the King This Knight whose skill in Armes hath made your well-deserving vertues famous may be that man pointed out by the finger of heaven to release Amphialus who both in name and armour represents a naked Knight O no said the Queene it cannot be expected that Apollo would leave so plaine a way for us to track out the footsteps of his obscure misteries Madam replied Basilius having first plac't her in a Chayre by him the all-seeing providence with whom the ends of all things are presēt is somtimes pleas'd to cast forth the Emblem of our destinies so strangely hidden in the covert of ambiguous words that doubtless it serves to beget nothing but matters of distrust and labyrinths of errors where the imagination a thousand vvayes may be led astray Of this you have a present proofe confirm'd by my experience and somtimes the same Iustice unfolds the secret of our fate and plainely lets us know the misterie of our fortune yet even that plaineness to the curious search of our stil-mistrusting brain becomes a reason sufficient to enforce us to a contrarie beleefe This last I thinke if in the interpretation of an Oracle my opinion may be receiv'd is that meane whereby Apollo both reveales hides the author of Amphialus freedom This said he sends presently for the naked knight who as soone obeying the Kings command as he was completely armed came before him to vvhom Basilius cheerefully told as glad to be the reporter of so good newes to him whose prowesse in armes deservingly gain'd much of his good opiniō of Hellens being there together vvith her desire to imploy him in an action the heavens had also interested him What is it replyed the naked Knight that without such a cōmand I vvould not endevour to accomplish for my most deere Hellen and then with excesse of comfort and astonishment his vveake limmes were readie to give over the support of his joy-burdened bodie but being upheld by Musidorus who stood next him his overcharg'd spirits had time to recollect themselves The Queene gathering comfort from his promise seeing faire likelyhood o◠the Oracles accomplishment with the oratorie of love who thinkes no vvords but his owne able to expresse his mind◠began in this manner Sir ill fortune my awfull governesse as in the most of my actions shee is pleas'd to keepe a hard hand over me so in this distrustfull belike of my willingnesse she forces me to repeat my wonted lesson of receiving courtesies without power of requitall making one undeserved favor from you become a cause of further beholdingnesse to you But the glorie that follows your good successe in this adventure the best spur to set forward brave spirits to noble actions hath almost assur'd me that the love you professe and a distressed Ladies cause need not joyne petitioners in a request your vertue must be willing to grant The reward of your victorie is the releasing of Amphialus of whom I may speake and the vvorld vvith me all prayse-worthy things Madam replyed the naked Knight I thought the Gods could not have favour'd me more then in giving you respite of life and me power to be serviceable to you but when I consider the end I must imploy my endevours too it buries my conceited happinesse in the grave of a certaine misfortune Shall I labour to preserve that monster of men whose storie if the vvorld vvill needs reade containes nothing but a volume of disasters and a vaine discourse of a few adventures cast upon him by the blindnesse of chance Shall I hazzard my life for him against whom had I lives innumerable I vvould venture them all Shall I live to make another happie in your favour crosse mine owne desires No Madam I wil sooner leave my bloud here before you as a testimony that feare hath no interest in my disobedience to your command then I will make my after-life truly miserable in the burden of a hopelesse affection To this the Queene a vvhile in teares as if her eyes strove to speake for her made a silent answer but vvhen her sighes had breath'd forth the overcharge of her brest first she kneeled then faintly said O eternall president of this Court of cares when wil thy just pittie cōmiserate my distresse Alas Sir vvhat new vvay have the Gods found to vent their malice on me have I made disdaine my only mishap and must now affection to me-wards bee another undeserved misfortune Behold Sir and if you can vvith pittie a Queene borne to command a suppliant at your feet begging what goodnesse sollicites you to grant Release Amphialus and if your jealousie thinkes he hath too much interest in my love restore him to the vvorld that wants him I will vow a Virgins life Stay vertuous Queene replyed the naked Knight and lifting up his Beaver Receive said he thou best of women thy over-joy'd Amphialus The Queene as when the Ocean swels with the rage of a tempest if on a sudden these blasts be appeas'd yet the proude vvaves mindefull of their forepast injurie and indispos'd to so speedie a reconcilement some while retaine the rough remembrance of the vvindes malice so were her thoughts before mov'd by the storme of despair though now she had cause of contented quiet on a sudden incapable of so unlook't for a happines first doubt then amazement lastly excesse of joy by succession were admitted to the Helme of her distressed heart But when joy had once got to be the Steers-man his want of practise by his long absence frō that imployment soon brought a confusion here the warme teares of sorrow there the cold dropps of a present comfort did strive vvhether would shew himselfe most officious in drowning her pale blushing cheekes At length they both no longer able to resist this powerfull invasion of their mindes as by mutuall consent fel the one intwin'd in the others armes made the earth happie in bearing such matchlesse lovers But their senses being soone restor'd to their wonted function after some passionate words to which their eies touch of their hāds gave the life of expression Amphialus divided into manie minds by the turbulent working of his thoughts turning towards his uncle with his eyes fixt on the ground stood with the grace of a man condemned who having led a loathsome life in an ugly dungeon is now brought to a freedome o◠looking upon the open ayre yet sees the day is but a Taper to light him to his execution Of the one side he was brought from the hell of despaire wherein he liv'd in the assurance of Hellens death to the certaintie of her life presence of the other what was his treason to his uncle to expect but an infamous death a divorce from his new-borne happinesse The shame also of a crime so foule as his rebellion vvas not the least torment to his minde unwillingly beaten from a setled course of vertue by Cecropia's practises At length when these thoughts
seeing I might not trust my â—elfe vvith mine owne government I chose manie friends and being by nature given to hate pride to eschue a vice so loathâ—ome thinking it might not be done otherwise I began to affect popularitie But I had scarce liv'd thus a twelue-month vvhen my cousin the kings sonne a yong man who besides the hope of succession for vvhich the Courtiers did adore him had nothing more then ordinary in him grew suspicious of my practises as he term'd them to which humor besides the mistrust of his owne little desert his Sycophants the bellowes of this fire did daily add further causes to encrease his jealousie But seeing the discoverie of his suspicion vvould little please the king vvho ever since the death of my father had doubled his care upon me he vvas compel'd to dissemble a good liking towards me In meane time a truce made for some few yeares vvith the Duke of Amasia being expir'd the vvar grew hote on both sides at length after the triall of manie changes in fortune necessitie mediating a peace betweene them my selfe being given as hostage for performance of certain coÌ„ditions of my uncles part a perpetuall league vvas concluded onâ— 't was now and not before mischiefe began to unmaske her selfe and take a pride to grow terrible There vvas at Court during my abode there attending upoÌ„ the Dutchesse a Lady by name Alcida whose many excellencies won as many hearts as she had beholders nature making her beautie shape but the most faire Cabinet of a farre fayrer mind To her mine eyes at first sight gave up my heart with so fortunate an encounter in affectioÌ„ that this surrender vvas but a mutuall exchange she having in a mercifull gratefulnes fixt her love one mine But her parentage though not base was so meane in respect of my birth that thence vvhole armies of afflictions did invade my mind equally distracted betweene my desire to enjoy this my best of happines and feare of my uncles displeasure on whom this match for his care and love of me I was sure vvould draw on an untimely death But before I could determine a doubt of â—o great consequence the conditions of the league being faithfully performed I was safely at a day prefixt sent back to Natolia desirous even in my soule desirous I am sure rather by their breach of covenant to have hazzarded my life then thus cruelly to be taken away from her presence vvho far beyond my life was most deere to me Soone after my returne the king as if the Gods had stay'd him to see the quiet of his State now that vvas brought to passe worne vvith age and much broken vviâ—h travell care in his last warrs left his kingdome to his degenerate sonne successor who had no sooner seized upon the government but meaning to begin his raigne vvith an admirable act of policie now his power vvas unrestrain'd limits me to the absence from my countrey declaring my bloud for ever uncapable of succession and not content vvith this to such a height his undeserved malice to me vvas raised that he dealt vvith some bad ministers of his wickedness secretly to make me away To prevent therfore vvhat vvas plotted against me disguising my selfe I hastily fled away making use of necessity to further my affection I put my self into the service of a Nobleman here in the Court of Amasia easily remaining undiscovered among them who vvould sooner fall out vvith their eyes then beleeve that the greatnesse wherein they lately had seene me could admit so great a change By meane vvhereof I enjoyed the presence of my Alcida whose constancie neither time nor abseÌ„ce the mothes of affectioÌ„ nor vvhat is more this my change in fortune could alter Thus vvhile I liv'd in this happinesse of servitude Mermidon brother to the Duke having commanded with fortunate successe against the Dazians returned to Court vvhere seeing this Lady he became enamoured of her to no other end then to satisfie his lust and thinking at first because he vvas in good esteemâ— vvith himselfe she vvould have strain'd her modestie to sue for the acceptaÌ„ce of a present so gratefull to him a while he was silent but when he perceived the vanitie of his fruitlesse expectation found that this delay encreas'd the fury of his passion dispensing with the Matie he had taken on he began to make known his love to her for such a title did he give to so base a desire forgetting not vvithal to tell her that to excuse her modestie he had first spoken her wishes But the vertuous Alcida loathing as much the thought of such a sinne as shee loved the memorie of me together with a â—esolute deniall let him know how base his minde was that made so injurious a request Wherat Mermidon because this answer came unexpected was so much the more amazed But bringing arguments from his late practise in the warre he began to think his honor would be the greater if after long resistance he did surprise a well defended for t therefore daily both by rich gifts the base enamell of affection manie promises which to win the more upon her were sent by one of her owne sexe who if example might move her could tell of such a president in her â—elfe did he seeke to undermine her resolution Meane time my constant Alcida seeing the inteÌ„perance of Mermidons lust to bring the threats of force with it not daring to speake with me because our conference began to be suspected sent me a letter to hasten her carrying away appointing this the fatall place of our meeting I much rejoyc'd to be so neere my happinesse the rather that since our last conference I received intelligence that my young cousin of Natolia being made away by one whom he had rais'd to an undeserved height in his favour the countrey was in great distresse by the factious ambition of the Nobilitie and that the best affected to the State much desired my presence But these meanes how well soever as I thought conducing to my happinesse by the unmercifulnesse of my hard destinie were prevented as one of those whom 't was my fortune to kil at his death revealed for Mermidoâ— having intercepted the messenger mad with rage to finde his hopes crost by so meane a man as he tooke me to be having again seal'd up the letter he caus'd it to be delivered and determining to be reveng'd sent these men to apprehend me himself intending to follow presently leading with him my deerest Alcida whom in my presence to ad a glorie to the execrablenes of the offence he means to ravish And now sir you have heard said he all what my selfe knowes of my birth fortune ever till this time when I am well assur'd my end is neere at hand kept secret He scarce had clos'd up this lamentable storie with a heartie sigh the compendious abridgment of his sufferings when we might discerne Mermidon with twentie
that almost overcame all the powers of life in him vvere themselves overcome by his resolution casting himselfe at Basilius his feet he thus said Great Sir if treason in a subject and unnaturalnesse in a nephew be punishable here you have before you a fit exercise for your justice I am that subject whose rebellion interrupted the contented quiet of my Kings solitarie life and brought him to behold the bloudie tragedie of a civill discension in his divided State I am that nephew whom a vvilfull disobedience made a traytor to the neernesse of his bloud Hither did I come Orestes-LIKE tormented by the inward fright of my guilty conscience with my bloud to vvash away if good fortune in the defence of the cause I undertooke would draw death upon me the staines of such unpardonable faultsâ— but now that I have found what I least look't for and then he cast a side look on Hellen for her I confesse I should desire to live if your just indignation might finde mercie for so hainous offences which I vvill not strive to mitigate how ever justly I may for I vvould thinke such faults ill excus'd with vvhich to ease my selfe I must have burdened my neerest friends Basilius first graciously lifting him from the ground Nephew replyed he did I retaine the memorie of your youthfull oversights this your vertuous acknowledgement were sufficient to beare them away but long since I have buried in oblivion the thought of your rashnes because I knew by vvhat after happened that the Gods had made you an instrument to worke their ends it were injurie therefore to question his actions whose vvill vvas not his own being overrul'd by their all-coÌ„manding decree No nephew I do not only pardon these transgressions but freely also do resigne all such possessions as your father held in Arcadia taken from you in the last warre and now in the hands of Philanax Live happie in your choise I shal be proud of our alliance with the crowne of Corinth and shall rejoyce to see the succession continue in our bloud This said he ledd him to Genecia then to Evarchus but when he came to Musidorus This nephew is that black knight said he who at your last meeting gave such evideÌ„t proof of his uncoÌ„querable valor This is Musidorus the Prince of Thessaly whom the Gods have bestow'd as a blessing on my daughter Pamela Amphialus now assured by the kings speech unto whose hand the honour of his conquest had fallen for doubt had long tormented him that some baser hand had reapt the glorie of his victorie Prince Musidorus said he my hard successe in our last encounter much perplext me not that my confidence of my selfe was lifted to such an arrogaÌ„t presumptioÌ„ to think my strength and skill in Armes matchlesse but that it griev'd me an unknown Knight one whom the vvorld might thinke had conceal'd his name lest together with him his bad fortune in tryalls of that kinde might be discovered should have the better of me But now that I know to vvhose lot my victorie hath falne I doe not onely bring an excuse but an honour from the worthinesse of the conqueror Courteous Amphialus repli'd the Prince whose side the advantage of Fortune did then incline to if it may be determined with greater reason and more desert should the honour be giveÌ„ you than bestowed on me but however such tryall I then made of your manhood that hereafter I shall desire to be of your part Worthy Prince said Amphialus your vertue will alway chuse to be of the weaker side and so turning to Philoclea Divine Lady said he in your excellent choyse of the famous Pyrocles you have besides the happinesse gain'd to your selfe for which the world may envie you shew'd me the way to my best hopes by graffing my affection in the stock of my Helleâ—s constancie Deere cousin replyed Philoclea I am glad it was in my power and your good fortune so much to better your choise in so excellent a remove And so casting a bashfull looke towards Pyroclesâ— Sir said she we may joine in thankesgiving this is my cousin whose vertuous disposition during our imprisonment was our safest defence against my aunt Cecropia's crueltie I doe acknowledge it said Pyrocles and besides this favour in vvhich vve have a common interest Sir I must crave pardon for a vvound given you at such a time vvheÌ„ belike you made Patience your only defence Amphialus stood â—ith his eye fixed on Pyrocles for his memory supply'd him with a confused remembrance of such a face Zelmane he could not take him to be her sexe and this change at their first birth destroy'd these apprehensions Pyrocles his heart swore he vvas not vvhose youth and beautie God vvot vvere no fit liveâ—ie for such atchievemeÌ„ts as the vvorld fam'd him for Thus a vvhile hee continued troubled vvith the uncertâ—intie of conjectures untill Pyrocles happily conceiving the cause of his amazement stopt his further admiration by letting him know that the then Zelmane was the now Pyrocles Whereat Amphialus as one newly wak't out of a dreame cryed out Anaxius Anaxius said he ' â—was the Prince of Macedon not a vvoman overcame thee Wheresoever thy soule be let it keepe this time festivall as the birth-day of thy glorie And so after mutuall embraces together with the rest of the Princes they entred the Palace vvhere vvhen they were seated the eyes of all the companie were set on the Queene of Corinth longing to know the storie of her strange fortune now a Queene then a prisoner now alive then dead vvhich shee at Basilius intreatie vvith a majestie which her fortune could not change because 't was innate thus declared Great Sir that I vvas made prisoner by Rinatus and by him carried to Laconia Fame together vvith the newes of my supposed death belike hath brought you the rest since you esteem worthy your hearing I shall esteeme worthie my relation There yet governes and then did among the Nobilitie of Laconia one Creton a man elected to the crown rather to recompence the desert of his ancestors than for his owne vertues beloved and borne vvith for the same reason such an everlasting monument of it selfe can goodnesse leave to posteritie To him vvhen I vvas brought my guilt and my guiltie selfe vvith the best oratorie Rinatus had vvas made knowne vvho with vehement importunitie desired that my speedie punishment as my fault should be terrible The King answered Though he found his demands reasonable and such to vvhich he vvas sure there could be no opposition made yet he thought it fit the Nobilitie should be acquainted vvith so vvaightie a causeâ— before he proceeded further in it and so for this time being committed to the charge of Partinax Chamberlaine to the King I was dismist The next day the Councell being sent for my cause ran the hazzard of manie opinions some thought it fit I should dye and though Iustice said they might not dispence with such