In beauty other beauties farre As doth the Moone by night deface The brightnesse of each other Starre Though Filander spake these words high enough yet Daphnis heard but some of them by reason she was farre off but taking it somewhat remote she drew toward him without being seene as softly as she could though he were so intentiue to his imagination that had she beene before him he would not haue perceiued it as he since swore to me Hardly had she got neere him but she might heare him fetch a deepe sigh loud enough and after with a lowe voyce say And why will not my fortune haue me as fit to serue her as she is worthy to be serued and why may not she as well receiue the affections of them that loue her as shee giue them extreme passions Ah Callyre how pernitious to my repose hath your disguising beene and my boldnesse punished with a right iust infliction Daphnis heard Filander very attentiuely and though he spake plaine yet could she not comprehend what he meant abused by the opinion that he was Callyre this was the cause that bending an care more curiously she heard him lifting his voyce somewhat higher say But ouer-bold Filander who shall euer excuse thy fault or what great chastisement shall equall thine error Thou louest this shepheardesse and seest not that how much her beauty commands so much her vertue forbids thee how often haue I warned thee and yet thou wouldest not beleeue me Accuse none other of thine euill but thine owne folly At this word his tongue stayed but his eyes and sighes in stead of it beganne to giue testimony what her passion was whereof he had discouered but a little And to diuert him from his thoughts or rather to continue them more sweetly he rose vp to walke as he vsed and so suddenly that he perceiued Daphnis though to hide her selfe she fled away But he that had seene her to know who it was pursued her to the entry of a very thicke wood where he ouertooke her and thinking she had discouered that which he had so concealed halfe in choler sayd What curiosity Daphnis is this to come and spie me out in the night heere It is answered Daphnis smiling to learne of you by craft that which I should not know otherwise and herein she thought she spake to Callyre not hauing yet discouered that it was Filander Well held on Filander thinking to be discouered what great newes haue you learned All sayd Daphnis that I desired to know Will you then sayd Filander satisfie your selfe with your curiosity As well answered she as you and you are like to finde hurt of your deceit For this keeping about Diane and this great affection which you make shew of to her will bring you in the end but trouble and displeasure O God! cryed Filander Is it possible I should be discouered Ah discreet Daphnis since you know so well the cause of my abode heere you haue in your hands my life and my death but if you will bethinke you of what I am and what offices of amity you haue receiued from me when occasion is presented I will rather beleeue that you wish my good and contentment more then my despayre and ruine Daphnis as yet thought she spake to Callyre and had opinion that this feare was because of Gerestan who would take it euill if hee vnderstood that she did this office to her brother and to assure him sayd You ought to be so farre from doubting that I know of your affayres that if you had informed me I should haue yeelded all the counsell and all the assistance which you could desire of mee But tell mee this dessigne from poynt to poynt that your freenesse may binde me more to your seruice than the mistrust you haue had of me gaue me offence I will O Daphnis sayd he prouided that you promise me not to tell it to Diane vntill I giue consent This is a discourse answered the shepheardesse which we shall make to no good purpose to her her humor heerein being more strange then you are aware of That is my griefe sayd Philander hauing from the beginning knowne that I enterprise a dessigne almost impossible For when my sister and I resolued to change habit shee taking mine and I hers I well fore-sawe that all that would be to mine aduantage was that I might conuerse more freely with her for some few dayes so disguised that she might not know me for Filander How interrupted Daphnis all surprized how for Filander and are not you Callyre The shepheard that thought she had knowne it before was halfe mad to be discouered so foolishly but seeing the fault was past and that he could not call backe the words he had spoken thought it to some purpose to preuent her and sayd You may see Daphnis if you haue cause to be sorry for me and to say that I trust you not since so freely I discouer vnto you the secret of my life For that which I will tell you is of that moment that as soone as any other knowes it there is no more hope of health in me but I will rely and so referre my selfe to your hands that I cannot liue but by you Know then shepheardesse that you see before you Filander in the habit of his sister and that loue in me and compassion in her haue beene the cause of our disguising and after went discoursing vnto her his extreme affection the fauours he had of Amidor and Filidas the inuention of Callyre to change habit the resolution to go to her husband attired like a man Briefly all that had passed in this affayre with such demonstration of loue that though at the beginning Daphnis wondred at his hardinesse and at his sisters yet so it was that she lost that wonder when she knew the greatnesse of his affection iudging that they might draw him into more great follies And albeit that if they had called her to thier counsell when they vndertooke the enterprize she would neuer haue aduised them to it yet seeing the effect had sorted to some good she resolued to assist him in all that was possible sparing neyther labour nor care nor art which she iudged fit to imploy and hauing made promise with all assurances of friendship she gaue the best aduice she could which was by little and little to engage me into his loue For sayd she Loue among women is one of those wrongs the words whereof offend more then the blowe It is a worke that none is ashamed to doe prouided the name be hidden So that I hold them the best aduised which cause themselues to be beloued of their shepheards before they speake a word to them of loue So that I oue is a creature that hath nothing rude in it but the name being otherwise so pleasing that there is none offended at it And therefore that Diane may entertayne it it must be without naming it especially without seeing it and
with the ice of his hopes It is very necessary fayre Siluie answered Ligdamon that I should vse this remedy to maintayne me otherwise I had not beene long since but this is but a small asswaging of so great a fire so that the knowledge of these things is a fresh wound which offends me the more for that in the greatnesse of my desires I know their weakenesse and in their weakenesse their greatnesse You figure your euill replyed the Nymph such as you please but I beleeue not that the cold being so neere the heate and the heate so neere the cold neyther the one nor the other will suffer his neighbour to be much offended Indeede answered Ligdamon to make me burne and freeze at one time is not one of the least maruels that proceed from you but this is the greatest that it is of your cold that my heate commeth and of my heate your ice But yet it is more maruellous to see a man haue such imaginations added the Nymph for they conceiue such impossible things that he that beleeues them may aswell be taxed for want of iudgement as you that tell them for want of truth I confesse answered he that my imaginations conceiue things impossible but that proceeds from my ouer-great affection and from your ouer-great cruelty and as this is one of your least effects that you reproch me with so it is not one of my least tonments I beleeue sayd she that your torments and mine effects are of greatest force in your discourse Hardly sayd Ligdamon can a man say that which he doth not well vnderstand Hardly replied the Nymph may the conceits and vaine Ideaes of a distempered imagination come to be knowne If the truth adioyned Ligdamon accompany not this imagination I should hardly stand in so great need of your compassion Men answered the Nymph make their trophees of our bounty Do you any whit better said he out of our losse I neuer sawe replied Siluie any so vndone but they shifted wellenough as you do all The more I tel you of the cruelties of this Nymph and of the patiences of Ligdamon the more comes into my memory WheÌ„ Clidaman was gone as I told you Amasis would send after him the greatest part of the young Knights of this Countrey vnder the charge of Lindamor to the end hee might be taken by Meroue for the man he was Among other Ligdamon as a right gentle Knight was not forgot But this cruell would not bid him adieu faining to be sicke yet he that would not go without she knew of it in some sort writ me these verses On a Departure VVHy Loue since thou dost so desire That I should sâ—â—râ—h in so great fire Why must I go farre from my Dame I answered him TO worke in her some misteries Knowest thou not thus from ashes rise The Phoenix which dyes in the flame Hee had beene an happy man with this answer but this cruell hauing found what I writ and vnwilling to do him good her selfe and not suffering any other shold doe it snatcht the pen with great strength out of my hand telling mee that the flatteries which I vse to Ligdamon were the cause of the continuance of his follies and he had cause more to complaine of me then of her At last she writ this Siluies answer THe Phoenix from the cinders rise Because that in the flame it dies Absence giues a mortall stroke If presence no more comfort cause Neuer by cold there will be broke The yce which fire neuer thawes You may thinke with what contentment he parted It was to some purpose for him to be accustomed of long time to such blowes and that he remembred the disgraces which came from them whom they serue ought often to take the place of fauour And I remember that on this discourse he called himselfe the most happy man in the world since the ordinary disgraces which hee receiued from Siluie could not make him doubt that she had him in any great good memory that she would not acknowledge him for her seruant and that since she vsed not to deale so with others that were not particularly affectioned to her hee made himselfe beleeue that money was that wherewith she paid those that were towards her and such as it was he was to make reckoning of it because it had her marke and on this subiect hee sent these verses before hee parted A SONET THis soueraigne beauty she will haue it so What is impossible not what I can To make good triall that I am the man Such is her will and mine with hers shall go She shall at last see that my Loue for store Is at the spring like to a springing well The more of me she drawes by sorrowes fell The more she shall perceiue I loue her more The spring that brings forth my affection Is without more of her perfection Eternall in effect and so is she Assay then rigorous from my hard fate To draw incessantly my loue wants date The more you draw the greater it will be Leonide had held on discourse if a far off shee had not seeÌ„ne Galathee come who after she had long stayd alone and not able longer to depriue her selfe of the sight of this shepheard she was dressed the best to her aduantage that her glasse could giue counsell and came forth without any other coÌ„pany then the little Merill she was faire worthy to be beloued of an heart that had not already had another affection At that time by the confusion which the water had wrought in Celadons stomake hee felt himselfe ill at ease that by that time they came at the Nymph they were constrained to carry him backe the shepheard soone after went to bed where he remained some daies downe lying and vp-rising of his infirmity without being either grieuously sicke or very throughly recouered The end of the third Booke THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF Astrea and Celadon GAlathee that was thoroughly taken so long as the sicknes of Celadon lasted stirred not ordinarily from his beds head and when she was constrained to remoue from thence either to rest or for some other occasion she left him Leouide for the most part whom shee gaue in charge to lose no opportunity to giue the shepheard to vnderstand of her good will beleeuing that by this meanes shee might in the end giue him hope of that which his condition denied And indeed Leonide deceiued her not for though she were desirous Lindamor might me satisfied yet she that looked for all her aduancement from Galathee had no greater desire then to content her but loue which ordinarily makes pastime with the wisdome of louers and delights to conduct his effects contrary to their purposes made Leonide by conuersing with the shepheard to stand in more need of one to speake for her then any other in the company For the ordinary view of this shepherd who wanted nothing that might winne loue made her know that beauty hath ouer-secret
chuse but be assured of his affection Where to she answered that she neuer had the thought to dissemble with me and she would be very angry I should haue that opinion of her and to giue me more proofe since I desired she should intertaine Licidas she would obey me when she should know that he loued her as he said That was the cause that Celadon often finding her after with me gaue her a Letter that his brother had written by my aduice A Letter of Licidas to Phillis IF I haue not alwayes loued you let me neuer be beloued of any and if my affâ—â—tion do euer change let my present misfortune neuer change It is true that some-while I haue hidden my loue within my heart so that I haue not suffered it to appeare in my eyes nor words If I haue offended in it accuse the respect I carry you who haue ordained I should doe so If you beleeue not the oath which I haue made you take what proofe you will of me and you shall know that you haue me more yours then I can assure you by my true but most feeble words In the end wise Diane after many replies on both sides we so wrought that Licidas was entertained and from that time we began all foure one life which was not vnpleasing either of vs fauouring the other with the most discretion we could possibly And that we might the better couer our dessigne we inuented many meanes were it to talke were it to write in secresie It may be you haue noted that little rocke that standeth vpon the great way to the Rocke you must needs know that it is painefull to get vp but being there the place is so fenced that a man may be there vnseene of any and because it stands on the hie way wee made choice of it to meete in that none might spy vs and if any mette vs going by wee made shew to be on our way and that neither the one nor the other might go in vaine we put in the morning some bough at the foote of it for a marke that we had somewhat to say It is true that we were so neere vnto the high way that our raysed voyce might easily be heard of them that passed by this was the onely cause that vsually we left either Phillis or Licidas to watch that at what time soeuer they sawe any come afarre off they should cough to giue vs warning And because wee were vsed to write alwayes when we were letted or hindered and could not come to that place wee chose out along that little riuer that runnes by the great way an olde Willow tree halfe eaten for age in the hollow whereof we alwayes layd our letters and that we might more easily make answer wee vsually left some paper and an inkehorne To be short wise Diane we turned on euery side that wee possibly could to keepe vs from discouery And namely wee forthwith tooke this course not to talke together Celadon and I nor Licidas and Phillis so that there were many that thought that Celadon had changed his minde because that as soone as he saw Phillis he would haste to intertaine her and she shewed him all the good countenance she could and I likewise alwayes when Licidas came in place brake company from any other to go talke with him It fell out in successe of time that Celadon himselfe was of opinion that I loued Licidas and I beleeued he loued Phillis and Phillis thought Licidas loued me and Licidas suspected that Phillis loued Celadon in such sort that vnawares we found our selues so cumbred with these opinions that iealousie made vs know that a little shewe will cause him breed in an heart that loueth well Indeed interrupted Phillis we were Louers and Schollers at that time for to what purpose serued it to conceale that we truly loued by making men beleeue a loue that was not since you may as well feare that men should thinke you beare good will to Licidas as to Celadon Sister sister replyed Astrea clapping her hand on her shoulder we feare not when men doe thinke of vs that which is not and on the contrary the least suspition of that which is true giues vs no rest Truly iealousie continued she turning toward Diane so attached vs all foure that I thinke that life had long lasted among vs if some good spirit had not wrought in vs a cleering in the presence each of other Some seuen or eight dayes passed that we sawe not each other in the rocke and that the letters which Celadon and I layd were so differing from those we formerly vsed that it seemed they were differing persons At last as I told you some good spirit hauing care of vs caused vs by chance to meete all foure in that place without other company And the loue of Celadon therein more strong then the rest in that it compelled him to speake first put these words into his mouth Faire Astrea if I thought time could giue remedy to the paine I feele I would referre my selfe to that which it might bring but since the older it growes the more it increaseth I am enforced to seeke out a better by the complaint that I am to make to you of the wrong I receiue and I am more readily brought to it for that I am to make my complaint both before my Iudges and my aduersaries And as he was going forward Licidas interrupted him saying that he was in payne that in greatnesse differed not from his In greatnesse sayd Celadon it is impossible for mine is extreme And mine replyed Licidas is without comparison While the shepheards talked together I turned to Phillis and sayd You see sister these shepheards will complaine of vs. Whereto shee answered me But we haue more cause to complaine of them But yet sayd I although I haue great cause to complayne of Celadon yet I haue more of you who vnder the colour of the friendship you seeme to beare me haue drawne him from that hee made shew of to me so that I may say you haue robbed me And for that Phillis stood so confused at my words that she knew not what to answer Celadon turning to me said Ah faire shepheardesse but fleeting as fayre Is it so that you haue lost the memory of the seruices of Celadon and of your owne othes I complayne not so much of Licidas though he haue fayled in his duty of proximity and amity betweene vs as of you to your selfe knowing well that the desire which your perfections may bring into an heart may make it forget all respect of duty But is it possible that so long a seruice as mine so absolute a power as you haue euer had ouer me and so entire an affection as mine cannot somewhat stay the inconstancy of your soule or in good time if yet all that commeth from me be of so small force how comes it that your fayth so often sworne and the gods so often called
his sister of all that had happened and that was the cause that the stay of Filidas was not so long as he purposed for seeing that her sister was sicke she constrayned them to returne But this discourse would be too tedious if I should not abridge all our small quarrels So it was that Callire knowing how things had passed sometimes turning them into sport sometimes seeking out some likelihoods of reason knew so well to serue her turne by fayre speech especially being assisted by Daphnis that at last I consented that Filander should stay vntill his sisters hayres were growne knowing well that it might ruine her and my selfe also if I should be ouer-hasty of their returne And it fell out as she well foresawe that during the time that her head grew the ordinary conuersing with the shepheard which at the last was not vnpleasing to me and the tryall of the greatnesse of his loue beganne to flatter mee in such sort that of my selfe I excused his deceit considering withall the respect and wisedome wherewith it was carried So that before he was to goe away he obtayned this fauour which he so much desired to wit that I would forget his crafty deceit and so long as hee went not beyond the termes of his duty I loued his good will and would cherish it for his merit as I ought The acknowledgement which he gaue me of his contentmēt hauing this assurance from me made me al 's as assured of his affection as I was before certayne of his displeasure for he was such an one that he could hardly dissemble While we were in these termes Filidas whose loue went on still increasing could no longer hide the greatnesse of it so that she resolued to set at once on the dissembled Filander With this purpose finding her at leisure one day as they walked together vnder a tuft of trees which tooke vp one of the quarters of the garden he spake vnto her in this sort after he had beene long denyed Well Filander shall it be true that what loue soeuer I can make shew of I cannot haue the happinesse to be beloued of you Callire answered him I know not what more loue you can demaund of me nor how I can returne you more vnlesse your selfe giue me the meane Ah sayd she if your will be such as mine I may well doe it For that triall which you haue had of me till now why will you doubt me Know you not sayd Filidas that extreme desire is alwayes attended by doubt Sweare vnto me you wil not be wanting in poynt of Loue and I will shew you a thing it may be you will be astonished at Callire was somewhat surprized not knowing what she would say yet to know the conclusion she answered I sweare to you I doe At this word for thanks and almost besides himselfe for ioy Filidas taking her by the head kissed her with that vehemency that Callire waxed red and in choler thrusting her off asked what fashion this was I know answered Filidas this kisse amazed you and my actions till now it may be haue made you suspect some strange thing in me but if you will haue the patience to hearken to mee I assure my self you wil rather pity than haue an euil opinion and repeating from the beginning till that bout she gaue him to vnderstand the lawe suite betweene Phormion and Celion the accord which was made to appease them and lastly the policy his father vsed to bring him vp as a man though she were a woman shortly our marriage and all that which I haue told you and then held on in this sort Now that which I desire of you in satisfaction of your promise is that finding the extreme affection which I beare you you will take me for your wife and I will marry Diane to my cousin Amidor whom my father hath purposely brought vp in his house for that cause And then moreouer added such words to perswade her that Callire astonished more then I can tell you and hauing some leisure to come to her selfe answered that vnfainedly she had told him very strange things and such as she could hardly beleeue if she did not assure them in another fashion then by words She then vnbuttoning her selfe opened her bosome Honesty sayd shee forbiddeth mee to shew more but me thinkes this might satisfie you Then Callire that she might winne the leisure to take counsell of vs made shew to be well pleased but that she had parents from whom she hoped to haue all her aduancemēt and without whose aduice she was not to make a resolution of that importance and aboue all besought her to keepe this affaire secret for divulging it would giue men occasion of speech and she should assure her selfe that when there remayned nothing but her consent she would giue proofe of her good will With such talke they ended their walke and returned to their lodging where all that day Callire durst not come neere vs for feare lest Filidas might thinke she had told it vs. But at night she recounted to her brother all the discourse and then they both went to finde out Daphnis whom they made acquainted with it Iudge if the astonishment were great but whatsoeuer it were the contentment of Philander surpassed it farre he thinking the heauens had offered him a fayre way to the conclusion of his desires In the morning Daphnis desired me to go see the fayned Callire and the true one abode neere Filidas to the end he might not doubt it God knowes what became of me when I knew all this discourse I sweare vnto you I was so astonished that I knew not whether it were a dreame But this was the sport that Daphnis complayned infinitely of mee for hauing so long concealed it from her and what oathes I made her that I knew nothing till that time She would not beleeue me to be such a childe and when I told her I thought all men like Filidas she fell a laughing at my ignorance In the end we resolued for feare lest Belinde would dispose of me at her pleasure or that Filidas might make some attempt for Amidor that we must doe nothing at randon and without fore-thinking For as then by the sollicitation of Daphnis and Callire I promised Philander to marry him This was the cause that taking agayne their owne habits after he had assured Filidas that he went to talke with his parents he returned with his sister to Gerestan who neuer tooke notice of this disguising From that time it was permitted to Philander to write to me for sending ordinarily newes to Filidas I had alwayes his letters and that so cunningly that neyther she nor Amidor euer perceiued them Now fayre shepheardesses till this time this passage neuer brought me sorrow but alas it is that which followed that cast me into such a bottomlesse pit that euen to my coffin I must neuer hope to taste any sweet thing It fell out
that at once haue layd all my hopes in her coffin And if you be in any sort offended pardon Tyrcis the errour which hee hath committed against you that he might not be wanting in that which was due to Cleon. At these words transported with choler I went away so farre besides my selfe that I could hardly finde out my lodging from whence I stirred not of a long time But after wee haue crossed Loue a thousand times yet must we submit our selues and therfore behold me as much to Tyrcis as euer I was I excuse in my selfe the treasons which he had done me and pardon him the wrongs and faynings where with hee offended me naming them in pardoning them not dissemblings nor treasons but violences of loue And I was the easlyer drawne vnto this pardon for the Loue who professeth himselfe a party in this fault went flattring me with a certaine hope to succeed in Cleons place While I was in this thought behold one of my sisters came to tell me that Tyrcis was lost so that he was no more to be seene and no body knew where he was This recharge of griefe surprized me so forcibly that all that I could do was to tel her that this sadnes being ouer-passed he would returne as he went But from that time I resolued to follow him and that I might not be hindered by any I got out so secretly about the beginning of the night that before day I found my selfe farre off If I were astonished at the first seeing my selfe alone in the darke the heauens know it to whom my complaints were directed but Loue which secretly accompanyed me gaue me courage enough to accomplish my purpose So I pursued my voyage following without more adoe the way which my seet met with for I knew not whither Tyrcis went nor my selfe neither So that I was a wandere more than foure moneths hearing no newes of him At last pâ—ssâ—â—â— the mount Dor I met with this shepheardesse said she poynting to Malonthe and with her that shepheard called Thersander sitting vnder the shadow of a Rocke wayting vntill the mid-dayes heate were abated And for that my custome was to demaund newes of Tyrcis of all I met I addressed my selfe to the place where I sawe them and knew that my shepheard by the marks they had giuen me was in those deserts and that he went alwayes bewayling Cleon. Then I told them what I tell you and coniured them to tell me the most certayne newes they could Whereto Mâ—donthe moued with pity answered me with that sweetnes that I iudged her strucken with the same disease that 〈◊〉 was and my opinion was not false for I knew since the long history of her griefes by which I found that Loue strikes as well in the Court as in our woods and for that our fortunes had some sympathy betwixt them she desired me to tarry and end our iourny together since we both made one kind of search I that was alone receiued with open armes this commodity and from that time we parted not asunder But what serues this discourse to my purpose since I will onely relate to you what concernes Tyrcis and me Gentle shepheard this shall be enough to say to you that after we had stayed more then three moneths in that country at last we knew he was come hither where we no sooner arriued but that I met him and so vnseasonably for him that he stood as amazed At the first he receiued me with a countenance good enough but at last knowing the occasion of my voyage he declared to me all at length the extreme affection he bare vnto Cleon and that it was not in his power to loue me Loue if there be any iustice in thee I demaund of thee and not of this ingratefull some acknowledgement of so much trauell passed So ended Laonice and seeming she had no more to say wiping her eyes she turned them pittifully to Siluander as asking fauour in the iustice of her cause Then Tyrcis spake in this sort Wise shepheard though the history of my misfortunes be such as this shepheardesse hath told you yet is the story of my griefes much more pittifull wherewith yet I will entertayne you no longer for feare of troubling you and the company onely I will adde to that which she hath sayd that not being able to endure her ordinary complaints by common consent we went to the Oracle to know what he would ordayne of vs and we had such an answer by the mouth of Arontyne ORACLE On Lignons bankes which glideth peaceably Louer thou shalt a curious shepheard see That first enquires the ill that tortreth thee Beleeue him Heauen appoynts him Iudge to be And though we haue beene long heere yet are you the first that asked of the state of our fortunes therefore it is that we cast our selues into your armes and we desire you to set downe what you will haue vs do And for that nothing may be done but according to the will of God the old woman who gaue vs the Oracle told vs that hauing met with you wee were to cast Lots who should maintayne the cause both of the one and other and for this effect all they whom we met should put a gage betweene your hands in a hat The first that drawes shall bee hee that speakes for Laonice and the last of all for me At these words he desired them all to be willing to it whereto euery one consented By fortune that of Hylas was the first and that of Phillis the last Whereat Hylas smiling Heretofore said hee when I was seruant to Laonice I should hardly haue had the minde to perswade Tircis to loue her but now that I am for Mâ—donthe I willingly obey to that the god commands Shepheard answered Leonide you are to vnderstand by the way what the prouidence of this diuinity is since to mooue each one to change of affection it hath giuen the charge to inconstant Hylas as to him that by vse well knowes the meanes and to continue a faithful loue it hath giuen the perswasion to a shepheardesse constant in all her actions and to iudge of them both it hath chosen a person that cannot be partiall for Siluander is neither constant nor inconstant since he neuer loued any Then Siluander taking the word Since therefore you will O Tircis and you Laonice that I be Iudge of your difference sweare both of you betweene my hands that you will inuiolably obserue it otherwise it will bee but more to displease the gods and for vs to take paine to no purpose Which they did and then Hylas began thus The Oration of Hylas for Laonice IF I were to maintaine the cause of Laonice before a person vnnaturall I would feare it may be lest the want of my capacity might lessen in some sort the iustice which is in it but since it is before you gentle shepheard that haue the heart of a man I meane which know what the
I haue of Carlis You say you do loue me If a more credible person than you should tell me so it may be I might beleeue him for I know well I deserue it But I that neuer lied assure you that I loue you not at all and therefore doubt not of it so should I seeme to haue small iudgement to loue an humour so contemptible If you finde these words somewhat tâ—o rude remember Hylas I am constrayned to the end you may not perswade your selfe that you are beloued of me Carlis is witnesse to me of the condition of Hylas and Hylas shal be of mine if at least he will at any time say true If this answer please you giue thankes to the prayer of Hermante if it displease remember you accuse none but your selfe Hermante had not seene this Letter when he deliuered it me and yet he had an opinion there was much coldnesse in it yet did not hee thinke shee should haue made it so strange neyther was he so much astonied as my selfe for I stoode like a man bereaued of his wits letting the Letter fall on the ground and after being come to my selfe I pulled downe my hat ouer mine eares cast mine eyes downe on the earth crossed mine armes ouer my brest and a great pace without speaking began to walke about the chamber Hermante stood immoueable in the middest not so much as casting his eyes towards me We stayed some time in this manner not speaking at last in an instant striking one hand against the other and making a leape in the middest of the chamber At her peril said I aloude let her seeke who will loue her that she may know if there want in Carmaine shepheardesses more faire than she and who wil be wel pleased that Hylas would serue them And then turning to him O what a foole is Stilliane said I if she thinke I will loue by force and I shall haue but little courage if I euer trouble my selfe for her and why thinkes shee her selfe better than another It is true she deserues one should suffer some paine for her I assure my selfe Hermante she resolued it while you talked with her and that could not be without making at least her eyes narrow without biting her lip and without rubbing one hand on another to make them white I scoffe at her fancies and her selfe too if she thinke I take more care for her than I doe for the greatest stranger in Gaule She knowes not how to reproch me but with my Carlis True it is I loue her and in despite of her I will loue her still and I make no question but she shall soone enough finde her want of wisedome but she must neuer hope that Hylas can loue her I spake such like words at which I saw Hermante change colour but I was then ignorant of the cause since I haue iudged it was for the feare he had that I might come againe into the good graces of his Mistris Yet made he no other shew but that he strained himselfe to laugh and told mee it would make them much amazed when they should see that change if I tooke that resolution as readily would I execute it and in that disseine I went to finde out Carlis of whom I asked a thousand pardons for the Letter which I had written to her assuring her that it was not want but transport of affection She that was angry with me as one may well thinke after she had heard me quietly at last answered me thus Hylas if the assurances you make to me of your good will be true I am satisfied if they be false thinke not that euer you can remoue the amity which for euer you haue broken for your humour is very dangerous She would haue sayd on when Stilliane to shew her the Letter I had written to her comming to visit her interrupted vs when she saw me by Carlis Wake I or dreame I sayd she all astonied Is this Hylas that I see or is it some fancy Carlis wel pleased with this meeting It is Hylas indeede companion sayd she deceiue not your selfe and if it please you to come neere you shall heare the sweete words with which he cries me mercy and how he vnsayes all that which he had written to me submitting himselfe to such punishment as shall please mee His chasticement answered Stilliane ought to be no other than to make him continue the affection he beares me To you said Carlis so farre is it that hee sware when you entred in that hee loued none but mee And since when added Stilliane I know well at the least that I haue a good writing that Hermante an howre since brought me in his behalfe and that you may not doubt of that I say reade this paper and you shall see if I lie O God what became of me at these words I sweare vnto you faire shepheardesse that I was not able to open my mouth for my defence And that which ruined me for euer was that by mis-hap many other shepheardesses came in at the same time to whom they told this tale so much to my disaduantage that I could not possibly tarry there any longer but without speaking a word vnto them I came to tell Hermante my misaduenture who had like to haue dyed with laughter as indeed the matter deserued This bruite so spred ouer all Carmague that I durst not talke to any one shepheardesse that cast it not in my teeth whereat I conceiued such shame that I resolued to goe out of the I le for some time You may see if when I was young I tooke such thought to be called inconstant I ought not at this houre to giue backe a step See what it is sayd Paris one must be an apprentice before he be a master It is true answered Hylas and the worst is wee must often pay for our apprentiship But to come to our discourse being no longer able to endure the ordinary warre which euery one made on me the most secretly I could possibly I gaue order for my businesse and referred the whole care to Hermante and after I put my selfe into a great vessell that lanched out with many others I had then no other purpose but to trauell and passe away the time grieuing no more for Carlis nor Stilliane than if I had neuer seene them for I had so lost their remembrance when I lost their sight that I had not the least sorrow But see how hard it is to crosse the naturall disposition I had no sooner set my foote into the Barke but I sawe a new subiect of Loue. There was among many other passengers an old woman which went to Lyons to render her vowes in the Temple of Venus which shee had made for her sonne and carried with her her daughter in law for the same cause and who with good cause might beare the name of faire for she was no lesse then Stilliane and much more then Carlis her name
he himselfe had not heeded it had it not been that being constrayned to passe along the Riuer hee found himselfe before the entry whither by fortune being got vp and thinking hee might there be well hidden till night the place pleased him so well that he resolued to passe the rest of his sorrowfull and disasterous dayes there hauing a purpose all the day long not to goe from the hollow of that Caue In this de liberation he beganne to trimme it the best he could sweeping out all the rubbish which the riuer being great had brought in It was nothing but a little rocke which the water being strong had made hollow by little and little and that with great â—ase because that hauing at the beginning found it grauily and tender it was easily vndermined so that the diueâ—s hollowes which the enforced water had made rounded it as if it had purposely bene done Afterward being to lie downe it serued for a bed which was not aboue three or foure paces off The roome might be some sixe or seuen paces long and because it was round it had the greater bredth It was a little higher then a man yet in some places there hung downe some points of the Rocke which the shepheard by throwing grauell stones at it by little and little broke off and because by chance it was found hardest at the bottome the water had not made it â—â—llow in many corners which gaue Celadon cause breaking with little paine the coynes that were highest to make a place for a Bed made out in the hardest of the Rocke which afterwards he couered with mosse which was a great commoditie to him for that when it rayned foundly vpon his Caue which was of a tender Rocke it was pierced through by the water so that he had no other place dry but that delicious Bed Being in short time fitted in this manner he put off his Coat and his Wallet and other Weeds which troubled him most and tying them together layed them on the bed with his Pipe which alwayes he bare in fashion of a Scarfe but stripping himselfe by chance there fell a paper on the ground which he knew full well to come from the faire Astrea This remembrance being hindered by nothing which might draw him other where for nothing was presented to his eyes but the course of the Riuer had such power ouer him that there was no trouble befallen him since his banishment that came not into his memory At last raysing himselfe from these thoughts as from a sound sleepe hee came to the doore of the Caue where vnfolding the deare Paper which he had in his hand after a thousand ardent and amorous kisses he said Ah deare Paper heretofore the cause of my contentment and now the occasion of renewing my sorrowes how is it possible that you should keepe in you the conceit of her that writ you without changing it since the good will which then was there is so changed that she and I are no more that we were wont to be Oh what fault is this A thing without spirit is constant and the most faire of spirits is not so At this word hauing opened it the first thing that presented it selfe was the cypher of Astrea ioyned with his owne This put him in minde of his happinesse passed so liuely in his spirit that the griefe to see himselfe so fallen almost brought him to the terme of despayre Ah cyphers said he witnesses too certaine of the misfortune wherein for hauing beene ouer-happy I now finde my selfe how are not you separated to follow the minde of my faire shepheardesse for if heretofore she hath vnited you it was in a time when our spirits were much more but now when our disaster hath so cruelly separated vs how cyphers most happy remaine you so together It is as I thinke to shew that the Heauens may rayne downe on me all their disasterous influences but neuer can make my will differing from Astreas Hold on then O faithfull cyphers that symbole of my intentions to the end that after my last houre which I wish may be as ready as the first moment that I shall breath you may manifest to all those that shall see you of what qualitie was the loue of the most vnfortunate shepheard that euer loued And it may be it will happen if at the least the Gods haue not lost all remembrance of me that after my death for my satisfaction that faire may find you and beholding you she shall acknowledge that she did as great wrong to thrust me from her as shee had reason to tye you together At this word hee sat downe on a great stone which hee had drawne from the Riuer to the entry of his Denne and after he had wiped away his teares he red the Letter which was thus The Letter of Astrea to Celadon GOd permit Celadon that the assurance which you giue me of your loue may continue as long with me as I yeeld supply of affection to you and to beleeue that I hold you more deare then if you were my brother and that euen to my Tombe I shall be yours These few words of Astrea were cause of much euill to Celadon for after he had often red them he was so farre from finding any asswagement that on the contrary it did but more enuenome his soare so that it called to his memory by one and by one all the fauours this shepheardesse had done him which made him lament so dolefully that had not the night come vpon him hee could hardly haâ—e giuen truce to his eyes which rayned downe that which the tongue bewayled and the heart fuffered But the darkenesse causing him to goe into his Caue interrupted for some while his sad thoughts and permitted his body wearied with his sorrowes and with the length of the way to take some rest at least by sleepe Now twice had the day giuen place to the night before this shepheard remembred to eate for his sad thoughts busied him so and the melancholy so filld his stomacke that he had no appetite to other victuals then that which the remembrance of his sorrowes could prepare softened with so many teares that his eyes seemed two heads of Fountaines and had it not beene for feare of offending the Gods in suffering his owne death and much rather that of loosing by his death that faire Idea which hee had of Astrea in his heart without doubt he would haue beene glad so to end the sad course of his life But seeing himselfe so restrayned he goes to the Wallet which Leonide had well furnished the prouision whereof lasted him many dayes for he did eate as little as he could At last he was forced to runne to hearbes and to the rootes that were most tender He found not farre off a Fountaine which abounded with Water-Cresses which was his most certaine and delicious foode for knowing where to finde that with which he might liue he employed his time but on his sad thoughts and they gaue him so faithfull companie that as they could not be without him so no more could he be without them So long as the day lasted if he saw no body about his little Lodging he would walke along on the grauell and there he often engraued on the tender barkes of young Trees the subiect of his sorrowes sometimes his cypher and Astreas and when hee alighted on them interlaced together suddenly he would deface them and say Thou deceiuest thy selfe Celadon this is no more the season that these cyphers were allowed thee The more constant thou art the more to thy disaduantage are all things changed Deface deface miserable man that ouer-happie testimonie of thy good time passed and if thou wilt set downe with thy cypher that which pleases her most set downe thy marke of teares of paines and of death With such speeches Celadon reprehended himselfe if at any time he forgetâ— himselfe in his thoughts But when the night comes it is then that all his displeasures touch him to the quicke in his memory for darkenesse hath this propertie that it makes the imagination more strong Moreouer he neuer returned home but when it was farre night if the Moone shone he passed the night vnder some Trees where often ouercome with sleepe before he was aware he found himselfe the next morning So went this sad Shepheard drawing on his life which in few dayes made him so pale and leane that one might hardly know him and himselfe sometimes going to drinke at the next Fountaine was astonied when hee saw his Figure in the Water as beeing brought to that passe that hee could not long liue His beard could not make him looke grimme for hee had none as yet but his hayre which was much growne the leanenesse which had changed the roundenesse of his face and made his nose long and sadnesse which had driuen out of his eyes that liuely brightnesse which at other times had made him so gracious now made him become quite other then he was wont to be Ah if Astrea had seene him in that case what ioy and contentment would the paine of that faithfull Shepheard haue giuen her knowing by so assured a testimonie how truly she was beloued of the most faithfull and most perfect Shepheard of Lignon FINIS