her The Nymph Doria sat her downe with Syluanus in one place of the greene meadowe and the Shepherdesses Seluagia and Belisa went by themselues with the most beautifull Nymphes Cynthia and Polydora into another so that though they were not farre asunder yet they might talke togither well enough and not trouble one another But Syrenus desiring that their talke and conuersation might be conformable to the time place and person with whom he talked began to saie in this manner I thinke it not sage Lady much beyond the purpose to demand a certaine question to the perfect knowledge whereof as I could neuer yet attaine so do I not meanely desire by your Ladiships wisedome to be resolued therein and this it is They do all affirme that would seeme to know something That true Loue doth spring of reason which if it be so what is the reason that there is not a more timerous and vnruly thing in the worlde then loue and which is left of all gouerned by it As this Question answered Felicia is more then a simple Shepherdes conceite so is it necessarie that she that must answer it ought to haue more then a sillie womans wit But to satisfie thy minde with that little skill I haue I am of a contrarie opinion affirming that Loue though it hath Reason for his mother is not therefore limited or gouerned by it But it is rather to be supposed that after reason of knowledge and vnderstanding hath engendred it it will suffer it selfe to be gouerned but fewe times by it And it is so vnruly that it resultes oftentimes to the hurt and preiudice of the louer since true louers for the most part fall to hate and neglect themselues which is not onely contrarie to reason but also to the lawe of nature And this is the cause why they paint him blinde and void of all reason And as his mother Venus hath most faire eies so doth he also desire the fairest They paint him naked because good loue can neither be dissembled with reason nor hidden with prudence They paint him with wings because he swiftly enters into the louers soule and the more perfect he is with more swiftnes and alienation of himselfe he goeth to seeke the person of the beloued for which cause Euripides saide That the louer did liue in the body of the beloued They paint him also shooting his arrowes out of his bowe because he aymes right at the hart as at his proper white And also because the wound of loue is like that which an arrow or dart maketh narrow at the entrance and deepe in his inward soule that loueth This is an inscrutable and almost incurable wounde and very slowe in healing So that thou must not maruell Syrenus that perfect loue though it be the sonne of reason is not gouerned by it bicause there is nothing after it is borne that doth lesse conforme it selfe to the originall of his birth then this doth Some saie there is no other difference betweene vertuous and vicious loue but that the one is gouerned by reason and the other not but they are deceiued because excesse and force is no lesse proper to dishonest then to honest loue which is rather a qualitie incident to euerie kinde of loue sauing the one doth make vertue the greater by it and the other doth the more encrease vice Who can denie but that in true and honest loue excessiue and strange effects are oftentimes founde Aske it of many who for the onely loue of God made no account of themselues and cared not to leese their liues for it although knowing the reward they looked for did not worke Io much in their minds And how many againe enflamed with the loue of vertue haue gone about to cast away themselues and to end their liues to get thereby a glorious and suruiuing name A thing truely which ordinarie reason doth not permit which doth rather guide euery effect in such sort that the life may honestly preserue it selfe But what diuersitie of examples could I bring thee Syrenus of many who onely for the loue of their friendes haue lost their liues and euery thing that with life is lost But let vs leaue this loue and come againe to that which nature hath bred betweene man and woman wherein thou must know that if the loue which the louer beares to the mistresse of his affections although burning in vnbridled desire doth arise of reason and of true knowledge and iudgement as by her onely vertues he doth iudge her woorthy to be beloued That this kinde of loue in my opinion and yet I am not deceiued is neither vnlawfull nor dishonest bicause all loue being of this qualitie doth tende to no other end but to loue the person beloued for her owne sake without hoping for any other guerdon or effect of his true and sincere loue So that this is as much as me thinkes may be saide in answer of thy question which thou hast put me Syrenus then saide vnto her I am resolued sage Lady of that which I desired to vnderstande and also belceue that by your gracious wisedome which is great and bountie which is no lesse I shall be thorowly instructed of whatsoeuer I woulde desire to know although some finer capacitie then mine were more requisite to conceiue these deepe reasons so perfectly alledged by your learned assertions Syluenus that was talking with Polydora saide It is strange faire Nymph to see what a sorrowfull hart that is subiect to the traunces of impatient loue doth suffer because the lest ill that it causeth in vs is the depriuation of our iudgement the losse of our memorie and the surcharging of our imaginations with his onelse obiects making euery one to alienate himselfe Iron himselfe and to impropriate himselfe in the person of his beloued What shall that wofull man then do who sees himselfe so great an enimie to pleasure such a friende to solitarines so full of passions enuironed with feares troubled in his spirits martyred in his wits sustained by hope wearied with thoughts afflicted with griefes haunted with iealousies and continually worne with sobs sighes sorrowes and woes which he neuer wanteth And that which makes me more to maruel is that the mind doth not procure this loue being so vntolerable and extreme in crueltie nor hath any desire at all to part from it but doth rather account it her enimie that giues it any counsell to that effect All this is true saide Polydora but I know well that Louers for the most part haue more words then passions This is a signe saide Syluanus that thou canst not conceiue them faire Nymph because thou canst not beleeue them nor that thou hast beene euer touched with this pleasing ill And I wish thou maist not the which none can beleeue nor knowe the multitude of woes proceeding from it but onlie she that doth participate of his bitter effects Why dost thou thinke faire Nymph when the louer that findes himselfe continually
awrie and contrarie to that which I euer coniectured and knew by thy behauiour and conditions For I thought when I heard thee talke of thy loue that in the same thou wert a Phoenix and that none of the best louers to this day came euer neere to the extreme that thou hadst by louing a Shepherdesse whom I knowe a cause sufficient ynough not to speake ill of women if thy malice were not greater then thy loue The second that thou speakest of a thing thou vnderstandest not for to blame forgetfulnes who neuer had any triall thereof must rather be attributed to follie and want of discretion then to any thing else For if Diana did neuer remember thee how canst thou complaine of her obliuion I thinke to answere saide Syluanus both these pointes if I shall not wearie thine eares with hearing me To the first saying That I wish I may neuer enioy any more content then now I haue if any by the greatest example that he is able to alleage me can with wordes set downe the force and power that this thanklesse and disloyall Shepherdesse whom thou knowest and I would I knew not hath ouer my subiected soule But the greater the loue is I beare her the more it greeues me that there is any thing in her that may be reprehended For heere is Syrenus who was fauoured more of Diana then any louer in the world of his Mistresse and yet she hath now forgotten him as thou faire Shepherdesse and all we doe know To the other point where thou saiest that I haue no reason to speake ill of that whereof I neuer had experience I say that the Phisition may iudge of that greefe which he himselfe neuer had and will further satisfie thee Seluagia with this opinion of me that I beare no hate to women nor in very trueth wish them ill for there is nothing in the world which I would desire to serue with more reuerence and affection But in requitall of my zealous loue I am but ill intreated and with such intolerable disdaine which made me speake so much by her who takes a pride and a glorie in giuing me such cause of greefe Syrenus who had held his peace all this while said to Seluaggia If thou would'st but listen to me faire Shepherdesse blamelesse thou wouldest hold my riuall or to speake more properly my deere friend Syluanus But tell me what is the reason that you are so inconstant that in a moment you throwe a Shepherde downe from the top of his good hap to the deepest bottome of miserie knowest thou whereunto I attribute it To nothing else but to your owne simplicitie bicause you haue no perfect vnderstanding to conceiue the good nor knowe the value of that you haue in your handes You meddle with loue and are vncapable to iudge what it meanes how doe you then knowe to behaue your selues in it I tell thee Syrenus saide Seluagia that the cause why Shepherdesses forget their louers is no other but bicause they are forgotten of them againe These are things which loue doth make and vndoe things which time and place alters and buries in silence but not for the want of womens due knowledge in them of whom there haue bene an infinite number in the world who might haue taught men to liue and to loue if loue were a thing that might be taught or learned But yet for all this there is not I thinke any baser estate of life then a womans for if they speake you faire you thinke them by and by to die for your loue if they speake not to you you thinke them proude and fantasticall if their behauiour be not to your liking you thinke them hypocrites They haue no kind of pastaunce which you thinke not to exceede if they holde their peace you say they are fooles if they speake you say they are so troublesome that none will abide to heare them if they loue you the most in the world you thinke they goe about to deceiue you if they forget you and flie the occasions of bringing their good names in question you say they are inconstant and neuer firme in one minde and purpose So that the good or ill woman can doe no more to please your mindes then neuer to exceede the limits of your desires and dispositions If euery one faire Seluagia saide Syrenus were indued with this finenesse of wit and graue vnderstanding as thou art they woulde neuer giue vs occasions to make vs complaine of their small regarde in their loue But bicause we may knowe what reason thou hast to finde thy selfe so much aggreeued with it so may God giue thee comfort needefull for such an ill as thou wouldest vouchsafe to tell vs the substance of thy loue and all the occurrents which haue hitherto befallen thee therein For it seemes thou canst tell vs more of ours then we are able to informe thee to see if his effects which thou hast passed will giue thee leaue to speake so freely as thou dost for by thy wordes thou seemest to haue more experience in them then any woman that euer I knewe If I were not the most tried woman in them saide Seluagia I am at the lest the worst intreated by them as any euer was and such an one who with greater reason then the rest may complaine of loues franticke effects a thing sufficient to make one speake ynough in it And bicause by that which is past thou maiest knowe that which I now suffer to be a diuellish kinde of passion commit your misfortunes a while to silence and I will tel you greater then euer you heard before IN the mightie and inuincible kingdome of Portugall run two great riuers which wearied with watring the greater part of our Spaine not far from one another enter into the maine Ocean Betweene both which are situated many olde and ancient townes by reason of the great fertilitie of the soile which hath not the like in the whole world The inhabitants liues of this prouince are so much sequestred and estranged from things that may disturbe the minde that there is not any but when Venus by the mightie handes of her blinde sonne meanes to shew her power who troubles his minde more then to sustaine a quiet life by maintaining a meane and competent liuing with those things which for their poore estates are requisite The mens endeuours are naturally disposed to spend their life time in sufficient content the womens beauties to take it from him who liueth most assured of his libertie There are many houses in the shadowed forrestes and pleasant vales the which being nourished by the siluer deaw of soueraine heauen tilled by their inhabitants fauourable sommer forgetteth not to offer vp into their handes the fruites of their owne trauels and prouision for the necessitie of their liues I liued in a village neere to great Duerus one of these two riuers where Minerua hath a most stately temple built vnto her the which in
sudden he loose it doth not a little greeue him But now when Montanus perceiued that faire Ismenia his loue and Mistresse had at last mollified her long obdurate hart and now thought good to requite the great loue that he had so long time borne her Shepherdes you may well imagine what content he felt For so great was his ioy so obsequious his seruices to her and so many troubles that he passed for her sake that they were an occasion with the disfauours and contempt that Alanius had shewen her to make that fained loue prooue true which but in iest she began to beare him So that Ismenia yeelded her hart wholy to Montanus with such firmnesse that there was not any in the world whom she loued more then him nor whom she desired lesse to see then my Alanius the which as soone as she could she gaue him to vnderstand thinking that as by these meanes she was sufficiently reuenged of his for getfulnesse she had likewise busied my head with the cruell thought therof The loue that Alanius did beare me although it greeued him to the hart to see Ismenia loue that Shepherd whō in all his life time he could neuer abide was yet so great that he neuer seemed to make any shew of his secret greese But certaine daies passing on and thinking with himselfe that he onely was the cause of his enemies good hap and of those singular fauours that Ismenia shewed him and that the Shepherdesse did now shun his sight who not long since before died for the want thereof despite wroth and iealousie at once so fiercely assailed him that his impatience had almost bereft him of his wits if presently he had not determined to hinder Montanus his good fortune or in the pursuite thereof to haue lost his deerest life For performance whereof he began to looke on Ismenia againe and not to come so openly in my sight as he was wont to doe nor to be so often out of his towne least Ismenia might haue knowen it The loue betweene her and Montanus went not on so forwardes as that betweene me and my Alanius backwardes though not of my part when nothing but death was able to diuorce my minde from him but of his in whom I neuer thought to see such a sudden change For so extremely he bumed with choler and rancour against Montanus and so deepely enuied his good fortune that he thought he could not execute nor asswage that anger but by renewing the olde loue that he bare to Ismenia for furtherance whereof his comming to out towne was a great impediment whose absence from me as it engendred forgetfulnesse in him so the presence of his Ismenia rekindled his hart with a straunger kinde of loue then before whereupon he returned againe to his fust thoughts And I poore soule remained all alone deceiued and scorned in mine owne affection But all the seruice that he bestowed on Ismenia the tokens and letters that he sent her and the pitifull complaints that he made vnto her or any thing els that he was able to doe could neuer mooue her fetled minde nor make her forget the lest part of that loue which she bare Montanus I being therefore lost for the loue of Alanius Alanius dying for Ismenia and Ismenia for Montanus it fell out that my father had a certame occasion of busines about the buttals of certaine pastures with Phylenus father to Montanus by reason whereof both of them came often to our towne and in such a time that Mont anus whether it was for the superfluous fauours that Ismenia bestowed on him which to men of a base minde is a cloying or whether he was too iealous of the renewed and earnest suites of Alanius waxed very colde in his loue to Ismenia In the end when he espied me driuing my sheepe to the folde and with a curious eie looking on me he began presently to be enamoured of me so that by the effects which he daily shewed it was not possible for me to beare greater affection to Alanius nor Alanius to Ismenia nor Ismenia to Montanus nor Montanus to loue me more then in very trueth he did Beholde what a strange cousinage of loue If Ismenia went by chaunce to the fielde Alanius went after her if Montanus went to his flockes Ismenia after him if I went to the hils with my sheepe Montanus after me if I knew that Alanius was in the wood where he was wont to seede his flocks thither I hied me after him And it was the strangest thing in the world to heart how Alanius sighing saide Ah my Ismenia and how Ismenia saide Ah my Montanus and how Montanus said Ah my Seluagia and how Seluagia saide Ah my Alanius It fell out afterwardes on a day that we fower met together in a forrest that lay betweene all our townes and the reason was bicause Ismenia went to visite certaine Shepherdesses of her acquaintance which dwelt thereabouts which when Alanius knew being forced and driuen on by his fleeting thoughts he went after to seeke her out and found her neere to a fine spring kembing her golden haire I being tolde by a certaine Shepherd my neighbout that Alanius was gone to the forrest of the valley for so it was called tooke out before me a few goates that were shut vp in a little yarde neere to our house bicause I would not goe without some errant and went after him where my desire guided me whom by chaunce I found weeping and complaining of his ill fortune and the Shepherdesse laughing and iesting at his bootlesse teares and sighes When Ismenia espied me she was not a little glad of my companie and began to be merry with me although I had no cause to be so with her to whom I rather obiected the small reason and lesse regarde of modestie and discretion she had to greeue my hart with that vnciuill part and bad deceit whereof she so wisely excused herselfe that whereas I thought she would haue made me some amendes for all my greefe and sorrow by her wise and well ordered reasons she gaue me to vnderstand that I was rather bound to her in that if she had mocked me I had saide she satisfied my selfe as well and requited her againe not onely by taking Alanius her cosin from her whom she loued more then her selfe but also by enticing Montanus to my loue from that he was wont to shew her By this time came Montanus who was tolde by a Shepherdesse a friend of mine called Solisa that I was gone to the forrest of the valley with my goates And when all the fower discontented and discordant louers met there together it cannot be imagined what we all felt for euery one looked vpon another that would not haue bene viewed of those eies againe I asked my Alanius the cause of his forgetfulnes he sued for mercie at craftie Ismenias handes she accused and complained of the colde loue of Montanus he of Seluagias cruelty Being therefore in
nor then to do any more but woonder at their graces their gorgeous attyre their iewels their braue fashions of apparell and ornaments wherewith they were so richly set out Vp and downe this place before the windowes roade many lords and braue gentlemen in rich and sumptuous habits and mounted vpon proud Iennets euery one casting his eie to that part where his thoughts were secretly placed God knowes how greatly I desired to see Don Felix there and that his iniurious loue had beene in that famous pallace bicause I might then haue beene assured that he shoulde neuer haue got any other guerdon of his sutes and seruices but onely to see and to be seene and sometimes to speake to his Mistresse whom he must serue before a thousand eies bicause the priuilege of that place doth not giue him any further leaue But it was my ill fortune that he had setled his loue in that place where I might not be assured of this poore helpe Thus as I was standing neere to the pallace gate I espied Fabius Don Felix his page comming in great haste to the pallace where speaking a word or two with a porter that kept the second entrie he returned the same waie he came I gessed his errant was to knowe whether it were fit time for Don Felix to come to dispatch certaine busines that his father had in the court and that he could not choose but come thither out of hand And being in this supposed ioy which his sight did promise me I sawe him comming along with a great traine of followers attending on his person all of them being brauely apparelled in a liuerie of watchet silke garded with yellow veluet and stitched on either side with threedes of twisted siluer wearing likewise blew yellow and white feathers in their hats But my Lorde Don Felix had on a paire of ash colour hose embrodered and drawen foorth with watchet tissue his dublet was of white satten embrodered with knots of golde and likewise an embrodered ierkin of the same coloured veluet and his short cape cloke was of blacke veluet edged with gold lace and hung full of buttons of pearle and gold and lined with razed watchet satten by his side he ware at apaire of embrodered hangers a rapier and dagger with engrauen hilts and pommell of beaten golde On his head a hat beset full of golden stars in the mids of euerie which a rich orient pearle was enchased and his feather was likewise blew yellow and white Mounted he came vpon a faire dapple graie Iennet with a rich furniture of blew embrodered with golde and seede pearle When I sawe him in this rich equipage I was so amazed at his sight that how extremely my sences were rauished with sudden ioye I am not able faire Nymphes to tell you Truth it is that I could not but shed some teares for ioy and greefe which his sight did make me feele but fearing to be noted by the standers by for that time I dried them vp But as Don Felix being now come to the pallace gate was dismounted and gone vp a paire of staires into the chamber of presence I went to his men where they were attending his returne and seeing Fabjus whom I had seene before amongst them I tooke him aside and saide vnto him My friend I pray you tell me what Lord this is which did but euen now alight from his Iennet for me thinkes he is very like one whom I haue seene before in an other farre countrey Fabius then answered me thus Art thou such a nouice in the court that thou knowest not Don Felix I tell thee there is not any Lord knight or gentleman better knowne in it then he No doubt of that saide I but I will tell thee what a nouice I am and how small a time I haue beene in the court for yesterday was the first that euer I came to it Naie then I cannot blame thee saide Fabius if thou knowest him not Knowe then that this gentleman is called Don Felix borne in Vandalia and hath his chiefest house in the ancient cittie of Soldina and is remaining in this court about certaine affaires of his fathers and his owne But I pray you tell me said I why he giues his liueries of these colours If the cause were not so manifest I woulde conceale it saide Fabius but since there is not any that knowes it not and canst not come to any in this court who cannot tell thee the reason why I thinke by telling thee it I do no more then in courtesie I am bound to do Thou must therefore vnderstand that he loues and serues a Ladie heere in this Citie named Celia and therefore weares and giues for his liuerie an azure blew which is the colour of the skie and white and yellow which are the colours of his Lady and Mistresse When I heard these words imagine faire Nymphes in what a plight I was but dissembling my mishap and griefe I answered him This Ladie certes is greatly beholding to him bicause he thinkes not enough by wearing her colours to shew how willing he is to serue her vnlesse also he beare her name in his liuerie whereupon I gesse she cannot be but very faire and amiable She is no lesse indeede saide Fabius although the other whom he loued and serued in our owne countrey in beautie farre excelled this and loued and fauoured him more then euer this did But this mischieuous absence doth violate and dissolue those things which men thinke to be most strong and firme At these wordes faire Nymphes was I faine to come to some composition with my teares which if I had not stopped from issuing foorth Fabius could not haue chosen but suspected by the alteration of my countenance that all was not well with me And then the Page did aske me what countrey-man I was my name and of what calling and condition I was whom I answered that my countrey where I was borne was Vandalia my name Valerius and till that time serued no Master Then by this reckoning saide he we are both countrey-men and may be both fellowes in one house if thou wilt for Don Felix my Master commanded me long since to seeke him out a Page Therefore if thou wilt serue him say so As for meate drinke and apparell and a couple of shillings to play away thou shalt neuer want besides pretie wenches which are not daintie in our streete as faire and amorous as Queenes of which there is not anie that will not die for the loue of so proper a youth as thou art And to tell thee in secret because perhaps we may be fellowes I know where an old Cannons maide is a gallant fine girle whom if thou canst but finde in thy hart to loue and serue as I do thou shalt neuer want at her hands sine hand-kerchers peeces of bacon and now and then wine of S. Martyn When I heard this I could not choose but laugh to see how naturally the vnhappie
cause that I loued him well whose sight I euer enioyed before mine eies But Syluanus turning his eies to her saide This debt I shoulde with great reason my life requite if it were such a thing that might with life bee paied which God grant thee saide Seluagia since without the same mine shoulde be woorse then a continuall death Syrenus seeing the amorous words on both sides with a smiling countenance saide vnto them It is well that euery one can so well acquite himselfe for his good turne done him that the one will neither be in debt nor the other haue any indebted to him and yet in mine owne opinion it is better that you reioyce so much and so louingly entreate of your amorous affections my selfe not being a thirde in them With these and other speeches the newe Louers and carelesse Syrenus passed away the time and length of the way which they made an end of about sunne set And before they came to the fountaine of the Sicamours they heard a voice of a Shepherdesse sweetely singing whom they knew by and by for Syluanus hearing her saide vnto them This is Diana doubtlesse that singes at the fountaine of the Sicamours It is she indeede said Seluagia Let vs go behinde these Myrtle trees neere vnto her bicause we may heare her the better Agreed saide Syrenus although the time hath beene when her musicke and sight delighted me more then now But all three going into the thicket of Myrtle trees and bicause it was about the going down of the Sunne they sawe faire Diana neere to the fountaine shining with such surpassing beautie that they stoode as men that had neuer seene her before amazed and in a woonder Her haire hung downe loose from her head behinde and gathered vp with a carnation stringe which parted them in the middes her eies were fixed on the ground and somtimes looking into the cleere fountaine and wiping away some teares that nowe and then trickled downe her beautifull cheekes she sung this Dittie WHen that I poore soule was borne I was borne vnfortunate Presently the Fates had sworne To foretell my haplesse state Titan his faire beames did hide Phoebe ' clips'd her siluer light In my birth my mother dide Yong and faire in heauie plight And the nurse that gaue me sucke Haplesse was in all her life And I neuer had good lucke Being maide or married wife I lou'd well and was belou'd And forgetting was forgot This a haplesse marriage mou'd Greeuing that it kils me not With the earth would I were wed Then in such a graue of woes Daily to be buried Which no end nor number knowes Yong my father married me Forc't by my obedience Syrenus thy faith and thee I forgot without offence Which contempt I pay so far Neuer like was paide so much Iealousies doe make me war But without a cause of such I doe goe with iealous eies To my foldes and to my sheepe And with iealousie I rise When the day begins to peepe At his table I doe eate In his bed with him I lie But I take no rest nor meate Without cruell iealousie If I aske him what he ailes And whereof he iealous is In his answere then he failes Nothing can he say to this In his face there is no cheere But he euer hangs the head In each corner he doth peere And his speech is sad and dead Ill the poore soule liues ywisse That so hardly married is The time was once when Dianas teares and dolefull song and the sorrow that by her sadde lookes she expressed might haue so much mooued Syrenus hart as put the Shepherdes life in such danger that all other remedies but onely proceeding from the same had beene impossible to haue helpt it whose eies and hart since now they were deliuered out of that dangerous prison tooke no delight to beholde Diana nor greeued at her sorrowfull lamentations And the Shepherd Syluanus had lesse cause in his minde to be condolent for any greefe that Diana had considering she neuer had the smallest regard of the greatest woes which he passed for her sake Onely Seluagia helped her with her teares fearefull by the fall of her ioy of her own fortune whereupon she said to Syrenus There is no perfection beautie nor fauour in natures gift which she hath not liberally bestowed on Diana bicause her beautie is peerelesse her wit and discretion admired her good graces excellent and all other her commendable parts which a Shepherdesse should haue not to be seconded since in the lest of them that made her such a woonder in our age there was neuer any yet that excelled her Onlie one thing she wanted which I euer suspected and feared and this was her good Fortune which woulde neuer accompanie her to haue made her liue a contented and ioyfull life which to speake the truth she euer well deserued She that so vniustly hath taken it from so many saide Syrenus by great reason should not enioy such a happie estate which I speake not that I am not sorrie to see this Shepherdesse so sorrowful but for the great reason I haue not to wish her any content at all Saie not so said Seluagia for I cannot thinke that Diana hath offended thee in any thing What offence did she by marrying compelled thereunto by the constraint of her parents and kinsfolkes and not by her owne will And after she was married what could she do hauing due regarde to her honor and honestie but forget thee Truly Syrenus thou shouldest haue greater cause to complaine of Diana then I haue heard thee hitherto alledge In truth Syrenus saide Syluanus Seluagia hath so great reason for that she saith that none can well disprooue it And if there be any that of ingratitude can iustly accuse her it is I who loued her more then my selfe she requiting it so ill againe and with such cruell contempt as thou knowest well enough Seluagia casting an amorous eie vpon him saide But thou didst not deserue my beloued Shepherd to be so ill entreated since there is no Shepherdesse in the worlde that may not thinke her-selfe blest to enioy thy happy loue About this time Diana perceiued that their talke was of her for the Shepherds were so loude that she might heare them very well Wherfore rising vp and looking among the Myrtle trees she knew the Shepherdes and the Shepherdesse that was sitting betweene them Who perceiuing that she had espied them came to her and curteously saluted her and she them againe with a good grace and countenance asking them where they had beene so long a time Whom they answered with another kinde of wordes and countenance then they were wont to do which seemed so strange to Diana that though she tooke no care for any of their loues yet in the end it greeued her to see them so much altered from that they were wont to be and especially when she perceiued what great ioy Syluanus tooke in beholding faire Seluagia And
thee my deere Arsileus were but little if with words it might be told Let it suffice thee to know in what continual panges and dangers of my life thy supposed death hath put me and by that thou shalt see what a world of ioy thy renewed life hath brought to this my mournfull soule At the ende of which words by reason of an issue of swelling teares ascending vp from the center of her sorrowfull hart into her eye brinkes she was not able to vtter out the rest of her minde which the tender harted Nymphes being mollified with the milde and pitifull words of both these louers to one another did helpe and accompany with theirs And bicause night was comming on they went all to Felicias house telling to each other the discourse accidents of their liues which till then they had both passed Belisa asked her Arsileus for his father Arsenius who told her that as soone as he knew she was gon he went to one of his Farmes not far from thence where he liues as quiet and contented a life as he could wish hauing put all mundane affaires in obliuion whereat Belisa was verie glad and so they came to the Palace of sage Felicia where they were welcommed with great ioye and feast whose hands Belisa kissed many times saying euermore that shee was the cause of her good Fortune And so did Arsileus to whom Felicia shewed an earnest will to do euer for him what lay in her power The end of the fifth booke The sixth Booke of Diana of George of Montemayor AFter that Arsileus was gone Felismena staied still with the Shepherdesse Amarillis that was with him demaunding of one an other the course of their liues a common thing to them that finde themselues in like places And as Felismena was telling the Shepherdesse the cause of her comming thither a iolly Shepherd came to the Coate though very sad by his countenance and gate When Amarillis sawe him she rose vp in great haste to be gone but Felismena taking hold by her garment and suspecting what the cause of her sudden departure might be said vnto her It were not reason Shepherdesse that I should receiue this discourtesie at thy hands who desires so much to serue thee But as she striued to be gone from thence the Shepherd with many teares said vnto her My desire is Amarillis hauing respect to that which thou makest me suffer not to see thee sorie for this vnfortunate Shepherd but to consider what belongs to thy wisedome and beautie and that there is nothing in the worlde worse beseeming a Shepherdesse of thy braue qualities then to intreate one so cruelly that loues thee so entirely Beholde these wearied eies Amarillis that haue shed so many teares and then thou shalt see what reason thine haue to shew themselues so angrie against this miserable man Alas that thou fliest away from me not seeing the reason thou hast to abide my presence Stay Amarillis and harken to my complaints and to my iust excuses and if thou wilt not answere me at all yet I will be content so that thou staiest still What can it hinder thee to heare him whom it hath so deerely cost to see thee And looking vpon Felismena with many teares he besought her not to let her goe who with sweete and gentle wordes intreated the Shepherdesse not to vse him with so small pitie whom he shewed to loue more then himselfe or that she would at the lest harken vnto him since she could not hurt hir selfe much by doing so litle But Amarillis said Intreat me not faire Shepherdesse to giue eare to him who beleeues his thoughts more then my words For behold this Shepherd that stands in this fained sort before thee is one of the most disloyall men that euer liued one of them that most of al troubles our simple louing Shepherdesses with his false deceits dissimulatiōs Then said Filemon to Felismena My onely request and desire is faire Shepherdesse that thou wouldst be iudge in the cause betweene Amarillis and me wherein if I am found culpable or the iust prouoker of that anger and ill opinion that she hath wrongfully conceiued against me that then I may loose my life and if she be that I may haue no other thing for satisfaction but her confession how much she hath iniured and owes me To leese thy life said Amarillis I am sure thou wilt not bicause thou wilt not wish thy selfe so much harme nor me so much good as for my sake to put thy life in aduenture But I am content that this faire Shepherdesse be iudge if it please her betweene vs to consider of our reasons and to declare which of vs both is more worthie of blame Agreed said Felismena and let vs sit downe at the foote of this greene hedge neere to the flourishing meadow before our eies for I will see what reason you haue to complaine of one another After they were all three set downe vpon the greene grasse Filemon began thus to say I trust faire Shepherdesse if thou hast at any time beene touched with the force of Loue that thou shalt plainly perceiue what small reason Amarillis hath to be angrie with me to conceiue so ill an opinion of the vnstained faith I beare her which makes her surmise that which neuer any other Shepherdesse hath euer yet imagined of her louing Shepherd Knowe therefore faire Shepherdesse that the fates not onely when I was borne but long before determined that I should loue this faire Shepherdesse which fits before thy faire my sorrowfull eies whose intents I haue answered with such effect as there is no loue I thinke like mine nor any ingratitude like to hers It fell out afterwardes that from my childehood seruing her in the best manner I coulde there are fiue or sixe moneths past since my mishap brought a Shepherd hither called Arsileus who went vp and downe seeking a Shepherdesse called Belisa which by some ill successe of Fortune wandred like an exile heere and there amongst these woodes groues And as his sorrow was very great it fell out that this cruell Shepherdesse either for great pittie she tooke of him or for the little she had of me or for what cause else she knowes best herselfe woulde neuer be out of his companie To whom if by chance I did but speake thereof she was ready to kill me with anger for those eies which thou seest there procure death no lesse when they are angry then life when they are milde and gentle But now when all my sences were thus occupied mine eies with teares my eares with hearing denials my thoughts with a bitter taste of sorrow my soule with a rare and vnspeakeable kind of affection and my vnderstanding with the greatest iealousie as the like neuer any had I made my complaint to Arsileus with sighes and to the earth and these groues with pitifull and bitter lamentations shewing them what iniuries Amarillis did me Her deceiued
imagination of the suspect that I had of her honestie hath bredde in her so great despite and hatred against me that to be reuenged of me she hath hitherto perseuered therein which greeuous torment she is not onely content to lay vpon me but when she sees me before her eies flies from my presence as the fearefull Hinde from the hungry and pursuing Hounde So that by the loue which thou owest thy selfe I pray thee good Shepherdesse iudge whether this be a sufficient cause to make her thus abhorre me and if my fault on the other side be so great that it deserues such endles and extreme hate Filemon hauing made an end of the cause of his greefe and iniurie wherewith his Shepherdesse tormented him Amarillis began to shape her answer thus This Filemon faire Shepherdesse that sits before thee hath loued me well I must needes confesse or at the least made a fine shewe thereof and such haue his seruices beene towards me that to say otherwise of him then he deserues it would ill beseeme me But if for his sake in lieu and recompence of that affection I haue not reiected the suites and seruice of many iolly Shepherds that feede their flockes vpon these downes and in these pleasant vales and also for his loue haue not contemned many countrey youthes whom nature hath enriched with no lesse perfections then himselfe let himselfe be iudge For the infinite times that with their amorous sutes I haue beene importuned and those wherein I haue kept that firmnes due to his faith haue not I thinke beene at any time out of his presence which neuerthelesse should be no sufficient cause for him to make so small account of me as to imagine or suspect any thing of that wherein I am most of all bounde to my selfe For if it be so as he knowes well enough that for the loue of him I haue cast off many that died by mine occasion how coulde I then forget or reiect him for the loue of another A thousand times hath Filemon watched me not leesing a steppe that the Shepherd Arsileus and I haue troden amiddes these greene woods and pleasant vales but let him say if he euer heard Arsileus talke to me of loue or if I answered him any thing touching such matter What day did Filemon euer see me talke to Arsileus whereby he might conceiue any thing else by my words but that I went about to comfort him in such great forrow as he suffered And if this be a sufficient cause to make him thinke ill of his Shepherdesse who can better iudge it then himselfe Behold then faire Shepherdesse how much he was giuen to false suspects and wrongfull iealousie that my wordes could neuer satisfie him nor worke with him to make him leaue off his obdurate minde by absenting himselfe from this valley thinking therby to haue made an end of my daies wherein he was deceiued when as he rather ended his owne ioy and contentment if for me at the least he had euer any at all And this was the michiefe besides that Filemon being not onely content to beare mee such a kinde of vniust iealousie whereof he had so small occasion as now faire Shepherdesse thou hast seene hee did likewise publish it at euerie feast in all bridales wrestlings and meetings that were made amongst the Shepherds of these hilles And this thou knowest good Shepherdesse howe it did preiudice mine honour more then his contentment In the ende hee absented himselfe from mee which course since hee hath taken for a medicine of his malladie which it seemes hath the more increased it let him not finde fault with me if I haue knowne how to profit my selfe more thereby then he hath And now that thou hast seene faire Shepherdesse what great content that I felt when thou toldst the Shepherd Arsileus so good newes of his Shepherdesse that I my selfe was most earnest with him to haue him go and seeke her out it is cleere that there could not be any thing between vs that might ingēder such cause of suspition as this Shepherd hath wrongfully cōceiued of vs. So that this is the cause that hath made me not only so cold in the loue that I did beare him but not to loue any more wherby to put mine honor good name in hazard of false suspects since my good hap hath brought me to such a time that without forcing my selfe I may do it at mine own choise libertie After Amarillis had shewed the small reason the Shepherd had to giue so great credit to his iealous imaginations and the libertie wherein time and her good fortune had put her a naturall thing to free harts the woefull Shepherd replied in this sort I doe not denie Amarillis but that thy wisedome and discretion is sufficient to cleere thee of all suspition But wilt thou now make nouelties in loue inuent other new effects then those which we haue heretofore seene When a louer would loue well the least occasion of iealousie torments his foule how much more when those were greater which by thy priuie conuersation and familiaritie with Arsileus thou hast giuen me Dost thou thinke Amarillis that for a iealousie certainties are needfull Alas thou deceiuest thy selfe for suspicions be the principall causes of their entrance which was also no great matter since I beleeued that thou didst beare Arsileus good will the publishing whereof was as little preiudiciall and lesse offensiue to thine honour since the force of my loue was so great that it made mee manifest the ill that I did feare And though thy goodnes assured mee when at stealth and deceite of my suspectes I thought thereof yet I alwaies feared least some aduerse successe might befall vnto me if this familiaritie had beene still continued But to that thou saiest faire Shepherdesse that I absented my selfe I answere that vpon a stomacke or to giue thee any offence or greefe thereby I did it not but to see if I could haue any remedie in mine owne not seeing the cause of my great mishap and greefe before mine eies and bicause my pursutes might not also offende thee But if by seeking remedy for so great an ill I went against that which I owed thee what greater punishment can I haue then that which thy absence hath made me feele If thou saiest thou didst neuer loue Arsileus it giues me greater occasion to complaine of thee since for a thing of so small importance thou didst forsake him who so greatly desired to serue thee So that I haue the more cause to accuse thee the lesse thy loue was to Arsileus And these are the reasons Amarillis and manie more which I do alleage not in mine owne excuse and fauour whereby I thinke not to helpe my selfe at all since in matters of loue they are woont to profite so little onely requesting thee gentle Amarillis that thy clemencie and the faith which I haue euer borne thee may be of my side and mooue thee
end of all my woes Open thine eies to this I send And to my griefes giue some repose And to the end thou maist it reede It comes not from an En'mies brest But from a faithfull hart indeede And from a friend aboue the rest It is no letter that defies Defied for I am too much Alas in conquer'd men it lies Not in their power to be such In endlesse peace I seeke to liue And on thy grace I doe relie If not the doome and sentence giue Vnto my life condemn'd to die I haue contended to this howre Thy mighty forces to resist And now I finde thy onely powre Doth conquer Mistresse as thou list It is not much that in the field Vnto thy valour I giue place Since that the God of loue doth yeeld Himselfe vnto thy wounding face So that now subiect Iremaine Vnto thy sou'raine force I see Then wound me not for t' is in vaine Since wholy I doe yeeld to thee My life I put into thy hands And now doe with me at thy will But yet behold how pitie stands Entreating thee thou wouldst not kill So shalt thou make thy conquest braue If in thy spoiles and triumphes such Remorse of pitie thou wilt haue Which all the world commends so much I sawe thee sit not long agoe Feasting with ioy and pleasant fare And I bicause I could not soe Did feede vpon my woes and care There leisurely thou didst begin Of other cates and flesh to feede But I with haste did rauin in My pains wherwith my hart did bleede The Riuer water thou didst drinke With freest minde deuoid of care But I in fluds of teares did sinke The which to drinke I did not spare I sawe thee with thy little knife Cutting thy bread and meate againe And then me thought my wofull life Should in like sort be cut in twaine A little Boy sat in thy lap Thou didst imbrace him with great ioy Oh would it had beene then my hap To haue beene that same little Boy Thou gau'st to him a louing kisse What heere I felt I will repeate Let it suffice that I was this Most happy childe but in conceate But not contented vvith the same Marking the place where thou didst lay Thy lips vnto the childe I came And tooke from him the kisse avvay Each thing of thine so vvell I loue That if I see them to decay Me thinks my care it doth behoue To saue to cast them not avvay For all the bones which thou didst leaue With greedy stomacke I did picke Bicause I onely did conceaue That they thy daintie mouth did licke The place I marked of the pot That did thy Corall lips diuide When thou didst drinke and I did not Forget to drinke of that same side And with the wine which I did shed Of purpose on the cloth aboue Often in vaine these words in red My finger wrote I loue I loue Disdainfull thou dost not esteeme These signes nor these in ductions know Or dost at least as it doth seeme Dissemble it must needes be so And onely that thou dost dissemble Which might vnto my profit fall But that which makes me now to tremble Alas thou fainest not at all By seeing such effects in me That thou dost cause my heauines Thou fain'st my plaintes are not for thee But for some other Shepher desse Thou seest how for thy loue I paine And at thy gracious feete I lie To grecue me more yet dost thou faine That for another I doe die But if thy beauties in great store Engender pride of such excesse Thou must beleeue and faine no more That my pure loue is no whit lesse If thy perfections doe surpasse All beauties that the world doth breede As much as Dimond passeth glasse So doth my loue all loues exceede And when thou com'st to know that none Is worthy of thy louely grace Thou must not faine that I am one That may deserue so sweete a place I am not worthy of so deere A choice I say to be my lot Since all the world hath not thy peere For that it selfe descrues thee not And though I said so in a vaine I shall not be beleeu'd I knowe For well thou know'st what one doth faine Is of a thing which is not soe Distose of me euen at thy will And faine as much as any one So thou beleeue and faine not still That I loue none but thee alone Then on thy gentlenes I call In pitie which thou hast forgot Thou would'st not mocke my loue at all Nor faine that I doe loue thee not Great Ioue can witnesse heere to thee That it doth greeue me not so much The little loue thou bear'st to me As once to faine that mine is such Nor it doth greeue me of thy guise To see thee mocke me in such sort Or that my things in any wise May cause thy laughter and thy sport But it doth glad me without measure That thou dost mocke my loue so lost Since by such meanes I giue thee pleasure Although it be vnto my cost To make thee laugh I doe adiure The heauens as I thy loue may ioy That many times I doe procure To doe and tell thee many a toy And though I know none willomit To call me foole not without cause A simple man of little wit Sweruing too much from reasons lawes Yet Shepherdesse it skils me not Nor it doth not my minde dismay That all repute me for a sot So I may please thee any way Since that I cannot Shepherdesse With things in earnest please thy vaine I will content thee at the lest Frō hence with toies though to my pain To thee they are but things in iest For so thou mean'st to take them all But euer to my painfull brest True they haue proou'd and so they shall Mocke me thy fill since thou dost make It all thy glee thy sport and laughter But I doe wish that Loue may take A narrow count of thee heereafter I once did also iest with loue Loue did I scoffe and loue despise But to my paine I now doe proue What did thereof to me arise And this is that poore silly mee This wicked traitor brought vnto But woe is me that now with thee I knowe not what he meanes to do With iestes and sports of thousand fashions Two thousand fauors thou didst lend me But yet the God of loue to passions In earnest turnes them to offend me With thine owne hand O what a thing In iesting didst thou carue to me In iest thou saidst and sometimes sing Mine onely Shepherd thoushalt be O sweetest foode of sauourie tast Of force my poore lafe to maintaine Sweet words whose sound did bind me fast Of force to giue me rest againe Both word and deede and what did passe Though but a merry iest it were yet So singular a grace it was That in my brest I cannot beare it To sickest men to giue great store Of meate and so much as they craue It is not
Felix Felismena the three Nymphes and the Shepherds desirous to knowe who these fower were and for what cause Parisiles in so great an anger would haue killed the Shepherd that lay asleepe and all the rest of his fortunes would faine haue demanded the same on him But yet they did not bicause they suspected he would not tell it them Whereupon they reserued it till Felicia was come to entreat her to mooue Parisiles or the rest thereof bicause they knewe they could not then excuse themselues Lord Felix therefore with the rest praied Parisiles to obey the sage Felicia by discoursing some noueltie vnto them But they seemed importunate troublesome vnto him for he would not willingly haue beene one moment from the louing embracements of his beloued daughter Stela so did not one minute when from any other forced thing he ceased cast his tender eies off her whereby he gaue Stela no meanes to looke vpon the vnknowne Shepherd on whom her eies and hart attended but euery time that she might steale a looke from her Father Parisiles making as though she sat not well or as though she would spit or cough then with earnest desire and affection she beheld him But in the end the old man hauing no good excuse to acquite himselfe from Felicias commaund nor from the requests of that faire companie which so seriously demaunded it of him began to say in this sort My louing Sonnes for by the priuiledge of mine age I may call you so for as much as the greater part of my life hath beene dedicated to the worship and seruice of our most soueraigne Gods and especially of our Goddesse Isis whose vnworthy Priest from the entrance of my youth I haue beene it would be most agreeable to my condition to entreat of the maner that ought to be obserued in worshipping of her and how much we are bound to performe the same But bicause you haue for your Ladie and mistresse for so I take her to be bicause you do accompanie and follow her the sage Felicia to whom not I my selfe the lowest of all Priests but the best in all the world may iustly be disciples it must needes be a part beyonde all courtesie and good manners to enterprise any such taske And this difficultie besides doth offer it selfe to my minde in that I know not with what historie to delight al your eares For the difference of estates which in this noble companie I perceiue strikes a doubt into my minde vpon the choise of my discourse considering with my selfe that that which will please some will perhaps offend others To these Shepherdes I could present some things requisite for their poore estate and vocations and profitable for them and their flockes and some curious secretes which they shoulde knowe happily neuer yet thought on amongst Shepherdes As likewise from whence the playing on the fluite or Bagpipe first came and when the honour of their God Pan and the customes and rites which in old times they obserued in their sacrifices were first in vse and why those are decaied and other now admitted in their places To you noble personages I could present a thing perhaps which would best fit your desires whereof loue was first engendred and how he worketh and for what cause the God of Loue doth keepe no reason being honored as a God we holding it for a rule infallible That the Gods are iust and that in all things they obserue due iustice and equitie And this is that which I would more willingly entreate of bicause in these meadowes heere a question was once mooued which touched not the simplicitie of the Shepherd that did aske it But bicause to declare it well it were necessary to entreate of the powers of the soule and the duties thereof and what place euery one of them hath in mans body a disputation more fit for Philosophers schooles then for the fieldes where none but flockes are I will not explaine it reseruing it onely for any one that will thereof be priuately instructed But bicause I haue heere a thing before mine eies which filleth me with admiration although it may be that many that haue beene heere haue perhaps touched the same I will make my beginning thus Do you not see how nature and arte the one borrowing that of the other wherein either of them was defectiue haue done their vtmost in making this Iland or meadow calling it as it shall best please you the very paterne of the Elysian fieldes But leauing aside many things that I could note vnto you about this matter I will declare vnto you why this Oke is placed heere in the middes of these Laurell trees bicause you may vnderstand that there was nothing done nor placed heere but with great wisedome and conceite The loues of Apollo and Daphne are sufficiently knowen vnto you I meane of Apollo with Daphne as also the preheminences wherewith this God endowed the Laurell tree whereinto this Nymph was transformed But how Doria at these words interrupting his discourse saide Me thinkes noble Parisiles thou hast plaied the part of a gentleman Sewer that hast at our chiefest appetite taken away our best dishes Since then these noble personages pointing to Lord Felix and Felismena whom the subiect of loue did more narrowly touch and these Shepherds pointing to Syrenus Syluanus and Seluagia to whom the first point belonged haue let thee passe on without interruption my selfe to whom it chiefely appertaines to heare the accidents of so famous a Nymph bicause I am one my selfe will not with my will giue thee leaue to proceed any farther before thou hast told vs the beginning of Apollos loues why Daphne refused and disdained so high a God Syluanus and Seluagia blushing for shame and anger that Doria had pointed to Lord Felix and Felismena and not to them when she saide that the questions of loue belonged more to Lord Felix and Felismena taking Parisiles by the hande saide And how thinkest thou Nymph Are we in respect of these two so farre from loue that to them onely and not to vs the treatise of this demand is more appertaining Euery one laughing at the Shepherds words Doria answered I haue made a fault Shepherds and so I confesse it It pleaseth me well faire Nymph said Parisiles to obey thee heerein But if I begin at the very beginning it may be I shall not make an end before the sage Lady commeth where being constrained to end abruptly I shall perhaps do you more wrong then if I had not begun at all Leaue not of for this saide Felismena for if it be so we will request her to giue vs leaue to heare out the rest Since then you will haue it so saide Parisiles giue attentiue eare for I will recite it vnto you as I did see it written in Apollo his Temple THat deluge of reuengement being past Determined that was by Gods aboue For guilt of wickednes of mortall men The earth of moisture yet
Commaund him therefore I beseech you righteous Iudges to offer no violence to me for carrying away what is mine owne The Iudges not knowing what to determine in so doubtfull a case Carpostus said I know not graue Iudges why in a matter so manifest as this you should suspend your iust iudgment but that without delay you should proceed to definitiue sentence vnles you seem to make any more doubt herein which if you doe I will cleere it if it please you to send the child backe againe to my lodging by this boy who shall incontinently returne with him againe for whom I will in the meane time remaine heere a pledge bicause it shall not be saide that I tooke possession of him before sentence giuen That being graunted him he willed the boy that brought me but secretly in his eare to carrie me backe and to bring the other childe not forgetting to put on his owne coats who did it incontinently and hauing brought Parthenius there before them all without any more adoe he ranne to his Father Sarcordus and to his knowen nurse Sarcordus wife The Iudges seeing so strange an alteration and thinking he did what he listed with the child for they tooke me and Parthenius to be both one commaunded to lay hands on him for a notable Sorcerer To whom Carpostus seeing whereabout they went said Though here I am worthie Iudges at your disposition and commaund yet do me this fauour I beseech you to suspend your doome vntill you see the end of this matter it may be you will delight your selues with the conueiance rare sequele of it And then he bad the boy carrie back the child commaunding him softly in his eare to bring me and the other childe backe againe but both naked And this he deuised because Parthenius might not be knowen by his coats But before we cam he requested the Iudges to command Sarcordus his wife to go aside or to put themselues amongst the prease of the people so that the child when he was commight not see them They did so behold we were both broght naked thither and playing togither at the sight whereof the standers by maruelled verie much and they that came to behold the fame of that which was past wondring yet a great deale more and others that came after vs in the streetes looking vpon one another in signe of admiration spake not a word but opened their hands and sometimes lifted vp their eies to heauen in token of great wonder admiration Then with a loud voice Carpostus before we came spake thus One of these children is mine the other is Sarcordus his Let him therefore take his owne But bicause the child by seeing him may not know him let him come to claime him behinde the people and I will also hide me heere Sarcordus being therefore come in manner aforesaide and not able to discerne which was his my nurse saide Now do you see graue Iudges and good people assembled to behold the ende of this debate howe I haue this day to delight you with a rare noueltie presented before your eies the strangest wonder in the world bicause you might not woonder at me nor repute me for such a foole as you haue taken me for that which these fewe daies past I haue done with Parthenius beleeuing he was my sonne and bicause you might see whether I had iust cause to claime him with assurednes for mine owne or not They were all passing glad to see this strange conclusion and tooke him for a very wise man in that he had so well contriued the matter to saue his credit And with great reason saide Lord Felix though all was done in my opinion by Calastas counsell albeit I cannot also otherwise thinke but that Carpostus was very wise by knowing how to gouerne himselfe so well against the whole towne When he had saide thus Delicius proceeded in his discourse saying They put on our garments againe and to giue either their owne was no lesse variance and as great difficultie as before for if we of our selues had not made our selues knowne to our nurses either of vs going to his owne we might haue both gone naked home againe But from that time we entred both into such a mutuall league of amitie that by no meanes they coulde part vs asunder for much force had one God I knowe not that reigned in vs ouer each others soule diuining the great and inuiolable friendship that should be betweene him and me I feare me noble Sir and the rest that you would a good while since haue asked me what was become of my deere brother Parthenius for so we euer called one another and other questions that you haue left of not to interrupt mee in my tale Delicius would haue passed on farther but his falling teares would not permit him Wherefore Cynthia came to him saying Drie vp thy teares Shepherd and tell on thy tale for by doing this thou shewest the small confidence and hope thou hast in my Lady Felicias helpe whereas I my selfe haue also diuers times tolde thee before that thy sorrowes shall be remedied Delicius then wiping his eies saide Thou tellest me O Nymph by that which I shew the small trust I haue in Felicia but I tell thee that by thy speech thou dost manifest how little thou art acquainted with my greefe and how lesse thou knowest of like passions to which knowledge I wish thou maiest neuer attaine since ignorance in such matters is much more expedient I could tell thee much about these effects if I thought not to offende this woorthie companie but onely one word I will tell thee That hope doth not pardon the punishment although it doth lighten it a little But thou seemest Shepherde saide Polydora to know the very secrets of our harts bicause as thou hast tolde true touching the desire we had to know what was become of thy deere brother thou didst chaunce to say that we would not giue thee leaue for answers and replies wherefore dissembling thy greefe for a while tell out the rest as thou hast begun With a good will saide Delicius But let it not greeue you woorthie personages if you heare not now of my beloued brother considering that the great greefe which I suffer for him must nowe suffice and that the processe of my historie shall in conuenient place declare it amplie vnto you and if not so at some other time you shall know it when you shall see what great reason I haue to solemnize such a memory with these and many more teares The fame of this strange accident I told you of and of our great likenes within a fewe daies after came to the eares of old Synistius gouernour of the kingdome where we were borne who was placed there by Rotindus king of Eolia for the which cause Synistius commanding that wee should be brought vnto him as well for our great likenes as for the great beautie which we were reported to haue
how much thy departure greeues me but onely to content and please thee for heere will I staie vntill I know what the immortall Gods will determine with me Scarce coulde my louing brother stande vpon his feete when from mine owne mouth he heard that I was enamoured of the faire damsell bicause he had also no lesse then my selfe as by a strange chance I afterwards knew it yeelded vp to her his loue and libertie But bicause it was either my good or ill happe to manifest my passion first Parthenius dissembled his in lieu that I might carie the guerdon away So that on the oneside he was very glad that one thing offred it selfe whereby I might receiue the first fruits of his true friendship and was sorrie on the other to see that his greefe was remedilesse Which perfect function of amitie I would in very truth haue no lesse performed towards him if he had first opened his loue of her vnto me as afterwards I did though yet for all this I must remaine his debtor But bicause I might not perceiue the great good turne he did me and he by disclosing it haue lost the merite thereof he did not onely dissemble it right-out but by words and demonstration made as if no such matter had beene And albeit he striued with himselfe not to loue Stela yet was he not able to performe it but as I saie hidde it in such sort that it might not be perceiued Whereupon to that which I had saide he answered thus The Gods neuer suffer me to profite nor pleasure my selfe with such a leaue deere brother For thou art my father mother to forsake thee I meane not to seeke them out Let them pardon me whosoeuer they be for since they left me in my infancy perhaps without iust occasion it shal be no part of impietie for me to denie them in their old age being warranted by so iust an excuse Many other friendly speeches passed betweene vs both that wheron we concluded was this To go to the next town bicause itwas late there by som other course if at the least some happie meanes did obuiate our desires to informe vs what that Damsell was thereupon to aduise vs what was best to be done Comming therefore neere vnto a little towne not farre from that place we espied this reuerend old Parisiles almost in the very same robes that he now weares who turned his eies on euerie side to see if he might perceiue her comming for whom it seemed he had long looked and lamented To whom in the end a certaine raunger that a farre off came crossing ouer the lawnes appeared who being come vnto him spake some fewe words togither but what we could not heare for we had hid our selues a prettie way off and fewe they were For by and by the sorrowfull old man with a pitifull outcrie fell into a great swoune The raunger seeing him in such a trance thinking he was dead and fearing least his sudden death as he thought might haue beene laide to his charge ran presently away as fast as euer he could when as we all in vaine called and cryed out alowd vnto him so that for that time we could not know the cause of the good old mans sorrow One thing I haue noted in thy disoourse saide Lord Felix that thou euer with reuerence and humanitie entreatest olde Parisiles who as not long since it seemed would haue killed thee And with great reason answered Delicius to whom I doe not onely wish well because he is Father to faire Stela but honour him for his high deserts But returning to my discourse seeing the ranger would not stay we went to the noble Parisiles who was lying as abouesaid distraught of his sences and perceiuing that he came not to himselfe again we both went to seeke out some water to sprinkle on his face ech of vs going a sundry way to bring it the sooner to him Which when after too long seeking as we thought we could not finde we returned backe againe and before we came to the place where we left him we heard him lamenting in this sort O World false world and like to hell belowe Alake of fi lt hinesse and puddle mud A sea where teares and miseries doe flowe A trauell without ease or hope of good A pit of sorrow and of endlesse woe A region full of brambles thornes and brakes Ameadow full of adders toades and snakes A ceaslesse greefe afalse delight and pleasure Of men that goe on wheeles and dancing scope Of him that counteth thee his trust and treasure And of thy worldlings false and vainest hope A heape of woes that hath no end nor measure A hideous hill of care and dwelling place Of monsters and of paine an endlesse race A poison sweete a hony full of gall A dungeon of despaire a dismall field Of wretchednes of seruitude and all Infections that ten thousand deathes doth yeeld A hell a filth a miserie and thrall A care a greefe a paine a plague a sore A slauerte a death and what is more Many that haue endur'd thy yoke of paine Haue gone about in colours to depaint Thy wicked slightes with which thou still dost traine Distressed soules vnto an endlesse plaint And weeping where my cleerest light is hid There wretched man my life I meane to rid By this lamentation whereunto we gaue an attentiue eare we vnderstood the cause of his complaint That the Woodman belike had told him how Stela flying from Gorphorost had cast her selfe into the riuer but not that which afterwardes succceded We were no lesse glad to heare the newes of that we so much desired to knowe as to giue him good tidings whom it behooued vs to make as much beholding to vs as we could for seruing our owne turnes But as we were now determined to goe and talke with him my brother said Let vs stay for if this be Father to thy new Mistresse it is not best that he should now knowe vs when we our selues knowe not what we haue to doe nor how our matters not yet well commenced will fall out And since he saide he will goe to the riuer there to be the minister of his owne death I thinke it best for vs to follow him and demanding what he seekes and whither he goes to tell him what hath passed which I also thinke best to be done when it is somewhat darke bicause speaking to him then he may not knowe vs another time whereas if it might afterwards auaile vs by knowing vs to be the same men that brought him these good newes we shall not want meanes to tell him that at our owne pleasure We thought this to be good counsell and did therefore put it so well in practise that the good olde man being thereby comforted vp a little went backe againe and in requitall of these good newes offered me that was the teller of them his lodging that night Which courtesie of his
spoken this we went towards them who perceiuing it felt an extreme ioy bicause they had now brought their desired purpose to effect But to dissemble the more with vs and bicause we might not take vs to our woonted flight they sat still without once rising to doe vs any courtesie vntill we first spake vnto them When we were come vnto them and sawe two such goodly yoong Shepherdes and so like in face and apparell turning to Stela I saide Behold what two faire Shepherdes but seest thou not how like they be There is not in my iudgement siluer to siluer gold to gold nor water to water so like as these be Our Iupiter and Amphitrion could not be so much one nor Mercurie so like to Sosia when to enioy Alomenas loue Iupiter in the likenes of Amphitrion kept him out of his owne house and Mercurie in the likenes of Sosia made his man feele the hardnes of his fist Then turning by and by to the Shepherds I spake thus vnto them Your vnaccustomed and sweete songs gracious Shepherds after the long suspence and silence of many that haue beene long since made in these fieldes haue forced vs to come thus abruptly to enioy the sweetenes of them if we therefore being Nymphes are of any estimation with you iolly Shepherdes we beseech you that our presence be not of woorse condition and entertainment then these trees which without moouing were euen now harkening vnto you nor may displease you no more then our absence and to make no more difficultie to sing now we are heere then when we were not At these wordes the Shepherdes rising vp and asking one another who should answere Parthenius said Sweete Nymphes in grace and beautie non pareille we will not deny but that in respect of your courteous speech to vs we are bounde to performe your gracious request at will they cast out golden wordes which sauoured of the glozings in the Court and confesse no lesse that we are constrained to obey you more for your owne sakes then for any thing else be it spoken with pardon of the rest of these goodly Nymphes So that onely tell vs wherein wee may giue you content and we will doe our best to please your mindes Our mindes saide I you haue already vnderstood Then since it is so saide Delicius begin Parthenius to sing It were better said Partthenius for thee to do it for in regard of the great sweetnes wherwith not without good cause thou hast alreadie delighted them thy selfe being also more skilfull in musicke whatsoeuer I shall sing after thee to my disgrace will be but yrksome and vnpleasant to their eares Thou hast no reason to say so said Delicius for thy verses will giue testimonie of the truth of thy side Whereupon Parthenius would haue begun but not finding himselfe satisfied bicause I onely entreated him and not Stela he said vnto me I would not gracious Nymphe by obeying thy request to content thee giue any occasion of dislike to thy companion which mooues me to speake it bicause I know not whether it be her will that I should sing or no There is not any thing answered Stela that likes this faire Nymph which doth not also please me how much the more if it were not so for hir owne sake should it suffice thee to fulfill her minde without making any matter of my liking at all Both of them would faine haue answered to these words but that I thinke they were afraid one of them because he would not shew himselfe on the sudden so appassionate the other not to displease or make me blush a thing that made much for their purpose and also because I now tooke them by the hands saying to Stela The Shepherd hath spoken verie well and hath great reason entreat him therefore to sing for he lookes for it Bicause then we will not delay the matter any longer said Stela leauing that aside which might be said heerein I request him with this warning that if another time thou entreatest him to do any thing and if he will not do it that he aske not counsell of me since by fulfilling thy will he shall satisfie mine We will obserue this charge said Delicius and see thou forgettest it not Parthenius Then the one began to touch his Rebecke the other to play on his Bagpipe And going about to begin his song Parthenius was a pretie while in suspence not knowing what matter to take in hand for he would haue saide something of Stelas beautie for whom he felt no lesse secret paine then Delicius publicke passion But the force of friendship on the other side diuerted him from it And so partly for ioy to do that which touched the loue of his friend Delicius and with griefe to go against that whereunto he was bound for himselfe he would by praysing Delicius perswade Stela to incline to his owne loue whose beginning was this entring after the selfe same sort as his friend did in the song before NEuer so true a subiect to great loue Put sounding Baggepipe to his mouth and toong Nor euer Shepherd that did keepe In any meade his silly sheepe And neuer did so gracious members mooue Shepherd so faire so lustie and so yoong In throwing of the barre or steeled dart As this my deerest friend and louing hart His songs and ditties which he sung and plaied Hath made the Satyres leaue the sweete pursute Of Nymphes that they had chaced And in their armes imbraced And them besides with his sweete musicke staied Forgetfull of their feare amaz'd and mute The hardest rockes he makes both soft and tender And mildnes in great wildnes doth engender Vnto his person beautie and his grace The Nymphes and Napees faire to yeeld are glad The Niades Hamadriades The Oreades and Driades For such a feature and so sweete a face Paris Alexis nor Endimion had The fairest in the world he doth despise But onely one whom iustly he doth prize Bicause that she may onely him admit Her onely and none else he doth obay She onely doth deserue Him he but her to serue She onely him he onely her doth fit For th' one is euen with th' other euery way For he for her was borne for her alone And she for him or else was borne for none So that if she had not beene borne at all He had not lou'd for he his like should want And so she to haue loued Her equall it be hooued That he was borne For none but he should fall Equall to her he then might iustly vaunt That she was borne onely for him reserued And she that he whom onely she deserued Fortune did fauour him aboue the rest By making him the gladdest man that liues If that perhaps she knew His loue so pure and trew And faith so firme within his constant brest She that her lights vnto each creature giues In whose braue beautie nature strain'd to showe More art and skill then euer she did
might of their eternall creator by explaining the accelerate courses and motions of the celestiall globes and the cause of their vnwearied swiftnes In which time Delicius and Parthenius gained so greatly to their wils the loue of all my companions Shepherds and Shepherdesses who also resorted thither knowing what Gorphorost had vowed that they were not meanely beloued of all as well for their sweete songs and playing as also for their wisedome demeanour and good graces But aboue all faire Stela and I without comparison exceeded them though my loue with Parthenius was more openly extended wherunto I had then most of al disposed my minde and for no other cause then that I knew Delicius had emploied his thoughts and loue on Stela and also bicause Ithought Parthenius was most free Betweene vs both like rude girles we knew not how to gouerne our selues in Cupids affaires Betweene vs both being but a littleprudent we were ignorant howe we should behaue vs in the effects of this childe and therefore endured him impatiently though harder and more violent he was to Stela then to me not bicause I had beene a longer scholler in Venus schoole or had more experience in her blinde Sonnes effects then she but bicause she desired and forced her-selfe to wring out the worme out of her hart that euery day without feeling it crept more and more into the center of it for of such qualitie is this traytour loue that the more one endeuors to shake him off with greater force he takes place and seiseth on his conquered soule So that Stela the more she laboured not to loue the Shepherds the more couragiously loue assailed hir which made her night nor day take any rest nor finde ease in any thing all which I afterwards knew by her owne mouth who at the first dissembled the matter so cunningly that I could gather nothing of it And so meaning to take away the effect by remoouing the cause she would sometimes slie from cōpany refraining to com where the Shepherds were staying for vs vnles she was importuned by me But after certain daies that we foure were al alone togither I said It is not reason yong Shepherdes that with therest we liue in doubt of knowing you but that in some point we may perceiue a difference betweene you when as oftentimes we cannot no more then the rest call you by your right names which I assure you troubles vs not a little So that I would faine haue one of you take some kinde of marke to be knowen from the other but in such secret sort to put vs out of doubt and make the rest remaine still therein Our intent answered Delicius hath beene hitherto gracious Crimine to haue our garments make no dissimilitude betweene them whom one will and shape hath made so like But to pleasure thee herein that by taking it no offence be ministred to thy companion let faire Stela set downe the difference betweene vs in outward shew since she hath made it in the inward soule I know not Shepherd said Stela what difference I haue put betweene you and Parthenius Thy conceit faire Stela is not I thinke so hard as thy hart but that thou maist easily coniecture how much loue workes in me for thy sake The putenesie of my thoughts saide Stela hath made me ignorant of that which I would had not beene The hardnes of thy hart said Delicius hath made me prudent in that which was not so much expedient for me Dost thou then speak it in good earnest saide Stela That thou louest me Dost thou then aske it in iest said Delicius if I loue thee No said Stela But then belike I am she as the matter fals out to whom thou hast adressed all thy songs and teares Delicius thinking to haue a prosperous gale whereof we also thought him assured for all this while she seemed not to be angrie but milde and gentle whereby she got that out of his hart which the forrowfull soule had kept so secret in his breast with a pitifull eie cast on her answered Euen she indeed thou art as the matter fals out to whom I auow the terme and seruice of my life and voluntarie subiection of my soule that is c. Enough enough said Stela I vnderstand thee too well and am now resolued of my former suspitions I neuer thought that the bold presumption of a miserable and obscure man could so far extend as to entertaine a thought so preiudiciall to my honor Wherefore from this day let come who will to enioy thy poisoned conuersation When she had spoken these bitter wordes with an austere and angrie countenance she flung from thence without any companie and with no lesse haste then the timorous virgin that walking by some hedge and treading with her fine foote vpon some carelesse viper appalled with feate flieth with speede away The tender harted Delicius not able to powre foorth any complaints as one stroken dumbe remained no lesse astonished then the Shepherde seeing the faithfull Mastie harde by his side stroken dead with a fearefull thunderclap and the grasse but euen now greene at his seete burned by the sudden lightning thereof On whom I tooke so great compassion that I could not staie my teares but turning my face to Farthenius to bid him helpe his fellow I espied him in a sencelesse trance representing more the image of a dead bodie then the sigure of a liue man to whom it was no lesse then death to see his deere friend in such a plight and woorse then death to his decaied soule knowing that he must nowe be depriued of the sight of his deere Stela the onely reward and comfort of all his priuate passions Seing my Parthenius in such a case like a true louer I clasped my hands togither and then opening them againe saide O dismall day At which very instant I cast my selfe vpon Parthenius for when Stela was risen vp to be gone I also rose vp from my place ioyning his pale face to mine kissed him softly he poore Parthenius hanging downe his head in my lappe At the voice that I gaue Delicius awaked as it were out of a deepe sleepe sighed and seeing Parthenius in like case fell againe into another swoune and remained in such sort as my Parthenius did I was a good while embracing my Parthenius for loue and pitie ouercame my due regarde of modestie and held him in such sort as you haue heard not taking away my face from his but at the end crauing helpe of Delictus I perceiued he stood in no lesse neede of the same Beleeue me Gentlemen if my paine might haue beene augmented I must needs haue felt it by this second sight of Delictus But my griefe being extreme and nothing able to adde more torments to my tortured soule I felt them not vnlesse it were to see my selfe all alone in such a case But animared by the desire I had to helpe them I tooke a fine
art that I might with that libertie that thou hast tell thee the cause of my cōplaints or that thou wert as I am to heare with my subiection What reason I haue to make them and to accuse thee But in the end with the possibilitie that I shall attaine to and as shortly as I can I will tell it thee to take away that suspition which thou hast of me and not to conceale any secret matter from one another an vnlawful part to our right of mutual friendship The reason that iustly moues me to complaine of thee is that thou wilt not go see Delicius and this is for another matter then thou thinkest of and therefore be attentiue It is now cleere enough to thee what great loue and amitie is betweene both the brothers which hath made Parthenius feele the griefe of his friend Delicius no lesse then he did himselfe whereby he is in as great dauunger of his life For when Delicius falling downe had lost his colour and was in such an agonie Parthenius was in no lesse to see his friend in such a case that thou wouldest haue thought the last period of both their liues had beene come who had beene long since deliuered from their paines if by some small hope I had not reuiued them yet thinking that either of them would be glad to liue not for himselfe but bicause the other might liue for both of them knew well that one of their liues could last no longer then the other enioyed his so that denying to go see Delicius thou leauest Parthenius in great danger Thou wilt perhaps aske me what I haue to do with the good or ill fare of this vnhappie Shepherd by seeling it so much as I do faine would I haue another tell thee this but in the end setting all virgin modestie aside with thee since it lies in my power to do no lesse Thou must know that since these Shepherds came hither for their ill I will not say for mine for though their sight cost me tenne thousand liues I cannot yet denie but that I haue beene happie I am not able to tell thee how I yeelded to loues commaund being forced to loue Delicius no lesse then Parthenius for I neuer found any thing wherein I liked the one more then the other with which doubt not knowing to what side to adhere I was certaine daies in suspence but afterwards knowing that Delicius was in loue with thee and Parthenius free I thought it best not to make my selfe subiect to him who was alreadie a captiue but to the other whose loue hath made so forcible an impression in my vnarmed hart that without him my life is hatefull to me Thou seest therefore by this faire Stela how for that which concernes me so much I wish some content to Delicius It can cost thee but a little deere friend to pardon him for the good that I shall gaine when also no harme can redound to thee thereby the rather since he craues pardon of thee with protestation neuer after to offend thee Thou demandest a hard matter at my hand saide Stela but bicause I see thy teares which I cānot suffer to issue out in such abundance wherby thou dost manifest the greefe which thou feelest and bicause thou maiest not haue any occasion to complaine of my friendship I will do that which I thought not to do but on such a condition that thou shalt neuer complaine on me againe if by committing anie other such fault I denie Delicius my sight for euer whom I would also knowe that neither he nor any desert of his part could obtaine pardon for so great a fault if he had not procured so good a mediatour for it is not my will that for his sake thou shouldst thanke me for it Embracing her then for this curtesie and gentle offer that she made me I thanked her for it and with her good leaue went my waies imagine how glad to seeke out my Shepherds and found Delicius all alone for Parthenius was with Gorphorost Needlesse it is to tell you if Delicius was glad to see me come to him with another kinde of countenance then I was woont some daies before for as I promised him so I performed to go and see him who perceiuing now my signes of gladnes said vnto me The only hope of my health comfort in my cares dost thou bring thy noble hart so ioyful as thy gracious countenance so full of content Tel me quickly without more circūstances for thou knowest that A good deed quickly done is twise done although it be but one by which words knowing him to be Delicius I said To morrow thou shalt see Stela What do I liue saide Delicius If between this and then thou dost not die saide I. In her good grace said he If thou wilt said I. O good words said he But thou must do better deedes said I. Doubt not of that said he but that I do and will make it the highest and best deed in the worlde to loue Stela my truest soule O Delicius saide I how do I conceiue that thy great loue or the small dissembling thereof I will not say small knowledge will be heere-after hurtfull to thee Let come what will saide Delicius for I will rather ioy to suffer for louing too much if there be any excesse in loue then to bee harmed for louing too little I will not counsell thee said I not to loue for it would auaile mee nothing at all But I must tell thee that it is expedient for thee not a little to dissemble thine affection especially before Stela if thou wilt not be onely odious vnto her but also depriued of her desired presence By performance whereof knowe that she will make truce with thee for her part and for thine Not for my part answered Delicius although I should yet passe greater harmes by this occasion which cannot be greater then these which I haue alreadie suffred But in the end she hath made such truce according to her will that she hath seemed the conquerour since none is able to come to resist her hand to hand Well well said I time consumeth many things and it may be that amongst so many the anger of thy Stela may also be forgotten God grant it answered Delicius but not to the preiudice of my great loue Tell me said I what is become of thy brother or where is he that he is not with thee In faith stept out Doria and said I was not a little woondring with my selfe that all this while thou didst not aske for thy Parthenius since thou wert so pained and lost or at the least as thou hast made shewe so much in his loue which made me long to aske thee the cause thereof Lost saidest thou nay rather found said Crimine and happie in it But I will answer to that which thou hast asked If assoone as I came I had asked for him Delicius woulde haue thought that
whether it doth tend Eies of my soule behold and then deplore My wretched state what I was once before And what I am and what must be my end O wofull life O poore afflicted hart Tell me poore soule how canst thou not but faile In Passions of such torments paine and smart With such a thought how dost thou not depart And perish when no succour can preuaile O haplesse louer wretched and forgot Though happy once and happy but of late To day thou diest but yet thy loue cannot To day thy greefes begin their gordian knot To day thy ioy doth end and happy state To day thy woes and sorrowes doe appeere To day thy sadnes and thy paines are knowen To day thy sweete content doth finish heere To day thy dismall death approcheth neere To day thy firmest loue and faith is knowen What doe you now mine eies what doe you rest Let out your flouds whose streames in greefe doe swell For it may be you may within my brest Quench out this burning flame or at the lest Coole this great heate that burnes like Mongibelle But woe is me I striue but all in vaine Against the streame For golden Tagus streames Nor Duerus floud nor Iberus againe Can quench this heate or mitigate the paine How then my teares Alas these are but dreames And in such sort bicause it doth hoffend My hart that burnes like to the smithie flame For it doth more increase and doth extend And more it doth with sparkling flames incend The more that water 's cast vpon the same And now since want of hedgrow faileth me And that I feele increase not want of paine I thinke it best for me to goe and see If I can finde some other hedge or tree To write that there which this cannot containe With the taste of this sorrowfull song I will now leaue of which me thinkes is of great substaunce whether the affection I beare the Shepherde that wrote it makes me thinke so for by the wordes thereof you may vnderstand it was written by Delicius or that then the reading and now the recitall of it whereby the miserable estate of the poore youth was then and now represented vnto me doth make me iudge it to be no lesse I know not Assuring you that then for a little I woulde not haue made an ende to read it out though I had sought it in euery place if the teares which fell so fast from mine eies to see the greefe of so faire and vnfortunate a yoong Shepherd had not let me Tell me no such thing saide Lord Felix for if I thought thou hadst not as well read the other which he saide he went to write in another tree I would intreat thee to recite this once againe but we shall haue time enough if it please the Gods to heare out the rest But what will you say said Crimine if I should tell you that we neuer remembred to seeke out the other Therein I beleeue thee not answered Lord Felix for so smal care should not me thinks befall in women of so great respect and in thee especially who didst loue him with such tender care and affection Not to deceiue thee therefore nor thy imagination saide Crimine know Lord Felix that we sought and found it out O how hast thou reioiced my hart saide Felismena but take heede heereafter Crimine what thou sayest and if wee shall continue friendes I praie thee mocke vs no more in this sort for thou hadst not a little troubled my minde by making mee beleeue that thou hadst not sought it out But state yet saide Doria for I am not of your opinion that she shoulde recite this other song so soone as you woulde haue her Why saide Lord Felix Bicause I woulde first knowe saide Doria if it be such an one as the last for if it be not she did well to leaue of her tale at such a point for it is not the condition of my palate to remaine with an ill taste when it hath once a good one Verie true said Felismena What answerest thou therefore Crimine to this I haue not perhaps the same taste said I that she hath so that it may be that what is sweete to her may seeme bitter to me or contrarie for in tastes there is no small difference But for my selfe I can say that the rest to come pleaseth me no lesse then that which is past Then by this reason said Lord Felix thou maist tel it which I beleeue thou wilt not otherwise choose to do with the condition that Doria alleaged vnto thee Since you haue faire Ladies saide Polydora staide your selues more then I would in questions and answers I will also propound mine Of which I dare lay a wager you will confesse that one of them wil seeme better to you then all the rest And for this I wil not cal any other to be iudges but your selues and in faith not to appeale in any time from the sentence giuen Thou takest much vpon thee said Felismena and more leauing it in the arbitrement of these that be contrarie to thee Nay rather little said Polydora for I know well that for your credits you dare not but pronounce it in my fauour Tell it then to trie said Lord Felix You all take vpon you said Polydora not meanely to be in loue and praysing not without good cause the song and hauing heard Crimine confesse that she could not make an end to read it for pitie she had of Delicius what is the reason that you haue not asked any thing what he did or what Stela felt or what impression it made in her These are questions more woorthe the asking of louers then to bee so precise in demaunding if it were written or not and if shee sawe the other or not It would haue greeued mee being no louer if she had not beene condolent for him who was put in such anxieties and you that affirme it to be so seeme not to be sorrowfull for this passion whereby it seemes you haue no desire to helpe him with so much as a worde Polydora gaue them all great delight with her friendly anger which shee shewed in iest of whom there was not anie that thought not but that she was in good earnest if in the ende she had not laughed Then all with one voice saide that the verdict should passe on her side Euery one holding their peace to see what Crimine would answer to it she began thus to saie Thou hast so highly considered the matter Polydora that if thy demand had come ioyntly with the quesions of these Gentlemen I would to haue satisfied thine with pardon be it spoken haue left theirs vnanswered And truely if loue had not required of Stela a narrow account of the hardnes of her hart then thine also had beene without an answer bicause I thinke you would not giue any credite to my speeches not seeming a possible thing that where all vertues are laid vp pitie
the rare deserts of Parthenius were of great worth with me by noting how worthie they were to be beloued but the iealousie I had of Crimine perceiuing how glad she was to be beloued of either of them was more forcible in my minde O loue loue how iustly do they paint thee like a blind boy thy conditions being no other For a boy with a broken pate that will not suffer his head to be bound vp in a clout but seeing the same tyed to another boies head cries out for it So was it with me and Crimine I reiected the loue of the Shepherds but knowing that Crimine loued them I died for their loue and wept in my inwarde soule that Crimine was so much deuoted to them But marke my dissimulation for to that which shee saide I aunswered thus To this last my sweete friende which thou hast alleaged for as much as toucheth mee thou maiest well agree not onely with Delicius but with his friend if thou wilt This is not well saide Crimine that thou hast yet so much libertie to graunt me such leaue but in the end I am well content to take it for I loue not Delicius so little that I would do him such iniury neither do I see him so enclined to yeeld to my loue again And I see no reason said I why I should not giue thee leaue or any body else in this respect let vs leaue this said she go if thou thinkest good whither we were determined Come on said I let vs go whither we must not whither we should for the sooner we go the sooner we shal come back again Being therfore come to our wonted place we found the Shepherds merrie for the hope they had to see me wherein I deceiued not my selfe for if it was not so I am then sure I was well deceiued though somwhat sorrowful also for my long staying We therefore comming before the faire Shepherds a certaine feare possessed both their bodies no otherwise then if some fearefull and ghastly thing had suddenly appeered before their sight so that it caused a notable trembling in euery part of them Crimine went on sixe steps before it might be to bid Delicius take courage and a good hart and afterwards spake out aloud to them saying By force my friends I bring this my companion hither to establish a louing peace betweene you and her Delicius would haue answered but Crimine fearing least his loue woulde haue made a fault in something cut him off following her speech thus For confirmation whereof there is nothing more requisite but that without remembrance of that which is past we returne againe to our former pastimes Truth it is that I will not disswade Delicius from asking her pardon whom he hath mooued to anger and her I beseech by the faith of our friendship not to denie the same Then saide Delicius by and by his eies full of teares and his knees on the ground not onely for the offence committed but if in any thing I shall heereafter offend her with all humilitie I aske her forgiuenes If so for nought saide I a fault should be solde it would be held but for a sport and pastime in lieu of satisfying your wils to giue occasion of anger howsoeuer by redeeming it onely with pardon craued and obtained So that trust not to this Shepherd for the second shall not be forgiuen thee so good cheape Wouldst thou haue him liue so precisely faire Stela said Parthenius and in such continual feare that he dare not onely speake nor so much as breath for feare of offending thee I coulde not choose but laugh at Parthenius words and at the countenance wherewith he spake them To the which I answered thus Gracious thou art in sooth iolly Shepherd that art so ready to helpe thy companion I do not meaneit so extreamely as thou saiest he vnderstands me well enough I imagine as much said Parthenius but am not ignorant that thou art rigorous and that in this sort we are both in an ill case if for speaking perhaps or doing a light thing ignorantly one shoulde not be pardoned If so small faults are so heynously punished howe can the greater escape vncorrected Wherefore set downe this lawe if thou wilt at the least be accounted iust that the punishment exceede not the fault putting the fault and the punishment in an equall ballance of moderation We are more bound to our Gods for mercy which they shew vs then for their iustice whereby but a little they profite themselues Tell me then faire Stela as the Gods preserue thee still in thy singular and rare beautie if euery time that men offende high Ioue shoulde sende downe his thunderbolts howe manie dost thou thinke shoulde hee finde vnarmed I impute it not Gentlemen to any pride arrogancie or necessitie of mine owne part if lying sometimes I say faire Stela which are formall words of Shepherds and commonly vsed of them which besides although I might well leaue vnspoken yet could it not be well suffred bicause they are not without mysterie It is well said Doria let it be as thou wilt and tell on for we will not stay our selues vpon so apparant a matter as this I answered Parthenius said Stela That the errour committed is well manifested but after what sort shall the ignorance thou speakest of be cleere vnto me But I see thee Parthenius so free in thy speeches and bitter in thy reprehensions that I shall be forced with my will yea and for very feare to do something for thee Parthenius without more adoe humbled himselfe with Delicius who was all this while at my feete for of purpose I would not bid him rise desirous to see them both equally yeeld themselues vnto me bicause I equally loued them both and being in this sort he said If it be then so I beseech thee pardon him since he craues it on thee with so great humilitie I am content said I and taking them both by the hands I lifted them vp which when I had done Crimine said Tell me Parthenius how fals it out thou art not with thy friend Gorphorost to day Parthenius answered bicause I knew faire Stela would come hither to day And not bicause I came said Crimine Thou hast no cause to aske me this question gracious Nymphe answered Parthenius since thou art assured I would do it no lesse for thine but onely bicause faire Stelas presence was so much desired by reason of these passed discontents One thing I haue marked said Crimine whereof I should not be a little ashamed if there were any other heere besides Stela that thou dost call her euermore faire and me gracious Thou maist vrge me so farre saide he that I may confesse my selfe ouercommed Friend Crimine said I their faults cannot take away the due praise of thy beautie so that if thine were deemed by right and indifferent iudges it should euer haue the prize and superioritie And whom said
me which is afraide of nothing Being stung with the pricke of iealousie and not able to suffer that she should goe alone with one whom I loued more then my selfe I said Since thou hast so good a defence with thee I will also accompany thee But let vs first I beseech thee endeuour to know what is become of Parthenius for if he be dead I will not liue nor come before Delicius with such vnfortunate newes being assured that whosoeuer shall first aduertise him thereof shall giue him no lesse then death Whom we should rather informe as soone as might be if he were prisoner to seeke out some meanes to deliuer him from thence which counsell we thought was the best We remained therefore in this determination and such was our good hap that walking the second day vp and downe the riuer bankes at the narrowest place of it there came a strong and lustie Shepherdesse with a sling in her hand and being right ouer against vs did fling ouer to our side a certaine thing like a round ball and then running away as fast as shee could got her into the Iland before her We not coniecturing what that might meane and desirous to know what it was went to take it vp that ran trendling in the meadow before vs. When we had it into our hands we saw it was a peece of linnen tyed vp fast togither and within it a round stone which we thought was put in least with the lightnes of the linnen it had fallen into the riuer This peece of linnen was written all ouer and I thinke with the iuice of Mulberies for it seemed he wanted inke and paper looking vpon the letter we knew it to be the hande of Parthenius wherby he willed vs to be of good comfort told vs the order of his imprisonment and how by the tokens which he gaue Gorphorost he was now sufficiently resolued that he was not Delicius and that he vsed him verie well but would nor dimisse him bicause he kept him for a baite for Delicius knowing that it might auaile him for the great friendship that was betweene them and also bicause if he did let him goe he might take Delicius if afterwards he met him for Parthenius of whom he might not be deceiued if he kept him still in his caue And therefore because Delicius might not come in sight by any meanes said that he would take some order himselfe for his owne deliuerie With these doubtfull newes and happie aduenture we went to seeke out Delicius And truely if we had not carryed that peece of linnen cloth written by Parthenius owne hand to him the griefe of the imprisonment of his deere brother had made an end of him by reason of the great sorrow that he felt thereof as yet he doth as you daily see Behold heere therefore Gentlemen what you desired to know of the Shepherd and vs and for what cause we go vp and downe in his company And the reason why my father woulde haue killed him I suspect to be this That the Nymphes our fellowes seeing vs all fower waiting at one time tolde him perhaps that the Shepherds had carried vs away with them So that we founde out this yoong Shepherd with whom we go and the infinite troubles that we haue suffered and must still endure vntill we see Parthenius so well beloued of vs all three Wherefore I pray you do me this fauour to request no more of me at this time nor howe we founde him out vntill with more ioy we be altogither if our misfortunes shall haue an ende as sage Felicia hath promised vs for now you see what content one takes in recounting of aduersities that are gone and past when she is free from them and contrarie what greefe when we still suffer them Of purpose saide Felismena wee tooke fit time for our discourses bicause we might haue had opportunitie to know all But bicause thy will is to the contrarie wee will not gainsay it to satisfie our owne Whereupon with this that Stela told them they knewe what great reason Delicius Stela and Crimine had to be sorrowfull who were partly no lesse for pittie of these fower vnfortunate louers The night being come they went in and after they had supped they went all to take their rest they at the least that were capable of it The end of the fifth booke The sixth Booke of the second Part of Diana of George of Montemayor ALl that companie comming foorth except Felicta and Parisiles with some Nymphes that tarried still praying in the Temple in a cleere morning the day was but a little spent when the aire changed on a sudden with such thunders and stormie tempestes that what with feare of the lightning and with the water that seemed to threaten them they were nowe going in againe when they heard a Shepherd singing a farre off and who they thought was comming towards them And hearing him they saide It seems he cares but litle for the iniury of the weather They all agreed to stay for him who not tarrying long from comming out of the wood where his way lay seeing so many togither maruelled much and left of his singing But they woondred more when he came nigh them to behold his strange kind of habit For he had on the skin of a beast called Hiena tied about his middle with a great wreath of leaues like to Bryony or the white vine which runs winding about the bodies of trees like a snake On his head he ware a Laurell crowne in his hand in steed of his sheepehook he caried a great bough of a figge tree All which when they had well marked they said vnto him Tell vs iolly Shepherd is this thy common wearing No said he but as I nowe vse to weare this or some such like as the qualitie of the time shall counsell me arming my selfe euer against the iniuries of it And therefore I clad me thus as at this present you see me bicause I would not be smitten with the furious lightning not thūderclap which the vertue of any one of these doth maruellously resist manie other things that came not so soone to my hands We are glad to know it saide they but bicause the rigour of this day warnes vs to put our selues vnder couert do vs this pleasure Shepherd to come in with vs here to Dianas temple The good report fame of this house your noble company shal carie me in although in such a time as this by the aduise of a cunning and expert Shepherd that dwels amongst vs it is not safe to be in statelie and high buildings Why so saide Lord Felix Bicause he saide answered the Shepherd that the thunderclap as it comes not right down but circularwise encounters with that which is highest therfore alights for the most part on high places as vpon towers castles Whereas on the contrarie if there be any in the field vnlesse it smite
you haue reason to bee sorrie for Palnas change yet you haue no cause to maruell at it in that she is a woman which name the ancient writers Philosophers Poets and Painters did not vainely impose to Fortune Pardon me good sir if I am so bold with one whom you loue so well since I haue iust occasion to do it by reason of the great and greeuous charge that she hath left me For if I was then bound of mine owne selfe to obey you to my power now by her occasion I am constrained to serue you more then my forces can well attaine to And if I being placed in your seruice shee had remained still the little that I could do might perhaps haue seemed something but she going awaie for my cause but not thorow my fault for all that euer I can do I shall be yet obliged to more being exchanged for her whom you so greatly loued And the worst of all is that if any thing which not by my will but by some negligence I may commit shall be open to the popular eie it will be a common by-worde in all the citie That it was a good exchange of Palna for Anfilardus Wherefore I beseech you my good Lord that omitting this you woulde accept of my good will which is sufficient enough if in my deedes there shall be any defect and that my fault which must needes proceed from my small abilitie or ignorance be not attributed but to the one or other To this did Disteus answer thus As I neither can nor will denie Anfilardus that I haue not greatly felt the ingratitude of my mother Palna my nurse I meane by not thinking of that mutabilitie which thou saiest is naturally incident to women by reason of the loue that I did alwaies beare her and doe yet to speake the truth which is not so little that in so short a time I may so easily forget the great iniurie which I haue receiued at her vnkinde hands So must I needs confesse that it is a great lightening to my hart that it was done for thy sake of whom I hope it shall be well considered since the greater part thereof is alreadie requited with the good will which at this present thou hast discouered though thy workes also haue seemed of no lesse effect both which when opportunitie shall serue I will not hereafter forget to reward The beginning whereof shall be this That I promise thee bicause I perceiue how heauily thou takest the great greefe which I haue felt for her absence and sweare neuer to shew my selfe agreeued for it in thy presence although perhaps I be in minde nor in thy absence to impart it to any but to my selfe They being in these speeches I came to Disteus house and speaking with one of his men willed him to tell his Master how I was come with a letter from mine Aunt vnto him The page did my errant and as Disteus was in suspence whether he might receiue it or no Anfilardus saide vnto him Sir send for the messenger in for by this you shall the more signifie your goodnes hearing with one countenance the iust and culpable person and not do Palna so much glorie as to make her know that her absence hath greeued you very much Disteus liked his counsell well and thereupon commanded me to come in With thy good leaue Lady Felicia and of all the rest said Parisiles I would aske how being without you might heare these speeches betweene them within From hencefoorth answered Placindus you must vnderstand that we tolde one another all the matters that passed and with this aduertisement I will proceed In the end I came in where Disteus and Anfilardus were and doing my dutie began thus to speake Your nurse Palna with her remembred dutie to you my Lord doth most humblie beseech you to reade this letter which she sends you Disteus tooke the letter and dissembling his greefe as Anfilardus had counselled him said If thine Aunt doth write to me to the ende to excuse herselfe she needed not haue taken these paines for she might haue done heerein according to her owne minde as in that which shall like me best I will do to mine own will and pleasure Thou shalt tell her that I will reade it wherein if there be anie thing for me to do for her I will heereafter bethinke me of it I not perceiuing this kinde of dissimulation maruelled not a little to see how soone he had shaken off the loue that he bare to mine aunt Truth it is that as I was then ignorant of that which afterwards succeeded so I esteemed his coye answere for a point of wisedome and was no lesse ashamed at that she had done With this answer I went my waies and they remained all alone Anfilardus praised not a little his fained answere commended his wisedome in that he would not call her mother as he was wont to do nor name her by her owne name in token of contempt But Disteus opening the letter saw it said thus Palnas letter to Disteus PAlna thy mother from thy milke and from the loue of her inward soule to thee her louing Sonne Disteus sendeth greeting Bicause as I know thou wouldest condemne me for a verie foole if I went about to shew that I had iust cause to forsake thee that wert mine onely comfort and to whom I am so much bound so will I not excuse my selfe heerein which if I should do and say that I am not worthie of reprehension I might then seeme in a manner to charge thee therewith since something must be attributed to so great a chaunge But if any fault be committed I am content that it be onely imputed to me for it shall greeue me lesse that the whole world should condemne me for it then that any should suspect the least defect in thee that might be Wherefore let this onely serue to entreate thee by the amorous milke that thou hast sucked out of my breast to haue so much patience vntill the successe shall manifest the cause hereof which to the end I will passe with the ill opinion that the world hath on me for leauing thee to an effect that shall result to thy profit whereby thou shalt affirme thy selfe satisfied and me acquited with thee at the least whereas for the rest it shall not greatly skill I know well thou wilt obiect say That if there were any hidden thing whereby I might haue procured thy content I had no reason to conceale it from thee I answer bicause I knew thou wouldest by no meanes giue me leaue to depart I would not tell thee of my purpose vntill seeing the good successe of it thou mightest know my great loue to thee since without making thee priuie I haue enterprized so great and difficult a matter And now bicause I haue spoken more then I thought I will conclude with this That I am in good health and not a little glad that my good
Fortune brought me to Dardancas seruice whose beautie and golden vertues are the woonder of our age When Disteus had read the letter softly to himself for he would not read it aloud before he had viewed the contents of it he said to Anfilardus I would haue read this letter vnto thee Anfilardus if I had thought it would haue made thee glad or sorrie and also bicause it is so obscurely written that I can scarce vnderstand one clause thereof The contents of it perswade me not to be carefull nor trouble my wits by inquiring out the cause of her departure vntill time doth manifest it when as then she saieth she shall be as free from fault as I from complaint With this also she writes me that she is content with Dardaneas seruice for proofe whereof she extols her highly with onely two wordes saying That she is the woonder of our age She that is of such excellent beautie saide Anfilardus enchased with all precious gems of vertue deserues no lesse assuring you Sir that Palna if with so much truth she iustifies that which she hath done as she hath reason for that she hath spoken may be blameles and excused to all the worlde wherein I must needes say she hath beene wise hauing no good discharge and excuse of her fault by putting you in a doubtfull loue and hope of a thing you knowe not to the ende that in the meane while you might forget and ouerpasse your anger by such thoughts and that she might not neede heereafter to excuse her-selfe I told thee not long since saide Disteus that though I feele Palnas absence very neere yet I must dissemble it with thee by meanes whereof happe good or ill I will still shewe one semblant prouided that I know the cause of it for indeed I could neuer perswade my selfe that this was no more but a dreame since I had euer so great confidence in her loue and fidelitie Whereupon I thinke some iust cause must needes mooue her to doe it for my behoofe and benefit as she writes vnto me which though it were not so I will not Anfilardus otherwise conceiue nor imagine In that which toucheth the fauour you do me said Anfilardus by imparting to me the contents of the letter I am bound to kisse your handes And in the rest as in this you shew my Lord your selfe what you are and maintaine the title of your noble minde In these and like speeches they spent a pretie time though Disteus sometimes altered his talke asking him of Dardaneas qualities beautie and wit for he tooke a great delight to heare that so many good parts in so high a degree were iointly found in one woman which Anfilardus did so brauely set forth as one that knew them well and to whom he was so much bound that the eloquence of the golden mouthed Lord of Ithaca had beene needlesse there All which was to cast an amorous and secret powder into Disteus foule that he might thereafter haue been set on fire On the other side mine Aunt Palna with great respect of dutie and discretion discoursed sometimes vnto Dardanea but with far fet circumstances of Disteus his honorable disposition and noble vertues which she so wisely insinuated as if she meant nothing lesse then to praise him Disteus now gaue leaue to his imaginations to be only imploied in Dardaneas beauty so that he loued melancholy sadnes abandoned al sports publick places He now delighted only in solitarines not only the company of strangers but of his own friends serūats was troublesom vnto him who neuer suspected that any amorous thought had so forcibly raigned in him but rather attributed this alteratiō to the greef that he had for Palnas absēce which if they had not beleeued they wuld not haue left to aske him the cause therof though it had bin but in vaine when he himself did scarce know it Disteus spent som daies in these considerations wherein his fansies being not meanly occupied he vsed these words O God how needlesse is it for thee my mother to tell me what reason thou hadst to leaue me for this excellent Ladie O ten times art thou happie that hast before thee as often as thou wilt the cleerest mirrour of our times Onely heerem from this day foorth I will not cease to blame thee for leauing me so late if any fit occasion had beene offered thee to defend thee with the shield of Dardaneas bountie and beautie for both which all mortall men are bound to serue and obey her Thou hast soone performed thy word that at length I should see thy iust cause Pardon therefore good mother my errour by reproouing thee although the same if thou dost marke it well was not my fault but the great loue that I did euer beare thee But wretch that I am what haue I done by not answering thy wise and louing letter and thrise vnhappy mee if thy nephew returned the sharpe answere from the venemous mouth of thy vnwoorthy sonne Ah then thou shalt haue more reason to detest the vnfruitfull milke thou gauest him then he had to condemne thee for thy iust departure and with greater cause to curse the vngratefull nouriture that thou hast bestowed on him then he hath now to blame thy forced absence O Disteus inconsiderate youth how rash wert thou in answering Palna thy graue and wise mother and how ill hast thou deserued to aduantage thy selfe by her gentlenes and helpe And thus thinking he had done a hainous offence by not answering her in haste he called for inke and paper and going about to write he was a good while in suspence and knew not how to begin for faine he would haue shewed her how willing he was not onely to forgiue her but also to haue craued pardon of her both which he durst not doe neither was it wisedome before Palna had cleerely made her iustification And therefore he wrote in such sort that my Aunt might take no offence thereat and did what became him the tenour whereof was this Disteus his letter to Palna BIcause thou maist haue no defence whereby thou maist not be bound to shew that innocencie which thou saiest thou hast and maist also vnderstand how I haue better plaied the part of an humble sonne then thou of a louing mother I haue strained my selfe to take pen in hand to answere thee By and by after I had read thy letter I would haue setled my selfe to this taske wherein I had so many contraries of I and no that not knowing what to determine or to which of both to adhere I haue till now suspended it If the loue I beare thee did sollicite me to do it the anger thou gauest me did forbid it If the faith which euer thou foundest in me did admonish me thereof the disloyaltie that then I sawe in thee did disswade me from it If my good minde towards thee did force an I thy impietie to me did forge a No. So
that if I was bound by the one I was restrained by the other whereupō in this doubtfull pretence not knowing what way to choose that which perswaded me to write had beene ouercomed if the desire that I had to heare of thy excuse and the weightie hope I know not whereof thou gauest me had not succoured helpt it which did driue me from the doubt I had and forced me to write vnto thee though I must needs confesse that albeit I read thy letter neuer so well yet I know not how to answer it since in no clause therein I find good construction for that which seemed most cleere was most obscure where in manner of a consolatorie letter thou tellest me That thou art well and content in minde as if my comfort depended thereon Whereas thou hadst pleased me better by affirming the contrarie bicause by being discontent thou mightest repent thee and by repentance amend and by amendment come backe againe vnto me But with that which in proofe of thy content thou saiest That thou art with Dardanea c. thou pleasest me as little For what haue I to do with any thing touching her whereof thou dost write vnto me So that I must either affirme that I vnderstand it not or thinke it was not to the purpose which shall be a greater inconuenience then the first since it must redound to condemne thee for a foole a thing far vnwoorthie thy selfe if with this chaunge thou dost not lay fault vpon fault The Gods take account of the intent thou hadst to leaue me And as for other greetings in the beginning heereof or requestes in the end I will not giue thee vntill I heare of thy excuse if thou hast any at all After he had written this letter he caused me to be sought out in all haste and being come before him requested me to carie it foorthwith to mine Aunt The ioy was not small that shee receiued with the letter that came to her from her sonne Disteus although it was to her confusion and shame For she that doth perfectly loue desires though it be to her owne harme to see the things of her beloued but she was a great deale gladder when she sawe with what mildnesse and humanitie it was written The solitarie life that Disteus as I told you did so much loue and leade was now growen to such a seconde nature that all companie was irkesome vnto him but onely Anfilardus as well for that it was represented to his thoughtes that he had beene Dardaneas seruant as also bicause he euer answered sincerely to his purpose by telling him continually of her soueraigne graces This kinde of sadde and priuate lise of Disteus came to the eares of his beloued Palna which greeued her not a little thinking that it was onely for her absence for remedie whereof she wrote him a letter wherein she accused him of want of faith since he fulfilled not his promise which was Not to entertaine nor make any shew of greefe vntill he knewe the cause of her departure and requested him by all possible meanes to shake off all that sadnes by the exercise of his person in armes and courtly sports as he was woont to do Disteus answered her again protesting with solemne oath that he was rather glad she was with Dardanea from whence he said the cause of his sollitarines did not proceed but that without knowing the reason thereof he found himselfe more altered in minde then he was wont to be after he had receiued her first letter and had heard her name Dardanea that on the one side he delighted in hearing it and on the other not knowing the cause trembled when he heard it in the end he requested her if she woulde euer doe him any pleasure to work the means that he might see Dardanea for though he had seen her when she was a maide yet was it not as it should be according to the great and renowned fame that now was bruted of her All this that he wrote to her was her great ioy seeing how he drew towards the end that she pretended but it troubled hir mind not a little to thinke how she might satisfie Disteus though it was her only desire to shew him faire Dardanea bicause she found no fit opportunity by reason of her regular modestie and priuate life The daily care and studie that both of them had to bring this to effect discouered a secret way to put both their desires in practise which was that on a night whereon they had agreed bicause it might bee the more secret if any fit occasion or opportunitie were offered mine Aunte shoulde send for me as though she had some busines for me and that Disteus in my apparell should go in my steede whereof they both aduised me feining that it was onely to goe see mine Aunt who woulde not yet trust me with such secret affaires Mine Aunt staied certaine daies before she tooke this busines in hand though opportunitie was many times offered and deferred the time so long that he began to complaine on her and thought that all were but words and promises for hee that with earnest desire is attending that whereon his minde doth euer runne doth hardly beleeue any thing though indeede it was not so who pondering the matter well should haue rather considered that some great obstacle occurred in her minde concerning the performance of his request which made such a stop in the meanes and furtherance of it that holding her for a great while in suspence she knewe not what to do And this it was that if Disteus on the sudden had seene faire Dardanea the first sight of that excellent beautie the extreme ioy thereof might haue caused some sudden alteration and traunce in him to haue made Dardanea suspect something which mine Aunt would not for all the worlde had hapned least her Mistres might haue taken some displeasure at them both which thing made not a little for their good beginning But as mine Aunt was very discreet and wise so did she obuiate this doubt with a sudden remedie for to preuent any such extreme passion that by such a sight and ioy hemight haue had she thought to moderate it with some present thought of no lesse greefe and sorrow And thus it was that now performing that that was agreed vpon betweene them he should come when the night began to waxe somewhat darke in my apparell but sending for him in my name she fained that it was to go for a Chirurgian to heale Dardaneas arme the which by opening a great chest the lidde by chance fell downe on and brused very much The greefe that he conceiued by these heauie news was so great that he would now haue changed the ioy that he expected by Dardaneas sight in lieu that this mischance had not happened vnto her For he felt it so sensibly that he had almost no hart to goe but yet encouraged himselfe least I might haue perceiued it
enioyed there without any feare and danger their sweete contents and were well beloued and reuerenced of all the Shepherds thereabouts who endeuoured to do them all the pleasure they could sometimes with rurall sports and games other times with dances and pastorall musicke To all which Disteus so well applyed himselfe that in a short time he farre excelled them all And so for this respect as for his affabilitie and mildnes by knowing how to conuerse with all that Shepherd thought himselfe vnhappie that had not some priuate friendship with Coryneus for so he named himselfe after he had changed his habit and Dardanea that named her selfe Dinia was no lesse acceptable to all the Shepherdesses and Palna called Corynea like her sonne was reuerenced of them all When all three went from me Dardanea was gone two moneths with childe but what God sent her or what became of the childe she brought foorth I know not for they had not dwelta whole yeere in that countrey when they went away for what cause or whither I also know not The cause whereof considering the time wherein they went away I suspect was this That in this meane while King Rotyndus married with the Kings sister of that Prouince where they were whose wife 's brother a little while after being dead an vncle of hers called Synistius aspired to the kingdome as Competitor with her For the which cause Rotyndus making warre against him with little losse of his men got the victorie whereupon a peace was concluded betweene them and the gouernment of the kingdome by the intercession of Agenesta his niece for so was the Queene called giuen frankly to Synistius So that Disteus as soone as the noyse of this warre was bruted abroad went as I coniecture bicause he would not be knowen from that countrey with his pettie family From which time I could neuer heare more of them though manie daies haue passed since Ansilardus and Placindus went out to seeke them And omitting mine own trauels Gentlemen and manie troubles that I passed in the like enterprise because they make not any whit to the purpose of your demaund I will onely tell you how theese two seruants of theirs went out so soone being as I told you before imprisoned and I so late being as you haue also heard at libertie When King Rotyndus married his Queene in ioy of the feast all the prisoners were let goe amongst whom Anfilardus and Placindus came out and sixe moneths after to make Sagastes suspect it the lesse by venturing their liues for vpon paine of death it was commanded that none should goe seeke out Disteus they went to the place where I told them they were At which place when they could not find them they cōcluded by seuering themselues to seeke them out appointing to meete at that place a yeere after to know how they had sped and bicause the one might not goe that way or take in hand that the other did Whereof as of all things else though they for the space of sixe yeeres from time to time informed me yet I know not how nor by what sinister meanes it came to passe that in more then twelue yeeres after the end of the foresaid time expired I neuer heard any newes of them nor of their master Whereat being greatly greeued in minde I endeuoured to seeke out some good meanes or rather fained occasion to go about the same errant whereunto by the Kings most streight edict I could neuer directly accommodate my self in regard of which iourney if hope might haue perswaded me to finde them out I would not haue neglected both that and all paines abroad and affaires at home whatsoeuer But being in this impatient desire two braue yoong youths most highly fauoured of Agenestor Prince of Eolia with whom they were both brought vp were also determined to seeke out their parents knowing that those were not the same for whom they had till then taken them These yoong Gentlemen Delicius and Parthenius for so they were called leauing aside how much for their rare giftes and virtues they deserued the loue of all of purpose I endeuoured to make my special friends to this effect that as they were in great fauour with the King and Queene by their meanes and intercession to the Prince I might finde such fauour with them all that if Disteus and his companie were perhaps found out they might get their pardon and be restored againe to their former estates and reputation which we thought might easily be obtained since King Rotyndus by the good examples of his virtuous Queene Agenesta whom God preserue for many yeeres by her holy life conuersation had almost now forsaken his old cōditions Wherby gentlemen we may note how the good examples of a vertuous wife doe oftentimes worke to amend and correct the lewde disposition of a vitious husband And therefore it is saide that the wise is the mirrour of the husband and the woman to the man bicause the man looking into her as into a cleere glasse may frame his life and minde to her modestie and semblance And contrarie the man is the womans glasse for the selfesame cause and reason Wherefore Rotindus loued not now Sagastes so well as in times past and liked lesse his lewde conditions which sauoured nothing of vertue whereon if any humane thought or action be not grounded it is not durable any long time for as vice is nothing being the priuation of vertue so is that of no stabilitie and permanence which is grounded vpon it The fame of Delicius and Parthenius departure and the end thereof was in a few daies spred ouer all the citie whereat though most were sorie yet some who enuied their deserued fauour for noble vertue is euer accompanied with base enuie were not wanting that ioyed to see that day This fit occasion therefore for the effecting of that which you shall heare offering it selfe to my semblable desseignes comming vnto them I vsed these wordes As I cannot be sorie Gentlemen and my deere friends for your departure since it is a thing that concernes you so much So am I not a little glad that it hath so happily fallen out for my determinations if in this iourney my poore companie for onely yours heerein I desired shall not be any waies troublesome vnto you And bicause you may knowe the forcible cause that mooues me heereunto I will vpon that fidelitie and trust which with all men but especially with me you haue alwaies vsed most frankly tell it you As it is not vnknowen to you I thinke what great friendship hath been betweene Disteus and me and for my part shall euer be while my soule shall rule this earthly body So must you know againe that I concealed and kept him close vntill I found out the meanes to put him in some safetie of his life and not content with this would if he had giuen me leaue or if it had not beene preiudiciall to his secret departure haue
soule The wise in ancient times a God thee nam'd Seeing that with thy power and supreme might Thou didst such rare and mighty woonders make For thee a hart is frozen and inflam'd A foole thou mak'st a wise man with thy light The coward turnes couragious for thy sake The mighty Gods did quake At thy commaund To birdes and beasts transformed Great monarches haue not scorned To yeeld vnto the force of beauties lure Such spoiles thou dost procure With thy braue force which neuer may be toulde With which sweete loue thou conqu'rest euery soule In other times obscurely I did liue But with a drowsie base and simple kinde Of life and onely to my profit bend me To thinke of loue my selfe I did not giue Or for good grace good partes and gentle minde Neuer did any Shepherdesse commend me But crowned now they send me A thousand garlands that I woon with praise In wrestling daies by daies In pitching of the bar with arme most strong And singing many a song After that thou didst honour and take hould Of me sweete loue and of my happy soule What greater ioy can any man desire Then to remaine a captiue vnto loue And haue his hart subiected to his power And though sometimes he taste a little sower By suffring it as milde as gentle doue Yet must he be in lieu of that great hire Whereto he doth aspire If louers liue afflicted and in paine Let them with cause complaine Of cruell fortune and of times abuse And let them not accuse Thee gentle loue That dost with blisse enfoulde Within thy sweetest ioies each louing soule Behold a faire sweete face and shining eies Resembling two most bright and twinkling stars Sending vnto the soule a perfect light Behold the rare perfections of those white And Iuorie hands from greefes most sure bars That minde wherein all life and glorie lies That ioy that neuer dies That he doth feele that loues and is beloued And my delights approoued To see her pleas'd whose loue maintaines me heere All those I count so deere That though sometimes Loue doth my toies controule Yet am I glad he dwels within my soule There was not one there amongst them all but tooke great delight in the Shepherds songs But Eugerius comming to giue his verdict praise and reward to him that had sung best could not so soone conclude of the matter he stept aside to Montanus to heare his opinion whose iudgement was that one had sung as well as another Then Eugerius turning to Syrenus and Arsileus said My opinion is cunning Shepherds that you are equall in the subiect of this contention and that if old Palemon were reuiued and made an indifferent iudge betweene you hee could not confesse I thinke any superioritie in your skill Thou art Syrenus worthie to beare away the cristall cup and thou Arsileus deseruest it as well so that I should offer you great wrong if I did not define who is conqueror and who is conquered To resolue my selfe therefore of this doubt with Montanus opinion I say that to thee Syrenus is allotted the Cristall cup and to thee Arsileus this Calcedonian cup of no lesse value which worthily thou hast wonne To both of you therefore I giue cups of like value both of them of account amongst Felicias treasure and by her bountifull hands bestowed on me The Shepherds were well pleased at the wife iudgement and rich rewardes of bountifull Eugerius to whom they gaue many thankes But Alcida by this occasion calling to minde her passed times said If the deceitfull errour wherewith I haue beene blinded so long had endured till now I would not then cōsent that Arsileus should be rewarded equally with Syrenus But since I am now free from it and wounded afresh with the loue of my betrothed Marcelius for the paine which I suffer for his absence I like well of that which Syrenus did sing and for the ioy and sweete delight which I expect I also commend Arsileus song But take heed carelesse Syrenus that these complaints which thou makest of Diana be not like to those wherewith I blamed Marcelius bicause thou maist not repent thee of thy hardnes of hart and disdaine as I haue done Syrenus smiled at this and said What greater blame may be laide vpon that Shepherdesse who after she had forsaken me married her selfe to a iealous peruerse and vnfortunate husband Then Alcida answered Vnfortunate indeed he hath beene enough since he cast his eies vpon me and bicause it comes fit to the purpose I will tell thee that which yesterday by reason of Felicias discourses and affaires with me I could not declare vnto thee when as we were talking about Dianas matters and to this end especially bicause thou mightest forget all iniuries past and shake off thy wrongfull obliuion when thou shalt vnderstand of the strange and vnluckie accident that by my contempt befell to miserable Delius I haue told thee before how I was talking and singing with Diana at the fountaine of the Sicamours and how iealous Delius came thither and sorrowfull Marcelius after him in a Shepherds habit at whose sight I was so grieued that I fled from him incōtinently into a wood that was hard by But when I came to the other side of the wood I heard a far off a voice that still cryed Alcida Oh Alcida stay stay which made me to thinke that Marcelius followed me and bicause I would not fall into his hands I ran as fast as I could away But by that which afterwards happened I knew that it was Delius husband to Diana that came running after me And bicause I had run a great way and began to be wearie I then went so easily that he followed me in sight I knew him and staied to know what he would haue not thinking once of him nor of the cause of his comming And when he was before me what by the faintnes of his running and by the anguish of his minde that troubled him he was not able to vtter one word At the last with rude and ill formed reasons he said that he was in loue with me praying me after his homely manner to loue him againe and many other things I know not what which shewed his little wit and simple behauiour To tell the very truth I laughed at him and the best I could endeuoured to comfort him and to make him forget his folly but it auailed nothing for the more I disswaded him from it the more foole he was In faith Shepherd I sweare vnto thee that I neuer knew man in my life so assotted with sudden loue But as I went on my waies and he following me at an inch we came to a village a mile distant from his towne and there when he perceiued my rigour that I had flatly denied him for verie griefe and anguish of minde he fell sicke He was lodged there by a Shepherd that knew him who as soone as morning came certified his mother of
Shepherd as thy selfe but by hauing her beauties and virtues with thy delicate comparisons and daintie verses so highly commended And she being beloued of thee it cannot be otherwise imagined but that her perfections of bodie and vertues of minde are most rare and excellent And that which doth not a little helpe to the accomplishment of her gifts is the delight and dexteritie that she hath in hunting for which thou didst compare her with Diana bicause it is one of the braue qualities which make both Nymphes and Shepherdesses to be thought more beautifull and gracious and most worthie of golden praises For I my selfe did sometime know a Shepherd in our towne and my Ismenia and Seluagia knew him also verie well who being enamoured of a Shepherdesse called Argia was with none of her passing graces more captiuated then with her singular cunning in shooting and delight that she had in her bowe which was continually in her hande and her quiuer of steely headed arrowes at her backe wherewith shee hunted wounded and killed the nymble footed Does wilde beastes and simple birdes For which delight her louing Shepherd named Olympius did sometimes sing a pretie Sonnet made of the skill beautie and cruelty of that Shepherdesse fayning a challenge and contention betweene her the Goddesse Diana and Cupid whether of them three should shoote best a fine and delicate conceit which sometimes to delight me I euer haue by hart With this Clenarda stept foorth and said It is reason Montanus that we enioy part of that delight with thee in hearing it And nothing can please me better then to heare thee sing it for the great loue and deuotion that I haue to that exercise I am content said Montanus if I shall not seeme troublesome with it That cannot cause any trouble saide Polydorus which with so generall delight shall be heard Montanus then playing on his pipe sung Olympius Sonnet which was this DIana Loue and my faire Shepherdesse Did in the field their chiefest cunning trie By shooting arrowes at a tree neere by Whose barke a painted hart did there expresse Diana stakes her beautie mercilesse Cupid hâ—…we Argia her libertie Who shewed in her shot a quicker eie A better grace more courage and successe And so did she Dianas beautie win And Cupids weapons by which conquer'd prize So faire and cruell she hath euer bin That her sweete figure from my wearied eies And from my painfull hart her cruell bowe Haue stolne my life and freedome long agoe This Sonnet was maruellous delightfull to them all and the sweetnes wherwith Montanus sung it a great deale more And after they had discoursed of euery particular part and matter of it Felicia seeing the night came on and thinking she had feasted and sported her guests that day sufficiently made a signe by her countenance that she would say something whereupon they left of their mirth and talke for a while and with attentiue mindes harkened vnto her and silence being kept with her accustomed grauitie she thus began to speake I am vndoubtedly perswaded noble Lordes and Ladies and you worthy Shepherds that since the time that you came to my house you haue no cause to complaine of my fauours bestowed on you nor of the diligence and seruice of my Nymphes employed for your sakes For the desire which I had to please you all was so great and the delight which I take to helpe distressed men to their contentment so proper to my nature that me thinks if I had done a great deale more for you it had bin but little in respect of that which your virtues deserue Onely Narcisus with the crueltie of Melisea and Turianus with the disdaine of Eluinia remaine discontent amongst you all Whom it shall now satisfie to comfort themselues with hope of their future felicities since that my word which was neuer stained with deceit and lye hath assuredly promised them a speedie and full contentment by those meanes which shall be most expedient for them I see old Engerius glad with his sonne his daughters and his sonne in law and not without cause since for loue of them he hath passed so many dangers and suffered such extreme paine sorrow and anguish of minde Felicia hauing ended her speech Eugerius wondered greatly at her wisedome and the rest were satisfied and well content with so gentle and courteous instructions wherby they gathered out of them profitable lessons to lead from thence forth a virtuous and happie life And so all of them rising from their places about the fountaine and following the sage Ladie went out of the garden into the Palace euerie one to their seuerall lodgings accommodating their mindes to the ioyfull feasts princely sports of the next day following The which and that which happened to Narcisus Turianus Taurisus and Berardus with the delectable historie of Danteus and Duarda the Portugale Shepherds which for certaine respects is omitted heere and many other things of great delight pleasure and profit are handled in the second Part of this Booke All these three Partes were finished the first of May 1583. Boto el amor en Yâ—…go Faultes escaped Page 7. line 35. reade debt page 40. line 3. read See p. 60. l. 18. r. Ash colour veluet hose p. 62. l. 45. r. be not deuided p. 73. l. 42. r. nurse p. 80. l. 20. r. brake with p. 88. l. 34. r. Ill. p. 99. l. 40. r. Vique p. 104. l. 36. r. temerous p. 139. l. 31. r. such beautie p. 145. l. 13. r. away and l. 46. r. hap p. 149. l. 10. r. And she p. 153. l. 1. r. heades p. 163. l. 22. 23. or to mistrust p. 174. l. 11. r. all goodes p. 190. l. 29. r. not them p. 195. l. 1. r. turne amaine p. 208. l. 39. r. mids was greene to shew that in the mids of p. 213. l. 22. r. sure p. 228. l. 11. r. But rude p. 230. l. 31. r. legge where p. 253. l. 24. r. As aires p. 257. l. 19. r. a gloze and l. 47. r. with our pag. 282. l. 1. r. was now pag. 284. l. 25. r. loth p. 286. l. 35. r. with rurall p. 309. l. 39. r. dorre p. 311. l. 1. r. were wrought p. 331. l. 32. r. vertuous p. 340. l. 3. r. she spake
stormes and tempests and now am safely arriued in the secure hauen of content and rest And though thy paine be neuer so great yet hath not mine I dare boldly say beene lesse And since for the same I found out a happie remedie banish not hope from thy minde shut not vp thine eies from the truth nor thine eares from the substance of my words Are they words said Diana that shall be spent to remedie my loue whose workes exceed the compasse and helpe of wordes But yet for all this faine would I know thy name and the cause that hath brought thee into our fields the which if thou wilt vouchsafe to tell me shall so greatly comfort me that I will for a while suspend the complaints that I haue begun a thing perhaps which may not a little auaile for the lightning of my griefe My name said the Shepherdesse is Alcida but the rest which thou demandest of me the compassion which I haue of thy voluntarie greefe will not suffer me to declare before thou hast embraced my wholsome remedies though perhaps vnsanerie to thy distempered taste Euery comfort said Diana shall be most gratefull to me that commeth from thy hands which neuerthelesse is not able to roote out the strong loue in my brest nor to remooue it from thence without carying my hart with it burst in a thousand peeces And though it might yet I woulde not liue without bicause I woulde not leaue to loue him who being once forgotten of me tooke so sudden and extreme a reuenge of my vniust crueltie Nay then said Alcida thou giuest me no little hope and confidence of thy recouerie since now thou louest him whom thou hast heeretofore hated hauing learned thereby the pathway to obliuion and acquainted thy will with contempt and the more since betweene these two extremes loue and hate there is a meane which thou must embrace and follow To this Diana replied and said Thy counsell faire Shepherdesse contents me very well but I thinke it not sure enough for my safetie nor the best in common reason for my auaile For if my will were put betweene loue and hate I shoulde sooner yeelde to loue then to hate bicause being neerer to it mightie Cupid with greater force woulde assaile and ouercome me To this Alcida answered Do not honor him so much who deserues it so little calling him mightie who may be so easily ouercommed especially by those that choose out the meane aboue said for therein doth vertue consist and where that is all harts are armed with force and constancie against loue Thou mightest better terme those harts cruell harde vntamed and rebellious said Diana which pretend to repugne their proper nature and to resist the inuincible force of loue And yet when they haue oppugned it as much as they list in the end they haue little cause to bragge of their stoutnes and lesse helpe to defende them with their foolish hardines For the power of loue ouercomes the strongest holdes and makes most way thorow where it is most resisted of whose maruels and memorable deedes my beloued Syrenus did on a day sing in this verie place at that time when his remembrance was so sweete as now most bitter to my soule The which Sonnet and all his other Ditties which he then made and sung I well remember hauing euer a great care not to forget them for certaine causes which perswaded me to register the words and deeds of my deerest Syrenus in perpetuall memory But this which intreats of the mightie force of Loue saith thus THat mighty Loue though blinde of both his eies Doth hit the Center of the wounded hart And though a boy yet Mars he foiles with dart Awaking him where in his net he lies And that his flames doe freeze me in such wise That from my soule a feare doth neuer start Most base and vile yet to the highest part Strengthued by land and sea of heauen it flies That he whom Loue doth wound or prisoner take Liues in his greefes and with his giues content This is his might that many woonder at And that the soule which greatest paine doth shake If that it doth but thinke of Loues torment The feare of such a thought forgetteth that No doubt said Alcida but the forces of loue are well extolled But I would rather haue beleeued Syrenus if after hauing published the furie of Cupids arrowes to be so great and after hauing commended the hardnes of his chaines he had not also found out the meanes to set himselfe at libertie And so I maruell that thou wilt so lightly giue credit to him who makes not his word and deed all one For it is very cleere that the Songs and Sonnets are a kinde of a vaine and superfluous praises whereby louers sell their ils for dangerous things when that so easily of captiues they become free and fall from a burning desire to a secure obliuion And if louers feele passions it proceedeth of their owne will and not of loue which is not but a thing imagined of men a thing neither in heauen nor earth but in his hart that entertaines it whose power if any he haue onely by the default of those he vsurpes who of their owne accord suffer themselues to be ouercommed offering him their harts for tribute and putting their libertie into his hands But bicause Syrenus Sonnet may not so easily passe without an answere giue eare to this which as it seemes was made in countermaund of that and long agoe it is since I heard a Shepherd called Aurelius sing it in the fields of Sebetho and as I remember thus it said LOue is not blinde but I which fondly guide My will to tread the path of amorous paine Loue is no childe but I which all in vaine Hope feare and laugh and weepe on euery side Madnes to say that flames are Cupids pride For my desire his fier doth containe His wings my thoughts most high and soueraine And that vaine hope wherein my ioies abide Loue hath no chaines nor shaftes of such intent To take and wound the whole and freest minde Whose power then we giue him is no more For loue 's a tale that Poets didinuent A dreame of fooles an idoll vaine and blinde See then how blacke a God doe we adore Dost thou therefore thinke Diana that any one endued but with reasonable vnderstanding will trust to things in the ayre as thou dost What reason hast thou so truely to worship a thing so vnruly and false as the supposed God of loue is who is fained by fond and vaine heads followed by dishonest mindes and nourished in the braines of idle wantons These are they who gaue to Loue that name which makes him so famous thorow out all the world For seeing how fonde men for louing well did suffer so many sursaults feares cares iealousies changes and other infinite passions they agreed to seeke out some principall and vniuersall cause from whence as from a fountaine all
these effects should arise And so they inuented the name of Loue calling him a God bicause he was of many nations and people feared and reuerenced and painted him in such sort that whosoeuer sawe his figure had great reason to abhorre his fashions They painted him like a Boy bicause men might not put their trust in him Blinde bicause they might not followe him Armed bicause they might feare him with flames of fire bicause they might not come neere him and with wings because they might knowe him vaine and inconstant Thou must not vnderstande faire Shepherdesse that the power which men attribute to Loue is or may be any waies his But thou must rather beleeue that the more they magnifie his might and valour the more they manifest their weaknes and simplicitie For in saying that Loue is strong is to affirme that their will is weake by suffering it so easily to be ouercommed by him To saie that Loue with mightie violence doth shoote mortall and venemous arrowes is to include that their harts are too secure carelesse when that so willingly they offer themselues to receiue them To say that Loue doth streightly captiuate their soules is to inferre that there is want of iudgement and courage in them when at the first bruntes they yeelde nay when sometimes without any combate they surrender their libertie into their enimies hands and finally all the enterprises which they tell of Loue are nothing else but matter of their miseries and arguments of their weakenes All which force and prowesse admit to be his yet are they not of such qualitie that they deserue any praise or honour at all For what courage is it to take them prisoners that are not able to defend themselues What hardines to assaile weake and impotent creatures What valour to wounde those that take no heede and thinke least on him What fortitude to kill those that haue alreadie yeelded themselues What honour with cares to disturbe those that are mery and ioyfull What woorthie deede to persecute vnfortunate men Truely faire Shepherdesse they that would so much extoll and glorifie this Cupid and that so greatly to their cost serue him should for his honour giue him better praises For the best name that amongst them all he gets is to be but a cowarde in his quarrels vaine in his pretences liberal of troubles and couetous in rewards Al which names though of base infamie they sauour yet are those woorse which his affectionate seruants giue him calling him fire furie and death terming Louing no better then to burne to destroy to consume and to make themselues fooles and naming themselues blinde miserable captiues madde inflamed and consumed From hence it comes that generally all complaine of Loue calling him a Tyrant a Traytour vnflexible fierce and vnpitifull All Louers verses are full of dolour compounded with sighes blotted with teares and sung with agonies There shalt thou see suspicions there feares there mistrustes there iealousies there cares and there all kindes of paines There is no other speech amongst them but of deathes chaines darts poysons flames and other things which serue not but to giue torments to those that emploie their fancies in it and feare when they call vpon it Herbanius the Shepherde famous in Andolozia was troubled too much with these termes when in the barke of a Poplar with a sharp bodkin insteed of his pen in presence of me wrote these verses following HE that in freedome iets it proude and braue Let him not liue too carelesse of himselfe For in an instant he may be a slaue To mighty Loue and serue that wanton elfe And let that hart that yet was neuer tamed Feare at the last by him to be inflamed For on that soule that proudly doth disdaine His heauie lawes and liues with loftie will Fierce Loue is woont t' inflict a cruell paine And with most sharpe and dire reuenge to kill That who presumes to liue without his power In death he liues tormented euery hower O Loue that dost condemne me to thy iaile Loue that dost set such mortall coles on fire O Loue that thus my life thou dost assaile Intreated ill tormented by thine ire Hencefoorth I curse thy chaines thy flames thy dart Wherewith thou bind'st consum'st and kill'st my hart And now let vs come to Syrenus Sonnet whereby he seemes to make men beleeue that the imagination of Loues enterprises sufficeth to ouercome the furie of the torment For if his operations be to kill to wound to make blind to burne to consume to captiuate and to torment he shall neuer make me beleeue that to imagine things of paine doth lighten the griefe which must rather as I thinke giue greater force and feeling to the passion For when it is more in imagination it remaineth longer in his heart and with greater paine torments it And if that be true which Syrenus did sing I much maruell that he receiuing so deepe a taste in this thought hath now so easily changed it by meanes of so cruell obliuion not onely of loues operations but also of thy beautie which ought not for any thing in the world to be forgotten Alcida had scarce finished these last words when Diana lifting vp her eies for she suspected somewhat perceiued her husband Delius comming downe from the side of a little hill bending his steps towards the fountaine of the Sicamours where they were togither whereupon cutting off Alcidas discourse she said vnto her No more gentle Shepherdesse no more for we will finde fitter time hereafter to heare out the rest and to answer thy weake and common arguments For behold my husband is comming downe yonder hill towards vs and therefore I thinke it best to turne our talke to some other matter and with the tune of our instruments to dissemble it and so let vs begin to sing bicause when he is come neere vnto vs he may not be displeased at the manner of our conuersation whereupon Alcida taking her Cytern and Diana her Bagpipe began to sing as followeth Prouencall Rythmes Alcida WHile Titan in his Coach with burning beames Ouer the world with such great force doth ride That Nymphes and their chaste companies abide In woods and springs and shallowe shadowed streames And while the prating grashopper replies Her song in mourning wise Shepherdesse sing So sweete a thing That th' heauens may bee By hearing thee Made gentle on their owne accord to power Vpon this meade a fresh and siluer shower Diana Whiles that the greatest of the Planets staies Iust in the mids betweene the East and west And in the field vpon the mowers brest With greater heate doth spread his scorching raies The silent noise this pleasant fountaine yeeldes That runs amids these fieldes Such musicke mooues As woonder prooues And makes so kinde The furious winde That by delight thereof their force they stay And come to blowe as gently as they may Alcida You running riuers pure and christalline That all the yeere doe make