the iniurie that she hath done thee hath brought thee hither vnto me which thou shalt finde to be as true as my mouth neuer accustomed to faine and lie hath plainly and sincerely told thee Thy sister Clenarda can make a large report vnto thee of all that hath passed about this matter harken to her and beleeue her words bicause I sweare vnto thee that all that she shall tell thee is most true Then Clenarda began to tell the whole matter how it hapned purging Marcelius and herselfe and reciting at large the treason and villany of Sartofano and all the rest as you haue heard before Which when Alcida heard she thought herselfe very well satisfied and then the long hatred which she bare to Marcelius went out of her hart with the deceit the onely occasion of it And then the smothered loue and hidden fire began to reuiue in her brest being cleerely ridde of her old suspicion as also by the operation of those charming words that Felicia made in her soule and being in that mind she said vnto Felicia Mine errour I acknowledge most honorable and sage Ladie and the great benefite that you haue done me by deliuering me from it But if I loue now Marcelius the miste of vniust suspect being driuen from mine eies and he being absent as he is indeed I shal neuer the more for this happines attaine to the top of that ioy which I hope for at thy hands but shall rather be afflicted with so great greefe of minde that to remedie the same I shall stand in neede of newe fauours at thy gracious handes It is a good token of loue answered Felicia againe to take thought for the absence of the beloued but let not this greeue thy minde for I will be carefull for thy contentment Now hath the Sunne hidden his beames and it is good time to take some rest Goe therefore with thy father and sister to repose thy selfe bicause we will to morrow take order for these affaires When she had thus said she went out of the garden and so did Eugerius and his daughters repayring to the chambers that Felicia had appointed for them in her pallace which were separated from that where Marcelius lay the rest of his company Don Felix Felismena with the other Shepherdes and Shepherdesses taried a pretie while about the fountain then went to supper appointing to meet there the next morning following one hower before day to take the fresh ayre of the morning So therfore as the hope of the pleasure of the next morrowes meeting made them passe away the night with sleeping but a little they rose vp all so earely in the morning that before the appointed hower they were ready at the fountaine with their tuned instruments Eugerius with his sonne and daughters aduertised of the musicke did also rise vp and went thither They beganne to play and sing and to make much sport and pastime by the light of the Moone which with a full and bright face gaue them as cleere light as if it had beene day Marcelius Diana and Ismenia laie in two chambers one ioyning to the other whose windowes looked into the garden And although they could not see the fountain thorow them by reason of the high thick Laurell trees which were about it yet might they heare well what they saide So therfore when Ismenia lying awake heard the noise they made and the merriment and songs of the Shepherds she awaked Diana and Diana knocking at the wall that was betweene both their chambers awoke Marcelius and so all of them went to their windowes where they were neither seene nor knowne Marcelius gaue attentiue care if he might perhaps heare Alcidas voice Diana did diligently listen to heare her Syrenus Ismenia onely had no hope to heare her Montanus bicause she knew not that he was there But yet her Fortune was better then she was aware of for at that very instant a Shepherd sung to the sound of his Baggepipe this Sextine that followes THe faire the fresh the red and rosie morning Doth follow still the long and tedious night And after darknes comes the sun shine day When Nymphes goe foorth to walke the freshest meades The aire resounding with their sweetest songs And cheerefull notes of many chirping birdes I am lesse happy then the pretie birdes That are saluting of the merrie morning With ratling foorth their sugred notes and songs For in the morne I mourne as in the night Be this a desart or most fragrant meade Be this a cloudie or most shining day In such a haplesse hower and dismall day So dead I was that neuer can these birdes Which in the dawning ioy both hill and meade Nor the Vermillion face of freshest morning Driue from my soule a darke and deadly night Nor from my brest a lamentable song My voice shall neuer change her woonted song And for my selfe it neuer will be day But I will first die in eternall night Though more and more doe sing the warbling birdes And fairer rise the bright and purple morning To shine vpon and cherish this faire meade O irkesome garden and O dolefull meade Since she that cannot heare my plaining song And with her beames of beautie staines the morning Doth not giue light vnto my needefull day O trouble me no more you prating birdes For without her your morning is but night In that time of the still and silent night When in the townes the hils the vales and meades All mortall men take rest the beastes and birdes I most of all doe force my greeuous song Making my teares euen with the night and day At noone at night and after in the morning One Morning onely conquere must my Night And if one Day illustrate shall this Meade Then will I heare with ioy the Songs of Birdes By this time Ismenia that was harkening at the window knew that he that did sing was her husband Montanus and tooke so great delight to heare him as greefe in hearing of that which he sung For she thought that the paine that hee saide in his song he was troubled with was for anothers sake and not for hers but she was by and by driuen out of this doubt for she heard him when he had made an end of his song giue a maruellous great sigh and saide Ah wearied and sorrowfull hart how ill didst thou abuse thy selfe and her in giuing credite to a simple surmise and how iustly dost thou now suffer the sorrow that thine owne lightnes hath procured Ah my beloued Ismenia how better had it bin for me that thy zealous loue had not caused thee to seeke me thorow the worlde bicause when I had come backe againe to our towne and knowing mine owne fault I might haue found thee in it Ah wicked Sylueria how ill didst thou requite him that euer did thee good from his cradle Alas I woulde haue thanked thee for the discouerie of the treacherie which afterwards thou toldest
affection and tendernes as if a thousand yeeres had bin past since their loues had first begon between them And that day they all taried there with as great ioy and pleasure as by such a new commenced loue might be imagined vntil the next day in the morning when the two Shepherds and the Shepherdesse taking their leaue of the sage Ladie Felicia and of Felismena and Belisa and likewise of all the Nymphes with great ioy returned to their villages whither they came the verie same day And faire Felismena who had that day put on againe her Shepherdesses weeds taking her leaue of the sage Ladie and being particularly and well aduised what to doe with many teares embraced her and accompanied of all those Nymphes went forth into the great Court before the Palace gate where embracing euerie one by her selfe shee went that way that they did direct her Felismena went not alone neither did her imaginations giue her leaue so to do for on the one side she went thinking of that which the wise Ladie had told her and considering on the other what little hap and lesse successe she had yet in her loue which made her doubt of her future happines With these contrarieties of thoughts did she go warring in her minde which though on the one side they made her wearie yet on the other they did entertaine her with their company so that in the meane time she forgot her solitarie and painefull way She had not trauelled far in the mids of a faire valley when towardes the west part therof she espied a far off a Shepherds coat which at the entrance of a green wood stood amongst many high Okes and inuited thither by her importunate hunger and wearines and also bicause the heate of the day began to come on so fast that shee was forced to passe it away vnder the shadow of those braunchie trees she bended her steps directly towards it Comming to the coate she heard how a Shepherd said vnto a Shepherdesse that sat neere vnto him these wordes Entreate me not good Amarillis to sing since thou knowest what great causes I haue to sigh and weepe all the dayes whilest my languishing soule shall not forsake this wearied and fainte bodie For though musicke is no small meanes to encrease his melancholie that is euer sadde and pensiue as his ioye and mirthe whoe liues a merry life yet my greefe is not of such a qualitie that by any humane arte or industrie may be increased or diminished Heere hast thou thy baggepipe play and sing faire Shepherdesse for well maist thou do it hauing thy hart as free as thy wil exempt from the bondage of loue Then the Shepherdesse answered him againe Be not such a niggard of thy skill Arsileus which the heauens and nature haue so bountifully bestowed on thee for she that doth aske it at thy hands will not denie to pleasure thee in any thing she may Sing if it be possible that song which at the request of Argastus thou didst make in the name of thy father Arsenius when for hir loue you both serued and sued to the faire Shepherdesse Belisa Thy condition is strange Amarillis saide the Shepherd againe still demanding that of me which doth least of all content me What shall I do for perforce I must please thee and yet not perforce since he were very discourteous to say the truth that would not of his own accord do thee any seruice he could But now thou seest how my ill fortune doth euer narrowly pursue me when I woulde faine take some small respite and ease from my greeuous thoughts And seeing the great reason I haue Amarillis to burst out in continuall lamentations and teares why dost thou then command me to sing What pleasure dost thou take to offende the occasions of my sorrowe I pray God thou maist neuer haue the like to feele the greefe that I do bicause Fortune might not so greatly to thy cost informe thee of my paine Thou knowest well enough I haue lost my Belisa and that I liue without hope of her recouerie Why dost thou then commaund me to sing But since I will not haue thee conceiue an opinion of me to be discourteous for it was neuer my manner and condition to be accounted so amongst faire Shepherdesses to whom we Shepherdes and my selfe especially for my Belisas sake owe all respect of loue and dutie and are so much beholding I will endeuour though most against my minde to content thee Whereupon taking vp his Rebecke that lay hard by him he began to tune it and doe that which the Shepherdesse requested him Felismena that was listening to their talke might heare very well what speeches passed betweene them And when she sawe they talked of Arsenius and Arsileus seruants to faire Belisa both which she tooke to be long since dead as Belisa had told not only her but the Nymphes also the Shepherds when they found her in the Shepherds coat in the Iland she verily thought that all that she heard and sawe there was but a meere dreame or some fantastick illusion But giuing attentiue eare she perceiued how the Shepherd began to touch his Rebecke so diuinely that she thought it to be some celestiall musicke who hauing plaide on it a little with a more heauenly then humane voice began to sing this song following O Vainiest hopes Alas how many Daies Haue I beene bondslaue to a braue Deceite And how in vaine haue these two wearied Eies With show'rs of teares watred this pleasant Vale Appaid I am of cruell Loue and Fortune And knowe not yet whereof I doe Complaine No small harmes I must passe smce I Complaine For to endure framed are all my Daies The traunces and deceites of Loue and Fortune But whence Complaine I of a braue Deceite Of such a Shepher desse within this Vale On whom to my great harme I cast mine Eies Yet am I much beholding to my Eies Although with greefe of them I doe Complaine Since by their meanes I sawe within this Vale The fairest thing which neuer in my Daies I thought to see And this is no Deceite In proofe whereof aske it of Loue and Fortune Though on the other side instable Fortune And time occasion and my dolefull Eies And not suspecting this most braue Deceite Caus'd all the ill whereof I doe Complaine And so I thinke to end my wofull Daies Counting my greefes and passions to this Vale. If that the riuer hill the meade and Vale Earth heauen and fate and cruell Loue and Fortune The howers and the moments yeeres and Daies My soule my hart and these two wearied Eies Doe aggrauate my greefe when I Complaine Who then can say I liue by fond Deceite Deceiu'd I was but this was no Deceite For that I haue beheld within this Vale So rare perfection I doe not Complaine But to behold how Loue and cruell Fortune Would signifie vnto these wearied Eies That there should come a helpe after some Daies
the riuer in the heate where resting her With great care she was telling yet and heeding them After if that she was alone deuesting her Thou shouldst haue seene the bright sunne beames enuying her Resplendant hayre to kembe them manifesting her But on the sudden meeting and espying her My deerest friend Syluane how oft incended was Her fairest face with orient blushing dying her And with what grace how mildly reprehended was My staying long which she did aske correcting me Which if I greeu'd with blandishments amended was How many daies haue I found her expecting me At this cleere fountaine when that I was seeking her Along that thickest hedge to greefe subiecting me All paines and troubles what so ere in meeting her Of sheepe or lambes we straight way were forgetting them When she sawe me or when that I was greeting her Some other times Syluane we tun'd in setting them Our Bagpipe and the Rebeck which we plaied on And then my verses sung we nothing letting them After with bowe and arrowes we estraied on Sometimes with nets and she neuer refraining me And came not home without some chase we praied on Thus fortune went by these meanes entertaining me Reseruing for some greater ill and tendring me Which hath no end but by deathes end restraining me Syluanus Syrenus that most cruell loue engendring me Such greefe stints not nor hindreth the perswading me Of so much ill I die therein remembring me Diane I sawe but straight my ioy was failing me When to my onely sight she was opposing her And to my greefe I saw long lift inuading me How many tymes haue I found her in losing her How often lost in finding and espying her And I my death and seruice not disclosing her My life I lost when meeting I was eying her Faire louely eies which full of anger cruelly She turn'd to me when that my speech was plying her But her faire haire where Cupides in their fâ—…ll lye When she vndid and kemb'd vnseene then leauing me My ils return'd most sensibly which rue well I. But pitilesse Diana then perceiuing me Turn'd like a cruell serpent that in winding it Assailes the lion thâ—… my life be reauing me One time false hope deceitfully but blinding it My hart maintain'd ewen for my comfort choosing it But afterwardes in such an error finding it It mocked hope and then it vanisht loosing it Not long after that the Shepherdes had made an ende of their sorrowfull songs they espied a shepherdesse comming out of the thicket neere to the riuer playing on a Bagpipe and singing with as sweete a grace and delicate voice as with no lesse sorrow and greefe which by her countenance and gesture she so liuely expressed that it darkened a great part of her excellent beautie Whereupon Syrenus who had not of a long time fed in those vallies asked Syluanus what she was who answered This is a faire Shepherdesse that hath sed but a fewe daies since in these medowes complaining greatly of loue and as some say with good cause though others say that she hath bene a long time mocked by the discouerie of a deceite Why saide Syrenus lies it then in her to perceiue it and to deliuer her selfe from it It doth saide Syluanus for I thinke there is no woman though neuer so much in loue whose wits and senses the force and passion of loue can so much blinde that may not perceiue whether she be beloued againe or not I am of a contrarie opinion saide Syrenus Of a contrarie saide Syluanus Why thou shalt not flatter thy selfe so much for the affiance which thou hadst in Dianus wordes hath cost thee deere and yet I blame thee not considering that as there is none whom her beautie ouercomes not so is there not any whom her wordes deceiue not How knowest thou that since she neuer deceiued thee by word nor deede It is true saide Syluanus that I was euer if so I may terme it vndeceiued by her but I durst by that which hath hitherto fallen out that she neuer meant any deceit to me but only to deceiue thee But let vs leaue this and harken to this Shepherdesse that is a great friend to Diana who is well worthy for the commendable report of her wisedome and good graces to be harkened vnto But now was the faire Shepherdesse comming towards the fountaine and began to sing this Sonnet following A Sonnet MIne eies once haue I seene you more contented And my poore hart more ioyfull I haue knowne thee Woe to the cause whose greefes haue ouer growne thee And yet whose sight your comforts once presented But as this cruell fortune hath inuented Sweete ioy to roote thee vp where she had sowen thee So now Seluagia she hath ouer throwen thee Thy pleasures scarce begun she hath tormented Let me to time or to his changing take me Let me with motions out of order leade me Then I shall see how free my hart is to me Then will I trust in hopes that not forsake me When I haue staide her wheeles that ouertread me And beaten downe the fates that doe vndoe me After that the Shepherdesse had made an end of her song she came directly to the fountaine where the Shepherdes were and while she was a comming Syluanus smiling saide Marke but those woâ—… and the burning sigh wherewith she ended her song what witnesses they are of her inward loue and greefe Thereof I haue no doubt saide Syrenns for I woulde to God I could so speedily remedie her sorrowe as I beleeue to my great greefe all that she hath by dolefull song vttered And talking thus together Seluagia was by this time come and knowing the Shepherds curteously saluted them saying What doe you in this greene and pleasant medow despised Shepherds Thou saiest not amisse faire Seluagia by asking vs what we doe saide Syluanus for we doe so little in respect of that we shoulde doe that we can neuer conclude and bring any thing to passe that in our loues we desire to haue Maruell not thereat saide Seluagia for there are certaine things that before they ende they that desire them are ended True saide Syluanus if a man puts his rest in a womans disposition for she will first ende his life before she will ende or determine to giue him any fauour that he is still hoping to receiue at her handes Vnhappy women are these saide Seluagia that are so ill intreated by your wordes But more vnfortunate are those men saide Syluanus that are worse handled by your deedes Can there be a thing more base and of lesse account then that you are so ready for the lightest thing in the worlde to forget them to whom you haue borne the greatest loue For absent your selues but a day from him whom you loue well and then shall he neede to commence his suite new againe Two things I gather saide Seluagia by thy speech which make me wonder not a little The one to see thy toong goe so much
certaine times of the yeere is visited of all or most of the Shepherdesses that liue in that prouince who with the faire Nymphes thereabouts begin a day before the holy feast with sweete songs and hymnes to celebrate it and the Shepherdes likewise to solemnize the same with challenges of running leaping wrestling and pitching the barre appointing seuerall rewardes and giftes for them that beare the bell away sometimes a garland of greene Iuie sometimes a fine Bagpipe Flute or Sheepehooke of knottie Ashe and other guerdons which Shepherdes make most account of But the festiuall time being come I with other Shepherdesses my friendes and acquaintance leauing of our seruile and worke-day apparell and putting on the best we had went the day before to that place determining to watch all that night in the temple as other yeeres before we were wont to doe Being therfore in companie of my friendes we sawe comming in at the doore a Beuie of faire Shepherdesses attended on by iolly Shepherdes who leauing them within and hauing done their due orisons went out againe to the pleasant valley for the order of that prouince was that no Shepherd might enter into the temple but to doe his deuotion and then presently to goe foorth againe vntill the next day when all came in together to participate the ceremonies and sacrifices which were made there The reason was bicause the Shepherdesses and Nymphes might sit alone and without trouble or occasion to thinke of any other matter then deuoutly to celebrate the feast and to make merry with one another according to the ancient accustomed manner And the Shepherdes to remaine amongst themselues without the temple in a faire greene meade hard by where by the brightnesse of nocturnall Diana they might disport themselues But the foresaid Shepherdesses being come into the sumptuous temple after they had saide a fewe prayers and presented their offerings vpon the altar they placed themselues downe by vs. And it was my ill hap that one of them sat next vnto me to make me infortunate as long as her memorie did importune me The Shepherdesses came in muffled for their faces were couered with white vailes tied vp aboue their hats which were artificially made of fine strawe and so curiously wrought with many workes of the same that it excelled the glittering golde in shew But as I was eying her that sat next vnto me I perceiued how she did seldome cast off her eies from beholding me againe and when I looked on her I might see her cast them downe fayning as though she would see me but in such sort that I might not perceiue it I did not meanely desire to knowe what she was bicause if she had spoken to me I might not vpon ignorance haue made a fault by not knowing her againe who all the while that I sat thinking of some other matter did neuer cast her eies off me but viewed me so much that a thousand times I was about to speake vnto her being suddenly enamoured of those faire eies which of all her face were onely discouered and open But she seeing me sitting in this perplexitie pulled out the fairest and most dainty hand that euer I did see and taking mine into it did with a sweete and amorous eie a little while behold me whereupon being now so striken in loue as toong cannot expresse I saide vnto her It is not onely this hand most faire and gracious Shepherdesse that is alwaies ready to serue thee but also her hart and thoughts to whom it appertaineth Ismenia for so she was called that was the cause of my disquiet and molested thoughts hauing now complotted in her minde to mocke me as you shall heare answered me softly that none might heare her in this manner saying I am so much thine sweete Shepherdesse that as such an one I boldly presumed to doe that which I did praying thee not to be offended with me for no sooner I viewed thy faire and amiable face but presently I lost the power of my conquered soule I was so glad to heare these wordes that comming neerer vnto her with a smile I answered her thus How can it be gentle Shepherdesse that thy selfe being so passing faire shouldest fal in loue with her who wants it so much to make her haue the name of such an one and more with a woman as I am It is that loue faire Shepherdesse saide she againe that seldome endes suruiuing all destinies and which is neither subiect to change of time nor fortune If the condition of my estate saide I againe could prompt me so fit an answere as thy wise and discreete wordes doe inforce the desire which I haue to serue thee should not let me from manifesting the same by most louing termes but in these few ones beleeue me faire Shepherdesse that the resolution which I haue to be thine not death it selfe can determine nor take away After these wordes our mutuall imbracings were so many and our louing speeches to one another so often redoubled and of my part so true and vnfained that we regarded not the Shepherdesses songs nor beheld the daunces nor other sportes that were made in the temple And now by this time was I earnest with Ismenia to tell me her name and to put off her muffler both which not onely she cunningly excused but very suttly turned her talke to another matter But midnight being now past and I hauing the greatest desire in the worlde to see her face and to knowe her name and of what village she was began to complaine of her and to tell her that it was not possible that the loue which by her wordes she protested to beare me was so great since hauing tolde her my name she concealed hers from me and that louing her as I did it was impossible for me to liue vnlesse I knewe whom I loued or from whence I might heare newes from my loue againe and many other things I tolde her in so good earnest that the same and my teares helped to mooue false Ismenias hart who rising vp and taking me by the hand to carry me aside into some secret place where none might heare her began to say these wordes vnto me making as though they came out from the bottome of her hart Faire Shepherdesse borne onely for the vnrest and torment of a soule that hitherto hath liued as exempt and free as possible might be who can choose but tell thee that thou requirest at my handes hauing now made thee the sole Mistresse of my libertie Vnhappie me that the chaunge of my habit hath deceiued thee although the deceit redoundes to mine owne harme The muffler which thou intreatest me to pull off behold to please thee I take away but to tell thee my name makes not much to thy purpose when as heereafter though I would not thou shalt see me oftener then thou maiest well suffer And speaking these wordes and pulling off her muffler mine eies behelde a face whose countenance though it
or feele this hower When torments waste their force and seuerall power Who made my Shepherdesses tresses twist all Of fine Arabian gold not gilt-like shining Her face of cleerest and of chosen christ all Her rubie lips two rowes of pearle combining Her dymond eies like to those stars aboue all Her necke that whitest Allablaster stayneth Her passing wit inforcing vs to loue all Her stately minde that all our loues disdaineth Why made shee not her hart of melting matter Then of such marble stone so hard to batter One day I do conforme me to my fortune And to my griefe that faire Diana causeth Next day mine yll doth vex me and importune My soule with thoughts of griefe that seldome pauseth Cruell and fierce and inhumane I call her And so there is no order in my sorrow For afterwards in phrases I install her What now I say I do deny to morrow And all is thus leading a life in anguish Which soone mine eies may see by death to languish When faire Seluagia knew the Shepherd Syluanus by his voice she went to him and saluting one another with curteous and louing words they sat them downe vnder the shadow of a thicke and leafie mirtle in the mids of a little medow which for the diuersitie of fine golden flowers wherewith it was spotted more then their sorrowfull thoughts could desire was most pleasant to the wandring eie And Syluanus began to speake in this sort The diuersitie of so many vnaccustomed mishaps that daily harme vs woefull true louers cannot be faire Seluagia without griefe and compassion of minde considered But amongst them all there is none me thinks that ought to be so much feared as that which he suffers who hath once seene himselfe in a good and ioyfull estate the which by experience as yesterday thou didst tell me I neuer came yet to know for the life which I passe is so far from rest and deliuered vp to sorrowfull imaginations that a thousand times in vaine I seeke out new inuentions and means to deceiue and alter my tast For remedy wherof I do sometimes think That I am deerely beloued of my mistresse which thought without opening any further passage to this fiction I retaine as long as I can in my mind but when I consider afterwards the truth of my estate I am so confounded with my selfe as I am not able to expresse it and then against my will am voide of all patience since then a bare imagination is not such a thing that may be suffered behold what the truth is able to do I would to God Syluanus I were free said Seluagia from this franticke passion that I might speake the better in it as in such a case it were most needfull For thou canst not know any greater signe of loue whether it be little or much or of passion whether it be small or great then by hearing her tell it that feeles it for a passion extremely felt can neuer be well manifested by her toong that suffers it So that I being subiect to my mishap and sorrowfull for that disgrace which Alanius doth me am not with words able to expresse the Chaos of griefe wherin I am ouerwhelmed Wherefore I leaue it to thy consideration and iudgement as to things wherin I may put an assured confidence and trust I know not Seluagia what to say replied Syluanus sighing nor what remedies we may hope for of our harms dost thou perhaps know any How should I not know said Seluagia And wottest thou what it is To leaue of to loue And this maiest thou do thy selfe said Syluanus As fortune and time shall ordaine saide Seluagia Then I tell thee said Syluanus maruelling much that thou needest not trouble thy selfe so much by complayning of thy griefe bicause that loue which is subiect to time and fortune cannot be so extreme to giue one any trouble or paine that suffers it And canst thou deny said Seluagia againe that it is not possible to haue an end in thy loue either by death or absence or by being fauoured in some other place where thy sutes seruices may be more esteemed and better recompenced I will not make my selfe saide Syluanus such an hypocrite in loue that I will not graunt what thou saiest may be possible but not in me For woe betide that louer that though he see such fortune fall to others would haue so little constancie in his loue to thinke that any thing contrary to his faith may befall vnto him I am a woman said Seluagia and thou shalt see by me if I loue not as much as any may And yet this offendes not my loue to thinke that there may be an end of euery thing be they neuer so firme and strong since it is the propertie of time and fortune with their vsuall changes to alter all things as they haue euer done And thinke not Shepherd that any obliuious thought of his loue that hath so iniuriously forgotten me makes me speake this but that which I haue seene by experience in these passions And talking thus together they heard a Shepherd singing as he came along the medow before them whom they knew by and by to be the forgotten Syrenus who to the tune of his Rebecke came singing this Sonnet GOe now my thoughts where one day you were going When neither fortune nor my loue did lower Now shall you see that changed day and hower Your ioies decaied and vncouth sorrowes growing And in the glasse where I was oft bestowing Mine eies and in that sweete and pleasant flower A sluggish drone vnwoorthely deuower That honie which for me sometimes was flowing And you shall see to whom I did surrender My subiect life that causelesse did despise it And though this ill no remedy can borrow Yet tell her that my minde did once ingender A feare of that vvhich after to mine eyes yet She makes more plaine to end my life in sorrow After Syrenus had made an end of his Sonnet he sawe faire Seluagia and Syluanus comming towards him whereof he was not a little glad and after some curteous salutations between them they determined to go to the fountaine of the Sicamours where they had beene the day before but before they were come thither Syluanus said Hearke do you not heare certaine voices singing Yes said Seluagia and me thinks of more then one Where might it be said Syrenus In the meadowe of the Laurell trees said Syluanus in the mids whereof the spring that comes out of this cleere fountaine so pleasantly runneth It shall not be amisse for vs to go thither but so softly that they that are singing may not perceiue or heare vs lest we breake off their sweete musicke Let vs go said Seluagia and so step by step they went towards the place where they heard that singing hiding themselues behind certaine trees neere vnto the brook they saw three Nymphes sitting vpon the golden flowers of such excellent beauty that it seemed nature had
see it saide I what mooue me not or else tell me what it is Good lord Mistresse â—…ide she why will you see it it is the letter I would haue giuen you yesterday Nay that it is not saide I wherefore shew it me that I may see if you lie or no. I had no sooner said so but she put it into my handes saying God neuer giue me good if it be anie other thing and although I knewe it well indeede yet I saide what this is not the same for I know that well enough but it is one of thy louers letters I will read it to see in what neede he standeth of thy fauour And opening it I founde it conteined this that followeth I euer imagined deere Mistresse that your discretion and wisedome woulde haue taken away the feare I had to write vnto you the same knowing well enough without any letter at all how much I loue you but the very same hath so cunningly dissembled that wherein I hoped the onely remedie of my griefes had been therein consisted my greatest harme If according to your wisedome you censure my boldnes I shall not then I know enioy one hower of life but if you do consider of it according to loues accustomed effects then will I not exchange my hope for it Be not offended I beseech you good Ladie with my letter and blame me not for writing vnto you vntill you see by experience whether I can leaue of to write And take me besides into the possession of that which is yours since all is mine doth wholly consist in your hands the which with all reuerence and dutifull affection a thousand times I kisse When I had now seene my Don Felix his letter whether it was for reading it at such a time when by the same he shewed that he loued me more then himselfe or whether he had disposition and regiment ouer part of this wearied soule to imprint that loue in it whereof he wrote vnto me I began to loue him too well and alas for my harme since he was the cause of so much sorrow as I haue passed for his sake Whereupon asking Rosina forgiuenes of what was past as a thing needfull for that which was to come and committing the secrecie of my loue to her fidelitie I read the letter once againe pausing a little at euery worde and a very little indeede it was bicause I concluded so soone with my selfe to do that I did although in verie truth it lay not otherwise in my power to do Wherefore calling for paper and inke I answered his letter thus Esteeme not so slightly of mine honour Don Felix as with fained words to thinke to enueagle it or with thy vaine pretenses to offend it any waies I know wel enough what manner of man thou art and how great thy desert and presumption is from whence thy boldnes doth arise I gesse and not from the force which thing thou wouldst faine perswade me of thy feruent loue And if it be so as my suspicion suggesteth thy labor is as vaine as thy imagination presumptuous by thinking to make me do any thing contrarie to that which I owe vnto mine honour Consider I beseech thee how seldome things commenced vnder suttletie and dissimulation haue good successe and that it is not the part of a Gentleman to meane them one way and speak them another Thou praiest me amongst other things to admit thee into possession of that that is mine but I am of so ill an humour in matters of this qualitie that I trust not things experienced how much lesse then thy bare wordes yet neuerthelesse I make no small account of that which thou hast manifested to me in thy letter for it is ynough that I am incredulous though not vnthankfull This letter did I send contrarie to that I should haue done bicause it was the occasion of all my harmes and greefes for after this he began to waxe more bolde by vnfolding his thoughts and seeking out the meanes to haue a parly with me In the ende faire Nymphes a few daies being spent in his demaunds and my answers false loue did worke in me after his wonted fashions euery hower seasing more strongly vpon my vnfortunate soule The Tourneies were now renewed the musicke by night did neuer cease amorous letters and verses were recontinued on both sides and thus passed I away almost a whole yeere at the end whereof I felt my selfe so far in his loue that I had no power to retire nor stay my selfe from disclosing my thoughts vnto him the thing which he desired more then his owne life But my aduerse fortune afterwardes would that of these our mutuall loues when as now they were most assured his father had some intelligence and whosoeuer reuealed them first perswaded him so cunningly that his father fearing least he would haue married me out of hand sent him to the great Princesse Augusta Caesarinas court telling him it was not meete that a yoong Gentleman and of so noble a house as he was should spende his youth idly at home where nothing could be learned but examples of vice whereof the very sameidlenes he said was the onely Mistresse He went away so pensiue that his great greefe would not suffer him to acquaint me with his departure which when I knew how sorrowfull I remained she may imagine that hath bene at any time tormented with like passion To tell you now the life that I led in his absence my sadnes sighes and teares which euery day I powred out of these wearied eies my toong is far vnable if then my paines were such that I cannot now expresse them how could I then suffer them But being in the mids of my mishaps and in the depth of those woes which the absence of Don Felix caused me to feele and it seeming to me that my greefe was without remedie if he were once seene or knowen of the Ladies in that Court more beautifull and gracious then my selfe By occasion whereof as also by absence a capitall enemie to loue I might easily be forgotten I determined to aduenture that which I thinke neuer any woman imagined which was to apparell my selfe in the habit of a man and to hye me to the Court to see him in whose sight al my hope and content remained which determination I no sooner thought of then I put in practise loue blinding my eies and minde with an inconsiderate regarde of mine owne estate and condition To the execution of which attempt I wanted no industrie for being furnished with the helpe of one of my approoued friends and treasouresse of my secrets who bought me such apparell as I willed her and a good horse for my iourney I went not onely out of my countrie but out of my deere reputation which I thinke I shall neuer recouer againe and so trotted directly to the Court passing by the way many accidents which if time would giue me leaue to tell them woulde not make you laugh
to be hid and you deere Ladie make that an occasion to forget me which should be rather a motiue to loue me better I cannot perswade me that you make so small an account of your selfe to thinke that I can forget you for any thing that is or hath euer been but rather imagine that you write cleane contrarie to that which you haue tried by my zealous loue and faith towards you Touching all those things that in preiudice of my good will towards you it pleaseth you to imagine my innocent thoughts assure me to the contrarie which shall suffice to be ill recompenced besides being so ill thought of as they are After Don Felix had read this letter vnto me he asked me if the answer was correspondent to those words that his Ladie Celia had sent him in hers and if there was any thing therein that might be amended Whereunto I answered thus I thinke Sir it is needlesse to amende this letter or to make the Gentlewoman amendes to whom it is sent but her whom you do iniurie so much with it Which vnder your Lordships pardon I speake bicause I am so much affected to the first loue in all my life that there is not any thing that can make me alter my minde Thou hast the greatest reason in the world said Don Felix if I coulde perswade my selfe to leaue of that which I haue begun But what wilt thou haue me do since absence hath frozen the former loue and the continuall presence of a peerelesse beautie rekindled another more hot and feruent in me Thus may she thinke her-selfe saide I againe vniustly deceiued whom first you loued because that loue which is subiect to the power of absence cannot be termed loue and none can perswade me that it hath beene loue These words did I dissemble the best I could because I felt so sensible griefe to see my selfe forgotten of him who had so great reason to loue me and whom I did loue so much that I did more thē any would haue thought to make my selfe still vnknowen But taking the letter and mine errant with me I went to Celias house imagining by the way the wofull estate whereunto my haplesse loue had brought me since I was forced to make warre against mine owne selfe and to be the intercessour of a thing so contrarie to mine owne content But comming to Celias house and finding a Page standing at the dore I asked him if I might speake with his Ladie who being informed of me from whence I came tolde Celia how I would speake with her commending therewithall my beautie and person vnto her and telling her besides that Don Felix had but lately entertained me into his seruice which made Celia saie vnto him What doth Don Felix so soone disclose his secret loues to a Page but newly entertained he hath belike some great occasion that mooues him to do it Bid him com in let vs know what he would haue In I came to the place where the enimie of my life was with great reuerence kissing her hands I deliuered Don Felix his letter vnto her Celia tooke it and casting her eies vpon me I might perceiue how my sight had made a sudden alteration in her countenance for she was so farre besides her-selfe that for a good while she was not able to speake a worde but remembring her-selfe at last she saide vnto me What good fortune hath beene so fauourable to Don Felix to bring thee to this Court to make thee his Page Euen that faire Ladie saide I which is better then euer I imagined bicause it hath beene an occasion to make me behold such singular beautie and perfections as now I see cleerely before mine eies And if the paines the teares the sighes and the continuall disquiets that my Lord Don Felix hath suffred haue greeued me heeretofore now that I haue seene the source from whence they flow and the cause of all his ill the pittie that I had on him is now wholly conuerted into a certaine kinde of enuie But if it be true faire Lady that my comming is welcome vnto you I beseech you by that which you owe to the great loue which he beares you that your answer may import no lesse vnto him There is not anie thing saide Celia that I would not do for thee though I were determined not to loue him at all who for my sake hath forsaken another For it is no small point of wisedome for me to learne by other womens harmes to be more wise and warie in mine owne Beleeue not good Lady saide I that there is any thing in the worlde that can make Don Felix forget you And if he hath cast off another for your sake woonder not thereat when your beautie and wisedome is so great and the others so small that there is no reason to thinke that he will though he hath woorthelie forsaken her for your sake or euer can forget you for any woman else in the worlde Doest thou then know Felismena saide Celia the Lady whom thy Master did once loue and serue in his owne countrey I know her saide I although not so well as it was needfull for me to haue preuented so many mishaps and this I spake softly to my selfe For my fathers house was neere to hers but seeing your great beautie adorned with such perfections and wisedome Don Felix can not be blamed if he hath forgotten his first loue onely to embrace and honour yours To this did Celia answer merily and smiling Thou hast learned quickly of thy Master to sooth Not so faire Ladie saide I but to serue you woulde I faine learne for flatterie cannot be where in the iudgement of all there are so manifest signes and proofes of this due commendation Celia began in good earnest to aske me what manner of woman Felismena was whom I answered that touching her beautie Some thought her to be very faire but I was neuer of that opinion bicause she hath many daies since wanted the chiefest thing that is requisite for it What is that said Celia Content of minde saide I bicause perfect beautie can neuer be where the same is not adioyned to it Thou hast the greatest reason in the world said she but I haue seene some Ladies whose liuely hewe sadnes hath not one whit abated and others whose beautie anger hath encreased which is a strange thing me thinkes Haplesse is that beauty said I that hath sorrow anger the preseruers mistresses of it but I cānot skill of these impertinent things And yet that woman that must needes be molested with continuall paine and trouble with greefe and care of minde and with other passions to make her looke well cannot be recknoed among the number of faire women and for mine owne part I do not account her so Wherein thou hast great reason said she as in all things else that thou hast saide thou hast shewed thy selfe wise and discreete Which I haue deerely bought said I
as well for this respect as for that it is not meete thou shouldest waste thy life so fondly for in that place where we carrie thee thou maist choose out what manner of life thou list where none is that may hinder thee of it This place answered the Shepherdesse I thought most fit not onely to lament my woes in but to end my life in the same the which if time doth but intreate me as it hath done hitherto shall not be very long But now since this is thy will I am minded not to gainsay it and as for mine faire Nymphes from this time forward you may vse it according to your owne pleasures They were all glad that she yeelded to goe with them And bicause the night was passed on more then three howers and the moone did shine as cleere as day they supped there with that prouision the Shepherdes had in their scrips And after they had supped euery one chose out her place that did best content her to passe the rest of the night away the which the louers spent more in teares and sighes then in sleepe and the rest that were free eased themselues of their wearinesse they had the day before The end of the third booke The fourth Booke of Diana of George of Montemayor NOw did the morning starre begin to cast foorth her woonted brightnes and with the comfort of her light the prety birdes and nightingales were warbling vp their sweetest notes to the skies when the three Nymphes with their companie departed from the little Iland where Belisa passed away her sorrowfull life whose greefe though she was a little comforted by the enamoured shepherdes and cheered vp by the rest did neuerthelesse haunt her so much that she founde no remedie nor meanes to rid hir-selfe from it Both the Shepherds acquainted her with their passed paines and the Shepherdesses tolde her the sorrowfull summe of their loues to trie if by these meanes they might mitigate her paine a little But all comfort is in vaine where the greefe is remedilesse The disguised Ladie tooke such delight in Belisaes beautie discretion and sweete graces that she coulde not satisfie her-selfe by asking her still more questions though Belisa was almost wearie with answering to them And the familiaritie betweene them both was so great that it made the Shepherds and the Shepherdesse in a manner emulate their conuersation But they came to a thicke woode full of wilde shadowed trees where they coulde not chuse had they not beene guided by the Nymphes but haue lost themselues They therefore led the way before thorow a narrow glade where they could not enter in but by one and one And hauing gone halfe a league thorow the thickest thereof they came into a broade and faire plaine lying betweene two goodly riuers both which were brinked on either side with greene tall trees In the middes thereof suddenly appeered vnto their sight a stately Pallace with so high and loftie turrets that it filled them full of woonder and delight to behold it Before they came to this great pallace they sawe diuers Nymphes of incomparable beautie comming foorth to meete them All of them apparelled with daintie white vailes curiously wouen with fine threeds of golde and siluer wearing garlands of redolent flowers vpon their yellow haire which in most comely grace was hanging downe loose vpon their shoulders After them came a Lady which seemed by the grauitie and maiestie of her person to be a woman of some great state and authoritie attyred in blacke veluet and leaning as she came vpon one of her Nymphes shoulders the fairest in the companie When the three Nymphes were come vnto them with great ioy and many imbracings they were receiued of the other But when the Lady came nigh with great reuerence they kissed her handes whom she entertained and wel-commed as ioyfully as they could wish And before the Nymphes spake one worde of that which had passed sage Felicia for so was this honorable Ladie called saide to Felismena The great aduenture which thou hast done for these three Nymphes cannot faire Shepherdesse be requited with lesse then by euer hauing me bound vnto thee and to do thee all the fauour I may which shal not be smal thy neede being so great For since I knowe what thou art without report of anie and whether thy thoughts do leade thee thou shalt in the ende perceiue if I be able to helpe thee in any thing Wherefore be of good cheere for if I liue thou shalt see and enioy thy desire in pursuite whereof though thou hast passed much paine and trauell there is nothing as thou knowest obtained nor gotten without it Faire Felismena maruelling much at Felicias wordes and forgetting not to giue her due thankes for so great curtesies and promises answered thus Since you deigne sage Ladie not onely in the end to remedie my griefes but to blesse the remnant of my life with happines and content whereas there is no desert of my part that may chalenge any such fauour at your gracious hands do but consider good Lady what is due to your selfe and then you shall see how I remaine acquited of this debt and your selfe sufficiently paied For so great deserts as thine are saide Felicia and for such excellent beautie as nature hath bestowed on thee all that may be done is little enough Felismena then bowed herselfe at these wordes to kisse her hands but Felicia embraced her louingly and looking vpon the Shepherds and Shepherdesles saide vnto them Be not dismaied couragious Shepherds and discreete Shepherdesses at the continuance of your seuerall greefes for I haue also no lesse care of their speedie remedies The Shepherdes and the Shepherdesse kissed her handes and went in all together to the stately Palace Before which was a faire broade court set round about with high Cypres trees and placed in good order and interpaued all ouer with Lozanges of Allablaster and blacke Marble in manner of checkey worke In the mids whereof stood a fountaine of Iaspar Marble set vpon fower great brasen Lions And in the mids of the fountaine a Iaspar piller about the which fower Nymphes most liuely made out of white Marble had their places They reached vp their armes on high and in their handes held seuerall vessels after the Antique Roman manner out of the which from certaine Lions mouthes that were painted in them they powred Cristalline water The portall of the Palace was of polished Marble with all the bases and chaptres of the pillers gilded as likewise the garments of the imagerie that was set in it All the house seemed to be made of shining Iaspar with statues and figures of many Roman Emperours and matrones therein engrauen and with other like antiquities All the windowes were double leafed a peece and the springs and bars belonging to them of bright siluer and all the gates of stately Cedar The house was quadrant and at euery Canton was reared vp a high and
artificiall tower Comming to the portall they staied a little to behold the strange workmanship and the imagerie that was so liuely grauen in it that it seemed rather a naturall then artificiall worke or wrought by humane industrie wherein were two Nymphes of massie siluer that stood on the tops of two pillers and helde vp betweene them a polished table of smooth Ieat with golden letters grauen in it that saide thus WEll let her life that enters heere be waighed And if she hath not chastitie estranged And she that loues or Loues lawes hath essaied If for anothers loue she hath not changed And if from former faith she hath not straied And kept her first true loue and hath not ranged May enter heere into Dianas temple Whose soueraigne grace to such appeeres most gentle When faire Felismena heard this she saide to the Shepherdesses Belisa and Seluagia I thinke we may safely enter into this sumptuous Palace without breach of the lawes that this table doth depaint vnto vs. Syrenus answering to that saide But faire Diana coulde not doe so bicause she hath not onely gone against them but against all that good and honest loue commaunds to be obserued Be not angrie with her Shepherd saide Felicia for before many daies hence thou shalt wonder that thou wert so much angrie and laugh at this harde opinion thou hadst of her And so handes in handes they went into the sage Felicias chamber which was richly hanged with cloth of golde and tissue of inestimable value And by and by after they were come in supper was made ready where fine white clothes being spred on the tables and furnished with daintie cates euery one was placed in order Felismena was set next to the sage Lady Felicia and the Nymphes tooke the Shepherdes and Shepherdesses betweene them whose talke at the boord was full of modest mirth and delight There were the rich tables of Cedar and stooles framed out of Iuorie with cushions of fine needle worke wrought with golde and siluer many cups goblets and glasses of diuers formes and mettals were common there and all of no small price some of them artificially made of strange glasse others of fine Cristall with the feete and handles of pure golde others all of golde and siluer most richly garnished with precious stones of inestimate value They were serued with such plentie of sundrie daintie dishes as is almost impossible in order to set downe After that supper was ended three Nymphes came into the hall one of them playing on a Harpe another on a Lute and the third on a base Vial de gamba but with such sweetenesse and melodie that they that were present were as it were enchaunted and rauished with it They placed themselues in one side of the hall and the Shepherdes and Shepherdesses being louingly requested by the three Nymphes and by sage Felicia placed themselues right ouer against them on the other side with their Rebeckes and a Bagpipe whereon Seluagia sweetely plaied And then the Nymphes began to sing this song and the Shepherdes to answere them in manner following The Nymphes THe authours of subiections Fortune and Loue and of most peeuish fashions Aboue the moone affections Doe place and hard reiections And in the same extremest paines and passions The Shepherdes Lessemay he vaunt and boast For ioy whom Loue did neuer yet molest Then he that loueth most And fauours euer lost Since they that suffer more are euer best The Nymphes If Loues extremes releene you And did not gainsay reason as we view them Perhaps we would beleeue you But seeing how they greeue you Happy are we that can so well eschew them The Shepherdes The hardest things the stoute And valiant persons euer take in hand And that of greatest doubt Braue courage brings about For t' is no honour small things to withstande The Nymphes The Louer well doth see To fight it out it is not Loues intent With magnanimitie In torments he must be Of those that suffring them are most content The Shepherdes If any ioy we sought By any ill of Loue which we obtaine It cannot be the thought Vnto the passion brought But he 's more happy that endures more paine The Nymphes The best estate and fare Where he doth see himselfe that loueth best Brings nothing els but care And yet doth neuer spare With flames to burne the dame and seruants brest And he that 's fauour'd most Is changed in the twinkling of an eie For with disfauours tost And in obliuion lost It kils his hart and makes his ioyes to die The Shepherdes To leese a good estate By falling from it is a greefe and paine Blamelesse is Loue but fate It is and Fortunes hate That no exception makes from his disdaine Vniust and far vnfit Is death if Loue doth say that we shall liue If death it promis'd yet No fault he doth commit For in the ende his promise he doth giue The Nymphes Fierce Loue they doe excuse That finde themselues entangled with his fetter And blame those that refuse Him but of these to chuse The blamed mans estate is far the better The Shepherdes Faire Nymphes it is denied The free and bond with one toong to debate Liue men and those that died The loued and defied All speake according to their owne estate Sage Felicia and the Shepherdesse Felismena gaue attentiue eare vnto the musicke that the Nymphes and Shepherdes made and to the sundry opinions which on both sides they shewed by singing And Felicia smyling on Felismena saide to her in her eare Who beleeues not faire Shepherdesse but that most of these words haue touched thy soule to the quicke who with a milde and sober grace answered her againe Such were the words good Lady that whose soule they did not touch the same should not be touched with such loue as mine is Felicia then lifting vp her voice a little higher saide vnto her In these loue matters I note a certaine conclusion which I finde for the most part true That the generous minde and delicate witte by many degrees excelleth him in affection that hath not these gifts Because as loue is a vertue and vertue doth euer choose her being in the best place it is cleere that persons of valour and dignitie are more enamoured and as they are properly termed better louers then those of baser condition and estate The Shepherds and Shepherdesses hearing what Felicia saide seemed to be somewhat angry in their mindes which made Syluanus to thinke that her words ought not to escape without an answer who therefore saide thus vnto her Wherein good Ladie doth a noble minde and fine witte consist Felicia who by and by perceiued to what purpose the Shepherd demanded this question because she woulde not giue him anie occasion of discontent saide In no other thing but in the proper and sole vertue of him that loues as to haue a liuely and quicke witte a mature and good iudgement a thought tending to high and stately things
now I sing that once for loue did die Forget Belisa now thy woefull wrong And to my voice sweete Nymphes your eares apply That lost his eies to beauties blaze then turning And Shepherdes cease a while your amorous mourning I will not speake for God forbid the same Of that most heauie processe of mine ils Nor when I so did sing that I did tame Wilde beastes and birdes and mooued trees and hils Nor when I did suspend th' infernall flame Nor when I sawe Pluto nor that that kils My soule with greefe when I lookt backe to see If that Euridice did follow me But I will sing with pure and sweetest voice Of those perfections and that grace display That wisedome wit and beautie of such choice Of those who doe illustrate Spaine this day Then see her Nymphes whose beautie doth reioice Vs all her great Diana and her gay And goodly traine on whom both Gods and men Cannot ynough imploy their toongs and pen. Lift vp your eies this Lady to beholde That heere is sitting in this highest chaire With scepter neere to her and crowne of golde And angrie fortune by her on the staire This is the star that Spaines light did enfolde Whose absence now her glory doth impaire Her name is Lady Mary that hath beene Of Hungarie Boeme and of Austrie Queene The next that sits to her is Lady Iane Princesse of Portugall and of Castille The Infant and from whom fortune had tane The crowne and scepter by her turning wheele And vnto whom death was so inhumane That in her selfe great wonder she doth feele To see how soone she did stretch forth her hands On her that was the light of Lusitans Behold faire Nymphes that Lady Mary great And soueraigne Infant of her Portugall Whose grace and beautie hath this day a seate Where humane thought could neuer reach at all Behold though cruell for tune there doth threat Her wisedome yet doth count of her but small For time and death and destinie cannot Conquere her goodnes vertues and her lot Those two that are by her on either side Whose beauties Titans brightnesse doe offend Their sleeues of gold their gownes of damaske tide With pearle and where faire Emerauldes depend Their curled golden lockes wauing so wide Vpon their shoulders loose that doe descend Daughters they are of th' Infant Lusitanc Duarta the valiant and great Cristiane Those two great Dutchesses of worthy fame For beauties prize in either of our Spaines Which there you see to life se◠out in frame With grace and features that all others staines Of Sessa and Najare each hath her name Whose companie Diana not disdaines For their exceeding beautie and desartes Discretion wisedome and all other partes Behold a golden Phoenix all alone Arare perfection neuer seene before Wisedome as like was not in any one Beautie and grace where neuer could be more She that puls fortune from her vaunting throne And hath her subiect to her will and lore Great Lady Leonore Manuell hath to name The Lusitane light that doth the world inflame The Lady Luise Carillo that in Spaine Hath made Mendoças blood of such renowne Whose beautie and braue grace hath in a chaine Cupid himselfe for loue of her cast downe She 's waiting still vpon our Goddesse traine For chastitie worthie to weare a crowne Of faire and honest an example heere And of them all a mirrour bright and cleere Rehold a sweete perfection and a rare Of her whom fame her selfe doth greatly feare Behold a passing beautie sans compare Founded in grace and wisedome euery wheare That both with reason binde to loue and care For in her doth the lest part beautie beare Lady Eufrase of Guzman is her name Worthy to be eternized with fame That matchlesse beautie sweete and peregrine Not seene in any but in her alone Which euery wit and soule doth so refine With holy loue as like was neuer none Apparelled with Crimson that doth shine With flowres of gold and pearle that there are sowne The Lady Mary Aragon her name The world doth know and he auen doth knowe the same Her doe you knowe to whome Diane her face Doth turne and points her to vs with her hand Who matcheth her in wisedome and in grace And equall is with others in this land In wit and hath in beautie highest place Apt to conduct and leade a martiall band T' is Lady Isabell Mauriq of Padille Who Mars doth conquer and with wonder fill The Ladies Mary Manuell and Ione Osorius are those two which you doe see Whose grace and beautie as the like not knowne Euen Loue himselfe with loue doth wound and slee And this our Goddesse doth not ioy alone To see two such with her but also wee Since then no toong their worthinesse may praise Reason and fame to heauen the same shall raise And those two sisters of such worthy name Either of them a second neuer had Their grace and beautie fils the world with fame This day their golden beames doth each one glad Me thinkes I see them in their perfect frame To which more beautie nature could not adde The Lady Bettrice Sarmient is one With Castro her faire sister so well knowne That cleerest sunne which heere you see doth shine And heere and there her golden beames doth cast She that doth laugh at louers that doe pine In loue and at the teares that they doe wast And at Loues powre whose countenance diuine Saies more then I though praising her so fast T' is Lady Ione Carate in whom we see Surpasing grace and beauties praise to bee The Lady Anne Osorius that braue dame And Castro next to her possesse their place For peerelesse beautie honoured with fame For goodly giftes for modestie and grace But her hard hap alas was much to blame So cruelly her glory to deface Bicause her fortune equall might not bee Vnto her wisedome beautie and degree That matchlesse beautie that 's adorned so With honestie and grace so soueraine Which was with reason chosen to bestowe Her honour in the Temple of Diana Not conquer'd but still conqu'ring high and lowe Her name O Nymphes is Lady Iuliana Neece to that greatest Duke and Conestable Speake fame of her for I am far vnable Behold the beautie on the other part Of many faire and braue Valencian Dames Whom with my pen but more yet with my hart I will procure to celebrate their names Heere Fount of Helicone vouchsafe thy art And heere Minerua helpe me in these blames To tell what those braue Ladies be whose sight Onely to them all eies and harts inuite See heere fowre blasing stars that brightly shine Of whom Fame brutes their name in euery ground That from three famous kingdomes drawe their line And from Cardonas aneient house come downe On th' one side Dukes most excellent decline And from the other scepter throne and crowne Daughters vnto Sogorbe whose golden fame From Atlas vnto Maurus soundes their name The light of all the world the flowre
of Spaine The end of perfect beautie and of grace A royall hart that euer doth maintaine Valour and bountie in a vertuous race That looke so modest and so sweete againe Adorned with so faire and milde a face Giuès Lady Anne of Aragon such fame That Loue himselfe is captiue to her name Her sister Lady Bettrice that you see Is next if that you can behold such light Whom none can praise for this is onely shee Whom none can praise according to her right That Painter that did make her so must bee Her praiser and her giftes he must reeite For where all humane wit cannot attaine My poore conceite doth labour there in vaine The Lady Frances of great Aragon Shew you I vvould but she is alvvaies hid Her svveetest beauties leaues not any one With life for so her starlike eies forbid Our mortall sight to vievv the same alone In life and death her vertues euer did Subiect each hart to loue and admiration As fame can tell in euery forrain nation Now Lady Magdalene you may reueale Sister vnto those three which I haue showne Behold her well and see how she doth steale Her gazers harts and subiect liues to none Her peerelesse beautie threats and in a chaine Leades little Cupid turn'd into a stone None see her but they die and none there ar But she doth conquer without armes or war Those two bright stars that heere and there doe vaunt Their shining beames that dim the starrie skie And making that illustrous house of Gaunt In all the world with high renowne to flie This day their wisedome and their beauties daunt Each humane thought and euery mortall eie For who sees Magdeline and Marguerite That doth not die for loue at such a sight But will you see the thing that hath vndone All wits and made them all to wonder so Behold a Nymph more faire then orient sunne Or louely rose or lilly hard by Po This Phoenix name that through the world doth runne Is Lady Caterine Milane for so Valencia cals her and the world doth say She is as faire and wise as liues this day Lift vp your eies faire Nymphes and now behold The Lady Mary Pexon çannoguere How by the riuer banks her locks of gold She kembes adorning of her shining heare Whose beautie wisedome and braue giftes are told For rarest in our Europe euery wheare Behold her eies her faire and Cristalline face Her sweete demeanour and her heauenly grace Those two behold the rest that doe excell Inperfect wisedome and in quicke conceate And for braue beautie beare away the bell A paire sans peere whose starlike eies doe threate Despaire and death to those that view them well For there sits Cupid in his proper seate Their blessed names doe with their nature fit Faire Bettrice Vigue and Bettrice Fenollir What time Diana went to sport and play With her most soueraine face and more diuine Amorning star arose in moneth of May Like to that Star that neere the Moone doth shine Which when she sawe so glorious euery way A famous place to her she did a ssigne Her beauties tell you if her name you seeke That she 's the peerelesse Lady Anna Vigue Faire Nymphes behold the Lady Theodore Carroz that is great Lady and the Queene Of such braue beautie neuer seene before Wisedome and grace as like was neuer seene Each thing of hers enamours more and more The brauest mens deserts haue neuer beene Such as they durst attempt or euer sought By them to place in her an amorous thought See Shepherdes Lady Angelas braue grace Of Borja looking on Diana bright And how to her the Goddesse turnes her face To view those eies that all eies doe inuite And mightie Loue himselfe weeping apace And how the Nymph derides his conquer'd might And laughes to see the cruell Tyrant lying Wrapped in chaines to her for mercy crying Of that most famous stocke of çannoguere A flowre sprung out so perfect and so pure That liuing yet but yong she neede not feare Any that may her beauties blaze obscure Her mothers heire she is for she doth beare The praise which she did with her giftes procure So hath Lady Hieronyma you see In grace and wit obtain'd the high'st degree Now in a wonder Nimphes will you remaine And see what fortune gaue to her alone How wisedome beautie and the goodly traine Of vertues make in her the chiefest throne Lady Veronica Marrades see againe For onely by her figure it is knowne That she hath all and nothing wants to serue her Vnlesse it be that none can well deserue her The Lady Luise Penaroje we see In more then humane beautie and in grace In euery thing most excellent is shee All beauties els she staines and gaineâ—…pace Loue dies for her and he will not agree That any should behold so sweete a face Who sees it dies vnlesse he see it againe And seene it then his sight augments his paint Now see I Nymphes that you are seeing her On whom my thoughts continually deuise And yours perforce from her can never stirre Cupid for robs and in her loue he dies See how her beauties make the world to erre See but beware such light blinde not your eies The Lady Iane Cardona that faire star It is to whom loues powres subiected 〈◊〉 That beautie which exceedeth humane thought Which you doe see if that you can behold it She whose estate was blest esteeming nought Of fortune time or chaunce that could enfold it She to the world that such rare giftes hath brought She that 's my Muse and Parnasus vntold yet Lady Ione Anne of Catalane The end She is of all that e're I did commend Neere vnto her there is a great extreme In purest vertue high and sublimate In comely grace the fairest in this Realme Her golden haire her necke most delicate Each gracious eie a firie pointed beame A noble wit and name of heauens estate The Lady Angela Fernando named Whom nature to her name like gifts hath framed Next to her sits the Lady Marian Who hath not in the world her paragon Neere to her sister fairer then the swan In cristall streames or fine Vermillion Proud is our age of both of them that can In tender yeeres haue no comparison For wisedome for so much they may presume As thousand toongs can tell or golden plume The two fine sisters Borjas which you see Hyppolita and Isabell so faire With grace and giftes that so adorned lee That Phebus brightest beames they doe empaire And see how many liues that once were free Their beauties conquers Cupids onely snare Behold their haire their countenance and eies This gold that sweete and those like stars in skies Behold the Lady Mary Cannoguere Who wow is Lady of sure Catarasse Whose beautie and sweete grace doth euery where Conqueâ—… 〈◊〉 with vnrepaired losse Fame on her wings â—…row out the world doth beare Her vertues rare that shine like gold to drosse Since each one them that
they made an insurrection wherein with ten gentlemen more of their kinred they conspired to kill the King land to diuide the kingdome amongst themselues so to be reuenged of the vnworthie disgrace receiued by him This conspitacie whether it was true or false was discouered before it could be put in practise and they apprehended and condemned to die before the citizens had intelligence thereof who without all doubt for the great loue they bare them would haue risen not consenting that iustice should haue beene done vpon them For carying them to exequution it was the strangest spectacle in the world to see the lamentations that some made the priuie murmuring of one to another and the bootlesse excuses that for compassion of these gentlemen were generally made in all the citie They ran all to the King and offered to buie his mercie with great summes of gold and siluer but such was his seueritie that it expelled all motions of pitie and clemencie Which when the people beheld they began to weepe and lament againe The Lords Knights and gentlemen did weepe and mourne with whom they were wont to keepe companie The tender Ladies and Damsels of the Court wept whom they loued and serued And all the whole citie wept for the great honour and auctority that such noble citizens gaue them The lamentations and outcries were so many and so loud as if the earth had sunke or the world beene drowned anew But the King who to all these teares lamentations and pitifull outcries did stop his eares commaunded that his definitiue sentence should be presently executed So that of all that house and linage there remained not one man aliue that was not beheaded that day except my father and mine vncle who were not found complices in that conspiracie These ils resulted to them besides this miserable chaunce that their houses were ruinated they proclaimed traitours to the King their goodes lands and possessions confiscated And that no Abenceraje should liue any longer in Granada except my father and mine vncle and they but with this condition that if they had any issue they should send the men children as soon as they were borne to be brought vp out of the citie neuer to returne into it againe and if they were women and marriageable to be married out of the Realme When the Gouernor heard the strange discourse of Abyndaraez and the termes wherewith he complayned of his misfortune he could not stop his teares but did shew by them the sensible greefe which of such a disastrous accident could not be but felt And therefore turning himselfe to the Moore saide vnto him Thou hast good cause Abyndaraes to be sorrie for the fall of thy noble house and kinred whose heads I thinke coulde neuer hatch so great treason And were it for no other proofe but that so worthie a gentleman as thy selfe came out of it this onely were sufficient to make me beleeue that they neuer pretended such wickednes This gentle opinion which thou hast of me said the Moore and of the goodnes of my auncestors I know not worthie Gouernour how to requite but onely with vnfained and humble thankes But now when I was borne into the world with the inheritance of the selfe same mishap of my kinred they sent me because they would not infringe the Kings edict to be nursed and brought vp in a certaine fort belonging sometimes to the Christians called Cartama committing the charge and care of me to the Gouernor thereof with whom my father had ancient familiaritie acquaintance A man of great account in the kingdome vpright in the maner of his life and verie rich but chiefly in a daughter that he hath which is the greatest â—…ie which I account of in this life the which I wish I may neuer enioy if in any â—…g but onely her I euer tooke content pleasure With her was I brought vp 〈◊〉 my childhood for she was borne but three yeeres after me and as we were â—…erally thought of all to be brother and sister for like such was our education so did we also thinke our selues to be The loue that I did beare Xarifa for thus is the Lady called that is mistresse of my libertie were but little if I could tell it Let it â—…fice that time hath so confirmed the same that I would giue a thousands liues if â—…ad them but to enioy one momentarie sight of her faire face Euerie day encreased our age but euerie hower augmented our loue and so much that now me thought I was made of another kind of mettall then of consanguinitie I remember that Xarifa being on a day in the orchard of the Iesemynes dressing her faire head by chaunce I espied her amazed at her singular beautie and how me thought it greeued me that she was my sister And by the extreme passion of my loue driueÌ„ out of my musing I went to her who as soone as she saw me with open armes came to receiue me And sitting vpon the fountaine by her she said vnto me Why hast thou good brother left me so long alone It is sweete Ladie said I againe a good while since I hauing sought thee in euerie place found not any that could tell me what was become of thee my hart at last coniectured where thou wert Buttel me now I pray thee what certaintie hast thou that we are brother and sister No other saide she then of the great loue I beare thee and to see how euerie one doth call vs so and that my father doth bring vs vp like his sonne and daughter And if we were not brother and sister saide I wouldest thou then loue me so much as thou dost Oh seest thou not saide she that we shuld not be suffered to go so coÌ„tinually together al alone if we were not But if we were depriued of this ioy that which I feele in my selfe is a great deale more At which words her faire face being tainted with a vermillion blush she said vnto me What couldest thou leese by it if we were brother and sister My selfe and thee to said I. I vnderstand thee not said she but me thinkes being brother and sister it binds vs to loue one another naturally Thy onely beauâ—… said I doth oblige me to this brotherhood which rather qualifieth my loue 〈◊〉 sometimes distempers my thoughts At which words blushing for too much bolâ—…es casting downe mine eies I saw her diuine figure in the cristalline fountaine so liuely represented as if it had beene she her selfe and in such sort that wheresoeuer she turned her head I still beheld her image and goodly counterfaite truely translated into verie hart Then said I softly to my selfe O if I were now drowned in this fountaine where with pride I behold my sweete Lady how more fortunate should I die then Narcissus And if she loued me as I do her how happie should I be And if fortune would let vs liue euer together what a happie life should I
then lead These words I spake to my selfe and it would haue greeued me that another had heard them But hauing spoken this I rose vp and reaching vp 〈◊〉 hand to certaine Iesemynes that grew round about that fountaine I made of thâ—… and of some Orenge flowers a faire and redolent garland and putting it vpon my head I sat downe againe crowned and conquered Then did she cast her eies vpon me to my thinking more sweetly then before and taking it from my head did put it vpon her owne seeming then more faire then Venus And looking â—…on me she said How dost thou like me now Abyndaraez That in beautie said I and sweete perfections thou ouercomest al the world and that crowned Queene and Ladie of it At which words rising 〈◊〉 of her place she tooke me by the hand and said vnto me If it were so indeed bâ—…er thou shouldest leese nothing by it â—…d so without answering her againe I followed her out of the garden But now from that time certaine daies after wherein cruell Loue thought he was too long from discouering vnto me the deceit that I had of my selfe and time meaning then to lay open hidden and secret things we came to perfect knowledge that the kinred between vs was as much as nothing whereupon our firme affections were confirmed more strongly in their former and true places All my delight was in her and my soule cut out so iust to the proportion of hers that all that was not in her face seemed to mine eies foule friuolous and vnprofitable in the whole â—orld And now were our pastimes far different from our first and I beheld her with a certaine kind of feare and suspect to be perceiued of any And now had I also a certaine enuie and â—…lousie of the sunne that did touch her Who though she looked on me again with the verie same desire and intent wherewith she had beheld me before yet thought it was not so bicause ones owne distrust is the most assured and certaine thing in an enamoured hart It fell out afterwardes that she being on a day it the cleere fountaine of the Iesmynes I came by chaunce thither and beginning to talke with her her speech me thought and countenance was not like to her former lookes communication She prayed me to sing for she was greatly delighted with songs musick And I was then so trustles misconceiuing of my selfe that I thought she bad me sing not for any pleasure that she took by hearing me but to passe away the time and only to entertaine my companie with such a request so that I then wanted time to tell her the whole summe of my greefe But I who employed my minde in nothing else but to do whatsoeuer my Lady Xarifa commanded me in the Arabicke toong began to sing this song whereby I gaue her to vnderstand the crueltie that I suspected of her IF thy soft Haires be threds of shining gold Vnder the shade of which are two faire Eies Two sunnes whose Brow like heauen doth them vphold Rubie thy Mouth and lips where Corall lies Could Cristall want to frame thy Necke so white And Diamond to make thy Brest so bright Thy hart is not vnlike vnto thy Brest Since that the flight of mettall of thy Haire Did neuer make thee turne thy Necke at lest Nor with thine Eies giue hope but cold despaire Yet from that sugred Mouth hope for an I And from that snowe-white Brow that makes me die Ah beautifull and yet most bitter Brow And may there be a Brest so hard and faire So sweete a necke and yet so stiffe to bow So rich and yet so couetous a Haire Who euer sawe so cleere and cruell Eies So sweete a Mouth yet mooues not to my cries Enuious Loue my Necke doth chaine with spite His passions make my Brow looke pale and swart He makes mine Eies to leese their deerest light And in my Brest doth kill my trembling hart He makes my Haire to stand in ghastly wise Yet in thy Mouth all wordes of comfort dies O sweetest face and lips more perfect faire Then I may tell O soft and daintie Necke O golden Raies of yonder Sunne not Haire O Cristalline Brow and Mouth with Rubie deckt O equall white and red O Diamond Brest From these faire Eies when shall I hope for rest But if a No by turning of thine Eies Harke yet what saith her sweetest Mouth to me See if her hardnes in her Brest yet lies And if she turnes her whitest Necke to thee Marke vvell the beckning of her fairest Brow Then from her Haire what may I hope for now If that her Lilly Brest and Necke doe once affirme their No And if her shining Eies and Haire will not conclude an I What will her Ruby Mouth then doe and Brow as white as snowe Nay what shall I my selfe expect but vvith denials die These wordes were of such force that being helped by the loue of her in whose praise they were sung I saw her shed certaine teares that I cannot tell you now noble Gouernour how much they moued my hart nor whether the content that I had by seeing so true a testimonie of my Mistresse loue or the greefe my selfe being the occasion of her teares was greater Calling me to her she made me sit downe by her and thus began to say vnto me If the Loue Abyndaraez whereunto I am obliged after I was fully assured of thy thoughtes is but small or such that cannot but with extinction of life be ended my wordes I hope before we leaue this onely place shall make thee sufficiently knowe And blame thee I will not for thy mistrust which hath made thee conceiue amisse for I knowe it is so sure a thing to haue it as there is nothing more proper and incident to Loue. For remedie whereof and of the sorrow that I must needes haue by seeing my selfe at any time separated from thy sweete companie from this day forth for euer thou maist hold and esteeme thy selfe such a Lord and Master of my libertie as thou shalt be indeede if thou art willing to combine thy selfe in sacred bondes of marriage with me the refusall whereof is before euery other thing no small impediment to both our contents a preiudice to mine honour and the sole obstacle of enioying the great loue which I beare thee When I heard these wordes Loue working my thoughts to things cleane contrarie I conceiued such great ioy that had it not beene but by onely bowing downe my knees to the ground and kissing her faire handes I was not able to doe any other thing With the hope of these wordes I liued certaine daies in the greatest ioy in the world whilest mutable Fortune enuying my prosperitie and ioyfull life bereaued vs both of this sweete contentment for not long after the King of Granada minding to prefer the Gouernour of Cartama to some higher charge by his letters commanded him foorthwith to yeeld vp the
thou art a Gentleman to come to my Castell of Alora there to yeelde thy selfe my prisoner within three daies I doe saide he and with solemne othe binde it Then goe saide the Gouernour and good fortune with thee and if thou standest in neede of mine owne person to accompany thee or of any other thing for thy way speake and thou shalt haue it The Moore thanked him very much but tooke no more but a horse which the Gouernour gaue him for his owne was hurt in the late encounter betweene them and went very heauie being also wearied and faint with much blood which he lost by the way and so turning the raines he rode as fast as he coulde towardes Coyn. Rodrigo of Naruaes and his Gentlemen returned homewardes to Alora talking by the way of the valour and goodly behauiour of the Abenceraje The Moore was not long according to the great speede he made in comming to the Fort of Coyn where going directly as he was commanded he first went about all the wals vntill at last he found a posterne gate and the Centrinels on the wals fast asleepe who though he had a great desire and made no lesse haste to enter in yet he staied a little looking about him on euery side least happily he might be espied or in danger of some thing else But when he perceiued that all was quiet he knocked with the punch of his launce at the wicket for that was the watchworde that his Mistresse had giuen him by the gentlewoman that went to call him the which was immediately opened vnto him by the same gentlewoman who saide vnto him Sir your long tarying hath put my Ladie in a great feare for she hath staide this good while for you Alight and I will bring you vp where she is attending your presence in great perplexitie he then dismounted from his horse and set him vp in a secret place that he founde there where also leauing his Launce against a wall with his Target and Cymitarre the gentlewoman tooke him by the hande and very softly led him vp a paire of staires for feare of being heard by them in the castle and brought him into Xarifaes chamber Before whom when he was come with a sudden sursault of ioye she ranne to receiue him and both of them with such extreme passions of loue and gladnes embracing one another were not able to speake one worde for the infinite ioy they had at each others sight But comming to themselues againe at the last she saide thus vnto him What the cause may be that thou hast staied so long my louing Lord I knowe not but what sorrowe and anxieties of minde I haue passed for thy slowe comming my impatient loue is able to testifie I hope thou dost imagine faire Lady saide he againe that it is not by my fault and negligence but mens disseignes doe not alwaies fall out fit to their desires So that if there be any trueth in me thou maist well beleeue me that it was not in my power to come sooner then I haue done But breaking him off in his excuses she tooke him by the hand leading him into a rich chamber they sat them downe vpon a faire bed where thus she said vnto him I was desirous my thrise beloued Abyndaraes to haue thee see how captiues in loue can fulfill their promise for from the very day that I gaue thee my word for pledge of my hart I haue sought the meanes to discharge me of it I sent for thee to come to this Castell to be my prisoner as I am thine But now I haue brought thee in hither to make thee Lord of me and of my fathers treasure vnder the honourable name of a lawfull husband whereunto my estate nor thy loyaltie cannot otherwise consent I do knowe well that my fathers will wil be contrarie to our workings who being ignorant of thy valour and not knowing thy deserts as well as I doe will perhaps bestowe some richer husband on me but I esteeme thy noble personage and thy vertuous and valiant mind more then the greatest riches in the world And hauing saide thus vnto him she hung downe her head blushing not a little that she had so much discouered her selfe and in so plaine and open termes declared her affection vnto him The noble Moore tooke her in his armes and many times kissing her white hands for such louing and curteous wordes saide thus vnto her I haue no new thing sweete Lady of my soule to giue thee in requitall of such great good as thou dost offer me bicause I am no lesse as I was before wholy thine Onely this pledge I giue thee in token of my vnspeakable loue that I receiue thee for my beloued Lady and wife And heerewithall thou maist lay aside for a while that modest shamefastnes and maidenly teynt which continually thou hast had since thou hast taken me for thine owne Vnwillingly she did the same And vpon this conclusion they went to bed where with a new experience they rekindled the flames of their enamoured harts In which amorous enterprise passed on either side many louing wordes and deedes fitter for imagination then to be written The Moore being in so great ioy and pleasure fetched on the sudden a profound and painfull sigh and turning from her began to lie so sad and pensiue that faire Xarifa perceiuing it was much amazed and troubled in minde to see so sudden an alteration who lying still heard him breath foorth a deepe and dolefull sigh with turning his body on euery side The Lady vnable to suffer so great an iniurie to her beautie and loyaltie thinking he was displeased with the one or both rising vp a little in the bedde with a milde and merrie voice though somewhat troubled saide vnto him What meanes this Abyndaraes It seemes thou art offended with my mirth I heard thee sigh and tumble and tosse thy body on euery side why man if I am wholy thy ioye and thy delight why dost thou not tell me for whom thou dost sigh and if I am not why hast thou thus deceiued me If thou hast found any fault in my person that hath abridged the delight of thy imagination cast thine eies and minde vpon my will which is sufficient to supply many wants and vpon my zealous and louing hart that wisheth it the fairest and finest in the world for thy sake If thou seruest any other Lady let me know her that I may serue her to And if thou hast any other greefe which shall not offend me tell it me for I will either die or rid thee from it And clasping him with a kinde of violent and forcible loue she turned him to her againe who being then confounded and ashamed for that he had done and thinking that it might be an occasion if he did not tell her the cause of his sorrow to fill her head full of iealousie and suspicion with an appassionate sigh he said vnto her If I did
for the benefits she had receiued by his meanes and for the gentle entertainment she had in his Castle And willing to shew her selfe as liberall and thankefull as the rest she sent him a sweete Cypresse chest finely wrought and carued for a present and within it most curious and costly white garmentes for his owne person The valiant Gouernor accepting the presents with great thankes to them that sent them gaue the horses targets and launces incontinently amongest the gentlemen that did accompanie him that night in the skirmish taking the best of each and also the Cyprsse chest with that which faire Xarifa had sent him for himselfe and returning the fower thousand double peeces to the messenger againe he saide vnto him Tell thy Lady Xarifa that I receiue the Duckets for her husbandes raunsome and to doe her seruice sende them backe againe towardes the charges of her marriage and that for her friendship and sweete sake I woulde change all the interests that I haue in the world in lieue that she would make an account of this Castell as her owne and her husbandes also The messenger returned backe to Coyn where he was well receiued and the liberalitie of the noble Captaine of euery one highly commended whose linage doth continue in flourishing estate to this day in Antiquera equiualent in Heroicall and Martiall deedes with the first originall from whence they are descended The historie being ended Felicia did commend the grace and good wordes wherewith faire Felismena did tell it and so did all the rest that were preient who taking their leaue of the sage Lady went all to take their rest The end of the fourth booke The fifth Booke of Diana of George of Montemayor THe next day in the morning the Lady Felicia rose vp and went to Felismenas chamber whom she found not with few teares newly making an end of apparelling her-selfe thinking euery hower she staied there a thousand yeeres And the sage Lady taking her by the hande they went into a gallerie that looked into a garden where they had supped the night before and hauing asked her the cause of her teares and giuing her som comfort and assured hope that her greefes should haue such an end as she her-selfe desired she saide vnto her There is nothing in the world more ready to take her life away whom I loue well then with incertaine hope to depriue her of the remedie of her greefe for there is not an hower that seemes not so long vnto her liuing in this sort as she thinkes the howers of her life short and speedie Because therefore my desire is to fulfill thine and after some fewe troubles to haue thee obtaine the sweet content and rest that Fortune hath promised thee thou shalt depart from thine owne house heere in the same habite that thou camest when thou didst defend my Nymphes from the force and violence of the brutish and cruell Sauages assuring thee besides that when my helpe and fauour may stande thee in steede vnsent for thou shalt alwaies haue it So that thy departure faire Felismena must be presently trust in God that thy desire shall haue a happie end For if I knew it to be otherwise thou maist well thinke I woulde not be without other remedies to make thee forget these thoughts as I haue done to many other Louers more Felismena was glad to heare the graue Ladies wordes to whom she replied thus I know not howe with words discreete Lady I may giue you condigne thankes nor with what deeds and humble seruice make any part of satisfaction of this infinite fauour which I receiue at your Ladiships hands God grant I may liue so long that by proofe your Ladishippe may know the great desire I haue to do you all the seruice I may That which your Ladiship commands me to do I will presently go about which cannot but haue good successe being directed by her counsell that can in euery thing giue the best The sage Lady embraced her saying I hope to see thee faire Felismena in this house more loyfull and contented then now thou art And bicause the two Shepherdes and Shepherdesses are staying for vs it is reason that I go to giue them also some remedy for their sorrowes that need it so much Wherefore both of them going out of the hall and finding Syrenus and Syluanus Seluagia and Belisa attending their comming the Lady Felicia saide to Felismena Entertaine this company faire Lady while I come hither againe and going into a chamber it was not long before she came out againe with two cruets of fine cristall in either hande the feete of them being of beaten golde and curiously wrought and enameled And comming to Syrenus she saide vnto him If there were any other remedy for thy greefe forgotten Shepherd but this I woulde with all possible diligence haue sought it out but because thou canst not now enioy her who loued thee once so well without anothers death which is onely in the handes of God of necessitie then thou must embrace another remedie to auoide the desire of an impossible thing And take thou faire Seluagia and despised Syluanus this glasse wherein you shall finde a soueraine remedie for all your sorrowes past present and a beginning of a ioyfull and contented life whereof you do now so little imagine And taking the cristall cruet which she helde in her left hande she gaue it to Syrenus and badde him drinke and Syrenus did so and Syluanus and Seluagia drunke off the other betweene them and in that instant they fell all downe to the ground in a deepe sleepe which made Felismena and Belisa not a little to woonder to whom the sage Ladie said Discomfort not thy selfe Belisa for I hope in time to see thee as glad as euer any was after their many sorrowes and paines And vntill thy angrie fortune be not pleased to giue thee a needfull remedy for thy great greefes my pleasure is that thou still remaine heere in my companie The Shepherdesse woulde haue kissed her hands at these words but Felicia did not let her but did rather imbrace her shewing how greatly she loued her But Felismena standing halfe amazed at the deepe sleepe of the Shepherdes saide to Felicia If the ease of these Shepherds good Ladie consisteth in sleeping me thinkes they haue it in so ample sort that they may liue the most quiet life in the worlde Woonder not at this saide Felicia for the water they drunke hath such force that as long as I will they shall sleepe so strongly that none may be able to awake them And because thou maist see whether it be so or no call one of them as loude as thou canst Felismena then came to Syluanus and pulling him by the arme began to call him aloud which did profite her as little as if she had spoken to a dead body and so it was with Syrenus and Seluagia whereat Felismena maruelled very much And then Felicia saide vnto her
Nay thou shalt maruell yet more after they awake bicause thou shalt see so strange a thing as thou didst neuer imagine the like And because the water hath by this time wrought those operations that it shoulde do I will awake them and marke it well for thou shalt heare and see woonders Whereupon taking a booke out of her bosome she came to Syrenus and smiting him vpon the head with it the Shepherd rose vp on his seete in his perfect wits and iudgement To whom Felicia saide Tell me Syrenus if thou mightest now see faire Diana her vnworthy husband both togither in all the contentment and ioy of the worlde laughing at thy loue and making a sport of thy teares and sighes what wouldest thou do Not greeue me a whit good Lady but rather helpe them to laugh at my follies past But if she were now a maide againe saide Felicia or perhaps a widow and would be married to Syluanus and not to thee what wouldst thou then do My selfe woulde be the man saide Syrenus that woulde gladly helpe to make such a match for my friende What thinkest thou of this Felismena saide Felicia that water is able to vnloose the knottes that peruerse Loue doth make I woulde neuer haue thought saide Felismena that anie humane skill coulde euer attaine to such diuine knowledge as this And looking on Syrenus she saide vnto him Howe nowe Syrenus what meanes this Are the teares and sighes whereby thou didst manifest thy loue and greefe so soone ended Since my loue is nowe ended said Syrenus no maruell then if the effects proceeding from it be also determined And is it possible now said Felismena that thou wilt loue Diana no more I wish her as much good answered Syrenus as I doe to your owne selfe faire Lady or to any other woman that neuer offended me But Felicia seeing how Felismena was amazed at the sudden alteration of Syrenus said With this medicine I would also cure thy greefe faire Felismena and thine Belisa if fortune did not deferre them to some greater content then onely to enioy your libertie And bicause thou maist see how diuersly the medicines haue wrought in Syluanus and Seluagia it shall not be amisse to awake them for now they haue slept ynough wherefore laying her booke vpon Syluanus his head he rose vp saying O faire Seluagia what a great offence and folly haue I committed by imploying my thoughtes vpon another after that mine eies did once behold thy rare beautie What meanes this Syluanus said Felicia No woman in the world euen now in thy mouth but thy Shepherdesse Diana and now so suddenly changed to Seluagia Syluanus answering her said As the ship discreete Lady sailes floting vp and downe and well-ny cast away in the vnknowen seas without hope of a secure hauen so did my thoughtes putting my life in no sinall hazard wander in Dianas loue all the while that I pursued it But now since I am safely arriued into a hauen of all ioy and happinesse I onely wish I may haue harbour and entertainment there where my irremooueable and infinite loue is so firmely placed Felismena was as much astonished at the second kinde of alteration of Syluanus as at that first of Syrenus and therefore saide vnto him laughing What dost thou Syluanus Why dost thou not awake Seluagia for ill may a Shepherdesse heare thee that is so fast asleepe Syluanus then pulling her by the arme began to speake out aloud vnto her saying Awake faire Seluagia since thou hast awaked my thoughtes out of the drowsie slumber of passed ignorance Thrise happy man whom fortune hath put in the happiest estate that I could desire What dost thou meane faire Shepherdesse dost thou not heare me or wilt thou not answere me Behold the impatient passion of the loue I beare thee will not suffer me to be vnheard O my Seluagia sleepe not so much and let not thy slumber be an occasion to make the sleepe of death put out my vitall lightes And seeing how little it auailed him by calling her he began to powre foorth such abundance of teares that they that were present could not but weepe also for tender compassion whereupon Felicia saide vnto him Trouble not thy selfe Syluanus for as I will make Seluagia answere thee so shall not her answere be contrarie to thy desire and taking him by the hand she led him into a chamber and said vnto him Depart not from hence vntill I call thee and then she went to the place againe where Seluagia lay and touching her with her booke awaked her as she had done the rest and saide vnto her Me thinks thou hast slept securely Shepherdesse O good Lady said she where is my Syluanus was he not with me heere O God who hath carried him away from hence or wil he come hither againe Harke to me Seluagia said Felicia for me thinkes thou art not wel in thy wits Thy beloued Alanius is without saith that he hath gone wandring vp and downe in many places seeking after thee and hath got his fathers good will to marrie thee which shall as little auaile him said Seluagia as the sighes and teares which once in vaine I powred out and spent for him for his memorie is now exiled out of my thoughts Syluanus mine onely life and ioy O Syluanus is he whom I loue O what is become of my Syluanus Where is my Syluanus Who hearing the Shepherdesse Seluagia no sooner name him could stay no longer in the chamber but came running into the hall vnto her where the one beheld the other with such apparaunt signes of cordiall affection and so strongly confirmed by the mutual bonds of their knowen deserts that nothing but death was able to dissolue it whereat Syrenus Felismena and the Shepherdesse were passing ioyfull And Felioia seeing them all in this contentment said vnto them Now is it time for you Shepherds and faire Shepherdesse to goe home to your flocks which would be glad to heare the wonted voice of their knowen masters And make this account that you shall neuer want any helpe and fauour at her handes who is soready to pleasure you in what shee may And the holy end Syluanus and consummation of thy loue shall be when with her whom thou dost so deerly loue thou shalt combine thy selfe in the sacred bonds of chaste and lawfull mariage whereof I will be carefull to put you both in minde when time opportunitie shal serue And faire Felismena prepare thy selfe also for thy departure for to morrow is the day wherein it behooues thee to go from hence After this all the Nymphes came in at the hall doore who now knew of the remedies that their gracious Ladie had giuen the Shepherds for their griefes which thing made them not a little glad Doria especially Cynthia and Polydora bicause they were the principall occasions of their content The two new louers did busie themselues in nothing else but in looking vpon one another with such
And now the yeeres are past the months and Daies Vpon this confidence and cleere Deceite Wearie with weeping are my watrie Eies Wearie to heare me is the hill and Vale. And in the end thus answered of false Fortune Iesting at that whereof I doe Complaine But wofull man whereof doe I Complaine But of the length of my prolonged Daies Perhaps a slaue to me is cruell Fortune That for my fault she must pay this Deceite Went he not free exempted in this Vale Who did command me to lift vp mine Eies But who againe can tame his greedie Eies Or can I liue if I doe not Complaine Of th' ill which Loue hath done me in this Vale. Curst be that ill that lastes so many Daies But death cannot if this be no Deceite Stay long to giue an end vnto my Fortune Calmes wonted are to come after hard Fortune But neuer shall be viewed of mine Eies Nor yet I thinke to fall in this Deceite O well let the first suffice which I Complaine And will faire Shepherdesse as many Daies As the remembrance lasteth of this Vale. If Shepherdesse that day when in this Vale I did behold thee to my hardest Fortune The finall end had come of all my Daies Or I had lesse beheld those coyest Eies The cause should cease whereof I doe Complaine And I would fall no more into Deceite But purposing to worke me this Deceite When by and by thou sawest me in this Vale Milde thou didst seeme See then if I Complaine Vniustly of false Loue and cruell Fortune And now I knowe not why thou turn'st thine Eies Away vnlesse thou greeuest at my Daies My song of Loue and Fortune I Complaine And since a braue Deceite so many Daies Did last water mine Eies this hill and Vale. This did the Shepherd sing keeping time with his teares and resting with his sighes and the Shepherdesse sat harkening vnto him with great content to see with what a grace he did both play and sing But after the Shepherd had made an end of his song laying his rebecke out of his hand he said to Shepherdesse Art thou now pleased Amarillis for to content thy minde thou maist make me do that which doth vtterly displease me And accursed Alfeus I wish that Fortune would bring thee to that passe wherunto by thy detested forceries I am come bicause thou mightest then know what good cause I haue to hate thee for the cruell despite that thou hast done me O sweet Belisa is there any in the world more bound to thee then I am God graunt I may deduct this sorrowfull life so long that mine eies may once again enioy thy peerlesse beautie that thine may see if I do not acknowledge how much I do owe vnto them These words the Shepherd spake with such plentie of teares that there was no hart had it beene neuer so hard that by hearing them would not haue melted But now that thou hast told me Arsileus said the Shepherdesse vnto him the beginning of thy affection and how thy father Arsenius was the principall occasion of thy seruice and great loue to Belisa bicause when he sued vnto her she did participate and thou profit thy selfe by thine owne letters songs and some times by thine owne musicke of all which he might haue well excused himselfe I pray thee now tell me how thou didst leese her This is a thing said the Shepherd which I would seldome repeat but bicause it is euer thy qualitie to commaund me to tell thee that which is most grieuous vnto my soule hearke then and in a few words I will tell it thee There was a man in our towne called Alfeus who had the name amongst vs to be a great Magician and he loued Belisa extremely before my Father euer began to serue her but she could not abide not onely to see him but not to heare of his name which if any had but founded in her eares they could not haue angred her worse Now when this Coniurer vnderstood I know not how of the appointed meeting betweene me and Belisa to talke together in the night from the toppe of a Mulberie tree in her fathers Orchard Alfeus full of diuels commanded two spirits to take the shape of my father Arsenius mine vpon them that he that took vpon him my shape shuld go to the appointed place the other that took my fathers should come thither shoot at him in the tree with a crosbow arrowe thinking he was not his Son but another then to come presently vnto him knowing him to be his Son should kill himselfe for greefe that he had staine his owne Son to the end that the Shepherdesse Belisa should kill her-selfe seeing my selfe my Father dead or at least do that which afterwards she did This villany did the traitor Alfeus work for despight of that great loue which he knew Belisa did beare me and for the contempt which she had of his vnwoorthy affection When this was in maner aforesaide done and Belisa thought that my Father and I were both staine like a careles and desperate woman she forsooke her Fathers house and is gone where none can yet tel where she is or any tydings of her This did the Shepherdesse Armida tel me and I do verily beleeue it according to that which succeeded after When Felismena had heard what the Shepherd had tolde Amarillis she wondred not a little imagining with her-selfe that all that he tolde did seeme to be true and by the signes that she sawe in him knewe that he was the same Arsileus Belisas seruant whom she thought to be dead and therefore saide to her-selfe It is not reason that Fortune should giue her any content that would denie it a Shepherd that doth so well deserue it and that stands so much in neede thereof I will not at the least depart from this place without giuing him such ioy as he will receiue at the newes of his beloued Shepherdesse Whereupon comming to the dore of the coate she saide to Amarillis Will it please thee faire Shepherdesse to giue the forlorne woman of Fortune that hath lost her way and the hope to finde it out againe leaue to passe away the heate of the day in this place with thee The Shepherdesse seeing on a sudden such exceeding beautie and so comely a feature was so amazed that she was vnable to answer one worde againe but Arsileus saide vnto her There wants no other thing faire Shepherdesse for the performing of thy request but the place which is not so good as thou deseruest but if thou art wont to bee serued with such homely lodging Come in and wherein wee may doe thee any seruice our good wils shall excuse the wants of our abilitie These wordes Arsileus saide Felismena againe seeme well to come out of thy mouth but the ioye that I will leaue with thee in requitall of them I wish may befall to me of that which I haue so
bicause it was now time to go home and that the flockes tooke their accustomed way towards the village they went after them and by the way faire Diana saide to Syrenus There are many daies past Shepherd since I sawe thee in these valleyes But more saide he since I woulde haue lost my life in lieu she had not seene me that made me passe it away in such great greefe whereas in the end it contents me not a little to talke of my passed fortunes that finde my selfe now in a safe hauen Dost thou then thinke this to be a sure estate saide Diana wherein thou now liuest It cannot be dangerous said he when I dare speake thus before thee I neuer remember saide Diana that I sawe thee so much lost for my loue but that thy toong might haue had as much libertie as now it hath Thou art as discreet in imagining this said he as in all other things else Why so saide Diana bicause there are no other meanes saide he to make thee not know that which thou hast lost in me but onely by thinking that I did not loue thee so much that my toong might not haue that libertie as thou sayest But yet for all this I pray God giue thee so much content as sometimes faire Diana thou hast wished me For though my loue be now past yet the relickes therof that remaine in my soule are sufficient to wish thee al the happines in the world Euery word that Syrenus spake was a dagger to Dianas hart For God knowes if she would not haue rather giuen a more willing eare to his wonted complaints then occupied her minde in beleeuing such apparant signes of his newe libertie And though she answered to euery thing the Shepherd spake vnto her with a certaine kinde of carelessenes and did helpe her-selfe by her owne discretion bicause she would not shew any signe of sorrow for their libertie yet in her minde she ruminated the discontent that by their speeches semblances she had so deepely cōceiued And with talking of these and other matters they were come to their village by that time the Sunne had hidden all his beames and taking leaue one of another they went to their owne houses But comming to Arsileus againe who went with great ioye and desire towards the wood where Dianas Temple was to see his Shepherdesse he came to a little brooke that ranne hard by the Temple amongst a row of greene Sicamours vnder whose coole shadowes he sat him downe hoping that Fortune would send some body that way by whom he might make his Belisa vnderstand of his being there bicause he thought it somwhat dangerous to come vpon her on the sudden especially when she thought him long since to be dead And on the other side the vnpatient desire that he had to see her would not suffer him to take any rest at all But the Shepherd consulting with himselfe what was best to be done espied by chaunce a Nymph of wonderfull beautie comming towardes him with her bowe in her hand and her quiuer at her necke looking on euerie side if she could espie any Deare or wilde beast to trie how she could bestow an arrow that she carried in her bow ready bent But seeing the Shepherd she went straight vnto him who rising vp did her such reuerence as was due to so faire a Nymph whom she curteously saluted againe For this was faire Polydora one of the three that Felismena and the Shepherds deliuered from the violent hands of the Sauages and a deere friend to Belisa But both sitting downe againe vpon the greene grasse Polydora asked him what countrey man he was and the cause of his comming thither Whom Arsileus answered thus The countrey where I was borne faire Nymph hath so ill intreated me that me thinkes it greeues me to call it mine although on the other side I am bound to loue it much and more then I am able to expresse And to tell thee the cause that Fortune had to bring me to this place it were first needefull for thee faire Nymph to tell me if thou dost belong to the sage Lady Felicia in whose Palace I heard say my deerest Belisia doth remaine the onely cause of my exile out of my natiue town of that infinit sorrow which her long absence hath made me feel I am of Lady Felicias house said Polydora the gretest friend in the world to the Shepherdesse that thou hast named and bicause thou maist also make such an account of me if I thought I might profit thee any thing by giuing thee some consel I would aduise thee to forget hir if it were possible or if it lay in thy power not once to haue an amorous thought of hir bicause the remedie of thy griefe is no lesse impossible then the helpe of that which she suffers since the cruell ground doth now feede on him who was once the hope of al her sorrow And may this be true said he that the earth doth consume hir seruant Arsileus most true said Polydora for this was he whom she loued more then her selfe and he whom I may iustly call the most vnfortunate man besides thee bicause thou hast setled thy thoughts in such a place where it is impossible for them to haue any remedie For though I was neuer in loue my selfe yet do I hold it for a firme opinion that the passion of death is not so ill as that which one suffers by louing her that hath her affection setled in another place I beleeue it well faire Nymph said Arsileus and that such are Belisas golden virtues and rare constancie that as imperious death cannot make her settle her affection in any other place so there is none in the world that can make her chaunge her minde wherein faire Nymph the whole summe of my felicitie consisteth How doth thy felicitie consist Shepherd said she by louing so as thou saist when as her loue is so strongly fixed in another place This is a strange kinde of affection and neuer heard of before Bicause thou maist no longer faire Nymph maruell at my words nor at the maner of the loue which I beare to Belisa the soueraigne mistresse of my thoughts giue eare a while said Arsileus and I wil tel thee that thou neuer thought'st to heare although the beginning of it thy friend and the loadstarre of my life hath perhaps told thee And then he told her from the beginning of their loues to Alfeus his inchauntments and braue deceit and euerie thing else that till then in his loues aforesaid befell vnto him which the Shepherd told sometimes with teares being loth to recall to memorie his passed mishaps sometimes with sighes that he fetcht from the centre of his hart imagining what his mistresse Belisa might feele in these occurrents and greeuous accidents And by his dolefull words and alterations in his countenance he gaue so great a spirit to that he said and shewed such signes of inwarde griefe that
imagination of the suspect that I had of her honestie hath bredde in her so great despite and hatred against me that to be reuenged of me she hath hitherto perseuered therein which greeuous torment she is not onely content to lay vpon me but when she sees me before her eies flies from my presence as the fearefull Hinde from the hungry and pursuing Hounde So that by the loue which thou owest thy selfe I pray thee good Shepherdesse iudge whether this be a sufficient cause to make her thus abhorre me and if my fault on the other side be so great that it deserues such endles and extreme hate Filemon hauing made an end of the cause of his greefe and iniurie wherewith his Shepherdesse tormented him Amarillis began to shape her answer thus This Filemon faire Shepherdesse that sits before thee hath loued me well I must needes confesse or at the least made a fine shewe thereof and such haue his seruices beene towards me that to say otherwise of him then he deserues it would ill beseeme me But if for his sake in lieu and recompence of that affection I haue not reiected the suites and seruice of many iolly Shepherds that feede their flockes vpon these downes and in these pleasant vales and also for his loue haue not contemned many countrey youthes whom nature hath enriched with no lesse perfections then himselfe let himselfe be iudge For the infinite times that with their amorous sutes I haue beene importuned and those wherein I haue kept that firmnes due to his faith haue not I thinke beene at any time out of his presence which neuerthelesse should be no sufficient cause for him to make so small account of me as to imagine or suspect any thing of that wherein I am most of all bounde to my selfe For if it be so as he knowes well enough that for the loue of him I haue cast off many that died by mine occasion how coulde I then forget or reiect him for the loue of another A thousand times hath Filemon watched me not leesing a steppe that the Shepherd Arsileus and I haue troden amiddes these greene woods and pleasant vales but let him say if he euer heard Arsileus talke to me of loue or if I answered him any thing touching such matter What day did Filemon euer see me talke to Arsileus whereby he might conceiue any thing else by my words but that I went about to comfort him in such great forrow as he suffered And if this be a sufficient cause to make him thinke ill of his Shepherdesse who can better iudge it then himselfe Behold then faire Shepherdesse how much he was giuen to false suspects and wrongfull iealousie that my wordes could neuer satisfie him nor worke with him to make him leaue off his obdurate minde by absenting himselfe from this valley thinking therby to haue made an end of my daies wherein he was deceiued when as he rather ended his owne ioy and contentment if for me at the least he had euer any at all And this was the michiefe besides that Filemon being not onely content to beare mee such a kinde of vniust iealousie whereof he had so small occasion as now faire Shepherdesse thou hast seene hee did likewise publish it at euerie feast in all bridales wrestlings and meetings that were made amongst the Shepherds of these hilles And this thou knowest good Shepherdesse howe it did preiudice mine honour more then his contentment In the ende hee absented himselfe from mee which course since hee hath taken for a medicine of his malladie which it seemes hath the more increased it let him not finde fault with me if I haue knowne how to profit my selfe more thereby then he hath And now that thou hast seene faire Shepherdesse what great content that I felt when thou toldst the Shepherd Arsileus so good newes of his Shepherdesse that I my selfe was most earnest with him to haue him go and seeke her out it is cleere that there could not be any thing between vs that might ingēder such cause of suspition as this Shepherd hath wrongfully cōceiued of vs. So that this is the cause that hath made me not only so cold in the loue that I did beare him but not to loue any more wherby to put mine honor good name in hazard of false suspects since my good hap hath brought me to such a time that without forcing my selfe I may do it at mine own choise libertie After Amarillis had shewed the small reason the Shepherd had to giue so great credit to his iealous imaginations and the libertie wherein time and her good fortune had put her a naturall thing to free harts the woefull Shepherd replied in this sort I doe not denie Amarillis but that thy wisedome and discretion is sufficient to cleere thee of all suspition But wilt thou now make nouelties in loue inuent other new effects then those which we haue heretofore seene When a louer would loue well the least occasion of iealousie torments his foule how much more when those were greater which by thy priuie conuersation and familiaritie with Arsileus thou hast giuen me Dost thou thinke Amarillis that for a iealousie certainties are needfull Alas thou deceiuest thy selfe for suspicions be the principall causes of their entrance which was also no great matter since I beleeued that thou didst beare Arsileus good will the publishing whereof was as little preiudiciall and lesse offensiue to thine honour since the force of my loue was so great that it made mee manifest the ill that I did feare And though thy goodnes assured mee when at stealth and deceite of my suspectes I thought thereof yet I alwaies feared least some aduerse successe might befall vnto me if this familiaritie had beene still continued But to that thou saiest faire Shepherdesse that I absented my selfe I answere that vpon a stomacke or to giue thee any offence or greefe thereby I did it not but to see if I could haue any remedie in mine owne not seeing the cause of my great mishap and greefe before mine eies and bicause my pursutes might not also offende thee But if by seeking remedy for so great an ill I went against that which I owed thee what greater punishment can I haue then that which thy absence hath made me feele If thou saiest thou didst neuer loue Arsileus it giues me greater occasion to complaine of thee since for a thing of so small importance thou didst forsake him who so greatly desired to serue thee So that I haue the more cause to accuse thee the lesse thy loue was to Arsileus And these are the reasons Amarillis and manie more which I do alleage not in mine owne excuse and fauour whereby I thinke not to helpe my selfe at all since in matters of loue they are woont to profite so little onely requesting thee gentle Amarillis that thy clemencie and the faith which I haue euer borne thee may be of my side and mooue thee
vnto pittie the want whereof can prescribe no ende to my greefe nor meanes of reconciliation in thy hard condition and crueltie And with this the Shepherd made an ende of his words and began to poure forth so many teares that they were sufficient with the requests and sentence that Felismena gaue in his behalfe to mollifie Amarillis hard hart and to make the enamoured Shepherd come againe into her good grace and liking for which he was so glad a man as neuer more and Amarillis not a little ioyfull by shewing how much Filemon was deceiued in his false suspicions of her And after this they passed away that day with great content of the two reconciled louers and with greater sorrow of faire Felismena who next day early in the morning departed from them after many embracings and promises to sende to each other newes of their affaires But Syrenus being now free from loue and Syluanus and Seluagia more enamored then euer before and faire Diana not a little discontent for the sorrowfull successe of her affaires passed away her melancholike life feeding her flocke along the bankes of the great riuer Ezla where many times meeting with one another they talked of that which pleased their fancies best And discreete Seluagia being on a day at the fountaine of the Sicamours the Shepherdesse Diana came thither by chance to seeke a lambe that had runne out of the foulde which Syluanus had tyed to a myrtle tree for when they came thither they founde it drinking at the cleere spring and by the marke knewe it to be faire Dianas But being come as I say and curteously welcommed of the newe louers they sat them downe vpon the greene grasse leaning to one of the Sicamours that stoode about the fountaine and after they had talked of many matters Syluanus saide vnto her Why dost thou not aske vs faire Diana for Syrenus Bicause I woulde not talke of matters past said Diana for the great greefe which present things do giue me The time was when I tooke more delight to aske for him and hee for mee and to speake and conuerse with one another then now which giues neither of vs the like contentment but time doth cure infinite cares that seeme remedilesse to many men which if I vnderstood not so there could not be now a Diana in these faire meades plaines in regard of the sorrowes and care that are daily offred me God neuer graunt so much harme to our pleasant fieldes saide Seluagia by depriuing them of such great beautie as hers is That shall not be wanting as long as thou liuest saide Diana and wheresoeuer thy grace and perfections are little may be lost by my want in truth whereof behold thy Syluanus who I thought would neuer haue forgotten me for any other Shepherdesse and yet in the end hath shaken hands with me for thy loue which deserued a great deale more This did Diana speake with a gracious smile although she laughed not so much in minde at these things nor with so good a hart as they thought For though she once loued Syrenus more then her owne life and despised Syluanus as nothing so much yet it greeued her more that Syluanus had forgotten her for the loue of another whose sight he now enioyed euery day with great contentment of his newe loue then that Syrenus had freed himselfe out of her loue whom nowe no new affection mooued When Syluanus heard what Diana said he answered her thus Time and the reuolutions of the heauens shall first cease faire Diana before I will forget thee for thy beautie and wisedome is not such that may be euer put in obliuion Truth it is that I am now bound to my Seluagia bicause besides many other good parts in her obliging me to her loue she neuer esteemed her Fortune to bee woorse by this that she is nowe beloued of him whom thou did'st alway so reiect and make so small account of No more of this saide Diana for thou art well bestowed and I was not well aduised by not louing thee as thy loue deserued it at my hands But if at anytime thou didst desire to giue me some content I beseech thee al I may and thy faire Seluagia to sing some song to entertaine the time and to passe the heate of the day aâ—way which now beginnes so fast that we must be faine to passe it vnder these Sicamours and there enioy the bubling of this cleere spring which shall not a little helpe the sweetenes of your song The new louers were not daintie to be praied though faire Seluagia was not very well content with this kinde of talke that Diana had with Syluanus But bicause in her song she thought to be reuenged on her to the tune that Diana plaied on her Bagpipe both of them began to sing as followeth I See thee iolly Shepherd merry And firme thy faith and sound as a berry Loue gaue me ioy and fortune gaue it As my desire could wish to haue it What didst thou wish tell me sweete louer Whereby thou might'st such ioy recouer To loue where loue should be inspired Since there 's no more to be desired In this great glory and great gladnes Think'st thou to haue no touch of sadnes Good for tune gaue me not such glory To mocke my loue or make me sorie If my firme loue I were denying Tell me with sighes would'st thou be dying Those wordes in iest to heare thee speaking For very greefe my hart is breaking Yet would'st thou change I pray thee tell me In seeing one that did excell me O noe for how can I aspire To more then to mine owne desire Such great affection dost thou beare me As by thy wordes thou seem'st to sweare me Of thy deserts to which a detter I am thou maist demaund this better Sometimes me thinkes that I should sweare it Sometimes me thinkes thou should'st not beare it Onely in this my pap doth greeue me And my desire not to beleeue me Imagine that thou dost not loue mine But some braue beautie that 's aboue mine To such a thing sweete doe not will me Where faining of the same doth kill me I see thy firmnes gentle louer More then my beautie can discouer And my good fortune to be higher Then my desert but not desier About this time came Syrenus downe from the village towards the fountaine of the Sicamours with great desire to meete Seluagia or Syluanus for hee nowe tooke no greater delight in any thing then in the company of these two louers And if he had perhaps a touch of Dianas loue in his memorie the time that he had spent in louing her did not leaue him altogither without some pensiue thoughts not for that her loue now gaue him any paine but because the remembrance of a good estate doth breed some small kind of griefe and discontent in him that hath lost it Before he came to the fountaine in the mids of the greene meadow which was beset
round about with Myrtles and Laurels he found Dianas sheepe that went by themselues all alone feeding amongst the trees vnder the keeping of two fierce masties And as the Shepherd staied to looke vpon them thinking of the time wherein he had greater care of them then of his owne the masties with great furie came running vpon him But when they came somewhat nigh and knew him by wagging their tailes and holding downe their necks that were armed with collers of sharpe nailes the one fell downe at his feete and the other by skipping vpon him fawned on him with the greatest ioy in the world And the sheepe did no lesse for the Bell-wether with his rurall bleating came to the Shepherd whom all the rest followed and knowing Syrenus came round about him which sight he could not behold without teares calling to mind that sometimes in the company of faire Diana he had fed that gentle flocke And seeing that in the silly beasts that loue and knowledge did abound which wanted in their mistresse it was so forcible a motion in his minde that if the vertue of the water which sage Felicia had giuen him had not made him forget his olde loue it might well haue beene that there was nothing else in the worlde that coulde haue let him from renewing it againe But seeing himselfe thus in the mids of Dianas sheepe and with the thoughts that the memorie of such a thing did put before his eies to the tune of his merie Recbecke he began to sing this song PAssed contents O what meane ye Forsake me now and doe not wearie me Wilt thou heare me O memorie My pleasant daies and nights againe I haue appaid with seuenfold paine Thou hast no more to aske me why For when I went they all did die As thou dost see O leaue me then and doe not wearie me Greene field and shadowed valley wheare Sometime my chiefest pleasure was Behold what I did after passe Then let me rest and if I beare Not with good cause continuall feare Now doe you see O leaue me then and doe not trouble me I sawe a hart changed of late And wearied to assure mine Then I was forced to recure mine By good occasion time and fate My thoughts that now such passions hate O what meane ye Forsake me now and doe not wearie me You lambes and sheepe that in these layes Did sometimes follow me so glad The merry howres and the sad Are passed now with all those daies Make not such mirth and wonted plaies As once did ye For now no more you haue deceiued me If that to trouble me you come Or come to comfort me indeede I haue no ill for comforts neede But if to kill me Then in summe Full well may ye Kill me and you shall make an end of me After Syrenus had made an ende of his song faire Diana knewe him by his voice and so did the two enamoured Shepherdes Syluanus and Seluagia They called to him telling him that if he was minded to passe away the heate of the day in the field there was the fresh fountaine of the Sicamours and faire Diana both which should be no small allurements to inuite him thither Syrenus answered him that be must needs stay all day in the field vntill it was time to go home againe with his sheepe to the towne and comming where the Shepherd and Shepherdesses were they sat round about the cleere fountaine as they were commonly woont to do But Diana whose life was so sorrowfull as one may imagine that euer sawe a Shepherdesse the fairest and wisest that was then knowne married so greatly to her greefe went day by day seeking out new occasions to entortaine the time and to passe her life away and studying often to preuent her continuall and sorrowfull thoughts But the Shepherdes sitting and talking of other matters touching the feeding of sheepe and their profite Diana brake off the substance of their talke saying to Syluanus It is a proper thing Shepherd that sitting before thy faire Seluagia thou talkest of other impertinent things and not of praising her beautie nor of the great loue that she beares thee Let the field and lambes alone the good or ill successe of time and fortune and enioy the good hap that Shepherd thou hast nowe by being beloued of so faire a Shepherdesse for where there is so great reason to haue continually such contentment of minde thou need'st not care for that which Fortune doth but sometimes giue How much I am beholding to thee Diana answered Syluanus none can expresse but he that knowes what great reason I haue to acknowledge this debt bicause thou didst not onely then teach me to loue well but now also shewest me the way to vse the contentment that my loue affoordes me The reason thou hast to warne me not to talke of any other matter my Mistresse being in presence but onely of the content that by her sight I receiue is great infinite the which I promise thee faire Diana to do while my happy soule shall be conteined in this ioyfull body But I maruell at one thing to see how thy Syrenus doth cast his eies another way when thou speakest vnto him it seemes thy wordes please him not or that he is not satisfied with thy answers Blame him not said Diana for carelesse men enimies to their own good will do more then this Enimy to mine own good said Syrenus If I was euer such an one let death punish me for my error This is a prety shift to excuse thy fault To excuse my fault said Diana If I haue not yet the first offence to do thee I pray God I may neuer haue any other cōtent then that which I now enioy It is wel that thou dost finde fault with me for being married hauing parets But it is wel said Syrenus that thou didst marry hauing another Loue And what power had that Loue saide Diana where obedience was due to parents And what power had those parents saide Syrenus that obedience those times those fauourable or sinistrous successes of Fortune to ouerrule so true a Loue as before my departure thou didst shew me Ah Diana I neuer thought there was any thing in the worlde that could dissolue so great a faith as that and how much more Dianas considering that well thou mightest haue married and not forgotten him who loued thee so entyrely But thinking of the matter vnappassionately it was now better for me since thou wert resolued to marrie and being married to forget me quite For what reason saide Diana For what saide Syrenus Bicause there is no woorse thing in the worlde then for a Shepherd to loue a Shepherdesse that is married nor that makes him that beares her true loue and affection sooner to loose his wits and sences the reason whereof as wee all know is that the principall passion which doth torment a louer after the desire of his Mistres is cruell iealousie For what dost thou
light and glory of Spaine which name she saide did better fit it then the right name of it bicause in the mids of the infidelitie of Marsilius the Mahometicall king who had so many yeeres encompassed it with a cruell and continuall siege it did euer so strongly defend it selfe that it was alwaies the conquerour and neuer subdued and that it was called in the Portugall toong Montemor or Velho where the vertue valour wisedome and magnanimitie remained for trophees of the noble deedes that the Lords and Knights of it did in those daies and that the Lords and Ladies that now dwelt in it flourished in all kinde of vertues and commendable parts And so did the Shepherdesse tell her manie other things of the fertilitie of the foile of the antiquitie of the buildings of the riches of the inhabitants of the beautie discretion and vertues of the Nymphes Shepherdesses and of the aptnes and actiuitie of the iolly Shepherdes that dwelt about that impregnable castle All which things did put Felismena in great admiration But the Shepherdesses requesting her to eate somthing bicause they thought she needed it she thankfully accepted their curteous offer And whiles she was eating that which the Shepherdesses had set before her they sawe her shed so manie teares that caused no small sorrow in them both And desirous to aske her the cause of them they were hindred by the voice of a Shepherd that came sweetely singing to the tune of his Rebecke whom the Shepherdesses knewe to be the Shepherd Danteus for whom Armia pleaded so much to the gracious Duarda for pitie and pardon Who saide to Felismena Although these are but homely cates faire Shepherdesse and countrey Shepherdesses fare yet fals it out to be a dinner for a Princesse for thou didst but little thinke when thou cam'st hither to dine with musicke There is not any musicke in the world saide Felismena that pleaseth me better then thy sight and conuersation gracious Shepherdesse which by greater reason makes me thinke that I am a princesse then the musicke thou talkest of These words should be adressed said Duarda to one of more woorth and higher deserts then I am and that had a riper wit and deeper conceite to vnderstande them But howsoeuer I am to my poore abilitie thou shalt finde an earnest will an vnfained affection in me readie to do thee all the seruice it may Ah Duarda saide Armia to her how discreete art thou and how mightest thou not win the onely praise of wisedome if thou wert not cruell Is there any woman in the worlde like thee heerein who of purpose art offring occasions of impertinent speech and to busie thy head with other matters bicause thou hast no list to harken to the wofull Shepherd that by dolefull song is breathing out his sorrowes and mishaps Felismena vnderstanding what that Shepherd was by Armias wordes praied them to be still and to giue eare vnto him who to the tune of his Rebecke did in his owne toong sing this song following SIghes since you lighten not my hart Why go you not why stay you still For in the end hope doth impart Aremedie vnto mine ill Yet hope to helpe me neuer stood Where reason worketh all in vaine Nor euer promis'd so much good As crueltie doth giue me paine But loue and trust giue me an art And qualitie of such a skill That neither hope reuiues my hart Nor crueltie the same doth kill Mine eies you neede not then complaine With which her faire ones I haue seene And what neede you to feare againe Since viewed by her you haue beene And therefore change shall haue no part Nor entrance in my constant will Though crueltie doth kill my hart Or whether hope remaineth still The Shepherds musicke pleased Felismena better then the Shepherdesses meat for she thought the song was made to complaine more of his owne griefe then to lament an others And as he made an ende she said Shepherd it seemes thou hast truely learned by my ils to complaine of thine owne Vnfortunate woman that can neither heare nor see any thing which sets not before me the small reason I haue to desire life But yet God grant I may so long enioy it vntil mine eies may see the cause of their burning teares Thinkest thou faire Shepherdesse said Armia to her that these words deserue not to be heard and that the hart from whence they came forth to be more esteemed then this Shepherdesse regards them Talke not saide Duarda of his words talke of his works speake not of his dittie but of his deeds for by them his intent and meaning is to be iudged If thou dost enamour thy selfe of songs and delightest in Sonets compacted of industrie of fine and flattering words Thinke not that I do so for as they are things wherein I take least pleasure so by them I lesse perswade me of the loue he beares me Felismena then fauouring Duardas reason said Behold Armia how many ils might be auoided and great mischiefes not effected if we would not hearken to smooth filed speeches lightly credit words framed by free harts for by nothing else they shew their properties more then by a cunning and false tale vttered by an eloquent fine toong that when we thinke it most true there is nothing more false Vnhappie me that could not in time helpe my selfe with this counsell But by this time was the Porugall Shepherd come where the Shepherdesses were who in his owne language saide to Duarda If the teares of these eies and the sighes of this my hart are not sufficient Shepherdesse to mollifie that hardnes wherewith thou dost so ill intreate me I require nothing else but that my company may not be troublesome vnto thee in these fields and that the sorrowfull verses which my griefe makes me sing like to the dying swanne neere to this riuer may be no occasion of thy miscontent and trouble Passe away faire Shepherdesse the parching heate of the day vnder the shade of these greene Osiars for thy swaine will driue thy goates to the riuer to drinke and tarrie with them while they are washing themselues in the cristalline waters Kembe and adresse louely Shepherdesse thy silke soft haire vpon the brinke of this cleere fountaine from whence issueth out the running brook that round about watereth this sweete meadow And in the meane time I will carrie thy faire flocks to feed and keepe thy sheep from going into the corne that growes along the riuer side I pray thee sweet Shepherdesse take no care for anything for I haue no rest all the while that I am not trauelling about thy busines If this seemes to thee but a small token of loue tell me then wherein I may shew the good will entire affection that I beare thee For no especiall loue doth wrong to speake the truth in anything whereof it offers any experience at all Danteus hauing made an end the Shepherdesse Duarda
answered him thus If it be true Danteus that there is any loue in the world I haue borne it thee and as great as thou thy selfe knowest Neuer any of these Shepherds that bring their flockes to seede in the fieldes of Mondego and to drinke in these cleere waters obtained so much as one onely word of me whereby thou mightest haue occasion to complaine of Duarda nor of the loue that she hath euer showen thee Thy teares and burning sighes haue neuer touched any neerer at the hart then me The day mine eies beheld thee not could not see anything that pleased them The bullocks that thou didst keepe were of more account to me and I had a greater care of them then of mine owne And for the most part fearing least the keepers of this delightfull Champaine might hinder their feed I went to the top of this little hill to see if I could espie them whereas I brought mine in place when they could not feed the grasse of these faire riuer bankes without feare of being impounded And I was not afraid to put my selfe in this subiection and danger to put thee in assurance and safetie I know well that of this my subiect and apparant kind of loue thy affiance did arise and of thy affiance that which thou dost Thou did'st marie Andresa whose soule is now in glorie a thing that in times past made me to die for griefe but I prayed to God that I might see my selfe at last reuenged of her and thee and after thy marriage I haue suffered that which thou and others sufficiently knowe And in the end my Fortune hath concluded that thine shall giue me no more paine and care Let me then inioy my libertie and hope not to regaine that with me which by thine owne folly and default thou hast so fondly lost The Shepherdesse hauing made an ende of her sharpe answer and Felismena beginning to arbitrate the matter between them they heard a great noise in the other side of the meadow like to the sounde of blowes and smiting of swordes vpon harneies as if some armed men had fought togither so that all of them with great haste ranne to the place where they heard the noise to see what the matter was And being come somewhat neere they saw in a little Iland which the riuer with a round turning had made three knights fighting against one And although he defended himselfe valiantly by shewing his approoued strength and courage yet the three knights gaue him so much to do that he was faine to helpe himselfe by all the force and pollicie he could They fought on foote for their horses were tied to little trees that grew thereabouts And now by this time the knight that sought all alone and defended himselfe had laide one of them at his feete with a blowe of his good sword which ended his life But the other two that were very strong and valiant redoubled their force and blowes so thicke on him that he looked for no other thing then death The Shepherdesse Filismena seeing the knight in so great danger and if she did not speedily helpe him that he could not escape with life was not afraide to put hers in ieopardy by doing that which in such a case she thought she was bound to performe wherefore putting a sharpe headed arrowe into her bowe shee saide vnto them Keepe out knights for it is not beseeming men that make account of this name and honour to take aduantage of their enimies with so great oddes And ayming at the sight of one of their helmets she burst it with such force that the arrow running into his eies came out of the other side of his head so that he fell downe dead to the ground When the distressed knight sawe two of his enimies dead he ran vpon the third with such force as if he had but then begun the combat but Felismena helped him out of that trouble by putting another arrow into her bow the which transpiercing his armour she left vnder his left pap and so iustly smot his hart that this knight also followed his two companions When the Shepherds and the knight beheld what Felismena had done and how at two shootes she had killed two such valiant knights they were all in great woonder The knight therefore taking off his helmet and comming vnto her saide How am I able faire Shepherdesse to requite so great a benefite and good turne as I haue receiued at thy hands this day but by acknowledging this debt for euer in my gratefull minde When Felismena beheld the knights face and knew him her sences were so troubled that being in such a traunce she could scarce speake but comming to her-selfe againe she answered him Ah my Don Felix this is not the first debt wherein thou art bound vnto me And I cannot beleeue that thou wilt acknowledge this as thou saiest no more then thou hast done greater then this before Beholde to what a time and ende my fortune and thy forgetnesse hath brought me that she that was woont to be serued of thee in the citie with Tilt and Tourneyes and honoured with many other things whereby thou didst deceiue me or I suffered my selfe to be deceiued doth nowe wander vppe and downe exiled from her natiue countrey and libertie for vsing thus thine owne If this brings thee not into the knowledge of that which thou owest me remember how one whole yeere I serued thee as thy page in the Princesse Cesarinas Court and how I was a solicitor against my selfe without discouering my selfe or my thoughts vnto thee but onley to procure thy remedie and to helpe the greefe which thine made thee feele How many times did I get thee fauours from thy mistresse Celia to the great cost of my teares and greefes all which account but small Don Felix in respect of those dangers had they beene vnsufficient wherein I would haue spent my life for redresse of thy paines which thy iniurious loue affoorded thee And vnlesse thou art weary of the great loue that I haue borne thee consider and weigh with thy selfe the strange effects which the force of loue hath caused me to passe I went out of my natiue countrey and came to serue thee to lament the ill that thou did'st suffer to take vpon me the iniuries and disgraces that I receiued therein and to giue thee any content I cared not to lead the most bitter and painefull life that euer woman liued In the habite of a tender and daintie Ladie I loued thee more then thou canst imagine and in the habite of a base page I serued thee a thing more contrarie to my rest and reputation then I meane now to reherse and yet now in the habite of a poore and simple Shepherdesse I came to do thee this small seruice What remaines then more for me to doe but to sacrifice my life to thy louelesse soule if with the same yet I could giue thee more content and if in lieu
what she had past since she had last seene him which made him to maruell verie much and especially at the death of the three Sauages and at the Palace of the sage Ladie Felicia and successe of the Shepherds and Shepherdesses and at euerie thing else contained in this booke And Don Felix wondred not a little to vnderstand how his Ladie Felismena had serued him so many daies as his page and that he was so far gon out of his wits and memorie that he knew her not all that while And his ioy on the other side to see that his Ladie loued him so well was so great that by no meanes he could hide it Thus therefore riding on their way they came to Dianas Temple where the sage Felicia was looking for their comming and likewise the Shepherd Arsileus and Belisa Syluanus and Seluagia who were now come thither not many daies before They were welcōmed on euerie side with great ioy intertained but faire Felismena especially who for hir rare vertues and singular beautie was greatly honored of them all There they were all married with great ioy feasts and triumphes which were made by all the goodly Nymphes and by the sage and noble Ladie Felicia the which Syrenus with his comming augmented not a little of whom of the Portugall Shepherds Danteus and Duarda more shall be spoken in the second part of this booke The end of the seauen Bookes of Diana of George of Montemayor THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE SECOND PART OF DIANA OF George of Montemayor Written by Alonso Perez ALthough it was not otherwise possible but that the ioy of these happie Louers was very great since fortune had now lifted them vp to so high a degree of content and happines as they themselues could not wish for more euery one possessing his onely desire yet I thinke that Felicias was not any whit lesse then theirs by seeing her selfe visited by so worthie a companie and that by her onely meanes they enioyed such wished rest And the rather for that she was more capable to feele this ioy by reason of the excellencie of her wit the mature iudgement whereof the more it was higher then theirs the more it made the internall powers and workes of the soule more perfect and absolute So that if the sage Lady had onely regarded her pleasure and content forgetting what was conueeient for euery one of them she would not haue requested them to come to her Palace againe but being so carefull for those things which were most needefull for them by neglecting her owne will and desire she prouided for euery one in particular Whereupon certaine daies being past in which she had entertained them with most royall and sumptuous feastes and small they were not since she was mightier in operations then others in imaginations she bethought her of Arsileus and of his deere loue Belisa and therewithall remembred how needefull it was for them to goe visit and comfort their aged parents who passed many a doubtfull and sorrowfull thought for them Arsenius especially father vnto Arsileus whom she had now remedied and rid from the loue which so lately had made him dote on faire Belisa Who therefore giuing the Lady Felicia infinite thankes for the benefites and louing entertainment they had receiued at her handes and taking their leaue of the Lordes Ladies Nymphes and Shepherdes that were there the next day following went to their owne towne And not many daies after Felicia one night after supper saide thus to Syluanus and Seluagia I could not choose but blame you fortunate Shepherdes for the small care you haue of your flockes if I my selfe were not in fault bicause you haue neuer asked after them in all this time nor I thinke once remembred them fearing lest by reason of your absence they haue beene in great want and not without cause being not carried to feede at conuenient times vpon the greene and sauorie grasse nor at their neede driuen to the cleere springs to quench their burning thirst nor with wonted loue put into the coole and pleasant shades And seeing that with familiar and gentle hand they are not eased of the burden of their fruitfull bags that swell with abundance of white milke and that with the accustomed and knowen voice of their louing Shepherds they are not called to licke the smooth peebles of the sauourie salt nor that your sweete Bagpipes seconded with many amorous Ditties which not long since made there the woods and dales to ring haue sounded in their eares It is therefore conuenient that to morrow you depart at the rising of purple Aurora the foreteller of speedie Phebus whereof I put you in minde at this time especially bicause your absence from them before was not so great that you needed to be told thereof Which departure of yours I woulde not haue you thinke is to any other ende but to set some order in your affaires that at your pleasure you may the sooner returne hither againe assuring you that elsewhere you shall not be better entertained with deedes then heere with hart and good will And your returne shall onely be to solace your selues in the companie of Don Felix and Felismena whose time is not yet come to depart Wherefore I pray you goe about it for setting all things in good order touching your flockes and domesticall affaires you may doe the other the better yet promising you that before you come to your dwelling places you shall finde those that can looke well to your flockes if you will at the lest commit them to their charge and who will most willingly take it vpon them Let your returne therefore be with as much speede as may be which shall result to your owne profite and to their pleasure with whom you shail passe away the time heere Syluanus and Seluagia had their eies so fastened on the maiesticall countenance of the Sage Lady perceiuing her speech to be onely addressed to them that with great reuerence they rose out of their places and gaue a diligent eare vnto her bicause they might better vnderstande the meaning and effect thereof For otherwise seldome were their eies caried away into any other part but to looke vpon one another vnable to remooue them the least time that might be from thence wherein each others soule had no small portion and thinking it stealth to remooue their thoughts from that entire affection whereof their mutuall harts had so sure possession Whereupon the sage Ladies speech being ended both of them turned their amorous eies to each other againe Syluanus making louing signes to Seluagia to answer the Ladies intent To whom with a seemly blush as partly ashamed thereat she saide in this sort It is now no time my deere Syluanus to vse circumstances of such arte when there is no cause neither doe they well beseeme this place For though their vsage to all women is commendable yet not in particular for the husband to his wife and in such sort
certaine speeches being past with great thankes to the Nymphes they tooke their mutuall leaue the old man going away al alone though accōpanied with a thousand perplexed thoughts swelling tears that for depriuation losse of his deere daughter fell in great plentie from his aged face The Nymphes to their christalline aboades and Parthenius and I remaining not a little sorrowfull as you may gesse for Stelas departure and full of imaginations for that which we heard by the Nymphes diuining song being then ignorant and doubting whether the contents thereof were ment by vs or not All which paines greefes and troubles threatned therein and many more faine woulde wee haue suffred in lieu that faire Stela had beene the cause of them With these and many other considerations reuolued in our mindes we determined to stay there to see if the Nymphes taking faire Stela with them came sometimes foorth to solace themselues amongst those greene and pleasant forrests where we staied not long before our desires had part of their contentment for euen the next day about that hower when Tytan equally viewed all our Hemisphere and certaine daies after came out many faire Nymphes to passe away the heate amongst those coole and fresh shades though their happie sallies happie by faire Stelas company did little auaile vs since euery time that we made offer to come out of the woode towardes them with fearefull flight they ranne backe againe to their acquainted riuer Parthenius therefore seeing the small occasion that was offered vs to talke with them saide vnto me With this beginning deere brother wee must not continue on our commenced purpose which is not onely an open impediment to the good successe of our determination but a manifest occasion to molest thy Mistresse and a let to the Nymphes from their wonted pastime and delight What remedie then said I shall we vse or what dost thou aduise vs to do for I cannot by any meanes depart from hence with safetie of my life As I will not counsell thee thereunto saide Parthenius so the immortall Gods forbid that we go from hence before we finde out some good meanes whereby these Nymphes their coynesse laide aside may admit vs into their sweete company If there be any remedie for this saide I then all my sorrowes and sorrowful life shal be I hope both eased and ended but alas my greefe will not giue me leaue to conceiue it so And if there be any said Parthenius it is but onely one Thou knowest well my deere brother by all those times that wee haue seene them comming hither how they do lesse disdaine the simplicitie and plainnes of countrey Shepherds then the suspicious companie of cunning courtiers and that their turall baggepipe is more delightsome to their eares then the enticing and wanton Lute of the others The which dulie considered it shall be better for vs in my opinion by leauing of these costly habits to cladde our selues in homelie Shepherds weedes which probable inuention being put in practise may happely prooue more fortunate vnto vs then any other course that we may well thinke of His counsell which was foorthwith put in execution liked me so well that we left of our accustomed apparell and put on this which you see not consenting that garments whom nature made so like should put any difference betweene vs. And so likewise we forgot not our sheepehookes and scrips and whatsoeuer else belonged to a Shepherds calling But as for sheepe we bought none before we knewe how well this deuise answered our deseignes the which time and occasions afterwards would aduise vs best to do for we agreed to say that we left them behinde in custodie of our Swaynes and that we came before to seeke out the best pasture for them We had also fidles and pipes whereon we soone learned to play bicause we could plaie on the Fluet and Vials and other musicall instruments With this new habite we passed away certain daies in singing playing many sundrie things Al which felout so fit to our desires that not once but a manie times the Nymphes kept vs company bringing Stela that faire and shining Staire many times amongst them by whose golden light the course of our grieuous life was then and is yet most happily guided Wherein Fortune so highly fauoured me that day by day though much against my will I accompanied those faire Nymphes not that it was not a foueraigne glorie to me to be in presence of that cleere Sunne I spake of but bicause I would haue thought it a greater good if my deere brother had also inioyed the same This is strange said Lord Felix to shew thy selfe on the one side most appassionate for faire Stela to grieue on the other that thou inioyest her sight al alone desiring it for another But stranger it would seeme said Delicius if you knew euery thing that passed about this matter But now let it suffice you Gentlemen and Shepherds to know this much and another day it may be I will make an ende of that I haue begun They were all importunate with him to haue him tell on when Felicias comming made them leaue of who being come vnto them said to Delicius My friend Shepherd since I inioyned thee of late to a task that not so wel contented thee I am now come to deliuer thee from it bicause I imagine how grieuous it is to thee to passe therein any further To do the contrarie good Ladie said Delicius were vnworthie your gracious selfe and not quadrant to that which is expected at your hands wherein I meane not to giue you the thankes you deserue nor hope of any other guerdon then that which you your selfe haue alreadie taken considering that you do no more then what to your owne selfe you are bound to do For all this said Felicia let vs my sonnes goe home for Phoebus now doth hasten him to his owne whose rosie beames though silently they begin to decay shall with his Sisters siluer lights to guide our steps be carefully supplyed And we might well passe away this fresh approching night and with great pleasure spend it in so good companie but in the end we shall better take our rest in the house whereas for this day let vs content vs with the bootie we carie home With a fewe such walkes abroad said Felismena we shall be quickly inriched Though in verie truth at our first onset we haue taken so braue a prize and robbed so much good as I thinke we shall not neede to take any paines to lye in waite for more Felismena had not gone away in Stelas debt if Felicia had not cut her off saying The fashion in this place is not to pay by and by but to trust something But how comes this to passe that I haue alreadie taken Parisiles Stelas and Crimines words to be my guestes and haue not Delicius consent to be one of them Aduise thee therefore Shepherd if it please
sorrowfull thoughts in their harts then heauy vapours in their heads The face of the one was right against the others as though they had beene talking togither leaning their cheekes vpon the one hand and with the other arme sustaining the waight of the arme and head in which sort they lay casting out somtimes profound greeuous sighs Which thing moouing vs to no small compassion for nowe we were somewhat affected to them we determined to withdraw our selues least being awaked they might perhaps haue had an occasion to be ashamed to be seene in that sort And from thence a little way off of purpose to awake them but as though we had seene nothing we began to sing taking for the ground and subiect of our song the teares that they had shed before vs. That which we sung was this WIth sorrow teares and discontent Loue his forces doth augment Water is to meades delight And the flaxe doth please the fire Oile in lampe agreeth right Greene meades are the flockes desire Ripening fruit and wheatie eares With due heate are well content And with paines and many teares Loue his forces doth augment As their sleepe was nothing else but an extasie scarce had we begun when they awooke and seeing that we left singing when we came neere them they saide If your comming were an occasion to make an ende of your singing we would be glad that you had stayed a little longer wherefore let not our presence be of worse condition to depriue vs of this delight then our absence was by enioying it and since we refused not to do what you commanded vs nor made it strange to acquaint you with the basenes of our simple Bagpipes disdaine not then faire Nymphes by that which we entreat you to shew vs the highnes of your excellent voices Well well the truth of this is knowen said we againe but not denying your demaunds since we haue time for it tell vs now if you meane to rest you here a fewe daies Rest faire Nymphes answered Delicius Why we know not what it is if we had it here But we are determined to haue it as long as it shall please your good wils which are ready to do you all the pleasure we may said I but I will tell you one thing which it may be ye neuer yet heard By the report and certaine newes of the fertilitie of this Countrey there are tenne or twelue yeeres past since from the North parts there departed a mightie huge Shepherd with a great number of sheepe and came to feed in these grounds certes not so faire and amiable a personage as either of you the Sonne of God Syluanus he saith and of a most strong and fierce Shepherdesse that came with him whether fayrer and more gracious then my companion here I am not able to tell you This vnseemely Shepherd was not onely like to his parents in face and fiercenesse but in either of both as also in hideous feature he hath the aduantage of them Seeing therefore that fame was no lyer and how the situation of that part of the riuer being no lesse then a great I land inuited him for his habitation without feare of the wilde beastes which made it desert and inhabitable he determined to liue there Which I land as it will in time I hope be cleane eaten out by the riuer for by little and little it is euerie day made lesse so I wish it had now the full and complete time with the forcible waters to be quite consumed The name of this monstrous man is Gorphorost whose incredible strength and bignes because you may vnderstand behold the depth of this riuer and the maine force wherewith it runs with wading ouer himselfe a foote by three and three and fower and fower he sets ouer all his sheepe on the other side which haue multiplied in such numbers for since his comming he hath almost killed all the wilde beasts that might destroy them that there is scarce any place to containe them and so not able to put a great part of them vnder the shades he lets them goe freely amids the fields and along the riuer bankes without feare of estraying or any other danger being inuironed by the waters that keepe them in manner of a prison We wished well to Gorphorost and would haue pleasured him for killing the wilde beasts that annoyed not a little this pleasant countrey wherefoeuer they went if there with all not iniuring the Shepherds of these places he had not depriued vs of their friendly company though to our selues but onely in these respects he did neuer any other harme who are rather bound vnto him though of his own vertue it proceeds not the not offending of vs that he hath bin a meanes whereby this faire Nymphe is in our companie The end therefore for the which I haue made this short admonition is that we would not haue you for our sakes suffer any harme by this rude Shepherd who for all this hath forgotten a great part of his fiercenesse since he gaue place and entrance to gentle loue Wherupon you may know how great the force of that mightie child is But if in these daies for I am certaine he will not come out for a solemne oath he made some good meanes may be found to make you liue heere with safetie we will not be a little carefull to seeke it out for you And if there bee none yet shall it please vs better that with your absence you should be free from daunger then with your presence for our content to hazard your liues or safetie anie waie They thanked vs for our good will and seemed not to take care for anie thing that might happen in lieu that wee fayled not of our agreement with them Parthenius assuring vs that he could so well flatter and please fierce Gorphorost that they might without any harme abide there still With these words and some amorous songs that we fower did sing in course we passed away the heate of that day and returned as we were woont to the riuer they remaining still in that pleasant forrest which serued them for their dwelling place and making prouision of necessarie foode for their sustenance from the villages thereabouts Not onely Delicius Parthenius Stela and I failed not in those first eight daies to be at the appointed place of our meeting but the fame of the new Shepherds came to the eares of some other Nymphes who comming thither and consorting with vs made many gracious and pleasant quiers dances and songs to the tune of their Rebeckes and Baggepipes somtimes lending a gentle eare to Parthenius and Delicius sweete songs somtimes applying our selues to telling of tales At which pleasant meetings old Parisies who sometimes came to see his daughter gaue no small content to euery one with his wise precepts and counsell touching the honour of the immortall Gods and shewing their diuine prouidence in all creatures and by them the great power and
the rare deserts of Parthenius were of great worth with me by noting how worthie they were to be beloued but the iealousie I had of Crimine perceiuing how glad she was to be beloued of either of them was more forcible in my minde O loue loue how iustly do they paint thee like a blind boy thy conditions being no other For a boy with a broken pate that will not suffer his head to be bound vp in a clout but seeing the same tyed to another boies head cries out for it So was it with me and Crimine I reiected the loue of the Shepherds but knowing that Crimine loued them I died for their loue and wept in my inwarde soule that Crimine was so much deuoted to them But marke my dissimulation for to that which shee saide I aunswered thus To this last my sweete friende which thou hast alleaged for as much as toucheth mee thou maiest well agree not onely with Delicius but with his friend if thou wilt This is not well saide Crimine that thou hast yet so much libertie to graunt me such leaue but in the end I am well content to take it for I loue not Delicius so little that I would do him such iniury neither do I see him so enclined to yeeld to my loue again And I see no reason said I why I should not giue thee leaue or any body else in this respect let vs leaue this said she go if thou thinkest good whither we were determined Come on said I let vs go whither we must not whither we should for the sooner we go the sooner we shal come back again Being therfore come to our wonted place we found the Shepherds merrie for the hope they had to see me wherein I deceiued not my selfe for if it was not so I am then sure I was well deceiued though somwhat sorrowful also for my long staying We therefore comming before the faire Shepherds a certaine feare possessed both their bodies no otherwise then if some fearefull and ghastly thing had suddenly appeered before their sight so that it caused a notable trembling in euery part of them Crimine went on sixe steps before it might be to bid Delicius take courage and a good hart and afterwards spake out aloud to them saying By force my friends I bring this my companion hither to establish a louing peace betweene you and her Delicius would haue answered but Crimine fearing least his loue woulde haue made a fault in something cut him off following her speech thus For confirmation whereof there is nothing more requisite but that without remembrance of that which is past we returne againe to our former pastimes Truth it is that I will not disswade Delicius from asking her pardon whom he hath mooued to anger and her I beseech by the faith of our friendship not to denie the same Then saide Delicius by and by his eies full of teares and his knees on the ground not onely for the offence committed but if in any thing I shall heereafter offend her with all humilitie I aske her forgiuenes If so for nought saide I a fault should be solde it would be held but for a sport and pastime in lieu of satisfying your wils to giue occasion of anger howsoeuer by redeeming it onely with pardon craued and obtained So that trust not to this Shepherd for the second shall not be forgiuen thee so good cheape Wouldst thou haue him liue so precisely faire Stela said Parthenius and in such continual feare that he dare not onely speake nor so much as breath for feare of offending thee I coulde not choose but laugh at Parthenius words and at the countenance wherewith he spake them To the which I answered thus Gracious thou art in sooth iolly Shepherd that art so ready to helpe thy companion I do not meaneit so extreamely as thou saiest he vnderstands me well enough I imagine as much said Parthenius but am not ignorant that thou art rigorous and that in this sort we are both in an ill case if for speaking perhaps or doing a light thing ignorantly one shoulde not be pardoned If so small faults are so heynously punished howe can the greater escape vncorrected Wherefore set downe this lawe if thou wilt at the least be accounted iust that the punishment exceede not the fault putting the fault and the punishment in an equall ballance of moderation We are more bound to our Gods for mercy which they shew vs then for their iustice whereby but a little they profite themselues Tell me then faire Stela as the Gods preserue thee still in thy singular and rare beautie if euery time that men offende high Ioue shoulde sende downe his thunderbolts howe manie dost thou thinke shoulde hee finde vnarmed I impute it not Gentlemen to any pride arrogancie or necessitie of mine owne part if lying sometimes I say faire Stela which are formall words of Shepherds and commonly vsed of them which besides although I might well leaue vnspoken yet could it not be well suffred bicause they are not without mysterie It is well said Doria let it be as thou wilt and tell on for we will not stay our selues vpon so apparant a matter as this I answered Parthenius said Stela That the errour committed is well manifested but after what sort shall the ignorance thou speakest of be cleere vnto me But I see thee Parthenius so free in thy speeches and bitter in thy reprehensions that I shall be forced with my will yea and for very feare to do something for thee Parthenius without more adoe humbled himselfe with Delicius who was all this while at my feete for of purpose I would not bid him rise desirous to see them both equally yeeld themselues vnto me bicause I equally loued them both and being in this sort he said If it be then so I beseech thee pardon him since he craues it on thee with so great humilitie I am content said I and taking them both by the hands I lifted them vp which when I had done Crimine said Tell me Parthenius how fals it out thou art not with thy friend Gorphorost to day Parthenius answered bicause I knew faire Stela would come hither to day And not bicause I came said Crimine Thou hast no cause to aske me this question gracious Nymphe answered Parthenius since thou art assured I would do it no lesse for thine but onely bicause faire Stelas presence was so much desired by reason of these passed discontents One thing I haue marked said Crimine whereof I should not be a little ashamed if there were any other heere besides Stela that thou dost call her euermore faire and me gracious Thou maist vrge me so farre saide he that I may confesse my selfe ouercommed Friend Crimine said I their faults cannot take away the due praise of thy beautie so that if thine were deemed by right and indifferent iudges it should euer haue the prize and superioritie And whom said
them Diana by and by caused him to sit downe by her on the other side But before I passe any farther you must knowe that Diana to discharge herselfe a little of the great passion that made her complaine of her discontent of purpose bestowed fauours on both though small ones which maner of hers did arise of a desire she had in this sort to passe away and forget her asslicted life Faustus as I told you but now with the desire onely to see that beautie so much blazed by fame going from his owne fieldes came to those where Diana kept With whom he spent some daies in good companie very freely especially for her part for as it seemed he was in loue with another yoong Shepherdesse in his owne countrie Diana liked well of his discretion and wisedome and therefore loued him a little as Firmius no lesse for the like good parts in him So that to see which of them excelled each other she set them many times togither in contention to trie them both in discourse and song Wherein each of them to please her as of their owne selues also willing to the same studied for nothing else Whereupon arose a certaine kinde of emulation betweene them not bicause they hated one another but bicause one endeuoured to excell the other before the faire Shepherdesse Whereupon it came into their heads that there passed not one day nor yet I thinke there is anie wherein they striue not either in wrestling pitching of the barre singing dauncing and in other things which we Shepherds make account of appointing euer iudges to crowne the Conquerour but the one neuer went so smoothly away with the victory that the other went cleerly without it for Firmius was neuer conqueror nor Faustus conquered nor Faustus conqueror nor Firmius conquered Of this emulation and corriualitie there were none but tooke great delight to see it and especially Diana aboue the rest who to make them contend the more on a day after certaine talke that had passed betweene Faustus and her smiling alone to her selfe she said vnto him As thou speakest me thinkes Shepherd with great libertie and boldnes so are thy words full of suttletie and dissimulation O that I might see thee one day so far in loue with me that thou mightest once pay me this ouermuch libertie From this hower therefore Faustus began to loue Diana and leese his libertie whereof he had now verie little or none at all when he came to the place where Diana and Firmius were But returning to this point bicause as I was not present at the other I cannot tell it you as he was set downe Diana said vnto him Do vs this pleasure Shepherd to sing that againe which thou camest singing Who without more adoe tooke out his Rebecke and began thus A Faire maide wed to prying iealousie One of the fair'st as euer I did see If that thou wilt a secret louer take Sweete life doe not my secret loue forsake Eclipsed was our Sunne And faire Aurora darkned to vs quite Our morning star was done And Shepherdes star lost cleane out of our sight When that thou didst thy faith in wedlocke plight Dame nature made thee faire And ill did carelesse fortune marrie thee And pitie with despaire It was that this thy haplesse hap should be A faire maide wed to prying iealousie Our eies are not so bold To view the sunne that flies with radiant wing Vnlesse that we doe hold A glasse before them or some other thing Then wisely this to passe did Fortune bring To couer thee with such a vaile For heeretofore when any viewed thee Thy sight made his to faile For sooth thou art thy beautie telleth me One of the fair'st as euer I did see Thy graces to obscure With such a froward husband and so base She meant thereby most sure That Cupids force and loue thou shouldst imbrace For t' is a force to loue no woondrous case Then care no more for kinne And doubt no more for feare thou must forsake To loue thou must beginne And from hencefoorth this question neuer make If that thou should'st a secret louer take Of force it doth behooue That thou should'st be belou'd and that againe Faire Mistresse thou shouldst loue For to what end what purpose and what gaine Should such perfections serue as now in vaine My loue is of such art That of it selfe it well deserues to take In thy sweete loue a part Then for no Shepherd that his loue doth make Sweete Life doe not my secret loue forsake Firmius bicause he would not leaue of his accustomed contention tooke his Rebecke and sung thus IF that the gentle winde Doth mooue the leaues with pleasant sound If that the kid behinde Is left that cannot finde Her dam runs bleating vp and downe The Baggepipe reede or flute Onely with ayre if that they touched bee With pitie all salute And full of loue doe brute Thy name and sound Diana seeing thee A faire maide wed to prying iealousie The fierce and sauage beastes Beyond their kinde and nature yet With piteous voice and brest In mountaines without rest The selfe same song doe not forget If that they staid at Faire And had not passed to prying Iealousie With plaintes of such despaire As moou'd the gentle aire To teares The song that they did sing should be One of the fair'st as euer I did see Mishap and fortunes play Ill did they place in beauties brest For since so much to say There was of beauties sway They had done well to leaue the rest They had ynough to doe If in her praise their wits they did awake But yet so must they too And all thy loue that woo Thee not too coy nor too too proud to make If that thou wilt a secret louer take For if thou hadst but knowne The beautie that they heere doe touch Thou wouldst then loue alone Thy selfe nor any one Onely thy selfe accounting much But if thou dost conceaue This beautie that I will not publike make And mean'st not to bereaue The world of it but leaue The same to some which neuer peere did take Sweete Life doe not my secret loue forsake Diana bicause she would haue them sing more when Firmius had made an ende said Shepherd I will consider of this matter vpon condition thou wilt tell me for what cause thou doest publish it so much by words that thou louest me when as thy deedes shew thy small affection As Firmius did aske her how she knew it she answered him If thy loue Firmius extends so farre as thou saiest thou wouldest come to see me oftner it greeues me in the end of the fauor that not long since I did thee Firmius not suffring Diana to passe any farther being as it were halfe madde with himselfe for these cruell words in that she greeued and repented her of her fauour done him tooke his Rebecke and sung this Sonnet FAire Shepherdesse what hast with greefe to fill me And how long dost
remedies to our painfull passions And bicause thou maiest the better enioy the rurall conuersation and countrey plaines of the Shepherds and Shepherdesses of our fieldes it shall be best for thee not to change thy pastorall habite nor to discouer thy selfe but to name thy selfe and in apparell and fashions liue wholly like a Shepherd Marcelius being willing to do that which Diana told him did eate a little of that which she had taken out of her neat scrip and quenched his thirst with the sauorie water of the cleere fountaine both which were so needfull for him as for one that trauelling all the day before had neither eaten nor drunke and then they went on their waies towards the village But they had not gone foorth many paces when in a little thicket not farre from the path way they heard the resounding voices of certaine Shepherds who sweetely sung to the tune of their mery Bagpipes and bicause Diana was delighted much in musick she praied Marcelius to go to the place where they were who being come neere vnto the wood Diana knew the Shepherds Taurisus and Berardus two great corriuals in her loue and commonly wont to go togither in company and sing in emulation the one against the other Whereupon Diana and Marcelius not entring into the place where the Shepherds were but yet hiding themselues behinde certaine Okes so nigh that they might heare the sweetenes of the musicke listened to the Shepherds songs being not perceiued of them at all who though they knew not the cause and effect of their songs was so neere at hand yet diuining as it were that their enimie was harkening vnto them by cleering vp their pastorall voices and making most delicate and different stops with them they began to sing this Eglogue following Taurisus NOw that the sunne doth hide his golden beames Behinde the hils whose shadowes doe increase And labouring men vnyoke their wearie teames And leaue of worke their wearied lims to ease My sheepe forsake your pastures and attend Vnto my fainting voice and hollow cries Which without stint or pause of time I send Disorderly vnto the carelesse skies Harke how my poore and miserable hart Is in the deepest of a burning flame And how my bowels and euery inward part Are melted with the scorching of the same That flame I meane and heate wherewith my sencelesse soule doth trace Th' Angelicall and peerelesse beautie of Dianas face Berardus Before the sunne in radiant Coche doth glide Downe to the West to leaue our Hemisphere And suffers not the deaw of euening tide To fall vpon the meadowes any where Thou simple Sheepe that oft hast heard my voice And gentle lambes which all the sommer long With merrie glee doe in these meades reioice Now lend a gentle eare vnto my song My ruthfull song and verse shall not intreate Though all the same within my brest I beare Of any flames or coles or burning heate But of that mortall cold and frozen feare Wherewith doth bridle and correct the sencelesse soule apace Th' Angelicall and peerelesse beautie of Dianas face Taurisus When that my painefull thoughts and pensiue minde Doe but imagine of her comely graces Then burnes my soule so strangely that I finde My vitall spirits to leaue their proper places Loue doth inforce this suffrance weake by kinde And hope that 's flowne away with feathered paces To make my flames still burning in my brest Which giues me not one hower of wished rest Berardus When I consider of my base estate And high perfections of my Shepherdesse Then doth my hart retire with fearefull gate And pinching frost my timorous soule possesse Loue will I liue in hope of happinesse And so I doe sometimes but fortunes hate To quaking feare subiecteth euery power Which makes me not enioy one happy hower Taurisus In such ill time I sawe the burning light Of those cleere stars whose like was neuer seene That face that grace those vertues infinite With which Diana raignes as fairest Queene That my desires are kindled by those bright And shining beames that I doe neuer weene To hope for ease of these excessiue flames That burnes my soule and breedes a thousand blames Berardus In such ill time I sawe those daintie handes Of whitest Iuorie fram'd for thousand smartes And those two eies where little Cupid standes Wounding the freest mindes with mortall dartes That my small forces with his mighty bandes Confounded foiled and fearfully departes And then remaines so weakned with his ire That shiuering feare doth conquer my desire Taurisus Didst euer see a lightning from the skies With mightie force to rend an aged Oke So strong is that and terrible which lies Within my brest all smoothered in the smoke Didst euer see the violent force of brookes That from the highest rocks fall headlong downe So proud so fierce and angrie in her lookes Diana seemes when she begins to frowne But her pretences are too far To make me sad by base and seruile feare For greater that the dangers are The greater is the firmenes which I beare Berardus Didst euer see the snowe in any hill To lie and melt before the sunnie beames So doe I waste with sighes and teares distill Before those lights that from her beautie streames Didst euer see in any bloodie broile Some simple Shepherd put to fearefull flight With no lesse feare poore man I doe recoile Leauing my sheepe whilome my best delight And in this cold and frozen feare I merit more and in my trembling brest More comfort and content doe beare Then in that heate so bold and manifest Taurisus My greefe Berardus which I feele is of such sutell Art That it doth trouble still my soule and euery part consume Thereof which neuer to resist durst once presume for feare But euen as gently as it may and must with meare consent Yeeld vp her life into the hands of him that 's bent to tame The proudest harts And ioyfull in his burning flame I lue And as they doe of comfort giue me store For more content so would I wish for more Berardus The Gods Taurisus and the heauens haue made so passing faire This star Diana whose golden gleames of glittring haire and face Doe with their lights illuminate my life and chace away The darkest cloudes restoring to mine eies a day so bright That if I am beholding her the shining light and blaze Of those two stars mine eies and senses doe amaze and blinde That casting them vnto the ground my hopes I finde so bare That though I would not once I dare complaine Or see or sue or tell her of my paine Taurisus This louely Nymph would neuer list Vnto my wofull cries But in her rigour doth persist And from my succour flies And pitilesse to see my death would neuer turne her eies O cruell eies O cruell paine O beautie cruell foe Yet doth my faith so firme remaine That all my cares and woe It doth encour age in such sort and feares doth ouerthrowe
die for loue of thee And I doe ioy to see the same Although thou laughest at my paine Which laughter is to me no gaine And so when that in me I finde The greeuous ill which makes me die I thinke when that comes to my minde No remedie thou wilt apply Bicause to see thou ici'st thy fill How much my comforts thou dost kill A remedie thou dost disdaine And then my soule with hope to feede I see it is as much in vaine When as it is by loue decreede To haue my life lie in thy hand And death in thy desire to stand I sawe thy shining beauties beames Faire Shepherdesse vpon a day Neere to great Duerus Christall streames Making the fields so fresh and gay And goodly banks to ioy and flourish The which thy beauties feedes nourish And there I sawe thee leane and stand Among those banks not long agoe Vpon thy sheepehooke with thy hand With naked necke as white as snowe And to thine elbowe seeming greeued With naked arme that was vnsleeued Where if there had beene any one That well had viewed euery part Admit he were as hard as stone And had not lou'd thee from his hart Reason would moue me then to say That he his folly did bewray And therefore thus when I had knowne Thy goodly giftes and beautie rare From thinking of them one by one No time nor rest I did not spare Thus I began loues force to trie And in his torments thus to die But if against me thou dost moue Saying It is to me a shame Being an old man thus to loue So yoong amaide and so to blame O giue me no aduice at all But remedies for which I call For I will neuer thinke this part Of mine hath made so great acrime By louing thee with all my hart As bauing lost so long a time Before I euer came to knowe Thy beauties which adorne thee so Alas I knowe that I am olde And that my prime long since did fall Which now I wish I had not tolde But that which greeues me most of all Is that my louing paine appeeres Not equall with so many yeeres Bicause since first I came into This life I would in all that space Haue loued thee as now I doe Since first I sawe thy sweetest face And as I must with Cupids powre Vnto my last and dying howre And let it not thy minde dismay To see my haire so gray and white For it is ill to take away The place from any that of right Belongs to him in any reason Though it comes out of time and season And though my valour not my hart And force not will thou dost exceede It is not yet so iust a part That any man should leese his meede For being old or be vnpaide Bicause a souldier now decaide The buildings newer that they are And lately built in any sort By no proportion may compare For statelines and princely port The which antiquitie doth showe With those of Rome built long agoe And so in things of woorthines Of prime or goodnes any way Of profit ioy or happines Commonly vnto this day They say and yet do say most true That th' old is better then the new Loue wise in that he went about Till now gaue me no sense of paine Bicause he sawe it did fall out That for the most part did remaine In aged men and like to mee More firmnesse as we daily see To loue thee more then I can tell I am resolued till I die And in my firmnesse doe excell Of all loues torments which I trie But olde againe and not to prooue In all my life the sweete of loue Yoong youthes that most of all doe faine Themselues to burne in Cupids heate Are false and double but to traine Beleeuing women to deceate For when they say That they doe die Then doe they liue most merily And so their false and changing loue And paines alledged in the same And all the torments which they prooue Is but their pastime sport and game It is their iest and common fashion It is no will nor any passion Besides Ismenia doe not feare That I am like to one of those Yoong louers that doe euery wheare Their fauours openly disclose For sooner they receiue not one But straight to many it is knowne For though I doe receiue at lest Three hundred fauours one by one Yet in my loue I doe protest To be as much a very stone In hiding fauours which I gaine As that I am in suffring paine But yet as far as I can see Resolued as thou art in minde To kill me with thy crueltie Suer I am that I shall finde Much to endure to be reueal'd Little ynough to be conceal'd For now ingratefull Shepherdesse The greatest fauour which I misse And faine the same would heere possesse Of all the rest is onely this To die bicause I would no more Complaine against thee as before Time onely will I thee accuse O time that art so great a friend To greefes and makest her refuse My loue who loues her without end For he that hath most part in thee Is little woorth in loue we see Alas that euer I did loue Too late a thing so passing faire And reason therefore that I prooue To die for her in deepe despaire Since when her birth day did appeere I was not borne that very yeere If I had beene faire She pherdesse With thee when I was in my prime As now thou art then more or lesse I had not wanted any time Delights and pastimes to present thee Nor thy sweete fauours to content mee For as for playing on a Pipe Or Rebecke with most sweetest sound To touch with many a daintie stripe And dauncing best in all the towne Amongst the youthes to win the prise All in my fauour did arise And therefore maruell not a whit If that in song I doe excell Famous Amphion as vnfit Compar'd with me to beare the bell Since that my singing hath surmounted Better then he was euer counted Of fields that goodly graine doe beare I plowe more acres then the rest And all my mountaines euery where And plaines that are for pastures best With flocks of sheepe and goates I cumber Mark't with my mark that haue no nūber But now what bootes my present store O cruell hap for my delight Or that that hath beene heeretofore Since now it is forgotten quite Nay which is more scorn'd and despis'd And vnto cruell death deuis'd Then sweetest foe let this auaile To make thy hardest hart relent Strike downe of pride thy puffed saile When to thine eies age shall present That in the same thy braue perfection Shall vade and be in times subiection O Shepherdesse thou art more hard Then sturdy rocke consum'd in time But yet perhaps for thy reward When thou hast lost thy golden prime Then freedomes want shall be thy paine Wherewith thou dost me now disdaine Wherefore let Loue take such de spite Reuenging one
this place a broad quadrant fortie paces of euerie side and compassed about with a great number of thick trees So that in a maner of a walled castle they that went to recreat themselues in it could not go but by one way into it It was couered all ouer with greene grasse and sweete flowers neuer troden downe with the feete of sheepe or goates nor mangled with their slicing teeth In the mids thereof was a goodly cleere fountaine which issuing foorth at the foote of an olde Oake rose vp fower square and deepe not made by skilfull hand but placed there by prouident nature to such purposes as with the abundance of the waters it made there a delightfull meeting which the Shepherds named the faire Fountaine The brinkes of this fountaine were of white stone so euen that none would haue thought but that it was made with artificiall hand if the naturall stones growing there did not deceiue his sight which were fastened in the ground as hard as the craggie rocke and flint in the wilde mountaines The water that came out of that sweete fountaine issuing out of two narrow pipes did water the grasse and trees about it making them continually to spring and fertill and keeping them in a pleasant and fine verdure This faire Fountaine for euerie goodly pleasure about it was so much visited of the Shepherds and Shepherdesses that there was neuer wanting about it pastorall mirth and ioy Who likewise had it in such veneration and account that when they came to it they left their flockes without bicause the cleere and sweete waters might not be troubled nor the fine little meadow fed nor troden downe by the hungrie and carelesse sheepe About this fountaine as I saide they all sat downe and taking necessarie foode out of their scrips did eate it more sauourly and with greater content then the greatest Lords their varietie and number of daintie dishes At the end of which repast as Marcelius on the one side and Polydorus and Clenarda on the other were greatly desirous to heare and make relation of their passed fortunes Marcelius first began to say to the other two in this sort It is great reason brother and sister that I know somthing of your aduentures and accidents since last I saw you bicause seeing not your Father Eugerius nor your sister Alcida in your company it makes a great alteration in my hart not knowing the cause thereof To whom Polydorus answered Bicause this goodly place might not be iniured me thinkes with reports of dole and sorrow and that these Shepherds with hearing of our hard haps might not be also greeued with the fewest words that possible may be I will report the many miseries and disgraces that we haue receiued of Fortune After that I was hindered by the mariners from leaping into the sciffe hauing attended fit time and occasion haue deliuered my father Eugerius being faint and halfe dead out of the dangerous ship and that of force I was constrained to remaine to my great griefe with my fearefull father in it the sorrowfull olde man was ouercome with such bitter anguish and paine as may be imagined of a louing father who in the end of his aged yeeres seeth the violent perdition of his owne life and of his louing children He tooke no heed now to the maine blowes which the cruell waues did beate against the ships sides nor to the rage of the angrie windes that did bluster on euerie side but casting his eies to the little boate wherein thou wert Marcelius with Alcida and Clenarda which at euerie flote of the hoisting billowes seemed to turne ouer the more he saw it going from the ship the more his hart burst in peeces And when he lost sight of you he was in danger of yeelding vp his decaied spirits The ship driuen on by the crueltie of Fortune went floating vp and downe the maine seas fiue daies togither after that we parted at the ende of which time the Sunne going downe towards the West we were in ken of lande At sight whereof the Marriners were verie glad as well for recouerie of their lost hope as also for knowing the coast whither the ship was driuen For it was the most fertill countrey and most abounding in all sorts of pleasures as far as the Sun doth heate with his beames In so much that one of the Marriners taking a Rebecke out of a chest with the which he was wont to cheere vp himselfe in long and dangerous voiages began to play and sing to it in manner following WElcome thy friendes from swelling seas that rore With hideous noise and tost by Neptunes toile O fortunate and faire Valencia shore Where nipping frost doth neuer hurt thy soile Nor Phebus with his woonted parching beames Doth burne thy meades nor heates thy christall streames Thrise happy he who liuing without feare In swallowing seas and billowes to be drownd Enioies thy golden beauties euery wheare Of thy sweete meades greene banks and fruitfull ground Thy ground bedeckt with flowres so fine and faire Maintainde with heauenly deaw and pleasant aire With greater toile the ship doth cut the seas Then wearie plowmen doth thy gentle fieldes Then happy Earth the ioy and wished ease Of traueled soules that to thy succour yeeldes Nereas Song IN those most happy fieldes and plaines Where Guadaljar in goodly vaines With christall streames doth glide Leauing the sweete and pleasant fieldes Vnto the sea his tribute yeeldes And runs with hastie tide Faire Galatee full of disdaine And ioyfull of the woes and paine To Lycius that she gaue Played vpon the sands and shore The which the sea sometimes before Doth wash with wallowing waue Gathering amongst the sandes alone Fine shels and many a painted stone As she went vp and downe And singing many songs so sweete The which the roring billowes yet Did alter much and drowne Neere to the water side she hies And there the waues that fall and rise She view'd with great delight And fled when that they came amaine And sometimes could not but was faine To wet her feete so white Lycius who had in suffring paines No equall in those fieldes and plaines His torments there suspended Whiles that he view'd with great content His Shepherdesse so excellent For beautie most commended But now comparing his vnrest With all the ioy that she possest The Shepherd halfe decaied With dolefull voice his sad complaints To shores and champaines he acquaints And in this manner said O fairest Nymph if that thou please Play not about the roring seas Although thy chiefe delight Consist therein yet Galatee As thou dost Licius so the sea Eschew with hastie flight And now sweete Nymph leaue of to play For it doth greeue me day by day To see thee on the sandes O doe not now torment me more For seeing thee vpon the shore I feare false Neptunes hands And this doth fill me full of doubtes That I must credit these my thoughtes Bicause it is most cleere
begin to sing Not long after we sawe old Turia come out of a deepe caue with a great pot very curiously wrought vnder his arme his head crowned with a garland of Oke and Laurell his armes all hairie his white beard long and slimie And sitting downe on the grounde leaning vpon his pot and powring out of it abundance of christalline waters he cleered vp his hoarse and hollow voice and sung as followeth The Song of Turia WAter faire Springs and purest running streames This fortunate and most abundant soile Comfort the meades and trees and pleasant aire Defend the flowers from Titans burning spoile So with the fauour of the highest beames I will maintaine my bankes so fresh and faire That these shall haue great enuie of my crowne The Father of flouds Rosne Myncius and Garoune Whiles that you goe thus hastening of your course Winding your streames by many a crooked way And ioy Valencia fieldes that sweetely smell With sauourie liquours in the hottest day My weake and feeble breath I will enforce With my diuining spirit to foretell And sing of those good haps that shall befall By fauour of the heauens vnto you all Shepherds and Nymphes within these louely dales Whose names resound vnto th' Arcadian fieldes Giue eare to me But of the painted flowers Nor pleasure that the springs and medowes yeeldes Nor woods nor shades nor warbling nightingales I will not sing nor of the countrie powers But of those famous men and worthy peeres That shall be heere not after many yeeres And now I see two Shepherds first in place Calixtus and Alexander whose fames Surmounting the great Cesars chiefe renowne From Atlas vnto Maurus sounds their names Whose liues the heauens adorning with their grace Shall make them both to weare a reuerend crowne And saue from losse with their industrious heede As many flockes as in the world doe feede Of whose illustrous stocke I see arise That man whose hart base feare cannot rebuke Well knowne for armes and many martiall feates The Roman Cesar and Valencian Duke A minde that mounts aboue the hautie skies Whom yet a cruell fate with murder threates That that rare strength braue hart and noble breath Must haue an end by rawe and bloodie death The same likewise must in a moment end The glory of Don Hugo de Moncades With valour good successe and happy praise Leauing the Moores subdued by Spanish blades For Charles his blood most willing he shall spend After the winning of a thousand daies And fight he shall with strong and conquering hand Against the French and barbarous Affrican But ill it doth be fit to talke of those Whom furious Mars doth kindle with his heate When learned lampes doe grauely come in place For heere they shall arise and shine in great And glorious blaze as far as Europe goes The darkest corners shall their lights imbrace Viues shall liue as long as Daphnes louer Aboue the world with golden wings doth houer Whose highest skill and learning shall inherit Iohn Honorate and clime to honours hill Teaching the mightie Emp'rour of our land The Muses with great woonder he shall fill Whom now me thinkes I see with greatest merit Bearing a Bishops Crosier in his hand O that such famous Shepherds all my sheepe And lambes might feede and plaines and pastures keepe About that time Nunnez with praise shall flourish Who for deepe learning in his tender yeeres Shall be compar'd vnto the Stagarite Demosthenes giues place where he appeeres And doth declame whose eloquence doth nourish His owne and strangers But O vile despite And most ingratefull place whom thou shalt make For Ebrus banks thy countrie to forsake But who shall tell you of that musicall Which many a Poet straining foorth his voice Along my bankes so sweetely shall resound Heere doe I see how all of them reioice With fauours that Apollo giues them all For singing with a spirit most profound They shall enlarge this happy countries name From Pole to Pole with endlesse golden fame And now I see that man whose name shall bee Bruted with liuing praise in euery part Whom I may well for golden verse compare To Phebe to Mars in armes and martiall art Ansias March who flowring meade of thee Loue vertue and death shall sing with verse most rare Taking for honorable and his iust emprese To celebrate the vertues of Terese Well shall he shew himselfe to be the sonne Of Peter March who both in peace and war Learned in verse in armes most mighty heere Shall make his countrie famous very far Whose noble linage when that they are done Where in renowned valour doth appeere Shall giue a Iayme and Arnau in those daies Poets whom heauen shall fauour many waies Giorgio del Rey with verse most high and stately My banks shall honour and with garlands crown'd By all my fairest Nymphes that shall imbrace him His name with double ecchoes shall resound The gentle Planets fauouring but lately His fellow Poets in such sort shall grace him That Italie shall woonder at his verse And die for spite his sweete songs to reherse Now Fraunces Oliuer that with thy voice Lifting thee vp vnto the Azur'd heauen Dost wound the same And thee renown'd Figueres Whose verse shall be most pleasant fine and euen And thee Martin Garcy that maist reioice That mauger death thy fame time neuer weares And Innocent of Cubels I doe see Who well deserues a crowne of Laurell tree Shepherdes you shall haue heere a man of woorth That with the vertue of his secret skill And herbes shall helpe your languors and your smartes And mend your liues with verses at his will Then Nymphes strow flowers and sweetest herbes powre foorth Vnto great layme Royg with thankfull hartes Crowne him with Bay with Parsley and with Tyme For famous skill in phisicke and in ryme And great Narcis Vinnols that to the skie With loftie verse did blaze his woorthy praise Make him a crowne of Laurell faire and greene Whose fame shall not though all the world decaies Another for a personage most high Whose verse shall reach as high as may be seene He shall be matcht with him that loued Laura His name the famous Crespi Valladaura Me thinkes I see an Earle most excellent The noble Lord surnamed of his Oliue Which while the world shall last amongst his owne And strangers it shall flourish and suruiue His comely verse shall shine most orient With perfect light which he deriues alone From heate that from his Centelles doe arise Shining as bright as stars in cleerest skies And Nymphes when that the heauens shall ioy you all With Iohn Fernandz as now but with supposes There shall no place be voide in all this land Where sowe ye may not Lillies and fine Roses And thou light fame stretch out thy flight and call Thy mighty powers and vse them heere at hand And giue him that surname most souerayn Thou gauest vnto the famous Mantuan And now I doe behold that Poet rare Iayme
Gaçull who in Valencian ryme Did shew his pregnant and his liuely wit Which mounted to the highest cloudes in time And Fenollar whom I well to compare To Tityrus my thoughts cannot omit For sounding heere his sweetest verse along These banks the world shall heare his solemne song Pinedas songs so copious and so fine Shall also make my sweete banks to resound By whose braue verse Pan conquer'd needes must be Tygres made gentle and they shall rebound His famous name which neuer shall decline Vnto the highest spheares in dignitie I hope by him more honour to obtaine Then proudest Smyrna did by Homer gaine Behold the staied milde and sweetest grace Wherewith Vincent Ferrand a man most graue Shall shew his highest iudgement and his skill Being in his time a Poet rare and braue His verse shall hold king Aeolus in his place And stay my streames from running at their will Hearing the sweetest sound and harmonie Of all his verses gracious graue and hie The heauens will not nor reason will consent That I should speake with humble stile and plaine Of that choise squadron and without compare Aboue mans reach an office to obtaine Ferran Sans Valdellos and excellent Cordero and Blasqo a wit most rare Gaçet more shining lights then faire Aurore Of whom my spirits now shall sing no more When of so great a Master I doe thinke As excellent Borja of Montese Who shewes his valour as his wits diuine As well in verse as any high emprese Me thinkes my fieldes my riuers and their brinks Shall with more hap and greater glorie shine Then Tybur hath though he within her wombe Was borne that built the stately towne of Rome And thee who of same father place and name And of the selfe same highest linage bred Most excellent Don Ioan whose surname shall In Pindus and Parnase be honoured For euerie one to reare his verse shall frame With pen aboue the globe celestiall The Muses that doe dwell in Helicone Make for thee there a crowne and stately throne The Romane people with their heroes Was not so proud when they did all despise As my most fertill soile and I shall be When that great Aguilon shall once arise Whom both in war in counsell and in peace In verse and valour his dexteritie Shall to the highest top of honour reare Where Marius yet and Fabius neuer were Now Seraphin Centellas I doe see Who lifting vp his high and loftie song And militarie art vnto the skie Builds for his verse a fort most sure and strong And shewes himselfe so braue a man to be In courage skill and true nobilitie That now begins my sweete content of hart To see his valour and his great desart But now I feare me that I cannot praise Don Luys Milan euen as I doe desire Who shall in musicke to such skill attaine That to Orpheus wreathe he shall aspire His vaine shall be so stately in his daies In heroicke verse that I beleeue in vaine That they will name before this Adamant Cyno Pystoya and Guido Caualcante Thou that shalt get so great a part and taste Of Pegasus fount that mighty deaw and sweete And whom the dwellers of Parnassus hill Shall with a standard of braue poesie greete Noble Falcon heere words I will not waste In praising thee for fame shall that fulfill And shall be carefull that thy learned name In all the world with praise she will proclame Praising alwaies the famous Emperour Charles the great King Fame makes the world to knowe him And though aboue the stars she doth commend him Little it is to that that she doth owe him You shall behold him to excell so fur With fauour that the Muses all will lend him His surname shall the worlde so much delight That Hesiodes name shall be forgotten quite He that declares the stately Romane lawes He that a fine and daintie verse compoundes He that the wise Lycurgus doth excell And all the Poets of Verona groundes Comes next in place whose golden chariot drawes Fame with her trumpe his praises to foretell And this is Oliuer whose memorie Controules the old and newest historie Knowing faire Nymphes your good daies to begin Make thousand outward signes of inward ioy For now me thinkes I doe behold euen then Two famous men who shall their mindes imploy The one to war the other still to win Saluation for the soules of sinfull men Ciurana and Ardenol who shall raise Their highest verse to heauen with endlesse praise What Will you see a iudgement sharpe and sure A generall skill a graue and setled minde A liuely spirit and a quicke conceate A sweete consort poeticall and fine That sauage beastesto mildnesse doth enure Of Philip Catalan behold the great Wisedome and wit who therefore hath no meane A portionin the fountaine Hyppocrene Heere shall you see a high and loftie wit Who shall bring honour to our pleasant fieldes Endowed with a braue and noble spright Cunning in all things that good letters yeeldes The learned Pellicer whose braine shall fit For poemes making them his chiefe delight In which his skill and met hode shall be great His iudgement deepe a sweete and quicke conceate Behold the man whose noble brest containes Knowledge most rare and learning generall Orpheus seemes with him to be combinde Apollos fauours on his head doe fall Minerua giues him wit in plentious vaines And Mars a noble hart and valiant minde I meane Romani comming now addressed With all the best that learning hath professed Two sunnes within my bankes shall now arise Shining as bright as Titan in his sphere And many spring tides in one yeere shall bee Decking my bankes and meadowes euery where The hurtfull snowe nor hard vntempered ice Shall hide my plaines nor couer any tree When ecchoes in my woods or greenes reherse Vadilles and Pinedas sweetest verse The meetres of Artiede and Clement so Famous shall be in their yoong tender yeeres That any thinking to excell the same But base to them and humble shall appeere And both amongst the wisest sort shall showe Quicke and reposed wits with endlesse name And after giue vs from their tender flowers Fruits of more woorth amongst more learned powers The fount that makes Parnassus of such prize Shall be Iohn Perez of such woorthy fame That from swift Tana vnto Ganges source He shall dilate his admirable name To stay the hastie windes he shall suffice And riuers running with most swiftest course Filling them all with woonder that shall throng To heare his verse and graue and solemne song The man to whom a woorthy name is due Of right for his abilitie and skill Whom all my sacred Nymphes in time shall knowe And all my Shepherdes shall with praises fill For verse most high amongst the learned crew His honour and his praise shall daily growe Almudeuar it is whose shining wing Vnto the stars his golden praise must bring In vulgar toong the famous Espinose Shall make the historie of Naples
taking great delight in hearing the musicke and looking on the daunces and sports and to behold and deuise with her beloued Marcelius being also very desirous to haue one part in that sport said Since thou hast gracious Diana subdued all the Shepherds with thy skill it is not reason that we should also passe safely away without our Riddles the which although I know thou wilt as easily dissolue and mine especially as thou hast done the rest yet bicause it may perhaps delight thee I will propound it When I sayled on a time from Naples into Spaine by the way the master of the ship told it me and I committed it to memorie bicause me thought it was a pretie one and this it was A Riddle SHew me a horse of such a kinde That in the strangest fashion Doth neuer eate but of the winde Doth take his sustentation Winged before and wing'd behinde Strange things he doth and wondrous deeds And when he runs his race Vpon his brest with haste he speedes His reines with maruellous grace Come from his sides that neuer bleedes And in his course he doth not faile If rightly he doth wag his taile When Diana had heard this Riddle she was a pretie while thinking with her selfe how she might expound it and hauing framed the discourse in her minde which was necessarie for the answere and considered well of euerie part in it at the last she said As it is great reason faire Ladie that I remaine conquered at thy hands So it is no lesse that whosoeuer renders himselfe to thy gentlenes he yeelde himselfe also to thy discretion whereby I esteeme him not confounded but happy And if by the horse of thy Enigma a ship be not vnderstoode I confesse then that I cannot declare it Thou hast ouercome me more said Alcida with thy answer then I haue done thee with my Riddle for to confesse it plainly vnto thee I vnderstood it not before thou hadst subtilly expounded it By chaunce I haue hit it said Diana as I thinke and not by any skill speaking at randome and not thinking to hit it so neer Howsoeuer thou didst it said Alcida it cannot otherwise be but that it proceeded from thy readie wit and ripe iudgement But I pray thee now faire Shepherdesse diuine what my Sister Clenardas Riddle is which I know is no ill one that she shall put thee if she can at the least remember it And then turning her selfe to Clenarda she said vnto her Propound to this wittie Shepherdesse good sister that Riddle which one day in our citie if thou remembrest thou didst put to Berinthius and Clomenius our cosins when we were merie togither in Elisonias house I am well content said Clenarda for I remember it well and was purposed to tell it and this it is A Riddle TEll me good Sirs what Bird is that that flies Three cabits high and yet doth neuer rise With more then thirtie feete that mount and fall With wings that haue no plume nor pens at all Beating the aire it neither eates nor drinks It neither cries nor sings nor speakes nor thinks Approching neere vnto her cruell death She wounds and kils vs with the stones she throwes A friend to those that spend their deerest breath In spoiles and thefts in mortall wounds and blowes Wherein she takes her pleasure and her fill Hiding the men in waues that she doth kill I should neuer expound this Riddle said Diana if I had not heard the meaning of it by a Shepherd in my towne who had sometimes sailed And yet I cannot tell whether I remember it or not but I thinke he said that a Galley was vnderstood by it which being in the middest of the dangerous waues is neere to death and being accustomed to robbing and killing casteth the dead carcases into the Sea By the feete he told me that the oares were ment by the winges the sayles and by the stones that it threw the pellets We must in the end saide Clenarda goe one equall with another for one deserues no more praise then another Truely thy great knowledge Diana makes me to woonder much and thou canst receiue no reward sufficient enough for so great deserts but onely by being Syrenus wife These and other curteous speeches they passed when Felicia beholding the fine wit the comely grace the passing behauiour and sweete actions of Diana and maruelling much at them tooke off from her finger a verie rich ring set with a stone of infinite value which she did ordinarilie weare and giuing it her for a rewarde of her wittie answers to those Riddles said This shall serue for a token of that which I meane to do for thee faire Shepherdesse keepe it therfore wel for in time of thy need the vertue of it may not be a litle profitable vnto thee Diana Syrenus both rēdred humble thanks to Felicia for so great a gift with deuoutly kissing her reuerend hands Who after he had sufficientlie curteously made an end of his thanks said I haue noted one thing in all these Riddles which is this that the Shepherdesses Ladies haue propounded the most of them and that the men haue held their peace in such sort that they haue cleerely shewed that in daintie and wittie conceits they haue not so fine a vaine as women haue Don Felix then iesting said It is no great maruell that in sharpnes of wit they excel vs when in all other perfections they come nothing neer vs. Belisa coulde not digest Don Felix his merrie iest thinking perhaps that he ment it in good earnest but looking vpon all the women said We will agree Don Felix that men excell vs but therein we shew our goodnes and our vertues in our voluntarie subiection to their will and skill But yet knowe this that there are women which for their vertues and deserrs may be paragoned to the woorthiest and wisest men for though gold lies hidden vnknown yet it looseth not therefore any part of that value and prize of that which is currant For the truth and force of our praises is so great that it maketh you publish them to your selues which seeme to be our enimies Florisia a Shepherdesse renowned for great knowledge and wisdome was not Don Felix of your opinion when in our towne on a day at a certaine marriage where was a confluence of many Shepherds men and women that from townes farre and nie had come to that feast to the tune of a Rebecke and of two Harpes which three Shepherds sweetely plaiedon she sung a song in the praise and defence of women which not onely pleased them but also delighted all the men there of whom she spoke but little good And if you are too peruerse and obstinate in your opinion it shall not be amisse to rehearse it to you to make you leaue of your blinde errour They laughed all hartely to see Belisa so cholericke and made no small sport thereat In the end old Eugerius and his
disprooues And can as lesse diminish our estates Since they themselues haue writ as ill of men Beleeue not then their lying toongs and pen. Yet this doth cause some small and little change And alteration in our great desarts For they must needes and sure it is not strange Considering their vile malicious harts In what soeuer they doe write or say To speake the woorst of women that they may But yet among these Authors thou shalt finde Most famous women and most excellent Peruse their works but with indifferent minde And thou shalt see what numbers they present Of good and honest Dames before thine eies Of louing faithfull holy chaste and wise They doe adorne the world with goodly graces And with their vertues giue it golden light The shining beautie of their sweetest faces Doth fill each hart and eie with great delight They bring all comforts gladnes peace and ioy And driue away all sorrowes and annoy By them false men of bad and wicked mindes You get great honour glorie and renowne And for their sakes inuenting sundry kindes Of verses get sometimes the Laurell crowne And for their loue in Martiall feates againe To golden praise and fame you doe attaine You therefore that imploy your wits and time In searching out the course of others liues If that you finde some woman toucht with crime Amongst so many widowes maides and wiues Condemne not all for one poore soules offence But rather hold your iudgements in suspence And if so many Dames so chaste and faire Cannot subdue your proud and hautie harts Behold but one whose vertues are so rare To whom the heauens so many goods imparts That onely she possesseth in her brest As many giftes nay more then all the rest The brauest men and most heroicall And those that are most perfect in conceate I see this Lady far excell them all With her diuine perfections and so great Which Orpheus did sing vpon a day As on his harpe most sweetely he did play Saying That in that happy land where white And chalkie cliffes are steept in Brittish seas A morning star should rise exceeding bright Whose birth will siluer Cynthia much displease In that her golden light and beauties gleames Shall far surpasse her brothers borrowed beames And such a Lady shall she be indeede That she shall ioy each hart with happy chaunce Her woorthy house wherein she shall succeede With titles of great praise she shall aduaunce And make the same more glorious and more knowne Then euer did the Affrican his owne Make triumphes then for birth of such a dame And let each hart be glad that hath beene sorie Retoice Meridian springs from whence she came You linage her she honours you with glorie Her name from East to West from North to South Is well esteem'd and knowne in euery mouth Come then you Nymphes resigne to her your powers Faire Nymphes that follow Cynthia in her chace Come waite on her and strowe the ground with flowers And sing in honour of her matchlesse grace And Muses nine that dwell in mount Parnasse Let verse nor song without her praises passe Thou dar'st not Rome in seeing her presume With Brutus stately Iland to compare But sooner wilt thy selfe with greefe consume To see how far she doth excell those faire Ladies of Rome renowned in their daies In cuery thing wherein they got most praise In bountie Porcia she shall much exceede In wisedome passe Cornelia Pompeies wife In honour Liuia so haue her stars decreed And chaste Sulpitia in modestie of life Her beautie and the vertues in her brest Eugeria staines and conquers all the rest This is the Thought that honours my desire This is my Parnasse and Aonian spring This is the Muse that giues me holy fire This is the Phoenix with her golden wing This is the star and power of such might That giues me glorie spirit plume and light Petrarke had left his Laura all alone Folchet Aldagias praise with loftie stile Guilliaum the Countesse of Rossiglion Raymbald his Lady Morie Verdefueille To grace his verse he would be sides refuse The Countesse of Vrgiel for his Muse Anacreon Euripile defied And Americ Gentile Gascoignes light Raymbald the Lordof Vacchieres denied Of Monferrato Beatrice to delight With sweetest verse to win her noble grace Sister vnto the Marquis Boniface Arnoldo Daniel had as much repented Bouilles praise his Lady long agon Bernard had neuer with his verse contented The faire Vicountesse of Ventideon Though these were Dames of beautie and renowne Gracing each Poet with a Laurell crowne If they had seene this Lady in their time Who all their giftes and beauties doth possesse They had strain'd foorth inuention verse and rime To celebrate so high a Patronesse On her their thoughts and pens they had imployed Happy so rare a Muse to haue enioyed This did Orpheus sing with sweetest verse And Eccho answered to his siluer voice And euery time he did the same rehearse The land and sea did presently reioice To heare the ioyfull newes of such an one By whom their honour should be so much knowne Now then from this day foorth and euermore Let wicked men their false opinions leaue And though there were not as there is such store Of woorthy Dames as vainly they conceiue This onely one with honour shall recall And amplifie the glorte of vs all The praise and defence of women and the braue grace and sweet note wherewith Belisa sung it pleased and delighted them all passing well Wherefore Don Felix acknowledging himselfe ouercommed Belisa was well content and Arsileus her husband not a little proude All the men there consessed all to be true that was said in the song and sung in the fauour of women and all that to be false that was said and sung in the dispraise and disgrace of men and especially those verses which inluriously inuayed against their falshood deceits and dislembled paines in loue with affirmation rather of their firmer faith and truer torments then they outwardly expressed That which most of all pleased Arsileus was the answere of Florisia to Melibeus bicause it was no lesse pithie then pleasant and also bicause he had sometimes heard Belisa sing a song vpon that matter which delighted him very much Wherefore he praied her to reioice so noble and merie companie as that was by singing it once againe Who bicause she could not denie her deere Arsileus although she was somewhat wearie with her last song to the same tune did sing it and this it was POore Melibee of loue and hope forgot Told to Florisia greefes that he hadpast She answered him I vnderstand thee not And lesse beleeue thee Shepherd what thou saiest He saith Mypeerelesse Shepherdesse Behold the paine wherewith I die Which I endure with willingnesse And seeke that greefe which I would flie My hot desires doe burne and die I wot Hope is my life but feare the same doth waste She answered him I vnderstand thee not And lesse beleeue thee Shepherd
cause that I loued him well whose sight I euer enioyed before mine eies But Syluanus turning his eies to her saide This debt I shoulde with great reason my life requite if it were such a thing that might with life bee paied which God grant thee saide Seluagia since without the same mine shoulde be woorse then a continuall death Syrenus seeing the amorous words on both sides with a smiling countenance saide vnto them It is well that euery one can so well acquite himselfe for his good turne done him that the one will neither be in debt nor the other haue any indebted to him and yet in mine owne opinion it is better that you reioyce so much and so louingly entreate of your amorous affections my selfe not being a thirde in them With these and other speeches the newe Louers and carelesse Syrenus passed away the time and length of the way which they made an end of about sunne set And before they came to the fountaine of the Sicamours they heard a voice of a Shepherdesse sweetely singing whom they knew by and by for Syluanus hearing her saide vnto them This is Diana doubtlesse that singes at the fountaine of the Sicamours It is she indeede said Seluagia Let vs go behinde these Myrtle trees neere vnto her bicause we may heare her the better Agreed saide Syrenus although the time hath beene when her musicke and sight delighted me more then now But all three going into the thicket of Myrtle trees and bicause it was about the going down of the Sunne they sawe faire Diana neere to the fountaine shining with such surpassing beautie that they stoode as men that had neuer seene her before amazed and in a woonder Her haire hung downe loose from her head behinde and gathered vp with a carnation stringe which parted them in the middes her eies were fixed on the ground and somtimes looking into the cleere fountaine and wiping away some teares that nowe and then trickled downe her beautifull cheekes she sung this Dittie WHen that I poore soule was borne I was borne vnfortunate Presently the Fates had sworne To foretell my haplesse state Titan his faire beames did hide Phoebe ' clips'd her siluer light In my birth my mother dide Yong and faire in heauie plight And the nurse that gaue me sucke Haplesse was in all her life And I neuer had good lucke Being maide or married wife I lou'd well and was belou'd And forgetting was forgot This a haplesse marriage mou'd Greeuing that it kils me not With the earth would I were wed Then in such a graue of woes Daily to be buried Which no end nor number knowes Yong my father married me Forc't by my obedience Syrenus thy faith and thee I forgot without offence Which contempt I pay so far Neuer like was paide so much Iealousies doe make me war But without a cause of such I doe goe with iealous eies To my foldes and to my sheepe And with iealousie I rise When the day begins to peepe At his table I doe eate In his bed with him I lie But I take no rest nor meate Without cruell iealousie If I aske him what he ailes And whereof he iealous is In his answere then he failes Nothing can he say to this In his face there is no cheere But he euer hangs the head In each corner he doth peere And his speech is sad and dead Ill the poore soule liues ywisse That so hardly married is The time was once when Dianas teares and dolefull song and the sorrow that by her sadde lookes she expressed might haue so much mooued Syrenus hart as put the Shepherdes life in such danger that all other remedies but onely proceeding from the same had beene impossible to haue helpt it whose eies and hart since now they were deliuered out of that dangerous prison tooke no delight to beholde Diana nor greeued at her sorrowfull lamentations And the Shepherd Syluanus had lesse cause in his minde to be condolent for any greefe that Diana had considering she neuer had the smallest regard of the greatest woes which he passed for her sake Onely Seluagia helped her with her teares fearefull by the fall of her ioy of her own fortune whereupon she said to Syrenus There is no perfection beautie nor fauour in natures gift which she hath not liberally bestowed on Diana bicause her beautie is peerelesse her wit and discretion admired her good graces excellent and all other her commendable parts which a Shepherdesse should haue not to be seconded since in the lest of them that made her such a woonder in our age there was neuer any yet that excelled her Onlie one thing she wanted which I euer suspected and feared and this was her good Fortune which woulde neuer accompanie her to haue made her liue a contented and ioyfull life which to speake the truth she euer well deserued She that so vniustly hath taken it from so many saide Syrenus by great reason should not enioy such a happie estate which I speake not that I am not sorrie to see this Shepherdesse so sorrowful but for the great reason I haue not to wish her any content at all Saie not so said Seluagia for I cannot thinke that Diana hath offended thee in any thing What offence did she by marrying compelled thereunto by the constraint of her parents and kinsfolkes and not by her owne will And after she was married what could she do hauing due regarde to her honor and honestie but forget thee Truly Syrenus thou shouldest haue greater cause to complaine of Diana then I haue heard thee hitherto alledge In truth Syrenus saide Syluanus Seluagia hath so great reason for that she saith that none can well disprooue it And if there be any that of ingratitude can iustly accuse her it is I who loued her more then my selfe she requiting it so ill againe and with such cruell contempt as thou knowest well enough Seluagia casting an amorous eie vpon him saide But thou didst not deserue my beloued Shepherd to be so ill entreated since there is no Shepherdesse in the worlde that may not thinke her-selfe blest to enioy thy happy loue About this time Diana perceiued that their talke was of her for the Shepherds were so loude that she might heare them very well Wherfore rising vp and looking among the Myrtle trees she knew the Shepherdes and the Shepherdesse that was sitting betweene them Who perceiuing that she had espied them came to her and curteously saluted her and she them againe with a good grace and countenance asking them where they had beene so long a time Whom they answered with another kinde of wordes and countenance then they were wont to do which seemed so strange to Diana that though she tooke no care for any of their loues yet in the end it greeued her to see them so much altered from that they were wont to be and especially when she perceiued what great ioy Syluanus tooke in beholding faire Seluagia And