the discord of the nobilitie and when other cause fayled him the nature of chaunce serued as a cause vnto him and sometimes the hearing other men speake valiantly and the quietnesse of his vnassailed senses woulde make himselfe beleue that hee durst doo something But now that present daunger did display it selfe vnto his eye and that a daungerous dooing must be the onely meane to preuent the danger of suffering one that had marked him woulde haue iudged that his eies would haue run into him and his soule out of him so vnkindly did either take a sent of daunger He thought the lake was too shallow and the walles too thin he misdouted ech mans treason and coniectured euery possibilitie of misfortune not onely fore-casting likely perils but such as all the planets together coulde scarcely haue conspired and already began to arme him selfe though it was determined he should tarrie within doores and while he armed himselfe imagined in what part of the vault he would hide himselfe if the enimies wonne the castle Desirous he was that euery body should do valiantly but himselfe and therefore was afraid to shew his feare but for very feare would haue hid his feare lest it shoulde discomfort others but the more he sought to disguize it the more the vnsutablenes of a weake broken voice to high braue wordes and of a pale shaking countenance to a gesture of animating did discouer him But quite contrarily Amphialus who before the enimies came was carefull prouidently diligent not somtimes with out doubting of the issue now the nearer danger approched like the light of a glow-worme the lesse still it seemed and now his courage began to boile in choler and with such impatience to desire to powre out both vpon the enimie that he issued presently into certaine boates he had of purpose and carying with him some choise men went to the fortresse he had vpon the edge of the lake which hee thought would bee the first thing that the enimy woulde attempt because it was a passage which commanding all that side of the country and being lost would stop victuall or other supply that might be brought into the castle in that fortresse hauing some force of horsemen he issued out with two hundred horse fiue hundred footmen embushed his footmen in the falling of a hill which was ouer shadowed with a wood he with his horsmen went a quarter of a mile further aside hand of which he might perceaue the many troupes of the enimie who came but to take view where best to encampe themselues But as if the sight of the enimie had bene a Magnes stone to his courage he could not containe himselfe but shewing his face to the enimie and his backe to his souldiers vsed that action as his onely oration both of denouncing warre to the one and perswading help of the other Who faithfully following an example of such authoritie they made the earth to grone vnder their furious burden and the enimies to begin to be angry with them whom in particular they knew not Among whom there was a young man youngest brother to Philanax whose face as yet did notbewray his sex with so much as shew of haire of a minde hauing no limits of hope nor knowing why to feare full of iollitie in conuersation and lately growne a Louer His name was Agenor of all that armie the most beautifull who hauing ridden in sportfull conuersation among the foremost all armed sauing that his beauer was vp to haue his breath in more freedome seing Amphialus come a pretty way before his cōpany neither staying the commaundement of the captaine nor recking whether his face were armed or no set spurs to his horse and with youthfull brauerie casting his staffe about his head put it then in his rest as carefull of comely carying it as if the marke had beene but a ring and the lookers on Ladies But Amphialus launce was already come to the last of his descending line and began to make the ful point of death against the head of this young Gentleman when Amphialus perceyuing his youth and beautie Compassion so rebated the edge of Choller that hee spared that faire nakednesse and let his staffe fal to Agenors vampalt so as both with braue breaking should hurtleslie haue perfourmed that match but that the pittilesse launce of Amphialus angry with being broken with an vnlucky counterbuffe ful of vnsparing splinters lighted vpon that face farre fitter for the combats of Venus geuing not onely a suddaine but a fowle death leauing scarsely any tokens of his former beautie but his hands abandoning the reynes and his thighes the saddle hee fell sidewarde from the horse Which sight comming to Leontius a deere friende of his who in vaine had lamentably cried vnto him to stay when he saw him beginne his careere it was harde to say whether pittie of the one or reuenge against the other helde as then the soueraigntie in his passions But while hee directed his eye to his friende and his hinde to his enimie so worngly-consorted a power coulde not resist the ready minded force of Amphialus who perceyuing his il-directed direction against him so paide him his debt before it was lent that hee also fell to the earth onely happy that one place and one time did finish both their Loues and liues together But by this time there had bene a furious meeting of either side where after the terrible salutation of warlike noyse the shaking of handes was with sharpe weapons some launces according to the mettall they mett and skill of the guider did staine themselues in bloud some flew vp in pieces as if they would threaten heauen because they fayled on earth◠But their office was quickly inherited either by the Prince of weapons the sworde or by some heauy mase or biting axe which hunting still the weakest chase sought euer to light there wher smallest resistance might worse preuent mischiefe The clashing of armour and crushing of staues the iustling of bodies the resounding of blowes was the first parte of that ill-agreeing musicke which was beautified with the griselinesse of woundes the rising of dust the hideous falles and grones of the dying The very horses angrie in their masters anger with loue and obedience brought foorth the effects of hate and resistance and with minds of seruitude did as if they affected glorie Some lay deade vnder their dead maisters whome vnknightly wounds had vniustly punished for a faithfull dutie Some lay vppon their Lordes by like accidents and in death had the honour to be borne by them whom in life they had borne Some hauing lost their commaunding burthens ranne scattered about the fielde abashed with the madnesse of mankinde The earth it selfe woont to be a buriall of men was nowe as it were buried with men so was the face thereof hidden with deade bodies to whom Death hade come masked in diuerse manners In one place lay disinherited heades dispossessed of their naturall seignories in an
lesse daungerous But after that yeares began to come on with some though more seldome shewes of a bloudie nature and that the prophecie of Musidorus destenie came to his eares deliuered vnto him and receiued of him with the hardest interpretation as though his subiects did delight in the hearing thereof Then gaue he himselfe indeede to the full currant of his disposition especially after the warre of Thessalia wherein though in trueth wrongly he deemed his vnsuccesse proceeded of their vnwillingnes to haue him prosper and then thinking himselfe contemned knowing no countermine against contempt but terror began to let nothing passe which might beare the colour of a fault without sharp punishment and when he wanted faults excellencie grew a fault and it was sufficient to make one guiltie that he had power to be guiltie And as there is no humour to which impudent pouertie cannot make itselfe seruiceable so were there enow of those of desperate ambition who would build their houses vpon others ruines which after should fall by like practises So as seruitude came mainly vpon that poore people whose deedes were not onely punished but words corrected and euen thoughts by some meane or other puld out of them while suspition bred the mind of crueltie and the effects of crueltie stirred a new cause of suspition And in this plight full of watchfull fearefulnes did the storme deliuer sweete Pyrocles to the stormie minde of that Tyrant all men that did such wrong to so rare a stranger whose countenaunce deserued both pitie and admiration condemning themselues as much in their hearts as they did brag in their forces But when this bloudy King knew what he was and in what order he and his cosin Musidorus so much of him feared were come out of Thessalia assuredly thinking because euer thinking the worst that those forces were prouided against him glad of the perishing as he thought of Musidorus determined in publique sort to put Pyrocles to death For hauing quite lost the way of noblenes he straue to clime to the height of terriblenes and thinking to make all men adread to make such one an enemie who would not spare nor feare to kill so great a Prince and lastly hauing nothing in him why to make him his friend he thought he woulde take him away from being his enemie The day was appointed and all things appointed for that cruell blow in so solemne an order as if they would set foorth tyranny in most gorgeous decking The Princely youth of inuincible valour yet so vniustly subiected to such outragious wrong carrying himself in all his demeanure so constantly abiding extremitie that one might see it was the cutting away of the greatest hope of the world and destroying vertue in his sweetest grouth But so it fell out that his death was preuented by a rare example of friendship in Musidorus who being almost drowned had bene taken vp by a Fisherman belonging to the kingdome of Pontus and being there and vnderstanding the full discourse as Fame was very prodigall of so notable an accident in what case Pyrocles was learning withall that his hate was farre more to him then to Pyrocles hee found meanes to acquaint him selfe with a noble-man of that Countrie to whome largely discouering what he was he found him a most fit instrument to effectuate his desire For this noble-man had bene one who in many warres had serued Euarchus and had bene so mind-striken by the beautie of vertue in that noble King that though not borne his Subiect he euer profest himselfe his seruaunt His desire therefore to him was to keepe Musidorus in a strong Castle of his and then to make the King of Phrygia vnderstand that if he would deliuer Pyrocles Musidorus would willingly put him selfe into his hands knowing well that how thirstie so euer he was of Pyrocles bloud he would rather drinke that of Musidorus The Nobleman was loath to preserue one by the losse of another but time vrging resolution the importunitie of Musidorus who shewed a minde not to ouer-liue Pyrocles with the affection he bare to Euarchus so preuayled that he carried this strange offer of Musidorus which by that Tyrant was greedelie accepted And so vpon securitie of both sides they were enterchanged Where I may not omitte the worke of friendshippe in Pyrocles who both in speache and countenance to Musidorus well shewed that he thought himselfe iniured and not releeued by him asking him what he had euer seene in him why he could not beare the extremities of mortall accidentes as well as any man and why he should enuie him the glorie of suffering death for his friendes cause and as it were robbe him of his owne possession But in this notable contention where the conquest must be the conquerers destruction and safetie the punishment of the conquered Musidorus preuayled because he was a more welcome praie to the vniust King and as chearefully going towardes as Pyrocles went frowardly fromward his death he was deliuered to the King who could not be inough sure of him without he fed his owne eies vpon one whom he had begon to feare as soone as the other began to be Yet because he would in one acte both make ostentation of his owne felicitie into whose hands his most feared enemie was fallen and withall cut of such hopes from his suspected subiects when they should knowe certainly he was dead with much more skilfull crueltie and horrible solemnitie he caused each thing to be prepared for his triumph of tyrannie And so the day being come he was led foorth by many armed men who often had beene the fortifiers of wickednes to the place of execution where comming with a minde comforted in that he had done such seruice to Pyrocles this strange encounter he had The excelling Pyrocles was no sooner deliuered by the kings seruants to a place of liberty then he bent his witte and courage and what would not they bring to passe how ether to deliuer Musidorus or to perish with him And finding he could get in that countrie no forces sufficient by force to rescue him to bring himselfe to die with him little hoping of better euent he put himselfe in poore rayment and by the helpe of some few crownes he tooke of that noble-man who full of sorrow though not knowing the secrete of his intent suffered him to goe in such order from him he euen he borne to the greatest expectation and of the greatest bloud that any Prince might be submitted himselfe to be seruant to the executioner that should put to death Musidorus a farre notabler proofe of his friendship considering the height of his minde then any death could be That bad officer not suspecting him being araied fit for such an estate and hauing his beautie hidden by many foule spots he artificially put vpon his face gaue him leaue not onely to weare a sworde himselfe but to beare his sworde prepared for the iustified murther And so Pyrocles taking his time when Musidorus
humble gesture beare false witnesse for his true meaning that he found not onely souldiery but people weary of his gouernment and all their affections bent vpon Plangus Both he and the Queene concurring in strange dreames and each thing else that in a minde already perplexed might breed astonishment so that within a while all Plangus actions began to be translated into the language of suspition Which though Plâ—ngus found yet could he not auoid euen contraries being driuen to draw one yoke of argument if he were magnificent he spent much with an aspiring intent if he spared hee heaped much with an aspiring intent if hee spake curteously he angled the peoples harts if he were silent he mused vpon some daungerous plot In summe if hee could haue turned himselfe to as many formes as Proteus euery forme should haue bene made hideous But so it fell out that a meere trifle gaue them occasion of further proceeding The King one morning going to a vineyard that lay a long the hill where vpon his castle stood he saw a vine-labourer that finding a bowe broken tooke a branch of the same bowe for want of another thing and tied it about the place broken The King asking the fellow what he did Marry said he I make the sonne binde the father This word finding the King alredy supersticious through suspition amazed him streight as a presage of his owne fortune so that returning and breaking with his wife how much he misdoubted his estate she made such gaine-saying answeres as while they straue straue to be ouercome But euen while the doubtes most boiled she thus nourished them She vnder-hand dealt with the principall men of that country that at the great Parliament which was then to bee held they should in the name of all the estates perswade the King being now stept deeply into old age to make Plangus his associate in gouernment with him assuring them that not onely she would ioine with them but that the father himfelfe would take it kindly charging them not to acquaint Plangus withall for that perhaps it might be harmefull vnto him if the King should finde that he were a party They who thought they might do it not onely willingly because they loued him and truely because such indeed was the mind of the people but safely because she who ruled the King was agreed thereto accomplished her counsell she indeed keeping promise of vehement perswading the same which the more she and they did the more shee knew her husband woulde feare and hate the cause of his feare Plangus found this and humbly protested against such desire or will to accept But the more hee protested the more his father thought he dissembled accounting his integrity to be but a cuÌ„ning face of falshood and therefore delaying the desire of his subiects attended some fit occasion to lay hands vpon his sonne which his wife thus brought to passe She caused that same minister of hers to go vnto Plangus and enabling his words with great shew of faith and endearing them with desire of secresie to tell him that he found his ruine conspired by his stepmother with certaine of the noble men of that country the King himselfe giuing his consent and that few daies shoulde passe before the putting it in practize with all discouering the very truth indeede with what cunning his stepmother had proceeded This agreing with Plangus his owne opinion made him giue him the better credit yet not so far as to flie out of his country according to the naughty fellowes persuasion but to attend and to see further Whereupon the fellow by the direction of his mistresse told him one day that the same night about one of the clocke the King had appointed to haue his wife and those noble men together to deliberate of their manner of proceeding against Plangus and therefore offered him that if himselfe would agree hee woulde bring him into a place where hee should heare all that passed and so haue the more reason both to himselfe and to the world to seeke his safetie The poore Plangus being subiect to that onely disaduantage of honest harts credulitie was perswaded by him and arming himselfe because of his late going was closely conueied into the place appointed In the meane time his stepmother making al her gestures cuÌ„ningly counterfait a miserable affliction she lay almost groueling on the flower of her chaÌ„ber not suffering any body to comfort her vntill they calling for her husband and he held of with long enquiry at length she tolde him euen almost crying out euery word that she was wery of her life since shee was brought to that plunge either to conceale her husbands murther or accuse her sonne who had euer beene more deare then a sonne vnto her Then with many interruptions and exclamations she tolde him that her sonne Plangus solliciting her in the olde affection betweene them had besought her to put her helping hand to the death of the King assuring her that though all the lawes in the world were against it he would marrie her when he were King She had not fully said thus much with many pitifull digressioÌ„s when in comes the same fellow that brought PlaÌ„gus ruÌ„ning himself out of breath fell at the Kings feet beseeching him to saue himself for that there was a man with a sword drawen in the next roome The King affrighted weÌ„t out called his gard who entring the place fouÌ„d indeed Plangus with his sword in his hand but not naked but standing suspiciously inough to one already suspicious The King thinking hee had put vp his sworde because of the noise neuer tooke leasure to heare his answer but made him prisoner meaning the next morning to put him to death in the market place But the day had no sooner opened the eies eares of his friends followers but that there was a little army of them who came by force deliuered him although numbers on the other side abused with the fine framing of their report took armes for the King But Plangus though he might haue vsed the force of his friends to reuenge his wrong and get the crowne yet the naturall loue of his father and hate to make their suspition seeme iust caused him rather to choose a voluntarie exile then to make his fathers death the purchase of his life and therefore went he to Tiridates whose mother was his fathers sister liuing in his Court eleuen or twelue yeares euer hoping by his intercession and his owne desert to recouer his fathers grace At the end of which time the warre of Erona happened which my sister with the cause thereof discoursed vnto you But his father had so deeply engraued the suspition in his hart that he thought his flight rather to proceed of a fearefull guiltines then of an humble faithfulnes and therefore continued his hate with such vehemencie that he did euen hate his Nephew Tiridates and afterwardes his neece Artaxia because in their Court
hee receiued countenance leauing no meanes vnattempted of destroying his son among other employing that wicked seruant of his who vndertooke to empoyson him But his cunning disguised him not so well but that the watchful seruants of Plangus did discouer him Whereupon the wretch was taken before his well deserued execution by torture forced to confesse the particularities of this which in generall I haue told you Which confession autentically set downe though Tiridates with solemne Embassage sent it to the King wrought no effect For the King hauing put the reines of the gouernment into his wiues hande neuer did so much as reade it but sent it streight by her to be considered So as they rather heaped more hatred vpon Plangus for the death of their seruaunt And now finding that his absence and their reports had much diminished the wauering peoples affection towardes Plangus with aduauncing fit persons for faction and graunting great immunities to the commons they preuailed so farre as to cause the sonne of the second wife called Palladius to be proclaymed successour and Plangus quite excluded so that Plangus was driuen to continue his seruing Tiridates as hee did in the warre against Erona and brought home Artaxia as my sister tolde you when Erona by the treason of Antiphilus But at that word she stopped For Basilius not able longer to abide their absence came sodainly among them and with smiling countenance telling Zelmane hee was affraid shee had stollen away his daughters inuited them to follow the Sunnes counsell in going then to their lodging for indeed the Sun was readie to set They yeelded Zelmane meaning some other time to vnderstand the storie of Antiphilus treason and Eronas daunger whose cause she greatly tendred But Miso had no sooner espied Basilius but that as spitefully as her rotten voice could vtter it she set foorth the sawcinesse of Amphialus But Basilius onely attended what Zelmanes opinion was who though she hated Amphialus yet the nobilitie of her courage preuailed ouer it and shee desired he might be pardoned that youthfull error considering the reputation he had to be one of the best knights in the world so as hereafter he gouerned himselfe as one remembring his fault Basilius giuing the infinite tearmes of praises to Zelmanes both valour in conquering and pittifulnesse in pardoning commanded no more wordes to be made of it since such he thought was her pleasure So brought he them vp to visite his wife where betweene her and him the poore Zelmane receaued a tedious entertainement oppressed with being loued almost as much as with louing Basilius not so wise in couering his passion coulde make his tong go almost no other pace but to runne into those immoderate praises which the foolish Louer thinkes short of his Mistres though they reach farre beyond the heauens But Gynecia whome womanly modestie did more outwardly bridle yet did oftentimes vse the aduantage of her sexe in kissing Zelmane as shee sate vpon her bedde-side by her which was but still more and more sweete incense to cast vpon the fire wherein her harte was sacrificed Once Zelmane coulde not stirre but that as if they had bene poppets whose motion stoode onely vpon her pleasure Basilius with seruiceable steppes Gynecia with greedie eyes would follow her Basilius mind Gynecia well knew and could haue found in her hart to laugh at if mirth could haue borne any proportion with her fortune But all Gynecias actions were interpreted by Basilius as proceeding from iealousie of his amorousnesse Zelmane betwixt both like the poore childe whose father while he beates him will make him beleeue it is for loue or like the sicke man to whom the Phisition sweares the ill-tasting wallowish medicine he profers is of a good taste their loue was hatefull their courtesie troublesome their presence cause of her absence thence were not only her light but her life consisted Alas thought she to her selfe Deare Dorus what ods is there betweene thy destiny and mine For thou hast to doo in thy pursuite but with shepherdish folkes who trouble thee with a little enuious care and affected diligence But I besides that I haue now Miso the worst of thy diuels let loose vpon me am waited on by Princes and watched by the two wakefull eyes of Loue and Iealousie Alas incomparable Philoclea thou euer seest me but dost neuer see me as I am thou hearest willingly all that I dare say and I dare not say that which were most fit for thee to heare Alas who euer but I was imprisoned in libertie and banished being still present To whom but me haue louers bene iaylours honour a captiuitie But the night comming on with her silent steps vpon them they parted each frō other if at lest they could bee parted of whom euery one did liue in another and went about to flatter sleepe with their beds that disdained to bestow it selfe liberally vpon such eies which by their will would euer be looking and in lest measure vpon Gynecia who when Basilius after long tossing was gotten a sleepe and the cheereful cōfort of the lights remoued her kneeling vp in her bed began with a soft voice and swolne hart to renue the curses of her birth then in a maner embracing her bed Ah chastest bed of mine said she which neuer heretofore couldst accuse me of one defiled thought how canst thou now receaue this desastred chāgling Happie happie be they onely which bee not and thy blessednes onely in this respect thou maiest feele that thou hast no feeling With that she furiously tare off great part of her faire haire Take here ô forgotten vertue saide shee this miserable sacrifice while my soule was clothed with modestie that was a comely ornament now why should nature crowne that head which is so wicked as her onely despaire is she cannot be enough wicked More she would haue said but that Basilius awaked with the noise tooke her in his armes and began to comfort her the good-man thinking it was all for a iealous loue of him which humor if she would a little haue maintained perchance it might haue weakned his new conceaued fancies But hee finding her answers wandring from the purpose left her to herselfe glad the next morning to take the aduantage of a sleepe which a little before day ouer-watched with sorrow her teares had as it were sealed vp in her eyes to haue the more conference with Zelmane who baited on this fashion by these two louers and euer kept for many meane to declare herselfe found in her selfe a dayly encrease of her violent desires like a riuer the more swelling the more his current is stopped The chiefe recreation she could finde in her anguish was sometime to visite that place where first she was so happy as to see the cause of her vnhap There would she kisse the ground and thanke the trees blisse the aier doo dutifull reuerence to euery thing that she thought did accompany her at their first
hauing made a lawe of Polygamie after many tortures forst him to throw himselfe from a high Pyramis which was built ouer Tiridates tombe and so to end his false-harted life which had planted no strong thought in him but that he could be vnkinde But Plangus well perceiuing that Artaxia staied onely for the appointed day that the faire Eronas bodie consumed to ashes should make a notorious testimonie how deepely her brothers death was engrauen in her brest he assembled good numbers of friends whom his vertue though a stranger had tied vnto him by force to giue her libertie Contrariwise Artaxia to whom Anger gaue more courage then her sexe did feare vsed her regall authoritie the most she could to suppresse that sedition and haue her will which she thought is the most princely thing that may be But Plangus who indeede as all men witnes is one of the best captaines both for policie and valour that are trained in the schoole of Mars in a conflict ouerthrew Artaxias power though of far greater number and there toke prisoner a base sonne of her brothers whom she deerly affected and then sent her word that he should run the same race of fortune whatsoeuer it was that Erona did and happy was that threatning for her for els Artaxia had hastened the day of her death in respect of those tumults But now some principall noble-men of that countrie interposing themselues it was agreed that all persons els fullie pardoned and all prisoners except Erona deliuered she should be put into the hands of a principall nobleman who had a castle of great strength vpon oath that if by the day two yeare from Tiridates death Pyrocles and Musidorus did not in person combat and ouercome two knights whom she appointed to maintain her quarrell against Erona and them of hauing by treason destroyed her brother that then Erona should be that same day burned to ashes but if they came and had the victorie she should be deliuered but vpon no occasion neither freed nor executed till that day And hereto of both sides all toke solemne oath and so the peace was concluded they of Plangus partie forcing him to agree though he himselfe the sooner condiscended knowing the courtesie of those two excellent Princes not to refuse so noble a quarrell and their power such as two more like the other two were not able to resist But Artaxia was more and vpon better ground pleased with this action for she had euen newly receiued newes frō Plexirtus that vpon the sea he had caused them both to perish and therefore she held her selfe sure of the match But poore Plangus knew not so much and therefore seeing his partie as most times it falles out in like case hungry of any conditions of peace accepted them and then obteined leaue of the Lord that indifferently kept her to visite Erona whom he found full of desperate sorow not suffering neither his vnworthinesse nor his wrongs nor his death which is the naturall conclusion of all worldly acts either to couer with forgetfulnes or diminish with consideration the affection she had borne him but euen glorying in affliction and shunning all comfort she seemed to haue no delight but in making herselfe the picture of miserie So that when Plangus came to her she fell in deadlie traunces as if in him she had seene the death of Antiphilus because he had not succoured him and yet her vertue striuing she did at one time acknowledge her selfe bound and professe her selfe iniured in steede of allowing the conclusion they had made or writing to the Princes as he wisht her to doo crauing nothing but some speedie death to follow her in spite of iust hate beloued Antiphilus So that Plangus hauing nothing but a rauisht kisse from her hand at their parting went away toward Greece whetherward he vnderstoode the Princes were embarked But by the way it was his fortune to intercept letters written by Artaxia to Plexirtus wherein she signified her accepting him to her husband whom she had euer fauoured so much the rather as he had perfourmed the conditions of her mariage in bringing to their deserued end her greatest enemies withall thanking the sea in such tearmes as he might well perceiue it was by some treason wrought in Plexirtus shippe Whereupon to make more diligent search he tooke shippe himselfe and came into Laconia enquiring and by his enquirie finding that such a shippe was indeede with fight and fire perished none almost escaping But for Pyrocles and Musidorus it was assuredly determined that they were cast away for the name of such Princes especially in Greece would quickly els haue bene a large witnesse to the contrarie Full of griefe with that for the losse of such who left the world poore of perfection but more sorie for Eronas sake who now by them could not be relieued A new aduertisement from Armenia ouertooke him which multiplied the force of his anguish It was a message from the Noble-man who had Erona in ward giuing him to vnderstand that since his departure Artaxia vsing the benefite of time had besieged him in his castell demaunding present deliuery of her whom yet for his faith giuen he would not before the day appointed if possibly he could resist which he foresaw long he should not do for want of victuall which he had not so wisely prouided because he trusted vpon the generall oth taken for two yeares space and therefore willed him to make hast to his succour and come with no small forces for all they that were of his side in Armenia were consumed and Artaxia had encreased her might by mariage of Plexirtus who now crowned King there stickt not to glory in the murder of Pyrocles and Musidorus as hauing iust cause thereto in respect of the deaths of his sister Andromana her sonne his nephew and his owne daughter Zelmane all whose losse he vniustly charged them withall and now openly stickt not to confesse what a reuenge his wit had brought forth Plangus much astonished herewith bethought himselfe what to doo For to returne to Armenia was vaine since his friends there were vtterly ouerthrowne Then thought he of going to his father but he had already euen since the death of his stepmother and brother attempted the recouering his fauour and all in vaine For they that had before ioined with Andromana to do him the wrong thought now no life for them if he returned and therefore kept him still with new forged suspicions odious to his father So that Plangus reseruing that for a worke of longer time then the sauing of Erona could beare determined to goe to the mighty and good King Euarchus who lately hauing to his eternall fame fully not onely conquered his enemies but established good gouernment in their countries he hoped he might haue present succour of him both for the iustnes of the cause reuenge of his childrens death by so hainous a treason murthered Therefore with diligence he went to him by
other whole bodies to see to but that their hartes wont to be bound all ouer so close were nowe with deadly violence opened in others fowler deaths had ouglily displayed their trayling guttes There lay armes whose fingers yet mooued as if they would feele for him that made them feele and legges which contrarie to common reason by being discharged of their burden were growne heauier But no sword payed so large a tribute of soules to the eternall Kingdome as that of Amphialus who like a Tigre from whome a companie of Woolues did seeke to rauish a newe gotten pray so he remembring they came to take away Philoclea did labour to make valure strength choller and hatred to answere the proportion of his loue which was infinit There died of his handes the olde knight AEschylus who though by yeares might well haue beene allowed to vse rather the exercises of wisedome then of courage yet hauing a lustie bodie and a merrie hart he euer tooke the summons of Time in iest or else it had so creepingly stollen vpon him that he had heard scarcely the noise of his feete and therefore was as fresh in apparell and as forwarde in enterprises as a farre yonger man but nothing made him bolder then a certaine prophecie had beene tolde him that he shoulde die in the armes of his sonne and therefore feared the lesse the arme of an enemie But now when Amphialus sword was passed through his throate he thought himselfe abused but that before he died his sonne indeede seeing his father beginne to fall helde him vp in his armes till a pitilesse souldier of of the other side with a mace brained him making father sonne become twinnes in the neuer againe dying birth As for Drialus Memnon Nisus and Policrates the first had his eyes cut out so as he could not see to bid the neare following death welcome the seconde had met with the same Prophet that olde AEschylus had and hauing founde many of his speeches true beleeued this to that hee should neuer bee killed but by his owne companions and therefore no man was more valiant then he against an enimie no man more suspicious of his friends so as he seemed to sleep in securitie when he went to a battell and to enter into a battaile when he began to sleepe such guards he would set about his person yet mistrusting those verie guards lest they would murther him But now Amphialus helped to vnriddle his doubtes for he ouerthrowing him from his horse his owne companions comming with a fresh supplie pressed him to death Nisus grasping with Amphialus was with a short dagger slaine And for Policrates while hee shunned as much as hee could keeping onely his place for feare of punishment Amphialus with a memorable blowe strake of his head where with the conuulsions of death setting his spurres to his horse he gaue so braue a charge vpon the enemie as it grewe a prouerbe that Policrates was onely valiant after his head was off But no man escaped so well his handes as Phebilus did for hee hauing long loued Philoclea though for the meannesse of his estate he neuer durst reueale it nowe knowing Amphialus setting the edge of a riuall vpon the sworde of an enemie he helde strong fight with him But Amphialus had already in the daungerousest places disarmed him and was lifting vp his sworde to send him away from himselfe when he thinking indeede to die O Philoclea said he yet this ioyes mee that I die for thy sake The name of Philoclea first staied his sworde and when he heard him out though heabhord him much worse then before yet could he not vouchsafe him the honour of dying for Philoclea but turned his sworde another way doing him no hurt for ouer-much hatred But what good did that to poore Phebilus if escaping a valiant hand hee was slaine by base souldiour who seeing him so disarmed thrust him through But thus with the well-followed valure of Amphialus were the other almost ouerthrowne when Philanax who was the marshall of the army came in with newe force renuing the almost decayed courage of his souldiers For crying to them and asking them whether their backes or their armes were better fighters hee himselfe thrust into the presse and making force and furie waite vppon discretion and gouernement he might seeme a braue Lion who taught his yong Lionets how in taking of a pray to ioine courage with cunning Then Fortune as if shee had made chases inow of the one side of that bloody Teniscourt went of the other side the line making as many fall downe of Amphialus followers as before had done of Philanaxis they loosing the ground as fast as before they had woon it onely leauing them to keepe it who had lost themselues in keeping it Then those that had killed inherited the lot of those that had bene killed and cruel Deaths made them lie quietly to gether who most in their liues had sought to disquiet ech other and many of those first ouerthrowne had the comfort to see the murtherers ouerrun them to Charons ferrie Codrus Ctesiphon and Milo lost their liues vpon Philanax his sword but no bodies case was more pitied then of a yong esquire of Amphialus called Ismenus who neuer abandoning his maister and making his tender age aspire to actes of the strongest manhoode in this time that his side was put to the worst and that Amphialus-his valure was the onely stay of them from deliuering themselues ouer to a shamefull flight hee sawe his masters horse killed vnder him Whereupon asking no aduise of no thought but of faithfulnes and courage he presently lighted from his owne horse and with the helpe of some choise and faithfull seruants gat his master vp But in the multitude that came of either side some to succour some to saue Amphialus hee came vnder the the hande of Philanax and the youth perceyuing he was the man that did most hurt to his partie desirous euen to change his life sor glorie strake at him as hee rode by him and gaue him a hurt vpon the legg that made Philanax turn towards him but seing him so yong and of a most louely presence he rather toke pity of him meaning to make him prisoner then to giue him to his brother Agenor to be his companion because they were not much vnlike neither in yeeres nor countenance But as he loked down vpon him with that thought he spied wher his brother lay dead his friend Leontius by him euen almost vnder the squiers feet Then soroing not only his owne sorow but the past-comfort sorow which he fore-knew his mother would take who with many teares and misgiuing sighs had suffred him to go with his elder brother Philanax blotted out all figures of pitie out of his minde and putting foorth his horse while Ismenus doubled two or three more valiant then well set blowes saying to himselfe Let other mothers bewaile and vntimely death as well as mine hee thrust
armour and deuice streight knowne to be the notable Knight who the first day had giuen Fortune so short a stoppe with his notable deedes and fighting hand to hand the deemed inuincible Amphialus Fonthe very cowardes no sooner saw him but as borrowing some of his spirit they went like yong Eagles to the pray vnder the wing of their damme For the three aduenturers not content on For her exceeding faire eyes hauing with continual weeping gotten a little rednesse about them her roundy sweetly swelling lippes a little trembling as though they kissed their neighbour death in her cheekes the whitenesse striuing by little little to get vpoÌ„ the rosines of theÌ„ her necke a necke indeed of Alablaster displaying the wound which with most daintie blood laboured to drowne his owne beauties so as here was a riuer of purest redde there an Iland of perfittest white each giuing lustre to the other with the sweete countenance God-knowes full of an vnafected languishing though these thinges to a grosly conceauing sense might seeme disgraces yetâ—indeed were they but apparaling beautie in a new fashion which all looked-vpon thorough the spectacles of pittie did euen encrease the lynes of her naturall fairenes so as Amphialus was astonished with griefe compassion and shame detesting his fortune that made him vnfortunate in victory Therefore putting off his headpeece and gauntlet kneeling downe vnto her and with teares testifying his sorow he offred his by himselfe accursed handes to helpe her protesting his life and power to be readie to doo her honour But Parthenia who had inward messingers of the desired deathes approch looking vpon him and streight turning away her feeble sight as from a delightlesse obiect drawing out her words which her breath loath to departe from so sweet a bodie did faintly deliuer Sir said she I pray you if prayers haue place in enemies to let my maides take my body vntouched by you the onely honour I now desire by your meanes is that I haue no honour of you Argalus made no such bargaine with you that the handes which killed him shoulde helpe me I haue of them and I doo not onely pardon you but thanke you for it the seruice which I desired There rests nothing now but that I go liue with him since whose death I haue done nothing but die Then pawsing and a little fainting and againe comming to herselfe O sweete life wel come saide she nowe feele I the bandes vntied of the cruell death which so long hath helde me And O life O death aunswere for mee that my thoughts haue not so much as in a dreame tasted any comfort since they were depriued of Argalus I come my Argalus I come And O God hide my faultes in thy mercies and graunt as I feele thou doost graunt that in thy eternall loue we may loue eche other eternally And this O Lorde But there Atropos cut off her sentence for with that casting vp both eyes and hands to the skies the noble soule departed one might well assure himselfe to heauen which left the bodie in so heauenly a demeanure But Amphialus with a hart oppressed with griefe because of her request withdrewe himselfe but the Iudges as full of pitie had bene al this while disarming her and her gentelwomen with lamentable cries laboring to stanch the remediles wounds and a while she was dead before they perceiued it death being able to diuide the soule but not the beauty from that body But when the infallible tokens of death assured them of their losse one of the women would haue killed her selfe but that the squire of Amphialus perceauing it by force held her Others that had as strong passion though weaker resolution fell to cast dust vppon their heads to teare their garments al falling vpon the earth crying vpon their sweet mistres as if their cries could perswade the soule to leaue the celestiall happines to come againe into the elements of sorrow one time calling to remembrance her vertue chastnes sweetnes goodnes to them another time accursing themselues that they had obeyed her they hauing bene deceaued by her words who asâ—ured theÌ„ that it was reuealed vnto her that she should haue her harts desire in the battaile against Amphialus which they wrongly vnderstood Then kissing her cold hands and feete wearie of the world since she was gone who was their world The very heauens seemed with a cloudie countenance to loure at the losse and Fame it selfe though by nature glad to tell such rare accidents yet could not choose but deliuer it in lamentable accents and in such sort went it quickly all ouer the Campe and as if the aire had bene infected with sorow no hart was so hard but was subiect to that contagion the rarenes of the accideÌ„t matching together the rarely matched together pittie with admiration Basilius himselfe came foorth and brought the faire Gynecia with him who was come into the campe vnder colour of visiting her husband and hearing of her daughters but indeed Zelmane was the Sainct to which her pilgrimage was entended cursing enuying blessing and in her hart kissing the walles which imprisoned her But both they with Philanax and the rest of the principall Nobilitie went out to make Honour triumph ouer Death conueying that excellent body whereto Basilius himselfe would needes lende his shoulder to a Church a mile from the Campe where the valiant Argalus lay intombed recommending to that sepulchre the blessed reliques of faithfull and vertuous Loue giuing order for the making of marble images to represent them and each way enriching the tombe Vpon which Basilius himselfe caused this Epitaph to be written The Epitaph HIs being was in her alone And he not being she was none They ioi'd one ioy one griefe they grieu'd One loue they lou'd one life they liu'd The hand was one one was the sword That did his death hir death afford As all the rest so now the stone That tombes the two is iustly one ARGALVS PARTHENIA Then with eyes full of teares and mouthes full of her prayses returned they to the campe with more and more hate against Amphialus who poore Gentleman had therefore greater portion of woe then any of them For that courteous hearte which would haue grieued but to haue heard the like aduenture was rent with remembring himselfe to be the author so that his wisdome could not so far temper his passion but that he tooke his sword counted the best in the world which with much bloud he had once conquered of a mighty Giant and brake it into many peeces which afterwards he had good cause to repent saying that neither it was worthy to serue the noble exercise of chiualrie nor any other worthy to feele that sword which had stroken so excelleÌ„t a Lady and withall banishing all cheerfulnes of his countenance he returned home Where he gate him to his bed not so much to rest his restles mind as to auoid all company the sight wherof was tedious vnto him
subiect to ende onely your Philoclea because she is yours should be exempted But indeede you bemone your selfe who haue lost a friende you cannot her who hath in one act both preserued her honour and leste the miseries of this worlde O womans philosophie childish follie said Pyrocles as though if I do bemone my selfe I haue not reason to doo so hauing lost more then any Monarchie nay then my life can be woorth vnto me Alas saide shee comforte your selfe Nature did not forget her skill when she had made them you shall find many their superiours and perchaunce such as when your eyes shall looke abroad your selfe will like better But that the speech put al good manners out of the conceit of Pyrocles in so much that leaping out of his bed he ran to haue striken her but comming neere her the morning then winning the field of darkenesse he saw or hee thought hee sawe indeed the very face of Philoclea the same sweetenesse the same grace the same beautie with which carried into a diuine astonishment he fell downe at her feete Most blessed Angell said he well haste thou done to take that shape since thou wouldest submit thy selfe to mortall sense for a more Angelicall forme coulde not haue bene created for thee Alas euen by that excellent beautie so beloued of me let it be lawfull for me to aske of thee what is the cause that shee that heauenly creature whose forme you haue taken shoulde by the heauens bee destined to so vnripe an ende Why should vniustice so preuaile Why was she seene to the world so soone to be rauished from vs Why was shee not suffered to liue to teach the worlde perfection Doo not deceiue thy selfe answered shee I am no Angell I am Philoclea the same Philoclea so truely louing you so truely beloued of you If it be so said he that you are indeede the soule of Philoclea you haue done well to keepe your owne figure for no heauen could haue giuen you a better Then alas why haue you taken the paines to leaue your blisfull seat to come to this place most wretched to mee who am wretchednes it selfe not rather obtaine for me that I might come where you are there eternally to behold and eternally to loue your beauties you knowe I know that I desire nothing but death which I onely stay to bee iustly reuenged of your vniust murtherers Deare Pyrocles said shee I am thy Philoclea and as yet liuing not murdred as you supposed and therefore bee comforted And with that gaue him her hand But the sweet touch of that hand seemed to his astraied powers so heauenly a thing that it rather for a while confirmed him in his former beliefe till she with vehement protestations and desire that it might be so helping to perswade that it was so brought him to yeeld yet doubtfully to yeelde to this height of all comfort that Philoclea liued which witnessing with teares of ioy Alas saide he how shall I beleeue mine eies any more or doo you yet but appeare thus vnto me to stay me from some desperate end For alas I sawe the excellent Pamela beheaded I sawe your head the head indeede and chiefe parte of all natures workes standing in a dishe of golde too meane a shrine God wote for such a relike How can this be my onely deare and you liue or if this be not so how can I beleeue mine owne senses and if I can not beleeue them why should I now beleeue these blessed tidings they bring me The truth is said she my Pyrocles that neither I as you finde nor yet my deare sister is dead although the mischieuously suttle Cecropia vsed slights to make either of vs thinke so of other For hauing in vaine attempted the fardest of her wicked eloquence to make eyther of vs yeeld to her sonne and seeing that neither it accompanied with great flatteries and riche presents could get any ground of vs nor yet the violent way she fell into of cruelly tormenting our bodies could preuayle with vs at last she made either of vs thinke the other dead and so hoped to haue wrested our mindes to the forgetting of vertue and first she gaue to mine eyes the miserable spectacle of my sisters as I thought death but indeede it was not my sister it was onely Artesia she who so cunningly brought vs to this misery Truly I am sory for the poore Gentlewoman though iustly she be punished for her double falshood but Artesia muffled so as you could not easily discerne her and in my sisters apparell which they had taken from her vnder colour of giuing her other did they execute And when I for thy sake especially deare Pyrocles could by no force nor feare be won they assayed the like with my sister by bringing me downe vnder the scaffolde and making me thrust my head vp through a hole they had made therein they did put about my poore necke a dishe of gold whereout they had beaten the bottome so as hauing set bloud in it you sawe how I played the parte of death God knowes euen willing to haue done it in earnest and so had they set me that I reached but on tiptoes to the grounde so as scarcely I could breathe much lesse speake And truely if they had kept me there any whit longer they had strangled me in steed of beheading me but then they tooke me away and seeking to see their issue of this practise they found my noble sister for the deare loue she vouchsafeth to beare me so grieued withall that she willed them to doo their vttermost crueltie vnto her for she vowed neuer to receiue sustenaunce of them that had bene the causers of my murther and finding both of vs euen giuen ouer not like to liue many houres longer and my sister Pamela rather worse then my selfe the strength of her harte worse bearing those indignities the good woman Cecropia with the same pittie as folkes keepe foule when they are not fatte inough for their eating made vs knowe her deceipt and let vs come one to another with what ioye you can well imagine who I know feele the like sauing that we only thought our selues reserued to miseries and therefore fitter for condoling then congratulating For my part I am fully perswaded it is but with a little respite to haue a more feeling sense of the torments she prepares for vs. True it is that one of my guardians would haue me to beleeue that this proceedes of my gentle cousin Amphialus who hauing heard some inckling that we were euill entreated had called his mother to his bedside from whence he neuer rose since his last combat and besought and charged her vpon all the loue she bare him to vse vs with all kindnesse vowing with all the imprecations he could imagine that if euer he vnderstood for his sake that I receiued further hurt then the want of my libertie hee would not liue an houre longer And the good woman sware
When Zelmane began her speech the excellency of her beautie and grace made him a little content to heare Besides that a new lesson he had read in Pamela had already taught him some regard But when shee entered into brauerie of speech hee thought at first a mad and railing humor possest her till finding the speeches hold well together and at length come to flatte challenge of combat hee stoode leaning backe with his bodie and head sometimes with bent browes looking vpon the one side of her sometimes of the other beyonde maruell maruailing that hee who had neuer heard such speeches from any Knight shoulde be thus rebuffed by a woman and that maruell made him heare out her speech which ended he turned his head to his brother Zoilus and said nothing but onely lifting vp his eyes smiled But Zelmane finding his minde Anaxius said she perchaunce thou disdaynest to answere me because as a woman thou thinkest me not fitte to bee fought with all But I tell thee that I haue beene trayned vp in martiall matters with so good successe that I haue many times ouercome brauer Knightes then thy selfe and am wel knowen to be equall in feates of armes to the famous Pyrocles who slewe thy valiaunt Vncle the Giant Euardes The remembraunce of his Vncles death someâ—hing netled him so as he answered thus Indeed saide he any woman may bee as valiaunt as that coward and traytorly boy who slewe my Vncle trayterously and after ranne from me in the plaine field Fiue thousand such could not haue ouercome Euardes but by falshood But I sought him all ouer Asia following him stil from one of his cony-holes to another till comming into this Countrie I heard of my friends being besieged and so came to blow away the wretches that troubled him But wheresoeuer the miserable boy flie heauen nor hell shall keepe his harte from being torne by these handes Thou lyest in thy throate said Zelmane that boye where euer he went did so noble actes as thy harte as proude as it is dares not think of much lesse perfourme But to please thee the better with my presence I tell thee no creature can be neerer of kinne to him then my selfe and so well we loue that he woulde not be sorrier for his owne death then for mine I being begotten by his father of an Amazon Ladie And therefore thou canst not deuise to reuenge thy self more vpon him then by killing me which if thou darest doo manfullie doo it otherwise if thou harme these incomparable Ladies or my felfe without daring to fight with me I protest before these Knights and before heauen and earth that will reueile thy shame that thou art the beggerliest dastardly villaine that dishonoureth the earth with his steppes and if thou lettest me ouer-liue them so will I blaze thee But all this coulde not moue Anaxius but that he onely said Euill should it become the terror of the world to fight much worse to skolde with thee But said he for the death of these same pointing to the Princesses of my grace I giue them life And withall going to Pamela and offring to take her by the chin And as for you Minion saide hee yeeld but gently to my will and you shall not onely liue but liue so happily Hee would haue said further when Pamela displeased both with wordes matter and maner putting him awaye with her faire hande Proud beast said shee yet thou plaiest worse thy Comedy then thy Tragedy For my part assure thy selfe since my destiny is such that at each moment my life and death stand in equall balance I had rather haue thee and thinke thee far fitter to be my hangman then my husband Pride and anger woulde faine haue cruelly reuenged so bitter an answere but alredy Cupid had begun to make it his sport to pull his plumes so that vnused to a waye of courtesie and put out of his byas of pride hee hastily went away grumbling to himselfe betweene threatning and wishing leauing his brothers with them the elder of whom Lycurgus liked Philoclea and Zoilus would needes loue Zelmane or at lest entertaine themselues with making them beleue so Lycurgus more braggard and neere his brothers humor began with setting foorth their bloud their deedes howe many they had despised of most excellent women how much they were bound to them that woulde seeke that of them In summe in all his speeches more like the bestower then the desirer of felicitie Whom it was an excellent pastime to those that woulde delight in the play of vertue to see with what a wittie ignorance shee woulde not vnderstande and howe acknowledging his perfections shee woulde make that one of his perfections not to be iniurious to Ladies But when he knew not how to replie then would hee fall to touching and toying stil vewing his graces in no glasse but self-liking To which Philocleas shamefastnes and humblenes were as strong resisters as choller and disdaine For though she yeelded not hee thought she was to bee ouercome and that thought a while stayed him from further violence But Zelmane had eye to his behauiour and set in her memorie vpon the score of Reuenge while shee her selfe was no lesse attempted by Zoilus who lesse ful of bragges was forwardest in offering indeede dishonourable violence But when after their fruitlesse labours they had gone awaye called by their brother who began to be perplexed betweene new conceaued desires and disdaine to bee disdained Zelmane who with most assured quietnesse of iudgement looked into their present estate earnestly perswaded the two sisters that to auoide the mischiefes of prowde outrage they would onely so farre sute their behauiour to their estates as they might winne time which as it coulde not bring them to worse case then they were so it might bring forth inexpected reliefe And why said Pamela shall we any longer flatter aduersity Why shoulde wee delight to make our selues any longer balls to iniurious Fortune since our owne parents are content to be tyraunts ouer vs since our own kinne are content traitorously to abuse vs Certainly in mishap it may bee some comforte to vs that wee are lighted in these fellowes handes who yet will keepe vs from hauing cause of being miserable by our friends meanes Nothing grieues me more then that you noble Ladie Zelmane to whome the worlde might haue made vs able to doo honour shoulde receaue onely hurte by the contagion of our miserie As for me and my sister vndoubtedly it becomes our birth to thinke of dying nobly while we haue done or suffered nothing which might make our soule ashamed at the parture from these bodies Hope is the fawning traitour of the mind while vnder colour of friendship it robbes it of his chiefe force of resolution Vertuous and faire Ladie saide Zelmane what you say is true and that truth may wel make vp a part in the harmonie of your noble thoughts But yet the time which ought alwaies to bee one is
man might perceue what smal difference in the working there is betwixt a simple voidnes of euill a iudiciall habit of vertue For she not with an vnshaked magnanimity wherewith Pyrocles wayed dispised death but with an innocent guiltlessnes not knowing why she should feare to deliuer her vnstayned soule to God helped with the true louing of Pyrocles which made her think no life without him did almost bring her minde to as quiet attending all accidents as the vnmastred vertu of Pyrocles Yet hauing with a pretty palenes which did leaue milken lines vpon her rosie cheekes payd a little dutie to humane feare taking the Prince by the hand and kissing the wound he had giuen himselfe O the only life of my life and if it fall out so the comforte of my death saide shee farre farre from you be the doing me such wronge as to thinke I will receaue my life as a purchase of your death but well may you make my death so much more miserable as it shall any thinge be delayed after my onely felicitie Doe you thincke I can accompte of the moment of death like the vnspeakeable afflictions my soule shoulde suffer so ofte as I call Pyrocles to my minde which should be as ofte as I breathed Should these eyes guide my steppes that had seene your murder should these hands feede me that had not hindred such a mischiefe Should this harte remaine within me at euery pant to count the continuall clock of my miseries O no if die we must let vs thanke death he hath not deuided so true an vnion And truely my Pyrocles I haue heard my father and other wise men say that the killing ones selfe is but a false coulloure of true courage proceeding rather of feare of a further euil either of torment or shame For if it were a not respecting the harme that woulde likewise make him not respect what might be done vnto him and hope being of al other the most contrary thing to feare this being an vtter banishment of hope it seemes to receaue his ground in feare Whatsoeuer would they say comes out of despaire cannot beare the title of valure which should bee lifted vp to such a hight that holding al things vnder it selfe it should be able to maintaine his greatnes euen in the middest of miseries Lastly they would saye God had appointed vs Captaines of these our boddylie fortes which without treason to that Maiestie were neuer to be deliuered ouer till they were redemaunded Pyrocles who had that for a lawe vnto him not to leaue Philoclea in any thing vnsatisfied although hee still remained in his former purpose and knew that time would grow short for it yet hearing no noyse the shepheardes being as then run to Basilius with setled and humbled countenaunce as a man that should haue spoken of a thing that did not concerne himself bearing eueÌ„ in his eyes sufficient showes that it was nothing but Philocleas danger which did any thinge burden his harte farre stronger then fortune hauing with vehement embracinges of her got yet some fruite of his delayed end he thus aunswered the wise innocency of Philoclea Lady most worthy not only of life but to be the verie life of al things the more notable demonstrations you make of the loue so farre beyond my deserte with which it pleaseth you to ouercome fortune in making mee happye the more am I euen in course of humanitie to leaue that loues force which I neither can nor will leaue bound to seeke requitals witnes that I am not vngratefull to do which the infinitnes of your goodnes being such as it caÌ„not reach vnto it yet doing al I can and paying my life which is all I haue though it be farre without measure shorte of your desarte yet shall I not die in debt to mine owne dutie And truly the more excellent arguments you made to keep me from this passage imagined farre more terrible then it is the more plainely it makes mee see what reason I haue to preuent the losse not only of Arcadia but all the face of the earth should receaue iâ— such a tree which euen in his first spring doth not onely beare most beautifull blossomes but most rare fruites should be so vntimely cut off Therefore ô most truely beloued Lady to whom I desire for both our goods that these may bee my last wordes geue me your consent euen out of that wisedome which must needes see that besids your vnmatched betternesse which perchaunce you will not see it is fitter one dietheÌ„ both And since you haue sufficiently showed you loue me let me claime by that loue you wil â—e content rather to let me die contentedly then wretchedly rather with a cleare and ioyfull conscience then with desperate condemnation in my selfe that I accursed villaine shoulde bee the meane of banishing from the sight of men the true example of vertue And because there is nothing lefte me to be imagined which I so much desire as that the memory of Pyrocles may euer haue an allowed place in your wise iudgement I am content to drawe so much breath longer as by aunswearing the sweete obiections you alledged maye bequath as I thinke aright conceate vnto you that this my doinge is out of iudgement and not sprong of passion Your father you say was wont to say that this like action doth more proceed of feare of furder euil or shame then of a true courage Truly first they put a very gessing case speaking of them who can euer after come to tell with what minde they did it And as for my parte I call the immortall truth to witnes that no feare of torment can appall me who know it is but diuerse manners of apparelling death and haue long learned to set bodely paine but in the second fourme of my being And as for shame how can I be ashamed of that for which my well meaning conscience wil answeare for me to God and your vnresistable beautie to the world But to take that argument in his owne force and graunt it done for auoyding of further paine or dishonour for as for the name of feare it is but an odious title of a passion giuen to that which true iudgement performeth graunt I say it is to shun a worse case truly I do not see but that true fortitude loking into al humaine things with a persisting resolutioÌ„ carried away neither with wonder of pleasing things nor astonishment of the vnpleasaunt doth not yet depriue it selfe of the discerning the difference of euill but rather is the onely vertue which with an assured tranquillitye shunnes the greater by the valiant entring into the lesse Thus for his countries safety he wil spend his life for the sauing of a lym he will not niggardly spare his goods for the sauing of all his body hee will not spare the cutting of a lym where indeed the weake harted man will rather dye then see the face of a surgeon who mightwith as
no time nor place will euer bee forgiuen you They that yet trusted not to his courtesie bad him stande further off from his sword which he obediently did So farre was loue aboue al other thoughts in him Then did they call together the rest of their fellowes who though they were fewe yet according to their number possesâ—ed many places And then began these sauage Senators to make a consultation what they should do some wishing to spoile them of their Iewels and let them go on their iourney for that if they carried them back they were sure they should haue least parte of their pray others preferring their old homes to any thing desired to bring them to Basilius as pledges of their surety and ther wanted not which cried the safest way was to kill them both to such an vnworthy thraldom were these great and excellent personages brought But the most part resisted to the killing of the Princesse fore-seing their liues would neuer bee safe after such a fact committed and beganne to wish rather the spoyle then death of Musidorus when the villaine that had his legge cut off came scrawling towardes them and being helped to them by one of the companie began with a growning voice and a disfigured face to demaunde the reuenge of his blood which since hee had spent with them in their defence it were no reason he should be suffered by them to die discontented The onely contentment he required was that by their helpe with his own hands he might put his murderer to some cruel death he would faine haue cried more against Musidorus but that the much losse of bloud helped on with this vehemencie choked vp the spirits of his life leauing him to make betwixt his body and soule an ill fauoured partition But they seing their fellow in that sorte die before their faces did swell in newe mortall rages All resolued to kill him but nowe onely considering what manner of terrible death they should inuent for him Thus was a while the agrement of his slaying broken by the disagrement of the manner of it extremitie of cruelty grew for a time to be the stop of crueltie At length they were resolued euery one to haue a pece of him and to become all aswell hangmen as iudges when Pamela tearing her heare and falling downe among them somtimes with al the sorte of humble praiers mixt with promises of great good turnes which they knew her state was able to performe sometimes threatning them that if they kild him and not her she would not onely reuenge it vpon them but vpon all their wiues and children bidding them consider that though they might thinke shee was come away in her fathers displeasure yet they might be sure hee would euer shewe himselfe a father that the Gods woulde neuer if shee liued put her in so base estate but that she should haue abilitie to plague such as they were returning a fresh to prayers and promises and mixing the same againe with threatninges brought them who were now growne colder in their fellowes cause who was past aggrauating the matter with his cryes to determine with themselues there was no way but either to kil them both or saue them both As for the killing already they hauing aunsweared themselues that that was a way to make them Cittezens of the woodes for euer they did in fine conclude they would retourne them backe againe to the King which they did not doubt would bee cause of a greate reward besides their safetie from their fore-deserued punishment Thus hauing either by fortune or the force of those two louers inward working vertue setled their cruel harts to this geÌ„tler course they tooke the two horses and hauing set vpon them their princely prisoners they retorned towards the lodge The villaines hauing decked al their heads with lawrel branches as thinking they had done a notable acte singing and showting ranne by them in hope to haue brought them the same day againe to the King But the time was so farre spent that they were forced to take vp that nights lodging in the middest of the woods Where while the clownes continued their watch about them nowe that the night according to his darke nature did add a kind of desolation to the pensiue harts of these two afflicted louers Musidorus taking the tender hand of Pamela bedewing it with his tearesâ— in this sort gaue an issue to the swelling of his harts grief Most excellent Lady said hee in what case thinke you am I with my selfe howe vnmerciful iudgements do I lay vpon my soule now that I know not what God hath so reuerssed my wel meaning enterprise as in steed of doing you that honour which I hoped and not without reason hoped Thessalia should haue yeelded vnto you am now like to become a wretched instrumeÌ„t of your discomfort Alas how contrary an end haue al the enclinations of my mind taken my faith falls out a treason vnto you and the true honour I beare you is the fielde wherein your dishonour is like to bee sowen But I inuoke that vniuersal and only wisdome which examining the depth of harts hath not his indgement fixed vpon the euent to beare testimonie with me that my desire though in extremest vehemencie yet did not so ouercharge my remembrance but that as farre as mans wit might be extended I sought to preuent al-things that might fall to your hurt But now that all the euil fortunes of euil fortune haue crossed my best framed entent I am most miserable in that that I cannot only not geue you helpe but which is worst of all am barred from giuing you counsail For how should I open my mouth to counsaile you in that wherein by my councel you are most vndeseruedly fallen The faire and wise Pamela although full of cares of the vnhappie turning of this matter yet seing the greefe of Musidorus onely stirred for her did so treade downe all other motions with the true force of vertue that she thus aunswered him hauing first kissed him which before she had neuer done either loue so coÌ„maunding her which doubted how long they should enioy one another or of a liuely spark of noblenes to descend in most fauour to one when he is lowest in affliction My deere and euer deere Musidorus said shee a greater wronge doe you to your selfe that will torment you thus with griefe for the fault of fortune Since a man is bound no further to himselfe then to doe wisely chaunce is only to trouble them that stand vpon chaunce But greater is the wronge at least if any thinge that comes from you may beare the name of wrong you doe vnto me to thinke me either so childish as not to perceaue your faithful faultlessnes or perceauing it so basely disposed as to let my harte be ouerthrown standing vpon it selfe in so vnspotted a purenes Hold for certaine most worthy Musidorus it is your selfe I loue which can no more be diminished by these showers
it shoulde not onely be vniust and against the lawe of Nations not well to receyue a Prince whome good will had brought among them but in respecte of the greatnes of his might very daungerous to geue him any cause of due offence remembring withall the excellent tryalls of his equitie which made him more famous then his victoryes hee thought hee might bee the fittest instrumente to redresse the ruynes they were in since his goodnes put hym without suspicion and hys greatnesse beyonde enuye Yet weighing with himselfe howe harde many heads were to be brideled and that in this monstrous confusion such mischiefe mighte be attempted of which late repentance should after be but a simple remedie he iudged best first to knowe how the peoples mindes would sway to this determinacion Therefore desiring the Gentleman to returne to the King his maister and to beseech him though with his paynes to stay for an houre or two where he was till he had set things in better order to receiue him he himselfe went fyrst to the Noble men then to Kalander and the principall Mantineans who were most opposite vnto him desiring them that as the night had most blessedly stayed them from entring into ciuill bloud so they would be content in the night to assemble the people together to heare some newes which he was to deliuer vnto them There is nothing more desirous of nouelties then a man that feares his present fortune Therefore they whome mutuall diffidence made doubtfull of their vtter destruction were quickly perswaded to heare of any newe matter which might alter at least if not helpe the nature of their feare Namely the chiefest men who as they had most to lose so were most iealous of their owne case and were alreadye growne as wearye to be followers of Timantus ambition as before they were enuyers of Philanax worthinesse As for Kalander and Sympathus as in the one a vertuous friendship had made him seeke to aduaunce in the other a naturall commiseration had made him willing to protect the excellent though vnfortunate prisoners so were they not against this conuocation For hauing nothing but iust desires in them they did not mistrust the iustifyeng of them Only Timantus laboured to haue withdrawne them from this assemblye sayeng it was time to stop their eares from the ambitious charmes of Philanax Let them fyrst deliuer Gynaecia and her daughters which were fit persons to heare and then they might begin to speake That this was but Philanax comming to liâ—ke broyle vpon broyle because he might auoyd the answering of his trespasses which as he had long intended so had he prepared coullored speeches to disguise them But as his words expressed rather a violence of rancour then any iust ground of accusation so pierced they no further then to some partiall eares the multitude yeelding good attention to what Philanax would propose vnto them Who like a man whose best building was a well-framed conscience neyther with plausible words nor fawning countenance but euen with the graue behauiour of a wise father whome nothing but loue makes to chide thus sayd vnto them I haue said he a great matter to deliuer vnto you and thereout am I to make a greater demaund of you But truly such hath this late proceeding bene of yours that I knowe not what is not to be demaunded of you Me thinkes I may haue reason to require of you as men are woont among Pirates that the life of him that neuer hurt you may be safe Me thinkes I am not without apparence of cause as if you were Cyclopes or Cannibals to desire that our Princes body which hath thirtie yeares maintained vs in a flourishing peace be not torne in pieces or deuoured among you but may be suffred to yeeld it selfe which neuer was defiled with any of your blouds to the naturall rest of the earth Me thinkes not as to Arcadians renowmed for your faith to Prince and loue of Country but as to sworne enemyes of this sweete soyle I am to desire you that at least if you will haue straungers to your Princes yet you will not deliuer the seignory of this goodly Kingdome to your noble Kings murtherers Lastly I haue reason as if I had to speake to mad men to desire you to be good to your selues For before God what either barbarous violence or vnnaturall follie hath not this day had his seate in your mindes and left his footsteps in your actions But in troth I loue you too well to stand long displayeng your faults I would you your selues did forget them so you did not fall againe into them For my part I had much rather be an orator of your prayses But now if you will suffer attentiue iudgement and not foreiudging passion to be the waigher of my wordes I will deliuer vnto you what a blessed meane the Gods haue sent vnto you if you list to embrace it I thinke there is none among you so young either in yeares or vnderstanding but hath heard the true fame of that iust Prince Euarchus King of Macedon A Prince with whom our late maister did euer holde most perfit alliance He euen he is this day come hauing but twenty horse with him within two miles of this place hoping to haue found the vertuous Basilius aliue but now willing to do honor to his death Surely surely the heauenly powers haue in so full a time bestowed him on vs to vnite our diuisions For my part therefore I wish that since among our selues we can not agree in so manifold partialities we do put the ordering of all these things into his hands aswell touching the obsequies of the King the punishment of his death as the mariage and crowning of our Princesse He is both by experience and wisedome taught how to direct his greatnesse such as no man can disdaine to obey him his equitie such as no man neede to feare him Lastly as he hath all these qualities to helpe so hath he though he would no force to hurt If therfore you so thinke good since our lawes beare that our Princes murther be chastized before his murthered bodie be buried we may inuite him to sit to morowe in the iudgement seate which done you may after proceede to the buriall When Philanax first named Euarchus landing there was a muttring murmur among the people as though in that euil ordered weaknes of theirs he had come to conquer their country But when they vnderstood he had so small a retinue whispring one with another and looking who should begin to confirme Philanax proposition at length Sympathus was the first that allowed it then the rest of the Noblemen neither did Kalander striue hoping so excellent a Prince could not but deale graciously with two such young men whose authoritie ioyned to Philanax all the popular sort followed Timantus still blinded with his owne ambitious haste not remembring factions are no longer to be trusted then the factious may be perswaded it is for their
shal be well to knowe how the poore and princely prisoners passed this tedious night There was neuer tyrante exercised his rage with more grieuous torments vpon any he most hated then afflicted Gynecia did crusifie her owne soule after the guiltines of her harte was surcharged with the sodainenes of her husbāds death for although that effect came not frō her minde yet her mind being euil the effect euill she thought the iustice of God had for the beginning of her paines copled thē together This incessantly boyled in her brest but most of al whē Philanax hauing cloasely imprisoned her she was lefte more freely to suffer the fierbrands of her owne thoughts especially when it grewe darke and had nothing left by her but a little lampe whose small light to a perplexed mind might rather yeld feareful shadowes then any assured sight Then beganne the heapes of her miseries to waye downe the platforme of her iudgement then beganne despaire to laye his ougly clawes vpon her shee beganne then to feare the heauenly powers shee was woont to reuerence not like a childe but like an enemie neither kept she herselfe from blasphemous repyning against her creation O Gods would she crye out why did you make me to destruction If you loue goodnes why did you not geue me a good minde Or if I cannot haue it without your gifte why doe you plague mee Is it in me to resist the mightines of your power Then would she imagine she sawe strange sights and that she heard the cries of hellish ghostes then would she skritch out for succour but no man comming vnto her shee woulde faine haue killed her helfe but knewe not how At sometimes againe the very heauines of her imaginations would cloase vp her senses to a little sleepe but then did her dreames become her tormentors One time it would seeme vnto her Philanax was haling her by the heare of the head and hauing put out her eyes was redy to throw her into a burning fornace Another time she would thinke she sawe her husband making the complainte of his death to Pluto and the magistrates of that infernall region contending in great debate to what eternal punishment they should allot her But long her dreaming would not hold but that it woulde fall vpon Zelmane to whom shee would think she was crying for mercy and that she did passe away by her in silence without any shew of pittying her mischief Then waking out of a broken sleep and yet wishing she might euer haue slept new formes but of the same miseries would seaze her minde shee feared death and yet desired death shee had passed the vttermost of shame and yet shame was one of her cruellest assaulters she hated Pyrocles as the originall of her mortall ouerthrowe and yet the loue shee had conceaued to him had still a hie authoritie of her passions O Zelmane would she say not knowing how neere he himselfe was to as great a daunger now shalt thou glut thy eyes with the dishonoured death of thy enemie Enemie alas enemie since so thou haste wel shewed thou wilt haue me accompt thee couldest thou not aswel haue giuē me a determinate deniall as to disguise thy first diguising with a doble dissembling Perchaunce if I had bene vtterly hopelesse the vertue was once in me might haue called together his forces and not haue beene led captiue to this monstrous thraldome of punished wickednes Then would her owne knowing of good enflame a new the rage of despaire which becomming an vnresisted Lorde in her brest shee had no other comforte but in death which yet she had in horror when she thought of But the wearisome detesting of her selfe made her long for the dayes approach at which time shee determined to continue her former course in acknowledginge any thing which might hasten her ende Wherein although shee did not hope for the end of her torments feeling alreadye the beginning of hell agonies yet according to the nature of paine the presente being most intollerable shee desired to change that and put to aduenture the ensuing And thus rested the restlesse Gynecia no lesse sorrowfull though lesse ragefull were the mindes of the Princesse Pamela and the Lady Philoclea whose only aduantages were that they had not consented to so much euill and so were at greater peace with themselues and that they were not lefte alone but might mutually beare parte of each others woes For when Philanax not regarding Pamelas princely protestations had by force left her vnder garde with her sister and that the two sisters were matched aswell in the disgraces of fortune as they had beene in the best beauties of nature those thinges that till then bashfullnes and mistrust had made them holde reserued one from the other now feare the vnderminer of all determinations and necessitie the victorious rebell of all lawes forced them enterchaungeably to lay open There passions then so swelling in them as they woulde haue made Auditors of stones rather then haue swallowed vp in silence the choking aduentures were falne vnto them Truely the hardest hartes which haue at any time thought womans teares to be a matter of sleight compassion imagining that faire weather will quickly after followe would now haue beene mollyfied and bene compelled to confesse that the fayrer a diamond is the more pittie it is it shoulde receaue a bleamish Although no doubte their faces did rather beautifie sorrow then sorrow coulde darken that which euen in darkenes did shine But after they had so long as their other afflictions would suffer them with doleful ceremonies bemoned their fathers death they sate downe together apparrelled as their misaduentures had founde them Pamela in her iournying weedes nowe conuerted to another vse Philoclea onely in her night gowne which she thought should bee the rayment of her funeralls But when the excellent creatures had after much panting with their inwarde trauell gotten so much breathing power as to make a pittifull discourse one to the other what had befallne them and that by the plaine comparing the case they were in they thorowlye founde that their greiues were not more like in regarde of themselues then like in respecte of the subiecte the two Princes as Pamela had learned of Musidorus being so minded as they woulde euer make both their fortunes one it did more vnite and so strengthen their lamentation seing the one coulde not bee miserable but that it must necessarilie make the other miserable also That therfore was the first matter their sweet mouths deliuered the declaring the passionate beginning troblesome proceeding and daungerous ending their neuer ending loues had passed And when at any time they entred into the prayses of the young Princes to long it woulde haue exercised their tonges but that their memory foorthwith warned them the more prayse worthy they were the more at that time they were worthy of lamentation Then againe to crying and wringing of handes and then a newe as vnquiet greefe sought