but judging by the good entertainment which Argenis gave unto Archombrotus that all his hopes were ruinated and that His rivall was going to triumph with His pursuits yielded unto despaire and in the bitternes of His thoughts began to say within His soule Is this then the fruit of so many paines which I have taken and so many hazards which I have runn'd to assure My selfe of the love of this prodigious inconstancy She to whom the most violent rigors of a Father with a thousand Martyrdomes ought not to have chang'd nor altered suffers Herselfe to be surpris'd by some flatteries which this Old man rounds Her in the eare What mountaines of gold What perpetuall springs of felicity have beene promissed Her thus to change Her affection and alter Her minde unfortunate Queene of Mauritania a scion of the old stock what characters and inchantments host thou made upon those letters to print upon them that force and give them that power to cause so monstruous a change and to ruinate in so small a time that which I had built with so long a patience How am I punished of the folly which I have committed trusting in the words of a Woman and unto the promisses of a Damzell whereof the cunning and lightnesse qualities unseparable to that sexe ought to have made me to suspect them more then the Winds which have brought and driven me on this infamous Shore But however If Poliarchus hath beene deceaved He can take such a cruel vengeance that neither the Authors nor confederates of this perfidiousnesse shall have no great cause to build triumphs nor erect trophies to their vanity This wretched Old man who by the artificiall deceits whereof He is full hath alwayes opposed my contentments and these two insolent Lovers who sport at the ship-wracke of my fortune shall be the sacrifices of My fury But it is not all I will also dye to the end my Ghost may pursue and persecute that ungratefull Argenis unto the Throne of the immortall Gods Before whom I will reproach Her prodigious infidelity that a thousand oathes taken in their name ought to have stayed if She had had the feeling and beliefe which She should have had of their power and justice It is apparent that it was Poliarchus His good Genius or the Tutelary Angell of Sicily which busied His Spirit in these Tragick thoughts to stay His designe and to divert Him during as much space as needed to give Meleander and Argenis time to remember themselves and to come and make their excuses As He was then upon the point to goe and execute so furious a designe and to put Meleander Argenis and His Rivall out of the world and after this bloody execution to run His sword through His body and by that meanes to leave Tragick tokens of His jealousie and despite Those who seemed to have too much neglected Him came to themselves againe and perceaving their fault went towards Him to make their excuses and discover the cause of this joy which having ravish't them out of themselves had made them to forget all civility Poliarchus finds the charmes of His fury and frensie in their discourses and reasons The Moore is acknowledged to be Argenis's Brother the Queene of Mauritania had discovered the History by Her letters and had given such good tokens unto Meleander that He could not doubt but that He was His Sonne and the true Heire of the two Crowns insomuch that Archombrotus receiving the succession of His Estates left freely the possession of the Princesse His sister unto Poliarchus who would not have changed it with a thousand Scepters Meleander seing that the most part of the assistants vnderstood nothing in these wonders and that every one desired a more particular enlightning tooke the word and making a short discourse of the voyage which He had made in Affricke during the heat of His youth avowed that He had beene enamoured of a Beauty whose favour having purchas't He had at last married Her secretly and that His affaires having called Him backe into Sicily He had left Her with child of a Sonne which was Archombrotus whom since Hyanisbe seeing Herselfe without children by the King Her husband had supposed fayning to have beene brought a bed of Him that She had beene induc't thereunto because Her Sister which was She whom He had loved seing Herselfe ready to dye in childe-bed had discovered the Secret unto Her Therefore it was not to be doubted but that Archombrotus was Argenis's Brother to whose marriage for that cause He could not aspire but left the free possession of her unto Poliarchus an Incomparable Prince and worthy the Alliance of the greatest Princesse of the earth and accordingly if ever Sicily had seene Her selfe at the height of good Fortune it was now where the destinies had brought it unto by unknowne meanes unto men that therefore all the World should give signes of a publike gladnesse and that every one should runne unto the Temples of their Gods to give them a thousand thankes for so many blessings showred downe upon His Crowne At these words the people was seene transported with a secret ravishment by giving such testimonies of joy amongst their Feasts and Sacrifices Meleander with Archombrotus consent offers the Kingdome of Sardany unto Poliarchus for Argenis's Marriage Poliarchus being marvellous well contented makes ouverture of an Alliance for Archombrotus with a Sister of His Daughter of France which doth accept this glorious party with a thousand thankes so that the two Crownes of France and Sicily remained united with such strong Bonds that it seemed the destinies would make this Alliance perpetuall On the other side Poliarchus sees Himselfe at the height of His desires seeing that He was in possession of Her whom He loved more dearely then His owne life Truely even as the rigours of a long Winter causes the Spring to be found more pleasing so all the crosses which He had suffered in this pursuit caused Him to finde the enjoying of it so much the sweeter FINIS
foot all this pride of the earth to the end She might render Her victories so much the more glorious by such magnificent ruines and Her Trophies the more illustrious by such noble spoiles But if amongst those Tragick accidents She doth afford some cause of contentment She doth temper it with so much bitternesse that ordinarily there is more prickles then Roses found in Royalty This History is a lively portraiture therof and causes us to see remarkable examples in it Meleander King of Sicily possessing a rich State and seeing himselfe adored by His subjects who tasted with an extraordinary delight the mildnesse of His government thought to be arrived at the height of His glory And that He might say he was happy on all sides He was Father of a Daughter so accomplished in all kinds of perfections that those who saw Her imagined that Heaven had assembled all the treasures of beauty and gathered all the riches of comlinesse to forme this lofty Master-peece of nature He imagined that this yong Sunne should be the ornament of his Crowne the prop of his State the delight of his Life and the consolation of his Old age But men are ignorant of their destinies and know not what may befall them The event then made Him know that as the greatest lights are subject unto the greatest shadows so the greatest prosperities are exposed unto the greatest accidents therefore one must not so much trust unto the favours of Fortune but that one must dread Her inconstancy Argenis then was the name of the Heire of Sicily which ought to be as a living spring of all goodnesse to Her Father and Her State sees Her selfe to be the subject of a furious and bloody warre raised by a Prince one of Meleander's subjects who having had the temerity to aske Her in marriage received the refusall which his presumption merited The image of this contempt made such a furious impression upon this wilde and ambitious spirit that to take revenge hee resolved to put the Father out of the world and to steale away the Daughter to crowne his parricide This execrable designe had come to passe if the Divinity which hath a speciall care of Crownes and which loves Kings had not miraculously put by the misfortune whereof the Sicilian Scepter was threatned All Europe and Affrick also were filled with the rumor of Argenis's beauty which was placed amongst the wonders of the world and nature A thousand yong couragious spirits taken with Her love had resolved to serve Her and to imploy all their industry and valour to insinuate themselves in Her favour Amongst the rest Poliarchus Prince of France and Heire of one of the fairest Crownes in the world suffering Himselfe to bee transported with this passion sought out for this glory with more successe then wisedome But ought one to looke for any in love Imagining in Himselfe that an extraordinary beauty merited no common pursuits Hee left his Kingdome and taking a Gentlewomans habit crossed the sea and went to Sicily where He informed Himselfe diligently of the place where the Princesse was to whom He desired with so much passion to offer His service Meleander fearing least despaire should cause Lycogenes to procure some shame unto Her had placed Her in a strong Hold where She passed the time with Her maids being visited of none but Her Father who sometime going from Syracuse which was not farre from thence came to see Her and stayed with Her to divert Himselfe in Her company Poliarchus following His designe goes that way and spying the meanes to enter in this agreeable solitarinesse takes His journey towards Syracuse where being arrived He finds by good fortune Solenissa Argenis'ses Governesse within the Temple of Iuno where She was at Her devotions He had learn'd in what ranke she was with the Princesse He cals her aside and having cast Himselfe at her feet beseeches her to take pitty on the most unfortunate Lady which the Sunne shined on on earth and to give Her the meanes to tell Her some thing which could not be knowne to any but she unto whom She brought letters from a great Princesse The Strangers comely behaviour the novelty of Her habit and Her language which shewed She was not of the Court of Sicily caused in Selenissa a desire to learne what She would say Then going out of the throng She leads Her to her sisters house and entred alone in a Closet fit to receive Her most secret thoughts Then Poliarchus kissing the letters gives them unto Her and at last leads so happily this enterprize that He causes himselfe to be taken for a French Princesse which the rage of Her Vncle had driven into Sicily to looke out for the refuge and surety which She could not finde in Her Realme amongst Her friends My name said he is Theocrine the Kings daughter and Sister unto the Heire of the Crowne of France whom this parricide who hath procured all my mis-fortunes hath caused to be poisoned that hee might usurpe his Diadem That which made her to give more faith unto his words was that calling a Freed slave who gave Her a Cabinet which She had committed to his charge She drew forth the most exquisite riches and the fairest precious stones that were ever seene in Europe then with a magnificence which truely resembled a great Princesse gave such a great number unto Selenissa that at the instant suffering her selfe to bee dazled with their sparkling and radiation She bound her selfe with a strong tye of affection unto Poliarchus which she took for Theocrine Whereupon Theocrine conjured her to embrace Her affaires and to procure that favour towards Argenis that She might receive Her into Her company where She pretended not to hold the ranke of a Princesse but would esteeme her selfe happy to hold the quality of a Waiting-woman Selenissa being touch'd with Her complaints offers Her all manner of assistance neverthelesse said she unto Her to give you accesse in the Princesses house is a thing which is not in my power by reason of the strict defence which the King hath made not to suffer any strangers of either sexe to see Her But Theocrine who desired noting more then to enjoy this glory conjures her to breake this obstacle and to mediate this favour towards the King with whom She doubted not but shee was powerfull since He had committed to her trust that which He held most deare in the world the Princesse his daughter Being overcome by such charming intreaties shee undertakes to enforme Meleander of this whom She soone after caused to yeeld telling Him al the good which shee could invent of this faire Stranger At her returne she declares unto Argenis the occasion of her journey makes Her so favorable a report of the beauty comlinesse and magnificence of Theocrine that She offers not onely to receive Her as a great Princesse but also to love Her as Her Sister Being then inflamed with a desire to see Her
sacrifice unto the Kings enemyes fury who in defending of Him might have caused a suspition amongst those diffident spirits that He had done nothing but by His authority Order is then given every where to take Him and also the Commons are armed to the end that all meanes of escaping might bee taken away In the meane time it hapned during the fight that Archombrotus Prince of Mauritania who was also searching out adventures under a disguised habit was by chance neere the place where the combat was given He was newly landed having beene beaten with sundry tempests at sea neere unto that great and thicke Forest where He was gone thinking to take some rest under the shade of some trees being wearied of the sea But the vertuons Timoclea who had seen the furious outrage done to the Prince of France came unto Him weeping and waking Him conjured Him that if He would doe an action worthy the generosity which appeared in His visage that without any further delay He should goe and succour the most valiant man in the world that Robbers endeavoured to murther Opening His eyes He searches for His Armour confusedly and preparing Himselfe at all adventures endeavours to put Himselfe in case to fight Timoclea fearing least the number might oppresse valour urges Him to advance and represents unto Him the necessity and danger wherein Poliarchus finds Himselfe He who was enflamed with desire to have His courage to appeare in so faire an occasion without further delay spurres His Horse towards the place of the combat But He sees with some kind of sorrow that He arrives too late and that He whom He is desirous to succour hath needed no other assistance then that of His sword Ravish'd with this wonder He doth accost Him and having courteously saluted Him informes Himselfe of the particulars of this encounter offers to assist Him in case there remaines any enemy to fight with and conjures Him to honour Him so much as to imploy Him in this quarrell Poliarchus resting extreamely satisfied of the Prince of Mauritania's good behaviour and courtesy thanks Him for this freedome and assures Him of the esteeme Hee makes of His courage not refusing to make use of it in case His affaires oblige Him thereunto But Gentle Cavaleere said He I know neither those who have so cowardly assaulted me nor the reason of the furious hatred which they beare me Timoclea arriving thereupon with some of Poliarchus His servants breakes off the two Princes discourse and taking the word conjures them to goe out of this Forest and follow her to a house which shee hath neere unto that place where they might learne the true causes of this encounter They went then altogether with Timoclea where they are hardly arrived when the Shepheards of the Country come to give them notice that all the champion is full of kindled fires every where and that doubtlesse there is some accident fallen out at Court seeing that was never done but upon great and important occasions And that He might take no rest news were brought that Poliarchus was the subject of all this emotion to which they adde that upon the Ambassadours complaint He hath beene condemned in Court Poliarchus seeing that 't is He whom this tempest threatens breathes forth all manner of outrages against Meleander doth reproach His services complaines of His ungratitude accuses also the innocent Starres as if they were the cause of His mis-fortune Timoclea fearing least He unto whom all Sicily owed their safety should fall in the hands of those Traitors that they should advance His ruine by their artificiall deceits opens Him the way how to shade Himselfe against this tempest shewes Him at the going out of a closet of Her house a long Vault which went under ground whereof the avenewes were knowne to few and conjures Him to make use of this opportunity not onely to steale away from the eyes of those who sought Him but also to goe out of Sicily under the favour of a borrowed visage wherewith she could so artificially disguise Him that His most intimate friends would hardly take Him to bee Poliarchus At last He is overcome with her perswasions makes use of the opportunity which she presents unto Him and though unwilling confines Himselfe within this Vault untill he can give some order for His retreate where Timoclea and the Prince of Mauritania would needs conduct Him daring not to trust those of the houshold whose faith they suspected having left Him in this cave and being come backe to the house Timoclea began to entertaine her guesse with the best and most civill discourses which she could invent In the meane time Timoclea and Archombrotus thinking to assure Poliarchus His life did almost ruinate His affaires To take away all suspition they bethought thēselves to cause a rumor of His death to be spread abroad and that none might doubt of it caused His servants to be seene weeping the losse of their Master they also shewed sad testimonies of their sorrow This rumor did fly as farre as Argenis's eares who would not survive Him having as She thought lost Him who made Her take all the delight She had in the world Selenissa brake this designe by her wisedome shewing unto Her that She ought not so slightly to give faith to a rumor who had no assured Authour That asswaged something Her griefe but did not altogether heale the sore Her thoughts were then tossed with irksome cares which altred by little and little the beauty of Her face Also Meleander being come to entertaine Her with His affaires though She had resolved to oppose Her constancy to Her mis-fortunes and to suppresse Her sorrowes for feare that Her Love should be knowne neverthelesse when He began the discourse of Poliarchus His accident and to tell Her how He had bin constrained to abandon Him to His enemies rage She could be no longer mistris of Her senses but fell downe in a trance at the recitall of this adventure Selenissa smothered this accident in the best wise she could and assured the King that She had had sundry such fits lately but that she believed there was nothing to be feared and that they were but little faintings caused with the displeasure which She had suffered during Licogenes his warre Her Father left Her amongst Her Women who with the severall remedies they gave Her made Her come to Her selfe againe But She received a full cure by the newes which were brought unto Her few daies after of Her Poliarchus by an intimate friend of His named Arsidas This trusty confident had learn'd by Gelanore a domesticke servant unto Poliarchus the truth of His History thereupon he came to finde Him out in Timocleas house where having had conference of all His affaires with Him Poliarchus conjured him to see His Faire Argenis in His name and to know of Her as of His Oracle what He should doe in this extremity He knew to what end the rumor of His death had beene
it fit He should returne in His Kingdome But that He should not forget to cause His greatnesse to appeare by bringing so faire an army from His Countrey that among'st the obstacles which might oppose themselves to their designe He should be able to free Her from those cares and troubles which Their separation causes that in the meane time Shee will indeavor to change Her Fathers anger and bring Him againe in His favour Which She imagines will not be very difficult considering the esteeme which He makes of His vertue Poliarchus having read this letter could not tell what to resolve The imagination of the perill and feare to be discovered caus'd Him to apprehend the journey to Court where he doubted not but His enemies were watching to surprise Him Arsidas and Timoclea fearing least He should miscarry represented Him the danger yet greater then it was But the desire He had to see Argenis made Him despise all the hazzards which they represented He then calls aside His deare friend and declares unto Him that He had rather expose Himselfe to His enemies rage then to goe out of Sicily and not see the Princesse Arsidas seeing the ardour of His passion in lieu of opposing fortifies it by the assurance which he gives Him to runne the same hazard They take leave of Timoclea unto whōPoliarchus protested to be so much obliged that it is out of His power to acknowledge the innumerable courtesies which she hath heap'd upon Him conjures her to believe that at least she hath a Crowne and a King at her devotion assures her that Hee will returne into Sicily so well accompanied that the greatnesse of His birth shall not bee doubted and that then He shall have some manner of meanes to acknowledge the good offices which His trusty friends have done him and then addes that He is going to make use of the perriwigge and beard whereof she had made Him a present to disguise Himselfe Thus with an extreame sorrow He takes His leave of this vertuous Lady which did shed an Ocean of teares at His departure He soone after arrived at Court with Arsidas His Conduct where immediately after He gives notice unto Argenis of His coming the joy which She received thereat cannot be exprest but seeing Him with a forme so different from that of Poliarchus She did shed some teares seeing in what danger He did precipitate Himselfe for Her sake on the other side the contentment which She received to see before Her eyes that which She held most deare in the world caused Her presently to leave off Her teares It was in the Temple in the middest of the devotions and sacrifices where they saw each other but it was impossible to continue this practice full of danger any longer Argenis sent Him word by Arsidas that Hee should with expedition saile into France to raise there with promptitude an army able not onely to overcome the Kings enemies but also all Sicily Arsidas undertooke to fraight a ship for that voyage under colour that he had another to make in Italy They imbarque themselves intending to hold their course towards France but the fates disposed otherwise of it In the meane time the Warre is kindled afresh and the Confederates having reunited their forces caused all the State to rebell against the King who had but foure Holds remayning in one of which being scituat in an Island He retired Himselfe with Argenis and the choyce of his trustiest Servants In this distresse Fortune brought forth new causes of trouble unto Poliarchus and the Princesse The yong King of Sardany and Corse taken with Argenis's beauty whereof the glory as well as the pictures had flowen throughout all the Universe makes a puissant Army takes His course towards Sicily and arrives with His Navy neere unto the Towne where Meleander had retired Himselfe The sight of so many Sayles frights all the Kings party as if they had beene new enemies arrived to dissipate the relickes of His fortune But the King of Sardany sends to Meleander gives Him assurance of His Army and declares Him that taking that interest which He ought in the common case of Kings He was come to assist Him and to helpe Him to chastise His subjects rebellion This new joy causes Him to open His Gates and the King Himselfe prepares to goe and receive Him in His owne shipping But being desirous to take away all suspition unto Meleander and His He commands His Navy to remaine in the roade till they had newes of Him and with a small traine goes to meete with Meleander who with a great freedome leapes into His Ship to honour Him so much the more After the complements the King of Sardany to witnesse that He had no lesse confidence then that of Sicily goes in His Gally and went in company together towards the Towne where Meleander receives Him with as much magnificence as the state of His affaires would permit Having courted a while He hastens the warre and being enflamed with the love of Argenis whom He had found much fairer then Her picture wishes for nought else but Combats desiring to make Himselfe remarkeable in them to shew Himselfe worthy of the love of so faire a Princesse Archombrotus is jealous of this new Rivall doth protest in His heart He will never yeeld Him this glory which He could not suffer that it should be enjoyed by another which was better then He who was Poliarchus These yong Cavalleers edg'd on by their passions doe wonders against the enemies But the Moore was so happy that having saved Meleanders life He with His owne hand slew the chiefe of the factious Neverthelesse the forces which the King of Sardany had brought which doubtlesse had opened the way unto the Victory seemed exceeding considerable unto the King and Court of Sicily Being all returned in the place where Faire Argenis was the onely subject of so many heroicall actions jealousie inflames it selfe the Moore though covertly imployes all his industry to chase the Princesses favour who hath His sollicitations in disdaine and detests in Her heart so visible an infidelity which tends onely to make a shamefull wound in Her constancy The King of Sardany asketh Her in marriage openly unto Her Father who dares not refuse Her after so powerfull a succour wherewith He hath newly oblig'd Him Neverthelesse knowing that His Daughter had no inclination for that Prince He makes use of all manner of artificiall delayes to feede Him with vaine hopes without breaking with Him fearing least being moved with His refusall He should turne His armes against Sicily But where art thou Poliarchus Some few months before He had shipp'd himselfe in that Vessell which Arsidas had caused to be prepar'd to sayle towards the Gaules but He was beaten with such contrary winds and His Ship was so much persecuted with tempestuous stormes that He was constrain'd to abandon it and put Himselfe under the mercy of the waves in a little Cock-boat which went and
question Poliarchus is very well replied Gelanore I have left Him in Affrick and am come to see the Princesse on His behalfe You revive us replied the Princes two friends without any further delay Argenis must have notice of it for feare least this ill rumor which wee have heard should have bin spread in the Court Arsidas vndertakes this commission and assoone receaves a command to fetch Gelanore When he comes before the Princesse he kisses the letters and presents them unto Her together with his Masters commendations She tooke a singular content at the reading of the letters But when She had opened Licogenes His letter She was seized with horror and resolv'd that Her Father should see them as also Gelanore had order to present them unto Him Meleander having seene them conceav'd an extraordinary spite not only against Licogenes but also against Poliarchus that without writing had sent unto Him such infamous letters of a traitor and testified not unto Him the little faith which He gave to them Insomuch that as Gelanore who had all the Princesses dispatches went to take leave of Him and ask't Him if he would not do the honor unto His Master to write to Him Go your wayes said he and tell your Master that I am a King and not a Poisoner Neverthelesse that caused two of Licogenes's friends who had lately bin arrested to be tortur'd as having plotted something against the Kings honor and against the quiet of His State Gelanore went backe towards Mauritania where he found Poliarchus yet sicke of His fever Having delivered Him the Princesses letters he told Him all the particulars of the Court of Sicily and amongst other things complained of Archombrotus His great pride who would not daigne to looke upon him insinuating thereby openly enough that he beleeved he aspir'd to marry the Princesse there needed no more to put Poliarchus in the field Then notwithstanding Gelanore's remonstrances who charg'd Him on the behalfe of Argenis to go in His Kingdome and bring succours to put Sicily in liberty He resolv'd to returne disguis'd as before in Meleanders Court And to that end seekes out the cure of His ague in a strange remedy having better succeeded therein then the Physitians had judged he went presently to take His leave of the Queene who would by all meanes stay him but He alleag'd Her so many reasons that She was forc't to let Him go for feare She should be a hindrance in the effecting of the great affaires which as He said He had in hand She would have given Him magnificent presents but He who would not take any thing of all Her treasures but one only ring which perforce She caused Him to accept remained satisfied with the honor of Her favour and having ship't Himselfe hastned so much the Pilote and Mariners that in a short time He arriv'd at the Court of Sicily Gelanore had charge to advertise Arsidas to the end he should beare the newes unto the Princesse he did it with such dexterity that there is Poliarchus amongst the King of Sardany's and Archombrotus His practises neere unto His Argenis under favour of His borrowed face The joy which They received at the sight of each other is beyond expression The conclusion of Their enterview was that at this present He should breake all obstacles and should goe directly in His Kingdome to leavie a puissant Army that He might free Her out of the hands of so many Suters who were so importunate unto Her He then leaves Sicily and happily arrives in His Realme where He raises a Royall Army which He presently ships for the effecting of this great voyage and to shew unto the eyes of Sicily as a sparkling of the glory of His birth But it happened that being at Sea the Navy was beaten with a furious storme that intending to hold their course towards Sicily He was cast upon the Coast of Mauritania where He found wherewith to cause His valour to appeare and to give that successe to His affaires which He did not imagine should be there Neverthelesse His absence a hundred times blam'd by Argenis which could not tell what Starre to accuse of this mis-fortune was the cause that the Moore and the King of Sardany continued their pursuits The Sardiot imagining He was abus'd resolved to steale away Argenis and to ship Her in His owne Navy and so returne with so rich a Prey into His Kingdomes The Moore who had an eye on all sides discovers this designe advertises the King and gives Him such true tokens thereof that Meleander gives notice unto Radiroboranes that He ignored not His practices which gave Him cause to breake wholly with Him To be reveng'd on Meleander He writ Him a letter full of contempt and outrages against Argenis whose Governesse He had suborned which had discovered unto Him Poliarchus His secrets and Their loves Meleander afflicted beyond measure of this affront is angry with Argenis which justifies Her innocence by she her selfe who had betrayed Her This miserable wretch seeing her selfe discovered did seeke by the meanes of poison the expiation of her crime and procur'd her owne death before the eyes of the Court Meleander to shun a greater mis-fortune and to fortifie Himselfe with friends went to His Daughter speakes to Her to marry the Prince of Mauritania of whose merit and valour He spake advantagiously to enduce Her to consent She demands some time to resolve Her selfe and represents unto Him that it would bee a shame for a Kings Daughter to give Her faith so slightly unto a man who had not so much as demanded it with the solemnities accustomed in like occurrences Her Father grants Her two months time and Fortune lengthned this terme The King of Sardany full of rage and despight for so bloody an affront puts under sayle leaves Sicily and having a favourable wind within a short time arrives in His Kingdome His soule being wounded causes Him to undertake revenge of the injury which He had received in the Court of Sicily upon Mauritania He imagined that He could easily conquer that Great Kingdome where there was but a Queene which held the reines of the Empire but the storme which was like to cast away Poliarchus saved the Moores and their Crowne The tempest having cast Him upon that coast He offers His Army unto their Queene who knew the obligation which She had unto Him in the former voyage She accepted those advantageous offers and recommended unto Him the safety of Her State After many encounters sometimes the victory was seene to leane on the Sardinians side and sometimes on the Affricans assisted with the Gaulois At last they came to a set battell which having been bloody amongst the souldiers was no lesse cruell betwixt the Generals These two generous Princes edg'd on by a secret hatred which they bare one to another sorted themselves during the horror of the fight and filled with a furious animosity caused their souldiers to retire that they