rather far the more inflamed my desire was not diminished but augmented and my liking no lesse but rather inlarged so that to liue in loue without hope was loathsome to séek redresse was losse of life to want my wish was horror to inioy my wil was hel◠to liue in care without cōfort was calamity to séek for cure was more than misery not to possesse the pray was hellish danger to venture for the prize was haples death Thus crossed with cares daūted with such diuers doubts desperate hope so repulsed direful feare that encouraged by ventrous desire I had either obtained my wish or wanted of my wil if your Ladiship had not so sodainly wakened me out of my slūber Thus Madame Castania you haue heard my dreame now the doubt is whether it had been better to haue ventured vppon the brittle bridge and so either desperately to haue ended cares with death or else valtantly to haue enioyed desire with renowne or still like a fearefull dastard to haue ended my dayes in lingering loue with misery Castania hearing the surmized dreame of Gwydonius both smelled the fetch and smiled at the folly of this young youth knowing that these fantasticall visions and presupposed passions would in time if hée tooke not héed proue but too true to preuent therfore such imminent perils shée nipt her yong nouice on the pate with this parle GGydoniu◠quoth shee I haue listened to thy drousie dream with déep deuotion by so much the more desirous atttentiuely to heare it by how much the more I find it strange and wonderfull yea so strange as if I my selfe had not wakened thee out of thy slumber I would eyther haue thought it a fained vision or a fantasticall inuention but sith these Gentlemen here present and mine owne eyes are witnesses and thine owne tongue a testimony of thy talk suffice I beléeue it though I cannot diuine it to giue a verdite where the euidence is not vnderstood is vanity to yéeld a reason of an vnknowne case is meere folly and to interpret so strange a dreame without great practice is but to skip beyond my skill and to lie fast in the mire Yet least I might séeme to promise much perform nothing I wil decide your doubt if you please to take my doom for a censure It is a saying Gwydonius not so common as true that the hasty man neuer wants woe and that hee which is rash without reason seldome or neuer sloepeth without repentance To venture amidst the Pikes when perilles cannot bée eschewed is not fortitude but folly to hazarde in daungers when death insueth is not to bee worthily minded but wilfully mooued Vertue alwaies consisteth betwéen extreamities that as too much fearefulnesse is the signe of a quaking coward so too much rashnes be tokeneth a desperate Ruffian Manhood Gwydonius consisteth in measure worthinesse in fearing to hazard without hope But to giue a verdit by thine owne voyce I perceiue thou art guilty of the same crime for when the brittlenesse of the bridge portended and the surging seas inferred losse of life yet desire draue thée to aduenture so desperate a danger Better it is Gwydonius to liue in griefe then to dye desperately without grace better to choose a lingering life in misery then a spéedy death without mercie better to be tormented with haplesse fancy then with hellish fiends for in life it is possible to represse calamity but after death neuer to redresse misery Tully Gwydonius in his Tusculans questions discoursing of the happinesse of life and heauinesse of death sayth that to liue we obtaine it of the louing gods but to dye of the vnlucky destinies meaning hereby that life though neuer so loathsome is better then death though neuer so welcome whereby I conclude Gwydonius that to liue earefully is better then to die desperately Gwydonius perceiuing that Castanias parle was nothing to the purpose and that shée toucht not that point wherof he desired most to be absolued but meant to shake him off with a sléeuelesse answere began to drawe her to the Trap with this traine MAdame Castania quoth hée I confesse that rashnesse neuer raigneth without repentance nor hastie hazarding without haplesse harmes that hée which aduentureth desperate dangers is a foole and he that passeth ineuitable perils is worse then an Asse yet from these so generall rules Madame I exempt these particular exceptions namely Loue and Necessitie which two are tyed within no bounds nor limited within no law for whom the diuell driues hée must néedes runne be the passage neuer so perillous and whom Loue or Necessity forceth hee must venture bee the daunger neuer so desperate for as there is no enterprise so easie which to an vnwilling man seemeth not very hard to be atchieued so there is no encounter so cumbersome where will wisheth that séemeth not passing easie to bee performed now this will is with nothing sooner pricked forward than eyther with the force of loue or sting of necessity So that whosoeuer aduentureth in a daunger though neuer so desperate is not to be blamed if inforced by fancy or incouraged by affection and especially where the perill is in possibility to bee passed without death and in the performance thereof the possession of such a prize as the passionate person more estéemeth than lands limbs or life it selfe be it neuer so swéet In which case Madame my cause consisteth For the Lady who was an heauenly obiect to my gazing eyes was so beautified with the giftes of nature and so perfectly polished with more than naturall perfection that with the onelie view of such diuine beautie my senses were so besotted my wit and will so inueigled my affection so inflamed and my fréedome so fettered yea loue alreadie hath made so great a breach into the bulwarke of my breast that to obtaine so gorgious a Goddesse I thought death no daunger though neuer so direfull nor losse of life no torment though neuer so terrible Indéed Gwydonius quoth Thersandro I agrée with thée in this point that there is no carpet Knight so cowardly that would not passe more perillous pikes to possesse so liuely a Dame as thou doest decipher nor no dastarde so daunted with dreade which woulde not greatly indanger himselfe to enioy so louely a damsell in the fruition of whome consisteth nothing but ioy blisse rest contentation of minde delight happinesse yea all earchly felicity And yet Sir quoth Gwydonius your Sister Castania condemnes me of folly in venturing for so precious a prize when as hope perswaded me that no hazard could be haplesse and assured me that Loue and Fortune fauoureth them that are bolde that the gods themselues seeing my perplexed passions wold of pitty defend me from those perilous daungers For if Theseus by Diuine power were ayded against the force of the monstrous Minotaure or if Iason who constrayned with a couetous desire to obtaine the golden Fléece arriuing at Colchos was preserued by the gods from the
Clerophontes if he remained victor in the conquest hee would not onely giue him his daughter Castania to wife let him possesse peaceably the Dukedome of Mitylene as her dowris but be content to acknowledge him as his liege pay him tribute as he was wont to Clerophontes While he lingred and listned how this proclamation would preuaile Castania hearing this seuere sentence and dolefull doome pronounced seeing that she should not onely be forced to forsake Gwydonius but be constrained to match in mariage with one whom she should neither loue nor like burst forth into these bitter complaints ALasse quoth she how pinching a paine is it to be perplexed with diuerse passions what a noysome care it is to be cumbred with sundrie cogitations what a woe it is to hang betwéene desire aâ—â— despaire and what a hell it is to houer betwéene feare and hope For as to him which is assured to die death is no dolour in that he perfectly knows there is no salue can cure his sorow so to him which feares to die and yet hopes to liue death were thrice more welcome than to linger in such doubt In which cursed case alas my care consisteth for as out of the riuer Cea in Sicilia but flesh most fearefull flames and yet the streame is passing colde neither is the water able to quench the fire not the fire cause the water to be hot so the heat of hope flameth out of the chilling fountain of feare and yet the force of the one is not able to asswage the vehemency of the other but still my heauy heart is diuersly assayled with them both If my father Orlanio win that conquest I doubt my desire shall reuer haue happy successe if Clerophontes triumph as victor I greatly feare his cruelty is such as I shall not escape most hoplesse death And yet again I hope that then my owne Gwydonius will accept me for his and with triumphant armes embrace me But alas wil Clerophontes suffer him to match with his mortall foe wil hée not rather preuent it by my perill Yes no doubt if he returne with triumph my father shall serue him as a subiect my brother shall become his vassall my friendes shall bee forelorne my Citie sackt and my natiue Countrie brought to vtter confusion And shall I for the loue of a Stranger wish these straunge Stratagems Shall I to féede mine owne fancy and content my lusting minde wishe my Fathers death my Brothers bane my Friends mishap my Countries confusion and perhappes my owne miserie For though Gwydonius loued mée when our Parents were friendes hée will not now like me being foes but to reuenge the iniuries my Father offered him will subtilly séeke to sacke mine honour and honesty and so triumph of my shame and discredite Had I not better pray my Father may winne the combate and then shall I bathe in the streames of blisse and flowe in the flouds of felicitie then shall I dread no daunger no feare no perills then shall I sée my father friends and Country flourish in most happie prosperitie then shall I enioy some iollie Gentleman who will loue mée being young and cherish me being olde and possesse the Dakedome of Mitylene for my downe And canst thou Castania be so ingratefull as to will his woe which wisheth thy weale to desire his destruction which prayeth for thy prosperity Canst thou be so couetous as to craue that for thy possession which is thy Gwydonius patrimonie or so suspicious as to accuse him of trechery which hath bin but too trusty to count him a counterfaite which hath alwaies béene constant No come what come will let froward Fortune fauour whom shée please so I maie ioy and safely enioy my only ioy Gwydonius As Castania had thus ended her complainte Gwydonius who all this while lurked about the borders of Alexandria heard what successe Orlanioâ— affaires had with his Father Clerophontes how varie fews or none at all durst trie the combat with him that his loue and Lady Castania was the prise that hée should get that gained the conquest Which things considered supposing that Castania had cast him off and that she plaid Out of sight out of mind by a secret and trusty messenger hee presented her with this Letter Gwydonius to Castania health THe pure spice Castania the more it is pounded the swéeter smell it yéelds the Camomill increaseth most béeing troden on the Palme tree the greater waight it beareth the straighter it groweth the stone Terpistretes the more it is beaten the harder it is and loyall loue is not weakened by the stormes of aduersitie but rather farre the more fortified by the frowarde state of frowning Fortune which Madame I speake by proofe and experience for since I haue supped off the sowre dregs of sorrow and béene pestered with the bitten pills of penary sin or sinister fortune hath crossed me to the mishaps and disaster fates haue driuen mee downe to misery my fancy hath so furiously assaulted my minde and affection hath so incessantly battered the bulwarke of my brest as the sparkes of Ioue which kindled in mée in prosperity are turned to fierce and fiery flames by adnorsitie So that Madam your presence did not before procure me such pleasure as your absence doth paine neither was I so drowned in delight in frequenting your companie as I am drenched with despight by leading my life in sorrowfull calamitie Alasse Castania what vnspeakeable griefe hath tormented mée what direfull dolour hath distressed mee what hellish horrour hath haunted mee yea what wee and wretchednesse hath wracked my wits since thou last béen proclaimed a prey to him whosoeuer winneth the prise in the combate How oft haue I wished that I might bee the Champion to make the challenge that I might venture my life to purchase thy liberty that my death might redéem thée from danger But alas I sée to wish is in vaine to craue of the geds that thy father should vaunt of the victory is but to wish that our loue should haue haplesse successe to pray that Clerophontes should returne with conquest thou wilt déeme I desire thy friends misfortune Thus assayled with diuers doubts I driue off my dayes in dolour hoping howsoeuer fortune frowne that the fates wil assigne vs a perfect calm of permanent felicity for this sturdie storme of pinching miserie Thine euer exiled Gwydonius CAstania hauing receiued this Letter séeing that no sinister chaunce of fortune was able to change the fixed fancie of Gwydonius conceiued such assured hope in his constancie as now shée thought his troth was filed with no spot of treachery that his faith was quite deuoide of flatterie that whatsoeuer chaunced she might safely repose hir stay and state in his loyaltie Insomuch that to drine out the euill opinion which she thought her brother Thersandro had conceiued of Gwydonius conspiracie she secretly shewed him the Letter which after he had read ouer and carefully construed euery clause hee began both to detect
bodie as to bee condemned for the imperfection of his minde Hee was so endued with vanitie and so imbrued with vice so nursed vp in wantonnesse and so nulled vp in wilfulnesse so carelesse to obserue his fathers commaund and so retchlesse to regard his counsell that neither the dread of Gods wrath nor the feare of his fathers displeasure coulde driue him to desist from his detestable kinde of liuing Nay there was no fact so filchy which hée would not commit no mischiefe so monstrous which hée would not enterprsse no danger so desperate which hée woulde not aduenture no perill so fearefull which hée would not performe nor no action so diuelish which hée would not execute So immodest in his manners so rude in his gestures yea and so prodigall in his expences as mines of golde were not able to maintaine such witlesse prodigalitie This loathsom life of Gwydonius was such a cutting corasiue to his Fathers carefull conscience and such a haplesse clog to his heauic hart that no ioy could make him enioy any ioy no mirth could make him merry no prosperity could make him pleasant but abandoning all delight auoiding all companie he spent his doleful daies in dumps and dolors which he vttered in these words NOw quoth hée I proue by experience the saying of Sophocles to be true that the man which hath many children shall neuer liue without some mirth nor die without some sorrow for if they be vertuous he shal haue cause whereof to reioyce if vicious wherefore to be sad which saying I trie performed in myselfe for as I haue one child which delights me with her vertue so I haue another that despights me with his vanity as the one by dutie brings me ioy so the other by disobedience bréeds my anoy yea as the one is a comfort to my minde so the other is a fretting corasiue to my heart for what griefe is there more griping what pain more pinching what crosse more combersome what plagne more pernitious yea what trouble can torment me worle then to sée my sonne mine heir the inheritor of my Dukedom which should be the pillex of my parentage to consume his time in roysting and ryot in spending and spoiling in swearing and swashing in following wilfully the furie of his own frantike fancie Alas most miserable and lamentable case would to God the destinies had decreed his death in the swadling cloutes or that the fates had prescribed his death in his infancie Oh that the daie of his birth had béen the daie of his buriall or that by some sinister storme of fortune he had béen stifled on his mothers knées so that his vntimely death might haue preuented my ensuing sorrowes and his future calamities for I sie that the young frie will alwaies proue olde frogs that the crooked twig will proue a crabbed trée that the sower bud will neuer be swéet blossome how that which is bred in the bone will not easily out of the flesh that he which is carelesse in youth will be lesse carefull in age that where in prime of yéeres vice raigneth there in ripe age vanity remaineth Why Clerophontes if thou séest the sore why doest thou not apply the salue and if thou doest perceiue the mischief why doost not preuent it with medicine take away the cause the effect faileth if Gwydonius be the cause of thy ruth cut him off betimes least hee bring thee to ruine better hadst thou want a Son then neuer want sorrow Perhaps thou wilt suffer him so long til he fall sick of the Father and then hée wil not only séek thy lands and liuing but life and all if thou preuent not his purpose yea and after thy death he will be through his lasciuious life the ouer throw of thy house the consumer of thy Dukedome the wracke of thy Common-weale and the very man that shall bring the state of Mitylene to mischief miserie Sith then thy Son is such a sink of sorrowes in whose life lies hid a loathsome masse of wretched mishaps cut him off as a gracelesse graft vnworthy to grow out of such a stock Alas Clerophontes shalt thou be so vnnaturall as to seek the spoile of thine owne childe wilt thou bee more sauage then the brute Beastes in committing such crueltie no alas the least misfortune of our children dooth so mooue vs that as the Spider féeleth if her web bee prickt but with the point of a pinne so if they bée toucht but with the least trouble we féele the paines thereof with pricking grief to pinch vs. Why hath not Nature then caused loue to ascend as well as to descend and placed as dutifull obedience in the childe as louing affection in the father and with that he fetcht such a deep sigh that it was a signe of the extreame sorrowe he conceiued for his sonnes witlesse folly But as hée was readie againe to enter into his dolefull discourse to aggranate his griefe the more and increase his care certaine complaints were brought him by sundry Citizens of the outragious behauiour of his Sonne Gwydonius which béeing attentiuely heard he in great choller called for his sonne against whom hée thundred out such threatning reproaches laying before his face the misery that would ensue of such recklesse mischiefes and promising that if hee directed not his course by a new compasse and leuelled his life by a new line hee would not onely repay his folly with the penalty of the law but also by consent of his commons disinherite him of his Dukedome that Gwydonius greatly incensed with the seuere censure of his father broyling with furious rage sturdily burst forth into these stubborne tearmes SIr quoth hée if Terence his Menedemus were aliue and heard these your fond and fantasticall reasons hee would as readily condemn you of crabbednesse as he accused Chremes of currishnesse for as he by too much austeritie procured his sonnes mishap so you by too much seueritie séeke to bréed my misfortune You olde men most iniustly or rather iniuriously measure our staylesse moode by your stayed minds our yoong yeares by your hoary haires our florishing youth by your withered age thinking to direct our doings by your doatings our wils by your wits our youthfull fancies by your aged affections to quench our fierie flames by your dead coales and cinders yea supposing that the Leueret should be as skilfull in making of a head as the olde Hare that the yoong Cubs should assoon tapish as the old Fox that the yoong Frie should as well auoid the net as the old Fish and that the yoong wantons should be as warie as the olde wisards But this sir is to make fire frost to chaunge heate to colde mirth to mourning singing to sadnesse pleasure to paine and to tye the Ape and the Bear in one tedder Sith then young stemmes will not bee set on a withered stocke that the yoong twig lieth not vnder the old trée that the toyish conceits of youth
things are not made of one mould so all men are not of one minde as the Serpentine powder is quickly kindled and quickly out so the Salamander stone once set on fire can neuer bee quenched as the soft ware is apt to receiue euerie impression so the hard metall neuer changeth form without melting Iason was neuer so trâ—uthlesse as Troylus was trustie Paris was neuer more fickle then Pyramus was faithfull Aeneas was neuer so light as Leander was faithfull And sure Madame I call the gods to witnesse I speake without faining that sith your beautie and vertue eyther by fate or for time is so déeply shrined in my heart if it please you to accept mée for your slaue or seruant and admit mée so farre into your fauour as that I may fréely enioie the sight of your sweet face and féed my fancie in the contemplation of your beautie in liewe therof I will repaie such dutifull seruice as the betrothed faith of Erasta to his Persida shall not compare with the loue of Valericus and Castania CAstania hearing these perplexed passions proceed from wofull Valericus pricked forwarde to take some remorse of his torments felt within her minde a carefull conflict betwéen fancie and the fates loue the destinies fancy perswaded her to take pittie of his paines the fates forced her to giue him the repulse loue wisht her to return his goodwil with gaine the destinies draue her to deny his request tossed thus with contrary cogitations at last she burst forth into these doubtfull spéeches VAlericus as I am not altogether to reward thy good-will with hate so I cannot repaie it with loue because fancie denies me to like to marry I meane not to retaine seruants I may not Marie to let thee eyther to loue or looke take this for an answere I neyther can nor will And with that shée went her way leauing Valericus greatly daunted with this doubtfull answere with feare and hope so fiercely assayled that being left alone he began thus to consider of his amorous conceits IF euer wofull creature had cause to complain his wofull ease then vndoubtedly may I preace for the formost place for there is no sorrow more sower no torment more terrible no grief more grieuous no heauinesse more hurtfull than to haue desire requited with despight and good will with hate then to like vpon hope of curtesse and to finde nothing but hate and hellish crueltie Alas poore Valericus is thy true loue thus triflingly accounted of is this the guerdon for thy good will Deoth thy deepe desire merite no better desert then hast thou no choice but eyther to dye desperately or else to liue loathsomly Why fond foole doest thou count her cruell that at the first giues not a frée consent Doest thou think her coie that commeth not at the first call wouldest thou haue the match made at the first motion She that is wonne with a word will bee lost with a winde the Hawke that bates at euery cast of the Lure will neuer bee stedfast on the stonde the woman that frameth her will to euery wish will proue but a wilde wanten No no Valericus let not her denials daunt thée let not the sower taste of her talke quat thy queaste stomacke conster all things at the best though her censure was very seuere yet shee knit vp her talke with a curteous close The hound which at the first default giueth ouer the chase is called but a curre The Knight that finding the first encounter combersom giueth ouer the quest is counted but a coward and the louer that at the first denyall is daunted with despayre is neyther worthy to obtaine his desire nor to enioy his desert And with that he flung out of his Chamber both to auoid the melancholy which tormented his minde and sée if he could haue a sight of his goddesse But Castania altogether vnwilling to parle with her new patient kept herselfe out of his sight which Valericus espying was no whit amazed but like a valiant souldiour gaue the fort a fresh assault with a new kinde of batterie séeking to obtaine that with writing which he could not gaine with words and therefore spéedily framed a letter to this effect Seignor Valericus to the Lady Castania health THere is no creature Madame Castania so bereaued of reason or depriued of sense which being oppressed with direfull calamities findeth not by méere instinct of nature a present medicine for his maladie man onely excepted who by reason of this want may iustly accuse the iniurious gods of iniustice The Tiger though neuer so deadly wounded tasteth the roote of Tamariske and is presently cured The Deare being strooken though neuer so déep féedeth on the hearb Dictamnum and forthwith is bealed the Lyon salueth his sicknesse by eating the Sea Woolfe and the Vnicorne recouereth his health by swallowing vp the buds of a Date trée But man being crossed with care or oppressed with griefe pinched with fancie or perplexed with loue findeth no hearbe so wholesome nor medicine so milde no plaister so perfect nor no salue so soueraigne which by their secrete vertues can appease his passions Which Madame I know by proofe now speak by experience for your diuine beautie and secret vertue the perfection of your bodie and the bountie of your minde hath kindled such a flaming fire in my haplesse heart that by no meanes it may be quenched but will turne my body into drie earth and cinders vnlesse by the droppes of your pittie it bee spéedily redressed Then Madame sith your beautie is my bale let it be my blisse since it hath wrought my woe let it worke my weale and let not my faithfull seruice and loyall loue be recompenced with such rigerous refusals Striue not for my life since you haue my libertie séeke not my death since you are the Saint to whom I offer vp my deuotion But good Madame let the swéete Balme of your beneuolence salue the sore which so painfully afflicteth my carefull conscience and with the deawe of your grace redéeme him from most hellish miserie whose life and death standeth in your answere which I hope shall be such as belongeth to the desert of my loue and the shew of your beautie Yours if he be Don Valericus Valericus hauing thus finished his Letter sent it with as much spéede as might be by his Page to Castania who finding her at conuenient leasure with most reuerent dutie deliuered it Castania at the first sight coniecturing the contents with scornful looks and disdainfull countenance vnripped the seales where séeing and reading his déep deuotion shee perceiued that his affection was no lesse in déede than he professed in word she notwithstanding would take no remorse of his torment but to driue him more into dolefull dumpes she returned him this damp Castania to Signior Valericus AS it is impossible Signor Valericus to straine moist licour out of the drie flint to procure slaming heate in that which
which of all other inward sores requireth greatest secrecie yet vndoubtedly the more it is discouered the sooner it is cured For as the stone of Armenia being couered with Sand burneth most extreamely and no sooner taketh aire but it cooleth so the firie flames of loue raked vp in silence fry most suriously but being by discourse disclosed they soone conuert from flame to fume and smoke Wherfore good Castania impart vnto mée the matter which doth import thée so néere and I sweare vnto thee by the sacred rites of Ceres which is so honoured in Alexandria that if thou doest loue where thy friends doe not like and thy wish be contrary to their will yet I will sake all meanes possible to redresse thy sorrowe Alas good Madame rather than you should thinke mee so incredulous or suspicious as not to beléeue your oath or doubt of your secret dealing I will without delay make you priuy to the cause of my paine what perill soeuer I incurre by reuealing it So it is Melytta that the perfection of Gwydonius his exquisite qualities excellent vertues haue so fiercely assaulted the fort of my fancy as I am perforce constrained to resigne my liberty captiue vnto his curtesie to make his person the prison of my heart This lucklesse vnlikely loue Madam is the cause of my care the sum of my sorrow this frantike affection hath driuen my drooping heart to shew forth these drousie leekes this is it which hath made me an enemy to myselfe a foe to all good company and to delight in nothing but sorrow and solitarinesse yea this is the sore which if in time it be not salued will preuent by death all other miseries And is this quoth Melytta the pain that so greatly perplexeth you Is this the care that so cumbers your conscience Is this the danger which driues you into such déepe distresse Do you think so superstitiously of Gwydonius or so abiectly of your selfe that you déem this matter impossible to be brought to passe no no doubt not Castania I my selfe dare absolutely promise thee that thy loue shall sort to such happie successe as thou thy selfe doest séeke for And with that Melytta stayed by a sodaine sight she had of that Saint that Castania so hartily serued for Gwydonius was entring in at the chamber deere with a dish of delicates which Orlanio hearing his Daughter was so sick had sent her Melytta séeing that Cupid began to sauor the cause of his Clients in giuing them such fit opportunitie to discouer their cares went her waie leauing Gwydonius the first man to play his part in this tragicall comedy who séeing his goddesse thus surprised with sicknesse was so gallen with griefe so pinched with hellish passions and so tortured with extreame torments that his colour began to change he fetcht a déep sigh or two which Castania hearing she perceiued without touching his pulses the cause of these his sodain passions In fine such melancholike motions so amazed his minde that he was almost mute in his message yet at length incouraging himselfe hée presented it vnto her in this wise Madame quoth he the Duke your Father hearing of your sodaine sicknesse in token of his fatherly affection amongst all his dainties hath sent you this dish which hee thinks most méet for your diet wishing your Ladiship to let no doubtfull motions distresse your minde nor no carefull thoughts cumber your conscience for you shall lacks nothing if you reueale to him your want which either your will or wish can desire And truly Madame to manifest my willing duety if the praiers of a poore Gentleman may be heard of the heauenly Gods I wish that before you taste of this feede it may turne to Nectar whereby not only your sicknesse should be salued but your diuine beautie and vertue according to desert should be crowned with immortalitie Castania perceiuing with what fernent affection Gwydonius vttered those wordes began to chéere vp her selfe in hope that her good will should not be repaied with ingratitude taking therefore the present at his handes and liking it neuer the worse for his sake that brought it she returned him this replie Gwydonius quoth she as I haue cause most reuerently to accept of my fathers louing curtesie and to repay his naturall affection with most dutifull obedience so I haue cause to thanke thee for thy paines and to thinke well of thée for thy wish promising in recompence of thy good wil if in any respect I may pleasure thee to séeke and sue to my father for preferment Madame I account the performance of my message no paine but pleasure and I thinke my selfe as much honored by this office thrice more happy than if I should in Ganimedes place present that cup to Iupiter But Madame sith that to stop the streame is to make the floud flow more fiercelie to represse the fire is to make it flame more furiously and to restraine the force of loue is to kindle a greater flame least too long delaie should bréede too great daunger and by concealing my sorrow I should make the sore incurable I thought good either presently to heare the curteous sentence of my life or the cruell doome of my death So it is Madame that too long gazing vppon the beames of your heauenly beautie and too narrowly construing ouer your vertuous conditions I remaine so caught in the snare of your bountie and so thralled in the thréede of your vertue that the staie of my life hangeth in your hands either to driue mee downe to hellish miscrie or to boist mee vp to heauenly felicity For although I haue not heretofore by dutifull seruice made manifest the loyaltie of my loue yet since I first framed in my fancie as in a mirrour the shape of your surpassing beautie my heart hath béene crossed with such cruell Camizados for your sake as if with the Target of hope I had not wiâ—hst stood the furious force of such raging furies I had by despaire béene dashed against most dangerous rockes Sith then Madame the sight of your swéete face hath fast fettered my fancie in the links of loue so as without your means I can neither be redressed nor released I humbly desire you neither to resist the motion of my well meaning nor to reiect the deuotion of my good will but to accept your poore Gwydonius as a faithfull seruant Castania hearing diligentlie the faithfull discourse of distressed Gwydonius perceiuing by his sighs the pinching sorrow of his thoughts and séeing him so fast fettered in follie on a sodaine to giue her the slip had that shee desired and now her louing lookes were turned to lowring glances her delightfull curtesie to disdainfull coinesse and she thought to repaie the swéete meate wherewith before she fed him with most sowre sauee not that she misliked of his loue for it was the onelie thing she desired but to make him the more feruent in affection vttering these or such like
my deniall was onely for thy better tryall and those rigorous repulses were either to rip vp thy fained fancie or seruent affection for if thou hadst retired at the first foyle I woulde haue thought thy fancie but a flash ready to be quenched with the least misling deaw of misfortune But since thou hast kept thy course so rightly by thy compasse amidst most daungerous rockes and hast stoode to thy tackling against all the blustering blastes of Fortune Assure thy selfe in lieu of this thy loue thou hast not héeretofore found mée so disdainfull as hèereafter thou shalt finde me dutifull neither did I euer reiect thée so currishly as I will accept thée curteously béeing ready to restore the iniury I haue offered thée with any curtesie that thou mayest either honestly require or I iustly affoord But alasse Gwydonius what curtesie shall I euer be able to shew thée that may counteruaile thy kindnesse How entirely shall I loue thée to requite thy loyaltie What duetie can bee a due recompence to this thy good will yea if by any meanes I can quit this thy loue I neuer doubt to bee déemed ingratefull while I liue Thy worthy constancie Gvvidonius hath won the castle which many haue besieged and thou hast obteined that which diuerse haue sought to gaine yet it is not the shape of thy beautie but the hope of thy loyaltie which entiseth me not thy faire face but thy faithfull heart not thy comly countenance but thy modest curtesie not thy wordes but thy vertues not thy wealth but thy wit for she that builds her fancy vpon such fading subiects tieth her loue to the incōstant whéele of Fortune And what though the duke my father bee incensed against me for making in his mind so carelesse a choise What care I for his friendship so I haue thy fauour let him fret let my friends frowne let liuings be lost hap what hap will no misling showers of mischāce no baysterous blasts of aduersitie no terrible tempest of disaster fortune shall make my constant minde in any respect to mooue no torments no trauaile no care no calamitie no penurie no pouertie no onely the losse of life shal diminish my loue in lieu wherof remaine thou but constant and in pledge of my protested good wil haue héere my heart and hand to be thine in dust and ashes Thine though the Gods say no Castania THis Letter béeing most luckily deliuered into the hands of Gwydonius I leaue you to iudge Gentlemen into what a quandarie this yong youth was brought to sée such a sodaine change and so happie a chaunce as to haue his hellish bale requited with heauenly blisse his despightfull annoy with delightfull ioy his heauinesse with happinesse and doubtfull despaire turned to assured hope to sée Fortune which of late deffed him as a foe nowe to imbrace him as a friend and to will that hee did wish to sée his mistresse crueltie turned to curtesie her disdaine to desire her bitter pilles to sugered potions her stormie repulses to calme consent and her contemptuous protestations to most constant promises For if the carefull captiue who by the doome of the Iudge expecteth each houre to die reioyceth when he heareth his pardon pronoūced no doubt Gwydonius ioy could be no lesse sith denial was his death and consent the conserue to heale his woundes the greater care the greater ioy the more paine the greater pleasure the more hellish miserie the more heauenly felicitie Yea Gwydonius was driuen into such an extasie for ioy that he was in doubt whether this Letter was preferred to him indéede or presented to him in a vision whether he were rapt into a traunce or rauished with some drowsie slumber but at last perceiuing it to be no fained fantasie such a déep desire inforced his affection as he thought euerie moment a moneth euerie houre a yeare euerie day a thousand vntill he might fréely enioy the presence sight of his loue and Ladie Castania Fortune meaning to aduance him to the toppe of her inconstant whéele brought it so to passe that before the wéeke was ended he spied Castania walking alone in the garden which sodain sight so reuiued his senses that without any dread or doubt he māfully marcht on towards her and was as hastily and hartily incountred by Castania who embracing Gwydonius in her armes welcommed him with this salutation As the Whale Gwydonius maketh alwaies signe of great ioy at the sight of the fish called Talpa Marina as that Hinde greatly delighteth to sée the Leopard as the Lyon fawneth at the view of the Vnicorne as he which drinketh of the Fountaine Hipenis in Scythia féeleth his mind so drowned in delight that no griefe thogh neuer so great is able to asswage it so Gwydonius I conceiue such surpassing pleasure in thy presence and such heauenly felicitie in the sight of thy perfection that no miserie though neuer so monstrous is able to amaze mée no dolour though neuer so direfull is able to daunt mée nor no mishappe though neuer so perillous is able to make me sinke in sorrow as long as I enioy thy presence which I count a soueraine preseruatiue against all carefull calamities That as he which tasteth of the hearb Hyacinthus is neuer combred with care and as he that weareth the stone Agathes about him is surely defenced against all ensuing sorrows so enioying the sight of thy séemely selfe and féeding mine eyes with the forme of thy feature I thinke my selfe sufficiently shrowded against all the tempestuous showers of sinister fortune And to proue these my promises to bee no fained vanities but faithfull veritie I commit my selfe my staie and state into thy handes to dispose of me at thy pleasure wishing rather to liue with thee in most distressed penurie than to linger héere in most fortunate prospeperitie Gwydonius listening attentiuely to this sugred harmonie was so rauished with the sight of her swéete face and so rapt into a traunce with the contemplation of her beauty that as the Lyon tasting of the gumme Arabicke becommeth senselesse as the Bull by browsing on the barke of a Iuniper trée falleth asléepe as the Camell standeth astonished at y◠sight of a Rat so Gwydonius séeing in his armes the Saint whome in heart he did honour and imbracing y◠Goddesse whom with most déep deuotion he did adore was so amazed that he was not able to vtter one word as witnesse of his happinesse vntill at last gathering his wits together he began thus to reply CAstania quoth he it is an axiome in Philosophie that the colour ioyned hard to the sight hindreth the sense the flower put into the nosethrill stoppeth the smelling the Wine vessell being full lett es passe no Wine though neuer so well vented the waterpot being filled to the brim yéeldes forth no licour though hauing a thousand holes so where the minde is surcharged with ouermuch ioy or too much pleasure there the tongue is both tyed and the senses so
all their market and turned their swéet to sowre for he gaue Thersandro his answere before Lewcippa which was this That he neither meant to accept of the conditions of peace nor to receiue the tribute but to claime his due by the doubtfull euent of battaile That he shortly pretended in person to visite Orlanio and within the walles of Alexandria to demand his debt and that he would bestow his fathers Dukedome vpon a Lord of his called Lucianus in dowrie with his daughter Lewcippa Thersandro was nothing amazed with the first part of the message but when he heard how Clerophontes meant presumptuously both to depraue him of his liuing and depriue him of his loue hee was so puffed vp with wrath and choler as happe what happe would he fell into these tearmes I remember quoth he that Caligula the Emperour prouiding a mightie armie to subdue great Britaine when hée was come to the sea ready to poste ouer his souldiers in his Nauie he left off his endlesse enterprise and set them to gather Cockles Siphax boldly boasting that hee would bestow the kingdome of Numidia vpon his second sonne was by Massinisâ—a ouerthrowne and sold as captiue to the Romanes I dare not sir inferre comparisons because they be odious nor apply the examples sith time and place forbids mee but this I say that to fish before the net is alwaies counted folly and to vaunt before the victorie is but vanitie Yea and if I had as good right to your daughter Lewcippa as I haue to the supposed dowrte which you assigne her I would in despight of Lucianus and the diuell himselfe dispose her at my pleasure Clerophontes hearing the cholerike conclusion of Thersandro could scarcely bridle his frantike furie from raging without reason against this young youth yet somewhat mitigating his moode hee breathed out these cruell threatnings IF the law of armes quoth he did not both safely protect thée and surely forbid me to hurt thée in that thou art a messenger I would with such seueritie chastice these thy presumptuous spéeches as thou shouldest learne hereafter to answere with more reuerence yet I wish thée not to stand too stiffe vpon this point least if thou bee so recklesse as to breake the bondes of reason I be so forgetfull as to passe the limits of the law Thou hast receiued a determinate answer for the Embasse and heere I charge thée this present day to depart out of my dominions Thersandro fearing the tyrannie of this cruell Clerophontes presently passed out of the chamber of Presence taking his leaue of Ladie Lewcippa onely with louing lookes which she requited with such glaunces of good will that they were sufficient signes what insupportable sorrow she receiued by his so sodaine departure yet knowing that her fancie was incountered with mutuall affection she draue away the mystie cloudes of despaire hoping that the Gods séeing their faithfull amitie would take pittie of their passions and in time redresse their miserie But Thersandro hauing with spéede dispatcht his affaires all his traine being set aboord and they coasting the straights with a luckie gale was so combered with care and so ouer-growne with griefe that he passed no houre minute nor moment without wofull wailing sorrowfull sobs and far fetcht sighs so that the Gentlemen his companions supposing that hée was thus painfully perplexed for feare of Clerophontes puisance began both to comfort and incourage him not to doubt or dreade the force of the enemie sith his father was able to repulse him without anie daunger to himselfe or anie great damage to his subiectes But these their perswasions coulde no whit preuaile to asswage his passions this their incoragement could not cure his care But as there is no greater bane to the bodie than trouble of the minde so Thersandro so long continued in these pensiue passions and carefull cogitations concealing his griefe so couertly which so much the more furiously flamed within him that he was constrained to kéep his Cabbin till his arriual at Alexandria Where being set on shore and presently conueied to the Court he remained for the space of thrée dayes so strangely perplexed as he was not able to make report of his message which so griped Orlanio with such inspeakeable griefe as he wished rather to haue died valiantly with the force of his enemy than to put the death of his sonne in hazard by passing so perillous a iorney But Thersandro séeing that sorrowe would not salue his sore but rather increase his sicknesse that mourning woulde not appease his maladie but rather augment his misery began to take heart at grasse and within fewe daies began to recouer his former health And then hee declared to his father what he had in charge from Clerophontes how hée meant spéedily to wage war against him by force of arms to driue him out of his Dukedom which he had already promised to one Lucianus in dowry with his daughter Orlanio hearing this proude presumption of this bragging Duke thought the greatest barkers were not alwaies the sorest biters and that it was far more easie with wordes to obtaine the victorie than with déeds to attaine the conquest Yet least he might he taken at vnawares he made a generall muster throughout all his Dominions prouiding in euerie place necessary munition for the defence of his Countrie And assembling his Nobility to giue their verdit who were fittest to be Captains in this skirmish after some consultation had in this cause they concluded that since Clerophontes meant to ioyn battaile in his own person that likewise he should be Generall of the field and Gwydonius who surpassed all the rest in martiall exploits should be Lieutenant and conduct the armie which he no sooner heard but he was tormented with inspeakable grief he began to pull downe his Peacockes feathers to hang his wings and crie creake euerie man hoping to win fame was merry but he alone mourning euery man laughed and he alone lowred insomuch that he was generally suspected to be a fearefull cowarde and that dread of danger draue him into these dolefull dumps But as they rashly coniectured the cause of his sorrowe so they mist the nature of his sicknesse for Gwydonius séeing that of the cruel coÌ„flict his calamity should insue and that this bloudy broyle would bréed his bane he fel into such solitary surmises and such musing meditations that Valericus his opén friend and yet his secret foe sought by sundrie meanes to search out the cause of his care but not beeing able to wring out any thing either by flattering promises or fained protestations he ceased from his importunate sute But froward fortune brought it so to passe that Valericus comming by the chamber of Gwydonius heard him thus desperately discoursing with himselfe Alasse quoth he I sée the Sunne being at the highest declineth the Sea being at the full tide ebbeth calme continueth not long without a storme neither is happinesse had long without heauinesse blisse without bale
weale without woe mirth without mourning For who alate so floated in the flouds of felicitie as I which now by the sinister meanes of frowning fortune am sowsed in the seas of sorrow eralted alate to the highest degrée of happines am now driuen to the greatest extremitie of euill alate puffed vp with prosperity and now pushed downe with aduersitie yea alate placed in Paradise and now plunged in perplexity Oh Gwydonius if thy Fathers friendly precepts might haue perswaded thee if his aduice had béene thy aduertisement and thou hadst carefully kept his counsaile then by his fore-warning thou hadst béene forearmed against all mishap and miserie The force of fickle fancy had not then giuen thee the foyle Loue had not so lightly procured thy losse nor the painted shewe of beautie had not so soone procured thy bane My bane Why fond foole beautie hath bred my blisse fancie hath not giuen me the foile but hath yéelded me the fort Loue hath not wrought my losse but requited me with treble gaine Hath not Castania requited my loue with loyaltie and repaied my good will with mutuall affection Is shée not my Saint and I her seruant Are we not contracted together by loue and shall continue together by law May I not dispose of her in the way of marriage at my pleasure Yes but what then The more is my griefe and the greater my care For if her presence procureth my delight will not her absence bréed my despight If her consent preserued my life will not her contempt inferre my death Yes For alas since the destinies meane to dissolue that fancie hath decréed since the frowning fates séeke to vnloose that which loue hath linked since froward fortune meanes to breake the bonds wherein beautie hath bounde vs since these bloudie broyles will cause Castania where before she accepted me for a friend now to reiect me for a foe What better lucke can I looke for than a loathsome life or what better hap can I hope for than horror and heauinesse Yea which way so euer I turne mee I see nothing but woe and wretchednesse For if Orlanio perceiued our liking how would he storme at our loue If he knew my chance how would he fret at his Daughters choice Woulde hée euer consent that Castania should match with so meane a mate that her Princely personage should bee disgraced with my base parentage that her calling should be crazed with my slender countenance no he would no doubt first banish me out of all his dominions Tush Gwydonius would God this were the worst and then thou mightest hope in time by some means to redresse this doubt But if Orlanio shuld know thou wert heire apparant to the Dukedome of Mitylene and only sonne to Clerophontes his fatall foe what torment were there so terrible which thou shouldest not trie What paine so pinching which thou shouldest not passe What hap so hard which thou shouldest not hazard Yea what death so direfull which at his cruell hands thou shouldest not suffer And what if Castania were priuy to thy state doest thou thinke her so constant as to consent to her Fathers foe Doest thou thinke shee would wishe the sonnes weale when the Father wisheth her mishap No assure thy selfe if thy state be once knowen that Castania will most deadly detest thée which will bee more gréeuous to thée than death it selfe be it neuer so terrible Sith then Gwydonius thou must shortly either go in arms against thine owne Father or else lose both thy loue and thy life let not delay bréede daunger but strike on the stith while the yron is hot Castania hath promised to forsake both father friends and her owne Countrie to passe where and whē it pleaseth thée shee doubteth no daungers she forceth of no misfortune she careth for no calamity she passeth for no perils so she enioy thy desired companie and therefore as spéedily as may be conuey her closely into the confines of Mitylene before either she know thy staie or thy state And shall I so practice her with policies Shall I so sifte her with subtiltie Shall I put so little trust in her troth and so small confidence in her constancie as to conceale frō her any secret No come woe come wretchednesse come death come daunger hap what hap will I will presentlie impart vnto her my present state and my pretended purpose Valericus hearing this doubtfull discourse of Gvvydonius was driuen into an extasie for ioy to sée that hee had found such fit meanes whereby hee might not onely purchase the Dukes fauour aspire vnto honour and dignitie but also obtaine the loue of Castania for he meant spéedily to preuent the pretence of Gwydonius by vnfolding to the Duke the sum of his secret purpose assuring himselfe that after Orlanio knew his parents and parentage that hée was sonne and heire to Clerophontes no price though neuer so precious no ransom though neuer so rich might redéeme him from the most despitefull death that could be deuised And of these premisses he inferd this conclusion that if the cause be taken away the effect faileth that Gwydonius beeing reiected hee should be receiued that he béeing despighted with hate hee should be requited with loue and vpon this hope he went presently to bewray this matter to Orlanio whome hee found with his sonne Thersandro and diuerse other noble men consulting what course they had best take against Clerophontes whoms Valericus saluted in this wise PLato right worthy Prince that graue and wise Philosopher whose sentences in all ages haue béene holden as most diuine Oracles portraieth out in his bookes of his Common wealth the picture of a perfect Citizen whose liniaments béeing first leuelled hée tricketh vp with these colours that he loue his Prince loyallie kéepe the lawes carefully and defend his Country valiantly in which thrée pointes saith hée consisteth the chiefest dutie of a trusty subiect This saying of Plato throughly considered and calling to minde the sundrie good turnes which without desert your Grace hath bestowed vppon mee I thought if I shoulde not repaie your fauour with faithfulnesse and your trust you repose in mee with inuiolable troth I might bee counted a vicious vassall deuoide of all vertues a trecherous citizen rather then a trusty subiect a carelesse slaue then a carefull gentleman yea a gracelesse mōster misled with ingratitude I am come right worthy sir not to betray my fo but to bewray my frend not to discouer the falt of my enemy but to disclose his offence which liueth with me in perfect amitie in whose company hitherto hath béene all my ioy pleasure and delight but since his pretence is greatly preiudiciall to your Graces person I thought to prefer your profit before mine own pleasure and the commoditie of my country before mine owne priuate contentation So it is that Gwydonius whom your Grace hath honoured and all the Court estéemed is sonne and heire to Clerophontes the Duke of Mitylene who by the péeuish policie of
his Father vnder the pretence of seruice is purposed to procure your fatall death and the finall destruction of your Dukedome And the better to performe this diuellish practise hée hath contracted himselfe to my Lady Castania who blinded with his beautie and inueigled with his wit hath consented not onely to kéep his counsaile to your confusion but also closely to conuey her selfe with him into his Countrie Which pretence if your Grace doth not spéedily preuent you shall find that delay bréedes danger that procrastination in perils is but the mother of mishap And haue I quoth Orlanio brought vp the bird that wil picke out mine owne eies Haue I fostered vp the Serpent in my bosome that will bréede my bane Haue I giuen her life that séekes to yéeld me death Haue I cherisht her béeing young and will she consume mee béeing older Was there none to choose but Gwydonius nor none to loue but the sonne of her fathers foe Will shee preferre her lust before my life her priuate pleasure before the safetie of my person Well as she forgets the duetie of a childe so I wil forget the naturall affection of a father and therefore Valericus goe spéedily with these noble men to Gvvydonius chamber and apprehend him that I may requite his hatefull trecherie with most hellish torments And Thersandro sée you that Castania be closely kept vntill we haue caught the traitour least shee vnderstanding that their deuise is disclosed she saue her selfe by flight Valericus hauing this commission giuen him from the Duke made no delay but passed to Gvvidonius lodging with as much spéede as might be but fortune who after euerie chip of mischance sendeth some lot of good lucke and after euerie storme of aduersitie sendeth a quiet calme of prosperitie so carefully prouided to frée Gwydonius from mishap that he was newly gone towards Castania to impart vnto her this his pretence but before hee came to her chamber he was encountered by Thersandro who stearnly taking Gvvydonius by the bosome pulling out his rapier commanded him as a traitour to stand or else without any farther doome he should féele the dint of death Gvvydonius amazed with this sodaine motion stoode as one in a traunce neither being able to defend himselfe with worde or weapon but yéelded himselfe into the handes of Thersandro who shakt him vp with these bitter spéeches THou traiterous wretch quoth he as it is impossible for the flame so closely to be couered but it will be spied so it is impossible but that treason though neuer so secret should in tract of time be disclosed which now by experience is verified in thee for although thou hast hetherto falsely fained thy selfe to be a stranger of a forraigne nation thou art now known to be sonne and heire to Clerophontes that cruell tyrant my Fathers foe by whose péeuish policie thou hadst not onely brought that commō wealth to confusion but didst pretend to be preiudiciall to my Fathers person if thy deadly practise and diuelish purpose had not by Valericus his meanes béen preuented Hast thou béene so trained vp in trecherie or is thy minde so spotted with villanie as to repay my fathers good will which such barbarous ingratitude to deuise his destruction which simply foresought thy preferment Yea to counsell my sister Castania not onely to consent to thy desire but to my fathers death Is this the maner of Mitylene or the custome of thy country to be such coosening counterfaites Well since I haue happily attached thee as a traitour and as a villanous rebell both transgressing humaine and diuine lawes thou shalt abide the paine and punishment due to such diuellish offenders Now let thy cruell sire Clerophontes free thee from those torments which thou art like to suffer for thy trecherie and let the Lordes of Mitylene deliuer thee from his handes who meanes in most miserable wise to martyr thee Yea let thy Concubine Castania who is like for her gracelesse disobedience to sip of that same sorrow sée if her teares will now preuaile to mooue Orlanio to pittie No if Iupiter himselfe sent Mercurie to mitigate his moode neither the authoritie of the one nor the eloquence of the other might preuaile to pacifie his furie GWydonius séeing that not onely his purpose was preuented and his secrets disclosed but that also Valericus most villanously had accused him and Castania of that which they neuer so much as once imagined was so perplexed and driuen into such dumpes as hee séemed by silence to auerre that which Thersandro had alleadged yet at last he began thus to reply THersandro quoth he as I meane not to affirme that which is false so I will not deny that which is true but come dolor come death come miserie come martyrdome come torture come torments I will neither accuse myselfe vniustly nor excuse myselfe by periurie I confesse Thersandro that I am sonne and heire to the Duke of Mitylene and contracted to thy sister Castania that Clerophontes is my father by the law of nature and Castania my wife by the league of loue but that I either pretended or purposed to be preiudiciall to Orlanios person or that Castania was counsailed or euer consented to her fathers confusion I not onely deny but I will proue by combats that Valericus most villanously doth accuse vs of the whereof we are altogether sacklesse VVHy Gwydonius quoth hée wilt thou séeke to proue thyselfe loyall when the hearers deeme shee a lyer or to make a tryall of thy troth when thy words can haue no trust Dooest thou think my fathers fury will suffer thée to fable Dooest thou thinke his wrathfull rage wil abide thy reasons or that he wil be so patient as to hear thée plead thine owne cause No if thou wert as cléer from these crimes alleadged against thée by Valericus as I am yet in that thou art son to Clerophontes the coine of Croesus and Kingdoms of Caesar were not sufficient ransome to redéem thée frō death But Gwydonius since thy health hangeth in my hands and thy life or death is in my power I will neither bee so bloudy minded as to bréede thy bane nor so cruell as to be the cause of thy confusion The guerdon Gwydonius I craue of this my good will and the recompence I claim for this curtesie is that when thou commest to Mitylene thou certifie thy sister and my loue and Lady Lewcippa that for her sake I haue procured thy safety that her perfection hath preserued thée from perill the loue I beare her hath saued thy life the dutifull deuotion I owe vnto her hath redéemed thée from death and daunger And in token of this my vnfeined affection I will lift my hand against none that commeth from Mitylene but against Lucianus onely Before Thersandro was able sullie to vnfolde his mind or that Gwydonius had time to yéelde him thankes for the safegard of his life they heard a great noise which made Gwydonius flie and
Thersandro hie him hastily to Castanias lodging Now the companie which came was Orlanio himself who certified by Valericus that Gwydonius could not be found laid not only watch ward throughout all his Dukedom to attache him but went in proper person with his Gard to apprehend Castania and lay her in close prison whom he found all blubbered with teares for that she had vnderstood the cause before of her brother Thersandro Orlanio no sooner spied her thus wéeping but hée raged against her in this wise HAth the force of lone nay rather the furie of lust vile wretch so blinded thine vnderstanding that to accomplish it thou passest not to peruert both humane and diuine lawes Doth lasciuious affection and fleshly fancy so furiously frie within thée as thou wouldest procure thy fathers death to purchase thy diuelish desire Could no rules of reason no pricke of conscience no respect of honesty no feare of God nor dread of man prohibite thée from pretending such a monstrous mischiefe as to conclude with my mortall foe to worke my fatall confusion The yong Storkes so tender the olde ones in their age as they will not suffer them so much as to flie to get their owne liuing The bird called Apis Indica being young séeing that olde ones through age growen so weake as they are not able to waue their wings carry them continually from place to place on their backs these sauage creatures haue but only sense and are obedient thou hast both reason and sense and art more vnnaturall these brute beastes are most dutifull to their Parents thou a reasonable creature art most disobedient to thy father yea contrarie both to the lawes of nature and nurture thou séekest to bathe thy handes in his guiltlesse bloud without care or conscience to commit most cruell murther which is so hatefull to all things as the senselesse plants and stones most deadly detest such villanie The Oliue trée so hatefully abhorreth a Parasite that who so being guiltie of that crime attempteth to plant it doth not onely himselfe presently perish but the tree forthwith waneth and withereth The stone Epistrites so loatheth this offence couÌ„ting it a fact so repugnant to nature that it wil not vouchsafe to be worne by a murtherer And shall I then lett thee liue whome the senselesse creatures doe so deadly leath No this hand which cherisht thee béeing a child shal now chastise thee being such a cursed caitife And with that he drew out his Faâ—ichon ready to haue stain her but that Thersandro knéeling downe desired him that he would not so in his furie forget himselfe as without the sentence of the law put her to death but to commit her toward vntill the wars betwéene him and Clerophontes were happily ended and then vppon more straight examination if she were found faultie to assigne her a punishment due for such an offence Orlanio somwhat pacified with his sons perswasion commanded that presently she should bee carried to prison and the Ladie Melytta with her as an actor in this Tragedie And that with all spéede they should post the countrie for the attaching of the traytor Gwydonius Who after that he parted from Thersandro seeing before his eyes the terrour of torments and the hellish horrour of death was driuen forward so with the dread of danger and feare of immineÌ„t perils that knowing perfectly the coast of the Countrey he passed so secretly and spéedily as hee was not so much as once descried by the Posts that pursued him but scaped safely out of the Dukedom of Alexandria Being now without the dint of the Dukes danger séeing that although he had escaped himselfe yet hee had left his loue and ladie Castania in hazard of her life he began thus to exclaime against his owne folly AH Gvvidonius quoth he what foltie hast thou committed by this fearefull flight what carefull calamitie is like to insue of this thy cowardise in auoyding Scilla thou art fallen into Charibdis in preuenting one danger thou art like to be plagued with a thousand discommodities Had it not béen better for thee to haue died in Alexandria with honor than to liue heere with shame reproche to haue suffered mishappe with Castania then to linger héere in miseris Doest thou thinke that she wil euer count of such a prating Parasite as will loue her in prosperitie and leaue her in aduersitie as preferreth his owne safetie before her securitie his life before her loue and draweth himselfe out of danger to leaue her in distresse No she will contemne thee as a cowarde more fit to be mate to some countrie slut than a match for such a courtly Princess she will thinke thy greatest faith was but fained ficklenesse thy forged loue was but filthie lust thy promises were but periuries and that thy greatest amitie was but most dissembled enmitie so that of a professed friend she will become thy professed foe her desire will turne to despite and her loue to most hellish hate Why alas would my paine haue pleased her would my martyrdome haue contented her minde had my perill procured her profite or my care her commoditie Nay rather would not my danger haue béene her death my mishap her misery my torture her torments and my fatall destiny her finall destruction By sauing my life in time wee may enioy our loue but by death no hope had béene left for obtaining our desire so that I assure my selfe Castania will rather allow of my policie by preuenting perills by flight than mislike of my practise in procuring mine owne safetie And vppon this point I rest hoping that the Gods séeing how vniustly Valericus hath accused vs will in tract of time rid vs from blame and reward him with shame Gwydonius was not more distressed with dolour than poore Castania was combred with care to sée so straunge a chaunce and so sodaine a change that she who of late was a royall Princesse was now a ruthfull prisoner that her fréedome was turned to fetters her dignitie to miserie her happie staie to a most hellish state that after flouds of teares which fell from her crystall eies she burst forth into these tearmes Alas quoth shée what poore Damosell was euer driuen into such doubtfull distresse What Princess was euer perplered with such dolefull passions what maid was euer crossed with such mishappe nay what creature euer was clogged with the like calamitie Haue the spightfull Destinies decréed my destruction or the peruerse Planets conspired my bitter bane Doth froward fortune mean to make mee a mirror of her mutabilitie or is this the reward that Cupid bestowes vpon his Clyents Is euery one that doth fancie maimed with the like misfortune or is Love alwaies accompanied with such haplesse lucke Alas no for their loue is lawefull and mine lewd and laseiuious their fancie is fixed vpon vertue and mine vppon vanitie they make their match with consent of their Parents and I my market without my Fathers counsaile so that
neuer so desperate nor doubting any perill though neuer so fearefull Before our face we haue our enemie behinde our backes the surging seas so that fight we must but flie wée cannot in being couragious wee winne the field and returne conquerours in prouing cowards wee both lose our liues and the conquest if wee foile our foes wee returne with triumph if we faint and flie we haue no hope of safetie but death and desperation is imminent Be then hardy to hazard and valiant to venture amidst the prease of your enemies that daunted with your valour they may be forced to fly wee both triumph and enioy the treasure CLerophontes hauing thus louingly incouraged his souldiers Orlanio on the other side séeing his men began to feare the force of the enemie and were amazed with such a monstrous multitude prickt them forwarde with this parle THat mightie Monarch Alexander the great who for his martiall exploites was a mirrour to all his posteritie whose prowesse was such as he dauÌ„ted Darius and by his inuincible courage made a conquest of the whole worlde hearing on a time one of his Captaines to demaund what multitude was in their enemies campe answered that it was not the point of a good souldier to inquire how many the enemies were but where they were meaning that to feare the multitude is rather the signe of cowardise than a token of courage Which saying I wish you carefully to consider that the huge armie of Clerophontes neither amaze your minds nor abate your valour sith that the equitie of our cause doth more than counteruaile his companie He inuadeth our realme without reason wee defend but our owne right he cruelly secketh to depriue vs of fréedome we lawfully do maintain our own libertie He tyrannously striueth to make vs bondslaues and we fight to frée our selues from captiuitie If he preuaile let vs look for no pitty but that we shal be murthered without mercy we shall sée before our face our wiues rauished our daughters defloured our parents put to death our children slain our goods spoiled our Citie sacked and our selues brought to vtter ruthe and ruine Sith then we are placed betwéen two extremities either to possesse our own with plenty or to passe our liues in penurie let vs valiantly venture whatsoeuer wée gaine let vs fight without feare for better it is to die with honour than to liue with shame BY that time Orlanio had ended his Oration the armies met in a plaine within thirtie leagues of Alexandria Where both of them ordering as became good Captains their people there began in the breake of the daie the most cruell and terrible battaile that earst was heard of considering the number on both parts their experience and policie with the valiant prowesse and courage of the captains Thus continued they in fight euen almost vntill Euen with marueilous slaughter on both sides the victorie yet doubtfull till in the end the Alexandrians began to faint and flie more oppressed with the excesse of the multitude than distressed for want of manhood for there weretwo and fortie thousand slaine but not one taken prisoner and of Clerophontes company eight and twenty thousand flaine and sixe hundered mortallis wounded This monstrous massacre and fearefull slaughter so amazed the minds of these two Captaines that for the better burying of the dead and healing of them which were hurt they concluded a truce betwéene them for fiftéene daies in which time Orlanio sent Ambassadours to parle of peace with Clerophontes but in vaine for hee was resolued either valiantly to die in the field with glorie or to inioy the Dukedome of Alexandria with renowme Yet as a worthy Prince preferring the securitie of his souldiers before the safetie of his owne person he offered them the combat which Orlanio to auoyd the effusion of bloÌ„ud most willingly accepted Now it was agréed and concluded betwéene them that two champions might be chosen who by the dint of the sword should stint the strife betwéene these two armies It he of Mitylene remained victor then Orlanio should not onely pay his former tribute but deliuer vp his Dukedome into the hands of Clerophontes But if the Alexandrian obtained the conquest the Duke of Mitylene should peaceably depart the Countrie release the tribute and also resigne his state and become a subiect to Orlanio And for the better keeping and confirming of these conditions they presently dispatcht Embassaders to Fernandus the king of Bohemia to intreat his Maiestie that he would vouchsafe to become iudge in the combat who for that hee wished well to both these Dukes graunted to their requests and with as much spéedes might be came to Alexandria But in the meane time there was some difference about the champioÌ„s for Clerophontes said that sith in losing the feld consisted the losse of liuing life and libertie and in getting the victorie the gaine of a Dukedome be would in proper person fight the combat and trie the chaunce of Fortune and therefore made a challenge to Orlanio But her finding himselfe faire vnfit to resist his â—uriâ—us force refused it Yet premising that none vnlesse he were descended of Nobilitie should enter the lâ—sts wherewith Clerophontes was very well contented Now while this truce continued which was prolonged for thirtie daies it was lawfull for them of Alexandria to come and view the campe of Mitylene and for the Mitylenes to goe and see the Cittie Whereupon Clerophontes desirous to sée Orlanio his Court went onely accompanied with his guard to Alexandria where he was most royally entertained and sumptuously feasted by Orlanio both of them remitting the rigour of their malice till it should be shewed in â—ffect by reason of their manhood But as soone as Thersandro and the other Lordes sawe Clerophontes that he was rather a monster than a man hauing each limme so strongly câ—â—ched each part so proportioned so huge of stature so fierce of countenance they were so daunted with the sight of his person as they almost feared to came in his presence saying that thrée of the boldest bloudes in Alexandria were not able to abide the force of Clerophontes Who now peaceablie departing to his hoast left Orlanio as greatly perplexed for assembling his nobilitie together amongst whom he appointed the champion should be chosen They not onely with one consent withstood his command but began to murmure and mutine against him coÌ„demning him of follie that he would so vnaduisedly commit his owne state and their staie to the doubtfull hazarde of one mans hap Orlanio seeing that it was now no time to chastise this their presumption vnlesse hee meant to raise ciuill dissension in the cittie which were the next way to confirme the enemie and bréede his owne confusion he dissembled his choler and began to worke a newe way For first he fréed Castania out of prison then made generall proclamation throughout his Dukedome that what Lord so euer within his land would trie the combat with