length came and in his grace cup had this potion administred to him which as soone as hee had taken up hee could scarce hold his eyes open till hee went into his chamber presently Satyrus meeting with mee told mee that Conops was laid fast and bid mee like Vlysses bee of good cheare at which words wee went both to Leucippes chamber he stood at the doore I entred by the helpe of Clio who conveighed mee in by stealth at my entrance I trembled partly for joy partly for feare for my mind was perplexed with the suspition of some ensuing danger and yet overjoyed as it were with the hope of successe which hope qualified the greatnesse of my fear but to see the mischiefe ere I entred the chamber her mother Panthia did dreame a terrible dreame for shee thought shee saw a thiefe enter the chamber with his sword drawne which took her daughter out of the bed and throwing her along ript up her bowels wherefore affrighted with this dreame shee leapt of her bed and ran to Leucippes which was close adjoyning before I was halfe in bed so I hearing the noise made what haste I could forth knowing what a case I was like to be in if I were caught Satyrus was at the doore ready to receive mee trembling and halfe dead with feare then both of us stealing away through the darke went each of us to his owne Chamber her mother good woman fell straightway into a swoone afterwards being recovered fell a beating of Clio and tearing her own haire and with many a sigh and groane uttered these words to Leucippe Thou hast fond wench frustrate all our hopes Thou good man Sostratus wagest warre at Byzantium for others marriages whilest here at home some body I know not whom hath seized on thy daughter and defiled her I little thought to have seene thee thus married O Leucippe I would thou hadst stayed at Byzantium and that the fortune of the warre had cast this contumely on thee or that some Thracian conquerour had deflowred thee that so thou mightst have yet been chaste for the violence vvhich had there been offered thee vvould have taken avvay the disgrace of the fact but novv thou art thy selfe the cause of it and therefore must justly endure the infamy My dreame vvas too true better thou hadst bin ript up alive then that this bloudy massacre should have beene committed upon thine honour but that vvhich most troubles mee is that I knovv not the author of this injury nor my griefe If it vvere some slave tell mee But Leucippe being confident that I vvas gone farre enough out of sight replyed Mother you vvrong mine honour much thus to attach it of that vvhich it is not guilty for vvhat I have done deserves not this harsh language from you the party vvhich came so rudely into the chamber vvhether hee vvere a heroe or a thiefe I knovv not for I lay astonished and affrighted not able to cry out being tongue-bound vvith feare only this I knovv that no violence vvas offered my virginity in the meane time Panthia sighed and fell dovvne vvith griefe but vvee vvere all the vvhile plodding vvhat vve vvere best to do and this we found at last to be our safest course that before day least Clio should bee rackt to a confession vve should flye our Countrey Having resolved upon this course vve got the Porter to let us out vvho supposed that vvee vvent forth to meete vvith a svveet-heart of ours So vvee vvent streight to Clinias it vvas then the dead of the night betvvixt tvvelve and one so that vvee could not get in at his doore but by good fortune Clinias lying in the forepart of the house heard our tongues and suddenly met us straightvvay in comes Clio for shee had intended to flye for it too Novv Clio knevv all our counsell and vve hers and Clinias both for the poore vvench knevv that shee must to the racke for all if she stayed but till morning wherefore she said shee would rather choose to die than stand to the hazard of it Then Clinias taking me by the hand drew me aside out of Clios hearing and told me that he had thought on a very good course to shift off Clio and then to flye by our selves for the old woman knew not whom she caught nor can she know unlesse it be revealed to her by Clio now perhaps you may entice her to flye by her selfe and upon these conditions he promised to accompany us in our journey To this wee all agreed concluding that Clio should be committed to one of the servants who shipping her should hoist sailes and away with her which wee perswaded her to telling her that we intended to stay there and beare the brunt of the matter come what would of it so we stayed there some time to see this businesse dispatcht the rest of the night we spent in sleep betimes in the morning we returned home not seeming to Panthia to know any thing that had past Panthia commanded Clio to be call'd that she might be questioned about it she being not to be found the old woman fell upon Leucippe asking why shee would not tell her the truth of the matter urging her also to bee privie to Clio's going away then Leucippe being the more emboldened with that answered What would you have me to doe mother or what shall I say more what arguments shall I use to perswade you if you suspect the losse of my virginity pray make triall of it That 's a good one quoth the old woman we will have all the world to be witnesses of your shame and with that she flung out of the roome Leucippe left all alone and much perplexed with her mothers words was almost distracted she blusht that she was caught grieved shee was that her mother had railed on her and angry that shee could not be beleeved Now shame griefe and anger are to the minde like three waves ready to overwhelme it for shame getting into the eye deprives it of its liberty griefe flowing into the heart abates its courage anger snarling and breaking in the breast drownes reason in the flaming sea of madnesse The tongue may be the cause of all these for it is an arrow with three heads namely slander a divulgation of the slander and an exprobration of it and the number of the wounds must needs bee proportionable to wit anger griefe and shame each of these wounds though not bloudily yet deeply which cannot bee cured but by retorting them on him that smote with them making your reply as sharpe as his onset wherefore it is commonly seene how deepe an impression the words of a great man or one in authority doe make because those that are provoked by them dare not answere againe For the greatest griefes unlesse they have a vent prove the greatest burthens to themselves This being Leucippes case shee was halfe dead with sorrow in the meane time I sent Satyrus to know of her whether
For not only the fuition of any thing which we desire but also the expectation is most delightfull I being ignorant of all this was much perplexed how I should shift Melite that night and meet Leucippe for I fully perswaded my self that her chiefe aime in going into the countrey was that I hearing of it mought follow her but while a coach was making ready for her departure and wee were scarce set downe to supper wee heard a great tumult and concurse of people about that part of the house where the men lay when suddenly comes mee in a messenger who had runne himselfe almost out of breath and brings newes that Thersander husband to Melite and reported to have been dead long before by some of his owne servants who suffer'd shipwracke with him was yet alive and ready to enter the house the servant had scarce uttered his message but Thersander came in after him and entred the roome where wee were at supper for he made the more haste to catch me because at his first arivall it had beene told him how familiar I was with his wife Melite to have dissembled the matter would faine have embraced her husband but hee thrust her from him with great violence cast his eye on mee and askt Is this the adulterer and being in a great fury ran upon mee violently beating me on the face then taking mee by the haire of the head hee dragg'd mee about the house and wounded mee in divers places But all the while as if I had been in the temple at the offering of some sacrifice where the Priest commands silence I was as mute as a fish not daring to ask him who hee was or wherefore hee beat mee and still considering how the case stood with mee durst not resist him though I mought have got the masterie over him At last when hee was weary with beating mee and I with reasoning the matter with my selfe I began to aske him what hee was and wherefore hee had so shamefully misused mee but he the more enraged that I should dare to mutter a syllable against him laid hands on me againe and called for a payre of fetters to put on my legs and willed some of his servants to bind mee with coards and cast me into a chamber in the house where I was close prisoner While I was busling with him Leucippes letter which I had hid in my skirt fell out and I never perceived it which Melite privately snatcht up fearing that it was one of the letters which had past betwixt her selfe and mee but not long after opening it and finding Leucippes name shee discovered all yet could scarce beleeve that Lacoena should bee shee because shee had heard it out of twenty mens mouths that Leucippe was dead yet afterward viewing the contents of the letter more narrowly shee was fully certified of all which had past betwixt us wherewith she was strangely distracted partly with shame partly with anger partly with love afraid shee was of her husband angry shee was at the contents of the letter yet did her love to mee qualifie both Wherefore when it was evening and Thersander having beaten me was gone to see a friend of his Melite taking that servant aside to whose custody I was committed apart from his fellowes commanded him secrecy and came into the chamber to mee there finding mee on the ground shee came neare at her first approach I did read the discovery of my love to Leucippe in her very countenance At last shee burst out into this exclamation Vnhappy mee I would I had never seene thy face to whom I have beene so long a suiter yet have not got my request granted mad woman that I am how long shall I languish for the love of one which contemnes mee so I am grieved yet pitie him which is the author of my griefe nor can I choose but love him which hates mee O treacherous paire of creatures the one here makes a laughing stock of mee the other is gone to gather hearbs for mee I have sought for helpe from my inveterate enemies Melite having spoken these words threw Leucippes letter to mee whereat I was so afrighted and dejected that I held downe my head as if I had been guilty of some notorious and heynous crime but shee went on in this manner How many miseries am I encompast with for thy sake I have lost my husband yet can I not injoy thee nay shortly I shall not so much as see thee which is all the favour I have yet had from thee but this were somewhat tolerable did not my husband hate mee and call mee adulteresse by which meanes I undergoe the infamy of that vice yet never injoyed the pleasure other women blush not for their faults till they have committed them but I must beare the ignominy of that whereof I am guiltlesse O unfaithfull barbarous and more cruell then any Pirate Clitophon canst thou suffer a poore woman thus miserablie tormented thus impotentlie doting on thee to perish almost for thy love seeing thou art also in love thy selfe cannot the anger of a deity Cupid I meane affright thee dost not feare his torches cannot the teares which have most prodigally flowed from the fountaine of my eyes which would have made the heart of the most salvage theefe to have relented move thee nay my prayers have so little prevailed with thee that neither opportunity of time or place could force from thee more then a kisse or embrace nay so coy thou art that thou partest from me as modestly as a woman would doe what is this but a meere mocke marriage thou layest not with a barren but with a young nay and though I say it my selfe an handsome woman Out thou Eunuch thou no man thou contemner of beautie I pray the immortal gods that all things may happen contrarie to thy wish that thereby thou mayst have triall of that in thy selfe which thou makest experiment of on mee Melite having spoke this with weeping eyes was for a little while silent but afterward seeing I gave her no answer and that I still fixed my eyes on the ground her minde was altered on a sudden and shee beganne to mee againe on this manner What I have hitherto spoken O sweet young man griefe and anger suggested to mee but now I speake in love yet canst thou not blame me that I was angry since I was all on fire within Alas at length let mee have my wish I aske not marriage of thee now wherewith thou hast so long deluded mee let these armes but once embrace thee it is a small request and a medicine scarce proportionable to my disease yet I desire no more Goe to now cast but one drop of water to the quenching of so great a flame if I have spoken any thing whereat thou wast offended I pray thee pardon mee they were the words of a mad woman For those which have ill successe in their loves are commonly distracted I know
I am advocate in a bad cause yet withall that it is no shame to speake what love dictates and that I open my disease to one which very well knowes the state of my body for who can better judge of anothers wound then he which is wounded himselfe There is yet this one day left to performe thy promise Thinke on what thou swarest in Isis Temple Foole that thou art wouldst thou bee true to me thou shouldst not feare what a thousand Thersanders could doe to thee but since this cannot bee Leucippe being yet alive marry her with all my heart for I utterly despaire of any favour from thy hands since all things are so adverse to me that the very dead are raised to crosse mee in my designes O treacherous sea that hast by saving one destroyed another Clitophon thou sett'st free that hee might bee my ruine and as if in him thou hadst not sufficiently tormented mee thou hast freed Leucippe also But fond woman as I am why should I exclaime against her may shee ever live to the joy and comfort of her Clitophon but that which grieves mee most of all is that the wicked Thersander should returne that hee should smite those tender cheeks of thine nay that I should looke on and yet could not rescue thee see how that amiable face of thine is disfigur'd with the blows of that impious Thersander sure hee was blinde when he did it But to bee briefe my master Cliophon for so I must call thee since my very soule is at thy service let mee croppe the first and last fruits of thy love this one day shall be as sweet to mee as if I had injoyed thee many yeers so shalt thou injoy both Leucippe and my selfe if no argument can perswade thee yet consider that besides many things wherein my love hath beene beneficiall to thee in this one thing it hath been chiefely that through my meanes thou hast found Leucippe for had not I brought thee hither thou hadst still thought thy Leucippe to have beene dead thou shouldst for this make Fortune some requitall I have heard of one who finding a treasure honoured the place much building there an Altar offering sacrifice and crowning the earth with Garlands but thou having found here such a magazen of love art so farre from being thankefull that thou contemnest her which brought thee to it Thinke not that it is I which utter these words but Cupid which is in mee Grant mee Clitophon which am thy captaine and under whose banner thou fightest that Melite ere shee depart may have her will it is I which have inflamed her heart with thy love bee obedient therefore to me thy tutelar god as thou expectest ever to prosper in thy love to Leucippe I will loose thee from thy bands let Thersander chafe his heart out and thou shalt lye in mine owne brothers Chamber where thou shalt have what attendance thou wilt desire and to morrow morning very early expect Leucippe there for shee promised mee to stay in the Countrey all night that shee mought gather her hearbes while the Moone was up thus was I made a foole of imploring her helpe as if shee had beene some Thessalian woman skilled in witchcraft For what other refuge had I when I could not by lawfull meanes purchase my wishes Now thou needst not feare Thersander hee is gone out so opportunely as if the gods would have had it so to visite a friend by which meanes thou maist safely accomplish my desire This eloquent Oration for Cupid had taught her Melite having uttered shee loosed my bonds and taking my hands in hers kissed them and then put them on her breast saying Feelest thou not now my heart which full of feare and hope I would I could say pleasure also panteth out sighes to move thee to pity Beeing set at libertie and well weighing with my selfe that I was not to marrie her but bee her Physitian as it were I was afraid that CUPID should bee offended with mee and therfore consented The end of the fifth Booke THE SIXTH BOOKE The Argument Melite to requite Clitophons love sets him free seeing the servant to whose custody hee was committed and that hee might the better steale away shee attyres him in her owne apparell But Sosthenes whom Melite had turn'd out of his stewardship hearing his master was come home thinks to currie favour with him this way first hee betrayes Clitophon whom he had met in Melites apparell to Thersander next hee turnes bawde to procure Leucippe for him who fals in love with her Meane while Clitophon is more closely prisoned then before and Melite strives to salve up the matter to Thersander but cannot After this Sosthenes and Thersander seeke by all meanes both faire and foule to winne Leucippes love but prevaile not HAving cured Melite who had been so long love sick I asked her how shee would provide for my freedome and make good what shee promised mee concerning Leucippe Then shee answered Feare not that I will bee worse then my word for Leucippe thou maist make thy self as sure of her as if thou hadst her in thine armes and for thine owne securitie put on my apparell and cover thy face with my veile Melantho shall accompany thee to the doore where your way lies there shall a servant meet you whom I appointed to bring you to Satyrus and Clinias Leucippe shall follow you a while after Then shee attyred mee as shee used to attyre her selfe and kissing mee againe and againe said Thou art farre more beautifull in my garments than in thy owne and while I looke on thee mee thinks I see the picture of Achilles disguised But my soule Clitophon have a special care of thy selfe that thou bee not discovered here take my gowne and leave thy cloake in exchange which as often as I put on I shall think I embrace thee then shee gave mee an hundred pieces of gold and called Melantho to her that was the trustiest of all her maids to whose care shee committed the keeping of the doores and giving her charge how to dispose of mee that being finished she willed her to returne Being thus accoutred Melantho attending on mee as on her mistresse the porter who took me for Melite let me forth when I was gone forth shee led me to a by doore in the house where this young man as Melite had appointed met mee hee was very courteous to mee for in my journey to Ephesus hee accompanied mee in the ship after Melantho was returned and found the keeper shutting the chamber doore whence I was gone shee commanded him to open it againe and told her mistresse that I was fled Melite sent for the keeper who struck with fear and admiration at the strangenesse of his departure as being a thing unknowne to him and after it was told him incredible was not able to speake one syllable wherefore Melite began to him thus I had resolved that Clitophon should bee set free but I
Pirates and sold to Sosthenes I deny not for every tittle of what he said ere he came to tell how he was consenting to Leucippes death I can safely justifie also that it is reported she is dead but how or by what meanes whether she be slaine or againe stole away by pirates or whether shee bee yet alive it is uncertaine but that Sosthenes was in love with her and not obtaining his will on her did most severely use her will appeare by witnesse now Clitophon supposing he hath lost her utterly is willing to dye and therefore feignes himselfe her murderer for by his owne confession the sole cause which hath moved him to accuse himselfe is the grief he conceives for her departure Consider with your selves againe and againe I beseech you whether it bee probable in any likelihood or reason that a man should desire to dye with one which hee hath killed or that any one should bee so lovingly malicious as to take pitty on the party hee hath slaine such hatred is not so soone appeased By all the gods beleeve not what he saith and adjudge not one to execution who should rather be an object of your pity than your justice if it be so that he hired one to doe the murder let him produce the party or shew the dead body but if he can doe neither why should you judge this to be murder I loved Melite saith he and therefore I slew Leucippe but then I would faine know why hee should call her name in question whom he so much loved why hee should dye for Leucippes sake whom he caused to be slaine what doe you thinke any man so senslesse that he would love whom he hates and hate whom he loves should one not rather thinke that a loving man would deny the fault though he were convicted that he might save her life whom he loves lest the griefe for her death might cost him his life it were worth the examination also why he should accuse Melite if shee bee not guilty But I beseech you againe and againe that you construe not my speech as tending to the disgracing of this woman but rather to the opening of the cause Melite was in love with this young man and before her husband who had beene long at sea returned there was talke that they should have beene married but this young man was so farre from consenting to her unchaste love that he would by no meanes bee inticed to marry her besides having found his sweet-heart with Sosthenes whom he supposed to have beene dead hee began more and more to sleight Melite who seeing the maid but not knowing her to be Clitophons sweet heart tooke pitty on her loosed the chaines wherewith Sosthenes had bound her and because she saw her lookes to be ingenuous and speak her free-born courteously entertained her and afterwards sent her to her Country house to oversee some gardens she had there since which time shee was never seene That what I now speake is truth not only Melite but the two maids which were sent along to accompany her can testifie and that which makes the poore young man so desperate is he suspects that Melite hath caused Leucippe to be slaine which suspicion of his hath beene much augmented and hath incensed him not onely against Melite but himselfe by this occasion There was a fellow-prisoner of his yesterday who bemoning himselfe and his fortunes told him that as he travailed on the way he chanced to fal in company with a cutter who had beene hired to kill a maid shee that hired him was Melite shee that he slew was Leucippe which story how true it is is not yet knowne it were good you would search it out it is a matter of no great difficulty to finde out especially having this prisoner in your gaole who saith he was in company with this murderer whom in my judgement it were very fit you examine Sosthenes also may be summoned to appeare and those maids may bee brought into the Court of him you may enquire how hee came by Leucippe of these how she came to be made away before all these witnesses are throughly examined it is neither just nor right that you put him to death upon no other grounds than his madde speeches for griefe hath quite distracted the man and bereft him of his senses So Melite caused the maids to be brought and desired that Thersander might produce Sosthenes whom Melite thought the likelier of the two to kill Leucippe for those who pleaded Melite's cause put in that condition But Thersander fearing least all should come to light sent one of his servants privately to Sosthenes that he should with what speed he could get him out of the way before those who were sent out to apprehend him should come thither The servant rides to him tels him the danger and withall that he was likely to be strictly examined if he suffered himself to be taken Sosthenes was then by chance with Leucippe seeking by his smooth and flattering speeches to ease her afflicted minde Wherefore after much knocking and calling out hee came at last where understanding how the businesse went full of fear and supposing the apparitors to bee at his heels already hee tooke horse and went straightway to Smyrna the messenger returned to Thersander But ere I goe further let mee tell you that the proverb is true FEARE is the mother of forgetfulnesse For when Sosthenes was in this fright hee forgot his businesse in hand and did not so much as thinke upon shutting the doore where Leucippe was kept for your slavish natures when they are in the least dangers are most timorous After this Thersander omitting the first condition mentioned by Melites advocates began to plead on this manner This young fellow whosoever hee bee hath plaid the lawyer wisely But I wonder much at your stupidity who seeing the murderer manifestly deprehended in the fact though his owne confession bee a farre greater evidence against him keep him in ward so long and send him not to execution but sit listning to this dissembling jugling fellow who hath as good a facultie in lying as in weeping whom I begin to suspect to have had a hand in the murder himselfe but I am unwise to make so many words seeing the case is so cleare what I feare is this I shrowdly suspect that hee hath done another murder since this for that Sosthenes whom they so call for hath not beene seene in my house this three dayes it is not unlikely that they have plotted to make him away too because at my first comming home he told me of my wifes loose behaviour therefore my adversaries knowing I cannot produce him have cunningly put in this condition well I would Sosthenes were alive that I might bring him as a witnesse but goe to let us now suppose Sosthenes to bee here all that you can aske him is this whether hee bought the maid and whether Melite tooke her out of his