and sobs that he could scarce with much ado speak embracing us all one after another to take his leave and bid us farewell before the hour of eminent shipwrack was come It would be a great enterprise and difficult matter for me presently to recount what tears Aloda wept and what grief I suffered for her sake and therefore I will onely tell you one thing that nothing so much grieved me as that my life which I had offered for her service could not take end without her death In the mean time our forlorn ship driven with the force of the angry waves and furious winds which blew so marvellous strongly flying all night though the streight of Gilbatan more swiftly then we wished or served our turn the next day went astray I know not how many leagues into the large Mediterrean sea Where after that we had long wandred hither and thither the force of the wind and waves driving us up and down for the space of that dry and night the next morning the tempest séemed to be something asswaged and the rufull waves abating their courage Neptune spread a pleasant calm over the sea wherewith we were not a little cheared But fortune not contented to have heaped such a world of calamities upon us would also take her pleasure in mocking us in the midst of miseries For on the suddain the wished calm was turned into a worse and greater extream tempest then before which brought us into such extreamity that we hoped not for one hour of life At last one side of the ship being strooken with a great raging whirlwind the other side lay flat upon the water and was in danger to sink presently When I saw the manifest danger I began to ungird my sword to the end it might not hinder me and imbracing Alcida I leaped with her into the ship boat Clenarde being a light and nimble Gentlewoman following us did the same not leaving behind her bow and arrows for that she estéemed more of that than of some great and precious treasure Polidor thrusting his father forwards thought to have done as much and to have leaped into the boat as we had done but the ship-Master with another Marriner leaped in before them And as Polidor with his aged father thought to have followed the boat was separated from the ship by reason of a mighty wave which was driven by the wind betwixt the ship and the boat so that they were forced to remain in the ship the sight whereof in short time we lost and never since heard any news of her But I am of opinion that all doubt removed she was swallowed up by Neptunes greedy waves or that crossing overthwart the Sea she perished miserably on the coast of Spain How Bartophamus the Pylot by Treason left Alcida in the Isle Formentaria and Marcelio in the Isle Juique and carried away Clenarde and what ensued PErierio and his sisters listening to Marcelio's discourse he proceeded in this manner Alcida Clenarde and I being in the boat conducted by the industry and diligent painfulnesse of the Marriners we went astray up and down the seas for the space of one whole day and night attending for Death from hour to hour without hope of any remedy not knowing where or in what part of the world we were This notwithstanding the morning next following we perceived that we were very near to land endeavouring to row as near it as we could possibly At the length the two Marriners being very cunning in swimming did not onely leap into the water to swim to the shore but also drew us all to that so long desired land After we were so happily delivered from the danger which furious Neptune threatned us the Marriners fastened their ship-boat to the shore side and knowing the place where we landed told us we were in the Isle of Formentera and wonderfully marvelled that we had run so many miles in so little time But they had such experience of the wonders that fierce tempests are accustomed to do that they were not too much amazed at the course of our navigation Yet howsoever the tempest had driven us we were then assured and out of danger of the menaces wherewith fortune feared us amidst the inexorable waves But we were so gréeved for the losse of Eugerio and Polydor so troubled with wearinesse and so famished with hunger that we had none or little cause to rejoice of the life which we had recovered Neither will I now rehearse what tears Alcida and Clenarde shed because they had lost their father and brother to the end that I may tell you the sorrowful and unhappy successe which I had in that desart and solitary Isle For after that by reason we were arrived in the same I was delivered from the fury of the sea love became such an adversary and enemy unto me that he séemed to be grieved that my life was saved from the pecil of the tempest and that he would torment me with a new and more grievous pain when I thought my self to be in safety For malicious Cupid wounded the heart of the Pylot who was called Bartophamus and rendred him so far in love of the beauty of Clenarde the sister to Alcida that to attain to the point of his intended desires he forgot the law of friendship and fidelity and imagined a strange and wicked treason which he did put in execution Which was such As the two sisters wept and grievously lamented their fathers and brothers miserable death it happened that Alcida overcome with heavinesse and wearinesse she lay down on the sand and fell a sléep Whereupon I began to say to the Pylot friend Bartophamus if we take not some order to provide for victuals and if our ill luck be such that we can find none we may make account we have not saved our lives but rather that we have changed the manner and kind of our death and therefore would I that you and your companion should go to some village or burrough of this Isle which thou may find to fetch meat for us to eat Sir Marcelio answered Bartophamus fortune hath done us pleasure enough in bringing us hither and helping us to arrive at this Isle though it be desart and barren And you must not think that we shall here find any meat to asswage our hunger and remedy our necessity for the country is not inhabited But I will tell you how we may find means to suffer no hunger do you sée yonder litle Isle that lieth right over against us in that Isle there is great quantity of Dear Conies Hares and many other beasts There is also a Hermitage where the Hermite hath good store of bread and meal Therefore I am of this advice that it were good that Clenarde whose dexterity and cunning in shooting is not unknown unto you should passe over to that Isle and carry her bow and arrows which she hath here with her kill some Hart or Doe I and my companion
For they marking his singular beauty and perfection of body his excellent grace in speaking his sharp wit and his comely behaviour thought him worthy of all the curtesie they could imagine to shew him Supper being done old Camillo took his leave of the strange shepheard and went to his rest But Perierio and his sisters keeping the shepheard company led him into the Orchard to take the evening air after that Phoebus had shut up his light in the Western parts And Euphilia desirous to know what sinister chance had brought the shepheard into such a Chaos of cares and world of sorrows began thus to be inquisitive of his fortune Gentle shepheard séeing that the night is no time to travell and you are so tired that you are like to fall in great danger of some sore disease unlesse you look to your self and rest your weary limbs I heartily pray thou to stay with us this night and you shall have no worse bed then where my brother lieth on nor worse bed-fellow then himself And for as much as the pleasantnesse of this cool air is such that it inticeth and provoketh us to recreate our selves therein if that you will whilest we expect the coming of the dark night unfold the cause of this your wandring journey unto us and make us pertakers of your evill and adverse fortune we shall think us to be greatly beholding unto you The shepheard would not be long intreated by such excellent persons but walking with them in a pleasant arbour of Eglentine began to discourse after this manner Gentle shepheards the manifold benefits which it hath pleased you to heap on me being a meer stranger unworthy by my deserts of the least courtesie in the world bind me to yéeld to whatsoever you can demand of me as far as my simple power stretcheth And therefore although my evill be of such nature that it cannot be communicated unto all kinds of persons yet the opinion which I conceive of your deserts and the valor which your beauty bewrayeth constraineth me to make an open rehearsall of all my forepast life if I may term that life which I would willingly counterpoise and change with death Know therefore gentle shepheards that I am called Marcelio and that my vocation and estate is far contrary to that which my coâ—t â—heweth I was born at Soldine the principall and chief Citâ— of the Province of Vandalia and my parents were of great authority abounding in wealth riches I have béen brought up even from my childhood in the Court of the Lusitan King where I was much made of and dearly beloved not of the principal Peers onely but also of the King himself Insomuch that he would not suffer me to part from his Court until that time that he had comitted his Garisons in the borders of Affrick unto my charge Where I remained a long time chief and general Governour of all the Cities and For tresses which the King there hath keeping my residence in the City of Cente where my misfortune and adversity took beginning There was in the same City a certain Knight named Eugerio who was by the King honoured with the charge and government of the City This Knight had a son called Polydor most valiant and couragious in all extremities and two daughters called Alcida and Clenarde exceeding all the Gentlewomen of their Country in beauty Clenarde was indued with singular dexterity in handling her bow but Alcida who was the eldest surpassed her in beauty Who hath so enamoured my heart that she hath been the cause of this hopelesse and desperate life which you see me lead and of the cruel death which I call and wiâ—h for every hour Her father was so carefull and dainty of her that he would scarce allow her at any time to absent her self from his presence which hindred me that I could not let her know the affection which I bore her But neverthelesse as often as I saw her I signified and bewraied my pain unto her by means of my passionate looks and the sighs which proceeded from my heart without the consent of my will At length I found occasion to write unto her and therefore unwilling to neglect such wished opportunity I sent her a letter the contents whereof were such Maâ—celio unto Alcida MAdam your honesty and grave countenance your modesty and wisedome your wit and great judgement and thousand other virtues with which you are most happily indued besides the incomparable beauty which increaseth your renown in all parts of the world have so intangled my thoughts in the considerâ—ion thereof that I have been forced to collocate and place the sum of my felicity in meditating the rare gifts both of body and mind by which it hath pleased the Gods to make your Ladyship famous But when I consider mine own unworthinesse and perpend the great difference which is between such excellency and my self such is the dispair which possesseth my heart that I suffer incredible torment Yet the force of your beauty constraineth me to judge my self happy in that I suffer pain for so worthy a Lady as your self So that I feel singular joy and gladnesse in my evil and receive an extream glory in enduring grief Pain unto me is a pastime to weep a pleasure to sigh a solace grief health which doth raise the fury of torment in me though therein I enjoy a blessed content All this do I suffer for you Madam it is your beauty and virtue which causeth me to be tormented with such contrary passions And therefore pity an unfortunate lover who offereth you his own â—â—fe and who desireth not that his evill may be redressed but onely wisheth that it may be known This was the Letter which I wrote unto my Lady which if it had been so well â—eaned as it was fortunate I would be loth to change my â—bility with the eloquent stile of Tully The Letter being secretly conveyed into the hands of Alcida at the first caused her to be offended with my boldnesse but at last marking the sincerity of my love and the constancy wherewith I not onely remained stedfast but also patiently indured heâ— sâ—â—rnfull answers and disdainfull looks her heart was altered and she moved to reward my love with a pleasant countenance So that when my luck was to see her I easily eâ—pted the â—lteration of her former frowardnesse For her very eys did warn me to be of good chear and I might plainly see grace â—eâ—ted in her forehead After which time I bâ—gan openly to shew my self to be her superior oftentime justing turneying and writing verses poems and many such other things for her service remaining in this pain the space of certain years Which being expired Eugerio thought me worthy to be his son in law and by means of some of the chiefest personages of the City he offered me his daughter Alcida in marriage And it was amongst us agreed that our wedding should be kept in the City of Lisbone to
and true love that by reason thereof I am fallen into the misery in which I now finde my selfe at this present Now continuing the history of my life you shall know that Lexanders father called Filene sometimes frequented my fathers house by reason of certain businesse that my father and he had betwéen them concerning Oxen and Kyne and séeing me although he was something old yet he fell in love with me and that so greatly that he became foolish mad and frantick He became so importunate unto me and troubling me above a thousand times daily declared me his passions grief but all could not help For I would never give eare to his prattle nor mark what he said and though he had been much younger or lesse aged and by many parts more perfect then he was yet for him could I not have forgotten his son Lexander who had so won my heart that I had wholly given him the possession thereof The old man knew not what friendship was between his son and me for Lexander was so obeysant and dutifull that he behaved himself secretly in wooing me least his father knowing thereof should have rebuked him and have occasion to be angry with him And in like manner was Lexander altogether ignorant of his fathers folly who because he should not give his son example of lightnesse took all the regard he might to his love from him Neverthelesse the foolish cocks-comb ceased not to molest me with importunate requests to take him to my husband He made me wonderful large proffers he promised to give me many cloathes and jewels and he sent me many Letters hoping thereby to change my mind In his time he had been a Shepheard most excellently qualified eloquent in spéech and witty which you may easily gather by a Letter which he wrote me as I yet remember Filene to Ismenia FAir Shepheard love is cause of all such fault as I can commit in writing unto hoping that I have not commited any in loving you And if perhaps my Letter be troublesome unto you believe certainly that I already fear the answer you will make I have a thousand times signified and declared unto you what affection I bear you and in recompence thereof you take pleasure in mocking me You openly laugh at me to see me like to dye for love of you but as for me I am glad to see you laugh though it be to my ruine and destruction For when I remember and think of my evil and see that you take pleasure therein rejoycing at my misery I perceive that you will not remedy my grief insomuch that it were an exceeding folly for me to regard your mocking seeing that my life and death consisteth in you to dispose of me as you please If you ask why I should love you I answer because I am forced and cannot but love you insomuch that though I might live and not love you yet I had rather to dye then so to live for when I remember your graces and perfections I cannot but judge them happier that die for love of you then those that can behold you without admiring your exceeding vertues for I cannot be perswaded that a man may die more happily then he who loseth his life by reason of such heavenly beauty as yours which hath so pierced my breast that I am not mine own but yours for as soon as I saw you I began to love and to pine for grief And if you say that I am to be blamed because I am amourous and yet old in that respect I sue for remedy unto you seeing that I have not so greatly offended in loving you as in knowing you so late For I acknowledge that I am old and I am not a little grieved that this my pain is not as ancient as the course of my age and I am sorry that I might not have loved you from the first day that I was born as well as since the first hour that I saw you certifying you that this love shall dure and continue till death Marvel not sweet to see me grey and wrinkled and though you surpass me in valour yet I think it but small reason that a man should lose his pay and salary under this colour that he is an old Souldier The new built houses are not comparable to the ancient buildings of Rome and commonly all men alwayes say that among all things the old is the best Love would not untill this present time make me feel the pinching pain of amorous passions because he well knew that affection was more firm and fancy less fickle in an old man as I am then in tender age where every look is love and every face a new fancy I am firm and constant to love you for ever and old never to be loved as long as I live Young men that say they love are double and subtle they fain but not fancy their forehead is marked with Venus badge but their heart never felt Cupids shaft And when they plead for mercy alledging that they dye for love then are they less subject to passion most free from fancy Their changeable affection is assured liberty their passion pastime their love a custome and not a pain Think not sweet that I am like the amourous youth who having received a favour of his mistress vaunteth and boasteth thereof to all the world for though I had received ten thousand I should be as constant and firme in keeping them secret But as I see you disposed and bent to work my death I fear that I shall endure much torment and have occasion to say little and brag less yet the chiefest favour whereof I may boast is to die for the love of Ismenia With what great reason may I find fault with the time considering that I who love you most am least esteemed But alas I loved you too late and seeing I was not born at the same time that you were it is reason that I should dye for love of you Ah fair Shepheardess had my Fortune been such that I might have been of your time I had had that which had been sufficient to win your love and to deserve favour of you for though it becommeth no man to blaze his owne praises yet affection forceth me to say that among all the young men of our time none might compare with me at dancing leaping foot-ball hand-ball bowle bow cithren pipe flute and all such kinds of exercise wherewith our Countrey youths recreate themselves and win the hearts of their mistresses But ah cruell chance what serveth either that which is or that which hath been unto him poor wretch that is buried in the bowels of forgetfulness because he is neer unto his death In the mean time may it please you to consider by that which I have said that the glory of your perfection which at this present maketh you famous to all the countrey shall finally fade as the pride of the sweet violet decaieth with the
were which thus complained of her mishap Ah Fortune have I thus long had thee in estimation and yeelded thee such honour and doest thou reward me with continuall and never ceasing travel Ah unthankful and ingratefull Goddesse If a Goddesse For Gods are just constant merciful thou inconstant cruel and most unjust by the rule of contraries therefore art thou no Goddesse Ah foolish wench be wise at last being taught by experience and instead of worshipping fortune curse her detest her and defie her and perswade thy self that the Gods which are jealous and therefore wrathfull and incensed with anger against those that deprive them of the honour due unto them and give unto others have thrown thée into this Charybdis of miseries to punish and chastise thy hainous offence committed against them in worshipping that Idoll fortune Wherefore O heavenly powers Brisilla bendeth her knées and foldeth her hands asking pardon of heaven for her errour She repenteth her of her ignorance she bewaileth her folly Pardon mercifull Gods pardon me and cease to work your vengeance upon a poor distressed virgin that is desolate and bereft of all hope and consolation pleadeth for mercy from heaven And with that she wept so bitterly that Ismenia and Perierio comming unto her could not sée her face it was so vailed with tears Likewise she pulled her golden hair by whole locks off her head with her hands which were so white and so delicately fashioned that it was a marvel to sée such tender hands so cruelly prey upon so brave a head Ismenia therfore not able to behold such an unmerciful spectacle stepped unto her and held her hands which so furiously teared her glistering hair saying Ah distressed shepheardess seek not your own ruine wrong not your self and fight not against your own person for the torment and grief which you suffer by reason of your misfortune is augmented and enlarged not diminished or slacked by these meanes Therfore fair shepheardess hold your hands cease from vexing your self You live not alone in adversity for we are not so happy but that we may worthily complain of Fortunes sicklenesse Company in misery is no small solace comfort your self therefore and with us hope that the Gods will at last be moved to mercy and appoint the end of our miseries Ah gentle Shepheard answered Brisilla for that was her name where dispair ruleth there hope is banished Nay quoth Perierio embrace hope and dispair dareth not approach The extremity of my case replied Brisilla forbiddeth me to take hold of hope Yea but through magnanimity and courage quoth Perierio may you overcome and vanquish your extremity And therfore swéet shepheard let not your heart faint nor your courage slacken but with an invincible heart suffer not any extremity though never so supream to brave your mind and though you be conquered of all your enemies yet yéeld not the liberty of thy mind to the proudest Champion that either Fortune or fate can arme against you Brisilla marking that both Perierio and Ismenia were persons of estimatioÌ„ thought theÌ„ to be some of the chiefest shepheards therabout therfore assoon as she could contain from wéeping thanked theÌ„ for their comfortable persuasions for she received great consolation in that she had met with them taking great delight in beholding their beauty and asking them whether they travelled Ismenia told her that she with Perierio were bound toward the temple of Diana hoping that the Lady president of the same temple would remedy their harm and give them such instruction that they should have cause to hope for the end of their troubles in short time Brisilla hearing that was passing glad and began to clear her eys from the water which continually ran down her face And having chased away such impedimeÌ„ts as hindred her speech by reasoÌ„ of her sorrow she spake to Perierio and Ismenia with such an excellent grace that her words seemed to flow from her mouth as running water issueth out of the fountain Insomuch that they did not doubt but that she was some courtly Princesse though she covered her body with the vesture of a country lasse CHAP. XIII How Pâ—riander Prince of Albion and Brisilla daughter to the Duke Florindos became enamoured of each other and what ensued AFter they had had some talk of each others fortunes and troubles Brisilla at the request of Perierio and Ismenia began to unfold the cause of her travel making a copious and large narration of the course of all her life Permitting this Exordium Loving shepheards though I fear that I shall not be able to accomplish that accordingly which I have undertaken to do mistrusting that I shall both lack time to end the history of my life when I have begun it also discretion to contrive the same into some order and method my memory being weak by reason whereof I may chance to forget and slip over many things yet hoping that you will accept of my good will and readinesse in pleasuring you I will endeavour as neare as I can and as truly as my memory will permit to report and lay down the whole circumstance of my case unto you I was borne in the famous Isle of Albion where my father was generall Commander over all the Kings Forces abroad when the King was at home And if his Majesty chanced to follow the Camp in his proper person then was my father Viceroy and supream Governor at home I had not lived six years but my father venturing himself in the midst of his enemies and pressing into the very bowells of their Camp slew the King of Gaule with his own hand and therewith gave the enemy a terrible overthrow and his King a great victory but it cost him his life For after he had slaine the King there were so many Knights that besought him to revenge the death of their King that he was not able to escape the hour which his destinies had appointed him When the King was informed how that my father had obtained him such a wonderful victory with the price of his life knew not whether he had greater cause to rejoyce for the overthrow of his enemy or to wéep for the loss of such a valiant Souldier and faithful subject Wherefore he in proper person came to my fathers Palace and himself brought my Mother the newes of my Fathers honourable death comforting us all with such friendly spéeches that we could not have béene grieved for his death if Nature had not forced us to lament his losse Yet howsoever we were grieved the King caused my Father to be buried most honourably and erected such a magnificent Tombe at his owne cost that he gave a sufficient Token to all his Countrey how greatly he esteemed of Duke Florindo for so was he called Within foure yeares after my Mother the Duchesse being an aged woman dyed and was buried under the same Tombe with my Father And the King considering that I was young about ten yeares of age
small gift of the King and of me although his newes was so evil because he told us that he saw the Prince fléeting up and downe the waves upon one of the ship-hatches hoping that he was somewhere cast on land though perhaps so far that he could not so soon return home to Albion I will not hear make mention what a living death or dying life I poor wretch led all the while that Periander was absent sometimes perswading my self that he was dead and sometimes hoping to see him and injoy his presence but this I will leave to your discretion loving shepheards and passe on forwards in the declaration of this lamentable history You shall therefore know that after Barsalis had been six moneths at home the Admirals son returned to his fathers house attired like a ship slave and told us such a tale of his wonderfull adventure how he was cast on the shore side with his mast-piece and how he fared on the land that not the Court onely but all the Country also admired at his hard fortune But concerning the Prince he could tell no more then the other traitor had done yet to give a colour of likelihood he agreed to the same report which the Villain Barsalis had made And though my hope was small yet I took the greater courage because sir Massicour◠that Arch-traitor had escaped such dangers and troubles as he made us beleeve And howsoever my young heart strived against sorrow and grief yet the Queen being old and weak of nature consumed for very grief and dyed Who being buried and intombed what mourning what grief and what sorrow was made not in the Court onely but generally over all the Countrey I am not able to expresse And as for my selfe though I was very sorry for her death yet was the grief and pain which I suffered for the absence of Periander so great and excéeding that I could scarce think up-any other thing and therefore the sooner forgate the death of the Quéen CHAP. XV. How the traitor Massicourt slew himself because he could not obtain the love of fair Brisilla also how the King was enamoured on her BY this time began the traitor Massicourt to make love unto me and to cast such passionate looks upon me at all times that he passed by me or came into the place where I was that I could not chuse but perceive that he was becom darling to Venus by the forcing dart of her Son Cupid and that he suffered great pain for my sake I was sorry for his case because he was a most gallant Gentleman excéeding both in perfection of body and readines of wit but yet my hart was so fixed on Periander that although I had certainly known that he was dead yet could I not have forgotten him to love any other Yet howsoever I was affected Massicourt found meanes to enter into the Orchard I being there alone and emboldned himself so far that he came unto me gréeted me and with all humility by word of mouth declared what torment he suffered for love of me desiring me to be merciful unto him Whereunto I answered that I could shew him mercy in pittying his case and exhorting him to change his mind but other mercy I could not shew him and so I flung into the Palace and left him among the trées which might have been witnesses of the teares he shead Yet he gave not over the field for all he had had but ill successe at the first assault and purposed to send me a Letter hoping that ink and paper would do more then his bare words had done Especially because he being passionate was not able in my presence to expresse his mind neither would I hearken unto his speech Insomuch that he thinking that I could not do lesse then read all whatsoever he wrote though I could not give ear to his sayings dispatched a Letter and conveyed it into my hands as secretly as he could which letter was written to such an end Massicourt to the Dutchess Brisil PArdon me gracious Lady if I am troublesome unto your grace for I am forced by that Lord whom I must obey The sum of my desire is to please your grace and my chiefest felicity consisteth in your content therefore think not Lady that I would willingly molest you My humble Petition is that it may please your grace to weigh the torment grief and pain which I suffer which if your gracious mercy do not slacken is like to seal my love with death and to give the world cause to accuse your grace of cruelty Mercy Madam is an ornament to Ladies of high estate I wish not that you should forget the Prince Periander but to admit me as copartner and pertaker of your grief Neither do I crave that your grace should not love Periander whether he be dead or yet live but give me leave to love you and to accept of my love as a comfort to asswage the sorrow you suffer for Periander Farewell When I had read this Letter I could not but be angry for it grieved me that he went about to withdraw me from the love of Periander though he séemed to wish the contrary For how could I have loved him and not forget Periander how could I have been merry with him and mourn for Periander and how could I laugh with him and wéep for Periander wherefore incontinently I wrote him this answer Brisilla to Sir Massicourt YOur conscience urged you Sir Massicourt to crave pardon in the beginning of your letter foreknowing your offence But your excuse is for that you are constrained by him whom you must obey Cupid you mean I am sute but how shamefull it is that a Knight should so bewray his pusilanimity and faintnesse of courage I leave to your own consideration And to let you understand furthermore that if your desire be to please me and therefore far from undertaking any thing that may trouble me you shall obtein your wish and enjoy true felicity which you affirm to consist in my content if you molest me with neither letter nor speech to love you For in so doing you shall bind me to acknowledge that you have done me a singular pleasure You know that I have already told you that I am sorry for your torment and passion though I may not be your Physitian Neither do I think the world so mad as to judge me cruell if your folly cause you to die Though it be a common and usual custom unto all your sex to talk of the mate befor you have the check You can teach me that mercy beseemeth maids but you forget in the mean time that Knights ought not to be unmerciful as to seek the overthrow of our honesty and to spoil us of our honour Have not I given faith to love Periander and shal I not incur foul shame and dishonor if contrary to my promise I love you but would you have me use your love as a pastime to forget the dolor
for that she dealt so cruelly with them that they were compelled by flight to save their lives when they had not in any manner deserved death But the King being informed of their flight caused all their lands and livings to be confiscatcd and adjudged to his exchequer and my brother Philorenus was the same day arraigned and condemned to be torn in pieces with four horses But it chanced on that day which was appointed for his execution that the Queen fell in labor and was delivered of a daughter to celebrate the feast of whose birth my brothers execution was prolonged thirty days for the King would not have any such act comitted all the time the Queen lay in child-bed In the mean time most gracious Princesse may you think in what taking my poor brother might be that wist not how he might escape that cruel death which he was ordained to die although his conscience cleared him of all offence or crime whereby he might deserve any punishment But at last Fortune minding either to alleviate his grief or to bring him into greater troubles suborned a certain knights daughter which attended on the Queen to snatch occasion at the delay which she heard the King had comanded to be made concerning the putting of my brothex to death and to seek means to deliver him out of prison and thereby to save his life For this Gentlewoman being called Cerasilla whom I loved better then my self thinking with the King and all the rest of the courtiers that my brother was the same Philorenus that courted her and so earnestly made love unto her that she might eastly perceive that he loved and honored her above all other women when she heard that Philorenus was condemned she was exceeding sorry But the good chance of the Queens child-bearing by reason whereof the time of his death was prolonged something asswaged her dolour and gave her hope that she might find meanes to recompence the service which she suposed he had done her Therefore upon the third day after the young Princesse was born considering that all the Courtiers were merry and took more care how they might passe over the time with making good chear and recreating themselves with divers sorts of pastimes then they did in looking who were present or absent or who went in or out of the chamber of presence she stepped from the Queens privie chamber to her chamber and there araying her self in mans apparel for she had a sute belonging to her brother which he had left in her chamber and taking her apparel under her cloak she hieth to the Gentleman that kept my brother and finding him busie with playing at tables asked him how it fared with Philorenus the Gentleman thinking that she had been Mistresse Cerasillaes brother for he knew the cloaths and her brother being but a young youth without any hair on his face she was not misdoubted to be any other then he himself told her that Philorenus would perhaps be as merry as the rest if he knew not the day of his death which though it were prelonged yet it abated not his grief I pray you quoth the transformed Gentleman may not a man talk with him Why not quoth the Gentleman If you please to speak with him I will open the chamber door where he is and you may go to him And with that the Gentleman let her in and went to his tables again with the Gentlemen that kept him company Shee being entred into the chamber where my brother walked up and down very heavily salute◠him and spake unto him in this manner Philorenus albeit you perhaps are of opinion that I did indeed despise the courtesies which you have offered me at divers times as I seemed to make light of them in word and that I rewarded thy service with inward hate as I feigned by outward frowardnesse yet I hope thou shalt in time by trial prove this surmise false and be forced to confesse that she is not ungratefull whom thou so often hast accused to be cruel For though I did repay thee with a frown whē I wished thée a favour and yeelded thee a lowring countenance when I wished thee a pleasing smile to make proof of thy constancy I doubt not but now séeing I make thee acquainted with the cause thou wilt not take the effect in ill part My brother admiring at the strangenesse of this speech wist not what to answer For he knew not the person that spake unto him and was in doubt whether it was a man or a woman her apparel shewing the one and the course of her talk the other and therefore he thought best not to interrupt her discourse but to hear the end of her tale which she continued on in this manner And considering swéet Philorenus that the greatest pleasure that may be done unto any man is to save him from the terriblenesse of untimely death I am resolved to shew thée no lesse gratuity and recompence for thy faithfull and loyall service then to frée thée from the Kings rage or my self to incur the same danger that you be in your self Vnto which purpose I have my self put on my brothers cloathes and brought mine under my cloak to attire you therewith and so lead you out of this chamber where you are imprisoned and rid you from the danger which you know that you now are in And for as much as delay bréedeth danger I pray you dispatch and follow my counsell for the Courtiers are all so filled with wine that we may passe and repasse without suspicion My brother was so perplexed being surprised with gladnesse and grief together that he could scarce tell what he should do for though he suspected that this Gentlewoman mistook him as the King and the other courtiers did yet he feared least she had been suborned by the King to brin g him into a fools paradice and so to agravate his misery Wherefore as he stood amazed doubting what were best for him to do she urged him in this manner to make speed Loving Philorenus doest thou now make so strange of her that to save thy life putteth her own in hazard Hast thou forgotten whaf pleasure thou wert wont to say I did thée in giving thée leave to speak to me and art thou so chary now of thy tongue that thou wilt not utter one word Thou hast oftentimes sworn that thou wouldest not spare thy life to do me service and now I venture mine to do thée pleasure wilt thou not accept of my service My brother considering that the worst that might ensue was death framed her this answer Sweet Lady if I have displeased you with ungratefull silence perswade your self that the onely cause thereof did procéed of the joy which I conceived of your presence whereby I was wrapped in an extasie insomuch that my tongue and my other instruments of spéech as I thought to have welcomed you denied me their accustomed duty having lost their operation by reason of the
the end the King of Portugal might be present at the same Whereupon we dispatched a Post in all haste to advertise the King of this marriage to intreat his Majesty that we commending our charge unto faithfull and trusty persons might come thither to celebrate our mariage the. The rumor of which marriage was incontinently sperad through all the City and the neighbour places thereof and caused such a general joy and applause in all men as so beautifull a Lady as Alcida and so faithfull a lover as my self deserved Vntill that time it séemeth that I was very happy But fortune that favoured me so highly afterward cast me down headlong into the depth of these miseries in which I find my self presently Know therefore that after my unfortunate marriage was concluded on and the Kings license granted Eugerio being a widower his son Polidor his daughters Alcida and Clenarde and unhappy Marcelio who unfoldeth his mishap unto you having committed our charge to loyall persons we embarked at the Haven of Centa to sail to the noble City of Lisbone there to celebrate our marriage as I have before said The content and pleasure which we conceived of our wished desires in such manner blinded us that regarding neither the unmercifull waves nor the boisterous winds and commending our vessel to fortune the patronesse of inconstancy we went to sea in the worst and dangerousest time of the year not considering or perpending the inconveniencies that at such times are ordinary But very shortly thereafter fortune chastised our temerity and fond rashne for before night had covered Neptunes face with the curtain of darknesse the Master of the ship discovered certain tokens of tempests to come Soon after began the thick and obscure clouds to cover the skies the angry waves began to murmur the winds blow variably Whereupon the master of the ship with a fearful and troubled countenance uttered these words Ah sorrowfull and fearfull tokens Ah infortunate bark What ill luck and miserable adventure is prepared for thée if the Gods here shew not their deity He had no sooner ended these words but a certain boistreus and furious blast so launced on the mainsail and in such manner whirled into the body of the whole ship that at that instant she was in such danger that he who held the stern was forced to abandon the government thereof and so the ship following the mighty fury wherewith she was led went whither the wind and waves did drive her The tempest increased more and more and became greater and greater the furious waves covered with white fome began to augment their anger and to rage more then before There might we sée a massie rain falling from the element intermingled with lightening and fearfull thunder There might we also hear a terrible noise and shaking of the sail yard the mast the lines cords cables and tackling of the ship There might we also hear the lamentable voice both of the passengers and Mariners which caused us to fear excéedingly The winds beset the ship on all sides and the waves battered it in such manner that the very strongest and best nailed parts thereof burst in pieces The proud sea sometimes lifted us up to the firmament and suddenly she carried us down even unto the bottome yea and that which was wonderfull the waves in such manner parted asunder that we might plainly sée the sand gravel in the bottome of the sea The men and women that were in the ship lamenting and bewailing their infortunate end some fetched heavy and grievous sighs from the bottome of their hearts some offered pittifull vows others yéelded fountains of tears out of their eys The master of the ship not knowing what to do against such raging fortune his cunning being overcome by the fiercenesse and perseverance of the tempest could no longer conduire le timon He knew not the nature nor off-spring of the winds and in one instant commanded and ordained a thousand different matters The Mariners troubled and vexed by reason of the agony and perplexity of their present death could not execute their charge and by reason of the noise and cries of the passengers could not understand what the master prescribed them calling as loud as he could for his life Some of them turned the sail yard others hales the sale cord others striked the top-sail others came to mend the sprit sail others to save the misen sail others did take of the bonnet and inlargement of the main-sail others were occupied with knitting the broken liues together others looked to the hinder deck tail and castle of the ship others to the fore deck others to the hatches others voided the sea into the sea casting the water out of the ship To be short every man did what in him lay to defend and save the miserable vessel from inevitable shipwrack But all their diligence served to no end their vows and tears helped not to appease angry and fierce Neptune but the night approached more and more and the wind and tempest increased marvellously When the dark night was fallen the tempest being nothing asswaged Bugerio hoping for no remedy with a terrible countenance representing the very picture of fate and despair his eys being cast on his son his daughters and me his son in law gave us sufficiently to understand by the heavinesse of his looks what grief he â—uffered for the death which was prepared for us Insomuch thâ—t his care and grief did as much hurt as our own misfortune Tâ—â— pâ—or old mâ—n invironed with sorrow spake in this order with a lamentable voice the tears running down his fâ—ce Ah changeable Fortune enemy of humane welfare hast thou reserved such a wofull disaster for my old days Oh how happy are they that die in bloudy battels amidst their enemies in their youth to the end that never attaining to their lâ—tter age they fâ—ll not into dâ—nger to bewail the pittifull adventurse deâ—th of their loving children oh wonderful mishap oh sorrowful successe who ever ended his life with such grief as my self For whereas I thought to comfort my self at the time of my deâ—th in leaving children in the world to conserve and kéep the memory and remembrance of my linage and kindred now I am constrained necessarily to die with those that ought to celebrate my funerals O loving and dear children who would have thought that my life and yours should have finished at one self same time and instant Who would have thought that our lives should have taken their and through one and the self-same misfortune I would willingly comfort you my dear children but what solace can a sorrowfull father give whose heart is pestered with so much grief und who himself is void of all consolation Comfort your selves my children arm your hearts with patience leave all grief and sorrow unto me to the end that I dying may suffer as many deaths as ye all must endure This old Eugerio uttered with so many sighs