of his eleuation vnto prosperitie vtterly casting behind them the remembrance of their former state and condition This Insolainder was so blinded with promotion that vpon hope of a little commoditie purchased by his maisters death sought as I said by all meanes to worke his ruine which being perceiued for God will not suffer such vilde attempts to be practised Valentine prosecuted the matter so earnestly against him that hée was throwne into prison where for shame of his déede and dread of deserued punishment he did himselfe desperately to death Now Delfridus séeing his mistres too firmely fortified in vertue to be by consent vanquished by villanie determined also by death to remoue the obstacle And as nothing is so impossible which frantike furie will not enterprise nothing so shamefull which vnbridled desire will not vndertake nothing so false which fleshly filthines will not forge so to bring his purpose to passe as Valentine on a time in ill time passed through a blinde lane of the citie he throwded himselfe in a corner and as he came by shot him thorough with a Pistoll which done he forthwith repaired home making grieuous lamentation but in a counterfait manner for the cruell murder of his most louing and affectionate maister as he tearmed him â—uluia hearing of this vnnaturall déede and by circumstances knowing Delfridus to be the authour thereof tearing her haire scratching her face and beating her bodie against the ground so soone as the flouds of teares had flowen so long that the fountaine was drie so that her speech might haue passage which before the teares stopped she began to crie out in this carefull manner O God what iniustice is this to suffer the earth to remaine polluted with the bâ—oud of innocents Didst thou curse Cain for killing his brother Abell and wilt thou not crucifie Delfridus for slaying Valentine Is thy heart now hardened that thou wilt not or are thy hands now weakened that thou canst not preserue thy seruants from the slaues of Satan If there be no safetie in innocencie wherein shall wee repose our selues If thou be not our protector who shall defend vs If the wicked vanquish the vertuous who shall set foorth thy honour and glorie or who will so much as once call vpon thy name But what meane I wretched wight to exclaime against God as the authour of my euill whereas it is onely my selfe that am guiltie of my husbands death It is I that pampred vp my beautie to make it glister in the sight of euerie gazing eye in the thriftlesse threed whereof this miscreant was intangled that to vnwinde himselfe thereout â—ée hath wrought all this mischiefe It is I that would not detect his doings to the view of the world whereby the perill which hung ouer my husbands head might haue bée â—e prâ—uented And séeing I haue beene the cause of his death shall I béeing a murderer remaine aliue Did 〈◊〉 seeing the dead carkasse of her husband Câ—iâ— cast on shore willinglie cast her selfe into the Sea â—o accompanie his death and shall I sée my sweete belouâ—d true Valentineâ—laine â—laine and not drinke of the same cup Did true 〈◊〉 goare hee gorgeous bodie with the same sword wherewith princely Pyramus had prickâ— himselfe to the heart and are not my hands strong ynough to do the like Did Iulietta die vpon the corps of her Romeo and shall my bodie remains on earth Valentine being buried No gentle death come with thy direfull dart and pierce my painefull soule and with one death rid me out of a thousand at once For what thought do I thinke on my Valentine which doth not procure me double death What thing do I see belonging to him which is not a treble torment vnto me But it is cowardlinesse to wish for death and courage valiantly to take it Yes I can and will bestow my life for my Valentines sweete sake But O God shall the varlet remaine aliue to triumph in his treacherie and vaunt in his villanie Shall I not loe his fatall day before my finall end It is his blood that will be a most sweete sacrifice to the ghost of my Valentine and then can I end my life contentedly when I haue offred vp this acceptable sacrifice And vntill such time as I haue opportunitie hereto I will prolong my wofull dâ—yes in direfull griefe and only the hope of reuenge shall heauilie hold my loathsome life and sorrowfull â—oule together For other canâ—â— why I should desire life I haue not for that I am vtterly depriued of all ioyes of life For as the bird that is bruised with some blow lieth aloft in the â—eaues and heares his fellowes sing and is not able to vtter one warbling note out of his mournefâ—â—l voice but rather hates the harmony which other birds do make so I my heart being broken sit solitary alone and see some hâ—ng about their husbands necks some closely clip them in their armes some trifle with them some talke with them all which redoabâ—â— my paine to thinke my selfe destitute of those pleasures yea to a wretched wounded heart that dwels in dole euery pleasant sight turnes to bitter anguish and the onely obiect which shall euer content my eyes shall be the destruction of that Iudas which hath brought me to this desolation Now Delfridus thinking that time had taken away her â—eares and sorrow and supposing that neither she or any other had suspected him for the murder of Valentine began to enter into she lifts of luâ—â— againe and with a new encounter of incontinencie to set vpon her But she so much abhorred him that if she had but heard his name it caused her nature to faile in her and all her senses to faint so that when he sawe no possibilitie to impell her to impictie he meant to sollicite her in the way of marriage and caused her neere kinsfolks and friends to moue his suite vnto her for he was a man well countenanced of many who laboured very earnestlie in the matter and were so importunate vpon her that no answere would satisfie them Now Fuluia seeing she could not be rid of her friends and foreseeing that by this meanes she might be fréed from her enemie agreed to take him to husband And the day of solemnizing the marriage being come they went togither to the temple of Diana where all things according to custome being consummated the Bride-wife as the vse was dranke to her husband in wine as he thought but indeed in poison which she had prouided of purpose and when she saw he had drunke vp his death she said vnto him Go now and in steed of thy marriage bed get thee a graue for thy marriage is turned to murder a punishment iust for thy outragious lost and mercilesse designement for vengeance asketh vengeance and blood blood and they that sowe slaughter shall be sure to reape rume and destruction Now Delfridus hearing these words and féeling the force of the poison to worke within him assayed all
gods haue you in enuying this my prosperitie depriued me of the view of that wherein I imagined my whole felicitie should consist vngentle Cupid hast thou déeming my Varrona fairer then thy Pshyche thwarted thus my doating humour I will wander through the earth augmenting the springs with streames of my teares filling the woods with rebounding Ecchoes of my woes tracing the plaines with my restlesse steps O that I might equall Orpheus in art as I excell him in anguish the powerful vertue of his heaueÌ„ly tunes amazed furious beasts staied flueÌ„t streames raised stones assembled trées mouing sense in senselesse things Descending to the silent â—aults of Aâ—heron he caused ghostes to groane shadowes to sigh effecting releÌ„ting thoughts in hels remorslesse iudges But were I his pheere in that profession I would do more enforcing Syllanus her father not touched with such a sympathie to leaue his suspition and grant me my loue whither do I wandere Is this to rest leaue Lysimachus nay procéed Lysimachus cease to suppose begin to sorrow Ay me wretched me hoplesse hopelesse what meanes can I now conceit what deuise may now be potted Herâ—aâ— he sâ—â—pt and opening the flood-gates of his eyes distilled a shewer of teares supplying his spéeches with déepe sighes But resoluing to procéed he was interrupted by the shepheard who hearing the words of his complaints lamented at the 〈◊〉 of his sorrowes 〈◊〉 by all meanes to 〈…〉 of his memorie the rememberance of these caushalties assuring him that time being the wachstone of loue would no doubt sort all things for his content and so quoth he you sâ—â— it is time to â—old our flockes with that they 〈◊〉 shéepe 〈…〉 home but he poore soule that had loue his 〈…〉 thoughts set on fire with the 〈…〉 began to cauâ—â—nate 〈◊〉 vpon the 〈◊〉 which Varrona had receiued from her father Remaining in this pitifull plight féeding on nothing but heauie dispaire he became so changed in his bodie and soule as though they had bene now 〈◊〉 But 〈◊〉 good hap his mourning being ouerheard by the good shepheard and finding him so transformed 〈…〉 â—â—formed Varrona thereof She hauing taken diligent notice of this his information admired greatly at the constancie of his affection and séeing her father vpon vrgent affaires was rode to the Court she déemed if not amisse herselfe to goe and visit him Who calling vpon Lysimachus with a â—hrill voice recouered him better with her words then withall the potions or hot drinkes she could deuise to giue him Lysimachus staring her in the face muttered as it séemed to himselfe but remained spéechlesse but she with great care comforted him as a woman want no good words in such a case and brought him againe to the vse 〈◊〉 his tongue wherewith he soulâ—red out these words Ah Varrona cruell dispaire hath so mangled my swéete hope that vnlesse I finde some spéedie remedie the wound will growe incurable and willing to goe forward his breath failed him Lysimachus quoth she as I am ignorant of the cause so I am sorrowfull for thy disease and I would I had as much power to heale thy extremitie as will to performe it if it shall not preiudice the glorie of my credit or blemish my honour therefore if it be in my hands to better thée assure thy selfe to 〈◊〉 the benefit the honour of my name alwaies excepted Lysimachus 〈…〉 a while thought it best to discouer himselfe and presently to receiue the conâ—â—t to life or the reply to death for his life death did depend in her answere praying the rest to depart with a sighing spirit and trembling chéere disclosed himselfe Aâ— my swéete Varrona in whose answere is seated my heauen or hell to recount to you my sorrowes or repent my loue can neither ease me of the one or further me in the other sâ—eing your selfe shall appeare a witnesse in them both Although that reason did somewhat prefer me by the benefit of séemely gouernment keeping in subiection the vntamed appetite of furious affections yet confirming it by my owne eye-sight the manifold graceâ— wherewith â—ame nature hath mightily enriched you I found my thoughts so fiercely assaulted that either I must yéeld to be your captiue or else die in the combat Yea the glistering beaâ—â—â—â— of your heauenly perfections so pierced my heart that I was forced to forsake reason to followe affections and to forgoe libertie to liue in bondage if it may be tearmed bondage to serue with loue such rare excellencie Hauing tasted so much of fancies cup and the drinke dispiersing it selfe into euery part I felt such passions in mine vnacquainted conceits that nothing but the rememberance of your swéetest sake could procure my ease fully resolued to serue loue and honour Varrona till the destinies of death should denie me Tumbling in the extremitie of these straunge passions and hearing that thy fathers suspition or rather iealousie of our late vnited simpathie doth watch like Argus ouer Io vnwilling that thou shouldest passe beyond the reach of his eye vnlesse as the thinkes thou shouldest ouerreach thy selfe my contents were turned into delayes complaints and my pleasure wrapt in this laborynth of grieuous lamentations but now noting the exâ—temitie of thy fortunes I find that Venus hath made this constant to requite my miseries and that where the greatest onset is giuen by fortune there is strongest defence made by affection Thus I doubt not but thy father in watching thée ouer-waketh himselfe and I hope profiteth as little as they which gaze on the flames of Aetna which vanish out of the sight in smoake Varrona throughlie vnderstanding his rare and ruthfull discourse with wéeping eyes and sorrowfull chéere embracing him in her armes after a sugred kisse gaue him this swéete comfort The heauens Lysimachus by their miraculous working haue taken truce with our affections whose diuine influence I thinke by some secret contemplation do séeme to conclude our loues It may be I haue béen liked of some and flattered of many but neuer deserued of any but only of thée Lysimachus whose life loue and loyaltie may iustly claime an intâ—rest in the fauourable consent and constancie of thy Varrona Lysimachus hearing this heauenlie harmonie was so rauished betweene ioy and feare for he feared least it had bin but a dreame that he was not able to vtter one word but at last sensibly perceiuing that it was no vision but the veritie of his desires staying himselfe by her hand concluded thus Ah swéete Varrona the only reuiuer of my dying spirit although neither heauen nor earth can affoord me thanks sufficient to requite thine honourable fauour yet shall the zealous truth and tried loue of Lysimachus affections encounter the glorie of Varronas beawtie And I vow by the heauens that when Lysimachus shall let his eye slip from thy beawtie or his thoughts from thy qualities or his heart from thy vertues or his whole life from euer honouring thée then shall heauen cease to haue starres the earth
dignitie to haue so noble a seruant And what is that chastitie which I séeke so charily so kéepe Do not some men say that women alwayes liue chastly ynough so that they liue charily ynough that is so that they conueigh their matters so couertly that their doings be not commonly knowne for otherwise to incontinencie were added impudencie likewise for a woman to enter in conuersation with a rascall of no reputation cannot be but a great blemish to the brightnesse of her name for a foule adulterer is euer worse then adulterie it selfe And is it not a great signe she loatheth her husband when she liketh one better which is euery way worse But to haue a friend of reseruation whose very countenance may credit her husband methinks cannot be no great dishonour either to the one or to the other What discredit was it to Helen when she left her husband Menelaus and went with Paris to Troy did not the whole glorie of Greece to her great glorie goe in armes to fetch her againe And if she had not béen counted a péece of price or if by that fact she had defaced her honour is it to be thought the Graecians would haue continued tenne yeeres in warre continually to win her againe But to leaue honour and chastitie and come to commoditie and safetie what do I know what perils will follow of this repulse Is it likely Maechander will put vp this reproch patiently May I not iustly looke to haue his loue turned to hate and that he will either by tyrannous meanes séeke the subuersion of my husband or by treacherous designements worke the ouerthrow of me and my good name For the first Edward a King of England may serue for an example who when the Countesse of Salisbury would not consent to content his incontinent desire he so raged against her parents and friends as that the father was forced to perswade his owne daughter to folly and the mother as a bawde to prostitute her to the Kings lust and bring her to his priuie chamber For the second the Earle of Pancaliar may serue for testimonie who when the Dutchesse of Sauoy would not yéeld to his lasciuious lust wrought such wiles that she was condemned for adulterie and iudged to suffer most shamefull death by burning Now to preuent either of these perils it lieth in my power and séeing of euils the least is to be chosen I thinke it better then to hazard life liuing or good name to loose that which shall be no great losse to my husband or my selfe for as the Sunne though it shine on vs here in Arcadia yet it giueth light likewise to those which are in England and other places so is there that in me wherewith Lysimachus may be satisfied and Maechander sufficed And this encourageth me thereto the rather for that I see by experience in most of my neighbours that those are euer most made of who that way deale most falsely with their husbands Besides that how openly soeuer they deale in these affaires their husbands neuer heare of it and though they do yet will they not hearken vnto it and albeit they do in a manner sée it yet will they not beléeue it and though thereto they giue credance yet will they loue them the better to haue them leaue it the sooner Againe what know I whether my husband deales falsely with me and rowe in some other streame which if it be so I shall but saue his soule in paying his debts and exercise the vertue of iustice in requiting like for like And touching the corruption of my bloud I thinke it made more noble in participating with one of more dignitie then is my husband But canst thou harlot call him husband whom thou meanest so wickedly to betray Am I in my wits to vse these senselesse words Is it my mouth that hath vttered this blasphemie or was it the Diuell within me that deliuered it foorth No if I were guiltie but in thought hereto I would restore the fault with criminall pennance yea if I felt any part in me apt to any such euill I would cut it off for feare of infecting the rest of the body Good God whither now is honour fled which was euer wont to be the fairest flower in my garland whither now is chastitie banished which hath béen alwaies the chiefest stay of my state shall the sunne of my shining life be now eclipsed with an act â—o filthie that the very remembrance thereof is no lesse grieuous then death Why was Helen for all her heaueÌ„ly how any other accounted then a common harlot and was it not onely to be reuenged on her and on her champion Paris that the Grecians continued their siege so long And touching the inconueniences which may incurre by this refusall is any euill worse then dishonestie Is there any thing to be feared more then offence Is not the lesse of goods lesse then of ones good name Is not an honorable death to be preferred before an infamous life And touching the Countesse before rehearsed had she euer married with the King if she had not coÌ„tinued in her constancie to the end And for the Dutchesse of Sauoy what hurt susteined she by that false accusation did it not make her glorie and vertue shew more splendentlie to the view of the whole world yes no doubt of it For like as streames the more you hinder their current the greater is the deluge or as the hearb Camomtle the more it is suppressed the more it spreadeth abroade euen so vertue and honestie the more they are wronged with enuie the more they eleuate and extend their flourish for honour euermore is the reward of vertue and doth accompany it as duly as the shadow doth the body And as the Sunne though it be vnder a cloude kéepeth still his brightnesse albeit by vs it cannot be discerned so vertue though it be darkened with diuelish deuises yet it reserueth her power and vigour still though to vs it séeme vtterly to be extinguished so that so long as I remember vertue and honestie I néede not care what man what malice or the diuell can deuise against me No no swéete husband I will not make thée ashamed to shew thy face amongst the best of them and I will let thee vnderstand the villanie which that viper Maechander indeuoureth to do thee And shall I deale so fondly indéede Is not the repulse punishment ynough vnlesse I bewray his doings to Lysimachus and so procure him further displeasure yea I might thereby be occasion to set them together by the eares whereby it might fall out as the euent of battaile is alwayes doubtfull that my husband might be hurt or slaine and the common report would be as the people are euer prone to speake the wrost that I being an ill woman had conspired his confusion and set Maechander to sley him And though no such thing chaunced as God forbid it should yet this at least I should be sure to get
by it that my husband euer after would be iealous ouer me and right carefull would he be to keepe that which he sawe others so busily to séeke And such is the malice of men perchance he would iudge some light behauiour in me to be the cause that encouraged Maechander to attempt my chasâ—itie For men haue this common opinion amongst them that as there is no smoake but where there is fire so sieldome is there any seruent loue but where there hath béen some kindnes shewed to kindle ones desire Moreouer this toy may take him in the head that it is a practise betwéene vs two to preuent suspition and cloake our loue and with the firme perswasion of my inuincible chastitie to lull him a sléepe in securitie and then most to deceiue him when he least suspected guile And if at any time he heare of it by others I may stop his mouth with this that I my selfe told him of it which if I had meant to deale falsely with him I would not haue done Yea what know I whether he will like the better or worse of me for bréeding such a bées nest in his braine Lastly I should derogate much from my owne chastitie and in a manner accuse my selfe of pronenesse to fall that way as though I were not strong ynough to withstand his assaults without the assistance of my husband Yes God in whom I repose my trust shall fortifie me against the furie of my foes and giue me grace with wisedome to escape his wiles with charinesse to eschew his charmes and with pietie to resist his prauitie Now to returne to Maechander so soone as that old bawde had related vnto him at large the answere of his mistres he fell from the place where he sate flat vpon the groued and lay in a traunce a great while and now those sparkes which before loue had kindled in him were with continuall sighes so blowne as it were with a paire of bellowes that they brake forth into fierie flames that which before was fancie was now turned into turie For being come to himselfe or rather being quite past himselfe with staring lookes pale countenance with fierâ—e eyes with gnashing téeth with trembling tongue in rage he roared forth these words And shall I thus be frustrate of my desire shall I with words and workes with prayers and presents pursue the good will of a daintie disdaining dame and receiue but labor for my loue and gréefe for my affection But oh franticke foole why doe I in a furie rage against her who is the most faire and courteous creature vnder heauen No it is that churle Lysimachus that soweth the séed of my sorrow it is his seueritie towards her that causeth her crueltie towards me the feare which she hath of him is the cause she dareth not take compassion on my afflictions And shall be swim in blisse and I lie drencht in deepe dispaire shall he be ingorged with pleasure and I pine away in paine No I will make him féele that once which he maketh me feele athousand times a day And herevpon determined with himselfe by some meanes or other to procure the death of Lysimachus thinking thereby the sooner to obtaine his purpose of his wife And calling vnto him one of his swearing swash-buckler seruants he layde before him the platforme of his purpose and told him plainly if he would spéedily dispatch Lysimachus out of the way he would giue him a thousand crowns in his purse to kéepe him in another country His seruant though altogether past grace yet for fashion sake began to aduise his master more wisely saying For my owne part it maketh no matter for an other countrie is as good for me as this and I count any place my country where I may liue well and wealthily But for your selfe it is requisite that extraordinary care be added in regarde that your loue towards Varrona is kowne to diuers of this cittie by reason wherof if I should coÌ„mit any such fact it must néeds be thought that you are accessarie thereto which will turne though not to your death for that none hath authoritie aboue you to execute the rigour of the lawes vpon you yet to your vtter shame and reproach it cannot but conuert Tush said his maister the case is light where counsaile can take place what talkest thou to me of shame that am by imurious and spitefull dealing depriued of the vse of reason and dispossessed of my wits and senses Neither am I the first that haue played the like part Did not Dauid the chosen seruant of God being blasted with the beautie of Bersheba cause her husband Vrias to be set in the vanward to be slaine which done he maried his wife And why is it not lawfull for me to doe the like But I know the worst of it if then wilt not take it vpon thée I will either performe it my selfe or procure some other that shall The man séeing how his maister was bent both to satisfie his mind and to gaine so great a summe of mony consented assoone as opportunitie would giue him leaue to murther Lysimachus wherewith Maechander remayned somewhat appeased hoping now to be inuested into the throne of his delights But the ground of this vnnaturall deuise was most strangely detected For all their consultations were ouerheard by Conscionato an other of Maechanders men but more religiously addicted being then resident in a chamber néere adioâ—ning vnto that place wherein those things were thus debated He vtterly condemning his maisters too much luxurious thoughts and greatly misliking his fellowes impudent promise but especially affecting Lysimachus as a man in whom the true sparkes of vertue were eminent made manifest incontinently the whole conspiracie which Maechander for the loue of his wife had deuised against him desiring him not to account him a traytor for bewraying his maisters counsel but to thinke that he did it for conscience hoping that although his maister inflamed with desire or incensed by lust had imagined such causelesse mischiefe yet when time should asswage his desires and moderate his affections that then he would count him as a faithfull seruant that with such care had kept his maisters credit Lysimachus had not fully heard the man tell forth his tale but a quaking feare possessed al his limunes thinking that there was some plot wrought and that the fellow did but shadowe his craft with these false colours wherefore he began to wax in choller and said that he doubted not Maechander sith he was his friend and there hâ—d neuer as yet bene any breach of amitie he had not sought any wayes to wrong him with slaunderous spéeches to offend him by sinister reports to molest his patience but in word and thought he rested his at all times he knews not therefore any cause that should moue Maechander to seeke his death but suspected it to be a compacted knaâ—â—rie of some to bring the gentlewoman and him at oddes Conscionato staying him
disalow marriage and that you pretend otherwise in words then you intend to do in works I am content to giue you the honour of the field and thus far to yeels my consent to your opinion that virginitie considered of it owne nature simply without circumstance is better then matrimony but because the one is ful of perill the other fraught with pleasure the one full of ieopardie the other full of securitie the one as rare as the blacke swanne the other as common as the black crowe of good things I thinke the more common the more commendable I said she I haue gotten any conquest thereby I thanke mine owne cause not your courtesie who yéelds when you are able to stand no longer in defence Nay Madame say not so quoth he for in that verie yéelding to your opâ—â—â—on 〈◊〉 marriage better then virginitie for that it is more common neither would I haue you turne my silence 〈◊〉 this matter in lacke of knowledge or reprehend me if I spare to inforce further proofe in a matter alreadie sufficiently prooâ—ed no more then you would rebuke the spanniell which ceaseth to hunt when he seeth the hawke seazed on the paâ—tridge But you may maruaile madam what is the cause that maketh me perswade you thus earnestly to marriage which as mine owne vnworthynesse willeth me to hide so your incomparable courtesie enâ—â—rageth me to disclose which maketh me thinke that it is no small cause which can make you greatly offended with him who beareth you great good will and that what sute soeuer I shall prefer vnto you you will either graunt it or forgiue it pardon or pittie it Therefore may it please you to vnderstand that since not long since I tooke large view of your vertue and beautie my heart hath bene so inflamed with the bright beames thereof that nothing is able to quench it but the water which floweth from the fountaine that first infected me and if pittie may so much preuaile with you as to accept me I dare not say for your husband but for your slaue and seruant assure your selfe there shal no doubt of danger driue me from my duetie towards you neither shall any Ladie whatsoeuer haue more cause to reioyce in the choice of her seruant then shall your selfe for that I wil account my life no longer pleasant vnto me then it shall be imployed in your seruice Fuluia dying her little chéekes with vermilion red and casting her eyes on the ground gaue him this answere As I am to yéeld you thanks for your good wil so am I not to affoord consent to your request for that I neither mind to marrie nor thinke my selfe worthie to retaine such a seruant But if I were dâ—â—pâ—sed to receiue you any way I thinke the best manner meane enough for your worthinesse Immediately hereupon there came company vnto them which made them breake off their talke and Fuluia being got into her chamber began to thinke on the sute made vnto her by Valentine and by this time Cupid had so cunningly carued and ingraued the idoll of his person and behauiour in her heart that she thought him worthie of a farre more excellent wife then her selfe and perswading her selfe by his words and lookes that his loue was loyall without lust true without trifling and faithfull without faigning she determined to accept it if her parents would giue thereto their consent Now Valentine nothing dismayed with her former deniall for that it had a courteous close so soone as opportunitie serued set on her againe in this sort Now Madame you haue considered my case at leisure I trust it will stand with your good pleasure to make me a more comfortable answere I beseech you sir said she rest satisfied with my former resolution for other as yet I can make you none Alas Madame quoth he the extremitie of my passion will not suffer long prolonging of remorse wherefore I humbly entreat you presently to passe your sentence either of bale or blisse of saluation or damnation of life or death or if the heauens haue conspired my confusion and that you meane rigorously to reiect my good wil I meane not long to remaine aliue to trouble you with any tedious sute for I account it as good reason to honour you with the sacrifice of my death as I haue thought it conuenient to bestow vpon you the seruice of my life Alas quoth she this iesting is nothing ioyfull vnto me and I pray you vse no more of it for the remembrance of that which you vtter in sport maketh me féele the force thereof in good earnest for a thousand deaths at once cannot be so dreadfull vnto me as once to thinke I liue to procure the death of any such as you are If said he you count my words sport iest and daliance assure your self it is sport without pleasure iest without comfort and daliance without delight as tract of time shall truly maniâ—est But if you loue not to heare of my death why like you not to giue me life which you may doe onely by consent of your good will Why sir quoth she you know my consent consisteth not in my selfe but in my parents to whom I owe both duetie and honour therefore first it behooueth you to demaund their consent Why Madame quoth he shall I make more account of the meaner parts then of the head you are the chiefe in this election and therefore let me receiue one good word of your good will and then let heauen and earth doe their worst It is not the coyne countenance or credit of your parents that I pursue for to purchace such a treasure as is your good will I could be content all the dayes of my life to be obnoxious vnto all calamities so that you be mainteyned according to your desire and worthinesse Well said she séeing I am the onely marke at which you shoote assay by all meanes to get my friends good liking and if you leuell any thing straight me you shall not misse Valentine vpon this procured the Kings letters for in his fauour he was highly interested to her father in this behalfe who hauing pervsed them said he trusted the King would giue him leaue to dispose of his owne according to his pleasure and that his daughter was too néere vnto him to sée her cast away vpon one who for lacke of yéeres wanted wisedome to gouerne her and for lacke of lands liuing to mainteine her And calling his daughter before him he began to expostulate with her in this sort Daughter I euer heretofore thought you would haue béen a solace and comfort to my old yeeres and the prolonger of my life but now I see you will increase my hoaâ—â—e haires and be the hastner of my death Doth the tender care the carefull charge and chargeable cost which I haue euer vsed in bringing you vp deserue this at your hands that you should passe a graunt of your good will in marriage without my consent Is
the remedies he could to heale himselfe but all in vaine Fuluia also feeling the poison to preuaile within her fell vpon her knees before the aulter of Diana vttering these words O Goddesse thou â—â—owest how since the death of my swéete husband this life hâ—â—h béen most loathsome and sowre vnto me and that the onely offering vp of this sacrifice hath kept me from him which now in thy presence being pâ—rformed I thinke my selfe to haue satisfied my duety and purchased thereby a pasport to passe to the haâ—iâ—ation and paradice where my husband hath his dwelling Immediately vpon this so well as she could she crawled home to her house where she was no sooner but tidings were brought her that Delfridus was dead wherewith with great ioy she cast her selfe downe vpon her bedde and called her little sonne which she had by Valentine whom blessing and bussing said Alas pretie impe who shall now defend thée from thy â—oes who shall redresse thy wrongs Thy father is gone thy mother is departing and thou poore soule must abide behind to endure the brunt and bitter blastes of this wretched world Ah if the loue which I bare my husband had not bene exceeding great nature would haue caused me to haue some care of thée and for thy sake to haue suffered my selfe sometime longer to liue but now as I haue shewed my selfe a louing wife so haue I scarce shewed my selfe a naturall mother But alas it was reason I should preâ—er him before thée who was the author of thée and who blessed me with thée Well I sée now my time is come my tongue begins to â—aile come deare child and take thy last Conge of thy dying mother God shield thee from shame God preserue thee from perrill God send thee more prosperous fortune then haue had thy poore parents And thus farewell my fruite farewell my flesh farewell sweet babe And welcome my Valentine whom I see in the Skies ready to receiue me And so in sorrow and ioy she gaue vp the ghost Thus was the end of Valentineâ—atally â—atally no doubt sent thus was the end of the beggers miserably accomplished Now I would wish you blazing stars which stand vppon your chastity to take light at this lot to take héed by this harme you â—ée the husband slain the leacher poisoned the wire dead the friends comfortlesse the child parentlesse And can the preseruation of one simple womans chastitie counteruaile all these confusions had not the losse of it bene lesse then of her life But it is naturally incident to women to enter into extremities they are too louing or too loathing too courteous or too coy too willing or too wilfull too mercifull or too mercilesse too forward or â—oo froward too friendly or too fiendlie the mean they alwaies â—â—â—nderly account of otherwise she might with reason sooner then outrage haue suppressed his rage she might with some continent courtesie haue cooled his incontinent desires and better it had bene to haue drawne him on with delaies then to haue driuen him into such dispaire and to haue brought him into some errour then into such feare to haue preâ—â—pated him But howsoeuer my words run I would not you should take them altogether to tend to her dispraise for as I must condemne her crueltie so can I not but commend her constancie and thinke her worthie to be coÌ„pared to Lucrece Penelope or what woman soeuer that euer had any preheminence of praise for her vertue And I would wish my gallant youthes which delight to gaze on euery beautifull glasse and to haue an oare stirring in euery louely boate not to row past their reach not to fire their fancies vpon impossibilities not to suffer themselues to be blasted with the beames of beautie or scortched with the lightning of louing lookes such affection towards the married is euer without loue such fire is without feare such sutes are without shame such cankers if they be not at the beginning cured growe to the confusion of the whole bodie Therefore gentlewoman I leaue it to your iudgements to giue sentence whether is more worthie of reprehension he or she He had the law of loue on his side she the law of men and of marriage on her part loue led him which the Gods themselues cannot resist chastitie guided her which the Goddesses themselues haue lost he killed him whom he counted his enemie she slew him whom she knew her friend she with reason might haue preuented great mischiefs his wings were too much limed with lust to flée forth of his follie FINIS * at the Lord of hostes