two lovely Creatures who like the twin kids in the Canticles did feed among the Lillies Hee that would be scandalized to see two hen-doves join their bills the union of the blooming Rose with the Morning dew or the beams of the Sun when he licks the Chrystall of the Waters might knit his brow at this innocent conjunction and exercise the malicious severity of his peevish melancholly like a snaile that sullieth with is slimy train the delightfull enamell of the most curious flowers If the agreeable Iphigenes bare much Love to his no less loving wife Nature by waies as secret as unknown to him bred in him as much affection towards his brother in-law Liante and although his sullen and discontented humor rendred him very unsociable and by consequent less amiable it cannot be said how hee delighted in his conversation how much hee endeavoured to divert him On the other side Liante who looked upon Iphigenes not as his Sister's Husband but as his enemie's Son as the usurper of his Fortunes and one whose greatness was established upon him ruines Notwithstanding all these thoughts whereby hee excited himself to Choller and Hatred like a Lyon that whets his fury by scourging his sides with his own tail could not conceive any aversion against him whether the sweetness of his disposition charmed him whether his kindness his complements and his compliance to his humor won his heart whether his beauty joyned with his gracefull deportment ravished him or whether which is most probable the Sense bent his inclinations naturally towards this Object for reasons which I had rather leave to conjecture than consign to this writing Hee could not choose but love Iphigenes although in appearance hee seemed much remiss and rather sensible of his injuries than susceptible of affection This cold reservedness increased Iphigenes heat according to the disposition of that sex who are commonly most passionate for those who do care least for them insomuch that the more Linate seemed to sight him the more hee redoubled his affection and courtesies as if hee had undertaken by the vigour of an ardent flame to dissolve the Isicles that environed his frozen Heart At first Liante whom Melanchollie had made mistrustfull fancied that those marks of friendship were but feined and proceeded from some artificiall Counsell or Plot to make him consent willingly to the donation of his Estate in favour of his Sister Modestina's marriage But having perceived by the perseverance that pur Inclination not Interest or Pretensions moved Iphigenes to affect him Hee opened his heart more to him complaining of the Rigour and Injustice of Mieslas who forced him to embrace a vocation whereunto hee was no way disposed This just discontent found in the soul of Iphigenes an humour so sweetly compassionate that although in all his discourse hee observed the respect which hee owed his Father yet hee freely condemned his violence protesting to Linate what design soever Mieslas had in marrying him with Modestina that hee would never take of his inheritance any other Portion than what hee would please to give his Sister judging it very unreasonable that a younger Sister should not only make as she listed a Portion for her elder and only Brother but deprive him absolutely of his Patrimony in obedience to a superior Power that would carry all away by main force That if the condition of an Ecclesiastick was not conformable to his humour there was a possibility to satisfie him and content likewise the greedy pretensions of the Palatine by making a double alliance and giving to him in marriage his Sister Clemencia with so much of the Estate as belonged to him by his Father's death being more willing for his own part to live a private Gentleman remitting his Fortune to his personall valour and the point of his Sword reserving to himself only Hope which was Alexander's portion than to possess unjustly another's means with continuall Remorses and internall Reproaches These Reasons so conquered Liante's heart that thence-forwards all his affections hee thought too little for Iphigenes whom hee began to consider as his Redeemer as one who breaking his Iron bonds was to release him out of the hands of Pharaoh and free him from the house of Bondage Covetousness is a disease which reigns but little among young unexperienced People who think as the Proverb goes that the World will never be at an end with them The desire of pleasures liberty and vanity torments them infinitely more All that opposes this Torrent seems to turn the course of their Nature and reduce them to despair This made Liante building an entire confidence on his Brother-in-law Iphigenes declare unto him that the Regret which undermined him and led him insensibly to the grave was not so much for the loss of his Estate which hee esteemed well bestowed seeing it fell into so beloved hands as to see himself bound up in a Cassock and ingaged in a manner of life which denyed him the use of Arms whereunto his inclination called him and whither all his Ambition tended for War was his Element where hee would rather choose to meet an honorable death then lead a sweet plentifull and peaceable life in the most rich and eminent Dignities of the Church to the honors whereof hee never would pretend not perceiving himself called thereunto like Aaron that is by a good and Royall way Brother replyed Iphigenes take courage suffer not Melanchollie to or'e-master or distemper you preserve your self for generous enterprises If you have a mind to take wing and leave this nest of sluggishness I have no less desire than you to seek in Militarie adventures the Laurells that grow in Mars ' s field therefore let 's goe together let 's steale away some favourable Night and enter into the harvest of glorie in those places where Cowards dare not appear These words revived the afflicted Liante who was so overcome by the inevitable charms of Iphigenes's Countenance and Conversation that hee could live no more without him being in his absence like a Marigold when the Sun hath left its Horizon For as that flower doth close its leaves when it is deprived of the aspect of that glorious Planet so Liante when seperated from Iphigenes was overwhelmed with sadness in such sort that Hee seemed to bee rather a fensless Statue than a living Creature Oh how it grieved him to bee divided in his exercises from him to whom his heart was so united by inclination To bee called to his studie was death to him but if for divertisement his Master permitted him to see the riding of the great Horse fencing dancing vaulting and other exercises which Iphigenes learned with as much care on his Parent 's part as dexteritie and aptness on his own hee applyed his Spirits with such attention to them that for a good while after hee could think on nothing else if hee handled a foile hee did it with such a grace if hee Jumped it was with such activeness that
hinder Iphigenes and Modestina's private communication and so handsomly did Liante with his ordinarie sadness hide from his Over-seer his affectionate pretensions Only Boleslaüs who watching like a Dragon that never shuts his eyes to preserve the secret of Iphigenes observed that the great familiarity 'twixt him and Liante put in evident danger of beeing revealed all the Mysterie which hee had till then concealed with so much care and fearing lest Liante rather than Modestina should discover what kind of man Iphigenes was had a serious conference thereupon with Aretuza who jumping with his opinion thought it most expedient to single out Iphigenes and declare unto her all the passages of her birth and education to the end that seeing her self obliged under pain of losing her life which punishment shee could not escape by discovering her self no more than Aretuza to keep this secret and so to demean her self that living with the libertie of Males Shee might no way blemish the honour of her sex Necessity which is a very harsh Mistres made them embrace his resolution and it was no sooner concluded than put in execution To tell you the astonishment that seized Iphigenes at the recitall of his own storie would bee too difficult an enterprise Hee thought that hee either dreamt or was inchanted and hardly could give credit to his ears and eyes The joy that the Maydens had or might have received being transformed into Men as some Histories make mention may make us conceive some shadow of that sadness which struck Iphigenes heart when hee saw himself fallen from that degree of glorie whereunto hee fancied the condition of being a Man might have raised him Hee could hardly refrain from falling out with those that had unseeled his eyes with the Medicine of their advertisement and who had dispossessed him like Trasimenes cured of his follie of that sweet errour which contented him Hee apprehended to be reduced to that almost servile Subjection of the female Sex having by Custome made Nature of the libertie which Men enjoy What shall this Amazon change her Sword and Lance for a Needle and a Distaff shall shee leave so many noble Exercises wherein her generous Spirit took such pleasure to sit constantly in a Chamber tricking up her self and consulting with her looking-glasses how to ensnare inflame lover ' s hearts What in stead of having the Empire and command over Men shall she be reformed to the submission and obedience that is the only portion and propertie of Women No such a resolution is less supportable than death Having been bred the beginning of her daies like a Man shee will end them like a Souldier and seek in the bed of Honor an heroick Death since shee hath lost the hope of a happy life But this resolution is too extream there 's a remedie for every thing but dying Aretuza flattered and as a Mother conjured her shee-Son not to disclose himself Boleslaüs to second her beseeched him to have pittie on his gray hairs and not to hasten his journie to the grave by paying with too unworthy an ingratitude his faithfull services representing that upon him who had been the Manager and Concealer of that Deceipt Mieslas would chiefly discharge the burthen of his furie if that Mysterie should come to his knowledg Moreover that the advertisement they gave him was not to oblige him to change neither manner of life nor habit or to leave the exercises of Chivalrie wherein his Courage and Activity gained the admiration of everie one But quite contrarie they desired him to continue them with more eagerness and to feine himself to bee a Man the more the less hee knew it That Time might produce some expedient means to gain his father's heart wihtout hazarding the lives of so manie persons and in stead of Modestina who could not bee his wife by reason of those obstacles which nature had interposed hee might lawfully injoy Liante as a Husband so that some one of their Children bare the Name and Arms of Mieslas whereby his intention would not bee altogether frustrated in the Alliance which hee projected with the house of Rosuald Judg how great the advnatages of Love are above the Sense of Friendship This last Clause which ingendred some Hope in Iphigenes to see herself united by marriage to the beloved Liante effaced almost in an instant that incomparable sorrow that dejected her at first seeing her self fallen from a quality so honourable and advnatagious as that of Man Insomuch that immediately changing the Love shee bare Modestina into a pure Friendship and the entire Friendship shee had contracted with Liante into a fervent Love but vertuous since that it justified it self by the design of a chast Matrimony shee personated a Man better then ever betook her self to her Military execises again with more eagerness looking upon Liante with other eyes than of a Brother-in-law Shee treated him with more reservedness deducting somewhat from the liberty of a Man to add to the moderation of a Virgin to whom Pudicity ought to be more precious than Life O how much did shee repent her possessing Clemencia with so much Love for Liante whereby shee had made her Sister her Rival and kindled a fire which shee ought rather to have quencht and which thence-forwards shee promised her self to smother by all the industrie her invention could suggest As for Modestina whose friendship obliged her to a reciprocall affection shee feined to be more passionate for her than ever and the better to act the Husband Shee made a shew of desiring with much ardour the possession of her wife being by that time neer fifteen years of age Perpetua wrote to Mieslas then at Court that shee should be constreined to suffer what shee could no longer hinder and that if Iphigenes would make use of Modestina as her Husband Modestina had no less desire to serve him as his Wife Mieslas who had desired nothing more than the accomplishment of that marriage out of an odd fantasticall humor would not consent to the Consummation but delayed it from day to day untill his return into Podolia But being not able to obtein leave from the King who finding him very fit for the managing great affairs had every day some new imployment for him Hee bethought himself to send for his Son to the Court which is the Theater of young Nobility where hee would present him to the King and make him appear according to his quality This Command somewhat troubled Aretuza at the first but Boleslaüs quickly perswaded her to condescend to that which shee could not oppose promising her to watch so carefully over the deportments of his Nursling that shee should receive neither reproach nor discontentment This news was diversly received among our yuong Lovers all their four hearts did feele at the same instant very different assualts For Modestina pressed with the just impatiences of a marriageable Virgin that expects till the maturity of a too-tender husband makes
Sentence of my Death I will write and sign it with my Blood and willingly fulfill your decree with the loss of my Life For preserving it for no other end than to employ it in your Majestie 's service I cannot lose it more honorably nor more advantagiously than to content you But since your Majesties have otherwise determined and that I am reserved to live that my Life may be as a lingring Death to mee I will yeild shamefully to those who procure my Disgrace choosing rather to faile by a faint hearted Obedience than defend my self with a rebellious Generosity Perhaps one day the Light may shine through the Darkness and that Time which maketh evident the most hidden things drawing Truth out of the bottom of the Well may render mee worthy to appear again before your Majesty with so much Advantage that my present Dammage will seem as the seed of my future Prosperity Imagine you if the Queen being a vertuous and mercifull Princess and a Woman of a tender Disposition and susceptible of Compassion could hear this long discourse without being somwhat moved So for his farther satisfaction shee gave him to understand That shee had been informed by the King that this sending him into his Government was not intended through any dislike of theirs but for reasons which regarded the State and the service of their Crown Assuring him that for her part shee had no prejudiciall oinion of him not suffering her self easily to bee carried away by slight suppositions and false reports which like importunate wasps are alwaies buzzing at the ears of Princes that hee might remain assured wherein shee could procure him any advantage or do him any good office to her Husband and Sovereign that shee would indeavour it with a sincere affection To these words which were worth mountains of Gold shee added no presents because those pass away but these remain and being more materiall give more occasion of Suspition from which shee desired to keep her self as fre as shee was from Crime Thus Iphigenes in an unheard-of manner was dismissed from Court with extraordinary Caresses from both their Majesties and which was admirable not dissembled To demand permission to pass through Podolia to take his wife thence with him into his Palatinate and to obtein it was all one The Courtiers those Protheusses who change according to the inclination of their Prince made in imitation of the King a thousand compliments to Iphigenes and large expressions of sorrow when some of their hearts leaped with joy at his departure The false accusers of Socrates Anitus and Melitus seeing the universall mourning of the Athenians for the death of that great Philosopher being haunted with Furies and tortured with the remorse of their own Consciences became their own Executioners The Calumniators of our Favorite were upon the point of giving themselves over to the like rage but they did more wisely to reserve themselves to a better end by repentance Those who thought to have pleased their Majesties in not accompanying Iphigenes found themselves deceived in their opinions receiving as little Countenance from the King as they shewed little Courtesie to him And those who did that civility to him were favourably looked upon at their return But how were they esteemed and applauded that rendring themselves his constant followers became partakers of his adverse as well as of his favorable Fortune They inverted the sense of this common saying The Fortunate are oppressed with Multitudes and Solitariness environeth the Miserable Some Flies now and then a Swallow is seen in winter and their rarity maketh them the more remarkable Those who abandon not their friends when Fortune knits her brows shew they are not led on by interest but that affection to the persons beloved doth attract them This apparent disgrace of Iphigenes did nothing diminish the ardent flames of the passionate Princess Respicia all that troubled her was his ominous Journey into Podolia which seemed to threaten the shipwrack of her pretensions What will not a heart resolve being touched with that fire which breeds the greater torment the more it is concealed To hinder the Consummation of his Marriage with Modestina which Mieslas had already prevented shee determined to follow Iphigenes and Mieslas into Podolia under pretence of affiancing the Prince Cassin with Clemencia and to indeavour to perswade Iphigenes to marry her Daughter Simphoroza though there was nothing more far from her intention than the latter If Modesty had permitted shee would have put her self amongst that troop of Courtiers that accompanyed Iphigenes amongst whom the Prince Cassin was the first in quality and in rank taking this occasion to assist his future Brother-in-law and see his Mistress The brave Pomeran inviolably wedded to the fortune of Iphigenes was likewise of the number As also Argal and Pisides who being a Lord Castellain in the Palatinate of Vratislaü and of an antient family resolved to employ all his own means and use the utmost of his friend's power to serve Iphigenes after his arrivall in his Government Besides a great train of other Noblemen and Gentlemen of Podolia that returned from Court with Mieslas Iphigenes in this pompous retirement was like a certain sort of Tapers which composed of Aromaticall ingredients exhale not so much sweet odor burning as when extinguished or Incense which smoaketh not untill put on the coals and spices that render no sent untill they are beaten This I say because the reputation of Iphigenes was greater in his absence than in his presence Privation making the injoyment of him more valuable And as a Beard grows thicker after shaving so his Renown increased under the Razor of Detraction Mieslas being entred into his Palatinate made his Son bee received with the greatest delights and honours that hee could devise but it was to make him taste Gall after this Honey give him an after course not conformable to this first Service for being arrived at the place of his residence hee neither found his wife Modestina nor his Brother-in-law Liante with Aretuza whereat hee expressed no slight discontent And although by an especiall providence of Heaven Mieslas had inclosed Modestina in a place inaccessible by any force which might serve for a specious pretext to Iphigenes to keep hid the defect which hindred him from acting the husband really yet hee feined to bee very sensible of the injury they did him in debarring him of the possession of Her whom hee could not injoy in that quality hee pretended by reason of the obstacles which Nature had imposed at his Creation His Mother to whom hee communicated all his designes could not enough admire with what grace and industry hee concealed his condition and dazled the Eyes of such quick-sighted overseers Whilest hee fumed and raged to have his Wife released towards whom if they had granted his request hee knew not how to behave himself as a Husband Mieslas opposed the rigor of his Fatherly Authority alleadging That his
his Sister Merinda apart who hee perceived had some Credit with Almeria conjuring her to bee favourable to him and perswade her Companion to accept of him for her Husband Merinda being ready to burst with laughing had all the pain in the World to keep her Tongue from blabbing and dissemble what shee knew but the fidelity which shee had sworn to Almeria forbad her to undeceive Manile by declaring the truth of the Story only shee advised him to withdraw his thoughts from that Object representing to him how vaine and indiscreet a thing it was for him to seek his Pleasure to the prejudice of his Honour that marrying one who formerly had lived loosely it would be a perpetuall Reproach and Confusion to him if ever it came to bee divulged Besides that Hee could not but bee in a continuall Jealousie and Apprehension lest such a wife should return to her former lightness and that the humours of Maids bred up in Citties were very hard to bee discerned in regard they concealed as many crafty devices in their heads as a Leopard discovereth spots in his skin Yet all these Remonstrances made no Impression in Manile's minde being determined to have Almeria or perish All this was but the beginning of the Labyrinth in which those Country-Spirits did finde themselves involved It hapned one day as Merinda was looking for something in her Trunk that Remonda her younger Sister came unexpectedly into the Chamber where seeing a Man's apparell which seemed to her very costly Curiosity an accident inseparable to the Nature of that Sex egged her to inquire to whom those Cloaths belonged Merinda surprised a little at her demand remained some time without replying at length being urged to an answer her affection which had sharpned her wit suggested her to pay the other's Importunity with this ready Evasion These are the Cloathes said shee which Almeria wore when shee came for refuge hither How Almeria sayd Remonda These are Men's Cloathes That 's granted replyed Merinda for shee disguised her self in this habit to avoid the fury of her Parents who would have Persecuted her to Death Why so answered the inquisitive Remonda what had shee done mee think 's there is nothing more Sweet nor faire conditioned than Shee Then Merinda related to her the same Fiction wherewith Celian had fed the curiosity of Manile with charge not to speak of it for her life which afterwards occasioned a strange confusion For People of that Nature have never a greater itch to bee Tatling than when they are commanded to be Silent and the greater the danger is the more are they tempted to reveal it This was not all Celian had another Son marryed to the Daughter of a rich Husbandman not far off who since his Marriage lived in his Father-in-law's House Lupicin so was this Elder Son called coming sometimes to visite his Father had no sooner Invisaged Almeria but asking who shee was Remonda told him all shee knew and added of her own what her Imagination did dictate Whereupon hee being not very fond of his Wife whose disposition was none of the meekest entertained presently a conceit that hee should render her more carefull to please him if in her presence hee should make shew of some inclination to Almeria but the Event was otherwise for shee grew horn-mad with Jealousie Flâ—urial brother to Belida Lupicin's wife had no sooner observed this new Star on that Horizon but hee was touched with her Influences and became Manile's Rivall Merinda and Remonda before Almeria's coming had both of them Servants that is Young-men of their condition that made Love to them But as in the presence of a Diamond the Loadstone loseth the Naturall Vertue it hath of attracting Iron So since Almeria's Arrivall they lost all their attractions and were as little minded as Stars at Mid-day there were no eyes but to gaze upon the handsome stranger shee was the Rock whereon they all suffred Shipwrack or rather the Altar where they Sacrificed their Vows Merinda who saw all this Maze and laught at the severall passages with Almeria was little troubled for the Inconstancy of Antalcas who was her pretendant having higher thoughts than hee according to the hopes wherewith Almeria fed her Fancy But Jealousie transported Remonda into strange fits of Fury seeing her self robbed of the Eyes Heart and Conversation of her Polemas who before hee had seen Almeria's face expressed so much affection and sealed his Protestations to her with so many Oaths Whereupon this spightfull Female fell into such tearms of Precipitation against Almeria that shee did render her the most Infamous Creature under the Heavens adding to the Story Celian had framed so many other horrid Circumstances that it seemed Heaven had not Thunderbolts enough nor the Earth Punishments sufficient to expiate the Imaginary crimes of Almeria which shee published every where for truths If her Father chid or threatned her that did but irritate her spleenfulll appetite of scandalizing the Innocent stranger Yet for all this her Sweet-heart looked no more after her his Passion for Almeria either stopping his ears against the injurious Reproaches which shee vomited against him and this new Object of his thoughts or else making him believe that it was meerly Calumnie proceeding from the Envie which possessed her for being frustrated of his Services Merinda who gave her the Lie at every turn and who said as much in defence of her Companion effaced by her commendations the malicious detraction of her Sister and in respect wee are apt to believe what wee desire that troop of Rivalls suffered themselves to bee perswaded by her that spake advantageously of the Common Object of their affections rather than by her whose invectives discovered so visible a Passion that had shee spoken truths they would have sounded in their Ears but as fictions But as when blustering Boreas and the South wind are in contention the Air and Sea are filled with Storms and Tempests in such sort that it seem's as if those two Elements would exchange their Centers So when Belida's Jealousie together with Remonda's railing came to joyn or rather to oppose give the shock to Merinda's justifications of Almeria it made as foul an House as can be imagined to bee amongst vulgar Women that quarrell where all Speak and none Heare Reason being banished from their Pratling Who ever saw a Company of Birds gathered together about an Owl some pecking it some admiring as it were it's form and all crying after that Night theef hath seen a shadow of this Medlie of Passions for one poor Subject some of Love some of Envie others of Jealousie and all as foolish as disorderly And indeed what else can be expected from Rusticks Amongst whom Fleurial was one of the most eager who not knowing that his Brother-in-Law Lupicin made shew of love to Almeria for any other end than to reduce his Wife to Reason by some prick of Jealousie casting Oyl upon the Fire of his Sister's Fury set
Confidence in your Fidelity This Fire which you think so great or which you fear will grow to se great a Blaze is but a little spark which I desire to Choak not to Cherish For beside the solemn Protestations which I make to Heaven never to admit within my Soul any thought of Unfaithfulness or Impurity I must absolutely have renounced all Honour and Reason if I should suffer my desires to stoop so low as the Condition of Almeria But this is a plot which I have invented wherein I have need of your assistance to cover my dissimulation that Respicia losing all hopes of conquering me and my Father fearing lest this fantasie may ruine my Fortune may consent to render mee possessor of my Modestina without whom mee-think's the light of the Sun is irksome to my sight Judge you then Dear Friend if my Intention bee unjust or my wounds inflamed by the remedy which I apply to them This would not bee the first time answered Pomeran that the Antidote were changed into poison Violent cures are alwaies dangerous wee never make use of Irons and Fire but in extremities and when 't is feared that the Gangrene will hasten Death Wee cannot judge of Counsels and Enterprises by the beginning but by the Event It hapneth oftentimes that a Mutinous People seeking to shake off the Yoak of their Naturall and Legitimate Prince do fall by their revolting under the Domination of a strange Tyrant not acquiring the Liberty which they pretended but having only changed a bad Master for a worse Physick is not alwaies in season and that which is good for one is hurtfull to another That which you are about to take is as if in stead of casting your self from a precipice you should fall into the Fire Some potions are harder to bee taken than our Diseases to bee supported and mee-think's there is an Hook under this Bait Therefore I conjure you by all the glory which accompanies you to manage well and bee charie of your Renown bee not carried away inconsiderately by these Passions which will render you no less ridiculous than you have hitherto been remarkable for so many Heroick and Generous Actions The Sixth Book ARGUMENT Iphigenes under the Name of Iphis attended by Pomeran Argal Pisides and Boleslaus all disguised like Countrey-Fellowes goes to Celian's Village and make's Love to Almeria The Jealousie of the Swains and their Malicious Combination against these Strangers Almeria's Loving Speech to Iphigenes His no less Passionate than Ambiguous Answer Iphigenes the better to injoy his Almeria's Company and blinde his own Friend's Eyes as well as the Clown 's procure's himself to bee received likewise into Celian's Service Almeria by another feined story of Herself staggers the belief of the other Shepherdesses more than ever Their Plot against her Iphis and the other disguised strangers The severall Censures of Iphigenes's Friends for his Disguisement Iphis overcomes by Presents the Malice of his Clownish Enviers Iphigenes and Almeria accompanied by Boleslaus onely steal privately away into the Woods The sense of the Feined as well as the reall Swains concerning their departures Almeria and Iphis having changed Cloaths in the Woods shee take's the Name of Calliante and hee calls himself Scrife Their parting from each other the better to effect their Stratagem Pomeran with his Companions and the Countrie Men going to seek Iphigenes meet with his Hunts-men The manner of their incounter and the fall of the Stag they hunted Iphigenes or Serife's Dream Her own interpretation of it Her Meditation IPHIGENES beeing out of hope of winning Pomeran to favour his Desires I see said hee you are too serious to accompany mee in this merriment but I know when you see the issue of it you will bee sorry that you deprived your self of a pleasure which might have afforded you much contentment For my own particular I am sure to come safe enough out of these imaginary dangers and that I shall take no more Passion than my Reason will bee able to over-rule Whereupon Pomeran thus made answer I am your Friend in all seasons Summer Winter in Favour and in Disgrace I have forsaken the Court to follow you and I will leave the City to attend you in your Rurall Recreations with you Imprisonment is Liberty to mee Solitude a Paradice and without you the Court is a forlorn Desart I have served you in Combats and in Duells beeing resolved to be yours as well in Death as in Life I am upon the least summons ready to go with you upon any Exploit though ne're so dangerous And having given you my advice with all Sincerity and Affection it is now my turn to embrace your's without seeking any further Reason than your Will If you run your self into destruction I will bee destroyed with you but give mee leave to lament your ruin more than mine own which is much less considerable than yours wheresoever you go I will die at your feet and in the Obedience which I have vowed to your command To this Iphigenes presently replied I love voluntary Sacrifices Friendship admit's of none but free persons on board of her Galley shee will have no forced service I should bee sorry that you should do out of constraint what ought to proceed from an hearty cheerfulness I am sorry for the contradiction that I have caused to your Humour which I perceive at present is not disposed to Mirth for my own part I had rather Die with hunger than Live upon Alms I cherish my friends according to their Fancies if they are joviall I rejoyce and I am sad at that which afflicts them However I love you n'ere the less Pomeran for I know it is the Excess of your good Will to mee which make's you fear where there is no occasion Therefore you may use what Exercise you please whilest with Argal Pisides and some others of my friends who will not stand upon such niceties I will take a Recreation which I hold to bee innocent and wherein I will do my indeavour to hinder Malice from introducing any of her stratagems My proposing of those Reasons said Pomeran was not to oppose them against your Will but to let you see with what measure I march in your service for you may believe mee although I do not suspect your pleasures in the least but believe your intentions are upright and sincere yet I must tell you that what hath reference to your Advantage and Glory toucheth mee more neerly than what concern's your pastimes In which I shall not bee wanting nevertheless to attend you so that my presence bee not offensive or suspected For in such case I will rather retire my self to remove an Object from your Eyes that may bee an occasion of your perpetuall trouble and bar you of the Liberty of Speech or Actions Iphigenes beeing desirous to preserve so reall a Friend and knowing that first or last the success would disabuse him not to give him any cause of Discontent consented
to make against Iphis. Sir replied Serife I believe our disasters are arrived to such an height that there can bee nothing added to their extremity and if every thing which hath attained to its just plenitude is accustomed to diminish according to the course of Nature me-think's in our Despair this glimpse of Hope is yet remaining that henceforwards wee ought to look for the Decreasing of our Miseries since they cannot increase without augmenting to infinitie Your seeking and mine tend both to the same end though by different wayes wee aim at the same Blank from severall Stations You lament the loss of your Honour wounded by the lightness of your Sister and I bemoan the Levitie of my Husband who by a cruell Change doth unworthily abuse my Loyalty I am confident if without Passion you could compare one affliction with the other you would bee constrained to judge in my favour ah wretched favour and acknowledge that I am the most miserable But it is hard especially in matters of Misfortune for a Man to be an equitable Judge in his own cause in regard a Straw in our own Eyes or a scratch upon our Bodies is more painfull to us than a Beam in the sight or a great wound in the Body of another Madam answered Calliante if all did run in the Race of Infelicity every one would think hee were first at the End For there is no one living but esteem's his own Misfortunes the greatest in the World and thence proceeds so many lamentable Complaints wherewith the distressed fill the Aire But this is a miserable contestation wherein it is more advantagious to bee the Conquered than Conquerour Nevertheless since in all things wee strive to overcome by an innate desire which wee cannot leave but with our Lives give mee leave to tell you that if those who lose their means as it passeth in some places for a Proverb do lose their Senses with what fury ought they to bee transported who are robb'd of their Honour which all well-tempered Minds will alwayes prefer not onely before the favours of Fortune but their own Lives This make's mee run in this inraged manner through the World seeking my Sister either to dip this Weapon in her Blood if shee hath forgotten herself so far as to dishonour our Family by an irreparable fault or to venture my own life with her Ravisher who I am informed is your Husband At these words pronounced with an angry Tone and an haughty Countenance Serife began to Stagger and as if one had plunged a Dagger in her Heart Shee let her self sink down betwixt the beloved Arms of Calliante who never received so acceptable a burthen as shee never swounded with so much delight This Fainting was beyond Jest proceeding not from Sorrow but the excess of Contentment which transported her at the Presence of an Object dearer to her than the whole Vniverse besides yet the aspersion of a little cool Water upon her Face recalled her Spirits from that amorous traunce As an Infant sleeping betwixt it's Nurse's Arms doth open leisurely it's little Eyes when shee spurts out of her Brests some drops of Milk upon its Face so gracefully did Serife unclose her's feeling her Cheeks bedewed with some Tears which Apprehension and Tenderness had squeezed out of Calliante's Eyes beeing troubled at this unexpected Accident This tempest beeing past Calliante fell into another beeing assaulted on all sides with the Reproaches and Accusations of the Assistants for having raised that Storm which blasted all the Flowers that appeared so Lively and so Lovely in that Ladie 's Countenance Alas said hee carrying Compassion in his Looks persecute mee no more for a fault which hath brought it's Repentance with it and for which I crave this vertuous Ladie 's and the whole Companie 's Pardon I confess that my indiscreet Expressions did hurry her even to the threshold of Death but I am so sorry for having reduced her to that extremity that I protest by the Beauty of her Eyes whose light I shall ever hereafter most inviolably honour to belie those audacious Words by contrary Effects turning the fury of my Passion against my Sister and my own Blood and re-gain Her the possession of that Husband whose disloyalty rendereth him unworthy of her Merits and whom notwithstanding shee seem's so passionately to affect Courteous Sir replied Serife as your first speeches precipitated mee into the pit of Death this second give 's mee a desire to Live But have a care to verifie your words if you will have mee esteem you a Gentleman of Honour Madam said Calliante if Death prevent mee not in the attempt I will exactly perform my Promise For I had rather lose my Life than stain my Honour with the breach of my Word A more sensible affront cannot be done to any Man than that which our Family receiveth from your Husband but I remit the Vengeance to Heaven and lay my interest at your Feet resolving to exercise my Indignation onely against that unadvised Girle who hath suffered herself to be abused by him and who by her indiscretion hath blemished the honour of our House If you forgive my Husband for Heaven's sake and my consideration with all my Heart I pardon Almeria th' offence which shee hath committed against mee But if Courtesie the Queen of gentile Spirits like your's hath any ascendant over your Heart I conjure you to let it plead for Mee and obtain the Favour which I shall demand of you Demand not Madam answered Calliante but Command For I esteem it as great a glory to obey you as I should bee sensible of shame to refuse you any thing were it to the hazard not onely of my Fortunes but of my Life and Honour I do not use to make any such Reservations when I tender my services to Ladies of your Quality especially when they are accompained with such Vertue and Graces as you possess Sir replied Serife I am so far from desiring any thing prejudiciall to your Fortunes Honour or Life that clean-contrary I Study the preservation of them all together beseeching you to pardon your Sister and not to execute any Vengeance upon Her Person Shee is your own Flesh and Blood and as it were another self Why do I say another Self These Shepherdesses who have seen you both tell mee that one drop of Water is less like another than you two so that you seem not onely to bee Twins but the same Person there beeing none living able to distinguish the one from the other and that would not take Her for Calliante if shee were in your Cloathes and you for Almeria if you were in Her 's For which Heavens forbid if in the heat of your Passion you should dip your Hands in the Blood of that miserable Creature who could exempt you from expiating that Parricide by the loss of your Honour Life and Fortunes I say by the prosecution of humane Justice which though you should finde means to escape would
least susceptible of pitty which gave occasion to Serife to return it these words Pittifull Bird the living Emblem of my condition thou comest very opportunely to present thy self to my view and teach mee to bemoan in an accent like thine the Miseries that afflict mee Thou makest us sufficiently understand that thou hast lost thy Mate either by the cruell stroak of Death or some sinister straying and thy Groans reverberating the Eccho's of these Woods seem either to recall him to Life or to carry him news of thee to the end by his return thou maist give o're complaining Sweet Dove thou hast no Gall neither hast thou any need of it For thou art assured that his unfaithfullness will never give thee cause to express any anger Alas I am not so perfect nor so happy for the jealousie which devour's mee take's away all sense of sweetness and make's mee hate to live by reason of the inconstancy of him who hath made mee so many deep Protestations never to be capable of disloyalty Go pretty Pigeon and since I have Married my Accents with thine direct thy speedy Wings towards the place where my perfidious Iphis now is and if thou canst not make him consider the torment which his ingratitude causeth mee to suffer make him ashamed by thy presence and let him see that Men more unreasonable in their irregular dispositions than Animals which have no understanding may learn of them Lessons of Fidelity and Temperance Shee had continued longer in this mournfull strain if Calliante seeming to fear lest the excess of sorrow should transport her into some unseemly extravagance had not broke off her Speech telling her that to talk to Birds and to sow upon the Sands were things equally absurd That shee ought to hope for better Fortune and take the consolation which is commonly given to young Widdowes which is that by the loss of one Husband they may have the choyce of divers others And beeing of a Joviall Disposition especially in these delightfull Recreations having a greater desire to pass his time in Laughing than Lamenting he fancied an Air to some Lines in answer as hee said of the Turtle 's mournfull Tune So with a very agreeable Voyce hee animated these STANCES THese Pains assail not you alone For among Mortalls there 's not one But feel's his Reason overswai'd Sometimes there are no Souls whom Love Hath to such Discontents betrai'd But like Effects of Pitty move Why by an Humour then so Blinde Which disturb's your Riper Minde Feed you your Thoughts with bitter Pain Since t' is the Poyson of the Heart Rather by Custome to complain Than by Reason ease the Smart Some transports of Grief's excess May bee excused I confess But how can you e're justify These Afflictions indiscreet Whereby you seeme an Enemy To that Face and Eyes so sweet What Trespass hath that Golden Tress Of Lover's Vows the dear Address Done to deserve the Penalty Of so Severe a Punishment And receive the Salarie Of Crimes whereof 't is Innocent Th' Ingratefull whom you thus bemoan What rare Perfections can Hee own To merit that away should fade The beauteous Roses of your Face And let pale Sorrow thus invade And play the Tyrant in their place Appease the Tumults of your Brest Change these Distractions into Rest And by the End of this sad Rage To oblige some better Spirits Rob not your Beauties from this Age Which hath its Glory from your Merits If the Power you call to Minde Wherewith your Graces use to blinde Beholders when your Eyes are calm Of Dying quit that strange Desire And don 't reject that glorious Palm VVhich by their Luster you acquire As long Hair imbellisheth handsome Faces and rendereth more ugly those that are ill-favoured So Musick hath that property to inlighten Hearts inclined to Mirth and augment the Sadness of those that are Melancholly The Gentlemen and Shepherdesses whose Spirits began to droop at Serife's heaviness were much rejoyced with this Singing but the afflicted Ladie 's heart seemed to bee deeper sunk in Sorrow These sweet words were to those dull Rustick Souls like Pearls cast before Creatures incapable to judge of their value but they were otherwise understood by the Courtiers who judging of the Lyon by the Claw by this Essay of Calliante's wit whom they still took to bee Almeria presently gathered this conjecture that the Palatine was more in Love with the Beauty of her Minde than of her Body which was comely enough for a Man but hardly handsome for a Woman After a little time Serife having weighed in her Thoughts the sense of Calliante's Verses as soon as shee demanded it obteined leave to evaporate these SIGHES WHen Soul wilt thou injoy some Rest Leaving the Prison of this Brest When shall thy Dayes and Pains have End Since thy Griefs beyond compare Have onely the last Hope to friend Of those that perish with Despaire Yet when this Body pale as Lead Augment's the number of the Dead How shalt thou assurance have To see the End of thy Torment If separated by the Grave To Thee remain's yet Sentiment Heavens Directors of our Fate Planets who like a Reprobate Condemn mee to bee miserable If all things else their Limits know Why will you render Memorable By it's Eternity my Woe Fortune hath made my troubled Heart The Mark of each malicious Dart The Source is dreined of my Tears And now are alwayes in my Sight Of the dire Furie's Torch the Fears In stead of Titan's pleasing Light Alas what Light can mee rejoyce Since separated from my Choice The Morning-Star of my Delight This is the worst of Tyrannies To rob It of Its glorious Light Or to bereave Mee of my Eyes By hiding Him from outward view Vnkindest Spirits what think you My inward Faculties to blinde And by th' Essay of your dread Ire Stealing the Pleasure of my Minde To barr mee also of Desire No treacherous Ingratitude Who of my Sense's servitude The Patience dost exercise By Calms and Tempests as you please With no less Fury than do rise The Windes to agitate the Seas Know that by a generous wound Rage in my dearest Blood had drown'd My wretched Life with this Disgrace If through a fond Timidity My Fury had not given place To the Feare of displeasing thee The Courtiers who were onely able to discern the Vivacity of this Reply and not to savour simply the Air as the Shepherdesses did but tast the Sweetness which was comprised in these Lines were hereby invited to display afresh all their Rhetorick to conjure that Sorrow which Serife feined with such dexterity that they could hardly believe it was a Fiction but that shee had taken that Cloak to cover the reall Resentments of her Passion for Almeria And with joynt supplications they never ceased importuning her untill they had drawn a solemn promise from her Mouth to requite Calliante's courtesie by changing the Resolution shee seemed to have taken of Dying as at her
mee already too long I pray thank him for his courteous proffer and tell him that I left not his House with an intent to return any more with my good will Hee hath put us so in his House that hee hath drawn our House into his and not content to deprive us of our Estates hee will yet triumph over our Liberty which is the greatest happiness on Earth Sir said hee to whom Mieslas had given the command do not take it so wee have order to carry you to him alive or dead be you willing or unwilling and you had better go quietly with us than oblige us to bind you and drag you along the streets for wee are resolved to execute faithfully what hee hath injoyned us Is it thus answered the disguised Liante that you treat persons of my Quality Lett 's goe then since I must follow the Destinies and submit to the Law of Necessity I hope his Majesty beeing informed of this Violence will do mee Justice and deliver mee speedily out of the Hands of his Tyranny So they went to the Palace where Mieslas had given order to imprison Liante in a close Chamber with a strong Guard untill hee should bee further resolved what to do with him Hee would not suffer him to come into his presence lest his tender Age and supplications should kindle any spark of pitty in his inhumane brest Next Morning lest the intreaties or authority of Iphigenes in his own Palatinate should restore him to Liberty his Cruelty suggested to his Fancy the most barbarous resolution that e're was harboured in the heart of Man to bee quit of that innocent Creature whose Gardian hee was and whom hee ought to have cherished as the apple of his Eye But to what will that execrable hunger of Riches and the stings of Ambition not transport men's thoughts In Histories wee finde some examples of Fathers and Mothers who renouncing all interest of Nature have either murthered or made blinde their own children for the Jealousie of ruling What doth this savage Sarmatian to extinguish absolutely in the race of his Predecessor in the Palatinate of Podoha the hope of Progeny and by that means make all the inheritance sure to his own Family Hee gave order to deliver the Prisoner into the hands of certain bloudy Villains fully disposed to the execution of his Barbarisms commanding them to carry him back to his Prison in Podolia and make him an Eunuch by the way or kill him in case hee would not suffer that affront which is the most sensible that any mortall could receive These rugged Executioners led away the supposed Liante threatning him with Death to make him condescend to suffer that indignity by the desire of Life But before his departure they bade him examine his Conscience and prepare himself for a journy longer than hee imagined not onely from Plocens into Podolia but out of this World into the next Some of Iphigenes followers having intelligence of this Tyranny and abhorring it were inraged they could not prevent it and hee that had been the imprudent Instrument of the poor Gentleman's beeing apprehended was ready to bee his own Executioner fearing the just indignation of his Master when hee should come to the knowledge of so unjust and horrid a Fact Among the rest Arcade having notice thereof thinking to oblige his Master by advertising him and desiring to save the miserable Liante's Life presently took Horse and rode with all possible speed unto that part of the Forest where few Dayes before hee had met Iphigenes and served him under the name of Serife where not finding him after much inquiry hee learn't the way to Celian's Village The report of those Stranger 's imprisonment beeing dispersed all over that part of the Country at his arrivall in the Village hee asked to speak with the Lord Palatine about some business of great importance At the first the People laughed at him thinking that his coming had been some new Imposture and illusion to dazle the Eyes of their Judges and hinder them from doing Justice At length hee spake so much Reason that they took his Folly for Discretion and to act with more assurance they apprehended him and put him into another room of the Prison to hear more at leasure his depositions Wherein hee declared that hee demanded a Nobleman habited like a Gentlewoman who made herself bee called Serife for private reasons which hee knew not That this Nobleman was his Master and that this Master was Palatine of Plocens named Iphigenes That there was hapned since his absence an occurrence which required his presence So necessarily that it concerned no less than the Life of one of those persons whom hee esteemed the dearest in the World This relation waken'd the Judge's attention For Arcade spake so seriously that they could not think hee came to deceive them Yet before they told him that Serife was in Prison they led him to Boleslaüs Chamber who asked him at the first sight What Arcade is my Lord out of Prison doth hee take pleasure to make us lie languishing here For my part I comprehend not his meaning but I finde no Felicity in such Pastimes I prethee bid him leave off these Fopperies speedily at least if hee will oblige mee How answered Arcade should I tell him that I know not where hee is these People have made mee a Prisoner I know not whether it bee by his Order or by Inchantment but I am sure there is a business in hand at Plocens for which I am come hither that require's none of these delayes unless hee will suffer his Brother-in Law to lose his Life What replied Boleslaüs much troubled have they sent Calliante to Plocens what talk you of Calliante said Arcade I know no such Man but I say Liante my Master's Wive's Brother That is the same I mean answered Boleslaus and whom they have put in Prison here with us I know not said Arcade wherefore you are Prisoners unless it bee to please the Palatine's Fancy but I cannot conceive what pleasure there is in keeping you penn'd up thus Is it not that hee may have more liberty to dally in the Woods with his Diana Malediction light upon her shee is cause that my Master is dishonoured and his reputation lost at Court and all over Polonia There 's no other discourse at Plocens but of his Loves and no body knowing the certainty Every one speak's according to his own Fancy Hee is so far said Boleslaus from giving any such command that I tell thee both Hee and Liante with Pomeran Pisides Argal and my self are all Prisoners here in severall Chambers whether the Palatine take pleasure in it or commanded it so I cannot say But wee have been now five or six Dayes in this trouble neither can wee yet tell what these People intend to do with us And I know less Answered Arcade how they mean to deal with mee whom they have likewise apprehended for no other
Marriage with Modestina Therefore not to dive any further into the business before so many hearers he left Liante under the Guard of two of his company telling them that he must first see the Palatine or speak with Boleslaus So going forth hee seized upon the Judge and told him that hee must shew him where the PALATINE was What Palatine said hee Ha replied Humbertus roughly there 's no jesting nor trifling with mee I ask for IPHIGENES Governour of this Palatinate who is Prisoner here Sir answered the Judge if I were to die immediately I am not able to tell you where hee is nor what hee is For hee is one whom I never saw At least said Humbertus you shall let mee see Him that wrote mee this Letter hee is an old Man The Judge having demanded to see the Letter and having read it Ah! treacherous old Man cried hee are these the Mountaines of Gold which thou wer't to bring forth Then without farther intreaty his Messenger desiring him to release him out of his pain hee conducted Humbertus with his attendants to Boleslaüs Chamber who in few words gave him the full Relation of their Comicall Chace their severall disguises and their imprisonment which had like to have had a Tragicall conclusion Then resigning his place to the Judge Sir said Boleslaüs to Humbertus Let us now go directly to the Palatine For although for his pastime hee hath been Author of all this I fear his own trouble is not the least and when hee is free wee shall easily release the rest This said the Judge beeing Manacled was forced to go before to shew them where hee had put Madam Serife For Boleslaüs who knew the secret told him that shee was the Palatine whom they sought and that now hee should make him believe by good tokens those verities which hee before so much slighted and laughed at When Serife saw Boleslaüs entring into her room Ah! Father said shee what good Angell hath brought you hither to release mee out of this Captivity where I was in the greatest perplexity imaginable Whereupon Boleslaüs told her his Stratagem in sending for that Troop which was commanded by Humbertus who attended her pleasure at the dore O Father said Iphigenes suffer him not to come in For I should bee yet more afflicted if hee should see mee in Woman's Cloaths bid him command one of the Guards to give mee his and let him take one of the Peasant's habits that I may quickly get out of this Dungeon where I have indured so much unworthiness This command was presently performed and Iphigenes appeared in the form of Iphis not of Serife before her Guards Shee was no sooner out but Passion made her ask for Liante Alas Sir said Humbertus I left him in the Prison with two Souldiers to guard him but hee is in a pittifull condition I cannot but grieve at his disaster yet it concerne's not us to contradict our Master's will How in a pittifull condition Sir said Humbertus your Grandeur knowe's better than I the whole story Tell mee Humbertus replied Iphigenes what story Then the Captain related to him what hee had heard of Mieslas order in Plocens which hee believed his Father would not have commanded without communicating it to him This so troubled Iphigenes that hee could not bee satisfied without going to see him notwithstanding Humbertus diswaded him all hee could beeing come to Liante's Prison where hee found a multitude of Clowns crouding in hee commanded his Souldiers to seize upon them all and advancing neer Liante who lay upon the ground all covered with blood and dust and loaden with Irons What is the matter Brother said hee in what equipage do I see you These are your sports replied Liante angerly you may end them when you please but I am sure they have almost ended mee How ended said Iphigenes It was this infamous Generation of Clownish Rascalls answered Liante that hath put mee in the pickle you see mee and if my paines are a pleasure to you you may let mee alone in my misery Death it self will bee welcom to mee if it proceed from your Hand or Order But you would oblige mee very much to send mee into the Wars where I might lose my Life with Honour and not bee butchered by these Ox-drivers All this was a Riddle to Iphigenes and Boleslaüs for having been kept every one in a severall room they knew nothing of each other's sufferings And it beeing then no time to stand long in Discourse Iphigenes contented himself to protest to Liante that hee was innocently the cause of that imprisonment whereof hee was not then to repent but that hee was in no wise consenting to the treacherous design of Mieslas which hee would most evidently make appear What do you talke to mee of Mieslas Replied Liante whilest they were loosing his bands I think that Sorcerer Arcade hath inchanted you as well as mee and hath made you believe I know not what story of your Father concerning mee which is the most ridiculous Tale that e're I heard Is it not so then said Iphigenes What Brother have you not been in the hands of Mieslas his servants I have neither seen Mieslas nor any that have relation to him onely Arcade whom they brought hither to mee th' other day told mee that hee was at Plocens and that hee had caused me to be apprehended there with severall other idle circumstances which cannot proceed but from a distracted Brain You have then no other harm than what these Peasants have done you said Iphigenes Or than you have made them do mee continued Liante but if I get once free of these bonds I 'le make them feel the weight of my Fingers Have you no other wounds than what wee see said Iphigenes No other answered hee but if I had not been succoured in time and if Humbertus had not appeared when hee did but you gave him his just time that your Game might bee compleat they threatned to do mee the greatest affront that ever was offered to any Man and expose my Body naked to the view of every Passenger and not satisfied with that shame which I hold worse than Death they purposed to make mee die publickly by the authority of the Justice against which they taxed mee for having committed a Rebellion in defending my self against their insolences which they said could be no otherwise washed away than in my own Blood but all this I believe was but to fright mee Hereupon Humbertus said softly to Iphigenes Sir there is nothing more certain than that Mieslas servants have delivered him into these Peasant's hands to execute that shamefull Commandement which hee had imposed on them If it bee so replied Iphigenes aloud I will make them bee hanged immediately in my own presence If you do not answered Calliante I shall say that you had a hand in it and though I were to bee hewed in a thousand pieces there is not one of them but
of mee would bee acceptable to you It was to convey her out of Prison which I effected very fortunately having covered her with one of my Suits and having provided Horses in a convenient place not far thence I conducted her hither where shee commanded mee to take the habit wherein you see mee whilest shee went abroad to inquire after you And here was confirmed to her the newes which made her resolve to finde you out beeing pricked with Jealousie and the apprehension of losing you by a Passion which shee was informed possessed you for a Shepherdess in these Neighbouring Forests whom you were reported to have been resolved to marry But her ill fortune was at the arrivall of Mieslas to bee observed by some of his followers or yours and to bee taken by them for Liante by reason of her likeness to him in Face and her beeing in Man's cloaths Upon this mistake shee was apprehended by order from Mieslas and I hear that hee hath sent her back into Podolia to the same Castle where Liante was Prisoner But when shee is known I believe shee will bee sent where shee was before with her Governess Perpetua And I My Lord remain here destitute of all relief having no hope but in your Pity no confidence but in your Mercy If I have transgressed in serving her in her desires which proceeded onely from the extream and incomparable affection shee bears you I am ready to receive such punishment as you shall please to ordain If your more favourable censure judge mee not culpable I flie for refuge under your Protection against the fury of Mieslas who will make mee bee torne in pieces if hee come to know that I have contributed any thing to her escape For hee dreaded nothing so much as to see her with you Iphigenes seeing that Menochius ended there his Speech asked him if hee knew no farther news of Modestina No answered hee For fearing to discover my self I durst not inquire after any other particulars By this Discourse Iphigenes presently perceived what gave the rise to that Report which Arcade brought him into the Prison and the veile fell from those Enigma's which held his imagination in suspense But this was to him a falling out of the Frying-pan into the Fire for as his Passion for Liante was great so his Affection to Modestina was not ordinary and if hee would have desired to change his Sex it should have been meerly for her sake and to bee really her Husband none among all the Ladies hee had ever seen deserving more than Modestina to possess his Body as well as his Heart And indeed Iphigenes had lost much of the glory of his sweet Disposition if hee had done less than love Her who besides their long education together the conformity of their humours and the bond of their Souls came to give him so remarkeable an evidence of her Love exposing her person to so many perills to seek him enjoy the felicity of his Presence So Liante being already secured from his Father's rage all his care was bent towards Modestina as the Object which had most need of his succour and having dismissed Menochius after advising him to continue in that Woman's habit and stir little abroad untill Mieslas were returned to Court promising him his Protection and Assistance against whomsoever and in acknowledgement of the service which hee had rendred to Modestina hee filled his hand with a good summe of Gold as an earnest of the favours hee would do him assuring him in mean time to exempt him from Danger and Necessity Which done hee cast himself upon his Bed overwhelmed with such a multitude of thoughts that his Eye-lids were hardly closed all night For his Heart beeing divided betwixt Modestina and Liante and suspended like a piece of Iron between two Load-stones hee knew not which way to incline his resolution This restlesness of Mind denying repose to his Body hee sent very early in the Morning for Boleslaüs to take advice of that faithfull Councellour how hee should shape his course in that tempestuous occurrence Hee repeated in brief what Menochius had told him and the fear lest Modestina beeing discovered by his Father's bloudy instruments they to comply with his severity should murther her put his Heart into an unspeakeable perplexity To post presently to her relief had been to contradict what hee had made the Princess and his Father believe of his slender esteem of that Wife from whom hee seemed to them to desire nothing more than a separation Not to go and not to assist her in so urgent a necessity hee deemed an ingratitude not to bee digested by any generous Spirit On the other side beeing too well acquainted with the cruelty of Mieslas and the design hee had against Liante hee began to think that hee had not provided sufficiently for his safety keeping him so neer that inexorable Sarmatian And although Palatines who are incontrouleable in their own Governments have no authority in another's Dominion yet the quality of Father gave Mieslas I know not what priviledge in that of Plocens which Iphigenes would not have permitted to another Having communicated all these painfull imaginations to Boleslaüs hee answered My Lord it happen's oft-times that recreative sports are the presages and as I may say the Prologues of more serious occurrences It was your pleasure to make your's lately in the Forest and perchance it is the Heaven's Will now to act their part You made Liante bee covered with Woman's cloathes whilest his Sister made her escape in Man's and whilest you courted Him in that feined appearance Shee followed you in her disguise Hee love's you with perplexity because hee think's you are a Man and Shee is jealous of you not imagining that you are a Woman You personated Modestina in the Woods while shee represented Liante at Plocens your Friends were deceived in you and your Father in her Observe how all these passages are linked to each other It was not without the particular providence of Heaven that wee escaped the affronts which those irritated Clowns would have made us suffer and I beseech the Powers above to continue us the same grace and draw us out of the Labyrinths wherein I foresee that wee are likely to bee involved Indeed it would require the thred of a greater Prudence than mine to conduct us safely forth But since you do mee the honour to believe mee my fidelity having been approved by you I can do no less than persevere in assisting you till Death with my Head Hands Advice and Life All the remedies you can now apply to Modestina will bee too late For since her beeing apprehended shee is infallibly either Dead or re-inclosed in her Prison besides by going in Person or sending to rescue her you would discover a Meaning contrary to what you have professed in Words to your Father and the Princess which would bee very prejudiciall to a person of your condition who never ought to
for no other Tongue but that of silence is capable of expressing you The words of this Letter were as Oyle upon his Fire and Wood in the flames of his disquiet Minde Well Iphigenes you complained that you had no news from your dear Liante nor what Region hee had chosen for his Retreat and now this knowledge is more afflicting than the torment of your ignorance Poor Mortalls let us cease to wish since our proper desires are contrary to us and that the inflamation of our wounds increaseth by the application of those remedies whereby wee think to refresh and lessen their anguish But for the perfect understanding of Liante's Letter and to give light to the sequele of this Narration I am inforced to make a little Digression in the History of those times to describe the condition wherein Polonia then was The Monarch of that Kingdom is accustomed to add to his Title of King of Polonia the style of great Duke of Lithuania Prusia and Russia although the Knights of the Teutonick Order possess a great part of Prusia and the Emperour or grand Knez of the Muscovites a great part of Russia but as for Lithuania hee injoyeth it intirely and hath reason to stile himself Grand Duke thereof in regard it is a Dutchy of a very large extent In the Sea the great Fishes devour the smaller In the Heavens the appearance of the Sun Eclipseth the Stars and in the World the strongest States swallow the weaker Divers Dukes of Lithuania were chosen by the Polonians to be their King by which means the Lithuanians having reigned in Polonia made Polonia reigne in Lithuania For from the time of Iagellon as yet an Idolater who beeing turned Christian received in Baptism the Name of Vladislaüs and married the Daughter of Lewis King of Hungaria and Polonia that Crown continued for many successions in the Family of the Jagellons untill the reign of Sigismond Augustus in whose time happened the event which I now relate All which by their birth rights beeing Dukes of Lithuania were elevated by Election to the Royall Throne of Polonia And although they joyntly held those two Sovereignties yet they were distinct and might bee separated Not that the Polonians omitted any indeavours to unite that Country to their State and add that pretious Pearl to their Diadem but the Lithuanians powerfully opposed them And this was their Reason There is no Nation nor Province so petty but the People would bee glad to have a Prince of their own Land though in this they know not what they ask For beeing received for a Maxime by the sagest Politicians that little Principalities are great Tyrannies and that a Soveraignty is the more just the greater it is Who see 's not that the pettiest Princes striving to imitate great Monarchs in their Pompous Trains and Magnificence to maintain that state are inforced to oppress their Subjects with extraordinary impositions Nevertheless the Lithuanians sick of this popular error desiring alwayes a particular Duke would never consent to an union with the Polonians Insomuch that during all the forementioned successions very few years passed without some insurrection and revolting in Lithuania to keep in breath the valour of the Polonian Gentry And at the same time Liante took this resolution to perish in the Wars the Palatines of Troc and Minsca beeing returned mal-content from the Court made a League offensive and defensive against the Polonians and hooked into their Confederacy besides those of Kiovia and Polocia divers Castellains of other Palatinates in a word the rising was in a manner universall through all Lithuania Liante had no sooner made his addresses to the Palatines of Troc and Minsoe chief instruments of this Commotion but hee was received by them with respects answerable to his Birth the Palatine of Minsce protesting that hee had alwayes made profession of a singular friendship to his Father They were presently Cozens and Liante intrusted with places of great command before hee had passed through the Military Discipline and Obedience Like Themistocles banished hee blessed his misfortune seeing himself raised on a sodain to those honours which hee so vehemently ambitioned Hee troubled not his thoughts to penetrate into the depth of the Cause it suffised him that hee had met with an employment wherein by the effects of his valor he might make appear the Greatness of his Courage Iphigenes beeing certified of Liante's beeing among the Rebells although his Love pleaded an excuse for the other's Despair could not comprehend how that generous Soul should fix upon that resolution of taking Arms against his Sovereign which hee held the unworthiest action any Gentleman well-born could bee guilty of For in effect the Sun-beams are not more inseparably concomitant of Titan's luster than the Nobility ought to bee of Royalty Mieslas had no sooner settled the private affairs of his Family with those which concerned his Publick Charge and remitted Modestina to the guard of his Wife Aretuza but upon a Summons from the King hee repaired speedily to the Court giving order that his Daughter Glemencia should bee brought shortly after him whom hee placed at her arrivall among the Queen's Maids of Honour The Lord Castellain of Cracovia who is above all the Palatines of that Kingdom and one of the principall persons of State was made Generall of the King's Army and Mieslas Lieut. Generall The Princess Rospicia lest her Iphigenes should bee diverted by the Functions of War from answering her pretensions after shee had obtained his Dispensation dealt so with the Queen by the intercession of some Ladies neer her person and her own perswasions that shee resolved to intreat the King to repeale the beautifull Palatine from his exile whereunto after some consideration hee condescended beeing informed besides that hee beeing much afflicted at his so long absence from Count was determined to seek a glorious Death in the Bed of Honour rather than train so obscure and discontented a Life And beeing overcome by the Ladie 's importunities hee dispatched a Messenger to him with Letters so favourable and full of such charms as had been capable not onely of drawing Diana out of the Woods but the Moon out of her Sphear But this kinde invitation which would have ravished Iphigenes with joy could hee have injoyed Liante's company without him seemed inconsiderable and irksome Therefore hee forthwith returned an answer full of respect and humility to the King with no less expressions of the Greatness and Gallantry of his Courage in these Words IPHIGENES Letter to the KING Most Gracious SOVEREIGN I Should esteem my self unworthy not onely of so many Favours which render mee your Creature but also of beholding the Sun who is the image of your Bounty as you are that of God if Fortune now presenting an occasion to make appear the devotion of my Heart to your Service and the zeal of my fidelity I should plunge my self in the Delights of your Court whilest others are mounted in the field
into a Fire as violated the Faith shee owed her Husband felt her Heart however in spight of her resistance tickled with that gentle Flame which so many persons cherish and so few extinguish But to apply the remedy of the least Word was a thing whereunto shee would less condescend than indure the severest of Torments Mean time the ardour of her Desires like that in Furnaces redoubled it's violence beeing inclosed and having no place for evaporation As for Amiclea though shee began to have age enough to discern shee had not enough to dissemble sufficiently her Resentments For a first love is like new Wine which burst's the Vessell if it hath not vent VVhilst for Liante her mind was less agitated it was easie for her to contein herself But a vehement and extraordinary Passion is not so easily concealed which made her above all the rest give evident demonstrations of her flame VVhich was very excusable in her For besides the glory of captiving so gallant a Spirit and possessing so accomplished a Body what Soul is so stupid as not to bee pricked with the spur of ambition seeing a Noble person illustrated with such eminent Dignities and accompanied with Riches that had no limits since they were founded upon the favour of one of the greatest Kings of Europe Besides the common desire of all young Gentlewomen to bee highly and richly married and render themselves agreeable and admirable to all Eyes In summe Iphigenes was the Object of all those Ladies Esteem and of their attendants as they were the Butts of his Contempt But as they accounted themselves honoured with his company so and conceived himself importuned by their's At length Oloria as well as the rest if not in effect at least in appearance seemed to be intrapped in his Snares For whether out of a desire to bee revenged of Liante's scorns or which is more probable to reduce him to her affections by the sting of Jealousie shee feigned at first to love Iphigenes and stuck not to give him severall manifest proofs of her inclinations But by little and little shee ingaged herself so far that her Counterfeiting became a Reality VVhich made her fall from bad to worse and in stead of a Body run after a shadow which fled from her For if shee had been so unfortunate as not to bee able to cast any bait before Liante's Heart that might oblige him to set any value upon her Affection judge you how that train could take in Iphigenes Bosome who was so little capable not onely of satisfying her desires but of having any inclination for her Thus our lovely Prisoner the Rock and stumbling block of their thoughts was innocently culpable of all their pains But hee had more intricate troubles to quell in his own brest without imbroyling himself in their follies For hee was not like the Sun which warmeth all things else not having any degree of heat within himself If hee bred torments in their Minds hee suffered pennance for that guilt in his own VVith what countenance in your Opinion could hee behold the submissions and devoirs wherewith the passionate Liante besieged the Heart of the disdainfull Amiclea what despight possessed him to see the Pride of that scornfull Rivall who robbed him of that which hee esteemed most pretious the affection of Liante and this without any other advantage than that of her habit If you had seen him at any time contemplating his excellent Features in a Looking-glass you would have said that hee had been making a strict inquiry in that Chrystall concerning the Victory which his Beauty in the Full gave him over the Cressant of Amiclea's Nothing remained in his opinion but to unseel Liante's Eyes and let him understand his condition to make him quit the Passions and Pretentions hee had for that unpolisht Diamond But this was the main difficulty which bred a disturbance in his thoughts no less dolorous than the throes of a Woman who desiring to conceale her labour dare's not cry out in her greatest extremity Poor Iphigenes who shall deliver thee of these mortall anguishes An antient Historian make 's mention of a Souldier who despairing of his Life by reason of an intestine Pain which tormented him casting himself into the hottest of the Battle to purchase an honourable Death received a thrust with a Sword through the Body which broke an Impostume within and was so favourable to him that hee found health where hee expected Death Oh how desirable were that stroak with the Tongue that would make Liante understand what the Pudicity of Iphigenes forced him to conceale with so much prejudice to his own contentment Sometimes hee resolved to write and employ to that Office the whiteness of Paper which is incapable of blushing But representing to his more serious consideration the divers inconveniences that might proceed from committing that secret to a Letter and it's weakness in comparison of the force of words pronounced Viva voce in like occurrences hee changed that Resolution And then as if hee would premeditate the Speech of his manifestation the disorder of his thoughts stifled the words in his mouth and reduced him to the tearms of induring the obscure Death of Silence rather than prolong his Life by a Discourse which in his own judgement hee should never have the confidence to utter Oh sacred Bashfulness a quality inseparable to all well borne Souls how thou paintest with different colours the Faces of such as are subject to thy allarmes Those wherewith the agreeable Aurora imbellisheth every morn the Horizontall Line appear not with more variety Is it possible that Iphigenes wit so full of subtility and whose quaint inventions were so esteemed at Court should remain sterile in this occurrence when the most important affaire that ever hee managed in all his Life was in agitation In summe wee must conclude what valour soever wee admire in him there was yet some dram of the weakness of his Sex which hath the property of beeing extream subtile in matters of small consequence but little capable of great enterprises Dispatch brave Iphigenes and quickly ravish Liante's Heart by a free Declaration this Pill is somewhat bitter this Draught unpleasant to the taste But it must bee swallowed for his good as well as your's You possess such great advantages in all respects above your Rivall that you shall onely need to unveile your self to cover her with darkness or do her the same affront as the Sun's arrivall doth to the Heaven's meaner Lights Let but Liante know what you are and Farewell all Amiclea's farewell Rebellion and all the pretensions hee hath in Lithuania After many such debates within himself at last hee was resolved nothing was wanting but a fit opportunity to reveal this grand Mystery But whether the Jealousie of those Ladies that besieged him or whether the Palatines had commanded them to let Iphigenes have the least private Conference that might bee with Liante lest they should plot some conspiracy it
should receive it contosted which should remit it to his Competitour Their civill contention would ne'r have found a Period if by this expedient Iphigenes had not ended it suffering that Garland of Flowers to take place among the dressings wherewith the Ladies had adorned his Head and giving Liante the Liberty to take the other part of the prize from their Lips This Decree beeing put in Execution after much recreative Discourse and Compliments Iphigenes quitted his Woman's apparrell to the Ladies as well as Gentlemen's great regret For that splendid attire so increased his Charms that all their Spirits were inchanted with his sight And Liante in particular felt his heart so divided betwixt Serife and Amiclea that like a Ship agitated on the Sea with contrary winds hee knew not to which Port to steer his Course But whilest wee amuse our selves too long in the Relation of what passed within those besieged Walls wee forget to take notice of what was acted without The Besiegers advanced their Trenches and the King's Army received dayly new supplies Yet the Besieged possessing the Out-works and having strength and convenience enough to Sally scarce any day passed without some notable skermish Hee that could express the trouble of the Camp when Iphigenes was taken Prisoner would bee no bad Oratour But the fury of Mieslas of necessity must bee covered with the Veile of Silence For the Love which hee bare to his own Blood to that Son who was the Pillar of his Fortune and the best Child upon the Earth together with his implacable hatred to Liante bred a strange Tempest in his Thoughts Hee was no sooner cured of his contusions and able to manege his Horse but hee made severall Courses to the Citty-gates thundering out such Bravadoes and Threats as would have frighted People less resolute than those that kept that place At length hee motioned the ransoming of his Son But Iphigenes who was not yet ready to go forth having private intelligence with Liante made their demands bee so excessive that hee who was no less covetous than cruell would assoon give his own blood as stand to that bargain And imagining that Liante was chiefly in fault hee sent him a Paper conteining this CHALLENGE THou owest the advantage of our last Incounter to my Misfortune rather than thy Valour and my Disaster proceeded from a defect in my Horse rather than want of Courage in mee Fortune the sworn Enemy of Vertue doth alwayes oppose the most Worthy it beeing her ordinary Custome to Favorise the least deserving The testimonies that I have given in so many places of my Valour will not permit that a Fall from my Horse should blemish my Reputation Those that shall undervalue Mee for that Mischance will shew themselves as very Fools as thou who gloriest in thy pretended Victorie without remembring thy self that three dayes before my Son less powerfull in Arms than I gave thee thy Life Now if thou hast as much Courage as Vanity I invite thee to restore Mee with thy Sword what thou think'st thou hast gained of Mee with thy Lance. For to leave My Honour in such feeble and childish Hands is a thing I can less indure than Death Thou maist come with assurance since I pretend nothing but to give Thee thy Life after I have conquered Thee which I shall doe without much difficulty If thou fearest Mee and desirest that I should pardon Thee send back my Son Judge you by these tearms of the Fierceness and Pride of that Sarmatian This defiance ran through severall hands Liante not beeing able to conceale it by reason it was brought publickly by a Trumpeter It gave occasion of laughter to the discreetest Perusers For Vanity is generally accompanied with this Misery that the more it strive's to be elevated flyes towards Glory the deeper it plunges it self into Contempt Onely Iphigenes was discontented to see that every body blamed though justly the extravagance of his Father For as Fathers are blind and indulgent over their Children's imperfections So Children cannot acknowledge the defects of their Parents Those that commanded within the City would not suffer Liante to render Mieslas the satisfaction hee desired by a second Combat Which obliged him to return by the same Trumpeter this ANSVVER COurtesie obligeth mee to acknowledge that the advantage I had of you proceeded rather from your Misfortune than your Fault and from my good Fortune than my Valour Indeed it was not without displeasure to my self that I spilt your Blood since I would willingly spend mine own to spare your's performing therein the office of a Guardian to him who abusing the rights of Tutelage hath violently wrested out of my hands the Estate which my Father had purchased for Mee Bee assured Mieslas that those supreme Powers who make use of the weakest things to confound the most Mighty will first or last give Mee a full Revenge of the Rigours which you have exercised upon mine Innocency If I were Commander of this place I would give you that satisfaction with my Sword which you desire and I am resolved to let you have assoon as I am at my own Liberty But beeing onely a private Souldier I cannot dispose of my self without my Captain 's consent It is not that I dread your Choller for I have already learn't the means to quell your Fury The Testimonies that you boast to have given of your Valour are below that stroke which overthrew you I 'le begin the same Game again with you when you please after I am at my own command I have yet the same Heart and the same Art and what 's more the same Desire of giving you your Life if you fall again into my Mercy Although the Lawes of all good Chivalry would dispense Mee without any Interest of my Honour from fighting a second time with one who is already indebted to Mee for his Life as every body knowe's you are Your Son more happy in his imprisonment then hee was with you is not so much in my power as I am in his You must capitulate with others about his Ransom For my part I hold my self as glorious in having been conquered by his Gallantry as it is honourable for Mee to have remained Victorious over your Arrogance This Answer made the haughty-spirited Mieslas ready to tear down the Heavens with Fury For nothing so outragiously torment 's the Fancy of a Vain Man as when the too good opinion hee hath of his own desert is undervalued with contemptible tearms But there was no other remedy than making a Vertue of Necessity and applying the Balsome of Patience to his Sore All the brave Courages of the Army Iphigenes beeing taken seemed to bee stupified and rendred like Bees that have lost their Sting For the presence of that Magnanimous Palatine gave them I know not what Spirit which animated them to generous Actions and as if hee had been the Soul of that great Body you would have said it languished beeing deprived
whose voices are vendible at Elections would not sell us to what Master they pleased SIR wee are resolved to die everie Man rather than indure such an affront and give away our Liberties at so cheap a rate A glorious Death shall alwaies bee more acceptable to us than an infamous Life and which should blemish our Names in the memorie of our Posterity For what would our Nephews say of us if they should finde that in our daies without the shedding of our bloods wee should submit our necks to the Yoak of the Polonian's servitude whom wee have in former times discomfited and reduced to shamefull conditions Your Predecessours by the Armes of our forefathers have gained Victories over them which made them triumph with their Crown for the space of two compleat Ages Great KING take notice of these truths and that if Your Vertues have made you be elected by the Polonians it was because they found nothing in any other State so worthy of reigning over them as in the Throne of Lithuania Shall their Charms gain so much power over your Spirit indued with such wisdom and rare conduct as to induce you to lop off with Your Sword Your naturall Branches in favour of those wild Plants worthie of so much hatred SIR wee humblie beseech Your Majesty to maintain us in the same Honours Prerogatives and Liberties as wee enjoyed under your Ancestours and that for having been alwayes faithfull to you our recompense may not be an ungratefull bondage under a cruell Nation which we have ever abhorred especially since having carried out of this Countrie the Bodies of our Princes to seat them in their thrones they have indeavoured to withdraw their Hearts depriving us of the effects of their benevolence If wee must die can wee face Death in a more just quarrell than this which wee defend not to the prejudice of Your most excellent Majesty but against those Tyrants which abuse Your Facilitie and the goodness of Your Royall Disposition If Your Majesty comes in Person to our siege what a glorie will it be to us to fall under the victorious Sword of so great a Monarck and render him our Lives to whom wee owe them By this means wee shall wash awaie with our own Blood the fault wherewith wee should be shamefully taxed by our Posterity if wee should be so base as to leave them this thraldome for inheritance at a cheaper rate This wee shall expect with a constant and undaunted courage And since the Fortune of our Arms favorised by Heaven rather than any treachery hath delivered into our hands a Person who of all the Polonians was most dear to you and who by the vertues which Wee daily discover in him makes appear the Excellency of Your Majestie 's judgement in the choice of those whom you will honour with your Affections Your Majesty must give us leave to make a Rampire of that Treasure which is fallen to us and which shall serve us as a Buckler against the violence of your Choller and Vengeance For when the mouths of your Cannons shall begin to express your Pleasure against our Walls the first Gabion that wee will oppose shall be the bodie of the Palatine of Plocens your Creature knowing that you bearing the image of God on Earth will not destroie the work of your own hands nor give your self entrance into our City by a breach besprinkled with the bloud of a Person so considerable in your esteem But if that hinder you not from executing your rigours what Grace can wee expect but that of those who have lost all hopes seeing him so cruelly treated whom you honour with your Favour But wee promise our selves better things from the Clemency and Prudence of Your Majesty and that as Father of Your Country you will not procure its ruine And although the perswasion of our Adversaries should make you construe our legitimate Defence a Crime wee are assured that Your Wrath and Chastisements will never fall upon us without the mixture of Love and Pitty Permit Great KING that appealing from Your Majesty to Yourself wee may obtain either an amicable Conference to decide our Differences with the Polonians or a free Audience at the Tribunall of Your Sovereign Iustice to spare the bloud of Your Subjects And there wee hope to advance such powerfull Reasons that if Might oversway not Equity wee shall gain the Cause and give for Motto of our Triumph The vertue of SIGISMOND hath raised him to the Throne of POLONIA But the Love of LITHUANIA hath overcome SIGISMOND To this long Declaration Iphigenes who in his Captivity injoyed as much Liberty as hee would take had the permission to annex his Letter to the King nothing beeing impossible for him having Liante for Mediatour To whom hee shewed his dispatches And in respect they tended onely to the Peace and Vnion of those two Nations under the King's Obedience Liante was glad to be an instrument of so good and laudable an Enterprise The substance of his Informations to the King imported That it was rather by good Fortune than bad that hee had fallen into the Lithuanian's hands or at least that it was so fortunate a misfortune that hee thank't Heaven for nothing so much as that Disgrace not onely that thereby hee had rendered some testimonies of his fidelity to His Majesty from whom he had received so dear a proof of his affection by the cars hee expressed of procuring his Liberty But that hee had found the means by his imprisonment so that His Majesty would be pleased to let it continue somewhat longer to reduce the exasperated Spirits of those Rebells to the regulated temper of a just Obedience Which hee esteemed so feasible that if his Majesty would condescend but a little hee doubted not to purge them of their Factious humours and make them understand their duties That hee had observed among them the seeds of great Affection and Respect to their Naturall and Legitimate Prince And that with the least shower of clemency powred down upon those Plants they were likely to produce acceptable fruits in their season That hee beeing born a Polonian desired as much and more than the other Palatines the glory of Polonia and the advantage of his Countrie But having considered that Peace with their Neighbours was the maine means to make Polonia flourish and that to subdue by violence the Lithuanians a Nation both redoubtable and in his judgement invincible was an enterprise so far from any likelyhood that it was rather an exposing of Polonia to the Conquest of Lithuania than a way to reduce Lithuania under the subjection of Polonia That that Province beeing altogether as vast and powerfull as Sarmatia it might balance and counterpoise the authority and preheminence of the Polonians who of Elder Brothers without contradiction might bee supplanted by their younger if they came to dispute it by force of Arms whose Evenements are so full of uncertainties That it was onely allowing some part of the
them and shun those that follow them You have reason to say that Amiclea love's mee hee must bee blinde that perceive's it not so do many others whose Passions are very irksome to mee my Ears are dayly storm'd with her Complaints and these importunities which are so unwelcome to mee would be such favours to you as would elevate your thoughts to the Skies But what should I do in this case I can no more hinder her from loving mee than compell her to affect you Affection is not so easily put off as a Garment nothing is more difficult to be done by devoir than to Love Shee knowe's that her desires are without hope for my particular and yet I cannot disabuse her of her Errour nor disswade her from amusing her Fancy after a Subject which cannot lawfully be her's I would for your satisfaction that it were in my power to transplant her Passion and turn it from my self to you if this were possible you should finde that among all the Friends in the World there never was any more faithfull nor more desirous of pleasing you than I am At these words Jealousie resigned the possession of Liante's Heart and hee acknowledging the ingagements hee had to the incomparable Friendship of Iphigenes said to him I think Heaven hath created you to serve as a Spectacle of admiration to all those that see you but much more to those that frequent you It is impossible to hate you and know you But what say I I maintain one cannot know you without loving you no more than see the Sun without light or heat But what can bee the reason that like that glorious Planet you cause such ardours in these feeble Souls without conceiving the least degree of heat in your own For never Man was so beloved of Women as you are and I think never any cared less for them than you What Do you then love none so well but that you could leave her if a faithfull friend should intreat you to be unfaithfull to her Hereunto Iphigenes made answer A perfect Friend will never desire any thing so dishonorable as infidelity but if any Friend of mine should be much inflamed for some one of that Sex who to mee are all indifferent I should make no difficulty to resigne an affection wherein I were no otherwise ingaged than by a Civile respect especially if hee had been the first pretender For I hold it the greatest injury that can be done to a Friend to indeavour to spoil his market in matter of Marriage and that there is nothing more capable of breaking all Friendship than Jealousie proceeding from such a cause in regard it is an offence beyond reparation There is not hee breathing among Mortalls but knowe's that Love and Royalty admit of no Companions and that they are two Torrents which overturn by the impetuosity of their Course all sort of Obstacles Dear Iphigenes replyed Liante I think thou hast undertaken to transport mee quite beyond my self making mee see in thee not the Image but the Essence of the most perfect Friend under the Circumference of the Firmament I deliver up my Arms Dear Brother and in all wayes acknowledge my self conquered by thee But since thou hast given mee so many times my Life now thou givest mee the Courage to desire thee to preserve in mee thy own handy-work and release mee from the trouble that torment 's mee Know then that without the possession of Amiclea I cannot live And to imbrace the Body of one whose Heart is with another is a thing I can as little indure as to be tied to a breathless Carcass It would be a punishment to mee not a pleasure Therefore I beseech thee to further mee in the Conquest of her Affection and favorise this alliance with thy assistance I am but too certain of her Parent 's consent and that they are no less willing to make mee their Son-in-law than I desire to have their Daughter to Wife Then after some other discourse conceiving that nothing hindered him from beeing beloved by Amiclea but the Passion which consumed her for Iphigenes Liante continued his supplication to him to deprive her of all Hope of injoying him that shee might likewise lose the desire flattering his imagination that thereby her Love having no more wings to raise it self would doubtless fall to the ground the onely means of curing that Disease in her Fancy and to pluck the Thorns out of her Heart beeing to put the Rose out of her reach Alleadging that to perswade her to divert her thoughts another way and fix them upon a subject to whom shee might easily and justly pretend hee had a thousand reasons and wanted no inventions to lend him merits that hee possessed not and convey them into the belief of that Lady That if by his mediation hee purchased her Affection hee would esteem that favour above the benefit of his Life for which hee remained his debter in regard Life would be loathsome to him if hee could procure no admittance into Amiclea's Heart Imagine you into what extremities Iphigenes saw himself reduced not beeing able handsomly to refuse serving Liante in an occasion that hee dreaded the most and which was most destructive to his own desires Having remained long time in this perplexity as motionless as if hee had seen a Medusa or been stunn'd with some violent blow at length recollecting his Spirits and like Anteus receiving vigour from his fall hee gave his voyce passage to pronounce these words Liante if you knew the harm and injury you do mee you would have some compassion of my suffering and acknowledge that you condemne mee to a punishment much less supportable than Death by intreating mee to serve you in this occurrence I know you will say that the triall of a Friend is in difficult matters and time of need But if wee ought to love another by the modell of that Love which wee owe to our selves it followe's necessarily that our own interest ought to have the precedence according to the order of the most perfect Charity It is not yet time for you to know the injury I receive thereby nor the extream dammage and hinderance it will bee to your Fortune which I intended to raise above all other Grandeurs in Polonia except the Royall Dignity I see plainly that it is the luster of some pleasures and vain pretensions that make's you precipitate your self from this Pinacle and seek your fall where you thought to raise your self Questionless I shall bee a Cassandra to you and tell you divers truths but you will believe none Well Liante perchance my Death will open your Eyes and then by a remorse too late and out of season you will regret that you had caused it to one who prepared for you the happiest Life that your imagination could fathome Nevertheless I will drink this Cup of bitterness which you present mee and although it bee to mee a poyson beyond remedy I will swallow it to
Here Tears Weakness and Grief stopped the passage of his voyce and hee fell into a Traunce out of which it cost some time to recover him Imagine you how Boleslaüs was afflicted seeing him in so great Extremities and knowing so little whence proceeded this indisposition At length having settled his dear Nursling in a little better temper as well of Bodie as Minde and desiring him to let him understand the ground of his Disease Father said Iphigenes Let mee die in silence and do you onely have a care of that Honour after my Death whereof you have been so jealous during my Life The discreet old Man knowing with whom hee was to deale and that Iphigenes loved not to bee press't feined to resolve to die with him as not having the Heart to behold the Day after the loss of him whose consideration made him love its light Iphigenes moved with Pitty at the old Man's tenderness to hinder him from dying seemed to re-affect the desire of Living and to unload his Heart of that sad burthen which oppress 't it hee took the pains to relate him every particular that had passed since his imprisonment and how hee had voluntarily made himself bee taken as is already mentioned By which Discourse Boleslaüs seeing cleer to the bottom of his Soul and reading there the Cause of his distemper Take courage said hee we shall not die of this sickness if wee will be ruled by good advice Father answered Iphigenes when things are desperate it is no time to consult but to suffer It will be easier and better for mee to die since I am already so neer it than re-enter into a thousand Deaths by recovering my Health Liante's Heart beeing dead to mee I have nothing more to do in this mortall Life After Boleslaüs had used diverse arguments to perswade Iphigenes to banish the ingratefull Liante out of his thoughts as unworthy of the favour of his Affection Hee answered Father do not increase my torment with vilifying him whom my Soul honoureth For notwithstanding all your allegations and his unkinde usage I cannot divert the inclinations of my Heart nor change the resolution of Loving him but by losing my Life Therefore if you love mee as I have no reason to doubt and if you will oblige mee to love you yet more if it bee possible I beseech you go without delay to him and conjure him not to flie from Iphigenes who would seeke and run after him if his Sickness did not fetter him Tell him that if I had contracted with him but a common acquaintance Civility would oblige him to visit mee much more since hee is cause of this extremity whereunto I am reduced Tell him I quit him of the Promise hee made mee to restore mee my Liberty when I committed my self into his hands That I will not constrein him to quit Amiclea That I will rather take upon mee the care of solliciting against my self his Marriage with her And that hee would vouchsafe onely to see mee and close my Eyes that with the favour of Heaven I may likewise die in his Hereunto I pray good Father study no Excuses nor Replyes if you desire that I should Live Boleslaüs who knew the Palatine's humour promised a punctuall performance of his commands adding for his comfort that by the long experience hee had of Liante's Disposition hee doubted not to render him more flexible and sensible of his torment And then having dexterously taken his time Dear Child said hee since you have so changed into Nature this Love that it is become an accident inseparable to your Beeing by undertaking to preserve your Life I will also aym at the preservation of your affection and since I finde you cannot live content without Liante I must use some invention to reduce that Heart into your power At these words you would have thought Iphigenes had been raised again out of the Grave or at least that hee resembled a dainty Flower too much beaten with the Sun's Rayes which re-take's new vigour by the coolness of the Dew In a word Iphigenes was a Woman and among so many Heroick vertues which shee possess 't the Naturall inclination of that Sex to curiosity could not bee extinguished in Her The subtle Senior perceiving it made himself bee intreated a while at length after many circumstances hee said Child it is no time to spare when a Man is come to the last penny of his stock The last thing wee must do in this World is to die to prevent that Check and prolong that fatall hour nothing ought to be left unattempted When you would have discovered your self to Liante in the Forrest of Plocens you were pressed onely with a temptation Now you are constrained by necessity You will say that the remedy is not yet in season and that it will be the ruine of your Fortunes If you die your Fortunes will be otherwise lost after Death Physick is of no use You will alledge this remedy is very hard to digest and I will answer you that pain is cured by pain there is no Medicine but is unpleasant yet to avoid Death you must neither spare searing nor incisions You will reply that the apple is now much less ripe than at that time in regard Liante is filled with Gall not inflamed with Love then I must tell you that to quench a Fire People carry Water and Diseases are cured by their contraries It is now time or never to open Liante's Eyes and make him see how much hee is to be blamed for entertaining any suspicious or jealous thought of you Nature having opposed the obstacles you know of to the pretensions which hee believ's you have for Amiclea In summe I will manage this discovery with such circumspection that there can arrive no dammage to you For in sparing you the shame of telling it the onely Subject of all your Sorrow I will leave you in the power of denying that truth and rendring ridiculous those that should offer to mention it At first I will sound Liante by Enigma's Circumlocutions and Figures and according as I shall find him bite at that bait I shall know how to draw him to the Bank but before I unveile the whole Mystery to him I will oblige him by such horrible Oaths to keep it secret that if hee should have a desire to reveale it hee cannot without fearing a punishment of Thunder from the Hand of the King of Heaven All this Discourse was so many words of Life to the distressed Iphigenes and if an Angell had spoken to him hee could not have heard him with more joy and attention than hee did Boleslaüs Then prick't with curiosity saying But how The old Man stop't his Mouth with this answer A Man must never say I will doe this or I will say that and in such a manner I will conduct my Design by reason of the incertainty of Events and the obscurities wherein the Future is involved But when things have had a
good issue one may say I have done this and my designe succeeded thus I will do nothing but what you shall know yet give mee a little liberty and permit that in imitation of most discreet People I may do somewhat before I speak And be assured that this old Man whom Experience hath no less improved than Age rendered hoary in your service hath some Master-pieces of subtilty which he employe's not but upon great occasion and that he who delivered you out of the Prison in the Forest and freed you from the Clawes of those Harpyes will also draw you out of this Mire if you will follow his Advice with Patience and resolve to further your own Recovery This said Boleslaüs went to put in execution his Design which succeeded to his wish but not without much trouble many subtile inventions and at length a full relation from beginning to end of Iphigenes Birth and Education as hath already been described whereby hee made Liante see as clear as the Day the reasons that had retarded Iphigenes in the discovery of that Miracle his designe to declare it first to the King that His Majesty might see how false and impertinent had been the Calumny of his Enviers and beeing re-established in his favour the resolution hee had to invest Liante in the possession of all his charges and estate by giving himself to him according to the sacred order of Matrimony This transported Liante with such astonishment for a while that hee knew not whether hee was a sleep or waking yet the serious deportments of the grave Boleslaüs made him give credit to this Story and this beliefe was perfectly confirmed when hee repassed through his Memory all the tokens of Love rather than Friendship that hee had remarked in Iphigenes his carriage to him in his Infancy his chaste deportments at the Court his continuall contempt of Women his incomparable Beauty his passionate expressions of affection to him in the Forest of Plocens while the one acted Serife the other Almeria besides divers other Caresses Wishes Sighs Languors and such like demeanours the sparkles of that Fire which can as little bee concealed as avoided Oh Liante what glory after so many pains He that hath long been kept in darkness coming on a sodain into the Sun is in a manner blind the Light which make's every one else see depriving him of sight So Liante though hee held as true as Oracles all that Boleslaüs had told him yet hee remained as voyd of Speech and Motion as one that 's incredulous or stupid The entrance of his Heart was too narrow to let in at once the throng of affections that thrust and crowded to bee introduced the multitude of thoughts quelled him the Honours and greatness proposed to him by that Party were above his Ambition and beyond his Hopes his own Patrimony usurped by Mieslas seemed nothing to him But above all the so many attractive Charms wherewith Nature had inriched Iphigenes Face was the Primum Mobile that transported him Adding thereunto so many rare vertues so many singular qualities such Courage Valour which Dexterity in all generous exercises and chiefly such exemplary Piety as rendered him the delight of all those that accosted him filled him with the Benedictions of Heaven and Earth begat him an high renown with the King's favour which doubtless would bee redoubled at the discovery of this Marvell Oh Liante what transportments Then reflecting his consideration upon himself hee could not imagine that hee had merit enough to oblige Iphigenes to so constant a Friendship as that which hee had alwayes expressed towards him loving him from the tenderest of his years with such sweetness and cordiality after this returned to his Memory how compassionately in all his troubles hee bare a share of his sorrowes how hee alwayes maintained his cause against his own Father conveyed him out of Prison secured him from the dangers wherewith the Cruelty of Mieslas threatned him so courteously entertained him in his Palatinate had given him his Life in the Combat voluntarily rendered himself a Prisoner to injoy the contentment of his conversation and besides all this the extreme and admirable Modesty that made him resolve to die rather than speak one word which hee thought too bold for a Soul to utter that make's profession of Honour with a numberless multitude of other Vertues which glittered in that matchless personage like Starrs in a serene Night Whilest Liante's brain was agitated with a thousand such imaginations Boleslaüs reading the convulsions of his Mind by the alterations in his Face knew not however in what manner hee resented what hee had told him and whether hee conceived it right or wrong whereon depended his Life or Death and what was yet more dear the contentment or ruine of Iphigenes untill Liante breaking the silence of his long amazement thus began Friend I am like a Glass or Bottle with a narrow mouth which being too full of liquor cannot discharge itself My Spirits are so ravish't and over whelm'd with the transportments of Joy and Wonder at the recitall of so great a Marvell that although I see my self awake and believe what you tell mee yet methink's I Dream or am possessed with the fondest imagination that e're disturbed a Brain At length after condemning his own demerits and comparing them with the excellencies of Iphigenes hee continued saying Dear Boleslaüs I prethee mollifie that Hbroick courage for me which ought justly to be offended with my Levities indiscretion and ingratitude to the end according to the Dispositions you shall finde in that generous Soul I may at least indeavour by my Death to express the remorse I now conceive for having so ill ordered my Life and so unworthily abused his Friendship If you stay till you are killed by one that love's you more than himself you will live to a fair Age said Boleslaus his desire is to see you Live contented not Die with displeasure and assure your self that as his Love was alwayes greater than your Injuries so your Transgressions are less than his Clemency The variety of thoughts that mustered in Iphigenes minde whilest Boleslaüs was carrying this Message whose report was the sentence of his Life or Death I must leave to your imaginations Neither am I able to relate the Anxieties of Liante's minde whilest that trusty Agent flew towards Iphigenes to tell him in a jesting manner 〈…〉 that Liante took all his Discourse for Inchantments that hee rejected all Hee had told him of his Birth and Education as a thing no less incredible than improbable At which Narration Iphigenes ready to expire with grief said Father I would to God my Death had preceded this newes Oh! why did not I descend alive into my Grave Hereat Boleslaüs clearing the clouds of his Countenance and bursting into a laughter said I told you thus only to try your constancy take courage the Victory is our's I bring you Liante more gentle than a Lamb he com's
would execute upon his person all the cruelties they could imagine if they found him guilty of any persidious Action towards his Prince or Country This was onely a pretence which Mieslas had framed to effect what you shall hear The rumour of Iphigenes affections to Amiclea and the report of their Marriage beeing noised through the City of Minsce by the communication of the Besiegers with the Besieged during the Truce the Royall Camp was filled with this newes and at last it came to the Palatine of Podolia's Ears This incensed him with the greatest indignation against his Son that hee had ever yet conceived nothing beeing more sensible to Parents than when their Children marry against their Wills and match themselves with persons whom they think not fit for them Hereupon hee took occasion to detein his Son and accuse him of Treason against the Polonians because hee was about to contract an Alliance with the Lithuanians Besides beeing a Man of Blood and Slaughter hee produced diverse Arguments against the Treaty of Peace and hating mortally the Lithuanians hee could not indure that they should participate as Compatriots of the honours of the Crown of Polonia which was the principall point of all the Treaty Insomuch that desiring to hinder this agreement hee took this pretence of keeping his Son knowing that those of Minsce would presently take Armes hereupon and so the Truce should bee broken As hee presupposed it succeeded For immediately the Lithuanians shut their Gates inclosing and keeping Prisoners no small number of the Royall Army besides those that were delivered as hostages for the person of Iphigenes This bred much confusion and tumults on both sides Whereunto Mieslas added this stratagem There were certain Souldiers who for some crimes were condemned to Execution One of these hee caused to bee clad with a Suite of the same colour of that Iphigenes then wore and the next Morning having commanded a Scaffold to bee raised in sight of the whole Camp and City hee gave out that with his own hand hee would cut off his Son's head for beeing a Traitor to His Majesty The fatall hour beeing come hee drew up all his own quarters in Battalia then having ordered the Criminall to bee set upon the Scaffold and cloathed the Executioner with an habit not unlike his own by this spectacle hee intended to take away from those of the City all hopes of re-possessing Iphigenes by whom they expected much favour from the King in the conclusion of the Peace Iphigenes beeing kept close Prisoner in a Chamber knew nothing of all this But what became Liante at this deplorable sight What Amiclea what Olavius what the Palatine of Troc What all the Ladies What all the Inhabitants of Minsce It was then no time to sit in consultation all of what quality soever demaunded a Sally which could bee no more refused by the Palatines that commanded than a passage hindered to the fury of an impetuous Torrent Liante like the Poet 's desperate Coroebus seeing his Cassandra dragging to the Block placed himself at the head of this resolute Party and flying out of the City-gates with no less fury than a fell Lyoness hast's from her Denn to rescue her stolen Whelps filling the whole Forest with her horrid roaring precipitated himself to seek Death in the thickest of the Enemie's Squadrons beeing resolved to die a thousand times or save Iphigenes Life If all things else give place to Love it was verified at that time for if the assault was violent on the Lithuanian's part the resistance was but weak on the Polonians in regard divers Souldiers not well pleased to see their companion executed made way forthe Assailers and gave them so cleer passage by their flight partly Voluntary partly Forc'd that Liante arrived at the Scaffold as sodain as a flash of Lightning where terribly slashing th' Executioner whom hee took to bee Mieslas hee thought at the same time to rid himself of a mortall Enemy and save the Life of a Person whom hee esteemed the dearest in the World But having found out the deceipt hee ceased not to end the Hangman and set the Criminall at Liberty having cut the Cords that bound him and given him an opportunity to escape in the Throng Never were greater feats of Arms seen done by Man than those which Despair Love and Anger produced from Liante in this Action thinking hee had fought in the presence of the person beloved whom hee desired to give the strongest proof of affection that is betwixt Mortalls which is to lay down his own Life to preserve another's Mieslas who suspected they would make a Sally had prepared himself with a considerable Party of Horse to intercept them in their retreate and inclose them between the Army and his Men. But having a bad Cause and a cruell Resolution to cut them all off especially Liante if hee fell into his hands his Enterprise turned to his own confusion and he found himself intrapped in his own snares For they having released the Criminall another strong Party was sent out of Minsce to succour the former and facilitate their retreat Insomuch that Mieslas and his Men beeing ingaged betwixt both Parties the Souldiers were almost all killed his Horse was shot under him and hee beeing wounded in the Thigh besides bruised with a fall and loaden with Armes was constrained with an incredible Despair to render himself Prisoner and remit his Life to the mercy of Liante who threatned him with the cruellest of Deaths if it appeared that hee had attempted any thing against Iphigenes Mieslas to save his Life assured Liante that Iphigenes had no other harme than to bee lock't up in a Chamber and that hee had devised that Plot to execute a Criminall in his place thereby to spare his Ransom and hinder the alliance hee intended to make with the Lithuanians Upon this assurance Liante having commanded him to bee slung upon an Horse led him with diverse others in Triumph through the City To express the shame and rage of that brutall Podolian would require tearms that never yet were heard As there were divers Polonians taken so there were some Lithuanians that remained as pledges in the King's Camp aswell of those that had ingaged too far in the Enemie's Quarters as those that were shut out of the Gates of Minsce lest among Friends they should likewise let in Enemies as is often seen in like occurrences Among the rest was found a Gentleman extreamly young and whose marvellous beauty attracted the Eyes of every one exciting much more Envy than Pitty and much more Pitty than Anger Hee was led to the Generall who wondered that hee had taken Armes at such tender years After some demands hee desired they would give him leave to see Iphigenes who hee believed would know him having seen him in Minsce The Generall commanded his desire should bee satisfied Do you ask if the Palatine of Plocens was astonished to see that there was more than one Lady
applanse and magnificent Triumph But Fortune who is never fully indulgent mingled according to her custome some Gall amongst this Honey which was by the death of Mieslas who in routing the Enemies ingaged himself so far in the pursuit of the fugitives whereof hee had made an horrible slaughter that at length Despair having rallied them they gave him a fresh charge and beeing but weakly attended hee was forced to resigne his Life and fall a Sacrifice to the irritated fury of the re-assembled Enemy Thus he buried himself in the Tomb of Honour which he had alwayes so much desired like Sampson who died in the midst of his Enemies or him that was squeezed to Death under the Elephant which he had killed If he had been less couragious he had injoyed more fruits of his Victory and seen himself Lord High Marshall of Polonia For hee who had commanded the Army in that expedition ended there his dayes not by the hand of his Enemies but Sickness and Old Age. So that all the charge fell upon our two Favorites who like CASTOR and POLLUX shared the honour with such equality that both refusing it both increased their praises I am not able to make a relation suiteable to the memorable testimonies of Valour that day rendered by our generous Amazon and Liante fighting before her who vexing that a Woman should lead him the way to honourable Dangers and teach him his Lesson in Marse's Schoole striving to surpass himself hee shewed by his blowes which never fell in vain that bee was Master of as an uncommon a Puissance as incomparable Dexterity Cassin Pâ—â—â—ander Pisides sides Argal Pomeran and Aradius signalised themselves by Acts of marvellous Prowess and Boleslaüs as old as hee was gave proofs of no less Courage in this warlike exploit than Prudence in the more Peaceable transactions Majestick were the Triumphs which the King made for his Favorites at their return to Cracovia making them bee proclaimed the Preservers of their Country and to crown this Victory with a worthy acknowledgement every one that had rendered himself remarkeable in that Action received a particular recompence from His Majesty The Prince CASSIN was rewarded with the Palatinate of PLOCENS Liante reserving to himself that of PODOLIA where all his own Estate lay and the memory of his own Father and Father-in-law were yet recent The Office of Lord CHAMBERLAIN was conferred upon POMERAN as well in consideration of his own vertue as for MODESTINA'S sake whom hee had Married All the rest likewise tasted of his Majestie 's Favours according to their Merits and Qualities And Liante was confirmed in the Office of Lord High Marshall of POLONIA to the Shame and Heart-breaking of his Enviers the Joy of his Friends the singular Contentment of IPHIGENIA the Glory of the KING and full Satisfaction of his own Desires In honour of whose triumphant Memory and compleated Happiness a Poet of the times affixed these VVISHES IN Fine thus Fortune ceas'd to frown And Passion 's stormes were overblown Our matchless Lovers thus made free From the foule breath of Calumnie Rais'd to the Top of their Desires Quench'd and reviv'd each others Fires Let then no Torments of the Minde Disturbe their Calme Let no unkinde Aspect with Grief or dismall Warre Their fortunate Conjuncture marre Supernall Pow'rs bless their repose And ne're let Thistles choake this Rose Flye from their thoughts Chimera's vaine Of Hatred and Umbragious paine That their link'd Soules may fully prove The sweets of Pleasure Peace and Love And after all their Tempests may Ride safe at Anchor in the Bay These Surges beeing past and Mindes appeas'd I hope like them my Readers will bee pleas'd FINIS
times that it is as impossible for mee to lodge Liante in my Heart as displace you you continue deaf to my Complaints yet you would have mee be exorable to his you are too blame to condemn mee for a fault which you authorize in your self and perswade mee by your words what your Example disswade's For if you will not receive mee into your Affection for some weak reasons wherewith you oppose my importunities why should not I defend my self from his alliance for many good and powerfull ones which I have so often inculcated to you I know not with what Antipathy Nature hath imbued my Soul against him but however I strive to compell my humonr I can see nothing in him that pleases mee And what probability is there then that I should render my self to the violence whereby he pretends to force me to a consentment He deceive's himself if he think 's to win me that way For in stead of attracting my affection he will incense my hatred But in dâ—sobliging hee hath obliged me for by letting me understand his jealous dâ—sposition before I was any way ingaged to him he give 's me timely warning not to contraot my self to a Man from whom I can expect nothing but Tyranny What He styles me His Mistris yet he would ah easy treat me like a slive and impose upon me Lawes not according to Reason but his humour If he desire 's that I should participate of that ardour which he saye's he indure's for me Doth he not see by that foolish rule that he will oblige me to cherish all those that shall but seem to Love me Hee would have me Love him but not you indeed a pertinent injunction if hee conceit 's that hee deserve's Love more than you why will he constrain my Liberty Have not I more reason to desire him not to Love me in regard I have no inclination to him and suffer me to Honour you since I Love not my own thoughts but when they entertain Me with the agreeable Representation of your Merits Doth he think thus to inthrall the Liberties of Persons who are nothing inferiour to himself and already take upon him the severe Authority of an imperious Husband in stead of keeping himself in the respects of an observant Lover I know not whence can proceed those thoughts neither if hee should perswade himself that his services ought to oblige me to be his do I know that he hath rendered me any so remarkeable as deserve my Liberty for recompence If his Sighs his Tears and Complaints which are as many importunities to me are taken for current payment it is not at the rate of such slight things and which are but Water and Winde that I will purchase to my self a slavery He hath often told me that his Life depended so upon the possession of me that without it he should die but I do so abhor him since I have discovered his humour that I will rather marry a Grave than ingage my Faith to him But said Iphigenes since hee love's you so excessively you cannot without ingratitude do less than give him your Heart in exchange for his which hee hath remitted into your hands I cannot give an Heart that is not mine answered Amiclea and what Friendship soever there is betwixt you take that from you which is your's by my Free-gift to give it him it is easier for mee to return him his own which I never entertain'd though he offered it often or at least intreate him to take it again and bestow it on some other Subject more fit than I am to support his Tyrannies You know replyed Iphigenes that the Law of Gentlemen permit's not any generous Spirits to play the supplanters to their Friends and that Liante beeing the first pretender to your Service I may not imbrace that Designe untill hee hath quitted it or that you have quite broken with him As for the first said Amiclea it depend's on him and I know not hee is so obstinate in his own mischief whether hee will let go that which hee hold's but by imagination The second is fully resolved on for my part For I have desired him so many times not to importune mee any more with his Tears and Sighs that I know not what pleasure hee take's to Shipwrack his Vowes so often against a Rock that laugh's at his Disasters In a word whatsoever You can say or Hee do I will never bee his in Body nor Minde I have not so little courage but that I know the way to set a period to my Life when I shall perceive it worse than a thousand Deaths After divers other Speeches to the same effect Iphigenes said Madam let mee intreat you to quit that resolution so cruell to him and so unpleasing to mee Unpleasing to mee out of the sorrow I conceive because I cannot answer your Affection as I would And cruell to him because I know if this newes come's to his Ears it will bee the message of Death Imagine you with what perplexities the afflicted Liante heard from the Mouth of his Mortall Goddess the sentence of his condemnation with what reproches did hee not charge her Severity in his Minde yet hee loved her ne're the less on the contrary her Cruelty and Ingratitude like two whet-stones sharpened his Passion and rendered it more fervent At length beeing no longer able to sustein the violence of his distemper contrary to the promise hee had made Iphigenes not to appear hee left his Post in fury and his Eyes overflowed with Teares and his Heart swell'd with Sobb's hee cast himself at Amiclea's feet at the same instant as shee had taken Iphigenes Hand and was raising it to to her Lips This Action with the discourse hee heard had almost transported him beyond the bounds of respect At last having obtained some truce of his Passion hee disburthened his mind in these words Since after so many fruitless Sighs for having been the faithfullest of Lovers I am paid with ingratitude by one whose Heart I never thought capable of such a Vice and for having offended the Heavens by honouring too religiously a Creature I feele the punishment of my Idolatry in her disowning mee Since the Respects and Services which I have rendered her are held Offences Since I am betray'd by him in whom I reposed my greatest confidence and despised by her whom I esteemed most what do I more in this Life unless it bee to prolong the insolences of Fortune who is never weary of persecuting mee Cruell AMICLEA more hard than the Rocks more deaf than the Sea less exorable than Death finish finish thy work pierce with the point of this blade offering her his Poniard this wretched Body which thou so hatest and send away that Soul which is so importunate and irksome to thee I shall esteem this last Office an Act of Pitty and to make appear that thy disdain is less supportable to mee than Death thou shalt see mee honour the Effect of
thy Cruelty to the last Moment of my Life Amiclea although shee had been advertised of his beeing hid in the room was however so troubled at his presence and so frighted to see him in that desperate posture that her voyce cleaving to the Palate of her Mouth shee was not able to frame an answer Iphigenes fearing lest shee refusing to take that Weapon Liante's fury might transport him to plunge it in his own bosome presently seized upon his Arm to wrest that murtherous blade out of his hand Liante seeing Iphigenes disarming him If that Lady said hee looking on Amiclea with an Eye full of Love and Anger hath not the courage to advance the tearm of my miserable Life cut thou if thou hast ever loved mee the Thred of my Dayes and since thou hast robbed mee of my Heart where all my hopes were seated make an End of thy Felony by Ending Mee Guess you if these furious words which the extremity of griefe forced out of Liante's Mouth were not sufficient to draw tears from the tender Iphigenes Eyes Amiclea beeing recovered of her amazement to appease the fury of that mad Lover resolved to use him more gently and with a more pleasing tone shew him how much hee was too blame in suffering himself to be so transported with Passion But as Medicines are useless to those whose Diseases are incurable or who are not disposed to receive them So Despair had so stopt us all the advenues of Reason in Liante's Soul that hee thought there was no other way but through the Gate of Death to get out of his inconsolable torment I should bee too tedious if I stood to relate the diverse arguments whereby Iphigenes and Amiclea indeavoured to appease the frantick transportments of his Minde But sometimes vomiting Blasphemies against Heaven Sometimes tearing the Earth with Execrations Sometimes cursing himself Sometimes quarrelling with Providence Sometimes accusing Amiclea and then craving her Pardon Sometimes reviling Iphigenes then condemning his own rash Judgement Hee did and said such things as are more fit to bee wrapped up in silence than displayed upon this Paper and which made evidently appear that if Anger bee a short Fury Love is a pure Folly At length having received from Amiclea no word of consolation that might preserve his Hope in that tempest of Rage that assailed his thoughts after no mean contention with Himself hee went out of the Chamber in the same manner as an inraged Bull breake 's through the Rankes of those that see him baited invoking Heaven and Earth to assist him in a Revenge Soon after Liante's departure Amiclea was called away by her Governess who attended her in the next room Iphigenes beeing left alone had his thoughts so divided betwixt the interests of Love and Honour that his pains exceeding the bounds of any expression cast him into a languishing indisposition which within few dayes rendered him so feeble that hee was inforced to confine his distressed body to his Bed where hee appeared with such advantage that his sickness seemed to have cast him down the more to raise the lustre of his Beauty which beeing then betwixt Pitty and Envy ravished those Souls that had not rendered themselves before to Passion The Ladies who were as if they had been chained to his Bed-stead strove to outvy each other in inventing remedies for his Body and divertisements for his Minde And the Palatines both of Minsce and Troc came frequently to visit him promising to give him all the contentments hee could desire of their Courtesie Mean time Liante gaping still after his Prey resolved to have Amiclea though against her Will not to give himself the Lie founding his determination upon this belief that Time would bring all things to perfection and that which was forc't in the beginning might bee made willing in the End Her Father had already given him his word and was much displeased that the obstinacy of his Daughter should oppose his Promise and Authority By Polemander's means he gained likewise the Mother's consent who thinking him an advantageous Match for her Daughter made no account of her contradiction The Contract was agreed on without Amiclea's knowledge but beeing informed of all the passages by Oloria whom Despair had almost distracted shee comforted her with this assurance that shee would never consent to marry Liante nor any other untill Shee were provided which somewhat qualified her jealous Sister's pain Amiclea was not long before shee gave Iphigenes notice of those proceedings which gave so furious an assault to his debilitated Heart that increasing the violence of his Feaver the Physicians began to distrust his Recovery This newes was presently noised in the Camp and thence carried to the Court and that which the Lithuanians most feared which was a suspicion that hee had been poysoned by them was the first impression His Majestie 's minde received Whereupon hee sent them Letters more bloody than Tamberlan's Crimson Flag To which they returned their Excuses and Protestations of innocence But Poyson is not purged by Oaths and those who are so abominable as to pracise such baseness make no great scruple of beeing perjur'd The King presently dispatched his own Physitians and Surgeons with command to attend the Person of Iphigenes They were very civilly received by the besieged Party as had already been those whom the Generall and Mieslas had sent from the Camp Boleslaüs who was touched with a more then Fatherly tenderness for his dear Foster-Child found means to slip himself in amongst the Physitians feining that hee was an Apothecary The Physitians in their Consultations found that Iphigenes Body was not prisoned but their Learning did not reach so far as to read the Disease of his Minde They being retired when Boleslaüs appeared before the Patient's Eyes already clouded in the shade of Death they received some vigour and his Spirits as it were wakening out of the slumber wherewith Passion and Mellancholly had oppressed them his Tongue loosened it self to utter with a faint and almost dying voyce these words Father I bless the Heavens who have sent you hither as a Tutelary Angell to render mee the last devoirs as of your officious Piety I have received the first your Arms which have heretofore served mee as a Cradle must shortly do mee the office of a Biere for I can no longer support the Sorrow that destroye's me I have nothing else to recommend to you but the Care of my Honour which I have alwayes maintain'd inviolable in despight of those mischiefs that have persecuted mee Bee sure that the Earth may cover my Secret with my Body since I have chosen to die rather than disclose it Since that I die before the time which your Prudence had determined to discover it I applaud the Providence of him under whose will run all the Moments of our Life For to survive the loss of Liante's Friendship is a thing which I cannot do if I would and which I will not do though I could