and a great Favourite who was likewise his too great wel-wisher is pickt out to be one of his Juâ—â—â—â— who finding that he behoved either to lose his Master or his Friend was at first muâ—h perplexed but at last as the worst of inventions are alwayes the readiest resolved that as his Judge he would first condemn him and then as his intimate he would intercede for him which he did effectuate and procured him a remission for that crime for which he formerly found him guilty Whereat a true friend to his Majesty much offended did remonstrate to the King his errour after this manner Sir your Majesty having once by Law condemned Prastus if ye now absolve him ye must condemn the Law which found him guilâ—y for if he be guiltless the Law did wrong in sentencing him and if he be guilty the Law is wronged in your absolving him Neither admire I to see your Nobles intercede for him for who knows but these in this plead for their own case and if either they or any of them be already or shall be hereafter found guilty of those crimes with which he was charged then they may alledge for themselves not only what they now alledge for him but likewise may triumph in this precedent So that in sealing a pardon for him ye abrogate all the penal Statutes and layes up remissions for all that shall have the confidence but to seek them Câ—â—â—â—der Sir that this Nation is naturally factious 〈◊〉 being commanded by Nobles who have the Commons fully at their devotion and that your absence feeds this humour in them the face of a King being able either to charm subjects to a complyance or to command them to obedience but what may ye expect if they be once connived at by those who should punish them the Law was the only mastiff which kept the house from robbers but if his mouth be musled what security may be expected the Law should be most rigid and best observed where vices are most enticing and to which we are most propense wherefore seing nothing lures us so strongly as a nimious desire of liberty and the desire of self-rule nothing should be so severely punished as Rebellion which is the product of both these and if even when Laws are execute against them the numbers of such offenders are numberless what may we expect when the Law prevaricates and sideth with them Sir the lesse able men are to resist the wrongs done them or to foresee them the more grievously should the offenders be punished as poyson is more grievous than murther so that the horrour of the punishment is the best guard against these therefore of all treasonable plots defaming Libels should be most severely punished because it is most difficult to detect those and when they are detected it is impossible almost to refute them neither is truth soap sufficient to wash out the spots which Libels make apprehension being enough to perswade men of what they fear Sir after he is released will not his enemies vaunt that either in courage ye durst not or in justice ye could not condemn him so that either ye must proclaim your self rash in the first or a coward in the last And who will as Judge condemn any attached hereafter as a Traitor knowing that the person so condemed by them will survive their sentence to prove their enemy And thinks your Majesty but Prastus will endeavour to revenge this affront neither will he ever ponder your courtesie in pardoning him but will rather eye the affront done in once staging him the wound may be cured but the cicatrice will remain and if the children of Traitors are often secured often banished and often forfaulted because the Law presumes that they will yet possibly avenge the death of their fathers how much more may we conclude that a peson whilst alive himself will resent his own disaster more jealously Sir augment not the number of your enemies by recalling to life Prastus who is already civilly dead and remember that ye have thorns enow in the garden of your Kingdom albeit ye plant none your self neither can ye expect any thanks from Prastus for this act of superstitious clemency for your Favourites who have interceded for him will reap those and he will say that ye declared sufficiently your malice against him in his condemnation albeit thereafter ye declared your affection to those intercessors in his absolution and Sir since the papers were found with him certainly he must be the leading card in this faâ—al game and the ring whereupon all the other keys hung And I fear Sir ye must one day treat with him as your party whom ye now pardon as your supplicant But Sir seing ye fear the peoples envie on the one hand and yet dread Prastus loyalty upon the other to extricate your self from both these difficulties keep him in prison and in suspense feeding him alwayes with hopes of releasment providing his friends and dependants carry soberly by which means ye will secure him and he will be an hostage to you for the good behaviour of others The Court-favourite who bestirred himself so much for Prastus was one named Taurus whose honours were the donative rather of his Prince than of his birth for he was by birth but a Gentleman rather of great parts than a great fortune but being of a singular spirit and accute wit was commissionated by the Athenian Gentlemen to represent their grievances at Court and to reside there as their Legier to manage their employments against the Nobles of their own Nation with whom they had then some debates the Courtiers who study alwayes mens humours as much as their business knowing that most of men make it their business to satisfie their own humour and that as men love not others so well as themselves so they endeavour not so much to satisfie others as themselves did smell at last that if he were created a Nobleman himself his zeal against the Nobility would cease with his interest wherefore finding that his pulse did beat highly they perswaded the King to enroll him amongst the Peers which promotion cooled soon that feaver of respect which he had evidenced for those who employed him so that he wrote home to the remanent Gentlemen That since he ceased to be what he was when they commissionated him he behoved likewise not to act now what they had entrusted to him and that seing he was a Nobleman he hoped they would construe it to be no breach of trust that he antagonisted not the Nobilities interest for since we are desired onely to love our neighbours as our selves it is presupponed that self-love will alwayes be the more prevalent as the square is alwayes streighter then that which is squared by it and he thought that he did acquit himself sufficiently of his trust in acquainting them of what had past and in fore-warning them that their Residents charge did now stand empty The Gentlemen finding themselves thus
and a stranger uncertain of any assistance behoved to rely upon him besides wanting both friends and foes in the Nation he would impartially without either connivance or revenge execute all his commands This fellow became his creature and he might well be called so because he made him of nothing a potent prince others alledged that because the people did belch out so many injuries against Malchus for his avarice making his private chests the publick treasure saying that he was in the politick body like the spleen in the natural whose growth did proportionally occasion the leannesse of the other members therefore he choosed this Sophander whose avarice was his greatest if not his only vice that they might after his death by collationing their lives extoll his ambition by comparing it with his successours avarice Now all the Court began to adore Malchus in Sophanders person each one foreseeing that any imp ingrafted on such a root would one day flourish extreamly and that its shadow should one day be able to shelter those who retired under it from either the cold chilnesse of poverty or the scorching flames of envie yea the King himself caressed exceedingly this Infant Minion but so cautiously as that he seemed rather to love him in obedience to Malchus his desire than out of any secret inclination to Sophander or aversion from Malchus albeit these two passions were really the legs whereon his passion did walk Thus Malchus did by the hand of his pleasure sway the Sceptor of Soveraignity his fancy being the sole and supream Judge even in matters of the greatest importance from whose sentence the Royal Throne it self durst receive no appeal and whose smiles were the greatest reward that the proudest Egyptian durst pretend to the office of Chancellour became too narrow an orb for this great Planet to move in wherefore as an extraordinary person he must have an extraordinary imployment and must be advanced to be first Minister of State a title not understood by us and never heard of by our Ancestors but which suited well with his ambition both being boundless None durst now dispute his power seing none could pretend to know it and seing the King himself was who could repine against the condition of a subject Nothing was presented to him now but what was confected with the sugar of flattery not a word dropped from his mouth but was instantly received in Fames most sacred vessels and the most erroneous of his actions were canonized as example for posterity Yet fear the ordinary Lacquey of greatness began to tell his conscience in the ear that he was rather adored than loved by those who even loved him best which made him resolve by the news of his death to try whether it was love or fear that made the humours of his Compatriots so plyable in order to this design feigning himself first sick and then blazing abroad his death by the mouth of his Physicians did by the dissembled closure of his eyes open the fond mouthes of the unwary Courtiers who were glad to find an occasion to vomit up that poysonous malice which had even by its venom almost destroyed the vessels wherein it was keeped but the next morning the Physicians told that his soul had but lurked in and not fled from his apoplectick body and he himself being recovered did deal death most liberally amongst those who were so liberall of their characters of him whilest they supposed that he was dead Yet at last death did show that the armour of greatness was not proof against its darts and did hurry him away cursed by all and lamented by none the people supposing they had buried him and their miseries in one tomb did now coin thousands of hopes in the mint-house of their expectation but their miseries which had begun to ebb by Malchus death did now begin to flow afresh by the Succession of Sophander whom the Queen fearing that the Nobles who did not obey him who was both their Countryman and their Prince would far lesse obey her whose reign was but temporary and whose sex was but fragile did after the death of her husband who survived not long Malchus choose him for her Confident The young Kings name served them for a rampart against all opposition and his infancy made the uproars of her enemies be looked upon as a sin greater than Treason being committed both against the Majesty of a King and the Infancy of a Childe and rendred them criminal both as men and subjects Yet this same innocency which made the opposers so guilty did likewise give time and life to the far more heinous crimes of the defendants Sophander having got the Tutory of the young King acquainted him with all the pleasures which might alienate his mind from affairs of greater importance but keeped him alwayes a stranger to the Mysteries of State as things which would certainly disquiet and might possibly break his spirit telling him that it was too soon for him to have his Crown lined with the black Sables of Care and that he might in his youth commit some Solicismes of State which might for ever stain his Royall repute he likewise retarded his Marriage fearing lest anothers worthiness should fill the room which he unworthily had gotten in his Princes heart till at last overpowered by necessity he matched him with a neighbouring Princess whose pliable humour might rather be subservient than destructive to his greatness I who had been promoted to be Chancellour immediatly after Malchus death became now the eye-sore of Sophanders avarice for he thought my charge void because it was not filled with one of his Partisans who might at last like small rivers discharge themselves in the ocean of his Treasures whereupon I who scorned like those other Asses to carry Gold to his bottomless Coffers did resolve rather to shelter my self in the Sanctuary of a private life than to bow the top-sail of my integrity to the flag of his ambition wherefore I retired to this place and condition which I have alwayes since found a harbour able to shelter me from the most violent storms of pride and avarice wherewith those are shattered who sail in the ocean of Court-luxury This discourse did extreamly satisfie Megistus judgment and kindle his courage and Monanthropus perceiving the coals of his courage once kindled did by the bellows of wit and occasion endeavour to adde heat to excite the flames which he found already kindled and it was resolved at last that Eudoxa the elder of these two Ladies should go to Alexandria where she should stay till by Bonaria's intercession so was Monanthropus Lady called she might be admitted to be one of Agapeta the Kings daughters Ladies of honour where she might be serviceable to their designs and a stirrup wherby Megistus might the more easily mount the saddle of preferment Let us now return to visit Philarites whose love had plunged him in the ditch of Melancholly irrecoverably who loved nothing in himself except
the love he carried to ARETINA whose good fortune he notwithstanding cursed a thousand times because it had placed her above the reach of his courtesies the skilfull pencile of his passion did draw ARETINA'S portracture upon every object that presented it self to his sight and his noble heart which was formerly Mars his shop wherein he forged thousands of heroick thoughts became now an Altar whereon he sacrificed daily his dearest faculties to his lovely ARETINA his Reason which had still been the steersman in all his former courses did in this tempest of Melancholy abandon its charge presumption assured him that providence and foresight in this case were but cowardishness for how could one of his courage especially engaged in such a quarrel fear Armies of inconveniences On the contrary fear assured him that his hopes were meer presumption for how could the divine ARETINA be merited by a stranger destitute of friends and attenders and how could he think that she who knew the value of every thing would bestow her self upon one who did not merit her Thus passion warred against passion but all of them conspired against Philarites who deserted by reason and assaulted by passion was brought to so low a passe as that neither the skill of the Physician was able to recruit his body nor the perswasions of Megistus able to settle his confused spirits But that which afflicted him most was that occasion never propined him with an opportunity of meeting with ARETINA all alone till at last occasion repenting of the severity it had used against him brought at last Bonaria and ARETINA to his Chamber whom charity had invited thither to assist by their skill and care his natural strength which was not able for to combate all alone these troups of diseases which did daily attaque him Bonaria being instantly called away left a fair field for his passion to expatiate it self in Philarites who intended to be very frugal of his time insisted thus Divine ARETINA the least sparkle of your acquaintance is able not only to thaw the ice of indifferency but even to kindle the flames of love in a colder breast than mine But Madam the great disproportion betwixt your merit and my naughtiness obliges me to smother my affection and yet I know that in smothering it I shall murther a person who might otherwise live to do you service My death shall be honourable if I be not buried in the tomb of your disdain and yet my life being imployed in your service might bud forth in something worthy of your and the worlds noticing but as for me I esteem it not if I receive it not as a donative from your clemency Fair Lady I shall alwayes esteem my self more or lesse fortunate accordingly as ye frown or smile upon me and your thoughts are the only stars whereby my horoscope may be casten He stopped here perceiving that ARETINA had covered her face with a blush and fearing to offend her whom he so much adored he patiently waited for this Answer Noble Philarites I know that such Gallants as you use like skilfull Comedians to act still at home those personages which they are to represent publickly upon the stage wherefore I am confident that ye are inuring your self with such a Country-maid as I am to those Civilities and Court-modes which the Ladies at Courts will expect from you I know your wit sports it self by such genty recreations and seing it may accomplish your spirit I pardon you fâ—eely She spoke this with so charming a grace and with so much indifferency as that neither Philarites fear or hope were able to glean any thing from it at last rising to bid him adieu she let a Scarlet Ribband fall which Philarites secretly fearing to be perceived and being perceived to be frustrated snatcht up immediately and kept alwayes afterwards as the Paladium of his good fortune After two or three weeks were thus spent Philarites came abroad rather seeking an opportunity to entertain ARETINA than out of a desire to meliorat his health and whilest they were walking after Dinner in the next adjacent Garden where all the Knights and Ladies had gone to seek the Arbours protection against the heat of the Sun they perceived a Gentleman who in all humility presented Monanthropus with Letters from Sophander entreating his Lady and Daughters presence at his Neeces Nuptials who was to be espoused to the Prince of Goshan Monanthropus alledged indisposition of health for himself but promised that his Lady and daughter should wait upon his Eminence and his Neece Telling him that he was sorry that the distance was not greater and the Solemnity lesse that their obedience to his Eminencies commands might the better appear The Gentleman told him that seing that Complement could hardly be requited by Sophander himself it were vanity in him to endeavour an answer The next morning the Ladies accompanied by the unknown Knights did by Coach begin their journey to Alexandria and it was almost hard to tell whether Megistus grief in leaving Monanthropus or Philarites joy in accompanying ARETINA was greatest The day being fair at their departure continued not long so for the Heavens willing to cause the Earth drink healths to their bon-voyage did by impetuous showers send it water enough to drink the Sky which intended to look chearfully at Eliza's Nuptials did by wind and rain purge it self of all its malignant humours Heavens bottles having at last emptied themselves by these furious showers the Sky did cover its face by a vail of mist whereby the Coachmans horizon was abridged to the length of two or three paces at most Providence intending by the hand of this darknesse to lead them out of that naturall darknesse wherein their ignorance had enveloped them and now the Coachman did flie fast from the angry face of Heaven but the faster he drove the mâ—re he strayed which he never perceived till time had dissipated the mist and then both he and the other attenders found themselves in a Forrest where they saw no path nor person to direct them what rout to take at last the Ladies and Knights who were walking on foot Megistus birth having allowed him Bonaria's hand leaving ARETINA to now happy Philarites they perceived an old Hermite who appeared to have borrowed times beard to cover his wrinkled face and naked breast who did accost them thus Ladies it appears that rather errour than intention hath drawn you hither The Ladies granted it was so but told him that they thought themselves most fortunate in having erred seing their errour had occasioned such a remarkable rancounter wherefore they entreated to know his aboade and the occasion of his solitude I am said he an Hebrew who have refuged my self from being a sad witness of the deplorable condition of my Country whose miseries are mine by adoption I live here in a Rock wherein there is nothing worthy of observation The Ladies entreated they might see it for sure said they there
is nothing worthy of your choice which is not worthy of our observation Seeing their eagerness and coveting an opportunity to confer with him he conducted them to a Rock elevate somewhat above the circumjacent Valley where Nature had been the only Architecture yet so handsomly arched and pended that it might have passed for one of Arts Master-pieces within there stood a Table whereon were some old Volumns and some of his own Manuscripts over it hung some Walnut and Fig-trees which were his only granaries and which reached him his food in at his window two steps below the entry without was a spring of christal water where the Rock seemed to gush out tears because it could not afford him better liquor the neighbouring trees seemed to lay their heads together to skreen his open windows from the scorching heat and the weary Wildernesse seemed by his dwelling there to be an house of pleasure When they were entered and had seated themselves to recreate their wearinesse and admire his garb and gravity he began to usher his discourse by some tears by whose continual streams it appeared he had formerly whitened his snow-white beard he seconded his tears with this ensuing discourse in obedience to the Ladies who desired to be satisfied anent the occasion of his solitude Madam The omnipotent and omniscient God for I acknowledge but one for if there be any God he must be infinite and if infinite he must be one for there cannot be moe infinites than one for else the one is not infinite seing he wanteth the perfections of his fellows and so something may be added to his perfection And the diversity of your gods shewes not the plurality of the gods but denoteth only the diversity of the true God his Attributes for he is wife and his wisdom is represented by your Apollo He is most irresistible which is figured to you by your god Mars c. I say the omnipotent God hath created innumerable creatures whose greatest use is meerly to shew the power of their Creator and in every creature there is a masse of mysteries and each of them is a Volumn too large to be read during a mans whole life wherefore seing the Court and Conversation sealeth that Book and trifles away the time I should and might bestow upon it I resolved to divorce my self from these adulterating imployments and retire my self to solitude which is a hall wherein through the prospect of meditation a man may see a compleat muster of all God's creatures and seing it affordeth a man opportunities to converse with the eternal God I think it much preferable to the world wherein ye converse most if not only with poor mortals from whom nothing is to be learned and with whom much may be lost as also the loud cryes of worldly pleasures will not suffer a man to hear the language of an offended conscience and the world being sins element sins seem not heavy whilest one is there no more than the above-running waters burthens the swimming fishes There men are affrighted by poverty and distracted by ambition which albeit it be alwayes mounting yet shall never climb to Heaven every Age seems a season wherein grows a distinct crop of Vices in infancy ignorance in youth love and vanity in middle-age ambition revenge and prodigality in old age jealousie dotage and avarice yea the vertues themselves which are to be found there cannot stand upon their own legs except they be underpropped by some vice or other If one love his friend he will think nothing sin which may gratifie him and another must maintain his liberality by the oppression of his subjects and servants But these vices will not lodge with those who lodge in Wildernesses because they find themselves starved by the indigency of their Landlords and barrennesse of the soil But Madam these two Skulls which lye upon my Table the one whereof is that of Alexanders and the other Plato's albeit they be dumb to others yet they preach to me the vanity of all things under the Sun and as skilfull Anatomists discover to me the sillinesse of crawling man their Skuls shewn so appositly did wring tears from the eyes of the beholders neither did the Hermite now weep alone and his tears seemed to be like a little water imployed by the Mariners to pump up a far greater quantity Only Philarites whose breast was so repleat with other meditations that there was no room left for such celestiall contemplations did shed only some few meerly to accompany those which came in rivers from ARETINA'S eyes Whilest they were thus drowning the Hermites Cave with their plentifull tears the rude Coachman told them that albeit they were staying there yet the Sun would not stay for them and therefore intreated their hast At which the Ladies starting up they were by the Hermite conducted to their Coach whence shewing them the way to Alexandria he returned promising to sacrifice hundreds of prayers for their erring souls When he was gone Philarites beholding ARETINA said he thought her fair face mantled with such incomparable colours and charms did speak as loudly mans excellencie as the ugliest of those skuls spoke his infirmity Alas said Bonaria fourty years hence the disproportion will not be great when all these colours shall be hidden in the wrinkles of an old face and when the frost of age shall have nipped all these flourishes and the cold wind of time shall have blown away these blossoms which now appear Certainly said Philarites the soul must be an excellent creature which as the Sun produceth imaginary colours in optick prismes and doves necks so it in a more noble way doth produce really those admirable colours which appeareth in that and other excellent faces neither can it be thought a disparagement to the soul that it suffereth these to fade in age seing in exchange of these it bestoweth upon the body then the real advantages of prudence and experience which cannot be said to be the least worth because they are the least beautifull no more than the Autumn can be called the worst season because in lieu of the Springs flourishes it bestows upon us the real fruits which have been knotted in it and no doubt the soul must be a noble Artist which makes all these veins muscles nerves and noble parts of mans body move so regularly whose number and varity albeit they shew the excellency of our fabrick yet do infallibly occasion our weaknesse for any one of these many parts can lodge death with all its train and the finger or toe albeit they are most of all others remote from the heart yet can they deliver up that citadel of life the heart into the hands of death its mortal enemy Sure said ARETINA seing the body is in it self so frail they are much to blame who are so enamoured with these colours which are so fading I am confident replyed Philarites that none is so mad as to become enamoured of the body in any other
they put themselves in a posture and seemed to be but the earnest-peny of that great bargain they were now making At last the Martial Knight considering that the bloud which he spent in opposing Megistus would be better imployed if spent in his quarrel recoyling three steps called to the Judges that for any thing he knew it was the god Mars against whom he was fighting and so to atone his guilt he was willing to break his sacrilegious Sword This merry conceit shewed a quaint wit in him in whom they had spied a strong courage formerly and now both of them throwing away their Swords did imbrace each other wrestling as it were who should be kindest The Judge asked how the Crown should be bestowed Give me it said the Martial Knight and I will place it on the head of this deserving Gentleman Megistus refused it and said that his friendship was too great a prize to remunerate so small a victory Thus the King and Court returned home expecting with a long desire the afternoons tilting After Dinner the King Court and Judges being placed in their respective places as formerly The first who entered these Lists of death was a Knight who seemed dead already his armour was all black and made him appear to be deaths armour-bearer his horse whose counter was suitable to his masters armour seemed by his prancing to cut up a grave for his dead master he was discerned at last to be the valiant Terez who fought in honour of the deceased Lady Tina once his dear Mistris He told the Judges he came there to beg a pasport from some noble hand to post to heaven after her where seing he resolved to go he intended to go in the Chariot of Honour The Judges at first intended to deny him preference telling him That as life according to the course of nature preceded death so in the course of justice lifes Champions were to be preferred At which Answer the black Knight showed some dissatisfaction Yet the Judges considering that the Bloud Royal whereof Terez was one were exempted by their birth from such trifling ceremonies and judging it an inhumane act to adde affliction to the afflicted resolved to authorize his appearance He carried in his shield a Turtle Dove sitting upon a leafless Oak his Motto was ONLY ONE Against him appeared two or three Knights successively who being vanquished served as steps whereby Terez might the more easily mount Fames theater At last appeared one Knight whom the Sun had withered and seemed to resemble one of those dead bodies whom the Egyptian Mummie had preserved hundreds of years his shield was beautified with a Dying-man all withered except one hand wherein he carried a Scarlet Ribbon the Motto was LOVE WORKETH CONTRARIES meaning that it could make a fresh body become withered and a withered hand become fresh This was Philarites and that was ARETINA'S Ribbon the bosses of his bridle were two Lilly Roots whose leafless stalks served for the reigns These two seemed rather to court than shun death and the desire they had to kâ—ll one another seemed not to proceed from any desires they had to live for providence could inflict no greater punishment as life upon them but rather because they desired to have one anothers company in the other world thus they spent many blows and shed more bloud than the by-standers imagined their bodies were masters of ARETINA was told by Philarites heart which he had depositated in her custody that the Combatant who wore the Scarlet Ribbon was Philarites and that she was the Sun by whose beams his lovely body had become so parched whereat she blushed or rather her bloud desiring to be judge and witnesse of Philarites courage came to her cheeks to try if thence they might descry that noble courage which it heard all the spectators so much extoll But Philarites beholding ARETINA as if her face had been an Arsenal from which he was to expect new armour did by an irresistible stroak kill that heart which grief had formerly so sore wounded being thrown thus to the ground he threw up his eyes to heaven as if his soul intended from thence to take its flight to paradise Philarites running to him did by his tears wash those bleeding wounds which his sword had formerly opened to whom the black Knight gave a Diamond Ring as a memorial of his true respect which he had after that same manner received from Pilades ARETINA'S dear cousin and friend whom he had killed the year preceding in combat Many regrated his losse and a witty Gentleman at Court dressed him this Epitaph It seems the gods to flit from earth intend Seing their best furniture away they send From this our globe here in a coffine Fame Interred lyes embalm'd by Terez name Let mortals then rear him a Tomb of Tears Whilst their sad hearts a double mourning wears After Supper whilest Terez ghosts were troubling all their quiet there entred a fellow who told his Majesty that he was to shew him a Monster The King desired he might present it upon a stage whereon the Commedians used to act that it might be easily discerned and the whole Court the better satisfied Whereupon the fellow mounting the stage and removing the sheet that covered his promised Monster there appeared an old fellow with a pair of large Harts Horns at which a merry Gentlewoman snuffing said A strange Monster forsooth whereof I have such another lying in my bed at home The fellow having viewed him on all quarters did thus begin his description This Acteon is by his kind wife called her Hart and he is so for she hath made him so He came to the world when Capricornus presided amongst the celestial signs at which time he received the name of Cornelius the Man in the Moon was Gossip who as a Donative bestowed upon him the fair Cap which he now wears which his wife fearing he should lose hath borrowed needls from her kind neighbours to sow it on faster and where-ever he enters such is her pride that she will have five or six to follow him at last she did not fancy the name of Cornelius Tacitus saying that it was not famous but she would needs have him called Cornelius Publicus he being the Publican and she the Sinner She having one day offended him as young women do oft old men he called her Whore and she fearing that neighbours might thereafter upbraid him with the name of a Lyar hired some pretty Gentlemen who were her acquaintances to vindicat his name from that aspersion whereat the good old man finding that he was mistaken did like the Snails when they are angry shoot out his Horns This description ended they went all to bed and with that day they ended the solemnity of these Nuptials The Second Book FOrgetfulnesse did now begin to claim soveraignity over what past and the pleasures of that famous Solemnity which had not long since been in its flourish was now in the fall
as out of respect to the beholders and to oblige their modesty did by their uneven brows which were to them in place of tongues cartel us to a combat their arms were two long poles to which were fixed two shables neither did they offer us choice of arms we judging gallantry but a nicety where necessity was the quarrel and considering that they who were outlaws to Nature might be punished by any of her subjects all men being commissionated against such common enemies and that they who would not kill such rascals were guilty of the bloud that was shed by them resolved to make use of all arms and arm our selves with all advantages against them Whereupon Philarites pulling out a pistol sent from its barrel two balls cloathed in deaths livery and by them opened a salley-port to his soul to fly out of that nasty prison wherein it had been too long captivated his comrads courage fell with him and deaths horrid face represented in the mirrour of his dying friend agasted him so as that he was willing to ransome his life upon his knees with tears which fear had commissionat to intercede for him We who thought that to kill a man before he was prepared to die was to murder the soul aswell as the body desired him to throw away his weapon and he should have quarter but he not accustomed to hear such a dialect understood us not so that we were forced to make a demonstration our interpreter he no sooner understood our mind than he disarmed himself of his weapon throwing his body open to our mercy we advanced but scarce could perceive in him the reliques of humanity which was all mudded over with the rubbish of desuetude and cruelty and his tongue exprest it self as if it had but freshly come to the school of the world whereupon Philarites concluded that seing he and his companion could understand one another that the bruits did use possibly an ideom peculiar to themselves aswell as these whose expression claimed affinity to that used by them or if they had no language they behoved to read each others sentiments in the characters of thoughts like the intuitive knowledge of Angels We untyed the naked couple who took their life as a donative from our hands upon whom fear had made such an impressa as they could not believe but death had them stil in its claws We desiring to pull up that poysonous herb by the root fearing lest it might thereafter spread and pullulate afresh resolved to know where he nested he would willingly have quit us yet in obedience rather to fear than to us he led us to a cantone of the Wilderness and shewed us there a hole whereat he entred it seemed to be hells porch and its very stink occasioned by the boyling of mans flesh did fortifie it sufficiently against all humane approaches he called forth at last his wife and I must say he was fitly matched for her face was a rendevouze of all those deformities that a petulant fancy could have excogitated and except in the case of an Incubus he might have defied all the world to make him a Cuckold We learned at last by a discourse composed of semibrievs and crotchets that she and her husband had lived there fifty years death having forgot that there lived any mortals in such a corner and that their son was killed We lookt in and perceived that the hole was all pent up with wood and that their best chear was mans flesh So we brought them alongst with us to the next Town where those two lived whom we had released and committed them to the publick prison Thence our inclination which was the compass by which we steered led us to Lacedemon which was then the stage whereon Fortune acted all her Tragedies This Nation had pilgrimaged through all Governments and seing it could not unload it self of Rules heavy burden it did like the Asse fetch it from shoulder to shoulder and so contrarie to its expectation past from evil to worse and from worse to worst of all We had not marched but two dayes journey in this Lunatick Country when we encountred a fellow whose eyes sparkled some of that folly which was breasted within him and by the inorderly Index of his face we might easily know that the volumn of his thoughts could not but be confused his equipage was so mean that he resembled an old Oak whose starved leaves had fallen away from the stock which was not able to alâ—ment them to which the obdured earth denied the pension of its ordinary aliment his motions shewed that they received no commission from a rational soul and were like the reelings of a ship whose rudder the careless Skipper had abandoned thus did he by his inconsiderableness render himself considerable and made us notice him meerly because he was not worth the noticing he past by us without giving us a hat or paying a reverence and glancing over his shoulder he said Friends think ye who shine so upon earth because of your diamonds to shine in heaven circled with the rays of divine splendor or dream ye that heaven will suffer your pride to passe unpunished Ye are mistaken replyed Philarites for gorgiousnesse in apparrel betokeneth much humility for we think that we need such weights as these to be put with us in the ballance of such capricious fancies as yours else we might fear to be judged but light whereas ye imagine that your innate worth is able to create respect enough for you and I pray you seing the gods have not created these diamonds for our aliment surely they have created them for our ornament and we see how they have variegated the fields with flowers and have enammeled these flowers with diverse colours whereby our pleasure might be baited aswell as our necessities supplyed neither certainly would they have left man who is the most excellent amongst all the creatures naked of these ornaments if they had not given him reason and fancy to be his provisors and the whole earth to be his magazine Neither must we confine ornaments to the narrow bounds of necessity else why tax ye not the gods likewise of superfluity for having spangled the heavens with so many and so various stars and constellations seing they might have supplyed their rooms by two or three Suns or Moons And Sir had not these eye-dazling creatures the Diamonds concealed by their absence some portion of their makers glory if they had still been intombed in the earths dark bowels Well friend replied he since I cannot convince you who lies swadled in the cradle of your follie and understands not these true mysteries go read Grandours Epitaph in the person of Ephemerus who was not long since Prince of this Country and is now hunting near-by followed only by two servants Whereupon he paced away leaving us puzled in what rank of creatures he was to be placed He being gone Philarites marked that of all mad-men those were most
unwillingnesse to lodge such contaminated guests as bloudy carcasses were those who had passed over finding themselves destitute of the assistance of their friends who were able to contribute nothing now but their prayers and wishes resolved to imbrace an honourable death since they could not procure to themselves a long life and to shew that rather fate than fearfulnesse had occasioned their overthrow yet courage had its eyes so dazled with the unexpectednesse of their former disaster that it could not see what was fittest to be done in that juncture of affairs and they beheld their enemies through the multiplying-glasse of fear and as those for whom Providence had displayed a Banner The Knights assaulted them whilst thus perplext and put in disorder the ill-marshalled right wing and as ordinarily those who draw one link of fortunes chain will make all the rest follow it So this partial victory was seconded by a total and the Persians were forced rather to imploy their tongues in demanding pardon than their swords in seeking victory leaving the two Knights both the victory and the field as the recompence of their gallantry These news wrought as different effect at Court as the Sun doth upon the earth when it causeth the roses smell sweetly and the marishes stink insufferably producing effects according to the dispositions of the bodies wrought upon Thus all the truly generous spirits at Court shared with these noble Gentlemen in their good fortunes virtuous men honouring true Generosity as that whereby they either have already been or hopes to be honoured but Sophander and his faction made the sunshine of their glory appear as dapled with some obscure spots and alleaged that it was intolerable arrogance in them who were but strangers to place the Martial Knight in the Citadel of Iris which being a frontier Town could not be disposed of but to a native and that it was the custom of Egypt not to bestow frontier strengths either as appanages upon the children of their Prince nor as governments for the use of strangers as also they challenged them for fighting the Persians albeit with advantage yet without order Misarites having only commissionated them to rescue Iris and no more and if private persons should follow rather the dictates of their own reason than the commands of their Superiours Government were unnecessary and ruine behoved certainly to attend such disorder and albeit fortune should make such undertakers victorious yet it could not justifie their undertakings neither could the dammage which might ensuâ— upon such exemplary contempt be compensated by the advantage which might accrue from an accidental victory Amongst all their friends at Court none were so much satisfied nor esteemed themselves so much interessed in these victories as Agapeta and ARETINA who kindled bonfires of joy in their breasts to congratulate their great success and albeit they could not then in modesty nor prudence cry up these noble exploits themselves yet they respected all those who did it Sophander who had at the council table of his own thoughts declared himself an enemy to the Royal Faction concluded now that the only way to ruine the King was to ruine these noble Gentlemen knowing that those who would fell a great Oak and pluck it up by the roots behoved first to cut the earth about it to effectuate which he bribed a Mesopotamian at Court to confess the pedigree of his Prince Megistus and at last to declare to the King that he had carried Letters from him to Agapeta and now confident of this fellows perseverance in his roguish business he addressed himself to the King the next morning thus Sir if my being entrusted by you the confidence I have in you and the experience I have of you did not imbolden me to unfold to your Majestie such mysteries of State as is that which I am presently to discourse of I would not dare to dip in affairs of so great importance and seing Princes have not the leisure to pry into all particulars nor informers either the opportunity or confidence to give them immediate information of what toucheth them I think it is prudence in Princes to imploy Ministers of State to learn and duty in Ministers of State to acquaint Princes with what they have learned and since all Subjects are tied by their condition to detect what may wrong the State or endanger the person of their Prince what a strict obligation is laid upon Minions to disclose to their Masters what may ruine them and their Subjects and albeit there be great danger in being misconstrued by their Prince yet expediency should not be disputed in those actions which are commanded by duty Sir this Gentleman named Megistus is of a birth rather answerable to the extraordinariness of his qualities than suitable to the meanness of his equipage his deportment tels that he is a Prince and my author confirms me in it for I am informed by a Mesapotamian whom I have brought alongst with me that he is Son to the King of Ethiopia and is come to your Court to court your daughter Sir this may seem improbable yet if we ponder the hazard he runs in travelling abroad and the desire parents have to keep their children under their eye especially when he is their successour and the expectation of a whole Nation your Majesty may think that is not altogether impossible but Sir if ye consider the pains he is at in your service and the perils he layeth himself open to in a forreign Nation ye may eye it as probable And if yet further ye examine the correspondence he keeps with your Daughter which this fellow will assure you ye may justly conclude it certain Where the danger is great the proofs needs not be most clear neither can we expect plenary probation in those plots which are hatched so covertly and the fear of a disease is enough to command its prevention Neither can there be greater danger anywhere than here for Megistus being by birth a Prince in stature handsom and by fortune successfull it may be feared that your Daughter will prefer his bed to that of a subject upon whom she fears ye will bestow her And if once he master her affection which is easie where he is so accomplished and hath so few competitors she will die if she marry him not or your Crown will be carried to a stranger if she marry him Neither lies all the danger there for it is to be feared that if he married once your Daughter either your Majesty behoved to nominate her your successour and then possibly they will rather hasten than expect your death or else if ye do it not he may secure himself in your Kingdom by the assistance of your mercenary or discontented Subjects into which two files all the Commons and many of the Nobility may be ranked Sir I know he is your Favourite and so I may be misconstrued as being thought to to fear that he is my rival but Sir I know that
and since the thing sworn is unlawfull in it self there can be no confirmation of it by oath for how can ye confirm that which is not as also Sir all oaths are given with this proviso that they wrong â—ot our Superiours for our subjection to them not being ours we cannot dispose of it without their advice This discourse surprized so the Secretary who entreated some time to advise but Megistus fearing that he might detect him to his Master or at least might dissemble with him told him that to relate things already done there needed no consultation which was only required to prevent things to come wherefore he insisted passionatly for a present discovery which the other convinced by his conscience of his errour and considering that he had already half confessed the truth of what was doubted by seeking some time to solve the doubt which else had been needless desired Megistus to swear in his Majesties name what he had promised and that he should unriddle to him the whole mysterie which when Megistus had done the Secretary spoke thus Sir I cannot tell whether it be by sagacity or divine inspiration that ye come to know this mysterie but it must be by either for those who were privy to it were all of them so much concerned that I am confident they would never divulge it but Sir you have conjectured rightly for my Master hath devoted himself to the Persian service and one day by a compact betwixt him and the Persian General I was desired to walk out to the â—ield where I would find a Persian of such a statuâ—e and garb who would suffer himself to be taken my prisoner which succeeded accordingly and whom I conducted to my Master and who was brought to his bed-chamber upon pretext as if he would examine him privatly my Master commanded him to prison for two dayes but thereafter enlarged him upon his promise to stand by the Egyptian quarrel so that he walk'd up and down the Army and was countenanced by the most eminent in it till at last acquainted both with our strength and knowing fully Misarites mind he made shew to go out one day in a party but forgot to return and yesterday there came a Trumpet under pretext of treating for some prisoners but secretly he delivered my Master some Letters Megistus did send immediatly for Philarites to whom he related all that had past and after some debates what was fittest to be done they concluded that they would acquaint some Colonels with it who were not of Misarites his faction as also a young Nobleman who was the King's sisters son and thereby had much command and following in the Army after they were all assembled and had taken an oath of secresie and had heard the case deduced they resolved that same night because two of their Regiments were upon the guard that the King's sisters son Stirias should take the Letter and ensure Misarites and immediately divulge the Letter to the Army but they concluded presently to acquaint the King with what had past that he might secure Sophander as they were to secure Misarites lest if they were not secured both at once the imprisonment of the one might advertise the other of his danger wherefore they wrote to his Majesty this Letter SIR YOur eminent danger must now move your inclination to be more rigid than at other times and albeit Sophander be your Confident yet ye must make him now your prisoner Prisons were made for Traitors and courage suiteth well with Princes He and Misarites have conspired against your Majestie with the Persians we have secured the one secure ye the other and let neither his reiterated protestations nor his cunning discourses buy him off from a condign punishment We have sent alongst Misarites Secretary to whose loyalty your Majestie owes the discovery of the whole plot and who hath been as honest as his master was disloyal We hope your Majestie will recompence the one and punish the other and that ye will acquaint your humble servants who shall be preferred to Misarites his Charge that so all confusion may be avoided and the ruine of your affairs here prevented The two Knights addressed also another Letter to Monanthropus After this Gentleman was dispatcht and the Guards set Stirias accompanied with the Knights and the Officers went to Misarites Tent and there made him prisoner he would hâ—ve raised some tumult but was prevented by Stirias who calling the other Officers shewed them and the Souldiers the Letter and immediatly prevented the tumult and arrested two or three others who were of the same cabal this done the Guards were commanded to let none passe who might acquaint the Persians with what had occurred but to lie quiet till to morrow for in the twilight they resolved to set upon the Persian Army who were secure relying upon Misarites infallible affection to them The Souldiers witnessed by their looks their joy and willingnesse to fight weary of the insupportable fatigue of that slow-paced War Whereupon the Council of War preferred all in one voice Megistus to be General in the interim and Stirias and Philarites to command in vice of the other reduced Officers at midnight they marched the sickest among them shewing himself healthfull and the most sullen shewing himself chearfull At two a clock in the morning they assaulted the Persians ilk defended trenches who opprest with sleep and distracted with fear could neither give nor receive orders some had their beds turned in their graves and others were from the imbracements of their dear friends sent to the cold imbracements of cruel death Sotorus was after much resistance taken prisoner and in his conquest ended the conquest of the field the General being like the heart of the Army which is the last part in the body which lodgeth life Thus ended that War so formidable to the Egyptians that they had concluded necessarily their own ruine and so glorious to these two Knights that they only were esteemed the wel-spring whence flowed that large river of happinesse whose streams fatned so all Egypt The diligence used at Court was as great as what was used in the Army for immediately upon the receipt of the above-mentioned Letter the King commanded Sophander to prison each at Court contributing his assistance to his disgrace hoping that many small Vessels might be built with the ruines of that bulkish one and each one endeavouring to testifie his own innocency by the rigour of his carriage to Sophander and now the Court which resembles ordinarily an Orange tree whereupon there is alwayes some fruit flourishing some blossoming and some withering did now resemble an Aspen tree where all the leaves trembled rather by an innate quality than by any outward storm So all trembled here rather astonisht with the novelty of the accident and fearing unjust informations which are ordinary at such occasions of which private enquiries takes advantages and when it is a crime even to be dilated rather
than from a consciousness of their own guilt A servant of Monanthropus admiring the inconstancy of Court favour presented his Master with these lines How can those stand who on the slippery ice Of Court are plac'd when by the storms of vice Or malice they 'r attaqu'd O happy he Who from his cottage doth these disasters see Court is a firmament whence stars oft fall And Courtiers are tossed like a ball In Fortunes tennis-court and by Prides racket are Toss'd over all the walls of Court most far Their greatness an hydropsie is and they Not with good blood but humours swell each day They grow so big that vertues narrow gate Forbids them entry then by witty fate He who exalted was is tumbled down Fates narrow stairs stript of preferments gown Luxuriant pride shakes often their hour-glasse And their debordings seals to them a passe To go to endless torments and each man Adds to the yard of their disgrace a span Who would be fixt must grip to vertues hand For on the legs of vice no man can stand The Court was upon this occasion remodelled and all those who had been Sophanders confidents were either imprisoned or disgraced as persons in whom the King could not confide and now Monanthropus was the only Minion by whose advice and through whose hands all things passed The War being ended the King to secure himself at Court resolved to call back the Army and ordained the two Knights to be received in triumph and withall posted away a Commission to Megistus to command in chief The Commission being received Megistus begins his march to Alexandria and stopped by a Warrant from the King four miles from the City till all things should be in readinesse for his reception The next morning they entered all the streets being tapistred as they passed alongst and Guards standing upon both sides After the Infantry marched Megistus with Philariâ—es on his right hand and Stirias upon his left In the Market-place stood a Scaffold whereon was represented the Parliament of the gods before whom Themis as goddess of Justice and Mars as god of Courage did plead which of them should be preferred to welcome these worthy Gentlemen at last Mars was preferred for the Armies better satisfaction who at their arrival delivered them this speech My darlings cadets of my house whose hands Were made to execute the just commands Of divine powers it 's my sons to you That Victory her lofty top doth bow That ye your heads may with her glorious bayes Encircle like unto a Sun with rayes Ye who hold fortunes wheel by the strong hand Of Courage making her swift course to stand Iustice and Courage shrewdly did contend Which of them as ambassadors the gods should send But seing Courage Iustice doth include No Courage being but where the cause is good Therefore the gods have Courage sent to greet Your safe return to this most joyfull street And were it not to leave on earth a seed Of Heroes they would surely with all speed Transplant you to the heavens there to shine Amongst those other deitiâ—s divine Live then brave Heroes and more praise possess Than Mars rude tongue is able to expresse After that scene was ended there appeared an Egyptian loaded with fetters and making his approaches to the Knights entreated them to untye his fetters which they did accordingly and thereafter he made them this gratulatory Invincible Gentlemen this that ye have now done is but an emblem of that ye have done formerly It is not so mysterious that I nâ—ed to explain it Our liberty is a debt which we owe you and our thanks are the only coyn we can pay it in all the by-standers participates with me in the common freedom and would return with me the common thanks if order would permit it our thanks and your merits are no wayes proportionable the one being empty and the other excellent but our admiration and your deserts hold a better proportion both being inexprimable they are twins both springing from the womb of your Courage Live then happily worthy Princes and inherite these praises which ye have purchast by your blood and pains The reception at Court exceeded in splendor that of the Market-place and the rather because Agapeta and ARETINA were there in whose affections the Knights desired more to triumph than in any thing else caring only for those honours they had received as means to make their peerless Mistrisses honour them the more all the inventions at Court was imployed in honouring the Knights and they were esteemed wittiest who pleased them best Tiltings were continually used for courage being once wakened behoved to have some exercise till it were fully re-setled neither could it change its pace so extreamly as to fall from a gallop to a still standing but behoved to retire by piece-meal this joy was in it self great but was thought the greater that it was the successor of a pannick fear and at last the King resolved to sacrifice Sophander to the honour of their solemnities for many thought it not fit that such a plodding head should have leave to rest upon its old shoulders and that there could not but ensue great alterations amongst the Nobles upon this late innovation and those who were postponed might probably study his releasment desiring rather he should bear sway than their own competitors and expecting by his releasment to return affairs to their old confusion that a living man might alwayes finde friends but dead dogs would bite none that to keep him in perpetual firmance was in it self illegal prisons being appointed rather to reserve men for punishment than to be a punishment it self and that it differed as far from punishment as the means did from the end for which they were appointed or if perpetual imprisonment was at all convenient it was only either where the person incarcerated was furious and so there was fear that in executing the body they should kill both soul and body or else where the criminal was a person loved by the people whose death would irritat them or else of great following so that their expectation of his life or fear of his death would justly poise all his friends undertakings and over-awe all their insolencies But that neither of these was to be expected by Sophanders execution whom all hated and none loved and possibly if it were continued he might convey away out of the Nation most of his Estate which he had ever keeped in movables as being most transportable and so it was best to wring the spunge so long as it was full The King resolved to execute him presently and therefore sentenced him to be hanged in the Market-place but the Church-men petitioned his Majesty that he might be first examined by them being one of their number and as being the ambassador of the immortal gods he should not be sentenced by any mortal Prince and that they behoved to examine first whether what he had done were done for the glory
the goodnesse of their quarrel I know they deck my death with their inhumane triumphs to make death seem the more terrible to me and my cause seem the more undesirable to others But as for me seing the cause for which I suffer is just the more I suffer the more the immortal gods and my kind prince are my debtors and the more remarkable they make it the more famous shall it prove to posterity I have alwayes esteemed them happy who lye upon the brinks of times impetuâ—â—s river remarking how it glides away swiftly bubling up bells here and 〈◊〉 whereof the greatest are alwayes the least durable and dissolving them instantly whereof two or three somtimes joyn together and shortly ruine each other and in other places foaming through rage and spight 〈◊〉 some rock or stone retards its violent course but unhappy are thâ—se who delights too much to swim in it and as it were by way of compliment to run alongst with its streams yet seing happinesse consists in action and since it is unnatural in any man to be a willing or at least an idle spectator of his Countries miseries for to be idle is in some wayes to be willing in things commanded by duty I admire him most who acts most for it and who like the bees will sting him who intends either to remove or to wrong their hive I am condemâ—ed as guilty of treason because I obeyed my Prince against whom treason only can be committed and seeing it had been treason if I had disobeyed how can my obedience make me a traitor I am accounted crâ—el but can truly be no more reputed such than he who endeavours with rebukes and lashes to reduce a runâ—agate and runaway servant to the obedience of his kind and condescending master Neither I hope shall others be frighted by these my sufferings sâ—ing misfortun 's balls canâ—â—t hit alwayes the same mark and I hope others shall be admitted to build that pallace to which we have only served as Quarriers and albeit they should meet death either in the Camp or upâ—â— a Scaffold why should that terrifie them seing to die so is to die in the arms of honour after which they may expect to have a Monument of Fame erected for them Whereas those who put the hour-glasse of their life in the trembling hand of fear will oft-times have it broken unâ—xpectedly by a fall both dishonourable and irrecoverable This discourse being ended the Executioner first hanged and then quartered him and the very Scaffold dyed with his blood seemed to blush at the cruelty of his Judges all condemning their cruelty and admiring his courage so that Sampson-like as Christians use to say he overcame moe at his death than he did in his life teaching Statesmen never to execute publickly those who are loved generally and thus was extinguished by the puddle of faction and malice that lamp which was kindled by the hand of providence Anaxagius affairs in Lacedemon were by this time wholly ruined for the specious pretext of liberty being displayed as a banner by the Senate all the Commons rendezvouzed themselves under it and albeit their consciences and experience did therafter inform them sufficiently of their errour yet fear of being punished obliged them to continue in their crime telling them in the ear that albeit their cause was bad yet their danger was inevitable Anaxagius own servants likewise did sing their own parts in this treasonable song for they as they pretended when challenged by their friends fore-seeing their masters ruine which they were not able to resist resolved rather to stand without him than fall with him like those who having sailed long in a pretty ship finding that she is like to split do break away a piece off her whereon they may come ashoare in safety But it is no wonder to see the Devil who cheated the judgement before the commission of the sin cheat the conscience after it is once committed and by such impious sophistry defend his cheats against the just accusations of piety and duty These miscreants did pick nightly his Majesties pockets and send doubles of his Letters to his enemies whereby both his plots were discovered his friends laid open to his enemies malice and likewise his own repute hugely tashed for some finding their correspondence with him and only known as they thought to him thus revealed concluded that he behoâ—ved himself to be the revealer And certainly â—his scarred even his most loyal friends from corresponding with him who albeit they durst â—ot harbour such disparaging thoughts of him â—s that was Yet shunned to throw themselves 〈◊〉 that snare wherein they saw others both â—atched and murdered Another cardinal errour in Anaxagius was That upon the tumults and insolencies of the â—â—ulgar sort in the City of Lacedemon he reâ—â—quished the City fearing that these fatâ—l â—omets did animate some signal alteration But by his flight he rather encreased their jealousie than evited their clamourous malice which was so swift-footed as to pursue him whereâ—ever he went for in his absence the authorâ— of these seditions did not now fear to be revealed nor when revealed to be so sharpâ—â— punished as formerly Whereas if he had stayed at Lacedemon his generous and modest â—â—portment would have refuted most of thesâ— malicious and groundlesse discourses whicâ— were now openly ventilated against him thâ— City likewise finding that he misconstrueâ— them so far as to think himself not securâ— whilst amongst them did now joyn with thâ— Senate cordially advancing them money wherâ— by both Army and Navie was maintained anâ— whereby those who followed Anaxagius werâ— entised to cantone themselves in the Senatâ— faction neither could the Senate commanâ— the Navie without the Navie from whom 〈◊〉 its materials could only be expected Whereâ—upon a Gentleman said to his Majesty one morâ—ning That a King was like the heart whicâ— when it is by any unnatural motion removeâ— from its wonted seat that certainly its dissolution must ensue shortly It is likewise firmly believed by many in thâ— Nation that the Senate fearing lest the Kâ—â— of Egypt brother to their Queen should seâ—â— some auxiliary Forces against them did by their Ambassadors buy with considerable sums Sophander's friendship representing likewise covertly that such a War would pick his Masters purse leaving little or nothing to his friends and favourites who otherwise might expect largely and that it was the interest of Egypt to see Lacedemon in such a hubbub They likewise treated with the Common-wealth of Corinth to advance them Arms promising that they should have liberty of fishing in their Seas without any toll a priviledge which the Corinthians feared Anaxagius would both question and recall The Sun of Anaxagius power was beginning to set the Nobles of whom his Army consisted mostly in Lacedemon were like flies returning in the cool of the evening and many attributed his ruine to their military disorders and unskilfulness for each of them behoved to be preferred to some
purposly that he might afford Anaxagius well-wishers some hope and so keep them quiet till his own faction were well feathered that they might flee abroad upon their own wings Yet the carreer of his ambition stops not here but he prevails with the Senate threatning some and alluring others to execute Autophilus and thereafter his fury flies at so high a pitch as to stage Anaxagius and after some formalities of process O horror or something more horrible than horror they condemn him as a traitour and even those who were traitors to him and as in all furious and desperate exploits this is no sooner intended than executed That fatall day being come wherein wickedness was to shew to the world its masterpiece the Army is made to approach near the City and those whose humour was known to be barbarous and whose crimes were by themselves judged unpardonable were chosen to be upon the guard where about ten a clock Anaxagius comes forth upon a scaffold which was all covered and hung with black wearing Majesty in his looks albeit they had devested him of its robes his very face might have vindicated him from more probable crimes than those they could charge him with and it seemed that he came rather to take up than to lay down a Crown After he had setled himself a little and beckened for silence he gave the by-standers this farewell AMongst the many miseries wherewith miserable mans life is chequered it is none of the least that man should be mans torturer but amongst those afflictions which spring to men from one anothers malice those are most insupportable which are caused by near relations seing it is a double affliction both to themselves afflicted and to be afflicted by friends from whom else they might expect some assistance and what stranger will not condemn him as horridly guilty to whom his relations are willing to be bourriers It is not the fear of death for my life hath not been so sweet of a long time that my death needs to prove bitter No it is the fear of what disorders will ensue upon my death which thus appales me Neither would I grieve if I judged that the one might prevent the other but why should I not grieve when I see that the one will occasion the other And seing I fear that these Leeches will find the bloâ—â— of a King so fat and sweet that it Will 〈…〉 them to suck out greedily that of the 〈◊〉 for since neither the priviledge of my person nor the justnesse of my cause was able to restrain the hand of injustice from stretching it self out against me what subject in none of whom either of these is to be found in a more eminent way can expect exemption or if he be exeemed he owes that more to his fortune than his innocence And what a misery is it to live where both life and fortune depends upon a may be and to live where vertue can neither expect preferment nor evite punishment the one being now the price of perjury and the other the effect of hazard As for my crime it is such as the worst of Kings cannot be guilty of seing it can only be admitted against Kings And so seing not any one person can be both accuser and defender no King can be accounted a Traitour It is true some Lawyers do alleage that a King selling his Kingdom to a stranger or betraying it to an enemy commits Treason but the reason in both these is because after he hath sold his Crown or willing by treachery to convey it to another he ceaseth of his own consent to be King and so being a private person may be guilty of that publick crime but to sit upon the bench of â—ustice and there maâ—ked with the â—â—â—â—ard of Law is condemn a King is a prâ—â—tice never hitherto attempted by the worst of men and so must be judged most horrid for if it had not been so sure some one of those many Traitors who have been both many and malicious in all ages would have excogitated this expeciency to varnish the â—glinâ—sse of their crime for there is no evil which is judged practical by hellish persons but histories swarm with instances of it only this the worst of men have deferred to perpetrate as being the worst of actions till Iustice should in the end become so old and weak as that it was not able to defend it self against even the highest of injuries And as to those who were my Iudges they had either no power else if they had any they derived it from me for if they condemned me as members of the Lacedemonian Senate then they derived their authority from me who only did establish it and it was in obedience to my command that the respective Counties elected them to be their Representatives and consequently when I was staged by them they annulled their own authority even then when they exerced it against me but if they pannelled me not as commissionated by that Senate how could they be said to represent the Lacedemonian State more than any other did and so they judged me without being constituted Iudges themselves But no wonder to see those who neglect the main slight likewise particulars As for me I pardon these wrongs they have done me judging it the prerogative of a King to pardon whereas it is the part of a subject only to revenge which since it argues parity suits ill with royal Majesty Neither value I any injury they can do me for seing they make me exchange earth for heaven misery for infinite felicity I account their wrongs favours but I grieve for those grievous wrongs which I fear will be exercised to you wards for seing happinesse consisteth in being vertuous and since patience is one of the cardinal vertues I can in being patient without their permission make my self happy in spight of their malice for surely since the gods will remunerate men according to the pains taken in their service a piece of justice which the most unjust among men could hardly decline Certainly there is no vertue can expect a greater reward than patience seing there is no vertue which toils so much for it Neither is there any vertue which is not acted in acting patience for in not grieving too much we act temperance in resisting the assaults of rage we evidence true fortitude and in submitting to the heavenly powers we manifest our justice but my soul is troubled at the trouble which I fear is a preparing against you and as the preservation of your priviledges was my main care whilst I lived esteeming the repose of the subject the only patrimony of the Prince so now nothing vexes me more at my death than to foresee how these miscreants will glut their malice with your bloud and their avarice with your estates for how can these love other mens children who have murthered their own father and how can they fear murder who are guilty of parritide Yet be not totally
scarce so much life was left her as to resent the miseries under which she lay loaded But after that her hard destiny had lent her further strength that it might sport it self yet longer with her afflictions she teared away her year like dayes in regrating the sadness of her misfortunes till at last like a too young branch she yeelds under the unsupportableness of her burden and resolves to leave her Fathers house which her Step-mothers malice had enchanted and to sanctuary her self in some unknown corner where at least none should upbraid her with the disproportionatedness of her condition to her birth having thus packt up these Jewels which her Mother had delivered to her Nurse to be given her she steals away one morning to Lacedemon but being wearied with such foot Journeys she retires into a meddow a mile from the City where after half an hours stay she perceives a Lady with her waiting maid come in a hackney Coach to breath in some Country-air After they had taken a walk or two Piseta accoasts the Lady and laying out his condition to her entreated her Ladiships charity in promoting her to some service the other who was a Baud glad of such a servant accepted her in her own service assuring her that she should be tasked with nothing that was difficult So that both being willing she takes her in Coach with her and alots her a Chamber very well equipaged and the next morning cloathes her in a new Gown and all other necessaries That night I whose youth clustred forth continually new grapes of wickedness came in to ravell away my time and moneys in that mother City and recoursed immediately to the house of that old Baud where I used to feast my lust at all occasions at my entrie she rejoyced as she said at my good fortune for she was able to give me the fairest and sweetest Maid she had ever eyed but told me that I behoved to double her Salary I who thought gold but money when imployed to such uses pactioned with her for a double fee Whereupon she brought me in to Piseta's chamber and retiring lockt the door behind her Piseta was imploying her time and needle very industriously when my approach startled her I must acknowledge that never any was so admiration-beaten as I was at the first sight of that divine beauty but when I began to carresse her she entreated me to be more reserved and the more I pressed her the more she recoiled at last longing to enjoy so desirable an object I asked why dwelt she here being of so coy an humour I came here to serve my Mistress but not to suffer such uncivil addresses replyed Piseta which suits as ill with your discretion as they do with my modesty This answer touched my very soul and finding that chance rather then resolution had guided me hither I informed her how she was in a mistake whereupon poor Lady falling upon her knees she begged from my Sword an issue to her endless troubles and told me her birth and the occasion of her coming there with such speats of tears as were able to hurrie away before them the strongest bancks of obstinat perversness and with so pathetick expressions as were eloquent enough to enforce the greatest of cowards to unsheath his sword in her quarrell I found by her relation that she was the same person whom I was to go in suit of and acquainted her with my Name and Style which did much encourage her Lady said I to her if I shall extricat you out of this danger and re-enstate you in your former liberty will you condiscend to marry me to which after some reluctancie she at last condescended upon which I went to that old Baud and menaced her with the discovery of her wickedness if she dismist not that young Lady whom she had so betrayed and withall satisfied her for what expence she could alleadge she was at and brought her to mine own house where I waited upon her without offering the least indignity to her person till our love was authorized by Marriage But alas this summer of joy lasted not long for a fourthnight after our Marriage a Pilgrim did one morning desire to speake with Piseta whose devotion made this suit very acceptable When she came in view the Pilgrim after a profound reverence thus occoasts her Madam My misfortune must sure be unavoidable when notwithstanding both of the number and zeal of my services and in spight of your own vertuous inclination it hath carryed you to forfeit your engagment to me and because that my happiness and your honour were insolvably twisted together to enrigide you so far against me as that ye were content rather to risk your own repute then to suffer the integrity of my happiness if I shed not my blood in your quarrell it was because ye wanted daring enimies and if ye were kept from the knowledge of what I suffered for you it was out of fear to make you suffer with me but that I was racked continually by your disasters the Gods who are now my punishers may in that be my witness But alas Madam I had offended too much these just Dieties to expect such promotions from them and they were too intimatly knowing to your condour to suffer that match to be made in Heaven neither would I if I were not weary of this Life remember the Gods by re-iterating my complaints how I was guilty of so boundless presumption which deserves as many chastisements as there dwells Thunderbolts in the Clouds to punish it withall yet Madam as one who reposes all his weight upon one thing must needs fall if that fail him so seing I only lived to do you service I must now die since my services are rebuted and with that pulling a Dagger out of his sleeve he sent it to his own heart to acquaint it that he behoved to die Piseta convinced that this was her dear Ipsetus and reflecting upon her own ingratitude retired immediately to her Chamber and there uncloathing her self she went to bed and calling for me immediatly she expressed her self thus to me It must be an unsupportable burden of grief Dear Husband which your al-curing presence is not able to alleviat and since I am criminell both in slighting my Oath and in murthering the lovely Ipsetus why shou'd I yet commit another crime in endeavouring to evite the punishment And since I was not so vertuous as to take example by others I should be now so vertuous as to desire others to take example by me My own conscience hath sentenced me guilty of death why should not then my own grief execute that so just a sentence and why should I by prolonging my life leave my self a possibilty of being yet more vitious No no Dear Husband the Gods are too just to suffer me to live to betray you who hath betrayed him whom I loved once as well as you And since the bonds of promise were not they have reason to try if the bonds of death be strong enough to fetter me Neither could they suffer that your progeny should have been contagioned by the vitions Leprosie of such a Mother or that your liberty of matching one to your vertues should have been forbidden you by the valueless Life of the worthiless Piseta These words epilogued her life and made me a lifeless witness of her tear-creating death leaving me nothing but as much grief in Legacie as my never idle eyes shall be able to pay although they imploy the whole stock of my moisture for acquitting me of that obligation FINIS A Rose is the Arms of Lacedemon