of the trée Alpina though it be wet looketh alwaies dryâ—â— and a wyse louer be she neuer so much tormented behaueth herselfe as though shee were not touched Yea but fire cannot be hidden in the Flaxe without smoake nor Muske in the bosome without smell nor looue in the breast without suspition Why then seeke some meane to manifest thy looue to Arbasto for as the stone Draconites can by no meanes bee polished vnlesse the Lapidarie burne it so thy minde can by no medicine be cured vnlesse Arbasto ease it alas Arbasto sweete Arbasto And with that she fetcht such a groaning sighe that one of her Maydes came into the Chamber who by her presence putting her from her passions sate so long by tyll tyred with drousie thoughts she fell into a slumber Fortune frowning thus vppon her as I supposed and fawning vpon me I set my foote on the fairest sands althogh at last I found theÌ„ most fickle thinking I must needes tread the Mesures right when Fortune piped the daunce but though I threw at all yet my chance was hard for Pelorus trifling for truce pretended treason making a shew of fear fought subtilly how to ouerthrow me by deceit saying that in ruling of Empires there is required as great pollicie as prowesse in gouerning an estate close crueltie dooth more good than open clemencie for the obtayning of a kingdome as well mischiefe as mercie is to be practised that better he had commit an inconuenience in breaking his oth than suffer a mischiefe by keeping his promise setting downe the staffe therefore on this secure periurie thus it fell out After two or thrée daies were passed accompanied onely with Egerio and a fewe of my guarde I went to Orleance determining both to conclude a peace and to demaunde Doralicia in marriage where no sooner I arriued and was entered in at the gates of the Citty but I found Pelorus and al his men in Armes which sight so appalled my sences that I stood as one trans-formed fearing that which presentlie I found true for Pelorus hauing his force inflamed with furious choller commaunded his Captaines to lay hold on me and to carrie mee to close prison swering that no lesse than the losse of life should mittigate his furie And raging in this choller after he had lodged me vppe in Lymbo he went with al his Armie to the Campe wher finding my soldiers secure as men little doubting of such mysfortune he made such a monstrous and mercilesse slaughter as of fiftie thousand he left fewe aliue those which remained he plagued with al kind of slauerie returning home with his shameles triumph hee commaunded that in the mids of the Cittie there should be made a great scaffold wherupon within ten daies I should be executed these heauie and haplesse newes béeing come to myne eares such sorrowfull passions perplexed my mind as after floods of brinish teares I burst forth into these bitter termes O infortunate Arbasto quoth I and therefore the more infortunate because Arbasto art thou not worthy of thys mishap which wilfully sought thine owne miserie canst thou accuse the Gods which didst striue against the Gods canst thou condemne Fortune which hast warred against nature and Fortune No no in suffering reason to yeeld vnto appetite wisedom vnto will and wit vnto affection thou hast procured thine owne death and thy Souldiers destruction Loue yea loue it is that hath procured thy losse beautie that hath bred thy bale fancie hath giuen thée the foyle and thine owne witlesse wil that hath wrought thy woe the more is thy paine and the lesse thou art to bee pittied was there none to like but Doralicia none to choose but thy foe none to loue but thine enemie O vile wretch fraught with carelesse follie And with that as I was readie to exclaime against my curssed destenie I heard the pryson doore open where I saw presently to enter Myrania Doralicia and Madam Vecchia who séeing me sit in such sorrowfull dumpes began to smyle at my dolor and to laugh at my mishappe which wilfullie thrust my selfe into such miserie thinking therefore to agrauate my griefe by rubbing a fresh my sore Doralicia began to gall me on this sort Hearing Arbasto quoth she that you were come to prosecute your sute playing the good Captaine that for the first foyle giueth not ouer the field I thought good to giue you a smiling looke in recompence of your flattering loue least if I should not be so curteous to so kind a Gentleman the world should account me ingratefull It is truth sister ê™ Myrania it séemes he is a passing amorous louer but it is pittie he hath verie ill luck he chooseth his chaffer well but yet is an vnskilfull chapman for if he buy at such an vnreasonable rate he is like sell howe hee can to liue by the losse Tush quoth Madam Vecchia he playeth like the Dragon who sucking bloode out of the Clephant killeth him and with the same poysoneth her selfe so Arbasto séeking to betray others is himselfe taken in the trap a iust rewarde for so vniust dealing and a fit reuenge for so rechles an enemie And yet ê™ Doralicia his purpose hath taken small place for whatsoeuer his mind was his malice hath waÌ„ted might wherin he resembleth the Serpent Porphirius who is ful of poyson but béeing toothlesse hurteth none but himselfe Surelie whatsoeuer his chaunce be hee hath made a verie good choice for he preferreth swéete loue before bitter death and the hope of euerlasting fame before the feare of momentarie mis-fortune he shall now for his constancie be canonized in Denmark for a saint and his subiects may boast say that Arbasto our King died for loue Egerio séeing that extremitie of griefe woulde not suffer me to vtter one worde not able anie longer to abide these frumpes crost her with this chollerick replie Gentlewoman ê™ he although I so terme you rather to shew mine own curtesie than to decipher your conditions it séemeth Nurture hath taught you very few manners or nature affoorded very smal modestie that séeing one in distresse you should laugh at his dolor and where the partie is crossed with mishap you would with bitter tants increase his miserie if he be your foe he hath now the foile he is taken in the snare his life hangeth in the ballance Though your father be without pietie yet in that you are a woman be not without pittie Hate him if you please as hee is your enemie but despise him not as he is Arbasto a king and your haples louer we are captiues not to a woorthy conquerer but to a wretched caitife not vanquished by prowesse but by periurie not by fight but by falshood who in our liues to thy fathers losse won continuall fame and by our death to thy fathers discredite shall purchase vnto him perpetuall infamie Doralicia not willing to suffer him wade anie further cut him short in this manner Sir quoth she if bragges could stand for payment I
present mee with gall doost thou say thou wilt cure mee with loue when thou séekest to kill mee with hate haue I redeemed thée from mishap and wilt thou requite me with miserie was I the meanes to saue thy life and wilt thou without cause procure my death haue I forsaken my Countrey betraied my father and yet wilt thou kill me with dyscurtesie O haples Myrania coulde not Medeas mishap haue made thee beware could not Ariadnes ill lucke haue taught thée to take heed coulde not Phillis mis-fortune haue feared thee from the like folly but thou must like and loue a stragling stranger Aie me that repentance shoulde euer come too late for now I sigh and sorrow but had I wist comes out of time follie is sooner remembred than redressed and time may be repented but not recalled But I sée it is a practise in men to haue as little care of their own othes as of their Ladies honors imitating Iupiter who neuer kept othe he sware to Iuno diddest thou not false Arbasto protest with sollemne vowes when thy life did hang in the ballance that thy loue to Myrania should bee alwaies loyall and hast thou not since sent and suâ—d secretlie to win the good will of Doralicia diddest thou not sweare to take mee to thy mate and hast thou not since sought to contract with her a newe match thou didst promise to bee true vnto me but hast prooued trustie vnto her what shoulde I say thou hast presented her with pleasant drinks and poysoned me with bitter potions the more is my penury the greater is thy periurie But vile wretch doost thou thinke this thy villanie shall be vnreuenged No no Egerio I hope the Gods haue appointed thée to reuenge my iniuries thou hast sworne it and I feare not but thou wilt performe it And that thou maist know I exclaime not without cause see heere the Letters which haue passed betwéen this false traytor and Doralicia The sight of these Letters so galled my guiltie conscience as I stood as one astonished not knowing what to do excuse my selfe I could not confirme my loue I durst not yet at last the water standing in mine eyes clasping her hanâ—e in mine I was readie to craue pardon if she had not preuented me with these iniurious spéeches Cleere thy selfe trayterous Arbasto thou canst not perswade me thou shalt not forgiue thée I will not cease therefore to speake for in none of these thou shalt spéede Egerio I saued thy life then reuenge my death and so content I die yet onelie discontent in this that I cannot liue to hate Arbasto so long as I loued him And with that turning vppon her left side with a gasping sigh she gaue vp the ghost which sight draue me into such a desperate minde that if Egerio and the rest had not holden me I had sent my soule with hers to the graue But béeing carried by force to my bed I lay for certaine daies oppressed with such sorrowe as if I had béene in a trance cursing and accusing my selfe of ingratitude of periury and of most despightfull disloyalty I lay perplexed with incessant passions Well this heauie and haplesse newes béeing noysed in France Pelorus taking the death of his daughter to hart in short time died leauing Doralicia the onely inheritour of his kingdome But yet sée how Fortune framed vp this tragedie who meant to cast Doralicia from most happie felicitie to most haplesse miserie for she séeing that no sinister chance coulde change my affection that neither the length of time nor the distance of place the spight of Fortune the feare of death nor her most cruell discurtesie coulde diminish my loue musing I say on this my inuiolable constancie Cupid meaning to reuenge séeing her nowe at discouert drewe home to the heade and strooke her so déepe at the hart as in despight of Vesta shee valed bonnet and giuing grounde sobbed foorth secretly to herselfe these words Alas I loue Arbasto and none but Arbasto Venus séeing that her boy had so well plaide the man began to triumph ouer Doralicia who now was in her dumps striuing as yet betwéene loue and hate till fancie sette in her foote and then ye yéelded vp the bulwark in these peaceable termes Why how now Doralicia quoth she dost thou dreame or dote Is it follie or frenzie melanchollie or madnesse that driueth thée thus into dumps and so strangly distresseth thée with dolor what fonde thoughts what vnacquainted passions what slumbring imaginations are these which perplexeth thée dost thou now féele fire to spring out of the cold flint heate to fry amids the chilling frost loue to come from hate and desire from disdaine Doost thou fare as though thou hadst béen drenched in the Riuer Iellus in Phrigia which at the first breedeth sorrow through extreame colde but foorthwith burneth the sinewes through raging heat Hath Venus nowe in despight of Vesta made thée vale bonnet the more poore wenche is thy mishap and the worse is thy fortune for loue though neuer so swéet cannot yet be digested without a most sharpe sauce faring like the golde that is neuer perfect till it hath past through the furnace Loue Doralicia but whom dost thou loue Arbasto what the man whom euen now thou diddest so deadlie hate hast thou so little force ouer thy affections as to fancy thy foe No no fond foole Arbasto is thy fréend and one that honoureth thée as a Saint and would serue thée as his soueraigne that loueth and liketh thée as much as thou canst desire but more than thou doost deserue who beeing bitterly crossed with discurtesie could neuer be touched of inconstancie but still remaineth like to Aristotles Quadratus which howsoeuer it is turned alwaies standeth stedfast Thou canst not then of conscience Doralicia but repay his loue with liking and hys firme fancie with mutuall affection he is beautiful to please the eye vertuous to content the minde rich to maintaine thy honor of birth to counteruaile thy parentage wise curteous and constant and what wouldest thou haue more Yea but alas I haue reiected his seruice and nowe he will not respect my sute I haue detested him and nowe hee will despise me I haue requited his good will with crueltie and he will reuenge me with contempt Better hadst thou then conceale it with gréefe than reueale it to thine owne shame for if thou aime at the white and misse the marke thou shalt bee pointed at of those that hate thée pittred of those that looue thée scorned of by him and falked of by all suffer rather theÌ„ poore Doralicia death by silence than derision by reuealing thy secretes for death cutteth of all care but derision bréedeth endles calamitie Tush dost thou think Arbasto can so harden his hart as to hate thée so maister his affections as to flée froÌ„ fancy that hee will become so proud as to refuse thy proffer No if thou sendest him but one line it wil more charme him than al
chilling colde and your great promises to small performance In the meane time and with that she tooke Myrania and Doralicia by the handes we wil leaue you to returne to the Campe and we will repaire to the Cittie willing to giue you thanks for your good will when we finde you a friende and not before Nay Madame quoth I not so for construe of my meaning how you please or accept of my companie how you list I wil not be so discourteous to leaue you so slenderly guided as in the guarde of this little Page And with that taking Doralicia by the hand willing not to let slip so fit opportunitie I began to court her on this manner The choyse is harde Madame Doralicia quoth I where the party is compelled either by silence to die with griefe or by vnfolding his mind to liue with shame yet so swéet is the desire of life and so bitter the passions of loue that I am enforced to preferre an vnséemelie sute before an vntimelie death Loth I am to speake and in despaire I am to spéede in the one shewing my selfe a coward in the other weighing myne owne case For considering what loue is I fainte and thinking how I am counted a foe I feare But sith where loue commandeth there it is folly to resist so it is Madame that intending to be victor I am become a vassale comming to conquer I am caught a captiue seeking to bring other into thrall alas I haue lost mine owne libertie Your heauenly beautie hath brought me into bondage your exquisite perfection hath snared my fréedome your vertuous qualities hath subdued my mind as onely your curtesie may free mee from care or your crueltie crosse mee with calamitie To recount the sorrowes I haue sustained since I first was inâ—eigled with thy beautie or the seruice I haue vowed vnto thy vertue since thou dost count my talke though neuer so true but méere toyes were rather to bréede in thee an admiration then a beliefe But this I added for the time which the end shall try for a trueth that so faithfull is my affection and so loyall is my looue that if thou take not pittie of my passions eyther my life shall be too short or my miserie too long Doralicia hearing attentiuely my talk oft times chaunged colour as one in great choller being so inflamed with a melancholike kind of hate as shee was not of a long time able to vtter one word yet at last with a face full of fury shee burst foorth into these despightfull termes Why Arbasto ê™ she art thou of late become frantick or doost thou thinke mee in a frenzie hast thou béene bytten with the Serpent Amphisbena which procureth madnesse or doost thou suppose me fraught with some lunatick fits for thy speech makes mee thinke either thou art troubled with the one or that thou countes me combred with the other if this thy poisoned parle were in iest it was too broade weying the case if in earnest too bad considering the person for to talke of peace amidst the pikes sheweth either a cowarde or a counterfeit and to sue for loue by hate either frenzie or follie It is a mad Hare Arbasto that will be caught with a Taber a gréedy fishe that commeth to a bare hooke a blinde Goose that runneth to the Foxes sermon and shee a louing foole that stoopeth to her enemies lure No no think me not so fond or at least hope not to find me so foolish as with Phryne to fancie Cecrops with Harpalice to like Archemerus with Scilla to loue Mynos with carelesse Minions so far to forget my honor my honestie my parents and my Country as to loue nay not deadlie to hate him which is a foe to the least of these for experience teacheth me that the fairer the stone is in the Toades heade the more pestilent is the poyson in her bowels the brighter the Serpents scales bee the more infectious is her breath and the talke of an enemy the more it is seasoned with delight the more it sauoureth of despight cease then to séeke for loue where thou shalt finde nothing but hate for assure thy selfe if thou didst fancie as faithfully as thou dost flatter falsely yet the guerdon for thy looue should be only this that I will pray incessantly to the Gods in thy life to pesture thée with earthly torments and after death to plague thee with hellish tortures Although these bitter blastes of Doralicia had beene a sufficient cooling carde to quench fonde affection yet as the water causeth the seacoale to burne more freshlie so her despightfull termes far more inflamed my desire that I made her this friendly replie Alas Madame weigh my case with equitie if you hate me as I am foe to Pelorus yet fauour me as I am a friend to Doralicia If you lothe me as a conquerer of your Countrey yet pittie me as I am a captiue to your beautie If you vouchsafe not to listen to the lure of your enemie yet heare the passionate complaints of a perplexed louer who leading others in triumph yet he himselfe liueth in most haples seruitude If I haue doone amisse Doralicia I will make amendes if I haue committed a fault I will bothe requite it and recompence it as I haue beene thy fathers foe so I will bee his faithfull friend as I haue sought his bale I will procure his blisse yea I will goe against the haire in all thinges so I may please thée in any thing But as I was about to make a longer discourse she cutte me off in this wise In faith sir quoth shee so well doe I like you that you can not more displease me than in séeking to please mee for if I knew no other cause to hate thée yet this would suffise that I cannot but dislike thée be therfore my fathers friend or his foe like him or hate him yet this assure thy selfe that I will neuer loue thée And with that she floong from mee in a great chafe Replie I could not for by this we were come to the gates of the Cittie where though vnwilling I tooke my leaue of them in this sort I am sorrie Ladies that such is my luck and so vnhappie is my lotte that in offering my selfe a companion I haue greatly offended you with my companie yet sith I cannot striue against chance I think my selfe happy that Fortune hath honoured me with the fruition of your presence hoping when time shall trie my words no tales but trueth you will at last make me amends with crying peccaui in the meane while I commit you to the tuition of the Gods praying Fortune rather to plague me with all mishap then to crosse you with anie chip of mischance The thanks I had for this my friendly curtesie was a coy disdainfull looke of Doralicia and a churlish vale of the olde trot Vechia but Myrania as one stoong with the pricke of fancie bad me farewell with a more curteous gloze If
than the former batterie If I loued Doralicia in Fraunce I now liked her thrise better being in Denmark If in presence her person pleased mee nowe in absence her perfection more contented mee To conclude I sware to my selfe with a sollemne sighe Doralicia was is and shall be the Mistresse of my hart in despight of the froward destinies yet amazed at mine owne follie I began thus to muse with my selfe O foolish Arbasto nay rather frantick fondling hast thou lesse reason then vnreasonable creatures the Tyger fléeth the traine the Lyon escheweth the nettes the Déere auoideth the coyles because they are taken with these instruments and art thou so mad as hauing escaped pikes wilfullie to thrust thy selfe into perrill The child being burnt hateth the fire but thou béeing an old foole wilt with the worme Naplitia no sooner come out of the coales but thou wilt leape into the flame But alas what then I sée the measure of loue is to haue no mean and the end to be euerlasting that to loue is allotted to all but to be happy in loue incident to fewe why shall I be so mad to loue Doralicia or so fraught with ingratefull periurie as not to like Myrania the one hath crossed me with bitter girds the other courted me with sweet glaunces Doralicia hath rewarded me with disdain Myrania intreated me with desire the one hath saued my life the other sought my death O Arbasto thou séest the best but I feare like to follow the worst Alas I cannot but loue Doralicia what then what resteth for me to doe but to die with patience séeing I cannot liue with pleasure yea Arbasto die die rather with a secret scar than an open scorne for thou maist well sue but neuer shalt thou haue good successe And yet Lyons fawne when they are clawed the most cruell Tygers stoope when they are tickled and Women though neuer so obstinate yéeld whē they are courted There is no Pearle so hard but vinegar breaketh no Diamonde so stonie but blood molifieth no hart so stiffe but loue weakeneth what though Doralicia sought thy death perhaps now she repents and wil giue thée life though at the first she cast thée a stone she will now throw thée an Apple Why then Arbasto assault her once againe with a freshe charge séeke to get that by Letters which thou couldest not gaine by talke for one line is of more force to perswade then a months parle for in writing thou mayst so set downe thy passions and her perfections as she shall haue cause to thinke wel of thée and better of her selfe but yet so warilie as it shall be harde for her to iudge whither thy loue bee more faithfull or her beautie amiable I haue thus determined with my selfe though as couertlie as I could to conceale my affaires least either Myrania or Egerio should spie my halting conueying therfore my affaires as cunninglie as I could I priuilie sent an Embassadour to Pelorus to intreat for a contract betwéen vs and also to craue his daughter Doralicia in mariage promising to send him Myrania safe vpon this consent and with all I framed a Letter to Doralicia to this effect Arbasto to the fairest Doralicia health SUch and so extreame are the passions of looue Doralicia that the more they are quenched by disdaine the greater flames is increased by desire and the more they are galled with hate the more they gape after looue like to the stone Topazon which being once kindled burneth most vehemētlie in the water I speake this the greater is my griefe by proofe and experience for hauing my heart scorched with the beames of thy beautie and my minde inflamed with thy singular vertue neither can thy bitter lookes abate my looue nor thy extreame discourtesie diminish my affection No Doralicia I am not he that will leaue the swéete Eglantine because it pricks my finger and refuse the golde in the fire because it burnt my hand for the minde of a faithfull loouer is neither to bee daunted with despighte nor afrighted wyth danger but as the Loadstone what wind soeuer doth blow turneth alwaies to the North so the loue of Arbasto is euer more bent to the beautie and vertue of Doralicia whatsoeuer mis-fortune happeneth Yea it fareth with me as wyth the herbe Basill the which the more it is crushed the sooner it springeth or the pure spice wich the more it is pouned the swéeter it smelleth or the Camomil which the more it is troden with the féete the more it florisheth so in these extremities beaten down to the ground with disdaine yet my loue reacheth to the toppe of the house with hope Sith then Doralicia thy beautie hath made the sore let thy bounty applie the salue as thy vertue hath caused my maladie so let thy mercie giue the medicine repay not my constancie with crueltie requite not my loue with hate and my desire wyth despight least thou procure my spéedie death and thy endlesse infamie Thus hoping thou wilt haue some remorse of my passions I attend thy fréendlie sentence and my fatall destinie Thine euer though neuer thine Arbasto As soone as I had written my Letter I dispatcht the Messenger as spéedily and priuilie as might be who within the space of thrée wéekes arriued at Orleance where deliuering his Embassage to Pelorus my letter to Doralicia hee staied for an answer the space of tenne daies in which time Pelorus consulting with his Counsell was verie willing to graunt me his daughter in marriage but that by no meanes he could win the good will of Doralicia seeing therefore no perswasions coulde preuaile hee dispatcht my Messenger with deniall and Doralicia returned mée this frowarde answere Doralicia to Arbasto WHere didst thou learne fonde foole that being forbidden to be bold thou shouldest grow impudent that willed to leaue off thy sute yet thou shouldest be importunate doost thou think with the spaniell by fawning when thou art beaten to make thy foe thy friende no let others déeme of thee what they list I will count thee a cur Doost thou thinke I will be drawn by thy counterfeit conceits as the strawe by the Iet or as the gold by the minerall Chrisocolla no no if thou séekest to obtaine fauour at my hands thou doost striue to wring water out of the Pumniice and doost worke the meanes to increase thine own shame and seueritie for as by instinct of nature there is a secrete hate betwéene the Uine and the Cabbish betweene the Boxe and the Goord and betwéen the yron and the Theamides so in my minde I féele a secret grudge between Arbasto and Doralicia cease then to gape for that thou shalt neuer gette and take this both for a warning and an answer and if thou prosecute thy sute thou doost but persecute thy selfe for I am neither to bee woed with thy passions whilst thou liuest nor to repent me of my rigor when thou art dead For this I sweare that I will neuer
consent to loue him whose sight if I may say with modestie is more bitter vnto me than death Short I am thogh sharpe for I loue not to flatter take this therefore for thy farewell that I liue to hate thee Willing after death if it could be thy foe Doralicia After that the Messenger was returned to Denmarke and that I had receiued and reade the Letter such sundrie thoughts assailed me that I became almost franticke feare dispaire griefe hate choller wrathe desire of reuenge and what not so tormented my minde that I fell to raging against the Gods to rayling at Doralicia and to cursing of all womankind conceiuing such an extreame hate against her as before I loued her not so hartilie as nowe I loathed her hatefullie counting my selfe an vngrate wretch towarde Myrania and calling to mind her beautie vertue her bountie and curtesie I fel more déeply in loue with her than euer with Doralicia so that I coulde not spare one glaunce from gazing vpon her person nor draw my minde from musing on her perfection A suddaine change but alas a sorrowfull chance For Myrania séeing me soused in these sorrowful dumps began straight without casting anie water to coniecture my disease and to shoot at that which indeede she hytte without anie great ayme But as loue is most suspicious so she began to doubt the worst fearing that as yet the beautie of Doralicia was not blotted out of my minde searching therfore narowly what she could eyther heare or learne of my secretes at last she found out that which wrought her finall mishap and my fatall miserie For by lucklesse chaunce leauing the doore of my closet open Myrania thinking to finde me at my Muses stumbled on the copie of my Letter which I sent vnto Doralicia and vpon the answer which I receiued from that ruthles Minion which after shee had reade perceiuing how traiterously I had requited her loue with hate she conueied herselfe couertlie into her Chamber where after shee had almost dimmed her sight with floods of teares and burst her hart with blowing sighes she fel into these complaints O infortunate Myrania O haples Myrania yea O thrise accursed Myrania whom Fortune by spight séeketh to foyle whom the destinies by fate are appointed to plague whom the Gods by iustice will must most cruelly reuenge Thou hast béen a paracide to thy father in séeking to destroy him by thy disobedience thou art a traytor to thy Country in sauing the enemie of the Common welth and thou art a foe to nature in louing disloyall Arbasto and can the Gods but plague these monstrous iniuries no no Myrania thou hast deserued more mishap then either Fortune can or wil affoord thée Ah cruell and accursed Arbasto I sée now that it fareâ—h with thée as with the Panther which hauing made one astonished with his faire sight seeketh to deuâ—ure him wyth bloodie pursute and with me poore wench as it dooth with them that view the Basiliske whose eies procure delight to the looker at the first glimse but death at the second glance Alas was there none to like but thy foe none to looue but Arbasto none to fancie but a periured Dame none to match with but a flattering mate Nowe hath thy lawlesse loue gained a lucklesse end nowe thou triâ—st by experience that the trée Alpina is smooth to be touched but bitter to bee tasted that the fairest Serpent is most infectious the finest colour soonest stained the cléerest glasse most brittle and that louers though they beare a delicate shewe yet they haue a deceitfull substance that if they haue hony in their mouthes yet they haue gall in their harts the more is the pittie in thee to trust without triall and the greater impietie for him to be a traytor beeing so well trusted Is this the curtesie of Denmark towardes friends to intreate them so despightfullie is my good will not onelie reiected without cause but also disdained without colour Alas what shall I doe to this extremitie beeing a forlorne wretch in a forraine Country which way shall I turne me of whoÌ„ shall I seeke remedie Pelorus wil reiect me and why shold he not Arbasto hath reiected me and why should hee the one I haue offended with too much greefe the other I haue serued with too great good will the one is lost with loue the other with hate Pelorus because I cared not for him Arbasto because I cared for him but alas too much And with that she fetcht such a sigh as witnessed a hart pained wyth most intollerable passions yea care and griefe so fiercely and freshly assaulted her as she fell into a Feuer refusing all sustenance wishing and calling for nothing but death While shee thus pined away with gréefe I thought to search out her sore but I could not perceiue the cause of her sorrow onely I did coniecture this that she doubted my Nobles would not consent to our mariage to rid her therefore of this care I presently called a parliament where without anie great controuersie it was concluded This newes being come to the eares of Myrania it no whit decreased her dolor but did rather farre the more augment her distresse which made Egerio to muse draue mee into a great maze so that accompanied with my Nobles I went to comfort her to carrie her newes that if she coulde but come into the Chamber of presence she should there bee crowned Quéene But alas when I came and sawe her so altered in one weeke wasted to the hard bones more like a ghost than a liuing creature I began thus to comfort her Ah Myrania ê™ I more loued of mee then myne owne life and more déere vnto me than my selfe woulde God I might be plagâ—ed with all earthly diseases so I might see thée free from distresse howe can Arbasto bee without sorrow to sée Myrania oppressed with sicknes how can hee but sinke in calamitie to sée her but once toucht with care alas vnfold vnto me thy sore I will apply the salue make me priuie to thy maladie I will procure a medicine If want of welth work thy woe thou hast the kingdom of Denmarke to dispose at thy pleasure if absence from fréends thou hast such a fréende of thy louing spouse Arbasto as death it selfe shall neuer dissolue our loue I had no sooner vttered this worde but Myrania as one possessed with some hellish furie start vp in her bed with staring lookes and wrathfull countenaunce séeming by her raging gestures to bee in a frenzie but béeing kept downe by her Ladies she roared out these hatefull curses O vile wretches ê™ she will you not suffer me in my life to reuenge my selfe on that periured Traytor Arbasto yet shall you not denie me but after death my ghost shal tormeÌ„t him with gastlie visions O thrise accursed caitife doost thou seeme to helpe me with thy scabbard and secretly hurte mee with thy sword dost thou offer me hony openlie and priuilie
Circes inchantments if thou lendest but one fréendly looke it will be more estéemed of him than life Why but Doralicia and with that she sate stil as one in a trance building Castles in the aire hanging betwéen feare and hope trust and dispaire doubt assurance to rid her selfe therfore froÌ„ these dumps she tooke her Lute whereupon she plaied this dittie IN time we see that siluer drops The craggy stones make soft The slowest Snaile in time we see Doth creepe and clime aloft With feeble puffes the tallest pine In tract of time doth fall The hardest hart in time doth yeeld To VENVS luring call Where chilling frost alate did nip There flasheth nowe a fire Where deepe disdaine bred noysome hate There kindleth nowe desire Time causeth hope to haue his hap What care in time not easde In time I loath'd that now I loue In both content and pleasde Doralicia hauing ended her dittie laid down her Lute and betooke her to her former passions wherein shee had not long plodded but shee determined to write vnto mée with as much spéed as might be framing her Letters to this effect Doralicia to Arbasto health WEighing with my selfe Arbasto that to be vniust is to offer iniurie to the Gods and that without cause to be cruell is against all conscience I haue thought good to make amendes for that which is amisse and of a fained foe to become thy faithfull fréend for since the receit of thy Letters calling to minde the perfection of thy bodie and perfectnes of thy mind thy beautie and vertue thy curtesie and constancie I haue béene so snared with fancie and fettered with affection as the Idea of thy person hath pinched mee wyth most haplesse passions If I haue béene recklesse of thy good will I repent mee if ruthles thorow cruell spéeches I recant them as one louing now that of late I loathed and desiring that which euen now I despised which as often as I call to mind I can not but blushe to my selfe for shame and fall out with my selfe for anger But the purest Diamond is to be cut before it be worne the Frankencense is to be burnt before it be smelt louers are to be tried before they be trusted least shining like the Carbuncle as though they had fire yet beeing toucht they prooue passing colde for the minde by tryall once scowred of mistrust becommeth more fitte euer after to beléefe so that Arbasto as I haue pined thée with bitter pils I will nowe pamper thee with swéete potions as I haue galled thée with crueltie I will heale thée with curtesie yea if thy good nature can forget that which my ill tongue doth repent or thy most constant kindnesse forgiue that my vnbridled furie did commit I will counteruaile my former discurtesie with insuing constancie I will be as readie after to take an iniurie as I was to giue an offence thou shalt find my loue duetie such and so grett as either Doralicia can performe or Arbasto desire And thus committing my life and my liuing into your hands I attende thine answere and rest more thine than her owne Doralicia The Messenger by whom she sent this message making spéede to performe his Mistresse commaunde arriued within few dayes at Denmark where deliuering me the Letter I was greatly amazed at the sight thereof musing what the contents should be at last vnripping the seales I perceiued to what Saint Doralicia bent her deuotion but the showre came too late when the grasse was withered yet I stood for a time astonished houering betweene loue and hate But at the last such lothsome misliking of her former curtesie so incensed my mind that to displease her and to despight Fortune I returned her spéedily this hateful answere To Doralicia neither health nor good hap I Receiued thy Letter Doralicia which no sooner I reade with mine eie but I threw into the fire with my hande least by viewing them I should grow into great furie or by kéeping them shew thee any friendship For we shunne the place of pescilence for feare of infection the eies of the Catharismes because of diseases the eyes of the Corkatrice for feare of death Cyrces drinkes are dreadfull charmes and Syrens tunes doubting inchantments should I not then eschew thy alluring baits when thou hast galled me with the hooke yes I will and must least I be intrapped wyth thy subtiltie or intangled with thy sorcerie Truely Doralicia that once I loued thée I cannot denie that now beeing frée I should fall to such folly I more than vtterly refuse for as before I liked thée in constant hope so now I leath with hatefull contempt comparing thy cursed nature to the herbe Basil which both ingendereth Serpents and killeth them so the shew of thy vertue inflamed me with loue but the tryall of thy vanitie hath quenched it with hate Hate yea I more then hate thée most cruell and ingratefull Monster whose beautie I hope was giueÌ„ thée of the Gods as well to procure thine owne miserie as others mishap which if I might liue to sée as Infortunio did by Eriphila I woulde thinke I did leade my haples life to a most happy end Thus thou seest I account of thy loue and accept of thy Letters esteeming the one as filthie chaffer and the other as forged charms and saying to them bothe that proffered seruice stinkes Waste more wind I will not to spend more time is most ill spent therefore take this as a farewell that if I heare of thy good hap I liue displeased if of thy mis-fortune content if of thy death most sorrowfull that the Gods did not giue thée many daies and much distresse so wishing thée what spight either Fortune or the Fates can affoord Adiew Sworne thy foe till death Arbasto Doralicia hauing receiued these Letters and reade the contents was so impatient in her passions that shée fell into a frenzie hauing nothing in her mouth but Arbasto Arbasto euer doubling this word with such pittifull cryes scriches as would haue mooued any but me to remorse she continued not in this case long before shee died But I alas leading a lothsome life was more cruellie crossed by Fortune for Egerio conspiring with the Péeres of my Realme in shorte time by ciuill warres dispossessed me of my crown and kingdome Forced then to flee by mine owne Subiects after some trauaile I arriued at this place where considering wyth my selfe the fickle inconstancie of vniust Fortune I haue euer since liued content in this Cell to despight Fortune one while sorrowing for the mishappe of Myrania and another while ioying at the misery of Doralicia but alwaies smiling that by contemning Fortune I learne to leade her in tryumph Thus thou hast hearde why in meane estate I passe my dayes content rest therefore satisâ—fied that thus I haue liued and thus I meane to die