to be desirous to know what maketh him so abashed that if you consider the astonishment which is painted in his face you would iudge he had some great cause Mandrake had made him see in a dreame Maradon a young shepheard that taking an arrow from Cupid opend the bosome of Fortune and tooke out her heart He that following the ordinary course of louers was yet in doubt and as soone as it was day ranne to this fountaine to see if his mistresse loued him I beseech you consider his abashment for if you compare the visages of the other Tables to this you shall see the same draughts though the trouble wherein hee is paint the chaunge much Of those two Figures which you doe see in the Fountaine the one as you may plainely know is of the Shepheardesse Fortune and the other you may see is of the Shepheard Moradon whom the Magician made to bee represented rather then another because he knew he had a long time bin a seruant of the shepheardesse and though she vouchsafed not to regard him yet loue which easily beleeues the thing it feares presently perswaded the contrary to Damon beleefe that made him resolue to dy Marke I pray you how this water seems to tremble this is for that the Painter would represent the effect of the teares of the shepheard which fell into it But let vs passe to the second action See how the continuation of this Caue is made and how truly this seems to be more declining This dead man that you see on the ground is the poore Damon who in dispaire thrust his speare through his body The action which he doth is very naturall You may see one leg stretched out the other drawne vp as with paine one arme layd vnder the body as hauing bin surprised by the suddennesse of the fall and not hauing force to come againe to himselfe and the other languishing along the body yet he holds gently the speare in his hand his head hanging towards his right shoulder his eyes halfe shut and halfe turned vp and he that sees him in such a case may well iudge him to be a man in the trances of death his mouth somewhat opened the teeth in some places discouered a little and the passages of his nose shrunke vp all signes of a late dead man Also he hath not figured him as wholly dead but betweene death and life if there be any separation betweene them See here the speare well represented you may see the breadth of the Iron halfe hidden in the wound the staffe on the one side bloody on the other of the colour it was before But how great hath the Painters diligence bene he hath not forgot the nayles which go as weeping towards the end for the nearer the shaft as well the as wood the more they were staynd with blood It is true that through the blood you might know them Now let vs consider the spurting out of the blood issuing out of the wound Me thinkes it is like a fountaine which being led by long channels from some higher place when it hath bene restrained as they open it skips in fury this way and that way for see these streames of blood how well they are represented consider the boyling which seemes to raise it selfe to bubbles I thinke nature cannot represent any thing more truely The sixt Table NOw for the sixt and last Table which contaynes foure actions of the Shepheardesse Fortune The first is a Dreame which Mandrake made her haue The other how shee went to the Fountayne to cleare her doubt The third how shee complaynes of the inconstancie of her Shepheard and the last how shee dyes which is the conclusion of this Tragedie Now let vs see all things particularly See the rising of the Sunne note the length of the shadowes and how on the one side the Heauen is yet lesse cleare See these clouds which are halfe ayre as it seemeth which by little and little flye lifting vp these little birds which seeme to sing as they mount and are of those kinde of Larkes that rise from the deaw in the new Sunne These ill-formed birds which with vncertaine flight goe to hide themselues are of those Owles that auoid the Sunne whereof the Mountaine couers a good part and the other shines to cleare that one cannot iudge that it was other thing then a great and confused brightnesse Let vs goe forward Behold the shepheardesse Fortune asleepe shee is in bed where the Sunne that enters by the window open by negligence discouers halfe her brest She hath one arme carelesly stretched along the side of the bedstead her hand a little hanging from the boulster the other hand stretched along her thigh without the bed and for that her smocke sleeues is by chance thrust vp you may see it aboue the Elbowe there being nothing that hides any of the armes beautie See about her the diuels of Morpheus wherewith Mandrake serues herselfe to giue her a will to go to the fountaines of the truth of Loue. See on this side what she casteth vp for hauing dreamed that her shepheard was dead and taking his death for the losse of his amitie she came to know the truth Beholde how the sorrowfull visage by the sweetnesse of it mooues pittie and makes vs take part in her displeasure because shee no sooner casts her veiwe into the water but she perceiues Damon But alas hard by him the shepheardesse Melide a faire shepheardesse indeed and which was not without suspition of louing Damen yet vnbeloued of him Deceiued with this falsehood see how shee is retyred into the inwarrd parts of the Denne and commeth vnawares to lament her displeasure in the same place where Damon was almost dead Behold her set against the rocke her armes acrosse her brest which choller and griefe made her discouer in tearing that which was vppon it It seemeth that shee sighes and her brest pants her face and eyes lifting vp and asking vengeance from heauen for the perfidiousnesse which shee thought was in Damon And because the transport of her euill made her lift vppe her voyce in her complaynt Damon whom you see by her though hee were euen at the last of all his life hearing the laments of his fayre Shepheardesse and knowing the voyce hee then enforced himselfe to call her Shee which heard these dying words suddenly turning her head went to him But O God what a sight was this She quite forgot seeing him in this case and the occasion shee had to complayne of him shee demaunded who had dealt so fouly with him It is sayde hee the change of my fortune it is the inconstancie of your soule which hath deceiued mee with such demonstrations of goodwill Briefely it is the happinesse of Macadon whom the Fountaine from whence you came shewed mee to bee by you And doe you thinke it reasonable that hee should liue hauing lost your loue that liued not but to bee beloued of you Fortune hearing
for our place of abode was not farre from thence vpon the banks of the great riuer of Seyne And for that by reason of the great accesse of people which from all parts came to withdraw them there and the want of those commodities which they were vsed vnto in the Champaine the contagious sickenesse beganne to take so violent a course throughout the Towne that euen the great men could nor defend themselues It fell out that the mother of Cleon was attaynted with it And although that this disease were so fearefull that there was neither parentage nor obligation of loue that could retayne the sound about them that were infected yet the good nature of Cleon had such power ouer her that she would not depart from her mother whatsoeuer she sayd vnto her but on the contâ—ary when some of her familiars would haue withdrawne her representing the danger whereinto she thrust her selfe and that it was offensiue to the gods to tempt them in this sort If you loue me would she say vse not this speech to me for doe I not owe my life to her that gaue me it and can the gods be offended that I serue him that taught me to worship them On this resolution she would neuer abandon her mother and staying with her serued her as freely as if it had beene no infectious disease Tyrcis was all the day long at their doore burning with desire to enter into their lodging but the for bidding of Cleon stayed him who would not suffer him for feare lest they that were ready to thinke the worst might iudge his presence preiudiciall to her chastity He that would not displease her not daring to enter caused to be carried to them all things necessary with so great care that they were neuer in want of any thing Yet as the heauens would this happy Cleon would not escape the infectioÌ„ of her mothers disease whatsoeuer preseruatiues Tyrcis could bring When this shepheard knew it it was no more possible to keepe him backe from entring into their lodging thinking it was now no time to dissemble nor to feare the biting of the bad-speaker He then set in order all his affayres disposed of his goods and declared his last will then hauing left a charge to some of his friends to send him succour he shuts himselfe in with the mother and the daughter resoluing to runne the same fortune that Cleon did It would serue to no purpose but to lengthen the discourse to tell you what were the good offices what the seruices that he did to the mother for the consideration of the daughter for he could not imagine more then those which his affection made him performe But when he sawe her dead and that there remayned no more then his Mistris whose disease growing worse and worse I do not thinke that this shepheard rested one moment He 〈◊〉 her continually in his armes or else dressed her sores Shee on the other side who had alwayes loued him so dearely acknowledged so great loue in this last action that her owne was much increased so that one of her griefes was the danger wherein she saw him for her cause He on the contrary side tooke such satisfaction that Fortune though his enemy yet had offered him this meane to giue testimony of his goodwill that he could not giue her thankes enow If fell out that the disease of this shepheardesse being in case needfull to be launced there was no Surgeon that would for feare of danger hazzard himselfe to touch her Tyrcis whose affection found nothing hard being instructed what he was to doe tooke the launcer and lifting vp her arme launced it and dressed it without feare Shortly gentle shepheard all the most dangerous things and most noysome were sweet vnto him and very casie So it was that the disease hourely encreasing brought this Nymph beloued Cleon to that estate that there remayned no more strength but to speake these words I am sorry that the gods will no longer draw out the threed of my life not that I haue a desire to liue longer time for this desire can neuer make me wish it hauing had triall of the discommodities which follow mortals but onely that in some sort I would not die so much obliged to you but that I might haue time to giue you testimony that I am not attainted with Ingratitude nor misprising It is true that when I consider what are the obligations which I owe you I thinke the heauens are right iust to take me out of the world since that if I should liue as many ages as I haue done dayes I know not how to satisfie the least of that infinite number which your affection hath brought forth Receiue then for all that which I owe you not an equall good but indeed all that I can which is an oath which I make you that euen death shall neuer wipe out the memory of your loue nor the desire I haue to make all the acknowledgements that a true louing person may yeeld to him to whom she is bound These words were vttered with much payne but the loue she bare the shepheard gaue her the strength to deliuer them Whereto Tyrcis answered Faire Mistris I can hardly thinke I haue bound you nor that euer I shall because that which I haue hitherto done hath not satisfied my selfe and whereas you say you are obliged to me I see well you know not the greatnes of the loue of Tyrcis otherwise you would not thinke that so small a thing was able to pay the tribute of so great duty Beleeue mee fayre Cleon the fauour you haue done me so kindely to receiue the seruices which you say I haue done you charge me with so great a burden that a thousand liues and a thousand such occasions know not how to discharge me The heauens which haue caused me to be borne but for you will accuse me of misprisall if I liue not for you and if I haue any dessigne to employ one single moment of this life other then to your seruice He would haue held on longer but the shepheardesse ouerladen with her sickenesse interrupted him Cease friend and let me speake to the end that the small remainder of my life may be employed in assuring you that you may not be better beloued than you are of me who finding my selfe ready to depart giue you an eternall farewell and intreate you for three things alwayes to loue Cleon to cause mee to be buryed neere my mothers bones and to take order that when you are to pay the duety of mortality your body be layed neere mine that I may rest with this contentment that not hauing the power to be vnited to you in life yet I may be so at least in death He answered The gods should be vniust if hauing giuen beginning to so good an amity as ours they should sunder it so soone I hope they will yet preserue you or at least they will take me away before you
that I desire it should be the cause of your contentment I know the long seruice which this shepheard hath done you I know with how much honour hee hath wooed you I know with what affection he hath continued these many yeeres and moreouer with what sincere and vertuous amity you haue affected him The knowledge of all these things makes me desire death rather than to be the cause of your separation Thinke not that it is Ielousie that causeth mee to speake in this manner I shall neuer enter into any doubt of your vertue since I haue heard with mine eares the wise discourse which you haue had with him No more thinke you but that I beleeue that losing you I shall likewise lose the best fortune that I could wish for but the onely cause that driueth mee to giue you to him whose you ought to be is this O wise Bellinde that I will not buy my contentment with your euerlasting displeasure and truely I should thinke my selfe to be culpable both before God and men if by my occasion so good and vertuous an amity should be broken off betvveene you I therefore come to tell you that I choose rather to depriue my selfe of the best alliance that euer I shall haue to set you in your former libertie and to giue you backe againe the contentment which mine would haue taken from you And besides that I thinke to do and performe that which I beleeue my duetie commaundeth me it shall be no small satisfaction to me to thinke that if Bellinde be contented Ergaste was an instrument of her contentment Onely I doe require that if heerein I binde you being the cause of the re-vnion of your amity you will be pleased to receiue mee as a third to you two and that you will yeeld mee the same part of goodwill which you promised to Celion when you did thinke to marry Ergaste I meane that I may be a friend to you two and be receiued as a brother Can I faire Nymph shew you the contentment vnhoped for of this shepheardesse I thinke it is impossible for she was so surprized that she knew not with what words to thanke him but taking him by the hand she went to sit downe on the turfes of the fountaine where after she had paused a while and seeing the good will wherewith Ergaste bound her she declared all along what had passed betweene Celion and her and after a thousand kinds of thankes which I omit for seare of troubling you she besought him to goe seeke him for that the transport of Celion was such that hee would not come backe with any man in the world that should seeke him for that he would neuer beleeue that good will of his whom he had neuer giuen such cause to if it were assured him by any other But on the contrary he would imagine it were a trick to bring him backe Ergaste that desired in any case to end the good worke he had begunne resolued to be gone the nextday with Diamis the brother of Celion promising her not to come backe without bringing him with him Beeing then departed with this purpose after hee had sacrificed to Thautates to desire him to direct them to the place where they might find Celion they tooke the way that first offered it selfe to them But they had sought long in vaine before they had any newes if himselfe transported with fury had not resolued to returne into Forrests to kill Ergaste and then with the same weapon to pierce his owne heart before Bellinde not being able to liue and know that another enioyed his good In this rage hee set himselfe on his way and because hee nourished himselfe but with hearbes and fruits which hee found along the way hee was so feeble that he could scarce goe and had not his rage carried him hee could not haue done that yet must he diuers times of the day rest him especially when sleepe pressed him It fell out that wearied in this sort hee lay downe vnder some trees which gaue a pleasing shadow to a Fountaine there after he had some while thought of his displeasures he fell asleep Here Fortune who delighted her selfe with the griefes shee had wrought him disposes to make him intirely happy Ergaste and Diamis passed by this way and by chance Diamis went first on the sudden when he saw him he knew him and turning softly came to aduertise Ergaste who very ioyfull would haue gone to embrace him but Diamis held him backe saying I beseech you Ergaste doe nothing herein that may turne to euill my brother if at once wee should tell him this good newes would dye with ioy and if you knewe the extreme affliction that this accident hath brought him you would be of the same minde Therefore me thinkes it will bee better that I tell it him by little and little and because hee will not beleeue me you may come after to confirme it Ergaste finding this aduice good got behind some trees where he might see them and Dianis went to him And it must needes be that he was inspired by some good Angell for if at the first Celion had spyed Ergaste it may be that following his resolution he had done him some displeasure Now at the time that Dianis came towards him his brother awaked and beginning againe his ordinary entertainements hee set himselfe to complaine in this manner A PLAINT BEsides the wees of humane state Lighting on nought to comfort me Vnlesse it be to wayle my Fate I sigh for death which will not be My shield is hope that cannot fall But that same sword that entting is Which mischiefe angers me withall Is euils too assur'd to misse I hope in my long misery To see my dole some end to haue But how I must not hope to see Vnlesse it be within my grane Count you him not most miserable And all the gods his enemies Whose hope that is most fauourable In death and in his last Fate lies Where are the thoughts of courage high Resolu'd for euill heretofore But where am I or who am I I vnderstand my selfe no more My soule through griefe is so confus'd That what as now it seemes to crane It on a suddaine leaues refar'd Then whom with ease she might it haue Brought to this state it cannot see Nor what it hath nor what it is O wherefore then must we needes be When euery thing tastes â—s amisse Dâ—amis would not come suddenly on him but after hee had harkened somewhile he made a noyse purposely that hee might turne his head towards him and seeing that he beheld him astonished hee went softly to him and after he had saluted him he sayd I thanke God brother that I haue found you so fitly to doe you the message that Bellinde sendes you Bellinde sayd he presently It is possible she should haue any remembrance of me betweene the armes of Ergaste Ergaste said Diamis hath not Bellinde betweene his armes and I hope
if they haue any compassion of the afflicted but if they will not I onely desire of them so much life as may satisfie the commandements which you make me and then permit me to follow you that if they cut not off my threed and my hand be free assure your selfe fayre Mistris you shall not be long without me Friend answered she I enioyne you beyond this to liue as long as the gods please for in the length of your life they shall shew themselues pittifull vnto vs since that by this meanes I shall make relation in the Elisian fields of our perfect amity you may publish it to the liuing and so the dead and liuing men shall honour our memory But friend I perceiue my disease enforces me to leaue you farewell the most louely and the best beloued among men At these last words she dyed leaning her head on the bosome of her shepheard To tell you the displeasure hee tooke and the complaynts hee made were but to strike the sword deeper into the wound besides that his gashes are yet so open that euery man seeing them may well iudge what the blowes were O death cryed Tyrcis that hast robbed me of the better part of my selfe either restore me that thou hast taken or take away the rest And then to giue roome to teares and sighes which this remembrance pluckt from his heart he held his peace for a while when Siluander told him he was to resolue himselfe since there was no remedy and that for things happened and may no more be complaints were but witnesses of weakenesse So much the rather sayd Tyrcis find I occasion of complaynt for if there were any remedy it were not the part of a man aduised or one of courage to complayne but he may be well allowed to bewaile that which can find no other asswagement Then Laonice taking agayne her speech continued in this sort At last this happy shepheardesse being dead and Tyrcis hauing rendred the last offices of loue hee tooke order she should be buryed by her mother but the ignorance of them to whom he gaue the charge was such that they placed her else-where for as for him he was so afflicted as he stirred not from off his bed there beingnothing to preserue his life but the cōmandements she had giuen him Somes dayes after enquiring of those who came to visit him in what place the body so beloued was layed hee knew it was not by her mother whereat he conceiued such a displeasure that contracting for a great summe with those that vsed to bury they promised to take her vp and to lay her with her mother And indeed they went about it and hauing opened the ground they tooke her vp betweene three or foure of them but hauing carryed her a little way the infection was so great that they were compelled to leaue her in mid-way resolued rather to die then to carry her furder Where of Tyrcis being aduertised after he had made them yet greater offers and seeing they would not respect it And why sayd he aloud canst thou hope that the loue of gayne may do more in them than thine in thee Ah Tyrcis this is too great an offence to thy Loue. Hee spake thus and as one transported he runnes to the place where the body was and though it had beene three dayes buryed and that the stinke was extreme yet tooke he it betweene his armes and carryed it to her mothers graue which was by that time couered And after so good a deed and so great a testimony of his affection withdrawing himselfe out of the Towne he stayed forty nights separated from all men Now all these things were vnknowne to me for one of my Aunts being sicke of the like disease almost at that time we conuersed not with any and the same day that he came backe I returned like wise Hauing vnderstood onely of the death of Cleon I went to him to know the particularities but comming to his chamber doore I layd mine eye to the key-hole because I came neere I heard him sigh and I was not deceiued for I saw him on his bed his eyes lifted to heauen-ward his hands ioyned together and his face couered with teares If I were astonished gentle shepheard iudge you for I did not thinke he had loued her and came in part to delight my selfe with him At last after I had beheld him some while with a sigh which seemed to part his stomake in pieces I heard him bring foorth these words Stanzaes on the death of Cleon. VVHy dowe hide our teares this is no time to faine A Loue which her sad death by my dole maketh plaine Whoceaseth to haue hope ought likewise cease to feare The hope that fed my life lies closed in her beare She liued once in me and I alwayes in her Our sprites with thousand knots so strait combined were Each knit to other so that in their faithfull loue We two were but an one and each as two did moue But in the poynt that Loue vpon a firme laid ground Assur'd me pleasures I the quite contrary found For that my happinesse had toucht the poynt that was Allotted me to reach and not to ouer-passe It was in Paris towne that those delightfull thoughts Which Loue infusde in me her death did bring to nought What time a man might see the Gaules right sore distrest Against th' inuading force of strangers doe their best And must there be a tombe of lesse celebritie Then Paris holding that I nurc'd so charily Or that my ill should fall in times lesse sorrowing Then when all Europe stood at poynt of perishing But I am wide O God my Cleon is not dead Her heart to liue in me farre from her selfe is fled Her body enely dyes and so by contrary My spirit dyes in her and hers dath liue in me O gods what became of me when I heard him speake thus my amazement was such that vnawares leaning against the doore I entred but halfe in whereat he turned his head and seeing me he made none other signe but holding out his hand to me prayed me to sit on the bed by him and then wiping his eyes for so he should alwayes need an handkercher hee spake to mee in this sort Well Laonice the poore Cleon is dead and we are left to bewayle her rauishment And because the paine I was in gaue me no power to answer he went onward I know well shepheardesse that seeing me in this plight for Cleon you are amazed that the fayned loue I bare her should giue me so true feelings But alas leaue that errour I beseech you so me thinkes I should commit a greater fault against Loue if without cause I should hold on that dissembling whereto my affection till now commaunded me Know then Laonice that I haue loued Cleon and that all other suites were but to cloake that and if you did euer beare me friendship for Gods sake Laonice condole with me this disaster