living left Since we of her bereaft It seems deare Saint your better fate Death did anticipate And lieu of Cradle Coffin sent Since gone as soone as lent No no it is not you did die But it is rather I For only you did animate My soul and life create Both soul and heart and what is mine Eternally is thine Thus Love or'e death gets victorie Since still you live in mee Or else God-like lets Lovers live Yet them no hearts doth give A Sea of Teares from fluent eyes To the I le sacrifise And when those mountaines are growne dry I le come to thee and die Lycidas and Phillis had a good mind to enquire the cause of this shepherds griefe if their owne would have permitted them but finding him to stand as much in need of consolation as themselves they would not add the miseries of another unto their owne And therefore leaving the rest of the shepherds to hearken further they went on their way and none followed them Lycidas was no sooner gon but they heard another voice a far off which seemed to draw neere them and setting themselves to hearken they were interrupted by that shepherdesse who held the head of a shepherd in her lappe and uttered these complaints Fie fie thou obdurate peece of cruelty thou pittilesse shepheard how long will thy heart be marble and eares stopped to my prayers Why should one who is not be preferred before one that is vowed thine Tircis Tircis thou Idolizer of the dead and enemy of the living looke upon my poore affection Love those that are alive and let the dead rest quiet trouble not their happie ashes with thy unprofitable teares take heed thou dost not draw vengance upon thy selfe for thy cruelty and injustice The shepherd not so much as turning towards her coldly answered I wish faire shepherdesse that I could give you satisfaction by my death I would willingly die to rid both you and my selfe from our torments consider I beseech you Laonice that you have no reason to urge me to put my deare Cleon twice to death It s enough she has once paid the debt due to Nature If now she is dead she should once againe revive in me by force of my affection would you have me remove her by entertaining a new love into my soul No no shepherdesse all your arguments are too weake to make me hearken unto any such counsell that which you call cruelty in me I tearm fidelitie and that which you thinke worthy of punishment I conceive deserves exceeding commendations I have already told you that the sacred memory of my Cleon shall live with me in my grave I have vowed it a thousand times both unto her and the immortall gods with whom she is and do you not thinke that they would punish Tircis if he should breake all those solemne vowes and become unfaithfull Yes yes the heavens shall sooner raine Thunderbolts upon my head then I will either offend against my vowes or my deare Cleon. She would have replyed when the shepheard which they heard singing came neere and interrupted her with these verses The Song of the inconstant Hylas If ere my Mistrisse me disdaine then hang me if I ere complaine I le ne're be drowned in puling sorrow but court a new one ere to morrow It is a toile would tire a horse to make a woman Love by force Those beauties which are over wise and our addresses do despise Have at their hearts a fire more hot although so close we see it not Whilst Lovers dote upon such dames Rivals do warme them at their flames It s flat Idolatry by Jove to court a cruell beauties Love Will any man of wit adore Idols that have no help in store A constant lover is but gull'd and by his Loyaltie befoold That simple crue of faithfull Lovers you 'l find them alwayes full of dolors Compos'd of sighes and cries and teares they do both sleep and wake in feares So as a Lovers life is found the worst that breathes upon the ground Such as do child-like Pule and crye when they have lost some foppery Cannot be called by the Name of men who any honour claime A Loving foole is still most fit for such a silly Amourite Such fables I have learnt to fly which nothing bring but misery I can be wise by others follie and ' spite of Love I can be Jollie I Value not a Rush if all the Ladies me unconstant call At this last verse this Shepherd was so neare Tircis that he perceived the teares of Laonice and though strangers yet having a superficiall acquaintance Hilas knowing how it was betweene Laonice and Tircis he addressed himselfe thus unto him Disconsolate shepheard for so every one did call him by reason of his sadnesse If I were like unto you I should thinke my selfe the most pittifull peece of misfortune that lives upon earth Tircis hearing this thus answered And I Hylas were I like unto you I should think my selfe more unfortunate then I am Should I like you replied Hylas drop teares for every Mistrisse that I have Lost I should teare out my eyes before I had done Were you like unto me answered Tircis you would have but one to drop any teares for And were you like unto me said Hilas you would not drop a teare for any That 's the reason replyed the sad shepheard I do think you miserable for if love be the only price and reward of Love never any did love you because you never loved any How do you know answered Hilas that I never loved any I know it said Tircis by your perpetuall changing You and I do differ in opinions said he for I ever thought that the more a workman is exercised in his trade the more perfect he is in it T is true answered Tircis when he workes by the rules of Art but if otherwise he is like unto travellers out of their way the more they goe the more they erre and further from the right way And as the rowling stone never gathers any mosse but rather dirt so your leight inconstancy may get some shame but never any Love You must know Hilas that the wounds of Love are such as will never heale Heavens deliver me from any such said Hilas You have good reason for your prayer replied Tircis For if every time you were wounded with a new beautie you should receive an incurable wound I am afraid there would not be one sound part in all your body Moreover you never can relish any of those sweets and felicities which Love bestowes upon all true Lovers and that miraculously like the rest of his actions for they are cured by the same which wounds like the sword of Telephus which both cuts and heales and I am perswaded that were you once permitted to know the secrets of that god you would presently renounce your inconstancy Hilas at this smiled and said There is very great reason Tircis that you should put your selfe in the
enough to expresse her griefe both her eyes and mouth did leave their offices unto her imaginations so long as both eyes toung imagination and all other faculties being tyred out she fell asleepe Whilst things passed thus amongst the Shepheards and Shepheardesses Celadon was observed by the three Nymphes in the Pallace of Isoures with all indulgent care but the hurt which the water had done him was so great that for all their remedies which they applied he could not open his eyes nor give any signe of life but only by the beating of his heart passing all the day and a good part of the night before he came to himselfe And when he opened his eyes he was in a great amazement to find himselfe in that place for he very well remembred what he had done and how a rash despair had made him throw himselfe into the water but he knew not how he came thither And after he had stayed a long while in this confused thought he asked whether he was alive or dead If I be alive said he how is it possible that the cruelty of Astrea should not kill me And if I be dead why cruell Love dost thou torment me in the shades of death is it not enough that thou hast my life but thou must receive my old flames out of my dead ashes And the great perplexitie in which Astrea had left him having now forsaken him he called into his memory all his former conceptions and his mind being full of imagination both of his miseries and also of his former happinesse he fell into such a sound sleepe that the Nymphes had time enough to come and see him and finding him fast asleepe they opened the curtaines and windowes very gently and did sit downe by him the better to view and contemplate upon him Galathea after a whiles confideration did in a low voice for feare of wakeing him say oh how this Shepheard is changed since yesterday What a fresh complexion is upon a suddaine come into his face seriously I do not repent of all the paines I have taken in saving his life for as you said sweetheart said shee and turned towards Silvia he is one of the principall in al the country Madam answered the Nymph most certainly he is for Alsippes is his Father and Amarillis his Mother How said Galathea that Alsippe so famous who to save his freind did break open the Prison of the Visigotts at Ussum The very same said Silvia I have seene him severall times at feasts which are kept by the Townes about Lignon And because Alsippes seemed unto me most worthy of observation I looked long upon him for the formalitie of his beard and the gravitie of his venerable age did exact honour and observance from every one But as for Celadon I remember that of all the Shepheards there was only he and Silvander who had confidence enough to approach me by Silvander I knew which was Celadon and by Celadon which Silvander for both of them had in their Garbes and discourse somthing more generous then the name of Shepheard useth to owne Whilst Silvia spake Love in mock age of the subtiltie of Climante and Polemas who were the cause of Galatheas coming to the place where she tooke up Celadon did begin to kindle new flames in this Nymph for all the while that Silvia spoke she had her eyes upon the Shepheard and the applauds which she gave him did enter into her soul and the more easilie because she was prepared for it by the coming of Climante who counterfetting himselfe to be a Druide had foretold her that the man whom she should meet with in the place where she found Celadon should be her husband unlesse she would be the most miserable woman in the world the plot being that Polemas should go to that place at the hour to the end that she might more willingly be induced to marry him which otherwise the affection she bore unto Lindamor would not permit But Fortune and Love are too hard for Prudence and sent Celadon thither by chance as I have told you so as Galathea intending to fixe Love upon this Shepheard did thinke him to be extreame Lovely And seeing he did not wake she went out as gently as she could to entertaine her new thoughts There was neere his chamber a backe paire of staires which opened to a low Gallerie out of which by a draw bridge one might go into a Garden full of choice varieties Fountaines Statues Walkes Arbors and all that Art could invent out of this Garden was a dore into a Wildernesse of severall sorts of Trees in which was severall Labirinthes wherein one might wander to the losse of ones selfe yet by reason of the umbrage were very delightfull In one of which was a Fountaine called The truth of Love a place in truth marvelously pleasing for by force of Inchantment a Lover who looked in it might see her he loved if he were Loved he might see his Mistrisse by him if she Loved another that other would be presented and not himselfe And because it did discover all the deceipts of Lovers it was called the Truth of Love In another Labirinth was the Cavern of Damon and Fortune and in another was the denn of an old Mandrake full of so many wonders and witchcrafts that every vanitie appeared a fresh miracle Moreover in the other parts of the wood there was severall other Grotts so well counterfeited and neere the naturall as the eye did oft deceive the judgment It was in this Garden where the Nymph did walke waiting for the waking of the Shepheard And because her new desires would not permit her to be silent she faigned to forget somthing which she commanded Silvia to go and seeke for she confided lesse in her green youth then in Leonidas whose age was arrived at more maturitie though both these Nymphes were her secret confidents And being alone with Leonida she thus said unto her what do thinke Leonida has not this Druide a strange knowledge of things Does not the gods freely communicate themselves unto him for what is future he knowes as well as the present The truth is answered the Nymph he did very directly shew you in the Mirror the very place where you found this Shepheard and also told you the very time but his words were so ambiguous that I beleeve he hardly understood them himselfe Why do you say so answered Galathea since he hath particularly told me every thing as perfectly as I my selfe do not now kow them better than he did before they happened he only told you answered Leonida that you should find in this place a thing of an inestimable value though formerly it had beene disdayned Nay Leonida said she he has told me more then that particularly Madam said he you have two very contrary influences the one the most unfortunate under the heavens the other the most happie that can be desired And it is in your choice to take which
hath since told me his heart was never in his life so swell'd with joy as then for he began to despair of his plot taking effect and seeing the Nymph never came into the Garden he feared that she knew him But when Flurial acquainted him with the resolution that was taken this was such a resurrection of Love as if one should die to make another mourn and revive to make them rejoyce The night being come and every one retired to their lodgings the Nymph did put her selfe into her night dresse and causing me to open the dore she went first and I swear she trembled so that she had much ado to go she told me that she had such an unusuall beating at her stomack as took away all her strength whether it was her being in the dark without light or her going out at an undue time or her apprehension of Lindamor's heart I know not but whatsoever it was she was much unlike her selfe At last growing a little more confident we came to the bottome of the staires where we presently found Flurial who had waited long for us The Nymph went before and going into a Jessemine Arbour which was so close as to keep out the Moon-shine or any sight from the windowes of the house she began to say thus to Fluriall in a great rage 'T is very well Flurial are you grown so stiffe in your own opinions that you will not do what I command you Madam answered he undauntedly it was to obey you that I have failed in this if it be a fault for did not you command me that I should punctually do whatsoever Lindamor commanded me Now Madam besides your command I am obliged by oath unto Lindamor to put his heart into no hands but yours Well said she and sighed where is his heart Here Madam said he if you please to come hither into this corner you will better see it than where you are When she came to the place she saw a man standing upon his feet and without speaking a word bowed himselfe unto her Oh heavens said the Nymph what 's here Flurial see here 's a man Madam said Flurial and smiled it is a heart that is presented unto you How said she a heart Then would she have run away for fear but he took hold of her Gown kissed it and held her I hearing these words came neerer and presently knew him to be the same that Fluriall called Gozen Upon a suddain I knew not what to think I saw Galathea and I my self with two men the one of which was unknown unto us so as we knew not what to do Cry out we durst not fly Galathea could not to put any hopes in our own strength we could not At last all I could do was to lay hold on his hand that held Galathea by the Gown and not able to do more I began to scratch and bite him which I did so upon a suddain that the first thing he saw was his hand bitten Oh sweet Leonida said he then unto me how would you use your enemies if you use your servants thus sharply Though I was almost quite out of my selfe yet me thought I should know that voice and asked him who he was I am said he one that comes to bring Lindamor's Heart unto this fair Nymph Then kneeling down upon the ground he thus addressed himselfe unto her I must needs confesse Madam that this presumption is great but yet not equall unto that affection which produceth it Here Madam is the heart of Lindamor which I present unto you I hope the present will finde as good a reception from the hand of the Donor as from a stranger But if my diasterous Fate do deny me that which Love doth promise me having offended against a Divinity whom I only adore then condemn this heart which here I do bring unto you unto what cruell tortures you shall please for so his pain may please you he will endure with contentment since you do ordain it unto him Now I knew him to be Lindamor and Galathea also but not without abundance of wonder to us both to see at her foot him whom she thought dead and I in lieu of a Gardiner to finde a Cavalier who yielded unto none in all the Country Perceiving Galathea so surprised that she could not speak I began to talk unto him and said Is it so Lindamor that you delight to surprise and affright Ladies this is not an Art that becomes such a Cavalier as you professe your selfe I must needs confesse unto you sweet Nymph said he unto me that it is not a becomming act of a Cavalier but it is of a Lover and I am no lesse Love that instructs all has taught me to be a Gardiner Is it possible Madam said he unto Galathea that this extream affection which you have caused should beso displeasing unto you as you must needs delight more in the death of him that owes it then his life Will not this heart I have brought finde as good a reception alive as dead But if you will needs have me die here 's a Ponyard will do that which no time can ever do for it will put an end to all The Nymph answered nothing unto all this but said Oh Leonida have you betrayed me Upon this she went in to another Walk where she did sit down for she was so much transported out of her selfe as she knew not what she did Then Lindamor did fall upon his knees again and I went to her and said Why Madam do you say I betrayed you how can you accuse me for this I vow unto you that I knew nothing of the businesse but it is Flurial that hath deceived us both But I thank God we are all deceived the better way Thanks be to God here that heart of Lindamor which Flurial promised he is here also ready to do you any service And have you not good reason to be glad of this Treason It would be over tedious to relate all our discourse at this time out at the conclusion peace was made between all parties and so as this Love was tyed with a harder knot then ever it was before but upon this condition that he should at this very houre depart unto the place whither Amasis and Clidaman had sent him This departure went hard yet obey he must and so after a parting kisse of Galathea's fair hand he went away in full assurance to finde her the same he left her But it would be impertinent to particularize every circumstance Lindamor returned to his charge did his businesse and with the permission of Amasis and Clidaman returned unto Forrests where giving a good account of his Commission he was honoured and carrassed according to the merit of his vertue But all this did not halfe so much revive his soul as the favourable aspect which this Nymph did afford him who ever since his last departure so increased in affection to him as Lindamor might well say
ask thee what they are That spark les in those Eyes so fair VVhat are they soules or flames that fly And hover so about that Eye They are flames which death to foules do give Or rather soules that makes Love live 'T is strange that from the selfe same eyes A Life and Death should both arise The works of gods all wonders are And so these Sunâ— seemes sure as rare To think them human is a sin Since reverence from the gods they win To love them they command thy heart Since thou to look allowed art 'T is true but yet my heart doth bear In it such reverentiall fear As bids devotion pay not Love To one that equalls gods above But star the gods who blessings shoure VVill not require above our power But try I say and thou wilt prove Thou canst not look but thou must love Whilst Diana to amuse the company did read these Lines aloud and these being ended took others of which the Altar was full Phillis addressed her selfe unto Astrea Oh heavens dear Sister said she unto her how I am amazed at all I finde in this place For my part answered Astrea I am so much out of my selfe as I know not whether I be asleep or awake Look upon this Writing and then tell me whether you ever saw the like unto it This answered Phillis is Celadon's writing or else I am not Phillis There is no doubt of it answered Astrea and I do very well remember that he writ this last line VVanting the Substance Shadowes comfort me upon a little Picture which he had of me and which he wore about his neck in a little bag of persumed Leather I pray see said Phillis what is in this paper which I took up from under your Picture Stay stand and gaze did e're eye see A Saint so pure so fair as she Can any be so dully dumb As not Idolater become And rather all the gods give o're Then not so fair a Saint adore But soft ere I devotion pay Let me consider what I say These flaming Beauties are not eyes Only a Picture which I prize It is not reall only shade By an in genious Artist made Are they not eyes Can any Art Like them so captivate a Heart Sure Pictures be they ne're so like So mortally can never strike But be they what they will I 'me sure No Mortall can the blowes endure Since by their power I wounded am I 'le flie them to avoid the same But why fond Lover wilt thou flie From such a fatall piercing eye Thy heart 's already wounded by it What e're it be 't is vain to flie it Oh Sister said Astrea it is most certainly Celadon that writ these Verses it is without any manner of doubt for about three years since he did write them upon my Picture which my Father had of me to give unto my Uncle Focion Upon this tears flowed from her eyes But Phillis fearing the rest of the Company would see her Sister said she this is rather a cause of rejoycing then sorrow for if Celadon did write it as I do believe he did certainly he is not dead although you think he was drowned and if it be so what greater cause of joy could you have Ah Sister said she turning the other way and pushing her from her for gods sake do not torment me with any such language Celadon is too certainly dead by my folly and I am most miserable in the losse I see the gods are not yet contented with those tears that I have already shed for him since they have brought me hither to give me a fresh subject for more But since they will have it so I will turn my selfe wholly into tears and though I cannot wholly wash away my offence by them yet I will never cease untill I have lost either my eyes or my life or both I do not tell you said Phillis that Celadon is alive but I must tell you that if he did write these Verses I must of necessity conclude that he is not dead Sister said she our Druides tell us that we have soules which never die although our bodies do and so in that sence he may live I have heard say answered Phillis that it is our duty to give a buriall unto the dead and to put a piece of mony in their mouths to pay the Ferry-man for wafting them over the Stygian Lake and that such as are deprived of buriall are a hundred years wandring about the places where they lost their bodies and how can you tell but that the soul of Celadon having lost his body and being denyed that charitable office may be wandring about the fatall River of Lignon and still retain the same affection and thoughts which he had before Ah Sister said Astrea these are but meer phantasms Celadon is certainly dead and these are the testimonies of his affection and my folly What I do say answered Phillis is grounded upon more then phantaims and Chimeraes and I hint then upto you out of my desire to contribute unto your tranquillity I do know it Sister replyed Astrea but consider that if I should think Celadon alive and afterwards finde him to be dead nothing could preserve my life this would be to see him die twice and the gods and my own heart do know how near his first death did bring me to my grave Yet you may receive this satisfaction by it answered Phillis as to know that death could not extinguish the affection which he bore unto you That said Astrea conduceth unto his glory and my punishment Nay rather said Phillis this construction may be made of it that he being dead does cleerly and without a cloud see the pure and entire affection which you bear unto him and that the jealousie which caused your anger against him did proceed only from the superabundance of your love for I have heard say that our soules separated from the bodies do still see and behold them This answered Astrea would be the greatest satisfaction that I can receive for I do not doubt but as my imprudence did give him great cause of griefe so this sight of my affection would give him contentment For if I did not love him above all the world and if I do not continue stil in the same affection may the gods never love me These two Shepheardesses were talking thus whilst Diana entertained the rest of the Company sometimes in reading the papers which she found upon the Altar and sometimes a king Paris Tircis and Silvander what was their thoughts of these things There is not any here but knowes said Paris but this Picture was made for Astrea and conceives that he who put it in this place does not only â—ove but adore her For my part said Silvander if Celadon were not dead I should believe these Characters to be his How said Tircis Celadon who was drowned some three or four months since in the River Lignon The same answered Silvander
she would not forsake her Mother but shut her selfe up with her and was as busy in helping her as if the disease had not been at all contagious Tircis stood all the day at the dore and wooed to come in but Cleon would upon no termes permit him lest if she had it might have been scandalous unto her But still he waited at the dore and caused all manner of necessaries to be brought unto them yet so the heavens would have it that Cleon notwithstanding all antidotes and preservatives which Tircis brought unto her was infected When the Shepheard heard that it was impossible to keep him from entring into the house since now it was not a time to think upon dissimulations or to fear any teeth of detractors but he set all things in order disposed of his estate and declared his Will afterwards putting it in the charge of a friend to help him he entred and shut himselfe up with the Mother and the Daughter resolving to run the same fortune with Cleon. It is not materiall to relate unto you what good offices he did them and how officious and servicable he was unto the Mother for the Daughters sake But at last the Mother dyed and when none was left in the house but he and his Mistresse whose maladie still increased I do not think the poor Shepheard got one minute of rest he held her continually in his armes and dressed her She on the other side alwaies loving him did take this last action for such an evident testimony of his love that hers augmented much more and her greatest griefe was the danger he was in for her sake He on the other side had so much satisfaction as to rejoyce as much as a sad occasion would permit that he had the means to testifie his good will so it hapned that this Shepheardess being in a condition to be cut a Physician could not be procured that would venture to touch her for fear of danger Tircis whose affection prompted him unto any thing being taught how to do it he took the Lancer and lifting up her Arm he did cut it and dressed it when he had done To be brief all things of most danger and difficulty were easie and sweet unto him in hopes of doing her some good But her malady still encreased and brought his beloved Cleon into such a sad condition that she had no more strength left than to utter these words I am very forry Tircis that the gods are not pleased to draw the thread of my lamentable life a little longer onely to testifie my extreme gratitude but though I should live as many yeares as I have already done dayes I should never bee able to satisfie you for the abundance of your affection to me These words were uttered with much pain but her affection to this Shepheard gave her power to utter them Unto which Tircis answered My dearest Mistris all I have done and all I can ever do is all far short of my will to do any real service beleeve me dearest Cleon my obligations to you are greater than a thousand lives can pay The heavens which gave me a being only to be yours would accuse me of mispending my time should I employ one minute of my life otherwise then in your service He would have continued longer but the Shepheardess finding her self extreamly ill did interrupt him Cease my dear friend and leave talking to me that I may imploy that little time I have to live in assuring you that I can love you as much as ever my soul is capable of So seeing my time is very near I bid thee eternal adieu and desire three things of you To love thy Cleon for ever to enterre my corps near my Mothers and when you do pay the debt which is due unto humanity let your corps be layd near mine that though our bodies could not be united alive yet they may in death To which he answered The Gods would be unjust if after they have begun so perfect an amity as ours they should so soon destrov it But I hope they will preserve you at least take me away before you But if they will not I will onely beg as much life as to fulfill those commands you have laid upon me and then to let me follow you Be assured dearest soul that unlesse they alwaies tye up my hands I will not be long after you Friend answered she I command you to live as long as the Gods have ordained that so whilst I am chanting our perfect amity in the Elizian Fields you may publish it unto the living And so both the dead and they living will honour ouâ— memory But friend I perceive my malady is forcing me to leave you Adieu adieu the most perfect Lover left amongst the living At these words she dyed leaning her head in the bosom of her Shepheard To repeat his sorrows would but open his wounds and make them bleed afresh Oh most fatal death cryed out Tircis that hath robbed me of the better part of myself either restore that life which thou hast taken from me or else take the rest Then to give way unto those tears and sighs which this remembrance did revive in his heart he stood silent untill Silvander told him that to grieve for what there was no remedy was but a testimony of weakness Oh said Tircis I doe grieve because there is no remedy for if there were I should not grieve Laonice then continued on This happy Shepheardess being dead and Tircis having performed the last office of amity he procured her to be interred next her Mother but the carelesness of those who had it in charge was such as they layd her corps in another place As for him his sorrows were such as he never stirred off his bed as if he lived only to obey her commandements Some few dayes after enquiring of those who came to see him where they had laid his beloved corps he understood that she was not enterred by her Mother at which he was infinitely displeased and for a great sum of mony hired some to take it up again and lay it by her Mother which accordingly was done They went unto the place uncovered the earth and four of them took up the corps but having carryed it a little way the Infection was so violent that they were forced to leave it by the way and could carry it no further whereof Tircis being advertised after he had made great offers unto them to go on and seeing they would by no means undertake it What Tircis said he didst thou think the love of gain could work more with them than thy affection with thee Fie sie Tircis this is too great an affront offered unto thy amity So as if he were transported he ran to the place where the corps lay and though it had layn in the earth three dayes and smelt extreamly he took it up in his arms and carried it unto the Tomb of her Mother which was
could But I told him it was convenient before he went 'to ask Galathea's leave pretending to see his Aunt So the next morning when Galathea was in the Garden Flurial made a low reverence unto her and offered to speak with her But Galathea thinking it was to deliver some Letter unto her from Lindamor was so confused as she grew as pale as death it selfe and lest Flurial should take any notice of this alteration in her face I stepped forward and said unto her Madam it is Flurial who hath been with his Aunt that is sick and beseecheth you will be pleased to give him leave to go againe unto her for some certain dayes Galathea then turned towards me and asked what she was sicke of and I answered that it was a disease of many yeares continuance and such a one as was out of all hopes of any cure Then she addressed her selfe unto Flurial and said unto him Go Flurial return again assoon as you can but not before your Aunt be recovered for I ever loved her very well for her constant good affection to me Then she continued on her walk I talked with him and seemed as if I were displeased though I was not that the Nymph might take notice of me but said I unto him be sure Flurial thou beest both secret and prudent for there upon depends either thy happiness or thy ruine above al be sure thou dost whatsoever Lindamor commands thee after a promise of al fidelity he went away I began to put on a face of extream sorrow And when I was in any place where the Nymph might heare me I would seem to sigh lift my hands pu to heaven clap them both together used all the gestures I could possible devise to seeme the most grieved soul that ever breathed She hearing me often mention Lindamor untomy self never so much as name him unto her but on the contrary did shun all occasions of it and in lieu of that frolique humour I used in all company to be only a lump of melancholy she began by degrees to be of that opinion I wished but not fully for my design was to make her beleeve that Lindamor as he went off from the combate was so wounded that he dyed to the end that pitty might obtaine from this proud soul what affection and service could not Now my plot was so handsomly carried that it took almost according to my wish for though she set as good a face upon it as she could yet she was touched to the very quick for Lindamor So as perceiving me thus mute and sad she imagined him to be very ill or worse and was so extreamly troubled in this conceipt that she was not able to hold any longer Two dayes after Flurial was gone she called me into her closset and seeming to talk of something else she asked me whether I knew how Flurials Aunt did I answered that since he went I heard nothing Truly sayes she I should be very sorry if that good old woman should dye You have reason Madam said I unto her for she ever loved you and was alwaies very serviceable to you If she live answered Galathea I shal requite her and if she die I shall love Furial for her sake Then I answered that indeed it was very true the services both of the Aunt and Nephew deserved recompence especially Flurial for his fidelitie and affection could not be corrupted 'T is very true said she but for Flurial what long and sad discourse was that which you had with him when he went away I answered in a faint and sad tone nothing but desired him to commend me to his Aunt Recommendations said she do not use to be so long Then she came neare me and laying her hand upon my shoulder Tel me truly said she did you talke of nothing else What should I talke of else except that replyed I for I have no other businesse with him Now do I know said she that you do dissemble Why do you say you have no other businesse with him have you none that concernes Lindamor Oh Madam said I I did not think you could have any memorie now of one that was so unfortunate then standing in a silentand dejected posture I sighed very profundly two or three times What is it said she that causeth you to sigh thus Tell me truly where is Lindamor Lindamor said I alas he is not now a man of this world How cryed she out is Lindamor dead Yes certainly answered I and your cruelty did kill him more then the blowes of his enemy For going off from the combate and knowing by severall reports how ill you were satisfied with him he would never suffer himselfe to be dressed and if you will needs know it this was the discourse I had with Flurial whom I commanded to try if he could handsomly get away those Letters which you have written unto him that you might burn them and the memorie of him both together Oh my god said she then unto me what sad story is this you tell me is it possible he should be thus lost you should have said replyed I that it was your selfe that kil'd him and that it is you that has the losse for as for him he is a gainer by his death he finds that rest there which your cruelty would never let him enjoy alive Ah Leonida said she I hope all this is onely to vex me Tel me truly is he alive I would he were answered I but why should you be so inquisitive I am sure life and death was both a like indifferent to you And since your love to him was so little me thinks you should be glad to be rid of that trouble which he was unto you For you must think that had he lived he would have been perpetually giving you such testimonies of his affection as this with Polemas was Truly said the Nimph then I do most heartily lament the loss of poor Lindamor and swear unto you that his death wounds me deeper than I could have beleeved it would But tell me had he no remembrance of us at his last end And did hee express no sorrows to leave us This question Madam said I unto her is somthing strange he dyed for the love of you and yet you ask whether he had you in his memory Alass alass his memory and his sorrows were too much for his health but I beseech you let us talk no more of him I am confident he is in a place where he receives the wages of his fidelity and where perhaps he will see revenge upon you You are angry said she unto me I beseech you pardon me Madam said I unto her I have some reason for what I say for there is none can give a better testimony of his affection and fidelity than my self and of your ingratitude wherewith you have recompenced so many services Let us leave that answered the Nymph for I do acknowledge you are in
halfe and the Wife the other Upon which she smiled and said unto him It seemes Lydias you have forgot the Custome for you should have left me a part God forbid wise Amarina said he for it is poyson which I have chosen to finish my life withall rather then fail in my promise to you and in my affection which I owe unto the fair Silvia Oh my god said she is this possible And then thinking that he was Lydias but that during his absence he had changed his minde and not desiring to live without him she ran with the Cup in her hand to the Bottle where the poysoned wine was and before Ligdamon was aware had drunk it off for the Apothecary whom Ligdamon had prepared had filled the Bottle full Afterwards returning to him she said You cruell man had rather have death then me and I rather then be without you Oh Amerina said Ligdamon I confesse that I had offended if I had been him you took me for but believe me now I am upon my last breath I am not Lydias but Ligdamon and time will discover the error However I choose death rather then break my promise made unto the fair Silvia unto whom I have consecrated my life since I am not able to satisfy both Then he continued Oh fairest Silvia accept of this good will I now offer unto thee and of all my actions let this last be best received since it is imprinted with the noble character of Fidelity The Poyson now began to work by degrees upon the spirits of these two new-marryed persons so as he could hardly breathe when turning his head towards me he said Go go my friend go and do thy businesse relate what thou hast seen and that death is more welcome unto me than life which would have stained that Fidelity which I have vowed unto the fair Silvia Silvia was the last word he ever spake for as he uttered it his Soul departed out of his Body into the Elizian fields where if ever any Lover was happy it is he in expectation of seeing you there with him Is it then certainly true said Silvia that Ligdamon is dead Alas too true answered he Oh ye gods cryed out Silvia All she was able to do was to lie down upon the bed for her heart quite failed her where after she had been awhile she called for Leonida to take Ligdamon's Letter and to tell Egides that she would have him serve her Thus Egides with-drew with eyes swimming in tears Now did Love shew his power for this Nymph who never much loved Ligdamon alive now she heard of his death she expressed as much griefe as was possible for any Lover Upon this occasion Galathea talking unto Celadon she said That hereafter she would think it impossible that a woman should never in her life love any one for said she this Nymph hath been too cruell unto all those that loved her that some have dyed for very griefe others have been banished out of her sight by despair and this very man whom she now laments for she did heretofore drive into such extremity that but for Leonida he had then dyed also so as I durst have sworn Love would have sooner harboured in the most snowie part of the Alps than in her heart and yet you may see unto what she is reduced now Do not think this to be Love Madam said Celadon but rather Pitty for she had been the hardest piece of Marble that ever was had she not been extreamly perplexed at this report For my part I think Ligdamon more happy than if he were alive since he loved this Nymph so extreamly and she was so hard hearted unto him For what greater happinesse can be then to be at the end of misery and to enter into felicity How joyed would he be to see Silvia mourn for him and set a value upon his affection No no Madam Ligdamon is not to be mourned for so much as Silvia for you shall see that all her minde and fancy will run upon Ligdamon The discourse the garb the affection the valour and briefly every action of this Lover will in revenge of her cruelty continually torment her minde and will in revenge be the Executioner of Love's justice This discourse was spoken so loud and so neer Silvia that she heard it all and it did but increase her griefe so as she went out of this Chamber into her own where she could no longer restrain her tears for shutting the dore after her and desiring Leonida to leave her she threw her selfe upon the bed where with watry eyes and folded armes she called to minde all the former life of Ligdamon how great his love was how patiently he endured all her rigour with what discretion he served her how constant he was in his love and in the end said she all this is now enclosed in a little piece of earth Then calling to minde her own demeanor her discourses her farewells her impatiencies and a thousand more particulars she was forced to say Oh fatall memory let the ashes of my dear Ligdamon rest in peace if thou dost torment me thus I know he will not be contented with it At last after she had been a while mute Well said she it is resolved upon be my life long or short as it shall please the Fates I will never cease loving my dear Ligdamon nor forget his affection or vertues Galathea in the mean while opened Ligdamon's Letter which was in Leonida's hands and found in it these words Ligdamon's Letter unto Silvia IF you are offended at my over-boldnesse in loving you my death will revenge your Quarell If you stood neutrall and indifferent I am confident this last act of affection will have such an operation upon your soul as will gain me some more esteem which if it do I shall cherish my resemblance of Lydias more then my own birth since by the one I was but a trouble and by the other acceptable unto you These are the great revenges of Love said Celadon And I do remember another though upon another subject how a Shepheard writ this Epitaph upon a jealous Husband An EPITAPH Upon a Jealous Husband HEre in this durty Dungeon lies One of god Cupid's enemies The wages of his crime was death Who troubled all whilst he had breath This Tyrant ever made a Theft Of Love which ought to be a gift This was the man who Argos ey'd More faults than ever was espi'd And out of his depraved Minde Still look'd for what he would not finde But Love at last did stop his breath And in revenge did send him death Love injur'd though he make no haste Will be revenged yet at last It is most true answered Galathea Love never suffers an offence committed against him to escape unpunished and hence it is we see so many strange accidents in all human actions And therefore Celadon I wonder that you poâ— not tremble for feare and every moment expect an Arrow
when he came unto this Fountain to be satisfied in those doubts into which an angry Dream had put him The other when being deceived by the art of Mandrague and saw that the Shepheardesse Fortune loved another in despair he killed himselfe Now let us see how these things are represented See Damon there with his Faulchion for he was in his hunting equipage observe how his Dog followes him look how that observant Animal eye 's his Master for whilst he looked in the Fountain the Dog fixed his eye upon him as if he were desirous to know what it was which so amazed him Mandrague had in a dream let him see Maradon a young Shepheard who taking one of Cupid's Arrowes opened Fortune's breast and took away her heart Damon as all Lovers are being in much doubt as soon as ever he waked got up and went to the Fountain to see whether his Mistresse still loved him I beseech you observe very well his amazement if you compare his face which is in all the other three Pictures with this you shall finde a strange alteration Those two faces which you see in the Fountain is the Shepheardesse Fortune's and the other the Shepheard Maradon's which the Witch caused to be represented rather then the other and so Damon believed his Shepheardesse loved Maradon which beliefe made him resolve upon death Do you see how the water seemes to tremble that is caused by poor Damon's tears that had dropped into it But let us pass on to the second Action The dead man whom you see lying upon the ground is poor Damon who being desperate killed himself with his Falchion His action is very naturally done with one Arm engaged under his body being surprised with the suddennesse of the fall and having no strength to recover himself his head hanging over his right shoulder his eyes half shut and half turned upwards his mouth open his teeth apparent and so all signes of a sudden death A man quite dead is not represented but a man betwixt life and death as if there were a medium Look how the blood is running out of his wound I do not think you ever saw any thing more naturally represented But let us see what is in the other peece The sixth Picture NOw be pleas'd to look upon the sixth and last Peece which containes four actions of the Shepheardesse Fortune The first is a Dream which Mandrague caused her to have The other how she went unto the Fountain to clear her doubts The third how she complains against the Inconstancy of her Shepheard And the last is how she dies which is the conclusion of this Tragedy Let us look upon all these particulars Look upon the Rising of the Sun observe how long the shadows are how the sky is not so clear on the one side see how clouds and mists are expelled and how those little Birds do dresse and prune themselves against its approach Passe your eye a little further and see the Shepheardesse Fortune asleep in her bed and how the Sun shines through the window upon her naked breast Also the sleeve of her smock being loose the beauty of her Arm as high as the Elbow is to be seen See how the Daemons of Morpheus doe hover about her all which are so many servants unto Mandrague and inspire her with a minde to goe unto the Fountain of Loves verity which accordingly shee did having dreamed that her Shepheard was dead and therefore shee came to the Fountaine of Loves verity to know the truth She had no sooner cast her eye upon the water but she saw Damon but alass she saw by him the Shepheardess Melinde a fair Shepheardess and one who was never suspected to love Damon yet though hee neither did love her shee was by this Sorcery to appear See how Fortune bewails the accident in the very same place where Damon was almost dead Behold how sadly she sits against yonder Rock her arms crossed upon her breast It seems as if she sighed and her heart panted her eyes looking up to heaven asking revenge upon the Persidie which shee beleeves Damon to bee guilty of and because her passion was extream she complained against him in a very loud tone And Damon who you see near her though hee was at the last gasp yet hearing the lamentation of his Shepheardess and knowing her voice did call unto her She hearing a faint hollow voice went towards him Oh heavens how the sight of him did amuse her and forgetting the occasion of her comming thither when she saw him in that condition she asked who had used him so It is said hee unto her the change of my fortune It is your Inconstancy which hath deceived me with a shew of affection To be brief it is the happiness of Maradon whom I saw in the Fountain next you and doe you thinke it possible I should live and see you love another Fortune hearing this Oh Damon said shee this Fountain is an errant Lyar for it hath also shewed me Belinde next you whom I see dying for the love of me Thus these two Lovers found out the falsity of this Fountain and being more assured than ever of each others affection they dyed in each others Armes Damon of his wound and Fortune for griefe of his death Behold there the Shepheardesse sitting against a massie Rock and Damon leaning his head in her lap taking his last farewel and bidding her Adieu See how indulgent she is about tying up his wound and stooping to kisse him whilst her lap is full of blood That old hagg which is next them is Mandrague the Witch who finding them both dead cursed her Art hated all her Daemons tore her hair and extreamly grieved at the death of these two faithful Lovers and her own contentment Look a little further off and see how Cupid weeps his Bow and Arrows broken his Torch extinguished and his eyes swimming in teares for the losse of these two faithfull Lovers Celadon was all this while very attentive unto the discourse of the sage Adamas and often blamed himself for want of courage in not using the same remedy Damon did And because these considerations made him very mute Galathea taking Celadon by the hand and going out of the Grotte she said thus unto him What doe you think Celadon of the effects of Love I doe think said he that the effects of Love are simplicity and folly And it is a popular errour wherewith every one is apt to cover their ignorance or excuse their faults alwaies to attribute those effects unto some Divinity when they do not know the causes Why said the Nymph doe you think there is no Love If there be replyed the Shepheard it must be nothing but sweetness But bee it what it will Madam you speak of it unto one that is the most ignorant person that lives For besides my qualities which will not permit me to know much my dull capacity renders me incapable Then the said Silvia
sit downe Hylas who from the first sight of her had a good mind to her so as Phillis was almost quite out and this in his heart he took her by the arme and made her sit downe as it were by force then sitting by her his eyes were never off her face In the meane time Leonida and Lycidas went unto the window there continued on their discourse but Lycidas still eying Alexis he first said I cannot chuse but looke upon the faire Daughter of Adamas for she has such a resemblance of my poore Brother both in her features and Aire as I can finde no difference betweene them but in habit Is it long said Leonida since he dyed It is answered he about four monthes since I have heard so many good reports of him said Leonida that I am sorry I never saw him As for his Interiour parts I cannot describe him unto you said Lycidas But as for his face and actions looke upon Alexis who is the just picture of him The very same eyes the same mouth the same symmetrie of every part Alexis all this while did suffer all that Hylas said but it was with much adoe Oh heavens said Lycidas the very same smile the same turne of his head Was there ever such a resemblance as this Leonida fearing that his consideration of her resemblance unto Celadon might discover that she was Celadon indeed she said thus unto him But Lycidas to returne unto our former discourse when Paris erected his Tombe I heard that Astrea did infinitly love him and could not chuse but breake out into many expressions of it I would it had pleased the gods answered Lycidas with a deep sigh that she had never loved him for then my brother had bin now alive Why said Leonida do you accuse her for his death I have heard that she has so grieved his losse as she herselfe hath been in danger The story said Lycidas very faintly would be too long and tedious to relate now but if she be unhappy in marrying Calydon who loves her not It is the just revenge of love upon her for the death of Celadon who adored her of which she is too guilty Is it long since Celadon was lost said Leonida It is about twelve or fifeene dayes since answered he Then said the Nymph it was presently after she received our judgement Ten or twelve dayes after said the shepheard I assure you all that knew her laments her losse For my part said the Nymph I never heard of it untill now yet beleeve me I do deeply resent it but pray Lycidas tell me how it came to passe The Sequell of the History of Celidea I Had thought Madam answered Lycidas that you had heard of this pittifull story because it was an accident so strange as every one reported it as a great wonder But since I perceive you have not Be pleased to know that poore Calidon being by your sentence condemned he grieved beyond thought Yet after a long condoling of his sad fate reason began to take place He setting before his eyes his duty unto Thamire the disdaine of Celidea and his oath to obey your doome he rooted that domineering passion out of his soul and set his heart at rest In the mean time Thamires acquainting Cleontine with his designe and especially Celideas Mother within a fortnight all things were in that forwardnesse as there wanted nothing to consummate the marriage but going to bed together That night being come the house was all joy in hopes of that support which all Celideas friends expected by her mariage with this rich man Untill just now Calidon obeyed your doome But when he began to thinke that this very night Celidea was to be in the armes of another and not his all his resolutions failed his eyes saw that they never saw before and his heart began to have other thoughts He retyred himselfe to a corner of the chamber and there drooped in his owne thoughts whilst every one was dancing Thamires who loved him as his owne Sonne did doubt from whence this sadnesse proceeded so as out of pitty he went gently to him and heard him uttering these words A Lover cannot live and see His mistress any other's be For he that loves can never yeild Another master of the Field But though I dye I shall retaine A memory of mourning paine So when I have resign'd my breath Sorrowes will follow after death So whether I do live or dye My fate is onely misery And sadder Fate sure none can have As not to rest within a grave Thamires hearing this did exceedingly pitty him and more when after these words he saw him lift up his hands and eyes and so swel'd with teares that he was not able to speak he withdrew gently to tell Celidea in what condition she found him desiring her to give him some consolation The shepheardesse was very willing to obey Thamires nor was she desirous to lose Calidons favour since she was to live with his Unckle therefore she went unto him whom finding in that condition How now shepheard said she unto him what all alone when we are in dancing Ah shepheardesse answered he you may well allow me that liberty since all your mirth is at my cost but I wish it were without offence to god or you that I might end my sad dayes before this night came to put me out of all hopes of any contentment What do you meane said the shepheardesse my meaning is replyed he that did I not offend the great Tautates in putting my selfe to death and you in making you to lose a most faithfull servant this very hand should dispatch my life before that night come in which I shall see Thamires enjoy her whom my affection onely can merit Celidea seeming to take no notice of any such things I thought said she that you had forgotten all those follies and I do wonder they should be still in your memorie How replyed Calidon with a deep sigh can Calidon ever forget Celidea are you not afraid Thamires will punish you for an offence so great against my love Take heed your offence be not greater answered she when you call to minde the promise made unto Leonida to observe the sentence she should pronounce have you so soone forgot it or do you think the gods ever will How can you ever hope that the Misleto of the new yeare should ever be salubrious unto you since you swore by it to obey your doome Ah shepheardesse replyed Celadon Do not think I have forgot the unjust judgment of that pittilesse Nymph pardon me Madam for repeating his words The memory of it is too sadly fresh to be so soone forgotten nor do not thinke I am of opinion that the gods forget my oath no nor that I care whether the Misleto of the new yeare be Salubrious or no since in loving you there is nothing in this world that I do care for Yet Do you not stand in feare said she of
wood with their chariot into which they all did get Leonida undertooke to be their guide and because they should not be seene by the guards of the Castle they went in at a backe secret dore As soone as they were gone Astrea reviving from her swounding fit did fall into the water as I told you before Lycidas and they who went to search for Celadon could heare no other tidings of him then as formerly I told you so as Lycidas being but too well assured of his brothers death he went to Astrea to condole with her their common disaster She sad soul did nothing else but walk mourning along the River side untill she was so weary that she was forced to sit downe as full of anger griefe and amazement as a little before she was of inconsideration and jealousie She was sitting a lone by herselfe for Phillis seeing Lycidas returne went out to heare some newes as the rest did This Shepheard when he came being weary and desirous to know how this misfortune came to passe he did sit downe by her and taking her by the hand began to talke Oh heavens fair shepherdesse said he what a fatall mischance is this which hath happned unto us I say us for as I have lost a deare brother so you have lost one who was not himselfe without you Whether Astreas mind was intent upon some other thing or whether this discourse was displeasant unto her I know not but she returned no answer At which Lycidas being angry thus said Is it possible Astrea that the losse of this unfortunate Son for so Astrea called him should so little perplex you that you cannot afford him one teare Had he not loved you or had you been ignorant of his affection then to resent his misfortune so slightly had been excusable but since he loved you infinitly above himselfe and that you could not be ignorant of it beleeve me Astrea it grieves me to see you as little concerned at it as if he were a meere stranger unto you The shepherdess then looked sadly towards him and after a little pause of consideration answered Shephered I am much grieved at the death of your brother not in consideration of any affection which he bore unto me but in respect of his many other excellent qualities which might well move any to grieve at his misfortune for as for the affection which you spoke of it was so common unto other shepheardesses my companions as it was their parts to lament him more then mine Oh most ungratefull shepherdesse cryed out Lycidas I shall thinke the gods unjust if they do not punish you for your injustice you have small reason to thinke him unconstant who for all the anger of his Parents and cruelty of your rigour would not diminish the least sparke of his affection to you This is ingratitude in the height since all his actions and services could not assure you of the thing which none living ever doubted of but your selfe This am I certaine of that he would sooner have disobeyed the Supreame gods then the least of your commands Then did the shepheardesse in an angry manner answer that this discourse was disadvantagious to his Brother for she had sufficient testimonies of his infidelitie You fill me full of wonder replied Lycidas but I beseech you how came you to the knowledge of it Shepherd answered Astrea the story is too long and lamentable to be told satisfie your selfe with this that if you do not know it you are the only one that is ignorant of it for there is not a shepherd about the banks of Lignon which cannot tell you that Celadon had a hundred Mistrisses And to be short these eares of mine were no longer then yesterday witnesses of the amorous discourse which he held with his Aminthé for so he called her and I had hearkned longer unto it had I not beene displeased at his perfidie or to tell you truly had I not other businesse which was more advantagious unto me Lycidas at this like a man distracted cryed out oh now I see the cause of my brothers death it was your jealousie Astrea your jealousy is the onely cause of this dire disaster Poore Celadon I now remember thy Prophetique words when thou saidest thy fain'd affection would cost thee thy life Then addressing himselfe unto her Is it possible Astrea said he that you should forget those commands which you so often and pressingly did lay upon him five or six times at the least I can witnesse he was down upon his knees begging a revocation of them You may remember when he returned from Italie it was your first injunction to dissemble love unto another which he intreated you rather to bid him die then do My deare Astrea said he I shall never forget his words though I must will be perfectly obedient unto all your commands yet I cannot chuse but throw my selfe at your feet imploring onely so much favour as to bid me Die rather then bid me serve any other then Astrea And you did answer Nay Shepheard far be it from my thoughts to command you to Die but it is to try your affection and principally to blind the eyes and stop the mouths of all inquisitive spies that I do enjoyn this dissimulation upon you He not being able to disobey you in any thing undertooke the difficulty and indeed difficulty I rightly phrase it For he never went unto the place where hee was to put his dissimulation into practice but he first laid himselfe downe upon his bed as if a trembling fit of a feaver came upon him Not above two dayes since I found him engraving upon a tree these ensuing verses whose characters if you have not quite forgotten both him and his services you will know if you please to turne your eyes towards yonder tree on the other side of the River which containes these lines So much surmount my selfe I may Though I am all in flame And burne in love both night and day Yet to deny the same But then to play the Hypocrite And seeme anothers slave Whilst I adore a starre so bright A heart I cannot have Yet if to doo 't or die you Doome Then this should bee my choice Just now to chuse death's dismall Roome And in your Doome rejoyce Then did Lycidas ' shew her a letter which Celadon by way of Answer had written unto him some seaven or eight dayes before Celandons Answer unto Lycidas Brother ENquire no further what and how I do but know that I am still sick of my former disease to love and not dare to shew it Not to love yet sweare the contrary deare Brother is the continuall course or rather torment of thy Celadon They say two contraries cannot subsist in one thing at one and the same time And yet both true and false affection is ordinary in all my actions but never wonder at it for I am forced to the one by the perfections and to the other by the
commands of my Astrea If this kind of lâ—fe seeme strange unto thee consider that miracles are the common workes of the gods and why should not my goddesse doe the same in me Farewell Live and Love thy Celadon It was long before Astrea answered a word for the discourse of Lycidas had almost astonished her but the sparks of jealousie which yet had some power in her soul caused her to take the letter as doubting whether or no it was Celadon which writ it And though she knew it well enough to be his hand yet according to the humor of many who will often argue against their owne opinions she disputed it At the same time many shepheards came from the quest of Celadon but had found no other signes of him then that of his Hat which was no small grief unto Astrea She remembring a privat retyring place which love helped them to find out and which she would not have found out did becken unto Phillis to take that away but every one began to lament and extoll the poore shepherd and not one but had some Noble act or other to Trumpet in his praise But Astrea who was the most sensible was the least talkative she was constrained to be mute and to shew her sorrow the least knowing that it is the highest point of prudence in love to conceale affection or at least never to let it appeare unprofitably but because the constraint she was in was great and she not able to endure it she came to Phillis and entreated her not to follow her to the end others might do the like So taking Celadons hat into her hand she stole away alone and followed the first path she lightt upon Every shepherd in the company knew of Celadons affection to Astrea though the perversnesse of their Parents did discover it more then his actions but she did carry the matter with so much discretion that none knew of hers to him except Semira Lycidas and Phillis And though they knew very well that the losse of Celadon did much perplex her yet they did attribute it more unto the goodnesse of her nature then her love However she continued on her way and every step had its thought or rather griefe so as sometimes doubtfull sometimes assured of Celadons affection she knew not whether she should lay the blame upon him or herselfe when she thought upon what Lycidas had said she judged him innocent when the discourse he had with the shepherdesse Aminthé came into her memorie she thought him culpable In this labirinth of thoughts she went wandring through a wood without any election of path but either by fortune or by the direction of heaven to manifest the innocence of Celadon she came to the place where Lycidas said he had engraved some verses upon a tree which was so fresh that shee quickly found them out Oh heavens how soone she knew them to be Celadons and how readily she ran to read them She sat downe upon the ground and beholding Celadons hat and letter in her lappe she wrong her hands and looked fixedly upon the reliques of her deare shepherd and seeing his hat to swell a little in the place where he was wont to put his letters when he had a designe to convey a letter unto her she unripped the lining with her fingers and pulled out a paper which Celadon the same day had put there this was a device contrived betwixt them when their parents had forbidden them any intercourse of language for he seeming to throw his hat in jeast unto her they might easily convey letters unto each other With a trembling heart and hand she tooke this letter out and after she had remooved from her eyes a thousand pearly teares she read these words Celadons Letter unto Astrea My dearest Astrea IF you did impose this constrained dissimulation upon me with a designe to kill me with griefe alas you might more easily have done it with one single syllable and have said Die If it was to punish me for my faults you were too gentle a Judge in ordaining me a lesse punishment then death If it was to try what power you had over me why did you not find out a more speedy way of triall then this which would be so long before you could be satisfied I cannot think it your intention to umbrage our designe since I not being able to live long under such constraint my death will be a deplorable testimony of it Oh pitty me my brightest Starre consider that I have endured torment enough and that it is now full time to be Celadon againe after so long and lamentable a dissimulation of himselfe Oh how these words did wound her soul when she called to memorie the command she had laid upon him and the resolution which they fixed upon to dissemble their affection But see the strange enchantments of love for though shee grieved extremely at the death of Celadon yet she was not without some consolation in the midst of her sorrowes to think that he was not perfidious though this consideration brought much force with it to torment her so as having no other remedie to fly unto but teares as well to lament Celadon as her owne losse she began with a river of teares and afterwards with a thousand pittifull groanes and sad sighes She called to mind the faithfull affection of that shepheard and the despaire wherein he was at her severe answer then againe thinking upon the happy times past the pleasures and contentments which he formerly afforded her and now the losse both of him and them she extreamly condemned her selfe of silly imprudence On the otherside Lycidas being so extreamly displeased at Astrea that he could hardly with patience thinke upon her he did rise up from Phillis and went away with eyes so full of teares and so sad a countenance that his shepherdesse seeing him in that condition did follow him not fearing how others might censure her for it he went away with folded armes his hat pulled downe but his soul much more downe in sorrow and pittie obliging the rest of the shepheards to participate of his sorrowes they followed also and lamented with him But these officious complements were only additions to his griefe for in company the soule dares not so freely disburthen it selfe of its load but when it is once discharged of its venime then it is capable of consolation Being in this sad estate they accidentally found a young shepherd lying upon the graffe and two shepherdesses with him the one of them holding his head in her lappe and the other playing upon a Lâ—te whilst he sighed out these verses with eyes up to heaven and face all tears Upon the death of Cleon. That beautie once a glorious Sunne Alas it Set and done Those eyes once Angelike divine Againe will never shine Shee 's dead who did all hearts revive Unlesse in mine alive Perfection from the world is fled Since shee the owner's dead What hopes amongst the
that if it be not your pleasure to grant the request which he makes then he beseeched you not to read it to the end in his death as in his life he may not resent your cruelty then he presented unto her a Letter which Silvia had refused but for the command of Amasis I have hitherto said Guyamant fullfilled the last will of Aristander it remaines that I prosecute against the murderer but as heretofore I have been obedient to my Brothers commands so Love now commands me to sacrifice my own liberty upon the same Altar which yet reekes with my Brothers blood who when he lived told me that all eyes which ever looked upon you did owe their hearts unto you as a just tribute and that those men were unworthy to live which did not live in your service Silvia a little ashamed at this encounter stood mute a long while and gave no answer so that Amasis took the Letter and telling Guyamant that Silvia should returne him an answer she took her aside and breaking open the seale she read these words Aristanders Letters unto Silvia THough my affection could never render my service pleasing unto you nor my service my affection yet I hope this affection will make you pitty my death or else my death will assure you of my affections fidelitie And that as never any adored one of more perfection so never any loved and adored with more passion The last testimony of it that ere I shall render unto you shall be the gift of that which next your self was most dear unto me and that is my Brother for I am sure he is yours since I have enjoyned him to see you knowing very well by experience that it is impossible to see and not to love you But fair Murderer I beseech you let him not inherit my fortune but use him kindly He who writes this is your dying servant who having more Love to you in his heart then it is able to contain and live will rather die then diminish it Amasis calling Silvia to her asked her what kind of strange cruelties she had used towards Aristander which had brought him to this extremitie The Nymph with a blush answered that she knew not wherein she had done him any wrong I would have you said she entertain Guyamant in his room Then calling both before her she asked him whether he would follow his Brothers inclination He answered yes with all his heart Then said Amasis I shell entreat this Nymph to admit you to his place and to use you better then she did him Guyamant after a very humble reverence unto Amasis offered to kiss the hand of Silvia in signe of servitude but she so slighted the declaration of his affection that unlesse Amasis had commanded her she would never have looked upon him When every one began to retire Clidaman returned from hunting and was told of this new servant unto his Mistris Against which he made such loud complaints that Amasis and Guyamant did hear them and since he could not imagine how this should come about she told him the whole businesse When she had done Clidaman complained more then before that she should suffer a thing so much to his disadvantage and told her that she revoked the decree of Fate which his lot had given him and which none should ever ravish from him and live This language proceeded from a heart full of affection and was uttered with a bundance of vehemency for he did Love Silvia extreamly Guyamant who besides the edge which his new Love had put upon him had so good an opinion of himselfe as not to yeild unto any ' returned an answer addressing his speech unto Amasis Madam said he it seemes some would not have me to be a servant unto the fair Silvia but such are ignorant what Love is otherwise they would never think that your ordinances or the ordinances of all the gods together have power enough to divert the course of affection And therefore I do openly declare that if any shall offer to forbid me that which is already permitted me I shall disobey and rebell It is neither duty nor any other consideration can make me change Then turning towards Clidaman as for you Sir I know what respects I owe you but withall I know what power Love hath over me as the destinies did give Silvia unto you so her beauty did give me unto her Judge you whether of these gifts ought to be most pleasing unto her Clidaman would have replyed but Amasis interiupted him Sonne said she you have no reason to complaine unlesse our ordinances were altred you were commanded to serve Silvia but others were not forbidden to do the same Smells are most odoriferous when stirred and a Lover having Rivals has more testimonie's of his merit Thus Amasis ordained that both of them should serve her And thus is Silvia well stored of servants for Guyamant dressed up his affection in the best trim and Clidaman in envie of him did studie how to outvie him in courtship Ligdamon he served her with so much discretion and respect that least others should take notice of his affection he durst seldome come neer her and in my opinion his courtship was much more pleasing then any of the rest but once beleeve it he was almost past all his patience It hapned that Amasis had a bodkin in her hand which was made in the fashion of a sword and which Silvia was wont to wear in her hair and Clidaman being neer her she gave it unto him to carry unto his Mistris but he kept it all the day purposely to vex Guyamant never so much as dreaming upon Ligdamon but see how one may wound one for another the poyson which was prepared for Guyamant did so neerly reach the heart of Ligdamon that not being able to dissemble he retired to his lodging where after he had a while venomed himselfe by his own thoughts he took pen and writ these verses Upon the Sword of Silvia in the hands of Clidaman Love like a Traytor doth me treat and with a murdering sword Hath given me a sad defeat in her whom I ador'd But justly too I needs must say for being never able My doâ—â— of services to pay which were innumerable He takes a sword and doth me strike and all my hopes doth smother And cunningly he useth me more like a Souldier then a Lover At the lower end of these verses he added these words I cannot chuse fair Leonida but resemble Silvia to the Sun which indifferently doth shine upon the most vile things as well as upon the most Noble He himself brought me this coppie I read it but though I studied yet for my life I could not understand it nordraw any thing from it unlesse that Silvia had given him a great blow with a sword but he left me and went away the most lost and undone man alive Thus you see what a cunning cutter Love is who with such trifling Armes can
who conferred the prise upon you hath shewed himself a very right Judge of beauty and yet though your cause did merit his sentence you are in some sort obliged unto him I think shepheard answered I in a low voice that he is more obliged to me then I to him for he gave me an apple only which in some degree I deserve and is my due but I gave him his life which for his impudent rashnesse he deserved to lose This is no more then was before resolved answered Celadon for he does not valew his life further then to prostrate it at your feet Were it not more in regard of my self then him replied I I should have punished his impudence but Celadon no more let us leave this discourse and know that the reason why I did not cause you to be punished according to your merits is only because I would not bring my selfe upon the stage and not for want of any will to see you chastised If that be the only reason said he I beseech you tell me what death you will have me die And you shall see that I have as much courage to obey you as I have Love to offend you This discourse would be very long and tedious if I should include every particular But so it was he gave me so many testimonies of his affection that I could not possibly doubt it but still seeming to be all anger I said thus unto him Shepheard consider the emnity that is betwixt our Fathers believe that mine to thee shal be the same if thou dost still thus trouble me with thy follies which for this time thy youth and my own honour moves me to pardon I mentioned a pardon because I would infuse a little courage unto him for the very truth is his beautie and courage and affection did please me but to the end he should not reply I turned from him and went to Stella who was neer me He all astonished at this answer went out of the company so sadly dejected as in a few dayes after he was grown not knowable and kept himself so private that he frequented no places but the most retired and wild partes of our woods Of which I being advertised by some of my companoins who did in a close manner tell me that I was the only cause I began to resent his condition and resolved to find out some way or other to give him a little comfort and because as I told you he shunned all manner of company I was constrained to drive my flock towards that place which he most frequented and after two or three times being there in vaine at last after a long search for him me thought I heard his voice amongst some trees and I was not mistaken For going neerer I found him lying all along upon the ground his eyes sweld with teares and hands held up to heaven which seemed to be immoveable This object moved me to so much pitty that I was resolved to give him a cordiall for his paine And therefore after a whiles consideration and not willing he should think I sought for him I retired a little way from him where seeming to take no notice I began to sing so loud that my voice reached both his eares and his heart As soon as ever he heard me I saw him leap up and turning his eyes towards the place where I was he stood like a statue still in a ravishing admiration Which I observing to give him so much boldnesse as to approch neerer I seemed as if I slept yet held mine eyes halfe open to see what he would do And indeed he did as I did imagine he would for drawing neerer me with a soft and gentle tread he kneeled down as neer me as he could and after a long stay in this posture I still seeming to be fast asleep he stooped down and kissed me Then seeing that he had taken courage enough I opened mine eyes as if he had wakened me And rising up as if in a raging anger thus said unto him Uncivill shepherd how durst you be so bold as thus to interrupt my sleep He with a trembling heart and kneeling still said thus unto me It is your selfe fair shepherdesse that did constrain me and if I have sinned then bright Starre you must dim your Luster and punish your own perfections which are the cause This is alwayes your excuse for your presumption said I unto him but shepheard beleeve it if you continue in this course of offending me I will not endure it If you call it an offence to love and adore you answered he proceed to sentence immediatly and doome me to what death you please for I do make a most solemne vow that I will so offend you as long as my life is in me It is neither the rigour of your cruelties nor the emnity of our Parents no nor all the impediments in the whole universe conspired together shall ever divert me from this resolution But Fair Diana I must abbreviate these pleasing discourses as being not sutable unto my present disasters And will only tell you that being overcome I said thus unto him shepheard what good can you hope for when those who have the dispose of you does disapprove of your beginning How Said he dispose of me Has Alcippe more power over my wil then I have my self You may dispence with your own wil answered I but never with that obedience which is due unto a Father without a most horrid crime The obedience which I owe unto him said he must be confined unto possibilities and it is no fault to faile where power wants to performe but admit I must obey in al things since of two evills the greater is to be avoided I will rather faile in my duty to him who is but a man then in my duty to your fair selfe who is all Divine Our discourse lasted so long and so prevalent he was in it that I was forced to admit him my servant and both of us being too young to shadow our designes with any artifice Alcippe did soone find us out and being loath this amitie should grow up to any higher pitch he resolved to send him upon so long a voyage with good old Cleantes as that absence might wear out this young impression of Love But the seperation did as little good as all the rest of his artifices which he used for Celadon though yet a Boy did so fixe his resolution to overcome all difficulties that though any other would have taken them for torments yet he looked upon them only as proofes of himselfe and called them the touchstones of his fidelitie And because he knew that his voyage would last long he intreated me leave to bid him adieu This leave I granted but Fair Diana had you heard how passionatly he begged me to Love him and the vowes he made never to change doubtlesse you would have concluded nothing more impossible then that this affection should ever decay At
all this patience what will all these delayes do me good Shall I die before I discover my maladie to the Chirurgeon Then staying a while he began again with a most profound sigh Why should I fear that she will banish me her presence and doom me to death for if I should die it is a comfort to shorten such a miserable life and my death would satisfie for the fault I have committed if death do not fall upon me from the incensed brow of the fair Diana will not the violence of my affection cause it What then should I do and what shall I say unto her Alas I would not offend her if I could possibly help it And why should I keep silence since my death will give her most certain knowledge What then shall I offend her Ah! alas injury and amitie are never together Rather die there 's an end But if I should die do I not deprive her of the most faithfull servant ever that she had Is it possible I should offend in adoring her I will then tell her and at the same time open my breast that the sword may more easily punish my crime if she condemn me to it Thus then will I say unto her Here fairest Shepheardesse here is Filander in the habit of Callirea who in lieu of begging your favour lookes for nothing but your sury Revenge your selfe then Oh fairest and punish him and be confident that if his death will please and satisfie you it is most welcome to him Faire Shepheardesse when I heard Filander thus expresse himselfe my amazement was so great that I knew not what in the world to do I was so vexed and trembled so extreamly that I would have gon away and never have looked upon this impostor any more But Daphnis to compleat her treason held me by force and as I told you being neer this Shepheard he turned his head at the noise which we made and thinking it was only Daphnis he came unto us But when he spied me and thought I heard him Oh heavens said he what torment is little enough for me Oh Daphnis who could ever have expected this treason from you At this he ran away as if he had been distracted though Daphnis called him two or three times by the name of Callirea but fearing to be heard by others and more fearing that Filander might do some hurt unto himselfe she left me alone and followed him saying unto me in an angry manner at parting Well Diana if Filande do perish you will resent it as long as you live Judge fair Shepheardesses if I was not astonished at this accident But so it was that I could not hit the way out of the Garden a long time at last groping on every side and recollecting my spirits I found my Chamber where lying me down upon my Bed and trembling I could not close an eye that night As for Daphnis she searched for Filander so long that at last she found him more dead than alive and after she had chid him for not closing with so good an opportunity and yet assuring him that I was not so much troubled at the accident as he was he took a little heart to himselfe but yet not so much as to embolden him the next morning to come out of his Chamber I on the other side was extreamly offended against them both and was forced to keep my bed lest I should make my displeasure seen unto those about us and particularly unto the Niece of Gerestan but as good fortune was she had no more wit then there was need of so as we did easily hide from her this scurvy businesse which was almost impossible to do especially for Filander who had her company almost continually Daphnis she was not a little busied in the matter and perplexed for at the first I would not look upon her and her excuses but at the last she did so overcome me that I promised to forget the injury she had done me yet vowing that Filander should never look me in the face again and I do think he had gone away without a sight of me had he not feared the danger which Callirea would have incurred for she had a Husband that was extreamly perverse and peevish and it was this very consideration that restrained him But for all the arguments that Daphnis could use I never stirred out of my bed feigning my self sick for five or six daies And had I not heard that Philidas and Amindor with Callirea were returned I had no seen him of a long time but my fears that Philidas would take notice of it and lest thâ—s secret should come to be divulged all over the Country I did resolve to see him upon condition that he should never make the least shew of what was past though I had not so much power over my selfe as not to shew my displeasure â—he promised me that he would observe my commands and kept his promise for he durst not so much as turn an eye towards me and if he did at any time by chance give a glance upon me it was in such a submissive manner as did assure me his love was extream Presently after as fortune was Philidas Amindor and the disguised Filander came into my Chamber where the windowes being close we could the better hide the disorders in our faces Filander had acquainted his Sister with all passages and that was the reason that the stay of Philidas was not so long as he intended for she telling him that her Sister was sick they returned But this discourse would be very tedious if I should not omit many of our triviall quarrells But so it was that Callirea being acquainted with all passages sometimes turning them into rallâ—rie and sometimes into seriousnesse she so brought it about by the assistance of Daphnis that I consented unto Filanders stay untill his Sisters hair was grown unto its length again knowing that it would ruine both her and my self if I should hasten her returne And so it fell out as Daphnis did well enough foresee that during the time Callirea's hair was growing the discreet carriage of Filander and the knowledge of his great affection began so to flatter me as I did of my selfe excuse his disguise so as before he went he obtained what he so much desired which was that I would forgive and forget his Imposturisme and promised him that as long as he kept himselfe within the compasse of his duty I would accept of his good will and cherish his merit as it deserved His contentment upon this did much confirm my opinion of his affection for it was so great as he could not dissemble it Whilst we were upon these termes Philidas whose love did still increase now resolved to discover himselfe unto the disguised Filander and in order to this one day when they were walking together under a shade of Trees in the Garden she spoke thus unto him Well Filander said she cannot all my affection to you
me tell you Hylas that all those reasons which you have instanced for a proof that the loving party ought to be loved again though they be fals yet shall be allowed as good But how can you conclude from them that Tircis ought to betray the amitie of Cleon by beginning a new love of Laonice These are impossibilities and contradictions Impossible because none is obliged unto more then they can do How would you have this Shepheard love when he has no will You laugh Hylas when you heare me say he has none Faith I do so said Hylas I pray what has he done with it He that loves answered Phillis doth give his soul it self all its faculties unto the party loved and so by con equenee his wil is not in his power But this Cleon replyed Hylas being dead has nothing and therefore Tircis ought to to take his own again Ah Hylas Hylas answered Phillis you talke like an ignorant in Love for such gifts as are disposed on by Loves authoritie are for ever irrevocable Pray then said Hylas what is become of this will since the death of Cleon The lesse followes the greater replied Phillis if pleasure be the object of the will if that cease to be a pleasure where 's the will And so it hath followed Cleon if Cleon be not then there is no will for he had never had it but for her But if Cleon be in some certain place as our Druids hold that she is then this will is in her hands so contented in the place where she is that if she her selfe would chase it away she cannot returne it to Tircis as knowing well it would be in vain but it goes into the grave and rests with her beloved Ashes this being so why do you tax the faithful Tircis with ingratitude if it be in his power to love any other Also you do not only require things impossible but also things in themselves contraries for if every one ought to love the party that loves why should he not then love Cleon who never failed him in amitie And as for the recompences which you demand for the Services and Letters which Laonice carried pray let her remember the contentment she received by them and how merry she made herselfe as long as this fallacie lasted who otherwise would have droned out a dull and melancholy life So as if she balance the payment which the service I assure my selfe she will think her selfe very well payed You say Hylas that Tircis deceived her but I say it was no deceipt but a just punishment of love who returned her own blows upon her selfe for her intention was not to serve him but to delude Cleon. Thus Silvander have I briefly answered the false reasons of this Sheapheard and there remaines no more but to make Laonice confesse that she injured Tircis in her unjust pursuing of him which I shall easily do if she will be but pleased to answer me Fair Shepheardesse pray tell me do you love Tircis Shepheardesse answered she all that knowes me knowes I do If he were forced to be absent replyed Phillis and another in the mean time should court you would you not change affection No answered she for I would still hope he would returne If you heard that he would never return said Phillis would you then cease to love him No certainly answered she Then Fair Laonice answered Phillis think it not strange that Tircis who knowes that his Cleon is in heaven that she sees all his actions and rejoyceth in his fidelity should not change the affection he bore unto her nor let this distance of place seperate their loves since all the hindrances of life could never do it Do not beleeve what Hylas said that none ever returnes over the River Acheron many that have been beloved of the gods have both gone and come and who knowes but Cleon who was adorned with so many excellencies of soul may find the same favour from Love Oh Laonice were but your eyes permitted to look upon Divinitie you would see that Cleon to defend her own cause is in this place and whispers these words into my eares which I utter in her defence Then would you confesse that Hylas was in the wrong when he said that Tircis was mad to love her cold ashes Me thinks I see her in the midst of us and in lieu of a fragile body subject unto humane accidents she is cloathed with glorious imortality and chiding Hylas for the blasphemies he had breathed against her What wouldst thou answer Hylas if thy happy Cleon should say thus unto thee Wilt thou offer O thou inconstant wretch to stain my Tircis with thy own insidelity If he did heretofore love me dost thou think it was my Body If thou shouldst answer Yes I would then reply that then he ought to be condemned to love the ashes which I have left in my Coffin as long as they will last For a Lover never ought to retreat from a Love once begun If thou dost confesse that it was my Soul he loved which was my principall part then Oh thou fond and unconstant sinner why should he now change his will since she is now more perfectly glorious than ever she was Otherwise such is the misery of the living I should be jealous I should be vexed and I should be seen by many eyes as I am by his But now I am delivered from such mortall imperfections and am no more capable of any infirmities And wouldst thou Hylas with thy sacrilegious perswasions divert him from me in whom I only lived upon earth and by a most barbarous cruelty endeavour to give me a second death Oh! most horrid to hear These words wise Silvander do make such a Turring sound in my ears as I do believe they will make your heart resent them as well as mine And therefore to let this divinity argue the cause in your soul I will be silent only let me hint thus much unto you that Love is so just as you your selfe ought to stand in awe of his punishing hand if Laonice's pitty rather then Cleon's reasons should move you At this word Phillis made a low congee intimating thereby that she had no more to say in the behalfe of Tircis Laonice offered to answer further but Silvander would not suffer her saying that now she was to hear the sentence which the gods would pronounce by his mouth Then after he had weighed the reasons on both sides he pronounced this Doom The Judgment of Silvander THe principall point in the cause debated before us is to know whether Love can die by the death of the party loved Unto which I say that the Love which is perishable is not right Love for it ought to follow the subject which gave it life and therefore those who love only the Body ought to enclose their love of that body in the same Coffin where it is but such as love the Soul ought with their love to flie
Knight had made a low Reverence unto Amasis and kissed the hand of Clidaman the Herauld spoke these words in a kinde of a strange language Madam this Knight whom you see here being one of the highest qualitie in all his Country hearing that any man of honour might freely demand satisfaction of any that should wrong him he comes here to ask the same favour from you which you never denyed unto any which is to permit him in your presence and in presence of all these fair Nymphs to draw a satisfaction from the man that hath injured him by such waies as are allowed unto persons of his qualitie Amasis after a little consideration with herselfe returned this answer That it was true this way of defending honour had ever been the custom of her Court but she being a woman never permitted any to try the matter by Armes yet notwithstanding her Son being now at an age able to decide a greater businesse than this she would refer it wholly unto him Clidaman never staying for the Herauld's reply said thus unto her Madam this is the way not only to be honoured by all those who inhabit in those Provinces over which the gods have placed you the great Lady but it is also most just to punish such as are faulty and to honour such as do deserve it and the best way of all is that of Armes especiallly in such cases as cannot otherwise be decided so as if you do not allow of this most just way of discovering the villanies of wicked men you will encourage all wickednesse and base men will not care what villany they commit so they can do it secretly Moreover these strangers who are the first that ever had recourse unto you would have great reason to complain if they should be the first that are refused and denied justice And therefore since you are pleased to refer the businesse unto me I shall give this Knight free liberty to accuse and defie whom he will and will promise him a fair tryall in the field The Knight then kneeled down kissed his hand and gave him humble thanks Sir said he since you are so noble I must acquaint you that the Knight I am in quest of his name is Polemas whom I beseech you to produce that I may accomplish my end that I came for Polemas hearing himselfe named stepped forward and in his lofty garb said Who is he that is in quest of me I am the man he looks for Then the unknowne Knight went to him and gave him his Gauntlet and the Herauld said Sir this Knight presents that unto you as a gage promising that tomorrow morning by Sun-rise he will meet you and prove that you have most villanously invented all those lyes which you have spoken of him Herauld said Polemas I do accept the gage and though I do not know this Knight yet I am certain to have justice on my side since I am sure that I never said any thing against Truth and let tomorrow be the day to try it Then the Knight after a low reverence unto Amasis and all the Ladies went unto his Tent that he had caused to be set up without the Gates of the Town You may well imagine how this filled all the Court with discourse especially Amasis and Clidaman who loved Polemas very well and were very sorry to see him in this danger however a promise had obliged them to allow the field As for Polemas he like a man of great courage prepared himselfe for Combat not knowing his enemy And for Galathea who had almost forgotten the injury that Polemas had done unto Lindamor she thinking that he did not know his harm came from thence she never thought of Lindamor nor I neither who thought him to be a hundred miles off and yet it was he who having received my Letter resolved to seek revenge this way But to be short for I am no good fighter and therefore can make but a bad relation of the Combat but let me tell you as well as I can that after a long Combat wherein both sides had equall advantages and both of them so full of wounds that death was much more likely to be both their shares than life insomuch as every one began to pitty the losse of two such valiant men Amasis told Clidaman that it was best to part them and none could be thought more fit for it than Galathea she being also much moved unto pitty was glad to do the good office and so with three or foure of us she went into the lists When she first entred the victory seem'd to incline more unto Lindamor and Polemas was reduced into such a bad condition as he was almost quite spent Unto Lindamor she addressed her selfe and pulling him by the Scarfe which hung behinde him she drew him a little back When he felt himself touched he turned suddenly about thinking he was betrayed with such fury as the Nymph recoyling for fear of being hurt was intangled in her Gown and fell in the midst of the Lists Lindamor who knew her ran presently to take her up But Polemas without regard unto the Nymph seeing this advantage gave Lindamor two or three such blowes upon the head behind as made him stoop to the ground but he got up again so incensed against his enemy that maugre all Galathea's prayers he would not leave him till he laid him under his feet then getting upon him he disarmed his head and when he was ready to give him his dispatching blow he heard the voice of his adored Lady crying out Oh Knight I do conjure you by her whom you love most to give me the life of this Knight I will said Lindamor unto her upon condition he will confesse that he hath falsly reported things of me and of her by whom you conjure me Polemas being as he thought at the last gasp of life did confesse what they would Thus Lindamor got the day and went away after he had kissed the hand of his Mistris who knew him not though he spoke unto her his Helmet and her own fears kept her from taking any notice of his voice but as he passed by me he said thus unto me in a low voice Fair Leonida I am too much obliged to you to conceal my selfe and therefore see the effect of your Letter Then without any more stay he got on Horseback though much wounded and galloped presently out of sight this over-much stirring of his body by riding did him much hurt and brought him to that extreamity that being come into the house of Eluriall's Aunt where he resolved to lodge in case he was wounded he was so weak that it was three weeks before he could stirr out of his bed In the mean time Galathea was extreamly angry with this unknown Knight for not leaving the Combat when first she desired him being more offended at his refusall than obliged by what he had given her And Polemas being as you know of a
the right but I beseech you by the affection you have unto me to tell me whether he had any remembrance of me in his last speech and what words he used Will you needs triumph Madam in his last breath said I as you have in all the rest of his life If you would I will give you full satisfaction As soon as ever he heard that you did endeavour by your words to blemish the honour of his Victory and that in lieu of pleasing you by his Combat he had gotten your hatred he pulled off all clothes that lapped his wounds and leaving them all open hee would never suffer the hand of any Chirurgeon to come near them His wounds were not mortal but when they were putrified so soon as he felt he could not live any longer he called for Flurial and when he was alone with him he said thus Flurial my good friend thou must now lose one that had a desire to doe thee some good but thou must arm thy self with patience since it is the will of heaven I would request one peece of service more from thee which is the best thou ever didst me And having got a faithful promise from him that hee would doe it he went on with his discourse As soon as ever I am dead open my breast take out my heart carry it unto the fair Galathea and tell her I sent it to the end that after my death I may not retain any thing which was not my own As as soon ever these words were spoken he lost both speech and life Now this fool Flurial in performance of his promise unto him he loved so dearly brought hither the heart of Lindamor and but for me would have presented it unto you Ah Leonida said she then is it certain he is dead Oh heavens I should never know of his sickness Would none tel me of it Oh Leonida you were much too blame Madam answered I I did not know any thing of it for Flurial stayed all the while with him because he brought none of his own servants with him But if I had known of it I think I should never have acquainted you since I knew you to be so averse unto any thing that came from him Then leaning her head upon her arm she commanded me to leave her by her self as I think that I might not see her tears which began already to trickle from her eyes Yet I was no sooner gone but she called me back and never looking up bade me command Flurial to bring what Lindamor had sent unto her for she would by any means have it Then I went out in sure hopes that my plot would take effect according to my expected desires Mean while when Flurial was returned unto Lindamor he found him full of impatient longing for him but my Letter gave him full satisfaction It was thus penned Leonida 's Answer unto Lindamor YOur Justice is so apparent that the most dim eyes cannot deny its splendor Content your self with this that those whom you most desire should see it do confess it As the wounds of the body may be far from being healed though the danger be over and therefore must have time for it So it is with the wounds of the mind the danger being removed by your valour and prudence you must refer the rest unto time remembring the wounds which close too hastily are subject to fester which afterwards becomes more dangerous than the wound it self Hope well for the accomplishment of your desires for you may do it with reason I writ thus unto him purposely that his grief might not be a prejudice unto his wounds and that they might the sooner heal Presently after he writ back thus unto me Lindamors Reply unto Leonida Fairest Nimph SInce you command it so I must and will hope and must confess that all my happinesse and hopes of it have their dependency upon you Yet Love which is alwaies accompanyed with doubting commands me to tremble But let heaven do what it pleaseth I know at will not deny me a Grave My answer in short was because I will not trouble you with too many Letters that as soon as he found himself able to travail he should finde some way or other to come and speak with me and as briefly as I could I let him understand all the discourse between Galathea and me also how she resented the news of his death and desired to have his Heart But observe the force of a great affection Lindamor that had so many severall wounds and lost so much blood as did narrowly endanger his life yet beyond all hopes of Chirurgeons assoon as he received my last Letter he did rise out of his bed dressed himselfe and within two or three dayes after got on Horseback to come unto me and because he durst not come by day for fear of being seen he put himselfe into the habit of a Gardiner calling himselfe Cousen unto Fluriall and resolved to come into the Garden and there behave himselfe as occasion should require Telling the Aunt of Fluriall that he had made a vow before the Combat and must needs go and perform it before he went out of the Country and fearing the friends of Rolemas he disguised himselfe in such a habit and desired her not to speak of it The good old woman would have disswaded him and advised him to defer his voyage untill another time But he being inflamed with zealous devotion told her that if he did not perform it before he went out of the Country he should think himselfe subject unto all the curses of all the gods So to prevent meeting with any he went in the night and came so happily into the Garden as he was unseen of any Fluriall carried him into the house in which there was then none but a drudge that helped him to dig whom he made believe that Lindamor was his Cozen whom he would teach the trade of a Gardiner Thus Lindamor expected the morning with a longing desire and the night seemed longer than ordinary unto him that waited for effecting his desires Morning was no sooner come but Lindamor was in the Garden with a spade in his hand Had you but seen him with this tool in his hand and how aukwardly he handled it you would have known that he was not much versed in it but knew better how to wield a Spear than a Spade and I have heard him since swear a hundred times that he was never in all his life so ashamed as when he did present himselfe before his Mistresse in that habit and that he was in two or three mindes whether he should return or no but at last Love surmounted the shame and kept him there untill we came As fortune was the Nymph came that day into the Garden with many of my Companious assoon is she spied Flurial she trembled like an Aspen leaf and cast her eye upon me but though I endeavoured to speak with him yet I could
unto me you will place your love upon one of the fairest Shepheardesses about Lignon Perhaps you will think this a strange office from Belinde but your wonder will vanish when I tell you that she is one whom I do most love for it is Amaranthe Her I do command you to love by all the power that I have over you for she has earnestly begg'd it of me She was thus hasty in her command because she feared that if she should have retarded it any longer she should not have had power to resist his supplications which she foresaw he would make What do you think fair Nymph said Celadon to Silvia became of poor Celion he looked as pale as death it selfe and so much out of himselfe as he could not speak one single syllable But at last when he had a little recovered the use of his languishing tongue and in a Tone like one in the midst of Torment he cryed out Oh cruell Nymph have you preserved my life hitherto thus inhumanely to ravish it away This command is too ful of cruelty to be heard live and my love is too great to let me die without despair Alas if I must die let me die faithfull and if there be no other way to cure Amaranthe but by my death I will most freely sacrifice my selfe unto her health so you will but change the doom of your command and bid me die loving only you Belinde was much startled at this but not altered Celion said she unto him leave off all these vain expressions you will give me cause else not to believe what you told me if you do not satisfie me in the first command that I do impose upon you Cruell Shepheardesse said the sad Celion must you needs command me impossibilities for though I dare not love you beyond your commanded limits yet command what you will I cannot love any other Pitty did begin a little to melt her heart and it was abundance of content unto her to see that he whom she loved most did most certainly love her And this perhaps had altered her resolution had she not been resolutely fixed to take away all thoughts from Amaranthe that she was stung with the same disease therefore she constrained all her pitty to retreat which began already to draw tears into her eyes and to the end they should not be seen she went away and at parting said unto him Think well upon it Celion and be certain I will never see you again unlesse you will effect my entreaty and your own promise Whether Celion had a sad dejected soul seeing himselfe so far from any consolation or resolution let them that ever loved judge He was two or three daies like a man lost he ran into the Woods and shunned all manner of company at last an old Shepheard that was an intimate friend of his Fathers and one that was very wise also loved Celion very well seeing him in this condition and perceiving that nothing but effects of Love could thus distract him he was some comfort unto him by his counsell For in his younger daies he himselfe had been in the like straits and began to mock Celion for being so much troubled for so poor a businesse demonstrating unto him that the remedy was easie and so very easie as he was ashamed that Celion who was reputed wife and a man of courage should not hit upon it I know said he that to fulfill this command of Belinda's is at the first a matter of some difficulty and she will think your affection to be extream but that will oblige her the more to love you yet since you have made such professions of obeying her it will content her if you do dissemble and seem as if you did obey what she has commanded This counsell sounded well in the ears of Celion and was accordingly executed But before this he had writ this Letter unto Belinde Celion's Letter unto Belinde HAd I merited so ruffe a Treatment as this which I have received from you I should sooner have dyed than endured it but since it is for your contentment I shall entertain it with a little more willingnesse then if in exchange you had hidden me die Since I have wholly dedicated my selfe unto you it is but reasonable you should have the whole disposure of me But I beseech you consider that as long as this constraint lasts so many daies are navished from my life for I cannot call those daies life that are full of sorrow and death Shorten them therefore Oh most severe Shepheardesse if there be but one spark of pitty remaining in you It was impossible that Bolinda should not resent these expressions which she knew proceeded from a most perfect affection withall it was impossible any thing could divert her from her designe She did advertise Amaranthe that Celion would love her and that she would know it as soon as she was recovered Which advertisment did so hasten her recovery as she did make it appear that to the cure of the body the cure of the minde is not unprofitable But Oh! what a lamentable constraint did Celion live in and how intolerable was his torment He grew so lean and was so altered as he was not knowable But see the extream severity of this Shepheardesse she was not contented with what she had done but because she thought Amaranthe had some jealousie of their affection she was resolved to drive the Naile so to the head that neither of them should think she jeasted The Shepheards addresse unto Amaranthe was observed by every one for it was openly declared the Father also of this Shepheard being acquainted with the commendable vertues of Leon and knowing his family to be honourable he did not disapprove of this Match Belinde her selfe did propound the Marriage and it was almost made up before Celion knew of it but when he heard of it he could not forbear speaking unto Belinde and was so plain with her that she was halfe ashamed but the Shepheard seeing words would not do he resolved upon another course and a better way which was to apply himselfe unto his Father Sir said he I should be very sorry to disobey you in anything and more in this than any other thing I see Sir that you do like of this alliance with Amaranthe and as becomes me I have made addresses to her and I do know no Shepheardesse more affectionate than she But Sin give me leave to tell you that I do love her better for a Mistresse than a Wife yet I do humbly beseech you command me not to tell you my reason Upon this the Father had some suspition that he knew of some ill quality in the Shepheardesse and did heartily commend the prudence of his Son who he thought had such a command over his own affections Thus this Match was broken off and the former passages being publickly known many did ask the question from whence this coldnesse of the businesse should proceed The
him to know whether he would accept of me for his Champion He asked me who I was Then counterfeiting my voice as well as I could I said unto him Let it satisfie you Lydias that I am the onely One that will undertake this Combat for you Since it is so replyed he certainly you are a person of great valour and therefore I do accept of you So when I was going away he said unto me Cavalier be confident that your quarrel is most just Then I retired with such full resolution for death that I stayed for nothing but the sound of the Trumpet to summon us unto the Combat Upon the first sound I set out but my Horse did so jog me that in lieu of carrying my Lance as I should have done I let it fall which way fortune would and it fell so luckily upon my Horses neck that in lieu of hiting Lypandas it ran his Horse into the body who being wounded ran presently away in spite of his Master and fell dead under him Lypandas was so over-eager of doing bravely that he missed his blow As for me my Horse ran even whither he pleased for I had enough to do in holding me by the Pommel lest I should fall And hearing Lypandas bidding me turn again and upbraiding me for killing his Horse I turned my horse back after I had got my sword in my hand as well as I could though with much ado But my Horse assoon as he was turned having more courage then his Rider began of himselfe to gallop and ran furiously upon Lypandas and he stepping aside ran his sword into my Horses body as he passed by and presently I perceived him to shrink under me and having lost my stirrups he fell under me and so far off Lypandas that I had time enough to get out of the Saddle and recover my selfe from my Horse Then came Lypandas towards me with his sword up ready to strike at me and I must tell you that had not Love born up my Armes better then my selfe did he had dispatched me but seeing him so furiously make his blow at my head Nature had taught me to hold up my left arme for otherwise I had never remembred my buckler that was upon it but his blow upon it was with such fury as it struck it against my face and made my eyes to sparkle When he saw me stagger he offered another blow more heavie then the first but such was my fortune that holding up my sword his and mine clashed together and both of them broke Lypandas seeing both of us upon the same advantages did say unto me These Armes are equally favourable unto us I will try whether others will do the like and therefore let us cast off our heavy Armour and fight in our shirts for I will have the Combat so decided Cavalier said I unto him by what is past you may see your selfe in the wrong our quarrell is not mortall therefore release Lydias and let the Combat alone No no said Lypandas in a rage both Lydias and you shall die Then I will try said I whether I can retort that Sentence upon your own head Then getting as far off Lydias as I could for fear of being known I put off my Armour with the help of those who brought us two other swords and daggers And when my doublet was off I took a sword and a dagger and went into the middle of the Lists I must tell you that I had much ado to hide my breasts for my shirt do what I could did not so hide them but the fulnesse of my Papps were palpable to be seen but that was the farthest off every ones imagination and as for Lydias he could not know me for being in mans habit and the weight of my Armour having put me in o a very high colour I was much altered At last Lypandas and I were within ten or twelve paces one of another Now did I look for nothing but death being assured he would run me through at the very first push But the fortune of Lydias was so good for it was his life I only feared that this high-minded Lypandas running extream violently at me he chanced to stumble and his head fell at my feet and at this fall he received two wounds with his own weapons the one with his dagger that ran him through his right arme and the other with his sword which cut him just over the eyes As for me I was so frighted with this fall that I thought my selfe dead and him too and therefore stepping back two or three paces without doing him any hurt I thought to vanquish him more by my courtesie then valour and said unto him Rise Lypandas I will not hurt you when you are down He being much stunnyed with his fall at first did afterwards rise thinking to run upon me with all the strength he had but one of his wounds had blinded him and the other took away the use of his arme so as he could neither see nor hold his sword Which I perceiving I took courage and lifting up my sword I ran unto him saying Yield thy selfe Lypandas or else thou dyest Why should I yield my selfe said he for the conditions of our Combat were not so let it suffice I set Lydias at liberty Then the Judges comming in and Lypandas having ratified his promise they led me out of the Lists in triumph But fearing lest I should receive some wrong in a place where Lypandas had all the power after I had put my Armour on again I went to Lydias with my Helmet pulled down and said unto him Lydias render thanks unto the gods for my Victory and if you desire to have any discourse with me I will go unto the Town of Regiaque where I will stay for you fifteen daies for after that terme I must go about some businesse which will carry me far from hence You may enquire for the sorrowfull Chavelier for under that name and notion I passe But I beseech you said Lydias shall I not now know unto whom I am so much obliged No said I unto him it will not be good neither for you nor me And so I left him Then providing my selfe another Horse I came to Regiaque where I stayed As soon as I was gone this false Lypandas did imprison Lydias more close than before and when he was charged with his promise unto me he did evade it by saying That it is true he promised me liberty but he did not tel me when and therefore it should not be this twenty years unlesse upon a condition that I should become a Prisoner in his room and so pay the ransome of his liberty with the losse of my own Lydias told him that this was the height both of ingratitude and perfidie This did so offend him that he swore unless I came within fifteen daies and put my selfe into his hands he would transfer him over into the hands of Justice And when Lydias instanced
wish thee joy with all my heart since I can doe no more I hope thou wilt take my wish in good part and in requital of my love I pray thee tell me whether thou doest know Astrea Phillis and Lycidas and if thou dost then tell me all thou knowest of them Kinde Shepheard answered hee thy civil language obliges me to pray that thou mayst never have any such occasion of sorrows as I have And I will freely tell thee all I doe know concerning those persons you mention although my own grief forbids me to meddle in any other businesse but my own It is about a month or six weeks since I came into this Country of Forrests not as many doe to try what the Fountain of Loves verity will shew me for I am but too certain of my sad fate but by the commandment of the gods who from the fertile banks of the famous Siene sent mee hither with assurance that I should here finde a remedy against my miseries And ever since I came I have taken up my lodging in such Villages as seemed most agreeable to my condition and humour with a resolution to stay as long as the heavens shall permit me This design hath moved me to enquire of all the Shepheards and Shepheardesses of these parts I am able to satisfie you in any thing you desire to know of them All I desire to know said Celadon is to be satisfied how they doe All of them said he are well but they are all troubled very much at one act of blind and fickle Fortune and that is at the losse of one Celadon a Shepheard altogether unknown to me who was the Brother of Lycidas This lost Shepheard was so loved and esteemed of every one that he is generally lamented by all especially by those three persons whom you named unto me It was conceived that this Shepheard was a devoted servant unto Astrea and it was the enmity of their Parents which hindered them from Marriage How is it reported said Celadon this Shepheard was lost It is variously reported answered he Some speake as opinion leads them others according to circumstances and appearance and some as others doe report So as it is divers wayes related As for me I came hither into these quarters the very same day he was lost and I doe remember that every one was so affrighted at the accident as none knew how to make a perfect relation of it In conclusion and that is the best received opinion because Phillis Astrea and Lycidas themselves doe say it that this Shepheard sleeping close by the River side he fel in and Astrea also but her clothes did save her Celadon imagining that they had prudently invented this report to take away occasion of talking ill upon the accident he was very glad for his feares alwayes were that reports would reflect much upon Astrea's honour and therefore hee asked him further But what doe they think said he is become of this Shepheard That hee is dead answered the sad Shepheard And I assure you Astrea takes it so sadly that though shee puts the best face of it she can yet every one saies it is almost incredible that shee should be so much changed however for ought I see she is so fair that except Diana hinders her I never saw any fairer except my dearest Cleon and indeed they three may well be compared together Every one said Celadon will speake well of his own Mistris and Love has a quality not onely to blind but to change the eyes of Lovers so as there was never any Lover that thought his Mistris ugly This answered the Shepheard were something if I were in love with Astrea or Diana but since I am ever incapable of that I may be a competent judge And you who seem to doubt of this Shepheardesses beauty you must needs be either a stranger or else some ill-willer I am neither of those two said Celadon but truly I am the most miserably afflicted Shepheard that is in the whole world I shall never grant that said Tircis unlesse you except me For if your misery proceed from any thing else but Love the pain cannot be so great as mine since the heart is the most tender part we have and is most sensible of any sorrows And though your misery doe proceed from love yet it must needs submit unto mine for of all the miseries in love despair is the most intolerable disdain anger hatred jealousie absence or any thing is short of death for this pale Goddesse with her fatall hand does cut away both hope and life so as I the most miserable amongst all men living doe complain of a misery without any remedy or hope Celadon answered with a deep sigh Oh Shepheard how much doe you erre in your opinion I doe confess that the greatest miseries are those which doe proceed from Love of which I have had a full experience But I cannot by any means allow that those miseries which are without hope are the most sad nor indeed doe they deserve to bee resented for it is a meer act of folly to weep for a thing which cannot bee helped And Love answered hee what is that but a meer folly I will not enter upon that said Celadon before we have done with the other for that alone will take up much time But I pray tell me Doe you lament this death out of love or not Certainly out of love answered he If it be out of love answered Celadon then I have heard Silvander and all our learned Shepheards say that Love is nothing but a desire to enjoy that beauty which you find in the person loved 'T is very true said the stranger Then replyed Celadon Will any reasonable man desire a thing which cannot bee had No certainly said Tircis Then said Celadon the death of Cleon ought to be the cure of all your grief for since you confesse that desire never ought to be where there is no hope of obtaining and that Love is nothing else but a desire Death which puts you out of all hopes to enjoy ought by consequence to put you out of all desire and desire being dead all Love should die with it The sad Shepheard answered that whatsoever he said he was sure that his misery was most extream and because he would not revive the memory of his dead Cleon hee would not argue the matter any longer onely thus farre hee said Shepheard that which comes under sence is more certain than that which is onely in opinion And therefore all those reasons which he alleged could not convince him of that which he was so sensible of So recommending him unto the tuition of Pan Celadon and he parted And Solitude being most suitable to a Lovers thoughts Celadon went on through the Woods untill hee came to the Bridge of Boutresse and passing over the River there he was in doubt which way to wend but this was his full resolution to obey Astrea who had forbidden him to
see her untill she did command him At last being come near Bonleiu the habitation of the chast Vestals hee was ashamed that he had so rashly approached that place and therefore intending to goe farther off hee went into a Wood so thick and boggy that hee had much adoe to get out again This forced him to draw nearer the River for the thinne gravel was lesse troublesome to him than the thick mud So walking along untill hee was weary hee looked for a convenient place to rest upon intending to keep so close untill night that none should see him At the last hee cast his eye upon a little Cave whose entrance on one side towards the River the water had washed and the other side was so covered with Trees and Bushes as those in the way could not see it nor had he himselfe taken notice of it had hee not gone along the River side The place did so please him that he resolved to passe away the rest of the day in it and not to come out of this Grotto untill night And therefore hee beganne to trim it up as well as he could removing the Rubbish which the River had brought into it The place was nothing else but a Rock which the water beating upon had by degrees worn away and made a Cave and that in such various Rooms as if it were done on purpose so as stooping a little hee entred into a room like a Bed-chamber the place was about six or seven paces in length and as much broad It was about the height of a man though in some places the points of the Rock were troublesome which the Shepheard did by degrees break off with a Flint Hec contrived himself a place like a bed which he covered with Mosse and having fitted all things in this manner he laid his coat and such things as troubled him upon his bed and then looking upon the ground he found a Letter which he knew to be from the fair Astrea which hee did let fall Hee rouzed up himselfe as out of a deep sleep and came into the entrance of the Cave where looking upon the dear paper which he held in his hands after a hundred zealous and amorous kisses hee said Oh thou most deare paper heretofore my great joy and now the occasion of my most bitter sorrowes Upon this opening it the first thing that presented it selfe to his eye was Astrea's Character joyned with his This did so freshly revive the memory of his former happinesse as now he was reduced almost unto tearms of despair Oh ye Characters said he too true testimonies of my misfortune why are you not separated from mine to wait upon the will of my fair Shepheardess Time was when you might have done me good service but now that such fatall dysasters have separated us why are you here Perhaps it is to make it appear that the heavens showre all their dysasterous influences upon me but can never make my will distinct from Astrea's Upon this he sat down upon a great stone which he had rouled out of the River to the entrance into the Grotto and then after he had wiped away all the tears from his eyes he read these ensuing words Astrea's Letter unto Celadon HEavens grant Celadon that those assurances which you have given me of your affection may continue for ever And I do passionately desire you to believe that I do hold you more dear than if you were my Brother and am yours to my very grave These few words of Astrea's caused abundance of misery unto Celadon for after he had many times read them over they did make his wounds to bleed afresh for he recollected into his memory one after one all the favours that ever this Shepheardesse did him which moved him unto so much regreet as had not night approached he had not suffered his eyes to cease from crying or his tongue from complaining against what his heart suffered but darknesse caused him to enter into his Cave and being very weary with walking and grieving he fell asleep Two daies were past before this sad Shepheard ever thought of eating for he was so taken up with sad thoughts and his mind was so full of melancholly as he never thought upon any meat but was so distempered with tears that his eyes seemed two Fountains and had he not feared offending the gods in causing his own death and wore in thereby losing the Idea of his fair Astrea doubtlesse he had ended the course of his life but seeing he was constrained unto it he did visit that bag of victualls which Leonida had furnished him withall which provision lasted him many daies for he did eat as little as possible he could At last he was constrained to have recourse unto roots and fallads All the day long if he saw none neer his solitary habitation he would walk upon the gravelly shore and often engraved the cause of his sorrowes upon the bark of Trees sometimes he would engrave Astrea's Characters and his own then upon a sudden would he deface them saying Thou art deceived Celadon this is not a time for Characters for thou art still constant and to thy grief all things else are changed Let all those testimonies of past happiness alone and if thou wilt needs be writing in Characters engrave with them thy tears thy sorrowes and thy death as most suitable unto thy condition When night came then his sad thoughts came fresher into his memory for darkness being more sit for it his imagination was the stronger nor did he ever retire unless it was night and if the Moon shined he would walk all night long and sometimes sinde himselfe asleep under a tree in the morning Thus this sad Shepheard leading this disconsolate life he was grown so pale and lean that he was not knowable and sometimes when he went unto a Fountain to drink he would wonder to see himselfe in the water his hair was grown all into disorder his eyes shrunk his nose sharp and long so as it was a wonder he should live Oh! had Astrea seen him in this sad condition what abundance of content would it have been unto her to see by undeniable arguments that she was perfectly loved by the most faithfull and compleat Shepheard of all Lignon The Moon had been twice at the full since Celadon escaped out of Galathea's hands and still in obedience to the commands of Astrea he durst not present himselfe unto her but senlked himselfe in his Grotto And though three months were compleatly past since his losse yet the resentments of it were so fresh in the soul of his Shepheardesse that all her prudent circumspection was not able to conceal it from such as had any observance over her It seems heaven as a punishment upon her denyed her that remedy which Time usually affords unto those that are subject unto sorrow for in lieu of allaying the bitternesse of it she did daily discover new occasions and matter for her
match Judge great Nymph if I went not very farre and whether he be not much obliged unto me Cleontine thinking the Match to be advantageous did thank me for my good will unto Celidea then gave me her word that she would use all her endeavours in favour of Calidon but that the young Shepheardesse had a Mother who loved her exceedingly well and shee could not dispose of her without her consent But she would motion it unto her and in the mean time prepare Celidea as wel as possibly she could Thus Madam you see how miserable my fortune was I invented all possible ways to deprive my selfe of the onely good that could render my life pleasing unto me and I did foresee that though I did bring it passe yet I should reap no contentment by it Had I obtained for Calidon that which I did endeavour what could I ever have hoped for in my life Had I not obtained it how should I have grieved for that Shepheard who was asdeaâ— unto me as if he had been my own child This being my condition which I knew not whether to tearm a death or a life one day after I had received Cleontine's answer I went unto Celidea with whom I was not so familiar as formerly My dear and fairest Daughter said I unto her Cleontine has acquainted me with her intention and I conceive that you ought to approve of it Then fearing she should ask me what it was I seemed to have earnest and suddain businesse to do and went away leaving her in a great doubt what it was But I went away with a sad heart for strive what I could against my own will I could not blot her out of my soul and as often as I fancyed Celidea in the armes of another I must confesse that I had not resolution enough to endure the very thought of it Imagine in what condition I should have been if the Marriage had taken effect which truly I did most vigorously endeavour for Calidon's fake Then Cleontine thinking my proposition advantageous for Celidea she took her aside and broke the matter unto her Then before she asked her opinion of it she told her what was heâ—â— and the more to induce her told her how much she was obliged unto me for motioning it unto her That Shepheardesse Madam can best tell you how she started at the motion especially when she heard that it came from me but so it was that she had much ado to conceal her anger in Cleontin's presence yet giving her a very modest answer though it were very far from her thoughts she referred her selfe unto her judgment and the pleasure of her Mother unto whom she was never disobedient In conclusion being resolved to marry a Grave rather then Calidon she came unto me Assoon as ever I saw her I perceived that something did trouble her for her eyes trembled in her head her eye-lids frowning and her colour higher than ordinary But I could not imagine that she should be offended against me nor believe that Cleontine had told her the motion came from me As fortune was I was under a great Elme alone which stood by it selfe almost in the midst of Mount Verdun's plain neer the high way As soon as ever I saw her I did rise up and holding her hand as I was went I was amazed to see her pul back her arme and look upon me with an angry eye Thamires said she how dare you take her hand whom you have given to another Was it not enough and too much that you have abused me as long as ever the innocence of my age could endure it Do you think your selfe so subtle and me so simple that now being past a child I cannot see your cunning perfidie When she saw me stand amazed and did not answer Nay nay Thamires said she never think to deceive me any more by your words nor assurances of amity I am now grown more crafty and I wish to god I had alwaies been so then I should not have now so much reason to complain of you But go ungratefull person and cruell yea I may most justly call you both ungratefull and cruell since you have so ungratefully forgotten the reasons you had to love me and since you have so cruelly abused my innocency by your craft Away ungrateful and cruell man What did you ever finde in me that should give you any occasion to use me thus Was there ever any old enmity between our Parents that you would revenge upon me Did I ever attempt against your life Have I ever spoken against you or any of your friends Did I ever fail in my word or friendship Have you ever found any fault in me that did invite you to cast me off Or do you now think me not wise or rich or fair enough for you If it be to revenge the fault of a Father upon a Daughter me-thinks it should be an act unworthy of Thamires If I did ever attempt against your life why did you not take mine away at a blow but put me into the power of an enemy with whom I should live a dyinglife every minute If I be not fair enough nor so vertuous as to please you good Thamires go and seek out a better But alas why must I as a pennance for a fault in nature be put into the hands of him whom nature it selfe makes me abhor For gods sake leave me in the same liberty you found me when by your craft you began to deceive me and content your selfe with those sorrowes I shall have all my life for not knowing your designe sooner If ever I failed in friendship I must confesse you are just in doing the like But Thamires I beseech you lay it in my dish and tell me wherein I ever failed Ah! most unnaturall Shepheard you are mute and cannot speak a word Is it for the sham for the wrong you have done me or have you any new piece of subtlety against silly Celidea Go go perfidious and disloyall Thamires This act hath put me out of opinion that ever you loved me The knowledge of your tyranny shall keep me for ever from subjecting my selfe unto any man in the world Never think that all you can do shall ever make me Calidon's Death shall be more welcome unto me then the most accomplished Shepheard in all this Country Let the memory of this be a sad stain upon thy soul to eternity And I am confident the just gods will see me revenged In offering to give me unto Calidon you have for ever deprived your selfe of the truest and most faithfull affection that ever was and never hope it will revive unlesse an universall conflagration should set the whole world a fire and so kindle this love in me again Away away there is not a man upon the face of the whole earth but Monsters and Tigers that would devour me Upon this taking from her neck a platted Chain which I gave her as she gave it into my
should not remember the follies of youth and that it is the nature not onely of all those of that age but generally of all men whatsoever to think things that are most forbidden to be most sweet I admire you should forbid me loving her before ever I saw her as if you had a minde to make me love her by the ear before she was seen by the eye What was this but to awaken my desires and to kindle a fire like a Flint which is strucken which before was cold and had no appearance of heate in it But perhaps again you will say that you did allow me to love her in the degree of a Sister and so limit my desires as I should neither offend you nor my selfe you in not constraining me too much and me in not confining me too narrowly but allowing me to keep within your prescribed limits But O great Nymph consider I beseech you what kind of command this was Thamires shewes me a beauty of an infinite lustre allows me converse with her commands me to love her but will not have my love stir one foot beyond his limit nor love her above the quality of a Brother Oh heavens what did he think I was made of Can Love that thinkes the whole universe too narrow a compasse to be confined unto and who disposeth of all our wills according to his pleasure be hemmed up in such strait limits as hee prescribes Will Love be ruled and governed by the will of any but himselfe But what in the name of Heaven does Thamires thinke of me Does hee conceive that I have more power than either Men or Gods or the whole World hath It had been but just to have measured me by himself and if he could have tamed his own affections and passions then might he have had some reason to impose the like task upon me But that hee who had experience of his own strength and of Loves power for him I say to command a thing which he himselfe could not observe whose age and experience had great advantage over my green years this was too much too unreasonable Perhaps again he wil complain that I have not payd him such respect as is due unto a Father that his great indulgency towards me might very well oblige me unto much more than all this Alass alass does he not consider that what I did was done by compulsion and that I had rather dye than fail in any point of duty to him The torments I did endure when I was in the very Arms of death is a sufficient testimony of all this The grave Physician found it by my Pulse and alteration in my complexion Let him consider that such was my respect of him that I chose death rather than I would discover the cause of my Malady If he will blame any he must blame Nature for not giving me power to command my Interior motions as well as my Tongue and exterior actions and parts Alass I would never have received life from him but on condition that Celidea might be mine I doe confesse that never man was more obliged unto another than I am to him I know that never Kinsman received more indulgent kindnesse from another Kinsman nor ever any Child greater testimonies of affection from a Father than I did from Thamires when he resigned Celidea unto me But now at this time since he offers to ravish her from me May I not rightly say that never man received greater injury from another never Cosen more unkindness from a Cosen nor child more tyrannique treatment from a Father than Calidon from Thamires So as now all my former obligations to him are cancelled and changed into so many injuries For Thamires though it is true you had a care of mee in my very cradle though you have brought me up with all indulgent care though you have declared mee your Heir yet for all these if you doe deprive mee of that thing which farre above all the world is most dear unto me and which you your self did give me doe you not give me a death much worse than that which you preserved me from And if I doe not enjoy that which you would ravish from me your estate your education nay my life it self is of no value unto me Consider wise Thamires that to take back a gift by force doth more offend him that did receive it than if being asked it had been denied him and therefore wonder not if I say that this act hath cancelled all my obligations unto you Which to prevent I beseech you joyn with me and own what I shall say unto Celidea on your behalf How is it possible my fair Daughter would I have you say unto her that Calidons extream affection should find no acceptance from you Will all my perswasions and recommendations of him reach no farther than your eares and have no effectual influence upon your soul Have you not often promised that I should have the absolute dispose of you If it be so why doe you not make good your promise Did I ever propose any unto you who was not worthy to be loved Is he whom I doe now motion unto you such a one or unknown to you or without kindred or friends I beleeve there is not a Shepheardesse in all the Country that would not thinke his amity to be advantageous unto her The wise Cleontine thinks it so and so does your Mother though out of an over-fond tendernesse she will not command you any thing against your mind But perhaps you say that Thamires it is you only whom I love and cannot love any other unto you have I wholly given my self you have the absolute power over me and may do any thing with me but giving me unto another The heavens doe know my fair Daughter how pleasing this declaration of yours is unto me and that there is nothing under heaven can be more acceptable unto me But if you doe indeed love me you will endeavour to preserve my honour and love me under the name of Calidon who is my very self and of my very blood As for his soul he loves you as I doe so as there is a sympathy betwixt us And since amongst friends all things are in common so since I love him I have nothing he hath not a share in as well as my self So as if I have any share in your affection as you say I have he must of necessary consequence be a participant with me Doe not complain against me for this and say that I break faith with you and change you for another for I am fully resolved never to love any but you you you onely were the beginning and shall bee the end of my affection But since Destiny forbids me to enjoy you and constrains mee to bequeath you unto another both by the Laws of Duty and Nature I shall think it faire Daughter an infinite contentment to see you his whom I have made choice of whom I
ever I saw you I loved you as if I were forced unto it by some interior power which it was impossible to resist But perhaps said the Shepheardesse when I knew you did love me did I use any art to cherish it or augment it by any fresh favours No said he my affection did beginne without you continue without you and augment without you I mean without your contributing any thing unto it but by being your self But on the contrary the first time you knew it for though I did not discover it by my words yet I knew you did perceive it Oh what harsh treatment did I receive from you And what extreame dislike have you since shewed So as if I be as you say a Monster of Love I am so because it is a thing most monstrous that a Lover should so long preserve his affection maugre so many rigorous affronts and causes of hatred for I may safely say that every one of your actions towards me deserves no other name but of Rigour and Hatred So as it is apparent when you came to visit me in my sicknesse your design was to save my life onely that afterwards you might murder me more cruelly Then Celidea replyed thus You see great and wise Nymph by Calidons own mouth that if hee did love me it was without any contributing to it by me unlesse by being my self and against that what remedy can I invent What would he answer if I should ask him these questions before the Throne of Reason and your self Since Shepheard I never did consent unto any of your addresses why would you have me participate in your own troubles shame and errours Is it not enough that I have all this while endured your importunities without revenge You doe love me you say and because you love me I must love you again But pray hear what Reason saith You have loved Celidea and in loving her you have offended her and what other recompence can you expect from her but hatred The truth is Shepheard that being unwilling to be revenged of you as in reason I might I contented my self with hating you in my very soul and for Thamires his sake I pardoned the rest If you doe object that I doe know of your love by your teares and by your sicknesse Alasse this does not oblige mee one jot the more to love you but rather to hate you more extreamly Tell me Calidon since Thamires hath taken so much care to bring you up in literature and travails in what part of the world have you seen it decent for a young maid as I am to love or suffer her self to be loved If it bee not the custome in any place of the world but where Vice is held for Virtue doe you not infinitely offend in tempting mee to that which is contrary to my duty You love me you say because you cannot chuse but doe so Good friend how am I obliged unto you for doing that which you cannot chuse but do You do excuse your selfe to Thamires for loving me against his will by saying that you are not to blame because you are forced unto it Can you think your self exempt from blame in sinning by compulsion and do you think your selfe worthy of recompence for being forced unto a thing whose contrary deserves a recompence Either confesse your selfe culpable towards Thamires or else cease seeking a recompence for your forced service But if you do love me against my will am I to be punished for it Did I ever entreat you to it did I ever give you any occasion You say No. Will your love be any contentment or advantage unto me Shall I become more fair more vertuous or ever the better by it Oh heavens Calidon where are your wits Are you mad to ask a recompence where a punishment is deserved Or rather what an impudent affront is this before this great Nymph to demand â—â—vour and wages of me in lieu of a pardon and in lieu of repenting for your faults I believe you will say that I should not have flattered you in your errour nor kept you alive when you were sick by giving you good language But Calidon have I not good cause to say you are an ungratefull man and does not acknowledge the good office I did you in misconstruing of it and taking it in another sense then you ought Did a guilty person ever finde or think his Judge too milde or sweet or did any offendor ever complain that in lieu of punishment he received favour and courtesy Because I wished not your death am I blamable for saving your life You accuse me for having pitty upon you and shewing favour instead of revenge and would have me punished for it Judge Madam how his understanding is out of the way and how he takes reason the wrong way But Shepheard neither blame me nor commend me for my act since according to your own argument it was an act forced upon me which ought neither to be recompensed nor punished It was my affection to Thamires who conjured me unto it by all the obliging arguments he could devise which induced me unto it I see Calidon that you do smile that I should say it was my affection unto Thamires which moved me to treat you in that manner because you conceive that she who a little before did declare her selfe such an enemy to Love cannot now well say that Love had such an influence upon her soul But Shepheard you are much mistaken if you think that in being an enemy unto Love I am so also unto Amity and friendship or void of that vertue which makes us think of things as they ought to be I have heard say great Nymph that one may love two manner of wayes the one according to reason the other according to desire That which hath reason for its rule is called vertuous and honest Amity and that which suffers it selfe to be transported with desire Love With the first of these we do love our Parents our Kindred our Friends our Country and both in generall and particular all those in whom any vertue shines As for the other those that are infected with it are transported and distempered as with a frenzy Feavour and do commit so many grosse faults that the name of it is as infamous amongst persons of honour as the other is good and laudable I shall without a blush then confesse that I did love Thamires but withall I must tell you it was for his vertue If Calidon do ask me how I can distinguish and discern between these two kinds of affection since the one does commonly appear in the habit of the other I shall answer him that the wise Cleontine teaching me how to behave my selfe in the world did give me the difference Daughter said she my age hath furnished me with experience in many things and hath taught me that things are the most certainly known by their effects and the better to discern after what manner we
so low as men again The truth is since I have been so ill treated by the man whom I most esteemed it would be extream imprudence in me to put my selfe into his hands again who knew not how to make any better use of me Perhaps Thamires would have me again that he might som other time save the life of some friend or kinsman or else courts me now to keep me against Calidon fall sick again But be assured that my own life is much deerer unto me then his life is unto whom you have given me and therefore I have all the reason in the world to look unto my selfe before any other If I did bestow some tears at thy departure Thamires I will laugh at your return Oh how liberall you are to give away that which is anothers But Oh you heavens how just you are since when you saw me offended by these two Shepheards and knowing my innocency you would vouchsafe to take me into your protection and have revenged my quarrell even by my enemies themselves What displeasure does this perfideous man receive even from him unto whom he hath given me And what torments does this importunate persecutor of my rest receive even from him who gave him all the right he has to pretend unto me What lesse can be expected upon them than divine vengeance And I make no question Madam but you will ratifie the doom of heaven and give sentence on my side Thus Celidea ended and by making an humble reverence unto the Nymph did shew that she had no more to say And therefore Leonida commanded Thamires to give his reasons so as he began thus The Answer of the Shepheard Thamires I Perceive great Nymph it happens to me as unto him that made a sword for one who thrust it into his heart for I that educated this Shepheard and Shepheardesse with as much indulgent care as was possible I that taught them to speak and how to live in the world yet these two do wound me to the very heart and soul so as I have no hopes left but in your favourable judgment It seemes they make me the very Butt of their ingratitude and would have me bear all their own faults but though these aspersions do deeply wound me yet I had rather be the offended then the offending party And truly I am naturally such a deadly hater of ingratitude which is the bane of all humane society that I had rather receive the blow from the hand of another then give it Perhaps by acknowledging the faults which you both have committed you will be ashamed and repent of the wrongs you have done me in requitall of all my indulgency towards you And then all your gilded language which you have employed to my ruine will be a shame unto your selves since I do still love you both and since my affection is yet much above all the injuries you have done me Now my children I doe pardon you and passe by the follies of your youth but then I do expect you should confesse your faults and acknowledge my favours and that you doe confesse a lesse affection than mine could never pardon such ingratitude I perceive Madam that I doe speake unto deafe ears and spend my advice upon stones which hear me not I have hither to applied the most milde medicines to see if sweetnesse would cure them but since Lenitives will not doe Corrosives must and since they continue still obstinate I must pursue them with Fire and Sword These are the most substantial reasons which Calidon hath alleadged You have given Celidea unto me and you are obliged unto it by the confidence which my Father did put in you by the affection which you professed unto me and by your hopes of obliging me And you have offended me much more in offering to take her from me after the gift of her than if you had at the first denyed her unto me This great Nymph is all he hath said with such a huge flourish of words both against mee against himselfe and against reason Ungratefull Shepheard wilt thou thus trample upon my goodness and indulging over thee You say that I did give Celidea unto you and why I beseech you did I give her was it was because I was weary of her or onely to please you No no say you it was only to save my life Well then you must confesse you owe your life unto me and are you not extreamly ungratefull in offering to take his life away that preserved yours If I did give her unto you onely to save your life what wrong is it to aske her againe now your life is saved and you well But haply you will say that though you are recovered yet it was onely in hopes that Celidea should remaine with you what though you have recovered your health since now you are not in any danger Courtesie and discretion teacheth us that when in cases of necessity wee make use of any thing which is our friends we should restore it with the interest of thanks It seems you are very farre from so much courtesie and discretion since when I gave you some hopes of Celideas favour and gave you thereby your life now you are recovered you would take her and them for your own and endeavour by glosing language to cover your ingratitude But Madam perhaps he wil say that if I do take her from him he shall fall into the same danger he was before No great Nymph you see by experience that now he is assured Celidea will never be his he onely grows a little more melancholly but his life is not at all in danger and therefore to save his life being the reason of my act and not the satisfying of his pleasure since his life is saved I may without offence take her back unto my self But admit his life were at the stake would not my life be the same For should I bee deprived of this fair one death would be more certain unto me than life Judge Madam I beseech you whether I ought not to have a greater care of my self than him If he conceive that I ought to yeeld Celidea unto him to save his life because his Father loved mee and recommended him unto me why does he not as well conceive himself obliged to yeeld her unto me since my life is as well concerned and that upon the very same consideration of amity which his Father professed unto me Is it not his duty to have as great a care of my life as I had of his He knows ungrateful man that he is I cannot live if I be denyed her and is he not extreamly ungratefull if he doe deny her unto me Is hee not unworthy the title of Son unto him that hath so much loved him Can he think that because I loved him therefore I am obliged to part from the thing which is most of all the world dear unto me Is he not unworthy the name of Kinsman since he does not value
did court her and that she could not chuse but love him But her Mother who could not upon any termes approve of her behaviour did tell her in a very angry manner That Theombres did not give so many testimonies of his love to her as she of her love to him To which Florice in much disorder answered That Theombres did court her in the way of honour and since his End was only at Marriage she could do no lesse then allow of him If it be so said her Father let him acquaint us with his intentions otherwise we shall think you only invented this thereby to excuse your selfe She who had a very reverentiall respect and fear of her Father and Mother and who besides had ever lived in great reputation did think it expedient that Theombres should make some overtures of Marriage unto her Parents yet not intending to go any further then a meer motion for she hoped that it might be easily broken off Therefore she spoke unto Theombres concerning it who was joyed at it beyond all expressions and not to lose a minute of time he entreated two of his Uncles to make the motion unto Florice's Father and Mother which accordingly they did with so many fair offers as they were received as well as they could desire for he was very rich and an advantageous Match unto Florice which being known and considered by her Parents they would not prolong time but did conclude the Marriage that same day and the more willingly because they believed it agreeable unto the liking of their Daughter Thus is Florice's Marriage with Theombres made up all things agreed upon Writings sealed and nothing wanting but a Priest to Marry them But Oh! what a wonder was all this unto Florice when she heard of it Her Father thinking she would be very glad of it would himselfe be the messenger of the newes But when he told her how all things went though she would have faigned yet she could not but broke out into a deluge of tears at which her Father was much amazed How Daughter said he unto her this is very strange does Florice cry at what she her selfe desired I told you Father said Florice all in tears that Theombres courted me in way of Marriage but I never told you that I did desire it Were not you the cause said the Father which moved Theombres to make the motion It was upon your command replied she and not upon my own desire and I did believe you would have given me some time to consider upon it Come come said he in an angry manner you knew well enough how such businesses use to be carried Resolve with your selfe that since they have gone thus far they shall go on What! would you be further courted and give all the world an occasion to talk of you Would you have further time to make me more ashamed No no Florice content your selfe I have blush'd enough for you already when your friends acquainted me with your behaviour and I will prevent it for the future if I can Upon this he left her alone and went to his Wife who hearing what discourse had passed came to her with all the sharp language which she could invent and for a conclusion told her that nothing but death could hinder that Marriage from taking effect and therefore she must resolve upon it Thus poor Florice was in a worse condition than ever for she had not only lost me whom she loved but was likely to be enjoyed by another whom she loved not but hated worse then a death Imagine in what a wildernesse of thoughts she was and what various combats was in her soul In conclusion she resolved that death should be the remedy against all her restlesse afflictions not that she had so much courage as to kill her selfe for the thought of such a cruelty made her to tremble but because she thought her life was not able to endure so many sad and tormenting miseries But see the strange consequents of Love she did not so much grieve for the losse of me and at her being anothers whom she loved not as to think that I should put a bad construction upon that affection which she expressed unto me For though she was angry at me because of Dorinde yet she did love me and excused me for loving her no more accusing her selfe with the offence which she had committed against me Being thus perplexed and since she could not avoid her Marriage with Theombres she resolved to give her selfe so much satisfaction at the least as to let me know that her minde was not changed and that her affection should for ever be the same as I had found it Her Letter was thus written Florice's Letter unto Hylas WHen you look upon this hand perhaps you will remember that you have seen it heretofore when you loved her that writ it and that now so much offended you Consider how great my affection is unto you since after so great an injury I take pen in hand to let you know the condition she is in whom once you so much loved and who loves you still infinitely above all the world maugre all the injuries you have done me Know that by the rigorous Lawes of Marriage I am now going to be anothers and that there is no other remedy unlesse you will this very houre prevent it Assuring my selfe that my Parents woudl be better pleased with your Alliance then that of Theombres unto whom alas I am destined unlesse you do love me as well as I love you When this Letter was brought unto me I was sorry at those frequent reports of this Marriage and though I was resolved to be wholly Dorinde's yet I could not chuse but resent the losse of Florice for I esteemed her lost in the alliance of Theombres And see the subtlety of Love He knew well enough that to assault me openly was in vain because I was still in mine anger and therefore he would go another way with me First he propounded unto me my hatred of Theombres how undeserving he was of this advantage and how happy he would be in Florice Then he represented unto me the beauty and merits of Florice what pitty it was that such a man should enjoy her and brought into my memory all those favours which I had received from her To be briefe he did so imprint these considerations in my soul that ere I was aware I was more in love with her then with Dorinde so as when her Letter came unto my hands and considering with a sound judgment the beauty the quality and the merits of the Writer I did acknowledge that I had done her wrong in quitting her for another much inferiour and repenting of it I intended to return to her again Truth is when I considered the remedy which she propounded to break off her Marriage with Theombres I knew not what to resolve upon for I hated that fatall Tie of Marriage more then I can expresse
wounded and I could not chuse but cell him that I thought it more necessary to seek out a good Chirurgion to dresse his wounds He answered me we shall finde one presently Halladine never fear it I thought he had said true and believed him following him still with abundance of pitty for he had lost a great abundance of blood At last he came to the banks of the River Garrone and to a place where there was such a Precipice as was a terrour to look down Being come unto this place he would light from his Horse but he was so weak with the losse of so much blood as I must needs help him to alight Then leaning his back against the Rock he pulled a Paper out of his pocket and holding it in his hand said unto me This Letter is directed unto the fair Mandonthe be sure you give it unto her Then pulling out the Ring which he took from Thersander Give her this also said he unto me and assure her from me that death is very welcome to me since I have given a testimony that I did deserve it better then he unto whom she gave it and since my sword hath sent him out of the world whom she thought so worthy of it conjure her by her own merits and the affection she once vowed unto me that she never bestow it hereafter upon one whose Love is dishonourable to her and who could no better keep it I took the Letter and the Ring which he gave me but seeing he had not strength enough to sustain himselfe and that he grew very pale I took him under the arme bad him be of good heart and not thus be a murderer of himselfe And pulling out my handkerchiefe I would have stopped that wound which bled the most But he taking it hastily out of my hand Stay stay Hallidane said he never think of living now I am out of Mandonthe's favour Then holding my handkerchiefe under his wound be received the blood as it ran out and when it was almost full he held it to me and spoke these words Make it appear Halladine upon this last occasion that my love to thee and my choice of thee for thy fidelity was deserved And as soon as I am dead carry this Letter and this Ring unto Madonthe and this handkerchiefe full of blood unto Leriana and tell her that since she could never be satisfied with doing me hurt as long as I lived I have sent her this blood to stop her insatiable malice Oh Sir said I unto him shall I live to see you die for any woman living Rather command me to sheath my sword in their hearts and to let them know they are not worthy to use such a noble Cavalier in this manner But see the height and strength of his affection though he was in such a pittifull weak condition that he could hardly speak all he was able to do was to lean against the Rock yet when he heard me utter these words he started up in fury took his sword in his hand and doubtlesse had killed me had I not saved my selfe by nimblenesse And seeing he could not reach me Away away thou wicked and disloyall Servant cryed he out darest thou speak so irreverently of the most deserving Woman in the whole Universe If I live thou shalT die by no other hand but mine Then finding extream feeblenesse to seize upon him he endeavoured to get near the point of the Rock You do lose this day Oh fairest Madonthe said he him whose affection is onely worthy of your merits Then Oh heavens he leaned over the Rock to throw himselfe down and was almost quite gone when I suddenly took hold of his Helmet but his weight and the terrour of the Precipice was more likely to pull me after him than I to pull him out of it and I must confesse that fear of death made me let go my hold to save my own life I ran to the bottom of this Precipice fetching a great compasse round about in hopes to finde him there swimming down the stream But alas I could never see nor ever finde more of the body of my poor Master When I had done all I could and all in vain I thought it my last duty to fulfill his last commands and therefore I came hither It is to you Madam said he that this Letter and this Ring is dueâ— and though they be sprinkled with his blood yet be not afraid to take them for it is the most noble and generous blood that ever came out of a man And this is thy due said he to Leriana and gave her his handkerchief full of blood take it and glut thy damned rage and be sure that if the gods be just they will shoure vengeance upon thee Upon this word he threw the handkerchiefe at her seet and beginning to cry he went away in a sad and desperate sury and would not give one word more I need not tell you how this message went to my heart I cannot if I would expresse my sad apprehensions I was so quite past my selfe as they carried me to my Chamber and as fortune was I met those that brought Thersander who was not quite dead When I was come to my selfe again and my spirits a little better setled I cast my eye upon the Ring which Halladine brought me I took it to be the same I did ordinarily wear and comparing them together I found no difference but that it was a little newer and bigger I could not imagine why they should be made so just alike nor who gave it unto Thersander At last I read the Letter and found it to be thus written Damon's Letter unto Madonthe MADAM SInce Leriana's malice is more predominant in you than my true affection and hath caused you in lieu of being favourable unto me to cast your eye upon a person who is so much unworthy of you and to confirm your good acceptance of him by the gift of a Ring I am resolved to make it appear by Armes that he upon whom you confer these favours is not able to preserve them against him whom you have so unjustly refused And that if either Valour or affection can merit them none can pretend unto them more then my selfe Yet conceiving my selfe not worthy to live and love one that can disdain me for a man of such mean merit and valour if the fate of Armes do favour me as I do not doubt but they will I promise you that the sight of me shall never make you desire any revenge for taking away from you your dear Thersander if either Sword or Water or Fire can give death to a most miserable man These expressions so full of extream transport did make a most strange wound in my soul such an odd stupification of sorrow seized upon me as I cannot tell you what I either said or did So it was that being got to bed I lost my witts thinking alwaies that Damon followed me and the
against those who had fallen both at once upon Thersander But this stranger had more noble thoughts and would not let that which was blamable in others be any example unto himself Whilst I was in these thoughts Leotaris and his Brother had both mounted themselves who never considering the courtesie they had received fell both at once upon him but they found a stronger arme to deal with then Thersanders I cannot sage Shepheardesses particularize this Combat unto you for my fears were such as I hardly saw it let it suffice I tell you that this stranger shewed such wonderfull strength and valour that Leriana thought him a devill and not a mortall man After they had fought a while I perceived that though he was single yet he had the advantage of them As for Thersander he was so weak as he was not able to rise But this stranger to the wonder of all the spectators did give the Brother of Leotaris such a fatall blow that he struck his head from his shoulders Leotaris seeing this his fury swelled with revenge But the stranger having now to do with no more but him did wound him in so many places that he was so weak with the losse of blood as he fell from his Horse to the ground and falling with his head foremost the weight of his body and his armes broke his neck The stranger alighting from his horse and seeing him dead he went unto Thersander helped him to rise and set him upon one of the Horses of his enemies and then taking his own he addressed himselfe unto the Judges and asked them if he had any more to do And they answering No Then he required that I should be set at liberty which was commanded that very minute Then he came unto me and asked me if he could do me any further service Yes Sir said I unto him in two things the one to conduct me home and rescue me from the tyranny of those who have ravished me from my dearest Mother and the other is that I may know the name of him unto whom I owe both my life and my honour As for my name answered he I shall take it as a favour if you will not force me to make it known And as for waiting upon you unto the place where you desire to be I shall do it so it may be presently Whilst things went thus on my side in this place the gods did evidence that they never forsake the innocent for it hapned that my poor Nurse having not so much courage as to see me die and thinking it impossible that Thersander could maintain it out against two such Cavaliers she stayed in my Chamber crying and making most lamentable moan Ormanthe who had received all the courtesies she could desire both from her and me was exceedingly moved at it and being very simple without any subtlety she could not chuse but tell her how her Aunt alwaies assured her that I should not die but only desired that I should be beholding unto her for my life to the end I should be a better friend unto her Ah! sweetheart said the Nurse it is most certain our Mistresse must die if Thersander be overcome the King himselfe according to the Lawes cannot save her Alas alas said Ormanthe shall my Lady be burned Nay nay said my Nurse it is too sure Ah me most miserable wretch that I am replyed the Wench how can I ever expect that the gods will pardon me for her death Why said my Nurse are you any waies guilty of her death Oh Mother said Ormanthe if you will promise me to tell no body I will tell you a strange accident And my Nurse promising secresie she told her that it was she who had the Child and told her all that I have related unto you Sweetheart sweetheart said my Nurse presently let us go presently and save her life believe it the gods will be well pleased with it and moreover I will undertake you shall have what you will of my Lady Thus was the truth discovered The Wench followed my Nurse who to be briefe addressed herselfe to the Queen and acquainted her with the whole businesse whilst the stranger was talking unto me The wickednesse of Leriana being thus discovered both by Armes and the confession of this Wench the King commanded she should be burned in the same fire that was prepared for me though she did inveigh against her Niece saying That my Nurse had suborned her and that she was not of age to be a competent Witnesse especially against her above all others because she had chid and chastized her for these vices But all these allegations were invalid the truth was evident enough by the particulars and circumstances which this Wench did speak of and by the report of the Midwife who confessed that she never saw her face Every one began to clap their hands and the people seeing the villany of Leriana began to throw stones at her The King commanded justice should be executed and she seeing her selfe ready to be throwne into the fire being much moved at the memory of all her wickednesse she confessed the truth she desired audience declared all her wicked practices asked me pardon and then voluntarily threw her selfe into the fire where she ended her daies to the contentment of all those who heard of her wicked and malicious waies Whilst these things were thus in agitation the Cavalier who had delivered me desiring not to be known as it is thought retired himselfe and none took notice which way and I not finding him was extreamly grieved he should depart with so few thanks for what he had done I used all the means I possibly could to hear of him but after all enquiry all I could hear was the next morning from a Country man who met him and whom he desired to come unto me from him and let me know that had he not been urged by extream importancy he would have stayed longer and waited upon me whither I had commanded him but he had promised some assistance to a Lady who lived towards the Town of Gergovia and that if I had any more service to command him I might hear of him at the Golden Mount and that he might be known he would not change the Device which was upon his Shield Then asking the man what it was because I was so astonished the day before that I took no notice of it He told me that it was a Tiger feeding upon the Heart of an Human body with this Motto Thou givest me a Death and I maintain thy Life Now discreet Shepheardesses to abridge my story it was ordered that I should be free from the Guardianship of Leontidas because his Wife had begged my Estate and be set clearly at liberty The poor silly Ormanthe since she was only seduced by the subtlety of her Aunt she was shut up in one of those houses designed for such punishments where the women there do live very well only they must
the Nymph after she had heard him with admiration that Celadon does love if to love be to be out of his wits and to live only upon bare thoughts Alas I cannot chuse but think his condition extreamly miserable in finding such contentments in such vain imaginations and Chimeraes and I am so far from thinking them felicities as my opinion of the contrary is much fortified But Shepheard let us leave this discourse since I see it will do you no good and tell me how you have lived since I left you Wise Nymph answered Celadon as I have lived since you met me so have I lived since I parted from you for as soon as ever I left you I shut my selfe up in this place expecting untill either Love or Death released me But why Celadon said she do you not go unto your own Town where your friends and kindred do so much grieve for you Astrea said he who has a far greater power over me than either any Parents or friends hath forbidden me ever to see her untill she command and therefore as I told you I have shut my selfe up in this Cell untill either Love or Death release me But if my adored Shepheardesse had commanded me never to see her again doubtlesse I had shut my selfe up in my grave with death And as soon as I came to my selfe again after my fall into the River I knew that Lignon would not give me a death because she did not peremptorily command it but remembering her words and that her banishment of me was not for ever only untill she commanded me to return I have lived in this manner as you see expecting till Love recall me as it seemes she hath promised or else untill death do it for her which shall be welcome unto me in this life which I live But poor deceived shepheard replyed the Nymph how can you ever hope she should recall you as long as she is ignorant where you are Love answered he which conducted me hither knowes the place well enough where I am and does daily visit me and since it is by it that I do hope she will recall me there is no doubt but it will without me let her know the place unto which it hath conducted me If your imaginations replyed the Nymph had an influence upon others as they have upon your selfe all this you say might perhaps be but believe it shepheard the gods will never help those who will not help themselves and do not think that I speak without good reason for I am very certain that if Astrea did know you were alive she would passionately desire your company How fair Nymph said he presently do you know that I know it said she by that sadnesse which sits in her face Perhaps said the shepheard that proceeds from some other cause But where have you seen her since we parted I shall be very glad said she to entertain you with a discourse upon this subject and to relate unto you all that hath hapned since we parted so I can but by it cheer you a little up and rouse you out of this dull kinde of life Believe it said Celadon that the sight of you does bring me more content then any thing in the world could except Astrea and since I am deprived of her your discourse will be very pleasing unto me Then Leonida began thus The History of Galathea SInce Celadon you do desire to know how I have lived since I parted from you which is some fifteen or sixteen daies since I will very willingly make a relation of it unto you upon a condition that if you be weary with the length of the discourse we may break it off and finish it another time when any convenient opportunity shall present it selfe Know therefore that in my return from conducting you I came into the Palace of Issoures at the same time when Amasis was taking Coach to go unto Marcelies and carrying Galathea with her because being desirous to render thanks unto Hesius for the happy successe of her Son Clidaman which he had in the Battle against the Neustrians she would by all means have Galathea with her purposely to render the solemnity more celebrated And because retardment in such actions as these does in some sort resemble oblivion and oblivion ingratitude she departed so soon that she scarcely gave the Nymph time to tell us what we should do with you and though she was extreamly troubled at it yet she durst not let it appear lest Amasis should take notice of it who alwaies held her by the hand not out of any suspition but only the more to carrasse her she being thus constrained to go with her into the Coach all that she could do was to say thus unto me You Silvia and Lucinde come after us in my Coach and follow us with all the haste you can I made a low reverence and shewed by my actions that I did understand what she said but I did not intend to obey her because my aimes were only upon you And though I did well enough foresee her anger yet I preferred the good office which I intended to you above it chusing rather to fail in my duty to that Nymph then in my affection to you However faigning as if my going out were in obedience to my Uncle I met Silvia who was in quest of me and I told her how you was escaped whilst none took any notice of you But I was never in all my life so surprised as when in my return from you I met Amasis and Galathea as they were taking Coach for I had been utterly undone if they had spied me out of the dores But I did addresse my selfe unto my Uncle and Silvia Father said I unto him and smiled and you my dear Companion you must needs both of you help me out in this businesse Daughter answered Adamas never fear any blame for what you have done as long as it is but what you ought to do nor ever grieve upon such occasions the gods upon whom all events depend are so just as they will ever bear you out and if at any time the contrary seem to happen take speciall notice Daughter that it is to redouble the contentment and as if they hapned only to augment your joyes And because it is very expedient you endeavour to preserve your selfe in the favour of your Mistresse Silvia shall testifie that you did not any thing but what she knowes of very well and to make the matter more easie for you I am contented that you shall both of you have some suspition of me for I shall not be sorry that he should think that I do hate any thing which is contrary unto vertue and I would permit you to charge me down-right with the act but that it is necessary I should be something in her esteem only to draw her off from those foolish and false imaginations which Climanthes hath infused into her With such discourse as
the ceremonies the tears and discourse of every one and particularly of Astrea and that you may give credit unto what I say said the Nymph let us go and see Celadon's Tombe for it is so neer this place that perhaps you heard the voices of the Druides Daughters and the Priest You tell me such stories said Celadon that I should hardly believe them had they come from the mouth of any other I would not have you replyed the Nymph give more credit unto me then to the veryest stranger in the world but come and believe your own eyes Upon this the Druide and Leonida got him out of his Cave and conducted him into the Wood where his empty Tombe was erected Oh! how astonished he was and how presently he began to read that Inscription which Silvander had set upon it and having read it three or foure times over I must needs confesse said he that you told me truth But having received so great a contentment would it not be want of love if I should have any desire since I must not see her Doubtlesse said Adamas if you should live a Recluse and never see her it would argue want of courage and love in you Want of Love answered the shepheard presently Ah no I confesse it might argue want of courage which upon this occasion might fail me because I have such abundance of Love I should believe answered Adamas that you do not love Astrea if knowing that she loves you and you may see her you absent your selfe from her presence Love answered the shepheard commands me to obey her and since she hath commanded me not to see her do you call it want of love if I observe her commandment When she laid that command upon you said the Druide she did hate you but now she loves you and grieves for you not only as absent but as dead Be it as it will answered Celadon she Commanded me and be it as it will I will Obey her Yet replyed Adamas as perfect an observer as you are of her commands you have already disobeyed since you have seen her and were present before her eyes She did not forbid me said Celadon from seeing her but only not to come in her sight and how could she see me when she was asleep Since it is so said the Druide I will finde out a way that you shall see her every day if you please and she shall not see you I conceive that said Celadon to be very difficult for she must either be asleep or else I must be close hid in some place No replyed the Druide for more then that you may speak to her also if you please This cannot be replyed the shepheard unlesse I be in a very dark place You shall said Adamas be in the open light and see her if you have but courage or if Love have the power to make you attempt it Do not think Father answered Celadon that there shall be either want of love or courage in me provided I do not disobey her commands Now see said the Druide how I do intend to contrive it It is the goodnesse of the great Tautates to give me a Daughter whom I deerly love above my own life This Daughter according to the rigour of our Lawes is educated amongst the Druides Daughters in the Monosteries of Carnutes it will be above the expiration of eight long years before I can have any hopes of her comming out Perhaps you may remember how I told you how there is a great resemblance betwixt you and her both in age and face Now I do intend to give it out that she has been sick and upon such an occasion the antient Druides will allow her to retire untill such time as she be able to officiate in the necessary Exercises A few daies after you shall assume her habit and I will receive you into my house under the notion and name of my Daughter Alexis And it is very requisite to give out that she is sick for your way of living these last two Months hath so altered your face and taken away that fresh colour which was wont to be in your cheeks as any that sees you would be deceived And though the resemblance which is betwixt you be not so great but that when you are both together a great difference may be found it is no matter for it is so long since any in this Country saw her that though the resemblance were lesse yet when they hear me call you Daughter they will certainly take you for her I see nothing in all this but one inconvenience which is that every year we all use to assemble our selves at Dreux a place so neer the Carnutan-Monastery that the Druides and Priests may come to discover that my Daughter is not gone from thence But this shall be no stop for it will be two months before these Druides do assemble and they must stay there two months more and god knowes whether before that time you may not have changed your habit and life Now Celadon consider whether all this be not very feasable Ah! Father said Celadon after he had a while thought upon it do you think that Astrea by this means will not see me Do you think andswered the Druide that she can see you when she does not know you How can she know you when you are in such a habit But Father replyed Celadon let me be habited as you will I shall be still Celadon in reality so as I shall thereby disobey her That you are still Celadon is true answered Adamas but still you do not by this disobey her command For she has not forbidden you to be Celadon but only that she shall not see this Celadon Now when she sees you she does not see Celadon but Alexis And for a conclusion of all if she do not know you you do not offend her and though she should know you and be angry and command you to die yet were not such an end better then to languish to death in this manner This Father said the shepheard is a good reason and I will ground upon it therefore Father I will put my selfe my life and my contentment all into your hands dispose of me therefore as you please Thus did Adamas work upon the obstinacy of Celadon and to the end he should not change his minde he returned that very houre to take order for what was necessary and especially to spread abroad a report that his Daughter was sick and was to return home For it was the custome of Druides Daughters when they were sick to come out of their Monasteries and if their Parents were negligent the Ancients of the Monastery would send unto them for they held it as a great misfortune if any dyed there Therefore he gave out that the Antients had sent unto him that his Daughter was to come home and that he expected her every day Adamas and Leonida were very busie in providing all things necessary for
live how can I endure so many torments And if I dye alas I shall never see her again Into what a miserable condition has my fate hurryed me Since I cannot be happy either in life nor death Oh most miserable Ursaces said he how long wilt thou suffer thy selfe to be thus flattered by vaine hopes Why should they let thee passe away thy dayes in such cruell torments And how canst thou preserve a life that is so unworthy of thy actions and thy corrage Thou that hast a heart so daring as to lift thy eyes so high as Caesars wife thou that hadst so much corrage as to revenge thy love and embrue thy hands in the blood of both art thou now growne so faintly timerous as to live and see the deare Eudoxe in the hands of a Vandall who has carried her into the heart of Affrica and perhaps has a designe upon her chastity Oh heavens how canst thou suffer such a beauty who deserves all adoration to be so unworthily used and made the prey of a cruell Barbarian Canst thou endure that so divine a beauty should run the most miserable fortune that ever humane did Thou hast seen it Ursaces thou hast seen it with thy owne eyes and yet thou art alive Thou art still the same Roman Ursaces who loved this divine Eudoxe And thou hast revenged and delivered the Empire and the faire one from the Tyranny of Maximus Oh Die Die for shame man Let thy sword do that which griefe will not and by that Signall act wash away the dishonour of surviving the liberty of Eudoxe Thus passionately did this stranger expresse himselfe and being transported with fury he drew a short sword which hung by his side and doubtlesse had run himselfe to the heart if a companion of his had not run in and taken hold of his arme just as he was ready to give the mortall thrust but in saving the life of his friend his hand was very dangerously cut For Ursaces perceiving himselfe seized upon and his mind being prepossessed with the thought of death he made his thrust and gave his friend a very great wound So as this friend not being able to hold him with that hand and fearing he should execute his cruell designe he fell upon him saying Ursaces shall never die as long as Olimbres lives A brave resolution of a friend At the name of Olimbres I saw the other man who was before so passionatly transported presently come to himselfe and as if he had got a fall from the top of a high precipice was astonished at the coming of the other Friend said he what Daemon did conduct you to this unfrequented place to hinder me from following my adored Eudoxe For follow her I will either with Ursaces or with his Ghost Ursaces said he unto him the Gods who are preservers of friendship and no ill Daemon have prompted me to seeke you this three dayes not to hinder you from following Eudoxe if it be your contentment but to accompany you for my friendship would not allow me to let you make that voyage alone And therefore if you will needs execute your designe first thrust that sword in thy hand into the heart of thy friend and afterward when it is red and reeking with my blood execute thy designe or do what thou wilt Ah Olimbres said he this request is incompatible with our friendship Can you think my hand has any power to hurt Ursaces's friend Think me not so cruell as ever to consent unto the death of him whose life was ever deerer to me then my own But if you have any compassion upon my misery I conjure you by our pure friendship to let me go out of this miserable life Can you think said Olimbres that I will not immediatly follow you Have I not courage enough to take away my life that I may follow yours wel as you follow Eudoxe Do you think Death to be good or bad If it be bad why wil you give it unto him whom Olimbres your friend loves deerer then himselfe If it be good why will you not let Olimbres whom you love be a partaker with you Oh no answered Ursaces Olimbres shall live to eternity before he die by the hand of Ursaces â—blâ— it will be a great testimony of friendship to let me execute my designe which only can wipe off my shame in surviving my happinesse In saying these words he endeavoured to draw out his arme which his friend had engaged under his body Which I perceiving and fearing that he who was wounded had not strength to hinder him I went gently up to them and taking the hand of Ursaces I forced open his fingers and seized upon his sword And Olimbres's striving had caused him to lose much blood He presently perceived himselfe to faint and apprehending that the losse of his blood was the cause he arose from off his Companion and shewed him his hand Friend said he unto him I am ready to wait upon you to Eudoxe and if you will die I shall think my selfe happy to follow you Then presently he fainted and fell into his friends bosome Ursaces fearing the losse of him he left off all thoughts of killing himselfe to help his friend and running unto a Fountain which was close by he brought some water in his hat to throw in his face In the mean time I knowing that his disease proceeded from losse of blood I took a little mosse for want of a better remedy and applying it to the wound I tyed it up with my handkerchiefe and had not done when Ursaces returned who sprinkling the face of his friend with told water and calling upon him with a loud voice by his name he brought him to himselfe again When he opened his eyes Alas friend said he why did you call me Let my soule go contentedly out of the world and let it attend you wheresoever you go Have this beliefe I beseech you that she cannot close up her daies more happily then by your hand and in doing you service Olimbres said Ursaces if you do depart to follow me I must go before you and therefore never think that my hand shall make any passage for your soul untill it hath with the same sword sent mine out of this miserable habitation Upon this he looked about for the sword which I had taken away Which I perceiving Do not think Ursaces said I unto him to execute your cruell determination with this sword heaven hath sent me hither to tell you that there is nothing in this world so desperate which it cannot remit unto its former condition when it pleaseth and hath also sent me to hinder you from making any attempts upon the life either of your selfe or your friend for your life is his not yours But if you do attempt any thing against your life I tell you from the great god that in lieu of following this Eudoxe which you do so passionately desire he will lead your soul into
the justice of the gods after your death The gods said she can inflict no more paine then I suffer in my life For there are not more cruell torments then those I endure Yet not withstanding do not thinke me so ill an observer of what I have promised you may remember my vow was to observe the Nymphs judgement as long as I lived well said she do you not disobey it by these expressions unto me No answered he for do you not perceive that I have been dying ever since that doome was pronounced For life is not to live but to live well Now ever since that fatall moment I have beene so far from living well as I have not onely lost my happynesse but all my hopes of it If you call languishing a life I say againe let the Sacred Misleto be never Salubrious unto me When no hopes are left let life go whither it will for nothing can do me good since you are gone If the gods will but heare the prayers of a most desolate man I shall soone die What advantage can you hope for said she in dying From it said he I expect all my felicity for none is to be hop't for here since I cannot love you unlesse I offend the gods or you whom I do feare But most cruell shepheardesse what was your designe in coming unto me Was it to tryumph once more over poore Calidon or are you like those merry minded people who when they have killed a poore miserable Innocent that never did them harm they come to see how great the wounds are which they gave him That sad shepheard said she was not the cause which invited me hither but it was to trye if I could divert you from your sad thoughts so as if I could without offence to the will of the gods I would give you some consolation How said he presently does it not suffice you that I dyâ— by the cruell hand of fate and by the injustice of men which has taken from me all that I can call life but you must also add a vaine compassion which you seeme to have of me onely to make me die with more griefe Would you have me think you pitty me Nay nay never talke to me of any pitty or health or remedy or any hope for I am as incapable of any good as you are of will to do it It was now late so as the Ball being ended Celidea according to Nuptiall customes was conducted to bed and afterwards Thamires unto her Calidon he went both out of the chamber and the house and by fortune did lye downe under some great Elmes by the way side neere unto the house Where after he had a while considered the happinesse of Thamires and then his owne sad fate his heart so failed him as he fell into a swound and continued in it till Cleontine and her company coming out of the house found him lying all along as if he were asleep But offering to wake him and seeing he did not stirre Cleontine herselfe tooke his hand which finding to be very cold because all the naturall heat of the outward parts was retired to the heart she cryed out Oh Calidon is dead Many that heard her voyce did run unto her So as when they saw him in that condition the cry was so loud as it caused all the neighborhood to resort thither many ran into the house still crying out aloud Calidon was dead Calidon was dead In so much as Thamires heard the noise and hearing nothing named but Calidon and Death he doubted some disastrous accident Therefore leaping out of bed he run to the dore to call some of the house and at last was told that Calidon was dead Thamires loved him as dearely as if he had been his owne Sonne So as at this sad newes he fell down the staires to the bottom his servants tooke him him up and carryed him to his bed his pulse failed and he by degrees grew so cold as if he had not been well looked unto he had been in as bad a condition as Calidon but the application of good remedies together with Celidea's care did do him much good Whosoever had seen this faire and young Bride thus all undrest washing the face of her brid-groome with her teares and had not been mooved unto pitty doubtlesse his heart was made of Marble The loosenesse of her garments together with the negligent care of herselfe added much unto her beauty She having recovered him unto his senses did bathe her kisses in a flood of teares But the poor shepheard being unsensible of any passion but sorrow of his friends losse did faintly receive her kisses and pushed her away with his hand as if he did not care for them he would hardly look upon her onely still asked what newes of Calidon but hearing none that was good I see said he that as he dyed for the contentment which I have so I must dye for the griefe which he had Then rising up in a fury halfe naked he run to the place where poore Calidon lay along as if he were absolutly dead Every one gave place unto him as well out of respect as compassion at his greife which doubtlesse was very great since he had left Celedea and disdained that happinesse which he had so long and so zealously desired When he saw Calidon thinking him to be dead he fell upon him but so unfortunately as he hit his forehead against a sharp stone on which they had laid the head of Calidon his face was immediately all blood and there he remained in a swound Those that were about them did heare the blow which Thamires had and had an opinion that he was hurt But did not think he was hurt so much as he was Had they not observed him so long without either motion or speech they had taken notice of it too late Now cryes began againe a fresh and the clamours of all those who beheld this lamentable spectacle grew very loud Judge what horror this was unto Colidea when she saw her Husband and his Nephew lie together like dead men By fortune as they carried Calidon in a chair into his Chamber he revived Then seeing so many people about him and all smeered with the blood of Thamires he knew not what to think but that he was in a dream When he saw them carrying his Uncle who was yet senslesse with a great wound in his head he imagined that some body had wounded him therefore transported with rage he rose up and asked who was the murderer He took up a stone and held up his arme as ready to throw it at him who had done the the homicide But when he heard how it was How said he am I my selfe the murderer Is not revenge as well due to me as to another nay more since there was more obligations upon me Upon this he lifted up his arme intending to knock himselfe in the head with the stone but he was prevented by
friends who held his arme took away the stone and never let him go till he was better setled in his reason In the mean time Thamires by reason of the loud clamours and the good remedies which were applyed unto him he was no sooner dressed and put into bed but he came out of his swound When his eyes were open and he could speak the first word was the name of Calidon asking where his body was Calidon answered one is much better then you are How said he is not Calidon dead Oh my friends I pray do not mock me He is alive said another and if you will not fall into a swound again when you see him we will bring him hither very well recovered Oh god said Thamires if this be so use all your best remedies to cure me also Upon this he offered to rise but the Chirurgions would not suffer him Now because Calidon was as impatient to see Thamires it was thought requisite for the setlement of their spirits to let them see each other though they feared it would cause the wound of Thamires to bleed afresh but conceiving this inconveniency would be lesse then that which might arise by restraining them they brought Calidon to the Chamber who seeing Thamires in that condition and having heard all the passages he kneeled down before him and asked him pardon for the griefe and pain which he had put him unto Excuse good Father said he unto him the little power that I had to command my selfe I come to aske you pardon upon my knees and beseech you to believe that I will never rest till I have given satisfaction for my fault Son said Thamires rise up and let me embrace thee Had I thought that Celidea would have ever been thine she should never have been mine My greatest griefe is now that heretofore there was one impediment unto thy desires and now there is two The first is her will which was ever so averse unto thee that she would never consent to be thine The other is the Marriage of her and me Could her will change as well as I could remedy the last of these impediments believe it Calidon my death should be welcome to me so I could thereby render thee contentment Calidon would have answered but he could not because Thamires at the same time addressed his speech unto Celidea And you Celidea said he who sees how extreamly Calidon does love you is it possible you should not change your will and affect him Cannot his affection his merits and my prayers obtain so much from you Was Celidea born to kill both Calidon and Thamires both with love and sorrow Celidea all in tears would have answered but Calidon prevented her Father said he the ordinance of heaven and the will of this fair One must be as it is Tautates knowes what is fit better then we our selves There is no reason that two persons who merit all manner of good fortune as Thamires and Celidea do should change their fortune for my most miserable sake For my part I do vow and cal heaven and earth to witness that I wil never whilst I breathe contradict the judgment which the heavens have given by the mouth of the Nymph What then said Thamires do all these tears these complaints and these swoonings signifie They are testimonies answered Calidon that I am but a man As good Chirurgions will not take their hand from the wound though the Patient complain and cry so you ought not to cease from that good work which it hath pleased Tautates to ordain I desire no other favour but leave to complain and to cry out when the pain torments me Nay nay said Celidea in a very violent and passionate manner let neither of you put your selves unto that trouble the great god Tharamis will secretly inspire me with a means how to set both your hearts at rest It is not reasonable that all your prayers and demonstrations should any longer be without producing some effects but withall the will of Tautates must be done nor must the good opinion I had of you from my very cradle shew out no sparks of will towards you And you Calidon it is not fit you should consume away your life in this manner No no live both of you contentedly give me only leave to think upon it foure or five daies and you shall see how heaven will direct me unto means to ease you both of your sorrowes Upon this she entreated Thamires he would be pleased to excuse her from lying with him for foure or five nights to the end she might the better contrive the way how to accomplish her designe Thamires who begun to be sensible of the smart which his wounds caused who would have consented unto his own death to save the life of Calidon he did freely grant her request Then after some other discourse upon this subject the Chirurgions seeing that the hopes which Celidea had put them into would conduce unto their rest and consequently unto their recovery they advised all the company to withdraw Calidon caused a bed to be brought into the Chamber of Thamires because he would not leave him On the other side Thamires was so pleased with the expressions of his Nephew's affection to him as he much desired to have him alwaies with him Celidea was the most perplexed of any for she would not impart her determination unto any one lest she should be prevented in her designe though she did not yet know how to effect it Her designe was much different from the humours of all women whatsoever for knowing that it was the beauty of her face which was the cause of the passionate love both in Thamires and his Nephew also considering that it only was the cause of the divorce betwixt them she resolved to make it so ugly for the future as that they should hereafter grow as cold at her deformity as heretofore they were enflamed at her beauty hoping by this means to bring Calidon to his senses again and to give satisfaction unto the world that she never consented unto these follies After she had long thought upon the way and not liking the way of a knife by reason of the blood and cruelty unto which her courage could not consent at last she addressed her selfe unto her Nurses Mother whom taking aside she let her understand that she had a most deadly hatred unto a shepheardesse her neighbour who had infinitely wronged her that she was fully resolved upon revenge that her hatred went not so far as death but only desired a revenge upon her face as upon the thing which she most valued In order to this she desired her to acquaint her with some Plant or other Receipt which would so mar the face of this Maid as it should never recover its beauty again The good woman who loved Celidea very well did very discreetly answer That any such cruell desires of revenge was unhandsome and did not become her That if the other had
Forces of the Emperour as much as possibly he could that when opportunity served he might the more easily seize upon him At that time all the world looked at Rome with an envious eye and made it the butt of their Armes The Goths the Fruncks and Burgundians in Gaul the Vandats and Almaines in Spain the Anglois and the Picts in Britany the Hunnes and the Gipides in Pannonia To be briefe every part of the whole Empire was so divided as no part was entire but Italy It fortuned that Alarick King of the Goths would not suffer it to enjoy more tranquillity then Its neighbours of the West and therefore fell into it with such a vast number of People as it was impossible for Honorius to resist him insomuch as to get him out again he was advised to make a Peace with him upon what termes soever he could get unto which he being of ho Warlick disposition but above all things loving tranquillity he lent a willing ear Peace then being propounded it was so prudently managed that Alarick consented to retire beyond the Alpes into some Provinces which were assigned him by the Emperour At which Stilicon being malecontent as thinking this agreement prejudiciall to his designes he so tampered with an Officer then in pay under the Emperour that he procured him to charge some of Alarick's Forces as they were marching away without any mistrust At which Alarick was so incensed against Honorius that he returned to Rome besieged it and at the end of two years took it and entirely sacked it Although Honorius to make it appear that he never consented unto this perfidie did put the Traitor Stilicon to death as soon as ever he heard that he was the author of it Thus this ambitious man came to a miserable end but not before he had put all Italy into a most miserable flame For Alarick after he had plundered and burned this great City and not yet loadned with spil he pillaged all the Country about it and laid it so sadly waste as would have moved any Barbarian unto pitty But that which was most deplorable besides the ruine of so many Temples and the losse of so many rarities with which the Emperours had erected and adorned this City was the miserable fortune which befell this wise Princesse who through the carelessenesse of a Brother was destitute of all succour She who by extraction was Daughter unto the Cesars and Sister unto two Emperours was through the fault of another a Captive in the hands of these Barbarians her Country burned the Temples prophaned and she in danger to lose her life or that which was more deer unto her had not Ataulfus a Prince of Alarick's blood been taken with her beauty and vertue and thought her worthy to be his Wife But this Prince seeing her so fair and so wise and knowing her to be Daughter to the great Theodosius he fell so passionately in love with her that he courted her in Marriage and presently after by Alaricks consent did marry her You may imagine what force this wise Princesse did use upon her selfe before she consented unto this Marriage and Alliance and how prudent she had need to be in behaving her selfe amongst such a rude and barbarous people so wisely as she did god did in this make it appear that he had pitty upon miserable Rome for had it not been for this Alliance it had been utterly ruined for ever For it so fel out that Alarick dyed at Corsienses and the Prince Ataulfus was by the common voice of the Army chosen King If you look upon that Piece next unto Placidias you will imagine him to be a sterne and salvage person more delighted in blood and war then peace and he had no sooner gotten the absolute power but he went to Rome with a designe to burne and utterly demolish it thinking that as long as the Walls of this Town stood there would be still a Roman Emperour which name was so odious unto him that he would absolutely destroy the very memory of it When this prudent Princesse understood his intention she was resolved to do all that possibly she could to prevent him the utter ruine of her Country wounding her to the very soul At the first she shewed her selfe swelled with abundance of griefe and sorrow tears did abundantly flow from her fair eyes she refused her rest and meat and never ceased tormenting her selfe but when Ataulfus was by her and then she constrained her selfe to put as good a face upon it as she could This Prince who loved her so well as to marry her could not long endure to see her live thus but he must needs aske her the cause of her discontents unto which she made this answer I have done all that I possibly could O great King to hide my excessive sorrowes from you fearing I should but the more vex and trouble you with them but since nature will not permit me to conceal the sadnesse of my soul any longer and since the goodnesse of Ataulfus unto the wretched Placidia is such as to ask me I do most humbly beseech you take it not ill if I shed my tears in lieu of my blood for my Country's sad desolation and if to stop the ruine of it I could effect it I would much more willingly shed my blood then my tears My Country Oh great Sir my native Country that gave me breath it bleeds and it is ready to bleed to death and can you think I would not most willingly part with my life to stop the wounds ' Alas it would be better imployed that way then in your service Since you are pleased to do me so great a favour as to aske me the cause of my sorrowes I beseech you give me leave in all humility to aske you What advantage will the ruine of Rome and all Italy be unto you Does the riches and the treasures of it invite you to it Surely those are things too low and unworthy of your high courage besides those are things that cannot be expected out of an already ruined and plundered Country or a demolished and halfe burned Towne which hath been already ravaged by a vast Army Is it any glory that you expect to get by it I cannot believe it for what glory can be added unto that which you have already or what hopes is there to get in ruining those Walls which are already demolished in massacring a naked and disarmed people who cannot be brought into greater submission then they are If it be a shame to wound a dying man what honour can you expect in giving fresh wounds unto a dying people If you think to strengthen your Dominion by it be pleased Oh great Sir to let me tell you that it would be most horrid cruelty to do it by exterminating all the people of Italy Should you put them all to the sword you would be in lesse security then you are for you would thereby incense and raise against
having no suspition of me so handsomely did we carry the matter and so discreet and faithfull was Isidore unto her Mistresse that Maximus permitted her So she came to see me and leaving all her followers at the dore she brought with her none but the little Princesse Placidia knowing that Olimbres would so entertaine her in discourse as she would not mind what she said She came to my beds side and sitting downe offered to speake but could not At last seeing teares flowe from mine eyes and that I was not able to utter one word she turned herselfe so that none should observe our griefe Thus silently we sat along while and spoke not one word At last having tooke a little courage I spoke these words For ought I see Madam there is none losers by the bargain but Valentinian and Ursaces He in losing his life his Empire and his wife and I the favour of the faire Eudoxe But alas his losse is nothing unto mine for being dead he has lost all sensibility of misery and I that am alive can onely be called miserable because I do resent my misery She answered me first with her teares which she could not restraine and then by her words Will you my Cavalier help to augment my griefe and in lieu of giving me some comfort and pitty will you by your reproaches make me more miserable But it is well done I am contented to be killed since I see Ursaces does not love me Oh heavens cryed I as loud as I could being offended at her words and sorry I had cryed so loud for two or three came running to me to know what I ayled to whom I answered that my wounds pained but the paine was gone and when they were gone also I began to speake againe How Madam Does not Ursaces love you Can you say it and not blush are you not afraid the heavens will punish you for the wrong you do me Ursaces not love you Madam how long have you knowne him changed was it before Valentinian dyed No you have writ the contrary Was it since his death No surely you cannot chuse but remember my vowes and promise But perhaps it is since the wrong you have done me in giving your selfe unto this cruell Tyrant If so t is time indeed to change my miserable life for a happy death but you may thank Olimbres that I live for he onely has hindred me from dying But since I live you may be certaine that you shall live no longer then till I recover so much strength as to take a life away though you do not love me yet you might well have rendred me some testimony of pitty But what pitty or compassion can I expect from the wife of a Tyrant how can I ever think you any thing but a peece of ingratitude if you would live and enjoy your tyranicall husband do you your selfe reach me my sword that you may save your own life and his and see that it is not want of will but strength that keeps me alive She not being able to endure I should continue any longer coming neerer answered me thus In saying that Valentinian and you are the only losers you might very wel have put me into the number for since you do not love me my loss is the greatest of all Did I not feare our discourse would be observed I would say more and sweare that I love none but you and beseech you to beleeve that as you are kept alive by force so revenge keeps me for I do not take this Maximus either for husband or Emperour but for the most cruell Tyrant that ever was in Rome Were it not in desire and hopes of this revenge I would not live a minute and see you thus wounded But heaven which is just does promise me revenge for the blood of Valentinian and for the wrong which is done unto Ursaces and the miserable Eudoxe In the meane time my Cavalier take corrage and recover of your wounds as soone as you can for there is no other meanes to come unto our desired ends but that This declaration was comfort enough to my soul in so much as I recovered of my wounds very suddainly For this time she would say no more but went away to prevent all suspition of our designe But about three or four dayes after she came to see me againe told me the manner how Maximus had killed Valentinian and how he intended to marry her as he said himselfe at which she was so extreamly offended as she resolved to dispatch him some way or other out of the world Oh my Princesse said I unto her you must do nothing imprudently for if you once failn your enterprise you can never after hope to attempt it without abundance of danger to your selfe besides you would do me very great wrong if you employ any other hand but mine in the blood of him who is the Parricide of my Soveraine and the ravisher of you This is the course which I conceive best to be taken Valentinian long before Attilas turned his armes against Italy had concluded a peace with Genserick King of the Vandals and left all that he had in Affrica unto him upon condition he should be his friend and confederate This Barbarian hath ever since made great demonstrations of love unto the Emperour and would never take part with any that were his enemyes Make knowne unto him the wicked machinations of Maximus acquaint him with the murder of Valentinian shew him how he hath usurped the Empire complaine unto him of the force he offereth unto you and summon him unto the promise upon which Affrica is his Feare not but he will relieve you for though he be a Barbarian yet he is generous and it is their Nationall vertue to keep promise unto death and more unto the dead then unto their loving friends Now to make sure work because all these Barbarians are naturally greedy and covetous offer him the Empire that he may be more eager upon it tell him what friends and meanes you can make for him in Italy And that you are able to make his way easy unto him by the assistance of those who are adherents unto you against the murderer of the Emperor now though I must need say it is hard to endure that any Barbarian should ever Lord it in Italy yet better so then to be without revenge Eudixe considering a while upon what I said did answer me that all the difficulty in the businesse would be how to treat so secretly and speedily with this Barbarian that he might be in Italy before it was discovered and considering my present condition she knew not whom to employ that would be quick enough in the expedition that she had rather die a hundred deaths then ever Bed with this Tyrant that she could put it off a while by counterfeiting sicknesse but that could not be long I advised her to continue her counterfeiting and the better to delude the eyes of those
life could not end upon a more noble account nor in a better cause Having ambuscado'd my selfe in a Wood neer the way of Hostia I saw some part of this great Army march in very bad order but my aime being only at Eudoxe I kept my selfe still close till I saw some Chariots comming in which I perceived some Ladies and supposing them to be the same I did expect I encouraged my men telling them that this would be an act worthy of a Roman name Upon setting spurs to my Horse and they most couragiously following me we charged these Chariots whose Guard was above ten thousand Barbarians I shal not relate the passage of this charge for it is impertinent But so it was that we routed them and had Eudoxe been there as I thought she was doubtlesse I had delivered her out of these barbarous hands but as ill luck was she was still behinde and those Ladies which I saw were such as had been taken in the City and Country and were to be carried with the rest of the Booty into Affrica Oh heavens how was I grieved when I saw my selfe thus mistaken and had all the Army on my back for upon this Tumult the Vanguard recoyled and the Reerguard advanced and drew into Battalia so as I was environed on all sides with so great a number of enemies as we could expect nothing but ruine Some ran away others stayed for my part I laid me down amongst the dead and was stripped of my clothes as they were and it was happy for me for my clothes being carried by a Souldier Eudoxe knew them and shewed them unto Olimbres who would not leave her All that she said was I see Ursaces at the last hath met with that Rest which Fortune ever denyed him Upon this expression she swouned in her Chariot Olimbres running after him who had my clothes he asked where he got them and being told the place he went presently unto it and sought till he found me how sad was he when he saw me However he got leave of the Vandal to do me the last office of buriall He would needs return to Rome and have me carried also upon Boughs I was so jogged in the carriage that I gave some signes of life Olimbres seeing this was beyond all measure glad and brought me into the first house they came unto where I received such Cordialls as I recovered out of my long swoun You may imagine Silvander how glad I was when carrying my friend to his grave I found him alive those who saw me did plainly see that his life was as deer unto me as my own yet we had both been happy had we ended our daies then for then I should not have grieved at the absence and ravishment of the fair Eudoxe nor Olimbres at parting from his dear Placidia This consideration made me resolve upon death as soon as I heard this persidious Genserick had carried Eudoxe and her two Daughters away but the great care which my friend had of me kept me from the execution of my designe as long as my wounds kept me in bed But when I had recovered my selfe of these wounds and was able to get upon a Horse I stole away as secretly as possibly I could from him and taking the way towards Tuscany I hid my self in the Appennine Mountaines intending to die with hunger or some such hardship not being willing to shed my blood for fear of offending the great god who punisheth Homicides At the last the languishment of this life made me resolve upon a more sudden death and when casting off all consideration of heaven I would have run my sword to my heart my dear Olimbres came and stayed my arme so by this means gave me a life the second time Then afterwards when I still persisted in my resolution to effect my intentions a young man came in whose beauty and wisdome did make us think that comming in such a nick of time he was some messenger sent from god purposely to divert me from my designe I must confesse that at the first I thought him so and was so obedient to his words that I had no minde to kill my selfe hoping to receive from him some supernaturall aid so as being thus deceived we all three went unto the next Town to get Olimbres dressed of a great wound which I gave him when he offered to take the sword out of my hand where with I would have killed my selfe But when I understood that this young man was a Segusian as you are and that he came to the place where I was by meer chance I confesse I took a stronger resolution of dying then before and doubtlesse had but for this young man whose name was Celadon as afterwards he told me who used such strong arguments and gave me such good reasons that I resolved to stay till the recovery of Olimbres There was in this place an old and grave Chirurgeon who dressed the wound of my friend whose age and travells in severall Countries had got him great knowledge and experience this man took speciall notice of our sorrowes and as one word may sometimes discover what we desire to keep secret so I did not so well dissemble the matter but he did partly suspect my designe so as one day he took me aside and said thus unto me Think it not strange Sir that I unasked intrude my selfe to give you some counsell my age your merit and my duty to god invites me to it take therefore in good part what I shall say I know that you are seized with extream sorrowes and that you have a designe against your own life Do not offer it for god after your death will most severely punish all murderers of themselves And besides to kill ones selfe argues a defect in courage as if you durst not look a dysaster in the face and as those who fly for fear of their enemies so such as kill themselves for fear of any dysaster do flye out of the world for want of courage and because they dare not abide one of fortune's blowes God hath given unto man judgment and prudence to make his election by solid and sound reason and because man being possessed with passion can neither judge nor chuse aright he hath given him a communicative soul to the end that making choice of one or more friends he may ask counsell of them in all matters of importance And because friends are very often interested in their friends businesse this god not leaving man without a good guide hath given him Judges and Kings to order and decide all manner of doubts and controversies This great Creator of men loving them as his Children would furnish them with all that is necessary both to live and to die and to that end hath inspired the Massilians to constitute prudent Judges it seeming unto them that death is no injury but a tribute of nature and therefore it would be unjustly done to deny that remedy
cease loving where once he is with reason fixed all reason constraines me to this amity for he is transcendently vertuous an unparalelled friend and I owe him my life Were it not an absurd contradiction of reason if I should faile in poynt of friendship Therefore grave and wise Sirs since heaven has ordained you for a comfort unto the afflicted deny not this remedy unto me lest you should contradict your owne lawes and ordinances which you have for many ages adjudged to be so just and sacred Every one admired the resolution of this constant friend The Councell after a long debate was in doubt whether they should grant or deny their demands untill the Principall of the Councell by the advice of them all asked Ursaces whether he would permit his friend to dye Unto which he answered No. And why asked the wise Massilans Because answered Ursaces he ought to live and comfort if he can his unfortunate Lady and mine Have you said the Massilian permission from the Lady that you love to dye because you are not able to relieve her I have not answered Ursaces for I never saw her since this misfortune happened But I dare assure you that her generous heart would consent unto it and if she were in my place she would make the same request which I do The Lords of the Councell after this did long argue the matter amongst themselves And it was resolved and agreed upon and the Principall with a grave and audible voice gave this Judgement The Judgement of the Councell of Six Hundred UPon the request presented unto us by these two Petitioners to obtain the consolation of all humane miseryes the Councell doth ordaine that before it be granted unto the first Petitioner he shall procure the permission of the Lady whom he loves to dispose of his life and upon a certificate of the same his desire shall be granted As for the other since his friend will not consent unto his death he is declared incapable of obtaining the favour And because both of them are lovers and loved and because a lover ought not to live for himselfe but for the Person whom he loves therefore by consequence he neither can nor ought to dispose of his life without the permission of her whose he is Oh heavens cryed out Ursaces having heard this doome how shall I passe away my sad dayes and nights Then making an humble reverence to the Lords he went from the Councell but so sad that he could not obtaine his demand as every one did admire the constancy and firme desire of death Olimbres was not so eager of it because his desire of death was onely to accompany his friend and therefore was very glad of the denyal Then they retyred to their lodgings much lamenting their miserable fortunes And the noyse was spread not onely all over the Towne but also through the Country that two great Roman Persons were come purposely to demand the poison Upon this a great Astrologer who was desirous to know who they were came to visit them This man was very old and had wholly addicted himselfe unto that science so as he was growne very admirable in predictions This man being advertised of their designe fearing that their corrages disposing them so eager of death and the poison being denyed them that they would have recourse unto the sword he desired he might advise them according to the rules of his Art With this intention he went unto them one morning when they were alone in their chamber He desired me to be his conducter because we had some acquaintance when I was a student there I shall not make any relation of the particular discourse which they had for they were very long But so it was that punctually knowing the time of their Nativities having long contemplated upon their Physiognomies and hands and having drawne some lines in paper which he parted and then joyned together he said thus unto them Sirs live and preserve your selves for a better season which the heavens do promise unto you As for you said he unto Ursaces you shall recover her whom you have lost by the meanes of a man whom of all the world you love best you shall enjoy full contentment and possesse her many yeares in the same Towne where your love first begun And you said he unto Olimbres you shall marry her whom you love you shall bring her back unto her Country with her Mother you shall not dye till an Emperour of the West be made These things which I tell you are infallible and nothing can divert them The reputation of this man had such an influence upon Ursaces that he resolved to believe him and follow his counsell and conjured him by the great God whom he adored to assist him with his best advise Then he propounded unto him the hatred of Genserick and the danger he should incurre by going into Affrica You must said he send back all your domestiques into Italy and make a shew as if you would kill your selfe to the end the report of your death may be spread abroad some few dayes after you must designe your selfe in the habit of a slave and put your selfe into the service of your friend who may carry you into Affrica where he shall meet Genserick and doubt not but that being thus unknowne you will compasse your desires I would advise you to go unto Constantinople there stay till Olimbres come to you with Eudoxe and Placidia for I finde by my observations that he will bring them thither But I have three reasons to say that you must go into Affrica First because I do foresee that you must be taken for a slave and you cannot avoyd it Secondly that perhaps your stay there will be very vexatious to you in being so long without your friend and not seeing her you love and lastly that you may assist Olimbres with your counsell who will have occasion to stand in need of it Moreover it is very necessary that you make â— report run that you are dead to take away all suspition from Genserick and all the ill will that he may conceive against Olimbres if you stay either in Greece or in Italy it is impossible but some or other will discover you Thus did this wise man advise him and after he had committed him to heavens custody he went home to his house Ursaces having consulted long with himselfe what to do at the last resolved to observe him punctually in every thing and therefore one evening having gotten a bladder full of blood close to his side under his clothes he went to walk by the Sea-side with most of his domesticks following him and many others of the Towne where after he had made a long and sad discourse of his miseries and complained extreamly against his refusall of poyson faigning that he would not live any longer he thrust a knife into his side and made the blood in the bladder run out in great abundance so
as every one thought him dead Then getting from amongst them he threw himselfe into the Sea leaving us his Cloak in our hands Olimbres and I seeming as if we endeavoured to hold him It was now twilight and he could swim very well so as plunging himselfe over head and swimming under water we presently lost the sight of him Every one was stricken with wonder Olimbres lamented extreamly purposely to make it be believed that his friend was dead Then telling what his name was the newes of his death was divulged far and neer In the mean time I went unto the place where I knew he would retire himselfe and bringing him the habit of a Slave and lodging him in a poor house I accommodated him with all things requisite It hapned the next morning Olimbres seeming to search for the body of his friend found the Corps of the good old Chirurgion and bringing it unto his two Daughters they rendred him the last office of a Sepulcher as if heaven would not let this happy old man want any dues that belonged unto men after his death His Daughters erected him a Tombe and I at their request did write his Epitaph which was fixed upon it A few daies after Olimbres sent all his Domesticks together with those of Ursaces's and the two Daughters of the old Chirurgion into Italy and taking others he went with his friend disguised like a Slave into Affrica much desiring my company But since my destiny was to obey him who brought me up I would not disobey his will This Madam said Silvander unto Leonida is all that I know concerning the fortune of Ursaces who for his fidelity deserves all manner of contentment Leonida would have answered if Hylas had not stept in and interrupted her Did you ever hear said he of such a fool the veryest fool that ever made profession of any love What! serve all his life for no other contentment but to be called My Cavalier and to call her My fairest Princesse or at the best to have but some few dry and miserable kisses And this forsooth must be thought enough to make him run so many hazards of his life to spil so much of his blood to demand poyson and at last to turn slave For my part I think he is rightly served and let him take all his labour for his paines let him wear the habit of a slave into Affrica for all his life has been nothing but a slavery Adamas and all the Company could not chuse but laugh at the opinion of Hylas and had it not been supper-time I believe he had not passed without an answer But the Druide rose up and taking Tircis by one hand and Phocion by the other he took a turne or two in the Gallery whilst supper was setting upon the table and every one observed what he thought most rare and amongst the rest Tircis looking upon a King armed with many Pennons and ornaments hanging about him with a countenance full of gravity Father said he unto him I beseech you tell me who is this who bears upon his Shield of Gules three Diademes Or It is Pharamond said the Druide the first King of the Francks who made the Romans feel the weight of his victorious Armes in Gaul And who is that continued Tircis that is next unto him that beareth Azure a Cat Argent armed Gules It is said Adamas Gondioch King of the Burgundians who took this Animall for his Armes And who the other said Tircis who bears Or three Ravens with their wings displayed Proper and purple Tallons It is answered Adamas the King of the Gepides called Ardarick Who is he replyed Tircis who bears Gules a Falcon with wings displayed Or crowned Argent I need not ask you for you have already told me that he is called Attilas King of the Hunnes It must needs be confessed that you have been very curious not only in getting the Pictures of so many illustrious persons but also in adorning them and arming them as they were wont to be In the mean time Hylas who held Alexis by her hand he was discoursing upon other subjects for being growne desperately in love with her he could not upon any termes leave her Adamas who took notice of it and was very glad that he was so mistaken because it would more delude others When he was going out of the Gallery he turned towards Hylas Well shepheard said he unto him which is the Piece whom you think fairest in the place Hylas made present answer that it was Alexis But said Adamas I mean of the Pictures which you have seen Have seen said Hylas nay I have no eyes to look upon any thing but Alexis And if you look for any satisfaction to that question you must aske Tircis for those are Pictures only of dead persons and he loves such above any that are alive I am able to answer for my selfe said Tircis that I do see none fairer then Alexis nor which pleaseth me better How said Hylas who began to be jealous Hylas I see then is not the only inconstant man in the Company since you are growne a liker of any But Mistresse said he unto Alexis let it not trouble you for he is better for being inconstant Why Servant said Alexis do you say so Because said he that he was wont to love none but dead people Do you not see replyed Tircis that if I love death I must needs love Alexis since her beauty is able to kill as many as death it selfe Ah! replyed Hylas if you take it in that sense I have done But to make us both contented let her give death unto Tircis and life unto Hylas Both you and I shall be very well contented replyed Tircis in receiving either a life or a death so sweet Upon this word every one going out of the Gallery they sat down to supper which being ended and a good part of the night spent in discourse they were all conducted to their Chambers where having rested themselves they went the next morning to their own Homes so satisfied with the courteous civility of Adamas and with the beauty and good behaviour of Alexis that every one did highly commend them but especially Hylas who not being able to hold from extolling the perfections of his new Mistresse by fortune they met with Astrea Diana and Phillis in the great Meadow with Madonthe Laonice Pallinice Cyrcinea and Florice which expected their return to hear a report of the beauty of Alexis which they had already heard of And Phillis addressing her selfe unto Lycidas Well shepheard said she unto him how do you like this so much cryed up Beauty I will not answer you said he untill you have asked Hylas Well Servant said she unto Hylas what reports will you afford us And because he answered not What Servant said she not speak unto your Mistresse You my Mistresse said he and I your Servant No no if you think it believe me you are mistaken for I
she did equall him in Love And this Courtship came to that height as one night when they were in the Garden together he did often move her for leave to ask the consent of Amasis unto their Marriage being confident that so many services as he had done both unto her and her Son would invite her to grant him that favour To which she answered You have more reason to doubt their good-will than your own merit and be lesse assured of your own deservings then my good will But yet I would not have you mention it unto them till Clidaman be married I am younger than he and I may well stay so long You may perhaps Madam answered he but so cannot the violence of my passion But if you will not grant me this remedy yet grant me another if your affection be such as you say unto me If I can without prejudice to my selfe said she I will Then after he had kissed her hand Madam said he unto her Promise me before Leonida and the gods who are witnesses of our discourse that you will be my Wife as I do vow by all that is sacred to be your Husband and never look upon any other Galathea was surprised at this yet seeming as if it were by my perswasion though indeed it was by her own affection she gave him that satisfaction and swore unto him upon condition that Lindamor to avoid suspition should never return into the Garden untill their Marriage was declared Now was Lindamor the most contented man that ever was being full of hopes and wanted nothing but the promised conclusion of all his desires But Love or rather Fortune did most extreamly thwart him Oh Lindamor how vain are all thy purposed hopes At that time Clidaman went with Guyemant to try their fortunes in Armes and went into Merovea's Army but though he went away secretly yet was he quickly discovered And because Amasis would not let him be there in that sort she levied all the Forces she could to send unto him and committed the charge of them unto Lindamor constituting Polemas the Governour under her in all the Provinces untill her Son's return and this she did as well to satisfie two such eminent men as to sever them for since Lindamor's return they were alwaies jarring Polemas was very well contented and Lindamor went not with an ill will The one was glad he was to stay with his Mistresse and the other hoped by his services so to oblige Amasis as to facilitate the way unto that happinesse which he aspired unto But Polemas finding himselfe in disfavour of his Mistresse and that his Rivall had robbed him of all he put no confidence in any of his services or merits but had recourse unto cunning and artifice In order to this he procured the most crafty fellow that ever was of that trade whom he acquainted with every one about the Court shewed him in secret Amalis Galathea Silvia Selires my selfe and all the rest of the Nymphs and did not only shew him their faces but acquainted him with all the secrets which he knew betwixt any of them And after a full information of all passages he desired him to take upon him to seem a great Druide and a most learned Conjurer He seated himselfe in the great wood of Savignew neer the pleasant Gardens of Mount Brison and close by a little River which runs through the Wood He stayed some certain daies giving himselfe out to be the greatest Diviner that ever was insomuch as his fame reached unto us and Galathea went unto him to know her fortune This crafty Impostor did know so well how to carry himselfe and delude others with so many circumstances and ceremonies as I must confesse he deceived me as well as the rest The main aime and conclusion of all his craft was to tell Galathea that the influence of the heavens had given her choice of a great happinesse or a great misery and that it must be her own prudence that was to distinguish betwixt them that both these two extreams did depend upon Love that if she contemned his advice she would be the most miserable woman in the world And on the contrary the most happy if she followed his counsel Then looking in her hand and then her face he said unto her Such a day when you are in Marcelles you shall see a man clothed in such a colour if you marry him you will be the most miserable woman upon earth Afterwards he shewed her in a glass a certain place upon the banks of the River Lignon and said unto her See here is the place go unto it such an hour and then and there you shall find a man whom if you marry will make you infinitely happy Now this Climanthes for that was this Conjurers name had subtilly got knowledg of the day that Lindamor was to depart and the colour of his clothes he would wear and his design was that Polemas under a colour of going to Hunt should goe unto the place which he had shewed her in the glass Now hear I beseech you how things hapned Lindamor was clothed as Climanthes told her and Galathea remembring it was so astonished that she could not give him one word by way of any answer Poor Lindamor thought it to bee his departure which made her so sad and so kissing her hand hee went his wayes better contented than his fortune allowed him any reason for Afterwards the day approaching on which Climanthes told her she should meet with the man that would make her all happinesse upon the banks of the River Lignon shee would not fully acquaint me with her design but only said she would try whether the predictions of the Druide were true So shee took with her onely Silvia and me her Nurse and little Meril The Nurse was she that most fortified her in opinion of these predictions as commonly all old women are very superstitious in such things So as this Nymph observing the day that Climanthes told her of she prepared her self the night before to goe unto that place and in the morning dressed her self to the best advantage she could and also commanded us to make our selves ready Thus we went in a Chariot to the place appointed where being come at the very same hour that Climanthes named we found a Shepheard almost drowned whom the waves had cast upon our side This Shepheard was one Celadon who accidentally was fallen into the River and had doubtlesse been drowned if wee had not saved him So Galathea apprehending him to bee the man that was to make her happy began then to love him so that shee would needs have us carry him in the Chariot unto the Palace before he revived for then the sand and mud had so choaked him that he looked as pale as death and had no kind of motion or beauty in him For my part I cursed the Conjurer and did foresee we should be put to abundance of trouble with him for I
swear unto you I was never so put to it in all my life But since the Shepherd revived his complexion came into his face he appeared to be a very handsom man and of a wit above the capacity of a Shepheard I never saw any in our Court more civiliz'd nor more deserving love So as no wonder Galathea should be so desperately in love with him as shee cannot be absent from him either night or day But certainly she is much mistaken in him for he is most desperately in love with a Shepheardess called Astrea So as all these things make not a little against Lindamor For the Nimph finding all true that this Impostor told her she is resolved rather to dye than to marry Lindamor and studies all waies to win upon the affection of this Shepheard who does nothing even in her very presence but sigh for his absence from Astrea I know not whether his imprisonment be the cause for shee will not let him goe out of the Palace or whether it be the abundance of water which hee swallowed when he was in the River but so it is he is fallen into a most violent Feaver So as not knowing what to doe for his health Galathea commanded mee to come in all haste unto you to the end you might see him and tell us what was best for him The Druide stood very attentive unto this discourse and had several conceits according to the subject of his Neeces words and perhaps some not far off the truth for he perceiceived that she was not altogether exempted either from love or blame Yet he did very discreetly dissemble it and told her he was very glad to serve either Galathea or Celadon whose Parents he ever loved and who though he was a Shepheard yet he was descended from the best of our Knights whose Ancestors made choice of that kind of life as more tranquill and happy than that of the Court and therefore he honoured him and would be glad to serve him But yet this kind of living with him was neither safe nor honourable for either Galathea or her And when hee came to the Palace and saw their deportments then he would tel her how she should demean her self Leonida being a little ashamed answered him that she did intend long since to tell him of it but truly she had neither the confidence nor the conveniency to do it Yet of a truth Climanthes was the cause of all this Oh answered Adamas could I but catch him I should with usury pay him for falsly usurping the title of a Druide That Sir said the Nymph will be an easie matter by the means that I shall finde out For he told Galathea that she should come four or five times to the place where she was to meet with this man that would make her happy in case she did not meet with him the first day And I know that Polemas and he coming too late the first day will not fail to be there the dayes following And whosoever will catch this Conjurer must hide themselves in a place where I shall direct and they will be sure to find him As for the daies of his comming I can bee informed from Galathea though for my part I have forgotten them With such discourse as this the Druide and the Nymph beguiled the length of the way and they were both so attentive as they were at the Palace of Isaures before they were aware But the Druide extreamly disliking this kind of life they led did instruct Leonida what she should say unto Galathea but whatsoever shee did not to let her know that hee disapproved any of her actions for said hee such courages and spirits as the Nymphs must be wonne upon by sweetness and lenity not by rigour and force And you Neece I pray consider and remember your duty and know that these follies of love are dishonourable both for those that own them and those that favour them He had continued on his Instructions had they not met Silvia at their Palace gates who conducted them unto Galathea At that time she was walking in the Garden whilst Celadon reposed himself As soon as ever she saw them she went unto them the Druide kneeled down and kissed her hand Leonida did the same Afterwards the Nymph embraced them both and thanked Adamas for his paines in comming to her promising requital upon the first occasion Madam said he unto her all my services are but just duties and the very best of them cannot merit half this expression I am sorry onely that I want occasions to make the grandure of my affection known unto you and if I have not at any time been deficient it was onely want of opportunities not of any will to serve you Adamas answered the Nimph the service which you have done unto Amasis I take as done unto my self And what I have received from your Neece I accept of as from you And therefore considering all circumstances I have had sufficient tryal of your goodness I do acknowledge your services past to be great but this which I am now to imploy you in is the greatest and will be the most acceptable unto me for no greater cure can be than of a wounded spirit We wil talk more of it at leasure in the mean time goe and rest your self Silvia will conduct you to your chamber whilst Leonida does give me an accompt of what she hath done Thus the Druide was dismissed and Galathea carrassing Leonida more than usual asked her what she had done in her journey Unto which Leonida gave her a satisfactory answer Madam said she I thank the gods that I have found you more joyful than I left you Friend said the Nimph Celadons recovery is the cause for you must know that you were not gone a mile from hence before the Feaver left him and ever since he hath so mended as he himself hopes within two or three daies hee shall be able to rise This answered Leonida is the best news I could desire and had I known as much I should not have brought Adamas hither But to the purpose said Galathea What does he say to this accident For I assure my self you have acquainted him with it Pardon me Madam said Leonida I told him no more than what I thought could not be concealed from him when he came He knows of the affection you beare unto Celadon which I told him was onely an effect of your pitty Hee knows the Shepheard very well and all his family and is confident he can perswade him unto what he pleaseth For my part I think that if you doe imploy him hee will doe you good service but then you must be ingenuous and speak freely and openly unto him Oh my God said the Nymph do you think this possible Certainly when hee understands the whole story he will never apprehend it unto my contentment for his prudence and judgement is so great as I doubt he will rather condemn than