Essentiall paines which is the Eternall priuation from the sight of God suffer lesse pains then the other as not hauing so much sinned And those are of such Nature that they cannot much hurt men but doe take pleasure to displease them with frightings noyses rumours subtilties and such like other thinges which they doe in the night in houses which thereby they make altogether vnhabitable not being able otherwayes to hurt but by these foolish and ridiculous effects limitted and bound by the Almighty power of God These the Italians call Fayries the Spaniards Elues and the French Hobgoblins of whose mockery and sports William Totan speaketh in his Book of Warre of Deuils calling them Deuils of the lesse noble Hierarchy Cassian writeth that in Norway they possesse high wayes play with passengers and doe hyer themselues out for wages as seruants Ierome Manchy reporteth of a Spirit which was in Loue with a young-man serued him solicited him in diuers formes and stealing money bought him many thinges wherein hee delighted Michel Pselho makes sixe kindes of these Spirits Fiery Ayrie Earthy Watry Subteranians and fire flying Spirits In all which Authors one may see their properties their illusions and their remedies The light of the Day which is the amiable and illustrious Daughter of Heauen and the onely guide of Mortals did sufficiently assure Pamphilus that now he neede not any more to feare the euill infestings of the Spirits then waking this good man they both rise and went together vnto the Chamber where Pamphilus lay but entering in to see the stirre that was made the last night they found the bed Pamphilus clothes and all other thinges in the same place where they had layde without any appearance that they had beene stirred Whereat Pamphilus being ashamed with hast made himselfe ready without speaking a word and thinking that this good Hermit would account him for a great Lyer and a man of weake courage departed from him and thence tooke his way towards Gadalupe without once daring to turne his head towards the Citty vowing vnto himselfe neuer to come into it againe vpon any occasion whatsoeuer should happen if he were not assured to finde his Nisa there There are two Hilles in the confines of the Mountaine of Morena which as two strong walls doe inuiron the Towne and Monastery of Gadalupe with so many Fountaines which doe runne from the Rockes into the bottome of the Valley so much Fruit and so much graine of all sorts that it seemeth Nature knowing that which should happen had destined this place from the beginning of the world to build this Pallace to the Princesse of Heauen The Pilgrim being come thether and hauing adored the Virgin visited the Temple and payed his vowe as hee went backe againe downe the stayres at that time of the yeare when as the Sunne is equally distant betweene the two Poles he met a Passenger going towards the Temple who earnestly beholding him asked him if he had not knowne either there or in any other place a Pilgrim of Madreele called Pamphilus who lately was in Arragon Pamphilus troubled with this demaund and fearing that hee was sought after with some warrant from the Iustice for Godfreys death turned back and fled towards the Temple But the Aragonise by some tokens which were giuen him and by his sodaine flying presuming that it was he followed him and curteously calling him said stay Knight I am not come to apprehend you neither doth the priuiledge of this place permit any man to be arrested Prisoner heere It is onely a Letter from a young Lady called Flerida which I bring you see thereby what I am and for what occasion I seeke you Pamphilus then staying tooke the Letter and hauing opened it found the contents as followeth To the Pilgrim of Madreele THou thy selfe O Pamphilus mayest iudge in what care thou lefts mee if thou hast had neuer so little thought of me since thou left me And now aswell to satisfie my selfe as to knowe how thy misfortunes are determined haue I sent this Messenger vnto you My Brothers being returned and missing thee in the Prison where they had left thee witnessed more sorrowe for thy departure then for my brother Godfreys death But a fewe dayes after a woman of the Countrey falling out with another amongst other wordes which choller prouoked a thing ordinary amongst women saide shee was the cause of Godfrey his Death Being thereupon taken and hauing confessed that Tansiles killed him out of Iealousie hee was apprehended and the cryme being verified the third day after he had his Head cut off My Mother and my Brother being now assured of thy Innocency doe bewayle their hard vsage towards thee and haue made great search to finde thee If thou wilt returne they will redeeme the iniurie of thy vniust Imprisonment with imbracings kinde vsage and thou shalt thereby pay me for the desire which I continually haue of thy welfare and for the teares which thou hast cost me The Pilgrim wondred at Tansiles strange successe and was something moued in his minde with Flerida's louing desires But fearing to offend Nisa hee satisfied the Messenger aswell as hee could giuing him the Iewels which Flerida had giuen him intreating that he would secretly deliuer them together with a most kinde Letter vnto her which hee presently writ and so the same day dispatched away the Messenger who went his way very ioyfull that he had in so short a time so happily dispatched his busines For Flerida not thinking he could easily finde him had commaunded him to search him in euery house where Pilgrims were vsed to Lodge throughout all Spaine I doe heere remember that I heard Pamphilus say after he had retired himselfe to couert from the storme of his Fortunes that hee neuer in all his life found any thing so difficult as to resist Flerida's desire for besides the obligations wherein hee stood tyed which were very great and no lesse then for his life shee was most perfectly fayre yet he continued his louing friendship by Letters not onely with her but with her Brothers also vntill that shee being Marryed with a Knight of Andaluzia was carryed into the Indyes Tenne times had the Sunne circled Heauen in the time of the yeare when as Astrea doth equall the ballances of the Equinoctial when Pamphilus iournying night and day through Desarts and vnknowe wayes found himselfe one morning when the Day began to smile on him at the side of craggy Mountaines oppressed both with wearisomnes and hunger and much more with the remembrance of Nisa Where sitting at the foote of an Oake beholding the solitarines of the Fields and the murmuring of the little Brookes which fell precipitatly from the Mountaine hee heard a Flute played vpon vnto the sound whereof turning his eyes he sawe a man sitting betweene two Rockes amidst a flocke of Sheepe which seemed to leaue their feeding to hearken to his Musicke But Pamphilus hauing other discourses in his head
the Giants when as the miserable Pilgrim woman imbracing him with prayers begged the Pilgrims life saying vnto Doricles that this man was hee whom she did onely acknowledge for her Master and on the other side assuring her desperate Husband that she had not transgressed against her honour neither in deed word nor thought because his prayers had not vanquished her and his threats should neuer I doe not know if it ought to bee beleeued of a woman the History commendeth her Chastity and I doe religiously beleeue the vertue of this sexe so much esteemed by me and so greatly had in accompt all my life Doricles would willingly that the Pilgrim should haue bin contented with his life which he would leaue him and that hee should haue gone away without the woman But the incensed Castillian defying him to a single combate began to defame him and prouoke him in such manner that he commanded his Soldiers to hang him vp at the next Tree of the mountaine hardly was the word out of the Captaines mouth when the Pilgrim sawe himselfe carryed out of the Village by these barbarious fellowes and vpon his way towards the Wood where hee should be branched vp Seeing himselfe then at the place of execution and in the presence of an vncuitable death hee intreated them with teares that they would let him recommend his soule to him that was the author thereof which being permitted vnto him hee drew out of his bosome an Image of the blessed Virgin which holding vp with his eyes and his hands to heauen he began his prayers deuoutly hauing the match of one of their peeces about his necke neere vnto him who tyed it to a bough of a great Oake onely wayting for the end of his deuotions Neuerthelesse euen as hee fastened the last knot the faire morning reioycing the world with new light cleerly discouered the amiable colour of his face Who will beleeue that in the space of one night so many fortunes should happen to one man if it were not knowne that things are written to bee marked and that euils doe seldome come alone seeing that the euils which happen in one night to one vnfortunate man doe surpasse all the prosperity which can happen to a fortunate man in all his life The Soldiers seeing the honest graue countenance of this Pilgrim his youth and his Innocency and being otherwayes molified with his prayers or hauing their hearts secretly touched by the handes of God for hee who hardned Pharos heart can molisie others they resolued to let him liue not willing to bee more cruell then the Sea which the day before had cast him vpon Land from drowning and thinking it was an infamous cruelty that hee who had been spared by thinges without sence should bee destroyed by them who ought to haue reason The Pilgrim giueth them thankes for their liberality and referring their reward vnto heauen intreateth them that if by chance this Woman which hee had left did perseuer in the firmnes of her speech they should tell her that she should finde him at Barcelon This said he tooke his way towards the Citty and the Soldiers towards the Village But the fained newes of his Death which they were constrained to deliuer vnto Doricles so much depriued the sorowfull Pilgrim woman of sence whom he had before thrust out of his Chamber being vexed with her cryes that shee remained a long time as dead and when as she was come againe vnto her selfe she did and said so many pittifull thinges that these fierce men most accustomed to shed blood did now shed teares So that the Captaine despairing of euer being able to pacifie her and thinking that the beginnings of extreame griefe doe easily passe to a frenzy commanded that she should be caryed vpon the great high way where the miserable woman was left drowning her selfe in teares and murdering her face with her hands she made herselfe looke with great deformity from thence following the way by the Sea side shee went to Valence The Pilgrim in the meane time was at Barcelon where hauing stayed two dayes to view the goodly strong walles of the Citty the third day as he was beholding the Viceroyes Pallace this Fisher whose voyce had so vnhappily drawne him from the Cabens of the other Fishermen and as a deceitfull Hiena had called him to bring his life into such danger knew him and demanded of him if hee were not the Theefe which entertained him the other night with wordes vntill his companions came and entering by force into the houses of the Village had robbed them and pilled them It is true answered the Pilgrim that I am hee who by the sound of thy voyce came out of the Cabens of men of thy profession but not he who came with the robbers which you speake of vpon this they contested one against the other insomuch that the people runne to the â—oyse And as to bee pursued with hue and cry there needs no more cause but to bee a stranger so all the world beleeuing in the naturall Catalonians words the poore Pilgrim was impetuously carryed away by the people and as a robber put into Prison The infamous rable who for crimes great or small are accustomed to possesse these places which are like so many true representations of Hell put him into a dark corner worse then the worst sink of Constantinople where it is impossible to recite the blowes they gaue him and the iniuries they said vnto him because hauing no mettall about him but the Bullet which Doricles shot into him the night of his misfortune hee had not wherewith to pay his garnish or entrance nor ability to finde better meanes to appease them Night victorious ouer humane cares imposing rest vnto their labours and their thoughts and reducing their actions to a deepe silence came amongst these barbarous people and the miserable stranger onely not so much as closing his eyes hee felt not the griefe of his wound not the infamy of his imprisonment all that which troubled him and all that which he feared was the Pilgrim womans loosing of her honour which wrought so with him that whilst others slept in this confusion without that the want of beds the importunity of many noysome creatures which runne vp and downe in the Prison the feare of Iudgement to come nor the present misfortune could wake them our Pilgrim onely is awake complaining against Heauen the Sea and his cruel fortune which had preserued his life then when hee had no feeling of death to make him suffer it now in a state so sensible At the length the Sunne with a countenance full of shame and as if he had bin constrained shined through the thicke barres of this Prison windowes shewing in the pale colour of his beames that hee feared he should bee stayed there when the pleasant blowes of the Iaylor and the sweet noyse which his Keyes made in the strong lockes awaked from their forgetfulnes those vnto whom the
Mireno and searching him with mine eyes all about the roome I sawe him lying Dead thou mayst see in the teares which now flowe from my eyes what was then my griefe I doe not know what I did yet seeking for Telemaquus I did excuse him for the care of defending himselfe and from iustifying so bloody an execution For hauing met face to face I thrust at him with which thrust he accompanied their two liues which he had extinguished By this time the house was beset by those whome the Iustice had raised who apprehended as many as they found and me especially for hauing killed Telemaquus without cause although according to the Lawes of the world there was but too much cause and heere they put me where thou now seest me where I haue liued this fiue yeares desiring Death as thou mayst see by this winged Heart of mine flying after this Image of dead Mireno with this word out of Virgill My Palas dead I bide aliue by force My trauels are figured in those of Siciphus and Titius and represented by these wordes out of Ouid O wretched state constrain'd to liue In plaints eternally When Death which onely helpe can giue Affords no power to dye The sorrowe which this great Citty felt by the losse of Mireno is expressed in this figure of the Head and heart of Orpheus with this word There wept the Woods the Beasts and Snakes For I doe not thinke that there was either tree or stone which were not mooued with this so pitifull an accident And here will I end his Story with these teares which I will offer incessantly to his memory and these wordes which I haue made for Lucrece her Tombe Here lyeth Lucrece lesse chaste then the Roman but more faire Tarquin did not force her but loue and although she dyed for her infidelitie Loue who was the cause is of power to excuse her So the faire Lucrece remayned in mortall rest her name in my imagination not worthy of blame for hauing bene ouercome by the excellent parts of her Louer and by that vnchangeable force which Loue euer vseth against great and free courages The Pilgrims imprisonment had not passed at so easie a rate of his pacience had not Euerard so was the Knight called that made this Discourse fauoured his affaires for his innocencie could not gaine him his libertiye nor good opinion which he did deserue so powerfull was his onely habit to worke in the Iudges an euill conceit of his person Yet Doricles Captaine of those Robbers being pardoned and receiued again into the Cities fauour the Pilgrim was also absolued as his Confederates His curiositie to heare the Fisher-mans singing hauing brought him to receiue a hurt in his Arme with a Piece into an extreme danger of hanging vnto the 3. monthes imprisonment which without the help of Euerard had bene insupportable They take their leaues one of an other with a thousand louing imbracings and Euerard hauing further obliged him with some money hee resolued to goe to Mountserrat and I to finish this First Booke The end of the First Booke The Second Booke BY a straight way between thicke Trees and shady did the Pilgrim goe towards Mountserrat who turning his head at a noyse which hee heard behinde at his backe hee sawe two young-men with Palmers staues whose faire faces and white hayre made them shew to bee either Germans or Flemmings He saluted them and ioyfull of so good company he imposed silence vnto a thousand sad thoughts which solitarines had brought into his memory And trauelling together they began to discourse of diuers matters with which they easily and with pleasure passed away the craggy and vneuen way of the mountaine vntill they came vnto a Fountaine which bubling into a valley made a gentle harmony So that as it were inuited by the sweet noyse and the fresh shade they sate downe vpon the rushes which grew by the Brooke side and admiring the sweet complaints of the Nightingale one of the Almans which shewed a good nature imbellished with Learning began to discourse of Filomelas loue saying that now she wold recompence with her infinit notes all the time that she had bin dumbe after Terreus had cut out her tongue The Spaniard replyed that Martiall had vttered the same conceit the Alman reioycing to finde in him more capacity then in common persons for it is an insupportable labour to trauell with an ignorant man rise from the place where he sate and imbracing him with a great deale of contentment after many other discourses Let vs goe said hee adore the blessed Virgin In this Image so much renowned through all the world wee cannot make a more holy voyage nor I in better company then thine let vs goe said the Spaniard by this pathe which seemeth to me to bee much the shorter although a little steeper for the most part of the way This being said they tooke their way towards the Temple which they discouered shortly after built vpon the side of a sharpe Mountaine and vnder a great Rocke which did seeme to threaten it with ruyne When they were entred with deuotion humility casting their eyes into this Tapestry of France Almane and almost all the world they were astonished to see the walls decked with so many excellent Paintings Histories accompanied with a thousand seuerall kinds of offerings which with an admirable correspondency did stirre vp and astonish the sences altogether There did they power forth their prayers and their teares and after they had seene and beene informed of all that was considerable in this Monastery the day hauing lost her beauty by the Sunnes absence they retired altogether vntill the morning shining through the Easterne gates gaue them knowledge of the new dayes approch Then they resolued to visit the diuers habitations of the Hermits which liued in these Mountaines being come vnto the seuenth Hermitage they found a young man of an agreable countenance and a goodly presence whose long and well combed hayre gaue a reuerent maiesty vnto his aspect This man stayed them dinner and after their repast being intreated by the Pilgrims to tell them what deuotion had confined him into these solitary mountaines hee related the history of his life in this manner The History of Aurelia AMongst all the thinges which in the course of my life I haue seene and marked I might peraduenture tell you some one which might better content you But thinking that one cannot better perswade then by the example of himselfe I will therefore tell you a story which is drawen from my youth and from the Twentith yeare of my age written by my misfortune and imprinted in my memory seeing that the renuing can doe me no damage and may bring you profit This short tyrannie the bayte of youth the illusion of the sight the prison of the soule and the darkner of the sence which is called Beauty and which heauen seemeth to giue Women for our mischiefe blinded
for pleasure if out of pleasure I had now no cause to bewaile my selfe nor if it were by force meanes to bring remedy and lesse meanes had I in loosing of my wittes And that it is true that the very thought I had of your death was the cause of my madnes let this satisfie you to see that I recouer them in hauing you aliue Faire Nisa answered the Pilgrim am not I a miserable man in hauing bene the cause of so much euill by my misfortunes There is nothing deere Pamfilus replyed Nisa in weeping deserues this name that hath bene suffered for your occasion and for so cruell a feeling as the report of your death brought to me And if I were permitted to imbrace you heere according vnto my desire the recompence would be as great as the trauels which I doe bewayle onely in regard they were no more since that according to their multitude they would augment the glory of my suffering It was not in vaine answered Pamphilus for the History names him from hence forward that my hope made me desire to liue onely that I might see you for I was assured that in the glory of beholding you all iealousie would be wiped away that might any way allay my ioy And if the eyes of those who looke vpon vs did not better see then their vnderstandings doe know you should before this haue found that your desire of imbracing was most agreable vnto me To this said Nisa whose name hitherto wee haue hid as also Pamphilus his because that trauailing in this habit amongst so many dangers I durst not tell their Country nor their name I will make my passion serue as a remedy What passion answered Pamphilus Euery time said shee when my griefe depriues me of my reason they tell me that I cry aloude those wordes which I will now say to thee in imbracing thee And then she said these wordes O my spouse is it possible that my eyes doe behold thee Is it not thou who dyed in the mountaines of Barcelon by the euill hands of Doricles barbarous Soldiers blessed bee the houre wherein I see the newes is false In speaking this Nisa fell about Pamphilus his necke amorously imbracing him whose vnspeakable pleasure was onely interrupted by the presence of the assistants When the man who had the charge of appeasing the mad solkes fury sawe this deportment in Nisa hee began to giue her rude words and more sharpe blowes Let him alone said Pamphilus for I am his Countriman and his wiues kinsman and doe not wonder that this sight of me doth cause in him this sortowe Whatsoeuer you are answered this barbarous fellow it skils not heere is neither complements nor visitations And the token of this mans mad fit in comming vpon him is to call his Husband with such or the like wordes But if I pacifie this his mad fit said Pamphilus to what eud doth your chasticement serue And how will you appease it said the other Is not this an euident token of his madnes that he cals you his spouse and takes you for a woman You are ignorant of his humour and of the trouble he giues vs although he doe not appeare to be aboue Nineteene yeare of age I know all this well answered Pamphilus Neuertheles let me speake to him for I do assure you that my selfe alone can appease him and as it is a good worke from any body who hath a sicknes to take away the paine for some time though it returne againe So in madnes it is a good worke to bring to passe that hee who hath lost his wits should recouer them againe though it were but for one houre Yet neither this reason nor many other serued him to any purpose for the officers had already put manacles vpon Nisa's hands and the master did rigorously pull her to the Cage although she had no neede of this remedy nor any other but the sight of Pamphilus But as those who are accustomed to lye are seldome beleeued although they say the truth So in him who is mad it is accounted a token of greater madnes to seeme wise Thus Nisa was had away to straight imprisonment and Pamphilus standing ashamed fearing that euory one knew what was priuy only to himselfe beheld her with abundance of teares A thousand times hee was about to let goe the reynes of his passion which his vnderstanding held in and to bee mad in reason beleeuing that if hee were mad the chastisement of his madnes should be to remaine with Nisa which was the greatest good he could hope for And to begin his designe he offered against the Lawes of this house to breake the gates of the Prison and see her by force but hardly had hee made any demonstration thereof whenas the Porters with the mad seruitors such as hauing recouered their wits do serue the others fell vpon him beating him cruelly flung him into the street where as the Fish whereof Aristotle speakes which being drawne out of the water frameth a humane voyce dyeth he fetch'd a great figh and fell vpon the ground astonished The Sunne was declined lowe toward the West couering with gold and purple that part of the Horizon when Pamphilus returning out of his astonishment found himselfe in the armes of a young man who hauing compassion of his griefe incouraged him to recouer life Pamphilus looking stedfastly vpon him with heauy sadnes demanded where he was the young man tolde him that hee was at the doore of the Hospitall where the mad folkes were kept And how is it replyed Pamphilus that I am not within because said the other thou appearest to be more diseased in body then in the passions of thy minde Thou iudgest by the countenance said Pamphilus but if thou hadst seene my heart thou wouldst rather iudge that my euill proceeded from my spirit True it is that the body feeleth also the paines of the minde What kind of euill is thine answered the young man being so neare the place where euils of wounded mindes are cured For if thou art not within the Hospital thou desirest as it seemeth to be in seeing thou doest not deny thy euill and thou confessest that it proceedeth from thy minde the passions whereof are not farre from falling into that infirmity which is cured in this place The euill which I haue said Pamphilus hath a remedy in this house and my misfortune is such that dispairing to cure me they haue flung me out Thou canst haue no such euill answered the young man but there is an Antidote to bee found for it Incurable Loue said Pamphilus is groaning out a sigh vnto which all the medicines Herbes of Physicke are improfitable What is not Loue to be cured answered the other And are Auicens seauen remedies of no force and not true Of those said Pamphilus and at the tales which Pliny writeth my passion worketh I onely allow of his counsell who aduiseth chiefly to marry but the disposition of
and Destinies Which was that making his Mother beleeue that hee would goe into Flaunders and iourneying some dayes in the habite and equipage of a man at Armes and after sent his seruants to Alcala of Henares and there disguising himselfe in other clothes he went to Toledo where not being knowne to any person he found meanes to be entertained as a seruant in my fathers house which was no hard matter to doe because that his excellent feature and countenance accompanied with his vnderstanding were pledges sufficient of his fidelity gaue my Father not onely a desire to bee serued by him but also to respect him My father receiued him ignorant of his quality and of his intent a strange imagination of a man beeing a Knight and so well knowne almost of all in the Countrey wherein he was borne that he could so hide himselfe at the Doore as it were of his owne house that no body could know either where hee was or what hee did yet so it was that his humility his diligent seruice and other commendable partes which hee had gained such credit with my Parents that I doe beleeue he might as easily haue compassed his designes with his fayned pouerty as with his true riches The chiefest thing whereunto he applyed himselfe as his whole study was to appeare agreable to Nisa which was easie to be done for who can guard himselfe from a domesticke enemy The simplicity wherewith this Knight did begin his treason and the good wordes which he vsed gained him entrance into those places whereinto hardly and with great difficulty could the ancient seruants come Behold with how little care a noble Gentleman kept in his house another Greeke horse like vnto miserable Troy For such of necessity must this young mans heart needs bee full of thoughts and armed with malice which the houre of execution approaching brake forth into such flames as haue fired our renowne When Pamphilus thought that Nisa was disposed to hearken to his intention were it that his sicknes were true or fained as most likely it was he made himselfe sicke My parents who accounted of this seruant as of their gouernour and loued him equal with their dearest Children there being no key about the house no accompt in all their expence nor any secret in their affaires wherein hee was not trusted caused him to bee tended with all the care which was possible for loue and respect to bring The Physitians said that this infirmity proceded from a deepe melancholy and the best remedy that was to be giuen was to reioyce him and principally by Musicke In which they were not deceiued for if Loue doe participate of the euill spirit and that Dauid draue away the euill spirit from Saul by the sweetnes of his Harpe by the same meanes Loue might be driuen away Thou sayest true said Pamphilus who gaue great attention vnto the relation of his own story to see to what end the discourse of this youngman would come who was his Mistresses Brother for without doubt it holdeth many conditions of the euill spirit and leauing a part the principall which is to torment with fire behold the simpathy which they haue one with the other The Deuils doe delight themselues in thinges which are naturally melancholy inhabiting in horrible places obscure and solitary as louing darkenes and sadnes All which qualities are common with them which Loue and cannot attaine to that which they pretend they desire solitary places and the dens of Deserts there to entertaine in silence their sad thoughts without any thing to trouble them no not the light of heauen But let me intreat thee to proceed in thy story of this Knight for I desire with passion to know the end My Sister Nisa said Celio then for so was the young man called could play admirable well of the Lute and sung so sweetly that in the like danger the Dolphin wold willinglier haue brought her to the shore then hee did Arion sometimes to Corinth Wherfore by the consent of my Parents and not against her will shee went into Pamphilus his little Chamber Consider with thy selfe the happy glory of a man in his case and sung a Poeme which he himselfe had composed for hee had that way a dexterious facility and very naturall neither did it want the excellency of Art But whilest Nisa sung Pamphilus wept and neuer turned his eyes from of hers So that one resembled the Crocadile and the other Sirene vnles that one sung to giue him health and the other wept to deceiue her of her honour Nisa seing this his extremity of sadnes said vnto him that her intent was not that her musicke should haue the same effect in him as it had in others which is to make them more sad which are any way heauy but contrarily her desire was to reioyce him There is answered he no other voyce nor other harmony vnlesse it may bee the harmony of Heauen can reioyce me but yours Neuerthelesse my euill being past hope of cure bindeth me to bewaile my selfe and not to thinke vpon any thing but vpon the beauty which causeth it What euill is that said Nisa past cure which proceedeth from a cause commended by thee It is an euill answered Pamphilus whereof I doe hinder the cure and whereof the onely comfort is to know that I suffer it for the fairest creature in the world The liberty wherein wee liue said Nisa doth giue me leaue Pamphilus to speake vnto thee heere of a suspitious matter by the tokens which thou hast deliuered vnto me of thy euill thou hast giuen me knowledge of the occasion that makes thee sicke although I am ignorant of the cause who makes thee sicke Thou louest without doubt and I take it in good part that thou wouldst confesse vnto me that which thou wouldest not speake vnto the Physitians assuring thee that thou mayst better trust my Loue then their Art But I coniure thee by that goodwill which thou knowest I haue born thee euer since thou hast serued my Parents that thou wilt tell me whether I know her whome thou louest and whether I can bee helpfull vnto thee in thy curing for thy teares doe make me pitty thee You may well serue to helpe me pittifull Nisa said then the cunning Louer who might well haue instructed Ouid seeing I doe not hope for it from any other hands then yours and that you know the cause of my paine aswell as you knowe your selfe Heere Pamphilus demaunded of Celio wondring that bee should tell so perticularly that which passed so secretly betweene him and Nisa how hee knew the same wordes which they had spoken hee being at that time a farre off following his study in Salamanqua To which Celio answered that the same Pamphilus had left the story in writing with a friend of his from whome hauing had the meanes since that time to get it hee learned all vnto the least particuler and then proceeding on his discourse he began in
execute my intent I went to Madreele I sought Pamphilus in all the houses of his friends and visited his Mother asking newes of him making shew how things had passed The innocent Mother said it was two yeares since hee went into Flaunders and that from the time of his departure she neuer had heard from him from whence she collected he was dead I thought that she knowing what he had done had disguised the truth and while I was in this meditation I casting my eyes vpon a young Gentlewoman who sate sowing by this reuerend matron I found her in my minde so faire that her onely looke had power to temper my sorrow and hardly had I fully viewed her perfections when as I propounded in my selfe to serue her and to steale her away thinking by this meanes to giue satisfaction to our honour and beginning to my reuenge To recount vnto you at this time all the passages and the care which I vsed to speake with her and to bring her to my will would be to trouble you with a long discourse Let it satisfie that I drewe her from her house with the same thred where with Pamphilus had pulled Nisa from ours and in a strange and foolish minde led her into France where her beauty ministred subiect vnto a Knight to serue her and for me to kill him From whence it followed that for safety of my life I was driuen to leaue her Neuerthelesse I am resolued whatsoeuer happen vnto me to goe seeke her because that besides I doe loue her more then my selfe I owe so much vnto her merit and vertue with which shee hath faithfully accompanied me thorough many and variable successes Night had spred his blacke vayle ouer the face of the Earth and the houses were full of Candles as the Heauen of starres men and creatures retired themselues from their common labour when as the miserable Pamphilus gaue ouer hearing the tragedy of his Loue with the last act of his honour and to know that he did then but begin to suffer his euils when he thought he was at an end of them Hee admired the iustice of Heauen which had suffred that his Sister should so lightly haue quited her Mothers house to runne away with a man Yet finding in himselfe the example of his owne misleading of Nisa and that the iniury which hee had done vnto Celio was no lesse then that which hee had receiued he did not hold it iust in himselfe once to thinke of reuenge but rather to perswade him that hee should not nor ought to leaue her which he performed with the best wordes the liueliest reasons he could deuise Remonstrating vnto him that amongst Gentlemen the onely condition of noblenes should binde him to goe seeke for her which Celio allowing for most reasonable gaue him his word to imploy his endeauours to that purpose And being lodged this night together they supped and slept in one house The next morning Pamphilus gaue him a Letter to a French Gentleman with whom he had great acquaintance that he might fauour him in finding out Finia for so was his Sister called But Celio departed not for certain dayes during which time there was a perfect friendship knit betweene those two secret enemies So that Pamphilus knowing the offence which Celio had done vnto him pardoned him in his hart and Celio ignorant that this was Pamphilus was disposed to the pardoning of him The resolution was with great oathes to enquire out one the other and to helpe each other in all accidents as Brothers assigning the rende-vous within sixe monthes in the Citty of Pamphelune So went Celio vpon his enterprise some few dayes after his departure Pamphilus his sorrow increasing out of the opinion that it was impossible for him to recouer Nisa It happened that going one night from his lodging in a vaine desire he had to see the windowes of the Prison where his happines and ioy was inclosed he heard a Knight cry out for helpe against some who would at aduantage haue killed him He sodainly stepped vnto him and drawing out his Sword out of his Palmers staffe with an incredible dexterity accompanied with a valiant braue courage made them loose him whom they would haue killed and saue their own liues by a shamefull though a safe flight The Knight would needs know what hee was who had deliuered him from so great danger and although Pamphilus excused himselfe from telling his name yet the Knights desire and curtesie preuayled more then the humblenes wherewith the Pilgrim did endeauour to perswade him that hee had done him no seruice to conclude he led him to his house where his good and gentle behauiour being obserued the Knight and his Parents bare such affection vnto him that they did oblige him to become their guest There remained Pamphilus some dayes at the end of which Iacinth so was this Knight called tolde him the history of his Loue vnto faire Lucinde and the occasion for which these assassiuators wold haue murther'd him who for this onely cause were come from Ciuill vnto Valence where the subiect of the passion and the sorrow wherein he liued did remaine I doe beleeue that Louers haue some simpathy one with another and that they ioyne and communicate in such manner as you haue seene in this discourse Seeing that our Pilgrim neuer came into any house where there was not some one or other tainted with this euill although it were in craggy Mountaines By this ouerture of Iacinthes secret Pamphilus was bound to discouer his and after hee had made him sweare that he would graunt him his request hee said that in recompence of his life which hee had saued as he himselfe confessed he coniured him to helpe him to a place in that Prison where the mad solkes were shut vp Iacinth astonished at so strange a request would needs know the cause But Pamphilus promising to tell him so soone as he had done him that fauour and casting himselfe at his feete with most earnest and vnheard-of wordes affirming the good hee should doe him to put him in this place made Iacinth suspect that some secret danger did inforce him into that place And willing very generously to satisfie the obligation wherein hee was tyed after some inconueniences and reasons vrged to diuert him hauing agreed with him of the meanes which he should holde This very night Iacinth tooke fiue or sixe men of the Hospitall who entring sodainly into Pamphilus his Chamber put him in a Chayre and carryed him away in their armes miserable condition of this man who after so many strange successes being wise if those who Loue can be so to make himselfe to bee taken and shut vp willingly as a mad-man where all the mad folkes would willingly bee accounted wise All Iacinthes house admire at this nouelty and all his family complaine that this stranger vnto whom Iacinth was redeuable for his life was so vnworthily requited by Iacinth himselfe But shee